If you're made a fake emperor, why did you change the country's name?

The outline of the narrow passage was faintly visible in the night.

Zhao Yu's figure suddenly stopped as he approached the entrance to the canyon.

He crouched behind a rock, his whole being blending into the shadows.

Not right.

At the entrance to the canyon, even though there was no wind, the leaves on both sides of the tree were tilting slightly in one direction.

That was the faint airflow created by the breathing of a living person hiding inside.

Instead of forcing his way through, he turned around and climbed up the side of the mountain wall.

After a few leaps, he clung to a protruding rock, looking down over the entire canyon.

The moonlight was sparse, but enough for him to see the scene inside the canyon.

At least fifteen figures, like lurking venomous snakes, were scattered in hidden spots on both sides of the canyon.

Deep within the canyon, Master Hu, holding an ancient compass, was meditating with his eyes closed.

A net has been cast wide for him.

A cold smile curled at the corner of Zhao Yu's lips.

He retrieved the enormous blood python corpse from the system space.

The Emperor's Sword flashed a cold light in the moonlight, precisely slicing off a large chunk of still-bleeding python flesh.

He examined the soil beneath his feet and found a very deep natural crack.

Then, he silently tossed the piece of flesh into the crack.

The strong smell of blood seeped and spread deep into the earth along the veins of the soil.

A few breaths later.

boom……

A deep rumble came from the depths of the canyon, as if a giant beast was turning over underground.

The ground began to tremble slightly, and gravel tumbled down from the cliffs on both sides.

The expressions of the Celestial Realm experts lying in ambush in the canyon changed instantly.

"What happened?"

"An earth dragon! It's an earth-walking dragon!"

Master Hu suddenly opened his eyes, and the compass needle in his hand spun wildly.

He couldn't understand how the sleeping beast had been disturbed before the other party even entered!

Boom!

A loud bang.

The ground deep in the canyon suddenly exploded, sending soil and rocks flying.

A colossal creature, over ten zhang long, burst forth from the ground.

Its entire body was covered in thick, yellowish-brown scales, and its two eyes were blood-red, filled with a furious rage at being disturbed from its sleep.

Roar!

The earth dragon opened its massive jaws, unleashing a torrent of earth-yellow dragon breath that hurtled towards the three Celestial Realm experts closest to it.

The three were terrified and hastily used all their strength to defend themselves.

Wherever the dragon's breath passed, the air became thick and viscous.

One of them only lasted a moment before his protective aura was shattered on the spot. He was sent flying backward like a kite with a broken string, spitting out blood.

The other two were also shaken, causing their blood and qi to churn and resulting in serious internal injuries.

That beast is incredibly strong!

"Form ranks!"

Master Hu shouted sharply and made hand seals.

Several golden talismans appeared out of thin air, transforming into chains that wrapped around the earth dragon's body.

The other experts also reacted and took action, with various colors of true energy exploding within the narrow canyon.

The scene was chaotic for a time.

The earth dragon has thick skin and amazing defense. When those attacks landed on it, they only sent up a string of sparks, which only fueled its ferocity.

Taking advantage of the chaos below, Zhao Yu leaped down the cliff face, preparing to slip away.

But as soon as he moved, that chilling feeling of being spied on clung to him again, clearer than ever before.

Even amidst the chaotic battle of besieging the Earth Dragon, Master Hu still had the energy to focus on locking onto him!

"He's three miles to the northwest! Don't let him get away!"

Master Hu's furious roar echoed from the chaotic battlefield, filled with exasperation.

In an instant, more than thirty figures broke away from the crowd that was originally besieging the Earth Dragon, leaving the battlefield without hesitation and transforming into streaks of light, rushing towards Zhao Yu's direction.

Zhao Yu's face darkened, and he ran at full speed through the forest.

The sound of air being torn apart behind them grew closer and closer, each aura extremely powerful, clearly those of veterans who had been immersed in the Celestial Realm for many years.

A direct confrontation would be futile; there is absolutely no chance of victory.

As he ran, his eyes quickly scanned the surrounding terrain.

Soon, he discovered an abandoned cave hidden by vines.

Without the slightest hesitation, he plunged inside.

Upon entering the cave, he immediately activated the Earth Dragon Bloodline within his body, and the "Kun Yuan Body Protection Technique" circulated within him.

His entire aura quickly merged with the surrounding land, becoming almost imperceptible.

call out!call out!call out!

Dozens of figures whizzed past above the cave without stopping for a moment.

Zhao Yu breathed a sigh of relief as the footsteps above him faded into the distance.

He emerged from the cave, dusted himself off, and prepared to take this opportunity to return to the Narrow Gorge and retrieve the Earth Dragon's reverse scale.

But as soon as he turned around, a figure stood silently under a tree not far ahead.

It was indeed Grandpa Hai.

He still wore that gentle smile on his face, as if he had been waiting there for a long time.

Zhao Yu's heart sank.

He gripped the Emperor's Sword tightly, his muscles tensing, ready to fight to the death.

The main force of the pursuers has been drawn away, but there is still an unfathomable eunuch, Hai Gonggong, remaining here.

This is Zhao Yu's backup plan.

However, to his surprise, Grandpa Hai did not make a move.

Instead, under his gaze, she slowly bowed to him.

"Hai Xingliang has met the fake emperor."

Hai Gonggong's voice was very soft, yet it exploded in Zhao Yu's ears like a thunderclap.

Zhao Yu was stunned.

He had considered countless possibilities, but this was the only one he hadn't thought of.

Instead of launching a sneak attack, Hai Gonggong bowed to him.

"What do you mean by this?"

Zhao Yu remained vigilant.

"As the false emperor thinks, this servant wishes to pledge allegiance to you."

Grandpa Hai raised his head, his smile unchanged.

"You're defecting to me?!"

Zhao Yu found it somewhat absurd.

"Eunuch Hai is someone the late Emperor left to Zhao Yu; he is Zhao Yu's most trusted eunuch. Who in the world would believe you would betray him?"

Grandpa Hai smiled faintly.

"Who in the world could believe that such a wondrous sight of gods and Buddhas worshipping in the heavens could happen to a false emperor?"

Zhao Yu raised an eyebrow.

This statement convinced him of most of what he believed.

"That's not enough, we need another reason."

He remained concise and to the point.

The smile on Grandpa Hai's face faded slightly, replaced by a more serious expression.

"Before the late emperor passed away, he entrusted us with the task of 'taking good care of the Great Liang,' not with the task of being loyal to Zhao Yu alone."

"Now Zhao Yu is acting against the tide, colluding with the people of Yingguo, and letting wolves into the house. With the Great Liang in his hands, it will surely decline."

"Our family does not want to fail the late emperor's trust."

He paused, his gaze falling on Zhao Yu.

"Moreover, since the fake emperor can use the 'Kun Yuan Body Protection Technique,' he must possess the bloodline of the Earth Dragon. Since he possesses this bloodline, he is a legitimate member of the royal family, so why can't he be the true emperor?"

After saying this, Eunuch Hai took out a cloth bag from his bosom and presented it with both hands.

"This is the reverse scale of the earth dragon; you should need this."

Zhao Yu reached out and took the bag, then opened it.

Inside lay a palm-sized, yellowish-brown scale covered with mysterious patterns, exuding a rich earthy aura.

That was his final goal for this trip.

Hai Gonggong continued to add to the list.

"The encirclement of Sakura Country seems tight, but there is a weak point in the southeast direction."

"There are only five Sakura warriors at the early stage of the Celestial Realm guarding that place. With Your Majesty's strength, breaking through from there should not be difficult."

Zhao Yu remained silent for a moment before putting the bag containing the Reverse Scale into his system space.

He looked at Grandpa Hai, neither saying he believed nor disbelieved.

"I see."

As soon as he finished speaking, he turned and left, his figure quickly disappearing into the night.

Grandpa Hai stood there, neither asking further questions nor trying to persuade him to stay.

He simply bowed deeply once more in the direction Zhao Yu had left, then vanished into the darkness in a flash.