Main Cathedral of the Holy Court.

Underneath the Statue of the God of Light, the Pope stood in simple attire, gazing at the statue.

Shua!

A figure appeared abruptly. Fei'ersi walked up to the Pope and respectfully said, "Your Holiness, it seems Mi Jiaro has sensed something."

"No matter, he won't disrupt anything. What about Fa Rang?" A young voice sounded from the Pope's mouth.

This voice was not the Pope's at all!

"Nothing unusual—per Your Holiness's orders, I sent him to investigate Jiang Chen. However, the Dragon Saint refused to let him in!"

Fei'ersi spoke with a worried expression, "Could it be that the Dragon Saint is also…?"

"As expected of the Dragon Guardian Clan!"

The Pope sighed. "However, he likely only harbors suspicion. Monitor any movement closely. If they show signs of leaving, find a way to detain them. If the Dragon Saint insists on leaving, he may go—Jiang Chen cannot!"

"Understood!"

Fei'ersi nodded, turned around, and left the cathedral.

"Ancestral Dragon, I never thought your dual dragon soul fragments would choose the same successor. What exactly are you planning?"

After Fei'ersi left, the Pope gazed at the Statue of the God of Light and softly murmured.

One day quickly passed.

There was no change within the Holy Court.

The Pope secluded himself in the cathedral. The atmosphere around the Dragon Saint's residence remained impenetrable, a protective aura still enveloping the building. After leaving the Dragon Saint's dwelling, Fa Rang had stood atop a distant structure, waiting there for an entire day.

Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!

Suddenly, several overwhelming auras rapidly approached from afar. Fa Rang's expression changed as he darted forward to block their path.

"Lord Long Dingtian?"

Fa Rang stared in astonishment at the leader of the group, dread creeping into his heart.

The group was led by Elder Long of the Flame Dragon Group. Among his companions were the Grand Elder of the Huangluo Clan, Li Jiang; Yue Tianzheng of the Yue Family; Lan Tingxu; Zhou Wanchen of the Zhou Family—six powerful Saint Realm Experts in total.

"Fa Rang, we heard that Mr. Jiang was injured. We're here to check on him,"

Elder Long said with a light smile. He glanced in the direction of the Dragon Saint's residence, his eyes narrowing slightly as he sensed the powerful auras surrounding the building.

Fa Rang was taken aback, looking at the group in surprise and frowning slightly.

"What is it? Are we not allowed to enter?" Elder Long cast a calm gaze toward Fa Rang.

At this moment, the group had been halted outside the Holy Court by Fa Rang!

"Of course you may. Please!" Fa Rang quickly stepped aside, gesturing toward the path with an inviting motion.

Shua! Shua! Shua!

Without restraining their auras, Elder Long and the five others flew directly into the Holy Court's perimeter with the might of Saint Realm Experts, heading straight for the Dragon Saint's residence.

Fa Rang's expression shifted. He glanced toward the direction of the main cathedral before following after them.

Inside the Dragon Saint's residence:

"They're finally here!"

The Dragon Saint exhaled lightly and opened the window.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Elder Long and the others entered through the window, with Fa Rang following closely behind.

"What happened to Mr. Jiang?" The Grand Elder was shocked upon sensing Jiang Chen's current state.

The Dragon Saint glanced at Fa Rang, his aura erupting fully.

Buzz!

An even stronger aura engulfed the residence, severing it entirely from the defensive auras outside.

Elder Long frowned, releasing his own aura in response, while the Grand Elder and the others did the same.

Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!

Seven overwhelming auras filled the entire residence tightly, ensuring not even the faintest wisp of energy could seep in or out.

Fa Rang's heart trembled violently. Staring at the Dragon Saint and the others with an astonished expression, an unsettling fear grew within him.

Not only had the Dragon Saint sealed off the residence, but even the surrounding space was completely locked down. If Fa Rang made so much as a small move—if he so much as mobilized his Inner Qi—he felt he might immediately face the full force of seven Saint Realm Experts!

Why was this happening?!

Fa Rang was utterly bewildered. He couldn't understand why the Dragon Saint would act this way, gathering so many powerful figures within the Holy Court's headquarters. Wouldn't this risk creating conflict between the Holy Court and the Flame Dragon Group?

Could it be because...

Fa Rang's gaze shifted to Jiang Chen lying on the bed. Connecting this to the Pope's recent odd behavior, a look of terror emerged in his eyes.

"Dragon Saint, what is going on?" Elder Long looked at Fa Rang, his face stern as he addressed the Dragon Saint.

The Dragon Saint also glanced at Fa Rang. Without concealing anything from him, he stated, "Mr. Jiang was assisting A'erfa in healing his injuries. At the critical moment of treatment, Jiang Chen's Soul Power and all his Inner Qi were abruptly drained, leaving him in this state. But after A'erfa regained consciousness, he gave me an extremely unfamiliar feeling—almost as if he was no longer the same A'erfa. And additionally…"

The Dragon Saint looked out the window. "The auras surrounding the residence—while they seem protective, they're actually monitoring us. Or to be more precise, we are under confinement!"

"Confinement?! What exactly does the Holy Court want to do?"

The Grand Elder roared in anger. "Mr. Jiang came here to treat the Pope, and yet they..."

He turned sharply toward Fa Rang, emanating a murderous intent. "You hold a significant position within the Holy Court, don't you? Just what is your Holy Court planning?"

"I..."

Fa Rang was at a loss for words. He sighed softly and replied with a bitter smile: "If I say I don't know, would you believe me?"

"You, a Saint Realm Expert…" Li Jiang glared at Fa Rang angrily.

"Li Jiang, Elder!" The Dragon Saint interrupted him lightly. After casting a glance at Fa Rang, he said seriously, "He likely truly doesn't know."

Li Jiang and the others paused for a moment, frowning as they cast a suspicious look toward Fa Rang before turning their gaze back to the Dragon Saint.

"This entire matter, I feel, might be connected to... the Ancient Cultivator Order," the Dragon Saint said with a heavy expression.

"The Ancient Cultivator Order?!" Elder Long exclaimed, a trace of shock appearing in his eyes.

Fa Rang looked puzzled at the Dragon Saint and asked, "What is the Ancient Cultivator Order?"

Staring at Fa Rang, the Dragon Saint explained in a grave tone, "The Ancient Cultivator Order refers to the group hidden in that small forest behind your Holy Court. They are individuals who had gone into slumber before the arrival of the End Martial Era, and from what I sensed upon my arrival, they've awakened!"

"Lord Dragon Saint, are you referring to Lord Fei'ersi and the others?" Fa Rang asked, his expression tinged with doubt.

"Precisely!"

The Dragon Saint nodded. "Do you recall when exactly they awakened?"

"I do. It was twenty-one years ago," Fa Rang replied softly.

The Dragon Saint raised an eyebrow, pondering for a moment before asking in confusion, "Twenty-one years ago? Nothing particularly significant occurred within the Holy Court during that time, right?"

"Um…" Fa Rang thought for a moment before offering tentatively, "If anything noteworthy did happen, it would have to be the birth of the Saint Heir."

"The Saint Heir's birth? They awakened right after the birth of your Saint Heir?!" The Dragon Saint's expression shifted as if connecting some critical dots, and he spoke urgently.

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