Anyone with eyes could see that Long Tian, the Dragon Clan leader, was no longer pretending; he had laid his cards on the table. The sight of Long Xiaoxiao's excruciating pain made it clear that the elders were extracting her essence blood. Once the essence blood was drained, they would extract her dragon essence. By then, Long Xiaoxiao would have no chance of survival.
The truth was now glaringly obvious.
Outside the Haotian Mirror.
Long Guang and the group of dragons behind him watched the scene in the Haotian Mirror in disbelief.
It was true! Everything the Demon Empress had said was true!
The Dragon Clan leader Long Tian and the elders indeed harbored such immense ambition! They intended to use the Dragon Pool to transform the entire clan, then enslave all other races. This action would make the Dragon Clan enemies of every other race.
The downfall of the Dragon Clan was their own doing. Had they been content with their lives, they wouldn't be facing such disaster.
Many dragons couldn't accept this harsh reality. The truth shattered their long-held beliefs.
The Dragon Clan was not innocent!
They could have lived peacefully within the secret realm, but the high-ranking members' overwhelming ambition brought them to the brink of extinction.
Long Guang's face was a mix of emotions. He hadn't expected the Demon Empress to be telling the truth.
Despite his sorrow, he understood the gravity of the situation. As the current leader, he knew that exposing the truth was highly detrimental to the Dragon Clan. They were no longer victims but an ambitious race. Every race that knew the truth, especially humans, would be hostile towards them.
If handled poorly, the Dragon Clan would become the enemy of the world.
At this moment, the only one who could help the Dragon Clan out of this predicament was the Dragon Empress Long Xiaoxiao.
Watching Long Guang's shifting expressions, the Demon Empress Gongsun Yarou sneered, "Well, little dragon, what do you have to say now?"
Long Guang ignored her, focusing instead on the Dragon Empress Long Xiaoxiao. Since her arrival, Long Xiaoxiao had been cold and distant towards the Dragon Clan. He had thought it was just her nature, but the truth revealed that she had been subjected to the elders' cruel treatment. It was no wonder she bore no goodwill towards the clan.
He sighed deeply. The ancestors' mistakes had brought their descendants to this.
Long Guang wished he could enter the Haotian Mirror and help Xiao Fan fight Long Tian, the former leader.
"So that's how it is..." The Dragon Empress Long Xiaoxiao's bitter smile appeared, a tear sliding down her cheek.
She had entered the pool out of trust in her master, Xiao Fan. She believed he would never let her come to harm. Even when the elders extracted her essence blood, causing her immense pain, she believed Xiao Fan hadn't known and would never have allowed it.
But now, knowing that Xiao Fan had known the Dragon Clan's plan all along and had used her to buy time for Gongsun Yarou, she felt betrayed. When Xiao Fan agreed to the plan, it sealed her fate of being abandoned.
At that moment, Long Xiaoxiao felt a complex mix of emotions, solidifying her resolve. Xiao Fan had abandoned her, betrayed her trust. She wouldn't let her life be defined by him anymore.
Long Xiaoxiao's face grew colder. Gongsun Yarou watched her with a playful smile.
"My dear sister, I hope you remain this cold and heartless after seeing what Xiao Fan did for you."
Inside the Haotian Mirror.
Despite his limited combat experience, Xiao Fan fought fiercely, driven by his concern for Long Xiaoxiao. Gradually, he gained the upper hand.
The longer Long Tian fought, the more shocked he became. Xiao Fan's initial attacks were crude and unskilled, but he adapted quickly, countering Long Tian's moves with newfound techniques. It seemed Xiao Fan was learning as he fought.
Desperate, Long Tian signaled Long Xiao to join the battle. Long Xiao, seeing the clan leader struggling, jumped in without hesitation.
With Long Xiao joining the fight, Xiao Fan felt more urgency. He knew he couldn't defeat both of them quickly, and there was no sign of the demon clan's attack.
Seeing Long Xiaoxiao's suffering, Xiao Fan regretted his decision to cooperate with Gongsun Yarou, which led to her torment.
Suddenly, the entire Dragon Clan secret realm shook violently. The temperature soared, turning the realm into a giant furnace. Humans within the realm were rapidly incinerated, their essence absorbed by the realm.
Xiao Fan recalled Gongsun Yarou's words about the Dragon Pool being the secret realm itself.
"Is the Dragon Pool being activated?" Long Tian and Long Xiao's faces lit up with joy.
Activating the Dragon Pool required more than Long Xiaoxiao's essence blood and dragon essence; it needed nourishment, which was why they had kept humans within the realm. Now, it was time for them to serve their purpose.
But their joy was short-lived. The pool was also absorbing the essence of the dragons, including Long Tian and Long Xiao. Their cultivation was depleting, though at a slower rate than the humans.
Realizing the gravity of the situation, Long Tian signaled Long Xiao to continue fighting Xiao Fan and rushed to the elders.
"Elders, what's happening? Why is the pool absorbing us too?" Long Tian asked urgently, hearing the anguished cries of weaker dragons being absorbed.
The elders remained silent, their eyes deep and unreadable. Long Tian realized they had hidden the full truth about the Dragon Pool.
Xiao Fan, sensing the change, felt deep anguish. He hadn't protected the humans in the secret realm, and now Long Xiaoxiao was in grave danger.