Ling Bing stood at the edge of a colossal cliff, high above the scorching mouth of a volcano. The Azure Domain stretched out behind him in all its grandeur, but here, at the rim of this towering inferno, the beauty of the land seemed to bow to something far more sinister. The volcano before him was like a gaping wound in the earth, belching thick plumes of smoke and molten fire into the sky. The heat was suffocating, the air heavy with the metallic scent of sulfur and the dull roar of bubbling lava.
The roar he had heard earlier still reverberated in his bones, a sound so ancient and powerful that it seemed to shake the very fabric of reality. He had heard tales of the Earth Azure Dragon, whispered in reverence and fear. A beast of such immense power that it was said to be the protector of the Azure Domain itself, though it had not been seen for generations.
Ling Bing's lips curled into a smirk. The fact that he had found this place was nothing short of a miracle, or so he told himself. Fortune favored the bold, after all. He peered into the depths of the volcano, his sharp eyes narrowing as he took in the sight of the molten rivers of lava flowing beneath him.
"Jackpot," he muttered to himself. His mind raced with possibilities. If what lay below was truly the fabled Earth Azure Dragon's lair, then there was no telling what treasures he might find. And more importantly, what power he might claim for himself.
The mouth of the volcano was vast, easily large enough to swallow a small city. Massive crags and jagged outcroppings of black rock lined its interior, glowing with the light of molten rivers that snaked through the landscape like fiery veins. The oppressive heat radiating from below was enough to cook a lesser man alive, but Ling Bing was not deterred. His qi shield flared around him, protecting him from the worst of the heat as he prepared to descend into the abyss.
Without a second thought, Ling Bing leapt from the cliff, his puppet soaring beneath him. It was a masterpiece of his craft, carved from the finest materials and infused with his qi to respond to his every command. The puppet moved with grace, dipping and weaving through the smoke and heat as it carried Ling Bing down into the volcano's depths.
The temperature grew even more intense the further he descended. The very air seemed to shimmer from the heat, and the sounds of bubbling lava grew louder, more oppressive. It was like entering the belly of a beast—dark, hot, and filled with the unmistakable sensation of danger lurking just beneath the surface.
But Ling Bing wasn't here for sightseeing. He was here for the prize. And he could feel it. The qi fluctuations were growing stronger with every passing moment. Powerful, chaotic waves of energy that made the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. Whatever was down here, it was something extraordinary.
He landed on a jagged ledge, his puppet whirring to a halt beside him. The ground beneath his feet was rough and uneven, scorched by centuries of molten fire. The air was thick with ash and the sulfurous stench of brimstone. He paused for a moment, scanning his surroundings. The cavernous interior of the volcano was vast, its walls lined with veins of molten rock that glowed a fierce orange-red. Streams of lava bubbled and flowed in every direction, casting flickering shadows across the rocky landscape.
For a moment, he saw nothing out of the ordinary. No sign of the legendary dragon, no treasure hoard, no egg. He frowned, his brow furrowing in frustration. The energy fluctuations were there, unmistakable, but where was the source?
Ling Bing took a cautious step forward, his senses on high alert. There had to be something. And then, out of the corner of his eye, he saw it. A faint shimmer, barely noticeable through the thick haze of heat and smoke, but unmistakable to someone with his keen perception. It was subtle, like a mirage in the desert, but it was there.
His eyes lit up with excitement. "There it is," he whispered under his breath, his heart racing with anticipation. He adjusted his course, moving toward the shimmering light, his footsteps silent against the scorched ground.
As he moved deeper into the volcano, the temperature climbed even higher, and the very ground seemed to tremble beneath his feet. But Ling Bing was undeterred. He had faced worse dangers than this in his lifetime, and the prize that awaited him far outweighed any risk.
The cavern ahead narrowed into a tunnel, its walls glowing with the faint light of molten rock. The air grew thicker, almost suffocating, but Ling Bing pressed on, his eyes locked on the faint shimmer ahead. As he moved, he became aware of movement around him—molten beasts, creatures of fire and lava that roamed the volcano like predators. Their glowing eyes watched him from the shadows, their forms shifting and flickering with the heat.
But Ling Bing was prepared for this. With a flick of his wrist, he cast an illusion over himself, his form disappearing from sight. The molten beasts snarled and prowled around him, their noses twitching as they searched for the intruder, but they found nothing. Ling Bing moved through them like a ghost, his presence completely masked by his illusion.
The tunnel opened up into a massive cavern, and there, in the very center, bathed in the glow of molten rock, was the object of his desire.
A golden egg.
It was enormous, easily twice the size of Ling Bing himself, and it pulsed with an otherworldly light. The energy radiating from it was overwhelming, filling the entire cavern with a sense of awe and power. The egg rested on a bed of molten rock, its surface gleaming with a brilliance that was almost blinding.
Ling Bing's breath caught in his throat as he laid eyes on it. The Earth Azure Dragon's egg. The legends were true. And it was right here, within his grasp.
His mind raced with the possibilities. The power contained within that egg was unimaginable. If he could claim it for himself, if he could harness that power... he would become unstoppable. He would ascend to Qi Zun, surpassing all others. Even Yang Feng.
A wild grin spread across Ling Bing's face as he descended the final few feet, landing softly before the egg. He could feel its power, its energy washing over him in waves, filling him with a sense of euphoria. This was it. This was his moment.
With trembling hands, Ling Bing reached out and touched the egg. The moment his fingers made contact, a surge of power shot through him, nearly knocking him off his feet. He gasped, his eyes widening in shock as the sheer magnitude of the energy flowing from the egg threatened to overwhelm him.
But he held on. He wasn't about to let this slip through his fingers.
"This... this is it," he whispered, his voice barely audible over the roar of the volcano. "With this, I will be unstoppable."
He hoisted the egg onto his shoulder, the weight of it staggering, but his ambition gave him the strength to carry it. The qi fluctuations were intense, almost blinding, but Ling Bing was consumed with his own greed and hunger for power.
As he turned to leave, a faint tremor ran through the ground. Ling Bing paused, his brow furrowing in confusion. The energy fluctuations had changed. They were more erratic now, more violent.
And then, it hit him.
The Earth Azure Dragon hadn't left its egg unguarded. It was here. It had been here the entire time, watching, waiting.
The ground shook violently, and the air grew thick with a menacing presence. Ling Bing's heart skipped a beat as a massive shadow loomed over him.
Bursting forth from the depths of the volcano, a colossal creature emerged—its scales glowing with the color of molten rock, its eyes burning with an intense, fiery light. The Earth Azure Dragon. Its massive form dwarfed the entire volcano, its wings spreading out wide, casting a shadow over the entire cavern.
Ling Bing stared in disbelief. The dragon was massive, far larger than anything he had ever seen. Its eyes locked onto him, and a deafening roar echoed through the cavern, shaking the very earth itself.
The dragon reared back, its massive head towering above the volcano, and with a scream of fury, it lunged at Ling Bing.
Panic surged through Ling Bing as he turned and fled, the golden egg still clutched in his arms. He had come here for power, but now, all he could think about was survival.
As he ran, he pulled out the dark blue crystal from his robes, his only means of escape. Crushing it in his hand, he screamed, "Yang Feng! Yang Feng! Help me, or I'm dead!"
The dragon's roar echoed through the night as Ling Bing ran for his life, the golden egg clutched tightly in his arms, and the might of the Earth Azure Dragon bearing down on him. The once promising opportunity had turned into a nightmare, and his only hope now was the Immortal Prince, Yang Feng.