Chapter 2127: A Strike Like Lightning
“I cannot,” Zu An said. The expressions of everyone in the Dragon Palace changed. However, Zu An then continued, “The queen is trapped within my formation. If she leaves the formation, I might not be able to capture her anymore. Wouldn’t I then be committing the crime of taking advantage of the ruler? As such, I invite the Dragon King to make this trip with me. With the Dragon King at my side, she won’t be able to leave no matter what she tries.”
When he heard that, the Dragon King fell silent. Next to him, Ao Yong hurriedly said, “Brother king, you must be careful of tricks being played!”
When he saw his nervous appearance, Zu An thought to himself, This guy clearly doesn’t want the Dragon King to find the queen.
It seems he really does have feelings for his sister-in-law... I should find a chance to find out what Shang Hongyu’s relationship with them is. It seems as if Ao Yong would take the risk to protect her even in this kind of situation.
He was suddenly stunned when he thought of that. He had subconsciously thought of Shang Hongyu first. It seemed he still trusted her a bit more right now.
Judging from the current intelligence, Shang Hongyu was real and the Dragon King was real. Then who was the fake?
It can’t be me, right?
Just where does the problem lie...
He couldn't be bothered with all of that right now, however. Thus, He decided to restrain both sides and let them confront each other instead.
The Dragon King voiced his agreement. He didn’t pay Ao Yong any attention, seeming to have guessed at his thoughts. He asked Zu An, “Where is the queen trapped approximately?”
“She is on a small island within the seas,” Zu An replied. The seas of this world were really vast, so this information alone wouldn’t allow the Dragon King to find her without his help.
When they heard that she was still within the range of the Ocean races’ influence, everyone in the palace sighed in relief. They had been worried that she was on the human or fiend side, because then it could be a trap. If it was in the seas, that was still within the Ocean races’ control. The other side wouldn’t be able to cause much trouble.
“Then this king will follow you out for a trip.” The Dragon King stood up from his throne. His entire being emanated a mysterious power.
Just then, Gui Chengxiang to the side advised, “Your majesty, you should bring some strong cultivators with you as a preventive measure against potential traps.”
The Dragon King laughed. “With Zhao Han and the Fiend Emperor dead, who else in this world can face me?”
Zu An picked up on a hint of something when he heard those words.
Gui Chengxiang said with an apologetic smile, “Your majesty is naturally powerful beyond compare, but everyone in this world knows that. If they truly wished to defeat your respected self, they would definitely make preparations with your strength in mind. It is never wrong to be careful.”
Ao Yong cupped his hands and said, “What Gui Chengxiang says is reasonable. This subject, your brother, is willing to travel together with reinforcements.”
At the same time, he was a bit worried.
Could it be that sister-in-law really was schemed against and trapped by this human? I might still have a chance to save her if I go as well. If I don’t go, I won’t have any chance anymore.
The Dragon King frowned and said, “Fine, you can follow me.” Then, he pointed at a group of individuals. Ao Yong was only one of them.
“Where to?” the Dragon King asked as he walked up to Zu An with the others.
Zu An pointed northeast. The Dragon King nodded. Then, with a wave of his hand, their group was wrapped within a current and rushed in that direction. The water moved aside on its own wherever they went, and they traveled at extreme speed!
Zu An was secretly filled with admiration.
The Ocean races really do have some interesting things. If I fought against the Dragon King underwater, he would be supported by his own home field. That’s not something to look down on at all.
At the same time, he felt more and more curious. This Dragon King looked to be the genuine article. Apart from him, who else in this world could have such formidable water-controlling ability?
Along the way, Zu An corrected the direction from time to time. Shortly after, their party arrived at the remote island.
The Dragon King chuckled and said, “She was actually hiding right in the Jadewave Region. The most dangerous place is the safest place after all.”
Many subordinates secretly felt praise. They'd searched everywhere because they thought that the queen already escaped far away. They had even thought that she could have fled to the human or fiend side by now, and yet she was actually right in their backyard. It now seemed that the intelligence they received had all just been from diversionary tactics she used.
As expected of the queen, this level of intelligence and wisdom is really admirable!
It’s just a pity that she just happened to encounter this human!
Zu An pointed at a craggy, barren hill and said, “The queen is in that cave. I left a formation marking outside. With the Dragon King’s insight, you should be able to find her easily.” The Dragon King harrumphed and said, “You’re going with me.” Even if there was any danger, as long as this human was with him, that would prevent him from taking his own life or anything like that.
Zu An was a bit stunned, but he still nodded and said, “Sure.”
It seemed the position Shang Hongyu held in the Dragon King’s heart was quite high. If he had suggested going in with the Dragon King first, he would have seemed even more suspicious. But since the Dragon King had suggested it himself, it all worked out.
Then, the Dragon King ordered his subordinates, “You guys are to surround this island. Don’t even let a single fly escape. Also, guard against any suspicious activity. Everyone else, follow me.”
“Understood!” His subordinates respected his order.
Ao Yong was a bit nervous, saying, “Brother Zhan, be careful of any schemes! How about I go with you?”
The Dragon King chuckled. “Could it be that you really think that this ruler cannot even deal with a trifling human?”
If I bring you, tthat’ll only create more variables.
Ao Yong still wanted to strive a bit more, saying, “Please be careful of making a blunder...”
The Dragon King said indifferently, “We, husband and wife, might not be able to avoid speaking some confidential information. Could it be that brother king has an interest in that too?”
The expressions of the surrounding Ocean race experts couldn't help but become a bit strange.
Ao Yong’s expression changed. He exclaimed, “This subject doesn’t dare!”
Now that things already reached this point, what else could he say? He could only give the barren hill a worried look.
I hope that human is just another liar.
Soon after, he and the other Ocean race experts scattered to different parts of the island. That way, even if anyone tried to escape, they would still be able to intercept. They would also be able to swiftly provide assistance if something unexpected happened on the island.
Meanwhile, the Dragon King brought over a dozen of his trusted aides to enter with him.
Zu An led the Dragon King inside. Along the way, he suddenly said with a sigh, “I have long heard of the Dragon King’s outstanding cultivation. However, a few days ago, I heard some rumors and slander from the human side that left me a bit confused.”
“What kind of rumors and slander?” The Dragon King frowned and didn’t look too happy.
Zu an explained, “Not too long ago, the human race regent seemed to have killed a Giant Golden Dragon in the capital. At the time, the Dragon King appeared, but the matter was left at that. Everyone said that the Dragon King feared the human regent. Now that I’ve seen the Dragon King’s might myself, I realize that those rumors must be false.”
“But of course. Back then, I just didn’t want to destroy such a difficult to obtain peace and ruin the relationship between the Ocean and Human races.” The Dragon King harrumphed. “But that nephew actually dared to kill a fellow member of the Dragon race. One day, this emperor will properly settle things with him.”
Zu An chuckled. “From what I’ve seen, that human regent is likely not a match for the Dragon King.”
The Dragon King harrumphed, as if he felt it beneath him to blow his own horn.
...
The two quickly arrived at the cave Zu An had been in. The Dragon King gave it a look before remarking, “There is an aura blocking formation here. You are quite careful.”
“It's naturally not worth mentioning before the Dragon King.” Zu An chuckled, then quickly opened up the cave formation.
The Dragon King ordered the dozen or so trusted aides, “You are to stay outside. No one is permitted to come closer.” As he said that, he gave the distant Ao Yong and the others a deliberate look.
“Understood!” Those individuals quickly positioned themselves around the cave.
“You will follow me inside.” The Dragon King pointed at Zu An and said, “Walk in front.”
“Alright.” Zu An sneered inwardly.
This guy is quite careful.
Shortly after they entered the cave, after walking through the narrow passage, they saw Shang Hongyu. She was bound, her amazing feminine curves on full display. The Dragon King’s eyes immediately widened when he saw that. Even his breathing became a bit heavier.
A woman’s voice suddenly called out from the cave, “You imposter!”
Shang Hongyu was stunned. She clearly hadn’t said anything!
However, the Dragon King’s expression changed. His fingers were like sharp claws as they grabbed at the head of the human in front of him. He felt that the human was a bit mysterious, so for the sake of being sure, he used all of his strength. The entire cave erupted with a mysterious power.
Shang Hongyu’s face turned deathly pale. Under this power, not even a grandmaster could move in the slightest.
All of the Ocean race experts who were guarding outside were startled. The Dragon King had made a move!
Ao Yong’s expression changed. He was about to head over to take a look when his companion stopped him, saying, “King, please do not make a fool of yourself.”
“But...” Ao Yong wanted to say something, but another companion said, “Since his majesty has decided to act, the situation is already decided. Going over there now is already meaningless. We just need to wait for the results.”
Ao Yong sighed. His entire body became listless.
However, the guards outside the cave had calm expressions, as if they had already anticipated this.
...
Meanwhile, inside the cave, the Dragon King attacked Zu An with all of his strength to silence him. Normally, with his cultivation, if he launched a surprise attack on a trifling master rank human, there would definitely be no chance for anything unexpected to happen.
And yet, something unexpected did happen. There was suddenly a blur, and a moment later, the human was gone.
No, this is where that human was just standing. Is it some spatial-type divine skill? Position exchange? He was alarmed. His aura suddenly erupted again. That person was definitely not a master rank cultivator!
But so what? In this world, just who else is my match? Even if the late Fiend Emperor or Zhao Han revived, there's no way a fight would be decided without at least a few hundred exchanges.
Even that bloodthirsty brat has no chance of defeating me in a short amount of time. Meanwhile, I can immediately summon all of the experts outside the cave. WIth so many powerful Ocean race experts here, he will undoubtedly die!
Just then, he felt a slight pain at his waist.
It seems to be that bloodthirsty brat after all! Only that guy cpi;d inflict an internal injury on me in such a short amount of time.
That little bastard was pretending to be a pig to devour a tiger!
But he didn’t panic at all. This kind of superficial wound didn’t matter. He had only lost in this exchange because he was caught off guard.
Hmph, now that I’ve realized what is going on, it’s hard to say who will win in the end. I even have so many powerful Ocean race reinforcements outside!
The advantage is mine!
He focused on defense while opening his mouth to call for reinforcements. Suddenly, however, his entire body froze, and his expression was full of disbelief. Black runes began to spread from the wound at his waist. Immediately after, his entire body was drained of life force.
Zu An was also breathing heavily. Even though only an instant had passed, the level of danger hadn’t seemed inferior to that of a proper battle. He'd known that if he gave the Dragon King even a moment of reprieve, the Ocean race experts outside would flock over and surround him. That way, even if he could break out and protect himself, that would be the worst-case scenario.
He'd wanted to capture the Dragon king for interrogation, but he was forced to immediately change his plans. This guy was too strong. If he hadn’t gone all out, the tide would easily turn on him. Fortunately, the opponent wasn’t a departed spirit of some sort. The Poisonous Prick had been extremely effective, taking his life.
The pressure disappeared, and Shang Hongyu snapped out of her daze. She silently chanted the incantation and the bindings around her fell away. She said with a bit of lingering fear, “I wanted to help you, but I didn’t expect his domain to be that strong. I was injured and actually couldn't move.”
At the same time, she was absolutely horrified. Even though she knew that Zu An's cultivation was really high from being around him, she hadn’t expected it to be this high. She'd thought that the two would fight for quite some time. Even if the world wasn’t turned upside down, this mountain would still have been shaken up, right? How could she have known that it would end in an instant?
Is this a battle between the strongest in the world?
In that instant, she couldn't help but start to question her own life.
Zu An looked at her and asked, “Who are you really?”
“What are you saying? Wait, your voice...?” Shang Hongyu was stunned. Zu An’s voice had already become identical to the Dragon King’s.
A guard outside asked, “Your majesty, is everything fine?”
Zu An replied, “Stand guard outside properly. Do not let anyone come closer.”
He had already used the Kawaii Waifu Voice Changer to fool the Dragon King when he had his back turned, which was why he could already freely imitate the Dragon King's voice.
“Understood!” The guards immediately relaxed when they heard his voice.
Zu An looked at Shang Hongyu, then put on a sound blocking formation and said, “You still haven’t answered my question.”
Shang Hongyu couldn't help but back up, saying, “I am Hongyu, of course! Don’t be like that! I’m a little scared...”
Zu An said seriously, “I already checked in the Dragon Palace. He was indeed the real Dragon King.”
Shang Hongyu’s expression changed and she cried, “That’s impossible! He's definitely fake! Just how did you check?”
Zu An said coldly, “There could be no mistake with my method of judgment. He is the genuine Dragon King.”
Shang Hongyu was shocked. She quickly examined the Dragon King’s corpse.
Could it be that the real Dragon King already dealt with the fake Dragon King? Then wouldn’t that mean I colluded with another man to kill my own husband?
When she thought of that possibility, she felt a bit dizzy. Her face turned completely pale. But when she carefully examined the corpse, she couldn't help but become excited, exclaiming, “He really was fake!”
Zu An was stunned when he heard that. He quickly noticed the changes that were happening to the Dragon King’s body. He saw that the Dragon King suddenly began to shrink, and the entire body became blue. In the end, the corpse belonged to a humanoid monster. His appearance wasn’t the Dragon King’s, but rather a face without any features. It was quite horrifying to look at.
Zu An was surprised. In the end, this Dragon King was still fake! Then why hadn't the Keyboard System been able to differentiate between them? Still, he didn’t have time to think about that for the time being. He removed the clothes, then sent a strand of White Lotus Flame over the corpse. The pure white embers quickly swallowed up the fake Dragon King’s body. Soon after, it was completely burned away.
“Hm?” Zu An picked up a bead that was left over even after the flames burned away everything else. It was definitely something special. Unfortunately, he didn’t obtain any information when he examined it with his divine sense. He could only put it away for now.
He then used the Face of a Thousand Identities to change into the Dragon King, while Shang Hongyu began to put the Dragon King's clothes on him. The outfit had some details that were pretty tricky, so those who weren’t familiar with it could make a mistake.
Shang Hongyu suddenly asked while sorting out his clothes, “Since you thought that the imposter was fake, why did you still continue with the plan? Were you really not worried that I would lie to you?”
Zu An chuckled and said casually, “Compared to him, I still trusted you more. Besides, even if he was real, so what? If I killed him, then so be it. I'd definitely stand on your side.”
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