Chapter 22: The Divine Child’s First Seclusion
Seeing Xiao Chen regain his fighting spirit and confidence, the Azure Dragon Master also nodded in satisfaction.
“That tenacious personality—now that’s truly worthy of someone chosen by the nation’s destiny.”
“By the way, you must cultivate the Qingtian Hualong Jue properly,” the Azure Dragon Master said. “At the same time, I’ve also deduced that in the coming few years, the secret treasury of the Yuan Tian Supreme is likely to appear.”
“Yuan Tian Supreme… does that mean he was a Supreme power?” Xiao Chen’s eyes went wide.
“That’s right. Yuan Tian Supreme was extremely strong, with a domineering disposition. Rumor has it he once seized several ancient dragon bones from an ancestral imperial clan: the Ancestral Dragon Nest,” the Azure Dragon Master explained.
At the mention of ancient dragon bones, even the Azure Dragon Master’s eyes flickered with a hint of fervor.
“Ancestral imperial clan…” Xiao Chen took a deep breath.
So Yuan Tian Supreme really was a domineering figure, daring to provoke even that kind of lineage. Yet Xiao Chen quickly grasped the point and asked, “Is the old ancestor thinking…”
The Azure Dragon Master nodded. “Yes. You need to find one of the Yuan Tian Supreme Tokens, then find a way into his secret treasury to seize those ancient dragon bones.”
“Once you obtain them, your Qingtian Hualong Jue can definitely be cultivated to its pinnacle.”
“And as for me, with just one set of ancient dragon bones, I can reshape my physical body.”
Xiao Chen balled his fists, his eyes brimming with fighting spirit.
“Don’t worry, old ancestor. I’ll definitely enter the Yuan Tian Supreme’s secret treasury and take those ancient dragon bones!”
“And as for Jun Xiaoyao and that bitch Bai Yu’er—you just wait!”
Xiao Chen raised his head and laughed, finally seeing the light of revenge.
At the same time, inside the Jun Family’s Heavenly Emperor Palace…
Achoo!
Jun Xiaoyao touched his nose.
“Someone’s cursing me—Xiao Chen, perhaps?” Jun Xiaoyao murmured.
Following the usual pattern, by now he should have already acquired some lucky chance. He’s probably thinking of how to get revenge on me in the future.
“Xiao Chen, you handed over your dragon aura and fiancée last time, I wonder what you’ll be sending my way next time.” Jun Xiaoyao smiled.
He actually hoped more geniuses like Xiao Chen would come his way. There’s only poorly cared-for weeds, never a farmer who’s too tired to harvest.
“Let’s put the matter of Xiao Chen aside for now. He won’t amount to much in just a few years. I need to prepare for my tenth birthday banquet and break through in seclusion.” Jun Xiaoyao mused.
After all, it would be his first public appearance in front of the many powers of the Immortal Realm. If his performance fell short, that would be quite embarrassing.
When news that Jun Xiaoyao was going into seclusion spread, the entire Jun Family was in an uproar.
“Heavens, the Divine Child is actually starting to cultivate in seclusion?”
“As far as I remember, the Divine Child hasn’t ever gone into seclusion up till now.”
“If his cultivation speed is so fast without seclusion, what will happen once he actually does go into seclusion?”
“The Divine Child might break through to the True Spirit Realm, right?”
Voices of discussion echoed from every direction in the Jun Family. They were curious: for Jun Xiaoyao, who never secluded himself, what heights would his power reach after a year shut away?
Amid that curiosity and anticipation, a year slipped by.
During that year, news began circulating throughout the Desolate Heaven Immortal Realm that the Jun Family intended to hold a tenth birthday banquet for Jun Xiaoyao.
Many factions kept a close eye on this event. After all, that vision of all saints paying homage ten years ago had been far too terrifying. Countless big names and ancient figures wondered what heaven-defying constitution the Jun Family’s mysterious Divine Child possessed.
“The father of that Divine Child is the White-Clad Divine King, a taboo of sorts. Likely the son’s physique won’t be too far off from his father’s.”
“Yes, Jun Wuhui, the White-Clad Divine King—he was reputed to be the one who came closest in the recent past to proving his Emperor’s Dao, even touching upon the realm of immortality. Unfortunately, ten years ago…”
In the void, many ancient powers and old antiques exchanged thoughts. They, too, were driven by curiosity about how this Divine Child—born under the halo of his father’s legacy—would impress the world in his first public appearance.
…
Hong Prefecture was one of the three thousand prefectures in the Desolate Heaven Immortal Realm and lay under the sphere of influence of the Ancestral Dragon Nest. Across the three thousand prefectures, most were under the control of various major powers.
For instance, the Vermilion Bird Ancient Kingdom controlled all of Fire Prefecture. Hong Prefecture was merely one of over fifty prefectures under the Ancestral Dragon Nest.
Indeed, the Ancestral Dragon Nest alone controlled more than fifty prefectures. The Vermilion Bird Ancient Kingdom only occupied one single prefecture. The gap between a first-rate faction and an ancestral imperial clan was therefore quite evident.
But the Jun Family was even more fearsome, possessing over a hundred prefectures, twice as many as the Ancestral Dragon Nest. Their Imperial Prefecture was merely the family’s main base.
At that moment, in a grand city of Hong Prefecture, many humanoid creatures of varied appearance came and went. Some had black horns on their heads, others had wings on their backs, some had scales on their foreheads, and still others had beast-like pupils.
All were members of the myriad ancient races of the Immortal Realm, countless in their variety, with members of the ancestral imperial clans among them as well.
In the territories of certain human ancient families or immortal dynasties, one would find mostly humans, whereas in the territories of ancestral imperial clans or other unusual races, one would see many different species mingling together.
Ordinarily, humans and myriad other races managed to coexist peacefully enough.
On a city street, the attention of many creatures fell upon a woman in a blue dress wearing a hooded cloak. Although most of her face was covered, it was clear she was human, and she possessed a lithe figure. Humans were not unheard of in ancestral imperial lands, but they were certainly rare.
Raising her head slightly, the woman revealed a seductive, charming face. She was none other than Lan Qingya, expelled from the Jun Family.
She gazed at the gilded, resplendent tavern at the end of the road.
“That should be the place. That lord is holding a gathering there, and I’m going to reveal the news about Jun Xiaoyao possessing a human sacred physique.”
“Jun Xiaoyao, Jun Linglong… It’s true that I, Lan Qingya, can’t harm you, but there are others who can!” A bitter hatred flashed through Lan Qingya’s expression.
Ever since she was cast out of the Jun Family, her circumstances had been miserable. After growing used to a life of luxury, she was now forced to travel exposed to the elements, enduring constant hardship.
She had no intention of reflecting on her actions; instead, she blamed all of her troubles on Jun Xiaoyao and Jun Linglong.
On the top floor of that lavish tavern, a group of creatures was gathering. Some had wings on their backs, some had scales on their skin, and some were built like bears or tigers. Yet all of them clustered about one young man as though he were the center of the universe.
He wore luxurious golden robes, his features exuding arrogance and wildness, with two dragon horns jutting from his head. His eyes glimmered like twin stars, shining with a piercing chill, and faint golden dragon scales appeared and vanished beneath his skin. His overall aura was daunting to behold.
He was none other than one of the current generation’s outstanding talents in the Ancestral Dragon Nest, one of its Dragon Scions—Long Haotian. His older brother was that taboo first descendant of the Ancestral Dragon Nest, blessed with Emperor Dragon blood: Long Aotian!