Chapter 2159 You Seem Quite Disappointed

At Purple Dragon Stockade, a group of sons of the Heavenly Dragon were ready to depart.

Two men surrounded a handsome youth, their attitudes somewhat deferential.

"Hehe, with Brother Yu's stone path, this Dragon Son Battle will surely be a brilliant display!"

The speaker was none other than Long Zheng, whom Ao Xu had brought back.

"Exactly! Brother Yu has no rival among the younger generation of our Purple Dragon Stockade. Only those who come down from Heavenly Dragon Mountain are worthy to be his opponents."

This was another son of the Heavenly Dragon from Purple Dragon Stockade, Ao Zhong.

Long Xiaochun did not have the Heavenly Dragon mark, but her status was special, so she was exceptionally allowed to participate in the Dragon Son Battle.

"Hmph! That Rain Dragon Stockade is so arrogant, they still haven't arrived!" Long Zheng snorted coldly.

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Ao Yu gave Ao Xu a signal, and the two found a secluded spot to talk in low voices.

"Second Uncle, is that kid really as formidable as you say?" Ao Yu frowned.

"Formidable is an understatement! Think about it—what kind of existence is the Holy Ancestor's High Priest? How could someone he personally canonized as a saint be ordinary? If we let him grow, he will surely become your great enemy!" Ao Xu said.

Ao Xu had already told Ao Yu about Ye Yuan's freakishness.

But hearing such tales always felt like a fantasy, so he was still reluctant to believe.

Ao Yu was proud and arrogant, usually looking down on his peers. Now that a freak even more formidable than him had suddenly appeared, he naturally felt displeased.

However, Ao Yu also knew that Ao Xu would not deceive him on such matters.

"Are you sure he can't make it?" Ao Yu's eyes flickered as he asked.

Ao Xu smiled and said, "You know Long Xiao's strength! Even if he is a son of the Heavenly Dragon, he's just an ungrown genius. How could he survive against a Fourth Heaven Celestial Venerable? Moreover, his subordinates are all extremely fierce; even a peak Third Heaven Celestial Venerable would meet their end if they encountered them!"

Ao Yu smiled slightly upon hearing this and said, "Second Uncle leaves no loopholes, removing a major worry for me! Rest assured, Second Uncle, when I set foot on Heavenly Dragon Mountain in the future, I will not forget your kindness."

Ao Xu felt a surge of pride but kept a smile on his face, saying, "You brat, why be so polite with your second uncle?"

The group was growing impatient waiting when someone reported that traces of the bandit gang had been found near Cloud Heaven Mountain Range, clearly after a great battle, and remnants of human aura remained.

It was feared that the son of the Heavenly Dragon, Ye Yuan, and Long Xiaochun had already been killed!

Everyone knew that Ye Yuan, though a son of the Heavenly Dragon, carried the strongest human aura.

So those traces must have been left by him.

These words shocked the entire Purple Dragon Stockade.

The killing of a son of the Heavenly Dragon was as grave as the killing of a stockade dragon lord—a huge matter.

Upon hearing the news, Ao Xu's face changed drastically. He stamped his feet and wrung his hands, saying, "How... how could this happen? This... this is all my fault! If I hadn't abandoned them in the Cloud Heaven Mountain Range, they wouldn't have run into that vicious bandit gang!"

Ao Xu's face was full of remorse, his expression steeped in shame and grief.

It had to be said, his acting was masterful; he could have won an Oscar.

Naturally, he bore the greatest responsibility for this matter, but seeing his demeanor, others found it hard to blame him.

The dragon lord of Purple Dragon Stockade frowned slightly, lost in thought.

"Protector Xu, no one wanted this to happen. Don't blame yourself too much."

"Yes, Protector Xu, this was not your wish. It's all the bandits' fault!"

...

Seeing Ao Xu weeping so sorrowfully, a group of people went up to comfort him.

Ao Xu wiped away his tears, approached the dragon lord, and knelt directly, saying with grief and indignation, "Dragon Lord, I beg to go to the Cloud Heaven Mountain Range to wipe out the bandits! This time, even if I have to wait a hundred thousand years, I will slay them all!"

The dragon lord gave him a meaningful look, sighed, and said, "Enough, this was not your wish. Those bandits are extremely cunning; even a Heavenly Emperor would be useless. I will report this to Heavenly Dragon Mountain and plead guilty."

Although the dragon lord had some suspicions, there was no evidence, so he could not accuse Ao Xu without proof.

But this matter was indeed suspicious!

"Dragon Lord, this... I hope you will give me a chance to atone for my crimes by avenging Dragon Son Ye and Long Xiaochun!" Ao Xu continued, still grief-stricken.

"Oh? What happened that makes Heavenly Emperor Ao Xu want to avenge me?"

Just as the dragon lord was about to speak, two youthful figures suddenly stepped out of the void.

Hearing this voice, Ao Xu's eyes widened like saucers, as if he had seen a ghost. He stammered, "You... you're actually fine?"

Ao Yu saw the newcomer and immediately understood who it was.

His gaze fixed on Ye Yuan, as if trying to see through him.

Ye Yuan said mockingly, "I'm fine. Heavenly Emperor Ao Xu seems quite disappointed, doesn't he?"

The shock in Ao Xu's heart was beyond words.

A mere First Heaven Celestial Venerable had actually survived the siege of Long Xiao's group—it was utterly inconceivable!

He knew Long Xiao's group's strength too well. Not to mention a First Heaven Celestial Venerable, even a Fourth Heaven Celestial Venerable would not return alive.

Otherwise, with so many Heavenly Emperor-level experts in Purple Dragon Stockade, why had Long Xiao, only a Fourth Heaven Celestial Venerable, survived until now?

Naturally, Ao Xu had helped them, but their own strength was also a major factor.

But what was happening now?

Ao Xu quickly recovered and said with slight embarrassment, "Ha... haha, how could that be? I'm overjoyed that Dragon Son Ye has returned safely! Later, I went to look for you with Long Zheng, but you were already gone."

Ye Yuan said with a half-smile, "Heavenly Emperor Ao Xu came looking for us to confirm whether we had been killed, right?"

Ao Xu's expression changed. "What do you mean?"

Ye Yuan smiled. "Don't you understand what I mean? Over the years, you have directed Long Xiao and his men to commit arson, robbery, and every conceivable evil, piling up heinous crimes. You are the real culprit behind Long Xiao's atrocities!"

By the end, Ye Yuan's tone gradually turned cold, his voice carrying anger.

"What? The mastermind behind the bandits is Heavenly Emperor Ao Xu? How is that possible?"

"Has this kid gone mad, actually slandering Heavenly Emperor Ao Xu?"

"Heavenly Emperor Ao Xu is always kind to others in the stockade and is the most approachable Heavenly Emperor. How could he be the bandit leader?"

"Even if he is a son of the Heavenly Dragon, he can't call white black and reverse right and wrong!"

...

A single stone stirred a thousand ripples. Ye Yuan's words sparked intense discussion among the crowd.

Of course, most were incredulous.

Ao Xu was indeed adept at disguise and had an excellent reputation in the stockade.

So when Ye Yuan spoke, everyone instead felt he was looking for trouble.

"Hahaha... Dragon Son Ye, this is the funniest joke I've ever heard! You heard them—everyone knows my character. How could I be the mastermind behind the bandits?" Ao Xu laughed loudly.