Chapter 678
The Imperial Decree!
"Who dares to trespass here?!"
"Come die!"
Ancestor Burning Heaven let out a roar that sounded inhuman, his white robes fluttered and rustled without wind, and a violent airflow carrying lava sparks swept out from him.
He remained seated, but a hand covered in crimson scales, with nails twisted like sharp claws, suddenly rose and viciously grabbed at Jiang Shu from a distance.
scoff!
The space in front of Jiang Shu was like a tattered cloth, with five pitch-black cracks forcibly torn open by an invisible force.
What spewed from the crack was not spatial turbulence, but terrifying demonic fire as viscous as magma. The scorching and destructive aura instantly locked onto Jiang Shu, threatening to crush him to pieces.
At this critical moment, Huang Ya's figure flashed like a ghost and blocked Jiang Shu's path.
"Fire Lord, please calm your anger!"
Although the Burning Heaven Ancestor was only at the half-step Demon Lord realm at this time.
However, he could also be loosely called the Demon Lord. The title of respect given by Huangya was intended to awaken the conscious will of the Burning Heaven Ancestor.
The sound from the desolate cliffs carried a strange penetrating power, like the tolling of a cold, ancient bell.
Faced with demonic fire powerful enough to incinerate stars, his gaunt figure did not unleash any earth-shattering defenses, but instead rapidly formed several profound and ancient hand seals with his hands.
hum!
The space around him suddenly collapsed and folded inward, forming layers of visible, semi-transparent ripple barriers.
The magma-like demonic fire crashed into the barrier, emitting a chilling "sizzling" sound. The terrifying destructive energy was constantly dispersed and deflected by the layers of tiny spatial folds, and some of it was even forcibly drawn into the deeper void and annihilated.
The cloth robe on the desolate cliff billowed in the wind, and the withered face bore immense pressure.
He staggered back several steps.
"Burning Heaven Demon Lord, this is the Golden Horned Young Lord of the Dragon Clan."
Huangya spoke at an extremely fast pace, under pressure.
"He possesses the rare ancestral dragon bloodline, a seed chosen by the Imperial Palace, not an external enemy. Although he is currently only at the late stage of the Demon Lord realm, it won't be long before the Golden Horned Young Lord emerges from seclusion and slays the human Jiang Taixuan!"
"The bloodline of the Ancestral Dragon... Jiang Taixuan..."
Burning Heaven's crimson-gold pupils trembled violently, and amidst the madness and chaos, a faint glimmer of clarity seemed to flash.
These two words were like two huge stones that crashed into his boiling mind.
His face contorted in pain as he slowly and reluctantly retracted his scaly red claw.
The lava storm around him subsided slightly, but the violent pressure that had been locking onto Jiang Shu had not completely dissipated, hanging over his head like a red-hot iron.
"Kill...Jiang Taixuan?"
His throat bobbed, making a rough, grinding sound, like a grinding wheel rubbing against a stone.
His murky gaze lingered on Huang Ya for a moment before fixing on Jiang Shu again. His expression was incredibly complex, containing lingering killing intent as well as a strange sense of disgust and rejection that seemed to originate from the depths of his very being.
Huang Ya breathed a slight sigh of relief, a bead of cold sweat barely perceptible on his forehead. He slightly shifted his body, stepping aside half a step, but remained highly vigilant, and said to Jiang Shu:
"Young Master Jinjiao, step forward and greet the Demon Lord of Burning Heaven. He will preside over your final breakthrough ceremony."
Jiang Shu took a deep breath, suppressing the surging vigilance and killing intent within him, and forced himself to take a small step forward to meet that soul-scorching gaze.
He bowed slightly, his posture carrying the unique reserve and respect of the dragon race beneath its arrogance, his voice deep and clear.
"Golden Horn greets the Burning Heaven Demon Lord."
He lowered his eyelids, avoiding direct eye contact with Fentian's molten gold beast eyes, to prevent any unnecessary eye contact.
The gesture of bowing was standard yet not overly humble, maintaining the respect due to a dragon prodigy when facing a powerful senior.
He was still quite surprised. He was now a pure-blooded true dragon, and even the Golden Horn's relatives couldn't tell the difference. Yet, Fen Tian was still able to sense his condition.
In the past, Ancestor Burning Heaven would never have noticed.
It now seems that this half-step demon lord realm is far ahead of the late-stage demon venerable realm.
The Burning Heaven Ancestor did not rely on his own blood and qi or Daoist essence, but only on a feeling.
Jiang Shu was naturally unaware that the Burning Heaven Ancestor hated him to the core.
If it weren't for Jiang Shu, he would definitely not be in his current situation.
To put it nicely, he is a half-step demon lord, but in reality, most of his states are beyond his control.
He could become a tool for sacrifice and killing at any time, as long as the imperial palace was willing.
A series of incomprehensible gurgling sounds emanated from Fentian's throat, like boiling lava.
He stared intently at Jiang Shu's lowered head, then glanced at the pair of forked dragon horns on his forehead, which looked like they were cast in gold. His nostrils twitched constantly, as if he were examining something very carefully.
"Dragon Clan... Golden Horn..."
He mumbled the two words repeatedly, his scaly claws unconsciously gripping the space in front of him, crushing it like tofu, creating spatial turbulence that tore everything apart.
The frenzied aura fluctuated in intensity, as if two consciousnesses were fiercely battling within his distorted soul.
Huang Ya's heart leaped into his throat once again.
He knew that Fentian's current state was extremely unstable. Sometimes he would clearly remember the mission from the Imperial Palace, and other times he would fall into a complete chaotic rampage, harboring extreme hostility towards anything that came near him.
In particular, the pure and ancient aura of the dragons seemed to inexplicably stimulate him.
Normally, for Jinjiao's safety, he would definitely leave immediately with his men.
But this time is different. The potential of the Golden Horn's bloodline is astonishing; this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Only by taking advantage of the power of the core of the Myriad Spirits Forging Venerable Array at this moment and place, and by being forcibly guided by the half-step Demon Lord Burning Heaven, can one have the greatest chance of breaking through the Demon Lord barrier.
"The Demon Lord of Burning Heaven".
Huangya spoke again, his voice more forceful, carrying an undeniable resolve.
"This is the will of the Dragon Lord, and also the decree of the Imperial Palace."
"Golden Horn carries the shadow of the Ancestral Dragon, and is the key to our clan's elimination of Jiang Taixuan."
"Please, Venerable One, lend a hand and help him comprehend the Great Dao of Space."
The three words, "the will of the Dragon Lord," "the mandate of the Imperial Palace," and "the extermination of Jiang Taixuan," were like three heavy shackles, slamming down on Fentian's chaotic consciousness.
His crimson pupils suddenly contracted, and the muscles on his face twitched violently. The frenzied, blood-red light struggled, reluctantly receding slightly before being replaced by a deeper rage mixed with a twisted sense of responsibility.
"Roar……"
A suppressed roar, full of contradictions, rolled out from deep in his throat.
His claws, covered in crimson scales, finally rose and made a gesture in the air in front of Jiang Shu, the movement somewhat stiff but carrying a powerful attraction.
An irresistible, scorching suction force instantly enveloped Jiang Shu.
His body was uncontrollably pulled, his feet left the ground, and he slowly floated up, as if weightless, flying towards the center of the stone platform, towards the direction of the Burning Heaven Ancestor.
Throughout the entire process, Jiang Shu offered no resistance. He simply ensured that he could travel between the two worlds at any time.
He then allowed himself to be controlled by the Burning Heaven Demon Lord.
After all, at this moment, he was only displaying the late-stage Demon Lord realm. If he were to release the power of a Chaotic Realm Dao Venerable during the struggle, his identity would be completely exposed.
He was simply trying his best to maintain the proper demeanor of the Golden Horn.
The slight struggle under the powerful external force eventually subsided, and the person submitted to the arrangement, even deliberately revealing a hint of longing for the "Demon Lord's Breakthrough" deep in their eyes.
This perfectly matches the behavior of a proud but power-hungry dragon prodigy.
"sit."
Fen Tian squeezed out a stiff word and pointed to the largest futon on the ground in front of him.
Jiang Shu landed as instructed and sat cross-legged on the huge futon.
Beneath the futon lies the base of the Myriad Spirits Forging Grand Array, seamlessly integrated with the pure yet eerie energy environment here.
He sat there, feeling as if he were in the very center of a great formation.
Burning Heaven's crimson-gold beast eyes looked down at Jiang Shu, who was sitting down, with a coldness that also carried a scrutinizing meaning.
He didn't speak again. His deformed hand, covered with crimson scales, suddenly rose up, his five fingers spread wide, and his fingertips instantly became like red-hot irons, hissing and emitting scorching white smoke. With a terrifying temperature enough to melt gold and iron, he pressed straight down on Jiang Shu's Baihui acupoint on the top of his head.
This is... a blood sacrifice to trace the origins!
A sense of foreboding surged through Jiang Shu's mind. This was definitely not a normal method used by the Burning Heaven Ancestor to guide a breakthrough.
This kind of operation, which directly uses violent demonic power to forcibly invade the Baihui point on the top of the head and explore the origin of the soul, can shatter the sea of consciousness if not handled carefully.
More importantly, this is definitely due to the deep-seated distrust in Fen Tian's subconscious.
He was using this opportunity to confirm something. He might even have been planning to crush this suspicious young dragon lord in front of him if he found anything amiss.
Don't try to block it head-on!
Traveling between two worlds?
No, wait a little longer!
Jiang Shu's mind raced.
Without dodging or yielding, he suddenly raised his head, and the pair of dark golden dragon horns on his forehead suddenly burst forth with dazzling dark golden light.
An ancient and majestic dragon's roar, seemingly traversing endless time and space, burst forth involuntarily from his throat.
This is a roar of anger that comes from the depths of one's blood, a roar born of the rage of a life of immeasurable dignity being insulted.
"hold head high!"
The dragon's roar solidified into a visible golden ripple, crashing fiercely into the crimson giant claw that Fentian had pressed down.
hum!
Two terrifying pressures collided instantly. There was no earth-shattering explosion, only an extremely restrained yet distorting clash of energy that compressed space itself.
Crimson flames and dark gold dragon power clashed and annihilated each other within arm's reach.
Burning Heaven's scale-covered hand suddenly paused, a look of extreme astonishment flashing in its crimson-gold pupils before being filled with even more furious flames.
But in that extremely brief moment of stalemate, the dragon blood essence within Jiang Shu's body, which had been perfectly transformed by the Myriad Spirits Forging Venerable Array and even contained the "Shadow of the Ancestral Dragon," was completely activated under terrifying pressure.
Wow!
The dragon blood, dark gold with ancient gray shadows, flowed like a golden celestial river, shining through Jiang Shu's skin and the illusory shadows of his scales, exuding a majestic, vast, and pure dragon's might.
The purity and domineering power of this energy far surpasses that of Ao Hai.
It instantly filled the entire cold cave, even temporarily overshadowing the lava aura emanating from Fentian.
More importantly, when this vital energy sensed pressure from a higher level, it instinctively erupted with an extremely real anger and tenacious resistance from the source of life.
This is precisely the core characteristic of the dragon race: domineering and arrogant.
laugh……
When the tips of Fentian's red-hot, branding claws touched the boiling, rising blood energy, a violent, scorching sound erupted.
The rage and killing intent in his crimson-gold pupils froze as if doused with ice water upon sensing this real and undeniable source of the dragon's blood essence, which was the very essence of life.
The probing divine sense was like hitting an iron wall covered with billions of dragon scales, and was forcibly rebounded by the pure and domineering dragon energy.
The Burning Heaven Ancestor's golden pupils were fixed on Jiang Shu, thick and sticky like undissolved stagnant blood.
The glowing animal bone patterns carved all over the stone platform cast flickering shadows on him, making his remaining white robe, which exuded an air of otherworldly elegance, appear particularly eerie.
The terrifying probing divine sense was violently blasted away by Jiang Shu's sudden burst of boundless dragon might, which contained an indomitable will, like an ice needle piercing boiling oil, instantly melting and rebounding.
The cave passageways were so silent that you could hear dust settling on the ground.
After a long while, Fentian's distorted face slowly relaxed a little, and his hoarse voice sounded like two pieces of rusty iron rubbing against each other.
"It is indeed the true source of the dragon..."
Even so, the chilling sense of unfamiliarity and deep-seated hatred in the depths of his molten gold eyes had not completely dissipated. Instead, like volcanic lava that had been forcibly suppressed, it churned with an even darker hue.
"Your dragon breath is quite domineering, it can even withstand my detection."
"Golden Horn, your lineage's ancestor should be the Golden Dragon Grand Venerable, right? If I remember correctly, even when he was in the late stage of the Demon Lord realm, his stability of cultivation was no match for yours now. Is your bloodline truly a reversion to the ancestral dragon?"
Perhaps it was because they discovered that the Golden Horned Young Lord in front of them truly possessed the bloodline of the Dragon Clan.
Fen Tian's eyes cleared considerably, but his words were like a cold dagger.
The bloodline of the ancestral dragon.
It hasn't appeared in the world for so many years.
Atavism? It's easier said than done!
His gaze seemed to see through everything about Jiang Shu.
Jiang Shu's heart was filled with alarm bells. He knew this was still an attempt by the Burning Heaven Ancestor to test his trust. Golden light blazed deep within his dragon eyes as he met the Burning Heaven Ancestor's scrutinizing gaze. He took a deep breath and suddenly said:
"May the Demon Lord of Burning Heaven bear witness!"
"After I cultivated to the Demon Lord realm, some unusual phenomena appeared in my bloodline, but I was too eager to break through at the time. Later I realized that this should be due to the compatibility with the bloodline of the Ancestral Dragon."
"How to revert to one's ancestral lineage is something I, a junior, do not know."
Jiang Shu spoke respectfully, knowing the extraordinary nature of the demon race's bloodline.
Even though Fen Tian had already reached the half-step Demon Lord realm, his understanding of the Ancestral Dragon bloodline was still extremely limited.
The more he talks, the more mistakes he often makes.
Perhaps it's better to push everything into the unknown.
The pair of dragon horns on its forehead, disguised and identical to the original golden horns, now shimmered with golden light, radiating a pure and ancient aura of power, originating from the same source as the dragon's might that had just erupted.
"Hmph, atavism..."
"You dragons are just dishonest."
Fen Tian gave a low snort, his voice still carrying a hint of distrust.
But compared to before, the gaze directed at Jiang Shu was somewhat gentler. (End of Chapter)