War God Long Ao

"No problem."

Duan Kai agreed immediately, without a moment’s hesitation.

Long Ao was quite surprised by this, as he never would have expected Duan Kai to agree so readily.

"Sect Leader Long, go ahead and state your other two conditions."

It seemed Duan Kai had already anticipated this condition from Long Ao. If not, Long Ao would have been rather underwhelming.

"My second condition: if the Imperial City ever dares to betray my Dragon Sect, I will one day march upon the Imperial City and slaughter everyone, leaving no one alive. As for the third condition, once we eliminate the three great powers, not only will we each take half the territory, but the Ordinary Spirit Realm must also belong to my Dragon Sect."

"All three conditions are acceptable. In that case, shall we consider our alliance settled?"

"No problem."

Long Ao didn’t linger. The matter of the alliance could have major ramifications, and he needed to return and make arrangements as soon as possible.

Watching the retreating figure, Duan He was completely bewildered. He asked, "Father, are you really going to form an alliance with Long Ao?"

Duan He could never forget that Long Ao had killed his son. If his father hadn’t just given him a pointed look, Duan He would have already sent men after Long Ao instead of waiting until now.

Duan Kai was well aware of what was on his son’s mind.

It would be a lie to say he didn’t want revenge, but Duan Kai knew this wasn’t the right time.

"He’er, I know the hatred in your heart. I can tell you plainly that I, too, want revenge. But now is not the time."

"Why is that?"

"With the Imperial City’s power, killing Long Ao wouldn’t be difficult. But as the Emperor City Lord, you must first consider the interests of the Imperial City, not your personal interests. Do you understand?"

He seemed to understand something, but Duan He still couldn’t let go of his hatred. No matter what, his most beloved son had been killed—and killed within the Imperial City, no less. This was an insult he could not swallow under any circumstances.

"No matter how much you can’t let go of your hatred, you must remember this for me: right now, we are to ally with the Dragon Sect. We’ll deal with the other three powers first."

"Father."

Waving his hand, Duan Kai gave Duan He no chance to object. He said coldly, "This matter is decided. You must always remember one thing: you are, and always will be, the Emperor City Lord."

After leaving the Imperial City, Long Ao didn’t linger for a moment.

However, just after leaving the Imperial City, he ran into an acquaintance—someone he considered a friend. The encounter left Long Ao somewhat surprised.

"Long Ao, come with me. I need to talk to you about something."

Long Ao nodded and followed Long Chen. With their strength and speed, no one could possibly track them.

「On a mountain peak in the Kyushu Spirit Realm.」

"Long Ao, the main reason I sought you out this time is because I want to fight you."

’A fight?’

Long Ao was a little surprised. He had held back during their last fight, and Long Chen couldn’t possibly be unaware of that. With his current strength, he was no match for Long Ao. ’So why does he still want to fight me?’

’Huh?’

With a soft gasp of surprise, Long Ao suddenly noticed that Long Chen, whom he hadn’t seen in months, seemed to have had a breakthrough in his cultivation. He hadn’t just broken through from the Realm King to the Realm Emperor stage, but had even reached the so-called Peak of Realm Emperor. No wonder Long Chen wanted to fight him again.

But even so, given the gap in power between them, Long Chen shouldn’t be his opponent even after reaching the Peak of Realm Emperor. Long Ao was sure that Long Chen knew this as well.

Long Chen’s actions left Long Ao feeling a bit confused.

"Long Ao, I previously went to the Long Clan and entered the Long Clan Ancestral Hall to undergo a refinement. To be honest, I have awakened my Talent Divine Abilities, which is why I want to fight you."

’So that’s how it is.’

Long Ao wasn’t surprised at all. Long Chen had told him before that everyone on the Dragon Ranking was qualified to enter the Long Clan Ancestral Hall to awaken their Talent Divine Abilities, but very few actually succeeded.

Long Ao never would have thought that Long Chen would actually succeed in awakening his Talent Divine Abilities. This in itself was a testament to Long Chen’s talent.

Long Ao was also certain that with this successful awakening, Long Chen would surely be highly valued by the Long Clan, and his status would skyrocket. Long Ao didn’t feel a shred of envy or jealousy; instead, he was genuinely happy for Long Chen.

Nodding, Long Ao didn’t refuse. After all, a friendly spar would be a good thing for both of them.

"Long Ao, before we fight, there’s something I need to tell you. When I went to the Long Clan this time, I also asked around about their stance on you. I finally have some news."

"Thank you for your trouble."

Long Ao felt a surge of delight. He was currently very concerned with the Long Clan’s movements. After all, the Long Clan was one of the most powerful existences in Heaven and Earth, far beyond what the Four Great Forces could compare to.

"Long Ao, I’ve heard that there are currently two opinions within the Long Clan. The first is to capture you and execute you without question. In their eyes, you not only secretly became a Dragon Martial Artist, but you also established the Dragon Sect, showing a complete disregard for the Long Clan."

Long Ao had already guessed as much. Just as he expected, many in the Long Clan looked down on him for establishing the Dragon Sect. ’But what could they do about it?’

Long Ao knew that since he had already made his decision and established the Dragon Sect, he would not fear the Long Clan. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have so resolutely established it in the first place.

"The second opinion is to oppose killing you and instead observe you closely. If you can carve out a piece of the world for yourself on the Kyushu Continent, then without a doubt, not only will the Long Clan not move against you, but they might even decide to cultivate you as a key figure."

’Cultivate me as a key figure?’

Long Ao sneered inwardly. He had no need for the Long Clan’s cultivation. He found the Long Clan’s rules utterly repulsive.

It was one thing for the Long Clan to monopolize the Dragon Valley, but they actually had an explicit rule that Long Family disciples below the Third Level were not allowed to become Dragon Martial Artists. Who could possibly accept such a rule?

It was precisely for this reason that Long Ao had decided to start his own sect, the Dragon Sect. If possible, he had to break away from the Long Clan in the future. In any case, Long Qiang had obtained the Divine Dragon Pearl. If Long Qiang became the Dragon God of the Dragon Race, then everything would be much easier to handle.

"Long Ao, the Long Clan has ultimately decided to observe you for now, so your performance is crucial. I don’t care what you’re thinking, but I want to offer you a piece of advice: no matter what happens, you must strengthen yourself first. Otherwise, everything else is just bullshit. You might be fine on your own, but you have to think about your family. Unless it’s absolutely necessary, it’s best not to clash head-on with the Long Clan. It won’t do you any good."

Nodding, Long Ao was well aware of Long Chen’s concern. Of course, he understood what Long Chen was saying.

(PS: It took me two hours to write this Chapter, and I’m really tired. Xiaojiu is going to get some sleep for now and wake up early tomorrow. I’m still three Chapters behind, so I’ll be updating a total of thirteen Chapters tomorrow.)