Chapter 1029: The Emperors Confer

When Tang San had first purchased the Scourge Dragon Nihil, the Blue Gold Tree clan elders had thought it would be of little use other than as a deterrent. How could such a destructive being ever be released unless there was no other option?

But at this moment, seeing Nihil actually submit to Tang San and display such loyalty, their shock turned to unbridled joy. If the Blue Gold Tree clan had such a terrifying guardian, who would dare to bully them? This was a supreme being among dragons!

Lü Fuyao didn't even return to his rest area. He waited at the exit, beckoning to Tang San to signal that he would wait for him.

"Alright, everyone, calm down for now," Tang San soothed his excited elders.

"Big Brother, you're incredible! You really have a shot at winning the Battle for the Throne now!" Jin Miaosen nearly leapt onto him in delight.

The elders nodded. Things were completely different now from what they had been before the auction.

With just Tang San, winning the Battle for the Throne would have been difficult. But with the Scourge Dragon at his side, everything had changed. Nihil's strength paired with Tang San's potent life energy could allow them to sweep through the competition. One of those three Emperor seats now seemed within reach, and that meant the Blue Gold Tree clan might produce an Emperor once more. What could be more vital for their clan?

Tang San smiled broadly and nodded slightly. "I'll do my best."

"Big Brother, you're amazing, simply amazing!" Jin Miaosen's blue cheeks flushed red with excitement.

"Enough, today's matches are over. Let's go rest," Tang San said, motioning for the elders to follow as he led them from the rest area, just as he had after the elimination rounds.

Lü Fuyao met him at the exit, hurrying to greet him. "Clan Leader Jin, if I may...."

Tang San smiled. "Brother Lü, let's talk back at my place."

Just then, a voice called out from behind. "Clan Leader Jin, wait."

Tang San turned to see Radiant Dragon King Xu An'yu approaching with the other dragon kings of Crystal City. The urgency he felt could be read on his face from the other end of the continent.

Seeing this, Tang San sighed and shook his head with a hint of exasperation. "Brother Xu, you want to ask about the same things, right? Let's go together. We'll talk at my residence; there's no need to disrupt the matches."

"Alright." Xu An'yu agreed immediately. The Scourge Dragon's situation was simply too extraordinary. As the most likely candidate for the positions of Dragon Lord and Lord of Crystal City, Xu An'yu had to understand it. This could mean something even more important than succeeding in this tournament.

So, Tang San and the Blue Gold Tree elders, with the dragon kings in tow, left the arena and headed for the White Tiger Hotel.

Meanwhile, in the Emperors' rest area, the Emperors conversed through divine consciousness.

"What's the story with that Scourge Dragon?"

the Tenebrous Demon Emperor couldn't help asking.

"You're the only Dragon Emperor here! If

you

don't know, how would we?"

the Soul Capturer Nymph Emperor snapped.

The Sky-Splitting Demon Emperor said,

"It's truly strange. That Jin Miaolin seems able to control the dragon's emotions."

The Golden Mammoth Demon Emperor added,

"What concerns me is that this undermines the fairness of the Battle for the Throne. This contest decides our new Emperors. If it's two against one, how is that fair?"

The Sunborne Nymph Emperor said,

"This was a rule the Ancestral Court established before the auction: Any auction item could be used in the tournament. That's why the auction drew so much attention. Are we going to embarrass ourselves now by going back on it? The Blue Gold Tree clan may be weak, but they are the ruling clan of a main city nevertheless, and I don't think I need to remind you what they've been through in the recent years. For the dignity of the Ancestral Court, we can't change the rules now. And what if he does claim an Emperor seat? That might actually benefit us all. I don't support changing the rules."

He pondered for a moment, then continued,

"I know the dragon's situation, actually. Jin Miaolin came to me to ask for my help subduing it. He uses his pure life energy to neutralize its destructive force. He told me that the way he sees it, the attribute of the Scourge Dragon's energy is actually annihilation, and that is the perfect antithesis of his life energy. By keeping that annihilation energy balanced with life energy, he can keep it sane. But he has to keep infusing it continuously, especially in battle, where its instincts are bound to take over, so it's not like he can let the dragon do its thing while he fights separately. It's not really two against one; it's more like he's gained a powerful attack method."

The Celestial Fox Demon Emperor, who had just returned from overseeing a match, said gravely,

"Let's discuss this properly after today's matches. But for now, I agree with Sunborne. We set the rules, and if we go back on them, we undermine our own authority. Also, I believe we'll see in the next round how well this combination really works. Jin Miaolin's next opponent is Jin Anguo."

Indeed, Jin Anguo was considered stronger than Lü Fuyao to begin with, and more importantly, he had no special ties to the dragon. Even more importantly, after losing his first match, Jin Anguo would surely go all out. They were bound to find out right away how effective Tang San and Nihil really were.

By now, Tang San had led Lü Fuyao and the dragon kings back to the White Tiger Hotel.

He'd expected their urgency. The dragon race had many puppet dragons besides Nihil. If he could solve the fundamental problem of mutated dragon bloodlines, it would be a monumental boost for the clan. It thus came as no shock that Xu An'yu was so eager.

Once inside his grand suite, surrounded by Blue Gold Tree elders, Tang San gestured for everyone to sit.

Facing him directly, the dragon kings fell silent for a moment.

At last, Lü Fuyao spoke up. "Clan Leader Jin, how is my elder brother...?"

Tang San said, "His condition is stable for now. I can suppress his destructive urges. What happens in the future, I can't say. We have to take things one step at a time. The stronger I become, the more I can help him. As for our contract, don't worry. He is not my servant, let alone my slave. We're bound as equals, and he accepted me for that reason. If I ever manage to fully cure him, he'll be free to go at any time."

Tang San was honest about his efforts and the contract. But in truth, a being like Nihil could never run free in a mortal plane. Tang San's life energy didn't just soothe the dragon's madness; more importantly, it gave Nihil the ability to control his annihilation energy. Life and annihilation were fundamental cosmic forces, and they could only exist as such in a divine realm. In a place like this, annihilation could only end in self-annihilation. It seemed rather counter-intuitive, but the stronger Nihil's divine consciousness became, the more his energy would spiral out of control, and without Tang San, his death was inevitable.

From the moment he'd acquired the dragon, Tang San had already been considering future courses of action. When the time came for him to leave this world, he would most likely take Nihil with him. The way Tang San saw things now, this was the only way to save him.