Taicang Dragon Lord

According to Yu Tunzhou, the tribe's name "Taicang" originated from a nearby mountain called Mount Taicang, which the Human Emperor named after.

He didn't think much of it at first.

But now----

Yu Tunzhou stared intently at the unconscious young man before him.

This is no coincidence.

Is this young man the future progenitor of the Taicang Long Clan?

Have they truly reversed the flow of time, or is this merely an illusion created by the Human Emperor?

Huntian was also taken aback, scrutinizing the young man before him with a look of inquiry in his eyes.

At this moment.

A familiar, faint fragrance wafted into my nostrils.

Yu Tunzhou turned around, An Ruyu stood beside him, her white dress fluttering in the mountain breeze, her eyes deep and unfathomable.

"You guessed it all along?"

"When I first heard the name ' Taicang,' I was somewhat skeptical, but I wasn't sure."

An Ruyu raised her hand to gently brush a strand of hair aside and looked back at him. "Young Hero Guo must have had his suspicions, right? The Taicang Long Clan must have searched for you more than once."

Yu Tunzhou was silent for a moment, then asked, "In the eyes of the Incense-Smelling Cult, what role did the Taicang Long Clan play in High Antiquity?"

"That Dragon Lord was the successor chosen by the Human Emperor at the very beginning," An Ruyu said softly.

Yu Tunzhou's pupils constricted sharply. The lord of the Taicang Long Clan, was once the Human Emperor's first chosen successor?

What exactly happened next?

According to the Daoist Shouzheng, this man was once regarded as a close friend by the Human Emperor. He disappeared for a period of time, and after reappearing, he gradually drifted apart from the Human Emperor.

"It's simply a matter of differing 'paths,' which, after prolonged conflict, have led us further and further apart." An Ruyu's tone softened, carrying a hint of etherealness, as she said, "Now it seems this place might not just be an illusion, but rather rooted in the memories of the Human Emperor. Of course, it's also possible that we have truly reversed the flow of time and arrived in the past."

She paused, then said, "I currently prefer the former."

"The Human Emperor's memories?"

This is a possibility that Yu Tunzhou never imagined.

An Ruyu nodded. "If this is just a past constructed based on memories," then it wasn't us who came here in the past, but the Human Emperor. We are merely taking the Human Emperor's place in this memory."

Yu Tunzhou understood her meaning. According to the tribe, the Human Emperor had indeed promised to return to this place.

But then he asked, puzzled, "Why do I lean towards the former?"

With the Human Emperor's Tongtian abilities, he wouldn't be surprised if they were truly sent back to that time!

Because of him.

In the mountain breeze, An Ruyu's white dress fluttered as her gaze fell upon the young man on the ground. She said softly, "This Dragon Lord later reached the pinnacle of Dao Lord, only half a step away from becoming a Saint. He had the opportunity to cross that threshold, but the Human Emperor himself blocked it forever. Yet, he did not perish."

"With his strength, he is capable of erasing his past. The Human Emperor's remaining power is insufficient to intrude into his history without his knowledge."

Therefore, this place is more likely to be a place of memory.

Yu Tunzhou looked at the young man lying on the ground and understood what An Ruyu meant.

That Dragon Lord has already reached the point of restraining his past. If the young man before them is truly that lord, he would probably have already awakened, looking at them and coldly uttering, "You're courting death."

"According to Mountain Lord Shouzheng, this person is a hybrid of human and dragon, but now it seems—"

Yu Tunzhou stared at the young man before him and fell silent.

This person is clearly not a simple "human-dragon hybrid"; there must be some Divine Ability being orchestrating things behind the scenes.

"Back then, the Human Emperor rose from humble beginnings, yet he quickly distinguished himself. Perhaps a certain Sect Master Sage noticed this and made a move in advance."

Huntian said in a deep voice.

Yu Tunzhou nodded. This also explained why the Dragon Lord suddenly disappeared and then gradually went against the Human Emperor after reappearing.

Because the Dragon Lord represents the attitude of another Sect Master Sage.

"Why did the Human Emperor deliberately make us see this?"

"Yu Tunzhou," Yu Tunzhou asked, puzzled.

This is clearly beyond the scope of a test.

Perhaps the answer lies just ahead.

An Ruyu said softly.

Yu Tunzhou remained silent for a moment, then picked up the young man from the ground and took him back to the Taicang Tribe.

The tribe members were terrified when they saw the young man grow dragon horns.

To reassure everyone, Yu Tunzhou explained that the young man was a human-dragon hybrid, possessing Dragon Race blood within him, and that he had simply awakened. This put everyone at ease.

The young man slept for a whole month.

A month later, the young man awoke, Yu Tunzhou rushed to his side immediately, only to find that he was unaware of the changes that had occurred to him.

Upon seeing the dragon horns on his forehead, the young man was terrified until Yu Tunzhou mentioned the half-blood line, which calmed him down.

In the days that followed, the young man resumed his normal routine of spiritual practice and farming.

After that, Yu Tunzhou kept a close watch on this future Dragon Lord.

Upon awakening this time, his physique underwent a complete transformation, and his cultivation speed increased by several levels. Whether it was the cultivation of the Qi Ingestion Method or the breathing of the Profound Qi of heaven and earth, he far surpassed others.

In just one day, he mastered the art of using the Agricultural God Stance, enabling him to spontaneously draw upon the earth's energy to irrigate the land.

In the following two months, without any auxiliary resources, he cultivated the Spark Instruction to the eleventh level, reaching the pinnacle of Qi Ingestion.

Considering the unique environment of this place, this speed of breakthrough is even faster than when Yu Tunzhou had the blessing of Martial Fortune back then!

This rapid transformation in cultivation filled the young man with both surprise and a sense of apprehension.

This growing anxiety led him to secretly seek out Yu Tunzhou.

"Master Fish, is there something wrong with my health?"

Yu Tunzhou comforted him, "There's nothing wrong with your body. It's just that your Dragon Race bloodline has awakened, causing a transformation in your physique, which is why your cultivation speed has increased."

Under Yu Tunzhou's reassuring words, the young man's hidden fear gradually disappeared.

At the end of the conversation, the young man suddenly said something that Yu Tunzhou would never forget, "So those races are born with such perfect physiques and talents."

Finally, he hesitated, as if he wanted to say something more, but held back.

Yu Tunzhou could roughly guess what he wanted to say.

It's simply that compared to those other races, the Human Race is far too weak.

To some extent, that's not wrong.

In terms of individual talent alone, Human Race are far inferior to other races with bloodline inheritance.

This does not mean that Human Race are useless; it is simply because the methods of the past are not suitable for Human Race cultivation.

The reason why the Human Race was able to rise to power in High Antiquity times was because the Human Emperor created the Immortal Dao cultivation method most suitable for the Human Race.

Even after the decline of the immortal Immortal Dao in the Central Plains after High Antiquity, Martial Ancestor Lu Daolin created Martial Dao arts method suitable for the Human Race, allowing the Human Race in the Central Plains to continuously produce Immortals and Gods.

Before that, according to Han Wuj iu, all the sects outside the heavens had long been sharpening their knives, waiting for a major change in the world so they could enter the fray and completely divide up the Central Plains.

However, the emergence of Martial Dao shattered the hopes of various sects from beyond the heavens once again.

From this perspective, the strongest attribute of the Human Race is probably its resilience.

After this conversation, the future Dragon Lord became even more diligent in his cultivation.

Two months later, he successfully condensed Dao Sprout Immortal Embryo in this world and entered the Chain Forming Realm.

Among the tribe members who cultivated at the same time as him, the one who made the fastest progress had only just mastered the Agricultural God Stance.

It's like comparing heaven and earth.

During this period, the young people also underwent a transformation, similar to a further awakening of their bloodline.

On the day he awoke, he told Yu Tunzhou that he had given himself a name: "Dragon."

After this awakening, Yu Tunzhou vaguely sensed that this person had "changed".

This change wasn't in his physical constitution or spiritual practice, but rather in his state of State of Mind and perspective. It subtly and directly altered his temperament, making him calmer, less talkative, and more accustomed to observing silently.

He often gazed at the starry sky at night, or secretly observed Yu Tunzhou and An Ruyu.

Of course, such observations were almost impossible to hide from the latter two.

Besides doing their own jobs, Yu Tunzhou and An Ruyu secretly observed Long's every move.

Midway through, Yu Tunzhou raised a question: were they experiencing the same thing the Human Emperor had experienced back then?

The so-called human-dragon hybrid, the Dragon Race bloodline, may have been fabricated by the Human Emperor back then. The Human Emperor also experienced the dragon's transformation, stayed by his side, and witnessed his changes.

It was only after this that the dragon was able to keep up with the Human Emperor and embark on the expedition with him.

Soon, a year had passed in the blink of an eye.

The Taicang Tribe is no longer as poor as it once was. Rows of earthen houses stretch along the ridges of the fields, and domesticated pheasants are kept in fences outside the houses.

Under the leadership of Yu Tunzhou and An Ruyu, the Taicang Tribe achieved a great leap in their lives, from barely making ends meet to needing to build granaries, and their clothing changed from simple animal skins to coarse linen.

The bountiful harvest brought joy to the Taicang Tribe for three days.

As Yu Tunzhou watched the tribespeople light a bonfire and dance a boisterous dance around it, his Daoist heart grew increasingly clear and peaceful.

"It's hard to believe that we actually lived together in one place for a whole year."

Yu Tunzhou glanced at An Ruyu beside him.

The moonlight and firelight fell on her delicate profile, and a corner of her white dress was lifted by the evening breeze.

This enchantress used some Secret Method; her clothes remained unchanged, yet still as white as snow, untouched by dust.

At this moment, the tribespeople warmly presented the first roasted pheasant to the two of them.

During this period, the Taicang Tribe had long regarded them as the most respected people.

Yu Tunzhou tore off a chicken leg, and then saw An Ruyu choose the chicken wing part.

That's good, no need to fight over it anymore.

An Ruyu took a bite, then shook her head and said, "This pheasant is far inferior to Young Hero Guo's. It's a pity that Young Hero Guo is no longer the same as before, and I don't know if I will ever have the chance to eat chicken wings roasted by Young Hero Guo himself again in this life."

Yu Tunzhou asked in surprise, "When did you eat my grilled chicken wings?"

An Ruyu smiled, her eyes crinkling, and said, "It was in a riverside temple along the Coming Dragon River. Although it wasn't seasoned much, it had a unique flavor that I still remember vividly."

Yu Tunzhou frowned, then suddenly his face darkened as he remembered the whole story.

This was the time when An Ruyu chased him relentlessly!

He fled along the river and hid in a river god temple. He caught a pheasant and roasted it until it sizzled with oil, but he only had time to eat one leg before An Ruyu chased after him like a ghost.

At the time, there was a pair of fellow disciples passing by the temple. He kindly left the remaining roast chicken for them, but unexpectedly, An Ruyu snatched it away.

"If I'd known you were such a glutton, I should have poisoned you that day!"

Yu Tunzhou said irritably.

An Ruyu smiled, her eyes crinkling, the firelight reflecting on her face, adding a touch of warmth, "With the protection of my venerable mothers, ordinary poisons cannot harm me."

Yu Tunzhou responded with a chuckle.

After a year of living together day and night, the past antagonisms have gradually faded away amidst the daily grind of farming and cooking.

The evening breeze carried sparks and songs from ahead.

Yu Tunzhou's gaze passed over the flickering firelight and landed on the dragon at the edge of the crowd.

Suddenly, the dragon was pulled aside by a woman from the tribe, who was wearing a new dress made by An Ruyu.

He smiled knowingly.

This tribal woman and the dragon were childhood sweethearts; they had long harbored feelings for each other, and today their relationship was a natural progression.

Yu Tunzhou's smile suddenly vanished, and he frowned as he looked over.

The woman covered her face and fled.

The dragon rejected the woman's advances.

He did not leave, nor did he join the singing and dancing. He simply stood in the darkness at the edge of the crowd, quietly watching his jubilant tribesmen. The firelight reflected the dragon horns on his forehead, giving them a cold gleam.

He stood there, yet it seemed as if an invisible barrier separated him from his former tribesmen.

"He's becoming increasingly withdrawn," An Ruyu said softly.

Yu Tunzhou in silence.

Indeed, as An Ruyu said.

The dragon's training became increasingly arduous, but the price was that it became increasingly taciturn and rarely interacted with its people.

Besides practicing, he spent his days seeking his guidance.

Did the awakening of his bloodline elevate his horizons and ambitions?

It shouldn't be just that.

Yu Tunzhou could vaguely sense that an invisible "burden" was appearing on the dragon's body, and it was getting heavier and heavier.

At this moment.

Suddenly, the dragon walked towards them.

The flickering firelight cast shadows on the dragon's eyes, illuminating his heavy heart.

Long sat beside Yu Tunzhou for a long time before finally speaking, revealing a truth that had been hidden from his people for a long time.

It turns out that the Human Emperor and the Demon Race he killed that day were merely descendants of a divine beast less than a year old, not the great demon that had plagued the surrounding area for many years.

The latter was caught up in an fortuitous opportunity and couldn't get away for the time being.

The reason the Human Emperor left was to find a way to completely eliminate this great demon.

Yu Tunzhou frowned, assuming that Long's diligent cultivation these past few days was due to his concern for that great demon, therefore—

"Master Fish," the dragon suddenly spoke, "Do you know? Even after all this cultivation, I'm still far inferior to that descendant of the divine beast."

Yu Tunzhou, stunned and rooted to the spot.

"That cub, less than a year old, was already capable of uprooting half a mountain and easily crushing me in my current state."

He raised his hand and touched his dragon horns, his voice ethereal, "If I weren't a human-dragon hybrid, it would have taken me at least several more years to get to where I am today."

"Master Fish, why are Human Race inherently so weak? We are all born into this world, yet we struggle with all our might just to survive. Meanwhile, those other races are born with the ability to move mountains and overturn seas. This gap simply cannot be bridged by cultivation—"

Yu Tunzhou didn't interrupt; he just watched him quietly.

Finally, the future Dragon Lord rose, his face resolute beyond anything seen before, illuminated by the firelight.

He said, "I want to change all of this with Yan!"

After he left, An Ruyu suddenly sighed softly, "I finally understand when this man started to go astray."

She gazed at the resolute figure of the future Dragon Lord disappearing into the night, and murmured, "The Human Emperor reveres the saying 'A single spark can start a prairie fire,' insisting that humanity can overcome nature, believing that the foundation of Human Dao lies in the myriad Human Race, and that even with a humble beginning, one day they will catch up."

"But this one is the opposite of the Human Emperor. He always believed that if the Human Race wanted to stand between heaven and earth for a long time, it had to attach itself to a stronger power and gain the support of those Immortals and Gods."

"Therefore, the later Dragon Lord moved among various forces, skillfully maneuvering and forming alliances, hoping to use the power of various Immortals and Gods to elevate the Human Race, and also to elevate his own path."

Ultimately, he had long since lost faith that Human Race could secure its position as the ruler of the Central Plains on its own.

Yu Tunzhou remained silent for a long time before slowly nodding.

Lairu.

No wonder the later generations of the Taicang Long Clan were so skilled at scheming that they could even abandon past grudges for the sake of profit, losing their fighting spirit and only being opportunistic. It turns out that the seeds were sown by their ancestor.

From the very beginning of his cultivation, he clearly recognized the vast difference between Human Race and other races, which laid the foundation for his seeking knowledge outside himself.

Is this Human Emperor wanted them to see?

Yu Tunzhou looked up at the night sky that Long often gazed at.

He always felt that----

Nothing here is as simple as it seems.