# Chapter 1831: Desperate Situation Canglan
Behind Long Bai stood the figures of the five Withered Dragon Venerables. These five terrifying beings who had appeared out of thin air each emanated a dragon's breath that was as ancient and majestic as if an ancient god had descended upon the world.
And when all five appeared simultaneously, it was as if five fingers had pierced through time and dimensions from antiquity, enveloping the entire world in a suffocating pressure of terror.
Behind the Withered Dragon Venerables stood the seven Dragon Gods with dark, grim expressions. Behind them were forty-three Dragon Lords, and a full three hundred and eight Master Dragons.
Soon, the five Divine Emperors of the Qilin Realm, Di Chi Realm, Azure Dragon Realm, Hui Dragon Realm, and Wanxiang Realm steadily stepped forward, followed closely by the auras of several hundred Divine Lords.
The Ten Directions Canglan Realm trembled, and it seemed as though the entire Southern Divine Region was shaking... a tremor that refused to subside.
Had they not learned the full lineup of their opponents a full hour in advance, even the mere five Withered Dragon Venerables would have been enough to shock the Xuan Adepts of the Northern Domain to death.
Having long since sensed despair, and having chosen to stand firm in death amidst that despair, the Xuan Adepts of the Northern Domain, beneath a pressure unlike any before, no longer felt fear. Only clenched fists and gritted teeth remained.
"How strange," the Suxin Dragon God frowned slightly. "They were already prepared."
The barrier had been activated, and the Canglan Xuan Adepts were clearly being dispersed. The demons of the Northern Domain were already in formation, waiting... None of this could have been accomplished in a short time.
Yet they had been in the Dragon God Realm just an hour ago. The existence of the Qiankun Dragon City was known only to successive Dragon Emperors and Dragon Gods. There was no reason for these Northern Domain demons to have predicted that they would descend upon this place an hour later.
Such doubts, varying in intensity, appeared on the faces of all the Western Domain Xuan Adepts.
"The demon clan's formation is actually this formidable." Dragon One let out a sigh. This was a far cry from the Northern Domain demons he knew.
"No wonder." Dragon Two also spoke slowly. He somewhat understood why Long Bai had gone to the trouble of awakening them. With the Northern Domain in such a formation, defeating them would be easy, but to completely annihilate them and cut off their lifeline for good, it was indeed best to use the five of them.
"The situation is vastly different from what we imagined, and it seems there's no sign of Yun Che?" the Azure Dragon Emperor murmured in a low voice.
"...There's no need to say more. Leave everything to the Dragon Emperor's judgment." The Qilin Emperor reminded him. His old eyes had also begun to emanate an unusual divine light.
Because in the line of sight and perception of the Northern Domain demons, the reflection in their pupils was not despair or fear, but a chilling ferocity and ruthlessness.
The Azure Dragon Emperor fell silent.
At the rear of the Northern Domain formation, Chi Wuyue watched from afar but did not step forward.
"What are you thinking?" Qianye Ying'er asked.
"The first encounter will be handled by Cang Shitian. I've already taught him what to say and how to act." Chi Wuyue said.
Qianye Ying'er's brows furrowed deeply. "What did you say!?"
"Don't worry. He'll do well." Chi Wuyue smiled faintly. "I can feel that he's enjoying this right now... and he'll enjoy it even more later. After all, this is a direct confrontation with the Dragon Emperor! There's nothing more satisfying than this kind of scene for a true madman."
"Stall for time." Her smile vanished in an instant, and Chi Wuyue spoke in a low voice: "What we must do now is spare no effort in stalling for time!"
And at that moment, the skies above the Canglan Realm echoed with Cang Shitian's loud laughter.
"Hahahahaha!"
Cang Shitian strode forward, his Divine Emperor's voice still ringing out, shaking the soul despite the overwhelming pressure of the skies. With a smile on his face and his arms raised high, he declared: "Cang Shitian, Realm King of the Ten Directions Canglan Realm, has been waiting here for quite some time to welcome the Dragon Emperor. I just never expected Your Highness the Dragon Emperor to be so eager this time, to the point of setting foot on the hidden Qiankun Dragon City. I am truly honored a thousand times over and humbled ten thousand times."
"Oh, and let me also greet the five Withered Dragon Venerable seniors. For the five seniors to no longer remain idle in the Dragon God Realm but instead grace us with your joint presence is a glory unprecedented in ten millennia. It truly flatters my humble little Canglan beyond words, hahahaha!"
The expressions on all of Dragon God Realm's members shifted slightly, and even Long Bai's face showed a momentary, barely perceptible ripple.
The Qiankun Dragon City and the Withered Dragon Venerables... these were hidden existences unknown even to the five Divine Emperors of the Western Domain. All of them had been certain that upon descending upon the Canglan Realm, their opponents would be caught off guard, as if seeing ghosts, terrified out of their wits, and routed before the battle even began.
But the situation was the exact opposite.
Not only were they prepared and waiting, but they had also called out the names of the Qiankun Dragon City and the Withered Dragon Venerables, as if they had long known every secret of the Dragon God Realm.
Even stranger, despite knowing everything, they had not retreated but had instead come out to face them head-on!
Watching the shifting expressions of the Dragon Gods and even Long Bai, Cang Shitian's lips curled. Searching his memory, he could find nothing more exhilarating than this reversal of roles!
Long Bai's gaze looked into the distance, ignoring Cang Shitian's existence as he spoke indifferently: "Yun Che, get the hell out here."
But the response came from Cang Shitian once again. With a low chuckle, he waved his arm, and the Canglan Barrier before him rippled like blue water.
"Your Highness the Dragon Emperor, if you wish to see our Demon Lord, shouldn't you first ask permission from this Canglan Barrier!"
"How pathetic and laughable." The Cang Dragon God spoke, his gray-blue dragon eyes filled with deep contempt and pity: "Playing the loyal dog to demons and actually developing devotion... For the Ten Directions Canglan Realm to have you as its emperor is an insult to Canglan's entire history."
Compared to Cang Shitian's boldness, the Sea Gods and Divine Envoys of the Canglan Realm were increasingly uneasy. They had believed Cang Shitian would open the barrier before the Dragon Emperor, committing a meritorious act of atonement at the most opportune moment.
But the situation was entirely different. Every time Cang Shitian spoke, their hearts pounded violently. Were it not for the fact that he was the Canglan Divine Emperor, they would have longed to strike him down and silence him.
Long Bai's eyes finally darkened. He cast a brief glance at Cang Shitian and said: "Cang Shitian, I'll give you one last chance... for the sake of my old friendship with your grandfather."
The eyes of all the Sea Gods and Divine Envoys snapped onto Cang Shitian. They saw him curl his lips and say slowly: "I don't need this chance."
The moment those words left his mouth, there was no longer any room for retreat or turning back.
"Your Majesty!" several Sea Gods cried out in alarm.
"Your Highness the Dragon Emperor!" The Fulan Sea God, standing to Cang Shitian's right, stepped forward and said urgently: "His Majesty does not mean that at all. He has simply been deceived by the demons..."
Boom!!
A flash of blue light streaked through the air, and space seemed to snap. Cang Shitian's hand, wreathed in blue light, struck the Fulan Sea God's throat like a blade. A terrifying boom echoed as the Fulan Sea God's throat shattered along with his voice.
This strike was as fast as flowing light and utterly vicious—clearly not a sudden impulse, but a blow long prepared.
Caught off guard and severely wounded, the other Sea Gods and Divine Envoys were likewise horrified, unable even to form the thought of intervening.
"Your... Your Majesty!?"
As several Sea Gods began to step forward, a flash of blue light bloomed, reflected in their rapidly contracting pupils.
The Divine Legacy Artifact of the Ten Directions Canglan Realm—the Canglan Divine Pearl! It glowed from Cang Shitian's hand with flowing blue radiance, as if it held an endless ocean within.
The same blue light emanated from the Fulan Sea God, who lay writhing in agony on the ground.
As a Divine Legacy Artifact of the Canglan Realm, the Canglan Divine Pearl, besides being a vessel for divine legacy power, also possessed a domineering function similar to the Fanhun Bell of the Fan Di God Realm—the ability to forcibly restrain or even reclaim the Canglan Divine Power bestowed upon Sea Gods.
This was also why, despite Cang Shitian's infamous reputation and being the first to kneel to the demons, no one in the Canglan Realm had ever dared to doubt or defy him.
Feeling the rapid loss of his Canglan Divine Power, the Fulan Sea God, through his shattered throat, let out a trembling plea: "Your Majesty... spare..."
Boom!!
Cang Shitian stomped down, crushing the Fulan Sea God's head entirely into the Xuan Stone that paved the Canglan Divine Domain beneath them. Only half of the body remained outside, twitching and convulsing.
As crimson blood spread quickly beneath his feet, Cang Shitian did not move. He stood there, still stepping on the Fulan Sea God's head, a faint smile curling on his lips that sent chills down the spines of all the Sea Gods. "So there are treacherous outsiders among my own men. What a pity."
He turned to the pale-faced Sea Gods and said: "If there are any more like this, kill them directly. No need to report to me. Understood?"
"...Yes!" The throats of the Sea Gods felt as if they had also been crushed. Their replies came out one by one, filled with difficulty.
"A thousand apologies." Cang Shitian looked up, speaking with a chuckle: "I just casually dealt with a stupid traitor. I hope the Dragon Emperor and all the distinguished guests will forgive the interruption."
"Shitian Divine Emperor," Zhou Xuzi's voice came from afar. "By acting like this, you aren't just harming your own Sea Gods—you're burying the Canglan bloodline that has been passed down for hundreds of thousands of years. What exactly is your goal?"
"Heh!" Cang Shitian gave a low laugh. "Zhou Tian Divine Emperor, I am a loyal dog, and you are a homeless cur. Since we're of the same kind, we should sympathize with each other. Why come out and bark?"
"...It seems you are beyond saving." Zhou Xuzi sighed. "This old man will have no choice but to bury you together with these dark beasts today!"
"With you!?" Cang Shitian retorted.
Long Bai lifted his head, no longer sparing Cang Shitian a single glance. The world-shaking voice of the Dragon Emperor's decree, like a divine command, repeated his earlier words: "Yun Che, get the hell out here."
Now that it had come, the Dragon Emperor's imperial decree was not a command to attack, not a command to break the barrier... but a direct call for Yun Che.
"It seems the Dragon Emperor is getting older—his ears aren't working so well anymore." Cang Shitian continued with words that made the Sea Gods' hearts tremble. "If you want to see the Demon Lord, you must first ask permission from this Canglan Barrier!"
"Come!" He pointed a finger, pointing straight at the Dragon Gods behind him. "Let me see how long it takes you so-called Dragon Gods to break through this Canglan Barrier! I am truly looking forward to it."
"Heh!" the Feimie Dragon God gave a contemptuous snort. "Such a trivial barrier—does it even warrant our involvement?"
"Your Highness?" He looked at the Dragon Emperor.
The Dragon Emperor nodded slightly.
Boom!
With a command from the Feimie Dragon God, all forty-three Dragon Lords behind him attacked at once. The dragon aura released and roiled in that instant, instantly whipping up a terrifying cosmic storm.
Wooooom!
In the Dragon God Realm, one had to reach the eighth level of the Divine Lord realm to become a Dragon Lord.
Among these forty-three Dragon Lords, nineteen were ninth-level Divine Lords, and twenty-four were eighth-level Divine Lords. When their combined power struck a single barrier...
It was as if a billion heavenly bells had rung across half of the Southern Divine Region.
The Canglan Barrier shook, sending dozens of twisting ripples through its surface.
Behind the Dragon Lords, the three hundred and eight Master Dragons also lunged forward, three hundred and eight Divine Lord powers surging in succession, once again producing a sound that shattered eardrums and souls.
Cang Shitian did not move. Yan Tianxiao also raised his hand, signaling for no one to step forward... He himself did not understand why the Demon Empress had ordered that when the enemy was forcefully breaking the barrier, no one should reinforce or maintain its power.