While the player is in Battle Through the Heavens, the system is in The Great Ruler.

Chapter 246 The Initiative of Rainbow Scales

In the silent room, time slipped away quietly amidst the swirling sandalwood incense. The purple-gold light within the cocoon of light grew ever more brilliant with the passing days, and the silhouette of the figure within became increasingly clear.

This went on for half a month.

On this day, the frequency of the cocoon's pulse suddenly increased, and the light on its surface surged violently as if boiling. Without warning, the sounds of dragons roaring and phoenixes singing rang out in the quiet room!
"Roar!"

With a loud bang, countless fine lines suddenly cracked open on the surface of the cocoon, from which dazzling purple-gold divine light burst forth.

The energy of heaven and earth in the entire quiet room instantly boiled, transforming into dozens of solidified energy torrents, which surged wildly into the light cocoon that was about to shatter, like hundreds of rivers flowing into the sea.

"Boom!"

The next moment, the cocoon of light shattered completely, and countless purple-gold light spots scattered and fell like stars. Amidst the swirling rain of light, Lu Yu slowly opened his eyes. In his left pupil, a dragon-shaped golden light flowed, while in his right pupil, a phoenix-shaped purple light leaped.

An immense pressure, far exceeding anything seen before, suddenly erupted, causing the space in the quiet room to violently distort and vibrate, and the protective arrays engraved on the walls to groan in despair.

"Click——"

The next moment, the protective array of the meditation room shattered, turning into countless points of light that dissipated. A thick beam of purple-gold light instantly pierced through the roof of the meditation room, shooting straight into the sky and illuminating the entire Tianmu Mountain as if it were daytime.

"This is... the Pavilion Master has emerged from seclusion?"

"What a terrifying energy fluctuation!"

Exclamations erupted from the mountains as countless eyes stared in horror at the pillar of light that pierced the heavens and the earth.

Within the pillar of light, Lu Yu stood with his hands behind his back, his robes fluttering in the surging energy. Feeling the surging dragon-phoenix power within him, a satisfied smile appeared on his lips.

"A peak one-star Dou Sheng... the effects of this Dragon-Phoenix Supreme Pill are even better than expected."

You should know that once you reach the Dou Sheng realm, every single star increase is incredibly difficult.

As you can see, even when Yan Di consumed one-sixth of the Yellow Spring Demon Saint's essence blood, he only advanced from the early stage of a one-star Dou Sheng to the late stage.

The fact that this Dragon and Phoenix Supreme Pill could allow him to leap directly from the early stage of a one-star Dou Sheng to the peak shows that it is among the top-tier of the nine-grade treasure pills.

"Perfect timing to try the Dragon and Phoenix Armor recorded in the prescription..."

With a slight thought, fine purple-gold scales appeared all over his body. These scales were as thin as cicada wings yet indestructible, and the dragon and phoenix patterns naturally engraved on their surfaces shimmered with a mysterious radiance, as if bearing the supreme power of the two great demonic beast overlords.

With a wave of his hand, a withered puppet figure appeared, which was Yao Ming, a puppet at the early stage of the second-star Dou Sheng.

"Yao Ming, punch me with all your might!"

"Yes, Master."

A brilliant purple light shone in Yao Ming's eyes, and his immense Dou Qi, at the early stage of a two-star Dou Sheng, erupted, unleashing a punch in an instant.

This punch contained the terrifying power of the demonic beast race. Wherever it passed, the void shattered inch by inch, and the strong wind it generated completely destroyed the remaining protective array in the quiet room.

"boom--"

The heavy punch landed squarely on Lu Yu's purple-gold scales on his chest, but only stirred up a faint ripple of energy. The power that could shatter mountains couldn't even leave a mark on the scales.

"Truly extraordinary..."

Lu Yu silently sensed the changes in his body, muttering to himself, "The defensive power of the Ancient Void Dragon and the rebirth characteristics of the Ancient Heavenly Phoenix have perfectly merged, giving this Dragon-Phoenix Armor a defensive capability that transcends realms."

He carefully sensed the energy veins flowing on the scales and discovered that they contained two completely different yet complementary forces: the power of the dragon was fierce and domineering, forming an indestructible outer layer of defense; the power of the phoenix was flexible and enduring, building an energy network in the inner layer that could absorb and neutralize impacts.

"Judging from its performance just now, this Dragon and Phoenix Armor can at least withstand the full force of a mid-stage two-star Dou Sheng, and it can even put up a fight against a late-stage powerhouse."

Lu Yu nodded in satisfaction, "As expected of a prescription passed down from a top-grade alchemy master. With this kind of defense, I have a better chance of success on my journey to the Soul Palace."

He waved his hand to put away the Demonic Dream Puppet, and in a flash, he appeared in the courtyard where Gu Yuan and Mang Tianchi were.

"Congratulations on your great progress in cultivation, young friend."

Gu Yuan's eyes were sharp as lightning. He could tell at a glance that the aura of a one-star Dou Sheng flowing around Lu Yu had reached perfection, and he couldn't help but nod in approval.

Lu Yu cupped his hands and said, "Seniors, I need to go to Dragon Island to refine a Dragon-Phoenix Supreme Pill for a friend. I'll leave Tianmu Mountain in your care."

Mang Tianchi stroked his beard and laughed, "Go with peace of mind. This was already agreed upon. With this old man and Gu Laotou here, we'll make sure Tianmu Mountain is safe and sound."

Gu Yuan nodded slightly, his fingertips lightly stroking the teacup: "Go and come back soon. We can discuss the matter of the Soul Palace when you return."

After bidding farewell to the two, Lu Yu arrived at the main hall. Little Fairy Doctor was arranging medicinal herbs; upon seeing him, she smiled broadly. With a wave of Lu Yu's hand, the Demonic Dream Puppet stood in the center of the hall, radiating the pressure of a two-star Dou Sheng.

“Brother Lu, this is…” A hint of surprise flashed in Little Fairy Doctor’s beautiful eyes. She put down the jade box in her hand and walked closer to examine it. “Fairy, this puppet is something I obtained from the depths of the Yellow Springs of the Nine Netherworld Python Clan.”

Lu Yu recounted in detail how he discovered the imprisoned Yao Ming and how he turned him into a puppet. "This man was originally the former patriarch of the Nine Netherworld Python Clan, who was imprisoned for many years by his own younger brother."

"I see."

Little Fairy Doctor pursed her lips, a hint of sympathy in her eyes, and said with some worry, "Won't the Nine Netherworld Python clan notice?"

"It's alright." Lu Yu smiled calmly, lightly tapping the control rune on the puppet's forehead with his fingertip. "Even if they find out, they won't dare to come to Tianmu Mountain to cause trouble now. You can keep this puppet for self-defense, which can also be considered as leaving a trump card for Tianmu Mountain."

Little Fairy Doctor nodded gently upon hearing this, without refusing. She knew Lu Yu's temperament well; since he had deliberately left the puppet behind, it must have been after careful consideration.

Since consuming the Netherworld Soul-Eating Pill, a peak-level eighth-grade pill, her cultivation has broken through to the Seven-Star Dou Zun level, finally catching up with Zi Yan, the precious darling of the Taixu Ancient Dragon Clan.

However, compared to Lu Yu, who has already advanced to the Dou Sheng level, the gap is still enormous.

Feeling Lu Yu's silent concern, she felt a surge of warmth in her heart. As she reached out to take the control jade slip, she said softly, "Be careful on this trip. I've heard that Dragon Island has been rather unsettled lately."

Lu Yu looked at her gently and held her hand softly: "Don't worry, we will come back once Zi Yan breaks through to the Dou Sheng realm."

……

Soon after,

Lu Yu arrived at the Blood Pool of Tianshan. The clear pool water shimmered with a faint red glow, and a rich aura of heaven and earth energy swirled on its surface, like a light veil shrouding the pool.

He stood by the pool for a moment, a hint of hesitation flashing in his eyes. Recalling his past with Cai Lin, he remained silent for a while, but finally leaped into the pool.

Its body rapidly descended into the warm pool water, and the surrounding crimson energy became increasingly concentrated with the depth.

Upon reaching the bottom of the pool, the sight before him moved him slightly. The viscous water resembled solidified blood jade, and the immense energy contained within surged slowly like magma, emitting a deep rumble.

At the center of this crimson energy, a colorful lotus flower, about ten feet in size, floats silently. Its petals display a dazzling array of seven colors, swirling with a dreamlike halo, rendering the surrounding crimson energy magnificent and extraordinary.

On the seven-colored lotus throne, a graceful figure sat serenely. A purple dress draped over her body, outlining her breathtaking curves. Her ink-black hair floated gently in the water, further enhancing the stunning beauty of her aloof and exquisite face.

What is most striking is the eight-colored snake pattern between her eyebrows, which flickers with her breath, adding to her mystery and nobility.

That lotus flower was none other than the Seven Apertures Spirit Lotus, a top-grade spiritual artifact he had previously gifted. The lotus emitted a soft halo, forming a seven-colored protective shield that enveloped the colorful scales, continuously infusing them with pure energy.

To Lu Yu's surprise, the aura emanating from Cai Lin at this moment was already at the peak of the Ninth Rank Dou Zun, only one step away from the Half-Saint realm. Eight-colored light flowed endlessly within her body, creating a wondrous resonance with the energy of the lotus.

Just then, seemingly sensing the arrival of outsiders, Cai Lin's long eyelashes trembled slightly, and she slowly opened her beautiful eyes.

When she saw who it was, a hint of surprise flashed across her cold and beautiful face, and she parted her lips slightly: "Why are you here?"

Lu Yu coughed lightly and shifted his gaze slightly: "I just happened to be passing by, so I came down to check on your cultivation progress."

Cai Lin's slender jade fingers gently stroked the lotus petals beneath her, a half-smile playing on her lips: "This depths of the Heavenly Mountain Blood Pool is not a place you can just 'pass by'."

The two chatted for a while, discussing recent events at Tianmu Mountain. Although Cai Lin was in seclusion, she seemed to know everything about the affairs of the pavilion. Suddenly, her beautiful eyes flickered, and she glanced lightly at Lu Yu: "You came here specifically for something, didn't you?"

The light and shadow at the bottom of the pool swirled across her stunning profile, making her all-knowing expression even more captivating.

Lu Yu coughed slightly, looking a little embarrassed, and his gaze wandered around: "Actually... it's nothing important."

Cai Lin gave a soft hum and patted the lotus seat beside her, which was shimmering with seven-colored light: "Lie down."

Seeing that Lu Yu was still hesitating, she raised the corners of her eyes slightly and curled her lips into a half-smile: "What? Do you want to go back on the promise you made in the Nine Netherworld?"

Lu Yu hesitated for a moment, then lay down on the warm lotus seat as instructed. Cai Lin's slender fingers gently pressed on his temples; though the movement was somewhat clumsy, it was exceptionally focused and attentive.

A hazy, multicolored halo enveloped the two of them. When she lowered her eyes, her long eyelashes cast a light shadow on her cheeks. This gentle appearance was completely different from her usual cold and aloof demeanor.

“If it weren’t for your help that day, I wouldn’t have received the baptism of the Nine Netherworlds, nor would I have obtained the complete inheritance of the Seven-Colored Sky-Swallowing Python.” Her voice lowered, carrying an almost imperceptible softness. “I always keep my word.”

The beauty's delicate fragrance lingered in his nostrils, and gentle fighting spirit flowed from her fingertips as she meticulously massaged his meridians. This intimate contact caused the usually aloof woman's ears to flush red, and even her breathing became lighter.

As time passed, her fingertips gently moved downwards, and the sash loosened with a soft click. The purple gauze skirt slid down her smooth skin, revealing the graceful lines of her shoulders and neck. As her cascading black hair fell, the ends brushed against his chest, causing a slight tickle.

"Close your eyes," she whispered, her fingertips trembling slightly, her voice tinged with a barely perceptible tension.

Lu Yu obediently closed his eyes, and then felt a warm, soft body close to him. The lotus seat beneath him shimmered with a hazy light, and the seven-colored glow rippled gently like water, softly enveloping the two figures embracing each other.

……

(End of this chapter)