War God Long Ao

Duan He returned to the Imperial City and immediately declared to the world that the Imperial City and the Dragon Sect were now in a war to the death.

News of Long Ao killing Duan Tianfeng instantly spread throughout the Kyushu Continent. Countless people secretly cheered for what Long Ao had done, but they dared not show it openly.

As everyone knew, Duan Tianfeng was Duan He's favorite and most spoiled youngest son—he got whatever he wanted. Now that Long Ao had killed him, how could Duan He possibly let the matter rest?

Everyone broke into a cold sweat for Long Ao, wondering how the Dragon Sect could possibly fend off the Imperial City.

After all, the Imperial City was one of the Four Great Forces of the Kyushu Spirit Realm; its power was plain to see.

Back at the Dragon Sect, Long Ao returned safely, and everyone was ecstatic. However, when news from the Imperial City arrived, helplessness and worry were written all over their faces.

The Dragon Sect had only just been established; its strength and foundation couldn't possibly compare to the Imperial City's. If war broke out, the outcome was a foregone conclusion: the Dragon Sect would undoubtedly be annihilated.

No one in the Dragon Sect could believe their Sect Leader had actually killed Duan Tianfeng. Given the circumstances, his actions were indeed rather ill-advised, but no one dared to utter a word of criticism.

Inside the Dragon Sect's Main Hall.

Long Ao understood what everyone was thinking with just a casual glance. He smiled. "It's only the Imperial City. We'll simply deal with whatever they throw at us. There's no need to worry."

Hearing their Sect Leader's words, everyone could only force a wry smile.

Dugu Bai spoke gloomily, "Sect Leader, forgive me for being blunt, but the Imperial City's power is plain to see. If we choose to confront them head-on, the outcome is a foregone conclusion. I implore you to reconsider."

Of course, Long Ao was well aware of Brother Dugu's concerns.

'Imperial City.'

After repeating the two words 'Imperial City' in his mind, Long Ao suddenly said, "Starting now, Brother Dugu, you must select a group of our most talented disciples to form the Dragon Sect's Core Disciples."

"Sect Leader, what is this for?"

Everyone was curious about what the Sect Leader was planning. At a time like this, they should have been figuring out how to deal with the Imperial City, yet here he was, wanting to select Core Disciples.

"I'm going to build up the Sect's strength in a short amount of time."

It looked as though everyone wanted to say more, but Long Ao waved his hand dismissively. "I'm leaving this matter to you. I want to see the Core Disciples in three days. Until then, do not disturb me."

Watching their Sect Leader get up and leave, everyone was filled with gloom.

"Brother Dugu, what's with the Sect Leader? It's like he isn't afraid of the Imperial City at all."

"'I don't know. We'll just do as the Sect Leader says.'" Dugu Bai shrugged helplessly, then smiled as he rose to leave.

「Long Ao Peak, the Forbidden Land in the rear mountains.」

"Brother Qilin, how are your injuries recovering?"

The Fire Qilin was leisurely sunbathing on a giant boulder. It narrowed its eyes, coughed twice, and said, "Not bad. I should be fully healed in a few more months. By the way, kid, I won't go back on our three-year agreement. I will leave after three years."

Before Long Ao could speak, the Fire Qilin continued, "Once my injuries are fully healed and the Long Family's safety is guaranteed, you can rest easy."

Long Ao nodded. In the past, he wouldn't have been so confident, since he didn't know what Realm the Fire Qilin was actually in.

But now, Long Ao knew perfectly well that the Fire Qilin was a Sealed Titled Emperor Spirit Beast—the same Level as his master.

But Long Ao knew in his heart that even a hundred Fire Qilins might not be a match for his master alone. Such was the terror of an Array Master, who was even more formidable in group battles.

"Kid, you seem to know my Realm?"

Seeing Long Ao nod, the Fire Qilin was quite surprised. "Tell me, how did you find out?"

"I found out by chance. A Sealed Titled Emperor."

"That's right. I am indeed a Sealed Titled Emperor. That Evil Demon who gave you trouble before was one too, only he's stronger than me. After all, he has already condensed Heaven and Earth's Momentum. I really can't figure you freaks out. How can you possess Heaven and Earth's Momentum without even reaching Nirvana Rebirth?"

'Nirvana Rebirth?'

'Could it be that the Nirvana Rebirth the Fire Qilin mentioned is a state of existence above the Great Emperor Realm?'

Before Long Ao could ask, the Fire Qilin spoke again. "Kid, since you already know about the Great Emperor Realm, you should focus on your Cultivation. Your current Martial Arts Cultivation has a long way to go. Focus on breaking through to the Void Saint Realm first."

Long Ao nodded. He understood the Fire Qilin's meaning. He had to take it one step at a time and build a solid foundation. The biggest taboo in Martial Arts Cultivation was trying to rush things, which only spoiled one's progress.

"Brother Qilin, I'm really curious. With your level of strength, who on earth could have injured you so severely?"

Long Ao was extremely curious about this. He knew perfectly well that given the Fire Qilin's strength, it would be difficult for anyone to be its match—unless a Great Emperor on the same Level as his master made a move.

After all, the Qilin Race was one of the most powerful beings in Heaven and Earth, naturally far stronger than human Martial Artists.

'What's more, the Fire Qilin is a Sealed Titled Emperor. If so, does that mean the Martial Artist who defeated it is a supreme expert who has surpassed the Great Emperor Realm?'

"Kid, with your current strength, you aren't qualified to know about this yet. It's like I said before: if you want to go out and see the wider world, you first need to break through to the Great Emperor Realm. When you do, I'll tell you many things you never knew before."

Since the Fire Qilin didn't want to elaborate, Long Ao didn't press the issue. He nodded, and just as he was about to leave, the Fire Qilin suddenly spoke up. "Kid, the Imperial City's strength is decent enough. If you can defeat the Four Great Dominators and rule the Celestial State by yourself, then you'll be qualified to vie for supremacy over the continent. Otherwise, you'll forever be nothing more than a small fry."

'What does that mean?'

In the end, Long Ao left. He couldn't make heads or tails of the Fire Qilin's words, but one thing was certain: just as the creature had said, no matter the situation, strength was everything.

'My strength really isn't enough right now. I've only just touched the threshold of Martial Arts. Never mind the Void Realm King and Void Realm Emperor; above them are the eight realms of the Void Saint and the ten realms of the Great Emperor, and above even that are the Sealed Titled Emperors.'

'Strength. What I need most right now is strength.'

'Now that I've successfully broken through to Basic Level Celestial Venerable, as long as Long Fu can complete the Refinement of the Qilin Spirit, my Cultivation will soar directly to the Great Venerable Realm. From there, I can advance toward the Realm King Realm and ultimately vie for the Peak of Void Realm.'

'There's no way I can tell the Fire Qilin about the Qilin Spirit. Are you kidding me? I want to perform Refinement on the soul of one of its kin. If the Fire Qilin found out, I can only imagine the consequences.'

For this very reason, Long Ao immediately went into secluded Cultivation. In the blink of an eye, three days passed. By this time, the Imperial City had also begun to make its move.