Demon Emperor Redraco pursed his brows, or rather, the dragon's equivalent to a human's brow. Donghai Longzi wasn't the only true dragon brought back to the True Dragon Realm, but he was the first that Perfected Huanglong asked about. Demon Emperor Redraco couldn't help but wonder if Perfected Huanglong detected anything abnormal about Donghai Longzi. Still, he revealed everything he knew about the newest dragon lord amongst their ranks.
"En, I see," Perfected Huanglong said as he closed his eyes, not intent on asking anything else.
"Ancestor, is there something wrong with Donghai Longzi?" Demon Emperor Redraco asked. He couldn't contain his curiosity. It was as if Perfected Huanglong dangled a priceless treasure in front of him but out of his reach.
Perfected Huanglong opened his eyes. His gaze didn't focus on Demon Emperor Redraco but pierced through the walls of Crystal Palace and landed on Donghai Longzi. "Wrong? Not necessarily. I can sense the pure bloodline contained in his body, but it faintly reminds me of all the dragons the heretical Dragon Emperor slew."
A never before seen seriousness appeared on Demon Emperor Redraco's face. "I heard that before he died, he used a technique to create numerous clones that would be born after his death. But I heard that they were all born human. Are you saying that Donghai Longzi is a Dragon Emperor clone?"
Demon Emperor Redraco immediately refuted his own words. "No, that doesn't feel right. He doesn't have that heretic's aura, and I know he knows the Dragon Emperor's saber arts, but that isn't exactly a rare technique in the Huang Realm. Unless he's hiding something?!"
"I haven't seen the Dragon Emperor myself, but I find that unlikely. However, there is always the possibility," Perfected Huanglong said. "No, he caught my attention because of the bloodline I sense in him. That dragonling's existence may not be natural."
Fury colored Demon Emperor Redraco's face. "Ancestor means that the heretic experimented on the Dragon Clan's bloodline?"
"Perhaps," Perfected Huanglong said, not denying Demon Emperor Redraco's conjecture. "Be that as it may, it is undeniable that you must monitor him. However, dispatch some dragons or half-dragons to serve him and sire his kin."
"Can I implore the reason?" Demon Emperor Redraco asked. Even if there was something special about Donghai Longzi's genes, it didn't necessitate them to send true dragons as sacrifices, did it?
In addition, the true dragons may not agree. Most of the true dragons had become true dragons through ascension and years of effort, sweat, and blood. Few, if any, would be willing, especially considering a dragon's pride.
As for naturally born true dragons that have not reached the True Demon Realm? They were seen as treasures by the whole Dragon Clan. Even if Perfected Huanglong ordered the act, the elders would revolt against the order.
"I won't force anyone. That dragonling is still not trustworthy and may never be trustworthy until the Huang Realm and Numinous Realm fall, but his children won't," Perfected Huanglong said. "In his blood, I can sense an innate charm that I haven't detected in eons. Although it isn't exactly the same, it resembles the pure bloodline of the Nine-Clawed Golden Dragon of antiquity."
At this, Demon Emperor Redraco felt his breath hitch. Dragon bloodlines were divided into different ranks, and the noblest, aside from the Yellow Dragon mutation, was the Golden Dragon bloodline. They were considered true dragons among true dragons.
Golden Dragon bloodlines were separated into the superior and inferior ranks. The inferior Golden Dragon bloodline was the Five-Clawed Golden Dragon bloodline, and the superior was naturally the Nine-Clawed Golden Dragon bloodline mentioned by Perfected Huanglong.
Demon Emperor Redraco's thoughts immediately turned toward sending his own descendants to Donghai Longzi's side. It just so happened that he had a descendant who inherited his mutated Scarletblood Dragon bloodline, a dragonling he considered akin to a granddaughter.
Originally, Demon Emperor Redraco thought it was too much of a pity to send his most prized descendant to Donghai Longzi, but after learning that Donghai Longzi's bloodline might reach the same level as a Nine-Clawed Golden Dragon, hesitation disappeared.
The Scarletblood Dragon bloodline might be rare, but it can only be considered average amongst the many different types of dragon bloodlines. If his descendant sires a child that perfectly merges the Scarletblood Dragon's bloodline and Donghai Longzi's bloodline, he might gain the inspiration to improve his own bloodline!
Just as the thought occurred to him, Demon Emperor Redraco's expression turned wrathful and sullen. "Don't tell me that the Dragon Emperor was attempting to create a bloodline to rival the Nine-Clawed Golden Dragons? Then it's a good thing those humans betrayed him and killed him. Although it's a pity we didn't kill him ourselves, at least it's better than letting him succeed."
"Who knows," Perfected Huanglong said. "Now leave, I must focus on recuperating from my injuries."
Demon Emperor Redraco saluted the world's sole Yellow Dragon and left the chambers. 'My granddaughter is naturally beautiful. And since I am the current Azure Dragon, she has many suitors. I have to find a method to integrate Donghai Longzi into the circle. Until then, I can send other descendants.'
'Yinyu, the maid, can be considered one of my descendants but a branch descendant at best. Aside from Honglin, I should prepare a few more of my descendants to sire Donghai Longzi's children. Most of them only partially inherited my blood, but that's good enough.' Demon Emperor Redraco paused. 'Now that I think about it, Donghai Longzi showed an averse reaction to Yinyu.'
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Demon Emperor Redraco twirled his long whiskers. 'I should send some other types of demons. Maybe he doesn't like fish-type demons because they don't have much limbs. What kind of aesthetic should I send?'
'Maybe he likes shells, so should I send a dragon turtle to seduce him? Although the shells aren’t as beautiful as our scales, they equal ours in hardness. Maybe a lobster would be better. Their whiskers are almost as long and elegant as ours. Or perhaps a shrimp? The sheen of their carapaces are quite beautiful. Dragon crabs are also an option. Their claws might not be as beautiful as our own, but their sharpness and powers resemble ours.' Demon Emperor Redraco continued to ponder as he made his way back to his nest. 'Dragon eels are an option. Their scales are tiny and are constantly covered in disgusting mucus, but their long slithering bodies resemble ours. Getting it on with a dragon eel is also a kind of wonderful experience, I would know. Why, I had over ten children due to that one night, haha.'
Demon Emperor Redraco's eyes lit up. If he could snap his fingers like a human, he would. 'How could I forget snakes? Snakes are one of the closest existence to us dragons. I'm going to have to select snakes with the purest bloodline. Not just them, but crocodiles too. Their jaws resemble ours the most.'
'Once I succeed, I want to see Old Bastard Windscale's face. Hah, always bragging about how you managed to have descendants that merge the Kunpeng's bloodline with a dragon's bloodline. I'll show you what a true dragon's bloodline should be like, and they will be nothing like your mongrel descendants!' After envisioning that scene, Demon Emperor Redraco's movements gained a spring-like element to them.
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"Lord Donghai, do you need anything?" a sultry voice asked.
Donghai Longzi's body did not tremble. What he saw was just a hallucination. He glanced toward the spiked crab that owned said sultry voice. He averted his eyes and focused on another one of the maids Demon Emperor Redraco had sent him. Eels, crocodiles, lobsters, shrimps, turtles, snakes, lizards, and many more.
The section of the Crystal Palace occupied by him resembled an aquarium more than a home. Donghai Longzi understood that demons weren't humans, and he was probably the strange one for keeping a human form, but that didn't change his aesthetics. As a former human-turned-dragon, he had a normal person's aesthetics, okay?
The worst part was that each of those demons had an alluring voice. To address them as sirens from just their voice alone would not be undue praise. Every time their voices entered his ears, Donghai Longzi would conjure the perfect image of the owner of that voice in his head, but when he turned to the actual owner, reality would slap him in the face, stamp on his feet, punch in his guts, and knee his balls.
Donghai Longzi even began to suspect that it was Demon Emperor Redraco's attempt to psychologically torture him. He even began to regret accepting this mission from the Buzhou Immortal Sect, all the excitement to explore a system ruled by demons all but gone.
He even thought of asking his main body to just teleport him away and into the Nine Heavens Universe. Unfortunately, the conduit he carried with him lost all contact with the Nine Heavens Universe ever since entering the Divine Beast Pseudo System.
Although disappointed, Donghai Longzi wasn't too surprised. The Divine Beast Pseudo System had to have its strengths to hide from the Buzhou Immortal Sect and Numinous Sword Sect for all these years. At the very least, the conduit managed to send their last coordinates before they entered the pseudo system.
'I just have to endure two more weeks of this,' Donghai Longzi thought. In two weeks, Demon Emperor Redraco would hold a banquet to celebrate his arrival. Like the Buzhou Immortal Sect and Numinous Sword Sect, the Divine Beast Pseudo System lost many of its experts during the last Divine Beast-Human War.
So, it was not strange for Demon Emperor Redraco to place such importance on him, a dragon with high hopes of ascending to the Demon Emperor Realm.
Donghai Longzi's hands itched toward the saber stored in his spatial ring, but he forced himself to stop. Ever since he had entered the Demon King Realm, he had not had a proper fight yet, and all the stress made him want to release it.
He was originally created by Tianyi with an intense disposition for battle. The more battles he went through, the more experience he would have. Thanks to his connection to Tianyi, Tianyi would be able to reap his bountiful battle experience, improving his own battle prowess.
Left with no other choice, Donghai Longzi closed his eyes and started comprehending worldly laws to advance his Law of Destruction. Although he wasn't in a hurry to break through to the Demon Emperor Realm, having that option as a trump card would significantly elevate the chances of his success.
An aura of destruction coated Donghai Longzi, causing none of the sea demons to dare say anything. They didn't even dare send transmissions using their spiritual senses under the heart-palpitating pressure. And two weeks quickly passed in this peace and quiet.
The banquet occurred in the Crystal Palace on one of the higher floors. The banquet hall had no walls, allowing the guests to gaze out at the abundant sea life illuminated by the luminescent reefs and corals.
Sitting, or rather, coiled in front of tables, were dragons of all sorts and sizes. Some were rather stumpy and resembled lizards. Another, while extremely thin, was at least thrice the size of the average dragon. Some had extra features like more limbs or extra horns. The color of their scales could fill a rainbow and then some.
Donghai Longzi sat on Demon Emperor Redraco's right, and to the demon emperor's left was a slender dragon whose scales reflected a scarlet hue. Even Donghai Longzi thought that the red dragon was beautiful no matter the angle he looked. However, it was only an appreciation akin to an art connoisseur toward a painting.
As if sensing Donghai Longzi's gaze, the red dragon snorted and averted her head.
Demon Emperor Redraco laughed. "Don't mind Honglin. Since she inherited my bloodline the most, I spoiled and pampered her since she was young, so she's developed a temper."
Donghai Longzi chuckled. "How can that be? I was too rude for staring too long."
"Rude? You aren't just rude for staring?" A voice of self-confidence said.
Donghai Longzi turned toward the source to see a dragon with dull red scales in the True Demon Realm. Most, if not all, the true dragons present were at the True Demon Realm, with hardly any dragon lords present. Furthermore, the true dragons present were considered talented juniors with limitless potential by Demon Emperor Redraco.
"Oh? How else am I rude?" Donghai Longzi asked. He could tell that the dull red dragon was just looking for trouble, but he didn't know for what reason. Not just that dragon, but every dragon present stared at him with probing gazes.
"Hmpf, do you think you are human or in the human realm? This is the True Dragon Realm, are you looking down at us by showing such a fake form?"
Donghai Longzi blinked. A smile spread across his face, and he said, "You're right. I spent too long in the Huang Realm and forgot my true form. Let me rectify that."
As he transformed, gasps echoed in the banquet hall, awed by Donghai Longzi's dragon form.