After they waited from noon until dusk, Great Elder Qing Shan finally returned, cackling. That gloating smile looked so out of place on his otherwise sage-like face that everyone stared in bewilderment.
"Great Elder, are you all right?" Zi Yan asked, feeling that he had become rather strange after his little outing.
"Rest assured, Your Majesty. I'm fine. Something amusing simply came to mind, and I couldn't help laughing."
Meeting their puzzled gazes, Great Elder Qing Shan finally explained everything.
"I visited the Nine Netherworld Pythons' sacred grounds, the Nether Serpent Earth Vein, and discovered that their clan currently has two Dou Sheng experts. Although both are only One-Star, they would most likely sense it if we forced open the Ancient Ruins."
"Just as I was wondering whether to give them a beating and seriously wound them first, or summon our Second Elder as well, I discovered that beneath the Nether Serpent Earth Vein lay their sacred pool, the Nine Nether Yellow Springs. Sealed within it was actually a Two-Star Dou Saint!"
"After speaking with him, I learned that he was Yao Ming, the former Clan Leader of the Nine Netherworld Python Clan and the elder brother of their current Clan Leader, Yao Xiaotian. Yao Xiaotian was also responsible for sealing him there. These two brothers have already reached the point where only one can live."
"For the Nine Netherworld Python Clan, this is a tragedy, but for us, it's good news. To break the seal, Yao Ming was willing to open his soul and acknowledge our Ancient Dragon Tribe as his master. So I granted his request and rescued him."
"I reckon a great battle will erupt very soon. With him keeping those two One-Star Dou Shengs occupied, we can open the Ancient Ruins without anyone coming to interfere."