Chapter 152: Sun Dragon King

Dragon Pearl?

In the ancient wilderness, beast demons, magical beasts, and wild beasts all possessed inner cores, yet only the dragon race had both inner cores and dragon pearls. Most dragons chose to merge their inner core with their dragon pearl, for this not only enhanced the pearl’s power but also deepened their connection to it. However, this came with great risk: if the dragon pearl was damaged or destroyed, it would be tantamount to the destruction of both form and spirit. Therefore, many preferred not to merge them, so that losing the pearl would only cost half their cultivation rather than everything.

It is worth mentioning that the Western-style lizard dragons, descendants of prehistoric dinosaurs, are barely classified as dragons. Instead of a dragon pearl, they have a lower-grade dragon crystal within.

Within the tomb chamber, the yin-yang energy was abundant and dense, though impure, containing both scorching yang vigor and ghostly yin qi.

Qingxu combined the Golden Eye of Morality and the Eye of Dharma, instantly seeing through the mysteries. Floating within the tomb was a precious orb, inside which hovered a faint, golden-red three-inch phantom figure. It had whiskers and horns, scales, tail, and claws, unmistakably a dragon. Yet it was not slender and elongated but bore a resemblance to a dinosaur, similar to the Tyrannosaurus rex of the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods from Qingxu’s past memories—only with two wings added.

“You’ve arrived? Much later than I expected!” An ancient, weathered voice echoed from within the dragon pearl, startling Qingxu and his companions.

“Who are you?” Qingxu did not foolishly ask how this prehistoric dragon knew he would come, especially since his Xuánhuáng incarnation lay before him.

By now, Qingxu had a rough idea of the situation: likely, during his ordeal crossing the Ninety-nine Chaos Heavenly Tribulation, he was distracted, causing his Xuánhuáng incarnation to lose control and fall beneath the southeastern sea boundary, accidentally passing through the Dimensional Gate into the Netherworld. Whether it was this prehistoric dragon’s doing or coincidence that led him to this tomb was no longer important.

“Who am I? It’s been so long I’ve forgotten my name. But in ancient times, on the Solar Star, I was the first generation Solar Dragon King. Alas, I was blind to the truth and befriended two despicable villains. Truly, I have brought this upon myself and deserve no mercy!” The golden-red phantom within the pearl reminisced bitterly, speaking of the two with sorrow and clenched teeth.

“Two despicable villains? Could it be that you were betrayed by trusted subordinates?” In large powers, struggles for supremacy are common. As head of the Solar Dragon clan, the Dragon King would naturally face scheming from within. Didn’t the Ao brothers suffer the same fate? The only difference was the Twelve Sea-Calming Pearls, which postponed conflict.

“Nonsense! The Solar Dragon clan is united; there was no internal strife. The two traitors who betrayed me were none other than Dijun and Taiyi. Foolishly, I trusted them, calling them brothers, unaware of their concealed malice. Outwardly they respected me, but secretly they struck with murderous intent. Alas! My life and death matter little now; my only worry is the fate of the Solar Dragon clan. Those two villains hold great influence among my people. Without me to restrain them... alas!” The Solar Dragon King sighed deeply, lamenting the clan’s predicament and his own regret.

“Solar Sovereign Dijun? Taiyi? They plotted against you?” To Qingxu, such revelations seemed like a dream, a tale too absurd to believe. Two mighty demon kings, soon to be Heavenly Emperors and Eastern Sovereigns, reduced to treacherous villains?

“What? Solar Sovereign? Those two treacherous scoundrels’ schemes succeeded after all.” The Solar Dragon King’s expression darkened, his spirit dampened.

Qingxu understood his feelings well. Because of him, the Solar Star’s tribes had fallen into enemy thrall, mistaking traitors for masters—a cruel fate indeed.

“Senior, I empathize deeply with your feelings, but what’s done is done. Dijun and Taiyi now use Lady Nuwa’s name to consolidate the demon clans, sweeping all before them. Their unity seems inevitable. Their cultivation is peerless, and their spiritual treasures formidable. Today, only the Primordial Sage might rival them. But don’t lose hope; karma is real. From past memories, I know Dijun’s descendants—the Ten Golden Crows—nine have perished, one became a monk. He and his wife, along with Taiyi, all met tragic ends. Their fate was grim indeed.”

“Karma? Ha! Karma? Divine powers can disrupt fate. Cause and effect are mere playthings to the mighty. No, I must avenge this blood debt at all costs.”

“Senior, you hardly can protect yourself now, let alone seek revenge. If I’m not mistaken, your presence here sustains you. Once you leave this tomb, you will dissipate immediately.” Qingxu saw through the Solar Dragon King’s predicament. Once, he had worried the king might try to possess him, but now he was reassured. In his current state, the king could neither reincarnate nor survive. He was surely doomed. Perhaps the Primordial Sage could save him, but who would?

“That is exactly why I used this incarnation to lure you here.” The Solar Dragon King smiled meaningfully at Qingxu.

“What do you intend, senior?”

“I want you to avenge me—slay the treacherous Dijun and Taiyi and rescue the Solar Dragon clan from destruction.” The king’s words struck Qingxu like thunder. He knew his limitations well; Dijun and Taiyi were colossi, far beyond his reach. Challenging them would be suicide.

“Senior, you overestimate me. I’m barely at the peak of Earth Immortal cultivation. Dijun and Taiyi are quasi-Saints, wielding the River Diagram, Luo Book, and Chaos Bell. Their offense, defense, and ability to divine heaven’s secrets are unmatched. Together, they are nearly invincible beneath the Saints. Even if I wished to help, I lack the power.”

“No matter. I understand your concerns. I don’t demand you avenge me, just do what you can. But you must do your utmost to save the Solar Dragon clan. And you will not do so in vain. This dragon pearl is the essence of the sun, refined over thousands—no, tens of thousands—of years in the Netherworld. It merges yin and yang energies, possessing immense power. If you absorb it, your divine abilities will soar. You could reach the pinnacle of the Great Dao Golden Immortal stage instantly. Becoming a quasi-Saint would be only a matter of time.”

Perhaps realizing his demands were harsh, the Solar Dragon King softened his tone.

Hearing this, Qingxu was tempted. Helping the Solar Dragon clan seemed just, and he felt no shame in that. He understood Dijun and Taiyi’s fate; aiding this king’s vengeance might be worthwhile.

The yin-yang dragon pearl before him was a powerful allure. If refined into his body, it would greatly benefit his Golden Morality Body. As a magical treasure, it possessed boundless power. Transforming it directly into his cultivation was another matter—Qingxu still relied on the Three Pure Ones’ immortal power for that.

“Yin-yang power? Three Pure Ones’ immortal power? What if I could merge the Three Pure Ones’ power with the Twelve Ancestral Witches’ might, uniting purity and impurity? If I added innate yin-yang power, that would be perfect.” The grand vision suddenly flashed through Qingxu’s mind. Achieving this would be astonishing. Perhaps he could follow in the footsteps of the True King Pangu! After all, the Three Pure Ones and the Twelve Ancestral Witches both originated from Pangu—one representing primordial spirit, the other essence and blood; one internal, the other external. Their union embodied Pangu himself.

A seed of ambition took root deep within Qingxu’s heart.

Pangu’s immortal power had become his new pursuit.

Yet the path was long and arduous. Qingxu had only cultivated the Jade Pure Immortal power; the Tai Pure and Upper Pure were mere illusions without orthodox methods, difficult to manifest. Even with all Three Pure Ones’ powers, he needed the Supreme Elder’s secret scripture, “One Qi Transforms the Three Pure,” to invert and unify them. This was merely the beginning. The next step—the power of the Twelve Ancestral Witches—was exponentially harder. To integrate all, he needed the innate treasure, the Taiji Diagram, especially with time so tight. During the Witch-Lich War, all Twelve Ancestral Witches except Gonggong perished. Qingxu knew this clearly. Thus, in his heart, Pangu’s immortal power was a distant dream, almost impossible to realize, yet subconsciously, he would strive for it.

“Senior, hearing your words, I cannot refuse. In the name of Heaven’s Way, I swear to do my utmost to save the Solar Dragon clan and slay Dijun and Taiyi.” Qingxu declared solemnly.

“Good! Good! Good!” The Solar Dragon King’s tears streamed freely, overwhelmed with joy.

His lifelong grudges against Dijun and Taiyi and the Solar Dragon clan’s fate weighed heavily on his spirit, preventing him from resting in peace. Having endured countless eons since ancient times, now Qingxu’s promise finally eased his soul. No wonder he wept with happiness.

“When my soul dissipates, you may claim this yin-yang dragon pearl. Your incarnation is passable; in these past years—one day in the wilderness equals one year in the Netherworld—I have used yin-yang energy to strengthen it. It is now roughly at the peak Great Dao Golden Immortal level. As for magical power, it differs from Immortal Dao, so it hasn’t improved much, but its essence is over ten times purer.”

The Solar Dragon King looked at Qingxu with satisfaction.

“You are quite admirable, not greedy despite seeing this dragon pearl. If you tried to seize it by force, I’d be powerless to stop you now. But the pearl would self-destruct before you could claim it, its blast at least mid-quasi-Saint level!”

The king’s words brought Qingxu both joy and alarm. Joy for the pearl and Xuánhuáng incarnation’s benefits; alarm that he had refrained from snatching the pearl, for the self-destruct blast would have utterly destroyed him.

In truth, Qingxu was not as virtuous as the Solar Dragon King imagined. His restraint was born of caution and lack of absolute confidence, not kindness. Otherwise, why waste words?

Thus, the complex tale of ancient grudges, formidable foes, and a spark of ambition unfolded before Qingxu, setting him on a path fraught with peril yet shimmering with hope.