The teleportation array on the Seventh Heaven slowly lit up, and Ling Tian and Su Meier emerged from it. A gust of netherworld wind assailed them; what met their eyes no longer resembled the human world, but rather Hell.
At the rift of the Endless Abyss, twelve Tongtian Dragon Pillars pierced through the clouds. Each pillar was forged from the spine of an entire ancient flood Dragon, and between the gnarled bone spurs, never-extinguishing netherworld phosphorescent flames entanglement . In the center stood a grand hall. Its gate, over a thousand feet high, was forged from Nine Nether Profound Iron. On its doors, bas-reliefs depicted the bloody battle of the Demon Dragon Clan annihilating the ancient Immortal Court—shredded Immortal golden bodies, broken Immortal Slaying Sword Arrays, and shattered Thirty-three Heaven Ranks, all vivid in the flowing dark purple Dragon flame.
On the hall's roof, a Dragon Clan skeleton hung inverted, with a human-faced bronze bell dangling from its tailbone. When the Cold Wind swept past, the Dragon soul sealed within the bell let out a piercing shriek, echoing endlessly between the abyss cliffs. The ground was paved with obsidian-polished inverted Dragon scales, and crimson lava surged through the cracks of each Dragon scale. The rising blood mist condensed before the hall into nine coiling phantom evil Dragon (evil Dragons).
The moment the two approached the Demon Dragon Hall, Su Meier's Nine-tailed Sky Fox tails instinctively flared out—the netherworld demon shadow Dragon coiled on the throne in the hall raised its head, and the Soul Emergence Late Stage Great Perfection pressure directly blasted the two away!
The Demon Dragon's red eyes swept over the two, then it spread its sky-shrouding wings and landed before them.
Its hundred-zhang Dragon body churned like liquid shadow, and the surface of its ink-colored scales glowed with the eerie green phosphorescence of myriad Resentment . Three pairs of inverted bone Dragon horns grew from its head, and at the tip of each sharp horn, a twisted remnant soul of a vanquished foe was imprisoned, letting out a mournful wail as the Dragon head swayed. Deep within its crimson vertical pupils, lava-like fires of sin surged, tearing and devouring even light wherever it gazed.
Three pairs of netherworld bone wings were woven from Void Realm cracks, scattering silent stardust with each flap, instantly turning ground vegetation into ashen powder. Its Dragon claws were as large as mountains, with cursed black mist entwined between its toes. Its barbed Dragon tail, when swaying in the air, created sonic booms.
“I can no longer remember how long it has been since anyone reached this layer…” A voice, mixed with terrifying Dragon breath, slowly drifted from the abyss's giant maw.
“I hope you two can entertain this esteemed one…”
With that, the two instantly entered combat. Ling Tian activated Burning Body and Burning Sea for enhancement, tightly gripping the Jade Dragon in both hands. Su Meier's Nine-tailed Sky Fox tails unfurled, the emperor seal in hand, ready to respond at any moment.
Suddenly, Ling Tian staggered, instantly losing consciousness. When he looked up again, his recently fallen ink-colored long hair suddenly burst into three thousand starlight, and the Burning Heaven Karma Fire and Nine Nether Death Qi intertwined between his strands, forming a Chaos crown. His left pupil melted into a golden-red vertical eye; his right pupil, however, was like a dark abyss.
Dark-gold Dragon scales spread from the side of his neck, each scale imbued with the majestic aura of the first Dragon Emperor. Two pairs of Chaos Bloodline wings sprouted from his shoulder blades—the left wing burned with world-purifying Dragon flame that could incinerate all heavens, while the right wing was entwined with annihilating Death Qi that could destroy all creation. His spinal bones bulged segment by segment, and barbed Dragon thorns pierced through his flesh, with dragon blood essence hanging from their tips, scorching the space into black hole-like vortices.
Although Su Meier had seen Ling Tian's abnormality at the auction, it was only a change in eye color then. This was the first time she had seen him like this!
“Kneel.”
With just a single word from his lips, the Dragon bone coiled in the Demon Dragon Hall instantly shattered. The Demon Dragon, which moments before was like the Lord of the Netherworld, now cowered and trembled before “Ling Tian”! This was the absolute suppression of a pure Dragon Clan Origin Bloodline over a collateral one!
“Ling Tian” took half a step, and the Chaos Dragon patterns blooming under his feet melted the rocky ground into golden-red magma. When he lightly tapped the Void Realm with his finger, the entire space-time structure of the Demon Dragon Hall began to reverse—the collapsed dome reassembled, and the shattered Dragon bones formed a new Void Realm throne.
Su Meier was astonished to see a nine-eyed Dragon shadow appear behind “Ling Tian,” an aura tens of thousands of times more terrifying than the Thunder Lord and Heavenly Tiger. The netherworld demon shadow Dragon's scales stood on end, and under the pressure, it transformed into a black-robed youth who prostrated himself, trembling, and stammered, “Dragon… Dragon Emperor adult…?”
“Ling Tian” stepped through the Void Realm and sat upon the throne. Burning Heaven Dragon flame ignited on his left sleeve, and Nine Nether Death Qi entwined his right palm. “The Netherworld branch of the Tyrant's Mansion?”
The black-robed youth prostrated on the ground, the cold sweat seeping from the Dragon scales on his forehead evaporating into mist under the Chaos Dragon might. He trembled as he held up a Dragon bone teacup, his innate Dragon flame condensing into a ghostly blue flame at his fingertips, yet it repeatedly extinguished due to the vibrating pressure.
“Little… little one You Ming, respectfully greets the Dragon Emperor.” He simply withdrew his Dragon flame and, using the most primitive body language, offered the tea overhead. “This is ten-thousand-year-old Snow Peak Emerald, brewed with the first tide of the Ruin Sea Eye. I beg Your Excellency to sample it.”
“Ling Tian” lightly tapped the Void Realm with his finger, and the teacup instantly hovered in the Void Realm. His golden-eyed Dragon pupils swept over You Ming's twisted spine: “The inverted scale grafting technique of the Netherworld branch, which fool taught you?”
You Ming's entire body's Dragon patterns flickered erratically: “Reporting to Your Excellency, it was… it was an Elder of the clan three thousand years ago…”
“Grafting the inverted scales of the Netherworld Profound Snake, attempting to Breakthrough Bloodline shackles.” “Ling Tian's” fingertips ignited with Chaos fire, refining the teacup into a profound light mirror reflecting the past. “But you didn't know that the snake scales' venom would erode the Dragon marrow, and you would never again hope to Breakthrough to Immortal.”
“Forget it, meeting you here can be considered fate.” “Ling Tian” suddenly crushed the profound light mirror, and the fragments transformed into streams of light that merged into You Ming's glabella: “This is the true ‘Inverted Scale Rebirth Art’ of the Tyrant's Mansion.”
You Ming's entire body trembled violently. The deformed snake scales on his back peeled off layer by layer, and new dark-gold Dragon scales with golden Dao patterns emerged. He was so excited that his Dragon tail thrashed the ground, shaking the dome of the Demon Dragon Hall and causing myriad bone dust to fall: “I thank Your Excellency for the grace of rebirth! This little one is willing to…”
“This esteemed one does not need the allegiance of ants.” “Ling Tian” raised a hand, interrupting the oath.
Then “Ling Tian” turned to Su Meier.
“Little girl, for our first meeting, this Emperor will also give you a gift. That silly boy still doesn't know how to show some appreciation after all this time.” As his voice fell, “Ling Tian” lightly tapped the Qingqiu pattern on Su Meier's glabella from a distance with his fingertip. Chaos Dragon breath entered the qingqiu imperial seal. “With this breath, you can save your life.”
These few words, however, caused You Ming and Su Meier's hearts to tremble wildly!
“Nine-tailed Sky Fox Su Meier, I thank Dragon Emperor adult for your grace!” Su Meier knelt down in excitement to express her gratitude.
“Rise.”
Then “Ling Tian” raised his hand and carved a Chaos Dragon pattern into his own chest: “Time is short, so I'll be brief. There are two reasons for my descent today. One is that I sensed a Dragon Clan Bloodline from the Tyrant's Mansion and came to see, but ended up seeing such an unpromising fellow!” As he spoke, he glanced at You Ming, who was still kneeling. You Ming trembled all over, wishing he could dig a hole and bury himself right now.
“Second, and most crucial, I sensed that what is on the next layer is far beyond what you all can contend with now. I could have let you all withdraw directly from the Tongtian Tower, but that old fellow Xuan Ling's Legacy is very important to this boy. Therefore, I left a Dragon pattern mark on his chest. If he enters a near-death state, I will take over the battle. But this is not a good plan. I hope this boy can grow rapidly through the tempering of battles he experiences himself. If he relies on my power, it will surely shake his Martial Dao path. This intervention is truly against my wishes. Therefore, you all must remember, do not let this boy know of my existence…” Before he finished speaking, Ling Tian had already slumped into Su Meier's arms, his body's Dragon scales rapidly receding.
“You Ming understands!”
“Meier understands!”
The two responded in unison to the Void Realm.
