CHAPTER 52: THE LAST WISH? NANTIAN DRAGON ASCENT

In front of the spirit qi wall that separated the outer Fire Region from its core, the dark clouds in the sky gradually dispersed.

Wind Dragon let out a long sigh of relief and gently tapped the little planet with his tail.

He reached out to Lu Chen and the others using group telepathy, "Seems like this little thing is a real troublemaker. It almost got all of us killed the moment it appeared."

The little planet lay sprawled across Lu Chen's shoulder, letting out a displeased cry, "Squeak..."

It seemed completely unaware that it was the culprit behind the terrifying tribulation lightning just now.

Lu Chen placed Wind Dragon's tail atop his head and replied telepathically, "Alright, alright... Wind Dragon, I didn't expect Eggy's power to be this strong either. That caught me off guard."

"Hmph, I still don't think it's anything good. Since you're all so obsessed with farming, why not sell it and buy land instead?"

Wind Dragon narrowed his eyes as he looked at the small planet. "Little Lu, think about it. Someone might be willing to trade the entire Jianghai Region for this thing."

Lu Chen's eyes lit up when he heard that. "Really?"

A mischievous aura rose from both him and the Wind Dragon.

Sensing the hostile intent, the little planet began trembling. It let out a series of squeaks, clearly unsettled by the not-so-friendly atmosphere.

"Lu-gege, you're so mean! Don't scare Eggy."

Noticing the look in Lu Chen's eyes, Nantian Wan'er quietly stepped away from Nantian Xiu and gently scooped the little planet into her arms, cradling it with care.

Lu Chen chuckled at Nantian Wan'er's tender expression. "How could I possibly sell Eggy? It's meant for you to raise, Wan'er."

Nantian Wan'er's eyes curved into two cheerful crescents the moment she heard Lu Chen's words. "Do I really get to raise it?"

Wind Dragon gave Lu Chen a sidelong glance and sneered. "Please. You're acting like I don't know you. Weren't you just trying to trade my secret manual for more farmland a few days ago?"

Hearing Wind Dragon's laugh, Lu Chen's expression turned awkward. "Wind Dragon, keep laughing, and I'll sell you instead."

"Heh, so now I can't even speak my mind anymore?" Wind Dragon retorted, not backing down in the slightest.

Annoyed, Lu Chen quietly pulled out the Hunyuan Greatsword and pinned Wind Dragon onto it. In an instant, Wind Dragon turned into his disk form.

Lu Chen stared at the disk and said slowly, "Let's see if you'll keep talking now."

"Heh, don't think turning me into this will make me forget anything."

Even in his sealed form, Wind Dragon's voice continued to ring out, relentlessly tossing out taunts at Lu Chen. Under his nonstop barrage, Lu Chen's patience was wearing thin.

Just then, Nantian Wan'er pointed up at the sky and exclaimed, "Lu-gege, grandpa, look! The dark clouds are completely gone!"

Lu Chen turned to look and seized the chance to change the subject. "Fine. For Wan'er's sake, I'll let you off this time."

Wind Dragon scoffed. "Hmph... as if I'm the one who needed to be let off."

***

Nantian Xiu raised his head and looked up at the sky, his brows still tightly furrowed. After a moment, he turned to Lu Chen and said, "Young man, we need to leave. This place is becoming unstable."

He drove his golden longsword into the ground and released his divine sense across the surroundings. His expression grew grim, as though he had sensed something deeply unsettling.

Seeing the unease on his face, Lu Chen tried to reassure him. "Grandpa Xiu, don't worry. The tribulation's over. It definitely won't happen again."

"It's not about the tribulation. I can feel it. This secret realm is no longer stable."

Nantian Xiu retracted his divine sense, then glanced back at Lu Chen with a complex expression. Deep down, he knew that the tribulation earlier was almost certainly tied to Lu Chen.

The storm might have passed, but a heavy sense of danger weighed on his chest, urging him to leave the secret realm as quickly as possible.

For a cultivator like Nantian Xiu, who had long surpassed the Core Breakthrough Realm, such a powerful premonition was no trivial matter. It felt as if the heavens themselves were sending a warning.

Nantian Wan'er watched her grandfather closely. It was the first time she'd seen him this flustered. "Grandpa, is it that serious?"

"Yes. We have to leave as soon as possible."

Nantian Xiu remained on high alert, with eyes sweeping across the area. He could still feel faint traces of killing intent lingering nearby.

"If I were alone, I could take the risk. But with the two of you here, I can't afford to take chances. If something happens, I won't have time to protect you. We're heading to the heart of the Fire Region. Once we finish what the young man came here for, we'll take a shortcut to the center of the secret realm."

Nantian Xiu quickly formed a hand seal. Three gentle strands of blue light emerged and wrapped around their bodies.

"The suppression in this realm is too strong. Flying is impossible for now. This Lightbody Art will help lighten the burden on your bodies."

Lu Chen felt his body growing lighter, moving with newfound ease. More than that, he could feel the anxiety coming from Nantian Xiu.

As someone at the Earth Core Realm, there should be no one on the continent who could pose a real threat to him. And yet, Nantian Xiu looked genuinely afraid.

After a moment of contemplation, Lu Chen asked, "Grandpa Xiu, what exactly did you sense?"

"A terrifying force. The moment the tribulation hit, I felt a burst of killing intent far beyond my power."

Even now, recalling that presence left Nantian Xiu unsettled. "It only lasted a brief moment, but I could feel it. That killing intent was aimed directly at us."

Nantian Wan'er gasped. "Stronger than you? Then who could it possibly be?"

Nantian Xiu had crossed into the Core Breakthrough Realm within a millennium. In her eyes, he was the undisputed top expert of their region. If not for the years he'd sacrificed treating her illness, he would likely already stand among the continent's most powerful cultivators.

"I don't know. This is the first time I have encountered such a presence. That power didn't come from cultivating through a Heavenly Spirit-Gathering Disk. It felt more like the pure spirit qi cultivation that existed in the last Golden Era."

Nantian Xiu tried to recall the moment the killing intent had appeared. "And his aura... It was ancient. I'd even say it felt older than our clan ancestor's aura."

Lu Chen silently considered his words. He couldn't make sense of where the killing intent might have come from, but he knew well that such warnings could mean the difference between life and death.

He lifted the Hunyuan Greatsword onto his shoulder and looked ahead at the spirit qi wall in the distance.

"Grandpa Xiu, beyond that wall lies the heart of the Fire Region. Since we can't figure out what's going on from here, let's go in first. If someone is after us, then it's only a matter of time before they show up anyway."

Nantian Xiu turned toward the spirit qi wall. Just as he was about to speak, his brows furrowed once more.

He had sensed the killing intent again. This time, it was clear that it was aimed at him; the only difference was that it lacked the intensity from earlier.

He didn't say anything about it, instead turning to Lu Chen. "Alright, let's go. But before we do, young man, you have to promise me one thing."

"Grandpa Xiu, go ahead. I'm listening."

As Lu Chen turned, he saw Nantian Xiu forming a series of seals with his hands, rapidly inscribing formation runes onto talisman papers.

Watching his expression grow increasingly tense, Lu Chen couldn't help but ask, "Grandpa Xiu... is it that serious?"

"It's not. I'm just taking precautions and making some defensive talismans for you."

He finished stacking the talismans and took out his identity token, handing both to Lu Chen.

"Young man, if something happens to me along the way, I'm entrusting Wan'er to you. No matter what, you must get her out of this secret realm safely."

Seeing the resolute look in his eyes, Nantian Wan'er couldn't help but say, "Grandpa, nothing's going to happen. Maybe you're just too tired."

Nantian Xiu gave her a gentle look and reached out to pat her head.

Then he turned to Lu Chen again. "Wan'er can be a bit reserved at times. I hope you'll be patient with her."

Lu Chen took the talismans and token, then glanced at Nantian Wan'er. "Grandpa Xiu, you didn't need to say that. I'd protect her no matter what. We're family, remember?"

"Haha, you're right. We're family."

A soft chuckle escaped Nantian Xiu's lips. "Hold on to these. The talismans are easy to use. Just channel your spirit qi into them and throw them."

Lu Chen gave a solemn nod. "Understood, Grandpa Xiu. But this token... I don't think your identity token would be of much use to me."

"Not useful? Holding this token means you have the full backing of the Nantian Sect. In the Nantian Region, it grants you the highest level of authority. So tell me, is it useful or not?"

He glanced at Wan'er, a mysterious smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "The token has another purpose, too. But that's something you'll only understand after you return to the Nantian Sect with Wan'er."

Lu Chen caught the glint in his eyes and grew more curious. "What do you mean?"

"No rush. You'll find out soon enough. Now go."

With that, Nantian Xiu gathered a surge of force in his palm and gave Lu Chen a firm push, sending him through the spirit qi wall.

"Lu-gege, wait for me!"

Seeing him rush in, Wan'er quickly followed, darting toward the heart of the Fire Region.

"Haha, Wan'er, be careful. Don't bump into anything."

"Got it, Grandpa!"

Nantian Xiu watched the two of them disappear into the heart of the Fire Region, staying alert as he prepared to enter after them.

Just as he stepped forward, a thick barrier of killing intent condensed in front of him, blocking his path. "So it's finally here."

His expression sharpened as he stared at the wall of murderous qi.

In the next moment, a surge of terrifying power burst from his body.

With a metallic ring, an eight-foot-long golden longsword flew out of the sword case on his back.

As he formed seals, the sword split into two, then four.

It continued to multiply rapidly. In a flash, tens of thousands of golden swords appeared overhead, spiraling in formation like a river of blades, their edges gleaming with deadly brilliance.

"Nantian Dragon Ascent!"

With another seal, the countless golden swords surged forward, transforming into a massive dragon of pure gold. It spiraled high into the air, roaring silently as it coiled in front of him.