Realm-Hopping Martial Master

This overwhelming aura swept across the entire cave, even making Huang Ya, the protector standing to the side, unable to stop his heart from surging, his aged eyes shining with excitement.

He did it!

He really did it!

Demon Venerable.

In such a short span of time, he personally witnessed Golden Horn charge straight from Demon Monarch Early Stage into the Demon Venerable Realm!

Such speed, such talent—no wonder it’s the Ancestor Dragon Bloodline!

One must know, the barrier between Demon Monarch and Demon Venerable is not something that can be broken through by simply pouring down the Power of Great Dao.

One needs to have a basic understanding and comprehension of the Space Dao.

Perhaps this is the wondrousness of the Ancestor Dragon Bloodline.

Huang Ya’s heart surged with excitement, yet the pupils of the Heaven-Burning Ancestor, seated high at the center of the stone platform, suddenly shrank, and the look he cast at Jiang Shu once again turned hostile.

Something’s wrong!

Too fast!

The infusion of Ten Thousand Spirits Origin Energy had only just begun not long ago; the total amount was even less than he had anticipated.

The Power accumulated in the array hub had not been completely absorbed by Golden Horn to stabilize his Realm and solidify his foundation as expected. Instead, it was as if a bottomless pit had swallowed it all in one gulp, vanishing without a trace.

Within the Formation on the stone platform, the patterns that had originally been radiating endless light dimmed at a speed visible to the naked eye.

The entire blood-and-flesh furnace node, which at the moment of activation had surged with fullness, as if containing the source Power of a world’s living beings, now appeared somewhat shriveled.

The Heaven-Burning, molten-gold gaze locked firmly onto Jiang Shu, onto the dazzling, soul-seizing, dignified and heavy Dragon Scales covering his body, onto that mighty Dragon Horn on his forehead that pointed straight to the heavens, entwined with Chaos lightning patterns; all of this proclaimed the might and perfection of a Demon Venerable.

Yet it was precisely this kind of utterly solid, absurdly stable "perfection" that allowed the doubts in Heaven-Burning’s heart to grow like poisonous vines, madly proliferating.

It had gone too smoothly.

Like a pond that should have been filled to the brim with water suddenly being drained by more than half, yet not a single bubble had surfaced.

Within his chaotic mind, fragmented images concerning the Human Clan, concerning Jiang Taixuan, concerning conspiracies, churned crazily.

A thread of incomparably obscure Divine Thought, which he had instinctively concealed, once again probed out, like a venomous snake emerging from its hole, vicious and precise as it stabbed toward the bloodline within Jiang Shu’s body.

He wanted to see, in the depths of this bloodline, whether it was Dragon Soul Origin... or something else entirely!

Just as this wisp of Divine Thought was about to touch Jiang Shu’s bloodline, about to touch the inner world hidden within his Essence Blood, Jiang Shu likewise became aware of the Heaven-Burning Ancestor’s move, and that vast and majestic Dragon Might around him abruptly withdrew.

The tangible Dragon Scales covering his entire body receded beneath his skin like the ebbing tide, leaving only a dark-gold luster flowing over the surface of his skin, making him appear even more restrained and profound.

The mighty Dragon Horn on his forehead also shrank and withdrew, but that nobility and power stemming from the depths of his bloodline was deeply imprinted into his bearing.

Buzz!

Two beams of gold light, condensed as if tangible and seeming able to pierce through the long river of time, shot from his eyes, actually piercing the darkness of the cave’s space to carve out two straight paths of light.

The golden radiance flashed and vanished, quickly hidden away, leaving only those vertical pupils as deep as two Ancient golden lakes, calmly looking toward the Heaven-Burning high upon the platform.

Those Dragon Eyes were sharp and steady, brimming with the sense of Power belonging to a newly advanced Venerable, yet devoid of the slightest trace of panic, guilt, or abnormal fluctuation.

"This junior, Golden Horn, is indebted to Ancestor for recreating my life!"

His voice was not loud, yet carried a heavy echo, as if imbued with the Power of rules.

He bent slightly at the waist, performing an ancient Dragon Clan salute of respect toward seniors to the Heaven-Burning, his posture flawless.

The wisp of Divine Thought Heaven-Burning had extended collided with an invisible barrier and was quietly blocked and dissolved by the Space Dao Principle hidden in the depths of those Dragon Eyes and reinforced by the World Tree.

In the end, he still failed to truly glimpse the core secret.

His molten-gold pupils contracted violently; that profound suspicion and icy killing intent almost erupted once again!

The anomalies on this young man before him were simply too many. In that fleeting instant just now, Heaven-Burning had even wanted to kill him regardless of all consequences. But what if Golden Horn really had no problem?

The Emperor Palace attached exceptional importance to this Golden Horn; if he truly was not Jiang Shu, then so what if he himself was in the Half-step Demon Lord Realm?

Jiang Shu did not know what the Heaven-Burning Ancestor was thinking. He slowly rose from the meditation cushion, the tangible Dragon Scales covering his body receding beneath his skin like the ebbing tide, leaving only a physique flowing with dark-gold luster. The pressure of a newly advanced Demon Venerable condensed without dispersing, like a peerless edge sheathed in an ancient scabbard, heavy and restrained.

He solemnly cupped his hands in salute toward the Heaven-Burning Ancestor on the high platform, whose aura was still chaotic and violent.

"Many thanks for the Heaven-Burning Demon Lord’s blessing of Creation."

His voice was steady, wrapped in the still-unmastered rhythms of the Space Dao.

The Heaven-Burning’s molten-gold beast pupils fixed on him; the savagery and doubt within were like undercurrents beneath an ice sheet—turbulent, yet not breaking through the ice—until he finally squeezed out a low growl of indeterminate meaning from his throat.

"Mm."

Huang Ya’s withered figure almost instantly appeared at Jiang Shu’s side, every deep wrinkle on his old face smoothing out, overflowing with irrepressible ecstasy and fervor.

"Good, good, good!"

"Golden Horn Young Master—no, now you must be addressed as Golden Horn Demon Venerable!"

Huang Ya’s voice was hoarse, yet carried the clangor of metal striking stone.

"So young, yet you have stepped into the Venerable Realm and bear the Ancestor Dragon Bloodline—this is an omen of the great rise of my Demon Race!"

"This old man must report to the Emperor Palace and have a Supreme celebration arranged for you, invite all heavens to rejoice together! If Lord Dragon Venerable were to know, he would surely..."

"Senior!"

Before Huang Ya could finish, Jiang Shu abruptly spoke to cut him off. A trace of extremely subtle urgency flashed deep within those golden vertical pupils, instantly replaced by deliberately ignited blazing battle intent and solitary pride.