Heavenly Palace: From today onwards, the Taixu Ancient Dragon clan will respect Zi Yan as Empress!

Battle Through the Heavens Plane, Wutan City, Xiao Clan.

As the imposing figure of the Vice Hall Master dissipated, the terrifying pressure that had been weighing down on everyone's heads vanished along with him.

Yet, the atmosphere inside the great hall was even heavier than before.

Ge Ye's face was deathly pale, as if he had just returned from the gates of hell. He stood up, trembling, not daring to even glance at Xiao Yan again, and dragged the equally shell-shocked Nalan Yanran toward the exit.

"Go—hurry, go!"

"We cannot afford to provoke this Xiao Clan!"

This time, there were no harsh parting words, no lingering glares of defiance; there was only the frantic, scurrying retreat of stray dogs.

With Nalan Yanran's departure, the focus of the hall shifted back to the iron cage in the corner.

Xiao Yan turned, idly tossing the warm Heavenly Palace token in his hand, his gaze piercing through the gaps of the cage to look at the ragged, filth-covered Star Luo prince inside.

"Dai Mubai, is it?"

Xiao Yan's voice was calm, devoid of joy or anger. "You saw it yourself; I refused to wipe out the Misty Cloud Sect."

Dai Mubai huddled in the corner, his hand still clutching the half-gnawed bone.

Hearing Xiao Yan's words, his entire body shuddered, his heterochromatic eyes filled with complex emotions.

He could not fathom why this "trash" would dare to refuse.

If it were him—if he possessed such a backer—he would have returned to the Star Luo Empire the very first second to hack the brother who stole his throne into a thousand pieces!

"Since you're staying, I won't treat you poorly."

With that, Xiao Yan pointed casually toward a doghouse by the courtyard gate, the place where the family's old yellow dog used to live. "From now on, that is your home."

"As long as you watch the gate obediently and don't bite people, the Xiao Clan won't let you go hungry for a bone."

"Of course, if you still want to put on the airs of a prince—"

"I don't mind killing you."

Hearing this, Dai Mubai trembled violently.

He looked at the crude doghouse, then at Xiao Yan's unquestionable gaze.

Then, he moved his body with great difficulty, and under the watchful eyes of the crowd, squeezed out two sounds from his throat—sounds of extreme humiliation that he had no choice but to make: "Woof, woof-woof—"

Above the firmament, the images shifted.

Perhaps to give the audience of the Douluo Continent a break from the oppressive atmosphere, the live broadcast camera zoomed out instantly.

[Ding! Explorer perspective switched!]

[Current target: Beast God Di Tian!]

[Location: Void Ancient Dragon Clan territory: Ancient Dragon Island!]

[Current status: Pooper-scooper (adapted), participating in the Dragon Clan festival (as a menial servant)!]

The screen brightened to reveal a massive island floating amidst turbulent void currents. It was decked out in festive decorations, with countless radiant energy lanterns hanging high, illuminating the otherwise dim void as if it were broad daylight.

Today was a rare and grand event for the Void Ancient Dragon Clan—the Dragon Emperor Festival.

On the very outskirts of the banquet, the Beast God Di Tian, who once shook the Star Dou Forest, was now dressed in a dusty, gray servant's uniform. He held a jade tray larger than himself, navigating between a crowd of gargantuan figures as if walking on thin ice.

"Hurry up! You black lizard, what are you dawdling for!"

A Void Ancient Dragon guard, having transformed into human form, kicked Di Tian in the backside and cursed, "The distinguished guests from the Heavenly Demon Phoenix Clan over there have empty wine cups! If you offend them, I'll throw you into the void storm and grind you into meat paste!"

"Yes, yes! My Lord, please calm your anger, this one is going right now!"

Di Tian scrambled to his feet, a servile smile plastered on his face, not even daring to wipe away the footprint on his cheek.

At this moment, where was even a shred of the Golden-Eyed Black Dragon King's majesty?

His fawning, bowing demeanor was even more practiced than a waiter in the human world!

But one could hardly blame Di Tian; the scene was simply too terrifying for any beast!

As he carried the tray, Di Tian stole glances at the surrounding guests, his heart twitching violently.

Sitting at the table to his left was a group of men and women in colorful robes, exuding a chilling aura.

Although they had taken human form, Di Tian could clearly sense the terrifying bloodline suppression within them!

The Nine Serene Deep Earth Python Clan!

They were one of the three great clans of the magical beast world on the Battle Qi Continent. While they couldn't compare to the Void Ancient Dragons, any random elder among them possessed an aura ten times stronger than Di Tian at his peak!

Sitting to the right were a group of arrogant, golden-robed figures with wings on their backs.

The Heavenly Demon Phoenix Clan!

Super-magical beasts rumored to possess the bloodline of the ancient Heavenly Phoenix!

They were chatting and laughing, and the occasional ripple of their aura caused tiny cracks to appear in the space around them.

Gulp—

Di Tian swallowed hard, forcing down the urge to kneel and beg for mercy, and tremblingly placed the jade tray onto the table.

The plate held nothing other than the Earth Core Body Tempering Fruit he had dreamed of while stuck in the cesspit!

Furthermore, it was washed spotlessly clean and arranged with exquisite presentation!

"Hm? The quality of this fruit is not bad."

An elder of the Heavenly Demon Phoenix Clan grabbed a fruit at random, tossed it into his mouth, and crunched down, sending juices splattering everywhere.

The energy fluctuations that erupted in that instant made the eyes of Di Tian, who stood nearby, turn blood-red!

That was a spirit fruit!

On the Douluo Continent, a single one of these fruits would be enough to make a ten-thousand-year soul beast evolve directly into a hundred-thousand-year one!

Yet here—it was just an appetizer?!

"The flavor is a bit bland, but it'll do."

The Heavenly Demon Phoenix elder curled his lip in disdain and tossed the half-eaten fruit onto the floor, where it rolled right to Di Tian's feet.

Di Tian stared at the half-eaten, dust-covered spirit fruit by his feet, his throat bobbing violently.

If not for the occasion, he would have lunged forward to lick it clean!

Douluo Continent, Star Dou Forest.

Lake of Life.

Gu Yuena clutched her collar tightly, her beautiful face drained of all color.

"Heavenly Demon Phoenix, Nine Serene Deep Earth Python Clan—"

"And that group of Void Ancient Dragons—"

She watched the guests clinking glasses in the light screen, feeling a bloodline suppression that made her feel suffocated even through the screen, her voice trembling uncontrollably: "Are those true divine beasts?"

"That golden-robed person—a single feather on his body likely contains power even more terrifying than my Dragon God Claw."

"And what they are eating—"

Beside her, Chi Wang was drooling, his eyes fixed intently on the half-eaten fruit discarded on the ground: "That's a divine fruit, right? That's a divine fruit, isn't it?!"

"Lord, Di Tian is... he is serving a group of gods their meal!"

Xiong Jun buried his head in the ground, his entire body trembling: "It's too terrifying, that world is too terrifying—"

"Any random table of guests could flatten our Star Dou Forest ten thousand times over—"

Meanwhile, on the other side.

In the magnificent, golden palace, what should have been a celebratory feast was now filled with a tense, suffocating atmosphere.

Zi Yan sat on the Dragon Emperor Throne at the head of the hall, her face—though youthful—filled with icy frost.

She stared fixedly at the three middle-aged men below who were brimming with aggressive intent, each followed by a large group of powerful experts.

They were none other than the three great Dragon Kings who had split from the Void Ancient Dragon Clan: the North Dragon King, the South Dragon King, and the West Dragon King!

"Niece Zi Yan."

The North Dragon King wore golden armor, a mocking smile on his face as he sat with a swagger, the wine cup in his hand creaking under his grip: "Although you possess the royal bloodline, you are, after all, too young, and your strength has only just reached the one-star Dou Sheng level."

"To want to unify the Ancient Dragon Clan and have us three old fellows take orders from you, heh, I'm afraid you aren't qualified yet, are you?"

"That's right!"

The West Dragon King spoke with a sinister tone, his gaze sweeping greedily over Zi Yan: "Unless you hand over the Dragon Emperor Token left behind by the old Dragon Emperor and let us divide the resources of the Ancient Dragon Island among our three islands, I'm afraid this Dragon Emperor Festival won't be able to continue today!"

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

In an instant, three terrifying auras belonging to experts above the three-star Dou Sheng level erupted simultaneously, pressing down on Zi Yan upon the throne like three ancient divine mountains!

"Pfft—"

Di Tian, who was serving dishes in the corner of the hall, felt as if he had been struck in the chest by a star even from the mere shockwaves of this pressure. He spat out a mouthful of blood on the spot, collapsing to the ground, unable to move even a finger!

"Too, too strong—"

Di Tian lay on the floor, his heart filled with sheer terror: "Those three guys sitting up there—the aura of each one is a hundred times more terrifying than Heiqing's!"

"In front of them, I feel like I don't even count as dust!"

"Is this the internal strife of a high-dimensional world? Can they shatter my dragon soul just by clashing their auras?"

Douluo Continent, Star Dou Forest.

Lake of Life.

Gu Yuena watched the three aggressive Dragon Kings in the light screen, her delicate body trembling violently, her silver teeth nearly shattering.

"Those are true Dragon King-level powerhouses!"

Gu Yuena's voice carried a tremor and despair born from the depths of her bloodline: "Although they are merely leaders of a branch of that so-called Void Ancient Dragon Clan, the law fluctuations radiating from them have completely surpassed the five Great Enforcers of the God Realm!"

"Three-star Dou Sheng—according to that world's classification, those are existences that have transcended the mortal realm and become saints, capable of destroying a world with a mere wave of their hands!"

"Yet, such powerful beings are actually forcing a coup? Engaging in internal strife?"

"And our Beast God, Di Tian—"

Gu Yuena looked at Di Tian, who was sprawled on the ground in the corner of the light screen, vomiting blood like a dying dog, and her eyes instantly blurred with tears. "He doesn't even have the qualifications to stand and watch the show."

"A mere shockwave was enough to leave him severely injured and collapsed."

"And the physique that our soul beast clan prides itself on is as fragile as a sheet of paper in the face of the high-level power struggles of that world."

"Lord Dragon God, if you saw this scene, would you still ask us to launch a counterattack against the God Realm?"

"In the face of this terrifying plane, the God Realm might truly be nothing more than a greenhouse."

The surrounding fierce beasts, including Xiong Jun and the King of Ten Thousand Monsters, buried their heads between their legs, not daring to even breathe loudly.

It was too terrifying.

If a battle of that magnitude were to occur on the Douluo Continent, the entire Star Dou Forest would likely be reduced to ashes in an instant!

The scene returned to the main hall of Ancient Dragon Island.

Facing the forced abdication attempt by the three great Dragon Kings, Zi Yan bit her silver teeth, purple-gold light flickering in her eyes. Although her body was trembling, she still held her ground firmly. "You bunch of traitors! My father is only missing, not dead! If you dare to act recklessly—"

"Hmph! The old Dragon Emperor has been missing for so many years; he's likely long dead out there!"

The North Dragon King lost his patience, stood up abruptly, and let his killing intent spill forth. "Since you don't know what's good for you, don't blame your uncles for being ruthless! Do it! Capture her!"

Just as the three Dragon Kings prepared to strike and Zi Yan was about to fall into a desperate situation:

Rumble!

The void above East Dragon Island suddenly shattered without warning!

In the next second, a supreme pressure—a thousand times more terrifying than all the Dragon Kings present combined, enough to instantly silence the entire Void Lightning Pool—descended like a collapsing heavenly river!

"Who dares to touch someone my Heavenly Palace intends to protect?!"

Immediately following, a voice that was aged yet extremely overbearing resounded through the heavens and earth!

Crack! Crack! Crack!

The three Dragon Kings, who had been acting so arrogantly just a moment ago, didn't even have time to scream as their knees shattered instantly upon the arrival of this pressure. They were forced to their knees, smashing deep craters into the hard obsidian floor!

"Th-this is—"

The North Dragon King's face was filled with terror as he struggled to lift his head.

He saw an old man in white-gold robes, his hair and beard snowy white, stepping through a rift in the void amidst a swirl of chaotic energy.

He didn't use any battle skills; merely by standing there, the surrounding space began to collapse and reorganize, as if this world could not contain his true form!

The Heavenly Palace's Supreme Elder, Tiancezi!

"E-eight-star Dou Sheng?!!"

The West Dragon King's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets, his body convulsing violently as the stench of urine instantly permeated the hall.

A powerhouse of this level was someone standing at the very pinnacle of the pyramid across the entire Central Plains!

Aside from the legendary Soul Clan leader and the Ancient Clan leader, who could possibly be his match?

Why—why would such an old monster appear here?!

"Hea—Heavenly Palace?"

On the other side, Zi Yan looked at the iconic "Heaven" emblem on the old man's robes, and a burst of wild joy erupted in her eyes.

Tiancezi landed slowly beside Zi Yan, nodded at her, and then turned to coldly look down at the three kneeling Dragon Kings. "A bunch of things that don't know whether they are living or dead."

"Zi Yan is someone personally named and cared for by the Palace Master of my Heavenly Palace. You dare to force her abdication?"

"Do you Void Ancient Dragons want your clan to be wiped out?!"

Boom!

As soon as these words were spoken, the three Dragon Kings simultaneously spat out blood mixed with visceral fragments, their auras instantly wilting to the extreme.

"W-we wouldn't dare! Senior, spare us! Senior, please spare us!!"

The North Dragon King kowtowed frantically until his forehead was mangled. "We didn't know niece Zi Yan had the Heavenly Palace as her backing! If we had known, we wouldn't have dared even if we had ten thousand times the courage!"

"Scram!"

Tiancezi flicked his large sleeve.

A terrifying force of energy directly swatted the three Dragon Kings out of the hall like trash.

"If not for the sake of the old Dragon Emperor, I would have slaughtered your three islands today!"

"From this day forward, the Void Ancient Dragon clan shall honor Zi Yan as their Emperor! Who agrees? Who opposes?!"