Chapter 444
Deep in the heart of the Aorinth Peaks, in an ancient and hidden forest, Leander walked beside Clara as they made their way toward the center.
He could already sense countless powerful auras rushing in from every direction around the mountain range, but he paid them no mind and continued forward without hesitation.
Clara’s cultivation was far weaker than his, so she had no idea that many of the world’s strongest figures were gathering here. She only focused on guiding him, the jade piece in her hand glowing brighter as they moved, signaling that they were nearing their destination.
After several minutes of winding paths, they finally arrived at a cave entrance.
“Sovereign Ashcroft, this is the opening I discovered before. Once we pass through, it leads directly to the Dragon Gate,” Clara whispered.
“Okay,” Leander responded with a nod, narrowing his eyes as he looked ahead.
A roaring surge of spiritual energy poured out from the cave, and he immediately felt its intensity.
“What an incredible Hidden Haven,” he murmured.
He had traveled across countless famous mountains and ancient lands, visiting many extraordinary sanctuaries, yet none held energy as rich as this place.
“It seems Aorinth Peaks truly hides something remarkable.” With that thought, he stepped into the cave first.
Clara hesitated for a moment before following closely behind.
The cave was completely dark, but their night vision made it easy to navigate. Guided by the jade’s pull, they eventually reached a glowing exit.
The moment they stepped out, the scenery expanded dramatically. Though the cave had barely allowed two people to walk side by side, it opened into a vast space filled with jade-green grass. At the center lay a deep spring, hundreds of square meters wide, silent and shadowed.
The scene looked unreal, as though they had walked into a world from an old tale.
Leander’s gaze fixed on the spring at once.
The water glowed a deep green, its bottom invisible, as if it had no end. Warm mist drifted from its surface, giving it the appearance of a sacred pool hidden from the world.
“You met that so-called black dragon here?” he asked Clara.
“Yes. This is the Dragon Gate,” she answered quickly. She had followed the jade shard to this place, where a black dragon had helped her establish the Dual Meridian Sect—giving rise to the legend of a dragon appearing in Whitville.
“Sovereign Ashcroft,” she asked suddenly, “why are you looking for the Dragon Gate? The black dragon from back then is long gone. Are you after what it left behind p>
Leander gave her a faint smile but did not answer. His eyes burned with excitement.
From the spring, he already sensed a powerful presence-one strong enough to stir a faint warning even within him. Whatever hid beneath the water was terrifying. “Step back a hundred feet,” he commanded.
He did not look at her. He simply waved a hand. Although confused, Clara obeyed and retreated to the cliff wall.
She stared, unsure of his intentions, until Leander suddenly extended his hand.
With a slight curl of his fingers, a massive palm of deep blue energy appeared in midair. At its center, a black hole opened, pulling fiercely at everything around it. The once-calm spring churned under the pressure.
The water began to bubble violently, and the surface exploded into chaotic waves.
“Still refusing to come out?” Leander muttered.
The pull from his hand intensified. Several tons of water rose into the air, lifted a dozen feet high as if gravity no longer applied.
Bang!
A sharp explosion burst from the spring.
A massive black form shot upward, sending water scattering in every direction.
Splash!
A long shadow streaked across the air. Its body twisted like a dragon or a giant serpent, and its presence cast the entire space into darkness.
Clara’s eyes widened as the towering silhouette came into view. The sight was almost unbelievable.
It was the same black dragon she had seen before.
Except now it was twice as large-stretching at least two hundred feet from snout to tail. Its body was as thick as reinforced steel columns, layered in black scales that gleamed with a deadly, icy shine. Four taloned limbs, armored in overlapping plates, radiated a crushing, violent power as the creature vaulted into the sky.
“Who dares interrupt my cultivation p>
The dragon circled overhead, and with every snort, its voice rumbled like rolling thunder, shaking the earth below. Flowers and grass snapped under the pressure.
The black dragon was speaking in human language.
Its gaze dropped to Clara, locking onto the jade in her hand. Fury burned in its eyes, each one as large as a bronze bell.
“It’s you. I remember you. You’re a descendant of the Shimmering Isle royal family p>
Its voice grew colder, edged with rising anger.
“Decades ago, your family came here. Your father once helped the Deepcoil Dragons-he sheltered my younger son. So when you discovered this place my son left our spiritual vein willingly and went
to the Central State of Astro
assist you. He gave his life for it.
“Our debt to the Shimmering Isle royal family has been paid in full. And now you intrude and disturb my cultivation. Do you take the Deepcoil Dragons for something you can push around?
“Return my son to me p>
Its roar thundered through the air. Every breath sent a violent surge of raw vitality flooding the spring. Clara froze as fear crashed over her-the same terror she had felt the first time she encountered this black dragon.
She finally understood: the dragon who had helped her establish the Dual Meridian Sect had been this creature’s offspring.
“You’re mistaken. She didn’t come for you-I did p>
Leander stepped forward and placed himself between Clara and the dragon.
Only then did the dragon truly look at him.
The Deepcoil Dragon possessed ancient draconic blood. Even standing near it made breathing difficult.
Its power alone could crush the courage of most cultivators. Even Clara, who had reached the Blaze Transcendent stage, felt her heart. tremble. But the young man before the dragon remained steady The creature couldn’t help but raise its opinion of him.
“Who are you? And why have you come p>
Its tone was low, still dripping with disdain.
“Who I am doesn’t matter. What matters is that I’m here to make a trade p>
Leander’s gaze sharpened, and a strange light flickered in his eyes. He reached into
his coat and produced a pill. A strong, fragrant aroma swept across the clearing.
“This is p>
The dragon’s eyes narrowed at once, fixed on the pill. Its tongue curled despite
itself, droplets of saliva misting the air.
“You already know what it is. A Formshift Pill p>
Leander smiled. “Over the past eight years, I’ve traveled through ruins and ancient sanctuaries. By sheer luck, I found a Formshift Herb—extremely rare—and combined it with sixty-four other medicinal herbs to forge this pill.
“I can guarantee that only a handful of Formshift Pills exist in the world right now p>
“You know exactly what it does. And you need it more than anything p>
The dragon’s massive body shuddered. Even after nearly a century of refining his cultivation, he still couldn’t suppress the tremor.
He carried ancient draconic blood, but he was not a true dragon-only a hybrid. He lacked the innate gift to assume human form.
No matter how far his cultivation rose, he remained a beast. Without human form, he could not absorb
the worlds spiritualet
lik
human spirit, could not break through the Transcendent barrier, and could not step into the next realm.
His cultivation had already surpassed Transcendent, nearing the legendary level
above it. But his physical form lagged behind he needed a Formshift Pill to advance.
He had lived for more than a century. He understood his own history. A Formshift Pill
was almost mythically rare-something one encountered only by fate. And now one
was right before him.
He forced down the tremor in his chest and fixed his eyes on Leander.
“What do you want p>
Leander’s smile didn’t fade. He held up one finger.
“Simple.
“I want your Dragon Core p>
The moment he spoke, the dragon’s eyes blazed. A furious roar tore through the
sky.
“You wretched human! What did you just say p>
Roar!
The shockwave split the clouds apart. Countless experts rushing toward the area
turned pale.
Many halted and stared toward the distant Aorinth Peaks, faces tight with fear.
They could feel it now a terrifying power had been unleashed deep within the Aorinth Peaks.