True Dragon Spirit, Secrets of the Upper Realm

"Believe it or not, little one, I truly am the True Dragon that fell in this world.

The reason I was able to appear before you was because of you.

Over tens of thousands of years, the energy I left within the Dragon Pearl has nearly been exhausted by this remnant soul of mine. It is all because those Ancient Void Dragons outside were so foolish that they did not know to use Dou Qi to catalyze your birth. They made me wait for so long.

I was originally about to dissipate, but a few days ago, an immense amount of Dou Qi flooded into the Dragon Pearl. Only then was this remnant soul, which had fallen dormant, able to awaken once more. But a remnant soul will eventually dissipate, and I too will completely vanish from this world.

When you obtained this Dragon Pearl, its artifact spirit must have told you that it contains Source Qi. That is indeed true.

However, this world contains something even better than Source Qi. I think you should give it a try."

Hearing the Soul Body speak this way, Ao Qing gradually came to believe that it truly was the remnant soul of a True Dragon. That was true—how could a True Dragon so easily disappear from the world? After thinking for a moment, Ao Qing voiced his question.

"Whether Senior is truly a True Dragon remnant soul can be set aside for now. However, I believe Senior would not harm me. Therefore, Ao Qing would like to hear what this thing is that Senior claims is better than Source Qi."

"Hahaha, brat, forget it. Whether you believe me or not, you already have your answer, don't you?

Do you know why I came to this world? If I am not mistaken, the Ancient Void Dragon Clan now believes that I fought a powerful enemy and fell after suffering grievous injuries.

But they do not know why I fought that powerful enemy.

My name is Zhu Tian. In the Upper Realm, I had cultivated to an extremely high realm, but was the Upper Realm not also a cage?

I wanted to break through to an even higher realm, but the Upper Realm lacked something as well—the Plane Spirit! The Plane Spirit of the Upper Realm had long been used up by those who came before us. Those who came after could only struggle bitterly, or risk breaking the shackles of the plane and travel to the lower realms in search of a Plane Spirit.

That was what I did back then. I came directly to the Dou Qi Continent. I was fortunate. This world had not given birth to a Heavenly Dao, which meant it possessed a Plane Spirit. In truth, it was a Heavenly Dao that had yet to become a Heavenly Dao.

I was extremely excited then, but the will of heaven was unpredictable. Just as I believed I could surpass the Dou Emperor realm, an Otherworldly Demon Emperor found this world as well. He possessed strength equal to mine. Neither of us was willing to give up this ownerless Plane Spirit. Thus, a great battle began.

In that battle, I burned my lifespan and barely managed to kill that Otherworldly Demon Emperor. Yet by then, I had also suffered severe injuries. I no longer even had the strength to open the plane shackles, and so I fell in this world.

However, before my death, I fused all of my True Dragon Bloodline into an ordinary dragon egg. That was your origin.

Now, although I am about to vanish from this world, my path will not be alone! The True Dragon lineage still has hope! I hope you can obtain the Plane Spirit and reach the height that I could only long for!"

Ao Qing fell silent. If what this man said was true, then he really should fulfill the True Dragon's final wish.

"Senior, do you know what that special energy within my body is?" Ao Qing also wanted to uncover the secret of the Heavenly Flames.

With a sweep of the True Dragon's spiritual sense, Ao Qing felt as though he had been completely seen through. The True Dragon's remnant soul immediately looked somewhat weaker and spoke.

"The energy within your body is the origin power of this world.

This world has no Heavenly Dao, so its origin power naturally attaches itself to all kinds of Heaven and Earth Spiritual Objects.

And this is also something essential for obtaining the Plane Spirit. Only with the Heaven and Earth Source can you approach the Plane Spirit and successfully refine it. Otherwise, if the Plane Spirit resists, it would be equivalent to the power of an entire plane. Even a Dou Emperor would not escape death.

So, brat, your luck is quite good. What a pity. I did not have such luck back then.

Sigh!"

It had to be said that luck was sometimes part of one's strength.

"Senior, where is the Plane Spirit?"

"When you become a Dou Emperor, you will be able to sense it."

"Alright, little one. This remnant soul of mine is nearly spent. It is time to say goodbye!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the True Dragon's remnant soul began to turn transparent until it completely vanished...

"Senior...!"

Watching the True Dragon's remnant soul slowly dissipate from this world, Ao Qing felt an inexplicable sadness. A hero's curtain call, alone to the very end—without family, without friends, and having even fallen in an unfamiliar world.

"Hehe, why should I feel sad for Senior, Ao Qing? For a strong man, pursuing the path of cultivation has always meant facing death at any moment. Was it not something to be happy about that Senior reached such a height? Perhaps on the Dou Qi Continent, I have the True Dragon Inheritance and the Ancient Void Dragon Clan, allowing me to grow safely until I become a Dou Emperor. But one day, I too will go to the Upper Realm. Who can guarantee how long they will live? And how many people who go to the Upper Realm can reach Senior's height?"

All kinds of scenes flashed through Ao Qing's mind: himself as a child, alone and helpless; the strange looks others gave him after he grew up; the times he had nothing to eat; the times he could not go to school...

"Forget it. Let the past stay in the past!"

Ao Qing did not linger and went out to meet up with the elders.

"Elders, thank you for taking care of me during this time. I made you worry. Next time, I will not take such risks without being certain."

"Young Master, there is no need for this. Cultivation is like rowing upstream—if you stop, you fall back. Have you not heard that one may hear the Way in the morning and die that evening without regret? Though we do not wish for Young Master to take risks, even a fledgling eagle will one day soar. We will not stop Young Master over such matters. On the contrary, we support Young Master in exploring this world. The world is truly vast. Young Master only needs to judge things for yourself.

Of course, if there is ever anything you need from us, Young Master need only give the word!"

The Grand Elder's words made Ao Qing's heart, which had already been warming, burn with heat. His eyes reddened slightly. This family-like care and understanding had once been something he desperately wanted but could never attain. Yet now, it was vividly before him.

Perhaps seeing that Ao Qing's emotions were complicated, the elders all patted him on the shoulder, encouraging him.

"Elders, while I was recovering just now..." Before Ao Qing could finish, the Grand Elder stopped him from continuing.

"Stop! Young Master, there is no need to tell us about this. Handle it as you see fit. We cannot choose your path for you. You need to walk it and make your own decisions. We can only help you along that road for a time."

"This..."

Ao Qing had not expected the Grand Elder to stop him from speaking about the True Dragon's remnant soul. But after thinking it over, Ao Qing did not continue.

At that moment, Ao Qing and the Grand Elder seemed to share an unspoken understanding.

The other elders found them rather strange. Why would their eldest brother not let Ao Qing finish speaking? And why did Ao Qing not insist on continuing? Still, they would not ask why. There was no need. These two were the people most important to them, and neither could possibly do anything harmful to them. That was trust!

The Grand Elder did not actually know about the True Dragon's remnant soul. However, the moment the True Dragon's remnant soul awakened, an unconscious trace of soul fluctuation it leaked out could not escape the Grand Elder's notice. After all, the Grand Elder possessed an Emperor Realm Soul!

Though the Grand Elder did not know what it was, he knew that the True Dragon Pearl would not harm Ao Qing. Some matters had to be decided by Ao Qing himself. They could not accompany Ao Qing very far down the path of his growth.

The Grand Elder was simply preparing for the future.

Ao Qing did not understand the Grand Elder's painstaking intentions. After leaving the True Dragon Secret Realm, he chatted and laughed with the elders, discussing the interesting things he had seen.

After arriving at East Dragon Island, the elders grew somewhat melancholy. They did not know how their second brother was doing in the Ancient Emperor's Cave Abode...

Seeing the complicated emotions on the elders' faces, Ao Qing felt that he should do something to cheer them up. For example, he could go to the Black-Corner Region and bring back that poor little girl, Zi Yan.

The more Ao Qing thought about it, the more feasible it seemed. Besides, the Black-Corner Region had two Heavenly Flames: Fallen Heart Flame and Sea Heart Flame. Both Heavenly Flames contained quite a bit of Heaven and Earth Source. He might as well take them while he was there.

As for whether he should enter the cave abode and see Zhu Kun when the time came, Ao Qing felt there was no need for now. Even if he went, he could not save Zhu Kun, the Second Elder. Moreover, if he went, he would have to tell the elders. Ao Qing did not want the Ancient Void Dragon Clan involved in the struggle over the Ancient Jade, at least not by helping gather all the Ancient Jade. Hun Tiandi would do that anyway, would he not?

More importantly, if even the Ancient Emperor's Cave Abode could trap Zhu Kun, then if he went and encountered some backup plan left behind by the Tou She Ancient God, that would be truly troublesome. Ao Qing did not think he was a protagonist like Xiao Yan, able to barge recklessly into any place.

Without that kind of fortune, there were times when he had to keep a low profile. A rigid branch was easily broken, and the tallest tree in the forest caught the wind first—Ao Qing understood that much.

If it had been Ao Qing when he had just hatched, he might have gone without a second thought. But not now. Behind him stood the Ancient Void Dragon Clan and several elders, people who genuinely cared for and loved him. There was also someone he cared about. Did Medusa count? Perhaps.

This time, Ao Qing spent quite a while in the Ancient Dragon World. After leaving this time, he would not return anytime soon. He also did not plan to bring Zi Yan back to the Ancient Dragon World. It would be enough for him to raise her himself. If he brought her here and let her learn about her father, it would not be a good thing for Zi Yan at present.

He stayed in the Ancient Dragon World for about a month this time. Before Ao Qing could even say goodbye, the elders drove him out, claiming it was so he would not keep Medusa waiting. What kind of excuse was that?! Ao Qing felt powerless to complain. Still, he had not seen that beautiful snake for a long time, and he did miss her. At that thought, a smile returned to Ao Qing's lips.

He tore through space, left the Ancient Dragon World, and returned to the Misty Cloud Sect!

I do not want to use terms like Heaven Supreme and Earth Supreme for the Great Thousand World. I will just use Dou Emperor, Dou Xian, Dou Shen, and Ruler consistently. It is more convenient and easier to read. I used to get them mixed up myself. Of course, I would also like to hear everyone's suggestions.