Chapter 590: Slandered, Inducing Defection!

Yinglong donned armor, his divine might awe-inspiring.

It appeared before the Dragon Ancestor at a special time and place, giving the Dragon Ancestor a big "surprise".

Ji, let the Dragon Ancestor truly understand the meaning of a sentence——

You never know whether accident or tomorrow will come first!

The Dragon Ancestor's complexion completely changed at this moment.

Even though earlier, when threatened and intimidated by Nüwa, his expression hadn't changed so violently, showing his inner turmoil.

——Because, those were actually vague premonitions; under the many strategists and counselors within the Dragon Clan, similar situations had been guessed and corresponding plans made.

But Yinglong's appearance?

It truly became the spear that broke defenses, piercing the impeccable state of mind!

In terms of strength, Yinglong wasn't really taken seriously by the Dragon Ancestor.

Below the Great Luo, all living beings are mere ants.

Below the Taiyi, even for titans of the Taiyi level, what are they if not weak chickens?

But what startled the Dragon Ancestor was the authority and primordial essence Yinglong possessed!

——That, like him, commanded the Dragon Clan and governed the Water Element Great Dao!

It was almost another him!

Heaven has two suns, the people have two lords—what kind of situation is this?

——It is division!

At this moment, the Dragon Ancestor's face was like a dye shop opened, five colors abundant, ever-changing, quite spectacular.

He looked at Ji, then at Nüwa, opened his mouth, as if wanting to say something.

But in the end, the Dragon Ancestor remained silent, not uttering a word.

The Dragon Ancestor's mind was in turmoil.

The events completely exceeded expectations, a wholly new change.

"They came prepared……"

The Dragon Ancestor sighed inwardly, "When did this happen?"

"How could they actually steal my primordial essence?"

The Dragon Ancestor silently estimated.

Soon, he broke through layers of mist and glimpsed part of the truth.

"It was during the siege and killing of Donghua……"

"Heh…… Is this your revenge, Nüwa?"

"That day was the day Donghua fell."

"I set a trap and slew Donghua."

"You then buried the seed——the root of disaster that would split my Dragon Clan!"

"Secretly plundering my severed primordial essence, secretly creating another 'Origin of the Dragon'…… Is this to someday support a 'false dragon regime'?"

"Such plotting, yet it occurred even earlier than the time of the reincarnation anomaly……"

The Dragon Ancestor's thoughts shifted, many ideas arose, and persecutory delusions intensified.

In his eyes, Nüwa's current actions were all premeditated!

It was not because his strength weakened after the reincarnation anomaly, forcing him to suppress local strongholds.

But rather, he had long harbored schemes, with a deep-laid layout!

The Dragon Ancestor examined Yinglong, countless thoughts turning in his mind, wondering what.

"This special pawn…… I suppose it was originally supposed to take effect only later, right?"

"After the Wu Clan defeats the Demon Race, external contradictions disappear, leaving only the Human and Dragon races contending for the final victory's fruits; this will become a surprise force striking straight at the root of my Dragon Clan, attempting to cause division."

"Once the Dragon Clan splits, it will be the greatest blow to the grand unification…… My Pangu's Path will likely collapse without battle."

The Dragon Ancestor has far-reaching plans; both the Human Race and Demon Race are involved, forming the foundation for his contention for Pangu.

Among the Demon Race, there is the Way of Transforming into Dragons, a bodily metamorphosis; among the Human Race, there is the Dragon Totem, a spiritual convergence.

When body and spirit are mixed, governed by the Dragon Way, it is stealing heaven and replacing the sun, turning the "Human Way" into the "Dragon Way"!

Thus, Mount Buzhou must be severed, the Milky Way must fall…… Otherwise, how could we force all the myriad demon clans across the world to transform into dragons?

Thus, the Human Race must win…… Only when the Human Race wins will the victors' spirits be transformed by the Dragon's thought, becoming the most important pillar.

The entire process, step by step arduous, can be called nightmare-level difficulty.

The Dragon Ancestor could do nothing.

There is no lack of a simple mode——directly join the Demon Race, in the name of the Demon Emperor, rightly and properly assimilate this all-encompassing clan wholly in body and spirit, then defeating the Human Race would suffice.

But!

Too many powerful opponents…… Dao Ancestor Hongjun is the first to refuse!

If the Demon Race entirely becomes the Dragon Race, wouldn't he be completely sidelined?

Faced with one who controls most of the middle and lower promotion channels of the Human Way, and also possesses an acknowledged sovereign status…… the Dao Ancestor truly becomes just a Dao Ancestor, enshrined on the divine altar, yet unable to descend!

Directly eliminated!

Besides the Dao Ancestor's unwillingness, there are also those Phoenix lineage forces that once contended with the Dragon Clan in the Dragon-Phoenix Great Calamity; they too refuse!

Thus, the simple mode is destined to be a road that leads nowhere.

But the Dragon Ancestor, not abandoning, not giving up, stubbornly groped forward in the darkness and found his way out.

However, on the path to success, hardships abound.

Calamitous numbers loom ahead, becoming an obstacle.

The stronger one's strength, the simpler the corresponding tribulation becomes.

With weak strength, the margin for error is low, making every step nerve‑wracking.

The strength of the Dragon Ancestor God Lord is naturally not lacking… but it also depends on who you compare him to.

With "feeble" strength, as now, facing unexpected situations makes every step difficult.

"Ah!"

"Those who scheme against people will always be schemed against."

"Through manifold scheming and planning, I barely grasped the orthodox spiritual faith of humanity, achieving a dragon totem that surpasses all."

"However, Nüwa just threw in a move 'Dragon Ancestor has two… auspicious?' Is it the 'auspicious' of 'no leader among dragons, great auspiciousness under heaven'?"

"Hah!"

"I never expected that!"

The Dragon Ancestor felt myriad emotions: "Nüwa's scheming and calculations are actually this formidable, able to strike straight at my vital point."

"What's more terrifying is that she secretly ambushed me with a move, and in daily dealings with me, her acting remains flawless, as always frank, candid, and sincere…"

"Such acting, such scheming—truly superb!"

At this moment, Nüwa's image rapidly swelled and expanded in the Dragon Ancestor's heart.

Naturally, this swollen image is not particularly good.

Conspirator, acting emperor… and so on, mixed together, dark and gloomy, symbolizing darkness and evil.

One label after another was pinned on her, as the Dragon Ancestor imagined and embellished Nüwa's 'reality,' becoming ever more absurd.

That is, Nüwa was unaware.

If she knew, she would probably have a mortal fighting heart toward the Dragon Ancestor right away—this hall today will allow only one person to walk out alive!

How blackened she has become!

Nüwa is quite innocent.

Unfortunately, the Dragon Ancestor does not think so.

On the contrary, he still believes his reasoning is sound, having seen through Nüwa's 'true face'.

"That's right."

"Nüwa… whose younger sister is she again?"

"August Emperor Fuxi!"

"Fuxi… is that a proper deity?"

"Able to order Donghua to go undercover beside me, able to renege on humanity's debt and cleanly run ashore… If all that can be called a proper deity, then am I not the moral exemplar of the Honghuang world, the last conscience of humanity and all beings?"

"Having such an elder brother…"

"Nüwa, this little girl influenced by subtle exposure, how could she possibly be upright, candid, and sincere?"

"She certainly won't!"

"To become this era's most evil conspirator is only natural!"

After a series of investigations that seemed reasonable and sound, with meticulous and rigorous reasoning, the Dragon Ancestor felt he had solved the case.

Regarding the real Nüwa, what kind of person she truly is… he said he now had the clearest understanding.

"Hah… heh heh… heh heh heh…"

"Is my dragon's life really this hard?"

"Losing to Fuxi is one thing, but must I also lose to his sister?"

"What's more tragic is that I now seem to have been successfully schemed against by her… Where can I go to plead my case?"

The Dragon Ancestor gave a wry smile, mixed with a hint of relief.

"Thank goodness! Thank goodness!"

"Still, the side of Hongjun is reliable!"

"By directly using reincarnation as a scheme, I've trapped her, leaving her half‑crippled and with half her combat power ruined!"

The Dragon Ancestor cheered for Hongjun.

Nicely done!

"To make her lose absolute control of the situation, so she can no longer hide in the shadows, she needs to bring out the future Killer's Trick as a threat against me, ensuring she gets through her own weak period."

"This, then, creates an opportunity for me."

"Nüwa… you wait for me!"

"This matter isn't over!"

The Dragon Ancestor faced Nüwa, who calmly served tea and saw guests off, and the Yinglong who smiled while acting like it was ushering people out; his gaze shifted for a long while, gradually his flustered expression faded, replaced by a smile.

"Since Princess Nüwa does not wish to be bothered by me, I will take my leave now."

He rose calmly, regaining the aura of a sovereign ruler.

"Just before I leave, I have a few words I wish to convey to you, Nüwa."

"Please speak." Nüwa remained composed.

"Those who scheme against people will be schemed against… this time, I admit defeat." The Dragon Ancestor said, word by word: "Nüwa, your schemes are deep, your defenses treacherous, you feign sincerity, and you have disguised yourself for countless eons, deceiving the whole world; my loss is not unjust."

"However…"

"The game is not yet over; the one who laughs last may not be you!"

The Dragon Ancestor's voice rang out strong and powerful, his emotions full, filled with soaring fighting spirit and an unyielding resolve to overthrow evil.

This left Nüwa looking bewildered.

——Who am I?

——Where am I?

——What am I doing?

——What is this dragon saying?

——Is it talking about me?

——How did I become so deep‑minded and treacherous?

——What am I pretending?

……

Nüwa's mind was full of question marks.

At the same time, her gaze toward the Dragon Ancestor began to feel off.

——You've damaged my reputation, spoken nonsense, slandered me…… Are you trying to come in standing and leave lying down?

But Nüwa hadn't even had a chance to react yet.

Having gained the advantage of words and vented his resentment, the Dragon Ancestor decisively chose to retreat.

He left only a hurried back view, sealing Nüwa's doubts inside her heart.

The auspicious Responding Dragon glanced at Nüwa, then at the Dragon Ancestor; as the only informed one present, it remained silent, merely carrying out its duty.

——See the guest out!

Since it's seeing the guest out, it must be done thoroughly.

It caught up with the Dragon Ancestor's silhouette and saw him off beyond the border.

However, in this process, the Dragon Ancestor did something.

Bribery!

Exactly.

The Dragon Ancestor was trying to bribe the Responding Dragon.

More accurately put, it was trying to win him over!

Yes.

The appearance of the Responding Dragon is a major hidden danger to the Dragon Ancestor's grand unification strategy.

So, turn this hidden danger into one of our own…… wouldn't that work?

"Figuring the relation, you were born bearing half of my origin—not a sibling, but even better than one."

"So…… how about you join my dragon clan?"

The Dragon Ancestor Great Sage secretly sent a mental message.

"Don't worry, I won't shortchange you."

"Once you join my dragon clan, you'll be second‑in‑command."

"In the future, if I achieve Pangu, and the dragon clan no longer aids me, I will grant you all of it, helping you contend for the supreme exalted position!"

Hearing this, the entire Responding Dragon was shocked.

Right from the start, it's a king‑bomb!

Even one's lifeblood isn't enough to describe the Dragon Ancestor's opening bid right now.

It's practically tantamount to naming an heir!

Moreover, such an opening bid is aimed at one who was merely an opponent not long ago.

The Responding Dragon tilted its little head, thought it over, weighed the words, then sent back a mental message to communicate: "Dragon Ancestor Great Sage, your great kindness…… truly makes me feel overwhelmed by favor."

"I thought you'd be shouting for battle against me."

"I didn't expect……

"Shouting for battle?" the Dragon Ancestor sneered, "Only newbies shout for battle; at our level we talk about profit exchange."

"First negotiate; once agreed, we exchange."

"If talks fail, we can still resort to arms later."

"Once we draw the blade, we will spare no means."

"Assassination, siege…… nothing is taboo."

The Dragon Ancestor spoke those shocking words lightly.

However, in this era, perhaps no one is more qualified to say such things than he.

After all, he assassinated the Red Cloud Ancient God and besieged the Eastern Heavenly Emperor!

Indeed, he truly spares no means!

"How about it? Think it over."

"Following Nüwa in her work is absolutely no more promising than following me."

The Dragon Ancestor analyzed the pros and cons for the Responding Dragon, getting straight to the point, making everything crystal clear.

"We're all sensible people, so there's no need to say anything against our hearts…… Your greatest use to Nüwa is to cause a rift in my dragon clan."

"If my dragon clan falls, how much use will you still have?"

"Only if the dragon clan remains and grows stronger will your weight increase, granting you more resources and faster growth."

"How's that? Am I not right?"

In his words, the Dragon Ancestor subtly lured the Responding Dragon, so that even if it didn't defect, it would develop the thought of nurturing bandits to become self‑reliant.

"There's some truth to that."

The Responding Dragon gave a slight nod.

"Natural." The Dragon Ancestor smiled leisurely, "Only when the dragon clan is strong can this important pawn handling dragon‑clan matters follow along with strength."

"But!"

"In such a situation, no matter how strong you become, you're still just a pawn!"

「Nüwa, she won't give you any more! 」

「Because, her foundation lies among the human race…… and besides the human race, she has so many good friends. 」

「Just look at the Twelve Ancestral Witches and you'll know…… how many female ancient god great sages are there inside? 」

「These are all her beloved kin and close female friends. 」

「Nüwa has gained benefits, taken the fruits of victory, how much can she give you? 」

「Or give you this little brat branded with the Dragon clan's mark? 」

「You have no foundation! 」

「Dragon Ancestor said the cruel fact he saw, 「No foundation, your highest achievement is too easy…… Pangu? Don't even think about it! 」」

「Only I! 」

「Only then will I bestow talent upon you without restriction! 」

「So, join my Dragon clan, and together we'll plot hegemony…… that is the choice you should make! 」

「Dragon Ancestor made a recruitment. 」

「It is reasonable and proper; there's little to fault. 」

「(End of chapter)」