Donghai Longzi and Honglin left Karmlight City, but they didn’t return to the Bull Clan’s territory. Instead, they wandered the other cities of the Tieniu Realm.
He didn’t mean to blame Honglin for the ruckus. Demons have always valued strength above all else. Had it been in the Divine Beast Pseudo System, no one would have batted an eye if Honglin decided to erase a clan of demons for no reason at all, much less if they offended her. Only at the highest echelons of the Demon Clan was there peace. In short, the weak had no rights.
Had it not been for the need for secrecy, Donghai Longzi wouldn’t have bothered to stop Honglin. Sure, he wouldn't unnecessarily go out of his way to harm the weak, but regular mortals were akin to ants to him. In fact, they were ants compared to him.
If a mortal died as an unintended consequence of his actions, Donghai Longzi wouldn’t be losing any sleep over it. Although he was created from Tianyi’s split soul from before his immortal ascension, he had been modified. After his own journey, only the faintest amount of his main body could be seen in him. While the third clone, Ba Shifang, sought freedom, he sought the adrenaline of battle.
The reaction of all the demons he befriended would have when they eventually learned of his betrayal twisted his stomach, but his blood boiled at the thought of battle. Ever since he entered the True Dragon Realm, he had not had a hearty battle for centuries, millennia.
Donghai Longzi craved to balance himself atop a knife’s edge. To experience the sensation of blood pumping through his veins, and the moments where he stood between life and death.
Still, he would have to rein it in for now.
The two dragons, one created and one born naturally, walked through the streets of the third most prosperous city. The second most prosperous city was related to Buddhism, too, so Honglin had no interest in visiting. She was disappointed, but it was nothing major. It was akin to someone reading a book describing a dog, and upon seeing said dog, they discovered the book was actually describing a cat. Sure, there was disappointment, but they would ultimately brush it off and throw it out of their mind.
Donghai Longzi expected nothing of that little incident. Sure, the Iron Robe Monastery might be whipped into a frenzy searching for the two, but it was impossible. Even if they stood in front of the three abbots of the monastery, as long as Donghai Longzi or Honglin willed it, the three would never be able to perceive them.
So, it was to some surprise when he sensed a familiar aura. It was not like he had personally faced off against Tianyi’s greatest foe, but he was not ignorant of a part of his main body’s origins. In fact, he himself had slain more than a few Dragon Emperor clones. Well, it was not like he had seen anymore after all those crystalline swords descended from the sky and wiped out a majority of them.
Furthermore, the aura of this Dragon Emperor clone was clearly much stronger than any one clone he slew before. That was to be expected, since the only times he fought them was before he entered the Demon Lord Realm.
Even if Donghai Longzi ignored all that, there was no mistaking that bursting aura that filled the sky. A Dragon Emperor clone wouldn’t know the meaning of subtlety even if it slapped them in the face. He shared a look with Honglin, and the two chased after it.
The Dragon Emperor clone’s aura clearly belonged to an immortal emperor. Luckily, Demon Empress Bluefeather was present, and the immortal emperor was shooting toward the Bull Clan’s territory. Otherwise, they wouldn’t know what to do with an immortal emperor.
As Donghai Longzi expected, Demon Empress Bluefeather took action. An eruption of blue flames met a golden saber. After a brief clash, the flames dissipated, and the Dragon Emperor clone stood there with nary a hair out of place.
Only, his face didn’t bear any resemblance to a Dragon Emperor clone. In fact, it resembled an equally infuriating man, just for different reasons. That was Lovespot’s face. The scion who thought himself as high as the heavens. The bastard who could only rely on his grandfather, the now demoted Immortal Redseal.
Why was he here and bearing such a similar aura?
Demon Empress Bluefeather reverted to her original form. Her gaze frostier than absolute zero as she stared at Lovespot. Or was it the Dragon Emperor Clone? Whatever the reason, it did not erase the hatred of this current generation’s Vermillion Bird.
“I thought you would forever be buried by the passage of time. Last I heard, that woman killed every one of your clones,” Demon Empress Bluefeather said, more comment than any actual attempt at communication.
“Those things? Nothing more than distractions fools fell for,” the Dragon Emperor clone said.
“Hmpf, so you’re back, Dragon Emperor,” Demon Empress Bluefeather said.
Donghai Longzi couldn’t help but frown. So did Tianyi’s conduit on his body. What did Demon Empress Bluefeather and the Dragon Emperor clone mean by this?
Was all those clones of the Dragon Emperor more than distraction, and did the actual Dragon Emperor reincarnate? It was still possible when the Immortal Court reigned during the Primordial Era, but not now. Still, has Lovespot always been like this?
If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.
No, the conduit thought to himself. He recalled how strange it was when Lovespot actually started cultivating all over again and with such a difference in attitude and talent. Most importantly was the fact that he claimed to have lost his memories.
At the time, Tianyi had chalked it to nothing more than some fanciful reversal of fate or just Lovespot aiming for his so-called revenge. With the current information, it seemed that Lovespot’s change was brought about by the Dragon Emperor.
It also helped explain why Lovespot suddenly disappeared.
There were still some inconsistencies, like the fact that Lovespot’s Soul Lamp was still lit, but both Tianyi and Donghai Longzi knew that there were methods to fuel Soul Lamps. The conduit and clone both believed that the current Lovespot was the reborn Dragon Emperor.
If Immortal Redseal were to hear that his beloved grandson had died thanks to the Dragon Emperor, he might go crazy. But Tianyi didn’t feel any pity upon recalling that bastard’s action. Had it not been for him, could Lovespot have gotten away with all his atrocities?
Still, even after Immortal Redseal was released from his imprisonment, Tianyi had not found trouble with the latter. Their positions had long reversed. And Redseal did not show himself in front of Tianyi and seek death, so Tianyi was content to ignore his existence.
However, this information changed everything. Even as Donghai Longzi watched Demon Empress Bluefeather and the Dragon Emperor resume their fight, Tianyi, who had already received this information, informed Xia Meng.
The heat in the Tieniu Realm rose the longer Demon Empress Bluefeather fought. In addition, crevices and fissures formed throughout the land from the Dragon Emperor’s saber intent. Their attacks, even unintentional, created devastating disasters for the denizens of the realm.
Logically, both of them should have left the Tieniu Realm and fought in the Vast Void or an immortal-rank realm, but neither side showed any such intentions. There’s a reason why realms forced those who break through the limits to ascend aside from devouring the energy that poured in because of the ascension.
Once a cultivator or demon’s power broke the limit, they could easily damage the land and life inside. They were forced to leave to prevent this. And another defense mechanism was Karmic Sin. No one, not even demons, wanted to become contaminated with too much Karmic Sin.
Donghai Longzi could already detect lingering Karmic Sins appearing on both Demon Empress Bluefeather and the Dragon Emperor. It wasn’t enough to stain them yet, but the signs were there.
He could understand both their reasons for not fighting in the Vast Void. In essence, both of them were trespassers, and once they left the boundary of the Tieniu Realm, the chances of the Immortal Court and Numinous Sword Sect detecting them rose, drastically so.
True, the demons wanted to create a distraction, but it had to be controlled. Otherwise, the price would be too high. The plan was to have every demon safely retreat. Their current clash would expose them too fast, with no chance to set up any back up plans. Similarly, it didn’t take a genius to figure out why the Dragon Emperor didn’t want to expose himself either.
However, their power dictated that neither would be able to continue fighting in the Tieniu Realm for long. Unless both sides decided to have a truce. However, that was all but impossible. The Dragon Emperor didn’t seem intent on stopping, and neither did Demon Empress Bluefeather. During the war and the events leading up to it, the Dragon Emperor hadn’t only slain dragons but also those of the Phoenix Clan.
Donghai Longzi and Honglin entered the core area of the Bull Clan’s territory. Most of the demons dispatched had already returned, ready to retreat to another outpost. Those within the realm could not have missed the commotion, and those outside had already been contacted. After this battle, the Tieniu Realm would have to be abandoned.
Of course, the bull demons came forward, seeking comfort and reassurances. However, what greeted them was the demons’ indifference. The only reason they supported the Bull Clan was to make them pawns, and now that this pawn was no longer useful, they were abandoned.
Oh sure, some bull demons loudly cursed them, but all that awaited these brash bull demons was death.
Donghai Longzi and Honglin watched the battle between Demon Empress Bluefeather and the Dragon Emperor. The heat had already become unbearable for most mortal creatures. Those nearest to the two’s battle and without any cultivation had already died of dehydration, if the Dragon Emperor’s slashes hadn’t got to them first.
Although most that died were low-level demons, the world didn’t differentiate from demons and humans. To it, a life was a life, and killing too many would incur Karmic Sin.
Donghai Longzi clenched and unclenched his fingers. He wanted to join. Sure, he was only in the Demon King Realm, but demons held an innate advantage over humans. That was even more so for true dragons like himself.
If his main body could fight immortal emperors as an immortal monarch…okay. Tianyi’s circumstances were very different, but Donghai Longzi believed that he could cross realms and fight immortal emperors, too. Alas, it seemed that he wouldn’t have the chance to do so with Demon Empress Bluefeather fighting.
He turned around. Most of the demons had already finished their preparations, and they planned to leave the Tieniu Realm. After they left, Demon Empress Bluefeather would retreat and meet up with them after shaking off the Dragon Emperor. It was clear that neither side held any great advantages, and the only reason the demon empress still fought was to hold the Dragon Emperor down.
Just as Donghai Longzi turned around to leave, Demon Empress Bluefeather slapped the Dragon Emperor with her wing, sending him flying. The demon empress stilled, not having expected her attack to work, but a second later, fury filled her words. “Long Aotian!”
The Dragon Emperor had used the momentum to shoot toward the evacuating demons. His eyes were focused on Donghai Longzi and Honglin. With his senses, he knew that both of them held the purest bloodline of all the dragons present.
He was an immortal emperor, and the brief chance he grasped should be more than enough to kill one of them and store their corpse into his spatial ring.
Neither Honglin nor Donghai Longzi fled. Donghai Longzi had long wanted to clash, while Honglin had heard stories of the Dragon Emperor and wanted to test her mettle against him.
Donghai Longzi’s hands reverted into talons and he struck forward, while Honglin transformed back into her true form and attacked with her claws.
Disdain flashed across the Dragon Emperor’s eyes as he reared his saber back.
