He had not brought shame to the Third Generation Dragon Emperor, that long-departed elder.
His Golden Sacred Dragon origin power came from the Third Generation Dragon Emperor. Of course, the Third Generation Dragon Emperor's true form had far exceeded ten thousand zhang — that was merely the threshold for a Sacred Dragon. Only the mightiest among Sacred Dragons was worthy of bearing the title of Dragon Emperor and leading the Dragon Clan.
In the Third Generation Dragon Emperor's era, there had been more than one Sacred Dragon among the Dragon Clan. To have risen above all of them spoke volumes about the Third Generation Dragon Emperor's strength.
Yet even such a powerhouse had paid an enormous price — even going so far as to sacrifice himself alongside the Phoenix Empress of that generation — to seal the Ink Colossus, which only further underscored just how formidable the Ink truly was.
Purely in terms of cultivation speed, Yang Kai was not slow by Dragon Clan standards.
Among the current Dragon Clan, he was arguably the foremost dragon beneath Fu Guang.
The purification of his dragon bloodline was within expectations. Over these three hundred years, the Ancestral Power hidden deep within the Ancestral Ground had continuously poured into his dragon body, making it impossible for his bloodline not to advance.
At this moment, Yang Kai could clearly sense that the Ancestral Power throughout the entire Ancestral Ground had become noticeably thinner — entirely due to his absorption.
The refinement of his dragon bloodline had caused his dragon body to surge from just over seven thousand zhang to nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine zhang.
The growth of his dragon body, while not bringing significant changes to his cultivation realm, did represent a tangible increase in combat power. At the very least, his physical strength, bodily resilience, and ability to withstand blows had all risen substantially — a development of critical importance for the coming battle against the Ink Clan's Royal Lord.
But the benefits did not end there.
The Dragon Clan's innate Grand Dao was the Dao of Time. The purer one's dragon bloodline, the higher one's attainment in the Dao of Time — an advantage inherited through bloodline. It did not require extraordinary comprehension; once one's bloodline density reached a certain threshold, one would naturally grasp things that ordinary cultivators could scarcely dream of.
Yang Kai could clearly feel that his attainment in the Dao of Time had undergone a tremendous leap.
When he had first emerged from the Celestial Ocean Image, his Dao of Time had reached the seventh level — the stage of standing above all peers.
Over the years, he had continuously digested the various insights gained from the Celestial Ocean Image, advancing a considerable distance within that level.
Now, with the growth of his dragon bloodline, his Dao of Time had completely crossed the seventh level and arrived at the eighth — the pinnacle of mastery!
It was roughly on par with his attainment in the Dao of Space.
Previously, Yang Kai's grasp of the Dao of Space had always been considerably ahead of the Dao of Time. This was not merely because he had cultivated the Dao of Time for a shorter period, but also because of his natural affinity for the Dao of Space.
Without the Dragon Clan's bloodline, Yang Kai most likely would never have achieved anything of note in the Dao of Time.
Now that the two Grand Daos were essentially equal in attainment, the implications for him were enormous.
First and foremost, the time flow within his Small Universe had accelerated once more.
If the previous time flow had been seven times that of the outside world, it was now tenfold. An increased time flow in his Small Universe meant faster growth of his own foundation. Of course, this held little practical significance for him at the moment — he was soon to reach the absolute peak of his Martial Dao, and once he hit that ceiling, no amount of foundation-building would change his strength or realm.
However, should he manage to break through the shackles of the Eighth Order, the significance would be immense. The Ninth Order realm would represent an entirely new starting point, and a tenfold time flow would save him untold years of arduous cultivation.
If the change in his Small Universe's time flow was the direct consequence of his improved Dao of Time, there was also a less direct but equally important implication.
It concerned his strongest killing move — the Solar Lunar Divine Wheel.
Long ago, Yang Kai had noticed that because his attainment in the Dao of Time and the Dao of Space differed, there was always a lingering sense of untapped potential whenever he unleashed the Solar Lunar Divine Wheel.
The Solar Lunar Divine Wheel was a secret technique that harnessed both the Dao of Space and the Dao of Time to manifest an entirely new form of space-time force. When the two Grand Daos were unevenly developed — one strong, one weak — the imbalance made it difficult to bring the full power of both Daos to bear.
He had theorized that only when his attainment in both Daos reached equilibrium would he be able to unleash the Solar Lunar Divine Wheel's true might.
Yet for all these years, even he had been unable to force that balance — until today.
Both the Dao of Space and the Dao of Time had now reached the eighth level. What kind of power would the Solar Lunar Divine Wheel wield when driven by Daos of such caliber? Yang Kai felt a stir of anticipation and silently resolved that this killing move must deliver a decisive, battle-ending blow.
His dragon body had grown, his dragon bloodline had refined, and his Dao of Time had ascended another level. Over the course of three hundred years, Yang Kai's strength had transformed anew.
So what if he faced a Royal Lord? If there was no escape, then he would fight his way out!
But first, he needed to ascertain the Ink Clan's disposition. His earlier clash with that Royal Lord had been hasty, leaving him no opportunity for thorough reconnaissance. The only thing he could confirm was that a grand formation locked down the heavens on the perimeter, and a single Ink Clan Royal Lord lay in wait for an opening — but how many Innate Domain Lords might be lurking in the shadows, he had no idea.
Above the Ancestral Ground, Di Wu's expression was one of shaken uncertainty, the arrogance and confidence he had displayed earlier having completely vanished.
He had achieved the body of a pseudo-Royal Lord, and his strength had soared. He had been brimming with confidence in this mission to kill Yang Kai. Yet after only a single exchange, he was struck with terror.