This ought to have been the Celestial Dragon, a race soaring across the nine heavens, a divine beast revered by all, yet here it was, pierced through and shackled to an iron pillar by chains, its massive form thrashing in constant struggle. With every heave, great tides of golden blood spilled forth, dyeing the small island, and indeed the entire lake, a shimmering gold.

The Sky Dragon let loose a torrent of agonizing roars, and it was these very cries that summoned the Gluttonous Beast and Ni Bo.

The Gluttonous Beast was one of the Dragon Progeny, inherently close to the Dragon Clan, and Ni Bo flowed with the dragon's own bloodline. Seeing a genuine Celestial Dragon bound in such a manner filled them both with furious rage. However, the vicinity of the lake seemed enveloped by some kind of barrier. No matter how hard they strained, they could not breach the formation to reach the islet and free the chained Celestial Dragon.

Watching the struggling Celestial Dragon, watching the Gluttonous Beast—now transformed into a massive, savage beast—roar maniacally, and watching Ni Bo engulfed in flickering black flames, Zhuge Yi Shi, Zhuge Si Yu, Luo Ling'er, and even Hei Ming Shi Xuan stared on in stunned silence.

A dragon—a true dragon! The Eight Great Dragon Kings were already Eighth-Tier Desolate Beasts, and high-ranking ones at that. Never mind them; no one knew the actual realm of this Celestial Dragon, but they all understood one thing: the entity capable of chaining a Celestial Dragon here was someone they absolutely could not afford to provoke.

“Little Peach, Little Black, stop this! Let’s go, quickly!” Luo Ling’er was the first to react. A Celestial Dragon, something that should only exist in legends, was here. This meant this place was exceptionally perilous; they needed to depart at once.

Yet, Little Peach and Ni Bo seemed not to hear Luo Ling’er’s plea. Green light blazed fiercely in Little Peach’s eyes, shooting dazzling beams toward the barrier on the lake surface. Ni Bo also charged frantically at the transparent barrier, the single horn on its forehead colliding repeatedly with it, sending out ripples, but failing utterly to damage the barrier in the slightest. Instead, fine cracks spiderwebbed across its horn, and silvery-red blood began to seep onto its forehead.

Despite this, Ni Bo and Little Peach continued their frenzied assault on the barrier. It was understandable; they were both primeval anomalies, both carrying the dragon bloodline. Having finally encountered their kin, only to see their relative suffering so terribly, how could they possibly not try to save it?

At this moment, the captive Celestial Dragon seemed to notice the presence of Little Peach and Ni Bo. Its thrashing ceased.

“Ao…” The Celestial Dragon lifted its head in a long cry, waves of draconic resonance erupting. Golden ripples flowed from its mouth, surging into the minds of Little Peach and Ni Bo.

Golden tears welled in its eyes. To Zhuge Yi Shi and the others, the sight was utterly tragic. As if responding to the Dragon’s call, Little Peach and Ni Bo stopped their futile efforts. They gazed directly at the Celestial Dragon, whispering its name softly, faint glints of tears visible in their own eyes.

A desolate gaze, a sorrowful meeting of eyes, and that protracted cry—this was the unique language of the Dragon Clan. Apart from Little Peach and Ni Bo, no one else could understand what the Celestial Dragon was saying.

After a long while, the Celestial Dragon’s roar gradually subsided. Ni Bo and Little Peach ceased their pointless struggles. They bowed deeply toward the imprisoned Dragon, then turned and raced back toward Luo Ling’er and the others.

“Quickly, leave this place!” Little Peach spoke with human words, addressing Luo Ling’er and the others, its eyes still shining with crystalline tears.

Though Luo Ling’er and the others didn't know what the Celestial Dragon had conveyed to Little Peach, seeing the tears brimming in Little Peach's eyes filled their hearts with grief. But Luo Ling’er understood this was no time for sorrow; leaving immediately was paramount.

Without asking for explanations about what transpired, they spun around and bolted toward the direction they had arrived from. However, after only dozens of paces, they sensed something amiss. The cave entrance through which they had come had vanished; they were surrounded only by solid rock.

Sensing this, Luo Ling’er and the others gasped. What was happening? Was this some kind of formation?

“Ao…” As if sensing the danger facing Little Peach and Ni Bo, the Celestial Dragon, still bound to the pillar, let out a mighty roar. Its immense body convulsed violently, as if trying desperately to break free.

Perhaps feeling the main focus of the grand formation shifting toward the Celestial Dragon’s struggle, the cave entrance, previously invisible, reappeared before Luo Ling’er and the others. Gazing at the cave mouth emanating a blood-colored mist, they knew this was the intelligence the Celestial Dragon had risked everything to buy them. They dared not waste the opportunity.

Channeling their power to the maximum, their bodies dissolved into several afterimages as they sprinted toward the cave. Though sunlight prevailed here, the atmosphere felt a hundred, even a thousand times more dangerous than the Demon Realm.

Just as the group neared the cave opening, a figure materialized out of thin air directly at the entrance.

It was an old man with only a few strands of hair left on his head. His face was gaunt, like a skeleton merely covered by a thin layer of skin—terrifying to behold. Yet, his eyes were piercingly bright, possessing a formidable, overwhelming pressure that struck anyone who met their gaze.

It was a pressure felt deep within the soul.

“Since you have arrived, why flee?” Watching the panicked group, the old man’s withered face twitched slightly, seemingly into a smile, and a voice imbued with the weight of ages issued from his lips…

“Swoosh…” Hei Ming Shi Xuan wasted no words. His small body flashed forward, his Purple Moon Saber drawing an elegant arc of purple light as it cleaved directly toward the old man’s body…

“Alas, a Purple Flame Demon Race member. I was just planning a trip to the Demon Realm to find one of your kind to study the nature of your Purple Flame. Now you deliver yourself right to my doorstep. Do not blame me for being inhospitable!” Seeing the crescent-shaped purple blade energy, the man smiled faintly, utterly unconcerned. He extended one hand forward and gently grasped, crushing the sharp blade energy to dust. Then, his withered hand moved casually toward Hei Ming Shi Xuan’s shoulder…

“Hurry…” Witnessing the ease with which their opponent pulverized Hei Ming Shi Xuan’s strike, both Luo Ling’er and Zhuge Yi Shi knew that a one-on-one confrontation would be futile against this man. Without consultation, they immediately summoned their respective magic artifacts and hurled them at the man…

Luo Ling’er’s weapon was a longsword etched with blood-red runes, while Zhuge Yi Shi brandished a black abacus—an abacus entirely devoid of luster…

(I planned to finish this before sleeping, but I am too tired. I will write the rest when I wake up tomorrow!)