Nightfall, the Sacred Dragon Hall, back garden. Three cloaked figures in black, their faces obscured, gathered near an artificial hill. One of them took out a vial of dark red liquid from his storage bracelet. A closer look revealed it to be blood. The man let a single drop fall into the cave entrance within the hill, causing a strange light to emit from the depths. What followed was precisely what they had seen a few days earlier. The same cave, the same concealed entrance to the underground palace, opened once more.
"Let's go," commanded the leading man in black with a wave of his hand. The three figures leapt into the subterranean chamber, descending into the labyrinthine tunnels until they reached a sealed chamber holding a colossal dragon-like creature. The room lit up as they entered, but the light did nothing to reveal their faces. In the center of the chamber loomed the immense, imprisoned monster.
"It's gone! The dragon egg is missing!" one of the men exclaimed, staring at the creature's mouth in shock.
"Impossible! Master Tian Gang, without the Dragon God's blood, the entrance cannot even be opened. Could it be the Eastern Clan?" another asked anxiously.
"No chance. The Eastern Sacred Dragon Clan's bloodline has been so diluted over the years, it barely qualifies as dragon blood anymore," Tian Gang replied coldly. After a moment's thought, he muttered, "Unless someone from the Dragon God Realm intervened… Wen, Cui!"
"Present!" The two others immediately clasped their fists in acknowledgment.
"Alert the Dragon Slayer Unit. The plan must be accelerated," Tian Gang ordered.
"Yes, sir!" The two figures vanished instantly, leaving Tian Gang alone. He gazed at the captive dragon and murmured, "It won't be long. The Divine Realm will soon return to the grasp of our Archangel Clan."
Elsewhere, in the garden, Gan Ling sat on a stone bench, gazing up at the vast starry sky. A trace of worry flickered in her heart. *I wonder how Nuo is doing. Has Dongfang found the Ritual Council leader yet?*
"Don't worry. I'll be back in three months," Dongfang Yifeng had promised her.
Just come back safely, the young woman thought to herself with a sigh. Another face emerged in her mind: Situ Juekong. *He's always been so caring to both me and Dongfang since childhood. I wonder how he's doing now.*
In the Divine Realm, Fengyun Manor—the headquarters of the Wind Ritual Council. The Ritual Council was divided into six branches across the Divine, Demon, and Mortal Realms. The Wind branch was based in the Divine Realm, the Fire branch in the Demon Realm, while the other four branches were located in the vast Mortal Realm.
At the entrance to Fengyun Manor, two guards chatted idly. Suddenly, a beam of white light descended from the heavens, startling the guards, who immediately raised their weapons. When the light faded, a young man in white appeared, carrying an unconscious boy in his arms.
"Stop right there! Who are you? What do you want?" one of the guards demanded.
"I'm here to see Feng Xing," Dongfang Yifeng said calmly.
"Impossible! The Wind Council leader doesn't meet just anyone," the guard scoffed.
Without a word, the young man began walking toward the gate.
"Stop! Or don't blame me for what happens next!" the guard threatened, gripping his spear. But Dongfang Yifeng ignored him and kept walking. The guards, seeing his lack of response, lunged forward, their spears aimed at him. With a simple wave of his hand, a powerful gust knocked them back, shattering the gate in the process.
The commotion drew a dozen more guards, who surrounded the intruder. Shortly after, a man in white robes arrived, floating gracefully through the air.
"Who dares to trespass at the Wind Ritual Council?" the man demanded, his voice commanding.
"I'm here to see Feng Xing. Tell him to come out," Dongfang Yifeng said firmly.
"Fool! The Council leader doesn't entertain the likes of you!" The robed man summoned a storm of wind blades that coalesced around him. "Behold the Wind Ritual Council's famous technique: Ten Thousand Winds Slash!"
The guards cheered silently, convinced the intruder would meet his end.
Dongfang Yifeng, unperturbed, raised his fingers and slashed the air. "Break," he said simply. The swirling blades disintegrated instantly.
Before the robed man could react, Yifeng struck him with a palm strike from a distance. The man shuddered, coughed up blood, and collapsed. The surrounding guards froze in terror, realizing this boy had defeated a sixth-tier expert in a single move.
A voice echoed from within the manor. "Welcome, Young Master Dongfang. Forgive us for not receiving you properly."
The guards dropped their weapons and knelt. While the Ritual Council was independent of any realm, certain figures demanded their respect, and Dongfang Yifeng was one of them. Without a word, he rushed toward the inner courtyard.
Inside the main hall, a middle-aged man holding a long staff sat at the center. Dongfang Yifeng entered and cupped his hands respectfully.
"My apologies for barging in, but I have an urgent request," Yifeng said.
"There's no need for apologies, Young Master Dongfang. The Wind Ritual Council owes much to your efforts in helping us establish our place in the Divine Realm. Speak your request," the man replied.
"I need your help to meet the Grand Council Leader on the Ritual Island," Yifeng said earnestly.
The man frowned. "That is beyond my power. Entry to the island is heavily restricted without the Grand Council Leader's approval."
Just as he finished, the staff in his hand began to glow. The man's eyes lit up with excitement. "The Grand Council Leader has granted you access. I shall open the passage."
Ritual Island floated high above the realms, shrouded in powerful seals that rendered it undetectable. The island was divided into six regions corresponding to the elements of Wind, Fire, Thunder, Water, Wood, and Earth, with the central Tian Gang District serving as the Grand Council's seat of power.
Dongfang Yifeng, holding the boy in his arms, soon reached the Tian Gang District. Amidst a serene peach blossom grove, he found a young man clad in regal robes seated alone, playing chess. As Yifeng approached, the boy stirred, slowly opening his eyes.
"Luo, you're awake!" Yifeng exclaimed joyfully.
"Brother Yifeng, where are we? What happened?" Luo asked weakly.
"You fainted at home, and I brought you here to seek help from the Ritual Council Leader," Yifeng explained.
The robed man approached them. "The Tian Gang energy of the island has suppressed the strange poison in his body, allowing him to awaken."
"Strange poison? How could he be poisoned?" Yifeng asked anxiously.
The man smiled faintly. "That will be revealed in due time. Follow me."
Yifeng reluctantly handed Luo over to the man, who led them into a cavern. Within, a massive crystal hovered over a stone bed. The man placed Luo on the bed and observed him for a moment before asking, "When did the dragon-shaped mark on your body disappear?"