With every inch the colossal divine dragon's body grew, the power of Dao Principles surrounding it intensified.
The Wood Qi of the East surged like a tide, coalescing into cyan-green streams of light that coiled around the dragon's form. These streams made its scales increasingly tough, and the life force contained in its dragon muscles reached an unprecedented peak—even if wounded, it could heal instantly.
The power of water essence from the Four Seas surged from all corners of the Primordial Wilderness, transforming into deep blue waves that lifted the dragon's body. This support allowed the dragon to stretch more freely; with each swing of its tail, it resonated with the Dao Principles, unleashing a deafening roar like crashing tides.
Even more astonishingly, Pangu's Essence Blood erupted completely within the Dragon Core. Golden Dao auras circulated along the meridians of the dragon's body—wherever they passed, the dragon's bones became indestructible, comparable to Innate Spiritual Treasures; its claws, sharp as divine weapons, glinted with a cold light capable of tearing through Chaos.
Intricate Dao patterns emerged on its horns. As these patterns swirled, they stirred the "Power" Dao Principle in heaven and earth, making Ao Xuan's dragon body increasingly heavy and its imposing aura rise steadily. The heavenly and earthly anomalies grew even more spectacular.
Beyond the colorful auspicious rays in the sky, countless golden runes—materializations of the Dao Principles—emerged. They revolved continuously around Ao Xuan's dragon body and merged into it, inscribing a mark of heavenly recognition on this newly formed Azure Dragon.
On the ground, the Innate Spiritual Veins of Mount Buzhou boiled simultaneously. Cyan Spiritual Liquid gushed forth like fountains, forming spiritual rivers that meandered up the mountain slopes. Finally, they merged into the Spiritual Rain in the sky, providing an unending supply of nourishment for the dragon's growth.
The Chaos Ferocious Beasts nearby had long since prostrated themselves on the ground, trembling with fear. Even the Innate Gods hiding in the distance felt this aura originating from the very source of heaven and earth.
They all turned their gazes toward Mount Buzhou, their eyes filled with shock—since the Primordial Wilderness first took shape, no creature had ever triggered such a magnificent display of heavenly and earthly anomalies while condensing its initial body!
Ao Xuan hovered in mid-air, feeling every inch of his dragon body grow and transform. From a hundred zhang to a thousand zhang, then to five thousand zhang, eight thousand zhang—finally, with a dragon's roar that shook the entire cosmos, his body stabilized at a length of ten thousand zhang!
The ten-thousand-zhang Azure Dragon spanned the sky, like a cyan mountain connecting heaven and earth. Its horns, towering and sharp, pierced the clouds; the Karma Dao Patterns on them glowed with golden auspicious light, making the heavens above even more brilliant.
Its body coiled gracefully, covered in overlapping cyan-gold scales—each scale was the size of a house. Water Spirit Dao Patterns and Wood Spirit Dao Patterns flowed across the scales' surfaces; these two Dao Principles intertwined into a natural defensive barrier. When the Spiritual Rain fell on the scales, it refracted thousands of rays of light.
Its claws were thick and powerful, their tips glinting with cyan-gold sharpness. With a gentle grip, they tore through the Chaos Qi, letting out a shrill screech. Its tail stretched three thousand zhang long, and the fins at its end shimmered with the flow of Dao Principles—every swing stirred up tidal waves of spiritual energy.
Its dragon eyes were like two cyan suns and moons, deep and vast; the heavenly and earthly anomalies were reflected in the depths of its pupils, radiating clarity that penetrated the essence of all things and majesty that could suppress the Primordial Wilderness.
The heavenly gifts did not cease. The Spiritual Rain and auspicious rays continued to nourish its body, allowing Ao Xuan's power to stabilize and elevate continuously.
Ao Xuan could clearly feel that his dragon body was now closely connected to the Dao Principles of heaven and earth. The innate Wood and Water energies surged endlessly within him. The might of Pangu's Essence Blood, the profundity of Chaos Essence, and the purity of Innate Spiritual Veins merged perfectly, forging this Azure Dragon Dao Body—invulnerable to countless calamities, with an immortal physical form and boundless potential.
Ao Xuan slowly swung his dragon body. The ten-thousand-zhang form traced a graceful arc in mid-air, leaving a long trail of cyan-gold spiritual light behind it—like a star streaking across the sky.
He looked down: Mount Buzhou seemed like a dwarf beneath his feet; the distant Primordial Wilderness stretched for millions of li; rivers and seas crisscrossed like silver ribbons; and the scene of Chaos and spiritual energy blending was encompassed.
An indescribable sense of pride and dominance welled up in his heart! This ten-thousand-zhang dragon body was a gift from heaven and earth, the accumulation of karmic opportunities, and the foundation for him to gain a foothold in the Primordial Wilderness.
Gradually, the heavenly and earthly anomalies subsided: the Spiritual Rain dissipated, and the auspicious rays faded. However, the cyan-gold spiritual light around Ao Xuan became even more condensed.
His ten-thousand-zhang dragon body hovered above Mount Buzhou, its imposing aura spreading in all directions. Ao Xuan's chest swelled with heroism; he let out another dragon's roar—powerful, dominant, and sacred. It echoed through the nine heavens and ten earths.
Wherever the roar passed, the Chaos Qi calmed, the Spiritual Veins surged with joy, and the spiritual energy in heaven and earth resonated in response—as if the entire Primordial Wilderness was celebrating the birth of this new Azure Dragon Dao Lord.
Deep within the Chaos Qi of Mount Buzhou, Ao Xuan's cyan-gold dragon body stood out prominently against the dark purple waves. When the Chaos Qi surged toward him, it was automatically blocked by the Dao Principles surrounding his body.
He looked up at the endless void, faintly sensing a vast Dao aura permeating the Primordial Wilderness—it was the aura of Daoist Hongjun, a sign that the Hongmeng Purple Qi was about to appear.
"Daoist Hongjun's sermon, the Hongmeng Purple Qi…" A glint flashed in Ao Xuan's dragon eyes. "Under the Heavenly Dao?"
As a soul who had traversed into the Primordial Wilderness, he was well aware of the Hongmeng Purple Qi's effect—it could help one attain sainthood! However, such saints would be bound by the gifts of the Heavenly Dao. Once they merged with the Hongmeng Purple Qi, they would be constrained by the Heavenly Dao for eternity.
Even so, it was still sainthood! Ao Xuan thought: unless it was a last resort, he would not use the Hongmeng Purple Qi to become a saint. Only by proving the Dao through strength could he truly be free between heaven and earth.
He then smiled to himself—he had just completed shapeshifting, yet he was already thinking about the Hongmeng Purple Qi. Unlike the Dharma-Ending Age, the Primordial Wilderness was filled with dense spiritual energy, crisscrossing Spiritual Veins, numerous innate creatures, countless powerful beings, and even saints would take action personally.
Ao Xuan was unsure of his current strength level in the Primordial Wilderness. Before shapeshifting, he had struggled to fight a Demon Lizard formed from Chaos Qi with his fragmented soul. But after shapeshifting, everything had changed dramatically.
He then thought of the various Innate Spiritual Treasures in the Primordial Wilderness—and realized he had nothing, not a single treasure. It seemed he would have to travel through the Primordial Wilderness.
Glancing at his ten-thousand-zhang dragon body, Ao Xuan focused his thoughts. Layers of light radiated from his cyan-gold body amid the Chaos Qi. When the light faded, a tall figure stood quietly on Pangu Rock in Mount Buzhou.
Faint cyan water vapor and Wood spiritual energy swirled around him, forming a thin, veil-like aura.
He wore a cyan-gold Daoist robe, with delicate water wave patterns flowing across its surface. Every time he breathed, the patterns glowed faintly, as if tiny streams were winding through the robe. The collar and cuffs of the robe were embroidered with a simple Azure Dragon totem—its lines sharp yet agile, a reflection of his dragon soul's origin. The edges of the totem were dotted with a few strands of golden thread, condensed from the power of Pangu's Karma, faintly exuding majesty capable of suppressing Chaos.
His figure was as straight as a pine tree, appearing to be around twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old. He had broad shoulders and a narrow waist; every movement combined the innate agility of a dragon with the calm composure of a soul from the modern world.
His jet-black long hair fell over his shoulders, unbound, with a faint cyan-gold sheen at the tips. When the wind blew, tiny glimmers of light drifted from his hair—remnants of the Innate Spiritual Qi he had not fully absorbed.
His face was extraordinarily handsome: his sword-like eyebrows slanted upward toward his temples, their peaks carrying a natural sharpness, yet softened by the warmth in his eyes. His eyes were a deep cyan-blue, like the water in the deepest part of the East China Sea; faint dragon shadows swirled in the depths of his pupils—at times revealing the vitality of the Wood element, at other times the inclusiveness of the Water element.
Though his gaze was sharp, it was not intimidating; instead, it held a clarity and calmness born from surviving life and death. His nose was straight, his lips well-defined, and the corners of his mouth curved slightly in a subtle smile.
Between his eyebrows was embedded a faint cyan winding mark—the symbol of his Azure Dragon origin. A wisp of extremely pale gold lingered in the center of the mark, and a tiny dragon pattern occasionally flashed across it, proclaiming his noble identity as the first Azure Dragon of the Primordial Wilderness.
Ao Xuan's aura was gentle and restrained. When one drew near, they could smell a faint, fresh scent of vegetation mixed with the coolness of water vapor—the fusion of the innate Wood and Water Dao Principles, which unconsciously brought a sense of peace.
When he raised his hand, a faint cyan glow brushed across his fingertips. His movements were elegant and smooth, combining the grace of his dragon form with the flexibility of a human body. Every subtle gesture carried a natural Dao rhythm, as if he was always meant to stand between heaven and earth in this way.
Standing deep in Mount Buzhou, where Chaos and Spiritual Veins intertwined, he was like an innate spiritual tree rooted in the Primordial Wilderness—tough and full of life. Yet he was also like a vast ocean that embraced all things—deep and full of power.
He embodied three qualities in perfect harmony: the rationality and clarity of a modern soul, the sacredness and majesty of an Azure Dragon's origin, and the dominance and foundation nurtured by Pangu's Essence Blood.
This unique blend formed Ao Xuan's distinctive presence—like a green sword sheathed: seemingly gentle, yet concealing incomparable sharpness. Once unsheathed, it would be enough to intimidate the entire Primordial Wilderness.
He looked down at his hands—his fingers were long and strong, his skin fair yet resilient. He could clearly feel the power surging within him and the flow of the Dao Principles.
With a thought, a wisp of cyan-gold spiritual energy condensed into a tiny dragon shape in his palm. It circled for a moment, then dissipated into the air.
The smile on Ao Xuan's lips widened, and his eyes grew firmer: this human form was both his foundation for standing firm in the Primordial Wilderness and the starting point for his journey to the peak.
If that was the case, then it was time to explore.