The innate life form of the Tian Jing Yi Long (Heavenly Soaring Dragon) was not drastically different from that of ordinary fierce beasts. Although it was one of the more intelligent types among them, its wisdom still lagged far behind that of humans, lacking the cunning and malevolence characteristic of people, making it frequently susceptible to being ambushed using malicious methods.
After devouring the body of the Blood Emperor, the Tian Jing Yi Long gradually absorbed the power within the Emperor's blood, which seemed to carry a portion of the Blood Emperor’s wisdom. As these forces integrated into the dragon’s body, the very life form of the Tian Jing Yi Long began to undergo a subtle transformation.
Evidently, this change was highly conducive to the advancement of the Tian Jing Yi Long's intelligence!
Ji Changkong could sense the creature’s consciousness strengthening, its soul suddenly brimming with tens of thousands of new thoughts!
Generally, the souls of fierce beasts possess very few concepts, lacking complex layers. Their thoughts are limited to direct expressions like attack, enemy, or friend, utterly devoid of schemes or manipulative planning.
However, this sudden surge in the Tian Jing Yi Long’s awareness caused the thoughts within its soul to multiply tenfold. Concepts entirely impossible for an average fierce beast began to manifest in its spirit.
Ji Changkong started in alarm. Initially, he worried that the Blood Emperor’s blood was attempting to seize control of the Tian Jing Yi Long’s soul, transforming its consciousness into that of another Blood Emperor. Because of this fear, he grew intensely nervous, even dispersing his own soul into thousands of fine threads that pierced into the dragon’s mind.
He attempted to locate any harmful anomalies, striving to prevent the Tian Jing Yi Long from being assimilated by the power within the Blood Emperor’s blood, fearing his own will might be erased and replaced by that of the former Emperor.
Upon careful inspection, Ji Changkong discovered that the myriad notions derived from the Blood Emperor’s blood entering the dragon’s mind were not attempting to forcibly occupy the Tian Jing Yi Long’s soul. Though numerous, the thoughts within the blood were not inherently powerful; in fact, they were far weaker than the pure, simple consciousness already present in the dragon's mind.
Consequently, under the Tian Jing Yi Long’s own action, its soul enveloped and decomposed those intrusive thoughts, integrating them into its own mind so they could be utilized—a truly miraculous alteration!
Five more days passed.
The number of concepts within the Tian Jing Yi Long’s mind continued to multiply. These new thoughts truly merged with the dragon’s original being; its life form had genuinely changed, acquiring numerous similarities to humanity, shedding its previous simplicity and dullness.
Concurrently, the blood cocoon covering its body also began to evolve in a novel manner.
The blood cocoon adhered tightly to its scales. After some time, the cocoon grew lighter, turning a dark crimson color that seemed to permeate the scales themselves, imparting a faint, deep red hue to the Tian Jing Yi Long’s formerly pitch-black armor.
Thus, the Tian Jing Yi Long experienced changes in both its life form and its physical being, albeit to varying degrees.
The transformation in its life form was even more astonishing—a change significant enough to render the Tian Jing Yi Long utterly unique, essentially having evolved.
“Hooosh! Hooosh! Hooosh!”
The Tian Jing Yi Long suddenly began panting heavily, its massive eyes regarding Ji Changkong with immense tranquility. Its ferocious maw, lined with teeth as sharp as knives, still held the potential for corrosive venom in the gaps between them.
Naturally, Ji Changkong felt no fear of the beast. Having lived alongside it in the Great Marsh of Yunmeng for so many years, he understood the profound kindness the Tian Jing Yi Long directed toward him.
Observing the light return to its eyes, Ji Changkong stepped forward, approaching the dragon’s massive head. He gently stroked its forehead and smiled. “Don’t worry, you will be fine. In a little while, you will be even more powerful than before. All you need to do now is properly digest the power of that blood!”
“I... I understand. Th-thank you!”
Suddenly, a faint, indistinct sound emerged from the Tian Jing Yi Long’s terrifying, huge mouth—it was human speech!
Ji Changkong’s soul trembled, his eyes blazing with incredulous light. “You… you are talking?”
He wasn't entirely certain.
“Y-yes, it is me speaking. I still speak poorly…”
“No! You speak very well! Very well! Truly excellent!”
Ji Changkong suddenly became ecstatic, flailing his arms in a frenzy of joy. He slapped the dragon’s head forcefully, faint sparks of light dancing at the corners of his eyes.
“You did wonderfully! Truly wonderful! I never imagined you could speak! Haha! Dafa! You are speaking! Haha! You are speaking to me!!”
Ji Changkong wept tears of sheer joy.
“I will slowly get better at speaking…” the Tian Jing Yi Long stammered, its voice still muffled, yet its meaning was discernible to a careful listener.
Truly overcome with excitement, Ji Changkong threw his arms around the beast, laughing boisterously and shouting words of happiness repeatedly to the dragon, “The Tian Jing Yi Long is speaking to me!” The dragon, deeply attached to him, leaned affectionately against him, appearing utterly content.
Right there, deep within the subterranean palace of the Aoluo Sect, Ji Changkong held the Tian Jing Yi Long and recounted their shared history of fighting side-by-side in the Great Marsh of Yunmeng. To help the beast rapidly acclimatize to this world and better understand the treachery of mankind, Ji Changkong patiently spoke to it about all the strange and marvelous occurrences in the world.
The Tian Jing Yi Long remained quiet, standing still and listening intently to Ji Changkong’s narration. Perhaps because its life form had truly shifted, it had become significantly more intelligent; it was able to comprehend things Ji Changkong assumed would be difficult for it to grasp!
Suddenly, Ji Changkong began to feel grateful for the dragon’s ordeal. He was glad it had been captured by the Blood Emperor, for if the Emperor had not sought to consume its blood, Ji Changkong, fueled by revenge, would never have infused the dragon with the Emperor’s entire essence.
Without the Blood Emperor’s blood, the Tian Jing Yi Long could never have evolved so quickly, changing its very life form.
Ji Changkong led the dragon, speaking of his own tumultuous experiences—his years in the outside world, his battles in the Northern Wilds and the Eastern Sea. When discussing the Eastern Sea, he focused on Bone Island, specifically mentioning the other Tian Jing Yi Longs residing there.
Upon hearing of its own kind, the dragon immediately displayed immense interest, persistently questioning details: asking about the other dragons, what they did on Bone Island, and inquiring about every aspect it could think of.
“When I finish my business here, I will take you to Xinba; your own kind is there. You won't be lonely there,” Ji Changkong suggested with a soft sigh.
“No, I must remain at the Poison Dragon Pool. I must guard that place; my ancestors told me my duty lies there.” Surprisingly, it did not agree, despite clearly being tempted by the prospect. It ultimately refused Ji Changkong’s proposal.
“Beneath the Poison Dragon Pool, there is a place… a place that can lead to another realm. Several of my ancestors entered that place…”
“I must guard that place at the Poison Dragon Pool. I don’t know why I must guard it, but I cannot leave. I cannot leave,” the Tian Jing Yi Long insisted, looking at Ji Changkong, profound confusion flickering in its massive pupils.
“Beneath the Poison Dragon Pool, there is a place that leads to another realm? Several of my ancestors entered through there?” Ji Changkong paused, wondering what the dragon truly meant by this.
After a moment of deep contemplation, Ji Changkong’s expression shifted abruptly; a sudden possibility struck him!
“Are you saying that people like me once entered that place? And left by going beneath the Poison Dragon Pool to arrive somewhere else?” Ji Changkong inquired thoughtfully.
“Yes, that is it. They went in, and they never returned,” the Tian Jing Yi Long explained.
“Never returned after entering. How do you know that?”
“I saw it. My ancestors also told me I must not leave that place, that I must guard it and prevent anyone from destroying it, or else a powerful entity will emerge from there.”
“A powerful entity emerging? Have you seen it?”
“No, but I know. I have known since birth that no one should enter the Poison Dragon Pool, except for you—only those like you are allowed inside. But I know you couldn’t enter before. Now… now you can.”
These fragmented utterances from the Tian Jing Yi Long seemed to subtly reveal a connection between the Poison Dragon Pool and the Xuanyuan lineage of the Ji family. Why did every generation of Ji Xuanyuan vanish after reaching the Nine Palaces Heaven Realm? Could it be related to that mysterious place beneath the Poison Dragon Pool?
Suddenly, Ji Changkong was consumed by an intense curiosity regarding that secret spot beneath the Poison Dragon Pool, yearning to go there immediately and uncover its strangeness.
“You had better… better become stronger before you enter. I fear… I fear you might never return. I want you to stay here, right here! You should never enter,” the dragon urged.
“I understand. I will not venture there without absolute certainty.” Taking a deep breath, Ji Changkong gazed toward the direction of the Great Marsh of Yunmeng, silently cementing his resolve.
Every Xuanyuan of the Ji family vanished upon reaching the peak of the Nine Palaces Heaven Realm; even the ancestors who reached the mid-stages of the Nine Palaces Heaven Peak could not return from that place. That location either led to another, more marvelous world, making the Ji Xuanyuan unwilling to return, or it was fraught with such peril that the previous generations perished there.
What was truly there? His curiosity was driving him mad. (To be continued)