Chapter 1773: Ashen Dragon God
Gazing into the distant sky, a massive shark soared through the air, flanked by two imposing mystic ships. Though Yun Che was seeing them for the first time, their mere presence was enough for him to determine their allegiance to the Southern Divine Region.
"Ha ha ha ha!" A loud laugh rang out as Nanming Shendi took the initiative to greet him from within the Royal Hall. "The Demon Lord honors us with his presence—Nanming is truly blessed."
His eyes swept past the Three Yan Mo Ancestors behind Yun Che, pausing for a moment before locking onto Yun Che with a smile. "It has been some time. The Divine Son of yesteryear has now become the Demon Lord of today—a sight so remarkable, it could be called a miracle bestowed by heaven itself."
"Is that so?" Yun Che narrowed his eyes lazily at him. "The grace Nanming Shendi displayed in Fantian's royal city some days ago was quite an eye-opener for this Demon Lord as well."
Nanming Shendi's expression remained unchanged as he chuckled, shifting his gaze. "May I ask who these three are?"
Yun Che had indeed brought only three people, yet these three sent Nanming Shendi's soul into turmoil, his inner self far from as calm as his outward appearance suggested.
He had naturally seen the projections from the Zhou Tian Divine Realm. In those images, these three elders had trampled and torn apart the powerful guardians, suppressing the entire Zhou Tian Realm into helpless submission. Even a Divine Emperor would find such scenes heart-stopping.
Now, seeing them in person and standing so close, Nanming Shendi's shock was immeasurable.
As the foremost Divine Emperor of the Southern Divine Region, he considered himself second only to the Dragon God Emperor. The only ones who could match him were Qianye Fantian and the strongest Dragon God of the Dragon God Realm—the Feimie Dragon God.
Yet the three black-robed elders accompanying Yun Che, though not radiating their presence outwardly, caused Nanming Shendi's spiritual senses to tremble in alarm from the very first moment. He was appalled to realize that all three were existences on the same level as himself.
The elder in the middle, in particular, gave him a terrifying sense of being *above* him.
This was absolutely the first time he had felt such a sensation outside of the Dragon God Emperor.
No wonder the vast Zhou Tian Realm had collapsed so thoroughly under their claws.
"Hm?" In response to Nanming Shendi's words, Yun Che cast him a sidelong glance and smiled faintly. "As you can see, just three old servants. And here I thought the famed Nanming Shendi—arrogant, heretical, and looking down on all—had somehow grown so humble that even insignificant attendant slaves warrant his attention? It seems rumors are indeed not to be trusted."
"Ha ha ha ha! The Demon Lord jests," Nanming Shendi said, but his gaze flickered sharply.
Powerful as these three elders were—each at the Divine Emperor level, even surpassing most Divine Emperors—such terrifying strength should have come with corresponding pride and dignity. There was no reason for them to submit to anyone.
Yet when Yun Che called them "old servants" and "slaves," not only did their auras not stir in the slightest, they actually visibly restrained themselves further, their heads simultaneously bowing low in deference and humility before Yun Che.
Suppressing his inner shock, Nanming Shendi stepped aside. "Please, Demon Lord. The various Divine Emperors and my son have been eagerly awaiting you."
As they entered the Royal Hall, a formidable presence swept over him. Yun Che immediately spotted Cang Shitian, along with the two Ming Kings and the host of Ming Gods. Seated beside Cang Shitian were two others radiating Divine Emperor auras—undoubtedly the other two Divine Emperors of the Southern Divine Region: the Ziwei Emperor and the Xuanyuan Emperor.
Such a staggering assembly could hardly be for nothing more than a crown prince's investiture.
The conversations between Yun Che and Nanming Shendi outside the hall had been heard by all. With Yun Che's entrance, the atmosphere within the Royal Hall shifted abruptly. Silence mingled with a heavy oppression. Everyone's gaze fell upon Yun Che, yet no one spoke. Cang Shitian, who had been half-reclining, slowly straightened his back, his eyes flickering between Yun Che and the Three Yan Mo Ancestors, his expression shifting subtly.
The man whose power had once been beneath their notice—whose fate they could easily control, whom they had driven into the Northern Divine Region—now not only stood tall before them but brought with him an overwhelming weight of pressure and intimidation.
Under the dark pressure of the Three Yan Mo Ancestors, the two Ming Kings and the assembly of Ming Gods—who should have dominated their home ground—were all shaken and pale.
As tenth-rank Divine Lords, the Northern Prison Ming King and the Eastern Prison Ming King should have led the Ming Gods in displaying Nanming's divine might before the Demon Lord. Instead, under the aura of the Three Yan Mo Ancestors, their souls quaked, nearly suffocating, barely able to maintain even a semblance of calm dignity.
"Demon Lord, please take the honored seat." Nanming Shendi said cheerfully, his posture and tone warm.
Yun Che unceremoniously sat in the seat of honor—a double seat, the other clearly reserved for the Demon Empress.
"It is a pity the Demon Empress did not come," Nanming Shendi remarked, noting the empty seat. His eyes swept over the Three Yan Mo Ancestors behind Yun Che, and he waved a hand. "Prepare seats for the three elders immediately."
"No need." Before Nanming Shendi finished, Yan San spoke in a sinister tone. "How could we have the right to sit at our master's side?"
He did not raise his head as he spoke, his words seemingly humble. Yet that humility was directed solely at Yun Che. To everyone else, it felt like a chill seeping from their bodies straight into the depths of their souls.
These three, with power surpassing that of Divine Emperors, acted like faithful hounds before Yun Che. The shock was indescribable.
Yun Che gave a cold smile. "The honored seat Nanming Shendi has specially arranged would indeed be a waste to leave empty. Yan San, you may sit."
"Yes." Yan San acknowledged the order and sat beside Yun Che, still not glancing at anyone else. His withered hands were hidden beneath his gray robes, his slightly spread fingers already prepared to strike.
At any sign of trouble, any one of the Three Yan Mo Ancestors would act immediately. With Yan San at Yun Che's side, his safety was assured.
A chill spread silently. Though this was Nanming's royal hall—the highest sanctum of the Southern Divine Region—it was being infiltrated by the breath of darkness.
And this made it clear to all that the terror of the three elders behind Yun Che was no illusion—if anything, it might be even more dreadful than they perceived or imagined.
Nanming Shendi took his throne, arms spread wide, his bearing imposing. "My Nanming establishing a new crown prince is but a minor family affair, yet it is my honor that all of you have come in person to witness it. I am especially delighted that the Demon Lord has graced us with his presence."
Yun Che half-closed his eyes. "Delighted? Why?"
Nanming Shendi replied, "The fact that the Demon Lord is willing to grace us with his presence today at least shows that you do not intend to make enemies of Nanming—or the Southern Divine Region. In every respect, that is a fortunate thing."
"Heh," Yun Che laughed slowly. "Nanming Shendi, aren't you afraid of being too optimistic? This Demon Lord has always been one to repay every grievance. You have all seen what happened to the Eastern Divine Region. As for what Nanming did to me back then..." His voice dropped, turning cold and dark. "You haven't forgotten so soon, have you?"
Yun Che's personal arrival with only three companions seemed like a gesture of goodwill. Yet he immediately clashed with Nanming Shendi, his words causing the assembly to shift uneasily.
Nanming Shendi, however, did not diminish his smile. "In this life, one ought to live with swift vengeance for both favors and slights. Only useless trash would bottle things up and endure. In that regard, the Demon Lord and I are quite alike."
"However, revenge and venting grievances need not take only one form." Nanming Shendi looked at Yun Che. "Whatever compensation would calm the Demon Lord's resentment, say the word. I will not even frown."
"Ha ha ha ha!" Yun Che burst into laughter, part mockery, part sigh. "The legendary Nanming Shendi—such a wild and arrogant figure, looking down on all creation, stopping at nothing for his own gain, leaving no room when turning against me back then. Yet today, Nanming Shendi acts like a coward willingly shrinking his head!"
Nanming Shendi remained unruffled, speaking calmly. "In this world, strength has always been paramount. Back then, when Yun Che had the Demon Emperor and Xie Ying as his backing, no one dared touch him. But when the Demon Emperor and Xie Ying were gone, what else remained?"
"Merits of saving the world? The halo of a Divine Son? Heh heh heh heh—what are those?" His eyes narrowed slowly. "No, you were merely a weakling—a weakling with endless potential and immense future danger. Who would care about a weakling's feelings? Who would follow a weakling's will? If you were me, would you?"
"But now, of course, it is different. You are no longer the so-called Divine Son, but a Demon Lord many times more powerful, commanding a vast force. You have gained the right to sit as an equal with me, making me no longer able to ignore you."
Nanming Shendi leaned forward, his eyes never leaving Yun Che. "For the same matter, one's attitude toward the weak is hardly the same as toward the strong. Such a simple truth—the Divine Son Yun Che might not have understood back then, but surely the Demon Lord of today does?"
Yun Che's fingers curled around the jade cup before him, tapping lightly. "Well said. So you mean that Nanming Divine Realm—no, the Southern Divine Region—is willing to yield before this Demon Lord?"
Nanming Shendi also placed his hand on his jade cup, smiling. "The power of the Northern Divine Region is now clear to the Southern Divine Region. And I am sure the Demon Lord knows the Southern Divine Region's strength well. If both sides engage in bitter conflict, no matter who ultimately wins, it will be only a pyrrhic victory. Kill a thousand, lose eight hundred—that would bring endless harm and no benefit to either the Northern or Southern Divine Regions."
"Moreover, between my Southern Divine Region and your Demon Lord, the enmity is far less than that with the Eastern Divine Region. Why rush to mutual destruction? Otherwise, would the Demon Lord have come in person today?" Nanming Shendi chuckled, raising his jade cup in a toast.
Yun Che did not respond. But his arrival today seemed, to everyone, to signal his desire to avoid war with the Southern Divine Region.
"Vengeance must be taken, resentment vented. What Nanming and the Southern Divine Region owe the Demon Lord will be repaid in full, without a single part missing." Nanming Shendi's words were resolute, his smile intact as he swept his gaze around. "Three Divine Emperors, what say you?"
"No objections," said the Xuanyuan Emperor. "To show our sincerity, before today, my Xuanyuan Realm had already ordered that dark profound practitioners must no longer be killed indiscriminately."
"Mm," the Ziwei Emperor nodded slowly. "The Ziwei Realm has never liked conflict. This is for the best."
"Hmph," the Shitian Shendi snorted but said nothing further.
"Excellent." Nanming Shendi withdrew his gaze and continued slowly, "I must trouble the Demon Lord to frankly state how your resentment can be calmed. However, if the Southern Divine Region truly cannot meet your wishes, or if the Demon Lord insists on leading the Northern Divine Region into war against us, then Nanming is happy to oblige."
"A lifetime as a Divine Emperor—if I can have such a battle, no matter the outcome, it would not be a wasted life, ha ha ha ha!" Nanming Shendi laughed heartily, raised his jade cup, and drank it down in one gulp.
His words were exceptionally direct, his intentions crystal clear. The Southern Divine Region did not want war with the Northern Divine Region. But if war truly came, they were not afraid in the slightest.
Under the heavy atmosphere, everyone's attention was fixed on Yun Che, observing every change in his expression and gaze, waiting for his response.
At that moment, a soul-shaking voice, heavy as ten thousand jun, came from afar: "Nanming! You invited me here just to watch this cowardly spectacle of yours?"
As the voice arrived, a vast dragon might followed. Tidal waves of energy rolled, causing the entire Royal Hall to tremble faintly.
A tall gray figure appeared in the center of the hall's entrance. Wherever his eyes swept, it seemed a peerless divine radiance passed over every corner of the Royal Hall.
Nanming Shendi stood up, beaming. "The Ashen Dragon God honors us—Nanming welcomes you warmly. Please, take the honored seat."
As for the earlier earth-shattering sarcastic remark, he seemed not to have heard it at all.
The newcomer was from the Dragon God Realm—the Ashen Dragon God, one of the nine dragon gods under the Dragon God Emperor.
The Dragon Clan was mighty but not warlike, proud but not overbearing, and generally steady in temperament, with emotions not easily shown. The stronger the dragon, the more so.
But among the Nine Dragon Gods, there was an exception: the Ashen Dragon God.
A dragon god whose temperament was anything but deep and restrained, and in fact, extremely violent.
The dragon figure had not yet arrived, but the criticism came first. Among all the Dragon Gods and Dragon Lords of the Dragon God Realm, only the Ashen Dragon God would do such a thing.
Nanming Shendi rose to welcome him, showing no sign of anger. On the surface, that was true—and inwardly, it was even more so. On the contrary, in the depths of his eyes, a glint of excitement flickered.
The Dragon God Realm surely knew the purpose of this "grand ceremony." The Dragon God Emperor was still missing without a trace. And the one sent this time was not the strongest, the Feimie Dragon God, nor the most composed and wise, the Azure Dragon God, but this Ashen Dragon God—the most arrogant and violent of them all.
This might make things... much simpler than anticipated!