656 Entering the King Realm

The old man hovered above the imperial city. Below, foreign inhabitants had already vacated, leaving only the dragon clan members.

He declared, “Descendants of the dragon clan, from now on, East Qingzhou is your homeland. Pledge allegiance to it. Once I pass on, you won’t be of the dragon clan, but people of Qingzhou. Should anyone betray Qingzhou, our clan leader can execute them as per our ancestral code. Conduct yourselves with honor and humility. We started as common beings and to that state, we return.”

His message, though plain, held profound weight.

On the ground, the dragon clan members mourned deeply, their cries echoing throughout the city. Their anguish was palpable — they foresaw the inevitable.

Suddenly, a desperate shout pierced the air, “The Patriarch is fading!”

All eyes turned upwards, watching as the old man’s figure became more translucent with each passing moment. To Qin Huai, the old man seemed to dissolve into tiny particles, spreading across East Qingzhou.

Qin Huai pondered, thinking of Qingzhou’s legacy and its bright future. With the convergence of two eminent forces upon Qingzhou, it was poised for a renaissance.

Le Ji’an remarked, “Qingzhou is set to prosper.”

“Yes, Qingzhou will be incomparably resplendent!” Fang Huo’s face was flushed with excitement as he exclaimed.

As those around him shared in the sentiment, Xiang Mingfeng offered a reality check, “Provided we withstand the impending attacks.”

Despite their recent victory against the alliance of the six royal clans, and with the Dragon Emperor now gone, significant threats remained. The lingering power of the royal clans and the ominous Sacred Heart Sect were shadows on their horizon.

“We must expedite our plans,” Qin Huai said, his gaze fixed on the horizon where the old man’s silhouette vanished.

“Farewell, Patriarch!” The collective voices of the dragon clan rang out, paying homage to their departing leader.

…

Inside the imperial city, Qin Huai walked the streets. Grief was evident on the faces of those he passed — many knelt in mourning, too consumed by their sorrow to rise. Undeterred, Qin Huai pressed on, until a rotund man, adorned in a python robe, staggered toward him.

“Long Cang greets Alliance Master!” the middle-aged man greeted Qin Huai, giving him a respectful bow.

Qin Huai responded in kind, “Greetings, Senior Prince Qing Cang.”

“Please, drop the formalities,” Prince Qing Cang said with a light chuckle. “Didn’t the Ancestor just declare that we are now simple citizens of East Qingzhou?”

It was clear that Prince Qing Cang relished this newfound status. To many, royal lineage was enviable, but for him, it had always been a heavy mantle. But with this new identity came certain costs.

“Now, being the only prince here, I offer my aid. Should you face the six clans, three sects, or the Sacred Heart Sect, call on me. They have a score to settle with my clan,” he declared.

The dragon clan had always hoped for a unified world, an egalitarian society. But external influences and the might of the entrenched six royal clans disrupted that vision.

Prince Qing Cang added, “I have a request.”

Qin Huai nodded for him to continue, suspecting he knew what was coming.

“My daughter,” Prince Qing Cang began, “I wish for her to join the Qingzhou Alliance. She possesses skills but lacks real-world experience. Her innocence worries me. In hindsight, I’ve been too protective.”

“So, you’d like her to gain experience outside your watchful eye?” Qin Huai questioned. “Couldn’t you, with your prowess, covertly keep her safe?”

Prince Qing Cang’s eyes reflected a father’s pain. “I just… can’t bear to see her face danger.”

Understanding the depth of a parent’s love, Qin Huai nodded. “She may not join the Qingzhou Alliance immediately, but she can follow them. However, I can’t promise her complete safety.”

“That’s understandable,” Prince Qing Cang conceded, trying to mask his anxiety. “In life, some things are simply out of our control.”

As their conversation wound down, a statuesque young woman in a shimmering, scale-patterned dress approached them. “Father, thank you,” she said before turning to Qin Huai. “I am Long Pingjing, and I greet you, Alliance Master Qin.”

Her gaze fixed intently on Qin Huai, the renowned prodigy of their age.

“Do your best,” Qin Huai advised, knowing the treacherous path she was keen to tread upon.

With a bow, Long Pingjing responded, “Thank you, Alliance Master.” But when she looked up, Qin Huai had already disappeared from sight.

…

Inside the imperial palace, within the confines of the royal study, Qin Huai made his entrance, and not a soul attempted to halt his progress.

“We meet again,” he declared, setting eyes on the young emperor before him.

“Long Kang greets Alliance Master Qin!” Long Kang replied, showing respect, a departure from the demeanor one might expect from an emperor. But then, long before he assumed the throne, the rulers of Great You were mere figureheads, confined to their palace, looked down upon by the masses.

Qin Huai bowed in kind, “Qin Huai greets Your Majesty.”

Long Kang was then handed a distinctive piece of armor, the multicolored dragon-scale armor from the bronze world. Taking it, he said with nostalgia, “A few years feels like a lifetime. Who would’ve thought our fates would intertwine so beneficially.”

Gazing intently at Qin Huai, Long Kang made a commitment, “Dragon City shall stand as the guardian of Qingzhou’s gates!” A pledge, signaling the dragon clan’s intent to unify with Qingzhou.

He went on to share the current strength of the dragon clan. Apart from Prince Qing Cang, the lone prince, only a few others remained, including his daughter, Long Pingjing, Prince Bai Liu, two eunuchs from the palace, and a secret guards’ general. The dragon clan, once so majestic, was reduced to these few, a situation more pitiable than the once-decimated Kun Peng clan.

The reason for the dragon clan’s decline was attributed to a combination of the past emperors’ greed, powerful local forces, and perhaps, the theory that the emperor’s fortune was consuming the clan’s vitality.

…

Qin Huai and Long Kang delved deep into ancient tomes for three days and nights. The old records opened Qin Huai’s eyes to the hidden truths of their world.

Emerging from the study, Qin Huai found solace atop the palace roof, assuming a meditative posture amidst the chilling winds. An overwhelming power emanated from him, surrounding the air in palpable tension. He recalled and invoked various powerful cultivation techniques, pushing each to its limit, causing his body to illuminate from within, its energy coursing fervently.

Inside him, treasures of great power stirred and resonated, channeling a vast reservoir of energy through him. As this energy surged, myriad patterns and pathways illuminated the darkness, weaving themselves into a magnificent net.

And with that, a spiritual altar awakened – the rise of a new king.

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