Chapter 318: Chapter 182: The Conflict of the Three Dongs

With his success on the first day, Yang Jing successfully carved the Great Cave True Thunder onto his other arm on the second.

As soon as the two Thunder Talismans were complete, they faintly began to resonate with each other.

Every time the Celestial True Gang circulated through his body, a faint, tingling numbness would spread through his arms. The two types of True Thunder were subtly refining his bones.

He couldn’t help but find it ironic. Since he began his cultivation, he had barely ever engaged in close-quarters combat, aside from a few times he’d relied on his physical strength during the Qi Cultivation Stage. And yet, thanks to the blessings of various Talents and Secret Techniques, his body just kept getting stronger.

’Once I share a few of Yellow Foot’s Talents in the future, I’ll probably become truly invincible in terms of physical strength.’

’If someone thought I was poor at close-quarters combat and went through all the trouble to get near me for a fight, they would be in for a huge surprise.’

Yang Jing reined in his wandering thoughts. He circulated the power of his True Yang Body to alleviate the pain in his arms, then spat out a stream of Sun True Fire to refine the Golden Crow Pure Yang Mirror.

Refining a Spiritual Artifact was a slow and steady process. After just two days of effort, the Golden Crow Pure Yang Mirror hadn’t changed much.

Besides Sword Cultivators, however, most Foundation Establishment Cultivators didn’t invest too much time and energy into refining Spiritual Artifacts. After all, they had to prioritize their own Cultivation.

Only old Foundation Establishment Cultivators with no hope of achieving Core Formation would spend more time refining Magical Artifacts, hoping to leave something behind for their descendants.

After all, once a cultivator reached Core Formation, their Magical Power became far more profound, making the refinement of Spiritual Artifacts twice as effective with half the effort.

For the first couple of days, a few curious students from the White Dragon Academy had watched Yang Jing from a distance, but eventually, the area around the Dragon Transformation Pool became completely deserted.

The White Dragon Academy’s administration, meanwhile, never made an appearance, as if they didn’t exist at all.

"Master, how is Second Brother doing in the Dragon Transformation Pool?"

Yinjiao had vanished completely after entering the Dragon Transformation Pool and had yet to resurface. Ji Feng was starting to get worried.

"Don’t worry. Your brother is undergoing a transformation right now. We absolutely must not disturb him."

Yang Jing said to his worrisome disciple, all while manipulating the Sun True Fire to refine the Treasure Mirror.

In the pool, Yinjiao’s eyes were closed, as if he had fallen into the deepest of slumbers. The Flood Dragon Pearl slowly rotating above his head was like a black hole, devouring the Dragon Qi in the pool.

As the Dragon Qi refined his body, Yinjiao could feel his scales thickening, with new ones faintly beginning to grow beneath them.

He was molting.

For a Flood Dragon, every molt was a massive transformation. Some Flood Dragon Species with inferior bloodlines could go their entire lives without molting even once.

Yinjiao never expected his first molt to come so soon—before he had even reached Foundation Establishment. This forced him to be extremely cautious, and he focused on circulating the Supreme Nine Transformations of the Dragon Scripture.

For the next few days, Yang Jing didn’t take a single step away from the Dragon Transformation Pool. Even his meals were brought to him by Zuoqiu Feng and Chi Yu.

Every day, aside from refining the Golden Crow Pure Yang Mirror, he spent his time poring over the Flying Lightning Demon-Slaying Spear Mantra.

This Spear Mantra was a copy Iron Head had transcribed from memory, so there were bound to be discrepancies from the original. Nevertheless, it was still the most powerful close-quarters combat technique Yang Jing had at his disposal.

It was even superior to the various Spear Techniques recorded on his True Yang Body.

Time flew by, and ten days were nearly up. The students of the White Dragon Academy were certainly not willing to let an outsider occupy the academy’s best cultivation spot for long.

The Headmaster and Dean of the White Dragon Academy were also discussing this matter.

To maintain a semblance of balance, neither the Headmaster nor the Dean of the White Dragon Academy came from one of the "three Dongs"—the three main branches of the family. Instead, they were from smaller, collateral branches.

The Headmaster, Dong Jingcheng, and the Dean, Dong Yunyou, were both at the Middle Stage Golden Core Realm of Cultivation. Both were around four hundred years old.

Having failed to reach the Late Stage Golden Core Realm at their age, they had almost no chance of ever achieving Nascent Soul Formation.

Headmaster Dong Jingcheng, however, was quite philosophical about it. The Nascent Soul Spiritual Objects produced by the Dong Family were the exclusive property of the three main branches. For cultivators from minor branches like them, the only paths to Nascent Soul Formation were to join one of the Six Sects or seek their fortune in the Central Continent.

He felt he had already exhausted his potential just by forming a Golden Core. No longer scrambling for a chance at Nascent Soul Formation, he had settled into his role as Headmaster at the White Dragon Academy, content to secure some practical benefits for the younger generation of his own branch.

It was precisely because of his permissive attitude that the disciples from the three main branches had grown increasingly brazen within the White Dragon Academy. 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

In the past, at least, students would never have been allowed to force others into Magical Combat, let alone beat another student so severely.

Dong Yunyou was far more principled, but even as Dean, he was hamstrung by Dong Jingcheng and couldn’t truly mete out heavy punishments to the disciples of the three main branches.

"Brother Yunyou, it is hardly a glorious matter for our White Dragon Academy to have its Dragon Transformation Pool occupied by an outsider. Do you have any good ideas?"

Dong Jingcheng said, pouring his colleague a cup of Spirit Tea.

"What can we do when our students are simply not as skilled as he is? It’s not like Yang Jing used any tricks. He honorably fought two-on-one and defeated several of our White Dragon Academy disciples in a row."

Dong Yunyou replied nonchalantly, throwing Dong Jingcheng’s usual rhetoric back at him:

"This Yang Jing isn’t some nobody without connections. He’s a highly favored True Disciple of the Five Elements True Spirit Sect, he has the esteem of the Northern Army Governor, Canyuan True Monarch, and the Dragon Transformation Order in his possession came from True Monarch Dong Yiming of the Quwo Dong Family and Dong Shoumeng of the Yicheng Dong Family. Is a big shot like that someone we can afford to provoke?"

Dong Jingcheng was at a loss for words.

"But the Pan City Dong Family is unhappy seeing a cultivator supported by the other two branches acting so arrogantly in our White Dragon Academy. Right now, we’re caught in the middle like mice in a bellows, taking heat from both sides. Please, Brother Yunyou, don’t dwell on the past. Now is the time for us to work together."

Dong Yunyou shot his colleague a look of displeasure.

"What am I supposed to do? Should I get on the platform myself and knock that Yang Jing off?"

"Ahem," Dong Jingcheng cleared his throat. "What I mean is, could we perhaps have some alumni from past years come back and challenge for the right to use the Dragon Transformation Pool?"

Dong Jingcheng said after taking a sip of his Spirit Tea.

"What? Is Dong Xixian planning to come have Magical Combat with Yang Jing? With his Golden Core Realm Dragon Beast?"

Dong Yunyou’s eyebrow twitched. ’A Golden Core Realm expert fighting a Foundation Establishment Cultivator? That’s just bullying.’ If Yang Jing reported this back to the Five Elements True Spirit Sect, it would be the Dragon Taming Dong Family that would lose face.

The witnesses who had seen Dong Xixian’s embarrassing defeat at Iron Head’s hands that day had not spread the word, so most of the Dong Family was still unaware that their strongest new-generation member had already been defeated.

"Young Master Dong has gone to sea for the past few days; he’s not in the Dong Kingdom." Dong Jingcheng shook his head. "Our Dong Family has no shortage of talent. Even if no one among the current generation of cultivators is a match for Yang Jing, surely that’s not true of the previous generation of disciples as well?"

Dong Yunyou’s expression turned cold.

"You’ve already made your decision, haven’t you?"

But even though he looked down on Dong Jingcheng, he was still a Dong. The fact that Yang Jing, a mere outsider, was occupying the Dragon Transformation Pool was like a thorn in his side.

"If these disciples also lose to Yang Jing, then the Dong Kingdom will truly become the laughingstock of the Western Continent."

Two of the main branches had given Yang Jing the Dragon Transformation Order, clearly intending to win over this prodigious talent, yet because of the infighting between the three branches, the whole affair had turned into a joke. A pang of sorrow arose in Dong Yunyou’s heart.

’Brothers fighting amongst themselves... The Dong Family’s greatest threat isn’t the Demon Beasts at sea, but the strife within its own walls.’

-----------------

Yang Jing opened the Token from Iron Head. In it, Iron Head had recounted in full detail everything that had happened outside Divine Dragon City recently. He had spared no detail, even including the daily activities of the soldiers.

After reading the message, Yang Jing wrote a reply. He told Iron Head that all was well with him in Divine Dragon City and that Yinjiao was making great progress in the Dragon Transformation Pool. He added that if Iron Head didn’t want his junior brother to surpass him, he had better cultivate diligently.

After sending the Token, Yang Jing picked up the cup before him and drained the Spirit Wine in a single gulp.

"Brother Yang, it is because of my poor hospitality that you have been so wronged at the White Dragon Academy."

Dong Xiji sat cross-legged across from him. He raised his cup in a toast to Yang Jing and drained it. He had only returned to Divine Dragon City yesterday, having rushed back after receiving a Token from Dong Qingtao.

On the Magic Battle Platform, Guards were now setting up colorful canopies decorated with Jue Sha. A group of pretty Maids moved about, some blending incense and others fanning the air, everything handled with methodical grace.

"I should be asking if Brother Dong blames me for causing the White Dragon Academy to lose so much face."

Yang Jing replied.

"The Sovereign of old founded the White Dragon Academy because he saw that after several millennia, the quality of our Dong Family’s various branches had become uneven. Unable to bear seeing the clan’s younger generation waste their lives, he established the academy to ensure the disciples focused on their Cultivation. But in the ten thousand years since, that noble intention has long been washed away."

Dong Xiji shook his head.

"I only spent two years at the White Dragon Academy myself before I begged my grandfather to send me to the Taixu Sword Sect. It’s a good thing you’re here, Brother Yang, to show these frogs in a well what the outside world looks like."

Yang Jing shook his head.

He had noticed over the past few days that Dong Xiji was rather arrogant. He looked down on the disciples of his own family, preferring to associate with disciples from other clans and his peers from the Taixu Sword Sect. As a result, his prestige within the family was far lower than Dong Xixian’s.

"Brother Yang, there is something you must be on guard for. The Pan City Dong Family is unhappy that you, an associate of our two branches, have made such a name for yourself. They’re planning to pull some tricks during tomorrow’s small competition for the Dragon Transformation Pool."

A cold glint flashed in Yang Jing’s eyes. Yinjiao was at a critical juncture and could not be disturbed.

"What kind of tricks?"

"They plan to invite back some alumni who graduated from the White Dragon Academy long ago to challenge you." Fearing Yang Jing might underestimate them, Dong Xiji quickly added, "Some of these alumni have spent decades fighting Demons in the Zhenhai Army. They’ve already reached Foundation Establishment Perfection, and their Magical Combat style is exceptionally vicious. Brother Yang, you must not be careless."

Yang Jing nodded.

"Thank you for the warning, Brother Dong. However, if these challengers are all experts, I’m afraid I might not be able to hold back during the Magical Combat. I can’t guarantee there won’t be casualties."

Dong Xiji waved his hand nonchalantly.

"Brother Yang, don’t hold back. The ones challenging you will all be from the Pan City Dong Family. If they have the guts to step onto the Magic Battle Platform, then they should be prepared to die on it."