Chapter 284 - 115: The Aura Manifests, The Future Lord of Great Xia (Part 2)

’The merit of supporting a dragon?’

’What’s so special about me? Why would she say she wanted to help me achieve great things?’

’Such words are treasonous.’

And yet, after he’d calmed down, his heart still pounded. He felt as if he really had been living a life of stifled frustration.

For the past few nights, his dreams had been visited by a golden Five-Clawed Divine Dragon. Wreathed in clouds and mist, it would appear and disappear from view. It seemed to raise its head for a long, mournful cry, its body trapped in a shallow abyss. Unable to soar into the sea, it let out a roar of defiance that shook the world.

The brilliant golden light was so real. Every Dragon Scale seemed forged from molten gold, radiating an imposing divine might, as if an Emperor had descended upon the mortal realm.

’Could it be? Do I truly have the makings of an Emperor?’

Every time he thought of these things, Qi Qingxuan’s heart surged.

It was a pity he hadn’t seen Shang Mingyu in the last few days. He wanted to ask her himself—if what she said was true...

’What do I have to be afraid of?’

’I started as a mere commoner. If I don’t even have this much ambition, then all my years spent reading the classics of the sages have been for nothing.’

「On a nameless mountain peak.」

Jiang Lan stood with his hands clasped behind his back. His robes fluttered, and his body was wreathed in what looked like an immortal mist, obscuring his figure.

Strange Runes flickered one after another in his eyes.

As he looked out, he could see a faint, golden True Dragon swimming through the air above Yangchun City, looking as if it might soar into the highest heavens at any moment.

"His ambition has solidified, taking its nascent form..."

"But for it to be so blatant, I suspect Shang Mingyu has already approached him and told him a few things."

"Otherwise, this Qi Qingxuan shouldn’t have been able to coalesce his Dragon Fortune so quickly."

Jiang Lan smiled, his expression profound.

This kind of aura was just like one’s fortune—utterly profound and mysterious. He didn’t know how it coalesced or took shape either.

However, he had no intention of concealing it for Qi Qingxuan. Someone else would be far more anxious about it than him. After all, Qi Qingxuan currently had no power to speak of.

A newborn dragon revealing its form so early would only attract premature attention. The result would be... an early death, slain before it could mature.

The main road below the mountain he was on was the only path to Jiyun Temple. All he had to do was wait here; Qi Qingxuan would pass by soon enough.

With Song Youwei keeping the former Chief Eunuch occupied, he could focus his attention on scheming around Qi Qingxuan.

He hadn’t returned to the Prime Minister’s Mansion last night. He’d informed the staff he was staying at the Desire Immortal Pavilion, but in reality, he and Song Youwei had come to Yangchun City.

He was waiting for precisely this window of opportunity.

At that moment in Yangchun City, as Qi Qingxuan’s mindset shifted, the expression of Duke Wei, who had been secretly following and protecting him, changed drastically.

He had no time to spare. His figure vanished, reappearing at the mouth of a deserted alley.

With a flick of his sleeve, a vast wave of Magical Power surged toward the sky, completely concealing the strange phenomenon that had just appeared.

An ordinary person would not have seen it, but for a cultivator of his level, it was easy to spot the anomaly with just a bit of attention.

Especially since he knew Qi Qingxuan’s true identity, he had always been monitoring the changes in his aura.

In that brief moment, Duke Wei had noticed the change in the surrounding world’s energy.

His aura was taking form—a clear sign that Dragon Fortune was beginning to protect him.

"I hope no one noticed that."

"But recently, a lot of people have poured into Yangchun City. They have mysterious origins and are deliberately asking about the palace maids who left the Imperial Palace years ago. If I don’t handle this, they’ll likely trace their investigation back to the Sixth Prince soon."

Duke Wei’s expression darkened, his gaze flickering.

He had protected Qi Qingxuan in Yangchun City for many years, but a situation like this had only arisen in the last few days.

He suspected the Royal Family had realized the previous emperor had left an heir.

So, they began a thorough investigation, focusing on the palace maids who left the Imperial Palace years ago. They were following the trail of clues to identify the late emperor’s heir.

The matter was of grave importance. It was not only connected to the late emperor’s final decree but also to the stability of the entire Great Xia dynasty.

Duke Wei had served the late emperor and earned his deep trust and favor. Otherwise, the emperor would never have entrusted him with such a vital task.

Therefore, to avoid alerting his enemies, he hadn’t interfered when he heard those people probing for information over the last few days. He wanted to see if he could identify the mastermind behind them and eliminate the budding danger before it could grow.

But today, Qi Qingxuan had suddenly manifested his Dragon Fortune, his aura just beginning to take shape.

Duke Wei had no choice but to intervene. Once those with ulterior motives noticed, it would be impossible for Qi Qingxuan to conceal his identity any longer. He would face endless perils.

With his current power, he couldn’t guarantee Qi Qingxuan’s survival.

To say nothing of fulfilling the late emperor’s will by wresting power from the current Emperor Xia and inheriting the throne.

’A trip to Jiyun Temple shouldn’t be dangerous. The Qi Family has plenty of experts.’

’For now, it’s more important to uncover the origins of the people behind this investigation and eliminate the threat.’

Duke Wei glanced in the direction of the swirling dust, but he didn’t follow. Instead, he vanished on the spot.

With his level of cultivation, he could move through Yangchun City as he pleased, his tracks invisible to all.

That was how, over the past few days, he had already pinpointed the investigators’ locations. He had even left marks on them, so he knew where they were staying.