Chapter Eighteen: The Dragon Manifestation!

Seeing that every one of his enemies possessed strength beyond the Grandmaster level, and that his clones were no match for them after being wounded, Long Yun realized that annihilating them was impossible. He shook his body and retracted all eleven of his true incarnations.

Yang Nan had seen this divine ability before; once transformed into the Dharma form of a giant dragon, the creature’s magic power became terrifying. He hurriedly shouted to Chi Yang and the others, "Watch out! It is about to manifest its giant dragon form!"

As he spoke, the white dragon’s body swayed, instantly transforming into a colossal beast that blotted out the sky and sun. Between heaven and earth, nothing seemed to remain but endless dragon scales, massive claws, and a body of indeterminate length. Its roar shook the heavens, and its movements churned the clouds. Even though Yang Nan had seen it before, he was struck with terror: this giant dragon form was truly formidable. He feared the Sky-Splitting Rainbow Boat would be as fragile as a toy in its presence!

The white dragon gave a slight twist, and its massive body brushed against the Rainbow Boat. Inside, Yang Nan and his companions felt as though the world were spinning as they were tossed through the void. The Great Roc King’s massive azure blade and Chi Yang’s giant fire sword struck the dragon’s body, yet they only sparked, failing to even scratch a single scale.

Ni Cai steered the boat, feeling like an ant crawling beneath the dragon’s body. With every light touch from the dragon, the boat tumbled wildly. Yang Nan said in a low voice, "We are trapped by the giant dragon form. We cannot escape for the time being. We should abandon the boat and flee!"

The Golden-Crowned Roc shook his head. "Master, you must not go out! It is trying to force us out so it can swallow us in one gulp!"

Yang Nan sneered, "I want to see if it can swallow me!" Just as the giant dragon turned its head and opened its maw to snap at the Rainbow Boat, Yang Nan’s body flickered. He merged into the Black Snake and flew straight into the dragon's mouth.

Seeing Yang Nan courting death, a trace of mockery appeared in the dragon’s eyes as it snapped its jaws shut, swallowing the Black Snake whole! Chi Yang and the others felt a chill; the dragon’s belly was not necessarily its weakness, and Yang Nan had been far too reckless this time.

Yang Nan felt the world go dark as he entered the dragon’s belly. Once inside, the Black Snake’s movements suddenly slowed, as if the surrounding air had solidified. No matter how he bit or thrashed, he could not harm the dragon’s internal organs. In an instant, he realized the truth: legend had it that the Dragon Clan’s combat techniques were passed down from antiquity, following the path of "achieving divinity through the flesh." This meant that just as humans had one hundred and eight acupoints that, when mastered, turned the body as hard as steel and rock, the Dragon Clan’s flesh was similarly tempered. Trying to break through from the inside was nearly impossible!

There was a strange, demonic power within the dragon’s belly that constantly constricted, binding the Black Snake. Yang Nan immediately thought of escaping, but he felt an invisible current pushing him deeper inside. How could he leave now?

Strands of indescribable binding force wrapped around the Black Snake like threads. Yang Nan felt his movements growing slower and slower; he feared that in the next moment, he would be trapped in this belly and become Long Yun’s meal!

"Yong'er! Come out!" Yang Nan had no choice but to summon Yong'er to protect him. As soon as her seven-colored divine light descended, the pressure on Yang Nan eased, and his suppressed magic power returned to normal. However, Yong'er’s light could not last long; if Yang Nan did not escape, he would inevitably meet his end.

Yang Nan reverted to his human form and threw out a sphere of ice-element magic. A crystalline icicle exploded within the dragon’s gut, but as the shards struck the dragon's flesh, they simply vanished into nothingness.

'What powerful flesh! It seems I must escape first.' Without hesitation, Yang Nan mounted his magical weapon and flew toward the dragon’s throat. Before long, he saw two rows of mountain-like pillars—these were the teeth of the white dragon. An idea struck him, and he swung his Yin-Corrosion magic weapon fiercely at the base of these pillars!

The King-tier divine weapon was exceptionally sharp. Under his relentless strikes, the white dragon could no longer endure it. It roared, thrashing wildly in the sky. Seeing it react, Yang Nan was overjoyed: 'So your cultivation hasn't reached your teeth! Let’s see if I can knock out your entire set of dragon teeth today!'

With its mouth in agony, the white dragon could no longer focus on Chi Yang and the others in the Rainbow Boat. It began to exhale violently, hoping to blow Yang Nan out. Yang Nan had anticipated this; he jammed an ice hook into the gap between the teeth with one hand and swung his weapon with the other, condensing endless Yin-Sha power into spikes to strike the roots of the dragon's teeth. The white dragon could neither swallow nor spit him out; it was agonizing to have such a malevolent force wreaking havoc inside its mouth.

BOOM!

A massive azure blade slashed the white dragon, sending scales flying. The Old Crab’s Flood Dragon Hook and Chi Yang’s Fire-Yang Sword struck the wounded beast one after another. Ni Cai even drove the Rainbow Boat, ramming into the dragon recklessly. Under the combined assault from inside and out, the white dragon finally roared in pain, reverted to its true form, and dove into the water.

Yang Nan appeared in the sky, tossing a massive, gleaming white dragon tooth in his hand. He laughed triumphantly, "I finally managed to cut off a dragon tooth. This white dragon is hard all over; without an Immortal-grade weapon, killing it would be a pipe dream."

Seeing him safe and sound, Chi Yang and the others breathed a sigh of relief. Yang Nan had faced grave danger; without Yong'er, how could he have escaped the jaws of a Venerable-level dragon? Although the white dragon had fled, the underwater Dragon Palace was filled with restrictions, and Yang Nan and his companions could do nothing more to it for the time being.

Yang Nan flew back into the Rainbow Boat, secretly feeling fortunate. A Venerable-level expert was truly formidable; the next time he saw Long Yun, his best option would be to run as far as he could. Knocking off another tooth would be nearly impossible!

"Husband, are you alright?" Fang Qingyan asked with a worried expression. She could not help in such a battle and had to watch from the boat. The three women had been terrified when Yang Nan entered the dragon’s mouth; if not for knowing Yong'er was with him, they would have charged out to fight.

Yang Nan smiled warmly. "Do not worry. With Yong'er, I am safe." Without her, he would never have dared to enter the dragon's belly; it would have been suicide. The dragon's internal acupoints were indeed vastly different from those of a human! Yang Nan still felt a lingering fear when he recalled that strange power inside.

However, the white dragon had not only gifted him a tooth but also a rare magical treasure. Yang Nan took out the Scroll of the Five Spirits Sealing the Gods. The artifact was still struggling against the black net, likely because the white dragon’s soul hidden within was trying to recall it. But once in Yang Nan’s hands, it wasn't going anywhere!

The Golden-Crowned Roc sighed. "Two thousand years ago, this scroll trapped Master Qingya. At that time, the Master had already achieved great power; with a single strike of his Soul Sword, he extinguished the spiritual energy of this scroll. I never expected to see it again after all these years."

Soul Sword of Severance! Whenever the world’s spiritual energy was struck by the Soul Sword, it was instantly severed. Yang Nan had read the theory, but he lacked the method to cultivate it. He hadn't even forged his only Spirit Sword, let alone the lost Soul Sword.

Yang Nan asked in surprise, "Is the Three-Origin Divine Sword Technique that powerful?"

The Roc, having been the beloved pet of Ancestor Qingya, knew the truth. "Master, the Three-Origin Divine Sword Technique defined the legacy of Master Qingya. Even he had not mastered it to the peak, yet he could sever all things across the three lives. You can see how terrifying this peerless art is."

Yang Nan nodded. Two thousand years ago, Ancestor Qingya was the number one person in the world. How majestic was it to stabilize Kunlun with a single sword? This technique was truly worth cultivating. However, forging the Spirit Sword was difficult; it required rare Yin-type divine iron and the capture of countless fierce souls. It was far harder than the Profound Underworld Yin-Sha Flag. Unless Yang Nan went to the Underworld, where would he find so many souls?

'I will leave this for later. Whether it is to forge the Spirit Sword or to find Ancestor Qingya, I must go to the Underworld one day.' Yang Nan set the thought aside, left the navigation of the boat to his demon soldiers, and called Ni Cai over to refine the Five Spirits Sealing the Gods scroll together.

The scroll featured patterns of the four holy beasts: Azure Dragon, Vermilion Bird, White Tiger, and Black Tortoise, corresponding to water, fire, wind, and earth, with a Thunder God figure standing above them. When deployed against an enemy, it could release a five-colored light to seal them; any cultivator below the Venerable level would be unable to escape. It was truly terrifying, though less effective against those above the Venerable level. Yang Nan recalled that when his master, Bu Xu, fought the white dragon, no such artifacts were used; perhaps by the time one reached the Venerable level, artifacts were far less effective than pure magic power.

The Venerable level was a realm Yang Nan could not yet imagine. After becoming a Grandmaster, increasing even a single magic bead was incredibly difficult. Each bead contained endless spiritual energy; without the help of heaven-sent treasures, advancing quickly was a tall order.

The origins of the Five Spirits Sealing the Gods scroll were peculiar. Legend had it that in the ancient era, it was an object of the Thunder God, who governed the world’s punishments. Its power back then was far greater than its current weakened state—even Immortal-level cultivators would have suffered greatly if trapped within its five-colored world. The Thunder God was always impartial, and this artifact was once famous. However, after thousands of years, its power had waned.

Yang Nan didn't want this treasure to hurt enemies, but to temper his own divine abilities. Since this artifact could replicate arts beyond innate spiritual treasures, it would help him increase his cultivation.

Without his master, Bu Xu, by his side, his trials would begin in the mortal world. The mortal world was chaotic and full of troubles. With more divine abilities, he would have a better chance of survival.