C80 The News of Coiling Dragon

This item was incredibly abundant; a single tree could bear up to a thousand fruits.

Following his trade with the Iron Eating Beast clan, Wang Yan began to enjoy these as snacks.

And the taste? Surprisingly delightful.

He would use his canine teeth to crack open the hard shell of the Vajra Bodhi, then wash it before indulging.

The flavor was rich, sweet, and had a satisfying crunch.

It was difficult to pinpoint the exact sensation, but it was undeniably scrumptious.

With an ample supply of Vajra Bodhi, Wang Yan decided to make it a staple in his diet.

This fruit had the power to fortify bones without any adverse effects.

After several days, Wang Yan noticed he had become noticeably thicker and more robust.

A mere flick of his fingers was enough to puncture five holes into a tree trunk.

Not just Wang Yan, but Gold, Green, and Moon had also consumed their fair share of Vajra Bodhi.

Among them, Green showed the most remarkable enhancement.

Its snake scales, part of its exoskeleton, had absorbed so much Vajra Bodhi that its defense had reached an extraordinary level.

Even Goldie's full-force slash could only leave a faint scratch.

Both were Divine Beasts of lordly rank, yet Green was only one rank above Goldie—such a disparity seemed implausible.

After much contemplation, Wang Yan concluded that the only explanation was the Blood of the True Dragon.

The blood of a being capable of rending the heavens and earth, an ancient ancestor who battled against the cosmos.

The lineage of the C People was esteemed far above that of any Divine Beast.

However, the idle days of simply surviving came to an abrupt end on the twelfth day.

Boom!

An earth-shattering noise materialized from nowhere, as massive clouds amassed overhead.

In the span of two breaths, the bright day was engulfed by the black of night.

Visibility was reduced to nothing; darkness consumed all.

Crack!

A ghastly bolt of lightning cleaved the night, casting light upon the land.

The Iron Eating Beast King gazed skyward, his eyes brimming with resolve.

After such a lengthy wait and countless battles, it had finally reached this pivotal moment.

Crossing over heralds a future of open roads; the Iron Eating Beast Clan's domain is set to expand by hundreds of times.

Should it fail, its body would perish, its Dao vanish, and the world would become irrelevant to it.

"So this is the lightning tribulation that kings must face!"

Wang Yan watched as lightning relentlessly struck down from the heavens, and as the mighty, unyielding giant bear stood its ground, he couldn't help but shiver uncontrollably.

This was the power of the cosmos, an inescapable predicament for any spirit or ferocious beast.

One could remain forever at the Lord-tier, or overcome the lightning tribulation and ascend to the heavens in one leap.

The Iron Eating Beast, adept in strength and defense, was not to be felled by the fierce lightning.

Eight successive bolts struck, yet the Iron Eating Beast King remained as steadfast as a mountain.

To ascend to kingship, enduring a maximum of nine lightning bolts was required.

Typically, dragon species faced nine bolts, while Divine Beasts, deities, and demons usually withstood seven or eight.

Having braved eight bolts, the Iron Eating Beast King stood out among the Divine Beasts.

As the storm clouds cleared and the lightning vanished, the sun's rays bathed the Iron Eating Beast King, whose battered body swiftly healed, and his once-diminished aura surged wildly.

"Roar!"

The roar, akin to that of a bear, echoed far and wide. The Iron Eating Beast King's black and white fur receded, and his towering five-meter frame shrank inward.

After ten seconds, a burly middle-aged man stood before him.

Having survived the lightning tribulation and achieved kingship, the Iron Eating Beast King could at last assume human form.

The muscular man turned, fixing his gaze on Wang Yan.

In that moment, Wang Yan felt the air around him turn to ice.

"Is this the might of a king? It's truly formidable!"

A warning alarm sounded in Wang Yan's mind, which he quickly quelled.

If the Iron Eating Beast King had intended harm, he wouldn't have waited until now.

"Thank you, my friend!"

The Iron Eating Beast King spoke for the first time, his voice awkward yet comprehensible to Wang Yan.

"No need to thank me; we're just taking what we need from each other."

Wang Yan offered a smile before inquiring, "You've only just transformed, so how come you can speak Mandarin?"

"I'm not sure myself. After surviving the lightning tribulation, a flood of memories came to me, and Mandarin was among them."

The Iron Eating Beast King shook his head, his expression filled with confusion. "It seems my ancestor once served as the mount for a mighty human. In a battle against a formidable foe, there was a mix-up with him and his brother, and they never returned. Since then, the Iron Eating Beast lineage has been in decline..."

Wang Yan, "???"

Was that a reference to Chi You?

In a past life, there was a joke that Chi You had two mounts: one for battle and one for cuteness.

During the Battle of Chasing Deer, Chi You rushed out and mixed up the two mounts...

"The continuation of our race is what truly matters; everything else is secondary."

Wang Yan cleared his throat, his expression tinged with embarrassment.

In his past life, the national treasure had the strength of a bear but made its living by being adorable.

It might sound a bit undignified, but in truth, it lived more comfortably than any wild animal.

"Indeed, there's a lot of truth in that."

The Iron Eating Beast King nodded. "Before, I couldn't speak, and we had to guess to communicate. Now, things are better. As a token of gratitude for helping me ascend to king status, you may ask for two favors."

"There's no need; the spirit medicines and ferocious beasts you've given are more than enough."

Wang Yan declined the Iron Eating Beast King's generous offer, believing it's not good to be overly greedy.

To know when to stop is to never come up short.

"For me, those ferocious beasts and herbs pale in comparison to even one ten-thousandth of my ascension to king."

The Iron Eating Beast King gazed intently at Wang Yan, insisting, "I mean no harm; I simply wish to offer some form of recompense."

"I see..."

With the Iron Eating Beast King being so forthright, Wang Yan found it hard to keep declining.

"I'm in need of the Coiling Dragon's bloodline, preferably with a wood attribute."

"Wood attribute? The Coiling Dragon?"

Upon hearing Wang Yan's request, the Iron Eating Beast King's brow furrowed.

"I've heard of the Coiling Dragon; its power is immense, having reached the king realm long ago. Even among those of equal rank, I'm no match for it, let alone now that I've only just ascended."

The Iron Eating Beast King shook his head, his expression tinged with resignation.

Among the myriad of ferocious beasts, the mightiest were the Divine Beast, deity, and demon species.

Within the Divine Beast category, the dragon species stood as a nearly invincible force.

A dragon species that had ascended to kingship long ago was unfathomably powerful.

Even the Iron Eating Beast King, let alone another king, might stand no chance against the Coiling Dragon.

"You're seeking the Coiling Dragon's bloodline, presumably to aid that snake's evolution, correct?"

The Iron Eating Beast King spoke, "I've detected an extremely horrifying presence within it, a power capable of obliterating worlds. Though it belongs to the dragon species, it reigns supreme over them. It resembles the primal source, ancient and enigmatic, stirring an instinctive dread within anyone who perceives it."

"Really? Is it truly that extreme?"

Wang Yan's eyes widened in shock at the Iron Eating Beast King's revelation.

Just an advancement to king status, and it warrants such fear?

Destroying worlds?

Is that not madness? What purpose could there be in annihilating a world?

Above the dragon species? The primal source?

That much made sense. The lineage of the C People traces back to a peerless entity endowed with the power to cleave the heavens.

Looking back, it all leads to Fuxi and the Leize Dragon God, doesn't it?

"The Coiling Dragon's strength is beyond my reach; I must beg your forgiveness."

The Iron Eating Beast King shook his head again, his face etched with regret.

He wasn't a solitary figure; his entire tribe relied on his guardianship.

And with the Coiling Dragon being an established king, it was not a force he dared provoke.