Chapter Three: Awakening the Ancestral Dragon, A Surge in National Fortune, and the Collapse of Rumors

As he spoke, the sky manifested even more spectacular visions. A series of magnificent and epic scenes unfolded: the war between gods and demons, the collapse of the pillars supporting the heavens, the fracturing of the azure sky, and Nüwa riding a chariot pulled by the Yinglong as she went to pay homage to the Heavenly Emperor. The dragon’s tail carved out the earth, rivers surged forth, the Dragon Gate opened, and carp leaped over it to transform into true dragons, soaring into the sky. Every scene of the ancient past was reenacted.

Ji Ling’s voice grew more impassioned, and his aura intensified. Throughout this recitation, his affinity with the Yinglong had already reached seventy percent. Different levels of affinity granted different abilities: at fifty percent, one could summon a deity; at seventy percent, one could integrate a "tag" of that deity; at ninety percent, one could merge with the deity’s true form; and at one hundred percent, one could inherit all of the deity’s abilities.

In this world, ninety percent of "God-Contractors" held an affinity of only about fifty percent with their deities. Anything above seventy was rare.

"What is happening? Has it not stopped yet? Even with seventy percent affinity, it hasn't fully awakened," someone wondered aloud. "Could it be... that he hasn't finished his story yet?!"

Just as the crowd was baffled, Ji Ling moved. He took a deep breath, channeled the majestic divine power of the Yinglong, and summoned all his strength.

"You were born before heaven and earth were divided, setting apart yin and yang from chaos and incubating the Great Creator, Pangu."

"Your tears transformed into the waters of the Yellow Springs flowing through the Underworld."

"You, Yinglong Gengchen, are the Ancestral Dragon who embodies creation, fabrication, and destruction—the Primordial God of Creation, the Ancestral Dragon of Creation."

Boom!

As the final word fell, space and time froze for a moment. A "crack" sound emanated from the heavens, reaching deep into the souls of everyone present. On the massive statue, the grey outer shell split open, revealing a blinding golden brilliance from deep within the fissures. The cracks spread rapidly.

Boom!

Sacred, radiant golden light erupted from every crack, emitting an ancient, majestic, and infinitely overwhelming dragon aura. The dark, corrosive mist that had been devouring everything and enveloping the battlefield seemed to meet its nemesis, recoiling in a swift, chaotic retreat beneath this holy radiance.

"Roar!"

A dragon’s cry that shook the universe and traversed the heavens tore through the firmament. Everyone witnessed it: a colossal dragon, stretching for ten thousand zhang, leaping above auspicious clouds. Its golden scales were indestructible, exuding an immortal nobility. Its head was majestic, its eyes like the sun and moon, piercing through time and space. Its massive golden wings behind it looked like a curtain covering the sky.

As for Ji Ling, a true golden divine dragon coiled around him. Wherever the golden light touched, the blood and darkness dissipated. He bathed in the sacred light, resonating with the deity, his unique dragon aura compelling all things to submit.

"This is an Ancestral-rank deity! The highest tier of Ancestral-rank deities!" General Lin was trembling, overwhelmed with excitement.

The ranks of deities are: Void, Lower, Middle, Upper, True, Master, Royal, and Ancestral. Ancestral-rank deities were few and far between globally. In the Dragon Kingdom, due to a historical gap, many deities could not be identified or awakened; Ancestral-rank deities had never appeared, and even Royal-rank deities were scarce. This was why the Dragon Kingdom had suffered the most from the dark invasions. He never expected to see an Ancestral-rank deity born in his lifetime.

More importantly, the boy’s affinity with the Yinglong was one hundred percent. One hundred percent! Inheriting all the deity's abilities—since the resurgence of the gods, only two or three people worldwide had achieved such a level of affinity. A top-tier Ancestral deity combined with one hundred percent affinity! He couldn't even imagine the implications.

However, General Lin’s expression darkened as he looked at Ji Ling. Although he had perfect affinity, he lacked a "Deity Space" and could not directly contract with the god. He couldn't summon the deity to assist in future battles, nor could his own strength level increase. Even if he could inherit all the deity’s abilities, could a mortal body truly compare to a god? Alas!

...

Outside, the miraculous scene had shocked the entire nation.

"A True Dragon has appeared!"
"Did he... actually awaken it?"
"An Ancestral-rank deity, the most supreme of gods, has actually appeared in our Dragon Kingdom!"
"Where are those who called him a failure? Come out and say that again!"

The broadcast studio fell into a deathly silence. The Ji family’s expressions froze, filled with resentment and jealousy. Ji Yun gripped his fists so hard his nails dug into his skin; his face was pale, his eyes filled with disbelief. How could this be?! An Ancestral-rank deity... one hundred percent affinity... For the first time, he felt an unprecedented sense of unease.

But just then, the tone of the online comments shifted.
"Wait, didn't Major General Ji say this was a foreign evil god?"
"That's right, this dragon has wings; it looks just like one."
"This is bad! If a foreign deity manifests in our country, it will drain our national fortune."
"Damn it, Ji Ling is a spy! He awakened an evil god on purpose to hurt us!"
"Sanction him! The military must stop him!"

The host frowned and turned to the ashen-faced Ji Yun. "Major General Ji, you have studied the gods of all nations. Do you believe this deity is the evil god Typhon you mentioned?"

Ji Yun took a deep breath, suppressing his hatred, and put on a look of heartbreak. "From its appearance and characteristics, it does indeed match Typhon. Typhon holds a very high status in mythology, and the Ancestral-rank... it does fit the status of that deity. Alas! I never expected my brother to actually summon a foreign evil god. A foreign deity will only steal our national fortune. This is treason..."

He spoke with a heavy, pained tone, as if he were deeply disappointed in Ji Ling. His father, Ji Tianxing, immediately chimed in, "We should have known. His resentment had been building for so long; now he has committed such an act of treason."

But just as everyone began to believe the Yinglong was the evil god Typhon, a turning point occurred on the battlefield. The pervasive black mist seemed intent on invading again, but when it touched the auspicious golden light radiating from the Yinglong, it instantly turned to dust. Faint, shrill screams could be heard from within the mist, as if some creature were being incinerated. The safety zone, previously compressed, began to expand at a visible rate as the black mist retreated.

"The black mist is retreating! We are safe for now!" The two hundred thousand soldiers were greatly encouraged, though they dared not lower their guard. The dark anomalies had only temporarily retreated from the perimeter, and the entire war zone remained disconnected.

In the live stream, some began to question.
"Wait, this golden light looks so holy; it doesn't look like an evil god."
"Exactly, doesn't Typhon represent destruction and evil? This dragon aura, this auspiciousness—I can feel it from thousands of miles away."
"Impossible! This is definitely a trick. It must be a deceptive tactic by a foreign evil god to devour our national fortune."
"That's right! Major General Ji’s judgment cannot be wrong."

Just then! Boom!

In the center of the Dragon Kingdom's capital, the massive pillar representing the nation's fortune suddenly erupted with an unprecedented beam of light that shot into the sky. A vast, majestic, and awe-inspiring aura instantly covered the entire country.

Following this, everyone saw the massive golden phantom of the ten-thousand-zhang Yinglong coiling majestically around the Pillar of National Fortune. Its head held high, its aura connected to the pillar, becoming one!

Hundreds of millions of citizens across the country were shocked. The Pillar of National Fortune. The national luck was surging! This was the sign of awakening a deity of one's own nation.

"Holy crap! The national fortune is skyrocketing! This is a god of our Dragon Kingdom!"
"How is this possible? Didn't Major General Ji say it was Typhon?"
"It's clear now—he judged wrong."
"That means our Dragon Kingdom has finally given birth to an Ancestral-rank deity..."

"Major General Ji, the phenomenon of the Pillar of National Fortune and the projection of the Yinglong... seem to prove that the Yinglong is indeed a god of our Hua-Xia. Your previous judgment..."