Chapter 1774: Provoking Anger
The aura of a dragon is naturally born with a oppressive force that overrides all living beings, let alone the aura of a Dragon God.
The Ember Dragon God came alone, just as in the past when the Dragon Emperor went to the Zhou Tian Realm to watch the Xuan God Competition—he too came alone. They never deigned to have attendants.
To the words of Nanming Shendi, the Ember Dragon God gave no response. He stepped into the hall, each step as heavy as ten thousand mountains shaking the earth, his cold and stern gaze falling upon Yun Che.
In the current God Realm, there was no one who did not know the names of Yun Che and the Demon Lord. Even the Dragon God Realm, which had initially ignored and dismissed him, had shifted to increasingly profound shock after just over ten days.
Standing before Yun Che, he spoke indifferently: "Yun Che, Northern Domain Demon Lord, it is good that you have come."
The human form of the Ember Dragon God was far taller than an ordinary person. He stood before Yun Che's seat, his posture and gaze both coldly arrogant as he looked down on him.
The heads of the Three Yan Ancestors all slightly lifted. In their eyes, such an attitude was already a great disrespect to their master.
But in this world, the ones most entitled to arrogance were the Dragon God Clan. The ones most not to be offended were also the Dragon God Clan. The Dragon God Realm's might was like a mountain that propped up the heavens, something only to be looked up to in awe. From ancient times to the present, no race, no star realm, not even the most ambitious heroes in history, would ever dare to have thoughts of offending the Dragon God Realm.
The Ember Dragon God's mockery of Nanming Shendi and his arrogant posture toward Yun Che caused no obvious surprise in anyone present, because he was a Dragon God—and the most arrogant of Dragon Gods at that.
Yun Che did not lift his eyes. He lowered his gaze slightly and said indifferently: "A mere Dragon God, so lacking in manners before this Demon Lord—are you not afraid of death?"
As soon as these words were spoken, the vast king's hall seemed to freeze in an instant, so quiet that the drop of a needle could be heard.
Even Shitian Shendi, Emperor Xuanyuan, and Emperor Ziwei all had fleeting expressions of shock on their faces.
The Northern Domain's invasion of the Eastern Domain had been swift and brutal, but from beginning to end, the Northern Domain Xuan practitioners had never set foot in the Western Domain. The battlefields had also been deliberately kept far from the Western Domain, never approaching it even slightly—an extremely clear indication that they did not wish to provoke the Western Domain.
And in the eyes of anyone in the current era, this was only natural.
The Northern Domain invaded the Eastern Domain, and on the premise that the Eastern Domain had "provoked" them, the Western Domain might simply watch from the sidelines. But if they provoked the Western Domain, no matter how powerful the Northern Domain was, it would be no different from digging their own grave.
Even though the strength displayed by the Northern Domain far exceeded expectations and had completely routed the Eastern Domain, no one believed they could compare to the Western Domain.
Now, just as the Eastern Domain had been defeated and the Northern Domain and Southern Domain had begun a delicate "probing" and "negotiation," the attitude of the Western Domain was enough to sway everything. Clearly unwilling, and also not supposed to offend the Western Domain, Yun Che actually showed no mercy when facing a Dragon God who represented the Western Domain's arrival.
The Ember Dragon God's dragon eyes narrowed slightly, but there was no anger. Instead, the corners of his mouth tilted faintly, vaguely hooking into a mocking smile.
"Them? The Yan Mo Ancestors of the Northern Domain's Yan Mo Realm?" The Ember Dragon God seemed to be asking, but his tone carried an irrefutable certainty.
Regarding the "Yan Ancestors," Qianye Ying'er had only known a vague outline before. The Dragon God Realm, however, clearly understood them far better than the Fan Di God Realm.
The terrifying aura of the Three Yan Ancestors was undoubtedly enough to deeply shock the Ember Dragon God. But he would only be shocked, never afraid—because he was a Dragon God backed by the Dragon God Realm! With the Demon Emperor and the Evil Infant gone from this world, there was no longer anything worthy of their fear.
"There are three of them, just as recorded." The Ember Dragon God said casually: "Although I do not know what method you used to bring them out of the Eternal Dark Bone Sea, relying on just the three of them to give you the confidence to challenge my Dragon God Realm..."
He slowly raised his head, looking down at Yun Che with a gaze filled with undisguised contempt and mockery: "I originally had some expectations. Now it seems, in the end, you are still the same naive and foolish idiot as before."
The king's hall grew even quieter, no one dared to breathe.
No one had expected that the moment the Ember Dragon God arrived, the two representatives of the Western Domain and the Northern Domain would deteriorate to this extent.
Watching the two of them, Nanming Shendi's expression froze, as if at a loss, but inwardly he was overjoyed.
Since ancient times, the Dragon God Realm had followed the principle: if not provoked, they would not provoke others. The Eastern Domain had already fallen to such a state, yet the Dragon God Realm showed no signs of making a move—although this was also largely related to the Dragon Emperor's disappearance.
But if the Dragon Emperor were present, as long as the Western Domain was not violated, the Dragon God Realm would likely not act. After all, no matter how powerful, such a large-scale brutal battle would inevitably result in considerable losses.
Therefore, in Nanming Shendi's view, and in everyone else's view, even if Yun Che were ever so arrogant, when facing a Dragon God of the Western Domain, he would absolutely restrain himself and show sincerity to the greatest extent—even if he harbored deep resentment toward the Dragon Emperor for turning on him back then.
This was supposed to be one of the purposes of his personal arrival.
But the situation was vastly different from what they had expected.
And if the Dragon God Realm was thoroughly enraged... then what did the Southern Domain have to worry about!
Yun Che suddenly laughed as well, a very calm and amused laugh. He finally lifted his eyes, glanced at the Ember Dragon God once, then withdrew his gaze, and said with a faint smile: "Very good."
Without Yun Che's orders, the Three Yan Ancestors did not move, and their auras remained unchanged.
Seeing Yun Che backing down, the Ember Dragon God sneered and turned around proudly.
With the Ember Dragon God's temperament, if he were facing someone else, he would have already erupted on the spot. But with the Three Yan Ancestors by the side, although he was not afraid, he knew he could not make a move. After all, in terms of pure strength, any one of the Three Yan Ancestors was more than a match for him.
"Heh, truly worthy of the Northern Domain Demon Lord and the Ember Dragon God. In just a few words, your momentum is already so soul-shaking." Nanming Shendi said with a chuckle as he arranged seats for the Ember Dragon God: "Qianqiu, the Northern Domain Demon Lord, the Ember Dragon God, and the various Divine Emperors have all come for you today. When I was established as Crown Prince back then, I would never have dared to hope for such glory. Pay your respects quickly."
From a side seat, a man with a handsome and upright appearance, exuding the aura of an Abyss God, stepped forward. He bowed deeply in the center of the hall: "I, Nan Qianqiu of the Southern Domain, pay respects to the Northern Domain Demon Lord, Dragon God Lord, Shitian Shendi, Emperor Xuanyuan, and Emperor Ziwei for your presence. I am a thousand times honored and infinitely grateful. After I take on the will of the Crown Prince, I will surely not fail the expectations and great kindness of my father and esteemed seniors."
Although the ceremony had not yet been performed, since he had been confirmed as Crown Prince, he would very likely become the future Nanming Shendi. His status far surpassed the past, and even in the presence of various Divine Emperors and Dragon Gods, he no longer needed to kneel.
Yun Che turned his gaze and looked deeply at Nan Qianqiu.
As the son of Nanming Shendi, his appearance and bearing were naturally extraordinary. He bore a six-tenths resemblance to his father. His speech was neither servile nor arrogant, and his eyes were filled with sharp brilliance. Even in the face of Divine Emperors and Dragon Gods, he showed no timidity.
An Abyss God aura at the Eighth-level Divine Lord realm... fusing the Abyss God divine power to this extent in over a decade was already quite impressive.
When Nan Qianqiu stepped forward, Yun Che clearly sensed an extremely intense soul agitation from He Ling.
Establishing Nan Qianqiu as Crown Prince was the bait Nanming Shendi had used to bring about today's gathering. But he would never have dreamed that the name "Nan Qianqiu" was precisely the main reason Yun Che had come.
"As expected of Nanming Shendi's son, he does not disappoint." The Ember Dragon God stared at Nan Qianqiu for a few moments and was not stingy with his praise.
As he spoke, he suddenly extended his hand, and a ball of gray-white profound light shot toward Nan Qianqiu: "Although your Southern Domain is unworthy, the establishment of a new Crown Prince is still a major event. This is just a small gift—don't be too picky."
Clearly, he was still mocking and despising the Southern Domain for taking the initiative to step back before Yun Che.
Nanming Shendi laughed heartily: "What are you saying? The gift of the Ember Dragon God, even if it were a single feather, would be a heavenly treasure. Qianqiu, accept it quickly."
Nan Qianqiu stepped forward quickly, receiving it in both hands. The profound light dispersed, revealing a jade box in his hands. When the box opened, a rich dragon aura overflowed—it was a Dragon Pill of extremely high level, perfectly intact.
Nan Qianqiu was overjoyed and bowed deeply: "I, Nan Qianqiu, thank the Dragon God Lord for his gift."
"Rise." The Ember Dragon God waved his hand, then suddenly looked at Yun Che: "Northern Domain Demon Lord, what great gift have you brought? I am quite interested."
Yun Che smiled faintly, neither confirming nor denying: "How could this Demon Lord come empty-handed to such a grand occasion? The gift I bring is one grand enough to break the heavens. It will be presented a little later. However..."
He glanced at the Ember Dragon God and continued with a smile: "I am afraid that by then, you, Ember Dragon God, will no longer be here in the Southern Domain to witness it with your own eyes."
"No, I can afford to wait, and I am very interested." The Ember Dragon God said disdainfully.
"Ember Dragon God," Cang Shitian suddenly spoke up: "Do you know where the Dragon Emperor currently is?"
Regarding the Dragon Emperor's whereabouts, there were many rumors from the Western Domain. Today, they could finally inquire about it directly from a Dragon God.
Already expecting this question, the Ember Dragon God said coldly: "Where the Dragon Emperor wishes to go, what he wishes to do—if he does not want anyone to know, then no one can know. There is no need for you to probe further. When he wishes to appear, he will appear."
Where the Dragon Emperor had gone, and why he had been absent for so long, he himself was not clear. He only vaguely knew that he seemed to have gone to the Tai Chu Divine Realm, and had cut off all soul connections with the other Dragon Gods, rendering them unable to send him soul messages.
This situation was extremely rare, clearly indicating that what the Dragon Emperor was doing was no ordinary matter.
The only one who knew was the Cang Dragon God, but he had not revealed a single word, clearly because the Dragon Emperor had given a strict order before leaving. As a Dragon God, how could he dare to defy the Dragon Emperor's command?
"...I see." Cang Shitian said rather casually.
"Yun Che, I have to say, your luck is quite good." The Ember Dragon God raised his head high, his voice slow and arrogant: "My Dragon God Realm has never stooped to bullying others unprovoked. But in recent years, the Dragon Emperor has come to detest demons greatly."
Yun Che smiled coldly.
"During the time you led a bunch of demons out of the Northern Domain to wreak havoc in the Eastern Domain, the Dragon Emperor happened to be absent. Involving a domain war, without the Dragon Emperor's command, we did not act rashly. But if the Dragon Emperor appears..." He laughed coldly: "Given his disgust for demons in recent years, I'm afraid even if you had ten more lives, they wouldn't be enough."
"So?" Yun Che looked at him.
"Considering that you rendered some meritorious service back then, I will point out two paths for you." The Ember Dragon God continued to look down on him, speaking slowly: "One path: As the Northern Domain Demon Lord, submit yourself early and pledge loyalty to the Dragon Emperor. With the Dragon Soul on you and the Dragon Emperor's appreciation for you back then, he might still tolerate you. Under control, he might even tolerate those Northern Domain demons."
"And the second path?" Yun Che asked, looking intrigued.
"Before the Dragon Emperor returns, take your people and scurry back to the Northern Domain." The Ember Dragon God said arrogantly: "Since you are demons, you should honestly accept the fate of demons. Isn't it better to be a beast that can only cower in the darkness than to be a sorry wretch who dies early? Don't you think?"
He leaned forward, fixed his gaze on Yun Che, curled his lips, and his voice became extremely low: "Don't say I didn't warn you—the Dragon Emperor really hates demons."
He wasn't just threatening Yun Che.
Like the Eastern and Southern Domains, the Western Domain had also forbidden dark profound practitioners since ancient times. However, the Dragon God Realm had never issued a decree to kill demons, because it seemed to be an ingrained cognition passed down through generations.
But just a few years ago, the Dragon God Realm suddenly issued a rule across the entire Western Domain to exterminate demons without mercy. It was personally drafted by the Dragon Emperor, and it was extremely extreme and cruel, almost not even sparing the corpses of demons.
The timing was precisely after Yun Che fell to darkness and fled to the Northern Domain.
The Ember Dragon God's words were more like a form of pity rather than a warning or threat.
Nanming Shendi raised his eyebrows, his eyes narrowing into two long slits. He suddenly realized that he might have been too pessimistic earlier. The Dragon God Realm, which had been silent until now, had shown an attitude toward Yun Che far more "beautiful" than he had expected.
Before Yun Che could respond, a sky-shaking roar suddenly erupted outside the king's hall.
"Who! How dare you break in... Ah!!"
After a shout of impressive momentum came a scream.
Everyone in the hall turned their heads. All the Abyss God guards and Abyss God attendants immediately stood up. But in the next instant, they all froze in place, their expressions changing drastically.
Because the auras rapidly approaching were actually four...
Tenth-rank Divine Lords!
And two of them were almost no less than the supreme divine might of Nanming Shendi!
"Heh! A mere lackey at the feet of the Dragon Emperor, yet you dare to bark before my Demon Lord!"
A female voice full of mockery came from afar. Then, with a flash of black light, a figure of a woman, as beautiful as a dream, appeared at the entrance of the hall and walked in slowly. Her dazzling golden hair lightly brushed her hips and waist, dancing gracefully in the wind.
It was none other than Qianye Ying'er.
Calling a Dragon God a "lackey" was nothing short of earth-shattering. The Ember Dragon God's expression did not change, but his dragon eyes instantly filled with fury. He slowly turned his gaze, about to speak, when he suddenly saw the person following behind Qianye Ying'er. His dragon eyes contracted sharply.
"Qianye Bingzhu, Qianye... Wugu!?"
Staring intently at the person behind Qianye Ying'er, the Ember Dragon God's exclamation was full of shock, as if he had seen a ghost.