215 The Dragon Emperor Palace's Plight
“Hey, have you heard about it? It was said that the Dragon Emperor of the Dragon Emperor Palace had entered into a deep slumber. No one knew of the reason why he was rendered to such a state!”
“Yes! I’ve also heard about this matter. It was just a year ago when this happened, right?”
“Yes, but I’ve heard something even more surprising. Right after the Dragon Emperor’s absence, the Saint Princes of the Dragon Emperor Palace actually joined hands to severely injure the Saint Son.”
“Oh, there is such a thing? Dragons actually have internal strife as well?”
“Yes! What’s more interesting is that the Saint Son’s age is actually not over 20! I didn’t know he was only below 20! I thought he only looked younger!”
“What the fuck? I didn’t know that!”
“Moreover, I think it was a month after he appeared in the Dragon Emperor Palace, the Saint Son already formed 8 crowns! For fuck’s sake! Can you believe it? A kid who reached the Saint Realm with 8 crowns?!”
All the people within the Dragon Emperor Palace’s territory relentlessly talked about the matter of the Dragon Emperor’s sudden slumber. They didn’t know if it was true, but it seemed like the other palaces have also come into their territory to monitor the current situation of the Dragon Emperor Palace.
Everyone had long coveted the dragon’s treasures. Among everyone’s treasures, it was said that the palace with the most treasures is the Dragon Emperor Palace, as dragons tend to have a thing with treasures, especially those shiny ones. Thus, they wouldn’t let go of this opportunity to benefit from internal strife. They were all like fishes, waiting for the right time to bite.
Meanwhile, inside another room, an old man was sitting atop a mat beside the bed where the Dragon Emperor, Long Hao. He had wrinkles all over his face and he was specifically looking at the once-a-young-man Long Hao. His eyes, while looking at the latter, were complicated. He never thought there would come a day when Long Hao would become like this.
Thus, he shut this room out of everybody. Only the higher-ups and some elders of the palace knew about the Dragon Ancestor guarding Long Hao. When the Dragon Ancestor heard about this news, he immediately went out of seclusion and hurriedly checked Long Hao’s condition.
It turned out that Long Hao’s condition was grave. Inside Long Hao’s dantian, there was a black flower, which he believed to be the Carnage Lotus. It was a lotus that had grown within a place where slaughter or the death of several cultivators could be found.
The Dragon Ancestor knew that there was only one palace that had this kind of flower. It was the Stellar Fiend Palace. They were once their nemesis and now, it seemed like the forged friendship between the two palaces would again be put to waste.
He could not think of any other culprit behind Long Hao’s plight.
“Whoever hurt my son, be it the Fiend Ancestor or the Fiend Emperor, I will slaughter you all! Just wait for my revenge,” the Dragon Ancestor muttered under his breath.
Although his facial expressions turned out to be calmer than usual, his fists were clenched that even his wrinkled hands showed veins—flowing which were his anger from his entire body.
When he looked at Long Hao once more, his gaze softened. He knew that if not for his negligence of not monitoring the entire Dragon Emperor Palace with his mental power all the time, this wouldn’t have happened. Nothing or no one should have slipped through his senses.
Although Long Hao was a peak Saint Emperor, the Carnage Lotus was something very violent that not even a peak Saint Emperor could hold a candle against. While rendered unconscious, the Carnage Lotus would slowly drain the life of its victim and only the Azalea of Life, another kind of flower, could possibly save the Dragon Emperor, Long Hao.
This Carnage Lotus was very strong. If not for the Dragon Ancestor’s timely suppression of this lotus, it would already have been too late. With him beside Long Hao, he would not waste his time suppressing the Carnage Lotus for a month. Then, he would settle scores with the Stellar Fiend Palace.
Clouded by too much grief and anger, he could only find something or someone he could vent his emotions on. As stable as he was as a peak Saint Emperor, a father’s love for his son would always waive the former’s calmness in times the latter would be in danger.
“They must pay for this!”
Meanwhile, in another corner of the Dragon Emperor Palace, Long Guang was constantly trying to heal the injuries he sustained from fighting the other four Saint Princes. Although they were only minor injuries, they still gave his opponents much time to attack him in his weak state. Therefore, he hid in a corner, not intending to go out—at least not until he was in his peak state.
“When I come out again, I would sweep those four out of the Dragon Emperor Palace. Now that the uncle was no more, the only backing I could only have was placed into a deep slumber, I could only rely on myself,” Long Guang muttered as he crushed a token given to him by his master.
This was a token especially made to automatically construct a concealing formation and the place behind the Dragon Emperor Palace was the perfect place he could hide.
All of the four Saint Princes were already Saint Emperors and they would soon participate in a tournament to be hosted by the two reigning temples. As they would participate, their cultivation realms were boosted to the point that not even Long Guang could handle them all at once.
It was entirely different when Long Guang was facing the four of them. If it was before that he could cross-level fight his opponents by overpowering them with only a lower cultivation level, he could probably kill all four Saint Princes with ease. But this was different.
The Saint Emperor Realm was something that could not be underestimated. Moreover, three of the Saint Princes had formed more than 9 crowns, which classified them as Supreme Saints. Having more than 9 crowns entailed one was a genius and could even be called a monster.
In fact, Long Guang himself formed 999 crowns, which was unbelievable in itself, but he managed to do it within three years. He even thought that wasn’t the limit, but it was said to be the limit, according to what he had heard from the Dragon Emperor’s Library.
And yes, he could still cross-level fight others, but he could not fight against Saint Emperors. He could only defend himself.
When the Saint Princes first fought him, they were shocked at how a mere Saint could fight against the four of them who were Saint Emperors. Not a Saint King. Not a Saint Emperor.
But a Saint!
If others were to know about this matter, they would find themselves ashamed. Moreover, the difference in their ages alone could trample the four Saint Princes’ pride.
However, when Long Guang fought them, he only revealed that he had formed 15 crowns, which was more than the other four. They did not know he had reached the limit. However, Long Guang was certain that he could fight them, that being that he had already broken through the Saint King Realm. Therefore, before going out, as much as possible, he had to raise his cultivation level.
Apart from that, he also had to guard himself against the elders supporting the Saint Princes for personal interests. Therefore, he could only raise his cultivation to fight against these people. Even if it would take him several years to reach the Saint King Realm, he would do it. If possible even, he would also want to reach the peak of the Saint King Realm or as an Inferiora in the Saint Emperor Realm.
At the moment, he had only nurtured 50 crowns to nine hundred ninety-nine feet each. The requirement to reach the Saint King Realm is to at least nurture one crown to a thousand feet. If he would choose to become a Saint King right away, it could affect his foundation. Therefore, he did not dare be rash. Like his master, whom he missed so much, he only wanted to strengthen himself by not doing unnecessary things.
“Just wait until I come out, I will definitely thrash those four Saint Princes for taking advantage of the Saint Emperor’s plight.”
On the other hand, the Dragon Ancestor continued to suppress the Carnage Lotus inside Long Hao’s dantian. He was afraid that if he left, it would gradually destroy Long Hao’s cultivation and foundation. Moreover, even if he wanted to go to the Stellar Fiend Palace to settle some scores, he still could not go due to their current situation. Therefore, he could leave it up to fate that Long Hao would be able to overcome his own plight.
Other than that hope, he also hoped that the Grand Elders of the palace would be able to ask for help from the temples or the Holy Light Palace. He could only hope.
But no matter what would happen, he would really go to the Stellar Fiend Palace, even if it meant exhausting all his life force.