A Creature of Ancient Times, a Dragon Clan Ancestor?

Rumble— A deafening roar erupted like tens of thousands of thunderclaps. The surrounding space trembled ceaselessly, appearing on the verge of shattering at any moment. This power was simply too overwhelming. Lu Yuan at this moment was truly terrifying—after all, the Immortal Realm was completely different from the Saint Realm. The power unleashed in an instant was frightening to the extreme. His golden fist vibrated, carrying surging vitality, and crashed directly into the mysterious shadowy figure. Crack— In a split second, the dragon scales across the black claw shattered completely! Drops of black blood dripped down from the wound, a gruesome and shocking sight. In just an instant, Lu Yuan had asserted absolute dominance, injuring the figure. "Remarkable strength, boundless vitality, and an Immortal Realm to boot... You are indeed an exceptional source of blood and flesh." Yet the shadowy figure seemed unbothered by being wounded. A pair of eyes, swirling with scarlet light, stared intently at Lu Yuan not far away. Surprise, greed, frenzy, and countless other emotions continuously surged within them. In the rear, whether Yinglong or Jiang Ningxian, a chill washed over their entire bodies the moment they met those eyes. Their souls filled with revulsion and deep discomfort, sparking an instinctive urge to flee. "Who on earth are you?" Yinglong Ao Ze spoke first. After all, this was the Dragon Prison, the domain of the Dragon Clan. Whoever was imprisoned before them clearly had a deep connection to the clan, so it was only natural for him to demand an answer. He truly had not expected that after so many years, a living creature would still reside within the Dragon Prison. Even more terrifying was that during the brief clash with Lu Yuan, the entity had unleashed immense power. To still possess such strength after being locked away for so long—how monstrous had he been in his prime? Thus, Yinglong spoke up to uncover the entity's identity, so they would know how to proceed. "Oh? A Dragon Clan member?" The figure spoke, his voice tinged with a faint laugh. "If we go by time, you ought to address me as ancestor." As the words fell, he slowly stepped out from the dark cell. He possessed the build of a human but bore a dragon's head, entirely covered in black scales. Yet for some unknown reason, his whole body was completely shriveled. He looked as if he had been desiccated entirely, an utterly grotesque sight that made one deeply uncomfortable. Both Lu Yuan and Jiang Ningxian could immediately tell what he was. This was one of the Dragon Clan—a black dragon. "A black dragon?" Realization seemed to dawn on Ao Ze, an incredulous expression surfacing on his face. "I remember my father once telling me that long ago, a black dragon was born into our clan. His talent was peerless, hailed across the clan as destined to become a True Dragon. But for reasons unknown, he grew bloodthirsty and murderous, treating the living beings of all races as blood sustenance to elevate his own strength. "Later, our Dragon Clan had no choice but to pay a tremendous price to completely suppress him. To think he was actually imprisoned within the Dragon Prison." At this point, Ao Ze could not help but shake his head. "Yet that black dragon lived in ancient times, even earlier than my father, and this world underwent a monumental upheaval. He should have died long ago!" He was simply too ancient. Faced with such vast swathes of time, who could possibly withstand it? Even Lu Yuan and Jiang Ningxian nodded upon hearing this. Indeed, Earth had experienced the Severance of Heaven and Earth. If one did not leave, even an immortal's realm and strength would steadily decline until they eventually died. Though the Dragon Palace was somewhat special, it could not have fared much better. Yet the reality before them was that a living creature had indeed survived—and from the looks of it, he had not been imprisoned halfway through. "I never imagined there would still be dragons who remember me." The black dragon seemed disinclined to explain further. He glanced toward Lu Yuan and Jiang Ningxian, speaking once more: "I will not waste words with you. I must restore my strength as quickly as possible, or else I truly will die." With that, he attacked again, the hand that had shattered earlier completely restored. The black dragon understood clearly that Lu Yuan was the strongest present, so he did not hesitate in the slightest. In the very next breath, a terrifying aura permeated the air, causing the entire Dragon Prison to tremble. Yet because this place had been crafted by the ancestors of the Dragon Clan, its durability far surpassed the outside world. Even an immortal could not hope to wreak immense destruction here. The black dragon was indeed formidable. But he had been imprisoned for too long; his cultivation had regressed, falling far short of his prime. Nonetheless, the power he displayed with this strike was still on par with an immortal's. Seeing this, Lu Yuan harbored no hesitation either. Since this was no Dragon Clan senior but merely a criminal, he had no intention of holding back. The Furnace of Heaven and Earth manifested, golden vitality churning and surging in rolling waves. In an instant, the two clashed. There were no flashy maneuvers—only a raw collision, a contest of physical might. The Dragon Clan was exceptionally powerful in both flesh and soul. Their physical bodies in particular were nearly unrivaled, an innate racial advantage. The black dragon considered himself an elite even among his kin, having found no match among his peers across the cosmos. Yet as he fought Lu Yuan, his gaze turned peculiar. He realized that in this very aspect, he seemed to be suppressed. He could not help remarking, "No wonder your vitality is so monstrous. After I devour you, I am certain I can recover a tenth of my peak strength!" As he spoke, the black dragon's eyes grew even more ravenous, and the force behind his strikes intensified. However, he had chosen the wrong opponent. Lu Yuan had already attained immortality, achieving a qualitative leap in every facet. No matter how much the dragon escalated his power and techniques, Lu Yuan handled them with ease. As the clash dragged on, having gauged the depths of the black dragon's current strength, Lu Yuan showed no further mercy. Channeling the power within him, he spread his palm wide—the Jade Emperor Orthodox Heavenly Thunder Art. Rumble— In a flash, thousands of lightning bolts materialized, instantly saturating the entire Dragon Prison. Each bolt was several fathoms thick, brimming with destructive might pushed to the absolute extreme. Bathed within that sea of lightning, Lu Yuan's aura shifted entirely, making him look like an emperor of thunder. Up ahead, the black dragon saw this and tried to fall back temporarily, but the lightning was far too dense; there was nowhere to dodge. Rip, tear— A series of sickening sounds rang out as the lightning struck the black dragon's flesh. Under that immense power, lacerations tore across his body, and black blood poured forth continuously. Had his constitution not been inherently formidable, that single strike would have destroyed him. Even so, when all the lightning finally dissipated, the black dragon was left covered in wounds, his aura completely withered. Clearly, he had suffered a massive defeat in the exchange and was gravely injured. "Incredible, truly incredible... A human who has only just entered the Immortal Realm possesses such astonishing might. It seems I must take this seriously." The black dragon spoke, his eyes turning frenzied as wisps of black qi slowly rose from his body.