Xu Ying was not from the Yuanshou world. He was born on Kunlun, which was not situated in the Yuanshou world at all, but was instead a bridge connecting the Ancestral Court to the myriad heavens and realms.
He was one of the Undying People of Kunlun and did not possess the karmic fortune of the Dragon Court. If the Dragon Race Far Ancestor possessed Xu Ying, he would find himself trapped within this body, stepping closer to death with every passing moment!
The Heavenly Venerable had followed the Ancestral God in his early years and had been one of the two individuals the Ancestral God valued most. The Ancestral God was immeasurably ancient and privy to many secrets in this world that had long since been lost to time. The Heavenly Venerable had learned of the Dragon Court's secrets from the Ancestral God.
The Heavenly Venerable had plotted against the Dragon Court and the Far Ancestor for a long time, having prepared contingencies for every scenario. He knew from the Ancestral God that the powerhouses of the Dragon Court had weathered tens of millions of years, and their Primordial Spirits were decayed; they had only a single chance at possession. If their host's karmic fortune was not a match, they would wither away.
Furthermore, the Dragon Race Far Ancestor had reincarnated—possessed others—countless times. His Primordial Spirit had long since reached the limit of what it could bear. Like the immortals of the Dragon Race, he could only possess a native of Yuanshou.
If he possessed anyone else, his physical vessel and Primordial Spirit would prove incompatible. He would age at an astonishing speed, and his Dao would ultimately perish along with his body.
He did not have a second chance at possession!
The Heavenly Venerable's goal was to take control of the Dragon Court and coerce the Dragon Race Far Ancestor into helping him secure victory in the Immortal Realm's future struggles, enabling him to attain the Supreme realm and become an Immortal Emperor Supreme.
He would by no means allow any failure in this endeavor!
Looking up toward the sky, he saw blood pouring down from the heavens, transforming into rearing flood dragons that burrowed straight into Xu Ying's body.
"The Dragon Race Far Ancestor has begun using his Far Ancestor true blood to reforge my Second Brother! Second Brother, it's not that your elder brother can't tolerate your existence..."
Letting out a long cry, the Heavenly Venerable finally struck, charging toward the altar and bearing down straight upon Xu Ying!
At the same time, Wei Xu flew into the Dragon Abyss with Zulong, only to find the entrance shrouded in a green haze that sealed off the abyss. That was a divine ability seal left behind by the Heavenly Venerable to trap everyone here and prevent their escape.
After all, what was taking place in the Dragon Court could not be exposed to the light of day. The fewer people who knew, the better—and it would be best of all if those who knew were corpses. However, a green haze seal like this posed no obstacle to Wei Xu at all; even severely wounded, he could easily tear it open.
"Martial Uncle, hold on," Zulong suddenly said.
Wei Xu had been about to shatter the seal, but he froze upon hearing those words. Zulong said, "Master instructed us to wait here for a moment."
Wei Xu's body stiffened. His back had taken a strike from the Heavenly Venerable—a strike that had breached his Supreme-grade physical vessel and nearly broken his spine, severely diminishing his strength.
"Did your master instruct you on how to deal with me while I'm gravely wounded?" He quietly drew a breath, prepared to strike down his martial nephew the instant Zulong showed the slightest abnormality.
His current condition was perilous, for the spine was home to the Heavenly River and the Thirty-Three Heavens within the human Realm of Xiyi, encompassing the first and second passes as well as the three stages of the Intertwined Refining stage.
His strength was nowhere near what it once was.
Zulong shook his head. "Master left no instructions regarding that. Besides, if Master wished to deal with you, Martial Uncle, would he need my help?"
Hearing this, Wei Xu lowered his guard.
Zulong said, "Martial Uncle, you seem to fear Master greatly—so much so that you even harbored thoughts of killing me."
Wei Xu snorted. "There may be those in this world stronger than him, but the person I dread the most is still him. He always devises strategies from behind the scenes, keeping everything within his grasp. From the very first day I met him, I have never once seen him miscalculate. He always attains his goals."
Zulong said, "Martial Uncle, you may shatter the Heavenly Venerable's seal now."
Wei Xu shot him a glance. "Was that also an instruction from your master?"
Zulong shook his head. "No. Shattering the seal now will lower the Heavenly Venerable's guard, leading him to believe we have already fled this place."
Wei Xu followed his advice and shattered the Heavenly Venerable's seal. Zulong then said, "Martial Uncle, your injuries are quite severe. You may rest inside my bodhimanda for the time being. I collected many magical treasures in the Dragon Court just now; you can absorb their power to heal yourself."
Wei Xu stepped into his bodhimanda as suggested, only to find it was composed of countless magical treasures. The construction of these treasures was exquisitely intricate, and the Dao chains extending from them were no different from those belonging to Immortal Kings.
Moreover, inside the bodhimanda stood a Dao tree that was half Dao chains and half magical treasures, enabling Zulong's cultivation and strength to temporarily surge to the level of an Immortal Monarch.
"Zhao Zheng, this is an unorthodox path, unworthy of pursuit," Wei Xu said with a passing glance. "You have strayed from the proper path. Turn back while you still can."
Zulong asked, "Martial Uncle, do you know my current cultivation level?"
Wei Xu glanced at him, taking in his cultivation realm at once. "Merely an Earth Immortal."
Zulong said, "At the Earth Immortal realm, I wield the strength of an Immortal Monarch and can comprehend the Immortal Monarch realm in advance, thereby obtaining the cultivation and Dao attainment of an Immortal Monarch in the shortest possible time. Martial Uncle, if I were to cultivate step by step, how long would it take me to reach this point?"
Wei Xu replied, "With your talent, and assuming adequate resources, you could cultivate to the Immortal Monarch realm within three to five thousand years."
Zulong said, "Yet using this method, I mastered the power and Dao attainment of an Immortal Monarch in just three years. Three to five thousand years on one hand, three years on the other—if the choice were yours, Martial Uncle, what would you choose?"
Wei Xu shook his head. "My Dao heart is forever steadfast; I would never be swayed by such petty gains. Only power gained through one's own cultivation is true power. Relying on external objects is nothing more than an illusion! The path you walk resembles Xu Ying's far too closely—do not learn from that scoundrel."
Zulong had no idea how Xu Ying had become a scoundrel in his martial uncle's eyes. He asked, "If I can use this path to attain the power and Dao attainment of a Supreme within a thousand years, would you still remain untempted, Martial Uncle?"
Wei Xu's expression changed abruptly, and he shook his head. "Impossible. You do not understand how difficult the Supreme realm truly is. If that realm could truly be attained with a few magical treasures, there wouldn't be so many people trapped at the Heavenly Monarch realm, nor would incompetent fools have abandoned their paths to cultivate as Daluo Golden Immortals instead."
The "incompetent fool" he spoke of was clearly Emperor Changsheng.
Zulong said no more, choosing not to argue.
Right then, an earth-shattering roar reverberated, and terrifying shockwaves rippled all the way to where they stood, causing dragon qi to leak out along the abyss.
Zulong stood up and began walking toward the Dragon Court.
Wei Xu grabbed a magical treasure, absorbing and refining the spiritual energy within it. "Is your return to the Dragon Court also per your master's instructions?"
Zulong nodded gently.
Wei Xu's face darkened. The Heavenly Venerable was immensely powerful, perhaps even stronger than Wei Xu at his peak. Yet the Heavenly Venerable's claim that the Immortal Emperor Supreme could not predict his moves was giving himself far too much credit.
*Every single move made by the Heavenly Venerable is likely within Senior Brother's calculations,*
Wei Xu thought, his expression flickering between dark and grim. *Perhaps only those old monsters Above the Nine Heavens can truly hold him down.*
***
Upon the altar, Xu Ying stared wide-eyed, yet his eyes could see nothing but boundless darkness.
He could not hear any sounds from outside, nor could he feel any touch or sensation. All of his senses felt sealed away.
This was his universe of consciousness—also known as the sea of consciousness, the ocean of divine sense. Yet right now, it held neither light nor color, as though his universe of consciousness were blocked by something unimaginably colossal.
After an unknown stretch of time, a thin streak of light suddenly appeared in the boundless dark. The streak of light stretched on for an immeasurable distance, gradually extending outward, until another streak of light emerged, running parallel to it.
A moment later, the light broadened—wide in the center and tapered at both ends. From within that radiance, more light flowed like water and burst forth like fireworks.
Those were two colossal eyes.
The eyes of the Far Ancestor.
Sounds finally reached Xu Ying's ears—countless distinct dragon roars originating from the primordial era, and perhaps even earlier. Some were aged, some youthful; some resonant, some piercing; some filled with sorrow, and some with wild exhilaration.
The cacophony of dragon roars gradually converged into a single voice.
"Young man."
Xu Ying lifted his head, gazing at those eyes that blotted out the sky and his very mind. Endless eons seemed to flow within them, narrating the boundless vicissitudes of the Dragon Race.
The Far Ancestor's voice echoed in his mind: "Are you ready?"
"No!" Xu Ying shouted loudly.
The Far Ancestor's voice continued: "I am about to descend. The moment my divine sense descends, you will no longer be you; you will merge with me. You will become me, transforming into a part of the vast, boundless Far Ancestor."
Xu Ying yelled at the top of his lungs, "Far Ancestor, I'm not a native of Yuanshou! I don't have the karmic fortune of your Dragon Court! If you possess me, you'll die! How about we both take a step back?"
The Far Ancestor's voice rang out: "I am ready to descend! Three, two, one..."
Xu Ying cursed, "Old dragon, are you even listening?! Goddamn it, don't be reckless, you'll get both of us killed! You bastard old dragon, can you hear me?!"
*Boom!*
A boundless consciousness descended. At that moment, Xu Ying felt immensely colossal thoughts and minds barge into his body. He seemed to see individual dragon powerhouses of varying appearances—mighty, imposing, and wielding the grandiose power to reshape heaven and earth!
The Far Ancestor's consciousness was not the consciousness of an individual, but a collective consciousness formed over endless eons as the Dragon Race's Far Ancestor devoured host after host!
He possessed a primary consciousness, yet he was simultaneously an amalgamation of countless dragons!
Within this collective, the Far Ancestor's consciousness was the strongest, but the combined scale of the other dragons' consciousnesses was vastly more immense!
Before such an overwhelming collective mind, even Xu Ying's formidable divine sense, which far surpassed that of his peers, could not mount any resistance!
Compared to this collective consciousness, an individual consciousness was simply too miniscule. What was more, every single one of the minds composing the Far Ancestor far outstripped his own!
Descending alongside this colossal consciousness was an endless torrent of knowledge, which transformed into the sounds of the Dao, erupting in his mind and leaving indelible imprints!
Endless knowledge inundated Xu Ying's mind, threatening to drown him completely.
He found himself becoming a member of these consciousnesses, standing side by side with those mighty dragon immortals.
These dragon immortals were the minds of the various dragon immortals who had been possessed in the past. They studied Xu Ying with curiosity. Xu Ying soared into the air, flying past these dragon immortal consciousnesses and calling out to each of them, "Are you the Far Ancestor?"
The dragon immortal consciousnesses he questioned shook their heads and nodded in turn, their answers largely identical: "I am the Far Ancestor, yet I am not the entirety of the Far Ancestor."
Xu Ying questioned them one by one, anxiety burning within him.
If the Far Ancestor possessed him, it wouldn't just kill Xu Ying—it would kill the Far Ancestor himself!
At the same time, above the altar, blood bearing the radiance of the Great Dao poured down from the sky. It was the Far Ancestor true blood, arriving from that ancient space-time and pouring into Xu Ying's body.
For the Dragon Race, bloodline was of utmost importance. Bloodlines were the most crucial vessels for passing down heritage; the Dragon Race's mightiest divine abilities and their insights into Dao methods were often contained within their blood!
For the Far Ancestor to descend, he needed to use his bloodline to refine Xu Ying's "dragon" body, making this vessel more suitable for him.
In the future, after the host died, the Far Ancestor true blood would have to return to that other world; it could not remain in the mortal realm.
Nourished across generations of hosts, the Far Ancestor true blood had grown increasingly powerful, harboring ever richer troves of knowledge!
Every single drop of true blood that entered Xu Ying's body brought forth unparalleled power, remaking his physical vessel and making his body stronger by the moment!
Inside him, the surging power of the Far Ancestor true blood coursed through his flesh, giving rise to dragon scales, expanding his dragon bones, bolstering his divine sense, and strengthening his Primordial Spirit, making his foundation exceptionally robust!
Xu Ying's consciousness flew past one dragon immortal mind after another. Looking outward, there was still no end in sight; heaven only knew how many generations of dragon immortals the Far Ancestor had possessed.
"Do any of you know where the Far Ancestor is?!"
He shouted at the top of his lungs, his voice ringing loud and clear: "I really am not a native of Yuanshou! I don't have the Dragon Court's karmic fortune! If the Far Ancestor possesses me, he will die!"
Many dragon immortal consciousnesses heard his words, yet remained completely unmoved. Xu Ying's shouting had not the slightest effect on the Far Ancestor's descent.
The Far Ancestor was a unified whole; these dragon immortal consciousnesses were merely individual components making up that whole.
Even if every single individual heard Xu Ying's cries, they could not change the Far Ancestor's overarching mind, and would continue marching down the predetermined path.
That immense consciousness accumulated within Xu Ying's body, and the power transmitted from that other space-time grew steadily stronger.
Right then, a voice resounded: "The Primordial Spirit may now descend."
Xu Ying's eyes lit up, and he hurriedly flew toward the source of the voice.
The Far Ancestor's divine sense rippled out from within Xu Ying's body, heavy enough to upend heaven and earth. In that ancient and mysterious space, an ancient Primordial Spirit that had revived tens of thousands of times gradually awakened, riding along the sacrifice offered by the dragon immortals to descend toward the altar of the Dragon Court.
What an ancient, formidable being it was! Its descent caused the dilapidated Dragon Court to begin crumbling. Unable to endure the pressure, dragon immortals plunged from the sky one after another, yet they still struggled desperately to keep the blood sacrifice running.
He was descending toward Xu Ying, about to claim Xu Ying's physical vessel.
At the same time, Xu Ying searched with all his might and finally found the Far Ancestor—a massive dragon sprawled lazily in the distance.
It possessed a golden-yellow body far vaster than undulating mountain ranges, stretching for an unknown number of tens of thousands of li. It lay motionless as countless dragon immortal consciousnesses swirled around it.
Xu Ying rushed forward and shouted at the top of his lungs, "Far Ancestor, I'm not a native of Yuanshou, and I don't have the Dragon Court's karmic fortune! If you possess me, both of us are dead!"
The massive dragon seemed to catch his tiny voice. It slowly raised its head, its gaze searching for a moment before finally noticing the miniscule Xu Ying.
The massive dragon spoke. Its surging divine sense detonated in Xu Ying's sea of consciousness, churning back and forth and giving rise to boundless light, as if billions of stars had suddenly appeared in his sea of consciousness.
"Insignificant human insect, who are you?" the massive dragon asked.
Xu Ying snapped in frustration, "The body you're possessing right now is mine! Who do you think I am?! You were talking to me just a moment ago, asking if I was ready, and now you turn around and don't even recognize me?!"
The massive dragon chuckled. "I was merely following standard procedure, asking you out of politeness. In truth, you were far too small for me to see where you were... Wait, no! Those little bastards got it wrong—you're not a dragon!"
It panicked, hastily rising to its feet. "I must stop my Primordial Spirit from descending!"
Right at this moment, an earth-shattering boom erupted. The Heavenly Venerable charged onto the altar, sending dragon immortals flying in pieces wherever he passed as he lunged straight for Xu Ying!
No matter what, he had to slaughter Xu Ying before the Far Ancestor completed his descent!
Inside Xu Ying's sea of consciousness, the massive dragon formed from the Far Ancestor's divine sense turned pale with fright. "Damn it! An insect of the Sixth Realm of the Dao Realm is trying to ambush me! Human insect, how strong are you?!"
Xu Ying felt somewhat lacking in confidence and replied, "Not that strong. I haven't even become an immortal yet..."
The massive dragon stamped in fury. "Those blundering idiots, how do they handle things?! Not only did they get the race wrong, but the cultivation is this weak too... Human insect, if we want to survive, our only choice is to join forces!"
Chapter 551