Time flew by swiftly.

On the Divine Continent Star, the divine thunder of the Dao of Heaven had passed, but the scene from that day was etched into everyone's hearts.

Mortals, in their ignorance, would label incomprehensible events as acts of the divine. Cultivators were no different, believing it to be the handiwork of a cultivator ascending beyond the mortal realm.

Only those at the pinnacle of the Divine Continent Star, the Divine Transformation cultivators, could understand what truly happened that day.

Yet even they only saw the surface, unable to grasp the truth.

…………

Inside the grand hall of the Divine Puppet Sect.

Daoist Sparrow sat cross-legged in the center of the hall, with two aged elders behind him, survivors of that great battle.

Night Owl also sat before them. He hadn't participated in the battle; he was in the East Sea dealing with potential threats.

"Eighty years..." The hall fell into silence.

Eighty years, a lifetime for mortals, but for those in the Divine Transformation Stage, it was merely a blink of an eye. Eighty years from now might not be much different from today.

"We lost three Divine Transformation cultivators. When the time comes, how should we position ourselves?" the bearded elder pondered.

Daoist Sparrow remained silent, only looking at Night Owl.

The two elders also turned their gaze to Night Owl.

Night Owl understood their meaning and calmly said, "Having come this far, there's no turning back. I will find Xu Hei, dead or alive!"

"Moreover, there's Qin Xuanji."

Daoist Sparrow nodded slightly and said, "Our Divine Puppet Sect has endured for a hundred generations. What kind of opponents haven't we faced? This is not a calamity, but an opportunity!"

"Gentlemen, there are still eighty years. Prepare yourselves! If you find promising talents, spare no effort to cultivate them into Divine Transformation cultivators. Only those at the Divine Transformation level have a voice!"

Night Owl and the two elders nodded, their figures quickly fading away.

…………

In a desolate area of the Central Divine Continent.

After the first wave of divine thunder from the Dao of Heaven, this place was devoid of life, turned into scorched earth. It took ten years for vegetation to regrow, and gradually, insects and wild beasts returned.

Though the land struck by divine thunder was lifeless, it was rich in spiritual qi, attracting many demonic beasts.

In the center of a large mountain, there was a meteorite crater, as if something had struck it. At the center of the crater lay a golden egg.

The egg was the size of a head, covered in fine dragon scales, and had been lying there for ten years.

Exposed to the elements, it endured wind, sun, frost, and rain.

Fifteen years later, a passing snake swallowed it whole and carried it into a river.

Following the river downstream, the snake was swallowed by a passing toad demonic beast, and the golden egg ended up in the toad's belly.

This toad, a great demon who had cultivated for a hundred years, realized the egg was extraordinary and couldn't digest it, so it hid it in its cave dwelling.

Finally, in the thirtieth year, the toad demon was slain, and its cave dwelling was discovered by human cultivators, who took the egg to a sect called the Jade Seal Sect.

After being auctioned, robbed, and passed around, it was ultimately seized by the largest sect, the Five Spirits Sect, and stored in their ancestral hall.

By then, fifty years had passed.

…………

In the vast universe outside the Divine Continent Star.

A sea-blue cultivation star was steadily approaching the Divine Continent Star.

Compared to the Divine Continent Star, this planet was slightly smaller, with ninety-five percent of its surface covered by oceans, and only a small portion of land, mostly composed of polar ice caps.

This was Sea Star, one of the eight major cultivation stars.

The Jiao Ren Clan led the planet, with three subordinate clans: the Frogman Clan, the Sea Lion Clan, and the Yeti Clan. Each clan had Divine Transformation cultivators.

However, their spells were relatively primitive, relying on formidable physical strength and ancient divine rituals to fight.

It was only with the protection of the divine that they survived on such a harsh cultivation star.

"Divine Continent Star."

Gong Jiang, the leader of the Jiao Ren Clan, gazed into the night sky. Their sky was very bright, and at night, every star was visible.

"The last convergence with the Divine Continent Star was 350,000 years ago. At that time, the Five Great Sects of the Divine Continent Star descended upon our Sea Star."

"They killed our people, took our wealth, destroyed our lands, and even took our people as slaves!"

"And after 350,000 years, only one of the Five Great Sects remains on the Divine Continent Star, and they've suffered the divine punishment of the Dao of Heaven. Ha ha ha! It's heaven's will for us to take revenge!"

Gong Jiang let out a cold laugh, his sinister face filled with cruelty.

"Father, according to historical records, the Divine Puppet Sect possesses extremely advanced technology, far beyond what our physical bodies can match. I suggest we probe first, assess the danger, and then decide!" came a gentle voice from behind.

It was a beautiful young girl with deep blue skin, bright eyes like sapphires, and a graceful figure covered in fish scales. Unlike ordinary Jiao Ren, her fish tail had receded, transforming into human legs.

This transformation was only possible for Divine Transformation cultivators, or beasts in the Transformation Stage.

She was the most talented descendant in the history of the Jiao Ren Clan, cultivated a hundred years in advance for this twin star convergence.

Gong Jiang turned to look at her, his cold gaze making the girl's heart tremble, and she quickly lowered her head.

"Do you know why we taught you about the Divine Continent Star, trained you in the etiquette of human cultivators, and spared no resources to help you transform?" Gong Jiang asked coldly.

The blue-skinned girl shook her head hurriedly.

"Hmph, it's to make you yearn for the Divine Continent Star, to serve as a marriage envoy!" Gong Jiang said indifferently.

A marriage envoy...

It meant sending her to marry there, to forge an alliance between the two cultivation stars, just as their ancestors had done 350,000 years ago.

This revelation caused the girl's face to change dramatically, her eyes filled with disbelief.

"But now, that's no longer necessary! I'm certain the Divine Continent Star no longer has the power to oppose us. What you need to learn now is not etiquette, but warfare!" Gong Jiang's voice echoed.

The girl raised her surprised eyes, hesitating, "But our clan has lived in the sea for generations. The Divine Continent Star has thirty percent land. Once we set foot on land, our combat power will be greatly reduced."

"Ha ha, don't worry," Gong Jiang waved his hand.

In the sky, a cloud of sand approached, carrying a middle-aged cultivator with closed eyes, a towering figure like one cast from steel.

"This is the ally we've invited, Luo Gang, the clan leader of the Barbarian Tribe from the Heavenly Sand Star," Gong Jiang introduced. "When the time comes, leave everything on land to the Barbarian Tribe."

Luo Gang opened his eyes, his voice calm, "My tribe will do our utmost."

…………

Time passed swiftly.

Both Sea Star and the Divine Continent Star were preparing for the convergence of the two stars in thirty years.

As the years went by, the distance between the two stars grew ever closer. Gradually, even mortals on the Divine Continent Star could see a bright star in the sky, appearing blue, like a planet enveloped in water.

On the Divine Continent Star, in the Tang Kingdom, at the Five Spirits Sect.

On this day, the golden eggshell enshrined in the ancestral hall cracked with countless fissures.

Strangely, despite such an occurrence, the monitoring formation of the Five Spirits Sect showed no reaction, nor did it alert anyone.

"Crack!"

Finally, with a crisp sound, the eggshell shattered, and a pitch-black young dragon emerged.

The dragon was entirely black, slender, with wings on its back, only the size of a palm. On its forehead was the imprint of a cauldron, a mark of law.

The black dragon closed its eyes, its thoughts stirring.

In an instant, its form changed, transforming into an ordinary young man. The dragon markings on his body had faded, and his eyes were calm, like the unfathomable depths of the sea, devoid of any aura, as if he were a mere mortal.

He could now fully transform into a human, with no visible traits of a dragon.

The Divine Transformation Stage, for ancient beasts, was also known as the Transformation Stage.

Xu Hei had taken a crucial step on his path to becoming a dragon, achieving Divine Transformation.

"A hundred years to Divine Transformation! I never imagined that one day I, Xu, would stand at the pinnacle of the Divine Continent Star as a Divine Transformation cultivator!" Xu Hei murmured to himself.

—End of Volume Four, Dragon Blood Chapter.