Faced with these two choices, Zhang Jian only needed a slight evaluation to make his decision.
He chose the second option.
The first option, an empty Emperor's Life Plate, was of no use to him.
He had neither a kingdom nor millions of troops; nurturing such a Life Plate would only invite disaster upon himself!
Having a name without substance is a dead end!
Such a Life Plate is like a crane among chickens; it's hard not to attract calamity.
As for contending for the dragon throne, there's no hope in sight, at least for now.
In Zhang Jian's view, rebellion requires conditions, such as oppressive officials forcing the public to revolt.
Now, although chaos is beginning to show, it's not yet time to rise in revolt.
He also lacked any political slogan that could rally people to overthrow the Daqian and establish dominance.
The heavens may die and the yellow heavens stand, but the Daqian Court is not yet over!
He naturally had no influence to bypass the Court and even the Cave God Sect to raise an army directly.
If he were to refine the Red Dragon Pearl now and fulfill the Emperor's fate, he might be targeted by the Daqian Court immediately—unable to cope with it.
It's better to cultivate quietly and wait for the right opportunity.
He is not someone who can't afford to wait!
As a cultivator, he has a long lifespan, and it's not impossible to outlast a few mainstays of the Court.
There's no need to risk danger now.
On the contrary, integrating the Red Dragon Pearl into the depths of the ancestral grave, refining it in such a special way, not only benefits himself but also blesses the family, achieving the best of both worlds.
Having resolved to do so, Zhang Jian prepared to find an opportunity to send the Red Dragon Pearl back to Fengxi's ancestral land.
...
The next day, just at dawn, Zhang Jian expressed his desire to return to Fengxi County to pay homage to his ancestors.
"Ah Yu, why this sudden idea?"
Zhang Yi couldn't help but ask.
He knew Zhang Jian often liked to visit the Ancestral Hall for no reason, but to go to the ancestral land to pay respects at such a crucial time in Zhang Family's expansion seemed like putting the cart before the horse.
"Father, I had a dream last night!"
Hearing this, Zhang Yi looked slightly surprised and questioned.
"Didn't you say that cultivators restrain the Monkey Mind and rarely dream?"
Meeting Zhang Yi's gaze, he nodded and said, "So, I'm quite amazed myself!"
"In my dream, I saw green smoke rising from the ancestral grave, with red light forming into a dragon shape beneath the earth..."
"Stop speaking!"
As soon as the words fell, Zhang Yi gestured for Zhang Jian to stop, his expression more solemn than ever.
At the same time, he glanced around the courtyard and, seeing that no one else was around, kept his eyes fixed on Zhang Jian.
"Ah Yu, are you telling the truth?!"
"Absolutely true!"
A peculiar look appeared in Zhang Jian's eyes; as he expected, his father indeed harbored some thoughts deep within.
Zhang Yi paced slightly, but his eyes were full of delight, as he saw it as an omen for Zhang Family's coming prosperity.
That dragon shape, that Hidden Dragon's fate, has always signaled the birth of founding Grand Ancestors.
Originally satisfied with Zhang Family's current progress, Zhang Yi now felt a new seed of ambition in his heart.
The chaotic times are approaching; could it be that Zhang Family might have hope of becoming one of the vassal kings?
Deep down, Zhang Yi was someone who couldn't stand mediocrity.
He instructed, "Ah Yu, under no circumstances should you mention this to a third party!"
"As for returning to pay respects, it's not impossible, but you must not be ostentatious; once there, arrange people to patrol around the ancestral land and strengthen surveillance to prevent anyone from ruining our Feng Shui!"
"I understand!"
Zhang Jian nodded gently, clearly aware of these taboos.
He also felt some anticipation; since the Red Dragon Pearl was a Celestial Treasure, there should be something extraordinary about it. He wondered what impact refining it in the second way would have on him.
However, before leaving, Zhang Jian handed over that unique longsword to Zhang Yi.
Zhang Yi should have guards by his side; Zhang Yi was soon heading to Fengyang County City, and Zhang Jian instructed him to give this unique longsword to Zhang Yi.
...
At Qi Mansion, in the Underwater Passage, a dragon shadow flashed and Bai Nu slowly appeared in the Well Dragon Palace, his expression somewhat gloomy after a moment.
Although the two Well Dragon Kings, Yellow Snake and Huang Yuan, had some wealth, it completely contradicted his expectations.
Moreover, what he discovered was somewhat troublesome.
Even though Yellow Snake and Huang Yuan were snake species, they also had dragon blood, possibly indicating a different origin. He entered the Well Dragon Palace this time hoping to find clues for better precaution, but couldn't find anything specific, which left Bai Nu quite disappointed.
Bai Nu felt a vague sense of concern. For a moment, he was slightly startled, then followed an unknown cue to leave the Well Dragon Palace, making a round in Fengyang County City.
By almost evening the next day, he appeared at the entrance of the Zhang Family Mansion, looking somewhat surprised in its direction.
"Dragon Qi?"
He gazed a bit uncertainly towards the Zhang Family Mansion.
Earlier, he had already sensed an indeterminate pressure, like a more ferocious beast arriving on his territory, catching that distinct scent.
Yet he hadn't expected that this distinct scent was emanating from deep within the Zhang Family Mansion.
This faint yet remarkable scent left him astonished.
He immediately transformed into human form, posing as an old man planning to visit Zhang Jian, but he quickly learned that Zhang Jian was not currently at the mansion.
Nearly simultaneously, after Bai Nu left, a black-clad figure suddenly appeared beside the Zhang Family Mansion, accompanied by a plump white bird on her shoulder, resembling a mother hen.
"He's gone?"
The figure just glanced in the direction of the Zhang Family Residence, immediately frowning.
She sensed not only the signs of the Phoenix Soul Pearl around Zhang Jian's residence but also a peculiar alien presence that seemed quite formidable, which she found troubling.
...
On the official road, Zhang Lu leaned closer to Zhang Jian and spoke quietly.
"Young Master, aren't we going to greet Miss Qi?"
He was referring to Qi Yuhua!
On horseback, Zhang Jian swayed along with his luxurious ride, lazily responding.
"Why greet her? We're not going on a long journey!"
"Why are you so concerned about all this?"
Zhang Jian glanced at Zhang Lu, suspecting that the fellow had been 'bought off' by the pastries and snacks sent over by Qi Yuhua's maid recently.
Zhang Lu just chuckled without a word.
The group traveled quickly, riding hard, faster than their previous journey to Fengyang County City, reaching Fengxi in just two days.
The Zhang Family Ancestral Land lay on a spur of Shuangfeng Mountain in the Fengxi Suburbs, known as Vermilion Phoenix Mountain.
Though an unremarkable mountain range, it was covered with graves, where most of the Zhang clan's ancestors found their resting places.
The main lineage's ancestral land was halfway up, meticulously maintained, with Feng Shui gathering, and the mountain's spiritual essence accumulated here.
The Zhang ancestors seemed to have enlisted a competent Feng Shui Master to conduct thorough geomancy, finding such a prime Feng Shui Treasure Acupoint.
After a brief sacrifice, Zhang Jian found a position where Feng Shui gathered and deposited the Red Dragon Pearl deep into the Feng Shui acupoint.
As the Red Dragon Pearl descended, the entire Vermilion Phoenix Mountain erupted with winds and clouds, and a line of red light visibly shot straight into the sky.