What exactly was the relationship between the Primordial Saint and the Ancestral Dragon?
As the words fell, both Lu Yang and the World Honored One plunged into a brief silence. The atmosphere solidified at this moment. After a long while, the World Honored One finally spoke in a faint tone:
"Are you trying to say they were in a cooperative relationship?"
Lu Yang looked serious: "Is there such a possibility?"
This conjecture would directly lead to a severe consequence, because of the Ancestral Dragon's Remnant Bloodline! The First-generation Master of Pill Cauldron Peak's plan was practically inseparable from the support of this object.
If the Ancestral Dragon and the Primordial Saint were in a cooperative relationship...
That could only mean the Nascent Soul Pill plan was exposed from the very beginning. It might even be a plan the Primordial Saint deliberately guided out through the hands of the Ancestral Dragon.
Just thinking about it was terrifying.
Facing Lu Yang's inquiry, the World Honored One didn't answer immediately. Instead, he frowned and fell into a long silence. After a long time, his brows relaxed:
"Unlikely."
"You don't understand the Ancestral Dragon's power. If you added the Primordial Saint, they could have completely swept through the Light Sea back then; no one could have stopped them."
Hearing this, Lu Yang was somewhat curious: "Just how strong... is the Ancestral Dragon?"
"How strong?" The World Honored One smiled: "Before the establishment of the [Paramita], generally speaking, as long as one could permanently maintain the Great Perfection of the Golden Core, they were considered a Dao Lord in the usual sense."
"However, the Ancestral Dragon was different."
"By current standards, even in that era before the [Paramita] was born, the Ancestral Dragon's strength was already comparable to the Dao Lords of today!"
Such a stark contrast immediately made Lu Yang realize the Ancestral Dragon's power. This was already a difference in tier. It even made him subconsciously refute: "If that's the case, how could Sisui take a hundred of its moves without being defeated? How could the combined forces of all the Dao Lords suppress and seal it?"
Doesn't this confirm there's a problem?
However, the World Honored One shook his head: "No. Although the Ancestral Dragon was very powerful, there were also powerhouses among the Dao Lords who were similarly faintly a head above ordinary Dao Lords."
Lu Yang immediately understood:
'The Primordial Saint and Sisui.'
'One is a technique player, the other is a power player. The former is number one in combat, while the latter has higher cultivation. But the value is definitely higher for the latter...'
The next second, the World Honored One overturned Lu Yang's thoughts:
"Moreover, do you think the [Paramita] was established after the Ancestral Dragon died?"
"Uh, it wasn't?" Lu Yang was surprised.
"Of course not."
The World Honored One shook his head: "The establishment of the [Paramita] happened during the great battle with the Ancestral Dragon. While weakening the Ancestral Dragon on one hand, they simultaneously began setting about establishing it on the other."
"At the beginning, Sisui bore the brunt of the Ancestral Dragon's fury and suffered the most severe injuries. The entire battle situation almost collapsed. It wasn't until the Primordial Saint forged the prototype of the [Paramita], elevating their stature in a short time, that they managed to repel the Ancestral Dragon. Then came a prolonged, almost eternal slaughter."
"As one side waned, the other waxed."
"It was only at the very end, as the [Paramita] grew increasingly powerful, that it thoroughly suppressed the Ancestral Dragon. There was no problem with the process; there was not the slightest bit of holding back."
"Thanks to this, after the Ancestral Dragon died, the damage to the [Paramita] was also very severe."
"Although all the Dao Lords could step onto the [Paramita], they couldn't hold on for long before needing a lengthy period of time for repairs and adjustments."
"It just so happened that during that period..."
Without needing the World Honored One to explain further, Lu Yang already understood: "The Dao Lord battle erupted."
The World Honored One nodded: "Correct. Otherwise, if Sisui were allowed to step onto the [Paramita], I'm afraid even this kind of indirect killing wouldn't have been possible."
At this point, Lu Yang became curious again:
"Does Senior Brother know the reason why the Dao Lord battle erupted?"
The World Honored One shook his head: "Strangely enough, that great battle wasn't initiated by the Primordial Saint, but rather Sisui actively starting the war... so I'm unclear about the cause."
"However, judging from the results of that battle and the Ancestral Dragon's strength, the probability of the Primordial Saint cooperating with the Ancestral Dragon is extremely low. After all, the Ancestral Dragon's current miserable state cannot fool anyone. The Five Elements are sealed, and its physical body is suppressed. If it was cooperation, it should have gained something, right? Where are the Ancestral Dragon's gains?"
Lu Yang nodded after hearing this, feeling it was very reasonable.
"But Senior Brother, if it's not cooperation, then what do you think their relationship should be? The suspicious points regarding Perfected Lord Azure Firmament Radiance still exist after all."
"...Driving the tiger to devour the wolf."
After a moment of silence, the World Honored One gave his deduction:
"Even if that Perfected Lord Azure Firmament Radiance is truly the Cangjiang Dragon Lord of the past, having devoured his other brothers and capable of guiding the Ancestral Dragon, do not forget."
"He is a death spirit!"
"Once a death spirit, always a death spirit. As a death spirit, guiding the Ancestral Dragon's consciousness out will only turn the Ancestral Dragon into one of the death spirits as well."
"And given the Ancestral Dragon's innate stature as a Dao God, it cannot be subject to Beast Taming. So its choice is very easy to guess: usurping the host's role, seizing the Netherworld, so it has enough power to rescue its physical body and the [Five Elements] Great Dao. This is an irreconcilable contradiction!"
As soon as these words were spoken, Lu Yang's eyes instantly lit up.
In the depths of his eyes, the Light of Wisdom belonging to the First-generation Master of Beast Taming Peak was ignited, rapidly deducing the World Honored One's theory, and quickly arriving at the corresponding conclusion:
"Indeed it is!"
"Senior Brother means that Perfected Lord Azure Firmament Radiance's positioning is the same as [Sky-shrouding]'s previously, both being backup plans used by that person to destroy the Netherworld?"
"Correct."
The World Honored One smiled: "I am very clear about the Primordial Saint's methods. He never puts all his eggs in one basket, and even less would he pin his hopes on a mere lower-realm cultivator."
"Therefore, he inevitably has other backup plans to ensure that even if a problem arises with [Sky-shrouding], he can still deal with the Netherworld. That Perfected Lord Azure Firmament Radiance, or rather the Ancestral Dragon, should be his method. It's just that the hidden dangers of releasing the Ancestral Dragon's Primordial Spirit are too great, which is why he hasn't used it all this time."
"Otherwise, why wait until today?"
"As far as I know, Perfected Lord Azure Firmament Radiance had devoured the other Dragon Lords very early on. If he wanted to release the Ancestral Dragon, the Primordial Saint could have done so long ago."
"If that were truly the case, the Ancestral Dragon would have taken charge of the Netherworld long ago, and the Netherworld wouldn't have held on until Beast Taming awakened. From this, it can be seen that the Primordial Saint actually similarly fears the Ancestral Dragon."
"Indeed so. However..."
At this point, Lu Yang lowered his eyelids, his expression turning gloomy: "Given the Netherworld's current situation, releasing the Ancestral Dragon's Primordial Spirit probably doesn't have as many misgivings?"
Beast Taming had awakened, and the Netherworld was becoming increasingly stable.
But the more stable it was, the more suitable it was to let the Ancestral Dragon's Primordial Spirit in to cause destruction. What a move of driving the tiger to devour the wolf! The Primordial Saint Ancestor didn't even need to make a move personally!
Suddenly, the World Honored One looked up.
The next second, his gaze seemed to connect with his main body located on the [Paramita], and then through One Mind, he looked towards the direction of the Netherworld.
The Netherworld, the [Three Lives Stone].
Turbid and murky colors accumulated here, gathering into a dim, flowing light. And upon this flowing light, a grayish-white stone stele stood as if eternal.
A youth strolled over just like this. Beneath his feet was a calm lake surface, yet his steps stirred up ripples, like a swimming ink stain, resembling a flood dragon or a true dragon. It wasn't until he arrived directly in front of the stone stele that he finally stopped, revealing a handsome face and molten gold pupils.
It was exactly [Perfected Lord Azure Firmament Radiance].
At this moment, the [Three Lives Stone] similarly reflected radiance.
The youth's gaze landed on the stone stele. In a daze, he seemed to see his past and present lives. Countless scenes flowed slowly past his eyes like water.
"Crack!"
A crisp sound, like glass shattering. Innumerable cracks abruptly surfaced in the youth's pupils. Faintly, five-colored brilliance seemed to surge within the cracks.
At the same time, a voice sounded quietly.
So faint it was almost inaudible, as if falling from an infinite height, ethereal like an immortal, carrying a smile, and carrying composure: "Fellow Daoist, go quickly and return quickly."