Chapter 647: Dingqiao

Ink and Brush Literature, Xuanjian Immortal Clan!

"The Dragon Prince's invitation..."

Kong Heng immediately raised his head. Li Zhouwei was thoughtfully looking at Huiyao on the ground. The monk instantly felt regret: "Huiyao has truly become cunning over the years; he's full of tricks."

Kong Heng wasn't unaware of worldly calculations, but practicing Buddhist dharma, he couldn't casually judge others' intentions with such thoughts. Only now did he realize, belatedly, that the grand display earlier was an invitation from the Flood Dragon Palace. Huiyao had deliberately used congratulations as an excuse to avoid him, fearing Kong Heng would prevent the Young Master from accepting.

"That old demon is a quick learner; after decades, he's mastered that entire scheme!"

Now that they had met in person, Huiyao was bowing and inviting. Refusing again would cause the Dragon Prince to lose face. With the Dragon Prince's power currently ascendant, few in the East Sea would dare to do such a thing.

As the monk was pondering, Li Zhouwei descended the steps. With a "clash," the long halberd with its round white crescent-moon branch was put into his storage bag. He then approached Huiyao and softly said, "Please rise, fellow Daoist."

Huiyao's heart skipped a beat. He heard Li Zhouwei pass by him, walk to the steps of the main hall, and say with a laugh, "Since the Dragon Prince invites, how dare I refuse?"

He got up, relieved, and turned to Kong Heng, whispering, "Please, fellow Daoist, open the great formation."

Seeing Kong Heng perform a hand seal to cast a spell, the invisible boundary in the sky vanished. Huiyao untied a large orange-red conch from his waist, put it to his lips, puffed out his cheeks, and exhaled, causing a loud blast to erupt: "Ooo..."

The seawater by the shore surged skyward with the conch's sound. Two immense walls of water rose from the sea, converging and sweeping over the many pavilions on the large island, extending all the way to the front of the main hall.

Splash!

The humid air from the sea washed over them. Kong Heng gazed into the distance, musing that his clothes had been washed in vain. Azure-red water steps had already appeared beneath his feet. Huiyao made a gesture of invitation. Li Zhouwei stepped forward, and the seawater beneath his feet receded, settling onto the sea beast.

Immediately, the sound of chains grew loud as the sea beast struggled mightily, each scale vibrating with a hum. Vortices appeared on the sea surface, and from within, an entire palace was drawn forth. It was built of coral, adorned with pearls and jade, with water cascading down its sides like a waterfall, vibrant in color and resplendent.

‘What a magnificent palace...’

This was merely the Dragon Prince's conveyance, yet it was a sprawling complex of palaces, far more numerous than the buildings on Zongquan Island. Huiyao led him inside. As luminous pearls on both sides lit up, he respectfully pointed to the right-hand hall and said, "The main hall is for the Dragon Prince's travels; please proceed to the right side hall."

Li Zhouwei glanced around. To the left, there was another palace, only slightly less grand than the main hall, likely used to entertain Nascent Soul cultivators. As he followed Huiyao into the right hall, the demon replied, "Please wait a moment, honored one. I will pilot the Jade Water Scaled Beast. This journey goes to the Zhunan Flood Dragon Palace, located at the bottom of the East Sea, above the netherworld. Although this beast is skilled at water control, it will still take three to five days."

Li Zhouwei nodded, and Huiyao hastily withdrew. Two pure and lovely clam girls entered from a side hall. Luminous pearls lit up one by one, illuminating the many coral decorations in the hall, and they prepared tea for him.

Li Zhouwei took it, seeing it was clear green spirit tea.

‘Huiyao still understands my family; he didn't bring any blood offerings.’

Casually placing it on the table, he looked up at the central coral throne and noticed that the armrests on both sides were the heads of Hooked Serpents. Their eyes were tightly shut, and their scales were pristine white and delicate, suggesting they were nobles among the Hooked Serpents.

‘Before the Dragon kin... they are merely decorations.’

Li Zhouwei sat down nearby and quietly observed. After all, this sea beast was the Dragon Prince's conveyance; it moved extremely smoothly, with no sensation of traversing the seabed. He pondered for a moment, raising his estimation of the Dragon Prince's status.

‘After all, progeny are difficult for the Dragon kin. Upon reaching adulthood, they are Nascent Soul cultivators, making them the most esteemed demonic creatures in the world...’

Li Zhouwei knew of two Dragon Lords: the Beijia Dragon Lord and the Xiyang Dragon Lord. The former was the Lord of Heshu, and also a descendant of the True Chi. In terms of age, he was probably one of the oldest in the world.

‘Of the True Chi's nine sons, six are of the 'He' lineage and three of the 'Lu' lineage. Only two roam freely in the world. The Xiyang Dragon Lord is a rising star. This means, besides the Lord of Heshu, there is another Dragon Lord – a total of three True Monarch-level figures.’

‘This Chenghai Qingtang Chengbi Dragon Prince, or perhaps the White Dragon Heir Prince...’

Among the human cultivators known to the Li family, perhaps only the Young Sword Immortal Wang Xun could compare to this Dragon Prince. As for the young master of the Tuoba family, he was far inferior.

Li Zhouwei took three years to break through to the Foundation Establishment stage, progressing steadily. The Brilliant Core within him condensed, his magical power was like bright light, and he used the fifth-grade cultivation method, the "Bright Splendor Brilliant Core Sutra," to establish his foundation. His immortal foundation was the most magnificent in the Li family's history.

Although Li Ximing also cultivated the "Bright Splendor Brilliant Core Sutra," he had already reached Foundation Establishment when he obtained this method, so his attainment was ultimately not as orthodox as Li Zhouwei's.

"Aside from methods for capturing celestial light, seizing flames, and expelling evil and disaster, and the Brilliant Core's ability to manifest and suppress enemies, this immortal foundation also has a remarkable affinity for 'li fire,' allowing one to condense armored soldiers from bright light flames to serve as attendants."

The same immortal foundation, when cultivated by different individuals, can manifest small, distinct mystical abilities. Li Zhouwei couldn't say whether these differences stemmed from the "Bright Splendor Brilliant Core Sutra" itself or from his own unique nature: "These two minor mystical abilities... the former can be considered somewhat useful, but the latter is not very practical."

Although he hadn't yet used them, he estimated that these armored soldiers could at most interact with Qi Condensation cultivators and would mostly be useless in conflicts between Foundation Establishment cultivators.

"As for spells..."

Li Zhouwei had spent most of his twenty-plus years of cultivation learning spells, mostly second and third-grade ones. He had only heard that they would change somewhat after Foundation Establishment, and now they merely felt a bit more convenient to use.

"After all, their grades are too low; they're useless in combat, except for two..."

The only things Li Zhouwei truly used in combat were the Grand Vein Golden Eyes and the Jiazi Soul-Refining Halberd Art. The former was an ocular technique, the latter a halberd technique, both types of spells, and both had changed after his Foundation Establishment.

The Grand Vein Golden Eyes became even more mystical. Besides its original various functions of seeing through illusions, it could also deter and intimidate. As long as he activated the ocular technique, anyone without a corresponding spell or immortal foundation would feel him to be an insurmountable opponent, becoming flustered and disoriented.

As for the Jiazi Soul-Refining Halberd Art, it was a demonic halberd technique that relied on killing enemies to refine the art. Now, the Brilliant Core armored soldiers he summoned could also use this method, empowering him.

"It seems that cultivation methods also need to be compatible to undergo significant changes after Foundation Establishment; otherwise, they merely become more convenient."

After all, this palace was another's conveyance; cultivating here was too unsafe, and it was filled with the aura of Heshu. Li Zhouwei simply sat in the main seat. The clam girls beside him, seeing he wasn't drinking the tea, stood empty-handed with jade teapots, not daring to glance at him.

Three days passed in a flash. As the Jade Water Scaled Beast stopped, the grand palace on its back slowly sank into the sea, supported by magical power, coming to rest on the serene blue seabed, with not a single rock or bit of silt around it damaged.

Li Zhouwei pushed open the palace doors and looked out to a scene of serene blue. Above, it was pitch black. Luminous pearls and gems on the seabed served as lamps, illuminating the seawater with an eerie, bright blue, while the ground below was covered in deep red reefs, a tapestry of blue and red.

The East Sea seabed was not a place for ordinary cultivators, nor even ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivators. Li Zhouwei had never heard any descriptions of it before. Now, using the faint lamplight, he activated his Grand Vein Golden Eyes and gazed as far as he could see, revealing endless, vast palaces.

Huiyao was on the palace steps before him, grinning ingratiatingly, following behind two demon creatures, doing his utmost to please them. One had bulging cheeks, black armor, and a mouth full of tusks; the other was pot-bellied, with a huge mouth and long beard, and dressed in human-like clothes, holding a trident as they approached.

The demon general with bulging cheeks and black armor had a slightly rough voice and whispered, "This is the Tail-Subordinate Kingdom of the Zhunan Flood Dragon Residence. Please follow me, honored guest."

Huiyao was practically bowing to the ground, naturally having no right to speak. Li Zhouwei nodded, neither servile nor arrogant, and stepped behind him. The pot-bellied man with the huge mouth and long beard spoke first, his tone gentle: "The Tail-Subordinate Kingdom is a Clam Kingdom. Although its population is thriving, its people all live beneath the sand. Their king became pregnant with a pearl a few days ago, so she cannot come out to greet you. Please don't take offense."

"No matter."

Li Zhouwei glanced around with some novelty; it was truly boundless. Since the people lived beneath the sand, these palaces must be for the shrimp soldiers and crab generals. He thought to himself: "How vast is the East Sea? If there are demon kingdoms everywhere, wouldn't it be comparable to several mainland regions combined? No wonder the Dragon kin are content underwater... it's truly much more comfortable than on land."

The group moved extremely fast, traveling several hundred *li*. In the distance, a dark rock wall slowly appeared in the water, extending endlessly upwards and horizontally.

The pot-bellied man with the huge mouth and long beard whispered, "Honored guest, you cultivate ocular techniques, but please, do not look at the wall."

The golden light in Li Zhouwei's eyes slowly faded. Looking with ordinary mortal eyes, it was merely an expanse of darkness, with a few faint cold gleams, seemingly long pillars.

"Oh? Is there some history to it?" Li Zhouwei's heart stirred, and he asked in a low voice.

The demon general with bulging cheeks and black armor finally spoke, his voice rough and deep: "The Eighth Prince is up there."

The young man paused slightly, then immediately understood. He lowered his gaze, looking only at the dark red reefs on the ground. The two demon generals, moreover, buried their heads into their necks, not uttering a sound.

Who else could be so broadly referred to as the Eighth Prince by the sea demons?

Only that Dragon Lord of the Lushu lineage, the source of the entire Zhulu Sea's color, the True Chi's Eighth Son!

The Li family records stated that two thousand years ago, this sea was originally called Qunyi. It was because the eighth son of the Heshu True Chi was captured in this sea. The Dragon kin bound him in a deep sea cliff, forged nine cold iron pillars, impaled him to the cliff bottom, then beheaded and dismembered him. Overnight, the sea turned verdant green, thus becoming the Zhulu Sea!

‘Beheaded and dismembered... no matter how many remains are still there, this place is at least the burial ground of a True Monarch, a son of the True Chi!’

He knew he possessed a Talisman Seed, so he shouldn't be killed by merely looking. Suppressing his curiosity, he continued to walk with downcast eyes towards the inside of the cliff. The pot-bellied man with the huge mouth and long beard beside him whispered, "The 'Lu' and 'He' paths are mutually generating and transforming. Cultivating here offers great benefits, fellow Daoist; you may not know this... there are many immortal caves up there, residences of cultivators who were once allied with our Dragon kin."

Li Zhouwei gently nodded. Upon entering the cliff, he saw an open area, and at the top, a large plaque:

‘Zhunan Flood Dragon Residence’

He then entered, finding a palace of azure blue. The water's color was finally no longer that eerie blend of blue and red. The palace was primarily constructed of crystal, with fish and shrimp guiding the way, and abundant spiritual energy permeating everywhere.

The two demons led the way, ascending the palace step by step. They stopped beside the main hall, which overlooked the entire Flood Dragon Residence, and waited near the main hall. The pot-bellied demon said, "Please."

Li Zhouwei stepped forward and opened the jade-like palace doors. He found several women in pink robes singing with sleeves raised, and a single person seated at the head of the hall.

This person wore a silver robe with patterns of waves and flood dragons. His face was as handsome as jade, his eyebrows extended to his temples, he had a high nose and broad forehead, and intricate silver patterns covered both sides of his forehead, extending upwards to his pair of white horns.

His black hair flowed loose, and his pupils were light blue. He fixed his gaze on Li Zhouwei, slightly raised an eyebrow, but said nothing.

Instead, someone stood up from the side, looked at Li Zhouwei, and descended barefoot from the dais, a cascade of bells chiming as she leaped before him and said with a smile, "Greetings, fellow Daoist!"

This was a young girl, only twelve or thirteen years old. Her face was clean, with fine red feathers at the corners of her eyes. Her eyes were dark red, and she had a very cheerful expression. Upon reaching him, she performed a very standard courtesy.

Li Zhouwei returned the courtesy. The golden light in his eyes brightened again as he turned to the white-horned youth at the head of the hall and said in a deep voice, "Minghuang of Wangyue Lake greets the Dragon Prince."

"Mm."

The youth glanced at him, saw that he did not bow, then twirled his cup and softly said, "Chenghai Qingtang Chengbi White Flood Dragon, Ding Jiao."

He had a magnanimous demeanor, surprisingly without any arrogance. He gestured to the seat on the other side for Li Zhouwei. As a maidservant brought wine, the White Flood Dragon glanced at the woman beside him and softly said, "Minghuang, this is fellow Daoist Wu Pian from Yanbei's Qingwu Forest."

The red-feathered woman maintained her smile and nodded: "Chongli Wuping Huoyang Luan, Wu Pian, greetings, fellow Daoist."

Upon hearing this, Li Zhouwei understood, and thought to himself: "One a White Flood Dragon, one a Li Luan; neither is an ordinary demon..."

This Li Luan looked demure, but she was quite talkative. She immediately spoke eagerly, laughing: "Fellow Daoist Minghuang, are you... the eldest son, or the second son?"

Li Zhouwei felt her question came out of nowhere. He smiled at her in a friendly manner, but before he could speak, the White Flood Dragon Ding Jiao spoke first, raising his cup to him: "Dark golden pupils, you must be the eldest son, then?"

Li Zhouwei looked thoughtful, but showed no shyness, and returned the toast: "The Estate Lord's guess is correct."

"Good... good..."

The Li Luan Wu Pian sighed in relief and laughed: "Then things are much simpler... Though White Qilin is fierce, he can still be a friend. White Cicada, however, is no good!"

"Wu Pian..."

Ding Jiao cut her off, then turned to Li Zhouwei and laughed heartily: "Minghuang, you might not know this, but Emperor Gong of Wei back then was a Golden-Eyed White Qilin, with scales beneath his neck. My grandfather was his sworn brother, and my father even met him, calling him 'Martial Uncle'!"

"There's such a connection..."

Li Zhouwei was slightly surprised. Then he reconsidered: at that time, Wei and Li united the North, and their prestige was immensely prosperous. It wasn't too surprising for them to have some connection with the Dragon kin.

However, judging by the current situation, he had never heard that the Dragon kin and Wei Li were particularly close, and his own family had likely not received much help previously. It was probably merely a superficial friendship.

"May I ask... which Dragon King is your esteemed father?"

Ding Jiao's light blue eyes shifted. He smiled faintly and said, slowly and deliberately: "Dongfang You!"