Chapter 98 The Mirror of Heavenly Traversal

"To tell you the truth, Seniors from the Upper Realm... The Chosen Son, who has been missing for several epochs, has actually ascended from the Lower Realm and returned!"

"Tomorrow morning, our clan will hold the Ancestral Recognition Ceremony at the Ancestral Dragon Altar. This Junior dares to invite all Seniors to grace us with your presence as witnesses, and also allow our Dragon Domain to bask in your Immortal Qi."

Once these words were spoken, the main hall fell silent, and the atmosphere became strange.

Gu Heng had just picked up the spiritual tea brewed by the Star Immortal Emperor, but his hand paused.

A strange expression appeared in his eyes.

He set down the teacup, his fingertips brushing against the cup wall, while the figure of that Old Ancestor Qingxuan emerged in his mind.

The Chosen Son?

This unlucky fellow who messed up every single Ascension became the missing direct Bloodline of the Dragon Domain for several epochs?

Are these horned fellows filled with nothing but Ancestral Dragon Qi in their heads? Do they actually believe such an outrageous lie?

It wasn't just Gu Heng; the seventeen Immortal Emperors and Devil Emperors standing on both sides looked at each other, their Faces turning red from holding back their laughter.

They had seen with their own eyes that golden light of Ascension fall into the Dragon Domain, and they knew exactly what kind of goods were wrapped inside that golden light.

A Human Race True Immortal with not even a scrap of dragon scale on his body was being worshiped as an ancestor by the Dragon Domain Lord.

"Have these loaches stayed in this world for too long? Their eyesight must be failing."

The White Bone Demon Emperor sent a telepathic message to the Thunder Emperor within his Sea of Consciousness, "Treating a human old man as a True Dragon's Chosen Son and even holding a blood-recognition ceremony? I'm afraid there will be blood splattered all over that altar tomorrow, right?"

The Thunder Emperor resisted the urge to twitch his mouth and coldly replied, "I can laugh at this joke for a hundred thousand years."

Outside the door, the Dragon Domain Lord stood half-bowed, waiting for a long time, but heard no response from inside.

The joy in his heart vanished instantly, and cold sweat broke out on his forehead.

Oh no... Could it be that I was too rash and angered these big shots?

The Domain Lord's heart pounded, and he cursed himself for getting carried away.

Inside sat two God Sovereign Incarnations and seventeen Immortal Emperors!

What haven't they seen? A matter of a Dragon Clan Chosen Son recognizing his ancestors was likely not worth a fart in their eyes. Coming here to show off was just asking for death!

"Seniors, please calm your anger!"

"This Junior never meant to force anything! If you Seniors prefer peace and quiet and do not wish to be involved in such matters, this Junior will roll away immediately and would never dare to disturb your cultivation again! This Junior will take his leave now..."

"Wait."

Just as the Domain Lord was preparing to scramble away, a calm voice came from inside the hall.

Gu Heng fell into deep thought; this Ancestral Recognition Ceremony of the Dragon Clan seemed somewhat unusual.

Just as he was hesitating, a cold, clear voice sounded in his Sea of Consciousness.

"Master, it would be fine to go and take a look."

Jiang Wanyin turned slightly, "That 'Ancestral Dragon Bloodline Formation' in the Dragon Domain is not as simple as an ordinary Dragon Clan Formation."

Gu Heng raised an eyebrow and asked via telepathy, "Oh? What secret is there?"

A glimmer of deep meaning flashed in Jiang Wanyin's eyes, "The core of that Formation is actually not of the Dragon Clan, but an item belonging to Her Majesty the Empress of the Human Race—the 'heaven-tracing mirror'."

"The heaven-tracing mirror?"

Gu Heng's heart trembled.

Anything that could be called an 'item' and originated from Her Majesty the Empress must certainly not be simple.

"Correct."

Jiang Wanyin continued, "Back then, in order to survive an epoch-ending catastrophe that could have wiped out the clan, the Dragon Ancestor lowered his status, crossed the Star Domain to beg Her Majesty the Empress, and even owed a great favor.

In exchange, Her Majesty lent him this 'heaven-tracing mirror' to stabilize the Luck of the Dragon Domain that was on the verge of dissipating."

"But in this world, there is no such thing as a free gift."

Jiang Wanyin sneered, "The conditions for Her Majesty lending the item were very strict: the Dragon Clan had to enshrine this mirror in the core Formation and use it to monitor the Star Domain of the Lower Realm on her behalf. Once any heresy capable of threatening the overall situation appeared in the Lower Realm, the heaven-tracing mirror would transmit the Karma to the Divine Court."

After hearing this, an expression of understanding appeared in Gu Heng's eyes.

No wonder the Dragon Domain could survive for so long between the two great God Realms; it turns out there was the shadow of Her Majesty behind it.

This borrowing of a treasure to stabilize Luck was, to put it bluntly, Her Majesty planting an eye in the heart of the Dragon Domain, making the entire Dragon Clan monitor the Lower Realm for her. The methods of this Human Race Empress are truly profound.

"This Formation has such an Origin?" A faint smile curled the corners of Gu Heng's lips.

If the core of that Formation really was Her Majesty's heaven-tracing mirror, then tomorrow's Ancestral Recognition Ceremony would not be as simple as merely exposing a fraud.

What would happen once Old Ancestor Qingxuan encountered the heaven-tracing mirror?

Thinking of this, Gu Heng's curiosity was ignited.

"Since the Domain Lord has so kindly invited us, it would seem ungracious if we did not go."

Gu Heng transmitted into the Domain Lord's ears, "We will attend the ceremony tomorrow."

Outside the door, the Domain Lord felt as if he had received an amnesty, and wild joy surged up again.

"Many thanks to you, Seniors, for honoring us! This Junior will go arrange the best seats immediately and await your arrival!"

Meanwhile. The Dragon God Domain. In the deepest part of the Dragon God Domain, there was a chaotic main hall that was indescribably vast.

Inside the main hall, more than a dozen auras, vast enough to crush the galaxy, were seated in a circle within the void.

These figures were all hidden beneath chaotic mist, their appearances unclear, but every breath they took could cause the surrounding space for tens of millions of miles to collapse and reform.

This was the center of the highest power in the Dragon God Domain, the ancient giants above the God Realm.

Among the dozen or so figures, the existence at the head was terrifyingly large.

He did not reveal his complete body; in the void, only a pair of golden pupils, like chaotic abysses, were slowly rotating.

Below the void in the center of the main hall, the Old Dragon King was bound by dark golden chains of supreme Law, kneeling in a wretched state on the Divine Stone floor.

When the light of Ascension descended, he was full of joy, thinking he could finally return to his clan, wash away his humiliation, and enjoy supreme honor in the Dragon God Domain.

But he did not expect that what awaited him was not flowers and a throne, but a cold and cruel judgment.

"Is this the direct Bloodline that ascended from the Lower Realm?"

"The Bloodline is so thin, and even his True Dragon body is incomplete. So many years have passed, and the clan already has countless more talented descendants. Is this kind of trash worthy of being called The Chosen Son?"

"Hmph, it is merely that he possesses the incomplete Bloodline of The Chosen Son faction."

Another voice rang out, "What is even more ridiculous is that deep within his Divine Soul, there remains a mark of having been enslaved by ants from the Lower Realm! If such a monstrous humiliation were to spread, where would the Dragon Clan's Face be placed?"

"Kill him. Wash away the shame." The third voice was crisp and decisive, as if deciding the life or death of an ant.

The Old Dragon King knelt on the ground, trembling all over.

"Killing him would be too wasteful."

At this moment, a cold, sinister voice drifted out, "Have you all forgotten? In one year, it will be time for the 'Divine Treasury' to open.

The Dragon Ancestor's Lifespan has reached its end, and his deadline is approaching. If he cannot break through before then, our Dragon Clan will completely lose the confidence to stand tall before the two great God Realms."

Once these words were spoken, the previously restless main hall fell silent.

"Although this trash is useless, he does, after all, flow with a trace of the purest Origin Bloodline of the Ancestor."

"When the Divine Treasury opens, if we cast him into the Formation as a sacrifice and use his Divine Soul and that trace of Origin as a primer, we can definitely secure a glimmer of hope for the Ancestor!"

"As long as the Ancestor can use this opportunity to charge towards that supreme God Emperor Realm, which even the two great God Sovereigns have not fully stepped into... then our Dragon Clan can completely rise up and never have to suffer the grievances of those two clans again!"

"Using a piece of trash at the True Immortal Realm to trade for the Ancestor's chance to charge at the God Emperor Realm—this deal is too worth it."

The dragons were silent for a moment, and then, cold Divine Thoughts intertwined in the void.

No one cared about the pain of that clansman kneeling on the ground; in the grand narrative of racial rise, individual sacrifice was nothing but insignificant dust.

The Old Dragon King listened to these cruel discussions, and the entire dragon was completely stunned.

He widened his turbid eyes, tears mixed with blood streaming down.

Sacrifice? Charging at the God Emperor Realm? What is this? He had gone through so much hardship, finally managing to ascend, only to come back to be a blood bag and be squeezed dry?

He thought that returning to the clan was to enjoy blessings, to restore the glory of the direct line, but instead, he had become a priced sacrificial offering!

"No... it shouldn't be like this..." The Old Dragon King wailed in despair in his heart.

He regretted it. He crazily regretted why he had hoped for Ascension, why he had returned to this cold-blooded and ruthless clan!

If he had stayed in the Lower Realm, even if he were enslaved by that white-clothed youth, at least he would still be alive, at least he could still drag out his existence!

"Master..." The Old Dragon King let out shrill, miserable screams, "This old slave was wrong; this old slave wants to return to the Lower Realm to guard the gate for you..."

Just as the dragons reached a consensus, the Ancestor, who had remained silent all along, finally spoke.

Those golden pupils, like chaotic abysses, flickered slightly. An endlessly aged voice exploded.

"Granted."

"The time is set for one year from now, when the Divine Treasury opens."

"That is my last chance... Succeed or perish."

... The affiliated realms beneath the Dragon God Domain. The Dragon Domain, at the center of the Ancestral Dragon Great World.

Time passed quickly, and in the blink of an eye, a day had passed.

The first ray of morning sunlight pierced through the Ancestral Dragon Qi that covered the area year-round and landed on the boundless Ancestral Dragon Altar.

This altar was as large as a continent floating in the starry sky, entirely cast from dark golden dragon blood stone, its surface covered with dense, ancient totems.

In the very center of the altar, that ancient Formation had quietly come alive.

At the heart of the Formation, a pressure faintly permeated. It seemed as if a cold, indifferent eye was looking at this land through the long passage of time.

The entire Dragon Domain was completely exploding. Countless Dragon Clan descendants, sub-dragon beasts, and powerhouses of affiliated races poured in from all directions like pilgrims, crowding the void around the Ancestral Dragon Altar until it was impassable.

On the VIP seats at the very front of the altar sat five figures exuding monstrous pressure.

They were the Five Great Dragon Emperors in the Dragon Domain who, besides the Domain Lord, truly stood at the pinnacle of power.

Each one was a genuine Immortal Emperor Realm powerhouse. They each managed thousands of medium-sized realms beneath the Dragon Domain.

They were usually high and mighty, daring not to give Face even to the Domain Lord, but on this occasion today, the five Dragon Emperors were surprisingly quiet, even somewhat uneasy.

"The Domain Lord sent word that some big shots from the Upper Realm would come to observe the ceremony today. What kind of big shots could make him so scared that he sent word overnight to warn us?"

The Red Dragon Immortal Emperor lowered his voice, his tone dissatisfied.

"Shut up. Keep your eyes sharp later, and don't bring trouble upon yourself." The Black Dragon Immortal Emperor coldly replied.

At this moment, the void changed, and the sky seemed to collapse silently by several layers.

A group of people walked out of the void just like that, as if they were just taking a stroll in their own backyard.

Walking at the front was a youth in white. His lazy gaze swept across the Ancestral Dragon Altar casually.

When the gazes of the five Dragon Emperors landed behind the youth, the arrogance on their Faces froze instantly. Then, it turned into horror.

That barefoot woman, with just a single glance, made the Origin Dragon Qi within the five Dragon Emperors feel as if it were frozen.

The man in the demon armor on the right, with the Laws of Destruction churning in his blood-colored eyes, made them feel a suffocating sensation of facing death directly.

This was not even the most terrifying part. Behind them, seventeen Immortal Emperors and Devil Emperors followed in perfect order!

Any one of them, if pulled out, would not be weaker than these Five Great Dragon Emperors, and some of the old monsters even had auras far more profound than theirs!

"This... what kind of Formation is this?!"

The Golden Dragon Immortal Emperor swallowed a mouthful of saliva, "Seventeen Immortal Emperors as followers? Those two leaders... could they be God..."

"Don't make a sound!" The Black Dragon Immortal Emperor sternly stopped his companion, veins bulging on his forehead.

Almost in an instant, the five high and mighty Dragon Emperors made the same decision. They immediately stood up from their thrones, the cold arrogance on their Faces instantly replaced by enthusiastic flattery.

"Oh my! This must be the incomparably noble Senior the Domain Lord spoke of! Long admired, long admired! This Junior, Red Dragon, pays his respects to you, Senior!"

"Your arrival, Senior, is truly a blessing our Dragon Domain has cultivated for a hundred thousand epochs! This Junior, Black Dragon, is willing to serve you, Senior, at your beck and call!"

The five Dragon Emperors surrounded Gu Heng, nodding and bowing, various flattering words pouring out like water.

They didn't care about their status and wished they could kneel down immediately to shine Gu Heng's shoes.

Gu Heng stopped and looked at these five Dragon Emperors who had been arrogant just a moment ago but were now smiling like chrysanthemums, his mouth twitching.

Although he was accustomed to being flattered by these big shots, the speed at which the Dragon Clan changed their expressions still opened his eyes.

"Alright, rise." Gu Heng waved his hand casually.

Hearing Gu Heng speak, the five Dragon Emperors straightened their backs, but they dared not retract even a fraction of the smiles on their Faces.

Di Shitian, standing behind Gu Heng, snorted. Those blood-colored demonic eyes were full of disdain, as if looking at a pack of stray dogs wagging their tails for mercy.

"A bunch of sycophantic scaly worms."

Jiang Wanyin remained expressionless, not even glancing at these five Dragon Emperors.

The seventeen Immortal Emperors and Devil Emperors following behind were cursing crazily in their hearts at this moment.

The Star Immortal Emperor rolled his eyes and cursed in his heart, "Pah! Shameless reptiles! What is Master's status? Is it something you loaches can casually climb up to? We had to sign a ten-thousand-year contract of indenture to earn this opportunity, and you want to get something for nothing? No way!"

The Thunder Emperor was also full of disdain, "With just this bit of cultivation, you dare to crowd around Master? Truly ignorant of the immensity of heaven and earth!"

The five Dragon Emperors were about to continue buttering him up, but the Dragon Domain Lord standing in the distance could finally no longer watch.

He coughed, his Face turning livid, and transmitted to the five Dragon Emperors, "Everyone! Mind your etiquette! Today is our Dragon Clan's ceremony, and millions of clansmen are watching! As Dragon Emperors, you are here nodding and bowing to curry favor with outsiders; where does that leave the Face of our Dragon Domain?!"

The Domain Lord was so angry his lungs were about to explode. He had originally wanted to use this opportunity to show Gu Heng the heritage and majesty of the Dragon Domain, but these five spineless things had directly thrown the Dragon Clan's Face to the ends of the earth.

Receiving the Domain Lord's transmission, the five Dragon Emperors stiffened, their Faces full of helplessness.

The Red Dragon Immortal Emperor transmitted with a bitter Face, "Domain Lord, you speak from a position of comfort! Do you think we want to? Look at how many Immortal Emperors are on the other side? Seventeen! We only have five in total! Not to mention those two unfathomable existences. Any one of them could flatten our Dragon Domain in minutes! If we don't hurry and hug their thighs now, should we just wait for death?"

"Exactly!" The Black Dragon Immortal Emperor also chimed in, "How much is Face worth? Life is what's most important! Domain Lord, don't be foolish; if we offend this lord, we're all done for!"

The Domain Lord was left speechless by the retort. He looked at Gu Heng's leisurely back, then at his own shabby lineup, and finally could only sigh.

Indeed, in the Face of absolute power, dignity is worth nothing.

The Domain Lord shook his head, suppressing the grievance in his heart. He knew the ceremony could not be delayed any longer.

He coughed heavily again, his voice overriding the clamor of the entire venue.

"The auspicious time has arrived! Activate the Ancestral Dragon Bloodline Formation! Elders, welcome The Chosen Son to enter!"

"Boom—" As the words fell, the Formation in the center of the Ancestral Dragon Altar suddenly erupted with a blinding light.

Vaguely, the phantom of an ancient bronze mirror appeared at the heart of the Formation, and a supreme aura dissipated into the surroundings.

The millions of Dragon Clan members in the venue instantly fell silent, all their eyes fixed in the direction of the altar entrance.

They saw a group of Dragon Clan Elders escorting a luxurious carriage pulled by nine golden dragons, slowly driving down from the sky.

"The Chosen Son, arrives—"