Chapter 613: Immemorial Advent

Chapter 613: Chapter 613: Immemorial Advent

In truth, neither Long Ao nor Duan Kai was satisfied with this outcome.

Both men wanted to dominate Kyushu, including the Kyushu Spirit Realm.

However, for the sake of their mutual interests, the two had no choice but to compromise for the time being. As for whether the Dragon Sect and the Imperial City would go to war after the three great forces were eliminated, that remained to be seen.

The Imperial City’s sudden change of allegiance—allying with the Dragon Sect to deal with the three great forces—sent shockwaves through all of Kyushu.

No one, including the three great forces themselves, could figure out what the Imperial City was thinking.

With things having come to this, had the Imperial City lost its mind?

But the facts were laid bare. The Dragon Sect’s Million Corpse Slave Army alone was already a massive headache for the three great forces. Now, with the Imperial City added to the mix, the headache was even worse, yet they had no way to break the alliance.

Long Ao had killed Duan He’s son—Duan Kai’s grandson. Later, the Imperial City had even participated in framing Long Ao. Logically, the Imperial City and the Dragon Sect should have been locked in a fight to the death, yet the outcome was anything but.

’Wasn’t Long Ao summoned?’

The three great forces were highly suspicious. The Dragon Sect, by itself, didn’t seem powerful enough to entice the Imperial City into an alliance.

Ultimately, the three great forces reached a conclusion: the Imperial City wanted to seize the Million Corpse Slave Army for itself. That was why it had chosen to ally with the Dragon Sect to deal with them.

As for the truth of Long Ao’s situation, only Duan Kai and Duan He knew.

Because of this, the two of them instantly understood Long Ao’s true intentions. It was a feigned retreat to pave the way for an advance. One had to admit, it was a brilliant move. Otherwise, the Four Great Forces would never have opened the teleportation channel.

As long as the teleportation channel between the Ordinary Spirit Realm and the Kyushu Spirit Realm remained closed, it wouldn’t matter if the Dragon Sect had a million Corpse Slaves or ten million. It would all be for nothing.

But with things having come this far, the Imperial City certainly wasn’t going to reveal Long Ao’s secret.

The sudden alliance between the Imperial City and the Dragon Sect relentlessly pressed in on them. The three great forces didn’t dare to clash head-on; the disparity in strength was obvious at a glance.

The three great forces were no fools. They knew that if things continued like this, it was no solution and would ultimately only benefit the Imperial City.

「Kyushu Spirit Realm, Third Level Long Family Hall」

"Patriarch, why would the Dragon Sect suddenly ally with the Imperial City?"

"Hmph. He’s pulling the rug out from under us. Long Ao is feigning a retreat to pave the way for an advance."

"Patriarch, what do you mean by that?"

"If I’m not mistaken, Long Ao was never actually summoned by the Long Clan. His actions have one purpose: to make us open the teleportation channel so his Million Corpse Slave Army can enter the Kyushu Spirit Realm. What a ruthless move. It’s our own fault for being careless; we have no one else to blame."

’So that’s how it is.’

Long Yan never imagined Long Ao would resort to such a tactic. This time, Long Ao had outmaneuvered everyone. Thankfully, the clan’s deep-rooted power was there to fall back on. Otherwise, Long Ao really would have pulled the rug out from under them, and the consequences would have been unthinkable.

"Patriarch, what should we do now?"

"Long Ao’s intentions are actually quite simple. He’s hiding in the shadows, allied with the Imperial City, planning to have them betray each other in the end. Long Ao doesn’t just want to destroy the three great forces; he wants to destroy the Imperial City as well. Utterly shameless."

Long Yan said nothing, but his expression was grim. He, too, had never expected that the Long Ao who returned this time would seem so much sharper, not nearly as impulsive as before.

According to the intelligence he had gathered, Long Ao was an extremely impulsive person. Otherwise, the Long Ao of the past would never have dared to barge into the Ghost King Sect and Piaomiao Palace all by himself.

"We will watch and wait. From now on, our clan is not to interfere in the war between them. I’d like to see what exactly Long Ao is planning."

"Patriarch, we’re just going to stand by and do nothing?"

Long Yan was startled by the Patriarch’s words. Long Ao and the Imperial City had already formed an alliance. Once this powerful coalition gained the upper hand, the consequences would be unthinkable. If their clan wanted to turn the tables later, it would be far more difficult.

How could Long Mowen not understand Long Yan’s meaning? He snorted coldly and said, "Just do as I say."

Long Yan nodded and left at once. In the days that followed, with the Dragon Sect and the Imperial City allied and the Third Level Long Family’s sudden withdrawal, the situation became two against two. The remaining Piaomiao Palace and Netherworld Mansion found it difficult to withstand the combined assault of the Imperial City and the Dragon Sect.

The Dragon Sect and the Imperial City were delighted by the Third Level Long Family’s sudden withdrawal. They had no intention of attacking the Third Level Long Family and instead focused all their efforts on attacking Piaomiao Palace and Netherworld Mansion.

Ever since four Earth Saints were slain by the Dragon Sect’s Long Haoshi, Piaomiao Palace and Netherworld Mansion had become extremely wary of him. They no longer dared to send any more experts to the Long Family or the Dragon Sect. As a result, the Dragon Sect and the Imperial City pressed their advantage relentlessly, while Piaomiao Palace and Netherworld Mansion were forced into a constant retreat.

Just as Long Ao was preparing to make his move, a sudden jolt of alarm went through him. Not daring to be the least bit careless, he immediately left the Kyushu Spirit Realm and shot toward the Dragon Sect.

The moment he set foot in the Dragon Sect, Long Ao’s expression changed instantly. Without a moment’s hesitation, he rushed to the Forbidden Land on the back mountain.

"Brother Qilin, you summoned me back in such a hurry. What’s going on?"

Long Ao was very curious. The Fire Qilin had never summoned him with such urgency before. ’Could something major have happened?’

Before the Fire Qilin could speak, a terrifying power suddenly enveloped Heaven and Earth. Long Ao was all too familiar with this power—it belonged to the ancestor of the Qilin Race, the Ancient Qilin.

’Why would the Ancient Qilin suddenly descend upon the Dragon Sect?’

Long Ao couldn’t understand. Looking at the Ancient Qilin before him, he asked, "Elder Qilin, may I ask why you were looking for me?"

Long Ao was no fool. He knew he wouldn’t have been summoned with such urgency unless something was wrong. It was simple: the Ancient Qilin wanted to see him. This made Long Ao extremely curious. Why was the Ancient Qilin looking for him, and what could it possibly want?

The Ancient Qilin’s status spoke for itself; it was one of the most powerful beings in all of Heaven and Earth.

"You are Long Ao?"

"I am."

"Not bad at all. We’ve met before, so I’ll get straight to the point. Where is the Ancient Divine Dragon? I wish to see him."

’Just as I thought.’ Long Ao had already guessed that the Ancient Qilin’s visit was primarily to see the Ancient Divine Dragon, not him. In the past, he would have known how to handle this, but now, the Ancient Divine Dragon had vanished. It was impossible for it to appear before the Ancient Qilin.

Having no other choice, Long Ao could only tell the truth. "Elder Qilin, to be perfectly honest with you..."

Then, Long Ao recounted the entire story of the Ancient Divine Dragon and the Celestial Dao in detail. After listening, the Ancient Qilin seemed to have no doubts. It nodded and said, "It seems the Ancient Divine Dragon was ultimately discovered by the Celestial Dao after all. Long Ao, since you have become the Ancient Divine Dragon’s successor, you must cultivate diligently and strive to avenge him."

’The Ancient Qilin knew that the Ancient Divine Dragon had vanished? In that case, doesn’t that mean it had some other reason for seeking me out this time?’