The once-dull gray fur characteristic of a Ratman was now groomed to a glossy sheen. Its deep, dark brown color clung tightly to his fluid muscle lines, faintly revealing the explosive power rippling beneath his skin.

His sharp jawline still retained a rat-like sharpness, but the slight upward curve of his lips softened its sinister edge, replacing it with an air of composure.

And those rat-like eyes, once bloodshot, now gleamed with a faint golden light. His gaze was as sharp as a hawk’s, seeming to pierce through one’s very soul.

On his once-slender fingers, he wore a silver ring engraved with complex runes. When his fingertips twitched, one could faintly see currents of air flowing with his movements.

The gloomy, obscure aura that once clung to him had been completely replaced by the powerful presence of an expert who had broken through to the Extraordinary Realm.

He stood there, no need to deliberately display his might, yet his body seemed to be shrouded in an invisible pressure. He possessed the elegance granted by his noble attire, the hidden swiftness and ferocity of the Ratman race, and the raw, intimidating power unique to an Extraordinary expert.

These three qualities merged perfectly within him. At a single glance, his aura was so potent it made one’s heart clench, making it impossible to associate him with the Ratman who once hid in the shadows.

Diablo stepped forward, his tone grave.

"Your Majesty."

"I can’t shake the feeling that this recent disturbance in the Dragon Realm is strange."

He paused for a moment before continuing.

"The Dragon Realm has always been unknown to the outside world, not because it was deliberately hidden, but because it is located in the Giant Dragon Mountains to the east. The range is filled with endless towering peaks, shrouded in miasma, and infested with Demon Beasts."

"For any land-dwelling creature to cross the numerous Celestial Perils and reach the Holy Mountain where the Ancient Giant Dragons reside, to see these powerful, mysterious beings with their own eyes, is a feat as difficult as ascending to the heavens."

Diablo’s tone shifted, his gaze growing sharper.

"However, according to ancient records, these exceedingly gentle Ancient Giant Dragons have never been particularly hostile to outsiders who trespass on their territory. They would even occasionally welcome visitors who dared to brave the dangers."

"It’s like a human watching a group of harmless, even somewhat cute, little animals wander cluelessly into their home."

"They wouldn’t feel offended, much less think of chasing them away or harming them."

"For them to now suddenly close all paths into the Holy Mountain and adopt this ’closed-door’ policy... I dare to speculate that this matter might be inextricably linked to those Evil God Believers!"

At this, he lowered his voice slightly, his tone carrying a note of certainty.

"It’s possible that Nesia, the member of the Five Dragon Generals you sent people to find, is hiding in the Dragon Realm right now!"

"And that would explain why we haven’t been able to find a single clue to his whereabouts, not even the slightest trace, in this vast world."

’Huh!’

’That makes sense!’

Qin Feng’s eyes lit up as a plan instantly formed in his mind. ’Nesia is already on my kill list anyway. Whether he’s really hiding on the Holy Mountain in the Dragon Realm or not, I’ll have to mark him for a hunt sooner or later. I might as well check now and see where he’s hiding!’

The moment the thought crossed his mind, Qin Feng activated his Eye of the Hunter, locking onto Nesia, whom he had met once before.

And when the specific coordinates of his target appeared in his field of view...

He couldn’t help but freeze.

Just as Diablo had guessed, Nesia was indeed hiding on the Holy Mountain in the distant Dragon Realm—and in what appeared to be a rather deep, core area at that!

Seeing this, Qin Feng’s brow tightened as a grim suspicion arose in his mind.

"This...?"

"Could the Evil God Believers have already taken over the Dragon Realm?"

Hearing this, Diablo’s gaze sharpened. He instantly realized his guess had been confirmed and made a quick decision. He took a hasty step forward, his voice urgent yet steady as he asked:

"Your Majesty?"

"Given the circumstances, should we mobilize our troops immediately and march on the Dragon Realm?"

Qin Feng gently tapped his fingertips on the table. After a moment of contemplation, he spoke slowly, his tone calm and deliberate.

"Hmm."

"Let’s not be hasty."

He looked up at Diablo and laid out his analysis clearly.

"Right now, we have no concrete evidence that the Evil God Believers have taken over the Dragon Realm."

"If we rashly send troops based on mere speculation, not only would we lack a just cause, but we could easily stir up unnecessary trouble. If we were to anger those vassals who don’t yet fully trust our Holy Empire, the situation would only become more difficult."

As he finished speaking, a look of resolve flashed in his eyes.

"Therefore, we first need to convene a meeting. We will summon representatives from all the factions loyal to the Holy Empire and pool our collective wisdom to devise a countermeasure together."

"If enough of them support sending troops..."

"It won’t be too late to dispatch our army then."

In truth, Qin Feng wasn’t concerned about the Ancient Giant Dragons of the Dragon Realm or the vassal forces loyal to them. He also wasn’t worried about how they would view his act of "sending troops into the Dragon Realm."

After all, he held a perfectly valid reason and possessed overwhelming power. Even if a conflict did arise with the Ancient Giant Dragons, he had every confidence he could handle it.

What truly gave Qin Feng pause were the Native Creatures under his command, who had been subjugated through various means. There was a chance this incident could cause their Loyalty to drop significantly.

One had to remember that when Qin Feng attacked the island nations, he was backed by the hard-and-fast rules of the "King’s War Event." He had to eliminate or subjugate the Sea People of the island nations to complete the final stage of that divine mission.

Therefore, the entire process was perfectly justified. Although the Native Creatures had their doubts, they didn’t say much.

At most, some people cursed him for disrespecting the island peoples’ tradition of "plunder."

But they were only a small minority.

This was because the Sea Gods who represented the traditions of "survival of the fittest" and "plunder"—Kraken, Leviathan, and Cetus—had all been subdued by Qin Feng.

The island peoples themselves had nothing to say. 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

And others had even less right to criticize.

But now, the situation was completely different.

The Ancient Giant Dragons had already made it clear they were withdrawing from the "King’s War Event."

Furthermore, the Deities had issued an Oracle, declaring that Tingfeng was the current Heaven’s Chosen Ruler of this world. Unless he happened to fall, no one needed to continue warring with each other.

Thus, if Qin Feng were to rashly launch an aggressive war against the Dragon Realm without any conclusive evidence, those Native Creatures who hadn’t submitted to him willingly would inevitably harbor resentment. They might even secretly foster discontent and rebellion, creating something like a "resistance force." This was the very outcome Qin Feng wanted to avoid most.

On the other hand, if he could gain the full support of the Native Creatures under his command, make them genuinely believe in the legitimacy of deploying troops to the Dragon Realm, and even have them volunteer to join the expedition, then Qin Feng would have no more reservations. He could mobilize his forces without hesitation, leading the powerful army of the Holy Empire straight to the Dragon Realm.

At that point, not only could he advance the war with a "just cause," but he could also seize the opportunity to absorb all of the Dragon Realm’s military resources.

Whether it was common soldiers or the rare Extraordinary Soldier Types, all would become new assets for the Holy Empire.

Even the affiliated villages and towns that could "produce troops out of thin air" would become new territories of the Holy Empire, solidifying the foundation for future development.

After all, by then, every action would be "a choice made through collective deliberation." As His Majesty the Emperor of the Holy Empire, he would merely be following the will of the people, completely avoiding the reputation of "wanting to actively invade a peaceful faction"!

’Then!’

’Let me see for myself...’

’...the true power of those Ancient Giant Dragons!’