Chapter Fifty-Two: The Ancestral Land

To speak of the three Dragon Kings, upon receiving the summons from the Dragon King of the Eastern Sea, they hastened with urgency, leading their followers at the swiftest pace toward the East Sea.

Among the dragon clans, whenever one side faces calamity, the other three will rush to their aid; this has been the tradition since ancient times. Of the Four Seas, the Eastern Sea dragons have always held primacy.

Soon, the three Dragon Kings arrived outside the Eastern Sea, encountering each other by chance. After exchanging pleasantries, they finally turned to the matter at hand.

Though the four Dragon Kings belong to one family, each is typically occupied with their own affairs, leaving little leisure to gather together. It had been years since they last met.

“Second Brother, what exactly has transpired in the East Sea? Have you heard any news?” asked Ao Run, the Dragon King of the Western Sea. The sudden upheaval, after centuries of peace among the dragon clans, had left them unprepared.

Ao Qin, the Dragon King of the Southern Sea, shook his head, his expression troubled. “Let us hurry on, lest we delay a matter of consequence.”

“Second Brother speaks wisely,” Ao Shun, the Dragon King of the Northern Sea, agreed with a nod.

…

Within the grand hall of the Dragon Palace of the Eastern Sea, the Dragon King had been awaiting his brothers for some time. The hall was saturated with a tense, foreboding atmosphere; the gathered followers dared not even breathe, so silent that falling leaves could be heard.

The three Dragon Kings strode quickly into the hall, easing some measure of the tension. Ao Guang, the Dragon King of the Eastern Sea, immediately stepped forward, clasping his hands in greeting. “Brothers, at last you have arrived.”

“Eldest Brother, what has happened?”

“Is it those restless spirits from the Underworld again? They dare provoke us time and again, do they truly think the dragon clan is made of clay?”

The three Dragon Kings pressed with urgent questions, their faces anxious. Since the disappearance of the Celestial Court, the Ten Yama Kings of the Underworld had grown unruly, not only carving out their own territories but also coveting the dragon clan, seeking to establish themselves as a new Celestial Court and continue their ‘enslavement’ of the dragons.

Yet the dragon clan is no weaker than the Underworld. If the Underworld’s forces were united, they might indeed overpower the dragons, but they are fractured and disorganized, and their ambition to subdue the dragon clan is nothing short of delusion.

For centuries, the dragon clan has nurtured its strength, preparing for the day when they might purge those with ill intent, ensuring this world would no longer dare to underestimate them.

“My brothers, be calm. This matter is neither as great nor as small as it seems,” Ao Guang said, his brow furrowed. The situation had arisen with startling suddenness.

“Eldest Brother, don’t keep us guessing—we are beside ourselves with worry,” Ao Qin urged, his face tense.

“It is the Ancestral Land that has met with trouble,” Ao Guang sighed.

“What!?”

At once, the three Dragon Kings were struck dumb, a powerful sense of impending crisis enveloping their hearts like a lingering shadow.

The Ancestral Land is the foundation of the dragon clan’s legacy; if it were to be compromised, their future would be imperiled. Indeed, it would not be an exaggeration to say that the dragon clan would rapidly weaken with each generation henceforth.

“My brothers, do not panic. Matters are not yet as dire as you imagine—there remains room for maneuver,” Ao Guang said, feeling a headache come on. His brothers were admirable in many respects, yet quick to agitation in times of crisis. Only the youngest, Ao Shun, remained composed and steady-minded.

No sooner had Ao Guang finished speaking than the three Dragon Kings fixed him with questioning eyes, awaiting his explanation.

“Yesterday, I was surprised to discover that the Ancestral Land, which traditionally opens once every hundred years, now shows signs of opening ahead of schedule,” Ao Guang revealed.

“It has been only forty years since the last opening; by rights, there should be more than fifty years before the next. This does not follow the usual order!”

“Since the birth of the Ancestral Land, it has always opened at a century’s interval—never has such an anomaly occurred. What are we to do?”

…

The Dragon Kings were immediately troubled. Ordinarily, the more frequently the Ancestral Land opens, the greater the benefit to future generations of dragons. Yet the Ancestral Land is not an inexhaustible resource; a hundred years is a fixed cycle. If the land’s essence is not allowed to recover before its power is drawn upon for the clan’s rites, the inevitable result will be that, within a few centuries, the Ancestral Land will lose its efficacy entirely.

The Ancestral Land is also known as the place of dragon heritage; each descendant of the dragon clan may only receive its inheritance once in their lifetime, and the depth of their enlightenment depends upon their individual talent. During the last opening, Ao Guang’s youngest daughter, Ao Xiuxiu, displayed exceptional brilliance, awakening seventy percent of her bloodline—such talent had not been seen in the dragon clan for millennia.

Regrettably, Ao Xiuxiu was born a daughter, which Ao Guang found somewhat unfortunate. Still, this posed no serious problem; eventually, he would simply select a worthy consort to marry into the Eastern Sea, and all would be resolved.

Moreover, the only ones privy to this matter were the four Dragon Kings and the Old Turtle. Even Ao Xiuxiu herself was unaware of her extraordinary talent; in the eyes of others, her achievement was merely equal to that of Ao Chun, the son of the Southern Sea Dragon King, both awakening fifty percent of their bloodline.

Though the difference was only twenty percent, it was, in truth, a gulf as vast as heaven and earth.

Ao Guang’s actions were chiefly to protect Ao Xiuxiu. Though the current state of the world seemed stable, caution was still vital. Should those with ill intentions learn of her talents, Ao Guang was certain they would stop at nothing to eliminate her. For a genius of such caliber, so long as fate did not cut her life short, she was destined to become a formidable power, further elevating the dragon clan’s legacy.

“Yet as things stand, we currently lack a solution. Still, the opening of the Ancestral Land is a rare opportunity that cannot be wasted. In my view, we ought to summon the younger generation to enter the Ancestral Land; perhaps within, they might discover the cause of its premature opening,” Ao Guang said, shaking his head. By his estimation, the Ancestral Land was likely to open imminently, which is why he had urgently sounded the ‘Dragon Soul’ to gather the three Dragon Kings—the fastest method possible.

“That is all we can do,” the three Dragon Kings nodded. The situation had caught them completely off guard.

Without delay, the three Dragon Kings sent their subordinates to fetch the young dragons of their clans, preparing them to receive the inheritance of the Ancestral Land. Ordinarily, this would be a cause for celebration, but joy eluded them no matter how they tried.

The Ancestral Land of the dragon clan lies in the Eastern Sea; its entrance is within the Crystal Palace.