Chapter 514 515: What Do You Mean the Dao Court Belongs to the Dragon Clan Now?
Chapter 515: What Do You Mean the Dao Court Belongs to Our Dragon Clan?
Recently, the True Dragon Clan hasn't been having an easy time.
To be precise, it's Tian Qiu who hasn't been having an easy time, while the other True Dragons outside are all excited, believing the era of their clan has arrived.
After all, with the four Dao Lords remaining inactive and the True Lords living in seclusion, while the True Dragon Clan has unified the overseas regions, their strength at the Foundation Establishment level isn't inferior to the four major inland factions. Some radical True Dragons have even begun chanting slogans, saying they should seize this opportunity to return inland and wash away the shame of their exile overseas.
Yet Tian Qiu remains calm.
Not only did he decisively suppress all radical rhetoric, but he even executed some stubborn dissenters outright. It took him a year or two to finally stabilize the situation.
But that was just the external factor.
The true internal cause was Tian Qiu's own perception of karma. Recently, during his cultivation, he would often suddenly be struck by inexplicable thoughts:
'Hmm... Maybe I should take a trip to Jiangxi?'
The first time this thought occurred to him, Tian Qiu nearly walked out right then. Fortunately, he was in seclusion within the secret chamber left by the old Dragon Monarch.
At the last moment, the mighty power left by the old Dragon Monarch awakened him.
After that, Tian Qiu searched through the clan's Dao Canon and finally understood what had happened: this was Buddhist affinity! Damn it, the World-Honored One had set his sights on him!
'Sigh...'
In the secret chamber, Tian Qiu sighed and looked at the intelligence report sent from Jiangxi, which mentioned that the World-Honored One had manifested a Dharma form and enlightened a Buddhist disciple named Guang Ming.
What should he do?
After much deliberation, the only solution Tian Qiu could think of was to accelerate the True Dragon Clan's domination over the overseas regions to secure enough resources for his Golden Core pursuit.
If he could achieve the [Heavenly River Water] Fruit Position ahead of schedule, perhaps there was still hope to rid himself of this accursed Buddhist affinity.
Or perhaps—
'...The Dao Court.'
Tian Qiu raised his head and looked toward Jiangdong: 'Before Father entered seclusion, he once said that if things truly became hopeless, perhaps we could seek refuge in Jiangdong.'
At the time, he had found it absurd and hadn't taken it seriously. After all, he knew the nature of their clan's dealings with the Dao Court—weren't those sent to the Dao Court just cannon fodder? What was the point of seeking refuge with them? Yet now that he was truly in dire straits, Tian Qiu recalled the old Dragon Monarch's advice once more.
'Maybe it's worth a try?'
'I remember the group of True Dragons sent to Jiangdong... Du Huan was leading them, wasn't he? Perhaps he's already gained some standing in the Dao Court.'
'I just don't know how high his status is... Would it be enough to protect me?'
Thinking this, Tian Qiu shook his head with a bitter smile. "What am I thinking... No matter how high his status, the Dao Court wouldn't dare clash with the World-Honored One over this."
Unless it was the Dao Court's emperor himself.
"Fine. If I die at the hands of Buddhist cultivators, the True Dragon Clan likely won't escape unscathed either. I might as well secretly send some to Jiangdong to preserve our bloodline."
Just as Tian Qiu was lost in thought, a sudden voice came from outside the secret chamber's door. Stepping out, he saw his beloved younger sister [Sui Ling], her expression strange as she said, "Elder Brother, dragons from Jiangdong have arrived... a lot of them... but they all seem to have gone mad."
"...What?"
Tian Qiu tilted his head, not quite understanding Sui Ling's meaning. Gone mad? Ridiculous—True Dragons reach Foundation Establishment upon adulthood. How could they possibly lose their minds?
"Let me see."
Transforming into human form, Tian Qiu strode forward. Soon, an utterly exasperated voice echoed from the distance: "Uncles, aunts, cousins... We're not lying! The Dao Court belongs to our Dragon Clan now! We're here to take you all to enjoy prosperity!"
Tian Qiu: "???"
They really had gone mad?
His expression instantly turned grave as he hurried forward, his gaze landing on the man surrounded by True Dragons. He recognized him immediately:
"Du An? What's going on? Do you still recognize me?"
The man called Du An brightened upon hearing his name. "Your Highness! You've finally come! Lord Du Huan instructed me to deliver this to you personally."
With that, he produced a fragment.
Tian Qiu's pupils constricted—he knew that fragment all too well. It was part of the [Sea Commanding Conch], a True Treasure refined by the old Dragon Monarch over many years!
'So Du Huan really sent him?'
Moreover, the man didn't seem to have suffered any damage to his divine sense, yet his words were utterly nonsensical. What did he mean by "the Dao Court belongs to our Dragon Clan"?
"...Fine."
Tian Qiu wasn't panicked. He was, after all, at Foundation Establishment Perfection! The [Heavenly River Water] he cultivated was, at the very least, a Supreme Fruit Position. Though his combat prowess was diminished due to his damaged Imagery, he still had some skill in divination and karma-tracing. Calculating cause and effect would be child's play.
With that in mind, Tian Qiu immediately performed a divination: [No anomalies detected]
What the hell? They're saying the Dao Court belongs to us dragons, and there are no anomalies? This must be protected by karma manipulation—there's definitely a major conspiracy behind this.
Uneasy, Tian Qiu tried again:
[Really no anomalies.]
Damn it! This is outrageous! I'm at Foundation Establishment Perfection, second only to True Lords! And I can't even divine a simple cause-and-effect chain? I refuse to believe this.
Keep trying!
Resolved, Tian Qiu channeled his magic power, his Divine Abilities manifesting as he sought to trace the karma. Yet the direction of his tracing seemed... off.
'Why is it leading upward?'
Tian Qiu looked up and saw that the sky, which should have been devoid of stars, now bore a single flickering light—like a candle flame—gazing down at him like an eye.
[Heavenly Fire Above]?
Oh no!
His expression changed drastically, but no matter how fast his reaction, it couldn't match the speed of a Fruit Position's retaliation. A burst of Heavenly Fire instantly ignited upon him, spreading across his body in moments.
Only after a long while did Tian Qiu manage to extinguish the flames. Though not fatal, he was left covered in soot, his treasured robes reduced to tatters, and his face completely blackened. Yet his eyes shone with exhilaration:
'Fruit Position favor! It's Fruit Position favor!'
As the Crown Prince of the True Dragon Clan, Tian Qiu was no fool. He instantly understood that this phenomenon occurred because he had touched upon a taboo.
'To provoke a counterattack from [Heavenly Fire Above], I must have divined someone favored by it.'
'And in the current world, only Du Huan cultivates [Heavenly Fire Above].'
'But to receive such overwhelming favor from [Heavenly Fire Above], one must perfectly embody its Imagery... So, the Dao Court really does belong to our Dragon Clan now?'
At this realization, Tian Qiu's eyes widened, speechless for a long while.
Even though his rationality had already pieced together the logic and arrived at the obvious conclusion, his emotions still struggled to accept it.
How was this possible?
The next moment, Tian Qiu snapped back to his senses: Screw how it happened—what mattered was that Du Huan had done it! Both he and the Dragon Clan were saved!
"What are you all standing around for?"
With this thought, Tian Qiu sharply turned to the other True Dragons and barked, "Pack your things. Now. Immediately. The entire clan is coming with me to Jiangdong."
"To Jiangdong?"
Beside him, Sui Ling asked curiously, "To see Du Huan?"
"Watch your words!"
Tian Qiu's voice abruptly rose, his gaze stern as he looked at Sui Ling. "Everyone, adjust your attitudes—what we're about to meet is His Majesty!"