Chapter 621: Thorny

Chapter 621: Chapter 621: Thorny

Though Long Ao didn’t finish his sentence, his meaning was perfectly clear.

Stop acting so pathetic.

Long Ao didn’t give the two of them the time of day. It was as if their respective positions had been completely reversed.

Duan Kai and Duan He were unwilling to accept this reality. Killing Intent was written all over their grim faces.

In the end, however, they swallowed their anger. After all, they had come this time to beg the Dragon Sect for help.

In the past, the Imperial City wouldn’t have given the Dragon Sect a second glance. But the situation now was completely different. The Dragon Sect’s sudden withdrawal had put the Imperial City in an extremely passive position. If the other three great forces decided to press their advantage, the Imperial City would be in deep trouble.

Although the Imperial City’s power had grown rapidly after the recent Beast Tide, wanting to fight one against three was a joke.

The Imperial City had never, ever imagined that the Dragon Sect would suddenly pull out, which left them in this incredibly passive situation.

That was precisely why Duan Kai and Duan He had no choice but to come here.

"Sect Leader Long, I hope you can consider the bigger picture. It’s of no benefit to your Dragon Sect if we are attacked by the other three great forces. Don’t you agree?"

"Even if there are no benefits, I refuse to be cannon fodder. You may see yourselves out."

An Expulsion Order.

Long Ao clearly had no desire to speak with them any further. Duan Kai and Duan He stood up, gave Long Ao one last, deep look, and then both snorted coldly before striding away.

Just as the two of them departed, Ghost King Ao Tian’s figure appeared.

"Sect Leader, by openly refusing the Imperial City, I’m afraid you’ve invited trouble for us."

How could Long Ao not understand what Ghost King Ao Tian meant? He let out a cold laugh. "I want the Imperial City to see that my Dragon Sect is not to be trifled with."

"Sect Leader, it’s not that simple."

"What do you mean?"

Long Ao was very curious. Ghost King Ao Tian normally wouldn’t speak like this, especially now that Long Ao knew Ao Xue’s identity. But at this moment...

’Has the Ghost King discovered something is wrong?’

With a deep sigh, Ghost King Ao Tian suddenly said, "Sect Leader, there’s no need to state the nature of our relationship. I would never harm you, let alone the Dragon Sect."

Long Ao nodded. He was of course crystal clear on this point. The more the Ghost King acted like this, the more curious Long Ao grew.

"Sect Leader, although the Kyushu Spirit Realm has always been dominated by the Four Great Forces, it’s common knowledge that they are not the true overlords here. If we were to actually annihilate the Four Great Forces and anger the powers behind them, we would be in a world of trouble."

So that was it.

Long Ao instantly understood what Ghost King Ao Tian meant.

In fact, Long Ao had considered this issue before. It was no secret that the Four Great Forces couldn’t possibly be the sole masters of the Kyushu Spirit Realm.

One had to understand that the true overlords of the Celestial Martial Continent were not Netherworld Mansion, Piaomiao Palace, the Third Level Long Family, and the Imperial City. They were the so-called super-powers like the Long Clan, the Ten Thousand Beasts Sect, and the Heaven and Earth Sect.

That being the case, Long Ao couldn’t understand why these true overlords—the Long Clan, the Heaven and Earth Sect, the Ten Thousand Beasts Sect, and others—didn’t take action personally. Why find a few puppets to rule the Kyushu Spirit Realm for them?

"Uncle Ao, please speak freely. As you just said, given our relationship, you can say anything to me."

"Alright. My meaning is simple. I hope that before the Sect becomes powerful enough, you don’t get into a life-or-death struggle with the Four Great Forces. We should first stabilize the situation and proceed cautiously, step by step. That is the way to ensure victory."

"Uncle Ao, are you worried that the true superpowers behind the Four Great Forces will emerge?"

"That’s right."

Long Ao lowered his head and began to ponder as well. He, too, felt the matter was quite thorny.

Just as the Ghost King had said, if he provoked the true superpowers behind the Four Great Forces, then with the Dragon Sect’s current strength, annihilation would be their only path.

But things had already come to this. ’Should I really choose to give up?’

"Sect Leader, everything has its pros and cons. Choosing to give up now isn’t necessarily a bad thing. It might even turn out to be a good thing."

"The Four Great Forces will always be a threat. If we choose to give up now, the consequences will be unimaginable when they come looking for trouble in the future. Let’s not make a decision on this just yet. I need to think it over."

Mutual destruction.

It seemed both Long Ao and the Ghost King had considered this possibility. Their expressions were grave. The Ghost King sat, and the two of them began to discuss the matter between the Sect and the Four Great Forces.

After leaving the Dragon Sect, the two men stared coldly back at the sect grounds.

Duan He cursed viciously, "That villain Long Ao! He thinks he can be the sovereign of everything just because he has his million-strong Undead Army. I’ll make sure he learns just how vast the gap is between the Dragon Sect and the Imperial City."

"Long Ao’s behavior is strange this time. He should know that the Dragon Sect’s sudden withdrawal isn’t good for him either. What on earth is he thinking?"

"Father, with the Imperial City’s power, we shouldn’t have to stoop to this level."

"Shut up."

Duan Kai seemed agitated and said bluntly, "This was the Ancestor’s will. If it were up to you and me, the Dragon Sect would have been annihilated long ago! Now look, it’s nothing but endless trouble."

’The Ancestor?’

Hearing the mention of the Ancestor, Duan He seemed to understand what was going on. He shrugged helplessly and asked, "Father, what do we do now?"

"We’ll retreat in order to advance. I’ll take a page out of Long Ao’s book."

Retreating in order to advance. Duan Kai and Duan He returned to the Imperial City and immediately ordered a full withdrawal from the battle. With the Imperial City’s retreat, the battle could be called a complete victory for the other three great forces. The reason for the ultimate defeat of the Imperial City and the Dragon Sect was simple: the sudden breakdown of their relationship.

No one could figure out what was going on between the Dragon Sect and the Imperial City. One moment they were in an alliance, the next they were retreating, and the moment after they were enemies.

Even if it’s true that there are no permanent interests, nor permanent enemies and friends, the changes between the Imperial City and the Dragon Sect seemed far too rapid.

The decisions made by the Dragon Sect and the Imperial City left everyone baffled.

First the Imperial City, then the Dragon Sect, withdrew. And just when everyone thought Piaomiao Palace, Netherworld Mansion, and the Third Level Long Family would launch a full-scale counterattack, the three great forces suddenly retreated as well.

A great war had seemed imminent, but no one could have predicted that within just a few short days, both sides would cease all hostilities, as if nothing had ever happened.

Now, everyone was even more clueless about what was going on. ’Are the Four Great Forces and the Dragon Sect not going to war after all?’

The Four Great Forces continued to occupy the Kyushu Spirit Realm, which the City of Sin could not invade. Although Long Ao didn’t obtain the Kyushu Spirit Realm, he had gained the entirety of Kyushu. If he could develop it well, he believed it would be a huge boon for both himself and his Sect.