Chapter 1916 I can’t help you
The Azure Dragon King's refusal was like a bucket of cold water, unexpectedly poured over Lin Jichen's head.
He paused, somewhat taken aback.
This was the first time in all his years in the Eight Desolations that he had suffered a setback in trying to recruit allies, and he had been rejected so decisively.
Previously, whether it was uniting the various sects of the human race or persuading the Ghost Clan Empress, even if there were twists and turns in the process, a consensus could eventually be reached. But today, facing the Azure Dragon King, he encountered a tough obstacle.
Lin Jichen admitted that what the Azure Dragon King said about dragon taboos and the mentality of young dragons did make some sense.
But he still couldn't understand why, one second they were emphasizing that Zhu Jiuyin was the number one enemy, and the next second they refused to join forces. This contradictory attitude was really baffling.
He suppressed his displeasure and asked with a final hint of confirmation, "Senior Qinglong, is this true? Are you truly unwilling to join forces with us to fight against Zhujiuyin?"
Honestly, if the Azure Dragon King hadn't promised to give him a million magical artifacts, he probably would have turned around and left by now, too lazy to bother with this old dragon king who had such inconsistent attitudes.
A million magical treasures—this was a gift that could elevate the Heavenly Evolution Sword Sect's strength to a new level. He had no choice but to patiently confirm the details.
The Azure Dragon King nodded solemnly, his azure eyes filled with lingering helplessness, and his tone became heavier.
“Every word I have said is true. Our dragon race has had an ironclad rule since ancient times: even if there are internal strife and rivers of blood, we will never join forces with other races to harm our own kind. This is a taboo engraved in the blood of our dragon race, and no one can break it.”
He paused, then added, "Even though Zhu Jiuyin committed a heinous crime by harming the Holy Dragon King and plundering the Dragon Clan's fortune, he never relied on the power of other races. It was always an internal conflict within the Dragon Clan. I hope you can understand this, young friend Lin."
"Moreover, the Dragon Realm has been declining in recent years, with its spiritual veins depleted and resources scarce. Many young dragons have long harbored resentment towards the current situation."
The Azure Dragon King's voice carried a hint of weariness and helplessness.
"They never witnessed the glory of the Holy Dragon King in his lifetime, nor could they understand the hatred we old dragons harbor for Zhu Jiuyin. In their eyes, Zhu Jiuyin is the only being in the Eight Desolations to have reached the Ascension Realm, and is a powerful figure among the dragons."
"The dragon race is now in decline. Even the orthodox dragons can only hide in the Dragon Realm and barely survive. The younger generation is already feeling restless. They are worried that in a few years, the Dragon Realm will be completely depleted of resources, and they will even have trouble cultivating. In the end, they will only become vassals of other races."
"The news that Zhu Jiuyin was about to emerge from seclusion gave them hope. They longed for such a powerful figure to step forward and lead the Dragon Clan to break out of their predicament and return to their former glory when they dominated the eight wastelands."
At this point, the Azure Dragon King shook his head heavily, utterly powerless.
"If I were to lead the alliance with other races to deal with him, it would surely provoke resistance from all the young dragons, and internal strife in the Dragon Realm would be imminent. At that time, without Zhu Jiuyin even lifting a finger, our dragon race would collapse on its own."
Upon hearing this, Lin Jichen lowered his head and remained silent.
In fact, he had anticipated this from the moment he stepped into the Dragon Realm, but he did not expect the situation to be so troublesome.
Zhu Jiuyin was once one of the legitimate Dragon Kings of the Dragon Clan. Even though he committed the grave crime of betraying the Holy Dragon and was abandoned and hunted down by the Dragon Clan, his identity was still special in the hearts of the young Dragon Clan.
Those young dragons who did not experience that dark period could not see his despicable and cruel nature, but only his power and the hope he might bring.
Anxiety about the decline of their ethnic group makes them easily cling to Zhujiuyin as a lifeline.
Fortunately, such unrealistic fantasies are only found among young dragons.
Old dragons like Qinglong Wang and Ao Qinhan, who experienced the tragedy of that year, remained rational and did not rush to support Zhu Jiuyin.
Lin Jichen knew in his heart that all of this was thanks to Ao Chi's existence.
If the Holy Dragon bloodline hadn't reappeared, giving the Azure Dragon King and Ao Qinhan hope for the future of the dragon race and letting them know that a Holy Dragon could one day lead the entire clan, it's hard to say whether they would have tacitly allowed the young dragons to support Zhu Jiuyin for the sake of the clan's survival, or even defected in the face of battle.
After a moment of silence, Lin Jichen raised his head. Instead of being dejected, a faint smile appeared on his face, and his tone was somewhat sharp.
"Senior Qinglong is indeed insightful. But has Senior considered that if Zhujiuyin were to truly emerge from seclusion, he might not attack the Dragon Clan as a whole, but if he wanted to completely control the Dragon Clan, he would inevitably ruthlessly kill those of you Dragon Clan members who know his past?"
A flicker of pain crossed the Azure Dragon King's eyes, but he did not deny it. He said in a deep voice, "Of course I know. He wants to erase his dark history, wash away his past despicable deeds, and even completely erase all traces of the Holy Dragon's existence. We old dragons who witnessed the truth of that year are all stumbling blocks on his path to the top. He will never leave any hidden dangers. Once he controls the dragon race, we old things will surely die."
This is like someone who rose to power through scheming and trickery. The first thing he did after reaching the top was to silence everyone who knew the secret and forcibly whitewash his past. Zhu Jiuyin's intentions are obvious.
“So I’m very curious.” Lin Jichen’s tone was more sarcastic: “Senior, if you’re unwilling to cooperate with us, do you just want to watch Zhu Jiuyin rule the Eight Desolations and then come after you later? Sitting and waiting for death is not the kind of courage a Dragon King should have.”
The Azure Dragon King slowly rose from his white jade throne, his wide azure robe sweeping across the armrests, creating a faint fluctuation of spiritual energy.
He raised his hand to stroke the dark blue dragon beard hanging down his chest, and walked down the steps one by one, each step steady and powerful, yet revealing a sense of heaviness.
He walked up to Lin Jichen, his gaze passing over him and landing on the little guy still gnawing on spirit crystals in his sleeve.
Ao Chi seemed to sense the seriousness of their conversation, stopped biting, tilted its little head slightly, and curiously looked at the Azure Dragon King with its golden eyes, occasionally flicking its silvery-white tail.
Upon seeing Ao Chi, the Azure Dragon King's gaze softened considerably, and a smile tinged with expectation and remembrance appeared on his face, as if he saw in this young holy dragon the past glory and future hope of the dragon race.
After a moment, he withdrew his gaze and looked at Lin Jichen again, his tone firm yet tinged with apology: "I cannot agree to join forces with you to deal with our own kind. However, I am not without options. What I can do is help you stabilize the other orthodox dragons in the Dragon Realm, seal the gates of the Dragon Realm, and strictly prevent those hot-headed young dragons from running out to cause trouble and aid the wicked. Beyond that, I can do nothing more."
Lin Jichen sighed inwardly. He knew that the Azure Dragon King had completely given up on the idea of cooperation.
No amount of persuasion will change anything.
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