novel against the - Chapter 2097

Chapter 2097: The Mist Emperor Invades the World

The moniker “Scar-faced Dragon Girl”¹ came from the two terrifying scars on her face, etched there by the gnawing of abyssal dust².

Meng Jianxi, after stealing a glance at Yun Che’s expression, quickly searched his memory for relevant information. Slowing his speech, he said, “Long Xi holds a unique position within the Dragon Clan. She wasn’t born among them, but was found by a member of the Dragon Clan outside the mountain range. It’s said that when she was discovered, she was only a small girl of five or six years old.”

Yun Che: “…”

“Because she carried the aura of the Ancestral Dragon bloodline³, she was brought back to the Dragon Clan. However, no one claimed her, so she was deemed to be the offspring of an Ancestral Dragon and a human, abandoned in the outside world.”

“What is her standing within the Dragon Clan?” Yun Che suddenly asked, his voice laced with concern.

Meng Jianxi considered for a moment, then gave a sufficiently clear answer: “Although she is of the returned Ancestral Dragon bloodline, and half-human, half-dragon, Long Xi holds a high and somewhat special status within the Dragon Clan.”

“The Dragon Lord, who rules the Dragon Clan, is especially protective of her. He granted her a personal territory and has issued strict orders on multiple occasions that no one is to offend or bully her because of her external bloodline. Furthermore, no one is permitted to trespass on her territory, not even to disturb her.”

“Why?” Yun Che asked almost subconsciously.

“The reason is quite simple: Long Xi possesses extraordinarily high profound strength aptitude⁴.” Meng Jianxi used the word “extraordinarily” without hesitation. “The Dragon Clan’s reproduction rate is quite low, and their cultivation speed is far slower than that of humans. The current generation of the Ancestral Dragon bloodline has only one direct descendant, named Long Wangchu. He has been showered with the Dragon Clan’s most top-tier resources, yet at the age of six Jiazi⁵, he only barely managed to break through to the Divine Master Realm.”

“However, Long Wangchu’s cultivation has suddenly advanced rapidly in the last Jiazi. Now, at eight Jiazi of age, he has already reached the late stage of the Divine Master Realm. The outside world speculates that some kind of innate, dormant talent is gradually awakening within him.”

Meng Jianxi continued, “As for the collateral branches, there are also few outstanding individuals. But Long Xi… her profound strength aptitude shocked the entire Dragon Clan back then.”

“It is said that when Long Xi was young, she was extremely solitary, unwilling to interact with anyone, and refused to accept any resources offered by the Dragon Clan. Yet, relying solely on her own cultivation, she achieved the Divine Monarch Realm at eleven years old and the Divine Master Realm at fifteen, completely startling the Dragon Lord, who was in closed-door cultivation at the time. He ended his seclusion early to see her.”

Achieving the Divine Master Realm at fifteen without relying on any resources undoubtedly made Long Wangchu, who had been piled with the Dragon Clan’s top-tier resources yet took six Jiazi to reach the same realm, appear utterly inadequate.

With a sigh, Meng Jianxi said, “Reaching the Divine Master Realm at the age of fifteen without relying on high-plane resources… this would not only shake the Dragon Clan, but even within the supreme-ruler Realms, it would cause a great stir… At the very least, my brother and I are far from reaching such a level.”

“This is also why the Scar-faced Dragon Girl is renowned throughout the various supreme-ruler Realms.”

“I heard that the scars on her face appeared that same year, when she was fifteen?” Yun Che spoke slowly, his voice very calm.

Meng Jianxi furrowed his brow slightly, struggling to recall the timeline. He then nodded, “That’s right, it was around that time. According to the information gathered by the Profound Sky Pavilion, Long Xi possessed astonishing beauty when she came of age, attracting the covetous gazes of countless members of the Dragon Clan. Long Wangchu even repeatedly pleaded with the Dragon Lord to bestow Long Xi upon him…”

Bang!

A crack suddenly appeared on the tea table beside Yun Che.

Meng Jianxi abruptly stopped speaking.

Yun Che raised a hand, chuckling faintly, “I’m on the verge of a breakthrough. A little profound energy overflowed. Continue.”

Meng Jianxi lowered his eyes slightly and continued in his previous tone, “Long Xi’s talent was so exceptional that it shocked the world. The Dragon Lord naturally hoped that she would unite with Long Wangchu… As you said, it was that very year that two terrifying scars appeared on her face, scaring Long Wangchu away from his pursuit.”

“What Brother Yuan just said… could it be that you suspect these two scars were self-inflicted by Long Xi to avoid this situation?”

“…” Yun Che didn’t deny it.

Meng Jianxi pondered for a moment, his brow still furrowed. “But women naturally place great importance on their appearance, and young girls even more so, valuing it above their lives. Moreover… Long Wangchu is the only direct heir of the Ancestral Dragon bloodline and is destined to become the Dragon Lord in the future. If Long Xi were to join him, she could become the Dragon Queen, standing shoulder to shoulder with the Dragon Lord at the pinnacle of the Dragon Clan.”

“To say that she would be willing to disfigure herself to avoid becoming the Dragon Queen…”

This simply didn’t make sense.

The corners of Yun Che’s mouth twitched slightly, a somewhat distorted sneer forming. “Even the most vulnerable and lonely phoenix would never look favorably upon a mere rooster, no matter how brightly colored its feathers.”

“Uh…” Meng Jianxi’s throat seemed to catch, and he quickly corrected himself, “If that’s truly the case, then this Scar-faced Dragon Girl possesses an extremely strong and resolute character.”

“You said earlier that Long Xi has always been treated well in the Dragon Clan. Meaning that afterward, the Dragon Lord didn’t become angry with her for this, nor did he continue to force the issue?” Yun Che’s voice remained as calm as before… but only his voice.

“Based on the information gathered from the Dragon Clan over the years, that is indeed the case.” Meng Jianxi had no doubts about this. “The Dragon Lord has lived for a very long time. He is calm and broad-minded. If Long Xi truly disfigured herself, the Dragon Lord might even feel guilty because of it. In addition, according to some relatively reliable sources, the Dragon Lord has repeatedly expressed his desire to adopt Long Xi as his daughter in public, but she has always refused.”

“Such eagerness and urgency to adopt Long Xi as his daughter at least proves that he cherishes her deeply and would naturally treat her well. There is also another relatively reliable piece of information: Long Xi’s territory is practically a forbidden zone exclusive to her. Under the Dragon Lord’s strict orders, no one has ever dared to trespass, which is clearly a form of favoritism.”

“Furthermore, there have been no reports of her being bullied or ostracized by members of the Dragon Clan. It’s her… although she resides within the Dragon Clan, she is extremely cold towards all of them, causing most of the Dragon Clan to fear and keep their distance from her.”

“There’s one more thing… Just four days ago, a strange wind suddenly arose from the Ancestral Dragon Mountain Range, as if someone had achieved a breakthrough to the Divine Extinction Realm⁶. However, the phenomenon was far greater than that of a typical Divine Extinction Realm breakthrough.”

“If it truly was the phenomenon of a half-supreme-ruler breakthrough, and the phenomenon could be sensed from so far away, it must be someone with exceptionally high profound strength aptitude… I suspect it was likely Long Xi.”

Meng Jianxi stopped there.

As the only surviving beast clan in this world, the Dragon Clan has always been preoccupied with its own affairs and rarely interacts with the outside world. Naturally, the Six supreme-ruler Realms rarely pay attention to the Dragon Clan’s matters. The fact that Meng Jianxi could understand and remember so much about Long Xi was already quite remarkable, demonstrating his years of dedication and ambition.

It was a pity that his century-long ambition was crushed by Yun Che.

As a sufficiently intelligent person, he mostly answered questions and rarely asked them.

Yun Che didn’t continue to inquire further. Instead, he suddenly asked a completely unrelated question: “Divine Son Xi, in recent years, have you encountered any women with the surname ‘Xia’⁷?”

“Xia?” Meng Jianxi pondered briefly, then shook his head. “I have never heard of anyone with that surname.”

“Hmm.” Yun Che nodded, then stood up. “From today onward, I need to be kept informed of the movements of all the Divine Sons and Divine Daughters… all of their movements! If there is any relevant information, inform me immediately. If I am in cultivation, inform Lu Laisheng, and he will relay it to me at once.”

In Meng Jianxi’s view, this undoubtedly meant that Yun Che had officially begun to assume the identity of the Dreaming supreme-ruler Son.

He immediately replied, “I understand, Brother Yuan. Rest assured, whether the information is confirmed or not, I will relay it to you without omission. I believe Brother Yuan will be able to make accurate judgments.”

“Very good. You may leave.”

After Meng Jianxi left, the calm expression Yun Che had been forcing finally crumbled.

He closed his eyes and let out a long, turbid breath.

Although the two terrifying scars on Long Xi’s face had always been like poisonous thorns deeply embedded in his heart, at least… she was safe and well-treated within the Dragon Clan.

This undoubtedly lifted a heavy burden and worry from his soul.

“Now, I am strong enough. I can protect myself, and I have found a way to ‘awaken’ Mother… I no longer need to rely on anyone, nor do I desire to. Yet, you appeared at such an ‘opportune’ time…”

“I don’t hate you. In the future, when I rescue Mother, if she wishes to reunite with you, I will not stop her. But before that, please do not interfere with Mother and me. Because what you bring… might only be disaster!”

“I beg you.”

Long Xi’s words from back then, calm yet piercing, echoed countless times in his soul sea.

Long… my daughter, take care of yourself. You are right. I am currently entangled in countless calamities. If I forcefully approach you, it will only disturb your peace and bring you unknown disasters…

I won’t make you wait too long… even though you have never waited for me, never expected anything from me.

But, you are still my and Shen Xi’s daughter.

The scars in your heart, the scars on your face, I will heal them all… At least, give me a chance to make amends, so that one day, I can hear you call me Father.

Long… Your kindness towards Long Xi… Once all matters are settled, I will repay you ten thousandfold.

Even if the abyss overturns, I will ensure the safety of the Dragon Clan!

Time flowed slowly with the drifting of abyssal dust, and before he knew it, Yun Che had been in the Dreaming supreme-ruler Realm for a year.

And this year was the most turbulent year in the world of the abyss in recent times.

Especially in every region near the Mist Sea, the atmosphere had become exceptionally strange.

Because within the Mist Sea, an Emperor had appeared… or rather, an Emperor had always existed.

The Mist Emperor!

Initially, when the name “Mist Emperor” spread, everyone believed it to be a fabricated trick by some insignificant person. Moreover, daring to use the title “Emperor” was practically digging one’s own grave.

But afterward, every appearance of the Mist Emperor caused increasingly larger waves outside the Mist Sea.

Because the legendary Mist Emperor could command abyssal dust, control profound beasts, and even instantly dispel abyssal dust erosion that was believed to be incurable.

The legends became increasingly outlandish, increasingly exaggerated, increasingly ridiculous… But gradually, more and more people could no longer laugh, because with the repeated appearances of the Mist Emperor, the legends of the Mist Emperor were no longer legends, but became something witnessed by an increasing number of people.

It was undoubtedly a kind of shock that completely and utterly overturned their understanding.

Once abyssal dust erosion entered the heart, death was inevitable. This was basic common knowledge in the world of the abyss.

And among those who went to the abyss, ninety percent died from abyssal dust erosion.

The successive disappearances of the beast clans were also due to their extinction from abyssal dust erosion.

But this understanding was completely shattered with the appearance of the Mist Emperor.

As one doomed person after another had their abyssal dust erosion completely dispelled by the Mist Emperor with a single word, ridicule turned into doubt, and doubt turned into hope…

Starting ten months ago, a large number of people would drag their Abyssal Dust erosion-ridden bodies, or bring friends, family, or loved ones who had already entered the realm of certain death, to the edge of the Mist Sea every day, seeking the appearance of the Mist Emperor and hoping for the legendary grace.

Until two months ago, during one of the Mist Emperor’s appearances, amidst the swirling gray mist, he dispelled the Abyssal Dust erosion of over a thousand people in just a few breaths…

AI Translation Notes:

1. Scar-faced Dragon Girl: 疤面龙女 (Bāmian Lóngnǚ) – A descriptive title given to Long Xi due to the scars on her face.
2. Abyssal Dust: 渊尘 (yuānchén) – A destructive energy originating from the abyss. It corrupts and erodes living beings and the environment.
3. Ancestral Dragon bloodline: 祖龙一脉 (Zǔlóng Yīmài) – Refers to the lineage descending from the original, most powerful dragons.
4. Profound strength aptitude: 玄道天赋 (Xuándào Tiānfù) – Talent and potential in cultivating profound energy, the source of power in this world.
5. Jiazi: 甲子 (jiǎzǐ) – A cycle of sixty years in the traditional Chinese sexagenary cycle.
6. Divine Extinction Realm: 神灭境 (Shénmiè Jìng) – A high level of cultivation in this world’s power system.
7. Xia: 夏 (Xià) – A common Chinese surname.