The Ren Chong Sword Qi had not even been unleashed, yet it achieved the same effect as if it had. That was the true essence of Jing Qian's nuclear deterrence.
The old Kunpeng had fled in terror at the mere hint of that sword's power, saving Jing Qian the precious energy it would have cost to strike. And with the creature gone, the situation across the Vast Sea was finally pacified.
With no great demons left to interfere, Yuhua Sect's suppression of Ao Zhen proceeded smoothly.
Master Tianhe, the Celestial Crane, transformed back into human form and came to Jing Qian, bowing deeply.
"My thanks, Dao Child, for your timely aid!
With this dragon seed subdued, my Yuhua Sect should be able to hold the balance of the situation."
Jing Qian returned the bow slightly, his tone calm and measured.
"Since I invited you all here to lend your strength, naturally, I would not allow you to suffer loss on my account.
Go tend to your matters first. I will visit Yuhua Sect myself another day."
With that, his figure flickered and vanished once more.
For now, his strength was still slightly lacking, and facing the Five Elements Heavenly Phoenix, who bore a mid-grade divine title, would still be beyond him. But once he advanced further, he fully intended to seek that Phoenix out for a proper sparring match.
When Jing Qian returned to the Vast Sea Dragon Palace, the place was utterly transformed. The massive sword scar that had once marred its grand façade was gone, and the palace gleamed as if newly rebuilt, resplendent and renewed.
Within one day, Ao Run had succeeded in fully suppressing the powerful second-rank Spirit Construct of the Dragon Palace. And while Ao Zhen lay under complete restraint, she had used the palace's power to subdue the third-rank Dragon-Attracting Pillar as well.
Once she fused both Spirit Constructs perfectly with her own Dharma Aspect, her Sub-Spirit Realm would be perfected, paving the way for her ascension.
Her fate had been completely rewritten.
She turned to Jing Qian with a radiant smile.
"My thanks to you, Daoist Chixiao, for helping me achieve my Dao.
I have now fully suppressed the key Spirit Construct and won the struggle for the Dragon Heir's seat.
All that remains is to present myself to the Western Máng Dragon Heaven and receive the decree from the source of our bloodline, the Heavenly Dragon Plain.
Once I am officially enfeoffed there, I shall inherit the title of Dragon Emperor of the Ying Futuo Realm and take full command of the Vast Sea."
"Now that my brothers and rivals have been cleared away, I would ask that Daoist Chixiao remain to witness my investiture ceremony.
With each generation of Dragon Emperor, aside from the Ying Clan, only one other Daoist friend may be invited to attend the rite.
It is a matter of fate, I hope you will not refuse me."
Jing Qian's eyes lit with curiosity and faint excitement.
"If such fortune is offered, how could I possibly decline?"
Ao Run nodded in satisfaction, then sent out a surge of mana to activate the Dragon Palace.
A strange pulse of power burst forth a message launched from within the Ying Futuo Realm, shooting toward the boundless western heavens.
Then she continued her spellwork.
The Vast Sea Dragon Palace began to rise from the ocean floor, breaking through the surface, ascending higher and higher until it breached the world membrane itself.
Standing beside her, Jing Qian watched in wonder and asked with interest:
"Daoist Ao, that Western Máng Dragon Heaven must be incredibly far from this realm.
And besides, you are a dragon of the Northern Heaven; must you even receive investiture from the western branch?"
Ao Run nodded calmly.
"The Heavenly Dragon Plain is the ancestral source of all dragon bloodlines, the seat of the Dragon Clan's twin progenitors.
Across all the heavens and worlds, every Dragon Emperor, even those of the Wuji Celestial Empire, under the exalted Empress E Gao, who governs her own seas, must receive investiture from the Heavenly Dragon Plain.
Only with their decree does a Dragon Emperor's rule stand unshakable.
Unless I fall in battle, no one will be able to challenge my throne."
Jing Qian was genuinely astonished. The Heavenly Dragon Plain's authority and reach were far greater than he had imagined.
He asked:
"What kind of power do they wield to command so many Dragon Emperors across realms?
The Empress E Gao is herself a first-rank cultivator, the founder of the Celestial Officer system. Would she really tolerate another power overseeing her territories?"
Ao Run explained patiently:
"The Heavenly Dragon Plain was founded by the two supreme progenitors of dragonkind, the Heavenly Ancestral Dragon and the Eternal Dragon Mother.
Both are first-rank beings of unimaginable cultivation, and in harmony as husband and wife.
With the two of them presiding, the Dragon Plain stands among the most powerful forces in existence."
"But authority is not its only strength.
Our dragon race has an innate gift for governing waterways and purifying the seas.
When dragons oversee a realm's oceans, the world's own vitality grows stronger in turn.
Through the Heavenly Dragon Plain's decrees, a Dragon Emperor's bond with their world doubles, and that benefits the realm itself.
This mutual profit is the true reason why the heavens and myriad worlds continue to welcome the Heavenly Dragon Plain's authority."
"Moreover, after countless ages, the Dragon Emperors of each realm have long become entwined with their domains.
Their bloodlines and offspring are bound to the realm's very essence, inseparable."
"Thus, no one would dare or care to interfere with the Heavenly Dragon Plain's succession.
The two Ancestral Dragons are wealthy beyond measure, rulers of the Four Seas, and ordinary realms hold little of interest to them.
No one in the heavens regards the Dragon Plain as a threat."
Jing Qian nodded thoughtfully. His understanding of this cultivation world deepened; the influence of a first-rank cultivator was like the hidden mass of an iceberg, immense even when only a fraction was visible. He could only look up in awe.
As the Vast Sea Dragon Palace rose skyward, the entire Ying Futuo Realm took notice. Every great sect and power learned that a new Dragon Emperor was about to be crowned, and countless eyes turned toward the ceremony.
Yet only one faction held the right to attend in person.
From the heart of the Divine Dynasty, a streak of divine radiance soared forth. Emperor Ying Kun, current Human Sovereign, arrived in his jade chariot with Ying Hao at his side.
When the imperial chariot came to rest before the Dragon Palace gates, Ying Hao projected his voice:
"Greetings to the Dragon Emperor and the Dao Child.
Upon learning that the Dragon Emperor is to receive investiture from the Heavenly Dragon Plain, the Ying Clan has come to witness the ceremony and offer our congratulations."
Ao Run raised her hand; the massive gates of the palace swung open to welcome the Human Emperor and his nephew.
Jing Qian exchanged formal courtesies with them. Ying Hao, however, kept staring at him oddly. Perched on his shoulder, the tiny Flame Demon Luo, now no bigger than a thumb, was grinning like a fox that had stolen a hen's egg.
Jing Qian ignored his old acquaintance and quietly turned his attention back to Ao Run.
She had already sent word of her ascension to the Heavenly Dragon Plain. Though the distance between worlds was vast, a reply should soon come.
Then, beyond the world's membrane, in the empty void above, rain began to fall in a torrential, silvery downpour that enveloped only the Vast Sea Dragon Palace.
Within each drop pulsed an ethereal, weighty spiritual power, guiding the rain into the pattern of a vast divine formation.
Ao Run stepped forward, pricked her finger, and let a single bead of pure dragon blood fall into the formation.
The moment it struck, the array came alive. A wondrous resonance spread outward, touching all four who stood there.
Jing Qian suddenly felt his consciousness soar upward, carried into a grand illusion of the Great Dao. Before his inner sight rose the Mountain of Immortal Qi, and he found himself climbing toward its radiant peak.
The investiture of the Dragon Emperor was taking place upon the Mountain of Immortal Qi itself!
Those invited to witness such a rite could, through the dragon clan's magic, momentarily ascend the immortal mountain, a chance so rare it was itself a profound Daoic blessing.
It was Jing Qian's first time stepping upon the mountain with full awareness. Every stone and blade of grass shimmered with the essence of the Great Dao, each carrying the eternal resonance of some ancient sage.
Leaving one's mark upon this mountain was the essential step toward advancing to the second rank. Everything here might once have been shaped by those striving for that realm.
Yet only those who erected a complete Fate Stele, a tablet inscribed with the fullness of one's cosmic fate, could truly transcend into that rank.
Guided by the dragon formation, Jing Qian advanced up the sacred path. Along the way, he glimpsed shadowed Monuments of Fate, each wrapped in protective power, the true emblems of second-rank mighty ones.
With his current seventh-rank cultivation, he could barely perceive their outlines.
Just as he wondered where the formation would take him, a majestic dragon palace loomed ahead.
Three characters blazed above its gate: Heavenly Dragon Palace.
Jing Qian froze in awe. So this was the legacy of a first-rank Ancestral Dragon!
Where second-rank cultivators struggled to carve a few lines upon their monuments, the first rank could manifest entire palaces upon the Immortal Mountain!
Their spiritual incarnations arrived at the Heavenly Dragon Palace's gates. A side door opened, and a youthful attendant emerged, as if long prepared.
Holding a decree, the boy recited in a clear voice:
"The dragon child Ao Run, of noble lineage and heavy destiny, is hereby granted the title Dragon Emperor of the Ying Futuo Realm.
Bestowed with the mid-grade title of Vast Sea Dragon Emperor, her reign shall be hereditary, unbroken by death or disaster. Go now, and fulfill thy mandate."
He spoke briskly, impatient even, and waved as though to dismiss them. To him, the Ying Futuo Realm, a modest Mountain Realm of little substance, held no value worth politeness. He did not even invite them inside the palace.
But then, by some whim, he glanced toward Jing Qian and paused. His eyes lit with surprise.
"Hm? And who might you be, Daoist friend?"
"I am Ao Bao, the Heavenly Dragon Child, direct son of the Ancestral Dragon and attendant of the Heavenly Dragon Plain.
Never did I expect a Dao Child to attend such a ceremony. My apologies for not welcoming you sooner."
Lowering his gaze to the scroll, he turned it slightly and added with interest:
"Ah, from the Northern Heaven the Ying Futuo Realm… so you are the Pure Yang Heaven's Dao Child, the Pure Yang Son?"
Jing Qian remained composed and nodded.
"Indeed. I am Chixiao of Pure Yang Heaven, at your service, Dragon Child."
Ao Bao smiled warmly.
"An honor indeed!
I usually preside only over investitures below the Tree Realm rank. It's rare to meet a Dao Child while on duty.
Please, Daoist Chixiao, allow me to open the main gate in welcome."
With a sweeping motion, the vast doors of the Heavenly Dragon Palace swung wide.
Jing Qian accepted the gesture with calm dignity, following the Heavenly Dragon Child's lead inside. He regarded this not as a mere ceremony, but as a priceless chance to broaden his understanding of the Dao.
The Ying clan's uncle and nephew moved to follow, but Ao Bao raised a hand, halting them.
"You two shall wait outside.
This is the heart of the Mountain of Immortal Qi; perhaps try cultivating here; you may gain something unexpected.
As for you, Ao Run, fortune smiles upon you today. Come in."
The Ying pair exchanged uneasy glances but dared not argue. They remained where they were, settling cross-legged before the Heavenly Dragon Palace to meditate.
Only now, standing before the immense power of the Heavenly Dragon Plain, did they truly grasp the gulf separating their Ying Clan from the descendant lineages of the Dao Patriarchs, Pure Yang Heaven, and Yanfu Path.
Inside the palace, Jing Qian immediately felt the immersion of pure immortal energy washing through his spiritual form, nourishing his divine consciousness.
It was an immense boon to his cultivation; even a brief stay here would undoubtedly deepen his mastery of the Sea of Primordial Qi.
The Heavenly Dragon Child, born and raised within this essence, is truly bathed in immortality itself.
Leading him to a grand sparring arena, Ao Bao turned and spoke frankly:
"The investiture ceremony is brief; even if I prolong it, it will last no more than a quarter-hour.
So I will speak plainly.
We, the Heavenly Dragon Children, remain here upon the Mountain of Immortal Qi, tempering our foundations.
Until we reach the second rank, the Dragon Mother forbids us to descend.
Apart from conducting these investitures, we see almost no outsiders and never the heirs of other Dao Patriarchs.
Lacking peers to cross blades with, when we finally descend, we find ourselves bested by every Dao Child we meet."
"Our Dragon Mother dotes upon us; she cares only that we live, never how shamefully we lose.
Since fate allows me to meet you today, Pure Yang Son, I would shamelessly ask for a friendly duel.
What say you, Daoist Chixiao?"
Jing Qian looked at the youth before him, rosy-lipped, bright-eyed, pure as snow, radiating the sheltered innocence of someone who had never once been punched in the face by reality.
And for some reason, his palms began to itch.
Badly.
He really wanted to slap that pretty mouth twice, just to be sure.
The boy's bloodline was unimaginably pure.
He lived bathed in the Immortal Qi of the Mountain of Immortal Essence, his body nourished daily by celestial energy.
He could cultivate all the way to the second rank without the slightest risk of failure.
With the Heavenly Dragon Palace guarding his Destiny Monument, he was practically immortal, destined to exist eternally.
For someone like Jing Qian, a fellow heir of a Dao Patriarch, this pampered existence was infuriating.
The contrast made him feel like a peasant plow-hand from the backwater plains, and that only made the itch in his hands worse.
So when a chance arose to beat this pampered dragon brat bloody, how could he possibly say no?
If he won, he'd get to vent all his pent-up irritation by pounding that smug dragon head into the floor.
If he lost well, at least he'd finally get to witness what a true Dao Patriarch's heir could do.
Either way, it was a win.
Truth be told, the Heavenly Dragon Child was a shut-in who'd never met another Dao scion before, but then again, had Jing Qian?
In the Ying Futuo Realm, both Pure Yang Heaven and Yanfu Path had fallen on hard times; the realm had produced only one Dao Child, him.
His legendary dominance there, "slaying gods, smashing Buddhas, sweeping all before him," was, when put bluntly, no different from punching the elderly and kicking toddlers.
Not a single proper high-level opponent to temper his edge.
A tragedy for any cultivator seeking true growth.
Thus, when the Heavenly Dragon Child requested a sparring match, Jing Qian's heart sang, though his face remained composed.
He'd dealt with rich heirs before.
If a pampered aristocrat wanted something, you never agreed too quickly, not before squeezing a little profit out of them first.
So he smiled and said,
"Since the Heavenly Dragon Child is so polite, how could I refuse?
But your cultivation is a whole rank above mine if you wish to spar; shouldn't there be a little wager?"
The boy tilted his head, thoughtful.
"You're right. It wouldn't be fair to ask for your effort without showing some sincerity."
He reached into his robes and produced two crimson crystals, their light pulsing with unimaginable depth.
"I've nothing else at hand, only these gifts from my Dragon Mother, two portions of 'Tuoyuan Bone-Nurturing Miriwave Immortal Qi'.
Each one exceeds 2,500 layers of refinement, top-grade Immortal Qi."
"If Daoist Chixiao defeats me, both are yours.
If you can't, you'll still get one as payment for the trouble.
How does that sound?"
Jing Qian nearly burst out laughing.
Rich boy spending his mother's money!
What was daily nutrition for the Heavenly Dragon Child was, for a back-country cultivator like Jing Qian, an unthinkable treasure beyond all price.
To hesitate even a heartbeat would be an insult to his own Dao.
The Shadow Sword in his hand flared to life as he said eagerly,
"Now that's the kind of generosity I respect!
I'll take the job and I'll give it everything I've got!"
He had no idea what such treasures were truly worth; his "provincial mindset" simply couldn't grasp it.
All he knew was that he'd just found himself a new sugar daddy on the rankings.
The Heavenly Dragon Child's eyes brightened.
"Excellent! My thanks, Daoist Chixiao!"
With a wave of his hand, he released a surge of mana, and the sparring arena around them rose within a shimmering light barrier, enclosing the two combatants.
Ao Run stood to the side, watching with keen interest.
The Heavenly Dragon Child said with a smile,
"Daoist, the environment of this Mountain is unique.
Ordinary Immortal Qi cannot exist here for long; only my mother's essence can sustain our duel."
"Within this arena, our techniques, divine arts, and even our Dharma Manifestations and Spirit Constructs can manifest freely, unrestricted, as though we were fighting in the real world."
The Heavenly Dragon Child spoke as he raised his hand, and a magnificent silver armor shimmered into being around him.
The armor was exquisite silver scales interwoven with golden threads, covering him from head to toe without the slightest gap.
"Daoist Chixiao," he said with a courteous smile, "my cultivation is one rank above yours, so I shall let you strike first.
This armor, the Silver-Scaled Breastplate, is woven from my mother's own scales and stitched with the whiskers of the Ancestral Dragon.
It is a first-rank Spirit Construct.
Please, do not hold back the attack with all your strength."
As he spoke, the Heavenly Dragon Child poured his mana into the armor, activating it fully.
Before Jing Qian, it was as though a tower of dragon scales and silver light had risen as an impregnable fortress incarnate.
Armor forged from the bodies of two first-rank Ancestral Dragons, serving as one's personal Spirit Construct, this level of extravagance was almost obscene.
Jing Qian didn't want to admit it, but his heart cracked a little.
They were both heirs of Dao Patriarchs, and yet the difference between them was like that between a humble scholar from a small town and a prince born with a golden spoon. One clawed his way upward through sweat and pain, while the other had everything from birth.
The injustice of it all made Jing Qian's blood boil.
A fierce fighting spirit surged up inside him.
The Shadow Sword in his hand trembled in tune with his pulse, eager to cut, to test, to kill.
He didn't waste another word.
With a flick of his wrist, he swung his sword down with full force.
Clang!
A deafening metallic crash split the air, ringing in the ears.
Even after Jing Qian unleashed his strongest blow, one that consumed an entire Flesh-Budding Seed, the sword failed to leave even a scratch on that shining armor.
Undeterred, he struck again, and again, each slash faster than thunder, his blade singing like a rainstorm against metal.
But the Heavenly Dragon Child didn't so much as flinch.
He even dared to talk through the onslaught.
"Come now, Daoist, put your back into it! Use your trump cards, whatever you have.
If this is all your sword can manage, you'll never pierce my armor."
Then he reached into his spiritual sea and drew forth a great dragon-tooth spear, raising it level, its tip gleaming coldly.
Jing Qian, circling him in a streak of light, suddenly felt an uncanny sensation, though the spear wasn't pointed at him; instinct screamed that there was no escape from that strike.
"This spear," said the Dragon Child proudly, "is called the Dragon's Spine. Its tip was forged from my father's fangs, its shaft carved from his own spine.
It, too, is a first-rank Spirit Construct.
If you fail to break my armor, I'll repay you with one thrust of this spear, and we'll see whether you can withstand it."
"Both of these treasures were gifts from my Dragon Mother, high enough in rank to be worthy of a Dao Child.
But alas, my talent is lacking. I've yet to perfectly merge them with my Dharma Aspect, and so I've been stuck at the Sub-Spirit Realm for years."
"Come, Daoist! Strike harder.
If you can break this armor, the feedback may help me advance my attunement with it."
"I'll give you half an incense's time.
If by then you still haven't slain me, it'll be my turn."
His words only made Jing Qian's grin widen.
He no longer cared for the dragon's taunting.
At this point, the Heavenly Dragon Child was nothing more than a training dummy, a solid, nearly indestructible one perfect for testing the limits of his own swordsmanship.
Sword after sword fell, the air ringing with the deafening rhythm of steel and spirit.
Finally, Jing Qian's figure flashed, and he appeared directly above his opponent, both hands gripping his black jade longsword.
He brought it down in a single, devastating arc.
BOOM!
A thunderous impact shook the entire arena.
A muffled grunt followed.
The Pure Yang Sword Embryo may not have been fully refined, but its material, forged from the depths of the Sumeru Realm, was in no way inferior to Ancestral Dragon scales.
Moreover, it was bound together with the Pure Yang Sword Embryo, two first-rank weapons fused into one.
Since obtaining it, Jing Qian had yet to meet a foe or barrier it could not cut.
Even this mighty dragon armor could not escape unscathed; its surface warped under the impact, dented and misshapen.
Though unbroken, the force reverberated through it like a hammer through a drum.
The Heavenly Dragon Child's face contorted in pain, and a vivid purple bruise bloomed from his left eye down his cheek.
He had actually been hurt.
Panic flickered in his eyes as he channeled all his mana into the armor, layering an extra shield of spiritual energy atop it.
But Jing Qian's assault was relentless.
His sword strikes fell like torrential rain, each blow bending the armor further, ringing with violence.
The once-pristine dragon child now looked like a punching bag nailed to the wall, the kind of luxury sandbag you only find in a celestial gym.
He had utterly underestimated his opponent.
The situation had spun far beyond his imagination.
He couldn't even speak now; if one peeled off the helmet, they'd see a swollen face, lips like sausages, and a few silver dragon teeth scattered on the ground.
Meanwhile, Jing Qian was having the time of his life.
He didn't care that this was the Dragon Child's own palace.
He didn't care about decorum or consequence.
He was finally getting to let loose.
And though he didn't say it aloud, his heart muttered with each strike:
"Go on, keep acting high and mighty, I dare you!"
He'd long since maxed out his output, yet even now, the armor refused to yield.
Victory was out of reach, but beating up a pampered rich kid while earning priceless Immortal Qi?
What was there to complain about?
The Heavenly Dragon Child, on the other hand, was enduring the greatest suffering of his life.
He said nothing, but his eyes blazed with fury, the primal ferocity of a true dragon awakening.
His humanoid form flickered, his true body straining to emerge, ready to tear Jing Qian apart with one bite.
But he had made a promise, and he was nothing if not precise.
He counted down the seconds, waiting for that half-minute mark to end, for his turn to strike.
Only… Jing Qian wasn't about to give him that chance.
As the allotted time neared its end, Jing Qian abruptly ceased his assault and soared high into the air.
He hovered above, both hands raised toward the dragon below, gathering terrifying energy.
Ao Bao frowned, uncertain what he was planning.
He leveled his spear, prepared to counter whatever came next.
Then the sky split open.
A spatial rift unfolded, twisting, writhing, and through it, Jing Qian reached into his Sumeru Realm, grasping the Sword Ring that held the bound Ren Chong Sword Qi.
The next instant, that infinite, world-cleaving sword energy, honed by billions of loops within the Mobius Ring, was unleashed.
The result was cataclysmic.
The first-rank armor and spear held back most of it… But even so, a deep, smoking scar was carved across the silver chestplate.
As for the one behind it, the proud Heavenly Dragon Child, the residual force alone was enough to blast him to dust.
The match was over.
The Pure Yang Son had achieved a flawless victory, triumphing across realms of power.
The Heavenly Dragon Child had gotten exactly what he'd asked for: a "lesson."
A brutal, unforgettable, once-in-a-lifetime lesson.
When the light shield around the arena shattered, both reappeared as they were before, whole, uninjured, their bodies restored by the simulation.
One looked utterly refreshed; the other, utterly humiliated.
The Heavenly Dragon Child forced a smile, his expression stiff.
He tossed the two red, gemlike Immortal Qi Crystals to Jing Qian and said hoarsely:
"Pure Yang Son… you truly are formidable.
I've gained much from this exchange.
But mark my words, when we both ascend to the second rank and meet again in the real world,
I will repay today's humiliation in full!"
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