The Ancestral Dragon Appears in the Eastern Sea

The head of the Ancestral Dragon manifested in the Eastern Sea, and a towering stele pierced the heavens. A cultivator who had flown from the Eastern Sea brought such news that it stunned everyone. Could it be that the roaring, surging Yellow River truly was an Ancestral Dragon? That it was about to awaken?

This was truly earth-shaking news. Whether ordinary mortals or godlike cultivators, all were shaken to an indescribable degree.

In the sky, the Yellow River roared—so like an Ancestral Dragon bellowing, the sound deafening. It was a horrifying image. The surging Yellow River, ten thousand li long, no longer flowed on the ground but raced across the heavens, its billowing waves seeming ready to crash into the very firmament.

"Alive! The Yellow River is alive! It is a dragon… an Ancestral Dragon…" The elders of Ancestral Dragon Village whispered in terror. They had grown up on the banks of the Yellow River and heard many tales from the older generation. Now, seeing this vision, they instinctively recalled those legends.

Ten thousand li of Yellow River coursing through the sky—the spectacle was too vast and terrifying, a sight unseen in millennia. In the yellow-hued waters, waves surged skyward like a thousand armies roaring in fury, as if they would tear heaven and earth apart.

Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh.

Cultivators continuously shot into the air. Upon receiving the news, they all chose to leave Ancestral Dragon Village, racing eastward. Since the Ancestral Dragon's head had manifested in the Eastern Sea, that was where the root lay. They had risked great danger to enter the Mortal World, with one of their primary goals being the Yellow River. How could they not be anxious at this critical moment?

Xiao Chen was astonished to see that many cultivators from the Mortal World were also taking to the sky, flying eastward. How was this possible?

"Those are overseas independent cultivators," Fairy Qingyun said.

"I see," Xiao Chen nodded.

"Why is this happening?" Chen Fang stared in shock at everything.

Xiao Chen did not immediately follow the otherworld cultivators and overseas cultivators to the Eastern Sea. Instead, he chose to return to the village. He wanted to get more detailed information from the elders. By now, he vaguely felt that the village's name—'Ancestral Dragon'—must carry some meaning. Perhaps those secrets lay hidden in the old tales. The more he understood, the more it would help him later.

"The Yellow River is an Ancestral Dragon. It is true. In the past, no one believed, but now it is proven. Everything our ancestors left behind is true."

This was said by a ninety-year-old elder in the village. Though his eyes were already dim and his vitality nearly spent, at this moment the old man seemed to gain a new burst of energy, kneeling devoutly toward the Yellow River in the sky.

"What else did our ancestors say?" Xiao Chen asked.

"The ancestors said that the Yellow River is an Ancestral Dragon, and that it once coiled here in our village. That is the origin of our village's name," said another elder over a hundred years old. His cloudy eyes suddenly shot forth two bright beams of light as he murmured, "Our village is a blessed land! An Ancestral Dragon truly lingered here. Future generations will surely receive immense fortune."

Xiao Chen continued, "Are there any legends of people or things connected to the Ancestral Dragon that have been passed down?"

"There is… a jade bracelet," said the centenarian elder, thinking for a moment before sighing. "The age is too distant. When I was little, I vaguely remember adults mentioning it, but I have no clear memory now—only the words 'jade bracelet' remain."

Except for this oldest elder, no one else had any recollection. And even he only knew that the word 'bracelet' existed.

As for the bracelet, Xiao Chen had once asked his parents, but they only knew it was a family heirloom and nothing more.

Though he had not received any astonishing news, Xiao Chen was content.

He bid farewell to the villagers and bowed to his parents before leaving Ancestral Dragon Village. Behind him, Mountain Man stood grinning at the village entrance, which made Xiao Chen feel particularly at ease.

The Yellow River thundered in the sky above.

Fairy Qingyun and several other young overseas cultivators planned to go to the Eastern Sea. Xiao Chen had the same intention, and he brought along his hopeful friend Chen Fang. He knew Chen Fang might not be able to help, but he still wanted to let him see the world, and perhaps lend a hand in his cultivation later.

On the vast Eastern Sea, numerous cultivators had gathered. The Yellow River's abnormal surge into the sky had not only alarmed the Nine Provinces but also shaken the otherworld cultivators and overseas cultivators. At the mouth of the Yellow River, figures crowded the seascape.

Even though they were prepared, Xiao Chen and the others could not help revealing expressions of shock.

A colossal yellow shadow stretched from the horizon into the vast Eastern Sea. It was a dragon body nearly materialized, as immense as a golden mountain range, giving off an indescribable pressure.

It was an absolutely stunning image.

From the mouth of the Yellow River, which was now flowing through the sky, the waters gently extended forward, dipping smoothly into the sea. Where they entered, a span of golden light blazed. Ahead, a giant dragon head loomed indistinctly in the turquoise waters—more towering and majestic than any primordial mountain. The Ancestral Dragon's head was beyond imagination.

On that mountain-like head, a pair of dragon eyes were as huge as lakes—but tightly shut, as if still sleeping. Its forked horns gleamed gold, and its whiskers writhed like pythons in the seawater. The Ancestral Dragon's head bobbed in the blue sea, as if cast from molten gold, its golden radiance dyeing the ocean nearly into a sea of gold. It seemed unconscious, drifting with the waves, yet no one dared approach. The dragon energy was vast and unfathomable, unsettling the very soul.

But more than that, far out at sea, a colossal stone stele stood between heaven and earth. Though clouds and mist swirled around it, hiding it from clear view, it was clearly visible—as if it was suppressing this entire sea. The Heavenly Stele was here, making all cultivators hesitate. After all, legend said it was a divine object capable of suppressing even an Ancestral Dragon. Otherwise, the cultivators would have already risked their lives to rush over and try their luck with the sleeping dragon.

It truly was a dragon—a ten-thousand-li-long Ancestral Dragon!

If one had not seen this sight with their own eyes, they would never have believed it. Overwhelming shock was the only response.

Though figures moved across the Eastern Sea, and cultivators were numerous, no one wished to be the first to act. All waited for the best moment.

"The Ancestral Dragon is dead. It fell long ago. Even if its body has manifested, it is only a dragon corpse."

"Yes, a massive dragon corpse. Legend says it might be the Ancestral Dragon."

The overseas cultivators and otherworld cultivators muttered among themselves.

If it were a living Ancestral Dragon, no one would dare touch it. But if it were a corpse, it would inevitably drive all cultivators to swarm like bees, fighting over the lingering dragon essence—enough to drive many into a frenzy. Even though the Ancestral Dragon had been dead for countless years, the vast dragon energy still residing in its frame was unimaginable. Gaining even a fraction would benefit a cultivator for life.

Xiao Chen was puzzled. Hadn't the village elders said that the Yellow River Ancestral Dragon would revive? Were their ancestors' words accurate? Then he thought of the Ancestral Dragon legend in the World of Immortality—Ancestral Dragons never appeared together. If the Yellow River Ancestral Dragon revived, could the Little Defiant Dragon and the other Dragon Kings still evolve into an Ancestral Dragon?

He entrusted Chen Fang to the care of Fairy Qingyun and the others, then left the turquoise sea where the Ancestral Dragon head manifested, flying alone deeper into the ocean. The looming Heavenly Stele in the distance drew him even more than the Yellow River Ancestral Dragon. His entire journey had begun with that stele; without it, he would not have his current cultivation.

Though the stele seemed close, he flew dozens of li without reaching it. Eventually, he noticed that the Heavenly Stele appeared to be moving, drifting erratically through the sea, elusive and hard to approach. The more it did so, the more astonished Xiao Chen became. He kept following the stele, and observed that it had not left this sea—as if it were still suppressing the Yellow River Ancestral Dragon.

Thus passed a day and a night. The Yellow River flowed through the sky, shaking the entire Nine Provinces. The crowd in the Eastern Sea swelled; nearly all cultivators and overseas cultivators from the Mortal World had arrived.

Only on the second day did Xiao Chen slowly approach the Heavenly Stele through the boundless eastern waves. At this point, the ancient stele seemed to stop shifting, gradually becoming still. As soon as he drew near, Xiao Chen recognized it—this was definitely the same Heavenly Stele from before Ancestral Dragon Village. Only now, it seemed many times larger, standing between heaven and earth like a towering mountain. The words 'Eternally Settle the Yellow River' on its front appeared much fainter, as if about to disappear.

And what shocked Xiao Chen was that the diagram carved on the stele's back had completely vanished. That was the first cultivation method he had ever obtained! How could it disappear? He could not understand. What power could erase the marks on the Heavenly Stele?

Perhaps… the Ancestral Dragon was truly about to break its seal, because the four characters on the front were also fading, about to vanish.

Xiao Chen finally touched the Heavenly Stele. It felt different from his childhood—familiar, yet with a disturbing sensation, a fluctuation of power. Yes, the stele was filled with a strange energy. The power within him was of the same origin, and they seemed to resonate. Xiao Chen leaped onto the giant stele and stood upon it, feeling this indescribable fluctuation.

The Heavenly Stele's mission seemed near its end. He did not know where the stele would go after the Yellow River seal was released. Right now, he quietly comprehended all this.

Suddenly, Xiao Chen saw a familiar figure. An expression of disbelief flashed across his face. It was Qingqing!

Like a light fairy or a beautiful spirit, she was wholly clad in white, ethereal and pure, drifting and otherworldly, walking across the waves from the deep sea. It was her, no mistake!

Xiao Chen would never have expected to meet Qingqing here. When he had been swallowed by the Spatial Sea Eye before, he had felt that Qingqing had come with him to the Mortal World. But months had passed without seeing her, which made him anxious. Now, she had appeared on the vast Eastern Sea—she must have been stranded overseas.

Qingqing was different from the others. She did not wait near the Ancestral Dragon head, but instead made her way directly toward the Heavenly Stele, which others saw as terrifying and extremely dangerous.

"Qingqing!"

"Eh… Uncle, is it really you?" Upon seeing Xiao Chen, Qingqing immediately broke into a cheerful smile. She drifted over like a colorful cloud, quickly appearing near the Heavenly Stele. But at that moment, the stele trembled, releasing a terrifying wave of energy that blocked Qingqing, preventing her from coming closer.

Xiao Chen also noticed the problem. The Heavenly Stele was like this… Could it be that because he had cultivated the techniques from the stele, and now the resonance of energy allowed him to approach? After all, the current Heavenly Stele was different from the one he remembered—it now seemed to emanate a powerful force that did not permit anyone near.

Xiao Chen launched himself off the stele and flew toward Qingqing.

Qingqing's long eyelashes fluttered as a mischievous smile spread across her face. "My troublemaking Uncle, I finally see you again! Who would have thought I'd end up in the Mortal World with you? Sigh, far from home. I'm a stranger in a strange land now. You'll have to take good care of me, okay?"

Her black hair was sleek, her jade-like cheeks dimpled with laughter, and her dark eyes sparkled with spirit. In her white dress atop the blue waves, she seemed especially free and otherworldly.

Seeing Qingqing again, Xiao Chen was genuinely happy. He had worried for a long time. Now seeing her safe and sound, he finally felt at ease.

So the World of Immortality had not been a dream. This lively, spirited girl was right before his eyes, reminding Xiao Chen of many past events from that world.

"The Mortal World is actually quite enjoyable. There are many spirit veins, immortal islands, and blessed caves in the ocean—I've only visited a small part!"

Xiao Chen laughed softly. It seemed his worry had been unnecessary. Qingqing showed no trace of homesickness; she treated it all as a pleasant journey. She truly was a cheerful, optimistic girl.

"But I discovered a secret. There seem to be passages in the ocean connecting to the Otherworld. I saw many otherworld cultivators out at sea."

"Oh, you know about the otherworld cultivators?" Qingqing's news surprised Xiao Chen.

"I've spent these days studying their cultivation system, and I've learned a lot. But some of them noticed me and wanted to cause trouble. I helpfully introduced them to a few powerful overseas cultivators. The result? That stretch of sea was churning with monstrous waves for days. How about that? A bit of your style, Uncle? I accidentally became a troublemaker too—but I really didn't mean to! Hehe."

Just then, shouting came from dozens of li away.

On the horizon, the yellow dragon shadow writhed violently. The light from the Ancestral Dragon head in the sea grew brighter and brighter. Then a heaven-shaking dragon roar sounded—the Yellow River Ancestral Dragon seemed about to awake.

"Boom!"

Heaven and earth shook violently. The Yellow River, ten thousand li long, which had been roaring across the sky, seemed to surge into the very firmament. The Yellow River danced madly across the heavens!

And in the Eastern Sea, it boiled over. The mountain-like Ancestral Dragon head, cast of gold, had opened its eyes! With a sudden surge, it rushed toward the deep sea.

Was it about to break through the void and depart, or was the dragon returning to the sea?

It was a streak of massive golden divine light, like a golden mountain range charging through the ocean.

At the same time, the Heavenly Stele shook violently, erupting with a terrifying wave of energy that stirred the entire Eastern Sea into towering waves.

"The Ancestral Dragon has indeed fallen, but it left behind a dragon soul. Now that soul has left its body!"

All cultivators rushed toward the deep sea, coveting the Ancestral Dragon soul's vast, matchless power.

Over the vast Eastern Sea waves, the sky was filled with figures. Countless otherworld cultivators and overseas cultivators had come, all drawn by the Yellow River Ancestral Dragon. This was extremely dangerous. If they truly fought for it, it would be a great war that shook the ages.