Chapter Ten: Facing the Ancestral Dragon

Li Tian and his companions sped southward, flying for several months without pause. All the while, dark clouds gathered behind them, thunder roared ominously, and when they glanced back, their faces changed dramatically.

“So many dragons...” Nuwa’s face had grown pale.

After having slain so many dragons in recent days, were they finally to be hunted in return? Li Tian’s expression was grim as well; from what he could see, there were at least a hundred dragons in pursuit, the force of their presence overwhelming, and most appeared to possess the cultivation of Great Golden Immortals.

But this was not his greatest concern. He had just been preparing to find a place to evade the great calamity, and now the dragons had descended upon him—how could fate be so precise? Had he already been caught up in the tribulation, unable to extricate himself?

Damn it, he owed the dragon clan so much karmic debt; it seemed he would have to settle it all within this calamity.

Looking back once more at the approaching mass of dark clouds, Li Tian realized that if they continued as they were, the three of them would soon be overtaken. Gritting his teeth, he declared, “Nuwa, Fuxi, I’ll transform into my true form and carry you!”

Without waiting for a response, Li Tian descended from the clouds. A flash of red light, and in the blink of an eye, he became a colossal firebird, spanning one hundred and eight thousand miles, his body ablaze with the true fire of the sun, as if another sun had appeared in the heavens.

A piercing cry rang out, echoing through the skies—the first time Li Tian had assumed his true form, and he felt power coursing through every part of him, the earth trembling beneath his feet. Unable to restrain himself, he let out a call. As his wings spread, a powerful hot wind swept outward, rivers within hundreds of thousands of miles began to evaporate, but in an instant, Li Tian withdrew the flames from his body.

Nuwa and Fuxi were awestruck by his true form. In terms of size, few in all the world could match an innate Golden Crow; even Kunpeng, famed for his massive body, could only spread his wings to one hundred thousand miles, nearly half the size of the Golden Crow, for the Golden Crow was a moving sun.

Nuwa and Fuxi alighted upon Li Tian’s back, each smaller than a single feather, almost negligible, though his spiritual sense could still perceive their presence. Sensing they were secure, Li Tian soared upward, his wings instantly widening the gap between them and the dragons behind.

Though numerous, most of the dragons were only at the early stage of Great Golden Immortal cultivation; they had previously kept pace with Li Tian’s group only thanks to their advantage in true form flight. Now that Li Tian had transformed, his speed increased dramatically, and they were left behind.

“Damn it!” Not far behind, the Ancestral Dragon’s eyes burned with fury; he had nearly caught up, but the distance had suddenly widened. Was he to give up so easily?

After a moment’s concentration, the Ancestral Dragon’s eyes flashed with determination. He resolved to leave the other dragons behind and pursue alone. With his cultivation at the mid-stage Quasi-Saint, flying at full strength, it should not be difficult to catch up.

The dragons beside the Ancestral Dragon sensed his intention and were immediately alarmed, rushing forward to dissuade him. After all, the Ancestral Dragon was the pillar of their clan; if anything happened to him, the dragons would lose their greatest warrior, with disastrous consequences.

“Ancestor, you must not!”

“Please reconsider, Ancestor!”

“Your body is worth its weight in gold—how can you risk everything for a few thieves?”

But the Ancestral Dragon’s resolve was unshakable. He turned and shouted, “My mind is made up. With my mid-stage Quasi-Saint cultivation, even if the Primordial Phoenix and the Original Qilin join forces against me, I can still escape unscathed. The world is vast—I go where I please. Enough talk! Return to the clan and defend our domain!”

With that, the Ancestral Dragon roared and surged ahead alone. Unleashing his full strength, he swiftly left the other dragons behind.

Left behind, the remaining dragons exchanged uncertain glances.

“Shall we give chase?” Azure Dragon suggested; his son had been slain, and if possible, he wished to witness his enemy’s death himself.

“We mustn’t,” Yuan Dragon immediately shook his head. “We should return to our post, lest the Phoenix and Qilin clans launch a surprise attack—the consequences would be dire.”

He had long felt uneasy about the elite dragons leaving their domain, and now wished to return as soon as possible. As for the Ancestral Dragon, as he had said, few in the vast wilderness could threaten one of mid-stage Quasi-Saint cultivation. Even if he encountered an opponent he couldn’t defeat, he could always escape.

At last, Candle Dragon spoke up.

“Let’s all go back; our presence here is useless.”

Like the Ancestral Dragon, Candle Dragon was born at the dawn of creation, one of the four primordial elements, and could be considered the Ancestral Dragon’s younger brother. Now that the Ancestral Dragon was gone, Candle Dragon held the highest authority.

With his word, no dragon dared object. Even Azure Dragon said nothing, though he regretted not witnessing his enemy’s death firsthand. As for the Ancestral Dragon’s possible defeat, he did not consider it.

...

Meanwhile, the Ancestral Dragon chased Li Tian for tens of millions of miles, finally catching up with the Golden Crow’s true form. His eyes widened, and with a great roar, he shouted, “Villain, you shall not escape!”

Li Tian looked back, surprised to see the Ancestral Dragon pursuing alone. His mind raced, and he decided to engage in battle. He possessed the defensive treasure, the Earth Book, and the Chaos Bell, both offensive and defensive, giving him an innate advantage.

But first, he needed to confirm the Ancestral Dragon was truly alone; if the dragon were feigning, he would be in grave danger.

With this in mind, Li Tian accelerated sharply, secretly transmitting his thoughts to Nuwa and Fuxi, instructing them to prepare.

They sped onward for several hours until Li Tian judged the distance sufficient. He signaled Nuwa and Fuxi, then spun around, coming to a halt, watching as the Ancestral Dragon rushed toward them.

Compared to his own body, one hundred and eight thousand miles in length, the Ancestral Dragon’s ten-thousand-foot form resembled a tiny mudfish. Yet even so, Li Tian sensed a great threat emanating from that small creature.

The Ancestral Dragon, seeing Li Tian stop, grew excited. Channeling his power, his form expanded rapidly, soon matching Li Tian’s size.

It was a simple transformation spell, but maintaining such a vast body consumed tremendous power every moment.

Meanwhile, Fuxi transformed into his true form—a human torso with a serpent’s tail—growing swiftly until he matched Li Tian and the Ancestral Dragon in size. Seeing this, Li Tian tossed him the Universe Cauldron and the River Diagram, instructing him via spiritual message to begin refining them.

Though neither treasure was intended for combat, they could still serve as shields against attacks.

As for Nuwa, after persuasion from Li Tian and Fuxi, she acknowledged her limited strength and withdrew anxieties, flying aside to avoid becoming a burden.

Li Tian summoned the Earth Book and Chaos Bell, a thin membrane appearing over his immense body, while the Chaos Bell grew gigantic, hovering before him. Fuxi, after a simple blood recognition ritual, activated the two treasures Li Tian had given him, standing atop the River Diagram and wielding the Universe Cauldron, confronting the Ancestral Dragon.

Neither side rushed to attack; instead, they watched Nuwa with their spiritual senses, only relaxing once she had flown a million miles away.

...