hotmtlnovel Chapter 888 Ancestral Dragon
Chapter 888 Ancestral Dragon
Long Tian seemed to have heard the funniest joke, and suddenly let out a cold laugh that echoed through the empty cave, filled with endless mockery: "You? Do you know the strength of those elders of the Dragon Clan? Even though they are old and frail now, a lean camel is still bigger than a horse. The ancient secret techniques and clan-protecting treasures they hold in their hands could easily crush an ignorant fool like you! Although the Dragon Clan has gradually declined over the past hundred years, it is not something you alone can shake. Stop dreaming!"
"It seems you don't trust me." Long Shishen wasn't annoyed, but simply raised his right hand slowly. With his movement, a soft jade-colored halo bloomed from his palm, and a long sword appeared out of thin air between his fingers—the blade was long and narrow like autumn water, shimmering with a faint jade-colored light. The back of the blade was carved with lifelike dragon scale patterns, each scale seemingly undulating slightly as if breathing. A pearl the size of a pigeon's egg was inlaid at the hilt, emitting a warm and lustrous light. Just by placing it there, it exuded a dragon's might that looked down upon all things, clearly not an ordinary item.
Long Jiao stared blankly, her small face full of confusion, clearly not recognizing the origin of this sword. But Long Tian's pupils suddenly contracted, as if stung by something, and he exclaimed in a trembling voice, "This...this is actually the Dragon Clan's supreme treasure, the Jade Scale Dragon Shadow Blade!"
His voice was filled with shock, and his body trembled slightly—this sword was a treasure of the Dragon Clan, lost for hundreds of years. Legend had it that it could draw upon the dragon energy of heaven and earth, making it as easy as taking candy from a baby. Successive clan leaders had considered it an honor to wield it. The clan elders had spent countless resources searching for it, even sending dozens of treasure-hunting teams deep into the Ten Thousand Demon Mountains, but they hadn't found a single trace. They never expected it to appear in the hands of Dragon Godslayer! Just who is this guy…?
Long Shishen leaned against a jade pillar that emanated a chilling, deep blue aura, casually toying with a dragon scale—about the size of a palm, its edges shimmering with fine silver light, its interior swirling with a bottomless, eerie glow, like a pool of ice sealed within for millennia. His gaze fell upon Long Tian, carrying a hunter's scrutiny of his prey, yet also a hint of barely perceptible approval. His voice was deep and resonant, like an ancient bell: "Not bad, the fire in your eyes is fierce enough. You have the spirit of my dragon race, and haven't had your edges smoothed out by the lukewarm waters of the clan."
Long Tian clenched his fist, his knuckles turning white from the force, the veins on the back of his hand throbbing faintly. The pride of the dragon race surged within his blood, making it impossible for him to bow down to this being who called himself a "Jiaolong." He raised his eyes to meet the other's gaze, his pupils burning with wary flames: "Stop beating around the bush. You went to all this trouble to lure me to this godforsaken place, what exactly do you want me to do?"
Long Shishen chuckled, the sound echoing through the empty cave, striking the jagged stone walls and reverberating in layers, carrying an overwhelming pressure that even caused ripples to appear in the stagnant water at the cave floor. "It's simple. I need you and your sister as inside agents. On the day I launch my uprising, you'll provide support within the clan, disrupting their plans. We'll work together from the inside and outside to overturn that stagnant situation. What do you say, are you ready to accept?"
Long Tian seemed to have heard the biggest joke in the world. His brows furrowed into a knot, and he let out a cold snort: "Are you still half asleep? I am a true direct descendant of the Dragon Clan, possessing pure dragon blood, with the blood of my ancestors burning in my veins. You are just a member of the Jiaolong clan, who dares to call yourself a 'dragon' just because you have a little dragon energy. What gives you the right to command the direct descendants of the Dragon Clan? You are not even qualified to talk about 'starting a rebellion'?" In his eyes, although Jiaolong resembled dragons, they were ultimately lacking that original true energy and could not be considered true dragons. At most, they were just illegitimate offspring from a distant branch.
Upon hearing this, Long Shishen's smile vanished abruptly, as if frozen solid by a thawed lake. The next instant, an overwhelming, suffocating aura erupted from his body. The stalactites hanging from the cave ceiling rustled, countless sharp icicles shattered, and dripping water droplets froze into ice particles, raining down in dense frenzy. His body shimmered with light, his once imposing human form gradually fading, replaced by a colossal dragon with a serpentine body covered in seven-colored scales—scales woven with ancient cloud and thunder patterns, each scale seemingly bearing the weight of millennia, radiating a sacred and majestic light within the dark cave. Between the opening and closing of his golden vertical pupils, fragments of starlight flickered within them, seemingly capable of devouring all light in the world.
"Ancestor... Ancestor Dragon?!" Long Tian froze on the spot, his pupils shrinking to pinpoints, almost unable to believe his eyes. The patterns, the aura, the innate, supreme pressure that surpassed all living beings—it was clearly identical to the true form of the Ancestor Dragon recorded in the Dragon Clan's sacred scriptures! The Ancestor Dragon was the progenitor of all origins of the Dragon Clan, existing since the creation of the world, the progenitor who single-handedly created the Dragon Clan's glory. How could it possibly lie dormant in the territory of this Flood Dragon Clan? And even condescend to deal with a junior like himself?
Long Shishen slowly withdrew his aura, the radiance around him faded, and he transformed back into human form. However, at this moment, he had a more imposing presence that looked down upon all living beings, as if he could overturn the world with a wave of his hand: "Well, do you think I'm qualified to negotiate with you now?"
Long Tian's throat bobbed as if a lump of molten lava was stuck there. It took him a long time to find his voice, which trembled with disbelief: "You... since you are the Ancestral Dragon, why don't you return to the Dragon Clan? With your status, as long as you show yourself in the clan, those old guys will definitely grovel on the ground and worship you as their master. Not to mention being given important positions, the entire Dragon Clan's military power and clan rules will obey your orders! Why... why condescend to this place?"
Dragon Godslayer shook his head, a faint sneer playing on his lips, like a crack in ice: "The Dragon Clan is ruined. A bunch of good-for-nothings, clinging to their ancestors' legacy and sponging off their elders. They fight amongst themselves fiercely, ready to tear each other apart for a piece of land, yet they cower before the outside world. Even a wild fox that has become a spirit dares to run rampant on our territory. If it weren't for my secret protection all these years, we would have been devoured by other races long ago, leaving not even bone fragments. Only I can cleave those rotten roots, allowing the Dragon Clan to return to its peak, and making all living beings tremble at the sound of the dragon's roar once more."
Long Tian fell silent. The Ancestral Dragon's words struck him like a hammer blow, making his eardrums ring. He was well aware of the clan's problems. Those old fogies, under the guise of "maintaining stability," extinguished any spark of reform in its cradle, and the younger generation's spirit had long been worn away. But he was powerless to change anything. He took a deep breath, as if a huge rock was pressing on his chest: "This matter is too great; it concerns the fate of the entire Dragon Clan. I cannot act on my own. I need to discuss it properly with my sister, Long Jiao, is that alright?"
Long Shishen nodded, his golden pupils calm and undisturbed: "Alright. I'll give you one night to think it over and then come back to me. Remember, if you miss this opportunity, the Dragon Clan will truly be doomed." With that, he closed his eyes, as if entering a meditative state, yet his aura remained as deep and unfathomable as the ocean, pressing heavily on the cave, making everyone hesitant to make a move.