No wonder the Ink Flood Dragon could enter the Ancestral Dragon Pool. It seemed he was relying on the power of this Dragon Pearl.
With the aura of a Dragon Pearl, and the Ink Flood Dragon's own dragon bloodline, it wasn't impossible for him to enter.
But in that case, the formation around the Dragon Transformation Pool probably wouldn't be able to stop him.
Lin Changqing watched gravely as the Ink Flood Dragon pressed on. The dragon race treasure in the Ink Flood Dragon's hands was, of course, inferior to the one Lin Changqing had.
A Dragon Pearl from a Quasi-Sage-level dragon was an exceptional treasure in the Primordial World, even if it wasn't entirely without peer. It was hardly common.
As for the Dragon Pearl in the Ink Flood Dragon's hands, judging by its aura, it belonged to a dragon at most at the Grand Unity Golden Immortal level. Still, it had come from a true dragon.
At that moment, the Ink Flood Dragon clamped one claw around the Dragon Pearl. Countless dark green wisps of energy surged like a storm and gathered around his claw.
The cracks across the Dragon Scale spread rapidly, and in an instant, it shattered.
Countless golden wisps of energy converged. The thousand-zhang phantom of a true dragon grew increasingly solid, and the aura of the dragon race surged rapidly.
Then the Ink Flood Dragon opened his maw and swallowed the Dragon Pearl whole.
"Roar!!!"
A pained, furious roar burst from the Ink Flood Dragon's mouth, shaking the entire Dragon Transformation Pool.
Lin Changqing furrowed his brow.
He was forcing himself to transform into a dragon!
With a Dragon Pearl and an existing dragon bloodline, one could transform into a dragon for a short time, but such a transformation couldn't compare to truly becoming a dragon.
Even so, the Ink Flood Dragon already had a relatively potent bloodline, and he was a late-stage Golden Immortal. His aura now surged by half.
Beside the black horn on his forehead, two pale golden dragon horns slowly grew.
A golden sheen also quietly spread across his scales.
Even the Ink Flood Dragon's four claws began to change, slowly becoming the five claws of a true dragon.
But he wasn't truly becoming a dragon. The process only brought him halfway through the evolution. The newly formed dragon claws had grown only halfway before they stopped changing.
Golden flames rose in the Ink Flood Dragon's eyes. Boundless killing intent roiled around him as he bore down on the Dragon Transformation Pool.
With his strength boosted by half and his cultivation at the late Golden Immortal stage, his aura was now far more powerful than before.
The formation around the Dragon Transformation Pool offered much less resistance.
But since he wasn't a true dragon, golden radiance still blocked the Ink Flood Dragon. It simply couldn't keep him out as completely as before.
With a roar, the phantom of the true dragon became a streak of golden light and coiled around the Ink Flood Dragon's horns, plunging toward the barrier ahead.
Inside the Ancestral Dragon Pool, Ao Ying remained unchanged, enduring the endless agony of having her bloodline purified.
She trusted Lin Changqing completely, and she believed he would protect her now.
Lin Changqing could only smile wryly. You certainly trust me a lot.
Did you never think I might just run away?
He shook his head. Of course he wasn't going to run.
Bloodlust surged through Lin Changqing.
A rush of hot blood flooded his heart.
At Kunlun Mountain, he had fought an early-stage Golden Immortal without using his full strength. After all, he had to leave some face for the Saint.
When he killed the Golden Condor, he had gone all out, and he'd nearly been outmaneuvered.
When he killed Green Vine, he'd struck by surprise and finished the fight with a swift, thunderous attack.
Now, he was about to fight a late-stage Golden Immortal despite being nearly an entire major realm lower!
Even Lin Changqing felt deeply uneasy. The Ink Flood Dragon was far beyond Green Vine's level, and Lin Changqing couldn't help but worry.
But leave Ao Ying behind?
Aside from whether Lin Changqing could live with himself, doing so would surely leave him with an Inner Demon and damage his Dao Heart. He would never do that.
At that moment, all three thousand six hundred Divine Demon phantoms within his body stirred in unison. Boundless blood energy poured from his pores, and streaks of crimson light emerged, weaving around him.
A suit of blood-red armor enveloped Lin Changqing from head to toe.
If he was going to fight, he had to give it everything!
And he had to buy time.
Lin Changqing wasn't going to use the Supreme Grade Innate Spiritual Treasure, which consumed an enormous amount of power.
But he couldn't charge into battle barehanded, either.
"Spear of Divine Demons!"
With a low shout, streaks of blood-red light rapidly gathered in his hand, forming a blood-red spear etched with divine patterns. Its murderous aura swept across the surroundings.
"Divine Demon Wings!"
A pair of blood-red wings spread behind him in an instant, and a swift, dark glow enveloped his body.
He still wasn't going to charge in recklessly, but aside from the Heart-Piercing Lock, which consumed the most power, Lin Changqing had spared nothing. He had brought all his other strength to bear.
The energy he had spent fighting Green Vine had fully recovered, and the battle had even helped him improve.
Forming the two divine abilities and the blood-red armor had consumed only four-tenths of his Divine Demon Power.
With six-tenths remaining, holding off a late-stage Golden Immortal shouldn't be a problem.
All of this had happened in the blink of an eye.
Lin Changqing's lips curled slightly, a hint of killing intent flashing in his eyes.
A late-stage Golden Immortal, huh? Let's see what you've got!
"Who's there, skulking in the shadows? Show yourself!"
A streak of blood-red light rose amid the golden clouds, and the Ink Flood Dragon spotted it at once. He roared, and his claw shot forward like lightning, tearing through the air as it swiped at Lin Changqing.
As for the Ink Flood Dragon's own body, the power of the Dragon Pearl was limited. He had to use it where it mattered most.
The Ink Flood Dragon rose into the air, his enormous body stretching fifteen hundred zhang. Dark ripples surged around him, and golden radiance shimmered from his horns.
Along with his original flood dragon horn, the three sharpened points flared with an edge that grew ever keener. The aura of a true dragon burst forth as he brought it crashing against the golden barrier!
With this kind of force, Lin Changqing wouldn't be surprised if he broke through the barrier. After all, the Ancestral Dragon Pool was a treasured place meant for the dragon race to absorb its power. There was no reason it would block the aura of a true dragon.
But being able to break through and being allowed to break through were two different things.
"Since when did a little black snake want to become a dragon?"
"This Dragon Transformation Pool isn't a place you can enter!"
Lin Changqing snorted and launched straight into a taunt.
What divine ability could beat running your mouth? It cost no energy, had no cooldown, and could even help you fight above your level.
Lin Changqing, who dared to speak his mind even in front of Saints, wasn't afraid of a mere Ink Flood Dragon.
Lin Changqing flew straight out of the golden clouds. His blood-red wings stirred the clouds, and the spear in his hand swept across, shattering the streak of claw energy the Ink Flood Dragon had sent at him.
Though his blood-red armor covered a figure only a few zhang tall, his air of utter fearlessness, as if he looked down on the whole world, made the surrounding clouds tremble.
"Presumptuous!"
Already furious at the thought of his opportunity being snatched away, the Ink Flood Dragon was boiling with rage. Now someone dared to provoke him? They were asking to die!
With an angry roar, the Ink Flood Dragon looked up through the clouds and saw only Lin Changqing.
"Mystic Immortal?"
"Hahahaha! A mere Mystic Immortal ant dares to act so arrogantly before me!"
"To block my attack, that spear must be a decent spiritual treasure."
"Brat, you came to my door to die. Don't blame me for this. Die!"
The Ink Flood Dragon turned and golden light flashed above his head. His horns unleashed an edge sharp enough to scour the sky as it rained down.
In an instant, the cramped space shook violently. An edge that could tear apart heaven and earth shot toward Lin Changqing, bearing down on him.
If he didn't dodge, he would die!
Even a mid-stage Golden Immortal wouldn't dare withstand an attack like that!
But Lin Changqing only smiled.
"That's it?"
Before you continue