Li Yang's damn mouth was clamped shut by Li Changshou. The kid wasn't unaware that Master was embarrassed—he was deliberately making fun of his Senior Brother.
"Shut up and watch!"
They were facing an outside enemy, and Li Changshou didn't want to draw the enemy's attention. Otherwise, it would be hard to make a getaway.
At that moment, Azure Dragon released the pressure of the Heavenly Immortal Realm, which pierced straight through the array and blanketed every corner of Immortal Crossing Sect, instantly rousing all its immortals.
A few streaks of light shot out from Sky Breaking Peak and came straight to the outside of the Mountain Protecting Array. They turned into four figures, who looked up at Azure Dragon in the clouds.
Among them was Fairy Jiujiu's master, Venerable Wangqing.
Venerable Wangqing wore a long blue-and-white robe. He stood in midair with his hands behind his back, tall and straight as a pine, a handsome middle-aged man with graying temples.
Azure Dragon couldn't see anything handsome about him. After all, he wasn't as handsome as himself.
"Are you the ones in charge of Immortal Crossing Sect?"
Venerable Wangqing didn't even look up. His calm voice carried through the array and beyond:
"I'm merely an unaffiliated cultivator within the sect. I'm hardly in a position to speak for Immortal Crossing Sect.
"But I thought you were being far too rude, little dragon, so I came out to teach you a lesson."
"Impudent!"
Azure Dragon roared and swung a claw at Venerable Wangqing.
For some reason, the claw swelled as soon as it caught the wind. In the blink of an eye, it was a hundred zhang wide. Judging by the attack, Azure Dragon meant to smash both Venerable Wangqing and Immortal Crossing Sect's array.
Though Azure Dragon had only just entered the Heavenly Immortal Realm, it was a divine beast of the world, a sea-domain overlord from the age of the conflict between Dao and Demon. Its body was immensely strong. The sight left the sect's many disciples who had yet to reach the Immortal Realm pale with terror. Even the immortals looked troubled.
In the back mountains of Lesser Qiong Peak, Lan Ling'e clutched Li Yang's arm so tightly that her nails nearly dug into his flesh. She was clearly nervous.
Her whole body was trembling, obviously cowed by the dragon's might.
But Li Yang and Li Changshou had no idea what their little Junior Sister—whom they thought was frightened—was really thinking.
That huge dragon claw, that enormous member of the Dragon Clan—it's the perfect test subject for the Space Blasting Pill.
Lan Ling'e had successfully refined the Space Blasting Pill, but she hadn't tested it yet and didn't know how powerful it was. Seeing this scene, she couldn't help feeling eager to give it a try.
Still, Lan Ling'e had been tutored by two Old Sixes, one after the other, so she forced herself to rein in the impulse. The result was that she trembled all over.
For some reason, the mighty claw suddenly halted before the Mountain Protecting Array. Only the gust of wind it carried made the array ripple with light.
"Impressive. So this is Venerable Wangqing's strength."
Li Yang had seen it clearly: Venerable Wangqing had stopped the mighty claw with nothing more than two fingers held like a sword.
He mused, *Facing that kind of power, I couldn't make it look so effortless.
*If I prepared in advance and had a formation to support me, trapping and killing him would be easy.
But that's only the strength he's shown so far. It'd be difficult for me to surpass him.
He hadn't made no progress over the past two years. The Shelter Grotto-Heaven was already much larger than it had been two years ago, and its reserves had grown far deeper.
At the very least, besides the Origin Immortal Avatars formed from more than thirty-eight thousand Star Stones, he had over a hundred thousand ordinary Origin Immortal Stage "Golden Pill" Avatars.
If he summoned that many Avatars, they could set up a terrifying formation in the outside world and easily kill Azure Dragon.
So even without knowing the original story, Li Yang wasn't worried.
He couldn't beat the Dragon Clan, but he could handle this dragon.
"Hmph!"
A sudden snort rang out inside and beyond the array. The hundred-zhang dragon claw instantly shattered, bursting into clouds of mist.
Azure Dragon reappeared amid the swirling clouds, wrapped in an invisible force. Its enormous body twisted and thrashed as it was flung into the heavens. Venerable Wangqing was treating it like a loach, tossing it around for fun.
A moment later, Azure Dragon returned from the heights, fuming with rage, and let out a furious roar.
Venerable Wangqing looked up, a trace of killing intent in his eyes. He said coldly, "What? You've only just become a Heavenly Immortal, and you're already here causing trouble at my Immortal Crossing Sect? Are you tired of living?"
Azure Dragon stopped roaring at once and didn't dare attack again. It transformed into a burly, armored man with a dragon's head and a human body. His face showed both shock and fury, but he still tried to put on a brave front.
"Immortal Crossing Sect, you'd better not refuse a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit!
"I'm an envoy of the East Sea Dragon Palace, the Dragon Palace Navy Vanguard!
"You've dared to treat me with such disrespect. I'll report this to the Dragon King, then gather the troops and flatten your little sect before long!"
The three other Heavenly Immortals and Venerable Wangqing could hardly keep from laughing at this show of bluster. Even Li Yang nearly burst out laughing.
In a novel, this was the minor antagonist who'd clashed with the protagonist, gotten beaten up, then shouted that he had a major villain backing him.
Then the people from Immortal Crossing Sect stepped forward to play good cop and bad cop.
An old Daoist said, "The East Sea Dragon Palace should be keeping to the East Sea, making up for its lack of Fortune and Merit. Instead, you let Evil Dragons stir up trouble everywhere and use our Immortal Crossing Sect to make a show of strength. Do you think nothing of the Human Teachings lineage? Or does your Dragon Palace mean to start a war between the Qi Practitioners of the Human Race and your Dragon Clan?"
Those words dropped an enormous accusation right on Azure Dragon's head. He didn't dare answer. Even his fierce expression softened, and his eyes grew clear and innocent.
He was caught between a rock and a hard place.
At that point, an old woman stepped forward with a smile and smoothed things over with a few polished words, giving Azure Dragon a way out.
"Your sect came to the East Sea some time ago to rid it of demons, but your disciples accidentally injured soldiers our Dragon Clan was raising.
"However, our Dragon King doesn't wish to make a fuss with you. Three years from now, the Monster Quelling Assembly will be held at the East Sea Coast, and the Immortal Sects of the Eastern Continent of Divine Continent will be invited to gather and agree on how to handle demon quelling in the future.
"The East Sea Dragon Palace is full of treasures. At the assembly, human disciples who perform well will receive generous rewards.
"Here's the invitation. Don't you dare miss it!"
Azure Dragon took the opportunity to back down. He handed over the invitation with a stern face and explained the reason for his visit. Then he snorted and turned to flee, leaving the immortals of Immortal Crossing Sect speechless with amusement.
The Dragon Clan truly lived up to its name. They could bend and stretch, grow large and small, show their strength or lie low.
After Azure Dragon fled in a sorry state, everyone dispersed.
Li Yang's gaze turned distant. From this moment on, one year and nine months remained until Master's Tribulation Transcendence.
Could he refine the Three-Revolutions Golden Core?
Li Yang felt weighed down. Time waits for no one!
From the corner of her eye, Lan Ling'e spotted Master quietly slipping out of the Mage Birdcage, closing the door and sneaking away from the side. With no other choice, she kept her head tilted up and continued to sigh.
"Senior Brother, is this what the world of the strong is like?"
Li Changshou had noticed what Master was doing too, but he couldn't bear to embarrass him. Distracted, he replied, "That's right. This is the world of the strong, Junior Sister. We have to work hard!"
Li Yang came back to himself and set aside his heavy thoughts for the moment. He teased them deliberately. "Your horizons are too narrow. This is the world of ordinary experts. The world of the truly strong isn't like this. Isn't that right, Master?"
The word "Master" made Old Daoist Qi Yuan freeze in place, even though he hadn't yet managed to sneak away. Li Changshou and Lan Ling'e, who had raised their heads, lowered them and fell silent.
Before Master could say anything, Li Yang turned and grinned at him.
"So, Master, after that Tribulation Transcendence drill, are you still afraid of the Heavenly Tribulation? Senior Brother specially designed it just for you!"
Li Changshou: ...
You little shit.
Before you continue