Chapter 774 775: Entering the Dragon‑Kun Realm

"Greetings, Pavilion Master Sima."

Although the Dragon‑Kun Pavilion was filled with elite commander‑level experts from across the Qiankun Continent, they still courteously returned the greeting.

Pavilion Master Sima Qiu was far from ordinary. While the Dragon‑Kun Pavilion could only be considered a first‑rate power due to its small numbers, its age rivaled that of the oldest factions on the continent—only a handful of forces like the Qiankun Sect could compare.

"Senior Sima, we must trouble you to enlighten us regarding the situation in the Dragon‑Kun Realm this time," Lan Miaozhi from Misty Peak said softly.

Rumor had it that the cultivation methods of the Dragon‑Kun Pavilion originated from the Dragon‑Kun Realm itself.

Because of this, they could faintly sense certain changes within the realm and, every time it opened, they would announce some of the information they had gleaned.

"Hehe, it is only proper."

Sima Qiu smiled kindly. "All of you are entering the Dragon‑Kun Realm for the Dragon God and Kun God blood essence, no doubt. However, the Dragon‑Kun Realm is ever‑changing.

"Every opening differs entirely from the last."

"This time, however, this old man must bring you some unfortunate news: the Dragon‑Kun God Pools within the realm appear to number only six."

"What? Only six Dragon‑Kun God Pools?"

His words instantly stirred an uproar in the Dragon‑Kun Pavilion. Many experts' expressions turned quite unsightly.

"Six Dragon‑Kun God Pools…" Lin Langtian's eyes narrowed slightly as he muttered under his breath.

From what he knew, in the distant ancient era when the Dragon God and Kun God fell, their bones were scattered throughout the Dragon‑Kun Realm.

Some of those remains collided, forming the strange Dragon‑Kun God Pools. The realm was filled with countless spirit beasts, each bearing some trace of Dragon God or Kun God blood.

By pouring that blood into a Dragon‑Kun God Pool and drawing on the power within the Dragon and Kun bones, one could cultivate a "Half Dragon God Body" and a "Half Kun God Body."

The true essence of the Dragon‑Kun Realm lay deeper still, at the Dragon‑Kun God Platform.

The sole qualification to ascend the Dragon‑Kun God Platform was to possess both the Half Dragon God Body and the Half Kun God Body… in other words, the only path to the true treasures lay through the tempering of the Dragon‑Kun God Pools.

Lin Langtian distinctly remembered that the last time the realm opened, there had been ten Dragon‑Kun God Pools. He had not expected the number to drop by nearly half this time.

This meant that the struggle within the Dragon‑Kun Realm would be all the more brutal.

As he pondered this, Sima Qiu raised a hand to quell the growing commotion within the pavilion. His withered palm swept through the air, causing a light‑screen of spiritual power to unfurl before them.

A hazy, indistinct map appeared there, and on its surface six bright points of light could be vaguely discerned.

"These are the locations of the six Dragon‑Kun God Pools we have detected," Sima Qiu announced. At once, nearly everyone's eyes sharpened, and they hurried to imprint the blurred map into their minds.

Lin Langtian also fixed his gaze on the light‑screen, quickly committing it to memory.

Though the map was vague, it was far better than blundering aimlessly about the realm later.

At that moment, Ling‑yi's voice suddenly echoed in his heart. "Langtian, how does the Dragon‑Kun Pavilion detect those Dragon‑Kun God Pools?"

Lin Langtian paused, then said thoughtfully, "It is said the Dragon‑Kun Pavilion's cultivation art comes from the Dragon‑Kun Realm itself, allowing them to peer through space and perform some preliminary probing."

"In that case, it is not certain that there are only six Dragon‑Kun God Pools. And if my guess is right, some of those pools must also be stronger than others…" Ling‑yi said.

Lin Langtian's brows lifted, and he nodded. "Most likely. But the Dragon‑Kun Realm is riddled with danger, filled with countless spirit beasts empowered by Dragon God and Kun God blood.

"Their intelligence may be low, but their strength is terrifying. Wandering about blindly to probe further would be extremely dangerous, so almost no one attempts additional searches."

Ling‑yi fell silent for a moment, then smiled. "If I had a way to find a stronger Dragon‑Kun God Pool, would you be willing to try?"

Lin Langtian's eyes lit up immediately. "Of course."

As a divine beast of the Nine Nether Flame Sparrow clan, Ling‑yi's means were beyond doubt. If there was a way to find a superior Dragon‑Kun God Pool, Lin Langtian would never pass up such an opportunity.

"I knew you would not refuse," Ling‑yi said with a smile. "Then it is settled. However, for my method to work, we must first locate at least one Dragon‑Kun God Pool.

"So after you enter the realm, seize one of the pools. Since the Dragon‑Kun God Pools vary in strength, the Half Dragon God Bodies and Half Kun God Bodies they produce will also differ.

"Another round of tempering in a stronger pool will be greatly beneficial to everything that follows in the Dragon‑Kun Realm."

Lin Langtian nodded slightly. Though he knew the fight over the pools would be fierce, he felt no fear at all.

As he conversed silently with Ling‑yi, the uproar within the Dragon‑Kun Pavilion only intensified. Clearly, the news of there being only six Dragon‑Kun God Pools had agitated many.

Sima Qiu shook his head with a wry smile. "According to our estimates, the Dragon‑Kun Realm will fully open tomorrow.

"That will be the best time to enter. The realm is fraught with peril, and the beasts within—though lacking in intellect—have become unimaginably powerful due to the Dragon God and Kun God's fall. I hope you will all make thorough preparations."

With that, Sima Qiu said no more and turned to leave at a leisurely pace.

Seeing this, Lin Langtian rose and departed as well.

His departure drew another round of curious and wary glances.

Both Daji and Lan Miaozhi's beautiful eyes flickered. This Lin Langtian of the Qiankun Sect might only appear to be at the peak of Third‑Grade Sovereign, but the combat power he had displayed far exceeded that level.

They could not afford to ignore him.

It seemed that this Dragon‑Kun Realm would see quite a few dark horses emerge.

Meanwhile, Liu Tianxing watched Lin Langtian's retreating back, his face cold, a sinister light surging in the depths of his gaze.

"This damned fool dared to mock me in public. Once we are in the Dragon‑Kun Realm, I will show you what a trump‑card commander truly is…" he muttered to himself.

None of them noticed that as Lin Langtian left, a flicker of shadow stirred high above, then vanished without a trace.

Lin Langtian left the Dragon‑Kun Pavilion and headed west across Dragon‑Kun City, intending to find a place to rest for the night.

However, as he passed through one ancient street after another and finally entered a more deserted alley, his brows suddenly rose and his eyes narrowed slightly.

"You have followed me long enough. Will you still not show yourself?"

Even as he spoke, demonic thunderlight erupted from his body. His palm closed, summoning a pillar of demonic lightning that he brought crashing down on a patch of seemingly empty space behind him.

From the void, a slender hand emerged, lightly patting the demonic lightning pillar. Ripples of visible force spread outward.

Buzz!

The ground split apart, the lightning pillar shattered, and Lin Langtian's body jolted violently, the stone slabs beneath his feet turning instantly to dust.

His gaze hardened as he looked toward that spot. Space there warped, and a black‑robed figure slowly emerged.

The man had long black hair, sword‑like brows, and eyes like deep black holes. His face was strikingly handsome, and a faint aura of mystery seemed to ripple from him.

Seeing the newcomer, Lin Langtian's eyes narrowed slightly. The man's features bore a distinct resemblance to Huang Kurong, master of the Temple of Desolate Earth.

"Hehe, impressive. So even my Great Desolate Concealment Art could not escape your senses. No wonder the Qiankun Sect dares send a mere Third‑Grade Sovereign into the Dragon‑Kun Realm," the black‑robed youth said with a light smile, his gaze fixed on Lin Langtian.

Lin Langtian's expression remained calm. "Who would have thought that the trump‑card commander of the Temple of Desolate Earth would stoop to such sneaking tricks?"

"Oh? So you recognize me," the man replied, the corners of his mouth curving faintly.

"Your father is the master of the Temple of Desolate Earth. Trump‑card commander Huang Buxiu—there are not many on the Qiankun Continent who do not know the name," Lin Langtian said flatly.

"In that case, allow me to offer you some advice. The Temple of Desolate Earth and the Qiankun Sect are mortal enemies. Once you enter the Dragon‑Kun Realm, I fear you may not even leave a corpse behind," Huang Buxiu said casually.

"Thanks for the concern, but those words apply just as well to you," Lin Langtian replied evenly, then turned to leave.

Huang Buxiu's strength was indeed formidable, his aura surpassing that of many king‑level experts in the Qiankun Sect, but if he thought that alone would scare Lin Langtian off, he was greatly underestimating him.

Huang Buxiu watched Lin Langtian's back grow more distant, his gaze growing colder. "What an arrogant fool. It seems this Dragon‑Kun Realm is going to be rather entertaining…"

…

The next day, as the first rays of dawn shone upon the Dragon‑Kun Mountain Range, the spiritual power of heaven and earth seemed to begin to boil.

Countless sounds of air being torn apart rose from afar as streams of light swept across the sky, converging in a dense tide toward Dragon‑Kun City.

Clearly, news of the Dragon‑Kun Realm opening that day had spread to all within a single night.

Standing atop a tall rooftop, Lin Langtian gazed into the distance.

Above the mountain range, space rippled like water, and a vast, ancient aura seeped out, spreading across the heavens and earth.

That was where the Dragon‑Kun Realm would open.

Time flowed slowly by. When the sun finally hung high overhead, the area had become packed with an astonishing number of people.

Buzz!

At a certain moment, the spiritual power between heaven and earth boiled like water at full heat, turning violently turbulent.

A vast tide of spiritual power gathered high above the ancient mountains. In the next instant, a gigantic beam of light slowly emerged, tearing open the fabric of space.

Endless radiance poured out from the rift.

In that instant, distant dragon roars and kun cries seemed to echo out of the crack, their clear calls reverberating between heaven and earth.

The sound was unlike any dragon song Lin Langtian had ever heard before.

It carried such supreme might that it felt as if it could transcend even the heavens themselves, sending a shiver through the soul.

"The Dragon‑Kun Realm has opened!"

A cry of ecstatic joy split the tumultuous air, igniting the already feverish atmosphere.

Swish! Swish!

In that moment, countless pairs of eyes reddened.

Streams of spiritual power shot skyward as beams of light tore through the air. Like a swarm of locusts, they surged into the rift in space.

The heavens and earth trembled with the force of it.

Lin Langtian also moved, turning into a streak of light that joined the mighty torrent and plunged into the crack that echoed with ancient dragon roars and kun cries.

The instant he crossed into the Dragon‑Kun Realm, the space around him twisted wildly, distorting his senses.

But the disorienting sensation soon faded.

Lin Langtian felt solid ground beneath his feet, and the blurred world around him quickly sharpened into clarity.

Opening his eyes, he narrowed them slightly at the transformed landscape.

The endless mountain ranges had vanished, replaced by a vast, dimly crimson grassland.

He now stood upon a low hill rising from that plain of red.

An ancient wind blew across the land, carrying the desolate scent of time. The dark‑red grass rippled like a sea of blood, lending the scene a faintly unsettling air.

Buzz! Buzz!

All across the grassland, space rippled and distorted as one figure after another materialized. These were all those who had passed through the spatial rift to enter the Dragon‑Kun Realm.

As more figures appeared, the once‑silent crimson plain quickly grew lively.

Countless gazes burned with curiosity and fervor as they swept over this unfamiliar realm. Before long, some could no longer restrain themselves and shot off into the distance.

Buzz, buzz!

In the very next instant, the dark‑red grass all across the plain suddenly lifted into the air.

Each blade and stalk disintegrated mid‑flight into a mist of crimson blood, which surged forward and engulfed dozens of those who had rushed ahead.

Boom!

Those experts reacted instantly, spiritual power exploding from within as they tried to blast apart the blood‑mist.

Yet as their power met the crimson haze, it did nothing to halt it. The mist swept over them, and they did not even have time to scream before they were reduced to bare, gleaming bones that rained down from the sky.

Lin Langtian's pupils contracted sharply. At the same time, Ling‑yi's urgent voice rang out. "Langtian, move! Those are Bloodthirsty Demon Ants!"

(END CHAPTER)