Chapter 154: Dragon Graveyard

Just at this moment, Qu Yiqiu took a deep breath.

An incomparably terrifying might instantly surged wildly toward her, coursing through all her limbs and bones.

The purple spirit cluster seemed to sense something. After swallowing the last dragon-shaped stream of spiritual energy, it quietly condensed its essence. Its radiance grew increasingly solid, gradually evolving into a plump, deep-purple bead.

As soon as the bead formed, the spiritual energy coursing through her limbs and bones was instantly drawn in, obediently winding around the bead and nourishing it to an even greater luster.

A trace of terrifying residual might overflowing from the surface of the bead was also wrapped inside, transforming into a gorgeous yet understated purple elixir.

Little Yan, whose eyes had been wide open for days, finally stirred at this moment.

"My master's Golden Core has formed!"

He flew over joyfully, but before he could get within fifty meters of Qu Yiqiu, he was batted away by a fierce wave of residual energy, tumbling several yards off.

Qu Yiqiu slowly pressed her hands down from above her head and gradually opened her eyes. Her gaze was deep and bright, with a faint trace of Dao rhythm flowing within.

"I have actually comprehended a wisp of the Heavenly Dao rules governing the operation of this world! Little Yan, can you tell what is different about me now?"

"Little Yan?"

Qu Yiqiu swept through her sea of consciousness in a flash, glanced toward the small island, and finally spotted Little Yan, who was just picking himself up a few yards away.

She furrowed her brow abruptly and asked nervously, "Why are you hiding over there? Is there something wrong with the island?"

Little Yan rubbed his forehead, a flash of embarrassment quickly crossing his features, and laughed dryly, "Master, there's nothing wrong with the island. Congratulations to Master on successfully condensing your Golden Core!"

Qu Yiqiu was slightly stunned and smiled. "I didn't expect it to go so smoothly either."

Moreover, the "Golden Core" she had condensed seemed to be far more powerful than those of ordinary Golden Core cultivators.

Little Yan's eyes rolled guiltily as he pointed toward the distant island, whose brilliance had sharply diminished. "Master, let's go over there and take a look. Something seems rather strange about that place!"

When his master was condensing her Golden Core, a mysterious beam of light had shot out from the direction of the island.

It seemed beneficial and completely harmless!

Little Yan gazed at Qu Yiqiu's rosy, glowing, and peerlessly beautiful face, lowering his head slightly. "Master is truly beautiful!"

"You're right, it's time to go over and investigate!" Qu Yiqiu did not hear Little Yan's muttered to himself. She gazed intently at the multicolored glow emanating from the island, a fleeting image of the incoming beam of light flashing through her mind.

"Let's go, let's head over!" Qu Yiqiu made a single-handed gesture, stowing the Taotie—which had recovered a fraction of its vitality—into her spirit beast pouch, and flew toward the island.

Out of the corner of his eye, Little Yan caught sight of the Taotie being unceremoniously stuffed into the spirit beast pouch. He covered his small mouth with both hands to hide a chuckle, then obediently hovered on Qu Yiqiu's shoulder as a plump, round orb.

The human and the spirit quickly flew to the edge of the island.

The closer they got to the island, the deeper Qu Yiqiu's heartbeat fluttered.

This was not her own thought, but rather a lure from that beam of light.

Gazing at the mysterious small island floating beneath the elliptical light barrier, Qu Yiqiu couldn't help but raise her hand to touch the iridescent shield.

Little Yan's gaze revealed a hint of puzzlement.

Her hands acted like a key. The moment she touched the brilliant barrier, the flowing lights suddenly receded, bringing brightness to the dark void.

The elliptical light shield surrounding the island vanished, and the scenery within clearly came into view.

"Oh, there's an egg in there!" Little Yan was instantly drawn to it.

An elliptical beast egg speckled with golden-yellow dots stood alone in the center of the island.

Yet all around this golden beast egg, not a blade of grass grew; the stones were cracked, emitting lingering waves of heat.

"The falling light from a few days ago—it seems this egg fell down then." Qu Yiqiu lowered her hands in wonder, looking at the mysterious golden beast egg as she landed on the island.

She cautiously paced forward, stopping ten meters away from the golden beast egg to examine the speckles on its shell closely.

"This scent is so familiar!" Qu Yiqiu took a deep breath, the ground beneath her feet still scorching hot.

Little Yan asked in confusion, "What scent? Why didn't I smell anything?"

A trace of solemnity mixed between Qu Yiqiu's brows. "You aren't familiar with Junior Brother, so it's only natural that you can't smell this scent."

"Junior Brother, Mu Yunjin?" Little Yan asked curiously.

Qu Yiqiu nodded. "That's right. This egg should be the offspring of a True Dragon divine beast."

Little Yan flew over in surprise. Before Qu Yiqiu could stop him, he poked the dragon egg with a single finger, only to retract it like lightning and cry out in pain, "At this temperature, it has to be a dragon egg!"

Legend has it that descendants of the dragon race are impervious to fire and can generate protective defenses from the very moment they are within the eggshell.

Amused, Qu Yiqiu grabbed him back into her hand and shifted her gaze to the dragon egg. "This dragon egg should still be alive."

Little Yan sucked on his finger with a wronged expression. Remembering Mu Yunjin's frantic state that night, he said, "Master, your Junior Brother said back in the Feiling Secret Realm that the dragon race has already perished. This dragon egg must have come from another realm!"

"Then why did it happen to fall right before me?" Qu Yiqiu instinctively freed one hand to press against her chest, feeling her pounding heart; she seemed to harbor a unique, indescribable feeling toward this dragon egg.

Little Yan tilted his head in bewilderment. "Perhaps... this is the will of the heavens?"

"The will of the heavens?" Qu Yiqiu's gaze flickered as she looked up at the sky.

When she broke through here, she had comprehended a sliver of the Heavenly Dao. Could it be related to this?

And the beam of light shooting from the island, along with the dragon-like spiritual energy—were they all guidance from the Heavenly Dao of this world?

Qu Yiqiu's brow furrowed tightly. Suddenly, her gaze shifted, and looking past the dragon egg toward the mist behind it, she said, "Little Yan, let's go check out the back."

"Okay!" Little Yan followed her without a moment of hesitation.

Passing through layers of black mist, Qu Yiqiu beheld the scene behind the dragon egg and exclaimed in astonishment, "This island is clearly a dragon crypt!"

This was the graveyard of True Dragons!

Little Yan gasped in shock, "Could the dragon race of the other realm have been exterminated as well?"

Majestic skeletons of divine dragons of all shapes, sizes, and varieties stood proudly across the island.

Each of their fallen lives had spontaneously generated a space of its own, allowing this small island to accommodate them all.

Qu Yiqiu cast a swift glance around, her brows twisting into a knot. "Are divine dragons really this weak? Bullied everywhere they go?"

She had to admit that even the pressure emanating merely from these skeletons made her scalp tingle and her entire body stiffen.

"The dragon race are the divine beings favored by the Heavenly Dao; they are by no means incompetent!"

A distant, ethereal voice echoed from within the massive divine dragon skeletons.

Qu Yiqiu's expression froze, and the hairs on her body instantly stood on end.

Little Yan panicked and wanted to flee into Qu Yiqiu's sea of consciousness to hide, but was held in place by that voice.

"Realm Spirit, this old man saw you long ago."

Little Yan's body went rigid, his expression grave.

"May I ask if the Senior is a Dragon Spirit?" Qu Yiqiu respectfully cupped her fists toward the divine dragon skeleton and asked in a clear voice.