1.43 million words, Volume Four complete.

This volume only has 360,000 words, which is less than expected. Traditionally, there should be a big BOSS battle at the end of a volume, like the Snake Catchers Sect in the first two volumes, or the sea god in the third.

In the end, the big BOSS of the fourth volume turned out to be the Dao of Heaven, which is a bit abstract, but not without clues.

Throughout this volume, the weak are trampled like ants, the strong slaughter cities, depicting the injustice of the Dao of Heaven, and the protagonist's rebellion against the rules, effectively defining the Dao of Heaven as the main antagonist.

At the same time, this is the most controversial volume I've written so far, especially regarding the protagonist's moral changes. While many praised it, many also criticized it.

Initially, I wanted to portray the protagonist as more human, defining dragon blood as a bloodline inheritance and a pursuit of justice. However, limited by my own skills and the current trend of dark themes, I had to make the protagonist cold and selfish.

When others slaughter cities, it's none of my business. I extract souls and refine marrow, grab the benefits, and run. That's how it should be written.

But I must emphasize here that all concepts in the text are fictional. Characters in the book may have distorted views, but we cannot! We are human, not born of fiction.

Another point is that with the recent New Year, I've been extremely busy every day, leaving very limited time for writing, making it hard to think calmly. Some chapters have fallen short of standard, and I can only apologize.

I might do some fine-tuning later, like the battle between the immortals and the Great Void Ancestral Dragon. I originally planned for a fight, but a single glance scared them off. Although reasonable, it seems a bit dull, haha.

The Divine Transformation Stage is the most important realm. To maintain power balance, I haven't really depicted the power of the Divine Transformation Stage before. No matter how much the protagonist surpasses levels, there's no Elemental Infant defeating Divine Transformation, which makes future arrangements easier.

Of course, the protagonist's Divine Transformation through the laws of heaven will definitely be the strongest.

Previously, each volume started with a long, boring transition period. This time, I changed it, starting directly with a star war, European colonizers plundering natives (not really), not sure how it will turn out.

Finally, what's the theme of the next volume? I looked back, dragon claws? What the heck, aren't dragon claws already there?

Damn it, I'll just do a major rewrite.

Just kidding, I haven't decided what to write yet. Give me a day to organize my outline and thoughts. (Only one chapter today)

…………

There are quite a few characters to write about in the next volume, let me sort them out.

The trio of Hai Teng, Nine-Headed Worm, and Bear Baby.

Bai Qiushui went to the Blood Refining Sect, Bai Luo to the Yan Dao Sect, Ah Yin to the Tianhen Sword Sect, all of whom need to reach Divine Transformation.

And I plan to keep Xiao Chou.

The old black dog will also appear, but first, the sea god must be defeated.

Jiang Nine Phoenix is quite pitiful, although she provoked the protagonist first, a hundred years of suffering is enough.

Then there's Ji Ying, White Spider, Han Te, Qin Xuanji, and so on.

There's really a lot to write about. Feel free to say what you like to see, though I probably won't take it into account.

Lastly, a question for everyone.

This year is the Year of the Dragon, so what is a dragon?

Is it a creature, a mythical beast from the Classic of Mountains and Seas, or a totem imagined by humans?

Alright, finally, wishing everyone a prosperous Year of the Dragon.