Chapter 125: Who Is the True Dragon?

"Teacher, had you been planning this all along?"

After leaving the imperial palace and returning to the Chunyuan Pavilion, Lu Sheng asked Lu Chunyuan. He hadn't realized it before, but now that the outcome was settled, looking back at Lu Chunyuan’s actions, the clues were impossible to miss. It seemed that when Lu Chunyuan first orchestrated the conferral of his title, it had already been with today in mind.

"Sigh."

Although the plan had succeeded, Lu Chunyuan felt no joy. Instead, he sighed and said to Lu Sheng, "Pushing you into this position was indeed something I had long prepared for. However, I do not know if you possess the capability to lead the Dajing Lu Clan through these dangers and turn misfortune into fortune."

He had been planning this ever since he discovered Lu Sheng’s potential to become a supreme Grandmaster and his ability to cultivate using the power of destiny. Yet, Lu Chunyuan remained uncertain if Lu Sheng could bear such immense pressure. Looking at him now, Lu Chunyuan asked, "Do you know the true identity of the Night Emperor?"

"What is his identity?" Lu Sheng asked, frowning. "Could it be that he truly hails from the Xia clan of the Wild Province—perhaps the Cloud Wild King, Xia Mingye?"

Ever since the Night Emperor was confirmed to possess the bloodline of the Dragon Sparrow, the most common suspicion among the world was that he came from the Wild Province’s Xia clan—a family whose ancestors carried that very bloodline. In particular, people pointed to Xia Mingye, who had reached the Void Refinement stage long ago and was highly likely to break through to the Void Integration stage. However, because it was confirmed that Xia Mingye was elsewhere during the Great Snow Mountain Battle, these suspicions had gradually faded.

Based on Lu Chunyuan's words, the truth was clearly different.

"If only it were Xia Mingye," Lu Chunyuan shook his head. "It is precisely because we are certain it is not him that we must reassess the strength of the Wild Province’s Xia clan. The Night Emperor is confirmed to have Void Integration cultivation, while Xia Mingye has long since achieved Void Refinement. If they were acting alone, we would have many ways to cope, but now that they have joined forces and established a foothold in the Wild Province... the prophecy of 'A dragon rising in the great wilderness' most likely refers to the Night Emperor."

Whether or not the Night Emperor was born into the Xia clan, as fellow bearers of the Dragon Sparrow bloodline, no one doubted the foundation of their alliance. Especially after several months of investigation, which confirmed that Xia Mingye had long been collaborating with a mysterious Grandmaster, certain things had become essentially undeniable.

"A dragon rising in the great wilderness? Could it not be Duan Zhengfei?" Lu Sheng asked, frowning.

That Duan Zhengfei was the fulfillment of the prophecy had long been accepted by many—even Lu Chunyuan had believed so just over two months ago.

"If only it were Duan Zhengfei," Lu Chunyuan shook his head. "After the spirit of the Mountain and River Seal was refined into a true dragon, we gained deeper control over it, yet it still maintains a special connection with its next master. Two months ago, after Duan Zhengfei defected to our side, Ancestor Lu Wanshan had him attempt to resonate with the seal. He felt nothing. This proves that Duan Zhengfei is not the true dragon."

During the Great Snow Mountain Battle, Lu Wanshan had lured the Night Emperor out partly to force Duan Zhengfei to defect to the Dajing imperial court. He had even been prepared to hand over the Dajing Empire to him, but he never expected that Duan Zhengfei would be unable to sense the Mountain and River Seal at all. Clearly, he was neither the next master of the seal nor the true dragon of the prophecy.

All of Lu Wanshan's preparations had gone to waste. Consequently, when Lu Sheng showed the potential to become a supreme Grandmaster and demonstrated the ability to influence the flow of destiny, he did not hesitate to designate Lu Sheng as the successor to the throne. This led to today's events.

Although Lu Sheng was unaware of these inner details, he did not doubt the conclusion. "So, you have determined that the person most likely to fulfill the prophecy is the Night Emperor?"

"Indeed," Lu Chunyuan replied. "Given the Night Emperor's long-term schemes, if he becomes a supreme powerhouse, he will undoubtedly harbor the ambition to unify the world. If the Dajing Lu Clan lacks a supreme powerhouse of our own, or fails to establish a relationship with one, our continued existence—much like the Qin clan of the Yong Province—remains in great doubt."

The reason a branch of the Yong Province Qin clan survived the fall of the Former Qin was largely due to the suspicion that the White Emperor hailed from there. If the Dajing Lu Clan stood alone without such backing, they would have no power to resist the Night Emperor.

Lu Chunyuan looked at Lu Sheng with unconcealed worry. "You, Duan Zhengfei, and others with the potential to reach the rank of supreme Grandmaster will receive the full support of the Dajing Lu Clan whenever needed. As for becoming the Emperor, you need not worry about opposition from other members of the clan."

As a clan with a thousand-year history, the Dajing Lu Clan was no stranger to internal power struggles. Yet, in the face of an existential crisis, they remained capable of unity under the leadership of a Grandmaster rather than focusing solely on immediate personal gain.

As for Lu Sheng, though he had never imagined himself as the Emperor of Dajing, the thought of the vast reserves of destiny he could access upon ascending left him without hesitation. "Thank you for your faith in me, Teacher! I will do everything in my power to protect my kin!"

As one who possessed the heritage of a great master, Lu Sheng felt confident. If he could not protect the Dajing Lu Clan after gaining the power of destiny to advance his cultivation, then no one in this world could.

"I am glad you think so," Lu Chunyuan said. "Although your status as the heir cannot be made public yet due to your low cultivation, the Grandmaster and the Emperor will provide the resources you need through me. Now, let me see your current strength."

Lu Sheng’s attitude pleased Lu Chunyuan greatly. Though he rarely provided direct instruction on martial arts to avoid interfering with Lu Sheng's personal path to supremacy, he had always cared deeply about his progress. Now, he invited Lu Sheng to demonstrate what he had learned during his recent period of secluded practice and study of the countless classics in the Martial Treasury.

Lu Sheng did not decline. After two months of intense training, he was eager to test his progress against his teacher. In an instant, the Chunyuan Pavilion was filled with the dancing shadows of blades.