In an instant, the golden seawater slowly parted to both sides, and a massive head emerged from the parting sea. Ning Beichen, standing on the bone ship, saw this and his pupils constricted violently, staring intently at the colossal head.
For this was not a human head, but the head of a dragon.
With wings, horns, a large and long head, sharp teeth, strong limbs, and an immense body, capable of ascending through clouds and mist, commanding water and fire – the totem of Huaxia.
Though Ning Beichen understood the divine dragon, it was only from texts. No one had ever seen one. In his world, the divine dragon was merely a mythical creature.
Therefore, when Ning Beichen witnessed the divine dragon emerge from the sea, he was utterly stunned.
What kind of world was this?
After the divine dragon appeared, the entire golden sea was filled with immense pressure. The sea surface churned with terrifying waves, and lightning flashed across the sky, as if the end of days had arrived, making Ning Beichen feel as though the heavens and earth were shaking.
ROAR!
A dragon's roar sent monstrous waves soaring into the sky. Ning Beichen's eardrums felt as though they were being struck by a heavy hammer. Had he not immediately protected them with the power of his Du Kukai Bi'an technique, his eardrums would have been shattered.
This also made Ning Beichen wonder if the sonic waves he had heard in the canyon earlier were related to this dragon's roar.
Perhaps those who had entered the canyon had all been killed by the roar of this divine dragon.
As this colossal dragon emerged from the golden ocean, its massive head looked down at Ning Beichen on the bone ship. Its eyes, like copper gongs, exuded an imposing aura without even a hint of anger.
"Begone. The Ancestral Court is not a place you can come."
After observing Ning Beichen for a moment, the divine dragon spoke, its voice like the collapse of mountains and the cracking of the earth, causing the waves on the sea surface to surge violently.
"I have urgent business in the Ancestral Court. I request your assistance, Senior Divine Dragon."
Ning Beichen showed no intention of retreating. Standing on the bone ship, he cupped his hands towards the divine dragon with neither subservience nor arrogance.
"Begone!"
However, the divine dragon had no intention of negotiating with Ning Beichen.
With a roar!
The bone ship was tossed high into the air by a colossal wave, then plummeted rapidly. It crashed heavily onto the sea surface, bouncing four or five times before finally stabilizing.
Ning Beichen was drenched in the golden seawater. The water possessed a strong corrosive nature, and white smoke sizzled from it. Fortunately, Ning Beichen possessed the Prajna Golden Body. The seawater only corroded his clothes, causing him little harm, only a stinging sensation.
"Senior Divine Dragon, I must go to the Ancestral Court. Please grant me passage."
Ning Beichen cupped his hands for the second time.
"Begone!"
The divine dragon felt provoked. With another furious roar, this time it conjured waves tens of thousands of feet high, which crashed down upon Ning Beichen's bone ship.
With a thunderous crash, the bone ship was blasted into the air by the colossal waves. Just as Ning Beichen thought the ship was doomed, the ghostly flames on both sides of the ship suddenly formed a protective shield, blocking the impact of the waves, much to Ning Beichen's astonishment.
Ultimately, the bone ship descended from the sky like a meteor. Despite the protection of the shield, the impact still left Ning Beichen dazed.
"Enough! Once, twice, but not a third time. Do you truly think I have a good temper?"
After recovering, Ning Beichen gripped his bronze ancient sword and spoke sternly to the divine dragon.
"ROAR!"
Seeing that it had failed to scare Ning Beichen away twice, the divine dragon lowered its massive head above him, displaying an extremely arrogant posture, as if Ning Beichen were an insignificant, overconfident insect in its eyes.
Ning Beichen looked up at the divine dragon without the slightest hint of fear, his eyes blazing with killing intent. The power of his Du Kukai Bi'an technique surged into his bronze ancient sword.
So what if it was a divine dragon?
Would a divine dragon intimidate him, Ning Beichen?
To return, no matter who stood in his way, would be futile.
If gods blocked, he would kill gods; if Buddhas blocked, he would kill Buddhas; if dragons blocked, he would slay dragons!
As Ning Beichen tightened his grip on the bronze ancient sword, the previously arrogant divine dragon suddenly felt a tremor of unease.
Before it could comprehend, a beam of sword light struck its head.
A torrent of golden blood rained down onto the sea. One of the divine dragon's horns was gone.
With a sweep of his arm, the bronze ancient sword flickered and disappeared from Ning Beichen's hand, entering the dimensional space and striking the divine dragon from within.
The divine dragon roared and hastily struck out with its claw, forcing the bronze ancient sword out of the dimensional space.
Just as Ning Beichen was about to continue, he saw the divine dragon hastily speak.
"Wait. I will take you to the Ancestral Court."
Hearing the divine dragon concede, Ning Beichen ceased his attack, but his gaze remained fixed on it. If this creature dared to play any tricks, Ning Beichen would not hesitate to continue striking it.
The divine dragon did not play any tricks. With one horn missing, its head hovered before Ning Beichen, gesturing for him to come aboard.
"Don't try any tricks! Otherwise, I'll take your other horn too."
Ning Beichen warned it.
The divine dragon truly dared not play any tricks. It wasn't because it was cowardly or afraid of death, but because it recognized Ning Beichen's attack. Hence, its attitude changed.
For Ning Beichen wielded a power identical to that of the former master of the Ancestral Court, and the divine dragon was the guardian beast of the Ancestral Court.
It had previously blocked Ning Beichen from entering the Ancestral Court as per its duty.
However, after Ning Beichen unleashed the power of Du Kukai Bi'an, the divine dragon dared not act rashly.
This human before it, even if not the master of the Ancestral Court, was undoubtedly related to its master.
Ning Beichen stood on the dragon's head. The divine dragon cautiously ascended, carrying Ning Beichen towards the Ancestral Court.
What Ning Beichen never dreamed of was that the Ancestral Court visible to the naked eye was not the true Ancestral Court. In other words, one could not reach the Ancestral Court by sailing there on a bone ship.
As Ning Beichen wondered how to reach the Ancestral Court, he suddenly saw the divine dragon accelerate in the air, its speed increasing rapidly. Soon, it surpassed the speed of sound. Before long, it had carried Ning Beichen away from the skies above the golden sea.
Ning Beichen was startled. He immediately grabbed the dragon's horn, about to question it, when a white light suddenly appeared before his eyes. Ning Beichen felt as though he had entered a time tunnel.
Before Ning Beichen could ask, the white light dispersed, and the divine dragon had brought him to the true Ancestral Court.
Misty peaks floating in the rain, waterfalls cascading down ten thousand feet, and large cranes occasionally soaring through the air—Ning Beichen was utterly mesmerized.
But what astonished him even more was that the Ancestral Court was located in another dimension. No, it should be described as an independent blessed land.
And the world Ning Beichen was currently in was merely a part of this blessed land.