All Realms and Worlds: The Lost Home

The main residence of the Dragon Clan, a resting palace after the war.

The flames of war still raged in the outer void, and the lingering power of the Purple Heaven Tribulation lingered, with stray bolts of lightning falling and illuminating the entire blood-red battlefield.

The Golden Dragon Elders, who had just been relieved from the front lines of the bloody battle, had tattered dragon armor, covered in blood and battle scars, and their auras were fluctuating.

They were all veteran high-ranking officials of the dragon race who had lived from ancient times, witnessing the rise and fall of the dragon race over a thousand years, and personally experiencing that long-buried secret past.

Among them was a core elder of the former Earth Dragon Clan who had undergone a transformation and sublimation, and was the one who knew all the inside stories about Jiang Chen back then.

The battle was intense, and everyone was on edge.

This should have been a time for recuperation, strengthening of forces, and preparation for a return to the battlefield, but today, all the elders carried a heavy burden on their hearts.

News of the mysterious man being held in a secret prison has quietly spread among the top elders.

No word leaked out, and no soldiers discussed it, but several senior elders in high positions all sensed an eerie atmosphere of impending storm.

All anyone knew was that a mysterious person of strange origin had broken into the camp today and had a private meeting with the Dragon God, Di Qiu.

No one knew what earth-shattering secrets the other party had revealed, and no one was clear about the hidden turmoil within this meeting.

All they knew was that after the meeting, Di Qiulong's face turned cold, and he immediately issued an ironclad prohibition.

Anyone currently in the command post who knows about the mysterious visitor is strictly prohibited from revealing any information.

Those who violate this rule will be punished for the grave crime of treason, their souls and spirits will be destroyed, and they will never be able to reincarnate!

The ban was strictly enforced, and the authorities were ruthless and merciless.

This effectively silenced all those in the know, completely concealing that unknown secret within the core circle of the Dragon Clan's highest authority.

It was precisely because of this death order that the hearts of several elders who knew the situation were completely thrown into chaos.

The group deliberately avoided the patrolling guards and the soldiers on duty, and quietly gathered in the quiet rest room of the side hall.

Inside the hall, the dragon-patterned lamps flickered, casting shifting light and shadow that made the aged and solemn faces of the people appear even more somber.

There was no smoke of war in the air, but it was filled with extreme entanglement and heaviness.

An elderly golden dragon with white hair and mottled dragon horns spoke first, his voice hoarse and low, filled with endless weariness and struggle.

"What do you think that mysterious person said to His Majesty?"

"His Majesty's sudden ban on news, strict control over speech, and even the issuance of an iron-fisted decree indicate that this matter is definitely not simple."

Another battle-hardened elder frowned, his fingers clenched slightly, and his eyes were full of hesitation.

"Who could have guessed? That mysterious person has no roots or traces, his origins are bizarre, and he transcends the common sense of battle. We simply can't figure him out."

"But I can sense that this matter is most likely related to what happened to Jiang Chen back then."

Upon hearing this, all the elders present fell silent.

Jiang Chen.

This name is a taboo that the Dragon Clan has kept sealed for many years. It is the most complicated, regrettable, and unsolvable thorn in the hearts of the older generation.

After a long silence, the white-haired elder, who was the first to speak, took a deep breath, suppressed the complex emotions surging in his heart, and spoke softly, voicing the question that had been troubling everyone the most.

"So, should we now take the initiative to meet His Majesty and reveal the whole truth of what happened back then?"

One sentence instantly revealed the most difficult choice in everyone's heart.

The atmosphere inside the hall instantly became extremely tense.

Some hesitated, some were conflicted, some were heartbroken, and some felt helpless.

A moment later, an elder of upright character gritted his teeth and spoke, his tone extremely firm.

"I don't believe Jiang Chen would betray the Dragon Clan."

"Back then, he risked his life several times to protect the Earth Dragon Clan, fighting bloody battles against extraterrestrial demons. How could such a person betray his clan without cause?"

"I never believed he was a traitor!"

This conviction stems from the deep-seated understanding of the older generation of elders, and from their absolute trust in Jiang Chen's righteous act of protecting the clan.

Trust is possible, but reality is incredibly cruel.

The other person immediately retorted in a deep voice, his tone full of helplessness and struggle.

"But the facts are undeniable, leaving us no choice but to believe them!"

"Jiang Chen is now in the Taotie Holy Land, holding a high position as the son-in-law of the Taotie clan, and he is marrying Princess Jiang Linlin of the Taotie clan!"

"Being in the enemy camp, and being with the enemy race—this is a fact known to everyone in all the realms!"

These words were like a cold, sharp blade, piercing through everyone's self-deception.

Yes, the facts are undeniable and leave no room for argument.

"That's precisely why we're so conflicted," another elder sighed, utterly exhausted.

"We cannot be certain whether Jiang Chen still truly stands on the side of the Dragon Clan."

"Many years have passed, people's hearts are easily changed, and time is easily altered. The sincere and proud people of yesteryear may not be the same as they were back then."

"If he has already turned against us, revealing old secrets rashly will not only fail to clarify the truth, but will also backfire, disrupt His Majesty's plans, and completely ruin the Dragon Clan's war!"

But if they didn't speak up, everyone felt resentful and heartbroken.

"But this earth-shattering war, spanning two races and resulting in hundreds of millions of deaths, was caused by Jiang Chen's marriage to the Taotie Princess!"

"If it weren't for that inter-ethnic marriage back then, if it weren't for the deepening suspicion between the two races, how could we have reached this point of deep-seated hatred and irreconcilable enmity?"

"The flames of war have raged on to this day, causing the deaths of hundreds of millions of people, and countless members of our own race have perished on the battlefield. All of this points to him, Jiang Chen!"

Someone spoke with grief and indignation, each word dripping with blood.

"If he truly has his reasons, if he has never betrayed the Dragon Clan, why has he never shown up to explain himself for so many years?"

"Let the stigma fall upon us, let the flames of war spread, let the dragons and ferocious beasts fight to the death, let our former comrades perish on the battlefield!"

"If it's a misunderstanding, why have you remained silent for so many years, without uttering a single word?"

The questions were relentlessly pursued, each one piercing to the heart.

No one could answer that.

All the elders bowed their heads, their expressions complex, their hearts filled with turmoil, lost in endless silence and dilemma.

He said he was afraid of mistrusting old friends and ruining the overall situation.

If we don't speak out, we fear burying the truth, wronging the loyal and good, and allowing the deep-seated hatred to continue to spread.

Old grievances and conflicts between the old and the new have trapped this group of veteran elders.

Unbeknownst to anyone, at this very moment of their agonizing dilemma, a heart-wrenching farewell was unfolding in the sacred land of Taotie, billions of stars away.

A sacred place for gluttonous feasts, the supreme palace of the emperor.

Far from the smoke of battle, there is no sound of fighting or thunder; it is so quiet it is almost deathly still.

Inside the luxurious and magnificent palace, warmth filled the air, yet it could not suppress the bone-chilling cold and despair.

Jiang Chen, dressed in plain clothes, stood quietly by the bed, his posture upright, yet revealing endless weariness and vicissitudes.

After years of lying low, proceeding cautiously step by step, carrying a shocking secret and bearing the weight of the power struggle between two races, he appears to be living a life of endless glory and holding a high position among the Taotie, but in reality, every step he takes is filled with blood and tears, and utter helplessness.

In his arms, he held a tiny, newly born baby.

The child had soft, delicate features and tender skin. His small body was curled up in his warm embrace, quiet and well-behaved.

On the bed, the once peerless and renowned Taotie Princess Jiang Linlin was now on the verge of death, her breath extremely weak.

Her once radiant and beautiful face was now as pale as paper, devoid of any color.

His long, narrow eyes were half-open and half-closed, his gaze unfocused, his life force rapidly fading away, leaving only a last gasp as he struggled to stay afloat.

Years of forbearance, years of attrition, years of giving everything for the community, for the greater good, and for that unknown struggle.

Throughout her life, she appeared to be exceptionally noble, but in reality, she never lived a single day for herself.

Jiang Chen looked down at the infant in his arms, then at Jiang Linlin, who was on the verge of death. His Adam's apple bobbed, and his voice was dry and hoarse, filled with endless guilt and helplessness.

"Linlin, I..."

A thousand words stuck in my throat, ultimately turning into a choked, unspeakable feeling of guilt.

He owed her so much, so very much.

From their initial arranged marriage to years of being together day and night, she devoted her entire life to playing along with him, helping him shoulder the burden of a grand scheme unknown to anyone else.