After a few hours of the Azure Ghost explaining the Azure Dragon Steps technique to Yuan, he slowly began to understand and learn how to use the first step,Wingless Dragon Step.
Since he did not possess any spiritual energy in his body, using the Azure Dragon Steps without it was nearly impossible. However, with the help of the Green Royal Key, it became feasible,though not without its own limitations.
The first problem was activation speed.
If Yuan had his own spiritual energy, activating Wingless Dragon Step would take only an instant, allowing him to flee immediately.But since he relied on external energy from the Green Royal Key, it first had to flow into his body before activating the technique, creating a few-second delay.This delay could mean life or death if he was caught in a situation where an enemy was too close.
The second problem was limited usage.
The Green Royal Key only held a small reserve of spiritual energy.If Yuan used Wingless Dragon Step at full power, he could only use it two or three times before the key ran out of energy.If he tried to conserve energy by using the technique at a weaker level, he risked not moving fast enough, which could lead to certain death.
The third, and perhaps most dangerous issue, was lack of control.
Without proper mastery, Azure Dragon Steps would function more like a straight-line dash rather than a technique with precision and flexibility.Yuan wouldn't be able to change direction mid-movement, meaning if he miscalculated his path, he could crash into obstacles or even run straight into danger instead of escaping it.
Despite all these challenges, Yuan had no other choice.
Running away from the trial was impossible. He was inside the Crowned Ghost Prince's inheritance, and his only way forward was to conquer the trials.Even more, there was a chance for him to reach the Meridian Awakening Stage,something that would change his fate forever.
Thus, with determination burning in his heart, Yuan focused on training the Azure Dragon Steps technique.
As Yuan trained, the Azure Ghost also took the time to explain the later steps of the technique. However, those higher-level steps were of no use to Yuan for now, as he lacked the cultivation base to execute them.
Nearly half a day passed, and Yuan finally managed to use Wingless Dragon Step with the external help of spiritual energy provided by the Azure Ghost.
But something unexpected happened.
During his training, Yuan unknowingly cleansed his hearing.
Even the Azure Ghost was surprised. He theorized that training the Azure Dragon Steps, which required keen focus on movement and awareness, had inadvertently helped Yuan clear his senses, allowing him to unlock his next stage in cultivation.
For Yuan, this experience was magical.
It was as if his ears had been underwater all his life, muffled and unclear. Now, it felt as if his head had finally emerged above the water, and for the first time, he could hear everything with crystal clarity.
Both Yuan and the Azure Ghost welcomed this unexpected progress. This newfound heightened sense would make surviving future trials easier.
With their preparations complete, Yuan and the Azure Ghost turned their attention to the staircase before them.
It was identical to the staircases they had encountered on the previous floors—a passage leading to the next challenge.
But this time, there was one major difference.
This would be the last staircase they would see in this place.
The final trial awaited them.
Taking one last deep breath, the Azure Ghost turned to Yuan and spoke with a solemn tone.
"Child, always remember,anything can happen. Even death. This last trial is unlike any before it. Are you truly ready? There will be no room for regrets."
Yuan gazed at the Azure Ghost, taking in the flickering figure adorned in azure robes, its black and yellow snake patterns dancing like living entities in the ethereal light. His expression remained unwavering as he answered.
"I will not regret anything,because there is nothing to regret. There is no way out. I can only walk forward. I've made the best preparations I possibly could, so why waste time speaking of regret? I will keep walking, even if it means facing death."
Without another word, Yuan stepped forward, ascending toward the end of the staircase. Behind him, the Azure Ghost silently faded into the background, his form slowly dissolving into the air.
The world around Yuan began to shift once again. The radiant light of the room faded, dissolving into an entirely new reality.
For the first time since stepping into this mysterious inheritance, he saw a clear blue sky, vast and endless, with only a few scattered white clouds hanging in the heavens.
The ground beneath him solidified into a great mountain peak, standing tall above the world. The wind howled, crisp and cold, carrying the scent of distant lands far beyond his reach.
The view was breathtaking,a sight so grand that any ordinary person might have fallen to their knees in awe.
But Yuan did not smile.
He felt no joy in the beauty of the landscape.
Instead, his grip on the Green Royal Key tightened, his body tense with caution and wariness.
Something wasn't right.
Before he could fully assess the situation, the ground trembled violently beneath him.
A thunderous quake ripped through the mountain, the very land beneath Yuan's feet beginning to move.
The ground shook so violently that he could barely keep his balance, falling to his knees as the mountain itself trembled.
But this was not a mere earthquake.
The entire mountain was shifting,as if it was alive.
Crack!
The earth split apart, and the sky above shattered like glass.
Yuan's breath caught in his throat as he desperately searched for something,anything,to hold onto.
Nothing.
There were no trees to grip, no ledges to grab. Only emptiness.
He clenched the Green Royal Key in one hand while his other dug into the crumbling soil, trying to keep himself from falling.
And then
A blinding green light exploded from the Royal Key.
The mountain collapsed.
The sky shattered.
Everything around him vanished into an abyss of nothingness.
Yuan felt his body plummet through the void, the weightlessness overwhelming his senses.
He could not scream.
He could not think.
It was too sudden,too unreal.
The Green Royal Key, once his greatest hope, vanished in the light, leaving him with nothing.
He was truly falling.
Falling towards death.
For the first time, Yuan felt true despair.
There was no ledge to grab, no technique to save him.
Azure Dragon Steps?
Useless. It would only make him die faster.
The Green Royal Key?
Gone.
This was it.
His end.
As he tumbled through the abyss, Yuan stopped struggling.
Instead, he let his thoughts drift,revisiting the memories of his life.
The faces he once knew.
The stories his grandfather told him.
The village where he was born.
The journey that led him here.
He had fought so hard.
Yet in the end
It was meaningless.
He had failed.
A small, bitter smile formed on his lips.
With his last breath, he closed his eyes and whispered his final words.
"Goodbye."
As Yuan's body was about to be swallowed by the abyss, the very space beneath him vanished.
And then
A single azure flame ignited.
It emerged from nowhere, devouring Yuan's falling body in an instant.
From the depths of the abyss, a voice cold, emotionless, victorious,spoke.
"I win."
----
Within a luxurious room, a young man with azure-blue hair and dark blue eyes, possessing a strikingly handsome face, sat in solitude. He wore an elegant azure robe, embroidered with the patterns of a black dragon and a yellow dragon, their figures coiling in a delicate yet imposing design.
In the silence of the room, the young man sat motionless, his gaze fixed intently on the book in his hands. The cover bore the title:
"Azure Basilisk Flame Art."
For what seemed like an eternity, he remained still, fully immersed in its contents.
Then
A knock on the door.
The focused expression on his face slowly faded. Closing his dark blue eyes, he exhaled softly, then shut the ancient tome with a quiet but decisive motion. After a brief moment of silence, his voice cold, emotionless, and commanding,broke the stillness.
"Enter."
The door creaked open, and an elderly man stepped inside. Taking two measured steps forward, he immediately fell to one knee, bowing respectfully.
"Young Master," the old man's voice was steady but laced with urgency. "The Family Head has issued an order,every member of the family above the Soul Forming stage is to participate in the search for the Crowned Ghost Prince. Each has been assigned a specific region, and the Young Master's designated region is the Illusion Forest, near the Human Domain."
Hearing this, the young master's cold gaze sharpened. His fingers tightened slightly over the book's cover as he muttered to himself.
"The Illusion Forest… Ha."
A humorless chuckle escaped his lips. He leaned back slightly, his piercing gaze locked onto the old man.
"They want me to be stationed in the Illusion Forest? Even though I haven't even reached the peak of the Soul Fusion stage?" His voice dripped with sarcasm. "Heh, what a fine scheme these old bastards have devised."
He tapped his fingers idly against the armrest of his chair, his tone growing colder.
"I have no choice but to comply, don't I? Even though the Illusion Forest has swallowed Soul Ascension stage cultivators whole, I'm expected to walk right in. Objecting would be pointless,I would only face punishment, as the order came directly from the Family Head. But tell me, Elder Blue Scale..."
His eyes narrowed, amusement flickering behind their icy depths.
"Why is the Crowned Ghost Prince even here? Does he have a death wish?" He scoffed. "Or has he already forgotten how he killed my foolish eldest brother?"
For a brief moment, silence filled the room.
The elderly servant stiffened, his expression paling as he frantically glanced around, as if afraid of unseen ears lurking in the shadows.
"Y-Y-Young Master," he stammered, his voice filled with unease. "P-Please be careful with your words! The walls have ears... You must never forget that."
A low chuckle echoed through the chamber. The young master rested his head against his hand, crossing his legs leisurely as a smirk tugged at his lips.
"Who cares about the walls, Elder Blue Scale?" His voice was laced with mockery and defiance. "They already want me dead. Even the Family Head does."
His expression darkened, his smile growing sharper.
"Unlike the other Dragon Clans, our Azure Clan does not rule with brute force,we rule with schemes and traps. We are the weakest of the Five Dragon Kings, but also the most intelligent. That is precisely why we still hold our place among them. The Family Head rose to power through cunning, not strength."
His gaze turned icy, his voice dropping lower.
"But because of that, treachery runs deep in our blood."
Leaning forward, he chuckled once more.
"They can't kill me outright,not as long as I maintain my ties with the Void Dragon Clan. So instead, they resort to petty schemes, hoping I fall into their traps. Heh… such laughable tactics."
For a brief moment, he closed his eyes, lost in deep thought.
Then, after what felt like an hour, he opened them once more,their depths reflecting a newfound determination.
Slowly, he stood up, his azure robes flowing elegantly around him.
Elder Blue Scale immediately followed, his bowed posture unwavering as he trailed behind.
The young master let out a final, amused laugh, and with a graceful wave of his hand, his body was suddenly engulfed in a burst of azure flames.
In the next instant,both master and servant had vanished.