With the Three Great Dragon Kings surrendering a Life Dragon Soul, which was then completely suppressed by the Dragon Emperor's Inverse Scale, this game concerning the future fate of the Ancient Void Dragon Clan finally ended with Lin Ming's complete victory.
The suffocating pressure and Killing Intent within the hall slowly subsided, and the Dragon Emperor Avatar gradually faded, eventually turning into specks of purple-gold light that disappeared back into the Reverse Scale, as if it had never existed. However, the terrifying residual power in the air, and the miserable state of the Three Great Dragon Kings prostrate on the ground, their breaths weak, all demonstrated how real and cruel what had just happened was.
At this moment, Lin Ming stood with his hands behind his back, his gaze calmly sweeping over the three once arrogant Dragon King at his feet. Now that the three had submitted, Lin Ming did not delay and immediately gave them clear instructions, telling them to take action and turn their verbal submission into concrete actions.
"Now that the three of you have decided to submit to the Dragon Emperor, the first thing to do is to unite the Ancient Dragon Clan!"
Lin Ming's voice broke the silence, carrying an unquestionable authority as he continued, "All members of the clansmen of North Dragon Island, West Dragon Island, and South Dragon Island, regardless of their cultivation level or status, are hereby ordered to assemble and arrive at East Dragon Island within half a month! No mistakes, no omissions!"
Lin Ming's tone was resolute, leaving no room for negotiation, as he emphasized, "Remember, it's everyone! Including every Dou Sheng Elder under your command, every Half Sage commander, and even all Dou Venerate and Dou Zong level clan members! I want to see the most complete and powerful force of the Ancient Dragon Clan gathered here for the first time since its split!"
This order meant that the Three Great Dragon Kings had to reveal all their resources without reservation, completely relinquish their independent control over their respective Dragon Island, and concentrate all their power on the "legitimate" East Dragon Island.
This is the first and most crucial step towards unification, symbolizing the transfer of power from dispersion to centralization.
Upon hearing this, the Three Great Dragon Kings all trembled slightly.
This order was tantamount to uprooting their millennia-old foundation. But now, with their lives in someone else's hands, how could they dare to disobey in the slightest?
The North Dragon King struggled to raise his head, forcing an expression more painful than tears onto his face. His voice was hoarse as he spoke, "Mr. Lin Ming... now that we have submitted, the title of 'Dragon King' is something we... truly dare not accept. It sounds jarring and shameful. You... you may simply address us by our given names."
After speaking, the North Dragon King paused, then said dejectedly, with endless contemplation, "My name is... Zhu Xu."
The West Dragon King beside him quickly intervened, his previous rage completely gone, replaced by utmost caution. "Yes, yes! My name is Zhu Jin, you can just call me Zhu Jin!"
The South Dragon King also lowered his head and said meekly, "I am Zhu You, and I will obey your orders, sir."
The title "Dragon King," once a symbol of power and status, now sounded like the greatest irony and condemnation to them. So much so that the three of them voluntarily requested to address him by his given name—a gesture of repentance and submission, and a helpless attempt to sever ties with the past.
Seeing the three men's sensible attitude, Lin Ming nodded slightly, a look of satisfaction on his face. "Zhu Xu, Zhu Jin, Zhu You... not bad, you have the awareness and good attitude. Recognizing reality and knowing your place, this is how you should atone for your sins."
Lin Ming nodded and waved his hand, as if dismissing unimportant people. "Now, you will all return to Dragon Island and carry out your orders! In half a month, I want to see all the personnel from your three islands here, not one missing!"
"Yes! I will obey your orders, sir!"
Despite the excruciating pain and humiliation, Zhu Xu, Zhu Jin, and Zhu You struggled to their feet. Without even having time to properly treat their injuries, they bowed deeply to Lin Ming and then, like stray dogs, staggered away, Space-Tearing at top speed, fleeing the East Dragon Island, where their dignity had been utterly humiliated.
They need to go back immediately, suppress all possible opposition, and complete this complete "relocation".
As they watched the spatial ripples from the disappearance of the three, the three elders of East Dragon Island, who had been maintaining a dignified demeanor, finally couldn't help but burst into wild cheers!
"We did it! We did it!" Elder Zhu Li was so excited that tears streamed down his face as he grabbed the Great Elder's arm.
"Big brother! The Ancient Dragon Clan... is really going to be unified!"
An excited blush appeared on the withered face of the Great Elder, who nodded heavily. "For thousands of years... the wish of countless people on East Dragon Island will finally be fulfilled today!"
At this moment, the Great Elder looked at Lin Ming with gratitude and admiration.
Although the Second Elder remained stern, his clenched fists and slightly trembling body revealed his inner turmoil.
Lin Ming turned around and faced the three excited elders, a smile appearing on his face, "Elders, thank you for your hard work. If you hadn't stabilized East Dragon Island in the early stages and risked going to the three islands to stage that play, we wouldn't be in this situation today."
After explaining the situation to the three, Lin Ming said to them, "However, now is not the time to relax. I also ask the three elders to immediately gather all the clansmen of East Dragon Island for integration and mobilization. In half a month, when the forces from all four islands have gathered, we will have something important to do!"
"A major event?" The three elders were taken aback, then their eyes gleamed. They knew that Lin Ming's unification of the Ancient Dragon Clan was not merely for the sake of unification.
"That's right, let's go!" Lin Ming's eyes sharpened, a hint of Killing Intent flashing within them.
"Let the blood and wails of our enemies celebrate the rebirth of the Ancient Dragon Clan!"
Time flies like sand slipping through our fingers; amidst the tense preparations and waiting, half a month passed in the blink of an eye.
When the appointed time arrived, the entire void surrounding East Dragon Island seemed to become crowded and bustling!
The once relatively empty space surrounding East Dragon Island is now filled with countless Ancient Void Dragons of various shapes and sizes!
There were ancient Giant Dragon maintaining their enormous bodies, their scales gleaming and their Dragon Might overwhelming; there were Dragon Clan warriors who had transformed into Human Form, their aura fierce, their eyes sharp and their discipline strict; and there were even more Dragon Clan offspring, slightly weaker but far more numerous, gathered together, their energy fluctuations resembling a vast ocean.
The area of East Dragon Island itself has not expanded, but the number of people gathered there has increased exponentially!
All the Ancient Dragon Clan from North Dragon Island, West Dragon Island, South Dragon Island, and the East Dragon Island headquarters divided up different regions in the void according to their original affiliations.
Although everything was orderly, the immense Qi and Blood and vast Dragon Might gathered together caused this Void Space to tremble slightly, as if it could not withstand this terrifying power.
Lin Ming, along with the three elders of East Dragon Island, and Zhu Xu, Zhu Jin, and Zhu You, who had just returned and whose injuries had obviously been treated urgently but whose auras were still somewhat weak, floated together above the main hall of East Dragon Island, looking down at the magnificent scene below that could be described as unprecedented in history.
Even though Lin Ming was mentally prepared, seeing the complete ancient Dragon Clan Army in person still made his heart pound violently, a surge of heat rushed to his head, and the hairs on his body stood on end!
Dou Sheng Expert! Besides the three Late Stage Three-Star Dou Saint— Zhu Xu, Zhu Jin, and Zhu You— and the Great Elder and Second Elder of East Dragon Island, there were also six figures radiating the true pressure of a Dou Saintly Might among the lineups from the other Three Great Dragon Islands!
North Dragon Island, West Dragon Island, and South Dragon Island each brought two elders who were at the initial stage of Dou Sheng!
This means that there are as many as eleven Dou Sheng Expert gathered here at this moment! And the number of Half Sage powerhouses! The Four Great Dragon Islands combined have more than fifteen! They exude a powerful aura and stand at the front of their respective teams, forming the absolute backbone of the force.
As for the Dou Venerate cultivation level... looking around, almost every ancient Ancient Dragon Clan you see has at least the Peak Dou Ancestor, and Dou Venerate level beings are practically standard!
The sheer number was so great that Lin Ming couldn't accurately estimate it at the moment; there were probably at least several hundred, nearly a thousand! This was a terrifying force capable of easily sweeping away any top-tier power in the Middle Continent, except for the Ancient Races!
"Is this... the complete Ancient Void Dragon Clan?"
Lin Ming was deeply shaken, a surge of unprecedented pride and a sense of control welling up within him. Such immense power, now gathered because of him, obeyed his command by the Dragon Emperor's Inverse Scale in his hand! How could this not stir one's heart and fill one with immense excitement?
At this moment, Lin Ming took a deep breath, suppressing his surging emotions, his gaze sharpening like a hawk's. He took a step forward, his clear voice, carried by his powerful Dou Qi, resounding clearly into the ears of every Ancient Dragon Clan, like a thunderclap:
"Quiet!"
The noisy void fell silent instantly, and countless gazes, filled with awe, curiosity, fervor, and complex emotions, focused on the young figure in the air who exuded an undeniable authority.
Lin Ming's gaze swept across the boundless Dragon Clan Army below, his voice resounding with a powerful declaration and incitement:
"Today is a day that will surely be recorded in the annals of the Ancient Dragon Clan! The Four Great Dragon Islands, separated for nearly a thousand years, have reunited here! The Ancient Dragon Clan is reborn at this moment!"
Lin Ming's voice suddenly rose in pitch, carrying a soaring Killing Intent:
"However, the celebration of new life requires sacrifices! It requires the blood and souls of enemies to wash away the silence of the past and to forge a glorious future!"
Before he finished speaking, Lin Ming immediately waved his arm, and the heavy scroll containing information about the Soul Hall's Branch Hall, compiled and annotated by Xiao Yi Xian, instantly appeared in his hand and unfurled in mid-air with a whoosh!
On the scroll, the locations of the Soul Hall Branch Hall, marked with Cinnabar like malignant tumors, along with the detailed annotations beside them, were clearly visible in the sunlight!
Lin Ming's fingers traced the scroll, his voice as cold as ice:
"This is the offering I have chosen for our Ancient Dragon Clan's rebirth ceremony— the Soul Hall!"
"These cowardly bastards who revel in devouring souls attacked my sect not long ago and slaughtered my disciples! This enmity is irreconcilable!"
At this moment, Lin Ming's gaze shifted to the more than fifteen Half Sage experts below, and he commanded:
"All Half Sage, heed my command! Each of you, select twenty Dou Venerate of your clan to form a team! This scroll marks fifteen important Branch Hall of the Soul Hall located in the Northern Region and Western Region! Each of you choose one hall, and on the same day and at the same time one month from now, unleash a thunderous attack to completely crush it!"
"Remember, leave no survivors, leave no trace! After slaughtering all the members of the Soul Hall, bring back to me the complete 'Soul Origin' stored deep underground in their Branch Hall! That will be your first proof of redemption!"
After assigning the task of annihilating the fifteen Branch Hall to the Half Sage team, Lin Ming's gaze finally fell on the eleven Dou Sheng Expert led by Zhu Xu, Zhu Jin, and Zhu You.
At this moment, a cold and cruel smile curled at the corner of Lin Ming's lips, his voice like a chilling wind from the Nine Nether, carrying a resolute Killing Intent:
As for us...
After speaking, Lin Ming's finger heavily touched the very center of the scroll, the deepest black mark he had added, located on the massive stronghold in the Corpse Burial Mountain Range on the edge of the core region of the Middle Continent.
"Our target is here! The Human Hall, one of the three main halls of the Soul Hall!"
"Follow me, and raze the Human Hall to the ground!"