The sky was blood-red.
Everyone in Nine-Tails Village was drawn to the terrifying sight. The open square was soon packed with people, with only Long Jiuyyao remaining unmoved.
"Xin Yi, have your people go back. Mine have arrived," Long Jiuyyao sent telepathically.
Xin Yi acknowledged him and dispersed the dense crowd. A streak of dark light shot across the sky like a meteor, passing through the Clan Protection Array and stopping in midair before the blood-red throne.
A nonchalant voice rang out. "Sky Dragon Demon Marshal, do you recognize this?"
The Sky Dragon Demon Marshal, with his long dark-red hair, immediately fixed his gaze on the black Dragon Seal in the air. The coldness in his eyes vanished, replaced by shock and astonishment.
"This... This is the Dragon Seal exclusive to the Dragon Clan Young Master. Who are you?" The Sky Dragon Demon Marshal looked stunned.
Although he was a member of the Dragon Clan, he was on its periphery. Without a summons, he could not enter the Dragon Domain whenever he pleased, much less learn of Long Jiuyyao's existence. Apart from the clansmen at the heart of the Dragon Domain, no one knew Long Jiuyyao existed.
Everyone present was astonished by this revelation. Even Xin Yi, standing nearby, was deeply shocked. She had guessed that Long Jiuyyao might be the child of some Dragon Clan elder, and that his status was no small matter, but she had never imagined he could be the Young Patriarch. That position had seemed far beyond reach.
Yet the truth was right before their eyes. Long Jiuyyao now stood at the very top of the pyramid. If nothing unexpected happened, he would one day become the Dragon Clan Lord, the leader of one of the Demon Domain Hegemon Clans.
The Sky Dragon Demon Marshal's subordinates trembled with astonishment. A glint of shocked excitement flashed through the marshal's otherwise impassive eyes. His opportunity had come!
"Set up camp and rest," the Sky Dragon Demon Marshal ordered at once.
He went alone to Nine-Tails Village, restraining his aura of menace. Led by a beautiful Nine-Tails Clan woman, he finally caught sight of Long Jiuyyao on the Sky-reaching Ancient Trees.
The Sky Dragon Demon Marshal bent his back and held out both hands. As if guided by an unseen force, the black Dragon Seal flew into Long Jiuyyao's hand.
"Young Patriarch, may I ask why you summoned us?" the Sky Dragon Demon Marshal asked, head lowered.
Bang!
Long Jiuyyao leaped down from the Sky-reaching Ancient Trees and landed in front of the Sky Dragon Demon Marshal. "It's simple. The Nine-Tails Clan is now our ally. You'll look after them here in the Beast War Domain."
"Ah! Shouldn't they be our vassals? How can they be our allies?" The Sky Dragon Demon Marshal looked in surprise at Long Jiuyyao, who barely reached his waist.
"Hmm? Are you questioning my decision?" Long Jiuyyao's expression was cold. A golden glint flashed in his dark eyes, and his skin began to radiate a dazzling dark-gold light. An indescribably pure pressure surged from his body like a tide, sweeping across the square.
As that pressure spread, the air seemed to solidify. Even the Sky Dragon Demon Marshal's face turned pale. He could clearly feel how pure it was.
As a member of the Dragon Clan, he was powerfully suppressed by the pressure emanating from the Ancient Dragon Bone within Long Jiuyyao.
"This pressure..."
The Sky Dragon Demon Marshal stared at Long Jiuyyao, his gaze trembling. It seemed to see through Long Jiuyyao's body. Deep within him, dark-gold bones coiled like a Sky Dragon, radiating boundless majesty.
"Dragon Bone... Could it be that the Young Patriarch already possesses an Ancient Dragon Bone?"
The Sky Dragon Demon Marshal couldn't help exclaiming. He could sense how formidable the Dragon Bone within Long Jiuyyao was. That dense, pure pressure could only come from an Ancient Dragon Bone.
"Good. Now you know. All you need to do is obey my orders without question." Long Jiuyyao's expression was domineering.
Only then did the Sky Dragon Demon Marshal understand why Long Jiuyyao was the Young Patriarch. At such a young age, he already possessed an Ancient Dragon Bone that even the elders might not have.
In the Sky Dragon Demon Marshal's heart, Long Jiuyyao's image grew immeasurably.
"Sky Dragon, if you do this well, it may be difficult for others to enter the Ancient Dragon Transformation Pool, but I can find a way for you in the future." Long Jiuyyao offered both a carrot and a stick.
The Sky Dragon Demon Marshal trembled and lifted his head, gazing at Long Jiuyyao with unsteady eyes. Then he nodded firmly. "I'll do as the Young Patriarch says!"
Hadn't he come here hoping to earn the favor of that esteemed figure, and thereby gain a chance to enter the Dragon Transformation Pool? Still, he had taken a gamble, betting that the person who had come would hold some influence within the Dragon Clan. Clearly, he had bet correctly.
Long Jiuyyao's offer was impossible for him to refuse. He had spent his entire life working toward this goal.
The Dragon Bone within him was only of middling grade. If he could enter the Dragon Transformation Pool, his bloodline purity would surely improve greatly.
"Since that's settled, you know what to do. Go." Long Jiuyyao said coldly.
After turning away, the Sky Dragon Demon Marshal once again became the all-powerful Great Demon Commander. "Second Commander, lead three thousand Blood Guards and clear out every faction within five thousand kilometers. From now on, the Nine-Tails Clan rules this region."
"First Commander, Third Commander, each of you take five thousand Blood Guards and notify Hundred Beasts Ridge and Thunder Abyss Mountain to withdraw from the area within five thousand kilometers of Nine-Tails Village within three days. They must not set foot here again. Anyone who disobeys will be executed."
"We obey!" The army that had arrived with him soon dwindled by half.
Having given his orders, the Sky Dragon Demon Marshal went to Long Jiuy ao's side and said nothing.
Long Jiuy ao glanced around, then turned to Xin Yi. "Xin Yi, this is my sincerity. If you ever face a problem you can't solve, send someone to the Blood Dragon Hall. Sky Dragon will handle it for you."
Before leaving, Long Jiuy ao met Xin Qing alone and gave her a token. He didn't explain what it was for.
Outside Nine-Tails Village, Xin Yi, Xin Qing, and the entire Nine-Tails Clan watched Long Jiuy ao leave. They knew that his words would let them live in peace in the Beast War Domain. They no longer had to worry about their women being captured and reduced to slaves.
Long Jiuy ao sat on the throne that had originally belonged to the Sky Dragon Demon Marshal, who stood beside him. The marshal's subordinates secretly sized Long Jiuy ao up, all astonished by his age.
Long Jiuy ao closed his eyes to rest, while a rough plan to unify the Beast War Domain slowly took shape in his mind. Now that he had come out here, he naturally wouldn't return so easily.
The Beast War Domain might be chaotic, but its Divine Object Mountain Range was a place anyone would yearn to explore. And the so-called Divine Object Treasury was none other than the Xuantian Hall, ranked tenth on the Ancient Divine Object Ranking.
The Xuantian Hall was a Divine Object created by the Symbol Ancestor. Toss materials inside, and it could refine or repair Divine Objects on its own. It also possessed the power to seal; even Yi Mo Kings would find it difficult to escape once trapped inside.
Long Jiuy ao wanted this treasure very much, too. For now, however, he could only dream of it. When the opportunity came, he would certainly seize it.
As Long Jiuy ao contemplated his plans, they returned to the Blood Dragon Hall. The Blood Guards on duty looked at him in surprise as he sat high on the blood-red throne, but none of them said a word.
Long Jiuy ao opened his eyes, and a magnificent blood-red palace came into view. The Blood Guards who had followed him gradually dispersed and returned to their posts.
Under the Sky Dragon Demon Marshal's guidance, Long Jiuy ao arrived at the main hall. A faint red light glimmered at the Mud Pill Palace between his brows. Long Jiuy ao waved his hand, signaling everyone to leave.
After they had gone, a Spiritual Map appeared in the air. One bright red point on the map shone intensely.
"Looks like the lost Halberd Spirit really is here." Long Jiuy ao rubbed his forehead and murmured.
"Someone!" Long Jiuy ao called toward the door after putting away the map.
A Blood Guard dressed in red knelt on one knee. "My lord!"
"Outside the Beast War Domain lies a Crimson Fire Plain. Find out where the fire aura is strongest, then report back. Go." Long Jiuy ao ordered.
"Yes." At once, the Blood Guard left the hall.
Long Jiuy ao flicked a finger, sending a jade talisman floating into the air. A flash of light appeared between his brows, and the talisman shot through the air.
Since he had come to the Beast War Domain, he naturally had to find a way to subdue the Halberd Spirit before leaving. But his strength was still too weak, and he expected to stay here for quite some time. He should at least let them know he was safe.
He had also asked his father to send someone. Although the Blood Dragon Hall was a dominant force in the Beast War Domain, the Sky Dragon Demon Marshal was its only Samsara Stage expert. Unifying the Beast War Domain would not be easy.
If he wanted to unify the Beast War Domain, he naturally needed to ask the Dragon Clan for help. The Dragon Clan had never sent anyone before because the Sky Dragon Demon Marshal lacked the qualifications. The clan wouldn't dispatch a Samsara Stage clansman just because he asked. But Long Jiuy ao was the Young Patriarch, and his authority naturally far surpassed the Sky Dragon Demon Marshal's.
Samsara Stage experts were high-level combatants within the Dragon Clan. The saying "when Reincarnation is absent, Samsara reigns supreme" showed just how powerful they were.
With Long Jiuy ao directing them, the Blood Dragon Hall rapidly swallowed up the surrounding factions over the next three months, crushing them with irresistible force. It had now become the Beast War Domain's leading power.
In the past, Golden Ape Mountain, Ghost Carving Ravine, and the Blood Dragon Hall had stood in a three-way balance, each minding its own business. Though the three factions often clashed, their disputes had never erupted into a major conflict.
But Long Jiuy ao's arrival broke that balance. Reinforcements from the Dragon Clan arrived two months later, and with their help, even the vassal forces of Golden Ape Mountain and Ghost Carving Ravine lost more than half their territory.
A million miles away, a gloomy mountain ravine stretched over tens of thousands of miles. At its deepest point stood a dark palace: Ghost Carving Ravine, a power as renowned as the Blood Dragon Hall.
"Speak!" A shadowy figure appeared on the throne.
"Ghost Carving Demon Marshal, the Blood Dragon Hall has been rapidly swallowing up the surrounding factions. Even the vassal forces of Golden Ape Mountain and our own have been mostly wiped out. The Blood Dragon Hall is now the Beast War Domain's leading power." A bird-headed, human-bodied guard bowed and reported.
"What? How did Sky Dragon find the nerve to upset the balance? What gave him the courage?" A flash of confusion crossed the Ghost Carving Demon Marshal's sharp eyes, but anger soon overtook it.
"And how have Golden Ape Demon Marshal and the others reacted to Sky Dragon's actions?" the Ghost Carving Demon Marshal asked.
"According to our scouts, Golden Ape Mountain is furious. Its forces are now ready to march and fight the Blood Dragon Hall at any moment," the subordinate replied.
"Looks like Golden Ape Demon Marshal, that big oaf, doesn't have any good ideas. I'd better go to Golden Ape Mountain myself."
"Pass down my orders. Everyone in Ghost Carving Ravine, prepare for battle and await my command." With that, the figure vanished from the main hall.
A massive array formation appeared above Ghost Carving Ravine, and a dark-purple barrier enveloped the entire ravine.
The Blood Dragon Hall was now clearly powerful enough to threaten the other two supreme factions.
Golden Ape Mountain took the same measures as Ghost Carving Ravine.
Meanwhile, two more Demon Commanders had joined the Blood Dragon Hall: Qin Shi of Hundred Beasts Ridge and Xu Zhong of Thunder Abyss Mountain.
Three of the Eight Great Demon Commanders now belonged to the Blood Dragon Hall. The remaining commanders had surely learned of its recent actions and were likely already making countermeasures.
For the Blood Dragon Hall, only the two Great Demon Commanders, Ghost Carving and Golden Ape, would be difficult to deal with. The remaining three Demon Commanders no longer posed a threat.
Everyone looked toward Long Jiuy ao on the throne. Xu Zhong and Qin Shi, who had only just joined the Blood Dragon Hall, were especially astonished. They had never imagined that a child would rule the Blood Dragon Hall.
The two people standing beside Long Jiuy ao's throne were the Sky Dragon Demon Marshal and the reinforcements from the Dragon Clan. Long Jiuy ao had met the latter once before: the Dragon Clan Sinner who had attacked him in front of the Dragon Clan Main Hall, the Blood Chi Dragon, Li Shang.
The aura Li Shang gave off was no weaker than the Sky Dragon Demon Marshal's. With the support of his pure Dragon Clan Bloodline, he could easily overpower the Sky Dragon Demon Marshal.
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