Chapter 8

The Realm of Longevity.

Above the Nine Provinces lies a special world where illusion and reality blend.

In the Forbidden Sea at the continent's southern tip lies an island resembling a barbaric wilderness continent, standing deep in the ocean.

Towering ancient trees, ferocious beasts and vicious birds run rampant—a primordial, desolate landscape, like an ancient land left over from ages past.

More importantly, this barbaric island is home to all kinds of dragons.

Pterosaurs soar the skies like lightning flashing across the void; tyrannosaurs roar at the heavens as if questioning the sky; lion‑king dragons swallow the essence of sun and moon like dragon royalty.

This is an island belonging to the Dragon Clan, one of the forbidden lands of the Realm of Longevity—Dragon Island.

At the very heart of Dragon Island stands a holy mountain, upon which grows an ancient tree towering like a mountain.

Beneath the ancient tree lies an extremely aged Ancestral Dragon, stretched out in utter decrepitude.

This is likewise a true Ancestral Dragon, with antlers like a deer, head like an ostrich, eyes like a rabbit, neck like a snake, belly like a clam, scales like a fish, claws like an eagle, palms like a tiger, ears like an ox—an embodiment of the finest traits of all creatures.

Unfortunately, this Ancestral Dragon seems to have reached the end of its life, appearing extremely aged; its scales are dull and lackluster, and its skin hangs in folds over its bones like a skeleton dragon.

At this moment he lies prone beneath the ancient tree, revealing a pair of dragon eyes filled with the wisdom of ages, gazing kindly and affectionately at a small dragon fighting nearby, like a benevolent elder, with no aura escaping.

But just then, the old Ancestral Dragon seemed to sense something, instantly raising its head, its dragon eyes locking onto a certain direction.

Boom—

As if awakening from slumber, an immeasurable draconic might rose from him, majestic and holy, like a lofty deity gazing down upon the earth.

In an instant, the entire Dragon Island fell silent—every Dragon Clan lineage and every ferocious beast and bird of prey prostrated themselves, bowing toward the old Ancestral Dragon's direction.

Yet the old Ancestral Dragon paid no heed, its gaze fixed unblinkingly on a certain direction, as if trying to see through time and space.

Countless divine lights flowed within his dragon eyes, constantly calculating something.

After who knows how long, the old Ancestral Dragon's aura gradually waned, returning to the brink of its last breath, and it murmured uncertainly: "Ancestral Dragon, no, that's impossible!"

The Dragon Clan's lineages have been cursed by a supreme existence so terrifying that each generation can produce only one Ancestral Dragon, and two Ancestral Dragons must never meet, lest they bring great disaster upon the clan.

Yet he had just sensed the aura of another Ancestral Dragon, even feeling an urge to submit to it—something that should be impossible.

Aside from that special, naturally born Ancestral Dragon, there should be only this one Ancestral Dragon left in the Dragon Clan!

At that moment, the old Ancestral Dragon's heart stirred, and it instinctively glanced toward the half‑trunked Heaven‑Reaching Ancient Tree within the holy mountain.

On the severed trunk of that ancient tree now grows a palm‑sized sapling entwined with seven‑colored radiance, appearing utterly miraculous.

And before the small tree, there was an egg like seven-colored divine jade, enveloped by the tree's seven-colored radiance, as if protecting it.

The essence of heaven and earth continually gathered into this colored egg, as if nurturing the spirit of heaven and earth.

However, this colored egg was like a bottomless pit; no matter how much essence of heaven and earth gathered, it swallowed it all, unchanged for a thousand years.

But just then, apparently due to some change in heaven and earth, a crisp cracking sound rang from the eggshell, cracks appeared, and the ancestral dragon's heart startled.

But before he could do anything, the next moment the eggshell was broken open from inside, shattering everywhere, revealing a spotless white figure.

This was a small beast resembling both a lion cub and a tiger cub, its whole body covered in snow-white fur, smooth as jade, adorable to the extreme.

At this moment it seemed still a bit dazed; a pair of little paws rubbed its big eyes, blinked once, and blankly looked around.

On the other side, seeing the white little beast was not the ancestral dragon's form and also not noticing any changes in the dragon clan's pulses, the ancestral dragon couldn't help but sigh in relief and whispered: "Actually being born at this time, it seems my earlier sense was not wrong; indeed something related to my dragon clan has occurred in heaven and earth, but what exactly is it?"

As the words fell, his gaze toward the white little beast involuntarily showed a hint of complex color.

Kyushu, Ancestral Dragon Village.

In the small courtyard.

A dignified and pure female figure stood before Fengyi and Xiao Chen; clearly a stone body, emanating an immortal aura, yet like a flesh-and-blood body, appearing exceedingly beautiful.

However, at this moment the woman's figure was somewhat illusory, and her eyes were completely dim, as if lacking her own will, only instinct existed.

She glanced at Fengyi and Xiao Chen, finally fixing her gaze on Xiao Chen, and a heavenly voice sounded: "The dragon clan's supreme inheritance is activated."

"Ah?"

Seeing that dignified figure turn its gaze onto himself and hearing its words, Xiao Chen froze on the spot, feeling as if doubting his life.

At this moment his mind held only one absurd thought:

Could it be that I am not my parents' biological child, not even human, but a dragon?

On the other side, watching the ancestral dragon's phantom, which seemed like a program that only speaks according to preset words, Fengyi hurriedly activated the power of the Yellow Earth Altar.

Now is not the time for the ancestral dragon's inheritance to emerge!

Moreover, the Way of the Heavenly Stele is Xiao Chen's path; the ancestral dragon's Way is not suitable for him.

「Om, geh, ah, roar, moo, duh, zao, tao! 」

The primal eight sounds resonated again; this time they contained a certain power linking past and future, echoing deep in the spirit of the dignified female figure before them.

At the same time, an innate Bagua diagram formed by the arrangement of yin and yang lines appeared atop the Yellow Earth Altar.

The yin-yang lines continually shifted, forming various innate trigrams, gradually enveloping the whole courtyard, as if letting the entire courtyard transcend heaven and earth, becoming an escape beneath the Heavenly Dao.

A rushing illusory water sound rang out; countless images appeared, making the past and future of this place seem blurred.

In the next moment, the ancestral dragon's aura before Fengyi shifted; its previously dim eyes instantly regained their luster.

After glancing around, she fixed her gaze on the Yellow Earth Altar, precisely on the mysterious Bagua diagram atop it, her eyes showing a hint of bewilderment and shock.

After a while, she looked toward the strange man before her, as if sensing something, her eyes showing a hint of disbelief, and she uncertainly said: "Fuxi, Dao friend?"

(End of chapter)