Lin Ming's words, a combination of kindness and severity, laid bare the cruel fate and a glimmer of hope before them, like the last straw, completely crushed the remaining pride and wishful thinking in the hearts of the Three Great Dragon Kings.
At this moment, the air inside the hall was deathly still, with only the heavy, painful breathing of the Three Great Dragon Kings and the faint sound of blood dripping onto the ground.
They lay prostrate on the ground, not even daring to look at each other, yet they could feel the internal struggle emanating from each other's violently fluctuating auras.
To submit to a human? Though utterly shameful and humiliating! But he would receive the Dragon Emperor 'Dragon Emperor's Inverse Scale and the Dragon Emperor Essence Blood, a recognition bestowed upon him. Could he still be considered human? He would be the Dragon Emperor's representative. The crucial point is: if they didn't submit? They would be instantly annihilated, body and soul, and bear eternal infamy!
Is it better to choose a meaningless death and eternal shame, or to return to the Dragon Emperor's command, hoping for a glimmer of hope, and perhaps even a place among the unified Ancient Dragon Clan in the future?
The answer to this multiple-choice question seems self-evident: Only by living can endless possibilities exist. Once you're dead, you truly have nothing left.
Moreover, the information revealed in Lin Ming's words was too terrifying—the old Dragon Emperor Zhu Kun was not only alive, but also plotting to break through to the Dou Di! Zi Yan was about to achieve the Dragon Phoenix Body! Either of these two mountains was enough to bring them to their doom. Submission seemed to be the only, and best, option.
Time passed slowly, and the Dragon Emperor Avatar's oppressive aura enveloped them as if it were a tangible force, reminding them of their current predicament.
Finally, the North Dragon King made the first decision.
At this moment, the North Dragon King struggled to raise his head. His face had lost its former gloom and domineering air, leaving only humiliation and defeat. His voice was hoarse and dry, as if he had used up all his strength.
"North Dragon Island ...the lineage of North Dragon Island ...will...will return to the Dragon Emperor's command...your subject...submits..." The last word was almost squeezed out from between his teeth, tinged with blood.
With the North Dragon King taking the lead, the West Dragon King and the South Dragon King, who had long been overwhelmed by fear and the will to survive, also completely gave up resistance.
"West Dragon Island... submits!"
"South Dragon Island... will obey the Dragon Emperor's decree!"
Three voices, representing submission, finally rang out in the dilapidated hall.
Although this was filled with resentment and humiliation, it meant that the Ancient Void Dragon Clan, which had been divided for thousands of years, was finally nominally reunited!
Upon hearing these words of submission that they had longed for for thousands of years, the three elders of East Dragon Island, who were standing to the side, trembled with emotion and tears streamed down their faces.
Zhu Li couldn't help but murmur, "Your His Majesty... did you see it? The Ancient Dragon Clan... has finally been unified!"
Lin Ming secretly breathed a sigh of relief. He had finally subdued these three troublemakers, preventing the worst-case scenario and preserving the Ancient Dragon Clan's top combat strength.
Moreover, with these three forces, his subsequent plans against the Soul Hall finally had a solid foundation for implementation.
However, as soon as he breathed a sigh of relief, a more practical problem surfaced in Lin Ming's mind.
These Three Great Dragon Kings are genuine Late Stage Three-Star Dou Saint powerhouses! I am currently only at the peak of Eight-Star Dou Venerate. I can temporarily suppress them with my Dragon Emperor Avatar and Reverse Scale, but the clone has an expiration time, and Reverse Scale is more of a symbol.
Once the Dragon Emperor Avatar dissipates and his deterrent power is gone, if these three harbor ulterior motives and suddenly launch an attack, I'm afraid I won't even have time to react before I'm instantly killed! At that point, forget about unifying the country; I won't even know how I died.
Trust? In the face of an absolute disparity in strength and a newly formed deep-seated hatred, trust is the cheapest and most dangerous thing.
Therefore, we must have a means to truly control them! An absolute control that will prevent them from harboring any disloyal thoughts, even when they are alone!
Thinking of this, the slight softening that had just appeared on Lin Ming's face vanished instantly, replaced by a deeper, more authoritative and unquestionable aura. So much so that when Lin Ming's gaze swept over the Three Great Dragon Kings who had just submitted, his voice was calm yet carried a chilling, penetrating power as he said:
"Excellent! Since the three Dragon Kings are wise and righteous, and are willing to repent and return to the Ancient Dragon Clan, this is undoubtedly a blessing for the entire Dragon Clan!"
Lin Ming first affirmed, then First Revolution, his tone becoming serious. "However, since you've chosen to atone for your crimes, you must do it properly! Empty surrender is hardly convincing. When I plead for you three before Zi Yan and His Majesty the Dragon Emperor, I'll need some concrete evidence to prove your genuine remorse, not just a temporary measure. Otherwise, how can I describe your 'sincerity' to Zi Yan when she asks?"
Upon hearing this, the Three Great Dragon Kings, who had just breathed a sigh of relief, felt their hearts tighten again, and an ominous premonition welled up in their hearts.
The most impatient of them all, the West Dragon King, couldn't help but look up, his voice gruff and wary, as he asked, "Then... then how do you want us to prove it?"
Lin Ming looked at them, his face displaying an expression that said, "I'm doing all this for your own good," and gently coaxed, "It's not that I want you to do anything. Rather, the three of you should realize how grave your sins were in dividing the tribe!"
"Currently, the Ancient Dragon Clan is weakened by internal divisions, making it vulnerable to potential external threats. Therefore, the three who genuinely repented have immediately offered me a wisp of their Life Dragon Soul for temporary safekeeping."
After speaking, Lin Ming paused, observing the sudden change in the three people's expressions, and continued, "Rest assured, I will carefully preserve this wisp of Dragon Soul from you, and will personally present it to His Majesty the Dragon Emperor or Zi Yan when we meet in the future."
"This is irrefutable proof that the three of you have turned over a new leaf and repented for your past mistakes! It will also allow the Dragon Emperor and Zi Yan to clearly feel the strength of your resolve to repent! In this way, when the time comes, I will have more confidence to speak well of the three of you, and I will be more able to move them and secure the most lenient treatment for you. This is all for the sake of your future!"
"Hand over your Life Dragon Soul?!"
Upon hearing this, the Three Great Dragon Kings were all shaken to their core, their faces drained of color instantly! Even the three elders of East Dragon Island standing nearby were astonished, never expecting Lin Ming to make such a... ruthless and thorough demand!
The Life Dragon Soul is the core of the Ancient Void Dragon's essence, energy, spirit, bloodline, and soul! Separating a wisp of it, while not immediately fatal, is tantamount to completely entrusting one's life and death to the other party!
At that time, if the other party had a single thought and crushed that wisp of Dragon Soul, they would suffer severe soul damage, turning into a dazed and confused dragon who had lost all memory and power; or they would be completely annihilated and die on the spot!
This is far more terrifying than any poison or Restriction! It truly means handing your life over to the other party's control!
The North Dragon King's face was ashen, his teeth grinding together. "Lin Ming! You... you clearly don't trust us! You want to completely control us!"
The South Dragon King's voice trembled. "Hand over the Dragon Soul... this... this is going too far..."
Seeing their intense reaction, Lin Ming's feigned "thinking of you" vanished instantly, replaced by a cold mockery and absolute dominance. "Don't trust you? I want to control you?"
Lin Ming scoffed, "If I truly wanted to harm you, would I need to go to such lengths? With my Dragon Emperor Avatar as a Seven-Star Dou Saint, if I harbored any murderous intent, the three of you would already be three cold corpses, or even nothing at all! Why would I spare your lives until now and waste so much time talking to you?"
As he spoke, Lin Ming's voice suddenly turned sharp, carrying an undeniable resolve. "I'll say it one last time! Handing over the Dragon Soul is the only way for you to express your remorse and exchange it for a chance to live in the future! This is the last chance I'm giving you!"
Then, Lin Ming's gaze swept over the three men with lightning speed, and he said, word by word, "Of course, if you would rather die now, bearing the stigma of traitors and perishing in both body and soul, I can grant your wish immediately! Without a second thought!"
Before the words were even finished, the Dragon Emperor Avatar, suspended in mid-air, seemed to receive a command and suddenly let out a deep dragon roar! The vast, Star Sea -like Seven-Star Dou Saint pressure erupted once more, even more violent and filled with Killing Intent than before!
Within those enormous dragon eyes, purple-gold flames burned, locking onto the Three Great Dragon Kings below, as if they were about to unleash a destructive Dragon Breath to wipe them completely from this world!
"Roar--!!"
The shadow of death loomed over them instantly! The Three Great Dragon Kings felt their souls freezing and shattering under this Killing Intent! They had no doubt that if they dared to utter another "no," their death would be imminent!
Faced with absolute power and the naked threat of death, all pride, resentment, and anger seem so pale and powerless.
The North Dragon King's face flashed with extreme struggle and pain, which finally turned into a deathly despair. He closed his eyes, took a long, humiliating breath, and then suddenly opened them, as if he had made some kind of decision.
Then, with difficulty, he raised his hand, his fingertips shimmering with the Soul Light, and suddenly touched his brow!
A slight, soul-tearing pain came, and a phantom dragon, about the thickness of a little finger and radiating a purple halo, with noble golden Dragon Might might, was forcibly forced out from between his eyebrows! This Dragon Soul was lifelike, but its eyes were dim; it was a wisp of his Life Dragon Soul!
Seeing the North Dragon King take the lead, the West Dragon King South Dragon King also completely gave up resisting. Their facial muscles twitched, filled with immense pain and resentment, but they dared not hesitate for a moment. They gritted their teeth and forced out their own wisp of golden Dragon Soul with a hint of purple!
Three tiny Dragon Soul floated in the air, emanating powerful Soul Fluctuation befitting Three-star Dou Sheng, yet they were as fragile as rootless duckweed.
Lin Ming looked at the three Dragon Soul, his eyes flashing with a sharp light. Without the slightest hesitation, the Dragon Emperor's Inverse Scale between his brows immediately emitted a suction force, like three invisible vortexes, directly sucking the three Dragon Soul into it!
The moment the Dragon Soul entered the Inverse Scale Space, it seemed to be suppressed by some supreme rule. The Soul Imprint that originally belonged to the Three Great Dragon Kings were instantly suppressed and isolated, becoming extremely docile, quietly floating in the purple-gold light within the Reverse Scale.
With the Dragon Emperor's Inverse Scale guarding them, these three Dragon Soul could no longer cause any trouble. Their life and death were only in Lin Ming's hands!
Only now did the biggest weight in Lin Ming's heart finally lift off his shoulders!
He has now successfully subdued the Three Great Dragon Kings and even grasped their most fatal weaknesses! From now on, these three Three-star Dou Sheng will become the sharpest blade in his hand, and they will never dare to harbor any disloyalty again!
"Very good!" Lin Ming finally showed a genuine, relaxed smile.
"Since the three of you have shown such sincerity, I, Lin Ming, hereby swear that as long as you remain loyal and contribute to the unification and prosperity of the Ancient Dragon Clan, I will do my utmost to speak on your behalf before the Dragon Emperor and Zi Yan, ensuring your safety and even helping you regain your position as elders!"
A combination of firmness and kindness is the way to manage subordinates.
The Three Great Dragon Kings felt their connection with that wisp of Dragon Soul completely severed and suppressed, and the last glimmer of hope in their hearts was utterly extinguished. They collapsed to the ground, their faces ashen, as if their spines had been removed.
Although they have survived, they will lose their freedom and become puppets in the hands of this human.
However, having come this far, they had no other choice. So the three of them responded weakly and insincerely, "Thank you... thank you... Mr. Lin Ming..."
Thus, the Three Great Dragon Kings of the Ancient Void Dragon Clan were officially and completely subdued!
With their submission, Lin Ming no longer needed to worry about the Dou Sheng, Half Sage, elders, and the massive Dragon Clan army under their command.
If any of their subordinates dare to make any move, without Lin Ming even having to say a word, these three Dragon Kings, in order to demonstrate their "loyalty" and clear their "crimes," will be the first to jump out and let those blind fools know what the consequences of being a traitor are!
Inside the main hall of East Dragon Island, a new power structure, centered on Lin Ming and integrating the forces of the Four Great Dragon Islands, is beginning to take shape.
A massive force comprised of three Late Stage Three-Star Dou Saints, several One- and Two-Star Dou Saints, several Half Sages, and countless Dou Venerate — the Ancient Void Dragon.
This immense force, powerful enough to shake the very fabric of the Middle Continent Plains, is about to unleash its ferocious claws under his will! And its first target is none other than the Soul Hall, to whom it owes Blood debt!