129: The new king and the old king, the honor of the family

The Family high-level meeting regarding the distribution of the three S-grade energy veins as compensation from the Qin Family ultimately concluded hastily and unhappily.

Long Qingtian, relying on the ironclad rule written in the Family's highest code that "the Alpha Heir has the highest priority in distribution," refused to budge, shutting down all dissenting voices. The conservative faction, led by the Third Elder, though unwilling, could not find any valid reasons to refute him and ultimately tacitly accepted the outcome with gloomy expressions.

Although the meeting ended, the ripple it created was like a huge stone, stirring up a surging undercurrent in the seemingly calm deep pool of the Long Family.

Everyone understood that this was not just a debate about resource allocation.

This was the first time the two factions, the "new king" and the "old king," openly displayed their irreconcilable differences.

The entire Long Family was enveloped in a suffocating tension, as if a storm was brewing. Everyone understood that a "new and old struggle" that would determine the Family's fate for the next few centuries had already begun its bloody prelude... Inside the Ancestral Dragon Temple.

Sandalwood smoke curled, and Spiritual Qi permeated the air.

Dragon Battle, who had just finished a day of Cultivation, was sitting cross-legged on a futon made from a whole piece of ten-thousand-year Soul Nurturing Wood, regulating his vast Aura, which was like a deep ocean.

Before him, several conservative Elders, led by the Third Elder, who held respected positions and real power in the Family, as well as more than a dozen influential local faction disciples among the younger generation who looked to him as their leader, were passionately "advising" him.

"Your Highness! You cannot continue to be so 'indifferent to worldly affairs'!" The Third Elder said with a pained and agitated tone, "Do you see? In today's meeting, that Long Qingtian, he is merely a dog by Lin Tian's side, yet he dared to openly contradict us! How is this contradicting us? This is clearly using our faces to slap yours!"

"Yes, Brother Zhan!" A young disciple also echoed indignantly, "That Lin Tian is truly too deceitful! He, an 'outsider' whose Bloodline origin is unclear, just because he made some contributions, not only snatched your 'Alpha' position, but now he wants to monopolize all resources! If this continues, what future do we 'local faction' brothers have?!"

"His merits overshadow his lord, he acts domineeringly, disrespects his Elders, and disregards hierarchy!" Another Elder used eight words to define Lin Tian's "crimes." "This child is an ungrateful Qilin! Your Highness, we must immediately use thunderous means to suppress him completely! Otherwise, once he becomes powerful, the troubles will be endless!"

"Please, Your Highness, immediately initiate a 'Sequence Challenge' against him! Reclaim the position of 'First Sequence' that rightfully belongs to you!"

"Please, Your Highness, take action to clean up the Family and set things right!"

Words of "advice," full of incitement and fanaticism, surged like a tide towards the young king, who had kept his eyes closed and remained silent throughout.

Dragon Battle listened quietly.

He did not open his eyes, but in the golden, sun-like eyes hidden beneath his eyelids, there flickered an incredibly complex and intensely struggling light.

Unwilling?

Of course, he was unwilling!

He, Dragon Battle, was born the most dazzling Qilin of the Long Family! He possessed the purest ancestral Bloodline and Cultivated the most orthodox Ancient Dragon God Art! For the future of the Family, and for the Ancestral Dragon Pool, which opened once every ten years, he had painstakingly Cultivated for a full decade in that dark Forbidden Ground!

Ten years!

He had put in efforts and endured loneliness beyond human imagination to achieve his current heaven-defying Cultivation, which was enough to stand proudly among his peers!

He had thought that his return as a king would be met with the cheers and support of the entire Family, as well as the rightful and undisputed "Alpha" position.

But he never expected that during his absence, a "Lin Tian" who appeared out of nowhere, a so-called "airborne arrival," would actually usurp everything that belonged to him!

Status, honor, and even... his former follower, Long Qingtian, had now become the other party's most loyal general!

This disparity, this humiliation of being challenged and replaced, gnawed at his proud heart, which had never known defeat, like a venomous snake.

However... Dragon Battle's mind involuntarily recalled the combat footage of "The Peak of the Forbidden City" that his subordinates had sent back.

In the footage, the young man named "Lin Tian," with an absolutely crushing posture that even he found shocking, single-handedly suppressed an entire generation!

Whether it was the miraculous Dimensional Slash, or the incomparably domineering Pangu Opens Heaven Fist, or finally, the earth-shattering blow from his mysterious guardian... all of it proved one thing to him, and to the whole world—

This Lin Tian was a true, world-changing... Prodigy!

His talent, his potential, even... stronger than his own!

Although Dragon Battle was arrogant, he was not a fool who would be blinded by jealousy. He knew better than anyone what the emergence of such a figure meant for the Long Family, and even for the entire human civilization, which was facing the dual threats of the "Rift War" and "High-Dimensional Invasion."

It meant... hope!

On one side, there was his challenged and inviolable "selfish desire."

On the other side, there was the "public good" concerning the survival of the Family and the future of humanity.

How should he choose?

Just as Dragon Battle's heart was caught in this intense, heaven-and-man-like struggle, the Third Elder's seductive voice rang out again: "Your Highness! Indecision leads to trouble! As long as you give the word, we..."

"Enough."

Dragon Battle finally slowly opened his eyes.

He merely uttered two words faintly.

But those two words seemed to contain a magical power of decree, causing the entire noisy and passionate hall to instantly fall silent.

His golden, sun-like eyes slowly swept over everyone present. In that gaze, there was no longer any struggle or confusion, only an undeniable resolve and majesty belonging to a true king.

Finally, he raised his hand, stopping everyone's discussion, and with a resolute tone that allowed no one to refute, he established his own position and set the ultimate course of action for the coming internal struggle.

"The quota for the Ancestral Dragon Pool concerns my personal Dao of martial arts, and it also concerns who is the true future of the Long Family. This battle is unavoidable."

"But, I will rely on my own strength to fight him fair and square in three months, to contend, to claim. This is... a private matter."

He changed his tone, and in his golden eyes, a tangible, sky-piercing Battle Intent erupted!

"But, before that..."

"If any external enemy dares to challenge the prestige of my Long Family, dares to bring the flames of war to the land of my Huaxia!"

"I, Dragon Battle, will be the first to step forward and... crush them!"

He slowly stood up, and the incomparably domineering Aura belonging to the "First Sequence" exploded, completely suppressing all the passionate, self-serving "Battle Intent" of his followers!

"This is... a public matter."

"Public and private must not... be confused!"