Ao Sheng nodded quickly. Respect and sincerity filled his blue gaze, which now radiated a golden light. He had leaped into a realm that could only be achieved by beasts who had cultivated for decades, and it was thanks to Zhi Xuan's promise and leadership. He knew that the most valuable gratitude for this Senior was to become a competent ally, not a groveling servant.

  "I understand, Senior Zhi Xuan. My realm may be equivalent to Consciousness Transformation, but my experience and understanding are still far behind," Ao Sheng replied, his tone full of seriousness. He gripped his Black Water Dragon King Spear, which now felt much lighter and more responsive in his hands. The spiritual power flowing through his meridians was now much more majestic and dense.

  Zhi Xuan turned, no longer focusing on Ao Sheng, but on the Azure Mountains which now felt silent after the roar of the Heavenly Calamity. He waved his hand, and the Heavenly Sword shot into his storage bag, disappearing with a subtle hum.

  "I have digested part of the Ancient Heaven Memory Legacy," Zhi Xuan said, his voice calm, as if discussing the weather. "These Azure Mountains have spiritual nodes connected to ancient earth veins. Before we go to the North, you will first learn your strength in the wild."

  Zhi Xuan then walked toward the edge of the steep cliff. Ao Sheng followed him, realizing that every decision made by this Devil Senior was always based on calculations that transcended their realm. Zhi Xuan did not cultivate randomly; he cultivated with the purpose of creating a Dao that could not be matched.

  "Ao Sheng," Zhi Xuan called again, looking at the vast expanse below the cliff draped in the mountain mist. "Down there are the fluctuations of the Three-Headed Fire Ape and the Thousand Mist Lake Serpent. You will dive down there and bring me those two Azure King Beast Cores."

  The cliff rose high above the sea of Azure mist, acting like a boundary between the mortal world and ancient majesty. A cold wind from the mountain peaks brushed against Zhi Xuan's face, blowing strands of his black hair. Before him lay a gorge shrouded in thick light blue mist, hiding the tops of giant trees and the ancient life that resided there.

  Ao Sheng stepped to Zhi Xuan's side. He channeled his Azure King essence, and his eyes pierced through the layers of mist. With his new realm, he could now clearly feel the spiritual fluctuations in the depths of the valley.

  "Three-Headed Fire Ape and Thousand Mist Lake Serpent," Ao Sheng murmured, confirming with a wary tone. Those two creatures were no ordinary beasts. They were powerful entities that had naturally reached the Azure King realm, possessing terrifying physical defenses and sharp hunting instincts from the wild.

  "The Three-Headed Fire Ape, its body is tempered by volcanic magma. It possesses pure Fire Law and physical strength capable of tearing apart a Soul Transformation Formation. The Thousand Mist Lake Serpent uses Water and Mist Illusion Laws. It is difficult to approach," Ao Sheng explained, analyzing the situation seriously. He no longer saw this as a task, but as a test he had to pass.

  "Good, you know your opponents," Zhi Xuan replied emotionlessly. "This is your arena. This is the wild. There is no honor, only harvesting. Your realm is equal to theirs, but your soul is still too soft, Golden Dragon."

  Zhi Xuan turned, the Heavenly Sword shooting out of his storage bag to float beside him. Its dark blade radiated a cruel Immortal Lightning aura, a silent warning about the test Ao Sheng would undergo. Zhi Xuan flicked his fingers and threw three spiritual incense sticks into the ground, where they stood upright.

  "Three incense sticks, two Azure King Cores," Zhi Xuan decided coldly, his tone calm and not threatening, yet serving as a warning. "If you fail, then this Heavenly Sword will seek you out, and I will not hesitate to use the Lightning Law to forge you."

  Ao Sheng felt a chill run down his spine, not from the wind of the Azure Mountains, but from the threat contained within Zhi Xuan's cold words. This Devil Senior was not joking. Failure meant not only death but a judgment that would fall upon him from the Immortal Sword. That pressure, strangely, did not make him afraid but burned his Golden Core with uncontrollable determination.

  Ao Sheng wasted no time. The pressure from Zhi Xuan's threat was far more effective than an enthusiastic encouragement. He took a deep breath, channeling the new Azure Dragon Law throughout his meridians. His body was enveloped in a dense golden-blue aura, and the Black Water Dragon King Spear in his hand vibrated, responding to the awakening of its master's bloodline.

  "I understand, Senior!" Ao Sheng roared. With a powerful cry, he did not jump; he allowed his feet to emit Azure King essence, and he free-fell from the steep cliff. The speed of the fall was extraordinary, piercing through layers of Azure mist. He did not care about the cold wind; all he cared about were the tiga incense sticks Zhi Xuan had lit.

  ZZZTT! WHUSHH!

  As he pierced the mist, his vision became clear. Below him lay an ancient valley covered in giant vegetation. The first target was the Three-Headed Fire Ape. The beast cultivated at the peak of a small volcano, where magma flowed like a river of blood.

  The ape was five zhang in size, its body muscular and covered in deep red volcanic rock scales. Its three hideous heads each radiated a different Fire Law—Earth Fire, Azure Fire, and Pure Fire. Ao Sheng landed with devastating force, his feet crushing the basalt rock around the volcano. The vibration from his landing drew the attention of the Three-Headed Fire Ape, which immediately turned its three heads toward him, their eyes radiating fierce flames upon seeing the horns on Ao Sheng's forehead.

  "A Lowly Little Dragon's Roar!" one of the Three-Headed Fire Ape's heads roared, its voice like a coarse volcanic eruption. "You seek death! Do you not know this is the territory of the Fire King?"

  Ao Sheng did not answer. He knew that talking would only waste time; the first incense stick was already half-burnt. He dashed forward, ignoring the lethal heat of the environment. The Black Water Dragon King Spear in his hand was immediately enveloped by a freezing Water Law, a perfect contrast to the ape's fierce Fire.

  "Reverse Water Dragon Slash!"

  Ao Sheng spun his spear, creating a dense Water Dragon vortex. The vortex did not encircle him; it moved forward, evaporating the magma in its path and targeting the Three-Headed Fire Ape's arm joints. This was a smart opening attack—he attacked a physical weak point rather than testing the grand Fire Law.

  The Three-Headed Fire Ape was surprised by the speed and precision of the attack. It had underestimated the newborn Azure King aura. Its magma-tempered body could not fully dodge. The Water Dragon vortex struck its left arm.

  KRAKK!

  Although its volcanic scales were strong, the Pure Water Dragon essence driven by Ao Sheng's Azure King realm caused a cold spiritual explosion. The Three-Headed Fire Ape's arm faltered, its Earth Fire dimming for a moment.

  "You!" the ape roared. Enraged, its three heads spat out different pillars of fire simultaneously. The three pillars of fire merged in the air, forming a Seven-Calamity Fire Cloak that billowed toward Ao Sheng. The temperature around them soared, threatening to melt his Azure Dragon essence.

  This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

  Ao Sheng did not panic. He retreated quickly, but he knew he could not run from the pure Fire Law in this environment. He had to strike a vital point. He channeled all his Azure Dragon essence into the Black Water Dragon King Spear.

  The spear, which previously only radiated a Water aura, was now enveloped by a coarse blend of Water and Lightning. It was the Lightning Law, obtained from the resonance of the previous Heavenly Calamity, combined with the Pure Water Law.

  "Fire-Breaking Water Lightning!"

  Ao Sheng roared as he unleashed a forward spear thrust. It was not an elegant thrust; it was a hard thrust that pushed the spear with his full strength. The spear shot like a water arrow, splitting the ape's Seven-Calamity Fire Cloak in two.

  ZHING!

  The spear pierced right into the chest of the Three-Headed Fire Ape, penetrating its hard volcanic scales. Lightning and Pure Water resonated within the ape's body, destroying the foundation of its Beast Core. Magma blood sprayed out, and all three heads of the ape screamed in agony.

  The Three-Headed Fire Ape collapsed, its massive body hitting the ground and creating a vibration larger than Ao Sheng's landing. The fire around it dimmed, and its fierce eyes now radiated desperation. Ao Sheng did not hold back. He pulled out his Black Water Dragon King Spear and, with a swift and brutal movement, stabbed again, targeting the Beast Core. A spiritual crack was heard. The Azure King realm Beast Core radiating a strong Fire aura was now in his hand. The first incense stick had just gone out.

  Ao Sheng took a long breath. His entire body ached, and the brief fight had consumed a third of his spiritual essence. But the sensation of victory was extraordinary. He felt the Azure Dragon power within him leap, absorbing the instinctive understanding from the ape's Beast Core.

  He immediately cleaned the blood from his spear, ignoring his fatigue. He turned toward the Thousand Mist Lake—the second target. The lake was located in a hidden valley, shrouded in mist much thicker than the Azure mist at the peak, a mist that radiated misleading spiritual essence.

  Ao Sheng sped away, leaving the corpse of the Three-Headed Fire Ape there. He wasted no time resting; the second incense stick had lit quietly at the cliff's peak. He arrived at the Thousand Mist Lake. The mist here felt cold and piercing, carrying the Illusion Law. Ao Sheng knew he could not use brute force like he did with the Fire Ape. The Thousand Mist Lake Serpent was a beast that relied on illusions and surprise attacks.

  Ao Sheng activated his Divine Sense. With the Azure King realm and Dragon bloodline, he was able to see through ordinary mist illusions. However, the serpent's illusions were cunning. Every time he approached the source of the serpent's fluctuations, a different spiritual illusion appeared—sometimes an illusion of his weeping mother, sometimes an illusion of piles of treasure.

  "I must not hesitate," Ao Sheng murmured, remembering Zhi Xuan's cold words. There is no honor, only harvesting. He closed his eyes. He did not rely on spiritual vision; he relied on his newborn Azure Dragon instinct.

  He allowed his Golden Core to resonate with the Water Law around the lake. He realized that amidst the spiritual illusions, there was one fluctuation that did not lie—the fluctuation of Pure Water Dragon. The Thousand Mist Lake Serpent was a snake, a lowly version of a dragon; it surely had a natural attachment to pure Water Law.

  Ao Sheng opened his eyes, those golden-blue eyes now radiating a sharp flash. He ignored the lethal illusions and dashed toward a single point in the center of the lake, a point where the Water fluctuations felt slightly colder and purer.

  WHOOOSH!

  The Thousand Mist Lake Serpent was startled. Its illusion failed. Its body—dozens of zhang long and covered in silvery-white scales—leapt out of the lake water, its mouth wide open to swallow Ao Sheng. The serpent spat out thick poisonous mist, a mist capable of paralyzing a Primary Soul in seconds. Ao Sheng was not afraid. He knew the serpent was now cornered. He drew his Black Water Dragon King Spear, but he did not attack physically.

  "Azure Dragon Law: Bloodline Suppression!"

  Ao Sheng roared with a majestic voice. The roar did not produce sound waves; it produced pure spiritual pressure that targeted the serpent's bloodline. Even though the Thousand Mist Lake Serpent was an Azure King Beast, it was merely a lowly descendant of the Dragon Race.

  The serpent instantly flinched. The bloodline pressure oppressed every scale and drop of its blood. Its ancient instinct commanded it to prostrate, to fear the majestic Azure Dragon. The poisonous mist it spat out immediately dimmed. Ao Sheng exploited that split-second opening. He dashed forward, the Black Water Dragon King Spear targeting the weakest gap beneath the serpent's jaw.

  ZHING!

  The thrust was clean and brutal. The spear pierced the serpent's Beast Core foundation, destroying the basis of its Illusion and Water Laws. The Thousand Mist Lake Serpent gave a short scream, its massive body collapsing back into the lake, triggering a large wave of water.

  Ao Sheng quickly took the serpent's Beast Core. The core radiated a cold and cunning aura of dense Illusion and Water Laws. He looked toward the steep cliff. The second incense stick was almost burnt out, and the third had been lit. Ao Sheng took a breath of relief; his fatigue had now truly set in. He had completed his mission.

  However, his dragon instinct would not be satisfied if time still remained. He sharpened his gaze and searched for other beasts in the vicinity. He thought of something: the blood of a dragon would attract the attention of nearby Azure King beasts. He cut his finger and dripped a drop of his blood onto the ground.

  Atop the cliff, Zhi Xuan, sitting cross-legged on the grass, opened his eyes. His eyebrows furrowed slightly before the corners of his lips pulled into a faint smile. "That dragon actually has the instinct not to be satisfied with only the mission given. Golden Dragon blood is the blood of an oppressor that looks down on other beasts."

  Zhi Xuan shifted his gaze from the cliff, looking at the three incense sticks remaining on the ground. The second incense stick had just faded into ash, and the third began to emit thin spiritual smoke. Ao Sheng's action of dripping his own blood was an arrogant bait, an open challenge to other Azure King realm beasts in the Azure Mountains. It was a reckless yet clever act.

  The Heavenly Sword floating beside Zhi Xuan hummed softly, as if responding to its master's quiet excitement. Zhi Xuan did not stop Ao Sheng. He wanted the Golden Dragon to test his own limits, to find the wild instinct hidden behind the majestic Azure Dragon blood.

  In the lake valley, not long after Ao Sheng dripped his blood, the Azure King mist in the mountains began to ripple wildly. New and much more aggressive spiritual fluctuations sped toward the Thousand Mist Lake.

  Ao Sheng tightly gripped his Black Water Dragon King Spear, his tired body pumped with cold adrenaline. He stood tall, letting his Azure Dragon essence radiate pure pressure.

  WHUSHH!

  From a gap in the thick forest, a very large beast emerged. It was an Ancient Iron-Horned Rhino, an Azure King realm beast known for its almost impenetrable physical defense. The rhino's body was covered in a thick layer of spiritual protection, and its iron horn radiated a lethal Metal essence aura.

  "Dragon Blood!" the Ancient Iron-Horned Rhino roared, its voice like stones grinding together, filled with undisguised greed. "I will eat the heart of a newborn dragon to forge my horn into a Heavenly Artifact!"

  The rhino wasted no time talking. It lowered its massive head, its iron horn targeting Ao Sheng. The rhino sped like a spiritual bullet, its speed driven by Metal essence surpassing its massive size.

  Ao Sheng snorted coldly. He would not underestimate a rhino that relied on pure strength. Fighting physically would be foolish, especially in an exhausted state. He had to use a Law that transcended its physical defense.

  He pulled his Black Water Dragon King Spear back. He channeled his Azure King power, but this time he did not focus on Water or Lightning. He focused on the Azure Dragon Law of spiritual suppression, but with a touch of the Mist Illusion he had just obtained from the Thousand Mist Lake Serpent's Beast Core.

  "Azure Dragon Illusion!" Suddenly, Ao Sheng's body disappeared. The mist around him, which had previously been mere water mist, now swirled and created a perfect illusion. The Ancient Iron-Horned Rhino, running at high speed, crashed into empty air. It stopped abruptly, confused.

  "Where! Come out!" the rhino roared, swinging its horn randomly, destroying the giant trees around it.

  Ao Sheng, who was actually hiding behind the thick mist, smirked. He knew that his Azure Dragon Law was capable of creating illusions that deceived other beasts relying on coarse senses. He had learned instinctive fighting techniques in just a few breaths after receiving the serpent's Beast Core.

  This was a battle of wits. Ao Sheng dashed, moving silently behind the Mist. He attacked from the side. His Black Water Dragon King Spear did not target the rhino's armored body; he targeted the rhino's eyes and ears, the most fragile vital points.

  WHUSHH!

  The spear struck quickly. The Ancient Iron-Horned Rhino roared in pain as one of its eyes was pierced by the spear. Although not lethal, the pain triggered wild rage, and its defense faltered.

  "Core-Breaking Thrust!"

  Ao Sheng gave no pause. He emerged from the mist above the rhino, and with the full power of his Azure King, he thrust the spear into the gap between the rhino's neck and shoulder—the point where the rhino's spiritual protection was weakest. The thrust was driven by the cold and piercing Water Dragon Law.

  KRAKK! BOOM!

  The spear thrust deep, piercing through tendons and muscles. The Ancient Iron-Horned Rhino collapsed, its breath gasping. Its spiritual aura dimmed. Ao Sheng took the Beast Core of the Ancient Iron-Horned Rhino, a core radiating a strong Metal aura.