At this moment, Ji Congyun only felt the world spinning. He clutched his head, forcing himself not to be overwhelmed by this terrifying news.
"You castrated dog, what nonsense are you spouting now!" Facing the smiling old eunuch, Ji Congyun yelled in terror.
"My brothers and uncles are all royal nobles, and my father is the current emperor! I just saw him earlier—how could a servant like you defile him!"
"Oh, that's true..." Liu Dong nodded with the same expression, confirming Ji Congyun's words.
"Indeed, it was my mistake. I misspoke. Your father's body is still alive, but that's all it is—just the body..."
"Just the body..."
Ji Congyun, who had been furious just moments ago, was suddenly stunned, his terrified expression unable to be hidden. "Then... according to what you're saying, my current father is..."
"Don't worry, Your Highness, it's not someone from outside," Liu Dong replied. "It's your family's ancestor."
Ancestor... the founding emperor of Yan Nation, Emperor Yan Taizu?
Ji Congyun felt as though he had been struck by lightning. He never expected such a revelation...
"So, you're saying that all seven emperors of Yan Nation over the millennia were actually the same person, Taizu?" he murmured.
Ji Congyun was a smart man and quickly pieced it together. If what Liu Dong said was true, then the only explanation was that it had to be this way.
"Yes," Liu Dong nodded, confirming Ji Congyun's guess.
Every time he brought a prince or princess here, Liu Dong would first explain the situation, as ordered by the emperor.
After all, they were all descendants of the same family, and before the grand fusion, it was better for them to feel involved so that the emperor wouldn't seem too cold and ruthless.
Thinking of this, Liu Dong let out a soft sigh. This Yan Nation was not the Yan Nation of the Ji family. From beginning to end, it had only been the Yan Nation of the emperor alone.
Ji Congyun gave a bitter smile. He had wanted to become emperor, but it turned out that the fate of an emperor was to be possessed by his own ancestor... How tragic.
But it seemed that not becoming emperor was not much better... like now...
He looked at the abyss-like pit before him and muttered, "But even so, there's no need to kill our own descendants."
"I've already said, it's not about killing." Liu Dong still explained seriously. "Everything is for the great plan of His Majesty. You will not die. You will always be with His Majesty!"
"You know, others don't have such good fortune. Even I, the old servant, don't have the right."
"What kind of fortune is that?" Ji Congyun clenched his fists, his expression twisted.
"Of course it's fortune!" Liu Dong retorted with great seriousness. "Once His Majesty's plan succeeds, the entire Yan Nation will cease to exist, and Your Highness will witness the arrival of a new era alongside His Majesty. Isn't that fortune?"
"So, what exactly is the plan of Taizu?" Ji Congyun sighed and said as if resigned to his fate, "I'm about to die, at least let me die with some understanding."
As he spoke, he placed his right hand behind his back and silently made a gesture.
"Of course, I'll tell you the greatest secret of Yan Nation now," Liu Dong said without hesitation. He gently tapped his foot:
"Underneath our Yan Nation, there lies the body of a yellow dragon!" Liu Dong dropped a bombshell:
"Or rather, our entire nation was built upon its body!"
Ji Congyun's expression froze. A yellow dragon? That was the legendary ancient dragon from the myths... and the Yan Nation was so vast, it was actually built upon its body?!
How massive must this creature be?
Hearing this, even Ji Congyun's breath became more rapid.
"After His Majesty's investigation, he discovered that the yellow dragon's body has a soul but no spirit. So, His Majesty intends to use it as his own physical form."
Liu Dong continued, his tone becoming more excited, his eyes growing more fanatic: "Once successful, His Majesty will become the god of this world!"
"But because it's an ancient dragon, completing this grand plan is incredibly difficult! So, His Majesty thought of a way."
"He unified the human tribes living on the yellow dragon's body, established a dynasty, and used the national fortune to slowly refine the dragon's body."
The national fortune hosts scattered across Yan Nation were formed accidentally during this process, and the reason the royal family controlled the spiritual energy within the nation was also because of this.
After all, the entire country of Yan was built on the body of that yellow dragon, so the spiritual energy of this world was already imbued with the essence of the dragon.
By continuously refining the dragon's body with the national fortune, Emperor Taizu had already gained control over these energies, allowing him to control spiritual energy...
Of course, the so-called control of spiritual energy was merely an unintended byproduct, as Emperor Taizu's true goal was never this.
From the very beginning, the creation of the nation was for the purpose of refining the dragon's body. He had prepared for this plan for thousands of years...
"But even so, the national fortune alone is still not enough," the old eunuch continued to explain.
"His Majesty's divine consciousness still cannot control the massive body of the yellow dragon, so your bloodline must help. But only those with the awakened bloodline of the Jiaolong can assist."
"Over generations, your bloodlines will be integrated into the yellow dragon's body. Only then can His Majesty fully possess the dragon!"
"Now I understand..." Hearing this, Ji Congyun fell to his knees with a thud, his face filled with despair. "So the truth is so cruel..."
The nation was built to refine the dragon's body, and the descendants were bred to merge with the divine consciousness.
Neither the nation nor his family mattered to Emperor Taizu; he only cared about himself...
Ji Congyun remembered the smile on Emperor Taizu's face earlier. Now that he thought about it, it seemed so chilling and terrifying.
"The old servant has finished speaking. Your Highness, you can now rest in peace..." Liu Dong spoke again, but his gaze was no longer on Ji Congyun. He was looking toward the entrance of the passage.
With a flick of his hand, Ji Congyun's true body was pulled out from thin air.
"You left behind a fake body and tried to escape, Your Highness, you truly are clever." Liu Dong praised with admiration.
"But I've already allowed the Third Prince to escape once. I can't let you escape as well, or where would I put my face?"
Ji Congyun's face turned pale instantly.
"Please, no! Liu Gonggong, have mercy and let me go! The yellow dragon has already absorbed so much of the Ji family's bloodline; losing me won't matter!"
He begged, "Let me go, I will leave Yan Nation immediately, and my father won't notice!"
"Sigh, Your Highness, why are you still so stubborn? The opportunity His Majesty gave you must be treasured."
"Though it's true, all the princes and princesses I've dealt with have had the same attitude as you. But that's okay. Once you join this family, you'll understand..."
Liu Dong spoke softly, as if handling a little chick, and threw Ji Congyun into the dark pit.
"Ah!!!" Ji Congyun screamed. The further he fell, the fainter his screams became...