The Dragon King Returns

Whoosh!

A violent sound of air being torn apart rang out as Mo Yu's body was sent flying by a full-force punch from Ao Xue—the impact alone created a sonic boom.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

He crashed through wall after wall along the way, finally tumbling out onto the street, rolling several times across the bluestone ground before smashing half of a sugar-cake stall. He landed on one arm, unconscious, his life hanging by a thread.

The bustling beastfolk crowd on the street fell silent in an instant.

They stared blankly at this human who had suddenly burst into their midst, jaws slightly agape, utterly dumbfounded.

The beastman owner of the sugar-cake stall was holding up a candy figurine—and it aligned perfectly, seam by seam, with the series of holes Mo Yu had punched through the walls.

When he moved the figurine aside.

All that was left was utter wreckage, candy figurines scattered everywhere.

"Wait... what?"

"Where the hell did my big sugar-cake shop go?"

The old beastman raised his figurine, his expression absolutely priceless: "Damn it all, I didn't buy insurance!"

The surrounding beastfolk had already begun to gather around.

"Where did he come from?"

"Whoa, that direction... don't tell me my house got hit too?"

"Come on, you can't even afford a place in Ten Thousand Beasts City."

"Who in the world is bold enough to cause trouble here? Don't they know fighting is forbidden in this city?"

Some beastfolk muttered under their breath.

Ten Thousand Beasts City was the ancestral land of the beastfolk, their sacred sanctuary. No private brawls were allowed—that was a rule set by the Old Dragon King himself, and especially now, during this critical moment of the Beast King election.

To dare fight here? Were they tired of living?!

Just as the crowd was buzzing with shock and speculation about who could be so arrogant—

Shink!

A flash of gold arrived in an instant.

There stood Ao Xue, a pair of coral-like horns on her head shimmering with a faint glow, her dragon tail swaying gently behind her. Fine, fish-scale-like armor traced along her collarbones up to the edge of her neck, and her fangs were only half-retracted. She looked both divine and vicious, radiating ferocity.

"What are you staring at? Never seen someone get hit before?"

Ao Xue swept a fierce glare across the crowd, then suddenly raised her leg, pressing the attack—her sole transforming into a golden dragon claw as she kicked out with brutal force.

Boom! Mo Yu was sent flying sideways once again.

The nearby beastfolk flinched, intimidated by her savage appearance.

More importantly, there was that pressure from her bloodline.

There was no mistaking it.

Dragonkind.

The fierce woman before them was indeed a descendant of the dragons.

"Hmph!"

Seeing the surrounding beastfolk retreat, Ao Xue let out a coy snort, planted one hand on her hip, stood on tiptoe with one bare foot pressed against the cracked ground, and struck a rather unrefined pose. She flicked her long hair with her right hand, gave it a little toss, and let out a long sigh.

"We're all kin here. I never meant to make such a grand show of it, but trouble finds those who don't seek it. Ahh~"

With that, she sneaked a glance through her peripheral vision at the others' reactions.

Seeing that they were either dazzled by her charm or cowed by her presence, she couldn't help but feel smug.

Heh heh~

Looks like her entrance wasn't half bad~

"Uh... cough... cough..."

Meanwhile, Mo Yu, who had been sent flying far away, finally came to his senses. He struggled to his feet, clutching his stomach, wiping blood from the corner of his mouth, and glared at Ao Xue with a twisted expression.

"You damned wretch, do I need to spell it out for you? Are you asking for it?"

Back and forth like this, he was genuinely starting to lose his temper.

He had shown her respect. He had spoken kindly. And what did he get? A slap to the face, and now being kicked in public. Where was he supposed to put his pride as Mo Yu?

And that wasn't even the worst part.

The problem was—he wasn't the one who hit her, and he wasn't the one who cursed her. So why was she hitting him?

The more he thought about it, the angrier he got. His face turned purple.

He steadied himself, dusted off his clothes, and stared coldly at Ao Xue: "Miss Dragon, are you sure you want to make an enemy of the Mo Clan?"

"The Mo Clan... is it really that strong?"

Ao Xue curled her lips in disdain: "So-called True Immortal Descendants, hidden aristocratic family—in my eyes, you're nothing but a bunch of good-for-nothings living off your ancestors' legacy."

"Fine... very well!"

Mo Yu gritted his teeth, veins bulging on his forehead: "Looks like you need a lesson after all!"

He suddenly raised his hand, pointing a finger into the void.

A wisp of soul-light condensed at his fingertip, glowing with an eerie purple radiance.

"Soul-Severing Finger!"

Mo Yu roared, unleashing it with all his might.

Beastfolk were renowned for their physical toughness—across the entire Central Continent, no race could rival them in body. But against that strength lay a weakness: their mastery of the soul was severely lacking.

At the same cultivation level, their soul power was at least a full tier below that of humans.

If they ran into a human who knew nothing of soul arts, they'd be fine. But if they faced a great cultivator skilled in soul techniques, they could easily be overturned.

Yet Ao Xue was utterly unafraid.

She straightened her back, her figure standing proud under the moonlight, not even a hint of dodging in her posture.

"Counting the time... it should be about now."

The moment she spoke, a gruff voice boomed through the air.

"Who dares to cause trouble in Ten Thousand Beasts City?!"

The voice rolled in like thunder, and several massive beast silhouettes shot in from the end of the street, landing at the alley entrance. Leading them was a pitch-black giant ape, clad in iron armor, with a club as thick as a bucket slung over its shoulder.

It swung the club in a single motion.

SMACK!

The Soul-Severing Finger shattered into pieces instantly.

Mo Yu's face went pale, a surge of blood rising in his throat—he forced it back down with sheer willpower.

"A human? You dare disturb the peace of my Ten Thousand Beasts City."

The giant ape turned its head, staring at Mo Yu with icy eyes: "Do you think the beastfolk have no one left?"

Getting beaten and then slandered on top of it—Mo Yu's lips trembled with rage. He suppressed his fury and spoke through clenched teeth, one word at a time: "I came here only as a spectator. It was the woman behind you who attacked me without any cause or reason."

"Is that so?"

The giant ape turned back, and the moment his gaze fell upon Ao Xue's signature dragon horns and dragon tail, he froze.

This aura... this pressure from the bloodline.

There was no mistake.

The dragon-girl before him possessed the purest dragon bloodline. Those golden eyes—there could be no doubt.

The several clan chieftains behind the giant ape also recognized Ao Xue.

Their eyes flickered with uncertainty.

After all, the Old Dragon King had ruled as Beast King for so long, and until his disappearance, no one had ever heard of him having descendants. Now, out of nowhere, a girl with dragon horns and a dragon tail appears, carrying such pure bloodline pressure.

"Heh."

Ao Xue lifted her chin proudly, looking down at the giant ape.

"Bighead Ape, you're quite the big shot now, aren't you? Since you've become the city lord, you don't even put this dragon in your sights anymore?!"

With that, she flicked her dragon tail.

A vast, ancient pressure from the depths of her bloodline swept across the entire city. The nearby beastfolk, unable to withstand it, fell to their knees one after another.

Ten thousand beasts kowtowing—the Dragon King returns!

Such a display...

The giant ape's pupils contracted. He understood the weight of that bloodline.

This was a young dragon destined to grow to the ninth tier—an heir who could one day replace the Old Dragon King and lead the beastfolk back to glory.

The beastfolk had been waiting for this day for far too long.

The giant ape gripped his club tightly, exchanged a glance with the clan chieftains behind him, and spoke:

"We welcome the return of Her Highness."

Ao Xue's chin rose just a little higher, her eyes sweeping with imperial disdain, and a slow, wicked, confident smile curled at the corners of her mouth.

Beastfolk, your king has returned.