Chapter 896: Disciple of the Emperor

“Go!”

With a dragon’s roar, Long Qingge seized Li Hao and charged straight toward the Longmen City barrier.

The seemingly impregnable barrier parted before Long Qingge like ripples in water, easily yielding to their passage.

“Our Ancestral Dragon lineage has the privilege to enter any border city—this is our right.”

Long Qingge explained to Li Hao: “Just now, I notified them that I’ve arrived.”

No sooner had they passed through the barrier than a piercing shriek tore through the air, and a massive figure surged forward—a two-winged divine dragon, resembling the legendary Yinglong, its body covered in deep blue-black scales, eyes dark and piercing, radiating terrifying malevolence; it was also an Immortal King.

Upon seeing Long Qingge and Feng Qiqi, its gaze softened instantly, and it smiled.

“What’s the occasion today? Why are you two here?”

“Uncle Qing, I’ve come to deliver someone to you.”

Long Qingge laughed loudly.

“Deliver someone?”

The black-scaled dragon turned its gaze to Li Hao and Shi Miao. When it saw them seated atop Long Qingge’s back, its eyes flickered slightly—among the Ancestral Dragon clan’s prodigies, Long Qingge’s back held profound significance; only someone of extraordinary origin and deep connection could ride it.

“Are these two humans the ones you mentioned earlier?”

“Exactly. This is the junior brother I told you about—Hao Tian. He just broke through to Immortal King, and his master granted him special permission to descend and undergo trials. This is his dao companion, Shi Miao—extremely formidable.”

Long Qingge gave a brief introduction.

Qing Xuan’s eyes brightened instantly as he looked at Li Hao: “So you’re the prodigy whose name has shaken the Primitive True Realm? I heard you comprehended sixty-nine Chaotic Stars in a single day—how on earth did you manage that?”

Li Hao hadn’t expected his deeds to have reached this eastern border outpost; he was slightly startled and cleared his throat: “Just accumulated foundations.”

His answer aligned with Qing Xuan’s understanding, who nodded and said to Li Hao:

“Qingge has mentioned you many times before me. Thank you for coming to train with our clan. Longmen City is an excellent training ground—I’ve already secured a position for you in the most elite Heavenly Dragon Army. With their protection on the battlefield, as long as you don’t act recklessly or take unnecessary risks, you have a ninety percent chance of surviving.”

Li Hao nodded—he still had three drops of divine blood stored with his master; his chances of survival were strong.

“Junior brother, Uncle Qing is the deputy commander of Longmen City. His real name is Qing Xuan. You can call him Uncle Qing, just like I do.”

Long Qingge introduced Li Hao.

“Uncle Qing.”

Li Hao immediately greeted him.

Qing Xuan smiled warmly and said: “Come, I’ll take you to the Barbarian Dragon Army’s Xuanjia Division!”

Saying this, he turned and led the way.

Li Hao took the opportunity to look down at the cityscape, struck by its splendor and grandeur, a primordial, ancient aura washing over him. Towering ancient buildings rose in layered peaks; some even floated high in the sky, their glazed tiles adorned with talismans, suggesting they were special architectural artifacts. Other structures were colossal, with figures entering and exiting—massive, muscular giants with crimson skin, dozens of zhang tall.

Along the streets, figures of countless races moved about. Li Hao even spotted the Spirit Race—entirely silver-skinned, their skin glowing with a silvery radiance.

There were also races with hunched, lizard-like forms, and others with golden wings on their backs, black ram horns on their heads, and humanoid bodies.

Many races converged here, differing in size and appearance, yet all bore one identical feature: a standardized iron armor on a specific part of their bodies.

For smaller beings, the iron armor was worn like full armor, engraved with “Huang Yi” or “Huang Jia.” For larger ones, or dragonfolk, the armor encircled their claws or necks, bearing the same inscriptions.

“Are all these people soldiers?”

Li Hao asked, guessing the iron armor was some kind of military helmet.

“Yes. Think of this place as a vast military camp.”

Long Qingge said: “Everyone here is a soldier guarding Longmen City. No idle persons, no outsiders. This is one of the border’s key strongholds—outsiders are forbidden to enter. Any noble prodigies wishing to explore here must be granted permission by our clan, like your status—otherwise, they are executed on sight.”

He spoke solemnly: “This is a critical border zone—not to be taken lightly.”

Li Hao nodded. Such strictness likely stemmed from fear of ancient demons sending spies to infiltrate and coordinate from within.

“What about these merchants?”

“Yes. Internal trade. If you have treasures or wish to buy anything, you may sell here.”

Long Qingge said casually—he knew Li Hao would never lack such items, and buying anything here was impossible; nothing here was worthy of his attention.

But for the soldiers here, it was a vital internal resource exchange.

“They serve here, earn Immortal Merit, and can exchange it in the Ancestral Dragon Court’s treasure vaults for divine weapons, immortal elixirs, and peerless medicinal herbs!”

Long Qingge said: “During truces, soldiers also trade battlefield loot here—though most of it must be surrendered.”

Li Hao nodded. Clearly, this place had a mature system of rewards and punishments, otherwise it wouldn’t have endured for so long.

“We’re here.”

Soon, Qing Xuan slowed before a towering, majestic building resembling a massive peak.

The tall structure stood like a tower, rising from the ground like a steep, cloud-piercing mountain!

Li Hao glanced down and saw four characters carved on the tower’s base: Long Dun Seventh Floor!

“This is the Xuanjia Division—Long Dun Seventh Floor.”

Qing Xuan turned to Li Hao and Shi Miao: “Our Longmen City soldiers are divided into Four Divisions and Eight Armies! The Four Divisions are Heaven, Earth, Xuan, and Huang—each split into Jia and Yi, with Jia being superior, Yi average.”

“These four divisions correspond to Immortal King-level commanders. Normally, since you just broke through to Immortal King, you’d be at the lowest tier—Huang Yi.”

“But as a Disciple of the Emperor, you cannot be judged by ordinary standards. Even if you competed, you’d likely qualify for Huang Jia. Yet as a prodigy of our True Realm’s future, you must be protected. So I’m overriding protocol to place you in Xuan Jia!”

Qing Xuan said: “Each division corresponds to two cultivation levels. Huang Division covers Immortal King 1–2; Xuan Division covers 3–4!”

“Once you reach Immortal King 6, you enter Tian Jia. Beyond Immortal King 6, you become a commander.”

“Below Immortal King are the Eight Armies, encompassing True Immortal and Immortal Lord realms—Immortal Lords are officers, True Immortals are soldiers.”

Hearing Qing Xuan’s explanation, Li Hao now understood the combat structure of Longmen City. He glanced at the tower and asked:

“This is Long Dun Seventh Floor—does that mean there are First and Second Floors too?”

“Correct.”

Qing Xuan nodded. “There are ten floors total! Each floor has nine levels, with nine Immortal Kings forming one formation. These are the Long Dun Tower. There are also Long Sha Tower and Long Xue Tower, each bearing different battlefield responsibilities. Long Dun Tower specializes in defense—so the Immortal Kings here cultivate defensive realms and arts, perfect for protecting you.”

Qing Xuan said.

Li Hao’s eyes narrowed. This battlefield was far grander and more organized than any he’d known. He’d assumed Immortal Kings simply led charges—but here, roles were strictly assigned.

Thus, when war broke out, this battlefield would be even deadlier—Immortal Kings couldn’t move freely; they became mere cogs in a vast machine.

“Junior brother, though you’ve just broken through to Immortal King, never underestimate this battlefield. This is the eastern border—the true front line of war.”

Long Qingge’s expression was solemn: “On the battlefield, obey orders. Don’t chase blindly or charge recklessly. Don’t draw attention. If you attract the notice of ancient demon elites, you’ll be in grave danger!”

Li Hao nodded. This battlefield decided the fate of an entire region and countless lives. Even Immortal Kings here were but fireflies—only slightly brighter ones.

“You two, as a couple, will both be stationed in Long Dun Seventh Floor—it’s good you can watch over each other.”

Qing Xuan said to Li Hao and Shi Miao.

Hearing this, Shi Miao suddenly found the dragon more agreeable, a faint smile touching her lips.

“Come out, everyone—there’s a new arrival.”

Qing Xuan called out to the tower.

His voice, commanding and resonant, echoed through the towering structure. The nine-story building soon disgorged seven figures, rising from the third to the ninth floors.

Roar!

Above them, a dragon’s growl reverberated, radiating boundless dominance and malevolence, crashing toward Li Hao and Shi Miao.

Li Hao looked up to see a black-scaled dragon with eight claws, a long, jagged wound across its belly, scales shattered and scarred, as if bearing an incurable injury. It dove down with overwhelming might, radiating terrifying malevolence.

But Li Hao had endured countless battles—he was unmoved. His expression remained calm; the aura brushed past like a gentle breeze, merely lifting a few strands of his hair.

“Hmm?”

Long Qingge’s eyes turned cold—he sensed the dragon’s intent: a warning to the newcomers. His gaze narrowed.

But before he could react, his wife’s voice echoed in his mind, urging him to observe, not interfere.

Soon, the black dragon landed before Li Hao and Shi Miao, glaring at them with fierce eyes.

“Greetings, Deputy Commander Qing Xuan.”

The other six figures arrived—each from different races—bowing respectfully to Qing Xuan, then shifting into human forms, male or female.

Aside from the black dragon, seven figures remained: two women and four men. Above the black dragon, a golden-scaled dragon descended, its aura subtly concealed, transforming into a refined nobleman, every gesture exuding nobility and opulence.

“So this is the new arrival?”

The six transformed figures all studied Li Hao and Shi Miao.

When they sensed Shi Miao’s aura—Immortal King 4—their expressions eased slightly. But when they saw Li Hao, they all frowned.

“Deputy Commander, what’s the meaning of this?”

A short, balding middle-aged man asked, puzzled.

“I heard the new arrival is an Imperial Disciple—who among them is it?” asked a seductive woman in a bright red dress, her eyes flicking between Li Hao and Shi Miao.

Qing Xuan said nothing, his gaze fixed on the black dragon, releasing a terrifying dragon aura: “Is there no discipline left?!”

The black dragon trembled, its malevolence receding. It shifted into a black-robed youth, cold and sullen, eyes filled with resentment:

“Deputy Commander, the girl’s acceptable for our Seventh Floor—but this one? Only Immortal King 1? Are you sure he’s the new arrival?”

“His name is Hao Tian. He is the direct disciple of the Dao Source Emperor. The woman beside him is his dao companion. You may have heard of his deeds—he is the most infamous prodigy of the Primitive True Realm in the past few centuries: he comprehended sixty-nine Chaotic Stars in a single day, and in just three hundred years, forged twenty-three Chaotic Laws, reaching the peak of Immortal Lord!”

Qing Xuan’s tone turned icy as he recited the rumors he’d heard.

Li Hao realized his mastery of twenty-four Chaotic Laws was known only among other Imperial Disciples—he hadn’t yet become public knowledge.

“He’s that prodigy who shook the Primitive True Realm?!”

A beautiful woman with fox ears gasped, covering her mouth.

“I think I’ve heard of him.”

The nobleman-like youth stared at Li Hao, his gaze now grave.

Others looked confused—on this border, news from outside was slow to reach them.

The fox-eared beauty immediately began recounting Li Hao’s deeds to her comrades: his one-day comprehension of sixty-nine Chaotic Stars, his challenges against prodigies of countless races in the Chaotic Arena.

After hearing her out, everyone’s eyes filled with shock; they had heard that the Immortal Emperor’s direct disciples were extraordinarily gifted, but they never imagined it could be this extreme!

The black-robed young man’s expression subtly changed—he clearly hadn’t expected the boy before him to possess such talent—but even after that shift, his brow remained tightly furrowed.

“Deputy City Lord Qing, although he is the Immortal Emperor’s direct disciple and possesses peerless talent, he is still only at the first layer of the Immortal King realm. Sending him to the Yellow Armor Division would be no issue, but jumping straight to the Black Armor Division—isn’t that too high? Even if he has mastered the pinnacle realm, he cannot leap two realms at once!”

The black-robed young man’s tone was no longer as cold and rigid, but remained very serious.

Among Immortal Kings, only a tiny handful of top prodigies can fight across one realm’s gap—and even then, victory is uncertain.

To leap two realms is as difficult as an Immortal Lord at the first layer challenging one at the tenth layer!

As for leaping three realms—that is simply impossible.

Long Qingge heard this and his gaze shifted; he opened his mouth to speak, but Feng Qiqi beside him grabbed his arm and gave him a look, signaling him not to act rashly.

“We’ve asked him to come here hoping you’ll look out for him. With Brother Haotian’s talent, given time, he will surely catch up to you swiftly,” said Qing Xuan.

Qing Xuan said.

At this, the seven exchanged glances; even the fox-eared beauty showed signs of difficulty.

“Deputy City Lord Qing, this is a battlefield, not a game. We are all veteran generals of Longmen City. To act as tutors for a prince is essentially risking our lives to entertain him—isn’t that inappropriate?”

A middle-aged man muttered, his expression darkening.