After returning to his home, Yuan decided to relax in his own living quarters for the next couple of days so that Min Li’s lie to her family would work.
During this time, he would play music on the Soul Ensnaring Zither for the others.
"Wow, my Lord, I didn’t know you could play the zither... And you’re so talented with it..." Lan Yingying was gobsmacked by Yuan’s musical talents that had instantly mesmerized her.
And the more she listened, the more she craved.
"No matter how many times I listen to it, it’ll never get old..." Feng Yuxiang mumbled.
Meanwhile, Meixiu stared at Yuan playing the zither with a profound look on her face. It was such an odd feeling to see Yuan playing the instrument again, almost like she had suddenly traveled to the past where Yuan would play some music for her whenever she felt down.
Thus, for the next few days, Yuan would play the zither while surrounded by beauties on all sides.
One day before the Dragon Temple opens, Yuan heard a knock on the door.
"Xuan Wuhan?" Yuan was greeted by her at the door.
"Hey, Yuan. I got some free time so I’m here to congratulate you. I know it’s a little late, but congratulations on winning first place for the Mystic Realm and obtaining the Obsidian Dragon Medallion!"
"Thank you."
"Anyways, did you get to speak with Disciple Min? She was looking for you before, and she even came knocking on my door to see if I knew where you were."
"Yes, I have spoken with her." Yuan nodded.
"Is everything okay? If you need my help, just let me know!"
"Everything is fine for now."
"That’s good to hear. By the way, do you have any plans tomorrow or the day after? Want to hang out?" she then asked him.
"Sorry, but I will be entering the Dragon Temple tomorrow, so I won’t be able to play with you," Yuan said with an apologetic smile on his face.
"What? The Dragon Temple? How lucky... but it’s not unexpected, considering your contributions to the sect. I hope you’ll find some good treasures inside."
Sometime later, Xuan Wuhan left his place.
"I’ll see you after the Dragon Temple, Yuan!" she said to him before leaving.
The following day, Long Yijun summoned Yuan through the communication jade slip.
"Welcome, Disciple Yuan. Are you ready to enter the Dragon Temple?" Long Yijun asked him.
"I am ready." Yuan immediately nodded.
"Good. Follow me."
Long Yijun proceeded to take Yuan to an isolated area in the Dragon Essence Temple.
"This is... an earth fissure?"
Yuan was surprised by the location, as they stood before a massive earth fissure that was miles long and was so deep that one couldn’t see the ground from the top.
"This is the Dragon Fissure, and somewhere at the bottom is the Dragon Temple. However, before you are allowed to go inside, you must have a pass."
Long Yijun then brought him to this small hut that was a couple of minutes away.
Inside this small hut was completely empty besides a golden magic circle on the ground. This magic circle was obviously a formation.
"Before I give you the Dragon Temple Key, can you call out the experts? Only one person can carry the key at any given time." Long Yijun said.
"Hm? Does this mean they cannot enter the Dragon Temple with me?" Yuan asked.
"Unfortunately, the Dragon Temple only allows one person to enter at a time." Long Yijun nodded.
"I see... Sorry guys, you’ll have to wait for me."
A moment later, three beauties appeared around Yuan.
"Don’t worry about it, Brother Yuan."
"Good luck in there, Young Master. Make sure you empty out all of the treasures inside." Feng Yuxiang said.
"Stay safe in there, my Lord." Lan Yingying said.
Sometime later, once Yuan stood on the golden formation, Long Yijun activated it.
Yuan could feel a warm feeling enveloping his body as this golden orb of light suddenly appeared from the formation and entered his body.
[You have obtained Dragon Temple Key]
[Dragon Temple Key]
[Description: Allows you to enter the Dragon Temple in the Dragon Essence Temple]
"Follow me. I’ll bring you to the Dragon Temple." Long Yijun said to him afterward.
Yuan then followed Long Yijun to the edge of the Dragon Fissure.
"Let me explain to you how this works before I open the Dragon Temple since you only have a short window to enter the temple once it’s opened." Long Yijun said to him.
And he continued, "The Dragon Fissure itself is the entrance to the Dragon Temple. However, you won’t be inside the Dragon Temple until you enter the Dragon Gates, and you have exactly 10 seconds to jump into the fissure once I open it. Once you are before the Dragon Gates, it will examine your talents and see whether you qualify to enter or not. Do you understand?"
"I understand." Yuan nodded.
"Good, then I will open the Dragon Fissure now. Remember to jump in when I tell you to."
After taking a deep breath, Long Yijun retrieved a couple of treasures from his spatial ring before tossing it down the Dragon Fissure.
A few moments later, the Dragon Fissure began emitting a golden light from the bottom that gradually increased in brightness.
Once the light peaked, Long Yijun said loudly, "Go!"
Hearing Long Yijun’s signal, Yuan didn’t hesitate to jump inside the massive fissure that would undoubtedly terrify many people.
Yuan fell and fell without any sign of ending, almost like he’d jumped into an endless hole.
After what felt like a few minutes of freefall, Yuan could suddenly see a world of clouds at the bottom with a yellow and orange background, and what appeared to be a golden temple that had a dragon statue coiling around the entire building.
Right before he landed on the floor, a mysterious power stopped his fall without injuring him.
Once his foot touched the floor made of clouds that resembled the Ancient Dragon City, Yuan approached this golden temple that emitted an unfathomable aura.
As he approached the Dragon Temple, a profound and familiar voice resounded from every direction, "Welcome to the Dragon Temple, human."
"The Great One..." Yuan smiled after hearing this familiar voice.