Supreme Dragon Seal
Chapter 177: Nord Family's Crisis

Passing through the Golden Gate of the Empire, it can be considered as entering the central area of the Golden Leaf Empire, which is the most prosperous place in the entire dynasty. It was the warmest season, with green trees lining both sides of the official road, filled with the sounds of birds and the fragrance of flowers.

Along the way were rows of teahouses and restaurants, making you feel like you were not just traveling, but walking in a huge market.

Three carriages from the Sunset Royal Academy stopped near a restaurant. Most of the students were visiting the Golden Leaf Empire for the first time and couldn’t help but marvel at its prosperity.

After the meal, the students wandered around in groups of two or three. Besides teahouses and restaurants, there were many stalls on both sides of the official road. There were merchants and goods from various places. Some merchants brought goods and if they didn’t have a fixed buyer, they would sell along the way.

Qi Bei walked up a mountain behind the official road, while Xiao Zi roamed around in the forest, occasionally bullying animals like squirrels and monkeys. Whenever it saw those animals crying out in pain, it would excitedly shake its head and wag its tail.

Seeing Xiao Zi’s arrogant behavior, Qi Bei smiled wryly. Was this thing really a bird? It was more like a devil. If it were a human, it would be even more extravagant than his owner.

On top of the slope, the other side seemed as if half of it had been cut off, forming a cliff. From the cliff, one could smell the fresh air carrying the fragrance of flowers and grass. As far as the eye could see, it was covered in greenery, with a winding river running through it. In the center, there were scattered villages and small towns, as beautiful as being in a fairy tale.

At the top of the cliff, Dean Mo was sitting on a large stone, gazing at the picturesque scenery below. However, in Qi Bei’s eyes, he should have been content, but his figure appeared desolate.

Qi Bei approached and sat not far from Dean Mo, smiling as he spoke, “Dean, you have lived for so long. Is there still something you can’t let go of?”

Dean Mo sighed and said, “It’s precisely because I have lived for too long that there are more and more things I can’t let go of.”

Qi Bei looked at him for a while and suddenly said, “Dean, I think the only thing you can’t let go of, is women.”

Dean Mo paused for a moment, then chuckled and said, “You’re quite good at judging others, and you’re right.”

“After living for such a long time, you must have had countless women,” Qi Bei said with a smile.

Dean Mo’s gaze became somewhat distant, tinged with a faint sadness. He said, “You wouldn’t understand how painful it feels when you watch your most beloved women, one by one, pass away while you can do nothing to save them. The repeated heartbreak made me stop getting involved with women for a long time.”

Qi Bei fell silent, suddenly reminded of himself. If one day he also had to watch his women perish before him…

Just the thought of it was difficult for him to accept.

Qi Bei placed a hand over his heart. If one day he also reached the level of immortality, he would bring all his women and trusted subordinates with him.

“Hopefully, you won’t end up like me in the future,” Dean Mo suddenly said. Throughout the journey, Qi Bei’s interactions with Feng Ruoyu, Huo Siqin, and the scheming Ye Longsha were somewhat complicated, and Dean Mo had noticed.

Qi Bei was not an ordinary person. His level of existence was not limited to just the Saint or even Divine level; he had a broader world. But what about the women by his side? As long as they couldn’t step into the realm of god-level powerhouses, they wouldn’t live for too long.

Qi Bei shrugged his shoulders. This issue was still too far away for him, although it was true that those who lacked foresight would face immediate worries. However, there was no point in thinking about unsolvable matters.

“This time, returning to the capital of the Golden Leaf Empire is filled with danger. All sorts of snakes, insects, rats, and ants are on high alert. You must be extremely cautious. I will only be responsible for ensuring your safe return to the capital. I can’t control or don’t want to get involved in what happens afterward,” Dean Mo said.

“Lord Dean, as a person of great authority, please tell me what’s going on,” Qi Bei said to Dean Mo.

Dean Mo shook his head and said, “This is a matter concerning your family. I won’t meddle in it. If you want to know, go back and ask your grandfather.”

Qi Bei felt a faint itch in his heart. The Nord family’s 800-year grand anniversary should, in theory, only attract the attention of secular powers at most. But the strange arrangement by his grandfather and the implications in Dean Mo’s words suggested that it wasn’t that simple.

“In fact, you don’t need to be confused. No matter what happens, just follow your heart to solve the problem,” Dean Mo said.

Qi Bei pursed his lips, feeling like nothing was said at all.

To act according to one’s own will, those four words were easy to say but difficult to achieve, like reaching the heavens.

Dean Mo glanced at Qi Bei, didn’t say much, and just stood up, returning down the mountain.

…

Golden Leaf Empire Imperial City, the palace’s backyard.

Emperor Han Mo stood with his hands behind his back, gazing at the pitch-black night sky, his eyes flickering with a cold light.

“Your Majesty, about 70% of the Nord family members have arrived in the capital,” a figure in a black robe appeared and respectfully said.

“What about Qi Bei? Any signs of movement?” Han Mo asked.

“The intelligence report shows that Qi Bei Nord is still in the West Spirit City and shows no signs of departure. It seems he truly intends to separate from the Nord family,” the figure in the black robe said.

Emperor Han Mo’ gaze flickered, and he furrowed his brow. That kid always made him feel uneasy. He gave him the intuition as if there’s something unpredictable about him.

“Your Majesty, since the Nord family is in turmoil now, why not strike while the iron is hot and send someone to the West Spirit City to kill Qi Bei Nord, cutting the grass and eliminating the roots?” the figure in the black robe suggested with a chilly intent.

“Foolish. As long as the Nord family falls, it will be easy to kill him, won’t it? If we act now, the people from the Temple and the Holy Land will pay attention to us,” Han Mo said.

“Your wisdom is profound, Your Majesty,” the figure in the black robe immediately flattered.

…

At the Nord family assembly, the elders and core members were holding their regular monthly meeting.

“Our Nord family’s 800-year Grand Anniversary has attracted the attention of the royal family and other forces, all of them looking for an opportunity to wipe us out. They underestimate our Nord family. Perhaps because it has been too long since we’ve flexed our muscles, they have forgotten the means of our Nord family. Now the entire capital is filled with rumors and whispers that are unfavorable to our family. Elders, family heads, taking advantage of this opportunity, why don’t we strike first, killing a chicken to scare the monkeys, to restore the glory of our Nord family?” Standing up and passionately speaking was West Nord, the third son of the family head, Kurt Nord. He was Qi Bei’s uncle, though he had not yet taken control of the family’s enforcement court, his voice within the clan was high. His support rate was much higher than Qi Bei’s father, Raymond Nord.

All eyes were fixed on the recently invigorated Kurt Nord. Many people outside said that he had been pretending all along, but there were rumors within the family that it was because the family head had achieved a breakthrough to the Earth-grade realm, thus extending his lifespan.

“West, it’s not just secular powers that are paying attention to our Nord family. It’s not wise to create enemies at this time. We should focus on restraint for now and settle the scores one by one after the 800-year Grand Anniversary,” Kurt said.

When Kurt Nord spoke, naturally no one opposed. His authoritative words had accumulated over time and had already deeply ingrained in people’s minds. As long as he gave the order, opposition was futile.

“You can all disperse now,” Kurt said when he saw that no one else was speaking. sᴇaʀᴄh thᴇ ɴovᴇlꜰirᴇ.nᴇt website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of nøvels early and in the highest quality.

“Patriarch, I have a question that I can no longer keep to myself,” Milo Nord, the most outstanding representative of the younger generation of the family and a water element mage of the King-grade, suddenly stood up and respectfully spoke.

“Speak,” Kurt Nord said.

“I want to ask, what is the secret of our family’s 800-year Grand Anniversary? Why does it attract so much attention from various forces?” Milo had been holding this question for a while and couldn’t resist asking it today. Many people perked up their ears.

“There is indeed a secret, but it cannot be revealed at this time. You may all disperse now,” Kurt said calmly.

But at that moment, the doors of the Nord family’s meeting hall were suddenly shattered by a tremendous force.

“How dare you! Who dares to intrude upon our Nord family…” West Nord angrily shouted, but before he could finish his words, he was slapped in the face, enveloped in a holy light, and a faint black mist began to flow around him.

At the entrance appeared an elder from the Dream Sea and more than ten elite disciples.

“Take him away,” the elder said sternly, without even looking at Kurt Nord and the others. The disciples lifted the limp West Nord and forcefully flew him out of the Nord family.

For a moment, silence fell upon the core members of the Nord family in the meeting hall.

Kurt Nord’s gaze flickered, but his expression didn’t change much.

However, the news of the core member of the Nord family, West Nord, colluding with the dark forces and being taken away by the Dream Sea, one of the five Holy Lands, instantly spread throughout the capital.

Many people seemed to see a giant collapsing.

Now, dark forces were uprising everywhere, temple disciples and disciples of the five Holy Lands emerged, and the families involved with the dark forces currently had no good outcome. In the face of these powerful forces, no matter how large the Nord family was, it would be crushed.

As a result, major forces that had been observing almost simultaneously intervened to suppress the Nord family. The collapse of the Nord family was a feast for them, and everyone wanted a share of the spoils. Those who acted quickly would benefit, while those who hesitated would be left with nothing.

In a luxurious suite of a prestigious restaurant in the capital, a beautiful girl dressed in yellow and purple clothes was engaged in a serious conversation with several wealthy middle-aged men.

“Miss, the Nord family is about to collapse. Their assets and channels in the Saint Alliance are of great value. If we don’t intervene now, someone else will seize the opportunity,” one middle-aged man said.

“Never underestimate a family that has a heritage of eight hundred years and has continued to flourish. It’s just one core member involved with the dark forces. Let our Sa Family Business Association wait and observe for now,” Sa Qi’er said.

“Yes, Miss,” the several middle-aged men obediently agreed after Sa Qi’er spoke. All along, this young business genius had shown astonishing insight. She had never been wrong in her judgments. If she felt there was a risk, then that risk was highly likely to come true.

After the middle-aged men left, Sa Qi’er stood up and looked through the transparent glass at the view outside. In her somewhat distracted focus, she seemed to see a smiling face on the glass. It wasn’t Qi Bei, but who else could it be?

Sa Qi’er snapped back to reality, but when she looked again, there was nothing.

“Qi Bei, if it weren’t for you, maybe I would have taken action for real,” Sa Qi’er said to herself. As a business genius, her thoughts were no different from others. She believed that even if the Nord family didn’t collapse, it would suffer a severe blow. If they didn’t intervene now and divide the benefits, there would be nothing left for them in the end.

…

When the Golden Leaf Empire was in a precarious situation, and the Nord family was on the brink of collapse, the three carriages of the Sunset Royal Academy exchange group were only a hundred miles away from the capital of the Golden Leaf Empire.

The journey of a hundred miles would take at most a little over two hours of fast riding.

However, Dean Mo ordered them to camp and rest because if they rushed over now, they would arrive in the capital at dawn without anyone to receive them. The places they could stay were all occupied along the way, as they had heard that the capital of the Golden Leaf Empire was overcrowded, with many people camping and sleeping on the streets. So there was no need to hurry.

In the deep night, Dean Mo floated in mid-air in his tent, surrounded by dense white smoke. At that moment, he suddenly opened his eyes, and all the white smoke on his body was sucked back into him.

“Old friend, since you’re here, why not show yourself?” Dean Mo said.

“Haha, you caught me,” a loud laughter sounded, and an old man with white hair appeared in Dean Mo’s tent.

Dean Mo stared at the old man for a while and sighed, “Every time you appear, nothing good happens. So, tell me, why have you come?”

The old man rubbed his hands together and said, “There’s been an order from above. There’s action happening tonight, and they don’t want you to intervene.”

Dean Mo’s gaze turned white, and his aura suddenly became extremely cold, making people feel like they had fallen into an endless cold abyss.

“Taking on someone’s trust and doing a loyal person’s duty, if I take charge, I will see it through to the end. If you want trouble, feel free after we reach the capital of the Golden Leaf Empire. But before that, I won’t let you do anything unless I vanish into thin air.” Dean Mo said coldly. At this moment, he no longer looked like the dignified dean but rather the king of ghosts from the netherworld.

“You and I are both involved. If we fight, neither of us will gain an advantage. However, I can still restrain you from interfering. But if we fight, I’m afraid none of these students will survive,” the old man said solemnly.

“Then let’s fight farther away,” Dean Mo said.

The old man was momentarily stunned, then laughed and said, “Good, let’s fight farther away. If I can keep you occupied, then you won’t have time to worry about what’s happening here.”

Dean Mo gave a disdainful snort, and his figure disappeared inside the tent. At almost the same time, the old man also disappeared.

Qi Bei sat cross-legged on a mat, but Ye Longsha no longer shared a tent with him. She no longer pretended to be pitiful either, as she was afraid that if things continued like this, she would really be taken advantage of by him.

At that moment, Qi Bei’s wandering consciousness was suddenly shaken by a cold breeze and quickly retracted. He immediately woke up. It was the real aura fluctuation of Dean Mo. What was going on?

Qi Bei’s consciousness probed Dean Mo’s tent and found it empty. Could it be that he had gone to kill again?

At this moment, his feeling of unease grew stronger and stronger.

“Warning? Is Dean Mo warning me?” This thought suddenly flashed through Qi Bei’s mind. Without further hesitation, he swiftly rushed out.

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