The Ancestral Dragon Falls

The old dragon supported the Dead City with its single body. Even a Half-Ancestor would find such a feat jaw-dropping!

The Heavenly Stele shook violently. Phantom images ceaselessly appeared in the sky. Two enormous stele shadows flew in from beyond the heavens, landing in the Dead City to stand alongside the Dragon Island Heavenly Stele, jointly suppressing the city.

The city walls descended. The old dragon endured tremendous pain. It could barely sustain itself.

Primordial, Tongtian, Zhunti Daoren, Chiyou — each displayed their great divine abilities, all trying to break the foundational seal and retrieve the supreme treasures lost long ago beneath the Dead City.

"Boom!"

Another Heavenly Stele phantom manifested at the horizon, radiating an immense oppressive pressure. It shot down instantly, landing upright before the Dragon Island Heavenly Stele.

Primordial, Chiyou, and the others cried out in alarm. Abandoning the treasure hunt, they all did their utmost to aid the old dragon. But even united, they could not resist the power of the Heavenly Stele.

"Hold it back!"

Lord Tongtian was frantic. Seeing the familiar Bronze Ancient Shield half-buried in the foundation, he burned with the desire to unearth it immediately. The Four Immortal-Slaying Swords were already supremely offensive; adding the Bronze Divine Shield he had refined with his heart-blood would make him unstoppable in both attack and defense.

Chiyou was even more unwilling to yield. The Iron Halberd was right before his eyes, within reach. He wanted to grasp it again. As for Zhunti Daoren and Primordial, they needed no further mention — both showed excited expressions toward the Seven-Colored Savage Sword and the Ancient Staff, respectively.

"Gentlemen, lend your aid quickly!" several Half-Ancestors shouted, hoping the Half-Ancestors who had "stowed away" to Dragon Island and were hiding in the shadows would help.

High in the sky, Xiao Chen was nearly petrified. His entire being seemed to merge with the surrounding void, his form insubstantial. His mind appeared to have flown to the row of stone steles below.

The Dragon Island Heavenly Stele was real, but the other three were illusory — yet they seemed as tangible as the real stele. Through the black mist, the carvings on their surfaces could be dimly seen.

Xiao Chen pushed his divine sense to its limit. His eyes nearly burst. Though the complex, abstruse carvings threatened to shatter his reason, even driving him to cultivation deviation, he still strove to observe.

Enduring the constant risk of going mad, he finally completely discerned the carvings on one Heavenly Stele. At this moment, he did not seek to understand. He imprinted those ancient stele celestial diagrams into his heart as a seal.

Even so, it nearly caused his spirit to collapse. The moment the seal entered his body, his very flesh seemed to move with the ancient stele diagrams.

Risking spiritual dissolution, he turned his gaze to another Heavenly Stele.

This was a tremendous opportunity. He might very well fully collect the ancient stele methods today, perfecting his cultivation technique.

Beneath the Dead City, the old dragon carrying the city on its back raised its head and roared to the skies. Its voice shook the stars, causing Dragon Island to tremble and the deathly still Forbidden Sea to send towering waves into the heavens.

"Six... Paths... of... Reincarnation!" At this moment, an ancient voice resounded through the universe, shaking heaven and earth, echoing across the vast lands.

The sound even reached the Eternal Continent, shocking many cultivators.

As those four words left its mouth, the sun and moon dimmed, mountains and rivers lost their color. Heaven and earth transformed violently.

Misty fog swirled. No one could clearly see what was happening within the Dead City of Dragon Island. The crowd only felt a vast, surging force smash directly toward the Heavenly Stele.

The slowly sinking Dead City was instantly fixed in place. The power emanating from the Heavenly Stele's vibration was blocked.

Everyone was horrified! This old dragon was terrifyingly strong, beyond imagination!

What was the Six Paths of Reincarnation? It was one of the supreme divine abilities!

It had only ever appeared in legends. No one expected to witness it here and now.

The long-sealed Dragon Island underwent a transformation. The boundless primeval mountain ranges shook violently. Demonic qi surged over the center of Dragon Island. Vast fluctuations spread in all directions. An immense oppressive pressure, like countless stars falling to the earth, heralded the apocalypse.

Apes howled, tigers roared. Birds shot into the sky. Savage beasts fled. Dragons bellowed. Chaos reigned.

Primordial, Zhunti, Chiyou, Tongtian, and the others acted instantly, furiously striking the foundation of the Dead City.

"Hahaha..." Zhunti was the first to laugh heartily. In his left hand, he held the Seven Treasures Wonderful Tree; in his right, he carried a Seven-Colored Savage Sword. Taking a great stride forward, he cleaved apart the surrounding blood curtain with a single sword stroke. He had obtained the supreme treasure lost here. The Seven Treasures Wonderful Tree possessed astonishing defensive power. Now, with the murderous Seven-Colored Savage Sword returned to him, his combat strength had ascended a great level.

"Congratulations, Daoist brother." Jieyin Daoren, who had come to aid from outside the Dead City, stepped forward to offer his congratulations. The Buddha stood beside him, silent.

"Roar!" Chiyou let out a great roar, his strength capable of uprooting mountains, his aura overwhelming the age. His black hair stood on end, his eyes like cold lightning. Grasping a demonic iron halberd shrouded in surging demonic qi, he strode out.

Then Primordial rushed out carrying an ancient staff. Lord Tongtian, even more excited, let out a long howl. The Four Immortal-Slaying Swords cleared the path, and the Bronze Divine Shield spun at his side as he charged out of the Dead City.

The Half-Ancestors emerged one after another. Together, they bowed respectfully to the old dragon that had unleashed the Six Paths of Reincarnation. "Thank you, elder, for your aid. In the future, we will surely assist the Dragon Clan."

At that moment, the old dragon seemed to have exhausted its strength. The Six Paths of Reincarnation abruptly ceased.

A wave of energy that made even Half-Ancestors' hearts tremble rolled back. The terrifying power was unimaginable. Even a Half-Ancestor felt an absurd sensation before it, like an ant gazing up at a mighty lion.

Legend said that when the Six Paths of Reincarnation was deployed, it could at least destroy one world. But the fluctuation the old dragon now emitted, though powerful, was far from that legendary terror. Clearly, it had declined to a terrible state, utterly unable to unleash its original power.

"Boom!"

Two more Heavenly Steles flew in from beyond the heavens. Six steles stood in a row.

The old dragon spat out a mouthful of blood and roared: "I... can only do this much for the next Ancestral Dragon."

A mournful dragon cry shot straight into the clouds. Blood rain fell profusely. The old dragon's body began to crack.

"Elder..."

Tongtian, Chiyou, Zhunti, the Buddha, Jieyin, Laozi — all cried out in alarm. At the same moment, they struck together, blasting toward the Dead City to rescue the old dragon.

A weak, ancient voice drifted: "Two Ancestral Dragons cannot meet. My power has long since mostly faded. For so many years, I truly should not have lingered on. I should have released myself long ago, so that the stronger new generation of Ancestral Dragon could come into this world sooner..."

"Roar..."

A heart-rending dragon cry shook the heavens. With determination and tragic sorrow, the old dragon shattered a section of the city wall as tall as a mountain range. At the same time, its body split apart. Flesh and blood flew in all directions.

"With my blood, dye a path of life for my descendants..."

The lower half of the old dragon's body completely shattered. Its upper half, still writhing, charged toward the Heavenly Stele. A weak, tragic voice sounded for the last time: "Six... Paths... of... Reincarnation!"

"Boom!"

Heaven and earth shook. The world fell into darkness. Countless stars appeared in the sky.

This celestial anomaly caused all the dragons on Dragon Island to wail in sorrow. Blood rain fell from the heavens. Claps of startling thunder echoed.

Even on the Eternal Continent, tens of thousands of miles away, petals fell in profusion. Heaven and earth wept.

The old dragon's half-crushed body was shattered into a bloody mist before the Heavenly Stele. Its final disappearing dragon claws erased the character for "dragon" from the inscription "Eternally Suppress the Dragon Horse" on the stele. At the same time, it pried up the Heavenly Stele and laid it horizontally over the Demon Well.

The Ancestral Dragon had fallen!

"Rumble..."

Heaven and earth trembled. Blossoms fell wildly through the air, falling like tearful rain.

In the distance, Keke, the Little Defiant Dragon, the Azure Dragon King, the Emerald Dragon King, the Black Dragon King, and the others shed endless tears.

The Dragon Clan's mournful cries resounded beneath the starry sky.

"It was you who harmed the elder..." a little white-shelled turtle roared, cleaving through the sky. Landing on the ground, it transformed into a middle-aged man in white robes.

Primordial said, "It was the elder himself who sent word for us to strike the Heavenly Stele. He said he wanted to help us retrieve our supreme treasures. In the future, we will surely repay the Dragon Clan generously."

The matter was clear. The old dragon had conceived the will to die, to make way for the next Ancestral Dragon, to shed its final hot blood for the Dragon Clan, and to forge good relations with the clans.

High in the sky, Xiao Chen was on the verge of collapse.

The ancient stele that sealed the Yellow River, the ancient stele that sealed Paradise Lost, and the ancient stele that sealed Dragon Island — all were familiar to Xiao Chen. The techniques on them had long been etched into his heart.

Just before his collapse, he finally fully imprinted the carvings from the other three Heavenly Steles into his mind.

The heart techniques from all six Heavenly Steles were now complete!

He did not know if there was a seventh Heavenly Stele, but this was already enough.

The Dead City slowly vanished. The vast, white Bone Sea emerged. The Heavenly Steles had fallen. The demonic clouds on the horizon dispersed. The ancient castle had long since disappeared.

For the next three days, Dragon Island was filled with the sorrowful roars of the Dragon Clan.

Though Xiao Chen was eager to return to the Mortal World, he allowed Keke and the Little Defiant Dragon to delay for three days. The old dragon was worthy of respect. His own heart was also filled with grief.

During these days, he traversed Dragon Island but found no trace of the man who looked exactly like him. That was definitely the person Tong Hu had seen a year ago, entering the World of Immortality from the Lushan Waterfall.

What was his purpose?

Xiao Chen did not know. Finally, on a beach, he discovered a clue — the diagram of the Nine Abyss Heaven-Reaching Formation was carved there.

After Chiyou examined it, he confirmed that the man should have summoned the King Ship and departed twenty days ago.

That man had gone to the Eternal Continent. Xiao Chen pondered for a long time but found no answers.

Finally, it was time to leave Dragon Island. Xiao Chen used the jade bracelet to shatter the void. Except for Chiyou and Laozi, who stood by his side, all the other Half-Ancestors cleared the path ahead. After all, the Guardian of Lushan was no ordinary being who could be resisted.

Before the Lushan Waterfall, the moment Tong Hu saw Jieyin Daoren, Zhunti Daoren, and the Buddha flying out, he immediately flew back up the mountain without any intention of stopping them. He understood the strength of these people before him all too well.

The grand army from the World of Immortality surged from the Lushan Waterfall into the Mortal World. Swarms of figures blotted out the sky, stretching endlessly.

"I, the Twelve Golden Immortals of the Chan Sect, have returned!"

"I, Duobao Daoren, have returned!"

"Returned... I have come back to my homeland!"

Many people shouted in excitement.

At the spatial passage on Dragon Island, Xiao Chen stood guard. He wanted to trap certain people, to leave them forever stranded on Dragon Island. But in the end, he did not find any members of the Tiger Clan appearing.

Chiyou said, "No need to wait. The White Tiger Saint Emperor must have taken them away. If a Half-Ancestor deliberately mingles in a crowd, even we would find it difficult to notice."

As they left, the little white beast was teary-eyed. The Little Defiant Dragon and the others were also deeply sorrowful, reluctant to part. They looked back every step.

Chiyou and Laozi also flew into the Mortal World. Walking last, Xiao Chen vaguely heard a voice.

"So that place truly exists. The battle has only just begun. Death is not the end, merely a new beginning..."

That was... the old dragon's voice!

How could this be? Xiao Chen stared at Dragon Island in shock, but found nothing.

A new beginning... where would it be?

After flying out of the spatial passage, Xiao Chen sought guidance from Chiyou and Laozi.

"How many worlds are there?"

Chiyou replied, "Beyond the Mortal World, there are the Four Realms. It seems they truly lie in the four cardinal directions of the Mortal World. They are the Martial Realm, the Incantation Realm, the Qi Realm, and the Soul Realm."

"The four cardinal directions of the Mortal World... there are four worlds?"

"As the names suggest," Chiyou said. "The Martial Realm is the world of martial artists. The Incantation Realm is the world of curse-masters. The Qi Realm is the world of Qi Refiners. The Soul Realm is the world of Soul Cultivators. The Martial Realm has already evolved into the World of Immortality, because pure martial artists vanished. This world became a place where many minor cultivation systems coexist. In the end, they all converge, evolving toward Divine Ability Practitioners. The Qi Realm has evolved into the Celestial Cultivation World. As for the Soul Realm and the Incantation Realm, it is hard to say what they are like now. The Soul Realm was a major cultivation system focused solely on the soul. The Incantation Realm is the source of today's Curse-Masters and Spiritists."

Xiao Chen felt very confused. The old cultivation systems were completely different from the current ones. They seemed easy to confuse.

Chiyou sneered, "No matter how they change, in the end, it all comes down to the original power of the Four Worlds. Divine Ability Practitioners, Curse-Masters, Spiritists, Celestial Cultivators... and other minor cultivation systems — all can be divided into the Four Systems."

Laozi nodded. "All systems can be summarized by the Four Systems of Martial, Curse, Qi, and Soul."

Chiyou affirmed, "Sooner or later, these Four Systems will become the dominant ones again."

Xiao Chen thought for a long time, then asked, "After an Ancestral God dies, does their consciousness become extinct?"

"An Ancestral God is indestructible through countless kalpas..." Having said this, Chiyou fell silent. How many Ancestral Gods had vanished from the World of Immortality? Hadn't the Ancestral Dragon just perished?

Laozi's expression was calm, his eyes as deep as the ocean. "There is a legend. The death of an Ancestral God is not an end, merely a new beginning..."

Chiyou's eyelids twitched. "You mean that the Ancestral Gods are indestructible, and that they destroy their own physical bodies in order to enter..."

Enter where?

Xiao Chen desperately wanted to know. But no matter how many times he asked, Laozi and Chiyou remained silent. They too seemed lost in thought.

"Legend says there is a Primordial Celestial Realm above the Four Worlds. That is where..."

Chiyou stopped there, as if he had touched upon some forbidden topic.

Xiao Chen was shaken. He had unintentionally learned of the Four Worlds, and now heard of a hidden secret. There was yet another realm above the Four Worlds. That seemed to be the goal of the Ancestral Gods.

He was far, far too weak compared to those beings.

He cast aside distracting thoughts and called out in the sky, "Seniors, please lend me your aid. I need to make a trip overseas."

The Buddha, Zhuangzi, Zhunti, Sun Wu, Primordial, Tongtian, Laozi, Chiyou, the Xuanwu Ancestor, and even Jieyin Daoren stood there.

The promises of Half-Ancestors would not be broken. Primordial stepped forward and said to Xiao Chen, "Acting for you may incur great trouble from the Celestial Cultivation World. Doing this will be considered a full repayment of your favor this time."

Nine Half-Ancestors, along with Jieyin Daoren, all nodded.

Then, they flew into the distance, each giving instructions to their disciples and followers, telling them to depart first.

Ten Half-Ancestors, together with Xiao Chen, flew eastward from the Nine Provinces. Soon, they arrived at the vast sea.

Xiao Chen had gone to the World of Immortality to seek reinforcements and had been away for so long. He did not know if Taihao had managed to hold back the Green Lotus Celestial Maiden. In his heart, he prayed that nothing had gone wrong. At the same time, he was eager to confront the Green Lotus Celestial Maiden. Ten Half-Ancestors had come to this place. Even if the Green Lotus Celestial Maiden possessed heaven-defying dharma power, she could not resist! He very much wanted to see the expression on the Green Lotus Celestial Maiden's face.