Finally, the familiar streak of light returned, and Yuan Yu's figure reappeared before him.
Candle Dragon almost held his breath, using all his strength to suppress the urge to rush up and ask questions. He just stared intently at Yuan Yu with his bloodshot dragon eyes, filled with his last hope.
Yuan Yu approached Candle Dragon and, following Qing Huan's instructions, repeated the entire story verbatim:
"Senior Candle Dragon, my master said: 'I have no good plan to solve the Dragon Clan's predicament at the moment.'"
If the Dragon Clan wish to seize that Thread of Life hope, they must cease their indecisiveness and wishful thinking.
"Find peace of mind, completely abandon the arrogance of your former hegemony, and pledge allegiance to the future Heavenly Emperor Hao Tian. Diligently uphold your duties and fulfill your responsibilities. Perhaps you can borrow the orthodox Luck of the Heavenly Court, act on behalf of Heaven, gradually wear down your karmic burdens, preserve your race from extinction, and accumulate strength to await future changes in fortune. This is my heartfelt advice, and it is currently the only feasible path."
Upon hearing these words, especially the phrase "to serve under the future Heavenly Emperor Hao Tian," Candle Dragon felt as if struck by lightning. He shuddered violently, and the last trace of color drained from his face, turning him deathly pale. An indescribable sense of loss, bewilderment, and even a hint of humiliation welled up within him.
"Serve... Hao Tian? That... boy beside the Dao Ancestor?"
The image of the "future Heavenly Emperor" who was now only Daluo Golden Immortal (at this time), with no one under his command, a desolate and empty Heavenly Court, and who was almost an empty shell and a laughing stock in the eyes of many Primordial Great Powers, appeared in his mind.
To pledge allegiance to him? Wouldn't that be tantamount to binding the Dragon Clan, though now in decline, still possessing a strong foundation and noble bloodline, to a seemingly legitimate but actually dilapidated ship that could capsize at any moment amidst the Primordial Wilderness storms?
This is vastly different from their deepest desires—to receive direct protection from Hunyuan Saint like Qing Huan, or to have an extraordinary opportunity like Yuanfeng, to be associated with the Protagonist of Heaven and Earth! It's like heaven and earth!
The Sage's words were actually instructing their Dragon Clan to attach themselves to a "child" who currently seemed to have no power or prestige whatsoever?
This immense psychological gap, coupled with strong doubts about its feasibility, caused Candle Dragon to momentarily lose his composure. He stood there, frozen, his lips trembling, unable to utter a single word. His mind was blank; he didn't know how to respond, much less how to return to face the eagerly awaiting Ancestor Dragon.
Seeing his distraught state, Yuan Yu said nothing more, but simply bowed respectfully according to etiquette:
"Senior, I have conveyed the master's words verbatim. Please return."
Having said that, he and Yuan Lian, who had remained vigilant, turned around and their figures, like ink merging into water, quickly disappeared into the invisible Innate Grand Formation of Yingzhou Island.
Only Candle Dragon remained, as if all his energy had been drained away, standing frozen and dejected in the endless Chaos Qi, the words of Qing Huan echoing repeatedly in his ears.
"Serving Hao Tian" is the only viable option.
The coldness and despair in his heart, like the Chaos Qi, completely enveloped and froze him.
After a long, long time, it seemed as if he had slowly come back to his senses from a nightmare. He looked blankly at the still hidden, unattainable fairy island, and finally let out a long sigh filled with endless helplessness, bitterness and resignation.
He knew that since the Qing Huan Sage had already made his point and indicated the "only" path, it would be useless for the Dragon Clan to pester or plead. The connection with the Sage was now completely severed.
Only this last one remains, seemingly the most undesirable choice, yet it was personally advised by the Hunyuan Saint.
"We'll pledge our allegiance to Hao Tian... we'll pledge our allegiance to Hao Tian..."
Candle Dragon left Yingzhou Island, where the Chaos Qi surged, the journey home felt even longer and heavier than the one he had come from. The familiar yet strange Chaos Qi around him now seemed to have solidified into solidified amber, and he was like a small, powerless insect struggling within it, each step exhausting his strength. The words of the Qing Huan Sage struck his soul repeatedly, each word like a hammer blow, especially the four words "serve Hao Tian," which carried a cold reality, shattering his last unrealistic illusions about the Dragon Clan.
"The future Heavenly Emperor... Hao Tian..."
A bitter taste spread through Candle Dragon. The Dragon Clan's former glory and current desolation seemed so ironic in the face of this enormous contrast.
They were once the overlords of the Primordial Wilderness, the leaders of the scaled creatures, ruling the Four Seas, controlling the clouds and rain—how majestic they were!
Even in its current decline, confined to the sea eye, the pride deep within its bloodline has never truly been extinguished.
Now, the Sage wants them to lower their heads and pledge allegiance to a "Child Emperor" whose cultivation is merely at the Great Luo, who has no subordinates, and who is practically powerless in the eyes of many powerful beings?
This is not only a difference in strength, but also a test of dignity.
In a daze, after an unknown amount of time, Candle Dragon finally returned to the dark, oppressive depths of the Primordial Wilderness sea eye, entangled by endless karma and resentment.
Inside that enormous dragon's nest, the Ancestor Dragon's massive body coiled up, its aura even more weakened than when the Candle Dragon had left. But its eyes suddenly lit up the moment the Candle Dragon stepped in, carrying a hint of undisguised anticipation and tension.
"Second brother, how is it? Sage Qing Huan... does he have a good plan?" Ancestor Dragon's voice trembled slightly, like the hope of a drowning person grasping at the last straw.
Looking into his brother's expectant eyes, Candle Dragon felt an overwhelming pang of sorrow.
He slowly descended, stood before the Ancestor Dragon, took a deep breath, forced himself to calm down, and then recounted his journey to Yingzhou Island and the words of the Qing Huan Sage, word for word, without any additions or omissions.
When the words "Serve under the future Heavenly Emperor Hao Tian" were uttered from Candle Dragon, the entire dark sea eye space seemed to freeze instantly. The Ancestor Dragon's massive body stiffened abruptly, its dragon eyes flashing with disbelief, followed by a deeper sense of bewilderment...
A stinging anger.
"Serve... Hao Tian? That boy beside the Dao Ancestor?"
The voice of the Ancestor Dragon suddenly rose in pitch, carrying the might of a dragon, causing the surrounding sea eye barrier to tremble slightly and triggering a surge of more karmic red and black energy.
"Sage... what does the Sage mean by this? Does he think that my Dragon Clan has become so despicable that we are only fit to rely on a mere child with an empty title?!"
How is this any different from making my Dragon Clan bind their own hands and jump into that boundless karmic fire?!
The immense disappointment and intense doubt nearly drove Ancestor Dragon to the brink of collapse. He had envisioned countless possibilities, such as Sage's merciful intervention or some harsh condition being imposed, but he never expected to receive such a seemingly "humiliating" and "uncertain" outcome.