Not only that, but he was also the Lord of the Earthly Dao, with all its authority in his grasp.
And in the future, the Human Dao, dominated by the Human Race, would also reside within his heart.
Qing Ling had completely integrated himself into the Primordial World. Since he had found a place here, he would give his all and live this life to the fullest.
He possessed the innate advantage of understanding the general trend of the Primordial World, an edge even the Heavenly Dao's Hongjun could not match.
Therefore, Qing Ling had meticulously planned for all beings in the world for countless future eons!
His once protective elder brother, the Azure Dragon, had retreated from the world. Without the mountain of the Dragon Clan to rely on, he could only depend on himself!
He would make arrangements step by step. The Heavenly Dao, the Earthly Dao, the Human Dao, within the thirty-three layers of heaven, amidst the stars of the cosmos, in the four directions of east, west, south, and north, in every corner of the mountains and rivers, wherever Qing Ling could conceive, it would be part of his grand design!
Qing Ling was like an octopus, infiltrating and intertwining with every aspect of the Primordial World. If the heavens were to try and seize him in the future, they would suffer greatly themselves!
He did this, merely to survive.
Huang Long Shizu was Qing Ling's past self. His worldview was shaped by the Dragon Clan, and he was a true dragon himself.
As a dragon traversed the vast ocean, the aura of a supreme powerful being permeated the ten continents and three islands of the East Sea, deterring countless ill-intentioned individuals.
The East Sea was immense, with countless rogue cultivators dwelling within. They had witnessed firsthand the power and wealth of the Dragon Clan. Now that the Dragon Clan was on the brink of extinction, and considering that men die for wealth and birds for food, there was nothing they dared not do.
Without him, in the countless years that followed, Taoist priests would enter the Dragon Palace one after another, forcefully demanding spiritual treasures.
Even if the Dragon Clan's foundations remained, they could protect themselves for a time, but not for an eternity.
However, with Huang Long Shizu now present, everything was different.
Huang Long walked into the Crystal Palace, and countless dazzling crystals blinded his eyes.
When the Dragon Clan was powerful, he had not visited the palace, for a local serpent entering a dragon's lair would only be suppressed.
Now, he was a dragon.
Within the Dragon Palace, dozens of Dragon Princes and hundreds of sea creatures knelt in obeisance, proclaiming, "Greetings, Ancestor!"
Huang Long glanced at them lightly and raised a hand. Fifty-six true dragons did not kneel, while the hundreds of sea creatures who did found it difficult to rise.
A sense of dread arose within the sea creatures, and their bodies began to tremble.
Huang Long looked at the Dragon Princes and sighed inwardly. The Dragon-Phoenix Tribulation had decimated the Dragon Clan, leaving only these few branches of young dragons.
These young dragons were all newborns. By the reckoning of dragon years, they were like three-year-old human children. With their clansmen gone and their parents dead, they had no relatives to turn to in the vast seas.
Huang Long spotted a Dragon Prince with a familiar appearance and asked, "Who were your father and mother?"
The child, who had struggled to assume human form, his dragon scales, horns, and tail not yet faded, shivered and said, "Reporting to the Ancestor, my name is Guang. My mother was Bai Bing of the White Dragon lineage. My father was Lan Kui, the Sea Patrol Envoy."
Huang Long understood and sighed, "So, a descendant of old acquaintances."
Lan Kui had been a powerful dragon with whom he had interacted several times. During the great war, he had broken through to the eleventh heaven, becoming a supreme being of heaven and earth, but ultimately perished under the Immortal Slaying Sword Formation.
Qing Ling's primordial spirit had observed the Dragon-Phoenix battlefield for several eons. Every move, every divine ability, every life essence of the Dragon Clan's great beings had entered his mind. This was also why he had transformed from a green snake into a dragon in the past. His primordial spirit already considered him a great dragon. Dragons fought in the wilderness, their blood black and yellow. Peerless in the wild, their might shook the heavens and earth. Their blood boiled, their hearts stirred, their faces contorted in rage.
Therefore, even if the Dragon Clan no longer had their great beings, they still had him.
Huang Long surveyed the young dragonlings and had a plan in mind.
He then looked at the sea creatures on the ground and said with a cold voice, "What? The Seven Great Sea Royal Clans, the Twenty-Four Upper Clans, the Six Thousand Sea Clans, all reside in the Four Seas. And only this many have come to pay homage to your main clan?"
Below, the hundreds of sea creatures were filled with terror as the immense dragon might pressed down on them, making it difficult to control themselves, almost forcing them to reveal their true forms. They all prostrated themselves and cried out loudly, begging the Ancestor for forgiveness.
Huang Long snorted coldly and walked to the True Dragon's chair in the Crystal Palace. He did not sit down but stood erect and said, "It seems the sea tribes believe the Dragon Clan's dominance has waned, and they have all found new allegiances."
With a wave of his sleeve, hundreds of yellow light dots flew into the sea creatures, whose cultivation did not exceed that of a Golden Immortal, and integrated into their bodies.
"You are all mere ants from your respective tribes, and I will not make things difficult for you. Return, and tell your clan elders that during the first Great Dragon Gate opening, if they do not come to see me, I will visit them myself to send them to follow their dragon ancestors!
The blessings of fortune you carry will only remain dormant as you return to your clans. If you fail to deliver my message and return to your clans, you will soon turn to dust, your primordial spirits will decay, and even a Grand Unity Golden Immortal will be unable to save you!
Begone."
The hundreds of sea creatures left the Dragon Palace in extreme fear.
The remaining fifty-odd Dragon Princes all showed fear. Although he was Huang Long, he was not the familiar relative, the familiar clansman they knew. Moreover, he was a decisive and powerful being.
Huang Long sighed, "You have no need to fear. If I had intended to harm you, I would have done so long ago.
I have received favors from the Azure Dragon Ancestor, the White Dragon Ancestor, and the Ancestral Dragon. From now on, I will protect your growth and guard these vast Four Seas for you!"
Hearing that their Ancestor would protect them, a flicker of hope appeared in the eyes of the young dragonlings, and their expressions relaxed considerably.
Huang Long said slowly, "Our clan is currently lacking in talent and has few members, but what our ancestors left us must not be lost. The Four Seas must not be abandoned.
From now on, you will all accompany me to the Ancestral Cave for secluded cultivation. Four of you will remain to watch over the Four Seas."
He then pointed to three young ones and said, "You three, come here. And Guang."
The four youths stepped forward.
They were the most skilled among the Dragon Princes and Princesses, having only just entered the Golden Immortal realm.
Huang Long asked, "Can the three of you tell me your names?"
A red-clothed youth, showing no fear, spoke first, "My name is Qin Zhou."
A white-haired youth, also quite calm, said, "I am Shun."
The last, a short youth, said, "My name is Run."
Huang Long nodded. It seemed they would be this way regardless of his presence, as only the four of them were honored Golden Immortals, and only they could go.
"From now on, you four will guard the Four Seas for the dragon ancestors. You do not have the strength of the ancestors, nor the powerful backing of the Dragon Clan. Are you afraid?"
All four replied with resolute expressions, "We are not afraid!"
Huang Long chuckled, "Indeed, they are dragons. Though young, their hearts are not ordinary!"
From the Ancestral Cave, a maiden in white emerged, radiating a divine aura.
The young dragonlings cried out with joy, "Sister White Dragon!"
The maiden in white could not help but smile. A group surrounded her, and she stroked all the children's heads.
She said to the children, "From now on, Huang Long Shizu will be as powerful as the Black Dragon Ancestor and the Azure Dragon Ancestor. You must obey him. Do not believe what anyone else says, understand?"
The young dragonlings nodded solemnly. In their innocent years, they were being forced to grow up and bear burdens they should not have to.
Huang Long smiled, "I knew the White Dragon Saintess would not truly leave."
The White Dragon Saintess smiled sadly, "Senior jokes. I merely inherited the legacy of the White Dragon Ancestor and managed to preserve my remnant body to do my last bit for the Dragon Clan.
The future of the Dragon Clan rests with you."
Huang Long chuckled, "The future of the Dragon Clan should not be on me, but on these children."
A glimmer of hope appeared in the White Dragon Saintess's eyes, and she smiled, "I hope so.
How do you plan to manage the Four Seas?"
Huang Long said, "Let those four go. The foundation of the Dragon Clan should be guarded by the descendants."
The White Dragon Saintess frowned, "But their strength is too weak, I fear..."
Huang Long Shizu smiled and said, "I am still here, and all the sea creatures are here!"
The White Dragon Saintess nodded, "I trouble you."
Huang Long chuckled, "It is what I should do. Take them back to the Ancestral Cave for secluded cultivation. Once I have settled the Four Seas, I will personally guide them."
The White Dragon took the young dragonlings back to the Ancestral Cave. She was merely a clone and could only guard the Ancestral Cave. The tenth heaven of Grand Unity was the limit for this clone of the White Dragon Saintess.
The sea creatures who were released fled back to their clans and reported to their respective sea ancestors.
They were not unprepared for the Dragon-Phoenix Tribulation.
The secret techniques of soul separation, substitution, reincarnation, and soul splitting allowed them to be reborn after the tribulation.
But none of these could escape his sight.
More accurately, they could not escape the Dragon Clan's supreme treasure, the treasure that commanded all beings in the Four Seas, the Dragon Seal!
Before the Azure Dragon Ancestor departed for the Eastern Extremes, he had given the Dragon Seal to him, using the primal essence of Azure Brilliance to shield it from heaven's detection. This matter was known only to the two of them, and heaven was unaware.
The Four Seas must not be lost.
The territory of the Dragon Clan must be defended.
His Emperor's Dao must be cultivated!
His Emperor's Dao was not in the Primordial World or the heavens above, but in the Four Seas and the mortal realm!
The Four Seas were the foundation, and the mortal realm was the sublimation.
When the past self reached its extreme, when the future self reached its extreme, and when the present life reached its extreme, the integration of the three lives and three worlds could break through shackles and ascend to Hunyuan.
His future self had reached the realm of supreme beings of heaven and earth, so his extreme was the twentieth heaven of Grand Unity.
His past self had reached the pinnacle realm, so his limit was the thirtieth heaven of Grand Unity!
And the origin of the main body was, naturally, the thirty-third heaven of Grand Unity!
The three of them traveled together, yet each followed a different path, side by side, advancing together, cultivating the Dao, towards the end of the road.
......
Three thousand years later, atop Mount Tai Chong, on the peak of Xi Mountain, a sudden blizzard raged, with snow falling incessantly. Extreme cold from all directions surged into the summit, forming an icy world.
On the Great Dao of Ice, a traveler ascended the grand path, leading all beings, second only to a few.
The wind and snow receded, the ice and cold dissipated. On the peak of Xi Mountain, a beautiful woman in white stood alone, her sleeves fluttering, more pure than snow, more ethereal than an immortal!
She proclaimed loudly, "Today, I have attained the Grand Unity realm and am named Ke. I succeed Hua Geng Po Po as the fourth-generation clan leader of the Xi Mountain Snake Clan!"
Atop the Jianmu tree, Qing Ling smiled and said, "I accept!"
The Ancestral Seal was issued, and ten thousand snakes bowed in worship, welcoming the new leader of the clan.
Ke had slumbered in the icy winter for thirteen eons. Today, she had finally broken through and achieved Grand Unity, succeeding Hua Geng Po Po as the fourth-generation clan leader!
The Ancestor was the origin of a clan, and the leader was the head of a clan.
The Ancestor was for faith, while the leader was for governance.
He could not oversee every aspect of Xi Mountain, and his heart was not entirely devoted to Xi Mountain, so a clan leader was necessary, and they had to be trustworthy!
At this moment, Qi, carrying Qing Ling's communication jade, also set off for the Nine Nether Blood Sea.
Ke's attainment of Grand Unity was due to her Chaos Ice Chi's advantage, comparable to a congenital body.
As for Qi, his Eight-Headed Serpent bloodline was not yet pure. He was merely an ordinary Grand Unity.
Qing Ling had found a good teacher for him. For Qi, who practiced both the path of killing and the path of the saber, the best teacher in the world was the Ancestor of Killing, Ming He!
However, he would embark on his journey to the Nine Nether alone. This was his own request. He was one in the great tribulation, a person who had personally experienced countless corpses and killing intent, and could emerge from despair. Such a person was destined for greatness!
In the current Primordial World, a Grand Unity cultivator was akin to a local landlord. With Qi's combat power and foundation, even a Grand Unity being could not easily defeat him, especially since he had a good elder brother.
Qing Ling looked forward to his return!
He hoped it would not be too long, as Hongjun's ascension to sainthood was drawing nearer, at which point the Heavenly Dao would fully control the Primordial World.
At that moment, no more individuals would be able to ascend to the Grand Unity realm through the Great Dao.
With Ke's attainment of Grand Unity Golden Immortal, she could no longer draw upon the Great Dao Ladder, only the authority of the Great Dao beneath the Heavenly Dao.
Qing Ling also began to impart teachings and methods to the four guardian envoys, assisting them in reaching Grand Unity as soon as possible!
Once the Heavenly Dao fully controlled the Primordial World, the Grand Unity realm would become even more difficult to attain. Even if one possessed Grand Unity combat power, they might not necessarily have the Grand Unity realm.
And those with Grand Unity combat power but lacking the Grand Unity realm would be immortal, unkillable unless the heavens and earth were annihilated.
One day, Qing Ling descended from the Jianmu tree to impart teachings to the four guardian envoys. Seeing a few Luosheng flowers beside him, he couldn't help but smile.
Bai Fu, with his sharp eyes, asked, "Dao Master, why do you smile at these Luosheng flowers?"
Qing Ling replied, "Do you know who is imprisoned within these flowers?"
Bai Fu shook his head, not knowing.
"They are all powerful beings of the Phoenix Clan from the Three Clans era, beings who once roamed the heavens and earth."
Black Panther chuckled, "But you still suppressed them so easily."
Bei Xu inwardly cursed the old leopard for his flattering words.
You, however, scratched his head and sat quietly, awaiting further explanation.
Qing Ling chuckled, "If it weren't for the great tribulation, I would not have had such ability at the time.
However, this is what I am telling you: even as Grand Unity Golden Immortals, if you do not uphold morality, act arrogantly, and carelessly form karma, you will not escape the calamity of suppression. Know that there is always a heaven beyond heaven, and a person beyond a person."
Bai Fu and the others immediately nodded, repeatedly agreeing.
But You asked, "If even Grand Unity beings can be suppressed and cannot escape misfortune, then what is the point of us seeking the Dao of Grand Unity?"
As soon as he said this, the other three felt a pang of sadness in their hearts. Indeed, even as powerful as Grand Unity Golden Immortals, they could not escape the misfortune of being suppressed. If they were to become Grand Unity...
"No, that is not so!" Qing Ling's smile never ceased, "Even as Grand Unity beings, they indeed cannot escape the calamity of suppression.
But look at the other Luosheng flowers. Are there any people left in them?"
Bei Xu frowned, "Why is that?"
Qing Ling's smile remained undiminished as he said, "Because they were not even Grand Unity, so they died naturally. Their primordial spirits and flesh and blood fell into the Earthly Dao, never to be reborn."
A chill ran through the few of them as they looked at Qing Ling's bright smile, feeling a chill all over their bodies.
"If you achieve Grand Unity Golden Immortal, you will not perish in heaven and earth, and can only be destroyed by the great tribulation of heaven and earth! If you live long enough, there is still a chance to ascend to heaven.
But if you are not Grand Unity, you do not even qualify for suppression!"
Qing Ling suddenly stood up and waved his hand. Three Luosheng flowers bloomed simultaneously. The barrier within the flowers opened, and three long cries of alarm rent the sky. Two Celestial Phoenixes spread their wings and flew into the sky, and one divine bird had four eyes.
The twin phoenixes and the bird bowed in unison and said gratefully, "Thank you, Senior, for your great kindness in granting us a chance at life!"
Qing Ling smiled and said, "I have suppressed you for over ten eons, in a phoenix cage, without seeing the sun or moon. You should not resent me.
Return to where you came from!"
The twin phoenixes and the bird bowed gratefully again and flew straight into the nine heavens, heading towards the Southern Heaven.
In the Southern Heaven, Ancestor Qing Luan smiled and said, "So this person is so cunning!"
Beside her, a handsome young man asked in confusion, "Aunt Qing, this person imprisoned and suppressed our clansmen. Why are you not resentful of him, but instead praise him?"
Qing Luan shook her head and chuckled, "Xuan'er, you are still young.
Although this person appears to have suppressed our clan's mighty beings, it is precisely because of this suppression that they were able to escape the unavoidable killing tribulation!
He is also a protector of the Dragon Clan, and now he shows favor to our Phoenix Clan. Even if I once harbored murderous intent towards him, considering the shared origin of your mother and the Ancestral Dragon in chaos, I will let this matter go and settle the karma from the previous eon."
The young man shook his head, "He suppressed our clansmen, wasn't that just a fortunate accident?"
"No!" Qing Luan looked at the young man beneath the Jianmu tree, her eyes filled with solemnity. "How many of the Dragon Clan's close powerful beings survived? Only he, who did not participate directly in the tribulation war.
He sees very clearly, very far, and very deeply.
Xuan'er, you can only respect such a person, not hate him!"