The aftershocks of Primordial Chaos Energy swirled deep within Buzhou Mountain, like endless dark purple tidal waves. Each surge carried a violent aura capable of tearing apart innate beings, its ferocity undiminished by the passage of time since Pangu split the cosmos.
Ao Xuan's residual soul hid in the cave of the Innate Spiritual Spring, immersed in the nourishment of Water Elemental Power. Over time, the fist-sized wisp of soul mist had condensed significantly, its edges glowing with a richer cyan-gold radiance. A vague dragon-shaped silhouette flickered within the mist, growing more distinct with each breath of spiritual energy.
At the center of the cave, the Innate Spiritual Spring shimmered with a faint blue halo. An invisible barrier sealed out the chaotic currents, allowing only the cool, pure Water Spiritual Power to flow along the soul mist's meridians, interweaving with the Innate Wood Elemental Qi within his body.
Just as he was about to solidify the phantom of his Dragon Soul, heavy footsteps suddenly boomed outside the cave. Each step shook the rocks, sending debris raining down, and carried a primitive, bloodthirsty malice—an aura Ao Xuan would never forget.
"The Three-Headed Demon Lizard? It's back?"
Ao Xuan's soul tensed instantly. He extended his spiritual sense beyond the cave, and there it stood at the entrance: the colossal beast, its purplish-black scales glinting eerily under the dim Chaos Energy. The bone spur on its central head was even more menacing than before, evidence that it had fed deep within Buzhou Mountain and been drawn once more by the scent of Pangu's Essence Blood.
What chilled Ao Xuan to the core was the fresh beast blood clinging to the demon lizard's claws, and its demonic aura—far more intense than before. Clearly, it had just survived a brutal battle, and its strength had grown.
The Three-Headed Demon Lizard sensed the energy fluctuations inside the cave. Its central head lowered slightly, the bone spur aiming directly at the invisible barrier at the cave's mouth—a spatial shield formed spontaneously by the Innate Spiritual Vein.
The demon lizard snorted a thick cloud of breath, tensed its hind legs, and charged forward.
Crack!
A crisp sound echoed as its Chaos-infused demonic power slammed into the barrier. The once-stable spatial ripples twisted violently, and fine cracks spiderwebbed across the shield's surface.
"Oh no! This barrier won't hold!"
Ao Xuan's heart sank. The shield relied entirely on the Spiritual Vein's nourishment. It had repelled the demon lizard before only because the beast had been unsure of its defenses and the vein had been abundant. But after Ao Xuan's absorption, the vein's energy had dwindled drastically. Now, the demon lizard returned with post-battle ferocity, determined to break through and seize the opportunities within the cave.
Without hesitation, Ao Xuan channeled the newly condensed Water Spiritual Power along the cave walls, attempting to reinforce the barrier. But just as his power touched the shield, the demon lizard's bone spur struck again—this time with a shrill whistle, piercing straight through the cracks!
Boom!
The invisible barrier shattered. Dark purple Primordial Chaos Energy gushed into the cave, colliding with the cool aura of the Spiritual Spring and stirring up a cloud of mist.
The Three-Headed Demon Lizard let out an excited roar, its three heads opening wide to spew three streams of black corrosive demonic energy, sweeping toward Ao Xuan in the cave's depths. Wherever the demonic energy passed, the rocks were instantly pitted with honeycomb-like holes, emitting a pungent stench.
Ao Xuan dared not meet the attack head-on. He quickly guided his soul mist downward into the depths of the Spiritual Spring, while summoning a thick water curtain from the spring's waters.
Sizzle!
The corrosive demonic energy crashed into the water curtain, instantly vaporizing into a cloud of white mist. The water curtain melted at a visible rate, but it successfully blocked the assault.
"Tch, the demon lizard's stronger than before," Ao Xuan thought, his soul mist bobbing in the spring. The intense sense of danger sharpened his consciousness to an unprecedented level. He analyzed the situation rapidly:
His soul had formed a dragon-shaped silhouette but was not yet fully stabilized, leaving him unable to unleash powerful divine abilities. The Three-Headed Demon Lizard, however, had thick scales, sharp bone spurs, and corrosive breath—direct combat was suicidal. His only advantage was the Innate Spiritual Spring: Water Spiritual Power countered demonic energy, and the cave's narrow space limited the demon lizard's movements.
"I must use the environment to find its weakness!"
Ao Xuan calmed himself, his spiritual sense locking onto the demon lizard's every move. The beast trampled over shattered rocks into the cave, its three heads scanning different directions. The left head's eyes locked onto the soul mist in the spring first, letting out a shrill hiss as it pounced.
Ao Xuan was ready. He manipulated the spring's water into dozens of slender water spears, shooting them toward the demon lizard's eyes. The beast reacted swiftly, swinging its right head and snapping its jaws repeatedly, shattering most of the spears. But a few slipped past, grazing the orbital socket of its central head—leaving only faint scratches, not deep enough to harm.
Enraged by the pain, the Three-Headed Demon Lizard's demonic aura flared. Its barbed tail swept across, slamming into the cave wall and carving a deep gash. Ao Xuan's soul mist dodged nimbly, and in that moment, he noticed a detail: the demon lizard's abdomen was covered in a thinner layer of pale purple soft armor, distinct from the hard scales elsewhere. When it pounced, the soft armor contracted slightly, revealing the throbbing vitality beneath—its weak point!
"That's it!"
A plan formed in Ao Xuan's mind. He abandoned scattered attacks, instead compressing all his Water Spiritual Power into a single sharp water spear. At the same time, he channeled the golden energy of Pangu's Essence Blood, wrapping it around the spear's surface. The golden Merit Power of Pangu's World-Creation intertwined with the blue Water Spiritual Power, exuding a gentle yet sharp aura that made the surrounding Chaos Energy recoil instinctively.
The Three-Headed Demon Lizard sensed the threat. Its three heads spewed corrosive demonic energy simultaneously, trying to dissolve the spear. But this time, Ao Xuan gave it no chance. He guided the spear upward, avoiding the full force of the demonic energy, then suddenly reversed direction—shooting like a meteor toward the demon lizard's abdominal soft armor!
Squelch!
The water spear, infused with Pangu's Merit Power, pierced the soft armor in an instant, burrowing into the beast's body. The Three-Headed Demon Lizard let out a deafening roar, filled with pain and disbelief. Its massive body convulsed violently, its three heads thrashing wildly and dislodging rocks from the cave ceiling.
Ao Xuan knew one strike wouldn't be fatal. He pressed his advantage, guiding his soul mist close to the ground and weaving through the demon lizard's limbs. Meanwhile, he summoned a vortex from the spring's water, entangling the beast's legs. The demon lizard scratched frantically, trying to break free, but the Water Spiritual Power clung like leeches, slowing its movements drastically.
"Not enough!"
Gritting his spiritual teeth, Ao Xuan poured all his remaining soul power into the water spear. The spear exploded inside the demon lizard's body, releasing a burst of golden Merit Power and blue Water Spiritual Power—destroying its internal organs and purifying the Chaos Demonic Energy within. The Three-Headed Demon Lizard's roars grew weaker, its demonic aura fading rapidly. Its purplish-black scales lost their luster, and its colossal body collapsed to the ground.
Only when the demon lizard stopped moving entirely did Ao Xuan relax. His soul mist, drained from overexertion, dimmed significantly. He drifted to the beast's corpse, feeling the dense residual Chaos Essence and a wisp of undissipated Innate Chaos Qi within—core energies of a Chaos Godfiend, and perfect nourishment for his current state.
Without hesitation, Ao Xuan pressed his soul mist against the abdominal wound, beginning to absorb the Chaos Essence. The black essence, filled with violent energy, surged into his soul mist like wildfire, causing excruciating pain as if his soul would burst. But soon, Pangu's Essence Blood within him activated spontaneously. The golden energy flowed like a filter, purging the violent aura from the essence and leaving only pure energy to nourish his soul.
Chaos Essence, Innate Water Spiritual Power, and Wood Elemental Qi intertwined, swirling rapidly within the soul mist. Ao Xuan could feel his soul expanding visibly: from a fist-sized wisp to half a foot, then a foot, then half a zhang (about 1.6 meters). The cyan-gold radiance grew brighter, and the dragon-shaped silhouette became increasingly distinct.
The dragon's horns, scales, and tail fin took shape under the energy's scour. Each scale shimmered with cyan-gold light, etched with patterns of Pangu's Dao and the laws of Water and Wood Elements. Its curved horns exuded dignity and holiness, while its tail swayed with the rhythm of churning water.
Boom!
When the last wisp of Chaos Essence was absorbed, the soul mist erupted in a blinding cyan-gold beam of light, shooting straight to the cave's ceiling and illuminating the entire cave like daylight. As the beam faded, a half-zhang-long Azure Dragon hovered above the Spiritual Spring—its body coiled gracefully, scales dense and fine, cyan-gold radiance flowing around it. It bore the primitive aura of a Primordial being, yet also the gentle holiness nourished by Merit Power.
Ao Xuan opened his eyes slowly, his dragon pupils reflecting clarity and majesty.
He could feel his body—no longer an ethereal soul mist, but a tangible dragon form, filled with surging power. The laws of Water and Wood Elements flowed through his veins like instinct.
"Finally… I've manifested my form!"
Ao Xuan flicked his tail, gliding gently through the Spiritual Spring. The water caressed his scales, warm and docile. He sensed his Dragon Soul solidifying, his physical body immortal. No longer a fragile residual soul on the brink of dissipation, he now possessed the strength to stand firm in the Primordial World.
He glanced down at the Three-Headed Demon Lizard's corpse—its Chaos Essence fully absorbed, leaving only a shriveled husk that was soon devoured by the incoming Chaos Energy. The drop of Pangu's Essence Blood had merged completely with his Dragon Core, becoming the heart of his power, glowing with a faint golden halo.
Ao Xuan flew out of the cave, his cyan-gold dragon body stretching to its full length. After being trapped in the mountain for so long, gazing upon the vast Primordial sky filled his heart with lofty ambition. His dragon body trembled as his Dragon Soul fused seamlessly with Pangu's Essence Blood, Chaos Essence, and the power of the Innate Spiritual Vein. A dragon's roar, born from the depths of his soul, burst forth—not the weak hiss of before, but a domineering, holy cry that echoed like Pangu splitting the cosmos, resounding throughout Buzhou Mountain and even the Eastern Primordial Wasteland!
"ROAR!!!"
Before the roar faded, heaven and earth underwent a drastic transformation.
The surging Primordial Chaos Energy retreated as one, the dark purple tidal waves scattering in all directions as if facing their natural enemy, revealing a clear, pristine expanse of sky.
High above the nine heavens, dark clouds dispersed. A rainbow bridge of divine light pierced the primal mist, descending from the Heavenly River like a colorful ribbon woven with obscure Dao runes. This was the "Grand Dao's Gift"—a response to the birth of the Primordial World's first Azure Dragon, bestowed upon innate sacred beings upon the completion of their Dao bodies.
Immediately after, a downpour of Innate Spiritual Rain fell from the sky—condensed from Innate Water Spiritual Power and Green Wood Essence. Each drop, as translucent as a pearl, radiated pure spiritual energy and the vitality of plants.
Not a single drop missed Ao Xuan's newly formed dragon body. They melted into wispy cyan-blue streams, seeping into his scales and nourishing every inch of his newborn dragon flesh and every bone.
Ao Xuan flicked his tail, and under the nourishment of the divine light and spiritual rain, his dragon body began to expand at a visible rate—half a zhang, three zhangs, ten zhangs, a hundred zhangs…