Chapter 224. Nine-Nine, Deathly Qi, Meeting the Primordial Dragon

Lu Yuan had always wanted to know what the Celestial Emperor's Ancient Token could truly accomplish once its power was fully unleashed. The so-called ability to bestow titles upon someone, declaring them as immortals or gods. What did that actually mean?

Unfortunately, even with his memories from a past life, he knew very little about this forbidden artifact. Most of what he understood came from Jiang Ningxian, who had told him just how important the token truly was.

Now, he was about to obtain the third piece. By his estimation, once he had it, he could finally begin to wield the token's power. Of course, Lu Yuan revealed none of that, keeping his expression neutral.

It was not that he had no trust in Jiang Ningxian. The Celestial Emperor's Ancient Token was just too important for him to reveal casually. At this time, it was best not to reveal such matters to anyone.

𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

Lu Yuan and Jiang Ningxian walked side by side as they made their way toward the dragon throne at the highest point of the Numinous Sky Hall.

They moved slowly and cautiously. So far, they had yet to stumble upon anything particularly dangerous, but it did not mean the place was entirely safe. In addition, they were clearly in an important place, so they had to be wary.

Even Jiang Ningxian proceeded with care while shrouded in a faint light that protected both her fleshly body and her soul.

The great hall was vast, yet much like the Dragon Palace's Water-Crystal Palace and Guang Chengzi's Dao ground at Kongtong Mountains, there wasn't much to see here. There was no need for a thorough search, as everything was laid bare before their eyes.

As they pressed forward, they soon arrived at the base of the steps that led to the dragon throne. Counting carefully, Lu Yuan noted ninety-nine steps in total.

"If I recall correctly, every emperor of your nation was called the Son of Heaven, and they are the Nine-Five Supreme, aren't they?[1]" Jiang Ningxian asked, turning to Lu Yuan instead of ascending the steps. She seemed well-versed when it came to Huaxia's history.

"Correct. Nine-Five represents the Son of Heaven," Lu Yuan said with a nod before adding, "And Nine-Nine represents the Human Sovereign."

He gazed at the figure seated on the throne, his mind racing. Could the figure there truly be a Human Sovereign? Those who could claim such a title were Celestial Emperors. Throughout all of Huaxia's history, only a handful of them had ever existed.

Everything Lu Yuan had encountered thus far had been relics left behind by such beings, and he had never actually seen one in person. As for the figure on the throne, something was strange about it.

Even though they were nearby, the figure remained indistinct in their eyes.

"Even if that's not a Human Sovereign, it definitely is connected to one," Jiang Ningxian remarked. Then, she fell into contemplation and said nothing more. After exchanging a glance with Lu Yuan, she stepped onto the stairs.

Nothing changed, and everything remained as before. She could not even sense any unusual aura.

Just like that, they ascended faster and faster, drawing even closer.

Just then, a peculiar aura gripped their hearts.

"Deathly qi. This is deathly qi!" Jiang Ningxian's eyes narrowed. Deathly qi drains the life essence of anyone who comes into contact with it. Generally speaking, it only manifests after the fall of someone who was at least an Immortal."

She raised her hand slightly, and a jade talisman appeared. It radiated streams of light that isolated that peculiar aura. She had clearly come prepared.

Lu Yuan wasn't surprised by the sight. Jiang Ningxian was a very important figure among the Jiang Clan. Since she had descended to this world with only a single companion, her clan's elders naturally equipped her with many life-saving measures.

Moreover, her words only reinforced his belief that whoever was sitting on that throne was no ordinary being. At last, they reached the top, and they finally had a good look at the figure on the dragon throne.

The figure was tall and imposing, wearing an imperial crown and robes of pure black. Though he had long since died, he still radiated a supreme and majestic aura. It even felt as if both heaven and the earth existed solely for him.

How long he had sat here, no one could say for sure, but his body had not decayed. His head was slightly bowed, and a strange force obscured his face, rendering his features invisible.

"C-could he be the Primordial Dragon? The First Emperor?" Lu Yuan quickly deduced the figure's identity. The Qin Dynasty revered the element of water, and black dragon robes were unique to that era in all of Huaxia's history.

Combined with the information Jiang Ningxian had shared earlier, he became certain that the figure could be the Primordial Dragon himself. No wonder there wasn't a burial chamber for him in the Mausoleum at Mount Li.

But why was the First Emperor's body here?

"So the Primordial Dragon's campaign truly ended in failure?" Jiang Ningxian agreed with Lu Yuan's deduction. She took a small step forward, intending to determine the Primordial Dragon's cause of death by using a secret art.

"Watch out!" Lu Yuan called out sharply, sensing that something was wrong. He feared that something would go wrong, but he was a beat too late.

The moment Jiang Ningxian moved, the Primordial Dragon stirred, seemingly coming back to life as he slowly raised his head and opened his eyes.

BOOM!

The next instant, a deafening explosion occurred in their minds, and they felt as though their very souls were being torn apart. A terrifying power surged into their bodies at once.

Jiang Ningxian's protective measures failed instantly. She stood frozen in place, her eyes vacant and hollow.

Lu Yuan felt immense pressure bearing down on him. He immediately activated his visualization method to maintain his state of mind while channeling his vital qi to resist.

Eventually, a violent tremor ran across him. He couldn't hold on. It felt as though he faced an existence that was simply impossible to resist. This was the first time he had ever experienced something like this.

After an unknown amount of time, Lu Yuan regained his senses. He found himself standing in a vast white void. He couldn't determine which direction he was looking at, and he couldn't feel the passage of time either.

"After so many years, this Emperor have finally encountered a descendant with Huaxia's blood."

A warm voice suffused with authority echoed.

Lu Yuan raised his head and saw a figure with his back turned toward him. The figure was clad in black imperial robes and had on an imperial crown. His hands were clasped behind his back, and he looked peerless and powerful, as if he could carry the weight of the world itself.

He was that same figure from the dragon throne earlier.

"You're... the Primordial Dragon?" Lu Yuan asked, astonishment and disbelief mingling in his eyes. He was standing before a man who had lived over two thousand years ago.

"It seems that this Emperor has not been forgotten after all," the Primordial Dragon said, but did not turn around. "When I foresaw the campaign's failure, I left behind a fragment of my will. Time is short. Listen carefully.

"In my era, the world transformed, and the path of evolution opened. I unified the Six States, gathered the Providence of humanity, transcended Immortals, and set my sights upon conquest across the starfields.

"The universe is vast, and there are as many starfields out there as there are grains of sand here. I wished to reign supreme over all of it, but I eventually discovered that the true enemy lay not here.

"By then, it was too late. Our coordinates had been exposed. In the end, I had no choice but to seal this world using the Separation of Heaven and Earth.

"However, I know those beings will eventually return, so I decided to leave this fragment of my will for the future generations."

"Your arrival here is no coincidence. It is destiny."

"Therefore, my legacy shall be yours."

He spoke without giving Lu Yuan any chance to respond. Just as he had said, time was short, and he could only convey what was most important.

When the Primordial Dragon's words finished echoing through the air, a Celestial Emperor's Ancient Token slowly emerged from his body. This would be Lu Yuan's third one so far, and it drifted in the air before landing on his hand.

1. Nine-Five Supreme (九五之尊) is an ancient expression referring to the emperor's supreme authority, derived from the

I Ching

, where "nine-five" represents the most exalted position. ☜