Suppressing the Candle Dragon, Mid-stage Daluo

Ten thousand miles outside Penglai Immortal Island, East King Duke came to a halt.

Not far away, standing upon the rolling waves, was a group of people led by that red-robed Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal of the mid-stage.

"Fellow Daoist, I am Candle Dragon. I have been waiting for you for quite some time."

It really was Candle Dragon. East King Duke nodded inwardly; he had guessed as much before, but he hadn't expected to be right.

Legend had it that this Candle Dragon was the younger brother of Ancestor Dragon and was considered the second-in-command of the Dragon Tribe. Later on, he would retreat alongside Ancestor Dragon and never appear in the Primordial World again.

"May I ask for your name, Fellow Daoist?"

"I am East King Duke. What business does Fellow Daoist Candle Dragon have with me?"

Facing Candle Dragon, whose cultivation realm was higher than his own, East King Duke did not panic in the slightest.

"My Dragon Tribe is the master of the four seas. As an Innate Divine Being born in the East Sea, you are fated to be with our clan. I have come here to invite you to join the Dragon Tribe and share in the fortune of the four seas."

"I am accustomed to a life of leisure and have no intention of joining. Please return, Fellow Daoist."

East King Duke did not hesitate for a moment and refused directly. As a top-tier Innate Divine Being in his own right, possessing supreme treasures, and aspiring to attain the Primordial Dao, how could he ever submit to the Dragon Tribe?

Furthermore, he knew the fate of the Dragon Tribe. Do not be fooled by the current glory of the Dragon, Phoenix, and Qilin Tribes; in reality, they were destined to be nothing more than bones in a grave. After the Dragon-Han Tribulation, due to the excessive slaughter they had committed, the members of the three tribes would be entangled in karmic debt, their cultivation would stagnate, and they would eventually withdraw from the grand stage of the Primordial World. Many cultivators of the three tribes would even end up as mounts for other great powers, driven at their beck and call.

As the expert of the Dragon Tribe second only to Ancestor Dragon, Candle Dragon had always been a man of his word. This recruitment was intended to net a powerful expert for the Dragon Tribe, and seeing East King Duke refuse so bluntly, his face darkened.

"If that is the case, how do you intend to settle the debt for the slaughter of my Dragon Tribe's cultivators?"

"It is nothing more than a clash of strength. If Fellow Daoist Candle Dragon wishes to strike, I shall accompany you."

East King Duke's expression remained calm; he even felt a surge of fighting spirit.

"How bold!"

Candle Dragon let out an angry roar, stepped onto the waves, and rose into mid-air, striking down at East King Duke with a massive palm.

The full might of a mid-stage Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal was unleashed. The power of that palm whipped up ten-thousand-foot waves, the forces of cloud and rain surging like a torrential downpour of mercury as it smashed toward East King Duke.

East King Duke's eyes narrowed. He faced the descending water dragon and threw a punch.

The majestic Innate Pure Yang power displayed an aura of uprightness and brilliance. As the two forces collided, the water dragon was sent flying backward, and both sides were forced back a hundred miles, appearing evenly matched.

Candle Dragon was shocked. He had assumed that with his combat power, he could easily suppress an early-stage Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal, but he had not expected his opponent to be this strong.

At this moment, East King Duke was confident. His foundation was powerful, and coupled with tens of thousands of years of contemplating the Yin-Yang Qi within the Yin-Yang Dao Lotus, his origin had harmonized, refining his mana to such an extent that it was no longer inferior to that of a mid-stage Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal.

"Awoo!"

A dragon's roar shook the East Sea. Candle Dragon revealed his True Dragon form, clearly going all out.

From within the clouds, a dragon claw reached out and struck down with ferocity!

Seeing this massive dragon form, East King Duke naturally dared not be careless. Clear qi surged around his body, transforming him into a giant ten thousand zhang tall.

This was a Dharma manifestation ability from the Pure Yang True Scripture, his innate inheritance.

The Pure Yang Sword flew out, expanding as it caught the wind until it became a colossal blade. The giant manifestation gripped it in its hand and immediately slashed downward.

"Clang!"

The Pure Yang Sword Qi collided with the dragon claw, a sound like clashing metal ringing out across the entire sea.

"Boom!"

As two Zenith Heaven Golden Immortals battled, magical power radiated everywhere, with shockwaves sweeping across ten thousand miles.

The two fought for a full ten years, a conflict that alarmed more than just the Dragon Clan. The battle stirred up a riot of spiritual energy, nearly clearing the sea for hundreds of thousands of miles in every direction.

On this day, sword qi soared into the heavens. As the formidable sword energy passed, the massive dragon body was sent flying backward, crashing into the sea. When Candle Dragon reverted to his human form, he was in a sorry state, having sustained several injuries.

In this exchange, Candle Dragon had clearly been defeated. After withdrawing his true form, he turned into a streak of light and fled.

Seeing Candle Dragon retreat in defeat, East King Duke did not pursue. Having fought an opponent with a deeper cultivation base than his own, he was not in a good state himself, having exhausted much of the immortal power within his body.

Furthermore, he and Candle Dragon had not reached the point of a life-or-death struggle. Most importantly, after ten years of combat, his cultivation at the early stage of the Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal realm showed signs of loosening.

This was a matter of top priority, so he retracted his manifestation and headed straight for his own Dao field.

Beyond the Dragon Clan, other rogue cultivators of the East Sea had been watching the battle from the shadows. Among them were many experts, including some who were also Zenith Heaven Golden Immortals.

The fact that he could trade blows with Candle Dragon—a renowned expert of the Dragon Clan—and seemingly emerge victorious, left the East Sea cultivators in shock. One after another, they marked East King Duke as someone who must not be offended.

Thus, the prestige of the great powerhouse East King Duke spread throughout the Four Seas.

Although this trip to Penglai Immortal Island had been full of unexpected events, the harvest was quite impressive.

Upon returning to Mount Fang Island, East King Duke immediately took out the Yellow Middle Plum he had stored in the Chaos Bead and planted it within his Dao field, watering it daily with Three Lights Divine Water.

A hundred days later, this top-grade Innate Spiritual Root had officially taken root on Mount Fang Island, constantly emitting Xuanhuang Qi to nourish the immortal island.

As one of the Ten Great Innate Spiritual Roots, the Yellow Middle Plum was a treasure imbued with the spirit of heaven and earth. It deepened the foundation of Mount Fang Island, making the entire Supreme Yang Dao Field appear increasingly vibrant and filled with charm.

Having handled these matters, East King Duke returned to the Supreme Yang Dao Palace with peace of mind, locked the palace gates, and began his seclusion.

He sat cross-legged upon the Innate Yin-Yang Dao Lotus and consumed two Yellow Middle Plums. It took him ten years to recover from the minor hidden injuries sustained during his battle with Candle Dragon and to restore his Dao body to its peak state.

Next, he manifested the three flowers above his head and began to cultivate, circulating the methods of the Pure Yang True Scripture.

Just as East King Duke was in seclusion, far away in the ancestral lands of the Dragon Clan, millions of miles away...

"Brother, this East King Duke is truly strange. Although he is only at the early stage of the Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal realm, his combat power surpasses that of a mid-stage Zenith Heaven. His heritage is extraordinary, and he must possess supreme treasures. Furthermore, he has occupied that Mount Fangzhang Immortal Island that descended from the heavens. It will require you to take action and suppress him."

After Candle Dragon was defeated and returned to his clan, he sought out his eldest brother, Ancestor Dragon, to report the matter of East King Duke.

At this moment, Ancestor Dragon sat upright on his dragon throne, his posture imposing. His aura was unfathomably deep. After hearing what Candle Dragon had to say, he pondered for a moment.

"My cultivation breakthrough is imminent; I cannot move lightly. This matter is not urgent. A mere Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal cultivator cannot affect our clan's grand plan for hegemony. Once the Dragon Clan achieves its momentum, he can be extinguished with a wave of my hand. From this day forward, you are to dispatch troops to subjugate the myriad spirits of the Four Seas so that they honor our Dragon Clan, establishing us as the true masters of the Four Seas."

"Rest assured, Brother, I understand."

"Penglai Immortal Island, Mount Fangzhang Immortal Island... My Dragon Clan has thrived in the Four Seas for countless years. Under the Heavenly Dao, I am surprised that such miraculous immortal islands were still hidden within the East Sea."

Ancestor Dragon whispered to himself, then continued, "Candle Dragon, send more clansmen to patrol the Four Seas, especially the East Sea. Perhaps there are other undiscovered immortal islands. Even if we cannot occupy them like Penglai, we must collect their treasures for the Dragon Treasury!"

"Yes!"

Meanwhile, in the blink of an eye, East King Duke had been in seclusion for ten thousand years.

Upon the Dao Lotus, the Three Flowers of Heaven, Earth, and Man atop his head shone brilliantly. The Human Flower had already bloomed, and at this moment, the Earth Flower was slightly unfurling, showing signs of full blossoming.

Suddenly, his primordial spirit trembled, and the Earth Flower quivered. The Pure Yang Energy permeating the Supreme Yang Dao Palace was absorbed bit by bit into the flower bud.

Above the Earth Flower, points of light appeared, growing increasingly intense.

Finally, the petals slowly unfolded one by one. It took a full hundred years for the Earth Flower to fully bloom.

Boundless immortal power began to wash over his Dao body.

East King Duke had reached the mid-stage of the Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal realm!