After leaving the area, Wang Feng continued wandering through the inner region of the Demon Sealing Forest. Since he was already here, he figured it was best to search for the spirit ring he desired.
Wang Feng was aiming for a spirit ring that was at least ten thousand or even tens of thousands of years old. But even if it turned out to be lower than that, it wouldn't be a problem. That was just his ideal. As long as the spirit ring he found was older than his first one, it would be acceptable.
However, the deeper he ventured into the forest, the harder it became to find a suitable target. Soul beasts of ten thousand years or more weren't just powerful—they were intelligent. They wouldn't allow themselves to be hunted easily.
Just as Wang Feng was considering changing his strategy, something unexpected happened.
Within the sea of his consciousness, the Blood Demon Emperor Martial Soul suddenly began to tremble. A chilling sensation spread through his body, as if something was calling out to him.
Wang Feng narrowed his eyes.
"What is this?"
"It feels like something is calling me," he muttered, frowning.
He hesitated—should he follow the call, or ignore it and leave?
Eventually, he decided to follow the source of the calling.
He walked deeper into the forest, passing towering ancient trees and thick roots that blocked his path. The air grew heavier, filled with spirit energy far denser than in the outer regions.
As he became aware of this, Wang Feng's eyes narrowed slightly.
"This... is the core area?"
His blood stirred. He knew the Core Area of the Demon Sealing Forest was the most dangerous part of the entire forest. Legend said that no one—neither soul beast nor soul master—had ever returned alive after entering the forest's core.
But that wasn't the most surprising part.
The further he walked, the more the atmosphere began to change.
The air around him grew warmer and brighter, starkly different from the dark and oppressive environment of the rest of the forest. A faint golden light shimmered between the trees, as if welcoming his arrival.
And then, he saw it.
Amid the dense forest stood a grand, ancient structure—partially collapsed yet still majestic. Its massive pillars were adorned with faded carvings of dragons.
A temple.
Wang Feng's heart beat faster.
"What is this place...?"
He stepped forward cautiously, his eyes scanning every detail of the ancient structure before him. Though most of it was crumbled and covered in moss, there was something extraordinary about this place.
He could feel an incredibly strong and ancient aura. Yet strangely, there was no sense of threat. On the contrary, a warmth surrounded him—as if the place wasn't rejecting him, but welcoming him instead.
As he drew closer, a faint golden light suddenly glowed from the half-ruined temple gate.
Wushhh—!
A gentle wave of energy swept over his body. Wang Feng instantly stopped, bracing himself in case it was some kind of ancient defense mechanism. But after a few moments, he realized something surprising.
The energy wasn't attacking him—it was examining him.
As if judging whether he was worthy to proceed further.
And then, the energy suddenly vanished—as if granting him permission.
Wang Feng frowned. "Is this some kind of trial?"
Without hesitation, he stepped into the temple.
The moment he crossed the gate, the atmosphere changed once more. The air grew warmer, and inside the temple, a brighter golden light filled the surroundings. At the center of the main hall stood a large crystal altar, glowing with a gentle light.
And atop the altar—
A massive figure resembling a dragon lay motionless, its body seemingly petrified with golden scales that had begun to crack and fade.
Wang Feng held his breath.
"This..."
A powerful sensation surged within him. His Martial Soul, the Divine Dragon Emperor, trembled violently.
It was as if something within him resonated with the presence of the great dragon.
Then, suddenly—
"At last, someone has come..."
A deep, heavy voice echoed through the chamber, as if coming from all directions.
Wang Feng immediately grew alert, his eyes sharpening.
The dragon figure on the altar slowly began to move.
An ancient and overwhelmingly powerful aura filled the entire temple.
"Child, you are the first human to be permitted entry into this temple. It seems you possess something extraordinary within you."
The dragon glanced at Wang Feng. Then, its golden eyes began to shine.
Wang Feng tensed as those golden eyes gazed at him. It felt as though every secret of his body was laid bare before them.
"I see now. It seems you were fated to come here." The dragon spoke again, closing its eyes as the golden glow faded.
Suppressing his fear, Wang Feng asked the dragon,
"What do you mean, senior? Why did you say I was fated?"
"Before I tell you that, I will share the origin of this temple—and my identity."
Wang Feng remained alert, but continued to listen.
The dragon recalled its past.
"In an era long before the world became what it is today, there existed beings who stood at the peak of all existence. We called them Gods."
"Gods...?" Wang Feng repeated, confused.
"Indeed," the Light Dragon King nodded. "Gods are beings who have transcended the limits of both humans and soul beasts. Their power can create or destroy the world with a flick of a finger."
Wang Feng stayed silent. It sounded like a fairy tale—but somehow, he couldn't shake the feeling that the dragon's words held a deep truth.
"And one of them... was the Dragon God, ruler of all dragons and the bringer of balance to this world."
"The Dragon God?" Wang Feng was still trying to grasp everything he had just heard.
"Yes," the Light Dragon King nodded, his voice deep and full of authority. "The Dragon God was a being born at the creation of this world. He was the creator of the Divine Dragon Domain, the Supreme God-King, and the absolute ruler of all beings. He was also the originator of all Soul Beasts, the supreme leader of the Dragon Clan, and the only entity whose power rivaled the entire universe."
Wang Feng's eyes widened slightly, but he remained silent, letting the dragon continue.
"I am one of his nine sons—the Light Dragon King."
Wang Feng was shocked. "You're one of his sons?"
"We nine Dragon Kings were originally geniuses from various branches of the dragon clan. The Dragon God adopted us and bestowed upon us different attributes through his evolving bloodline—thus, we came to possess the powers of Water, Fire, Earth, Wind, Light, Darkness, Space, Time, and Stability. We nine dragon kings acknowledged the Dragon God as our father and addressed him as Lord."
The Light Dragon King nodded slowly. "Long ago, when the Dragon God attempted to evolve the Shenlong Realm into the Divine Star, a catastrophe occurred. That accident caused him to lose control... and fall into madness."
"At that time, the other God-Kings—both human and dragon—witnessed the event. All of us tried to stop the Dragon God before he destroyed the world."
The Light Dragon King's eyes narrowed, as if recalling that tragic event. "That battle... was the greatest disaster in the history of the gods. We succeeded in wounding the Dragon God, but in the end, only five of the eight human God-Kings survived—Shura, Destruction, Life, Kindness, and Evil."
"What about the other Dragon Kings?" Wang Feng asked.
"Among the nine of us, only three survived the battle—Water Dragon King, Darkness Dragon King, and I, the Light Dragon King," the dragon replied gravely. "After we wounded the Dragon God, the human God-Kings concluded that the only way to stop him... was to kill him."
Wang Feng held his breath.
"Of course, we Dragon Kings could not accept that. He was our father, after all. We refused to take part in the execution—but to prevent ourselves from getting in their way... in the end, we chose to sacrifice ourselves."
"You… committed suicide!?" Wang Feng was completely stunned.
"Yes," the Light Dragon King nodded. "It was the only way to honor our father without bringing ruin to this world."
The Light Dragon King took a deep breath before continuing.
"After my death, I do not know what happened next. However, the remnants of my consciousness were gathered by the Dragon God himself. With his final strength, he tasked me with guarding the seal in this temple—to keep it intact."