Chapter 117: Dragon Essence (Part I)

“Heaven is pure, Earth is sacred; incense as guide, divine talisman summons the spirit!”

Above the small island, Master Zhang drew from his sleeve a crimson talisman inscribed with intricate dragon-locking patterns. Chanting the incantation, the talisman instantly transformed into a red beam of light, soaring toward the pool where the Jiaolong hid.

It seemed this dragonkind was doomed to face disaster!

Hidden in the void, Li Yang caught sight of the talisman and immediately sensed grave trouble. With such a talisman bearing the dragon-locking pattern—originating from the same source—no matter how far the dragon fled, even to the ends of the earth, it would be impossible to evade Master Zhang’s pursuit.

Unless the dragon could instantly expel the locking pattern from its body, but clearly, that was not something achievable in a short time. Although the Jiaolong instinctively absorbed some of the incense’s spiritual energy, the locking pattern’s suppression on its strength was minimal.

Yet the oppressive aura was like a festering cancer, deeply rooted in its soul, impossible to dispel cleanly within even three to five years.

“Clatter... hiss...”

“Niu Bi Zi, do not bully me so! The spiritual energy of this cave’s earth veins is nearly exhausted. If you insist on forcing me, then it’s a fish-or-net battle!”

Seeing no escape, the waters churned violently as the Jiaolong burst forth from the pool.

Only then did Li Yang suddenly realize why this dragonkind never left this cave but chose to hide here. The Dragon Saliva Fruit found in its lair revealed that this cave was clearly the dragon’s old nest—likely where it had hatched.

But with the drastic changes in the world’s environment and the gradual depletion of this cave’s earth veins, it could no longer supply the spiritual energy the dragon needed to grow. Hence, it had to leave and seek resources outside.

A cave with depleted earth veins was spatially fragile, its capacity to withstand force severely limited. If Master Zhang fought here, the battle’s aftershocks could easily cause the cave to collapse prematurely, triggering a spatial storm.

“Old Taoist Zhang, why don’t we join forces to subdue the dragonkind first? As for the dragon essence, once it’s in our hands, we can divide it accordingly.”

Li Yang’s awareness of this danger was shared by the three powerful elders. None dared to risk a reckless fight here. The spatial storm from a collapsing cave would be fatal, even for those who had achieved immortal bodies. One misstep could trap them in endless cosmic rifts.

“Very well...”

Though reluctant, Master Zhang had no choice but to agree. The dragon essence was not only a matter of his life but also the Taoist lineage of Dragon-Tiger Mountain. He could not afford to compromise.

“Howl... moo...”

“Rumble... crack...”

Facing the three pressing pursuers, the Jiaolong, sensing its impending doom, let out a mournful roar. Mist billowed within the cave, thunder rolling across the sky.

“Zha! A blessing from the Master.”

Master Zhang formed a Taoist seal with his hands. The Three-Five Du Gong Master’s seal above him spun rapidly, enlarging in midair before descending fiercely upon the dragonkind.

Beneath the jade seal, the crimson Master’s imprint transformed into a vast red talisman that blotted out the clouds, slamming down upon the Jiaolong’s forehead.

“Cackle... wretched creature, prepare to die! Spirits and demons, five ghosts seize it!”

Behind the Spirit Ancestor, multicolored banners fluttered. A giant hand formed of colorless primordial energy shot out, attempting to grasp the Jiaolong.

“Howl... then we die together!”

Already strained by facing a single Master Zhang, the arrival of the Spirit Ancestor pushed the dragon toward a desperate end. The Jiaolong emitted a sorrowful cry and slammed its head violently into the void.

“Rumble... crack... snap... splash...”

With a deafening roar, space tore open a massive rift. Countless seawater surged through the blackened breach like an eternal river cascading from the heavens.

“Damn, this beast has opened a channel to the seabed! I’ll block the entrance; you all strike quickly!”

Seeing the gaping hole in the sky, the Ghost Spring Ancestor’s soul flame flickered fiercely as he rushed upward.

“Boundless Netherworld, Gate of the Yellow Springs!”

“Clang...”

The Ghost Spring Ancestor’s broad sword hovered, accompanied by a surge of dense yin energy. Instantly, a towering gate constructed of bones sealed the spatial breach.

“Hurry and act! I can’t hold on much longer!”

Feeling the pressure on the bone gate, the Ancestor’s tone grew grave as he urged his comrades.

“Howl... in battle, the dragon’s blood is profound and yellow!”

At that moment, yellow blood seeped from the Jiaolong’s scales. A mysterious yellow light burst through the Three-Five Du Gong Master’s seal overhead. The dragon leapt back, landing on the sea surface not far from the island.

“Zha! Master’s demon-subduing power!”

“Five Elements Great Demon Magic!”

Master Zhang knew he could no longer hold back. The Taoist diagram unfolded behind him, a shimmering golden brush reaching out to strike the Jiaolong’s forehead.

The Spirit Ancestor likewise summoned his full power. His Five Elements Demon Magic sail soared into the sky. A colossal five-colored demon phantom, hundreds of feet tall, roared heavenward and transformed into a mountain of divine energy, pressing down on the dragon.

“Howl... roar... moo...”

The Jiaolong’s eyes glowed crimson. Its hind legs dug into the sea, body coiled with power. Its three-fingered foreclaws thrust forward, fiercely resisting the Five Elements mountain and the golden brush in the void.

“Rumble... boom boom boom... crack crack crack...”

The clash caused the sea surface to collapse, sending towering water columns skyward. Dark void fissures cracked open in space. The entire cave trembled, threatening collapse at any moment.

Dragon power—truly incredible!

Staring at the earth-shaking scene, Li Yang’s eyes widened in disbelief. From the aftershocks alone, he could gauge the immense force capable of shattering even the void.

Undeniably, this cave’s spatial structure was fragile due to depleted earth veins, far weaker than the outside world. Yet space was still space; without a full power surge from the immortal realm, breaking it was impossible.

Li Yang could only rupture space because of the Heavenly Talent Divine Power of the Six-Winged Golden Centipede. His own magic was far too weak to shake the void.

Yet this Jiaolong could resist such pressure with sheer brute force. It was an unfathomable power.

No wonder the Buddhist scriptures said, “Among waterborne creatures, dragons possess the greatest power; on land, elephants reign supreme.” The terrifying magnitude of this strength surpassed all his expectations.

In truth, Li Yang had misunderstood one concept: any flesh-and-blood life, no matter how strong, could not endure such power.

The Jiaolong’s ability stemmed from “dragon power” — a collective term for its innate essence. For celestial beasts like dragons, their physical energy, spiritual energy, and magical energy could convert into one another, unified as dragon power.

Simply put, stamina, primordial spirit, and magical force were interchangeable, not rigidly separate as with ordinary cultivators. This was the key difference between celestial beasts and common creatures and the source of their extraordinary combat prowess.

“Howl... howl... roar...”

With a soaring dragon cry, the Jiaolong unleashed a torrent of crimson breath skyward, engulfing Master Zhang and the Spirit Ancestor instantly.

“Wretched beast! You seek death...”

As the dragon breath faded, Master Zhang appeared, somewhat disheveled. Two long white eyebrows were scorched black in patches; his expression was one of incomprehensible rage.

“Decree: Unseal!”

From his bosom, Master Zhang drew a purple talisman. His eyes flickered with pain, but gritting his teeth, he pressed the talisman onto the Three-Five Du Gong Master’s seal.

“Howl... moo...”

Seeing the golden seal surrounded by pure aura in the void, the Jiaolong sensed death approaching. Its scales bristled, emitting mournful roars.

Even the Spirit Ancestor and Ghost Spring Ancestor silently withdrew far away, knowing Zhang had truly unleashed his wrath, drawing on the deepest legacies of Dragon-Tiger Mountain.

The Three-Five Du Gong Master’s seal was a supreme treasure passed down from the Supreme Dao Ancestor, its power far beyond ordinary. Yet constrained by Zhang’s cultivation, its full might was limited.

The purple talisman he just used was left by ancient Dragon-Tiger Mountain predecessors. Every Master who ascended to the Celestial Immortal Realm before serving in the Heavenly Court left three such talismans to completely unlock the Three-Five Du Gong Master’s seal—an invaluable foundation.

Despite Dragon-Tiger Mountain’s nearly two-thousand-year legacy, such divine talismans were extremely rare, for only a handful ever reached the Celestial Immortal Realm.

Each talisman was priceless, and with one in hand, even if Dragon-Tiger Mountain temporarily declined, no one dared challenge their Taoist Masters lightly.

From afar at the cave’s border, Li Yang saw the pure aura encircling the golden seal, so different from before, and his vigilance soared to its peak.

Within that aura, he sensed a vast and familiar power—the strength of the primordial spirit. Having spent much time with Elder Purple Dawn, he knew well what it signified.

Simply put, the primordial spirit was the exclusive power of immortals, attainable only by those who had truly overcome the three calamities.

“Howl... Niu Bi Zi, since you won’t let me live, then none of us shall!”

“Shh shh shh... howl...”

Gazing at the descending great seal, the Jiaolong’s eyes flashed with resolute light. It stretched forth its foreclaw, clawed at the reverse scale on its neck, howled in agony, and flung the scale into the air.

“Howl moo...”

A golden blood arrow shot toward the reverse scale. From the river of time and space came a dragon’s roar ancient as the primeval wilderness, reversing the flow of time, manifesting within the cave.

A vast, ancient, sacred aura filled the world at the dragon’s cry. A true dragon’s phantom in mysterious yellow appeared above the reverse scale.

Though but a spectral image, it radiated an aura transcending the heavens. Its crystal-clear eyes gleamed with profound wisdom, as if possessed of divine consciousness.

“Truly a madman!”

The moment the dragon phantom appeared, Li Yang felt every cell tremble. Even the three-legged golden toad in his bosom writhed uneasily.