Chapter 69: I Really Want to Live Five Hundred More Years

The heavens and earth gained color—not so much that the heavens and earth gained color, as that all light returned to that being.

On the sacred plain, green grass stretched like velvet; the sky split in two at Su Lin’s position, two colors coexisting—one half day’s azure, like a summer dawn; the other half night’s starry expanse, studded with stars, occasionally pierced by falling meteors.

Through divine transformation, his face became sharply defined, crowned with a faint radiance, giving the impression of perfect holiness.

The law of light wove into threads, intertwining to form a colossal tree of light that blotted out sun and sky; behind Su Lin, luminous streams flowed like a six-winged phantom woven from light elements.

In this realm beyond the cosmos, this tree of condensed light replaced the sun, nurturing all life.

Divine authority continuously washed over mortal souls; even a single glance could plunge one into endless, pure white.

Sacred voices echoed at their ears, and among the half-breeds present, a profound calm settled—all worries and desires grew trivial, and they began pondering the essence of life itself.

The chains released their grip, dissolving into specks of light that returned to heaven and earth.

In this divine realm, no one could be harmed unless he permitted it; the manifestation of divinity was fully under his control.

“God…”

Several half-breeds knelt and bowed to Su Lin; those who knew them found nothing strange—had they not been so devoid of faith in deities, they too might have succumbed to the same impulse.

They had never seen a god, yet they were certain: this man was a deity.

Whether by such miracles or by the oppression of a higher life tier.

This was the best way to increase credibility.

Among the half-breeds present, not a trace of doubt remained—only anticipation of what would come next.

After a long while…

“Great Being,” Wu Zhongcheng dropped the ancient dagger from his hand, relaxed his body, closed his eyes, and said calmly to Su Lin: “Our Wu family will not become the Dragon Clan’s claws.”

“Even as humble as we are, we have our own dignity.”

“Rather than become monsters like the Death Servants, we would rather end ourselves in this manner.”

The others present held the same thought; all had heard of the fate of bloodline loss, and some had witnessed it firsthand.

Only slaughter, bloodlust, obedience to the Dragon Clan’s commands.

Put bluntly, they were livestock—hounds serving their master.

The Black King, Nidhogg, prophesied to awaken and bring about the world’s end.

Wu’s patriarch did not know what this so-called “end” truly meant; in the past, he had dismissed the prophecy as a joke.

With news arriving of the Dragon Kings’ revival—the Bronze and Fire Dragon King, the Earth and Mountain Dragon King awakening—he admitted he had panicked. But seeing half-breeds successfully bury a “King,” he felt as though those mythic beings were not invincible after all.

This age still belonged to humanity; half-breeds stood atop the world as its leaders.

“Wrong.”

Such absurd thinking—how laughable.

The “god” before them was unquestionably a being beyond the reach of humans or half-breeds.

Nuclear weapons?

Unknown. Too terrifying to imagine.

What use is it? They were meat on a chopping block, at the mercy of others.

“Is that so?” Su Lin nodded, expression unchanged—not surprised. This man was neither the first nor the last; entirely expected.

Wu Zhongcheng fell silent, awaiting his end. His niece and father said nothing—presumably thinking the same.

No matter how powerful the opponent, it mattered little—it was merely destruction. He would never become a mindless flesh puppet like a Death Servant. If he could choose, he would rather meet the “end” with the dignity of a half-breed.

“Well, I’ve delivered your message.” Su Lin retracted his divinity; the divine realm collapsed, the world twisted and shifted, and in the tremors of space, they returned to the hotel’s banquet hall.

All present remained lost in awe of the divine realm’s splendor.

“Won’t you kill me?” Wu Zhongcheng opened his eyes. The heavenly music had vanished; holiness was gone. Before him, Su Lin had returned to his ordinary, unremarkable appearance.

“I’m here only to deliver a message, not to kill.” Su Lin crossed out a name on the paper, pulled out his phone, and searched for the next location. He looked nothing like a god moments ago—instead, he chatted casually: “He’s busy with other matters and has no time for you. Judging by his mood, your disobedient half-breed families will be dealt with soon enough.”

“Think it over for yourselves.”

“The Supreme One also said: those who submit retain their humanity; those with superior bloodlines may receive Dragon Blood Ascension and gain five hundred years of extended life.”

“I’ve long admired the Supreme One!” Wu Haoran’s loud voice rang out; he straightened his back, aged yet full of vigor.

“Father!?” Wu Zhongcheng stared in shock. Dragons and half-breeds are mortal enemies—only one side survives! Isn’t that what you taught me since childhood!?

“Shut up, brat. Your old man still wants to live five hundred more years!” Wu Haoran glanced at his son, then stepped beside Su Lin and whispered: “Er… Envoy, sir?”

Wu Zhongcheng hadn’t expected his father to be the first to defect—his face flushed.

Envoy, sir?

You old bastard, you’ve slipped into character fast!

He vaguely remembered when his bloodline first awakened—this old man standing atop the corpse of a fourth-generation Bronze and Fire Dragon King, his Word of Power raging wildly.

Wu Haoran had used a whip of lightning to choke the fire dragon’s neck, his own blood mingled with dragon blood, teaching it: between humans and dragons, there is only slaughter—no coexistence.

“What does our great Black King, Lord Nidhogg, wish us to do?” Wu Haoran asked respectfully, eyes gleaming: “Surely not something like destroying the world?”

Wu Haoran wanted to know the Black King’s true purpose.

If he sought the world’s destruction, he wouldn’t need these “insects.”

It must be about dominion. He didn’t wish to surrender humanity to the Black King, nor bow his head in submission. If victory were possible, he’d gladly lead the charge, easing the burden on the finest dragon slayers—but that was before today.

He didn’t understand why such a being—a god—could truly exist. But he knew: if this entity had come to deliver a message, then the Black King…

Perhaps only by waiting like ancient humans, biding time for rebellion and revolution.

And besides—five hundred years of life was incredibly tempting…

Wu Zhongcheng let out a bitter laugh and bowed respectfully to Su Lin: “My lord, is the end truly coming?”

“Or will the world return to the age of dragon rule?”

He didn’t understand what relationship this being had with the Black King, or what ties it held with the dragons—history held too many unknowns.

You ask me? Who am I supposed to ask? Everyone cared about this question.

He was just a worker.

Su Lin thought for a moment, then pulled out his phone and made a call.

“Hey, they’re asking what you want to do.”

“Mm… mm.”

“Alright, goodbye.”

Su Lin hung up and addressed the half-breeds: “He says humanity is progressing too slowly. He wants to bring you into the interstellar age.”

Wu Zhongcheng stared blankly; after confirming he hadn’t misheard, he slapped himself hard across the face.