Fusion

It drifted slowly toward Lu Mingfei, radiating dazzling light.

Within the light, the phantom dragon soul gradually faded, transforming into a wisp of radiance that burrowed deep into his bones.

Lu Mingfei instinctively tried to dodge. It was the natural evasive reaction to an unknown threat.

But his body seemed to have been pinned down by some invisible force, leaving him unable to move.

His legs felt rooted to the stone ground, his arms hung stiffly at his sides, and he could not even lift a finger.

Lu Mingfei could only watch helplessly as the bone drew near and then merged into his body.

In that instant, a warm yet vast energy erupted from Lu Mingfei's torso.

That energy was as boundless as the sea and as immense as mountains, countless times more powerful than what he had felt when absorbing his first soul ring...

The energy spread through his bones and meridians, reaching every part of his body.

Lu Mingfei felt every joint and every meridian let out a joyous hum beneath the washing of that energy.

The essence of the million-year soul bone fused with his own skeleton, and every moment of fusion brought an ultimate sense of comfort.

Every pore on his body opened up.

Lu Mingfei could not help but let out a long breath of stale air.

Warm, comfortable, accepting.

He had never experienced such a gentle fusion process.

The immense power contained within the soul bone flowed into his bloodline, nourishing his Black Dragon King martial soul and White Dragon King martial soul.

The two dragon souls let out pleased cries within his body at the same time.

One sound was deep, the other clear and soaring. Intertwined, they resembled an ancient duet.

Nourished by the soul bone, their auras grew stronger and more solid.

The Black Dragon King's phantom coiled and churned behind him.

The patterns on every scale became clearer and deeper, while the light in its golden eyes blazed like two tiny suns.

The White Dragon King's power also became more apparent.

That silvery-white aura no longer hid away in the depths of his body.

Instead, it intertwined with the Black Dragon King's aura, forming a strange, dynamic balance.

Like the sun and moon moving through the sky at once without interfering with each other.

The dragon's might emanating from Lu Mingfei continued to rise, each wave stronger than the last.

At first, it merely made the surrounding air feel heavy. Then even the dark-blue moss on the rock walls began to flicker in time with his breathing.

Even Taotie, crouching at the edge of the secret realm, lowered itself further. A deep reverence and submission flashed through its dark-green eyes.

That dragon's might carried an ancient aura from the dawn of creation, so weighty that it seemed as if the entire continent were trembling faintly within that frail body of the young man.

Lu Mingfei felt the power within his body growing at an incredible pace.

His bones became sturdier, his muscles more compact, and the resilience of his skin subtly improved as well.

After an unknown amount of time, the warm energy finally slowly drew in, merging into Lu Mingfei's torso bones and becoming part of his body.

The million-year soul bone had completely fused. A translucent, faintly glowing substance now layered his bones.

It combined perfectly with his skeleton, like a natural suit of armor protecting his most vital torso.

Lu Mingfei slowly opened his eyes.

He lowered his head to look at the black dragon scales covering his hands.

The scales had become denser and tighter, their luster several shades brighter than before.

He could feel that his martial soul had become more solid.

The Black Dragon King's phantom coiled behind him, the patterns on its scales so clear they seemed tangible.

The White Dragon King's power had also become more apparent.

That silvery-white aura no longer hid away. Instead, it intertwined with the Black Dragon King's aura, forming a strange balance.

The two forces moved within Lu Mingfei like two fish biting each other's tails, forming a perfect taiji pattern.

The dragon's might around him had become purer and more powerful.

Even as Lu Mingfei simply stood there quietly.

The oppressive pressure originating from the source of his bloodline made the air within the secret realm several degrees heavier.

Taotie rose from the edge of the secret realm, its massive dark-golden body casting an enormous shadow over Lu Mingfei.

Its dark-green eyes glanced at Lu Mingfei, carrying a complicated meaning, as though it were confirming something and fulfilling some mission at the same time.

Then it lowered its body and used its forelimbs to place Lu Mingfei on its back. Its movements were gentler than before, as though afraid of hurting the young man before it.

Finally, Taotie turned around and sprinted toward the outside of the secret realm, its dark-golden body once again cleaving through the gray mist. Dragon beasts along the way once more prostrated themselves on the ground, trembling.

This time, Lu Mingfei was not jolted dizzy.

After the million-year soul bone had fused into his body, his physical condition had improved by a great deal.

The core strength in his waist and abdomen had become incomparably solid.

Even lying atop Taotie's back, he could keep himself firmly in place, and the coarse dark-golden fur no longer rubbed him sore.

The dark-golden fur rolled in the wind, its coarse hairs rising and falling beneath him like waves.

The gray mist of the secret realm sped backward on either side.

Along the way, he watched Dragon Valley's scenery gradually change from the desolate bleakness of the core region back into the familiar appearance of the outer valley...

Taotie stopped at the entrance to Dragon Valley and gently set Lu Mingfei on the ground.

Then it looked at Lu Mingfei. Something almost human seemed to flash through those dark-green eyes...

There was also a trace of reluctance and a trace of relief in that gaze.

Immediately afterward, Taotie turned around and strode toward the depths of Dragon Valley.

Its dark-golden figure soon vanished into the churning gray mist. Only the echoes of heavy hoofbeats lingered through the valley for a long time before gradually fading.

Lu Mingfei stood at the valley entrance, looking back in the direction Taotie had vanished, stunned for a moment.

He had not yet had time to process everything that had happened today...

A thousand-year soul ring, the awakening of the Emperor's Domain.

The ambush by the hundred-thousand-year Taotie.

Huang Fei risking her life to protect him, the dragon soul within the secret realm, the fusion of a million-year soul bone...

All of it was a tangled mess in his mind, leaving him unsure where to begin sorting through it.

But another thought quickly pulled him back to reality.

He turned to look around and discovered that no one had left the clearing at the valley entrance.

Dugu Bo stood in the distance with his hands behind his back. No emotion could be seen in his green eyes, and his gaunt face remained expressionless.

But his gaze had remained fixed on Lu Mingfei.

The eldest young master of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect was helping Yu Tianheng and Yu Tianjiao sit on a smooth stone.

Dragon Duke Meng Shu and Serpent Grandmother Chao Tianxiang stood on the other side.

Meng Yiran stood beside her grandmother, tear stains still lingering on her pretty face.

And Huang Fei...

Huang Fei lay on the ground, her face pale as paper. The robe over her left shoulder had been torn to shreds, exposing the bloody, mangled wound beneath.