252: Chapter 252 Dragon Abyss

Darkness.

Boundless darkness.

Gao De felt himself floating in the Void Realm, with no up or down, no left or right, no time.

He remembered he should be at the Gui Xu Eye, remembered the descent of Bai Ze, remembered the words "Sleep."

And then there was nothing.

He didn't know how Ao Xue was doing either.

Was he dead?

He tried to move—he had no body.

Tried to open his eyes—he had no eyes.

Only consciousness remained, like a wisp of residual smoke, drifting in this endless darkness.

He didn't know how long had passed.

Perhaps an instant, perhaps ten thousand years.

Suddenly—

A point of light ignited in the darkness.

That light was very faint, yet felt incredibly familiar.

It was Gao De's own aura.

He "watched" as that point of light gradually expanded, transforming into a scene.

In the scene, there was a fish.

A common Wuyue, its body entirely bluish-black with rough scales, utterly unremarkable.

It hid in the mud of a deep pool somewhere in Dongting Lake, cautiously swallowing a small shrimp into its belly.

That was Gao De.

That was the moment he had just transmigrated to this world.

"This is..." Gao De's consciousness trembled slightly, "my memory?"

The scenes flowed.

The Wuyue absorbed and expelled Spiritual Qi within the Water Mansion, accumulating Demonic Power bit by bit.

It encountered Turtle Three Thousand, that cowardly yet loyal old turtle.

It participated in the struggle for Black Water Stream, and also obtained the essence of a dragon pearl within the ruins of a grotto-heaven—at the time, it didn't know what it was, only feeling that thing could make it stronger.

The Wuyue in the scene carefully took out the dragon pearl fossil to study; it was obtained by picking up a bargain from a Loose Cultivator.

"So that's where it was..." Gao De murmured.

The scenes continued.

The Wuyue underwent Dragon Transformation.

The Lightning Tribulation descended, Purple Lightning wreathed its body; it narrowly survived the Heavenly Tribulation and finally metamorphosed into a Purple Lightning Flood Dragon.

That was the first time it had truly come one step closer to "Dragon."

The scene shifted again.

The Dragon Palace Secret Passage, the Prison Hall.

With its Early Third-Rank cultivation, it endured the burning of black flames and seized the prison dragon talisman from the Dragon Lord's remains.

When the Dragon Lord's remains crumbled, those empty eye sockets seemed to glance at it.

Thinking back now, that glance seemed to contain a trace of... expectation?

The scenes continued.

The Green Wave Sect was destroyed, Qianjiao Cliff was established.

At Cracked Wind Valley in the Ten Thousand Beast Mountain Range, using the destructive Sword Intent for Body Tempering, it broke through to the Fourth Stage.

The Dragon Palace birthday banquet, the bloody sea battle, rescuing Ao Xue.

The two-front battle at Qianjiao Cliff, slaying Lord Mo Yuan's Clone.

The Bewitching Ghost Swamp, seizing the clue to the guixu token.

The Ghost Cry Gorge Secret Realm, refining the source of ten thousand waters, obtaining the ding xu stone.

The Gui Xu Eye, battling the Heavenly Demon Cult Master—

The scene froze here.

That was the moment he was struck in the chest by a palm, his purple lightning reverse dragon scale armor shattering.

The lightning flames dimmed, blood splattered.

And then—

The scene shattered.

Gao De's consciousness jolted violently.

He "saw" those fragmented scenes turn into countless points of light, converging into a massive vortex.

At the vortex's center, something was taking shape.

It was a pearl.

Its body entirely bluish-black, its surface swirling with countless intricate dragon patterns.

A dragon pearl.

His own dragon pearl.

But it was different from before.

The previous dragon pearl was an "external object" he obtained from the Dragon Lord's remains, refined and integrated into his Dantian.

But this dragon pearl now—

Was his.

It was what he, from a mere Wuyue, step by step to this day, through every life-or-death struggle, every devouring, every Breakthrough, had condensed—

His Natal Dragon Pearl.

"So..." Gao De's consciousness trembled gently, "you've been waiting for me all along."

The dragon pearl did not respond.

But it pulsed gently once.

That pulse contained endless information—

The final entrustment of the Dragon Lord of Dongting.

That dragon pearl fossil was originally a seed left by the Dragon Lord for the "one who comes after."

The prison dragon talisman was the guardian.

The guixu token was the key.

And the ding xu stone was the passage.

Everything pointed towards one goal—

To bring him to this day.

To make him stand here.

To make him... become the one "it" had been waiting for.

Gao De was silent for a long time.

He remembered that final glance from the Dragon Lord's remains before they crumbled in the Prison Hall.

He remembered the words Bai Ze said after descending, looking at the prison dragon talisman:

"You've guarded for 'it' for so long. It's time for 'it' to guard for you in return."

"Guarding what?" he asked softly.

The dragon pearl pulsed.

Another scene arose.

It was a sight older than all previous memories—

Countless years ago, a pitch-black sin dragon wreaked havoc upon the mortal world; wherever it passed, lives were lost and lands laid to waste.

The Dragon Lord of Dongting exhausted all his strength to suppress it deep within the Gui Xu Eye.

But before its death, the sin dragon left a curse: it would return one day, transforming into the Heavenly Demon Evil Dragon, to bathe the world in blood.

To prevent future calamity, the Dragon Lord established three layers of Restrictions—

The guixu token, the ding xu stone, the reincarnation mirror.

Only when the Three Keys were gathered could the Gui Xu Eye be opened.

And after opening—

Either release the sin dragon, or... utterly destroy it.

"So what the Heavenly Demon Cult Master wants to do is release it?" Gao De suddenly understood.

The scene shifted again.

Before his death, the Dragon Lord of Dongting extracted his own dragon pearl and hid it at the bottom of Dongting Lake.

Within that dragon pearl, he sealed the hope he left behind—

A person who could enter the Gui Xu Eye and use the Dragon Clan's Bloodline to completely refine the sin dragon's remnant will.

That person needed to rise from insignificance.

Needed to experience countless life-and-death trials.

Needed to devour, evolve, and Breakthrough time and again.

Needed to—

Ultimately stand here.

Gao De gazed at the gradually solidifying Natal Dragon Pearl.

It had completely taken shape.

It had merged with him as one.

"So from the very beginning..." he said in a low voice, "I was the chosen one."

The dragon pearl pulsed.

That pulse held neither affirmation nor denial.

Only a single sentence rippled out like a wave:

"You chose it yourself."

Gao De was taken aback.

Then, he smiled.

Yes.

He had chosen it himself.

From the first day of his Transmigration, he had wanted to become a Dragon.

From the moment he devoured the first Dragon-Blooded Creature, he had never thought of turning back.

From his Dragon Transformation, physical transformation, all the way to today—

Every step, he had chosen himself.

The dragon pearl had merely given him a path.

Whether to walk it, how to walk it, how far to walk—

Had always been his own decision.

"I understand," Gao De said softly.

He "reached out" and grasped that dragon pearl.

The moment he touched the dragon pearl—

Boom——!!!

Endless lightning flames erupted from the depths of the dragon pearl!

Those lightning flames were no longer purple, nor purple-gold.

But—

purple-gold glaze.

Transparent as glaze, blazing like the sun, yet carrying a unique heaviness and majesty specific to dragon might.

Wherever the lightning flames passed, the endless darkness shattered inch by inch!

Beyond the darkness was light.

Was—

Reality.

---

The edge of the Gui Xu Eye.

Ao Xue held Gao De's broken body, her blood-red eyes fixed on the palm print that pierced through his chest from front to back.

His aura was faint.

Almost imperceptible.

She had already fed him three drops of Essence Blood—that was the Blood Dragon's most precious innate Essence Blood; each drop cost a century of cultivation.

But Gao De still hadn't woken up.

"Your Majesty..." her voice was hoarse, carrying a helplessness she had never known before.

Right then—

The prison dragon talisman on Gao De's chest, stained with blood, suddenly lit up!

Ao Xue's pupils contracted sharply!

She saw a faint layer of purple-gold glaze-colored light slowly emerging around Gao De's body.

That light surged from the depths of his Dantian, spreading along his Meridians; wherever it passed, the deep, bone-exposing wounds—

Were actually healing at a visible speed!

"This is..." Ao Xue's blood-red eyes trembled.

The light grew brighter and brighter.

Finally—

Gao De opened his eyes.

What kind of eyes were those.

No longer the gold-purple color of the Purple Lightning Flood Dragon, but—

purple-gold glaze.

Transparent, profound, as if containing endless thunder and endless dragon might.

Ao Xue was stunned.

"Your Majesty?"

Gao De looked at her.

He gently raised his hand, wiping away the bloodstains on her face.

"I'm fine," he said.

His voice was different from before.

Not an elevation in Realm.

Something deeper—

Bloodline.

Ao Xue suddenly understood something.

"You... had a Breakthrough?"

Gao De shook his head slightly.

"Not a Breakthrough," he said, "It's... returning."

He sat up.

purple-gold glaze lightning flames gently flowed around his body; those shattered scales, broken bones, torn Meridians—

Were being remolded at an incredible speed.

Stronger than before.

More resilient than before.

More than before—

Closer to "Dragon."

He lowered his head, looking at his palm.

There, a bluish-black dragon pearl was gently pulsing.

Not a fossil.

An Natal Dragon Pearl.

His own dragon pearl.

"So that's how it is," he said softly.

Ao Xue wanted to say something but suddenly fell silent.

Because she also sensed—

In the distance, within that gray-white mist, an aura was quietly approaching.

Not the Heavenly Demon Cult Master.

That aura was cold, eerie, yet carried a trace of hesitation and probing.

Gao De sensed it too.

He raised his eyes, looking towards the mist.

purple-gold glaze lightning flames danced in his eyes.

"Bone Demon," he said.

From within the mist, a figure in gray-white hemp clothes slowly appeared.

Bone Demon held a bone staff, ghostly green phosphorescent flames dancing in his eye sockets, his expression filled with doubt and uncertainty.

He had been ordered to lie in wait here, monitoring the movements of the Gui Xu Eye.

Just now, he sensed the Cult Master's retreat and was hesitating whether to withdraw when he suddenly noticed—the aura of that little flood dragon had actually revived.

And—

Grown stronger.

"You..." Bone Demon stared at Gao De, his eyes filled with disbelief, "What did you do?"

Gao De did not answer.

He simply stood up.

purple-gold glaze lightning flames spread out from his body like a tide.

Wherever the lightning flames passed, the gray-white mist scattered, revealing long-lost clarity.

Bone Demon's expression changed drastically!

He stamped his bone staff, four human bone bells rang out!

Thousands of Yin souls howled as they rushed out!

Gao De raised his hand.

Gently grasped.

Boom——!!!

purple-gold glaze lightning flames transformed into a giant claw, directly crushing those thousands of Yin souls!

Bone Demon grunted, blood flowing from all seven orifices!

"You—Peak Fourth Stage?!" he shrieked, his eyes full of terror.

Gao De did not answer.

He took a step forward.

Lightning Evasion.

That speed was at least ten times faster than before!

Bone Demon didn't even have time to react—

A flood dragon claw covered in purple-gold glaze scales was already gripping his throat.

"Speak," Gao De said calmly, "Where did your Cult Master escape to?"

The phosphorescent flames in Bone Demon's eye sockets danced frantically.

He opened his mouth, wanting to say something—

But suddenly his whole body stiffened.

The soul-binding curse deeply implanted in his Divine Soul instantly erupted!

Bone Demon bled from all seven orifices, extreme fear and unwillingness flashing in his eyes, and then—

His Divine Soul scattered.

His corpse went limp and hung down.

Gao De released his grip.

He looked down at the gradually cooling corpse.

"soul-binding curse," he said indifferently, "Saves me the trouble of soul-searching."

Ao Xue flew to his side, her blood-red eyes full of astonishment.

"Your Majesty, you..."

"We'll talk later," Gao De interrupted her, "First, find Mysterious Turtle and the others."

He looked towards the depths of the mist.

From there, faint sounds of shouting, killing, and rumbling could be heard.

The Heavenly Demon Cult's Holy Infant Guard was fiercely battling the Qianjiao Cliff army.

"Let's go."

Gao De took a step forward, purple-gold glaze lightning flames soaring into the sky!

---

The outskirts of the mist.

Mysterious Turtle was covered in blood, the blue light of his water patrol token dim, yet he still stubbornly blocked three Early Fourth Stage Holy Infant Guard captains.

Dragon Peach's Myriad Wood Senluo Great Array had been mostly broken, countless roots severed, yet it still protected the hundreds of Demon Soldiers behind her.

Green Edge, Iron Pincer, Crab Eighteen... each was fighting desperately.

But they were about to be overwhelmed.

There were too many Heavenly Demon Cult followers.

And—

The other two Late Fourth Stage Elders besides Bone Demon, Shadowy Evil and Poison Dove, were watching intently from the periphery.

They were in no hurry.

They were waiting for the Cult Master to return.

Suddenly—

From within the gray-white mist, a purple-gold glaze light exploded like a scorching sun!

Everyone looked up simultaneously!

They saw—

A figure stepping out from the mist.

lightning flames as transparent as glaze flowed around his body, purple-gold light illuminating the entire battlefield.

Wherever the lightning flames passed, Heavenly Demon Cult followers screamed and fell!

The Holy Infant Guard scattered like paper!

Shadowy Evil's expression changed drastically; he wildly swung his ice skeleton staff, a sea of frigid tides surging towards that figure!

Gao De didn't even glance at it.

He struck out with a palm.

purple-gold glaze lightning flames transformed into a towering tidal wave, clashing with the frigid tide—

Boom——!!!

The frigid tide shattered!

Shadowy Evil screamed as he was sent flying, the ice armor covering his body cracking inch by inch!

Poison Dove shrieked, opening his mouth to spew a sky-blotting poisonous mist!

Gao De raised his hand and gently clenched.

The poisonous mist was grasped by an invisible giant hand, instantly condensing into a fist-sized black ball, which he casually crushed!

Poison Dove was horrified, turning to flee—

A blood-colored dragon shadow descended from the sky, dragon claws tearing through the Void Realm!

Ao Xue!

She had mostly recovered, her Blood Dragon True Form raging like thunder!

"Where do you think you're running?!" she roared, slamming Poison Dove into the ground with a claw!

The battlefield was instantly reversed.

Mysterious Turtle stared blankly at that purple-gold glaze figure, his old, turbid eyes filled with disbelief.

"Cliff Master... this is..."

Dragon Peach was also stunned.

She sensed that aura on Gao De—

Not Late Fourth Stage.

Not Peak Fourth Stage.

But a kind of... indescribable, qualitative transformation.

As if the dragon blood within his body had truly "come alive" at this moment.

Gao De landed in the center of the battlefield.

The lightning flames around his body slowly receded.

He looked into the distance, towards the end of that gray-white mist.

"The Heavenly Demon Cult Master escaped," he said, "But he's not dead."

Everyone fell silent.

Gao De paused.

"He will return."

"Next time will be the final battle."

He turned, looking at the Qianjiao Cliff crowd.

"Before that—"

purple-gold glaze lightning flames danced in his eyes.

"We must become stronger."

Ao Xue's blood-red eyes gazed at him, suddenly asking, "Your Majesty, what exactly happened while you were unconscious?"

Gao De was silent for a moment.

Then, he smiled.

That smile was light, faint, yet carried a trace of relief he had never had before.

"Nothing much."

He said.

"Just remembered that I am a fish."

Ao Xue was taken aback.

Gao De did not explain.

He simply raised his head, looking towards the Gui Xu Eye still suspended in mid-air.

purple-gold glaze light gently flowed in the depths of his pupils.

A fish can become a Dragon.

He had always known.

Now—

He finally believed it.