Chapter 179: Primordial Azure Dragon (Part 2)
“Young human, do not be alarmed. I am but a remnant soul of the Primordial Azure Dragon, left here to guard the trial grounds. I will not harm you.” The aged voice sounded once more, steeped in unparalleled majesty yet gentle as the wind.
“Primordial... Azure Dragon?” Yun Che looked up, repeating the name in confusion. But deep within his heart, Mo Li’s voice rang out, filled with shock: “What? The Primordial Azure Dragon? The Dragon God, highest among the ancient divine beasts from the Age of Gods—the Primordial Azure Dragon!?”
In the pitch-black void above, a pair of mysterious eyes suddenly opened. They were enormous and elongated, their shape resembling that of human eyes... This scene was very similar to the Phoenix eyes Yun Che had seen in Phoenix’s trial grounds. The difference was that those Phoenix eyes were golden, while these were a deep azure, even deeper than the sky itself.
At the same time, an aura descended—vast and boundless, as if the very heavens were collapsing. Under this aura, Yun Che felt as insignificant as a grain of sand before a mountain.
The depth of this aura even surpassed the breath of the Phoenix he had felt that day.
Beneath the envelopment of this soul aura, Yun Che could not harbor the slightest doubt about the voice he had just heard. This was a mental interference born of absolute power suppression. And with a soul presence this terrifying, how could that voice possibly be lying?
“A remnant soul of the Primordial Azure Dragon... trial grounds... Could it be that this place, like the Phoenix secret realm, is where you once stayed and left behind a legacy of power?” Yun Che looked up at those azure eyes and spoke slowly.
“Correct. The Age of Gods has long ended, and true gods have vanished without a trace. But we refused to disappear completely from the world, so we attempted various means to leave behind traces of our power, passing them on to fated beings who would carry our former strength into eternity... Many years have passed, and I have finally awaited another fated one. In these past thousand years, you are the first.”
“Me? The first?”
“Yes, the first in a thousand years.” The Primordial Azure Dragon’s voice continued: “A thousand years ago, one hundred and twenty-nine trial-takers came here. But afterward, two flood dragons followed my scent and arrived, refusing to leave. Nourished by the Dragon God’s aura, they grew rapidly, reaching the peak of the Heavenly Xuan realm. This continent is one of low power levels, and the presence of those two flood dragons made it impossible for humans to approach. Coupled with this place having long become a Death Wasteland swarming with profound beasts, its notorious reputation grew. Those bold and able enough to draw near became fewer and fewer, sometimes with no one for a hundred years.”
“No wonder so many profound beasts gathered here—it was due to the presence of the Dragon God’s aura.” Mo Li murmured lowly. “The gathering of myriad beasts in the Ten Thousand Beast Mountains was due to Phoenix’s aura, but here, it’s because of Dragon God’s aura! Among the ancient divine beasts, the Dragon God stands supreme, surpassing even the Phoenix. After the fall of the gods, countless people dreamed of finding the Dragon God’s relics, hoping to obtain the power left behind. Who would have thought it would leave its power legacy here on this tiny Tian Xuan Continent?”
“Though you didn’t rely on your own strength to reach here, it is still a matter of fate. You are qualified to accept the trial I have left... If you can pass my trial, I can bestow upon you three drops of Azure Dragon’s Blood, granting you the Dragon God Bloodline. Are you willing?”
Yun Che did not answer directly. At that moment, his mind was not on trials. After the shock of this sudden appearance of the “Primordial Azure Dragon,” his emotions cooled again, and he spoke urgently: “Primordial Azure Dragon, you are the most powerful Dragon God of the ancient era. Then you must have a way to save this person beside me! I beg you to save her... save her life, and restore her power! If you can do that, I am willing to exchange anything, pay any price.”
Xiao Xiannü’s long eyelashes trembled slightly.
The azure eyes flickered faintly with light, and then the aged voice spoke: “Her internal injuries are extremely severe. Her five organs are failing, and her profound veins and meridians are completely shattered. Moreover, her heart is filled with a death wish. I am merely a remnant soul and have no ability to save her... But I do know of a method that can save her. As you wish, it will not only save her life but also fully restore her former power... No, it may even allow her to break through, truly stepping into the King Xuan Realm.”
The first half of the Primordial Azure Dragon’s words shattered Yun Che’s hope, but the second half made him jerk his head up, his eyes blazing with rare light, his voice trembling with excitement: “You... what did you say? You... are you telling the truth? Tell me quickly, what is that method... Tell me quickly!”
Then he excitedly bent down and said to Xiao Xiannü: “Xiao Xiannü, did you hear that? There is a method that can not only save your life but also repair your profound veins and meridians, restore all your power, and even possibly let you break through the bottleneck you could never overcome before... Did you hear that? This was spoken personally by an ancient divine beast. It absolutely cannot be a lie... Did you hear that?!”
Xiao Xiannü’s death wish stemmed from her despair at losing all her power and becoming a cripple. The only thing that could dispel that death wish was the hope of regaining her strength. Indeed, after the Primordial Azure Dragon’s words and Yun Che’s excited cries, her despairing, closed eyes slowly opened into a crescent-shaped slit, reflecting two rays of light that were no longer completely dim but filled with longing.
“Primordial Azure Dragon, I beg you to tell me what that method is... No matter what it is, no matter how difficult, I will definitely accomplish it. I beg you to tell me!” Yun Che looked up at those azure eyes and shouted loudly.
The Primordial Azure Dragon’s reply was calm and ruthless: “Though I know that method, you and I have no ties, no favors, no grudges. I have no reason to tell you at all. Unless...”
“Unless what?”
“Unless you can pass the trial I left, gaining my bloodline and power legacy! Then, I will fully tell you the method to save her. Otherwise, I am not obligated to tell you. You may choose freely.”
“Alright!”
As soon as the Primordial Azure Dragon finished speaking, Yun Che did not hesitate for even a moment. He nodded directly: “I accept your trial!”
As long as he passed the trial, he would obtain the Dragon God’s bloodline and also learn the method to save Xiao Xiannü. Why wouldn’t he agree?
“Heh heh, very good.” The aged voice laughed. “But before I finish speaking, you need not agree so quickly. The trial I left does not test the trial-taker’s strength, but their talent, perseverance, and will. The difficulty of the trial varies according to the trial-taker’s own power. Once you enter the trial grounds, there are only two outcomes. One is to pass the trial and receive the Dragon God bloodline. The other...”
“Is death!”
“There is no failure—only passing and death.”
“...Then, among the one hundred and twenty-nine trial-takers before me, how many passed?” Yun Che took a light breath and asked.
“I believe you have never heard of anyone on this continent possessing the Dragon God Bloodline. Because none of those one hundred and twenty-nine trial-takers passed. They all remained forever in the trial grounds, turned to bones. And among them, the weakest was at the Heavenly Xuan Realm!”
Yun Che: “...”
“So, do you still insist on entering the trial grounds?” the Primordial Azure Dragon asked slowly.
Yun Che glanced at Xiao Xiannü, nodded heavily, and even after hearing the Primordial Azure Dragon’s words, his voice remained resolute: “Of course!”
“Your answer is not reluctant. You possess considerable courage, and my impression is that a large part of your determination comes from wanting to save the person beside you. Since that is the case, I will grant your wish and open the gate to the trial grounds... Before entering, you have enough time to prepare everything, especially mentally. The blood of the Phoenix flows in your veins, proving that you once successfully passed the trial left by the Phoenix. But do not measure the difficulty of the Dragon God’s trial by that of the Phoenix trial.”
“The Phoenix is benevolent and conservative by nature. Though the trial it left was difficult, it was never so harsh as to drive one to despair, let alone be fatal. But the Dragon God, as the sovereign of all beasts, stands proudly above the world. The Dragon God’s bloodline will never be passed on to mediocre people. Only those with talent and will strong enough to become the supreme overlord of heaven and earth are worthy of bearing the Dragon God Bloodline!”
“If you have confidence in possessing such qualifications and spirit, then step into this trial gate! If you stop, you live, she dies. If you step in, either you live and she lives, or you die and she dies. Make your final choice.”
As the Primordial Azure Dragon’s voice fell, blue light flashed on the stone wall before Yun Che, and a transfer array of deep azure, twice the height of a man, appeared.
The transfer array leading to the trial grounds.
But Yun Che did not immediately step forward. Instead, he asked again: “Primordial Azure Dragon, if I pass this trial, about how long will it take?”
“That time is up to you... perhaps a few days, perhaps a few months, or perhaps several years.” That was the Primordial Azure Dragon’s answer.
Looking at Xiao Xiannü lying on the ground, her breathing weak, he furrowed his brow and then said resolutely: “Then, can I bring her into the trial grounds with me?”
“You can, but it is not recommended.” The Primordial Azure Dragon’s voice was heavy. “The Dragon God’s trial can indeed be entered by multiple people together. But the difficulty you face will increase according to the number of people, and it will increase based on the strongest among them. In other words, if you bring her in, the trial’s difficulty will double relative to your own ability! You will face a trial twice as hard as if you entered alone!”
“Alright, I understand.” Yun Che nodded slowly, his gaze unwavering and unshaken. “I choose to bring her in with me.”
Once inside the trial grounds, there was no telling when he would come out. In her current state, Xiao Xiannü could only keep her heart pulse alive by relying on his profound energy to protect it. If he left her here alone and entered the trial, she might pass away at any moment.
“If this is your decision, I have no right to interfere. But you must understand: after you bring her in, not only will the trial difficulty double, but you will also have to protect her constantly, dividing your focus and diverting some of your profound power to safeguard her life pulse... This is an extremely unwise decision.”
“Don’t... worry... about... me... Don’t bring... me...” Xiao Xiannü’s eyelashes fluttered, and between her lips came a voice as weak as a gentle breeze.
Yun Che crouched down, looking into her eyes, and said softly: “You ended up like this because of me. As a man, how could I just abandon you...”
“Man?... I... don’t... need a... man’s... protection...” Xiao Xiannü’s lips were pale, and every word she uttered consumed great effort.
“This matter, you don’t get to decide!” As Xiao Xiannü let out a soft moan, Yun Che scooped her up and walked toward the trial gate. “You have your reasons for rejecting men and not needing them, but as a man, I understand all the more what a man ought to do. Right now, you don’t need to think about anything or say anything. I only ask that you hold on and live well... Wait until I pass the trial and restore all your power. Then you can scold me, hit me, say I hugged you without permission and defiled you—whatever you like. But for now, until your strength returns, everything about you... is up to me!”
Finished speaking, without giving Xiao Xiannü another chance to stop or refuse, he held her in his arms, his steps swift, and charged into the transfer array of the trial grounds.
The moment Yun Che stepped in with Xiao Xiannü, the transfer array vanished. Shortly after, in the dim cave, the Primordial Azure Dragon’s prolonged voice echoed: “Heh heh, a truly fine youth. Though his soul is filled with astonishing blood fiend aura, he has completely passed the test of character and boldness.”