Chapter Fifty-Nine: Escaping Alive

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Originally, with the meager power Yi An possessed at present, the idea of breaking open the fabric of space was nothing but a fanciful dream. Even with the aid of secret techniques, it was impossible; space itself was an enigmatic and unfathomable force, wondrous beyond compare. The mysteries it held were such that not only was Yi An just a fledgling cultivator on the verge of but not yet beyond the Foundation Establishment stage—even among the lofty immortals and gods of the former Heavenly Court, how many could truly comprehend the essence of space?

It could be said that without reaching the realm of the Golden Immortal of Grand Unity, breaking the barriers of space was sheer folly.

Yet few knew that a primordial spiritual treasure was itself conceived by the universe, containing within it a sliver of its original essence. What Yi An intended next was to harness that faint trace of primordial essence and combine it with his own secret arts, so as to pierce the spatial barrier and return to the main world from the other side.

Daring not to waste a moment, Yi An first took time to quickly familiarize himself with the Azure Lotus Banner, then immediately set about performing his secret technique. After orienting himself, he began to open a passage through space.

Time left to him was scarce. The ancestral land of the dragon race opened for only three days; two and a half had already passed. If he failed to break through within the remaining half day, he would be in dire straits.

However, as long as he had found the Azure Lotus Banner, everything else became manageable.

As expected, within just an hour, Yi An completed all preparations. With only the final invocation of the secret technique remaining, he could briefly break open space and carve a passage straight to the outside world.

With this thought, Yi An swiftly cast his secret art. The Azure Lotus Banner radiated golden light, soaring skyward and tearing open a passage above, shrouded in thunder and gloom.

Seizing the moment, Yi An leaped into the passage. The rupture in space lasted but an instant and swiftly closed behind him, as if it had never existed. Without the shelter of the Azure Lotus Banner, the sinister, chilling qi surged once more, and in the blink of an eye, the last vestiges of peace within the ancestral land were utterly devoured.

In truth, Yi An had been fortunate. Had any of the dragon race arrived here before him, the Azure Lotus Banner would never have fallen into his hands. After all, the resting place of the Azure Lotus Banner was vastly different from the outside world—virtually impossible to overlook.

Fortunately, the location was remote, and every generation of the dragon race was allotted only three days within the ancestral land. Each entrant was keenly aware of the value of every moment and wasted none. Thus, all who entered simply sought out a suitable spot nearby and immediately began awakening their bloodline, wasting not a single minute.

No one would ever spend two days merely searching for a location.

Upon entering the passage, Yi An could not help but draw a sharp breath. The passage seemed close to the main world, yet only by traversing it did he grasp the hardship and peril within.

First, the passage was but a temporary construct—unstable and fraught with danger. Had necessity not compelled him, Yi An would never have risked it.

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Moreover, the spatial passage was far more than a simple corridor. It was filled with sinister winds, and thunder could strike at any moment. On several occasions, Yi An narrowly escaped disaster, struck by lightning but protected by the Ten Thousand Dragons Armor, which saved him from harm.

Reflecting, Yi An could not help but admire his own foresight. Had he not, on a sudden impulse, asked Ao Guang for this spiritual treasure, his predicament would have been far graver.

After about half an hour, Yi An finally emerged from the harrowing spatial passage and set foot on solid ground once more. The tangible feeling beneath his feet filled him with relief and a sense of familiarity.

He cast a quick glance at the nearby Eastern Sea, then hurried away. Until he had truly grown in strength, he intended to avoid any contact with the aquatic tribes. If news reached Ao Guang that he was still alive—

He was certain his enemy would stop at nothing to tear him to pieces.

Henceforth, even the common rivers and streams were best avoided whenever possible.

He did not wish to bring disaster upon himself—he could already imagine Ao Guang’s wrathful, thunderous fury.

Ao Guang would never let this go.

The Eastern Sea was at least several hundred miles from Hangzhou. The journey back would be arduous. Prime Minister Turtle was a true immortal and could travel a thousand miles in a day, but Yi An had only just begun to learn the art of earth-travel. He could not maintain it for long and was forced to stop periodically to replenish his spiritual energy.

There was no alternative; walking back to Hangzhou was out of the question. Thus, he pressed on by earth-travel as best he could, pausing to recover his energy along the way. After a day of this journey, he found his spiritual power had grown even stronger—just a hair’s breadth from breaking through Foundation Establishment and entering the Origin-Returning stage.

All in all, this trip to the Eastern Sea had been a resounding success. Not only had he made significant advances in his cultivation, but he had also acquired two treasures—the Ten Thousand Dragons Armor and the Azure Lotus Banner.

Though magical treasures were but external aids, they were nonetheless a true reflection of one’s own strength. If one’s own cultivation was strong, such aids became wings to a tiger.

In short, so long as one did not neglect personal cultivation in favor of relying on external objects, there was merit in their use.

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The Azure Lotus Banner might be somewhat wasted on him at this stage, but in time it would surely prove invaluable. With these two treasures at his side, Yi An felt a newfound sense of confidence.

……

Meanwhile, on the side of the dragon race, all was chaos and despair.

As the three days drew to a close, the younger generation of the dragon clan emerged from the ancestral land one by one. As the entrance threatened to close for good, the Four Sea Dragon Kings were left dumbfounded.

“My Ten Thousand Dragons Armor!” Ao Guang cried out in alarm. This time, not only had they failed to obtain the Ancestral Dragon’s legacy, but they had also lost the clan’s most precious treasure.

For a moment, Ao Guang was utterly desolate, his heart consumed by misery. He closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, they were bloodshot with fury. Yet this rage had nowhere to go—he could only choke it down, stifled and aggrieved.

“Alas, we underestimated the dangers of the ancestral land. That boy was just a feeble human, never fit to bear so great a responsibility,” Ao Qin sighed. The dragon clan had no recourse here—like a mute forced to swallow bitter herbs, they had suffered a loss they could not even voice.

“What’s done is done, there’s little more to say. It’s just a pity about the clan’s inheritance,” Ao Shun remarked with deep regret.

Their dreams dashed, the Four Sea Dragon Kings could not help but feel a lingering unwillingness.

But they could think of no remedy, and that was the bitterest pill of all.