Chapter 460: What? I’m the Overpowered One?
Chapter 460: What? The Overpowered One Is Me?
Dongting Lake, the massive island at its center.
Xu An followed Liu Thousand-Household as the Dao Court delegation had just arrived on the island when a proud-faced, armored, and spear-wielding young man strode toward them.
The man was tall and burly, with narrow eyes that gleamed coldly. A pair of dragon horns protruded from his thick hair, and fine white scales covered his neck. His golden dragon pupils immediately locked onto Liu Thousand-Household, causing sweat to bead on the latter's forehead.
But Liu Thousand-Household was no pushover.
Normally, he wouldn't mind groveling before a true dragon, but today he was here on imperial orders. If he showed weakness now, it would damage his career prospects!
"May I ask who you are, fellow Daoist?"
Liu Thousand-Household clasped his hands solemnly. The young man grinned in response. "I am Du Huan, grandson of the Dragon Lord and descendant of the White Chi lineage."
At these words, Liu Thousand-Household's expression stiffened.
A grandson of the Dragon Lord! A direct descendant of a Golden Core True Dragon—his status was on par with the Dao Court's Crown Prince, if not higher in some respects.
"Du Huan, Dragon King of Dongting, receive the imperial decree!"
Gritting his teeth, Liu Thousand-Household unfurled a golden scroll. Instantly, the previously domineering Dragon King Du Huan suppressed his ferocious demeanor and looked up at the sky.
As the imperial edict unfurled, the [Immortal Nation's Dao Statutes] covering Jiangdong reacted, casting a cold, watchful gaze upon the land like a pair of eyes.
In an instant, all demonic and monstrous qi over Dongting Lake was completely dispersed. The once-overwhelming aura of Dragon King Du Huan vanished as if he had become an ordinary man. Meanwhile, Liu Thousand-Household's face flushed with vigor, his magical power and rank soaring until he now overshadowed Du Huan.
"By the Mandate of Heaven, the Son of Heaven decrees:"
Liu Thousand-Household spoke slowly:
"Du Huan, True Dragon of profound merit, is hereby appointed Dragon King of Dongting Lake, charged with maintaining peace and ensuring favorable weather and prosperity for the ten thousand islands of Dongting..."
Within Xu An's sea of consciousness, Lü Yang observed closely.
Every word Liu Thousand-Household uttered resonated with the [Immortal Nation's Dao Statutes], pressing down layer by layer upon the waters of Dongting Lake.
"So it is decreed!"
As the final words fell, Dragon King Du Huan's smile had vanished entirely. After a moment of silence, he bowed respectfully.
"...This humble subject receives the decree."
Seeing this, Liu Thousand-Household couldn't help but smirk triumphantly. Watching Du Huan obediently accept the appointment filled him with a twisted sense of satisfaction.
He had always despised cultivators who could advance independently.
After all, if you didn't need to report to the court, flatter superiors, or bribe officials to improve your cultivation, wasn't that tantamount to rebellion?
Utterly intolerable!
Now, with this appointment, Du Huan had become an official of the Dao Court—one of their own. As a fifth-rank official, Liu Thousand-Household outranked the Dragon King of Dongting Lake, who was merely sixth-rank. From now on, Du Huan would have to offer gifts during festivals and show proper respect—or else face consequences!
"Such insolence! Such insolence!"
After seeing Liu Thousand-Household's group off, Dragon King Du Huan stormed into his secluded cultivation chamber, smashing everything in sight, his handsome face twisted with fury and savagery.
He was a descendant of True Dragons, nobility of heaven and earth!
"If we were overseas, I wouldn't suffer this humiliation! I'd have devoured that two-legged sheep in one bite! But no—my ancestors had to send me to this wretched place..."
Glaring at the [Dragon King of Dongting Lake] official rank hovering above his head, Du Huan grew even angrier. A sixth-rank position? Equivalent to Qi Refining Perfection—not even Foundation Establishment! Yet he, as Dragon King, was at the early stage of Foundation Establishment. What kind of joke was this?
"This is deliberate humiliation!"
"Those damned, shameless..." Du Huan gnashed his teeth, but the curses stuck in his throat, unspoken.
Who could he even curse?
His own ancestor, the Golden Core Dragon Lord? That would be suicidal. The Dao Court's Son of Heaven? Equally fatal.
All that remained was impotent rage.
His expression flickered between dark and stormy, so consumed by fury that he failed to notice the shifting qi in the air around him, lost in his thoughts.
Only after a long while did he suddenly snap back to reality. "Who's there!?"
Before he could resist, an overwhelming pressure crashed down like a blizzard, instantly freezing his magical power and divine abilities.
[Solemn Profound Frost]!
Only then did Lü Yang, who had been lying in wait, reveal himself. Ancestor Nether Whisper, at the peak of Foundation Establishment, stood quietly beside him.
"Why struggle?"
Lü Yang's voice was gentle, almost soothing. "You've done your best. Leave the rest to me... I'll take revenge on those hateful people for you."
[Nest Usurped by the Cuckoo]!
Under Ancestor Nether Whisper's suppression, Dragon King Du Huan had no chance to resist. Soon, his essence, karma, destiny, and bloodline were all stripped away by Lü Yang. His body gradually faded until, after a long while, he vanished completely from the world.
Lü Yang nodded in satisfaction.
From now on, he was "Dragon King Du Huan."
This was a talent settled from [True Lord of Bearing Heaven's True Virtue]. Even if the Dragon Lord himself appeared, he would only recognize Lü Yang as his own grandson!
The reason Lü Yang chose to possess "Dragon King Du Huan" was simple: he had discovered, to his surprise, that this grandson of the Dragon Lord also cultivated the [Heavenly Speech Kunye Dragon Scripture]. Since that was the case, why waste time building his own Foundation? Possession was far more efficient.
"The Dao Foundation built with the [Heavenly Speech Kunye Dragon Scripture] is called the [Brilliant Spirits Interweaving Radiance Foundation]."
"And the innate divine ability condensed from this foundation is the [Grand Command of Mountains and Seas Under Double Radiance], corresponding to four supreme arcane principles."
In short:
"The sage-kings of old established laws so the people remained virtuous; they undertook great deeds so talent naturally flourished; they rewarded merit so the military grew strong."
As the name suggested, this innate divine ability corresponded to four arcane principles: [People Without Evil], [Talent Self-Tempered], [Rise and Fall Matters], and [Sage-King Governance].
A perfect match for the imagery of [Heavenly Fire Above].
'In battle, once I unfold my Dao Foundation and trap my opponent within the [Grand Command of Mountains and Seas Under Double Radiance], these four arcane principles can be deployed in succession.'
'[People Without Evil] governs rules.'
'Those struck by this principle cannot violate the rules I set. At intervals, I can add more rules until my enemy perishes.'
'[Talent Self-Tempered] is a buffing principle. Any subordinate I acknowledge can receive enhancements to one of their divine abilities, forcibly elevating its rank. The same applies to divine abilities and Dao arts—strengthening effects, increasing power. Extremely versatile.'
Next was [Rise and Fall Matters].
Used on oneself, this principle allowed one to sense danger in advance and avoid it. Used on others, it entangled them in misfortune.
Finally, [Sage-King Governance].
What was [Sage-King Governance]? "All under heaven belongs to the king; all within the borders are his subjects." Thus, this principle could "divest" what belonged to others.
Divest divine abilities, divest physical forms.
Divest magical power, divest ranks.
As long as certain conditions were met, [Sage-King Governance] could seize anything and repurpose it for oneself—utterly shameless from start to finish.
Reading this, Lü Yang couldn't help but sigh.
"Supreme Fruit Positions... are just on another level!"
The innate divine ability linked to his previous [City Wall Earth] had already been absurdly overpowered. Now, with [Heavenly Fire Above], it was clear he had another standard-breaking monstrosity.
What? The overpowered one is me?
No problem then!
I like it!