After his initial awe, Ning Fengyuan lowered his head once more, gazing at the "jade" in his palm with utmost seriousness.
"When my soul power entered it, it disappeared like a drop of water into the ocean, instantly assimilated and consumed by that vast energy. I couldn't probe its core secrets any further."
"And…"
Ning Fengyuan's voice carried a faint tremor. "The backlash of majestic pressure… ancient, noble, and domineering!"
"This is something no ordinary spirit beast could possess!"
"A rare treasure, an extraordinary rarity!"
Ning Fengyuan shook his head in amazement, then lifted his gaze, his eyes sharp as lightning as he fixed them on Dai Chengfeng:
"Chengfeng, though I still don't know exactly what this object is, it's certainly not a naturally formed jade, nor is it any known type of soul-guidance artifact core or energy crystal!"
As he spoke, Ning Fengyuan fell into brief contemplation.
He quickly sifted through the vast repository of treasure appraisal knowledge in his mind, meticulously filtering and comparing.
Until, a bold and even somewhat far-fetched hypothesis surfaced in his thoughts.
"If… if I were to force an explanation…"
Ning Fengyuan's voice grew low and deliberate. "I suspect… it might very well be some kind of… spirit beast's internal core—its neidan!"
(T/N: Similar to the inner core of the Ten Headed Fierce Yang Serpent Tang San got from Slaughter City and later gave to Ma Hongjun)
"Neidan?"
Dai Chengfeng was slightly surprised and confused. "A spirit beast can condense a neidan within its body?"
Ning Rongrong's eyes widened. "Neidan?"
"What is that? Don't spirit beasts only have soul rings and spirit bones?"
Ning Fengyuan shook his head and explained, "Rongrong, the spirit beast system we're familiar with is based on the soul rings they leave behind after death and the possible spirit bones that may drop."
"But the continent is vast, and history is long. There are always things beyond our understanding."
"In some extremely ancient texts, even fragments considered legends, there are scattered mentions."
"It's said that certain unimaginably powerful spirit beasts—especially those with ancient bloodlines—might condense an energy core within their bodies during their long cultivation. This core is called a 'neidan.'"
As he finished speaking, he pointed to the "jade" in his palm: "The essence of the energy contained within this object is far purer than spirit bones, and it carries a unique life imprint and pressure. These traits align subtly with descriptions of 'neidan' found in those legends…"
"They match!"
"Especially that pressure… domineering, ancient, noble… it reminds me of a legendary creature…"
At this point, Ning Fengyuan's voice carried a trace of reverence: "A dragon!"
"A dragon?"
Ning Rongrong gasped, covering her mouth.
"Precisely!"
Ning Fengyuan's tone was firm. "Only a legendary dragon could possess such pure and domineering bloodline pressure!"
"This 'neidan'…"
"Most likely originates from an unimaginably powerful dragon-type spirit beast!"
"And it's definitely not an ordinary sub-dragon species—it's probably… a true dragon!"
As he spoke, Ning Fengyuan looked at Dai Chengfeng, his gaze complex: "Chengfeng, if my guess is correct…"
"The value of what you hold in your hands cannot be measured by any worldly wealth!"
"If one could unravel its mysteries or find a safe way to harness its power… the benefits would be enough to… change the fate of a soul master!"
The room fell silent.
Ning Rongrong stared at the small jade-like object, her face full of disbelief.
She never imagined it could be so precious.
Meanwhile, Dai Chengfeng took the dragon core from Ning Fengyuan and held it high.
In the sunlight, the dragon patterns inside seemed even clearer. He now understood.
"So, it really is a dragon core!"
"I knew it felt familiar, but I couldn't recall why!"
A flicker of excitement crossed Dai Chengfeng's eyes.
A dragon core—a pill or energy crystallization of spirit beasts that didn't appear in the first part of Douluo, but played a crucial role in the second part?
However, before his transmigration, Dai Chengfeng hadn't delved deeply into the second part of Douluo, which was why he hadn't remembered it immediately.
"I wonder if this is the same light-element white dragon core that Mu En accidentally obtained while traveling the continent in the original storyline?"
"If it is…"
"Then I've acquired this dragon core ahead of time. Without its assistance, Mu En's cultivation might not progress as rapidly until he eventually reaches the Limit Douluo level."
"But it's not all bad."
"At the very least, he won't be affected by the malevolence contained within the dragon core, causing his physical body to gradually weaken."
With these thoughts, Dai Chengfeng stopped dwelling on the matter and carefully stored the dragon core, planning to figure out a way to consume it later.
After all, the dragon core was immensely powerful, capable of making one's physical body as strong as a dragon's.
Moreover, the excess energy would be compressed and gathered in the chest, preparing for the eventual formation of a second soul nucleus.
But the method of consuming a dragon core…
Was also quite special.
Thinking this, Dai Chengfeng solemnly turned to Ning Fengyuan, clasped his fists, and spoke with heartfelt gratitude:
"Brother Ning! Today, I owe this to you!"
Hearing this, Ning Fengyuan hurriedly waved his hand. "Chengfeng, you flatter me!"
"I still couldn't fully solve the mystery for you; I'm ashamed."
"It's more than enough!"
Dai Chengfeng smiled. "Now I know what it is, but without your exceptional insight and vast knowledge, Brother Ning, I'd still be lost in the fog, oblivious to this priceless treasure!"
"Humble, humble…"
Ning Fengyuan waved his hand again.
"Enough!"
At this moment, Ning Rongrong, watching the mutual humility between Dai Chengfeng and Ning Fengyuan, loudly interjected:
"Just stop thanking each other! Everyone's happy, and that's what matters most!"
As Ning Rongrong grumbled about stopping their mutual thanks, the sound of footsteps approached.
Tap, tap, tap…
Clear, deliberately heavy, and hurried footsteps grew closer.
Soon, the footsteps stopped outside the door, and a respectful voice rang out: "Young Miss, I've returned."
The door to the VIP room gently opened, and the manager Ning Rongrong had sent on an errand appeared.
The manager bowed slightly, holding a seemingly plain yet deceptively heavy dark red wooden box with both hands. He walked in with steady steps, wearing a polite smile, and approached Ning Rongrong.
"Young Miss, this is the earth-attribute treasure you instructed us to find."
As he spoke, the manager handed the box directly to Ning Rongrong, who was closest to the door. "This is the finest material our Seven Treasures Auction House could locate!"
Upon hearing this, Ning Rongrong curiously opened the lid of the box slowly.
Instantly, a deep, heavy, and uniquely warm and grounded aura spread throughout the room.
Inside, nestled on a deep purple velvet lining, lay an egg-sized mineral with a rugged surface, a rich brownish-yellow hue, and faint crystalline glimmers shimmering across its surface.
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