I already had twenty-four Sea-Calming Divine Pearls. Why not take the remaining twelve as well?
Li Xiao hesitated for a moment, then left his cave abode and headed outside.
Meanwhile, the Three Xiao sisters left Fifth Peak and went after Zhao Gongming.
But Zhao Gongming had long since vanished without a trace.
"This Senior Brother really runs fast..."
Bixiao rolled her eyes and curled her lips.
Yunxiao hesitated, then looked at Qiongxiao and Bixiao. "Sisters, go back to Three Immortal Island first. I have something to discuss with Master!"
"Okay!"
Qiongxiao and Bixiao answered, then turned and returned to Three Immortal Island.
Yunxiao, meanwhile, headed for Golden Ao Island and made her way toward Biyou Palace.
After entering Biyou Palace, Yunxiao cupped her hands to Tongtian Cult Master. "Master!"
Tongtian Cult Master swept his sleeve and once again laid down layers of restrictions, sealing off the outside world.
He looked at Yunxiao and asked, "Yunxiao, did you overhear anything useful?"
Yunxiao cupped her hands to Tongtian Cult Master. "Master, when I went to Fifth Peak this time, I heard Senior Brother Li Xiao's inner thoughts."
"He said that he had stolen my brother Zhao Gongming's opportunity."
"Master, had you intended to give the twenty-four Sea-Calming Divine Pearls to my brother?"
Tongtian Cult Master raised his brows and cried out, "Li Xiao even knew about that?"
The human heart was the hardest thing to fathom, let alone the thoughts of a Sage.
Li Xiao actually knew that Tongtian Cult Master had originally intended to give the twenty-four Sea-Calming Divine Pearls to Zhao Gongming.
How could Tongtian Cult Master not be shocked?
Yunxiao's pretty face changed slightly as well. She looked at Tongtian Cult Master and cried out, "Master, is that true?"
Tongtian Cult Master gave a bitter smile. "That's right."
"I originally intended to give the Sea-Calming Divine Pearls to Zhao Gongming."
"But Li Xiao came asking for them, so I gave them to him instead!"
Yunxiao smiled bitterly. Clearly, she had not expected Li Xiao to be able to see through even a Sage's thoughts.
It seems fifth senior brother has many more secrets. I need to uncover them one by one and see what kind of person he really is!
A strange light flickered in Yunxiao's beautiful eyes.
What she did not know was that once a woman became curious about a man, it was a very dangerous thing.
What other secrets does that brat Li Xiao have?
How did he know all these things?
It was not only Yunxiao who had become interested in Li Xiao.
Even Tongtian Cult Master had developed a strong interest in Li Xiao and wanted to investigate the secrets he carried.
After hesitating for a moment, Tongtian Cult Master looked at Yunxiao and continued asking, "Yunxiao, what else did you hear?"
"Oh, Senior Brother Li Xiao also said that when my Senior Brother Zhao Gongming leaves Golden Ao Island this time, he will encounter an opportunity."
"However, he will gain it only to lose it again, like drawing water with a bamboo basket!"
Yunxiao truthfully reported the inner thoughts she had heard to Tongtian Cult Master.
Tongtian Cult Master raised his brows. "I understand."
"Yunxiao, you may go. If you hear anything useful again, come report it to me."
"Yes, Master! Take care, Master. This disciple shall take her leave first!"
Yunxiao cupped her hands to Tongtian Cult Master, then left Biyou Palace and prepared to return to Three Immortal Island.
Halfway there, she heard waves of shouting coming from behind her.
Faintly mixed in were tiger roars and countless dragon cries.
"What is going on?"
Yunxiao jumped in fright and turned to look back.
Behind her, the sea churned with towering waves.
Ahead, Zhao Gongming rode a black tiger, racing wildly across the surface of the sea.
Behind Zhao Gongming, countless shrimp soldiers, crab generals, and divine dragons surged toward them with terrifying momentum.
At their head, a four-clawed golden dragon roared furiously.
"Zhao Gongming, hand over the Sea-Calming Divine Pearls!"
"Otherwise, my dragon clan will never let this go!"
"Junior Sister, run!"
How could Zhao Gongming possibly surrender them? The moment he saw Yunxiao, he shouted for her to flee.
Yunxiao's pretty face twitched hard at the sight, and she joined the escape.
Splash...
Suddenly, the roaring of waves erupted ahead of them.
A ten-thousand-foot wave shot into the sky, forming an enormous dragon-shaped pillar of water.
Roar...
Immediately afterward, an earthshaking dragon roar rang out.
A golden dragon a thousand zhang long shot out, blocking Zhao Gongming and Yunxiao's path.
The two fixed their eyes on it and saw that the golden dragon was incomparably massive.
Its body coiled like a mountain range stretching for hundreds of millions of miles.
Its scales were as large as pot lids, and its eyes were as vast as the sun and moon, casting down two terrifying beams of divine light.
"Th-this is Candle Dragon?"
Zhao Gongming stared in utter shock, his eyes nearly popping out of their sockets.
"Candle Dragon is still alive..."
Yunxiao also cried out in alarm.
Candle Dragon poked his head out from the clouds and looked down at Zhao Gongming and Yunxiao.
His voice boomed like exploding thunder. "You have quite the nerve, sneaking into my Dragon Palace to steal treasures!"
"Utterly outrageous! Do you think my dragon clan has no one?"
"Hand over the Sea-Calming Divine Pearls at once, and perhaps I may spare your lives!"
Zhao Gongming swallowed hard.
Yunxiao looked at Zhao Gongming with exasperation and gave him a shove, signaling him to hand over the treasure.
Zhao Gongming was about to hand over the Sea-Calming Divine Pearls when a streak of light shot over.
The streak of light faded, revealing a handsome figure.
Who else could it have been but Li Xiao?
The Master Was Meant to Take the Blame
"Senior Candle Dragon, please do not attack!"
Li Xiao hurriedly said.
"Who are you?"
Candle Dragon glared at Li Xiao with his huge bell-like eyes.
Li Xiao cupped his hands to Candle Dragon like a refined gentleman. "Senior Candle Dragon, I am Li Xiao, the Fifth personal disciple under Sage Tongtian of the Jie Sect!"
"A personal disciple of Sage Tongtian!"
Candle Dragon's pupils shrank sharply. Clearly, he was extremely wary.
Sages were the supreme beings of the prehistoric world.
Even an ancient being like Candle Dragon, who had lived for countless years, did not dare act presumptuously before a Sage.
"Senior Brother Li Xiao, you came!"
When Yunxiao saw Li Xiao, she inexplicably felt at ease.
Li Xiao was clearly only at the Heavenly Immortal Mid-stage, yet she believed he would surely be able to lead them out of danger.
"Senior Brother Li Xiao, here, take the Sea-Calming Divine Pearls!"
Zhao Gongming had long wanted to throw away this hot potato.
He simply could not bring himself to drag Yunxiao down with him.
Now that Li Xiao had arrived, he immediately stuffed the twelve Sea-Calming Divine Pearls he had stolen from Dragon Palace into Li Xiao's hands.
Li Xiao accepted them calmly.
Candle Dragon frowned deeply as he looked at Li Xiao. "Young friend Li Xiao, you may be a Sage's personal disciple, but that does not mean you can simply take treasures from my Dragon Palace by force, does it?"
"How is such behavior any different from robbery?"
Li Xiao directly put away the twelve Sea-Calming Divine Pearls and smiled at Candle Dragon. "Senior Candle Dragon, you misunderstand."
"I came this time under my master's orders to retrieve the Sea-Calming Divine Pearls."
"Of course, my master will not take them for nothing. He has promised to help the dragon clan eliminate the calamity of karmic burden!"
On Golden Ao Island, inside Biyou Palace, veins bulged on Tongtian Cult Master's forehead as he listened.
He blew his beard and glared in fury. "Traitorous disciple! Traitorous disciple!"
"You actually dare use my name to swindle others!"
"Do you think karmic burden is so easily eliminated?"
"You, you, you... How did I end up taking in such a traitorous disciple..."
The dragon clan's karmic burden had been incurred during the Dragon-Han Tribulation.
Because they had participated in the war among the three primordial clans, the dragon clan had been abandoned by the Heavenly Dao and burdened with boundless karma.
This boundless karmic burden descended upon them every moment.
Even a Sage could only temporarily lessen the dragon clan's burden, not completely eradicate the endlessly accumulating karma.
Li Xiao had directly promised this on Tongtian Cult Master's behalf.
If Tongtian Cult Master failed to eliminate the dragon clan's karmic burden later, would he not be humiliated beyond measure?
That was why Tongtian Cult Master was so enraged.
Meanwhile, Candle Dragon's eyes shone brightly when he heard this. "Is what you say true?"
"Of course it is true. My master is Sage Tongtian. Could a Sage's words be false?"
Li Xiao smiled at Candle Dragon, looking harmless and innocent.
Inside Biyou Palace, Tongtian Cult Master staggered atop his cloud couch, nearly falling headfirst from it.
Furious beyond measure, he roared, "Traitorous disciple! Traitorous disciple! This traitorous disciple truly wants to anger me to death..."
Seeing Li Xiao agree so readily, Candle Dragon immediately believed him.
After all, Candle Dragon would never have imagined that a Sage's words could be false, much less that Li Xiao would dare falsely convey a Sage's decree.
"Since you have said so, young friend, then my dragon clan shall give these twelve Sea-Calming Divine Pearls to the Jie Sect."
"Please be sure to fulfill your promise!"
Candle Dragon hurriedly said as he looked at Li Xiao.
Of all those suffering under karmic burden, Candle Dragon suffered the most severely.
Even the mighty Ancestral Dragon had perished beneath the torment of karmic burden.
Now, most of the dragon clan's karmic burden had fallen upon Candle Dragon, causing his cultivation to decline again and again.
Poor Candle Dragon now possessed only the strength of the Quasi-Saint Early-stage.
If this continued for much longer, he might even fall below the Quasi-Saint realm, or perhaps perish outright.
If merely twelve Sea-Calming Divine Pearls could remove the dragon clan's karmic burden, it would be an incredibly profitable deal.
Naturally, Candle Dragon agreed with wholehearted delight.
"Rest assured, Senior Candle Dragon. My master is a Sage!"
Li Xiao once again pushed Tongtian Cult Master out to take the blame.
Inside Biyou Palace, Tongtian Cult Master's old face had turned as black as the bottom of a pot.
The beard at the corner of his mouth trembled, showing that he was already on the verge of exploding.
"Then this old dragon shall await good news from you in Dragon Palace!"
Candle Dragon's voice boomed as he plunged straight into the Eastern Sea.
After Candle Dragon withdrew, the Four Dragon Kings also led their shrimp soldiers and crab generals away.
For a time, the Eastern Sea returned to calm.
"That was close, that was close..."
Zhao Gongming was still shaken, secretly baring his teeth.
Before you continue