Chapter 453 Successive Breakthroughs? The Liu Family Gathers!

In the Beast Taming Space, deep within the heart of the lake.

The golden light cocoon that had enveloped Little Fire for several hours was now covered in dense, intricate cracks.

The cracks, initially as thin as a strand of hair, rapidly expanded into fissures as wide as a finger.

The golden light seeping from each fissure was as blinding as a tangible sword, slicing the underwater region into countless patches of alternating light and shadow.

Inside the light cocoon, an aura suppressed to the extreme was frantically battering against that final barrier. Each impact was accompanied by a heartbeat as dull as a war drum, sending the water at the bottom of the lake surging outward.

"Crack!!!"

An exceptionally loud cracking sound exploded.

A fragment at the top of the light cocoon was forcefully knocked away from the inside, and a thick beam of Dragon Flame erupted from the gap, shooting straight toward the lake surface.

Immediately after, the entire light cocoon shattered with a deafening roar. Countless golden fragments shot out in all directions like shrapnel, tracing innumerable fine golden trajectories through the lake water.

At the very center of the shattered light cocoon, a Dragon shadow, a full circle larger than before, was slowly stretching out its long-coiled body.

Jiang Yun's Divine Sense captured Little Fire's appearance the very first moment, and his pupils involuntarily constricted slightly.

It had changed.

It had completely changed.

Little Fire's already massive Dragon body had grown by a significant length.

Previously, its body length was just over twenty meters; now, it had surged to at least over thirty meters. Just the thickest part of its body had a diameter exceeding the arm span of a grown man.

It slowly ascended from the bottom of the lake, its slender Dragon body undulating through the water. Every Dragon scale shimmered with brilliant golden light under the refraction of the lake water.

However, the texture of the golden scales was completely different from before. If Little Fire's Dragon scales before the Breakthrough were like being plated with a layer of gold—smooth and bright but lacking depth—then now, these Dragon scales were like dark gold that had been tempered a thousand times.

The base color was still gold, but it was tinged with a steady, heavy dark tone. The naturally formed patterns on the surface of the scales were deeper and more complex than before, with each line resembling some kind of ancient Dragon Clan script, faintly exuding an indescribable aura of vastness.

The edges of the scales were no longer smooth curves but had developed extremely fine serrated angles, refracting a cold, metallic glint in the water.

And the changes to the two coral-like Dragon horns on its head were even more obvious.

Before the Breakthrough, while those Dragon horns already possessed the form of a True Dragon, a careful observation could still reveal a touch of immaturity. The branches of the horns were few, and the curve of the tips was slightly rounded.

But now, the horns had completely shed the last traces of immaturity. The horn shafts were a full circle thicker, and the bone textures at the base were layered like the rings of a thousand-year-old tree. The tips were as sharp as spears, gleaming with a chilling cold light in the water.

Two rows of tiny, barb-like protrusions had also sprouted on the sides of the Dragon horns; although they were still short, the embryonic form of their future ferocity could already be seen.

The biggest change was beneath its Dragon head. There, in the gaps of the originally smooth Dragon neck scales, dozens of dark gold reverse scales had grown, pointing in the opposite direction.

The texture of the reverse scales was completely different from the other scales—thicker and harder, with a faint dark golden halo flowing across their surface. The root of each reverse scale was deeply embedded into the flesh, tightly connected to the tendons and bones of the neck.

The area covered by the reverse scales perfectly protected the most vulnerable throat and arteries of the Dragon neck. This was one of the most iconic characteristics of the Dragon Clan: the reverse scales protecting the neck.

All True Dragons possess reverse scales, and to touch them is to invite wrath.

Although Little Fire's pseudo-Dragon Bloodline had not yet fundamentally completed its transformation into a True Dragon, its Physical Body had taken a major step in that direction.

The appearance of these dozens of reverse scales meant that its body had begun to reshape itself according to the standards of a True Dragon.

Before Jiang Yun had time to examine the changes in Little Fire's appearance, a Dragon Might, far more violent than before the Breakthrough, erupted from within Little Fire's body.

That Dragon Might was no longer as ostentatious and external as before; instead, it became more restrained and heavy, like a volcano buried deep underground—calm on the surface, but capable of destroying the world once it erupted.

Purple Gold Rank 1.

Jiang Yun's lips had just curled into a satisfied smile, and he was preparing to go forward to check on Little Fire's condition. However, a sudden change occurred.

The Eclipsing Moon Rank beast core floating in front of Little Fire, which had originally been absorbed until only a fist-sized core remained, suddenly began to tremble violently.

The dark red patterns on the surface of the core lit up one after another, and each flash released an even more violent surge of energy than before.

This energy was no longer flowing gently into Little Fire's body; instead, it poured in like a breached dam, rushing frantically into every Dragon scale, every bone, and every meridian of Little Fire's body.

"What is this!!!" Jiang Yun's pupils constricted sharply.

The energy contained within the Eclipsing Moon Rank beast core far exceeded his estimates. Little Fire had consumed most of the beast core's energy while breaking through the Purple Gold Rank Bottleneck, but the remaining small core was the true essence of the entire beast core.

It was the Origin core condensed from the lifelong cultivation of that Eclipsing Moon Rank Vicious Beast, and the energy density contained within it was several times that of the outer layer of the beast core.

After Little Fire broke through the Purple Gold Rank Bottleneck, its previously saturated Spiritual Qi capacity suddenly expanded several times over, and the remaining energy in this Origin core was automatically drawn out, continuing to pour into Little Fire's body.

And this time, without the obstruction of a Bottleneck, the speed at which this energy poured in was shockingly fast.

Little Fire's Dragon body shuddered violently. Its aura, having just broken through to the Purple Gold Rank 1 Realm, hadn't even had time to stabilize before it was forcefully pushed upward by this violent Origin energy.

Purple Gold Rank 1 Early Stage, Middle Stage, Peak. Then, with a crisp sound like shattering glass, its aura directly broke through the ceiling of the first rank. Purple Gold Rank 2!

Jiang Yun's breath hitched. Before he could react, the momentum of the Origin energy's impact increased rather than decreased.

The core of the Eclipsing Moon Rank beast core began to shrink at a speed visible to the naked eye. Tiny cracks had already appeared on the surface of the core, and the dark red light seeping from them was as blazing as magma.

Correspondingly, after rushing to Purple Gold Rank 2, Little Fire's aura continued to climb frantically along this steep curve without the slightest pause. Purple Gold Rank 2 Peak. Purple Gold Rank 3!

Rank 3 Early Stage, Middle Stage, Peak!!! Purple Gold Rank 4!!!

Jiang Yun's fists were already clenched involuntarily. His face was filled with a complex expression intertwined with surprise and shock.

His original expectation was that Little Fire would be able to successfully break through to the Purple Gold Rank with the help of this Eclipsing Moon Rank beast core, and he would have been satisfied just to see it stand firmly on the first stage of the Purple Gold Rank. But he never expected that the Origin core of this beast core would have such terrifying staying power.

At this moment, Little Fire's Breakthrough had not yet stopped. Most of the core of the Eclipsing Moon Rank beast core had shattered, and the last and most violent surge of energy contained within the fragments poured into Little Fire's Dragon body like a dam bursting.

Little Fire raised its head and let out a resounding Dragon roar that shook the entire Beast Taming Space. The roar no longer contained the previous suppression and pain; instead, it was replaced by a sense of unbridled joy and soaring Battle Intent.

The golden flames around its body surged, and the dark golden patterns on its Dragon scales lit up one by one under the infusion of this energy, as if the entire Dragon body had been ignited into a small golden sun.

Purple Gold Rank 4 Peak! Purple Gold Rank 5! Rank 5 Early Stage, Middle Stage!!! Purple Gold Rank 6!!!

When the Realm number finally stopped steadily at Purple Gold Rank 6, the core of the Eclipsing Moon Rank beast core finally exhausted its last trace of energy, turning into a small pinch of grayish-white powder that drifted slowly through the lake water.

And Little Fire's aura had soared all the way from its initial Peak Gold Rank 9 to Purple Gold Rank 6. It had crossed an entire major Realm and an additional six ranks.

Such a magnitude of Breakthrough was simply shocking.

One must know that for an ordinary Gold Rank Beast to attempt a Breakthrough to the Purple Gold Rank, succeeding at all is already a stroke of immense luck. Being able to additionally advance one or two minor ranks would require the dual support of a top-tier Bloodline and a supreme-grade Medicinal Pill.

But the magnitude of Little Fire's one-breath surge could no longer be measured by conventional logic.

Jiang Yun stood on the lake shore, watching the Dragon shadow above the heart of the lake, with golden flames surging around its body and a sea-like Dragon Might. He couldn't suppress the smile on his face.

He took several deep breaths to barely suppress the agitation in his heart, but the curve of his lips still uncontrollably tilted upward.

"Good fellow..." He squeezed the words through his teeth. His voice was filled with irrepressible joy and pride.

"Purple Gold Rank 6, rushing up seven ranks in one go. It seems I still underestimated the power of this Eclipsing Moon Rank beast core."

Little Fire seemed to hear his voice, and its Dragon head slowly turned in his direction. Those golden Dragon eyes, more majestic than before, blinked. There was a hint of fatigue in its gaze, but more than that, it was the satisfaction and excitement following the Breakthrough.

It let out a low Dragon roar. The Dragon Might contained in that sound was already on a completely different level than before the Breakthrough; the vibration of the sound wave alone caused half-man-high waves to ripple across the entire lake surface.

However, it did not immediately swim over. Although the Breakthrough was complete, the Purple Gold Rank 6 Realm still needed to be stabilized.

The golden flames around its body were still jumping unstably; that was a sign that its aura had not yet completely converged after the just-completed Breakthrough. If it didn't seize the time to completely consolidate its Realm now, it might likely lead to an unstable Foundation, or even the danger of its Realm regressing.

[part:gemini-3.5-flash]

Little Fire obviously understood this as well.

It lightly nodded its Dragon head in Jiang Yun's direction, then curled its massive Dragon body back up to nestle in the depths of the lake's center, closing its Dragon eyes.

The golden flames around its body began to contract and expand rhythmically. With every breath, it exhaled and inhaled the rich Spiritual Qi within the Beast Taming Space, solidifying and stabilizing its newly broken-through Realm bit by bit.

Jiang Yun naturally understood this and did not disturb it.

Suppressing the excitement in his heart, a blue light flashed in his eyes as his Entry Manifestation talent was already activated.

He could not wait to see what new abilities Little Fire, who had broken through to Amethyst Rank Six, had gained.

[Race]: Golden Scaled Fire Dragon Fish (Water/Fire dual attributes)

[Realm]: Amethyst Rank Six

[Aptitude]: diamond rank peak (Saint King Rank potential)

[Bloodline]: Pseudo-Dragon Bloodline, has begun evolving into a True Dragon (Bloodline conversion progress activated, current progress is approximately three percent; True Dragon characteristics have begun to manifest—the reverse scale has grown, the Dragon horns have taken on an imposing shape, and the Dragon Might has begun to carry thirty percent of a True Dragon's divine charm)

[Key Skills]:

Water Control Art (Rare)

Bloodline Might (Rare) — The Innate suppression of the True Dragon Bloodline over all living beings, with the suppression effect increasing in tandem with the Bloodline conversion progress

Dragon Flame Burst Kill (Extraordinary) — Compression and explosion of water and fire dual attributes, with power multiplying under the boost of Amethyst Rank Six spiritual power

Fire Domain Cage (Extraordinary) — Flame chain control

Golden Scale Protection (epic) — Absolute defense, can be perfectly triggered three times a day (originally twice, increased after reaching Purple Gold Rank), negating fatal damage

Dragons Wrath (epic) — All attributes greatly increased

Water-Fire Dragon Breath (Extraordinary) — Dual water-fire Dragon Flame breath; breath range and penetration power are doubled after reaching Purple Gold Rank

Water-Fire Dragon Domain (Legendary · Domain Skill) — Deploys a spherical Domain divided into water and fire, where the Dominator's combat power is doubled and enemies are suppressed by dual attributes. The Domain's range expands as the Realm rises; after reaching Purple Gold Rank, water and fire dual Dragon phantoms can be generated within the Domain to assist in combat

[New] Nine Flames Burning Heaven (Legendary · Area-of-Effect Destruction Skill) — Nine reverse scales at specific locations on the Dragon's body ignite with life-source true fire simultaneously. Nine Dragon Flames peel away from the reverse scales, transforming into nine hundred-foot-long fire Dragons that soar into the sky, weaving together to form a heaven-incinerating fire Formation covering a radius of several hundred feet.

Within the fire Formation, the golden flames turn into a heaven-incinerating crucible, subjecting all enemies to the dual crushing force of continuous Dragon Flame burning and True Dragon pressure.

Each fire Dragon contains a wisp of Little Fire's life-source Dragon Might. When the nine Dragons gather, a destructive explosion comparable to a full-strength strike from a major Realm above its own will erupt at the center of the fire Formation.

This skill has an extremely high consumption rate. Each cast requires consuming the Origin Dragon Flame accumulated in three reverse scales. Once the reverse scales' Origin is depleted, it takes time to accumulate again.

...

Jiang Yun's gaze swept line by line across the entry information, his eyes growing brighter the more he read. When he saw the final new skill, his pupils suddenly contracted, and an uncontrollable, brilliant smile bloomed on his face.

Nine Flames Burning Heaven.

A Legendary-grade area-of-effect destruction skill.

Nine hundred-foot-long fire Dragons weaving into a heaven-incinerating fire Formation, covering a radius of several hundred feet, with a destructive explosion at the center comparable to a full-strength strike from a major Realm above its own.

This was an area-of-effect ultimate move in the truest sense.

Before this, although Little Fire possessed a Legendary-grade Domain skill like the Water-Fire Dragon Domain, the core function of a Domain was suppression and amplification. Its actual burst methods for harvesting enemies still primarily relied on single-target or linear attacks like Dragon Flame Burst Kill and Water-Fire Dragon Breath.

These skills were more than enough when facing a single powerful enemy, but they were slightly lacking when encountering a decisive battle scenario that required large-scale clearing or a single-strike victory.

And Nine Flames Burning Heaven happened to fill this gap perfectly.

A picture flashed through Jiang Yun's mind almost instantly.

The Water-Fire Dragon Domain deploys, its dual attributes suppressing enemies within the Domain. Then, Little Fire's reverse scales ignite with nine wisps of life-source true fire, and nine fire Dragons soar into the sky, turning the entire Domain space into a heaven-incinerating crucible.

Already suppressed within the Domain, and then covered by the fire Formation of Nine Flames Burning Heaven, under this double crushing weight, even an opponent several ranks higher would be reduced to ashes.

Even better, if he first locked the enemy down with Fire Domain Cage, and then blasted the trapped target with Nine Flames Burning Heaven, the scene would be simply unimaginable.

Thinking of this, Jiang Yun could not help but laugh out loud.

"With the dual suppression of Nine Flames Burning Heaven combined with the Water-Fire Dragon Domain, plus the all-attribute boost of Dragons Wrath, if this combo lands, even that phantom of the Azure Ancient Dragon would probably lose a layer of skin."

He muttered to himself.

His tone was filled with an irrepressible eagerness to try it out.

However, he also knew that now was not the time to get cocky.

Little Fire still needed time to stabilize its Realm. The Realm of that Azure Ancient Dragon phantom was Diamond Rank One. Even though Little Fire had broken through now, the gap between that True Dragon and Little Fire was still massive—a gap that could not be taken lightly.

But compared to before, the current gap had shrunk from despair-inducing to a level where a battle was possible.

Furthermore, his trump cards were far from being limited to just Little Fire.

Jiang Yun withdrew his Entry Manifestation, his gaze landing once again on Little Fire deep in the center of the lake.

Its aura was gradually stabilizing, and the flickering of the golden flames grew smaller and smaller. The stabilization of its Realm was progressing even more smoothly than expected.

...

Meanwhile, outside the Star Pavilion.

Around the treasury, a dense, dark crowd had already packed the entire area so tightly that not a drop of water could trickle through.

From the sky to the ground, from the square to the corridors, bobbing heads were everywhere.

The Disciples of the Liu family craned their necks, gazing expectantly at the gold-and-blue pillar of light soaring into the sky from the top floor of the Star Pavilion. The noisy chatter merged into a buzzing wave of sound, turning the originally solemn and sacred treasury grounds into a bustling, lively gathering.

The Liu family Disciples who had originally been challenging treasures on the first and second floors of the treasury also rushed out at this moment.

Some of them had been forced out by that sudden, overwhelming True Dragon pressure.

Under the suppression of the Dragon Might, their tamed beasts refused to fight at all.

Others had come out to watch the excitement on their own after hearing the commotion outside.

A group of Disciples stood at the treasury entrance, wiping cold sweat from their foreheads while looking up at the golden pillar of light, their facial expressions each more spectacular than the last.

"What on earth happened? Just now, while I was in the challenge space on the second floor, my tamed beast suddenly collapsed on the ground and wouldn't move, no matter how I called it. I thought something had gone wrong with my beast! Turns out a True Dragon is breaking through?"

"That's nothing. I was directly ejected by the Formation on the first floor! That pressure could penetrate right through the Formation, it's simply ridiculous!"

"This pillar of light has lasted for nearly half an hour, right? Who on earth is inside? The Family Head?"

"Are you stupid? The Family Head doesn't have a tamed beast with a True Dragon Bloodline. I heard the Family Head has been accompanying Grand Tutor Dongxuan to pick treasures in the treasury. This pillar of light is highly likely caused by Grand Tutor Dongxuan's tamed beast!"

"Grand Tutor Dongxuan? The outsider who helped our Liu family repair the soul crystals? His tamed beast broke through in the treasury? Wait, which floor did you say he was on? The seventh floor? You said the seventh floor?!"

"The seventh floor! That's right! Look, that pillar of light is piercing through from the very top floor of the treasury! He is on the seventh floor!"

Once this news spread,

the surrounding crowd instantly erupted even more wildly.

What did the seventh floor represent?

Every Liu family Disciple knew it all too well.

It was where the core heritage accumulated by the Liu family over hundreds of years was stored. Every treasure displayed inside started at the Sun-Level, and the challenge rules were so harsh that they required crossing an entire major Realm.

Normally, even the Grand Elders of the Liu family rarely set foot on the seventh floor. Now, an outsider youth actually had his tamed beast break through up there. If this got out, the entire provincial capital would be thoroughly shaken.

Just as everyone was talking animatedly and looking up expectantly, anxious yet only able to see a pillar of light, two elderly yet hale and hearty figures stepped steadily out of the crowd.

Elder Mo and Great Master Master Fu Shan.

The appearance of the two Grand Tutor Level Great Masters quieted the rowdy crowd down slightly.

Elder Mo looked around, and seeing those Liu family Disciples with their necks craned and faces full of anxiety, he could not help but stroke his beard, a smile of someone who loved watching a good spectacle spreading across his face.

"Everyone, do not worry,"

he said in a clear voice, and then waved his sleeve.

A massive mystic light mirror suddenly unfurled in the sky above the square in front of the treasury. The mirror was several tens of feet in length and width, its entire body flowing with a light blue runic halo.

The surface of the mystic light mirror rippled like water a few times, and then the image became clear.

It was precisely the scene inside the main hall on the seventh floor of the Star Pavilion.

"The mystic light mirror!"

"We can see inside!"

"Look, quickly! Is that Grand Tutor Dongxuan?"

Within the mirror, in the very center of the seventh-floor main hall, a slender figure dressed in white and wearing a silver-white mask sat cross-legged.

His body was enveloped by a gold-and-blue pillar of light that soared into the sky from within him. Inside the pillar of light, golden flames surged and water vapor flowed, with countless tiny Dragon-shaped phantoms circling and dancing, casting shifting lights and shadows throughout the entire hall, creating a magnificent spectacle.

He himself had his eyes closed, his expression calm, but the energy fluctuations erupting from that pillar of light were so violent that they made the Liu family members watching through the mystic light mirror feel their hearts leap in fear...