"Fine. Since you are sincere in your submission, I shall trust you this once."
As his voice fell, Han Xuanji's fingertips moved slightly. Two condensed Dao Marks quietly emerged and flew toward the depths of the Star Ancestor's and Dragon Ancestor's Origins respectively.
Han Xuanji naturally wouldn't just take their word for it, even if he used the System to check again and confirmed that both of them truly felt that way in their hearts.
But the hearts of men can change, and Han Xuanji was not so naive.
Seeing Han Xuanji's actions, the two were quite sensible. They had no thoughts of resistance and opened their minds, allowing the Dao Marks to merge into their Origins. Silently, the Xuantian Dao Marks existed within their Origin Dao Fruits as if they were innate.
If the two were to harbor any disloyalty or betray him in the future, he would only need a single thought to instantly detonate the marks.
At that time, they would suffer a torture more painful than the annihilation of their Divine Souls. Their Origins would shatter, their Divine Souls would be crushed alive, and they would sink into eternal damnation, never to be reborn.
After a moment, the Star Ancestor and Dragon Ancestor could clearly feel an additional mark within their Origins. They understood its purpose but showed no resistance; instead, they kowtowed even more respectfully.
"Thank you for your trust, Senior! We will surely be loyal and devoted, doing our utmost to fulfill our duties."
Han Xuanji nodded slightly and waved his hand. The Dao suppression enveloping the two quietly dissipated.
"Rise. From now on, you shall return to the Immortal Realm with me to assist the Heavenly Emperor, Li Taiqing, and the others. You will help reorganize the order of Chaos, take over the leaderless forces, and guard the peace of Chaos. If you do well, an Opportunity will be bestowed upon you next."
"We obey the Dao Venerable's command!"
Their hearts stirred as they responded in unison. They rose slowly and stood respectfully by Han Xuanji's side, their expressions full of reverence. They no longer possessed the arrogance of former Chaos Overlords; only submission and awe remained.
Although they didn't know what Opportunity Han Xuanji spoke of, it piqued their curiosity.
After all, given Han Xuanji's stature, whatever he considered an Opportunity must surely be related to Transcendence...
At this thought, their hearts grew fervent. They had already intended to follow Han Xuanji without any duplicity, and now their motivation was even stronger.
Thus, of the five great experts of the Immortal Extermination Alliance, two were completely suppressed and awaiting death, while two had sincerely submitted to become capable generals under Han Xuanji.
"As for the Soul Ancestor, if I'm not mistaken... he will come looking for me on his own after some time."
(T/N: Wasn't the Soul Ancestor a she? Don't know if the author is screwing me over or if I'm the one translating it wrong)
Han Xuanji pondered silently, not overly concerned. The changes in future fate are unpredictable. Even though he had obtained the Chaos Fate Origin, he could only see the future vaguely.
Overall, the Soul Ancestor didn't seem to be a threat to him, so he had specifically instructed not to treat him as an enemy for now.
This was also a signal released by Han Xuanji. He also wanted to obtain more information about the Hongmeng Sea from the Soul Ancestor's mouth.
Seeing their expressions, Han Xuanji nodded in satisfaction and said:
"Go."
"Yes."
The two breathed a sigh of relief. As they emerged from the great dao pagoda, they were instantly filled with joy.
"Sigh, I truly regret opposing Senior Xuantian in the first place," the Star Ancestor lamented.
"Indeed, we were misled by the Demon Ancestor and Juntian... Fortunately, Senior Xuantian is not a narrow-minded person."
The Dragon Ancestor now harbored intense hatred for the Demon Ancestor and the Juntian Merchant Venerable.
The two conversed as they left the Immortal Realm. One headed for the Chaos Star Realm, and the other for the Chaos Dragon Nest.
...
Within Chaos, the collapse of the Immortal Extermination Alliance had already caused a massive shockwave.
The news of Han Xuanji suppressing the five great experts spread to every corner of Chaos. Whether it was the other Chaos Overlord forces or ancient Cultivators with heaven-reaching cultivation, all were shaken.
After this battle, no one dared to oppose Han Xuanji again. A new era with Han Xuanji at its peak had quietly begun.
On the Immortal Realm's side, following Han Xuanji's instructions, many Powerful Experts had already been dispatched to various parts of Chaos to handle post-war matters.
The Heavenly Emperor personally sat in the Heavenly Court to coordinate the overall situation. Meanwhile, Han Xuanji's Personal Disciples, such as Li Taiqing, Lu Fan, and Lin Feng, each received orders to head to the strongholds of the Chaos Dragon Nest, Chaos Star Realm, and Myriad Realms Merchant Alliance. They were responsible for gathering the remaining forces, inventorying resources, and restoring order.
Initially, when Li Taiqing arrived at the Chaos Dragon Nest with a group of Xuantian Dao Palace Disciples and Immortal Realm experts, they did not encounter much resistance.
After all, they carried Han Xuanji's prestige, and many Dragon Clan experts had witnessed the Dragon Ancestor being suppressed by Han Xuanji. In the beginning, many were willing to cooperate.
However, Li Taiqing soon discovered that while these people submitted on the surface, they were often uncooperative in reality.
In fact, some within the Dragon Clan refused to believe the Dragon Ancestor was dead, firmly believing he was just temporarily in hiding; some even plotted to wait for an Opportunity to rescue the Dragon Ancestor and restore the clan's glory. Others were ambitious, wanting to seize control of the Chaos Dragon Nest for personal gain and establish themselves as kings while the clan was leaderless.
The current spokesperson for the Dragon Clan on the surface was the new Dragon Clan Grand Elder.
As for the previous Grand Elder, he had followed the Dragon Ancestor into battle and was killed by a single strike from Han Xuanji. Thus, a member of the Dragon Clan who had just entered the Limitless Primordial stage was elected as the Grand Elder to manage the situation.
"Hmph, this eldest Disciple of the Xuantian Dao Venerable is nothing special. He has not entered the Limitless Primordial stage, yet he has quite the nerve."
The Dragon Clan Grand Elder was a burly, middle-aged man who looked like a reckless martial general, but in reality, he was quite calculating.
Beside him was a trusted aide he had promoted, who was now also a member of the Dragon Clan Council. The aide spoke:
"Indeed. With your brilliant schemes, Grand Elder, what can this Xuantian Dao Palace do to you?"
The so-called Dragon Clan Council was the supreme body that decided the major affairs of the Dragon Clan. Its members were all top-tier experts of the clan. Normally, members would be recommended and personally vetted by the Dragon Ancestor, but given the urgent circumstances, the current Dragon Clan Grand Elder's power was now almost equal to that of the former Dragon Ancestor.
"Hahaha, I actually hope this situation continues forever."
The Dragon Clan Grand Elder spoke bluntly in front of his confidant, his words implying that it would be best if the Dragon Ancestor never returned.
"I've heard that Xuantian Dao Venerable has a violent temperament and kills countless experts of the Immortal Extermination Alliance at the slightest provocation. Although Lord Dragon Ancestor is powerful, he has likely already met a tragic end."
A confidant quickly added:
"Now, everything in the Dragon Clan is up to you, Grand Elder. As long as we deal with these people from the Immortal Realm, the entire Dragon Clan will eventually be yours."
Hearing this, the Dragon Clan Grand Elder nodded, his heart swelling with excitement as he began to envision a future where he held sole power.
Meanwhile, in a guest palace within the Chaos Dragon Nest.
"I didn't expect the task Master assigned to run into difficulties so quickly..."
Li Taiqing and the others were finding it a bit difficult. These Dragon Clan experts were all powerful and appeared obedient on the surface.
"Hmph, this Dragon Clan Grand Elder is no good. I think we should just ask the Ancestral Master to wipe him out."
A young Disciple of the Xuantian Dao Palace said indignantly.
Li Taiqing replied with some helplessness:
"If we have to ask Master to act for such a small matter, it would be making a mountain out of a molehill..."
As the group was discussing solutions, a figure arrived in the hall.
Many quickly recognized the identity of the newcomer.
It was the Dragon Ancestor.
Initially, many were frightened, but Li Taiqing's expression remained unchanged; instead, a look of joy appeared on his face.
As expected, the Dragon Ancestor spoke:
"Everyone, I have sincerely submitted to the Xuantian Dao Venerable and taken him as my Lord. You need not be nervous."
He really was released by Master.
Knowing this, Li Taiqing cupped his hands in return:
"Senior Dragon Ancestor is too polite. We are also acting on Master's orders. We will have to rely on your assistance in the future."
"Of course, of course."
The Dragon Ancestor showed none of the arrogance of a Chaos supreme expert; he even seemed slightly ingratiating.
He knew that the person before him was Han Xuanji's eldest Disciple—in other words, the person closest to Han Xuanji. He must never be offended.
This was also a good Opportunity for him to atone for his crimes through service.
In fact, as soon as the Dragon Ancestor returned to the Chaos Dragon Nest, he had quietly discovered the Grand Elder's intentions, but he had allowed the man to proceed.
He only appeared today, now that the time was ripe.