I want to become stronger!

Feng Bingwen focused his mind on the heavenly book and quietly made a simple, unpretentious, and pure wish.

He was too weak and powerless; he didn't want to experience that feeling of powerlessness that came from weakness anymore.

Because of his weakness, he could only watch as he was forcibly abducted from the slave trade, drift along with the tide, and even gamble his life for a brighter future.

He didn't want to experience that again, so he wanted to become stronger. He didn't make any specific, targeted interventions; he believed the Heavenly Book would take care of things for him.

Wow!

As Feng Bingwen made his wish, the Heavenly Book remained silent for a moment. Then, golden flames ignited on that line of good deeds. The flames rapidly expanded from the initial sparks, quickly covering the entire page. The intense firelight illuminated the world, shining brilliantly and radiating a surging power that seemed to cause time and space to collapse.

"It's done!"

Although he knew his prayer would not fail this time, Feng Bingwen felt immense joy as he gazed at the unprecedentedly blazing flame.

...

In the desolate continent, in a deep pool of water renowned throughout the land, a colossal creature lay sprawled, its head half-buried among the rocks, its thick, rock-like eyelids covering eyes as large as hills, as it slept soundly.

Even though it remained motionless in its slumber, the sheer power emanating from this colossal creature kept the vast and deep abyss completely still, without the slightest disturbance.

Rumble!

Suddenly, the sky above the abyss darkened abruptly. A bolt of white lightning streaked across the sky and then exploded violently, the thunder shaking heaven and earth. The giant beast that had been sleeping in the abyss suddenly opened its eyes.

Its eyes were a metallic silver-white, and its pupils were like a bottomless pool of water. The beast was awakened by the sudden thunder, and as the second bolt of lightning struck in the sky, the bewilderment in its eyes quickly faded.

hold head high!

Seemingly in response to the thunder in the sky, the giant beast raised its head and let out a long roar. Then, the giant beast, which had been sleeping for an unknown period of time, shook its head and stretched out its body, which had been lying in the abyss, like a continuous mountain range rising from the abyss, stirring up a vast flood that overturned both banks of the abyss.

Click!

The third bolt of lightning flashed in the dark clouds that covered the sky. Along with that lightning, some creatures that lived on both sides of the abyss and survived the sudden flood saw it. They had been sleeping in the abyss and had become the legendary evil god!

This colossal beast, majestic as a god yet possessing a touch of elegance, was covered in fish-like scales. Each scale alone was several feet in diameter, its black color reflecting a metallic luster under the illumination of lightning.

Atop his head were a pair of rugged, enormous, curved horns, their horn as black as iron. On either side of his muzzle grew a long, soft beard. His nose rose like a mountain peak, while his neck and chin were covered with thick, bushy manes that danced in the raging wind.

He rose from the abyss, his head, bearing rugged dragon horns, already touching the lightning-streaked clouds, but his tail remained in the abyss. His massive body was covered in dark gray scales, and on his back, dark purple dorsal fins emitted a dim light.

Upon witnessing this scene, whether birds and beasts or demons and monsters, anyone with a modicum of reason would instinctively express the highest reverence in their own way.

dragon!

Moreover, it seems to have completely acquired the appearance of a true dragon. Its horns resemble those of a deer, its head a camel, its eyes a rabbit, its neck a snake, its belly a clam, its scales a fish, its claws an eagle, its paws a tiger, and its ears a cow—it is completely indistinguishable from any other dragon.

However, this sacred being was struck by lightning as if by divine punishment after it surfaced in the abyss. Thousands of bolts of lightning fell from the sky like a raging waterfall, striking the black dragon's azure scales and splashing sparks and arcs of electricity.

hold head high!

The black dragon raised its head and roared angrily at the thundercloud-covered sky. Its deep, abyss-like eyes held extreme savagery and a hint of bewilderment.

He didn't understand. Although he was only half a step away, he didn't know how many years it would take to take that final step.

Logically speaking, with his current level of cultivation, it would be impossible for him to trigger a lightning tribulation. However, this lightning tribulation, which was almost a divine punishment, came in a very strange way.

He probed all directions with his divine sense, yet he couldn't find a single trace of deliberate intent. With his current cultivation level, even a true immortal from Taoism, an Arhat from Buddhism, or a true demon from beyond the realm could not possibly escape his notice.

But the more this happened, the more uneasy he felt. He had been tricked, yet he couldn't find anyone to help him.

Click!

A bolt of lightning, tinged with a hint of purple, struck the top of the black dragon's head amidst the increasingly dense lightning. The black dragon, which had been swimming freely in the lightning waterfall as if it were taking a bath, suddenly trembled.

He let out a wild roar, and the violent power swept across the eight directions. The waters beneath him stirred up towering waves that covered a radius of hundreds of miles, turning everything within a thousand miles into a vast swamp.

Ah! Roar!

Faced with a flood casually caused by a transcendent being that was almost a true dragon, even if it was not intentional, all living beings within a radius of a thousand miles were fleeing for their lives. Those who could not escape were swallowed up by the flood.

Who exactly is it?

Under this divine tribulation, the black dragon, whose body was already injured, surveyed the sky and the earth. A savage look appeared in its deep dragon eyes. It opened its mouth as if to swallow, and the souls of those who had perished in the flood it had caused fell into its mouth. It chewed them up, shattering their three souls and seven spirits, and transforming them into power closest to its origin to heal its injuries.

"Still too cowardly to show your face? You spineless coward!"

The black dragon's mouth split open, revealing jagged, ferocious fangs that reflected a chilling light.

"Such scheming must have taken a lot of effort, but unfortunately, it was all for nothing. I, the king, got to enjoy a good thunder bath!"

The black dragon taunted, its body, as winding as a mountain range, circling in the sky. When it sensed that the power of the lightning in the sky was beginning to weaken, it no longer hesitated, opened its mouth, and devoured the lightning.

As this colossal beast, almost a true dragon, devoured the thunderclouds that stretched for thousands of miles in the sky, the remaining power within them was consumed to replenish the damage inflicted during the tribulation.

"Utterly ridiculous!"

When the thunderclouds dissipated and the light of day returned, the seemingly unharmed black dragon let out another mocking cry. However, before the suspected schemer could be found, the dragon flicked its tail and prepared to dive into the abyss. But just then, a Daoist chant echoed between heaven and earth.

"May the Heavenly Venerable Boundless Blessings and Longevity grant me such good fortune, for I have actually encountered the Purple Mystic Dragon King undergoing his tribulation!"