Ancestral Dragon Pearl
The East Sea Dragon Palace.
Ao Hai's figure passed through layers of water curtains and headed straight for the depths of the main hall.
Candle Dragon was already waiting there; the old figure sat quietly cross-legged with his eyes closed.
Surrounding Body aura had weakened considerably since the last time they met.
"Ancestor, Ao Hai has returned." Ao Hai stepped forward and knelt down respectfully.
Candle Dragon slowly opened his eyes. His golden eyes were devoid of any majesty, only filled with endless exhaustion.
He looked at Ao Hai, "Get up."
"Yes."
Ao Hai stood up, stood to the side with his hands at his sides, and dared not say another word.
Inside the main hall, there was a suffocating silence.
After a long while, Candle Dragon finally spoke again.
"Your cultivation level is still at the Grand Unity Golden Immortal Peak."
Ao Hai's body stiffened for a moment, and he lowered his head.
"Ancestor, I..."
"I know what you're thinking, and so does the East King Duke."
Candle Dragon interrupted him directly.
"You still want to follow that path of Prove Dao with Laws, don't you?"
Ao Hai hesitated for a moment, then raised his head and spoke his mind.
"Yes."
"Ancestor, I wish to walk the path of Prove Dao with Laws!"
"Although this path is arduous, once successful, one's combat power will far surpass that of Quasi-Sage who Slaying Three Corpses!"
"Only then can I better protect the Dragon Clan!"
"Please, Ancestor, grant me some more time!"
Candle Dragon listened quietly without interrupting him.
After he finished speaking, Candle Dragon slowly opened his mouth.
How much longer do you need?
"I..." Ao Hai was speechless.
how long?
He himself didn't know. Perhaps ten thousand years, perhaps a hundred thousand years, perhaps...
Looking at Ao Hai's expression, a hint of indescribable weariness appeared in Candle Dragon.
He sighed softly, a sigh that seemed to drain away what little life he had left.
"Do you know that time is the thing my Dragon Clan lacks most right now!"
He stood up, and his already hunched body looked even older.
"Do you really think that with us old guys around, the Dragon Clan's sky won't fall down?"
Do you think we can hold out for you for much longer?
Ao Hai remained silent, but the expression on his face said it all.
"Oh..."
Candle Dragon shook his head, his aged face filled with disappointment.
"How long has it been since the Immortal-Demon War ended?"
"Have you ever thought about where your Dragon Clan elders who went to war with me are now?"
Ao Hai's ominous premonition was instantly amplified to its extreme.
He felt cold all over, and his lips were trembling.
"Ancestor... they..."
Candle Dragon's voice was calm as he spoke.
"They've all passed away peacefully."
"To buy you, and to our Dragon Clan, that meager sliver of time and hope, they exhausted their last drop of Origin Essence in that great battle."
"Now..."
"Of all the old dragons who survived the Dragon-Han Tribulation, I am the only one left!"
"This old codger of mine won't last much longer!"
Boom!
Ao Hai's mind went blank for a moment.
Dead?
Are they all dead?
Those elders who watched him grow up and placed high hopes on him... they were all dead!
"How... how could this be..."
He couldn't accept this fact.
"Why not?"
Seeing his distraught appearance, Candle Dragon continued.
"Otherwise, why do you think I would have asked you to come back at this crucial moment?"
"Ao Hai, we have given you enough time to try and to cultivate."
"But now, we don't have time."
"I'm almost at my breaking point too."
"After I die, if no new Quasi-Sage appears, do you think you, as a Daluo Golden Immortal, can protect the Dragon Clan?"
"Can we protect the wealth accumulated across the Four Seas over countless Eon?"
"That wealth will not become the foundation of my Dragon Clan, but only a deadly poison!"
"At that time, the entire Dragon Clan will be plunged into an abyss of no return because of your stubbornness!"
Ao Hai was speechless, trembling all over, his face ashen.
He finally understood what East King Duke meant when he said, "You are wasting... the time that your Ancestor and those Dragon Clan elders gave you with their lives."
His proud persistence and unwavering belief in the Dao Path he held dear were shattered by reality at this moment.
He was wrong.
That's completely wrong.
He only thought about how powerful he would become after he attained enlightenment, but he forgot that the Dragon Clan could not wait any longer.
Seeing his appearance, the anger in Candle Dragon's eyes gradually subsided, leaving only endless sorrow.
"Slaying Three Corpses."
"This is currently the fastest, and the only, path that can allow you to reach the Quasi-Sage Realm."
Ao Hai remained silent for a long time before finally squeezing out a few words through gritted teeth.
"Yes, Ancestor."
"I will walk the path of Slaying Three Corpses."
Upon hearing his answer, Candle Dragon's tense body finally relaxed.
He flipped his palm, and a precious pearl, entirely azure and radiating boundless dragon might, slowly appeared in his hand.
The moment the bead appeared, an overwhelming dragon's might enveloped the entire hall.
"This is... the Ancestral Dragon Pearl!"
Ao Hai cried out in alarm.
"Not bad." A deep sense of pride and awe shone on Candle Dragon's face.
"This is the supreme treasure left behind by the Ancestral Dragon — the Ancestral Dragon Pearl!"
"This pearl is the culmination of His Majesty the Your Majesty Ancestral Dragon's lifelong cultivation and understanding of the Great Dao; its power is no less than any Innate Supreme Treasure!"
Candle Dragon handed the Ancestral Dragon Pearl to Ao Hai.
"Use this to sever the Three Corpses."
"Ancestor, no!" Ao Hai suddenly took a step back and waved his hands repeatedly.
"This is the most precious treasure of my Dragon Clan. What merit does Ao Hai possess to deserve it...?"
"Shut up!"
Candle Dragon interrupted him with a sharp shout.
"This isn't for you, it's for the future Quasi-Sage of the Dragon Clan!"
He forcibly shoved the Ancestral Dragon Pearl into Ao Hai's hand.
"I've already wronged you by making you walk the path of Slaying Three Corpses."
"If you don't use the best Spirit Treasure to sever your corpse, your future achievements will be limited. Wouldn't that be even more unfair to those deceased elders?"
"This Ancestral Dragon Pearl was left to future generations by the Ancestral Dragon!"
"Use it to sever your corpse, achieve your Quasi-Sage Dao, and become stronger—that's its greatest value!"
You must use it!
"That's an order!"
"Ancestor..." Ao Hai held the incredibly heavy dragon pearl, his hands trembling.
Feeling the immense power emanating from the Ancestral Dragon Pearl in his hand, and sensing the resolute will in Candle Dragon's words, Ao Hai finally stopped refusing.
He nodded heavily and gripped the Ancestral Dragon Pearl tightly.
Ao Hai... I obey!
"Good."
A look of relief finally appeared on Candle Dragon's face.
"From today onwards, you will remain in the East Sea and undergo seclusion here to attempt to break through to the Quasi-Sage Realm."
"Once you advance to Quasi-Sage, you can stay with the Dragon Clan and oversee the East Sea. You won't need to return to the Immortal Court anymore."
Ao Hai was taken aback.
"Not returning to the Immortal Court? What about Wood Duke's side...?"
"I will discuss this matter with the East King Duke himself."
Candle Dragon waved his hand.
"This was part of our original deal."
"After you become Quasi-Sage, you will leave the Immortal Court and return to the Dragon Clan."
"You can focus on your seclusion; you don't need to worry about things outside."
"Yes, Ancestor."
Ao Hai took a deep breath and bowed deeply to Candle Dragon.
"Ao Hai will certainly live up to the expectations of our Ancestor and the sacrifices of all our elders!"
After saying that, he turned around, took the Ancestral Dragon Pearl, and resolutely walked towards the Dragon Clan's secluded Forbidden Land.
Candle Dragon stared in the direction he had left, remaining silent for a long time. His already hunched body bent even more.