All Soul Beasts, prior to reaching the fifth tier, existed as Yin Soul bodies. Only after reaching the seventh tier would they transform into Yang forms.
The Thunder Winged Yang Serpent, however, was an exception. Since its transformation atop Mount Xuan, becoming Zong Shou’s innate guardian, it had been supremely dense in Yang energy from the very beginning. It only required sufficient external force to reshape its physical body.
At this very moment, a speck of flesh and blood could vaguely be discerned forming within its core. The serpentine form began to shift; the previously rounded and sharp head started to sprout rhomboid horns, making it look even more ferocious. A pair of fiery wings also elongated, spanning a good ten zhang when unfurled—a span too vast for this small cavern to contain.
Beyond its soul body, the color was no longer simply red; instead, layered patterns resembling fish scales emerged across its surface.
When the second drop of Thunder Dragon Blood was administered, the markings on the soul body’s surface became increasingly distinct. The mass of flesh and blood in its core began to gradually expand outward, and bones started to take shape.
And when the third drop of Thunder Dragon Blood was absorbed by the Thunder Winged Yang Serpent, the original massive Thunder Serpent had completely transformed into the shape of a Jiao (flood dragon).
At its core, a Thunder Jiao several dozen times smaller had taken form. It was only about the length of two fingers, nearly identical to the soul body in shape: it possessed two horns, whiskers beneath its jaw, and several small protuberances on its underside.
It resembled a little snake, yet exuded a vast, draconic might. Only the fiery wings remained unchanged, though a second pair had sprouted. However, their span was minimal, thin as a cicada’s wing, hidden just behind the first pair of fiery wings, almost impossible to detect without careful inspection. Zong Shou reached out to pinch those small protuberances; they felt hard within, suggesting they were the nascent five claws of this Jiao. Its entire body was now covered in incredibly hard scales.
Zong Shou knew that this Thunder Winged Yang Serpent had not merely completed an advancement, but had undergone a fundamental elevation, transforming into a Jiao and regenerating its physical body.
A quiet joy bloomed in Zong Shou’s heart. Yet, this creature’s evolution was clearly far surpassing that of Long Ruo, the Black Jiao. Its horns were formed, and its claws had appeared. It was only a few steps away from becoming a true Dragon. Compared to that Black Jiao, it wasn't even on the same tier.
His innate guardian could, in essence, already be regarded as a young dragon.
However, even though the serpent had taken on a Jiao body, it still retained some of the ancient Winged Serpent bloodline—whether that was a blessing or a curse remained to be seen.
The Fire Winged Serpent was also one of the ancient divine beasts, once viewed by some as an incarnation of the sun. The Yang power within its bloodline complemented the Thunder Jiao splendidly, posing no conflict.
“Thunder Winged Jiao? Could it be that a new species is about to appear in this world?”
Muttering to himself, Zong Shou’s heart suddenly stirred again as he sensed the massive Jiao turning its head, staring fixedly at him.
Looking closely, he saw a clarity in its eyes that had been absent before.
Then, in a moment, the Thunder Winged Jiao seemed to have expended all its strength during the advancement and appeared utterly exhausted. Both its Jiao body and soul form fully retreated back into Zong Shou’s right arm.
It took up no space, but merely left Zong Shou’s arm adorned with a tattoo-like pattern, resembling the Thunder Winged Jiao, incredibly vivid, as if ready to spring to life at any moment.
Zong Shou perceived that this Thunder Jiao had fallen into a deep slumber, and he had no idea how long it would take to awaken.
Yet, his delight was uncontainable: this was a seventh-tier spirit beast, the ‘Thunder Winged Jiao,’ whose combat prowess was infinitely close to that of a Divine Beast!
Once its physical body recovered, it would become even more formidable!
With this innate guardian by his side, he could truly stride across the Eastern Continent unimpeded. Even when facing those seventh-tier powerhouses, he would possess the strength to contend.
And now, even while the Thunder Winged Jiao slept, he should be able to borrow some of its power.
With just a subtle thought, Zong Shou felt faint traces of Thunder Power flowing out from the Thunder Winged Jiao within his right arm, permeating his body.
The quantity was three times what it was before the advancement! Furthermore, it was palpably purer, indicating a clear enhancement in might, showing that the very essence of the Thunder Power had fundamentally changed.
On the Glazed Flower Cup, six drops of blood remained. This time, they were the true essence blood of three different True Dragons, two drops of each kind.
Zong Shou did not hesitate, dripping the two drops of Platinum Giant Dragon Blood into Little Gold’s body.
However, the small jelly-like mass only underwent a violent distortion before showing no further change.
Zong Shou vaguely sensed that the two drops of essence blood were being concealed within its Beast Crystal, being slowly consumed and digested, causing its origin to gradually strengthen.
Zong Shou paid it no mind. The Divine Beast Myriad Forms was unique among ancient beasts as one without a true inherent form.
It hardly rejected the bloodline of any spirit beast and could fuse the origins of all Divine Beasts within itself.
This was why the Divine Beast ‘Myriad Forms’ ranked fifth among all Divine Beasts, standing above the vast majority and holding a revered status.
However, its current level was too low; thoroughly fusing these two drops of True Dragon Essence Blood would require a significant amount of time.
The final four drops consisted of one from the Profound Yin Giant Dragon and one from the Profound Yellow Giant Dragon; both types of dragon blood held divine magical properties.
Zong Shou hesitated slightly this time, ultimately summoning the Yuan Yi Sword from his Sea of Consciousness, drawn out through the rear occipital aperture.
Then, gritting his teeth, he dripped the two drops of Profound Yellow Giant Dragon essence blood onto the sword.
In the next instant, this phantom sword writhed violently. Zong Shou dared not delay, quickly invoking his thought to send the sword back into his Sea of Consciousness.
Suppressed by the unknown Nine-Story Pagoda, the nearly shattered blade of the Yuan Yi Sword immediately stabilized. The blade itself began to mutate; the dragon markings became sharper, and the color shifted to a bright yellow.
When the last ripple of energy ceased, Zong Shou finally devoted his consciousness to a careful inspection.
He discovered that the Yuan Yi Sword’s aura felt vastly grander. The sliver of 'Regal Qi' within it seemed to have stabilized.
The Profound Yellow Giant Dragon carried the profound virtue of Earth and was the optimal vessel to carry 'Dragon Qi.'
By infusing it, Zong Shou would not need to fear the expansion of this Dragon Qi for some time, even without the Nine-Story Pagoda’s presence.
However, this item could also cultivate and strengthen the 'Dragon Qi,' ensuring this power would no longer be anchorless.
The remaining two drops of Profound Yin Giant Dragon Blood were directly tossed by Zong Shou into his Qiankun Pouch.
He then opened the stopper of the remaining jade bottle, immediately catching a whiff of a slightly fishy medicinal fragrance.
“Dragon Blood Body Tempering Pills?”
This was quite an item. In the ten thousand years since Dragon Extinguishing City was founded, countless dragons had been slain, and Dragon Blood Body Tempering Pills were one of the results of refining their blood.
Yet, it was merely a fourth-tier pill, not significantly stronger than the elixirs refined by Xuanyuan Yiren.
But since it involved dragon blood, it naturally held marvelous effects. Consistent consumption could not only bestow draconic strength but legend held that a human could even acquire several draconian divine abilities.
Even more rarely, the quantity in this jade bottle was substantial. By gently shaking the bottle, he could estimate there were at least two hundred pills inside—
Zong Shou let out a dry chuckle and casually tossed a Dragon Blood Body Tempering Pill into his mouth.
The taste was unremarkable. Unlike the sweet flavor of the elixirs Yiren brewed, this was bitter and fishy, utterly foul.
But upon swallowing, his entire body felt as if plunged into a blazing furnace, seemingly on the verge of self-combustion.
Zong Shou ignored it and looked at the other two items in his hand. The lamp held only four things in total: aside from the jade disc and the Glazed Flower Cup, the others were a spirit artifact and a Dao talisman.
One of them was conical. Its dark crimson hue seemed as if countless drops of dragon blood had coagulated upon it, obscuring its original color.
“Is this the Dragon Breaking Cone?”
Zong Shou’s heart gave a jolt. This item was famously renowned. Legend claimed only three existed in the world.
It was an eighth-tier spirit artifact specifically designed to break the various divine abilities and protective barriers of the Dragon Clan.
In the Divine Emperor’s Game, the Ice Chi that plagued the Water Immortal Lake was first heavily wounded by this very item before being besieged and killed by nearly ten thousand players.
A flash of insight illuminated Zong Shou’s mind, and he finally understood how Venerable Xuan Lang had managed to enter this labyrinthine place, inaccessible to anyone else.
“—So it was by borrowing the power of this cone! Old Man Dragon Shadow had set up the restriction using True Dragon Sword Intent; this Dragon Breaking Cone could precisely shatter it. But why would Xuan Lang leave this Dragon Breaking Cone here? Does he perhaps never intend to retrieve this treasure again?”
Zong Shou quickly turned his attention to the last item, having a strong premonition that this item must be the key.
The talisman radiated an unusually dense spiritual energy; its specific tier was indiscernible.
The runes were clearly not of a common variety in this world. Zong Shou squinted in identification, recognizing only about half of them.
However, behind the talisman was a slip of paper bearing a line of writing.
“—Twenty-six years ago, I was fortunate enough to be summoned by the elders to collectively surround and kill Fairy Dragon Spirit. Unexpectedly, upon the first meeting, I fell deeply in love. For over two decades, my yearning became unbearable. Three years ago, I suddenly heard the City Lord refining this Grand Profound Heart-Locking and Soul-Calming Talisman, intending to use it to capture and restrain Fairy Dragon Spirit. Xuan Lang could not bear to see her suffer confinement, and with limited time left in his life, he betrayed his vows—”
The subsequent text was excessively verbose. The essence was that Xuan Lang could not bear to see the woman he loved controlled as a Dragon Servant. Thus, he fled with this talisman, the nine drops of True Dragon Blood, and dozens of spirit artifacts.
It also mentioned that subsequent inheritors who found these items here would likely receive the legacy of Old Man Dragon Shadow and would certainly prevent these treasures from falling back into the hands of Dragon Extinguishing City.
The rest was a long-winded declaration of his profound love and ceaseless longing for that ‘Fairy Dragon Spirit’—in short, it was disgustingly saccharine.
“Heart-Locking and Soul-Calming, you say?”
Zong Shou stared intently at the talisman in his hand. The vast majority of its markings remained unrecognizable to him.
But since he now knew the talisman’s specific function, he could deduce some of its mysteries.
A moment later, Zong Shou’s expression shifted slightly. Holding the talisman, his hand began to tremble faintly.
He was now certain that this talisman was above the Immortal tier! And its refining method was highly specialized.
In the next instant, Zong Shou distinctly heard a sound of triumphant sneering laughter from not far away.
“How laughable, how laughable! How laughable that Dragon Extinguishing City schemed relentlessly, only to end up like a headless fly! How laughable that Long Ruo of the Soaring Cloud Sect schemed diligently, only to leave empty-handed. The treasures left by Venerable Xuan Lang have ultimately fallen into my hands, Jin Buhui!”
The voice was incredibly familiar, yet it was none other than Jin Buhui? (To be continued)