Destiny is ashes

Chapter 1039 The Way of Unity with Heaven's Mandate (4200)

Within the Scale Realm, all was deathly silent, save for the breath that seemed to linger like the wind.

Whether they were ancestral divine beasts or savage ferocious beasts, whether they were martial artists or blood monsters, at this moment, all living beings in the entire Zhaolin Realm were holding their breath and waiting.

Waiting for the creature on the field.

The aftershocks of the previous earth-shattering battle are still slowly dissipating, and the shattered earth and boiling lava rivers have yet to show any signs of recovery or cooling.

In the heart of that devastation, the scattered, blood-red specks of light from the shattered dragon-god flickered like fireflies beside An Jing.

He turned around.

In the distance, all the martial artists watching the battle had recovered from their extreme shock. After a brief moment of speechlessness, they erupted into a frenzied cheer, like a volcanic eruption.

"We won! An Tianming won!"

"He fought against seven opponents... no, he single-handedly defeated all the geniuses of the Heavenly Sect!"

"So powerful, so beautiful!"

"This is true martial arts! This is the true path! I feel... I see the road ahead!"

"Nature Master, we admire you!"

"Nature Master! Please allow me to follow you!"

Countless reverent, fervent, and admiring gazes converged upon him, making An Jing's figure appear almost divine.

They witnessed a legendary battle worthy of being recorded in history. An Jing's unparalleled figure, which crushed all those who had once tried to be his equal and all those who had once been revered and admired by others, had become a god in their hearts!

However, just as everyone was basking in the afterglow of this victory, a sudden change occurred!

The mysterious dragon shadow that had been observing from the sidelines the only one who hadn't actually made a move after An Jing defeated the combined forces of the seven, suddenly accelerated the flow of time around it.

Under the gaze of countless astonished eyes, its slender dragon body rapidly contracted and transformed. Amidst the interplay of light and shadow, it transformed into a golden-haired dragon-horned woman who bore a seven or eight-point resemblance to An Jing, but with a gentler and cooler temperament.

The next moment, she seemed to say a few words to An Jing, and then without pausing, she transformed into a golden streak of light and sped away along the white jade ladder leading to the top of the ancestral mountain!

There was an uproar.

"No, who is she?"

"What the hell is that?!"

"Why...why did it turn into the appearance of Anjing Tianming?"

"Aren't those dragons from the Great Wilderness Realm? Could it be that An Jing is actually a dragon, from another world, and has sisters?"

The sudden turn of events left everyone bewildered; no one could comprehend this incomprehensible scene.

In the distance, You Ruhui was following An Jing's instructions and, under Jin Yanhua's protection, was activating the earth's veins to prepare for setting up an array to deal with any stronger enemies that might appear.

But at this moment, her mind was slightly startled by that familiar yet unfamiliar figure.

"Why did this dragon... take on the appearance of An Jing?"

Filled with confusion and a strange anxiety, she immediately messaged An Jing: "An Jing! She ran up ahead first, aren't you going to chase after her?!"

Why chase after them?

An Jing's response was calm, even somewhat indifferent. He turned around, his gaze passing over the rapidly receding golden streak and landing on the ravaged battlefield behind him: "I'll beat her until she's crying and kneeling on the ground later... but for now, she's going to suffer a lot."

He gazed at the cloud-shrouded summit of the ancestral mountain, his tone carrying a knowing understanding: "The ancestral dragon scale of the Zhaolin Realm is clearly not in good condition; I don't want to go up there so soon."

"It's a good thing that she's willing to help me pave the way."

"not to mention……"

An Jing turned around and looked at the former opponents who were struggling to get up from the ground.

He smiled and said, "There are more important things to do now."

Anjing took a step.

Although they were hundreds of miles apart, An Jing's actions caused the crowd in the distance to automatically part and create a passage.

Although they knew that Anjing's target could never be them, instinct, an instinctive pressure, compelled them to do so.

An Jing's goal was also crystal clear.

Among the five losers, Cang Anqi, the most mysterious figure from the Heavenly Mother Palace, was the first to stand up completely.

He raised his head, his golden eyes sweeping complexly over Anjing, over the distant ancestral mountain, and finally settling on You Ruhui.

At that moment, You Ruhui's heart skipped a beat.

Previously, Cang Anqi had been engaged in a fierce battle with An Jing, and she had not carefully observed the other party's posture, let alone seen those eyes that were only opened occasionally when she was exerting all her strength.

But at this moment, when those eyes looked over...

Those were a pair of... golden eyes, containing endless majesty, and a touch of tenderness that she knew all too well.

this person……

"Who are you?" You Ruhui asked subconsciously, her voice trembling slightly without her even realizing it.

"Come with me," An Jing said to Cang An. The two of them then went to the back and stood in front of Jin Yanhua and You Ruhui.

"Sister Jin, Ru Hui, do you know each other?"

Jin Yanhua was slightly taken aback. She carefully examined the handsome, red-haired young man with a noble air. At first, he seemed vaguely familiar, but when she met his golden eyes, she was struck dumb and exclaimed in shock, "Holy crap, Guangyun! So you're alive!"

"Sister Jin!"

This time it was Cang Anqi's turn, or rather, the younger version of Xuan Guangyun's head spinning. He subconsciously raised his hand to cover Jin Yanhua's mouth: "Don't be so loud, this isn't Jin Yuantian!"

He quickly formed a hand seal, and an invisible soundproof barrier enveloped the four of them.

After doing all this, he turned his head to look at You Ruhui, whose face was extremely complicated, whose lips were tightly bitten, and whose eyes were filled with tears, and gave him an extremely gentle smile.

“Mingjing… has grown up so much.”

He said softly, "To 'this me,' you're only so small. Perhaps 'the real me' saw how you grew, but to me... it's truly unimaginable."

“Father…” You Ruhui reached out, but could not touch Xuan Guangyun. She clenched her fist, took a deep breath, and calmly asked, “What form are you in right now?”

If it were the You Ruhui of the past, she would surely be incredibly excited, joyful, and also incredibly confused at this moment—but now, she is also a qualified martial artist.

Xuan Guangyun nodded slightly. He raised his hand, looked at his half-real, half-illusory blood shadow body, and said calmly, "I am just a shadow of my past self. You don't need to be so nervous and excited."

"In the end... I am no different from the portrait left in the painting." "He is from another timeline, a mysterious light essence selected by the Heavenly Mother Bloodstone."

Fu Xie said softly.

An Jing was silently complaining to himself: "Xuan to Cang, Guang to An, Yun to Qi, what simple pseudonyms, just like Ru Hui himself, no wonder they are father and daughter."

As for Fu Xie's evaluation, An Jing raised an eyebrow: "Isn't it similar to your form of existence?"

"Yes, after you advanced to the True Person realm and your immortal deeds manifested, I also benefited from it."

Fu Xie swayed slightly, and sighed, "Xuan Guangyun and I are in somewhat similar situations, but he is a shadow of the past, while I can be said to be countless shadows, or rather, the condensation of countless Dao thoughts..."

"The Realm of Radiant Scales is extremely special, allowing beings like him and me to recover to a certain extent."

“As expected.” An Jing nodded slightly. He had guessed it before: “Fu Xie, your condition has been off ever since you entered the Zhaolin Realm. If you have time later, please tell me about the situation in detail.”

"Hmm." Fu Xie responded with unprecedented gentleness, and chuckled, "Perhaps, I don't need to explain, because An Jing, you will soon see another being just like me."

"Is that so?"

An Jing raised his head thoughtfully and looked towards the distant ancestral mountain.

The ancestral dragon scales shone brightly, like eyes, meeting the gaze of the young warrior.

He lowered his head and looked at Cang Anqi—or rather, Xuan Guangyun: "Um, Uncle Guangyun—that's what I'll call you from now on."

"What exactly is going on in the Zhaolin Realm?"

"It's pretty much what you know."

Xuan Guangyun and An Jing exchanged glances, their eyes filled with friendliness: "The Blood Sea Demonic Sect intends to break through to the Lingxiao realm, and the Heavenly Venerables have allowed it, but they have other plans and intend to take a shortcut by relying on the Ancestral Dragon Scale."

"They cooperated with the Great Wilderness Realm, using the blood of the Great Wilderness Dragon to taint the Ancestral Dragon Scales in order to control the Scale Realm. The Great Wilderness Dragon Clan also allowed the other party to use them because they could use their own dragon blood to influence the Ancestral Dragon Scales and increase their control. Those Great Wilderness Dragons were originally meant to die, only that little Candle Dragon was the real core."

"She is not a threat."

An Jing shook his head slightly: "I'm more interested in knowing the situation outside, and... why you exist in this form, and why you were reproduced in the Heavenly Mother Palace."

"Of course, I also want to know more about Da Chen."

An Jing frankly expressed his thoughts and waited for Xuan Guangyun's reply. The blood-red figure also pondered for a moment before saying, "My existence is very complicated. It is a grand plan for creation that I discussed with His Majesty back then... You may know a little about it now. In short, it is related to creation from nothing."

"As for now, all of this is a secret scheme by the Heavenly Sect, so you must be careful."

You Ruhui's expression turned grave: "Be careful of whoever it may be."

Xuan Guangyun's gaze became incredibly profound: "That's too many."

"The Path of Refining Truth, the Heavenly Mother Palace, half of the Sword Court, the Longevity Sect, and most importantly..."

"The Great Chen Dynasty".

"The most crucial Great Chen Dynasty?"

Jin Yanhua almost instinctively retorted, his voice full of disdain: "Does that Da Chen that abandoned you even deserve to be called a core? They don't even have the Xuan Tian Emperor anymore, what do they have to rely on as their core!"

Jin Yanhua's doubts are not unreasonable. In the eyes of anyone who knows the power structure at the top of Huaixu Realm, the Great Chen Dynasty has lost its most powerful emperor, and has basically lost its qualification to cultivate the Nine Heavens, that is, to compete for the supreme power of heaven and earth.

"Even without Emperor Xuantian, the Great Chen Dynasty is still the core of the core!"

At this point, Xuan Guangyun sighed, his semi-transparent body swaying in the blazing wind, as if he might dissipate at any moment: "I originally wanted to give you some hints during the battle, but everything developed too quickly—fortunately, An Jing is strong enough. Just now, he not only defeated me, but his all-destroying fist also shattered the restrictions of the Heavenly Mother Palace within my body."

"In this way, in these final moments, I am finally free."

"But you will die, won't you?" Jin Yanhua was straightforward, but her mind was incredibly sharp. Although she was overjoyed by her comrade's resurrection, she had experienced too many partings and quickly realized the key: "Once you leave the Zhaolin Realm, or once this matter is settled, your shadow will be completely absorbed by the Heavenly Mother Bloodstone!"

"That doesn't matter." Xuan Guangyun took it all in stride, laughing nonchalantly, "My true form has long since vanished, how can a mere blood shadow remain?"

"If I hadn't made a cooperation with the Heavenly Mother Palace back then, and left a drop of imperial blood as a token, even this shadow wouldn't exist today."

Turning his head, Xuan Guangyun looked at An Jing and sighed deeply: "Although I've already said it, it's just too powerful."

“An Jing, you are probably stronger than the Holy Ancestor was when he was in the Divine Treasury Realm, perhaps even stronger!”

"If it were you, you could probably directly thwart the Heavenly Sect's conspiracy!"

An Jing, who had been listening thoughtfully, nodded at this moment: "Four half-heaven sects... Thinking about it carefully, the foundations of the True Refining Path, the Heavenly Mother Palace, and the Longevity Sect are all related to the essence of 'True Spirit,' 'Creation,' and 'Life.' As for the Sword Court, it pursues the pure 'Dao.'"

"No wonder the Blood Sea Demonic Sect is so arrogant; it's true that half of the Huai Xu Realm is supporting them, both openly and secretly."

Raising their heads, An Jing and Xuan Guangyun exchanged glances: "Da Chen has indeed mastered the second generation of the Creation from Nothingness... the Yingtian Immortal Tree!"

"Haha."

In response, Xuan Guangyun laughed as Jin Yanhua and You Ruhui watched in shock: "Yes, that's right—the one who holds the second generation of Wuzhongsheng is none other than our Great Chen."

An Jing's expression remained calm as he continued along his lines of reasoning: "However, Da Chen has not gained the complete approval of Wu Zhong Sheng. So you want to take a different approach, to create another Immortal Tree outside of the Immortal Tree, or rather... to create a new 'Wu Zhong Sheng'."

“To create life and create something from nothing, it is impossible not to cooperate with the forces most proficient in the way of creation. But it seems that Da Chen has not joined forces with the Blood Sea Demonic Sect, and the Heavenly Will Demonic Sect is blocking the way in the West Sea, so it is difficult to cooperate deeply... The Longevity Sect is about life, and I think it is not as suitable as the Ancestral Dragon Palace in this respect.”

"In that case, your partners..."

“Tianmu... Palace!” You Ruhui murmured, “So that’s how it is... So, from the very beginning, all of this was a conspiracy?”

“That’s not all.” Xuan Guangyun lowered his eyes and looked at his daughter, saying calmly, “What the Great Chen Dynasty truly wants to do is to unify the Northern Xuan Sacrifice Continent with the power of nothingness and prove itself as the ‘Lord of the World’.”

"In this way, the Xuan Tian Emperor can merge the power of the two Heavenly Mandates during the Great Calamity, using the 'Heart of Heaven and Earth' and the 'Dual Heavenly Mandates' as keys to explore the true power and authority behind the Heavenly Mandates, which originates from the 'Huai Xu Heavenly Dao'."

An Jing nodded slowly and solemnly said, "The Heavenly Dao of Huai Xu closes itself off, refusing any existence to pry into its Great Dao and authority, with the exception of the Mandate of Heaven."

"Da Chen's true goal is also to ascend to the highest heavens, and that path..."

"Correct."

Xuan Guangyun calmly said, "Heaven's mandate is one, and one wields the power of Heaven."

"That is to say, to embody the Heavenly Dao!"

--ha.

While Jin Yanhua and You Ruhui were both shocked by this answer, An Jing remained completely calm.

An Jing, who was both the 'Seven Fiends Tribulation' and a disguised 'Nature Master', and who also possessed the 'True Spirit Blood - Ancestral Dragon Seed' within him, couldn't help but chuckle: "Just as I thought."

"Huai Xu Tian Dao, you bastard..."

(End of this chapter)