Volume Two: No Way Forward Amidst Mountains and Rivers Chapter Twenty-Six: The Primal Sovereign

Kuimu Wolf swiftly wrapped a thin, cicada-wing-like piece of pure white silk around Lan Sheng’s severed arm. The moment the silk touched the wound, it immediately tightened around it, and before long, the blood that had been streaming out in torrents slowly ceased to flow.

Seeing the chaos erupting on their side, Lin Xiaoyun tugged at Lin Liu’s sleeve, turned around, and transformed into a black dragon, intent on fleeing. How could Lin Bai, who stood by Lan Sheng’s side, let them escape so easily? In a flash, he too transformed into his dragon form. With a long, resounding roar, he soared after Lin Xiaoyun and Lin Liu.

The black dragon that Lin Xiaoyun had become suddenly heard a dragon’s roar behind him. Glancing back, he saw a white flood dragon in pursuit. With a bellow, he spewed a massive fireball at Lin Bai, the blazing sphere spinning mercilessly as it shot toward the little white dragon.

Lin Bai twisted his body with lightning speed. Just as the fireball was about to reach him, he turned sideways and struck it with all his might using his tail. The fireball emitted a piercing, shrill sound as it arced through the sky, flying straight toward Lin Liu.

Lin Liu was focused solely on running away, when suddenly he heard a crackling, splitting noise behind him. Before he could even turn his head, the unexpected fireball struck the back of his skull, shattering his protective aura and dispersing it entirely. This fireball, launched with all Lin Xiaoyun’s strength and then sent flying by Lin Bai’s dragon tail, landed on an unguarded Lin Liu, shaking his internal organs almost to pieces. Blood spurted from his mouth, his vision went black, and he collapsed headlong to the ground.

The pitch-black dragon threw his head back and let out a mournful wail, reverted to human form, and managed only to cry out, “Liu’er!”—before fainting dead away as well.

Lin Bai also returned to human shape and rushed over. Just as Lin Xiaoyun was about to tumble into the sea, Lin Bai seized him and hauled him back to the Celestial Palace’s main camp.

Now the stars of the Celestial Palace surrounded Lan Sheng, all glaring furiously at Lin Xiaoyun. Lin Bai, clutching Lin Xiaoyun, squeezed into the crowd and asked, “How is Lan Sheng?”

At this moment, Lan Sheng’s eyes remained closed, his face ashen.

The Moon Fox, Su Yuan, spoke: “From what I see, his life is no longer in danger, but as for his cultivation… Ah! Such a fine young man…” The crowd all sighed in regret.

Jiaomu Jiao, burning with rage, seized Lin Xiaoyun with one hand and drew his Primordial Blade with the other, ready to execute him on the spot.

Just then, a voice called out from the crowd, “Hold, Old Jiao!”

Everyone turned to see Zhuo Hua, seated atop the Mist-Treading Beast, descending slowly with Yao Bogong to stand before them.

Jiaomu Jiao’s eyes were brimming with tears as he cried hoarsely, “Yuanshang, come quickly and see to this boy Lan! All of this is because of that foolish old dragon!” And with that, he raised his blade high.

As the flaming Primordial Blade blazed and began to fall, Zhuo Hua raised his right hand, sending out a powerful current of energy. As it reached the sword, he transformed his palm into a claw and yanked it back forcefully. The sword, about to strike, was pulled away from Old Jiao’s grip, snatched from midair.

Old Jiao stared at his now-empty hand, sighed deeply, and pushed Lin Xiaoyun into Kuimu Wolf’s grasp. With a sudden twist, he transformed into a flood dragon, howling across the sky before flying off toward the Celestial Palace above the clouds.

Zhuo Hua stepped forward to the center of the group, where all those present knelt in respect upon the clouds. He glanced at Lan Sheng, whose life hung by a thread, and then at Lan Shan, whose eyes were swollen with tears. Reaching into the Infinite Cosmos Pouch, he took out the newly forged Cangyue Pearl and handed it to Lan Shan, simply saying, “You know how to use it, don’t you?”

Lan Shan nodded, then quickly shook her head and replied, “My cultivation isn’t strong enough yet—I can’t activate the Cangyue Pearl.”

Zhuo Hua looked to Kuimu Wolf and said, “Li Xiong, help Lan Shan revive this boy.”

Kuimu Wolf was stunned for a moment, but quickly regained his composure and bowed. “As you command, Lord Yuanjun.” Rising, he gestured toward Lin Xiaoyun, still in Zhuo Hua’s grasp.

Zhuo Hua snorted. “The Dragon King awoke long ago—he’s just spent from his duel with his own son. Hand him over to me.”

Kuimu Wolf, full of disdain, shoved Lin Xiaoyun toward Zhuo Hua.

Zhuo Hua grasped the seemingly half-dead Lin Xiaoyun, smiled, and greeted him, “Dragon King Lin, I trust you’ve been well.”

But Lin Xiaoyun remained motionless.

Zhuo Hua shook him and looked around, saying, “It’s said in ancient times that the celestial dragons of the void possessed the power to destroy heaven and earth itself, that not even the ninefold lightning of the sky could break their armored scales. But I wonder, has this dragon—who’s never ventured into the auspicious void—ever wandered freely inside?”

He feigned an incantation, preparing to summon a heavenly tribulation.

Suddenly, the dragon king in his grasp began to writhe violently, crying out in terror, “Lord Yuanjun, spare me! I am indeed thick-skinned, but I lack the star lords’ formidable protective aura! Please, have mercy and let me go.”

He knelt on the clouds, kowtowing desperately.

Zhuo Hua’s smile didn’t waver as he said coolly, “I won’t kill you. But as a regional lord of the Celestial Palace, can you tell me what possessed you to endanger your entire clan by openly defying the heavens?”

“This… this…” Lin Xiaoyun hesitated, unsure how to answer.

After a long pause, he stammered, “It was… it was the return of the Lady Lanling. Three months ago, she possessed a woman in purple and fought her way from the shore of the Kunpeng Sea right into my palace bedchamber. She demanded my cooperation, or else our dragon clan would be declared enemies of the Anli Clan, and when they descend in a few centuries, we would be their first target after you in the Celestial Palace. Moreover, the other three clans—the sharks, the eagles, and the whales—had already pledged their loyalty to her.”

At these words, an uproar broke out among the crowd.

Zhuo Hua’s face showed no reaction, the angle of his smile unchanged. He asked calmly, “And then? Did you agree to her terms?”

Lin Xiaoyun looked troubled. “Lord Yuanjun, you know as well as I do. Ever since the ancient war, the dragon clan has lost all will to resist at the mere mention of Lady Lanling. The memory of the eight heavenly dragons being flayed and hung from the Cloud Sky Monument is still fresh in our minds.” He wiped a tear from the corner of his eye with his sleeve.

Yao Bogong stepped forward and demanded, “Even so, you cannot betray the Celestial Palace! That is a crime that will doom your entire clan—do you not care?”

Lin Xiaoyun gazed up at the sky and replied in a mournful tone, “Of course I know the price is extinction. But in this world, when have we, the struggling remnants of our kind, ever truly had a choice?”

The Moon Fox, Su Yuan, stood tall and righteous. “Since you pledged allegiance to the Celestial Palace, you must have the courage to face death before surrender. How can you abandon resistance at the first sign of a powerful enemy?”

Lin Xiaoyun let out several laughs, then began to weep. “Resist? Who in all the void does not know Lady Lanling’s methods? Tell me, Star Lords, with your formation after all twenty-eight of you are in place, how much confidence do you have in trapping Lady Lanling—let alone her countless Anli vanguard?”

The assembly fell silent.

Kuimu Wolf spoke. “Death comes to all. We will follow Lord Yuanjun Zhuo Hua and resist the Anli Clan to the end. We will never be cowards who cling to life and fear death.”

Lin Xiaoyun’s laughter gave way to wailing. “Defending your land and country is your duty, and I respect you. But why must your divine wars drag our weaker kin into your struggles? We only wish to live and multiply in peace, not to fight for dominion or for everlasting fame. I beg you, spare the dragon clan.” With that, he wept bitterly.

At this, the four generals of the An family drew closer. An Chenfeng patted the old dragon king’s shoulder, meaning to comfort him, but no words would come.

Lin Xiaoyun ignored An Chenfeng’s gesture and continued, “Our dragon palace was once a harmonious family, but you in the Celestial Palace have always harbored suspicion toward us, secretly supporting my third son. Bai’er was in his prime, eager to make his mark. But the world is cold, and the dragon clan cannot endure any more upheaval—lest our bloodline be lost in our generation. How could he heed my words? He only accused me of favoritism toward the fourth. He knows the fourth is a fool—do you think I would pass the throne to a half-wit?” At this, Lin Xiaoyun grew agitated.

His chest heaved violently; after a long while, he calmed and continued, “You in the Celestial Palace secretly supplied him with arms and provisions. I knew it all. Yet I only hoped Bai’er would eventually relent for the sake of our bond. I never thought he would persist, raising troops in rebellion. I merely wanted him to cool his head in the marshes, but you—” Suddenly, Lin Xiaoyun spun toward Zhuo Hua, pointing at him furiously, “You stormed our forbidden grounds, wounded our guards, and abducted Bai’er, taking him to the Celestial Palace. Since then, though father and son live, we may never meet again.”

“Insolence!” the assembled stars rebuked him.

Lin Xiaoyun laughed. “Having committed so grave a crime today, what is left for me to fear? Once, we dragons roamed the void at our ease. But because of that Lady Lanling—no, the Demon Lanling—how many ancient beasts have you destroyed in her name? If our four clans had not suffered humiliation and survived, if we had not subdued all sides and guarded the four directions, where would your so-called golden age, your peace and prosperity, be? This would already be a living hell, a wasteland.”

Zhuo Hua raised a hand, cutting Lin Xiaoyun off. “Go back and tell her to stop these tricks meant to shake our resolve. She should prepare to face me in battle.”

Lin Xiaoyun was stunned, unable to believe his ears. He asked in a low voice, “You mean… you’re letting me go?”

By now, Zhuo Hua had already turned to leave. Without looking back, he said, “In cultivation, I may not match Lanling. But in knowing and employing men…”

He shook his head, mounted the Mist-Treading Beast, and left only this: “Let them go. No one is to hinder them.” With that, he departed the vast, misty Lingbo Sea.

Lin Xiaoyun transformed back into a dragon and fled, tumbling away as fast as he could. The four generals of the An family exchanged glances; An Chenfeng sighed deeply and led his brothers away as well.