Chapter 3：The birth of a divine dragon

What does it mean to be a true warrior? At this moment, a perfect explanation unfolds.

The old national master brandished a blood-red ancient sword; with a single stroke, he severed the arm of the demon ape, which was on the verge of breaking into the realm of transcendence. In that instant, this figure—who had always seemed mild and gentle, like a benevolent old man nearing the end of his days—radiated an imposing aura.

"With a sword in hand, the clouds shift from all directions; I ask, who in the world can rival me?" This encapsulates the essence of the old man in that moment.

Tian Fan watched in awe, feeling immense respect. Although he had never practiced himself, he understood the sheer might of that strike, capable of shattering all that is tangible.

Even Long Ao Tian, aware of the old master's formidable strength, stood speechless, realizing that the aura emanating from the demon ape was not inferior to his own; in fact, it might even surpass it. Yet, with just one sword, the old man had cleaved off its arm.

Long Yue Ying's mouth dropped into an "O" shape, soon replaced by a look of admiration, her eyes sparkling with wonder. "That old man is truly incredible!"

The demon ape, with its snowy white fur stained by blood from its severed arm, wore a fierce expression. Two plumes of white smoke billowed from its nostrils, revealing just how enraged it had become.

It roared in fury, pounding its robust chest with its single arm, which was covered in black fur. The sight was so comical that Long Teng and Yue Ying couldn't help but laugh.

"Haha, this creature is quite amusing..."

Upon hearing Long Yue Ying's words, the demon ape became utterly enraged. It let out a bellow and charged at her. The darkness of its single arm surged with an ominous brilliance, clearly intending to eliminate the "despicable" woman in one blow.

"How dare you, vile beast!" 

Seeing the demon ape charge at his beloved daughter, Long Ao Tian roared in fury. Golden light burst forth from his body, and a radiant dragon emerged, swirling around him before wrapping itself around his right arm.

With a resounding roar, Long Ao Tian swung his fist toward the charging demon ape. The clash of fists unleashed a brilliant confrontation, as the black demonic light clashed with the golden divine radiance, creating a blinding spectacle.

"Boom..."

A violent explosion erupted between the two fists, sending Long Ao Tian staggering back three paces. His hand trembled slightly.

"Remarkable! This ape's cultivation exceeds my own!" Long Ao Tian thought in shock, though his expression remained unchanged.

In contrast, the demon ape was also pushed back several paces, having suffered from the old master's overwhelming sword strike.

"You have trained arduously to reach your current level. It is not too late to retreat; I shall not pursue you!" The old national master stepped forward, appearing three paces from the demon ape, addressing it with calm indifference.

The demon ape gazed at the human that had suddenly materialized before it, its dark face filled with disbelief. The old man moved with incredible speed! Glancing at the blood-colored sword in the old man's grip, fear flickered across its face.

Instinctively, it took a step back, eyeing the ancient sword and then its severed arm. After a moment of contemplation, it let out a furious roar and stood tall once more.

"Roar..."

In that instant, its muscles swelled dramatically, and a suffocating aura spread outwards, creating ripples of energy that stirred up clouds of dust. Sensing this overwhelming pressure, Long Ao Tian's expression changed, bracing himself for action as concern for the old master arose.

As the demon ape unleashed its powerful aura, the old man remained unfazed, slowly raising his right hand gripping the ancient sword. Suddenly, a surge of crimson light enveloped the blade, unleashing an aura that rivaled the demon ape's ferocity.

The two entities engaged in a fierce battle of divine forces, emitting a hissing sound as arcs of electricity danced between them, distorting the very fabric of space. This was no mere contest; it was a supreme confrontation within the realm of transcendence!

Individuals from the realm of transcendence were few and far between in the Divine Martial Continent; they were all formidable conquerors. Such beings seldom acted lightly, for when they did, their power would turn the heavens and earth upside down, leaving devastation in their wake.

The demon ape, having recklessly summoned its internal powers, had temporarily reached the early stages of transcendence, but at a grave cost. Even if it could defeat its opponents, its cultivation would fall back a whole realm, descending to the foundational level of Hunyuan, requiring many years to regain its peak.

In normal circumstances, it would never take such risks; the old man's strike had severely damaged one of its arms. However, should it defeat the humans before it, it could absorb the power of the awakened dragon bloodline and, in that moment, ascend to transcendence, transforming into a humanoid form and regenerating its lost arm.

From then on, it would be free as a fish in the sea and a bird in the sky!

Faced with such temptation, retreating was nearly impossible, thus it chose to employ this desperate method in battle, hoping to trade its own cultivation for a fleeting surge of power to vanquish its foes.

"Roar..."

The demon ape tilted its head toward the heavens and unleashed a mighty roar, its body enveloped in a black luminescence, transforming into a spectral ancestor ape that charged violently at the old national master.

Seeing the immense energy barreling toward him, the old national master pointed his ancient sword at the demon ape. With his left hand, he formed an unknown seal, conjuring a golden orb of light. The old man gently moved his left hand forward, transforming the orb into a brilliant beam of golden light aimed directly at the charging spectral ancestor ape.

"Boom..."

The collision of two immense energies unleashed a deafening roar, and fierce gusts erupted from the center of the clash, whipping up a tempest. The princes were bathed in faint golden light yet were forced back a full yard. If not for Long Yu Yun holding Tian Fan behind her, he would have been thrown much farther.

Among them, Long Yue Ying found herself in the most comfortable position, standing behind Long Teng Ao Tian and doing nothing at all. Given her father's power, resisting such residual energy posed no challenge—merely a piece of cake.

Seeing that even his most powerful attack could not faze the seemingly fragile human before him, the demon ape boiled with rage. Its formidable aura suddenly retreated within, and the next moment, it transformed into a shadowy figure, black light surging within, yet its power had doubled compared to before. With a thunderous roar, it charged toward the old national master.

Long Ao Tian was immensely shocked, his expression betraying fear. He knew that such a tactic was beyond his capacity to withstand. The other princes struggled to resist the terrifying pressure.

Especially Long Yu Yun, who bore a heavier burden to protect those behind him, sweat beading on his brow. Tian Fan watched all of this unfold, deeply moved.

The dragon was filled with worry; this battle could determine its future!

"Shadowless Sword, Chaos Return to Origin..."

For the first time during the confrontation, the old man spoke, raising his right hand high. The blood-red ancient sword pointed skyward, its blade radiating a chilling light that gripped the soul. A beam of celestial sword light erupted from the ancient sword, and the old man's aura soared, overpowering the demon ape's violent energy fluctuations. The others felt their bodies lighten in that moment.

"Slash!"

The old man uttered softly, and a resplendent sword beam descended, striking the demon ape. It raised its hands in a futile attempt to conjure a black light shield for defense, but ultimately it could not withstand the lethal sword strike. It let out a final, unwilling roar, disappearing without a trace beneath the brilliance of the sword.

A formidable sword descended from the heavens, shattering its flesh and obliterating its primordial spirit in a single strike.

"The heavens may commit sins and still be spared; one who brings ruin upon themselves has no hope of survival..."

These words, softly uttered by the elder, marked the end of a powerful being comparable to the early stages of Ascendance, vanquished beneath his blade.

The Enchanted Forest is perpetually shrouded in a thick veil of white mist, regarded by the world as an incredibly mysterious realm teeming with countless formidable creatures. Those who dare to enter must tread cautiously; venturing too deep and encountering a mighty entity often leads to perilous consequences. Within such an environment, it is exceedingly difficult for practitioners of the same level to conquer the monstrous beings dwelling therein.

Yet now, a magical ape, having reached the early stages of Ascendance, lay defeated beneath the elder's sword, leaving not a trace of dust behind.

"Old man, just how powerful are you? Could it be that you are at the pinnacle of Ascendance?" 

While the crowd remained entranced by the earth-shattering sword strike, Long Yueying leaped forth from behind Long Teng Aotian, darting to the elder's side, her large eyes gazing at him with a mixture of curiosity and awe, as if beholding an extraordinary sight.

"Brother Jiao, it is time to begin your ascent to the Divine Dragon Realm; we shall not go back on our word!" the elder declared once more to the dragon.

The dragon, contemplating the elder before him, nodded its massive head, laying flat on the ground as a soft glow emanated from its body. Having witnessed the elder's formidable power, it now fully believed that defeating and refining it would pose little challenge for the elder.

"Very well, Aotian, you and the others must follow my instructions. To deter the mighty beasts that may be drawn by the energy of Jiao's ascent, I shall now set up the 'Celestial Barrier Array' to seal this place's aura!" 

The elder spoke gravely, observing the dragon begin its transformation toward the Divine Dragon bloodline before turning to Long Aotian. Long Yueying, possessing lesser cultivation, refrained from participating, and as for Tian Fan, he was merely an ordinary mortal.

Thus, the elder began arranging the formation, with Long Aotian and the three princes taking their positions, creating a pentagram that enclosed the dragon at its center.

Once the positions were secured, the elder nodded approvingly and cast five small flags to the ground at each vertex, their surfaces fluttering in the breeze, adorned with various strange runes.

With a solemn expression, the elder raised his hands, executing a series of inscrutable hand seals in harmony with the five flags. The flags immediately radiated an ethereal azure light, and a five-pointed star array slowly emerged from the ground, ascending three yards above their heads, gently rotating and showering them with delicate azure rays, effectively isolating their auras.

At this moment, Long Yueying felt no trace of their presence; were it not for her sight, she might have believed they had vanished entirely. As for Tian Fan, he remained oblivious to everything.

"Alright, you need only stay in place and channel your vital energy into the small flags beneath your feet. The rest shall unfold as it will," the elder instructed, glancing at the dragon in the center of the array.

Within the formation, the dragon began to emit a soft golden light, and the others sensed its power steadily rising.

The dragon's aura intensified, its golden radiance transforming from faint to brilliant. To their astonishment, its scales began to shed, and blood trickled down its massive body, leaving it bloodied and battered as it emitted pained groans.

Gradually, the dragon shed all its scales, its form now reduced to raw flesh. The antler-like appendage on its head broke, disintegrating into ash before it could even touch the ground, and its long tail began to decay. The dragon was engulfed in excruciating agony.

Finally, the dragon's body erupted into a bloody haze.

"Has it ultimately failed?" 

The elder gazed at the mass of flesh in the center, disappointment etched upon his face, mirrored by the solemn expressions of Long Aotian and the others.

Within the five-pointed star array, the dragon's aura began to fade, its once-mighty form reduced to a pitiful state, eliciting profound sorrow among the onlookers, who felt deep compassion for the dragon. Tian Fan observed the bloody mass at the center, silently mourning its injustice.

Just as the elder prepared to dismantle the five-pointed star array, the mass of flesh began to twitch, a faint aura reemerging and gradually strengthening. In mere moments, an overwhelming and unparalleled force radiated through the surroundings. The mass of flesh erupted in a dazzling golden light, causing the onlookers to instinctively shield their eyes.

The five-pointed star array trembled as torrents of elemental energy surged from all directions, transforming into wisps of white mist that permeated through the star formation, infusing the golden light. In an instant, this newfound power rivaled even the elder's renowned "Primal Sword."

It seemed the five-pointed star array could no longer withstand such immense energy, beginning to crack. The elder decisively retracted the five flags, sensing that the dragon's ascension to the Divine Dragon bloodline was nearing fruition.

"Roar..."

Simultaneously, a thunderous dragon's roar resonated from the center, echoing through the heavens and trembling the depths of the underworld. As the golden light dissipated, a being of unparalleled sanctity and majesty emerged—a magnificent dragon adorned with great antlers, a serpent-like body covered in golden scales, and four powerful legs tipped with five sharp claws, poised to rend the fabric of the cosmos with the slightest movement.

This was a true divine dragon!

Long Aotian's robust frame trembled slightly, his face alight with excitement as he murmured, "A dragon! A true dragon! I, Long Aotian, never imagined I would behold a divine dragon in my lifetime!"

Even the mighty elder was overwhelmed with awe; this was the very dragon of legend.

The golden dragon lowered its head, displaying a benevolent countenance toward the gathered mortals, before soaring into the heavens, tilting its head skyward to unleash another thunderous roar.

"Roar..."

Within the Enchanted Forest, countless formidable creatures residing in the mountains trembled in fear at the sensation of this aura, cowering in terror and prostrating themselves before this majestic being in earnest worship.

As the divine dragon emerged, the world bowed in reverence, and all beasts submitted!

However, at that moment, an even more terrifying aura erupted from the depths of the Enchanted Forest, an overwhelming sense of death engulfing the sky. A colossal, pitch-black hand reached out from the shadows, surging into the heavens, aimed directly at the divine dragon above...