Staying in the sect, controlling beasts and cultivating immortals

"Haha, if there is any need, I hope that Taoist Changsheng can take care of me."

Lord Jiaolong laughed and said respectfully.

"That's natural."

Yu Changsheng agreed and nodded slightly, but he seemed to be thinking about something in his heart.

"Only those who have achieved a golden elixir within one decade, or a purple mansion within three decades, can enter the inner sect of the holy land... In other words, the inner sect disciples of the holy land are at least at the golden elixir level, and they are all those with outstanding talents. Only those with a purple mansion level..."

“No wonder they say the Holy Land is so great. With such a rich background, it does have the courage to do so. I just don’t know what this Sea Beast Island is like…”

Yu Changsheng pondered in his heart and let out a breath quietly.

The requirement for being a disciple alone is to be at least at the Golden Core Purple Mansion realm. This point is indeed far beyond the reach of most forces. You know, a cultivator at the Golden Core realm can serve as an elder in a sect like the Six Sects of Wuzhou, while a cultivator at the Purple Mansion realm can become the highest level of the sect.

However, despite such a core position, he is just an ordinary inner disciple in the Sea Beast Island.

As for the outer disciples... although Lord Jiaolong did not explain it too clearly, Yu Changsheng knew in his heart that the so-called outer disciples were probably just a title.

They have the possibility of contacting the holy land, but cannot get any support from the holy land's resources. Most of them just do odd jobs for the holy land and provide services for its daily operations.

But even so, for ordinary cultivators, becoming an outer disciple of the Sea Beast Island is still something they are eager to do. After all, no matter how marginal it is, it is associated with the word "holy land", which means there is a better chance of entering the inner gate of the holy land.

.........

"Every hundred years, Sea Beast Island will hold a large-scale disciple recruitment conference. At this time, countless forces in the North Sea and countless independent cultivators will gather from all corners of the world. Each disciple recruitment conference lasts for a year."

"Now if you calculate, it has only been about half a year. This place is not too far away from the Sea Beast Island. There is plenty of time. Fellow Daoist, there is no need to rush."

As Lord Jiaolong spoke, he accelerated the speed of the spirit boat. After two hours, the turbulent sea around him gradually calmed down, and a black outline appeared on the sea level in the distance.

As we got closer, the hub became clearer. It turned out to be a protruding island with lush forests and some fixed ports on the shore.

"Jiaolong Island, we're here."

Lord Jiaolong smiled slightly, exhaled slowly, accelerated his speed, and soon, he brought Yu Changsheng and the other two to the port smoothly.

At the port, there were many monks holding weapons and solemnly guarding the coastline. After seeing the newcomer, they immediately looked respectful, clasped their fists, and lowered their eyebrows and said:

"Meet the island owner."

The cultivation level of these people was only at the foundation-building stage. After greeting True Lord Jiaolong, they looked at Yu Changsheng with curiosity, but did not ask many questions.

After Lord Jiaolong nodded, he put away the Jiaolong Spirit Boat, turned around and smiled gently at Yu Changsheng and Wei Lao and said:
"The island is not big, but I have invested a lot of thought and effort in it over the years. I can't guarantee anything else, but compared to the rampant pirates and crises in the vast sea outside, the law and order here are relatively well organized, and the safety is still acceptable."

"In the vast ocean, for cultivators like us who have been out at sea all year round, it is rare to find a temporary place to stay and have a good rest."

There was a hint of pride in Lord Jiaolong's words.

Elder Wei nodded, looked around, and said calmly: "Daoyou is thoughtful. It is a great merit to be able to protect the safety of this place."

Yu Changsheng was silent, observing everything on the island, thinking something in his mind.

The island is not very big, about a few hundred kilometers in radius, and is sparsely populated. Most of it is occupied by dense rainforest. There are not many buildings, but the spiritual energy is quite abundant.

In the very center of the island, there is a majestic city with a statue that reaches from heaven to earth. The statue is of a dragon, hundreds of feet tall and lifelike, with its head lowered, overlooking the entire island.

This is also the origin of the name of Jiaolong Island.

A group of people walked, gradually heading towards the center of the island. Jiaolong Zhenjun led the way, walking in front, and introduced with a smile:
"You two are from the Southern Region. You may not have seen the island scenery of the Northern Sea Region. It would be nice to stay here for two days. I have already asked someone to prepare a banquet in the city. I will definitely treat you with delicious food and drinks. Thank you two fellow Taoists for giving me some face."

"Then I'll trouble you, fellow Taoist."

Yu Changsheng nodded casually and replied.

Soon, they arrived at the city at the core of the island. Under the arrangement of Lord Jiaolong, they stayed in the guest room under the Jiaolong statue.

"Master, what do you think of this True Lord Jiaolong?"

Inside the room, Yu Changsheng opened the skylight, looked up at the hundred-foot-tall dragon statue, and said with a chuckle.

"Not much."

Elder Wei spoke calmly, a sneer flashing in his eyes, looking at the majestic dragon statue, and said:

"His intentions are unpredictable. As a human being, he is willing to be a slave to the beasts. He has forgotten his origins and has set his sights on us. He is unlucky."

"Let's see what he wants to do first."

"Yeah," Yu Changsheng laughed and nodded meaningfully, "But this island itself is a good place."

…………

…………

As night falls and the sky darkens, the starry sky appears. It is like a huge carpet covered with gemstones, spread across the boundless sky. The stars twinkle like mysterious eyes watching the ocean and the earth.

On the island, the dragon statue in the center was covered with a faint glow under the light of the stars. The moonlight flowed like water, and the sea was sparkling, setting off the starry sky.

And under the huge dragon statue, a blazing bonfire was burning, the flames illuminating all directions, and a grand banquet was taking place. There were graceful female cultivators wearing revealing, exotic clothes dancing under the firelight, their figures swaying in the light, and their every frown and smile was quite charming.

The sea breeze blew gently, bringing a slight coolness. The air was filled with the enticing aroma of spices and barbecued meat of unknown spirit beasts, creating a peaceful and lively atmosphere.

"Hahaha, Fellow Daoist Yu, Fellow Daoist Wei, come on, come on, guests are welcome, drink wine and eat meat, just eat to your heart's content. It's not easy for you to come here once, so you must have fun." Lord Jiaolong laughed heartily, raised his glass, clinked it with Yu Changsheng and Old Wei through the air, and then drank it in one hearty gulp.

Yu Changsheng and Old Wei smiled slightly, immersed in the atmosphere of the banquet. They seemed to be completely relaxed. They talked and laughed, and the scene was lively and peaceful.

After three rounds of drinking, there was singing and dancing. As Lord Jiaolong clapped his hands, musicians suddenly came in with drums hanging around their waists. They used their spiritual power as hammers and beat the drums vigorously.

"Dong Dong Dong!!"

The cheerful drum beats have a distinct rhythm, as energetic as a heartbeat, and the distinctive musical instruments sound, and the unique melody seems to penetrate the soul, sweeping around with aura and making people intoxicated.

The drumbeats grew heavier, like the muffled sound of a heart, the spiritual energy surged more, the strange drumbeats spread, the female cultivator's dance became more wild and strange, her movements were in perfect unison, echoing the surge of spiritual energy, gradually becoming more and more strange, yet also filled with an indescribable beauty.

"This is a dance unique to our North Sea Region. It is usually performed only when important guests arrive. It may be very different from your South Region, but it also has its own style. My two fellow Taoists, please be patient and enjoy it."

"If you have any opinions, feel free to raise them."

Lord Jiaolong explained with a smile, and as he looked at Yu Changsheng and Old Wei, the smile on his face became even brighter.

Yu Changsheng and Wei Lao looked at each other and smiled. The corners of their mouths curled up slightly, revealing an intriguing smile. Yu Changsheng laughed and said:
"It is truly an honor for us to be valued and treated so warmly by the owner of Jiaolong Island. The island has a nice atmosphere, but there is one thing I don't know. Could the owner of the island please explain it to me?"

True Lord Jiaolong was stunned, and looked at Yu Changsheng with a hint of wonder in his eyes. He raised his cup and drank it, then laughed and said, "Daoyou, if you have any doubts, just say it. I'm sure I'll be able to help you."

"I'm curious, why was this huge dragon statue built in the center of the island?"

"Is there some other connection?"

Yu Changsheng pointed at the huge dragon statue and asked with a smile.

Upon hearing this, Master Jiaolong's expression changed. He stroked his beard and slowly explained:

"This, doesn't really have any special meaning, it's just a commemoration."

"Why commemorate?" Yu Changsheng asked.

Master Jiaolong shook his head and smiled softly:
"Fellow Daoist, you may not know that before I arrived, this island was not ownerless, but was occupied by a dragon, who was doing evil and committing crimes here. He brought disaster to the area, and many cultivators who came and went were eaten by him and became his blood food, causing many cultivators to suffer terribly. This island has become a desolate place."

"Oh?" Yu Changsheng became interested, raised his eyebrows, and said, "There is such a secret. What happened next?"

"Later."

True Lord Jiaolong sighed, opened his mouth and sighed, exhaled a long breath, shook his head and said lightly, "Later, this old man and a few friends came to this island by chance. He insisted on communicating about evil, so we used all our strength and joined forces to kill him in the end."

"It's just a pity that this dragon is ferocious by nature and has profound cultivation. Even though my friends and I are all in the Purple Mansion Realm, we still paid a considerable price to kill it. Except for me, the rest of my friends unfortunately died in the mouth of the dragon. Thinking about it now, I still feel heartbroken."

Lord Jiaolong sighed deeply, his eyes were deep with a hint of pain, his face was indescribably bitter, and he spoke slowly in a heavy tone.

"So later, in order to commemorate my good friends and to let those who come to the island know the historical origins of this island, I simply built such a dragon statue and changed my Taoist name to Jiaolong to serve as a warning. If my good friends Huangquan knew about this, they might be happy too."

Lord Jiaolong sighed again, shook his head, swallowed his saliva, drank a glass of wine gloomily, and looked lonely.

Yu Changsheng suddenly realized, clasped his fists and bowed, saying: "So that's how it is. I didn't expect that the island owner is also a person of temperament. But there is no need to be too sad. It's all in the past."

"Being able to kill the dragon, benefit the people, and protect the peace of the area is truly a great deed."

Yu Changsheng began to praise him, his voice was gentle, and it fell into the ears of Jiaolong Zhenjun, but he saw a hint of unnaturalness on his face, he turned his head away gently, nodded silently, raised his wine glass and bowed to Yu Changsheng and Wei Lao again:
"These are just some things of the past. There is nothing to praise. Let's drink. The two Taoist friends have come from afar. Don't lose interest."

Lord Jiaolong said, then he raised his head and drank the whole cup. Through the cover of the wine glass, a hint of deep meaning flashed in his eyes, which was thought-provoking.

Yu Changsheng and Mr. Wei laughed, and the three of them continued their conversation in a fairly harmonious atmosphere.

Boom boom boom!
The bonfire burned fiercely, the flames flickered and swayed, the classical music became more intense, the drum beats were like thunder, and like the muffled sound of a heartbeat, with the rise and fall of the drum beats, the dancing postures of the dancers became more wild and strange, with every move, the surrounding spiritual energy surged.

Then, gradually, white mist rose, and as the white mist gathered, the starlight was also received and condensed into little strange runes, floating everywhere with the dancing posture.

Faintly, a sense of confusion spread in the surrounding space.

And the vague murmurs slowly sounded from all directions, like waves rushing in and surging towards Yu Changsheng and Old Wei.

"My Lord, the Dragon, I will be honored for eternity."

"I obey the orders of my Lord, and all living beings are my sacrifices."

"I surrender my heart, may God bless me."

"The sea of ​​suffering has a shore, and from now on it is a pure land."

…………

The murmur was vague and like the tide, starting with a little, and then becoming more and more turbulent, covering the area and even beating on the mind. The dance of the dancer was even more bizarre, and as it turned, white runes that gathered starlight flashed with a faint light.

As the faint light continued to move, part of it went towards Old Wei and Yu Changsheng, while the other part slowly floated towards the huge dragon statue and was imprinted in it.

The space seemed to be distorted, and spiritual energy began to riot. In the blur, Master Jiaolong raised his glass and sipped the wine gently, and the smile on his face became more and more weird.

Yu Changsheng and Wei Lao's eyes became dazed. As the white runes surrounded them, their expressions became dull and their eyes lost their liveliness, as if they had lost their souls.

Seeing this, Master Jiaolong curled his lips slightly, shook his head, and said with a sneer:
"You two are cautious enough, worried that I might poison the food and wine, so you pretended to cooperate but actually just drank the wine. However, how could you have imagined that the real dilemma was not in the wine."

"You dare to watch the sacrificial dance in its entirety under the dragon statue. Even if you are a Purple Mansion True Lord, you will be immersed in the illusion for a while. Now, aren't you ready to be slaughtered by me?"

"Although the inner elixir of the Tenghai Dragon Lion is gone, we were able to capture two Purple Mansion True Lords and offer them as sacrifices, which can be considered as a compensation for our mistakes. Lord Jiaolong should not blame us." (End of this chapter)