Chapter 216

“Ah—yes!” Elder Jiao froze for a moment, confused but instinctively pulled out a formation talisman and immediately activated the Celestial Masters’ Hall’s Mountain Protection Array.

In the next instant, white light surged across the entire hall. Countless rays of formation energy shot into the sky, weaving together into layers upon layers of intricate arrays that enclosed both the Celestial Masters’ Hall and the great city below.

The moment the formation took shape, thunder roared. Countless bolts of lightning poured down from the heavens like a waterfall of pure electricity, hammering the protective barrier in relentless waves. Yet every strike was blocked; the barrier held firm. Blinding white light filled the sky, illuminating the Celestial Masters’ Hall as bright as day.

The sect leaders collectively gasped. With lightning on such a scale, if the formation hadn’t been activated in time, the disciples below would’ve suffered catastrophic losses. Just who—or what—had the power to summon so many heavenly bolts at once?!

By now, the entire sky was shrouded in thick, churning storm clouds. The thunder stopped—but the wind grew violent, carrying with it a sense of enormous movement within the clouds. Something vast was shifting up there, its silhouette dimly visible. Then—

A thunderous roar split the heavens. A colossal shadow tore through the clouds, breaking them apart as it emerged. Its body was dark gold, vast and coiling, exuding an overwhelming aura of power that seemed to crush the very air.

Everyone looked up, eyes wide with disbelief.

That shape… could it be—

“A dragon!”

Someone’s horrified cry shattered the stunned silence, and at once, chaos erupted.

“It’s a dragon! The Dragon Clan has appeared!”

“The descent of a divine dragon—this must be an omen of great fortune! The legends were true!”

“Am I dreaming? This is the first time I’ve ever seen an actual celestial being!”

All around, disciples stood frozen, staring skyward in awe and excitement. For cultivators, the ultimate goal of the Dao was ascension—to become as the immortals. And before their very eyes now hovered a true celestial race—a dragon from the upper realm!

But the wonder lasted only moments before a piercing roar split the air once more. The sound struck like needles into their eardrums, shaking their souls. Many clutched their heads, their consciousness reeling as if their very spirits were being torn apart.

“Steady your minds!” Hall Master Xu shouted, his voice ringing loud and firm. “Do not listen to its call—guard your spirit!”

The disciples quickly obeyed, sitting cross-legged and forming seals to stabilize their souls. Gradually, the pain subsided as they blocked out the dragon’s voice.

Another series of roars echoed. The dragon moved within the clouds, its massive golden head finally emerging fully. Wrapped in surging immortal qi and dragon aura, it gazed down upon them with twin golden pupils the size of basins—cold, furious, and filled with divine power. It seemed to be searching for something within the barrier.

Then, a thunderous voice rolled down from above, carrying unrestrained wrath and authority:

“Hand over the murderer who slew my son, or I shall destroy this realm and bury all creation alongside him!”

The sect masters exchanged alarmed looks. They had already sensed hostility, but they hadn’t expected this—a dragon seeking vengeance.

Gathering his courage, Hall Master Xu stepped forward, his voice amplified by spiritual power.

“Esteemed immortal, may we know what you mean? What happened to your son, and what does it have to do with the Celestial Sect? Why have you come to accuse us?”

“Hmph! Insolent ants, dare you feign ignorance?” the dragon growled, its golden eyes blazing. “My son descended to the lower realm to temper himself. One final tribulation, and he would have ascended. Yet you dared slay him at the moment of his transformation and stole his Dragon Core! I cast a tracing spell—and it led me here! The culprit is that ant standing behind you!”

Xu instinctively turned around—toward Tang Chen and Tang Yi.

Both father and son froze. Then Tang Chen’s expression changed as realization dawned. He looked up at the sky and blurted out, “You’re the father of that evil flood dragon!”

Indeed, the only dragon-like creature he had encountered recently was that murderous serpent.

“So it was you!” the dragon bellowed, its fury doubling. “Return my son’s Dragon Pearl at once, or I will raze this place to the ground!”

“What… what’s going on?” Tang Yi stammered, his face pale. “Chen’er, I know you were injured by a flood dragon, but how did this escalate to the Dragon Clan?!”

Tang Chen stepped forward, his voice steady. “It’s true that I fought the creature. But it was because it brought disaster to the people of Yushan—devouring countless innocents. I tracked it down and had no choice but to exterminate it. As for any Dragon Pearl—I never took it!”

“Lies!” The dragon’s roar shook the heavens again. Lightning flickered across its massive frame. “My son’s tribulation spanned three thousand years—he never once left his waters! You murdered him for greed, desecrating divine blood!”

“Is that so?” Yun Jiao finally spoke up, her voice calm but cutting. “So this is the kind of nonsense the upper realm spouts these days?” She turned to the old man beside her. “Old man! The talisman!”

“Huh? Oh—right!” The old man scrambled for a moment before producing a recording talisman. A beam of light shot into the air, forming a vivid image above them.

In it was a valley—a deep pit where the massive serpent lay slain, surrounded by mountains of bones. Countless human skeletons were piled high, a sight so ghastly that the crowd collectively gasped.

“This is…”

Even the sect leaders paled. Never before had they seen such carnage. The disciples’ admiration for the upper realm instantly turned to horror and rage.

The “immortal race” of the upper realm… had done something more monstrous than any demon.

“It seems you don’t even know what your own son was,” Yun Jiao said coldly. “That serpent was a murderer—a beast who slaughtered thousands. As long as it remained unascended, it was a demon, and as disciples of the Celestial Sect, our duty is to purge demons and uphold righteousness. Regardless of whose son it was, if it sinned, we would destroy it.”

“Impudent brat!” the dragon thundered, utterly unmoved by the sight of the bones. It didn’t even glance at them, as though such atrocities were beneath notice. “My son bore dragon blood! His actions are not for mortals to judge! Hand over his Dragon Pearl immediately!”

Yun Jiao’s brow furrowed slightly as realization flickered in her eyes. “Ah, so you’re not here for revenge—you’re here for the Soul Core Pearl, aren’t you?”

The dragon froze, genuine shock flickering in its eyes. How did she know of that secret? Could she possibly—?

Yun Jiao’s tone turned faintly mocking. “I’ve been waiting for whoever was behind this to show up. I thought you might have some clever scheme, but apparently you were just too confident in your son. Only now do you realize he’s dead. Some father you are—your son wasn’t worth half the trouble your so-called ‘immortal beasts’ cause.”

“Silence!” the dragon roared, cutting her off mid-sentence. It clearly didn’t want her revealing more. “My patience is at an end. If you will not surrender the killer and the Pearl, then all of you—die!”

With that, it unleashed another barrage of thunderbolts. But the Mountain Protection Array held strong; each bolt dissipated harmlessly upon impact.

“Foolish mortals! Do you think hiding in this toy formation will save you?” the dragon snarled, its killing intent spreading like wildfire. “No array can stand against the might of the Dragon Clan!”

It dove downward, breaking through the clouds entirely. The air screamed around it as fierce gales formed countless blades of wind, slicing through the atmosphere with world-ending power.

Even within the barrier, everyone could feel the sharpness of those winds—like knives scraping against their very souls. The sect masters turned pale and shouted for the disciples to raise defenses, though none were sure such power could be resisted.

The dragon plummeted faster and faster, the storm behind it roaring like an ocean. It was seconds from colliding with the barrier—

Then—

BOOM!

A deafening crash shook the mountains.

The formation—did not break.

The dragon—was flung backward!

Hall Master Xu: “……”

Tang Chen: “……”

Everyone: “……”

(￣△￣；)

Was that… a fake dragon?

(End of Chapter)