Just as he was preparing to use his treasure to face the Heavenly Tribulation, Shen Long hesitated. He remembered reading in novels from his previous life about using tribulation lightning to temper the body. Intrigued, he decided to try it out.
Stashing away his treasure, Shen Long didn't think anyone would notice the brief moment when he had spat out what was actually a treasure. In the vast, treasure-filled world of the Primordial Era, even if someone did notice, no one would care.
As the lightning of the tribulation gathered above him, a surge of excitement welled up in his chest. He howled toward the sky, not like a wolf, but with the deep, resounding roar of a dragon. Then, with unshakable determination, he charged straight toward the thunderclouds.
All across the Primordial world, the mighty beings observing this dragon's tribulation were astonished. Could it be…?
“Why? How is this possible? Did he encounter some rare fortune right after awakening, or is his luck truly that extraordinary?” Tianlong, the eldest among the Dragon Ancestors, was visibly perturbed. Although the dragon clan had been eagerly awaiting the emergence of this powerful individual, witnessing this display made him uncomfortable.
Sensing his worry, the dragoness by his side shot him a reassuring glance. With a calming smile, Tianlong telepathically communicated to Dilong, the Earth Dragon, “Don’t worry. I’m fine.”
As for Huanglong, the Yellow Dragon, he was far less concerned, shouting with excitement, “Wow! Our third brother is incredible, facing the lightning head-on! We’re going to unite the four seas for sure now!”
Meanwhile, in the Immortal Volcano in the south, the two Phoenix Ancestors shot into the sky, a fiery red bird trailing behind them. As they soared, hundreds of other birds gathered, forming a grand spectacle of "a hundred birds paying homage to the phoenix." Their frustration was palpable. “We were equals with the dragon clan, each having three ancestral-level beings. How did they suddenly gain another one, and such a strong one at that?”
In the central lands, the two Qilin Ancestors exchanged a glance, letting out synchronized sighs of resignation.
In the west, the White Tiger ceased absorbing the metallic essence of the western wind and stood silently, brimming with fighting spirit and killing intent.
In the northern polar regions, deep in a cold pool, a massive turtle opened its eyes, as if it had never really been asleep in the first place.
Other powerful entities, hidden throughout the Primordial Era, also turned their attention toward the east, curious and startled by this unfolding event.
Unaware of the commotion his actions had caused across the land, Shen Long charged directly into the tribulation lightning, as if he intended to punch a hole in the sky. However, reality rarely matches one's grand imaginings.
The moment the first bolt of tribulation lightning struck Shen Long, his body went numb, and he plummeted from the sky. Panic-stricken, he crash-landed on the Primordial Earth, leaving a noticeable crater.
“Ahhh… Help!” he cried, lying motionless at the bottom of the pit.
Meanwhile, the tribulation lightning above, seemingly insulted by his earlier defiance, intensified. A total of eighty-one bolts were unleashed, each more terrifying than the last. After Shen Long's initial attempt at flying through the lightning like a heroic dragon, he spent the rest of the tribulation sprawled helplessly in the dirt, enduring strike after strike.
Stolen novel; please report.
The other mighty beings watching the scene couldn’t believe their eyes.
“What in the world is this?” Huanglong exclaimed, his usual boisterous self. “How is it that this guy ranks higher than me? He’s getting wrecked!”
Tianlong and Dilong exchanged a long look, both letting out a sigh of relief. “Now this is more like it,” Tianlong muttered with a mix of amusement and resignation. Still, the two couldn’t help but wonder: how did it come to this?
In the Immortal Volcano and the Qilin's domain, similar sighs of relief echoed through the air, though each held a slightly different meaning.
The great powers of the Primordial Era felt as if they had been fooled. The White Tiger redoubled its efforts to absorb the essence of metal, while the great turtle resumed its slumber, seemingly unbothered.
Just when everyone assumed Shen Long had failed, a brilliant beam of nine-colored light descended from the heavens, enveloping the crater where he had fallen.
Once again, all the mighty beings’ attention was drawn back. “No way… he’s still alive? How is this even possible? Heaven is truly unfair!” Despite the fact that the heavenly laws weren’t fully revealed yet, it didn’t stop the mighty beings from cursing the heavens for their perceived injustice.
As for Shen Long, after being paralyzed by the first bolt of lightning, he had spent the rest of the ordeal in a state of shock, unable to do anything but endure. His only thought, filled with regret, was, "Damn transmigration novels! They’re going to be the death of me." He wanted to shout those words aloud, but aside from his initial scream for help, he didn’t even have the strength to speak.
When the forty-ninth bolt struck, his body was on the verge of collapse. Just as he was about to give up hope, the treasure he had swallowed earlier—his companion spirit treasure—activated on its own.
The treasure, a crystalline and translucent Ruyi, floated out from his forehead, releasing waves of golden-purple light that enveloped his battered body. This was the treasure he had painstakingly forged from a mix of Xuanhuang Qi, Hongmeng Qi, and innate merit, and now it was his savior. The golden-purple light concealed his presence, causing the mighty beings watching to believe he had perished.
Meanwhile, the three Dragon Ancestors—Tianlong, Dilong, and Huanglong—weren’t concerned, as they shared a natural connection. Their destinies were intertwined, and they would rise or fall together.
Half an hour later, the nine-colored light dispersed. Emerging from the crater was not a dragon, but a young man clad in purple robes, wearing a golden crown. He performed a simple spell to check his appearance and found himself looking just like he had in his previous life. Without much fanfare, he slicked back his hair and waited for his companions to arrive.
Soon, three figures appeared before him. Shen Long could sense that they were of his kind and gave them a friendly smile, waiting for them to speak.
Their first words, however, nearly made him explode in rage.
“Hahaha! Third Brother, your tribulation technique was something else!” the dragoness laughed, unable to contain herself.
Shen Long’s face flushed red with embarrassment. Of all the things to bring up, they had to mention his tribulation method—and worse, they were calling him “Third Brother”!
Struggling to maintain his composure, Shen Long repeated to himself, "She's just a dragoness... she's just a dragoness..." to ease his embarrassment.
Sensing his discomfort, Huanglong, the most carefree of the three, finally stepped in. “Don’t mind Second Sister, Third Brother. She’s always like that. Just call me Fourth Brother.”
He continued to introduce everyone, but before long, he couldn’t resist bringing up the topic again. “To be honest, Third Brother, I really admire your way of handling the tribulation!”
Shen Long could no longer hold it in. “Get lost!” His voice echoed far and wide, scaring many nearby creatures into relocating their caves.
After that outburst, Shen Long respectfully greeted Tianlong and Dilong, addressing them as "Elder Brother" and "Second Sister." This simple gesture brought the four dragons closer together, and Shen Long, who had once experienced the warmth of family, deeply cherished this newfound bond.
Tianlong gave a knowing smile. “Let’s go home,” he said in his usual authoritative tone.
With a resounding roar, Tianlong transformed into his true dragon form and soared into the sky.
“Roar!” Dilong and Huanglong quickly followed suit, and Shen Long, feeling the welcome in their actions, let out a dragon’s roar of his own and joined them.
As they flew through the heavens, Shen Long finally realized the full power of the Dragon Clan. The skies echoed with countless dragon roars, as dragons from all corners of the Four Seas answered the call.
"Dragons rule the Four Seas," Shen Long thought to himself, determined to ensure that history would not repeat itself. He swore that he would never let the tragedy of "no true dragons in the Four Seas" happen again.