"Let her go."
Zi Tianya chuckled softly, with the composure of someone looking down from above.
"Hand over the Dragon Spirit first, and then I'll release her. A fair exchange."
"What guarantee can you give that she'll be safe after I hand over the Dragon Spirit?"
Zi Tianya tilted his head, as though he had expected this question all along.
"I swear upon my Dragon Clan bloodline: as long as you willingly hand over the Dragon Spirit, I will not harm a single hair on her head, and I will immediately let her leave the Dragon Palace."
"If I break this oath, may my Dragon Vein be severed and may I never transform into a dragon for all eternity."
A low stir swept through the square at those words.
The Four Seas Dragon Clan Envoys exchanged glances. Even Grand Elder Zi Gang could not help giving Zi Tianya another look.
An oath sworn upon one's Dragon Clan bloodline was the gravest oath among the Dragon Clan, without exception.
Breaking it would not only destroy all one's cultivation, but even strip away the right to reincarnate and cultivate anew.
Lin Shisan lowered his head and fell silent for a moment.
Slowly, he raised his head and looked at Zi Tianya, his voice calm. "All right."
Bai Youyou's body trembled slightly. "Lin Shisan, don't..."
"If you don't want to die, shut your mouth."
Zi Tianya's voice was quiet, but it carried an unquestionable chill.
He turned to look at Lin Shisan, the curve of his lips deepening.
"Since you've agreed, let's begin..."
The stern-faced Second Elder's lips curled into a slight smile. After receiving Zi Tianya's message, he slowly stepped out of the crowd.
His steps were unhurried, but each seemed to fall upon some invisible rhythm.
He did not look at