69novels Chapter 812 Dragon Ball
Chapter 812 Dragon Ball
The atmosphere inside the hall was heavy and oppressive, the air itself seemingly frozen. Aside from the highly respected elders of the major sects, the hall was filled with the patriarchs of these reclusive families, each exuding a deep and composed aura, clearly indicating profound cultivation. Although they usually acted independently and were wary of each other, they all had to obediently follow the orders of their superiors—after all, the one sitting at the very top, while perhaps not the strongest in the hall, was the one who truly carried the decree from "above," holding the power of life and death.
Wang Ran sat upright on the jade throne at the head of the table. His dark brocade robe made his face appear even more stern, and the dark gold cloud patterns embroidered on his cuffs shimmered under the pearly light, exuding a subtle air of majesty. He lightly tapped the armrest of the jade throne with his fingers, making a soft "tap, tap" sound. His gaze swept over the crowd below like that of a hawk, finally settling on Ye Zhen: "Ancestor Ye, I remember that when the demon race stirred up trouble last night, you and Ancestor Huang were the first to arrive at the scene? Tell me the specific details of what happened at that time, not a single detail can be omitted."
Ye Zhen's heart skipped a beat, as if struck by a heavy hammer, but he dared not show the slightest dissatisfaction on his face, even forcing a show of obedience. He knew all too well that this Lord Wang, though seemingly gentle, was actually ruthless; if he dared to disobey even slightly, he would likely suffer a gruesome end on the spot. He slowly stood up, cupped his hands in a respectful bow to Wang Ran, and said in a calm, even voice, "Reporting to Lord Wang, the matter is as follows—"
He paused, deliberately slowing his speech, and recounted the events of the previous night in detail, subtly altering a few key details and omitting their embarrassing attempt to ambush them but being repelled by the dragon's aura: "...When we arrived, we only saw several enormous dragon-shaped phantoms fiercely battling in mid-air. The dragon's might was overwhelming, and its aura was extremely violent, even tearing space itself in several places. Those guys must be descendants of the ancient dragon race, with unfathomable cultivation, far beyond that of ordinary demons. We tried to approach and investigate, but were repelled a hundred feet away by their leaking dragon might. We couldn't gain any advantage, and fearing that rashly intervening would escalate the situation, we didn't dare to pursue them and could only return to report the truth."
Seeing this, Huang Shu quickly stood up and echoed, bowing deeply to Wang Ran, his tone tinged with lingering fear: "Lord Wang, what Brother Ye said is absolutely true. Those dragons are indeed ridiculously powerful, their scales are indestructible, and their breath can turn into ice flames. Anyone who gets close is frozen numb. Even when we used our family's secret treasure together, we couldn't get within ten feet of them. We really dared not act rashly, for fear of ruining your important plans, sir."
The two worked together to cleverly explain why they hadn't captured a single demon, while subtly raising the threat posed by the dragon race, implying that it wasn't their incompetence but rather that their opponent was too strong, thus absolving themselves of responsibility.
Wang Ran listened quietly, the tapping of his fingers having stopped sometime earlier. He looked up at the two of them, his gaze as deep as a bottomless, icy pool, its depths unfathomable: "Oh? Dragons? It's been quite a few years since I've seen any on this continent." He neither said he believed nor disbelieved, but simply said calmly, "Continue to send more people to investigate, expand the search area further, and report back immediately if there is any news. Remember, if they're alive, see the 'dragon'; if they're dead... see the dragon pearl."
The last few words were spoken very softly, yet they carried an undeniable pressure, like a thousand-pound boulder weighing on their hearts. Ye Zhen and Huang Shu both felt a chill run down their spines, cold sweat instantly beading on their backs. They quickly bowed and replied, "Yes, sir, we obey Lord Wang's orders!"
When the two returned to their seats, their palms were soaked with cold sweat. They exchanged a glance, both seeing fear in each other's eyes—it seemed that this Lord Wang had already seen through everything, and had probably guessed that the dragon was injured. His words just now were not only an order, but also a blatant warning. This battle for the Dragon Balls was probably a hundred times more dangerous than they had imagined.
Wang Ran stood with his hands behind his back on a tall blue stone platform. His dark robe fluttered in the mountain wind, the hem brushing against the patterns on the platform and making a soft rustling sound. His gaze was piercing as he slowly swept over the crowd standing below with their heads bowed in solemn silence—these powerful figures from various families were all holding their breath, even their breathing was slightly lighter.
“I’ve remembered it all,” Wang Ran’s voice was not loud, but it carried a majestic air that pierced through the wind, echoing through the valley. “Although the Dragon Clan has been silent for a hundred years, they have never truly disappeared. Their scales can block swords and spears, and their dragon breath can melt metal and stone. They are far superior to ordinary demons. This mission is related to the balance of power in the Three Realms. It must be carried out cleanly and efficiently. If there is even the slightest mistake, not only you, but even I cannot bear the responsibility.”
Huang Shu, stroking his three long wisps of beard, stood at the front of the crowd, not even raising an eyelid upon hearing this; Ye Zhen beside him, meanwhile, rubbed the jade pendant at his waist, his knuckles turning white. The two exchanged a silent glance, a hint of disdain flashing in their eyes—Wang Ran's words were merely an attempt to manipulate them. Once they obtained the Dragon Pearl and unlocked the ancient divine power it contained, they would instantly break through the shackles of cultivation, ascending to the pinnacle of power. At that time, who in the world would be worthy of their fear? What would Wang Ran's orders amount to?
On the high platform, Wang Ran eloquently outlined the plan, from the three routes for searching for traces of the dragons to the five contingency plans for dealing with emergencies, even arranging the night's camp security roster in meticulous detail. The crowd below nodded in agreement frequently, except for Huang Shu and Ye Zhen, who occasionally exchanged glances, clearly not taking these "trivial matters" to heart.
Just then, a subordinate dressed in black strode to the edge of the platform. His movements were as nimble as a cat's. He whispered a few words in Wang Ran's ear, his voice barely audible, yet it made Wang Ran's brow furrow almost imperceptibly.
He waved his men away, turned his gaze to Huang Shu, and said calmly but with a scrutinizing tone, "The Huang family patriarch has lived in the Southern Wilderness for a long time and is very knowledgeable. Besides the Dragon Clan, what other races were active near that secret realm back then?"
Huang Shu was puzzled, wondering what his subordinate had said that made Wang Ran suddenly ask this question, but he still bowed and smiled, saying, "Reporting to Director Wang, besides the Dragon Clan, there was also the Jiaolong Clan that occupied the waters surrounding the secret realm back then. Although they were not as noble as the Dragon Clan, they were very fierce and had a strong sense of territory. Many cultivators fell to them back then. In addition, it is said that there is a branch of the Fox Clan in the dense forests deep within the secret realm. They are skilled in illusions, are elusive, and extremely difficult to deal with. By the way, there are recent rumors that the Demon Clan, which has been dormant for thousands of years, seems to be making some moves and is probably preparing to emerge from the mountains."
Ye Zhen stood aside, not understanding why Huang Shu suddenly brought up the fox clan and the demon clan, but he nodded in agreement: "Brother Huang is right. The disciples in my clan who are in charge of surveillance reported that the barrier in the demon clan's territory is fluctuating abnormally. In recent days, there have been many low-level demons lingering at the border. They are probably restless and want to take the opportunity to stir up trouble."