Ao Xiangtian's imposing presence immediately silenced the ten elders.
They all looked guiltily at the Great Elder, awaiting his instructions.
The Great Elder trembled with anger and said, "Patriarch, if you do this, you will make our Golden Dragon lineage a laughingstock among the other lineages!"
Ao Xiangtian sneered, "If I can't even protect my own child, then I will truly become a laughingstock of the other lineages!"
"You..."
The Great Elder was furious but dared not accept the challenge.
If it were Ao Xiangtian from ten years ago, they, with their combined strength, would not have been afraid.
But ever since Ao Xiangtian returned with the corpse of his wife, the Black Dragon, and stayed in the Dragon Tomb for a year, he had leaped to become the Dragon Clan's strongest individual, solidifying the Golden Dragon lineage's status within the clan.
Therefore, even if the ten elders joined forces, they might not necessarily win.
Cold sweat began to seep from the Great Elder's forehead, and the other nine elders were in the same state.
As both sides were in a stalemate, Long'er, at Zi Linling's signal, stepped forward and said, "Father, may I handle this matter myself?"
Ao Xiangtian's giant dragon eyes looked at Long'er, filled with boundless fatherly love.
When he saw Long'er's confident expression, he nodded and transformed into human form.
Long'er bowed to him, then turned to face the ten elders and said, "The reason you want to expel me from the Dragon Clan is because I cannot transform into a dragon?"
The Great Elder said, "To be born into the Dragon Clan and be unable to transform into a dragon is a great joke and a mockery of the Dragon Clan."
Long'er laughed in anger, "A mockery? Then I will show you what a mockery is!"
As he spoke, he willed it, and his giant dragon form appeared. However, Long'er's current dragon form was peculiar.
The dragon's body was divided in half, one side yellow, the other side green, and its dragon claws had evolved from five to nine.
The ten elders were stunned by Long'er's dragon form.
In the history of the Dragon Clan, there had never been a nine-clawed dragon with a body half yellow and half green.
"Ten elders, do you still intend to expel Long'er from the Dragon Clan?" Zi Linling asked sarcastically.
The other nine elders exchanged glances, unsure how to answer Zi Linling, and could only focus their gaze on the Great Elder.
The Great Elder took a deep breath and said, "Indeed, it is a tainted bloodline. In our Dragon Clan's history, when has there ever been an offspring half green and half yellow?"
"Slap!"
"Slap!"
Two sounds of striking a table echoed, one from Ao Xiangtian, the other from Zi Linling.
Ao Xiangtian roared, "Great Elder, who are you calling an offspring?"
Zi Linling was more direct. Her figure flickered, and she fiercely slapped the Great Elder before returning to her seat.
Ye Lingyuan took Zi Linling's hand, gently blew on it, and said with concern, "Does it hurt? Why did you have to act yourself? That thick-skinned brute should have been dealt with by me!"
As he finished speaking, he too vanished from his seat.
After a crisp sound on the Great Elder's face, Ye Lingyuan returned to his original position.
Having been slapped twice by two humans, how could the Great Elder not be enraged?
"You are seeking death!"
The Great Elder spat, and then attacked Zi Linling and Ye Lingyuan. The other nine elders followed suit.
"Hmph!"
A cold snort rang out, and a yellow dragon body rapidly moved within the cave dwelling, directly forcing the ten elders to retreat.
Ao Xiangtian roared, "As elders of the Dragon Clan, you do not respect the Patriarch from above, nor do you protect the juniors below. You offend distinguished guests and spew vulgarities, utterly disgracing the Dragon Clan! Now, you even dare to attack in front of this Patriarch, showing no regard for me!"
"Now, this Patriarch will give you one chance. The ten of you shall join forces and fight me. If you win, I will immediately take Long'er and the others to leave the Dragon Clan. But if you lose, Long'er will be the next Patriarch of the Golden Dragon lineage!"
The ten elders looked at each other, but none dared to accept this wager.
Zi Linling suddenly stood up and said, "Patriarch Ao, may I offer a word?"
Ao Xiangtian reverted to human form and his tone softened considerably, "Miss Zi, please speak!"
Zi Linling had shown kindness to Long'er, so Ao Xiangtian naturally treated her with great respect.
Zi Linling smiled and said, "Patriarch Ao, regarding Long'er's matters, it would be best to let Long'er resolve them himself, how about it?"
"This..."
Ao Xiangtian hesitated.
From childhood to adulthood, he had failed to fulfill his duty as a father, and now, he only wished to resolve these troubles for Long'er.
Long'er seized the opportunity and said, "Father, I know you want to protect me, but I am grown and can protect myself. Furthermore, Mother's revenge has been pending for ten years; it is time to enact it! Father, I want to avenge Mother myself!"
Ao Xiangtian looked at Long'er's determined gaze and, as if guided by an unseen force, nodded.
Seeing this, a glint flashed in Zi Linling's eyes. "If Long'er loses, he shall be banished from the Dragon Clan and never set foot on Dragon Island again. But if the ten elders lose, they must surrender the Ancestral Dragon Pearl, how about it?"
The reason she wanted the Ancestral Dragon Pearl was that it was a necessary condition for Long'er to evolve into a divine beast, the Azure Dragon.
Ao Xiangtian was about to object, but Long'er had already agreed, "Good! No problem!"
However, the ten elders hesitated.
The Ancestral Dragon Pearl was a symbol of the Dragon Clan, even more important than the position of Dragon Clan Patriarch.
The Great Elder was about to refuse when Zi Linling, with a smile, provoked them, "What, ten elders are afraid to gamble? All of you have lived for over ten thousand years, could it be that you fear losing to this child who is only a little over ten years old?"
"This..."
The elders were rendered speechless and their gazes once again fell upon the Great Elder.
"Nonsense! How could we fear a child of a little over ten years old?" the Great Elder reprimanded.
Zi Linling sneered, "Since you are not afraid, why are you hesitating? If you dare not gamble, then get out of here immediately!"
"Good! Very good!"
The Great Elder, in a fit of rage, said, "Since you are seeking death, then do not blame us old geezers for bullying the young! The cave dwelling is too confined for combat, let us go to the Dragon Battle Arena!"
"Let's go!"
Long'er finished speaking and was the first to walk outside.
He never doubted his master Zi Linling's words; he only needed to act according to her instructions.
Zi Linling and Ye Lingyuan exchanged a glance, their figures flashed, and they followed Long'er.
The ten elders exchanged glances, their eyes filled with murderous intent as they followed.
Ao Xiangtian's gaze turned cold, and he too vanished from the cave dwelling.
On the Dragon Battle Arena.
Long'er had already transformed into a thousand-zhang dragon body and coiled in the air.
A unique aura emanated from his dragon body, even suppressing Ao Xiangtian's aura.
The ten elders stood opposite Long'er, feeling their dragon blood stagnate within them.