Chapter 2186 - Sowing Disaster
Standing once again before the Ancestral Dragon Barrier, Yun Che did not directly break through it with the Dragon Jade as he had before. His figure came to a halt, and even the aura around him stagnated, leaving only a brief, almost suffocating stillness.
Meng Chaoyang watched from afar, his gaze deep and unfathomable.
He was an extremely rational man, and also most skilled at reading people's expressions and peering into their hearts. Back when Yun Che first arrived at the Weaving Dream Divine Kingdom and contended with Meng Jianxi, he was the first among the nine Dream Hall Masters to step forward and support Yun Che.
After that, he naturally became one of the hall masters closest to Yun Che.
From his three years of observing and understanding Yun Che, setting aside his astonishing talents of all kinds, he possessed a temperament and cunning that should not belong to someone of his age.
Clearly only two jiazi in age, a Divine Lord realm cultivator, yet his pupils seemed to hold a boundless deep sea. Even his occasional curious probing could only touch upon a chaos that seemed never-ending.
As a cultivator of the soul, he knew better than anyone how abnormal—even terrifying—it was for such a young age to harbor such a sea of souls.
He had once discussed this matter with Meng Kongchan, who had only responded with a face full of pride and delight, then burst into uncontrollable laughter.
If this were a son of another nation, he would undoubtedly be a terrible anomaly. But he was the Weaving Dream Divine Son—that was an entirely different matter.
He had even ordered all Dream Halls that no one was to probe Yun Che's soul, and their awareness was not even to touch his Divine Son Hall... Even necessary concern and protection were not to overstep.
Thus, Yun Che's behavior today was truly too abnormal.
The reason he had hastily given, he would not believe at all. Now that Yun Che had come to his senses, he himself would surely find it too absurd and a desperate choice.
So, what exactly had he encountered in that Dragon Clan forbidden zone, and what was he deliberately hiding?
"..." Standing before the Ancestral Dragon Barrier, Yun Che faintly sensed Meng Chaoyang's gaze filled with worry, solemnity, and deep inquiry.
Taking out the pale Dragon Jade again, light rippled gently, parting the barrier ahead.
This time, without needing the Dragon Clan guards to announce, within just a few breaths, the Dragon Lord arrived swiftly, carrying an urgency that seemed either deliberate or unable to be concealed in time.
Long Zhiming descended slowly not far in front of Yun Che, not stirring a speck of dust, his face still bearing a warm smile.
Before Yun Che could speak, he raised his hand in welcome: "The Abyss Divine Son returns after leaving—truly this old one is both surprised and delighted. Just now, I heard that the Abyss Divine Son had hastily taken leave. I was still in the hall, unable even to urge you to stay. My heart has been uneasy, repeatedly pondering, fearing that some neglect might have offended our honored guest."
Yun Che looked directly at him. The aged voice entered his ears, causing a brief buzzing in his sea of souls.
The Dragon Lord of the Abyss Dragon Clan, Long Zhiming. Aside from the Abyss Emperor and the four Divine Officers of the Pure Land, he was the living being that had existed the longest.
With such status, such seniority, yet there was not a trace of arrogance above all living beings, nor any airs or restraint of an ancient. Facing a junior like him, who was only "two jiazi" old, he was so gentle, so eager, even... not sparing some caution and humility in his ancient body that had lived for a million years.
He knew well the arrogance of dragons.
Long Zhiming was not naturally like this, nor was he afraid of the Divine Kingdom.
His time was running out. All he showed, all he did, was for one purpose, one obsession...
The future of the Abyss Dragon Clan, especially the Ancestral Dragon lineage.
For this, he could set aside all pride and nature engraved in his dragon bones, be humble, bow his head, deceive, be despicable, and use any means he once scorned.
He thought of Zhou Xuzi.
He thought of himself, who was also using any means for his homeland.
All were burdened men, all selfish men, despicable men, sinful men... Since that was the case, they should have long been prepared to bear any consequences and retribution.
Such was the Dragon Lord, and such was himself!
He smiled, warm and apologetic, then gave Long Zhiming a slight bow: "Lord Dragon Senior, how could you say that? Your generous hospitality only fills this junior with gratitude and trepidation—where is there any neglect?"
He sighed lightly, a hint of complexity and bitterness appearing just right on his face: "My sudden departure without saying goodbye just now was truly... a flight of escape."
"A flight... of escape?"
Long Zhiming's white brows twitched, a look of astonishment on his face. He had considered various possibilities, but never thought the answer would be this: "This... this old one is truly puzzled."
"It is not related to Senior or the Dragon Clan, but my own turmoil and self-injury," Yun Che said, the shame in his brows seeming to grow clearer.
Long Zhiming's eyes grew even more confused. He could only force a bitter smile: "This old one is even more at a loss."
Yun Che stepped forward slowly, his expression calm, yet still carrying some inexplicable guilt: "This junior's return after leaving is to set aside all stray thoughts and be resolute in heart. I will tell you all the details, Senior, and will no longer hide anything."
Seeing Yun Che like this, Long Zhiming, who had been disturbed by Yun Che's abrupt departure, finally set his heart at ease. He smiled and made a gesture of invitation: "Then let us return to the main hall and talk slowly."
Yun Che added, "Also, the matter I wish to discuss involves the Ancestral Dragon lineage. Perhaps Senior could summon all Ancestral Dragons in the clan to the hall to discuss and witness together."
Long Zhiming, however, smiled bitterly: "The Abyss Divine Son may not know—the purer the Ancestral Dragon bloodline, the harder it is to pass on. This old one has lived for a million years yet has only one son, Wang Chu."
"Throughout this entire Dragon Clan, those still worthy of being called 'Ancestral Dragons' number fewer than ten fingers. The vast majority are either of other races, with chi dragons and shen dragons being the majority, or distant and mixed, bearing only a thin Ancestral Dragon bloodline. Forcing the title 'Ancestral Dragon' on such ones would be a great disrespect to the ancestors."
At this, his old eyes suddenly turned cloudy, and a disheartened sigh escaped his lips: "Thinking back to ancient times, our clan's ancestor Dragon God, the Primordial Azure Dragon, whose might shook the world, unmatched under the Creation Gods, led the Dragon God Clan above all races. Now, we are so humble, so withered..."
Realizing he had lost his composure, Long Zhiming quickly turned his gaze back: "At the end of my years, I often get sudden sentiments. The Abyss Divine Son must forgive my indulgence. Since you have such good intentions, I shall summon the strongest and most esteemed among my Ancestral Dragon lineage."
His old eyes swept around, and a deep dragon roar faintly faded into the distance: "Long Chixin, Long Qianxin, come quickly to the Ancestral Dragon Hall to discuss great matters with the Abyss Divine Son."
At the Ancestral Dragon Hall, Yun Che and Long Zhiming sat down again, while Long Chixin and Long Qianxin stood on either side, their expressions calm, eyes half-lidded, clearly not believing there would really be any "great matters."
Meng Chaoyang stood a little closer this time, his eyes half-closed, his aura fully restrained, revealing no emotion.
"Abyss Divine Son," Long Zhiming began, "you are the Weaving Dream Divine Son, the most honored of guests to our clan. You also possess Ancestral Dragon bloodline. This old one shamelessly regards you as half a clansman. So, whatever the matter, speak freely, with no need for restraint."
"Good!"
Yun Che nodded, assuming an expression of having made a great decision: "Since I have made up my mind and returned, I will no longer hide anything."
He looked directly at Long Zhiming and said slowly: "In the Pure Land, I once told the Lord Dragon Senior that this body had been bestowed with dragon blood and dragon marrow by my master, thus possessing Ancestral Dragon aura."
"In truth... at that time, I had concerns and held back."
With that, he took a light breath, gathering his aura slowly. Then, his dragon blood erupted violently, and the Dragon God's aura was released almost without reserve.
The space trembled, the airflow surged, and though there was no sound, everyone's hearts seemed to echo with a distant dragon roar.
Long Chixin and Long Qianxin, who had been silent, both trembled violently, their pupils constricted, their faces shocked to the point of terror.
Long Zhiming shot up from his seat so abruptly that his beard and hair stood on end, dancing wildly without wind. His old eyes stared fixedly at Yun Che, wide to the point of nearly bursting.
"This... this... this... you... you..."
Trembling, broken syllables spilled from his unclosing mouth, unable to form a complete sentence. Even Long Chixin and Long Qianxin, who had followed him for years, had never seen him so utterly discomposed.
Even Meng Chaoyang suddenly raised his head, a strange light blazing in his eyes.
Though not a dragon, he could sense with extreme clarity that the Ancestral Dragon aura Yun Che now released was only at the Divine Lord realm, much weaker than any Ancestral Dragon present, but its purity and density were clearly superior—far superior—to Dragon Lord Long Zhiming himself!
And this was only the beginning.
Glancing at the three who were shocked out of their wits, a faint blue light flickered in Yun Che's eyes, and deep within his pupils reflected the shadow of an azure dragon.
The next moment, a massive azure dragon shadow surged up behind Yun Che. It coiled in the air, its head slightly lowered, as if looking down upon all lowly beings.
Accompanied by a vast dragon roar that shook the world and shattered the void,
**ROAR——————**
The dragon roar trembled through the Ancestral Dragon Hall, echoing across the entire Ancestral Dragon Mountain Range.
Thousands of dragon runes and ancient seals in the hall stopped flowing, their dragon radiance dimmed, leaving only disordered trembling and faint wails.
The vast Dragon Clan seemed to have all sound erased in an instant, falling into a complete dead silence.
From the Ancestral Dragons down to the lowest young dragons, all their ears roared, their dragon souls trembled in fear. When their consciousness barely struggled free from blankness and fragmentation, they found their bodies and souls completely out of control, trembling madly, unable to stop.
Many dragon bodies had already fallen to their knees, even prostrating themselves, unable to rise for a long time.
**Thud!**
Long Zhiming's old dragon body suddenly tilted. He barely managed to brace himself against his seat to keep from collapsing to the ground.
With his powerful dragon soul, he should not have been intimidated to this extent by Yun Che's dragon soul. What shook his soul was the shock and terror too violent and overwhelming, shattering his very cognition.
The dust in the hall stood still, the airflow congealed. Long Chixin and Long Qianxin were completely stupefied, their eyes vacant, as if in an absurd dream.
Long Zhiming remained in his tilted position, hand propping up the seat, as if this dragon roar had robbed him of his million years of accumulated composure and calm in an instant.
This was a dragon roar from Yun Che, yet it carried a ancient authority that seemed to span endless ages.
Yun Che lowered his arm, and his dragon aura and dragon soul vanished instantly.
But the Ancestral Dragon Hall remained utterly silent. Yun Che began to speak without waiting: "In truth, my master's bestowals back then—be it dragon blood, dragon marrow, or dragon soul—were far from as thin as I revealed in the Pure Land. They were extremely profound. It was just that I had concerns at the time, so I only made a simple acknowledgment and did not tell the full truth."
"..." Meng Chaoyang frowned slightly. His lips moved, clearly wanting to speak but holding back.
When one possesses a precious jade, one should hide it with all one's might... Yun Che could not be ignorant of that. Otherwise, even he, the Dream Hall Master, would not have known until today.
Why would he suddenly and voluntarily expose such a huge secret to the Dragon Clan now?
Long Zhiming's beard twitched violently, clearly wanting to say something, but for a long time, no sound came out. As his body tilted, he nearly fell again, then seemed to wake from a dream and hurriedly steadied himself.
But his dragon blood still churned, his sea of souls still surged, and his ancient face changed in an instant from the earlier pallor to a flushed red.
"Ab... Ab... Abyss Divine Son, your dragon blood... dragon soul... where exactly did it come from!?"
Though still carrying a strong tremble, he could finally speak complete words.
But his eyes, fixed on Yun Che, no longer held the earlier warmth—they were as startled as if a myriad stars had shattered.
A thought even flashed through his mind, absurd beyond measure: for his Ancestral Dragon soul to be so terrified, it was almost like the supreme dragon might of the Dragon God ancestor.
Long Chixin and Long Qianxin were completely wooden, unable to speak, unable to calm down. They had dismissed the so-called "great matter" just now, but now it was so "great" it nearly broke their hearts and souls.
Yun Che shook his head: "My master bestowed it. I do not know which Ancestral Dragon senior it came from, nor was it convenient to ask."
Before Long Zhiming could ask again, he continued: "Earlier, in the Pure Land, when the Lord Dragon Senior questioned me, I appeared calm but was actually nine-tenths hiding the truth. It was not to conceal the jade on my person, but... out of selfishness."
"And now, revealing it fully before all the Ancestral Dragon Seniors is not to show off, but..." He let out a light breath, his expression as if finally setting down a heavy burden in his heart: "to fulfill my master's last wish."
"Your master's... last wish?" Long Zhiming's body unconsciously leaned forward, his throat rolling violently, his voice carrying an excitement that seemed ready to burst forth: "Related to our... Dragon Clan?"
He seemed to sense something, to expect something. The tide of his heart, not yet fully calmed, began to surge even more violently.
"Of course."
Yun Che nodded. His gaze slowly swept over Long Chixin and Long Qianxin, then faced Long Zhiming directly, his expression fully open:
"When my master bestowed the Ancestral Dragon inheritance upon me, he sighed and said... the Dragon Clan was once the supreme of all races, its might overwhelming all worlds. But in this Abyss Dust World, the dragon power and dragon bodies have all been eroded by the Abyss, their strength and lifespans drastically reduced. They can only struggle to survive and pass on with all their might, but in the end, they are still step by step approaching extinction, and even the Ancestral Dragon lineage has withered nearly to ruin."
These words precisely described the Dragon Clan's ongoing struggles and tragic fate, undoubtedly striking the hearts of the three Ancestral Dragons.
"That Ancestral Dragon senior was my master's closest friend in life, and he entrusted his final legacy to my master. He surely did not wish to see his race fall to such a miserable state. Therefore... my master said, since I have inherited the Ancestral Dragon bloodline and the Ancestral Dragon soul, I am already half a member of the Dragon Clan. When I enter the world in the future, I should be close to the Dragon Clan and, if the Dragon Clan faces trouble, spare no effort to help them."
These words greatly moved Long Zhiming, stirring him deeply. Because what Yun Che carried was not just the Ancestral Dragon inheritance; he was also the Weaving Dream Divine Son. With his status and the backing of the Weaving Dream Divine Kingdom, the words "spare no effort" carried immense weight.
But he had clearly become excited too early. Yun Che's next words were like ten thousand thunderbolts.
"He further instructed..." Yun Che paused briefly, then softened his voice and said word by word: "If the Ancestral Dragon lineage faces calamity in succession, with its bloodline weak and in danger, unable to continue, I must return this body's dragon marrow and dragon soul to the youngest generation of Ancestral Dragons, to extend the glory of their dragon lineage."
**BOOM——————**
All of Long Zhiming's blood rushed to his head, and endless thunder roared in his mind.
"Your Highness!"
Meng Chaoyang let out a low roar, already teleporting to Yun Che's side in an instant, reaching out to grab his arm.
He had personally witnessed and sensed how terrifying Yun Che's dragon aura and dragon soul were. Combined with Long Zhiming's extreme reaction, the dragon blood and dragon soul he possessed were clearly far superior to the current Dragon Lord!
Such a heavy treasure—how could he give it up?!
His gesture clearly intended to stop Yun Che from actually handing over his dragon marrow and dragon soul. As long as he was unwilling, with the Weaving Dream Divine Kingdom as his backing, even the Dragon Clan would never dare to forcefully take it, no matter how many guts they had.
But Yun Che slightly raised his hand, his gaze resolute. Though he spoke no words, it was a silent declaration: I have made up my mind. No more words.
"..." Meng Chaoyang looked at him for a long while, then finally stepped back and let out a soft sigh. For a moment, he did not know whether to feel pain or admiration.
Long Zhiming suddenly rushed forward, every hair and every pore trembling madly with excitement. His originally old and deep voice became sharp and piercing due to the extreme surging emotions: "Abyss Divine Son, is this... true? Is this true!?"
"Is this true!?" Long Chixin and Long Qianxin also shouted in unison, almost simultaneously.
Yun Che said unhurriedly: "If I had not already decided, why would I voluntarily speak of it?"
Long Zhiming's eyeballs shook, his lips trembled. Before him was the honored Weaving Dream Divine Son; there was no reason for him to deceive and toy with them. Even so, this sudden, heaven-sent surprise, too great to be described in any words, still left him stunned for a long time, unable to believe it.
They had just witnessed Yun Che's dragon aura and dragon soul, and they knew far better than Meng Chaoyang what concept that was. And they knew even more clearly what it would mean for the Ancestral Dragon lineage if he truly "returned" them...
It was a divine gift they had never even dreamed of.
Yun Che stood up, pacing slowly as he spoke: "When I first entered this place, I had not yet touched upon this thought. I thought that although the Ancestral Dragon lineage was withered, it was far from the brink of extinction."
"Until... Brother Wang Chu appeared."
He turned his gaze, as if weighing his words, then continued: "Forgive my bluntness—based on the dragon soul I bear, Brother Wang Chu's talent is extremely poor, his bloodline turbid, his dragon body empty and floating, and his dragon soul extremely weak. Even his rapid growth in recent years must have been aided by some... heretical external forces."
Yun Che's words were harsh and merciless, leaving no room for politeness. Long Zhiming opened his mouth, but could not utter a single word of rebuttal. Because he knew better than anyone that this was the cruelest and most unbearable truth.
"If he is to lead the Dragon Clan in the future..." Yun Che shook his head, still speaking bluntly without restraint: "The Dragon Clan will have no future."
These words struck directly at the vital point they had been most worried about and least dared to touch in recent years.
"And my lavish praise of Brother Wang Chu at that time was actually... because I thought of my master's instructions, but then selfish thoughts took over, and I was unwilling to give up my dragon marrow and dragon soul."
"Afterward, I left the hall on the pretext of visiting Long Xi, and then departed without saying goodbye. In truth, it was all self-reproach for my selfishness, ashamed before my master's kindness, and without face to continue facing the Lord Dragon Senior... a flight of escape."
Yun Che tilted his head slightly, said with melancholy: "After I left, the mountain wind cleared my heart, the vast sky purified my soul. Recalling my master's great kindness, the Lord Dragon's warm hospitality, I gradually felt guilt and regret pierce my soul, ten thousand regrets surging in my heart, like ten thousand ants gnawing at my bones. Only then did I awaken and turn back."
He looked at Long Zhiming, his shame still evident: "This junior, due to his own greed, almost defied his master's dying command, and nearly let the salvation and hope that the Ancestral Dragon Senior left for future generations be silently annihilated by selfishness, placing the Dragon Clan in mortal danger. I am truly... ashamed before the Lord Dragon Senior."
"No... no, no! The Abyss Divine Son must never say such a thing!"
Long Zhiming's old dragon eyes were bloodshot, staggering forward hurriedly until he reached Yun Che.
"What the Ancestral Dragon Senior left behind is all in the Abyss Divine Son's body, and all in the Abyss Divine Son's will! If the Abyss Divine Son is unwilling and says nothing, no one in the world would know, and no one could reproach him."
Each word trembled, each word pierced the ear, gradually turning to tears.
"How vast is the Ancestral Dragon's might! Who in this world, having obtained it, would be willing to give it up? And the Abyss Divine Son is of such honored status... yet is willing to make such a sacrifice and self-harm for our Dragon Clan, which has already come to its end."
"Such profound righteousness, such noble character—this old one has lived for a million years and never seen its like. Great kindness like heaven, great virtue like mountains... Please accept this old one's bow!"
Facing Yun Che, Long Zhiming raised his hands, bent his old dragon spine deeply, and lowered his head all the way to his knees.
——