C1570 The Nagas Rise Again!

At Skyreach Peak, Zu Ann stood at the mouth of the deep valley and set the Mirror of Fates upon the ground, creating a small pond. Yu Yuan and the others were drawn to the golden light blossoming from the pond, gathering around it, some standing, some squatting, all intently observing every movement within.

"Ji, you shattered the Divine Throne without a word, not even waiting for Han to return," Untamed remarked, his brow furrowed slightly. He was aware that Ji Tianyu likely harbored resentment towards Han Miaoyuan, yet she was powerless to express it.

"She's well aware that her position as a deity is untenable," Zu Ann sighed softly. He was considerably older than Ji Tianyu and as the guardian of Skyreach Peak, he had gotten to know her well, always holding her in high regard.

He also recognized Ji Tianyu's dedication to the Everlands, finding no fault in her efforts. It was this that made him feel a sense of regret for her situation.

"This golden dragon!" exclaimed the Moonfang Tiger, approaching the pond and catching sight of the boundless golden radiance. He could barely make out a giant dragon soaring amidst it, its scales quivering as it voraciously absorbed the golden energy.

Despite his previous disdain for the Nagas, his expression turned grave as he began to understand why even the Dark Phoenix held them in such regard.

Yu Yuan peered down and noticed a blinding golden light threatening to overflow from the Mirror of Fates. Separated from the mirror and without his real body present, he was oblivious to the terror of the dragon's breath that Loong Jie was releasing on Dragon Island.

Yet, from the scene before him, he sensed that Loong Jie's rise to Dragon God would likely outpace that of Ji Ningshuang and Yu Zhu.

Within the pond, the vast expanse of golden light was visibly concentrating and contracting into the massive form of the golden dragon.

"Loong Jie's ascent to Dragon God status will rewrite the annals of Everlands history. Once the golden light fades, he will emerge as a tenth-level Dragon God," Untamed reflected with a sense of awe. "After all, if not for the restraints of the Dragon Slaying Stage and the Way of Heaven, he would have achieved this status long ago."

"That's for the best," Zu Ann responded, his tone serene.

Yu Yuan cast a glance his way.

"After ascending to godhood, he'll burst forth from the Everlands at the first opportunity. He plans to scour the Star River beyond the Everlands, the territories of the Silverscale Tribe, and many Otherkin domains for countless veins of fine gold, assimilating each one into his dragon form. To transmute his corporeal body into the ultimate Golden Body, he must do this."

Zu Ann elaborated, "I suspect Zhong Chichen is already waiting for him in the extraterrestrial Star River. Zhong Chichen will surely guide him, opening spatial gateways to enable his passage through the myriad Star Rivers."

At this point, Zu Ann seemed to suddenly recall something and turned to Untamed, "With Tan Xiaotian exploring the Dark Realm and carving out a new divine seat, could Loong Jie's actions hasten its formation?"

Untamed pondered briefly before nodding, "It's highly likely."

"Why is that?" Astral Tiger inquired.

"Loong Jie is certain to seek out Blood King Sabonis. Moreover, he's likely to slay the Blood King and forge his own dragon form with the Blood King's golden blood," Untamed inhaled deeply, his face stern. "In certain aspects of the sacred way, our Everlands may not match the might of other realms, but we too have our invincible bastions."

"To others, the Blood King might be a source of fear, but to Loong Jie, he's nothing more than a succulent morsel."

"The moment he achieves godhood, the Blood King will be no more than a lamb to the slaughter, with no chance of escape."

"Once Loong Jie leaves the extraterrestrial Star River, beings like Blood King and President Lyi will stand out in his bloodline's perception like beacons. He'll be able to sense them all."

"With Zhong Chichen leading the way, those who share his essence will find no refuge."

"If he senses them, Zhong Chichen will navigate him there. Those who share his breath and are linked by the Way of Heaven, capable of being consumed and refined by him, can only await their doom."

Astral Tiger's expression subtly shifted.

Before this revelation, he was unaware that the Blood King among the stars could be likened to a succulent morsel.

Nor could he have imagined that Loong Jie, after years of confinement in Sword Prison, possessed such fearsome energy.

Once Loong Jie ascended to divinity, everyone in the Everlands with a similar essence became his potential prey!

Whether they lived or died was at the whim of his mood.

"Tan Xiaotian was previously ambushed by Cardo and Ballo in the Dark Realm. The Dawnbringers and Starborn likely don't want the Blood King to perish, but I have a feeling..." Untamed pondered, then abruptly added, "I have a feeling that when Loong Jie confronts the Blood King, Cardo and Ballo will be absent."

"The Great Demon God Bertain might intervene. To swiftly address the Origin Gate issue in the Everlands and prevent the Origin Deity from consuming it, he'll need Zhong Chichen's power."

"Moreover, he's the only known being capable of definitively killing Loong Jie."

"He alone is unafraid of Loong Jie achieving his ultimate form, nor does he fear Loong Jie manifesting his supreme golden dragon physique."

"If Loong Jie can still manage to..."

The Ape's form trembled suddenly, and he instinctively gazed into the void, contemplating a possibility he dared not voice aloud.

What he meant to say was...

If Loong Jie's rise to godhood could counterbalance the Dark Phoenix and cause her distress, Bertain would surely welcome it.

Then Untamed considered whether Bertain had been subtly manipulating the Everlands' fate in his own way.

With Loong Jie's deification, followed by Zhong Chichen's imminent ascension, could there be a grand design by the Demon God?

The Ape, while not particularly intimidated by the Dark Phoenix, harbored a genuine fear of the extraterrestrial Demon God Bertain. His power was beyond comprehension.

He was a towering figure who, even in their prime, required the combined might of the dragon slayer and the Dark Phoenix to challenge.

The Great Demon God Bertain, the most venerable of the eternal beings, was the ancient golden dragon who had long eluded capture in the extraterrestrial Star River, an outlier among his kind.

Despite the fact that the Demon God had the power to slay the golden dragon, he chose to ignore it, allowing the Naga to wreak havoc in the extraterrestrial realms. It wasn't until Taiyin emerged that the golden dragon met its end, toppling the Naga's fierce rule over the Everlands.

"What exactly are you trying to say?" Zu Ann asked, clearly dissatisfied.

"The Great Demon God Bertain allowed the emergence of the most powerful golden dragon. I believe he took pleasure in it," the Untamed stated.

He dared not voice his suspicion that Loong Jie's divine ascension might have been influenced by the Great Demon God Bertain himself. Nor did he dare suggest that Han Miaoyuan might have unwittingly aided Bertain in achieving his desires. For if he spoke these thoughts aloud and they were indeed true, the mere mention of the Great Demon God Bertain would cast a shadow over the hearts of all the mighty beings present.

At that very moment, beneath everyone's feet, the golden light in the pond began to shrink abruptly, as if Loong Jie had drawn it into his dragon form in an instant. The colossal Loong Jie undulated his body in the heavens, resembling a shimmering golden mountain range as he soared toward the extraterrestrial sky.

His distinctive edge had not yet reached the Everlands' boundary wall, but the heavens were already pierced by the cosmic order imprinted with his dragon blood. With a triumphant roar, Loong Jie shattered the celestial wall, transforming into a golden stream of light that streaked across the extraterrestrial sky.

Back on Dragon Island, the giant dragons ascended, their roars echoing as if bidding farewell to Loong Jie and anticipating his return in an even mightier form.

"This is happening too quickly, isn't it?" Qin Luo from the Ruby Hand gaped at the breach in the sky, feeling as though he was in a dream.

Loong Jie, having received Ji Tianyu's primal energy, had triggered the Path to Godhood without any interference. The onlookers had barely exchanged a few words when he achieved divine ascension. For him, ascending to the status of a tenth-level Dragon God was as simple as eating and drinking.

Meanwhile, Ji Ningshuang and Yu Zhu were still enduring the trials of their divine positions, tirelessly inscribing the rules within themselves.

Loong Jie seemingly had no need for such efforts.

As primal energy merged with his dragon heart, he effortlessly transformed into a Dragon God.

Whoosh!

A colossal fire cloud, a blend of red, gold, purple, and orange flames, appeared. Shortly after Loong Jie departed from the Everlands, the cloud breached the realm's barrier and entered from beyond.

Untamed, Zu Ann, and the Astral Tiger watched the peculiar fire cloud in contemplative silence.

Even Qin Luo ceased his usual mockery, maintaining his quietude.

Yu Yuan looked up, detecting the scent of a Divine Artifact and the subtle aroma of numerous Heavenly Flames, understanding then what had transpired.

The outcome was clear.

Yuwen Hao had perished beyond the stars. His Divine Artifact, entwined with the essence of the Everlands, had returned encased in its core.

Legend had it that Yuwen Hao began as a humble farmer, toiling in the fields, his feet dusted with earth. In his spare moments, he would gaze dreamily at the fiery clouds from the porch of his ramshackle home.

One day, the fiery mass plummeted to earth, and from it emerged a man ablaze.

This man whisked Yuwen Hao away to the Sunlit Order, where he was taught the mystique of refining Heavenly Flames and was bestowed the very fire cloud he had long admired.

The Burning Cloud was alive, a conglomeration of countless extraterrestrial flames, with the previous Sunlit Order's Sect Master seated at its heart.

He observed Yuwen Hao in silence, assessing whether he was worthy of the sacred way.

Yuwen Hao eventually won his favor and, shortly after joining the Sunlit Order, he shone brightly.

He ascended, step by step, to become the current Sect Master of the Sunlit Order.

"Old fool! If you're going to die, at least do it properly. Why stir up trouble for no reason?" Qin Luo erupted, unable to contain his silence any longer as he glared at the fire cloud.

The Divine Artifact known as the Burning Cloud, after drifting through the void, suddenly made its way toward the Crimson Sun Empire on the Aetherius Continent.

Within the borders of the Crimson Sun Empire, the Burning Cloud descended upon a towering dark red mountain peak. The primal energy from the Everlands, encapsulated within the cloud, swiftly returned to the earth. Yet, the Divine Artifact, the Burning Cloud, carried with it the profound secrets of the sacred way, knowledge that Yuwen Hao had refined. This wisdom, along with the Burning Cloud itself, merged into the body of a man. Astonishingly, this man was none other than the Sunfire Emperor, ruler of the Crimson Sun Empire.

Previously, Zhou Cangmin had stood by his side, aiding in the expansion of his realm. Though their relationship was that of sovereign and subject, they shared a bond akin to that of brothers.

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