Chapter 1114: Chapter 1114

What shocked Lan Xuanyu was that he could not determine the cultivation level of that Dragon Knight at all, no matter how carefully he observed.

Clearly, the opponent’s strength far exceeded any level he could currently judge. Almost instinctively, Lan Xuanyu reached out and took Bai Xiuxiu’s hand, allowing his bloodline aura to spread to her and help conceal her presence. That Dragon Knight had likely reached the Super God level, and Lan Xuanyu had no idea whether the Treasure Seeking Beast’s disguise could evade such a being’s perception.

After all, this was a true apex existence at the very top of the food chain.

The gray dragon continued to soar until it hovered roughly a thousand meters above the ground. Its massive wings spread wide, and its enormous shadow enveloped the area where the Higher Dragon clans were gathered.

The many Higher Dragon clans bent forward in unison.

“Greetings, Darkfiend Dragon Knight.”

Darkfiend Dragon Knight—this was the fourth Dragon Knight Lan Xuanyu and the others were aware of. Aside from him, they knew of the Celestial Dragon Planet’s Head, the Celestial Dragon Knight ranked first; the seventh-ranked Ink Terror Dragon Knight, Luo Lan; and the Ruixiao Dragon Knight they had just learned about. They had no idea where the Darkfiend Dragon Knight ranked among the Eighteen Dragon Knights.

A calm voice rang out from atop the gray dragon’s head.

There were no long speeches—just a brief opening declaration.

“The Rising Dragon Competition begins!”

The gray dragon let out a thunderous roar, spread its wings once more, and with a powerful beat, shot back up into the sky.

Dragon roars erupted in response. Led by the Higher Dragon clans, thousands of dragonkind cried out together. In an instant, the entire Rising Dragon City seemed to ignite with sound. Cheers echoed throughout the city as countless figures leapt into the air.

The first to rise were the humanoid Higher Dragon clans. As they ascended, light flickered across their bodies, wings unfurled behind them, and they revealed their true forms—transforming into enormous, radiant dragons that soared skyward.

Huang Yuanlang had already spread his wings and transformed into his golden dragon-horse form. From appearances alone, he was undeniably eye-catching.

However, at this moment, every Higher Dragon clan present was an elite of the younger generation.

Lan Xuanyu and Bai Xiuxiu also launched into the air.

The moment they took flight, Lan Xuanyu felt Qi Tianlong’s gaze sweep over him. A low voice followed.

“Ascending Dragon is only the beginning. Showing too much of yourself isn’t a good thing—you’ll be targeted.”

“I’m willing. How does this concern you?” Lan Xuanyu replied coldly.

He forcefully beat his wings, his speed surging once more, faintly surpassing Qi Tianlong’s.

The Golden Dragon King’s bloodline specialized in strength above all else. Its physical power was unrivaled. Although Lan Xuanyu was still far from fully unleashing the Golden Dragon King’s true might, even a fraction of that power was still the Golden Dragon King’s power. Flight speed was directly tied to strength—so naturally, he was incredibly fast.

Qi Tianlong merely glanced at Lan Xuanyu and did not pursue him. He maintained his original pace, continuing to ascend steadily.

At that moment, pressure began to manifest in the air.

It was like an invisible barrier, radiating outward from the Rising Dragon Platform. The enormous stone pillars released their power, pressing outward and downward, forcing the contestants away and pushing them back.

This force was overwhelmingly dominant, compressing them both outward and downward.

Affected by the pressure, Bai Xiuxiu—who had been flying at the very front—began to slow. But almost immediately, a layer of dark blue light spread over her body. The oppressive force acting on her weakened dramatically, as if it were being neutralized.

Though her speed was affected, she continued to rise.

At this point, the difference in cultivation became evident. The strongest group of Higher Dragon clans around her began to close the distance.

Bai Xiuxiu felt it most clearly. Internally, she marveled at the effects of Dragon Force body-tempering. Without it strengthening and purifying her dragon bloodline, resisting this pressure while ascending would have caused enormous energy expenditure. Now, under the effects of Deathly Withering, she could forcibly endure the pressure and still maintain a relatively fast speed.

Meanwhile, Lan Xuanyu had reached the same height as Qi Tianlong.

At this altitude, aside from the two of them, there were over a dozen other dragon clans, each with bodies exceeding forty meters in length—clear signs of formidable strength.

Qi Tianlong was actually somewhat surprised. His true form was not of the Celestial Dragon lineage, yet it was almost indistinguishable from a True Dragon. The air around him visibly distorted due to the intense heat radiating from his body.

Though the Rising Dragon Competition was more of a ritual, it still allowed participants to display their strength.

Lan Xuanyu had already considered the rules carefully. Whether one could interfere with others during the Ascending Dragon process was explicitly regulated. That was why he hadn’t hesitated to act against Zhang Liang Ruixiao earlier.

Caught completely off guard, Zhang Liang Ruixiao had indeed suffered a loss.

Under Lan Xuanyu’s control, the Golden Dragon King’s dragon might erupted instantly. A resounding dragon roar burst from his throat, and a powerful, frenzied bloodline aura surged outward.

Even someone as strong as Qi Tianlong couldn’t help but shudder when he heard that roar, his speed noticeably slowing.

Bai Xiuxiu, on the other hand, experienced the opposite effect. Within Lan Xuanyu’s dragon roar, she felt her own bloodline accelerate rapidly, her speed increasing once more as she maintained her lead.

At this moment, Lan Xuanyu had fully caught up to Qi Tianlong. At this height, aside from the two of them, only a handful of dragon clans could still keep pace.

Qi Tianlong turned his head slightly toward Lan Xuanyu and said in a deep voice, “Ascending Dragon is just the beginning.”

Lan Xuanyu didn’t reply. He simply beat his wings again and continued upward.

The pressure intensified.

The true test of the Rising Dragon Competition had officially begun.