True Dragon Transformation

Crocodile Ancestor set off eagerly. They crossed several more planets, then looked up at the heavens, where seven brilliant stars stood in formation. It was unmistakably the Big Dipper Star Domain.

"Is that the Big Dipper Star Domain?" Although Crocodile Ancestor had never been there, its formidable reputation resounded throughout the universe. It was a destination chosen by many ancient sovereigns and Great Emperors. Having cultivated to the Great Saint Realm, he was hardly so ignorant and ill-informed.

"Yes!" Jiang Zhu looked nostalgic, as though he truly were the divine remnant of a Great Accomplishment Sacred Body reminiscing about his ancestral planet.

"Doesn't this ancient road lead to Flying Immortal? Does it pass through the Big Dipper?"

"Whether it does or not, we'll find out if we keep going!"

They continued their journey, but upon reaching an ancient planet, they could not find the Five-Colored Altar. The ancient formation protecting it had also been destroyed.

"Ant, you dare spy on me?" Crocodile Ancestor's voice was icy, thick with murderous intent.

Black demonic mist rose from his body, blotting out the sky and sun. Boundless and vast, it occupied every inch of space between heaven and earth, making the ancient planet beneath his feet tremble under its pressure.

Amid the towering demonic aura, murderous intent blazed in Crocodile Ancestor's blood-red eyes.

"Die!"

The cold, thunderous voice shook the ancient planet. Countless creatures resembling pterosaurs had their wings broken and plummeted in swathes, staining even the black mist crimson.

These pterosaur-like creatures were Ant Dragons. Their vitality was powerful, and they reproduced exceptionally quickly, much like ants. Their living requirements differed greatly from those of humans: they directly devoured ores and other substances to obtain what they needed to survive.

In the end, only one nine-colored, dragon-shaped creature remained. As large as a small hill, it prostrated itself upon that continent, the limited-use Saint artifact above its head crumbling to dust. It was the ruler of the brood nest, and every Ant Dragon on the planet was its subject.

It still had a breath left. Crocodile Ancestor had merely released a Saint's might, and the limited-use Saint artifact had saved its life.

"You... are..."

Before it could finish, Crocodile Ancestor extracted its soul to search for the Five-Colored Altar's location.

In the end, Jiang Zhu gathered all the corpses on the planet into the Demon-Refining Pot.

"I've struck it rich! Rich! Rich!"

The haul was unprecedentedly immense. As the countless corpses were refined, true dragon source blood flowed out ceaselessly. Before long, the entire True Dragon Totem had lit up except for its head.

Moreover, Ant Dragon blood could not only be refined back into true dragon source blood, but also into Heavenly Horned Ant origin blood. Even so, only a tenth of the planet-sized pile of corpses had been refined. The rest could all be refined into precious blood.

Was this what it felt like to enter a high-level dungeon early at a low level? And with a high-level character carrying me, too!

Crocodile Ancestor extracted spatial power from the Five-Colored Altar on Mount Tai and infused it into the altar. The two continued their journey.

Over the next few days, they crossed seven or eight ancient planets, encountering many remnant clans with the bloodlines of Hua Snake, Torch Dragon, Taotie, and Qiongqi, as well as plentiful divine source.

Jiang Zhu continuously refined these numerous powerful creatures whose blood could yield true dragon source blood, finally lighting up the entire True Dragon Totem!

Now, with a mere thought, he could fully master the True Dragon Transformation!

Crocodile Ancestor also learned a great deal about the Kunlun Remnant Clan from their souls, becoming increasingly certain that this was the Starry Sky Ancient Road leading to Flying Immortal.

That day, when they stepped out of the Five-Colored Altar, towering black mountains greeted them. Each was a king among mountains, an emperor among peaks, majestic and imposing. Yet these wondrous mountain ranges were utterly silent, as though devoid of life.

"What is this place? Why does it fill me with dread?" Crocodile Ancestor's spiritual senses were frantically warning him that this place was deadly!

"Go, quickly! This is the Undying Mountain, a Life Forbidden Zone in the Big Dipper!"

At those words, Crocodile Ancestor shuddered and hurriedly flew away with his back to the Undying Mountain. He did not even dare tear open space and step into the starry sky beyond the planet.

Only after traveling some distance did they finally hear apes crying and tigers roaring, and see a number of strange beasts. The terrifying aura of the Undying Mountain receded and gradually vanished, and both of them relaxed.

"The road ahead is severed. I'm afraid we can't reach Flying Immortal!" Crocodile Ancestor's expression was grim. He then asked, "What do you intend to do, Dao brother?"

"Let's return to Earth first. Who could have known this road led straight into a Life Forbidden Zone?"

Jiang Zhu actually wanted to remain in the Big Dipper. The opportunities on Earth were not so easily obtained, but Crocodile Ancestor would definitely return to Earth to search for the Ninety-Nine Dragon Mountains.

If the search went poorly and Crocodile Ancestor slaughtered Earth in his fury, that would be a disaster. Besides, Jiang Zhu was the one who had tricked him into going to Earth. Just imagining a Great Emperor, someone who had achieved alternative dao attainment, a Heavenly Emperor, and numerous Quasi-Emperors all attacking him afterward...

Jiang Zhu involuntarily shivered at the scene that might unfold in the future. Moreover, Earth was his ancestral planet in both his lives. He ought to look after it as far as he was able.

In any case, the ancient road from Earth to the Big Dipper had now been opened. Once Crocodile Ancestor entered Kunlun, Jiang Zhu could go wherever he pleased.

Crocodile Ancestor had intended to leave Jiang Zhu in the Big Dipper and monopolize Earth's immortal opportunities. On second thought, Jiang Zhu had been a Great Accomplishment Sacred Body in his previous life, invincible beneath the stars and privy to countless ancient secrets. He might prove greatly useful someday.

He then took Jiang Zhu along and stepped forth, locating the last ancient planet they had visited on their way there.

They crossed from planet to planet, retracing their route, and soon returned to Earth.

Earth, Mount Tai.

Upon his return, Crocodile Ancestor examined the ancient books and artifacts sent by the various Dao Lineages. Unexpectedly, he truly made a major discovery this time.

A demon Dao Lineage on Earth-the Ten Thousand Demons Valley-had sent several ancient jade books.

They had discovered from ancient records that this present-day Saint was very likely the peerless demon god suppressed by Buddha more than two thousand years ago!

This demon god was searching for Earth's ancient secrets. They had argued for a long time without deciding whether to hand over the ancient jade books. In the end, the First Valley Master emerged from seclusion and decided to surrender them.

He believed that with this peerless demon god now in the world, they were fish on the chopping block, and he held the knife. Crocodile Ancestor might not remember those who handed over their ancient artifacts, but he would certainly remember those who did not.

Ultimately, Crocodile Ancestor saw these ancient jade books atop Mount Tai.

The pieces of ancient jade were dull in color. Too much time had passed, wearing away their splendor. Blood stains marked them, supposedly formed by corpse blood seeping in after prolonged contact with a body. Mottled traces of the years covered the jade; one glance was enough to tell it was ancient.

Crocodile Ancestor toyed with the ancient jade as he listened to the First Valley Master explain its origins.

He had already examined the ancient jade books in detail. They recorded a heaven-shaking secret pointing to an Earth Immortal, and he had thought it was another immortal mystery.

But when the First Valley Master mentioned that Chisongzi had held a piece of Immortal Bone bearing part of a terrain map, Crocodile Ancestor's blood-red eyes blazed.

This might be another fragment of the terrain map of the Ninety-Nine Dragon Mountains!

"Would you like to take a look at what this Chisongzi might have left behind, Dao brother?" Crocodile Ancestor asked, feigning indifference.

Watching Crocodile Ancestor put on this act, Jiang Zhu laughed inwardly. But his most pressing concern was to complete his transformation into a true dragon's body. There was nothing at the Immortal Sword Heavenly Lake to entice him.

That place was steeped in Chisongzi's sword intent. Sword light capable of cleaving Dao-Slaying Kings to death filled the mountains. Jiang Zhu's cultivation was low, and he could not yet comprehend Chisongzi's sword dao.

Not only were there no worthwhile opportunities for him, but he might even get slashed if he went. He certainly was not going.

"Go on your own. All that blood from the Kunlun Remnant Clan we collected along the Starry Sky Ancient Road mustn't go to waste. It's perfect for tempering my current body."

After Crocodile Ancestor and the Ten Thousand Demons Valley's master departed, Jiang Zhu returned to his previous place of seclusion. This time, he would fully attain the True Dragon Body!

Jiang Zhu activated the Demon-Refining Pot with a thought. True dragon source blood gushed out, soon spreading throughout his body.

At first, warmth filled his body, as though he were sunbathing on a warm beach. Before he could enjoy it for long, a heart-rending, lung-searing heat erupted inside him, as if his entire body had been set alight.

His old blood was replaced by an unending stream of true dragon source blood. Before long, all the old blood had been expelled. The origin blood surged through his veins, transforming everything it passed, especially his heart.

Once the Demon-Refining Pot stopped supplying origin blood, all of it was pumped through his heart to the rest of his body. Thus, his heart was the first to be transformed.

Thump, thump, thump...

Powerful, surging beats echoed through the cave, growing louder and louder until they boomed like a divine being pounding a drum.

The origin blood circulated ever faster. More of it surged into his bones, penetrating the marrow. Under its influence, every bone in his body repeatedly shattered and then reassembled. Next came his organs and viscera...

From time to time, scraps of flesh and shattered bone were expelled from his body, while Jiang Zhu's Little Divine Crocodile body continued to swell.