The more you believe me, the more real it becomes.

Chapter 207?! (5k)

Previously, there was a dragon without a head; now there is a head but a missing corner.

This is clearly a case of the Taoist priest using their entire cultivation and destiny to draw a dragon!

Upon realizing this, the scholar was utterly shocked and furious, but after the shock and anger subsided, he felt utterly powerless.

He schemed against others all day long, and now he has become a pawn on the plate, a fish on the chopping block. Who can he blame?
Nobody's to blame!

So after saying this, he let out another long sigh.

Before Du Yuan could speak, he addressed the people around him:

"I plan to go out last. Does anyone have any other ideas?"

The remaining four were immediately startled. Although they were theoretically at the same cultivation level, they all vaguely sensed that the scholar might be the one with the highest cultivation among them.

I thought he wouldn't compete for second place, but he would at least compete for third or fourth, or at the very least fifth.

Surprisingly, it turned out to be the most dangerous sixth place.
What exactly does this person mean?
Are they betting that the four of us are incapable of passing the test, and therefore want to use us as scouts?
But doesn't he know that if the four of us were to lose, he would have to face a fully-fledged dragon?
The scholar realized that the Taoist priest was using them to draw dragons, and they naturally realized it too.

After exchanging a glance, the man carrying the wine gourd and the old man holding the red plum blossoms stepped forward and said:
"Since you've chosen us to draw the dragon, senior, may I ask if you dare to let the two of us fight together?"

Although the black-armored warrior in the old woman's hand was proven to be a fake, that only shows that she had poor eyesight and hadn't noticed it all these years.

This does not mean that she is really inferior to the others.

Now that the old woman has been easily defeated by the headless dragon, if they were to go out alone to face the increasingly powerful dragon, they would obviously be doomed.

Therefore, he directly requested that the two of them fight together.

Upon hearing this, Du Yuan smiled and said:
"Why not?"

Having said that, he said coldly:

"You lot, taking advantage of the fact that there's no one in the southwest to do as you please, now that I've come to deal with you, I'll make sure you lose without any trouble! Only in this way can I console the many innocent people who died tragically at your hands!"

If you're going to pretend, you should pretend however you want!
I refuse to believe that this wouldn't make you guys feel uneasy.

Just as Du Yuan had expected, these words did not put their minds at ease; instead, they made them even more wary.

Such confidence?!
If the Taoist priest had shaken his head and refused, or had said something else, they would have had some confidence and a way to deal with it.

but now.
Not to mention the two who were going to fight, the other three were also feeling uneasy as they looked at the dragon painting.

Du Yuan was increasingly satisfied with this. Yes, that's it. Only in this way can I use you to achieve my goal of becoming a great dragon!
Therefore, at this moment, he shouted:
"If you are cowardly, why not quickly commit suicide to atone for your sins? This humble Taoist is still waiting to bring a life-saving rain to the southwest!"

The two men turned red and white with embarrassment.

How dare you look down on us like this?

It's one thing for you to say such things while occupying a high position, but now you're just showing us a painted dragon and you still dare to look down on us like this!

This is absolutely intolerable!

Unable to contain themselves any longer, the two locked eyes and felt sparks fly in their eyes as they looked at each other, before leaping out together.

The man holding the gourd immediately patted the gourd at his waist, and endless chains of lightning rolled down from the mouth of the gourd.

In a short while, the entire surrounding area was enveloped in lightning.

This gourd has an extraordinary origin—long ago, the Southern Envoy of the Eastern Route of the Thunder Department fought a great demon but was defeated. On the verge of death, in order to vent his anger, he risked his incomplete soul and eternal extinction by condensing his own broken golden body into this gourd.

Although Du Yuan stood with her hands behind her back, unmoved, her eyes were fixed intently on the gourd in the man's hand.

Strategically underestimate the opponent, but tactically take them seriously.

This is one of the simplest truths in the world!

Lacking either one results in either courage without strategy, or strategy without courage.

Absolutely not capable of becoming anything!
Another person plucked a petal from a red plum branch in their palm and gently scattered it. In an instant, the red plum blossomed in full bloom, its branches budding. The fields, which had been filled with thunder, all seemed to gather and cling to the red plum blossoms. Moreover, a continuous Buddhist chant emanated from the void, chanting endlessly!

Long ago, atop the great mountain in the south, a Buddha once resided and preached the Dharma. In an instant, countless demons came to pay homage. It is said that the Buddha preached for thirty-three days straight, during which countless spirits suddenly attained enlightenment and ascended to heaven in a single day.

Upon hearing this, his sect elders, shameless as ever, went to the Buddha, carrying the accumulated merit of their sect over generations, and brazenly requested an audience, wanting to ask the Buddha for a treasure to suppress their fortune.

Seeing that he was indeed accumulating merit and doing good deeds without interruption, the Buddha smiled and plucked this plum blossom from behind him as a gift.

After that, their sect relied on this treasure to gradually accumulate wealth and eventually dominate the region.

With their two magical treasures and their own cultivation, they were already incredibly powerful.

Moreover, the two had a tacit understanding of working together on many occasions, and even the magical treasures they each possessed had a deep connection—

It turns out that the Thunder Department's Eastern Route Southern Envoy, who had turned into a gourd and attained enlightenment and ascended to heaven after hearing the Buddha preach before him. Given this connection, the two were certain that their combined power was far greater than a simple addition!

Their impressive display of strength was truly remarkable, even impressing Du Yuan, who was watching from the sidelines.

But as good as it may be, the pretense still has to continue!

Therefore, Du Yuan looked at the guy holding the gourd and said:
"Hehe, thunder magic, thunder magic! All evils in the world are terrified of thunder, for it is the manifestation of the righteous law of heaven and earth, extremely yang, extremely strong, extremely fierce, and extremely powerful!"

"What a pity!"

When Du Yuan spoke again, the man was startled, because he remembered the old woman's defeat.

In his terror, he cried out:

"Could it be that my gourd is also a fake?"

This can't be done!

Du Yuan smiled slightly at these words, then shook her head and said:

"It's not quite a copy."

As Du Yuan's gaze fell upon it, he also saw a Thunder Department envoy whose aura was similar to that of the person he had seen in Qingzhou, who had refined himself into a gourd.

This proves that it is indeed a genuine product with a reliable provenance.

But that's not what Du Yuan wanted to say:
"What I'm saying is, if that Thunder Envoy were still alive, using thunder magic to deal with him would be somewhat justifiable. But now, that envoy has long since dispelled his obsessions, and this gourd of yours is merely a shell! To put it simply, it has form and power, but no foundation!"

To convince them, you can't just rely on words; you have to be both truthful and mysterious.

Only in this way will they gradually believe it and then help them draw dragons.

The man's face grew increasingly pale.

Du Yuan then concluded:
"Since you're just a rootless duckweed, where did you get the audacity to use lightning magic against a dragon?"

After this crucial point was pointed out, not only the person holding the gourd, but also the other four people turned pale with shock!
Oh no, this dragon painting was originally just an inanimate object that was forcibly elevated to its current state thanks to the Daoist's extraordinary cultivation.

But now if it were to be empowered with lightning magic...
Did they lift a rock only to drop it on their own foot?!
For a moment, the man didn't even know whether he should withdraw his lightning spell.

But if he really did that, wouldn't he be crippled because he possessed this treasure and was mainly cultivating thunder magic?

Seeing that he had already lost heart before the battle even began, Du Yuan knew that she had already won half the battle.

As for the last one.
Before Du Yuan could even look, the old man holding the red plum branch shouted:
"Don't be afraid before the battle even begins. You've lived so many years and fought so many battles, don't you know that this is a path to death?"

The person holding the gourd felt very uncomfortable.

That's easy to say, but the problem is, even though he has fought countless times, he has never fought against a powerful being with such a different cultivation level!
The immortals of the three religions are inherently superior to others, and those who hold high positions are true immortals in the literal sense.

These so-called ancestors who could act arrogantly and domineeringly in front of ordinary cultivators were no different from others once they were in front of such a powerful figure!

Fortunately, the man said again:

"You must remember, we are only facing that dragon painting, and the magical treasures in our hands have a very deep connection. When the two are combined, it is not necessarily true that we will naturally lose!"

Upon hearing this, the man gritted his teeth and said:

"Alright! Let's go side by side! Let's press on with one breath!"

But before he could finish speaking, Du Yuan shook her head and chuckled:

"Quite a history, yes, quite a history indeed. It's just that he was foolish enough not to see the crux of the matter. But you've forgotten the very essence!"

The person holding the red plum branch instantly changed color:

"What do you mean?"

Although it was missing horns and eyes, the painted dragon had already stepped out of the wall and was hovering behind Du Yuan.

Standing before the dragon, Du Yuan raised her hand, pointed at the man, and rebuked him:

"Tell me, how did your elders acquire this item?!"

The man's heart trembled immediately. How did he obtain this item?

It was because in the past, although his sect was just a small sect, it acted with integrity and uprightness, and because of the righteous spirit in its heart, it was repeatedly suppressed and humiliated. Therefore, whenever the Buddha preached, some seniors shamelessly asked for a treasure that could both suppress the sect's fortune and deter the villains!
Before he could think further, he heard Du Yuan shout again:

"You dare not speak? Let me tell you! That monk showed you favor because he saw that you were upright and honest, which was truly rare! But look at what beastly things you have done!"

"How dare you be so presumptuous as to display such a treasure in front of me!"

Above the red plum blossoms, a high monk presented a gift, which Du Yuan saw clearly, but what she saw even more clearly was the righteous spirit of the person seeking the treasure!
But now, where is even a trace of righteousness in you?

Therefore, Du Yuan was given a wake-up call!

Of course, there's one more thing Du Yuan didn't mention: this guy actually wanted to use a Buddhist treasure against him?!

Little do you know that my highest level of cultivation is Buddhism?

The moment those words were spoken, the man's expression changed drastically.

When Du Yuan actually referred to the Buddha, who had attained enlightenment, as a "monk," he was even more shocked—although there was no disrespect involved, apart from powerful beings of the same level, who in the world would dare not address such a Buddhist giant as "Buddha"?
Before they could even argue, the two were horrified to see that the red plum blossoms that covered the mountains and fields and grew in reliance on the thunder had all withered away at that moment!
"not good!"

The thought had barely formed when the great dragon let out a long roar and charged forward fiercely.

The two hurriedly tried to defend themselves, but in extreme fear, they watched helplessly as countless red plum blossoms fell onto the dragon's body, and thousands of bolts of lightning also gathered on it!

Seeing this, how could they not understand—the great dragon had seized their very support and launched a counterattack!

Having reached this point, the two felt a surge of bitterness in their hearts and cried out in unison:

"Bitter!"

Before he could finish speaking, he was swallowed whole by the dragon.

The moment they entered each other's stomachs, the dark dragon scales outlined with charcoal slowly began to smudge with crimson, and lightning crackled and danced around their bodies. Even the previously missing dragon horns slowly grew back along their muscles!

What was originally a lifeless drawing of a dragon now reveals an even more majestic and awe-inspiring presence of a real dragon!
The two men were only suffering in their hearts, but the remaining three were suffering from head to toe.

I thought this situation would be like a boxing match, where the one who goes last always gains an advantage. How could it be the case that the more they fight, the stronger they become?

The only consolation is that the dragon painting, though it has become increasingly magnificent and invincible.

But it was ultimately an unfinished work.

Because the crucial 'eyes' are still missing!
Thus, even if it resembles a real dragon, it is nothing more than having the form!

After taking a deep breath, the Taoist priest holding the whisk nodded to his companion holding the compass, then said to the last scholar:

"Are you going to continue waiting, or come with the two of us? Don't worry, now is the time to fight for our lives. We won't play any tricks, because we don't have that kind of time."

The scholar who had previously said he wanted to be the last one also sighed.

He cupped his hands and said:

"Let's work together! We hope you two will lend a helping hand!"

As the two nodded, the scholar stepped forward and bowed to Du Yuan, saying:
"Since you previously agreed to let the two of them join forces, are you now willing to allow the three of us to fight together?"

Whether it works or not depends on whether the Taoist priest agrees.

Previously, if they had relied on the Heavenly Mandate, the six of them together could have managed to make this Taoist priest vomit blood.

Now they have no such idea at all.

This Taoist priest, who occupies the remaining position, would be absolutely invincible unless all the gods hiding in the southwest joined forces to take action!
Du Yuan continued:

"As I said, I will not make a move. You only need to fight with my dragon-drawing technique!"

The three forced a smile, trying to boost their spirits.

Today's battle has only a one in ten or two chance of victory.
The Taoist priest who orchestrated this scheme looked bitterly at the whisk in his hand.

Although one's own mountain is not part of the ancestral lineage, it is only considered one branch, not a clan.

But, since they both come from the Taoist school, how come the other one is so powerful?

"In a life-or-death situation, don't overthink it. The three of us haven't cooperated much and don't know each other's strengths. In that case, let's form a Three Talents Formation to make do for now?"

The Four Directions Formation, the Five Treasures Formation, the Three Talents Formation, and the Two Combinations Formation are all formations developed for different numbers of people.

It's not particularly remarkable, but its strength lies in its versatility.

Given the current situation, even they could only manage such a hasty and haphazard approach.

The Taoist nodded slightly, then flicked his whisk, which emitted a continuous golden light.

"I'll take the left, and you can take the right. As for you, fellow Daoist, your sect's magic weapon naturally suppresses dragons, so please take the center!"

The old man holding the compass did not refute.

Although it is the most dangerous, it is indeed the most suitable.

If you want to survive, you can't worry about these things.

It seems the other two wouldn't dare to hold back either—among the three, only his Golden Dragon Compass is the only magic weapon capable of suppressing dragons!

If he loses, the other two will definitely not escape.

This is the fundamental reason why he dares to fight and is not afraid of being betrayed.

This golden dragon compass wasn't originally called that; it was called the "Crescent Moon Compass." Only half of it remains, not because it was broken, but because it was naturally so.

Legend has it that this treasure was made by a great master from the ancestral temple of Taoism, and that the great master's original intention in casting this plate was to "obtain surplus"!
What is "remaining space"?
Taoism reveres nature, dislikes fullness and extremes, believes that "when things reach their peak, they grow old, which is contrary to the Tao," and emphasizes "leaving room for improvement and guarding against imperfections, so as to roam with the Tao."

The "surplus" in "surplus position" means leaving room for maneuver, preserving lingering charm, and having surplus strength; the "position" obtained is not something to be deliberately seized, but rather a "blank space" naturally given by heaven and earth after merging with the Dao.

Therefore, it is called "the remaining position".

This is a fundamental principle of Taoism known to all, just like the teachings of Buddha and the wisdom of the sages, which are spread throughout the world and can be studied by everyone.

The three founders of the religion made no secret of what they had learned, gained, or thought.

In order to create a great world where everyone can be like a dragon, they gave away all their knowledge and skills. Therefore, the reason why the three religions are so revered is that people initially admired the merits of their founders in teaching and enlightening sentient beings.

The problem is that while everyone can learn Falun Dafa, not everyone can comprehend it. Even those highly accomplished individuals who have attained high positions and frequently seek guidance from the founders of the three religions often find themselves confined to a small corner of the world, unable to make any further progress.

The appearance of this compass was to remind himself that divination should not be sought or sought, but rather to follow the natural course of things and let things fall into place naturally. Forcing perfection would only make things worse.

As for why the compass ultimately fell out of the way, and whether that great master succeeded in his predictions.

Then no one will know.

The only thing he knew about it was after his ancestor obtained it. He discovered that it was forged from leftover materials from the Dragon-Slaying Platform, and thus naturally restrained dragons and similar creatures.

Therefore, based on this, they hunted down the demonic dragons everywhere. They tainted them with ferocity, using the dragons' blood to nourish the treasures and help them grow stronger.

That's why it was renamed the Golden Dragon Compass from the Crescent Moon Compass.

Now that I think about it, no matter how powerful that dragon was, it should have been overpowered by my magic weapon!
After taking a deep breath, he looked up at the great dragon coiled above it and said:
"Senior, I'm offended!"

As he vigorously activated his magical artifact, the compass in his hand spun wildly. The two people behind him placed their hands on his back, channeling their magical power to help him fight tirelessly.

He kept his eyes fixed on the motionless dragon while constantly looking at the compass readings.

Based on experience, this magical artifact will automatically detect the weaknesses of the enemy demon dragon and provide clues through divination.

But as he looked at it, he realized something was wrong.

Why did this compass point to that Taoist priest and then stop moving?!

After a moment of confusion, the old man looked up at Du Yuan.

Then he slowly widened his eyes.

This compass was originally made by a great master from the ancestral temple of Taoism.

It was forged by a great master in order to understand the mysteries of the universe.

The Daoist master before them clearly possessed superior abilities, and such a powerful cultivator must be from an ancestral court.
Thinking of this, he kept making a gurgling sound in his throat and his heart was pounding.

Finally, the loss of voice turned into one sentence:
"Is this compass yours?!"

Du Yuan was a little stunned when she heard this.

How did it become mine again?

The two people behind that man changed their expressions drastically!

Their greatest hope was to slay thirteen demonic dragons and obtain the Golden Dragon Compass, a natural compass to suppress dragons.

And now you're actually saying this thing belongs to that Taoist priest?!
(End of this chapter)