Chapter 488: Bloodline Resonance, the Ascended Xuanhuang Dragon Clan?

Zhao Xing fully comprehended the life dao diagram on the island in just three years.

Three years later, an excited roar echoed across the island. A demonic ape soared from the peak, charging directly into the dark clouds in the sky. With a boom, surging vital energy tore through the dense, impenetrable cloud layer, creating a gaping hole.

"The life dao diagram of an Emperor-level ancient martial artist, even a beginner's, has greatly benefited me," the demonic ape exclaimed, excitedly gazing at its palms and feeling the immense power surging within its body.

"The Inner Transformation Method is inherently individualized. It requires observing the life structures of countless races and collecting as many bloodlines as possible to discover the most suitable transformation method for oneself. Compared to slowly exploring by collecting bloodlines, comprehending life dao diagrams is much faster."

After fully comprehending this life dao diagram, Zhao Xing estimated that the power of his Demonic Ape Transformation had increased by approximately threefold. Though it was only a threefold increase, this was just from one floating island on the first level. There are over a hundred thousand floating islands on the first level. If he could examine all of them? Zhao Xing felt that even without using the Azure Blossom Dharma Power and Red Lotus Dharma Power enhancements, he could possess Emperor-level strength after transforming.

"The Houbian Method has a very high ceiling; in fact, the current Heavenly Time Faction considers it the most promising path to godhood." After a Houbian transformation, one becomes a different life form, shedding previous racial restrictions and cultivation shackles. Transforming into certain special life forms can grant terrifying talents, allowing one to learn secret arts previously impossible and possess unimaginable power. In the Heavenly Time Faction's theory, the ultimate goal of Houbian to godhood is to transform into those 'naturally born divine beings,' commonly known as the Ancient God race. For example, the resurrected Ancient God of the Dongyan Clan is a special life form.

"However, examining all hundred thousand islands one by one would be too time-consuming," Zhao Xing mused. "One floating island takes three years. At this rate, it would take three hundred thousand years. I must improve my efficiency."

Zhao Xing stroked the ring on his hand, and straw figures appeared on the island. "Here, neither the internal world nor the world ring can be opened, because it possesses traits similar to a Dharma Realm. The Polar Star Floating Island Secret Realm, created by Venerable Bai Han, is essentially a Dharma Realm. Dharma Realms conflict with each other, but ordinary storage rings do not have perfectly functioning laws. These straw figures are my spare Primordial Strawman bodies."

His soul had split 101 times, but Zhao Xing had over two hundred spare Primordial Strawman materials stored in his internal world, world rings, and ordinary storage rings. As a Cultivator of the Ego School, Zhao Xing naturally had to consider extreme environments and situations where Primordial Strawmen might be destroyed in combat.

"Split."

Because four soul clones were outside and the dark soul clone had been devoured, Zhao Xing's current total number of soul clones was still 100. Immediately, ninety-six soul clones flew out from his sea of consciousness and entered the Primordial Strawman bodies. The Primordial clones, previously unmoving with closed eyes, now opened them.

"Including my main body, that's a total of ninety-seven of me. All the clones possess Azure Blossom Dharma Power, allowing them to fully withstand the Houbian transformations on the first level. By simultaneously comprehending the life dao diagrams on the floating islands, a significant amount of time can be saved."

Whoosh whoosh whoosh! The clones flew towards different directions on the first level.

Three years later, Zhao Xing had comprehended 98 life dao diagrams, and the power of his Demonic Ape Transformation directly doubled. Six years later, Zhao Xing had comprehended 195 life dao diagrams, and the power of his Demonic Ape Transformation increased by another seventy percent. By the twelfth year, 292 life dao diagrams had been comprehended.

Time flowed on, and in the blink of an eye, 210 years had passed.

Polar Star Floating Island, first level.

Zhao Xing's main body slowly stood up under a purple thundercloud. "That's about enough," he murmured. "I've almost finished examining all hundred thousand floating islands."

Examining all hundred thousand floating islands, assuming three years per island, would still take over three thousand years even with nearly a hundredfold increase in efficiency. Therefore, he hadn't intended to spend three years on every single floating island. Zhao Xing had only fully comprehended the life dao diagrams on the first level at the very beginning. Once the power increase from the Demonic Ape Transformation began to wane, Zhao Xing's comprehension shifted to merely 'forcibly memorizing' and gaining a preliminary grasp. He only briefly glanced at species with repetitive types or similar bloodlines. After all, the first level only contained life dao diagrams of beginner Emperor-level beings.

In fact, by the 89th year, the power of his Demonic Ape Transformation could no longer be further enhanced. The remaining time was purely for his main body to fill in gaps and ensure a more stable foundation.

"By now, I have learned over three thousand types of Houbian methods. Even without using the two types of Dharma Power for enhancement, I now possess eighteen different transformations, stable at the beginner Emperor-level. These eighteen transformations all provide beginner Emperor-level combat power, switchable at will to handle various combat situations." Zhao Xing transformed, sometimes into a beast, sometimes into a demonic ape, sometimes into a spirit turtle, and even into special life forms like rock giants.

"The life dao diagrams on the first level are limited, and the secret arts derived from them are also limited in scope. It's time to move to a higher level." Zhao Xing looked up at the sky.

The second level of Polar Star Floating Islands had significantly fewer islands, only 360. The third level had 120 floating islands. The fourth level had 49 floating islands. The fifth level had 9 floating islands. The sixth level had 3 floating islands.

Thanks to his solid foundation, having examined almost all hundred thousand life dao diagrams on the lower levels, Zhao Xing only spent nine years to fully comprehend all 360 floating islands on the second level. Comprehending the 120 life dao diagrams on the third level took him twenty-eight years.

Upon entering the fourth level, Zhao Xing encountered an acquaintance. "Palace Lord Jixia."

Under the blue clouds at the center of the floating island, Zhao Xing saw a colossal Moon Spirit Cat coiled, its forehead bearing a crescent moon mark. Its fur emanated various colored dharma powers, and its body was adorned with a Four Seasons Dharma Robe and crowned with a green vine-intertwined diadem. Palace Lord Jixia was a powerful figure in the Four Seasons Palace, a top-tier Heavenly Time Faction force within the Scarlet Star Empire's territory, and her cultivation had reached the peak Emperor-level. One of Zhao Xing's Primordial clones had chosen the Four Seasons Palace as its first stop when seeking Heavenly Time cultivation methods. After the Demigod's Abode opened, Palace Lord Jixia also purchased a spot through Zhao Xing.

"Zhao Xing?" Palace Lord Jixia was licking her wounds when she noticed someone approaching and immediately turned her head to look.

"Palace Lord, are you injured?" Zhao Xing was somewhat surprised, as there was a dark fissure on Palace Lord Jixia's left flank, nearly splitting her in two.

"Yes, I was wounded by the Dharma array on the fifth level," Palace Lord Jixia admitted, her cat paw pointing towards the fifth-level floating island above.

"Even you couldn't withstand the Houbian Dharma array on the fifth level?" Zhao Xing's heart leaped in surprise.

"I don't primarily cultivate the Houbian method; my main cultivation is Cloud and Rain Dharma," Palace Lord Jixia sighed. "Originally, I could have resisted the array on the fifth level, but the life dao diagram there is incredibly subtle, a life structure I've never encountered. Unbeknownst to me, all my energy became focused on comprehending it, and I forgot to resist the Houbian Dharma array..."

The prerequisite for comprehension was to withstand the Houbian Dharma array on the floating island. Palace Lord Jixia could barely resist the fifth-level floating island's Dharma array, but it required her full, undivided attention and all her energy. Since she was distracted by comprehension, she was naturally injured by the floating island's Houbian Dharma array. She then had to retreat to a floating island on the fourth level to recover from her injuries.

"That is truly a profound life dao diagram. If I could fully comprehend it, I would willingly die," Palace Lord Jixia said, even forgetting her wounds as she reminisced, falling into a state of deep enchantment. To hear the Dao in the morning, one may die in the evening without regret! The treasures left by the abode's owner held a fatal allure for a Heavenly Time Faction Cultivator like Palace Lord Jixia, so much so that she was willing to pay with her life!

"The fifth level," Zhao Xing muttered, standing up and looking upwards. The fifth level's Houbian Dharma array had transformed Emperor Tianwu into a monster and captivated Palace Lord Jixia, making Zhao Xing feel an impulse to rush up and investigate. However, he restrained himself. He was not stronger than Emperor Jixia or Emperor Tianwu; rashly entering the fifth level might lead to an unfavorable outcome.

"First, I'll fully comprehend the forty-nine floating islands on the fourth level, then I'll go to the fifth," Zhao Xing decided. Seeing that Palace Lord Jixia was no longer paying attention to him, he quietly went to the center of the floating island to examine the fourth-level life dao diagram.

A soft hum. Sunlight streamed down from the clouds, and a scroll slowly unfurled. Compared to the previous three levels, this life dao diagram was more complex and did not depict the familiar life essence of the human race. "It resembles an advanced form of a rock life-form I encountered on the first three levels." Zhao Xing worked to piece together and restore the individual life form. The dao diagram before him seemed to transform into a tree structure. The first three levels were the roots, countless branches, and what he now saw was the higher-level trunk.

"The Rock God Giant race is already extinct, just like the Deep-Sea Naga. I wonder which branch I'm seeing," Zhao Xing pondered, continually exploring. He named this life dao diagram the Rock God Life Dao Diagram.

Approximately four months later, Zhao Xing felt he still had energy to spare after comprehending the Rock God Life Dao Diagram, so he dispatched his clones to the other eight floating islands.

Whoosh! As Zhao Xing landed on another island on the fourth level, a mountain on the island suddenly flew towards him, intending to strike him. "Hm?" Zhao Xing immediately cast a spell. "Shatter! Sundering!" The massive mountain was immediately split into eight parts, then continuously shattered into smaller pieces, the remaining debris no longer posing a threat.

"Clatter clatter clatter!" A stream of shattered rocks impacted the Primordial clone's body, breaking apart. Zhao Xing's current Primordial clones were all made from Reincarnation Dao Soldier-grade materials sourced from the Void Ancestor galaxy. Even his spares were of mid-grade Reincarnation Dao Soldier level, and ten of the strongest ones even contained thirty percent top-grade materials. The straw figures from the Great Yang, Grand Void, and Primordial series were comparable to the Void Ancestor Body, naturally possessing extremely tough defenses.

Whoosh! As one mountain peak shattered, an even larger one came crashing down. Zhao Xing frowned. It was obvious someone was on the island and didn't want to share the life dao diagram with others. Such a crude method as throwing mountains at people unmistakably pointed to a Qi Sect martial artist. This Qi Sect martial artist was quite formidable; Zhao Xing couldn't sense their aura, vital energy, or even their soul.

"May I ask which senior is present? My name is Zhao Xing, a member of the Empire's Primordial Realm—" After dodging the second mountain peak, Zhao Xing called out, hoping to leverage his reputation to discuss the matter. However, the other party didn't reply. The third wave of attack consisted of eight mountain peaks suddenly slamming towards him.

Boom! A hint of fierce killing intent flashed in Zhao Xing's eyes. Surrounded by azure flames, he burst out from the mountain.

Since joining the Empire, Zhao Xing had first been suppressed by Wu Tian under Mount Wuzhi for five hundred years, then later rescued Emperor Hongshan at Mount Diejie, and was subsequently trapped by Mount Diejie for another 180 years. When he went to the Transmission Tower, one of his Primordial clones was again crushed by a large mountain in the divine紋 area of the Void Ancestor's Ecdysis Bones. Zhao Xing truly detested the feeling of being crushed by mountains.

"No matter who you are, I warn you: stop throwing mountains at me!"

"Get lost! You're not worthy of setting foot on my island." A voice, like rolling thunder, came from the east. Eighty thousand li to the east of the floating island, a muscular man with red hair and eight rhomboid armor plates on his chest issued the warning. The eight large mountains conjured by Lord Yashil did not crush Zhao Xing; instead, the opponent's aura grew stronger, making Lord Yashil somewhat wary.

However, Lord Yashil didn't recognize Zhao Xing. He had been in seclusion for many years, while Zhao Xing had only risen to prominence a few millennia ago. Purchasing an entry spot was done through the War God Hall. Even if he knew the War God Hall had other partners, he only knew Emperor Wudu, Emperor Hongshan, and Zuo Qiyu. As for Zhao Xing, he had never heard of him.

Zhao Xing finally pinpointed the opponent's location and, through his system panel, learned that this was a late-stage Lord-level Qi Sect martial artist named 'Yashil'.

"I called you senior, and you got full of yourself! So you're just a Lord-level?" Zhao Xing's Primordial clone immediately swapped places with his main body. Within the Dharma Realm, his Primordial clone and main body could indeed instantly teleport.

Boom! Without another word, Zhao Xing directly activated his Red Lotus Demonic Ape Transformation and charged towards Lord Yashil.

"Hm?" Lord Yashil was comprehending the life dao diagram in the sky. Feeling Zhao Xing's sudden surge in aura, he looked over in surprise. "Just a moment ago, his aura was only at the beginner Emperor-level. How did it increase so much all of a sudden? Could he be a demon race member, and this is his true form?!"

Lord Yashil didn't recognize this as the Houbian Method, as Zhao Xing's Houbian Method was already very profound. Moreover, could someone with a beginner Emperor-level aura achieve such astonishing heights by casting the Houbian Method? Lord Yashil was no longer as dismissive as before, because he felt that the demonic ape before him could truly threaten him. He immediately stopped comprehending and flew into the sky to face the enemy.

"Fiend, take this hammer blow!" Lord Yashil charged forward, the large hammer in his hand transforming into a streak of light, with layers of space overlapping, which surprised Zhao Xing. Qi Sect martial artists rarely used weapons, but Lord Yashil was remarkably skilled with one. The hammer Dao Soldier, combined with spatial secret arts, unleashed immense power while maintaining an incredibly agile trajectory.

Zhao Xing, however, met Lord Yashil's meteor hammer with his bare hand. After over two hundred years of refinement across the first three levels, the Demonic Ape Transformation could completely match a mid-stage Emperor-level Qi Sect martial artist, and with the Red Lotus Dharma Power enhancement, its strength reached the late Emperor-level. For Lord Yashil, a Lord-level cultivator, to reach the fourth level, he must undoubtedly be a genius. But Zhao Xing didn't believe he could overpower him in terms of strength.

The large hammer was directly caught in Zhao Xing's hand, and visible spatial ripples emanated between his hand and the hammer. Lord Yashil was stunned: "He actually caught it!" To catch his nascent Dao Soldier, even if it was only a mid-grade Dao Soldier, with a bare hand was utterly incredible.

However, something even more unbelievable followed. "Hmph!" With a single squeeze of his hand, Zhao Xing's demonic claw erupted with a burst of Red Lotus Dharma Power, directly crushing the meteor hammer into fragments!

"What?!" Lord Yashil's eyes glazed over in disbelief. Crushed? He had never imagined his meteor hammer could be crushed by someone. This was simply monstrous! However, he didn't know that with the refinement of Zhao Xing's Demonic Ape Transformation, his innate secret arts had also been enhanced. The Shattering Realm Palm, one of the Demonic Ape race's innate talents, had been improved by incorporating insights from the hundred thousand-plus life dao diagrams of the first three levels, allowing it to crush even realm barriers. Combined with the destructive Dao amplification of the Red Lotus Dharma Power, facing only a mid-grade Reincarnation Dao Soldier, this exaggerated effect was achieved. If it were a higher grade, Zhao Xing wouldn't have been able to crush it.

"Whoosh whoosh whoosh!" Zhao Xing used the Demonic Ape race's innate secret art to hurl the crushed hammer fragments at Lord Yashil. A shower of meteors engulfed the area, the fragments burning with infused Red Lotus Dharma Power. Each fragment moved incredibly fast, its power comparable to a full-force strike from a mid-stage Emperor-level cultivator.

Lord Yashil instantly jolted, his body suddenly sprouting eight arms, each gripping a hammer of the same quality as the previous one.

"Clang clang clang clang clang clang clang!!!" The eight large hammers stirred up wind and rain in the clouds, as if the sky itself was collapsing, striking the meteor shower one after another. Leveraging momentum perfectly, the eight massive hammers swept forth majestically, seeming even more brilliant than the meteor shower itself, and actually managed to block all of it. However, with every block, Lord Yashil took a step back. By the time the meteor shower passed, he was embedded in the rock formation behind him. His entire body, especially his arms, was red and swollen, his golden bones aching, and half of his vital energy was depleted!

"Huff huff huff huff," Lord Yashil panted heavily. When he recovered his senses and the smoke dispersed, he saw the opponent already standing before him, staring at him with cold indifference. Lord Yashil's breath hitched; he knew he was no match for the opponent.

"Do I have the qualifications now?" Zhao Xing asked indifferently, his pink hair flowing, his sturdy red-skinned muscles burning with crimson vital flames, as he gazed at the other party.

"If you want to kill me, then kill me! Why waste words? Do you want me to bow to a demon? Humph!" Lord Yashil stood ramrod straight, a look of disdain on his face.

Zhao Xing shifted back to his human form and cursed, "Open your dog eyes and look carefully! This old man uses a legitimate Cultivator Houbian Method! You're the demon race! Your whole family is the demon race!"

"Ah?" Lord Yashil was stunned and uncertain. "You, you're a Cultivator?"

"Didn't I just say? I am a Coral-level member of the Primordial Realm."

"Clang!" Lord Yashil threw all eight iron hammers to the ground and decisively knelt on one knee: "I was blind and ignorant, senior, please forgive me."

"Senior, I don't have anything valuable on me. The entry spot I bought exhausted all my liquid funds. Only these eight iron hammers are still somewhat valuable. Please accept them as my apology, senior."

"Hmph, where are you from? Your skill is mediocre, but your temper isn't small." In truth, Lord Yashil's strength was quite decent. Few Qi Sect martial artists Zhao Xing had encountered were skilled with weapons. Lord Yashil, despite not being Emperor-level, could contend with a mid-stage Emperor-level cultivator solely based on the weapons in his hands.

"Senior, I am from Liufang Kingdom," Lord Yashil honestly confessed. "One epoch ago, I answered the Empire's call to participate in the 'Dao River War' and befriended Emperor Shayu from the War God Hall. I earned some merit then, and after exchanging it for military contributions, I went into seclusion. This time, it was also my friend Emperor Shayu who reminded me, so I came out of seclusion to explore this relic. I had no killing intent just now; I was merely annoyed by the disturbance."

"If not for that, you'd already be dead," Zhao Xing replied. Of course, he could tell the other party had no killing intent, which was why he spared Lord Yashil's life. The 'Spiritual Torrent' emerging from the Void River was a vital source for irrigating many grain-producing star systems in the south. One epoch ago, the Empire and the Myriad Rivers Demon Kingdom waged a major war in the southern frontier over the Void River, and Liufang Kingdom was one of the Empire's vassal dynasties in the south.

"I can spare you, and I don't want your valuables. However, you must guard me." Lord Yashil had decent strength. If he could withstand the Houbian Dharma array and establish a safe zone, Zhao Xing's comprehension speed could also be faster.

"Thank you, senior. Yashil is willing to serve," Lord Yashil exclaimed, overjoyed.

"From what you're saying, there are still many people on these forty-nine islands?" Zhao Xing asked. Over two hundred years had passed, and he didn't know how many people had arrived at Polar Star Island. He had spent his time refining his cultivation methods on the first three levels, perhaps some people had directly gone to the higher levels to comprehend.

"I'm not entirely sure, but there should be quite a few," Lord Yashil said. "Most are Emperor-level cultivators who came in pairs, often a Cultivator accompanied by a guardian expert, or a Physician accompanied by an expert. Senior, you are not the first person to come here. In the past 180 years, I've seen fifty-three people."

Constantly being disturbed, Lord Yashil couldn't comprehend anything, which was why he resorted to violence at the slightest provocation. After being bothered by so many waves of people, he finally found what he thought was a soft target and naturally wanted to vent his frustration. Little did he expect to hit a brick wall. He couldn't pass the level nor could he leave. He had just decided to stubbornly die, hoping that the method of reincarnation might offer a slim chance of survival.

"So many people came?" Zhao Xing was somewhat surprised. He had clearly informed Meng Wu of the War God Hall through his clone. Could it be that the powerful cultivators outside thought he intended to monopolize the benefits? The more he warned, the more they came?

"It seems my warnings had the opposite effect. Well, if Emperor Fuzhi could obtain a divine object, perhaps more divine objects will appear," Zhao Xing quickly realized. Back then, one divine object at the Yuanhai Dharma Assembly could summon so many powerful cultivators, and it was the same now. Danger? If powerful cultivators feared death, they wouldn't have been able to cultivate to such high realms.

"A hundred years ago, the Celestial Master's Abode stated that if one possesses a top-grade Reincarnation Dao Soldier, even if they cannot clear the second level, they can consume one top-grade nascent Dao Soldier to escape through reincarnation," Lord Yashil provided another piece of information. Zhao Xing closed his eyes and sensed carefully. After a long while, his external clones quickly confirmed this information. A top-grade Reincarnation Dao Soldier guaranteed escape through reincarnation. For other grades, it was only a certain probability.

"No wonder you only have a few hammers. You must have put all your family's assets outside," Zhao Xing chuckled.

"Not exactly," Lord Yashil chuckled sheepishly. "I've always been poor and can't afford top-grade or supreme-grade treasures."

"Alright, first, take me to see the life dao diagram on this island. If I can clear this level, I can take you out with me."

"Yes, senior, please follow me."

Lord Yashil had named this island Yashil Island, and it contained a life dao diagram of the Divine Plume race. Legend has it that during the Plume Emperor Era, the Divine Emperor 'Yu' married a powerful individual from the Demon God Palace, securing ten epochs of peace between the human and demon races. After that, the descendants of the Plume Emperor and the demon race multiplied and thrived in their fiefdoms, gradually growing stronger and giving birth to a new race: the Divine Plume race.

As Zhao Xing began to comprehend the Divine Plume life dao diagram, he quickly entered a state akin to a scholar's enlightenment. The first thing that caught his eye was a pair of pristine white wings. "Legend says Princess Yuyao had seven wings, but here there's only one pair. And while each of the 108,000 feathers in legend contained Grand Dao laws, this one only has 37,000. It seems Venerable Bai Han didn't capture a very high-level Divine Plume individual," Zhao Xing mused, comprehending the Dao charm on it. His back unconsciously itched, and in the seventh month, a pair of fleshy wings sprouted, though they were red-feathered.

Lord Yashil, observing from the side, was utterly astonished: "To grow wings from his ribs in just seven months—what incredible comprehension speed! Which senior from the Empire is this? I've never heard of him."

Zhao Xing attempted a flight, then returned to the comprehension area somewhat dissatisfied. "No, combining it with the Demonic Ape physique is superfluous. While it does accelerate some speed, it hinders the execution of the 'Shattering Realm Palm.' No matter how I adjust it, it's still a thousand immeasurable moments slower than the wingless state. Such a Houbian method combination is clearly imperfect." A thousand immeasurable moments, or one-thousandth of a second, was already a critically noticeable amount of time in Emperor-level combat.

"Perhaps I could try combining it with the Thunder Roc race," Zhao Xing murmured to himself, then sat down again to comprehend the scroll. Lord Yashil dutifully maintained the vital energy barrier, preventing the Houbian Dharma array from affecting Zhao Xing.

Thirty years quickly passed. During his comprehension, Zhao Xing's understanding of the Grand Dao of Life also rapidly grew, and he even occasionally gained some secret arts. He also taught some of the secret arts he comprehended to Lord Yashil, allowing Lord Yashil to make significant progress. As a Cultivator, Zhao Xing also took the opportunity to plant some palatable spiritual qi plants on the floating island.

Given the difficulty of the fifth level, the sixth level was even more despair-inducing. Clearing it was destined to be a protracted battle. Most of those who entered could not rely solely on the spiritual qi resources they carried. Therefore, they began claiming territories, absorbing spiritual qi from the floating islands to prepare for long-term survival. Zhao Xing also intended to use Yashil Island as a base, so that if his comprehension on the fifth level proved unfavorable in the future, he could retreat there to recuperate. With food and drink, and even cultivation gains, Lord Yashil became increasingly diligent and respectful towards Zhao Xing.

By the thirty-fifth year, Zhao Xing's comprehension of both the Rock God Life Dao Diagram and the Divine Plume Life Dao Diagram reached a bottleneck, so he finally decided to move to a different location. Lord Yashil was too weak and didn't know much about the individuals on the forty-nine floating islands of the fourth level, but Palace Lord Jixia knew a great deal. Thirty years later, Palace Lord Jixia was still healing, but she had recovered considerably.

Palace Lord Jixia said, "Venerable Bai Han calculated everything meticulously. Emperor-level cultivators can only occupy islands on the fourth level to survive and obtain sufficient spiritual qi supplies. As time passes, the struggle for floating islands on the first four levels will become increasingly fierce due to survival needs. If you want to go to other floating islands, you can first visit 'Seastar Island.' That's the territory occupied by Emperor Hei Hai and Emperor Xuxing."

Emperor Hei Hai was the Vice Alliance Leader of the Mirage Sea Alliance and Zhu Haichao's father. Emperor Xuxing, on the other hand, was from the Zi Wu Heavenly Time Palace, and one of its Palace Lords, as well as Jiang Tiansu's grandfather. They, too, entered by purchasing spots through Zhao Xing, leveraging their family connections. Zhao Xing's half-year delay earlier was spent in discussions with them. "The Polar Star Floating Island space in the second trial is also very vast, and the islands are constantly rotating, following the trajectory of the Dark River Grand Dao. If you follow the route I give you, you should be able to fly there safely in about half a month."

"I understand. Thank you, Palace Lord, for guiding me," Zhao Xing said, immediately setting off. Following Palace Lord Jixia's guidance, sure enough, half a month later, he saw a floating island, mostly dark yellow, emerge precisely from the void clouds in the starry sky ahead. Checking the location, Zhao Xing realized that the two Emperors truly knew how to pick a spot; Seastar Island was considered one of the more secluded locations among the forty-nine islands on the fourth level.

"Who goes there?!" As soon as he landed on the island's edge, a shout immediately rang out.

"Seniors, I am Zhao Xing." Zhao Xing stopped and revealed his identity.

Whoosh! Alliance Leader Hei Hai and Palace Lord Xuxing appeared simultaneously. Upon seeing that it was indeed Zhao Xing, they invited him in.

"It really is you, Zhao Xing! How did you find this place?"

"Palace Lord Jixia guided me," Zhao Xing replied with a respectful cupped-hand salute.

"I see," Alliance Leader Hei Hai said, then asked, "Have his injuries healed yet?"

"Not entirely," Zhao Xing shook his head. "The Houbian power of the fifth level is too strong; injuries from the fundamental life essence level are constantly undergoing Houbian, making recovery very slow."

"Venerable Bai Han is truly terrifying, to be able to set up such a formidable Houbian Dharma Realm," Palace Lord Xuxing sighed. "I've been here for 207 years, yet I still don't dare stay long on the fifth level. The longest I endured was only thirty-seven days, and I couldn't even spare a shred of energy for comprehension." Palace Lord Xuxing could only stay for thirty-seven days on the nine floating islands of the fifth level? Zhao Xing secretly clicked his tongue in amazement.

"Zhao Xing, whatever you do, don't go to the fifth level," Palace Lord Xuxing warned. "Let's wait until someone clears it, and then we can leave together. Otherwise, you'll be forced into reincarnation."

"Understood," Zhao Xing nodded. Of course, he wouldn't go now. Without confidence, going to the fifth level would be suicide. Even someone as powerful as Emperor Tianwu had remained forever on the fifth-level floating island.

"Seniors, do you know who has stayed on the fifth-level floating islands the longest?" Zhao Xing asked.

"We're not entirely sure about the specifics," Alliance Leader Hei Hai shook his head, "but four individuals have stayed the longest: Juan Carlos, Sword Monarch Ye Liuxin, Emperor Chixiao, and a mysterious person of unknown identity. Xuxing and I have ascended to the fifth level seventy-five times, and each time, we've seen these four individuals."

Zhao Xing nodded. Among the four, leaving the mysterious person aside, Juan Carlos was well-known. He was a direct descendant of a demigod and a mechanical warrior. Sword Monarch Ye Liuxin, on the other hand, was very famous in the southern part of the Empire; the Dao River War, in which Lord Yashil participated, was spearheaded by him. As for Emperor Chixiao, he was an 'old acquaintance.' During the Dharma Assembly of the Ancient Yuanhai Kingdom, one of the nine great Emperors present was a Heavenly Time Faction Cultivator, none other than Emperor Chixiao.

"Alright, let's not dwell on that for now. Zhao Xing, you're here to comprehend life dao diagrams, aren't you? The life dao diagram on this floating island is very interesting; you'll surely be interested," Alliance Leader Hei Hai chuckled.

"Oh?" Hearing them say that, Zhao Xing's interest was indeed piqued.

Whoosh whoosh whoosh! Clouds appeared under their feet, and the three instantly arrived at the center of the floating island, which was now enveloped by a golden cloud. As Zhao Xing and the other two entered, golden light streamed down, interweaving to form part of a scroll that slowly unfurled.

"Roar~" Zhao Xing first heard a sound, then saw a single purple scale, resembling that of a fish. Gradually, a creature with horns like a deer, a neck like a snake, claws like an eagle, palms like a tiger, and a head like a camel emerged before his eyes. Zhao Xing subconsciously pieced together its bloodline structure diagram. His body then jolted, and he somewhat surprisingly disengaged from his comprehension.

"Haha, what do you think?" Alliance Leader Hei Hai chuckled. "Doesn't this race resemble a native species from your Great Zhou? We've never seen anything like it elsewhere."

Zhao Xing was speechless, for he had just felt a sense of familiarity, as if they shared a common origin.

Like? It's clearly the dragon bloodline that ascended from the Xuanhuang Realm!