Ancient Fiend Dragon Emperor

Chapter 288: Chapter 287 Home Thief Is Hard to Guard Against

“Alright.”

Su Han smiled as he looked at Long Lie, “You are now the ninth-ranked man on the Holy Domain’s Heavenly List. With a stomp, you could make the whole world tremble. If others saw you like this, they might think you’re just a child.”

“Let it go, I won’t cut it off there.”

Upon hearing the last sentence, Long Lie finally stopped his tears and let out a somewhat embarrassed laugh.

Even now, it all felt like a dream to him.

...

The figure he had so desperately sought had truly appeared before him.

Should this news spread within the Holy Domain, it would shake the entire Holy Domain!

“It’s time to talk about serious matters.”

After pondering for a long time, Su Han eventually turned away, his hands clasped behind him, and said softly, “The situation in the Holy Domain… how is it now?”

“The Holy Domain…”

Long Lie took a deep breath, knowing Su Han didn’t want to hear it, but had to.

Because he cared about Su Han, and Su Han, in turn, was concerned about them.

“As those guys said earlier, the Holy Domain has changed hands.”

Long Lie said, “The current Holy Lord… is the Ancient Emperor Yuan Ling.”

“What?!”

Su Han turned around abruptly, staring intensely at Long Lie, “Say that again?”

“It’s really the Ancient Emperor Yuan Ling.”

Long Lie laughed self-deprecatingly, “You didn’t expect it, did you? Neither did I, nobody did. After you fell, countless people speculated who would succeed as the next Holy Lord. Even Chaos Hall listed out a chart with nearly a hundred strong figures including Ming Sea Divine King, Ancient Emperor of Holy Demons, Sun Sword God, Golden Moon Law God, believing it was very likely that one of them would emerge as the next Holy Lord. But…”

“The one who ultimately became the Holy Lord was the Ancient Emperor Yuan Ling, to be precise, the Commander of Yuan Ling.”

“It’s actually him…”

Su Han’s eyes flashed with a cold light, and an unconcealable chill emanated from him.

In his previous life at the God-Slaying Pavilion, there were Three Great Legions, each one powerful enough to intimidate a region and recognized as a top-grade power.

And within these Three Great Legions, each had a commander, with Yuan Ling being the commander of the Purple Gold Army.

Yuan Ling was known for his loyal and straightforward nature. In his youth, he was exterminated to the ninth degree and hunted down, with his entire family perishing, leaving only him alive. It was Su Han himself who had saved him.

At that time, Su Han had not become the Ancient Demon Dragon Emperor and had not yet established the God-Slaying Pavilion; his own cultivation base was merely considered middle-class within the Star Region.

To Yuan Ling, Su Han was his benefactor, while to Su Han, Yuan Ling was his brother.

The two had traversed countless territories together and faced life-threatening crises more than a hundred times. Yuan Ling had risked his life to save Su Han, and Su Han had almost destroyed his own soul and body for the sake of Yuan Ling.

Su Han considered Ancient Emperor of Holy Demons his close confidant and friend, Long Lie as the one who understood him best.

But all of this did not come close to his relationship with Yuan Ling.

Yuan Ling was a true brother to Su Han, a brother in life and death!

Su Han had suspected everyone might betray him, yet he had never guessed that it would be Yuan Ling!

“You should have guessed this long ago.”

Long Lie sighed and said, “When you appointed Yuan Ling as the Military Commander of the Purple Gold Army, you should have realized that Yuan Ling would eventually betray you. Back then, the entire Holy Domain was discussing this. They knew you had the best relationship with Yuan Ling. There were four positions for Deputy Pavilion Masters at the God-Slaying Pavilion, yet not one was assigned to Yuan Ling.”

Su Han fell silent, the coldness around him growing even denser.

“We are strong, but we all understand that the hearts of the strong are the same as ordinary people’s. Who doesn’t want to wield great power? Who doesn’t want to look down upon thousands? Yet, you didn’t give Yuan Ling such authority, even though you have gone through life and death with Yuan Ling hundreds of times.”

Long Lie said, “Many people were puzzled, and even I, later on, discussed privately with others why there was no position for Yuan Ling as a Deputy Pavilion Master. With Yuan Ling’s cultivation base and intelligence, he is entirely capable of holding the title of Deputy Pavilion Master.”

“They know shit!”

Su Han suddenly exclaimed, “Others not understanding me is one thing, but how could Yuan Ling not understand me?!”

“How do you expect him to understand you?”

Long Lie said, “A brother who has fought side by side with you, once you gained great power and presided over the Holy Domain, just tossed him aside, paying him no attention, treating him merely like a subordinate? Is that how you wanted him to understand you?”

“The three great legions of the God-Slaying Pavilion are each comparable to top-grade powers, among which the Purple Gold Army is the most formidable.”

Su Han took a deep breath and slowly said, “As the Military Commander of the Purple Gold Army, he held real power in his hands, real power!!!”

“Compared to this kind of real power, what counts a Deputy Pavilion Master position? Those Deputy Pavilion Masters may appear supreme in the eyes of outsiders, second to none and above thousands, but can they order around the Three Great Legions? Can they, in a fit of rage, lead an army corps and effortlessly sweep away a power? They cannot!”

Su Han clenched his teeth and said, “The Military Commanders of the Three Great Legions are the true beings who can control the lifeblood of the God-Slaying Pavilion! Especially the Purple Gold Army, although its strength has not been fully disclosed, I know that each of the ten thousand soldiers in the Purple Gold Army possesses strength comparable to a middle-class warrior on the Holy Domain’s Heavenly List! Even the other two legions combined are not half as powerful as the Purple Gold Army!”

“Although Yuan Ling was just the Military Commander of the Purple Gold Army, seemingly inferior to a Deputy Pavilion Master, which of the Deputy Pavilion Masters dared to offend him over these years? If he became angry, he could cause a Deputy Pavilion Master to fall from grace in a mere sentence!”

Long Lie stopped speaking. If Su Han hadn’t explained, he wouldn’t have understood to this moment, but now, he had an epiphany.

Su Han didn’t fail to regard Yuan Ling highly, rather… he had given him the greatest authority other than his own, hidden from view!

Unfortunately, Yuan Ling failed to see through it.

“This is brotherhood, my brotherhood, my dear brothers, heh heh…”

Su Han laughed, a laugh filled with sorrow and desolation.

Long Lie pondered for a moment and said, “Perhaps it’s precisely because you gave Yuan Ling such immense hidden authority that the moment Yuan Ling made his move, the entire Purple Gold Army followed in outright rebellion.”

He stared at Su Han and said in a deep voice, “Every single one of them! The entire Purple Gold Army, ten thousand soldiers, not one left behind, all followed Yuan Ling in rebellion, and ultimately, they placed Yuan Ling in the position of Lord of the Holy Domain.”

“Perhaps at that moment, Yuan Ling had come to appreciate the depth of your intentions, but alas, it was already too late.”

“Defending against outsiders is possible, but guarding against a traitor in one’s own household is difficult. If he wishes to be the Lord of the Holy Domain, then let him be,” Su Han sighed.

“What about the other two legions?” he asked.

“Before the betrayal, Yuan Ling probably had everything prepared, because both the Purple Silver Army and the Purple Jade Army had also already rebelled,” said Long Lie.

Long Lie said, “I think, even if you did not fall, it was only a matter of time before Yuan Ling would have rebelled. It’s just that your downfall has become his opportunity to act.”