War God Long Ao

Celestial Martial Kyushu was divided into two major spaces: the Ordinary Spirit Realm and the Kyushu Spirit Realm.

The Kyushu Spirit Realm was divided into four major territories: the Eastern Territory, the Western Territory, the Southern Territory, and the Northern Territory.

The Four Super Powers each occupied one of these territories: Eastern Emperor City in the Eastern Territory, the Third Level Long Family in the Western Territory, Netherworld Mansion in the Southern Territory, and Piaomiao Palace in the Northern Territory.

The Four Super Powers held near-total dominion over the entire Kyushu Spirit Realm. No one could challenge the position of these Four Great Forces.

Many lesser forces existed in submission to these Four Great Forces.

However, any of these so-called lesser forces, if placed in a random province of Kyushu, would still surpass the Six Sects.

Such was the terrifying power of the Kyushu Spirit Realm.

The Third Level Long Family was the Earth Emperor of the Western Territory. If the Long Family said one, absolutely no one would dare say two. Such was their authority; no one dared to provoke them.

The Third Level Long Family was situated in the most opulent part of the Western Territory, occupying an area of tens of thousands of acres. It was so vast that it would take three days and three nights to walk through it, a testament to the Long Family's immense scale.

Staring at the Third Level Long Family before him, Long Ao was utterly floored.

'We are both branches of the Long Clan, but look at the Third Level Long Family... their residence alone is something my own family could never compare to. And this is just the Third Level Long Family. What must the Second and First Level Long Families be like?'

"Long Ao, do you remember what I told you?"

Long Ao nodded and replied, "I remember."

"Come with me."

Long Ao followed behind Fang Hong, entering the Long Family's grand compound without any obstruction. He knew perfectly well that without Fang Hong leading the way, it would have been impossible for him to get in on his own.

Fang Hong wasn't from the main Long Family bloodline. He had married a woman from the Long Family, becoming a son-in-law, and had done quite well for himself, even becoming a squad leader among the Law Enforcement Celestial Venerables.

The main hall could easily accommodate a thousand people. It was resplendent and magnificent, the height of luxury.

When news spread that Long Ao had entered the Long Family estate, everyone grew curious. After all, there was a strict rule that members of families below the Fourth Level were forbidden from becoming Dragon Martial Artists. Who would dare to violate the rules of the Long Clan?

In the main hall of the Long Family, only two people were present. They occupied the main and secondary seats of honor, and they were the two highest authorities in the Long Family: Patriarch Long Mowen and Law Enforcement Elder Long Yan.

Long Yan, the Law Enforcement Elder of the Long Family, was a sinister man. Any disciple who made a mistake, regardless of who they were, would be beaten half to death if they fell into his hands.

For this very reason, everyone in the Long Family feared the Law Enforcement Elder far more than they feared the Patriarch.

Just as the two of them stepped into the hall, Long Ao's expression froze. For some unknown reason, the moment he set foot in the Third Level Dragon Family Hall, a tremor ran through his entire body, as if something here were calling out to him.

'What a strange sensation.'

Long Ao didn't dare reveal the slightest weakness. He was here at the Third Level Long Family to be questioned about the Dragon Martial Artist incident. If they found any leverage against him, returning to his own family would become much more difficult.

'Discretion is the better part of valor,' he thought. 'After all, I'm on the Third Level Long Family's turf.'

"Patriarch, Grand Elder, I have brought Long Ao."

"Yes. You've done well. You may go rest."

Bowing respectfully and not daring to show the slightest carelessness, Fang Hong acknowledged the dismissal and slowly backed out of the hall. Once outside, he didn't turn around, but prayed inwardly, 'Senior, this is all I could do. Whether he makes it out of there alive now depends on his own fate.'

「Inside the Hall.」

The entire hall was silent. Long Ao said nothing, and neither did Long Mowen or Long Yan. The two sides simply stared at each other, as if trying to see straight through one another.

Three minutes passed in the blink of an eye.

Seeing that Long Ao hadn't moved a muscle, his expression unchanging, both Long Mowen and Long Yan were inwardly astonished.

"Long Ao, do you know of your crime?"

"I do not. What crime have I committed?"

Looking at the youth who was neither servile nor overbearing, and especially at his long, blood-red hair and matching eyebrows, both men were somewhat curious. But Long Yan's face turned cold. "You secretly raised a Giant Dragon and became a Dragon Martial Artist. Are you going to deny it?"

'Just as I expected. And just as Fang Hong said, this Law Enforcement Elder from the Third Level Long Family is a real piece of work. He gets straight to the point without any finesse. Damn.'

Long Ao remained standing where he was, his expression still neither servile nor overbearing. He stated coolly, "I am not a Dragon Martial Artist, and I do not have a Dragon Companion."

Deny it to the death. That was the strategy Fang Hong had given him. According to Fang Hong, as long as he adamantly insisted he was not a Dragon Martial Artist, then not even the Long Family could do anything to him.

The Long Clan had a clear rule: disciples from Long Families below the Fourth Level were forbidden from becoming Dragon Martial Artists. The punishment for discovery was death without pardon. However, without concrete evidence, even the Third Level Long Family wouldn't dare to casually harm a disciple from another branch.

For this very reason, Long Ao had already made up his mind. No matter what happened, he would not admit a thing. 'Long Qiang is safe in the Dragon Seal Space,' he thought. 'I don't believe anyone can sense his aura on me.'

'Not a Dragon Martial Artist?'

Long Yan's expression was glacial. He didn't believe it for a second. "Four months ago," he said coldly, "during your battle with the Blood Sea Sect, countless people saw you summon a black Giant Dragon. Are you trying to deny it?"

"Grand Elder, I only have one thing to say: I am not a Dragon Martial Artist. If I were, I wouldn't be standing here today just waiting to die."

Long Ao's words left them speechless. Both of them knew that if Long Ao really was a Dragon Martial Artist, he would know that coming here was a dead end. Why would he walk into his own execution, unless he was an idiot?

"Long Ao, since you claim you're not a Dragon Martial Artist, do you dare release your soul? Don't resist, and let me inspect it. How about it?"

"No."

Without a moment's hesitation, Long Ao refused outright. 'What a joke. Let him enter my soul to search it without any resistance? If Long Yan decides to pull some trick, I'll be in deep trouble even if I don't die. Most importantly, I don't trust Long Yan in the slightest, nor anyone else in this Long Family.'

"So, you admit it! You are the so-called Dragon Martial Artist, and you're still trying to argue your way out of it."

"Grand Elder, if I asked you not to resist while I entered your soul to conduct a search, would you be willing?"

Of course he wouldn't be willing. Long Yan was no fool. Even though he was a supreme expert, the soul was always fragile. It's always the one-in-a-million chance you have to worry about. If the other party tried some little trick, he wouldn't even know how he died.

"Grand Elder, put yourself in my shoes. If you're not willing, why would I be? I'm not an idiot, and I have no desire to die here for no reason. I'll say it again: I am not a Dragon Martial Artist. Find whoever is. It has nothing to do with me."