Chapter 1115: Chapter 1115

Terrifying pressure continued to descend from above. What had started as a single layer soon became wave after wave, crashing down relentlessly.

Every participant in the Rising Dragon Competition was affected. Their speeds dropped sharply, forcing them to beat their wings with all their might and activate various abilities just to continue rising.

From below, the sight was breathtaking—thousands of enormous dragons spiraling upward. Under the pressure, they spread out across the sky, yet none of them stopped advancing.

The weakest Lower Dragons had already been pushed far away by the oppressive force, but they still struggled upward with everything they had. For them, this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Only by reaching the Rising Dragon Platform would they have any chance of advancing in rank.

Even if they failed to become Intermediate Dragons, merely setting foot on the Rising Dragon Platform would earn them a place in the records, greatly improving their status within dragon society.

At last, the dragons behind caught up to Bai Xiuxiu.

By now, the leading group of Higher Dragon clans had already flown to heights exceeding three thousand meters. Bai Xiuxiu’s ability to maintain her lead for so long was no longer just thanks to Lan Xuanyu’s earlier assistance—it was also a testament to her own formidable strength.

As other massive dragons drew closer and even overtook her, Bai Xiuxiu could feel their gazes landing on her. Those were looks of acknowledgment.

However, compared to her, the one receiving even greater recognition was undoubtedly Lan Xuanyu.

Under the constant pressure, bloodlines naturally began to circulate at increasingly faster rates.

Lan Xuanyu gradually realized that the oppressive force wasn’t just pressing down on him—it was seeping into his body bit by bit, merging with his bloodline. While his bloodline power was continuously being consumed, it was also being replenished at the same time.

The newly absorbed energy stimulated his bloodline, producing a burning sensation—just like undergoing Dragon Force body-tempering.

Could it be that the Ascending Dragon process itself is a form of refinement for the dragon race?

As he continued flying, Lan Xuanyu focused his gaze on the Rising Dragon Platform ahead, activating his Purple Demon Eyes once more. The world in his vision slowed dramatically, revealing a series of astonishing phenomena.

Invisible currents of energy surged around the massive pillars of the Rising Dragon Platform. These currents didn’t flow in just one direction—they moved both inward and outward.

Every participant was having something drawn from them. Those extracted elements formed streams that flowed into the Rising Dragon Platform, which then released energy back outward as an oppressive force, blocking their ascent.

Yet during the climb, that same energy flowed back into their bodies.

In an instant, realization struck Lan Xuanyu like a thunderclap.

He finally understood what the Rising Dragon Platform truly was.

It absorbed the bloodline aura—or rather, the dragon aura—of the gathered dragons, transformed it, and then released it again. What emerged was far purer than before. Though it manifested as pressure bearing down on the dragons, it also carried refined Dragon Force that tempered and strengthened their bodies.

Every time Lan Xuanyu let out a dragon roar, the surrounding dragons’ speeds dropped slightly. This was one of the key reasons Bai Xiuxiu had managed to maintain her lead for so long before being overtaken.

His roar seemed capable of affecting the bloodline fluctuations of other dragons. Even Higher Dragon clans instinctively kept their distance from him, their gazes filled with growing curiosity.

Lan Xuanyu, however, acted as though he didn’t care at all, continuing to charge upward with savage intensity. He wasn’t the one flying at the very front—but he was undeniably the most eye-catching.

If you were going to act, you might as well act it out completely.

Lan Xuanyu’s identity was that of a wild dragon clan member, one only recently discovered. He was certain the dragon race already possessed detailed information about him.

As a wild dragon who had only just entered dragon society, it was natural for him to be ignorant of the rules—or simply not care about them. Faced with a spectacular event like the Rising Dragon Competition, where a thousand dragons danced through the sky, it would be stranger not to show off.

Trying too hard to stay low-key and hide oneself often drew even more attention. That was precisely why Lan Xuanyu and Bai Xiuxiu deliberately displayed their strength during the Thousand Dragon Flight.

By earning the recognition of Higher Dragon clans and showcasing the traits of wild dragons, they would still attract attention—but that attention would be focused on their strength, not their origins.

As the altitude increased, the oppressive force continued to intensify, slowing everyone down.

While flying, Lan Xuanyu carefully memorized the appearances and characteristics of the dragons in the leading group around him. Each of them possessed exceptionally True Dragon bloodlines.

These were the true elites among the Higher Dragon clans. If he could use one of them for Dragon Force body-tempering cultivation, the results would be outstanding.

Meanwhile, many of these dragons were observing him for another reason.

Among the dragon race, females were extremely rare—only about one-tenth of the total population. Only the most powerful dragon clans could possess dragon partners; weaker dragons often had partners from other species instead.

Offspring born from such unions found it difficult to maintain True Dragon bloodlines. Some barely retained dragon traits at all, which was one of the main reasons many Lower Dragon clans were weak.

Lan Xuanyu and Bai Xiuxiu were not only perceived as “female dragons,” but exceptionally beautiful ones at that. It was impossible for them not to draw attention.

The higher they flew, the greater the pressure became, and their speed slowed noticeably.

From below, this moment was the most spectacular of all—

a vast swarm of dragons spiraling skyward, dancing beneath the heavens.