Chapter 1195: The First Dream

The black dragon soared through the sky, looking down at the stark landscape below. The clouds above were thick and murky yellow, like unyielding sludge, as lightning and thunder oppressed the mountains. The land was fractured, and the only signs of life were torrents of crimson magma flowing everywhere. The world was a murky yellow, and day was indistinguishable from night.

The black dragon flew for thousands of miles, witnessing thousands of volcanoes erupting fiercely, yet it could not find a single speck of green. The vast landscape, stretching for thousands of miles, was a living inferno.

Ignoring the airborne debris, it flew for several hundred more miles, finally descending slowly by the East Sea. Here lay an oasis, separated from the outside world by a colossal light barrier. While chaos reigned outside, with the very sky and earth rending apart, inside the dome, lush greenery thrived and creatures roamed freely.

Along the oasis's edge stood one hundred and eight glowing stone tablets, collectively sustaining the light barrier. Within the oasis, humans and demon hordes moved about busily, more hurried than worker ants, yet largely coexisting without disturbance.

The black dragon landed and walked directly towards the easternmost stone tablet. This main tablet was the largest and tallest; only upon close inspection could one discern faint cracks in the magical artifact embedded within it. Maintaining this light barrier was no easy feat; if it were to shatter, the beings within would surely perish. Thus, the black dragon shed a scale from its own chest and used it to replace the damaged one.

At the center of the light barrier, seven figures stepped forward to greet it. "Thank you for your efforts, Divine Venerable," one began. "What is the state of the world outside?"

The black dragon lifted its head towards the world beyond the barrier and spoke in the human tongue: "Such is the state of the mortal realm. I found only two other havens, one twenty thousand miles to the south and another seventeen thousand miles to the west. Between them, sentient beings number no more than a billion, and true humans fewer than a million, though each is overseen by a Demon Venerable."

Its immense size became apparent upon descent, dwarfing the surrounding landscape. From the tip of its horns to the end of its tail, it measured over a hundred *zhang*. Its scales were a dark, lustrous gold, and only its eyes glowed a fiery coral red. The humans standing before it were as tiny as green peas.

Upon hearing its words, the seven figures seemed to relax. "That's good," one said. "It's more than we had dared to hope."

One among them, wearing a green jade crown and with a beard streaked with white, added: "Sentient beings are resilient and innocent; given time, they can flourish again. It is *our* spiritual heritage that is truly at risk."

The sky above the oasis remained remarkably clear. All beings looked up, beholding a colossal gash in the firmament, as if someone had slashed deeply across a canvas, almost tearing it in two. Fortunately, this gash had already healed by seven or eight tenths, with countless streaks of light ascending from the ground and disappearing into the rift.

The one in the green jade crown sneered, "These Sky Demons are quite astute, knowing to hurry back before the Heavenly Rift closes."

"If they remained, they would face only death."

At that very moment, a blinding red light suddenly erupted from within the Heavenly Rift, so dazzling that the beings below instinctively closed their eyes and turned away. It should be noted that even the mighty cultivators within the light barrier, who could directly gaze upon the true flames of the sun, were left disoriented and their hearts pounded at the sight of this red light. The beings within the oasis had long since prostrated themselves on the ground, and the more timid among them simply died of fright on the spot.

"The Heavenly Rift has stopped closing! How can this be?"

Everyone's expressions changed drastically, their hearts sinking to rock bottom. "Our seven thousand Immortal Sages sacrificed their very flesh and blood," one cried, "and still, we cannot mend this rift? Was this final battle, which had gathered the collective destiny of countless beings and concerned the fate of the world and the very survival of the Immortal Dao, destined to end in failure? Do they still have a hidden trump card?"

Before the words had even faded, the black dragon, changing from its crouched position, stood upright, its whiskers bristling. "This is bad," it rumbled. "We've been deceived!"

As its anger flared, an invisible draconic might blanketed the oasis, causing all beings to tremble in fear. Many of the weaker humans fainted on the spot. The immortals were greatly alarmed and urgently inquired about the reason.

The black dragon immediately replied, "We initially believed the Sky Demons had fled beyond the heavens in defeat, but both you and I knew they still possessed the strength to fight."

The immortals nodded.

"Now it appears they were merely retreating to advance." The black dragon looked up at the Heavenly Rift. "It seems they have refined a supreme treasure and are seizing this opportunity—while heaven and earth are wounded and the laws are in disarray—to merge it with the Heavenly Dao, thereby altering the very fabric of the laws."

The one in the green jade crown quickly asked, "How are they changing them?"

"If this artifact fully integrates with our world's barrier, it will undoubtedly give rise to new laws favorable to the Sky Demons. We cannot stand idly by!"

The immortals immediately bowed. "Divine Venerable, your wisdom aligns with Heaven and Earth; we are far inferior. Please, Divine Lord, show us the way!"

The black dragon fell silent, its divine eyes like lightning, sweeping across the faces of the seven, as if attempting to see through them. However, these seven were Immortal Venerables of boundless power, their hearts deeper than the ocean; how could they reveal any trace of their thoughts? It seemed to understand something.

In a flash, the black dragon withdrew its gaze and redirected its attention to the Heavenly Rift and the red light. "The integration has already begun; I will attempt to disrupt it. However, this is a formidable artifact capable of merging with a world's fundamental laws, and I have no certainty of success," its voice boomed like a great bell. "After I depart, you must carefully observe the changes in the laws of heaven and earth. Simultaneously, care for the mortal realm and sustain its countless beings!"

"This is our sacred duty." As it stood forth, everyone rejoiced and bowed in reverence. "Divine Venerable, your merits are boundless!"

Even as the black dragon chuckled softly, its voice rumbled like distant thunder. "You must all remember your promise: embody the will of Heaven and bestow blessings upon all beings! Otherwise, even if you escape this present catastrophe, you will inevitably face endless future tribulations until your bodies perish and your Dao vanishes!"

This pronouncement was heard by all beings within the oasis. The immortals, moreover, bowed respectfully, pledging to strictly adhere to the sacred teachings.

The black dragon cast one last look at the oasis, letting out a sigh. Only a select few could discern the pity in its eyes.

Then, the black dragon soared into the sky, the immense gusts of wind it generated toppling objects across the oasis. Its form grew larger and larger in the air, until it reached a length of a thousand *zhang*, its shadow almost entirely engulfing half the oasis. This was its true form! Not even the colossal chaotic beasts of the Coiling Dragon Ocean matched its immense size.

With just a few powerful beats of its wings, the beings on the ground watched it ascend higher and higher, directly into the clouds. The sky, which had moments before been a clear expanse, had now, imperceptibly, become overcast with dark clouds. As the black dragon plunged into the sea of clouds, the clouds themselves transformed into a colossal, ceaselessly swirling vortex. Flashes of lightning and peals of thunder illuminated the vast, shifting draconic form within the cloud sea.

Witnessing this wondrous spectacle, the beings on the ground prostrated themselves, offering sincere prayers.

Immediately thereafter, a swirling mass of black and gold light surged towards the colossal gash in the sky, utterly resolute. With a tremendous roar, heaven and earth shook violently. This time, the seven watched without blinking, clearly witnessing the black and gold cloud collide with the red point in the Heavenly Rift. The impact unleashed an even more dazzling burst of light, and the shockwave generated in that instant swept downwards, re-plowing the fractured earth and even seeming to momentarily stifle the violently erupting volcanoes.

The entire light barrier shuddered violently, appearing as fragile as a soap bubble caught in a strong gale before such immense heavenly might. At that moment, the black dragon scale on the main tablet began to glow faintly. Consequently, the entire light barrier quickly stabilized and remained unbroken.

Under the cover of the intense light, a red speck and a black streak each shot off towards the west and east respectively, their fates unknown.

Time seemed to freeze for a few seconds.

Thereafter, the red light within the Heavenly Rift faded, and the colossal gash in the firmament slowly began to heal at a visibly accelerating rate.