Five-Clawed Divine Dragon!

"Hisss—!"

The White Flood Dragon could no longer restrain itself. It slithered to Zhang Qingxuan's feet, lowering its massive head until it nearly touched the ground.

Its vertical pupils were filled with ingratiation, longing, and even a trace of pleading.

It let out a low, urgent hiss, its spiritual fluctuations churning violently:

"Hisss!" (Master! Please grant me one of those pills! I can feel it—it can let me transform into a dragon! A true dragon!)

"Hisss!" (I was the one who led you here. I deserve some credit!)

Hearing this, Zhang Qingxuan's lips curled slightly. He picked up the jade bottle containing the Creation Pills and removed its stopper.

At once, an even richer medicinal fragrance spread through the air.

Inside the bottle lay nine crimson-gold pills, each radiating an alluring sheen.

Zhang Qingxuan poured one out and rolled it between his fingers. The pill was as round as a pearl, with three naturally formed cloud patterns on its surface. Within its crimson-gold body, something resembling blood seemed to flow.

"You're right. You did render considerable service by finding this place."

He looked at the White Flood Dragon. Seeing that the longing in those vertical pupils was practically overflowing, he chuckled.

"In that case, I'll reward you with this Creation Pill. Whether you can transform into a dragon will depend on your own fortune."

With that, he flicked his finger. The Creation Pill turned into a streak of golden light and shot toward the White Flood Dragon.

Unprecedented ecstasy erupted in the White Flood Dragon's eyes. It abruptly raised its head, opened its enormous jaws, and swallowed the pill with perfect precision.

The instant the pill entered its stomach—

Boom!

Blinding white light erupted from the White Flood Dragon's body and soared into the sky!

The radiance was so intense that it illuminated the entire valley as brightly as day, even dyeing the clouds overhead with a pale white glow.

Within the light, the White Flood Dragon released a hiss of utter agony—and utter exhilaration.

The White Flood Dragon's cries gradually weakened as its body curled up within the white light, eventually transforming into a massive white cocoon three zhang tall.

A jade-like luster flowed over the cocoon's surface, and within it, the phantom silhouette of a dragon could faintly be seen swimming slowly.

A powerful, vast pulse of life emanated from the cocoon. Each beat stirred energy tides throughout the valley, and even the waters of the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well rose and fell with it.

Standing before the cocoon, Zhang Qingxuan could clearly sense the ever-growing aura within as it underwent its transformation.

He gently stroked the cocoon's surface. It felt warm and smooth, like jade.

"What comes next depends on your fortune."

"If you can break free of the cocoon as a dragon, I will permit you to follow at my side, and we will climb together to the peak of the Great Dao."

"If you fail..."

He shook his head and said nothing more.

The Creation Pill had given the White Flood Dragon an opportunity to evolve, but whether it could succeed ultimately depended on its bloodline foundation, willpower, perseverance, and that elusive thread of fate.

With a wave of his hand, Zhang Qingxuan stored all thirty-five bottles of pills from the ground into his storage artifact.

He glanced once more at the quietly standing cocoon, then turned and returned to the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well. Sitting cross-legged beside it, he closed his eyes and regulated his breathing.

The valley returned to silence.

Only the spring waters of the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well gurgled softly, ice and fire entwined eternally.

Only the steady, powerful heartbeat within that white cocoon continued to echo.

Thump... thump...

As though a great life were being nurtured within, awaiting the moment it broke from its cocoon and roared across the nine heavens.

Three days later, the white egg finally stirred.

The white egg, which had been quietly floating in midair, suddenly began to shake violently. Spiderweb-like cracks appeared across its shell, and every fissure spewed forth a suffocating, terrifying dragon's might.

That pressure was like collapsing mountains and raging seas, forcing Soul Beasts within a hundred li of the valley's outskirts to cry out mournfully and flee in panic!

Crack—!

With a crisp shattering sound, the eggshell completely broke apart, turning into specks of fluorescent light that scattered with the wind.

Immediately afterward, a mass of dazzling white light burst from the shell and shot straight into the heavens!

The instant that white light vanished into the sky, heaven and earth abruptly changed color.

The once-clear sky was blanketed by heavy tribulation clouds. Dark-red lightning rolled through them like colossal dragons, and an aura of destruction spread through the air—the Dragon Transformation Tribulation had descended!

Faced with the Lightning Tribulation delivered right to him, the dormant Yin-Yang Taiji Diagram and Green Leaf Sword within Zhang Qingxuan began to stir faintly, as though they wanted to devour this heavenly might.

"Stop that."

Zhang Qingxuan shouted coldly, forcibly suppressing his two eager martial souls.

"This is its opportunity, a Dragon Transformation Tribulation meant to temper its bloodline—not a snack for you two."

"Behave yourselves. Once it finishes its tribulation, you can eat whatever scraps are left!"

Sensing the severity in their master's tone, the Yin-Yang Taiji Diagram and Green Leaf Sword reluctantly withdrew their auras and fell silent once more.

Zhang Qingxuan stared intently at the heavens and thought, Little one, you'd better pull through. Don't waste all this abundant lightning...

Rumble!

Several dark-red tribulation bolts crashed down in succession, smashing mercilessly into the mass of white light.

For the time it took an incense stick to burn, the white light twisted and stretched continuously amid the lightning, its form changing rapidly.

When the final trace of tribulation lightning vanished, Zhang Qingxuan did not wait. His figure flashed, and he charged directly into the still-dispersing tribulation clouds.

The tribulation clouds sensed Zhang Qingxuan's intrusion, and vast lightning power instantly surged toward him—only to be swallowed and absorbed by the Yin-Yang Taiji Diagram and Green Leaf Sword.

When the final wisp of lightning had been fully absorbed, peace returned to the valley.

At that moment, a slender yet majestic figure appeared not far away. Its entire body was snow-white, its five claws raised toward the sky, and its scales glinted with a cold sheen beneath the sunlight. Intelligence and wisdom shone in its eyes—it was precisely the Five-Clawed White Dragon of legend from Zhang Qingxuan's previous life!

That White Flood Dragon had successfully transformed into a dragon!

Yet the White Dragon, having just reconstructed its true body, was somewhat dazed.

It stared blankly at Zhang Qingxuan as he emerged from the center of the Lightning Tribulation, while towering waves crashed through its heart.

Master... actually drained the rest of my Dragon Transformation Tribulation?!

Is he even human? What human can directly absorb the power of a Lightning Tribulation?!

"Master?" the White Dragon asked tentatively, its tone carrying a trace of reverence and uncertainty.

"Hm? What is it?" Zhang Qingxuan dusted off his sleeves and looked up.

"You... you really can absorb Lightning Tribulations?!" the White Dragon could not help asking again.

"Yes. What about it? Is there a problem?" Zhang Qingxuan nodded frankly, with no intention of concealing it. Since they would be together day and night in the future, he would not be able to hide it forever anyway.

Upon hearing Zhang Qingxuan admit it himself, the last trace of doubt in the White Dragon's eyes vanished, replaced by fervent worship and submission!

His strength is unfathomable, and he can even devour Lightning Tribulations... Following such a master, my future is brighter than ever!

Just as the master and servant's auras intertwined, a weak yet anxious voice suddenly reached Zhang Qingxuan's ears.

"My lord, please save us!"

Zhang Qingxuan's pupils contracted sharply. His powerful spiritual power instantly spread out like a tide, sweeping across the entire valley!

Yet this investigation sent a chill down his spine—there was actually something hidden in this valley that could completely evade his divine sense!

Everything he had done in the valley these past few days, as well as what had just happened, had likely all been exposed beneath the other party's watchful eyes!