Chapter 2187: Dragon Oath
Long Zhiming's temperament had always been gentle and unruffled, but he was, after all, the Dragon Lord. Even the Divine Venerables of the various divine kingdoms had never been able to make him perform such a heavy bow.
But now, like an ancient mountain that had propped up the Dragon Clan for a million years, on the verge of collapsing in its twilight years, he willingly bent his spine for the first time.
The dragon radiance in the hall continued to tremble and sway chaotically without cease, also pulling at his deeply bowed dragon shadow.
Long Chixin and Long Qianxin were momentarily stunned. Then they hurried forward, not to help Long Zhiming up, but to kneel behind him in obeisance, their bowing posture even lower than the Dragon Lord's, their heads, symbols of the Ancestral Dragon's dignity, almost touching the ground.
Yun Che lowered his gaze.
His line of sight dropped from above, looking at the three men prostrating before him — the three strongest Ancestral Dragons of the entire Dragon Clan.
Yet it could not stir the slightest hint of pride or satisfaction in his heart. For an instant, a gloomy light, seeping from the depths of his soul, flashed across the bottom of his eyes.
But what bloomed on his face was a faint look of flustered alarm.
"Senior Dragon Lord, please do not do this!"
He stepped forward, his hands holding Long Zhiming's arms that were still trembling with agitation: "Such a grand ceremony is something no one beneath the Pure Land can bear. You truly overwhelm this junior."
As he touched him, the thin outline of the dragon bone was clearly discernible through the robes, like a piece of ancient wood whose vitality had been drained by the years.
It was such a withered shell, on the verge of death, yet it still stubbornly supported the entire Dragon Clan, unwilling to leave and not daring to leave, because behind his withered frame was only a Long Wangchu, worse than useless.
Pitiful, lamentable... and hateful!!
Meng Chaoyang lowered his eyelids, his chest rising and falling slightly... The Dragon Lord performing such an extremely solemn bow was genuine in his gratitude, but wasn't it also a form of coercion?
Under Yun Che's assistance, Long Zhiming still maintained his bowing posture firmly, only rising after a full several breaths. When he lifted his head, old tears were already streaming across the furrows on his face.
Those old eyes, soaked with tears, stared fixedly at Yun Che, as if falling into a dream, as if looking up to a god... Even when he had worshipped the Abyss Emperor in the Pure Land, he had never been so excited and fervent.
"To the Abyss Divine Son, this is honoring his master and emphasizing righteousness. But to my Dragon Clan, this is a heavenly grace that reverses a desperate path and blesses future generations! Such a mere bow of the body is truly inadequate to express the ten-thousandth part of the emotion in my heart."
Long Chixin and Long Qianxin also stood up. When they lifted their heads, their eyes were also misty with tears. They knew too well that Long Zhiming's words were not the slightest bit of politeness or exaggeration.
Yun Che's gaze was complex. He sighed softly, "Senior's actions like this make this junior feel even more ashamed of his earlier selfish motives."
He gathered his emotions and said seriously, "Among the younger generation of the Dragon Clan, in terms of talent and bloodline, Long Xi far surpasses Brother Wangchu. But she is not of the Dragon Lord's lineage, nor even a direct descendant of the Ancestral Dragon bloodline."
"Therefore, the only choice for the return of this Dragon Marrow and Dragon Soul is Brother Wangchu."
These words instantly erased the greatest hidden worry that had been surging in Long Zhiming's heart.
He forcefully suppressed his rising excitement, and also sighed lightly on his face: "To be honest, I still do not know the origin of Long Xi's bloodline to this day, and she has never been willing to reveal the slightest bit. Over the years, I have repeatedly wished to adopt her as a daughter, but she has always flatly refused, leaving no room for negotiation."
He shook his head, and the sigh carrying genuine regret echoed in the hall: "A pity... such a pity."
In Yun Che's sea of consciousness, Li Suo silently observed everything. She knew that Yun Che absolutely would not actually hand over the Dragon Marrow and Dragon Soul to the Dragon Clan, but she also could not figure out what he was going to do.
Because all of this was completely beyond what Yun Che had planned before today.
Moreover, even if Yun Che stripped out his own Dragon Marrow and Dragon Soul... could that Long Wangchu really bear it?
Long Zhiming, after recovering from his initial emotional surge, would naturally think of this as well. He probed, "Speaking of Wangchu, for him to obtain this fortune is truly a heavenly blessing. However, his aptitude is quite poor, his dragon body and dragon soul are both weak, while the legacy of the ancestors that the Abyss Divine Son bears is extremely heavy and powerful."
He secretly observed Yun Che's expression, and said with a worried face, "I am only afraid that although he is fortunate to have this opportunity, he may be unable to bear it."
Yun Che, however, showed no surprise or hesitation. Instead, he smiled reassuringly: "It is only natural for Senior Dragon Lord to have such concerns, but they are also entirely unnecessary."
Long Zhiming's gaze sharpened sharply, and the withered fingers hidden in his sleeves unconsciously tightened.
Yun Che spoke unhurriedly, as if stating something ordinary: "Back then, when Master bestowed upon me the Dragon Marrow and Dragon Soul, I was not yet half a Jiazi in age, and my cultivation had only barely touched the Divine Origin Realm. Yet I was able to bear it safely, and neither my body nor my soul suffered any irreversible damage."
Long Zhiming's Adam's apple bobbed, and visible joy surged into the depths of his eyes.
"To be able to become close friends with such a powerful ancestor of our clan, and to nurture a world-shaking genius like the Abyss Divine Son, the Lord Master is undoubtedly a transcendent and unprecedented extraordinary person. I imagine that in this 'inheritance,' there must be some remarkable ability that I cannot comprehend."
He could barely hide the blazing light in his eyes: "Then, this method of inheritance... might the Abyss Divine Son..."
"Of course." Yun Che nodded lightly, his demeanor composed: "Since Master left this final instruction, how could he not impart this inheritance method to this junior?"
"To put it plainly, this method is a mysterious and profound profound formation unique to Master. Used for inheritance, it can allow thin paper to bear a mountain, a shallow stream to contain an ocean. Although this junior's cultivation is lacking, I can still perform it completely, though it will take much longer."
Long Zhiming slowly closed his eyes, suppressing the overwhelming emotions surging in his chest. It was a good while before he opened them again, and a continuous, urgent low murmur escaped his lips: "Good, too good... too good..."
All worries were gone, and even the huge risks no longer existed. Such a heavenly gift, such smooth sailing... If it were not for the Dragon Marrow and Dragon Soul he had personally seen and felt, if it were not for the fact that this was spoken by the esteemed Dreamweaving Divine Son himself, how would they dare to believe, how would they dare to hope?
"However..."
Yun Che's tone shifted, and those two words simultaneously tugged at the hearts and souls of the three Ancestral Dragons.
"As for the 'inheritance' method of transferring this Dragon Marrow and Dragon Soul into Brother Wangchu's body, although this junior can guarantee it will be perfectly safe, this method ultimately involves Master's secrets. And Master's origins are special. Even though he has already passed away, he absolutely does not wish to be known by outsiders."
"Therefore, during the 'inheritance,' it cannot be seen by anyone, nor can it be exposed to anyone's perception."
He looked at the Dragon Lord, his tone apologetic: "It is not that this junior does not trust the Dragon Clan, but since it involves Master's secrets, it truly cannot be carried out here."
"What words are those from the Abyss Divine Son? It is only proper, only proper." Long Zhiming quickly responded, without even the slightest hesitation.
The word "however" had indeed made his heart skip a beat, but after hearing this, his suspended heart instantly fell back down... Was this even a problem? Wasn't this just common sense in human affairs and the norm of the Profound Way?
Not to mention the secret arts of a transcendent master, even the core profound arts of a small sect in a backwater place would never be revealed in front of outsiders.
"There is one more matter that also requires Senior to consider carefully."
Yun Che continued: "The Dragon Marrow will continuously generate Dragon Blood, and the Dragon Soul will merge and harmonize with the original soul. Although this will not change Brother Wangchu's bloodline and soul foundation, [the dragon breath and soul breath he releases from then on will be different from before]."
"Brother Wangchu's identity is special, and his bloodline is even related to the direct inheritance of the Ancestral Dragon lineage. I wonder if Senior Dragon Lord can accept this?"
Long Zhiming's face showed no sign of difficulty. Instead, he laughed heartily: "The Abyss Divine Son worries too much. For such powerful Dragon Marrow and Dragon Soul, a drastic change in aura is only natural. This does not harm the integrity of the orthodox inheritance. For Wangchu and for my clan, it is not a bad thing, but a great blessing. If his will and temperament can also grow or awaken because of this, that would be even better."
Saying this, he himself felt that he was being too greedy, and he smiled wryly, shaking his head.
"In that case, then this junior has no other concerns."
Yun Che raised his hand, gently stirring the dragon breath within his body, as if there was some residual reluctance and emotion, but soon all turned into relief: "Then let Senior Dragon Lord inform Brother Wangchu of this matter, and then choose a suitable time to accomplish it. This junior will be in the Weaving Dream Divine Kingdom, awaiting news from the Dragon Clan at any time."
"This..." Long Zhiming hesitated and asked, "In the Abyss Divine Son's opinion, what time would be most suitable?"
Yun Che's tone was calm and indifferent: "For this junior, as long as I am not occupied with important matters, any time is naturally fine. As for the Dragon Clan and Brother Wangchu..."
He thought for a moment, then said slowly: "In this junior's humble opinion, after several decades, when Brother Wangchu has successfully set foot in the Eternal Pure Land and obtained a new Dragon Marrow and Dragon Soul in the new world, it would be a renewal of destiny, with an excellent symbolic meaning."
"No, no, that would be too late, too late." Long Zhiming blurted out, having completely lost the calm and composure befitting a Dragon Lord.
As soon as these words left his mouth, Long Zhiming sensed his own excessive loss of composure. Behind him, Long Chixin quickly covered up, saying, "The timing the Abyss Divine Son mentioned is indeed wonderful. However... and may the Abyss Divine Son not laugh at us, my Dragon Clan, from top to bottom, mourns day and night over the difficulty of continuing our path. Now that this heavenly gift has suddenly descended from the sky, until this matter is settled, I fear the Dragon Lord will not have a single day's peace."
Long Zhiming did not deny it, his eyes full of obvious eagerness... In such a situation, what care would he have for reserve or dignity? What heed would he pay to saving face?
Meng Chaoyang watched coldly from the sidelines, saying nothing.
Yun Che seemed to understand. He nodded slowly: "I see. This junior was inconsiderate. Very well, I have no major matters pending in the near future, so let this be accomplished in the coming days. It will also fulfill Master's last wish sooner."
"Good, good!"
Long Zhiming bowed deeply again, his voice trembling intensely: "Then everything will be arranged according to the Abyss Divine Son's plan."
Long Zhiming's emotional surge was too violent, causing him to lose his composure and rationality to a great extent. He was fervently expressing his gratitude, but he had actually forgotten that such a great favor should at least be reciprocated.
Long Qianxin silently stepped forward half a pace and spoke, "Forcibly stripping away one's own Dragon Marrow and Dragon Soul will inevitably cause severe damage to the Abyss Divine Son's body. Such self-sacrifice to complete the matter leaves us... truly at a loss as to how to repay you."
Yun Che, however, smiled faintly, his demeanor free and easy: "The ferryman returns what is in the boat to the other shore. Where is the word 'sacrifice'? It is merely returning the item to its original owner."
A single light remark, infinitely free and unrestrained, infinitely noble and pure, made Long Qianxin start, and once again clouded Long Zhiming's old eyes with tears.
He looked at Yun Che, at this junior who was barely over two Jiazi in age, at his clear eyes and the faint smile at the corner of his mouth... And he suddenly felt that all the magnificent words accumulated over a million years of life were, at this moment, as light as dust, as dim as fireflies.
"Even a thousand words of gratitude are insignificant before the Abyss Divine Son's self-sacrificing gift."
His voice was so hoarse it seemed to be ground out word by word from the depths of his chest, each word carrying an immense weight, as if bearing the burden of the entire Dragon Clan:
"My Dragon Clan is lacking in resources, barely able to sustain ourselves. We truly do not know what we can offer in return, except for one oath..."
He raised his head and fixed his gaze, his expression instantly becoming solemn. The Ancestral Dragon Soul silently emanated outward, and the sound from his mouth, carrying a vast dragon roar, spread out layer upon layer, shaking the entire Ancestral Dragon Mountain Range:
"From this day forward, all members of my Abyss Dragon Clan, from the direct lineage of the Ancestral Dragon down to the most remote branches and youngest generations, shall forever remember the grace of the Abyss Divine Son of the Weaving Dream Divine Kingdom, who sacrificed himself to aid the world!"
Under the dragon roar, ten thousand dragons fell silent. They raised their heads and listened respectfully, their dragon souls all trembling violently.
The Dragon Lord often personally issued proclamations to the entire clan with a dragon roar, but never had it been so majestic, so soul-shaking. Every word seemed to be written with dragon bone as a pen and dragon blood as ink, deeply engraved into the space between heaven and earth.
"In the future, whenever the Abyss Divine Son has any commands, the entire Dragon Clan, from top to bottom, shall obey without fail!"
"Should this oath be broken, may the Dragon Vein be severed forever!"
When the final dragon roar vibrated down, the entire Dragon Clan was stunned.
Because this oath was too cruel, too merciless. It was like a desperate gamble with all the fate and dignity of the Dragon Clan.
Such a decisive and venomous oath made even Long Chixin and Long Qianxin deeply moved, but soon, thinking of something, they quickly relaxed.
Only Meng Chaoyang squinted his eyes. He stood in the shadow cast by the hall's pillar, his eyes holding seven parts helplessness and three parts obscure gloom.
Long Zhiming was, after all, an old fox who had lived for a million years.
Such a vow of the entire clan's repayment was not just announced to the Dragon Clan; it would inevitably radiate rapidly throughout the entire Abyss World.
Under such a universally known oath of the entire clan, even if Yun Che regretted it later, he would find it difficult to back out.
The venomous oath seemed grateful and humble, seemed to be the utmost sincerity of a dying Dragon Clan. But the more venomous it was, the more it bound Yun Che and the Dragon Clan together, and indirectly bound the Weaving Dream Divine Kingdom as well.
As for Yun Che being able to command the Dragon Clan in the future... His backing was the Weaving Dream Divine Kingdom. Would it need a Dragon Clan that was nearly withered?
Meng Chaoyang believed that Long Zhiming's gratitude was genuine, but within this ten parts of gratitude, three parts of calculation were still subtly embedded.
These three parts of calculation might not have been deliberate, but over the long years and hopeless dead end, the word "calculation" might have already been deeply engraved into his very marrow, without his own awareness.
"You damned old man! What... what are you doing now!"
Long Wangchu's wanton roar came from outside the hall: "What do you mean 'Dragon Vein severed forever'! Are you cursing me to have no descendants! Are you still my father or not!"
Such crude words, utterly devoid of manners or upbringing, roared out from the mouth of this young master of the Dragon Clan, largely dissipating the Dragon Lord's soulful excitement.
Long Zhiming's face instantly turned green. With a grab of his old hand, a crude burst of profound energy yanked Long Wangchu, who was outside the hall, directly inside. He roared in a deep voice: "You unfilial brat! Hurry up and kneel and kowtow to thank the Abyss Divine Son for his grace of rebirth!"
Long Wangchu looked baffled: "What... kneel? You want me to kneel?"
Yun Che also stepped forward at the same time, urgently saying, "This absolutely cannot be done..."
Bang!!
The Dragon Lord had already pressed down with his palm. Long Wangchu's knees hit the ground together, and his head slammed forcefully into the floor under an irresistible force, knocking heavily three times.
Until he was lifted up from the ground, he hadn't fully come to his senses. He covered his forehead, wanting to roar and curse loudly, but seeing the Abyss Divine Son beside him, he barely held back, leaving only a grumble stuck in his throat.
Yun Che's face was full of helplessness: "I have already received Brother Wangchu's generous intention, and I will not disappoint it."
He took out a piece of Abyss Crystal about an inch long, pointed his fingertip at it, and engraved a neat character 'Abyss' on it, leaving behind a trace of a fairly thick soul breath. Then he handed it to Long Zhiming.
"This junior usually lives in seclusion in the Weaving Dream Divine Kingdom and has no publicly known token. When Brother Wangchu has finished his preparations, he may take this Abyss Crystal to the Weaving Dream Divine Kingdom. After I return, I will immediately give orders — anyone holding this Abyss Crystal need not be announced; they can be directly led into the Divine Son Hall."
An utterly ordinary piece of Abyss Crystal, yet Long Zhiming held it with the utmost care: "Good... good."
"There is one more thing." Yun Che withdrew his hand and continued, "The stripping and transfer of the Dragon Marrow and Dragon Soul will only take a few hours. However, for Brother Wangchu to fully bear and integrate them, he will need to remain in the profound formation for a long time — a short month or two, or as long as half a year. The exact time will depend on the degree of harmony between Brother Wangchu and them. During this period, he must not leave for even half a step. As it involves the Dragon Soul, he also cannot be disturbed by any external matters."
"Therefore, it would be best for the Dragon Clan to send an elder to accompany him, to ensure his safety and protect his well-being."
Long Zhiming, however, laughed without the slightest hesitation: "This is completely unnecessary. The Weaving Dream Divine Kingdom is such a lofty place. For Wangchu to be in the Weaving Dream Kingdom would be a hundred times more peaceful than in this barren Ancestral Dragon Mountain Range. And with the Abyss Divine Son by his side, let alone a year or half a year, even a hundred or a thousand years, I would not have even the slightest worry."
To send someone to accompany and protect would undoubtedly be a sign of distrust in the other party. And even if, in a stretch of ten thousand steps, the Weaving Dream Divine Kingdom had no reason to target a mere Dragon Clan simpleton, even if the Weaving Dream Divine Kingdom truly wanted to harm Long Wangchu, sending the entire Dragon Clan would be useless... How could the Dragon Lord do something so foolish?
"Good!" Yun Che did not insist. He nodded heavily, "In that case, this junior will do his utmost when the time comes, hoping not to cause Brother Wangchu the slightest injury — both to live up to Senior Dragon Lord's trust, and even more to live up to Master's last wish."
With the Abyss Divine Son's promise, this fortune descending upon the Dragon Clan seemed to have been finalized.
Walking out of the Ancestral Dragon Temple, Yun Che's gaze unconsciously drifted towards the forbidden domain where Long Xi was located. Then he forcefully pulled it back, bowed to Long Zhiming in farewell:
"Then this junior will await Brother Wangchu's arrival in the Weaving Dream Divine Kingdom."
Long Zhiming personally escorted Yun Che out of the Ancestral Dragon Barrier, and continued to send him off a great distance before stopping to respectfully see him off.
"Oh, by the way!"
Yun Che, who was about to leave, suddenly turned around, as if he had just thought of something: "One of the purposes of this junior's visit today was to repay a debt of gratitude to Long Xi. But her temperament is too cold and indifferent, she desires nothing, and I truly do not know how to repay the favor from back then."
"Thus, I can only repay it in a roundabout way. I hope Senior Dragon Lord will, in light of today, treat Long Xi well. I owe her a life, so her life is my life. I must never allow her to suffer any bullying or harm."
Long Zhiming suppressed the intense agitation in his heart, and promised in the manner of a Dragon Lord: "The Abyss Divine Son can rest assured. I will give the order this very day — no one in the entire clan, regardless of who, shall dare to offend Long Xi in the slightest. Should anyone violate this, I will personally punish them, without any leniency."
Yun Che nodded faintly, and flew off into the distance.
Not until the figures of Yun Che and Meng Chaoyang had completely disappeared from sight did Long Zhiming remain looking into the distance, not leaving.
Perhaps even now, he deeply doubted whether he was sunk in an extravagant dream, not yet awake. He stayed motionless for a long time, as if afraid that with the slightest movement, the moment he turned, the dream would shatter.
"What... are you really doing?"
Before they had even completely left the Ancestral Dragon Mountain Range, Li Suo had already asked softly.
The mountain wind howled, dark clouds hung low. The cold wind passed through the gaps of the countless broken cliffs, carrying a wailing low moan, like the sighs of countless dead dragon remnants' souls.
Yun Che replied, "The Dragon Clan will fear that a long night brings many dreams. Within at most five days, they will send Long Wangchu to my place. So you will know soon enough."
Li Suo said with some concern, "But all of this was completely beyond your previous plans. Since you want to end everything sooner, why suddenly introduce such a variable?"
"Variable?" Yun Che sneered coldly. "The Dragon Clan? Worthy of that?"
Li Suo: "..."
"Don't worry." Yun Che's tone began to turn gloomy. "This will not only not be a variable, but if used well, it will be a great help."
"As long as I... am cruel enough."
The mountain wind suddenly intensified, and ten thousand ravines sounded with mournful notes. The wind rolled with sobbing, echoing for a long time through the endless mountains, like a desperate elegy unwilling to take its final bow.
——