The Dragon Emperor’s strike, though weakened by traveling through the spatial channel, was still devastating. Even in its diminished state, it wasn’t something easily defended against. Had the Lightning Lich not self-destructed and shattered the spatial channel—cutting off the strike’s source of power—Lin Moyu estimated he would have needed to teleport to escape. His life hadn’t truly been in danger. Lin Moyu knew this, which was why he had dared to take such bold risks. Otherwise, he would have fled the moment the strike came. “The losses are quite significant.” Lin Moyu murmured. Over 10,000 skeletons were destroyed, which constituted nearly a third of his undead army. The cost was steep, but worth it. Because Lin Moyu had experienced the aura of a half-step Transcendent God-level being, an opportunity beyond rare. There was a distinct resonance between the power of the Dragon Emperor and the Lightning Lich. Though Lin Moyu didn’t yet fully understand it, he engraved that sensation into memory. In time, it would prove invaluable. The Ironscale Python had succumbed to the poison. Its massive body was too large, even for the Dragon Emperor to retrieve. Without the Ironscale Python, the atavistic bloodline Dragonkind was nothing special At this moment, Lin Moyu no longer cared for anything beneath God-level. His gaze was now set on Demon Kings and Dragon Kings. “I don’t think it’ll be long before I can face them head-on… without relying on external power.” He began summoning skeletons to rebuild his army. At the same time, he calmly reviewed the battle, weighing gains against losses. Every fight, no matter how small, was a source of growth. And that growth, in the long run, was more valuable than any treasure. Meanwhile, in the Dragonkind World, a palace shaped like a Divine Dragon floated in midair. Terrifying, violent energy perpetually surged around it, and occasional thunderous roars echoed from within. The palace loomed like a mountain suspended in the sky, intimidating to behold. It was the Dragon Emperor Palace, a sacred place in the hearts of the Dragonkind. But just minutes earlier, a deafening thunderclap and a blinding lightning strike tore through the skies, blasting a massive hole in the palace’s dragon-shaped structure. Half of the dragon head was obliterated. Then came the Dragon Emperor’s thunderous, furious roar: “Lin Moyu, I will see you dead!” The Lightning Lich’s explosion had far exceeded Lin Moyu’s expectations. The Lightning God had been a half a step away from becoming a high-tier God, and upon her death, all her divine power had been condensed into 10 Law Crystals. Each crystal brimmed with terrifying power. Lin Moyu had used just one, unleashing its full force by summoning the Elemental Lich. Even the Dragon Emperor couldn’t stop it. Having his palace destroyed was a disgrace the Dragon Emperor could not tolerate. His fury was entirely justified. Tatar and Tashir, who had barely escaped with their lives, were now scorched black from the blast. The Dragon Emperor’s protection had saved them. Without it, they’d be dead. Now, trembling uncontrollably, they were filled with dread. If Lin Moyu had used that skill from the start, they would’ve been vaporized instantly. A cold snort echoed from ahead. The two brothers dropped to their knees, heads bowed, not daring to look up. Tatar’s pride as a bearer of an atavistic bloodline had completely vanished. After all, before them stood the Dragon Emperor, the undisputed sovereign of the Dragonkind. They had only survived thanks to the talisman he had given them. The Dragon Emperor’s voice was still laced with fury, “You two good-for-nothings.” Neither dared make a sound, their foreheads nearly touching the ground. “Rest for a few days.” The Emperor commanded coldly, “Then return to the Wind-Lightning Continent and regain control of the secret realm.” At those words, both brothers shuddered. If they ran into Lin Moyu again, they would almost certainly die. At this moment, a crystal talisman appeared before Tatar. “Use this if you meet Lin Moyu again. Activate it immediately. Understood?” Tatar took the talisman, “Understood.” The Dragon Emperor waved his hand, “Now leave.” The two didn’t dare linger another second and immediately scrambled away. Once they left, the Dragon Emperor’s gaze turned contemplative: “Unexpected… Lin Moyu actually possesses the Lightning God’s Law Crystal.” “So the Lightning God was the one who fell a few days ago…” “What on earth happened back then? Why did almost all the Gods perish?” “Judging by the crystal’s power, the Lightning God had already reached the threshold of the high-tier God realm. Even she couldn’t survive...” “What exactly happened back then?” “Lin Moyu was likely the last person to see the Lightning God alive. He might know something.” “I hope those two run into him again.” “I want to capture him and question him face-to-face.” His muttering gradually faded, and silence returned to the Dragon Emperor Palace. After leaving the palace, Tatar and Tashir both looked visibly relieved. “Good thing the Dragon Emperor still trusts us.” Tashir said. Tatar shuddered, “Yeah… I still can’t believe that level 53 human is that powerful.” “We need to be more cautious next time. If we see him again, we use the talisman immediately. Let the Dragon Emperor kill him.” “Exactly. Let him handle it.” Little did they know, they had already become pawns of the Dragon Emperor. The Dragon Emperor wanted to capture Lin Moyu, but couldn’t act personally, so he had to use on others. Meanwhile, within the secret realm, Lin Moyu had already replenished his undead army. He now stood before the pool, deep in thought. Earlier, he had witnessed the flesh and blood of the Ironscale Python fall into this very pool, only for a swarm of level 70 Ironscale Pythons to emerge soon after. Though smaller and not particularly strong, the auras of these level 70 Ironscale Pythons were identical to that of the original Ironscale Python. The secret clearly lay within the pool. Yet to the naked eye, it looked ordinary—slightly murky, but otherwise unremarkable. Lin Moyu cast the Detection spell. [Derivative Blood Pool (advanced): a pool formed from the blood of Derivative Beasts. Possesses the ability to replicate living creatures from their flesh and blood.] Lin Moyu’s eyes narrowed with curiosity. So this was no ordinary pool. It was formed from the blood of a type of creature called Derivative Beast. A thought immediately surfaced in his mind. The secret realm had once been home to the Derivative Beasts. At some point, the Dragonkind discovered it, and with it, the secret of the Derivative Beasts’ blood. They launched an invasion, slaughtered countless Derivative Beasts, and collected their blood to create the pool now before him. That also explained why, upon entering the secret realm, he had found a Dragonkind fortress within the woods. Clearly, a massive war had taken place here in the past. In the end, the Dragonkind emerged victorious. The mystery was solved. The Dragonkind hadn’t developed some new puppet technology; they had seized control of the Derivative Blood Pool. Draining monsters of their blood was a cruel method, but Lin Moyu knew the Dragonkind were more than capable of such brutality. “The Derivative Blood Pool can replicate Dragonkind puppets and Ironscale Pythons… I wonder if it can replicate me?” He let a drop of his blood fall into the pool. At first, nothing happened. But then, the pool suddenly began to boil violently. Moments later, a figure identical to Lin Moyu emerged from the pool. “It really can replicate me. But can it replicate my skills too?” Before he could finish speaking, the replica shattered with a loud crack, vanishing completely. “It shattered?” Lin Moyu was stunned. “The pool can replicate level 70 Dragonkind Battle Generals… but not me, a level 53?” “Even accounting for restrictions, it should be able to handle anyone below level 70.” If there were no restrictions, the Dragonkind would have mass-produced God-level beings and wiped out all Demons and humans long ago. He tried several more times, but the results didn’t change. The replicas quickly shattered. “But why didn’t the Ironscale Python replicas shatter?” Lin Moyu was completely baffled and had no choice but to give up for now. Taking out a barrel, he filled it with the pool’s liquid. He planned to show it to Meng Anwen—perhaps he would know something. If the chance arose, he could also consult Antares. That guy claimed to know everything, after all. After leaving the secret realm, Lin Moyu glanced back at its entrance. The poison gas still lingered, showing no signs of dispersing anytime soon. With it around, entering the secret realm would be nearly impossible. Even the Dragonkind would struggle to reclaim it. Leaving the secret realm by using some item was easy, but returning was another matter. But Lin Moyu couldn’t stay here forever; he had other things to do. If anyone was to guard this place, it should fall to the military.