The surrounding void was silent, as if only air existed.
But the ancestors and great powers hidden behind the void hesitated.
Even if the person before them was a great power, to them, he was still just an infant, a being who had evolved from an ant to their own kind. Subduing him would be no difficult task.
However, the mere utterance of "Azure Dragon Ancestor" restrained their movements. This was an invisible restraint of power and prestige.
If this were the era of saints, where rites and laws were universally followed, perhaps Qing Ling would have used the rules of the saint era to check and balance the various factions, seeking a semblance of peace.
But in this barbaric era, there was only a simple and crude method.
Might makes right!
Since his fist was not strong enough, Qing Ling would borrow the sufficiently large fists of others to articulate the principles of this era.
A name carries weight. The might of the Azure Dragon Ancestor, who had recently subdued the heavens with his dragon's roar and the descent of phoenixes like rain, was still fresh in their minds. They hesitated at the title of the dragon overlord.
Just then, a streak of light arrived from the east on the horizon, carrying immense dragon might that pierced the heavens. Divine dragons soared through the nine heavens, and golden light swept across the land.
Divine light descended, and a divine dragon maiden, holding silk, approached. She was solemn and dignified, with a hundred phantom dragons coiling behind her, and four Da Luo experts stood guard on her four sides.
The noble dragon maiden unfurled the golden silk in her hand, and the vast dragon might covered the surroundings. The Dragon Clan's imperial decree, in this Dragon Clan era, was virtually equivalent to the will of heaven. To follow it was to follow the general trend.
To go against it was to defy the general trend, and to defy the general trend meant making enemies of the world, becoming anathema to heaven and earth!
"In the eight hundred and thirty-fourth epoch of the Sacred Dragon year, the ancient superior clan of the Eastern Desolation, Xishan, has regained the glory of its ancestors. A descendant has attained the Da Luo Golden Immortal realm and has been elevated to the rank of a great power. Today, our Dragon Clan bestows upon you honor once more, promoting you to superior clan status, ranking among the seventy-two clans.
We hope your clan will continue to carry forward the glory of your ancestors, pass down the legacy of Xishan, and uphold the name of the Supreme Taigeng!"
As the words fell, the heavens and earth were bathed in golden light. Furthermore, four streams of luck converged from the unseen realms, and the dragon maiden's words seemed to carry the might of heaven and earth. The divine python of luck above Xishan instantly transformed into a colossal beast tens of thousands of feet long, coiled around the mountaintop, gazing eastward.
Qing Ling bowed and said, "On behalf of the Xishan clan, I thank the Dragon Clan for this bestowal. We are willing to guard the territory of Xishan and pay homage to the Dragon Clan as our sovereign!"
The divine dragon's golden decree slowly landed in Qing Ling's hand, its light receding.
The dragon maiden nodded slightly, her ethereal eyes showing no flicker of emotion. She turned and departed in the direction she came, her immense dragon might echoing through the sky, her divine dragons majestic, and all beings submitting.
This was the embodiment of the Dragon Clan's prestige, the White Dragon Saintess!
The Dragon Clan had no Saintesses or Saints appointed from the Golden Immortal realm. Instead, there was the White Dragon Saintess, a great power representing the Dragon Clan's authority, appointed from the lineage of the White Dragon Ancestor, acting on behalf of the Dragon Clan's authority.
Wherever the dragon maiden went, she commanded divine dragons!
With this, the ancestors and great powers observing from all sides no longer hesitated and departed one by one.
The pronouncements and decrees of the Dragon Clan's White Dragon Saintess would not have arrived so quickly without the sanction of the Dragon Clan Ancestor himself.
Where the White Dragon Saintess appeared, it belonged to the Dragon Clan. This was the Dragon Clan's way of declaring that Xishan was under their protection, and Qing Ling, as a great power, was also a great power of the Dragon Clan. Anyone foolish enough to provoke them would be made an example of to display the Dragon Clan's might.
Only after sensing the departure of the hidden presences in the void did Qing Ling breathe a sigh of relief.
After all, there were more than a dozen great powers harboring ill intentions, and those who acted on them were at least heaven-and-earth great powers.
Although he was a great power, he was only at the first level of Da Luo Golden Immortal. Those at the tenth level represented a qualitative difference; they could suppress him with one hand.
While it might be easy to crush Qing Ling, it would not be easy to kill him, especially since he was now a Da Luo!
Qing Ling transmitted his commands to all directions, and the realm guardians hurried to his side.
"Greetings, Dao Master!"
"Greetings, Dao Master!"
Bei Xu, Bai Fu, You, and Hei Bao, four Tai Yi realm experts, bowed.
Their titles remained unchanged because they were loyal to Qing Xuan, the Dao Master of Duguan, not the ancestor of the Xishan snake clan.
Qing Ling levitated the four of them and said with a smile, "You have all worked hard."
"It is our honor to serve the Dao Master," Bai Fu, as always, was the most adept at seizing opportunities and flattering.
The other three did not dare to voice their agreement.
Qing Ling did not mind and continued, "I have not returned to the clan for over twenty epochs. Now I must return. I require the four of you to guard the mountain gate and prevent unauthorized entry by outsiders."
"Yes, we respectfully obey the Dao Master's decree." The four of them cupped their hands in unison and agreed.
"These four innate spiritual treasures are all connected to the Jianmu tree, drawing power from heaven. It would not be an exaggeration to call them the four major branches of the Jianmu. Even great powers cannot take these four innate spiritual treasures.
As realm guardians, you can also utilize the power of these innate spiritual treasures, either for combat or for cultivation.
Bei Xu is beyond question. The three of you must be careful; innate spiritual treasures have their own sentience, so do not neglect them!"
Bai Fu and the other two repeatedly agreed, their hearts filled with excitement.
Qing Ling watched as the four of them returned to their respective posts, then ascended a cloud and headed towards Xishan.
Twenty epochs away from the mountain, a million years had flowed by like water. Returning to his clan in enlightenment today felt akin to a young man returning home in splendor.
At the foot of Xishan, the Golden Immortal Venerables from all regions had returned. Hostilities on all borders ceased, all because of one person's return.
Amidst the anticipation of the masses, green clouds filled the horizon. The grand Da Luo phenomenon brought forth the vitality of spring for thousands of miles. It was as if a spring breeze had swept through overnight, causing a thousand trees and ten thousand pear blossoms to bloom.
The God of Spring returned, and wherever he passed, flowers bloomed for a thousand miles, grass greened the land, and withered trees sprouted new buds.
Qing Ling walked into the foot of Xishan and looked at the crowd of clan members. He waved his sleeve and released the clan members he had taken into his Heaven-Measuring dimension, returning them to the clan with him.
Upon their reunion, they saw the masses bowing down, their voices shaking in unison: "Greetings, Ancestor! We wish our Ancestor eternal life!"
Even without the transmission of spiritual power, the combined voices of millions echoed through the region.
Looking around, all heads were bowed, and only Qing Ling stood erect.
Qing Ling did not develop any arrogance or conceit. It was merely that in matters concerning the dignity of the clan, he had to and could only treat his clan members with the demeanor befitting an ancestor.
"Rise, all of you!"
His voice was followed by his actions. The Dao principles of his voice entered the ears of the million spirit snakes, carrying immense pressure, like an emperor or a king, awe-inspiring their hearts, yet filling them with immense joy.
A superior clan with a great power was no longer a clan that could be easily annihilated. From this day forward, they would be a superior clan, superior to others, superior to other beasts!
Everyone rose and stood respectfully, none daring to disobey.
Even elders like Granny Hua Geng bowed deeply in greeting, not kneeling but bending their waists in deep respect.
Qing Ling waved his hand, and the divine dragon's golden decree soared into the sky, hovering above Xishan. Golden light radiated for ten thousand miles, and each character inscribed with ancient Dao patterns was displayed upon it, visible to all million clan members.
"From this day forward, our Xishan shall become a superior clan, ruling over this region!"
As Qing Ling's voice moved, the divine bells hanging from the peaks surrounding Xishan reverberated. The sound of the bells boomed, spreading far and wide.
"Heaven wears the blue, Earth treads the yellow.
Though ages pass, and directions span,
To bring peace to our bodies, for Xishan's sake.
We offer our souls, to illuminate our Xishan.
We offer our bodies, to build our Xishan.
Xishan has spirit, we respectfully invite its holy radiance."
Qing Ling recited the snake clan's sacrificial incantation with the Dao of Da Luo. The Xishan Ruin reopened, and the souls of clan members who had died in battles across the four directions over the years were gathered within the Ruin.