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The sea has been particularly tranquil these past few days...

On the day the Dragon Palace opens, myriad dragons converge, water vapor condenses, and it seems as if the wind above the entire sea has vanished. The vast ocean becomes so calm that not a single wave stirs, quiet as a mirror reflecting the sky above, truly making sea and sky indistinguishable.

But this tranquility doesn’t calm the creatures.

All marine life is gathering toward the location of the sea eyes in all directions, sensing clearly that if they cannot reach there soon, they might be abandoned by the sea.

It is an instinct from their genes, a feeling all creatures share—that at the heart of the oceans, there is something that can determine their fate.

And this feeling applies to many, many people on the islands as well.

In the island nations of the four seas, aside from the heavily damaged West Sea, people from tens of thousands of islands in the other three nations have realized something. Elders from ancient families hidden among the populace have emerged from seclusion, gathering their descendants.

"Elder, are you sure? Is the legend of the Dragon Palace real?"

"There’s no mistake...." The family elder responsible for the family history trembled as he flipped through the ancient books long sealed away: "Once, our Ouyang Family shone in that era, serving as High Priest within the courts of all four island nations.

Every direct descendant with exceptional talent could enter the Dragon Palace to cultivate, to inherit secret techniques and surpass the limits of the Human Race. .. to become true nobility."

The Family Head and the heads of a few branch families exchanged glances, their expressions hesitant and peculiar.

After all, the records in the family history were too distant, and the idea that the era might return so soon was somewhat hard to accept.

After all, the Ouyang Family already enjoyed a prestigious status in their current island nation, and regardless of dynastic changes, the family had always stood firm.

The nobility mentioned by the elder was something they could currently experience; in this nation, the status of the family’s direct descendants was comparable to the Imperial Family. ....

Thus, several of them were not too excited about the re-emergence of the so-called Dragon Palace.

Compared to that ancient and unfamiliar power, the current Imperial Family was easier to control...

"You don’t understand...." Facing the indifference of the younger generation, the elder urgently said: "You don’t know what the opening of the Dragon Palace means. It’s a new opportunity, also a new hope.

We humans are innately deficient, and now the limits of heaven and earth are right here.

Even those ancient noble families from the Central Plains cannot break free.

A new realm, a new path—you haven’t experienced the frustration of making no progress for two hundred years.

When that time comes, you will understand the value of opportunity. "

The Family Head frowned slightly. A Magician’s limit on lifespan was three hundred years, but many knew that a Magician’s abilities, if they had enough talent, typically reached their limit before the age of a hundred.

As the Family Head now in his prime at seventy, he too was feeling this frustration of making no progress.

Super First Rank... It’s called Super First Rank, but in reality... it’s still just First Rank. Why is there no new realm to name?

Because everyone knows, reaching this step... is already the limit.

"Is there really a new path in the Dragon Palace?" A junior frowned. "If our Ouyang Family held such a high position in the Dragon Palace back then, why wasn’t the inheritance mentioned by the elder passed down?"

At these words, the elder fell silent, but the junior who just spoke continued: "I’ve read some of our family history. Although I couldn’t access the core details, I roughly understand some things. The Dragon Palace launched a massacre for the sake of secrecy, right?"

"Those who knew the inheritance, those who understood the Dragon Palace Secret Language, they were all slaughtered to near extinction, right, elder?"

The elder looked at the junior somberly: "It was a last resort, they had to ensure their own safety."

"For the sake of their own safety, they could slaughter all their followers. What’s the point of us accommodating them? To continue being dogs?"

"How dare you!!" The elder’s face turned ashen with rage.

But the others were not very convinced. The Ouyang Family elder had been deceived by the Shen Family hundreds of years ago, and hardly any returned. The younger generation did not share the older generation’s persistence.

"Old San, don’t be disrespectful to the elder!

" The Family Head first scolded the disrespectful junior from the branch family and then turned to the elder: "Elder, although Old San’s words are unpleasant, there is some reason to them. Our Ouyang Family currently holds such an esteemed position, why must we cater to those intangible forces? Just as Old San said, those so-called inheritances and directions, they won’t sincerely teach us.

When it’s time to take them back, there will be a massacre if necessary. Is it really worth it?"

"That’s the path to eternal life..."

"Eternal life?" The Family Head sighed: "Perhaps because we aren’t as old as you, we younger ones haven’t felt the desire for immortality.

But... elder, does such a thing as eternal life even exist?

None of our ancestors achieved it. Why do you think, now by accommodating the Dragon Palace, you can realize your dream? "

"You..." The elder pointed at him tremblingly, his tone noticeably more humble and gentle than Old San’s had been, but the underlying message was still one of opposition.

"You think..." Finally, the elder calmed down after his fit of anger, looking at the group of young people opposing him, and sneered softly: "You think... by not accommodating you can avoid it all?"

The elder stood up amusedly: "Why was the Dragon Palace able to conduct a massacre back then? Why, after the massacre, could they still make our families keep secrets generation after generation, awaiting them? Do you think it’s because we like being humiliated?"

Everyone: "...."

"We simply cannot rebel!" the Elder said sternly, "If we could decide for ourselves, how could it have ever come to this? Now that they have returned with a vengeance, do you think you’ve grown strong enough to oppose them?"

As he spoke, the Elder pointed outside: "The island hasn’t seen rain for ten days, and these past days have been utterly windless. As magicians, can’t you feel it?"

The group’s faces grew grim upon hearing this. Being magicians, of course, they could sense it—the strange weather, the massive gathering of the world’s vapor by some force over the West Sea!

"Dragons can control Jiaos, and Jiaos can control the moisture of the world!

" the Elder sighed, "Just this alone means we have no way to resist. To obey the Dragon Palace meant favorable winds and rain; to defy it, there was once a country that experienced years of drought, no drop to drink, where the island’s citizens would sacrifice their entire families for a sip of water.

Humanity eroded away, turning into ghastly evil ghosts.

Just reading those records gives me chills. Are you... willing to give it a try?"

"This..."

"Is there really no other way?"

"What can we do?" The Elder chuckled, shaking his head, "That’s just how the world is, unchangeable, we can only comply. Comply early, and at least we can live a bit better. This world... has never belonged to the human race..."

The Ouyang Family branches all looked outside upon hearing this, their expressions complex.

Round and round it goes, the cycle never ends. The human race... must we forever be trapped in this vicious cycle?

With the awakening of the ancient powers, we become slaves once more; when they slumber, we care for the world in their stead.

Is the fate of humans so lowly, so unbreakable?

------------------------------------

Almost at the same time, numerous families with ancestral teachings on the islands began to take out the ancient instructions, teaching their descendants, preparing to greet their true masters.

Despite the younger generation mostly feeling rebellious, they all sensed that overwhelming pressure that was about to arrive.

Everyone knew that the subjugation of the human race was inevitable!

The upside for these ancestral families was that they could become the chiefs among slaves, at least... their lives wouldn’t be too miserable. They might even be thrown a bone to chew on.

For instance, they might receive some secret technique inheritance.

While they may not achieve immortality, there could be methods to extend their lifespans.

Though they would need to bow and scrape, there were still some benefits to be had.

As for the commoners below... it was likely to be a different story.

The family histories all recorded that, in those days, there were annual human sacrifices—unfailingly!

But at this moment, those families on the islands did not know that within the awakening Dragon Palace, there was a group of people already changing this endlessly repeating fate. They also didn’t realize that the noble Dragon Clan, on the brink of revival, was rather uneasy at this moment.

Deep within the West Sea Dragon Palace, in the very place Elder Shen had once visited, countless Blood Guards hovered above, utilizing some secret technique, refining high-grade essence-blood.

The method was cruel: they drew out some higher-ranking offspring of the Dragon Clan from the ice layers, infused them with essence-blood to circulate within their bodies, then drew out the blood again.

Using new blood to animate the dragons’ bodies, they created even higher-quality blood—this was. .. blood refining!

Ao Zhen had never imagined that one day her own kin would suffer such cruel treatment.

In the past, it was the Dragon Clan who experimented on myriad other races. She had never thought that one day... they too could become such vessels for blood.

"Turtle Prime Minister..." Ao Zhen glanced at the old turtle beside her, who wore a troubled frown, and asked softly, "Do we... still have a chance?"

"I cannot divine it, Your Highness... the future... is utterly chaotic!"

"Is that so?" Ao Zhen said with a bitter smile...

She couldn’t help but wonder whether the Dragon Palace, once dominant after ancient times, was destined for such an end?

But at that moment, something she never anticipated appeared before her.

It was an eyeball, and as a member of the Dragon Clan, she immediately recognized it—it was the eye of a Dragon Maiden!