The sheer ruthlessness of Chen Feng stunned everyone into silence. The common saying dictates that one does not strike the envoy, yet Chen Feng was not acting out of mere pettiness; if he allowed such blatant arrogance to stand, how could the Dragon Clan retain any shred of dignity? Since he now stood as the Dragon God of the Dragon Clan, which considered itself the true inheritor of "China," and whose ultimate goal was evolution into the Celestial Chinese Dragon, Chen Feng would absolutely not permit any insult or bullying. So what if they possessed the Dragon-Binding Ropes? At least those devices were useless against him and the Great Elder. Furthermore, even if all sixteen of them were equipped with the Ropes, what significant impact could they truly have here, deep within the Dragon Domain? They must remember that outside, tens of thousands of Dragon Clan disciples were already arrayed!

“Thank you, Dragon God Lord…” The captain of the guards, Long Fei, struggled to kneel, seeing Chen Feng’s actions as nothing less than delivering swift justice on his behalf! For a mere insignificant figure like himself to receive such attention from the Dragon God filled him with an inexpressible depth of gratitude. As he bowed, the few guards behind him immediately followed suit, collapsing to the ground and cheering, “Long Live the Dragon God!”

In that instant, Chen Feng, seated on the high dais, felt a wave of satisfaction. With a mere thought, he let loose a sliver of his domain power, and the “Divine Light Sanctuary” abruptly manifested around his body. Sure enough, through the crystal sphere, he sensed an extremely faint trace of energy emanating from these few individuals. Just as he prepared the crystal sphere to absorb this energy, a strange expression flickered across his face. Although his cultivation had reached the Third Level Dou Zun, deploying the Black Particle technique twice consecutively had drained nearly two-thirds of his domain power. Yet, such a massive expenditure of domain power was instantly restored by “that energy” contained within the crystal sphere! “What exactly is this energy? It works even better than an energy elixir!” Chen Feng sighed inwardly.

“Heir of the Flame Dragon…” The burly man to the right, his upper torso bare, spoke with a chilling, sinister look, his voice cold. “What you are doing will lead the Dragon Domain to utter annihilation!” “Annihilation?” Chen Feng let out a cold laugh. “Although the predecessor Flame Dragon has fallen, our Dragon Domain has not yet reached a stage where anyone can come and bully us.” His indifferent tone carried an undeniable majesty, which Chen Feng had secretly amplified by utilizing “that power” to unleash his Divine Dragon Pressure. While this pressure consumed a significant amount of “that power,” it was necessary at this juncture to create a proper show of force. Indeed, the members of the Black Tiger Clan immediately displayed looks of horror upon sensing this pressure. “Divine Pressure… How is this possible? He has completely awakened the Flame Dragon bloodline in just three days…” If the Heir of the Flame Dragon fully ignited his bloodline, he would fully evolve into a Five-Clawed Golden Dragon, and at that point, unless the Black Tiger Clan’s own Divine Gold Black Tiger intervened, absolutely no one could defeat him!

Chen Feng’s initial strike served to intimidate the enemy, and the subsequent display of pressure was executed flawlessly, immediately crushing the arrogance of the Black Tiger Clan members. “Drag this man out and chop him up!” When Chen Feng had spoken those words just moments ago, the Black Tiger Clan might have believed he dared not act, but now, after he finished speaking, their faces turned the color of moss. Seeing that all the guards were frozen in place, Xiao Hu approached with a mischievous grin and directly hauled the heavily injured, upper-body-only strong man away. The strong man on the right finally became truly desperate. He glanced at the Dragon Clan guards surrounding him, boxing him in, then cupped his hands, bowing his head slightly. “Heir of the Flame Dragon, please contain your anger. This matter can still be negotiated…” For the sake of his companion, he abandoned his previous bravado and began to yield.

However, before he could finish speaking, a shrill cry echoed from outside. Xiao Hu bounded back in, beaming with triumphant pride, and announced cheerfully, “Mission accomplished perfectly!” Chen Feng nodded slightly, then turned to the strong man before him. “I am not angry. We can discuss anything; feel free to speak your mind.” “You…” The strong man’s face was ashen. The man was dead—what else was there to talk about! Forcing down his rising fury, he sneered, “I see the Dragon Clan relies only on sheer numbers to bully our envoys. Today, here in your Dragon Domain, you naturally have the advantage of outnumbering us!” Xiao Hu took offense at this slight, as he had been the one executing Chen Feng’s orders. Angrily, he shot back, “Fine, if you say we have the numbers, we can fight one on one!” A sinister smile played on the strong man’s lips; this was exactly the reply he had been waiting for. Xiao Hu was young and naturally fell into the trap. They had brought the Dragon-Binding Ropes. In a one-on-one duel, a flash of green light would immobilize the opponent, leaving them at the mercy of the roper! “The Dragon Clan only knows how to rely on brute force. If we lose the contest, won’t the few of us just be executed here?” the strong man continued to sneer. At these words, all the surrounding Dragon Clan disciples glared with fury, their fists clenched. If not for the presence of the “Dragon God Lord,” they likely would have already thrown their punches.

“Stop wasting time with these petty provocations; just state what you want directly!” Chen Feng commanded coolly. “Very well, the Heir of the Flame Dragon is indeed straightforward. I wish to propose a wager with you—three rounds. Do you dare accept?” the strong man inquired. “The stakes!” Chen Feng knew they hadn't come here without a specific agenda, so he asked directly and candidly. “The stakes are…” The strong man’s face twisted into a sly grin. “They are the two chests behind me!” Everyone’s gaze shifted to the two chests being carried by eight men behind them. The chests were similar in size, each over four meters long and two meters wide, looking rather peculiar—eerily reminiscent of coffins. “If you win, I will give you both chests. If you lose, I ask for the Flame Dragon Secret Tome. Otherwise, I cannot guarantee that I won't smash the contents of these chests!” As he spoke, the strong man revealed a wicked smile.

Wagering the Flame Dragon Secret Tome? “I doubt you can afford that wager!” the Third Elder interjected coldly. The Flame Dragon Secret Tome contained the lifeblood essence of the Flame Dragon and charted the evolutionary path of the Dragon Clan; it concerned the entire future development of the race. Even if the opponents offered ten divine artifacts, they probably wouldn't be enough to cover the cost of the wager. “How can you know if you can’t afford it without looking?” the strong man countered, waving a hand to signal his men, who immediately opened the first chest.

As the chest sprang open, everyone sucked in a collective breath—it was packed to the brim with Blast Bombs! Blast Bombs were refined using special magical materials, sealing within them potent explosive magic. A single fist-sized Blast Bomb, if detonated, was equivalent to a Ninth-Level wide-area attack spell. This large chest held no less than several thousand. If they were all detonated simultaneously, without the protection of the Illusion Formation, this entire Dragon Domain could be blasted into the depths! No wonder these few individuals did not panic upon entering the Dragon Domain—they had brought such things with them. The Great Elder and the others felt the veins on their foreheads throb violently upon seeing the Blast Bombs. If it were any other item, even one ten times more powerful, their formidable magic might still allow them to neutralize the threat directly. However, Blast Bombs were different. Although refined from magical materials, these items possessed the capability to resist magical control. One or two would be manageable, but with so many set to explode at once, they could not guarantee controlling the situation! It was precisely because of this unknown element and lack of control that fear gripped them, causing their expressions to change drastically.

In the entire hall, perhaps Chen Feng was the only one whose face remained impassive. Though the Black Tiger envoy was arrogant, seeing Chen Feng’s unchanging expression, he secretly nodded, impressed by his composure. However, if he knew that Chen Feng’s lack of expression was due to not recognizing the object at all, nor comprehending its power, he might weep with frustration. “Threatening us with Blast Bombs? That’s likely useless!” stated the Great Elder, Long Yi. Since the situation had escalated this far, there was no point in holding back; they had to face it head-on. The strong man seemed to have anticipated this response, a look of inevitability on his face as he gestured for his men to open the second chest.

This chest did not contain Blast Bombs, but rather a piece of white gauze. Beneath the gauze, a semi-exposed, bluish-black arm was visible, suggesting that the rest was likely a statue. What deterrent could a mere statue possibly offer? Xiao Hu and the others almost burst out laughing. “You’re not actually trying to use this statue as part of the wager, are you? Who wants a statue for anything?” Xiao Hu had no business speaking up in this situation, but he showed no awareness of being an outsider. Considering his relationship with Chen Feng, no one dared to reprimand him. “I believe this statue is worth far more than those Blast Bombs,” the strong man said with a smile, clapping his hands, whereupon his subordinates immediately yanked the white gauze off the statue! Xiao Hu glanced at it and laughed, “It’s still just a statue. I don’t see anything special about it. What bold claims…” He hadn’t finished speaking before he saw the Great Elder and the others display expressions of shock and confusion, while upon looking at Chen Feng, they saw his face suddenly drain of color. The strong man noticed the shift in the crowd’s demeanor and remarked, “It seems the Heir of the Flame Dragon is the one who truly knows quality!”

“Whatever the contest is, just state it clearly now!” Chen Feng said coldly, suppressing the shock and rage churning within him. “Dragon God Lord, we cannot wager the Flame Dragon Secret Tome…” The Great Elder and the others, though they recognized the significance of the statue, still failed to grasp the full implications and cried out anxiously. The strong man cast a disdainful glance around the room before finally addressing Chen Feng. “I wager three rounds against you. We present three combatants, and you must present three. If you win, I will surrender these two chests to you, but you must come away with us. If you lose, we take the Flame Dragon Secret Tome, and I will destroy this statue—and you must still come with us. In short, regardless of the outcome, you must accompany us back to the Tiger Domain!”

“Dream on!” Xiao Hu was the first to roar at such an unfair proposition. “Do you take my boss for a fool? Just because you say you want him to follow, he will?” The Great Elder and the others frowned deeply at such harsh terms, finding it unbelievable. Why would the other party place such a high stake—a statue—on the line? Were they insane or foolish? “Very well, I accept the wager,” Chen Feng stated without the slightest hesitation. “What…” Everyone in the great hall froze at Chen Feng’s immediate acceptance.

…………Free Content Below………… ps: I sincerely plead with everyone, if you are able to subscribe, please offer your support with a subscription. If you have a monthly ticket, please give one. If you have neither, please offer a recommendation ticket for support!! Subscriptions are not going well. Someone introduced me to a library job, but it requires taking civil service exams and the like. Laoya is currently struggling... If subscriptions continue like this, for the sake of making a living, I will have no choice but to seek other employment, and that will inevitably impact my update schedule... It’s truly hard to have it both ways!! Subscribing on [Platform Name] only costs 3 cents per thousand characters. If I write ten thousand characters a day, that's only 30 cents. I believe everyone can afford to spend 30 cents to support Laoya. Thank you very much. If you are a student under 16 and have no means, then forget it. Please come to [Platform Name], register an account, cast a recommendation ticket for Laoya, help Laoya advertise a bit, and introduce this book to a few more friends. Thank you!! Also... have you all guessed what the statue is? (To be continued. For future developments, please log in to [Website Address] for more chapters, to support the author, and support the genuine work.) First published.