The Legendary Son-in-law of the Emperor Chapter 1720 - 1717: Heavenly Dragon World
Previously on The Legendary Son-in-law of the Emperor...
Once Xia Yuan exited the main hall, his demeanor shifted back to its usual composure, concealing all traces of his inner thoughts.
East Desolate Wolf and Mountain Ridge Venerable noticed Xia Yuan appearing and sensed a faint tremor in their hearts, yet they still bowed in greeting.
Having discovered Xia Yuan's status as an Emperor General, neither of the two dared to act presumptuously.
Xia Yuan gave a subtle nod and stepped aside, patiently awaiting Ye Xuan and Zhou Youwei's verdict.
Shortly after, Ye Xuan and Zhou Youwei emerged together.
"Lady Ye is going too?"
Xia Yuan felt a touch of confusion upon seeing Zhou Youwei exit alongside Ye Xuan.
"My wife possesses vast knowledge; bringing her along does no harm." Ye Xuan replied with a grin.
"Master!"
East Desolate Wolf and Mountain Ridge Venerable spotted Ye Xuan coming out and hurriedly approached with excitement, bowing deeply in reverence.
"You two, come with us as well," Ye Xuan instructed.
"Yes, Master!" The pair responded eagerly, overjoyed at the opportunity to trail their master once more.
Observing this, Xia Yuan creased his brow inwardly but held his tongue, offering only silent approval.
The five of them proceeded directly toward the Heavenly Dragon Dynasty.
Meanwhile, within the innermost forbidden depths of the Emperor Immortal Sect.
This restricted zone served as the dwelling of the Divine Hou.
That being the Hou Ancestor.
At that instant, Hou Ancestor had assumed a human guise—a stooped elder in black robes—staring distantly with a furrowed expression, immersed in contemplation.
Hong Ba stood close by and inquired, "Did you notice something?"
Hou Ancestor responded deliberately, "It resembles someone greatly, though that figure should have vanished ages ago."
Hong Ba knitted his brows and demanded, "Enough with the enigmas—who is it?"
Hou Ancestor disclosed, "Xia Yuan, an Emperor General serving the Heavenly Dragon Emperor."
Hong Ba's pupils shrank abruptly: "What?"
Hou Ancestor withdrew his stare, turned to Hong Ba, and remarked with a hint of envy, "The background of your Emperor Immortal Sect's rising leader defies imagination."
Back then, Ye Xuan had ravaged the Fierce Sun Heavenly Sect. During his clash with East Desolate Wolf, he crippled the beast and forced its submission, only for Ye Xuan to deem it unworthy via his Emperor Soul suppression, compelling it to pledge loyalty...
Sigh.
Still, considering this master's true heritage, Hou Ancestor found it reasonable.
The legendary Undying Night Emperor!
Yet Hong Ba clearly hadn't delved that far, though aware of Ye Xuan's horrifying origins, he murmured with a sigh, "I just hope my Emperor Immortal Sect endures when the Double Emperors descend..."
Hou Ancestor's lips twitched faintly at those words, a trace of scorn evident.
Double Emperors claiming the ultimate summit?
Having endured over 3,000,000 years and beheld the Heavenly Dragon Emperor's age, he could gauge the difference—the Heavenly Dragon Emperor surpassed them.
Furthermore, the Double Emperors' rise heralded the End of Dharma Era, leaving him with no admiration for them.
As for the contempt.
Against the fabled Undying Night Emperor, could the Double Emperors truly match that terror?
Hardly.
Nevertheless, unease lingered secretly within him.
Emperor Ye was formidable, yet his present power clearly hadn't peaked.
Though the details of Emperor Ye's circumstances remained murky.
He understood that with Heavenly Dao Suppression lifting and Double Emperors arriving, Emperor Immortal Sect teetered on peril—could Emperor Ye attain the Great Emperor Realm?
A daunting challenge...
Even if Emperor Road unlocked, ascending to Emperor in so brief a span proved exceedingly arduous.
Across history, regardless of genius, emperorship demanded at least a millennium.
In those ancient millennia, most emperors took tens of thousands, even hundreds of thousands or millions of years.
The ultimate stride always proved the most grueling.
Only six or seven years remained before Heavenly Dao Suppression ended.
Moreover, Emperor Road might require that very release to activate.
Should that hold true, emperorship would slip away.
Without traversing Emperor Road, true emperor status eluded grasp.
It had scaled Emperor Road twice before.
Once in the Heavenly Dragon Emperor's epoch, again amid the Double Emperors' rise.
Regrettably, it fell woefully short each time.
Hou Ancestor's mind drifted.
......
Heavenly Dragon Dynasty.
Ye Xuan had frequented this place often.
But now, guided by Xia Yuan, the group entered a wholly unfamiliar realm.
Another Heavenly Dragon Dynasty lay hidden there!
Immensely ancient, severed from the outer world!
Xia Yuan explained, "His Majesty established this long ago, fearing our slumber might doom the Heavenly Dragon Dynasty to destruction, so he forged the Heavenly Dragon Great World, paralleling the Xuanhuang Great World."
Time flowed swifter here than in the external realm.
Not even a titan like the Heavenly Dragon Emperor could craft a world mirroring the outside's temporal pace precisely.
Still, this Great World sprawled immensely, rivaling at least one-third the Xuanhuang Great World's scale, linked by an infinite cosmic expanse.
East Desolate Wolf and Mountain Ridge Venerable trailed behind, brimming with wonder.
This Heavenly Dragon Dynasty dwarfed the outer one in size!
Moreover, dynastic shifts occurred at an even brisker pace.
Xia Yuan guided them unerringly to a specific location.
This formed a standalone continent, yet it felt strangely discordant.
Graves blanketed it entirely.
Locals dubbed it Sky Tomb.
No living souls inhabited it.
Yet Xia Yuan had roused from slumber precisely here before venturing back to the outer Heavenly Dragon Dynasty.
Ye Xuan surveyed Sky Tomb thoughtfully before remarking, "His Majesty truly was a Spirit Array Master Emperor."
Spirit Array Master Emperor marked the supreme pinnacle for Spirit Array Masters.
Attaining it allowed one to erect or command an Emperor Array solo—the zenith of formation arts.
Ye Xuan swiftly discerned that Sky Tomb's every tomb served as an array node, the whole continent as the formation's blueprint—an Emperor Array.
Simultaneously, the encompassing Heavenly Dragon Great World constituted another Emperor Array.
Pride flickered across Xia Yuan's face: "Precisely. Beyond mastering the Great Emperor Realm in cultivation, His Majesty also conquered the Spirit Array Master path's apex."
No wonder Xia Yuan brimmed with pride; such dual mastery was rare in the world.
East Desolate Wolf and Mountain Ridge Venerable displayed clear awe upon hearing this.
Satisfied by their reactions, Xia Yuan glanced at Ye Xuan and Zhou Youwei—only to find the pair utterly serene, their gazes unmoved, as though the revelation meant nothing.
Or perhaps...
They dismissed it entirely.
In truth, neither Ye Xuan nor Zhou Youwei cared much.
Spirit Array Master Emperor.
Was it so impressive?
Noting their indifference, Xia Yuan swallowed his tales of glory.
"These graves hold the mighty warriors who once followed His Majesty."
As they advanced, Xia Yuan sighed involuntarily.
How many of those former comrades endured to this day?
Not one remained.
Even His Majesty now grappled with dire troubles.
With these thoughts, Xia Yuan quickened his pace.
Soon they arrived at Sky Tomb's edge.
A single grave stood excavated there, its interior hollow.
Xia Yuan formed hand seals and whispered an incantation, 'rush,' summoning a primordial soul lamp gradually.
But the soul lamp's glow had vanished completely.
"Your Majesty!"
At the sight, Xia Yuan nearly collapsed.
The soul lamp had gone dark!