War God Long Ao

Chapter 457: Chapter 457: Sharing Honor and Disgrace

Long Potian looked at the young man before him, his heart full of admiration.

’If it were anyone else, they would have given up long ago. But Long Ao?’

’He hadn’t given up. Instead, he swam against the current, knowing when to advance and when to fall back.’

’Long Potian was absolutely certain that once Long Ao reached his full potential, he would be an extraordinary figure. Annihilating the Four Great Forces would take him mere minutes.’

"Brother Potian, order all Dragon Sect disciples to evacuate the Sect."

"Sect Leader, what about you?"

Long Potian was no fool; he could read the implication in the Sect Leader’s words. ’Is he planning to stay behind?’

"I want to test the Sect’s Array and see if it can withstand their attacks. Don’t worry. While I’m no match for a Saint, it’ll still be easy for me to get away if I need to."

Just as he’d feared.

Hearing that Long Ao was truly staying behind, Long Potian’s heart sank.

It wasn’t that he didn’t trust Long Ao. It was because Saints were simply too powerful. This wasn’t a fight between equals. To stay and fight was nothing short of suicide.

He had thought Long Ao had seen reason, but it was clear now that he was still unwilling to back down. He was preparing for a head-on confrontation.

As if guessing Long Potian’s thoughts, Long Ao spoke before he could.

"I’m not planning a head-on clash with the Four Great Forces. I want to see just how powerful this Array I’ve laid down really is."

Long Ao knew the Four Great Forces well.

To make a grand show of their power, they wouldn’t just send Saints; they’d bring their rank-and-file soldiers. For this reason, Long Ao planned to wipe out all their cannon fodder in one go—a small "welcome gift" for the Four Great Forces.

Long Potian was utterly exasperated after hearing Long Ao’s plan.

However, he didn’t press the issue. He knew Long Ao’s personality all too well; once he made up his mind, it was nearly impossible to change it.

Because of this, Long Potian didn’t try to persuade him further.

"Sect Leader, please don’t be rash. Be careful with everything. As the saying goes, a true gentleman can wait ten years for his revenge. There’s no need to clash head-on with the Four Great Forces."

Long Ao nodded. Of course he was aware of Long Potian’s concerns.

Long Ao knew his own limits; he wouldn’t act recklessly.

Now that his mind was made up, Long Ao wasted no more time and immediately began reinforcing the arrays he had already set up.

Long Ao didn’t know when the Four Great Forces would attack the Sect, so he had to be prepared.

Long Ao didn’t tell anyone that the Four Great Forces were preparing to attack. Because of this, his order for the entire Sect to withdraw from Dragon Peak left everyone in the Dragon Sect bewildered. They had no idea what was happening with their Sect Leader or the Sect itself.

But everyone in the Dragon Sect knew one thing for sure: the Sect was in great trouble. Otherwise, the Sect Leader would never have issued such an order.

Disciples from any other sect would have fled without a second thought. But not a single disciple of the Dragon Sect left. No matter what happened to the Sect, not one of them departed.

「Dragon Sect, Main Hall.」

"Sect Leader, I’ve done my best. Aside from a few Outer Sect Disciples who left, everyone else—Inner Sect and Outer Sect Disciples alike—has chosen to stay. They’re all choosing to remain, even when I made it an order punishable by death."

Long Ao was in the middle of studying the arrays when Long Potian found him. He was taken aback by the news. ’What’s gotten into these disciples?’ he thought. ’Don’t they know the Sect is in trouble?’

"Go and tell them that the Four Great Forces are about to attack the Sect. I’m sure no one will want to stay then."

’Even a husband and wife, birds of the same forest, will fly their separate ways when disaster strikes.’

’If even married couples are like that, what more could be expected of the Sect’s disciples?’

’That was why, even if every single disciple left, Long Ao wouldn’t hold the slightest bit of resentment or blame. It was just human nature. It was impossible for everyone to choose to stay. If they all did... was such a thing even possible?’

Long Potian’s expression was strange, and he seemed at a loss for words.

"Brother Potian, what’s wrong?"

Long Ao was confused. Brother Potian was acting very strangely today. ’What happened?’

"Sect Leader, you should go and tell them yourself. I already told them yesterday, but even then, not a single person left. They’ve all declared that they will live and die with the Sect. They said that even if a force more powerful than the Four Great Forces came, they wouldn’t back down an inch."

Hearing this, Long Ao shot to his feet, his face a mask of shock. He never imagined it would come to this—that all the disciples would still refuse to leave. ’What does this mean?’

Long Ao could guess why. The disciples weren’t leaving because they saw the Sect as their true home.

"Sect Leader, the fact that none of the disciples are willing to leave proves that they all see the Sect as their home, a home they’re willing to live and die for. In that sense, this might not be a bad thing."

"Yes, I know," Long Ao said. "And even though they’re all unwilling to leave the Sect, I can’t be the one to lead them to their doom. Brother Potian, I’m still leaving this in your hands. No matter what it takes, you must evacuate everyone."

After a moment’s thought, Long Ao continued, "Tell them that the Sect will not abandon them, just as they have not abandoned the Sect. This retreat is only temporary. We will be back soon, and when we return, we will defeat the Four Great Forces."

Long Potian’s heart swelled with emotion. Anyone would be moved in this situation. The disciples of his sect were all refusing to leave. It proved that the Sect was their home, not just a place for Cultivation.

In truth, the disciples’ choice was a direct result of Long Ao’s actions and the way the Dragon Sect was typically run.

Whenever there was trouble, Long Ao would never use his disciples as cannon fodder. Instead, he would do everything in his power to protect them and evacuate them to safety. And as for their benefits... well, the treatment Dragon Sect disciples received was far beyond anything the Four Great Forces could ever hope to match.

From the moment they joined the Dragon Sect, whether in the Outer Sect or Inner Sect, every disciple received the sect’s full support in their development. Any Outer Sect Disciple who showed progress would be immediately promoted to the Inner Sect to become one of its elite.

That the disciples were unwilling to leave in a time of crisis was a reflection of how the Sect normally treated them. It was a simple case of empathy returned, of loyalty for loyalty.

Long Potian left the main hall. He knew full well that ordinary disciples stood no chance against this crisis. In fact, no one in the entire Dragon Sect could withstand it. After all, the Four Great Forces were coming with overwhelming power this time, and who knew how many experts they would send.

At that moment, Dugu Bai suddenly stood up. With a helpless sigh, he said, "Brother Long, I want to ask a favor of you."

’A favor?’

Long Ao was surprised. ’Since the founding of the Dragon Sect, Dugu Bai has rarely called me Brother Long, always opting for the formal "Sect Leader." Has Brother Dugu run into some kind of trouble?’

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