Though the Black Dragon King despised the onlookers watching the spectacle, he didn’t dare fully antagonize them. If he did, they could instantly turn against him, joining Ling Xiao to take him down.
At that point, he’d be crying too late.
“Kill!”
“Kill!”
Men die for wealth, birds for food.
In the face of profit, few could stay calm.
Despite Ling Xiao’s display of formidable strength, some still believed the Black Dragon King and Black Spirit Organization were stronger together.
Joining the Black Dragon King now promised greater rewards and safety.
Around thirty of the Black Dragon King’s surviving elites, plus over a thousand dragon warriors from the onlookers who chose to side with him, unleashed their true essence, channelling it into a treasure called the “Dragon-Trapping Pillar.”
This rare treasure, though named for trapping dragons, could confine any living creature.
By infusing true essence, the pillar automatically activated the Dragon-Trapping Array, simple to deploy, which had given the Black Dragon King an edge against the Golden Dragon Clan.
*Buzz!*
A strange hum sounded as hundreds of light beams shot from the pillar, weaving a bizarre pattern of ropes designed to trap a dragon.
The pattern spiralled above the pillar, then swiftly descended, enveloping a several-hundred-meter radius around Ling Xiao.
Cracked stones and trees made snapping sounds.
The ground sank, as if crushed by an immense force.
The array, powered by over a thousand dragon warriors and the pillar, was not to be underestimated.
By normal standards, even a peak Mortal Realm Seventh Layer warrior, no matter how strong, would be crushed instantly.
This way, neither the Black Dragon King nor the Black Spirit National Master would need to act.
But unfortunately, Ling Xiao wasn’t ordinary.
He couldn’t be judged by common standards.
His Mountain and River Martial Soul, inherited from the first Human King and Holy Dynasty’s Saint Ancestor, encompassed the laws of the entire Mysterious Realm.
As the Dragon-Trapping Array pressed down, Ling Xiao’s pupils turned golden, strange inscriptions and numbers flickering within them.
He was analyzing the array, seeking its weaknesses and ways to control it.
Facing such a formidable array, Ling Xiao showed no fear, only a smug smile.
These fools—attacking him directly would’ve been better than using an array. They were practically handing him their heads and a grand gift.
Standing there, Ling Xiao let the array envelop him. At a certain moment, his true essence connected with the array, forming a perfect cycle.
Like fruit on a tree, he began greedily absorbing the array’s energy.
“Kill him quickly, now!”
The Black Spirit National Master, with keen perception, sensed something amiss, his voice sharp with urgency.
Without a face, his expression was hidden, but his tone betrayed his tension.
“Black Rope Purgatory!”
The National Master unleashed Black Rope Purgatory again, aiming to combine it with the array to crush Ling Xiao.
“Black Dragon’s Roar!”
The Black Dragon King finally used his dragon roar, gathering terrifying power into a single point. True essence erupted like a blazing sun, surging toward Ling Xiao with earth-shaking force, as if an ancient titan was attacking.
*Bang, bang, crack, crack…*
Other warriors, freed up, unleashed their attacks, all targeting Ling Xiao.
His Heavenly Dragon Scale Armor began to crack under the onslaught. These attacks were no joke—too powerful. Had he not secretly taken control of the array to weaken their force, he might not have withstood them.
“Hahaha, are you tickling me?”
Though uncomfortable, Ling Xiao relished the sensation.
Not because he enjoyed pain, but because the energy from their attacks, if he could endure it, was channelled into him by the array, fueling his strength.
“Big talk!”
“Don’t fall for his bluff, keep attacking!”
“He can’t hold on!”
“Don’t stop!”
No one believed Ling Xiao.
Naturally, in such a situation, why would enemies trust him?
The thousand-plus warriors, faces twisted with ferocity and excitement, believed killing Ling Xiao would grant them everything they desired.
For those rewards, killing an innocent was nothing—they’d done it before.
Ling Xiao sneered silently, continuing to absorb the energy greedily.
This was his greatest opportunity since entering the Moonlight Treasure Pagoda, one he couldn’t let slip.
He felt a change within him.
His Primordial Golden Dragon cells kept increasing!
Thirty-one!
Thirty-two!
…
Forty!
Reaching forty awakened cells, his strength surged by another thousand jin!
The more cells, the stronger he became in human-dragon form.
Originally, his human-dragon form boosted his strength by fifty percent, doubling with dragon techniques. Now, the awakened cells added another forty percent to his attack power.
His strength was nearing that of his Primordial Golden Dragon form.
And it didn’t stop there.
Ling Xiao felt his cultivation climbing.
Though he hadn’t consumed any elixirs, the Fire Spirit Fruit, Water Spirit Fruit, and Gold Spirit Core he’d taken earlier hadn’t been fully absorbed.
This opportunity let him refine his existing cultivation, solidify his realm, and keep advancing.
If one could see his blood, they’d notice golden cells emerging among the crimson, growing in number.
When these cells reached a certain threshold, his blood would fully transform into Primordial Golden Dragon blood, making him rival a prehistoric Dragon Emperor.
*Boom!*
His accumulated power, all gifted by his foes, erupted. A dazzling golden light shot from his head, like a Primordial Golden Dragon soaring skyward.
Mortal Realm Eighth Layer, Initial Stage!
Ling Xiao had broken through again!
At Eighth Layer Divine Transformation, a warrior undergoes earth-shaking changes, evolving toward divinity, nearly breaking free of human constraints.
“No, how did he break through?”
“Wasn’t he only mid-Seventh Layer? This doesn’t feel like Seventh Layer!”
“Eighth Layer Initial Stage!”
“How is this possible?”
Countless exclamations rang out.
