Chapter 581: The Nine Mystical Golden Thunder
Deep within the Void Thunder Pool, Xiao Ze allowed the Origin Tree to autonomously refine the vast energy, while he recalled the scenes from the special reward. No matter how long or glorious the scenes experienced in the special reward, once he returned to his body, it felt as if no time had passed. Yet, the worship of countless true dragons and phoenixes still left him profoundly shaken. At that moment, he had embodied the legendary supreme being—the Dragon Phoenix, commanding true dragons and phoenixes across an endless world. The spectacle had indeed been captivating.
However, Xiao Ze soon refocused his mind. The previous special rewards had already significantly enhanced him, and he was not about to lose himself in the scenes from this latest reward. He concentrated on refining the massive surge of feedback energy, watching the Origin Tree grow exponentially in response—rising tens of meters in a moment. He reminisced about when he first obtained the Origin Tree, which had been just over a meter high initially, where each meter represented a one-star increase at the Dou Spirit stage. Now, in an instant, it had shot up tens of meters.
Of course, this did not mean he had increased by dozens of Dou Spirit one-star levels. The amount of energy at this stage was incomparable to earlier ones, as the diameter of the Origin Tree back then was minimal compared to its current size. The broadening of the Origin Tree's diameter directly meant an explosion in the amount of Dou Qi Xiao Ze could wield, essentially expanding his capacity for Dou Qi.
Thus, the difference between the two stages was stark. From 300,000 meters to 370,000 meters, then to 390,000 meters, Xiao Ze effortlessly crossed the chasm from the early stages of Dou Saint to the mid-stage, officially stepping into the four-star Dou Saint level.
Time in cultivation passed unknowingly, and several months flew by in the Void Thunder Pool, with Xiao Ze's aura growing ever more powerful. As he focused on his cultivation, a disturbance seemed to emanate from the deepest parts of the Void Thunder Pool. As countless Black Demon Thunders scattered to the sides, a dazzling golden light broke through the void, illuminating Xiao Ze.
A colossal dragon, resplendent as if forged from gold, approached slowly. Its dragon eyes flickered with lightning, as if reflecting the entire world. As the golden dragon appeared, the rampaging Black Demon Thunder swiftly fled, not daring to approach. These thunders gathered a thousand meters away from the golden dragon, almost in an act of worship.
With the surrounding Black Demon Thunder fleeing, the golden dragon's gaze fell upon Xiao Ze, now exposed among the dispersing black thunder. The nearby Black Demon Thunder noticed this oddity out of place and began to surge wildly, seemingly enraged by the intrusion upon the golden dragon's sanctity.
This golden dragon was none other than the Nine Mystical Golden Thunder. If ranked like the Heavenly Flames, the Nine Mystical Golden Thunder would stand where the Net Lotus Demon Fire or even the Void Swallowing Flame did—a top position! Excluding the unique Emperor Flame, which was formed by devouring thousands of other flames, the Void Swallowing Flame would be considered the pinnacle among the Heavenly Flames.
Thus, the status of the Nine Mystical Golden Thunder was equivalent, suggesting that unless a special scenario like the Emperor Flame occurred, it was among the most powerful and supreme thunders on the Dou Qi Continent!
The surrounding Black Demon Thunder's furious movements were understandable, given their reverence for the Nine Mystical Golden Thunder. However, before the golden dragon made any move, they merely swirled around, not daring to attack.
The Nine Mystical Golden Thunder, having developed some sentience though not fully conscious, felt puzzled by Xiao Ze's presence, which exuded an aura of equal, if not more noble, origin. It did not concern itself with Xiao Ze's form—whether human or otherwise—but with the essence that was of the same echelon as itself.
Having sensed Xiao Ze, the Nine Mystical Golden Thunder did not attack; instead, it looked on with curiosity. In its perception, Xiao Ze's essence was of a caliber similar to its own, an occurrence it had never encountered during its long existence surrounded only by worshiping Black Demon Thunders and more fearful ordinary thunders.
The Nine Mystical Golden Thunder had long harbored a sense of confusion since gaining sentience. It was this existential perplexity that had driven it to forcibly attempt to gather spirits in the original story, enduring immense backlash in the process—it no longer wished to endure such vast and confusing sensations.
Perhaps, it thought, by interacting with Xiao Ze, a being of a similar level, it could finally develop true consciousness. The great golden dragon slowly contracted its massive body, eventually reducing to a mere hundred meters in length, circling around Xiao Ze without making a hostile move.
Xiao Ze, still refining the feedback energy, was puzzled by this development. He certainly sensed the approach of the Nine Mystical Golden Thunder. Aware of its presence, he had initially thought to leave immediately. But then, recalling his current strength, he knew he could safely escape even if the golden dragon attacked, allowing him to relax.
After a series of peculiar actions by the Nine Mystical Golden Thunder, Xiao Ze sensed it wrapping around him. He remained alert yet refrained from acting rashly, curious about what the most powerful thunder in legend intended to do.
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