Chapter 480: Surrender or Die!
Outside Ancient Dragon Island, the previously tense and murderous atmosphere had completely dissipated.
The elite troops from the two dragon islands looked at Xiao Ze in terror, fearing that he might turn around and slap them all to death. After all, their commanders hadn't lasted even a single move against him and had their heads smashed instantly!
"Surrender or die," Xiao Ze said calmly.
These were, after all, people of the Taixu Ancient Dragon Clan. With himself holding the absolute advantage, Xiao Ze didn't want to massacre Zi Yan's kin. However, if they swore to serve the other two dragon kings to the death, Xiao Ze wouldn't mind sending them to meet their commanders.
Despite Xiao Ze's calm tone, which treated them like ants, the soldiers of the Dragon Armor Army and the Barbaric Dragon Army felt as if they had been granted a great pardon. Xiao Ze was a Dou Saint, and a strong one at that, capable of killing them as easily as squashing ants.
In the Dou Qi continent, strength was paramount. Those who had not reached the Dou Saint level were mere ants. Only by becoming a Dou Saint could one truly stand at the pinnacle of the Dou Qi continent!
Now, given the chance to receive mercy from a Dou Saint, they naturally did not want to die for their dragon king.
"Saint, we are willing to surrender!"
"Saint, we were deceived by that damned dragon king. Now that we have seen you, we realize the true royal bloodline of the Ancient Dragon Clan is on Ancient Dragon Island!"
"We are willing to serve East Dragon Island, to shed our blood for the Dragon Emperor!"
The soldiers of the Taixu Ancient Dragon Clan quickly voiced their surrender.
Xiao Ze turned to Elder Zhu Li, "Elder Zhu Li, I apologize if I overstepped. Please handle these people."
"Not at all. Thank you, Xiao Ze, for sparing their lives. Executing the leaders while sparing those who were merely following orders... We are deeply grateful."
Elder Zhu Li solemnly bowed to Xiao Ze.
The Taixu Ancient Dragon Clan had very long lifespans but their reproductive capabilities were far inferior to those of humans. Among the three great magical beast clans, the Taixu Ancient Dragon Clan had always had the fewest members. Xiao Ze's mercy in sparing these soldiers was deeply appreciated by Zhu Li.
As for these soldiers, they could hardly be blamed. Their strength was insufficient to make their own decisions. After the Taixu Ancient Dragon Clan split, many powerful elders did not want to be part of the internal conflict and instead chose to live in the endless void, away from the civil war.
But these ordinary soldiers didn't have the option to choose. Under the coercion and threat of the dragon kings, they had no room for resistance.
Of course, Elder Zhu Li would not accept them unconditionally. He would thoroughly investigate their backgrounds. If any had committed acts against East Dragon Island, they would be punished accordingly.
Xiao Ze nodded slightly. He had received a message from Xiao Yi Xian and Qing Lin during his return to Ancient Dragon Island, informing him of the attack by the other dragon islands. He had hurried back just in time to prevent any casualties and turn the situation around. If the Dragon Armor Army and Barbaric Dragon Army had already started fighting and caused significant losses, he wouldn't have given them the choice to surrender; he would have killed them all.
Although they were all part of the Taixu Ancient Dragon Clan, there were still differences in closeness and loyalty that Xiao Ze could clearly discern.
His thoughts flashed by quickly, and Xiao Ze no longer paid attention to these matters. After all, this was an internal matter of the Taixu Ancient Dragon Clan. He couldn't offer too many suggestions without overstepping his bounds.
"Xiao Ze, please follow me."
After ensuring that the surrendered soldiers were taken care of, Elder Zhu Li led Xiao Ze back into Ancient Dragon Island, arriving at the palace where Xiao Yi Xian and Qing Lin were staying.
"Thanks to your intervention, Xiao Ze, Ancient Dragon Island was spared from war. We are deeply grateful."
"Elder Zhu Li, there's no need to be so formal. Their target is Zi Yan; there's no way I would stand by and do nothing."
"By the way, let's not spread the word about defeating the soldiers from the two dragon islands. Let them remain unsure about Ancient Dragon Island's strength."
"Right now, with Zi Yan still in seclusion, Ancient Dragon Island might not be able to withstand a full attack from the three dragon islands. We need to delay as much as possible."
"Even if Zi Yan emerges from seclusion, if her strength isn't enough to handle the three dragon kings, it's best to keep it quiet."
"I understand. Ancient Dragon Island will enter a state of heightened alert, and no information will leave the island."
Elder Zhu Li spoke with a serious tone. The survival of East Dragon Island was at stake, and there would be no room for negligence.
"That's good. I have other matters to attend to and can't stay on Ancient Dragon Island for long. As Zi Yan's friend, I don't want her to get hurt."
Xiao Ze nodded, then hesitated before taking out a golden space jade slip.
While he had more useful items, like the roots of the Origin Tree, he preferred to give them to closer companions, such as Xiao Yi Xian and Qing Lin. Giving the Origin Tree roots to the Taixu Ancient Dragon Clan might seem inappropriate, especially if they weren't used and he had to ask for them back later. The space jade slips were much easier to create and leave behind without such concerns.
"Xiao Ze, are you leaving?" Elder Zhu Li asked, looking at the golden jade slip.
"Yes, I need to visit the Ancient Clan to attend their coming-of-age ceremony."
Xiao Ze answered casually. The Taixu Ancient Dragon Clan was trustworthy, so there was no need to hide anything.
"If you have important matters to attend to, I won't keep you. Please, be careful."
Soon after, Xiao Ze, along with Qing Lin and Xiao Yi Xian, set off for the Ancient Clan. The coming-of-age ceremony was more than a month away, and traveling from the Southern Region of Central Province to the Eastern Region would be a long journey. Setting out early would help prepare for any unexpected events.
(End of Chapter)
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