Hidden Dragon!

Restoration Ascension!

The White Eyebrow Elder Monk remained silent, his eyes showing a changing expression.

In this world, the Divine Dao reigns supreme, and many matters are essentially battles within the Divine Dao despite their appearances.

Take the Court of the capital as an example, where political intrigues abound. Once wise and Divine Martial, Emperor Ping is now growing senile, allowing the Five Traitors to control the court, even to the extent of deposing the Crown Prince. On the surface, it seems like the common flaw of aging emperors, but is that truly the case?

No, no!

Emperor Ping, the Five Traitors, the once great general Li Jii, and the Grand Commandant Cui Bo who triggered the political catastrophe—all these seemingly ordinary political struggles are actually moves in a game played by various deities.

As long as they remain mortals, figures like Emperor Ping and the Five Traitors cannot escape their status as mere pawns.

Then there was the great drought three years ago that ravaged the Northern Lands, causing countless deaths among the people. On the surface, it appeared to be a natural disaster, but it was actually related to the Divine Dao. A Standard Third Grade Ghost King utilized the power of the Ancient Great Demon Drought to wreak havoc, resulting in barren lands spreading for miles, with not a grain of harvest and many citizens being turned into Drought Corpse Demons, wreaking havoc upon humanity.

Such a mere drought could never have overpowered the various deities if that weren’t the case.

To combat this Third Grade Ghost King and his Drought power, the Court and major sects paid a great price, losing even a Junior Third Grade Great God before barely managing to subdue the Drought Demon King.

This is the truth behind that great drought; it was not a millennium-unseen natural disaster, but merely the aftermath of a battle in the Divine Dao. Were it not for deities maintaining balance, not only would there be barren lands for miles, but the entire world might have turned into a Drought purgatory.

This is the struggle of the Divine Dao.

The contest for the dragon is no exception. It may seem like worldly serpents and dragons are rising, but it is essentially a contention and game among various Great Gods. Without deities backing them, not to mention True Dragons or Hidden Dragons, they wouldn’t even qualify as precursors to a king, and would merely drift with the tide, with their bodies, minds, and lives beyond their own control.

Now, Master Qingxuan of Qingping Temple comes forth, speaking of the Hidden Dragon’s Restoration, and there’s no need to say what the intention is anymore.

The Hidden Dragon naturally refers to the Crown Prince demoted to Yangzhou three years ago, now Prince Liang.

As for Restoration...

Although the Primordial Spirit in this world is thin and mortals rarely possess extraordinary abilities, the power of deities exists, and many regions still enjoy some stability. Hence, the dynastic rule does not follow an obvious cycle—some stand unshaken for a thousand years, while others are on the brink of collapse after just two or three hundred.

Specifically, it depends on circumstances, on whether the Great Gods are eager to contest for the dragon, and whether demons and ghosts can endure inactivity.

Like the Drought Demon King turmoil three years ago, should such events recur, draining the Court’s strength completely, then the Great Chen dynasty will likely be at an end. Ambitious Great Gods and various demons and monsters will see its weakness and inevitably harbor ambitions of dragon contention, stirring the storm across the land.

Thus, luck is crucial. If Celestial Destiny is not in their favor, no one can save a collapsing dynasty, unless they can single-handedly suppress the world.

Great Chen’s fortune isn’t too bad, but not great either. Though the Drought Demon King disaster three years ago severely weakened the Court’s Primordial Qi, it didn’t exhaust its foundation. If a heroic ruler emerged, perhaps they could reorganize and bring about a restoration.

There are many such examples in history.

But does Great Chen have such a Celestial Destiny?

Even the White Eyebrow Elder Monk is uncertain.

The essence of a heroic ruler still aligns with a deity coming towards earthly dragon contention.

Whether one is a hero depends entirely on the deity’s power.

If it’s a Third Rank Great God or even a Second Grade Heavenly God reincarnated to the mortal realm, entering the contest with abundant Divine Power and luck merit, then they naturally exhibit the demeanor of a heroic ruler.

If not, then it’s uncertain.

Therefore, the crucial question now lies in Prince Liang’s true identity.

Which deity has reincarnated, and what capital does it have to pursue restoration?

The White Eyebrow Elder Monk doesn’t know and can only look to Qingxuan.

The secrets of reincarnation are difficult for even Immortal Gods to fathom, let alone a mere mortal like him.

As he knows, the reincarnation of deities won’t have obvious signs; perhaps at birth, there will be some strange phenomena, but these can only indicate they might be a deity reincarnated. As for which deity, you have to guess slowly, with luck perhaps getting it right.

This is naturally the case, for with forces in equilibrium, allowing opponents to know about your reincarnated dragon contention would definitely invite moves against you, possibly resulting in failing at dragon contention and even having your lair destroyed, leaving you with nothing.

Thus, when deities reincarnate, they do so in utmost secrecy, especially Standard Third Grade Great Gods who already keep a low profile and do not inquire into worldly matters, not doing deep investigations—none can be sure if they’ve entered the earthly dragon contest.

So, what divine figure is Prince Liang, viewed as a Hidden Dragon with the potential for Restoration Ascension?

Facing the White Eyebrow Elder Monk’s gaze, Daoist Qingxuan smiled faintly: "This matter cannot be disclosed, I can only inform the master that Qingping Temple has already pledged allegiance to His Highness, and this visit is to invite Qingye Temple to join in this grand endeavor."

The White Eyebrow Elder Monk looked at him but remained silent.

He didn’t doubt Daoist Qingxuan’s words.

The Hidden Dragon’s true fate is of great importance, naturally not to be easily revealed.

Not to mention that Qingye Temple hasn’t yet pledged itself, even Qingping Temple, which has joined, probably doesn’t know the true identity of Prince Liang’s Celestial Destiny.

But ignorance aside, expecting others to pledge themselves based on just a few words is too easy, isn’t it?

The contest for the dragon, to enter is to leave no retreat, to leave is to be doomed!

Though Qingye Temple’s situation is currently challenging, if they quietly endure and eke out a living, they might manage without venturing into the dragon contest.