Chapter 1838: Piercing the Heart (Part 1)

Shock, terror, and a chilling dread rapidly spread and swelled within the hearts of all profound practitioners from the Northern Region.

The Northern Region's core forces had once swept across both the Eastern and Southern Divine Regions. Yan Zu and Fan Zu, in particular, were beings who surpassed most Divine Emperors. Everyone attacked together against only Long Bai, yet he directly broke free from their suppression. The mighty Primordial Dragon Emperor was instantly defeated, and the Eclipse Mooners and Burning Moon Divine Envoys were all utterly routed with a single blow. One Eclipse Mooner was even crushed to death with virtually no resistance.

This was a sight and an outcome they had never dared to imagine before.

No matter how powerful the Dragon Monarch was, how could he be this strong?!

In the dark sky, the dragon's claw rose again, descending swiftly towards the Yama Realm. In that instant, every Yama Devil and Yama Ghost felt an overwhelming, unprecedented pressure, completely beyond their imagination and comprehension—as if the nine heavens were collapsing upon them.

"Retreat!"

Not a single individual mustered any power to resist or counterattack. From Yama Devils to Yama Ghosts, their immediate thought was to flee. Just then, another earth-shaking roar echoed, as a massive azure wolf silhouette pounced from the sky. Beneath it was Cai Zhi's petite form, shrouded in rising black energy, her Heavenly Wolf Devil Sword striking Long Bai's claw with immense force.

*Boom!*

The Azure Tide Divine Realm suffered yet another catastrophe. The azure wolf silhouette distorted and shattered, sending Cai Zhi's figure flying over thirty miles before she finally came to a halt. Long Bai's claw was also violently forced aside. Amidst the explosive roar, the Yama Devils and Yama Ghosts were flung in all directions, but mercifully, none were gravely wounded.

High above, Chi Wuyao's eyes narrowed sharply.

She perceived something in Long Bai that was far more dreadful than his dragon body.

The Dragon God Soul!

The formidable power of a Dragon God Soul lies in its ability to instill dread. A sufficiently potent Dragon God Soul can instantly shatter an opponent's fighting spirit and even their will, leaving them trembling in terror, wanting to kneel in submission, and utterly unable to muster any fighting intent or strength. Even formidable figures like Yan Zu and Fan Zu were visibly affected by this deterrence, allowing Long Bai to break free from their suppression. The Eclipse Mooners and Yama Devils, completely devoid of their usual ferocity, were solely focused on escaping.

The most devastated was the Primordial Dragon Emperor. As a fellow dragon, it was undoubtedly subjected to the most direct form of deterrence. During the recent collision, it couldn't even unleash thirty percent of its strength before being completely overwhelmed. This was the terrifying nature of the Dragon God Soul! She had experienced it profoundly during her encounter with the Crimson Destruction Dragon God, who, despite having its dragon soul partially devoured by her, still managed to grievously wound her.

This also made her realize how extraordinary—even terrifying—it was that Yun Che had so effortlessly suppressed and annihilated the Ash Dragon God in the Southern Sea Divine Realm. This might also be the primary reason he had never feared the Dragon God Realm. Years ago, outside the Blue Pole Star, Yun Che, then only at the Divine King realm, had used his Dragon God Soul to utterly shatter the wills of numerous Divine Emperors, enabling his escape.

Yun Che's Dragon God Soul originated from the Primordial Azure Dragon's source soul, placing it at an exceptionally high level, undoubtedly superior to Long Bai's. However, his own soul power was too weak, meaning such high-level deterrence could not be sustained for long. As for Long Bai, while his Dragon God Soul might not rival Yun Che's, it unequivocally held supreme dominance over all other beings in the world. Furthermore, his soul power was immensely vast, like an boundless ocean. It was impossible to gauge how long this utterly overbearing deterrence could last.

Chi Wuyao's eyes grew progressively deeper, becoming unnervingly dark.

If Shui Meiyin were present, she could dispel this deterrence with her Immaculate Divine Soul. If Yun Che were here, he might even be able to counter it, albeit for a short duration. But unfortunately, neither of them was. While her Nirvanic Devil Soul was exceedingly high-level, its strength lay primarily in devouring and controlling others. Yet, in this situation, it could only be forcibly dispelled through a direct suppression of its level.

Chi Wuyao's dark, alluring eyes slowly closed, then snapped open again. In her maximally dilated pupils, a distorted demonic shadow was reflected. At the very same moment, this demonic shadow appeared inexplicably in the eyes and minds of everyone present. Within their souls, Chi Wuyao's hoarse, distant whisper resounded:

"In this world, only the Devil Master is worthy of your reverence. Long Bai is merely a dragon that the Devil Master is destined to kill!"

Every word of Chi Wuyao's voice resonated like a devil bell, shaking their souls and dispelling the terror in their eyes, rekindling their faith and fighting spirit.

"Hiss... Arghh!"

Yan Yi let out a piercing shriek, suddenly lunging like a crazed fiend towards the colossal dragon body ahead. For several breaths, he had actually felt a flicker of fear, and the aura suppressing Long Bai had consequently loosened. To him, this was the ultimate humiliation! At that moment, Chi Wuyao's soul voice echoed in everyone's minds:

"Qianye, Guzhu, Cang Shitian, suppress him with all your might!"

"Yan Yi, Yan San, Yan Tianxiao, Yan Wu, launch a fierce assault!"

"Cai Zhi, order the Primordial Dragon Clan to withdraw!"

"All Devil Maidens, prepare to seal!"

"Everyone else, fall back and do not engage in battle!"

These extensive commands were conveyed in an instant via soul communication. While a full-scale assault would naturally increase the chances of eliminating Long Bai before the barrier shattered, Long Bai's earlier intentions had been starkly clear: after breaking free from their suppression, he had primarily targeted the Eclipse Mooners and Yama Devils. Chi Wuyao quickly weighed her options and ultimately decided to preserve the Yama Devil ranks, instructing only the tenth-level Divine Masters to forcefully eliminate Long Bai.

Yan Yi and Yan San lunged forward. The moment they drew near, a colossal dragon tail swept towards them. The Dragon Monarch's power collided head-on with the might of the two Yama Ancestors once more. The outcome was identical: Yan Yi and Yan San were swept far away, but this time, they were sent flying in a furious rage.

"So you're the only one who can transform, huh?!" Yan Yi snarled, his gaze ferocious and teeth grinding. "I can too!"

"Hiss! Arghh!!"

With an excruciatingly piercing shriek, Yan Yi and Yan San simultaneously had the skin on their backs split open, revealing horrifying withered bones. Vast plumes of black mist erupted from within, then solidified behind them into colossal, hundred-zhang demonic shadows that appeared almost corporeal! The appearance of these demonic shadows bore a striking resemblance to the ancient Yama Devils described in the records of the Northern Divine Region!

"I'll tear you to shreds!!"

Their roars became several times more shrill and savage, and the demonic claws they brought down carried the power of annihilation from the Yama Devil Abyss.

*Rip!*

The demonic claws of the two Yama Ancestors simultaneously struck the dragon's body. However, this time, instead of an explosive burst of power, an earsplitting rending sound echoed, so sharp it felt as if hearts would burst—it was the sound of the Dragon Monarch's body being torn. Two Yama Devil claws plunged deep into the dragon's body, violently raking and tearing out several gushing streams of blood. While this was merely a trivial wound compared to Long Bai's ten-thousand-zhang dragon body, Long Bai himself could no longer recall the last time the Dragon Monarch's blood had splattered in the air. For there were exceedingly few powers in this world capable of merely making him bleed.

"The Dragon Monarch!"

Outside the barrier, the Dragon Gods were all alarmed. Their power unleashed against the barrier surged exponentially, causing the Azure Tide Barrier to suffer countless indentations and tremors every single moment. Long Bai's counterattack came instantly. As the void fractured, his dragon tail, shimmering with that eerie white glow, struck Yan Yi and Yan San with immense force from afar, violently bending their withered forms and sending them rolling and flying, still accompanied by their Yama Devil shadows. But immediately, their rolling dark figures suddenly plunged back down, pouncing once more at the Dragon Monarch with even greater resentment and at the peak of their power.

Simultaneously, the combined power of Qianye Wugu, Qianye Bingzhu, and Guzhu descended from above, pressing down on Long Bai like three world-shaking heavenly bells. Even the peerless Dragon Monarch found it difficult to withstand such immense pressure while dealing with the two Yama Ancestors. His dragon body plummeted a thousand *zhang* through the air, then his dragon eyes suddenly glared with fury, and a sky-shattering dragon roar erupted.

*ROAR!*

The power pressing down on him instantly diminished. Long Bai's body soared upward, and the world-shattering storm he unleashed violently flung the three back. Guzhu, in particular, turned pale, with threads of blood oozing from his lips. However, with Chi Wuyao's Nirvanic Devil Soul constantly providing support and dispelling effects, the soul collapse experienced by Qianye and the others lasted only for a few brief moments before their power swiftly returned. At this juncture, Qianye Ying'er's Divine Decree and Cai Zhi's Heavenly Wolf Devil Sword also tore through the air, descending upon Long Bai. The combined might of the five shattered dimensions layer by layer, delivering a devastating blow to Long Bai's head.

Below, Yan Yi and Yan San attacked frantically, while Yan Tianxiao and Yan Wu, shrouded in abyssal black energy, directly assaulted the dragon's belly. Cang Shitian, meanwhile, let out a strange cry and launched himself into the air, the flowing blue light in his hand transforming into countless azure sharp arrows that shot towards the dragon's enraged eyes.

*Boom!**Thrum!**Whoosh!**Rip!*

The Dragon Monarch, Yama Ancestors, Fan Ancestors, Yama Emperor, Devil Queen, Divine Emperor Shitian... This was a ferocious battle that mortals could never hope to witness, for even a wisp of its aftershock would be enough to effortlessly obliterate a star. Every instant shook the heavens and earth, every moment witnessed the collapse of endless dimensions. Within the Azure Tide Divine Realm, the Northern Region profound practitioners were repeatedly knocked back and sent flying by the aftershocks. In the blink of an eye, they found themselves hundreds of miles away. They watched in stunned silence. Despite being powerful Divine Masters, what unfolded before their eyes was a battle they were utterly unqualified to join.

Outside the barrier, a large number of Western Region profound practitioners also stood frozen, staring wide-eyed, completely forgetting to attack the Azure Tide Barrier.

As the revered leaders of all beings, dragons also cultivated profound arts and techniques. However, the more powerful a dragon became, the less reliant it was on such skills. The Dragon Monarch, in particular, had almost forgotten the techniques once ingrained in his memory. For when his body and soul reached the pinnacle of existence in this era, profound arts and techniques merely became cumbersome burdens. His bloodline, his body, his power, and his soul were, in themselves, the most potent profound art and the most formidable heavenly might in this world.

No matter how mighty Long Bai was, he could not possibly contend against all the core forces of the Northern Region Devil Race alone. He was subjected to ever-increasing suppression, his body continuously bombarded by the Brahma Emperor's divine power, and torn to shreds by Yan Yi and Yan San. Yet, his dragon energy showed no hint of weakness or disorder; indeed, his counterattacks remained incredibly fierce. His terrifyingly peerless Dragon Monarch body was pushed to its limits in this battle. Despite being thoroughly suppressed, there was no sign of impending defeat for a prolonged period.

Outside the barrier, Dragon Four sighed heavily. "His dragon body and dragon soul are both far superior to ours," he said. "Especially his dragon body, which, to some extent, might have already surpassed all 'limits.' He truly deserves the title of the Strongest Dragon Monarch."

"Such a Dragon Soul, yet it's being kept in check by that Devil Queen," Dragon One said, raising his gaze to the dark silhouette high above. "It seems many anomalies have emerged during our years of slumber."

"It's time to act," Dragon Two stated.

*BOOM!*

Another deafening roar, so powerful it momentarily deafened everyone, erupted as a horrifying surge of dragon energy exploded from Long Bai, sending Yan Tianxiao, Qianye, and the others recoiling. Long Bai was now covered in wounds, but even the deepest cuts were only a few feet deep, revealing not a single inch of dragon bone. His dragon body suddenly twisted, and his massive claw slammed directly towards Yan Wu, whose aura was the weakest.

Just then, a streak of black light shot upward like a dark meteor. It was Yan Tianxiao. As he prepared to attack, the dragon's claw in mid-air suddenly shifted direction, pressing down on him instead. Yan Tianxiao's pupils contracted as he was violently struck by the dragon's claw. A terrifying burst of dragon energy exploded through his chest, rupturing through his back with gushing blood. Yan Tianxiao's face contorted, his teeth grinding as if to shatter. In his fierce resolve, he astonishingly diverted not a single shred of power to suppress his injuries. Instead, he condensed all his Yama Devil power into his hands and slammed them fiercely onto the dragon's claw before him.

*CRACK!*

With a thunderous *CRACK!* that sounded like ten thousand mountains collapsing, the Dragon Monarch's claw was forcibly bent. Yan Tianxiao, spraying blood, was sent flying through the air before plummeting heavily to the ground.

"Father!"

Yan Wu shrieked mournfully, her face drained of color, as she frantically rushed towards him. Yan Tianxiao rolled onto the ground, quickly pressing his fingers to his chest to seal the wound. He looked up and saw Yan Wu rushing towards him. Instantly, he lashed out with a palm, sending a dark current of air that swept her far away. "What are you doing worrying about me?!" he snarled, "Attack, quickly!"