203: Fourth-order opportunity

Gao De stopped speaking upon hearing this, his body transforming back into a thirty-meter flood dragon, wrapped in mist, and stealthily heading deeper into the Ten Thousand Beast Mountain Range.

After leaving the three, Luo Xinghe, to rest briefly, they hurriedly retreated toward the canyon passage they had used to enter.

Venturing alone back into the wilderness, Gao De's concentration became even more focused.

He placed the two portions of earth vein geng metal obtained from the Sunken Gold Marsh near his Dantian, slowly warming and refining them using his Demonic Power and the Purple Heaven Thunder Flame. He attempted to guide the extremely pure Geng Metal sharp Qi within them to merge with the thunder and fire power in his Bloodline and refine it into his Lifebound Treasure, accumulating foundation for his Breakthrough.

At the same time, he was constantly observing and searching for "external forces" that might trigger a qualitative change.

Another month passed like this.

Gao De had already penetrated several thousand miles into the hinterlands of the Ten Thousand Beast Mountain Range.

The environment here was even more primitive and savage. Occasionally, he could see huge claw marks remaining on the ground, broken mountain peaks, and land scorched into a vitreous substance... Clearly, unimaginable powerful existences had once fought here.

Third-Tier Yao Beasts were almost everywhere, and the aura of Fourth-Tier Demon Kings occasionally swept through the mountains like lighthouses in the dark night, forcing Gao De to detour even more cautiously.

One day, he arrived at a strange area.

This place was called "Rift Wind Valley." It was flanked by towering cliffs that reached into the clouds, and terrifying "Bone-Eroding Gale Wind" blew throughout the valley all year round.

This gale wind was not ordinary airflow; it contained a trace of broken Heavenly Law aura. If an ordinary Golden Core Cultivator lacked a powerful protective Magic Treasure, being caught in it would instantly cause their flesh and blood to dissolve and their Divine Soul to suffer damage.

However, it was precisely this extremely harsh environment that nurtured a unique spiritual material—the Wind Breath Stone.

This stone contained the essence of wind, and it had miraculous effects for Cultivating Wind-attributed Cultivation Techniques or refining Wind-element Magic Treasures, making it quite valuable outside.

Gao De had not come for the Wind Breath Stone.

He keenly sensed that although the Dao charm aura contained within the Bone-Eroding Gale Wind was incompatible with his attributes, its essence of "extreme destruction" might create external "tempering" pressure on his Physical Body and Bloodline, which were already polished to the limit.

"Perhaps... I can try enduring the gale wind's baptism at the edge, using its pressure to force out deeper potential within my body while simultaneously accelerating the refinement of the earth vein geng metal." A bold thought arose in Gao De's mind.

He was not a reckless person. He first used his Divine Sense to carefully investigate, confirming that the strength of the gale wind at the edge of the valley entrance was still within his tolerance range, and there were no powerful Yao Beasts nearby.

He selected a recess backed by a giant rock, relatively sheltered from the wind, and coiled down.

He activated the defense of the purple scale earth-shaking armor to its maximum, and the crimson-gold patterns on his purple-gold scales lit up, shimmering with rosy light.

Following this, he actively guided a wisp of Bone-Eroding Gale Wind around his body!

"Hiss, hiss, hiss—"

It was like countless fine, sharp steel knives scraping across his scales!

A grating sound rang out, and sparks flew!

The protective rosy light and thunderous aura fluctuated violently. Gao De felt waves of stinging pain on his skin, as if countless fine needles were trying to bore into his body.

And this was only the most ordinary wisp of gale wind at the edge!

"What a formidable gale wind! It truly contains a unique Law aura!" Gao De was delighted rather than alarmed.

He stabilized his mind, operating his Demonic Power with all his might to resist the gale wind's corrosion, while also using this pressure to more intently drive the refinement of the earth vein geng metal within his Dantian.

Under the double pressure from inside and outside, the speed of the earth vein geng metal's refinement indeed increased slightly!

The pure Geng Metal sharp Qi was forcefully compressed into his Bloodline, colliding and merging with the Purple Lightning Flood Dragon, and then integrating into the Magic Treasure as it inhaled and exhaled. This brought deeper agony, but it also gave him a more subtle understanding of the Fusion of the three attributes: metal, thunder, and fire.

His Physical Body also seemed to become more condensed amidst this continuous, "skin-scraping" pain.

After persisting for half a day, Gao De felt his condition had been pushed to a critical point, and his adaptation to the gale wind had also strengthened somewhat.

Just as he was preparing to move slightly deeper to endure a stronger gale wind—

"Screech—!!!"

A bird cry, capable of piercing metal and splitting stone, filled with violent and destructive aura, suddenly erupted from the depths of Rift Wind Valley!

The sound waves were almost tangible, momentarily overwhelming the howling gale wind!

Immediately afterward, a terrifying pressure that made Gao De's hair stand on end swept out from the valley like a tsunami!

The strength of this pressure far surpassed any Fourth-Tier Demon King he had sensed before, even... approaching the level of the Suanni that fell back then!

But it was sharper, more chaotic, and filled with Sword Intent of madness and destruction!

"What is that?!" Gao De's expression changed in horror, and he immediately stopped Cultivating without hesitation.

The Hidden Scale Concealment Technique was instantly activated to its maximum. His entire flood dragon body seemed to transform into a lifeless, stubborn rock, clinging tightly to the shadow of the giant rock, his breathing and heartbeat nearly stopping.

He saw that in the depths of Rift Wind Valley, the vast Bone-Eroding Gale Wind was forcibly pushed aside by an invisible force!

An unimaginably massive silhouette slowly "rose"!

It was the skeleton of a... giant bird!

The entire skeleton was dark gold, as if cast from some kind of Divine Metal. Despite being dead for an unknown number of years, it still radiated a sharp edge and majesty that made the Soul tremble.

Its wingspan was probably thousands of meters wide. Although only the skeleton remained, every bone was crystal clear like jade, covered with naturally formed, sword-shaped patterns that seemed to contain the profound truths of heaven and earth!

In the position of the skull, two eerie, constantly shifting pale flames burned in the hollow eye sockets. Within the flames, countless sword shadows seemed to appear and vanish!

Even more astonishingly, a... broken sword was plunged into the chest cavity of the giant bird skeleton!

Only half of the broken sword's blade remained; the hilt was long gone, and the exposed part was rusty and covered in cracks.

Yet, this broken sword, which looked like it could shatter at any moment, was deeply embedded in the core bone of the giant bird skeleton. The space around the blade constantly twisted, shattered, and reformed, emitting an aura of "Annihilation" Sword Intent that was utterly pure and terrifying to the extreme!

It was precisely this Sword Intent, conflicting, intertwining, and merging with the sharp aura remaining in the giant bird skeleton itself, that formed the unique Bone-Eroding Gale Wind in the valley, as well as the recent bird cry filled with resentment and madness!

"The remains of an Ancient Demonic Bird? Slayed here by an Unparalleled Ominous Sword, and after countless ages, the remaining Sword Intent and resentment of both did not dissipate but merged to form this deadly Rift Wind Valley?!" A storm raged in Gao De's heart.

He could sense that the level of both the giant bird skeleton and the broken sword, when they were intact, far exceeded his imagination!

They were probably Fifth-Tier existences!

At this moment, the pale flames in the giant bird skeleton's eye sockets flickered violently, seemingly disturbed by something. Its massive frame slowly turned toward the valley entrance, and its hollow "gaze" seemed to penetrate the layers of gale wind and concealment, landing exactly where Gao De was hiding!

Gao De's heart nearly stopped beating!

He was locked onto!

Although it was only the unconscious gaze of the Remnant Will of the Remains, the Sword Intent pressure contained within it made his Divine Soul prickle with pain, as if he would be sliced by ten thousand Sword Qi the next second!

Escape! He must flee immediately!

But just then, another anomaly occurred!

Perhaps stimulated by the fluctuations of the Remnant Will of the Remains, the broken sword plunged into the skeleton suddenly trembled!

"Clang—!"

A clear yet destructive sword cry resounded throughout heaven and earth!

A gray-white Sword Qi, condensed to the extreme and almost materialized, burst forth from the tip of the broken sword!

This Sword Qi was not large, only about three meters long, but the moment it appeared, the surrounding space shattered like glass!

Wherever it passed, the Bone-Eroding Gale Wind was easily torn apart and annihilated!

This Sword Qi was not aimed at Gao De, but seemed like an accidental eruption from the endless conflict between the Remnant Will of the Remains and the broken sword itself over countless ages. It shot straight toward the valley entrance!

And its trajectory happened to pass directly above Gao De's hiding spot!

Destruction!

Pure Destruction Sword Intent enveloped him!

Gao De felt his Soul was about to be ripped apart by this Sword Qi!

The Hidden Scale Concealment Technique was useless in the face of this level of Sword Intent!

A thread between life and death!

In Gao De's dragon eyes, purple-gold thunder flames burned furiously!

Survival instinct and unyielding will erupted instantly!

He couldn't withstand it head-on! Nor could he dodge it!

There was only one option... borrowing power!

In a flash of lightning, a crazy idea flashed through his mind.

Although this Sword Qi was a source of destruction, its essence was Sword Intent energy that was extremely pure and contained the Law of Annihilation!

His Purple Heaven Thunder Flame also contained the power of destruction and incineration. If he could draw in a trace of the Sword Qi's aftermath, using his own thunder-flame Bloodline as a catalyst for the most dangerous "tempering"... he would gamble everything!

Gao De abruptly withdrew all defenses, condensing his entire essence, Qi, and spirit—even the trace of Geng Metal sharp Qi from the earth vein geng metal he had just refined, the Neon Luan Rosy Cloud Charm, and all his Purple Heaven Thunder Flame—onto his Lifebound Dragon Horn on his forehead!

At the tip of the Dragon Horn, a point of extreme purple-gold light shone, and miniature thunder storms and flames seemed to roar inside!

He did not attack. Instead, he used this point, which condensed all his power, like a primer, a bait, actively meeting the weakest wisp of residual wave at the edge of the destructive Sword Qi passing by!

"Pfft—!"

It was like a red-hot iron plunging into ice water!

Indescribable agony instantly swept through Gao De's entire body!

That wisp of Destruction Sword Intent invaded through the Dragon Horn. Wherever it passed, his Meridians seemed to be cut and shredded by countless tiny Sword Qi!

His flesh, blood, and bones emitted a cry of distress under the unbearable load! Even his Divine Soul felt like it had been thrown into a sword blade storm!

"Roar—!!!"

Gao De couldn't help but let out a painful roar. His flood dragon body violently thrashed, shattering the giant rock behind him!

But at the same time, all the power within his body was completely stimulated, boiled, and ignited by the invasion of this Destruction Sword Intent!

The Purple Heaven Thunder Flame circulated with unprecedented frenzy, the earth vein geng metal was forcefully melted, the Neon Luan Rosy Cloud Charm desperately repaired the damage, and the flood dragon pearl released a massive amount of pure Dragon Origin... All the powers, under the "catalysis" and "oppression" of the Destruction Sword Intent, merged, collided, and underwent qualitative change at an unparalleled speed!

No destruction, no construction! Destruction precedes creation!

Gao De felt his consciousness gradually blurring amidst the intense pain and the torrent of power, but deep within his Bloodline, a certain constraint was emitting a clear, near-shattering "crack" sound under the extreme external pressure and the surging internal power!

His body involuntarily began to swell!

Thirty meters, fifty meters, eighty meters... Large patches of purple-gold scales peeled off, only to quickly grow back as new, heavier scales with deeper patterns under the rosy light and nascent power!

The bone spurs on his back grew wildly, becoming even more ferocious and sharp!

His Dragon Horn became increasingly majestic, and the thunder flames wrapped around it now contained a gray-white thread filled with destructive aura!

Inside his Dantian, clear cracks, like sword marks or thunder patterns, began to appear on the surface of the round flood dragon pearl. Through the cracks, a more dazzling, condensed light, seemingly containing the Law of Rebirth, desperately shone forth!

The Fourth-Tier Form Transformation Tribulation... had been prematurely triggered by the unexpected "catalysis" of this Destruction Sword Intent, starting in an even more violent and dangerous manner!

At this moment, in the depths of Rift Wind Valley, the giant bird skeleton seemed to have exhausted the power of this eruption. The pale flames in its eyes dimmed, and the massive frame slowly sank back into the gale wind at the bottom of the valley. The broken sword also returned to silence.

But for Gao De, the true trial had just begun!

He must survive this drastic change, assaulted both internally and externally, on the verge of collapse, and complete the shattering and rebirth of his flood dragon pearl to truly step into the Fourth-Tier!

Spiritual Qi within a hundred miles frantically converged, forming a visible vortex.

In the sky, dark clouds began to gather, with faint flashes of thunder—this was the precursor to the impending Form Transformation Heavenly Tribulation!

However, even more pressing than the Heavenly Tribulation was the wisp of Destruction Sword Intent still lingering inside him, and the massive power that had been forcefully detonated and was nearly out of control!

"Rainbow... Protector!" With his last shred of clarity, Gao De transmitted a thought to the strange beast on his wrist.

Rainbow light shone, transforming into a massive Rainbow barrier that enveloped Gao De's thrashing body, isolating a portion of his aura and Spiritual Qi fluctuations, while vigilantly watching the surroundings. Its capabilities were limited; the rest depended on Gao De himself.

The Purple Lightning Flood Dragon, outside Rift Wind Valley in the Ten Thousand Beast Mountain Range, boldly stepped onto the life-or-death checkpoint of assaulting the Fourth-Tier with the "assistance" of the Destruction Sword Intent!

Succeed, and the flood dragon transforms into a Dragon form, gaining earth-shattering power; fail, and his body perishes, his Dao Dissipates, and his Soul Flying Away and Spirit Scattering!

The path to form transformation is never smooth.

This checkpoint, he must pass through himself!