Chapter 1827: The Withered Dragon Venerable

Although the Dragon God Realm was the supreme power in the God Realm and directly governed the Western Divine Region, successive Dragon Emperors rarely issued commands to other King Realms in the Western Divine Region, let alone forced their hand. This was due to the Dragon God clan's inherent arrogance and strength, which meant they disdained such actions and had no need for them.

However, the command Long Bai had just issued was extremely forceful. He had even directly stated the six words: "Do not blame me for being merciless." If even the Eight Dragon Gods were so horrified, one could only imagine the immense shock it would cause when the command reached the Five King Realms of the Western Region.

Following their initial shock, the Eight Dragon Gods felt their blood surge. With Ash's tragic death and Crimson Extermination's humiliation, the proud dragon blood of the Eight Dragon Gods, which had lain dormant for countless years, was ignited with unprecedented shame and fury. Long Bai's sudden shift to such severity and ruthlessness, after their initial shock, filled them with several times the excitement.

Long Bai only required the Divine Masters from the Five King Realms. A battle on this scale, the highest level of divine realm conflict in the history of the God Realm, truly only needed Divine Masters. Below the Divine Master realm, all were considered mere ants.

"Yes!" the Azure Dragon God responded with emphasis, immediately adding, "All the Upper Star Realms are also in a state of readiness for battle, should we...?"

"No need," Long Bai said gravely. "These Upper Star Realm Divine Masters each possess only one or two, and they have their own grievances and ambitions, making them like scattered sand. Furthermore, I doubt even half of them would be able to arrive within twenty-four hours, so there's no need to mobilize them."

"Additionally," Long Bai turned, his dark, deep dragon eyes making all who met his gaze feel an immense pressure. "All Dragon Lords and Chief Dragons currently outside must be recalled. No matter how critical their current tasks, they must return within twenty-four hours!"

Long Bai's voice was low and calm, yet it resonated throughout the entire Dragon God Realm. It made everyone present tremble to their core, realizing that his resolve to eradicate the Northern Divine Region was far beyond anything they had imagined.

Zhou Xuzi's aged face could barely contain his excitement. Before this moment, his greatest concern had been that the Dragon Emperor might underestimate the Northern Divine Region, or, in his arrogance, disdain to make a significant move. However, with the Dragon Emperor leading, all Dragon Gods, Dragon Lords, and Chief Dragons recalled, and the forced concentration of all Divine Master forces from the Five King Realms of the Western Region... no one doubted that such a lineup and resolve would be more than enough to easily crush the entire Devil Race.

"With the Dragon Emperor's resolve, the Northern Region is doomed!" Zhou Xuzi murmured, closing his eyes.

"Azure, Jade, Pure Heart, White Rainbow, Green Abyss, Purple Glaze, Cerulean," Long Bai recited each of the Dragon Gods' names. "My command, which I just issued, you are to personally transmit and execute. There must be no mistakes."

"Crimson Extermination, you will come with me."

***

Southern Divine Region, Azure Mist Realm.

Chi Wuyao's jade finger, pressed against her brow, unconsciously curled. In her eyes, a black light slowly condensed into an endlessly deep, dark vortex, and her expression was heavier than ever before.

What kind of situation would compel a vast power to leave no room for retreat, to burn its bridges? Only the Devil Race of the Northern Divine Region, having accumulated millions of years of resentment and with no one prepared to return alive, would choose such a path. Yet, Long Bai, who held the supreme position and commanded the paramount Dragon God Realm, had actually issued such a command as the Dragon Emperor... This was clearly not merely a matter of taking the Northern Divine Region seriously; it was distinctly a terrifying distortion. A distortion caused by extreme hatred. Chi Wuyao couldn't help but feel a headache coming on.

The Dragon Emperor adored the Dragon Empress, cherishing her as a precious treasure. This was known throughout the entire God Realm. Chi Wuyao had long been aware that the Dragon Emperor's obsession with Shen Xi far exceeded what any ordinary person could imagine. However, it was only at this moment that Chi Wuyao suddenly realized the depth of the Dragon Emperor's feelings for Shen Xi. It was no longer mere obsession... He practically valued her more than the entire Dragon God Realm itself!

When the Northern Divine Region faced the three divine regions, it held a significant advantage: the Devil Race fought with their backs against the wall, prepared to die, while the various forces of the three divine regions prioritized self-preservation. None of them were willing to risk their hundreds of thousands of years of accumulated foundation by engaging in a no-holds-barred fight with the Devil Race. However, this crucial advantage was utterly negated when it came to the most powerful of them all, the Dragon God Realm.

The Dragon Emperor, who should have been the most composed and awe-inspiring, had instead made a more extreme decision than any ordinary Realm King. Not only was he deploying the core strength of the Dragon God Realm, but he was also forcing the complete mobilization of the core forces from all Five King Realms of the Western Region. Chi Wuyao had defeated the Crimson Extermination Dragon God at a considerable cost, primarily to make the Five King Realms of the Western Region hesitant and to encourage them to hold back their forces. Now, the effectiveness of that effort was greatly diminished.

"Long Bai, the supreme ruler of the God Realm, is actually the biggest madman," Chi Wuyao murmured. "Shen Xi... what kind of person is she, to make the supreme ruler of this world descend into such madness?"

"But ultimately, this is still Yun Che's own doing, sigh..." Chi Wuyao let out a short sigh, an unresolvable worry etched on her brows. "He has been repeatedly emphasizing the twenty-four-hour deadline..."

***

Long Bai led the way, with Long Fei following behind, as they traversed a significant portion of the Dragon God Realm. They opened a special barrier and entered a long-sealed underground palace. The Crimson Extermination Dragon God halted, his dragon eyes trembling. "Dragon Emperor, are we truly going to..."

Long Bai, however, ignored his words and continued straight down. The Crimson Extermination Dragon God fell silent. He took a deep breath, his expression quickly returning to calm solemnity.

The vast, cold, underground space, which had not seen daylight for countless years, was dimly lit by an unknown source, casting a gray hue over everything. Despite its emptiness, an impossibly heavy and terrifying oppressive sensation permeated the air, enough to make even a Divine Master struggle to breathe. Both dragons' footsteps involuntarily slowed. The empty, somber space stretched out exceptionally long, with no further barriers obstructing their path. However, the terrifying and unmatched heaviness made every step incredibly difficult.

After a long period of slow footsteps, they finally came to a halt. In the dim light ahead, five dark grey figures sat side by side. They possessed no aura, appearing like withered corpses that had long since perished.

In the midst of the terrifying silence, Long Bai slowly raised his hand.

"Wait!" The Crimson Extermination Dragon God rushed forward, his right hand gripping Long Bai's raised wrist tightly. "Your Highness, the Dragon Emperor, although the Northern Region is strong, it... it's not to this extent!"

Long Bai said nothing, merely giving him a faint sideways glance.

"..." The Crimson Extermination Dragon God clenched his teeth, his expression quickly fading. His hand finally, slowly released its grip. He took a step back, bowing his head in shame. "Crimson Extermination has overstepped. Dragon Emperor, please forgive me."

Long Bai remained silent. Dragon energy fluctuated in his hand, and his dragon eyes flashed. Both dragon energy and dragon soul were simultaneously released, transforming into a substantive white light that swept towards the five withered grey figures.

Roar—

A dragon's roar, not particularly loud, reverberated and echoed throughout the somber, gray space for a long time. Amidst the roar, the five "withered corpses" simultaneously and slowly opened their eyes, which had been closed for an unknown number of years. Their bodies also gradually sat upright. As all five pairs of ancient eyes, appearing both murky and venerable, fully opened, the entire space became profoundly silent... even the most minute specks of dust completely ceased to drift.

"Who has awakened us?" From within the sealed space, a voice as vast as the heavens resounded. Though it emanated from the withered figures ahead, it seemed to come from the farthest reaches of the sky beyond.

Thud!

The Crimson Extermination Dragon God fell heavily to his knees, and his head, belonging to the First Dragon God, bowed deeply towards the withered figure on the far right. "Your unfilial son, Long Fei... bows to you, Father!"

The withered figure on the far right spoke in a deep voice, "I am Long Wu, not your deceased father. Crimson Extermination Dragon God, there is no need for such formality."

"..." The Crimson Extermination Dragon God's head remained on the ground for a long time before he slowly rose. In his dragon eyes, a faint, fleeting shimmer of tears, not wiped away in time, was visible.

Long Bai stepped forward and stated calmly, "I am Long Bai, the seventh Realm King of the Dragon God Realm. I have come to awaken the five Withered Dragon Venerables from their slumber."

"What extent of calamity warrants this?" the central Withered Dragon Venerable slowly inquired. Five gazes converged on Long Bai.

The Withered Dragon Venerables—this was a name that existed in no Realm King's memory, nor appeared in any recorded history. This was because they had always existed, yet had never appeared in the world.

The lifespan of dragons far exceeded that of other races. Among dragons, the Dragon God clan had the longest lifespans. A Dragon Emperor like Long Bai could reach a maximum lifespan of five hundred thousand years, ten times that of a human's limit. And those who reached the peak of Divine Master, whose Dragon God divine power reached its limit, and who could perfectly control every shred of their dragon body's power and soul, could cultivate an extraordinarily miraculous and forbidden secret art... The Withered Dragon Divine Concealment!

This art was exclusive to the Dragon Gods and could only be performed once in a lifetime. A Dragon God who mastered the Withered Dragon Divine Concealment could perform it when their lifespan was nearing its end, entering a special "Divine Concealment" state. In this "Divine Concealment" state, the dragon's body, power, and soul would all fall into a deep slumber. During this sleep, the depletion of lifespan would be exceptionally slow, extending a Dragon God's nearing end of life by almost two hundred thousand years. Its greatest power lay in the fact that the "Withered Dragon Divine Concealment" could perfectly preserve a Dragon God's peak dragon power and soul, awaiting their reawakening to once again unleash their dragon might upon the world.

However, a sleeping Dragon God could only be awakened once. This was because once awakened from the "Withered Dragon Divine Concealment," they were fated to die within seven days – regardless of their condition before entering the "Divine Concealment," even if they entered it in their prime. Dragon Gods who were meant to reach the end of their lifespan chose to slumber in this manner. In the perception of the world, they had turned to dust and faded away. Little did they know that these Dragon Gods had become the long-slumbering "Withered Dragon Venerables," using their last reserves of life and will to become the hidden, and strongest, guardians of the Dragon God Realm. Should a crisis arise, they would be awakened. If no crisis occurred, they would truly return to dust after two hundred thousand years... Immediately thereafter, new Withered Dragon Venerables would begin guarding the very same place of their predecessors' slumber.

In Long Bai's generation, there were five dormant Withered Dragon Venerables. The most recent to join their ranks, "Long Wu," was the father of the Crimson Extermination Dragon God and also the supreme Dragon Emperor of the previous era. Long Yi, Long Er, Long San, Long Si, Long Wu... five names so ordinary they could not be more so, yet they belonged to the five strongest guardian Dragon Gods hidden beneath the lightless depths of the Dragon God Realm.

On this very day, they were all awakened simultaneously by Long Bai. This also marked the first time in the history of the Dragon God Realm that the slumbering Withered Dragon Venerables had been awakened.

Facing the gazes of the five Great Withered Dragon Venerables, Long Bai calmly stated, "The Devil Race of the Northern Region has erupted in rebellion and invaded the world. The Eastern Divine Region and Southern Divine Region have successively fallen, and all living beings suffer calamity. Our clan has also lost a Dragon God, and all realms are in fear."

"Although our clan is not yet directly imperiled, this dark catastrophe is unprecedented. Therefore, I have come to awaken you five Venerables."

Long Bai's words caused all five Withered Dragon Venerables to react simultaneously.

"How could the mere Northern Region become such a calamity?" Long Yi slowly asked.

Long Bai replied, "Their leader carries the inheritance of the Heretic God, and very likely also the legacy of the Heaven Smiting Devil Emperor. The Devil people of the Northern Region, originally posing no threat, have been reborn under his command in just a few short years."

The Heretic God's inheritance, the Devil Emperor's legacy... these few words caused even the hearts of the five Venerables, which were like withered wood, to tremble violently.

"Fortunately, this Yun Che is young, impetuous, arrogant, and conceited. His decision to lead the Devil Race out of the Northern Divine Region after only four years has also presented our clan with the best possible opportunity. If we fail to completely crush him now and allow him to escape back to the Northern Region, to hide and lie in wait, the future repercussions will be endless."

Just four short years... the Northern Region's complete transformation... the successive fall of the Eastern and Southern Divine Regions... if he is not crushed, the future troubles will be boundless.

These few words were enough to consolidate a sufficient reason for awakening the Withered Dragon Venerables.