Chapter 1828: Absolute Desperation and Turmoil (Part 1)

A brief, dreadful silence descended. Then, the five Barren Dragon Sovereigns slowly rose. In that instant, the dim underground space trembled slightly, and the vibrations lingered.

"We only have seven days," Dragon One stated.

Long Bai raised a hand and, with the demeanor of the Dragon Monarch, gave a slight bow. "In seven days," he said calmly, "the names of the five Sovereigns, who will eradicate evil and quell disaster, shall be etched into eternity."

"As Barren Dragons, what meaning do empty titles hold?" Dragon Two murmured.

Having sealed away their remaining lifespans and powers to become guardians of the Dragon God Realm in slumber, they had naturally long since purged themselves of worldly desires.

They had all once been renowned throughout the world and were long considered by the world to have returned to dust.

"Where is this dark evil now?" Dragon Three asked, his imperial might awe-inspiring.

Among the five Barren Dragon Sovereigns, two had once been Dragon Monarchs: Dragon Five and Dragon Three.

Dragon One, Dragon Two, and Dragon Four were all Dragon Gods.

To have cultivated to the state of Barren Dragon Divine Seclusion and become guardians of the Dragon God Realm, their cultivation had all reached the pinnacle.

Dragon Two, in particular, had been a Dragon God under Dragon Three in his lifetime, yet by the time he entered "Divine Seclusion," he had actually surpassed Dragon Three.

The appearance of the five Barren Dragon Sovereigns was bound to stir up immense upheaval.

"The Southern Divine Region, Ten Directions Azure Sea Realm," Long Bai stated. "I have ordered the mobilization of our entire clan, as well as the forces of the Qilin, Imperial螭, Azure Dragon, Coiling Dragon, and Myriad Manifestations realms. In two days, we will directly overwhelm the devil race."

"In two days?" Dragon Five raised his gaze, his cold might subtly present. "Why awaken us now?"

Having been blessed by the Divine Radiance throughout his life, Long Bai was undoubtedly the strongest Dragon Monarch in the history of the Dragon God Realm—in both dragon body and dragon soul.

Therefore, even when facing the awe-inspiring might of ancestral Dragon Monarchs and Dragon Gods, he remained undaunted. He calmly said, "Awakening from Divine Seclusion leaves us with only seven short days. For these two days, the five Sovereigns may wish to observe the changes in the world and fully awaken the long-dormant powers within yourselves."

"In two days, from here to the Azure Sea of the Southern Region, one hour will be sufficient."

The Dragon God from the Western Region to the Southern Region's Azure Sea... in one hour?

Anyone hearing this would dismiss it as preposterous nonsense.

Yet, it came from the Dragon Monarch's own mouth.

Fei Dragon God had already anticipated this and wasn't overly surprised, but his heart still trembled greatly.

All the Barren Dragon Sovereigns glanced sideways.

"The Heaven and Earth Dragon City?" Dragon Four asked.

Long Bai replied, "Precisely."

The five Barren Dragon Sovereigns fell silent simultaneously. After a moment, Dragon One said, "As Barren Dragons, we shall obey the command of the current Dragon Monarch. However, the Heaven and Earth Dragon City is extraordinary. Dragon Monarch, please consider this carefully."

Dragon Two said, "During the ancient era of gods, the Heretic God once forged two profound ships, imbuing them with the divine power of the Heaven and Earth Piercer. One was called the Heaven and Earth Spirit Realm, the other the Heaven and Earth Dragon City."

"Legend has it that the Heaven and Earth Spirit Realm contained a vast world within it, capable of freely traversing the void as long as it had sufficient energy. Records show this ship was given by the Heretic God to the Sword Spirit God Clan. Unfortunately, it should have perished long ago in ancient times."

"The Heaven and Earth Dragon City, given by the Heretic God to the Dragon God Clan, could compress space, shrinking chasms into mere gaps. It did not traverse dimensions, yet it transcended 'speed'. Even spanning the furthest Western and Southern Regions, it indeed only required a mere hour."

"However, the Heaven and Earth Dragon City's energy source is no longer found in the current era. Once used, it could very likely be depleted forever. It is the Dragon God Clan's deeply hidden last resort. Our ancestors left word that it must not be used unless our very existence is at stake."

Dragon Three said, "The Dragon Monarch's fervent desire to slay devils is not wrong. However, this matter requires careful consideration."

"My decision is made," Long Bai stated.

Facing the Barren Dragon Sovereigns' advice, Long Bai showed no hesitation. "Our Dragon God lineage stands above all beings," he declared, "destined to be revered by all heavens. Since the dawn of the God Realm, no clan has ever been able to contend with ours."

"And Yun Che, having inherited the Heretic God's and Devil Emperor's legacies and perfectly aligning with the Northern Divine Region's long-accumulated hatred and resentment, has become the sole threat and variable."

"But also the *final* threat and variable!"

Long Bai slightly narrowed his eyes, and from their slits, radiated terrifying imperial majesty. "Once this calamity is eradicated," he stated, "for thousands of generations to come, nothing will ever threaten our clan again."

"Once the devils retreat to the Northern Region, the three divine regions will be powerless. To eradicate them, we must first launch a surprise attack, leaving them no escape, no retreat... cutting off their lifelines and escape routes, ending all future troubles!"

"Now is the most opportune time to activate the Heaven and Earth Dragon City! Instead of letting it sleep eternally, why not let it, at the most suitable moment, unleash this unique miraculous divine light from antiquity upon the world?"

The five Barren Dragon Sovereigns did not continue to dissuade him. Dragon One said, "Since it is the Dragon Monarch's decision, we shall obey. This is our mission upon awakening from our long slumber, regardless of right or wrong. However, there are still two days, and we still hope the Dragon Monarch will consider this matter carefully."

"Hm." The Dragon Monarch nodded slightly, his face plainly showing his unambiguous "no need for further thought" intention.

Stepping out of the Divine Seclusion space where the Barren Dragon Sovereigns resided, Fei Mian finally spoke. "Your Highness Dragon Monarch," he said, "before your return, I was concerned that you might underestimate the devils of the Northern Region. But I never imagined you would value them so highly."

Long Bai did not respond.

Fei Mian Dragon God asked again, "Your Highness, there is something Fei Mian does not understand. While in the God Realm of Absolute Beginning, you sent a message saying you still needed to stay there for two months. Why then..."

"No need to ask further," Long Bai interrupted.

"Yes." Fei Mian Dragon God turned his gaze and said no more.

To this day, he still had no idea why the Dragon Monarch had gone to the God Realm of Absolute Beginning.

Why he had gone... this was a reason the Dragon Monarch could never speak.

Five years ago, outside the Forbidden Land of Samsara, he personally forged a barrier that isolated everything. Covertly, he also frantically searched for Shen Xi's trace, firmly believing she was not dead and absolutely refusing to accept her demise.

Five years passed, with no results. She seemed to have completely vanished from the world, with no one seeing her alive, no corpse found, and not even a tiny trace remaining.

A few months ago, upon the Azure Dragon God's statement, "I detected the Dragon Queen's aura in the God Realm of Absolute Beginning," he showed almost no hesitation or doubt. Leaving only a few strict orders for the Azure Dragon God, he hastily rushed into the God Realm of Absolute Beginning.

Indeed, at the location the Azure Dragon God had indicated, he sensed Shen Xi's aura. Although extremely faint, it was undeniably her unique divine light aura, impossible for anyone to counterfeit.

He followed the extremely faint aura, deepening his search into the God Realm of Absolute Beginning little by little. Whenever he fell into despair, another equally faint aura would appear at just the right moment, guiding his persistent search, unwilling to let him leave.

By the seventh day, he had already realized that this might be a deception.

Yet, he still did not leave, continuing his pursuit.

Later, Fei Mian Dragon God located his aura and remotely sent him a message, informing him of the Northern Divine Region's invasion and the drastic changes in the Eastern Divine Region.

And at that time, next to an exceptionally strong wisp of light aura, he found a fragment of white silk clothing.

He recognized at a glance that this fragment was from Shen Xi's outer robe!

On the silk fragment, faint red characters were imprinted, carrying a light aura. The characters stated that "she" would return to this place on a certain day within two months.

By the time he received Fei Mian's message, he was already certain that this was entirely a deception set up to lure him here—a simple trick of 'luring the tiger away from its mountain.'

Yet, he still did not leave. Instead, he told Fei Mian that he would continue to stay in the God Realm of Absolute Beginning for two months.

Because even if there was a 99.99% chance it was a deception, he still yearned for that slim possibility.

Finally, half a month later, as the last wisp of aura on the silk fragment dissipated, he closed his eyes and sighed deeply. He knew this futile, foolish dream needed to end.

At this moment, countless powerful auras began to approach the Dragon God Realm, almost causing the air currents of the entire Western Divine Region to surge towards it.

The Dragon God Realm did not conceal this enormous commotion, nor could it. Soon, everyone knew that the Dragon God Realm was about to make a move, and it was a move of unexpected magnitude.

What was about to erupt might be the largest, highest-level, and undoubtedly most tragic battle in the history of the God Realm.

A battle so terrifying that even Divine Sovereigns were unqualified to participate!

The news spread with extreme speed throughout the Western Divine Region, then to the Eastern and Southern Divine Regions.

The Eastern Divine Region quieted down, and so did the Southern Divine Region. For a time, it was as if all profound practitioners in the God Realm held their breath, awaiting the battle that would decide the fate of the God Realm.

The Xuanyuan and Ziwei Realms also became exceptionally well-behaved, their two Divine Emperors hunkering down, daring not to step foot into the Azure Sea Realm during this period.

Twenty-four hours passed in a flash.

Under the Dragon Monarch's unprecedentedly forceful imperial decree, the five Western Region Divine Emperors, who originally had their own agendas, all gathered in the Dragon God Realm within the stipulated time, obediently bringing all their core forces with them.

At least, regarding their overt forces, they genuinely dared not hold anything back.

In the Azure Sea Realm, Cang Shitian was personally reporting the past two days' immense movements in the Western Divine Region to the Devil Queen.

"At least two hours ago, the profound ships of the Qilin, Imperial螭, Azure Dragon, Coiling Dragon, and Myriad Manifestations realms all arrived at the Dragon God Realm. They were all core profound ships, their aura astonishing. A large number of Dragon Monarchs and Lord Dragons of the Dragon God Realm who were outside have rushed back at full speed... very likely, all have been recalled."

"However, the Dragon Monarch does not seem to have shown himself these past two days."

Cang Shitian looked up, glanced at Chi Wuyao's reaction, and continued, "The Devil Master had originally planned a surprise assault on the Dragon God Realm, to catch them off guard while the Dragon Monarch was absent. However, the Dragon Monarch suddenly returned, and his methods are unexpectedly swift and decisive."

"Now, a surprise attack is no longer effective, and even whether to launch a full assault requires careful reconsideration. Judging by the movements in the entire Western Divine Region... I fear that before we can even launch an assault, the Dragon God Realm will already have attacked first."

"However," he added, not forgetting to flatter her, "the Devil Queen is indeed far-sighted. The day before yesterday, you had Shitian prepare the Azure Sea barrier. It seems with the current situation, the Devil Queen already has everything well in hand."

"This Queen is aware. You may withdraw," Chi Wuyao said.

In truth, there was no need for Cang Shitian to report; these past few days, her attention had been entirely on the Dragon God Realm. Through Zhou Xuzi's eyes, she had been observing all changes in the Dragon God Realm, acquiring information far more timely and clear than Cang Shitian.

Cang Shitian did not leave immediately; instead, he asked, "Devil Queen, Shitian has a question. How many more days will the Devil Master's seclusion last? The Dragon God Realm may attack at any moment. At that time, whether to retreat or fight, the Devil Master will need to decide in advance."

"You need not trouble yourself with this matter. When the time comes, the Devil Master will appear," Chi Wuyao said calmly.

The matter of Yun Che entering the Heaven Smiting Devil Bead naturally could not be disclosed. The public announcement was that Yun Che had suddenly encountered an opportunity for a breakthrough and was therefore temporarily in seclusion within the Azure Sea King's Palace. The news of the "Devil Master's breakthrough" had, to a considerable extent, excited the devils' morale.

"Yes... Shitian takes his leave."

After Cang Shitian left, Chi Wuyao closed her eyes again, her mind turning towards the Dragon God Realm.

Sensing the deep-seated worry hidden within Chi Wuyao's fatigue, Qianye Ying'er, who was beside her, did not speak to disturb her.

With the Dragon Monarch's sudden return, the situation had become very unsettling.

At this moment, Chi Wuyao suddenly sat up slowly from her seat, the dark devil energy around her vibrating chaotically.

"Who... are these people..." she murmured, a dark, heavy feeling in her voice.

Chi Wuyao's suddenly abnormal aura caused Qianye Ying'er's heart to sink. She quickly stepped forward, asking, "What happened?"

Chi Wuyao raised her eyes, touched her finger to her brow, then gently waved it forward.

Instantly, a special projection appeared before them.

This projection originated from Zhou Xuzi's sight and was materialized through Chi Wuyao's Samsara Devil Soul.

In Zhou Xuzi's view, the Dragon Monarch's figure slowly descended from high in the sky.

Around him, the five Western Region Emperors were all present, creating an awe-inspiring scene. However, Zhou Xuzi's focus was not on the Dragon Monarch, nor on the five Western Region Emperors, but on the five grayish-white figures behind the Dragon Monarch.

Completely unfamiliar auras, completely unfamiliar figures. They seemed unwilling to touch the sunlight, their heads also hidden beneath gray robes.

Accompanying them was the First Dragon God, Fei Mian.

What inexplicably horrified Zhou Xuzi, Chi Wuyao and Qianye Ying'er, the five Western Region Emperors, and indeed everyone, was that these five grayish-white figures walked behind the Dragon Monarch, yet *before* the Fei Mian Dragon God!

Through her Samsara Devil Soul, Chi Wuyao could clearly perceive the changes in Zhou Xuzi's heart and soul. When Zhou Xuzi's spiritual sense and sight touched the five gray figures, the shock transmitted was almost like ten thousand mountains collapsing.

The raised hands of the five Western Region Emperors all froze in mid-air. In their extreme terror, they forgot their respectful bows to the Dragon Monarch.

"Who are these five people?" Chi Wuyao murmured again.

Qianye Ying'er frowned and shook her head, but Chi Wuyao's next sentence was utterly astonishing.

"The dragon aura emanating from these five people is unique to the Dragon God Clan," Chi Wuyao said. "And... none of them are weaker than Fei Mian Dragon God."

"...!!!" Qianye Ying'er spun around abruptly, her beautiful face changing drastically as she gasped in alarm, "What did you say!?"

Fei Mian, the First Dragon God of the Dragon God Realm, was a terrifying existence surpassing both Qianye Fantian and Nan Wansheng! He was the second most powerful person in the world, bowing only to the Dragon Monarch.

Yet these five strange gray figures, who seemed to have appeared out of thin air, were all... not weaker than Fei Mian!?