Yefutidaolu

Chapter 375 Dragon from Beyond the Heavens
Gao Jian looked at the rusty knife with some surprise.

To be honest, he was indeed planning to use demonic energy, and he had a very clear understanding of the nature of demonic energy.

wrong!

That last moment... wait!
He was indeed preparing to use demonic energy.

He believed he had explored this power, which originated from the divine gate and connected to the realm of desire, in sufficient depth.

He already understood the nature of demonic energy. This power could weave illusions in a special form without distorting perception, enough to shatter one's Dao heart. It could erode the soul, like the sweetest poison, tempting living beings to sink into illusion, fear, and depravity. It was more like a mirror on the spiritual level, pulling the target into a crazy world where reality and illusion could not be distinguished through a reflection of the inner self.

This is the demonic energy in the high-level understanding.

However, just now, when he was driven to the brink by the True Dragon's terrifying "adaptive immunity," and his anger was ignited by the dragon's declaration, he decided to take a desperate gamble and unleash the divine and demonic energy to counterattack...

A sudden change occurred!

The instant he activated the demonic energy, within the rusty knife, deep within the dormant filth and chaos, a completely different, bone-chilling power—so cold it froze even Gao Jian's soul—awakened without warning!

That's not a hallucination! It's not mental corruption!

It was a pure, absolute will to die, as if it wanted to drag everything into eternal annihilation!
This deathly aura was like an ancient beast that had been sleeping for ages opening one eye. The mere wisp of its aura was enough to make Gao Jian's hair stand on end and his scalp tingle instantly!

An indescribable chill shot from his tailbone straight to the top of his head, as if the blood in his body had frozen instantly! If it weren't for the fact that when the rusty knife in his hand was activated, his heart would be as clear as ice, unaffected and unshakable under any circumstances, he would probably have been swept away by the will to die.

Fortunately, his soul is practically invincible at this moment, at least for now.

But what happened?

Demonic energy... why has it turned out like this?!
This deathly aura... this final force that seems to be pushing the world toward destruction... what is it?
Gao Jian realized... he had absolutely no control over this thing in this state! Why did it appear at this moment? What was the reason? Was it related to his anger?

Takashi was filled with turmoil, even more terrified than when he faced the True Dragon's immunity!
His hand gripping the knife hilt tightened slightly. This sudden, uncontrollable change was putting him in a difficult position!
The demonic energy of the Desire Realm has always been his trump card. He confidently roams around and risks his life because he always has this as his trump card.

Now the trump card has become even more powerful, but it's out of control.

Just as Gao Jian was filled with doubt and uncertainty, and cold sweat was almost soaking through his clothes—

"hiss--!!!"

A completely out-of-tune scream, filled with extreme terror and like that of a dying beast, suddenly rang out from the other side!
It's that Azure Scaled True Dragon!
His massive body, upon hearing Takami's declaration, was not enraged into launching a more ferocious attack; instead, it trembled violently!

Those huge vertical pupils stared intently at the rusty knife in Gao Jian's hand. The lingering rage and killing intent deep within those pupils were instantly extinguished as if doused with cold water. All the anger, killing intent, and arrogance vanished in an instant, replaced by an uncontrollable, bone-deep fear that came from bloodline instincts!

He felt it!
I felt it a hundred times more clearly than Gao Jian!

The moment the rusty blade pierced his scales and invaded the very essence of his life, the chilling intent of death brought not only physical trauma, but also a denial of his very existence!

It was an absolute, annihilating power that surpassed his current abilities and his "adaptive immunity" talent! It was the embodiment of destruction! It was the declaration of the end!
will die!

Really will die!

Next time... no, if he gets touched by that knife again, he will be completely annihilated, leaving not even a trace!

This fear surpassed his awe of the Dragon King's majesty, surpassed all reason! The instinct for survival erupted like a volcano, instantly overwhelming everything!
"Roar...Run!!!"

A thought exploded in his chaotic mind like a thunderclap! He didn't even have time to think about the consequences of disobeying the Dragon King's orders. His massive dragon body burst forth with unprecedented speed, no longer attacking, but... fleeing for his life!
The enormous dragon tail swung wildly, stirring up towering, turbulent waves!

He didn't even dare to look back at Gao Jian again. Like a stray dog, he transformed into a streak of azure light that tore through the water curtain, fleeing for his life at the cost of burning his life essence in the opposite direction from the Dragon Palace! His speed was so fast that he even left a vacuum channel in the seawater that lingered for a long time!

In the blink of an eye, the enormous dragon shadow, exuding terrifying pressure, disappeared into the dark depths of the sea, leaving only surging turbid waves and the pervasive aura of dark golden dragon blood, proving that he had been there and that he had fled in such a wretched state!
Gao Jian was stunned.

He looked in the direction where the dragon had disappeared, then looked down at the rusty knife in his hand, which had returned to silence and seemed harmless. He felt a sense of bewilderment and coldness.

What exactly is going on?

What exactly happened to those demonic energies just now?
Right there in this desolate, boundless deep sea—

hum...

The surrounding seawater rippled without warning.

Like a lake surface tossed with a pebble, at the center of the ripples, a figure silently gathers and appears.

The newcomer had no earth-shattering aura, no massive energy fluctuations, and not even specific facial features.

He seemed like flowing, concentrated deep-sea essence, his entire body displaying a deep, dark blue hue, his form subtly shifting between liquid and solid states.

He hovered there silently, his figure not tall, yet he seemed to be the embodiment of the entire East Sea Abyss, exuding an absolute majesty of vastness, antiquity, and control over everything.

Those "eyes" made of energy and without pupils calmly fell upon Gao Jian.

A wise person understands the other party.

That's the Dragon King of the East Sea.
The Dragon King of the East Sea—descends in his incarnation!
The Dragon King's avatar remained silent, but his gaze seemed to pierce through Gao Jian's skin, bones, and soul, directly scrutinizing him.

Time seemed to freeze completely at that moment. Beneath the deep sea, only the rapid beating of Gao Jian's heart and the almost suffocating sense of oppression brought about by that silent gaze remained!
"You... come from beyond the heavens?" the Dragon King of the East Sea asked.

Gao Jian took a deep breath.

This was his biggest secret besides his rusty knife, and now... it seems that for an Earth Immortal, the 'outer heavens' is not something unspeakable or unimaginable.

So Gao Jian nodded decisively and said, "Yes." Hesitating and shrinking back is a sign of cowardice. Since things have come to this point, it's better to admit it openly. It's not a big deal. Gao Jian was not afraid.

In fact, what he was more concerned about now was the source of that 'deathly aura' from before. In Gao Jian's eyes, this deathly aura was even more terrifying than the deathly aura brought about by the 'deathly silence' of the surrounding world!

The Dragon King's avatar, its flowing, azure form, seemed to tremble slightly, as if confirming something. He didn't press for details, but simply stated it as if stating an established fact:
“That’s right…that’s right.” His voice carried a sense of understanding. “Hmm, this is not the place to talk. Let’s go, I’ll take you back to the Vast Ocean Dragon Court.”

"Then I'll have to trouble Your Majesty." Gao Jian cupped his hands, his posture neither humble nor arrogant.

"There's no need to get bogged down in these formalities," the Dragon King's avatar said casually.

However, his next words sent a jolt through Gao Jian: "I am like you, I came from another world. Perhaps... we have something to talk about."

The moment the words left his mouth, before Gao Jian could even process the explosive information that "the Dragon King was also a visitor from outer space," he was surprised to find that the surrounding scenery had changed.

It's like a hallucination, or like discovering that you're dreaming a nested dream.

He only felt the dark seawater around him, the pervasive dragon blood, the shattered seabed landscape... everything blurred and vanished in an instant, like a faded painting! There was no dizziness, no pulling sensation, as if he had only blinked once.

but.

The surrounding scenery had been completely transformed.

His relative position to the Dragon King's incarnation seemed unchanged, but the surrounding environment had transformed from a desolate and shattered deep-sea battlefield into a magnificent and majestic palace.

Tiles are made of glazed glass, and walls are made of crystal.

Pearls adorn the top, and countless treasures are displayed.

Coral trees, hawksbill turtle shell beams.

Pillars supporting dragons coiled, towering over the sea frontier.

Auspicious air filled the air, and a fragrant mist wafted through the air.

The enormous palace complex floats here, rippling in circles.

Above them flowed a magnificent band of light, like the aurora borealis, illuminating countless enormous jade pillars below, each requiring several people to encircle it and entwined with lifelike dragon patterns.

Coral grows in abundance, each with a unique shape, radiating a soft glow. Giant giant clams and pearls are scattered casually in the corners of the hall and under the eaves, like ordinary pebbles. The air is filled with a spiritual energy so rich it seems to have materialized, and every breath feels like swallowing a magic elixir, leaving one feeling refreshed and invigorated.

This is the core of the East Sea Dragon Clan, the Vast Ocean Dragon Court!

The Dragon King's incarnation has disappeared.

Here is his true form!
He paid no heed to the awe-inspiring insight, and casually walked towards a jade platform deep within the palace, overlooking a huge crystal window.

"Sit." The Dragon King's voice rang out, interrupting Gao Jian's shock.

Two futons carved from warm, white jade appeared out of thin air on the jade platform. Gao Jian composed himself, sat down as instructed, took two deep breaths, and calmed his mind.

The Dragon King also sat down and looked at Gao Jian. He didn't seem too surprised by Gao Jian's identity as a "visitor from outer space," but was more concerned about other things.

"Well then, let's get back to the main topic," he continued. "Judging from your expression, you probably don't know how you got to this world, right? Or rather, what are your thoughts on 'the outer heavens' themselves?"

Gao Jian's mind raced. The Dragon King's mention of "beyond the heavens" presented an opportunity to obtain crucial information.

He took a deep breath, suppressing his eagerness, and cautiously chose to ask a question in return. While honesty is important when facing such a being, it's also crucial to maintain control.

"May I... ask you something first?" Gao Jian carefully chose his words, his gaze meeting the Dragon King's invisible stare. "May I hear your answer? About where you come from, about... beyond the heavens?"

“Alright,” the Dragon King avatar readily agreed. “I come from… a rather distant place. So distant that it requires traversing endless void currents and crossing the boundless desolation between worlds. As for my understanding of ‘the outer heavens’…”

He paused, as if organizing his thoughts, “It’s very simple, yet also very complex. It’s not a void, but rather... many different worlds exist there. Some are vibrant with life, some are desolate and barren, some have vastly different laws, some are bizarre and fantastical, each operating independently without disturbing the others, yet on some higher level, they all follow certain common... ‘principles’.”

"This is my answer." The voice of the Dragon King pulled Gao Jian back from his shock. "And yours? What do you think the world is like?"

Gao Jian composed himself. The Dragon King's description was unbelievable, but... at this moment, he could also share his own opinion.

So he said, "In my understanding..."

Gao Jian slowly began, “The world… or rather, the place we inhabit, is not flat, but a gigantic… sphere. This sphere floats in the endless void, revolving around… well, a gigantic fireball. And that fireball, we call 'the sun.' There are countless 'suns' like this in space, and each of them may also have 'spheres' like us revolving around it. Countless 'suns' and countless 'spheres' make up the vast and boundless… universe. The distances between these 'spheres' are unimaginably vast; even with our fastest means of transportation, it would take an eerily long time to travel…”

He described the concepts of galaxies, stars, and planets, and the wonders of nebulae and black holes that humans had observed through telescopes. His descriptions, however, had little to do with what the Dragon King had actually seen.

The Dragon King listened quietly, pondering something as he listened.

When Gao Jian stopped describing, the Dragon King nodded slightly, his flowing head seemingly making a nodding gesture.

“I see.” His voice was devoid of much emotion. “A civilization that relies on ‘observation’ and ‘tools’ to understand the world. A very interesting perspective. The ‘universe’ you describe does overlap somewhat with a part of what I perceive as ‘void’.”

"Civilization?" This was the first time Gao Jian had heard such a term in the Divine Dynasty, which immediately made his mind race: "Could it be a true dragon?!"

Could it be that the true dragon still possesses the ability to communicate with the outside world? Or perhaps... is the true dragon merely a bridgehead here?
Seemingly sensing the meaning behind the insightful observation, the Dragon King smiled and said, "It's pretty much what you thought, but we are... a remnant race? Because... we can't leave this world either."

"My wife and I are the only two true dragons who came from beyond the heavens."

(End of this chapter)