Chapter 1 The Dragon Palace Banquet

Beneath Dragon Head Peak, amidst the azure waves, stood the dazzling and magnificent Dragon Palace, its solemnity striking.

Anyone with a discerning eye could see that the palace itself was an excellent magical artifact, perhaps not quite a divine weapon, but close enough.

Such a palace, situated at a crucial array node in this Water Mansion secret realm, would greatly amplify the abilities and strength of the Dragon King who controlled it.

A glance at Jin Buyi revealed no hint of apprehension on his face, as he continued to exchange jovial banter with Dragon King Yuanjia, discussing tales of the martial world.

As for the other of the three ‘protagonists’, the old Dragon King lagged a step behind the two, an unspoken indication of his lower status.

Dragon King Yuanjia did not seem impatient, not immediately pressing the old Dragon King to hand over the Yunmeng Cauldron. After all, the old Dragon King had returned to the Yunmeng Great Swamp; he had plenty of ways to deal with him.

Inside the main hall, they took their seats according to rank, the atmosphere growing more convivial as they chatted.

Their words were laced with amicable intentions, showing no sign of conflict.

However, Ye Chuxiao remained vigilant, constantly monitoring the shifts in death energy, wary of any sudden change.

Soon, a banquet commenced, with singing, dancing, and a riot of music and vibrant colors.

The female demons of the Dragon Palace, while perhaps not as skilled as the professionals from Pingliang Ward, possessed a unique charm.

However, the boisterousness and peaceful atmosphere of the banquet were merely a facade.

Inside and outside the hall, numerous Dragon Palace aquatic guards stood armed and armored, their expressions solemn.

Even the Six Doors constables, seemingly enjoying themselves with the wine, kept their swords and sabers at their waists, never relaxing their vigilance.

They seemed to be entangled with the wine-offering female demons, but in reality, at Jin Buyi's command, they could instantly draw their blades and sever the delicate necks of those beautiful creatures.

After a few rounds of wine and five courses of food, Jin Buyi casually brought up an old matter, seemingly without intent. "Thinking back a hundred years, if not for the rebellion of Prince Chen, the Great Heng would have already dominated the Qian Universe. How could we be plagued by barbarian unrest every year, with border skirmishes that never cease? It is a matter of great regret."

Dragon King Yuanjia, upon hearing this, spoke meaningfully. "Prince Chen, Xiao Chi, was merely a womanly-hearted fool. This king believes that if Prince Chen had pressed his advantage then, the Great Heng of today might truly dominate the universe."

"Heaven's gift, if not taken, becomes a curse."

Ye Chuxiao, seated with Cui Yu, turned to her, seeking an explanation.

Although Ye Chuxiao had also been ‘studying diligently’, his reading was mostly confined to books related to cultivation.

He did not know much about the historical anecdotes of the Great Heng.

"One hundred and seventeen years ago, in winter, during the tenth year of Emperor Yongkang's reign, on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, Prince Chen, Xiao Chi, raised an army in ‘rebellion’. Within half a day, he was captured and thrown into the dungeons of the Ministry of Justice, imprisoned on the eighth level, subjected to the torture of skinning and dismemberment for three days, until he died of exhaustion," Cui Yu said in a low voice.

"Although some historical records portray Prince Chen, Xiao Chi, as a rebellious prince who brought chaos to the country and misfortune to the people, there are also unofficial histories circulating among the common people, saying that this Prince Chen, Xiao Chi, was skilled in both civil and military arts, and once single-handedly protected the Great Heng's realm, drove out the invading barbarians, and slew the barbarian Wu Ding Realm Great Shamans. He also suppressed the eight Great Demon Kings, causing the demon race to lose its vigor for more than a hundred years, a state from which they have yet to recover."

"It is because of these unofficial histories that the events of Prince Chen's rebellion more than a hundred years ago have become shrouded in mystery. After all, if the unofficial histories are true, then this Prince Chen, Xiao Chi, would have been capable of taking the throne, rather than being defeated and captured within half a day," Cui Yu informed Ye Chuxiao through voice transmission.

Clearly, the later part was not recorded in official histories; it would not do to speak openly about it, given the crowd.

So, the question was, why were Jin Buyi and Yuanjia suddenly discussing this Prince Chen, Xiao Chi?

Evidently, Jin Buyi was comparing Yuanjia to Xiao Chi, believing that he would sooner or later suffer a crushing defeat, ending up in a miserable state. Yuanjia, on the other hand, believed that Xiao Chi was soft-hearted, failing to act decisively, thus suffering the consequences.

"Idle talk and unofficial history are not to be trusted."

"Dragon King has also experienced much and lived longer than ordinary people; how can he believe the words of ignorant commoners?" Jin Buyi said, raising his wine cup.

Dragon King Yuanjia said, "It is precisely because I have lived longer that I see things clearly. Although I never had the chance to meet Prince Chen, Xiao Chi, my disappointing elder brother did serve in Prince Chen's army. Constable Jin might as well ask him what he thinks of this Prince Chen."

The topic was finally directed to the old Dragon King.

The old Dragon King, who had been eagerly staring at the palace entrance, waiting for the Dragon Queen to appear, was stunned.

Then, he seemed to fall into recollection.

"There is nothing to say. The rebel Xiao Chi was just as the history books describe: disloyal to his ruler, deserving of death," the old Dragon King said, lowering his head.

"Silence! You old eunuch dragon, how dare you mention Prince Chen?"

"Do you still remember how he helped you back then? Do you still remember who saved you when you were forced by the Black Flood Dragon to flee to Mount Dong? And who helped you reclaim the Dragon Palace Water Mansion, holding control of the Yunmeng Great Swamp for a hundred years?" A female voice rang out from outside the hall, and then a woman in ornate silver robes, majestic and breathtakingly beautiful, swept through the air and landed on the empty seat beside Dragon King Yuanjia's throne.

No explanation was needed; upon seeing this woman, one would know her identity. She was the mistress of this Yunmeng Great Swamp.

She was also the Dragon Queen, for whom the old Dragon King yearned.

"Slurp! Straight, long, and white, such great legs! This Dragon Queen... I like her! No wonder the old dragon is so infatuated; those legs... they could strangle a man without a second thought." Zhao Si, eyes practically popping out of their sockets, stared with such intensity it seemed he wished he could bore through the Dragon Queen's short skirt.

"Yuan Meng! Why have you come?" Yuanjia asked the Dragon Queen in a low voice, turning his head.

The Dragon Queen said frankly, "I've come to see what this old eunuch dragon looks like now, having grown even more useless under the protection of the Abusive Emperor."

The old Dragon King looked at the Dragon Queen with infatuation, his face changing at her accusation. He muttered a few words but ultimately said nothing in rebuttal, only saying, "You've grown thinner! How have you been lately? Has he been treating you well?"

This prompted some constables to lower their heads and snicker, mocking the old Dragon King for his lack of marital authority.

"A woman who does not uphold her virtue; how can Yuanjia still keep her as Dragon Queen?" Jin Buyi interjected blandly from the side.

With one sentence, he laid bare the discord between the two Dragon Kings and one Dragon Queen.

The smile that had been on Dragon King Yuanjia's face vanished completely, and the hostility in his gaze toward Jin Buyi was now undisguised.

But the old Dragon King was not grateful for Jin Buyi's ‘righteous words’; instead, he hurriedly explained to the Dragon Queen, Yuan Meng, "She doesn't mean it; she must have been forced, she must have had her reasons. I... I don't blame her!"

"What do you mean, forced?"

"I only wish I could kill you, then eat your flesh and drink your blood!"

"Yuan Zhen! You good-for-nothing... no! You soulless mudfish, now that you've dared to step foot in the Yunmeng Great Swamp again today, I will not let you leave."

"I spent a hundred years deceiving you into destroying the Dragon Palace Formation, giving Yuanjia the opportunity to defeat you and seize the throne. And I waited decades more, only to wait for you, the coward, to finally have the courage to step foot in the Yunmeng Swamp again... I can wait no longer!"

"Prepare to die!" The Dragon Queen said, and without regard for anything else, she was the first to attack, heading straight for the old Dragon King.

The old Dragon King, who had previously seemed so devoted, as if he would give anything for the Dragon Queen, now dodged quickly, showing no intention of standing still and offering his life as a gift to the Dragon Queen.

With a twist of his body, he avoided the Dragon Queen's sudden attack, then looked at the Dragon Queen with sorrow. "Yuan Meng! Let me explain. I had no choice back then..."

"A true man should die with honor! If you dared to fight, I would suffer the Black Dragon Guillotine with you. You shouldn't have, you should never have... betrayed Prince Chen. I hate you to the bone! If you don't die... I can't sleep." Dragon Queen Yuan Meng said, attacking again, her strikes ruthless and merciless.

Upon hearing these words, Ye Chuxiao and Jin Sanniang exchanged a look, sensing something was wrong.

"These words... seem to be what Dragon King Yuanjia's transformed shadow said on Mount Yao."

"Is this a case of husband and wife on the same page? Or was the dragon shadow that appeared back then not actually Dragon King Yuanjia, but rather this Dragon Queen Yuan Meng?" Ye Chuxiao wondered.

The dragon race was the spirit of the water and air of the heavens and earth. In nearly all realms, nearly all the dragon clans of the Four Seas had the surname Ao, making them one branch.

Broadly speaking, the Ao-surnamed dragon race was referred to as the Sea Dragon Clan.

The Yuan-surnamed dragon race, on the other hand, was another branch, primarily residing in rivers and lakes. Therefore, although Yuan Meng, Yuanjia, and Yuan Zhen all had the surname Yuan, they were not closely related by blood.

The sound of dragon roars filled the air as two giant dragons flew out of the hall, one after the other, then became entangled in battle outside.

The female dragon, with azure scales and a white mane, bit at the crimson dragon, her attacks extremely ruthless.

The crimson dragon, however, mostly dodged, showing no intention of retaliating.

"What a poisonous woman, killing her husband! I, of the Six Doors, specialize in apprehending lawbreakers; how can I allow you to run amok under my nose?" Jin Buyi slammed the table, seemingly about to attack.

Dragon King Yuanjia, however, raised a cup of wine and presented it to Jin Buyi. "Family matters should not be aired in public. I hope Constable Jin will pretend he saw nothing today, and drink this cup to the bottom... and acknowledge me as a friend."

"I am never stingy when it comes to friends."

Then, a group of giant crabs carried treasure chests into the hall.

The treasure chests opened automatically, revealing a dazzling array of treasures, glittering and gleaming.

Many bronze and silver badge constables, who had never seen such opulence, were dazzled, swallowing hard as they gazed at the treasures.

"And if I don't acknowledge you as a friend, what then?" Jin Buyi asked, looking coldly at Yuanjia, without accepting the wine cup.

Yuanjia put down the wine cup. "Then I would have to consider you my enemy! In recent years, I have been busy with many affairs, regulating the water and air of the seven prefectures, so the management of Yunmeng Swamp has inevitably become somewhat lax."

"It would be unavoidable if some lawless barbarians clashed with your Six Doors' official ships, resulting in total annihilation."

As soon as the words fell, the atmosphere in the hall became tense.

The constables drew their weapons, forming groups of three to five, ready for battle.

The aquatic guards, who had already lined up in the hall, turned their weapons and magical artifacts, aiming at the constables.

Even the female demons who had been performing songs and dances pulled out weapons from under their long skirts, ready for a bloody battle.

Outside the hall, the two giant dragons, one fleeing and one pursuing, had already destroyed several buildings in succession.

Although Dragon Queen Yuan Meng's killing intent was strong, the old Dragon King Yuan Zhen's ability to escape was truly remarkable.

While the two dragons' destructive power was not lacking, when it came to actual combat, they didn't have many tricks up their sleeves. The old dragon had only had a few of his scales torn off by the Dragon Queen.

Ye Chuxiao peered out the window of the hall, then simulated the layout of the entire Dragon Palace secret realm in his mind. In an instant, he had some idea of the old Dragon King's plan.

"I underestimated this old thing! He may seem like a simp, simping to the extreme, but he's actually pretending. He's deliberately leading the Dragon Queen to damage the Dragon Palace's formation layout. Once the great formation of the Dragon Palace secret realm is unbalanced, its power will be greatly reduced, and Dragon King Yuanjia's strength will also be weakened," Ye Chuxiao thought.

Then, he grew wary.

As expected, one could not judge old guys like the old Dragon King, who had lived for hundreds of years, solely by their first impression.

Because the state he deliberately showed was very likely just a disguise.

Although the old Dragon King appeared to be shameless, this kind of shamelessness, from Ye Chuxiao's current perspective, was ‘reassuring’.

After all, with Jin Buyi openly stating his ‘position’, the great battle between the Six Doors constables and the Yunmeng Swamp aquatic race was on the verge of breaking out.

Rumble!

A boom sounded from the ceiling of the hall.

The old Dragon King's massive body crashed through the ceiling, falling from above.

The azure dragon that the Dragon Queen had transformed into used her sharp dragon claws to pin the old Dragon King firmly to the ground, one claw aimed directly at the old Dragon King's heart, ready to pierce through.

"Old eunuch dragon! Prepare to die!" Dragon Queen's eyes glowed red, clearly in a state of frenzy.

In contrast, the old Dragon King, although in a very unfavorable situation, was still trying to justify himself.

Just as the Dragon Queen's sharp claws were about to fall, he suddenly shrank his body, transforming into the size of an earthworm. He escaped from the Dragon Queen's grasp, leaping and flying behind Jin Buyi, standing with him.

"Please help me, Constable Jin!"

"I am most grateful!"

The old Dragon King Yuan Zhen added, "And... do not harm the Dragon Queen."

Jin Buyi snorted coldly, then asked, "Is the great formation broken?"

The old Dragon King chuckled twice.

Yuanjia looked at the dilapidated ceiling of the palace and waved his hand.

Everything above was turned upside down.

Everything that had been destroyed was like a reflection in the water.

"Inverting heaven and earth, reversing yin and yang! What a method! What a method!" Ye Chuxiao, also a formation master, understood Dragon King Yuanjia's operation and couldn't help but marvel.

To enter illusion through formation, then to make the illusion real, reversing heaven and earth, reversing yin and yang, sounded simple, but it was not easy to actually execute.

Moreover, to set the entire Dragon Palace secret realm in such a state, it had to be said that Dragon King Yuanjia had the ability.

After inverting heaven and earth, all the formation nodes that the old Dragon King had broken were restored to their original positions. It was as if the Dragon Palace hall that had been destroyed had also returned to its complete form, undamaged.

With the great formation and the Dragon Palace hall united, intense ‘light waves’ flickered on Dragon King Yuanjia's body.

From Ye Chuxiao's perspective, the light waves on Dragon King Yuanjia's body now permeated almost all the space.

The entire Dragon Palace secret realm had become his domain.

Within his domain, his control over the energy of heaven and earth was almost limitless.

In contrast, others' control over the energy of heaven and earth was quite limited, even weak and powerless.

"In this kind of environment, if I were targeted by Dragon King Yuanjia, it is very likely that even the Nine Deaths Demonic Art would be difficult to run multiple times. After the energy stored in my body is exhausted, I would really be killed."

"So, I can't be too reckless; I still need to maintain a respectful attitude towards experts," Ye Chuxiao thought.

Faced with Dragon King Yuanjia, who was now displaying his full power, Jin Buyi still looked confident, showing no sign of panic.

On the contrary, the old Dragon King behind him turned pale.

He began to beg for mercy, "Yuanjia! I am your brother! Your own blood brother, you can't treat me like this!"

Dragon King Yuanjia, upon hearing this, revealed a mocking look. "Own brother? The Yunmeng Great Swamp connects eight giant rivers, yet you exiled me to Qu River, which is no more than a hundred *li* long and ten meters wide, making me the mere Qu River Dragon Lord."

"That wasn't enough; for a hundred years, you demoted me again and again, finally even making me a well dragon in a dry well."

"You only have yourself to blame for your current situation!"

The old Dragon King fell silent upon hearing this.

"What? No words now?"

"How can a heartless, unjust, selfish, and despicable being like you be qualified to control this ten-thousand-*li* Yunmeng Swamp?"

"If not for the Yunmeng Cauldron helping you control the water, this Yunmeng Seven Prefectures area would have long been devastated by your mismanagement!" Dragon King Yuanjia approached step by step, the powerful energy of heaven and earth gathering into substantial pressure, about to force the old Dragon King and Jin Buyi to prostrate themselves on the ground.

The old Dragon King bent his spine, but Jin Buyi still stood firmly like a spear.

The surrounding Six Doors constables also tightened their formation.

In Ye Chuxiao's team, Jin Sanniang was still at the forefront, bearing the greatest pressure and creating space for her teammates.

However, the pressure that Dragon King Yuanjia was gathering was too strong, too great!

Even if it was not directed at them, the rolling pressure still made it difficult for them to withstand.

Under this pressure, Jin Sanniang was not only covered in sweat, but her snow-white chest was constantly rising and falling, pushing her strength to the limit.

Ye Chuxiao quietly took out the divine artifact seal talisman that he had exchanged for from the Ministry of Justice's vault.

Leaving with the Dao rhyme across the world was the last resort.

After all, even if he ran now, he would have to come back sooner or later, and the moment he returned, he would still be in this Dragon Palace hall.

The danger would only be delayed, not completely eliminated.

"You blame me?"

"But are you without fault?"

"You are my brother! But you don't consider my situation at all!"

"You knew that when I transformed, I was disturbed by the Black Flood Dragon, causing me to have distracting thoughts, so my transformed body was not perfect. Yet you transformed into a tall, burly, and dashing figure... where does that leave me, your elder brother?" The old Dragon King suddenly raised his head, glaring at Dragon King Yuanjia, speaking his true feelings that had been suppressed in his heart.

"Also, you always have to show off, always have to be first. You are just a lowly dragon without any chance of becoming Dragon King, relying on crossing the Dragon Gate to wash away the impure blood in your body. Even now... your dragon horns are still in the shape of flood dragon, not the shape of a true dragon. With your bloodline, having the status of Dragon Lord should already be something to be grateful for, so why do you still have to show off?" Yuan Zhen continued, further provoking Dragon King Yuanjia's anger.

"Constable Jin is right... you and the rebel Xiao Chi are very alike. Looking at you, I am reminded of him. So, you should thank me, thank me for not killing you, but only exiling you, out of sight, out of mind."

"I didn't expect you to be so ungrateful, committing insurrection... stealing my Dragon King position, and even taking my Dragon Queen." The old Dragon King's mad words completely infuriated Yuanjia.

But even more angry than Yuanjia was the Dragon Queen!

She didn't care about anything else and charged toward Jin Buyi and the old Dragon King first.

"Now is the time!" The old Dragon King shouted.

Jin Buyi raised his hand and grabbed the Dragon Queen's head, flinging it upwards.

The Dragon Queen was about to crash into the main beam of the hall. If that happened, both the Dragon Queen and the Dragon Palace hall would be damaged.

Yuanjia's anger had been aroused, so his reaction was a little slow. He subconsciously raised the entire aura field, causing the Dragon Palace hall to rise.

The aura field collapsed, and Jin Buyi swung the twin halberds at his waist, immediately slashing at Dragon King Yuanjia.

As for the old Dragon King, he also pounced on Yuanjia, but his methods were not head-on confrontation, but rather targeting Yuanjia's shadow, using a poisonous dragon curse.

With Jin Buyi launching a strong frontal assault and the old Dragon King Yuan Zhen launching a sneak attack from the shadows, Dragon King Yuanjia's situation instantly became unfavorable.

The battle between the Six Doors constables and the Dragon Palace aquatic soldiers also broke out instantly.

The two sides collided, and in an instant, the flames of battle were ignited.

Ye Chuxiao, sensing the rising death energy around him, aimed at the death lines appearing on the Dragon Palace aquatic race, killing one river creature after another without mercy.

Although, from the current perspective, the roles played by Jin Buyi and the old Dragon King were not very dignified.

But so what?

Ye Chuxiao's position was as Jin Buyi's subordinate, a constable of the Six Doors.

There was no way his allegiance could waver at this time.

Blade lights crisscrossed, and sword energies sprayed.

Ye Chuxiao also added his personal will to the talismans, transforming them into various kinds of spiritual talisman attacks, taking the lives of many Dragon Palace aquatic race.

In the main battlefield, three dragons and a constable had collided and engaged in a chaotic battle.

Although Dragon King Yuanjia's advantage had been temporarily broken by the joint effort of the old Dragon King and Jin Buyi,

Yuanjia and Yuan Meng, working together, were not at a disadvantage either.

The battle aftermath from the fighting of the four could be enough to overwhelm the others.

The Six Doors constables and the Dragon Palace aquatic race, who were fighting together, needed to be most wary of not each other's attacks, but rather the battle aftermath leaking out from the main battlefield.

"Let's go! We'll move towards the entrance, and find a chance to escape from the Yunmeng Swamp," Jin Sanniang said to her teammates behind her.

Jin Buyi had dragged so many Six Doors constables into this quagmire for his own selfish reasons. As a subordinate, Jin Sanniang could not question her superior's decision.

But she did not intend to risk her own life and the lives of her team members here for Jin Buyi's selfishness.