Chapter Seven: The Ancestral Spirit of the Azure Dragon

A thunderous dragon's roar pierced the heavens, echoing across the Sword-Wielding Divine Sect for thousands of miles. In a hidden chamber within the sect, several ancient elders, their hair white as snow, gathered together. The sudden roar startled them all. Could it be that the Azure Dragon has finally found its destined one?

Deep within a mist-shrouded palace on the Desolate God Continent, a middle-aged man clad in a brocade robe adorned with nine dragons abruptly opened his eyes, muttering to himself, "The Azure Dragon has emerged at last. Have those old immortals truly found the dragon’s successor?" His gaze flashed with golden light. "Whether demon or god, nothing can hinder my conquest of the heavens and earth. Let me see what powers this legendary Azure Dragon possesses."

In the western reaches of the Desolate God Continent, inside a dilapidated temple, an emaciated old monk chanted sacred texts ceaselessly, his voice echoing over a battered, timeworn scripture set before him.

The dragon's terrifying roar reverberated, and across the mysterious powers of the Desolate God Continent, forces began to accelerate their rise. Countless slaughters entered a fevered pitch. Though the Demonic Domain had not yet truly invaded, the strife across the continent now shifted from shadows into clear daylight.

Unaware of the turmoil outside, Notian found the scene before him utterly fascinating. After entering the chamber, he was surprised to find it flooded with light rather than darkness—this must be the world essence his sister often spoke of. Walking within, he felt an extraordinary comfort.

All the world’s essence formed a massive vortex before him. Aside from this swirling energy, the chamber contained nothing else; the essence radiated from within the vortex.

This must be something akin to the legendary array of the Demonic Domain in the skies, Notian thought. He had expected some ancestral spirit of the Azure Dragon to be present in the chamber! Instantly, he understood what was happening. Had his sisters, Noxin or Noyu, known how astute this youngster had become, they would have been astonished. Usually, they only saw him as a glutton, suspecting that though he might share their origins, perhaps he was simply a little beast wearing human skin.

Yet now, Notian was calm and composed, showing no trace of fear before the ancestral vault of Spirit Fox Peak—a place of immense danger, even if the sect had guaranteed the safety of those who entered.

Without hesitation, Notian surveyed his surroundings and stepped boldly into the teleportation array. Though gifted, he felt a momentary daze as he entered. When the swirling essence faded, he found himself in a vast cavern.

Perhaps this was not a cavern at all. He examined the surroundings, approached a stone wall, and touched it; though it appeared solid, his hand seemed to sink into emptiness. This must be the void world his sister Noxin had once described.

To enhance Notian’s chances of survival, Noxin had not only taught him martial arts but also carefully imparted tales of the Desolate God passed down from her master. Though he seemed to forget these stories almost immediately, Noxin persisted in repeating them over and over. Had she known that he remembered everything after the first telling and merely pretended otherwise, she would have been shocked. Both sisters had once suspected he was feigning forgetfulness, but after several tests, they concluded his memory was simply poor.

Space-breaking was the domain of Soul Fate Sovereigns, and not every Sovereign could open a passage. To create a void world like this cavern required power surpassing even the continent’s greatest.

Notian pondered: though he knew the ranks of the continent’s experts, he had never heard of anyone above Sovereign level. If such beings existed, wouldn’t the continent have long been unified? Then again, if the Sword-Wielding Divine Sect possessed such a master, perhaps the other five great powers did as well.

He mused further: anyone entering this space would likely have the same suspicions. Yet in the three years he'd been here, he'd never heard Noxin mention anything about it. Did those who entered have their memories erased upon leaving? He glanced back at the teleportation array that had left him so dazed. Surely, all who entered and exited would have their minds wiped.

He examined the cavern, vast beyond imagining, and immediately spotted five enormous statues. Each stood dozens of yards tall: a nine-tailed fox, a giant wolf standing upright with blood-red eyes, a huge long-eared elephant, a fierce-faced gorilla, and his target—a majestic dragon, with two long whiskers and a sharp claw extended forward.

Carefully, Notian noticed that only the dragon seemed to possess a soul, radiating a shockingly vivid presence. The other four statues seemed to lack something. He realized that the other four must have already found their inheritors, their essences merged with those successors, leaving only a few soul-infused stones to mark their legacy.

Notian focused on the dragon, feeling a powerful spiritual shock. The true dragon, as the most gifted divine beast of this world, was long recognized as the king of beast gods. Its unmatched power let it soar the skies and command the elements.

Whenever a true dragon appeared, it heralded a storm of bloodshed; countless sought it, for even a single scale could forge wondrous armor.

According to ancient records of the Sword-Wielding Divine Sect, in thirty thousand years of the continent’s history, only one true dragon had appeared. Hunted by countless masters, it fled into the depths of the Nether Sea. The combined forces managed to acquire only a few scales and vials of dragon’s blood, but the price was the ruin of many sects and the death of countless top-tier experts.

Never had Notian imagined that within Spirit Fox Peak, the sect could possess the genuine soul of a true dragon—specifically, the mighty Azure Dragon, famed for "soaring the nine heavens, reigning supreme."

In ages past, when myriad races coexisted, the dragon clan held the greatest power. Dragonlings were born with innate strength unmatched by other races. Yet even among these prodigies, the Azure Dragon clan stood second only to the Divine Dragon.

For such an almost invincible Azure Dragon to fall upon the Desolate God Continent, its soul trapped within this stone—what secret lay behind this fate? If the legend of the ancestral soul was known throughout the Sword-Wielding Divine Sect, surely the whole continent knew as well. Why, then, had none sought to claim what might be the last true dragon soul in existence?

Was it truly fear of the sect’s might? Notian pouted—he didn’t believe it. Stories told by his sister made clear that though the sect was powerful, it was by no means the strongest.

He pondered, but his young mind could not unravel the mystery.

As Notian was lost in thought, the majestic dragon statue suddenly shattered. Before he could react, a beam of white light shot from the rubble and entered his brow, vanishing instantly.

Just as he began to grasp what had happened, Notian was stunned. Had the Azure Dragon’s soul chosen him? He touched his brow in astonishment.

While Notian was still digesting the moment, within his body, the Azure Dragon’s soul was equally shocked—its two whiskers, formed of soul force, curled skyward.

"Chaos Void, it truly is Chaos Void! Divine Dragon, do you see? After a million years, Laughing Heaven has finally discovered Chaos Void. Chaos Void, and it has taken human form. Since the dawn of creation and the shaping of the Nine Realms, never has such a thing occurred. Could the ancient prophecy finally come to pass? Chaos of heaven and earth, yearning for human form. In the wilds of antiquity, one stands upon the four corners."