Destiny is ashes

Chapter 1073 The Vortex of Time, Dragon Clan Treasure Vault (6200)

"This scene... hey, these Celestial Venerables aren't stupid."

At this moment, even An Jing's lips curled up slightly, and he smiled.

Although the current plot is somewhat like the soldier king novels he loved to read in his previous life, where the protagonist can always get someone to back him up at crucial moments and then smirk, he has to admit that Fu Xie's establishment of authority is really satisfying!
Although Fu Xie has not yet recovered his Dao Integration strength, not even that of a Heavenly Venerable, we cannot judge things solely by strength—his identity is what it is. He is the former Dao Integration comrade (broken version) of the Ancestral Dragon Saint Venerable who just manifested a miracle. Who would dare not give him face?
Furthermore, considering that Fu Xie was very likely the Heavenly Sword that severed the aspect of Huai Xu Heavenly Dao that had been corrupted by the Heavenly Demon, all the Heavenly Venerables were well aware that their survival was most likely due to that sword strike from Fu Xie in the past. Others might not know, but the Heavenly Venerables who knew these things to some extent certainly respected Fu Xie immensely and were indebted to him in some way.

At least outwardly they will show respect.

As for why it wasn't valued much before, it's actually the same as the Ancestral Dragon Scale—there are many fragments of the Demon Subduer, most of which are meaningless and are just simple fragments.

The will of Fu Xie has been spreading and circulating in infinite parallel time and space. None of the Heavenly Venerables know whether they will encounter it or not. Even if they do, it may not necessarily be the Heavenly Sword Fu Xie. So there is no need to care too much.

Moreover, these fragments are useless.

If one intends to devour and refine it, one is likely to be corrupted by the Heavenly Demon Subduing Evil, which would be a greater loss than gain. And judging from the fate of the previous leader of the Divine One Cult, everyone has given up on this idea.

So before, although Anjing's identity as the master of the Fuxie Sword was important, that was all; no one knew what the relationship between Anjing and Fuxie really was.

But now, the phantom of the Ancestral Dragon Saint has reappeared, and the will of the Heavenly Sword Subduing Evil has also returned to clarity.

Things have changed completely.

[The sword of heaven that once withstood the demonic calamity...]

The Heavenly Dao possesses boundless power, yet it cannot fully unleash it. It can only forge swords to wield the power of killing. The Heavenly Sword Subduing Evil is the strongest Heavenly Sword in Huai Xu's history.

Although it is shattered now, the Heavenly Dao previously used the power of the Heavenly Sword to annihilate the Bitter Desolation Tribulation in the Northern Profound Sacrifice Continent... Oh well, anyway, if there is any opportunity, it has nothing to do with me, so why bother going against the Heavenly Emperor?

[Hmph, it's not my continent's destiny anyway, let the Great Chen of the Northern Profound Sacrifice Continent worry about it!]

Immediately after the audience, the lights of the numerous non-Heavenly Sect Celestial Venerable Dao Soldiers dispersed and did not linger.

Those who remained around the Ancestral Dragon Hall were the 'Heavenly Venerable of the Heavenly Sect,' who had even greater influence and higher status.

However, the number of Heavenly Venerables who came was not the same as the number of those who gathered in the ten days.

The Heavenly Venerable of the Heavenly Sect, who had previously offered some vague assistance to the Blood Sea Demon Sect, did not come.

The Great Chen Dynasty, the Refining True Path, and even the Heavenly Venerable of the Heavenly Mother Palace have not shown up. A trace of doubt flashed through An Jing's mind.

"So the Heavenly Mother Palace also supports the Blood Sea Demonic Cult?"

An Jing wasn't surprised when this thought crossed his mind—the Heavenly Mother Palace had suppressed the first Blood Sea Heavenly Venerable in the past, and must have also controlled this 'defeated underling'.

The relationship between the two sides is definitely not that simple. They are by no means ordinary mortal enemies. In fact, it is very likely similar to that between the Shangxuan Sect and the Tianyi Demonic Sect. Although they are enemies, they can definitely cooperate and have common ground on certain matters.

Just then, a pure and holy light approached; it was none other than the leader of the Shangxuan Sect, Daoist Qingdu.

He bowed in the direction of the Ancestral Dragon Hall, about to inquire about the details within the realm.

However, three majestic dragon shadows blocked his way.

Now, in ancient times, and during the rise of the dynasty, the three dragon gods, their bodies radiating divine light, were polite in their manner but their tone kept everyone at a distance: "Fellow Daoist Qingdu, we will inform the Ten Continents of what happened inside the palace later."

Having said this, the Dragon God surveyed the surrounding Celestial Venerables and said in a deep voice: "[You have all come from afar to jointly withstand this great calamity. It must be arduous for you. Please take your leave for now and rest for a few days. We will inform you of the situation inside and outside the Zhaolin Realm after we have sorted out the details.]"

Of the four seasons of dragon gods, Qingdu Daoren was most familiar with the Death Dragon God. However, the Death Dragon God had been entangled and knotted by the other three dragon gods and left aside. At this moment, his attitude was quite calm. He smiled when he saw Qingdu, which made this Heavenly Venerable, who should have been one of the strongest in Huaixu in this world, feel dizzy.

—Although I did intend to wait until something really serious happened before taking action... I never expected that you would actually collude with the Blood Sea Demonic Cult and trigger a great calamity!

That being said, although Qingdu knew he was truly innocent and at most would just stand by and watch without taking any action, it was too late to say anything now. The reputation of the Shangxuan Sect was so tarnished that it was impossible to wash it clean. He even began to suspect that the radical faction within the Shangxuan Sect and Wang Shi had conspired together to do it.

But things have come to this point, and the attitude of the former allies has become so distant that even if Qingdu had a thousand words in his heart, he could not say a single one.

He looked at An Jing and Fu Xie standing in front of the palace gate. The old Taoist sighed, cupped his hands in a gesture of thanks to An Jing for awakening the Ancestral Dragon Saint Venerable, and then turned into a stream of light and disappeared along with the other Heavenly Venerables of the Heavenly Sect.

After all the outsiders had left, the Dragon God turned to An Jing, his expression incredibly complex, ultimately transforming into deep gratitude and respect: "Young friend An Jing, if it weren't for you this time, we..."

He paused, then bowed deeply with utmost solemnity: "You are not only the victor, but also the benefactor who helped restore the Holy Lord's will. Such a great favor will be forever etched in the memory of our Dragon Clan."

【Alright then, the treasure trove of my dragon clan is open to you; its contents are yours to choose from!】

"Then I won't be polite."

An Jing laughed heartily and readily agreed.

He could naturally tell that the dragon gods wanted to have a private talk with Ancestral Dragon Scale to handle internal matters of the dragon race. This was purely a family matter, and it wasn't that he couldn't tell An Jing, but it would probably be a bit embarrassing to do so.

An Jing was a benefactor of the Dragon Clan, so the Dragon God was naturally embarrassed to drive him away directly. Therefore, he simply spent money to find an excuse.

—Anyway, the Dragon Clan is a large and wealthy family, and they were going to reward An Jing anyway, so giving him a little more wouldn't hurt.

That's great! If the Dragon Clan is so reasonable, then An Jing must also be a reasonable person!

"Not bad, Anjing."

At this moment, Jin Yanhua, who had already achieved sainthood, stepped forward and patted An Jing's shoulder heavily, her eyes full of emotion: "After this, let's go to Jinyuantian and have a good talk!"

"Sister Jin, you're not bad either." An Jing also laughed. Jin Yanhua really defeated the almost immortal primordial dragon head-on with her own strength, which is also an extraordinary achievement.

"An Jing!"

You Ruhui also came over. The Dragon Clan is rich and powerful. Not only Anjing, but all the trial participants who survived and made contributions in this trial can receive rewards and treasures from the Dragon Clan.

You Ruhui had just met with the 'Chaowu Zhenchi'. After the soul of 'Xuanguangyun' in her cave met with her old friend, it gave Zhenchi a big fright.

While An Jing was communicating with the Ancestral Dragon and in advance about the Great Heaven's Manifestation, the former Jing King's lineage also seized the opportunity to conduct an internal exchange.

"We'll discuss the details later when we reach the far reaches of the sky..."

You Ruhui chuckled softly, "Go and get the treasure first. The Dragon Clan is a large and powerful family, so don't be shy. If you are, they will think you are looking down on them."

“I understand.” An Jing understood immediately.

Just then, a figure quietly appeared in front of everyone.

The newcomer was dressed in a plain white robe. He was not tall, and could even be described as a boy. He was a head and a half shorter than An Jing. His light gold to white hair was softly draped over his shoulders and fell to his ankles.

His face was gentle and handsome, his dragon eyes were pure gold, with a light blue halo around his pupils, and a pair of white jade dragon horns on his head added to his sacredness.

He simply stood there quietly, exuding a reassuring tranquility, while Su Xinbai stood beside him, her expression solemn, guarding and protecting him.

Obviously, it goes without saying that the newcomer is none other than the eldest son of the current Dragon God, Jin Qixu.

"Aren't you going to pay your respects to the Ancestral Dragon?" Raising his eyebrows, An Jing wasn't surprised that Jin Yanhua's elder brother would meet him at this time. He was mainly curious that even Jin Yanhua had gone to pay his respects to the Ancestral Dragon Scale, so why wasn't he, a future Dragon God, going?

And why does the other person look so... young?
"The Holy One's will has long been integrated into heaven and earth; whether one sees it or not makes no difference."

Jin Qixu smiled gently, his voice clear and calm: "Moreover, my human body and dragon body are separate—otherwise, how could I experience the lives of other beings?"

"As for the age of my body, it is the same as the age of my dragon body. In the eyes of the dragon, Jin Yanhua and I are actually very young, just like humans in their early teens. It's just that my sister has been in contact with more humans, so her human body is adjusted to be a bit larger."

He then raised his hand and gestured, "Lord Anjing, and Venerable Fuxietian Sword Master, please follow me. I will lead you to the treasure vault."

You Ruhui waved to An Jing, who also made a gesture. He followed Jin Qixu and walked deeper into the Dragon Palace.

However, to be fair, although Jin Qixu and Jin Yanhua are siblings, their personalities are indeed completely different.

Jin Yanhua is the talkative type, with a cheerful and outgoing personality. Whether it's Ming Guangchen or others, even juniors like An Jing, she speaks in a very easygoing and friendly manner, and can find seven or eight topics to talk about even if there isn't one.

Qi Xu was different now. After his initial greeting, he remained silent, smiled serenely, opened the void, and led An Jing and Fu Xie to the Dragon Clan's treasure vault deep within the void.

—No, what's going on with your lord?
An Jing raised an eyebrow and looked at Su Xinbai, his eyes conveying a message. Su Xinbai also felt uneasy, her gaze lowering as she replied in kind: (That's just how the Lord is... He can see the future. In other words, He may have already talked to your future and knows your thoughts, which is why He hasn't said a word.)

(Of course, if you ask, the Lord will talk to you about it.)

—What kind of nonsense is this? Are we chatting in reverse chronological order?

An Jing couldn't hold back any longer, because after sensing it, he realized that Jin Qixu had already finished talking to him through the Divine Power of the Universe. The two talked about a lot of things, but most of them were trivial. The main topics were Jin Yanhua's situation in the Zhaolin Realm, An Jing's current condition, whether he was injured, and if he felt that there was anything wrong, he could take An Jing to heal and rest first before choosing a secret treasure.

Jin Qixu was very polite. He never asked An Jing, whether in the present or the future, any questions that she wouldn't answer. He mainly offered casual greetings. He even thoughtfully left An Jing a collection of information, which was essentially a chat history.

An Jing glanced at it and couldn't hold back any longer: "So you're quite talkative? And your speaking style is similar to Sister Jin's!" Jin Yanhua is indeed not very good at the Divine Light of the Universe, to the point that An Jing had almost forgotten that the Heavenly Dragons in the Dragon Clan were all born with the Divine Light of the Universe, and each of them had some problems in their heads and more or less had some quirks.

Jin Qixu's habit of chatting with people about the future is probably the mildest kind of quirk.

"My sister and I naturally have similar speaking styles; we've been arguing all the way since we were little."

Since An Jing took the initiative to speak 'now', Jin Qixu smiled and replied, "I know that humans like to communicate now, so if there is anything important, you can say it now."

An Jing did indeed have a question. He nodded and took out the Heavenly Dragon Blood Essence from his pocket: "What exactly is your idea of ​​'everyone is like a dragon'? Su Xinbai's explanation was a bit vague, and our future exchanges haven't been in-depth. I want to know your opinion directly."

Jin Qixu paused slightly, turned his head, and his golden eyes darted around as if he were deep in thought.

After a while, he slowly said, "In the past, I thought that dragon blood was superior and perfect. To get close to the ancestral dragon, to imitate the ancestral dragon, and to be like the ancestral dragon, to be able to see the past and the future, this was the only right path to power."

Jin Qixu said frankly: "So I hope to connect everyone with my bloodline, so that everyone can get this 'superiority' and be treated gently by this cruel world."

“At least, they can see a glimpse of the ‘future’ through my blood, and then prepare themselves and feel more at ease.”

This is Jin Qixu's true thought.

In Jin Qixu's eyes, dragon blood wasn't particularly important; it was merely a foundation for living longer, a point of contention with Su Xinbai. In Jin Qixu's view, the Cosmic Light Divine Power was the core element.

If everyone could foresee a part of the future, then everyone could vaguely know some of the direction in their dreams or in their thoughts, and they would be prepared to make the good better and the bad better.

This kind of 'possibility of moving towards a better future' is what Jin Qixu truly wants to pursue.

Without a doubt, this is much more difficult than 'sharing dragon blood'.

“There will always be evil people who will use your supernatural powers for evil purposes.”

An Jing shook his head: "At that time, everyone will stop and desperately use their supernatural powers to compete with others in the future. At that time, everyone will be in fierce conflict, but no one will be willing to move forward until a result that satisfies everyone is achieved. Only then can we move towards the future."

"But in my opinion, this kind of future basically doesn't exist."

"Yes."

Jin Qixu had actually discussed some ideas with 'Future Anjing'. The eldest son of the Dragon God lowered his eyelashes and said softly, "Although this idea comes from good intentions, it is ultimately arrogant... But what can we do if we are not arrogant? We have to give it a try."

"Look, Xinbai is just fine."

He held Su Xinbai's hand, smiled, raised it, and shook it, somewhat like a younger brother playing with his older sister.

An Jing narrowed his eyes. With his keen dynamic vision as a martial artist of the Three Immortals Realm, he could clearly see that although Su Xinbai's expression did not change at all, her mind was already blank.

—Wow, you two siblings both love humans that much?

An Jing took a deep breath, but he had to admit that Jin Yanhua was indeed a little inferior to his brother. Regardless of what Jin Qixu thought of Su Xinbai, he developed the Heavenly Dragon Blood Essence immediately, extending Su Xinbai's lifespan and severely insulting and humiliating that theory of lifespan!
"Anyway."

Jin Qixu continued nonchalantly, "After learning about Yan Hua's actions in the Zhaolin Realm, I understood."

"What is powerful is never the bloodline itself, but the will that dares to discard the old self, constantly forge and create a 'better self'. It is this will that has earned the response of heaven and earth and even the ancestral dragon."

"Why must we pursue the ancestral dragon? Why must we be obsessed with dragon blood? Why must we be obsessed with the light of the universe?"

"Yes... everything that is 'long' can become a dragon, and the future will eventually become the present, so I don't need to be in such a hurry."

"The future of the Dragon Clan may well be entrusted to Yan Hua."

"Aren't you going to become the Dragon God?" An Jing was genuinely surprised this time. Taking advantage of Jin Yanhua's absence, he commented sharply, "In my opinion, it's really hard to say whether Sister Jin is suitable to be a leader."

"The title of Dragon God is just an empty name." Jin Qixu shook his head, completely unconcerned: "Whether I succeed or not, I can still contribute to the clan. I don't care."

“I mean, I’m afraid Sister Jin wouldn’t want to take it either.” An Jing laughed as well. He knew very well that Jin Yanhua was a member of Jinyuantian, a natural explorer, and that the position of Dragon God in the Ancestral Dragon Palace would only bind her.

However, as An Jing thought about this, a thought suddenly flashed through his mind, and he fell into deep thought.

—If that's the case, then what about the young emperor Xuan Mingyu... and that figure who is most likely Emperor Xuantian?

He was also a Skywalker who had traveled to the ends of the earth, yet he held the throne...

really interesting.

"The Great Wilderness Realm is a scheme by the Dragon Clan and the Fragments of Subduing Evil, the Blood Sea Demon Sect and the Heavenly Demon are plotting against the Dao Integration and Supreme Heavenly Demon, and the Heavenly Venerables are exploring the path ahead to the Lingxiao Realm—that's strange, on the Great Chen side, the Xuan Tian Emperor probably doesn't even have a Heavenly Monarch yet, why is he in such a hurry?"

An Jing's mind raced: "If that figure really is the young emperor of this generation, then he and the 'Daoist Soldier - Zhenhongjiang Cauldron' outside are probably not on the same side. There is indeed a great conflict between the civil and military officials and the imperial court... What exactly does he want to do?"

As he pondered, the group arrived deep within the void, before a magnificent vortex of cosmic light.

The past, present, and future—the rise and fall of four different paths of time—the cause and effect of the years converge here, forming a river that then transforms into a whirlpool.

We've arrived at the Dragon Clan's treasure trove.

Countless fragments of light and shadow swirled and flowed in the vortex, sometimes solidifying like crystals, sometimes flowing like light, like billions of broken mirrors, each reflecting a completely different era.

"This is the entrance, the very place where my dragon race was born, and also the location of our treasure trove," Jin Qixu said softly, the swirling currents reflected in his dragon eyes. "Please follow me."

As soon as he finished speaking, he stepped inside first, followed by Su Xinbai.

The moment Jin Qixu and Su Xinbai's bodies came into contact with the vortex, they transformed into pure, light golden streams of light. Without any hindrance, they flowed into the depths along one of the seemingly stable paths.

An Jing followed without hesitation.

The moment you step into the vortex, an indescribable sense of dislocation washes over you, as if you see the past and the future in an instant, simultaneously in dozens or even hundreds of different times and places.

The past solidifies into crystals, the future flows into light. Countless threads of cause and effect intertwine and entwine here, transforming into a vast and unparalleled flow of time, seemingly poised to soar into a dragon.

That is the true form of the vortex.

One...

"Candle Dragon?"

With the help of the 'Master of the Four Seasons', An Jing quickly returned to normal, but he also realized the true nature of the vortex of time and couldn't help but exclaim, "Truly amazing! This is probably the true foundation of the Ancestral Dragon Palace!"

"That's not the case." The light stream condensed into Jin Qixu, who came to An Jing's side. He shook his head slightly and said, "This is the half-body left behind by the Ancestral Dragon Saint Venerable. It is the embodiment of the source of the entire Huai Xu Realm's cosmic light source. It is the position of the 'Ancestor of the Beginning of Heaven and Earth and All Things,' the cornerstone of the Huai Xu Realm. It is not something that our Dragon Clan can use."

"However, as true spirits who are close to the Dao, we can indeed make use of the power of the 'Ancestor,' just like fish use ocean currents."

"Look, we've arrived."

Soon, after passing through a thin film that seemed to be made of pure 'stagnant time', the turbulent flow of time came to an abrupt halt.

They reached the heart of the vortex, the eye of the storm.

In that instant, it felt as if I had entered the innermost part of the world.

Anjing and Fuxie looked up and immediately saw a huge, empty altar directly in front of them.

Or perhaps, the throne.

On either side of this throne, surging rivers of light and tranquil streams of stillness emerge from the void, while countless starlight manifests above its head, transforming into a starry dome.

The river of light flows into the endless void, a path of time rushing towards the future, with countless branches. Each tributary is hazy and dark, with shimmering points of light disappearing within, transforming into future stars representing infinite possibilities.

The tranquil, still flow seems like an eternal frozen river, a river of bygone history. Within it are countless stars, but they are more like solidified amber, each facet flashing with color like flint sparks, revealing countless different aspects and the infinite possibilities of history.

"here it is……"

An Jing muttered to himself, while Fu Xie said, "This is the inner side of the world, the 'Altar of Sacrifice' where the 'Dao Master' merged with the Heavenly Dao in the past."

“There is one of these Dao Platforms in each of the ten continents, but each one is different. The one in Zhongheng Dao Continent is the oldest. I thought it was in the hands of the Shangxuan Sect, but I didn’t expect it to be managed by the Ancestral Dragon Palace.”

“After all, this was left behind by the Ancestral Dragon Saint.” Jin Qixu stepped forward with a smile: “This is the treasure trove of the Dragon Clan, the Ring of Past and Future… Please make yourself at home, Your Excellency Anjing.”

"In this endless cycle of past and future, take whatever treasures you desire."

"Because of the 'flow with the current and against the current,' whatever you take out from these long rivers will not affect anything."

(End of this chapter)