Chapter 224: True Dragon! Beast Emperor Origin Technique!
Chen Xuan was shocked.
Originally, he had prepared to drag the white fish onto the pier before capturing it.
As for whether doing so would complete the trial and allow him to advance to the next level, he had no idea.
He had simply assumed that this was what the trial required him to do.
Yet reality shattered all his plans.
The moment the white fish left the water, a dazzling white light suddenly erupted from its body. The brilliance spread at an astonishing speed, quickly engulfing everything within sight.
The fish itself. Chen Xuan. Even the entire lake.
For a brief moment, the entire world seemed to have been swallowed by an endless sea of white.
Then—
"Roarrrr!"
A powerful roar suddenly echoed.
The sound was so terrifying that even Chen Xuan’s heart trembled slightly.
His vision gradually recovered.
When Chen Xuan could finally see clearly again, the white fish biting onto the fishing line had disappeared.
In its place was a powerful creature covered in countless white scales.
Its enormous body was no longer that of an ordinary fish.
Two long whiskers extended from either side of its face, fluttering gently in the air despite the absence of wind.
A pair of sharp horns protruded from its head. Its body was long and slender, while a serpentine tail extended behind it.
Most importantly, a terrifying aura radiated from its body.
This signature appearance, combined with the deafening roar from moments ago, made its identity unmistakable.
A dragon!
A true, living legendary dragon!
Chen Xuan’s pupils shrank.
This was completely different from the drop of Dragon Blood Essence he had obtained in the past.
It was also different from the Black Abyss Dragon.
Although the latter possessed an extraordinary bloodline, it was ultimately only a mixed beast with the bloodline of a true dragon.
But the creature before him...
It was truly a dragon. A legendary creature that had existed since ancient times.
For a moment, Chen Xuan couldn’t help but take a closer look at it.
He had never expected that the seemingly ordinary white fish would transform into such an existence. It was no wonder its strength had been so great before.
Yet before he could carefully investigate it, the fishing rod in his hands suddenly trembled violently.
The force was so great that it almost escaped his grasp.
That finally brought Chen Xuan back to reality.
His gaze fell upon the dragon. Although it had undergone such a shocking transformation, it was still biting onto the fishing hook.
More importantly, it was struggling just like the white fish had done before.
Clearly, the transformation had not changed the nature of the trial.
Chen Xuan’s eyes flashed.
He pulled again.
This time, he did not hold back at all.
The white dragon’s strength had clearly increased tremendously after its transformation.
If Chen Xuan continued pulling with the same strength as before, there was no doubt that it would eventually break free.
Therefore, he immediately abandoned his previous restraint.
He no longer maintained only a single appearance. Following a flicker of black light, another figure appeared beside him.
It had exactly the same appearance as Chen Xuan.
However, unlike his righteous body, a ferocious demonic energy surrounded this figure, making him appear far more sinister and terrifying.
The demonic clone.
Since all of Chen Xuan’s bodies shared their memories in real time, there was no need for either of them to speak.
Both the righteous and demonic clones firmly grabbed the fishing rod.
Then, they pulled backward with all their strength.
The fishing line immediately became taut. The white dragon’s enormous body was dragged slightly through the water.
Its eyes widened.
Shock appeared within them.
It had clearly never expected the seemingly insignificant cultivator before it to suddenly summon another identical body.
More importantly, both bodies possessed terrifying physical strength.
This went against the bloodline memories he had received from its ancestors!
The white dragon seemed to have become much more powerful following its transformation.
As expected, had Chen Xuan retained his previous strength, it was certain that the dragon would have been able to escape.
But with the appearance of the second clone, the situation was completely different.
Just like before, the white dragon slowly approached the pier.
Although it struggled desperately, the fishing rod remained firmly within Chen Xuan’s grasp.
One second. Two seconds. Three...
The distance gradually shortened.
Fifty feet. Thirty feet. Ten feet...
The closer the white dragon came to the pier, the more violently it struggled.
The surface of the lake surged.
Huge waves repeatedly crashed against the pier.
Yet the result remained unchanged.
Chen Xuan and his demonic clone continued pulling.
Neither showed any intention of giving up.
Five minutes later—
Bang!
The enormous body of the white dragon was finally dragged out of the lake.
It slammed heavily onto the wooden pier. The entire pier trembled beneath the impact.
Chen Xuan immediately prepared himself for battle.
Now that the dragon’s body was no longer within the lake’s range, he could finally use his full strength without worrying about the restrictions imposed by the trial.
If the dragon suddenly attacked, he was prepared to suppress it immediately.
Yet soon, Chen Xuan realized that this was unnecessary.
The white dragon no longer struggled after landing on the pier.
It remained completely motionless. For a moment, it looked almost like a corpse.
Only its ferocious eyes remained fixed on Chen Xuan.
There was neither fear nor submission in them. Instead, there was a strange sense of unwillingness and deep hatred.
Chen Xuan was somewhat surprised.
He cautiously extended his divine sense.
The moment it reached the pier, he immediately understood what was happening.
An invisible force had unknowingly descended upon the entire pier.
For Chen Xuan, this power had no effect whatsoever, which was why he had failed to notice it.
But for the white dragon, it was akin to an invisible prison.
Its enormous body was completely restrained.
It could not move or struggle, much less launch a counterattack.
Chen Xuan’s eyes narrowed.
Clearly...
The trial had been completed.
The realization brought a faint smile to his face. After all the trouble he had gone through, he had finally passed the first trial.
As for the reward...
Chen Xuan raised his head and looked toward the lake.
With the white dragon leaving the water, the dense mist that had previously covered its surface began to disperse. Bit by bit, the scenery hidden behind it became visible.
A small island appeared on the far horizon.
It was barely a few feet in length, making it look almost insignificant compared to the enormous lake. Yet despite its size, a mysterious aura radiated from it.
It was difficult to describe. It resembled the power of heaven and earth, yet seemed to contain something even more profound.
Chen Xuan’s gaze immediately became solemn.
Although the island was still some distance away, he could clearly see something standing upon it.
A tablet.
Countless intricate patterns were carved across its surface. Even from such a distance, those patterns seemed to contain a mysterious charm.
Chen Xuan stared at them for several breaths before finally snapping back to reality.
His attention shifted toward the lake beneath him. He did not rush forward recklessly.
Although the restriction had disappeared, Chen Xuan remained cautious.
He first swept the entire surface of the lake with his divine sense.
Nothing.
There were no hidden dangers.
Most importantly, the suppressive force that had previously prevented him from using his power was completely gone.
Only after confirming this did one of his clones cautiously take a step forward.
His foot landed above the water.
Nothing happened.
The clone waited for several breaths.
Still nothing.
Only then did Chen Xuan relax slightly.
Since the trial had already been completed, there was no reason to continue wasting time here.
The clone immediately flew forward.
He did not travel too quickly, maintaining a cautious speed as he crossed the lake.
Less than a minute later, he arrived above the small island.
The moment his feet touched the ground, Chen Xuan’s gaze immediately fell upon the tablet.
Given the island’s tiny size, there was practically nowhere else to look.
The tablet was even stranger up close.
It appeared to have been carved from the body of some powerful beast.
Although the creature had been dead for countless years, a faint ancient aura still remained within the material.
That aura spread throughout the surroundings, causing Chen Xuan to unconsciously pause.
He could faintly sense an extremely old and profound power contained within it.
Yet he did not spend too much time pondering over this.
Before, the only things that had attracted his attention were the strange patterns covering the tablet and the material from which it had been created.
Now that he had stepped closer, however, he finally noticed something else.
His gaze slowly moved toward the very top of the tablet.
Several ancient words immediately entered his sight.
Chen Xuan’s pupils contracted.
"Beast Emperor Origin Technique."