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"Oh! Got it! I'll make sure to find that 'Sleeping Dragon Valley' as soon as possible!" Shawn Young said.
"Yes, Master. The Thousand-Year Earth Dragon is incredibly skilled at absorbing earth energy. If you bring it into the Heavenly Sanctuary, the rate at which the Sanctuary absorbs earth energy will greatly increase. That would be wonderful for the growth of spiritual herbs here! If you ever find a Goldwing Dragon, and let it absorb the essence of the sky, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth will gather rapidly. Then, we could refine true immortal elixirs, and the Heavenly Sanctuary would become a genuine treasure of the immortals!" the Red Dragon reminded Shawn Young.
"Goldwing Dragon? What's that?" Shawn Young asked curiously.
"Master, the Goldwing Dragon is even rarer than the Thousand-Year Earth Dragon. It's a mystical creature that absorbs the purest essence of heaven and earth, but it doesn't have a fixed place to live. Its movements are unpredictable, and it only appears in places dense with spiritual energy to absorb the sky's essence. It's often seen flying and has the special ability to turn invisible. Without deep cultivation and extraordinary luck, you could spend your whole life searching and never find it! If you ever encounter a Goldwing Dragon, that means you're destined for immortality! At that point, you'll gradually master the secrets of yin and yang, and be able to control the very elements—clouds and rain. To mortals, you'd be unstoppable! But for now, your cultivation is just at the entry level, so don't get ahead of yourself, hehehe—" the Red Dragon explained with a mischievous laugh.
"Oh! Then I won't worry about the Goldwing Dragon for now. It's more practical to focus on finding the Thousand-Year Earth Dragon! Haha—" Shawn Young said, scratching his head with an embarrassed grin.
"Yes, yes, Master, don't worry. As long as you head toward the Southern Expanse, I'll guide you to find Sleeping Dragon Valley and help you capture the Thousand-Year Earth Dragon. After all, it's nice to have another spirit companion with me in the Heavenly Sanctuary, hehehe—" the Red Dragon said with a mischievous laugh.
"Great, with your help, I know exactly where to go in the Southern Expanse! For now, I'll take care of some other things, make a plan, and then we can head out!" Shawn Young said. With a thought, his consciousness spun, and in a flash, he returned to reality.
Shawn Young glanced at his phone, and to his surprise—only five minutes had passed! Yet he knew he'd spent at least two hours in the Heavenly Sanctuary talking with the Red Dragon. Feeling puzzled, he hurriedly opened his door and headed downstairs.
As soon as he got downstairs, he saw Jiao Jiao blushing as she quietly chatted with Ai Hua. Ai Hua looked much more cheerful now, and Sherry Young was there too, listening with a faint smile. From the kitchen came the sound of chopping vegetables. Shawn Young glanced inside and saw Yu Han rolling up her sleeves and cooking—a truly warm and cozy scene.
"Huh? Shawn, didn't you just go upstairs? How did you come down so quickly?" Jiao Jiao asked, looking surprised.
"Oh, really? How long was I upstairs?" Shawn Young quickly asked her.
"Geez, bro, Mom and I were just listening to Jiao Jiao talk about your embarrassing stories at school. You were only gone for five minutes—why are you back so soon?" Sherry Young grumbled.
"Less than five minutes? Huh? Could it be—the flow of time in the Heavenly Sanctuary is much slower than outside? That's pretty strange!" Shawn Young thought to himself.
Just then, Yu Han came out of the kitchen to get something from the fridge. Seeing Shawn Young, she asked curiously, "Uh—Shawn, didn't you just go upstairs to figure things out? How are you back so fast?"
Shawn Young paused, pulled out his phone, then glanced at the clock on the living room wall. The times matched. He asked Yu Han, "Han, let me see your phone—does the time match mine?"
"Sure!" Yu Han handed her phone to Shawn Young. He checked it—the time was almost identical to his own, and matched the wall clock too. That proved it—the flow of time in the Heavenly Sanctuary was much slower than outside. It seemed to be a phenomenon that started after his cultivation improved. Shawn Young felt a sudden clarity—if he could train in the Heavenly Sanctuary for a month, only a day would pass outside! His progress would be incredible!
Thinking this, Shawn Young was instantly thrilled. Now he finally understood—the Ascendant Vessel was truly a priceless immortal treasure! No wonder Elder Thomas was able to achieve immortality; it must have a lot to do with the Heavenly Sanctuary inside the Ascendant Vessel!
Yu Han saw the excitement on Shawn Young's face and quickly asked, "Hmm? Shawn, did you figure out how to save Uncle?"
"Yes, I just figured out how to save my dad. But it'll take some time—I was just about to discuss our next steps with you—" Shawn Young started to explain, but was interrupted by a loud commotion at the door. Someone was running over, and soon, there was a frantic pounding—"Bang bang bang—" on the door.
"Uh—who could that be outside?" Shawn Young frowned, striding over and opening the door. There, slumped against the doorframe, panting and looking extremely anxious, was "Chicken".
"Chicken, didn't I tell you to leave the Tiger Mafia and go home to wait for my news? Why are you here now?" Shawn Young asked, feeling a bit annoyed.