Strength is Everything, Little Brother

Seeing Zhu Jin pierce through the Dou Qi Dragon Armor with such ease, some of the younger dragons caught on to the trick. "Not bad," they remarked. "He's mastered the solidification of Dou Qi despite only being a one-star Dou Ling. By solidifying the Dragon Dou Qi on his claws, he can easily puncture the armor."

"Hmph, the infancy stage is the easiest time to improve one's bloodline, yet he wasted ten years of resources just to boost his cultivation level. How foolish." Other young dragons of similar age looked on with disdain, pointing out the harsh truth.

After all, every dragon in its infancy focused primarily on refining its bloodline rather than pursuing cultivation. Zhu Jin had done the exact opposite; his bloodline remained at the third stage, while his cultivation had surged far ahead to reach the level of a one-star Dou Ling.

This was a trade-off: sacrificing his future potential for the sake of an early advantage in cultivation.

In that split second, a dragon tail whipped out with astonishing speed. Zhu Zong tried to dodge, but Zhu Jin's dragon claw pinned him down, leaving him no room to escape. With a loud "bang," the tail struck Zhu Zong, sending him flying into the wall of the Dragon Cliff with a dull thud before he spat out a mouthful of blood.

Without giving his opponent a chance to catch his breath, Zhu Jin soared into the sky. The Void Ancient Dragon Clan were true dragons; though they lacked wings, they were born with the ability to fly. He pressed his claws down toward Zhu Zong, as if intending to kill him with a single strike!

Yet, unexpectedly, the dragons surrounding the cliff—whether large or small, or even the old dragons resting on the Dragon Blood Stele—remained mere spectators. They had no intention of intervening or saving anyone; they were completely indifferent to the life-and-death struggle, not even bothering to offer a reprimand.

Facing this lethal claw, the little brother's eyes held no panic; instead, a flash of smugness crossed his face. In an instant, a wave of majestic light radiated from his body. The next second, the dragon claw slammed heavily into the cliff face, tearing a jagged hole into the rock.

Zhu Zong's figure had passed right through, instantly flashing behind Zhu Jin!

"As expected of a four-and-a-half-stage bloodline. He can execute a short-range Dragon Flash even at the Dou Shi level." Seeing this, a young dragon expressed slight surprise. One had to know that the Dragon Flash was classified as a low-tier Earth-grade movement technique, something most Dou Shi could not master.

When his claws pierced through the afterimage, Zhu Jin realized what had happened. Back when he was reading the book, he had always wondered how magical beasts acquired their Dou techniques.

Now that he had been reborn as a Void Ancient Dragon, he finally understood. Before taking human form, most of a magical beast's techniques were inherited through their bloodline; once certain conditions were met, the corresponding techniques would awaken automatically.

Just like Zi Yan's Dragon Emperor Sword—it wasn't a real sword, but a special bloodline technique hidden within her, which could be activated once the conditions were met, rather than being learned through cultivation.

The so-called Dragon Flash was the same, a movement technique inherent to the Void Ancient Dragon Clan that allowed for a brief traversal through the void, similar to a teleportation skill. Even though Zhu Jin was already a one-star Dou Ling, he had yet to unlock this technique, whereas his little brother, despite having a lower cultivation level, could already perform it.

Zi Yan's ability to ignore barriers and traverse the void constantly stemmed from this very power; in fact, ordinary Dragon Flash techniques couldn't even cross barriers. This was enough to show why a magical beast's bloodline was so vital.

"Lower-tier trash is still lower-tier! Die! Hidden Dragon Claw!" With a long, piercing dragon roar, he tore at the sky with both claws. Having used the Dragon Flash to avoid the fatal blow, the little brother seized the opportunity to strike directly at his opponent's vitals.

Facing this lethal "Twin Dragons Emerging from the Sea" maneuver, Zhu Jin knew he couldn't dodge; after all, his Void Ancient Dragon bloodline was only at the third stage, and he hadn't mastered the Dragon Flash yet.

However, Zhu Jin's expression remained calm and composed. "You're so naive, little brother. Dragon Tail Sweep."

In that instant, with his back to his opponent, Zhu Jin channeled the Dou Qi within his body. His tail transformed into a perfectly straight spear, the Dou Qi swirling around it like a green dragon and solidifying into a physical force, lashing out violently at the little brother who was lunging forward.

Feeling the fierce power of the Dragon Tail Sweep, a flash of ruthlessness crossed Zhu Zong's eyes. He didn't care about the defense; he pushed forward, intending to trade injury for injury. After all, he had his Dou Qi Dragon Armor, and his body had been tempered through countless trials. Being hit would at most result in some torn skin and flesh. It was a gamble for his life!

Sensing his opponent's suicidal intent, Zhu Jin's eyes revealed a look of expected outcome. "I said you were naive, and you really are."

Zhu Jin's tail moved like a nimble snake, like a whip. It didn't strike at the face, but instead lashed out at Zhu Zong's... lower region.

Smack! Accompanied by a sense of "egg-shattering" sorrow, the tail struck the hidden, vulnerable spot between his legs with pinpoint accuracy.

"Ughhh~!!"

With his weak point struck by such force, Zhu Zong collapsed to the ground instantly, curling into a ball and foaming at the mouth. It was clear he was severely injured.

Seeing this, the dragons on the cliff fell silent. They were dumbfounded, their eyelids twitching uncontrollably. Some of the younger dragons waiting for their own tests instinctively squeezed their legs together. The Void Ancient Dragon Clan possessed the strongest physical bodies on the Dou Qi continent, but no matter how strong the body or how well the Dou Qi Dragon Armor covered it, a weakness remained a weakness—it was still fragile.

"You! You're so despicable!" Zhu Zong curled on the ground, his dragon claw trembling as he pointed at Zhu Jin. He never imagined that a dragon could be so shameless as to attack the lower regions!

"Are you even a Void Ancient Dragon? How could you be so despicable!"

Zhu Jin looked down at his fallen brother, his tone indifferent. "Despicable? In the Void Ancient Dragon Clan, strength is everything. If all you can do is bark like a dog when you lose, then you aren't fit to be a warrior of this clan."

Hearing this, Zhu Zong was filled with both rage and agony. Gritting his teeth, he hissed, "Just you wait! One day, I will surpass you!"

At this, Zhu Jin merely offered a cold smile. "Even if your bloodline is higher than mine, it's only potential. Don't talk about the future until you can actually beat me. Go bark somewhere else, my foolish brother."

With that, Zhu Jin flicked his tail and sent him flying, discarding him like trash. Then, under the silent gaze of the other dragons, he left the cliff and flew toward a different part of North Dragon Island.

Zhu Zong was right; barring any miracles, his future cultivation and potential would undoubtedly be higher than his own. But the one thing Zhu Jin didn't fear was the future. He dared to offend Zhu Zong to the point of no return for one simple reason: he had no intention of staying on North Dragon Island.

After all, the fate of North Dragon Island had already been written in the book.

"I didn't realize how big the Dragon Island was when I was reading, but now that I've been reborn, I realize this isn't an island—it's a whole continent," Zhu Jin muttered to himself while flying. Even though Void Ancient Dragons were born with the ability to fly, North Dragon Island was simply too vast. Fortunately, his cultivation was high enough that he was fast, and his destination wasn't too far, otherwise, he wouldn't know how long he'd be in the air.