Does the Fearless Lion recognize this ancient beast?
All the cultivators turned their gazes toward it, their faces filled with astonishment.
“Second Under Heaven—that was its title in the past. It once competed with the mightiest True Dragon but narrowly lost!” the Fearless Lion declared.
It explained to the crowd that this creature hailed from the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths, incomparably powerful, with only a few of its kind ever appearing in the world. It represented the pinnacle of strength, once vying for dominance against the True Dragon to claim the “True Name.”
“What does that mean, to seize the so-called True Name?” someone asked, puzzled.
“What kind of creature is it, exactly?” Many experts from the foreign realm were equally baffled, unable to comprehend what kind of being could have once rivaled the supreme True Dragon.
“It is also a True Dragon, but of a different evolutionary form. It clashed with another lineage of True Dragons, culminating in a decisive battle—unfortunately, it lost,” the Fearless Lion explained.
A True Dragon? The crowd was stunned, exchanging bewildered glances before turning their attention back to the ancient creature.
Of course, none dared to stare for too long, only stealing fleeting glances. Prolonged observation would provoke a backlash from this formidable being, risking their very lives.
How could it be a dragon?
Are there different forms of True Dragons?
“Many species can evolve into dragons—pythons, flood dragons, even carp, if they make the ultimate leap, may transform into dragons!” the Fearless Lion elaborated.
A dragon is not merely a creature but the ultimate form of high-tier life. Many beings can choose to evolve toward it.
The True Dragon is hailed as the supreme race, but in the earliest epochs, the nature of the True Dragon—what its lifeform truly embodied—was determined through competition!
The original True Dragons once had two great branches, and this ancient beast before them was the supreme champion of one lineage!
Clearly, this lineage ultimately failed, forced to retreat, never obtaining the True Name of the Dragon.
Everyone listened in awe, absorbing the revelation.
Shi Hao was dumbfounded—such a tale existed?
Soon, he accepted it, for in many places, ancient crocodiles and the like were still revered as dragons. Evidently, this was a remnant of the True Dragon’s evolutionary history.
At this moment, the Fearless Lion confirmed to all that this was an exceedingly ancient being, one that vanished after its defeat.
Its entire lineage disappeared—who could have guessed that the ancient beast in the Heavenly Beast Forest would be it?
“Second Under Heaven is no empty boast. Back then, it contended for the title of the supreme race but was forced to retreat, while the other branch of True Dragons became the foremost race in the world!” the Fearless Lion concluded.
In the end, it vanished too early, not even participating in the cataclysmic battle at the end of the Immortal Ancient Era—such was the depth of its antiquity.
How did it end up here?
This “True Dragon” was undeniably mighty, so why had it been impaled through the skull by a crimson war spear? Could its ancient rival, the True Dragon, have been the one to strike it down?
The Fearless Lion had no answer to this.
“If you or I were pierced through the skull, our souls would surely scatter—especially by an immortal war spear. Imagine just how powerful it must be!”
No further explanation was needed. Everyone understood—this creature was terrifyingly strong. Even in its current state, neither alive nor dead, it exuded such might. If it were to revive, how fearsome would it become?
“One thing I don’t understand—this place borders our realm. Did none of the great ones from back then ever come here?” the Fearless Lion mused.
The “our realm” it referred to was the foreign domain, not the lands beyond Imperial Pass.
“A spineless race indeed, long forgetting its origins,” Shi Hao mocked from a distance, disgusted by this clan’s betrayal of the Nine Heavens and their slaughter of once-close kin.
“One of our great ones did come here—even took action—but this land is extraordinary!” An elder among them revealed a hidden truth.
According to his knowledge, even that mighty figure from the foreign domain was wounded and forced to retreat.
“What?” The crowd was shocked.
They retreated? After conquering Imperial Pass, they were thwarted here?
“Some things defy expectations. Though we won the war, the supreme ancient ancestors—Yu Tuo, An Lan, and others—were grievously wounded, paying a steep price. They lacked the strength to fight again so soon. Otherwise, why would we have withdrawn from Imperial Pass after the upheaval in the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths? This was the main reason. And this region was overlooked, only to undergo a shocking transformation!”
According to the elder, battles had indeed occurred here. But the most astonishing clash took place in the Divine Medicine Mountain Range.
“What?”
“Rumor has it that a Daoist, no taller than a foot, formed from Immortal Gold of the Yellow Path, engaged in a cataclysmic battle with one of our supreme great ones,” the elder recounted.
At the foot of the stone mountain, Shi Hao was stunned, recalling what he had witnessed in the cavern beneath the Divine Medicine Mountain Range.
Wasn’t there a golden Daoist in that cavern? Sitting cross-legged, facing a mysterious ancient cave, silent as if having passed away for eons.
That Daoist also had a war chariot, pulled by a golden ox no longer than a foot—though it had long since shattered.
Shi Hao never expected to hear of the Daoist here!
“In that battle, our supreme great one was severely wounded. He may have also come to these mountains—whether he fought here is unknown.” The elder paused.
Then he sighed. “You must understand, this place also borders the Ancient Burial Grounds. Even back then, our realm sensed something beneath the earth—a presence comparable to Ancestor Yu Tuo.”
For this reason, the matter of this region was left unresolved.
The Heavenly Beast Forest, the Divine Medicine Mountain Range, and the branch of the Ancient Burial Grounds—all adjacent, each guarded by supreme beings. After the war with the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths, the foreign domain was too weakened to act rashly.
By later eras, even as Yu Tuo and An Lan recovered, they could no longer cross the border.
The Heavenly Abyss barred their passage.
“But why would the golden Daoist and this ancient beast be here at the border? There must be a reason!” someone puzzled aloud.
Meanwhile, Shi Hao began ascending the stone mountain, distancing himself from the group.
The foreign cultivators weren’t concerned—where could he flee now?
Still, they were tense. If the ancient beast showed signs of awakening, everyone might perish instantly, crushed to dust.
“There is a dark hand at work, targeting our foreign domain. The ancient beast and the golden Daoist here must be connected to them!”
Shi Hao climbed, avoiding the mountain inscribed with “Second Under Heaven,” wary of powerful runes there. He believed the stele served to seal the ancient beast.
Instead, he headed straight for the opposite mountain, decisive and resolute. Ever since arriving, he had felt an inexplicable familiarity with that place.
Upon reaching the summit, a serene and mysterious radiance rose, hazy yet profound.
Shi Hao’s heart raced—this was indeed the place!
The mountain was vast, its peak cradling a crystal-clear lake that seemed to beckon one’s soul, urging it to plunge in!
He had seen this lake before!
“Reincarnation Pool!” Shi Hao murmured.
Two days prior, he had been pursued by the Heavenly Rat. Later, a withered tree impaled the rat but ultimately released it after it swore an oath to depart for reincarnation.
At the time, the rat had been drawn into a passageway, at the end of which lay a pool—the very lake before him now.
Soon, Shi Hao spotted a stele bearing three words: Reincarnation Pool!
“So it’s here?!” Shi Hao muttered, bracing himself, wary of being swept into an unknown cycle of rebirth.
“Hmm?” At that moment, the Fearless Lion at the mountain’s base let out a startled cry, looking upward.
The radiant glow atop the summit had caught the attention of all the foreign cultivators!
“There’s a familiar aura here. I sense a great opportunity for myself—I can’t let him take it!” the Fearless Lion declared, preparing to ascend.
“Be careful! This place is dangerous!” an elder warned.
The golden lion, its physique formidable, stood in contemplation before suddenly exclaiming, “I understand now! I sense the power of the Ancient Monks—this is my destiny!”
At the mention of the Ancient Monks, the foreign experts’ eyes gleamed coldly, their emotions complex.
The Ancient Monks were truly formidable. In the past, the foreign domain had paid a steep price to slay the Immortal Monk King among them, losing countless experts.
One of their Immortal Kings, after that battle, entered seclusion and had yet to reappear in this era. Some suspected he had perished in his ancestral lands.
The ancestors of the Fearless Lion had once been subdued by the Monk King, converting to the Ancient Monks. Thus, their clan bore deep karmic ties to them!
The golden lion moved, dashing toward the mountaintop with incredible speed.
Many among the foreign cultivators were tempted to follow but restrained themselves, daunted by the ancient beast’s oppressive presence nearby.
“Reincarnation Pool!” The Fearless Lion reached the summit, beholding the small lake. It wavered between excitement and hesitation, muttering, “Is this truly connected to them?”
“Come to die?” Shi Hao asked coolly.
“The fortune of the Reincarnation Pool is my destiny. Step aside, or I’ll send you to your grave!” The golden lion glared at Shi Hao, its killing intent icy.
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