"The Big Dragon enters your Daoist robe, then why must the Ancestor Dragon enter your skin?"

"The fiercer the dragon, the more considerate you must be for its hiding. The Big Dragon can enter the robe; the Ancestor Dragon cannot."

"Then I shall summon the Ancestor Dragon to hide within me. If I encounter something in the Earth Abyss and cannot control Dragon Force, you have high cultivation. How about helping me unleash the dragon?"

"That can be done."

Yun Ziliang whispered in Zhou Xuan’s ear, teaching him the knack of concealing the dragon within.

Zhou Xuan had completed the incense offerings at the Dragon Seeking Hall, and already possessed the ability to conceal the dragon within himself, but was a bit unclear on the technique, needing guidance from Yun Ziliang.

"The methods of Dragon Seeking are established through Feng Shui. In the vast Jing Country, wherever there is land, there is water and wind. Wind is the form of water, and water is the shadow of the wind."

Yun Ziliang pointed at the "well mouth" formed by four high stone walls, saying to Zhou Xuan: "Atop the well mouth, use Dragon Form Tiger Step, release your Perception, blending it into the wind. The wind becomes your eye, able to see the dragon form. When you point at it, it can sense your call and hide within you."

With detailed guidance, Zhou Xuan closed his eyes, conceived an image within, then with Wind under the Feet, he lightly touched down, his body like a falling leaf,

a gentle breeze entered the stone room, becoming invisible hands that slowly lifted Zhou Xuan up.

His figure drifted until he steadied upon reaching the well mouth.

The wind sound passed by his ears, and he infused his Perception into the wind. As far as the wind blew, Zhou Xuan’s gaze followed.

He saw, atop East Market Street, the East Market Dragon God coiled like a giant snake upon the street.

He saw, beneath the rushing waters of Mingjiang, the Ancestor Dragon submerged at the riverbed.

Zhou Xuan saw them, and they saw Zhou Xuan too.

Then,

The two dragons raised their heads, soaring into the clouds, stirring wind and rain, amid thunder, lightning, and tempestuous storms. The closer the two Ancestor Dragons drew to Zhou Xuan, the smaller their bodies appeared until finally spiraled onto Zhou Xuan’s Daoist robe, with no difference in height, simply left and right, forming Ancestor Dragon cloud patterns.

"Lao Yun, didn’t you say the Ancestor Dragon should enter the body, not settle upon the robe?"

"Well, things are not always as they seem."

Yun Ziliang said, "You are too domineering for even the Ancestor Dragon to willingly submit upon your robe."

As Lao Yun spoke, the ten Big Dragon cloud patterns on his body felt the presence of the Ancestor Dragon, diminishing their arrogance, lowering their heads slightly in submission to the Ancestor Dragon.

"This is the Ancestor Dragon; once it emerges, all dragons submit. Yet, even the Ancestor Dragon so thoroughly submits to Xuanzi—Xuanzi is truly the most fierce and unmatched human True Dragon in Jing Country."

Yun Ziliang mused to himself.

...

Yun Ziliang regained his cultivation and again concealed the dragon within, making all necessary preparations.

Together with Zhou Xuan, this pair of Dragon Seeking master and apprentice ventured into the Earth Abyss well, with Dragon Walk Tiger Step, heading deep into the abyss.

"Master, you finally came over."

The Painter greeted them, then cupped his hands to Yun Ziliang, saying: "Congratulations on the Dragon Seeking Grandmaster’s return."

"Not fully returned yet, but with the three of us together, dealing with the things at the bottom of the Earth Abyss should not be a major problem."

Yun Ziliang’s words instilled confidence in the Painter.

The trio descended into the Earth Abyss.

Three thousand meters... six thousand meters... eight thousand meters... nine thousand meters...

They drew closer to the Extreme Abyss.

Suddenly,

Yun Ziliang seemed to sense something, abruptly waving them to halt Zhou Xuan and the Painter.

"Lao Yun, what did you discover?"

"The thing beneath the Earth Abyss, I could guess what it might be."

At this point, Yun Ziliang pulled two strands of black hair from his head, casting one towards the depths of the abyss, and the other towards the path they came.

The two hairs floated one after the other; the one reaching towards the Extreme Abyss remained unchanged, while the one drifting towards the Earth Abyss Well mouth quickly turned white.

Yun Ziliang explained to Zhou Xuan and the Painter: "I, Yun Ziliang, have lived for three hundred years, surviving so, but have violated many Heaven and Earth Laws. Anything falling from my body, hair included, rapidly ages and turns white due to defiance of the Time Law.

However, the hair floating into the depths of the abyss remains black, indicating the region within the Extreme Abyss similarly exists in defiance of Heaven and Earth Laws, particularly the Time Law."

"What thing would defy Heaven and Earth Laws?"

Zhou Xuan asked.

"A corpse, an extraordinary corpse, whose size is beyond our imagination."

Yun Ziliang continued: "I once journeyed west seeking dragons—what was I seeking? Merely hoping to find in Snow Plain Prefecture, the corpse of the Ancient Buddha."

"Would the Ancient Buddha have a corpse?" The Painter asked.

"Of course."

Yun Ziliang counting on his fingers, "Heavenly Venerates and Heavenly Gods have corpses too, not just one, initially upon arrival in the human world, the Ancient Buddha took the form of a giant hand, with its form changing later, for inside that giant hand, a new form of the Ancient Buddha was conceived.

Upon the Ancient Buddha’s second descent with the new form, the giant hand became the corpse of the Ancient Buddha."

"This giant hand corpse is known as the Ancient Buddha Domain."

"Then did you find the Ancient Buddha Domain?" Zhou Xuan asked.

"No, I did not."

Yun Ziliang continued: "Jing Country is rich with legends, one of which is ’Tao Ancestor slashing three corpses to achieve the Dao.’ And the three corpses, like the Ancient Buddha Domain, share the same path."