The Three Ancestral Dragons Ascend

Three Ancestral Dragons roared across the skies, their cries stirring up an unprecedented might for the Dragon Clan. One was pitch-black, surging like a mountain, winding and twisting like an ancient black mountain range. Another was blood-red, as if soaked in gore, its massive scales like pools of blood embedded in its body, exuding a murderous aura. The third was silver-gray, as if cast from molten iron, its great dragon eyes like two open lakes set upon its colossal dragon head.

Each of the three Ancestral Dragons bore sharp, crystalline horns that gleamed with dazzling light, and their claws shone with a cold metallic luster, making one suspect they could tear down the sun and moon. Xiao Chen recognized them at once: the Black Dragon King, the Red Dragon King, and the Inverse Dragon King had all ascended to become ultimate Ancestral Dragons.

Years ago, more than a dozen young dragon kings had contended, and only now, after thirty thousand years of relentless struggle, had the true kings been revealed. A dragon roar shook the mountains and rivers. From the Black Dragon King's spine came a clanging sound as a massive sacred sword slowly drew forth, blazing with a light that eclipsed the sun. The Black Dragon King had once followed Niu Ren into the sacred lands of the Forest and Barbarian tribes, where he obtained the Dragon Clan's supreme treasure, the Sacred Sword. His strength was beyond doubt—among the young dragon kings, he was one of the foremost.

The Red Dragon King was a different breed, born bloodthirsty and warlike, his entire body as crimson as blood, as if foretelling a life filled with gore and slaughter. Indeed, after being separated from Dugu Jianmo, he had endured countless bloody battles—fighting the Hundred Races, struggling against Otherworld pursuers, his dragon body broken dozens of times. That he survived at all was nothing short of a miracle. This was a Red Ancestral Dragon who had broken through against all odds.

As for the Inverse Dragon King, he needed no elaboration. He was the born war-dragon of the Dragon Clan, advancing step by step from adversity, each footfall solid and true. At birth, he could not compare even to ordinary young dragons; every battle left him battered and weak. But he possessed an unyielding will, growing stronger through desperate struggle. An ordinary little dragon, through relentless pursuit of transformation, had risen to become a War Ancestor, then sublimated into an Ancestral Dragon. His success came from his own effort, compensating for his initial weakness. Xiao Chen had witnessed the miracle of the Little Defiant Dragon's growth.

Now the three Ancestral Dragons appeared over Ancestral Dragon Village, hovering above the petrified Yellow River. Such divine and demonic phenomena naturally drew intense attention from the technologically advanced civilization, who monitored everything cautiously.

The three Ancestral Dragons roared, battling one another, their massive bodies filling the entire sky. The moment the First Ancestral Dragon's essence was released, the three Ancestral Dragons sensed it. Even among kin, they could not yield. The Purple Jade Bracelet had sealed a strand of the First Ancestral Dragon's soul; the moment it returned to the Yellow River's body, it activated the immense vitality of the First Ancestral Dragon's corpse. This was a fatal temptation for the Dragon Clan—even the powerful Black Dragon King, Red Dragon King, and Inverse Dragon King could not resist.

With a thunderous crash, the three Ancestral Dragons dove down, circling and battling above the stone-like Yellow River, contending for the First Ancestral Dragon's legacy and inheritance. The three were not lacking in ambition; rather, the First Ancestral Dragon had left this contest for them, decreeing that the strong would prevail, and the victor would receive a higher foundation.

Light flashed, and the tall buildings on the original site of Ancestral Dragon Village were blown away like silk, landing softly in the distance. The ground shook, and Ancestral Dragon Village, which had vanished for over thirty thousand years, appeared faintly in view. But it seemed terribly distant, as if at the far end of the universe, separated by endless stars and time, an insurmountable chasm between.

Xiao Chen was overcome with emotion, his body trembling. For thirty thousand years, he had been a wanderer estranged from his home, unable to return, unable to see his loved ones—a feeling most unbearable. Now the sudden reappearance of Ancestral Dragon Village was utterly unexpected. Dimly, Xiao Chen understood that the appearance of the Ancestral Dragon Ship was inextricably linked to the Purple Jade Bracelet.

In ancient times, the elders of the village had said that Ancestral Dragon Village had experienced many strange events, with the entire village falling into deep slumber and vanishing, only to reappear after a thousand years. And the Purple Jade Bracelet, passed down through countless generations, had always been kept in the village. Thirty thousand years ago, he had inadvertently lost the bracelet, and that was why the village could never reappear.

Dragon cries shook the nine heavens. The three Ancestral Dragons vied to charge into Ancestral Dragon Village. Xiao Chen snapped back to reality and strode forward, but before leaving, he gathered the shattered fragments of the Purple Jade Bracelet from the ground. Four figures—the three dragons and the First Ancestral Dragon's form—vanished into that misty, illusory space.

It was like a landscape painting: pale and hazy, with mists rolling, seeming close yet infinitely far. Within this special domain, they had not truly stepped inside Ancestral Dragon Village; they could see it but could not touch it. A vague feeling persisted that it was truly distant, as if separated by an entire universe.

A thunderous dragon cry shook the myriad worlds. The First Ancestral Dragon stirred! The petrified Yellow River slowly rose and coiled, also flying into Ancestral Dragon Village, gradually vanishing within. This time, even the Celestial Realm was alarmed. Powerful Stone Kings sent terrifying divine thoughts sweeping down to observe. The ancient fossils of the primeval wilderness were stirred, a sign of the extraordinary nature of these events.

As for the mortal civilization, they rapidly scanned and recorded data, analyzing everything with rationality, restraining themselves from any rash action.

The moment the stone First Ancestral Dragon entered that space, the world gradually became clear. The distant Ancestral Dragon Village was no longer illusory; they could see the large yellow dog lying asleep before a household, even the drool at the corner of its mouth. But seeing was one thing; approaching was another. The distance seemed fixed—each step forward pushed Ancestral Dragon Village one step back, as if they would never meet.

At that moment, with the First Ancestral Dragon's colossal body writhing in, the struggle among the three Ancestral Dragons grew even fiercer. Though they were not fighting to the death, they displayed their true power. The Dragon Clan's inheritance law was that strength was passed to the strong, not the weak; the strong suppressed the weak. It was said that two Ancestral Dragons could not coexist, or they would annihilate many clans and shatter the Dragon Clan's foundations. Now three Ancestral Dragons had appeared, violating that ancient taboo.

But all that no longer needed to be observed. The Dragon Clans that had been suppressed by the First Ancestral Dragon had long perished. These were the last three ancient dragons—the dragons of Dragon Island and the descendants of the Southern Wastes Old Dragon had all died out, including the Azure Dragon King and the Jade Dragon King. The extinction of all those dragons had made these three especially powerful. To become Ancestral Dragons, they needed to absorb the vital essence of ten thousand dragons, and the essence of dead dragons scattered throughout heaven and earth. Over thirty thousand years, the three had slowly absorbed it, rivaling the most powerful Ancestral Dragons in history.

A light shone. At that moment, the First Ancestral Dragon's immense body suddenly shrank, taking human form, and then broke through the void, flying alone into Ancestral Dragon Village. It was a dignified and holy stone figure—though a female stone body, it radiated peace and serenity. She stopped at the village entrance, sat down cross-legged, her benevolent face facing outward. Could the First Ancestral Dragon still be alive? Xiao Chen was deeply shocked. He wanted to ask what was happening, but when he opened his mouth, no words came—between them lay an unreachable gulf.

At that moment, the battle among the three Ancestral Dragons neared its end. They were evenly matched, unable to determine a victor. None used trickery; no two allied against the third. They relied solely on true strength, testing each other fair and square. Without selfish motives, they sought only to determine the strongest in a just contest.

With continuous, thunderous collisions, all three Ancestral Dragons were gravely wounded, unable to continue. Light flashed, and this space-time was completely sealed off from the outside. The Celestial Realm Stone Kings, who had already struggled to see inside, now found their prying utterly cut off.

The Yellow River seemed to have lost something, now vastly different from before. As Ancestral Dragon Village vanished from the surface, the mortal civilization finally breathed a sigh of relief.

A great tremor shook the foundations. A powerful Dragon Clan essence swept out from Ancestral Dragon Village, gripping hearts with fear. The three fallen Ancestral Dragons were swept away, summoned to the village entrance. At the same time, Xiao Chen followed, drawing near.

"The supreme inheritance begins..." At that moment, the dignified and holy woman spoke those words. Divine light enveloped the three Ancestral Dragons. Xiao Chen was astonished: was this not supposed to be a supreme inheritance? How could it include all three? Was there no more need to contend? Were the three Ancestral Dragons all chosen simultaneously?

As he doubted, another beam of light swept over to encompass him as well. Boundless life essence and mysterious brand imprints surged toward him from all directions. In an instant, Xiao Chen understood many things. He knew that the First Ancestral Dragon had long since fallen; what he saw before him was merely a strand of the First Ancestral Dragon's soul imprint sealed in the Purple Jade Bracelet. Xiao Chen felt that this inheritance belonged entirely to the Dragon Clan; he should not partake in its power. Ultimately, he returned the First Ancestral Dragon's essence without reservation, sending it surging toward the three Ancestral Dragons.

This was not pretentiousness nor self-righteousness. He was to cultivate the Heavenly Stele Profound Art and comprehend the origin of the Dao. This Ancestral Dragon essence was unnecessary for him; better to perfect the three most powerful Ancestral Dragons in history, who truly needed it. The First Ancestral Dragon's essence was vital to them—even surpassing the origin of the Dao. The Dragon Clan's unique path differed from all others; the essence of an Ancestral Dragon was fundamental, igniting the deepest power within their bloodlines and awakening their fullest potential, enabling them to finally nurture their own supreme Dao imprints from their dragon source.

Yet Xiao Chen did not ignore the visions. He wanted to know why the First Ancestral Dragon had been sealed by a Heavenly Stele. Those brand imprints contained many past events. Soon, he learned a secret history of the Ancestral Dragon.

The descendants of the dragon—Ancestral Dragon Village was the lineage of the First Ancestral Dragon, counted as the direct line of the Ancestral Dragon's blood...