Chapter 417 - 416: Request
The battle had finally subsided, and the Celestial Dragon Empire had won a resounding victory. The news instantly spread throughout the Celestial Dragon Continent. It even reached the Celestial Realm Continent and the Netherworld Continent, leaving everyone utterly shocked.
It was especially unbelievable that they had been beaten into a hasty retreat despite being led by the National Preceptor. The National Preceptor was the second most powerful individual in the Netherworld Empire. For him to be routed so completely, what kind of power could the Celestial Dragon Empire possibly possess?
However, other sensational rumors also began to spread—for instance, that three people could control the Celestial Dragon Treasure, and one of them could even transform into a Giant Dragon. This story spread, and as it did, it became increasingly exaggerated. Eventually, people were saying that dozens could control the Celestial Dragon Treasure and that the Empire even had the backing of the Dragon Race!
The Celestial Dragon Empire was completely mythologized. The tales were incredibly exaggerated, making the Empire seem vastly stronger than the Netherworld Empire—strong enough to overthrow it without breaking a sweat. Such claims were absurd enough to make the Netherworld Empire explode with rage.
And explode with rage they did. After the National Preceptor returned, the Netherworld Emperor fell into a complete fury, dozens, even hundreds of times more intense than ever before.
"Long... is dead!?" The Netherworld Emperor was seething, his fists clenched tight. Internally, his rage had reached its peak.
The terrifying power radiating from his body was the best proof. He was suppressing it to his absolute limit, yet a small amount still leaked out, cracking the ground around him and sending shards of stone flying.
He was still holding most of it back; otherwise, his aura alone would have crushed the entire area. The officials below wore looks of terror. It had been a long time since they had seen the Netherworld Emperor so enraged.
"Yes. It was my failure. The enemy was too strong; I was completely overpowered. Even when I unleashed all my power, I couldn’t withstand his attacks." The National Preceptor’s face was pale, even more drained of color than before. His aura also revealed that he was significantly weaker.
"You gave it your all and still couldn’t fight him?" A hint of surprise flickered in the Netherworld Emperor’s eyes. He knew exactly how powerful the National Preceptor was. If even he was no match, it meant their opponent was on another level entirely.
"Yes, but it was largely because I was unprepared and careless. He landed a blow on me and wounded my soul," the National Preceptor said in shame. "Otherwise, I would have been able to bring Long back..."
He heaved a deep sigh, his eyes filled with shame, but he truly had done his best.
"I understand. It seems I’ll have to take action myself this time..." The Netherworld Emperor stood up, his eyes blazing with fury.
"Great Emperor, you—you absolutely mustn’t!" The National Preceptor’s expression changed as he hurriedly tried to dissuade him. "If you leave, chaos will erupt here."
"But if I don’t go, who will avenge Long!" The Netherworld Emperor’s eyes brimmed with killing intent. "He was my brother! My younger brother is dead, and I’m just supposed to sit here and not avenge him? Would that be right!?"
The Dragon Chancellor was the Netherworld Emperor’s own younger brother. If word of this got out, it would cause a massive uproar. To plant a spy who was none other than the Emperor’s brother—it was an undeniably grand play.
"You must control your anger! You are only one final step away from obtaining the Nether Dragon Power!" the National Preceptor urged. "Once you have that power, the Celestial Dragon Empire will be yours for the taking! You’re so close. Great Emperor, please don’t be rash!"
"Indeed, Great Emperor, do not be rash. Once you break through and obtain the Nether Dragon Power, this entire world will belong to our Netherworld Empire!"
One by one, the ministers began to plead with him, urging the Netherworld Emperor not to act impulsively.
"Damn it... Long..." The Netherworld Emperor shook his head and said in a low voice, "If Long hadn’t insisted on taking the Celestial Dragon Empire intact, I would have personally led the Netherworld Army to crush them long ago. Even the Celestial Dragon Empire could not have withstood my Netherworld Army!"
At this, they all fell silent. The Dragon Chancellor had infiltrated the enemy precisely to take the Celestial Dragon Empire intact. The Netherworld Empire was formidable, but a direct conquest would leave it crippled, which would be a major disadvantage.
Hence, the plan. But who could have predicted such a turn of events, leading to the shocking annihilation of most of their forces?
Who could have expected it? Everyone thought the plan was flawless, believing the Celestial Dragon Empire lacked any real power and could be taken at any time. In reality, it defied all expectations. A supreme expert had emerged from nowhere—one who could single-handedly defeat them all.
"That was our oversight, but we absolutely will not be careless again," the National Preceptor said, his eyes flashing with excitement and anticipation. "As long as you obtain the Nether Dragon Power, Great Emperor, nothing will be a problem. Forget the Celestial Dragon Empire; even the surrounding empires will be yours for the taking. Becoming a fifth-grade Divine Kingdom will be effortless!"
’A Divine Kingdom...’ The Netherworld Emperor’s eyes filled with longing. Reaching the level of a Divine Kingdom meant entering an entirely new realm—one they had only heard whispers of and did not truly understand.
This was because the region where Divine Kingdoms existed was not here, but in the heavens above!
"Very well! We will make ample preparations. Once I obtain the Nether Dragon Power, I will swallow the Celestial Realm Continent and the Celestial Dragon Empire in one fell swoop!" The Netherworld Emperor’s eyes burned with an eagerness that showed he could hardly wait.
While they were finalizing their plans, Yi Tianyun was wrapping things up on his end. The bodies outside had been cleared away one by one. His mission here was complete; there were no other tasks.
’No follow-up quest? What a shame... Zhirou hasn’t become the Goddess yet.’ Yi Tianyun frowned. ’She can only be considered a princess for now.’
’But with no more quests, whether she’s a Goddess or not doesn’t really matter anymore. She’ll probably become the Goddess in the future anyway. Ren Long will likely pass the position on to her then.’
"Yi, what are you doing out here?" Ren Long asked as he walked out of the main hall, having spotted Yi Tianyun standing outside the palace.
"It’s nothing. I was just looking around. Everything has finally returned to peace," Yi Tianyun replied with a faint smile.
"Yes, everything is peaceful again. I wonder if the Netherworld Emperor will lead his army here himself. But no matter how many come, we’ll be ready for them!" Ren Long smiled, his eyes full of gratitude as he said, "If it weren’t for you, we truly would have fallen. You are the savior of our Celestial Dragon Empire."
"I get the feeling the Celestial Dragon Empire would have held on even without me, wouldn’t it?" Yi Tianyun’s eyes flickered.
"We could have held on," Ren Long said with a carefree smile, "but it would have come at a price. My life, for example. If, one day, I’m no longer around, could you become the Great Emperor of the Celestial Dragon Empire?"
"Ren, you can’t just say things like that," Yi Tianyun said, shaking his head. "What could possibly happen to you?"
"You never know. I’m just saying it in advance. Your strength makes you far more suited to be the Great Emperor. To be honest, I have no ambition for the throne; I’d much rather explore freely, without a care in the world." Ren Long looked at him, his gaze burning, and asked in a firm tone, "Yi, can you promise me this?"
In that moment, Ren Long’s true feelings were laid bare. It wasn’t a lie; he truly had little desire to be the Great Emperor. Some people love to wield power, while others prefer to roam free. Ren Long did not like being trapped here.