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"Indeed, it’s you, isn’t it?"

In the dark space, an unidentified black liquid flowed everywhere, like ink, but stickier than ink.

Ao Zhen walked in it, her mere movement causing the viscous liquid to retreat as if it were alive, yet it didn’t recede far, always surrounding this woman, both fearful and eager to approach.

"Mother and Child Ghost Temples... How disgusting!" Ao Zhen’s voice carried a chilling disgust mingled with genuine emotion.

"Quite incomprehensible," came the Empress’s voice out of the darkness, ethereal and distant, "To you, shouldn’t the Human Race be just like livestock? Why such a strong reaction?"

Ao Zhen belonged to the Dragon Clan and was one of the demons.

When the Dragon Clan flourished, they required a million humans yearly for sacrifices.

Not just the Dragon Palace but every demon power regarded the Human Race as cattle and dogs, after all, in this world. .. demons had too great an advantage.

To demons, what difference was there between the elderly, the strong, or children besides the taste?

Why despise her methods?

"Humans are not livestock!" Ao Zhen said coldly.

"Oh, I seem to have forgotten..." The Empress’s voice carried an air of recollection, "You once received a great kindness from the Human Race and advocated for the abolition of human sacrifices... hehehe..."

Ao Zhen’s expression remained cold: "Is there a problem?"

"No problem, no problem. After all... what you have become has something to do with me..."

At these words, Ao Zhen’s gaze grew colder.

Back then, her father, the Western Sea Dragon King, had been driven mad, and after being betrayed by this woman before her, for some reason, his mind had twisted to the extreme.

He had even targeted his own kin, both his sisters had suffered under his hand, and he showed a tendency to take all female dragons by force.

Even the highly respected Second Elder wasn’t spared - and to think, that Second Elder was of a generation one could consider his great-grandmother!

Once, her mother had sent her away quietly to hide among mankind.

After roaming the human world for seventy years and befriending many talented warriors, Ao Zhen finally grasped the Desolate Heavens Eight Techniques.

She returned during the Four Seas Martial Display, shocking everyone and tying for first place with the Eastern Sea Dragon Prince!

That Eastern Sea Dragon Prince was the unanimously expected next Eastern Sea Dragon King.

His strength far surpassed his peers, yet he was nearly defeated by this unknown Third Princess of the Western Sea.

That time, the tumult across the Four Seas quickly made Ao Zhen the focus of the younger generation, and the Western Sea was vehemently protected by the council of Elders.

That she was linked to the Empress’s action was indeed not far from the truth; had she not incited the Dragon King, these events might never have occurred, and she would not have roamed the human world for seventy years.

But to be honest, she didn’t regret those years. Her trials among humans let her recognize the strength and value of the Human Race.

Because of her experiences, when the Four Seas began to collect human warriors more fervently, they started to take the Human Race more seriously.

Under her and the Eastern Sea Prince’s leadership, the Four Seas utilized humans more extensively, not only warriors but also magicians and in other developments, beginning to open up to humanity.

And the Human Race didn’t disappoint the Dragon Palace - within just a millennium, they provided numerous benefits: excellent techniques, superior martial skills, and within just a thousand years, they helped the Dragon Clan break the deadlock with the Celestial Serpent Palace.

Had it not been for the waning Earth Spirit later on, the Dragon Palace would have unified humanity and possibly established a whole new order.

"How interesting..." The Serpent Mother laughed quietly in the dark, observing Ao Zhen.

She could see that Ao Zhen wasn’t wholly exploiting the Human Race. She also heard about Ao Zhen’s repeated protection of human factions; under her influence, the Western Sea rarely launched human sacrifices.

Yet, it was also because of this that she offended some established powers that favored human flesh, ultimately supporting the Third Prince of the Western Sea along with the Dragon King to vie for the next generation’s Dragon King.

A demon... spending a few decades among humans and developing empathy towards them.

Her own group, originally meant to be part of humanity, now harbored the thoughts of demons... truly amusing.

The Serpent Queen’s gaze was deep, as if she recalled memories from long ago. She didn’t regret becoming what she was, nor did she rue her current actions. In her view, no amount of suffering was too great for the humans of this world.

"Don’t waste your strength," the Serpent Mother said faintly: "You are indeed very talented, but you are simply too young. Without reaching the level of a Dragon King, it’s impossible to break out from here."

"That’s because you are here," Ao Zhen said, looking around. The Serpent Mother’s voice was impossible to capture no matter what.

It was said that back in the day, this being was also at the top of the Celestial Serpent level, and had even undergone a Dragon Transformation, should be a very formidable existence.

So why this stealthy approach? Not even attempting a slight clash?

"Are you wondering why I don’t attempt to fight you?"

"Indeed, that’s what I thought," you have been famous for many years, and you are a contemporary of my father, undergoing Dragon Transformation with the top True Dragon Bloodline of our Dragon Clan. You shouldn’t be without the power to fight one battle."

"That’s truly a warrior’s way of thinking..." The Serpent Woman chuckled, "Just because you have the power to fight, does that mean you must? All I need is to trap you. Among that group of people you’re with, could there possibly be anything as dangerous as you?"

Ao Zhen fell into silence upon hearing this.

Among those who came to Jiangnan this time, he was, indeed, the main force. There were those in Jiangnan capable of matching him, at least if Weichi Feihong were to come, there might still be some hope. But Weichi could not easily come here—what would the others outside do?

In her view, it would be best not to act rashly. They should first establish contact with Zi Yue, then plan their next moves, fearing that the fox might be in a quandary, unable to advance or retreat...

Hmm?

Suddenly, Ao Zhen felt a familiar sensation well up within her, and her heart gave a fierce thump!

"Can you determine the location?"

The voice was very brief, yet it surprised her completely.

Communications between practitioners of divine power could transmit messages, with less Faith Power required the closer the distance. She had tried before with the distance from Chen Qing; even using up all her Faith Power, she couldn’t transmit a single word.

Now that the other party could transmit a message, it indicated... that this person must have escaped from their predicament, and was close by!

"Not very clear, the black liquid around here has too strong an interference ability, I can’t sense the location at all."

After transmitting the message, Ao Zhen’s heart leapt again. The closer the distance, the less Faith Power consumed, and from the consumption just now, she could almost be certain that the range was no more than a thousand zhang!

Chen Qing... was actually so close to her!

On the other side, Chen Qing, having felt the consumption of Faith Power, also rejoiced in his heart!

From the amount consumed, he wasn’t too far from Ao Zhen!

What he feared the most was that the other party would use the power of the Mother and Child Ghost Temples to drag Ao Zhen into a very remote space. It seemed that this was not the case. They intended to fuse and refine Ao Zhen!

But on second thought, it made sense. For a demon with talent like Ao Zhen, not to take advantage of such an opportunity would truly be the problem...

"Empress Dowager..." Chen Qing looked at the Empress Dowager, "Could you provide something for me?"

"What thing?" The Empress Dowager was startled.

"The design blueprint of the Imperial Palace!"

"Design blueprint?" The other party was taken aback, "What do you need that for? If you want a map, I can provide one at any time, but a design blueprint... What use would that have?"

"It’s very important!" Chen Qing said in a low voice, "If I’m not mistaken, the four temples outside are not the main temple. The real main temple... should be inside the Imperial Palace, using your Siao Family’s ancestral temple!"

"The Siao Family’s temple is not within the palace..." the Empress Dowager said with a frown.

"Are you sure?" Chen Qing asked eerily, "Maybe it’s inside the palace after all?"

"You mean?" The Empress Dowager seemed to have realized something, and suddenly, she was extremely troubled.

"Ghost Temples flourish by devouring luck and faith to enhance their power. Currently, the forces of the Ghost Domain haven’t revealed themselves publicly and won’t have much faith. The only way to enhance their power is by plundering luck, hence those devils target the Imperial Family..."

"For the Central Plains, there’s nothing more vital than the Dragon Vein’s luck!"

Empress Dowager: "...."