Chapter 1078: The Judgment of the Ink Tyrant Dragon Knight - Douluo Dalu 4: Ultimate Fighting

TL: GoldenLung

Passing through the channel, the Dragon Force had been filtered and diluted.

What Lan Xuanyu could absorb now was only a lesser form of it. The effects were far from ideal.

He couldn’t help but wonder: *If the energy weren’t filtered, would its benefits be greater?*

It should be—yet to what extent, he couldn’t tell until he tried.

This filtration system must exist for a reason. The dragons on Celestial Dragon Planet probably couldn’t directly absorb unfiltered Dragon Force; their bodies would be unable to bear the overload and might even mutate. The so-called “dragon transformation” events in the past were most likely caused by creatures trying to absorb too much at once—resulting in death for many who couldn’t endure it.

When he had first sensed that other space, he had also felt danger. That must have been because powerful Celestial Dragons were cultivating within it. In other words, once one’s cultivation reached a certain level, one would train in that space rather than here in the Dragon Force Hall. The energy within this hall simply no longer met their needs.

Yes—that must be it.

Lan Xuanyu finally understood. Although the realization didn’t bring him closer to his goal, it gave him a clearer understanding of the Dragon Force Hall’s structure and purpose.

The reason Bai Xiuxiu had achieved such incredible progress the first time she absorbed Dragon Force was because her fusion with the Demon Queen had been incomplete. She had needed that True Dragon force to merge the two halves of herself.

The next time she absorbed it, the results would never be as dramatic as before.

Therefore, the two of them would still need to find a way to enter that mysterious space.

Just then, a voice reached his ear.

“Big Sister… are you all right?” Bai Xiuxiu’s voice carried a hint of panic.

Lan Xuanyu jolted awake, opening his eyes.

To his surprise, Bai Xiuxiu, Huang Daoqi, and Huang Yuanlang were all staring at him—wide-eyed, their faces full of astonishment.

Lan Xuanyu glanced down at himself instinctively. His female disguise was still intact, and his body didn’t feel any different.

“Why are you all looking at me like that?” he asked, puzzled.

Huang Yuanlang swallowed hard. “Miss Lan… do you feel any discomfort?”

Lan Xuanyu shook his head. “Not really. If anything, the absorption effect wasn’t great. My improvement isn’t much—certainly not as good as Xiuxiu’s.” His tone carried genuine disappointment.

Huang Daoqi’s expression grew odd. “But… you’ve already absorbed all of the Dragon Force. Not a single wisp overflowed.”

“What?” Lan Xuanyu blinked. “It’s over already?”

While he’d been thinking and analyzing, the Dragon Force within the hall had vanished completely without him realizing it.

Huang Daoqi’s mouth twitched slightly. He could sense the seal of the Dragon Force within Lan Xuanyu’s body. And yet—there was almost no visible reaction.

This was the first time he’d ever seen anything like it.

Even Huang Yuanlang, who absorbed less each time, always gained noticeable benefits afterward, though it took him time to digest them.

And for ordinary species, stepping into this place would result in nothing but agonized screams; even dragons would at least reveal their true forms under the strain.

But Lan Xuanyu—nothing. Absolutely nothing. As though it were the most natural thing in the world.

Such a phenomenon was beyond strange; it defied common sense.

Lan Xuanyu, for his part, only widened his eyes blankly, putting on the perfect look of confusion—

If you don’t know what’s going on, how would I?

Huang Daoqi fell silent for a while, then finally said, “Let’s leave it at that for now. We’ll go out first.”

Leaving the Dragon Force Hall, he instructed Huang Yuanlang to escort Miss Lan and Xiuxiu to a side chamber to rest, while he himself returned to his study.

It wasn’t long before Huang Yuanlang followed, his face tight with urgency.

“Father,” he asked anxiously, “what’s going on? Why does Miss Lan seem insensitive to Dragon Force? Isn’t Dragon Force supposed to be the strongest energy in existence? Every race that absorbs it should feel something.

“If she feels nothing… doesn’t that mean her bloodline isn’t actually that strong? As a dragon, wouldn’t that make her inferior to Xiuxiu in talent? Still, she is a Higher Dragon—shouldn’t we keep her? I can tell she’s not weak.”

His tone betrayed his concern—more for Miss Lan than for logic.

Huang Daoqi shook his head slowly. “No… it’s not that. I just spoke with the Ink Tyrant Dragon Knight. I know what’s happening.”

“The Ink Tyrant Dragon Knight?” Huang Yuanlang’s eyes widened. The very name made his heart skip a beat.

Huang Daoqi continued gravely, “He told me that if *he* were in the Dragon Force Hall—or even his mount—none of the Dragon Force there would be absorbed. Not a trace. The reason is simple: the energy there is far too low-level for them.

“He confirmed it himself. When someone absorbs the Dragon Force from the hall and feels no benefit at all, there’s only one explanation: the person’s bloodline level has already surpassed that of the filtered Dragon Force. It’s not that she’s weak—it’s that the Dragon Force here is beneath her.”

Huang Yuanlang was stunned. “You mean… Miss Lan’s bloodline level exceeds that of the Dragon Force Hall itself? That’s impossible! Even you gain something from it, Father!”

A bitter smile tugged at Huang Daoqi’s lips. “I don’t know what to think either. Maybe… we’ve stumbled upon a treasure. Provided, of course, that she truly is a wild-born dragon.

“The Ink Tyrant Dragon Knight told us to keep this matter strictly confidential—and to keep her here. He intends to come personally to see her.”

Huang Yuanlang’s throat tightened. “He’s coming *personally*? Then… will we even be able to keep Miss Lan?”

Huang Daoqi sighed helplessly. “I can’t say. But at least we still have Xiuxiu. And the Ink Tyrant Dragon Knight doesn’t belong to any single clan—he’s always been our protector. We’ve long paid him tribute for the resources we enjoy. To him, our Huang Family still has its uses.

“I could tell from his tone—he’s excited by this discovery. But what he plans to do, I can’t guess. We’ll have to wait for his arrival.”

Huang Yuanlang’s shoulders slumped. “Then what should we do now?”

Huang Daoqi’s eyes narrowed thoughtfully. “First, arrange identification papers for Miss Lan. Have her officially join our family. But I can’t acknowledge her as my daughter just yet—not until the Ink Tyrant Dragon Knight arrives. Come, let’s go see her together.”

“Yes, Father.”

As they left, Huang Daoqi glanced sideways at his son, his brow furrowing. “You… have feelings for Miss Lan, don’t you?”

Huang Yuanlang looked flustered. “She’s… beautiful. And she—”

“Enough,” Huang Daoqi cut him off coldly. “Don’t let me hear such talk again. If the Ink Tyrant Dragon Knight takes an interest in her, you’d better keep those thoughts buried deep.”

“…Yes, Father.” Huang Yuanlang dared not argue, bowing his head in submission.

—

In the side chamber, Lan Xuanyu and Bai Xiuxiu sat opposite each other, exchanging silent looks.

Bai Xiuxiu gave him a questioning glance.

Lan Xuanyu sighed softly and shrugged, then used sound transmission to explain what he’d discovered earlier.

“The energy level isn’t high enough?” Bai Xiuxiu frowned slightly. “Then what do we do? Is that other space the only one that can help you?”

Lan Xuanyu nodded. “Most likely. The top experts of Celestial Dragon Planet must have already researched that space thoroughly. The fact that they can draw Dragon Force from it and filter it for the weaker clans proves it’s under full control.

“But to enter that space… we’ll need a much higher status. For now, we’re newcomers with no foundation. We can’t afford to take risks. We’ll plan carefully—first, establish ourselves within the Huang Family.

“If they think I’m useless, I’ll step back. You can take the lead—they clearly value you more. The Dragon Force Hall’s energy does nothing for me anyway, so I’ll focus on gathering other sources of life energy for cultivation.”