Yan Feng’s worries caused other Candle Dragon Clan powerhouses to become deeply concerned as well.
Yan Feng’s concerns were not without reason.
The Candle Dragon Ancestor was sealed here by the Taiyin Goddess with resentment in his heart.
Should the Candle Dragon Ancestor break free from the seal and seek revenge against the Human Race, wouldn’t that be a path to destruction?
The Candle Dragon Clan and the sacred lands of the Human Race have coexisted peacefully for many years, long accustomed to a tranquil life; no one wishes to return to the brutal scenes of the ancient war.
During the first ancient war, whether Human or Demon Race, countless lives were lost. The Heavenly Sect was utterly destroyed, and the elder dragons of the Candle Dragon Clan also fell in batches. Even the Candle Dragon Ancestor was sealed.
It was precisely the painful lessons of that time that made both sides refrain from reigniting war for billions of years, maintaining a non-interference pact. While occasional conflicts arose—whether it was the Great Demons wreaking havoc upon the Human Dynasties or Everlasting Immortals slaying evil dragons—these were isolated incidents, not large-scale wars between entire races.
“A bunch of cowards afraid of these Human cultivators. Once the Ancestor is resurrected, with his unparalleled strength and wisdom, he’ll surely lead the Candle Dragon Clan to glory!”
The Silver Eyes Sector’s Clan Leader, Yin Hao, gazed fervently, brimming with adoration for the Candle Dragon Ancestor.
“Exactly! Without the Ancestor, we descendants wouldn’t even exist. Our Candle Dragon Clan needs a Dragon King to lead us!”
“Once the Ancestor breaks free from his seal and leads us to the Demon Realm, the Candle Dragon Clan will seize vast territories, no longer confined to this single island!”
The clansmen of the Silver Eyes Sector were equally fanatic.
“If the Ancestor is truly that powerful, he wouldn’t have been sealed by the Taiyin Goddess in the first place.”
Huo Wen poured cold water over their fervor, causing the initially heated Silver Eyes Sector clansmen to fall silent one by one.
Huo Wen’s words left them speechless.
Indeed.
If the Candle Dragon Ancestor were truly as formidable as Yin Hao claimed, he wouldn’t have lost to the Taiyin Goddess’ sword and been sealed here for billions of years, unable to escape.
Yin Hao let out a cold snort. “Hmph. Among the once-feared ancient Human Emperors, only two survived. One of them even became the Demon Lord, splitting the Human Race into two factions. After the immortal-demon war, countless Human powerhouses fell; their strength is nowhere close to what it once was. On the other hand, we Demons stood by as observers, rarely involved in the second ancient war. Our foundation may now rival that of the Human Race.”
Huo Wen shook her head. “The Human Race is full of exceptional figures. Even the Mount Taihua Sacred Land isn’t what it seems on the surface, let alone the Purple Void Palace, the Primordial Sacred Land, the Taishi Sacred Land, and other ancient holy lands and families. Furthermore, the Heavenly Court’s one hundred thousand Divine Palaces still house some ancient beings who remain intact. No matter what, the Candle Dragon Clan should steer clear of the disputes between the Human Race and the Demon Race. When the Ancestor breaks free of his seal, we must persuade him to let go of his hatred and maintain the status quo.”
“Once the Ancestor emerges, it will prove you wrong.”
Yin Hao disregarded Huo Wen’s perspective, sensing the boundless hatred within the prison towards the Taiyin Goddess harbored by the Ancestor.
The Candle Dragon Ancestor was sealed here with grudges over his defeat by the Taiyin Goddess. The Taiyin Goddess trapped him in the cold, forsaken depths of the Nether Sea for billions of years, subjecting him to endless torment.
Now that the Taiyin Goddess has perished, the Candle Dragon Ancestor is likely to shift his hatred toward the other Human cultivators.
“My daughter, you need not worry so much; everyone has their destiny to follow. Return to Lu and continue cultivating under his guidance. I observe that he possesses the bearing of a Great Emperor. If our Candle Dragon Clan ever faces extinction, seeking his help might be a viable option.”
Huo Zhang patted his daughter’s head, increasingly convinced that sending her to train under Lu Changsheng was a wise choice.
If the Candle Dragon Ancestor were to break free, leading the Candle Dragon Clan against the Human Race, his daughter’s connection might provide a way to mediate. At the very least, she could preserve the lineage of the Candle Dragon Clan.
“Who exactly did this?”
Yan Feng continued surveying traces nearby, hoping to identify whoever tampered with the seal to uncover their motives.
Above Zhong Mountain, a black-robed man silently observed everything happening below; not even someone as strong as Yan Feng could detect his presence.
“Next is the Eight Desolation Fire Dragon. The Primordial Goddess banished it to the deep void. Finding it won’t be easy.”
The black-robed man vanished on the spot.
At Yuntai Peak, Lu Changsheng continued rewarding his disciple, Dugu Aotian, with Star River Sand harvested from the divisional halls of the Blood Sea Palace.
If Lu Changsheng intends to use Jade Balance Star Core as the primary material to forge a supreme magical treasure, he needs to gather sufficient Jade Balance Star Cores.
[Ding, you rewarded your disciple, Dugu Aotian, with an Eighteenth Grade material, “Star River Sand,” and failed to receive a mentor reward.]
[Ding, you rewarded your disciple, Dugu Aotian, with an Eighteenth Grade material, “Star River Sand,” and failed to receive a mentor reward.]
…
[Ding, you rewarded your disciple, Dugu Aotian, with an Eighteenth Grade material, “Star River Sand,” and received 999,999,900 times the mentor reward: Jade Balance Star Core.]
Another Jade Balance Star Core!
Lu Changsheng was thrilled; at last, it was no longer the size of a fingernail, but two fingernail-sized Jade Balance Star Cores.
However, the Star River Sand harvested from the Blood Sea Palace’s divisional halls was fast depleting.
If Lu Changsheng wants to continue leveraging the system to obtain Jade Balance Star Cores, he’ll need to source more Star River Sand through other means.
“The Primordial Ancient Mine, rich in various ancient meteorite minerals, is jointly controlled by the Five Great Innate Holy Lands: Taiyi, Primordial, Taishi, Taisu, and Taiji. The only way to acquire Star River Sand is through purchases from them.”
As the Taihua Holy Son and the soon-to-be Taihua Saint Lord, Lu Changsheng’s identity ensures that as long as he pays the requisite price, the other sacred lands would grant him some leeway.
By trading even a fingernail-sized Jade Balance Star Core, Lu Changsheng could exchange it for one billion catties of Star River Sand.
While Star River Sand is merely the fragmented inner core of ordinary stars, it pales in comparison to the star core of Yu Heng Ancient Star.
“Junior Brother, bad news, terrible news!”
Zhao Wuyan rushed to Yuntai Peak in a fluster, his expression wrought with anxiety.
“Senior Brother Zhao, what happened?”
“Eldest Senior Brother was severely injured by Xiao Xiangdao, that unworthy pupil!”
“What?”
Lu Changsheng’s rare good mood was shattered, his face instantly darkened.
Xiao Xiangdao had made multiple attempts to harm his eldest disciple, Lin Qingzhi. Out of respect for Senior Brother Li Changye, Lu Changsheng hadn’t acted against Xiao Xiangdao. Now, Xiao Xiangdao dared to attack Li Changye himself, even rendering him gravely injured—this was outright betrayal of master and clan.
“The next time I see that boy, I’ll kill him with one strike. Is Eldest Senior Brother alright?”
“Everlasting Immortal used a supreme Divine Pill to save Eldest Senior Brother. However, Everlasting Immortal was furious and issued a bounty on Changliu Mountain. Anyone who kills Xiao Xiangdao will receive Changliu Mountain’s reward. That unworthy disciple—if only we’d killed him back at Mount Shu, none of this disaster would’ve arisen. I’ve heard from Eldest Senior Brother that after defecting to the Blood Sea Palace, Xiao Xiangdao obtained the Great Demon Inheritance. His demonic cultivation skills have advanced rapidly; even Eldest Senior Brother is no match for him.”
Zhao Wuyan gritted his teeth with rage.
“He’s already surpassed Eldest Senior Brother?”
Lu Changsheng realized the threat Xiao Xiangdao posed.
Through inheriting the Great Demon skills and cultivating demonic arts, Xiao Xiangdao’s cultivation level had soared.
However, cultivating demonic arts required an exceptionally strong will to avoid succumbing to madness.
Xiao Xiangdao’s obsession allowed him to make astonishing advancements in comprehending the Demonic Dao.
Nonetheless, Lu Changsheng would leave no room for mercy.
“We’ll issue a bounty too. Anyone who kills him will receive a twenty-first rank elixir pill… no, let’s make it three pills.”
Lu Changsheng, unfazed by wealth, decided to circulate a bounty throughout the Three Realms, leveraging their strength to pursue Xiao Xiangdao.
Acting lavishly without needing to intervene personally truly had its charm.
Lu Changsheng issued a bounty as the Taihua Holy Son, causing an immediate upheaval across the Three Realms.
Anyone capable of killing Xiao Xiangdao would simultaneously reap both Lu Changsheng and Everlasting Immortal’s bounties!
In no time, elites across the Three Realms began tracing Xiao Xiangdao’s whereabouts; even Yama-level assassins from the killer factions emerged…