"Who is he?"
Staring at the Dharma manifestation entwined by the golden dragon, Long Qing turned to Long Jun and asked.
Long Jun gazed at the golden dragon Dharma manifestation, his expression complex. After a long pause, he finally spoke, "He was the previous you, an ancestor of yours. Like you, he was a remnant of the Long Clan. I traversed time to aid him, but he ultimately failed. However, he left behind his bloodline for the Long Clan, which, in a way, preserved a sliver of hope."
Long Qing had never expected that Long Jun had once sought out other ancestors before him. It turned out he was not the most special one after all.
"Can you tell me his story?" Long Qing asked. Each time he condensed a Dharma manifestation, he felt the urge to understand the life of the person it represented.
Though Long Jun had lived in a distant past, he could see the entirety of his descendants' lives. This time was no exception—he did not withhold anything and began recounting the life of this Long Clan descendant.
Long Mang was born without parents, with not even a single servant of the clan left to protect him. He was abandoned in a vast world and raised by a sect of cultivators.
His early years were relatively peaceful until he awakened the bloodline of the Long Clan, drawing the attention of the War Court.
His master was obliterated, his wife and children slaughtered, his fellow disciples massacred. Had Long Jun not intervened in time, the Long Clan's bloodline would have perished with Long Mang's generation.
After saving Long Mang, Long Jun began to pass down the secret arts of the Long Clan. During his cultivation, Long Mang developed his own understanding of the Heavenly Dragon Reincarnation Divine Aspect.
The golden dragon that appeared in Long Mang's Dharma manifestation was not just a mere projection but a manifestation of his will, enabling him to remain focused and empowered in battle.
Long Mang had once given Long Jun endless hope. But in the end, Long Mang still fell at the hands of the Annihilation God Emperor, and his grandson was later seized and possessed by the same being.
"The Annihilation God Emperor… again! What is his connection to the War Court? Why does he always seek to seize control of us?" Long Qing's voice seethed with fury, his eyes filled with killing intent.
Long Jun replied, "He has no direct ties to the War Court, but he covets the innate talent of the Long Clan's bloodline. Perhaps he has already reached his own limits and can no longer ascend to greater heights."
Taking a deep breath, Long Qing clenched his fists tightly. "I only hope that in this lifetime, I will have the chance to personally end him!"
Long Jun fell silent and did not respond further.
Afterward, Long Qing closed his eyes and continued cultivating the Heavenly Dragon Reincarnation Divine Aspect.
Ever since the descent of the Supreme Demon Realm, he had felt an overwhelming sense of crisis. He relinquished his authority over the Tai Xuan Sect and focused entirely on comprehending the Heavenly Dragon Reincarnation Divine Aspect.
Hearing Long Mang's story only strengthened his resolve.
He was determined to master the Heavenly Dragon Reincarnation Divine Aspect. He would annihilate the War Court. He would slay the Annihilation God Emperor. He would bring an end to the karma that had entangled the Long Clan for countless years!
Far away, in the Mountain God Temple, Gu An listened to Long Mang's tale in silence. Once the story was finished, he rose to his feet, gave a brief word to Xuanmiao Zhenren, and vanished from the eaves of the temple.
Afterward, Gu An spent half a day on Xunxian Island before leisurely returning to the Wushi Dao Field.
With demons and monsters wreaking havoc, the atmosphere on Xunxian Island had become more tense than ever. The number of guards had doubled, standing vigilant against the threat of an impending demonic assault.
Gu An strolled through the forest as if taking a casual walk, but in reality, he was deducing the fate of the heavens and earth.
The time for his final battle against the Heavenly Spirit God was drawing ever closer.
Once the Supreme Demon Realm lured out the Dao Fruit of Heaven and Earth, the millennium-long era of transition would come to an end.
If Gu An did not act, the vast world of the Heavenly Spirit would be reduced to ashes.
No matter how many powerful cultivators there were, no matter how prodigious the talents of the young geniuses, none of it mattered before the Heavenly Spirit God.
Gu An glanced at his status panel—his lifespan had already reached more than eighty-six billion years. He was more than ready.
Compared to the Heavenly Spirit God, what intrigued Gu An more was the whereabouts of the being that had originally created the Heavenly Spirit Grand World.
Ever since the descent of the Supreme Demon Realm, the Heavenly Spirit Grand World's Heavenly Dao fortune had been dissipating, replaced by a vague and ethereal force. It felt like the fortune of heaven and earth, yet it also carried a vitality unique to living beings.
The Heavenly Dao Golden Core and the Dao Fruit of Heaven and Earth were still present, proving that the creator of the Heavenly Spirit Grand World had not completely perished. He was merely waiting for the right time to be reborn.
That layer of Heavenly Dao light that enveloped the Heavenly Spirit Grand World—was it a form of protection, or was it a shackle? The answer would soon be revealed.
…
Late at night, demonic clouds blanketed the sky, leaving not a single star visible to the creatures of the land.
In a valley surrounded by towering mountains, Zhu Xi sat cross-legged by the lakeside, gazing at the rippling water in a trance.
Xunxian Daoist approached and sat beside her, adjusting his robes as he took a seat on the ground.
"What's wrong? Are you afraid?" Xunxian Daoist looked at the lake's surface and asked softly.
Zhu Xi replied, "Of course, I am afraid. But if I am faced with the annihilation of heaven and earth, the collapse of the universe, and left with no other choice, then I can only draw my sword against him."
Xunxian Daoist smiled and said, "The world is becoming more chaotic. The War Court, Xuan You, the Supreme Demon Realm, the River of Sword Dao—too many forces are vying for profit. The greater the chaos, the better. He is too arrogant, believing that his abilities are enough to suppress everything within the vast world."
His tone carried a hint of ridicule.
Hearing this, Zhu Xi turned to look at him and asked, "Where exactly is the Dao Fruit of Heaven and Earth hidden? When will it appear?"
She had already done everything within her power to prepare, now she was merely waiting for the Dao Fruit of Heaven and Earth to manifest.
"Its appearance depends on you," Xunxian Daoist said leisurely.
"When this world gives birth to a Profound Origin Free Immortal, the Dao Fruit of Heaven and Earth will emerge. You can step into the Dao Repository Free Immortal Realm at any moment. With the divine abilities I have passed on to you, even if you can only briefly step into the Profound Origin Free Immortal Realm, the Dao Fruit of Heaven and Earth will still reveal itself."
"No matter if it is a great world or a small world, each has its own limit of endurance. This fractured world can only sustain a single Profound Origin Free Immortal."
Zhu Xi furrowed her brows deeply, hesitating.
Xunxian Daoist continued, "Divine Sovereign, do you know who stands at the pinnacle of the Heavenly Dao, the one who commands immortals and gods?"
"Who?"
"Such an existence is known as the Heavenly Emperor. To become the Heavenly Emperor, one must endure 129,600 cycles of the Red Dust Samsara Tribulation. This tribulation is different from what you understand as a normal Samsara Tribulation. No matter how many times you reincarnate, you must become a savior at least once for each cycle to count. And to be a savior, one must wait for times like these."
Zhu Xi's eyes widened in shock.
129,600 cycles of the Red Dust Samsara Tribulation…
She could not even fathom how many lifetimes of hardship that entailed.
Xunxian Daoist spoke in a meaningful tone, "The predicament you face now seems insurmountable, but that lofty Heavenly Emperor had to endure such trials over 129,000 times just to attain enlightenment. Compared to that, your situation is still far from despair. You have people helping you—he did not. Moreover, he had to start as an ordinary mortal and continuously shatter his own destiny. Only by doing so could he command the Heavenly Dao."
"Your fate is unparalleled, and you possess a heart that seeks to become the strongest. But you must understand, on the path to supreme power, you must cut through all obstacles and advance relentlessly."
Zhu Xi took a deep breath, her gaze gradually becoming resolute.
She did not know just how powerful the Heavenly Emperor was, but she understood one thing—before all else, she had to overcome the Heavenly Spirit God.
"Even if I have to die, I must fight, especially when there is no path for retreat," Xunxian Daoist said firmly, as if he were also speaking to himself.