Inside his own spatial world, Ye Liuyun had set aside an entire planet exclusively for the dragons. Thus, not only were they safe, but their overall strength had risen considerably.

Still, their rate of improvement could never match Ye Liuyun’s. Elders like Ao Ding had only reached the second or third level of the Sovereign realm. Yet their vitality was formidable; every one of them looked vigorous. Ye Liuyun had been generous—every aged dragon had drunk from the Vital Waters, granting them at least several more centuries of life. 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

A dragon’s body was enormous; to restore its life force, each old dragon needed hundreds of drops of the Spring’s water.

When Long Tao saw how low Ao Ding and the others’ cultivation was, the disappointment in his eyes deepened.

The elders beside Ao Ding, sensing the newcomers’ realms, worried that bringing these dragons in might upend the current order.

Yet Ao Ding spoke calmly with Long Tao for a long time. They conversed in their true forms, in the dragon tongue, though Ye Liuyun understood every word.

Long Tao’s chief concern was that Ao Ding’s group was too weak to safeguard the race. He had no wish to enter Ye Liuyun’s world and fall under his control.

More importantly, if Ye Liuyun himself wasn’t strong, the resources within his spatial realm would be limited, stunting the dragons’ growth. Ao Ding’s dragons might were safe, yet still weak; Long Tao refused to let these descendants languish in a place so poor in resources.

Ye Liuyun had no answer to that. He couldn’t funnel every resource to the dragons; he could barely provide for those close to him. His own cultivation had advanced quickly enough, but Long Tao remained dissatisfied, and there was nothing he could do.

So Ye Liuyun said frankly, “I can sign a soul contract with you. Whenever you wish to leave, I won’t stop you.”

That was all he could offer for now: a safe haven, certainly better than letting the dragons be trapped and die here.

Only after Ao Ding added his own assurance did Long Tao believe Ye Liuyun.

Then Long Tao raised another point: “Once we go, who will rule the dragons? Our race has always respected the strong. We are far stronger—why should we still obey you?

Why not carve out a separate territory for us, where we make our own rules?”

Ao Ding looked troubled. That would split the race in two. The other elders’ faces darkened.

He glanced at Ye Liuyun; after all, it was Ye Liuyun’s world—his consent was needed.

Ye Liuyun sent a silent message: “You want to bring them back to strengthen the race. But if they won’t stand with you, what’s the use? Not every dragon shares your views—especially these powerful ones. Many disdain mingling with weaker kin.

If you truly intend to take them, bind them with soul contracts. Otherwise they’ll only cause trouble later, perhaps tear the race apart.”

Ao Ding agreed. Already, before even uniting, they showed divided hearts; once merged, the strife would only worsen.

But they lacked the strength to subdue these dragons by force. Even if Ye Liuyun could subdue, Long Tao—though drained—could still kill them in a desperate fight. Ao Ding didn’t want to see Long Tao burn out completely.

So he hesitated, unable to decide.

Since Ao Ding didn’t ask, Ye Liuyun voiced no further opinion. This was the dragons’ own affair; he would not interfere.

Whatever they chose, Ye Liuyun didn’t care. His spatial world was vast now, its source power abundant; housing these dragons would have no impact.

But it was his world—they had to obey his rule. He wouldn’t allow them to cause chaos and disturb the peace. If Ao Ding couldn’t bring them to heel, Ye Liuyun would act himself and impose control—he would never leave it unchecked.

Among the dragons before him, apart from Long Tao, his metal puppets could handle the rest. Dragons could suppress feral beast, but they were helpless against puppets; draconic might, bloodline pressure, and soul force meant nothing to constructs.

As for Long Tao, Ye Liuyun would have to rely on the God-Slaying Bow. Long Tao’s soul force surpassed his own; the dragon had once been a mighty Taixu Third-Step expert. Unless Long Tao voluntarily sent his soul into Ye Liuyun’s sea of consciousness, Ye Liuyun had no way to defeat him.

Ao Ding tried once more to persuade Long Tao, but to no avail. In the end, he gave up and returned, dejected, to Ye Liuyun’s spatial world.

Ye Liuyun felt he had fulfilled his promise to the dragons. It was Long Tao who refused to leave, not that he hadn’t helped. Long Nu and Lei Ming felt regret, yet they too were powerless.

So Ye Liuyun bid Long Tao farewell; Long Nu and the others also said their good-byes, shifted into human form, and prepared to depart.

Suddenly, Long Tao called after them. “I know you came barged in with good intentions for the Dragon Clan, so I won’t make things difficult. Leave all your resources behind before you go—let us hold out a little longer, grow a bit stronger. Maybe then we can still fight our way out.”

“Eh?” Ye Liuyun frowned, not understanding.

Lei Ming and the dragon girl were equally stunned, as if the old dragon was openly robbing them—and sounding perfectly justified while doing it.

“Senior, are you trying to rob us?” Ye Liuyun asked bluntly.

“Rob you? You were the ones who barged in recklessly. Out of respect for your ties to the Dragon Clan, I’m not killing you. I merely ask you to leave some resources—do you have a problem with that?

Didn’t you say you wanted to help the Dragon Clan? Can’t you spare a few resources? We’re completely out. If you don’t leave anything, how are we supposed to survive?”

Long Tao fired off one righteous question after another, leaving Ye Liuyun speechless with anger.

Lei Ming, the dragon girl, and the rest stood gaping, at a complete loss for words.

Ye Liuyun took a breath to steady himself, then said to Long Tao, “I offered help, and you refused it. I gave you a chance to leave, and you stayed. Whether you have resources or not has nothing to do with me.

How I help, and how much, is up to me. Don’t mistake our goodwill for a debt.

Still, dragons like you are truly an eye-opener—robbing the very people who came to help, and sounding so self-righteous while doing it!”

Long Tao didn’t get angry. He merely sighed. “I have no choice. Without resources, they simply can’t survive. As long as they live, this old face of mine is worth nothing.”