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...Dragon Tomb.
This was a strange space independent of the Douluo Continent. Under the gray sky lay a boundless, desolate plain.
Dragon bones as massive as mountains could be seen everywhere. They rested here in various poses; some still held a posture of roaring at the sky, while others lay prostrate on the ground as if fallen into an eternal slumber.
The air was filled with a desolate, ancient, and majestic aura. Countless remnants of dragon souls drifted like invisible mist, and low dragon roars seemed to travel through eternal time and space, echoing faintly in the ears.
This was the final resting place of the Dragon Clan, where countless powerful dragons were buried, leaving behind remnants of their power and Law fragments from when they were alive.
Gu Yuena brought Xuan Ming and appeared silently atop the highest mountain of dragon bones.
Her long silver-purple hair was particularly eye-catching in this dim World. She looked at the endless dragon remains before her, her eyes reflecting complex and unspeakable emotions—sorrow, remembrance, and a heavy sense of responsibility.
"This is the resting place of the ancestors of my Dragon Clan." Gu Yuena's voice carried a hint of sadness and solemnity. "Countless dragon souls gather here, their residual dragon power and Laws intertwining. Here, it might help you better comprehend and condense your own Godhead."
Xuan Ming's ice-blue eyes scanned the vast graveyard. He could clearly feel the Law power of various attributes permeating the air—the violence of fire, the extreme cold of frost, the heaviness of earth, the tearing of storms, the holiness of light, the mystery of darkness... Though fragmented and chaotic, these powers were of an extremely high level, far surpassing the outside World.
More importantly, his Dragon King Bloodline and the divine soul that had been continuously nourished and strengthened during this time resonated strongly with this place.
Streams of pure and ancient Dragon Clan Origin energy were constantly flowing into his body from all directions, subtly strengthening his divine soul and physique.
He had noticed it before but couldn't determine the specific source. Now that he was here in person, the feeling was particularly obvious.
He turned to look at the silent Gu Yuena. Her exquisite profile appeared somewhat hazy under the gray sky, carrying a trace of imperceptible worry.
Xuan Ming understood immediately.
She had known all along that the power of the Dragon Tomb was supporting him, but she had never told him.
She was worried that this entrustment from the entire Dragon Clan's resting place would bring him greater pressure, making him feel he owed the Dragon Clan too much, thereby affecting his own judgment and choice of path.
She hoped he could walk his own path without any burden. Even if this power was crucial, she was unwilling to use it as emotional leverage.
It was only now, to help him condense his Godhead, that she had no choice but to bring him here.
Xuan Ming was silent for a moment, neither questioning nor exposing it. He simply reached out and gently held Gu Yuena's slightly cool hand.
Gu Yuena's body trembled slightly. She turned her head and met those calm eyes that seemed capable of seeing through everything.
He didn't say thank you, nor did he express any heavy promises.
But that simple affirmation caused much of the unease and guilt in Gu Yuena's heart to quietly dissipate.
She understood that Xuan Ming knew.
And he had chosen to accept, expressing his approval in his own way.
That was enough.
"It's starting." Xuan Ming gave Gu Yuena a brief hug and turned to plunge into the Dragon Valley.
A Godhead is the true core of a God, the ultimate condensation of one's own understanding of the Laws.
Possessing a Godhead meant having an Origin power independent of the external system.
Even without relying on a God Position from the God Realm, he would still be a true god!
However, the God Positions in the God Realm were already saturated and did not support the birth of new ones.
This meant that if he didn't want to inherit an existing God Position and be bound by the rules of the God Realm, condensing his own Godhead was his only path to becoming a true deity.
Deep within the Dragon Tomb, Dragon Valley.
Xuan Ming's figure floated in the center of the valley where dragon bones were piled high like mountains.
He no longer suppressed his aura. Extreme white light surged out like a tsunami, creating an unprecedented resonance with the entire Dragon Tomb!
Rumble—!
The entire Dragon Tomb space seemed to be awakened! The gray sky began to churn violently, the dragon bones on the ground trembled slightly, and countless drifting remnants of dragon souls let out deafening roars, turning into substantial golden torrents that surged crazily toward Xuan Ming from all directions!
This dragon soul energy contained the foundation accumulated by the Dragon Clan over tens of thousands of years; it was the residual Origin essence of countless powerful dragons after their fall! They were violent and chaotic, yet carried the most primitive and pure power!
Xuan Ming's body seemed to turn into a bottomless black hole, greedily devouring this legacy that the Dragon Clan had accumulated over countless years.
Under the nourishment of the dragon soul energy, his divine soul solidified and grew at an incredible speed, and his perception of the Laws of heaven and earth became clearer than ever before.
The divine force within him, which was already as vast as the sea, surged as if boiling, with both quality and quantity increasing crazily!
Condensing a Godhead was by no means an easy task.
It was not just an accumulation of energy, but the ultimate test of one's own will and understanding of the Laws.
And the most critical step was to trigger the Godhood Tribulation!
The Godhood Tribulation was the final test descended by the rules of heaven and earth upon creatures attempting to condense a Godhead and transcend the mortal realm.
The scale of the tribulation depended on the potential and accumulation of the one Undergoing Tribulation, as well as the level of the Godhead being condensed.
The higher the potential, the deeper the accumulation, and the higher the Godhead level, the more terrifying the triggered Godhood Tribulation would be, and the greater the risk of failure.
But correspondingly, once successful, the gifts received from the rules of heaven and earth would be more bountiful, and future achievements would be higher.
With his current foundation, condensing a Godhead with the potential of a first-class main god was not difficult.
But... it wasn't enough!
The hidden danger of the Dragon God's split, the hope of the Ice Dragon King's resurrection, Gu Yuena's future, and even the delicate and dangerous balance between him and the God Realm... all of this required power far exceeding that of an ordinary first-class god to handle!
What he needed was God King-level potential; even more, he needed to quickly possess actual power sufficient to make the God Realm take him seriously, or even fear him!
He had come this far not by compromise or pleading, but by the deterrence brought by his own strength and potential!
It was the threat and temptation contained in this power that made the God Realm choose observation and assessment rather than direct elimination.
If his subsequent performance was insufficient to support this "threat," if the Godhead potential he condensed was limited to a first-class god, then the God Realm's attitude would likely undergo a fundamental shift.
At that time, not only would the Dragon Clan's hope be slim, but he himself and everything he cared about might face a catastrophic disaster... God Realm, Supreme Temple.
The atmosphere, which had been slightly chaotic due to disputes, had now become exceptionally solemn. The gazes of the four God Kings seemed to penetrate layers of spatial barriers, focusing on the figure in the Dragon Tomb of the Lower Realm who was crazily devouring dragon soul energy and whose aura was rising sharply.
"It's started," the God of Destruction said in a deep voice, a hint of anticipation and solemnity flashing in his dark purple eyes. "He indeed chose the most difficult path... condensing his own Godhead."
"And looking at this triggered heavenly pressure..." The Asura God's blood-red pupils contracted slightly. "The scale is far beyond an ordinary first-class god tribulation! This kid has no small ambition!"
The God of Evil's lips curled slightly. "This is what makes it interesting, isn't it? If he only wanted to peacefully condense a first-class Godhead, it would be boring instead. It seems it's time for our gifts to come in handy."
The god-bestowed spirit rings they had granted Xuan Ming were never merely gifts of power.
They were more like contracts with "hooks," backdoors buried deep within his power system.
Normally, Xuan Ming's absolute control over power and his disregard for the Power Of Faith made it difficult for them to find an opportunity to intervene.
But at this moment, in order to condense his Godhead and face the Godhood Tribulation, Xuan Ming actively released his suppression of all powers, fully guiding and smelting everything within his body, including those five Law seeds containing the will of the God Kings!
This was like actively opening the door to the outside World in his most core Domain!