Offending the Dragon Clan was no joke. The dragons were an arrogant lot, proclaiming themselves the noblest of all living beings. Had anyone known beforehand that the newcomer was a dragon, no one would have rashly attacked. But when this red dragon came charging in at such a delicate moment without a word, who could have restrained the instinct to fight back?
Attacking a dragon was an insult to the Dragon Clan, and that was bound to cause enormous trouble. Fortunately, friend and foe had been unclear in the chaos, and everyone had held back when they struck. Had they gone all out, the fact that they had injured a dragon would surely bring disaster upon everyone present.
"You've got the nerve to attack but not to admit it?" the red dragon roared. "You lowly ants — you shall all die!"
The moment these words left its mouth, the expressions of numerous Emperor Sovereign Realm cultivators changed dramatically. The Dragon Clan was hard enough to deal with; an enraged dragon was even more unreasonable. Over a hundred Emperor Sovereign Realm cultivators joining forces could indeed stand up to a single great dragon, but so what? Behind this dragon lay Dragon Island. If they truly provoked Dragon Island into mobilizing its dragons, the entire Star Realm would descend into chaos — a result a thousand times worse than the resurrection of demonic will.
The red dragon was clearly furious, its roar about to escalate into an attack. Wen Zishan wore a grave expression, silently resolving that even if it meant truly offending Dragon Island, he could not allow so many Emperor Sovereign Realm cultivators to be killed within Qingyang Divine Temple. He secretly connected with the temple's protective sect formation, ready to act immediately at the first sign of trouble.
"Wait!" Lei Hong bellowed, stepping forward.
"Old thing — you attacked too!" The red dragon circled overhead, its enormous body delivering a powerful visual impact and immense mental pressure. It suddenly swooped down, its head less than three zhang from Lei Hong, its eyes — each larger than a window — glaring at him with ill intent.
Everyone broke into a sweat on Lei Hong's behalf.
Lei Hong cupped his fists. "May I ask whether the honored one comes from... the legendary Dragon Island of the Eastern Sea?"
"What if I do?" The red dragon snorted heated breath from its nostrils. Light flickered across Lei Hong's body, and his hair was singed even further.
"So it's true..." Lei Hong's face broke into a look of sudden understanding, and he smiled. "Legend has it that there is a Dragon Island in the Eastern Sea, upon which great dragons dwell, unseen by mortals. Even so, the fame of Dragon Island rivals that of even the Great Emperor Sects. To encounter one today — truly, it is the fortune of three lifetimes."
It was a rare sight to see the Grand Elder of Star God Palace so brazenly flattering someone. The assembled Emperor Sovereign Realm cultivators stared, dumbfounded.
But these bland, harmless words produced a miraculous effect.
Everyone clearly felt the red dragon's fury diminish considerably, its massive head pulling back slightly from Lei Hong. It nodded repeatedly, its voice resounding like a great bell: "Heh, old thing, at least you have some knowledge — you know of Dragon Island's renown. And rightly so. Who in all the world does not know of our Dragon Island? What are mere Great Emperor Sects in comparison?"
Lei Hong chuckled dryly, suppressing the discomfort he felt inside.
He was the Grand Elder of a Great Emperor Sect, and the red dragon's dismissal of those sects as "mere" did not sit well with him. But he knew the nature of the Dragon Clan well enough not to nitpick, lest he add fuel to the fire.
The red dragon, however, seemed to have hit upon a sore spot and continued boasting: "My Dragon Clan simply refuses to compete for fame and glory with you lowly ants. If we did, the moment our Dragon Island's elites took the field, every last one of your so-called Great Emperor Sects would have to step aside. Believe it or not, I could drown you all with a single spit—"
The more it talked, the more outrageous it became. The assembled Emperor Sovereign Realm cultivators frowned silently. Lei Hong hurriedly cut it off: "The Dragon Clan has not shown itself to the world for ages, and this is the first time any of us has laid eyes on one. That is why, when the honored one flew in just now, many of our fellow cultivators failed to recognize you, assuming an enemy had come to attack. The misunderstanding arose from that."
"Yes, exactly — we were too hasty just now. Please do not take offense, my lord."
"If the honored one had revealed your true form from the start, we never would have struck at you."
"To witness a great dragon's true form today — truly the fortune of three lifetimes."
"..."
A clamor of voices erupted as everyone chimed in. It was plain to see that while this red dragon had a volatile temper and was difficult to get along with, its ears were remarkably soft — a few flattering words were enough to quell its rage. This was a common affliction among the supremely arrogant. If one was proud, one naturally did not wish to haggle too much with those beneath one.
In short order, everyone lavished praise upon the great dragon.
The dragon listened with visible delight, its mood brightening considerably. The volcanic fury that had been on the verge of erupting moments ago now dissipated without a trace. It gave a soft snort. "Fine, fine — I can't be bothered to hold it against you. We'll let the matter rest. Next time, make sure to open your eyes and see clearly before you attack."
Everyone let out a quiet sigh of relief, and Wen Zishan dismissed the energy he had been gathering, casting a grateful glance toward Lei Hong.
The temple had endured one upheaval after another, and he himself had been injured in the Shenyou Mirror's world not long ago. His mind was in turmoil, and had Lei Hong not handled the situation promptly and adroitly, this could easily have escalated into catastrophe. If the Emperor Sovereign Realm cultivators present had come to blows with the red dragon, regardless of who won, Qingyang Divine Temple would bear the consequences.
Lei Hong smiled faintly, signaling that there was no need for thanks.
Wen Zishan cupped his fists toward the sky. "Since the honored one hails from Dragon Island, may I ask which lord of Dragon Island you might be?"
"This dragon is Zhu Lie!" The red dragon tossed its head and swung its tail, its voice carrying a hundred li.
"So it is Lord Zhu Lie. Hmm — may I ask what business brings you to Qingyang Divine Temple?"
"To find someone!" Zhu Lie thrashed about, its head facing the crowd, its eyes sweeping back and forth through the assembly. "Which one of you is Yang Kai?"
Yang Kai had been enjoying the show when he suddenly heard this fellow named Zhu Lie call his name and was taken aback.