At the very moment Ao Qing transformed into the Eight-Clawed Primordial Five-Element Tribulation Dragon, the five Shushan Heavenly Generals instinctively froze mid-air, all simultaneously halting their charge.
"Eight-Clawed Primordial Five-Element Tribulation Dragon? A lightning-tribulation dragon!? No wonder he dares to storm Mount Shushan!"
"That's one of the highest forms of the Eight-Clawed Golden Dragon! Never thought I'd live to see it!"
"Hmph! So what if he is a Tribulation Dragon? With the five of us Heavenly Generals together, even a tribulation-wielding dragon is no more than a pest!"
They spoke amongst themselves, voices grave but confident.
After all, as the mountain guardians of a famed Blessed Land, they had battled countless monstrous beings and ancient evils. Though Ao Qing's form was shocking, they had no intention of retreating.
"Attack!"
With a sharp command, the five Heavenly Generals split formation and launched from multiple directions, charging straight at Ao Qing's immense dragon body like streaking comets.
From above the clouds, Ao Guang, Prime Minister Turtle, and the rest of the Eastern Sea Dragon Clan couldn't help but tense.
These Heavenly Generals were no joke. Among all the protectors of sacred lands, the Shushan Generals were famously powerful—even high-ranking immortals dared not provoke them.
If Ao Qing were to fall here, it would be a disastrous loss for the entire Dragon Clan.
But soon, the tension faded as they recalled Ao Qing's terrifying strength.
"Hmph."
"Fivefold Thunder Tribulation."
Ao Qing didn't even bother to look.
Lightning surged violently across his scales, erupting into five massive bolts of heavenly thunder. They split the sky and blasted down in five arcs toward the charging Shushan Generals.
The air howled with a whistling shriek as the terrifying lightning sheared through space, the sheer force of it shaking the entire mountain range.
Even before the tribulation bolts reached them, the five Heavenly Generals had already felt their scalps go numb—the aura of this lightning was utterly devastating.
BOOM—!
The heavens lit up.
The five bolts crashed down, each like a mountain falling from the sky, lighting up the darkened mountaintop with a blinding brilliance. Within moments, the five Generals were struck directly—instantly reduced to charred, lifeless husks. Dead beyond all doubt.
"Hmph. That's it?"
Ao Qing let out a low snort and shook his head.
He had expected more. But then again, tribulation lightning was feared even by immortals—few dared face it, let alone resist it.
The battle began quickly, and ended even faster.
Above, Prime Minister Turtle and Ao Guang were still stunned, their faces full of disbelief. The moment the thunder descended, they had felt a soul-severing terror. Had it not been directed away from them, they dared not imagine the outcome.
"As expected of the Dragon King!"
"Truly terrifying, he ended it in a single breath!"
"This is the first time I've seen His Majesty's full dragon form!"
"Magnificent… The Eight-Clawed Golden Dragon is utterly divine!"
The dragon elders all murmured in awe, smiling from ear to ear. The stronger their Dragon King became, the more ecstatic they felt.
"Ding! Congratulations! Your Dragon Clan's fate has increased by 1 point!"
"Ding! Congratulations! Your Dragon Clan's fate has increased by 1 point!"
"Ding! Congratulations! Your Dragon Clan's fate has increased by 1 point!"
A series of crisp notification chimes rang out in Ao Qing's ears.
He nodded slightly, unsurprised. These Shushan Generals were worth a hefty sum of dragon fate. Just a single encounter had earned him several points.
"Not bad at all."
But his expression quickly shifted into solemnity.
This battle was far from over.
"Form the formation—Taiji Immortal-Slaying Array!"
From the foot of the mountain, a new group of Shushan cultivators emerged—ones who hadn't been present earlier.
They soared into the air on flying swords—over a hundred of them—each radiating strong spiritual pressure.
The one who had given the order stood at the center, hair silver-white, his body surrounded by countless swords. His sword aura was vast—clearly a master of the legendary Ten Thousand Swords Returning to One realm.
"I am Qingwei, founding master of Mount Shushan, once received in audience by the Celestial Emperor himself! Who dares defile my mountain!?"
Hundreds of sword lights shot out, dense and overlapping, forming a spinning array that slashed toward Ao Qing's massive form.
The swords carried intense killing intent, and the sword qi alone was enough to suppress the surroundings—though it failed to overwhelm the dragon's divine might.
Ao Qing calmly lifted one claw.
With a casual flick, countless flying swords clattered and rebounded in all directions—like twigs before a storm, utterly powerless.
"So you're the founding master of Shushan?"
Ao Qing narrowed his eyes.
He recalled the legends—Qingwei, the first head of Shushan, had once ascended to the heavens and met with the Celestial Emperor. Since then, he had been entrusted to guard Mount Shushan.
"Perfect."
Ao Qing had been worrying about how to quickly improve his troops' combat ability. A legendary sword immortal like Qingwei—what better candidate?
With a wave of his claw, a brilliant seven-colored tower appeared once more—the Exquisite Spirit Tower, a top-tier innate treasure given to him by the Western Daoist.
"Capture."
The moment the tower appeared, Qingwei's expression changed drastically.
"No!"
"Everyone, retreat!"
But it was too late.
In a flash, the tower grew—first the size of a person's arm, then a few meters, then dozens, then hundreds. In the blink of an eye, it loomed over the entire battlefield.
Inside, the cries of countless previously captured Shushan disciples could be faintly heard, their silhouettes pressing against the tower's glowing windows—desperate but trapped.
Escape was impossible.
The light of the tower flared once more. Qingwei's sword formation crumbled instantly, and he and his disciples were pulled in, vanishing without a trace.
As the tower returned to his hand, Ao Qing chuckled and shifted back into his human form.
This battle had begun in an instant—and ended just as quickly.
Over 100,000 cultivators, the five Shushan Heavenly Generals, and the founding head of Shushan, all subdued—sealed within his tower.
This was power.
This… was dominion.