Sinking into doubt, Shen Long couldn't ask questions in such a setting. After noticing Shen Long's newfound power, Tian Long shot him a knowing glance and began to extol the grand plans of the Dragon Clan.

As Shen Long lost himself in the passionate monologue, a series of question marks popped up in his mind: ?????? Did the officials of later generations really inherit this habit of rambling speeches from the primordial era?

Looking around, he noticed the elite figures in the hall. The ones in the front rows, unable to escape, looked as serious as schoolchildren, while those in the back were less restrained. Shen Long clearly saw several sitting slumped in their chairs, spiritual energy swirling around them, their eyes vacant.

Then there was Huang Long, who was even more reckless. He was glancing around, completely ignoring Tian Long’s speech, throwing secretive glances at Shen Long. Shen Long smiled back; they both knew they didn't understand each other well, so his expression was more bemused than friendly.

Shen Long scanned the room, finally locking onto Di Long, who seemed to be trying to absorb every word Tian Long said, her eyes filled with unspoken affection. It was clear to Shen Long that she harbored feelings for Tian Long.

After witnessing all this, Shen Long realized one thing: this style of speaking was an ancient tradition, and the audience's behavior had been unchanged since time immemorial. It transcended time, space, and culture.

...

Once Tian Long's lengthy speech, akin to a nagging wife’s lecture, finally concluded, he dismissed the assembly of dragons and turned to Shen Long.

"Third brother, what do you think of my speech?"

Shen Long was momentarily taken aback. I didn’t even listen! What to do? Then, a lightbulb went off in his head.

"Absolutely riveting, with vivid storytelling that really stirs the blood! Don’t you think so, second sister?"

He deftly deflected the question, passing the ball to Di Long, since they were a couple after all.

Tian Long’s gaze lit up with expectation as he looked at Di Long, who blushed fiercely, shot Shen Long a glare, and said, "Very good." Hearing this, Tian Long beamed with pride, feeling even more accomplished than when he bragged about constructing the entire Ancestral Dragon Palace.

"Ha... still hasn’t won her over yet," Shen Long chuckled inwardly.

Once everyone regained their composure, Shen Long jumped in with a pressing question: "Big Brother, what’s the deal with that power? Where does it come from?"

"This power isn’t something from our inherited memories. It was first discovered by the primordial ancestors when they gathered and unified their clans. They later found that conquering other races also amplified this power. To accelerate our cultivation and protect our people, we must continually expand and strengthen ourselves; otherwise, we risk being replaced by other races. The primordial world isn’t solely the domain of the Dragon Clan."

Tian Long’s words struck a chord with Shen Long. Indeed! This was the primordial era, not the law-abiding society of the past. Even in such a society, without power, one would still be bullied. In this new world, where power was law, it was even more crucial.

Once he understood this, it felt as if a shackle had fallen away from Shen Long, leaving him incredibly light, as if he’d entered another realm. The pathways of the Dao in his eyes grew clearer, and spiritual energy swirled around him, drawn in like a black hole. His cultivation level surged swiftly upward.

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When Shen Long emerged from this state, a flash of enlightenment crossed his eyes, and he burst into laughter:

"Hahaha... Hahaha... Competing with Heaven is endless fun; Competing with Earth is endless fun; Competing with Humanity is endless fun. Hahaha... this is the primordial era!"

Yes, this is the primordial era, this is his true self. To blend in, he needed to fully embody his role; otherwise, he wouldn't even know how he died.

"Well said! 'Competing with Heaven is endless fun; competing with Earth is endless fun; competing with Humanity is endless fun.' Our Dragon Clan should fear neither Heaven nor Earth, but instead strive tirelessly onward..." Tian Long hadn’t expected Shen Long to break through in such a short time but was genuinely pleased. Just as he was about to launch into another speech, Huang Long extinguished his enthusiasm.

"Shouldn’t we tell Third Brother about constructing the altar?"

"Ah, right, we should start by building your altar," Tian Long replied, still eager.

"What is an altar, and what’s its purpose?" Shen Long asked, puzzled.

"This goes back to what I just mentioned. The power I told you about is called 'Qi Yun.' The state of having Qi Yun is referred to as 'Qi Yun upon oneself.' When one possesses Qi Yun, it brings about various miraculous effects, the most obvious being an increase in cultivation speed, as you just felt."

Tian Long glanced at Shen Long, who nodded thoughtfully, then continued:

"With Qi Yun, your cultivation speed can be boosted from one to nine times. However, once the increase reaches nine times, no matter how much more Qi Yun you gain, it won't further enhance your cultivation speed."

Tian Long paused, noticing the burning desire for knowledge in Shen Long's eyes. This primordial land was so stimulating, filled with wonders; Shen Long believed this journey would be spectacular.

Seeing the intense curiosity in Shen Long's gaze, Tian Long nodded in satisfaction and elaborated:

"But the heavens don't leave one without options. At some point, someone linked their Qi Yun with the divine paths of their cultivation and discovered a method to further enhance Qi Yun absorption. Gradually, this evolved into what we now call an altar." With that, he summoned his altar.

Di Long and Huang Long followed suit, revealing their altars.

Shen Long observed that their altars were all four-tiered. Tian Long's altar was primarily wood and water-based, with some profound laws he couldn't quite grasp; Di Long's emphasized earth and fire, along with various other laws; while Xuan Long's featured metal and wind, plus additional principles.

"Our altars are all four tiers, categorized as Heavenly Grade. The first tier is Yellow Grade, with a cultivation speed increase from one to nine times; the second tier is Xuan Grade, increasing speed from nine to twenty-seven times; the third tier is Earth Grade, increasing from twenty-seven to eighty-one times; and at the Heavenly Grade, the increase is from eighty-one to three hundred sixty-five times. Our cultivation speed can reach a hundred times; with more Qi Yun, we could amplify it to three hundred sixty-five times."

Shen Long was mesmerized, lost in thought about what his altar might look like.

"Don’t worry, our Qi Yun is interconnected. As long as you combine your own principles with Qi Yun to construct your altar, you’ll soon catch up to us." Tian Long seemed to read Shen Long’s mind, continuing, "This is how to build an altar." With a flick of his finger, a beam of golden light shot into Shen Long's forehead.

Ignoring everything else, Shen Long sat down to focus on constructing his altar.

As his consciousness settled, he envisioned his principles. Shen Long had experienced cosmic explosions, traversed temporal tunnels, witnessed Pangu shaping the primordial world, and endured transformative tribulations; he had encountered many principles, and he welcomed them all.

Beginning with the principle of destruction, Shen Long found it too volatile to work with, so he balanced it by integrating the transformative force of creation. Next came the principle of time and space; when it was added, the altar took on an ethereal quality. Finally, he included the principle of the soul. After a series of transformations, Shen Long’s soul had become incredibly solid, and his insights into it were profound.

As the altar formed with several principles combined with Qi Yun, the first layer solidified, lifting Shen Long upwards.

The three dragons were astonished. "How could this happen so fast?"

Shen Long's altar appeared insubstantial, as if seen through a veil of mist. Gradually, he ascended to the second layer, making it even more ethereal.

Drawing from the inheritance of Pangu's creation and the transformation of the primordial realm, Shen Long comprehended numerous other principles and infused them into the altar.

With all the principles of the Dao he had grasped, the altar reached the peak of the third tier and stopped.

But now, the altar didn’t feel insubstantial; instead, it radiated a sense of natural harmony and inclusiveness.