The Dragon Prince Was Stunned: You Have to Fill Out a Form Before Fighting

At the East Sea Coast, emerald waves stretched for ten thousand miles.

A streak of light tore across the sky, but as it neared the sea surface, it turned hesitant, stopping and starting.

Shen Gongbao rode his cloud, feeling a chill run through his entire body.

He wore the "Invisibility Immortal Robe" bestowed by the Dao Protector—in theory, as long as he didn't actively reveal himself, even a Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal would struggle to detect him.

Yet he was still afraid.

That immortal robe was as thin as a cicada's wing; wearing it felt like wearing nothing at all, offering him not a shred of security.

His right hand death-gripped the thick stack of "Ten Thousand Mile Earth Escape Talismans" hidden in his sleeve—these ten golden jade talismans were the sole reason he dared to step off Golden Ao Island.

The moment he thought of Dao Protector Chen Changsheng's calm, indifferent face, Shen Gongbao couldn't help but shudder.

Chief Elder.

Equal in rank to inner sect core.

These eight words, like a curse, echoed in his mind over and over, drowning out his fear of the dragon's den and tiger's lair.

As they said, riches come through risk.

The bigger the waves, the bigger the fish.

Do it!

Shen Gongbao gritted his teeth, stamped his foot, and suppressed all his aura, sinking silently toward the deep sea like an invisible speck of dust.

The East Sea Crystal Palace.

The atmosphere was heavy as iron.

Patrolling Yakshas, Shrimp Soldiers gripping halberds, Crab General waving massive pincers—their numbers were more than ten times usual, surrounding the entire Crystal Palace in an impenetrable ring.

Inside the great hall, Sha Qi surged to the heavens.

The third son of East Sea Dragon King Ao Guang, Ao Bing, sat in the seat of honor, his face as heavy as water.

Clad in silver armor, hand resting on his Dragon Spear, he unleashed the fierce aura of a Primordial Unity Golden Immortal without restraint, churning the seawater in the hall until it seemed ready to freeze.

Below, a host of dragon descendants and water tribe generals stood, all in gleaming armor, their expressions murderous.

"Report!"

A Shrimp Soldier stumbled and crawled into the hall.

"Reporting to the Third Prince! Outside the palace... outside the palace has come a Daoist, claiming to be a disciple of the Jie Sect, sent by the Dao Protector to seek an audience!"

"Jie Sect?"

Ao Bing shot to his feet, a cold gleam flashing in his dragon eyes.

"Hmph, the Heavenly Court's lapdogs sure came fast."

His voice was icy, carrying bone-deep killing intent.

"Let him in. I want to see just what kind of character the Jie Sect sent to die in my East Sea!"

Soon, Shen Gongbao was "invited" into the hall by two towering Crab Generals.

The moment he stepped through the door, he felt a mountain-like Pressure crash down on him, making his bones creak and nearly forcing him to his knees on the spot.

Looking around, the hall bristled with armor and weapons like a forest.

Hundreds of hostile gazes, like solid knives, fell on him in unison.

Every single look was filled with undisguised murderous intent.

Shen Gongbao's legs had already begun to tremble uncontrollably.

He forced out a smile uglier than a cry, cupping his hands toward Ao Bing on the main seat.

"This humble Daoist Shen Gongbao greets—"

"Shut up!"

Ao Bing's furious roar, like a thunderclap, cut him off.

"A Jie Sect disciple, quite the airs you put on!"

He stepped down from the high platform, each step making the hall's floor tremble slightly, and with each step, Shen Gongbao's heart sank further.

"The Heavenly Court decrees your Jie Sect to exterminate my East Sea Dragon Clan. What, they sent a piece of trash like you?"

Ao Bing stopped before Shen Gongbao, his towering form casting a shadow that completely engulfed him.

He lowered his head, almost pressing against Shen Gongbao's ear, and spoke word by word.

"Speak. Why have you come? To deliver a declaration of war, or... to scout a burial ground for your Jie Sect's ten thousand immortals?"

Icy killing intent, mixed with the salty brine of the sea, rushed straight to Shen Gongbao's Crown of the Head.

He could clearly feel that if he said one wrong word, he would be torn to shreds in the next instant.

The escape talismans in his sleeve were already soaked through with cold sweat.

Run now!

This thought, like a wild weed, instantly consumed his entire mind.

But just as he was about to crush the jade talisman, the Dao Protector's calm face, that promise of "Chief Elder," once again surfaced before his eyes.

And then there was that "Life-Preserving True Word" in the jade slip.

Shen Gongbao steeled his heart, shut his eyes, and, using almost all his strength, roared at the top of his lungs.

"Daoist friend, please stay!"

This shout was sharp, piercing, filled with the desperation of burning one's bridges.

The entire hall fell silent.

All the aquatic generals, including Ao Bing who was about to strike, were stunned.

They had seen those who begged for mercy, those who talked tough, but never had they seen someone start off with a shout like that.

What kind of tactic was this?

In that brief dead silence, Shen Gongbao, with lightning speed, pulled out the blank jade slip from his bosom, along with a wolf-hair brush he'd somehow produced, and raised them high with trembling hands.

Facing the bewildered Ao Bing, he recited that supreme true word destined to be etched into the annals of the Primordial World, in a tone almost like a sob.

"This... this is our Jie Sect's workflow. Please... first fill out this Risk Assessment Survey Form!"

Time seemed to freeze.

Space itself appeared to solidify.

Within the hall, a pin drop could be heard.

The sneer on Ao Bing's face froze at the corners of his mouth.

The dragon sons and grandsons behind him, all bristling with killing intent, stared wide-eyed as if they'd seen a jellyfish climb a tree.

A Crab General's giant pincer broadsword slipped from his grip, clattering loudly to the ground with a harsh ring.

But no one paid it any mind.

Everyone's gaze was fixed on Shen Gongbao, or rather, on the unremarkable jade slip in his hand.

Risk... Assessment... Survey Form?

What the hell was that?

Ao Bing was stunned for a full ten breaths before slowly blinking, as if confirming he hadn't heard things.

He looked at the leopard spirit before him, snot and tears streaming, trembling like a leaf in the wind, his mind a blank.

This wasn't how the script went.

By normal procedure, he should have already crushed this Jie Sect Messenger's head and hung his Primordial Spirit at the Crystal Palace gate to show contempt for the Heavenly Court and the Jie Sect.

But now...

He was being asked to fill out a... form?

"You... what did you say?"

Ao Bing's voice was dry and hoarse, filled with disbelief.

Seeing that he was still alive after his shout, Shen Gongbao felt a surge of wild joy at surviving a disaster.

The Dao Protector had not deceived me!

This true word really could save lives!

His courage swelled by three parts, and his back straightened slightly.

"Ahem."

He cleared his throat, trying to make his voice sound more professional.

"Third Prince, please don't misunderstand. This humble one is not here to provoke, but on orders from my Jie Sect's Dao Protector to conduct pre-war... ah, pre-conflict intelligence confirmation work."

"Our sect's Calamity Aversion Department believes that any violent act without full assessment is a great disrespect to life, and is unprofessional and irrational."

"To avoid unnecessary casualties and property damage, and to make this conflict... more standardized and procedural, we need your cooperation to complete this survey."

The more Shen Gongbao spoke, the smoother it got, and he even began to feel that the Dao Protector's theory was the Supreme Great Dao itself.

Ao Bing's brain had completely crashed.

Listening to terms like "intelligence confirmation," "violent acts," "standardized," and "procedural"—things he'd never heard before—he felt his dragon brain couldn't keep up.

A Turtle Prime Minister behind him couldn't help muttering under his breath.

"Your Highness, did the Jie Sect... send an idiot here?"

Ao Bing ignored him.

He stared hard at Shen Gongbao, trying to find even a trace of mockery on his face.

But Shen Gongbao's expression was so sincere, so... matter-of-fact.

As if filling out a form before a fight was the most natural thing in heaven and earth.

An unprecedented sense of absurdity washed over Ao Bing.

The towering rage within him was extinguished as if by a basin of ice water—no, by the entire East Sea's worth of ice water.

He even... felt a flicker of curiosity.

He wanted to see what the hell was written in this so-called survey form.

Ao Bing slowly reached out and snatched the Jade Slip from Shen Gongbao's hand.

With a faint surge of magical power, a Light Screen projected from the Jade Slip, and a series of clear lines of text appeared in midair.

[Jie Sect Calamity Aversion Department · Special Mission (East Sea Conflict) · Risk Assessment Survey Form (Dragon Clan Edition)]

Staring at this long and bizarre title, Ao Bing's eyelid twitched uncontrollably.

He forced himself to read on.

[I. Basic Information Confirmation (Please mark √ next to the corresponding option)]

[1. What is the nature of your party's current operation?]

[A. Uprising B. Rebellion C. Military Exercise D. Team-Building Activity E. Other ____]