Chapter 148

Is this... Dan Heng from when he was a child?

Inside the submarine purgatory, Ao Guang looked astonished at the light curtain, where Dan Heng held his forehead with a pained expression: 'Is he... the Dragon Sovereign?'

Ao Qin swam over from the side, snorting disdainfully: 'Big brother, have you forgotten? Although the Everbright clan are descendants of the Immortal Dragon, only a few can transform into dragons. Dan Heng has been traveling with Star all this way—where is there even a trace of the Dragon Sovereign?'

In my opinion, Dan Heng is indeed a member of the Everbright clan... but fundamentally he's just an ordinary Everbright clan member, still a thousand miles away from being a Dragon Sovereign!

'Hmm...' Ao Qin's words had some merit, but Ao Guang still shook his head, doubtful: 'What if Dan Heng has some hidden power he hasn't used yet?'

Big brother, have you forgotten the scene when Star and the others fought against Kakaliya and the Maker's Engine?

Ao Shun interjected from the side: 'At that moment, Star was pierced through the chest by Kakaliya's spear—a critical juncture; even if he had hidden power, he should have used it. How could there be any reason to selfishly withhold it when a companion's life is at stake?'

Is it that Dan Heng doesn't want to save people? Clearly, he himself has no strength left!

'Hmm...' Ao Guang finally nodded, 'That makes sense.'

This reason, though it convinced Ao Guang, still left him unable to curb his curiosity—just what kind of Dragon Sovereign would that be? Although Dan Heng never displayed any power as a Dragon Sovereign from start to finish, the young man's composure, 'as unmoved as if Mount Tai collapsed before him,' and his spear technique, which could be described as miraculous, he still greatly admired.

Dan Heng continued forward; when he reached the seaside, he saw two clusters of blue specters standing before the railing, gazing out at the distant sea.

Old voice: In the alchemy furnace that Preservation helped build, the Cloud Chant Technique is stored; Young Master, you can thereby gain a deeper understanding……

Young voice: Is that so? I can control water without relying on mechanisms; what use is there in understanding it?

Old voice: Ah, you are the Chosen One, your potential limitless, but the Cloud Chant Technique is, after all, basic……

"Preservation mirage……These shadows of the past have not yet faded?" Dan Heng shook his head, "These memories……no, these events have nothing to do with me anymore."

Dan Heng continued forward; beside the road were again two clusters of childlike specters.

Girl's voice: They say you are the true dragon's heir, is that really true?

Boy's voice: "Hmph……"

"Dragon……" Dan Heng seemed to have that word fiercely jabbed into his chest; a hint of sorrow flashed in his brows and eyes: "Now I have already been expelled from the Immortal Vessel, no longer a descendant of the 【Immortal】……"

Upon reaching the seaside, Dan Heng encountered a mirage that had long waited for him here; unlike other mirages, it could actually communicate with Dan Heng.

Female voice: "This surging power… you are… the Dragon Sovereign has returned."

Female voice: "Terrible things are happening in the Scale Abyss Realm. Please do not advance further… your enemy…… your enemy is waiting for you."

"Sorry, I cannot linger here. My friends have already left; I must catch up to them." Dan Heng said without hesitation.

"You still insist on going your own way, refusing to listen to us… just like back then." The woman's voice sighed, "Ah, then, the boat to the Scale Abyss Realm is right at the shore; please board it."

The Valkyrie of the Apocalypse——

"True Dragon……"

Inside the VIP lounge of the gods' side, Pluto Ha Di Si patiently observed Dan Heng's every move; as a Western deity, upon hearing "dragon" he immediately thought of the black dragon that Ao Ding that old guy had popularized for him—"Ni De Huo Ge".

In Norse mythology, Ni De Huo Ge never stops gnawing at the roots of the World Tree; when the World Tree is completely gnawed away, the twilight of the gods will arrive.

"……Is it a dragon similar to Ni De Huo Ge?"

As Ha Di Si was thinking, a blinding golden light suddenly erupted from behind him, interrupting his thoughts.

The lounge's gate was pushed open, a man with a cola-flavored lollipop in his mouth walked in slowly; he wore a blue vest with rabbit patterns, had a pair of flamboyant pink glasses on his nose bridge, and his handsome face was full of irreverence.

Faced with the golden Buddha light behind him, the Eastern and Western gods inside the lounge all narrowed their eyes in unison.

"Shi Jia, gather in your Buddha light behind you." The king of gods, Zhou Si, raised his hand, "You've only just arrived; do you have any grievances?"

"Ah, that's not the case." Shi Jia glanced at Ha Di Si, who was seated on the luxurious chair, "I merely happened to overhear you discussing Dan Heng's true dragon lineage outside, so I couldn't resist stepping in to add a remark——"

"……Don't compare your Western little reptiles to Eastern dragons."

Upon these words, it was as if the calm before a storm; the entire conference hall fell silent.

First to break the silence was the 13th sister of the Valkyries, Ge Lei; she finally couldn't hold back and burst out laughing with a "pfft": "Little reptiles… pfft, this nickname…… is kinda cute."

But she quickly realized the atmosphere was off, and hastily covered her mouth.

Ao Ding walked over to Shi Jia at a leisurely pace; the aura of the king of gods made the crows on his shoulders tremble: "So, have you seen Dan Heng's true dragon form? Or perhaps…… have you seen an 【Immortal】 star god?"

"Of course not." Shi Jia spread his hands.

"Then what is your basis……"

"……Intuition."

Shi Jia lightly tapped his forehead, the smile on his face becoming even more brazen: "……Couldn't one guess this with their toes? The dragon of the Immortal Vessel must naturally take the form of an Eastern dragon. That sort of creature that can't fly without wings—no matter how you look at it, it's unworthy to be a descendant of the 【Immortal】."

——

Dan Heng boarded that small vessel, slowly sailing toward the Scale Abyss Realm.

Moments later, Dan Heng finally set foot on this familiar yet unfamiliar land; however, he had barely taken two steps in the Scale Abyss Realm…… even though separated by the light curtain, all beings across the heavens felt an intensely strong killing intent.

Inside the Scale Abyss Realm, Ren and Ka Fu Ka stood shoulder to shoulder.

"Suddenly, Ren said, 'He has come.'"

"'Mm, the timing is just right.' Ka Fu Ka's voice was rather languid, as if she had grown weary from waiting."

"'……Those emotions have surfaced, Ka Fu Ka, I can feel it. Again this feeling! This……' Ren covered his face, a hint of madness gradually appearing in his scarlet pupils."

"'Then let it loose, the Demonic Shade Form……'"

As soon as Dan Heng stepped off the boat, he collided head‑on with Ren and Ka Fu Ka. But he had long been mentally prepared for this; seeing Ren again after their long separation, he felt no surprise.

"'You have come.'"

It seemed Dan Heng's face, in an intangible way, dispelled Ren's sanity, and he suddenly burst into manic laughter: "It's time to repay the debt! The time has come!!"

"'Do you think becoming like this lets you escape?! Can you escape……'"