Wrong! Everything was wrong from the very beginning.
In this instant, all his previous unease turned into reality. As if a flash of insight tore through the fog, Lu Yang instantly connected all the clues—
"The Ancestral Dragon wasn't released just now!"
"As early as the First History, the moment the Cangjiang Dragon Lord reincarnated as [Perfected Lord Azure Firmament Radiance] and slew the Huai River Dragon Lord, the Ancestral Dragon had already broken free!"
"Ever since then, [Perfected Lord Azure Firmament Radiance] has been the Ancestral Dragon!"
"In the Second History, that Saint Sect Great Perfected Lord who inexplicably had his soul scattered in the Mortal World was it, and that Saint Sect Great Perfected Lord in the Netherworld who watched the show and then ran away was also it!"
"It has always been the Ancestral Dragon, never changed!"
In other words, not many years after Sisui's death and the Dao Lords ascending to the [Paramita], the Ancestral Dragon's Primordial Spirit consciousness was secretly released by the Primordial Saint!
Back then, in front of the Three Lives Stone.
On the surface, it looked like the Ancestral Dragon broke free through [Perfected Lord Azure Firmament Radiance], but that was just a show for others. In reality, he had broken free long ago!
The [Perfected Lord Azure Firmament Radiance] standing in front of the Three Lives Stone was the Ancestral Dragon to begin with!
And the one truly awakened at that time was actually the Cangjiang Dragon Lord!
After that, the Cangjiang Dragon Lord replaced the Ancestral Dragon's karma, becoming a stand-in, while the Ancestral Dragon shed its shell like a golden cicada, quietly shaking off the identity of a death spirit.
That's why at that time, the Primordial Saint said a sentence—
[Fellow Daoist, go quickly and return quickly].
At the time, all the Dao Lords thought this sentence meant the Ancestral Dragon had to return even if it broke the seal. Little did they know, this sentence was actually seeing off the Ancestral Dragon back then!
"The Ancestral Dragon and the Primordial Saint really are in a cooperative relationship!"
The former conjecture, which was vetoed by the World Honored One for being too absurd and completely lacking a reason, now, looking back, had astonishingly hit the nail precisely on the head!
A single stone stirred up a thousand waves.
At this moment, Lu Yang, who had originally stopped being paid attention to by the Dao Lords because of his sacred severance from [Pill Cauldron], once again entered the Dao Lords' field of vision.
Even the [Ancestral Dragon], or rather the Cangjiang Dragon Lord wearing the karma of the [Ancestral Dragon] as Perfected Lord Azure Firmament Radiance, was somewhat surprised: "A quick one."
"A disciple of the Saint Sect."
This Cangjiang Dragon Lord grinned, looking very pleased with himself: "Since you can guess, why not guess again where Master is right now?"
The Immortal Nexus, overseas.
The Old Dragon Lord looked up at the sky with a face full of despair. And in his eyes, cracks formed by five-colored brilliance were gradually filling his vision, covering his entire pupils.
"It's actually like this... it's actually like this!"
"A part of my memory was wrong? I wasn't the [Controllable Variable] left behind to prevent your escape. This was a smokescreen from the very beginning?"
[Otherwise?]
In the Old Dragon Lord's heart, a light chuckle sounded: "If it weren't so, no matter how long you lived, how could a mere mid-stage Golden Core know so many secrets?"
"Leaving a controllable variable for my seal—this was a suitable reason to fool the other Dao Lords. In reality, it was just finding an excuse to let you live. Otherwise, after I transformed into a death spirit, it would be very difficult to shake off the Netherworld's control. Only with you alive can I live again."
The cracks suddenly shattered.
Intense five-colored brilliance instantly filled the Old Dragon Lord's pupils, flowing with resplendent colors like crystal. After a long while, the [Old Dragon Lord] finally smiled slightly:
"Not bad."
Before his voice faded, he stretched his limbs and vanished from his spot. When he reappeared, he had already arrived Jiangbei, openly walking into the Heaven-Connecting Cloud Sea.
Almost simultaneously, on the Sacred Fire Cliff.
Within the [Cinnabar Mountain Red Waater Grotto-Heaven], Perfected Lord Feixue, who was sitting cross-legged in meditation, opened her eyes. Her beautiful eyes held no fear, coldly and calmly watching the Ancestral Dragon.
Her eyes were incomparably brilliant at this moment.
Dust-covered memories comprehensively awakened at this moment, wiping away all confusion. It made the corners of her mouth curl up, revealing a hint of a mocking smile.
The Ancestral Dragon didn't care about this at all and smiled faintly—
"Huai River, no need to try anymore."
"You won't be able to attain [Nourishing Descend]. Did you really think you could achieve Void Attainment on your own? Without my help, you couldn't even touch the edge of a True Treasure!"
Huai River! Huai River!
The Ancestral Dragon's words thoroughly confirmed the authenticity of the memories, making Perfected Lord Feixue let out a long breath of turbid air: "So it's like this. I am also a Dragon Lord?"
"A Dragon Lord from the false history?"
"Remember it?"
The Ancestral Dragon grinned, revealing a mouthful of sharp teeth. The look he gave Perfected Lord Feixue was like looking at a lamb waiting to be slaughtered, a grand meal prepared for him.
"Correct, you are the Huai River Dragon Lord of the First History."
"The Primordial Saint regathered your true spirit back then, bringing you to the current Second History to command the [Ravine Stream Water]. Because the [Ravine Stream Water] gained the concept of [Rivers] in the Second History, you were able to easily seek the Golden Core, and even push the Dao Fruit to its absolute peak the moment you advanced to Perfected Lord."
"Unfortunately, you can't stir up any waves in front of me."
"Because back then, it was Cangjiang who personally slew you and usurped your karma. The condensed concept of [Usurpation of the Huai River] is still held in my hands to this day."
Perfected Lord Feixue almost instantly understood the Ancestral Dragon's meaning.
The so-called [Usurpation of the Huai River] was actually a possibility from the First History, now the false history. Once extracted, it could turn into reality even in the Mortal World!
In an instant, the world spun.
Able to establish a foothold in the Saint Sect for so many years with the identity of [Perfected Lord Azure Firmament Radiance], the Ancestral Dragon naturally also understood the principle that a lion uses its full strength even when hunting a rabbit.
He seemed to be answering Feixue's doubts just now, but in reality, he had already deployed the [Usurpation of the Huai River] long ago.
Therefore, at this moment, Perfected Lord Feixue had almost no power to resist before he opened his gaping bloody maw and swallowed her whole in a single gulp!
After doing all this, the Ancestral Dragon patted his stomach satisfyingly and burped. Only after a moment did he suddenly frown, revealing a look of surprise.
"A perfect Dao heart?"
"Tch... is it because of the [Mark of Fulfilling Virtue]? Forget it, it's just a cornered beast's final struggle anyway. Just like Ao Guang, wasting a bit more time, I'll digest it eventually."
He had to admit, although the overall situation was within his plan, the details had indeed changed somewhat.
First was the Old Dragon Lord. He had actually attained a strange Dao Fruit through the Void, allowing him to maintain a certain degree of autonomy even after being devoured by him.
Secondly, Perfected Lord Feixue's Dao heart was perfect.
Therefore, even though he had already devoured both of them, he hadn't achieved the perfect effect in the plan... Moreover, Perfected Lord Feixue was also a bit weak right now.
'But it's not a big problem.'
'It's coming.'
The Ancestral Dragon raised his eyes. His gaze pierced through the Mortal World, seeing the [Sea of Bitterness], and also seeing that Great Dao slowly rising from boundless concepts, heralding destruction.
[Tribulation]!
'The [Nascent Soul Pill] was refined using the Remnant Bloodline I left behind, plus the forbidden knowledge of [Dragon Tiger Mountain]. If it successfully triggers the collapse of the [Paramita], it will inevitably bring disaster to the Mortal World. This is an unquestionable Great Tribulation of Heaven and Earth, enough to destroy all cultivators. No one below a Dao Lord will survive!'
All karma originated from him!
"Boom!"
Above the [Paramita], the World Honored One could no longer maintain the smile on his face. Like the other Dao Lords, he looked at the tiny figure at the apex with a mixture of shock and anger—
"Primordial Saint!"
All five Dao Lords sensed that intense crisis. Especially the cooperative relationship between the Primordial Saint and the Ancestral Dragon; it made them feel it was utterly absurd.
What a joke!
It wasn't until a faint, light chuckle drifted down from that tiny figure above the apex, that the pupils of all the Dao Lords shrank, and a chilling cold crept into their hearts:
"Alchemy, Artifact Forging, Dual Cultivation."
"Fellow Daoists, why do you think I created the Dao of Beast Taming back then?"
In this ancient chess game with the Light Sea as the board, all the Dao Lords thought they were also chess players, playing against me, making layouts to defeat me.
Little did they know, in my eyes...
From the moment I was born, this chess game was already a dead end!