The afterglow of the South China Sea war had not yet faded when an unusual wind suddenly stirred atop the Dragon Abyss of the East China Sea Dragon Palace.
The originally clear seawater began to churn violently. Instead of undulating to the rhythm of the Azure Dragon Sea-Suppressing Formation, the waves converged toward mid-air, forming a water curtain stretching east to west.
Above the water curtain, clouds gathered rapidly—at first thin gray clouds, then instantly dyed dark blue like thick ink. Lightning flickered faintly between the cloud gaps, yet no rain fell. Instead, it exuded an innate water fortune pressure—unlike Ao Xuan's gentle warmth or the Ancestral Dragon's dominance, this pressure carried a "vastness that nourishes all without a sound." It resonated spontaneously with the spiritual veins deep in the Dragon Abyss, gushing out wispy blue-green spiritual light.
"Your Majesty, there's an anomaly in the northwest airspace!" Qinghe's voice was urgent. She had just returned from dispatching spiritual veins at the Water Spirit Department when she saw the cloud anomaly. The spiritual vein bamboo slip in her hand heated up on its own. "It's... it's the aura of innate water fortune! More intense than the origin of the East China Sea's spiritual eye!"
Ao Xuan was holding the Four Seas Dragon Seal to sort out spiritual veins. At the sound, he looked up.
His dragon pupils pierced the water curtain and clouds, spotting two figures speeding over from the northwest—The figure in front was covered in blue-gold scales, its wings spanning a thousand zhang. As the wings flapped, countless tiny water droplets fell from the clouds, turning into drizzling rain before reaching the sea surface. Wherever it passed, even the feral aura in the air was diluted by the rain. The figure behind was even more terrifying: a ten-thousand-zhang body like a moving mountain, scales as black as obsidian, each glowing with a metallic cold light. Its breath carried extremely cold water vapor, freezing the seawater along the way into tiny ice crystals that melted automatically when touching its surrounding spiritual light.
"Yinglong... Zhulong..."
A hint of surprise flashed in Ao Xuan's eyes, quickly giving way to understanding.
Both were innate dragons. Yinglong held the power to control clouds and rain. When Pangu transformed into all things at the beginning, it was he who used water fortune power to dredge Primordial floods, laying the foundation for the Four Seas. Zhulong was born with a colossal body, able to channel extreme cold water vapor—even chaotic beasts would retreat at the sight of him.
When the Ancestral Dragon was alive, the three had never met, yet shared an indistinct connection due to their homologous dragon souls. Now that the Ancestral Dragon had fallen and the dragon clan declined, it made sense that they would seek out the East China Sea.
Before he could finish his thoughts, the two figures landed atop the Dragon Abyss. Yinglong retracted his wings, transforming into a young man in a blue-green Taoist robe embroidered with delicate water patterns. Every step he took left small puddles on the ground. Zhulong did not fully transform—half his body remained in dragon form, coiled at the edge of the Dragon Abyss. His massive head hung low, and a pair of golden dragon pupils looked at Ao Xuan with a hint of scrutiny, yet no hostility.
"Ao Xuan, Dragon King of the East China Sea?"
Yinglong spoke first, his voice as clear as drizzle hitting leaves, yet unable to hide the somberness in his eyes.
He took a step forward, and the water vapor around him surged suddenly, condensing into a zhang-wide water mirror in mid-air.
When the water mirror first appeared, it reflected the aftermath of the South China Sea after the Ancestral Dragon's fall—scorched rocks everywhere, broken scales and feathers embedded in magma, black-red feral aura coiling like venomous snakes. But as Yinglong flicked his fingertip, the scene in the water mirror shifted abruptly, revealing a broader view of the Primordial World.
"I am Yinglong, and this is Zhulong."
Yinglong's voice grew heavier as the images in the water mirror flowed rapidly. "After Brother Ancestral Dragon fell, the two of us traveled the Primordial World separately, seeking fellow clansmen to resist the feral calamity. But all we saw along the way was purgatory..."
The water mirror first turned to the Western Wasteland: On Red Soil Slope, the stone fortress guarded by the stone clan for generations had been torn open by a horde of Earth-Splitting Lizards. Elder stonemasons hugged innate stone cores to block the gaps, only to be torn to pieces by the beasts' sharp claws. Stone fragments mixed with dark red blood splattered on the scorched earth, instantly devoured by feral aura. Not far away, Spirit Plant Valley—once filled with innate spiritual herbs—now only had charred stumps. A few surviving spiritual plant cultivators huddled in rock crevices, covered in wounds, unable even to channel wood spirit arts. At the valley entrance, a massive "demonized giant bear" crushed the last undried spiritual herb with its paw. Feral aura seeped into the earth along with the herb juice, turning the surrounding soil gray-black.
"Most powerful beings in the Western Wasteland have gone into seclusion to avoid the calamity."
Yinglong's fingertip slid across the water mirror, switching the scene to the Kunlun Mountain direction, which was shrouded in a faint purple spiritual light, yet no sound could be heard. "Most of the three thousand powerful cultivators who listened to the Dao at Zixiao Palace have closed themselves in seclusion. The Three Pure Ones secluded themselves deep in Kunlun. Even when the stone clan sent envoys to beg for help, they only received the reply: 'Kalpas are irreversible; one must seek survival on their own.' Queen Mother of the West's Jade Pool also laid down nine layers of ice formations, isolating all foreign cultivators and letting the creatures of the Western Wasteland fend for themselves."
Next, the water mirror turned to the Northern Region: On the ice field, the Snow Wolf Clan's settlement had been trampled flat by Bone Armor Beasts. The snow-white ice was dyed black-red, and dozens of Snow Wolf corpses were frozen into ice sculptures, fear still lingering in their eye sockets. Further away, in Cold Water Valley, an "Ice Soul Beast" formed from residual qilin souls chased a group of fleeing scattered cultivators. Though the cultivators sacrificed various magical treasures, they were as fragile as paper against the feral aura. A mountain spirit skilled in golden metal divine arts had just sacrificed his giant axe when he was frozen limbs by the feral mist spit by the Ice Soul Beast, then torn to pieces. His magical treasure was also corroded into a pile of scrap iron by the feral aura.
"The innate powerful beings of the Northern Region are even more ruthless."
Zhulong supplemented in a rumbling voice that shook the water waves of the Dragon Abyss slightly. "Fairy Bingyi of the Black Ice Cave directly sealed her cave with innate black ice, pretending not to hear the cries for help from her fellow clansmen outside. Even Tianyu, who had a friendship with the Ancestral Dragon back then, hid in the deep sea of Beiming, letting the feral aura spread without showing herself."
Finally, the water mirror turned to central Primordial World: On the ruins of Luoxian Slope, hundreds of scattered cultivators fought together against the beast tide—green-robed spiritual plant cultivators, Shiji Clan escape art experts, and Red Crow Clan members practicing fire-element divine arts. But even united, they only barely held a broken formation.
A Fire Venom Beast mutated from phoenix feathers suddenly detonated its own feral aura, and the formation collapsed instantly. The scattered cultivators flew backward like broken kites. Many were torn apart and devoured by subsequent beasts as soon as they landed. Only a few escaped with escape techniques, fleeing in embarrassment toward the East China Sea, covered in wounds.
"The cultivators of all clans are not unwilling to resist, but they lack unity."
Yinglong's voice was filled with helplessness as the water mirror froze on a stronghold called "Panshi Village." "In the Western Wasteland, surviving stone clan members built Panshi Village, barely holding back the Earth-Splitting Lizards with innate rock formations. At the foot of the Volcano of Immortality in the Southern Region, Elder Feng Qi led the remaining Phoenix Clan, using Nirvana Fire to suppress the feral aura, but could only protect their own clan. There's also a 'Luoxian Formation' in the central region, presided over by several powerful scattered cultivators. But more than half of the cultivators in the formation have been killed or injured; they won't hold on much longer."
Zhulong slowly raised his head, a hint of anger flashing in his golden dragon pupils. "These beasts not only have large numbers but also grow stronger by devouring feral aura. I saw a Bone Dragon in the Northern Region—at first just a mutated ordinary dragon corpse. After devouring dozens of cultivators, it could actually spit feral aura beams that even my cold water could corrode! If no one leads us, the Primordial World will eventually be completely occupied by these monsters!"
Ao Xuan's grip on the Four Seas Dragon Seal tightened slightly. The golden-crimson spiritual light on the seal resonated with the dragon aura around Yinglong and Zhulong, forming a faint golden light shield.
Watching the scenes of creatures being slaughtered in the water mirror, a surge of solemn responsibility welled up in his heart. He had known the dangers beyond the East China Sea before, but never imagined the Primordial World had deteriorated to such a state—powerful beings avoiding the calamity, all clans struggling to survive, only the East China Sea preserved by the Azure Dragon Sea-Suppressing Formation. Now that Yinglong and Zhulong had come, this was not only an opportunity for the dragon clan but also a glimmer of hope for all Primordial creatures.
"Fellow Daoist Yinglong, Fellow Daoist Zhulong."
Ao Xuan bowed in greeting, his tone calm yet carrying the authority of a Dragon King. "After Brother Ancestral Dragon fell, the East China Sea is indeed the last pure land of the dragon clan. I knew the beast tide was raging, but not that the Primordial World had reached such a state. Your willingness to come and help is not only a blessing for the dragon clan but also for all Primordial creatures."
"We are all innate dragon spirits; we should watch over and assist each other."
Yinglong smiled slightly, waving his hand. Sweet rain suddenly fell from the clouds above the Dragon Abyss. When the drizzle landed in the spiritual spring of the Dragon Abyss, it increased the spiritual light of the spring several times. "I control clouds and rain; I can help you reinforce the Azure Dragon Sea-Suppressing Formation—rainwater can purify feral aura. Coupled with your Merit Golden Light, the formation's purification power can be increased by at least thirty percent. Additionally, I can channel water from the Four Seas to send water spirit power to those resistance strongholds, helping them hold on longer."
Zhulong slowly flicked his giant tail. The seawater at the edge of the Dragon Abyss instantly froze into an ice wall, its surface glowing with faint blue spiritual light that faintly connected with the Azure Dragon Sea-Suppressing Formation. "My body can withstand ten thousand enemies. I can garrison both the Ink Mist Strait to the west of the East China Sea and Cold Water Valley to the north. If those beasts dare to attack, one breath from me can freeze their feral cores. If other strongholds are in danger, I can also use extreme cold water vapor to delay the beast tide, buying time for reinforcements."
Joy flashed in Ao Xuan's eyes. Yinglong's rain could both purify feral aura and support the outside world. Zhulong's colossal body could both guard key locations in the East China Sea and reinforce other places. Coupled with the East China Sea's existing Black Armored Guards and Twelve Sea Generals, they could not only hold the East China Sea but also have a chance to preserve more resistance forces for the Primordial World.
Just as he was about to speak, Yinglong and Zhulong took a step forward simultaneously, bowing slightly to him with solemn expressions:
"Brother Ao Xuan, you hold the Four Seas Dragon Seal, have protected the East China Sea with strategy, and are blessed by Merit Golden Light. You should be our elder brother. From now on, we will obey your orders in all dragon clan matters. We will also share the responsibility of Primordial safety. If we can protect the fire of all clans through this kalpa, we will not have lived up to our identities as innate dragons!"
"Elder brother?" Ao Xuan was slightly stunned, then reacted. Though Yinglong and Zhulong were innate dragons, they had no clear clan affiliation. Recognizing him as their elder brother now was not only an acknowledgment of his strength and responsibility but also a hope to unite Primordial resistance forces with the dragon clan as the core. This trust was more precious than any help.
He clenched the Four Seas Dragon Seal tightly. The golden-crimson spiritual light intertwined with the blue-green and pitch-black dragon auras, forming a beam of light piercing through the Dragon Abyss and shooting into the sky. This beam contained the remaining Dao rhyme of the Ancestral Dragon, Yinglong's water fortune, Zhulong's cold power, and his own Azure Dragon origin. The four dragon auras merged, stirring every spiritual vein of the East China Sea, making the water fortune power of the entire East China Sea more majestic. Even the scattered cultivators fleeing toward the East China Sea in the distance could see this soaring beam of light, igniting hope for survival in their eyes.
"Good!" Ao Xuan's voice was filled with passion. "Today, with the Four Seas Dragon Seal as witness, I, Ao Xuan, recognize Yinglong and Zhulong as my younger brothers! From this moment on, the three of us brothers will jointly defend the East China Sea, assist all clans, and resist the feral tide! If I break this oath, heaven and earth shall abandon me!"
Brilliance flashed in Yinglong and Zhulong's eyes simultaneously as they replied in unison: "We obey Elder Brother's order!"
As the words fell, the beam of light atop the Dragon Abyss suddenly surged. The blue, red, blue, and black dragon auras condensed into a giant dragon pattern in mid-air. Unlike ordinary dragon forms, this pattern integrated the agility of the Azure Dragon, the majesty of the Ancestral Dragon, the warmth of Yinglong, and the thickness of Zhulong—like a dragon clan totem floating above the East China Sea. Aquatic creatures of the Four Seas looked up in awe, letting out respectful roars. Even the resisters at Panshi Village and the Volcano of Immortality in the distance felt this pure dragon aura, turning their gazes toward the East China Sea—a longing for hope.
Seeing this 异象,the distant Black Armored Guards and Twelve Sea Generals bowed toward the Dragon Abyss. Xie Ao's hand holding the giant axe trembled slightly, his eyes filled with excitement—with Yinglong and Zhulong's help, the East China Sea could not only be defended but also support the outside world. Moyuan's ink mist surged around him, beginning to plan how to integrate Yinglong's rain into the Nine-Turn Water Formation, allowing the formation to both devour beasts and purify feral aura. Qinghe stood outside the Water Spirit Department, looking at the four-colored dragon pattern in the sky, her emerald eyes filled with determination. She turned to dispatch spiritual veins, preparing to support the outside world.
Ao Xuan looked at the four-colored dragon pattern in mid-air, a surge of lofty ideals rising in his heart.
The Ancestral Dragon had fallen, dragons and phoenixes had declined, and the qilin clan had sealed their mountain—the Primordial World's structure had completely changed. But as long as the dragon clan united, with Yinglong summoning rain to purify feral aura, Zhulong guarding passes to resist enemies, and him presiding over the water fortune hub, they could not only protect the East China Sea but also hold up a sky for the struggling clans. Even... carve a path of survival through this kalpa, break free from the constraints of Heavenly Dao, and attain Hunyuan Dao Fruit.
"Brother Yinglong," Ao Xuan turned to Yinglong, "go to the Water Spirit Department with Qinghe immediately. Use the power of rain to nourish the eye of the Azure Dragon Sea-Suppressing Formation. At the same time, allocate spiritual veins, diverting thirty percent of the water spirit power to Panshi Village in the Western Wasteland and the Volcano of Immortality in the Southern Region through the Nine-Turn Water Formation to help them reinforce their defenses. Additionally, send cuttlefish clan scouts to the Luoxian Formation in the central region, informing them that the East China Sea will send troops to reinforce them—tell them to hold on for three more days."
"Brother Zhulong," Ao Xuan then looked at Zhulong, "go to the Ink Mist Strait with Xie Ao. It just suffered a beast attack and its defenses are weak. You need to reinforce the line with cold water and lay down the 'Extreme Cold Ice Wall Formation.' If the beast tide comes, you can first freeze their movements with your breath. The Black Armored Guards' patrol battalion will also be under your command. Set up a sentry every hundred li—immediately report any beast movements."
"We obey Elder Brother's order!" Yinglong and Zhulong replied in unison. Yinglong transformed into a blue-green stream of light, flying toward the Water Spirit Department with Qinghe. The sweet rain falling along the way landed on the East China Sea's spiritual veins, making their spiritual light more intense. Even wispy blue water vapor extended along the spiritual veins, slowly flowing toward the Western Wasteland and Southern Region. Zhulong coiled his ten-thousand-zhang body, moving toward the Ink Mist Strait with Xie Ao. Wherever he passed, the seawater parted automatically, forming a wide waterway. Seeing this, the Black Armored Guard soldiers showed expressions of awe, their grip on their weapons growing firmer.