Wang Mei gripped her little sister Wang Ling's shoulders with frantic intensity, staring into her eyes as she demanded, "What happened here? How did you both end up in this state, and what are these demonic cultivators doing here?"
Wang Ling, still reeling from the carnage she had just escaped, looked deathly pale. Her body was covered in deep lacerations, and her Spiritual Energy was in complete disarray. Clutching her sister's arms, she struggled to steady her ragged breath before speaking in a trembling voice.
"Sister... when we moved past the main partition, everything was silent. Yang Kai Long was proceeding with absolute vigilance, and I was right behind him. We thought we were heading toward the Central Chamber, but we didn't realize that this part of the Secret Domain was completely cursed and deceptive."
Wang Ling drew a painful breath, glancing at Yang Kai Long, who was still locked in combat on the field. "As soon as we reached the outer corridor of this vast chamber, the massive stone door behind us slammed shut on its own. It wasn't an ordinary door; it was an ancient Suppression Formation. Strange red sigils etched onto the walls suddenly flared to life, and the air around us turned stiflingly heavy. My Qi was halved by the trap's influence. We were trapped in that enclosed space with no way out."
She squeezed her eyes shut, as if reliving the nightmare. Ye Fang and the rest of the caravan listened with bated breath.
"We were still searching for an escape when strange laughter began to echo from the corners of this dark chamber. It was the Blood Coffin Sect—they had been lying in wait. They launched a sneak attack from behind. They wielded dark-red demonic weapons and instantly flooded the area with their foul Corpse Qi."
Wang Ling described how they had been overwhelmed: "Their first strike was so fierce and sudden that I had no chance to react. An Elder's blood-arrow shattered my shield, sending me flying and leaving me wounded. I tried to lift my sword, but my body had gone completely numb due to the ancient trap. And what followed was nothing short of hell."
Wang Ling's voice was laced with terror. "Those demonic cultivators released their black coffins into the air. They activated them with their own blood, and from within those coffins, thousands of vicious, iron-hard Puppets surged forth. Their army was so vast it filled the entire plain."
Pointing toward the battlefield, she concluded, "They turned their puppets toward us, intent on capturing us alive. Seeing me wounded and helpless, Yang Kai Long's rage reached its zenith. He hid me behind him and stood alone against that entire army of puppets. Sister, he has been fighting those thousands of puppets and secret assailants without rest ever since. If he hadn't awakened that terrifying fraction of his power, I would have lost my life by now."
After hearing Wang Ling's harrowing tale, Wang Mei's eyes brimmed with a mix of fury and tears, while Ye Fang stood silent, watching Yang Kai Long's unimaginable, seal-broken form as it continued to wreak destruction on the battlefield.
Yang Kai Long roared, his voice trembling and breathless, "All of you, get out of here! I will finish these wretches myself. Flee! Before I lose control... RUN! HAAAAA!!!!"
His final, primal scream collided with the walls of the underground chamber, echoing like a cataclysmic atomic blast. As the roar tore from his throat, the boundless, unbridled spiritual energy within him erupted like a violent cyclone. The first of the three Power Suppressing Seals that had shattered was now overflowing his entire Cultivation Base. The azure and violet celestial lightning flowing through his meridians began to tear through his flesh and skin, transforming his very existence into an aura of pure destruction.
Standing on the Stone Platform where Ye Fang had just brought Wang Ling to safety, everyone stood frozen, witnessing the unthinkable. Wang Mei clutched her little sister, watching the battlefield below, which was now blinded by the light of the celestial thunder.
Behind Yang Kai Long, the White Dragon Martial Soul had grown into a monstrous size. Its eyes burned with blue flame, and with every roar, heavy debris rained down from the chamber's ceiling. The dozens of cruel Blood Coffin Sect cultivators, who had been flooding the field with thousands of vicious puppets, began to tremble violently in the face of this aura.
As thousands of those iron-hard puppets stepped within five hundred meters of Yang Kai Long, the atmospheric pressure became so dense and violent that their bodies began to tear apart in mid-air, splintering into pieces without a single physical strike—destroyed by the sheer weight of his Spiritual Pressure. Yang Kai Long lashed out with his thunder-sword indiscriminately. He had lost all grasp of his consciousness. His pupils had vanished, replaced by a pure, violent flow of celestial lightning.
Every Lightning Sword Qi strike from his blade manifested as a wave several hundred meters long, carving through the battlefield. In a single second, the massive black coffins of the Blood Coffin Sect, which had been impervious to ordinary attacks, were sliced and reduced to ash by the blue lightning. Their Elders and cultivators tried to hide behind their own puppets, but Yang Kai Long's unbridled power moved like an inevitability of fate, burying them in rubble one by one. In that moment, he recognized no one—anyone standing before him was a target for his blade.
Watching this horror from the high Stone Platform, Ye Fang's God-Demon Physic grew erratic, excited by the sheer magnitude of the leaking energy.
Just then, a terrifying spiritual wave surged from the bloody mist, freezing the very air in the chamber. Space began to distort at the far end of the field, and the Blood Coffin Sect's Grand Elder manifested. As he appeared, even the remaining light in the chamber seemed to vanish.
He stretched his withered, skeletal hands into the air and let out a manic, cackling laugh. His chilling laughter echoed off the walls like a Demonic Spectre or a Wraith.
"Hahahaha! The Holy Son of the Long Tian Sect! Truly, he possesses the power of a Celestial Dragon!" The Grand Elder shouted in a dry, rasping voice, shaking the field. A cruel glint shone in his eyes. "Fight! Keep fighting! The more ruthlessly you slaughter my puppet army, the easier my task becomes! Do you truly believe you can escape the trap laid by the Blood Coffin Sect alive? Foolish boy!"
As the puppets were cut down and reduced to ash by Yang Kai Long's celestial thunder, the residual Dark Energy and Demonic Blood did not dissipate. The Grand Elder formed a mysterious seal with both hands, activating his ancient demonic technique.
"Blood Soul Absorption... Awaken!" the Grand Elder bellowed.
In the blink of an eye, the power of thousands of destroyed puppets converged into a bloody cyclone, surging directly into the Grand Elder's body. The more corpses that were cut down, the more the Grand Elder's aura swelled—becoming stronger, more terrifying, and gargantuan. Black veins protruded beneath his skin.
He watched Yang Kai Long, who was swinging his sword like a madman in the center of the field, gasping for air as his broken seal taxed his body.
A cunning, cruel smile played on the Grand Elder's lips. Laughing maniacally, he shrieked, "Hahaha! This form of yours is a sight to behold, Young Master Long! Your boundless energy is now tearing your own body apart. Your Cultivation Base is exhausted, and your energy is scattering! Now is the time to show you your place!"
With that thought, the Grand Elder bit his finger without a moment's hesitation, flicking droplets of his pure Essence Blood into the air.
"By the price of my blood... Awaken, Infinite Darkness!" He chanted an ancient demonic mantra, causing the entire underground space to tremble.
Suddenly, the solid ground directly behind the Grand Elder ruptured with a horrific blast, and from it emerged his most powerful weapon—his Burial Coffin. This was no ordinary sarcophagus; it was a Heaven-Grade Artifact! In this world of Tianxia, a Heaven-Grade Artifact is worth more than an entire empire.
The massive Burial Coffin began to slowly hover into the air. The ancient demonic sigils and runic symbols etched onto its surface now glowed like fresh, viscous blood.
"Worms of this world! Now, feel the unfathomable depths of this Heaven-Grade Artifact!" The Grand Elder shrieked, pointing his finger directly at Yang Kai Long. "Open, Gates of Hell!"
With a bone-chilling groan, the heavy stone lid of the coffin slid open. As it opened, a boundless, infinite, and all-consuming blackness poured out, like a Black Hole. It was not mere darkness; it was a powerful, irresistible Suction Force that began pulling Yang Kai Long directly toward it.
"Don't try to flee! The space hidden within this coffin will swallow even your celestial lightning! Today, this Dragon Body of yours will become the next powerful corpse in my collection! Hahahahaha!" The Grand Elder's laughter echoed through the cavern.
The pull of the Heaven-Grade Artifact was so devastating that massive boulders, debris, and the heavy remains of the puppets were sucked straight into the coffin. Yang Kai Long, having lost his senses and fighting purely on instinct, was dragged backward by the incredible suction force.
The ground beneath his feet disintegrated, and even the lethal Lightning Sword Qi from his thunder-sword lost its power and dissipated the moment it touched the black hole-like darkness. The invincible dragon was being dragged rapidly toward the unfathomable depths of the coffin, and his aura was rapidly waning.
Standing on the high Stone Platform, Ye Fang watched the horror unfold. As the Grand Elder's Heaven-Grade Artifact activated, Ye Fang's God-Demon Physic sounded the alarm. His ancient, powerful bloodline surged with unrest, feeling the dread of that dark suction force. His meridians burned. He could clearly see that Yang Kai Long's strength was spent, and if he hesitated for even a second, Yang Kai Long would be entombed in that demonic space forever.
Amidst the terrible dark suction force emanating from the artifact, Yang Kai Long's body was being dragged backward. The black-hole-like darkness devoured his Lightning Sword Qi, and the Grand Elder's laughter dominated the cavern.
But then, Yang Kai Long gathered his remaining sliver of consciousness. He tilted his head in excruciating pain and looked toward Ye Fang, Wang Mei, and the others standing on the Stone Platform—who were just about to unleash their movement techniques to save him. The violent, pure blue light in his eyes flickered for a moment, and he roared with all his might:
"Why won't you listen to me?! Flee! Do you think this thing can defeat me?! NEVER!!!!"
His roar of "NEVER" was so visceral that the Grand Elder's laughter froze in mid-air.
At that exact moment, Yang Kai Long struck a devastating mental blow against the ancient restrictive seal within his Dantian. One of the two remaining seals within him trembled, and with a sound like shattering glass, the Second Power Suppressing Seal was pulverized completely.
As the seal broke, his true Dragon Cultivation Base erupted. The three ancient, supernatural powers of the dragon flared within his existence simultaneously:
The white dragon hovering behind him grew ten times its original size, and the sacred aura radiating from his spine began to slice through the black darkness of the cavern.
Deep blue dragon scales erupted across his skin, hardening his defense and physical strength to that of an impenetrable, god-level beast. It was no longer ordinary Qi coursing through his veins, but the molten essence of a Thunder Dragon, pushing his sword speed and lightning attacks to realms that touched the heavens.
But Yang Kai Long knew that to shatter the black-hole suction of the Burial Coffin, even the power of the three dragons might fall short. Without a microsecond to spare, he curled his fingers. The God-Demon Rebirth Pill, pulsating with infinite energy—given to him by Ye Fang before entering the Secret Domain—shone in his palm.
Yang Kai Long tossed the pill into his mouth and swallowed it.
The space within the cavern froze instantly. The unstoppable suction force of the Burial Coffin halted as if time itself had been bound. As the remnants of the pill touched his Dantian and his Thunder Dragon Veins, a cosmic blast erupted, reshaping his entire cultivation existence.
This was his Ultimate Transformation!
He no longer possessed only the power of the three great dragons; the legendary pill had infused his very being with the ancient, primordial powers of both God and Demon. A sacred, golden divine light burst from his right side, reflecting the aura of deities. Simultaneously, a thick, malevolent, and destructive black demonic energy surged from his left, reminiscent of an ancient Demon God.
The scene was so awe-inspiring and terrifying that Ye Fang, standing on the high Stone Platform, could not move an inch. His own God-Demon Physique vibrated wildly; the warrior before him had become a hybrid of three dragons, a god, and a demon. His existence had soared far beyond the comprehension and laws of this Secret Domain.
The Grand Elder's face, previously radiant with the joy of victory, turned ash-pale. His fingers trembled as he shrieked, "What... what monstrosity is this?! What power is this?! How can a mere Golden Core cultivator possess the powers of a dragon, a god, and a demon simultaneously? This is impossible!"
But Yang Kai Long was in no mood to listen. His transformation complete, he opened his eyes—one flashing with golden divine light, the other with dark demonic fire. He raised his thunder-sword, now a weapon of pure apocalypse, and fixed his gaze on the Burial Coffin. Seeing this form, the suction force of the Burial Coffin wavered. The black darkness was being pushed back by the molten lava of the Thunder Dragon and the God-Demon aura.
The Blood Coffin Sect's Grand Elder went berserk. His face twisted with rage, his eyes bulging as his demonic Qi trembled violently.
"Ant! You dare?!" he shrieked. "So what if your power has increased? Do you think you can stomp over the Grand Elder of this sect? I will show you what true hell is! Now, I shall awaken my true power!"
The Grand Elder reached into his flowing black robes and pulled out an ancient, blood-red, and black-hued box. As he opened it, a nauseating stench of rotting corpses and ancient death permeated the underground chamber. Inside the box lay a Forbidden Pill, pulsating with vein-like lines.
This was no ordinary forbidden medicine; it was a cursed elixir that even the greatest masters dared not touch.
"Hahaha! Holy Son of the Long Tian Sect, you have forced my hand!" The Grand Elder waved the pill in the air, laughing maniacally. "Consuming this Forbidden Pill grants the user a breakthrough of two major realms! Today, to ensure your death, I am willing to wager my very soul!"
Before consuming the pill, the Grand Elder's cultivation base was at the Peak Stage of the Spiritual Ring Realm. Without a moment's hesitation, he swallowed the terrifying Forbidden Pill.
A cataclysmic explosion tore through the cavern, shattering the very fabric of space. A deluge of endless, black, bloody energy erupted from his Dantian. The boundaries of his cultivation base snapped like dry twigs. His cultivation bypassed Body Integration entirely and surged straight to the Initial Stage of the Tribulation Transcendence Realm!
In this universe, the Tribulation Transcendence Realm meant standing on the threshold of immortality—a cultivator whose mere whim could erase empires.
On the Stone Platform, Ye Fang watched in stunned silence. He could not understand how the Grand Elder's age seemed to have been halved while his power became like that of a god. Suddenly, the Little System spoke in a grave tone:
"Host, stay where you are. The Grand Elder has consumed the 'Nine Deaths Blood-Refining Pill,' an extremely rare forbidden treasure."
Ye Fang asked, "System! What is the effect of this pill? Why has his energy spiked to the point that the entire Secret Domain is trembling?"
"Host, the effect is devastating. It forced a breakthrough of two major realms without stability. He has reached the Tribulation Transcendence stage, but the cost is horrific. 50% of the user's lifespan and life force have been burned away instantly. His aura is violent and unstable. It is strictly advised that the Host does not step into this battle."
"Hahahaha! Yang Kai Long! Behold my immortal power!" the Grand Elder bellowed, his voice carrying the crushing weight of the Tribulation Transcendence Realm.
He waved his withered hand, and the Burial Coffin came to life, its suction force magnifying tenfold. The Grand Elder soared into the sky. On the other side, Yang Kai Long launched himself upward, a trail of blue lightning and black-gold God-Demon energy following him.
Both titans faced each other in the cavern's sky. Yang Kai Long swung his blade, a massive Lightning Sword Qi carrying the consciousness of God and Demon colliding with the Elder's Blood Shield. The explosion shattered the solid rocks below into powder.
"Your pill's power is wondrous, but before my Tribulation Transcendence base, you are still but a child!" the Grand Elder cried, pushing the Burial Coffin forward.
Thousands of Demonic Chains erupted from the coffin, lashing out like snakes to bind Yang Kai Long. Yang Kai Long danced through the air, enduring the strikes, sending sparks and thunderous echoes through the cavern sky. Below, Ye Fang stood calm, his eyes locked on the titanic clash.
He watched how the Elder, despite trading half his life, used the Burial Coffin to press the attack, and how Yang Kai Long, with the bloodline of three dragons and the God-Demon lineage, parried every lethal blow of the immortal-level cultivator.