Chapter 178: Dragon Python Evolution

Late at night, in the imperial study of the Yuanyang Empire's palace.

Yuanyang Emperor Yuan Haotian, a peak-level Soul Realm expert, suddenly furrowed his brow. A distinct tremor vibrated continuously beneath his feet.

"Guards! Immediately send people to investigate the condition of the earth's veins. If there's any anomaly, report back at once!"

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

Several Golden Blade Guards promptly left the imperial study. Although the tremors weren't excessively strong, they were continuous, filling Yuan Haotian with deep unease.

He knew exactly where he stood: directly over the empire's true Dragon Vein, which was also protected and suppressed by the Yuanyang Empire's ancestral Sky Formation. How could an earthquake possibly occur here? Yuan Haotian tried to reassure himself with this thought, but the report on the sudden incident at Holy Soul Academy lying on his desk filled him with too many questions and suspicions. This time, things were likely far from simple.

"Reporting, Your Majesty! The elders of the Protectorate Hall have investigated and discovered pulsations emanating from the core of the Sky Formation. It appears the anomaly is coming from the underground Dragon's Lair."

"What did you say!" Yuan Haotian could no longer deceive himself. His deepest fear had finally come to pass.

The previous emperor once said that Holy Soul Academy was paramount to the empire's Dragon Vein; as long as the academy remained peaceful and undisturbed, the Yuanyang Empire's legacy would endure forever. Within just a few days, an upheaval involving a visiting student at the academy had just concluded, and now earth tremors were occurring. There had to be a profound connection between the two events.

"This is dire! Immediately summon all experts above the Nascent Soul Realm from the Protectorate Hall. I must see them at once!"

***

Meanwhile, hundreds of meters beneath Yuan Haotian, in the underground palace, Xu Yang's decisive strike against the giant dragon finally concluded.

The tremors on the surface moments ago were caused by Xu Yang's earth-shattering strike. The vibrations even surpassed the limits that the Ancient Desolation Sky Formation could shield. The giant dragon had finally ceased its resistance.

"Hahahaha! Youngster, you have my approval. I can sense that you held back a portion of your strength; you didn't unleash your full power. To possess such meticulous thought at a moment of life and death indicates a person with great potential for development. I have high hopes for you!"

Xu Yang smiled. Gaining the giant dragon's recognition meant he had successfully overcome this supreme tribulation.

Whoosh! A stream of incredibly pure golden light surged towards Xu Yang. The True Dragon Soul entered his Mind Sea small world, adding another True Dragon Soul to the sphere surrounding him. This gain was undoubtedly akin to a rebirth for Xu Yang; Dragon Soul power was a legendary-grade force.

In the future, no matter what opponent he faced, Xu Yang now possessed a crucial trump card.

At the same moment, the little Dragon Python scurried forward. Xu Yang understood its intent and placed his palm directly on its head. A golden aura slowly flowed out, completely cleansing the Dragon Python's physical body.

"Look at the little fellow!" Long Kun exclaimed in shock, pointing at the small snake. He was astonished to see its skin begin to change color, developing a layer of delicate dragon scales! It was well known that the biggest difference between snakes and dragons lay in their scales, which directly impacted the growth of their defensive attributes.

"I can't believe you also managed to acquire a Dragon Python as a demonic pet! You truly are blessed with great fortune! Hmm, this Dragon Python seems to have undergone an ancestral bloodline mutation; it has even grown an inverse scale on its neck!"

The True Dragon Soul communicated with Xu Yang through a soul link, expressing immense shock.

"Oh? Is there anything special about it?" Xu Yang wasn't very familiar with this. In fact, the little snake itself had no idea what was going on, only feeling a slight itch on its neck.

"An inverse scale! Only true dragons can possess one. Dragon Pythons naturally carry a diluted dragon bloodline within them. Under the cleansing power of my dragon soul, this creature's bloodline not only successfully reverted to its ancestral form, fully activating its true dragon blood, but also grew an inverse scale. This means it has the potential to transform into a true giant dragon in the future!"

Xu Yang relayed the old dragon's words exactly to the little snake, who, overwhelmed with excitement, immediately wrapped itself around Xu Yang.

"Boss, no matter what, you brought me this opportunity. I'll follow you for the rest of my life!"

Xu Yang naturally agreed to its request. He knew that it was no longer a burden; the Dragon Python had successfully evolved into its true form. If it were to defy destiny further and transform directly into a giant dragon in the future, Xu Yang's overall strength would truly be unrivaled.

"You can follow me, but you will be responsible for protecting little Tuantuan. In the future, when I need to fight, you must diligently ensure her safety. If even a single hair on her head is harmed, you will forever lose the right to follow me."

The little snake immediately swore an oath to protect little Tuantuan for eternity and to follow Xu Yang faithfully. The onlookers were incredibly excited, as Xu Yang's series of encounters had made the team significantly stronger.

"Alright, now for the real crux of the matter!"

Xu Yang was in high spirits. He finally took the solemn and sacred last step, ascending the thousandth celestial stair. Beams of dragon light slowly emanated from his body, radiating outwards—this was the guidance and assistance provided by the old dragon soul.

Soon, at the topmost level of the Imperial Mausoleum palace, Xu Yang saw the cenotaph of Emperor Arantus. Within the small divine coffin lay sealed the peerless divine artifact — Arantus Infinite.

"Now, try to integrate my dragon soul power with your own, then circulate your vital energy and blood to sense the aura of Arantus Infinite. Remember, do not take a single step forward until you've detected its presence. Otherwise, the restrictions here will lock onto you, expose your identities, and trigger a response from the Yuanyang Imperial family."

Xu Yang nodded lightly, then sat cross-legged on the ground, following the old dragon's guidance to search for the divine artifact's aura fluctuations.

Unbeknownst to him, he remained seated for a full three hours. For the first time, the outline of Arantus Infinite appeared within Xu Yang's small world.

It consisted of two crescent-shaped ring weapons, one gold and one silver. The two parts, meant for the left and right hands, differed completely in color and form, resembling a forward-facing and a reverse-facing dragon scale. These seemingly mismatched components had nevertheless forged the peerless foundation that protected the Ancient Desolation Dynasty for hundreds of thousands of years.

"My heavens, are these two things really that miraculous?"

The old dragon let out a chuckle. "Do you think they're not powerful just because they look strange? To tell you the truth, Arantus Infinite was forged by Emperor Arantus from my dragon bones when he slew me back then. In other words, possessing these two allows you to unleash your own dragon soul power to its maximum extent, and they also possess unparalleled resistance to dragon power itself."

At these words, Xu Yang was instantly stunned. A surge of intense desire to acquire them welled within him. As a man determined to reach the pinnacle of cultivation, he would inevitably have to contend with the Dragon Race in the future. Possessing these two divine artifacts, capable of resisting dragon aura, would undoubtedly be like adding wings to a tiger.