Soul Land V: Rebirth of Tang San

"Everything has been taken care of. The Ancestral Court has already been informed. Tomorrow morning, we will depart for Black Dragon City," Liu Weichao said to Xu Anyu.

Xu Anyu nodded and said, "The Ancestral Court will probably not let us take over Black Dragon City so easily. What's your view on this matter?"

Liu Weichao spoke in a low voice, "Before you ascend to emperor-level prowess, we will remain as low-key as possible. Black Dragon City can be abandoned; let them fight over it. However, the Darkness Dragon Clan must be under our control. Even if there's no emperor for the time being, neither the Ancestral Court nor the other clans would dare act recklessly against us. Once you've crossed the tribulation and achieved emperor status, what should be ours will naturally return to us."

Xu Anyu said, "Yes, I agree. It's better to pull back a little rather than act impulsively. I'll leave the affairs of the clan to you from now on. I will focus entirely on preparing to break through and ascend to emperor status as soon as possible."

Liu Weichao said with concern, "Don't rush yourself. Being overzealous will backfire. A stable ascension to emperor level is the best course to take."

"I understand, teacher. Honestly, after everything that's happened, I feel like I've taken another significant step forward. I must admit, I've learned a lot from Jin Miaolin."

Liu Weichao's heart stirred as he asked, "Anyu, you've interacted with Jin Miaolin quite a bit. What's your opinion of him?"

Xu Anyu's expression shifted slightly as he said, "Jin Miaolin is far from ordinary. At first, I thought I had a decent grasp of his capabilities. But after today's battle, I realized that he's far more hidden than I initially imagined. While the final, decisive attack appeared to be completed by me and Pretty Girl, the truth is, from start to finish, this entire battle against the Dark Demon Great Demon Emperor was under Jin Miaolin's lead. It was he who suppressed the Bead of Misfortune, preventing it from unleashing its power and ultimately causing a backlash against the Dark Demon Great Demon Emperor. It was also him who repeatedly used unknown methods to control the Dark Demon Great Demon Emperor, enabling us to first injure him and ultimately kill him. It can even be said that the entire battle unfolded perfectly under Jin Miaolin's meticulous control. His strength surpasses my expectations by far."

Liu Weichao pondered and said, "Are you suggesting that Jin Miaolin didn't go all out during the previous Emperor Contest?"

Xu Anyu nodded and said, "That's likely the case. At that time, he must have held back, probably concealing something to prevent the observing emperors from discovering it. Today, during the fight with the Dark Demon Great Demon Emperor, he was noticeably more composed from the outset, as if everything was within his grasp. This wasn't something I observed during the Emperor Contest. Regarding strength, I am very conscious of my limitations. Under normal circumstances, facing any emperor, my current power would make defeating them impossible; holding my ground without losing is already a challenge. Only with Crystal City's support can I barely contend with lower-tier emperors. But Jin Miaolin is different. I believe he already holds the power to defeat lower-tier emperors now, far above me and Pretty Girl. He has reached emperor-level prowess. I can't even fathom how powerful he might become when he crosses his tribulation and achieves emperor status."

"I did once tell him to reserve a place for me when he ascends to emperor status. At the time, he readily agreed. Then today, he told me he had already done so. That gave me a strange feeling, as if he's long been prepared to slay emperors. This man... he's truly powerful, incredibly powerful."

Liu Weichao nodded and said, "Indeed. He even managed to resolve the severe injuries you were dealing with. Adding today's battle on top of everything, he feels like someone who can do anything, as though nothing can hinder him. Right now, our relationship with him is harmonious and close. Allies like him are indispensable. Furthermore, he seems deeply aligned with the Dragon Clan. He commands the Ferocious Dragon and has inherited the abilities of the Crystal Great Demon Emperor. With such an existence, he cannot become an enemy—he can only remain a partner. In him, I glimpse the potential of a future Lord of the Ancestral Court!"

Xu Anyu sighed and said, "It seems with him around, I'll never reach the heights of the former Crystal Princess."

Liu Weichao smiled faintly and said, "Don't think that way. The Dragon Clan has its own heritage. Special individuals like him are likely connected to the Tree Ancestor in profound ways. The Tree Ancestor was incredibly powerful but eventually merged with the world itself. Moreover, Jin Miaolin possesses abilities of our Dragon Clan; you can regard him as one of us. Since he isn't an opponent we need to fight, he can become an example for you to learn from. Study his methods more closely, and perhaps in the future, while he may always stand above you, there will be no one trailing behind you anymore."

Xu Anyu smiled as well and said, "You're right. To be honest, after this incident, I've come to admire him from the bottom of my heart. He's my savior, after all!"

…

Ancestral Court, Council Mountain.

A heavy atmosphere hung over the entire assembly.

Especially on the side of the Tianyu Empire, where the mood was so gloomy it felt as though it might condense into water.

Another emperor had fallen. When the sky rained blood, even the emperors residing in the Ancestral Court were stunned.

Their first thought was, how could this happen?

The second was, who had fallen?

As the situation unfolded, the truth became clear: the Dark Demon Great Demon Emperor had perished!

The Dark Demon Great Demon Emperor—leader of the Darkness Dragon Clan, master of Black Dragon City, and the Dragon Clan's sole emperor—had fallen!

The Great Demon Emperor Heavenly Fox sat gloomily in the lead seat, with emperors of the Monster Clan and Spirit Clan seated on either side.

The Spirit Clan's side showed more shock, while the emperors of the Monster Clan displayed greater sorrow, akin to the mourning of kin.

"What exactly happened?" The Tianyang Spirit King asked in a deep voice.

Opposite him, the Undying Great Demon Emperor kept his eyes cast downward, showing no intention to question further. After all, the relationship between the Dragon Clan and the Phoenix Demon Clan was complex, involving both cooperation and competition for the position of top clan.

The Great Demon Emperor Heavenly Fox spoke in a low tone, "We've just received news. The Dark Demon Great Demon Emperor fell in Crystal City. Not long ago, the City Master of Crystal City, Quasi Emperor Xu Anyu, was ambushed while escorting the Blue Gold Tree Clan Elder back to the city. Aside from Xu Anyu, all the other companions perished—the elder and the accompanying clansmen were utterly annihilated. We are currently investigating this matter thoroughly."

"According to the Dragon Clan's statements, today the Dark Demon Great Demon Emperor visited Crystal City under the pretext of checking on the injured Xu Anyu but instead attempted to force the entire Dragon Clan to yield to him. However, he faced resistance from the Dragon Clan. Xu Anyu, healed by Jin Miaolin, appeared in time. Together with Jin Miaolin, Pretty Girl, and the combined power of the three quasi emperors, augmented by Crystal City's might, they succeeded in slaying the Dark Demon Great Demon Emperor. The Dragon Clan has cleansed their ranks and has petitioned the Ancestral Court to appoint Xu Anyu as the new Dragon Master while consolidating the rulership of Black Dragon City."

Hearing this explanation, the assembled emperors displayed varied expressions.

The Mammoth Great Demon Emperor furrowed his brow and asked, "Jin Miaolin again? Last time the Diamond Elf King fell, it was also related to him. And now he's involved again?"

The Tianyang Spirit King glanced at him and said calmly, "The Blue Gold Tree Clan lost an elder at a level comparable to a Great Demon King. Why shouldn't he step in? The situation is crystal clear. The biggest beneficiary of the ambush against Xu Anyu was undoubtedly the Dark Demon Great Demon Emperor. However, he didn't anticipate Jin Miaolin would heal Xu Anyu's injuries. The main power of Crystal City is extraordinarily strong. Under Xu Anyu's control, it would've already been a difficult fight, and with Jin Miaolin and Pretty Girl's involvement, defeat was inevitable."

The assembled Great Demon Emperors looked at the Tianyang Spirit King with somewhat grim expressions. The meaning behind his words was plainly evident: the Dark Demon Great Demon Emperor deserved to die!

Without a doubt, the Dark Demon Great Demon Emperor's death was not unwelcome news for the Rihchen Empire. With one less emperor on the opposing side, the balance of power between emperors had shifted subtly, tilting in favor of the Rihchen Empire. This also adjusted their unequal standings among quasi emperors, where the Spirit Clan had only Jin Miaolin, while the Monster Clan had two.

In this situation, the Tianyang Spirit King's schadenfreude was apparent.

"Report—Jin Miaolin, Quasi Emperor, requests an audience with Your Imperial Majesties." At that moment, the voice of an Ancestral Court Imperial Guard rang out.