On the second floor, inside the Quiet Chamber.

Yang An channeled his Mana into the Array he had just finished inscribing.

The moment his Mana entered the Array, the intricate lines on the floor began to swell, bubbling up like foam.

In a matter of breaths, the Array—once composed of mere lines of blood—seemed to transform into living flesh.

Following the procedure for the Shell Nourishing Technique, Yang An tossed the prepared materials into the Array one by one.

Upon entering the Array, the materials quickly disintegrated and fused with it.

Soon, once the Array had absorbed all the materials, it settled back into its original appearance on the floor, as if nothing had happened at all.

A sharp, invigorating pang shot from the crown of his head to the soles of his feet. Yang An pulled the Spinal True Feather from his back and gently placed it into the Array.

He began to chant, reciting the incantation exactly as recorded in the Cultivation Method, leaving no room for error.

A single mistake would likely lead to failure and cause a degree of backlash to himself.

Fortunately, the process went smoothly. With no mistakes made, the Array soon seemed to come alive. It attached itself to the Spinal True Feather and, as if possessing a will of its own, burrowed inside it.

At that very moment, Yang An suddenly felt a flow of Mana within the Spinal True Feather. It started as a faint trace but was steadily growing stronger.

Although the Spinal True Feather was a part of his body, it was still in its nascent stage and could only serve as a peculiar weapon.

But after refining it with the Shell Nourishing Technique to become an extension of himself, the feeling was completely different.

It was as if the Spinal True Feather had become a true Cultivator in its own right. Its Mana was currently weak, but once it grew to a sufficient realm, it too would be able to do everything a Cultivator could.

And the Spinal True Feather itself could continue to evolve. By combining evolution with cultivation, its future power would surely be extraordinary.

This was far more than just having a unique body part—it was tantamount to doubling his strength. And since it was one with Yang An, it came with no drawbacks.

'The Shell Nourishing Technique is truly worthy of its origin on the Earth Spirit Stele! It's incredible!'

Yang An released his grip on the Spinal True Feather. He no longer needed to hold the weapon to wield it; he could control it with his mind alone. He could even let it act independently, which freed up one of his hands.

SWISH SWISH SWISH—

Countless White Feathers danced through the air, leaving streaks like white threads that quickly faded.

Before, the White Feathers were merely extremely sharp, but now, empowered by Mana, they would be far more terrifying.

Moreover, since they were one and the same, the Spinal True Feather could also execute any Technique Yang An had mastered, and do so seamlessly.

When the countless White Feathers ignited with dark red flames, it looked as if Yang An were surrounded by innumerable fiery serpents—a sight far more impressive than the Nine Dragons Nine Attacks once unleashed by the Wild Forbidden.

However, the Spinal True Feather's Cultivation Level was still very weak, so it couldn't unleash Yang An's full power. It was not yet able to use many Techniques on its own and still needed time to grow.

After retracting the Spinal True Feather into his body, Yang An took out the Golden Demon Order that Elder Zhuan Yu had given him earlier.

He channeled Mana into the Golden Demon Order. It immediately disintegrated, transforming into a dense Red Fog that began to spin rapidly in the empty space before him.

This signified that the Golden Demon Order had been consumed.

The Red Fog continued to spin until it condensed into a pitch-black opening before Yang An. It looked like a crimson eye opening in the void. Once the entrance to the Golden Thread River had fully stabilized, Yang An stepped forward and went inside.

With a flash of light, the scene before him changed dramatically. He was no longer in the Quiet Chamber of his small loft but in what appeared to be an abyssal seabed.

As Yang An took a breath, a torrent of water rushed into his mouth and nose, flooding his lungs. A searing pain immediately spread through his chest.

Yang An obviously hadn't expected to find himself in such a situation. He hastily shielded himself with his Mana and held his breath, and the discomfort finally subsided.

The place was like the floor of the ocean—profoundly deep and dark, as if it contained all the silence and solitude in the world.

Yet, within this dim and silent world, there were countless crimson lights.

They seemed to float in the dark water, flickering with an eerie red glow.

These unique points of light were strikingly out of place in the vast darkness, as if hinting at secrets hidden in the depths.

At a glance, the gathered lights should have been bright, yet they failed to illuminate the seabed. It was as if this place was doomed to eternal darkness.

The entrance behind him suddenly vanished, reverting to a Red Fog that coalesced on the back of his hand, leaving behind a flame-shaped mark.

Yang An instantly understood. Once he obtained what he came for, this mark would likely send him away from this place.

'But with so many lights,' he wondered, 'how am I supposed to find anything?'

Just as the thought crossed his mind, he glanced at the nearest light. Its bright flame seemed to emit a peculiar aura.

His body slowly began to float, and he prepared to move closer for a better look.

Just then, a pair of enormous eyes lit up in the darkness, each as large as a great bell. The seabed erupted with violent waves, sending the countless lights scattering in an instant.

The surge forced Yang An back, and he only managed to steady himself after being pushed several meters. When he looked forward again, however, his gaze froze.

In the depths of the seabed, a colossal creature snaked through the darkness. Its vicious, savage head, bearing two enormous eyes, was staring right at Yang An from a mere three meters away.

Despite being underwater, Yang An could vividly feel a sinister chill wash over him, engulfing his entire body.

Staring back at him was an immense dragon!

The water shimmered, clear but too deep to see the bottom. A dragon, hundreds of meters long, was twisting its massive body on the seabed, causing the turbulent currents.

The red lights were actually hanging from its body, entangled by fleshy tendrils that grew from its flesh and seemed to fill the entire seabed.

Atop the dragon's savage-looking head sat a golden lamp, which shone with a resplendent light.

However, the light from the lamp was diffused by the surrounding water, preventing it from piercing the depths and making it look like an enormous sphere of Golden Radiance.

'I never thought there'd be a dragon in the Golden Thread River,' Yang An thought. This was his first time seeing a true dragon, not a Flood Dragon Demon.

Just as he was wondering what to do, a voice filled with majesty suddenly echoed in his ears.

The massive dragon lifted its enormous head slightly, a minuscule movement that still stirred the water around them into a powerful surge.

Two massive whirlpools formed before its enormous nostrils as it inhaled, as if drawing in the sea itself.

It looked as if it were sniffing Yang An's scent.

"A Golden Demon Order? Are you a disciple of Elder Zhuan Yu?"

The dragon's voice sounded like that of a dignified elder.

But hearing it refer to Zhuan Yu respectfully as 'Elder', Yang An knew this dragon's status was clearly below his master's.

"I am Yang An, a Direct Disciple of Elder Zhuan Yu. I received this Golden Demon Order from my master and have come in search of a Magic Technique. I greet you, Dragon Monarch."

Yang An answered truthfully. Given the dragon's overwhelming pressure, he couldn't even begin to gauge its Cultivation Level, so he respectfully addressed it as Dragon Monarch.

"I am the Lamp Dragon, guardian of the Golden Thread River and guide to those like you."

"Speak. What is it you desire?"

Upon learning he was a disciple of Elder Zhuan Yu, the dragon's tone softened slightly.

'Just a moment ago I was wondering how I would ever find the Technique I wanted in this vast sea of lights,' Yang An thought. 'I never expected to have a dragon guide. How incredible.'

'Lamp Dragon? ...Lantern? The name is quite fitting.'

"May I ask, Dragon Monarch, are there any Forbidden Techniques within the river?"

If he had been searching on his own, it wouldn't have mattered, but since the Lamp Dragon was his guide, Yang An couldn't just ask for Light Magic directly. Instead, he asked about Forbidden Techniques.

After all, Light Magic wasn't the only type of Forbidden Technique in the world.

"You want a Forbidden Technique? Heh... Interesting!"

Hearing Yang An's request, the Lamp Dragon seemed to chuckle, the corners of its mouth curling up like massive ravines and revealing enormous fangs.

"It is not that we have no Forbidden Techniques!

But do you realize that once you dabble in a Forbidden Technique, even death itself becomes a luxury?"

"I am aware. I am simply curious about Forbidden Techniques, and I hope the Dragon Monarch will allow me to witness one."

Hearing Yang An's reply, the Lamp Dragon twisted its massive body slightly, its gaze never leaving him.

"What kind of Forbidden Technique do you desire?"

"May I ask, Dragon Monarch, what kinds of Forbidden Techniques exist in this world?"