"We are all elders of the generation; let's not interfere in the power struggles of the young!" Dragon Esteem declared.

"Eighty-one young supremes perished, thirty-seven of them have died. The losses are immeasurable. Should we just let this go?" a Saint suddenly asked.

"Dragon Esteem, you're from an ancient lineage, and we respect you as an elder," another Saint spoke up. "But the princess's sins are too great. Slaughtering hundreds of thousands of cultivators is an immeasurable catastrophe. We need an explanation!"

"Three thousand disciples of Kunlun Fairy Gate, a group of Grand Master-level figures, have all perished here!" a Saint from the Kunlun Fairy Gate said. "Their blood has not yet dried, their souls have not yet scattered; they're waiting for an explanation from the Dragon Clan!"

"..."

Thirty-two Saints looked at Dragon Esteem evenly, calmly narrating the matter and waiting for Dragon Esteem to give everyone an explanation.

The massacre committed by Long Chan was enormous—slaughtering hundreds of thousands of cultivators and over a hundred Other Shore Grand Masters, which made the Saints pale.

This incident couldn't just be let go; the Saints needed an explanation!

The Dragon Clan's strength was undeniable, but there were plenty of formidable figures in the Canglan Realm. The Dragon Clan could not dominate alone; they were far from invincible!

If Dragon Esteem tried to cover for the guilty, failing to give everyone a satisfactory answer, he might be subjected to the censure of all the cultivators in the world!

There were dozens of superpowers in the Canglan Realm, seven or eight forbidden zones of life, all guarded by Saints. Combined, there were a hundred Saints!

Even if Dragon Esteem was the foremost Saint of Canglan, could he contend against a hundred Saints?

No!

Unless he was a figure like Yu Jizi, no one could withstand the might of a hundred Saints!

Long Chan had massacred countless powerhouses, involving too many forces. If Dragon Esteem couldn't settle this calamity, then the entire Dragon Clan would not find peace!

"What do you want me to do?" Dragon Esteem looked at the Saints and asked, "Are you saying that I should embrace justice over family and personally slay my daughter?"

Facing the pressure from the Saints, Dragon Esteem showed no trace of panic, remaining very calm.

But with Dragons Esteem's supreme reputation, even his undisturbed demeanor caused the Saints to shudder.

Dragon Esteem might not defeat all cultivators in the world, but killing a few million disciples, slaughtering a few hundred Grand Masters, and exterminating a few Saints was still within his capabilities.

As they leveraged the situation against Dragon Esteem, if they enraged this invincible tyrant who then slaughtered everyone here, what would they do?

"..."

Some Saints secretly regretted their rashness, feeling they had been too harsh.

However, the Saints' worries were evidently unnecessary. Dragon Esteem was an imposing figure, not only an invincible tyrant but also a Great Saint of virtue!

"Chan'er has caused boundless slaughter; indeed, her sins are as high as the heavens!"

Dragon Esteem looked at the thirty-two Saints, gazed toward the distant Grand Masters, and observed all the cultivators in the void.

"But you have overlooked one fact—all the troubles originated from you!"

Dragon Esteem's words reverberated through heaven and earth, allowing everyone to hear.

Although Dragon Esteem appeared to be shifting the blame, no one voiced any doubt.

Dragon Esteem embodied wisdom; his words and actions seemed to articulate fundamental principles, exerting a quieting force on all beings.

"The Ten Thousand Dragons Hall is the heritage site of the Dragon Clan; the sacred hall contains endless treasures. You wanted to break into the hall and plunder, how could my daughter not kill you?"

Although Dragon Esteem had just remade his true body, his Dragon Soul was sentient and had discerned all that had occurred earlier!

"If you had not invaded the Dragon Clan, would my daughter have gone out to kill you?"

"The invaders, the plunderers, the root of all chaos—you are those things!"

Long Chan, merging with the soul of ten thousand dragons, had slaughtered countless powerhouses outside the Ten Thousand Temple.

But those Long Chan killed were invaders, plunderers. As a princess of the Dragon Clan, how could she not slay the aggressors?

On one hand, Dragon Esteem was justifying his daughter's actions; on the other, he was stating the facts. If no one had attacked, how would Long Chan have created such slaughter?

"..."

Dragon Esteem's words provoked contemplation. The ones who killed and those who were killed both seemed at fault! Although Long Chan committed a great error, not all the blame lay with her.

"Long Chan is my daughter; I won't be partial to her, but I will stand by her!" Dragon Esteem's voice rose again, shaking heaven and earth.

"In your eyes, she is a killing god, responsible for slaughtering countless lives!"

"But in my eyes, she is a qualified member of the Dragon Clan, a daughter who makes me proud because she defended the Dragon Clan's dignity and protected our home!"

"If you wish to seek revenge against my daughter, then I will stand in for her!"

"Now, I leave the decision to you. Friend or foe, it's all in your thoughts!"

Dragon Esteem gazed at the Saints, exhibiting neither aggression nor weakness, neither overbearing nor subservient, giving the impression of fairness and wisdom.

Still, behind Dragon Esteem's calm facade was a powerful self-assurance, as if declaring to the heavens, if you want war, we shall have war!

"This..."

Looking at each other, the Saints were all somewhat agitated; Dragon Esteem had spoken too well, leaving them ashamed and powerless to retort.

Long Chan had massacred countless cultivators and committed crimes, but as Dragon Esteem said, there was a reason for everything!

If it weren't for these people invading the void with the delusion of robbing the Dragon Clan's treasures, how would Long Chan have caused such slaughter?

Conquering with force is tyranny, while convincing with reason is virtue.

Dragon Esteem was not only an invincible tyrant but also a wise and virtuous one!

And so, Dragon Esteem's words left the Saints agitated and unable to argue.

For the greatest mistake, the heaviest karmic debt, lay upon them!

If Long Chan had been a lone individual, the Saints could have dealt with her as they wished and all would have been joyful.

However, Long Chan was a super-strong second generation, with an invincible father and a terrifying Dragon Clan behind her... This complicated matters.

The Dragon Esteem could not allow his daughter to be wrongly accused... but the Saints demanded an explanation!

"Both sides have made mistakes, but the deceased deserve the greatest respect, I will severely punish the barbaric girl to give an account to the departed!" declared the Dragon Esteem.

"..."

That was the explanation the Dragon Esteem offered, but the Saints were hardly satisfied, feeling as bitter as a mute person swallowing coptis.

Severely punish the barbaric girl?

The definition of severe punishment was too vague; who knew how the Dragon Esteem would carry it out?

If merely scolding her a few times was considered severe, wouldn't that be too arbitrary?

"Numerous supreme forces have suffered great losses, and my Dragon Clan will offer you certain compensation!" the Dragon Esteem implied, as if anticipating the Saints' thoughts, actually contemplating disbursing wealth to maintain peace!

"Compensation?" the Saints looked at the Dragon Esteem. "How will you compensate?"

"The heirs of various forces are all within the Ten Thousand Dragons Hall, and the treasures they acquire are the compensation offered by my Dragon Clan!" said the Dragon Esteem. "The Ten Thousand Dragons Hall holds countless fortunes, innumerable treasures, and numerous serendipities; whatever your heirs secure, shall all belong to you!"

"This!" The Saints were somewhat shocked.

The compensation of the Dragon Esteem could be significant or minor, depending on what the heirs obtained... What if some heirs brought out hundreds of celestial treasures and tens of thousands of Divine Skills?

Thinking of the strong foundation of the Dragon Clan, the Saints began to breathe more rapidly; the compensation had endless possibilities!

"Within the Ten Thousand Dragons Hall, there are three Immortal Techniques and seven Clan-suppressing divine weapons; should your heirs obtain them, consider it the Dragon Clan's recompense for your losses!" the Dragon Esteem declared.

"What!"

The Dragon Esteem spoke lightly, but the Saints listened with trepidation.

Long Chan had used the three Immortal Techniques, causing the Saints to become wildly obsessed and even attempted to snatch them!

As for the Clan-suppressing divine weapons... there was no need for further explanation; the Saints could hardly contain their excitement.

"Do you agree to let bygones be bygones and replace weapons of war with gifts of jade and silk?" the Dragon Esteem asked the Saints with utmost seriousness.

"Agreed!" The Saints nodded in unison towards the Dragon Esteem, clearly intending to bury past grudges with a smile.

"Good!" The Dragon Esteem leaped up and sat majestically atop the Ten Thousand Dragons Hall. "I will grant them a little more time; the Ten Thousand Dragons Hall will open in three months!"

"During these three months, no matter what they gain or obtain, it shall all belong to you!"

"Great virtue of the Dragon Esteem!" The Saints all smiled.

The decision of the Dragon Esteem was to their advantage, granting the heirs of the great forces more time to obtain even more!

The Dragon Esteem sat cross-legged atop the Ten Thousand Dragons Hall, looking at the Saints with a faint smile, exuding a profound and unfathomable air.

Time flew by rapidly, and in the blink of an eye, two months had passed.

The Saints waited anxiously outside the Ten Thousand Dragons Hall, hoping for their heirs to make a mark and obtain a trove of treasures!

The Dragon Esteem sat cross-legged atop the Ten Thousand Dragons Hall, waiting alongside the Saints.

His spirit melded into the divine hall, aiding his brother in reshaping his True Spirit.

The spirit of the Ten Thousand Dragons still persisted, but nearly everyone had perished, with only seven True Spirits undestroyed, who had the possibility of rebirth—these were the seven Great Saints of the Dragon Clan!

"Dragon Esteem, why did the Dragon Clan fall overnight? What kind of enemy did you face?" a Saint suddenly asked.

The bizarre downfall of the Dragon Clan was an enigma even to the Saints, who were unaware and eager to learn the truth.

"Because the Dragon Clan was too powerful, such tribulation was inevitable!" the Dragon Esteem replied. "When the great enemy struck, it took merely half an hour to bring about the downfall of the Dragon Clan..."

"What!" All the Saints were shocked to hear this.

"The True Spirits of the Dragon Clan's seven Saints are immortal, allowing them to be reborn today, but once they grow powerful to a certain extent, the great enemy shall strike again..." the Dragon Esteem said.

"Who is this great enemy, where are they from, and why do they act this way?" the Saints asked.

"Who is the great enemy, where are they from? I want to know more than any of you..." the Dragon Esteem said with a wry smile.

The annihilation of the Dragon Clan was mysterious to outsiders and even more so to its own people; they had neither provoked nor offended anyone, yet they were inexplicably destroyed!

"..."

The vague expression of the Dragon Esteem changed the Saints' complexions; the matter was too arcane.

"Perhaps Yu Jizi has offered me the answer; the one behind the Dragon Clan's destruction could be the orchestrator of the looming great calamity!" The eyes of the Dragon Esteem blazed with intensity, and his expression suddenly appeared frightening.

"The orchestrator of the great calamity?" A Saint exclaimed in shock. "The Dragon Clan was targeted for its utmost power, indicating that someone is curbing the force of this realm!"

"This!"

The twenty or so Saints looked at each other, startled by this chilling speculation!

If it were true, then wouldn't the enemy of the Dragon Clan also be the enemy of all realms? But where do the enemies come from, what are their intentions, and how powerful are they?

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PS: Chapter Three.

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