Chapter 804

Era of the Wu Clan and the Demon Race, Taiyi devoted his whole life, living up to the honor of the Demon Emperor.

Even in death, he found a successor for the Demon Race.

Yinglong was the one he chose.

His status transcended—he was the master of the Dragon Sect.

His backing was solid—the charioteer of Empress Wa.

His character is reliable—after all, he is a companion of Yandi; his conduct surely isn't bad.

Moreover, even being in the vortex, there's no need to fear that Yinglong would dare refuse.

After all, once the Eastern Emperor subtly pointed out the Dragon Ancestor's killing move, Yinglong had no choice.

Great karma, great reckoning… If one does not want to become the trapped leek taken over by a high-position successor, to be harvested by the Dragon Ancestor, Yinglong must change to protect himself, shift blame, and dispose of any possible bad debt that might fall from the sky.

Is there a more suitable trading partner than a Demon Emperor? No! The Eastern Emperor has ample strength and noble status… taking over is more than enough.

Moreover, the party involved is willing!

There are certainly those stronger than the Eastern Emperor… but who would want to get their hands on the filth the Dragon Ancestor threw away?

It's rare to have Taiyi, using the bad to counter the bad, in a contest of whose tricks are more devious.

Is it better to overdraw credit and flee ashore?

Or is it the empty-shell conglomerate, the seventh-day legal representative, that's fiercer? Yinglong needed someone who could take over at a critical moment, while Taiyi needed someone who could long-term protect the Demon Race's people… each side's credibility was merely so-so, so the deal was easily reached.

"How?"

"Anything else you don't understand or are confused about?"

The Eastern Emperor smiled and inquired calmly.

"You've said all this; do I still have any room to choose?" Yinglong sighed.

"I never expected I would still be in dire straits, struggling to survive."

"As expected, anyone who can attain the status of a player cannot be taken lightly…"

"I'll take on this deal!"

"As for the surviving souls of the Demon Race, as long as they do not foolishly seek restoration and only desire a peaceful life, I will naturally let them reap what they sow and be rewarded for their labor."

"They will not be lacking any of the benefits they deserve."

Yinglong made such a promise.

"Good… good… good…"

Taiyi repeatedly said 'good,' "In that case, I can rest easy."

He seemed thereby to set down his final burden, completely relaxed, his form illusory like clouds and smoke, his obsession gradually shattering and withering.

Yinglong watched with a complex expression, his heart filled with sorrow and reflection.

"Having such an emperor for the Demon Race… isn't bad at all."

"He is quite proper and upright; among the four Demon Emperors, he is truly a rare flower, bearing the Demon Race's banner all the way to the end of his life."

"He is a hero of the Demon Race!"

"What a pity."

"Heroes die young."

"Perhaps he is the only emperor who died in battle with the times… while everyone else lives on."

At the level of the Eastern Emperor, if not walking a single path to the end, where would one die in battle?

One can always find an opportunity to jump ship and leave.

But Taiyi was unwilling.

Thus, he was buried as a funerary offering for the Monster Clan Heavenly Court.

Afterward, the Demon Race had no emperor.

Yinglong sighed, solemnly receiving from Taiyi's hand items such as an ID card and a payroll card—relying on these, he could carry out a series of devious maneuvers, akin to being a pauper yet becoming the legal representative of a billion-dollar conglomerate, holding no shares but taking the blame when things go wrong.

A shell, a front company—when the Dragon Sect runs into major trouble and the Dragon Race blows up, this can be put forward to bear the heavenly collapse, becoming a bad debt that lets the true beneficiaries escape scot-free.

As the price, Taiyi will be the target of concentrated fire… but he himself doesn't mind, after all, what does a dead person have to fear?

Although the Eastern Emperor's nature is frank and straightforward, deep down he also harbors Xiu'er's talent for devious tricks, pulling them out effortlessly… he lived a lifetime of frank honesty, yet in death he set up many people.

Especially his arch-enemy.

The ancestral witches were tricked… they mobilized forces to exterminate the Eastern Emperor here, but in the end they got not even a single hair, their wealth having been transferred away long before.

The Dragon Ancestor was also stabbed in the lower back; Taiyi kept a hand on Yinglong, ensuring he wouldn't be harmed by the Dragon Ancestor, letting the duel between the two dragons possibly drag on endlessly.

And that's not all!

Yinglong took over the karma of protecting the Demon Race, and among humanity he will also break a certain balance.

For example——

The Wu system! The voice of the Wu Clan of the Nine Li lineage is destined to clash with Yinglong, who does things for money.

But Yinglong has now been strengthened! How interesting!

The Eastern Emperor's lips curled slightly, a half-smile, as if in a daze he glimpsed some future scene.

Then, amidst brilliant immortal light, he shattered, turning into flying feathers, withering across all realms, leaving behind an indelible mythic legend.

The winding, hidden spacetime black box gradually returned to normal; Yinglong watched these scenes silently, stabbed himself twice, let out some blood, then leapt into the river of ages to drift, feigning a sorry struggle as he emerged, stumbling and sending out a signal.

"Guard the carriage! Quickly guard the carriage!"

As the leader of the Dragon Sect, summoning the underlings to come and give her an eight-person sedan is also quite reasonable!

As for whatever shady dealings with the Eastern Emperor that cannot see the light……

"What? Did a transaction happen? It doesn't exist!"

Don't slander innocents! She, Yinglong, is a noble dragon who returns lost property—how could she possibly pocket the Wu Clan's spoils from the Heavenly Court? Yinglong took on Taiyi's order, completed the transaction, and naturally is striving to do his best.

For this they employed the bitter meat stratagem—bloodily fighting the East Emperor, suffering grave wounds, they were all beaten into the Suiyue Changhe, shedding too much blood.

Only with great difficulty did they crawl out, yet little combat strength remained; they were utterly exhausted.

The Great Luo beings of the Dragon School had nimble hands and feet; when feigning disability as Yinglong, they played a pivotal role.

They rushed over at once, escorting Yinglong to safety and staying vigilant on all sides.

Among all worlds, within the flow of time, one after another surviving great divine beings of humans and the Wu Clan gradually gathered here, their condition dire, their energy exhausted—compared to their former mighty and high-spirited bearing, they are now far too sorry a sight.

Too many top-tier combatants have died, even several ancestral Wu have been slain, and the Wu Clan's vital energy has collapsed.

"Taiyi is finally dead!"

The Great Sage Candle Dragon coughed up blood incessantly, shock and confusion lingering on his face, "He's unreasonably strong… according to our calculations, we only needed to pay a small price to be able to suppress him!"

"But now…"

"Yet he took away so many of our comrades!"

"Unbelievable!"

The Great Sage Candle Dragon's voice was low.

After this battle, he too was crippled.

"I can understand a final flare, but this burst of power is excessive."

If a burst of power could be this useful and invincible, what would anyone still cultivate for? "He seems to have resonated with some kind of great existence." The Primordial Phoenix Great Sage, fresh and unscathed, having endured this battle as the Jumang Ancestral Wu and as the first phoenix, with high defense and ample stamina, though Taiyi's attack power was strong, she resolved it all with ease, her condition better than anyone's.

She must be the hardest-to-kill great divine being in the world… unless Pangu makes a move, she can stay lively and vigorous at any time.

The phoenix is immortal, reborn from nirvana! At this moment she gave her personal view, interpreting Taiyi's strange performance.

Her face was solemn, her expression grave: "He burned himself as sacrifice, unleashing a final flare; though powerful, what is that against our side's overwhelming momentum?"

"That fleeting brilliance is destined to wither and end."

"But when something else gets mixed in, an abnormality occurs."

"Human Dao!" the Phoenix Progenitor drew a deep breath, "Human Dao intervened!"

"By resonating with it, Taiyi's combat power rose without limit, reaching the threshold of Pangu, and that is what brought us such heavy losses."

"Unreasonable!" the Golden Mother gasped, blood flowing incessantly, yet she didn't mind: "What is Human Dao? It is the myriad beings, it is the great trend." "And the myriad beings have always favored the victors, followed the strong."

She softly stated the understanding of Human Dao distilled from past experience, which is the consensus of all gods.

"Whoever wins, they aid."

Such a simple judgment, yet it encapsulates far too much.

"And now…"

The Golden Mother looked around at her comrades, "Humans have won, the Wu Clan stands with the victors, launching a reckoning against the Demon Race, exterminating the last remnants of defeated troops… If Human Dao does not declare support for us, how could it still be our enemy, aiding Taiyi?"

"After eliminating all impossibility, whatever answer remains, no matter how unfathomable, we must face it." The Yuanhuang Great Sage said helplessly, "Taiyi has lost the Chaos Bell, the Demon Race's fate has been severed, the Demon Emperor's blessings vanished, yet they still reduced us to this state… only Human Dao could lead to such absurd outcome."

"Although this answer is most unfathomable… we must also steel ourselves mentally."

"Human Dao… defies common sense." The Tiānwú Ancestral Wu staggered about, "Where exactly did things go wrong?"

He looked somewhat fearful; the waters of this era are too deep for him to grasp.

"Having deviated from the proper course, many things differ only between never and countless times… now that there has been a first transgression, will there be a second?"

He spoke words that shocked everyone's hearts.

Indeed!

Will Human Dao's act of taking sides happen only once?

If we cannot clarify the cause, no one can rest easy.

Especially given the current complicated situation.

The Taihuang Divine Dynasty was established, offering sacrifices to heaven, earth, and the myriad beings, severing the Mandate of Heaven of both the Wu and Demon races! Humanity rebelled against the era, renewed its foundations, reset its origin, leaving traces in the Dragon-Phoenix age—there appeared a fleeting bloom of the Nine-Headed Human Emperor.

Next came Human Dao's transgression: it caused the East Emperor to defy heaven with a burst of power, going against the great trend, alone he crippled the Wu Clan's collective and cut down one strong warrior after another. These events, vaguely connected, seemed to be woven together into a dark curtain that awed all gods.

The ancestral Wu fell silent, the human king held his peace, each harboring thoughts, heavy with worry.

"Sirs, the era… has changed!"

Yinglong, who knew some of the inside story, wore a worried expression, yet inwardly he muttered.

"In the past, the myriad beings were ignorant, thus… whoever won, they aided."

"Now that Human Dao has awakened, it has become… they aid whoever wins, and whoever wins, they aid!"

"Taiyi's ability to slaughter indiscriminately is largely because Human Dao wanted to purge some old fogeys, so it borrowed this blade."

"How many great beings have died so far?"

"More will die afterward!"

"Let the Xuanyuan sword fly a while longer!"

Yinglong pondered in her heart, thinking this way and that, until she finally turned her thoughts to herself.

She felt that she, too, would ultimately become a blade.

Many things may perhaps be under Human Dao's control.

Like the East Emperor, who on his deathbed entrusted his orphan, placing the last orthodox lineage of the Demon Race in her care, even including various private properties and Demon Race wealth… carried out so lightly, who would dare say there isn't a "little bit" of Human Dao's arrangement in it?

Yinglong, having progressed so smoothly all the way, with various cultivation achievements leaping in tiers, was only slightly inferior to Fengxi.

Having swallowed the Dragon Ancestor's origin, coaxed the Dao Ancestor's investiture, listened to Nüwa's teachings, becoming the leader of the Dragon Clan… finally, she inherited the Demon Race's authority.

Continually strengthened, her power and status grew ever greater and exalted.

At this very moment, she has reached the pinnacle, walked to the utmost extent of brilliance.

She commands the Central Seven Mansions, is one of the Five Star Heavenly Officials, also governs wind and thunder, rainstorms, commands all heavenly water spirits, water gods, and river deities; she oversees the four seasons, the central peaks, the central lands, the waters of the Yellow River, Yangtze, Han, Huai, and Ji; she is also the common ancestor of all birds and beasts in the world! The progenitor of the Dragon Clan.

Also, the Phoenix lineage gave its tacit approval—this is the Bird Master's compensation for the Dragon Master's losses over the years.

She holds a share among the Fire Masters, blended into Yandi's teacher.

It also has substantive ties with Huangdi, a true ruler-minister relationship.

Today, too many things are linked on Yinglong's body.

Each item, each matter, is a tremendous karma, all gathered in one body.

How complicated it is!

How powerful it is too! No need to think.

In the future era's chronicle, the description of her will surely be the utmost noble and terrifying.

To place upon her the hat of the number one war god of heaven and earth, describing her as the supreme giant god who unifies creation, making, and destruction in one, is also imminent!

Even Yinglong herself finds it frightening to behold.

Especially, feeling her own genuine and substantial power.

With the Taihuang ascending to the throne, as her companion beast, her future is bright.

Moreover, there is Donghuang's bequest, vast wealth, which supplies the provisions for her advance.

Unbeknownst, a brand-new Taiji chess player is rising!

And all of this occurs silently.

Yinglong now silently makes a fortune, grasping the progress of her Dao, both happy and worried… Under heaven, where is there a free lunch?

Most likely she will ultimately be driven to slaughter in all directions.

These so-called "teammates" around her now are likely unable to escape the fate of being sacrificed to Heaven, they are offerings in the human Dao's dynastic revolution.

Sweep the house clean, welcome the new era.

Who is the broom among them?

Yinglong looks left and right, feeling she has nowhere to run.

Moreover, when Donghuang points out to her the tactics that the Dragon Ancestor Great Sage will likely execute and prepares her a retreat… she then clearly understands her mission.

What is the meaning of having a retreat? It is to shift the battlefield! It is to counterattack!

Taiyi and the human Dao have reached some tacit understanding, going with the flow; they are both players and pawns acting with the tide, using Yinglong as the pivotal point of the heist.

At that time, when the Dragon Ancestor appears and the Dao Ancestor manifests, they will all return for the final showdown.

Yinglong constantly mutters in her heart, "The stronger, the more ancient… the flow of time goes from past to future, but under Pangu, the placement of the chess player's pieces is the opposite: as strength grows, it moves from rear to front."

"I can devour the Dragon Ancestor's origin, become the leader of the dragon clan, the sovereign of dragon masters… who knows how many black hands are behind it!"

"A single Dragon Ancestor, without someone to take the blame, cannot carry out an operation that mortgages the dragon clan without self-harm and overextends credit… one needs a scapegoat who can reduce to emptiness, transferring karma."

"I happen to be just right for that."

"Thus, the Dragon Ancestor gains the chance to go all-in, and the Dao Ancestor also gains the possibility to enter through this… although the Demon Race has fallen, Donghuang can easily entrust her legacy and set down her burden."

"And what about August Emperor Majesty? He gave the Dragon Ancestor a sound beating, feeling delighted—no amount of gold could buy my happiness."

"The human Dao Majesty adjusted the accounts and also gained a sharp blade, saying kill whomever he wishes—his enforcers are ready."

"And even if it is the goddess Nüwa…"

Yinglong's mouth twitched, "The two dragons contending for the Dao eased her pressure from the Dragon Ancestor's side, and it's a sure profit..."

"All things considered, it seems everyone is profiting..."

"It's just pitiful for me, a tool dragon..."

"Is there still heavenly principle? Is there still royal law?!"

Yinglong was very melancholy; when she figured out certain things, she became so angry her whole body trembled, breaking out in cold sweat despite the heat, her hands and feet turning icy.

"Can this world still be improved?" She clenched her fists, eyes wide open, indignant beyond measure, and shouted to her nearby comrades, "Pursue the fleeing enemy with the remaining courage!"

"The shift in the human Dao, overthinking is useless… we will completely exterminate the Demon Race; even if the human Dao becomes stronger, there will be no pieces left!"

"Go!"

"Go collect our spoils, empty the treasury of the Heavenly Court, then slaughter back to Honghuang!"

"The thief cries 'catch the thief'—she plays it very smoothly."

"Thus, who would have thought… the wealth of the Heavenly Court actually ended up in her hands?"

"To defeat magic with magic… facing each schemer behind the curtains, Yinglong embraced darkness and learned wickedness."

(End of chapter)