Chapter 42: Calculating Against My Senior Brother……

As Ao Yi fell, the scene immediately became somewhat chaotic.

Li Changshou felt that the gazes of many experts from the Dragon Palace were fixed on him, and their hostility grew stronger. He already had a general understanding of the Dragon Palace's Second Crown Prince's perplexing actions, and Li Changshou quickly considered his countermeasures. Although this young prince's acting was poor, his status was undeniable. If the Dragon Palace were to use this as an excuse to cause trouble, it would certainly not be a good thing.

Jiu Jiu was currently standing in front of Li Changshou, using her somewhat short stature to shield half of Li Changshou's body. She asked in a low voice, "Nephew Changshou, are you injured?"

"Just some internal qi fluctuations, you needn't worry, Senior Auntie and Senior Uncle. This Second Crown Prince's punches were a bit too strong, but I am fine."

Li Changshou replied softly, having already formulated a countermeasure in his mind. With a slightly worried and somewhat apologetic expression, he sighed: "I wonder how the Second Crown Prince is doing. My talismans shouldn't have been able to break through his immortal armor. Perhaps it's because I kept dodging with my movement technique, lacking the courage for a head-on confrontation, and in his haste and eagerness, his magic went awry? Senior Auntie, would you like to go up and help diagnose him? I'm not sure what the Dragon Palace's medical skills are like, if they can diagnose such a condition."

Jiu Jiu was immediately amused and annoyed, and gently chided, "The Dragon Palace is full of experts; how could they not figure this out? Don't bother yourself with such worries!"

Hearing this, the gazes of the Dragon Palace's officials and generals all turned to Ao Yi. The Turtle Prime Minister, who was the first to support Ao Yi, quickly spoke: "The Second Prince is fine. For a moment, his magical energy went awry, and it burst through his outer armor. His Highness is merely unconscious from the magical energy surge, and will wake up shortly. There's no serious harm..."

A Dragon Palace general, clad in silver armor, immediately asked, "Prime Minister, how should this match be counted?"

The Turtle Prime Minister pondered for a moment, looking at the boundary and then at the unconscious Ao Yi.

This time, Li Changshou didn't need to trouble himself further.

A male True Immortal from the Immortal Ascension Sect chuckled nearby, "Naturally, the Second Crown Prince won. It was only after my humble sect's nephew stepped out of bounds that the Second Crown Prince sustained minor injuries due to his own magic surging. The outcome is clear. I have here some qi-regulating pills secretly prepared by the Immortal Ascension Sect. I assume the Dragon Palace would not think much of such ordinary pills, but this is a small token of our sect's goodwill."

"Thank you for your kind intentions, Immortal."

The Turtle Prime Minister gestured for the Dragon Palace general to accept the pills, which effectively closed the case. The Turtle Prime Minister immediately summoned several Immortal Flood Dragon soldiers, placed the unconscious Second Crown Prince Ao Yi onto a precious jade chair, and had the soldiers carry him away.

The Immortals from the Immortal Ascension Sect also clasped their hands in salute, and, protecting Li Changshou, they returned to their seats. As they walked, Li Changshou suddenly whispered to Jiu Jiu beside him, "Senior Auntie, I seem to recall reading in ancient texts that the grapes on our table are quite suitable for situations where one's cultivation qi goes awry."

"Those grapes were given by the Dragon Palace; how could they not know?" Jiu Jiu retorted, annoyed. "Why did you step out of bounds yourself? If you had stayed a bit longer just now, you might have won directly!"

Li Changshou smiled wryly, "I couldn't hold on any longer at that point."

Jiu Jiu immediately expressed her displeasure, reprimanding Li Changshou extensively: "When we get back, I, your Senior Auntie, will personally supervise your focused cultivation. What's the point of refining pills and studying formations every day if your own cultivation doesn't improve? Truly, one's own cultivation is the foundation of achieving the Dao! Otherwise, if a powerful magic treasure happens to fall into your hands in the future, you won't even be able to unleash half of its power!"

"Yes, I understand my mistake."

Li Changshou nodded in acknowledgment, but felt a slight relief in his heart. This was because he could clearly feel that the gazes previously concentrated on him were rapidly dispersing...

Approaching them, Youqin Xuanya came forward, carrying a large sword on her back, with a hint of urgency in her eyes.

"Senior Brother Changshou, are your injuries fine?"

"It's nothing, nothing, just some qi shock," Li Changshou replied, looking apologetic. "I worried you, Junior Sister, and all fellow disciples. It is my meager skill that has caused our immortal sect to lose face."

A Senior Brother immediately transmitted his voice, saying, "That Second Crown Prince of the Dragon Palace clearly wanted to cause trouble and deliberately chose you, Junior Brother Changshou! Just watch, Junior Brother, I will definitely make sure the Dragon scions who appear later know what they're up against!"

Li Changshou immediately cast a grateful look at this Senior Brother.

"Senior Brother Changshou, please sit down and recuperate first. Don't stand any longer."

"The Dragon Palace truly went too far, and that Second Crown Prince was quite despicable."

Jiu Jiu said, "Everyone, sit down and stop complaining! There are so many Heavenly Immortals watching us!"

Although the disciples were reprimanded, several still voiced their indignation for Li Changshou, and were then chided again by other True Immortals from the Immortal Ascension Sect.

These reactions from his fellow disciples were actually quite normal. Li Changshou knew well that the extent of their reactions was related to their individual sense of collective honor, and had little to do with him personally.

Back in his seat, Li Changshou's previously fluctuating qi quickly stabilized. Youqin Xuanya then left his side, looking back every few steps. Subsequently, the concern on Youqin Xuanya's beautiful face faded, replaced by an increasingly cold expression. This Immortal Ascension Sect's leading disciple in terms of apparent cultivation, gradually showed a hint of fire in her eyes. She unstrapped the large sword from her back, placed it on the low table, and with her sword-finger, tapped various points on the blade. Forming the Azure Lotus Sky-Opening Treasure Seal, lines of flame patterns appeared on the great sword, slowly melting and reforming into several slender flying swords...

In the seating area where the young disciples of the Immortal Ascension Sect gathered, the temperature suddenly dropped slightly.

She took out two bottles of pills and checked them, confirming that she had enough pills for quick magic power recovery. Then she took out a handkerchief and slowly, methodically wiped down the set of flying swords. Her cold, beautiful face showed no expression, but her eyes were a little... intimidating.

"Junior Sister Youqin."

Li Changshou's voice entered her ears, still via sound transmission. Youqin Xuanya paused her movements, and turned her head to look.

"If you intend to take action later, you should exercise some restraint. This is the Dragon Palace, and there's no need to confront them head-on."

Youqin Xuanya nodded lightly. The look in her eyes that had clearly wanted a fight just moments ago, was now much softer. It was hard to tell whether she was pursing her lips or smiling in that instant, perhaps it was both. But her expression and gaze indeed conveyed the message 'No need to worry' to Li Changshou.

The three Immortal Ascension Sect disciples sandwiched between Li Changshou and Youqin Xuanya had never seen Youqin Xuanya display such an expression before. While surprised, they also inexplicably felt a little out of place... and redundant.

Youqin Xuanya continued to meticulously wipe her flying swords. Judging by her demeanor, she had not changed her mind just because of Li Changshou's sound transmission. Li Changshou simply stopped interfering, as there was little he could do anyway. He cast a Wind Whisper spell, this time mainly to listen to the discussions in the arena, to get 'real-time audience feedback after the show.'

Whispers of conversation drifted into his ears with the wind, from near and far, a noisy cacophony...

"That Immortal Ascension Sect disciple isn't bad. That Second Crown Prince of the Dragon Palace was truly too impatient, unable to fully display his strength."

"Didn't the Turtle Prime Minister just say? The Second Crown Prince is only ten years old after all. It's inevitable for him to be a bit hot-headed."

"I might have been able to defeat the Second Crown Prince if I had gone up there, but unfortunately, this Immortal Ascension Sect disciple was struck out of bounds first..."

After carefully analyzing for a while, Li Changshou's heart settled down a little. At this point, his image as an excellent disciple of the Immortal Ascension Sect was three-dimensional, complete, and without flaws. However, when he sat with the sect's top ten immortal seedlings, he would quickly be overshadowed. Others wouldn't see any particular brilliance in him, and naturally wouldn't pay him much more attention.

The Turtle Prime Minister officially announced again that the Second Crown Prince of the Dragon Palace had won the earlier sparring match. However, due to his impetuous nature, his qi had gone awry, causing him internal injuries. He had returned to the Dragon Palace to recuperate, and the subsequent birthday celebration activities were therefore canceled.

This minor disturbance thus temporarily came to an end. From this bizarre incident, Li Changshou also saw the impermanence of the Primordial World and the complexity of dragon minds. He sighed that he was still too young, having underestimated the nature of both humans and dragons, and that he hadn't considered everything thoroughly... But who would have known this little dragon would pull such a stunt! Ao Yi's approach was surprisingly unconventional. Did he actually intend to lose to him? Thankfully, he stepped out of bounds and conceded defeat a step ahead. Otherwise, the current situation would truly be chaotic beyond imagination. Next time a similar situation arises, he would just punch himself, severely injure himself, and simply withdraw from the stage...

Recalling the moment just now, that seemingly calm yet absurd duel; the instant their fists and palms met... Behind the slightly disheveled figures of both men, two shadowy figures seemed to appear, staring at each other with cold eyes.

'Are you playing me?''The feeling's mutual.'

He decided not to think about it anymore. This young dragon probably had other schemes. Returning safely to the sect was Li Changshou's greatest hope at this moment. Weighing the pros and cons, even if it meant revealing some of his trump cards later, he would do anything to leave this dangerous environment smoothly. After all, the purpose of hiding trump cards was precisely to ensure his own survival. Who knew what other dragon-related troubles or dramas lay ahead!

***

After the exhibition match, the Demon Extermination Assembly officially began. The Dragon Palace then created several grand displays, and presented twelve Immortal Artifacts as the ultimate prizes for the upcoming sparring matches between disciples of various sects. The sparring matches proceeded in a challenging and defending arena format, with disciples able to participate an unlimited number of times. The venue was also divided into several areas. Each challenge began with one Immortal Artifact as the prize. If someone could successfully defend the arena nine times consecutively and defeat the 'Arena Master' sent by the Dragon Palace, they could claim the Immortal Artifact. The Arena Masters were young dragons, whose cultivation strength was equivalent to that of normal Return to Dao Stage cultivators at the first or second level. The difficulty of winning the treasures was not low, but the enthusiasm of the disciples from various immortal sects was extremely high, as immortal artifacts were hard to come by.

As the arena challenges began, disciples from various sects showcased their skills, creating a spectacular scene. In less than an hour, a disciple from a major sect, at the initial stage of Return to Dao, even won nine consecutive matches, earning the chance to face the Arena Master. However, after a fierce battle, he was defeated by the young dragon. At this moment, Youqin Xuanya slammed the low table, and her figure soared into the sky. Twelve shimmering flying swords circled around her, and she landed in front of the young dragon.

"One match."

That day, at the Dragon Palace Assembly, Youqin Xuanya, a disciple of the Immortal Ascension Sect, astonished everyone. With her exceptional swordsmanship and fire control, she consecutively won four Immortal Artifacts, defeated dozens of qi practitioners, and injured four young dragons in the Return to Dao stage. Her fame spread throughout the Eastern Divine Continent from that day forward.

After the battles, this female qi practitioner, whose immortal path was destined to be extraordinary and who held the attention of the entire venue, dragged her weary body, covered in wounds, with her large sword on her back, and walked step by step back to the Immortal Ascension Sect's seating area. She refused the support of several fellow disciples, ignored the admonitions of several Senior Aunties and Uncles to recuperate immediately, passed her own seat, and continued a few steps further back... She lowered her head and bent down. Her slender hands trembled slightly due to the excessive expenditure of magical energy. But ultimately, she successfully placed the four shimmering Immortal Artifacts on the low table in front of the male disciple of the Immortal Ascension Sect, at the second stage of Return to Void, who had by then been forgotten by most people... Then, she looked at the male disciple who was gazing up at her, and offered a slightly weary smile...

At this moment, all the qi practitioners in the arena regarded Youqin Xuanya with solemn respect. The True Immortals from various immortal sects were filled with endless admiration. As for Li Changshou, his gaze was quite complex, and he was speechless. He rose and reached out to help her, but Youqin Xuanya, mindful of his 'condition,' immediately dodged and stepped back. Thus, Li Changshou could only give a deep Daoist bow to Youqin Xuanya's retreating back, and secretly wished Senior Uncle Jiu Wu well in his heart... hundreds of times.

***

Inside a magnificent underwater palace.

The young man lying on the hundred-foot-long bed suddenly opened his eyes, and with a backhand, grabbed the maid kneeling beside him, who was peeling grapes for him.

"Did I lose? Did I lose?"

"Your, Your Highness, you needn't worry. You won this match..."

"What? How can that be! I clearly... *cough*!"

"Second Crown Prince! Second Crown Prince! Quickly, someone! His Highness has fainted again!"