Zulong led the vast army of the Four Seas Dragon Clan down from the horizon, surrounding Mount Sumeru so tightly that not a single gap remained.
Among the Dragon Clan army, an elder leaned toward the third elder, his voice full of admiration.
"Third Elder, you really outdid yourself! I heard the clan leader decided to send out the army because you went to persuade him, right?"
The Dragon Clan elder he called Third Elder—the real one whose appearance Hongjun's avatar had assumed—looked utterly bewildered and pointed at himself.
"Huh? Me? Didn't I only just get back from the North Sea?"
"Oh, come on, Third Elder. Stop pretending!" The elder who had spoken first gave him a knowing look.
"Plenty of our clansmen saw you go to see the clan leader. Less than half a quarter-hour after you went in, he ordered the troops assembled. How could that be false?
"It's been thousands of origin cycles since our Dragon Clan fought a proper battle. Those creatures in the Cosmic Sea are so weak that fighting them is no fun at all. Thanks to you, we finally get to stretch our muscles!"
The third elder grew even more bewildered, his dragon eyes widening into perfect circles.
"You... haven't been fooled, have you? I really did just return from the North Sea! I haven't even seen the clan leader!"
"What nonsense!" The other elder burst out laughing.
"Who could fool our clan leader? He's a seventh-heaven Primordial Great Golden Immortal! Are you suggesting the venerable Dao Ancestor, or one of those supreme beings from the Dao Court, had nothing better to do than take your form and trick him? Do you really think that's possible?"
The third elder opened his mouth. He wanted to say it was possible, but the words seemed