Chapter 12: Small World

Since Emperor Tian entered the Dragon Valley, the dragon clouds in the entire small world began to stir. They transformed into gaseous shapes with rough dragon forms, rushing toward Emperor Tian, entering his body, flowing through his limbs and veins, and merging into his bloodline.

Among them, the black dragon clouds moved the fastest.

Emperor Tian did not resist; instead, he actively drew them in, absorbing the dragon clouds.

For soul masters below rank five, the dragon clouds have the effect of cleansing the meridians, nourishing the veins, and replenishing energy.

However, for Emperor Tian, an existence near godhood, it could only be described as minimal—an insignificant advantage. Only after accumulating to a certain extent could it be called "even a sparrow, though small, is still a piece of meat."

But since Emperor Tian was about to face the million-year Beast Tribulation, he would never let go of any opportunity to increase his strength.

As Emperor Tian walked deeper, many dragon souls also joined the dragon clouds, rushing toward him. Most of these souls were from the corpses of the dark-element dragon species.

The unconscious dragon souls, drawn by their same lineage and bloodline, naturally entered Emperor Tian's body, merging with him seamlessly.

The other dragon species, formed from different elements, remained indifferent.

But under Emperor Tian's active pull, even the unconscious dragon souls followed one after another, entering his body, creating a magnificent scene of a thousand dragons in a tide, tens of thousands of dragons returning to their origins.

After all, his bloodline was second only to that of the Dragon God, the Gold and Silver Dragon Kings, and the original Nine Dragon Kings.

The dragon skeletons in Dragon Valley may have been stronger in life than Emperor Tian is now, but the dragon souls produced after their death were simply soulless, violent entities, tainted by the aura of death and their dragon blood.

Under the pressure of Emperor Tian's immense dragon might, as well as the pull from his true dragon bloodline, the remaining dragon souls also naturally fused into his body, which was no surprise.

With each step forward into the deepest core of Dragon Valley, his cultivation also increased rapidly, quickly progressing toward the million-year mark.

Both the dragon clouds and dragon souls, as well as the immense foundation Emperor Tian had built up, contributed to his growing strength.

Unlike Deep Sea Magic Whale King, who desperately wanted to increase their cultivation, Emperor Tian's mission was to protect the slumbering Silver Dragon King, requiring more time.

Thus, to prevent his tribulation from arriving too early, he rarely practiced actively, trying to suppress his cultivation. Occasionally, he even dispersed some of his power.

However, his foundation was too deep. Even with efforts to suppress his cultivation, he had already passed the 900,000-year tribulation three thousand years ago.

Even if he tried to suppress it now, his million-year tribulation would come in less than ten thousand years.

Now that he had decided to go all out, he no longer needed to suppress his cultivation and instead began to burn through his accumulated foundation, pushing his cultivation to new heights.

Along the way, he broke through several barriers in the 900,000-year beast level.

At last, he arrived at a wide valley and stopped his steps.

It was not so much a valley as it was a massive burial pit.

What a desolate sight it was! Looking around, the endless twilight hung in the air, a faint mist rising, and the atmosphere was cold and wild.

Countless dragon-shaped skeletons lay scattered throughout the valley, occupying every corner, and most of the dragon souls that had entered Emperor Tian's body originated from here.

With his true dragon bloodline boiling and surging within, Emperor Tian felt as though a massive stone was stuck in his chest, an indescribable discomfort filling his heart.

There was also an intense and unrelenting hatred and anger, which triggered bursts of dragon roars that echoed through the valley.

At the same time, softer dragon roars, full of sorrow, resonated with the low, mournful sounds of the valley.

Forcefully suppressing the grief and anger in his heart, Emperor Tian's dragon eyes scanned the countless massive dragon skeletons, finally pausing on the giant skeletal remains of a mountain dragon king that spanned nearly a thousand feet.

This dragon skeleton was missing its wings, and a large gash marred its chest, clearly inflicted by a weapon. It was the corpse of an adult Mountain Dragon King.

Behind it, a massive pit was guarded by the dragon skeleton, and it was the ultimate goal of Emperor Tian's journey. In the center of the pit, a glowing seven-colored aura shimmered.

Without hesitation, Emperor Tian flashed forward and entered the seven-colored mist, stepping into the light.

There, the Dragon God's soul was displayed, stretching nearly ten thousand feet long, glowing with seven-colored brilliance. Even the fine dragon scales gleamed in these seven colors.

Each individual dragon scale appeared highly irregular, as if each one was different, but overall, they were perfectly coordinated, like countless gems embedded together in a flawless artwork.

The dragon's head was held high, emanating an indescribable aura, as if it were gazing down upon the world, ruling over the six realms.

Faced with the Dragon God's soul, Emperor Tian felt not only excitement but also considerable trepidation. Unlike the Gold and Silver Dragon Kings, who had once been part of the Dragon God, Emperor Tian was merely a true dragon now, and not part of that ancient legacy.

Gazing upon the soul of the origin of the beast species, Emperor Tian felt an immense pressure.

At the same time, there was a strange sense of familiarity—a deep, unbreakable bond stemming from his bloodline.

Even though he had anticipated the pressure from the dragon soul and had prepared for it mentally, when it truly approached, there was still a moment of hesitation in his heart.

"With my current strength, I'm not sure if I can absorb the Dragon God's soul. Will it tear me apart?"

However, this hesitation came quickly and left just as fast.

"Hah!" He laughed bitterly to himself.

"Humans die, but birds face the sky. Death is inevitable, and wealth and glory are in the hands of destiny. Life and death are in the hands of fate, and no turning back!"

With a determined heart, his dragon claws immediately reached forward. As a dragon who controlled the element of darkness, Emperor Tian already possessed some devouring abilities.

The moment his claws touched the dragon soul, his strong and powerful arm began to tremble violently.

Immediately, the seven-colored dragon soul let out a humming sound, rippling out like waves across the entire Dragon Valley small world.

Even the dragon souls within the valley, including the Dragon God's soul, began to tremble in unison, as though they were coming back to life.

Emperor Tian's originally golden dragon pupils began to shift into seven colors.

Before him, the scenery began to change, as if crossing through time and space to an ancient battlefield in the divine realm.

A blood-red figure appeared, holding a blood-red sword, pointing it at the heavens. Sword light, as vast as the sky, shone down upon the Dragon God, slashing at it.

The Dragon God was split in half with a roar of pain and despair.

All of it—the entire scene, every detail—was consumed by the blood-red sword light, turning to ashes and nothingness.

A mountain of corpses, a sea of blood, the wailing of infant dragons filled the air. Giant dragon bodies fell to the ground, losing all life, crashing like rain.

The Dragon God's divided body—one half filled with fury—rushed toward the enemy, while the other half, with the few remaining subordinates, scattered and fled.

In the midst of this, Emperor Tian saw himself!

(End of Chapter)