A swirling vortex suddenly appeared in the center of the viewing lake.
Then, a water dragon shot up into the sky, piercing the heavens.
Instantly, heavy rain began to fall across the entire viewing lake.
At this moment, Zhang Yang's true qi and the Emperor’s dragon qi were all attached to the ascending water dragon pillar.
The two types of qi gradually merged, forming a brand new qi.
This qi,
ethereal and transcendent, was imbued with the majesty of supreme imperial power.
It shimmered with golden light, appearing unfathomable, and radiated immense power!
"What is this?" Zhang Yang frowned.
The white pill within his body was operating autonomously, spewing out vast amounts of true qi.
He felt a surge of panic.
The Emperor, however, was quite different. He let out a hearty laugh as he looked at the water dragon pillar.
"Hahaha, the rumors are true! There really is true dragon qi in this world!"
"Zhang Yang, come with me to the center of the lake. Let us both receive the baptism of this fortuitous encounter!"
With that said.
The Emperor, without waiting for Zhang Yang's consent, rolled up his sleeves and brought Zhang Yang flying to the center of the lake.
From this angle, Zhang Yang could clearly see what lay beneath the center of the lake.
It turned out that
beneath the soaring water dragon pillar was a nine-legged great cauldron.
The ancient nine-legged great cauldron was continuously spewing energy into the water dragon pillar.
The carvings and inscriptions on the cauldron seemed to have been activated, all shining brightly.
Zhang Yang's true qi and the Emperor’s dragon qi were all being absorbed into the cauldron.
"Emperor, what exactly is going on?" Zhang Yang asked.
After the anomaly, Zhang Yang had calmed down somewhat but was still very curious.
"Haha, this is true dragon qi!" the Emperor declared with a laugh.
True dragon qi?
Zhang Yang was puzzled and waited for the Emperor to elaborate.
"Zhang Yang, you should know the origin of dragon qi. It’s not just in Hua Guo; rulers of other countries can also possess it. However, above dragon qi, there is true dragon qi."
"True dragon qi has existed in legends for a long time without appearing. This is because to activate true dragon qi, one needs a qi that matches dragon qi to appear and jointly activate the nation's treasure."
"Many years ago, I discovered that the qi used by Hero Zhang was also very peculiar, so I summoned him for questioning, and only then did I learn that you used true qi."
"However, the true qi used by Hero Zhang, while more powerful than ordinary qi, had too low a purity and was instantly suppressed by my dragon qi, making it impossible to activate the nine-legged great cauldron."
"But you are completely different. Your true qi is no less than my dragon qi, hence the Hua Guo national treasure, the nine-legged great cauldron, has been activated, and true dragon qi has appeared."
After the Emperor's explanation, Zhang Yang finally understood why the Emperor had summoned him to the imperial city.
"Emperor, is this true dragon qi very powerful?" Zhang Yang asked.
"Heh, even your true qi is no match for true dragon qi. This is the most powerful qi under heaven, so tell me, is it strong?" the Emperor chuckled.
Zhang Yang's eyes widened at this!
This true dragon qi was so formidable!
"Then can we obtain the true dragon qi now?" Zhang Yang asked, swallowing.
It wasn't that he was greedy, but his opponents were becoming increasingly stronger.
Therefore, he couldn't miss any opportunity to become stronger. How else could he lead the Five Dragons of Hua Xia to glory?
"This is just the beginning. To obtain true dragon qi, we still need one final step!" the Emperor shook his head.
Looking at the true dragon qi on the water dragon pillar, a look of solemnity appeared in his eyes.
"Your true qi and my dragon qi have just converged at the nine-legged great cauldron, activating it and forcing out the true dragon qi. Now, we need to complete one more step!"
As he said this.
The Emperor's aura erupted with full force!
The terrifying pressure made Zhang Yang's heart palpitate.
Truly worthy of being the strongest person in Hua Guo today!
Compared to the Emperor, the old ancestors were like puppies to an elephant!
"Do you see this water dragon formed by true dragon qi? In the next step, we need to slay the dragon! Only after slaying the dragon can we both obtain the true dragon qi!" the Emperor said solemnly.
Slay the dragon?
Zhang Yang was startled. Even the Emperor looked solemn.
This meant that this water dragon was very powerful!
Thinking of this, Zhang Yang also became nervous.
Suddenly.
With a boom.
The water dragon pillar, enveloped by true qi and dragon qi, suddenly came alive.
After a flash of golden light, it transformed into a lifelike true dragon!
"Zhang Yang, get ready! Protect yourself, and leave the rest to me!" the Emperor said sternly.
With that.
The Emperor, clad in dragon robes, his clothes billowing without wind, charged towards the true dragon.
"Roar!"
The true dragon let out an angry roar.
Its tail whipped towards the Emperor, instantly forcing him back.
"As expected of a true dragon, its power is immense!"
The Emperor dared not underestimate it. He swung his hands in front of him, condensing dragon qi into a long spear and thrusting it directly forward.
Seeing this, the true dragon advanced instead of retreating, opening its massive maw and swallowing the spear.
It emerged unscathed!
This!
The dragon body formed by true dragon qi was incredibly powerful, capable of directly devouring the Emperor's dragon qi spear.
Witnessing this.
The Emperor showed no fear. In the blink of an eye, another dragon qi spear formed in his hand, and he charged towards the true dragon.
Zhang Yang, standing by, didn't know whether to advance or retreat.
Watching from such close proximity, he felt a deep sense of dread.
This true dragon formed by true dragon qi was extremely powerful, far beyond his ability to contend with.
Even the Emperor, locked in combat, could only gain a temporary advantage and was unable to slay it.
In this case,
their chances of obtaining true dragon qi seemed slim.
Thinking of this.
Zhang Yang hardened his resolve.
His gaze fell upon the nine-legged great cauldron beneath the lake.
This was a national treasure of Hua Guo, one of the Nine Cauldrons left by Emperor Yu during his flood control efforts!
Perhaps…
Zhang Yang pondered his conjecture.
At the same time.
The Emperor was locked in a back-and-forth battle with the true dragon.
The immense fluctuations of the battle had attracted everyone in the imperial city.
They were all astonished to see the Emperor battling a golden true dragon.
Where did this golden dragon come from?
It was so powerful that even the Emperor could not subdue it!
Other imperial relatives and princes appeared, observing the scene.
Some old ancestors narrowed their eyes.
They guessed the origin of the true dragon and were greatly alarmed.
They had not expected the Emperor to actually find a way to summon true dragon qi!
"As expected of a dragon body condensed from true dragon qi, its power is on par with the Emperor's!"
"But who cooperated with the Emperor to activate the nine-legged great cauldron and summon the true dragon qi?"
"Wait, there's a small figure in the center of the lake. Could it be that young man who summoned it together with the Emperor?"
Those who knew the origin of true dragon qi immediately noticed Zhang Yang, who was lost in thought.
"Who is that?"
"Zhang Yang! It is said he is a friend of the Second and Sixth Princes, and at such a young age, he defeated a late-stage Hunyuan Realm expert!" someone said.
This!
The other princes and old ancestors' eyes widened in shock.
"Is the information reliable?" an old ancestor asked.
"I heard it from others, and it's said that even Old Ancestor Sima and Old Ancestor Huangfu, who joined forces tonight, were defeated by him." someone replied.
However.
Upon hearing this, the Emperor and the old ancestors burst into laughter.
If Zhang Yang could defeat a late-stage Hunyuan Realm expert, they might still believe it.
But to have defeated Old Ancestor Sima and Old Ancestor Huangfu when they joined forces was something they absolutely did not believe.
"Rumors can be deadly. How can such things be spoken carelessly? This young man is only a few years old, how could he possibly achieve this?"
"In my opinion, the story of him defeating a late-stage Hunyuan Realm expert is probably fabricated out of thin air!"
A group of old ancestors sneered.
In response, those who had heard of Zhang Yang's deeds offered no explanation.
After all, their understanding of Zhang Yang was all from hearsay, not from personal observation.
Those who had witnessed it firsthand were either dead, injured, confined, or out assisting, and were not present in the imperial city tonight.
Suddenly!
While Zhang Yang was being discussed, a situation arose between the Emperor and the true dragon!
The Emperor, wielding his spear, severed one of the true dragon's claws, while the true dragon bit into the Emperor's shoulder.
Both the man and the spiritual entity were injured.
This was the first time the Emperor had been injured since ascending the throne!
"What! Even the Emperor is injured! This true dragon qi is too powerful!"
"Alas, it seems unlikely that the Emperor will be able to obtain true dragon qi today. The main reason is that the person cooperating with him is too weak and cannot help the Emperor at all."
"What a pity, if only we could participate in the battle, we could help the Emperor solve this problem."
Several old ancestors shook their heads and sighed to themselves.
They believed that Zhang Yang's weakness was the reason the Emperor was left isolated and without aid.
But how could they understand that Zhang Yang could easily defeat them?
"Roar!"
The five-clawed true dragon, now with only four claws, became enraged and charged directly at the Emperor.
Seeing this, the Emperor quickly distanced himself from Zhang Yang.
But!
The true dragon did not change its direction, continuing its charge along its original path, which would lead it to collide with Zhang Yang!
Seeing this.
The Emperor's expression changed drastically, and he immediately shouted.
"Zhang Yang, stop standing there like an idiot! This true dragon's power is inexhaustible, you must not confront it head-on!"
"Hurry and run, or it will be too late!"
However, Zhang Yang seemed to have heard nothing.
He kept his eyes fixed on the nine-legged great cauldron, a smile appearing on his lips.
Perhaps.
He had found a way to defeat the true dragon.
"It's worth a try. At worst, I'll be severely injured, and the imperial city has many treasures, which should be able to heal me," Zhang Yang thought to himself.
Then.
He snapped out of his reverie, suddenly feeling a gust of wind rushing towards him.
This was the wind generated by the true dragon charging towards him.
Zhang Yang narrowed his eyes and sneered.
"Perfect timing to test it!"
With that, the white pill within Zhang Yang's body spun wildly, and a crystal coffin appeared out of thin air before him.
"Hold it for me!" Zhang Yang roared, placing the crystal coffin horizontally in front of him. Just as he was about to make another move.
The Emperor's eyes twitched, and he rushed towards Zhang Yang.
All the onlookers from a distance let out cold sneers, mocking him.
"Truly overestimating himself. Trying to stop a true dragon with just a coffin is simply wishful thinking."
"Incompetent and only causing trouble. Does he really think he has the ability to turn the tide? He's even forcing the Emperor to risk himself to save him!"
"Hmph! If the Emperor suffers any harm because of this, I will never forgive him."
"..."
Zhang Yang was unaware of the mockery and animosity from the onlookers.
At this moment, his eyes were solely on the true dragon and the nine-legged great cauldron beneath the lake.
"Zhang Yang, hurry and leave!" the Emperor shouted as he reached Zhang Yang's side.
"Emperor, shall we take a gamble?" Zhang Yang suddenly turned his head and smiled.
"Hmm? Gamble? What do you want to do?" the Emperor was stunned, looking at the confident Zhang Yang with confusion.
"Hold off the true dragon for me for one minute, and leave the rest to me!" Zhang Yang said with a smile.
This…
The Emperor didn't know what Zhang Yang intended to do.
He wanted to ask, but there was no time!
He looked at the golden dragon rapidly approaching them and suddenly roared!
"A gamble is a gamble, when have I ever been afraid!"
Suddenly.
The Emperor proactively charged in front of Zhang Yang.
The spear he had been holding suddenly transformed, becoming immensely large under the augmentation of dragon qi.
"Spear Emerges Like a Dragon!"
The Emperor shouted, unleashing a martial skill!
Instantly, the heavens and earth changed color.
The spear formed by dragon qi came alive, its sharp tip transforming into a dragon's head, ferociously biting at the true dragon!
"This is the moment!" Zhang Yang's expression tensed, and he struck out with the crystal coffin in his hand.
But.
The place he struck was not the true dragon, but the nine-legged great cauldron beneath the lake!
With a splash~
Zhang Yang, along with the crystal coffin, plunged into the water.
True qi surged outwards, creating a vacuum path!
"What national treasure, I'll still break you!" Zhang Yang's gaze sharpened.
He was taking a desperate gamble, diving into the body of the nine-legged great cauldron with the crystal coffin.
Boom!
The nine-legged great cauldron seemed to sense Zhang Yang's provocation.
It immediately emitted stronger energy, blocking Zhang Yang.
However, Zhang Yang, undeterred, pushed his white pill to spin at an accelerated rate, draining all the true qi from his body.
Simultaneously, the crystal coffin absorbed the true dragon qi emanating from the nine-legged great cauldron, then converted it into Zhang Yang's energy, and rebounded it back to the nine-legged great cauldron!
On the lake surface.
The Emperor was controlling the dragon spear to contend with the true dragon.
From initially being pushed back to completely suppressing it and gaining the initiative, he found it strange.
It seemed…
The true dragon's power had weakened, turning into a mass of unthinking qi.
Instantly.
The Emperor understood Zhang Yang's intention.
He gave a thumbs-up to Zhang Yang, who was confronting the nine-legged great cauldron, and laughed heartily.
"Good lad, you're truly audacious, but I like it, hahaha!"
"Emperor, the true dragon qi above is for you. I prefer what's below!" Zhang Yang also responded with a loud laugh.
He knew they had won their gamble.
Zhang Yang's crystal coffin was extraordinary, capable of absorbing even true dragon qi.
Earlier, Zhang Yang had blocked the nine-legged great cauldron from transmitting energy to the true dragon on the lake surface.
This caused the true dragon on the lake surface to become a mass of unthinking qi.
In this way,
slaying the dragon or not had become meaningless.
Thus.
The Emperor could naturally resolve the situation easily and receive the baptism of true dragon qi.
As for Zhang Yang, he was even more skilled and bold.
He desired the most potent true dragon qi from the nine-legged great cauldron.
At the same time.
He would also absorb the energy from the nine-legged great cauldron to aid his breakthrough!
But…
The nine-legged great cauldron was no ordinary object, and Zhang Yang's thoughts were too simplistic.
As he completely entered the body of the cauldron, the water in the center of the lake began to boil!
The nine-legged great cauldron also turned fiery red!
A new crisis had arisen!