These past two days had dragged on…
During the somewhat tedious performances of music and dance, Li Changshou unlocked a new skill—reading borrowed texts from the outer hall of the Dao Collection Palace while simultaneously maintaining the Wind Speech Charm to monitor his surroundings.
Rather boring.
The most exciting parts of this Demon Vanquishing Assembly should be the upcoming gift-giving ceremony by the Dragon Palace and the disciples’ sparring matches.
Li Changshou had zero interest in the Dragon Palace’s treasures.
Although one could never have too many magical artifacts, firstly, with the treasures being scarce and competitors numerous, his displayed cultivation level of Second Stage Return to Void was far from sufficient to compete.
Secondly, he deduced that the Dragon Palace would inevitably face great tribulation in the future, and he couldn’t afford to be entangled in any karmic connections with them.
If he did get entangled, it would be Jiu Wu’s fault.
By his calculations, it was almost time for the official opening of the Demon Vanquishing Assembly.
Li Changshou glanced at the high platform in the sky. After these two days of discussions, the Celestial Immortals from various sects should have already settled matters with the Dragon Palace regarding the East Sea’s boundaries and other issues.
However, these matters had little relevance to him…
Jiu Jiu was still unable to solve the six-colored magic cube, directly proving that cultivation level had no positive correlation with intelligence. At least it helped her pass two boring days without wine.
After Li Changshou’s previous misunderstanding and words of rejection, Qin Xuanya seemed to have understood something. Though she would look back every half hour, she made no more attempts to approach…
These two days had been relatively peaceful overall.
Just as he was contentedly reading the scriptures, without any warning, Li Changshou felt two sharp gazes fall upon him, carrying distinct hostility.
Without any obvious reaction, he put away the bamboo scroll in his hand and focused on analyzing the information from the Wind Speech Charm. In the direction of those gazes, Li Changshou discovered the blurry silhouette of a youth.
Hmm?
Someone with a grudge against him? That made no sense.
Li Changshou looked up and found this person standing at the edge of the venue, still a hundred zhang away from the Degree Immortal Gate’s seating area…
To be precise, this wasn’t a “person” at all but rather had tender dragon horns like deer antlers on their forehead.
A young dragon of the Dragon race?
Probably one of the young dragons who would participate in the upcoming sparring matches with various immortal sects.
Li Changshou’s heart filled with doubts, as he noticed this dragon youth’s gaze remained fixed on him.
He casually leaned back slightly and noticed the dragon youth’s gaze shifted slightly as well, confirming without doubt that he was the target.
Upon careful observation, he could see a faint blue light in the dragon youth’s eyes.
Could it be that this dragon youth had seen through his concealed cultivation?
That shouldn’t be possible. His technique for concealing cultivation was derived from deeply analyzing various methods of detecting others’ cultivation, then reverse-engineering and summarizing it into his unique skill…
‘Perhaps he’s targeting me because I appear to have the lowest cultivation among the Degree Immortal Gate disciples?’
Li Changshou pondered internally, and just then, the Wind Speech Charm caught that youth’s mouth curling into a sort of “confident” smile.
Probably this young dragon lacked confidence but was required to win in the upcoming sparring matches, so he wanted to find the weakest person from a major sect first.
This approach…
Was truly savage…
Li Changshou looked up, meeting the dragon youth’s gaze with a calm look. The blue light in the latter’s eyes gradually receded, those sapphire-like eyes quietly meeting Li Changshou’s across several hundred zhang.
According to the classic “ten-second stare” rule, this dragon and human should be…
The line of sight was suddenly blocked by a figure in bright red—a turtle immortal appeared before the youth.
“Your Highness, why did you come here? It’s almost time for your appearance!”
Prince? A Dragon King’s son?
Being targeted by someone like this was truly not a good thing.
But this made Li Changshou even more puzzled—why would a Dragon King’s son, among the sea of people, immediately notice him, a Degree Immortal Gate disciple?
Could it be that his appearance had some inexplicable attraction to male dragons?
Li Changshou immediately fell into deep thought, carefully analyzing the cause and effect, wondering if he should find an excuse to leave now…
The current situation of the Dragon race was quite awkward.
They had many powerful experts accumulated from ancient times and countless treasures, but they also faced the great predicament of being rejected by heaven and earth after shattering the primordial world in the ancient great war.
Although the Dragon race appeared mighty with their numerous experts, their overall strength was far inferior to the rapidly developing Human race;
Moreover, the Dragon race mainly relied on bloodline inheritance for power. After their strongest dragon, the Dragon Ancestor, perished in the final stages of the ancient war, no dragon could surpass him;
As a result, in the current world after the Six Sages took their positions, the Dragon race could only act cautiously, fearing that offending a Sage would lead to their immediate extinction… Yet they remained unwilling to accept their decline, still dreaming of their former glory as rulers of heaven and earth.
Several years ago, the East Sea Dragon Palace deliberately arranged a small group of newly trained shrimp soldiers to cause trouble along the East Sea coast;
The Degree Immortal Gate arranged disciples to eliminate demons and protect humans at the East Sea, effectively slapping the Dragon Palace’s face.
But the Dragon Palace dared not strike back, because the Degree Immortal Gate was inherited from the Three Schools, which led to this Demon Vanquishing Assembly where the Dragon race hoped to demonstrate their might and establish clear boundaries with human cultivators at the East Sea.
Later, the Dragon Palace sent an evil dragon to deliver invitations to the Degree Immortal Gate, only to be sent flying by Immortal Wangqing with one finger—another slap, even louder than the previous one.
But the Dragon Palace still dared not move against the Degree Immortal Gate, to the point where Dragon Palace nobles arranged that small trap with the grapes, hoping to vent their frustration…
Within their childishness lay the Dragon race’s helplessness and awkwardness.
In Li Changshou’s view, the Dragon race had already become a paper tiger, weighed down by accumulated problems, with the entire race somewhat distorted.
‘Could this dragon youth have targeted me for these reasons?’
Li Changshou pondered briefly before quickly deciding to quietly observe how things developed.
Leaving directly would be far less safe than staying close to his sect’s immortals in this place full of dragons and snakes; if the Dragon Palace had powerful experts secretly targeting him, a small fry from the Degree Immortal Gate, to vent their frustration, would be truly terrible.
Later during the sparring assembly, if that dragon youth directly called him up to fight, he would simply concede defeat citing his low cultivation.
The singing and dancing in the venue dispersed, and a turtle immortal with white eyebrows rode a golden turtle onto the stage, beginning to slowly recite the Dragon race’s past glory, which Li Changshou couldn’t be bothered to listen to.
He felt that gaze again and simply withdrew the Wind Speech Charm. Following the gaze as he looked up, he saw that…
Dragon youth.
…
‘I, Ao Yi, Second Prince of the East Sea Dragon Palace, must do something momentous today.’
Ao Yi stood behind several celestial dragon soldiers, his expression calm as he waited for Minister Turtle to introduce him before stepping onto the stage.
The treasured immortal armor he wore emitted a faint light, making his still somewhat delicate youthful features appear as lustrous as jade.
Ao Yi knew that at today’s Demon Vanquishing Assembly, he was half the main character.
This was his tenth birthday celebration;
But don’t misunderstand, this was his tenth birthday since hatching;
Over two hundred and thirty years ago, Ao Yi had already gained consciousness within his dragon egg, able to move around inside it for three hours each day.
In Dragon race professional terms, this was called “Egg Movement.”
From that time on, various “teachers” used those three hours each day to continuously instruct him in etiquette, poetry, music, immortal techniques…
There was no other reason—he was the second dragon son of the current East Sea Dragon King, with a purer Dragon Ancestor bloodline than his brother, potentially able to break through to the Great Luo realm in the future and become a pillar of support for the clan.
During the first few decades, the teachings Ao Yi received made him believe the Dragon race was the strongest in heaven and earth, born rulers, the true masters of the primordial world.
But Ao Yi clearly remembered that morning at the East Sea one hundred and sixty-three years ago, when he could already stay awake in his dragon egg for five hours each day.
A music “teacher” who seemed to have drunk too much told him many, many things about the Dragon race’s sorry state.
The Dragon race was not the strongest.
Heaven had its Sages, Earth had its humans…
In the ancient war, the Dragon, Phoenix, and Qilin races shattered the originally endless primordial world, causing countless beings to suffer tragic deaths. The Dragon race thus bore an eternal, unbleachable sin, rejected by heaven and earth, their destiny sealed by the Dao of Heaven.
They could only settle in the Four Seas, constantly using the bodies of Dragon race experts to fill unstable sea eyes, slowly washing away their sins from that year…
What were sea eyes?
They were heaven and earth’s polluted springs, the most dangerous purgatory!
From then on, Ao Yi became deeply worried, beginning to ponder every day.
As a Dragon King’s son, inheritor of the Dragon Ancestor’s bloodline, what should he, Ao Yi, do for the Dragon race, and what could he do?
Gradually, Ao Yi discovered a tragic fact.
Most within the Dragon race still believed they were the strongest race;
Countless clan members even treated guarding the Four Seas—a punishment from the Dao of Heaven—as the Dragon race’s noble character, actively seeking fortune for all beings!
Countless more clan members clamored that the Dragon race was once the ruler of heaven and earth, an ancient race, countless times nobler than humans who were born as insects!
Now the Phoenix race and Qilin were nearly extinct, the Ancient Shamans and Immortals reduced to supporting roles, yet the Dragon race remained as prosperous as in ancient times, still worshipped as totems by humans—this was proof of the Dragon race’s supreme strength…
How tragic!
How laughable!
The Dragon race’s current preservation of life was bought with countless dragon ancestors’ flesh and blood filling the sea eyes!
Heaven had its Sages who could destroy the Dragon race with one finger;
Earth had its humans whose mighty momentum far exceeded what the Dragon race could resist!
Yet most of the Dragon race still dreamed of being ancient rulers, unwilling to wake from their dreams, constantly trying to demonstrate their might to humans while not daring to truly wage war;
A few days ago, his brother, the Dragon Palace’s Crown Prince, actually arranged to use such underhanded tricks against the Degree Immortal Gate, yet didn’t dare to send them a real challenge letter!
This was our mighty Dragon race!
This was the ancient ruler that had rotted and distorted from its very roots!
I, Ao Yi, a ten-year-old young dragon, what could I do?
Ao Yi looked toward the high platform as if seeing his father who had already reached the Great Luo realm;
Great Luo Golden Immortals could only be destroyed by great tribulation, and even if his father abdicated, the position would go to his uncles—he could never sit in that position, let alone use the Dragon King’s authority to change the Dragon race’s circumstances.
Ao Yi gave a cold laugh.
‘Simply put, I’m just a pretty puppet expected by my clansmen to help them vent their frustration and continue maintaining the ruler’s dignity.’
Nothing more.
‘My son, at today’s Demon Vanquishing Assembly, you must choose a disciple from the Degree Immortal Gate to spar with, remember to win beautifully, to please your father.’
This was his mother’s instruction.
‘Your Highness, you still need to show restraint later, you can’t harm anyone, or things will be difficult to handle.’
This was the Prime Minister’s reminder to him.
But they didn’t know what he planned to do.
“…Please welcome today’s birthday star, our East Sea Dragon Palace’s Second Prince!”
Minister Turtle had already started calling.
Ao Yi stepped into the venue with a calm expression, feeling the converging gazes but too lazy to look at these non-dragon beings.
Minister Turtle was still reciting his previously prepared script, and soon it would be time for him, Ao Yi, to personally choose an opponent for sparring—this was the “entertaining performance” before the official start of the Demon Vanquishing Assembly.
It was also meant to publicly put the small Degree Immortal Gate in their place.
Ao Yi naturally knew his true strength—the deep accumulation within the dragon egg, Dragon Ancestor bloodline, innate divine abilities—although only ten years since hatching, those newly ascended immortal dragons in the clan were no longer his match.
But today…
Right here, with all immortal gates near the East Sea gathered and all eyes watching!
He, Ao Yi, the ten-year-old Second Prince of the East Sea Dragon Palace, would do something momentous!
He had just observed the strength of the Degree Immortal Gate disciples and locked onto the weakest one!
Noble Dragon race, you thought the two previous slaps from the Degree Immortal Gate weren’t loud enough?
Still not enough to wake you up?
Very well!
Today, Ao Yi, the Dragon King’s Second Prince, would openly and fairly lose to the weakest member of the Degree Immortal Gate!
Was this slap enough?
Wake up, Dragon race!
Wake up, those clansmen lost in ancient dreams!
It’s not too late now, we must put aside the Dragon race’s so-called nobility, seek the Dragon race’s true path, and let talented dragon sons and daughters, like those human disciples, join the Three Schools under the Sages, to cultivate their laws and ways!
Minister Turtle smiled and said, “Today our birthday star, Second Prince, will find a talented individual from the immortal gates to spar with…”
Here it comes.
Ao Yi took a gentle breath, stepped forward, and looked toward the Degree Immortal Gate’s seats.
Along with his gaze, everyone’s attention turned to the Degree Immortal Gate’s seats.
“You.”
Ao Yi raised his right hand, pointing at the weakest person from the Degree Immortal Gate whom he had chosen earlier, and spoke in his still somewhat immature voice:
“Spar with this prince.”