"It really is the Five-wed Golden Dragon! I actually got to see the legendary Five- wed Golden Dragon Bloodline with my own eyes!"
"Who is this kid? Which hidden family did hee from?"
"Quick, report this to the Elder! A genius like this has to be brought straight into the core of the Celestial Basilica and given the highest treatment at once!"
The Basilica disciple who had been acting arrogant a moment ago had both legs go soft and dropped straight to his knees.
His forehead pressed hard against the ground. His whole body shook, and he didn''t dare lift his head even a little.
Under the pressure of the Five-wed Golden Dragon, he seemed as tiny as an ant that could be crushed to death at any second.
All the swagger he''d worn earlier had vanished without a trace. In its ce, only dread and reverence remained.
The cultivators waiting in line also dropped to their knees one after another, their faces full of reverence and dread.
This was submission carved into living instinct before the strong, a natural fear of an emperor''s aura that nobody could resist.
A momentter, a white figure shot out of the Celestial Pce.
That speed was as fast as lightning. It tore through the air andnded in the square in an instant, kicking up a wave of air.
It was Bruno, dressed in a white robe with golden cloud patterns embroidered along the hem. His face carried stern authority, and his eyes were sharp as lightning.
True Immortal Realm Level One pressure rolled off him in a terrifying wave. It pressed down on everyone like a mountain, and the restless crowd fell silent at once, so still that nobody even dared breathe too hard.
His gazended on Jared, and shock shed through his eyes along with something heated, even a hint of greed he couldn''t quite hide.
It was the look of someone staring at the rarest treasure in the world, as if Jared were not a person at all, but a rare treasure on legs.
"Five-wed Golden Dragon Bloodline! This is the Five-wed Golden Dragon Bloodline!"
Even his voice was shaking.
He had cultivated for ten thousand years, yet he had never seen such a pure Five- wed Golden Dragon Bloodline.
The power in that bloodline was practically the most perfect treasure between heaven and earth. If he could get even a little from it, why would he ever have to worry about failing to reach the Great Dao?
The middle-aged man drew in a deep breath, forced down the surge inside him, and hurried forward.
He didn''t put on even a hint of a superior''s airs. He stopped in front of Jared, bowed deeply, and spoke with the kind of respect a man would only show before a king. "I am Elder Cillian of the Celestial Basilica. Greetings, fellow adept. May I ask how I should address you?"
Jared looked at him in silence, taking in that gaze. It looked respectful on the surface, but there was something else buried underneath.
That look was almost tangible, like invisible tendrils trying to push through his body and measure how deep his bloodline really ran.
He said nothing at first. Then he let out two t words. "Jared."
Elder Cillian nodded again and again, smiling so broadly the wrinkles on his face bunched together. He looked warm and kindly, but the falseness in it showed through all the same.
"Mr. Chance, you carry the
Five-wed Golden Dragon
Bloodline. A once-in-ten-thousand
peerless talent like you is exactly the kind of honored guest our Celestial Basiling treasures most. Please,e in at once report to the Hall Master right away so he can personally wee you and host you properly."
The warmth pouring off him made the people nearby shift where they stood.
A moment ago he had still been standing high above everyone else. In the blink of
an eye, he''d bent himself this low. The contrast was almost too much.
But no one dared say anything. In front of the Five-wed Golden Dragon Bloodline, everything else meant nothing. Strength was the only thing that counted. Jared looked at him, and a cold curve touched the corner of his mouth.
The same routine again.
The Hallowmere Order had been like this. The Celestial Basilica was no different.
These so-called righteous holynds kept virtue and morality on their lips, but behind the curtain, they were the most hard-nosed profiteers of all.
What they valued was never the person standing in front of them. It was the bloodline inside him.
The second someone lost their use, or the second these people got what they wanted, they''d turn on them faster than turning a page.
Jared already knew this meant getting the Celestial Basilica to release the souls of Sidney and his wife from the soul crystals probably wouldn''t be easy.
Nothing showed on his face. He only gave a faint nod, as if he had epted this so- called honor.
"Thank you for the trouble, Elder Cillian," Jared said. His tone stayed even, neither humble nor overbearing.
Elder Cillian lit up at once and quickly stepped aside to lead the way. "This way, Mr. Chance. Please, this way."
As he guided Jared toward the Celestial Pce, he turned his head and nced at the people still in the square. "That''s enough for today''s testing. Everyone disperse. Whoever''s left cane back tomorrow."
The cultivators who had been waiting in line looked at each other, but none of them dared object. One by one, they scattered.
Still, before they left, each of them couldn''t help turning back to look at Jared a few more times. Their eyes were a mess of things—envy, jealousy, and even a trace of
pity.
Jared followed Elder Cillian and passed through hall after hall.
Everywhere along the way, the ce screamed luxury. The corridor railings had been carved from whole pieces of warm jade priceless calligraphy and paintings hung from the walls, and the air carried a light mix of sandalwood and spiritual energy that cleared the head the moment it was breathed in.
Whenever they ran into Basilica
disciples along the way, those disciples froze in shock at the sight of Elder Cillian leading dared. Then each one quickly put on a tattering smile and stepped aside with a bow.