Chapter 44: One Person, One Smile, One Dragon

"It is an Ancestor," Hai Qing’s eyes lit up. She had always heard that her family had migrated from elsewhere, brought here by three ancestors. She had originally assumed it was merely a boast to gain prestige, but now she realized it was true! Moreover, this Ancestor’s cultivation seemed terrifyingly profound. Hai Qing’s mind began to race, calculating what benefits this might hold for her.

Old Man Quan stood before the massive fissure, his expression indifferent and cold. Suddenly, however, he turned his head, his face contorted in shock, followed by a look of savage fury.

Dozens of meters away from the fissure, two enormous stone hands erupted from the ground, seized one of the smaller dragons, and tore it apart with brutal force. The dragon let out a single wail before dissolving into a rain of flesh and blood.

The remaining two dragons flapped their giant wings and took to the sky, roaring incessantly. The sound was deafening, yet there was an underlying sense of bravado masking their fear. Most of the spectators had long since fled. Watching this, Wu Yue thought to himself, "So, even these great dragons can feel fear."

While the frost dragon was inscrutable, Wu Yue felt the other three dragons possessed only Mortal-Shedding cultivation. However, it was said that for dragons, the longer they lived, the higher their cultivation. These three were clearly still juveniles.

"You killed several members of my Hai family, and you think you can just leave without a word?" A figure of immense authority suddenly appeared, standing amidst the dragon blood and gore, looking all the more menacing. The two massive stone hands loomed behind him like a backdrop.

"It’s the Second Ancestor." Hai Qing recognized him immediately. She had seen his portrait in the ancestral hall and had even offered incense to it. As more people recognized him, the Hai family’s slumped morale surged, though most of the family had already vanished.

Among the mortals, only the stout head steward remained. Having witnessed the affair involving Chu He, he had lost his fear of cultivators. He wondered who was stronger: the white-clad woman—the ancestor of the Hai family—or the overbearing monk.

These were the only two people remaining beside Hai Qing. The other was Chai Qingshan. He showed no fear, nor any excitement. Like his name, "Green Mountain," he remained unmoved, his expression unchanging.

"How audacious!" Ziyan roared with rage, for that dragon had been his. Even in the Tower of the Sky, dragons were rare treasures.

The two men behind him, one in golden armor and the other in red, were far more composed. Their gazes, however, were far from friendly; they held malice, irritation, and cold glares, but notably, no contempt. They knew that even in their Dragon-Rune armor, they were no match for that person. A true master of destiny.

"Is the Tower of the Sky so far from the mortal realm that you have forgotten basic manners?" The Second Ancestor of the Hai family said coldly. Though he addressed Ziyan, his gaze was fixed on Old Man Quan. "Even your Dragon Lord would not dare speak to me in such a manner."

Old Man Quan had regained his composure. He spoke each word distinctly: "I care not who you are, nor if you have ties to the Dragon Lord. You must pay the price for your actions."

"The Tower of the Sky is as unreasonable as ever. I, too, wish to settle the score for the many lives of my Hai family," the Second Ancestor retorted, refusing to yield an inch.

Hearing such domineering words, the Hai family members were visibly stirred. As for Hai Qing, she began to wonder what kind of family she actually belonged to. It seemed to have quite a history. Regardless, Wu Yue watched the unfolding drama with great excitement and enthusiasm.

Suddenly, the Frost Dragon took flight. Even when its companion was killed moments ago, it had only glanced over with lethargy. Now, the scales on its body stood on end, and the previous laziness vanished, replaced by an aura of boundless dominance. Its dragon eyes swept across the scene, cold and heartless, causing the temperature of the entire space to plummet.

"What is wrong with Lord Rhys?" Ziyan asked urgently. This dragon held a high status; were it not for the Young Master, it would have been impossible to command. As for its cultivation, Ziyan only knew it had lived for thousands of years.

"Roar!" The Frost Dragon let out a deafening cry. The horses on the ground, and even the other two dragons, trembled in terror.

"Is the Tower of the Sky breaking its promise?" An ethereal voice drifted through the air, sounding at once like an old woman and a young girl.

The Frost Dragon remained silent, but thick clouds began to gather in the sky. The heat of mid-summer vanished, replaced by a cold more biting than the dead of winter.

Wu Yue glanced at those around him. Yu Fu was unaffected, Li Wenzhang was unaffected, Hou Baiyu was surrounded by a layer of black armor and remained unaffected, and Zhao Qingzhi swallowed a red pill from his pocket, appearing equally unaffected.

Wu Yue sighed. It seemed he was the most useless of them all. He was already shivering, but the spectacle was too grand to abandon. Just as he felt helpless, the small, jar-like key in his pocket began to vibrate. He pulled it out and saw the button on its base flashing rapidly. After a moment of hesitation, he pressed it.

*Click.* High-purity energy detected.

*Click.* Absorbing energy.

The chill vanished instantly. Wu Yue worried he might have alerted the great dragon, but he soon realized it didn't even glance his way. It made sense; compared to the vast energy present, what the small jar was absorbing was merely a drop in the ocean.

Though Hai Qing could barely hold on, the head steward’s lips had turned purple, and he was on the verge of fainting. Chai Qingshan casually tossed the steward far away, produced a bamboo staff, drew a shallow circle on the ground, and stood calmly. Hai Qing gritted her teeth and edged toward Chai Qingshan, for within that circle, it was as warm as spring.

"I know now—you are of the Yun Clan!" Old Man Quan suddenly roared, as if struck by a realization. "I never expected there to be survivors!"

"I understand now," Hai Qing’s breathing quickened. She recalled the voice that had shifted between ages. She had once read a book in the family library that contained a casual note: *The ancient Yun Clan arose by the side of the Eastern Sea; the great clan remains eternally youthful, shifting between old and young at will.* She had once been confused about what the Yun Clan had to do with her family.

The Frost Dragon danced in the sky, its aura of dominion filling the air. Large snowflakes fell, looking soft and delicate, yet when they struck carriages, they shattered them, and when they hit the city walls, they struck with a thunderous boom. These snowflakes were as heavy as a thousand pounds.

"Heh heh heh. A little dragon from back then has grown to wield such great divine power now," a voice said—aged, yet full of vigor.

A man dressed in black and white Taoist robes appeared and smiled gently at the swirling snow.

He smiled, and heaven and earth smiled with him.

The clouds parted, revealing the clear blue sky.