The beast with the giant eyes was at least several hundreds of thousands of metres away from Yang Kai, so at such a distance, even if he was extremely strong, it was difficult for him to fully perceive the situation due to the isolation power of the Dragon Pool.
He could only detect there was some commotion where Yang Kai was.
[This Brat hasn’t broken through yet?] The beast with the giant eyes felt a little strange. [How could he have not broken through after he swallowed so much Dragon Pool power? Could it be that this Junior’s talent is just that horrendous?]
However, it was clear that this little one was very determined.
The beast heaved a sigh and was satisfied that Yang Kai had the right attitude. He could not blame Yang Kai for not being talented enough. He would just go deeper and give this brat some room to cultivate. After all, he couldn’t fight with a brat just because he was disturbed.
The beast with giant eyes did not intend to help Yang Kai. A Dragon’s breakthrough depended mainly on themselves and outsiders could not help.
The giant beast silently swam down another hundred thousand metres until it finally could not feel the disturbances above.
Time flew by and two months later, Yang Kai’s body size increased again by nearly 10,000 metres. Now his Dragon Form was almost 60,000 metres.
50,000 metres was the baseline for being an Ancient Dragon, which was comparable to a newly advanced Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. Yang Kai’s 60,000 metres Dragon Form meant that he had firmly established himself in this realm.
It was unimaginable for a Dragon to grow by 10,000 metres within two months. If Dragons really could grow at such speeds, there would have been a terrifying number of Ancient and Divine Dragons throughout history.
This was all because Yang Kai was able to devour enormous amounts of the Dragon Pool power during that short period of time, and even that was only possible with the assistance of the Great Sun and Moon Marks. The Yin-Yang Power left behind by the Burning Light and Serene Glimmer was also essential as it acted like a millstone to grind and refined the power from the Dragon Pool so Yang Kai could more easily absorb it.
However, Yang Kai also noticed that the more he progressed, the more difficult it became to improve.
When he first came here, his body size could increase by several dozens to over 100 metres a day, but currently, it was down to less than a dozen metres a day.
One reason was his Dragon Vein was stronger and purer, so the same amount of Dragon Pool power was unable to enhance him as much as before. The second was the Dragon Pool power at his location had again been depleted.
After such wanton consumption, the Dragon Pool power was much thinner than before.
This time, Yang Kai did not wait for the Dragon Pool power to be completely depleted. As soon as he felt that the power was significantly weaker than before, Yang Kai proceeded downwards another 100,000 metres.
The beast with the giant eyes was disturbed once again and flared his nostrils furiously.
“What’s the meaning of this? Is that Brat intentionally taunting me?” He wondered.
He was understandably upset, but once again, he decided to avoid a confrontation by swimming deeper.
Another two months later, he felt a disturbance from above. It appeared like the annoying Junior had descended again.
The beast’s veins at his temples throbbed in frustration. Suppressing his anger once again, he continued descending through the Dragon Pool.
He decided that three times was the limit of his tolerance. One more intrusion into his territory and he would be forced to discipline that Brat!
Two months later, the beast with the giant eyes looked up again, but now he was not angry and instead full of doubts as he once again perceived movement from above.
He previously thought that those movements were made by that Junior using the Ancient Dragon Vein Tempering Art, but now it seemed like something was amiss.
After so much time, whoever it was should have achieved a breakthrough already. If he or she had failed at achieving a breakthrough, then this Junior should have been crippled if not killed by the amount of Dragon Pool power they had absorbed. How could they just continue to cultivate?
Now curious and suspicious, he gathered his aura and silently swam upward to have a look at what was going on.
Yang Kai was dividing his attention between devouring the Dragon Pool power with the Great Sun and Moon Marks, and cultivating the Dao of Time using the Bloodline Inheritance he had just unlocked.
The main reason why Yang Kai went deeper every two months was he was aware of the inconveniences he was causing the Grand Dragons and Young Dragons above.
The Dragon Pool power seemed to bubble up from bottom to top, so if he depleted all the Dragon Pool power where he was, then the Grand Dragons and Young Dragons above him would not be able to cultivate properly.
Thus, when he sensed that the Dragon Pool power around him was getting thinner, he would descend another hundred thousand metres.
Even if he was eating all the meat, leaving some soup for others was only polite.
It had been half a year since his breakthrough, and his achievements were significant already. His Dragon Form had increased by nearly 20,000 metres, for a grand total of 67,000 metres. On top of that, his gains in the Dao of Time were significant.
Yang Kai felt that with a little more effort, he would be able to ascend to the next level of mastery over the Dao of Time.
When that happened, his Dao of Time would reach the seventh level, Standing Above All Others Within Sight.
However, while he was concentrating on his cultivation, he suddenly had a strange feeling.
The Yin and Yang power of the Burning Light and Serene Glimmer in his body was rapidly weakening.
Yang Kai was momentarily stunned, but quickly realized that the two powers were about to run out.
The power Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan gifted him back then had already purified his Bloodline and Dragon Vein several times over the years. Even now, they were intermingling like a millstone, grinding the Dragon Pool power for him to absorb.
Unfortunately, these powers were not his own and would eventually run out one day.
Yang Kai was also prepared for this, but obviously did not expect it to be so soon.
He was not disappointed however. If it was not for this Yin-Yang Millstone helping him, he would never have been able to refine the Dragon Pool power so quickly, even if he could withstand the huge amount he absorbed into his body. His progress would not have been so rapid.
Yang Kai had already gained enough benefits. Before entering the Dragon Pool, his Grand Dragon body was only 35,000 metres in length, but one year later, he had grown to 67,000 metres. In this time, his Dragon Vein had become incomparably pure.
How could he not be satisfied with his achievements and progress?
The external power was not his anyway. The power of the Burning Light and Serene Glimmer had already helped him lay a solid foundation. How far he could go in the future depended largely on him.
As the power of the Burning Light and Serene Glimmer weakened, the invisible millstone in his body also began to collapse.
Yang Kai soon felt the pressure inside his body increasing.
When the millstone was grinding, regardless of how much Dragon Pool power he devoured, it was quickly refined and absorbed, but that was over now. Too much absorption was now causing him to become bloated.
Yang Kai suspected that if he continued on like this, he would eventually explode and die.
The Dragons who entered the Dragon Pool would dive to an appropriate depth, claim a stretch of territory, and cultivate. The further they went down, the denser the power became. However, they had to be able to absorb and refine the Dragon Pool power to benefit from it.
Each member of the Dragon Clan had to find their own limits when entering the Dragon Pool.
Yang Kai relied on the power of the Burning Light and Serene Glimmer to ignore these limitations and dive to a depth of over 1 million metres with a meager size of 35,000 metres.
The power Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan gave him declined extremely quickly, like an arrow at the end of its flight. Just half an hour after Yang Kai noticed the diminishing returns, the two forces had completely disappeared without a trace.
Yang Kai frantically stopped the Great Sun and Moon Marks, but even so he felt a lot of pressure. The Dragon Pool power he was wantonly absorbing before now felt like a huge burden he could barely resist with the power from his Dragon Vein. What’s more, the outside pressure was also beginning to affect him as he could not absorb the ambient power.
He could not remain at this depth any longer or something bad would happen to him.
With his mind made up, Yang Kai decided to head back up.
However, when he opened his eyes, he was shocked.
Two huge eyes were staring at him, glimmering and full of curiosity.
Yang Kai was now 67,000 metres in length, which was a considerable size, so if he felt that the entity in front of him was huge, then what was looking at him must be enormous!
Yang Kai’s Dragon Pressure instantly surged and he almost clawed at the stranger who was looking at him.
However, he managed to hold back at the last moment because he could see what was in front of him was a huge Dragon Head.
Looking behind the Dragon Head, he could not even see the end of this being.
In an instant, Yang Kai could tell that this was an Ancient Dragon, an extremely powerful Ancient Dragon with a body of almost 100,000 metres!
If the Ancient Dragon realm started at 50,000 metres, then above 100,000 metres would naturally be the Divine Dragon!
Yang Kai immediately knew who it was and asked, “Senior Fu Guang?”
When he was previously a guest in Huang Si Niang’s Phoenix Nest, Yang Kai deliberately asked her about the Dragon Clan’s situation. Huang Si Niang saw no reason to keep anything from him if the information was not confidential.
According to Si Niang, there was a Divine Dragon in the Dragon Clan, who was the current Clan Head.
The number of Ancient Dragons should be more than a dozen, but they were usually cultivating in seclusion and were not openly seen by others. The ones who presided over the affairs of the Dragon Clan at the No-Return Pass were the three Ancient Dragons that Yang Kai once greeted. They were also known as the three Elders of the Dragon Clan.
Those three Ancient Dragons were very old and powerful, but they had all exhausted their potential and so there was no hope of them ever advancing to become Divine Dragons. In other words, their current strength was their limit and there was no possibility of them advancing further.
However, among the members of the Dragon Clan, there was one Ancient Dragon who had reached the upper limits of his current realm but had not exhausted his potential and thus had hope of breaking through to become a Divine Dragon.
Fu Guang.
More than 5,000 years ago, Fu Guang had already reached the limits of the Ancient Dragon realm and then entered retreat deep in the Dragon Pool. He had not been seen since. According to Si Niang, Fu Guang would either become a Divine Dragon and emerge from the pool, or die in the Dragon Pool’s depths. If he died, then his Dragon Force would escape into the Dragon Pool, leaving behind a legacy for the future generations.
Without such determination, an Ancient Dragon who was attempting to make the final breakthrough would not easily enter the Dragon Pool.
Throughout history, the Dragon Clan had many Ancient Dragons who died in the Dragon Pool without ever stepping out of it.
Rumour had it that there were many Dragon Bones buried in the deepest part of the Dragon Pool. Of course, Si Niang was part of the Phoenix Clan and could not be sure about this; however, they all lived in the No-Return Pass so it was normal to have some understanding of each other.
Fu Guang had been in retreat in the depths of the Dragon Pool for 5,000 years. No one knew how he was doing, only that he was still alive. Still 5,000 years was nothing for a Dragon Clan member.
The Dragons had extremely long lifespans, so 5,000 years was considered brief when living more than 50,000 years was a given.
What’s more, each time the Dragon Pool opened, it was impossible for the later generation Dragon Clan members to descend anywhere near where Fu Guang had secluded himself; thus, none of them knew if his retreat was going smoothly.
However, for him to remain in the depths of the Dragon pool for 5,000 years, it was obvious that progress was not coming easily to him.
When an Ancient Dragon, who was close to becoming a Divine Dragon, appeared at this depth of the Dragon Pool, Yang Kai was certainly able to guess his identity.
This was a White Dragon, and even at this depth in the Dragon Pool, it was difficult to hide its pure glory.
Although the Ancient Dragon did not exert any Dragon Pressure, Yang Kai felt stifled just by being stared at by those eyes. Although his Source was slightly inferior to Yang Kai’s, this Ancient Dragon’s Bloodline was much stronger than his.
Fu Guang nodded lightly and asked curiously, “Which Family do you hail from?”
The Dragon Clan was divided into three Families, the Fu, Zhu, and Ji. The Dragon Clan’s Bloodline was being continued by these Three Families.
Which was why Fu Guang was surprised that he did not feel the Bloodline aura of any of these Three Families from this young one.
Moreover, if he was not mistaken, when he first perceived this youngster, he was using the Ancient Dragon Vein Tempering Art, which meant that he was not yet an Ancient Dragon.
Under up close observation, this youngster was already a nearly 70,000 metres long Ancient Dragon. It was simply unimaginable for a Dragon to have such a huge improvement in less than a year’s time.
Even for someone as gifted as himself, it was impossible to have such an achievement. Throughout history, no Dragon had ever grown so rapidly. It was completely beyond Dragon Clan’s ability to understand how this could be accomplished.
While asking the question, Fu Guang inadvertently looked at Yang Kai’s two front Dragon Claws.
When he noticed the Great Sun and Moon Marks, he realized that they must have something to do with this Junior’s rapid growth and the enormous consumption of Dragon Pool power.
“Senior, I am not a Dragon of the No-Return Pass.” Since he was sure that the Ancient Dragon before him was Fu Guang, Yang Kai had nothing to fear. At least, he would not be attacked for no reason.
“You’re not a Dragon of the No-Return Pass?” Fu Guang was slightly surprised as he continued to ask, “Did you return to your roots from the outside to pay respects to your ancestors?”
Yang Kai shook his head and explained, “No. I am Human. It was a coincidence that I had the opportunity to refine a Dragon Source and advance to become an Ancient Dragon. During that process, my Bloodline was purified.”
Fu Guang was even more surprised and exclaimed, “Human? Those few stubborn old goats actually agreed to let you into the Dragon Pool?”
He obviously knew the stubbornness of those Ancient Dragons. The Dragon Pool was fundamental to the existence of the Dragon Clan, so no one was worthy to enter it except for the pure-blood Dragons.
He wondered what they were thinking to let a Human enter the Dragon Pool.
However, Fu Guang soon nodded lightly and said, “Whether you were a Human or not before, now that your Bloodline is pure, you can be considered part of the Dragon Clan. Furthermore, you are already an Ancient Dragon.”
As he said, he continued to study Yang Kai. He noted that Yang Kai’s Golden Dragon Source was extremely powerful. If he was not mistaken, it should be the legendary Source that was lost all those eons ago.
[No wonder those stubborn old goats were willing to let him enter the Dragon Pool. They must have taken this into consideration.]
Unaware of the other party’s thoughts, Yang Kai was slightly stunned when he heard what Fu Guang said and said with a touch of dismay, “Yes, this Junior is part of the Dragon Clan now.”
Fu Guang laughed slightly and asked, “What’s the matter? Are you reluctant to give up being a Human?”
Yang Kai replied, “Not really. It’s just that… I’m not used to it yet.”
Fu Guang nodded and said, “Although someone like you is very rare, there have been a few recorded in my Dragon Clan’s history. I do not understand your feelings as there is no downside to being part of the Dragon Clan. At least when comparing to others in the equivalent realm, the Dragons are much stronger than Humans.”
He then changed the topic and asked, “Those two Marks, are they from the Burning Light and Serene Glimmer?”
“Senior’s vision is truly sharp. They are indeed from those two Seniors.”
Yang Kai was not surprised; since Huang Si Niang could recognize the origins of the two Marks at a glance, there was no reason why Fu Guang could not.
Fu Guang swam around Yang Kai with some curiosity and asked, “Those two Marks can draw in and absorb the Dragon Pool power? I’ve never heard of anything like them before. However, since they are Marks granted by those two, it’s not surprising that they have this ability. What I wonder is how you managed to withstand such a huge amount of power inside your body? By right, you should have exploded long ago.”
He had been observing Yang Kai for a while and was truly puzzled by this situation.
Yang Kai explained, “When those two Senior’s granted me their Marks, they also gifted me a portion of their pure Yin and Yang Powers. When this Junior sucked in the Dragon Pool power, the Yin and Yang Power turned into something like a millstone and ground it down, allowing me to rapidly absorb and refine the Dragon Pool power.”
Fu Guang was amazed and exclaimed, “There is such a thing?”
He had never known of such a possibility. Even the entire Dragon Clan knew nothing about this; otherwise, the ancient books would have records of these capabilities.
This brat in front of him not only had the marks of the Burning Light and Serene Glimmer, but he had also received a part of their powers. That meant that they considered him in high regard.
The Burning Light and Serene Glimmer would never grant their powers to others lightly. At least, Fu Guang had never heard of anyone having such an opportunity before.
“Come, come, activate those two Marks again,” Fu Guang asked eagerly.
Yang Kai shook his head rapidly and said, “Senior, unfortunately, this Junior has exhausted the Yin and Yang Powers of those two. If I draw in any more Dragon Pool power, I won’t be able to handle it.”
“What are you afraid of? Just do as I say. I’m here and will take care of you.” Fu Guang spoke with utmost confidence, as if he wanted to reassure Yang Kai and let him act boldly.
Yang Kai was at a loss for what to do and about what Fu Guang’s intentions were. However, considering that Fu Guang was close to becoming a Divine Dragon, he was surely not a match if things got out of hand.
Besides, it should not matter if he just demonstrated the two Marks’ ability a little for Fu Guang to see.
With that in mind, Yang Kai nodded his head and said, “In that case, Junior will show you how they work.”
He then activated the Great Sun and Moon Marks on his two Dragon Claws. The moment the marks shone, they started to suck in the rich Dragon Pool power from the surrounding area.
Yang Kai was prepared to stop at a moment’s notice as he did not have the Yin-Yang Millstone inside him anymore. He really could not withstand too much Dragon Pool power entering his body.
However, just as he activated the two Marks, Fu Guang made his move. His nearly 100,000 metres Dragon Form vibrated immediately and his Dragon Scales stood on end.
As he did so, Fu Guang’s Dragon Body suddenly turned into what seemed like a bottomless abyss, madly devouring the incoming Dragon Pool’s power.
Feeling his Dragon Vein roar and his bones crack loudly, Fu Guang’s eyes lit up.
Yang Kai was not experiencing too much pressure, because almost 80% of the Dragon Pool power drawn in by the Great Sun and Moon Marks was being intercepted by Fu Guang, leaving a mere 20% to enter Yang Kai’s body.
Although it was still a bit uncomfortable for Yang Kai, it was within his ability to tolerate. At least he would not be at risk of dying anymore.
Yang Kai suddenly understood Fu Guang’s intention of requesting him to activate the Great Sun and Moon Marks.
Si Niang said that Fu Guang had been in retreat in the depths of the Dragon Pool for 5,000 years. If he had not broken through yet, it meant that advancing from an Ancient Dragon to a Divine Dragon was no easy task.
If Yang Kai could help him achieve a breakthrough, it would be an enormous favour, not only to Fu Guang himself, but to the entire Dragon Clan.
The Dragon Clan had only one Divine Dragon right now, so their overall strength would soar with an additional one.
As Yang Kai was thinking about this, Fu Guang signaled to Yang Kai to stop.
Yang Kai obediently did as he was told.
Fu Guang pondered silently while glancing at Yang Kai every now and then, as if he was thinking about how to make a request. He also appeared very hesitant.
Yang Kai was amused and wondered just what he was going to say.
[What is there to hesitate about? The advancement to become a Divine Dragon should be far more important compared to owing a favour or some notion of pride.]
Nonetheless, even with such thoughts, he did not say anything and just waited in silence.
After a long time, Fu Guang said awkwardly, “Kid, do you want to dual cultivate with me?”
Yang Kai was shocked and stuttered, “D-Dual… dual cultivate… with you?”
[What the Hell are you talking about!? Why did you suddenly bring this up? Are you actually a female Dragon? But, it doesn’t look like it, and your voice is obviously too low to be that of a female….] Yang Kai doubtfully thought.
Fu Guang nodded seriously and said, “Yes, cultivate with me! See, you can draw in an enormous amount of Dragon Pool power by using those two Marks. However, you can’t digest it all, so I can digest most of it for you while you absorb the rest yourself.”
Yang Kai choked and remarked, “O-Oh… ahem, so… this is what you meant by ‘dual cultivate’ with you?”
He thought that Fu Guang was… referring to something else.
Fu Guang said with a straight face, “Of course! What else could I have meant?”
Yang Kai was speechless, and even suspected that Fu Guang did not understand what the connotation was. In Fu Guang’s mind, dual cultivation simply meant cultivating together.
Noticing that Yang Kai did not agree immediately, Fu Guang said, “Of course, this is more beneficial to me, but I will not let you suffer a loss. Let’s do this. You are now a pure-blood Dragon and can only enhance your Bloodline on your own without anyone’s guidance. However, my Dragon Clan’s Bloodline Talent is the Dao of Time. If you agree to my request, I can give you a few pointers while you cultivate.”
Yang Kai’s eyes lit up when he heard what Fu Guang said and exclaimed, “Really?”
Fu Guang nodded, “Of course.”
“Many thanks, Senior!”
Even if Fu Guang did not offer to give him pointers on improving his mastery over the Dao of Time, Yang Kai was already planning on helping him. If Yang Kai really helped him become a Divine Dragon, then the Dragon Clan would owe him a huge favour. Now, with the added benefits on top, Yang Kai would certainly not refuse.
“Do you agree?” Fu Guang asked to confirm.
“This Junior can’t think of a reason to refuse.”
“Very good.” Fu Guang slithered his Dragon Form and continued, “This matter cannot be delayed. Come with me.”
It had been over a year since the Dragon Pool opened, so Yang Kai would leave in at most a few years’ time. Thus, Fu Guang did not want to waste even a single moment.
Yang Kai followed Fu Guang closely, diving deeper into the pool.
He did not know how deep they went, but Yang Kai felt that he had reached his limit. If he went any deeper, the dense Dragon Pool power around him would kill him even if he did not activate the Great Sun and Moon Marks.
Yang Kai was not surprised that Fu Guang looked so relaxed; after all, there was a difference of over 30,000 metres between their sizes. Fu Guang was on the cusp of becoming a Divine Dragon, so it was only natural that he would be able to resist the pressure better than himself in the Dragon Pool.
Fu Guang also sensed this and without waiting for Yang Kai to say anything, he took the initiative to stop and said, “This will do.”
Yang Kai promptly replied, “As you wish, Senior.”
Fu Guang was very considerate and explained, “You should slowly activate the Great Sun and Moon Marks and progressively draw in the Dragon Pool power. You don’t have to do it all at once, just slowly adjust it.”
Yang Kai nodded and replied, “I’ll try.”
He had never tried to control the Great Sun and Moon Marks, because previously, he had the Yin-Yang Millstone in his body to help him grind however much power he could draw in.
Now that he was going to help Fu Guang cultivate though, it was necessary to use a more refined method.
“Coil up your body,” Fu Guang said.
When Yang Kai heard this, he quickly coiled himself into a ball.
Fu Guang placed Yang Kai in the middle and wrapped him with his body for protection.
On seeing this, Yang Kai felt a lot more assured. In this way, the Dragon Pool power sucked in by the Great Sun and Moon Marks would be devoured by Fu Guang first, and only what he could not take in would flow to him.
Thus, Yang Kai’s safety was guaranteed.
The Great Sun and Moon Marks were activated and the Dragon Pool power began to swirl around them.
This time, Yang Kai deliberately tried to control the two Marks and found that it was actually not difficult to manipulate them. When Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan gave him these two Marks back then, this should have been taken into consideration.
However, the Marks still pulled in the Dragon Pool power at an alarming rate.
This place was already a few million metres deep into the Dragon Pool, so the surrounding power was very dense. Any kind of suction force would draw the power in like tsunami.
Fu Guang grunted as his huge form shook. His Dragon Scales stood on end and his body instantly became like a bottomless abyss, devouring the Dragon Pool power that he absorbed.
Yang Kai, who was surrounded by Fu Guang’s Dragon Body, was a bit nervous, but soon realized that he had worried over nothing.
The majority of the Dragon Pool’s power was swallowed up by Fu Guang, and not a single bit came to him.
Seeing this, Yang Kai gradually strengthened the power of the Marks, and more Dragon Pool power was drawn.
Yang Kai slowly increased the suction force of the Marks until he reached about 70% of maximum when he began to feel some of the power overflowing to him. That also meant that Fu Guang was at the limit of how much he could absorb.
He gestured to Yang Kai, who understood and strengthened the power of the marks a bit more. With Fu Guang’s cooperation, the excess Dragon Pool power that flowed to Yang Kai was devoured and refined by him.
Both Yang Kai and Fu Guang were silently adapting to the current pressure of the incoming power.
Yang Kai found that without the Burning Light and Serene Glimmer’s Yin-Yang Millstone to assist him, he could not refine all the Dragon Pool power that he drew in and a large part of it simply passed through his pores and back out into the Dragon Pool.
Previously, with the Yin-Yang Millstone, no matter how much Dragon Pool power he drew into his body, Yang Kai was able to refine it quickly and not a drop remained.
This was also the reason why he was able to advance to become an Ancient Dragon so quickly and grow to a shock 67,000 metres in one session.
Now, without that millstone, Yang Kai finally felt the difficulty of a Dragon cultivating and breaking through. It was no wonder that Fu Guang had not been able to attain a breakthrough even after staying in the depths of Dragon Pool for 5,000 years.
If he, as an Ancient Dragon of 67,000 metres was already having difficulty, there was no need to mention Fu Guang, who was only one step away from becoming a Divine Dragon.
Yang Kai did not know if this attempt could help Fu Guang break through his bottleneck; however, since Fu Guang had made the request, he could only do his best and leave the rest to fate.
Unlike Yang Kai’s current relaxed situation, Fu Guang’s devouring of the Dragon Pool power was much more intense.
Yang Kai could even hear the Dragon Vein inside Fu Guang roaring like a river. Apart from that, the latter’s body would occasionally crack open and Dragon Blood would gush out everywhere.
This was obviously the result of the pressure he was under.
Although he looked miserable, Fu Guang’s spirits appeared buoyant, but this couldn’t be helped. Before Yang Kai entered the Dragon Pool, he had also tried using the Ancient Dragon Vein Tempering Art, drawing in as much power of the Dragon Pool as possible to use the pressure to break through his own shackles.
However, in these 5,000 years, little progress was made. It seemed his body had reached a limit and it was impossible to advance any further to become a Divine Dragon.
He had pondered a lot during these 5,000 years.
The Ancient Method was actually quite useful in terms of refining his Dragon Vein, the problem was that he simply could not draw in enough Dragon Pool power to meet the requirements for a breakthrough.
That was why after he saw the Great Sun and Moon Marks on Yang Kai Dragon Claws, Fu Guang began to think that if Yang Kai could help him pull in a massive amount of Dragon pool power, he might have an opportunity to achieve a breakthrough.
The two Marks proved to be more effective in drawing in the Dragon Pool power than the Ancient Dragon Vein Tempering Art that he was using. Previously, while cultivating, Fu Guiang vaguely felt some subtle changes to his Dragon Vein so he knew it was working. Although he could not see any signs of breakthrough, any change was better than none.
His only fear was nothing changing at all.
Now, however, the changes were far more noticeable.
If he could succeed this time, then the entire Dragon Clan could become more prosperous in the future!
Since ancient times, the Dragon Clan had produced numerous Ancient Dragons; however, there were very few Divine Dragons. There were never more than three in the same era with the biggest reason for this being that the last hurdle was just too difficult to overcome.
If Fu Guang could breakthrough and become a Divine Dragon using this new method though, then the next time an Ancient Dragon wanted to break through to become a Divine Dragon, they could simply ask Yang Kai for help.
If all went well, the number of Divine Dragons in the Dragon Clan might achieve new hights.
With this hypothesis in mind, he looked at Yang Kai as if he had found some kind of precious treasure.
Several more days passed, and both Yang Kai and Fu Guang had completely adapted to the pressures they were under.
Fu Guang suddenly opened his mouth and spat out his own Dragon Bead.
The Dragon Bead was quite large, round, flawless, and completely white.
Yang Kai also had a Dragon Bead, but his was incomparable to Fu Guang’s.
Fu Guang’s Dragon Bead seemed to have no other characteristics than being beautiful; however, Yang Kai could feel the Heaven destroying and Earth shattering power contained within it.
This was the result of Fu Guang’s Dragon Force.
For Dragons, their Dragon Bead was just like a Monster Beast’s Monster Core, the foundation of their existence. It was also their trump card when facing a strong enemy. In times of desperation, a Dragon could take out their Dragon Bead to attack the enemy.
Of course, there were great risks involved in doing this, which was why a Monster Beast would not summon their Monster Core unless desperate, much less a noble Dragon.
Yang Kai had done it once before in order to kill Zhu Feng Territory Lord, but that one single clash had resulted in his Dragon Bead being damaged, and without the help of Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan’s power, it would have taken him hundreds if not thousands of years to recover.
He did not know what Fu Guang was doing by suddenly spitting out his Dragon Bead at this time; however, it was soon obviously that this was how the latter was planning to guide him on how to better master the Dao of Time.
“Watch carefully.” As Fu Guang shouted, the Dragon Bead began to rotate. From that Dragon Bead, pure Dragon Force emerged and formed a layer of haze around the bead.
At the same time, the flawless white Dragon Bead also began to transform. The white Dragon Bead soon turned into different colours and the entire Dragon Bead became pockmarked. Not only that, the Dragon Bead seemed to have a strange power surging within it.
Yang Kai’s Dragon Eyes widened as he stared at this scene, and soon he was shocked.
What he saw was no longer a Dragon Bead, but rather a Universe World. The haze of Dragon Force was the barrier around this Universe World.
This was a newborn lifeless Universe World, but with the convergence of the Powers of the Seven Elements, a transformation began to occur and the barren Universe World also gradually changed.
At first, an ocean appeared. Then some green began to spread around. The originally white Dragon Bead became green and blue.
The aura of life slowly appeared in the sea, and soon spread to the land.
The first lives were very fragile and could not withstand any disturbance. The slightest interference and it spelled disaster for them.
Rebirth followed each destruction and eventually, life took a hold and managed to tenaciously survive. Over time, life flourished and the whole World thrived.
Yang Kai realized that Fu Guang was using his Dragon Bead to show him the evolution of the Dao of Time.
Time was an extremely subtle power, more mysterious and esoteric than even the Dao of Space.
The Dragon Clan’s Bloodline Talent was the Dao of Time, so they had no need to deliberately cultivate it. When a Dragon’s Bloodline became pure to a certain degree, the inheritance hidden deep in their Bloodline would awaken. Still, it was very difficult for a Dragon to master this power.
Yang Kai did not know for certain before, but now he had to admit that his ability to cultivate the Dao of Time was linked to his Dragon Bloodline.
Otherwise, it would not make sense for him to be able to cultivate the Dao of Time while being proficient in the Dao of Space.
Now he was now an Ancient Dragon and his Dragon Vein was extremely pure, so his Bloodline Talent had awakened. All that was needed was for him to enhance his own understanding in the Dao of Time.
Fu Guang’s display greatly made up for this. He was an Ancient Dragon who was just a step away from becoming a Divine Dragon. Looking at the entire Dragon Clan, it could be said that apart from the current Dragon Clan Head, he was the most powerful.
With the help of his own Dragon Bead, Fu Guang displayed the wonders of the Dao of Time for Yang Kai, with no regard for how much of his strength he used up from his Source. This was an opportunity that not just anyone could have.
Even Fu Guang would not have done such a thing if he had not requested Yang Kai’s help.
Yang Kai’s mind and Soul had been completely absorbed by the Dragon Bead. It was as if he was inside of it, experiencing all the wonders of the Dao of Time.
It was as if he was sucked in and could no longer feel the passage of time in the outside world.
Every moment was like tens of thousands of years.
The whole World’s living creatures became extinct just before the Universe collapsed under a violent shock and turned into an empty black abyss.
Yang Kai’s eyes finally blinked and his mind regained its clarity.
He saw Fu Guang swallowing his Dragon Bead back into his mouth and looked at him with an odd expression.
Fu Guang originally thought that Yang Kai’s attainment in the Dao of Time would only be superficial; however, when Yang Kai’s mind and Soul became immersed in his Dragon Bead, Fu Guang realized that something was wrong. This kid’s attainments in the Dao of Time were not low at all. In fact, he could perceive that the Time Principles Yang Kai could manipulate were extremely powerful and profound. Apart from Fu Guang, the only ones that could be compared were the Clan Head and the three Elder Ancient Dragons.
As for the other Ancient Dragons, they were all probably inferior to this boy.
Moreover, he could clearly feel that Yang Kai’s mastery over the Dao of Time had advanced another level just now.
“How is it?” Fu Guang asked.
Yang Kai slowly came to his senses and said gratefully, “Many thanks, for your guidance, Senior.”
Fu Guang’s feeling was right. Yang Kai had indeed taken another step forward in his mastery over the Dao of Time, reaching the seventh level, Standing Above All Others Within Sight.
The most obvious change was the speed of time flow in his Small Universe.
Previously, the speed of time in his Small Universe was four times faster than that of the outside world.
Now, it was five times faster.
The faster time flow in his Small Universe meant that the living beings in his Small Universe could grow more rapidly while the Spirit Herbs planted in his Small Universe could also be harvested more frequently. Most importantly, Yang Kai’s own heritage would accumulate faster.
Although Yang Kai did not know how much real time had passed outside, his mind had been following the transformation of the Universe within Fu Guang’s Dragon Bead for countless eons, sensing the mysteries in the flow of time.
It was not surprising that he could make a breakthrough in mastery.
Fu Guang nodded lightly, “So, it was not in vain. The Dragon Pool is about to reopen, you should leave soon.”
Yang Kai was dumbfounded as he asked, “How long has it been?”
“Almost three years.”
Three years? It seemed like an instant.
“Senior, you…” Yang Kai suddenly felt a little hesitant. He had gained a lot from this session, but Fu Guang did not seem to have attained a breakthrough. If he left at this time, that would mean that everything had been for naught!
Seeming to sense Yang Kai’s thoughts, Fu Guang said, “The power I have accumulated is already enough. All that remains is the evolution of my Bloodline. No external force can help me now.”
Over the past three years, the Dragon Pool power that Yang Kai drew using the Great Sun and Moon Marks was almost equivalent to what Fu Guang would take in after 100 years of effort. This showed the immense power of the two Marks.
Previously, Fu Guang could not take this final step because the Ancient Dragon Vein Tempering Art he was using could not draw enough Dragon Pool power at once to apply sufficient pressure to force a breakthrough. However, this was not a problem with the Great Sun and Moon Marks.
Although he could draw the same amount of Dragon Pool power in 100 years as Yang Kai did for him in three years, that did not mean that the effect was the same.
Without Yang Kai’s help, he might not have been able to take this final step in 100 years, or even 1,000 years.
Now, Fu Guang could feel that his Bloodline was changing, so it was time to finally take that last step.
Maybe when the Dragon Pool opened again, the Dragon Clan would have another Divine Dragon!
Yang Kai was relieved to hear him say that. He did not want to owe someone a favour. Fu Guang had instructed him on the Dao of Time, and Yang Kai helped him to advance to become a Divine Dragon. Thus, there was a mutual gain and neither owed the other.
A Dragon Scale suddenly flew towards Yang Kai and Fu Guang said, “Bring this to those three old ghosts and you will get the rewards that you deserve.”
Yang Kai reached out and grabbed it. He had a feeling that the Dragon Scale had been marked by Fu Guang’s Secret Techniques but he did not know what it said.
He had no intention to pry either as he had not done anything wrong to the Dragon Clan during his trip to the Dragon Pool, except for devouring a lot of Dragon Pool power. He even did Fu Guang a favour.
Although he was now a pure-blood member of the Dragon Clan, and he had purged the part of him that was Human when he broke through, subconsciously, Yang Kai still felt like he was Human.
A flash of light suddenly came from above. The light came from afar but seemed to penetrate the entire Dragon Pool.
Immediately afterwards, a low voice sounded from above, “Time is up, quickly leave the pool.”
The voice was naturally from one of the Ancient Dragon Elders.
Without delay, Yang Kai nodded slightly at Fu Guang and said, “Farewell, Senior. I hope to hear good news from you the next time we meet.”
Although Fu Guang said he had accumulated enough power, and all that was left was Bloodline conversion, things might not go so smoothly.
Just look at the number of Divine Dragons who had appeared throughout the Dragon Clan’s history and one would understand. If it was so easy to break through and become a Divine Dragon, then the number of Divine Dragons in the Dragon Clan would not be so low.
“Go on,” Fu Guang nodded lightly.
Yang Kai flicked his Dragon Tail and swam into the beam of light.
This glowing path seemed to have the effect of warping space. He did not know how the Dragon Clan managed to do it, but Yang Kai, who was millions of metres deep into the Dragon Pool, reached the top after just a blink of an eye.
At this moment, in the huge square of the No-Return Pass where the five statues of the Dragon Emperors stood, a portal appeared.
Dozens of Dragon Clan members gathered from all directions. 13 Dragons then rushed out of the vortex, one after another, appearing in the No-Return Pass.
Instantly, the Dragons roared one after another, causing the void to shake.
However, the Dragon Clan was stunned after seeing the condition of those who entered. Even the three Ancient Dragon Elders frowned.
This could not be helped though; after all, the growth of those that went in seemed too small during this Dragon Pool cultivation session.
Their expectation was, among the three Young Dragons, the one called Big Brother Ji was sure to advance to become a Grand Dragon; after all, he was already over 9,000 metres and was not far from breaking through. A few years of training in the Dragon Pool should have been enough to cross this divide.
Zhu Wu You and Fu Qian were a little further behind, but if they were lucky, they might also be able to advance to become Grand Dragons.
Although one Young Dragon had indeed advanced to become a Grand Dragon, he was just over 10,000 metres, which clearly indicated that he had broken through not too long ago.
Zhu Wu You and Fu Qian’s progress was even more pitiful. They were barely 9,000 metres each, still a long way from becoming Grand Dragons.
This was only the Young Dragons’ performance though, and the Grand Dragons were even more disappointing.
Among the 10 Grand Dragons who entered, at least two or three should have reached the Ancient Dragon realm.
However, only Ji Lao San had become an Ancient Dragon while the others were still Grand Dragons. Even their growth was unsatisfactory.
The Three Ancient Dragon Elders had never seen a batch of descendants with such poor performance before. It could be said that this was definitely the group of Dragons with the smallest achievements in the Dragon Pool in history.
Some distance away, Huang Si Niang was sitting on a branch of the Immortal Parasol Tree, dressed in her usual colourful robes. She swung her legs leisurely as she looked on eagerly at the unfolding drama.
When she saw the state of the Dragons that emerged out of the Dragon Pool, she smiled and muttered, “I knew it. When they let that Human into the Dragon Pool, I knew that there would be a negative effect on the other Dragons. It turns out that I was right.”
Feng Liu Lang stood next to her and frowned as he said, “Didn’t the Dragon Clan ever consider checking his Source?”
Huang Si Niang pursed her lips and said, “The Dragon Clan is too proud. Even if that Human had refined a Dragon Source, it was of no importance to them. Additionally, they made some agreements with the Old Ancestors from the Human Race, so they would not waste their energy checking. What they did not know is that the Source that Human obtained was extremely powerful.”
Yang Kai had the Golden Divine Dragon Source, the Source of the Third Generation Dragon Emperor. While the Dragon Clan did not know about this, the Phoenix Clan had guessed it before he went in.
This couldn’t be helped, as Yang Kai had been able to access a Phoenix Nest on his own.
That Phoenix Nest belonged to the Phoenix Empress of the same era as the Third Generation Dragon Emperor. The Sources of these two were lost together, and had never been found.
Since Yang Kai was able to enter that Phoenix Nest, and he said that his Wife obtained the Source of that generation’s Phoenix Empress, it was likely for that Dragon Emperor’s Source to be with him.
Since the Dragon Clan was too lazy to check, the Phoenix Clan Head also did not bother to tell them. By letting such a person into the Dragon Pool, there certainly would be some impact.
That was why when the Dragon Pool reopened this time, Huang Si Niang waited to watch the drama unfold.
It was so boring staying at the No-Return Pass and there was no place to have fun when they were cultivating in their Phoenix Nests.
Huang Si Niang did not understand what Yang Kai did in the Dragon Pool, but why did the Dragons who entered with him grow so little? Could their lack of performance be related to him? Even if his Source originally belonged to the Third Generation Dragon Emperor, it should not have such a dramatic effect, right?
Nonetheless, her doubts were soon answered.
Zhu Wu You went straight to his parents’ side and shouted, “That Yang Kai fellow is such a bastard! He snatched so much of the Dragon Pool power that we did not have enough for us to cultivate with!”
Zhu Wu You’s parents, an Ancient Dragon and a Grand Dragon, both frowned when they heard what had happened.
It was common for clansmen to fight in the Dragon Pool for more power. When they first entered the Dragon Pool, they also fought with their other clansmen for a better position.
Thus, Zhu Wu You’s accusations were quite flimsy.
Zhu Wu You’s Father, an Ancient Dragon, immediately reprimanded, “What is there to complain about if you are not as good as that Human? Furthermore, that Human should be able to transform into a Grand Dragon. Even if he fought with others, he wouldn’t bother with your position. You’ve always been too lazy which is why you did not advance much this time!”
Zhu Wu You felt aggrieved and explained, “No Father, that guy really has something strange about him. I don’t know what method he used, but he was somehow able to quickly devour an enormous amount of Dragon Pool power. My strength is weak and I occupied the uppermost position, but just half a month after entering the pool, the position where I was no longer had any Dragon Pool power at all.”
“The Dragon Pool power was depleted that rapidly?” Zhu Wu You’s Mother, a Grand Dragon, appeared stunned.
Zhu Wu You nodded and continued, “Yes, so I went to Fu Qian’s territory to fight for a better position, but after just half a month of fighting, his place also did not have any Dragon Pool power left. We continued descending through the pool to fight with the others, but no matter how deep we dove, the Dragon Pool power did not last long. It not only happened to where we three Young Dragons were, but also the places occupied by the Senior Grand Dragons. Go ahead and ask them if you don’t believe me.”
The Ancient Dragon turned his head and looked doubtfully at the others who had just emerged, to which all of them nodded in agreement.
Upon hearing the explanation and seeing their collective reaction, the Dragons, who were waiting in the square, loudly remarked.
“No wonder all those who entered the Dragon Pool this time have not improved much.”
“How can that be? The power of Dragon Pool should have been sufficient, how could it have dried up so quickly?”
“The Dragon Pool power seeps up from bottom to top. If too much power is consumed at the lower depths, it would disrupt the replenishment above and then the top would dry up. But… how can a mere Human have that kind of ability?”
“Or could ‘that’ Senior be the cause of it?”
“It’s possible. If his breakthrough was imminent, he would naturally require a tremendous amount of Dragon Pool power and it would not be surprising for him to disrupt the density above.”
“If it was really because of ‘him’, then these brats were just unlucky to enter the Dragon Pool at this time.”
“…”
Zhu Wu You did not know who they were referring to. Fu Guang had been cultivating in the Dragon Pool for the past 5,000 years, and Zhu Wu You was only a few hundred years old; thus, he did not know of Fu Guang.
Zhu Wu You’s parents certainly knew about Fu Guang though. If it was really because of him that these Dragons did not advance much during this Dragon Pool cultivation session, then there was nothing they could do about it. After all, an additional Divine Dragon in the clan was worth far more than having a few more Grand Dragons or Ancient Dragons.
When Zhu Wu You heard their speculations, he complained, “Why do you all keep referring to ‘that’ Senior? It was all due to that Human! Ask Third Uncle Ji if you don’t believe me. Third Uncle Ji saw it clearly when that Human broke through!”
“A breakthrough?” The group of Dragons all gasped in surprise.
Frankly, the Dragon Clan did not know the specifics and extent of that Human’s Dragon Bloodline; after all, Yang Kai had never exposed his Dragon Form or Pressure to them. They only knew that he was a Grand Dragon and even that was revealed to them by the Human Old Ancestors.
As Huang Si Niang said, the Dragon Clan had their pride and even though Yang Kai managed to refine a Dragon Source, they did not take him seriously and did not bother to investigate.
An old Ancient Dragon Elder looked at Ji Lao San and asked, “Did that Human really achieve a breakthrough in the Dragon Pool?”
Ji Lao San nodded meekly.
Before he entered the Dragon Pool, his Dragon Body was nearly 50,000 metres. Now, when he left the Dragon Pool, he was only 55,000 metres.
But what about that Human?
When Yang Kai entered the Dragon Pool, he was 35,000 metres, yet after just half a year, he managed to break through to become an Ancient Dragon. Now that three more years had passed, there was no way to guess just how much he had grown.
Ji Lao San was a pure-blood Dragon! To think that he could not even compete with the advancement rate of a mere Human in the Dragon Pool! He was utterly ashamed of his poor performance compared to that dastardly Human.
The three old Ancient Dragon Elders looked at each other, and they all saw the doubt in each other’s eyes.
They were all both surprised and doubtful that the Human had achieved a breakthrough in the Dragon Pool.
According to the information they received from the Old Ancestors, that Human should only be a Grand Dragon. If he had achieved a breakthrough, then was he not an Ancient Dragon now?
This was a bit abnormal. Throughout the ages, the Dragon Clan had indeed lost a lot of Dragon Sources and many different individuals from difference Races had obtained them. However, one growing to such an extent was extremely rare.
On the other hand, when they learned that the reason why their clansmen who entered Dragon Pool grew so little was due to that Human, those Dragon Clan members surrounding the place became agitated. Some of the Grand Dragons even instigated the rest to teach Yang Kai a lesson when he emerged from the pool.
From Dragon Clans’ standpoint, it was already an exception to allow an outsider to enter a sacred place such as the Dragon Pool. If the Ninth-Order Old Ancestors had not come to an arrangement with the Dragon Clan, there was no way the latter would have agreed.
It was enough that he was allowed to enter the Dragon Pool and gain some small benefits, but now, it turned out that he interfered with the growth of a dozen clansmen, how could this be tolerated?
The Dragon Pool did not open regularly and every Dragon Clan member cherished the opportunity to enter it to cultivate.
While the Dragons were busy complaining about what the Human did, a golden light appeared at the swirling entrance of the Dragon Pool, followed by a large Dragon head rushing out of it.
An intense Dragon Pressure immediately engulfed the area and the noisy square instantly fell silent.
Amid the loud Dragon Roar, a huge Dragon quickly emerged from the Dragon Pool. Those who were complaining angrily moments ago, now looked up at the sky in a daze.
The three Ancient Dragon Elders were also flabbergasted.
Ji Lao San’s face began to twitch involuntarily…
70,000 metres!
A full 70,000-metre Ancient Dragon! He was coiled above the No-Return Pass, glowing in splendid golden light. It was awe-inspiring and the brilliance was simply unparalleled.
Ji Lao San was filled with bitterness when he saw it and muttered internally, [70,000 metres!]
When Yang Kai entered the Dragon Pool, he was only 35,000 metres, yet after just a few years, his Dragon Form had doubled in size?
Throughout the ages, no Dragon had ever been able to cultivate to such an extent in just one session in the Dragon Pool.
As a 70,000-metre Dragon, Yang Kai was already considered to be extremely powerful as an Ancient Dragon within the Dragon Clan.
What caused Ji Lao San to be speechless was that, under Yang Kai’s Dragon Pressure, he actually felt his hands and legs go limp. He was completely subdued.
Not only him, but many other Dragons, who were also Ancient Dragons, felt suppressed by the Human’s Dragon Pressure. Naturally, this came from their own Bloodlines being suppressed.
“A Golden Dragon…” the old woman of the three Elders exclaimed in disbelief.
Another Elder was staring at one of the five Dragon Emperor statues. Naturally, the Third Generation Dragon Emperor’s statue at this time, also began to glow with a golden light. The aura from it resonated with the Dragon in the sky, as if there was a connection between the two.
“So that’s how it is!” This Elder murmured. Under such circumstances, if he still could not guess the origin of Yang Kai’s Source, then he would be a disgrace to his position.
The Dragon Clan had also searched for this lost Source. Other than the Dragon Clan, the Phoenix Clan also searched for it but they missed the best period and were unsuccessful in the end.
However, both the Dragon Clan and the Phoenix Clan knew how powerful these two Sources were, so it should be impossible for them to be destroyed. Even if they could not find them, it did not mean that they did not exist anymore.
However, no one expected that this missing Source would reappear in front of Dragon Clan in such a way. Immediately, the Ancient Dragons who knew the details had mixed feelings.
They all thought that Yang Kai’s Source was just an ordinary Dragon Source, and there was nothing for them to worry about as the Dragon Clan had lost many such Dragon Sources. It was their fortune and opportunity for those who had found these lost Dragon Sources to obtain them.
However, if this Source involved the Third Generation Dragon Emperor, then its significance was totally different. That Source could pave the path to reach the peak.
Yang Kai’s huge Dragon Form hovered over the No-Return Pass for a short time before he shrank down, transforming back into his Human Form as he landed in the square.
Feeling the prying eyes all around, Yang Kai knew that his presence had brought the Dragon Clan a lot of doubts. At the very least, he could no longer hide his refinement of the Golden Divine Dragon Source.
The Dragon Clan should have a lot of questions for him.
Yang Kai decided to speak first before they could ask any questions, “Greetings Three Elders, Senior Fu Guang has an object for this Junior to pass on to you.”
Theoldest-lookingg Elder in the center, held back his initial questions and instead asked in surprise, “Fu Guang? You met Fu Guang in the Dragon Pool?”
“Yes,” Yang Kai nodded firmly.
“How is he doing?” The old man asked with concern.
Yang Kai replied, “Senior Fu Guang is well.”
“What did he want you to bring back?” The old female Elder asked.
Yang Kai handed over a Dragon Scale from Fu Guang. The old woman took it, focused on it, and after a while, she handed the Dragon Scale to another Elder. She then looked at Yang Kai in disbelief.
When the other two Elders also finished examining the Dragon Scale, they looked at each other silently, seemingly reaching a tacit understanding between them.
The middle Elder nodded slightly and looked warmly at Yang Kai as he said, “Since you have shed your former body and been reborn, your Bloodline is now pure. From now on, you are a member of the Dragon Clan.”
In fact, the moment Yang Kai rushed out of the Dragon Pool, the three Ancient Dragon Elders already felt this.
Yang Kai was not the same as when he first came to the No-Return Pass.
Yang Kai had a strong Human aura when he first came to the No-Return Pass; however, when he emerged from the Dragon Pool, that aura was completely gone. He now exuded the aura of a Pureblood Dragon.
After checking Fu Guang’s message in the Dragon Scale, the three Ancient Dragon Elders also learned what happened inside.
As they had previously thought, Yang Kai had indeed refined the lost Source of the Third Generation Dragon Emperor. This was confirmed by Fu Guang.
He was also highly regarded by the Sun’s Burning Light and Moon’s Serene Glimmer, who granted him the Great Sun and Moon Marks. It was because of these two Marks and another gift from those two Seniors that he was able to devour the Dragon Pool’s power and grow so rapidly.
It was also because of this reason that those who entered the Dragon Pool during this session performed so poorly.
It was not that they had no aptitude, just that all the benefits were taken away by Yang Kai.
If Yang Kai had been the same as when he first arrived at the No-Return Pass, the Dragon Clan would not have let him off as the future of the Dragon Clan depended on those Juniors. Hindering their growth infringed on the Dragon Clan’s interests which was simply intolerable.
However, since Yang Kai was also a part of the Dragon Clan now, he was considered a clansman. Clansmen will naturally compete and fight for benefits; thus, the Elders could not accuse anyone of wrongdoing.
Not to mention, Fu Guang left behind a message that he was now able to take the final step in his advancement because of Yang Kai’s help.
Fu Guang’s advancement to become a Divine Dragon was undoubtedly more important than the growth of those dozen or so descendants.
Yang Kai was now a 70,000-metre-long Ancient Dragon, and had returned with the Source of the Third Generation Dragon Emperor. This was more than enough to make up for the losses of the young ones this time.
When the old man Elder then looked up at the clansmen, he announced, “The Dragon Clan has been in decline for many years and our numbers are withering. Now, a new clansman has returned to strengthen and bring glory to our Dragon Clan!
The other two Elders beside him roared in unison, “Glory to the Dragon Clan!”
“Glory to the Dragon Clan!”
…..
Yang Kai was slightly stunned, [So, I’m really now a member of the Dragon Clan?]
Although it was true that when he advanced to become an Ancient Dragon, he had purged the Human part of him and became a pure-blood Dragon, it still felt uncomfortable for him to become a member of the Dragon Clan.
Yang Kai actually did not care too much about whether his Bloodline was Human or Dragon; after all, he was not born in the Dragon Clan, and did not attach that much importance to his Bloodline.
However, when the three Ancient Dragon Elders declared it in such a manner, that meant that he became a member of the Dragon Clan.
Many Dragon Clan members were eager for Yang Kai to come out of the Dragon Pool so that they could teach him a lesson; however, after the three Elders’ declaration and cheers, they no longer dared to create any trouble.
The Divine Spirits highly valued the concept of community. If Yang Kai was an outsider, they would naturally make some comments; however, since he was now a clansman, there was nothing more to say.
Even Zhu Wu You, who was the most irritated by Yang Kai, had roared along, not to mention the other Dragon Clan members.
Only Ji Lao San rolled his eyes furiously as he thought, [That makes him part of our Clan? If so, then how can I get my revenge?]
However, when he thought about it, Yang Kai was now a 70,000-metre-long Ancient Dragon, while he was only 55,000 metres. His Bloodline Power and Source were both inferior to Yang Kai’s now. If he were to try to seek revenge, he was doomed to fail. He sighed inwardly and admitted defeat. At least he knew that he was too weak to seek revenge now.
On the Parasol Tree, Huang Si Niang was very excited as she watched the entertaining show unfold before her eyes.
She knew that Yang Kai’s trip to the Dragon Pool would certainly cause a stir; however, she never expected it to end up with him being accepted by the Dragon Clan and becoming part of it.
The Phoenix Clan and Dragon Clan had been living together at the No-Return Pass for many years, and were both basically numb to each other by now. However, in the end, they were all on the same side. If the Dragon Clan became stronger, it was also beneficial for the No-Return Pass.
It had been many years since the No-Return Pass had experienced a war, but more power was never a bad thing.
As the rest of the Dragons were still cheering, the three Elders looked at Yang Kai warmly and appeared very friendly towards him.
A pure Bloodline was not enough for them to show such favour to Yang Kai; however, the Source he refined was the Source of the Third Generation Dragon Emperor.
That Source itself contained the Heavenly Grand Dao. If Yang Kai managed to fully inherit it, then he would be able to advance to a level comparable to the Third Generation Dragon Emperor, which meant becoming a Divine Dragon.
Divine Dragon… Throughout the ages, how many Divine Dragons had there been in the Dragon Clan?
Furthermore, Fu Guang’s hidden message in the Dragon Scale also mentioned Yang Kai’s Great Sun and Moon Marks, which, when activated, could draw in the Dragon Pool power at an incredible rate. This was a remarkable help for those in the Dragon Clan trying to achieve a breakthrough to the Divine Dragon realm.
If another Ancient Dragon in the clan was ready to advance to become a Divine Dragon, they could request for Yang Kai’s help, which would greatly increase their chances of success.
The three Ancient Dragon Elders had reached the limits of their own cultivation. Still, did that not mean they were not eager to take that next step?
They all wanted to, but they were constrained by their Bloodline and could not advance.
If Yang Kai’s Great Sun and Moon Marks could give them a boost, then it might be possible for them to achieve a breakthrough. Although there was not much hope, it was at least worth a try.
Of course, that was a consideration for the future. Fu Guang was still in the Dragon Pool and could not be disturbed. When Fu Guang emerged, perhaps the three Ancient Dragon Elders might also give it a try.
At least, one could always hope.
The three Ancient Dragon Elders gladly accepted Yang Kai, who had such a pure Bloodline, and undoubtedly had a bright future that would greatly benefit the entire Clan.
The old man Elder in the center of the group asked, “Now that Yang Kai has joined the Clan, should his name be included in the Dragon Tome?”
“Yes!” A low voice suddenly came out of nowhere. The voice was loud and it sounded like a grand bell. At the same time, Yang Kai felt a Divine Sense sweeping over him.
The Divine Sense was comparable to Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao’s.
Yang Kai’s heart fluttered as he realized that the origin of this Divine Sense was probably the Head of the Dragon Clan. The one and only Divine Dragon alive today.
In the Dragon Clan, Young Dragons had bodies that were under 10,000 metres. The strength of those in the Dragon Clan was very different. A newborn Young Dragon was very fragile, perhaps even worse than an ordinary Human cultivator; however, when their body grew to 9,000 metres, they were equivalent to a Human just below the Seventh Order.
More than 10,000 metres, they became Grand Dragons, which was equivalent to Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters.
Above 50,000 metres, they were Ancient Dragons, which were equivalent to the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master.
At 100,000 metres, they became Divine Dragons. That was comparable to a Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Old Ancestor.
Of course, the strength and rank were divided as such, but when they really fought, the Divine Spirit of the same realm would most likely be more powerful. The Divine Spirits had too many advantages that the Humans did not.
For example, Yang Kai’s Dragon Form was now 70,000 metres. According to the Ancient Dragon classification, his strength was considerable. If he transformed into his Dragon Form, he could take on a veteran Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master.
Today’s Dragon Clan had only one Divine Dragon. However, this Dragon was not considered to be a Dragon Emperor because Divine Dragons also had those who were weak and strong. The current Head of the Dragon Clan felt that he was not qualified to be considered a Dragon Emperor.
Such a situation was not unique, or even uncommon in the long history of the Dragon Clan; otherwise, the Dragon Clan would have far more than five generations of Dragon Emperors, all of whom were the most powerful Masters of each generation of Divine Dragons.
Yang Kai knew that the Dragon Clan had a Divine Dragon, but he had not seen him yet. This time, the Divine Dragon also did not show up, but only responded when the Ancient Dragon Elder asked a question.
Yang Kai did not know what the Dragon Tome was as he had never heard of it before. When Huang Si Niang told him about the Dragon Clan, she did not mention anything about a Dragon Tome. He did not know if she also did not know about it or simply didn’t mention it for some reason.
As Yang Kai was wondering, one of the male Elders said, “Come with me.”
He then led the way, accompanied by the other two Elders.
Yang Kai followed behind them.
The other Dragons stopped cheering and followed behind Yang Kai solemnly. Sensing this atmosphere, Yang Kai realized that having his name entered into the Dragon Tome was an extremely solemn event for the Dragon Clan.
A short while later, they arrived at a simple temple where the three Elders entered in turn, followed by Yang Kai. As for the other Dragons who followed them, they all stopped outside.
The temple was extremely spacious, but the interior was very simple. It gave an unusually empty feeling.
At the head of the Grand Hall was an altar, which was surrounded by Dragon Force that acted as a kind of barrier.
Yang Kai squinted and saw that the altar seemed to be suspended on an irregular stone slab-like object.
The slab appeared to be about the size of a washbasin and was covered by a restriction. Yang Kai also did not see any other unique objects, and guessed that this was the Dragon Tome mentioned by the Elder.
[What the Hell is this?]
As he was wondering, the three Dragon Clan Elders stood at the three corners of the altar. Each used a Dragon Clan Secret Technique and then with a mysterious Dragon Roar, the restriction opened.
Moments later, the old man Elder shouted, “Open the Dragon Tome!”
After he shouted, the three Ancient Dragons opened their mouths and spat out their respective Blood Essence, which fell into the Dragon Tome.
The seemingly mundane Dragon Tome quickly swallowed up the Dragon Blood from the three Ancient Dragons, and in the next moment, it began to emit a faint glow.
As the Dragon Tome flew out, the male old Elder reached out and caught it. He then turned around, looked at Yang Kai, and said, “The Dragon Tome has existed since the beginning of the Universe and has witnessed the birth of the first Dragon and the inheritance of generations upon generations. Since ancient times, it has recorded the names of 14,362 Dragons. You are the 14,363rd.”
Yang Kai raised his brow slightly at this new information. The Dragon Clan had been around for ages and this Dragon Tome was something that was created when the Dragon Clan first appeared.
He had never heard of this before.
If every pure-blood Dragon was recorded in the Dragon Tome, that meant there were less than 15,000 of them that had been born thus far.
It was an extremely small number.
However, considering the Dragon Clan had extremely long life spans and great difficulties reproducing, the low number was not that surprising.
During this trip to the No-Return Pass, Yang Kai had encountered three Young Dragons, but this was actually quite rare for the Dragon Clan as, in the past, it was not unusual for thousands of years to go by without a single newborn clansman.
The old female Elder looked at Yang Kai with a smile and said, “Perhaps in the past, you did not know of the existence of the Dragon Tome. When your name is recorded in the Dragon Tome, not only does it mark the Clan’s recognition of you, it is also a great benefit for you.”
Yang Kai said humbly, “Please enlighten me, Elder.”
The old woman Elder smiled and said, “Firstly, the Dragon Tome keeps track of the life or death of anyone whose name is recorded within. If a clansman encounters a crisis outside, they can call for help from the Clan by using a Secret Technique which is connected to the Dragon Tome. Secondly, the Dragon Tome is connected to the Dragon Pool. If you really meet with misfortune outside and die, if there is still a trace of your Source spirituality in the Dragon Tome, with the dual powers of the Dragon Tome and Dragon Pool, there is a chance you may be reborn in the Dragon Pool.”
Yang Kai was shocked by this and exclaimed, “Resurrection? As in, back from the dead?”
The Elder nodded, “Indeed!”
Yang Kai was now completely dumbstruck.
The first power of the Dragon Tome was not too significant, but the second ability was completely outrageous.
Yang Kai had experienced a kind of resurrection once before. When he fought with the Great Demon God Mo Sheng in the Star Boundary, his physical body was completely destroyed.
That time, he was able to come back from the dead with the help of the powers of the Immortal Tree and the Soul Warming Lotus. That was a combination of extremely good fortune and opportunity.
Yang Kai did not want to experience that again; after all, dying was not a pleasant experience.
However, who could guarantee that they would not die? Especially in an environment like the Black Ink Battlefield, where Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master perished at a not infrequent rate, not to mention a minor Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters like him.
Recording his name in the Dragon Tome meant that it could be used to basically turn back and bring back a dead Dragon inside of the Dragon Pool. This would be an extremely appealing prospect to anyone.
However, Yang Kai soon realized that something was amiss and asked, “Is there a price to pay for coming back to life?”
It was simply too Heaven-defying to bring back the dead. Previously, he had to refine the entire Immortal Tree before he could rebuild his body, and the Immortal Tree was an extremely precious treasure of the Universe, close to the ranks of Supreme Treasures.
Even if the Dragon Clan had the power of resurrection, it should be impossible to do it at will. If they could, then the Dragon Clan would be truly immortal and indestructible. How could such a community be so withered?
Setting aside the rest, if the Third Generation Dragon Emperor had been resurrected, then Yang Kai would not be standing here today.
The old man Elder nodded and said, “Indeed, it is natural to pay a huge price to be resurrected. Additionally, no one can guarantee the success of this process. Truthfully, the chance of success is very small. In Dragon Clan’s history, the number of times the Dragon Pool and Dragon Tome have been used to resurrect someone is not more than 10, and among these ten attempts, only three succeeded.”
Yang Kai now understood. He knew full well that such a Heaven-defying technique was impossible without serious constraints.
In the entire Dragon Clan’s history, they only attempted about 10 resurrections. One would expect that each time, it must have been for an extremely important member of the Dragon Clan. When the Third Generation Dragon Emperor fell, the Dragon Clan must have done it, but unfortunately, it did not succeed. Otherwise, the Third Generation Dragon Emperor would still be alive.
What’s more, the probability of success was less than 30%, which could be considered very low.
Even if it was very low though, that was also a ray of hope and it was enough to motivate anyone.
The Dragon and Phoenix Clans were worthy of being the heads of the Divine Spirits, who won the favour of the Heavens.
The Dragon Clan had the Dragon Tome which had the powers of resurrection while the Phoenix Clan also had the ability to resurrect with their Nirvana Fire. Even so, both Clans had restrictions placed on them when it came to the act of resurrection.
Such Clans were truly worthy to be the leaders of the Divine Spirits.
“What does Junior need to do?” Yang Kai asked.
The old man Elder said, “Use your Source and leave your mark on the Dragon Tome.”
Yang Kai nodded lightly and asked again, “After recording one’s name, does the Dragon Tome place any restrictions on this Junior?”
The old man Elder replied, “Indeed. There is one small restriction.”
“Please tell me, Elder.”
“Do you know why the Dragon Clan and Phoenix Clan are absent from the greater Black Ink Battlefield?” The old man Elder asked instead of answering.
Yang Kai shook his head. In fact, he had been wondering about this previously.
The No-Return Pass was located at the rear of the Human Race’s defensive line and served as the final barrier to the 3,000 Worlds. Although the location was of great strategic importance, over the years, except for when the Black Ink Clan took over Great Evolution Pass and launched an attack, this place had not encountered any battles at all.
Both the Dragon and Phoenix Clans were powerful in their own right, and as Divine Spirits they had a much higher ability to resist invasion by Black Ink Strength. With there not being any full-blown wars at the No-Return Pass, the Dragon and Phoenix Clans could have easily sent some of their people to support the Human Race on the Black Ink Battlefield, especially when the battles were the most intense.
However, across the entire Black Ink Battlefield, there was no signs of the Dragon Clan and Phoenix Clan fighting. It was only the Human Race.
“Divine Spirits are not as powerful nor as effective as your Purifying Light in terms of restraining and eliminating Black Ink Strength.”
It was not surprising for the Dragon Clan to know about his Purifying Light, which was a powerful tool for the Human Race to deal with Black Ink Clan. Even though the No-Return Pass was situated at the rear, they would have heard about such a monumental development on the battlefield against the Black Ink Clan.
The power of the Divine Spirits also had a certain degree of restraining effect on Black Ink Strength. The Black Ink Giant Spirit God was sealed in the Divine Spirit Ancestral Land by the Third Generation Dragon Emperor and the Phoenix Empress. After countless years, the Ancestral Strength of that place constantly wore down the Black Ink Giant Spirit God’s Black Ink Strength, until it finally ground it down completely.
Otherwise, when Yang Kai helped open the seal years back, the Ancestral Land would have been devastated.
“The reason why Dragons and Phoenixes do not appear on the Black Ink Battlefield is related to an ancient agreement between us and the Human Race’s Great Experts.”
The old man Elder continued, “In that agreement, the Dragon Clan and the Phoenix Clan were made responsible for guarding the No-Return Pass. Unless there is an existential threat to the Clan, they are not allowed to leave the No-Return Pass.”
This agreement was simple, but was so important it became known as the Bloodline Great Oath. This was why there were no signs of Dragons and Phoenixes in the Divine Spirit Ancestral Land, and none of them on the Black Ink Battlefield.
Yang Kai could not understand and asked curiously, “But, why?”
Why would there be such a pact, and how could the Divine Spirit Clans, who were always proud and aloof, accept such terms? This was as good as the Human Great Expert restricting their freedom.
How could the two Clans agree to this?
The male old Elder said, “I do not know what the Ancient Masters were thinking; however, in this current situation, if there wasn’t this agreement, then the numbers of Dragons and Phoenixes would definitely have been fewer than it is now.”
Without this agreement, the Dragon and Phoenix Clans could enter and leave the battlefield at will, but who could guarantee that they would survive the fight? Under the powerful attacks of the Black Ink Clan, even mighty Dragons and Phoenixes could fall.
They could accept a few clansmen dying on the battlefield, but what about significant numbers of deaths? If a few important clansmen died and the entire Clan became agitated and rushed to the battlefield, it might lead to complete extinction.
It was because of this agreement that the two Clans could continue to remain at the No-Return Pass. Although the days were boring, at least they did not need to face the many risks of the battlefield.
From this point of view, perhaps it was not the ancient Human Great Expert who restricted the freedom of two Clans, but rather the two Clans choosing this of their own accord.
“But what does this have to do with this Junior recording my name on the Dragon Tome?” Yang Kai asked with a frown.
The Elder replied, “If you record your name on the Dragon Tome, then you must also honour this agreement.”
“In other words, if I record my name on the Dragon Tome, I have to stay at the No-Return Pass and cannot return to the Black Ink Battlefield?” Yang Kai exclaimed.
“Indeed,” The Elder nodded.
This agreement was known as the Bloodline Great Oath for a reason. If Yang Kai was not a pure-blood Dragon, it would be fine, but now that his Bloodline was pure, once he recorded his name in the Dragon Tome and officially joined the Dragon Clan, he would be subject to the same restrictions. If he broke them, he would face backlash from his Bloodline.
Yang Kai swept his eyes over the three Dragon Clan Elders in front of him, who all appeared very calm.
If Yang Kai had not taken the initiative to ask, they would not have said anything. It was not that they intended to hide anything, for if they did, they could simply have not explained at all.
Of course, the message that Fu Guang sent back on the Dragon Scale indicated that Yang Kai’s Great Sun and Moon Marks were extremely useful to the Dragon Clan. If possible, they wanted Yang Kai to remain at the No-Return Pass.
Not to mention the three of them, there were also other Ancient Dragons in the Clan who either wanted or needed to break through in the future. If Yang Kai helped them with their breakthrough, then their chances of success would greatly increase. Maybe by as much as 30%!
A 30% increase could not be underestimated; after all, over time that would mean a 30% increase in the number of Divine Dragons for the Dragon Clan!
Nonetheless, since Yang Kai took the initiative to ask, they had to explain it clearly. They did not intend to deceive him.
The benefits of recording one’s name in the Dragon Tome were indeed enormous and the possibility of coming back from the dead with the powers of the Dragon Tome and Dragon Pool were very tempting.
However, what was the use of all these benefits if he could not leave the No-Return Pass?
Yang Kai’s trip here was to improve his strength, mainly in preparation for the Human Race’s crusade. If he was now forced to remain in the No-Return Pass, how could he take part in the crusade? He would also have wasted Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao’s efforts and expectations.
Amidst the silence, the old female Elder said, “Yang Kai, the Source you received is the Source of the Third Generation Dragon Emperor. This Source is remarkable. Additionally, you have transformed from a Human to a Dragon. Once you record your name in the Dragon Tome, you can maintain your Family name and establish a new branch family of the Dragon Clan. This would be a huge contribution to the Dragon Clan!”
The old woman Elder’s message was obvious. If Yang Kai stayed at the No-Return Pass and sired a few more Young Dragons, then the Dragon Clan would add the Yang Family to the existing Fu, Zhu, and Ji Families. Furthermore, he would be the founding patriarch of this new Family!
Not just anyone could receive such an honour. The Dragon Clan has existed for countless aeons, but so far, only three family branches had been established.
As soon as Yang Kai recorded his name on the Dragon Tome, there would be another family branch, and Yang Kai would immediately become the first Ancestor of this Dragon Family branch.
Another Elder, who had not spoken so far, also added, “We’re not asking you to remain at the No-Return Pass and idle for the rest of your life. With your Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm cultivation, even with your 70,000-metre Ancient Dragon Form, your role on the Black Ink Battlefield will be very limited. However, if you stay in the No-Return Pass, your presence would be of great benefit and importance to the future of the Dragon Clan.”
“If you want, you can also bring your family to the No-Return Pass. Although we are also technically on the Black Ink Battlefield, it has been quite peaceful over the years. Now that Great Evolution Pass has been retaken, the Black Ink Clan can no longer come to harass us.”
“That’s right. You have family in the 3,000 Worlds, right? There is no such thing as security on the Black Ink Battlefield, so your loved ones must be extremely nervous about your safety. How could you continue to let them worry?”
The three Dragon Clan Elders took turns to persuade Yang Kai to record his name on the Dragon Tome and remain at the No-Return Pass.
However, when they saw that Yang Kai remained so indifferent, the three Elders knew that their persuasions were ineffective. Even if he was young compared to them, he was still a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master with a strong and resolute heart. If he could change his mind after just a few words of persuasion, then it would be impossible for him to have the cultivation he had today.
The old male Elder said again, “There is no hurry to decide on recording your name in the Dragon Tome. Why don’t you stay at the No-Return Pass for some time and carefully consider first. If you really do not wish to stay, no one can force you to.”
Yang Kai slowly shook his head and said, “This Junior appreciates the kindness of the three Elders, offering me the opportunity to record my name on the Dragon Tome and your invitation to stay at the No-Return Pass. This Junior is eager to live such a peaceful life, but many of my companions are still on the Black Ink Battlefield. The Human Race is about to embark on a grand crusade, but this Junior’s cultivation was too low. Perhaps as the Elders have said, my presence may not make much of a difference on the battlefield, but every pair of hands helps. Millions of my predecessors have fallen on the battlefield to stop the Black Ink Clan. This Junior is not that powerful, but I would like to follow the example of my ancestors. If I fall somewhere on the battlefield, it will only be because I am not strong enough. No one else is to be blamed.”
The old man Elder said solemnly, “So, you’ve made up your mind.”
Yang Kai took a step back, cupped his fist, bowed, and shouted, “For the common people, for the 3,000 Worlds, I will continue to fight until my dying breath!”
The old female Elder sighed softly and said no more.
The old male Elder then said, “In that case, we will not force you. About the matter of recording your name in the Dragon Tome… when the Black Ink Clan has been eliminated, you can come back to the No-Return Pass and we will help you do so.”
“Many thanks, three Elders!” Yang Kai bowed again, “I’ve inconvenienced you for too long now. I shall take my leave.”
“The battlefield is dangerous, be careful in whatever you do.”
Yang Kai nodded slightly, turned around and rushed out of the temple as the group of Dragon Clan members looked on with heavy hearts. He then flew out of the No-Return Pass.
Although the other Dragons were outside the temple, they saw and heard what happened inside and understood that Yang Kai did not record his name in the Dragon Tome.
Zhu Wu You went over to Fu Qian and whispered, “Is that guy stupid? He would rather go out courting death than to take up such a great reward.”
Fu Qian looked on as Yang Kai departed and sighed softly, “Why keep sharpening a sword if you don’t intend to use it?”
Zhu Wu You blinked at him for a moment before he snarled, “You are just as stupid.”
Fu Qian glared at him and barked, “You know shit!”
…..
When he was about to leave the No-Return Pass, Yang Kai stopped and turned his head to look at the Immortal Parasol Tree. He saw Huang Si Niang sitting on a tree branch, looking at him with a smile, and Feng Liu Lang standing next to her.
“Are you leaving?” Huang Si Niang asked with a smile.
“I am.” Yang Kai nodded, thought about it for a moment, turned around again and bowed to her, “Many thanks for helping out with my Wife’s affairs.”
Huang Si Niang waved her hand and said, “Think nothing of it. Is there anything you want to tell her?”
Yang Kai shook his head and said, “There is nothing to say.”
After a pause, he then asked, “The Dragon Clan and the Phoenix Clan had an ancient agreement with the Human Great Experts. After recording one’s name on the Dragon Tome, the Dragon Clan had to remain in the No-Return Pass, how about the Phoenix Clan?”
Huang Si Niang pursed her lips, patted the branch she was sitting on and said, “Once you have your own Nest on the Immortal Parasol Tree, you need to stay at the No-Return Pass.”
Yang Kai nodded blankly. It seemed that both the Dragon Clan and Phoenix Clan had similar restrictions. For the Dragon Clan, even if one did not record their name on the Dragon Tome, he could still cultivate in the Dragon Pool. However, the same could not be said about the Phoenix Clan. If one wanted to cultivate with the Phoenix Clan, it required possessing their own Phoenix Nest.
Now, Yang Kai understood that if Su Yan really came here, she would be restricted to the No-Return Pass.
Yang Kai cupped his fist and said, “I will take my leave now. If I come back, it will be a triumphant return!”
Huang Si Niang snickered, “Shameless boasting! Then, I’ll wait for your good news!”
As soon as he finished, he dashed away and then a loud Dragon Roar could be heard from the distance. A golden light flashed brightly as the Dragon Pressure faded away!
In the void, Yang Kai transformed into his 70,000-metre Ancient Dragon Form.
He did not do this to intentionally show off. The void was silent and no one would see even if he wanted to show off. He was overjoyed because he had gained so much during this trip to the Dragon Pool. His Dragon Body was only 35,000 metres when he first entered the Dragon Pool, but after emerging, it was 70,000 metres long.
Not only did his size double, but his Dragon Vein and Dragon Bloodline had become completely pure, allowing him to transform into a True Dragon.
This dramatic increase in size meant a huge increase in strength; however, his Small Universe still only had the heritage of a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. Thus, it would take time for Yang Kai to get used to this sudden surge in power. He had to find a way to adapt, otherwise, it may be a problem if he had to face powerful enemies.
It took Yang Kai half a year to travel from Great Evolution Pass to the No-Return Pass. Now, even if his mastery over the Dao of Space had improved, it would still take roughly half a year for him to return.
This was the perfect opportunity to get familiar with his new strength.
During the journey, Yang Kai swung his Dragon Claws and whipped his Dragon Tail from time to time. Occasionally, he would use Dragon Clan Secret Techniques, and sometimes, he would summon the Azure Dragon Spear. His two Dragon Claws would grab the spear and wield it around as if he was fighting invisible enemies.
If anyone saw this scene, they might think that this Golden Dragon had gone insane.
Yang Kai could not help it though. The Human Race crusade was about to begin, and he did not want to enter the battlefield before he familiarized himself with his newfound powers.
It was a very fruitful trip to the No-Return Pass.
On top of the improvement of his Bloodline, he had gained a massive amount of Space Dao Essence from Su Yan’s Phoenix Nest.
The Space Dao Essence in her Phoenix Nest was created from the Immortal Parasol Tree and contained the mysteries of the Grand Dao of Heaven and Earth from the primordial era, so it was a great tonic for Yang Kai.
Although it did not take him to the next level of master in the Dao of Space, it did enhance his comprehension immensely.
The main reason was that Yang Kai’s own attainments in the Dao of Space were already very high, and it would be very difficult for him to ascend to the next level.
Inside the Dragon Pool, when he helped Fu Guang to draw in the Dragon Pool power, the latter even used his Dragon Bead to demonstrate to Yang Kai the mysteries of the Dao of Time.
That enabled Yang Kai to break through the shackles of his understanding of the Dao of Time, reaching the next level of mastery.
His Dragon Bloodline had grown and his two Grand Dao’s had improved tremendously.
At this moment, Yang Kai felt very fulfilled, both in terms of his strength and his perception of the two Grand Daos. He was totally unrecognizable as compared to when he left Great Evolution Pass.
If he could completely digest all the gains from this No-Return Pass trip, Yang Kai believed that his strength would improve by leaps and bounds.
It didn’t take much effort to familiarize himself with the power of his new Dragon Form, all he needed was slow and steady accumulation.
Yang Kai focused more on comprehending the Daos of Time and Space.
The rapid advancement of his two Grand Daos gave him a faint sense of enlightenment.
The Dao of Space was his main Grand Dao, and his achievements in the Dao of Time were perhaps due to his Bloodline. In the past, his mastery over the Dao of Space mainly affected his use of Space Principles, and the Dao of Time, his use of Time Principles; the two were not related to each other.
Even though he had once created the powerful Secret Technique, Sun and Moon Divine Wheel, that was mainly through chance and coincidence. So, he did not give it much deep thought.
But as his comprehension of the Grand Daos advanced, it became clear to him that Time and Space had always been closely related.
Space was unable to exist on its own, and so was Time.
From ancient times until now, the existence of the Universe was interwoven with both Time and Space.
The Sun and Moon Divine Wheel combined Time and Space Principles, but that was something Yang Kai achieved subconsciously. Now when he gave it another look, he noticed that his Sun and Moon Divine Wheel had many flaws and had a lot of room for improvement.
Faintly, Yang Kai was struck with a flash of inspiration. If one day, he was able to perfectly fuse Time Principles and Space Principles, his Sun and Moon Divine Wheel would definitely become much more powerful. It would become possible for him to kill Territory Lords using this Secret Technique even when he was only in the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm.
Be that as it may, it was extremely difficult to fuse these two. As Yang Kai tried, his strength fluctuated wildly, but he was unable to accomplish anything. He felt like something was missing.
The feeling of being unable to cross the hurdles to reach your goal when they were within sight and you clearly knew how to reach it was extremely frustrating. It could easily cause one’s mind to grow restless.
This was one of the reasons so many cultivators had suffered from cultivation dissonance while cultivating in retreat throughout history. If one mulled over something too deeply, it would form an obsession, causing their focus to narrow and form an endless cycle of frustration and failure. As a result, they would either lose all confidence or lose their minds, which in turn would cause their Grand Dao to collapse.
Having learned the lessons from history, Yang Kai didn’t want to suffer from cultivation dissonance because of this. So, every time his mood became restless, he would relax and focus on the changes brought about by the growth of his Dragon Form.
By varying his routine, he avoided unnecessary problems.
A few months later, Great Evolution Pass entered his sight.
Yang Kai collected his thoughts and reverted from his Dragon Form. When he saw the dense figures stationed on the walls of Great Evolution Pass, he couldn’t help but let out a sigh of relief.
He was really afraid that if he returned too late, he would miss the crusade.
From the looks of it, the crusade had yet to begin. After giving it another thought, he realized that it was not surprising. The round trip to the No-Return Pass cost him a year, and counting the time he had spent at the No-Return Pass, it should be just about five years since he left.
The Human Race Army should not be ready yet.
Space Principles fluctuated as he arrived in front of Great Evolution Pass in a few Instantaneous Movements.
The soldiers on duty had long noticed the strange movements, but after seeing Yang Kai’s face, they quickly let him pass.
When he returned to Great Evolution Pass, he saw soldiers bustling around inside the Pass, as if they were preparing for war.
Yang Kai had no idea about what the situation in the other Theatres was like, but if the crusade were to start right now, the Great Evolution Army would definitely be unstoppable. With the confidence gained from their previous victory over the Black Ink Clan and the addition of the Evil Purging Divine Spears to their arsenal, it shouldn’t be a problem for them to destroy the Royal City.
As for whether they could kill the Royal Lord or not, that would depend on the means of Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao and the other Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters.
Suddenly, a Divine Sense sweep surged from somewhere. Naturally, it belonged to none other than the Old Ancestor.
As soon as the Divine Sense came in contact with him, it withdrew.
Without any hesitation, Yang Kai flew away, following the source of the Divine Sense.
A short while later, he arrived at the Old Ancestor’s residence, where Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao was lazily lying on a chair inside her garden. She sized him up before asking, “How was your trip?”
Yang Kai replied respectfully, “It was quite worthwhile. I gained a lot.”
Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao slightly nodded as she teased him, “You didn’t leave your name in the Dragon Tome?”
Yang Kai was taken aback, “You know about the Dragon Tome?”
Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao pursed her lips, “It’s not like it’s some kind of secret, so why shouldn’t I know about it?”
In truth, the only reason she knew about it was because she was a Ninth-Order Old Ancestor. Ordinary Humans would have never have heard of the Dragon Tome. Even Yang Kai had only learned about it after visiting the No-Return Pass and completely purifying his Bloodline.
“The Dragon Clan wanted me to record my name in the Dragon Tome, but this Junior refused.”
“Mhm,” Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao casually nodded. If he really recorded his name in the Dragon Tome, it would be impossible for Yang Kai to return to Great Evolution Pass.
Yang Kai suddenly furrowed his brow and asked, “Were you injured recently?”
He had already noticed that Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao was a bit pale. He thought it was because her injuries had yet to heal, but after giving it a closer look, he noticed that something was off. Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao’s aura was clearly unstable.
This could not be due to old injuries acting up.
The only possibility was that Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao was injured recently.
“I’ve been going to the Royal City more frequently these days,” Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao casually replied.
Yang Kai was speechless, “Why fight with the Royal Lord? Isn’t harassing him enough?”
During the previous war, repeated battles had caused the Royal Lord’s injuries to pile up, while Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao’s frequent visits after the war ended prevented him from healing in peace. Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao didn’t need to fight with him, all she needed to do was disturb him from time to time, frustrating him, and eliminating any chance he had to recover.
Yang Kai could not understand why Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao had suddenly become so aggressive.
Saying so, he spread out his Small Universe.
Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao furrowed her brow at the sight, “It’s just some small wounds. I’ll be fine in a few days.”
Yang Kai shook his head and asserted, “You’re the Old Ancestor, so this matter concerns the entire Great Evolution Army. It’s more important for you to quickly recover.”
The Old Ancestor politely refused, “I know you’re doing this out of goodwill, but I’ve spent a lot of time healing in your Small Universe. My recovery comes at the cost of its Bustling World Essence, which will have some negative impact on you.”
Yang Kai requested once more, smiling, “This Junior understands, but such losses won’t affect me too much. You should focus on healing yourself.”
Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao glanced at him before sighing, no longer insisting.
Suddenly, her expression changed, “Your Small Universe…”
Yang Kai explained with a smile, “My Dragon Bloodline was purified and my mastery over the Dao of Time improved. Now, the flow of time in my Small Universe is faster than before.”
A faster flow of time made it easier for the Old Ancestor to heal her injuries.
Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao had lived there for hundreds of years inside of his Small Universe, so she naturally could sense the changes here.
The Old Ancestor’s injuries weren’t too serious, and she had completely recovered after staying a few months in Yang Kai’s Small Universe, while only a month had passed in the outside world.
After recovering from her wounds, the Old Ancestor suddenly stood up, “Don’t be in a hurry to leave, wait here for me.”
Saying so, she soared into the sky. Yang Kai quickly retracted his Small Universe as his face twitched slightly, staring in the direction the Old Ancestor had left.
After recovering from her injuries, the Old Ancestor had gone to cause trouble for the Royal Lord once more, so it was no wonder she told Yang Kai not to leave. Apparently, he would have to help her heal from her injuries after she returned.
As he had expected, the Old Ancestor returned in less than half a day later, but her condition greatly surprised Yang Kai.
Although he couldn’t find anything wrong with her appearance, Yang Kai could clearly feel that the Old Ancestor’s injuries were much more serious than last time.
Needless to say, he quickly spread his Small Universe and let the Old Ancestor enter to heal.
After a few more months, when the Old Ancestor had completely recovered, she left the Pass once more.
The Old Ancestor returned after half a day again, and this time her face was pale and there were traces of dried blood stains on her clothes.
…..
After repeating this process several times, each time, Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao was injured more severely. When the Old Ancestor returned from her fifth excursion, Yang Kai finally couldn’t bear it any longer and persuaded, “Old Ancestor, there’s no need to rush. The crusade is imminent. At that time, we’ll first cut his wings and then, with the cooperation of the Eighth-Order Division Commanders, we can slowly take care of the Royal Lord.”
Yang Kai really could not understand what the Old Ancestor was trying to achieve. Although he helped her mend her injuries and the Royal Lord was now even more heavily injured, the Royal Lord could rely on the power of the Black Ink Nest to empower himself. Fighting alone in the Royal City wasn’t beneficial to the Old Ancestor.
Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao gave him the feeling as if she wanted to quickly finish off the Royal Lord.
Hearing this, Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao bitterly smiled, “It’s not what you think. I have my reasons.”
Yang Kai was confused.
As if she felt a little apologetic, Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao explained with a smile, “I’m not trying to kill that Royal Lord. His injuries might be quite serious, but it would be quite difficult for me to kill him without the cooperation of the Army. I’ve been going over to visit him only because I want to get something back from him.”
“What is it?” Yang Kai was taken aback.
[Does the Royal have something that belongs to the Old Ancestor? Could it be that she had lost it while fighting with him last time?]
But that should be impossible. With the Old Ancestor’s cultivation, how could the Royal Lord have secretly snatched something from her?
Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao was silent for a moment, seemingly hesitating about whether or not to tell Yang Kai about this, but in the end, she still chose to give him the answer, “Every Great Pass is a huge Mobile Palace Artifact, you should know this.”
Yang Kai nodded his agreement.
This was something he had learned when he first laid eyes on Blue Sky Pass; however, despite being a type of Mobile Palace Artifact, the Great Passes were simply too large and difficult to control. Even the Old Ancestors overseeing each Great Pass were unable to control them freely despite their fearsome strength.
“Every Great Pass has its own Core, and with the help of that Core, the Ninth-Order Old Ancestors can control their respective Great Passes. With the assistance of others, a Mobile Palace Artifact like the Great Pass can also be used to attack the enemy.”
“The Core is similar to an Array Core of a Grand Array. The Great Pass is nothing without its Core, just a giant, immobile fortress. The Great Pass can’t be used for anything other than for defense in such a state, but if you have its Core, the Great Pass can really be used as a Mobile Palace Artifact. Unfortunately, the Core of the Great Evolution Pass… has been lost. If I’m right, it should have fallen into the hands of the Royal Lord, so I must retrieve it.”
Yang Kai was dumbfounded.
Judging by the Old Ancestor’s words, if they had the Core, Great Evolution Pass wouldn’t have to remain in place and could instead be brought to the Royal City at some cost. At that time, how could the Royal City possibly resist the powerful Great Evolution Pass? Even if all they did was charge right at the Royal City, the Great Pass would easily smash the Royal City.
However, the Core of Great Evolution Pass had been lost, and without it, Great Evolution Pass could not move.
After giving it another thought, Yang Kai did not find it strange. Great Evolution Pass was in the possession of the Black Ink Clan for 30,000 years. Although they had recovered it now, why would the Black Ink Clan leave behind such an important thing? It was very likely that it had been taken away long ago.
This was the reason why Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao had been frequently haunting the Royal Lord. With the crusade approaching, if Great Evolution Pass didn’t have its core, they wouldn’t be able to mobilize the Pass. This would make it impossible for them to coordinate with the other Great Passes.
So no matter what, she had to retrieve the Core of Great Evolution Pass.
Hearing this, Yang Kai frowned, “Since the Core is so important, the Black Ink Clan must have also realized it already, so why would they return it just like that?”
“En,” Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao let out a long sigh. The Black Ink Clan definitely wouldn’t return something so important to the Human Race. If she was the Royal Lord, she would rather destroy the Core than let the Humans take it back.
This was also the reason why she had been attacking the Royal Lord so frequently as of late, only to return empty-handed.
“Can’t we refine another one?” Yang Kai asked.
Clearly, there was no hope of getting it back, and Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao must also know this, but she was just doing what she could while leaving the rest up to the Heavens.
Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao shook her head, “The Core is an ancient artifact and the method to refine it has long been lost in the annals of history. Although the Artifact Refining Great Grandmasters in the Pass have been researching the problem, they haven’t found any clues as of yet.”
The loss of Great Evolution’s Core was only discovered during the recent restoration so they were currently pressed for time. Even Grandmaster Ma Fan and the other Artifact Refining Great Grandmaster were at a loss.
Refining a new Core would not only be extremely difficult, it would also cost an astronomical amount of resources and take an absurd amount of time, probably 1,000 years at best.
1,000 years… a lot of things could happen over such a long period.
The Human Race currently had the advantage in various Theatres, especially in Great Evolution Theatre, so there would not be a better time to launch the crusade and eliminate all the Royal Cities in one fell swoop. If they delayed things for too long, the Black Ink Clan might be able to rise from the ashes once more.
If they couldn’t find the Core of Great Evolution Pass by the time the crusade began, the Great Evolution Army would no longer be able to borrow the power of the Great Pass and would have no choice but to fly over on their Warships to confront the enemy.
In that case, the Great Evolution Army’s casualties would definitely be higher than the other Human Race Armies.
Unfortunately, Yang Kai couldn’t help in this matter. The only thing he could do was heal Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao’s injuries, hoping that the Royal Lord wouldn’t be able to take her harassment eventually and return the Core.
Although the chances were slim.
Be that as it may, Yang Kai finally understood why the higher-ups had spent so much manpower and resources to rebuild Great Evolution Pass after retaking the Pass after listening to Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao.
He did question why they were so heavily fortifying Great Evolution Pass in the past. Though he did not put it in words and kept such thoughts to himself, he couldn’t help feeling that this was a wasteful endeavour as the Black Ink Clan in Great Evolution Theatre had already been routed and trapped in the Royal City. Thus, restoring the Pass without the Black Ink Clan being capable of attacking them seemed somewhat pointless.
Thus, he thought of it not as repelling assaults by the Black Ink Clan, but rather, for the sake of sentiment.
Now it was clear he had made too many incorrect assumptions.
The various repairs done to Great Evolution Pass were not just for the sake of sentiment or appearance, but rather in preparation for the crusade. As long as they could find the Core, the entire Pass would be their greatest reliance in the coming war.
…
Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao continued going out once every two or three months, returning each time with varying injuries.
If she ended up in this state, the Royal Lord definitely wouldn’t have fared any better; after all, he had yet to recover from his past injuries. If it weren’t for the power of the Black Ink Nest in the Royal City, Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao would have killed him already.
The current Royal Lord was simply struggling at death’s door.
Whether Great Evolution Pass could get its Core back, the Great Evolution Army would definitely defeat the Black Ink Clan Army when the crusade began. That would be the time for him to lose his head.
However, as time passed, Yang Kai could clearly feel that Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao’s temper was getting worse and worse. More often than not, she would start cursing the Royal Lord for being ignorant and calling him a stubborn oaf when she returned from the Royal City.
Every time this happened, Yang Kai would choose to remain silent.
Rather, it would be even stranger if the Royal Lord really gave her Great Evolution Pass’ Core just because she went to him and asked for it.
It was just a thought, one Yang Kai didn’t dare say out loud, afraid he would be cursed along with the Royal Lord.
Today, when Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao returned from her trip to the Royal City, she was so gloomy that it felt as if darkness was oozing from her. She landed in Yang Kai’s Small Universe, began healing from her injuries, and began her usual rant about the Royal Lord.
All this went in Yang Kai’s left ear and out through the right as he kept nodding in agreement like a chicken pecking rice.
This had already happened many times before, so Yang Kai had long since become accustomed to it. Now well prepared, he casually took out a stick of candied fruit and handed it to her. The Old Ancestor took a sidelong glance at him before accepting it, but she still did not forget to scold the Royal Lord while she aggressively crunched on the snack.
Yang Kai remained calm, quietly studying the Daos of Time and Space.
Suddenly, Yang Kai raised his head, looking at Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao.
The Old Ancestor was just about to unleash another barrage of curses, but when she noticed his unusual movement, she furrowed her brow and asked, “What is it?”
Yang Kai asked, “Old Ancestor, you said that the Royal Lord keeps denying that he took Great Evolution Pass’ Core, yes?”
This was not the first time the Old Ancestor had mentioned this, but Yang Kai had never taken it seriously; after all, there was nothing he could do to help in this situation except aid the Old Ancestor with her recovery.
While the Old Ancestor was recuperating, most of Yang Kai’s attention was focused on comprehending the Dao of Time and the Dao of Space to improve in the short peaceful time he had on hand. And he had indeed gained a lot over the past few months.
The advancement of his Dragon Bloodline had improved his mastery and understanding of the Dao of Time, and by refining and absorbing the abundance Space Dao Essence in Su Yan’s Phoenix Nest he had enhanced his comprehension of the Dao of Space.
When the Old Ancestor mentioned this matter again just now though, Yang Kai suddenly realised that he had overlooked something very important.
The Old Ancestor rebuked with a snort, “Would he dare to admit to such a thing if he did it?”
Yang Kai pondered for a moment before asking, “If Great Evolution’s Core was still there when the Black Ink Clan occupied Great Evolution Pass, would the Black Ink Clan be able to use it?”
The Old Ancestor explained, “Although Great Evolution Pass was created by Humans, in the end, it’s just a giant Mobile Palace Artifact, so with sufficient energy anyone can control it. The Royal Lord is comparable to a Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, so he wouldn’t be able to control Great Evolution Pass on his own; however, if with the help of the Territory Lords under him, controlling Great Evolution Pass wouldn’t be a problem. After all, the Black Ink Clan has many Territory Lords.”
“Then this situation is a bit strange,” Yang Kai looked at Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao, “If they were able to move Great Evolution Pass, why did the Black Ink Clan just leave it here? If I were the Royal Lord, I would have brought Great Evolution Pass back to the vicinity of the Royal City to act as another fortified base of operation. I might have even directly treated Great Evolution Pass as my own Royal City.”
The Black Ink Clan Royal Cities were nowhere near as sturdy as the Human Race’s Great Passes. By making such a Pass into his Royal City, the Royal Lord would never need to worry about the Human’s taking it back, which would give him a huge boost in security and face.
He believed that no Royal Lord could resist this temptation.
The Old Ancestor slightly frowned, “Actually, I’ve also been wondering about this issue as well…”
Yang Kai’s eyes slightly lit up, “Great Evolution Pass’ Core really may not be in the hands of the Black Ink Clan.”
The Old Ancestor shook her head, denying the possibility, “But if the Core is not in the hands of the Black Ink Clan, where could it be?”
“Could it have been destroyed?” Yang Kai asked, “Back then, the Old Ancestor of Great Evolution Pass died in battle. Perhaps someone felt that the situation was dire enough for the Humans that they decided to destroy the Core rather than let it fall into enemy hands.”
At a time of crisis, something as important as the Core would definitely be destroyed rather than left behind.
“While that’s possible, it’s not very likely. Every Great Pass’ Core is extremely sturdy, so only a Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master could destroy it. When Great Evolution Pass fell, there was only one Old Ancestor here, and at that time, he should have been fighting with the two Royal Lords, so how could he have had time to destroy the Core?”
“Then there’s only one possibility,” Yang Kai stated as he put away his Small Universe and beckoned her, “Old Ancestor, please follow me.”
Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao’s face was filled with confusion, nonetheless, she quickly chased after him, asking, “What are you thinking?”
Yang Kai shook his head, stating, “I’m not certain, but we’ll know after giving it a try. Old Ancestor, please wait patiently.”
Xiao Xiao didn’t pursue the matter any further.
Soon, the two arrived at Great Evolution’s Space Array Hall.
When the soldiers on duty saw the Old Ancestor arrive, they quickly stepped forward and bowed.
One of the soldiers asked, “Does the Old Ancestor want to go to another Great Pass?”
Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao shook her head and pointed at Yang Kai, “It’s his business, you should ask him.”
The man nodded and turned to Yang Kai, “Where is Junior Brother Yang going?”
Yang Kai thought for a moment before stating, “I’ll have to trouble Senior Brothers to activate the Hyper Space Array.”
The guards immediately started getting everything set up.
Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao asked, furrowing her brow, “Do you suspect that when Great Evolution Pass was breached, someone sent the Core to another Great Pass using the Space Array?”
Yang Kai nodded, “If the Core is not in the hands of the Black Ink Clan, and it has not been destroyed, then that is the only possibility left. After all, they did not outright destroy the Space Array, believing that the Humans Race would come back one day to retake the Pass.”
No one knew what had happened 30,000 years ago; after all, on the day Great Evolution Pass fell, except for those who had been captured, almost everyone, from the Old Ancestors to the ordinary soldiers, was wiped out.
However, just as Yang Kai had said, if the Core was not in the hands of the Black Ink Clan and was not destroyed, the only way to send it away was through the Space Array!
Perhaps on that day, someone had stepped through this Space Array, shouldering the heavy responsibility of preserving Great Evolution Pass’ Core!
“If it really was sent to another Great Pass, why would that Great Pass not report it?” Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao shook her head in response.
Yang Kai answered with a smile, “If they don’t know, how can they report it?”
Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao was confused.
At this moment, the guard on duty stated, “Junior Brother Yang, everything is set. Where should we set the location?”
Yang Kai stated without hesitation, “Wind and Cloud Pass!”
Saying so, he stepped onto the Array.
The Space Array hummed and energy surged as the lines of the Array flashed, enveloping Yang Kai’s figure in a dazzling glow. By the time the light disappeared, Yang Kai was nowhere to be seen.
At the same time, inside Wind and Cloud Pass’ Space Array Hall lit up. The guards promptly reported the situation, while searching for the source of the disturbance.
Soon, they found out that it was someone arriving from Great Evolution Pass.
A moment later, Yang Kai’s figure appeared on the Space Array.
“Junior Brother Yang!” A Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master cupped his fist and greeted Yang Kai. The last time Yang Kai came here, he was also on duty, so he immediately recognized Yang Kai.
Yang Kai returned the greeting, “Greetings, Senior Brother.”
The Seventh-Order Master asked, “What business does Junior Brother Yang have here?”
Under normal circumstances, very few people would travel between the Great Passes, because each teleportation would consume a massive amount of resources. If it was just information that needed to be shared, then a jade slip would be sufficient.
The Evil Purging Divine Spears, Purifying Black Ink Pills, and even the refining method of the Void Yin-Yang Mirrors were all shared with other Great Passes by sending out jade slips.
It had to be something very important for Yang Kai to teleport here in person.
Yang Kai stated outright, “There are indeed some things I need to discuss, may I ask which Army Commander is free right now? I would like to ask them about something.”
The Seventh-Order guard agreed with a nod, “Junior Brother, please wait a moment, allow me…”
Before this person could finish, a voice came from outside, “What’s the matter?”
The moment the voice rang in everyone’s ear, a figure stepped into the hall.
Everyone quickly bowed.
Yang Kai looked over and saw an old acquaintance, Wind and Cloud Pass’ Eastern Army Commander, Yuan Xing Ge!
The last time Yang Kai came here, it was this Army Commander who took him to meet Wind and Cloud Pass’ Old Ancestor.
“Greetings, Senior Yuan,” Yang Kai bowed.
Yuan Xing Ge lightly nodded in response before solemnly asking, “What did you come here for?”
Anytime someone travelled between the Passes, it was accompanied by a major event. So, he immediately rushed over after receiving this news.
Yang Kai replied, “I have something I want to ask you.”
“Speak.”
“When Great Evolution Pass was breached 30,000 years ago, did anything unusual happen with Wind and Cloud Pass’ Space Array?”
“30,000 years ago…” Yuan Xing Ge was speechless, “This Yuan only arrived at Wind and Cloud Pass 10,000 years ago.”
How could he know anything about what had happened 30,000 years ago? It was too long ago. In fact, he wasn’t even born 30,000 years ago.
“Is there anyone alive from 30,000 years ago in the Pass?”
“There is… but they won’t necessarily know about this.”
Everyone had their own duties they were assigned to. Apart from the person guarding it at the time, it was unlikely anyone else would know anything about the matters of the Space Array.
After a moment of silence, Yuan Xing Ge asked, “Is this important?”
Yang Kai earnestly nodded, “It is of critical importance.”
Yuan Xing Ge turned around and stated, “Follow me, I’ll take you to the Old Ancestor.”
There was no point in asking others about this. It was best to just ask the Old Ancestor; after all, it had certainly been over 30,000 years since the current Old Ancestor began presiding over Wind and Cloud Pass.
A moment later, Yang Kai saw Wind and Cloud Pass Old Ancestor tending his cattle in the manifestation of his Small Universe at a secluded location in Wind and Cloud Pass once more.
Receiving Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao’s reminder, Yang Kai carefully observed this time and found that there was indeed an old ox with a broken horn, secretly guessing that it should be an extremely powerful Monster Beast.
After all, anything that could make Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao pay attention to would be surely extraordinary.
Perhaps sensing Yang Kai’s gaze wandering on its ribs, the old ox, that was casually eating grass, raised its head and mooed.
Yuan Xing Ge stepped forward and whispered a few words to the Old Ancestor, who nodded and asked, looking at Yang Kai, “Why do you suddenly want to inquire about what happened 30,000 years ago?”
Yang Kai cupped his fist and answered, “Reporting to Old Ancestor, Great Evolution Pass’ Core is missing.”
Yuan Xing Ge’s expression slightly changed after hearing this, but this was also well within his expectations; after all, the Black Ink Clan had occupied Great Evolution Pass for more than 30,000 years, so they definitely wouldn’t leave the Core behind.
Be that as it may, what he could not understand was what the loss of the Core had to do with Wind and Cloud Pass’ Space Array 30,000 years ago.
Without waiting for them to ask, Yang Kai explained, “Junior suspects that when Great Evolution Pass was breached, the Human soldiers from that time took the Core and tried to send it to Wind and Cloud Pass.”
The Old Ancestor looked at him with interest, “Why do you think so?”
Yang Kai replied with a serious look on his face, “If I were a Great Evolution soldier 30,000 years ago, and saw that the Old Ancestor would fall in battle and the Great Pass was likely to fall, my priority would be to think of a way to protect the Core. And if I wanted to protect it, the only way to do so would be to send it to a nearby Great Pass via the Space Array.”
The Old Ancestor nodded in agreement, “Hmm, that makes sense. Continue.”
“The Passes adjacent to Great Evolution Pass are Wind and Cloud Pass, and Azure Void Pass. At that time, the situation would have been urgent, so they would have definitely chosen one of these two.”
“Then why Wind and Cloud Pass and not Azure Void Pass?”
Yang Kai explained, “After recovering Great Evolution Pass, this Junior managed to repair Great Evolution Pass’ Hyper Space Array, but during the final tests, something went wrong when I tried to teleport to Wind and Cloud Pass. Something was interfering with the Space Array, preventing a smooth connection from being established between the two Passes. I had no choice but to enter the Void Corridor and break through the interference personally, allowing the Space Array to function smoothly. Senior Yuan should know about this.”
The nearby Yuan Xing Ge lightly nodded in agreement.
That day, when Great Evolution Pass’ Space Array connected to this place, a portal had opened, but nothing came through from the other side. It was only after waiting for a very long time that Yang Kai finally arrived.
As this had never happened before, the soldiers on duty that day immediately reported it to Yuan Xing Ge and the Army Commander of Wind and Cloud Pass’ Northern Army, Tian Lu.
Eventually, Yang Kai did arrive, solving the mystery.
Back then, Yang Kai was unable to understand what went wrong with the teleportation. Although he had transited the entire Void Corridor to investigate, he was still unable to find the reason.
What’s more, apart from the first time, nothing unusual happened with the later teleportations. So, Yang Kai didn’t pay any much attention to this matter. He only thought that it was because the Void Corridor had not been used for a long time and needed to be smoothed out or unblocked.
But now, it suddenly struck him that this was not the case.
There was a high chance that something was stuck in the Void Corridor and was interfering with its stability. So, even if they were able to determine the direction and open the portal, nothing was able to pass through it.
If Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao hadn’t told him about Great Evolution Pass’ Core, it would have never occurred to Yang Kai that these two seemingly unrelated matters were actually closely related.
Obviously, the Old Ancestor understood this and asked, “So you suspect that Great Evolution Pass’ Core was lost in the Void Crack and the power it gave off was interfering with the passage between the two Passes?”
Yang Kai nodded, “That is my hypothesis.”
As for what exactly happened that day, no one knew. And it was impossible to investigate what had happened 30,000 years ago as everyone who knew had most likely already died.
However, if Yang Kai’s speculations were true, then a Great Evolution Pass soldier must have brought the Core with them and tried to send it to Wind and Cloud Pass through the Space Array 30,000 years ago. But, just as the Space Array was activated, the Black Ink Clan must have breached Great Evolution Pass.
The moment the Core was sent, the soldiers must have disabled the Space Array in haste, causing the Void Corridor to become unstable. The Core must have been lost in the Void Crack then because of this, and that is why it had not been found in the last 30,000 years.
“However, these are all my speculations, so I need some kind of proof before taking further action.”
This was the reason why he had come to Wind and Cloud Pass to inquire about the situation. If something unusual had happened with the Hyper Space Array of Wind and Cloud Pass back then, it would greatly bolster his conjecture.
“Mhmm.” The Old Ancestor nodded lightly, “Wait a moment, 30,000 years…is a very long time.”
Even a Master like the Old Ancestor might not be able to recall what happened so long ago. Not to mention, the Old Ancestor might not have been paying attention to the Space Array at the time.
As such, he needed to calm his mind and search his memories for the scene from 30,000 years ago to find some clues.
The verdant mountains and clear waters sunk into silence for the moment as the Old Ancestor’s eyes drooped, as if he had fallen asleep.
Yang Kai and Yuan Xing Ge quietly stood in place, respectfully waiting.
Only a few old oxen were leisurely eating grass nearby.
At first, everything seemed normal, but as time passed, the verdant mountains began to slightly quake and ripples appeared on the calm and clear waters.
It was obvious that the Old Ancestor was mobilizing his strength. It happened in the distant past and there was no specific point in time, so it was not easy to find a small bit of trivial information even for someone as strong as the Old Ancestor.
After half a day, Wind and Cloud Pass’ Old Ancestor suddenly raised his head.
The trembling Small Universe instantly calmed down.
Yang Kai focused his gaze on him.
The Old Ancestor lightly nodded to Yang Kai, “It seems your guess is right on the mark. The day Great Evolution Pass was breached, a portal had indeed opened at our Space Array, but it disappeared right after it appeared. Even the soldiers on duty were unable to locate its origin, so this matter was left unsettled.”
Yang Kai excitedly cried, “So the Core really isn’t in the hands of the Black Ink Clan.”
Although he felt that his guess was correct, it wasn’t until the Old Ancestor here personally confirmed that something unusual had indeed happened with the Space Array that he was certain.
This was great news.
As long as Great Evolution Pass’ Core was not in the hands of the Black Ink Clan, it became a simple matter.
If the Core really was in the hands of the Black Ink Clan, that would be rather troublesome. Although Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao had been pressuring the Royal Lord, why would the Royal Lord easily compromise? If he really had the Core, he would definitely not return it unless she killed him.
And how could a Royal Lord who could mobilize the power of his Black Ink Nest be so easy to kill? No matter how serious his injuries were, so long as he was in his Royal City, he could use the Black Ink Nest to fight with Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao. If he was pushed into a corner, he might even be able to drag Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao down with him.
This was something Great Evolution Pass could not bear.
But now… Yang Kai felt a little sorry for the Royal Lord.
Speaking of which, he had been to several Theatres, but he had never seen such a miserable Royal Lord. He was basically bullied and humiliated by Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao time and time again, but there was nothing he could do about it.
Presumably, when Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao asked him for Great Evolution Pass’ Core, a look of despair must have filled his face.
He could do nothing about it if he did not have it.
Yuan Xing Ge asked, “Just now, you said that you vaguely sensed some kind of disturbance in the Void Corridor. Does this mean that Great Evolution Pass’ Core is still there?”
“Yes,” Yang Kai nodded in agreement.
“Can you find it?”
Yang Kai took a deep breath, “This Junior will do his best.”
In this World, there were not many who stood a chance of finding an artifact that had been lost for 30,000 years in the Void Crack.
On the Divine Spirit’s side, the Phoenix Clan with strong Bloodlines might be able to, but on the Human Race’s side, only Yang Kai was capable.
After confirming that Great Evolution Pass’ Core was still lost in the Void, Yang Kai bid farewell to Yuan Xing Ge and quickly returned to the Space Array.
“Senior Brothers, please activate the Space Array.” Yang Kai bowed.
The soldiers on duty immediately started setting everything up.
Yuan Xing Ge was silent for a moment before asking in a low voice, “How confident are you?”
Yang Kai replied with a smile, “I won’t return unless I find the Core.”
Yuan Xing Ge glanced at him for a moment before cautioning, “Your own safety is of utmost importance.”
“I understand!” Yang Kai earnestly replied. The Spirit Array was set, so he stepped forward.
The Grand Array buzzed before a dazzling glow enveloped Yang Kai and he disappeared.
If it was a normal teleportation, Yang Kai would probably appear in Great Evolution Pass after just a few breaths, but this time, he had to enter the Void Corridor to search for the Core, so he had to interrupt the teleportation.
As soon as he sensed the power of Space Principles from the Space Array, Yang Kai immediately used his own Space Principles to resist the pulling force he felt.
In the blink of an eye, Yang Kai appeared in the turbulent Void.
In the Void Crack, Void Turbulences were the most dangerous thing. These turbulences had no set pattern and moved randomly, like wild beasts.
If anyone who didn’t have a high comprehension of the Dao of Space was pulled into a Void Turbulence, they would lose all sense of direction and become trapped forever.
Only a miserable fate awaited a person trapped in the Void Crack.