Chapter Fifty-Six: The Azure Lotus Banner of Treasured Radiance

Originally, in Ao Guang’s eyes, his daughter was an unprecedented genius among the dragon clan for thousands of years. Not to mention Yi An, a nameless human youth—even if one searched the entire Four Seas, there wasn’t a single outstanding talent who could catch his attention. Therefore, when he first heard that his precious daughter had been taken in by this nobody of a human, Ao Guang was furious beyond measure. If it hadn’t been for the gravity of the situation, he would have killed the boy with a single blow.

But just now, a flash of insight struck Ao Guang. This young man had inherited the legacy of the Ancestral Dragon. He absolutely refused to believe it was mere luck; to have received the favor of such a peerless being, Yi An must possess something truly extraordinary. The Ancestral Dragon’s legacy concerned the rise and fall of the entire dragon clan and could not be allowed to fall into the wrong hands. At the very least, only by forging a marriage alliance could he bind Yi An tightly to the great ship of the East Sea.

In truth, it was a kind of investment. More importantly, his beloved daughter and Yi An were of one mind—at least, so it seemed to Ao Guang. Taking Yi An as a son-in-law would yield multiple benefits. Moreover, Ao Guang would never permit the Ancestral Dragon’s legacy to be passed on to outsiders. Even without this marriage, he would not feel at ease letting Yi An leave the East Sea with the dragon clan’s inheritance. If this boy were to divulge its secrets and it fell into the hands of ill-intentioned people, it would spell disaster for the dragons.

“Ah!?” Yi An was stunned. Ao Guang’s move had caught him completely off guard.

“Brother Yi, just do your best. But you must remember, above all, to ensure your own safety,” Ao Xiu Xiu said, her heart brimming with excitement, feeling that her royal father had made the wisest decision imaginable.

In her view, the greatest obstacle between herself and Yi An was her father. Now that he had agreed, her mother would surely have no objections either. With this thought, Ao Xiu Xiu felt an unclouded joy.

“A grown daughter is hard to keep at home…” Ao Guang muttered, somewhat sourly.

“Oh, Father.” Ao Xiu Xiu pouted playfully, but the happiness on her face had already betrayed her inner joy.

“This…” Yi An cursed inwardly. Without so much as a warning, everything had been neatly arranged for him—and truthfully, he was not willing.

His original plan was to wring a few more benefits for himself, and then, upon entering the ancestral land of the dragon clan, make a clean escape. As for the so-called inheritance of the dragon clan, Yi An knew nothing of it, and even if he did, he’d never put himself in danger over it.

To make a deal with someone of equal strength was fair exchange, but if there was a vast disparity, once the transaction was completed, his own position would become perilous—like a bird stripped of its wings, ready to be caught at any moment.

Therefore, from the very beginning, Yi An had never intended to complete this deal. So long as he could escape the trouble of the dragon clan and reach the human world, he’d be as free as a bird in the sky, for the aquatic clans did not have the power to rule over all.

Originally, he had little confidence—given his meager cultivation, slipping away under Ao Guang’s nose was a fool’s dream. But the appearance of that golden glow had instantly shifted his situation from passive to active.

That golden glow was not a memory of the Ancestral Dragon at all, but rather the artifact spirit of a primordial spiritual treasure.

This primordial spiritual treasure was called the Azure Lotus Banner. With this treasure in hand, its radiant light bestowed clarity of mind, banished all evil, and rendered one impervious to all magic.

The Azure Lotus Banner’s fame was well known. During the War of the Gods, it had displayed remarkable power. Although it ranked low among the primordial treasures, it was still a coveted artifact sought by countless beings.

The Azure Lotus Banner, together with the Mystic Water Banner, the Earth-Yellow Apricot Banner, the Pure Cloud Realm Banner, and the Ground Flame Banner, were collectively known as the Five Elemental Spirit Banners, transformed from the leaves of the Primordial Azure Lotus. Though not quite as powerful as the supreme primordial treasures, they possessed boundless mysteries and unpredictable might.

If all five banners could be gathered, their combined power would not fall short of a supreme primordial treasure. Even if there remained some small gap, the Five Elemental Banners were worthy of being called top-tier primordial treasures.

Unfortunately, gathering all five banners was no easy feat. In ancient times, each belonged to different powers, nearly all connected to sages. Take the Azure Lotus Banner for instance—it was once the treasure of the Western sage, Zhunti. For some unknown reason, it had ended up in the dragon clan’s possession.

As for the other four banners, Yi An doubted he would ever cross paths with them.

Still, to obtain the Azure Lotus Banner alone was an extraordinary stroke of fortune—anything more would be covetousness.

“Young man, don’t push your luck. My patience is limited. If you keep hesitating, don’t blame me for being harsh. But if you agree, my earlier promise stands,” Ao Guang’s expression darkened. If gentleness failed, he would use both hard and soft tactics—he didn’t believe this boy could resist.

“Fine, fine. I shall obey, but I have one more condition. If the Dragon King will not agree, then this matter cannot proceed,” Yi An replied with a look of reluctant acceptance.

“Speak,” Ao Guang’s face cleared instantly, resuming his earlier amiable demeanor.

“Your Majesty knows well that I am a human. In terms of physical strength, I cannot compare to the dragon clan. I fear I would not survive the thunder at the entrance to the ancestral land. Therefore, I beseech Your Majesty to grant me a protective treasure,” Yi An said, seizing the opportunity.

After all, there was no harm in asking. He believed Ao Guang would agree—unless the king did not care about the Ancestral Dragon’s legacy.

With the intention of taking the reward and running, Yi An felt no psychological burden at all.

“Very well, as you wish. My dragon clan possesses a treasure called the Myriad Dragon Armor, a postnatal spiritual artifact. Even in ancient times, it was a rare treasure. However, I will not give it to you—it is merely a loan. Once the matter is settled, you shall receive a greater reward,” Ao Guang decided, after careful consideration.

This Myriad Dragon Armor was the best defensive treasure of the East Sea dragon clan. If it weren’t for the Ancestral Dragon’s legacy, he would never have brought it out. If anything went wrong, his loss would be incalculable.

But if he withheld it and Yi An met with disaster, he would be the one to suffer in the end. So Ao Guang gritted his teeth and produced the Myriad Dragon Armor.

With this armor for protection, even a strike from a True Immortal would be more than bearable. Even the thunder that had injured Ao Shen was only impressive in appearance—its true power was far less than a blow from a True Immortal.