“Clan Leader, the young lady has returned.”
In the Nether Sea, on Zhong Mountain, the Red Pupil Tribe’s Clan Leader Huo Zhang was cultivating the Candle Dragon Clan’s cultivation technique when a clan member reported that Huo Wen had returned to the Candle Dragon Clan.
Huo Zhang was overjoyed and immediately led the clan members to receive her.
Huo Wen had accompanied Lu Changsheng to Meteorite Island to eliminate the Blood Sea Palace’s branch. Coincidentally, the Candle Dragon Clan’s tribe was located in the Nether Sea, so after the mission’s conclusion, Huo Wen took the opportunity to visit the Candle Dragon Clan.
“Hahaha, I never expected that my precious daughter, after such a short time cultivating at Mount Taihua, would already be catching up to my cultivation level.”
Seeing Huo Wen’s tremendous growth in cultivation, Huo Zhang was deeply gratified.
He felt assured that sending his daughter to follow the descendant of the Dragon Empress and cultivate under Lu Changsheng was indeed the right choice.
“Congratulations, Clan Leader! Your legacy is secure.”
Members of the Red Pupil Tribe offered their congratulations one after another.
Huo Wen, however, thought it was entirely natural.
Lu Changsheng annually provides his disciples with abundant cultivation resources and occasionally conducts power-infusing initiations. It would be hard for his disciples not to progress rapidly in cultivation—Huo Wen’s pace was considered slow by comparison.
As Huo Wen returned, Huo Zhang organized a grand feast within the Red Pupil Tribe to welcome his daughter back.
Beneath Zhong Mountain, at the Sealing Grounds, the depths were cold and unfathomable, covered in intricate formation patterns, with eighteen layers of Ancient Formations.
At the entrance of the formation stood a chilling iron prison gate.
A man cloaked in black silently appeared before the iron gate.
The black-robed man had two horns on his head, and his robe was adorned with mysterious dragon patterns.
He extended his hand to touch the iron gate, and an icy cold spread instantly, causing his fingers to freeze at an astonishing speed.
With sharp fingernails, he withdrew his hand from the gate. The black-robed man let out a cold snort, channeling his True Qi, from which black flames emerged, melting the ice covering the gate.
The commotion caused by the black-robed man seemed to awaken an ancient presence sealed within the eighteen layers of formations. As it exhaled, a mist of cold white enveloped the area, causing the black-robed man’s robes to flutter wildly.
“It seems you’ve awakened. I’ll help you this once, but whether you can break free depends on yourself. I need to find the others.”
Taking a deep breath, the black-robed man pressed his palm against the gate, ignoring the chilling frost forming again. A world-ending aura of annihilation shattered the ice and poured into the eighteen layers of formations, fracturing their ancient patterns.
Several of the patterns showed visible cracks.
Boom…
The island within Zhong Mountain shook violently. The earth trembled, rocks tumbled down from mountaintops, and the coastline surged with towering waves.
The members of the Red Pupil Tribe, who were in the middle of the feast, felt the quakes, stumbling and tumbling with dishes scattered everywhere.
“This is bad! The sealed ancestor’s location has loosened!”
Disregarding the damage, Huo Zhang immediately headed to the Sealing Grounds.
Huo Wen followed closely behind Huo Zhang to the Sealing Grounds.
The Sealing Ground was where the Taiyin Goddess had sealed the Candle Dragon Ancestor in the past.
To safeguard the Sealing Grounds, the Candle Dragon Clan had chosen to remain within the Nether Sea, rather than migrating to the Demon Realm.
In front of the Sealing Grounds, the Candle Dragon Clan’s elite filled the area.
Besides the eight tribal leaders and elders, even some long-lost Old Dragons had appeared.
The old dragon Yan Feng, leaning on his cane, closed his eyes and swept his Divine Sense across the entire Sealing Grounds, attempting to discern what had occurred.
“Ancestor, what caused the tremor just now?”
“Someone is attempting to destroy the seal.”
“Who could it be?”
“The seal left by the Taiyin Goddess is extraordinarily secure, consisting of eighteen layers of Ancient Formations. These formations can even harness the Spiritual Energy of the heavens and earth to resist those who seek to destroy them. For generations, we’ve all attempted to break the seal but have never succeeded…”
“You’re mistaken. While the Taiyin Goddess’s seal is formidable, it is ultimately not eternal. Over time, the erosion of years has caused the seal to weaken. Coupled with this recent attempt at destruction, the formations will soon collapse.”
“The formation sealing the Ancestor is finally being undone. Does this mean the Ancestor will soon return to the Three Realms?”
“Our Candle Dragon Clan has been without a Dragon King for ages. Now, with the Dragon King’s return, our clan will finally rise to greatness again.”
“Compared to other dragon clans, we have indeed fallen into decline for too long.”
The members of the Candle Dragon Clan were thrilled.
The seal, which generations of their clan could not break, was finally loosening.
The Candle Dragon Ancestor, in Ancient Times, was a Dragon King-level Demon Race Great Power who wielded the ability to command the waters of the Nether Sea and often traversed the Three Realms, notorious for his terrifying reputation.
Currently, the Candle Dragon Clan had been diminished due to the lack of a Dragon King-level expert, occupying Zhong Mountain on the periphery of the Immortal Realm, with barely any presence.
Once the Candle Dragon Ancestor broke free from the Taiyin Goddess’s seal, the Candle Dragon Clan could reclaim its position as one of the strongest dragon clans.
The old dragon Yan Feng, however, furrowed his brow tightly.
Huo Wen, having spent time cultivating under the human cultivators, had learned to observe and interpret subtle emotions. Seeing the old ancestor’s troubled expression, she asked, “The Ancestor is about to break free. Why does Elder appear so burdened?”
The leaders of the eight tribes all instinctively turned their eyes to the old dragon.
Yan Feng, having once witnessed the Old Dragon Emperor’s reign, was the most esteemed elder of the Candle Dragon Clan in the absence of the Candle Dragon Ancestor.
“Our Candle Dragon Clan, to remain in the Immortal Realm, has reconciled with the Human Race and formed alliances with Guanghan Palace and Mount Taihua Sacred Land. Essentially, the grudges from the First Ancient War have largely dissolved. However, the Ancestor, during the final stages of that war, vehemently opposed the idea of peace between the Demon Kings. He sought to command the waters of the Nether Sea to flood the northern Immortal Realm, which ultimately drew the Taiyin Goddess into action, sealing him beneath Zhong Mountain. Given the Ancestor’s deep hatred for the Human Race, once the seal is broken, our clan may face destruction… After all, the Human Race has flourished for a long time, wielding Qi Destiny, and being favored by the will of heaven and earth. For us dragons to clash with them again would undoubtedly lead to self-destruction…”