Chapter Twenty-Two: The Final Battle of the Three Clans (Part Two)

An eagle soared along the coast of the Eastern Sea, its cry echoing across the sky. It rose urgently, striving to reach ever higher altitudes. Yet, no matter how fiercely it ascended, the raging waves below swallowed it whole.

To unleash their greatest power, the Dragon Clan had truly committed everything this time. The Dragon Clan’s leader, the Ancestral Dragon, and the Grand Elder, the Candle Dragon, combined the magical force of their entire clan, commanding the sea to flow inland toward the vast wilderness. The wilderness, immense and teeming with creatures, was overwhelmed. As the tide surged forth, all land-dwellers became a feast for the shrimp soldiers and crab generals. The mighty flood engulfed the earth, turning the sea crimson with blood. Witnessing this, the Ancestral Dragon and his generals laughed heartily. "Those who follow me will prosper; those who resist will perish," they declared.

Sensing the rise of innate turbid energy from the earth, the Elder Kirin realized the Ancestral Dragon could no longer restrain himself and had ignited the great war of the three clans.

Elder Kirin gazed at his sons below, nodding in satisfaction. "Let us depart," he commanded.

Countless streams of light flew eastward, while from the southern Immortal Mountain, the Elder Phoenix led the birds to join the battle—for the wilderness, and for her two children.

Arriving atop the great mountain, Elder Kirin stood with Elder Phoenix, commenting, "That wretch remains stubborn, still ignorant of the meaning of death."

"Do we have any choice?" Elder Phoenix replied, her gaze fixed on the Ancestral Dragon’s position. The two stood, and the warriors of their clans readied their weapons for the final confrontation.

"Ancestral Dragon, do you truly wish to destroy this wilderness?" Elder Kirin asked, unwilling to give up. "Hmph, it is you who defy fate. I was born to follow the mandate of heaven and shall bring order to the wilderness," the Ancestral Dragon answered.

"In that case, let us settle this," Elder Phoenix declared, launching herself at the Ancestral Dragon. Elder Kirin attempted to join the fray, but the Candle Dragon blocked his way. Within a few exchanges, the Candle Dragon was defeated.

"Impossible, how have you advanced so quickly?" the Candle Dragon exclaimed, disbelief written across his face.

"There is no such thing as impossible," Elder Kirin replied calmly. Glancing at the gravely wounded Candle Dragon, Elder Kirin turned to join Elder Phoenix’s battle. He did not kill the Candle Dragon, knowing the true leader was the Ancestral Dragon, and hoping the Candle Dragon would reconsider his path.

The Candle Dragon returned to command his clan. The beasts among the two allied clans unleashed innate turbid energy from deep underground, attacking the Dragon Clan.

The flood was halted. Mountains rose up from the plains, and many sea creatures found themselves atop peaks. Blood was scattered across the land. The birds ascended to the skies, releasing turbid flames from below to scorch the dragons.

Seeing this, the Candle Dragon roared, "Form the Ten Thousand Dragon Array!" The countless dragons joined forces, controlling the formation to resist their enemies. "How do you possess power equal to mine?" the Ancestral Dragon wondered. They had no merit energy, yet their strength was formidable.

"It is only the hatred in my heart," Elder Phoenix uttered through clenched teeth.

"Do you know how much hatred has grown in my heart all these years?" Elder Kirin said bitterly.

The dragons said no more, and the three elders battled fiercely. For the Ancestral Dragon, the fight was for unification; for the other two, it was for themselves and their people. Even injured, they sought to wound the Ancestral Dragon further. Thus, in the Ancestral Dragon’s eyes, their fighting spirit had grown.

The three clans fought violently, oblivious to the slender black line that quietly slipped into their souls. The black line did not affect their power but clouded their minds. All their magical arts and spells were unleashed upon each other; even Elder Kirin and Elder Phoenix began to battle one another.

The place where the three clan masters fought was shrouded in a giant black circle. Inside, the warriors of all three clans slaughtered any creature they saw, chaos erupting immediately.

The carnage had only just begun. The Candle Dragon, seeing the black line, realized its origin, hurriedly shielding himself with magic and breaking free of the black encirclement.

Helplessly, he watched as his former subordinates killed each other, dying in vain. The Candle Dragon wept in regret. The battlefield was devoid of life; all three clans’ warriors were dead, and the Candle Dragon, the sole witness, stood dumbfounded.

The orchestrator of the black mist was the Demon Ancestor, Rahu, who sought to nurture the Four Swords of Immortal Slaughter with the resentment and malice from their deaths. High above the battlefield, Rahu appeared, laughing as he produced the Four Swords from his sleeve.

The Four Swords slowly absorbed the hatred and malice. At that moment, another figure approached from afar—it was none other than Elder Hongjun. He stood opposite Rahu and said, "You would do well to reconsider and withdraw."

"You remain so persistent. Though you possess heavenly powers, you cannot change the course of fate. My unification of the wilderness is the way of the Dao," Rahu replied.

The Four Swords’ consumption was immense; soon they had absorbed everything. As they shone with dazzling sword light, Rahu smiled in delight.

"I will await you at Spirit Mountain," Rahu said, vanishing from the battlefield. Elder Hongjun sighed softly, "Magic cannot contend with destiny." He looked to the three elders. Freed from the black mist, the three slowly regained their senses. Seeing the corpses of their people littering the ground, tears welled in their eyes and they were filled with remorse.

Their spiritual consciousness wandered the river of time, understanding all that had transpired. The three elders approached Elder Hongjun. "Master, we wish to help you break the great formation in the West, to avenge our clans!"

Elder Hongjun’s repeated interventions made their responsibilities clear; the deaths of their clansfolk weighed most heavily on them. The three elders resolved to die for vengeance.

"Friends, take some time to recuperate and return to your dwellings. In a hundred years, let us meet again at Mount Buzhou," Elder Hongjun said, then returned to his own abode.

The three elders departed, each alone. The Ancestral Dragon looked at the Candle Dragon and said, "The former glory of the Dragon Clan is gone. Whether our clan survives depends on you now."

The Candle Dragon, stunned, burst into tears, sobbing in the Ancestral Dragon’s arms. "The Dragon Clan is ruined, finished—" The Ancestral Dragon’s own eyes brimmed with tears, flying through the sky.

"From now on, the Dragon Clan depends on you, do you understand?" The Ancestral Dragon pushed him away and spoke.

"Do not worry, elder brother. Even if I die, I will protect the Dragon Clan," the Candle Dragon swore.

Supporting the Ancestral Dragon, the Candle Dragon returned to the Crystal Palace of the Eastern Sea. A woman stood in the empty great hall. Seeing her, the Candle Dragon quietly withdrew, and the Ancestral Dragon slowly entered.

The Ancestral Dragon spoke, "You have endured hardship following me all this way. I owe you—"

Before he could finish, the woman replied, "To follow my husband is the greatest joy of my life." She was the Dragon Mother, the Ancestral Dragon’s wife.

The Ancestral Dragon embraced her tightly, unwilling to let go. Tears fell uncontrollably as the two shared this final happiness. Elder Kirin imparted all his knowledge and magical arts to Jade Kirin.

Since the blow of the "treasure snatching," Jade Kirin’s cultivation had stalled, so he did not join the war of the three clans and narrowly escaped disaster. Elder Phoenix entrusted her duties to Sky Phoenix, who, like Jade Kirin, had not advanced since the "treasure snatching" battle. Finally, Elder Phoenix said, "Awaken! You are the Phoenix Clan’s greatest warrior!" Sky Phoenix, no longer dazed, nodded solemnly to Elder Phoenix.

Elder Phoenix and the Ancestral Dragon bid farewell to their people, then flew toward Mount Buzhou.