Chapter 169: The Lion Emperor's Hatred

Nan Luo loved drinking tea, especially Enlightenment Tea. He loved its taste of bitterness, sweetness, and ultimate plainness, which mirrored the three stages of the Dao: first bitter, then sweet, and finally returning to the plain and true self.

Meeting the Lion Emperor today, Nan Luo was overjoyed and brought out his cherished Enlightenment Tea, brewing a pot to share with his guest.

Sizzling sounds echoed...

wisps of golden luck, like smoke and mist, rose steadily from the white jade teapot. That was the divine fortune contained within the Enlightenment Tea.

After being heated and boiled, the tea emanated waves of dao-infused fragrance, immersing all who smelled it in the beauty of the cultivation of the Dao.

"I have long heard of the legendary Enlightenment Tea, yet always lacked the fortune to taste it. Today, thanks to the Divine Emperor, I can finally satisfy my palate and fulfill a wish of many years."

Looking at the rising golden luck from the tea and facing the Divine Emperor Nan Luo, the Lion Emperor said with considerable joy.

"If the Lion Emperor is fond of it, this Emperor can gift you a pound or two to take back and thoroughly savor," Nan Luo said with a joyful expression and a hearty laugh.

The Lion Emperor cupped his hands together and said happily, "In that case, this Emperor will accept without modesty."

Once the Enlightenment Tea came to a boil, its fragrance spread for tens of thousands of miles, and the golden luck drifted like a misty sea over the stone cliff.

Had Nan Luo not already set up a barrier, that ten-thousand-mile fragrance and sea of golden luck would long have attracted armies of fierce clans.

Nan Luo picked up the white jade teapot, personally pouring a cup of Enlightenment Tea for the Lion Emperor, and then another for himself.

Looking at the Lion Emperor, Nan Luo extended his left hand in an inviting gesture and smiled, "Please partake!"

"Understood!"

The Lion Emperor first offered a respectful word of thanks, then picked up the white jade tea cup before him and began to taste it with delicate care.

A light sniff of the tea's aroma left the Lion Emperor feeling refreshed in both body and mind. Then, taking a gentle sip, his eyes instantly lit up, and he exclaimed in loud praise, "Splendid! Splendid! Splendid!"

"This tea truly deserves to be called an innate spiritual root! It is exceptionally wondrous, comparable even to the Flat Peaches."

Nan Luo picked up his own cup and took a gentle sip as well. Though tasted a hundred times, it never grew cloying. With a pleasant mood, he closed his eyes and relaxed his mind.

At this moment, both Nan Luo and the Lion Emperor immersed themselves in their inner minds, enjoying this rare moment of relaxation.

After a short while, the Enlightenment Tea had been consumed, and their minds were thoroughly relaxed. Now, it was time to discuss serious matters.

"Divine Emperor, you likely already know the purpose of my visit. I wonder if the Divine Clan has a place where my Lion Clan might find refuge?" The Lion Emperor stared with his large golden lion pupils, looking sincerely at Nan Luo as he asked respectfully.

Although he had long anticipated the Lion Emperor's purpose, hearing him admit it aloud still filled Nan Luo with excitement.

This was no minor tribe, but rather the Lion Clan, which had once dominated a region and competed on equal terms with the Dragon Clan.

As for the Lion Emperor's strength, it was solidly at the realm of the Half-Saint, making him a true overlord of his domain.

If the Lion Emperor and the Lion Clan joined the Divine Clan, the Divine Clan's strength would undoubtedly achieve breakthrough development, transforming it into a genuine hegemon-level force rather than remaining a stunted, newly established power.

However, joy was joy, but certain things needed to be made clear first.

Nan Luo suppressed the excitement within his heart, maintaining a calm expression on the surface. He picked up the white jade glazed cup, took a gentle sip, and asked, "Why does the Lion Emperor wish to join the Divine Clan? I wonder if you can give this Emperor some reasons."

"As for the reasons this Emperor has already mentioned, the Lion Emperor need not repeat them. With the strength of you and your clan, you could easily remain aloof and stand aside, having no need whatsoever to intervene in the struggle for hegemony over the Primordial World. No matter who ultimately emerges victorious, surely none would move against the Lion Emperor and the Lion Clan."

With these words, Nan Luo's face became shrouded in the golden tea vapor of the Enlightenment Tea, making him appear all the more mysterious. Only a pair of pure purple pupils remained so cold and merciless, as if piercing straight through to the Lion Emperor's true intentions.

The Lion Emperor gazed at Nan Luo's mysterious face, particularly those purple pupils that vaguely filled him with dread. His golden lion pupils flickered uncertainly before he finally made up his mind and answered honestly, "This Emperor did indeed intend to watch from the sidelines at first, wishing not to interfere in the struggle for dominance over the Primordial World."

"However, being born in the Primordial World, one is never truly master of one's own destiny." The Lion Emperor suddenly let out a sigh, a trace of reminiscence crossing his features as he continued, "The Divine Emperor surely knows that behind every imperial clan stands a lofty Saint Immortal."

"The Lion Clan likewise has such a Saint Immortal behind it."

"It was precisely under the guidance of that Saint Immortal that this Emperor attained the supreme realm of a Half-Saint."

At this point, seeing the Divine Emperor Nan Luo slightly furrow his brow, the Lion Emperor knew what he was thinking and continued, "The Divine Emperor must be quite curious as to why the Lion Clan withdrew from the contest for hegemony over the Primordial World, and why the Dragon Clan became the sovereigns of the Eastern Wastelands."

"Indeed! This Emperor is indeed curious." Nan Luo readily admitted, asking in perplexity, "Since the Lion Clan also has a Saint Immortal behind it, why did you still lose to the Dragon Clan?"

Hearing this, the Lion Emperor could not help but wear a sorrowful expression, unable to conceal the pain in his heart as he said heavily, "The saying goes: success is granted by a Saint Immortal, and failure is likewise caused by a Saint Immortal."

"Before a Saint Immortal, we possess no right to choose whatsoever; we only possess the right of being chosen."

"Back then, after that Saint Immortal helped this Emperor break through to the Half-Saint realm, I was just about to properly contend with the Dragon Emperor and the Dragon Clan to vie for the position of sovereign of the Eastern Wastelands."

"Never did I imagine that right at that moment, that Saint Immortal suddenly commanded this Emperor to withdraw from the struggle for the Primordial World and cede the position of Eastern Sovereign to the Dragon Emperor."

At this juncture, the Lion Emperor suddenly revealed traces of reluctance, pain, and a faint lingering hatred, speaking through clenched teeth, "Even though this Emperor was ten thousand times unwilling, a thousand times refusing... so what?"

"Before a Saint Immortal, what power of resistance did this Emperor and the Lion Clan possess?"

"Just like that, this Emperor was forced to withdraw from the struggle for the Primordial World, and the Lion Clan surrendered the lands of the Eastern Wastelands to the Dragon Clan."

"Later on, this Emperor discovered the truth: the Saint Immortal behind the Lion Clan had reached an agreement with the Saint Immortal behind the Dragon Clan. The Lion Clan was simply abandoned just like that."

Perhaps facing the venerable and awe-inspiring Nan Luo, the Lion Emperor was finally able to pour out the unspeakable bitterness buried in his heart.

The more the Lion Emperor spoke, the less he could stem the flow of words, as if pouring out all the dissatisfaction, pain, and sorrow that had accumulated in his heart. He said heavily, "Divine Emperor, the Lion Clan endured countless tribulations and defeated countless powerful foes before growing into the overlord of the Eastern Wastelands."

"And now, because of a single word from a Saint Immortal, millions of years of heritage were reduced to ashes overnight."

"Heaven and earth are a chessboard, and all living beings are mere pieces. Before the Saint Immortals, we are all nothing more than pawns. When you are useful, they let you enjoy endless benefits; when you are useless, they kick you aside and strip you of everything."

As he spoke, a powerful, resilient, and unyielding figure like the Lion Emperor gradually welled up with tears in his golden lion pupils. Filled with remorse and agony, he said, "Divine Emperor, do you know? When I announced my withdrawal from the struggle for the Primordial World and the surrender of the Eastern Wastelands to our mortal enemy the Dragon Clan, how many Lion Clan powerhouses roared in fury, dissatisfied with my decision, refusing to submit to my decision?"

"Millions of years of heritage—how could it simply be handed over to another clan on a silver platter?!"

"When I used the absolute strength of a Half-Saint to forcibly suppress all voices of dissent, those of fierce and unyielding character even preferred death over obedience."

"Three thousand five hundred and seventy-four! Exactly three thousand five hundred and seventy-four powerful members of the Lion Clan! Right before my eyes, right there in the Lion Emperor Hall, they committed suicide."

In an instant, the tragic scene of those three thousand five hundred and seventy-four members of the Lion Clan committing heroic suicide in the Lion Emperor Hall right before his eyes surged back into the Lion Emperor's mind, making it impossible for him to suppress the sorrow, pain, and remorse in his heart any longer.

From the Lion Emperor's golden lion pupils, massive tears fell like a broken string, truly moving enough to sadden any listener and bring tears to any observer.

For a long time, the Lion Emperor hung his head as tears streamed ceaselessly. Suddenly, in a voice filled with resentment, low and calm, he said, "Divine Emperor! How I hate this!"