Chapter 168 The Conspiracy Theory of the Mysterious Candle God

Meanwhile, in this passage that spanned across domains and connected two worlds, eight hundred Golden Armored Dragon Guards, clad in dark gold heavy armor, stood in a strict formation.

An aura of grim slaughter permeated the passage.

Divine Venerable Lietian looked ahead with an expressionless Face.

Dragon Prince Ao Qian and Ao Gang stood on either side of him, never leaving his shadow.

Dragon Prince Ao Qian, on his right, seemed somewhat distracted throughout the journey.

His dark golden dragon pupils kept glancing up at the top of Divine Venerable Lietian's head; every time he looked, his Face would twitch slightly, as if he were desperately trying to suppress something.

His expression was extremely hesitant; his lips moved repeatedly, as if he wanted to say something, but the words would reach his lips only to be swallowed back down forcibly.

His fingers subconsciously clenched and then relaxed, repeating this motion, as if a battle was raging within him.

That hesitant appearance, in the eyes of others, made him look like he was suffering from a serious illness.

"Your subordinate seems to have something to say, but he is hesitating and hasn't spoken."

A slightly playful voice echoed in the depths of Divine Venerable Lietian's Sea of Consciousness.

Upon hearing Gu Heng's transmission, Divine Venerable Lietian's body stiffened; he responded with a bitter smile in his Sea of Consciousness: "...I have truly embarrassed you. This little brat has been acting like he lost his soul the entire journey. I don't know what he's thinking; he looks completely absent-minded."

"Ask him," Gu Heng said. "Looking at how conflicted he is, it's likely that something has gone wrong in the Dragon God Domain. Since you are returning to the Chaos Main Hall, you must understand the situation clearly, lest you dive in headfirst and end up counting money for the person who sold you out."

"This subordinate understands."

Divine Venerable Lietian acknowledged in his heart, then his expression darkened, and he slowly withdrew his hands from behind his back.

He glanced sideways at Dragon Prince Ao Qian. "Dragon Prince Ao Qian."

Hearing Divine Venerable Lietian's call, the distracted Dragon Prince Ao Qian jolted.

He hurriedly withdrew his furtive gaze, subconsciously bent his waist, cupped his hands, and respectfully replied, "My Lord, this subordinate is here! Do you have any instructions?"

Divine Venerable Lietian snorted coldly, his gaze sweeping across Dragon Prince Ao Qian's Face like a blade. "You've been acting shifty the entire way, with your eyes practically glued to me. If you have something to say, just say it. What's with the stuttering? When I took you to the battlefield back then, you weren't this cowardly."

Being exposed directly by Divine Venerable Lietian, a look of struggle immediately appeared on Dragon Prince Ao Qian's Face.

He gritted his molars and glanced at Ao Gang on his left, who was expressionless and seemed to have heard nothing.

Then he looked at Divine Venerable Lietian's firm and cold profile, and finally gritted his teeth and spoke, "My Lord... this subordinate does have a matter, but I am unsure if I should speak of it... This matter concerns the situation after you return to the clan. After thinking it over, I felt it necessary to give you a heads-up in advance, so you won't be caught off guard."

"Speak." Divine Venerable Lietian frowned slightly, his tone already laced with impatience.

Dragon Prince Ao Qian sighed. "My Lord, if you are rushing to the Chaos Main Hall this time with the intention of immediately summoning your old subordinates to intimidate those old fogies in the clan... I fear it will be somewhat difficult. You might even... encounter significant obstacles."

Divine Venerable Lietian's heart stirred slightly, but he maintained his cold indifference and even intentionally sneered. "Oh? I have only been fallen for a few hundred days, and now I return with a re-cultivated body. Do those old immortals want to erase my position? Who gave them the guts?"

"My Lord, please calm down," Dragon Prince Ao Qian said indignantly. "Actually... before this subordinate led people to the Lower Realm, the Grand Elder of the Conservative Faction, God Venerable Xuanzhu, had already developed great suspicions regarding your Rebirth. That old thing said many unpleasant things in front of many Elders in the main hall, and every word was directed at you, My Lord."

"God Venerable Xuanzhu?" Divine Venerable Lietian searched his memories for this name at lightning speed.

God Venerable Xuanzhu, the leader of the Dragon Clan's Conservative Faction, an old immortal who had lived for who knows how long.

Back when he was still alive, this old guy would cling to that set of "The Dragon Clan should follow the Heavenly Dao, endure, and lie low" outdated rules every day, opposing him, the war-loving God of War, at every turn.

The grudge between the two could be traced back tens of millions of years; in the Dragon Clan's council hall, they had smashed countless tables.

"Correct, that is the old antique." A flash of anger appeared in Dragon Prince Ao Qian's eyes, and his fists clenched. "That old guy, God Venerable Xuanzhu, publicly suggested to the Dragon Ancestor that after you fell, My Lord, you suddenly succeeded in re-cultivating in the Lower Realm with the body of a common blade of grass, and the speed was unimaginably fast. There must be something fishy about this."

"He even publicly declared in the main hall that your Rebirth, My Lord... was not some stroke of fortune, but that you are being secretly manipulated by someone with ulterior motives!"

Speaking of this, Dragon Prince Ao Qian couldn't help but sneer. "That old thing, God Venerable Xuanzhu, just can't stand to see our Radical Faction doing well! When you were alive, My Lord, you kept their Conservative Faction from even lifting their heads."

"Now that you have finally returned from your tribulation, My Lord, he can even make up such an absurd reason. It is simply the height of ridiculousness!"

Listening to Dragon Prince Ao Qian's indignant accusations, Divine Venerable Lietian was stunned on the spot.

A Puppet? Manipulated by someone with ulterior motives? Plotting against the Dragon Clan's Divine Treasury?

He screamed frantically in his heart: God Venerable Xuanzhu, you old immortal, you usually spout nonsense, so why did you have to guess so accurately on this specific matter?

He subconsciously felt the heaven-reaching tower in the depths of his Sea of Consciousness, which was like a mustard seed and radiated endless pressure.

The servant contract that completely controlled his life and death was branded in the deepest part of his Divine Soul. As long as Gu Heng had a single thought, his Divine Soul would instantly be annihilated.

Gu Heng was holding a teacup at that moment. Hearing Dragon Prince Ao Qian's words, the corner of his mouth couldn't help but twitch slightly, and he almost choked on a mouthful of tea.

"This old guy named God Venerable Xuanzhu has quite an accurate intuition," Gu Heng teased. "However, he probably couldn't even dream that the 'someone with ulterior motives' he speaks of is currently hiding in your head, drinking tea."

Divine Venerable Lietian wiped cold sweat in his heart and replied with some guilt, "Master, you jest. With you here, even if that old guy God Venerable Xuanzhu guessed the truth, he wouldn't be able to stir up any waves."

To cover up his embarrassment, Divine Venerable Lietian hurriedly coughed.

He bit the bullet and asked in a low voice, devoid of emotional fluctuation, "Hmph, that old thing God Venerable Xuanzhu has always liked conspiracy theories. Let me ask you, when faced with his questioning, how did you answer at that time?"

Hearing Divine Venerable Lietian's question, a look of extreme confidence immediately appeared on Dragon Prince Ao Qian's Face, with a hint of smugness in the corners of his eyes and brows.

He puffed out his chest slightly. "My Lord, rest assured, this subordinate and the others naturally would never believe his nonsense."

"The Conservative Faction has always been at odds with us; we'd even suspect if their farts were poisonous. So, this subordinate refuted him on the spot in the main hall!"

"This subordinate told him that although our Dragon Domain is in the Lower Realm, it was a private territory personally opened up by the first Dragon Ancestor. Although the aura of the Law there cannot compare to the God Domain, it is definitely not something an ordinary Lower Realm can compare to! Coupled with the fact that our Immortal Emperors in the Dragon Domain take care of it day and night with meticulous care, it is only natural that you, My Lord, succeeded in re-cultivating in such an exceptionally blessed place!"

Dragon Prince Ao Qian paused here, his expression becoming somewhat strange.

He carefully glanced at the green blade of grass on Divine Venerable Lietian's head, then hurriedly looked away and continued, "Moreover, this subordinate also said that for a Divine Venerable to be Reborn, theoretically, only a trace of an undying Origin is needed. As the God of War from back then, your talent, My Lord, is unprecedented and naturally incomparable to ordinary God Realm experts. It's just... it's just that your transformation process, My Lord, might have had a tiny little accident, so you retained a part of your original body's characteristics..."

His gaze lingered on the blade of grass on Divine Venerable Lietian's head for 0.1 seconds before he quickly pulled it back, as if it were something scalding hot.

Divine Venerable Lietian's Face turned as black as the bottom of a pot in an instant.

"Dragon Prince Ao Qian, Ao Gang."

Divine Venerable Lietian suddenly stopped and turned around abruptly, a cold killing intent erupting from his body.

Feeling that killing intent, Dragon Prince Ao Qian and Ao Gang's Faces went pale, and they lowered their heads in unison.

Dragon Prince Ao Qian felt the hair on his back stand up.

"My Lord... this subordinate is here."

Divine Venerable Lietian took a deep breath, his chest heaving violently a few times, before he forcibly suppressed the urge to slap these two little brats away.

He said word by word, "From now on, I order you: you are not allowed to use any gaze or Divine Thought to stare at the top of my head! Furthermore, you are not allowed to discuss it in private! This is a death order! Do you hear me clearly?!"

Hearing this order, Dragon Prince Ao Qian and Ao Gang looked at each other, both seeing the astonishment in the other's eyes.

But neither dared to show the slightest hesitation, and they hurriedly cupped their hands in agreement, "This... this subordinate obeys!"

Turning around, Dragon Prince Ao Qian couldn't help but mutter in his heart: This is definitely the most absurd and strange order Divine Venerable Lietian has issued in these hundreds of thousands of years.

But then again, Divine Venerable Lietian was so majestic back then, daring to charge into the Demon Race's camp alone in a fit of rage. Now that he has transformed into this appearance, it is only natural that he feels aggrieved. My Lord's temper has always been explosive; he has probably reached his limit by holding it in until now.

I must keep a close eye on the little brats under my command from now on. If anyone dares to look at the top of My Lord's head, I will personally strip off their dragon scales!

Dragon Prince Ao Qian secretly swore in his heart, and he had even begun to calculate in his mind how to straighten out military discipline and prevent such incidents from happening again after returning.

Putting away his thoughts, Dragon Prince Ao Qian's expression became serious again. He stepped forward and added cautiously, "My Lord, although this subordinate refuted God Venerable Xuanzhu in the main hall, given that old thing's personality, he will definitely not give up easily."

"He has always been meticulous and extremely suspicious. This subordinate estimates that once you return and step into the Dragon God Domain, My Lord, that old guy God Venerable Xuanzhu will definitely come out to obstruct you in every way, and might even mobilize the forces of his Conservative Faction to surround us."

"Obstruct?" Divine Venerable Lietian snorted coldly, a mocking smile flashing in his eyes. "If he dares to block me, I will dismantle his old bones along with him! Does he really think that because I have Reincarnated and re-cultivated, I can no longer lift my blade?"

Although he appeared to be a mere True Immortal on the surface, a heaven-reaching tower was hidden within his mind, and inside that tower sat a mysterious powerhouse of unfathomable strength.

With his master backing him, he now had enough confidence to poke a hole in the sky.

Never mind a single God Venerable Xuanzhu; even if the entire Conservative Faction of the Dragon Clan were to come out in full force, he might not even frown.

Just then—

"Boom—"

The Void Realm channel ahead suddenly trembled violently.

Dense cracks appeared on the channel walls amidst the violent tremors, and countless spatial turbulences converged at the end of the channel.

The Dragon Clan's ancestral Qi began to diffuse from the cracks.

The Dragon God Domain had arrived.

Looking at the vast Star Domain ahead, where stars were densely scattered like grains of sand, a look of determination flashed in Dragon Prince Ao Qian's eyes.

He turned his head and said to Divine Venerable Lietian, "My Lord, the Dragon God Domain has arrived. We must speed up and reach the Chaos Main Hall before Xuanzhu and the people of the Conservative Faction can react!"

"As long as the experts of our Radical Faction gather, and you, My Lord, return to the main seat, it will be a done deal, and we won't have to worry about that old fellow causing trouble from the shadows anymore!"

Before he could finish his sentence—

"Hum—"

A terrifying pressure of a Divine Venerable suddenly descended from the Void Realm ahead!

A booming voice, carrying a hypocritical fake smile, traveled from afar, "Hehehe... I was wondering why the magpies were singing at my door today, so it turns out... it's the God of War Lietian returning from his tribulation!"

Hearing this voice, Dragon Prince Ao Qian's expression turned incomparably ugly in an instant, and his heart couldn't help but skip a beat.

The Divine Venerable's pressure forced the Golden Armored Dragon Guards, who had just walked out of the Void Realm channel, to a sudden halt in mid-air.

Under that pressure, the eight hundred Golden Armored Dragon Guards faltered in their steps; some of the weaker guards even turned pale.

Golden divine radiance intertwined in the Star Domain, and an old man in a black robe stood with his hands behind his back.

Seeing God Venerable Xuanzhu blocking the way, Dragon Prince Ao Qian's Face darkened.

He stepped forward, shielding Divine Venerable Lietian behind him, and his God Lord Realm cultivation erupted, golden divine light swirling around him as he attempted to resist the pressure of the Divine Venerable.

However, the gap between a God Lord and a Divine Venerable was like a chasm, and his body trembled slightly under that pressure.

Facing this Divine Venerable, Divine Venerable Lietian did not show a trace of panic on his Face.

His back was straight, and even the green grass on top of his head stood stubbornly under this Divine Venerable's pressure.

Divine Venerable Lietian sneered in his heart.

Panic? What did he have to panic about?

With his master backing him, never mind a mere God Venerable Xuanzhu; even if the Dragon Ancestor himself descended, he would dare to point at the other party's nose and curse them out!

"Xuanzhu."

Divine Venerable Lietian slowly walked out from behind Dragon Prince Ao Qian, arms crossed, looking coldly at the old man.

His expression remained unchanged, and he even wore a mocking sneer, "Ten thousand years have passed, and you old immortal really have regressed as you've aged. With nothing better to do, why aren't you lying in your coffin instead of running to the edge of this domain to block my path? If you have this much free time, you might as well make more contributions to our Dragon Clan, rather than occupying the latrine without relieving yourself every single day!"

Once these words were spoken, the Void Realm fell silent.

The few Conservative Faction Elders following behind God Venerable Xuanzhu widened their eyes.

They looked at Divine Venerable Lietian with some disbelief.

They never expected that this Lietian, who had just been reborn not long ago and only had True Immortal Realm cultivation, would still be as arrogant and domineering as before, not even leaving God Venerable Xuanzhu any Face!

God Venerable Xuanzhu was also slightly stunned, a trace of astonishment flashing in his cold dragon eyes.

Looking at Divine Venerable Lietian's arrogant posture and hearing that incredibly familiar sharp-tongued tone, he was momentarily dazed.

How many years had it been? This tone, this demeanor, it was exactly the same as the Lietian who used to slam the table and curse in the council hall back then.

"This arrogant spirit..." God Venerable Xuanzhu furrowed his brows.

Could it be that this guy in front of him really was that madman Lietian, who had relied on his own fortune to live a second life in the Lower Realm?

After all, if it were really a Puppet arranged by someone with ulterior motives, they would definitely act cautiously when facing a Divine Venerable like him, trying to hide their flaws, and it would be impossible for them to act like they had eaten gunpowder and were biting everyone they saw right from the start.

However, hearing Divine Venerable Lietian accuse him of "not contributing to the clan," God Venerable Xuanzhu laughed in anger.

He took a step forward, the Divine Venerable's pressure surging once more, his voice carrying a hint of anger, "God-Venerable Lietian, stop slandering me here! For the continuation of the Dragon Clan, how much pressure has my Conservative Faction silently endured over these years? How many times have we secretly cleaned up the messes caused by your Radical Faction's reckless actions? It's one thing for your Radical Faction to turn a blind eye, but now that you've just returned, you dare to accuse me here!?"

He took a deep breath, suppressing the anger in his heart, and his gaze swept back and forth over Divine Venerable Lietian, "I ask you, since you have returned to the God Domain, why aren't you returning to your God of War mansion to recover your cultivation? Where are you planning to go, rushing about with people like this?"

Divine Venerable Lietian crossed his arms, snorted coldly, and said impatiently, "Do I need to report to you where I am going? Naturally, I am going to the Chaos Main Hall!"

"Going to the Chaos Main Hall?" God Venerable Xuanzhu's suspicion deepened, "What are you going to the Chaos Main Hall for? It has been abandoned for years and is simply not suitable for you to heal or cultivate. As a newly reborn True Immortal, what proper business could you have there?"

Divine Venerable Lietian lost his patience, waving his hand as if shooing away a fly, "That is none of your concern. Stop wasting my time here! Dragon Prince Ao Qian, heed my order!"

"I am here!" Dragon Prince Ao Qian quickly replied, his spirits lifted.

"Immediately crush the assembly token for me, summon all the high-level Elders of our Radical Faction, and prepare to hold a council at the Chaos Main Hall! I have important matters to announce!" Divine Venerable Lietian shouted, his voice echoing through the Void Realm.

"Yes!" Dragon Prince Ao Qian did not hesitate at all, pulling a crimson token from his bosom. He crushed it with force— "Crack!" A crimson light shot into the sky, transforming into the shape of a dragon and exploding across the Dragon God Domain Star Domain.

Seeing this, God Venerable Xuanzhu's expression sank completely.

"Wait!" God Venerable Xuanzhu shouted sharply, his figure flickering as he instantly blocked the exit of the spatial channel.

His body was like an insurmountable mountain, completely sealing off the path of the Golden Armored army.

He stared at Divine Venerable Lietian and sneered, "Looking at how impatient you are, this is definitely not just for some simple council. If I'm not mistaken, God-Venerable Lietian, you have ulterior motives for returning to the clan this time!"

Divine Venerable Lietian was amused by him.

"Alright then, Xuanzhu, why don't you tell me, what exactly am I plotting against you by returning this time?"

"This..." God Venerable Xuanzhu was momentarily speechless, his lips moving a few times, but he couldn't immediately say anything.

He stood in the Void Realm, his brows furrowed, thinking frantically in his mind. The Chaos Main Hall... it was an ancient temple, and usually, apart from council meetings, there was really nothing worth a God of War coveting. There were neither divine weapons or Treasure Troves, nor peerless Cultivation Techniques there...

Wait! A flash of inspiration suddenly struck God Venerable Xuanzhu's mind, and his cold dragon eyes suddenly widened.

Below the Chaos Main Hall was the most core Forbidden Ground dungeon of the Dragon God Domain!

And deep within that dungeon, those few The Chosen Sons of the Dragon Clan, who were prepared to be sacrificed to open the supreme Divine Treasury, were currently being held!

"That's it! Your target is those The Chosen Sons!"

God Venerable Xuanzhu seemed to have seen through everything, a look of sudden realization and smugness appearing on his Face, and he even couldn't help but laugh out loud,

"God-Venerable Lietian, stop playing tricks in front of me! You are rushing to the Chaos Main Hall this time simply to go to the dungeon and release those The Chosen Sons who are to be sacrificed! You want to sabotage the opening of the Divine Treasury! You want to cut off the hope of our Dragon Clan's rise!"

Hearing this guess, Divine Venerable Lietian looked at God Venerable Xuanzhu with the eyes of someone looking at an idiot, his gaze full of speechlessness.

He couldn't help but shake his head and sigh, "Xuanzhu, is your brain broken? Sabotage our own Dragon Clan's Divine Treasury? Is there a hole in my head? What good would it do me to do this?"

Beside him, Dragon Prince Ao Qian also couldn't help but sneer, "So that's how it is. God Venerable Xuanzhu, I respect you as a Senior in the clan, but your current actions are truly despicable. You just can't stand to see our Divine Venerable Lietian doing well!"

"My Lord has just returned to the clan and wants to summon the high-level members to discuss the secrets regarding his fall back then, and by the way, investigate who was the one who secretly stabbed him in the back. Isn't that a very normal thing?"

"How did it turn into a conspiracy to sabotage the Divine Treasury in your mouth?"

"This..." God Venerable Xuanzhu was a bit bewildered by the two of them, a rare look of hesitation appearing on his old Face.

He scrutinized Divine Venerable Lietian with some suspicion, but the feeling that something was wrong in his heart was getting stronger and stronger.

"No... it's still not right..." God Venerable Xuanzhu muttered to himself in his heart, the light in his dragon eyes flickering uncertainly.

He took a deep breath, piercing his Divine Sense through Divine Venerable Lietian's protective divine light, straight into the depths of his Physical Body.

Divine Venerable Lietian felt that highly aggressive Divine Sense, his heart tightening slightly.

But he controlled his emotions, not revealing a single flaw on his Face, and kept his breathing steady.

Because he knew that Gu Heng was using the power of the heaven-reaching tower to protect his Divine Soul, perfectly shielding his Divine Soul and the traces of the contract; Xuanzhu could not possibly discover any secrets about the contract.

However, as God Venerable Xuanzhu's Divine Sense probed, his expression gradually changed from suspicion to shock, and finally, it turned cold.

The light in those dragon eyes became increasingly sharp.

He pointed at Divine Venerable Lietian and shouted sternly,

"God-Venerable Lietian, stop pretending!"

"If you were not being used by others, if you really had returned by cultivating again relying on your own fortune..."

"Then tell me, why does your Physical Body contain the residual aura of... Demon God Emperor Fantian's lifeblood essence!?"

Hearing this, Divine Venerable Lietian was completely stunned on the spot.

His pupils constricted, the sneer on his Face froze, and only one thought echoed in his mind— It's over.