Chapter 99 Gu...Senior Gu?

"It's here! It's the carriage of The Chosen Son!"

"The orthodox Bloodline that our Dragon Clan has lost for several epochs is finally returning!"

"May the Ancestor bless us! We are alive to see this day!"

Around the Ancestral Dragon Altar, millions of Dragon Clan descendants and experts from affiliated races fell into a frenzy.

Their eyes flashed with anticipation, and their shouts blended together.

Red Dragon Immortal Emperor stood by the VIP seating, "Everyone, watch closely! That is The Chosen Son, flowing with the Ancestor's purest Origin! Having hidden in such a desolate place like the Lower Realm for countless years, and finally returning after breaking through the boundaries, such Heart-Nature and perseverance must belong to an extraordinary figure!"

Black Dragon Immortal Emperor nodded, his eyes fixed on the carriage in mid-air, "Correct. Even if his Realm hasn't recovered yet, the kingly aura within his Bloodline will make us Immortal Emperors feel inferior."

At this moment.

The Nine-Dragon carriage stopped directly above the altar.

"Respectfully welcoming the arrival of The Chosen Son—"

The Dragon Domain Lord walked out, his Emperor Realm cultivation transforming into golden light, pushing the atmosphere of the ceremony to its peak.

"Creak—"

The door of the carriage was pushed open by two Dragon Clan maidservants.

Millions of gazes from the entire venue all looked towards that door.

First, a foot extended from the door.

Then, a Human Race old man with gray hair, holding onto the carriage door, slowly moved his body out.

The earth-shaking cheers of the entire venue paused for a moment.

But it was only for a moment, and everyone continued to speculate frantically.

Because everyone knew that this was the Human Race form that The Chosen Son had transformed into to avoid pursuit; hidden beneath this aged shell was a great Soul!

However, the few Dragon Clan Elders at the very front of the altar noticed something amiss.

"Eh? Look..."

A sub-dragon race leader lowered his voice, "The Chosen Son's legs... are they shaking?"

As soon as these words were spoken,

the few high-level figures nearby all looked over.

Sure enough.

Old Ancestor Qingxuan was being helped off the carriage, walking towards the center of the Ancestral Dragon Altar.

His two legs were shaking at a very high frequency, like a farmer sifting chaff.

Every step he took, his knees would weaken, and he almost fell to his knees on the steps several times.

"This... why is The Chosen Son like this?"

A young member of the Dragon Clan asked.

Just when everyone was confused.

"Wuwu—"

A loud cry sounded in front of the altar.

Elder Green Dragon knelt on the ground, tears streaming down his old face, pointing at Old Ancestor Qingxuan's shaking legs, "What do you know?"

"The Chosen Son's legs are shaking! It's because of excitement!"

"He drifted in the Lower Realm for thousands of years, endured so much suffering, and received so many cold looks? Today, he has finally set foot on his homeland and seen this prosperous scene of the Dragon Clan. This feeling of returning home... The Chosen Son is using these shaking legs to express his longing for his homeland!"

As soon as these words were spoken,

the eye sockets of the surrounding Dragon Clan high-level figures gradually turned red.

"That's right!"

Red Dragon Elder stepped forward and sighed, "The Chosen Son walks so heavily with every step, almost falling, that is because he carried too much suffering and Karma in the Lower Realm!"

"That is not shaking at all... That is the arduous advance after enduring humiliation and breaking the shackles! He is telling us how much pressure he endured to preserve the orthodox Bloodline of the Dragon Clan!"

"Hum—"

Elder Golden Dragon seemed to suddenly understand something, slapped his thigh violently, and shouted, "I understand too!"

"The Chosen Son is deliberately walking so slowly and with such difficulty; he is measuring the territory of the Dragon Clan with his steps! He is feeling this land he has sworn to protect with his heart!"

"This is a ritual! This is a silent declaration! This is the solemnity and sanctity of a King's return!"

The words of the three Elders swept through the entire Ancestral Dragon Altar like a storm.

"So that's how it is! The Chosen Son's intentions are so profound..."

"Too great... Wuwuwu, The Chosen Son has suffered!"

After hearing this, millions of Dragon Clan members cried out to the heavens, and countless giant Dragons in the Void Realm kowtowed in emotion.

The entire altar was ignited by the fanatical emotions.

At this time.

Old Ancestor Qingxuan, who was struggling to move on the steps, clearly heard the shouts of these three Elders.

"What the hell is excitement... What the hell is measuring the territory..."

Old Ancestor Qingxuan wailed in his heart, "This old man is just so scared that his legs are weak and he can't walk!"

As soon as he thought about having to drip blood in the center of that weird Formation later, his heart was squeezed tightly. That was a Formation left behind by a Human Race Empress; if his mortal blood dripped into it, it would definitely be crushed into dust on the spot.

"Sigh, if I had known, I wouldn't have ascended... Wouldn't it have been nice to be a local emperor in the Lower Realm? Why did I have to come here to die."

Old Ancestor Qingxuan was so annoyed that he wanted to slap himself twice.

Just when he was in despair, his peripheral vision swept across the VIP seating.

Suddenly,

his eyes fixed.

His steps stopped abruptly, his eyes widened larger than copper bells.

"This... this is..."

Old Ancestor Qingxuan rubbed his eyes hard, looking in disbelief at the main seat surrounded by the Five Great Dragon Emperors and the Domain Lord in the very center.

The young man in white clothes sitting in the main seat, holding a teacup, looking at him with a faint smile.

It was actually...

Gu...

Gu Heng?

Old Ancestor Qingxuan's head buzzed, and he was completely stunned.

How is this possible?

Is this reasonable?

How could Senior Gu appear here? And he is sitting in the main seat of the Dragon Clan's ceremony?

Not only that,

Old Ancestor Qingxuan's gaze followed Gu Heng to both sides.

The woman on the left with bare feet and red strings, cold as an immortal, and the man on the right with blood-red eyes and demonic armor, exuding an aura of destruction... aren't these the two taboo experts who caused countless cracks in the Void Realm the moment they appeared in the Lower Realm?

And the seventeen people standing straight behind them, every single one of them exuded an aura several times more terrifying than the Domain Lord and Dragon Emperors beside them.

"Senior Gu... is being treated as an honored guest by this group of ferocious Dragon Clan members?"

Old Ancestor Qingxuan opened his mouth, his mind in turmoil.

But for some reason, when he saw Gu Heng's familiar face, especially the smile at the corner of Gu Heng's mouth that seemed to see through everything, his wildly beating heart actually slowly calmed down.

"Senior Gu is here..."

Old Ancestor Qingxuan took a deep breath, and his legs, which had been shaking like a sieve, actually stopped shaking much.

And this scene, in the eyes of the Dragon Clan Elders, triggered another frenzy.

"Look! The Chosen Son heard our inner voices, felt our loyalty, and his emotions have calmed down! He has accepted our allegiance!" Elder Green Dragon kowtowed again in excitement.

The complicated welcoming ceremony ended in frenzy.

The Dragon Domain Lord walked to the center of the altar, the Law of the Immortal Emperor surging, and his voice spread across the Nine Heavens, "Today, the return of The Chosen Son is the greatest joyous event for our Dragon Clan in one hundred thousand epochs!"

"This Lord has decided to open the Ancestral Treasury and reward the entire venue! According to Bloodline Rank and nobility, we will distribute our clan's gifts!"

The Domain Lord waved his hand, and countless streams of light flew out from the Ancestral Treasury, like a meteor shower.

"The first wave! Distributed to all ordinary attendees, branch sub-dragons, and visiting guests!"

"Each person gets a bottle of 'Dragon Blood Pill', which can unconditionally increase cultivation by a hundred years!"

"Boom!" The million Dragon Clan members and guests at the venue fell into crazy cheers.

"The second wave! Bestowed upon the Five Great Dragon Emperors and the high-level members of the Elder Council!"

Five jade bottles appeared in the Domain Lord's hand, containing dark golden Qi, "Each person gets a drop of 'Ancestral Dragon Qi'! It can help Emperor Realm experts cleanse their marrow and change their bones, consolidating their Origin cultivation!"

After hearing this, the five Dragon Emperors did not hesitate, thumping to their knees together, receiving the jade bottles with trembling hands, and thanking him repeatedly.

"The third wave..."

The Domain Lord took a deep breath, and the majesty on his face turned into flattery and respect.

He personally held a tray made of nine-colored divine jade, walked quickly to the VIP seating, bent down, and handed it to Gu Heng with a face full of smiles.

"Distributed to all distinguished Seniors of the Upper Realm!"

"Senior Gu, this is the highest token of our domain, the 'Ancestral Dragon Token'. With this token, you can mobilize billions of Dragon Clan troops and resources anywhere in the Dragon Domain!"

Then, he handed two Jade Slips to Jiang Wanyin and Di Shitian, "These two are the 'Dragon God Domain Secret Realm Maps', marked with the locations of ancient Dragon Clan ruins. No matter where the two Seniors want to explore, the Dragon Clan will never stop you!"

Finally, the Domain Lord looked at the seventeen Immortal Emperors and Devil Emperors, taking out jade boxes one by one, "These seventeen are the 'Dragon Origin Saint Fruits' that bloom every hundred thousand years and bear fruit every hundred thousand years. They are Saint Grade items for healing and recovering Emperor Realm losses. Please accept them, Seniors!"

With these rewards, the Domain Lord had practically brought out the entire savings of the Dragon Domain.

However.

Gu Heng didn't even look at the Ancestral Dragon Token, just casually extended two fingers to pick up the token, and like throwing away scrap metal, tossed it into his storage ring.

The whole process,

Gu Heng's expression did not fluctuate; it was as plain as if he were accepting a head of cabbage from the roadside.

The smile on the Domain Lord's face froze, and he couldn't help but mutter in his heart, "What is this gentleman's background? He doesn't even look down on the highest power of the Dragon Clan?"

As he was muttering, he suddenly felt the surrounding temperature drop sharply.

He saw the seventeen Immortal Emperors and Devil Emperors standing behind Gu Heng, each with a gloomy face, their eyes full of anger.

"What great audacity."

Thunder Emperor snorted coldly, "A mere group of loaches from the Lower Realm, taking some scrap metal, dare to show off in front of our Master? And you want to steal the limelight from us servants?"

The Star Immortal Emperor stepped forward directly, his old face filled with disdain, as he swept the tray from the Dragon Domain Lord's hands.

"Bang!"

Under the horrified gazes of the Five Great Dragon Emperors and the Dragon Domain Lord, the seventeen Immortal Emperors and Devil Emperors actually knelt on one knee in unison, bowing their heads deeply toward Gu Heng!

"Master!"

The Star Immortal Emperor shouted aloud, bringing out a bead from his storage ring that swirled with the power of galactic birth and destruction: "How could such Dragon Clan trash be worthy of your gaze! This old servant wishes to offer up my life-bound treasure, the 'Star World Origin'. This item can evolve into a perfect Major Thousand Worlds for Master to enjoy at your leisure!"

"Master!"

The White Bone Demon Emperor followed closely behind, pulling out a white bone throne, "This old servant wishes to offer up the 'Nine Nether Emperor Bone Throne'. The trashy token given by this group of horned useless creatures isn't even fit to be a footstool for you!"

"Master! This old servant wishes to offer up a top-grade Divine Vein!"

"Master! This old servant wishes to offer up..."

The seventeen Immortal Emperors and Devil Emperors, not wanting to lose face before the Dragon Clan, and even more so to vie for favor in front of Gu Heng, scrambled to pull out their most precious hidden treasures. Various divine items capable of triggering wars between Realms were now piled up at Gu Heng's feet like common cabbages.

And every shout of "Master" slammed heavily into the Souls of the millions of Dragon Clan members present.

"Clang!" The tray in the Dragon Domain Lord's hand fell to the ground. It shattered.

He opened his mouth wide, his eyes almost popping out, his mind completely blank.

The five Dragon Emperors, who had been high and mighty just a moment ago, were now so terrified that they collapsed onto the ground, their entire bodies turning cold.

Mas... Master?

"Boom—" The synchronized shout of the seventeen Immortal Emperors and Devil Emperors exploded in the minds of the Five Great Dragon Emperors, the Dragon Domain Lord, and the millions of Dragon Clan members present.

The Ancestral Dragon Altar was deathly silent. What had they just heard?

These seventeen existences with terrifying auras, any one of whom could flatten thousands of middle-tier Realms, actually addressed this young man in white as... Master?

"...How is this possible?" The Red Dragon Immortal Emperor shook his head frantically, his worldview collapsing, "Those are Immortal Emperors and Devil Emperors! Immortals and Devils have been at odds since ancient times; this is an ironclad Law of the Three Thousand Great Worlds! How could they be willing to serve the same Master?"

The Black Dragon Immortal Emperor drew a sharp breath, his voice trembling uncontrollably, "What kind of background does this person have? Not to mention the two powerhouses on his left and right who made our Origins tremble just by glancing at us. Just the spectacle of these seventeen Immortal and Devil Emperors acting as servants... with such power, let alone one Dragon Domain, sweeping through a thousand Great Worlds would be as easy as taking something out of one's pocket!"

"Has the era changed, or have we been holed up in the Dragon Domain for too long, becoming nothing more than frogs at the bottom of a well?"

The Golden Dragon Immortal Emperor muttered to himself, his eyes filled with horror and despair.

The Dragon Domain Lord felt a chill run down his back. He remembered that he had actually tried to curry favor with the other party using a "Ancestral Dragon Token" of the Dragon Domain, thinking the other party would be grateful.

Now it seemed, this was akin to a beggar holding half a moldy bun and showing off his wealth to a deity from the Nine Heavens. Ridiculous. Utterly ridiculous.

Gu Heng sat in the main seat, looking at the pile of treasures at his feet flashing with various Laws, then looked at the group of Immortal Emperors and Devil Emperors arguing until their faces were red, and rubbed his temples helplessly.

"Alright, put them all away. The ceremony is still ongoing; don't steal the spotlight here."

"Yes, Master!" Seeing that Gu Heng had spoken, the seventeen Immortal Emperors and Devil Emperors coldly glanced at the Dragon Clan higher-ups who were already scared witless, then efficiently put away their treasures and stood back behind Gu Heng like javelins.

After a brief shock, and under the desperate eye signals of the Dragon Domain Lord, the Dragon Clan higher-ups finally managed to snap out of it with great difficulty.

They didn't dare to look in Gu Heng's direction again, fearing that one more glance would bring about a fatal disaster. They could only force their attention back to the protagonist of the day, The Chosen Son.

At this moment, Old Ancestor Qingxuan had already been helped to the center of the altar. The Elder Green Dragon took a deep breath, steadying his heart that was about to jump out of his chest.

He turned around and solemnly brought out a Jade Slip from his robes. The Jade Slip was emerald green throughout, with fine dragon scale patterns on the surface and the faint shadows of nine dragons circling it.

"The Chosen Son!" The Elder Green Dragon held the Jade Slip high with both hands and knelt before Old Ancestor Qingxuan with a thud, his voice full of fanaticism, "This is the supreme Cultivation Technique personally created by our Founding Ancestor after one hundred thousand years of seclusion—the 'Nine Transformations Dragon-Turning Art'!"

"This Cultivation Technique is overbearing; anyone who isn't of the Dragon Clan's most core, direct Bloodline will die upon touching it! If you can master it, you can shed this Human Race disguise, transform into a true Nine-Clawed Golden Dragon, shake the Three Thousand Great Worlds with your might, and restore the former glory of the Dragon Clan!"

Old Ancestor Qingxuan looked at the Jade Slip offered to him, inwardly groaning. But under the watchful eyes of the crowd, especially feeling the subtle gaze of Gu Heng not far behind him, he could only bite the bullet, reach out, and take the Jade Slip.

"Good... good stuff." Old Ancestor Qingxuan said dryly, then probed the Jade Slip with a strand of Divine Sense.

As soon as his Divine Sense swept through it, Old Ancestor Qingxuan's heart collapsed.

The content inside the Jade Slip was densely packed with ancient dragon script that looked like tadpoles. What was even more fatal was that the very first sentence read: "To practice this art, one must use the Dragon Vein as a foundation, the Dragon Soul as a guide, and shatter and reorganize one's bones before one can enter the first transformation."

"What the hell, use the Dragon Vein as a foundation!" Old Ancestor Qingxuan roared in his heart, "I am a Human Race being as pure as they come! I don't even have the Meridians of a snake, where would I get a Dragon Vein? And shatter and reorganize bones? If these old bones of mine were shattered, I'd be straight in the grave; there's no way to practice this!"

He read page after page, only to find that he couldn't understand a single word. However, millions of eyes around him were staring at him intently.

Old Ancestor Qingxuan knew his current situation; even if he had to fake it, he had to appear profound and unfathomable. So, he deliberately furrowed his brows, his eyes becoming deep and focused.

He flipped through the Jade Slip, occasionally nodding in sudden realization, occasionally drawing a sharp breath, and occasionally showing an intoxicated expression of "If one hears the Dao in the morning, one can die content in the evening."

This performance immediately triggered a new wave of emotional tsunami among the Dragon Clan higher-ups.

"Look!" The Red Dragon Elder was trembling with excitement, pointing at Old Ancestor Qingxuan's focused gaze, "The Chosen Son has just returned, hasn't even caught his breath, and is already studying the ancestral Cultivation Technique with such hunger! This kind of diligence, this kind of heart toward the Dao, is truly a role model for our generation!"

"Indeed!" The Elder Golden Dragon's eyes were moist, "Look at him nodding frequently, his brows furrowing and relaxing; it seems he has resonated with the martial Dao will left behind by the Founding Ancestor! He must have realized the supreme Dao from it and is currently reshaping the Origin Dragon Qi within his body!"

"Heaven bless our Dragon Clan! With such a brilliant and talented Chosen Son, why should the Dragon Clan worry about not thriving!"

Listening to these praises in his ears, Old Ancestor Qingxuan smiled on the surface, but his heart was already dead ash.

"I can't understand a single word... what on earth are these blind people so moved by..."

The transfer of the Cultivation Technique was complete. The Dragon Domain Lord forcibly suppressed his fear of Gu Heng and his group, donned his mantle of majesty once more, and began to preside over the subsequent ceremony.

This was a long and tedious sacrificial process. Slaughtering ten-thousand-year Sacred Beasts to sacrifice to Heaven, sprinkling a million catties of spirit wine to sacrifice to Earth, and the entire Dragon Clan performing three bows and nine kowtows to sacrifice to the Founding Ancestor. Wave after wave of ceremonial music echoed over the Ancestral Dragon Altar, with layer upon layer of red tape and rituals.

Time was stretched very long. For the surrounding Dragon Clan, this was a solemn baptism; but for Old Ancestor Qingxuan standing in the center of the altar, every minute and every second was like being sliced on a knife's edge.

His gaze involuntarily glanced toward the center of the array. A phantom of an ancient bronze mirror was floating quietly. Even just looking at it, Old Ancestor Qingxuan could feel a scrutinizing will that stood above all living beings, stripping him bare from head to toe.

"It's almost time... the blood-dripping step is coming soon." Old Ancestor Qingxuan's palms were full of sweat, and he clutched the golden cage in his arms tightly, as if it were his only life-saving straw in this world.

Two full hours passed. The tedious preliminary rituals finally ended. A dull horn sounded. The ancient array in the center of the Ancestral Dragon Altar suddenly erupted with a sky-high dark golden light.

The millions of Dragon Clan members present held their breath. The Dragon Domain Lord adjusted his attire, wearing a kind and amiable smile, and walked step by step to Old Ancestor Qingxuan.

He bowed slightly, his tone incomparably respectful, "Come, Lord Chosen Son. Everything is ready, all that is missing is the final touch. You only need to draw out a drop of your Origin Essence Blood from within your body and drip it into the center of the array."

"Once the Essence Blood enters the array, the heaven-tracing mirror will activate the Bloodline resonance left by the Founding Ancestor. By then, your identity will be thoroughly announced to the world, and you will successfully acknowledge your ancestors, return to the clan, and ascend to the supreme throne of our Dragon Domain!"