This dragon blood wasn't conjured out of thin air. It was donated by the dragons of the Dragon Palace themselves, infused directly into the Dragon Gate. When a creature leapt through the gate, it would resonate with the dragon blood within the Dragon Blood Pool—perhaps drawing a wisp, a thread, or even a drop. How much one could attract depended entirely on their own aptitude and fortune.
That's why, under normal circumstances, the Dragon Gate was only opened to those with top-tier talent—creatures with immense potential, and even better if they were already dragon-blooded species. Once they passed through the gate, they could absorb dragon blood and undergo a baptism, allowing them to transform and evolve their bloodlines. This was the true essence of the Dragon Gate. It was said to carry the legacy of the Ancestral Dragon's essence blood, capable of triggering powerful atavistic transformations.
Now that the gate was open without restriction, even if a creature absorbed only a thread of essence blood, the sheer number of participants made it staggering. For years leading up to this moment, dragon descendants across various Dragon Palaces had been bleeding themselves dry daily. Many of them had become severely anemic as a result—beyond the point of recovery through simple nourishment.
If not for this collective effort, the Dragon Clan would never have dared to open the gate so freely or promise such boundless opportunities.
As they looked upon the Dragon Gate, many dragons were moved to tears. It hadn't been easy—truly, it hadn't. These days of bloodletting were finally over. In their hearts, they vowed never to donate blood again. Dragon blood would now be treated as sacred—as sacred as life itself.
Swish! Swish! Swish!
Masses of aquatic creatures surged across the Dragon Gate, transforming into dragonkin. Their bloodlines underwent varying degrees of refinement, fusing with dragon blood to create unique, hybridized lineages. Their strength skyrocketed. Most importantly, now that they carried dragon blood, even if the Dragon Gate was no longer open, they could rely on their own cultivation to one day evolve into true dragons. Their future potential had increased dramatically.
Back on land, ferocious beasts stirred in a frenzy, charging wildly toward the Dragon Gate.
Many of these were beasts clad in scales and armor, instinctively drawn toward the gate.
But they weren't alone—countless other savage beasts joined the charge, regardless of whether they had armored hides. This time, with no restriction on entry, every race had a chance. Anyone willing could try to become a dragonkin.
Woooooo!!
At that moment, a primordial horn blast echoed from the void. The call was ancient and imposing, as though it could shake the heavens themselves. Blood surged in response, boiling within the veins of all who heard it.
A divine horn manifested in midair, and above it appeared the phantom of a Qilin. As it emerged, a solemn decree resounded across the heavens and earth:
"By order of the Qilin Clan, we are the sovereigns of all terrestrial beasts. All beasts of the land must heed the Qilin's command: You are forbidden from participating in the Dragon Gate trial."
The decree carried overwhelming authority, instantly spreading across the entire Eternal World—not just in the Boundless(Vast/Hanhai) Sea Region, but through every realm.
The Qilin were born with a natural command over all land-based beasts. Their very bloodline inspired instinctive submission—a biological reverence. Those who could defy it were few and far between.
In that instant, countless charging beast hordes froze, halting their advance. Clearly, the decree of the Qilin held enormous weight over them.
"The Qilin Clan has made its move. As expected, they won't stand idly by while the Dragon Clan spreads its bloodline across all beings. This is nothing less than poaching their dominion," Yi Tianxing murmured.
If the Dragon Clan grew too powerful, it would inevitably provoke opposition. Especially if they intended to absorb land beasts under their rule—how could the Qilin Clan tolerate such encroachment?
Undoubtedly, the Qilin had been preparing for this very moment. It was clear that the Dragon Clan's ambition extended beyond scaled and armored creatures. That made confrontation inevitable.
"The Qilin Clan surely has more cards to play. They wouldn't act now without a greater plan," Jia Xu stated calmly, his tone confident.
After all, any clan that could stand at the pinnacle of existence wasn't just strong—they were strategic and ruthless. When they struck, it would be swift and decisive, enough to shake the heavens.
A hint of concern flickered in the eyes of Ao You and Ao Qing. As members of the Dragon Clan, they were naturally invested in the success of the Dragon Gate. With such a major upheaval unfolding, their hearts were heavy with worry.
Just then, the Qilin spoke again:
"Out of compassion for the ignorance of the world's beasts—unable to tread the path of the Dao—we of the Qilin Clan shall open the Qilin Blood Pool and summon the Qilin Blood Rain. Any beast who bathes in this divine rain shall have the chance to refine their bloodline, or even transform into a Qilin. Even those who fail to awaken the Qilin bloodline will still see great improvement in physique and potential. This is to uplift all beasts of the land."
A second shockwave swept the Eternal World.
"What?! The Qilin Blood Pool? Qilin Blood Rain?" came the collective gasp.
All hopes placed in the Dragon Gate evaporated among the beast tribes. Their gazes turned skyward, filled with burning anticipation.
Qilin Blood Rain—this was a legendary blessing. Those who bathed in it could awaken latent bloodlines or even evolve into Qilin themselves. But it wasn't guaranteed.
Unlike the Dragon Gate's mass-distribution strategy, the Qilin Blood Rain was more refined—more selective.
When a beast was compatible with the blood rain and began awakening the Qilin bloodline, it would draw in even more of the divine rain around it, triggering a full transformation. But if one lacked compatibility, the rain would simply enhance their existing bloodline without a full transformation.
In contrast to the Dragon Clan's "flood the world with dragonkin" approach, the Qilin followed a "quality over quantity" model—a clear divide between elite cultivation and mass proliferation.
"The beast tribes will likely shift their allegiance entirely to the Qilin now," Zhuge Liang murmured as he fanned himself.
Just then, a colossal blood pool manifested in the sky, shimmering with five-colored divine light—gold, wood, water, fire, and earth. These represented the five primary Qilin types. Legend held that the first Qilin was a five-colored divine beast, though no one knew for sure.
Whoosh—!
A dazzling five-colored rain began to fall across the Eternal World.
This wasn't red or bloody—it was a brilliant, luminous downpour, a radiant gift from the heavens. Just standing in it made exhaustion vanish, hidden injuries heal, and one's entire being feel revitalized.
Countless beasts stood still, basking in the divine rain. Radiant auras lit up across their bodies as their bloodlines evolved.
One wild wolf, in particular, was enveloped in a yellow divine glow. The blood rain surged toward it like a tide. Within moments, the wolf underwent a miraculous transformation: its head shifted into a lion's form, antlers sprouted from its brow, tiger eyes burned with majesty, its body took on a stag's shape with dragon scales, and its tail morphed into that of an ox. Its entire body radiated an aura of earthly might, firm and immovable.
The wild wolf had transformed into an Earth Qilin.
Scenes like this repeated across the Eternal World. Although the transformation rate was low, the number of beast species was astronomical. Even one Qilin arising from a hundred thousand was a terrifying boon for the Qilin Clan.
Each new Qilin possessed divine talents and abilities, and with time, they would become supreme powerhouses. This was a massive leap in strength for the Qilin Clan.
Cawwww—!
Suddenly, a resounding phoenix cry echoed from the heavens.
In the void, a colossal parasol tree manifested, bathed in seven-colored flames. This wasn't any ordinary tree—it was the Sacred Wutong Tree, the ultimate holy tree of the Phoenix Clan.
On its branches, numerous phoenixes nestled, basking serenely in the rainbow flames.
Phoenixes only roosted on Wutong Trees, and even then, only those that exuded heat and comfort. But this one was unique—a Sacred Phoenix Tree, imbued with the power of countless phoenix rebirths. Over time, it had absorbed their Nirvana essence and evolved. Each added color represented a new level of divine potency.
The Seven-Colored Phoenix Flame it exuded was among the strongest flames in existence—the sacred fire of Phoenix Nirvana.
Its appearance shook the Eternal World.
"By order of the Phoenix Clan, we are the sovereigns of all winged creatures. All avians shall heed the Phoenix decree: You are forbidden from participating in the Dragon Gate trial."
A new edict swept through the world—this time, to the skies.