Chapter 770 - 765: The Old Dragon Monarch’s Greatness
[Sea of Suffering].
The Old Dragon Monarch’s voice had just faded when Celestial Python sprang into action. Mu Changsheng, though reluctant in his heart, appeared perfectly cooperative on the surface.
Immediately after, Celestial Python formed a Daoist Hand Seal.
"Go!"
A vermilion stream of light instantly flowed from his body. Despite him possessing a Water Fruit Position, it was now exuding a powerful, fiery aura.
The Old Dragon Monarch, however, was not surprised at all. Instead, he chuckled to himself. ’The Fruit of Sky-River Water... when Qi rises and falls, it resides in the high and bright fire position. It contains abundant water that falls as rain, supplementing the water within fire. Such a thing exists only in the heavens. It is water in name, but fire in reality. This is also why it would be detrimental to the Water Element if one used it to become a Supreme Venerable...’
But against the Fire Element, it was a different story.
At this moment, the [Fruit of Sky-River Water] that Celestial Python had deployed showed no fear in the face of the [Fruit of Celestial Fire]. On the contrary, it surged forward, enveloping and surrounding it.
This was the most crucial step.
No other Water Element power, not even the [Fruit of Vast-Sea Water], could accomplish this. Only the [Fruit of Sky-River Water], with its hidden Fire Element nature, could get this close to the [Fruit of Celestial Fire].
But that was as far as it went.
As its own safety was threatened, the originally dormant [Fruit of Celestial Fire] began to awaken rapidly. A powerful manifestation of rules instantly erupted, spreading in all directions.
BOOM!
With a tremendous roar, the Celestial Fire descended.
Only a small portion of it fell upon the Old Dragon Monarch and the others. The main force targeted Celestial Python, the audacious fool who had actually dared to try and imprison it.
Celestial Python had only just become a Perfected Lord. How could he possibly withstand the Celestial Fire Body Burning Punishment? He immediately let out a blood-curdling scream amidst the roiling Celestial Fire. He coughed up Dragon Blood, which was incinerated into nothingness before it could even fall. As his skin split and flesh tore open in the blaze, a fragrant aroma even began to waft from him.
"Brother Celestial Python, don’t panic!"
Seeing this, Mu Changsheng hurried forward, formed a Daoist Hand Seal, and activated the reality-warping power of [No Heaven]. In the blink of an eye, he erased Celestial Python’s injuries.
"Phew... Thank you, Daoist."
Celestial Python let out a long sigh of relief and shot Mu Changsheng a grateful look. The Old Dragon Monarch, seeing this, stroked his beard in satisfaction, feeling that he had not misjudged his man.
He felt at ease about Mu Changsheng.
’After all, this man belongs to the Heavenly God. He is naturally opposed to the Four Great Scoundrels. And I am a former noble of Heaven and Earth. Who else would he help but me?’
"Well done."
The Old Dragon Monarch looked at Mu Changsheng and offered a smile of encouragement. "Keep up the good work. When I become a Great Perfected Lord in the future, I will certainly not treat you poorly."
"Thank you, Senior!" Mu Changsheng said, his face a mask of excitement.
The very next second, however, he lowered his head, his eyelids drooping, not letting the Old Dragon Monarch see the resentment in his eyes. Inwardly, he was already cursing up a storm.
’Old Loach, so you finally decided to talk?’
’You son of a bitch, all you do is make empty promises! Where were you when I asked you for advice on how to clear the [Nourishing Life Master] trial?’
’Just dangling a carrot on a stick!’
’If the Old Dragon Monarch had actually helped me solve my problem with clearing the [Nourishing Life Master] trial, I would naturally have been loyal and devoted. Why else would I have gone to the Stain Sect behind his back?’
At this thought, Mu Changsheng grew even more eager for Lü Yang’s arrival.
He had only met Lü Yang once and had only caught a glimpse of his enormous Fruit of Sword Dao, but even that was more pleasant than putting on this false pretense with the Old Dragon Monarch!
「Time flew by.」
Celestial Python’s injuries grew increasingly severe, only to be repeatedly erased by Mu Changsheng. Yet, the [Fruit of Celestial Fire] remained in a state that was difficult to seal.
’So our strength is still insufficient.’
The Old Dragon Monarch’s brow furrowed at the sight. ’It is an Emperor Fruit, after all. Even without a master, its instincts alone are not something other Dao Fruits can so easily offend.’
’...So be it.’
With that thought, the Old Dragon Monarch finally let out a long breath and formed a Daoist Hand Seal with his fingertips. He hadn’t wanted to use this move unless he was absolutely forced to.
The next second, a deep blue light appeared at his fingertip. Within it, clarity and turbidity shifted, cycling back and forth before finally merging into a chaotic hue. With a point of his finger, it shot out and landed directly on the rampaging [Fruit of Celestial Fire], infecting it before melting inside.
For an instant, the [Fruit of Celestial Fire] fell silent.
But soon after, an even more violent agitation erupted from within this supreme existence of the Fire Element. It was a terrifying, dense roar of countless spiritual perceptions!
"Mother has granted me consciousness!"
"Today I finally know that I am me! So I am the [Fruit of Celestial Fire]..."
"Nonsense! I am the [Fruit of Celestial Fire]!"
"Get out of my body!"
At that moment, every single conceptual image within the [Fruit of Celestial Fire] gave birth to its own consciousness. Chaotic and berserk, they began to fight amongst themselves.
"This is..."
The Profound Turtle Great Saint and the Bright Pearl Great Saint, witnessing this scene, revealed looks of horror. Although the Old Dragon Monarch retracted his power and offered no explanation after doing this, they still saw the truth. ’This is... the fundamental Profound Mysterious of the [Fruit of Vast-Sea Water]—the Supreme Fruit Position Profound Mysterious!’
Its name is—the [Heaven and Earth Root]!
’The Valley Spirit never dies; it is called the Profound Feminine. The gate of the Profound Feminine is called the Heaven and Earth Root... The fundamental Profound Mysterious of the [Fruit of Vast-Sea Water] is the symbol of procreation and continuation!’
Life and consciousness.
The fundamental Profound Mysterious of the [Fruit of Vast-Sea Water] can bestow life upon anything, living or dead. The living will procreate, and the dead will gain self-awareness.
At first listen, it might not sound that impressive.
It’s nowhere near as powerful as establishing rules, slaying the future, or anchoring karmic links.
In practice, however, it is just as overpowered... because any existence granted life by it will regard the master of the [Fruit of Vast-Sea Water] as its mother.
And it will obey its mother without question.
Under the influence of this Profound Mysterious, no matter what you do to the Old Dragon Monarch—be it using a conceptual image, a Profound Mysterious, Mana, or a Magic—even you yourself will be affected by him.
Your Mana will gain self-awareness. Your conceptual Profound Mysterious, and even your Dao Fruit, will cease to obey you. You might even develop a second personality, or simply become pregnant, give birth to a child, have all your Mighty Power inherited by that child, and then promptly drop dead.
Of course, it has its downsides.
The Profound Feminine, the Heaven and Earth Root, the Mother of all under Heaven... In short, if one uses the Profound Mysterious of the [Fruit of Vast-Sea Water] too much, they will turn into a female, with no way to change back.
The Old Dragon Monarch was extremely wary of this.
Of course, it wasn’t that he was hung up on the issue of gender. At his level, one’s primary sex was not a problem at all; it was an irrelevant matter.
The Old Dragon Monarch’s perspective was far grander than that.
Ultimately, the reason he was so wary of becoming female was that, as a crucial figure responsible for the procreation of the True Dragon Race’s bloodline, he had to be male.
After all, male procreation was faster and simpler. All you had to do was provide the output.
One male with ten females can produce ten descendants.
In contrast, a female, even with ten or even a hundred partners at once, can ultimately only give birth to one... This was an unshakable law of reproduction.
’If I become female, how will the True Dragon Race procreate?’
’Ever since the great celestial shift, the True Dragon Race has been constantly suppressed, yet we have still managed to spread our branches and leaves. That’s all thanks to me, working hard behind the scenes, shot after shot!’
’What is the mere [Fruit of Vast-Sea Water] compared to the importance of my race?’
’No one else understands my greatness and hardship as the Dragon Monarch! They have no idea how much energy I have shot out for my race!’
This was a last resort. He had to use the [Fruit of Vast-Sea Water] to suppress the [Fruit of Celestial Fire]. Otherwise, the Old Dragon Monarch would never have resorted to such a poor strategy.
"...It’s done."
Gazing at the [Fruit of Celestial Fire], which was now powerless to resist being sealed because its countless newborn consciousnesses were busy killing one another, the Old Dragon Monarch finally breathed a sigh of relief.
"Take it away quickly. We..."
PFFT!
Before he could finish his sentence, a fair-skinned hand abruptly pierced through his chest. Blood splattered, and his internal organs joyfully tumbled out from the wound.
In that instant, all was silent.
But the silence was quickly shattered. The Old Dragon Monarch’s roar, a mixture of shock and fury, thundered out, shaking the [Sea of Suffering] and revealing a figure shrouded in smoke.
"[Ang Xiao]!!!"