Chapter 0338: Detecting the Dragon Bloodline

“Go to the Luning Family’s reception point?!” It wasn’t until Huang Long walked far away that Li Yifeng, still in a daze, finally reacted. Without time to ask about Huang Long’s Tian Gang Di Sha transformation technique, he followed Huang Long to the Luning Family’s reception point in Luocheng Market.

The Luning Family’s reception point in Luocheng Market wasn’t located in the city center but in a corner of the market. Unlike what Huang Long had imagined—something grand and magnificent—it turned out to be just a courtyard of a few hundred square meters, not even truly a mansion, with only two sections: a small hall in the front covering about a hundred square meters. Above the hall hung a wooden sign with the words “Luning Family Reception!” clearly written on it.

Yet, perhaps because of this sign, the otherwise ordinary-looking hall seemed striking.

When Huang Long and Li Yifeng entered the reception point, it was quite deserted, with only six people there. All six wore the attire of the Luning Family’s outer branch members. Judging by the colors, they were all ordinary members of the outer branch.

“This is the Luning Family’s reception area. I wonder what brings you two here?” As Huang Long and Li Yifeng entered, one of the six young men stepped forward and asked them. Though polite, his face still revealed the arrogance typical of a Luning Family member.

Indeed, as the foremost family in the Netherworld, even a lowly member of the Luning Family would be welcomed wherever they went. Although these were just ordinary outer branch members, lower-ranking gods, they were still not comparable to ordinary mid-ranking gods.

The other five stood there, casually watching Huang Long and Li Yifeng.

Huang Long spoke calmly, “I am a member of the Luning Family’s Water Domain Divine Plane. I have business to attend to at the family headquarters.”

“You’re from the Water Domain Divine Plane?” The young man was taken aback. Soon, his arrogant expression disappeared, and he smiled. “So you’re a brother from the Water Domain Divine Plane. Please wait a moment; we’ll go call the manager.”

The casual expressions of the other five also vanished.

Huang Long nodded.

Li Yifeng looked at Huang Long with confusion and suspicion. He didn’t understand why Huang Long would pretend to be a member of the Luning Family’s Water Domain Divine Plane. Such an act surely wouldn’t allow him to enter the family headquarters! Eventually, their identity would definitely be verified.

Yet, despite his confusion, Li Yifeng continued to think about Huang Long’s Tian Gang Di Sha transformation technique, unable to calm down.

While Huang Long and Li Yifeng waited, after a while, the young man who had left earlier came out of the backyard, followed by a short and chubby middle-aged man. The middle-aged man wore a sunny smile, with two small dimples on each side of his face, which reminded Huang Long of Maitreya, one of the ancient Buddhist Buddhas in the Pangu World’s Western region. However, this middle-aged man was no ordinary person—Huang Long could tell he was an upper-tier deity, not just any one, with the strength of a Level 5 King of the Underworld, on par with Arlod, who was a direct descendant of the family. A mere administrator outside already possessed the strength of a Level 5 King of the Underworld, which showed the strength of the Luning family. It also explained why this place served as the Luning family’s reception area. “I am Gijil. Brother, I heard you’re a descendant of our family from the Water Deity Plane and have come to the headquarters for some matter?” Gijil, who resembled Maitreya, said with a smile as he approached Huang Long. Huang Long nodded. “That’s correct.” “And who is this?” Gijil asked, pointing at Li Yifeng. “A friend of mine. He’s coming with me,” Huang Long explained. “Oh, I see,” Gijil said with a smile, not giving further comment, before adding, “Since you’re from the Water Deity Plane and want to enter the headquarters, you must know the procedure, right? We need to verify your identity first.” As he spoke, a cold glint flashed in Gijil’s small eyes before disappearing instantly. Huang Long ignored Gijil’s expression and replied with a smile, “Of course.” The first step in verification was to test for dragon bloodline. All descendants of the Luning family, regardless of which deity plane or mortal plane they came from, had some degree of dragon bloodline, though its concentration varied. Testing for dragon bloodline? A smile appeared on Huang Long’s lips, adding an oddly charming allure to his already handsome and somewhat eerie face, leaving Gijil and the others stunned. Li Yifeng, on the other hand, frowned. He knew Huang Long would need to have his dragon bloodline tested next. Huang Long’s identity could be fabricated, but this could not be faked. Yet, seeing Huang Long’s confident expression, he was puzzled. Could it be that Huang Long truly could create a dragon bloodline using his skills of transformation? Thus, Gijil led Huang Long and Li Yifeng to the place where the dragon bloodline test would take place. Since it wasn’t a secret, Li Yifeng didn’t need to hide while Huang Long was tested. However, the testing location was inside the Luning Mansion, so the three of them had to cross the Jela Mountains to reach it. At their walking speed, it would take half a day.

Half a day later, Gergil led Huang Long and Li Yifeng through the Pus Mansion and arrived in the territory of the Luning Mansion. Once there, Gergil took them straight to a grand courtyard. Compared to the small courtyard at the Luning family’s reception area in the Jela Mountains earlier, this courtyard was vastly more magnificent—its gate alone was ten zhang wide, flanked by two rows of guards, numbering around a hundred to two hundred in total, each being a high-ranking deity. In front of the gate lay two lifelike stone dragons.

“What is this?!” Li Yifeng stared at the stone dragons, feeling a tremor of fear especially when his gaze met their eyes. It was an invisible pressure that seemed to be exerted through the soul.

Huang Long’s eyes flickered upon seeing them. He knew that these two stone dragons were originally the true forms of two elders of the Luning family. Over a dozenyears ago, these two elders betrayed the family and were later hunted down by them. After their deaths, their dragon bodies were transformed into stone dragons using the earth-based magic “petrification” by the family’s supreme earth experts, placed here to intimidate descendants from other divine realms who came to the Luning family’s headquarters. The warning was clear: anyone who dared betray the Luning family would end up like this.

“Guard Harold,” Gergil said, bowing to one of the guards standing at the entrance of the courtyard before they entered. “It’s you, Manager Gergil.” The guard smiled upon seeing him. Then, staring at Huang Long and Li Yifeng, he asked Gergil, “What? More descendants from other divine realms have come to the headquarters?”

“Yes, please inform them, Guard Harold,” Gergil replied with a nod and a smile.

The guard nodded and asked Gergil to wait a moment before going inside to give the notice. Before long, he came out with a dark-haired woman. To Huang Long’s surprise, her cultivation level was even higher than Gergil’s—she likely possessed the strength of a Level 6 King of the Underworld.

“Lady Bree,” Gergil said respectfully upon seeing her.

Although she was also a manager, their statuses were different—she was a direct descendant of the Luning family, in charge of internal affairs.

Bree nodded, glanced at Huang Long and Li Yifeng, and said to Gergil indifferently, “Come in.” Then she turned and left.

Gergil didn’t dare delay and quickly led Huang Long and the others in.

After entering the courtyard, although the scenery was nice, Huang Long and Li Yifeng had no interest in appreciating it. After a short while, after turning through various paths, they arrived in front of a copper door. Upon arrival, the black-haired woman, Buri, made several strange gestures and then traced various hand seals, causing the copper door to open.

“Come in!” said Buri, turning her back to Huang Long and the others.

“This is the Dragon Blood Stele for testing one’s dragon blood lineage?” Huang Long thought to himself as he looked at the stone stele standing in the center of the hall.

The Dragon Blood Stele was about one person tall and one meter wide, with its entire surface covered in faint, mysterious runes, from which a soft glow emanated.

“You should know that it’s impossible to infiltrate the Luning family’s headquarters under a false identity. If the dragon blood test proves you’re not a descendant of the Luning family, you’ll die a horrible death!” Buri said coldly to Huang Long, without any emotion.

Huang Long remained calm. “I’m well aware of that.”

As soon as Huang Long and the others entered the hall, he realized that eight auras were locked onto him. Each of those auras was stronger than Buri’s. If it turned out he wasn’t a descendant of the Luning family, those eight hidden individuals would act without hesitation to kill him and Li Yifeng.

Buri turned around and said to Giger, “Giger, take him to the Dragon Blood Stele.”

Giger replied respectfully and led Huang Long to about one meter in front of the Dragon Blood Stele, making him stand on a disc covered in runes.

After Huang Long stood still, Buri made gestures and recited obscure spells. Her dragon power surged, pouring into the Dragon Blood Stele.

As Buri’s spells and dragon power flowed into the stele, the runes on it began to glow. Then, a pale red light enveloped Huang Long, while the runes beneath the disc he stood on also glowed, emitting a red column of light that rotated around his body.

Li Yifeng swallowed hard, feeling nervous. Could Huang Long really use some mystical technique to simulate dragon blood lineage? What if he couldn’t? He might end up trapped here along with Huang Long.

Giger glanced at Li Yifeng’s expression and sneered inwardly. A false identity?! Capturing the two of them would be a great achievement for him.

Just as Li Yifeng was nervous and Gergil was sneering, suddenly, the Dragon Blood Stele emitted a dazzling red light. When the red light burst forth, everyone in the hall was temporarily unable to open their eyes. When they opened their eyes again, they saw a clear red column rising from the Dragon Blood Stele, extending straight through the sky above the estate. Within this red column, a golden dragon with five claws could be clearly seen.