Chapter 355: Dragon Emperor, Beware of Beauty Leading the Nation Astray!
Whoosh whoosh whoosh!
Inside the grand hall, thirty or so streaks of golden light shot out, hurtling toward the endless void and vanishing beyond sight.
"Alright, onto the next topic!" Zi Yan clapped her jade like hands, speaking lightly with a smile.
Within the hall, Zhu Tao, Zhu Gang, Zhu Li, and Qi You all wore bitter expressions, their hearts a mix of emotions. They eagerly anticipated the return of the seniors but also worried about the potential chaos they might cause.
For a moment, they sat there looking conflicted, restless and uneasy.
"Hm? Why so quiet?" Zi Yan raised her elegant brows and teased with a hint of amusement.
"Ahem... Dragon Emperor, we would like to ask what should we do with the Three Great Dragon Islands? Should they be eradicated or allowed to remain?" Zhu Tao coughed twice before his expression turned serious.
Like the other seniors, Zhu Tao had once avoided the clan's endless disputes and retreated into the void to cultivate. He had assumed that the younger generation was fighting over power or the position of Dragon Emperor.
What he hadn't expected was someone claiming the title of Dragon King!
He could accept disputes over the Dragon Emperor position it was, after all, just a title. To him and the other elders, the true Dragon Emperor was the old Dragon Emperor, and when he returned, the title would undoubtedly fall back into his hands.
But this self proclaimed Dragon King was a different matter entirely. Such a title stripped the Dragon Emperor of their rightful dignity and divided the Taixu Ancient Dragon Clan. According to their laws, such an act deserved the harshest of punishments: dismemberment, tendon removal, skinning, and even the stripping of one's dragon blood.
"Of course, they must be eradicated!" Zi Yan snorted coldly. "But leave those so called 'Dragon Kings' to me. With Zhu Tao presiding here, we are already in an unbeatable position. I will personally use the blood of those fake Dragon Kings to show the entire Taixu Ancient Dragon Clan that not just anyone can claim to be king!"
"Yes!" The four elders straightened their backs, their voices ringing with determination. This was the proud and fearless Dragon Emperor they respected. If she were to order Zhu Tao to annihilate the Three Great Dragon Islands, it could be done, but such an act would undermine her authority.
If a Dragon Emperor could not even suppress a rebellion on her own, how could she call herself Dragon Emperor?
Therefore, Zi Yan had to personally end the three Dragon Kings this was a matter of her own honor!
"Alright, with that settled, continue with your discussions. I'm heading off to cultivate." Zi Yan waved her hand, her tall figure rising gracefully from her seat.
"Farewell, Your Majesty!" The four elders stood up and bowed deeply.
"Hey, Lu Bu, let's go!" Zi Yan's figure flickered as she suddenly grabbed Lu Bu's arm, her delicate face beaming with excitement. "Come with me! Spend some time with me before I go into closed door cultivation!"
With a bright laugh, space warped around the two, and they disappeared from the hall.
The four elders exchanged silent glances:
"...Your Majesty, beauty will ruin this nation!"
Suddenly, they clutched their chests and sighed heavily, lamenting their predicament. Though the Dragon Clan was flourishing, signs of decadence had already emerged. The Taixu Ancient Dragon Clan… was in peril!
In a secluded forest, Lu Bu held Zi Yan's hand, curiosity flashing across his face as he asked, "Little girl, why are you so invested in all of this?"
Lu Bu knew Zi Yan well. She was lazy by nature, always preferring to lounge about rather than deal with responsibilities. Asking her to govern the clan, manage power, or lead a faction was harder for her than skipping a meal.
"Isn't it all for you?" Zi Yan rolled her eyes, grabbing Lu Bu's hand and placing it on her waist. With a pout, she pinched his face playfully.
"Medusa told me your goal is to become a Dou Di. Having the Taixu Ancient Dragon Clan supporting you will make things much easier. Your enemies are the Gu Clan and the Hun Clan…"
"Little girl, you've worked hard…" Lu Bu's heart swelled with warmth, finally experiencing what it felt like to be supported by someone so powerful.
The Gu Clan's princess? Ha! She couldn't compare to the Dragon Emperor!
"So, how do you plan to thank me?" Zi Yan giggled softly, her smooth arms wrapping around Lu Bu's neck. Her purple eyes sparkled seductively as she looked up at him with anticipation.
"Ah… well…" Lu Bu's heartbeat quickened under her gaze, his body heating up inexplicably.
Zi Yan had long since shed her armor, now wearing a silky purple gown. The soft fabric shimmered under the sunlight with an alluring glow. Lu Bu's hands rested on her slender waist, the delicate, supple sensation making his breathing grow heavier.
"So… how do you think I should thank you?" Lu Bu murmured, his fingers gently tracing her soft curves, marveling at her graceful figure.
"Hehehe…" Zi Yan chuckled mischievously. "You see, Medusa, Xiao Yi Xian, and Yun Yun are all cultivating right now, and Qing Lin is in the Dragon Tomb suppressing the Nine Headed Serpent's soul. So that just leaves the two of us, doesn't it?"
"So… Lu Bu, let's mate!"
Zi Yan bit her red lips lightly, her curiosity piqued. She wondered what it was that could make the proud and untouchable Medusa cry out in such a way…
The thought brought a faint blush to her delicate cheeks, a pink hue spreading over her snow white skin, making her appear even more captivating.
"Ahem… Dragon Emperor, I have urgent news to report!" A deep voice suddenly interrupted the atmosphere. It was Zhu Gang! The Second Elder of the Eastern Dragon Island!
Zhu Gang was responsible for relaying important matters to the Dragon Emperor while Zhu Tao handled the punishment of the rebellious dragons from the Three Great Dragon Islands.
"What is it!?" Zi Yan snapped, her head whipping around as her purple gold eyes glowed with rage, her expression fierce and intimidating.
Zhu Gang instinctively took a step back, startled by her fury. An enraged Dragon Emperor was no joke!
"Can't you see I'm busy with important matters?" Zi Yan scolded, her voice full of indignation. "I'm preparing for the continuation of the Dragon Emperor bloodline do you think this is the time to interfere?"
Lu Bu: "…"
Well, great… Now I'm officially 'important business.'
"Ahem… Zi Yan, let's hear what the elder has to say," Lu Bu said gently, raising a hand to stroke her soft purple hair in an attempt to calm her down.
Zhu Gang shot Lu Bu a grateful look. Not just the benefactor of the Taixu Ancient Dragon Clan, but my personal savior too!
"Hmph. Speak!" Zi Yan huffed, leaning into Lu Bu's hand. Her eyes remained half lidded, her expression both annoyed and slightly relaxed.
"There's been unusual activity in the Void Lightning Pool, greater than in previous years. I wish to investigate," Zhu Gang said cautiously.
"The Void Lightning Pool?" Zi Yan's expression grew serious. The Second Elder was a Dou Sheng, one of their rare high level combatants. They could not afford for him to get into trouble.
"The Void Lightning Pool?" Lu Bu raised an eyebrow. "I almost forgot about that place!"
"Rest assured, Your Majesty," Zhu Gang quickly added. "The disturbance isn't too severe. I suspect someone has forcibly entered the pool, disrupting its balance. I intend only to investigate and won't venture too deeply."
"In that case, go ahead," Zi Yan nodded.
"Elder Zhu Gang, I'll accompany you," Lu Bu interjected. "I need to use the lightning to temper my strength. Don't worry I'll stay on the outskirts and won't go too deep."
The last part was directed at Zi Yan. Lu Bu gently squeezed her hand, smiling.
He intended to use the lightning to refine his recently surged strength and enhance the battle power of his Heavenly Demon Puppets.
"Hmm… Alright, but be careful," Zi Yan said after a moment of thought, nodding. She knew Lu Bu's strength far surpassed her own. Without the Dragon Phoenix Origin Fruit, she would never have caught up to him.
"Wait for me while I enter closed door cultivation, okay?" Zi Yan leaned closer, her red lips brushing against Lu Bu's cheek in a fleeting kiss.
She wasn't referring to staying on Dragon Island; she meant their "dual cultivation."
"Don't worry, I'll wait," Lu Bu chuckled, stroking her silky purple hair gently.
"Take care." Zi Yan waved him off with a smile before lightly stepping away, disappearing into the distance.
Zhu Gang: "…"
"Then what about me? Don't I need to be careful too?" Zhu Gang let out a sigh, thinking he shouldn't even be here he should be underground instead.
"Senior Zhu Gang, let's go!" Lu Bu chuckled, nodding at him.
Within the deep, dark void of endless space, strands of silver light flickered intermittently. Violent spatial storms capable of tearing everything apart would come without warning, shaking one to the core.
Whoosh!
Dark golden light swirled as a colossal, thousand foot long divine dragon's shadow streaked through the void.
"As expected of the Taixu Ancient Dragon Clan…" Lu Bu remarked, his tone tinged with awe. The void space was constantly ravaged by spatial storms, whose immense tearing force couldn't be ignored even by a Dou Sheng. Yet, the Taixu Ancient Dragons seemed utterly unaffected, gliding through the chaos with ease.
This ability to roam the void was likely unique to the Taixu Ancient Dragons!
At that moment, a familiar, violent energy began to surface it was none other than the familiar Dan Thunder that Lu Bu had encountered every time he refined pills.
"Heh… Lu Bu, we're almost there," Zhu Gang said with a faint smile. Before he could finish, a brilliant silver light appeared on the horizon.
As they drew closer, an awe inspiring sight unfolded before them. It was a boundless, colorful sea of silver lightning, stretching endlessly in every direction. Its sheer scale was humbling, and the deep, rumbling sounds of thunder reverberated incessantly.
"You're calling this a lightning pool…" Lu Bu's mouth twitched as a sense of déjà vu swept over him. He was reminded of the Azure Dragon Hall's trial from years ago, where a similarly vast sea of lightning had left him equally stunned.
However, there was a key difference: the lightning sea in the Azure Dragon Hall was artificial, with a slim chance of survival amid its trials. But this sea of lightning before him? It was formed naturally over countless ages, a condensed manifestation of heaven and earth's lightning. To venture deeper would be certain death!
The thousand foot divine dragon's shadow flickered and transformed into the figure of an old man, who appeared beside Lu Bu. The elder's wrinkled face also bore a look of caution.
"Over there… someone is indeed disturbing the lightning pool!" Zhu Gang's gaze turned cold as he looked toward a section of the pool, where dark clouds swirled, and colorful lightning raged fiercely.
Lu Bu followed his gaze. In that direction, the area boiled like a stormy sea. Crimson lightning streaks lashed out violently, and faintly, two figures could be seen amidst the endless flashes of light and thunderclouds.
"Hmph!" Zhu Gang snorted, his eyes narrowing. With a flick of his sleeve, he conjured a streak of silver light, stepping forward with Lu Bu in tow.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Crimson thunderbolts descended, thick as a person's thigh. The ferocious lightning crashed down on the heads of two figures, generating explosions of energy that spread in all directions.
"Ahhh!" An elderly man yelped as he hopped and flailed in pain. His hair, streaked with white, stood on end like bristles, and his face was charred black.
Next to him, a young man stood frozen, his face pale as a sheet, his body rigid and unmoving. He gritted his teeth, bearing the full brunt of the furious lightning strikes above him.
Compared to the lively elder, the young man seemed paralyzed, as if afflicted with a severe condition.
At the center of his forehead, a silver lightning symbol glowed increasingly brighter. If not for its radiance, one might have mistaken his pallid, frost like complexion for that of a corpse.
"Elder Mang… I can't hold on any longer… save me…" the young man pleaded weakly.
"Tsk tsk… Lei Chen, you're really something," the elder scoffed as he glanced at the stiff, nearly motionless young man, disdain flashing in his eyes.
Hearing this, Lei Chen's lips twitched as frustration welled up inside. If you hadn't dragged me here, would I be in this state?
"Alright, alright. Seeing how weak you are, I'll help you out…" The elder adjusted his wild hair with a dissatisfied grunt.
But before he could act, a faint silver glow flickered within the lightning pool and then vanished just as quickly.
This small glimmer was barely noticeable amidst the vast ocean of silver lightning. Yet, in that instant, every bolt of lightning in the sky abruptly froze.
Be it lightning gathering to strike or bolts already lashing out they all became eerily still, as if the entire lightning sea had been put on pause.
Boom!
Mang Tianchi's scalp tingled, and his mind buzzed. A cold, oppressive sensation enveloped him, seeping into his very soul.
The next moment, space compressed violently. The entire world seemed to magnify before his eyes. Thunderbolts, once the size of thighs, now appeared as massive as water barrels.
Then, a colossal hand reached out from the void, spanning across dimensions, and effortlessly scooped both Mang Tianchi and Lei Chen into its palm.
This was no hand formed of Dou Qi or elemental energy it was pure flesh and bone, with aged, wrinkled skin. Compared to it, they were like tiny bugs, insignificant and powerless.
As immense pressure bore down on them, it felt as though they were about to be crushed into pulp.
"Wait! We are members of the Lei Clan!" Mang Tianchi's voice trembled with fear, the grandeur of his past exploits among the ancient clans reduced to nothing in this moment. Without a shred of resistance, he blurted out their identity in a desperate bid for survival.
"Hm?" A vast, ancient voice hummed in acknowledgment. Zhu Gang's brows furrowed slightly as he flicked his sleeve.
"Argh!" Mang Tianchi howled in pain as the pressure around him relented slightly. The two of them were then tossed aside, their world spinning and tumbling.
Thud! Thud!
The force of the throw sent both of them crashing to the ground.
Spurt!
Blood spewed from their mouths as their faces turned pale and ashen.
"You've got some nerve disturbing the lightning pool!" Zhu Gang emerged alongside Lu Bu, his expression calm and indifferent. Yet the quiet menace in his demeanor was enough to freeze them in terror.
"A… Dou Sheng?" Lei Chen gasped, his eyes wide with disbelief. This type of overwhelming pressure was something he had only ever sensed from the elders of the Lei Clan. But why would a Dou Sheng appear in this desolate void lightning pool?
"You… Taixu Ancient Dragon?" Mang Tianchi's voice quavered, his terror evident. Compared to Lei Chen, he was more experienced and observant. The terrifying display of spatial manipulation earlier wasn't something even a four or five star Dou Sheng from their clan could replicate. This man was undoubtedly a powerhouse from the Taixu Ancient Dragon Clan!
And yet, despite all his previous visits to the void lightning pool ones far more intrusive than this he had never encountered such trouble. Why now?
"Return to the Lei Clan and deliver a message: if anyone dares disturb the lightning pool again, they will be executed on the spot," Zhu Gang said coldly, his tone calm but laced with an unshakable authority that left no room for negotiation.
"Yes… Thank you, Senior, for sparing us!" Mang Tianchi hastily bowed, his heart pounding. If not for their Lei Clan identity, they would've been crushed into pulp already.
"Here, take these pills and leave," Lu Bu said, flicking his sleeve. Two jade bottles landed in front of Mang Tianchi and Lei Chen. Even through the bottles, the rich medicinal fragrance permeated the air, invigorating their injured bodies.
"Thank you!" Mang Tianchi exclaimed, bowing deeply. Just moments ago, the force of Zhu Gang's casual strike had shattered their internal organs. If not for their robust constitutions, they'd already be dead.
As the two opened the bottles, the pills transformed into emerald green squirrels, their vibrant energy emanating vividly.
"Eight grade pills?" The pair gasped, their faces filled with shock.
"This debt of gratitude is immeasurable. If you ever need assistance, seek us out at the Lei Clan," Mang Tianchi said solemnly, his tone filled with sincerity.
"Likewise," Lei Chen added earnestly.
"Of course…" Lu Bu chuckled.
"Farewell, Senior, and thank you!" The two wasted no time, bowing again before vanishing into the void.
"Haha! Lu Bu, you play the good cop well," Zhu Gang said with a laugh, his demeanor now jovial. He stroked his beard, his earlier icy facade melting away completely.
With a mix of severity and grace, they'd not only punished the intruders but ensured the Lei Clan now owed them a favor a perfect strategy!
"Heh…" Lu Bu smirked faintly, muttering inwardly, If it weren't for the fact that one of them is my and Zi Yan's academy dean, I wouldn't have bothered with them at all…
(Chapter Ends)
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