Chapter Thirty-Four: You Are a Tyrant!

“From now on, I shall be king of the Southern Sea.”

This sentence echoed endlessly in Ao Ni’s mind. He simply couldn’t fathom how his useless elder brother dared to utter such words to him.

Was it simply because he was the eldest son? Did that mean the throne of the Southern Sea’s Dragon King was rightfully his?

Did he think this was some child’s game? Ao Ni couldn’t help but sneer inwardly.

“Brother, do you truly understand what it means to become king of the Southern Sea?” Ao Ni asked mockingly.

“It is precisely because I understand its meaning that I must take this throne. No one else but me can sit upon it,” Ao Bai replied, his tone as calm as ever.

To Ao Ni, it was as if he had heard the most ludicrous joke in the world; he bared his teeth in a twisted grin at Ao Bai. “Do you really think that just because you’re my elder brother I must obey you? You want to rule the Southern Sea? Do you have what it takes?”

“Do you really believe that legitimacy is enough? If Father hadn’t possessed overwhelming strength, would he have ruled the Southern Sea in peace?”

“I know what you’re thinking: you believe your strength surpasses mine, and so you desire this seat,” Ao Bai said with a faint smile.

“That’s right! This position belongs to me and me alone! If you admit it honestly, you’ll remain the brother I most respect. But if you refuse—hmph!—I’ll have no brother from this day forth!” Ao Ni snarled viciously.

Even as Ao Ni so brazenly revealed his ambition, Ao Bai’s expression remained unruffled. He gazed calmly at Ao Ni, the hand resting on his shoulder unmoving. Ao Ni, refusing to yield, stared back at this elder brother who now seemed like a stranger to him.

At that moment, Ao Bai’s face was ruddy, with no trace of the sickly pallor of before, and his aura swelled ever higher!

Ao Ni was inwardly startled. When had his elder brother ever possessed such presence? Still, he felt confident—he had already reached the True Immortal realm.

Ao Bai had barely cultivated at all; there was no way his strength surpassed his own!

“I’m afraid you’ll be disappointed,” Ao Bai said softly.

Suddenly, the aura that had been slowly rising surged outward like a tidal wave—Celestial Immortal, Mysterious Immortal, True Immortal!

He didn’t pause at the True Immortal stage; in a single leap, he broke through to the Golden Immortal realm. His presence bore down on Ao Ni like Mount Tai.

Ao Ni found it hard to breathe, a chill running through his heart. Other than their father, he hadn’t expected anyone else in the Southern Sea to possess Golden Immortal power. And yet—Ao Bai!

Why had he hidden his strength for so long? Why had he never revealed it to anyone? Was he waiting for this very day?

As if something had occurred to him, Ao Ni’s face twisted with anger. He fixed Ao Bai with a deadly glare and demanded, “Have you been colluding with King Zhou?!”

Ao Bai shook his head calmly. He knew Ao Ni would leap to that conclusion, but still he explained, “If Father were still alive, I would never have revealed my strength. In truth, I had no wish to expose myself at all.”

To show his power was to reveal his talent, which would surely attract the attention and schemes of others.

“But you’ve revealed yourself—just for the sake of the Southern Sea’s throne,” Ao Ni sneered.

“I had no choice. The Southern Sea needs me now. Can’t you see that this time, the Sage’s machinations are not merely a tribulation for Shang, but a calamity for the entire world? Our Dragon Clan’s decline is precisely because of this great tribulation. This time, our clan cannot afford to lose,” Ao Bai said with a heavy sigh.

Ao Ni’s gaze was complex. He didn’t know whether to trust this elder brother. Now that Ao Bai’s strength was revealed, there was nothing more to say—the throne of the Southern Sea was rightfully his.

“If you know this is Shang’s tribulation, why not side with the Sage against Shang? That way, you could avenge Father and our fourth brother,” Ao Ni asked in confusion.

Ao Bai stubbornly shook his head. “Listen to me: do not seek revenge for Father. King Zhou is nothing like the tyrant of legend. Trust me—even under the Sage’s plotting, Shang may not fall. That is my intuition.”

“Have you grown too cautious over the years? King Zhou is a mortal—how could he contend with a Sage?” Ao Ni was puzzled.

“In your eyes, what difference was there between my former self and any other mortal?” Ao Bai retorted.

Ao Ni had no answer.

Much as he loathed to admit it, even Jiang Yuan, who had only reached the Celestial Immortal realm, had exerted a tremendous pressure on him.

Otherwise, he would have stepped forward himself, long before Ao Bai intervened.

Admittedly, he also dreaded Zhang Kui, who had defeated Ao Qin. In any case, after Ao Bai’s analysis, Ao Ni realized that King Zhou was far more complicated than he’d imagined.

“Are you truly giving up on revenge?” Ao Ni asked, still unwilling to accept it.

Ao Bai only shook his head. “Let’s just say Father brought his fate upon himself. As for our fourth brother, it was simply a matter of bad luck and destined calamity.”

“Alas.” Ao Ni could only sigh. He never imagined the Dragon Clan would fall to such a state.

“Now, I have a task for you: go ashore and bring rainfall to the area around Echeng,” Ao Bai instructed his younger brother.

Ao Ni nodded solemnly and left. In his heart, Ao Bai had now replaced their father as the head of the clan. To carry out such a request was no trouble at all.

Once Ao Ni departed, Ao Bai produced the vial of diluted Ancestral Dragon essence blood that Jiang Yuan had given him.

His eyes glimmered with deep thought as he murmured, “Great tribulations always bring great opportunities. If our Dragon Clan can seize the right moment…”

He wasted no more time; strengthening himself was the most pressing task.

He uncorked the jade bottle and drank it all in one draught. In moments, a terrifying light flashed in Ao Bai’s eyes—this was the true might of the ancient Dragon Clan!

Above the Southern Sea, Jiang Yuan watched the exhausted Yin Jiao and Nezha with great interest, both nearly at their limits and close to deciding a winner.

But a thought occurred to Jiang Yuan. He ordered Zhang Kui, “Bring that child before me.”

Zhang Kui nodded and flew toward Yin Jiao and Nezha. In no time, he returned, gripping Nezha by the collar and presenting him to Jiang Yuan.

Even in Jiang Yuan’s presence, Nezha remained as brash as ever, flailing his arms and shouting, “Who dares interrupt my fight, you villain!”

Yin Jiao also looked at Zhang Kui with displeasure, then turned to Jiang Yuan, pleading, “Father, let me finish my bout with this brat! I was just about to bring him down!”

“Pah! Shameless! When were you about to defeat me? I think you called for help because you were afraid you’d lose and get thrashed by me,” Nezha retorted, refusing to back down in spirit.

Jiang Yuan couldn’t help but laugh at Nezha—what an indomitable mouth! If you were truly winning, would your face be all bruised like that? If I hadn’t shown up, you’d probably have turned the entire Southern Sea upside down before heading home.

The Southern Sea Dragon King might dare cross me, but he’d never risk offending you—a cherished disciple of Perfected Taiyi, with such powerful backers. If Nezha caused havoc here, Ao Qin would have no choice but to swallow the humiliation.

“Enough. I’ve seen enough of your contest. Don’t forget, you are the Crown Prince of Shang, and I’m still waiting for you to return to Chaoge to oversee the kingdom,” Jiang Yuan said coolly to Yin Jiao.

“Yes, Father,” Yin Jiao replied, his disappointment evident.

“You’re the Crown Prince?” Nezha, dangling in Zhang Kui’s grip, looked at Yin Jiao in curiosity. Then he turned to Jiang Yuan, exclaiming in surprise, “Then you must be that notorious tyrant, King Zhou?”