Hearing this, Xu Mochen was not only shocked but also deep in thought. The ancestors of the Sun Moon Empire had once been subordinates of the Dragon God, and had even been exiled by him! If that was the case, then the Sun Moon Empire's imperial family likely possessed divine blood!
No wonder the Sun Moon Empire's imperial family had ruled for generation after generation! No matter how the Sun Moon Continent changed with the times, their reign had remained as steady as a mountain! Just the words "descendants of the gods" were enough to make anyone from another clan who coveted the imperial family's power think twice.
Meanwhile, Xu Yuanding looked at Xu Mochen with even greater fervor. "Your Highness, the ancestor of our Sun Moon Empire was indeed a Dragon King, known as the Purple Imperial Chaos Dragon King. That is why, throughout the generations, we descendants have inherited not only the Blazing Sun and Silver Moon Martial Souls but also a rare Purple Imperial Heaven-Extinguishing Dragon Martial Soul, mutated from the Purple Imperial Chaos Dragon."
"Although it appears similar to our ancestor, its grade is actually less than one-tenth that of his true form. Even so, the Purple Imperial Heaven-Extinguishing Dragon is still the most powerful Martial Soul in the Sun Moon Empire. There is also an unwritten ancestral rule within the imperial family: every Sun Moon Empire emperor must give priority to a bearer of the Purple Imperial Heaven-Extinguishing Dragon Martial Soul."
"Your late father's Martial Soul was naturally the Purple Imperial Heaven-Extinguishing Dragon. But you are different. Your Martial Soul appears to be of a higher grade, and its aura far surpasses that of the Purple Imperial Heaven-Extinguishing Dragon. So my cousin and I suspect that your Martial Soul may well be our ancestor's true form—the Purple Imperial Chaos Dragon!"
Although the news shocked Xu Mochen, he did not immediately jump to a conclusion. Instead, he asked a crucial question: "Then may I ask whether Second Grandfather and Great-uncle have a way to confirm this? After all, my Martial Soul only bears some resemblance to the ancestor's true form as recorded in the family records. We can't rashly draw a conclusion."
"That won't be a problem. We know a place where we can confirm it." Kong Dehan smiled faintly. "When our ancestor left the Sun Moon Continent, he left behind a secret realm underground. Within it is the legacy he left behind. The secret realm has two layers, inner and outer. The outer layer can be opened by anyone with a Martial Soul carrying the bloodline of the Purple Imperial Chaos Dragon."
"But only someone truly like our ancestor, with the genuine Purple Imperial Chaos Dragon King Martial Soul, can open the inner layer and claim the real treasures within. The outer layer contains the vast knowledge our ancestor accumulated while traveling the world: literature, history, mathematics, Soul Masters, Soul Beasts, spirit herbs, spirit artifacts, and more, concerning both the Divine Realm and the mortal world. The founding emperor of the Sun Moon Empire—the first bearer of the Purple Imperial Heaven-Extinguishing Dragon Martial Soul—relied on the knowledge within to conquer the lands in all directions and establish the Sun Moon Empire we have today."
"But the bearers of the Purple Imperial Heaven-Extinguishing Dragon across the generations, including your father, have exhausted every means at their disposal and still found no way to open the inner secret realm. If you can open it, that will be enough to prove your Martial Soul." As he spoke, Kong Dehan and Xu Yuanding both stared at Xu Mochen with shining eyes, waiting for his answer.
Xu Mochen, for his part, readily replied, "In that case, I agree. But may I ask where the secret realm is?" At his question, Kong Dehan and Xu Yuanding exchanged a glance. Their answer startled Xu Mochen once more: "It's beneath the bedchamber of the Sun Moon Empire's emperor!"
Two hours later, inside the secret realm beneath the bedchamber:
As he followed the flickering candlelight from row upon row of sconces deeper into the secret realm, Xu Mochen solemnly studied the weathered stone structures around him, which looked to be of great age, as well as the ancient Sun Moon script and carved illustrations etched into each stone slab. Beneath his calm expression lay a turbulent heart: these age-old stone walls recorded nothing but ancient, wise figures and their knowledge.
One could imagine what a wise and far-sighted being the ancestor of the Sun Moon Empire's imperial family must have been. His descendants had relied on the vast sea of knowledge preserved on these stone slabs to forge an immortal legacy. But time had marched on, and history's wheels had rolled forward. Now he himself would attempt to enter a place none of the Sun Moon Empire's ancestors had ever set foot in. Perhaps he, too, could forge an immortal legacy within the empire.
Compared with the tumult in Xu Mochen's heart, Kong Dehan and Xu Yuanding were far more composed. After all, this was not their first time in the secret realm. Without a word, they led Xu Mochen to a door engraved with complex inscriptions and carvings. On either side of the door were stone reliefs of the Blazing Sun and the Silver Moon. Above it was a fearsome, majestic dragon, its claws bared. That must be their ancestor's true form.
"Your Highness, please place your hand on the raised semicircular stone in the center of the door and channel your Soul Power into it. Let's see what happens." Xu Yuanding's clear voice pulled Xu Mochen back to the present. Xu Mochen took a deep breath, then slowly placed his right hand on the raised stone at the center. His Martial Soul instantly possessed him!
A lofty dragon's roar suddenly burst from Xu Mochen's mouth. Dark purple dragon scales covered his entire body, and a terrifying aura surged wildly from within him. He closed his eyes, then opened them again. His formerly black pupils were now filled with shifting shades of black, white, and purple! Like a universe too deep to see the end of, they seemed to encompass all things under heaven and earth!
As Xu Mochen poured in his Soul Power, the entire hall began to shudder violently. Amid thunderous rumbling and violent tremors, tiny grains of dust and fragments of stone fell from above, making it seem as if the secret realm were about to collapse!
"This is..." Kong Dehan and Xu Yuanding were startled. Before they could recover, the stone door before them rumbled open, sliding to either side. Then, under their astonished gazes, Xu Mochen was suddenly sucked inside with a whoosh. Before either of them could react, the two stone doors that had just opened slammed shut again with a crash, and the entire hall returned to its original silence.
"Cousin, what should we..." Xu Yuanding had just begun to speak when Kong Dehan shook his head with a wry smile. "Let it be, let it be. Our ancestor's methods are beyond our imagining. From what we've seen, the Crown Prince's Martial Soul must undoubtedly be our ancestor's true form. I doubt our ancestor would harm him. I have a feeling the Crown Prince really will gain some tremendous fortune this time. All we have to do now is wait by the door for him to come out."
Meanwhile, within the inner secret realm:
When Xu Mochen opened his eyes again, he found himself in an endless, boundless starry sky, stretching out of sight in every direction—before him, behind him, to either side, above and below. "Where am I?" Wariness filled Xu Mochen's eyes as the Soul Power throughout his body began to circulate rapidly.
As Xu Mochen stood there in shock and uncertainty, a deep, ancient voice echoed from every direction in the space. "Young one, there's no need to be afraid. This is merely a secret realm of inheritance that I left behind. The fact that you have come here proves that you are the inheritor I chose."
A figure glowing with dark purple light gradually took shape before Xu Mochen. As the light faded, a colossal dark purple dragon appeared before him. A chaotic aura of black and white swirled around its body, while the profound, proud gaze in its black, white, and purple eyes seemed to drain the color from the entire space.
A pair of silver-purple dragon claws gleamed with a razor-sharp chill, as if they could easily tear anything apart. Its dark purple scales shuddered violently, and a pair of enormous dragon wings slowly unfurled. The dragon looked down upon all living beings like a king descending upon the world.
"This junior, Xu Mochen, pays his respects to the ancestor." Xu Mochen was deeply startled, but he had already guessed the giant dragon's identity. Who else could it be but the ancestor of the Sun Moon Empire's imperial family, the Purple Imperial Chaos Dragon King? Without the slightest hesitation, he knelt in midair.
Although he was not the original owner of this body, this was still the ancestor of the body's original owner. Having taken over the body, he naturally ought to fulfill the duties that came with its identity. Besides, the dragon held his life in its claws. By every measure, he should show this ancestor as much respect as possible.
"Not bad, not bad. You're only six years old, yet you guessed my identity and remained so calm and composed, without forgetting your manners. You have a fine temperament. And since you also inherited the Purple Imperial Chaos Dragon King Martial Soul, formed from my true body, you are destined for greatness." The Purple Imperial Chaos Dragon King gave a slight nod, clearly pleased with Xu Mochen's performance.
Then the Purple Imperial Chaos Dragon King said calmly, "I know you still have many questions. I'll answer what I can."
Xu Mochen pondered for a moment, then asked, "I'd like to know where this is, why you are here, and what purpose the inner secret realm serves."
The Purple Imperial Chaos Dragon King did not hide anything. "The space you're in now is a small world I opened here using my own power. The current me is not my true body, either, but merely a wisp of its soul. I opened this small world for the sole purpose of waiting for my inheritor to appear."
"Only someone bearing the genuine Purple Imperial Chaos Dragon King Martial Soul can open it and undergo the trials I have arranged. You will face nine trials. Only after you pass them will I impart all my abilities and knowledge to you."
A divine trial! Xu Mochen knew exactly what that meant. It was one of the ways to ascend to godhood across the entire Douluo Continent, as described in the novel. Tang San, Bibi Dong, and Qian Renxue had all passed nine divine trials and ultimately attained godhood, rising above all others!
He had never expected that he himself would get so lucky as to encounter a divine trial! Barely suppressing his shock, Xu Mochen continued, "If my Martial Soul really is the powerful one formed from your true body, why do I keep feeling as though something is restraining it? I can't even sense my Soul Power clearly."
The Purple Imperial Chaos Dragon King understood Xu Mochen's confusion and slowly explained, "You may already have noticed that something seems to be restraining your Martial Soul, and that your Innate Soul Power keeps fluctuating wildly and is extremely unstable. Even the spirit artifact specifically designed to test Soul Power cannot accurately determine your Soul Power Level."
"You don't need to worry about this. I deliberately placed these restraints on my descendants. Anyone who inherits the genuine Purple Imperial Chaos Dragon King Martial Soul will be affected by them. I did this to protect you. Without these restraints, if you fully awakened the Purple Imperial Chaos Dragon King Martial Soul, your six-year-old body might not be able to withstand its terrifying energy and aura. And even if you somehow could, the commotion caused by its awakening would be unimaginably immense."
"You must have sensed this yourself when you awakened your Martial Soul. Even with my restraints, its awakening still caused quite a commotion. If the noise made during your awakening had been too great, it might have alerted the Divine Realm! I foresaw long ago that even if I managed to briefly escape the Divine Realm's pursuit, it would never stop searching for me."
"If those gods in the Divine Realm were to notice your Martial Soul, they might connect it to my existence. Then, before you had a chance to grow stronger, they could act against you to obtain what they wanted from you—or simply use you to threaten me and force me to reveal myself."
Before you continue