Ever since he was a child, Lin Xiao had understood one truth:
Even the most insignificant person could unleash unimaginable power at a critical moment.
Back then, the reason he had acknowledged Qiong Lao as his godfather was because he had seen the value of the old man's unique connections.
How could a strange old man with only the cultivation of a Sixth-Rank Battle King hold such an important position at Donghua Academy?
Even Vice Principal Liu and the academy's senior leadership treated him with the utmost respect.
The reason was simple.
Many years ago, when he was still young, Qiong Lao had risked his life to shield Donghua Academy's principal, Jiang Baiyi, from an assassination attempt.
The injuries had left him permanently crippled, destroying his path to greater heights.
That single act of loyalty alone was enough to guarantee him a lifetime of security.
Even now, despite being under official investigation, Vice Principal Liu and the other academy executives still believed nothing serious would happen to him.
None of them were willing to push things too far.
Yet under Lin Xiao's deliberate guidance, Qiong Lao had finally decided...
...to use up the greatest protection he had ever possessed.
Knock! Knock! Knock!
After many years, Qiong Lao once again knocked on the door to Jiang Baiyi's office.
Principal's Office
After Chen Beiyuan's earlier visit, two more unexpected guests had arrived.
Their appearance naturally left Jiang Baiyi somewhat displeased while he was dealing with official business.
Had the visitors not possessed rather special identities, he would have thrown them out long ago.
Initially, he had assumed that Qiong Baicang had come to seek his help regarding the academy's widely publicized corruption investigation.
Instead...
He had guessed wrong.
"Bai Cang..."
"Have you thought this through?"
Jiang Baiyi frowned slightly as he put down the documents in his hand.
His serious gaze rested on the elderly man before him.
Qiong Lao stood there in an oversized hospital gown.
His arms were gone.
His frail body was little more than skin and bones.
As for Lin Xiao, who stood respectfully beside him, supporting the old man...
Jiang Baiyi completely ignored him.
If Lin Xiao hadn't been helping Qiong Baicang walk inside, he likely wouldn't even have been allowed into this office.
"Principal..."
"I've made my decision."
"For all these years, I've never once asked anything of you because I never wanted to trouble you."
"But today..."
"For this boy..."
"I've shamelessly come to ask you for one favor."
"I know the Imperial Family possesses a special large-scale secret realm."
"Within it lies the Poison Dragon Abyss, formed from the venom sac of the fallen Eighth-Rank Ferocious Beast—the Demon Nether Poison Dragon."
"My disappointing son..."
"...his Black Flood Dragon Battle Soul has reached the critical stage of evolving into a true dragon."
"What he lacks now..."
"...is that final opportunity."
"I hope you can show mercy..."
"...and allow him one chance to attempt his Dragon Transformation."
Qiong Lao forced himself to stand upright.
His aged face was filled with pleading.
This...
...was the opportunity he had promised Lin Xiao.
No one knew that, in his younger days, he had once served as Jiang Baiyi's personal bodyguard.
Because of that position, he had learned many of the Imperial Family's closely guarded secrets.
Naturally...
...one of them was the existence of the Poison Dragon Abyss, created from the venom sac of the deceased Demon Nether Poison Dragon.
As a dragon-type ferocious beast, the Demon Nether Poison Dragon possessed an exceptionally pure draconic bloodline.
Its power could greatly stimulate the evolution of Lin Xiao's Black Flood Dragon Battle Soul.
It could serve as the final catalyst for his Dragon Transformation.
However...
The Poison Dragon Abyss was unimaginably toxic.
In the past, even a Seventh-Rank Battle Emperor possessing a Flood Dragon Battle Soul had attempted to enter it.
His goal had been to evolve his Battle Soul.
Instead...
He was infected by the terrifying dragon poison.
Treatment came too late.
He died.
That...
...was why Qiong Lao had said this Dragon Transformation carried a nine-in-ten chance of death.
It was nothing less than gambling one's life.
Standing nearby, Lin Xiao's heart pounded violently.
He was so nervous he could barely breathe.
Because he could clearly feel...
The gaze of Donghua Academy's unfathomable principal had fallen upon him.
Being stared at by an Eighth-Rank Battle Emperor, someone standing at the pinnacle of the world...
Even with the inheritance of an ancient supreme expert, Lin Xiao couldn't remain calm.
He could only silently circulate the Taixuan Dragon Transformation Scripture within his mind to suppress his emotions.
Unlike the warm and approachable demeanor Jiang Baiyi had shown Chen Beiyuan earlier...
Now he radiated only the overwhelming dignity of a supreme expert.
Fortunately...
The oppressive gaze soon moved away.
Lin Xiao secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
He had truly feared the Battle Emperor might see through some of his hidden thoughts.
Soon afterward...
Jiang Baiyi fell silent.
He did not answer immediately.
Instead, he carefully considered the request.
After all...
The Poison Dragon Abyss was located within one of the Imperial Family's most important secret realms.
Allowing an outsider inside was no trivial matter.
Silence filled the office.
Deep inside, Lin Xiao knew there was an even better opportunity.
The Dragon Blood Pool left behind by the Blood Calamity Dragon Emperor had always been his first choice.
That was a true dragon possessing an incomparably pure bloodline.
Among beings of the same realm, it stood at the very peak.
Its Dragon Blood Pool would undoubtedly be far more beneficial to him.
If he successfully completed his Dragon Transformation there...
His Battle Soul might evolve into a supreme mutated Dragon Soul comparable to the Blood Calamity Dragon Emperor itself.
Compared to that...
The Poison Dragon Abyss was clearly inferior.
Not only was its effect weaker...
It was also incredibly dangerous.
Had he not inherited the Nameless Medical Scripture, giving him considerable confidence in resisting poison...
And had he possessed any other option...
He never would have chosen it.
Yet now...
Even this second-best opportunity depended entirely on Jiang Baiyi's approval.
"Bai Cang..."
"You've never asked me for anything all these years."
"I have no reason to refuse."
"But..."
"You should think carefully."
"Once certain things are used..."
"They're gone forever."
"And once this favor is repaid..."
"You'll have to bear the consequences of everything that happened before."
"If you change your mind now..."
"I'll pretend you never asked."
After a long silence, Jiang Baiyi finally spoke.
He hadn't rejected the request.
His meaning was obvious.
He would grant access to the Poison Dragon Abyss.
But...
Every favor he owed Qiong Lao would be completely settled.
At the same time...
Everything surrounding the corruption investigation would have to be borne by Qiong Lao himself.
Exactly as Chen Beiyuan had once said—
No favor lasts forever.
Especially when there is such a vast gap in status between two people.
Qiong Lao only had one chance to ask.
If he changed his request now...
Everything could disappear.
The scandal...
The accusations...
The investigation...
All of it.
He could return to his former position at Donghua Academy.
As both an Imperial Prince and the principal of Donghua Academy...
Jiang Baiyi possessed that authority.
With a single sentence...
Everything could be resolved.
That...
...was the power of authority.
Qiong Lao naturally understood the hidden meaning.
Should he really spend the greatest favor of his entire life...
...to exchange it for one uncertain opportunity for Lin Xiao?
Or...
Should he use it to restore his own position and guarantee himself a peaceful old age?
Although he had already made his decision...
At this final moment...
The old man still hesitated.
But then...
He looked at the hopeful expression on Lin Xiao's face.
In the end...
He steeled his resolve.
Among everyone he had met throughout his life...
Lin Xiao's talent ranked second only to Chen Beiyuan.
He possessed the potential to become a Great Emperor.
As long as his Dragon Transformation succeeded...
He would soar into the heavens.
And perhaps...
His godfather would benefit from that success as well.
It was undoubtedly an enormous gamble.
Yet...
Qiong Baicang chose to bet everything.
"Principal..."
"I'm old."
"The future belongs to the younger generation."
"I only ask..."
"Please give Lin Xiao a chance."
Soon afterward...
Lin Xiao supported Qiong Lao as they left the principal's office and headed back toward the medical ward.
This time...
Lin Xiao held an additional item in his hand.
A special token engraved with the image of a Poison Dragon.
It was the key required to enter the Poison Dragon Abyss.
Clutching the token tightly...
Lin Xiao could barely contain the excitement surging within him.
He had succeeded!
He had truly obtained another opportunity to undergo Dragon Transformation!
Even Chen Beiyuan probably never imagined...
That after stealing the Blood Calamity Dragon Emperor's Dragon Blood Pool and severing Lin Xiao's original opportunity...
Lin Xiao would somehow stumble upon another chance.
It could only be said...
Even though the gears of destiny surrounding the Child of Fortune had been interrupted...
They had never truly stopped turning.
"Chen Beiyuan..."
"Once my Dragon Transformation is complete..."
"We'll settle everything between us."
Time passed quickly.
In the blink of an eye...
Three more days went by.
Blood Dragon Secret Realm
Thump! Thump! Thump!
After three days and three nights...
The enormous golden Dragon Blood Pool, once shining with dazzling brilliance, had gradually become dull and lifeless.
Its tremendous energy had nearly been completely absorbed.
At the center of the pool...
Inside the massive golden egg floating above the surface...
The thunderous heartbeat echoing throughout the secret realm had slowed considerably.
It had become deep...
Steady...
As though approaching its conclusion.
At the same time...
Countless cracks spread throughout the entire secret realm.
The space itself had reached the verge of collapse.
Crack... Crack...
The golden egg began splitting apart.
It resembled a newborn life preparing to hatch.
Boom!
Apparently dissatisfied with how slowly the shell was breaking...
Something inside struck it violently.
A jade-white fist burst through the shell.
Perfectly sculpted muscles were revealed beneath smooth skin.
Although elegant in appearance...
Those muscles contained terrifying strength comparable to that of an ancient ferocious beast.
ROOOAAAR!!
A majestic dragon's roar erupted from the opening in the shattered egg.
Its sound echoed throughout the entire secret realm.
In an instant...
Every living creature inside felt an overwhelming pressure emanating from the depths of their bloodline.
One after another...
They collapsed to the ground, trembling uncontrollably.
Some weaker ferocious beasts...
Were literally frightened to death by the terrifying dragon's might.
Boom!!
A completely naked figure burst free from the egg.
Transforming into a streak of light...
He shot toward the heavens.
He was flying through the sky...
Using nothing but the strength of his physical body.
This...
...was an ability only Sixth-Rank Battle Kings normally possessed.
Upon reaching the Sixth Rank...
A cultivator's body underwent a profound fusion with their Battle Soul.
Their physique was strengthened to compensate for every weakness.
Their flesh became comparable to divine weapons.
Only then could they stand upon empty air and freely soar through the skies.
Within the Donghua Empire's cultivation system...
Everything revolved around the Battle Soul.
Without Battle Qi reinforcement...
Most cultivators possessed relatively ordinary physical bodies.
After all...
The human race could never naturally rival ferocious beasts or alien races in raw physique.
Countless cultivators had died on battlefields after exhausting their Battle Qi...
Unable to defend themselves against modern firearms.
But once someone advanced to the Sixth-Rank Battle King...
Their body fused completely with their Battle Soul.
Every aspect of their physique was reforged.
Their flesh became comparable to divine weapons.
At that level...
Even without Battle Qi...
A Sixth-Rank Battle King could withstand most modern weapons through physical strength alone.
They could even wrestle ferocious beasts head-on.
It was the realm where humanity finally overcame the greatest weakness of the human body...
And stepped toward true perfection.
Yet...
The aura emanating from Chen Beiyuan...
Was still only that of a Fifth-Rank Battle Commander.
Not a Sixth-Rank Battle King.
Clearly...
He had already obtained the unique abilities of a Sixth-Rank Battle King ahead of schedule.
Boom!
The figure continued soaring upward.
Even after reaching an altitude of over a thousand meters...
He showed no sign of slowing down.
Instead...
His speed increased even further.
As if determined to pierce the very heavens.