Primordial Era: Reborn Kong Xuan, Steady Cultivation

Kong Xuan and Ma Sui had been swimming in the dark depths of the sea for several months. One day, when their divine sense swept over an inconspicuous reef, they suddenly sensed something unusual.

Within a crevice in the reef, a bluish-gray dragon was curled up, its body trembling slightly, its head buried deep, muttering in a whisper, barely audible voice: "You can't see me... you can't see me..."

Seeing this, Kong Xuan found it both amusing and alarming. With a casual gesture, several gentle yet resilient streams of water, like invisible hands, swept the dragon out of its hiding place and brought it before the two of them.

The dragon suddenly felt its body rise uncontrollably and rapidly shrink, terrified out of its wits. It immediately cried out in a pitiful voice, "Immortal, spare my life! Immortal, spare my life!"

Ma Sui's expression remained calm, but his gaze was fixed on it with a tangible intensity. His voice, though not loud, carried an air of authority: "Stop your noise. We ask you, in this area of ​​the sea, is there any place with particularly abundant spiritual energy, or any sign of the existence of a celestial island, cave dwelling, or secret realm?"

The dragon seemed to have been terrified, and could only beg for mercy repeatedly, as if it had not heard the question.

Kong Xuan frowned slightly and said, "If you tell the truth, we will not harm you; otherwise..."

He didn't finish his sentence, but the chill in his tone made the dragon tremble violently, and its pleas for mercy came to an abrupt halt.

The dragon blinked its frightened eyes, and tears actually rolled down its cheeks, mingling with the seawater. It replied in a trembling voice, "I...I report to the two immortals that since I gained sentience, I have been assigned to guard this remote sea area and have never dared to stray even a step far. I truly...I truly do not know where there are any immortal islands or secret realms..."

Its voice was choked with emotion, as if it were filled with endless grievances.

However, just as Kong Xuan and Ma Sui's gazes narrowed slightly, the dragon seemed to suddenly remember something and hurriedly said, "That's right! Immortal! About 90,000 miles to the east of here, there is a 'Black Water Dragon Palace,' guarded by a Dragon Palace General at the Taiyi Golden Immortal realm!"

The little dragon is of low rank and limited in knowledge, but that general commands a vast sea area, perhaps... perhaps he knows more!

It spoke very quickly, a glimmer of hope flashing in its eyes, hoping that the two menacing figures before it would turn their attention elsewhere.

Kong Xuan and Ma Sui exchanged a glance, both with thoughtful expressions in their eyes.

This little dragon has a low cultivation level, so what it said about staying behind might not be false, but the fact that it knows about the Dragon Palace 90,000 miles away and the general's cultivation level clearly shows that it is a low-level informant in the Dragon Palace system.

While his words may not be entirely credible, the "Black Water Dragon Palace" and the "Dragon Palace General of the Taiyi Golden Immortal Realm" are clear clues.

"Blackwater Dragon Palace..." Ma Sui repeated in a low voice, looking at Kong Xuan, "What do you think, fellow Daoist?"

Kong Xuan glanced at the still trembling dragon and said calmly, "I doubt it would dare to fabricate something out of thin air. In that case, let's go to the dragon palace. This dragon..." He hesitated for a moment, "For now, let's seal its magic power and put it in my sleeve."

If what you say is untrue, or if there is something strange about the Dragon Palace, then we will discuss this further.

Upon hearing this, the dragon had just breathed a sigh of relief when it heard that it was about to be sealed away. Its face turned ashen, and it dared not utter another word.

Kong Xuan rolled up his sleeve and stored it inside his inner world, temporarily sealing it away.

Following the dragon's directions, the two fled swiftly eastward.

For a Taiyi Golden Immortal, the 90,000-mile sea area is only half an hour's journey.

Deep beneath the ocean, where light is dim, a crystal palace shines brightly, illuminating the darkness for miles around.

Inside the palace, seated on the main throne was a muscular, imposing man with dragon-like eyes; he was none other than Jiao Da, one of the Dragon Palace Generals who guarded this sea area.

Sitting below him was another man with a similar appearance but a slightly thinner build; this was his younger brother, Jiao Er.

At this moment, a banquet was being held in the hall. Several mermaids, draped in thin veils, danced gracefully to the music, while several musicians, whose transformations were not yet complete and who still retained fish heads and crab shells, played instruments on the side, creating a bizarre and fantastical scene.

"Come on, brother, let me toast you again!" Jiao Er raised his cup, laughed heartily, and drank it all in one gulp.

Jiao Da also raised his cup boldly and drank it all in one gulp. The mermaid standing beside him immediately took the pot and refilled the cup with fine wine.

After finishing the cup, Jiao Er's eyes flickered slightly, and he gave a wink.

Jiao Da understood, and with a wave of his hand, the mermaids and musicians dancing and playing music in the hall all held their breath, lowered their heads, and quietly withdrew.

In the blink of an eye, only the two brothers remained in the magnificent hall.

Seeing that there were no onlookers, Jiao Er leaned forward and lowered his voice, saying, "Brother, I recently discovered an opportunity on the outskirts of my territory. I wonder if you would be interested in joining me?"

Jiao Dalong's eyes lit up, and he hurriedly said, "Second brother, speak quickly! Since there is such an opportunity, how can elder brother refuse?"

A hint of excitement and greed flashed in Jiao Er's eyes: "In the depths of that sea, I accidentally discovered three illusory immortal islands shrouded in spiritual energy. They have not yet fully manifested in the world, but creatures have already taken form on the islands."

It was formed from three clusters of primordial clouds! The one with the highest cultivation level was only at the early stage of Taiyi Golden Immortal, while the other two were only at the Golden Immortal realm.

"If we could capture them... refine and devour them, it would greatly enhance our strength, and perhaps even allow us to shed the shackles of this dragon form and become closer to the true dragon!"

Upon hearing this, Jiao Da's dragon eyes flashed with a sharp light, but he did not immediately agree. Instead, he pondered for a moment and slowly asked, "The cloud aura of the Taiyi Golden Immortal Realm... is there only one wisp?"

Jiao Er immediately understood his elder brother's implied meaning and replied without hesitation, "Don't worry, elder brother! The main cloud energy of the Taiyi Realm will naturally be yours to enjoy!"

"I'll be more than satisfied with just those two wisps of cloud energy from the Golden Immortal realm, and I won't complain at all!"

Upon hearing this, Jiao Da slammed his hand on the table, stood up abruptly, and his aura surged, causing the pearl in the hall to tremble slightly: "Good! Second brother truly understands my heart!"

Since that's the case, there's no time to lose. Let's set off immediately, before that immortal island fully emerges and before others notice, and strike first to capture those three clusters of primordial cloud energy, helping my brothers and me advance our cultivation to a higher level!

"That's exactly right!" Jiao Er also stood up excitedly, his eyes filled with a mixture of ferocity and desire.

Every word of the secret plot between the two brothers, Jiao Da and Jiao Er, was overheard by Kong Xuan and Ma Sui, who had already quietly infiltrated the vicinity of the Crystal Palace.

Upon hearing the words "three immortal islands," "primordial clouds," and "early stage of Taiyi Golden Immortal and two Golden Immortals," Kong Xuan's heart stirred, and he lowered his head to ponder them silently.

This description is quite consistent with my memory of the "Three Immortal Maidens".

The three sisters were originally formed from primordial cloud energy. The eldest sister, Yunxiao, was the first white cloud in the world to attain enlightenment. The second sister, Qiongxiao, was transformed from the first red cloud. The third sister, Bixiao, was the first blue cloud to manifest its spirit.

Legend has it that the first gentle breeze in the world awakened their intelligence, and they recognized Zhao Gongming, who had taken the form of that breeze, as their elder brother. Thereafter, they lived on the Three Immortal Islands, cultivating themselves and living a carefree life away from the world.

It seems that these two arrogant dragons have set their sights on the Three Heavens, intending to plunder and refine them.

Judging from their words, they seemed to know only that the Three Immortals of Sanxiao existed, but they were completely unaware that behind them was Zhao Gongming, whose cultivation was no weaker than that of the Three Immortals of Sanxiao, and even less aware of the profound connection between the lineage of the Three Immortal Islands and the future Jie Sect and even the Investiture of the Gods.

If we let them really run into our door this time, wouldn't they be courting death?

Meanwhile, Ma Sui did not delve into the specific meaning of the innate cloud energy mentioned by the dragon. His attention was completely drawn to the three words "Three Immortal Islands," and his eyes suddenly lit up with a searching light.