Ten thousand li outside Penglai Immortal Island, East King Duke stopped.
Not far away, a group stood atop the surging waves. They were the Dragon Tribe, led by the red-robed Mid-stage Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal.
"Fellow Daoist, I am Candle Dragon. I have been waiting for you."
It was indeed Candle Dragon. East King Duke nodded to himself. He had suspected as much earlier, and it seemed his guess had been right.
According to legend, Candle Dragon was Ancestor Dragon's younger twin brother. He was second in stature within the Dragon Tribe, and later withdrew alongside Ancestor Dragon, never appearing in the Primordial World again.
"May I ask your name, Fellow Daoist?"
"I am East King Duke. What business does Candle Dragon Fellow Daoist have with me?"
Though Candle Dragon's cultivation was higher than his own, East King Duke remained perfectly calm.
"Our Dragon Tribe rules the Four Seas. You are an Innate Divine Being from the East Sea, and thus are fated to be connected with our tribe. I have come to invite you to join the Dragon Tribe and share in the fortunes of the Four Seas."
"I am used to a carefree life and have no intention of joining. Please return, Fellow Daoist."
East King Duke refused without the slightest hesitation. He was a top-tier Innate Divine Being, possessed a supreme treasure, and aspired to attain the Primordial Unity Dao. How could he debase himself by joining the Dragon Tribe?
Besides, he knew how the Dragon Tribe's story would end. Though the Dragon, Phoenix, and Qilin Tribes seemed to flourish now, they were already doomed. After the Dragon-Han Tribulation, their people would be burdened with Karmic Sin for the countless lives they had taken. Their cultivation would stagnate, and they would gradually withdraw from the stage of the Primordial World. Many cultivators from the Three Tribes would even become mounts for other great powers, serving at their command.
Candle Dragon was the Dragon Tribe's strongest expert after Ancestor Dragon and was accustomed to having his word obeyed. He had hoped to recruit a Great Supernatural Being for the tribe, but East King Duke had flatly refused. His expression turned cold.
"If that is so, how do you intend to repay the debt for slaughtering my Dragon Tribe's cultivators?"
"We can settle it with a fight. If Candle Dragon Fellow Daoist wishes to make a move, I will gladly oblige."
East King Duke's expression was calm, and he even felt a surge of Battle Intent.
"You have some nerve!"
Candle Dragon roared and surged upward over the waves, rising into the air before bringing his palm down toward East King Duke.
The might of a Mid-stage Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal burst forth in full. His palm stirred up waves ten thousand zhang high, and the power of clouds and rain surged as it crashed toward East King Duke like a silver torrent.
East King Duke's eyes narrowed. He thrust a fist toward the descending water dragon.
Vast innate Pure Yang Energy blazed with a righteous, luminous aura. When the two forces met, the water dragon was hurled backward, and both sides retreated a hundred li. They were evenly matched.
Candle Dragon was shocked. He had thought that, with his strength, he could easily suppress an early-stage Great Luo Golden Immortal. He had not expected East King Duke to be so powerful.
East King Duke was now confident. His powerful innate nature, combined with tens of thousands of years spent comprehending the Yin Yang Qi within the Yin-Yang Dao Lotus, had brought his origin into harmony and refined his magic power to an extreme. It was already no weaker than that of a Mid-stage Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal.
"Roar!"
A dragon's cry shook the East Sea as Candle Dragon revealed his True Dragon form. It was clear he was giving the fight everything he had.
From within the clouds, a dragon claw reached out and struck down!
Seeing the enormous dragon body, East King Duke naturally did not dare underestimate his opponent. Clear qi welled around him, transforming him into a giant ten thousand zhang tall.
This was the Dharma Manifestation Divine Ability passed down to him innately through the Pure Yang True Scripture.
The Pure Yang Sword flew out and swelled with the wind, becoming a colossal weapon. The Dharma Manifestation giant gripped it and immediately swung it down.
Clang!
Pure Yang Sword Qi clashed with the dragon claw, and the sound of metal striking metal rang across the entire sea.
Boom!
The battle between two Great Luo Golden Immortals sent magic power blasting in every direction, while shockwaves swept across ten thousand li.
Their battle drew more than just the Dragon Tribe's attention. The contest of magic had lasted a full ten years, stirring the spiritual energy into a frenzy and nearly clearing it from the surrounding seas for hundreds of thousands of li.
On this day, sword qi surged into the sky. After a powerful Sword Qi swept past, the enormous dragon body was sent flying backward and crashed into the sea. When Candle Dragon reverted to his human form, he was in a sorry state and had sustained injuries.
Candle Dragon had lost the clash. After returning to his original form, he immediately turned into a streak of light and fled.
Seeing Candle Dragon flee, East King Duke did not pursue him. After fighting an opponent of a higher cultivation level, he was in poor condition himself, and much of his immortal power had been depleted.
Besides, he and Candle Dragon had not fought to the death. More importantly, after ten years of battle, his early-stage Great Luo Golden Immortal cultivation had shown signs of breaking through.
That was the most important matter, so he withdrew his divine ability and headed straight for his Dao Field.
Their battle had drawn the attention of more than the Dragon Tribe. Other unaffiliated cultivators of the East Sea had watched from the shadows, including some powerful experts and even cultivators who were themselves Great Luo Golden Immortals.
The fact that he had fought evenly with Candle Dragon, a renowned Dragon Tribe expert of the East Sea, and seemed to have won, shocked the cultivators of the East Sea. They all began to regard East King Duke as someone they must not offend.
Thus, East King Duke's reputation as a Great Supernatural Being spread throughout the Four Seas.
Though his trip to Penglai Immortal Island had been full of unexpected turns, the gains had been substantial.
After returning to Mount Fang Island, East King Duke immediately took the Yellow Middle Plum out of the Chaos Bead and planted it in his Dao Field, watering it daily with Three Lights Divine Water.
A hundred days later, this supreme-grade Innate Spiritual Root had firmly taken root on Mount Fang Island. It constantly emanated Xuanhuang Qi, nourishing the immortal island in return.
As one of the Ten Great Innate Spiritual Roots, the Yellow Middle Plum was a treasure blessed by the spiritual essence of Heaven and Earth. It deepened Mount Fang Island's foundations, lending the entire Supreme Yang Dao Field an even more vibrant aura.
Once he had taken care of this, East King Duke returned to the Supreme Yang Dao Palace, shut its gates, and began his secluded cultivation.
Seated upon the Innate Yin-Yang Dao Lotus, he took out and ate two Yellow Middle Plums. Over the next ten years, he healed the slight internal injuries left by his battle with Candle Dragon and restored his body to its peak condition.
Then he revealed the Three Flowers above his head, activated the cultivation method of the Pure Yang True Scripture, and began to cultivate.
While East King Duke was cultivating in seclusion, far away in the Dragon Tribe Territory, billions of li from there—
"Brother, East King Duke is truly strange. Though he is only an early-stage Great Luo Golden Immortal, his battle strength surpasses that of a mid-stage Great Luo. His inheritance is extraordinary, and he must have a supreme treasure. He has also occupied Mount Fangzhang Immortal Island, which descended from the heavens in the East Sea. Brother, you'll have to step in and suppress him."
After Candle Dragon returned to the tribe in defeat, he went to his elder brother, Ancestor Dragon, and reported what had happened with East King Duke.
Ancestor Dragon sat atop the dragon throne, his presence unfathomably profound. He listened to Candle Dragon, then pondered for a moment.
"My cultivation is on the verge of a breakthrough, so I cannot act recklessly. This matter can wait. A mere Great Luo Golden Immortal cultivator cannot affect our tribe's plan to dominate. Once the Dragon Tribe has established its supremacy, he can be destroyed with a wave of the hand. From this day onward, you are to send out troops and bring the myriad beings of the Four Seas under our rule, so that they all acknowledge the Dragon Tribe and we may become the true rulers of the Four Seas."
"Rest assured, Brother. I understand."
"Penglai Immortal Island, Mount Fangzhang Immortal Island... The Dragon Tribe has thrived across the Four Seas for countless years, yet beneath Heaven's will, such wondrous immortal islands were hidden in the East Sea. That truly surprises me."
Ancestor Dragon murmured, then continued, "Candle Dragon, send more of our people to patrol the Four Seas, especially the East Sea. There may be other undiscovered immortal islands. Even if we cannot occupy them, as we could not Penglai, we must seize their treasures and add them to the Dragon Treasury!"
"Yes!"
Meanwhile, East King Duke had already spent ten thousand years cultivating in seclusion.
Upon the Dao Lotus, the Three Flowers of Heaven, Earth, and Man shone above his head. The Human Flower had bloomed, while the Earth Flower had begun to unfurl, showing signs of blossoming.
Suddenly, his primordial spirit stirred, and the Earth Flower trembled. The Pure Yang Energy permeating the Supreme Yang Dao Palace was drawn, bit by bit, into its bud.
Specks of light appeared atop the Earth Flower, then grew brighter and brighter.
At last, its petals slowly unfolded, one after another. A full hundred years passed before the Earth Flower opened completely.
Vast immortal power began to cleanse his body.
East King Duke had reached the Mid-stage Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal realm!
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