Chapter 287: The Ever-Changing Old Ancestor

Chapter 287: The Ever-Changing Old Ancestor

Under the lake, turbulent undercurrents surged wildly, and a deep vortex formed on the surface.

Golden light flickered frequently within the vortex, like lightning weaving through dark clouds. Faintly, one could hear roars and dragon cries echoing from within.

Everyone battling above the lake froze for a moment.

They all sensed that boiling Dragon Might. The Golden Core elder, who was already getting overwhelmed by Xu An, had another drastic change in expression.

“D*mn it! The flood dragon sacrificed itself!”

“How could this be? Don’t tell me that Qi Refining stage cultivator is the Inheritor?!”

The Golden Core elder couldn’t believe it.

Why would the Dragon Soul choose such a weak person as its inheritor?

The Sect Master had clearly warned them to be wary of Golden Core cultivators who weren’t Ascenders.

He had been wondering—spiritual energy recovery had only begun ten years ago. Besides the Ascenders, who else could reach Golden Core?

But here one was, a Golden Core showing up with a Qi Refining stage cultivator.

Back then, he was already cautious, pretending not to notice while trying to stabilize the situation.

At first, he suspected the Inheritor was the female cultivator who came with the Qi Refining stage kid. But she was just a Yang Soul projection—definitely not someone who could inherit the Dragon Soul. Then he thought maybe it was one of those three sudden genius sword cultivators. So he tried his best to stall for backup.

Turns out... he was wrong about everything!

At the bottom of the lake.

Golden radiance erupted from the cracked dragon scale atop the flood dragon furnace, gathering into thousands of golden soulfire threads that surged into Chen Huaian’s brow.

Chen Huaian wanted to speak, to stop the flood dragon’s self-sacrifice—but his body wouldn’t move, like a player locked in a cutscene.

The soulfire poured into his dantian. Already a top-grade Dragon Platform, it ascended even further.

The Dragon Soul, eyes closed till now, fully awakened—its golden vertical pupils slowly opened.

His dantian evolved into a supreme-grade, and in a moment of insight, Chen Huaian learned its name—Ashen Scale.

His physique underwent dramatic changes as the Dragon Soul reshaped his body.

Chen Huaian saw a golden dragon shadow coursing through his bloodline. He saw generations of Inheritors perish—struck down by heavenly tribulations, shattered beneath sky-crushing palms, executed at guillotines. They gazed toward the cloud-covered sky, toward the overwhelming divine might above. Upon those clouds stood countless invincible figures. Their eyes were filled with resolve, defiance, and hatred.

Eventually, all those gazes aligned with Chen Huaian’s own.

ROAR——!

A dragon’s cry exploded from the lakebed.

Tiny golden scales spread across Chen Huaian’s forehead. Blood at the corners of his mouth turned to molten lava. His pupils shrank into vertical slits. Dragon horns jutted out from the sides of his skull.

He clenched his fists—currents swirled tightly around him.

He roared—clouds churned above the lake, thunder gathering.

He swung his dragon tail—the entire lake boiled as if oil had been poured into it.

Those who carry the Dragon Soul must defy the heavens.

Only now did Chen Huaian understand why the Ancestral Dragon chose him.

Back then, when he dragged his sick body up Mount Tai, he really had defied the heavens.

He also realized why the flood dragon had looked at him with such disdain.

Because every past Inheritor had been far stronger—so strong they could battle immortals with brute force.

But even now, he still didn’t know what kind of enemies those Inheritors had faced.

Or why they chose to oppose them.

Still, he remembered the flood dragon’s words—Don’t become an Ascender.

With the backing of Cangyun Realm and the Sword Pavilion, he was confident he didn’t need to rely on any sect in the mortal world.

In that case, he wouldn’t count as an Ascender… right?

“Right now, I’m… at the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment!”

Chen Huaian narrowed his eyes.

With the Dragon Soul completed, he had gained a new ability—partial dragon transformation.

Compared to the Heavenly Demon Art, partial dragon form enhanced his physique in all areas and also boosted spiritual energy efficiency. The same sword strike, when made in dragon form, would carry Dragon Qi. Once Dragon Qi invaded an opponent’s body, it would trigger fear and dread.

In life-or-death combat, fear was fatal.

It was no different than turning your back on the enemy.

At the same level, fear meant death.

“Something’s definitely up with these hidden sects and Ascenders appearing since spiritual energy recovery began…”

Chen Huaian squinted up at the lake surface.

Even through the water, he could clearly see the battle above. With Duan Feng joining the fight, the twelve Golden Core cultivators were starting to fall behind.

His mind held only fragments from the memories of past Inheritors.

Not enough to piece together the full story.

All he knew—the enemy came from the heavens.

Which meant he couldn’t reveal that he was the Dragon Soul’s Inheritor.

Or he’d be hunted forever.

“Anyone who saw me inherit the Dragon Soul today… must die.” Images of several people flashed through his mind, and his eyes burned with killing intent.

He controlled the dragon scales to mask his entire face.

Only the golden vertical pupils remained visible. Then he drew the Emperor’s Sword – Chenjiang, which he rarely used, and launched himself toward a figure on the lake’s surface.

On the lake.

The Golden Core elder was already struggling against Xu An.

Suddenly, he felt an overwhelming killing intent surge up from below.

“Not good!” His heart sank.

Just as he was about to dodge—

“There will be times when the wind and waves are strong.”

A misty chant echoed from beneath the surface.

With a faint trace of a dragon’s roar.

BOOM——!

A beam of sword energy burst from the water.

Like a glimmering golden thread, it trailed a spiraling dragon form and pierced straight through the elder’s chest. Blood blossomed like red plum flowers against the inky night sky.

Behind the Golden Core elder, Dragon Qi condensed into a phantom swordsman who sheathed his blade.

Only then did a ghostly voice echo—

“I’ll sail my cloud-filled sails to cross the vast seas!”

As a Golden Core Ascender, he shouldn’t have been injured by that strike.

But his spiritual energy had already been drained by Xu An. He couldn’t even form a protective barrier. Add the lethal force of the Green Lotus Sword Manual, and Chen Huaian crossed an entire realm to kill in a single strike.

“Old Ancestor?!”

Xu An was dumbfounded. “Old Ancestor, why does your hairstyle keep changing?!”

Just a moment ago, the Old Ancestor had short black hair.

Now, he had flowing crimson-gold hair down his back, dragon scale armor covering his body, dragon horns sprouting from his head, a tail swishing behind him—his whole body glowing under the wash of spiritual energy like a walking lightbulb, shiny and sparkly.

As expected of the Old Ancestor—truly ever-changing!

“This isn’t the time to discuss hairstyles.” Chen Huaian, after confirming Li Qingran was safe, scanned the surroundings and said solemnly, “Ignore the other cultivators. But these remaining eleven Golden Core must die.”

The Ascenders in the cave didn’t know who he was—only these eleven had seen him descend into the lake to inherit the Dragon Soul.

So they had to die.

Besides, those fragmented memories told him—he and the Ascenders, along with whatever backed them, were destined to be mortal enemies.

“Kill?”

A mocking laugh came from the rolling clouds.

Several ethereal, sage-like figures flickered in the mist.

“Just a fledgling who inherited the Dragon Soul—who gave you the guts to kill our people? Tonight, this old man will skin your dragon hide and pull out your dragon tendons!”

“Sword—come!”

A streak of sword light flew in from the west, landing in the man’s hand.

He flicked his wrist.

CLANG——!

The entire cloud layer suddenly sank and split in two.

A torrent of pale sword light cascaded down like a waterfall.

That sword force—no way a Golden Core could block it.

“Protect the Old Ancestor!” Duan Feng roared.

Xu An and Zhen He moved at once. The three core disciples stood in a triangle formation, preparing the Three Talents Sword Array.

“Break—!”

From the clouds, someone pointed a finger.

The moment the formation activated—it shattered.

“We can’t hold it…?”

“Then let’s go all out!”

Chen Huaian’s eyes blazed. He pulled out the Sect Summoning Order and pressed it to his forehead.

BUZZ——!

Space trembled.

Inside the Sword Pavilion.

Su Qinian, still chatting with a hundred “white moonlight” girls, blinked in confusion—then instantly vanished from his couch.

Only a private voice-transmission jade slip drifted lazily to the floor.