“Who is it?
Who is speaking?” Ye Xuan wondered, startled by the sudden voice.
With a sheer cliff behind him and an empty void ahead, there was no one in sight.
Was he hallucinating from his severe injuries?
“I am your ancestor,” the eerie voice echoed again.
“My ancestor?
Are you trying to mock me?” Ye Xuan retorted, growing angry.
The emotion triggered an agonizing pain in his chest, making it difficult to even breathe.
“As if a brat like you has anything worth mocking.
Forget it.
I don’t have the energy to waste words on you.
Keep talking, and you’ll be smashed to pieces when you hit the bottom.” The eerie voice cut off abruptly.
Overcome by his severe injuries, Ye Xuan blacked out.
He then fell into an incredibly long dream.
He found himself suspended in midair, floating above a vast, boundless ocean.
This was a Cultivator’s Sea of Consciousness.
The water below was completely still, devoid of even the slightest ripple, like a pool of dead water.
Standing opposite him was a towering figure who possessed the commanding presence of a Divine King.
The man was transmitting the Dao to him.
These teachings transformed into characters that surged directly into Ye Xuan’s mind.
It hurt!
A searing agony tore through his very soul as the profound text forcibly branded itself into his memories.
An unknown amount of time passed before the characters vanished, replaced by a Jade Pendant floating in the air.
It was his family’s ancestral heirloom.
The man, looking like a Divine King, simply waved his hand.
Cracks formed on the Jade Pendant before it completely shattered.
Yet, from its fragments emerged a tiny cauldron.
Initially no larger than a fingernail, it rapidly expanded until it was the size of a towering mountain.
Nine Divine Dragons coiled around its body, their heads resting along the rim of the cauldron’s opening.
Suddenly, the massive cauldron trembled, and one of the dragons emitted a brilliant golden light.
Upon closer inspection, it was a single drop of golden blood.
The radiant glow stemmed from this very drop.
As the light flared, a Five-Clawed Golden Dragon soared into the sky, its colossal shadows filling the entire expanse.
An endless, suffocating pressure descended from above, making Ye Xuan feel as insignificant as a speck of dust.
Dragons were creatures of myth.
Legends claimed they were bloodthirsty, violent, greedy, and lustful.
But regardless of their flaws, they were undeniably and overwhelmingly powerful!
After circling once, the Golden Dragon lunged at Ye Xuan.
When it was merely a finger’s breadth away, it condensed back into a tiny drop of blood and seeped straight into his forehead.
In that instant, an unbearable, scorching heat erupted within his body, as if some unknown power was awakening.
He completely lost consciousness.
Sometime later, Ye Xuan heard a woman’s voice.
“Ye Xuan, what exactly happened to you?
Please, wake up.”
Groggy, Ye Xuan opened his eyes.
The first thing he saw was a young woman around nineteen years old.
Her eyes were as bright as the autumn moon, her complexion as vibrant as spring flowers, and her features were as flawlessly crafted as a divine blessing.
Despite how much she had grown, he immediately recognized her by the familiar contours of her face.
Wasn’t this his younger sister, Ye Ling’Er, whom he hadn’t seen in thirteen years?
Why was she here?
Could it be that after thirteen years away, he had finally returned home?
Thirteen years ago, while out playing as a twelve-year-old, he had crossed paths with traveling Elders from the Profound Cloud Sect.
One of the Elders noticed his exceptional innate talent and took him straight back to their sect.
However, the Profound Cloud Sect was tens of thousands of miles away from the Ye Family’s home.
In all those thirteen years, Ye Xuan had never sent a single letter home, nor had he ever descended the mountain.
The sect had strict rules: disciples were forbidden from leaving until their cultivation reached a certain level.
Venturing out while weak meant they would either be killed or bring shame to the Profound Cloud Sect.
After becoming the Holy Son, Ye Xuan was supposed to earn a chance to visit home under an Elder’s escort.
Unfortunately, his junior sister, Meng Dieyi, had been poisoned and gravely injured right around that time.
The mere thought of Meng Dieyi sent a sharp, needle-like pain through his heart.
He wouldn’t be a man if he didn’t avenge himself—no one could simply swallow such a betrayal!
He swore he would slaughter that treacherous pair.
“Ye Xuan, you’re awake!
This is wonderful, truly wonderful!” Ye Ling’Er’s face lit up with joy the moment she saw his eyes open, and she tightly grasped his hand.
“Why aren’t you saying anything?” she asked.
Ye Xuan felt a surge of anxiety.
He desperately wanted to speak, to confirm everything with her, but he couldn’t even part his lips.
It was as if his body was no longer under his control; even shifting his gaze required immense effort.
It seemed his body was still undergoing its transformation.
“Ling’Er, is your brother awake?”
At that moment, a middle-aged man rushed in from outside.
Seeing Ye Xuan’s open eyes, a massive, uncontrollable smile broke out across his face.
“Thank heavens you’re awake!
Xuan’Er, it’s been thirteen years.
I have finally lived to see you again.
You were only twelve when you went missing, and for years, we all thought you were dead.
Who could have imagined that Ling’Er would find you drowning in the river while she was out washing clothes?
If it weren’t for the Jade Pendant you were wearing, we wouldn’t have even recognized you at first.”
The middle-aged man was Ye Xuan’s father, Ye Yizhou.
As he spoke, he stepped to Ye Xuan’s bedside.
“Father, he doesn’t seem able to speak yet,” Ye Ling’Er pointed out.
“He can’t speak?
Has he been reduced to a vegetative state?
Just who did this to my son?
I swear I will ensure they die a miserable death!” Ye Yizhou seethed.
“Father, don’t be so pessimistic,” Ye Ling’Er comforted him.
“Maybe he just needs some time to recover, and then he’ll be completely fine.
Besides, even if he stays like this forever, I will take care of him for the rest of my life.”
Hearing someone vow to take care of him for a lifetime once again, Ye Xuan felt an unexpected urge to cry.
Having just suffered a vicious betrayal from a woman he trusted, he suddenly realized that perhaps family were the only ones who would truly treat him well.
Furthermore, their conversation confirmed that he had indeed returned to the Ye Family’s home.
That meant when he fell off the cliff that day, he hadn’t been smashed to pieces.
Instead, he had plunged into a river and drifted downstream all the way home.
As for how he survived the fall and floated such a vast distance, it was undoubtedly the residual power of his ancestor protecting him.
Once he figured this out, Ye Xuan forced himself to remain calm.
He carefully recalled the dream he just had and quickly discovered a wealth of new knowledge etched into his mind: the Sixteen Sword Poem Techniques, the Pill Book, the Medicine Scripture, the Divine-Demonic Overlord Body, and countless other profound arts.
He knew this knowledge had been imparted to him by the mysterious figure.
That man was truly his ancestor!
“My descendant, this knowledge will serve you for a lifetime,” the Divine King’s voice echoed in his memory once more.
“Your body cannot move right now because the Dragon Blood is currently reforging your mortal shell.
Once the transformation is complete, you will awaken the War Dragon Soul!
“Furthermore, the Dragon Capturing Cauldron is a Supreme Magical Treasure.
I have already bound it to your soul.
You will come to understand its profound mysteries in the future.
“Lastly, I have sent you back to the Ye Family.
You should understand what I expect of you, right?
Do not disappoint me!”
The voice then faded entirely, leaving behind absolute silence.
“Ancestor?
Ancestor…” Ye Xuan called out several times in his heart, but received no response.
His ancestor’s residual power had fully dissipated.
“Rest assured, Ancestor.
I will not fail your expectations.
With your inheritance, I will bring glory to the Ye Family and restore it to the splendor it enjoyed during your era,” Ye Xuan promised internally.
Just as he finished his silent oath, a repulsive voice drifted in from the doorway.
“Ling’Er, have you thought it over?”
A young man swaggered into view.
Although he was rather ugly, his extravagant clothing clearly indicated a prominent background.
Seeing him, Ye Ling’Er’s face immediately fell.
“Fang Shaohan, I already told you.
I will not marry you,” she stated coldly.
The youth, Fang Shaohan, instantly scowled.
“You really won’t give up until you’re staring death in the face!”
Without a hint of warning, Fang Shaohan viciously drew his sword and slashed at Ye Yizhou’s leg.
Fortunately, Ye Yizhou was also a Cultivator and instinctively channeled his Spiritual Qi to block the strike.
SIZZLE SIZZLE SIZZLE!
A burst of sparks erupted as the sword clashed against the barrier of Qi shielding his leg.
“Oh?
You actually dare to block me?” Fang Shaohan sneered.
“Believe it or not, I’ll bypass you and lay my hands straight on your precious daughter.
I’ll ravage her, then kill her!
You should know that I, Fang Shaohan, always keep my word!”
Ye Yizhou’s face paled.
He immediately withdrew his Spiritual Qi and forced an apologetic smile.
“Young Master Fang, please don’t be like this…”
“What gives you the right to speak to me while standing?” Fang Shaohan barked coldly.
“Kneel!”
“Kneel!”
His arrogant demand echoed relentlessly through the room.
Lying helplessly on the bed, Ye Xuan seethed with fury.
How dare this bastard demand his father kneel?!
He tried with all his might to sit up, but his body stubbornly refused to obey.
“What, you won’t kneel?
Let me tell you, me wanting to marry Ling’Er is a blessing for her and a blessing for the Ye Family!
Don’t push your luck when I’m being nice!
Otherwise, my previous promise stands—I’ll ravage her and then kill her!”
“I…
I will kneel!” Ye Yizhou gritted his teeth, finally yielding to the threat.
Watching from the side, Ye Xuan was frantic.
He screamed in his heart, “Father, don’t kneel!
How can a man surrender his dignity to another so easily?”