327: We must gather them together and annihilate them!

Long Qingcheng sat up straight, the laziness and softness in her eyes completely fading, replaced by an absolute majesty and cold determination that saw the whole picture and held the power of life and death.

She spoke, her voice not loud but powerful, each word falling clearly into Li Shengyuan's ears:

"I no longer wish to play hide-and-seek with those rats hiding in the shadows, nor do I have much time to waste on them."

Her gaze was as sharp as a sword, piercing through the morning mist as if she could already see the shadows lurking throughout the Demon Domain.

"I will issue a decree to summon the Ten Great Yao Kings, the Thirty-Six Cave Lords, the Seventy-Two Paths of Yao Marshals, as well as the core Elders of various tribes and military generals under the pretexts of 'discussing border defense, rewarding key officials, and co-deliberating the future of the Demon Domain'... I command them to gather in Holy Dragon City within one month!"

Li Shengyuan was truly shocked upon hearing this.

This move... was massive!

It was almost like summoning all the middle and high-level figures of power in the Demon Domain to be caught in one net.

Among them, there would inevitably be a mix of the truly loyal, the waverers, and... rebels like the Green Rhinoceros King and his associates, and perhaps even deeper-lurking experts from the Demon Cult.

The Yao Race would surely be thrown into chaos!

"Your Majesty," Li Shengyuan frowned slightly and spoke bluntly, "this move is indeed thunderous, but... it might startle the snakes."

"Those with ill intentions might not dare to come. Even if they do, they will surely be fully prepared, perhaps even with a desperate resolve of 'success or death'."

"At that time, experts will gather in Holy Dragon City, and the situation will be incredibly complex. One wrong move could lead to a world-shaking melee, causing chaos in the Demon Domain. Does Your Majesty... truly have the certainty to keep them all here and wipe them out in one go?"

His worry was not without reason; this was equivalent to placing the potential battlefield directly in the heart of one's own capital, magnifying both the risks and the opportunities to the extreme.

Hearing Li Shengyuan's doubts, Long Qingcheng did not look displeased; instead, she showed a hint of appreciation, as if thinking 'as expected'.

She didn't answer immediately, but slowly stood up and walked to the edge of the terrace, overlooking the grand city below that was gradually becoming bustling.

The morning wind blew her robes and long hair; her back was as straight as a pine, yet it carried a solitary loftiness that looked down upon the world.

"Certainty?" she repeated softly, then let out a short, domineering chuckle.

"I don't need absolute certainty." She turned around, her golden pupils burning with a scorching light in the morning sun, "I only need the determination and strength to crush them all!"

Her tone was resolute and beyond doubt: "The matter with Green Rhinoceros has made me see clearly that if these rats in the gutters are not cleaned up early, they will eventually cause a catastrophe and erode the Foundation of the Demon Domain that I have worked so hard to stabilize."

"My ideal is to establish a prosperous Yao nation no less than that of the Human Race. My goal is to break through the shackles of this realm and follow in my sister's footsteps. My time... is very precious!"

She looked at Li Shengyuan with burning eyes: "Rather than letting them slowly breed in the shadows, constantly making small moves and wasting my energy to identify and guard against them one by one, I would rather take this opportunity to force them all into the open with an upright army!"

"If they come, I'll deal with them all at once and eliminate the future trouble forever! If they don't? Then they have a guilty conscience, and I can directly send an army to suppress them with perfect justification!"

"It saves them coming out to stir up trouble and add more hassle later when I am in seclusion or have left!"

This decisiveness, this dominance, and this boldness caused a surge of admiration to rise in Li Shengyuan's heart.

This Majesty the Dragon Emperor was indeed no ordinary figure.

She saw very far and dared to take risks for the sake of long-term peace and a broader future.

"Of course," Long Qingcheng changed her tone, softening slightly but remaining serious, "I am not blindly confident."

"Holy Dragon City is my home turf. The elites of the Dragon Clan and the loyalists of all tribes are gathered here, with layers upon layers of Formations and Restrictions. I have a seventy percent certainty of suppressing all defiance."

She walked back to Li Shengyuan, looked him in the eye, and said solemnly: "But there is always a 'what if' in everything. The variable I worry about most is the high-level members of the Demon Cult, especially that mysterious and rarely seen Demon Cult Leader, and the Great Priest who is rumored to be heavily injured and in hiding but might have means of recovery..."

"If they sense the changes here and the two of them join forces, taking the opportunity to appear and cause trouble alongside the Demon Domain rebels..."

She paused, her voice carrying a hint of a request: "At that time, if it really comes to that, I will need your strength."

"As my sister's Disciple, I believe in your strength. I need you to help me deal with any powerful enemies beyond the Second Grade Realm that might appear."

Li Shengyuan listened quietly, his thoughts racing.

Long Qingcheng's plan was indeed bold, even crazy, but thinking carefully, for a ruler like her who aimed for transcendence, it might truly be the most efficient way.

And the top-level combat power of the Demon Cult she worried about was indeed the biggest variable.

He didn't agree immediately but pondered for a moment before slowly speaking, a helpless yet understanding smile appearing on his face:

"Your Majesty is... trying to completely tie me, Li, to your great warship!"

Long Qingcheng didn't deny it, saying frankly: "It is precisely your appearance that made me finally make this decision!"

Li Shengyuan was not an indecisive person either. He picked up the cup of now-cool milk tea on the table and drained it in one gulp.

Then he set down the cup, stood up to face Long Qingcheng at eye level, his smile fading, leaving only pure sharpness and determination:

"Your Majesty is right. Rats in the gutter are indeed annoying. My time... is also quite precious. After all, there is someone waiting for me to return to the Capital of Great Qian to get married!"

He cupped his hands solemnly toward Long Qingcheng, his tone resonant: "In that case, I, Li, shall accompany you to the end!"

"Let's meet these 'heroes' of the Demon Domain, and... the 'distinguished guests' who might arrive!"

Seeing Li Shengyuan agree so readily, with no fear in his eyes but rather a fighting spirit eager for a challenge and a deep-seated confidence, the look of appreciation in Long Qingcheng's eyes grew even stronger, even carrying a bit of joy.

She had not misjudged him; this Disciple of her sister indeed had the courage, the responsibility, and the strength to match that courage!

"Good!"

Long Qingcheng also showed a rare, hearty, and heroic smile, "As expected of my sister's Disciple, you have spirit!"

She walked to Li Shengyuan's side and patted his shoulder firmly, laughing:

"Then it's settled. I will begin arrangements immediately. Holy Dragon City will be set with an inescapable net. As for you..."

She paused, her smile gaining more sincere warmth: "When this matter is over and you return to Great Qian to get married, remember to... send me an invitation."

"Since my sister isn't here, as your 'Elder', this Her Majesty the Queen has to go and ask for a cup of wedding wine no matter what."

Hearing this, the murderous aura on Li Shengyuan's face instantly turned into a warm smile, and he said in a relaxed tone:

"If Your Majesty can grace us with your presence, it would truly be an honor and make the occasion shine!"

"At that time, I, Li, will certainly welcome you with the most grand etiquette to receive the Her Majesty the Queen!"