"Yes... the Human Emperor's potential shouldn't be here." Wu Zongshen murmured to himself.
A thought then struck him.
Perhaps Lin Xiao was not just the so-called Dragon King of the Northern Territory, but also had the potential to ascend to the throne after the current Dragon Lord of the Dragon Kingdom abdicated.
Otherwise, how could the true dragon aura, which represented a nation's destiny, reside within Lin Xiao?
...
"This kid..."
In the Dragon Lord's mansion, an old man and a young man were playing chess in a room, with cups of hot tea beside them.
"Uncle Long, I concede. I am utterly defeated by your 'Dragon Slaying' move!" The younger man, who looked to be in his late twenties or early thirties, stared at the chessboard for a long while before finally admitting defeat.
"You rascal, did you really think you could outsmart me at your age?" Uncle Long chuckled, contentedly picking up his tea and taking a sip, a look of pure joy on his face as he savored the drink.
"Of course not. I was just hoping to improve slightly from last time," the young man replied with a wry smile. He then stood up and glanced at the time, "Uncle Long, it's about time. I should be going, or I'll be interrupting your work."
"Alright... go on, go on. Oh my, this old man is truly looking forward to retirement!" Uncle Long waved his hand. He was well aware that his position was not one where he could simply play chess. Being able to steal a moment for a game or two amidst his busy schedule was itself a stroke of luck.
As the two of them stood up, Uncle Long suddenly squinted his eyes and gazed towards the Northern Territory.
A faint golden aura began to swirl around him, as if responding to something.
As this aura appeared, the young man's face turned pale, and the pressure in the room suddenly intensified.
"Amazing."
Uncle Long suddenly grinned. This was a different smile from the one he wore while enjoying the game; this one held admiration, praise, and a hint of surprise. "I thought my retirement was a distant dream, but unexpectedly... my retirement is just around the corner?"
He didn't try to hide his words, but the young man beside him immediately lowered his head, cold sweat breaking out on his forehead.
He had heard something he shouldn't have.
"Alright, you go back first. And don't overthink things," Uncle Long noticed the young man's demeanor and patted him on the shoulder, signaling him to leave. "Stop guessing and speculating all day long; it's not that complicated. I'll be eighty in two years, and if I don't retire then, this old man might just collapse at his post."
"Uncle Long, how is that possible..."
"I know my body better than anyone. So, don't dwell on it. My retirement is due. Other people retire at sixty-five, and I'm almost eighty. It's simply not justifiable to not retire by now," Uncle Long waved his hand.
"Yes..."
After the young man left, Uncle Long slowly walked into the courtyard. The snow outside had yet to melt.
He looked towards the Northern Territory, lost in thought for a moment.
"It seems I need to have another chat with the 'Beautiful Country'... They need to know that the world is no longer what it was thirty years ago... Thirty years of change, east and west... The Dragon Kingdom needs more say."
"Indeed, I should do some preparations for you, little fellow."