Chapter 2188.2: Dragon Lady?
Ancestor Bi Chen was a taboo of the entire Barren Mountains range. A monster spirit of peak awakened cultivation realm, he was well known for being the demise of numerous wandering immortals.
A few awakened cultivators from an eighth rank empire had once ventured into the Barren range and jointly killed a ninth rank monster beast about to take human form, digging out its inner core. When Ancestor Bi Chen found out, he dyed the streets of that kingdom red with blood. A tremendously powerful eighth rank cultivation empire perished overnight.
After that, the three ninth rank empires and law enforcers entered the mountain range to hunt down Bi Chen. They returned in abject defeat—all of the wandering cultivators dead and only a dozen returned out of hundreds of law enforcers.
Bi Chen then struck while the iron was hot, entering Firmament Empire—one of the three ninth rank empires. If it wasn’t for the chief enforcer suddenly appearing and blocking the monster spirit, there would only be two ninth rank empires left in this world today.
The chief enforcer was an empyrean immortal, but it still took three days to fight Ancestor Bi Chen to a standstill. In the end, they reached an agreement that cultivators above the tribulation level would not set foot into the Barren Mountains. Only then did the monster spirit cease his pursuit of revenge.
That was how the mountain range gradually became a forbidden zone in the Jade Ruins Realm.
“I wondered who it was that would know my name. So it’s the Primordial Empire genius Ji Lin.” Ancestor Bi Chen glanced sideways at the red-robed elder hiding in the woods.
“Junior Ji Lin greets Senior Bi Chen!” Ji Lin didn’t dare remain hidden after Bi Chen took notice of him.
“Mm.” Bi Chen inclined his head when he saw the human present itself.
Primordial Empire was one of the three ninth rank cultivation empires. It was first among the Jade Ruins Realms—the other two of Xuanhuang and Firmament paled far in comparison. Ji Lin was one of its geniuses and ranked number ten in the Jade Ruins Ranking of the Celestial Realm Battlefront.
The rankings didn’t encompa.s.s only the top ten awakened cultivators—but those of all cultivation realms, including wandering immortals and empyrean immortals. Everyone’s cultivation was suppressed to initial nascent soul in the battlefront, so compet.i.tion was conducted on the basis of comprehension of dao and utilization of true origin.
Being ranked in the top ten meant that Ji Lin absolutely dominated those of his level. Apart from meeting old monsters like Bi Chen, he was essentially invincible.
“What, do you lot want to stop me?” Bi Chen looked coldly at the black spirit beasts in the waters.
“Hiss hiss hiss!” Although they felt the depths of Bi Chen’s horrifying might, they still raised their heads high and refused to back down. Other than the spirit beasts in the lake, all other spirit beasts cowered on the ground from the might of the monster spirit’s aura. The blackwater snake king was the only exception.
“Yo, isn’t this Ancestor Bi Chen of the Barren Mountains? What are you doing here terrorizing the juniors?” rang a flippant voice before the void twisted, depositing a purple figure over Jade Ice Lake.
“Lang Ye, master of the Demonic Spirit Tarn.” Bi Chen’s pupils constricted when he saw the man in long purple robes.
There were three major forbidden zones in the Jade Ruins Realm—Barren Mountains, Demonic Spirit Tarn, Cloudfog Valley. Apart from Cloudfog Valley, the other two were off limits because of powerful monster spirits in residence. Lang Ye was the lord of Demonic Spirit Tarn.
The chief enforcer, Bi Chen, and Lang Ye were known as the three strongest powerhouses of Jade Ruins Realm. There were some empyrean immortals present as well, but they were not exempt from the heavenly book’s rules like the chief enforcer was, so most remained in seclusion.
Even if they roamed the land, they would not be a match for the three given the influence of the heavenly book. The chief enforcer for the Jade Ruins Realm was the only immortal approved by the heavenly book.
Although Lang Ye and Bi Chen were only awakened realm, they were monster spirits with divine beast bloodlines. The talents and potential of their bloodlines meant that they completely matched human empyrean immortals.
“To think you’d come here as well, you’re not a descendent of the dragons. The Dragon Transformation Gra.s.s is useless to you.” Bi Chen looked at the newcomer without a flicker of change in his expression.
“Heh, although the gra.s.s is useless to me, there are a few juniors in my Demonic Spirit Tarn with draconic bloodline. The gra.s.s will create another powerhouse for my banner.” Lang Ye’s purple hair reached his calves and danced in the wind, the very picture of unbridled freedom.
Although most of the human cultivators here were from Dark Orchid Empire, they were familiar with Lang Ye of the Demonic Spirit Tarn and Bi Chen of the Barren Mountains. Both appearing at the same time shocked people so much that they didn’t dare breathe too loudly. When they heard the two speak of the Dragon Transformation Gra.s.s, they finally understood why there were so many spirit beasts gathered here.
The ten heavenly and thirty-six earthly treasures had long become myths in textbooks. Nearly everyone was familiar with their uses, but some of them were unrecognizable in the wild—such as White’s Red Spider Lily.
“So you mean to fight me for it?” BI Chen remained expressionless, aloof consideration in his handsome face.
“Such treasures are normally claimed by those with ability. I will not take it from you if the Dragon Transformation Gra.s.s shares a destiny with you.” Lang Ye shrugged innocently.
“Hmph,” Bi Chen snorted and ignored the other. Dismay suddenly marked his features. “Wait, something’s swallowed the Dragon Transformation Gra.s.s!”
He dove into the lake as a shadow, swiftly followed by Lang Ye. While the black spirit beasts in the lake postured in an intimidating manner, they couldn’t withstand the two monster spirits. Countless numbers died from the force of their entry.
The blackwater snake king reared in a show of force as well and moved to follow the two monster spirits.
“Hehehe, don’t be in such a hurry to run off, little snakey. You’re mine now!” A voice like a broken gong suddenly rang by the snake king’s ears as its body lifted into the air, grasped by a hand of true origin.
……
Twenty-five meters in the cave beneath the lake’s surface, Long Aotian roared a stunning dragon cry. Pale golden scales grew over his skin and two golden horns stretched out of his hair.
“Hoi hoi, you’re draconic royalty! A nine-clawed golden dragon, no wonder you’re called Long Aotian! You’re a dragon that soars proudly in the sky, alright! Hahahaha!!” Lu Yun threw his head back with laughter as he watched Long Aotian’s change.
Nine-clawed golden dragons were the legendary royal clan of the dragons, their most precious bloodline. Even the dragon patriarch in the world of immortals had been but a five-clawed golden dragon.
“I’m definitely making out like a bandit! Nine-clawed golden dragons can eventually become chaos immortals!” Lu Yun’s eyes creased into crescents from the magnitude of his grin. Chaos dragons were immortal emperor level characters in the world of immortals. He was now raising an immortal emperor!
At the same time, he wasn’t worried that Long Aotian would betray him after taking human form. He’d personally refined the Dragon Transformation Gra.s.s and imprinted his brand in it. Long Aotian would never think of betraying him after devouring it.
Dragons were a proud race, so if he didn’t employ certain methods, Long Aotian would almost certainly betray him when he grew into his strength. A nine-clawed golden dragon wouldn’t permit itself to be subordinate to a human.
As for the Dragon Immortal King under his banner in the world of immortals… he’d been Lu Yun’s spirit pet before he took form.
Despite the wondrous development, Lu Yun somehow felt that there was no future in what he was accomplis.h.i.+ng. All he was doing was following the natural instincts of life and walking the path of what made sense. The rhythm of heaven and earth meant that all things inexorably proceeded forward. This was just a case of strengthening himself.
Even he didn’t know if he could see this road through to the end.
Piercing dragon croons rang from Long Aotian’s mouth and his clothes split open. No longer in human form, he was a golden dragon now.
However, Lu Yun gaped when he looked at the s.h.i.+fting dragon. He’d plainly seen a curvaceous body of plump peaks and rounded bottom when Long Aotian’s clothes burst apart. The dragon was a woman!
“Long Aotian… is a woman?! Such a domineering name… belongs to a woman??” Lu Yun smacked his forehead. How had he not discovered she was a woman after all this time?! He’d only looked at the woman’s bloodline with the Eye of Nullification, not her body. He’d thought she was a man at that time, so he wasn’t the least bit interested in looking closely at a man’s body. Thank goodness he’d planted a hint of his own brand in the Dragon Transformation Gra.s.s or it was only a matter of time before Long Aotian betrayed him.
He didn’t blame her for hiding this from him as it was quite understandable. But her personality would change after she became a dragon, so all bets were off the table then. She also carried quite a few secrets on her. Otherwise, he should’ve been able to see through her even without purposefully scanning her body.
Long Aotian’s transformation into a woman reminded Lu Yun of that person again… Aoxue.
Long Aotian swiftly shrank down after turning into a dragon, first to the size of a regular human being, then continuously smaller until she turned into… an egg!
Indeed, her nine-clawed golden dragon bloodline had been fully activated after swallowing the Dragon Transformation Gra.s.s and turned her into a true dragon. Her cultivation level, however, was too low at only mid foundation establishment. Activating her bloodline would also enhance her level of strength, but hers was the royal draconic bloodline. She had to revert to being an egg and hatch anew unless she was an empyrean immortal.
“ROAR!” The gray jiao blocking the entrance snarled with fury and shrank back.
“Jiao! There’s jiao here!” came a stunned voice. “And that’s a dragon egg, a real dragon egg!”