Dingjiao

"The Prince invites..." Kongheng immediately looked up. Li Zhouwei was gazing thoughtfully at Huiyao on the ground. A sudden pang of regret welled in the monk's heart. *Huiyao has truly picked up bad habits over the years; his mind is full of tricks.* Kongheng was not ignorant of worldly schemes, but cultivating the Buddhist Dharma meant he could not casually judge others with such cynical thoughts. Only now did he realize in hindsight that such an enormous vanguard was an invitation to a banquet from the Flood Dragon Palace. Huiyao had deliberately brushed him off with congratulations earlier, afraid that the monk would step in and decline on the heir's behalf. *The old monster is an apt learner. After several decades of watching mortals, he wields those mortal tactics with practiced ease!* Now that they were face to face, with Huiyao bowing and pleading, to refuse would be to strike at the Dragon Prince's dignity. With dragon majesty at its zenith, few in the Eastern Sea would dare do such a thing. As the monk was pondering, Li Zhouwei descended the steps. With a crisp clang, he sheathed his crescent-tipped halberd into his storage bag. Reaching Huiyao, he said softly, "Fellow Daoist, please rise." Huiyao's heart gave a thump. He heard Li Zhouwei pass him by, step before the hall, and say with a smile, "Since the Prince invites, how could I dare refuse?" "No matter." "Please, Fellow Daoist, open the grand array," Huiyao pleaded in a low voice, scrambling up as if relieved of a heavy burden and turning toward Kongheng. Seeing Kongheng form a hand seal, the invisible boundary in the sky dissolved. Huiyao untied an orange-red conch shell from his waist, pressed it to his lips, puffed his cheeks, and blew. A great wailing blast resonated out: *Wuuu—* The seawater along the shore surged into the heavens at the sound of the conch. Two towering walls of water rose from the sea surface, closing together and rushing past the numerous pavilions on the islet, rolling right up to the front of the great hall. *Splash!* The clanking of chains echoed violently as the great sea beast struggled forward. Every scale vibrated with a low hum. Whirlpools formed in four directions beneath the waves, dragging forth an entire palace! Corals were piled high, embellished with pearls and jade, while seawater cascaded down the eaves like waterfalls, magnificent and splendid. "What a palace!" The monster general with protruding gills and black armor finally spoke, his voice somewhat gravelly and deep: "Please wait a moment, My Lord. I shall drive the Bishui scale beast toward Dawen Golden Palace, which lies at the bottom of the Eastern Sea, above the Netherworld. Though this beast is skilled at navigating the waters, it will still take three to five days." The humid sea breeze rushed at him. Looking into the distance, Li Zhouwei thought to himself that his freshly washed robes had been washed for nothing. A jade-red stair of water had already surfaced beneath his feet. Huiyao made an inviting gesture. Li Zhouwei took a step forward; the seawater underfoot receded, carrying him down onto the sea beast. This was merely the Prince's conveyance, yet its pavilions stretched on endlessly, far surpassing the structures on Zongquan Island. Huiyao guided him inside. Luminous pearls on both sides lit up one after another. He pointed to the side hall on the right and said respectfully, "The main hall is for the Prince's own travels; please proceed to the right side hall." "En." Li Zhouwei nodded, and Huiyao hastily withdrew. Two pure, lovely clam maidens entered from the side chamber. Luminous pearls lit up, illuminating the coral decorations throughout the hall, and they brewed tea for him. Li Zhouwei reached out and took the cup, seeing clear, green spiritual tea. *Huiyao still knows our family somewhat; he didn't bring up any blood and raw flesh.* Setting the cup casually on the table, he looked up at the central coral throne and found that both armrests were shaped like hook snake heads. Their eyes were shut tight, their scales fine and smooth—evidently of noble hook snake stock. *Before the dragon lineage, even they are merely ornaments.* After all, this palace belonged to someone else, and cultivating here was too inappropriate, full of Heshui aquatic qi. Li Zhouwei simply sat in the primary seat. The clam maiden beside him, seeing that he was not drinking tea, stood holding the jade pot in her hands, not daring to peek at him. Li Zhouwei sat quietly observing. The sea beast was, after all, the Prince's mount; it moved exceptionally smoothly, without the slightest feeling of hurtling through the ocean depths. He weighed things for a moment and raised his estimate of the Prince's status once again. Among the human cultivators the Li family knew, perhaps only the young Sword Immortal Wang could compare to this Dragon Prince. As for that Tuoba clan young master, he fell far short. Li Zhouwei's breakthrough into Foundation Establishment had taken twenty months, neither rushed nor slow. The Huangyuan Pass had condensed within his body, his magic power shining like brilliant light. Having established his foundation with the fifth-rank art Scripture of Minghua Huangyuan, his immortal foundation was the most magnificent in the history of the Li clan. Apart from seizing heavenly light, grasping flames, and expelling evils and disasters, the Huangyuan Pass could not only manifest to suppress foes, but also granted the immortal foundation an exceptional affinity for Li fire, allowing him to condense armored soldiers from brilliant light and flame to act as retainers. The same immortal foundation cultivated by different people would yield subtly different divine wonders. Li Zhouwei could hardly say whether this was forged by the Scripture of Minghua Huangyuan or stemmed from his own uniqueness. Although he had not yet employed them, he estimated that these armored soldiers could at most contend with Qi Refinement cultivators; in battles between Foundation Establishment experts, they would rarely be of any use. "Of these two minor wonders, the former is somewhat useful, but the latter is not of much account." "As for spells and techniques..." In over twenty years of cultivation, Li Zhouwei had spent most of his time learning techniques, mostly second- and third-rank. He had heard that they would undergo some transformation after Foundation Establishment, but casting them now merely felt a bit smoother. "It seems an art must be compatible with the cultivation method to produce remarkable changes after Foundation Establishment; otherwise, it is merely handier to use." What Li Zhouwei truly relied upon when facing enemies was nothing other than his ocular technique and the Jiazi Soul Halberd-Refining Art. The former was an ocular technique, and the latter a halberd art—both were techniques, yet now both showed changes after Foundation Establishment. His ocular technique was even more wondrous: beyond its original functions of seeing through illusions, it could now intimidate and deter foes. Whenever he channeled his ocular technique, anyone lacking a corresponding spell or immortal foundation would feel he was insurmountable, their hearts sinking into panic. As for the Jiazi Soul Halberd-Refining Art, it was a demonic halberd technique that relied on slaying enemies to refine the art. Now, the Huangyuan soldiers he summoned could also wield this art to empower him. Although Li Ximing was also cultivating the Scripture of Minghua Huangyuan, he had already established his foundation by the time he obtained the technique, so in the end, he was not as orthodoxly formed as Li Zhouwei. Three days slipped by in the blink of an eye. As the Bishui scale beast came to a halt, the grand palace riding on its back slowly submerged into the sea. Bolstered by magic power, it settled onto the gloomy azure seabed without disturbing a single rock or patch of silt. Li Zhouwei pushed open the palace doors and stepped out. Gazing around, all was gloomy azure. Overhead was pitch black. Precious gems and luminous pearls on the seabed served as lanterns, illuminating the seawater with brilliant clarity in eerie, dim azure hues. Below lay deep crimson reefs, azure and red intertwining. The Eastern Sea floor was not a place ordinary cultivators—or even ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivators—could reach. Li Zhouwei had never heard any description of it before. Now, aided by the dim lights and channeling his ocular technique to gaze as far as he could, he saw boundless, sprawling palaces. Li Zhouwei looked on with a sense of novelty. It was truly vast and limitless. Since the common folk lived under the sand, these palaces were presumably quarters for the shrimp soldiers and crab generals. Huiyao stood on the palace steps before him, grinning ingratiatingly as he followed behind two monster figures, flattering them to the utmost. One had protruding gills and black armor, a maw full of fangs; the other was pot-bellied with a massive mouth and long whiskers, dressed like a human, walking forward holding a trident. The middle-aged man with a massive mouth and long whiskers spoke first, his tone soft and languid: "This place is the State of Weishang under the Zhunan Water Mansion. Honored guest, please follow me." "The State of Weishang is a clam kingdom. Though its population flourishes, the people all dwell beneath the sands. A few days ago, the king conceived a pearl and cannot come out to receive our guest; pray do not take offense." "No matter." How vast was the Eastern Sea? If monster realms lay everywhere within it, would it not rival several inner lands? No wonder the dragon lineage was content underwater; it was truly far more comfortable than on land. Huiyao's waist was bent nearly to the ground, naturally possessing no standing to speak. Li Zhouwei nodded neither servilely nor arrogantly. The several figures moved with tremendous speed. After traveling several hundred li, a dark stone cliff gradually emerged in the distant waters, rising straight up into the heavens, its expanse stretching beyond sight to the left and right. "The honored guest cultivates an ocular technique; by no means look at the cliff wall," the monster general with protruding gills and black armor warned in a low, gravelly voice. The youth was startled for a moment, immediately realized, and lowered his gaze to look only at the dark red reef on the ground, while the two monster generals buried their heads in their necks without uttering a peep. Li Zhouwei knew he possessed a talisman seed within him and should not be struck dead merely by looking, but he suppressed his curiosity and kept his eyes lowered, walking into the interior of the cliff as before. The middle-aged man with a massive mouth and long whiskers beside him murmured, "The Fourth Prince is up above." Li Zhouwei's golden ocular light slowly faded. Looking with mortal eyes, before him was merely pitch darkness, with a few faint glints of cold light—seemingly several long pillars... The Li family archives held records of this! Two thousand years ago, this sea was originally called Qunyi. It was because the fourth son of the Heshui True Chi was captured in this sea. The dragon lineage bound him to the deep underwater cliff, forged four cold-iron pillars, pinned him to the cliff base, and executed and dismembered him! Overnight, the sea turned emerald, and only then did the Zhulu Sea come to be! Executed and dismembered... No matter how much of the remains still lingered upon it, this place was at least the burial ground of a True Monarch, a son of the True Chi! Who else could be so broadly referred to as the "Fourth Prince" by the sea monsters? None other than that Dragon Lord of the Lushui path! The color of the entire Zhulu Sea was dyed by him... Having heard this, Li Zhouwei already understood, thinking to himself: *The True Chi had nine sons, six of Heshui and three of Lushui. Only two roam freely in the mortal world. Dragon Lord Xiyang is a rising star of later generations. Which means besides that Master of Heshui, there is another Dragon Lord—a total of three True Monarch-level figures!* Li Zhouwei's heart stirred, and he asked in a low voice. Of the Dragon Lords Li Zhouwei knew of, there were two: Dragon Lord Beijia and Dragon Lord Xiyang. The former was the Master of Heshui and a scion of the True Chi; in terms of age, he was likely one of the oldest in the realm. "May I ask... which Dragon King is your master's father?" "The Mansion Master's guess is not wrong," the middle-aged man with a massive mouth and long whiskers answered in a low voice. "Dongfang You!" He added, "The two paths of Lushui and Heshui mutually generate and transform each other; cultivating here brings immense benefits. Fellow Daoist should know that there are quite a few grotto-dwellings up above, all residences of cultivators who were on good terms with our dragon lineage back in the day." Li Zhouwei nodded gently. Entering the interior of the cliff, he saw an open expanse. Above hung a large plaque: Dawen Golden Palace. He stepped inside, finding it to be a hall of azure-blue crystal. The water color was finally no longer that eerie cyan-red. The palace was constructed primarily of crystal, with fish and shrimp guiding the way, rich spiritual energy permeating every corner. The two monsters led the way, ascending step by step along the palace, stopping beside a grand hall that overlooked the entire flood dragon mansion. To the left was another palace hall, only slightly lower than the main hall, presumably used to receive Purple Palace guests. Waiting beside the main hall, the massive-mouthed monster said, "Please." Li Zhouwei took a step forward and pushed open the jade-like palace doors. Inside, several pink-clad maidens were raising their sleeves and singing. Seated upright in the center above was a person. The figure wore a silver robe embroidered with rolling waves and dragons. His face was like crowned jade, eyebrows extending to his temples, with a tall nose and broad forehead. Dense silver patterns covered both sides of his forehead, extending all the way up into a pair of white horns. His black hair hung loose, and his pupils shone light blue. Gazing at Li Zhouwei, he raised an eyebrow slightly, saying nothing. After all, offspring of the dragon lineage were hard to come by; upon reaching adulthood, they entered the Purple Palace realm, making them the most noble monsters in the world. The white flood dragon possessed an open and generous bearing, completely devoid of arrogance. He pointed out a seat on the opposite side to Li Zhouwei. A maidservant served wine. Glancing at the woman beside him, the white flood dragon said softly, "Zhouwei, this is Fellow Daoist Wu Pian of Qingwu Forest in Yanbei." Someone stood up from the side, looked at Li Zhouwei, and descended barefoot from the dais, setting off a tinkling of bells. She bounded before him and laughed, "Chongli Wuping Fire Yang Luan, Wu Pian, greets Fellow Daoist!" This was a young girl of merely fifteen or sixteen. Her face was clean and fair, with delicate red feathers growing at the corners of her eyes. Her dark red eyes brimmed with smiles. Arriving before him, she performed a very standard greeting. *A white flood dragon and a Li Luan; neither is an ordinary monster.* Li Zhouwei returned the courtesy, the golden light rekindling in his eyes. Turning toward the white-horned youth above, he said in a deep voice, "Li Zhouwei of Lake Wangyue greets the Dragon Prince." The white flood dragon cut in, turned to Li Zhouwei, and laughed aloud, raising his cup toward him: "White Flood Dragon of the Chenghai Qingtang Chengbilong lineage: Dingjiao." Dingjiao's pale blue eyes moved, and he smiled faintly, saying word by word, "Pupils of dark gold—you must be the eldest son?" Li Zhouwei was thoughtful, by no means intimidated, and returned the toast. Wu Pian, the Li Luan, let out a sigh of relief and smiled, "Fellow Daoist Zhouwei might not know, but back then Emperor Gong of Wei had golden eyes and a white scale beneath his neck, just like a white qilin! My grandfather was sworn friends with him, and my father even met him, addressing him as Martial Uncle!" "Oh? What origin is there?" Li Zhouwei was slightly surprised. On second thought, when Wei and Li unified the north back then, their prestige had been towering; having ties with the dragon lineage was hardly surprising. Yet judging from the present situation, he had never heard of the dragon lineage being particularly close with Wei and Li, and his own family had rarely received any aid from them in the past. It was likely just a superficial friendship. The red-feathered girl maintained her smiling face, nodding as she said, "Then things will be easy! Though the white qilin was fierce, he could still be a friend. The white cicada, however, is no good thing!"