Chapter 1910 Contradictions

"Senior Qinglong, I have come here today to discuss important matters with you."

Lin Jichen was about to get straight to the point and explain his purpose.

"and many more."

The Azure Dragon King suddenly raised his hand, his well-defined fingers slightly bent, and an invisible wave of energy instantly blocked Lin Jichen's path.

His azure eyes suddenly shifted, his previously peaceful gaze instantly turning icy cold, as if tempered by millennia of ice, locking directly onto Ao Qinhan, his tone carrying the unquestionable majesty of a dragon king.

"How did you bring him in?"

The moment that gaze fell upon him, Ao Qinhan felt his spine stiffen violently, as if he were being stared at by an ancient azure dragon. His hair stood on end, and his blood seemed to freeze.

The Azure Dragon King's oppressive aura pressed down on him like a tangible force, causing him to catch his breath and feel a tightness in his chest. But more than anything, he felt humiliated, which ignited the flames in his heart and set off the resentment that had been building up for three thousand years.

Ao Qinhan suddenly straightened his spine, his chest heaving violently, his eyes bloodshot like burning coals, and met the Azure Dragon King's gaze head-on, his years of pent-up resentment erupting like a volcano.

"Why can't I come in?!"

His voice was as loud as a bell, echoing and reverberating in the empty Azure Scale Palace, causing the spirit crystals hanging from the ceiling to tremble slightly, and the reflected light and shadows to become a chaotic mess.

"This Dragon Realm is the homeland of all dragons, our common home! Back then, I led the Ice Dragon Clan to cover the retreat of the dragons and block the pursuit of the human, ghost, and demon races. How many of my clansmen died in front of me? I myself was imprisoned by the ghost race for five years and only escaped with my life on the verge of death!"

As he spoke, the icy dragon aura surrounding Ao Qinhan could no longer be suppressed and began to leak out wildly.

The temperature inside the hall suddenly dropped, and a thick layer of frost instantly condensed on the white jade floor tiles. The frost flowers spread along the patterns of the floor tiles, and even the spirit crystals placed on the jade platforms on both sides were covered with a layer of white, cold air.

He clenched his fists so tightly that his knuckles turned white from the force, his nails dug deep into his palms, and blood dripped from his fingertips, falling onto the white frost and instantly freezing into crimson ice crystals.

"I shed my blood and gave my life for the dragon race, only to be banished by you! Now that I've returned, am I not even qualified to set foot in the heart of my homeland?!"

"The Dragon Realm has its own rules."

The Azure Dragon King remained expressionless, his tone unwavering, as if Ao Qinhan's accusations were nothing more than irrelevant rambling.

He slowly raised his chin, his azure eyes filled with a deep-seated arrogance: "Those who are not of the orthodox dragon race are not allowed to set foot in the core forbidden area, much less approach the Azure Scale Palace. This is a rule established during the time of the Holy Dragon King. Ao Qinhan, as an elder of the dragon race, have you even forgotten this rule?"

"Rules?!" Ao Qinhan trembled with anger, his voice shaking.

"So the contributions I made to the dragon race don't count? In the eyes of your orthodox dragon race, are the lives and achievements of us offshoots so insignificant?!"

He knew all too well what these so-called "rules" were—the hierarchical imprints etched into the blood of the dragon race.

The Holy Dragon Clan resides at the top of the pyramid, a natural-born king. Even though they are extinct, their majesty still shrouds the entire dragon race.

Below them are the four orthodox dragon clans: Azure Dragon, Candle Dragon, Ying Dragon, and Golden Dragon. They occupy the best spiritual veins and the most precious treasures in the dragon realm, and control the power to set all the rules.

Even though these collateral dragon clans also have dragon energy flowing in their blood, they are firmly stuck in the "lowest" position simply because their blood is not pure enough, and they don't even have the right to share the resources of the dragon realm.

When the Azure Dragon King drove them away back then, his eyes were exactly the same as they are now, as indifferent as if he were driving away a group of ants.

It was as if these collateral branches who had risked their lives for the dragon race were nothing more than a burden that consumed resources.

He has remembered this injustice for three thousand years and endured it for three thousand years. How could he possibly swallow it down just because of a "rule"?

The atmosphere inside the Azure Scale Palace instantly became tense, as the auras of the two sides clashed, creating invisible ripples and disrupting the spiritual energy within the palace.

Ao Qinhan's eyes burned with resentment as he stared intently at the Azure Dragon King, showing no regard for the latter's status as the legitimate Dragon King.

In the past, according to the strict rules of the dragon race, such defiance of the Dragon King would have resulted in him being imprisoned in the Dragon Prison, having his cultivation abolished, and even being expelled from the dragon race.

But at this moment, Ao Qinhan remained undaunted.

Thousands of years of resentment and anger have long since made him indifferent to these so-called rules.

Moreover, he wasn't alone. He glanced at Lin Jichen beside him, feeling a little more at ease.

With the support of this ruler of the human realm, that is his greatest source of confidence.

Even if a fight really broke out, he didn't believe that the Azure Dragon King would dare to act without any scruples.

If Lin Jichen were willing to lend a hand, even the Azure Dragon King might not be without a fighting chance.

Wan Yincai stood in the corner, too frightened to even breathe.

She subtly shrank back, her gaze darting back and forth between the Azure Dragon King and Ao Qinhan, inwardly marveling.

The internal conflict within the Dragon Clan is so intense. These two are both powerful figures above the Feather Transformation Realm. If they really fight, the Azure Scale Palace might be destroyed. She doesn't want to be caught in the crossfire.

To everyone's surprise, the Azure Dragon King did not get angry.

He slowly withdrew his oppressive aura, a complex emotion flashing in his azure eyes, a mixture of helplessness and weariness, as he spoke softly.

“I had no choice but to expel you back then. The resources of the Dragon Realm were already on the verge of depletion, the spiritual veins were declining day by day, and even the survival of the four orthodox dragon clans was in jeopardy. There was simply no room for all the dragon clans. I understand that you are angry.”

"understand?"

Ao Qinhan sneered, his laughter full of sarcasm.

"Can a word of helplessness or understanding erase our three thousand years of wandering? Can it erase the memory of those who died on the road of our people?"

He took a step forward, the icy mist around him growing thicker, his tone filled with an unwavering determination.

"No need for pleasantries. I'm too lazy to settle old scores today. I'm here for only one purpose: to allow my Ice Dragon Clan to enter the Dragon Realm with dignity and become a legitimate dragon race!"

These words were like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, causing the atmosphere in the hall to tense up again.

The Azure Dragon King frowned slightly, remained silent for a moment, and then calmly replied, "You cannot enter the Dragon Realm, nor can you ascend to the status of a legitimate heir. The hierarchical order of the Dragon Clan cannot be disrupted."

"You old scoundrel Qinglong! You've gone too far in bullying dragons!"

Ao Qinhan's temper flared instantly, and he roared out in anger.

"With the Holy Dragon absent, do you think your Azure Dragon clan can rule the Dragon Realm with absolute power? At worst, we'll fight! If you win, you'll obediently allow my Ice Dragon clan to reside in the Dragon Realm; if you lose, I'll admit defeat! Do you dare!"

As he spoke, he began to circulate his spiritual power, and the aura of the ice dragon around him surged, with faint dragon-shaped light and shadow floating within it.

Seeing this, Lin Jichen couldn't help but facepalm, feeling both amused and exasperated.

This old ice dragon has such a fiery temper, it's practically on par with the legendary Zhulong.

They came to discuss cooperation, not to fight! With this commotion, forget about cooperation; we should be grateful if a fight doesn't break out later.

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