Chapter 1118: Post-Battle Analysis |
"Everything is settled. We've reported to the Ancestral Court. Tomorrow morning, we'll head to Black Dragon City," Liu Weichao said to Xu An'yu.
Xu An'yu nodded and replied, "I doubt the Ancestral Court will let us take over Black Dragon City so easily. What's your view on this?"
Liu Weichao said gravely, "Until you become an Emperor, we should keep a low profile. Let them fight over Black Dragon City if they want to. But we must keep control of the Tenebrous Dragon clan. As long as the dragon race remains unified, then even without an Emperor, neither the Ancestral Court nor the other races will dare challenge us. And once you become Emperor… Well. What's meant to be ours will return to us."
Xu An'yu agreed, "Yes, that's what I was thinking too. Better to withdraw temporarily than overreach. I'll leave the clan's affairs in your hands while I fully focus on preparing for my breakthrough."
Liu Weichao said with concern, "Don't rush it. Recklessness can be dangerous. A stable path to becoming an Emperor is best."
"I understand, Master. To be honest, after everything that happened today, I feel like I've taken another step forward. I must admit, I've learned a great deal from Jin Miaolin."
Liu Weichao's eyes flickered. "An'yu, you've spent more time with Jin Miaolin. What do you think of him?"
Xu An'yu stirred slightly. "He's far more formidable than I expected. I thought I already knew him well, but after today's battle, I realized just how deep his concealment goes. On the surface, the final blow was delivered by me and Mei Gongzi, but in truth, this entire battle against the Tenebrous Demon Emperor was orchestrated by him from start to finish. He suppressed the Misfortune Pearl so it couldn't unleash its power and even caused it to backfire. He somehow restrained Tenebrous twice, leaving him helpless and letting us deal the killing blow. The entire fight was within his grasp. His strength is far beyond what I imagined."
Liu Weichao asked, "You think he wasn't going all out during the Battle for the Throne?"
"I think he already has the power to defeat lower-ranked Emperors all by himself. He's well above me and Mei Gongzi. I can't imagine how powerful he'll become when he actually ascends. Actually… I once asked him to save me a place when he becomes Emperor, and he readily agreed. Today, he told me he's already fulfilled that promise. I realize now that this is the way he intended to keep his promise from the very start. It feels as if he's had a grudge against Tenebrous already, for some reason…. Well, either way, he is unbelievably powerful."
Liu Weichao nodded. "Indeed. He even extracted that yin-yang energy that none of us could deal with and healed your injuries. After today, I also feel like he's unstoppable, like nothing can stand in his way. Cozying up to him might have been the wisest decision of your life; that kind of friend is simply priceless. He's friendly toward our dragon race, he controls the Scourge Dragon, and he has inherited Her Majesty's powers. He cannot be our enemy—only our ally. From what I see, he has the potential to be the future master of the Ancestral Court."
Xu An'yu sighed, "With him around, I can't hope to reach the heights of Her Majesty."
Liu Weichao smiled slightly. "No need to think that way. Yes, he has ties to the Ancestral Tree, an existence that once was at the top of the world. But apart from that, he also has our heritage, so we may as well consider him a half-dragon. Just treat him as one of our own. He's not someone to compete against, but someone to learn from. So learn all you can from him. Perhaps in the future, he'll stay ahead of you, but those behind you will be so far away that they won't even be able to see you."
Xu An'yu laughed. "You're right. To be honest, after today, I truly admire him. I am lucky to be his friend."
***
In the Ancestral Court's Council Hall.
A heavy atmosphere hung over the entire assembly. Especially on the side of the Empyrean Dominion, where the mood was so heavy it felt like it could drip.
Another Emperor had fallen. When the skies rained blood, even the Emperors within the Ancestral Court were shocked.
Their first reaction: How could this happen?
Their second: Who fell?
By now, the facts were clear: The Tenebrous Demon Emperor was dead.
That was the Tenebrous Demon Emperor! Leader of the Tenebrous Dragon clan, Lord of Black Dragon City, the only Emperor of the mighty dragon race. Dead!
The Celestial Fox Demon Emperor sat on the main throne with a dark expression; all the other Demon and Nymph Emperors were present, and they were seated to either side.
The nymph side was more stunned, while the demon side showed more of a shared sorrow for a fallen peer.
"What exactly happened?" asked the Sunborne Nymph Emperor grimly.
Across from him, the Undying Demon Emperor sat with lowered eyes, saying nothing. The relationship between the dragon race and phoenix race had always been complex—both cooperating and competing for the top spot among races.
The Celestial Fox Demon Emperor said coldly, "We just received word. The Tenebrous Demon Emperor fell in Crystal City. Not long ago, while escorting a Blue Gold Tree clan elder to Crystal City, Xu An'yu was ambushed. All his companions died. The Blue Gold Tree clan elder and his people were annihilated. We're investigating what happened. Well, we were investigating.
"According to the dragons, Tenebrous went to Crystal City under the pretext of visiting the injured Xu An'yu, but actually intending to force the dragons into submission. But Xu An'yu had already been healed by Jin Miaolin. Apparently, Jin Miaolin also called Mei Gongzi over. The three of them joined forces, utilizing Crystal City's amplification to slay the Tenebrous. The dragons claim they've purged their own ranks and have submitted a request to the Ancestral Court to recognize Xu An'yu as the new Dragon Lord and to take Black Dragon City under their control."
The Emperors exchanged looks of mixed emotions.
The Golden Mammoth Demon Emperor frowned. "Why is Jin Miaolin involved again? When Adamant died, he started that as well. And now this?"
The Sunborne Nymph Emperor glanced at him and said coolly, "A Great Demon King of the Blue Gold Tree clan died. Why wouldn't he act? The situation is clear. The one who would benefit from ambushing Xu An'yu was obviously the Tenebrous Demon Emperor—he just didn't expect Jin Miaolin to have healed Xu An'yu. Crystal City's power is immense, and under Xu An'yu's control, the Tenebrous Demon Emperor already had the disadvantage. Add in Jin Miaolin and Mei Gongzi, and losing was inevitable."
The other Demon Emperors looked toward the Sunborne Nymph Emperor with some displeasure. His meaning was clear: the Tenebrous Demon Emperor deserved it.
Obviously, the death of the Tenebrous Demon Emperor was not bad news for the Solstice Empire. With one fewer demon Emperor, the balance of power now tilted slightly toward them, especially since the nymph side only had Jin Miaolin among the quasi-Emperors, while the demon side had two.
The Sunborne Nymph Emperor was clearly taking pleasure in their misfortune.
"Report—Quasi-Emperor Jin Miaolin requests an audience with the honored Emperors," came the cry of the Ancestral Court's guard.