Chapter Sixty-Three: Pine of the Dragon Gate

Of course, Long Yun understood that the confusion here referred to the situation in which Qiu Di had not yet acted. Once Qiu Di made a move, victory would be immediately decided! There was no one on his side who could contend with Qiu Di. Thinking of this, Long Yun let out a faintly bitter smile. It seemed he was about to face hardship yet again.

His gaze turned to Qiu Di, and he found Qiu Di staring back at him, his eyes filled with a mad, resentful hatred, murderous intent surging forth without restraint.

“Not good!” Long Yun’s expression changed drastically. Without a second thought, he activated his movement technique, fleeing straight outward.

“Do you think you can escape?” Qiu Di thought coldly, then transformed into a streak of light, chasing after Long Yun like a bolt of lightning.

Long Yun pushed his movement technique to the utmost, sprinting madly down the mountain, while Qiu Di employed the Wind Riding Art, floating in midair—a technique unique to those with innate cultivation.

Qiu Di’s speed was clearly superior.

Seeing the distance between them rapidly closing, Long Yun grew anxious, feeling the bead left to him by Bi An in his bosom, wishing he could crush it immediately. Yet he knew Qiu Di’s cultivation was not even worth a sneeze from Bi An. To call upon Bi An in such circumstances would be utterly humiliating.

Thus, he forcibly suppressed the urge to break the bead, focusing all his efforts on increasing his speed.

“Boy, where do you think you can escape to?” Qiu Di’s icy voice came from behind, making Long Yun’s face darken even further.

Outside the gates of Jade Sword Sect, Long Yun stopped, for he sensed that Qiu Di had already closed the distance to within striking range. Continuing to flee would serve no purpose.

His arm slightly bent, sword light flickered from his fingertips. Long Yun gritted his teeth, staring at Qiu Di.

Qiu Di also stopped ten yards away, smiling as he looked at Long Yun. “Why aren’t you running anymore?”

“Enough with the nonsense!” Both Long Yun’s hands formed sword fingers, unleashing wild, furious sword light. He immediately executed the Five Swords as One, true energy transforming into a primordial beast, charging at Qiu Di first!

Qiu Di’s eyes narrowed. Long Yun’s attack might be fierce among those below innate level, but compared to him, it was still not enough.

With a single downward press of his hand, a giant palm of true energy enveloped Long Yun’s Five Swords as One, grasping it in his grip. With a sudden twist, the seemingly powerful Five Swords as One was crushed and shattered.

Long Yun forced himself not to spit blood, advancing instead of retreating, thrusting his sword—not the Rising Dragon, but an extraordinary sword technique from Qiu Niu.

“Dragon God Genesis!” This sword technique was incomplete, created by Qiu Niu in his later years, and contained many flaws. Long Yun had learned it from Qiu Niu’s memories but dared not use it, for it was too domineering and caused great harm to himself.

Where the sword energy shot forth, a primal, ancient aura burst free—a force beyond description, eerie yet filled with an untouchable majesty.

In that instant, Qiu Di’s expression grew solemn. Where had this boy acquired such formidable swordsmanship?

A flash of greed crossed his eyes. He struck with his palm, the wind howling, transforming in midair into a long sword of true energy, cleaving down furiously to meet Long Yun’s Genesis sword energy.

“Boom—” The energies exploded, erupting wildly in all directions!

Qiu Di was forced back three steps, his arm faintly numb, his gaze toward Long Yun turning even more shocked.

Long Yun fared worse, spitting three mouthfuls of blood in succession, his body hurled sideways, landing on the twisted trunk of the Dragon Gate Pine.

“Puh—” Another mouthful of blood sprayed forth, his meridians burning with fierce pain, his organs in turmoil.

The gap in cultivation was simply too vast! Long Yun sighed inwardly; this time his meridians might be ruined. If not for replacing them with Qiu Niu’s spiritual bone, his very life might not have survived.

Struggling, he raised his arm and gently patted the rugged trunk of the Dragon Gate Pine, a bitter smile appearing at the corner of his mouth. “We really are fated, aren’t we? Lying in your embrace feels so comfortable.”

Saying this, Long Yun shakily reached for Bi An’s bead in his bosom. Now, utterly helpless, even “Dragon God Genesis” was no match for Qiu Di.

This life was surely lost!

With this thought, he gathered the last trace of true energy, preparing to crush the bead in his hand.

But just as his true energy condensed, the Dragon Gate Pine beneath him suddenly erupted in a dazzling golden light, gradually gathering into a pillar that shot straight into the sky.

The golden pillar spanned more than ten yards in diameter, as if piercing the heavens—indescribably magnificent!

A pressure from the heavens and earth spread in all directions. Qiu Di’s expression changed drastically, collapsing to the ground, gasping for breath under this immense force!

The once-still branches and leaves of the Dragon Gate Pine began to tremble violently. Visible to the eye, scales appeared across the trunk.

Long Yun’s severely wounded body suddenly shuddered, feeling a surge of overwhelming power flooding into him from the Dragon Gate Pine.

In just an instant, all his injuries healed, as if he’d never been hurt. Moreover, streams of golden liquid flowed into his body.

At the same time, a small golden dragon appeared on Long Yun’s right arm, lifelike, its tail flicking as it swam upon his skin.

It seemed alive!

“It’s the power of Dragon God’s bloodline!” Long Yun murmured in astonishment, his voice trembling.

This power was intimately familiar to Long Yun—it was precisely the Dragon God’s bloodline. On Divine Dragon Island, the bloodline within him had been completely extracted.

Yet after being rescued, the bloodline power returned. Though not as strong as before, it was far more pure and sacred, elevated by countless degrees.

Now, the force flowing from the Dragon Gate Pine into his body was unmistakably the bloodline power he knew best!

What truly was the Dragon Gate Pine? How could it possess such pure Dragon God bloodline power? For a moment, Long Yun was utterly dazed—no wonder he always felt a familiar sensation whenever he approached the pine.

It turned out the Dragon Gate Pine contained the Dragon God’s bloodline! But how could a pine tree possess the bloodline of the Dragon God, and with a purity exceeding even his own?

Once the bloodline power entered his body, it fused completely into his flesh, remaking his meridians and physique. Especially his meridians, now resembling golden threads running throughout his body.

If before, Long Yun’s meridians were like a trickling stream, now, after transformation, they became roaring rivers, surging endlessly.

The small golden dragon on his right arm finally settled, never fading, remaining as a mark upon him.

The Dragon Gate Pine did not stop, lifting Long Yun’s body into the air, and, to his astonishment, the entire tree transformed into a golden ray, plunging into his body!

This fierce power did not course through his meridians, but settled directly onto the spiritual bone left by Qiu Niu!

A piercing pain struck him, and Long Yun was shocked to discover the golden light from the Dragon Gate Pine had fully merged into the spiritual bone, vanishing completely.

The spiritual bone left by Qiu Niu grew ever more radiant!

Long Yun’s robes billowed, and he could not help but let out a roar that shook heaven and earth!

This mighty roar sent Qiu Di’s ears ringing, stars flashing before his eyes, and he spat a mouthful of blood!

Long Yun’s eyes blazed red, feeling as if his body was about to explode, true energy rampaging within him. If not for his now resilient, reformed meridians, he would have burst apart already!

Yet even so, waves of intense pain still came.

Long Yun was enveloped in golden light, his vast aura piercing the clouds. True energy filled every corner of his body—if not released soon, he would surely die from internal rupture!

It’s….” Feeling the peerless pressure from heaven and earth, Qiu Di’s face was ghastly pale, muttering to himself, not even knowing what he was saying.