War God Long Ao

Ouyang Fei was utterly baffled.

In his mind, he had brought a great army and nearly razed Red Fire Town to the ground. He was one hundred percent certain Long Ao would kill him.

But what happened instead?

"Ouyang Fei, no matter what you may be thinking, I always considered you a brother before this. I don't blame you for what you've done. You were right—as a member of the Royal Family, some things are beyond your control."

Hearing this, Ouyang Fei's body trembled violently.

His eyes were fixed on Long Ao. In that moment, a whirlwind of emotions churned within Ouyang Fei. He had never imagined that Long Ao had truly considered him a friend, a brother.

The Royal Family did not allow for friends or brothers.

That was why Ouyang Fei was so moved. In the Royal Family, even blood brothers turned on each other and became sworn enemies. Such was the nature of royalty.

"Ouyang Fei, you may leave. They may not."

Ouyang Fei was no fool; he knew exactly who Long Ao was referring to. Without another word, he turned and departed swiftly.

A touch of sadness filled Long Ao's heart. After all, he had once considered Ouyang Fei a friend, a brother. 'But now?' He didn't blame Ouyang Fei. It came back to the same thing: members of the Royal Family were sometimes truly not in control of their own destinies.

Besides, if only for the sake of their past friendship, Long Ao wouldn't have killed Ouyang Fei.

Turning around, Long Ao's cold gaze fell upon the twenty Innate Martial Artists standing before Red Fire Town. Without a trace of pity, he slaughtered every last one of them.

Red Fire Town had survived a great catastrophe. Even so, it had suffered heavy losses. The Wang Family was hit particularly hard, with nearly sixty percent of its disciples having fallen.

But Wang Yidao showed not the slightest hint of grief. An old fox, he knew with certainty that the Wang Family's losses would be repaid more than tenfold in the future. They might even be able to leap over the dragon's gate.

「Red Fire Town, Long Family Estate, Main Hall.」

Long Haoshi, Wang Yidao, Wang Yi, and Long Ao all took their seats. Long Haoshi couldn't wait to ask, "Ao'er, what on earth happened?"

The people of Red Fire Town were still in the dark about the events in Nebula City. They were all curious why the Nebula Royal Family had suddenly targeted them.

Long Ao didn't hide anything. He told them the full story of his conflict with the Nebula Royal Family, though he downplayed the dangers involved. After all, he didn't want them to worry.

When he finished, everyone was left sighing in astonishment.

"Ao'er, I have to ask, what Realm has your Cultivation reached?"

Everyone was eager to hear the answer to Wang Yidao's question. After all, Long Ao had annihilated an army of a million with a single strike. That alone was a feat likely unmatched by anyone in the Nebula Kingdom.

"Grandpa Wang, my Cultivation just broke through to the Thunder Tribulation Realm."

Long Ao was very respectful toward Wang Yidao. Not only was he Yuyin's grandfather, but the Wang Family had also chosen to stand with the Long Family when their very survival was at stake. That alone had earned them Long Ao's deep respect.

The Thunder Tribulation Realm.

No one was familiar with this Thunder Tribulation Realm Long Ao mentioned. In their eyes, the Innate Realm was already formidable. To reach the Unity Realm was to be practically invincible.

After a moment of thought, Long Ao explained, "Above the Innate Realm, there is another stage of cultivation: the Transformation Realm. The Innate stage has five realms, and the Transformation stage likewise has five realms."

Everyone was utterly shocked. No one had ever imagined there was a Transformation Realm beyond the Innate Realm.

"The Five Innate Realms are the Hundred Scattered Heaven Realm, the One-Line Heaven Realm, the Evolution Realm, the Fusion Realm, and the Unity Realm. At that point, a Martial Artist will trigger their own Thunder Tribulation. A successful breakthrough means they have truly entered the Transformation Realm."

Long Ao continued, "The Five Transformations are the Thunder Tribulation Realm, the Transformation Realm, the Human King Realm, the Earth Emperor Realm, and the Taoist Ancestor Realm. I have just overcome my Thunder Tribulation."

After Long Ao's explanation, everyone had a general understanding of the Innate and Transformation Realms. Even if they couldn't grasp the true nature of the Transformation Realm, the immense power Long Ao had already displayed was enough to leave them speechless.

'The Thunder Tribulation Realm.'

'To outsiders, my power might seem immense, but I know I've only just stepped into the Transformation Realm. I still have a long way to go.'

'Strength.'

'In this dog-eat-dog world, there is only one way to live well and protect one's family from humiliation: possess overwhelming strength.'

"Ao'er, you've slaughtered over a million of the Nebula Royal Family's troops," Long Haoshi said. "I'm sure they won't let this matter rest. Have you thought of a plan?"

Long Haoshi and the others still couldn't quite wrap their heads around the fact that Long Ao had wiped out an army of a million with a single strike. However, Long Haoshi was more concerned about the Nebula Royal Family. Regardless of anything else, their power and deep foundations were undeniable. Red Fire Town was simply no match for them.

Long Ao was well aware of his grandfather's concerns.

After a moment's thought, Long Ao said, "Grandfather, if we replace the Nebula Royal Family, then we won't have any more trouble, will we?"

Everyone was stunned by his words. 'Replace the Nebula Royal Family? Is that even possible?'

Long Haoshi had considered things more deeply than Long Ao. In a grave voice, he said, "Ao'er, even if you could replace the Nebula Royal Family, we must consider two problems. First, does Red Fire Town have the strength to hold the throne? Second, once we take their place, how will the other Kingdoms and the Flame Empire react? They certainly won't just sit back and watch."

Long Haoshi was no fool. He knew that for his grandson to say such a thing, he must be fully confident. But the problems that would follow could not be ignored.

To say he didn't want to replace the Nebula Royal Family would be a lie. After all, Red Fire Town was in a completely different league compared to the entire Nebula Kingdom.

"Ao'er, there's one more thing. The Long Clan has an explicit rule: no branch of the family, regardless of its rank, is permitted to interfere in the affairs of Kingdoms and Empires. This is why you never see a trace of the Long Clan among the countless scions of Kingdoms and Empires in Kyushu."

"I see."

Long Ao lowered his head, lost in thought. No one dared to disturb him. Time trickled by.

Suddenly, Long Ao looked up. "Grandfather, regarding the first point: if Red Fire Town replaces the Nebula Royal Family, we have that personage guarding the clan. I believe we can definitely hold our ground. As for the second point, since we're replacing them, we'll face whatever comes our way. Whoever tries to cause trouble, we'll make sure they never leave."

An immense confidence radiated from Long Ao, born from his power. At the Thunder Tribulation Realm, his strength was absolutely top-tier within the entire Nebula Kingdom.