Primordial Era: Reborn as a Qi Immortal, Steadily Cultivating

Chapter 61: The Dragon King’s Gift
Within the Dragon Gate Secret Realm, golden clouds of fortune surged endlessly.

Having just leaped over the Dragon Gate and undergone a complete transformation, Ao Xuan looked up to the sky and let out a loud dragon roar filled with joy and exhilaration.

Its sound reverberated through the heavens, as if it were releasing all the pent-up energy that had been suppressed deep within the bloodline for tens of thousands of years!

At this moment, he was a completely different person compared to before he jumped through the gate.

The dragon's body, which had been a thousand feet long, had now grown to nearly five thousand feet in size. Its entire body was covered with a layer of dark black dragon scales, on which mysterious golden Dao patterns flowed endlessly. Under the reflection of the golden light of fortune, it appeared extraordinary and divine.

The most astonishing change was in his lower abdomen.

Beyond the originally clear four claws, the rudimentary form of a fifth dragon claw had quietly begun to take shape.

Although it still appears illusory and has not yet fully solidified.

But this shows that his bloodline is undergoing a transformation towards the most noble realm of the Five-Clawed True Dragon!

Golden Immortal!

The bottleneck that had plagued him for countless years shattered instantly under the baptism of merit and fortune at Longmen!

A Golden Immortal Dao Fruit, radiating pure water-element Dao essence, shone brightly and remained perfectly stable within his primordial spirit!
As Dragon King Ao Guang looked at the scene before him, a hint of undisguised surprise flashed in his majestic dragon eyes.

He knew better than anyone how difficult it was to achieve such a tremendous transformation within the Dragon Gate.

This requires not only a massive amount of good fortune and merit as support, but also the person leaping over the gate must possess an incomparably tenacious Dao heart and an extremely profound accumulation of knowledge.

Both are indispensable!

Clearly, Ao Xuan has benefited immensely from following the mysterious Taiyi Immortal Lord Ma Yuan all these years, even though he was just a mount.

Whether it was the nourishment from the top-grade innate spiritual root, the Purple Gold Grape, or Ma Yuan's expositions and explanations that pointed directly to the origin of the Great Dao, both laid a solid foundation for him that far surpassed that of ordinary dragon bloodlines.

Now that we've encountered such an opportunity as the Dragon Gate, it's like a dragon emerging from the sea, soaring into the sky!
"good."

Seeing the changes in Ao Xuan, Ma Yuan's face also showed a look of genuine satisfaction.

When he subdued Ao Xuan, he promised to help him transform into a true dragon.

Now, most of that promise has already been fulfilled.

Although the karma within Ao Xuan's body has not been completely eradicated, and his bloodline has not yet transformed into a true five-clawed dragon in one step, this is undoubtedly a major step in the right direction.

More importantly, his Skull Mountain lineage now has another powerful Golden Immortal to oversee it.

Shiji is in charge of internal affairs and is skilled at managing the temple, ensuring its stability.

Ao Xuan is a general who can serve as a mount or a protector, conquering all directions.

One inside and one outside complement each other perfectly.

This undoubtedly adds to the rich heritage of Skull Mountain, which is truly commendable.

Once his aura had completely stabilized, Ao Xuan slowly retracted his enormous black dragon body and transformed back into the young man dressed in black with a cold and stern face.

He strode up to Ma Yuan and, without any hesitation, performed the most solemn kowtow to Ma Yuan.

His voice no longer carried the detachment and complexity of the past.

Instead, it was filled with gratitude from the depths of one's soul.

"Ao Xuan kowtows to thank his master for his life-saving grace!"

He knew perfectly well that without Ma Yuan, he would probably have been trapped by that damned bloodline karma for the rest of his life.

In the end, filled with resentment and despair, he turned into ashes.

It was Ma Yuan who gave him a new life and a path to a higher realm.

"Get up."

Ma Yuan lifted him up with a flick of his sleeve and said in a calm voice:

"I said before that I would help you transform into a true dragon, and today I am simply fulfilling that promise. Your achievements today are due to your own profound accumulation and unwavering Daoist heart."

He looked into Ao Xuan's grateful eyes and nodded slightly. "You have just entered the Golden Immortal realm, and your foundation still needs to be solidified. In the future, you need to cultivate diligently and hone your skills, so as not to waste this opportunity."

"Yes! Ao Xuan will certainly live up to Master's expectations!" Ao Xuan nodded heavily.

Dragon King Ao Guang, standing to the side, took in this heartwarming scene of master and servant, his mind racing. He knew that this mysterious fellow Daoist Ma Yuan was not only unfathomably powerful, but also possessed great merit and extraordinary fortune.

Now even his mount has become a dragon descendant at the Golden Immortal level.

These individuals are by no means ordinary rogue cultivators.

There may be hidden backgrounds and origins behind it that are unknown to oneself.

In any case, this person should only be befriended, and must never be offended!
With this thought in mind, Ao Guang had already made up his mind.

He laughed heartily, stepped forward, and cupped his hands in congratulations to Ma Yuan and Ao Xuan: "Congratulations on your great success, my nephew Ao Xuan! This is a blessing for our Dragon Clan and for the East Sea!"

After leaving the Dragon Gate Secret Realm, he summoned the Turtle Prime Minister and ordered, "Go to my treasure vault and retrieve the Demon-Binding Rope!"

Upon hearing this, Prime Minister Turtle immediately accepted the order and left.

Before long, Prime Minister Turtle returned respectfully, carrying a jade plate.

On the jade plate lay a golden chain made entirely of an unknown divine iron, with runes flowing across it and faint sounds of dragon roars emanating from it.

Although it is not an innate spiritual treasure, it is an acquired one.

However, it contains thirty-six acquired restrictions, and the spiritual light and pressure emanating from it have reached the pinnacle of a superior acquired spiritual treasure!
"Fellow Daoist." Ao Guang personally picked up the demon-binding rope and handed it to Ao Xuan, a sincere smile on his face.
"The six bunches of purple-gold grapes that you bestowed upon me earlier are of such high value that they far exceed the fortune lost in opening the Dragon Gate for my nephew Ao Xuan. My dragon clan is deeply grateful for this great favor and has no way to repay it."

"This treasure is called the Demon-Binding Rope. It is a superior-grade acquired spiritual treasure crafted using the secret techniques of my Dragon Clan. It can bind immortals and gods and has endless uses."

Today, I present this treasure to my nephew Ao Xuan as a congratulatory gift for his advancement to the Golden Immortal realm, and also to settle the karmic debt between us.

I hope my fellow Daoist and nephew will not refuse.

Upon seeing this, a knowing glint flashed in Ma Yuan's eyes.

He knew that Ao Guang was trying to curry favor with him.

In this way, they attempted to transform the previously somewhat rigid transactional relationship into a more intimate and personal one.

This move may seem like a gift, but it is actually an investment.

Investing in Ao Xuan, a rising star of the dragon race with immense potential, is also an investment in himself, the unfathomable Taiyi Immortal Lord.

However, since the other party had adopted such a humble attitude and been so courteous, there was no reason for me to refuse.

He glanced at Ao Xuan and said calmly, "Since it was bestowed by the Dragon King, you may accept it."

"Thank you, Your Majesty the Dragon King!" Ao Xuan was also surprised to receive such treatment. He quickly accepted the Demon-Binding Rope and bowed respectfully to express his gratitude.

Thus, Ma Yuan's purpose in visiting the Dragon Palace of the East Sea has been fully achieved.

He had no intention of lingering any longer, and immediately bowed to Ao Guang to take his leave.

"I appreciate the Dragon King's kindness. Now that the matter is settled, I should take my leave."

"Fellow Daoist, why don't you stay a few more days? In my Dragon Palace, there are still many treasured millennia-old immortal wines that you may share with me," Ao Guang urged.

"No, thank you." Ma Yuan shook his head.
"I am a carefree hermit, and I dislike crowds. If I have the opportunity in the future, I will come to bother you again."

Seeing that he was determined to leave, Ao Guang did not try to persuade him to stay.

He personally escorted Ma Yuan and Ao Xuan out of the Crystal Palace.

"Fellow Daoist, please wait. The gates of the East Sea Dragon Palace are always open to you!"

"Farewell."

Ma Yuan nodded slightly and stepped onto Ao Xuan's broad dragon head once more.

The next moment, accompanied by a high-pitched dragon roar, a black stream of light, more than ten times stronger than the one that had arrived, broke through the towering waves and disappeared instantly at the edge of the East Sea.

Dragon King Ao Guang stood before the Crystal Palace, gazing at the departing light, remaining silent for a long time.

His majestic dragon eyes gleamed with a deep and complex light.

"Issue my decree." After a long silence, he finally spoke slowly.
"From this day forward, all members of the East Sea Dragon Clan shall treat cultivators from Skull Mountain with the utmost courtesy and respect, without the slightest negligence. Those who violate this rule shall be severely punished!"

(End of this chapter)