First-Year Internship—And You Went to Site 749 to Contain Monsters?!
Chapter 217: Divine Palace Becomes White Jade Capital, Dragon Gate Turns into the Southern Heavenly Gate

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Same identity, different person, naturally means different treatment.

After saying goodbye to Wu Yishuang and Yu Qingli,

Lu Ding looked at the still-not-fully-recovered Cao Ying.

“Are you coming with us to Xitong, or…?”

If it were before, Cao Ying would’ve insisted on going to Xitong to show support—bluntly put,

Even if it meant dying, he had to take a spot.

But now, it was different—Wei Hong had come and made his stance clear.

With Cao Ying’s mediocre skills, he wouldn’t be much help anyway.

Cao Ying waved his hand: “I’ll pass. I wouldn’t be much use anyway. Might as well head back and deliver that stuff I got from Cripple Li to Feifan.”

“Alright, then be careful on the road.”

After Lu Ding said that, he turned to Wang Qingge: “And you? You heading home or coming with us to Xitong for a bit of fun?”

The girl held up her wooden signboard.

【I have to go home. I sneaked out this time—Master doesn’t trust me. He was still nagging me yesterday. Next time, I’ll come find you guys to hang out again.】

That was fine too.

The matter in Xitong split left and right—on the left was 749 and the Bai Family, on the right was Bai Hemen and the Bai Family.

But no matter which side, the Bai Family didn’t have much recourse.

If Wang Qingge got involved, the Bai Family might come for her.

Besides, Lu Ding’s question just now was really about having her come for fun,

Not asking her to help.

She came all this way, and if you don’t even offer her a smoke or tea, that’s not proper.

Even when you get a neighbor in the countryside to help build a pigsty, you at least treat them to a meal and light a cigarette.

That’s called respect.

But since Wang Qingge was going back, that was that.

Lu Ding looked at Cao Ying and said: “How should her payment be handled?”

Cao Ying patted his chest: “Put it on me. You saved my life, Lu Bro—that’s a debt greater than the sky. If I still made you worry about such a small thing, I’d have no place in the Jianghu.”

“Who in Yunhai doesn’t know I eat in your jurisdiction?”

“Hahaha, alright, then I won’t be polite. I know Boss Cao’s got the means—make sure she gets a nice bonus.”

Sometimes, being too polite between friends creates distance.

Cao Ying was being polite because of a life-saving debt,

So Lu Ding couldn’t be polite back.

Everyone said their goodbyes.

Each returned home, each to their own mother.

As the saying goes, mountains and rivers will meet again.

We’ll gather another day.

With the Bai Family bunch in tow, Wei Hong led the way, and Lu Ding and Bai Hemen made their way to Xitong 749.

They didn’t make a big fuss.

Upon arrival, the two of them started splitting the loot.

Since there was only one golden egg, Lu Ding took it, and he made up for it with contribution points to Bai Hemen.

This was a joint effort—no way he’d hog it all.

Bai Hemen? He didn’t say a word.

If you give, he’ll take. If you don’t, he won’t ask.

He knew Lu Ding wouldn’t shortchange him.

And he wasn’t the type to start a fight over stuff anyway.

Once that was settled,

With Xitong 749’s stockpile, the two exchanged for rare spiritual treasures and agreed to finish closed-door cultivation within three days.

Then the training began.

In a cultivation room.

Lu Ding sat cross-legged.

Before him were piles of rare spiritual treasures bought at high price.

His freshly filled pouch was flat again.

But he didn’t feel bad—because it was worth it!

Money’s just paper. Lose it, earn it again.

Spent on raising your realm—that’s putting it on the edge of the blade. That’s how it should be.

One rare treasure after another went down.

Finally, the golden egg slipped through the cracks.

Lu Ding smacked his lips, savoring the egg’s flavor.

Absolutely delicious.

Potent medicinal energy rampaged through his body.

With a hand seal and a command from Lu Ding,

The Sin Dragon roared through his meridians, frolicking and gathering medicinal force, charging with surging Spiritual Energy, diving into the Linghai!!!

If you listened carefully,

You’d hear the sound of tides in his body.

Zooming in, each meridian looked like a river on a human map.

Black smoke rolled—like dark clouds pressing on the world.

The Sin Dragon devoured medicinal force, pushed the Spiritual Energy, opening all the apertures like doors flung wide, unobstructed.

Amidst the immense momentum—

Came a dragon’s roar!!

“Roar!!”

Winds and storms raged in the Linghai, the Sin Dragon surged in, stirred clouds and flipped waves.

Every inch of its scales was washed by the Linghai, becoming even more mystical.

Lu Ding’s realm and combat power soared.

From Divine Palace Fifth Layer, his cultivation charged smoothly to Divine Palace Sixth Layer,

Then didn’t slow at all, shooting straight into Divine Palace Seventh Layer.

Inside the Linghai,

The Divine Palace gradually perfected—glazed rooftop, pearl-laid floor, golden pillars, jade bricks—utterly divine.

Such a palace—

Nowhere on earth, only heard of in the heavens.

But Lu Ding had a question.

Why was his Divine Palace already capped?

In Volume 4, “Collected Stages of Cultivation,” from 749’s archives, there’s a section on the Divine Palace Realm.

It said:

Capping the palace is usually the final step—meant for the Ninth Layer of the Divine Palace.

And one must first inspect for any flaws—

Only then can the cap be placed.

So why was Lu Ding’s palace capped already at the Seventh Layer?

What were the Eighth and Ninth for now?

Just leveling up and watching?

That didn’t sound right.

Wait!

Keep watching.

As the Sin Dragon stirred the sea, countless light particles rose—some gathered at the Rebirth Stele engraved with the characters “Shi Gandang.”

This was the foundation of the Dragon Gate.

The future Dragon Gate the Sin Dragon would leap through was built on this—Lu Ding had planned it this way.

As for the other light particles—

They gathered around the Divine Palace.

Four cities rose. Twelve towers and pavilions appeared in shadow form.

Seeing this—

Lu Ding instantly recalled a poem by the Immortal Poet Li Bai:

“In heaven lies the White Jade Capital, twelve towers and five cities.”

“The immortals stroke my crown, granting eternal life.”

In that moment, Lu Ding thought—your Divine Palace and mine don’t seem the same…

Wasn’t it supposed to be just one palace?

How did his become a whole district?

No—

If his Divine Palace really built into a White Jade Capital,

Even just brushing against the concept,

Then the Dragon Gate he was building—

Shouldn’t be called Dragon Gate anymore.

It should be called… Southern Heavenly Gate!!!

Why is the Southern Heavenly Gate the most famous among the four heavenly gates of east, west, south, and north?

Ancient Daoist texts say: the Southern Heavenly Gate is also known as the “Sky-Blocking Gate.”

Leap over it—and ascend to immortality.

Then what would the Sin Dragon become…?

Ascend?

That stumped Lu Ding for a second.

Couldn’t figure it out?

Then forget it!

Wasn’t the first time this sort of thing happened.

Even back in the Linghai Realm,

His Linghai was so much bigger than others it wasn’t even funny.

The Divine Palace having a few issues—that was normal!

Otherwise, building a basic palace in such a massive Linghai—that would be the real problem.

Once he reached the Si Ming Realm and reflected his true self,

Everything would become clear.