"Wake up!"
Elder Yi's thunderous shout echoed as he thrust his emerald-green staff into the air. The staff resonated with the small golden-green sun floating above, their energies intertwining.
At the same time, a solemn and majestic incantation spilled from Elder Yi's lips. His divine sense connected the staff to the Life Gold, triggering a tidal wave of life energy to erupt from it.
A torrent of vitality surged from the Life Gold, spilling into Lin Yun's spiritual sea. The blood-red waves that had been raging moments ago gradually calmed under the soothing touch of this life force.
Not only did the turbulent waters settle, but the crimson hue of the spiritual sea also regained traces of its original translucent green.
Once the spiritual sea stabilized, a cooling sensation—accompanied by a flood of life energy—spread from Lin Yun's head to the rest of his body, clearing some of the feverish haze from his mind.
"No… I can't let this happen!" Lin Yun bit the tip of his tongue, using the sharp pain to forcibly suppress the rising bloodlust in his heart.
Glancing down at his fully draconified body, he flapped his wings violently, churning the waters of the Yin-Yang Twin Springs as he shot toward the surface like a torpedo.
He didn't linger in the middle of the springs. Instead, he used the extreme cold of the icy side to keep his mind somewhat lucid, preventing himself from slipping back into madness.
There was no time for reflection or fear—he had to reach the surface immediately.
With Elder Yi's help, Lin Yun now understood his predicament.
The Golden Dragon King's bloodline had fully awakened under the influence of the immortal herbs. Though this granted him access to power rivaling the pinnacle of Douluo's strength far earlier than intended, his current self simply couldn't handle it.
To avoid having his mind shattered, he had to find a remedy—fast.
Fortunately, he was in the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, a treasure trove of resources he could use to stabilize his control over the Golden Dragon King's bloodline.
Once it's inside me, it's mine!
No matter how mighty the Golden Dragon King was in life, wasn't he still crushed, reshaped, and force-fed to me? You're nothing but evolution material now—how dare you act up?!
A flash of ferocity crossed Lin Yun's eyes.
This anger wasn't directed at the Golden Dragon King, but at himself—for his earlier weakness and incompetence.
Someone else could casually dismantle the Golden Dragon King and shove him down my throat, yet I couldn't even swallow him properly? Almost choked to death on him?
How pathetic is that?!
If I can't even handle the residual negativity of a dead dragon's bloodline, how can I dream of killing Tang San? How can I ever stand before that person and express my gratitude properly?
I, Lin Yun, am inferior to no one!
BOOM—!
The waters of the Yin-Yang Twin Springs exploded outward as Lin Yun burst through the surface. Mist sprayed across the barren land surrounding the springs, the few surviving plants either incinerated by the fiery side or frozen solid by the icy side.
His draconic form loomed imposingly, wings spread wide as the unleashed pressure of the Golden Dragon King radiated unchecked. The thunderous drumming of his heartbeat sent tremors through every living being in the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.
Including the Ice Empress—and Elder Tian, hidden within space!
ROOOOAR—!!!
A furious draconic roar, tinged with madness, erupted from Lin Yun. Shockwaves of sound rippled outward from his body.
Deep within the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well...
Here, the opposing energies of ice and fire had condensed into tangible forms—liquid red and blue currents swirling around solid crystalline structures. In the even deeper darkness, two pairs of glowing eyes slowly brightened.
"This dragon's aura… is it him?" A clear, cold voice, laced with drowsy confusion, broke the silence.
"Didn't he go mad? Could it be that no one managed to resolve his instability, and he ended up here?"
"Unlikely. The dragon's might is incomplete. Perhaps after our deaths, unforeseen events occurred." A deeper, steadier voice responded, though it too carried traces of uncertainty.
"Tch. Lucky he came early. Another ten thousand years, and even these last remnants of our consciousness would have faded." The Frost Dragon King sighed softly.
"Hah! Didn't we already prepare ourselves for this?" The Fire Dragon King laughed heartily, his tone carefree. "Facing the Mad Dragon God, even the combined might of us nine Dragon Kings was barely enough to resist!"
"He was too strong. Strong enough to inspire despair, strong enough to invoke terror. He existed on a level far beyond ours."
"What good did that strength do him? He still went mad—probably even died." The Frost Dragon King's voice was icy. Once, she had worshipped the Dragon God, believing that under his rule, the dragon race would reign supreme.
With the nine Dragon Kings as his lieutenants, the dragons would have been the undisputed overlords of this universe.
Yet, in the end, it was the emperor she revered who personally destroyed the entire dragon race. One by one, the Dragon Kings fell, and the Beast God's divine realm crumbled.
As for the current state of the outside world? Neither of them had any idea.
The Fire Dragon King understood her resentment all too well—he harbored his own grievances.
"So… what now?" the Frost Dragon King asked.
"Let's wait and see. The one outside seems to only possess a fragment of the Dragon God's power. If he can suppress the madness and bloodlust, we'll entrust our remaining strength to him."
"And if he can't?"
The Frost Dragon King picked up the thread. "Then he'd better leave before he causes trouble. One mad Dragon God nearly destroyed the divine realm—if another appears, this universe might truly be doomed."
"Exactly."
The two ancient dragons fell silent, their attention turning outward. After all, the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well was formed from their remains, saturated with their power. Observing events here was effortless for them.
Naturally, they also noticed Elder Tian lurking in the spatial folds.
"Oh? Isn't that Little Black?" The Frost Dragon King sounded surprised, with a hint of disdain. "How has he regressed so much? He hasn't even become a god yet? What an embarrassment to Old Black!"
"Hah! It is him. Though I doubt it's entirely his fault. I remember his talent—reaching our level in life might've been a stretch, but becoming a first-tier god shouldn't have been an issue." The Fire Dragon King chuckled, intrigued.
"Let's keep watching. No rush…"
Outside, Elder Tian had been anxiously observing Lin Yun's transformation when he suddenly sensed two familiar auras. Though the feeling vanished as quickly as it appeared, leaving him unable to pinpoint its source, it was enough to excite him.
He couldn't be mistaken—those were the auras of Aunt Frost and Uncle Fire. After the Dragon God's "death," Elder Tian often reminisced about his carefree days as a guard captain, and the presence of the nine Dragon Kings was something he'd never forgotten.
But now wasn't the time for reunions. Lin Yun's condition took priority.
"My Lord…!" Elder Tian was frantic, but there was nothing he could do. Before arriving, Lin Yun had given strict orders: unless Tang San's divine sense appeared, Elder Tian was to remain hidden, no matter what.
Though Lin Yun's mind was currently unstable, he wasn't in mortal danger—far from the threshold that would permit Elder Tian to intervene.
All he could do was continue lurking.
Meanwhile, after his earth-shaking roar, Lin Yun—clinging to the last shreds of his sanity—shook his head at the Ice Empress, who was watching him with visible concern. Instead, he flapped his wings and flew toward a specific plant he'd identified earlier.
With a swift motion, he plucked it, allowing a few drops of crystalline dew from its petals to fall into his mouth. An instant cooling sensation flowed down his throat before spreading throughout his body.
Immortal Herb—Eyes of Autumn Water.
The root of Lin Yun's inability to withstand the Golden Dragon King's influence lay in the premature awakening.
Originally, by the time he reached Soul Sage rank, his essence, energy, and spirit would have naturally progressed to Titled Douluo levels. But now, without even obtaining his fifth soul ring, the overwhelming potency of the three immortal herbs had forcibly activated the Golden Dragon King's bloodline.
This was both an opportunity and a trial.
If he succeeded, he would gain early access to the Golden Dragon King's full power. Since he possessed both the bloodline and the martial soul, he might not develop bloodline soul rings, but his existing ones would undoubtedly receive massive enhancements.
As for a complete Dragon King-level martial soul? There was no comparison. Even the Sea God and Seraphim martial souls would be reduced to mere playthings before the Golden Dragon King.
To overcome the negative emotions, the key was strengthening Lin Yun's mental resilience. His will had already been tempered during his earlier trials—now, all he lacked was the raw spiritual power to match.
Soul power was secondary—bloodline power primarily affected the body and mind.
After consuming the Eyes of Autumn Water, Lin Yun's muddled consciousness sharpened slightly. Though the urge to slaughter everything still lingered, it no longer threatened to overwhelm him entirely.
"One Eyes of Autumn Water… isn't enough!" Lin Yun muttered before turning his gaze toward a sparsely vegetated area of the Yin-Yang Twin Springs. There, a golden chrysanthemum stood proudly.
Immortal Herb—Golden Chrysanthemum.
Like the Seven Treasure Glazed Lily, the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Herb, and the Fiery Delightful Apricot, it had evolved into a hundred-thousand-year soul beast.
Eyes blood-red, Lin Yun strode toward the Golden Chrysanthemum with expressionless determination. Though he spoke no words, the crushing weight of his draconic aura descended like an inescapable night, shattering the flower's fragile psyche.
Trembling, it didn't even dare entertain thoughts of resistance.
"Don't worry. I'll leave your seeds behind. With them, you'll reawaken in just a few centuries." Lin Yun's voice was icy.
Then—SWISH!
A brilliant golden dragon claw slashed downward!
(End of Chapter)
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