Chapter 221: Stalemate

After bidding farewell to the Floating Light Daoist, Lin Chuan arrived in the Tianlong Star Domain with the Monkey.

Stepping onto the soil of the Tianlong Star Domain, Lin Chuan felt a flood of emotions.

The dream-cycle once again projected itself into reality.

Today's Tianlong Star Domain differs greatly from the Tianlong Star Domain of the dream-cycle.

In the era of Tianmo Chuan, the Dragon Clan was the absolute hegemon in the Tianlong Star Domain; even after its decline, it still wielded considerable influence.

Now, however, the Dragon Clan's presence is hard to spot.

The true rulers of this star domain have become other races dominated by the Human Race.

"Where are Xue'er and sister?"

Lin Chuan deduced.

The Heavenly Mechanism guided him toward a mysterious place, but some unseen barrier prevented him from fully sensing Ye Xue's condition.

"Restricted by the Dragon Clan?"

"The karma from ancient times to now still cannot be broken?"

"Xue'er must be traveling for the Spirit Clan, right?"

Lin Chuan felt rather helpless.

Whether due to his bond with the Spirit Clan or for Ye Xue, he must go.

"Xue'er has already refined the Ancestral Dragon Source Blood; among the contemporary Dragon Clan, few strong ones can match it."

"If she leaves, the Dragon Clan is unlikely to retain her."

"Unless the Dragon Emperor and some ancient Dragon Clan relics intervene."

"It's rather tricky."

Lin Chuan thought to himself, yet his evasion grew faster.

Indeed, it's tricky.

But it's only tricky, that's all.

……

Dragon Clan Ancestral Land.

Clad in black, Ye Xue stared coldly at the Four Elders of the Dragon Clan and the contemporary Dragon Emperor standing before her.

"The Dragon Clan has fallen to this point; do you still cling to delusion?"

"If you don't abandon your so‑called lofty pure‑blood Dragon lineage, the Dragon Clan has only extinction ahead."

"Ye Xue! The Dragon Clan's affairs are not yours to meddle in!" the contemporary Dragon Emperor roared.

"I represent the Spirit Clan, not the Dragon Clan."

Ye Xue said coldly, "If you can achieve unity of body and mind, act boldly and accept responsibility, I wouldn't say anything."

"But you act and then refuse to acknowledge it—what is that?"

"Today the Spirit Clan's multitude—ninety percent suffer persecution by the Dragon Clan!"

"Today I come solely to seek justice for the Spirit Clan."

Since the primordial ages, the vast majority of the Dragon Clan have remained depraved; countless beings were forced, yet they refuse to acknowledge offspring afterward.

They even brutally suppress their own offspring and spouses to conceal the truth.

Thus many of the Spirit Clan bear the resulting evil.

But this evil should be borne by the Dragon Clan!

"To possess Dragon Clan blood is our gift to inferior beings."

The Dragon Emperor sneered, "You defend them? Ha!"

"Perhaps the Spirit Clan not only refuses this justice but weeps gratitude toward us."

"If we hadn't bestowed this gift, what would the Spirit Clan be?"

"The Dragon Clan's decline stems not from rejecting the Spirit Clan but from Lin Qingfan forcing the Dragon Clan to establish the Bloodline Bond."

"It wasn't her who forced the Dragon Clan to distribute cultivation resources; the Dragon Clan would have already risen in this era!"

The Dragon Emperor's massive body roared across the Heavenly Dome.

The entire Ancestral Land trembled.

"Ye Xue, we do not know where you obtained the Ancestral Dragon Source Blood, but since you have received its recognition, you should return to the Dragon Clan."

"You should become the next emperor of the Dragon Clan, not stand on the side of the Spirit Clan!"

"Otherwise! You will face the Ancestral Dragon's punishment!"

Several living‑fossil‑grade Elders of the Dragon Clan began to speak up in protest.

Ye Xue mocked, "What? In your eyes I'm mixed blood? The blood flowing in me is mortal blood."

The Elder said, "Having undergone the Source Blood baptism, you have already returned to a True Dragon Body, shedding Mortal Dust contamination; if you return, we will not hold past grievances."

"Returning me to the Dragon Clan is not impossible."

Ye Xue said, "My terms are clear: either the Dragon Clan upholds itself and bears the past evils..."

"... or unconditionally accept all Spirit Clan members bearing Dragon Clan blood."

"Foolish delusion!" the Dragon Emperor retorted outright.

"Ye Xue! Have you made up your mind?"

"Now you still lack the power to contend with us; we fear the Ancestral Dragon Source Blood and dare not move you, but we can imprison you here."

"If you do not agree, you will never see daylight again."

The Dragon Emperor threatened.

"You can try."

Ye Xue smiled unafraid, "Since I dared to come here, I've naturally prepared. If you're not afraid of the Dragon race's extinction, then try it."

Dragon Emperor's eyelid twitched.

"Scared!"

"I can't help but be scared."

Ye Xue's return was too sudden, and she even gained the approval of the Ancestral Dragon Source Blood; perhaps she truly possesses some means the Dragon race cannot resist?

The Dragon race today can't endure such turmoil.

"Scared now?"

Seeing this, Ye Xue's momentum grew, "If you're scared, then establish a Bloodline Bond; that's good for both the Dragon race and the Spirit Clan."

"Impossible!"

The dignity deep in his bones makes the Dragon Emperor subconsciously reject it.

"Then let's compare whose strength is greater."

Ye Xue becomes increasingly assertive.

Yet inside she feels uncontrollable panic.

After all, behind her there is nothing that can support her in a head‑to‑head clash with the Dragon Emperor and Clan Elder, who have already entered the Legendary Realm.

She is merely bluffing by leveraging the Ancestral Dragon Source Blood.

If she's trapped here, she can't return to see her husband.

So much time has passed; perhaps her husband has already revived, and what worries her more is whether the other women will seize the position of the principal wife.

"The others I can tolerate!"

"The principal wife position must be mine!"

"It's been so long; sister must also be worried about me, but I'm now on a tiger I can't get off."

"Do I have to use the Ancestral Dragon Source Blood to employ forbidden techniques to escape here?"

"But if so, I'll be utterly inferior."

Ye Xue ultimately still underestimated the Dragon Emperor's pride; now the Dragon race has only a few hundred True Dragons left, and its extinction trend is foreseeable.

Clearly, accepting the Spirit Clan is the best outcome; it benefits both the Dragon race and the Spirit Clan.

Yet the Dragon race still can't let go of the so‑called pride.

"Let's wait a bit longer and see!"

"Patience is what negotiations need most."

Ye Xue stands proudly, her exterior still a calm, breezy demeanor.

Dragon Emperor is unwilling to back down.

Both sides fall silent, falling into a stalemate.

……

Qingyun Prefecture, Lin Family's small courtyard.

Lü Ya's dream Reincarnation continues.

【Master Chuan's passing is the greatest sorrow of your life.】

【Now you are an independent being, not a bound Sword Spirit; between you and Chuan, the Original Fate Restriction has long ceased.】

【But destiny has already linked you, inseparably.】

【You long to leave together with Chuan.】

【But at the thought of Chuan, you restrain yourself; you must fulfill the task Chuan entrusted before his death.】

【"Master, I will certainly pursue the destiny you bear that is entirely different from this world!"】

【"But… how shall I search for it?"】

【"Standing on a dead‑silent star, you look at the boundless universe, unable to sense any living being's aura."】

【"I don't know where to go."】

【"Master, weren't you supposed to give me Guidance? Where are you?"】

【"Chuan has long turned into a beam of light, streaking across the universe, extinguishing in the depths of Chaos, leaving before your eyes only a heart."】

【"That is not Chuan's heart, but Yun's heart."】

【"You never used to think much; following Master's endless killing, from Mortal Dust to Ancient God, from Living World to Chaos Universe."】

【"You never had to use your brain."】

【"But at this moment, you tell yourself you must become a bit smarter."】