“This subordinate understands!” The Grand Elder jolted where he stood. He knew perfectly well that the Hall Master had truly been provoked this time. If Darian still refused to cooperate on this trip to the Demon Dragon Hall, then they would use force and pressure him directly. Godric gave a satisfied nod, then waved a hand. “Go. Leave at once. I’ll be waiting for your good news.”
“This subordinate takes his leave!” The Grand Elder bowed, turned, and strode out at once. The moment he left, he began gathering men and making ready for the trip to the Demon Dragon Hall.
Three days later, outside the Demon Dragon Hall, on the edge of the Demon Marches, the sky was still buried under heavy black fog, and dark red winds still howled without end. But today, above the white-jade square of the Demon Dragon Hall, there was an extra presence in the air—one that clashed sharply with the demonic aura of the Demon Marches. It was a sacred presence that did not belong here at all.
A streak of light cut through the black fog and came down onto the square with grand force. When the radiance scattered, dozens of figures in golden divine robes appeared in full view. At the front stood the Grand Elder of the Celestial Palace.
His hair and beard were white, his face stern, and golden celestial power flowed around him. The aura of a True Immortal Realm expert poured out without the slightest restraint, pressing the surrounding demonic aura back again and again.
Behind him stood three other True Immortal elders, one on each side, their presences just as overwhelming. Fifty elite High Immortal cultivators in divine armor formed up in neat ranks behind them, every one of them straight-backed and severe, their combined pressure hitting like a wall. This time, the Grand Elder had none of the lowered posture from his last visit.
He stood with his hands behind his back, chest lifted, eyes locked on the main doors of the Demon Dragon Hall. The pressure spilling off him was openly superior and overbearing. He had come here to force the issue, and he wasn’t hiding it.
A moment later, the heavy hall doors slowly opened. Darian stepped out from inside and stopped above the entrance, looking down from on high at the Celestial Palace party gathered in the square.
When he saw the three True Immortal elders behind the Grand Elder, along with the fifty elite High Immortal cultivators, his brows pulled together slightly. A flash of displeasure passed through his eyes, but it disappeared just as quickly, replaced by a smile that carried more than one meaning.
“Grand Elder, it’s only been a few days, and here you are again, still looking well enough. I didn’t expect your second visit to the Demon Dragon Hall to come with so many elite experts in tow. This display is much bigger than last time. You’re really overwhelming me here.” Darian’s tone carried a trace of teasing, but there was no submission in it and no arrogance either.
The Grand Elder gave him a flat glance, his voice cold and proud. “Chieftain Darian, I came again under the Hall Master’s orders to discuss joining forces against Jared. I ask that you make things convenient and let us enter the hall so we can speak in detail.”
Darian’s gaze moved slowly across the three True Immortal elders behind him. Then the corner of his mouth lifted into a mocking smile. “Grand Elder, now you’ve got me a little confused. You brought this many experts with you today, so are you here to talk cooperation… or to make a show of force at my Demon Dragon Hall?”
The Grand Elder’s expression did not change. “Chieftain, you’re overthinking it. I brought men here both to discuss cooperation and to show the Demon Dragon Lineage the Celestial Palace’s sincerity… this matter of dealing with Jared is too important. Naturally, the Celestial Palace has to show enough posture to prove our resolve.”
Darian stared at the Grand Elder for a moment. Then he suddenly threw back his head and laughed. “Good! Good sincerity indeed! Since Grand Elder is showing this much sincerity, then please, come inside and let us talk!”
With that, he shifted aside and opened the way, making a clear gesture for them to enter. The Grand Elder gave a cold snort and stepped into the Demon Dragon Hall with the three True Immortal elders behind him. The fifty elite High Immortal cultivators stayed outside on the square under orders. Without permission, none of them were allowed inside.
Inside the hall, Darian walked straight to the seat of honor and sat down. He no longer wore the humble front from before. His Demon Dragon aura spread slowly from his body, putting the full authority of the hall master on display. The Grand Elder and the three Celestial Palace elders took the guest seats opposite him. The two sides sat facing each other, and the air in the hall tightened almost at once.
The Grand Elder did not bother with even a little small talk. “Chieftain Darian, when I came last time to discuss joining forces, you said you needed time to think it over. Several days have passed since then. Have you reached a decision?”
Darian lifted the teacup before him and took a light sip of spirit tea. His eyes lowered slightly, and he gave no answer right away, deliberately letting the time drag. The Grand Elder watched that and held himself in check, though the look on his face tightened.
“Chieftain, you and I both know Jared carries the Dragon Sovereign Bloodline. He is the future of the Sky Dragon Clan, and more than that, he is the sworn enemy of your Demon Dragon Lineage… now he’s taken Cloudhaven City with the Sky Dragon Clan at his back, and his power is growing by the day.
If he isn’t eliminated now, he’ll become a disaster later. And when that day comes, the first ones to take the blow will be your Demon Dragon Lineage!”
He paused, then threw out a condition heavy enough to shake the room. “The Celestial Palace is willing to put aside all past grudges with the Demon Dragon Lineage, join forces, and send troops together to kill Jared… once this is done, every last piece of territory and every resource in Cloudhaven City will belong to the Demon Dragon Lineage.
The Dragon Sovereign Bloodline on Jared, along with the Draconian Sovereign Relic, will be yours to deal with as you please. The Celestial Palace won’t take a single thing… those terms are far better than last time. That should be enough to show our sincerity, shouldn’t it?”
When Darian heard that, something shifted in his eyes just the same. Cloudhaven City covered a vast stretch of land, and its resources were rich. If the Demon Dragon Lineage could fold that place into its own domain, their power across the Demon Marches would surge.
And the Dragon Sovereign Bloodline inside Jared was the very thing Darian had wanted for the longest time. If he could refine that bloodline, his strength would break past its bottleneck and step into True Immortal Realm Level Two, maybe even higher. The offer really was hard to turn away.
But Darian had survived this long by never showing his hand. His face stayed unchanged as he said, “Grand Elder, the offer is indeed tempting. I won’t deny that it moves me. But it’s still the same answer as before. This matter is too important. I need more time to think.”
The Grand Elder’s brows pulled tight at once, and his face darkened. “Chieftain, you’re still thinking about it? The Celestial Palace has already shown the utmost sincerity and offered the best terms possible. If you keep putting this off, you’re pushing things too far.”
Darian gave a small shake of his head, his voice even but firm. “Grand Elder, I’ve seen the Celestial Palace’s sincerity. But I have my own difficulties as well. Jared has the entire Sky Dragon Clan behind him.
There are quite a few True Immortal Realm experts in that clan, and their strength can’t be taken lightly. The Demon Dragon Lineage may be strong, but we have no interest in throwing away our forces or making pointless sacrifices. Until I have complete confidence, I will not send troops lightly.”
The moment those words left his mouth, the Grand Elder’s face went cold for real. He rose slowly to his feet with his hands behind his back and fixed Darian with an unblinking stare. The threat in his voice wasn’t hidden in the least. “Chieftain Darian, there’s something I’d like to say… whether you want to hear it or not is another matter.”
Darian lifted his eyes to him, still looking unruffled. “Grand Elder, say whatever you have to say.”
The Grand Elder stepped forward, and golden celestial power exploded from his body. His commanding voice rolled through the great hall. “Chieftain, no one should understand the Demon Dragon Lineage’s place better than you do.
You abandoned the true Draconians, threw yourselves in with demons, and cultivated twisted demonic arts. Long ago, you were cast out by the Draconians and reduced to heretics and fiends beneath heaven and earth!”
“And the Celestial Palace stands as the orthodox line of the Celestial Highborn. We bear the duty of guarding the Fourteenth Firmament, wiping out evil, and keeping the world at peace! To put it bluntly, if the Celestial Palace wished it, one command would be enough. We could gather the full strength of our people and, in the name of purging evil, flatten this Demon Dragon Hall and erase the Demon Dragon Lineage completely!”
As soon as the Grand Elder said it, the air in the great hall froze solid. It was as if even the air had stopped moving. Golden celestial power crashed against dark red demonic aura, and sharp sizzling sounds spread through the hall.
