Lu Jun stood on top of the dragon's head, curiously looking down at the dragon's body beneath his feet, feeling a slight sense of regret.
In the original timeline, after the Black Dragon Emperor fell, its Emperor-level body was refined by Asharuiya into a complete set of magic equipment, including winged magic equipment, armor magic equipment, slashing magic equipment, and auxiliary magic equipment—six pieces in total, each with its own unique function.
When combined, they could even temporarily summon the Black Dragon Emperor, possessing Emperor-level combat power.
It could be said that after struggling his entire life, Mo Fan finally got lucky by attaching himself to a rich woman and obtained this legendary set of magic equipment. Fully armed to the teeth, it was considered one of the most powerful magic equipment sets in the magic world.
The strength of the Evil Dragon was no weaker than the Black Dragon Emperor. Logically, it could also be refined into an equivalent set of magic equipment.
However, it required preserving the Emperor's essence and using a complete Emperor corpse with its essence intact to create it.
Since Lu Jun and the other two had to divide the spoils, they could only take this inferior approach. Besides, his Metal Element's first divine weapon was about to reach its peak. Once he advanced to Forbidden Spell, he would be able to refine all metals under heaven, forging the strongest magic equipment through countless temperings—he did not lack such a set.
"Moreover, the Evil Dragon belongs to the Lightning Element. If turned into magic equipment, it would probably suit Lightning Mages best. It doesn't match my attributes."
He thought to himself, not feeling too much regret. The White Tiger Pendant was what mattered most. Once it advanced to the peak of a Star Ocean Magic Tool, his Super Tier cultivation would advance by leaps and bounds, allowing all eight elements to reach great completion within a year, just like Mo Fan.
Splash—!
At this moment, the surrounding waves surged violently. The massive corpse of the Evil Dragon rolled and coiled through the ocean like a living being, exuding a chilling aura. Wherever it passed, demons retreated, Monarchs kept their distance, making it extremely domineering.
There was no choice. After an Emperor-level battle, all formations in the Mariana Trench had been destroyed. Carrying an Emperor's corpse, they could only make the long journey back.
This was exactly what Hua Zhanhong wanted. According to him, slaying an Emperor greatly boosted Jiuzhou's morale—it had to be paraded from the South Sea to the Bohai Sea, circling half of Jiuzhou's coastline for the people along the twenty-thousand-mile coast to witness.
Fortunately, the Pacific Empire already knew of the Evil Dragon Emperor's fall and would not pursue relentlessly, so the danger was not great.
After all, if it were alive, other Emperors might intervene to help. But once dead, it held no value, no Emperor would risk provoking this group of humans capable of hunting Emperors.
Unless they lingered in one place too long and allowed the enemy to mobilize forces for a counter-hunt.
The four figures seated atop the dragon's corpse were all exhausted, sitting cross-legged on the dragon's head with their eyes closed, resting. They had gone through a great battle and were already drained.
Among them, the Mermaid Empress had already shrunk to the size of a normal human, unlike ordinary Mermaid Holy Spirits who could freely adjust their size.
She had actually transformed into a living, breathing human. Her lower body was no longer a long and agile flood-dragon tail, but a pair of full yet slender white legs.
Her entire demeanor was noble and graceful. Wearing an imperial crown, with a slender figure and a mature, beautiful face, she resembled a powerful and elegant empress.
The Mermaid Empress curiously observed Lu Jun, her attitude extremely affectionate, like a mother-in-law growing more fond of her son-in-law the more she looked at him.
She took the initiative to speak, "I've heard—it was you who brought human forces to help our Water Element Holy Spirit clan through this crisis, correct?"
Hearing this, Lu Jun opened his eyes, scratched his head, and humbly replied, "Yes, but it was mainly Commander Hua and Councillor Shao who lent their support."
"Not bad." The Mermaid Empress praised, "I remember you contracted a descendant of our clan. Since you helped me through this ordeal, I will personally nurture her and make her the next ruler of the Holy Spirit clan. How about it?"
Lu Jun was overjoyed, the Mermaid girl had found a powerful backer.
At this moment, Hua Zhanhong had recovered some of his strength. After some consideration, he said to the Holy Spirit Emperor, "Your Majesty, regarding the Mariana Trench—after things settle down, we will help you rebuild your habitat."
"At that time, we will also send people to station here with you."
Hua Zhanhong felt a bit strange inwardly. Forming an alliance with a demon force—this was truly unprecedented.
It wasn't that humans had never considered negotiating with demon Emperors before, but demons were inherently chaotic and violent, born from the most turbulent magic energy in the world. Though intelligent, they fundamentally lacked human nature.
At most, they maintained a tacit understanding of non-interference.
He thought to himself, "Perhaps only gentle Elemental Holy Spirits have the basis for cooperation."
Of course, those not of our kind must have different intentions.
It was fine for the Mermaid Emperor to stay in Jiuzhou temporarily, but Hua Zhanhong did not dare defy the world by allowing the Mermaid clan to settle in Jiuzhou long-term. Thus, he chose this compromise, stationing them outside as allies who would watch over and assist each other.
Moreover, the Mariana Trench was like a sharp blade inserted into the belly of the Pacific Empire from the southern line. Its geographical position was crucial, with great deterrent power. It could restrain part of the Sea Demon Empire's forces, forcing them to guard against their transport routes being cut off.
The Holy Spirit Emperor's expression remained calm, showing no objection. For Water Element Holy Spirits to thrive, the environmental requirements were extremely high.
After reaching an agreement, the group fell into silence once more.
Time passed, and after about half a day—
Dean Xiao drove massive waves to carry the Evil Dragon's corpse, gradually approaching the southern sea domain of Jiuzhou.
When Lu Jun opened his eyes, Commander Hua beside him had already stood up. His black windbreaker fluttered fiercely, his heroic bearing surging, as if he had returned to his peak state.
Hua Zhanhong sensed it, looked over, and said with a smile, "Pull yourself together. Show your best self. Prepare to become a leader of humanity, the spiritual pillar of Jiuzhou!"
At the same time, the largest coastal city along the South Sea, Demon Capital Harbor.
This place had long turned into a sea of people, a vast expanse of dark crowds stretching endlessly, as if millions had gathered. All local residents, along with tourists who rushed over upon hearing the news, waited in eager anticipation.
The news of hunting an Emperor had spread, shocking the world.
Whether it was the Holy City or the Asian Magic Association, all remained silent. Jiuzhou's international influence soared dramatically, dominating all others, no one dared to challenge its edge.
Even Su Lu abandoned his plan to obstruct Jiuzhou at the international conference. A single Earth Pistil was simply not enough to stop it.
The rise in Jiuzhou's authority greatly strengthened the Jiuzhou faction within the Asian Magic Association. Most council members leaned toward Shao Zheng, putting Su Lu's ruling position in jeopardy, let alone his ambition of becoming the Human Emperor.
After learning the news, Su Lu locked himself alone in his office. No one knew what he was thinking.
It was only known that afterward, the movements of the Dark Court became noticeably more agitated, almost frantic, collecting massive amounts of children's hearts.
If Lu Jun had learned this information, he would have understood that Su Lu could no longer wait. The other party intended to take down the Black Dragon Emperor, restore his prestige, and suppress Jiuzhou's rising momentum.
At the scene of Demon Capital Harbor, media from all over the world had gathered, setting up cameras to broadcast the event live to billions of people worldwide who could not be present, while recording this historic moment that would go down in history.
At the far end of the deep blue ocean, above the horizon, a dark arc suddenly appeared.
At first, people paid it no mind. But soon they noticed that this long black line spanning sky and sea was constantly approaching. The closer it came to shore, the thicker and more distinct it became.
"They're here—Commander Hua, and the others!"
Someone suddenly realized and shouted.
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