Ancestor Dragon's idea was good, but it was far too naive.
Sure enough, the moment the dragon claw touched the Taiji Diagram, a terrifying suction force surged forth.
A black hole appeared on the Taiji Diagram and began spinning wildly. Before Ancestor Dragon could react, he was swallowed whole.
The interior of the Taiji Diagram formed its own world, evolving yin and yang and creation. It was the best way to trap an enemy.
Even with Ancestor Dragon's heaven-shaking strength, escaping from it would be no easy feat.
Moreover, Dao Venerable Qing Tian would not simply stand by and do nothing.
The World-Destroying Millstone hung in the sky, permeated by boundless baleful energy. Floating above the Taiji Diagram, it came crashing down in suppression.
Dao Venerable Qing Tian watched without blinking, fully focused on seizing the Ancestor Dragon Pearl.
In the distance, Phoenix Ancestor and Shi Qilin wore complicated expressions.
Dao Venerable Qing Tian's strength had somewhat exceeded their expectations. Even Phoenix Ancestor had not anticipated this.
She had originally thought that no matter how powerful Dao Venerable Qing Tian was, he would still be on par with Ancestor Dragon.
Who could have expected the battle to become completely one-sided the moment it began?
Before Dao Venerable Qing Tian, Ancestor Dragon had no power to fight back at all.
"You guessed it right. Such methods..."
Shi Qilin let out a soft sigh, making up his mind never to provoke Dao Venerable Qing Tian.
Ancestor Dragon today was a warning to him.
"The Innate Supreme Treasure is too powerful. Even with Ancestor Dragon's overwhelming methods, he still can't withstand it. He was restrained before he could even make a move."
Phoenix Ancestor spoke.
The Taiji Diagram could stabilize earth, water, wind, and fire. It was practically the nemesis of the Three Innate Races.
Her eyes flickered as they repeatedly lingered over Meng Wu.
A powerhouse like Dao Venerable Qing Tian—if she could win him over to the Phoenix Clan, then whether it was the Qilin Clan or the Dragon Clan, they would probably have to stand aside.
The Phoenix Clan would rule the world!
At the thought, even her breathing grew rapid.
Seizing control of the Primordial Wilderness was not merely about power. More importantly, it meant resources, Destiny, and more.
Those were the key.
"An Innate Supreme Treasure... It's truly enviable!"
Shi Qilin gave a bitter laugh.
"Ancestor Dragon Pearl, submit to me!"
At that moment, Dao Venerable Qing Tian's roar rang out. Chaotic-colored flames leaped in his palm, completely enveloping the Ancestor Dragon Pearl as if he intended to refine it entirely.
The Taiji Diagram shook violently, scattering even some of the World-Destroying Millstone's baleful energy. Clearly, Ancestor Dragon was still causing trouble inside, trying to break out of the realm.
Time slowly passed. In the blink of an eye, several thousand years went by.
Countless members of the Dragon Clan arrived, surrounding Undying Mountain until it was completely sealed off.
Ancestor Dragon was trapped. To the Dragon Clan, this was the most important matter of all, and they would rescue him at any cost.
"Phoenix Ancestor, what do you mean by this? Could it be that you intend to wage war against my Dragon Clan?"
The Dragon Clan's second-strongest expert, Candle Dragon, spoke coldly as he questioned Phoenix Ancestor.
He had already learned the whole story on his way there. His reason for saying this now was merely to force Phoenix Ancestor to compromise and help rescue Ancestor Dragon.
Phoenix Ancestor sneered and said, "If you want to fight, then fight. Do you think I'm afraid of you? You came to my Undying Mountain to demand an explanation. The Dragon Clan has gone too far!"
Candle Dragon's face turned livid with anger. He immediately roared and transformed into a massive black-and-white dragon. In response to the hundreds of thousands of dragons around him, he soared into the air, forming a terrifying formation.
The Myriad Dragon Refining Realm Great Formation!
These hundreds of thousands of giant dragons were the Dragon Clan's elite. Even the weakest was at the Golden Immortal Realm, while several hundred were Grand Unity Golden Immortals and thirteen were Hunyuan Golden Immortals. What a terrifying lineup!
Once the Myriad Dragon Refining Realm Great Formation was activated, even a peak Hunyuan Golden Immortal would have to retreat.
This was the Dragon Clan's true trump card!
"Candle Dragon? You want to rescue Ancestor Dragon?"
Dao Venerable Qing Tian had noticed Candle Dragon and the others' movements long ago. However, the refinement of the Ancestor Dragon Pearl had already reached its final stage, and he was unwilling to waste time on such trivial matters.
Ancestor Dragon had not perished. He was merely trapped in the Taiji Diagram's space, where he continued stirring up trouble and interfering with the Ancestor Dragon Pearl.
Moreover, the Ancestor Dragon Pearl was Ancestor Dragon's bonded treasure. Their lives were intertwined through cultivation, making their relationship completely different from that between Hongjun and the Taiji Diagram.
Thus, refining this treasure was genuinely difficult.
Of course, there was one simple method: kill Ancestor Dragon.
Once that happened, the Ancestor Dragon Pearl would become ownerless, and refining it would naturally be much easier.
But Dao Venerable Qing Tian had his own considerations.
The Dragon, Phoenix, and Qilin Clans were all innate races and the driving forces behind the Dragon-Han Initial Tribulation. Their status was extraordinary.
He had no intention of interfering with the tribulation's progress, so he naturally would not kill Ancestor Dragon. Otherwise, would that not simply give the Qilin and Phoenix Clans an advantage?
If the Dragon-Han Initial Tribulation failed to begin, that would be the real trouble.
In the current Primordial Wilderness, Innate Demons and various powerhouses emerged one after another. There were Grand Unity Golden Immortals everywhere and Grand Unity Golden Immortals were as worthless as dogs, placing a tremendous burden on the Primordial Wilderness.
Moreover, these living beings had extremely long lifespans, practically sharing the longevity of heaven and earth. The amount of world essence they absorbed each day was astronomical. Over time, the Primordial Wilderness's resources would inevitably be exhausted, amounting to draining the pond to catch the fish.
The purpose of the Tribulation was to kill some beings burdened by a killing tribulation and tainted by tremendous karma, allowing the world's essence to return to the Primordial Wilderness and form a cycle.
Dao Venerable Qing Tian understood this very clearly, so he naturally would not meddle unnecessarily.
Boom!
The sky collapsed and the earth split!
At that very moment, the Myriad Dragon Refining Realm Great Formation descended. Hundreds of thousands of giant dragons filled the void densely, surrounding Dao Venerable Qing Tian completely. Terrifying, boundless auras radiated from them, nearly destroying heaven and earth.
Dao Venerable Qing Tian, who stood at the center, naturally bore the brunt of it as boundless pressure crushed down.
"Dao Venerable Qing Tian, why don't you surrender and set Ancestor Dragon free?"
Candle Dragon let out a furious roar. His voice pierced metal and shattered stone as it spread in all directions.
The moment he spoke, hundreds of thousands of giant dragons roared in unison. Their voices shot into the heavens, and as their terrifying might spread, the myriad beings of the heavens trembled in fear.
Even Phoenix Ancestor and Shi Qilin watched the situation cautiously.
Even the two of them had no confidence that they could break through the Myriad Dragon Refining Realm Great Formation.
Unless they also used the foundations of their clans to set up an Innate Formation.
"Annoying."
Dao Venerable Qing Tian cast a faint glance at the hundreds of thousands of giant dragons led by Candle Dragon and spat out two words.
Boom!
The dragons instantly exploded into an uproar, boiling over completely.
Arrogant—far too arrogant!
"Stubborn fool. Since you refuse to cooperate, I'll make sure your billions of years of hard work are destroyed in an instant."
Candle Dragon gritted his teeth.
Buzz!
He stepped out from the crowd, extending his sharp claws. They pierced through the void and stabbed downward like a white rainbow shooting through the sun, arriving above Dao Venerable Qing Tian's head in an instant.
Heaven-shaking killing intent filled the air. Cold light flashed across the dragon claw, which possessed the power to destroy worlds!
"Not good!"
Phoenix Ancestor cried out in alarm, her gaze instantly turning solemn.
"Ah! Be careful!"
Meng Wu screamed, warning Dao Venerable Qing Tian.
As the Dragon Clan's second-strongest expert, Candle Dragon's strength could not be underestimated.
It was said that he had innately mastered the power of yin and yang. When he opened his eyes, it was day; when he closed them, it was night. He was a renowned figure in the Primordial Wilderness.
Now that he had suddenly attacked, coupled with the support of the Myriad Dragon Refining Realm Great Formation, his strength had risen without limit. He had nearly surpassed Ancestor Dragon and reached the pinnacle of the Hunyuan Golden Immortal Realm!
Faced with such a terrifying attack, Dao Venerable Qing Tian remained completely unaware, as if he had not sensed it at all.
"Dao Venerable Qing Tian is nothing special after all! Die!"
Seeing that Dao Venerable Qing Tian made no move, Candle Dragon was overjoyed. His claw descended even faster, shrouded in Yin-Yang Qi. Once it struck, it could directly tear apart his opponent's soul. It was terrifyingly powerful.
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