235: Blood boiling

Inside the quiet chamber, the spiritual spring was misty.

Gao De sat cross-legged, with dozens of blood-colored crystal beads of varying sizes and colors floating before him.

These were the [Dragon Clan Essence Blood Essences] he had collected from the ruins of the Dragon Palace's Dragon Transformation Pool—each one condensed from the lifelong Bloodline essence of at least a Tier 3 Dragon, with the darkest and most potent ones originating from Tier 4 Dragons.

"With my current Tier 4 Early Stage flood dragon bloodline, how much will I improve after refining these blood essences?" Expectation flickered in Gao De's eyes.

He took a deep breath, formed hand seals, and circulated the Purple Heaven Dragon Transformation Art with all his might.

Phantom dragon scales appeared around his body, and purple-gold Dragon Essence rose like flames.

The first dark red Essence Blood crystal bead was enveloped by Dragon Essence, slowly melting and transforming into wisps of incomparably pure Bloodline Power that seeped into Gao De's body.

"Boom—!"

As if a giant rock had been thrown into a calm lake, the dormant Bloodline within Gao De's body instantly boiled!

He could clearly feel his Dragon Clan Bloodline concentration rapidly rising—forty-two, forty-three... every shred of Essence Blood that merged brought a comprehensive enhancement to his Physical Body, Divine Soul, and Dragon Essence.

His bones emitted subtle cracking sounds, becoming denser and tougher; his Meridians continuously widened under the scouring of the Bloodline; in his Sea of Consciousness, the purple-gold dragon soul phantom became increasingly solid, with thunder and fire intertwining in its eyes.

"Forty-five percent..." Gao De's heart stirred.

According to the records of the Dragon Clan Bloodline Legacy, every five percent increase in the flood dragon bloodline could potentially awaken a natural Divine Ability.

He had previously awakened several Divine Abilities, such as [Purple Heaven Thunderfire], [Dragon Might Deterrence], [Size As Desired], and [Water Vein Affinity].

The moment the Bloodline concentration broke through forty-five percent—

"Buzz!"

Gao De's body suddenly jolted!

In his mind, countless ancient and obscure runes appeared out of thin air, quickly assembling into a complex and profound Divine Ability Legacy.

These runes were not words but Law imprints branded directly into the depths of his Bloodline.

"Dharma Body Manifestation..." Gao De murmured.

This was one of the top-tier Divine Abilities of the Dragon Clan, similar to the Size As Desired Divine Ability but more focused on increasing combat power, capable of temporarily gigantifying the Physical Body, causing strength, defense, and total Dragon Essence to grow exponentially.

Upon reaching Major Achievement, one could even transform into a thousand-zhang true body, moving mountains and filling seas with infinite power.

Of course, with his current cultivation, he could only expand his body to a maximum of a hundred zhang, and the duration was limited.

But even so, using it at a critical moment would be enough to turn the tide of battle!

"Good! With this Divine Ability, I'll have more confidence even when facing Lord Mo Yuan at the Tier 4 Middle Stage Peak."

Gao De suppressed the joy in his heart and continued refining the Essence Blood.

One, two, three... the Bloodline concentration continued to climb: forty-six, forty-seven, forty-eight... When he refined the seventh bead and the Bloodline concentration broke through the fifty percent mark, another change occurred!

"Rumble—"

The commotion this time was even greater than before!

The purple-gold Dragon Essence around Gao De's body surged out uncontrollably, forming a ten-zhang diameter Dragon Essence vortex within the quiet chamber.

At the center of the vortex, his figure began to twist and expand, dragon scales grew frantically on his skin's surface, and the dragon horns on his head thickened and lengthened at a visible rate.

"Not good, the Bloodline is improving too fast, my Physical Body can't quite handle it!" Gao De's heart tightened, and he quickly circulated the Purple Heaven Dragon Transformation Art to suppress it with all his strength.

At the same time, the yimu azure dragon pearl automatically flew above his head, casting down a large swathe of green radiance, nourishing the Meridians and flesh that had sustained minor damage due to the rapid transformation.

Only after a full half-hour did the rampaging Dragon Essence gradually subside.

Gao De opened his eyes and looked down at his hands—the palms that were originally covered in fine purple scales now had thicker scales, with golden patterns faintly flowing along the edges.

As he lightly clenched his fingers, the air let out a muffled explosion from the pressure.

"Bloodline concentration... fifty-three percent." He felt the surging power within him, and the corners of his mouth curled up.

This time, he didn't awaken a new Divine Ability, but his previously existing ones were significantly enhanced: the power of [Purple Heaven Thunderfire] increased by thirty percent; the range of [Dragon Might Deterrence] expanded to a thirty-li radius; and [Water Vein Affinity] even allowed him to vaguely sense the flow and Spiritual Qi concentration of major water veins within a thousand li.

Most importantly, with the increase in Bloodline concentration, his cultivation had also grown significantly; he felt that he was only a thin layer of window paper away from the Tier 4 Middle Stage.

"If I were given another three months of secluded meditation, I would surely break through," Gao De thought to himself. "Unfortunately, Lord Mo Yuan won't give me that time."

He composed himself and shifted his attention to another matter.

With a thought, the Tianji Ring on his right index finger glowed slightly.

This was a storage Magical Artifact he had obtained from a fallen guest at the Dragon Palace; it had a small internal space, and more importantly, it had the function of connecting to the Heavenly Secret Realm, with a Rank and authority higher than his own tianji mirror.

Gao De separated a wisp of Divine Sense and delved into the Tianji Ring to browse information.

The scene before him changed, as if he were in a vast sea of stars.

Countless points of light flickered, each representing a stream of information.

He skillfully controlled his Divine Sense to search for keywords in the sea of stars: "Qianjiang Dragon Palace," "Dragon King's Fall," "Three Princes," "Black Water Pool," "Red Scale Cave"... Instantly, hundreds of points of light converged, turning into streams of information that poured into his Divine Sense.

[Shock in the Qianjiang! The Dragon Palace has collapsed, the Dragon King has likely fallen, and the three princes' whereabouts are unknown!]—This information was the most popular, with thousands of replies already below it.

Gao De browsed quickly:

"According to witnesses, on the day the Dragon Palace collapsed, a Bai Ze Divine Beast descended and purified the evil spirits..."

"There are rumors that Dragon King Ao Guang is not dead, but merely hidden with heavy injuries, healing somewhere..."

"Among the three princes, the eldest prince Ao Qin seems to have stayed at the Qianjiang Dragon Palace to heal and has secured the position of Dragon King; the second prince Ao Lie has returned to his own fief to lay low; and the third prince Ao Bing's movements are the most mysterious, suspected of joining a certain power in the 'Endless Sea'..."

"In the ruins of the Dragon Palace treasury, someone found half a charred dragon scale fragment, suspected to be the remains of the Dragon King's lifebound dragon scale; its current whereabouts are unknown..."

"Major powers in the Qianjiang River Basin are stirring. Lord Mo Yuan of Black Water Pool, Lord Chilian of Red Scale Cave, and Lord Xuan Ming of Xuan Water Mansion are all mobilizing troops; a great war will likely break out soon..."

These reports were a mix of truth and falsehood, requiring careful discernment.

But the overall trend matched Gao De's judgment—the Qianjiang River Basin was about to fall into chaos.

He searched for other keywords like "Endless Sea" and "Yizhou Nine Dragons Chamber of Commerce."

Sure enough, a prominent message popped up:

[Breaking! The Yizhou Nine Dragons Chamber of Commerce has spent a hundred years successfully opening a trade route to the 'Endless Sea'!]

The information recorded in detail: A hundred years ago, the Nine Dragons Chamber of Commerce sent out two exploration teams. The team heading east had long since reached Yangzhou and established a prosperous trade route. Meanwhile, the team exploring the Central Continent to the west had endured countless hardships and only recently sent back news of success.

It turned out that during a world-shaking war in the Immortal Qin Dynasty era, the Divine Province was shattered, and the vast land of the Central Continent region actually sank into the seabed, transforming into a vast and boundless ocean.

Now, islands are scattered there like stars, and it is known as the "Endless Sea."

The Endless Sea is rich in Spiritual Qi and countless Heaven And Earth Treasures, but the environment is extremely complex, with rampant sea beasts, spatial instability, and many ancient ruins and Secret Realms scattered throughout; danger and opportunity coexist.

The Nine Dragons Chamber of Commerce opening this channel not only means the expansion of the trade map but also likely triggers an exploration craze for the Endless Sea among various powers in the Divine Province.

"Endless Sea..." Gao De was lost in thought.

According to scattered records in the Dragon Clan Bloodline Legacy, that place was once the most prosperous and wealthy region in the world, but now it had become nothing but a vast ocean.

"If there's a chance, perhaps I should go see the Endless Sea." Gao De noted this thought and continued browsing other information.

[The Heavenly Demon Cult is active, suspected of having large-scale operations in the southwestern provinces...]

[A conflict has broken out between the Ice Sea Dragon Palace in the northern reaches of the Endless Sea and the Golden Horde of the Tongliao Grasslands, with both sides stationing millions of troops on the tundra...]

[The Southern Wasteland Shaman Clan is holding a centennial grand sacrifice, and strange phenomena have appeared, suspected to be the emergence of an ancient Shaman God Legacy...]

Streams of information surged like a tide, outlining a magnificent yet peril-filled portrait of the Divine Province.

Gao De's mind was shaken as he watched, feeling increasingly insignificant.

A Tier 4 cultivation might be considered a powerhouse in the Qianjiang River Basin, but in the entire Yunmeng Great Marsh, or even the broader Endless Sea, it truly was nothing.

"I must improve my strength and expand my influence as quickly as possible." The sense of urgency in his heart grew stronger.

Exiting the Heavenly Secret Realm, Gao De withdrew his Divine Sense.

In the quiet chamber, he slowly rose and stretched his slightly stiff body from the long period of sitting cross-legged.

A Bloodline concentration of fifty-three percent, the re-refining of three Lifebound Treasures completed, the Awakening of the Dharma Body Manifestation Divine Ability, and the collection of information from the Heavenly Secret Realm... this period of secluded meditation had yielded immense gains.

"Turtle Three Thousand," his Divine Thought transmitted.

A moment later, Turtle Three Thousand entered quickly, his face carrying an unconcealable look of worry: "Great King, you've emerged from seclusion? The Black Water Pool army has already advanced to fifty thousand li away and is expected to arrive within ten days. Additionally, regarding Red Scale Cave, Lord Chilian left his Immortal Cave three days ago; his whereabouts are unknown, and he is suspected to have already set out."

"I see." Gao De's expression was calm. "How are the preparations for the 'Hidden Dragon Plan'?"

"Reporting to the Great King, all thirty-six 'dark thunder, calamity blood cannons' are in place, deployed at thirty-six hidden formation eyes around the Water Mansion's perimeter. Each cannon is equipped with three 'Vile Blood Shells,' which contain specially treated dragon blood filth and Yin baleful Qi; once detonated, they can contaminate a hundred-zhang radius of water, dealing massive damage to the aquatic clans."

Turtle Three Thousand reported in detail: "Additionally, according to your orders, this old servant has taken all the 'Bone-Corroding Venom,' 'Soul-Erosion Miasma,' and other poisonous substances in stock and turned them all into one-time-use Magical Artifacts, placing them in several major waterways the enemy army might advance through."

"Very good." Gao De nodded. "Have the enemy's numbers and composition been scouted?"

"They have." Turtle Three Thousand took out a Jade Slip. "Black Water Pool has dispatched over three thousand seven hundred water demons this time, including twelve Third-Tier Demon Generals, five hundred Tier 2 elites, and the rest are Tier 1 water demons. They are led by General Crocodile, accompanied by Lord Mo Yuan's strategist 'Ghost-Faced Turtle' and three Tier 3 Peak Yaksha commanders."

"No Tier 4s?" Gao De raised an eyebrow.

"No Tier 4 aura has been detected so far. However, according to the Shadow Snake Guard who risked their lives to infiltrate and investigate the enemy army, General Crocodile is carrying a black dragon scale, suspected to be Lord Mo Yuan's lifebound scale, containing one of his Divided Souls. If the battle goes poorly, Lord Mo Yuan will likely act through this scale from afar."

"Acting from afar, its power would be at most thirty percent of his true self; it's nothing to fear." Gao De said indifferently. "What about Red Scale Cave?"

"Lord Chilian's movements are secretive and he has yet to appear. However, in the direction of Red Scale Cave, over two thousand Demon Soldiers have gathered, led by Lord Chilian's general 'Fire Scale Python,' and they could attack Lesser Qingqiu at any time."

"Pincer attacks from east and west, striking simultaneously..." Gao De sneered. "It seems Lord Mo Yuan and Lord Chilian are determined to swallow me whole."

He walked to the wall of the quiet chamber, where a massive map of the water region hung.

On the map, the spheres of influence for Qianjiao Cliff, Lesser Qingqiu, Black Water Pool, and Red Scale Cave near the outskirts of the Yunmeng Great Marsh were clearly marked.

At this moment, two red arrows were pointing from the directions of Black Water Pool and Red Scale Cave toward Qianjiao Cliff and Lesser Qingqiu, respectively.

"Turtle Three Thousand, pass on my orders." Gao De pointed his finger at the map. "First, all members of the Water Mansion are to enter their designated battle positions according to the plan. No one is to attack without my command."

"Second, notify Green Edge that if Red Scale Cave attacks, there's no need to fight head-on. Lure the enemy deep according to the plan and lead them into the ambush at the Flower Burial Plain. The grand formation there, combined with the purple heaven thunder talismans and the bee swarm I provided, will be enough to give them a hard time."

"Third, have Iron Pincer continue monitoring enemy movements, paying special attention to whether any third-party forces are lurking nearby."

"This subordinate understands!" Turtle Three Thousand solemnly took the order and quickly withdrew.

In the quiet chamber, Gao De stood alone before the map, his gaze deep.

"Lord Mo Yuan, Lord Chilian... you think this is a feast of division, but you do not know that you have stepped into a hunting ground I have meticulously prepared."

He raised his right hand; thunder and fire intertwined in his palm, with the faint shadow of a dragon circling.

"In this battle, I shall use your blood to establish the prestige of my Qianjiao Cliff in the Qianjiang River Basin."

Outside the window, the waters were dark, and a storm was brewing.

In the corner, Rainbow was still like an innocent child, rummaging through the small mountain of treasures Gao De had harvested from the Qian River, looking for translucent and glowing items.