Inside the main hall of East Dragon Island, the awe-inspiring and blood-pumping Dragon Emperor Pressure had receded like a tide, and the illusory image of the purple-gold Giant Dragon and the dazzling light of its Reverse Scale had also faded away without a trace.
However, the atmosphere that permeated the air—a mixture of excitement, awe, solemnity, and a do-or-die determination—lingered like a tangible entity, never dissipating.
So much so that within every inch of this space, the people of East Dragon Island seemed to still hear the Dragon Emperor's roar that originated from their very souls, witnessing the scene that had just occurred, a scene worthy of being recorded in their clan's history.
The Great Elder and the Second Elder slowly straightened their bodies, which had been slightly tense from resisting the pressure. Their gazes, now like stars that had been tempered, were focused intently on Lin Ming.
At this moment, their eyes no longer held any of the scrutiny or doubt they had shown before. Instead, they were filled with an unwavering determination and fervent anticipation, the result of having endured thousands of years of darkness and finally witnessing the dawn piercing through the gloom.
"Mr. Lin Ming."
The Great Elder spoke first. His aged voice was more steady than ever before, like a rock, but upon closer listening, one could hear a barely perceptible undercurrent of turmoil hidden beneath the calm surface.
"The entire East Dragon Island is now of one mind and one heart! We are willing to Dragon Emperor's Inverse Scale's command and follow you, sir, to accomplish this unparalleled feat of unifying the ancient Ancient Dragon Clan and welcoming back His Majesty the Dragon Emperor!"
However, immediately after he finished speaking, he changed the subject slightly and returned to a practical issue. "However, the cause of unification is fraught with difficulties. I wonder what specific plans you have next?"
"The North Dragon King, the West Dragon King, and the South Dragon King are no ordinary people. They have been dividing and ruling over Ancient Dragon Island for nearly a thousand years, each occupying a part of the territory. Over time, they have accumulated a wealth of powerful figures under their command, and their own strength is unfathomable. They are by no means easy to deal with."
Lin Ming nodded slightly, not surprised by what the Great Elder said. However, he remained calm throughout, clearly having already repeatedly analyzed and considered the entire domain.
At this moment, Lin Ming spoke up, "The Great Elder's words are absolutely right, hitting the nail on the head. Those Three Great Dragon Kings Dragon Emperor dominated the North, West, and South Dragon Island for a long time, and have long been accustomed to their supreme power of absolute authority and the power of life and death. Their ambitions have long since swelled. How could they easily give up their power and bow down to their subjects just because of a sudden appearance of a Reverse Scale, or a decree from a 'past' Dragon Emperor?"
The actions of these Three Great Dragon Kings in the later stages of the original work flashed through my mind. They even dared to unite and rebel after Zi Yan officially inherited the Dragon Emperor's throne, which shows their arrogance and greed for power.
Therefore, from the very beginning, Lin Ming never naively harbored the illusion that they would be as compliant as East Dragon Island, accepting the schedule leniently because of their adherence to orthodoxy and loyalty to the Old Dragon Emperor.
Therefore, Lin Ming immediately First Revolution, his calm voice suddenly revealing a resolute and unquestionable confidence, like a sharp sword drawn from its sheath, its cold light gleaming:
"However, I never expected them to submit willingly. Negotiation and persuasion always need to be based on a sufficiently strong military deterrent. This is a universal truth, especially for the Ancient Void Dragon of the Void who revere power! If they are convinced, that's best; if not—"
A sharp glint flashed in Lin Ming's eyes, and his voice rang out like the clang of metal. "Then we'll beat them into submission!"
"Subdue them?"
The Second Elder's brows furrowed slightly, almost imperceptibly, on his face, which was as cold as an ice sculpture. His voice rang out, carrying a hint of seriousness.
"The Three Great Dragon Kings are all top-tier experts who have reached the Late Stage Three-Star Dou Saint, possessing formidable strength. Each of them has recruited and cultivated at least one Dou Sheng- level elder, as well as a considerable number of Half Sage and Peak Dou Venerate experts, making their overall strength formidable and not to be underestimated. Even if my East Dragon Island were to mobilize all its resources and elite forces, our chances of victory against any one of the Three Great Dragon Islands would be..."
He didn't say anything more, but the slight shaking of his head and the solemnity in his eyes conveyed his meaning perfectly clearly.
In a head-on, direct war, East Dragon Island's current strength, it would be difficult to claim an advantage against any single Dragon Island, let alone facing three simultaneously.
The atmosphere in the hall became slightly more tense due to the Second Elder's calm, almost ruthless analysis. Elder Zhu Li also looked worried, clearly believing that a direct war was not the best strategy.
However, a meaningful smile, as if he had everything under control, appeared on Lin Ming's lips.
At this moment, Lin Ming did not directly refute, but slowly raised his right hand. His slender fingertips were now entwined with two extremely fine, yet soul-stirring, purple-gold blood streaks!
These two strands of blood were as thin as gossamer, almost imperceptible without careful observation. But the moment they appeared, a terrifying aura, purer, more ancient, and closer to the source of power than the pressure emanating from the Dragon Emperor's Inverse Scale, quietly spread out, as if a sleeping Ancient Fierce Beast had opened its eyes!
The aura was restrained yet profound, as if it contained the destructive energy to create the world and reshape the rules, causing the three elders present to instantly feel their hair stand on end and their dragon blood to surge uncontrollably within them!
"A head-on confrontation would only waste the clan's strength and is naturally unwise. I have never intended for the loyal sons of East Dragon Island to engage in unnecessary bloodshed and make pointless sacrifices against those traitors."
Lin Ming's voice was not loud, but it was like a thunderclap from the heavens, each word striking heavily into the minds of the three elders.
"Because within me lies two drops of the Dragon Emperor Essence Blood, bestowed upon me by my uncle, to be used in extraordinary circumstances!"
Although he possessed three drops of Dragon Emperor Essence Blood within him, how could he possibly reveal such a Trump Card— a trump card capable of turning the tide in dire straits—without reservation? Therefore, showing only two drops was enough to intimidate them and give them confidence. The last drop, of course, was reserved for unforeseen circumstances!
"Dragon Emperor Essence Blood?!"
Elder Zhu Li was the first to gasp in shock, his voice trembling with extreme astonishment.
The Great Elder and the Second Elder's pupils suddenly contracted to the size of pinpoints, their breathing almost stopped for a moment, and their chests heaved violently!
Dragon Emperor Essence Blood! This is not a token with greater symbolic significance like the Reverse Scale; this is a crystallization of supreme energy that truly embodies the Life Origin and the understanding of rules accumulated by the old Dragon Emperor Zhu Kun through countless years of arduous cultivation!
Its value, for the Ancient Void Dragon, is immeasurable by any worldly measure! A single drop of its Essence Blood is enough to create a top-tier powerhouse, and may even contain a sliver of opportunity to break through to the highest realm!
"That's right, it is indeed the Dragon Emperor Essence Blood." Lin Ming confirmed their guess, his tone still calm, but what he said was earth-shattering.
"According to my uncle, every drop of his Essence Blood, if used with the Dragon Emperor's Inverse Scale as a catalyst and combined with a special secret technique, can condense into a temporary Energy Avatar that carries a portion of his will and power."
After a pause, Lin Ming glanced at the three elders' faces, which were somewhat dazed with extreme shock, and slowly uttered the most crucial information:
"This Energy Avatar can only exist for about an hour, but the power it can unleash within that hour... is comparable to Seven-Star Dou Saint!"
"Seven... Seven-Star Dou Saint?!"
This time, even the most resilient and experienced Great Elder, who had long since reached the level of remaining calm even when faced with a collapsing mountain, could no longer maintain his composure and couldn't help but gasp!
So much so that his withered face flushed with an unusual redness due to extreme excitement and horror!
It's important to understand that while there may only be a four-star difference between Three-star Dou Sheng and Seven-Star Dou Saint, the difference in strength is like heaven and earth, an insurmountable Natural Chasm!
Seven-Star Dou Saint has truly touched upon the pinnacle of power on the Dou Qi Continent! If they could summon such a powerful Dragon Emperor Avatar, let alone the Three Great Dragon Kings who are only Late Stage Three-Star Dou Saint Sheng, even if they were lucky enough to break through to Four Stars or Five Stars, they would be nothing but clay chickens and earthen dogs in front of Seven-Star Dou Saint. Even if they were tied together, they would not last a single move or two! It is an absolute crushing on the level of power!
The Second Elder's face, frozen like Ice-Sealed for millennia, thawed as if Bing He had broken. A terrifying light flashed in his sharp, hawk-like eyes. He stared intently at the two strands of purple-gold blood at Lin Ming's fingertips, which seemed to contain the power of the universe's creation and destruction. His voice trembled slightly, a tremor he himself was unaware of:
"With such... such astounding Trump Card in hand, why worry that the three rebellious kings will not submit! Why worry that the great cause of unification cannot be accomplished!"
Lin Ming nodded, acknowledging the Second Elder's reaction, but then slowly shook his head, his tone becoming deep and cautious. "Essence Blood is extremely precious; every drop used is one less. My uncle bestowed it upon me so that I could stabilize the clan at crucial moments, not squander it recklessly. Now that we only have two drops, we must not use them lightly."
After speaking, Lin Ming glanced at the three elders again and said in a deep voice, "To guard against unforeseen events or to deal with other unknown powerful enemies, we need to preserve a drop of Essence Blood as a last resort, just in case."
"Therefore, to subdue the Three Great Dragon Kings and unify the four islands, we can only use a single drop of their Essence Blood."
"One drop? Only one drop?" Elder Zhu Li was taken aback for a moment, then quickly grasped the key point.
"Does the master mean that it is not to use it three times to deal with the Three Great Dragon Kings separately, but... to use only this one drop to solve all the problems at once? To gather the Three Great Dragon Kings together in one place, apply pressure at the same time, and capture them all in one fell swoop?"
"That's exactly right!"
Lin Ming's gaze suddenly sharpened like a knife, as if he could already see the scene that would decide their fate. He said, "Dividing and attacking is certainly a safer approach and can ensure victory."
"However, this method is time-consuming, cumbersome, and extremely risky. If we make such a commotion while dealing with one of the Three Great Dragon Kings, the other two islands will definitely notice. At that time, even if they don't immediately unite, they will certainly be on high alert, and may even secretly collude, which will bring many troubles and variables to our subsequent actions. In that case, even if we ultimately win, it will inevitably be much more difficult, and may even cause greater casualties."
Seeing the thoughtful expressions on their faces, Lin Ming immediately spoke with a resolute tone, full of the boldness of a strategist. "Therefore, the best way is to devise a trap they cannot refuse, to lure them into a snare! To 'invite' all three of them to East Dragon Island!"
"At that time, we will be at our peak, and we only need to summon the Dragon Emperor Avatar to suppress the Three Great Dragon Kings with overwhelming force. We can then settle the world in one day and completely resolve the threat of division!"