Chapter 373: Chapter 36: A Daluo Strikes, Attacking Xuandu’s Past

A sliver of sword light materialized on the horizon, stretching across the sky before crashing down.

KRAK!

The ocean tide churned. Even before the sword light had fully descended, the sea itself parted, rolling back to either side.

A chasm thousands of miles wide opened up. The fine sliver of sword light continued its descent, plunging down into the trench. On the seabed, the magnificent Great Palace trembled violently, swaying back and forth!

The East Sea Dragon Palace shattered, splitting down the middle. Shrouded in Immortal Light, the Great Palace was cleaved in two!

"Guh..."

The current East Sea Dragon King stared blankly at the Ancient Daoist before him. He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but no words came.

Dragon Blood poured from his mouth as if it cost nothing. He reverted to his true form, his body shattering and, just like the sea, splitting in two!

Another Immortal had fallen. A tattered soul drifted out from the remains, looking around in a daze.

A dead silence fell over the ruins.

"Junior Brother, who else shall I slay?" Xuandu asked softly. His eyes were calm, without the slightest ripple, like a clear lake.

Yet, these calm words stirred up a thousand-foot wave. The East Sea’s Crown Prince, Ao Guang, let out a hysterical, mournful cry.

"Royal Father!!!"

His legs gave out and he collapsed to the ground. He stared blankly at the two massive Dragon Corpses stretched out before him, Dragon Blood drifting through the water, their tattered souls trembling in a stupor.

Then came a wave of overwhelming terror that seized him, making it hard to breathe.

The other Dragon Kings and Dragon Crown Princes were in no better state. They stared, stunned, at the scene before them. It had all been too sudden, too swift. The brief silence was followed by a massive psychological blow.

’Two Immortals... just perished like that?’

A chill shot up from the base of their spines, surging through the bodies of the Dragon Kings and Dragon Crown Princes.

They all glanced over, their gazes filled with shock, fear, and terror as they looked at the Ancient Daoist. The backs of their necks tingled, and nothing felt real.

Even Nezha, who was just watching the excitement, jumped in fright. His heart hammered in his chest, his pupils shrinking to the size of pinpricks.

Lu Xuan slowly walked forward to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the Ancient Daoist. He first thanked his senior brother, then turned to the trembling Dragon Kings of the three remaining seas and their three Crown Princes.

"Can we talk now?"

"You..." Lying paralyzed on the ground, East Sea Crown Prince Ao Guang suddenly lifted his head. His eyes were bloodshot and his lips trembled, but his gaze met the Daoist’s placid, well-like eyes, and he swallowed the rest of his words.

After a long moment.

The North Sea Dragon King forced a smile that was uglier than a grimace.

"We can talk, yes, we can talk!"

"Good."

Lu Xuan stood with his hands clasped behind his back and said flatly,

"I know you are grieving, terrified, and suppressing your rage. Rest assured, I will not kill again so rashly. I have made my point."

After a brief pause, he continued,

"Zheng’Er’s idea of forging an alliance with you was correct, but his method was wrong. He chose peaceful negotiation, chose to give, which naturally put him in a position of weakness and led to him being ignored by you... He should have chosen to conquer everything in his path instead."

The Dragon Kings and Dragon Crown Princes all lowered their heads in unison, trembling with fear.

Lu Xuan glanced at Ao Guang, who was still weeping, and added,

"So I will play the villain and forge this alliance through power. The Human Race and the Dragon Race shall have a mutually beneficial relationship. The Human Race can revere the Dragon Race as its totem for thousands, even tens of thousands of years, with your worship never fading. In return, the Dragon Race must stand on the same side as the Human Race, even if..."

He paused, his tone laced with profound meaning.

"...even if it means betraying the Celestial Court."

The Dragon Crown Princes were still dazed and confused, but the faces of the three Old Dragon Kings changed drastically. Nezha, however, remained calm, as if he had anticipated this all along.

"You mean..." the West Sea Dragon King asked subserviently, "for us to betray the Celestial Court?"

The South Sea Dragon King gritted his teeth and also stepped forward.

"But if we do that, the Celestial Court will surely see it as a rebellion! They will dispatch Celestial Soldiers and Generals to crush us. The Four Seas will be stained with blood, littered with Dragon Corpses, and the Great Pengs will feast in celebration!"

"Not right away."

Lu Xuan said calmly,

"I’m only speaking of a possibility. Until then, you may continue to grovel before the Celestial Court. But when the Human Race needs you, you must step forward. For all these years, haven’t the incense offerings from the Human Race been intercepted by the Celestial Court? I can promise you this: from this day forward, what belongs to the Dragon Race will be returned to the Dragon Race."

The pupils of the three Old Dragon Kings contracted. They looked at one another in dismay.

After a long moment, the North Sea Dragon King took a deep breath and said in a heavy voice,

"We believe you, Your Excellency, but... the Celestial Court will never agree. Even with this great senior here, he probably can’t stand against the entire Celestial Court, can he?"

The Dragon Kings looked toward the silent Xuandu.

Lu Xuan said indifferently,

"That is not your concern. It is a matter I will resolve. Within three days of this alliance’s establishment, all incense offerings made to the Dragon Race totem will belong solely to the Dragon Race. I have spoken."

With that, he glanced at Ao Guang, who was still slumped on the ground.

"With your father dead, you are the new East Sea Dragon King. And the East Sea Dragon King is the head of all Dragon Kings. You need to declare your stance."

"You killed my father!" Ao Guang snarled, his face contorted with rage.

"I had no desire to start a massacre, but there is a first for everything. That Old Dragon was the first to show killing intent. It was also your side that failed to abide by the prior agreement and gave in to greed."

Lu Xuan stared at the still-young True Dragon.

"You should be able to see that I am not a bloodthirsty man. Otherwise, I would have slain you as well, appointed another True Dragon as the new king, and I wouldn’t have left the souls of those two intact to allow for their reincarnation."

The expressions of the other Dragon Kings changed. A chill ran down Ao Guang’s spine, and he opened his mouth to speak.

After a long silence, Ao Guang gritted his teeth.

"I... I’ll sign!"

"Good," Lu Xuan smiled. "Remember, this pact will be made in the name of The Three Pristine Ones and witnessed by them. Violators will be condemned to eternal damnation."