Chapter 1779: Cruelty

Among the ancient gods, and beneath the Four Creation Gods, the Dragon God was universally acknowledged as preeminent. Given their inheritance of the Dragon God's faint bloodline, it was only natural for the Dragon God Clan to become the most powerful race of the current age.

However, the title "Dragon God" was once exclusively the divine name of the Primordial Azure Dragon. Having received immense grace from the Primordial Azure Dragon, Yun Che considered these so-called "Dragon Gods" an absolute blasphemy against the true Primordial Azure Dragon. Indeed, if a Dragon God truly existed in this world, the one genuinely worthy of the title would not be these "Dragon Gods," nor the Dragon Monarch, nor anyone else from the Dragon God Realm... it would be Yun Che himself! This was because he possessed the original bloodline, original soul, and original dragon marrow of the Primordial Azure Dragon.

As Yun Che approached the Ash Dragon God, radiating his innate dragon might, the Ash Dragon God was overcome by an unprecedented feeling of suppression, which weighed heavily upon both his bloodline and soul. At this utterly inopportune moment, he suddenly grasped why the Dragon Monarch, while in the Eastern Divine Region, had publicly adopted a human man whose lifespan was less than thirty years and whose cultivation had only just reached the Divine Spirit Realm. That incident had caused a hundredfold greater shock in the Dragon God Realm than in the Eastern Divine Region, yet the Dragon Monarch had never explained his reasons to anyone, not even the Nine Dragon Gods.

"Your earlier analogy was quite apt," Yun Che remarked coolly, as if in appreciation. "This Devil Master is a butcher, and the Eastern Divine Region is a sleeping pig accustomed to comfort. So then..." He took a step closer, his voice slow and deliberate: "Guess what your Dragon God Realm looks like in the eyes of this Devil Master, the butcher?"

The Ash Dragon God's dragon eyes trembled, and with what seemed like every ounce of his willpower, he slowly forced out a guttural sound: "You... had better... release... this venerable one... immediately..." Even in this dire predicament, even facing death, he would not relinquish the pride he had held his entire life.

At that moment, the Southern Sea God Emperor stepped forward slowly and spoke with a congenial expression, "Northern Region Devil Master, the demeanor of your subordinates has been clear for all to see, and we are utterly astonished. Given the current situation, perhaps the Devil Master could release him for now..."

"Southern Sea God Emperor," Yun Che stated directly, not bothering to turn and face him, "This lowly dragon was arrogant and insolent in front of this Devil Master, speaking disrespectfully, which I believe you all witnessed. This Devil Master does not understand the rules of your Southern Divine Region, but according to the Northern Divine Region, and to this Devil Master's rules, this is an unforgivable capital crime. In other words, this is a private matter for this Devil Master, and it concerns none of you. I trust you also have no desire to get involved."

No one among the Southern Region God Emperors spoke a word. The Three Yama Ancestors and the Two Brahma Ancestors — five terrifying old monsters who had appeared almost out of thin air. Over there were also Qianye Ying'er and Gu Zhu, and Yun Che himself was an even more horrifying and malicious anomaly than any of those old monsters. Although this was the Southern Divine Region's territory, since the matter did not concern them, who would dare to get involved? Who would *want* to get involved!? Furthermore, a conflict between the Northern Divine Region and the Western Divine Region would be entirely beneficial, causing no harm to the already uneasy Southern Divine Region. The more terrifying Yun Che appeared, the more this was true.

The Southern Sea God Emperor offered a faint smile. "Naturally, this King should not meddle in the Devil Master's private matters. However, this is, after all, my Southern Sea territory, and the Ash Dragon God is a distinguished guest personally invited by this King. My Southern Sea has also maintained good relations with the Dragon God Realm for generations, so to simply stand by and do nothing would indeed be quite heartless. Therefore, by my humble standing, I ask the Devil Master for mercy on behalf of the Ash Dragon God."

Though it was a plea for mercy, the Southern Sea God Emperor's tone was notably subdued, devoid of any discernible threat or genuine sincerity. A plea for mercy? In his entire life, had the Ash Dragon God ever required another to intercede on his behalf?

"This venerable one... does not... need your intercession!" He gnashed his teeth, blood vessels bursting in his eyes. "Yun Che... do you dare... kill me!?"

"You've made your plea, and that's as far as your goodwill goes, but this Devil Master does not accept it." Yun Che still did not turn. "Is that sufficient?"

"Of course." The Southern Sea God Emperor smiled faintly, took a step back, and remained silent.

The Ziwei God Emperor moved forward, taking a position beside the Southern Sea God Emperor. "Southern Sea, are you truly going to just..." The Southern Sea God Emperor, however, raised a hand to stop him, his eyes fixed on Yun Che with an unusual gaze, seemingly quite interested in Yun Che's next move.

"It seems that even now, you don't believe this Devil Master dares to kill you?" Yun Che cast a sidelong glance at the Ash Dragon God, his words so faint that even sarcasm seemed beneath him.

The Ash Dragon God's pupils dilated as if to burst, yet he continued to radiate an intimidating power that could make all beings tremble. "Heh... heh heh..." He actually laughed again, a sound utterly forced and painful, yet laced with deep contempt. "This is... the Northern Region Devil Master... heh heh... what a tremendous joke. So naive and foolish... how could *you*... possibly be worthy of offending my Dragon God...? And you... you delude yourself into thinking you can rule the God Realm..."

"Rule the God Realm?" Yun Che chuckled faintly. He tilted his head slightly, gazing skyward, seemingly addressing the Ash Dragon God, yet also speaking to himself. "If I truly desired to rule the God Realm, back then, I only needed to keep the Heaven Smiting Devil Emperor here. Then, in this vast world, among all the stars and beings, who would dare defy my command! Even with the return of devil gods and myriad calamities across heaven and earth, only I could guarantee eternal peace. If you wished for even a shred of safety, even your Dragon God Realm would have been forced to kneel and beg for my protection."

These words instantly stunned everyone present. Especially the God Emperors who had witnessed the Devil Emperor's return in the past found themselves utterly unable to refute his claims. The Ash Dragon God's violently trembling gaze also momentarily froze.

"If this Devil Master desired to be revered, there would be no 'Dragon Monarch' name left in this world!" Yun Che's voice turned cold. "If this Devil Master intends to kill someone, it is solely because they deserve to die, understand?"

The Ash Dragon God forced out his words. "Fine. Then do it! Kill this venerable one, and you... will surely face the full wrath of my Dragon God Realm! By then, even if you manage to escape, that group of lowly devils from the Northern Divine Region who followed you... will all be buried with this venerable one!"

"Heh heh," Yun Che chuckled with a rather eerie smile, stating softly, "This Devil Master brought them out of the Northern Divine Region not to bestow new life upon them, but to turn them into tools for staining this filthy world with blood! Their death is their greatest purpose in the hands of this Devil Master. I am already eager to see what your Dragon God Realm will become at the moment they all perish."

The air suddenly solidified. An invisible chill, like countless demonic talons, pierced deeply into the heart and soul of everyone present. Standing at the pinnacle of the current era, each person possessed immense experience and cunning, their hands stained with vast amounts of blood and sin. Yet, what they now heard were the darkest, most deranged words they had ever encountered in their lives. Everyone's expressions shifted dramatically. Gazing at Yun Che's back, the chill in their hearts simply refused to dissipate. Even the Southern Sea God Emperor, who had initially adopted a detached spectator's posture, had his eyes suddenly narrow.

He had long told his Sea Kings and Sea Gods that Yun Che was a madman, and his return was not for annexation, but for revenge. This was also the primary reason why he, despite being the most audacious God Emperor, had chosen to "concede." For the most terrifying thing in this world is not power, but madness. Yet, at this moment, he suddenly realized that he had still completely underestimated the depth of Yun Che's madness.

"..." Qianye Ying'er frowned slightly.

The Ash Dragon God's previously dilated dragon pupils sharply contracted... The Dragon Clan's immense power ensured no one dared to offend them, and their inherent arrogance meant they disdained bullying others. Thus, the Dragon God Realm had reigned supreme for millions of years, revered by all beings, and never suffered any external calamities. If the devils of the Northern Divine Region truly, under Yun Che's command, were to sacrifice their lives to stain the Dragon God Realm with blood... although he never believed the Northern Region devils were a match for the Dragon God Realm, given the power currently displayed by the Northern Divine Region, the Dragon God Realm would undoubtedly suffer unprecedented devastation even as all the Northern Region devils perished.

After a brief silence, his dragon eyes suddenly shifted, and he let out a sneering laugh. "Haha... hahahaha... Did you old devils from the Northern Region hear that! You risk your lives for him... yet he views you as mere tools for your own demise... hahahaha... You still haven't... Ugh!"

The sound of several dragon bones fracturing rang out, as heavy as a collapsing mountain.

Yama One raised his aged eyes, a terrifying demonic light radiating from them. "To die for our Master is our greatest honor!"

Yama Two raised his withered hand, which had just ripped through dragon bone. "We only seek to die ten thousand deaths for our Master!"

Yama Three's lips stretched into a grin, revealing grim, gray teeth. "Heh heh, the Master's will is the very reason we live! What utter nonsense is this lowly dragon spouting!"

The Ash Dragon God froze, and everyone present felt as if their throats were constricted, unable to utter a sound. When the Three Yama Ancestors spoke these words, there was no hint of reluctance or unwillingness; instead, they exuded a sense of honor that seemed to stem from their very bones and souls!

The Southern Sea God Emperor's scalp tingled. The sight of these three terrifying old monsters, who arguably shouldn't even exist, showing such profound reverence towards Yun Che was already difficult for him to comprehend. Their words now, however, not only baffled him but also filled him with envy and jealousy to the point of near madness.

God Emperors exist to command all beings and are not subservient to any other entity. Each God Emperor must show paramount importance, kindness, and entice the divine power inheritors under their command, constantly balancing and reconciling various interests. Even then, they would never dare to hope that their subordinates would be willing to die ten thousand deaths in loyalty. For powerful beings like them might serve as the foundation of a realm, but they could never be mere loyal dogs. Yet, by Yun Che's side, there were indeed loyal dogs of God Emperor caliber, willing to die ten thousand deaths for him! And there were three of them! He could neither comprehend nor accept this reality.

"What... tactics..." the Ash Dragon God groaned. "Truly impressive tactics... The so-called Yama Ancestors... actually willing to be loyal dogs to an idiot... Ugh!"

Yama Three's eyes gleamed with demonic light, clearly enraged, yet he dared not act without permission. He turned to Yun Che. "Master, shall we slaughter this lowly dragon now?"

The grim tone did not provoke even a hint of fear in the Ash Dragon God. Even under the suppression of the Five Ancestors, he continued to utter each word with fierce, defiant pride: "Come... kill this venerable one... Yun Che... if you dare... then... do it—"

Yun Che fixed him with a stare, then suddenly offered a cold smile. "Among all the people this Devil Master has encountered in his life, most fear death. The higher one's status, the more they dread it. Someone like you, who is not afraid of death, is indeed a rare exception. Since you are not someone who fears death, how could this Devil Master be so charitable as to grant it to you?"

The Ash Dragon God's dragon pupils widened, and he let out a wild, mocking laugh. "Haha... hahahaha... You truly still don't dare to kill this venerable one... Where's your courage from just now? Hmm!? Hahahaha..."

"You may die if you wish," Yun Che said unhurriedly. "Come and beg this Devil Master. Only when you learn how to kneel before this Devil Master will you be deemed worthy of death by his hand. Do you understand?"

"Heh... hahaha... hahahaha..." The Ash Dragon God's face contorted in pain, yet he continued to laugh wildly. "You lowly devil... you delude yourself into thinking you can make this venerable one submit... Dream on!"

"Yama One, Yama Two, Yama Three," Yun Che turned, no longer sparing the Ash Dragon God a glance, "How to make a lowly dragon beg for death — such a simple task, you won't fail, will you?"

The low command, however, deeply ignited the inherent darkness and ferocity within the Three Yama Ancestors. Their aged eyes emitted excited black light, and their voices gained a fervent edge. "We obey Master's command!"

"Ah————"

No sooner had the Three Yama Ancestors' words faded than a soul-piercing shriek of agony nearly rent the sky above the Southern Sea Royal City. From the ghostly claws of the Three Yama Ancestors, which had plunged into the dragon's body, countless black marks suddenly radiated and spread across the Ash Dragon God, like thousands of dark demonic blades, cruelly slicing, piercing, and devouring every part of his massive dragon body.

The dark devouring itself was a form of cruel torture. And these were the Yama ghostly claws of the Three Yama Ancestors. Each of the countless black marks, even every faint wisp of dark light, was enough to instantly make any living being comprehend what it meant to wish for death.

However, the Ash Dragon God's shriek lasted for only an instant before he fiercely suppressed it. He uttered no pleas for mercy or death, not even a single whimper of agony; only the horrifying sound of his dragon teeth constantly fracturing under the extreme pain could be heard.

"Hmm?"

Such a simple task, combined with the most brutal Yama Devil power, had surprisingly failed to make this dragon submit. This undoubtedly angered the Three Yama Ancestors. Their hand gestures changed simultaneously, and in an instant, black marks surged across the Ash Dragon God's body. His dragon bones shattered one by one, and his previously indestructible dragon body ruptured into thousands of cracks. The dragon blood that spurted forth in that instant cascaded like a torrential downpour.

"Crack———"

The Ash Dragon God's entire body convulsed, his dragon teeth shattering into fragments. In the royal hall, many powerful figures were struck speechless with horror, yet still, not a single cry of agony escaped the Ash Dragon God.

"Heh... heh heh..."

The torment, no less than purgatory, and the agony of completely shattered dragon bones, failed to break his pride as a Dragon God. Instead, he was laughing, even though his entire face was twisted and disfigured beyond recognition.

"You... want... this... venerable one... to beg for mercy... You are not worthy... Your fate... will surely be a thousand, ten thousand times... more wretched than this venerable one's... heh heh... ha... hahaha..."

He was not only laughing but also managing to speak. While they had been horrified by the Ash Dragon God's suffering moments before, now, they couldn't help but feel a profound sense of shock and admiration. This was the will of a dragon, the soul of a dragon, the proud essence of a dragon.

"No need to be so impatient; save your strength and truly savor this," Yun Che said slowly. "This Devil Master has plenty of time. The spectacle of a 'Dragon God' being tormented must be quite rare. Who among those present wouldn't wish to observe a little longer? You must certainly try to endure for some time." As his words concluded, the Ash Dragon God's dragon tendons were torn apart one by one, then slowly consumed, turning into dark dust. The horrifying sound of his dragon teeth being bitten off persisted with every passing moment, yet still, no screams or pleas for mercy were heard.

"Northern Region Devil Master," the Southern Sea God Emperor finally spoke, "The Ash Dragon God's transgression has, by now, exacted a sufficient price. Given that the Devil Master and the Dragon Clan share a unique origin, and there is no profound animosity between you and the Ash Dragon God, how about granting mercy and forgiveness now?"

"Offense," "grant mercy"... The Southern Sea God Emperor's words, far from eliciting gratitude, only fueled the Ash Dragon God's rage. From his throat, a completely distorted, hoarse roar erupted: "Southern Sea... this venerable one does not need your intercession! Yun Che... if you have the guts, then kill this venerable one... Come on!!"

"You want to die? Then beg for it," Yun Che said with a faint smile.

"I... Bah!" The Ash Dragon God bit off his last remaining dragon tooth, yet the arrogance in his voice showed no sign of dissipating. "You cowardly trash... a mad dog fallen to devilry... you are not worthy!"

Yun Che squinted, casting a cold glance at the Ash Dragon God. Frankly, the Ash Dragon God's willpower had indeed surpassed his estimations... by a significant margin. He was well aware of the sheer brutality of the Three Yama Ancestors' Yama Devil power. What the Ash Dragon God was currently enduring was nearly equivalent to the agony of the Brahma Soul Seek-Death Imprint. But not only did he refuse to beg for mercy, he even managed to suppress his screams entirely. The Nine Dragon Gods of the Dragon God Realm certainly needed to be re-evaluated.

"Just a mere Dragon God, why waste so much time on him?" Qianye Ying'er suddenly spoke, unhurriedly stating, "Given the will of a Dragon God, I fear he won't truly beg for mercy, even if you torture him to death." She stood up, meeting Yun Che's gaze. "If you want him to submit, wouldn't it be simpler to destroy what he values most?"

"Tell me," Yun Che said. Naturally, when it came to understanding the Dragon God Realm, he was far less knowledgeable than Qianye Ying'er.

"It's quite simple," Qianye Ying'er said, standing up. "For them, the words 'Dragon God' are paramount. Even if they face a thousand, ten thousand deaths, they would never abandon that title, nor would they compromise their dignity and pride as a Dragon God. Therefore..." Her lips curved subtly, and from her exquisite mouth, she whispered words that were nothing short of an abyssal nightmare for the Ash Dragon God: "Shatter his dragon core, flay his dragon hide, engrave the most humiliating dark inscriptions upon his dragon body, then hang him in the Eternal Heaven and project his image before all beings in the world. Let everyone witness his miserable state, let even the 'ants' he disdained to glance at in his life feel pity for him. In this way, the Ash Dragon God will become the enduring shame of the Dragon God Realm, an eternal disgrace. In any future era, any record of the Ash Dragon God by any race will forever bear the indelible mark of 'shame'."

"You..." The Ash Dragon God's body suddenly began to tremble uncontrollably, and his dragon eyes rapidly shifted from dark gray to blood-red.

An invisible chill pierced through everyone's spines. The Brahma Emperor Goddess, already terrifying in her past, had clearly become even more cruel and brutal since her return from the Northern Divine Region.

"Excellent." Yun Che nodded slightly and instructed directly, "Yama One, Yama Two, Yama Three, proceed as Ying'er suggested. First, shatter his dragon bones and dragon core, leaving him unable to die even if he wishes. As for the dark inscription... hmph, simply carve the words 'Lowly Dragon'."

"As you command!"

The Three Yama Ancestors responded in unison, unleashing their dark power. The destruction of the dragon bones shifted from slow, insidious decay to violent, thunderous shattering.

"Ah——"

The pain of being forcibly shattered was far less intense than the slow, dark devouring, yet the Dragon God, who had previously refused to utter a single groan, now let out a desolate shriek, followed by a distorted roar: "Kill me... kill me!" This roar lacked all of his previous unyielding arrogance; it was incredibly urgent and distinctly tinged with fear and a tremor that was unmistakable to anyone.