Chapter 42

**The Heart of the Yellow River?**

When Yuan Kui heard from the Wuzhiqi that there was a vortex at the core of the Yellow River, a place even the three of them dared not enter, his heart was greatly moved.

He couldn't help but think: Could it be some treasure left by his previous life? Yuan Kui was overjoyed and, with a twist of his dragon body, swam in the direction Wuzhiqi had pointed.

Feng Ye sensed Yuan Kui's thoughts and, seeing Yuan Kui searching at the bottom of the Yellow River, couldn't help but pout.

If the Yellow River was indeed formed from the body of the Nine-Headed Human Emperor, then the core of the Yellow River would naturally be the heart of that emperor. The so-called Heart of the Yellow River could be nothing more than the heart of the Nine-Headed Human Emperor!

Hmm, perhaps Yuan Kui could achieve the rank of a Golden Immortal through this. There are some benefits, so let him go and try! After all, he has a powerful background, making his cultivation easier than my own.

Feng Ye felt a wave of envy. As Feng Ye had thought, the so-called Heart of the Yellow River was indeed the heart left by the Nine-Headed Human Emperor. Yuan Kui, being the incarnation of the Nine-Headed Spirit, naturally had a connection with the heart, unlike Feng Yi, Wuzhiqi, and the others, who were blocked by the vortex around the heart.

The heart and the brain are considered the two most important parts of the human body. Unlike the brain, which is the source of spirit, the heart supplies blood, which can also be considered the source of essence blood.

The heart of the Nine-Headed Human Emperor contained the essence blood from the strongest period of the Nine-Headed Clan, which would be of great use to Yuan Kui.

Yuan Kui entered the vortex without any obstacles and saw a golden heart. When Yuan Kui touched the heart, it seemed to have its own intelligence, extending a blood vessel that instantly pierced Yuan Kui's chest.

Yuan Kui didn't have time to react and let out a muffled groan before fainting. Fortunately, the vortex protected him, ensuring his safety.

However, Feng Ye, who was far away, couldn't sit still. After all, Yuan Kui was his avatar, and if anything happened to him, Feng Ye would suffer a great loss.

Although Feng Ye was usually reclusive, in this situation, remote control was not practical. He instructed Feng Zhong to watch the house and headed towards the core of the Yellow River.

When Yuan Kui encountered trouble at the core of the Yellow River, Feng Yi, Wuzhiqi, and the others naturally didn't care. They broke free from their restraints and began to discuss what to do next.

"That core of the Yellow River, even we dare not approach, it's very dangerous. How could he possibly survive?" Feng Yi said dismissively.

Wuzhiqi and the Yellow Dragon were not as optimistic as Feng Yi.

Wuzhiqi analyzed, "That person was originally looking for something here, and the only place in the Yellow River that could hide something without us noticing is the vortex at the core. Although we dare not go there, don't forget that the person's abilities are far superior to ours. He might turn a disaster into a blessing and find what he's looking for. Moreover, if he doesn't find it and discovers that we deliberately deceived him, he might come after us!"

The Yellow Dragon nodded, "Wuzhiqi is right. We should take this opportunity to run. The Yellow River is not safe!"

"You're giving him too much credit. Have you forgotten the crocodile king from a few years ago? Even it was torn apart by the vortex, let alone that evil dragon!" Feng Yi said dismissively.

The crocodile king Feng Yi mentioned was originally a large crocodile that had become a spirit. A thousand years ago, it had absorbed the essence of Gonggong, although it didn't achieve the rank of a Golden Immortal like the black dragon, it was only a step away. If even it died, how could Yuan Kui survive? In Feng Yi's mind, that person was much more powerful than Yuan Kui.

Wuzhiqi and the Yellow Dragon fell silent. Indeed, but what if something unexpected happened? If he survived and obtained what he wanted, and then left, it would be fine. But what if he came after them?

Wuzhiqi and the Yellow Dragon were different; they were not the water gods of the Yellow River and could leave freely, unlike Feng Yi.

"Feng Yi, the River God Seal is in that person's hands. Do you think he will return it to you?" the Yellow Dragon suddenly asked.

Feng Yi's face changed. Without the River God Seal, he couldn't continue as the River God of the Yellow River. The Yellow Dragon, being a member of the dragon clan, called Yuan Kui an "evil dragon," but Feng Yi knew that he was a true celestial dragon, a genuine dragon god. The Yellow Dragon might still have some respect for him.

And Wuzhiqi, being a primordial water ape, was also very useful. Feng Yi, on the other hand, was just a human soul who had fallen into the water and become a water ghost, then obtained a great opportunity and became a god. Without his divine position, he would just be a lonely soul, and it was uncertain whether that person would even care.

However, Feng Yi couldn't leave. As a water ghost, he had long been bound to the Yellow River and couldn't leave.

Thinking about this, Feng Yi tried to persuade the Yellow Dragon and Wuzhiqi to ambush Yuan Kui. In Feng Yi's view, even if that person entered the vortex and obtained what he wanted, he would surely be weakened. The three of them together might have a chance to defeat him.

But the Yellow Dragon and Wuzhiqi had known Feng Yi for a long time and could guess his intentions. No matter how much Feng Yi tried to persuade them, they just ignored him and prepared to run.

Fortunately, they left early. Not long after they left, Feng Ye arrived. With a wave of his hand, he froze Feng Yi, waiting to deal with him later.

...

Feng Ye arrived at the vortex. Since he was not Yuan Kui himself, even though they were one, the vortex did not recognize him, and he could only circle around it.

However, he could still see what was happening inside the vortex.

In Feng Ye's eyes, the scene inside the vortex was like a biohazard. A heart-like object extended two thick blood vessels, which directly pierced the chest of Yuan Kui's three-zhang-long dragon body, continuously wriggling.

What a tentacle play! Feng Ye shuddered. He continued to watch. The blood vessels continuously wriggled in Yuan Kui's chest, and the heart continuously injected a liquid into Yuan Kui's body, making the heart smaller and smaller. At the same time, Yuan Kui's vitality gradually faded.

Feng Ye wanted to help but ultimately held back. The situation was unknown, so it was better to wait. His spiritual senses told him that the current situation might not be a bad thing; it looked like the Nine-Headed Heart was injecting all its essence into Yuan Kui's body.

However, it was surprising that Yuan Kui's vitality was fading instead of increasing. Could there be some deeper meaning?

Could this be the Dragon Shedding method of the dragon clan? Feng Ye's heart stirred.

Dragon Shedding, the evolution method of the dragon clan, is somewhat similar to the Phoenix's rebirth.

The dragon clan and the Phoenix clan have been entangled for a long time in the ancient era, and the dragon clan ultimately achieved victory, which naturally has its unique aspects. The Phoenix clan can be reborn and continuously resurrect. The dragon clan naturally found its own method, which is Dragon Shedding.

Not only the dragon clan, but also the snake and turtle-like creatures, which are close to the dragon clan, mostly undergo Dragon Shedding. Snakes, centipedes, turtles, and so on. These creatures can also transform into dragons.

As Feng Ye thought, now that Yuan Kui's vitality had completely faded, he was undergoing Dragon Shedding. After Dragon Shedding, the dragon body would be renewed, the dragon scales would be more solid, the dragon horns would be more sturdy, and the dragon claws would be more powerful. This is a method of evolution and cultivation for the dragon clan.

The time for Dragon Shedding is generally every five hundred or a thousand years. However, it can also occur during advancement or in special situations.

Yuan Kui absorbed all the essence blood from the heart of the Nine-Headed Clan, and his true body began to transform into the true body of the Nine-Headed Human Emperor. Naturally, he had to undergo Dragon Shedding.

Feng Ye could only guard Yuan Kui to ensure that his Dragon Shedding was not disturbed. The rest could only be done by Yuan Kui himself.

Feng Ye guarded for nine days and nine nights, and finally, Yuan Kui's Dragon Shedding was completed. Since it was not a normal Dragon Shedding, the time was different.

A dragon's roar echoed, and a golden light split open from the head of Yuan Kui's dragon body. From it, a small dragon flew out, only one zhang long, nearly a hundred times smaller than Yuan Kui's original hundred-zhang-long body.

Moreover, the appearance of the golden dragon was different from before. It had deer antlers, ox ears, fish scales, and a snake body, which were different from before. Even the dragon head had only one, not the nine heads of the Nine-Headed Clan. The most significant difference was in the dragon's toes.

Yuan Kui's new body had five dragon claws, and each claw had nine dragon toes, symbolizing the ultimate form of a dragon, the Nine-Five Supreme.

The Nine-Clawed Golden Dragon, strictly speaking, refers to the number of toes, not the number of claws. The dragon clan generally has four claws, and only the royal clan or some extremely powerful dragon gods have five claws.

The distinction of the Nine-Clawed Dragon is based on the number of dragon toes. The lowest is the three-clawed dragon, followed by the four-clawed dragon, which is very common. Three-clawed dragons are generally in their youth, and adult dragons are usually four-clawed. If a fifth dragon toe grows, it can be considered a dragon king, from a small well dragon king to the four sea dragon kings. Generally, the potential of ordinary dragons does not exceed five toes. Beyond that, it is not something ordinary dragons can achieve.

The Nine-Five Supreme, specifically, refers to five claws and