Immortal Dynasty

"Long live our emperor!"

"We pay our respects, Your Majesty!"

In the imperial palace, Deng Gang sat on the dragon throne in imperial robes, receiving the thunderous acclamations and obeisance of his kneeling officials. Amid his excitement, he felt somewhat dazed.

Alone since childhood, he had borne the heavy responsibility of restoring his fallen kingdom.

He could be said to have accomplished nothing in the first half of his life. Day after day, he had wasted his years caught in the vast gulf between his grand ideals and cruel reality, living a life worse than death, barely sustained by hatred alone.

Deep down, Deng Gang had even begun to resign himself to his fate.

He truly was a mediocre, incompetent man, with not the slightest chance of restoring his kingdom in this lifetime.

He would probably have to marry and have children, then pass the Deng Clan's glorious past and the heavy responsibility of restoring the kingdom on to his descendants.

Just as his uncle had taught him.

But the world was like a game of chess, and heaven and earth were impossible to predict.

Who could have imagined that in just one short year, his life would be turned upside down?

He had obtained the flood dragon's precious blood without a hitch.

He had raised the banner of rebellion, and a hundred answered his call.

Heroes and fierce generals had bowed their heads before him.

A noble lady of an immortal clan had thrown herself into his arms.

Even the master of the Azure Cloud Sect, an immortal sect, had now willingly bowed in submission and accepted the post of Imperial Preceptor.

That was a Foundation Establishment cultivator!

After the enthronement ceremony.

Deng Gang laughed heartily in the inner palace and said to Empress Qiao Yuniang, brimming with high spirits, "Yuniang, everything has gone so smoothly for me! It really has!"

With the Deng Kingdom newly established, a general amnesty was declared throughout the land, and taxes were waived for three years.

The people rejoiced, and the officials sang his praises.

For a time, however, Deng Gang felt somewhat lost and empty. He spent his days in a stupor, indulging in wine and women.

His heart had been filled with hatred since childhood, and he had been taught that he must restore his fallen kingdom.

Now that he had succeeded, what was he to do next?!

Deng Gang was, in the end, a pure warrior. He was quite adept at leading armies and charging at the front, but he knew nothing of court disputes or governing a country and keeping it at peace.

Fortunately, Qiao Yuniang, who came from a great clan of an immortal sect, was there to assist him, and only then did they manage to hold things together.

"Your Majesty!" Having finished dealing with the memorials, Qiao Yuniang wearily rubbed her brow and said softly, "The routine affairs of the court can be left to me."

"But Your Majesty must pull yourself together as well!"

"Pull myself together?!" His drunken eyes unfocused, Deng Gang leaned against the dragon throne with a wine jug in hand and laughed carelessly. "The realm is at peace now, and all its people are obedient. What would I pull myself together to do?!"

Qiao Yuniang rose, her expression solemn, and reminded him in a grave voice, "Has Your Majesty forgotten the wrongs against your kingdom and the hatred of your clan?!"

"The wrongs against my kingdom and the hatred of my family!" Deng Gang's heart jolted, and he sobered up at once. He said instinctively, "Of course I haven't forgotten!"

Not only had he not forgotten, they were engraved on his heart and etched into his bones.

The hope of restoring the kingdom had been slim.

What had truly sustained Deng Gang through the hardships of the first half of his life was that bone-deep hatred.

First and foremost was the Chu Household, the royal family of the Huang Kingdom!

And of course, there was the true culprit... the Supreme Mystery Demon Sect!

Deng Gang seemed to have rediscovered his purpose in life, and his gaze burned. "Have you found the old emperor of the Huang Kingdom, who abandoned his kingdom and fled?!"

Qiao Yuniang breathed a sigh of relief and answered, "We've found some traces. He seems to have fled west."

"Fled west..." Deng Gang raised his head and gazed into the distance. His gaze seemed to pass through the palace and over the mountains and rivers as it searched for the old emperor of the Huang Kingdom, finally settling on a certain place. He said softly, "...The Supreme Mystery Demon Sect!"

Qiao Yuniang nodded slightly and said in a low voice, "I hear the Chu Household are relatives of the former master of Supreme Mystery Mountain. It's only natural that they would flee to Supreme Mystery Mountain to seek protection."

Deng Gang glanced at Qiao Yuniang and said nothing.

The Qiao Household had not concealed the Azure Cloud Sect's origins.

Although Deng Gang was grateful for the Qiao Household's wholehearted assistance, he was no fool. Naturally, he had caught glimpses of the open and hidden struggles between the Azure Cloud Sect and Supreme Mystery Mountain.

Just as the Chu Household had been the puppet the Supreme Mystery Demon Sect put forward to govern the mortal world, was he not also a chess piece of the Azure Cloud Sect?!

The Huang Kingdom had now fallen and the Chu Household had been defeated, yet the Supreme Mystery Demon Sect had scarcely reacted.

Every sign indicated that the Supreme Mystery Demon Sect was at its weakest in a thousand years.

If he wanted to avenge his grievances and wash away his hatred, now was the best opportunity.

But...

Deng Gang no longer quite wanted revenge.

Now that he had succeeded in restoring the kingdom, his greatest obsession could be considered laid to rest. If his uncle and the ancestors of the Deng Household had spirits in heaven, they would probably be content.

Seeking revenge against the Supreme Mystery Demon Sect as well seemed like going too far.

Never mind that the Supreme Mystery Demon Sect had ruled for a thousand years and remained standing, and surely had some formidable trump cards tucked away.

Behind the Supreme Mystery Demon Sect stood the Southern Verge Immortal Alliance, which was even less to be provoked.

More importantly, the hatred engraved on Deng Gang's heart and etched into his bones had already faded considerably with the restoration of the kingdom.

The grievances between the Deng Household and the Supreme Mystery Demon Sect dated back decades, even centuries.

Let alone Deng Gang, even his uncle had not experienced them firsthand.

Though he called it bone-deep hatred, there was actually little genuine feeling behind it. It was more like an obsession at work.

Besides, there was Liu Zhijian...

"Continue pursuing the remnants of the Huang Kingdom's Chu Clan. We must cut the weeds and dig up the roots." Deng Gang had made his decision and spoke gravely. "As for attacking the Supreme Mystery Demon Sect... the Deng Kingdom has only just been established, and the people long for stability. It would be unwise to stir up fresh trouble. We'll set it aside for now and discuss it another day."

Qiao Yuniang wanted to persuade him further, but when she looked up and saw Deng Gang's searching gaze, she could only lower her head and say, "Your Majesty is wise!"

Late that night.

Deng Gang jolted awake, a dull ache running through his body after his drunken stupor.

He glanced around and saw several beauties beside him, their lovely bodies sprawled across the bed, arms and necks intertwined as they slept soundly.

Deng Gang chuckled.

What wrongs against his kingdom and hatred of his family could compare to the allure of wine and women?!

"Deng Gou'er!" A shrill, furious shout made Deng Gang start violently.

He had not heard that name or that voice for a full twenty years.

"Uncle!" Deng Gang looked up, horror on his face. His uncle, who had been dead for twenty years, was standing not far away, still wearing the clothes and bearing the appearance he had when he died so miserably, looking like an evil ghost.

"Deng Gou'er!" His uncle's face was twisted, his eyes full of disappointment. "How could you become so immersed in wine and women and sink to this state?!"

Deng Gang's fear and awe of his uncle were etched into his very bones. It was as if he had returned to childhood, and his body trembled involuntarily. "Uncle... Gou'er has already succeeded in restoring the kingdom... isn't that enough?!"

"Not enough! Of course it isn't enough!" his uncle rebuked him loudly. "Have you forgotten the wrongs against your kingdom and the hatred of your family?!"

Qiao Yuniang had said the same thing today.

In truth, Deng Gang had thought little of it.

But now, hearing his uncle ask him in person, Deng Gang felt as though something were lodged in his throat. He shook his head repeatedly and said, "Gou'er would never dare forget!"

His uncle grew even angrier at this. "Then why haven't you attacked the Supreme Mystery Demon Sect and washed away a hundred years of humiliation for our family?!"

Deng Gang froze for a moment, unable to answer.

His uncle asked coldly, "Are you afraid?!"

"Gou'er isn't afraid!" Deng Gang calmed himself and shook his head. "It's just that Gou'er thinks the situation on Supreme Mystery Mountain is unclear, and the time for revenge hasn't yet come."

"Fool!" His uncle's face was full of disappointment as he instructed him gravely. "The Supreme Mystery Demon Sect has only a Qi Refining sect master right now. It's at its weakest in a thousand years. You, on the other hand, have already reached the Late Stage of Qi Refining and have a secret technique passed down in the family. With the Azure Cloud Sect and the many rogue cultivators as well, this is the best time to attack the Supreme Mystery Demon Sect!"

"If you don't strike now, once the Supreme Mystery Demon Sect catches its breath, it will surely destroy the Deng Kingdom again and wipe out every last member of the Deng Household!"

Deng Gang naturally understood this, but he had a vague feeling that something was wrong, and for a moment he hesitated.

Seeing this, his uncle revealed the truth in a stern voice. "You are a descendant of the white dragon, with a flood dragon bloodline. You and the Supreme Mystery Demon Sect cannot coexist under the same heavens. That is heaven's will!"

"If you keep hesitating, your death and your clan's destruction will be right before your eyes!"

"Gou'er, why aren't you waking up at once?!"

Deng Gang sat bolt upright, drenched in sweat. He felt a strange bloodline surging inside him, and his eyes burned.

It had been a dream!

"Ah!"

Several startled cries rang out around him.

The beauties who had attended him in bed huddled at the foot of it, their faces filled with terror, as though they had seen a monster.

Deng Gang didn't understand. He looked down and couldn't help freezing.

His arms had doubled in thickness, and fearsome gray scales had grown on them.

His hands had grown even larger, their five fingers curving into claws that glinted with a dark light.

Looking at his torso and lower limbs, he saw that they too had taken on the form of a flood dragon.

"A descendant of the white dragon, with a flood dragon bloodline..." Deng Gang felt a rush of anger surge into his heart, burning away all his reason. "So what Uncle said was true. My Deng Household truly has an extraordinary bloodline, born of noble stock!"

"Husband, what's wrong?!" Qiao Yuniang hurried in, took one look and frowned. She waved a hand and said, "All of you, get out!"

The beauties trembling on the bed stumbled out, heedless of their exposed bodies.

Deng Gang admired his flood dragon claws and said softly, "My lady, what do you think of this body of mine?!"

Qiao Yuniang bowed gracefully. "Your Majesty is the true dragon, the Son of Heaven!"

"No." Red light glinted in Deng Gang's flood dragon eyes as he looked at Qiao Yuniang. He shook his head and said coldly, "This is only a flood dragon, not a dragon!"

Qiao Yuniang caught her breath slightly, then lowered her head again. "Your Majesty need only condense a Manifestation and strengthen your destiny, and you can transform from a flood dragon into a true dragon!"

"Oh?!" Deng Gang was intrigued. "How do I become a dragon?!"

True to her origins in the Central Continent, Qiao Yuniang was widely knowledgeable and answered smoothly, "There was once an immortal dynasty in the Central Continent that swept away a hundred kingdoms and unified the world. The ruler of that immortal dynasty had the destiny of a black dragon."

"If Your Majesty wishes to become a dragon, you should follow the example set by the black dragon in those days: tour the realm and perform the feng and shan sacrifices to Heaven!"