Translator: CinderTL
"Fourteenth? Zhu Lin?"
"How could this happen?"
"This... He asked Fourteenth to open the Star Gate early. If Fourteenth had just done it, wouldn't that have been the end of it? Why refuse? He needlessly brought about his own death. Alas."
The three dragon kings reacted differently, each according to their own temperament.
But the Northern Dragon King's gaze suddenly snapped to the Southern Dragon King. "Open the Star Gate early? Do you realize how many Quasi-Tenth-Tier powerhouses with astonishing backgrounds contacted me, urging me to delay the opening? If we had opened it early, would we have avoided offending them?"
The Southern Dragon King's eyelid twitched at this remark.
"Our Dragon Clan's best course of action is to remain neutral in this conflict!" the Northern Dragon King declared emphatically. "That's exactly what I instructed Zhu Lin to do. Yet you all know the outcome... Zhu Lin is dead. The fourteenth dragon prince, who upheld neutrality, refused to take sides, and wished to avoid involvement in this feud, was mercilessly slaughtered by Li Chunjun!"
The dragon kings could practically feel the Northern Dragon King's simmering rage.
The fourteenth dragon prince, Zhu Lin...
He was one of the Northern Dragon King's three most outstanding offspring.
Putting oneself in the Northern Dragon King's position, it was understandable that he would retaliate with fury. His own son, simply for refusing to prematurely activate the Star Gate under difficult circumstances, had been slain by Li Chunjun.
After a long silence, the Eastern Dragon King finally spoke slowly, "If what you say is true—that we dare not offend either side—Li Chunjun not only showed no consideration for our position but also demanded the impossible. He has indeed wronged our Dragon Clan beyond measure!"
He turned his gaze to the Northern Dragon King. "What do you intend to do?"
"Li Chunjun must pay for his actions!" the Northern Dragon King declared coldly.
"Pay? But Li Chunjun's strength..."
"Just because we can't kill him doesn't mean others can't. 800,000 combat power isn't invincible. Theoretically, ten Quasi-Tenth-Tier cultivators with 500,000 combat power each could overwhelm him. Ten experts with 600,000 combat power would guarantee victory. And how many Quasi-Tenth-Tier cultivators have designs on Li Chunjun? Far more than ten!" the Northern Dragon King asserted forcefully.
Only with double the combat power can one person defeat ten opponents.
Of course, this "one against ten" scenario assumes a direct confrontation.
In reality, if the dominant side leverages its advantages and prolongs the battle, even twenty or thirty opponents would pose no challenge.
The only exception would be if the ten opponents could form a Battle Formation, coordinating flawlessly and uniting their strengths.
However, assembling ten Quasi-Tenth-Tier cultivators who completely trust each other is virtually impossible.
Therefore, to truly ensure Li Chunjun's defeat, deploying ten Quasi-Tenth-Tier cultivators with 600,000 combat power each—allowing for a comfortable margin—is essential for a successful encirclement.
Otherwise, even if outnumbered, Li Chunjun could break through the encirclement and retreat unscathed.
"The Northern Dragon King speaks truly," the Western Dragon King immediately concurred, a glint of ambition flashing in his eyes. "His innate divine body has attracted far too many powerful cultivators. There are more than ten Quasi-Tenth-Tier cultivators openly targeting him, including several top-tier experts with combat power rivaling his own, reaching 800,000."
"Daring to provoke the Dragon Clan while barely able to protect himself? He's courting death," the Western Dragon King continued, his voice dripping with contempt. "We can easily use these vultures to do our dirty work."
After the Western Dragon King's declaration, the Southern Dragon King, seemingly struck by a sudden realization, stirred with restless anticipation.
The Eastern Dragon King's gaze swept over the two dragon kings, then lingered on the Northern Dragon King. Ultimately, unable to defy the consensus, he conceded, "Very well, let it be done."
With that, he ended the communication.
Seeing the Eastern Dragon King, the leader of the four dragon kings, yield, the other two dragon kings chimed in: "Our Dragon Clan is no longer the same as it was millions of years ago. Even if Li Chunjun were a Dao Unification Divine Sage—which he isn't—he still has no right to slaughter our dragon princes in the True Dragon Great World."
"If the lips are gone, the teeth will freeze. This could happen to Dragon Prince Zhu Lin, or to our own descendants. The Dragon Clan must make its stance clear!"
The two dragon kings spoke with righteous fervor.
The Northern Dragon King was deeply moved. "Thank you both for your righteous support..."
Amidst the pleasantries, the Western and Southern Dragon Kings swiftly contacted the Quasi-Tenth-Tier cultivators they had previously reached out to.
Whether seeking a share of the spoils or simply a cut of the benefits, their methods closely mirrored those of the Northern Dragon King.
It was clear that by helping these Quasi-Tenth-Tier cultivators trap Li Chunjun in the True Dragon Great World, the dragon kings stood to gain substantial additional income.
Just as the Northern Dragon King and the other four dragon kings had finished their deliberations and were in high spirits, a subordinate rushed in with an urgent report: "Your Majesty, according to reports from the front lines, Li Chunjun is advancing toward us at full speed. His concealment techniques are exceptional; he's already less than half a day's journey from our location. It seems he comes with ill intent..."
"Li Chunjun?! How dare he come looking for me?!" The Northern Dragon King was startled.
In his calculations, Li Chunjun should have first visited each Star Gate to assess the situation. Only after confirming he was trapped in the True Dragon Great World with no escape would he resort to force. At that point, they would rely on the Array Formation to hold out until the Lord of Ephemeral and others arrived, completing their trap.
But...
Why was he deviating from the expected course?
Still, when he had plotted against Li Chunjun, he had already anticipated the possibility of Li Chunjun taking a risky gamble. Otherwise, he wouldn't have ordered his subordinates to activate the Array Formation and prepare for full alert so early.
Now, hearing that Li Chunjun was heading straight for his Great Camp, the Northern Dragon King had a new idea.
"The Four Dragon Palaces of the True Dragon Great World possess the ancestral dragon's legacy—a means to unite the power of all our forces into a single, unified will, commanding them as easily as our own limbs. Li Chunjun may have sensed something amiss at the Star Gates and acted recklessly outside, but daring to invade the Eastern Dragon Palace is tantamount to seeking his own death..."
If luck was on his side, the Northern Dragon King might be able to capture or even kill Li Chunjun using the Array Formation, claiming the innate divine being for himself.
With this thought, a glint flashed in the dragon king's eyes. "Summon the twenty-two ancient dragons of the Northern Dragon Palace! Activate the Six Extremes Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches Array Formation to defend the palace!"
He added, "Also, prepare the Heavenly Gang Stellar Array Formation! I will request reinforcements from the other three dragon kings, asking them to send their elite forces to complete the Heavenly Gang formation... If Li Chunjun remains stubborn, let him taste the might of the Heavenly Gang Stellar Array Formation!"
A dual-layered Array Formation!
The first layer would probe Li Chunjun's strength while luring him into the formation.
If he remained outside, unwilling to enter, so be it.
But if he dared to step inside...
The Dragon Clan's grand array would teach him the true meaning of territorial advantage!
"As you command!"
The subordinates acknowledged the order and swiftly carried it out.
The Northern Dragon King vanished in a flash, reappearing above the Dragon Palace.
As his commands reverberated through the palace, the entire structure sprang into action.
True dragons and heavenly dragons soared into the sky, each taking their designated positions. Ancient dragons stirred the wind and clouds as they rushed to their assigned defensive strongholds.
Of course, some ancient dragons quickly gathered around the Northern Dragon King, their faces etched with concern. "Your Majesty, what has happened?"
"Didn't we agree that the Dragon Clan would not interfere in matters concerning innate divine beings? Even if we captured this innate divine being, we might not be able to hold him. Why..."
"Has Your Majesty requested assistance from the three majesties? Even with the Northern Dragon Palace's strategic advantage, we fear we cannot withstand the divine might of Li Chunjun, this innate divine being!"
The ancient dragons voiced their opinions with varying degrees of urgency.
The Northern Dragon King glanced at them and said gravely, "It is not that we wish to meddle in the affairs of this innate divine being, but that he has pushed us too far!"
With that, he swiftly repeated the explanation he had just given to the other dragon kings.
After hearing this, the ancient dragons who had been critical fell silent.
On one side stood Li Chunjun, and on the other, numerous powerful factions. Zhu Lin had chosen neutrality, refusing to prematurely open the Star Gate—a decision that should have been blameless. Yet he had been struck down on the spot.
This Li Chunjun...
Truly, he was far too domineering.
Realizing this, even the ancient dragons who had initially opposed the plan nodded in agreement. "Then let it be as Your Majesty wishes."
"As an innate divine being, Li Chunjun was someone we originally had no desire to antagonize. Yet he fails to grasp his precarious situation, disregards the gravity of the occasion, and remains arrogantly defiant even when surrounded by enemies. He slaughtered Your Majesty's fourteenth dragon prince in our True Dragon Great World and even dared to assault our Eastern Dragon Palace. Now he must face the consequences of his actions."
"I've heard Li Chunjun primarily cultivates the Void Dao, an innate divine being whose origins trace back to the same source as our Great Void Ancestral Dragon bloodline. If we could glean even a fragment of his understanding, perhaps..."
Each ancient dragon harbored their own motives, yet all ultimately agreed to the Northern Dragon King's request, converging upon their designated positions.
Though Li Chunjun's clash with the Great Sun Dao Lord, Wu Tongtian, and Yuan Guiyi had demonstrated astonishing combat power, their overwhelming numbers and the strategic advantage of the Northern Dragon Palace's terrain bolstered their confidence.
They believed that with the Northern Dragon Palace's Array Formation, personally laid by the Great Void Ancestral Dragon himself, they could undoubtedly contain Li Chunjun.
And once they contained him...
Even if they couldn't kill him outright, stalling him for ten days or eight months would suffice. By then, the many top-tier experts who had long coveted his power would arrive, ensuring his inevitable demise.
This was the ancient dragons' unwavering assurance.
Though he hadn't used a Star Gate, the Northern Dragon Palace wasn't far away. In less than half a day, Li Chunjun stood before its gates.
Despite being called a "palace," its scale rivaled, if not surpassed, the Heavenly Court's palace complex he had witnessed among the Immortal God Race.
Every palace was resplendent in gold and jade, with countless Hua Guang shimmering within and without, truly resembling celestial palaces.
Due to differing architectural styles and aesthetics, the overall grandeur of these palaces seemed to dwarf even the Imperial Witchcraft Sect's main altar at first glance.
"The Human Race... has truly spoiled the Dragon Clan," Li Chunjun murmured, hovering outside the Northern Dragon Palace, observing and assessing.
At that moment, above the Array Formation-illuminated Northern Dragon Palace, the Northern Dragon King's Dharma Manifestation materialized—the Primordial True Dragon form, stretching over ten thousand zhang in length.
Its colossal silhouette blotted out the sun and moon, hanging in the Heavenly Vault like a celestial body.
"Li Chunjun, you slaughtered my fourteenth dragon prince, yet you dare appear before my palace, showing utter contempt for the Dragon Clan..."
The Northern Dragon King's formidable mental power reverberated through the Void, his fury instantly igniting the collective wrath of countless dragons.
But...
Li Chunjun had no intention of wasting words on them.
His Sovereign Dharma Manifestation materialized as well, its form swelling against the wind until it matched the Primordial True Dragon's scale.
With a single forward thrust of his hand, countless storms erupted from the Void, coalescing under the Sovereign Dharma Manifestation's command, which wielded the Heaven-Opening Divine Sword, and charged directly toward the Northern Dragon Palace.
(End of the Chapter)
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