[You dive deeper into the river!]
[Hundreds of meters, thousands of meters, tens of thousands of meters...]
[As you dive deeper and deeper, you find it somewhat unbelievable!]
[You've already descended hundreds of thousands of meters, haven't you?]
[And yet, you still haven't reached the bottom!]
[Is this what rivers were like in ancient times?]
[It's truly unimaginable.]
[As you go deeper into the water, you become increasingly cautious!]
[After all, the deeper the water, the more likely you are to encounter powerful fierce beasts.]
[However, your worries are unnecessary.]
[This is the territory of the Azure Flood Dragon, and no other water beasts linger here.]
[A few minutes later, you reach the bottom without any danger.]
[You clearly see a massive dragon palace structure at the bottom.]
[Could this be the Azure Flood Dragon's palace?]
[You gradually approach, softly calling out, "Azure Flood Dragon King."]
[But there's still no response.]
[Finally, you decide to step into the underwater dragon palace.]
["Creak!" You push open the dragon palace door without any hindrance.]
[Contrary to the grandeur outside, the scene inside the palace is filled with silence and desolation!]
[Not a single figure is in sight!]
[You continue to venture deeper.]
[After a long while, you finally hear a faint sound.]
[You cautiously move toward the source of the sound.]
["Roar!" Suddenly, you hear a dragon roar.]
[You see an azure giant dragon not far from you.]
[It is curled up, seemingly in pain.]
[You instinctively call out softly, "Azure Dragon?"]
[You never expected that in your search for the Azure Flood Dragon, you would encounter the Azure Dragon!]
[You wonder if the Azure Flood Dragon has successfully transformed into a dragon.]
["You say I'm a dragon? Am I really considered a dragon?"]
[Your soft call did not escape the Azure Dragon's ears.]
[It asks you incredulously.]
[It seems to want your confirmation.]
[But clearly, this approach is futile!]
[This is the Azure Dragon, the leader of the four sacred beasts in legends; far more powerful than ordinary golden dragons; who would have thought it would be ostracized in this world!]
[Thinking of this, you can't help but say, "Why seek its recognition? As long as you're strong enough, if you say you're a dragon, the Ancestral Dragon wouldn't dare deny it!"]
[Your words seem to give the Azure Dragon a new perspective.]
[Instantly, it falls silent.]
[It had never considered surpassing the Ancestral Dragon one day.]
[If it truly surpasses the Ancestral Dragon in strength, would it then be recognized by its kin?]
[Perhaps it's really possible!]
[After all, it knows that this world still respects strength above all.]
[After a long time, the Azure Dragon seems to have figured it out and solemnly says to you, "Thank you!"]
[Through a brief exchange, you gain the friendship of the Azure Dragon.]
[Afterward, you begin to inquire about the Azure Flood Dragon.]
[You're still not sure if the Azure Flood Dragon is the Azure Dragon!]
[Finally, you receive a definite answer.]
[The Azure Dragon is indeed the Azure Flood Dragon.]
[However, it's not that the people of the Azure Flood Dragon Tribe mistook it for a flood dragon!]
[But rather, its dragon identity is not recognized by the Dragon Clan, so it calls itself a flood dragon to the outside world.]
[Afterward, you ask many questions.]
[Such as the situation beyond the Endless Mountains.]
[Where there are human settlements, and so on!]
[Unfortunately, the Azure Dragon says: Since it was ostracized by its race and expelled from the Dragon Clan, it has been hiding in the river within the mountains.]
[So it knows nothing about the world beyond the Endless Mountains.]
[It only knows that the Endless Mountains are vast, with many small settlements like the Azure Flood Dragon Tribe.]
[But it doesn't know about large human settlements either.]
[However, there is good news, which is that the Azure Dragon knows many dangerous places within the Endless Mountains.]
[It informs you of all these locations.]
[After obtaining the information you need, you don't linger.]
[Instead, you say to the Azure Dragon, "You are a dragon, a one-of-a-kind Azure Dragon, I look forward to hearing your legend!"]
[Then you bid farewell and leave.]
[Unbeknownst to you, after you leave, the Azure Dragon holds out a dragon egg; softly murmuring, "Child, did you hear? We are dragons, someone acknowledged us as dragons!"]
[Afterward, the Azure Dragon performs a series of spells on the dragon egg.]
[Then it murmurs, "Child, wait a little longer, wait until I make everyone acknowledge our identity as Azure Dragons, then be born!"]