Destiny is ashes

Chapter 950 The Grand Feast (4600 words)

After making a promise, An Jing disappeared.

"Wait, Master An, this Fuxie and the Heavenly Dao..."

He hesitated, then raised his hand, but ultimately said nothing.

Although he wanted to persuade him to stay, he didn't know how to start the conversation, and he was also hesitant to continue talking to An Jing—the other party had exposed all his secrets and seen right through him, and staying with such a person for even a second longer was a huge pressure.

But the truth about his transmigration, the matters of Fu Xie and the Heavenly Dao of the Great Wilderness Realm, made him want to inquire even out of fear.

"As expected of someone with the same destiny as His Majesty the Human Emperor, the Huai Xu Realm truly is a place where hidden talents abound..."

An Jing had already left. Yu Feng took a deep breath, feeling uneasy, but he still got up, left the isolated island, and continued walking towards the interior of the Ancestral Dragon Palace along the Rainbow Path.

The other side.

Using the power of the cave, An Jing hid deep within the void, stroking his chin and watching Yu Feng leave.

Ordinary immortals traverse the void by relying on the non-physical nature of their Dharma body and the interference of their Dharma domain on space and time. Once they stop, they will be repelled and leave, naturally leaving behind traces.

However, by using the Cave Heaven Technique to conceal one's own spiritual energy, one can merge into the Great Void and leave almost no trace. Unless one uses a method like the Haotian Mirror that can illuminate the entire Void Sea, it is extremely difficult to detect him.

“This guy’s ‘superpower’ is essentially the mapping of his soul to observe the world from a higher perspective, similar to the ‘Sword Eye’ you shared with me before.”

An Jing and Fu Xie exchanged ideas: "He is not capable enough now, but if his mastery of the Void reaches my level, he can observe 'up, down, left, right, front, back, inside and outside' at the same time."

"This should be part of Fu Xie's ability."

“Yes.” Fu Xie agreed, “This is part of the power of my sword. It can break through the nine heavens and observe the universe from the perspective of the ‘higher heavens’. It can even peer into and interfere with a part of the river of time. It is part of my most powerful ability.”

"This kid must have accidentally obtained a trace of my sword energy, which is why his soul was able to travel through the void to Huaixu."

“There’s also the interference of the Heavenly Dao.” An Jing fell into deep thought: “I thought Huai Xu’s karma was heavy enough, but I didn’t expect it to involve the outside world—this matter of the Ancestral Dragon Palace seems to be of extraordinary importance.”

Despite this, An Jing was not afraid at all; on the contrary, he was very much looking forward to it: "I want to see how much karma Heaven can stir up for me this time."

Over the past six months, An Jing, You Ruhui, and other companions who obtained the 'Cave Heaven Method' have been constantly exchanging results, ideas, and putting them into practice. Now they have integrated the basic ideas of the Cave Heaven Method and the Ascension Path, and have summarized a set of general principles, which are the same ones he previously taught to the students of the Ancestral Dragon Hall.

It was also during this period that An Jing met with the current Dragon God.

The current Dragon God is someone who looks surprisingly young, and at first glance, he could even be mistaken for Jin Yanhua's younger brother. He also has a very open and youthful mind and knows a great deal about An Jing's experiences over the years.

An Jing could tell at a glance that Jin Yanhua's actions over the years had been tacitly approved by the current Dragon God. From this perspective, Jin Yanhua was indeed an unconventional and rebellious daughter, while the Dragon God was extremely open-minded and magnanimous.

However, considering that Jin Yanhua has never spoken ill of her father or even her brother, it seems that her problem is not with her family of origin, but rather with the 'Dragon Clan' itself.

Although he was not Ling Xiao, An Jing had seen the Haotian Mirror Ancestor. His instincts and destiny told him that the Dragon God's current strength could not be judged by common realms. If he wanted to, he could easily unleash Ling Xiao's strength.

He has lived for 30,000 years, which is extremely long even for a dragon, whose lifespan is several times that of a human. Even with such a long lifespan, the Dragon God's soul is still very active and burning brightly. However, given Huai Xu's situation, the brighter it burns, the closer he is to the Heavenly Dao, and also the closer he is to death.

Although he was a dragon god, the dragon race was a race with few rules. Jin Shiqin treated An Jing with great courtesy, entertaining him with the highest honors, and only made the simple request of 'entrusting him with education'—in return, the Ancestral Dragon Palace would be responsible for all of An Jing and You Ruhui's cultivation needs during this period.

An Jing naturally wouldn't refuse this—being able to promote his ideas and spread the Way of Ascension would be a huge benefit for him, and for a Natural Master as the chosen one, it would be the essence of becoming stronger...

Oh, I forgot, he's the Seven Fiends Tribulation. Never mind then.

"The last batch of students has been enlightened. Hopefully, there will be a few more seeds for the path to immortality."

Now that Anjing's mission is complete and the Zhaolin Fazhen Banquet has begun, it's time to see which forces, especially the Tianzong Society, will be involved this time.

With a thought, An Jing stepped into the void and silently headed towards the interior of the Ancestral Dragon Palace.

the other side.

"We'll see that naturalist soon. I've heard he has a good temper. If we're nice to him, we're sure to get some exclusive information!"

Tianzong disciple Hui Tianyu, brimming with confidence, exchanged a wry smile with his dragon friend: "This time, the first-hand news is definitely ours!"

Don't get your hopes up.

His dragon friend, Gu Yujing, grandson of the ancient dragon god Gu Shiheng, shook his head and said, "An Jing has indeed not made many moves in the past six months, but don't forget that he is absolutely ruthless when it comes to killing. He's fine when he's free, but if the other party has something to do, don't go and delay them."

"That's natural."

Although Hui Tianyu had high hopes, he wouldn't do something so lacking in emotional intelligence.

As for interviews and exclusive information, that can also be considered a characteristic of the Heavenly Path Divine Sect.

As the Heavenly Sect of the Eastern Heavenly Continent, the Heavenly Path Divine Sect's sect and mountain gate are not located on the continent itself, but rather in the void between the present world and the netherworld, within the Zhouxing Cave Heaven.

The unique Heavenly Dao principle of the Tianxing Divine Sect, as a transformation of the Heavenly Supervisor, is [Tai Xu Ji Ling Jing]. It is the sect in Huai Xu that is most proficient in Tai Xu methods. Its mountain gate, Zhouxing Cave, reflects the starry sky above the dome of Dongtianyu Continent. It uses Tai Xu methods to connect with various places in Dongtianyu Continent, and finally all of them are gathered together to form a Tai Xu network that covers the entire continent.

In this way, the Heavenly Path Divine Sect became virtually omnipresent, and various teleportation arrays and Taixu altars in the Eastern Heavenly Continent became extremely cheap and widespread, giving the Heavenly Path Divine Sect a very strong control over the Eastern Continent.

Due to this unique environment, trade and media in the Eastern Continent are extremely developed. The Heavenly Path Divine Sect is also a supporter of the largest merchant guilds and intelligence organizations in the Huai Xu Realm. For example, the [Ten Directions Dao Ranking] records the names and information of all disciples of each generation of named sects with extremely high accuracy.

As for where the information came from... it was naturally collected personally by Hui Tianyu, a disciple of the Divine Sect!
"I've invested most of my fortune in that 'soul chip' technology, and I don't even have enough food for next month's cultivation."

Hui Tianyu took a deep breath: "Now, it all depends on how much information I can gather from all sides during this Scale-Revealing Banquet... Brother Yu Jing, you must lend me a hand!"

—Sigh, gambling addicts.

Gu Yujing was a rule-abiding dragon who never gambled or invested. Although this was considered unconventional among dragons, wasn't this unconventionality itself a kind of dragon behavior? He sighed, wanting to offer some advice: "Of course I will help you, but if you want to live, don't get involved in too many karmic entanglements, and don't gamble or invest..."

Hui Tianyu also had something to say: "You have a Dragon God grandfather, but I don't. How can we prepare for the future if we don't take a chance?" "Not to mention, intelligence is also very useful in battle. Although this Scale-Revealing Banquet is dangerous, it is not a life-or-death battle. If we can learn about other people's trump cards here, it might save our lives in the future!"

That makes sense, Gu Yujing nodded slightly: "That's true."

The two communicated using their souls, a form of encrypted communication. However, Yu Feng, who was right behind them, could "hear" them through his unique perspective of "overlooking the world." A thought suddenly struck him: "Intelligence gathering? Wouldn't that be a perfect match for my special ability?"

"I feel...we could find an opportunity to collaborate!"

With this in mind, groups of banquet attendees arrived deep inside the Ancestral Dragon Hall, in front of a magnificent palace.

The palace, with its carved railings and jade steps, faintly shimmered with a rich, amber-like luster, its undulating curves giving it an indestructible quality. Everyone marveled at the extraordinary foundation of the Ancestral Dragon Palace, which even granted the palace a layer of 'immortality'.

"This is the style from the Daoist era."

A knowledgeable martial artist remarked, "It is said that the Heavenly Court of the Daoist Immortal Heaven contains all the palaces that contain the true meaning of immortality and indestructibility. Living there for a long time is not only beneficial for comprehending the great Dao principles related to immortality and the light of the universe, but it can also prolong life."

"There are actually quite a few palaces like this left in the world." The others shook their heads and said, "It's just that they were gradually destroyed because of the war and the lack of maintenance."

"If it weren't for the Dragon Clan's profound heritage, it would have been impossible to maintain and preserve it."

Passing through the palace's jade gate, one arrives at the most magnificent Dragon Palace Hall. Three thousand jade steps, shimmering with purple light, stretch endlessly, winding upwards like dragons and snakes, while the four sides of the platform walls gleam with pearls, sparkling with the brilliance of stars.

This is not an adjective—each of those bright beads contains a miniature star, flowing with the most magnificent and boundless solar energy.

What's most special is that the entire Dragon Palace hall is filled with an extremely pure spiritual energy. Even though many of the guests are geniuses from various top sects, they couldn't help but be slightly taken aback when they sensed this spiritual energy and subconsciously took deep breaths.

Because this is the 【Misty Creation Dragon Qi】, although the concentration is not high, it is absolutely authentic!
—The dragon race is truly extravagant; they use such a supreme spiritual energy, which is a perfect union of heaven and earth, so casually to set the mood!
"No wonder Master and the Patriarch said not to be polite with those big families like the Dragon Clan..."

Hui Tianyu muttered to himself, while Gu Yujing thought it was only natural: "How could such an important matter as bringing out the remains of the Ancestral Dragon Saint Venerable not involve the use of Dragon Qi? There will be plenty of good things to come, so don't worry too much about it."

As he said this, he subconsciously looked at Yu Feng, who was not far away and had already begun to close his eyes and breathe deeply, not letting go of even a trace of dragon energy.

Although he didn't recognize the other person, and the thought of 'where did this country bumpkin come from' flashed through his mind subconsciously, Gu Yujing was well-mannered and secretly ashamed of his arrogance. However, he quickly realized something was wrong: "Wait, this person's speed in refining dragon qi is too fast! Even ordinary dragons don't have this speed!"

However, most of the martial artists who came to this place had their own special characteristics. Gu Yujing didn't think too much about it and began to observe the surroundings, just like Hui Tianyu.

Inside the main hall, the dense, almost fluid spiritual energy rippled like water, flowing across the jade floor.

At the top, the throne representing the Dragon King of the Four Seasons remains unoccupied. Beneath the four star-shaped pearls, rows of tables are arranged, some of which are already occupied. Most of them are acquaintances, members of the Dragon Clan, each with astonishing cultivation, their respective domains concealed around them.

Seats are naturally contested, but even martial artists of the Void Realm wouldn't resort to direct combat at the Dragon Clan's grand banquet. At most, their Law Domains would clash, and the outcome would be decided in an instant. Therefore, at this moment, perceptive martial artists could hear the continuous sounds of Law Domains colliding, like muffled thunderclaps.

"I'm too lazy to fight over it, let's just find a place to sit."

He whispered, and Hui Tianyu had the same idea. So the man and the dragon found a table in the west that was close to the ancient dragon god's chair and sat down, keeping a low profile.

On the table were fine wines and various spiritual fruits, which could be changed. With a sweep of the divine thought, a maid could be summoned to replace them and replenish the supplies at any time.

These things are all excellent tonics for Divine Treasure Warriors, capable of strengthening their vital energy. Even dragons rarely consume them. Gu Yujing raised his cup and drank it down in one gulp, immediately feeling the water flowing through him, as refreshing and pleasant as the waves of an icy sea. He exclaimed, "Human bodies are still the best. If I were a dragon, I probably wouldn't feel anything at all after drinking this cup."

Thinking this, he took another vermilion fruit and put it in his mouth. As soon as it entered his mouth, it turned into pure and incomparably vital energy, nourishing his internal organs and blood vessels.

Gu Yujing was already showing restraint. Someone like Yu Feng had already started to eat heartily without saying a word—he wasn't afraid of being called a country bumpkin. The Furnace Method needed all kinds of high-grade spiritual food the most. The more he ate, the stronger he would become, and the easier the Scale Trial would be later.

Compared to the actual benefits, saving face is utterly insignificant.

Hui Tianyu's attention wasn't on the food and drink. Although he was holding a glass of iced seafood wine, his eyes quickly scanned the people present who were worth noting: "Goodness, there are quite a few people here... Among the younger generation, all those who meet the criteria have come."

The so-called younger generation doesn't actually refer to those who are truly young, but rather to the core disciples of the powerful figures who actually hold power in the major sects.

Among them, figures like Zhang Junxuan, the former chief disciple of the Shangxuan Sect and the head of the Three Academies, and Ming Guangchen of the Mingjing Sect, have already manifested their powers and taken over from the younger generation. An Jing has taken their place.

Among the current generation of young people, the first is naturally Tianming Anjing, followed by the other disciples of the Divine Treasury Sect.

Among the younger generation on the Ten Directions Ranking, Hui Tianyu felt he should be ranked in the top ten or top twenty, but without actual combat achievements to support his specific ranking, it would be difficult to determine his exact position.

"The Shangxuan Sect has arrived, and it really is Zhang Junxuan leading the team... The Lianxuan Wanhua True Path hasn't come; it seems they are still focused on fighting the Shangxuan Sect."

At this moment, Hui Tianyu's mind raced. He surveyed the entire scene and quickly identified several important targets: "Yue Qingge from the Sword Court is here, and Feng Tuanxin from the Heavenly Mother Palace is also here... So, including myself, there are four top disciples from the Heavenly Sects, plus other true disciples..."

"However, I didn't see Zhaixing Mountain or the Changsheng Sect. Miluotian is nowhere to be seen either. Strange, I remember the Jingming Sect sent people this time, where are they?"

Although he didn't find anyone from the Jingming Sect, Hui Tianyu wasn't surprised. This group of people had a problem with their sense of time. They were all obsessive-compulsive in their efforts to exorcise demons, and being late was a common occurrence.

Even so, the result still surprised him greatly: "I didn't see anyone from the Imperial Dynasty either—wait, really? The Ten Heavens Sect only sent five people?"

"Because of the existence of the Natural Masters, almost all the qualified young Divine Treasures have come. I've seen seventy or eighty of them come to visit. How come only half of them have come from the Heavenly Sect?"

Completely confused, Hui Tianyu began to try to find the 'destiny' that he didn't recognize but that he could theoretically find at a glance.

He did find it very quickly.

Then, he opened his eyes wide.

Because Hui Tianyu found not only a naturalist... but also a representative of the 'Emperor Chen Dynasty'.

Anjing, and Mingjing. Long time no see.

In the seat closest to the present Dragon God, An Jing sat side by side with You Ruhui. The young man was composed, while the young woman watched the noble-looking middle-aged man who was smiling and greeting her with a bit of nervousness and wariness.

This cannot be blamed on You Ruhui.

Because what appeared before her was the divine incarnation of Xuan Guangge, one of the Great Chen Town Kings and the Northern Virtue King!
(End of this chapter)