TL: GoldenLung
Lan Xuanyu had thought it through carefully before deciding to take this risk.
With their cultivation continuously rising, their survivability had greatly increased.
If they made their move with careful preparation, striking when least expectedâthen even against such power, they were not completely without a chance.
Bai Xiuxiu nodded slightly. âWeâll do as you say. Letâs make all the preparations we can⊠and then leave the rest to fate.â
Lan Xuanyu said, âLetâs practice entering the Emerald Demon Warship together. When the time comes, the chance may last only for an instant.â
âAlright.â
Sometimes, waiting was the most torturous trial.
For Lan Xuanyu and Bai Xiuxiu, these days of waiting were exactly that.
Fortunately, they had each other; if one had to face this alone, it would have been unbearable.
The two secluded themselves almost completely, spending every moment in meditation and cultivation.
The abundant life energy of this world was still proving extremely beneficial to their growth.
As he cultivated, Lan Xuanyu also replayed in his mind the flow of Dragon Force he had experienced within the Dragon Force Hall, recalling the intricate patterns of the formation etched on its walls and ceiling.
He began to sketch them out by hand.
The runic patterns were exceedingly complex. During his last visit, he had managed to memorize only a small portion.
He would need to observe them many more times before he could fully commit them to memory.
While copying those runes, he discovered that they bore a subtle resemblance to soul formation arrays.
What puzzled him most, however, was the purpose of that enormous crystal embedded in the dome of the Dragon Force Hall.
That stone was clearly a treasure beyond measureâlikely serving as a filter, or a condenser to channel and refine the flow of dragon energy.
Finding such a crystal themselves, though, was no easy feat.
Immersing himself in this research helped settle his heart.
Time passed more swiftly.
Three days later, a communication came from Huang Yuanlang, summoning them to the City Lordâs mansion.
Lan Xuanyu and Bai Xiuxiu tidied themselves carefully, double-checked each otherâs aura to ensure nothing suspicious remained, and then set out.
They didnât fly this timeâthey walked.
Lan Xuanyu wanted to expose as little of his true state as possible.
The Ink Tyrant Dragon Knight was a top-tier powerhouse; even the smallest slip might draw his notice.
When they arrived at the mansion, Huang Yuanlang was already waiting outside.
Upon seeing them, he couldnât help but complain, âWhy didnât you fly? Iâve been waiting forever.â
Bai Xiuxiu replied gently, âThe Ink Tyrant Dragon Knight has arrived, hasnât he? We didnât want to appear disrespectful.â
Huang Yuanlang chuckled. âNo need to worry. Lord Luo Lan is very approachable and kind to the younger generation. Come, follow me.â
He turned and led them inside.
Lan Xuanyu and Bai Xiuxiu exchanged a brief glance before following.
There was no longer any doubtâLuo Lan, the Ink Tyrant Dragon Knight, was indeed here.
They stepped into the grand reception hall.
Two figures sat withinâHuang Daoqi took the secondary seat, leaving the place of honor to another.
That man looked even younger than in the portrait they had once seen.
In the painting, his face had been half hidden by a helm, his body clad in armor, astride a massive dragon, radiating dominance.
Now, in person, he looked barely thirty.
He was tall, upright, and strikingly handsome, his dark-green eyes deep and calm.
From time to time, the pupils within those eyes would narrow into slits, hinting at the dragon blood flowing through him.
Yet despite that, Lan Xuanyu and Bai Xiuxiu sensed no energy fluctuations from his body whatsoeverâhe seemed perfectly ordinary.
But Huang Daoqiâs posture, sitting ramrod straight with obvious respect, revealed just how extraordinary this man truly was.
âLord Luo Lan,â Huang Yuanlang said reverently, âBai Xiuxiu and Lan have arrived.â
Without a doubt, this was the Ink Tyrant Dragon Knight, Luo Lan.
Luo Lanâs gaze was calm as it fell upon them.
In that instant, both Lan Xuanyu and Bai Xiuxiu felt as though their very beings were laid bare under that lookâtheir bloodlines stirred uncontrollably within them.
Lan Xuanyu was fully prepared.
Within the vortex of his bloodline, the Silver Dragon Kingâs power was completely suppressed, the Golden Dragon Kingâs aura released to its fullest extent.
The multicolored Dragon God blood swirled between the twoâouter ring of gold, inner ring of silverâshielding one from the other.
The Treasure Seeking Beast had assured him that even a Super Godâlevel powerhouse couldnât penetrate the inner core of the Golden Dragon Kingâs bloodline merely through spiritual perception.
Almost simultaneously, deep dragon roars resonated from both Lan Xuanyu and Bai Xiuxiu.
Their pupils slit into vertical draconic eyes.
A moment later, Lan Xuanyuâs roar surged louder, fiercer.
Golden scales erupted across his skin, his entire body radiating a wild, tyrannical aura that sent shockwaves through the hall.
Huang Yuanlang, standing nearby, staggered back several steps, his own bloodline surging out of control under the pressure.
âOh?â Luo Lanâs eyes glimmered with interest.
He raised one hand lightly and made a grasping motion through the air.
At once, Lan Xuanyu felt the air around him freeze solid.
An overwhelming power pressed inward from all directions, threatening to crush him in an instant.
Beside him, Bai Xiuxiu tensed, ready to detonate the Dragonâs Fury bombsâthey couldnât tell whether this was merely a test, or whether the Ink Tyrant Dragon Knight had already seen through them.
Golden light burst from Lan Xuanyuâs eyes.
He raised his right hand sharplyâ
The Golden Dragon Claw expanded, tearing open black fissures in the very air.
The sound of rending space shrieked through the hall as the pressure restraining him shattered into fractures.
Air currents exploded outward in chaotic torrents.
Luo Lan waved his hand lightly, and all turbulence vanished.
The spatial cracks sealed shut as though they had never been.
He looked at Lan Xuanyu, nodded with quiet approval, and said,
âNot bad. Not bad at all. Youâve made my trip worthwhile.â
He turned toward Huang Daoqi.
âDaoqi, youâve truly found a treasure.â
âThe strength within this oneâs bloodline is the most formidable Iâve ever encountered.
It is pure power, distilled to its utmostâbrimming with a ferocious, fearless instinct.
Such potential is exceedingly rare.â
Lan Xuanyu retracted the golden scales on his body, letting a look of uncertainty cross his face.
He knew that strike just now had been a testâif it were real, Luo Lan wouldnât have withdrawn so easily.
But even that simple gesture had revealed an awe-inspiring truth: Lan Xuanyu could still not feel the depth of the manâs power at all.
During that brief exchange, Luo Lanâs divine sense had swept through his body completely.
And yet, the oppressive might of his Golden Dragon King bloodlineâso absolute against all dragon-type beingsâhad no effect whatsoever.
It was as though he stood before a boundless abyss, impossible to fathom.
The unknownâthat was the most terrifying thing.
After breaking through to six-ring, Lan Xuanyuâs confidence had soared, but in front of this man, he could sense only one thingâ
He was utterly outmatched.
And yet this Luo Lan ranked only seventh among the Dragon Knightsâwithout even relying on his dragon mount!
Huang Daoqi smiled faintly.
âIt seems your judgment was correct, my lord. I hadnât expected Lanâs bloodline to be even purer than I imagined.â
Luo Lan nodded slowly.
âYes. Exceptionally pure.
This oneâs lineage goes far beyond an upper-level dragon. I sense none of the mixed or derivative traits of other dragon racesâonly the essence of the truest dragon.
âSuch purity is extremely rare. I have only ever sensed something similar once beforeâfrom my elder brother.
I never thought Iâd encounter it a second time.
âExcellent. Truly excellent.
In the future, she may well earn her own place among us.â
He paused, glancing toward Bai Xiuxiu.
âThe other young one is good as well.
Dual attributesâice and darknessâbeautifully fused, though her potential will need further cultivation to reveal its full measure.â
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