CHAPTER 168: THE NORTHERN GOD'S OCULAR ART

Feng Tiancheng placed his right hand at the center of Nantian Wan'er's forehead, transmitting the operation method of the Moonshadow Armor to her. "The Moonshadow Armor was sealed in a previous battle. Now it belongs to you, but if you want to unseal it, you'll have to find a way on your own.

"Even as it is now, its defensive power far surpasses that of a top-grade Earth Tier enchanted weapon. When not in battle, it automatically assumes the form of an ordinary dress. As long as moonlight shines on it, the armor can generate spirit qi to aid in defense. If you manage to lift the seal, I doubt anyone on this continent could break through it."

"But... I really can't take it. Lu-gege would blame me if he found out I took something so important from you. I can't," Nantian Wan'er said.

"Enough. If I say you can have it, then you can have it. Let's see how that brat dares to object," Feng Tiancheng told her, patting her shoulder gently with a smile. "I understand your feelings, but Little Lu is destined for battle. He will face countless foes, and there will be times when he won't even have a moment to think of your safety. This armor will be very useful to you. Think of it as me giving it to you on his behalf. Keep it well, you'll both need it someday.

"Still, I hope the day never comes when you actually have to use it." Feng Tiancheng sighed as he looked at her. "Wan'er, if you truly see me as your grandpa, then keep the Moonshadow Armor safe. As for what happens later... We'll deal with that when the time comes."

Unable to argue, Nantian Wan'er said, "Alright... I'll take the armor."

She carefully stored away the Moonshadow Armor. "Thank you, Grandpa Feng. I'll treasure it and ensure it never brings shame while in my care."

Feng Tiancheng laughed heartily. "Good, good. That's settled. Now, let me show you how to turn the Moonshadow Armor into a dress."

He raised his right hand, sending a strand of spirit qi to envelop the armor. In an instant, the armor softened. Its spikes and protective plates folded into pleats, transforming seamlessly into the flowing folds of a skirt.

Stopping the transformation, he smiled at Nantian Wan'er. "What do you think of this blue pleated skirt? You've always worn pleated skirts before, and the water-element in your Heavenly Pool is quite strong. I assumed you cultivated with that in mind, so this blue pleated skirt should suit you perfectly. Plus, when you cast spells wearing it, your water-element powers will be enhanced."

"It's really beautiful... I love it. Thank you, Grandpa Feng," Nantian Wan'er said, twirling lightly. Her pure, bell-like laughter echoed through the area. "See, Grandpa Feng? It really suits me..."

The beast leaders had been hiding at a distance. Seeing Nantian Wan'er dance gracefully, they let out a sigh of relief and slowly approached. "Miss Wan'er moves with such spirit and grace..."

"Yes, yes..."

Red Fox snorted. "Hmph... a bunch of old men watching a young girl dance... Haven't you already had your fill watching me dance?"

"We've watched you dance for hundreds of thousands of years. There's really nothing new left to see."

"You... you bunch of dogs..."

Red Fox glared at their reactions, fuming. "Wan'er, don't listen to them. In a few days, I'll teach you some beautiful dances that will definitely charm that little rascal, Lu Chen."

"Uh... okay... uh-huh," she murmured, her face flushing red as she lowered her head. "We should check on Lu-gege quickly. I felt his Divine Psyche Incarnation pulse just now, like some power is forming in his mind," she added.

"Main... that's the power that came rushing in. It seems to be the power of the Ancestral Dragon," Clone Wind Dragon shouted to Main Wind Dragon. "Feel it carefully. This is exactly like what I've seen before. Right now, Little Lu is wrapped in the same power."

Main Wind Dragon stared at Clone Wind Dragon in shock. "This... Is it true? The manual really depicted the Ancestral Dragon?" "There's no mistake about this. It's the energy of the Ancestral Dragon. It's weak, but it's exactly what I felt back in the secret realm.

"Main, I don't know if that's truly the Eye of the Ancestral Dragon, but the dragon we saw before... I couldn't have been mistaken."

Clone Wind Dragon released a sphere of cyan energy and handed it to Main Wind Dragon. "See for yourself. This is the dragon depicted in the manual. Doesn't it match what we saw during our expedition that year?"

"This... It really is..." As soon as Wind Dragon received the clone's memories, he shouted in astonishment. "This is truly the legendary Northern God, the Candle Dragon! When I explored the secret realm alone with the Beast King, this dragon was etched into the underground stone wall."

"Bai Ze, let me borrow your divine ability for a moment."

"Understood. I'm ready."

Wind Dragon unleashed a surge of immense energy from his mouth toward Bai Ze. Bai Ze's eyes flared with white light, devouring every ounce of energy he released.

"I see now..." Bai Ze murmured in awe. He quickly formed a series of hand seals, and beneath the World Tree, a massive illusory dragon appeared. "This is a direct reconstruction based on the records I captured on the screen. Our bloodline memories contain him. He is the Northern God, ruler of the flow of time, the changing seasons, and the alternation of yin and yang."

The bloodline beast leaders standing behind Bai Ze stared at the dragon's phantom with panic written all over their faces.

Golden Dragon shook his head in disbelief. "This is impossible. In my memory, the Northern God was the first to fall, and his eyes were already lost. So much time has passed... how could a new ocular art suddenly appear?"

Bai Ze retorted. "Nothing is impossible. Did you forget that when the world was destroyed, the Eastern God personally took their corpses away? I suspect they had already revived after that."

Kui Niu went on to say, "If that's true... could dragons have appeared in the north as well? During my training, I once saw dragons that were either pitch black or pure white. They always traveled alone, each with a single horn on its head. Whenever the horn's brightness changed, the space around them would warp. I once thought they were just a branch of the dragon clan. Could they actually be descendants of the Ancestral Dragon?

Golden Dragon explained, "The dragon clan was born in the heart of battle, and we also share a portion of the Ancestral Dragon's blood, but most of our lineage still originates from the Phoenix Ancestor. We dragons are born with two horns. If a dragon has only one horn, it must be a descendant of the Northern Ancestral Dragon."

He turned to the others. "But... is this power a blessing or a curse? We're all trapped in this small world, and no one can leave to aid the king. Could such power backfire on him?"

Wind Dragon listened, then approached Feng Tiancheng and half-knelt. "Lord Seventh, please allow me to take a look. As the weapon spirit of the Hunyuan Greatsword, I can enter Little Lu's mind through our connection."

Feng Tiancheng nodded. "All right. That's the only way now. Be careful not to force anything once you're in his mind. Report back if any issues arise."

"Lord Seventh, my clone will stay here. If anything happens, he will inform you."

Wind Dragon bowed to Feng Tiancheng, then released a mirror image beneath the Innate Green Sovereign Divine Tree. Turning to his clone, he instructed, "I'll be back soon. Convey everything I see to them."

"Yes, Main. Take this with you. It's the blessing of heaven and earth I just absorbed, along with some residual Willpower." The clone pressed its twin horns against Wind Dragon's head, and a dense surge of energy, along with the blessing of heaven and earth, appeared in front of him.

"Huh? It seems I’ve been out of touch with much of what happened in the outside world over the past two days... with this energy feedback, I can already advance to the mid-level Sunken Core Realm."[1]

Main Wind Dragon gently touched the clone's right hand, and the energy at the level of a mid-level Sunken Core Realm cultivator flowed into him in sync.

He then withdrew his hand, his body turning ethereal as he merged into the Innate Green Sovereign Divine Tree. "I'll be going. Wait for my good news."

Over time, this spot had become a coordinate linking the outside world and Lu Chen's mind.

Wind Dragon entered the tree and departed, while the others continued observing the outside world through the mirror image.

"Grandpa Feng, I'll be taking my leave as well. I don't want to keep Brother Jun and Yijian waiting for too long outside."

"All right, hurry back. You can help a bit from outside as well," Feng Tiancheng said, watching through the mirror. "If necessary, send those two kids away, so we can go help Lu Chen ourselves."

"Yes, Grandpa Feng."

Nantian Wan'er bowed and vanished from sight.

***

Jun Laoye stood and sat beside Nantian Wan'er, frustration in his voice. "Wan'er, how much longer is it going to take? Little Lu is still training, and Senior Wind Dragon seems to have entered cultivation as well.

"Do you think something went wrong during Little Lu's training? Otherwise, why would Senior Wind Dragon go silent the moment he entered and immediately begin cultivation?

"Wan'er, why are you silent too? Don't tell me something happened to you as well..."

"Ugh..." Nantian Wan'er's consciousness returned. Seeing Jun Laoye beside her, she quickly replied, "I'm fine, I'm fine. I was just lost in thought a moment ago, that's all."

1. Unlike Lu Chen's avatars, Main and Clone Wind Dragon do not share the same memories. Any information will have to be communicated separately. ☜