Zhulong's Gift; A Chance to Become a Mythic True Immortal; Setting Off for the Immortal Court to "Pay a Visit"

At the same time, he had not slackened in his own cultivation.

Though Dragon Abyss was saturated with deathly energy, baleful energy, and Karmic Debt, its very heart also contained the purest essence of the Dragon Race.

Ao Chen circulated his own Mythical Great Dao, devouring this energy and steadily building up his foundation. He honed his Mythical Heavenly Immortal peak realm, making his final preparations for that last leap—condensing his Three-Life Body and proving the Dao as a Mythical True Immortal.

Time passed slowly amid the arduous cultivation and hope in the depths of Dragon Abyss.

Meanwhile, at the other end of the Primordial Wilderness, the great powers were returning one after another to Yingzhou Immortal Island in the East Sea, now that the three lectures at Zixiao Palace had concluded.

East King Duke and West Queen Mother had also returned to the island.

After learning of the disturbance in Dragon Abyss, East King Duke was somewhat surprised, but he did not take it too seriously.

In his eyes, the Dragon Race was like a grasshopper in autumn. It would not be able to jump around for much longer.

What could a bunch of useless fools, trapped beneath their Karmic Debt, possibly do? Turn the world upside down?

What concerned him more at the moment was the upcoming Immortal Court Establishment Ceremony!

It would determine whether he could truly unite the Primordial Wilderness's immortal forces, establish his own standing, and even claim a share of the great upheavals to come!

Deep in Dragon Abyss, the excited aftershocks of Ten Thousand Dragons Roar had yet to fully subside. The cavern was still permeated by an indescribable sense of hope and fervor.

All the Dragon Clan Elders were immersed in the new dawn brought by the Myriad Calamities Furnace Body. They greedily circulated their cultivation methods, trying to refine even a little more of the Karmic Debt and deathly energy that had plagued them for countless eras.

Yet amid this fervent atmosphere, Candle Dragon—who had kept his eyes shut, his aura the most vast yet also the weakest—slowly ceased circulating his cultivation method.

In the sliver of his murky yellow eyes that had just opened, an extremely complex light flickered. There was excitement and hope in it, but more than anything, there was profound wisdom and resolve, as if he had seen through the ages.

"Fellow Daoist Ao Chen."

Candle Dragon's aged yet dignified voice rang out again. This time, however, it did not echo through the cavern. Instead, it sounded directly in Ao Chen's mind.

Ao Chen's heart stirred, and he looked toward Candle Dragon.

Candle Dragon's enormous head shifted slightly. A vast, invisible force of time and space instantly spread out, enveloping Ao Chen and himself.

In the next instant, the scene before Ao Chen blurred. It was as if he had crossed endless dimensions of time and space in a single moment, and he now stood in a strange realm where the flow of time had slowed to an extraordinary degree.

This was clearly a temporary pocket dimension Candle Dragon had opened with his supreme divine ability, so they could speak in private.

"Fellow Daoist, what is this?"

Ao Chen looked at Candle Dragon, whose aura remained weak but whose gaze was perfectly clear, and asked calmly.

"Heh..."

Candle Dragon gave a hoarse chuckle. The light in the narrow slit of his eyes fixed on Ao Chen, filled with admiration and a hint of curiosity.

"Your Dao has long since surpassed the bounds of our understanding. Such a realm, such a path—it is simply unheard of and inconceivable!"

"By creating the Myriad Calamities Furnace Body, you have done my Dragon Race a service akin to giving us new life. My entire Dragon Race will never forget this kindness!" Candle Dragon spoke earnestly.

"I know that with your disposition and your path, you may not feel much attachment to my Dragon Race. But I must still make this pledge today."

"No matter what happens in the future, no matter which path you choose, the Dragon Race will always be your firmest ally! As long as I, Candle Dragon, still live, the Dragon Race will always stand with you!"

He brought up Azure Dragon's earlier conduct again. "Azure Dragon spoke out of turn and offended you. I hope you won't take it to heart. That is simply his nature; he had no intention of targeting you."

Listening to Candle Dragon, Ao Chen could not help but sigh inwardly.

This Dragon Mother truly was quick to react and sharp-minded!

In that brief moment just now, Candle Dragon had not only seen the special nature of his Dao, but had also keenly sensed his detached attitude toward the Dragon Race.

That was why Candle Dragon had immediately drawn him into this pocket dimension, made a solemn pledge without hesitation, and declared his position. He had even apologized for Azure Dragon once more—all to win Ao Chen over completely and bind his future to that of the Dragon Race!

Such political acumen—being able to read the situation and make a decisive move—was truly worthy of someone who could stand alongside Ancestral Dragon!

Still, Ao Chen did not resent it.

Seeking advantage and avoiding harm, forming alliances and balancing powers—these were simply ways of survival, especially in the perilous Primordial Wilderness.

Candle Dragon was considering the Dragon Race's future. There was nothing wrong with making such a choice.

Besides, his previous incarnation had indeed received kindness from the Dragon Race, and he had also helped them in return. They had each gotten what they needed.

"Dragon Mother, you give me too much credit." Ao Chen nodded slightly.

"It was a minor misunderstanding. I haven't taken it to heart. As for the future of the Dragon Race, that will depend on your own efforts. The Myriad Calamities Furnace Body merely offers a possibility."

He did not directly respond to Candle Dragon's promise of support, but he did express his goodwill.

Candle Dragon seemed to understand what Ao Chen meant. He did not press the matter, only looked at him deeply before changing the subject.

"Your Dao is wondrous. Though I can't help you directly, my Dragon Race has a long legacy and possesses a few rare treasures that may benefit your cultivation."

As he spoke, Candle Dragon slowly drew a line through the air with his enormous claw.

Humm!

A light orb radiating seven-colored brilliance appeared slowly from the void. It seemed to contain the myriad Daos of the heavens, yet it was also hazy with Chaos and impossible to describe!

The instant the orb appeared, the flow of time throughout the entire pocket dimension seemed to freeze completely!

Even the Star River Universe within Ao Chen's body felt a tremor that came from the very origin of the Great Dao!

"This object is..." Candle Dragon's voice carried a trace of reminiscence and utmost solemnity as he began to explain.

As Ao Chen listened to Candle Dragon's explanation, the calm on his face finally vanished completely, replaced by incomparable shock and astonishment!

Section 49: Candle Dragon's Gift, the Opportunity to Become a Mythical True Immortal, and a Visit to the Immortal Court to "Pay His Respects"

Within the pocket dimension, time seemed to stretch endlessly, every moment feeling exceptionally heavy.

Ao Chen gazed at the Seven-Colored Light Orb floating before him. The Daoist aura flowing across it seemed to contain the oldest and most primal secrets of the Dragon Race, dating back to Pangu Creates the World. Its boundless, majestic aura stirred the Star River Universe within him as never before.

His mind reeled, and for the first time, he revealed unconcealed astonishment. The sensation far surpassed anything he had felt when seeing any other Innate Spiritual Treasure—not even the Kunwu Sword, transformed from Pangu's Bone Spur, had come close!

He could clearly sense that the power within this orb was of such a high nature and its Daoist aura so profound that it had already touched upon a level he could not yet fully understand. It was an essence that was almost the Dao itself.

"Th-this object... what is it?"

A slight tremor crept into Ao Chen's voice. He kept his eyes fixed on the Seven-Colored Light Orb as he solemnly asked Candle Dragon.

This was no ordinary treasure. Its aura even put pressure on his primordial spirit, which had already reached the Heavenly Immortal peak.

Candle Dragon saw Ao Chen's astonishment. A trace of relief flashed through his weary eyes, along with boundless reminiscence and utmost solemnity.

He slowly spoke, his voice seeming to cross the ages, heavy with history and the passage of time:

"This object was formed by my elder brother—the Dragon Race's progenitor, Ancestral Dragon—before his death and the dissolution of his Dao during the Dragon-Han Calamity. It was condensed from the essence of his lifelong Dao fruit, his supreme dragon essence, and the destiny that had once suppressed the Primordial Wilderness throughout a glorious age."

"The Ancestral Dragon Pearl!"

Those brief words exploded in Ao Chen's sea of consciousness like a Chaos Divine Thunder!

The Ancestral Dragon Pearl?

Ao Chen was struck as if by lightning. He froze on the spot, his body trembling slightly from sheer shock!

Ancestral Dragon, the progenitor of the Dragon Race, had been a supreme being who, before Hongjun Achieves Sainthood, stood alongside Yuanfeng and First Kirin, together ruling over the Primordial World! He had been an overlord of his age in the truest sense!

According to what Ao Chen knew, and what he had learned from fragments of his previous incarnation's memories, the Ancestral Dragon Pearl was the Dragon Race's true ancestral treasure. Its importance might even surpass that of the legendary, lost Ancestral Dragon Seal!

The pearl not only contained Ancestral Dragon's lifelong explorations and insights into power, laws, and even the ultimate path of transcendence; it also carried the Dragon Race's most vital source of destiny!

In theory, as long as this pearl remained, no matter how great a calamity the Dragon Race suffered, its destiny would never be exhausted. Given enough time, it would eventually rise again!

This priceless treasure was the Dragon Race's final trump card, the foundation that ensured the survival of its legacy. And Candle Dragon was actually planning to give it to him?

To an outsider whose blood carried the Dragon Race's lineage, but whose path had long since diverged from theirs—someone who could even be said to have turned his back on traditional Dragon Race cultivation?

"Dragon Mother, this..."

Ao Chen looked troubled, trying to keep his voice from betraying his agitation. He struggled to calm the storm within him and make sense of this incomprehensible gift.

"This object is far too precious! It is the cornerstone that protects the Dragon Race's destiny, and the only thing Ancestral Dragon left behind... What have I done to deserve it? How could I accept such a gift? This... this is absolutely impossible!"

He was utterly stunned. The gift was so significant that it felt unreal. He even suspected there might be some deeper intent or trap he had yet to perceive.

It was no wonder he would suspect as much. It wasn't that the treasure was especially precious to Ao Chen; it was precious to the Dragon Race. It would be no exaggeration to say that this object could command every Dragon in the world and truly control the Dragon Race's destiny.

Under the circumstances, he could not help but think twice.

Candle Dragon seemed to have anticipated Ao Chen's reaction—or perhaps he had already seen through the struggle and misgivings in Ao Chen's heart.

His eyes, full of wisdom and the weight of the ages, gazed deeply at Ao Chen as he spoke, his voice weak but unusually firm:

"Fellow Daoist, there's no need to be modest, nor to have doubts. Giving you this object was no impulsive decision, and we harbor no ulterior motives. The surviving elders and I made this decision together after careful deliberation."

Candle Dragon's tone grew utterly sincere, even carrying a hint of entreaty.

"By creating the Myriad Calamities Furnace Body, you have truly given my Dragon Race a new lease on life! No external treasure could ever repay such kindness!"

"Without your method, we old wretches, barely clinging to life, would eventually turn to dust under the endless corrosion of Karmic Debt, and the Dragon Race's legacy would be completely severed here in Dragon Abyss!"

"Compared to that, what does a mere pearl matter, however precious it may be? No matter how powerful the destiny it bears, without living beings to inherit it, it is nothing but a dead object!"

Candle Dragon changed tack, his gaze settling on Ao Chen, a strange light in his eyes, as though he had glimpsed a certain hope.