As the Wu Jiu dragon pattern emerged, a fierce gust of wind immediately howled, conveying an intimidating power. A monstrous dragon roar echoed in everyone’s ears.

“A dragon!”

Chief Danlie and the others all blanched.

Even Yan Zhu and Qing Zhu showed expressions of disbelief, which quickly turned into barely concealed anger.

Yan Zhu cursed furiously, “Your Wu Jiu tribe dares to steal the dragon pattern and profane the royal court! You deserve death a thousand times over!”

The young master of Wu Jiu wore a cold, indifferent expression and calmly replied, “The Great Wilderness’s dragon脈 belongs to the virtuous. How can it be called stealing? The fact that I bear the dragon pattern means I have received the dragon脈’s recognition and possess the aura of kingship. The divine dragon has acknowledged my bloodline and descended upon me. What right does a mere Wu Zhu have to question this?”

Yan Zhu’s expression turned grim, his thoughts churned, and he was momentarily too angry to speak.

The dragons of the Great Wilderness only recognized the royal family.

Other barbarian tribes, with their inferior bloodlines, could never come into contact with dragon blood, dragon patterns, or even dragon energy; otherwise, they would surely die from the backlash.

Anyone capable of tattooing an entire dragon on their body, even if not a direct descendant of the royal family, must be someone endowed with the aura of kingship.

The young master of Wu Jiu was right.

But precisely because he was right, Yan Zhu felt even more furious and unable to accept it.

This meant that in a chaotic world, royal power was falling into disarray, the destiny of the Great Wilderness was in chaos, and the dynasty of the Great Wilderness was likely to change hands.

For Yan Zhu, a royal Wu Zhu dedicated to serving the gods of the Great Wilderness, the royal family, and upholding their rule, this was nothing short of “defying the heavens.”

Even Danlie, Lu Gu, and the other chiefs of the major tribes also changed color, their hearts shaken, unsure of what to do for a moment.

The young master of Wu Jiu looked at everyone with a proud, condescending gaze, his voice hoarse and authoritative, “Since the dragon脈 has appeared, why do you not submit? Do you intend to… defy the true dragon of the Great Wilderness?”

Silence enveloped the area, the atmosphere incredibly tense. The chiefs frowned; no one dared to answer, nor did anyone dare to act.

After a moment, Danlie, the “Great Alliance Leader,” sneered, “What true dragon? Ridiculous. It’s nothing more than a ‘wicked dragon’ patched together with graffiti, daring to impersonate the true dragon of the Great Wilderness and deceive people here?”

Yan Zhu’s eyes flashed, and he snapped back to reality, then sneered, “Precisely. As a Wu Zhu, serving the royal court for many years, I have never seen such a dark and sinister dragon on your body. This dragon is not legitimate; it’s merely a trick by your Wu Jiu tribe to confuse the masses with a demonic image and mislead others.”

Yan Zhu’s gaze was sharp, and he declared, word by word, “By privately drawing the dragon pattern, you are rebelling against the royal court. Your crime is punishable by death a thousand times over!”

As soon as these words were uttered, everyone echoed him.

“Privately drawing the dragon pattern is a crime punishable by death!”

“Rebelling against the royal court! Exterminate the entire tribe!”

Fueled by righteous indignation, the chief of the Yan Yi tribe immediately took the lead, rushing towards the young master of Wu Jiu and roaring, “Villain, prepare to die!”

Danlie, Lu Gu, and the other chiefs decisively sprang into action, intending to kill the young master of Wu Jiu with a lightning-fast joint attack.

They aimed to eliminate this great hidden danger, this bearer of the “dragon pattern,” right here.

The Great Wilderness must never have another dragon!

Seeing the crowd attack him, the young master of Wu Jiu remained expressionless, then chuckled in anger and coldly said, “A group of lowly fools, ungrateful for my grace. Since you wish to die, I shall grant your wish…”

The young master of Wu Jiu slowly spread his arms, and the dragon pattern on his body seemed to come alive, like a python ready to devour, filling his physical body with ferocious energy.

“I will show you what a true dragon is, and what the power of a bloodline truly means…”

With a strange dragon roar, the young master of Wu Jiu’s entire body swelled.

The dragon pattern moved on his body, and dragon scales covered him completely.

His eyes and lips turned pitch black, and his pupils became bestial vertical slits, gleaming with a deep red, malevolent light.

He looked like a “black dragon young master.”

Although his cultivation was only at the mid-stage of Jin Dan, his mere presence was enough to send shivers down one’s spine.

Danlie and the other chiefs could only brace themselves, activating various barbarian tribe artifacts to forcefully attack the young master of Wu Jiu.

The two sides engaged in a desperate battle.

However, the “semi-dragonized” young master of Wu Jiu possessed an incredibly powerful physical body, and the scales covering him were impenetrable.

This level of defense allowed him to withstand the killing moves of several late-stage Jin Dan chiefs and fight without restraint.

And with the blessing of the dragon pattern, almost every punch from the young master of Wu Jiu carried a rolling dragon roar, imbued with the unparalleled might of the Wu Dragon, capable of injuring anyone it touched.

Even a slight mistake, allowing the dragon energy to penetrate the body, would result in the bloodline, muscles, and bones being ravaged by the evil dragon, leaving irreparable severe injuries.

He possessed both offense and defense. Defensively, the dragon scales protected him, making him impregnable; offensively, the dragon energy coiled around him, striking like a storm.

In the chaotic battle, hardly any chief could directly engage the young master of Wu Jiu in battle for more than a hundred rounds.

Even Lu Gu was no match for the young master of Wu Jiu.

This was despite the chiefs having a cultivation advantage of one minor Jin Dan realm over the young master of Wu Jiu.

The power of the dragon pattern bloodline was terrifying.

Witnessing this situation, everyone around them was terrified and their expressions changed dramatically.

In the distance, tens of thousands of barbarian soldiers from the Zhu Que tribe paled in fear of the young master of Wu Jiu’s might, their morale wavering.

Meanwhile, the Wu Jiu tribe’s army cheered with greatly boosted morale, shouting the young master’s name, their cries shaking the entire Zhu Que Mountain Range.

The situation took a sharp turn for the worse.

No one could turn the tide.

The young master of Wu Jiu, by himself, suppressed several tribal chiefs.

This was not only a suppression of strength but also a crushing superiority in bloodline, an intimidation by dragon prestige.

The allied chiefs could not fight the “dragon-transformed” young master of Wu Jiu for long. Otherwise, not only would they suffer severe internal injuries from the dragon energy, but the fear of dragons in their bloodline and their subservience to a “king” would also continuously deepen.

It was as if the young master of Wu Jiu was destined to be the son of a true dragon.

He was meant to be the king of the Great Wilderness.

Coupled with the encirclement and attacks of the eight Wu Jiu generals, Chief Danlie and the other chiefs finally could no longer hold on and were forced to retreat nearly a hundred zhang from the altar.

The young master of Wu Jiu, seeing Danlie and the others repelled, did not pursue them. Instead, a slight, disdainful cold smile curled at the corner of his lips.

“Now that I have transformed into a dragon, I am no longer mortal; there is a vast disparity in bloodline between us.”

“Therefore, you, the inferiors in bloodline, can only be ruled by me.”

These words struck at the heart, and the faces of the high-ranking chiefs turned extremely grim. Although they still had a cultivation advantage, they had been defeated by the young master of Wu Jiu. Faced with this reality, they could not refute and could only swallow the humiliation with resentment.

The young master of Wu Jiu clearly had no intention of wasting more words on these “defeated foes.”

He raised his noble head and looked towards the divine throne on Zhu Que Mountain, a burning desire in his somber eyes.

“Ignite the Zhu Que Flame, open the ancient altar, summon the Great God Wu Jiu, and rule the mountain realm.”

“Then, I will be the Lord of Zhu Que.”

“My blood will be the blood of a king…”

The young master of Wu Jiu’s expression was solemn as he stepped towards the altar.

The chiefs of the various tribes could only watch helplessly, powerless to stop him.

They simply could not stop the young master of Wu Jiu, who bore the dragon pattern and possessed formidable bloodline power.

They could only watch as the young master of Wu Jiu, like a “demonic dragon descended,” ascended the ancient steps, one by one, to the altar worshipped by their Zhu Que Mountain ancestors, entering their sacred “holy land” of inheritance.

He even dared to lay claim to the divine throne of Zhu Que Mountain.

Many chiefs gnashed their teeth, so anxious they felt like spitting blood.

But when the young master of Wu Jiu truly stepped onto the altar, a sudden change occurred.

The altar trembled, and the “Zhu Que Flame” burned even more fiercely, sweeping around like a firestorm.

This was a higher-grade divine sense fire.

Although intangible and formless, all late-stage Jin Dan cultivators present, even a hundred zhang away, could faintly feel a burning sensation in their divine sense.

A clear cry of the Zhu Que seemed to accompany it.

The “altar” was the forbidden ground of the Zhu Que.

The Zhu Que Flame on the altar was far, far more intense than the one in the plaza.

Even the young master of Wu Jiu instantly turned pale.

His physical body was incredibly strong, and the dragon pattern was domineering and unparalleled, but these were all powers of “flesh and blood.”

The Zhu Que Flame, however, was a divine sense fire, burning the heart and spirit.

He simply couldn’t withstand it.

The moment the young master of Wu Jiu stepped onto the altar, the Zhu Que Flame invaded his mind, forcing him to retreat.

Everyone was somewhat stunned.

The generals and barbarian soldiers of the Wu Jiu tribe, who believed their young master to be the “Son of Heaven,” stopped their shouts, somewhat taken aback.

The young master of Wu Jiu retreated from the altar, his brows furrowed.

Just then, black mist surged, and an old man clad in death-vulture robes appeared beside him.

The old man had a pale face and green eyes, draped in black vulture feathers, resembling a gloomy “old bald vulture.”

He spoke respectfully to the young master of Wu Jiu, “Young master, your ambition is grand, you bear the dragon pattern, and your bloodline is noble. This wild land will one day be your royal domain.”

“However, this altar is a divine artifact. Only those who are devout believers, serve the divine尊, and dedicate their lives to the gods with three bows and nine kowtows, may ascend the altar.”

“This is my duty as a Wu Zhu. Your esteemed personage, young master, need not personally undertake such a task of inviting the gods.”

The young master of Wu Jiu gave the old man a deep, cold look, then slowly nodded.

The black vulture old man left the young master and approached the altar. He bowed respectfully to the Zhu Que on the altar and prayed, “Ancient Zhu Que God on high…”

“Your humble servant is the divine attendant of the Great God Wu Jiu. Now the Great Wilderness suffers from heavenly calamities, with widespread starvation, and the descendants of the Zhu Que tribes are unworthy, causing the divine path to wane.”

“Today, our young master of Wu Jiu bears the dragon map and possesses great ambitions.”

“Our Great God Wu Jiu, in compassion for all living beings, shall save the Great Wilderness.”

“Please lend this sacred land, Divine Lord, for a while, to invite the Great God Wu Jiu to temporarily descend, spread divine might throughout the world, and save the Great Wilderness from suffering.”

“Your humble servant bows in gratitude, Divine Lord…”

After speaking, the black vulture old man bowed once more to the Zhu Que statue, then chanted an incantation. His eye sockets instantly caved inward, and his pupils became strange, like a “scavenging” hawk.

It was as if some entity had descended upon him.

A feather-shaped black psychic force coiled around his head, protecting his sea of consciousness.

The black vulture old man began to walk, stepping onto the altar, and entering the fiercely burning invisible divine fire.

The Zhu Que’s divine fire, treating all equally, scorched the black vulture old man’s sea of consciousness.

But these flames were all blocked by the black wings.

The black vulture old man walked unharmed, step by step, towards the higher ground.

A hint of coldness gleamed in the young master of Wu Jiu’s eyes, but he said nothing.

He watched as the black vulture old man, a Wu Zhu, ascended the altar that even he, the young master, had not yet set foot on.

Just then, Chief Danlie’s gaze sharpened. He immediately drew a feather longbow engraved with Zhu Que patterns, strung an arrow, and aimed his killing intent directly at the black vulture old man who was ascending the altar.

This longbow was an ancestral treasure of the Dan Que tribe, blessed with the power of the Zhu Que, and its power was doubled in such a sacred altar place.

Chief Danlie had not used it before.

He had been enduring, waiting for the opportune moment to shoot down the Wu Jiu tribe’s Wu Zhu with one arrow.

Once the Wu Zhu died, no one could resist the Zhu Que Flame and ascend the ancient altar.

This would be a permanent solution, completely extinguishing the Wu Jiu tribe’s hope of divine descent and crushing their ambitions.

He had not mentioned this to anyone, wanting to settle the matter with a single arrow.

As Chief Danlie bent the bow and drew the arrow, countless flames condensed on the Zhu Que longbow, forming a flaming arrow that, accompanied by the clear cry of the Zhu Que, radiated astonishing power.

The moment this arrow appeared and its fiery aura spread, the young master of Wu Jiu’s expression instantly changed.

The other Wu Jiu generals also showed looks of shock.

“Stop him!”

The young master of Wu Jiu roared, then his body flashed, moving first to block Chief Danlie and the black vulture old man who was ascending the altar.

The other Wu Jiu generals also stepped forward to intercept.

But they were a moment too late.

Chief Danlie’s arrow was unexpected and swift. He spoke no unnecessary words, only uttering, “Die!” as he finally put force into the shot.

Then, the Zhu Que’s cry became shrill, and myriad flames melted into a streak of red light that burst forth instantly.

The Zhu Que Arrow pierced through the air, drawing a long fiery trail as it flew straight towards the black vulture old man.

Two Wu Jiu generals tried to block it but were directly pierced through the chest.

The young master of Wu Jiu, with his exceptional foresight, in a moment of crisis, anticipated the trajectory of the Zhu Que Arrow. His right hand transformed into a dragon claw and clenched fiercely, actually grasping the Zhu Que Arrow.

But he only held it for an instant.

The next moment, as fire light burst, the long arrow, like a Zhu Que feather, pierced directly through his palm with irresistible force.

It even broke through his dragon scales, tore open his dragon claw, and severely burned his palm with intense heat.

This was almost the first time his dragon-transformed body had been injured in this battle.

Anger surged in the young master of Wu Jiu’s heart, but he could not dwell on it because the black vulture old man, the Wu Zhu, could not die.

At least not yet.

The young master of Wu Jiu hastily turned his head to see the Zhu Que Arrow, carrying fierce flames, heading straight for the black vulture old man.

The black vulture old man was a Wu Zhu, knowing good and ill fortune, and should have been able to dodge it.

But he was currently ascending the ancient altar, surrounded by the Zhu Que Flame that could incinerate divine consciousness.

He had to constantly activate divine path techniques, inviting the Great God Wu Jiu to protect him, in order to withstand the pressure and climb the steps of the divine path.

Chief Danlie’s prediction was also incredibly accurate.

The black vulture old man, at this moment, clearly had no spare energy to evade this formidable killing blow, like a stream of Dan Que fire.

However, as the Wu Zhu in charge of the divine descent for the Wu Jiu tribe, the black vulture old man was by no means an ordinary person.

His body instantly “decayed,” transforming into a “rotten skin bag,” with foul-smelling Wu Jiu feathers mixed into it.

The Wu Jiu scavenged, and could also manifest rotting flesh.

This putrid skin bag instantly swelled, acting like a barrier, wrapping the black vulture old man in the middle.

Then, the Zhu Que arrow struck the old man’s rotting flesh. Amidst the torrent of flames, it almost completely incinerated his decayed body.

The terrifying destructive power of this Zhu Que Arrow was evident.

However, after being repeatedly blocked by the Wu Jiu generals and the young master, its force was diminished, and its power weakened in its final moments.

This Zhu Que Arrow did not actually kill the black vulture old man.

As black feathers fluttered down, the remaining decaying flesh wriggled and transformed back into the old man.

However, at this point, half of the old man’s body had been “vaporized.”

The black vulture old man turned around, glaring at Chief Danlie with a pitch-black eye socket, wishing he could tear him to shreds.

But at this moment, the divine descent was the crucial matter, and every second counted.

The black vulture old man suppressed his malevolence and, with his mutilated body, continued to climb the higher altar, with unwavering perseverance, to invite his Great God Wu Jiu to descend.

As long as the Wu Jiu god descended, he could realize his vision, letting all enemies of the divine path die in a sea of putrid flesh, their souls utterly destroyed…

(End of Chapter)