"Foolish!"
"Do you really think Ao Zhengxiong is that stupid?"
"Would he dare come here alone without making preparations?"
"The Phoenix Clan's Imperial Divine Weapon is most likely on him."
"Besides, the moment we attack him, any possibility of reconciliation between us and the Phoenix Clan will disappear."
"And this news would immediately make its way back to the Phoenix Clan—perhaps even spread throughout the entire Demon Race."
"Once that happens, a full-scale war between the Human Race and the Demon Race will erupt, and the balance of power within the Demon Race will be completely reshuffled."
"They're currently busy fighting among themselves. But if this incident occurs, all the Ancient Royal Clans will unite against a common enemy. That would be far more disadvantageous for us."
"So tell me now—do you still think killing Ao Zhengxiong would be such a simple matter?"
Bai Luoyang spoke coldly.
It wasn't that she didn't want to leave Ao Zhengxiong here forever.
The consequences were simply too severe.
The seal on the Heavenly Abyss Demon Domain was about to break. If a war broke out between humans and demons now, the greatest beneficiary would only be the forces inside the Demon Domain.
"I was too short-sighted."
The Holy Lord of Nine Suns sighed helplessly.
"Good that you realize it."
Bai Luoyang continued,
"Besides, keeping Ao Zhengxiong alive is far more useful than killing him."
"No matter what happens today, the Demon Race will be thrown into chaos for quite some time."
"The only question is... will the Dragon Clan finally reveal itself?"
She gazed into the distance, her eyes seeming to pierce through the Heavenly Abyss Demon Domain toward the lands of the Demon Race.
Li Hanyue, standing beside her, calmly disagreed.
"Ao Zhengxiong may not necessarily attack the Serpent Clan."
"If he really starts a war against them, it won't benefit the Phoenix Clan at all."
"The Phoenix Clan is currently producing talented descendants one after another and is in the most critical stage of its rise."
"Starting a war against the Serpent Clan now would only interfere with their long-term plans."
Her words left many people utterly confused.
What exactly was going on?
Why would the Phoenix Clan suddenly move against the Serpent Clan?
Even if the Serpent Clan had betrayed them, that alone shouldn't be enough to provoke a war between two Ancient Royal Clans.
After all, such a conflict would shake the entire Demon Race.
And above both of them still stood the Dragon Clan.
Unless absolutely necessary, the Ancient Royal Clans rarely went to war with one another.
"...Did I hear that correctly?"
"The Phoenix Clan wants to attack the Serpent Clan?"
"Aren't they afraid of the Dragon Clan?"
The Holy Lord of Nine Suns asked in bewilderment.
He could vaguely sense that a tremendous secret concerning the Demon Race was about to be revealed.
Looking toward Bai Luoyang, he waited expectantly for an explanation.
He felt as though the world had moved on without him.
He hadn't secluded himself in cultivation.
He had remained active throughout the Profound Heaven Realm all this time.
So why was it that everyone else seemed to know things he didn't?
"Ao Zhengxiong is an extremely ambitious man."
"He will definitely make his move."
"And forcing the Dragon Clan to appear is the best way to achieve his goal."
"If the Dragon Clan refuses to show itself..."
"...then its secret can no longer remain hidden."
"And if the Dragon Clan still refuses to act, the one that suffers the most won't be the Serpent Clan."
"It will be the Snow Clan."
"They'll be crushed like ants beneath someone's foot."
Bai Luoyang said coldly.
"But why?"
Li Hanyue asked with a puzzled expression.
Ao Zhengxiong had endured things for so many years.
Why was he suddenly in such a hurry now?
"It's simple."
"Before, he only suspected the Dragon Clan's true condition."
"But now... he has confirmation."
"All that's left is choosing the right moment."
Bai Luoyang smiled faintly.
Hearing this, Li Hanyue instantly understood.
Exactly.
Previously, Ao Zhengxiong merely had suspicions.
But after hearing the information provided by Holy Lord Yuntian, he now believed it almost completely.
As for why he trusted Bai Luoyang...
The answer was simple.
The greatest proof was today's events.
The four major factions, led by the Heavenly Abyss Demon Domain, had secretly gathered to eliminate Bai Luoyang and Li Hanyue.
Yet Bai Luoyang had known every detail beforehand.
That alone was enough to convince Ao Zhengxiong that her information was genuine.
The Dragon Clan...
...really had declined.
She clearly knew far more than she had revealed.
"You're truly devious."
"With just a few words, you've thrown the entire Demon Race into turmoil."
Li Hanyue couldn't help complaining.
"This isn't scheming."
"It's an open strategy."
"A strategy Ao Zhengxiong understands perfectly..."
"...yet one he has absolutely no way to refuse."
The Holy Lord of Nine Suns had listened from beginning to end, but the more he heard, the less he understood.
"Hey!"
"What exactly are you two talking about?"
"Could someone explain it clearly?"
"Why can't I understand a single thing?"
He felt utterly miserable.
He hadn't gone into secluded cultivation.
He had paid close attention to the situation throughout the Profound Heaven Realm.
So how could he possibly be so out of the loop?
What had happened to the Dragon Clan?
When had the Serpent Clan betrayed the Phoenix Clan?
And even if they had betrayed them...
Why would Ao Zhengxiong insist on exterminating the entire Serpent Clan?
Ziyang Zhenren, who frequently traveled across the Profound Heaven Realm with the Holy Lord of Nine Suns, was much quicker to grasp the situation.
Although he had only heard fragments of the conversation, he immediately identified the key.
Everything revolved around...
...the Dragon Clan.
Without the Dragon Clan, none of this made sense.
If the Dragon Clan were still as powerful as it had once been...
The Phoenix Clan would never dare entertain such ambitions.
"You only need to think about one question."
Holy Lord Yuntian smiled.
"Given the Dragon Clan's nature..."
"Why have they remained hidden for tens of thousands of years?"
"They only appear occasionally to remind the world they still exist."
"What do you think the reason is?"
This information had originally come from Fang Chen.
When Yuntian had asked whether it should remain secret, Fang Chen's answer had been simple.
Spread it.
The more people who knew...
...the better.
The more chaotic the Demon Race became, the more advantageous it would be.
Everyone's expressions changed.
Whether it was the silent Qin Emperor, the elders of Cloud Heaven Holy Land, or the experts from Nine Suns Holy Land—
They all understood.
"There are only two reasonable possibilities."
"The first..."
"The Dragon Clan is secretly carrying out some enormous plan that requires the participation of the entire clan."
"And that's why none of their experts have appeared."
"The second..."
"The Dragon Clan has declined."
"They're hiding their weakness from the outside world."
"That's why they've remained in seclusion."
The Qin Emperor suddenly spoke.
"Of those two possibilities..."
"I believe the second is far more likely."
"The only thing capable of mobilizing the entire Dragon Clan would be the struggle for the Great Dao."
"But the path to the Emperor Realm has long since been sealed."
"So such a possibility simply doesn't exist."
"Furthermore..."
"The Dragon Clan has always been arrogant."
"They've never regarded anyone in the world as their equal."
"For millions of years, they've ruled the Profound Heaven Realm with overwhelming dominance."
"For such a race to suddenly retreat into complete seclusion..."
"...there is only one explanation."
"They've suffered devastating losses among their strongest experts."
"They no longer possess the strength to maintain their former position."
"And because of that..."
"They no longer dare to show themselves."
Everyone present knew the Dragon Clan well.
Given their overbearing nature, unless they had truly declined to an astonishing degree...
They would never willingly disappear from the world.
Their continued absence could only mean one thing.
The Dragon Clan's strength was no longer what it once was.
"So that's why Holy Lord Yuntian called it an open strategy."
"They're forcing the Demon Race into internal chaos."
"And for the Phoenix Clan..."
"This is an opportunity that Ao Zhengxiong simply cannot ignore."
"Most importantly..."
"We humans can sit back and watch the tigers fight..."
"...while also discovering the Dragon Clan's true condition."
Ziyang Zhenren drew a deep breath.
"This is a revelation that will shake the entire Profound Heaven Realm."
"A Dragon Clan that has stood supreme for millions of years..."
"...has actually fallen."
For the entire Profound Heaven Realm, the Dragon Clan had always been one of the most powerful forces in existence.
To hear that such a colossus had declined...
It felt almost unbelievable.
-----------------------
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