Big Brother! It's Me, Candle Dragon!

Hearing Haotian's "compliment," Candle Dragon nearly blurted out, "Thanks a lot!"

Suppressing the urge to beat Haotian's head in, Candle Dragon replied, "Your Majesty is not to blame for this.

I failed to make my intentions clear sooner. This has nothing to do with Your Majesty.

Now that I've joined the Heavenly Court, one of my worries has been put to rest.

From now on, I'll do my best to assist Your Majesty."

Haotian nodded in satisfaction.

"Excellent!

Then I'll be counting on you, my dear subject!

You may return to the East Sea for now. When Daoist Kunpeng leads the Demon Race back, bring the Dragon Race cultivators to the Heavenly Court.

I'll confer titles upon all of you then."

Hearing Haotian's words, Candle Dragon's eyes immediately shifted.

Then he replied, "I accept Your Majesty's Imperial Decree!

As it happens, I'll also make a trip to the East Pole.

I'll inform my big brother of this matter.

That way, he can rest easy while guarding the East Pole!

He won't have to be distracted by the affairs of the Dragon Race."

Hearing Candle Dragon's words, Haotian's thoughts stirred.

Going to inform Ancestor Dragon?

Was he really going to look for a way to escape my control?

Or perhaps he wanted to discuss things with Ancestor Dragon, plot something together, and have him come after me for revenge?

It didn't matter!

If Ancestor Dragon came here, that would be perfect.

Who knew, perhaps I could bring the Four Poles under my command as well, fair and square.

Even if I couldn't do anything to Ancestor Dragon, I could still take the opportunity to squeeze a little out of him.

I refused to believe that fellow Ancestor Dragon didn't have a little something stashed away.

Thinking this, Haotian replied, "Very well!

Do as you please, Daoist Candle Dragon!"

"Your subject takes his leave!"

With that, Candle Dragon used his divine ability to head for the East Pole of the Primordial World.

Haotian glanced at the place where Candle Dragon had disappeared, then vanished in a flash and returned to the Heavenly Court as well.

After leaving Chaos, Candle Dragon hurried all the way to find Ancestor Dragon.

He gave it everything he had on the way.

He had never wanted so desperately to see Ancestor Dragon as he did now.

He used to get scolded so often that he'd sometimes rather not see Ancestor Dragon at all.

But now, after getting beaten up and losing his freedom, Candle Dragon finally appreciated all the good Ancestor Dragon had done for him.

It really was only after suffering a loss that you realized the person who'd been hardest on you was actually the one who cared about you most.

After hurrying as fast as he could, Candle Dragon finally reached the East Pole.

Amid the vast sea of clouds, Candle Dragon couldn't find any trace of Ancestor Dragon.

With no other choice, he called out, "Big brother!

It's me, Candle Dragon!

Show yourself! I need to see you!"

At that moment, Ancestor Dragon was debating whether or not to meet Candle Dragon.

He knew Candle Dragon had arrived, of course.

After all, that fellow had been led around by Haotian in Chaos for so long.

If Ancestor Dragon hadn't known about it, he wouldn't have deserved his Quasi-Saint perfection cultivation.

But it was precisely because he knew Candle Dragon had suffered a defeat that Ancestor Dragon understood exactly why he'd come.

Knowing Candle Dragon's purpose, Ancestor Dragon naturally had his reservations.

Sooner or later, Candle Dragon would ask him to take revenge on Haotian.

Should he refuse?

Or should he refuse?

Candle Dragon couldn't even beat Haotian. What could Ancestor Dragon do?

Haotian had immobilized Candle Dragon with a single word, making the spoken word reality.

If Ancestor Dragon went there, wouldn't he just be walking into a beating too?

If Ancestor Dragon got rubbed into the ground as well, the Dragon Race would lose all face.

But if he flat-out refused Candle Dragon's proposal,

wouldn't that make him look weak in front of Candle Dragon?

Candle Dragon might think Ancestor Dragon was afraid of Haotian.

What kind of authority would he have as the big brother then?

How could an older brother show weakness in front of his little brother?

But Candle Dragon had already arrived.

It wouldn't be right to avoid seeing him, either.

For a moment, Ancestor Dragon found himself in a real dilemma.

The Primordial World was a tough place to get by!

Being the big brother in the Primordial World was even tougher!

Just as Ancestor Dragon was struggling to decide, Candle Dragon called out again.

"Big brother! It's me, Candle Dragon!

Don't you recognize me?

Remember when we..."

Hearing Candle Dragon's words, Ancestor Dragon thought, This is bad.

If Candle Dragon blurted out what they'd done back then, when they'd snuck a peek at Phoenix Ancestor and... well, that,

Phoenix Ancestor might come charging all the way from the Undying Volcano at the South Pole to the East Pole.

Ancestor Dragon immediately appeared in front of Candle Dragon.

"You little rascal!

Silence!"

At Ancestor Dragon's roar, Candle Dragon shrank his neck.

The authority Ancestor Dragon had wielded over him for so long was on full display.

After cutting Candle Dragon off, Ancestor Dragon said coldly, "Come with me."

With that, Ancestor Dragon led Candle Dragon into a great hall.

Once Candle Dragon had taken his seat, Ancestor Dragon asked coolly, "Why aren't you staying with the Dragon Race? What did you come here to see me for?"

Hearing Ancestor Dragon's question, Candle Dragon immediately said, "Big brother!

Something's gone wrong!

Something's gone terribly wrong!"

Ancestor Dragon impatiently cut him off. "What's gone wrong?

I've been staying here at the East Pole. I haven't gone anywhere.

Keeping the East Pole stable every day is already more than enough work for me.

How could I possibly have time to cause trouble?

If you have something to say, say it properly!

If not, get out of here!

If anything goes wrong with the Dragon Race, I'll skin you alive!"

Candle Dragon hastily corrected himself. "No!

I'm the one who messed up!"

Ancestor Dragon frowned. "Explain in detail.

How did you mess things up?

Why on earth did you go to the Heavenly Court and challenge Haotian?

You were just asking for trouble!

Do you really not know the Dragon Race's situation right now?

Before I left, I warned you again and again.

I told you to keep a low profile.

And you?

Is this what you call keeping a low profile?

That bird, Kunpeng, already proved to the cultivators of the Primordial World that Haotian was no ordinary Quasi-Saint.

But you went and delivered yourself right to his doorstep!

Tell me, what am I supposed to do with you?"

Candle Dragon felt bitter inside as he listened.

As if I wanted to go!

I didn't want to go to the Heavenly Court.

But he specifically named me and ordered me to go!

Candle Dragon gave an awkward reply. "Big brother!

I wasn't the one who chose to go to the Heavenly Court.

That fellow Haotian forced me to go."

Ancestor Dragon frowned at Candle Dragon's answer. "How did he force you to go?"

Only then did Candle Dragon explain. "Big brother!

You know how powerful Haotian is now.

After what he said, the Dragon Race couldn't possibly stay out of it.

I thought that rather than waiting for that fellow to come knocking,

the Dragon Race might as well take the initiative and join the Heavenly Court.

That would save us a fight and preserve the Dragon Race's strength.

Who knew that after seeing Ao Guang, Haotian would specifically name me and tell me to go talk to him?

That's how I ended up at the Heavenly Court.

I really wasn't trying to show off."

Ancestor Dragon said in a low voice, "If you went there to discuss things, why did you end up fighting Haotian?

Did Haotian make the first move, too?"

Hearing this, Candle Dragon hesitated.

If I tell the truth, won't I get beaten again?

Seeing the hesitation on Candle Dragon's face, Ancestor Dragon immediately knew there was more to the story.

He snapped, "Speak!

Tell me the truth. What exactly happened?

Why did you fight Haotian?

If you really only went to discuss things with him,

I don't believe Haotian would pick a fight for no reason and deliberately make things difficult for you."

Ancestor Dragon had that part wrong.

Haotian had been looking for trouble.

It was just that Candle Dragon had been even more eager for it.

So Haotian could only "reluctantly" indulge him.