Chapter 1114: Swords Drawn! Challenging an Emperor |
All the dragons present wore dark expressions. None of them wished to be enslaved by the Tenebrous Dragon clan, yet in the current situation, they had no other choice.
Even if they could rely on their numbers to resist the Tenebrous Demon Emperor, they had no means to counter the Misfortune Pearl. If misfortune descended upon Crystal City, not only would they be unable to withstand it, but it would even strip the entire dragon race of its fortune. That was a consequence they absolutely could not afford.
Liu Weichao took a deep breath and said, "Tenebrous, must you truly act against the natural order like this? Don't you realize that by doing so, your clan will become the eternal sinners of the dragon race?"
The Tenebrous Demon Emperor replied calmly, "If you all swear fealty to me and allow me to become the ruler of the dragon race, then with the Misfortune Pearl, I will soon grow more powerful than ever. I may even rise to become the First Emperor. The dragon race will still be the strongest of all."
Liu Weichao said coldly, "And when that time comes, will any of us still have a voice? Or will your Tenebrous clan simply rule above all?"
The Tenebrous Demon Emperor said flatly, "Don't be naïve. In our world, strength is everything. Power is the foundation of all. I have no time to waste on you. Will you submit, or will you die?" As he spoke, he slowly raised the Misfortune Pearl in his hand.
"I see now. So this is what it's all about, isn't it?" A clear voice rang out at that moment.
The Tenebrous Demon Emperor's expression shifted slightly. He instinctively turned to the source of the voice, and saw a blue figure descending from the sky, silently landing on the ground. Behind him, eight sharp spikes shone in the sunlight as he calmly stared back.
Seeing who had arrived, the Tenebrous Demon Emperor's face darkened. "Jin Miaolin, shouldn't you be in Skytree City preparing to wed your little girlfriend? What business do you have in my dragon territory?"
Tang San said mildly, "An elder of my clan was ambushed and killed. Naturally, I've come to investigate. It seems the answer is already plain to see. I didn't expect Your Majesty to be in such a hurry that you couldn't even wait a few more days to make your move."
The Tenebrous Demon Emperor said coldly, "Jin Miaolin, don't slander me. What do the attacks on Xu An'yu and your clan have to do with my Tenebrous Dragon clan? This is an internal matter of the dragon race; even the Ancestral Court has no authority here. You'd best leave now before you are harmed by accident."
He was still wary of Tang San. This man was not only a clan leader, but also a Crown Prince who had inherited the legacy of the Crystal Demon Emperor. Even before, the Misfortune Pearl had failed before his holy energy. A being like this was better left unprovoked.
Moreover, the neutral Blue Gold Tree clan was beneficial to all races. Even the Tenebrous Dragons needed life energy, although they very much preferred to rob others of it. If not for the special circumstances today, he would have spoken more pleasantly.
Tang San shrugged and said, "You see, I was just explaining to my dragon friends here that some things don't require solid evidence. Whoever stands to gain the most is the culprit. Also, I happen to completely agree with you: this world truly runs on strength. If my strength surpasses yours, then if I say you're guilty, you are. And frankly, I can't think of anyone else with the resolve and the means to make such a move. Your Majesty, don't you owe me an explanation for the deaths of my clan's third elder and so many others?"
The Tenebrous Demon Emperor's expression flickered, but it was not because he feared Tang San's holy energy. He was firmly convinced that in his own hands, the Misfortune Pearl could only be countered by the Celestial Fox Demon Emperor himself. Rather, he had different considerations.
Before coming here, he had met with the Celestial Fox Demon Emperor, and the latter had been firm on the matter: "This is an internal issue of the dragon race. No outsider has the right to interfere."
With that assurance, the Tenebrous Demon Emperor dared to act. Originally, he had hoped Li Zhaopeng would defeat Xu An'yu during the Battle for the Throne, but the unexpected intervention from Tang San had foiled the plan. Now he had no choice but to use this desperate measure. He knew that if Xu An'yu became an Emperor, he would never be able to rule the dragon race or take over Crystal City.
But if he could seize control today, then even if he had to relinquish Black Dragon City to the Ancestral Court later, retaining Crystal City would be worth it. As the greatest city of the Daemon Continent, its resources far outstripped any other main city.
"Do you understand the consequences of obstructing me?" the Tenebrous Demon Emperor asked darkly.
Tang San gave a casual shrug. "I'm actually not sure what these consequences might be. Please, enlighten me, Your Majesty."
The Tenebrous Demon Emperor took a deep breath, suppressing the fury burning inside as he quickly weighed the situation. Jin Miaolin was not like the Blue Gold Tree clan's third elder. Killing him would provoke the wrath of every single other Emperor.
"Leave now, and I'll pretend this never happened. If not, don't blame me for being merciless." The Tenebrous Demon Emperor tried to bluff with a harsh tone that didn't quite mask his hesitance.
Tang San shrugged again. "That won't do. I still need you to explain how my third elder died. And my other clansmen too."
"This has nothing to do with me. Do you have proof?" the Tenebrous Demon Emperor growled.
"See? We're back to the beginning. And I've said already: This matter doesn't require proof. If Your Majesty refuses to give me an explanation, then I will have to find out for myself."
As he spoke, Tang San reached into the void, and an orange-golden light appeared in his grasp—the Holy Dragon Spear. A surge of holy energy erupted from it, and the pressure from the Misfortune Pearl was immediately weakened.
At the same time, two massive dragon forms appeared behind Tang San.
One was ferocious and wreathed in purple light. Naturally, it was Nihil.
The other, of course, was Crystalline's manifestation.
Both dragons emerged simultaneously. Even the Tenebrous Demon Emperor's face twisted. He had suddenly realized a rather critical omission on his part: This wasn't the Battle for the Throne, and nobody stopped Jin Miaolin from summoning his dragons. Moreover, with his extraordinary strength, he had defeated Xu An'yu without even relying on Nihil. So how strong was he now, actually?
"Grand Elder Liu, leave the Tenebrous Demon Emperor to us. The rest is yours." As he spoke, Tang San pointed the Holy Dragon Spear at the Tenebrous Demon Emperor.
Behind him, the Crystal Dragon's transparent body turned golden. Waves of radiant energy poured into Tang San's body. With the infusion of holy energy from his brand new Holy Radiant Dragon bloodline imprint, the holy aura emanating from the Holy Dragon Spear surged to a new peak, directly opposing the oppressive misfortune of the Misfortune Pearl.
The Tenebrous Demon Emperor's expression grew increasingly grim. "So you're determined to oppose me?"
Tang San smiled calmly, saying nothing, and began walking toward the Tenebrous Demon Emperor, one step at a time.