The Grand Palace of the East Sea Dragon King.
Innumerable accounts of it existed in mythology and folklore.
It was the gathering place of the East Sea dragon race, inhabited entirely by dragons. And to Huaxia, dragons held extraordinary significance and an indispensable status.
Yet all along, it had only ever existed in legends. In modern times, no one took it seriously, considering such notions utterly absurd.
Only now, things were different.
With the arrival of the transcendent era, all manner of bizarre and miraculous phenomena were coming to pass.
Thus, when Monk Huikong spoke those words, Zhu Qingyu, Ice Fairy, and the others were visibly shaken, realizing it might truly be real. More importantly, the sonar imaging in the documents indeed depicted sprawling clusters of structures spanning a vast area.
"If it's true, does that mean there might be dragons in this dragon palace?" Gu Sang asked, his eyes gleaming with curiosity.
"Not necessarily. Even if there were, so much time has passed that some beings may have been buried by the ages." Chunyang, the Young Heavenly Master, shook his head. As a disciple of Daoism, he knew far more than the others. It was like the Three Immortal Islands across the seas. Legends claimed immortals who lived forever dwelt there, but in truth, only a few descendants remained. Their strength merely placed them among the stronger Awakened, far from the miraculous tales told of them.
From this, one could infer that dragons were simply a kind of mutated beast, and there was no need to imagine them as omnipotent.
"Earlier reports said the Yinglong that emerged from Mount Kunlun was also heading for the East Sea, wasn't it? Our expedition this time might not go so smoothly," Ice Fairy remarked, well aware of the situation.
"Who cares about some dragon palace or some dragon? If we run into them, we get along if we can, and if we can't, we just fight it out!"
The Spirit Monkey spoke up, rubbing its temples in annoyance as it watched them debate. It was straightforward by nature and held no reservations. In its eyes, analyzing this and that back and forth was pointless. Going down to see for themselves was far better; then they would know everything.
The others fell silent, suddenly finding its words quite reasonable.
At once, everyone turned their eyes toward Lu Yuan.
With a faint smile, Lu Yuan said, "The Spirit Monkey is right. Regardless of what lies in the East Sea, we'll know once we arrive."
His meaning was clear: once they reached the coordinates, there was no need to overthink things; they would simply investigate step by step. Of course, he knew opportunities lay within, just as he knew danger lurked there. But that did not matter—it would serve as a trial.
Not for himself, however, but for Zhu Qingyu and the others.
With that, the group spoke no further.
The military transport flew steadily forward, piercing through the clouds.
Below stretched an endless sea. After the New Era began, not only had the landmasses expanded, but the oceans had widened as well. The Golden-Winged Great Peng flew close beside the aircraft, radiating a formidable presence that intimidated any airborne predatory beasts. As a result, no mutated beasts attacked them along the way, making the journey remarkably smooth.
Before long, the plane finally arrived at the detected epicenter.
The rear cargo door swung open, and a violent sea gale rushed inside.
Lu Yuan stood at the very front of the group, looking down at the azure ocean. Through his Martial Dao Heavenly Eye, his gaze pierced through layer upon layer of seawater, reaching down more than a thousand meters. Deep below, he caught the faint outline of grand halls and pavilions, though they were shrouded by a mysterious force and remained somewhat indistinct.
At the same time, he sensed numerous auras continuously emerging in the surrounding waters. They did not belong to Earth's creatures, but to extraterrestrial beings who had evidently received word as well.
Lu Yuan, however, did not pay them much mind.
"It's time. Follow me down."
Without wasting words, he leaped straight into the sea. Behind him, the Golden-Winged Great Peng transformed into a streak of golden light and dove right after him. Zhu Qingyu, Ice Fairy, and the others hesitated not a second longer, leaping out in succession.
They were all Awakened of the Shackle Realm now. Even descending deep into the ocean would not cause them discomfort. The breathing methods they practiced allowed them to survive underwater. While it would hinder their combat prowess to a degree, the impact remained manageable.
The seawater was freezing, the ocean depths silent and abyssal.
For ordinary mortals, the deeper one went, the deadlier it became—not merely due to the inability to breathe, but because the crushing pressure alone was far beyond human endurance. Furthermore, vast numbers of mutated beasts roamed the sea. Their power was not to be underestimated, and their numbers vastly exceeded those on land.
Yet as this group plunged into the depths, the marine beasts that spotted them instinctively steered clear.
The figure leading them barely moved, yet a boundless reservoir of power surged within his body. Though he did not actively unleash it, the terrifying might was unmistakable. The sea beasts sensed it immediately and gave them a wide berth, terrified of provoking him.
This was intentional on Lu Yuan's part, as he had no desire for unnecessary hassle. Once they reached the Grand Palace of the Dragon King, however, he would rein in his aura and let Zhu Qingyu and the others handle whatever came their way.
"Look! It suddenly lit up ahead!" The Spirit Monkey pointed forward with its iron staff.
Everyone looked in that direction, their eyes widening in shock. Some could not help but swallow hard.
Not far ahead lay a sprawling complex of magnificent palaces, each radiating light that illuminated the pitch-black ocean floor. It covered a massive expanse, resembling a miniature ancient city. Yet that was not what stunned them most. What truly astonished everyone was that these palaces were arranged in an uncanny, segmented manner, severed cleanly along sharp lines. Some buildings were clearly rooted on the seabed, yet portions of them floated high above, creating a fragmented spectacle that looked like shattered glass.
It defied all common physical laws.
"Folded space. In other words, these palaces exist within folded space," Chunyang, the Young Heavenly Master, deduced.
Thanks to the teachings of the sect masters from the Three Immortal Islands over the past days, they had learned a great deal. This place was just like Penglai and the other islands, leading them to suspect that the Grand Palace of the Dragon King had originally been hidden away. For reasons unknown, it had resurfaced, triggering that massive earthquake.
"Let's take a closer look first," Lu Yuan said thoughtfully. This was the first time he had witnessed such a sight himself. Yet he recalled the deep-sea map provided by the three sect masters; comparing it now, the location matched precisely. It might prove very useful later on.
The others nodded in agreement and advanced toward the Grand Palace of the Dragon King.
Before long, however, they noticed several figures appearing in the distance, standing right at the entrance of the grand palace and preparing to step inside.
These beings were not sea beasts. Their appearances varied wildly: some had three heads, some were colossal and cloaked in black mist, some possessed human bodies with serpent heads, and others bore a pair of fleshy wings. All told, there were over a hundred of them.
"Extraterrestrial beings... I didn't expect so many to have descended already," Zhu Qingyu murmured, taken aback.
The others also tensed as if facing a formidable foe, sensing the terrifying auras rolling off those creatures. Every single one was at least in the Golden Body Realm, and some were even in the Sovereign King Realm. In strength, they seemed to surpass the Nether Bull Clan from before.
"Milky Way natives?" a serpent-headed creature hissed upon noticing them, flicking its tongue. Its cold eyes flickered with wariness, and even a trace of murderous intent.
The being shrouded in mist also turned its gaze toward them; through the haze, four arms covered in black patterns were faintly discernible.
Their expressions were thoroughly unfriendly. They knew the grand palace held various supreme opportunities. When fortunes were on the line, even extraterrestrial clans turned on one another. The sudden arrival of outsiders was naturally unwelcome.
The serpent-headed creature stepped forward, gripping a broad saber that emanated a chilling aura, its eyes devoid of emotion.
"Greetings, King Lu!" Just then, one of the Three-Headed Ghost Clan members hurried forward and bowed deeply. "He is from the Serpent-Headed Clan and descended only recently. He doesn't know who you are. Please, King Lu, do not take offense. By all means, after you—please enter the dragon palace first."
The moment this member of the Three-Headed Ghost Clan spotted Lu Yuan among the group, panic seized him, and he rushed over to intervene. His posture was extraordinarily humble, his tone dripping with deference. He knew that not long ago, this very man had slaughtered several members of his own clan, while the Nether Bull Clan's forces on Earth had been virtually wiped out.
This man was a true harbinger of doom. If provoked, all the extraterrestrials gathered here would suffer.
Though he was aware that his clan, along with the Celestial Clan, the Origin Demon Clan, and others, had already begun laying a lethal trap for this Earthly king, it was best not to act recklessly for now.
Ice Fairy and the others exchanged surprised glances. The reputation of King Lu had already spread beyond Earth, striking fear into extraterrestrial beings.
"King Lu? What King Lu? He's nothing more than a slightly stronger native of the Milky Way," the Serpent-Headed Clan warrior scoffed dismissively. "The Three-Headed Ghost Clan is considered a major clan among the top hundred star sectors. How can you be terrified to such an extent?"
He glared at Lu Yuan and sneered, "The opportunities here belong to the capable. Besides, I haven't even made a move. Is he so overbearing that he would dare slaughter us on the spot?"
The Serpent-Headed Clan was also a powerful lineage with profound heritage and many experts, no weaker than the Three-Headed Ghost Clan. He had heard of Lu Yuan's reputation, but had never taken it to heart. Moreover, they had arrived first—why should they yield the way?
"Shut your mouth!" the Three-Headed Ghost Clan member said, thoroughly exasperated. He had heard long ago that the Serpent-Headed Clan lacked brains, but had never imagined it was this bad. Then again, they were used to running rampant in their own star sector, and coming to the Milky Way Star Sector—which they deemed a low civilization—only exacerbated their arrogance.
"Belong to the capable?" The Golden-Winged Great Peng, now compressed to human size with its aura restrained, spoke up. "So you're saying you're exceptionally confident in your own strength?"
Hearing its master insulted, it could hardly tolerate the slight. Even if it was no match for a Sovereign King, it had to speak up.
"Hmph, I wouldn't claim to be peerless, but against the natives of some low civilization, suppressing you takes nothing more than the flip of a palm!" the Serpent-Headed warrior boasted. He was in the Sovereign King Realm, considered an expert even within his own clan.
"It's about time. Let's head in."
From beginning to end, Lu Yuan had not spared the creature a single glance. Through his Martial Dao Heavenly Eye, he observed mysterious powers swirling inside the Grand Palace of the Dragon King, knowing they could not afford to waste any more time. He gave the order for the group to follow him inside.
"You dare ignore—" the Serpent-Headed warrior snarled, furious.
"Noisy!"
A voice cut him off.
In the next instant, Lu Yuan's five viscera rumbled with thunderous resonance as he swung his palm through the water.
The ocean convulsed, surging with crushing momentum. Not far away, the Serpent-Headed warrior's physical body burst apart in an instant, disintegrating into a cloud of bloody mist that merged into the seawater.
Having done this, Lu Yuan's expression remained placid. Looking across at the hundreds of extraterrestrial beings nearby, he asked softly, "Now then, may I enter?"
Chapter 138