As a father, I just want to quietly watch you live a long life Chapter 1577: 418: The First Fiend of the Ten Fiends Diagram—Old Dragon God, Identity Exposed, Xi Xi Did Her Best

“What an arrogant old loach, his insolence knows no bounds!”

Fang Hanshu stroked his elegant beard, his voice resonating with gravity. “The Dragon God clan is renowned for their peerless physical strength, fueled by the demon race blood coursing through their veins. They are naturally dominant in close-quarters combat. Entering the Grandmaster’s Small Cave Heaven actually plays into the old dragon's hands; the barrier that shields against heavenly tribulations allows the Old Dragon God to exert his maximum power without restraint…”

“Furthermore, he completely disregards the minor suppression the Grandmaster can impose within that Small Cave Heaven.”

Meanwhile, on the side of the imperial court army.

Gu Qianchi and Zhao Beidou traded quiet, meaningful looks.

“How savage, how ferocious!”

“It is understandable, though. This old dragon is nearing the end of his natural life, and such beings often turn ruthless as death approaches. It is a heavy burden for the Old Dragon God to leave his retirement and fight for the survival of his kin,” Gu Qianchi remarked with a sigh.

Zhao Beidou shook his head slowly. “If there is blame to be had, it lies with the descendants of the Dragon God clan for being so incompetent.”

Complexity flickered in Gu Qianchi’s gaze. “But that isn't unique to the Dragon God clan, is it? Our own Divine Sect faces the same crisis… without a successor of true caliber, I fear the future of our Divine Sect will crumble, unable to endure.”

These words struck a chord in Zhao Beidou’s heart.

His own disciple, Zhao Chunqiu, the former Sect Master of the Dragon Tiger Divine Sect, had been a man of talent, but he had fallen in a previous conflict. Since his passing, the Dragon Tiger Divine Sect lacked a pillar to support it.

This was the reason Zhao Beidou had been so moved when Xie Yunshen petitioned the Emperor for benefits on behalf of the Dragon Tiger Divine Sect's disciples.

Leading a Great Divine Sect was indeed a grueling endeavor.

Deep within the Qianyuan Divine Sect Mountain Gate.

Inside the study.

Li Che remained focused on Xi Xi’s progress, yet he could feel the immense, suffocating pressure descending upon the entirety of Dao City.

He shifted a portion of his consciousness, manifesting the Heaven and Earth chessboard. Instantly, he perceived the scene beyond the city walls: the Old Dragon God was riding the surging waves of the Grand Canal, challenging the Qianyuan Divine Sect’s Grandmaster, Lv Qiankun.

An Old Dragon God of the One Calamity and Two Tribulations Realm!

“Such arrogance…”

Li Che sat calmly, pouring a cup of steaming tea. The vibrant green leaves danced and whirled within the liquid.

As his slender fingers lifted the cup for a sip, a cold, sharp light glinted in his eyes.

The Emperor of Dajing had permitted the Old Dragon God to enter the borders to aid the court in subjugating Qianyuan Dao City. In this deal, the Qianyuan Divine Sect Mountain Gate was the pawn offered to the Dragon God clan.

By submitting to Dajing, the Old Dragon God had agreed to merge the Qi fortune of the East Sea Dragon Clan into the destiny of the Dajing Empire.

Consequently, the Old Dragon God viewed the Qianyuan Divine Sect as his clan's rightful future residence.

However, Li Che suspected this dragon’s haughtiness would be short-lived.

A slight tremor vibrated through Li Che’s chest. The Dao Fruit of the [Fairy in the Painting] began to pulse rhythmically, emitting ink-colored ripples that spread like a thick mist.

A spectral painting scroll seemed to unfurl across his field of vision.

This was the [Ten Fierce Brushwork], the Dao guide of his [Fairy in the Painting] Dao Fruit!

To this day, he had not painted a single beast.

The creation of the Ten Fierce Brushwork required demon souls; the more powerful the soul, the more formidable the resulting beast would be.

Li Che had originally considered using the soul of the Dragon God Crown Prince for his first creation, but his plans had evolved.

Following the successful refinement of his Martial Arts Golden Body and the awakening of the Eighth Qimen Immortal Seed, his ambitions had expanded.

The position of the first beast in his Ten Fierce Brushwork…

Was now reserved for the Old Dragon God.

Still, a powerhouse of the One Calamity and Two Tribulations Realm was formidable. At full power, he would far surpass someone like Zhao Beidou.

Despite Li Che’s significant increase in Cultivation and strength, he knew he could not afford to be reckless against such a foe.

Even with the Dragon God Crown Prince poised to betray his elder, Li Che felt he needed more insurance to guarantee victory.

While sitting in his study, an idea struck him.

With a flick of his wrist, a Soul Capturing chess piece transformed into a bolt of black lightning, expanding until it took the shape of Gu Changqing, the Heavenly Pill Divine Sect Master.

Gu Changqing appeared in his Alchemy Saint robes, looking as though he had been pulled away from a boiling cauldron.

“Lord!”

Gu Changqing bowed deeply, his loyalty absolute.

Li Che tapped his fingers against the arm of his chair, recalling Liu Qing, the top genius of the Heavenly Pill Divine Sect he had met at the Flat Peach Victory Meeting.

Liu Qing’s mastery of toxins had been impressive, especially the Heavenly Pill Poison.

Li Che had even managed to acquire a sample of it in the past.

However, while Liu Qing’s poison could threaten a Martial Saint, it would likely be ineffective against a titan like the Old Dragon God.

“Heavenly Pill Poison?” Gu Changqing asked, looking confused.

He realized his Lord was no traditional hero—and he found that he liked that quality quite a bit.

For an Alchemy Saint, crafting poisons was as natural as breathing.

“Creating a toxin capable of affecting a Divine Tribulation Cultivator is possible,” Gu Changqing said seriously. “I can refine it, but the ingredients are incredibly rare, and the risk of failure is high. If I fail the refinement, the backlash would kill me.”

Li Che’s expression turned amused. “That is no issue. Experiment as much as you need. Make it as lethal as possible. Even if you are poisoned to death, you will simply return to life.”

Gu Changqing blinked, then scratched his head awkwardly. He had forgotten for a moment that as a Soul Capturing chess piece, death was no longer a permanent obstacle.

The final barrier to creating the ultimate poison had been removed.