hold head high--

A dragon's roar, full of exhilaration, echoed across the endless ocean. Where the sea and sky met, a purple dragon, covered in wounds and scorched by lightning, leaped up and raced through the still-lingering clouds of tribulation.

As if in retaliation, the purple dragon, which had undergone eighteen hours of tribulation, devoured the tribulation clouds whose power had greatly diminished. Thunder roared, seemingly enraged by the purple dragon's provocative behavior, but to no avail.

The tribulation was over. No matter how unwilling it was, the remaining lightning could not harm the purple dragon that had completed its transformation. Instead, it could only be devoured and its essence absorbed.

Pieces of charred scales and dead skin peeled off, and Feng Bingwen and the other dragons watched as the Dragon Lord recovered from his injuries in a very short time. In just half a quarter of an hour, a magnificent purple dragon, radiating divine light, roamed freely in the sea of ​​clouds.

hold head high--

Another dragon roared, as the purple dragon, having vented its joy, flew towards the place where the hundred or so dragons had gathered. Wherever it passed, purple energy surged, covering the sky and the sun, stretching for three thousand miles.

The rampant dragon energy caused the sea below to boil, with countless fish, shrimp, turtles, and tortoises surging up, vying for and gulping in the water, trying to seize what might be their only chance for transformation before they could develop any intelligence.

"Congratulations, Your Majesty, on your triumphant return!"

"Congratulations, Father, on achieving the body of a true dragon."

As the purple dragon approached, many old dragons and serpents offered their congratulations. Even the dragon princes and princesses beside Feng Bingwen bowed in greeting. As for Feng Bingwen himself, he naturally followed suit and offered his congratulations.

"Thank you all for your help. I, Xi Muqing, am deeply grateful for your assistance. Please accept my bow!"

The purple dragon landed before the clouds, transforming into a refined man whose exact age was unknown. His long beard was as black as ink, his gaze calm, his divine light restrained, and his demeanor profound and imposing. He landed there, clasped his hands, and bowed in respect.

This scene, however, startled a group of old dragons and serpents.

"Your Majesty, you mustn't!"

"You are a true dragon, how dare you bow to us lesser dragons?"

"I dare not accept it."

Although the old dragon and the old serpent were deeply moved, they could only hastily dodge, not daring to accept the Dragon King's offer.

"If it weren't for you all suffering the tribulations of lightning in Xuan Ting Lake for me, how could my transformation into a water dragon have been so smooth?"

Although he had transformed into a true dragon, Xi Muqing was not arrogant at all. Instead, he sincerely thanked the old dragon who had helped him before.

“I, Xi Muqing, will remember this kindness and will certainly not treat you all unfairly in the future.”

Upon hearing the Dragon King's guarantee, all the old dragons and serpents beamed with joy.

They had suffered so much before, wasn't it all for this promise?

For old dragons like them, their blood and energy are waning, and their spirits are beginning to shrink. There is no hope of them transforming into dragons through water anymore. With no future in sight, they might as well choose a good place to enjoy their old age in peace.

What better place could there be than under the command of a true dragon?

However, compared to joining those established true dragons, following a dragon lord who is about to transform into a dragon is undoubtedly more worthwhile. No matter which true dragon it is, its forces are already well-established, and even if they went there, there would be no place for them.

On the contrary, following a dragon king who is about to transform into a dragon will surely bring him a good job when he succeeds, not only securing his future but also bringing blessings to his descendants.

"The person I should thank the most is you, sir!"

After calming down the group of old dragons, Xi Muqing approached Feng Bingwen.

"I am unworthy of being addressed as Your Majesty."

It's a bit embarrassing to admit, but Feng Bingwen did feel that his Dharma form was struggling to hold up in front of this Dragon Lord. Both the dragon soul at its core and the dragon pearl, which served as the source of its power, showed a tendency to submit.

Even though the Dragon Lord in front of him wasn't deliberately targeting him, and had even been quite restrained, his Dharma form still felt an urge to kneel.

"No need for modesty. You helped me achieve enlightenment, so I should repay you. Do you find this dragon armor suitable?"

Xi Muqing asked with a smile. At this moment, a fundamental transformation was taking place within his body. He could see through the true nature of Feng Bingwen's Dharma form at a glance. Although he had seen a rough outline before, it was not as clear as it was now.

"It fits perfectly, it fits very well!"

Standing before a true dragon, even though the dragon had just survived its tribulation and was extremely weak, Feng Bingwen still couldn't help but feel a little nervous.

This was the strongest being he had encountered since arriving in this world. Even his cheap master was no match for him. Perhaps he would catch up in the future, but he was definitely no match for him now. The gap between immortals and mortals was so vast that it was despair-inducing.

“Brother Bingwen, this is my father’s personal armor.”

Xi Qingyi, who was standing next to Feng Bingwen, was taken aback by his answer and quickly reminded him.

"Ah, this..."

Feng Bingwen was taken aback and was about to speak, but he was quickly interrupted by the smiling Dragon Lord in front of him.

"If you think it fits well, then it's yours. It's just a suit of armor; I'll make another one."

Long Jun's tone was calm and composed, which calmed Feng Bingwen's mind.

Although this dragon armor, with its predominantly purple color scheme and gold accents, is a bit too flashy, it's undeniably handsome, and Feng Bingwen really loves it.

The Dragon King's aesthetic sense is truly impeccable.

"But……"

Xi Qingyi, who was standing to the side, wanted to say something, but after being glared at by the Dragon Lord, he obediently shut his mouth. However, he couldn't help but mutter to himself.

"This armor was forged by Father using scales collected from past transformations and incorporating many rare and precious irons. This is clearly the armor you prepared for your own enlightenment, and you just gave it away like that. Isn't that too generous? How could a second one of this be made?"

Feng Bingwen was naturally unaware of all this; he was overjoyed. Even though he didn't know the origin of the dragon armor he was wearing, seeing the reluctance in the Dragon Prince's words, he knew it must be a priceless treasure.

"Is there anything else you wish for? I will grant it all."

"I have no desires at the moment."

Feng Bingwen thought for a moment. What he wanted most right now was the Immortal-grade Foundation Establishment, but even if the Dragon Lord in front of him had already transformed into a true dragon, he absolutely could not give him that.

"Nothing to ask for? A mere set of dragon armor is not enough to repay your kindness to me, sir. In that case, I will take the liberty of making this decision."

As he spoke, the refined and easy-going Dragon Lord, whose exact age was unknown, reached out and grabbed at Yun Tian beside him. The purple aura that had permeated three thousand miles when he transformed into a true dragon instantly gathered and was drained of most of it in an instant.

Purple mist swirled and condensed into a pearl. Before Feng Bingwen could react, the Dragon Lord opened his mouth and spat out the purple pearl again. In an instant, celestial light filled the air, purple mist soared into the sky, and auspicious clouds appeared. The purple essence within the pearl gathered, and a lifelike, ever-flowing purple dragon took shape.

This dragon has four claws and five toes, with prominent horns, flowing whiskers, thick mane, a winding body, and shimmering scales... It is clearly the true appearance of this dragon king.

"His Majesty!"

This time, before Xi Qingyi could even speak, the many old dragons who were still immersed in joy saw this scene and couldn't help but shout.

But before they could speak, the true dragon, who was worthy of being called the king of the ocean, released its oppressive power, and all the horrified old dragons who couldn't help but shout were suppressed, and could only watch helplessly, unable to utter a single word.

"This is a choice I'm giving you. If you swallow it, no matter what your previous physique was, even if you were just a mortal human, you can transform into a purple dragon. Your dragon bloodline will be no weaker than that of my children. You can transform into a dragon by walking on water, just like I did before!"

The words spoken by the Dragon Lord caused even Feng Bingwen, who was staying in the Feng family mansion, to open his eyes in shock.

"This is too valuable!"

Feng Bingwen declined, saying that while it was normal for people to repay a debt of gratitude, this was too much.

"It is very precious to you, but to me it is nothing more than a breath. If you do not wish to transform into a dragon, you can use it to cultivate a protective divine power, which has many wonderful uses."

Without waiting for Feng Bingwen's consent, the Dragon Lord shoved the bead that seemed to be binding a young purple dragon into his hand.

"I really don't feel safe carrying these things."

Feng Bingwen expressed his heartfelt feelings.

"Haha, just accept it, you deserve it."

The Dragon King laughed loudly, and then with a flick of his sleeve, all the old dragons, old dragons, dragon sons and daughters who had been suppressed by him and unable to move or speak were taken away by his sleeve.

It was unclear whether it was due to his profound magical power or his mastery of the great Taoist supernatural ability of "a universe within a sleeve." After completing all this, the true dragon bid farewell to the lone Feng Bingwen.

"Although I have survived the tribulation, my merits are not yet complete. I need some more time before I personally send you an invitation to my Dragon Palace for the Ascension Banquet. Please do not refuse."

"If I receive an invitation, I will naturally go and have a big feast."

Holding the dragon pearl, Feng Bingwen relaxed considerably. Aside from the terrifying dragon aura emanating from him, this dragon lord was surprisingly easy to get along with.

"Alright, sir, just wait here. I will use my magic to send you back."

"Thank you for your trouble, Dragon Lord."

Just as Feng Bingwen was about to offer his thanks, his vision blurred and he found the world turned upside down and the heavens and earth changed. When everything became clear again, he saw the almost submerged island in the middle of the lake beneath his feet.

Wolong Lake!

Back in familiar surroundings, before Feng Bingwen could even marvel at the power of the true dragon's magic and take stock of his gains, his true form heard ominous commotion coming from the great calamity.

"We need to stock up on more rice and grain at home, enough for at least six months."

"What's wrong? Why are you suddenly stocking up on so much rice and grain? The floodwaters that rose these past few days are starting to recede."

"The refugee camp in Yunze Prefecture that was evacuated to our Jinglin Prefecture has been hit by a plague!"