Chapter 3025: The Promise Jiuyou Dadi Must Fulfill

It was Nie Xiaolou and Qingjiao Wuhuan.

Their backgrounds were pitch black, revealing not a single useful piece of information.

Upon seeing He Lingchuan, Nie Xiaolou hesitated for a moment before saying:

"Jiuyou, long time no see."

When he said this, his tone and state of mind were equally complex.

In fact, Nie Xiaolou and He Lingchuan had never actually confronted each other directly. The last time He Lingchuan truly saw him was over twenty years ago. At that time, He Lingchuan, taking advantage of the Immortal Medicine Case, was traveling through Lingxu City. Meanwhile, Nie Xiaolou, as a prominent figure, was lecturing at the Taixue, and He Lingchuan had attended one of his lectures, being among the dark sea of listeners and students below.

Who could have predicted that over twenty years later, the outsider whom Qingyang had named and ordered to be killed would become the renowned Jiuyou Dadi, holding high the banner of resistance against the Heavenly Demon?

Life is unpredictable.

On the contrary, Xiao Qingjiao Wuhuan's gaze toward He Lingchuan was clear and uncomplicated.

Indeed, twenty years ago, it had a grudge against He Lingchuan and even wanted to kill him to vent for Yao Xingning.

But after experiencing the events at Shenglong Mountain, it realized those were merely trivial matters of the past, not worth mentioning.

Wuhuan now knows that the one who harmed the Father Emperor was not Jiuyou and Cangyan, but the Heavenly Demon and the Heavenly Palace. Therefore, it bears no grudge against He Lingchuan and feels no inner conflict.

Because in the world of the dragon race, or rather the world of monsters, the strong have always been supreme.

It only asked He Lingchuan: "I heard you can avenge my father king?"

He Lingchuan raised his eyebrows and asked him: "Which Heavenly Demon killed your father king?"

Wuhuan shook his head: "I don't know. The National Preceptor refuses to say."

He Lingchuan then looked toward Nie Xiaolou. It seems the Qinggong National Preceptor did not reveal too many details about the demon emperor's demise to the Jiaolong Crown Prince.

"Was it you who told him I could avenge him?"

Nie Xiaolou shook his head: "Jiuyou already knows why I came, right?"

He Lingchuan gave a faint smile: "That promise?"

"Yes. The Emperor has a good memory."

Nie Xiaolou took out a slip of paper, unfolded it before the mirror, with only a few characters on it:

"Let her go, and I owe you a favor."

He Lingchuan immediately recognized it as his own handwriting.

Years ago, Mei Wuniang brought out the Heavenly Divine Medicine and other major secrets from the Heavenly Palace, only to fall into Nie Xiaolou's hands.

Relying on this life-saving talisman personally written by Jiuyou, the demon emperor commanded Nie Xiaolou to release her.

At that time, this transaction was put on account.

He Lingchuan knew the demon emperor would eventually come to him to settle the debt.

And indeed, it is now.

He Lingchuan pressed his index finger to his temple: "The demon emperor surely isn't thinking of having me kill the Lingxu Holy Venerable, is he? This favor isn't that great."

Repaying this favor should also be within reasonable bounds.

"No, it's not." Nie Xiaolou quickly denied: "The late emperor's dying wish was that you protect the young ruler and preserve the Qingjiao clan's sole bloodline in the world."

He Lingchuan closed his eyes, gave a slight nod:

"I can."

The demon emperor's posthumous arrangement is not excessive.

"But I want to know, if the demon emperor's last words on Shenglong Mountain were so resolute, why couldn't he have broken with the Heavenly Demon earlier in life?" Otherwise, the demon emperor might not have died in the assassination at the Qiongtiang Palace.

Nie Xiaolou's expression darkened:

"Actually, at that time, it happened to be the critical juncture of the late emperor's cultivation. Only a few more days remained until the Ascension Dragon period. The emperor, being of dragon god bloodline, upon successfully ascending the dragon, could leapfrog to become a true dragon. Lingxu City's resistance against the Heavenly Demon only then truly had confidence. Only..."

Only, the demon emperor ultimately fell short by a step, a move behind.

Heaven does not grant the dragon's wish.

He Lingchuan could only sigh in regret.

If the demon emperor had succeeded in ascending the dragon back then, and then broken with the Heavenly Demon, perhaps Between Between Between Beijia would not have suffered today's fragmentation, or perhaps it could have, like Between Between Between Beijia in the Panlong World, freed itself from the Heavenly Demon's shackles and henceforth ceased to harm humanity on its behalf.

But alas, there are no "ifs" in reality.

"As long as you reach the borders of Baoshu State, Wuhuan's safety will be my responsibility."

This is the promise of Jiuyou Dadi, weighty as nine tripods.

Nie Xiaolou immediately relaxed, bowing deeply to him: "Thank you, Emperor. From now on, Nie Mou can fight without distraction." The Heavenly Demon still has designs on Xiao Qingjiao. It is the symbol of Between Between Between Beijia's royal authority, and with the Heavenly Demon holding it, other vassal monster states can peacefully submit to Between Between Between Beijia. Given the current chaos, Nie Xiaolou believes only Jiuyou Dadi, the true enemy of the Heavenly Demon and the rightful leader of the War Alliance, has the capability to truly protect Xiao Qingjiao's safety.

Speaking of this, he recalled another matter.

"By the way, before the late emperor's demise, he had gathered a few clues: the Heavenly Palace had secretly trained troops outside Between Between Between Beijia, possibly not a small number. At that time, we only found two locations: respectively, the shores of the Xianshu Lake in Wei State and the Qianyang Islands, each with 110,000 and 70,000 Heavenly Palace private troops." For nearly six hundred years, the Heavenly Palace mainly relied on the military strength of Between Between Between Beijia and Lingxu, its own armed forces consisting only of temple guards and patrol units. At least on the surface.

It is unknown since when the Heavenly Palace has also been secretly training troops in regions outside Between Between Between Beijia.

Perhaps it found inspiration from the old demon emperor?

The demon emperor also trained hundreds of thousands of troops outside Between Between Between Beijia, later unified under General Qingwu.

Both sides raised troops, concealed them from each other—this is precisely the manifestation of alienated hearts and morals.

He Lingchuan felt a dark shock in his heart: "The Qianyang Islands?"

"Yes, very close to Cangyan."

Cangyan's territory is vast, surrounded by sea and bay on three sides, the ocean itself a natural geographical barrier. However, the Qianyang Islands lie in the sea over four hundred li to the south of Cangyan, forming their own maritime state, not on Cangyan's regular maritime circuit.

Although the Qianyang Islands usually trade special products with Cangyan and engage in some commerce, they do not have deep interactions, and most of the islands' interiors are uninhabited sea isles, rarely visited. He Lingchuan once served as the lord of Yangshan Island, knowing the deep parts of the islands are the best hiding places.

The Heavenly Palace, sparing no expense or effort, hid a military force here thousands of miles away—what ill intentions are they nursing?

He Lingchuan immediately sensed the smell of conspiracy.

But what harm could a mere seventy thousand cause to Cangyan? For the vast Cangyan Empire with billions of living beings, this number is like an ant beside an elephant's leg.

Normally, ant bites do not hurt elephants.

Hmm, usually.

"Have you interfered with the Heavenly Palace troops in these two places?"

"No time." The late emperor received this intelligence only three days ago, and was assassinated in the Vaulted Palace, "We only conducted a little reconnaissance." "Thank you." He Lingchuan said solemnly, "This intelligence is very important."

When he was planning the layout around Beiji, his opponent also quietly cast a net around Cangyan.

Coincidentally, he and Lingxu Shengzun both had the idea of digging out each other's lair.

Unsurprisingly, neither is a good sort.

At this moment, Nie Xiaolou suddenly glanced to the side and said quickly:

"We have to leave!"