Nine-Five Island’s former location, Thousand Islands Sea:
Nine-Five Island had flown off and become Borderless Heavenly Capital. Now, another humongous island landed there. It was the former Solar Divine Palace’s Lu Ya City.
No animal spirit stood guard there. Lu Ya City landed peacefully in the Thousand Islands Sea; everything was calm.
The Manifold Deity Palace at the center of the island had its name changed to Ao Shun Palace.
Some guards patrolled the place.
Ao Shun had come out from closed-door cultivation and was in Ao Shun Palace. Right now, he was receiving a guest, a golden-robed man.
Ao Shun sat on the host’s seat in the palace hall. Some attendants served tea at the side. After taking a sip, Ao Shun narrowed his eyes slightly at the man before him. “Hah! Shi Zhenzi, how capable of you! To think that you managed to find me despite my temporarily staying in the Thousand Islands Sea.”
The golden-robed man smiled faintly. “Crown Prince Ao Shun is famous. It is not difficult to find you. The last time you showed yourself was in Lu Ya City. I also heard that Lu Ya City was placed in the Thousand Islands Sea, so I followed the trail. Unexpectedly, Crown Prince Ao Shun is truly here.”
Ao Shun looked coldly at Shi Zhenzi. “Followed the trail? Hah! Do you still want me to attack your Western Sea? After the previous battle, I spared you only because of my royal father’s order. Otherwise, would you be able to stand before me today?”
Shi Zhenzi explained, “My Western Sea Dragon Race previously had some misunderstanding with Crown Prince Ao Shun. However—”
“Wait! Western Sea Dragon Race?! Hah! You mean Western Sea Flood Dragon Race, not Western Sea Dragon Race!” Ao Shun interrupted seriously.
“However, we have already evolved into dragons!” Shi Zhenzi argued.
“Dragons? Hah! I acknowledge that you have evolved into dragons. However, please do not humiliate the name Western Sea Dragon Race. The Western Sea Dragon Race was eradicated eight hundred thousand years ago, but that does not mean you can replace it,” Ao Shun said.
The sullen Shi Zhenzi suppressed his anger.
“Alright, speak. Why did the Western Sea Flood Dragon King send you here?” Ao Shun asked.
“Crown Prince Ao Shun, His Majesty is the dragon king.” Shi Zhenzi refused to budge.
Ao Shun revealed a faint sneer. “Cut the crap. What did Di Shitian send you here to do? Doesn’t he hate me the most?”
“His Majesty sent me here to invite Crown Prince Ao Shun to the west to open and reestablish the dragon palace!” Shi Zhenzi said seriously.
“Open and reestablish the dragon palace? The Western Sea Dragon Palace?” Ao Shun suddenly raised his eyebrows.
“Yes. We are inviting Crown Prince Ao Shun to the Western Sea to open and reestablish the Western Sea Dragon Palace.”
“Oh? What does Di Shitian want me to do? Does he want me to take charge of the Western Sea Dragon Palace?” Ao Shun asked, feeling suspicious.
“Huh? Crown Prince Ao Shun must have misunderstood. It is His Majesty reestablishing the Western Sea Dragon Palace, not Crown Prince Ao Shun. Crown Prince Ao Shun is just assisting,” Shi Zhenzi explained.
Ao Shun’s pupils suddenly constricted.
“Hah! Hah! Hahahaha! Shi Zhenzi, how bold of you! Does he really think he can reestablish a dragon palace by joining the Spirit Mountain Holy Land and being installed as the leader of the Eight Heavenly Dragon Tribes? Does he really consider himself the Western Sea Dragon King?” Ao Shun laughed, his expression suddenly turning cold.
“Crown Prince Ao Shun, you can’t say that. The Western Sea Dragon Race has already been eradicated. So what if His Majesty opens and reestablishes the Western Sea Dragon Palace?” Shi Zhenzi said sullenly.
“Humph! Do you know why the leaders of the dragon palaces of the four seas eight hundred thousand years ago all had the Ao family name?” Ao Shun asked coldly.
“The dragon deities?” Shi Zhenzi looked at Ao Shun.
“Good that you know.” Ao Shun said coldly, “The dragon deities of the four seas were all formed by my Ao Clan’s ancestors. As the ancestor of the dragon race, only my Ao Clan can establish dragon palaces. The dragon palaces are the ancestral property of my Ao Clan. Only my Ao Clan can succeed the dragon deity. Di Shitian? Just a bunch of wild dragons, and you dare to establish a dragon palace? Inviting all the dragons in the world over? Establish himself as the dragon race’s prime? What a joke!”
However, Shi Zhenzi did not get anxious. He smiled faintly and countered, “Ao Tianhuang is already dead. I believe the Six Paths Immortal also destroyed the dragon deity, right? The dragons are now leaderless. Why can’t it be His Majesty? Furthermore, how do you know that His Majesty has not formed a dragon deity?”
“Huh?” Ao Shun suddenly looked at Shi Zhenzi coldly.
“It has been eight hundred thousand years. It is no longer just your Ao Clan. His Majesty has formed a new dragon deity. How is he not qualified to lead the dragons of the world? When the Western Sea Dragon Palace opens, we will invite all the dragons in the world. Furthermore, His Majesty is allied with the Spirit Mountain Holy Land. With a holy land supporting him, who would dare to touch us?” Shi Zhenzi smiled.
“The Eight Heavenly Dragon Tribes? All dragons in these tribes? Di Shitian truly sold himself for a good price. The Western Sea Dragon Palace got eradicated eight hundred thousand years ago because of the Spirit Mountain Holy Land. Now, Di Shitian wants to reestablish the Western Sea Dragon Palace? To be dogs of the Spirit Mountain Holy Land? You even want to invite me to reestablish it? Hahahahaha! How laughable!” Ao Shun said coldly.
“Crown Prince Ao Shun, you have now been chased away from the Northern Sea Dragon Palace. Why not join the Western Sea Dragon Palace. His Majesty promised that if you join the Western Sea Dragon Palace, you would just be under one dragon and above all others,” Shi Zhenzi enticed.
“He wants me to submit to him? What a joke! Humph! He wants to use me to recruit the dragons? He wants to use my bloodline to help him open up the Western Sea Dragon Palace? In his dreams!” Ao Shun scoffed.
“Now that His Majesty has formed a dragon deity, he can easily break open the dragon palace. However, he just does not want to damage the things there. That’s why he needs your bloodline. Crown Prince Ao Shun, His Majesty is sincerely inviting you to undertake this grand cause together, to restore the dragon race’s paramount position among the animal spirits!” Shi Zhenzi said.
“The dragon kings of the four seas can have only the Ao family name, never Di. I will never let my ancestors be humiliated. I don’t care about Di Shitian forming a dragon deity. However, don’t come and provoke me. Otherwise, don’t blame me for being merciless!” Ao Shun retorted coldly.
“Crown Prince Ao Shun…” Shi Zhenzi felt anxious.
“Huh?” Ao Shun glared.
Ao Shun’s glare emanated an intense murderous intent that pressured Shi Zhenzi. Shi Zhenzi’s hair stood on end as he gaped in horror.
Just as Ao Shun was about to send his guest away, another voice came from outside the palace hall.
“Crown Prince Ao Shun, the dragon race’s Elder Lin requests a meeting!” a guard shouted from outside.
Ao Shun’s face lit up in joy. “Oh? Uncle Lin? Please, come in!”
A gray-clad middle-aged man immediately stepped into the palace hall.
“Uncle Lin! Why did you come here?!” Ao Shun showed an amiable welcome on his face.
“Crown Prince Ao Shun, why have you been staying here these few years, refusing to return?” Elder Lin asked with a bitter smile.
“I will return. However, not now.” Ao Shun shook his head and sighed.
“Shi Zhenzi? Why are you here?” Elder Lin’s face sank.
Shi Zhenzi smiled faintly. “Elder Lin, how have you been?”
“Di Shitian is under a delusion, wanting me to help him open the Western Sea Dragon Palace. What a joke!” Ao Shun shook his head.
“Oh?” Elder Lin’s face sank. “Di Shitian is truly bold. The dragon race’s royal bloodline inheritance cannot be thrown into disorder. To think that he dares to interfere? How audacious!”
“Elder Lin, this is where you are wrong. My purpose here is the same as yours. It is just that you are inviting Crown Prince Ao Shun to the Northern Sea Dragon Palace, and I am inviting him to the Western Sea Dragon Palace. We both came for Crown Prince Ao Shun’s bloodline,” Shi Zhenzi said with a smile.
“What are you saying?” Elder Lin asked with a cold smile.
“Elder Lin, haven’t you told Crown Prince Ao Shun? You all have already sworn loyalty to your new dragon king, Ao Sheng, right?” Shi Zhenzi said with a cold smile.
“Dragon king?” Ao Shun frowned slightly at Elder Lin.
“Crown Prince Ao Shun, Ao Sheng has already succeeded the throne and formally become the new Northern Sea Dragon King, becoming the new Dragon Prime,” Shi Zhenzi explained.
“What Northern Sea Dragon King? Elder Lin, have you forgotten the dragon race’s rules? The Northern Sea Dragon King has to leap over the dragon’s gate. Ao Sheng, he…” Ao Shun looked at Elder Lin.
“Crown Prince Ao Sheng has leaped over the dragon’s gate. The previous prime had fallen, and my Northern Sea’s dragon deity got destroyed. However, he left a wisp of divine flame above the dragon’s gate for the purpose of inheritance. Crown Prince Ao Sheng leaped over the dragon’s gate and retrieved the divine flame, forming a new dragon deity.” Elder Lin nodded with a bitter smile.
Ao Shun’s expression changed. “That’s impossible! Leaping over the dragon’s gate? Even I might not be able to accomplish that. How did he do it? Isn’t he only in the Middle Heavenly Palace Realm?”
“Ao Sheng did it in front of all the dragons. According to the rules, all the dragons will have to honor him as king,” Elder Lin said with a bitter smile.
Ao Shun frowned. “How? How did his cultivation increase so quickly?”
“I don’t know. However, all this is no longer important, right?” Elder Lin smiled bitterly.
“Actually, we hoped that you would become the new dragon king. However…hah…please don’t blame us. This is the dragon race’s ancestral teachings. I need to…” Elder Lin forced a smile.
Ao Shun took a deep breath before nodding. “Never mind. If he wants to be the dragon king, so be it. Don’t worry. I won’t fight over the position. He is my younger brother, after all.”
“The dragon king sent us here to bring you back. You are his elder brother, so he is appointing you a duke. You are both from the Ao Clan. He would like you to return and help revitalize the dragon race,” Elder Lin said with anticipation.
“Return? Hah! He wants me to return?” Ao Shun sneered.
“Speaking of which, I seemed to have heard that Ao Sheng dug up the ancestral burial mound and consumed countless dragon souls there. That’s why his cultivation increased continuously. However, the power of the dragon souls is overly vast, and his bloodline alone cannot suppress it. That’s why he needs Crown Prince Ao Shun to return—so that he can sacrifice Crown Prince Ao Shun,” Shi Zhenzi suddenly laughed.
“What nonsense! Shi Zhenzi, how dare you provoke my Northern Sea Dragon Palace?!” Elder Lin glared.
However, Ao Shun’s face sank.
“Isn’t that so? Elder Lin, you must have gone crazy over desiring the Northern Sea Dragon Palace’s past glory. To think that you don’t even care about Ao Sheng opening the dragon burial mound? Is it because he is the dragon king?” Shi Zhenzi sneered.
“You are trying to mislead others with lies! I’ll kill you!” Elder Lin glared, about to attack.
“Uncle Lin, stop!” Ao Shun’s expression turned cold. He blocked Elder Lin before looking at Shi Zhenzi sternly. It seemed like he would not let Shi Zhenzi go without an explanation.
“Misleading with lies? Do you think the Northern Sea Dragon Palace can hide what it’s doing from everyone? Didn’t an army of bone dragons appear near the Northern Sea Dragon Palace? An army of netherworld dragons?” Shi Zhenzi sneered.
“That does not prove anything!” Elder Lin glared.
“Uncle Lin, is Shi Zhenzi speaking the truth? Did Ao Sheng dig up the ancestral graves, opening the dragon burial mound?” Ao Shun asked with a sullen expression.
“It is not just that. Elder Lin did not just come to convince you. If my guess is right, he will forcibly take you back if you refuse,” Shi Zhenzi said with a cold smile.
