C1410 !
In the deep sea surrounding Dragon Island, under the scorching sun, dragons in their ancient forms were dispersed throughout the island.
Dragons reminiscent of living flames sprawled on the beaches of Dragon Island, soaking in the sunlight. Their dark red scales absorbed the sun's fiery energy, channeling it into their sinews and blood.
The Frost Dragon Clan sought refuge in the caverns of Dragon Island, their tails vanishing into the icy waters beneath the land.
Green and Jade Dragons either roamed the island's forests or swam in the adjacent seas.
Nearby, smaller isles were home to human cultivators known as Dragon Servitors. They served the Nagas with unwavering devotion, their practice wholly reliant on dragon blood and breath.
The Spiritual Spells they practiced, bestowed upon them by the Nagas, fortified their bodies and aided in transcending their current realms. Yet, the cultivation levels of these Dragon Servitors were generally modest, with only a rare few achieving the status of Yang Gods.
On this particular day, the blood of the Eighth and Ninth Level dragons on Dragon Island began to seethe.
The dragons, roused from their lethargy, were suddenly jolted into alertness.
In the eastern reaches of Dragon Island, within a craggy expanse, Loong Jie, bathed in the blood of the Golden Giant Dragon, unleashed a roar of ecstatic frenzy!
The ocean by Hidden Dragon Lake churned with massive waves, compelling every Dragon Servitor to fall to the ground, shivering in awe.
They were clueless about the unfolding events, uncertain of the old dragon's madness.
Dragons everywhere, regardless of their location or activity, fell silent to heed Loong Jie's triumphant bellow.
The Nagas understood...
Before long, from the heavens above and the ocean's abyss, high-bloodline dragons emerged, their eyes flickering with a mix of disbelief and thrill. They were simultaneously astonished and skeptical.
One by one, they gravitated towards Loong Jie, converging from all directions to the east of Dragon Island.
With a crackling surge, the Bloodline Crystal Chains within Loong Jie's serpentine, golden form, once shackled by the laws of nature, now radiated an astounding divine brilliance.
Intense golden lightning cleaved through an unseen barrier, coursing through his very flesh.
Beneath the relentless sun, Loong Jie's draconic form erupted in a dazzling display of golden light.
He gazed into the expansive sky, admiring the kaleidoscopic barrier of the realm and the clouds that shimmered like a colorful haze. He could sense the monumental shifts occurring in the heavens and the earth...
Tears suddenly welled up in Loong Jie's enormous dragon eyes. This venerable dragon, having been oppressed in Sword Prison for countless years, had finally returned. With his golden claws, he pounded the ground in rapid succession.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The massive Dragon Island trembled with each of his strikes.
"Old Patriarch!"
A procession of colorful giant dragons, gleaming under the sunlight, surged forward. They coiled their immense bodies and came to a halt before Loong Jie, then bowed low to the ground.
Tears began to fill their eyes as well. They gazed at Loong Jie with a desperate longing.
They were seeking an answer!
"Do you feel it too?" Loong Jie roared.
Each of the dragons that had gathered nodded emphatically, then, shaking, they lifted their colossal, anchor-like claws. Mimicking Loong Jie, they too began to beat upon Dragon Island with their formidable appendages.
Words could not capture the experience. These dragons, having attained the Eighth Level of their bloodlines, sensed a certain equilibrium deep within their essence vanish without a trace.
The Nagas, inherently blessed with exceptional wisdom and spirit akin to that of humans, would naturally develop their race's divine powers and innate gifts as their bloodlines advanced, enabling them to swiftly grow in strength.
Yet, once their bloodlines ascended to the Seventh Level, all dragons began to perceive a mysterious force emerging, one that sought to constrain them...
From the Seventh Level onward, the progression of the Naga bloodlines would decelerate.
Should they once again shatter the blood's boundary, the constraints and pressures they felt would intensify manifold.
This realization plunged many dragons into despair, as if an unseen Holy Mountain perpetually loomed over them, pressing down on their bodies, stifling their magical Bloodline Crystal Chains, and weighing heavily upon their hearts.
It left them breathless, unable to rise or find relief!
Eventually, they understood that this was the retribution meted out by the supreme beings of the Human Race and the Demon Palace upon the entire Naga race.
This punishment had persisted for tens of thousands of years!
As a result, the Naga had not birthed a Dragon God in ages. They could no longer stand against the five supreme beings and were resigned to follow orders.
This had been their reality...
Until just moments ago!
The dragon, whose bloodline had ascended to the Eighth Level, suddenly experienced a sense of relief. The oppressive force of the invisible Holy Mountain, which had weighed upon them for tens of thousands of years, appeared to have been lifted by an unseen hand!
They considered a possibility but scarcely dared to believe it, let alone allow themselves to hope. Thus, they sought confirmation from Loong Jie.
As a pure-blooded descendant of the Golden Giant Dragon and the mightiest elder dragon of the Great Swamp, they trusted that Loong Jie's perceptions were deeper and more intuitive. He would surely know the truth.
"The seal has been suddenly broken!" Loong Jie bellowed.
Upon hearing his words, the gathered dragons instantly lifted their heads in triumph, roaring with a mixture of rage and tears.
"In the Desolate Swamp!"
Loong Jie's golden eyes did not glance towards the Fallen Moon Forbidden Area; instead, they were fixed on the Desolate Swamp. With a voice brimming with authority, he proclaimed to the assembled dragons, "Rise now, for the Nagas shall no longer heed the commands of the five supreme forces! The era of our subjugation ends today!"
A cacophony of roars thundered from Dragon Island, echoing across the surrounding seas.
It seemed as though every formidable being in the Great Swamp heard the dragons' cries at that moment, sensing within them the thrill of a newfound freedom.
...
On the Quietus Continent within the Demon Palace, the exalted Demon Phoenix stirred its Demon Soul to wakefulness in the majestic hall, promptly summoning the Qilin and Sky Tiger.
The Qilin's Demon Soul and the White Divine Tiger's true form entered the Demon Palace almost simultaneously.
The great demons of the Demon Palace, gazing towards the towering structure that rose like a mountain and resembled a four-cornered pagoda from the mountain's depths, were startled by the sudden surge of demonic energy emanating from within.
The disturbance at the Demon Palace indicated that the three contemporary Demon Gods were convening in their unique ways, likely deliberating over some matter.
Previously, it was the death of the Golden Elephant Ancient God that had caused such a tumultuous surge of demonic power at the Demon Palace.
What could have transpired this time?
As they observed the kaleidoscopic ripples in the sky, the subtle tremors of the realm's barrier, and the thunderous sounds echoing from the land, a sense of foreboding took hold within the hearts of the great demons.
Devil Palace.
An intense darkness surged from deep within the earth, reminiscent of a colossal troll emerging from the abyss of hell itself, looming in the sky.
This darkness swept forth, swiftly engulfing all sources of light above, plunging the Devil Palace and the vast majority of the neighboring regions from daylight into the depths of a pitch-black night.
"The Devil Master has awakened!"
In the darkness, hundreds of devil cultivators raised their voices in alarm.
Yan Lu, having recently advanced to the Soul Wandering Stage, was among the throng of cultivators, gazing skyward, lost in the obsidian void.
The all-consuming darkness soon vanished into the maw of an ancient palace.
This was the site of the Devil Palace, the very reason for its ominous name.
"The Devil Master has summoned all the Unrestrained Stage experts!"
"Hao Yun, it seems a significant event is unfolding!"
Devil cultivators at the Unrestrained Stage felt Tan Xiaotian's call resonating deep within their souls.
They emerged from their secluded meditations and made haste toward the foreboding edifice known as the Devil Palace.
...
Similar occurrences unfolded within the three great upper sects of the Heavenly Source Continent and various secretive factions.
Those who perceived the colossal shift in the cosmos, aware that the Dao Law confining the entire Naga race was seemingly fading, convened their elders at once to exchange insights and seek confirmation.
They all yearned to ascertain the truth of their senses, hesitant to both believe and verify.
Could it be that the Nagas were on the cusp of resurgence?
...
Deep in the Great Swamp, Yu Yuan stood in stunned silence, retracting the Dragon Slash Platform into his inner sanctum.
But the inevitable had transpired, and he was powerless to intervene.
Such an unforeseen and bizarre transformation had caught Yu Yuan entirely off guard; now, he was at a loss for how to resolve the situation.
The Yin God remained within the Dragon Slash Platform, engaged in dialogue with the juvenile spinosaurus.
Meanwhile, another fragment of his soul and consciousness coalesced, attempting to locate the Optimus Sword, eager to discover the whereabouts of the Divine Sword that had returned to the vastness of Hao Yun.
To be cautious, he sought to reclaim the sword first, preparing for any potential upheavals.
"How odd. Could it no longer be in Hao Yun?"
Despite leveraging the Dragon Slash Platform's power, he failed to detect the sword's essence. From his vantage point in the Desolate Swamp, he could observe the anomalies of the three upper sects and witness the synchronized reactions of both the Devil Palace and the Demon Palace.
He also caught sight of Dragon Island, nestled deep in the ocean, and the majestic Golden Giant Dragon.
"Loong Jie!"
...
