Crisis, Return to the Human Race

"This sea region is Mu Longbo's fief. It is not far from the East Sea Coast—roughly a million li."

"If you wish to return, then what a coincidence. Xuanshan Clan of the Human Race happens to be visiting Mu Longbo. I can take you to see him."

As soon as Jiang Yuan finished speaking, the Crab General hurriedly replied. He was no fool; he could tell what polite words were. A life-saving favor, endless gratitude indeed.

How had he saved Jiang Yuan? With the Kun Fish's strength, it was not something he could handle. Yet what happened? Had it not still fallen into Jiang Yuan's hands?

At a time like this, anyone with even a bit of discernment could see that the Kun Fish's death was inseparable from Jiang Yuan.

Therefore, even knowing that Jiang Yuan's cultivation was inferior to his own, the Crab General remained exceedingly courteous, not daring to underestimate him in the slightest.

How naïve one had to be to think that cultivation realms represented strength. Everyone who thought that way was dead.

A realm was merely one of the standards by which strength was measured. Beyond that, countless factors determined whether one was strong or weak, including but not limited to divine abilities, magical treasures, fortune, and so on.

Thus, before one had figured out a person's true depths, it was best not to jump to conclusions.

"Xuanshan Clan?"

"He is one of my ancestors. Then I must trouble the General to take me to see him."

Upon hearing the name Xuanshan Clan, Jiang Yuan could not help but breathe a sigh of relief.

Xuanshan Clan had reached the perfected Heavenly Immortal realm. He was Suiren's ninth-generation grandson and also Jiang Yuan's direct ancestor. By seniority, Jiang Yuan was his twenty-seventh-generation grandson.

"Alright, follow me."

The Crab General also sighed in relief. He had truly feared that Jiang Yuan would fail to appreciate his kindness and insist that he personally escort him back to the East Sea Coast.

If that happened, he truly would not know how to refuse. Fortunately, Jiang Yuan had not made things difficult for him and had instead accepted his proposal.

That way, once he handed the man over to Xuanshan Clan, whatever happened afterward would have nothing to do with him.

Along the way, through casual conversation with the Crab General, Jiang Yuan learned Mu Longbo's identity and the Dragon Race's system of rule.

He was, after all, a member of the Human Race. News was scarce among his people, and he knew little about the Dragon Race—or rather, about most matters beyond the Human Race. It was only natural that he was curious.

In this era, although the Dragon Race had declined, they still ruled the Four Seas. To better govern them, the Dragon Race had divided the Four Seas into countless sea regions, large and small.

The rulers of these sea regions formed the Dragon Race's ruling class, divided into four ranks: Dragon Kings, Dragon Dukes, Dragon Marquises, and Dragon Earls.

Of them, Dragon Kings held the highest status, and only Zenith Heaven Golden Immortals could be enfeoffed as such. Dragon Dukes, Dragon Marquises, and Dragon Earls were equal in status, all conferred upon Primordial Unity Golden Immortals.

The differing titles existed to distinguish their origins. Descendants of the Ancestral Dragon were called Dukes, innate dragons were called Marquises, and acquired dragons were called Earls.

From his title alone, one could tell that Mu Longbo came from the acquired Dragon Race.

According to the Crab General, Mu Longbo's original form had been a black snake. A hundred million years ago, he had risen above the countless aquatic races, leaped over the Dragon Gate, and transformed into a dragon in a single bound. Only then did he gain the Dragon Emperor's favor and achieve what he had today.

"The Dragon Transformation Method!"

"In the previous era, the Ancestral Dragon passed down the Dragon Transformation Method, allowing all living beings to break the limits of their bloodlines and transform toward dragonhood, thereby raising their potential."

"Afterward, the Phoenix and the Qilin followed suit, passing down the Phoenix Transformation Method and the Qilin Transformation Method."

"From then on, all living beings took pride in transforming into one of the three races. The three races thus flourished greatly and came to dominate the Primordial World."

Vaguely, Jiang Yuan seemed to have grasped the key to the rise of the three races: all of it had been achieved through virtue. They first benefited all living beings, then received the gratitude of all living beings in return, and naturally embarked upon the path of hegemony.

Only later did the three races lose their virtue. Fighting for the position of overlord, they threw the Primordial World into ceaseless war, causing heaven and earth to collapse and countless lives to perish. That was how they gradually declined.

Setting aside their loss of virtue for now, and speaking only of why the three races had risen, Jiang Yuan saw from this that if the Human Race wished to flourish in the future, they too ought to do something that benefited all living beings.

But what should the Human Race do?

Unconsciously, Jiang Yuan began pondering that question. Yet before he could think of anything, a sudden voice interrupted him.

"Who is this?"

A massive Black Flood Dragon appeared without a sound, its gleaming eyes fixed on Jiang Yuan, brimming with greed.

"He wants to eat me!"

In an instant, Jiang Yuan's entire body turned icy cold, and even his consciousness nearly froze. This Black Flood Dragon made no attempt to conceal its malice toward him; it was only short of plainly saying that it wanted to devour him.

"Reporting to Your Highness, this is a Human Dragon, a descendant of the Dragon Emperor."

The Crab General hurriedly spoke. Even Jiang Yuan could sense that malice, much less him. He sensed it even more clearly, and that was precisely why he had to save Jiang Yuan.

This was not merely about saving Jiang Yuan—it was about saving himself as well. Did someone truly think that once the Black Flood Dragon swallowed Jiang Yuan, the matter would simply be over?

How naïve!

The Crab General did not know whether killing someone was a grave crime, but wantonly killing a descendant of the Dragon Emperor was certainly a grave crime. Even if only to keep the matter secret, after eating Jiang Yuan, the Black Flood Dragon would silence them all.

Thus, if he wished to live, no matter what, the Crab General could not allow the Black Flood Dragon to eat Jiang Yuan. If it truly had to eat him, it had to do so without his knowledge.

"A human? A creation of the Sage!"

At those words, the Black Flood Dragon gave Jiang Yuan a deep look before slowly reining in the greed in its eyes.

"This is the Dragon Earl's Youngest Son, the Young Prince of Mu Dragon Palace."

Seeing that the Black Flood Dragon made no further move, the Crab General sighed in relief and hurriedly introduced him to Jiang Yuan.

"Jiang Yuan of the Human Race greets Young Prince."

Jiang Yuan suppressed the tremor in his heart and greeted him expressionlessly.

"You're quite good. If you have the time in the future, you may come to the Dragon Palace as a guest."

As though he had not noticed the others' strange reactions, the Black Flood Dragon extended the invitation warmly.

"Heh heh..."

Jiang Yuan smiled politely but did not reply. Visit the Dragon Palace as a guest? More likely he would swallow him whole in one bite.

He was certain that the Black Flood Dragon's killing intent toward him had merely been concealed, not vanished. In his senses, the Black Flood Dragon craved him intensely, as though it could not wait to swallow him into its belly.

He did not know why, but keeping his distance was never wrong.

"Are you Yuan?"

"You didn't die? You actually survived?"

Suddenly, a voice filled with astonishment rang out. The next moment, a Bearded Man with disheveled hair, a bare upper body, and a beast-hide skirt around his waist appeared soundlessly before them.

The Human Race's supreme Heavenly Immortal, Xuanshan Clan!

"Ancestor, it's me! I didn't die!" Jiang Yuan cried excitedly at the sight of backup.

"You've actually broken through to the Pre-Heaven Realm and awakened the Human Ancestor Bloodline. It seems that this time, you turned disaster into fortune and gained no small opportunity."

After looking Jiang Yuan over for a while and confirming his identity, Xuanshan Clan pulled him to his side and said to the Black Flood Dragon, "This descendant of mine has been away from the Human Race for too long, and Ancestor Sui has been greatly worried. Now that we have finally found him, I must bring him back to the Human Race as soon as possible."

"Please convey my apologies to Dragon Earl, Your Highness. I must break our appointment today, but I will certainly come to your door another day to make amends."

Without waiting for the Black Flood Dragon to respond, Xuanshan Clan vanished from the spot with Jiang Yuan, rushing back to the East Sea Coast at the fastest speed.

"You brat are truly lucky. Sacred Dao Aura surrounds your entire body, yet you still managed to stay alive until I came to save you. That was no easy feat," Xuanshan Clan remarked along the way.