The heavens thundered, not with the chaotic fury of a natural tribulation, but with the focused, chilling malice of the True Monarch's Tribulation. Above Qingzhu Valley, the sky twisted into a kaleidoscope of crushing pressure, a manifestation of the Dao itself seeking to rectify an imbalance. But this time, it was not just the heavens Lin Fei had to contend with.
From the far reaches of the realm, like ancient predators roused from slumber, the terrifying divine senses of Nascent Soul True Monarchs converged. They were not merely probing; they were actively assessing, calculating, and radiating an overwhelming killing intent. Lin Fei, his white eyes fixed on the distant horizons, felt the weight of their collective gaze, a pressure that could crush lesser Golden Core cultivators into dust.
"It's true," a cold, ancient voice, projected through space by a powerful divine sense, echoed across Qingzhu Valley, making the spiritual Qi tremble. "An Abyssal Dragon Sovereign Body. A Nascent Soul Peak physique... but only a Golden Core spirit. An abomination that must be purged."
THE ARRIVAL OF THE TRUE MONARCHS
Almost instantaneously, spatial ripples appeared above Qingzhu Valley. Three figures materialized, each radiating an aura of boundless power that dwarfed any Golden Core cultivator. These were the True Monarchs.
At the forefront was Patriarch Tianlong, the Mid Nascent Soul True Monarch of the Qingyun Sect. His eyes, ancient and stern, held a chilling contempt. Beside him stood a wizened old woman from the revered Soaring Crane Temple, a Late Nascent Soul True Monarch known for her healing arts but equally formidable in combat, and a hulking man from the Earth Splitting Sect, whose body seemed carved from granite, a Peak Nascent Soul True Monarch specializing in physical combat and earth manipulation. They represented the peak of the Righteous Path's power in the region.
"White Rakshasa, Lin Fei!" Patriarch Tianlong's voice boomed, shaking the very valley. "Your demonic ways have violated the natural order. Your unholy body cultivation defies heaven's will. Surrender now, and perhaps your clan may be spared a complete annihilation."
Lin Fei merely scoffed, his white eyes gleaming with defiant power. His physical body, the Abyssal Dragon Sovereign Body, pulsed with immense energy, ready to unleash its terrifying might. He felt the vast disparity in spiritual cultivation, but his body was a fortress, and his will, iron.
THE DRAGON'S CHALLENGE
Qingyu, Qingxue, and the six main wives, along with the Black Abyss Elders, watched in horror. Three True Monarchs! This was a force no single sect, let alone a nascent clan, could hope to withstand.
"To try and stop my breakthrough, even some of your own allies struck out at me. Yet, here you stand, accusing me of defying the natural order?" Lin Fei's voice was calm, but carried a potent, draconic resonance that challenged the True Monarchs' authority. "Your 'natural order' is merely your own stagnant reign. I cultivate my Dao. If the heavens forbid it, I shatter the heavens. If True Monarchs oppose it, I shall shatter True Monarchs."
Patriarch Tianlong sneered. "Arrogance born of ignorance. You may have a freakish physique, but against the true power of a Nascent Soul, you are nothing but a larger insect."
The Earth Splitting True Monarch made the first move. With a roar, he slammed his fists together, conjuring massive, jagged earth spears that shot towards Lin Fei with the force of a battering ram.
Lin Fei stood his ground, his white eyes narrowed. He extended a hand, and with a casual flick, a wave of dark draconic energy erupted, shattering the earth spears into dust before they could even touch him. The True Monarch's eyes widened slightly in surprise.
"A simple physical strike," Lin Fei taunted, his power surging. "And yet, it is enough to break your 'true power'?"
Patriarch Tianlong's face darkened. "He's more resilient than we anticipated. Do not hold back!"
THE TRUE MONARCH'S ASSAULT
The three True Monarchs launched a coordinated assault. Patriarch Tianlong unleashed a torrent of azure sword qi, each streak capable of cleaving mountains. The Soaring Crane True Monarch, her hands moving gracefully, wove intricate spiritual seals that drained spiritual energy and distorted space, aiming to bind Lin Fei. The Earth Splitting True Monarch stomped, causing the very ground to liquefy and then erupt around Lin Fei, trying to imprison him in hardened rock.
Lin Fei roared, the sound more primal dragon than human. His Abyssal Dragon Sovereign Body flared, scales shimmering. He didn't evade; he met the attacks head-on. The sword qi ripped into his scales, but only left shallow furrows that healed almost instantly. The spatial seals tried to bind him, but his sheer physical power, infused with the chaotic energy of his fusion, tore through them. The earth manipulation slammed into him, but his body was harder than the bedrock itself, shattering the rock formations as he burst free.
"Is this the 'true power' of your Nascent Soul?" Lin Fei mocked, his white eyes glowing with a fierce exhilaration. He had been waiting for this. The continuous Feedback from his lineage surged, further strengthening his spiritual Golden Core and solidifying his physical form. He was a perfect blend of offensive and defensive power, a living weapon.
He counterattacked. With a blinding burst of speed, he closed the distance to the Earth Splitting True Monarch, ignoring the spiritual attacks from the others. He unleashed a punch, imbued with the raw, untamed power of his Abyssal Dragon Sovereign Body, a punch that carried the force of a meteor.
The Earth Splitting True Monarch, caught off guard by Lin Fei's suicidal charge, barely managed to cross his arms defensively. The impact was cataclysmic. A shockwave erupted, blasting cultivators off their feet even hundreds of meters away. The True Monarch was sent flying, a trail of blood marking his trajectory, crashing into a distant mountain with an audible crack. His protective spiritual shield had shattered, and his arm hung at an unnatural angle.
The other two True Monarchs gasped, their expressions shifting from contempt to utter disbelief. A Golden Core cultivator, even with an anomalous body, had actually injured a Peak Nascent Soul True Monarch in a direct physical confrontation!
"He truly is an abomination!" Patriarch Tianlong roared, his face pale. "He cannot be allowed to live!"
Lin Fei stood amidst the ruins, his breathing heavy, but his white eyes alight with feral triumph. He had engaged three True Monarchs and wounded one of the most powerful among them. This was his statement. This was the roar of the Abyssal Dragon Sovereign.
The world had sent its righteous army, its heavens, and now its True Monarchs, to deal with a rogue. They had instead merely provoked the Dragon, who was now ready to carve his legend into the very flesh of the cultivation world.