The central region of the island erupted into a flurry of activity. All the various alliances anticipated an inevitable great battle. Kailuo and Wang Tong could not possibly let Xiao Chen off easily.
Before coming to Dragon Island, Kailuo had already earned considerable renown among the Western tribes as a genius illusionist and spiritist. Wang Tong, meanwhile, was a successor of the dreaded Little Li Flying Dagger—his background alone commanded respect. As for Xiao Chen, though he had been unknown before, his recent exploits on Dragon Island painted a portrait of overwhelming strength and savagery. The forthcoming clash would surely be a battle of dragons and tigers.
And Yan Qingcheng—she had already engaged in a deadly dance with Xiao Chen. Her identity as an inheritor of the Undying sect meant no one dared underestimate her.
Beneath the surface, currents churned.
Then, on that very day, news of the Purple Dragon King spread. Yan Qingcheng, Kailuo, and Wang Tong had led a force to surround and capture the young Purple Dragon King, only to meet fierce resistance. The infant companion dragon king proved extraordinarily divine, slaughtering all weaker cultivators as it fought its way free. Though Yan Qingcheng, Kailuo, and Wang Tong managed to gravely wound it, they could not secure it.
This news caused an uproar. Everyone had come to Dragon Island to seize a dragon king, for a fully grown dragon king could make even gods tremble! If one could tame such a creature in its infancy, the future would be like a dream.
Of course, the most powerful of all was the Ancestral Dragon—the sovereign among kings. Before arriving, the young experts had all heard that the sealed Dragon Island might one day be unlocked by the Ancestral Dragon, but that was centuries away. A young dragon king required decades to mature, while the king of kings needed ten times as long.
Though the cultivators trapped on the island were all young men and women, if they could obtain a young dragon king, they would stand invincible on this primeval island in the years to come. The thought stirred immense waves in every heart.
And at this sensitive moment, someone leaked news: they had seen Xiao Chen and three skeletons carrying four radiant dragon eggs as they passed through the Deadwood Forest, heading westward. This revelation shocked many. What was Xiao Chen trying to do? He dared to steal dragon eggs!
Having just heard of Yan Qingcheng's ambush on the Purple Dragon King, the various alliances were especially alert to related information. Soon, someone connected the dots: Xiao Chen stole the dragon eggs to obtain companion dragon kings!
A newly hatched companion dragon king, even in its infancy, was already formidable—hard to tame. The failure of Yan Qingcheng and Kailuo was a clear warning. Many speculated that Xiao Chen intended to execute a "Dragon King Rearing Plan." Dragon eggs did not require mother dragons to incubate; these miraculous eggs would crack open on their own when bathed in the world's essence.
The cultivators eventually agreed: this was a mad plan! If Xiao Chen knew how they misinterpreted his actions, he would be dumbfounded. Raising dragons? He was eating them!
Young experts could no longer sit still. Their hearts burned with urgency. Many wished to find Xiao Chen immediately and ascertain the truth. Some even wanted to emulate him and steal dragon eggs—but that would be suicide. After the Eight-Armed Evil Dragon and the Serpent-Elephant Dragon had their eggs stolen, all the savage dragons on the outer island had sensed the danger; after the latest theft, every savage dragon was on high alert, nerves stretched taut.
That very day, several attempts to steal dragon eggs resulted in casualties. This only sharpened the dragons' vigilance.
Xiao Chen's three thefts had effectively sealed everyone's chances.
No one dared raid a dragon's nest again. But humans had desires. At the thought of the mighty and miraculous dragon kings, none could remain indifferent. All began to scheme. Eventually, someone conceived an idea: if they plundered Xiao Chen, the risk would be far smaller, yet they could achieve the same goal.
Suddenly, hearts were in turmoil.
Yizhen the monk grew worried. He wanted to send word to Xiao Chen but could not find him. He knew that if someone fanned the flames, a great many would go after Xiao Chen to seize the dragon eggs. If that happened, no matter how strong Xiao Chen was, he would be in grave danger.
The next day, Yizhen's fears materialized. Many had been stirred up and were prepared to pursue Xiao Chen and take the eggs. Among them, the forest tribe expert Yaluode played a key role, agitating behind the scenes. Yizhen suspected that Yan Qingcheng, Kailuo, and Wang Tong were also pulling strings, having recently suffered a major setback.
But every cultivator who set foot on Dragon Island was no simple character. How could the young experts not see the hidden hands at work? Consequently, many proposed: since Kailuo and Wang Tong were bound to fight Xiao Chen, let it commence soon. They would all go along to witness a fair and open settlement of grievances.
Many coveted the dragon eggs in Xiao Chen's hands and planned to use this pretext to fish in troubled waters, pushing Kailuo and Wang Tong to the front—a clever maneuver.
Kailuo and Wang Tong were unworried. They had intended to seek Xiao Chen out anyway. Now, by mobilizing so many cultivators, they were building momentum. They exploited the greed for dragon eggs to coalesce a force that would exert immense pressure on Xiao Chen. In the end, even if they did not act, these people would be unable to resist stealing the eggs, no matter how fair they pretended to be now.
Many members of various alliances privately joined the operation, though on the surface it appeared innocent: everyone was going to witness a decisive battle. But many had ulterior motives.
The group crossed the dead primeval forest and soon arrived at the place where snowflakes were falling. The spectacle amazed everyone. They halted briefly before the snowy mountains.
By now, nearly a hundred people had gathered before the snow mountains, and more were still arriving. Of course, those driven by greed were a minority; most later arrivals came purely to watch, as Xiao Chen's recent fame was too great. Almost every alliance that heard the news came rushing.
On the snowy mountain's morning, though the sun shone, the air was bitterly cold.
On one peak, Keke rolled happily in the snow. It feared no cold; the soft snow was like a comfortable bed. The three skeletons and Xiao Chen were all inside an ice cave, completely absorbed in cultivation.
Golden light filled the cave, dazzling and brilliant. After repeated refractions, the radiance spilled out onto the snow, wrapping the icy landscape in resplendent, beautiful colors.
The life essence contained in the Lion King Dragon's egg was truly vast and formidable. The dazzling golden light, like water waves, surged ceaselessly into Xiao Chen's body. After a night of absorption, the golden glow gradually dimmed.
His right shoulder's Shoulder-Well acupoint became like a bottomless pit, actively drawing in the immense life essence. All the golden brilliance converged like rivers flowing into the sea, gathering toward one point! Finally, a single radiant spark coalesced—the right Shoulder-Well acupoint had become divine!
This outcome did not surprise Xiao Chen.
Left foot Shangqiu acupoint, right foot Shangqiu acupoint, chest Central Court acupoint, left shoulder Shoulder-Well acupoint, and right shoulder Shoulder-Well acupoint—five major acupoints in Xiao Chen's body had now formed radiant sparks, fully divinized.
A faint connection seemed to emerge among the five divine acupoints. Almost imperceptibly, life essence began to circulate slowly among them, allowing Xiao Chen to strongly sense the surging vitality within his body.
Xiao Chen felt as if he now had two lives! The exuberant life essence caused his very skin to shimmer with bright light. Looking inward, he saw that his flesh and bones were infused with radiance, as if they had been tempered, gleaming with the luster of life's treasure.
Every inch of his flesh brimmed with power. His body felt as if forged from refined steel. In a subtle way, Xiao Chen sensed he had undergone a rebirth.
No comments:
Post a Comment