The Five Elders looked excited, but there was a trace of fear in their expressions.
They were excited because Imu's power was enough to suppress anyone who dared defy him. Their fear, too, was directed at Imu's power.
If Imu decided to hold the five of them responsible, they would be utterly powerless to resist.
Imu stood in midair, seemingly capable of flight as well.
His narrow eyes fixed on Nara Dan, who was taller than him, and he frowned.
"An aura that doesn't belong to this sea."
"An outsider."
"If you leave now, there's still time."
Imu carried himself with an extreme air of superiority, unlike ordinary Celestial Dragons, who were pampered and raised like fat pigs.
His arrogance was much like Nara Dan's own: it came from the confidence of possessing absolute strength.
"By the way..."
Nara Dan's expression didn't change. He adjusted his flying height until he was level with Imu. His shoulder-length hair curled and danced like living serpents.
"You're not very tall, old man..."
"But you sure have a big mouth."
Nara Dan wondered if Imu had some ability that let him tell whether a living being belonged to this planet.
Or maybe...
Imu—or the Celestial Dragons themselves—don't belong to this planet, which is why he can tell.
Imu's expression shifted slightly. His gaze was no longer indifferent; now it held a trace of murderous intent.
Having lived in seclusion for so long, he had never cared much about what was happening outside—not even about the Celestial Dragons.
If he could help it, he didn't want to fight an outsider whose strength he couldn't gauge. It would be pointless.
But how long had it been since anyone in his exalted position had spoken to him like that?
Five hundred years? Or seven hundred?
In any