“I used the high-level life energy that I can channel from the Ancestral Tree. I infused it into Nihil’s divine consciousness, so that the destructive instinct invading his divine consciousness would be neutralized by the life energy. That’s how he could regain control over his body. Whenever his energy becomes unstable and the destructive instinct appears, I have to continue to inject rich life energy into him, helping him balance the intensity of his own energy. “But that comes with a caveat: He must not break through to the next level. If he becomes an Emperor, his annihilation energy will evolve further. With my current ability, I would not be able to suppress him in that state. Well, that’s assuming he survives the tribulation, which is quite a tall order. So at least for now, staying with me is the only way for him to survive. But I will do my best to help him. As you all can see, the contract I formed with Nihil is an equal one; there are no restraints. It is only because he is willing to stay with me that we can get along in this way.” Although Tang San spoke politely, he essentially made it clear to the dragon kings present that the Scourge Dragon would not be returned to them; even if they took him back, it would only mean death. “As for whether I can help other mutant dragons solve their problems, I can try. I can’t be certain of success, but I believe that high-level life energy is beneficial and harmless to anyone of any race. So, after the Battle for the Throne is over, if all of you agree, I’m willing to give it a try.” Looking at the honest smile on Tang San’s face, Xu An’yu let out a long breath, stood up, and bowed to Tang San. “Clan Leader Jin, whether this effort is successful or not, I will engrave your kindness into my heart. On behalf of the dragon race, I thank you. In the future, if you ever need the help of the dragon race, just speak. May the friendship between the Blue Gold Tree clan and our dragon race last forever.” Tang San quickly rose and returned the bow. The more they discussed, the better he thought of Crystalline’s disciple. He had disliked Xu An’yu before because Xu An’yu had tried to chat up Mei Gongzi, and Tang San, in his infinite pettiness, saw him as a rival in love. But now that they were having an honest conversation, he found that Xu An’yu had an honest and selfless personality, as well as great charisma. It was no wonder so many dragons were sincerely loyal to him. He did not dwell on the Scourge Dragon’s ownership, and even without knowing whether Tang San could succeed, he showed open-mindedness and heartfelt gratitude. This reflected his magnanimity. “Brother Xu, you’re too kind. I will do my best,” Tang San said sincerely. Xu An’yu said, “Now is a special period of the Battle for the Throne. Clan Leader Jin, since I am not yet the leader of the dragon race, I have nothing to repay you with on their behalf. But even though I can’t speak for others, I can decide for myself. When we meet in the round-robin, I will forfeit my match against you to thank you for this favor.” Seeing Xu An’yu showing such sincerity, Tang San naturally did not refuse. “Then I must thank you, Brother Xu. I will admit that your sincerity has won me over, and I will do my best to help you after this.” Xu An’yu was undoubtedly one of the strongest contenders in this Battle for the Throne, if not the strongest. Avoiding a fight with him meant less risk of Tang San exposing his true strength. Naturally, it was a good thing. And Xu An’yu’s willingness to make this promise also showed his great confidence. Clearly, he was confident that even if he gave up a match, he could still enter the final top three. “Clan Leader Jin, we’ll take our leave now. After the competition ends, let’s have a proper gathering. We’ll surely have to trouble you more in the future.” Xu An’yu thus politely bade farewell to Tang San and left with the dragon kings. Of course, Lü Fuyao didn’t follow him out. After seeing them off, Tang San returned to the room. Lü Fuyao was still looking very emotional. “Clan Leader Jin, thank you so much. You were right. If not for you, my elder brother would certainly have been abandoned. Actually, after that auction, I wanted to seek you out, but the race elders stopped me. I didn’t expect that disaster would turn into a blessing for my elder brother. This is truly wonderful.” Tang San smiled. “No wonder at the start today, I felt killing intent from you. ” Lü Fuyao blushed slightly, but then looked dejected. “Clan Leader Jin, you don’t know what life is like for us puppet dragons. What Xu An’yu said just now may have sounded bad, but it was actually the nicest part. In truth, as experimental subjects, the pain puppet dragons endure is beyond imagination. Every kind of bizarre experiment is tried on us. If it weren’t for the innate toughness of the dragon body, we wouldn’t survive such torment. “My elder brother and I were both once puppet dragons. As you’ve heard, he was the strongest among us. In the past, he wasn’t always in that frenzied state, just occasionally. When he was clear-headed, he took care of all of us. Without him, I’d have died long ago. It was thanks to his help that I overcame my own problem and survived to achieve what I have today. Otherwise, I would’ve ended up as a metal statue years ago. My elder brother actually helped other puppet dragons recover as well. But within the dragon race, those of us who used to be puppet dragons are still rejected. We ourselves don’t consider ourselves the same as them either.” Tang San was truly moved. He asked, “What about the Crystal Demon Emperor? She was the last Dragon Lord, so it seems to me like she didn’t reject the dragon race.” Lü Fuyao gave a bitter smile. “Her Majesty was different. From the beginning, her bloodline mutation was a success, so what was there to experiment? She needed to be raised as well as possible. She never became a puppet dragon, nor did she suffer our pain and torment. Instead, she quickly became strong, and because she showed the potential to become an Emperor, all resources of the dragon race were concentrated on her. She grew up healthy and cherished, so she feels no barrier toward the dragon race. But we’re not the same. In life, we are subject to experiments, and in death, our corpses are dissected as research material. There is no end to the pain, and there is no rest either.” At the mention of this practice, hatred flashed in his eyes. “Clan Leader Jin, I must trouble you to take good care of my elder brother. In the future, whatever you need, just say the word. I will go through fire and water without hesitation.” Tang San said, “Brother Lü, rest assured. Nihil and I are partners, and I will definitely do my best to help him solve his problems. By the way, can you tell me some more about the puppet dragons? Since I’ve promised Brother Xu, then I will try to help at least some of them solve their issues.” If there was a conference on the problems of the puppet dragons, Tang San would surely be the main lecturer. He had been in this world long enough, possessed multiple bloodlines, and had even successfully created transcendent bloodlines. He had even managed to fuse some of the most primordial energies of this plane, yin and yang. He was familiar with all high-level bloodlines, so helping others address issues stemming from bloodline mutations was within his grasp. The Lion-Tiger clan was a prime example. Lü Fuyao nodded. “Xu An’yu was not lying to you at all. He has always advocated for puppet dragons to be treated like normal dragons. He’s friendly to us, and he’s indeed trying to find solutions. He even said that if he inherits the Dragon Lord position, he will greatly reduce investment in bloodline research and ensure research safety. Research must continue, and even I understand that, but mutant dragons must get fair treatment. So I support him. It’s rare to have someone with such great power and also such great compassion. He’s much better than the Tenebrous Demon Emperor.” “Yes, Brother Xu is indeed excellent.” Tang San nodded. Even someone like Lü Fuyao, who hated the dragon race, acknowledged Xu An’yu’s virtue. This showed how respected Xu An’yu was among the dragons. If he could achieve Emperor level, he would truly be a great Dragon Lord.