Divinizing the Central Court

The scene before them could only be described as utter chaos. Beast roars shook the heavens, the mountain forest trembled, leaves fell in a storm, and hundreds of creatures fled in panic. If Yan Qingcheng and the others had known that Xiao Chen was the instigator, they would have sworn to tear him into pieces, but for now, everyone was trapped in danger, running for their lives.

While the mountain forest opposite was in turmoil, the primeval forest behind the valley remained relatively calm. Xiao Chen ordered the three skeletons to seize the chance to escape while he stayed behind to cover their retreat.

King Yanluo, King Qinguang, and King of Reincarnation each clutched a dragon egg and fled, racing toward the direction of the Death Swamp.

Seeing no abnormalities around, Xiao Chen also withdrew quickly. He no longer cared whether the Serpent-Elephant Dragon could kill Yan Qingcheng and the others—his priority was to escape this chaotic forest. After all, he was the one responsible.

For Yan Qingcheng, Rand, and the rest, this day was one of unparalleled fury and frustration. But for Xiao Chen, it was a day of exhilarating clarity, a satisfying indirect retaliation against his enemies.

By the time he returned to the Death Swamp, the last rays of sunset were lingering in the western sky, vast patches of fiery clouds painting the heavens crimson. The day was already growing late.

He had chosen the Death Swamp as his temporary refuge mainly because an Undying King lurked there, a being that seldom stirred and whose presence deterred wild beasts. Moreover, the three skeletons were familiar with the terrain. In times of danger, the swamp served as an excellent buffer zone.

The three skeletons had already returned. They had tossed the three translucent, jade-green eggs into the mud and were now sitting on them as if they were stools—an act so… distinctive.

Contrary to Xiao Chen's expectations, the giant tree in which the Sacred Sapling was rooted had not withered. Instead, its leaves had grown even greener and more vibrant, faintly shimmering with emerald light. A rich spiritual energy swirled around it, making the nearby Death Swamp seem lush with life.

Xiao Chen understood instantly. The Little Sacred Tree was not a parasite. It did not simply drain the giant tree’s life force; it shared a mutual benefit. With the sapling present, the host tree could draw heaven-and-earth vitality far more quickly than before. The previous tree had died because he and the three skeletons had absorbed too much energy, outstripping the supply and causing it to wither.

King of Reincarnation and the other two sat on the dragon eggs, their soul-light flickering in their eye sockets as they gazed expectantly at the small tree wreathed in its rainbow glow. Xiao Chen spent considerable effort persuading them to take turns absorbing the tree's energy rather than overexploiting it.

The three dragon eggs shimmered with green radiance—a monumental harvest!

After the sunset faded, Xiao Chen and the three skeletons moved to the forest at the edge of the swamp. King Qinguang and the others could tolerate the corpse miasma, but Xiao Chen could not endure it for long without ill effect.

The Sacred Tree, surrounded by swirling light, and the dragon eggs, brilliant with emerald brilliance, complemented each other beautifully. The forest was thick with spiritual energy, and the radiance rippled like flowing water.

The three skeletons could absorb power from crystals and from the pure energy circulating around the Little Sacred Tree, but they could not directly absorb the dragon eggs' essence. The vast life energy contained within the eggs required further refinement before it could transform into the pure energy they could use.

King Yanluo and the others had rendered great service, so Xiao Chen allowed them to take turns drawing energy from the Little Sacred Tree at staggered intervals, giving the sapling enough time to absorb and refine ambient cosmic energy. He hoped the tree would continue to grow.

Furthermore, Xiao Chen gave the three skeletons all the superior crystals he had collected. The three undead creatures were so excited that they performed several backflips in a row. The longer Xiao Chen spent with them, the more he realized that they were not dull and deathly—on the contrary, they were remarkably lively.

By night, auspicious light filled the forest. Xiao Chen broke open one of the dragon eggs. In an instant, a surge of vast life essence erupted, condensing into a miniature Serpent-Elephant Dragon that howled and lunged at him. Xiao Chen quickly sealed it with his true essence and drew it into his body.

Having gone through this process before, he felt less pain than the first time. He focused on refining the ferocious dragon's life essence while guiding the vast energy to circulate through his channels.

Though the dragon egg was not especially large, the life essence it contained was immense—enough to one day grow into a ferocious dragon. Boundless green divine light enveloped Xiao Chen, flickering like holy flames, the life pulses intense and vigorous. From a distance, it looked like a divine fire blazing.

The three skeletons watched in astonishment, as if glimpsing the shadow of a serpent-elephant dragon coiling around Xiao Chen, snapping ferociously at the streaming life essence. But as time passed, the dragon's spectral image gradually faded, and Xiao Chen's skin began to radiate a crystalline luster. The presence he exuded seemed to have greatly intensified.

By midnight, the sacred flames dancing around Xiao Chen had all converged into his body. His gaze grew sharper.

As he had anticipated, the vast dragon essence did not merge into his cultivated true essence but gathered entirely into the Central Court Acupoint, forming a single brilliant point of light. Another acupoint was on the verge of divinization!

The Central Court Acupoint is located on the chest, at the lowest point of the sternum's central axis. At that moment, a single radiant point shimmered within it, though it had not yet been fully divinized.

A Serpent-Elephant Dragon could not compare to an Eight-Armed Malignant Dragon, and the life essence in its eggs was also inferior. There was a clear hierarchy among the different dragon lineages. Fortunately, there were two more eggs. Xiao Chen was confident that he could fully divinize the Central Court Acupoint that very night.

Moreover, as the vast dragon essence coalesced in the acupoint, he sensed something different this time. His life force seemed subtly stronger, brimming with an indescribable vitality.

Without further thought, Xiao Chen broke open the second dragon egg. Radiant life light once again filled the forest as a ball of blazing sacred flame enveloped him.

The three skeletons had lost their curiosity and began to focus on absorbing the energy from the crystals. The dozen superior crystals were shattered by their soul-light, dissolving into streams of multicolored radiance that slowly seeped into their bones and then into their soul-flames. Their soul-flames gradually grew in strength, and their bones took on a faint sheen.