Chapter 455: Dragon's Return

"Furthermore, if I were to unleash my full power, the inheritances of all other Northern Frontier lineages would spiral out of control. That would expose the secret between us. Are you certain you want to force me to that point?"

Xu Yang burst out laughing. "Since I emerged from seclusion three years ago and arrived in the Three Thousand Dao States, I, Xu Yang, have yet to face an opponent I couldn't defeat. As long as you're ready to bear all the consequences, I am indifferent."

In truth, the Night Monarch was only looking for a way to gracefully retreat. The problem was, Xu Yang had no habit of offering his enemies such an opportunity. Cease hostilities and make peace? That was out of the question.

A terrifying aura erupted at this moment.

The Night Monarch, needing to uphold his dignity, hesitated no longer. He simply gazed deeply at the Dark Dragon Source in his palm, then opened his mouth and swallowed it.

In mere moments, the aura emanating from him utterly transformed. His entire demeanor instantly became fierce and violent, a stark contrast to his previous enigmatic and chilling presence.

"Good heavens... Is he trying to achieve complete dragonization? Even if he could succeed, this process is almost irreversible! True full dragonization requires the complete obliteration of human instinct. His human consciousness could easily be crushed by the raging draconic power. If he fails to retain even a trace of his humanity, he will fully transform into a Darkfiend Dragon!"

Long Kun, having traveled extensively with Xu Yang, had witnessed many grand spectacles. While he hadn't experienced it firsthand, he knew well that complete dragonization was absolutely no laughing matter.

Yet, even as everyone else remained reserved about the Night Monarch's intentions, he offered a definitive answer to all observers through his actions.

Roar!!

The dragon soul descended, shaking heaven and earth!

The true aura of a Darkfiend Dragon fully erupted from the Night Monarch. His pupils burned with two purplish-black halos, sacrificing everything of his human form to the dragon's bloodline.

The greater the sacrifice, the closer the dragonization naturally became to perfection.

"My goodness, look, this guy... he's truly dragonized!!"

Yun Shu was utterly stunned by the spectacle. She involuntarily covered her mouth with her delicate hand, her eyes wide as she watched the Night Monarch's human form gradually transform, every muscle and bone morphing into a dragon's body. Finally, the instant three inverted scales emerged on the back of the demonic dragon's neck, boundless lightning erupted from the sky with a world-shaking roar.

Ordinarily, the revival of a true dragon's aura would trigger a resonant, world-shaking thunder from the myriad laws of heaven and earth. Yet, at this moment, the demonic dragon's revival unleashed thunderous roars that seemed even more furious than ever before.

This was because, upon awakening, the demonic dragon not only unleashed its ancient draconic power but also the cultivation foundation the Night Monarch had amassed over tens of thousands of years through personal cultivation and absorption. Undeniably, the moment this demonic dragon was born, it was in its peak state, possessing combat power equivalent to that of a god-tier human expert.

"Hahahaha! Xu Yang, you forced my hand! Dragonized, I am a god above this continent! Today, I will first slay you, then eradicate that detestable Phoenix leader to exact my revenge for the past!"

The revived demonic dragon fully unleashed its world-shaking draconic might. From its recent outburst, it was evident that some of the Night Monarch's memories within the Darkfiend Dragon had not completely vanished, indicating his human soul had not been entirely extinguished.

To awaken as a complete demonic dragon with inverted scales while retaining his human soul proved that the Night Monarch's personal strength was indeed worthy of respect from all.

What had initially been a decisive battle to eliminate the ultimate Northern Frontier boss had unexpectedly transformed into a dragon-slaying endeavor, leaving Xu Yang feeling quite helpless.

The successful complete dragonization effectively nullified Xu Yang's previous confrontation with the Night Monarch. Xu Yang had wasted significant physical energy; his stamina was now depleted by at least thirty percent, whereas the demonic dragon was in its absolute peak form.

"Roar!!"

The enraged dragon's roar shook the Nine Heavens!

Perhaps overjoyed at its return to the continent, the demonic dragon's initial assault didn't directly target Xu Yang. Instead, it unleashed nine consecutive bursts of dragon's breath across the vast, endless Northern Frontier continent!

Boom! Boom...

Nine consecutive thunderous blasts, shaking all directions, rang out. These nine dragon breaths alone nearly ripped apart the Northern Frontier region, which had been dormant for ages. Many ancient Northern Frontier races, long hidden from the world, were astonishingly reawakened and put on alert by this draconic power.

From the depths of the distant Northern Frontier lineages, countless eyes had quietly fixed upon the sky-borne battlefield. Such a display of might, while perhaps not reaching across all Three Thousand Dao States, could effortlessly impact the entirety of the Northern Frontier.

"Hmph, am I to interpret your actions as a desperate gamble? You, a great dragon, resurrected by a human expert, yet defying his will—is this the pride of a true dragon?"

Xu Yang clearly understood that while the Night Monarch's will hadn't been destroyed, he had lost control over this dragonized body. Simply put, he had been completely usurped by the great dragon, or even exploited by it.

Yet, the dragon's response was precisely the scene the Night Monarch had always dreaded most.

The great dragon seemed to deliberately draw more attention to the conflict, as if fearing the Northern Frontier's actions were too subtle, aiming to expose the secret of Shocking Cloud Valley to the world.

"It's pointless. All you're doing is revealing to more people how utterly pathetic it is for a member of the Dragon race, like yourself, to be on the verge of being slain by me."

Xu Yang's expression turned frigid. He had never been particularly averse to the Dragon race, considering the guardian dragon soul he'd encountered, the Water Ancestral Dragon that had bestowed its essence upon him, and the dragon within the Endless Tower that had helped Wushuang reconstruct his body—all had contributed to Xu Yang and his connections.

However, the moment he considered the sinister plot hidden behind the astonishing Nine Dragons Heavenly Tribulation, only utter detestation remained in Xu Yang's heart for that lineage.

"Young man, you must understand that in this world, only the strong control everything. We, the Dragon race, stand at the very pinnacle of this continent; naturally, we have the right to dictate the fate of all beings. In contrast, the Phoenix lineage deviates from this path, foolishly attempting to become humanity's protectors—it's utterly laughable! They are simply insulting our divine beast bloodline!"

"Hahahaha, since you subscribe to the principle that might makes right, why bother with further words? If you wish to fight, I will gladly oblige."