"Since the power being condensed is that of Huaxia, why not undergo the Heavenly Tribulation and ascend to godhood?"

The Elder shook his head. "Even if we succeed in the tribulation, will Jin Xuanhu let us go? It's better to wait for the return of our Lord and then make new plans!"

The Dragon race members hid within the Dragon Domain, rendering Jin Xuanhu helpless. If they were to ascend to godhood, he would naturally hunt them down!

What exactly happened ten thousand years ago that made Jin Xuanhu determined to exterminate the Dragon race? Why such a split among the Four Divine Beasts, who were once named together?

"It seems the only way to understand is by opening the [Blazing Dragon Secret Codex]!" Chen Feng mused. "It's not the right time to dwell on these matters now, or my focus will be disrupted!"

If his mind becomes unsettled, it will surely affect his subsequent advancement.

"Take me to the Giant Dragon Array!" Chen Feng commanded.

"Yes, certainly!" Long Yi responded and led the way for Chen Feng.

The altar was located towards the northeast of the entire Dragon Domain, consisting of dozens of circular staircases stacked into a high platform, resembling a pyramid.

The Giant Dragon Array stood to one side of the altar. This formation was solemn, grand, and exceptionally imposing. Its foundation was composed of 811 cylindrical magic crystal pillars. Such massive magic crystals, if sold, would fetch an astronomical price for each one, and they were truly priceless.

To utilize such crystal pillars as a foundation revealed the profound heritage of the Dragon race, leaving even Chen Feng utterly astonished.

The center of the foundation was an open area, vast enough to accommodate tens of thousands of Dragon race disciples for cultivation.

"This is the Giant Dragon Array. The energy fluctuations within are three times stronger than outside the Dragon Domain!" Long Yi explained.

"Three times!" Chen Feng exclaimed in surprise. To elevate the ambient elemental energy across such a wide area to three times the external level demonstrated the formidable power of this array.

However, absorbing Purple Fire Crystal Stones increased energy at a rate six times faster than absorbing the Heaven and Earth Origin Qi. Cultivating here would actually slow down his speed.

"If this grand array were scaled down, the concentration might increase slightly. But the population base of the Dragon race is too large; shrinking it would prevent many from cultivating simultaneously!" the Elder explained.

"A smaller array?" Hearing this, a flash of inspiration struck Chen Feng. "If you were to set up a smaller, single-person array within this grand array, how long would it take?"

"I have studied this array extensively. To set up a space allowing only one person to cultivate, it could be completed in less than an hour!" the Elder stated confidently.

"How many times stronger would the energy fluctuations be inside this small array compared to outside the Dragon Domain?" Chen Feng inquired.

"If we could find quality crystals of the same caliber for the foundation, it should be three times stronger than within the Giant Dragon Array, meaning nine times stronger than the outside world!" Long Yi said, adding a sigh. "However, these foundational crystals were personally sourced by the Blazing Dragon Lord back then; I doubt we could find crystals of the same grade on the continent now. Using lower-quality ores would result in a significantly diminished effect."

Chen Feng flipped his wrist, presenting dozens of superior-grade crystals in his hand. "What would be the effect if these were used for the foundation?"

Long Yi shook his head. "Although these crystals are very pure, they store too little magic power to sustain the energy conversion within the array. If used to form the array, the effect would likely be negligible!"

Although Chen Feng did not fully grasp the principles of formations, he understood that sustaining an array required energy, and magic power was crucial. The foundation of the Giant Dragon Array consisted of massive magic crystal pillars brimming with potent magic, akin to the engine of a large truck, capable of providing astonishing power. The crystals in his hand, however, contained too little magic power, like the engine of a child's toy car, capable of providing minimal force—having some effect, yes, but too small to be significant.

"Oh, right…" Chen Feng suddenly recalled something. "Would using Jadeite Magic Crystals yield better results for the foundation?"

"Jadeite Magic Crystals? That would certainly be superior, but our Dragon race only possesses about thirty pieces now. That's not enough to form the foundation, so setting up the array is out of the question," Long Yi replied.

Jadeite Magic Crystals were exceedingly precious; even the Finlai Empire of old had only found one. The Dragon Domain possessing over thirty pieces spoke volumes of their opulence.

"I have one as well!" Chen Feng stated.

"One or two pieces are useless; we would need at least fifty," Long Yi replied, shaking his head.

"Can't we just smash one open?" Chen Feng suggested.

"Smash it open? How large are Jadeite Magic Crystals? The largest one the clan possesses is only about the size of a fist. If broken, the effect would…" Long Yi was mid-sentence when he suddenly stopped, his mouth gaping wide enough to fit three eggs, his snow-white beard standing straight up. "This… ahem…"

He choked on his saliva due to extreme agitation.

A Jadeite Magic Crystal taller than a person stood before him, shining brilliantly like a colossal gem, making him dizzy. Having lived for over ten millennia and witnessed countless treasures, the Elder now stood like a child, filled with disbelief and fascination.

It was the Jadeite Magic Crystal that Chen Feng had retrieved from the underwater temple via his water flask, now placed upon the ground.

"Can this one be broken apart to build a small array?" Chen Feng asked.

The Elder forced down the shock surging within him and swallowed. "Building ten of them would not be a problem…"

Heavens! A Jadeite Magic Crystal the size of a person… other people measured their Jadeite Magic Crystals in grams; the Dragon God Lord was casually tossing out one measured in tons…

"Then you supervise the construction; I'll start cultivating first!" Chen Feng didn't waste more words on him. He sat cross-legged in the center of the Giant Dragon Array, took out a Purple Fire Crystal Stone, and began absorbing its energy.

About an hour later, just as Chen Feng absorbed the energy equivalent of one crystal stone, he felt the energy fluctuations surrounding his body suddenly intensify. He looked up to see that the massive Jadeite Magic Crystal had been sliced into 811 square blocks of equal size, arranged around his body in a specific pattern.

"Dragon God Lord…" The Elder stood outside the array, unable to contain his excitement. "It's a full 27 times stronger than the outside world!"

"Twenty-seven times? That means nine times stronger than the Giant Dragon Array!" Chen Feng calculated, ignoring the ecstatic Elder, and resumed his cultivation!

A 27-fold elemental concentration meant the actual absorption speed far surpassed 27 times the outside rate. It was like comparing water pressure: flowing water at one kilogram of pressure for 27 hours versus water at 27 kilograms of pressure for one hour—completely different concepts!

Under such a dense elemental concentration, it felt as if he were immersed in warm water; even without deliberate effort, the elements continuously seeped into him through every pore!

The domain power within Chen Feng's Dantian surged under this frantic absorption, growing deeper and more robust…

………………………………………………………………………………

In a vast, empty hall suspended in the air, a man in golden robes floated continuously, absorbing energy from a spherical crystal ball before him.

"Trying to dispel my secret technique damage using the power of faith? That's unlikely to work!" A mocking voice echoed.

"Silence!" The golden-robed man slowly opened his eyes, his gaze piercing like lightning as he stared at the source of the sound.

Following his gaze, one could see a magic core dancing in the air; the previous voice had emanated from it.

"Why resentful, Little Jin? I didn't expect you to still be this way after ten thousand years!" the magic core mocked.

The golden-robed man, addressed as Little Jin, clutched his chest, clearly sustaining considerable injury. "You played your hand well, leaving such a contingency plan on that Nine-Story Pagoda! However, you've only managed to wound me. In less than half a year, I'll fully recover. But now, aren't you still in my grasp?"

"I truly can't understand why you are so loyal to that old thief Guangming. Haven't our Four Divine Beast families suffered enough persecution?" the magic core argued.

"Silence!" The golden-robed man roared. "The Bright God bestowed power upon me and granted me life; how could I defy his command?"

"Pathetic, truly pathetic…" the magic core said with a hint of regret.

The golden-robed man glared at the magic core, revealing a flicker of malevolence. He suddenly raised his right hand, concentrating an immensely powerful energy on his fingertip—an energy that gave the impression that a single thrust could shatter the entire hall instantly.

After a moment, he finally lowered his hand.

"Don't get smug. I have already dispatched someone to notify the Dragon Domain of your capture. The successor you painstakingly nurtured will likely be visiting here soon… hehe, I'll catch them all in one swoop," the golden-robed man stated.

"You're ruthless. A genuine Divine-level expert resorting to threatening youngsters—aren't you afraid of ridicule?" the magic core sneered.

Once one achieved Divine level, looking upon the masses was no different than viewing ants. Employing threats against ants was indeed beneath one's station.

"Hmph. The victor is king, the vanquished is bandit; I recall that was one of your favorite sayings. Your Dragon Domain is like a turtle shell, utterly impenetrable. I had no choice but to use this method," the golden-robed man remained unmoved by the magic core's mockery.

The very instant the golden-robed man finished speaking, the air fluctuated violently, as if a ripple had appeared from nowhere.

"What is it? Didn't I tell you I was in secluded cultivation?" the golden-robed man sounded annoyed.

"Reporting to Lord Tiger God, the Little Princess she…" A voice sounded from within the ripple.

"What about the Little Princess?" The golden-robed man's face showed a hint of tension upon hearing the words 'Little Princess'.

"The Little Princess is missing! We have searched the entire Tiger Domain and found no trace of her. This subordinate suspects, this subordinate suspects…"

"Speak quickly!" the golden-robed man roared.

"This subordinate suspects she went to the Dragon Domain with the Envoy!"

"What are you standing around for? Dispatch people to find her immediately! If the Little Princess loses a single strand of hair, bring your head to me!" the golden-robed man thundered.

"Yes, yes!" The voice seemed to tremble twice before vanishing instantly.

"The daughter of a dignified Divine-level expert is lost, and he doesn't even know—ha ha, this is exhilarating…" A burst of joyous laughter erupted from the magic core. (To be continued. For future developments, please log in to www.idian.com for more chapters, support the author, and support genuine reading!) First published