True Dragon Inheritance!

The Dragon Kings each rushed back to their own dragon islands and began their plans to clear their names. In truth, they could hardly be blamed. With the Dragon Emperor missing, no one could suppress their ambitions. This world had always been ruled by the strong devouring the weak. If one did not strive to stay ahead at every step, one would ultimately become a stepping stone for others.

Cultivation was, by nature, a struggle against heaven and earth, a struggle against all living beings! If one did not break through the heavens, how could one become a Dou Emperor? How could one journey to that even more brilliant and colorful world?

Let us divide the story in two. Ao Qing followed the seven elders into the depths of the Secret Realm to receive the True Dragon Inheritance.

"We're here. This is the entrance to the True Dragon Inheritance! Since we do not possess the True Dragon Bloodline, we cannot proceed any farther and will be unable to accompany you, Young Master."

"It is fine. I can go on alone."

With that, Ao Qing flew onward toward the True Dragon Secret Realm. Before long, he disappeared from the sight of the seven elders.

"Our Young Master truly has a cold temperament. He does not seem willing to say much, but..."

"Big Brother, our Young Master is a future Dou Emperor. What is wrong with him being a little cold?" Third Elder Zhu Zhen retorted.

"Third Brother, I wasn't finished. I was going to say, but I like it!"

"Uh..."

Everyone fell silent for quite a while. Looking at their eldest brother, they all felt as though they no longer recognized him. Sure enough, when dragons grew old, they became outstanding—though not outstanding in that sense.

Meanwhile, Ao Qing, who had entered the True Dragon Secret Realm, arrived at the inheritance grounds within it.

There were three inherited artifacts inside the Secret Realm.

At the first inheritance platform lay a jade tablet. When Ao Qing held it in his hand, nothing happened.

However, Ao Qing knew that inherited items left behind by cultivators generally required blood recognition.

Thus, Ao Qing immediately bit his finger. A drop of True Dragon blood fell upon the jade tablet. In an instant, the tablet floated into the air, and lines of unfamiliar writing entered Ao Qing's mind.

"True Dragon Nine Transformations!" This was the content recorded within the jade tablet: a cultivation method. It had no rank classification, but it was an unpassed Secret Method of the True Dragon Clan from the Great Thousand World. Only dragons of the True Dragon Clan had the chance to cultivate it.

"True Dragon Nine Transformations can lead to becoming a Nine-Clawed Golden Dragon. I am currently a Five-Clawed Golden Dragon, so cultivating this technique should not be too difficult in the early stages. However, the secret arts and Dou Techniques attached to it are what I truly need to focus on mastering."

He continued forward until he arrived before the second inherited artifact. It was a spear. After the same process of blood recognition, Ao Qing learned its origins.

This spear was called the Soul Shocking Spear. It had been forged by the previous Dragon God of the True Dragon Hall in the Great Thousand World. It also came with a spear technique known as the "True Dragon Spear Technique."

Looking at these inherited artifacts, ripples rose in Ao Qing's once-calm heart. As a modern man from the twenty-first century, he had no way not to be astonished after arriving in a world from a novel and obtaining such supreme opportunities.

He arrived before the final inherited artifact. It was a round pearl. When Ao Qing touched it, an enormous dragon-shaped phantom appeared before him.

"You are quite impressive, descendant of the True Dragon Clan."

The True Dragon phantom widened its eyes, circled Ao Qing once, then spoke with some dissatisfaction.

"Are you the True Dragon who fell here?" Ao Qing asked doubtfully.

"Yes and no. More precisely, I possess a portion of Azure Dragon's consciousness. I am an artifact spirit born from this Dragon Pearl, and only through its power have I remained until now. My purpose in existing is to tell you how to use this Dragon Pearl."

"Please speak, Senior. This junior will listen attentively!"

"The Dragon Pearl is where the True Dragon Clan stores its magical power. It can be said to be the equivalent of a human's Dantian. However, the Dragon Pearl also possesses the nature of a magical treasure, making it even more wondrous.

"I have remained here for tens of thousands of years. Tens of thousands of years ago, the True Dragon's injuries could finally no longer be sustained. After the True Dragon died, fewer and fewer people in this world could break through to become Dou Emperors. Over the past ten thousand years, no one in this world has been able to break through to the Dou Emperor realm. Other than the last Dou Emperor, Tou She Ancient God, no one has been able to escape the confines of this world.

"At its root, it is because heaven and earth lack something special—Source Qi! The potential of a world is limited, and the Source Qi it can nurture is likewise limited. Every Dou Emperor's birth consumes a portion of Source Qi, yet Dou Emperors do not know how to give back to heaven and earth by drawing the Source Qi of the Great Thousand World into this world. Of course, they do not know how to draw in Source Qi either. Over time, this world could no longer produce Dou Emperor-level experts.

"And you are undoubtedly fortunate. After the True Dragon died, the Dragon Pearl retained an immense amount of Source Qi. If one day you reach the peak of the Dou Saint realm, you may absorb the Source Qi within the Dragon Pearl, break through to the Dou Emperor realm, free yourself from the will of this world, and travel to the Great Thousand World to contend with the myriad races!

"Looking at you now, you already possess the strength of a One-Star Dou Saint. However, it seems you still cannot control your power and need time to temper it.

"But that will not affect you. In a few decades, you will likely reach the peak of the Dou Saint realm. Then, you will ascend as a Dou Emperor!

"Alright, ask whatever questions you have. I am about to dissipate as well!"

"Senior, may I take human form?" Ao Qing looked at his body and asked seriously.

"Of course. Once the True Dragon Clan reaches the Dou Saint realm, they may take human form. Perhaps you have only just been born and have not yet had time to examine the inherited memories within your mind.

"So be it. Let this old man help you one last time!"

As soon as he spoke, the True Dragon phantom waved his hand, and Ao Qing began taking human form!

Time passed slowly. In the blink of an eye, more than a month had gone by. During this period, Ao Qing had remained in the process of taking human form. Today was the day it would end.

The light faded. Dressed in white, Ao Qing looked at his long black hair. Combined with the body of a fifteen- or sixteen-year-old, he could not help but sigh. It was good to be alive!

From death to life, Ao Qing had come to understand everything. A faint smile appeared in his tranquil gaze. From this day onward, there was no longer an Ao Qing from Earth in this world. There was only the Young Master of the Ancient Void Dragon Clan, the True Dragon Ao Qing!

"So this is the power of a Dou Saint?" Feeling the formidable fluctuations emanating from within his body, Ao Qing could not help but lose himself for a moment. However, as the Azure Dragon phantom had said, he needed to quickly adapt to and master the strength of a One-Star Dou Saint.

Soon, Ao Qing walked out of the True Dragon Inheritance grounds.

At this moment, the seven elders had already been waiting for a long time.

"Big Brother! Look, the Young Master has come out!" As soon as Eighth Elder spoke, Ao Qing appeared before the dragons.

"The Young Master has come out? Did you receive Lord True Dragon's inheritance?" Even the Grand Elder could not help asking.

"Grand Elder, I have not failed my mission. I have obtained Lord True Dragon's inheritance!"

"Good! Good! Excellent! From today onward, the Ancient Void Dragon Clan shall return to its peak once more!"

"Elders, there is one more matter in which I need your help."

"Please speak, Young Master. Do not stand on ceremony with us. So long as this group of old fellows can do it, we will risk our lives to help you!"

"Thank you, Elders, though there is no need for that. I simply need you to find me a place for secluded cultivation. I need time to familiarize myself with my strength and cultivate my techniques and Dou Techniques!"

"That is easy. Young Master may go to the places where we usually cultivate in seclusion. We will stand guard for you, so cultivate without worry!"

"Then I shall trouble you, Elders!"

With that, Ao Qing left together with the elders...

Upon arriving at the elders' cultivation grounds, Ao Qing was somewhat shocked. The dense Dou Qi was nearly liquefied. No wonder the elders possessed such extraordinary strength. Cultivating in a place like this for ten thousand years, even an ordinary magical beast would obtain great fortune, much less the Ancient Void Dragon Clan.

In the days that followed, Ao Qing began his period of secluded cultivation. Outside Ancient Dragon Island—

In the Xiao Clan of Wutan City, Jia Ma Empire, Dou Qi Continent, accompanied by the cry of an infant, Xiao Yan, the destined protagonist of this world, was born. From that moment onward, this world became different. Countless powers rose, and countless powers were destroyed.

The strong survived, while the weak were eliminated. Perhaps that was the law of the world. Even a force as powerful as the Soul Clan ultimately ended in the ruin of its clan and the death of its people.