Chapter Eighty-six: It Can't Be A Small Broken Temple

  The next day, Hao Ren got up early, opened the window, faced the sea, and practiced his mind for another two hours.

  The morning mist forms a spiral of water vapor, which enters the body's various acupoints in Hao Ren's subconscious, leaving a little in each of the hundred orifices, and storing it in the dantian along the meridians. Moistening that faintly visible dragon dan.

  The second layer of Jing Shen Qu is the realm of guiding Qi into the body. Although it can't compare to the third layer's free and easy manipulation of Qi outside the body, compared to the first layer's communication with heaven and earth, it has already made great progress.

  After being tempered by the heaven and earth's aura, Hao Ren's body became more refined, although his physique didn't bulge with muscles, his strength was several times stronger than before.

  Hearing a commotion outside, Hao Ren slowly withdrew his energy, opened the door and walked out.

  "Up so early?" asked Hao Zhonghua in the corridor as he saw his son come out.

  "Dad still has to go to work today?" Hao Ren asked.

  "Well, there were still many things left undone yesterday. You look quite well-rested, did you sleep well last night?" asked Hǎo Zhōnghuá.

  Hao Ren smiled and nodded.

  In fact, the additional effect of Jing Shen Decoction is that it can quickly restore the spirit to fullness, which is more obvious than the effect of sleep.

  Father and son went downstairs together, Hao Zhonghua personally took action and made some simple food.

  "Dad, can you drive me to the city while you're at it?" Hao Ren said with his mouth full.

  "Today is Sunday, no class?" Hao Zhonghua was a bit dazed.

  "I'm going to Ah Zi's house, Uncle Zhao is taking me somewhere today." Hao Ren replied.

  "Oh. Alright." Hao Zhonghua bit into his bread and didn't ask any more questions.

  To some extent, Hao Zhonghua is similar to Hao Ren. Even if the feelings are deep, they are not good at expressing them. Of course, Hao Zhonghua was immersed in his own research and it was Yuyang who took the initiative to pursue him before he was won over.

  Hao Ren saw that his old man was absent-minded and knew he hadn't gone to work yet, but his mind was already full of work things.

  After having breakfast, Hao Ren left a note on the table and went to the city with Lao Da's car.

  Hao Zhonghua's biological laboratory is in the city, when he was in Donghai City, he usually drove to work, while the climate institute in Yueyang is by the sea, near a villa area, and it takes about ten minutes to walk there.

  Seeing his old man still having to go to work on Sunday, Hao Ren thought he was quite hardworking too.

  Hao Ren was driving, glanced at Hao Ren and suddenly said, "Why are you like a girl, still wearing a bracelet?"

  "What's a bracelet? It's just a small ring on your hand." Hao Ren explained.

  "Is it Xia Zi who gave it to you?" asked Hao Zhonghua.

  Hao Ren shook his head.

  Hao Zhonghua didn't care about that much, just casually asking, anyway it's common for young men to wear several wristbands nowadays.

  But he could never have imagined that this small thing he thought was bought from a roadside stall for 3 or 5 yuan, is actually something beyond his imagination.

  He thought for a moment and then said, "I'll be leaving in two days... maybe I'll have to go out again."

  "Where are you going?" Hao Ren asked immediately.

  "I'm going to Connecticut in the US, there's an academic exchange at Yale University, and I also have a few friends in the biology circle in New York who I want to visit," said Hao Zhonghua.

  "How long will it take?" Hao Ren asked.

  "Ah... probably about two weeks." Hao Zhonghua replied.

  Hao Ren remained silent, feeling somewhat displeased in his heart. Having just returned to the country for only a few days, he had to leave again, so it was no wonder that Grandma always had complaints.

  "But this time your mother won't go, she'll stay in Donghai to take care of grandma," said Hao Zhonghua.

  Seeing his son not responding, Hao Zhonghua also knew he was unhappy. "Take care of yourself, spare some time and accompany your grandmother more."

  Hao Ren still didn't say anything. He thought that this time his dad would stay for a longer period, but after solving the dinner invitation from Zhao Yanzi's family, he had to go abroad again.

  The car arrived at the gate of Zhao Yanzi's house, and Zhao Guang heard the sound and came out personally to greet them.

  Hao Zhonghua saw Zhao Guang coming over and also hastily opened the car door and walked out, shivering with cold.

  "Today I'll take Ah Ren to a place for some fun, you won't mind, will you?" said Zhao Guang, his voice loud and clear.

  "Haha, of course not, I've been busy with work lately, in the future when I have some free time, I'll bring A Zi along and we can all go out and play together." Agreeing, the majestic and imposing Hao Zhonghua responded loudly.

  "Alright, alright..." Zhao Guang and Hao Zhonghua exchanged a few pleasantries.

  Borrowing, Miha Zhonghua still has to go to work, driving away, Zhao Guang leads Hao Ren into the house.

  Hao Ren felt a bit uneasy thinking about going to what was known as the Dragon Palace soon.

  "Ah Zi, are you up?" Zhao Guanghong asked brightly as he entered the room.

  "Oh no... I'm still sleepy!" Zhao Yanzi lazily shouted from the room upstairs, with a spoiled tone.

  Zhao Guang led Hao Ren upstairs with a creaking sound and opened her door.

  All that could be seen was Zhao Yan's purple quilt in the bed, with two slender small legs sticking out, her hair disheveled, and her sleepwear disheveled. The whole person looked like a little bird who hadn't woken up yet.

  She opened her eyes dazedly, saw Hao Ren also at the door, suddenly let out a sharp cry, and quickly shrank into the quilt like a snail. "Dad, why did you bring him up here!"

  "Are you going to the Dragon Palace?" Zhao Guang asked, standing at the door.

  "No, no, no......" Zhao Yanzi shouted while rolling around in her bed.

  Zhao Guang let out a helpless sigh and shouted towards the next room, "Hongyu, you stay home and take care of Ah Zi, I'll take Ah Ren to Long Ge's place for a walk."

  "Good." Next door, I am inside, Zhao Hongyu replied readily.

  Their conversation was like driving to the old house in the countryside to pick up things, instantly destroying all of Hao Ren's excitement and mystery that had been building up overnight.

  "Never mind, Ziyu is still sleeping in, let's just the two of us go. She has an exam this week and it's indeed a bit tough for her, so let's let her rest over the weekend." Zhao Guang said as he led Hao Ren out of Zhao Yanzi's room.

  "Hmm." Hao Ren nodded, he knew Zhao Yanzi's little girl temper and never bothered to argue with her.

  But seeing Zhao Guang's expression as flat and ordinary, as if he was just going to his hometown for a stroll, Hao Ren thought again: Is the expectation in my heart too high? Is the real Dragon Palace just like a small broken temple or an ancestral hall, so they don't stay in the sea and come ashore to do business one after another? What about the heavenly treasures and rare beasts, are they all gone?

  This feeling is just like a new jinshi entering the Jinluan Hall, no matter how calm and composed one appears to be, it's all fake.

  Zhao Guang ignored Hao Ren's unease and drove his black Chevrolet, taking Hao Ren to the seaside.

  As they drove on, Hao Ren found that the route was getting closer and closer to their family's villa district in the resort. Gradually, he could see their seaside villa in his line of sight.

  "Hmm... So the Dragon Palace is actually near our house... We've been 'neighbors' for several years, and I had no idea..." Hao Ren thought to himself.

  Zhao Guang turned a corner and entered another area.

  It's not far from the bustling "Gold Coast", but it's not worth the rocky reefs, big waves and few people come here.

  Zhao Guang stopped the car and took Hao Ren to a largest reef nearby.

  This reef rock is shaped like a standing shell, with a deep groove in the middle that can almost hide half a person.

  "Concentrate your mind and turn it around again, with this in mind." Zhao Guang put a pearl-like bead into Hao Ren's palm.

  Hao Ren did as he was told, and immediately felt a chill run down his spine. Zhao Guang gave him a gentle push on the back, and Hao Ren stumbled towards the reef.

  He instinctively closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, he found himself at the bottom of the sea.

  Seawater surrounded him, yet he couldn't get within a meter of it. The pearl in his mouth was getting colder and colder, slowly draining the energy from his body.

  What I have in my mouth is actually the legendary "Avoid Water Pearl", that can also be considered a treasure... Hao Ren secretly suspected.

  "Don't think nonsense, follow me." Zhao Guang transmitted his voice over and said a sentence, leading the way in front.

  That Jing Shen Jue is not only the basic skill of their dragon clan, but also the "captcha" to pass through that reef stone passage. Without practicing Jing Shen Jue, it's impossible to enter. No wonder Su Heng felt my breath at first and was so tense, because this basic skill is also a key to keeping their secrets, which needs to be strictly controlled.

  Hao Ren followed Zhao Guang while continuing to think.

  The seawater surged forward, automatically dodging to the side. The Han people followed closely behind Zhao Guang, holding their breath and carrying their water-avoiding pearls, unaffected by the residual waves.

  It was unknown how much time had passed when Hao Ren's gaze crossed over Zhao Guang's arm and saw a glittering golden object in the distance.

  "Follow me, don't take a wrong step." Zhao Guang suddenly transmitted his voice again.

  It's probably because he wasn't at ease that he explained another sentence, "There are various strict formations set up around here, and taking a wrong step can make you disappear into thin air."

  Upon hearing this sentence, Hao Ren's attention was suddenly focused, and his intention to look around was immediately withdrawn.

  I am the son-in-law of the Dragon King, if I were hung at the gate of the Dragon Palace, wouldn't it be a huge joke...

  "Left two, step forward one, right one, stride two..." Zhao Guang's calm and clear voice reached Hao Ren's mind.

  Hao Ren did not dare to be careless and followed Zhao Guangyu's pace, neither too fast nor too slow.

  This way of walking is similar to playing "hopscotch" when I was a kid, but the pressure is completely different!

  Who would have thought that this calm and peaceful sea water contains a crisis of "one step life and one step death"!

  "Go forward, die! Turn right!" Zhao Guang shouted.

  Hao Ren kept his eyes fixed on his footsteps, hastily taking four steps forward that were neither too big nor too small, before immediately turning right.

  "We're here." Zhao Guang's words made Hao Ren let out a sigh of relief.

  A short 10-minute journey left him drenched in sweat, his entire clothes soaked through.

  He rubbed his neck and lifted his head, what he saw was a magnificent, resplendent, and majestic - the East Sea Dragon Palace!!!