Chapter 2263 Raw 2369 : Honored Guest Arrives
“What you need is a Forbidden Art that can severely injure Peak Sovereign Emperors. Naturally, the inheritance hall has it. However, have you really thought it through?” the dragon spirit asked as it looked at Xiao Chen.
“I already did so before coming here. Senior Dragon Spirit, please grant me this.”
“Alright.”
The dragon spirit handed Xiao Chen a jade strip. Then, it said after some thought, “As the situation is special, I will make an exception this once. Keep this jade strip properly.”
After receiving the jade strip, Xiao Chen pressed it to his forehead. Ancient divine characters immediately appeared in his mind.
Xiao Chen did not recognize a single one of these divine characters. However, he understood their meaning after they appeared in his mind.
“Nine Heavens God Demon Body Unsealing Technique!”
Xiao Chen gave the dragon spirit a dubious look, saying, “This does not sound like a Dragon Race Forbidden Art.”
“This is a Forbidden Art that has existed since the Great Desolate Eon. However, only the Dragon Race still knows it in the Martial Epoch, so it can be considered the Dragon Race’s. It ignites your Soul Energy to revert your bloodline’s ancestry. The stronger your bloodline, the stronger the might of this Forbidden Art. If you execute it with your Azure Dragon bloodline, you can revert to an ancient Azure Dragon. If you are strong enough, you might even go further and become a Great Desolate Eon Ancestor Dragon.”
Xiao Chen felt startled upon hearing this. He asked sullenly, “What is the price?”
“Once you execute it, you will ignite your Divine Energy and Soul Energy. You cannot stop it until they all burn out. If you are not careful, you might die from their exhaustion. You will need extremely strong willpower to control it.”
The dragon spirit sighed here. “That’s why I hesitated for a long time before deciding to let you have it. No one has practiced this Forbidden Art for a very long time already. The price is just a small matter. The problem is that most people do not have sufficiently strong willpower and cannot maintain control. After they reverted, they could not change back, exhausting themselves to death.
“Previously, when the older generations executed this Nine Heavens God Demon Body Unsealing Technique, they all did so expecting to die.”
“I will pay attention to it,” Xiao Chen said seriously with a grave expression when he realized how terrifying this Nine Heavens God Demon Body Unsealing Technique was.
“This is for you—a Primal Essence Replenishing Heavenly Pill, a Rank 8 Heavenly Pill for nourishing yourself. After you execute a Forbidden Art, you will leave behind hidden injuries if you do not take sufficient medicine to nourish yourself. Remember, never execute this Forbidden Art if you do not have a Rank 8 or better nourishing Medicinal Pill. Otherwise, even if you injure your opponent, you will cripple yourself too.”
The dragon spirit continued with a grave expression, “Not counting the next generation in the Kunlun Realm’s Dragon’s Gate, you are the only one left of the Azure Dragon bloodline. I do not wish for you to die.”
Xiao Chen smiled and said, “Don’t worry. I won’t die.”
After that, Xiao Chen left the land of the blood moon, returned to the Misty Rain Pavilion, and continued his closed-door cultivation.
The Nine Heavens God Demon Body Unsealing Technique was much more profound than Xiao Chen imagined. When he carefully studied it, he found it boundlessly mysterious.
The Nine Heavens God Demon Body Unsealing Technique was not simply a Forbidden Art.
According to the Nine Heavens God Demon Body Unsealing Technique’s records, it was not a Forbidden Art during the Great Desolate Eon. Those using it just needed to find a completely intact Divine Dragon corpse or Ancestor Dragon corpse, and they could execute this technique without any damage to themselves. They could even refine the body of the Divine Dragon or Ancestor Dragon into their clone.
Then, they could freely shift their consciousness between their main body and clones.
Ancestor Dragon corpses and Divine Dragon corpses could be found everywhere during the Great Desolate Eon; they were easy to find. However, countless epochs had passed since then. Not just Ancestor Dragon corpses and Divine Dragon corpses were hard to find but even True Dragon corpses.
At best, one could find some broken parts or torn off limbs. If one wanted a completely intact dragon corpse, one could only seek out mixed-blood dragons.
“Let’s not care about this for now. I’ll learn it first. When I need it, I can protect myself and the people with me.”
After Xiao Chen went to the Azure Dragons’ old lands and received a Divine Energy boost, his cultivation advanced to 2-Vein Sovereign Emperor. He also obtained the second layer of the Ten Thousand Dragons Art. All in all, he received a considerable harvest.
Upon thorough consideration, Xiao Chen was somewhat surprised to discover that the Ten Thousand Dragons Art and the Nine Heavens God Demon Body Unsealing Technique seemed to accomplish the same effect through different means.
The Ten Thousand Dragons Art had a total of five layers. With each advancement, it would eventually turn into the Ancestor Dragon Art.
The Nine Heavens God Demon Body Unsealing Technique would revert him to a progenitor, perhaps even a Great Desolate Eon Ancestor Dragon.
However, there was a huge difference between the two. One was a Cultivation Technique, and one was a Martial Technique. One sought gradual progression, while the other sought rapid accomplishment.
The two also took different directions. The Ten Thousand Dragons Art mainly tempered the body while one cultivated it. The Nine Heavens God Demon Body Unsealing Technique sought to injure the enemy.
More importantly, the Nine Heavens God Demon Body Unsealing Technique was not created by someone from the Dragon Race. Anyone with a Great Desolate Eon bloodline could cultivate it.
Perhaps there were some connections between the two techniques. However, Xiao Chen did not need to think about this for now. At the moment, he only wanted to study this Forbidden Art. There was no rush for the rest.
The more urgent matter was cultivating the Ten Thousand Dragons Art’s second layer.
Xiao Chen had already stagnated at the peak of the first layer for a while. Now that he had the second layer, he had to catch up.
Time passed. The outside world continued with the imperial capital Yan City displaying its bustle and splendor day and night.
However, it felt like time stopped in the courtyard behind the Misty Rain Pavilion.
Xiao Chen practiced the saber during the day, trying to grasp the next move of the Mahāmāyā Abstinence Violation Saber Technique, Merciless Killing.
Then, he cultivated the Ten Thousand Dragons Art’s second layer at night. With two Divine Veins helping him, his Ten Thousand Dragons Art advanced rapidly.
The Ten Thousand Dragons Picture with the Azure Dragon in the center in Xiao Chen’s Divine Energy Sea manifested completely.
In the blink of an eye, thirty-odd days passed.
Less than ten days remained until the First Prince Wang Fei’s wedding. The entire imperial capital Yan City turned celebratory.
The First Prince Wang Fei made use of all the power available to him to maximize the influence of his wedding.
Feudal lords from various places headed for Yan City over the past few days.
Naturally, the feudal lords supporting the First Prince had arrived long ago.
Some of the neutral feudal lords and Noble Clans started to waver in their stance when they saw that this wedding symbolized the alliance between the First Prince and the Smiling Daughter Pavilion. They started to consider supporting the First Prince.
These people rushed to the imperial capital Yan City to offer their congratulations.
Wang Fei was the eldest son in the first place. Furthermore, he had the support of the imperial ancestral temple’s patriarchs. Now, he had the support of the Pleasure Quarter Alliance.
The First Prince instantly gained a big trump card in the succession race.
This wedding fanned the First Prince’s influence until it surpassed that of the Eighth Prince, whom the sects supported, and the Yan Emperor’s beloved Thirteenth Prince.
While this did not appear to have any real effect, Luck worked in mysterious ways.
When one’s Luck increased, someone else definitely would have lost Luck.
Even before the wedding took place, the First Prince already held the initiative in the succession race.
Xiao Chen did not overthink this. He remained in closed-door cultivation by the mirror-like lake, not questioning anything, leaving everything to Su Ye and Mo Chen.
However, the calm days ended on this day because of a person’s arrival.
The Heavenly Book Scholar sought an audience with Xiao Chen.
“Right now, the imperial capital Yan City is extraordinarily bustling with various factions gathering. Feudal lords arrive every day, making every moment tempestuous. However, your place is unexpectedly calm. It genuinely surprises me,” the Heavenly Book Scholar said while gently fanning himself when he saw Xiao Chen.
The Heavenly Book Scholar showed the same vigor as before, appearing warm and virtuous, as graceful as ever.
Xiao Chen asked indifferently, “Why did you expect otherwise?”
A brilliant gleam flashed in the Heavenly Book Scholar’s eyes. He smiled and said, “I thought that you would join in the festivities at least. On the surface, it looks like a wedding. However, the succession race is behind this. Anyone with ambition would be recruiting soldiers and buying equipment, making their final preparations. This is because everyone knows that this wedding has changed the situation of the succession race. After the wedding is over, the succession race will immediately begin.”
Xiao Chen smiled and said, “Sorry to disappoint you. Let’s not talk about this for now. No one visits a temple without a cause. Why are you looking for me? You can be straightforward.”
The Heavenly Book Scholar smiled and said, “I am not the one looking for you. Someone else is.”
“Who?”
“He is at the mirror-like lake. He has been waiting for a long time. If you are willing to meet him, please come with me.”
Xiao Chen knew who was waiting for him, so he said softly, “Please lead the way.”
