At this moment, the atmosphere in the main hall instantly became heavy and oppressive to the extreme, as if the air itself had turned into a viscous gel.
Even without deliberately releasing their pressure, the gazes of the two Dou Sheng Elders were enough to shatter the minds of ordinary Dou Venerate and cause their Dou Qi to dissipate. An invisible storm seemed to be brewing in the silence.
Under the heavy silence that seemed to freeze time and the invisible pressure of the two Dou Sheng Elders, time seemed to stretch out endlessly. Every breath felt like diving into the deep sea, enduring immense pressure from all directions.
Finally, after a long and nerve-wracking scrutiny, the Great Elder on the left, dressed in hemp robes and with a withered face, slowly spoke.
His aged voice, though not loud, seemed to possess a strange penetrating power, like ancient bells and chimes, echoing clearly in the spacious main hall. Each word carried a heavy weight and a hint of scrutiny and questioning.
"Zhu Li."
The Great Elder's gaze was like a gentle yet unfathomable ancient well, sweeping over the respectfully standing Zhu Li, and then seemingly casually passing over Lin Ming, Qing Lin, and Xiong Zhan behind him, before finally settling on Zhu Li again. His tone was deep and solemn, carrying the majesty accumulated over the years.
"Why go to such lengths, even using your Bloodline Mark, to forcibly awaken us from our slumber that has been meant to prolong our lives?"
He paused slightly, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes, which seemed to hold the secrets of star formation and the cosmic cycle. He continued, "I remember being explicitly instructed that unless East Dragon Island faces a life-or-death crisis, or foreign enemies besiege the city and threaten the foundation of our clan, our slumber must not be disturbed."
"Now that our divine senses have just awakened, we haven't sensed any violent impact on the spatial barrier outside the island, nor have we seen any flames ignited... What could possibly be the reason that has led you to take such an extraordinary action?"
As soon as the Great Elder finished speaking, the Second Elder on the right did not speak in agreement, but his cold gaze, like two invisible blades of Myriad Years Profound Ice, was also focused on Zhu Li, clearly expressing the same doubt as the Great Elder.
His cold, stern face was expressionless, but the chilling aura emanating from him, almost tangible, made the already somewhat viscous air in the main hall seem even more frozen, chilling to the bone.
The psychological pressure from the two Dou Sheng Experts, even just their calm gazes and inquiries, was like a mountain collapsing. Even Zhu Li, whose strength had reached the High-Tier Half Sage Zhu Li, felt his mind tense, and a faint light flickered on his forehead, which was a manifestation of his Dou Qi autonomously circulating to resist the pressure.
Zhu Li dared not be negligent in the slightest. He immediately stepped forward, bowed deeply, and with barely suppressed excitement and unprecedented solemnity on his face, respectfully said, "Great Elder, Second Elder, please calm your anger!"
"Zhu Li knows that disturbing the two elders' slumber is a grave taboo, and he would never dare to recklessly tamper with their Bloodline Mark for a trivial matter! This time, he has awakened them not because of any external enemy invasion or armed conflict, but because..."
"This is a momentous turning point for our Ancient Void Dragon Clan, unprecedented in thousands of years. It concerns whether our clan can end its fragmentation, reunite, and recreate its ancient glory—a matter of paramount importance! In Zhu Li's view, the weight and depth of this matter far outweigh any immediate safety or loss!"
"Oh?"
The Great Elder raised his long, snow-white eyebrows slightly, and for the first time, a clear look of surprise appeared on his withered face. A surge of emotion welled up in his deep, Star Sea- like eyes.
Even the Second Elder, who had always been as cold as an iceberg, suddenly focused his sharp, hawk-like eyes, as if he had spotted his prey, and a barely perceptible fluctuation appeared in the icy aura around him.
Clearly, the word "unification" struck them like a boulder thrown into a deep well, precisely hitting the deepest and most painful knot in their hearts.
The millennia-long division and internal strife remain an eternal scar and shame in the hearts of all the Ancient Dragon Clan of East Dragon Island, especially their high-ranking members.
"What do you mean? Explain quickly, without omitting a single detail!"
The Great Elder's voice was slightly gentler than before, but the majesty and unquestionable authority befitting Dou Sheng Expert were even stronger, as if an invisible rule enveloped the entire main hall.
"Yes! I will obey the Great Elder's command!" Zhu Li a deep breath, as if to suppress his turbulent emotions, and began to speak in the clearest and most detailed manner.
He didn't immediately mention the Dragon Emperor's Inverse Scale, but instead started from the root cause.
He began by recounting how, several years ago, His Majesty the Dragon Emperor's only bloodline, Highness Zi Yan, was left to wander outside, and how she met and became acquainted with the human youth Lin Ming before him, forging an incredibly deep friendship.
He mentioned that Highness Zi Yan is currently in a completely safe secret place, in seclusion, refining the legendary Dragon Phoenix Origin Fruit with all her might. Once she succeeds, her bloodline will surpass all her clansmen throughout history, making her the new generation of Dragon Phoenix Sovereign.
Then, his tone First Revolution, becoming more solemn and excited, as he revealed the most earth-shattering news. "And Mr. Lin Ming, due to a special opportunity, previously met... met His Majesty the Dragon Emperor of our clan, who had been missing for thousands of years— His Majesty Zhu Kun!"
At this point, Zhu Li deliberately paused, allowing the two elders to process this shocking news that would shake the entire Beast Domain. At the same time, following his prior agreement with Lin Ming, he made some necessary "embellishments" to the Old Dragon Emperor's situation.
He explained that His Majesty Zhu Kun had not perished, but was instead trapped in an extremely mysterious and Deadly Land even His Majesty himself could not easily escape.
It was only in recent years that the seal on that Deadly Land began to loosen, allowing His Majesty to use his extraordinary cultivation to barely spare a sliver of power to guide Highness Zi Yan, who possessed the Dragon Emperor Bloodline, and Mr. Lin Ming, whose fate was intertwined with hers, to meet her.
At present, Highness Zi Yan is in that Deadly Land, under the personal Protector of His Majesty the Dragon Emperor, refining the Dragon Phoenix Origin Fruit in seclusion.
As for the exact location of that Deadly Land in the void, even Mr. Lin Ming, who was guided there, did not know because its spatial coordinates were constantly changing and extremely mysterious. However, His Majesty said that within a hundred years at most, he would be able to completely break free from his shackles, escape his predicament, and return to the world!
"What?! His Majesty... he's still alive?!"
Upon hearing this, even the Great Elder and Second Elder, whose minds had been calmed by countless years of vicissitudes, could no longer remain composed. They both gasped in shock almost simultaneously, their eyes blazing with an unbelievable light as intense as the sun!
Old Dragon Emperor Zhu Kun was once the faith and pillar of the Ancient Void Dragon Clan. His disappearance was the direct trigger for the clan's decline from prosperity to division.
After thousands of years of silence, even if the clan's higher-ups were unwilling to admit it, they had already prepared for the worst. But now, upon suddenly hearing that His Majesty was not only alive, but also had a clear deadline for escape, this news was like a thunderclap from the God, exploding in their long-dormant hearts and stirring up a monstrous wave!
"Absolutely true! I Zhu Li, swear on my own blood and soul that this is absolutely true!" Zhu Li bowed deeply, his voice trembling noticeably with extreme excitement.
After a long pause, he continued, "Although His Majesty is imprisoned, his cultivation is extraordinary, and he has already glimpsed an opportunity to escape! He has not only acknowledged Mr. Lin Ming's relationship with our clan, especially with Highness Zi Yan, but also..."
Zhu Li's voice rose here, carrying a solemnity like that of a divine pronouncement, "His Majesty bestowed upon Mr. Lin Ming the Reverse Scale contains the Dragon Emperor Seal, bearing the supreme majesty and will of the Dragon Emperor!"
"The Dragon Emperor's Inverse Scale?!"
This time, the Great Elder and the Second Elder reacted even more violently than when they first heard that the Old Dragon Emperor was still alive! Almost instinctively, the two of them took a step forward at the same time, and their powerful aura, which had been dormant for countless years, burst forth uncontrollably like a flood!
"Boom!!"
The entire magnificent main hall trembled slightly under the sudden pressure of the two Dou Saintly Might. The luminous pearls and glowing minerals embedded in the walls flickered violently, as if they might go out at any moment.
The hard, Dragon Pattern Stone Slab on the ground emitted a faint "crackling" sound as they succumbed to the weight.
The Dragon Qi permeating the air instantly boiled, as if it had been thrown into boiling oil and then cooled down.
The two elders could no longer maintain their composed demeanor. They stared intently at Lin Ming, who was standing behind Zhu Li, their gazes like the most intense searchlights, filled with extreme shock, unyielding doubt, and a flicker of hope for the future of their clan, forcibly awakened from the dust of despair!
The Dragon Emperor's Inverse Scale! For the Ancient Void Dragon, this is no ordinary scale! It is the condensation of the Dragon Emperor's essence and majesty, the supreme symbol of status and power, and an unparalleled token that can resonate with the Ancient Dragon Bloodline!
In an era when the Dragon Emperor was absent, possessing it, to some extent, represented the Dragon Emperor's presence, signifying legitimacy and righteousness.
"Is this true?! Boy, do you really have His Majesty's Reverse Scale on you?!" The Second Elder's usually icy voice now carried a violent fluctuation, like ice shattering.
His gaze was as sharp as two solid, cold iron swords, as if he wanted to thoroughly dissect Lin Ming from skin to bone, from his dantian to his soul, to verify his authenticity.
Feeling the intense, scrutinizing gazes of the two elders, which seemed capable of melting Jin Shi and piercing through the void, Lin Ming's mind became clear.
At this moment, he knew that based solely on Elder Zhu Li's words, even if he swore an oath, it would be extremely difficult to convince these two ancient beings who had lived for countless years, witnessed countless conspiracies and schemes, and experienced the rise and fall of their clans.
Such a momentous matter concerning the fate of the race cannot be trusted with hearsay; even seeing it firsthand requires repeated verification.
In response, Lin Ming's lips curled slightly, showing no sign of tension or fear, but rather a calm and composed smile.
At this moment, he immediately stepped forward, this time passing Zhu Li half a body length. His posture was neither humble nor arrogant. Facing the Great Elder and Second Elder, whose auras were surging, as well as the several powerful figures from East Dragon Island who had been quietly gathering in the shadows at the edge of the main hall after the commotion, he calmly cupped his hands in greeting. His voice, clear as the striking of jade chimes, clearly reached the ears of everyone present.
"Elders, Elder Zhu Li's words just now were all true, without a single falsehood. This junior knows all too well how earth-shattering and significant His Majesty the Dragon Emperor's matter and his Dragon Emperor's Inverse Scale Dragon Clan. Empty words are indeed unreliable and cannot be trusted by you seniors."
Immediately, Lin Ming paused, his expression turning serious. He met the gazes of the two Dou Sheng Elders, a gaze that could eclipse the sun and moon, and said loudly, "In that case, this junior will presume upon your authority. If I have offended you in any way, I hope the Great Elder Second Elder will forgive me!"