"Go!"
Long Xuan immediately leaped up, transforming into a colossal azure dragon, carrying Ling Fan towards the hidden cave entrance.
"It shouldn't be time for the Dragon Cave to open yet, should it?" Ling Fan remarked.
Long Xuan replied, "It doesn't matter. Although the Dragon Cave hasn't opened yet, this can only stop others. For me, it's no hindrance."
"Now that things have come to this, I won't hide it from you, Brother Fan. You've likely already noticed, but I possess the bloodline and inheritance of the dragon race. Therefore, within this underground Dragon Cave ruins, I'm not exactly swimming with the current, but it's close enough!"
Long Xuan, in his giant azure dragon form, chuckled proudly.
Coiling around Ling Fan, without any reduction in speed, he directly plunged into the cave.
*Buzz!*
After a strange vibration.
Ling Fan felt the scene before him change.
They had entered a space entirely different from the outside world.
The ground was a world of desert.
And beneath the ground.
Within these countless intricate caves, there was a vibrant world. Moreover, the size of every creature was astonishingly large. A single blade of grass was several or even dozens of zhang high, its edges serrated like a saw, sharper than any divine weapon.
The trees were even taller than imagination; any random tree stood ten thousand zhang high, its top invisible. Some ancient trees were so vast they could accommodate a city built upon them.
The flying beasts and crawling creatures living within also seemed to have undergone gigantification. Dozens of meters long venomous bees, thousand-zhang centipedes clad in armor, and in the depths of the caves, some colossal shadows tens of thousands of zhang long could be seen engaging in slaughter.
Compared to this, Ling Fan felt like a dwarf who had stumbled into a land of giants.
However, Long Xuan, transformed into the azure dragon, was perfectly suited for this underground world.
"This is an Inner World left behind by a Heavenly Emperor-level expert!" Ling Fan exclaimed in surprise.
Experts at the Profound Emperor realm could only master Profound Emperor laws.
But once they broke through to the Heavenly Emperor realm, they could master the laws of space and time of the Heavenly Realm, constructing their own minor heavenly realms and secret worlds. A single person could be a world, akin to a myth.
"Brother Fan is indeed knowledgeable. You saw through this place at a glance. That's right, this is indeed an Inner World left by a Heavenly Dragon Emperor expert." Long Xuan stated.
Ling Fan asked, "Long Xuan, you seem to know a great deal about this ruin."
Long Xuan replied, "I have some understanding. After all, I possess the dragon race's bloodline and inheritance. I've long yearned for this underground Dragon Cave in the northern part of Jinzhou! So, when I heard Senior Sister Lu Rui was bringing you to northern Jinzhou, I guessed it was to enter this ruin, which is why I proposed to accompany you."
Long Xuan likely had many more things he hadn't revealed, and the information he shared was rather vague and general.
However, Ling Fan didn't press further.
After all, everyone had their secrets.
If it were him, he wouldn't necessarily be completely open with someone he had only recently met.
"Let's go! Brother Fan, this underground Dragon Cave is filled with countless treasures. We're going to plunder to our heart's content this time! Let's make a fortune before others arrive."
Long Xuan exclaimed excitedly, his massive azure dragon body charging recklessly through the enormous cave passages.
"Roar!"
He opened his maw and swallowed, drawing in a giant three-clawed crimson dragon that struggled fiercely before falling into his mouth.
"Crunch, crunch!"
Long Xuan devoured the crimson dragon whole, his scales becoming even more lustrous, with a faint, gem-like blood-red light flashing.
"Brother Fan, dragons are hoarders, especially those at the Heavenly Dragon Emperor level. Therefore, the treasures here are innumerable, and there's no reason for us to let any go. But that's only one aspect. The most important treasures will undoubtedly be the remains of the Heavenly Dragon Emperor at the deepest part of this underground Dragon Cave world, and the Heavenly Dragon Vein formed by his power. There might even be supreme treasures left by this Heavenly Dragon Emperor expert."
"However, to gain recognition from these treasures, we must devour and absorb madly the dragon blood contained within the beings of this underground Dragon Cave world. The more dragon blood we consume, the more at ease we'll be in this Dragon Cave ruin. If our dragon blood reaches a certain limit, we might even obtain the Heavenly Dragon Emperor's remains and that Heavenly Dragon Vein!"
"So that's how it is!"
Ling Fan nodded, then smiled, "Long Xuan, you've told me such important secrets. Aren't you afraid I'll compete with you?"
Long Xuan replied, "What are you saying? Am I, Long Xuan, such a petty person? Besides, we are friends, not enemies. I wish you could obtain the supreme treasures in this Dragon Cave world. That way, I might benefit a little! After all, my own chances are slim."
"Good! For saying that, I truly consider you a friend." Ling Fan laughed heartily.
Taking a step forward, his terrifying power distorted the heavens and earth. A giant beast with a tiger's head and a dragon's tail in front of him was instantly crushed. It condensed into a pool of crystal-clear dragon blood, which he swallowed.
*Boom!*
At that instant.
Ling Fan felt the dragon blood like a fiery line, extending from his throat all the way to his internal organs.
Powerful energy integrated into his body.
It made every inch of his flesh feel a slight warmth, as if baked by sunlight, significantly boosting his strength.
It was important to note that Ling Fan's Nirvana Tribulation Body had already reached the limit for his tier. Ordinary treasures could not enhance his physique.
Yet, the dragon blood contained within such a beast, comparable to a fourth-tier Profound Emperor, had this effect.
This demonstrated the extraordinary nature of the dragon bloodline!
After all, creatures of the dragon race were universally recognized as the strongest in terms of physical prowess.
"Good!"
"Simply by absorbing large amounts of dragon blood, perhaps my Nirvana Tribulation Body can advance another level."
Ling Fan also began to hunt the giant beasts in this cave frantically.
"Damn it! Damn it!"
"Who dares to intrude upon my territory and hunt my subjects!"
As Ling Fan and Long Xuan charged into the depths of the cave.
A terrifying voice suddenly boomed, shaking the entire cave.
A colossal, dark-gold dragon, hundreds of thousands of zhang long, rose from the depths of the cave.
It was like a mountain range erupting from the ground.
Its head alone was as large as a mountain peak.
Its head held high, its eyes like two stars, emanating a cold killing intent, fixed upon Ling Fan and Long Xuan.
An immensely powerful, peak fifth-tier Profound Dragon Emperor's pressure spread out, causing all the creatures in the cave to tremble.
"Peak fifth-tier Profound Dragon Emperor!"
Long Xuan was slightly startled and very serious.
"Brother Fan, we've run into a tough opponent. This behemoth's strength is almost on par with the overlord-level geniuses among the core disciples of our Azure Profound Sect."
Ling Fan nodded slightly. "Let's go!"