Chapter 180: Ancient Azure Dragon (Part 2)

"Young human, you need not be alarmed. I am but a remnant soul of the Primordial Azure Dragon, left here to guard this trial ground. I will not harm you." The ancient voice spoke again, imbued with supreme majesty yet gentle as the wind.

"Primordial... Azure Dragon?" Yun Che looked up, repeating the name in confusion. Deep within his mind, Jasmine's voice, filled with shock, echoed, "What? Primordial Azure Dragon? The Dragon God, supreme among all divine beasts of the Ancient Era—the Primordial Azure Dragon?!"

Suddenly, a pair of mysterious eyes opened in the dark sky above. These eyes were vast and elongated, similar in shape to human eyes. This scene resembled the Phoenix's eyes Yun Che had seen in the Phoenix trial ground. The difference was that the eyes in the Phoenix Secret Realm were golden, while these were a profound azure, deeper than the sky itself.

Simultaneously, a boundless aura, as if the heavens were collapsing, descended. Before this aura, Yun Che instantly felt as minuscule as a grain of dust before a mountain.

The depth of this aura even surpassed the Phoenix's breath he had experienced that day!

Enveloped by this soul aura, Yun Che found it impossible to harbor even a shred of doubt about the voice he had heard. This was a mental interference under the suppression of absolute power. And if the soul aura alone was so terrifying, how could the voice possibly be lying?

"A remnant soul of the Primordial Azure Dragon... a trial ground... Could it be that, like the Phoenix Secret Realm, this is a place where you once resided and left behind your power legacy?" Yun Che looked up at the azure eyes and slowly spoke.

"That is correct. The age of gods has long ended, and true gods have completely vanished. But we were unwilling to simply disappear from the world. We tried various methods to leave traces of our power, to pass them on to those with predestined connections, to ensure our power would be eternally inherited... So many years have passed, and I have finally waited for another fated one. And in these last thousand years, you are the first."

"Me? The first?"

"Yes, the first in a thousand years," the Primordial Azure Dragon's voice affirmed. "A thousand years ago, one hundred and twenty-nine trial-takers arrived here. But afterward, two Flood Dragons followed my aura here and never left. Nourished by the Dragon God's aura, they grew rapidly, reaching the peak of the Sky Profound Realm. This is a continent with a very low power level, and the presence of these two Flood Dragons made it impossible for humans to approach. Additionally, this place had already become a desolate wasteland, infamous for gathering profound beasts, and fewer and fewer people dared or were able to approach. Sometimes, a century would pass without a single visitor."

"No wonder so many profound beasts gather here; it's due to the Dragon God's aura," Jasmine murmured. "The gathering of beasts in the Ten Thousand Beast Mountain Range was due to the Phoenix's aura, and here, it's actually due to the Dragon God's aura! Among the ancient divine beasts, the Dragon God ranks supreme; its level is even higher than the Phoenix! After the gods perished, countless people dreamed of finding the Dragon God's ruins, hoping to obtain the power it left behind. Who knew it would leave its power legacy on this small Sky Profound Continent?"

"Though you arrived here not by your own strength, it is by fate. You are qualified to accept the trial I have left... If you can pass my trial, I can bestow upon you three drops of Azure Dragon Blood, allowing you to possess the Dragon God's bloodline. Are you willing?"

Yun Che did not immediately respond, for his mind was not on the trial itself. After the shock brought by the sudden appearance of the "Primordial Azure Dragon," his emotions cooled, and he urgently said, "Primordial Azure Dragon, you are the most powerful Dragon God of the Ancient Era. Then... then you must have a way to save the person beside me! I beg you to save her... save her life, and restore her power... If you can do it, I am willing to exchange anything, pay any price."

The little fairy's long eyelashes trembled slightly.

The azure eyes flickered with light, and then the ancient voice resonated, "Her internal injuries are extremely severe, her five organs are failing, and her profound veins and meridians are shattered. Moreover, her heart is filled with a desire for death. I am but a remnant soul; I have no ability to save her... However, I do know a method that can save her. As you wish, it can not only save her life but also fully restore her former power... No, it will even allow her to break through, letting her truly step into the Sovereign Profound Realm."

The first half of the Primordial Azure Dragon's statement crushed Yun Che's hope, but the latter half made him suddenly lift his head, his eyes shining with wonder, his voice trembling with excitement: "You... what did you say? You... are you serious? Quickly tell me, what is that method... Quickly tell me!"

After speaking, he excitedly knelt down and said to the little fairy, "Little Fairy, did you hear that? There's a method that can not only save your life but also repair your profound veins and meridians, restore all your power, and even potentially allow you to break through the bottleneck you couldn't overcome before... Did you hear? This was spoken by an ancient divine beast itself; it absolutely cannot be a lie... Did you hear me!"

The little fairy's desire for death stemmed from the despair of losing all her power and becoming a cripple. The only thing that could dispel her death wish was the hope of regaining her power. Indeed, after the Primordial Azure Dragon's voice and Yun Che's excited shouts, the little fairy's eyes, which had been despairingly closed, slowly opened to a crescent-shaped slit, reflecting two rays of light that were no longer completely dim but filled with longing.

"Primordial Azure Dragon, please tell me what that method is... No matter what it is, no matter how difficult, I will surely achieve it, please tell me!" Yun Che looked up at the pair of azure eyes and shouted.

The Primordial Azure Dragon's reply was calm and merciless: "Although I know the method, you and I are not related, nor do we have any obligation or grievance. I have no reason to tell you. Unless..."

"Unless what?"

"Unless you can pass the trial I have left and obtain my bloodline and power legacy! Then, I will tell you the method to save her in its entirety. Otherwise, I am not obligated to tell you. You are free to choose."

"Good!"

As soon as the Primordial Azure Dragon finished speaking, Yun Che nodded without a moment's hesitation: "I accept your trial!"

As long as he could pass the trial, he would gain the Dragon God's bloodline and the method to save the little fairy. There was no reason for him not to agree.

"Heh heh, very good." The ancient voice chuckled. "However, you needn't agree so quickly before I finish speaking. The trial I leave does not test the trial-taker's strength, but rather their talent, perseverance, and will. The difficulty of the trial will vary based on the trial-taker's intensity. Once you enter the trial ground, there are only two outcomes: one is to pass the trial and obtain the Dragon God's bloodline, and the other outcome..."

"Is death!"

"There is no failure, only success or death."

"...Then, among the one hundred and twenty-nine trial-takers before, how many passed?" Yun Che took a slight breath.

"I believe you have never heard of anyone possessing the Dragon God's bloodline on this continent. Because not a single one of the previous one hundred and twenty-nine trial-takers passed the trial. All of them remained in the trial ground forever, turning into withered bones. And among these one hundred and twenty-nine trial-takers, the weakest were still at the Sky Profound Realm!"

Yun Che: "..."

"In that case, do you still insist on entering the trial ground?" the Primordial Azure Dragon slowly asked.

Yun Che glanced at the little fairy, then nodded heavily. Even after hearing the Primordial Azure Dragon's words, his voice remained incredibly resolute: "Of course!"

"Your answer is not forced. You possess considerable courage, and it feels as though a large part of your resolve is to save the person beside you. Since that is the case, I will fulfill your wish and open the gate to the trial ground for you... Before entering the trial gate, you have enough time to prepare everything, especially mentally. The Phoenix's blood flows within you, proving that you successfully passed the Phoenix's trial. However, never try to measure the difficulty of the Dragon God's trial by the difficulty of the Phoenix's trial."

"The Phoenix is merciful and conservative by nature. Although its trial is difficult, it is by no means despair-inducing, much less fatal. However, as the supreme ruler of all beasts, the Dragon God is supremely proud. The Dragon God's bloodline will never be passed on to the mediocre. Only those with talent and will strong enough to become a supreme ruler among all beings are qualified to bear the Dragon God's bloodline!"

"If you are confident you possess such aptitude and spirit, then step into this trial gate! If you stop, you live, she dies. If you step in, either you live and she lives, or you die and she dies. Make your final choice."

As the Primordial Azure Dragon's voice faded, a blue light suddenly shimmered on the stone wall in front of Yun Che, revealing an azure teleportation array more than two people high.

The teleportation array leading to the trial ground.

Yun Che did not immediately step forward, but instead asked, "Primordial Azure Dragon, if I pass this trial, approximately how long will it take?"

"That time is up to you... perhaps a few days, or a few months, or even a few years," was the Primordial Azure Dragon's reply.

Looking at the little fairy lying on the ground, her breath faint, he furrowed his brow, then resolutely said, "Then, can I bring her with me into the trial ground?"

"You can, but it is not advised," the Primordial Azure Dragon's voice was solemn. "The Dragon God's trial can indeed be entered by multiple people. However, the difficulty of the trial will increase with the number of participants, and it will increase based on the strongest among the group. That is to say, if you bring her in, the trial's difficulty will double, based on your abilities! You will face a trial twice as difficult as if you entered alone!"

"Good, I understand." Yun Che slowly nodded, the determination in his eyes undiminished and unwavering: "Then I choose to bring her with me."

Once inside the trial ground, he didn't know when he would emerge. The little fairy's current condition required his profound energy to protect her heart meridians for her to continue surviving. If he left her alone here while he entered the trial ground, she might perish at any moment.

"If that is your decision, I have no right to interfere. But you must know that if you bring her in, not only will the trial's difficulty double, but you will also have to constantly protect her, which will not only distract your mind but also force you to divert some of your profound energy to protect her life source... This is an extremely unwise decision."

"Don't... mind... me... don't bring... me..." The little fairy's eyelashes trembled slightly, and a voice as weak as a gentle breeze escaped her lips.

Yun Che knelt down, looking into her eyes, and softly said, "You went through all this for me. As a man, how can I simply abandon you like this..."

"Man?... I... don't need... a man's... protection..." The little fairy's lips were pale, every word requiring immense effort.

"On this matter, you don't get to decide!" Amidst the little fairy's soft murmur, Yun Che scooped her up and walked towards the trial gate: "You have your reasons for rejecting men and not needing them. But as a man, I understand even better what a man should do. Right now, you don't need to think about anything, don't need to say anything. All I want is for you to live well... When I pass the trial and restore all your power, you can curse me, hit me, say I held you without your consent, defiled you—that's all fine... But now, before you recover your strength, everything about you... I will decide!"

Having said that, without giving the little fairy another chance to speak or refuse, he carried her and, with swift steps, plunged into the trial ground's teleportation array.

The moment Yun Che stepped in with the little fairy, the teleportation array vanished. A short while later, the Primordial Azure Dragon's long, lingering voice echoed in the dark cave: "Heh heh, truly a fine young man. Although his soul is suffused with astonishing bloodlust, his character and spirit have completely passed the test."