The Fourth Visit

On a grassy field, about thirty youths, both boys and girls, were sparring with one another. Though they all wore the same robes, the patterns on their sleeves differed.

Among them, six shared the same sleeve pattern.

The sun shone brightly, as it had for most of the season. But summer was coming to an end. The once lush green trees were beginning to show hints of orange, signaling that autumn was near.

Though the heat still lingered, Yuan noticed the change and smiled to himself as he lay on the grass. It meant the Dragon Turning Cultivation Room would open again soon.

Yuan's eyes glinting with anticipation. He had waited an entire season for this moment.

While Yuan was lost in thought, a familiar voice called out to him. It was Haoran, one of his groupmates from the Loose Long Camp.

"Brother Yuan, Teacher is calling us. We have to go," Haoran said with a small smile.

Hearing this, Yuan stood up slowly and already knewn where to go without Haoran saying a word. He also noticed that a few other youths were also leaving the training field in small groups.

Even without being told, he could guess where they were heading. Together with Haoran, Yuan walked behind the ten or so students who were already making their way toward a small garden pavilion.

The small garden pavilion was open on all sides, allowing the breeze to flow freely through it. Built on a stone foundation, it was slightly elevated by a base of rocks.

At the center stood a round stone table, accompanied by a single wooden chair. The pavilion was supported by six red pillars, holding up an upturned roof adorned with grey tiles and ornate eaves, each corner elegantly curved upward.

The surrounding area was filled with trees and blooming flowers, creating a serene and beautiful atmosphere, perfect for quiet reflection.

Sitting amidst this tranquility was their teacher, a middle aged man known for his fondness for wine. He relaxed in the wooden chair, holding a small wine cup in his hand, clearly enjoying the peaceful environment.

It was no secret throughout the Loose Long Camp that the teacher loved spending time here, often drinking wine. In fact, it was well known that he spent most of his spare money on it.

When a student once asked him what wine he liked best, he answered without hesitation: the "Sweet Bitter River Wine" from the Mountain River Clan, famous for their craftsmanship in goods and wine.

The Sweet Bitter River Wine was quite affordable for cultivators, but for ordinary mortals, a single barrel could cost several months' worth of savings.

As the teacher spotted his students approaching, he placed his wine cup gently on the stone table and gave them a calm, contented smile.

"Alright," he said, his voice relaxed, "most of you already know this, but the season is nearly over. That means the Founder's Manor will be opening again soon. You are the most talented youths in the Loose Long Camp, which is why you're allowed to enter the manor."

He paused briefly, then continued.

"Three carriages will arrive this evening to take you to the family's mountain. Everything else is as usual. You're free to go back and carry on with your day."

With that, he looked away from the group and reached once more for his wine cup, taking a small sip while gazing toward the horizon.

The students didn't say a word. They understood their teacher's habits well, he preferred to drink in silence. Anyone who disturbed him during these quiet moments would face his wrath. That had already happened once, and none of them were eager to repeat the mistake.

Silently, they turned and left the pavilion, leaving their teacher to enjoy the peace he so clearly valued.

Time passed, and Yuan continued to spar with a few other youths, including members of his own group. It was nothing special, just routine combat training.

The day went by uneventfully, until the sun began to dip below the horizon and darkness crept over the camp.

That was the signal for Yuan and a few others to end their training and head toward the camp gate. Yuan walked alongside Haoran, as only two members from each group were allowed to leave and attend the Founder's Manor.

That meant only twelve students could go, leaving the rest behind.

Their selection was no coincidence. From the moment they had arrived at the Loose Long Camp, these twelve had consistently outperformed the others. This opportunity was a reward for their three months of hard work.

Naturally, the other students weren't happy about it. But their complaints were short lived. The teacher silenced them with a few stern words and a vague threat, before telling them there would be more chances in the future.

He encouraged them to work harder over the next three months if they wanted to qualify next time. That bit of tough love lit a fire under several of the youths, motivating them to train even harder.

A day passed quickly.

Yuan, with Haoran standing quietly behind him, finally arrived at the Founder's Manor, otherwise called Dragon Turning Cultivation Room. Just like before, two elders stood at the gate.

By chance, they were the same ones Yuan had seen during his previous visits.

And, just like before, the Longwei elder arrived late, making a dramatic entrance. He delivered the same exaggerated speech, while the other elder stood beside him, clearly annoyed.

It felt like a ritual, unchanged, as though performed the exact same way each time.

After the ceremonial welcome, the Mortal Awakening Stage cultivators entered the manor. This time, the number was noticeably larger than during Yuan's previous visits.

Yuan recalled his first visit, when he had only been allowed to stay for a week and had his encounter with the scamming dead lizard.

During his second visit, which lasted a full month, he noticed that the lizard never showed up again. The third time, nothing unusual had happened, which convinced Yuan that the Lizard really is death.

Like before, he sat down at the exact same spot where he had met the scamming lizard and began his cultivation. A week passed quietly.

Nothing happened.

"Is that lizard truly dead… or is he still scheming something?" Yuan asked himself several times, the question lingered always in his mind. Eventually, he decided to take a risk and give it a real try.

He reached into the leather pouch strapped securely to his black belt, something he had prepared before leaving the Loose Long Camp. From it, he carefully pulled out a small tube containing blood.

Yuan's fingers trembled slightly as he held the tube. This single vial could bring either great relief—or an entirely new problem.

This tube was filled with Longwei Wenli's blood. Yuan had managed to obtain a small amount of it some time ago, but he had never dared to bring it into the Dragon Turning Cultivation Room until now. This place was where he had once encountered that Tianlong scamming lizard.

Now, he needed to gamble, whether the scamming Lizard was truly dead or still somehow lingering in consciousness.

It was well known that Longwei Wenli, the daughter of the current Head of the Loose Longwei Family, possessed the highest cultivation potential seen in over a hundred years. Not just her, even Baoyan, her twin brother, shared nearly the same monstrous talent.

However, Yuan had never dared to try collecting Baoyan's blood. Unlike Wenli, with whom he shared a friendship, his relationship with Baoyan was distant at best. They were mere acquaintances.

At most, Baoyan would greet him a few times with a simple nod, nothing more.

That alone spoke volumes about the nature of their connection. Yuan knew better than to test Baoyan's patience, he may have been intelligent and rational, but arrogance still ran deep in his bones. Offending him was a risk Yuan couldn't afford.

Yuan stared at the tube of Wenli's blood for a moment and sighed. There wasn't much, but it was enough, enough to confirm his suspicions about the strange phenomena tied to the Founder's Manor.

Without any more hesitation, he removed the small wooden seal from the tube and let a single drop fall to the ground.

The scheming lizard had once claimed that, in order to obtain his spiritual creation, the Split Space Attraction, Yuan would need the Tianlong blood essence of a Body Ascension Stage cultivator. That implied the manor would hopefully somehow react to any Tianlong blood.

Of course, what Yuan had now wasn't true blood essence. But it was still Tianlong blood, at least in a diluted form. And that gave him hope.

After all, the Loose Long Family was still a Mortal branch of the Tianlong race, even if their bloodline connection was shallow and weak, nearly non existing even.

He then carefully dropped a drop of Wenli's blood onto the floor of the Libary room, thankfully he was alone in this room, so nobody asked what he was doing and so he carefully looked at where the drop of blood falled down.

For a moment, nothing happened.

Then, subtly, the small drop of blood was absorbed into the ground, vanishing completely, as if it was absorbed by the floor.

But there was no glow, tremor or voice.

Just nothing.

And yet that nothing… made Yuan's eyes widen, his expression sharpening in realization.

"It really is possible…"