Chapter 1908 Ao Qinhan's Old Grudge
The Azure Scale Palace is the most mysterious forbidden area in the Dragon Realm, and the exclusive dwelling place of the Four Dragon Kings.
No one dared to trespass on this place, not even Situ Haokong.
Although Situ Haokong was already a master of the Feather Transformation Realm and a powerful figure among the human race, he spent his entire life searching for the traces of the Holy Dragon Blood.
The Azure Scale Palace, a place that might hold relics left behind by the Holy Dragon, had long been the place he longed for.
But he knew better than anyone that this place was a true den of dragons and tigers. Even if he were alone, and even if he gathered all the experts in the entire Nine Dragon Valley and used all the strength of the sect, he might not be able to break into the Dragon Realm, let alone set foot inside the hall.
A dead skinny camel is bigger than a horse.
Even though the dragon race has declined, they have retreated to the Dragon Realm and are barely surviving.
However, the strength of the four orthodox dragon clans should not be underestimated.
The Azure Dragon, Yinglong, Zhulong, and Jinlong are the four major dragon clans that control the core power of the Dragon Realm. With the four dragon kings in charge, even if the super sects of the human race join forces, they may not be able to easily break through the Dragon Realm.
Situ Haokong had fantasized more than once that if he could unite with several super human sects to attack the Dragon Realm, he might have a chance to break into the Azure Scale Palace and seize the treasures and dragon blood left behind by the Holy Dragon.
But he also knew that this was nothing but wishful thinking.
Situ Haokong is even less popular than Leng Feiyan, so why would other sects help him snatch the dragon blood, since the dragon blood is useless to them?
Therefore, Situ Haokong could only dream about it.
However, if it were Lin Jichen, there might still be a chance of success.
Situ Haokong could only choose to "endure".
He hoped that the lifespan of the four Dragon Kings would run out, and that the dragon race would completely decline.
Once all four Dragon Kings are dead, the Dragon Realm will be without its leader. At that time, he will naturally have the opportunity to lead the people of Nine Dragon Valley into the Dragon Realm and search for the Holy Dragon Blood without restraint.
The Yinglong King and the Jinlong King are both dead, and Zhujiuyin has disappeared. Now, only the Qinglong King remains in the Dragon Realm.
Theoretically speaking, as long as he outlives the Azure Dragon King, the Dragon Realm will be leaderless, and then his dream will come true.
However, it's uncertain whether Situ Haokong can outlive the Azure Dragon King.
The Azure Dragon Clan is the longest-lived race among the dragons. Legend has it that the Azure Dragon King was an elder of Zhu Jiuyin, thousands of years older than him, and is still alive and well today.
For Situ Haokong to outlive the Azure Dragon King with his lifespan is nothing short of a pipe dream.
"Azure Scale Palace...this is Azure Scale Palace...I've finally returned...I will take back what I've lost with my own hands!"
As Ao Qinhan gazed at the Azure Scale Palace before him, his eyes grew brighter and brighter, his face filled with an irrepressible enthusiasm, and he kept muttering to himself.
Looking at Ao Qinhan's excited back, Lin Jichen understood that this place was by no means just an ordinary forbidden area for Ao Qinhan.
He asked curiously, "Senior Ao, what has come to mind?"
Ao Qinhan didn't speak, but walked straight to the light screen outside the Qinglin Palace and stopped.
He reached out, wanting to touch the pale blue light barrier, but his fingertips stopped just before they touched it, trembling slightly.
Memories flooded his mind like a tide, pulling him back to the war-torn years of thousands of years ago.
At that time, the Holy Dragon King had just died, Zhu Jiuyin had failed his tribulation, and the Dragon Clan was plunged into internal strife. Taking advantage of this, various races in the Three Realms launched an attack on the Dragon Clan, igniting a war of reckoning against them.
The dragon race suffered countless casualties, and the once glorious clan was instantly brought to the brink of extinction.
In order to preserve the dragon race, the remaining dragons decided to retreat to the Dragon Realm, and Ao Qinhan was the key figure who covered the retreat at that time.
"I will never forget that scene..."
Ao Qinhan's voice carried a hint of vicissitude, and his eyes became distant.
"The sky was stained red with dragon blood, and almost all the experts from the human, demon, and ghost races surged towards us in dense numbers. I led the Ice Dragon Clan to hold the rear, and fought my way out to cover the retreat of the old, weak, women, and children of the other dragon races."
"In that battle, the sky darkened and the earth sank. Countless dragons perished, and the Ice Dragon Clan was almost completely wiped out. I myself was severely injured and nearly died on the spot. What was even more despairing was that several Ghost Clan experts captured me and imprisoned me in the Ghost Realm for a full hundred years!"
"Those hundred years were the darkest time of my life. Fortunately, I took advantage of the chaos in the Ghost Realm and fought my way out of my restraints. I escaped after going through countless hardships."
"I thought that I would be highly regarded after returning to the Dragon Realm because of my great contributions to the Dragon Clan. But I never expected that what awaited me was a cold betrayal and being ruthlessly kicked out."
At this point, Ao Qinhan's tone was full of self-mockery and hatred.
At that time, the Azure Dragon King joined forces with the Golden Dragon King and the Ying Dragon King, who were still alive.
Using the pretext that "the branch dragon races consume the resources of the Dragon Realm," all the branch dragon races, including the Ice Dragon race, were expelled from the Dragon Realm.
At that moment, Ao Qinhan's heart turned completely cold. He had rendered meritorious service to the Dragon Clan, served time in prison, and almost lost his life in the Ghost Realm. Not only did he not become the 'leader' after returning, but this was the end result he received.
"I wanted to tear them to pieces back then! A bunch of selfish and treacherous scoundrels!"
Ao Qinhan's voice suddenly rose, a fierce glint flashing in his eyes: "If I hadn't been seriously injured and my strength greatly diminished at the time, I really would have wanted to fight those four old bastards to the death on the spot!"
Even so, he knew that even at his peak, he was no match for these dragon kings.
In the end, he could only lead the remaining Ice Dragon Clan members on a life of wandering and hardship across the Eight Desolate Continents.
They evaded the pursuit of humans and the encirclement of demons, and after many twists and turns, they finally found the desolate land of the Vast Sea Ice Mountain.
The place was covered in ice and snow, and the spiritual energy was scarce, making it completely unsuitable for cultivation. However, it was the only place where they could hide safely at that time.
And so, the Ice Dragon Clan eked out a living in the icy mountains of the vast sea.
For thousands of years, the hatred in Ao Qinhan's heart has never dissipated.
He hated the hypocrisy of the four orthodox dragon clans, hated the ingratitude of the Azure Dragon King, and hated his own incompetence and naivety even more.
He vowed to return to the Dragon Realm in a dignified manner, to make the Ice Dragon Clan the new orthodox dragon clan, and to wash away the shame of the past.
He cultivated desperately towards this goal, but his cultivation level remained stuck at the Feather Transformation Realm, unable to advance any further.
He had tried to go out and gain experience in order to find an opportunity for a breakthrough, but he found that the human race's strength was improving at a much faster rate than he had imagined.
As soon as his whereabouts are exposed, he will be relentlessly hunted down by countless powerful figures from the Three Realms.
To them, the blood, flesh, scales, and core of the dragon are all supreme treasures.
After several close calls, Ao Qinhan completely gave up the idea of going out to train and obediently hid back in the vast ice mountain.
He knew that he probably would never be able to break through to the Immortal Ascension Realm in his lifetime, and the Ice Dragon Clan would eventually be trapped in that desolate land and slowly head towards extinction.
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