The Qilin is dead, and its fortune has run out.

Gu Yang clenched his fists and tremblingly turned back.

He spoke to the Jiao-dragon with a quivering voice,

Lord Jiao-dragon, we can catch Kunlun Mountain dinosaurs for you.

Or adults would work too. We can prepare one hundred adults for you every month.

What Gu Yang had in mind was to take all the death row inmates from the prisons and offer them to the Jiao-dragon.

There were so many criminals anyway; let alone one hundred a month, they could easily supply even a thousand.

But capturing innocent virgin boys and girls was something the Gu clan simply could not bring themselves to do.

This had already crossed the bottom line of their humanity.

The Jiao-dragon cast a contemptuous glance at Gu Yang.

Its massive body suddenly soared into the air.

The next moment, a heaven-shaking dragon roar resounded through the sky.

Instantly, lightning flashed and thunder rolled as dark clouds billowed up in the originally clear sky.

People in all the cities surrounding Linghai City clearly heard this dragon roar.

They all looked up at the dark clouds that had suddenly risen in the distance.

With every flash of lightning.

People could clearly see a massive silhouette slithering within the dark clouds.

They knew that it was the Jiao-dragon.

It was no longer just a legend.

Gu Yang and the others, who were the closest.

Were instantly suppressed by the most formidable dragon might.

All eleven peak-stage Martial Saints circulated their vitality and blood to resist with all their strength.

Everyone's face was flushed red from the immense pressure.

Gu Yang shouted,

Lord Jiao-dragon, please calm your anger!

However, what answered him were eleven bolts of lightning.

The eleven men were instantly struck by the lightning.

Nine were severely injured on the spot, while two failed to withstand the dragon's might and the lightning, instantly being blasted into charred corpses.

Gu Yang was completely stunned.

He never expected it to end like this.

Looking at the charred ashes of their two clansmen, the eyes of the remaining nine were filled with despair.

An old man could not help but cry out,

Is this the divine beast we wholeheartedly tried to please?

A divine beast that wants to eat human children?

Our Gu clan has committed a grave sin!

The remaining nine surviving Gu clan members all had charred faces and torn flesh.

At this moment, they could not help but think of the Qilin.

That holy beast of the Gu clan that represented auspiciousness.

Although it had never done anything for the Gu clan.

It had also never harmed the Gu clan in the slightest.

Yet betraying the Qilin had brought about such an outcome.

Now, the Jiao-dragon, over a single disagreement.

Had killed two Gu clan members on the spot.

The psychological gap was simply too great.

This was not what they wanted.

This was completely different from what they had imagined.

Gu Yang hurriedly covered the crying old man's mouth.

Shut up!

The Jiao-dragon is still right above us!

The old man gritted his teeth and punched the ground.

As one of the oldest members of the Gu clan.

Having lived for three hundred years, this was the first time in his life that he wept bitter tears.

The powerful bloodline suppression descended once again.

The Jiao-dragon hovered a hundred meters above Gu Yang and the others.

It stared down at the few people who looked like mere ants.

And let out a majestic, irresistible voice.

It seems you still have not recognized your place. Let me remind you.

I am not that stupid mascot, the Qilin. I am not negotiating with you.

This is an absolute command. Anyone who dares to defy my will faces only one outcome.

If I do not see ten pairs of virgin boys and girls next month, the first thing I will destroy is the Gu clan.

After the Jiao-dragon finished speaking, it soared into the sky once again.

In the next instant, it plunged fiercely into the sea, kicking up thousand-meter-high giant waves in the center of the Pacific Ocean.

The Jiao-dragon had absolutely no feelings for the Gu clan.

This was not just because it was cold-blooded.

The successful conferring of its title was a transaction made solely with Zhang Bowen.

Moreover, the cautionary tale of the Qilin was right before its eyes.

Thousands of years of auspicious fortune had blessed the Gu clan.

Keeping them from going extinct within the Kunlun Mountains.

Yet, the Qilin ultimately died because of the Gu clan's desire to leave Kunlun.

Now that the Qilin was dead, the Gu clan's fortune had run its course.

It had no desire to become some nonsense divine beast for the Gu clan.

For a dragon, that was an immense humiliation.

Above the ruins of Linhai City.

Gu Yang's heart was like dead ashes as he slowly knelt on the ground.

At this moment, he deeply understood what it meant to be filled with endless regret.

But now, it was too late to say anything.

Between the fate of the Gu clan and the annihilation of their humanity, he could only choose one.

Patriarch! We...

An old man did not know how to speak.

He knew this matter could not be entirely placed on Gu Yang's shoulders alone.

This was a sin committed by the entire Gu clan.

After the nine people remained silent for a long time.

Gu Yang stared blankly at the tsunami rolling in from the distant ocean.

This was his first time seeing the sea in his life.

The sea was not as beautiful as the legends claimed.

He did not appreciate the so-called blue sea and azure sky, nor its magnificent vastness.

He only felt the crushing dark clouds, the howling gales, and the terrifying waves.

It made his heart heavy.

If it were the old Patriarch, how would he handle this?

If Mr. Bowen were still here, how would he deal with this matter?

Gu Yang found it hard to decide.

But as the Patriarch of the Gu clan, this was a responsibility he could not escape.

How could he bear to capture ten pairs of virgin boys and girls every month?

But if he angered the Jiao-dragon, how would the Gu clan survive?

Finally, as if drained of all his spirit, Gu Yang said despondently,

Gather the ashes of our clansmen. Let us go back!

I will handle this matter. Do not ask about it, and do not tell anyone.

If this is ever exposed in the future, push all the blame onto me alone.

It was I, as the new Patriarch, who led our clansmen to the outside world.

I will bear all the sins for the Gu clan.

...

The eleven Martial Saints had gone to Linhai City.

Nine returned severely injured.

The entire Gu clan was shaken.

Gu Yang merely stated that the eleven of them had split up on the way to search for the Jiao-dragon, and two were ambushed by fleeing Great Xia Martial Saints.

They did not mention anything about the Jiao-dragon.

Eventually, Gu Yang summoned Ye Wujiang in private.

From the very first moment he interacted with Ye Wujiang, seeing him betray Great Xia without hesitation.

He knew this man was not a good person.

He appeared smooth and accommodating, but was actually a cunning old fox.

However, this person was the previous General President of the Great Xia Martial Arts Association.

To control Great Xia, the hegemon of this world, the Gu clan needed Ye Wujiang's assistance.

That was why he had only wiped out the Zhang family, leaving Ye Wujiang and the other two families alive.

Now, in order to preserve the Gu clan, he decided to hand over the task of sacrificing to the Jiao-dragon to Ye Wujiang.

In any case, he absolutely would not let any other Gu clan members stain their hands with this matter.

General President, you asked for me.

Ye Wujiang wore a fawning smile.

Gu Yang glanced at Ye Wujiang.

Then lowered his eyes.

He said in a deep voice,

What I am about to say concerns the survival of the entire Ye family.

Ye Wujiang was instantly stunned.

He thought to himself,

Could it be that these Kunlun barbarians have discovered the things I have done?

Just as he was about to kneel down and admit his mistakes.

Gu Yang continued,

If you dare to leak a single word of the task I am about to give you.

I will make the Ye family disappear from this world!

Ye Wujiang hurriedly replied,

Rest assured, General President. My Ye family is absolutely loyal to the Gu clan and will definitely not disappoint you.

Gu Yang looked at the ground, his expression somewhat hollow.

He controlled his emotions and waited for quite a while before saying,

From now on, every month, secretly take your men to capture ten pairs of virgin boys and girls, bring them to Linhai City, and sacrifice them to the Jiao-dragon.

Ye Wujiang's eyes widened abruptly.

To conceal his expression, he quickly lowered his head again.

At this moment, the brutality of the ancient Kunlun clan had completely exceeded his comprehension.

Ye Wujiang never considered himself a good person.

But even he had not sunk to a level so utterly devoid of humanity.

"These damn beasts are actually going to feed children to the wyrm!"

"A bunch of damned scum!"

"Why did that piece of trash Chen Feng only kill Zhang Bowen and the barbarian patriarch back then?"

"Why didn't he slaughter the entire ancient clan!"

Though Ye Wujiang was cursing furiously in his mind,

on the surface, he could only bow submissively and say:

"Please rest assured, President!"

Yet, it was precisely these few words.

Gu Yang had already mentally condemned the entire Ye family to death.

If this secret ever came to light, the whole Ye family would have to die.