BOOK 2: CHAPTER 442: CANGMING DRAGON PALACE, THE FINAL YEAR

Vol 2 Chapter 442: Cangming Dragon Palace, The Final Year

The sea clouds roared wildly, the misty mountains flew furiously, and Lord Shuyu Dragon rode the clouds and mist, speeding toward the source of the dragon roar.

She had now regained her calm, but her eyes were still full of anticipation.

That dragon roar just now was from the ancient dragons of this sea region discovering her presence, inviting her to come.

The scenery of this sea area also aroused her curiosity.

Islands were scattered across the sea like sesame seeds on a pie.

What surprised Lord Shuyu Dragon was that on many densely populated islands, there were dragon temples standing tall.

The plaques at the temple gates bore different names:

Some read Dragon God Temple, others said Dragon Lord Temple, and various titles were used.

But compared to Lord Shuyu Dragon, the dragon clans in this sea area had a much stronger presence.

The reason for this difference partly lay in Lord Shuyu Dragon's own personality—she was naturally a bit reclusive, cared little for power, and most people didn’t even know of her existence as an ancient dragon.

On the other hand, it was also due to the decline of the Xuanwei demon clans.

The Five Sects yielded the sea area to her naturally because the Dragon Lord was extraordinarily powerful;

they did not want to provoke her. Her aloof personality also reassured the Five Sects.

Moreover, the Xuanwei demon clans were insignificant and posed little threat to the Five Sects.

Of course, the vastness of the sea area, the complex situation, and the Five Sects’ limited governance capabilities also made occupying the sea area of little value.

In short, although Lord Shuyu Dragon was the lord of the sea area, hardly anyone truly believed in her. She was almost absent amid the changing Xuanwei situation.

Unlike the dragons in front of her, who clearly held the dominant position in that sea region.

After flying for two hours, Lord Shuyu Dragon finally stopped and looked up at the sea area above.

It seemed to sense their arrival;

the seawater parted like a curtain, opening to both sides.

Ten thousand shrimp soldiers and crab generals rose with the waves, standing at the tide’s crest on both sides, spears like a forest, radiating dazzling light.

Four sea patrol Yakshas flew down from the clouds, shouting in unison, “Cangming Dragon King, we respectfully welcome the honored guest!”

Before us, a middle-aged man strode out with several attendants, smiling lightly as he said, “First time visiting this treasured place, the heart is unsettled. Forgive our lack of warm welcome!”

Lord Shuyu Dragon saw such a modest reception and felt a bit relieved that there was no showing off.

But thinking that these were all kin and she was newly arrived at the Heavenly Emperor’s domain, perhaps they were on edge and overly cautious, so she smiled and said, “You are the ones who disturbed us.”

“Honored guests coming to our gate, how could there be disturbance? Please enter the Dragon Palace for a chat!”

Upon seeing Hong Feng, the Cangming Dragon King also seemed friendly.

Lord Shuyu Dragon and I followed them into the sea, and soon we saw a series of palaces.

They were neither metal nor stone but crystal clear, imbued with the essence of water. Even the foundations were made from a rare water-element spirit stone.

These palaces stretched over two hundred miles, numbering nearly a thousand, following the undulations of the seabed like a mighty phoenix resting in the water.

The head of the Golden Immortals was atop an underwater hill, with the main hall built at the peak. A faint image of a divine dragon emerging from the water gave off a majestic and domineering aura.

At the entrance of the main hall was a white jade plaque inscribed with the seven small characters: Cangming Dragon Palace.

“Please!”

The Cangming Dragon Lord said warmly.

Lord Shuyu Dragon entered the palace, where pearl women and merfolk busied themselves. Beautiful wines were placed on tables, and rare delicacies laid on plates.

She seldom interacted with others and had a straightforward temperament. After little eating or drinking, her curiosity overcame her, and she asked, “May I ask where the Dragon King hails from? And how many kin do you have?”

The Cangming Dragon King was surprised by her eagerness but smiled calmly and said, “The domain we reside in is called Dragon Abyss, said to be founded by the Dragon Ancestor.”

“As for how many ancient dragons remain here, from what I know now, it’s just our family of five.”

Lord Shuyu Dragon was stunned and looked at the others beside him.

Besides the Cangming Dragon King, there were two men and two women, four dragons in total.

One woman was older, elegantly made up and gentle in expression—likely the Dragon King's consort.

The other two men and one woman appeared younger, and their identities were unclear.

“These are my two useless sons, and this is my eldest daughter-in-law,” the Dragon King introduced seeing her curiosity.

Lord Shuyu Dragon roughly assessed the strength of this Dragon Palace:

The Dragon King was a True Immortal;

the other four dragons were scattered immortals, slightly stronger than herself as a lone individual.

But she did not care much and instead asked, “Dragon Abyss is founded by the Dragon Ancestor? Where is the Dragon Ancestor now?”

“The Dragon Ancestor has passed away,” the Cangming Dragon King said quietly.

Lord Shuyu Dragon’s face darkened a bit as she asked, “Do you know how many dragons remain in Dragon Abyss?”

“Not many,” the Dragon King showed some pride on his face, “In Dragon Abyss, dragons are supreme. Three Dragon Palaces stand in balance, lasting over a hundred thousand years.”

“And the other two Dragon Palaces…”

The Dragon King shook his head, “A few years ago, Dragon Abyss suddenly shattered. I protected my Cangming family and somehow came here. Self-preservation is barely enough;

I have no clue about the other dragons’ whereabouts.”

His tone was heavy, implying the journey from Dragon Abyss to Xuanwei was extremely difficult.

Whether the other dragons were safe was unknown.

That meant other Golden Immortal worlds were probably in similar straits.

“What is the name of this realm?” Lord Shuyu Dragon was still pondering when the Dragon King asked, “And what factions exist here?”

“This realm is called Xuanwei.”

“Xuanwei!”

Upon hearing those two words, the Dragon King was incredulous and exclaimed.

“Xuanwei… is there something special?”

The Cangming Dragon King asked in confusion, “Dragon Lord doesn’t know?”

“Know what?”

“That the Dragon Ancestor also came from Xuanwei.”

“……”

“The Dragon Ancestor once said that Xuanwei is the beginning of the square realm, where the Great Dao converges.”

Hearing this, Lord Shuyu Dragon shook her head and smiled bitterly, “Since birth, I have never seen other clan members, let alone known these secret histories.”

The Cangming Dragon King thought for a moment, then suddenly said, “Back when the Dragon Ancestor proved the Dao, he took all the dragons away. Unexpectedly, he left behind the Dragon Lord.”

One side had never met kin in their lifetime and yearned for it;

the other was newly arrived, unaware of the place’s situation, eager to inquire. For a moment, the host and guest both were delighted, and their relationship rapidly deepened.

After sending off Lord Shuyu Dragon, the Cangming Dragon King returned to the main hall with his family, a smile spreading to his ears. “This place is actually the Xuanwei Realm!”

“Father? What’s so special about Xuanwei?”

The eldest prince asked.

“The Dragon Ancestor said that Dragon Abyss was broken, and the dragon descendants could only truly become True Immortals, but Xuanwei is very different.”

“Father, you mean you have the chance to become a Golden Immortal?”

“Not only that! The Great Dao converges in Xuanwei, and Golden Immortal is not the limit!”

The Cangming Dragon King’s face flushed, unable to suppress his excitement.

But the Cangming Dragon Queen frowned, “It’s not so easy to become a Golden Immortal. Besides, we just arrived and can barely protect ourselves.”

“No, that’s a woman’s view!” The Dragon King paced the hall confidently, “Didn’t you hear what the Dragon Lord said? Xuanwei is merging other realms!”

“If I can dominate the sea area, I can follow the Dragon Ancestor’s path to prove the Dao. No, surpass the Dragon Ancestor. I will prove the Dao to Golden Immortal soon! Remember, the Dragon Ancestor is dead!”

The others’ breaths grew heavy hearing this.

“But that Lord Shuyu Dragon…”

“This Dragon Lord’s strength is even greater than mine, but she is alone, weak, and without ambition!” The Dragon King laughed loudly, “We might even win her over.”

“Win her over? How?”

The Dragon King’s gaze landed on the second prince.

“Marriage alliance?”

The Dragon Queen immediately understood.

“Exactly!” The Dragon King nodded, “To dominate the sea, the first obstacle is her, and the second is any other Dragon Palaces that may appear. If we can join forces with the Dragon Lord, we gain the upper hand!”

The second prince was handsome but looked reluctant and bitter.

The Dragon King glared at him, “The Dragon Lord’s cultivation is high;

you’ll have to tame your unruly nature in the future!”

The second prince’s expression darkened further.

“When I become a Golden Immortal, you’ll have your carefree days!”

“Yes!”

“This matter can wait.” The Dragon King frowned thoughtfully, “You should first consolidate control over this sea area and deal with Hong Feng.”

The eldest prince frowned, “Father, don’t forget the Jiushan Sect. They are the true lords of this sea area.”

The Dragon King’s face darkened.

“All the Four Sects and various realms have some reputation. I dare not provoke them.”

“But even if Jiushan’s Zheng Fa is a genius, Jiushan Sect’s foundation is shallow. How can they compare to the Four Sects?”

“As long as the Dragon Lord doesn’t interfere, Jiushan Sect is not a concern.”

The eldest prince wanted to say more.

The Dragon King waved his hand, “This is where my Heavenly Dao lies!”

…

The people of Jiushan Realm still did not know the origin of the dragon roar.

To them, the most important thing in these days was one matter—this year marked the final year of the first fifty-year plan!

In the Elder Yu’s courtyard, Uncle Pang and Uncle Huang, sworn enemies, unexpectedly arrived together, gathering in one place.

The three sat around a stone table with clear tea on it, a light screen standing before them.

On the screen was the image of the Heavenly Emperor’s body.

“Respected masters, fellow disciples.”

This was Jiushan News, but not broadcast externally.

As the leader of Jiushan Sect, the Heavenly Emperor’s body routinely reported to all Jiushan cultivators.

“Fifty years ago, we formulated the first fifty-year plan, setting four major goals and twenty-seven minor targets in industry, economy, education, and military!”

“In agriculture…”

Many data and achievements—Elder Yu and the others already knew most of it.

But hearing it now from the Heavenly Emperor’s body, they still refused to miss a word, still smiled at certain sentences.

The Heavenly Emperor’s report was long and somewhat dull, full of numbers and statistics.

Yet the three listened as if it were divine music.

“Overall, in the industrial plan, we completed nearly all goals ahead of schedule, exceeding expectations!” The Heavenly Emperor’s body continued, “Now Jiushan Sect’s income exceeds planned targets by 220%! The population of Jiushan Realm exceeds planned targets by 50%!”

“In education, we proposed a fifty-year plan to cultivate 500 Nascent Soul disciples.”

Hearing this, Elder Yu looked at Uncle Pang with a face of defeat.

“You didn’t believe in this plan back then.”

Uncle Pang snorted, “Did you?”

Elder Yu shook his head, staring at the screen with full emotion.

“Now, Jiushan Sect has twelve cultivators above Nascent Soul!”

The three elders exchanged smiles.

Currently, Jiushan Sect’s strongest Nascent Soul cultivators were Zheng Fa, Senior Sister Zhang, and Xie Qingxue.

Below them were Jiao Wuji, Ancestor of the Blood River, Jiushan Ancestor, and Elder Yu.

But Uncle Pang, Uncle Huang, Madam Xuanhua, Elder Han, and Xiao Yuying also successfully advanced to Nascent Soul after Zheng Fa refined his cultivation method with Great Sun True Fire and switched to the Yellow Court Scripture.

Elder Xiong of Qingmu Sect was also in seclusion, apparently close to advancement.

Though still behind the Four Sects’ foundations, the number of Nascent Soul cultivators had doubled compared to before.

But the achievements of the first fifty-year plan were far beyond these!

The Heavenly Emperor’s body continued, “Below Nascent Soul, Jiushan Sect now has 664 Nascent Soul disciples!”

Even Uncle Huang was a bit dazed hearing this number.

“Over six hundred? How come so many?”

Her tone was full of surprise and doubt.

“There weren’t this many originally.” Elder Yu, who knew the most, explained, “According to estimates in recent years, it was around 500 Nascent Soul disciples, maybe a bit more, but not exceeding 550.”

“So why did suddenly a hundred more appear?”

Elder Yu smiled, “Because of the Heavenly River Method.”

Uncle Pang suddenly understood, “The standard innate treasure.”

“Exactly. All our Golden Core disciples practiced the Jiushan Golden Core Method;

transformation of innate treasures is extremely easy,” Elder Yu laughed. “Using the Heavenly River Method, they sharpen and inspire each other. Many disciples broke through bottlenecks in recent years. The effect was so good that even Zheng Fa didn’t expect it.”

Uncle Pang murmured, “Who could have guessed… even dreaming of 500 Nascent Souls was impossible before.”

Elder Yu laughed, “Before? Before, Jiushan Sect only had the three of us as Nascent Soul cultivators.”

Hearing this, the three looked at each other with a sense of history’s great changes.

Who would have thought that in less than a century, Jiushan Sect would undergo such earth-shaking transformations?

Others might not feel it, but these three felt it deeply.

They had witnessed how Zheng Fa led Jiushan Sect from a small sect in the Hundred Immortals Alliance to today’s glory. Many events were still vivid in their minds.

“According to Zheng Fa, Haori Mountain has only about a thousand Nascent Soul disciples.” Uncle Pang recalled something, “Just in terms of Nascent Soul, we are almost on par with Haori Mountain!”

Even in the Four Sects, Nascent Soul cultivators were considered mid-level.

Uncle Pang knew Haori Mountain had nearly a hundred Nascent Soul cultivators, so in high-end combat power, Jiushan Sect still lagged behind.

But the rapidly growing number of Nascent Soul cultivators gave the three confidence that catching up with Haori Mountain was just a matter of time.

Jiushan Sect was developing step by step, and in both quantity and quality of low- and mid-level disciples, it could be said to rival the Four Sects.

“Can our Jiushan Sect Nascent Soul disciples match those of other sects?”

Unexpectedly, Uncle Huang snorted, as if thinking he was foolish.

Uncle Pang was stunned but immediately realized—thanks to military array techniques, Jiushan Sect Nascent Soul disciples could unleash power incomparable to other Nascent Soul cultivators!

In high-end combat power, Jiushan Sect was by no means inferior to Haori Mountain!

No wonder Zheng Fa was always intent on conquering Haori.

They silently contemplated this for a while—were they really this strong?

After a long moment, they gradually regained composure, looked at each other, and simultaneously raised their tea cups.

Taking a sip of spirit tea, Uncle Pang looked at the screen with a dazed gaze,

“Brother, why does your tea leaf have such a intoxicating effect?”