Chapter 1835: Absolute Desperation in the Vast Waves (8)

Chi Wuyao’s words left the Dragon Gods’ hearts and expressions completely unmoved; they merely found them laughable.

The White Rainbow Dragon God snorted softly, on the verge of mockery, when a sudden chill coursed through his body, making his breath catch.

All seven Dragon Gods simultaneously turned their gaze towards the Dragon Emperor.

His face had turned grim, and his entire being emanated an anger that, despite his strenuous efforts to suppress it, remained terrifyingly potent. This rage was not a fleeting burst but had persisted without fading until this very moment.

He was the Dragon Emperor, the sole ruler of the God Realm, the most supreme being in the entire Primal Chaos. He possessed unparalleled power, the most revered status, a lifespan spanning hundreds of thousands of years, and a corresponding depth of experience and composure.

Even if myriad mountains crumbled and countless realms shattered, he would not betray the slightest emotion. Those who acted self-satisfied or hurled mockery in his presence would fail to stir even a ripple in his soul, for such acts were merely the thoughtless jokes of the ignorant.

To claim the Dragon Emperor was unworthy of comparison to anyone else? To anyone sane, there was no more strained, foolish, or vulgar insult in the world, one that didn't even merit the Dragon Emperor raising an eyebrow.

Yet…

A sharp, heart-stopping sound suddenly emanated from the Dragon Emperor's tightly clenched fingers.

“……!!??” The gazes of the Dragon Gods, Dragon Sovereigns, Principal Dragons, and God Emperors darted between the Dragon Emperor's face and hands, their minds reeling with shock and disbelief.

"??" The Five Elder Dragon Venerables also frowned slightly.

As the Supreme Dragon Emperor, could he truly be enraged by such crude words?

The White Rainbow Dragon God remained stunned for several breaths before abruptly snapping back to awareness. The mild scoff he had intended to utter morphed into an angry rebuke: “Ridiculous! As if our Dragon God Realm would fear a mere Devil Master!”

“Oh?” Chi Wuyao cast a sidelong glance. “It seems not only the Dragon Emperor but also the Dragon Gods are a band of hypocrites. You have the gall to act, yet lack the face to admit it. Truly, birds of a feather.”

“You even resorted to using the Qiankun Dragon City to seize the opportunity of our Devil Master’s absence… Why bother maintaining such a deceitful facade, making yourselves a laughingstock to the world?”

“Hmph, heh heh!” The White Rainbow Dragon God scoffed disdainfully. “Devil Empress, you seem to have forgotten that your so-called Devil Master Yun Che would have died without a burial place long ago, had he not been mercifully taken in by our Dragon Empress! How does he dare show his face before me now…”

CRACK!!

The resounding crack was so loud it sounded as if the Dragon Emperor had deliberately snapped his own finger bones.

The White Rainbow Dragon God’s voice abruptly cut off. His body went cold, chilling him to the point of trembling, so cold that he couldn’t utter another word.

And this chilling sensation, which seeped directly into his dragon soul, originated from none other than the Dragon Emperor.

The Azure Dragon God kicked the White Rainbow Dragon God’s calf. Among all the Dragon Gods, only he had vaguely perceived something amiss recently. However, with the Dragon Emperor’s profound secrecy, he dared not utter a single word.

The White Rainbow Dragon God turned, his face a mask of bewildered confusion.

“HAHAHAHAHA!”

Cang Shitian’s boisterous laughter echoed, seemingly to live up to his self-proclaimed title of “Mad Dog.” This time, his laughter was especially unbridled: “A joke! What kind of figure is the Devil Master? He carries the inheritance of the Heretic God, the legacy of the Devil Emperor, and the Sky Poison Pearl has acknowledged him as its master… These are a Creation God, a Devil Emperor, and a true Profound Heaven Supreme Treasure!”

“His profound energy, though only at the Divine Sovereign Realm, wields devilish might comparable to a Divine Emperor! And he is merely half a Jiazi (30 years) old! Who in this era can possibly compare to him? The Dragon Emperor? Hahahaha, in the Devil Master’s presence, he is nothing more than an old worm who has lived for three hundred and fifty thousand years.”

Everyone in the Dragon God Realm displayed indignation, but sensing the Dragon Emperor’s peculiar emotional state, no one dared to make a move.

Cang Shitian continued, “Speaking of the two great beauties of our God Realm, known to all — the Dragon Empress and the Divine Maiden. Her Highness the Divine Maiden is already the Devil Master’s exclusive possession, and as for the Dragon Empress… Heh, if the Devil Master had been born hundreds of thousands of years earlier, it would never have been your turn, Dragon Emperor! She would likely have preferred to be the Devil Master’s concubine than even cast a glance your way.”

BANG————

The space for dozens of miles around the Dragon Emperor violently expanded, on the verge of exploding.

The Elder Dragon Venerables, Dragon Gods, and Dragon Sovereigns behind him were directly forced back half a step. They stared at the Dragon Emperor, then froze in stunned silence.

Long Bai’s usually fair face was now a ghastly shade of bluish-black. His lips, nose, eyebrows, and indeed every muscle on his face, were violently twitching and trembling.

The space around him was also rapidly distorting; if that terrifying rage were to truly spiral out of control, it would undoubtedly cause the surrounding boundless space to collapse.

“Your Highness?” The Su Xin Dragon God frowned deeply. As the Emperor of the Primal Chaos, Long Bai sometimes wouldn’t show a flicker of emotion for thousands of years. She had never seen him in such a state.

Everyone knew the Dragon Empress was the Dragon Emperor’s ultimate weakness, but surely a few mere reckless words, no matter how offensive, wouldn’t lead to such a reaction…

Witnessing the Dragon Emperor’s drastically altered expression and his almost uncontrollable rage, Cang Shitian paused, then his eyes widened, his lips twitched, and he erupted into a maniacal, frantic laugh: “Heh… heh heh heh… Ha… haha… HAHAHAHAHA!”

Those words had been transmitted to him by Chi Wuyao. He had thought that involving the Dragon Empress might mildly provoke Long Bai… but only mildly. Even so, that would have been enough to satisfy him.

He never imagined he would actually infuriate the dignified Dragon Emperor to such a disgraceful extent!

He raised both arms, fingers curling into claws, his features contorted, and every pore seemed to open as he shook with laughter, nearly collapsing from the exertion.

He had no idea that every word he had just uttered was like the sharpest, most venomous blade in the world, piercing with pinpoint accuracy into the most sensitive part of the Dragon Emperor’s heart.

Cang Shitian’s frenzied laughter was utterly grating. Dragon One let out a short, disappointed sigh and said, “Dragon Emperor, do not lose your composure.”

Dragon Five also spoke with disappointment: “As the Dragon Emperor, one should face myriad calamities unshaken. Why react so strongly to a few crude words from mere nobodies?”

“You scoundrel!”

The Azure Abyss Dragon God roared, surging forward, a cyan claw shadow suddenly appearing on his right hand. But then, a pale palm abruptly materialized before him, pressing firmly against his chest and halting his momentum.

The one who had intervened was, surprisingly, Long Bai.

The distortion of space around him ceased, and his complexion seemed to return to normal. Only the arm held out before the Azure Abyss Dragon God continued to ripple with an extremely terrifying surge of energy.

The Azure Abyss Dragon God quickly retreated two steps, no longer daring to make another move.

His arm slowly fell. Long Bai raised his head, and his eyes once again blazed with divine light, like a scorching sun in the high heavens. “Where is Yun Che now?”

His voice was flat, making his emotions inscrutable.

“Oh, Dragon Emperor, there’s no need to be so wary or troubled,” Chi Wuyao said languidly. “This empress can tell you quite frankly, though the Devil Master is rushing here at full speed, he is still too far away. It will take him at least five or six hours to reach this location.”

“So I must say, your elaborate scheme to avoid our Devil Master this time was truly successful, gaining you a full five or six hours!”

“However! This empress wants to see…” Chi Wuyao’s voice abruptly turned cold, black mist billowed from her, and the surrounding space for a thousand miles grew frigid. “How much of this five or six-hour window you, Dragon Emperor, can ultimately seize!”

“Hmph.”

With an exceedingly cold snort, Long Bai looked down upon Canglan, his dragon eyes radiating an intimidating aura as vast as the heavens themselves. “Good, very good. Then I shall wait for him for six hours!”

At his words, profound practitioners from both the Western and Northern Regions froze in astonishment.

“Your Highness the Dragon Emperor!” The Fiery Extinction Dragon God turned and urgently interjected, “This Devil Empress has a heart like a venomous abyss, full of enchanting lies. Do not let her…”

“Silence.”

A faint reprimand, yet it completely silenced the Fiery Extinction Dragon God. Long Bai’s still indifferent voice inexplicably sent a chill down his spine. “Do you truly believe a mere Devil Empress is capable of misleading me?”

The Fiery Extinction Dragon God tensed, then quickly replied, “No! Fiery Extinction meant no such thing.”

“Dragon Emperor…” Dragon One began, but his words were cut short by Long Bai after only two syllables.

“Enough talk,” Long Bai’s voice deepened slightly. “How dare a collection of dark beasts tarnish even a shred of my Dragon God Clan’s prestige! Since they presume I fear their so-called Devil Master, then I shall await his return.”

“The Dragon Emperor is absolutely right!” The Myriad Manifestation God Emperor reacted swiftly, immediately echoing loudly, “Dark beasts are dark beasts, after all. What can they possibly accomplish in six hours, let alone six hundred?”

“Precisely,” said the Chi Dragon Emperor. “Then let us use these six hours to crush their last shred of pathetic self-respect. A collection of filthy devils are truly unworthy of defiling the name of the Dragon God Realm!”

With the two God Emperors’ agreement and the Dragon Emperor’s terrifying aura, no one dared to utter another word.

“Oh?” Chi Wuyao lifted her gaze and cast a lingering glance at Long Bai. “Dragon Emperor, why debase yourself for such a pathetic sliver of dignity? What if my Lord Devil Master were to strip away your dragon hide upon his return? Wouldn’t that sweep away even more of your prestige and honor? By then, regret would be too late.”

Long Bai, however, didn’t even glance at her. He simply turned away and said coldly, “Within these six hours, no one is permitted to make a move. Violators will be executed!”

The Dragon Emperor’s divine decree, each word carrying immense weight.

Under this terrifying, almost irrational imperial decree, everyone fell silent, hushed as cicadas in winter. Not only did no one dare to make a move, but no one even dared to take another step forward.

“What’s happening?” The Jade Dragon God whispered. “Could the Dragon Emperor have been silently soul-invaded by the Devil Empress?”

“Impossible,” the Su Xin Dragon God replied. “However, the Dragon Emperor is indeed behaving irrationally… it’s quite peculiar.”

“These dark beasts will surely use these six hours to find an opportunity to escape.”

“They won’t,” the Su Xin Dragon God stated calmly. “If they had intended to flee, they would have scattered long before our arrival, instead of standing ready for battle.”

“Don’t overthink it,” the Azure Dragon God cautioned. “The Dragon Emperor’s actions must have a profound meaning. Simply obey his command.”

Long Bai stood with his back to Canglan, gazing coldly into the void. His hands remained tightly clenched, seemingly having never relaxed.

He feared Yun Che!?

He was inferior to Yun Che!?

What an immense joke… an immense joke indeed!!

He had to prove to Yun Che, to the world, and most importantly, to Shen Xi, that Yun Che was only fit to struggle, wail, and despair beneath his hand, before finally dying!

Yes, he wanted him to experience the most brutal pain and despair the world had to offer!

He would shatter his body, crush his dignity, and annihilate all his dark wings and hopes!

And if Yun Che couldn’t witness these things with his own eyes, how could he be plunged into the most profound despair?

“Very well,” Chi Wuyao said coldly, the black mist around her subsiding. “I hope you won’t regret this when the Devil Master returns in six hours.”

With that, she turned and walked away.

“Devil Empress.” Yan Tianxiao and Fen Daoqi swiftly stepped forward, their gazes earnest. Behind them, all the Northern Region profound practitioners had their eyes fixed on the Devil Empress, their hearts surging with boundless anticipation.

“All of you, guard this place and quietly await the Devil Master’s return!” Chi Wuyao’s devilish command resounded, clearly heard even by the Western Region profound practitioners outside the barrier. “Within these six hours, no one is permitted to leave or act without this empress’s direct order!”

“Yes!” They all acknowledged the command.

Six hours… The Devil Empress, with just a few words, had achieved what seemed like an incredible miracle, effortlessly—or at least seemingly effortlessly—securing a full six hours from the Dragon Emperor!

They understood all too well what these six hours meant for the Northern Region, and for the Devil Master who was still in the Eternal Heaven Divine Realm.

“You two also stay here,” Chi Wuyao said in a lowered voice to Yan Tianxiao and Fen Daoqi. “Do not make any unnecessary movements, and refrain from speaking carelessly. Avoid any actions that might provoke the other side… simply get through these six hours safely.”

Yan Tianxiao and Fen Daoqi both nodded in silent agreement.

Just as Cang Shitian was about to speak, Chi Wuyao’s voice reached his ear: “Cang Shitian, you certainly did not disappoint this empress.”

“Does the Devil Empress have any further instructions? Please command as you wish.” Cang Shitian bent at the waist, his words carrying a hint of fawning. “Since this king has declared himself the Devil Master’s mad dog, then he is naturally the Devil Empress’s mad dog as well.”

By now, he was utterly willing to follow Chi Wuyao’s every word and instruction.

Chi Wuyao glanced skyward. Above the Canglan barrier, the fissure, resembling a tear in the firmament, still spanned across it, a truly shocking sight.

Cang Shitian, observing her subtle cues, understood her intent and grinned. “Devil Empress is truly brilliant! Using a barrier at thirty percent strength to deceive their minds. Now that you’ve secured six hours, it’s enough time to secretly increase the barrier’s power from seventy percent to one hundred percent, then it will be able to…”

“No,” Chi Wuyao countered. “Keep the barrier without any changes. What you must do next is to precisely control the remaining seventy percent of its power, ensuring it remains in a state where it can be… instantly unleashed at any moment.”

“?” Cang Shitian’s face showed confusion.

Chi Wuyao’s lips moved slightly, and she uttered four faint words.

Instantly, a brilliant light burst forth from Cang Shitian’s eyes, and he let out a low howl: “Devil Empress, you are brilliant! Truly brilliant… Hahahaha!”