Dragon Palace Apologizes

"Blasted wretch!"

The little dragon suddenly erupted in furious curses, then anxiously ran... flew... swam toward the East Sea Dragon King.

"Father, Father, disaster has struck!"

The little dragon's voice arrived before he did, frantic and flustered, making the East Sea Dragon King think something truly grave had happened. He promptly used his divine power to summon the little dragon over.

"What is it, Ao Yi? What happened? Has someone tried to harm you?"

The East Sea Dragon King was extremely enraged, firing off a barrage of questions. If someone had dared to harm his son, he would make sure that person never returned.

"Father, no one has harmed me, but this Monster Quelling Assembly is going to make our Dragon Palace look foolish!"

Ao Yi, the Second Prince of the East Sea Dragon Palace, quickly relayed everything he knew to the East Sea Dragon King.

"Father, tell me—if our East Sea Dragon Palace ends up embarrassed, and the late-arriving Immortal Crossing Sect is also offended, isn't that a loss for both sides?"

The East Sea Dragon King's face darkened. He wasn't fully aware of this matter, though he did know some things—even things he had approved of.

For instance, deliberately arranging for a small batch of newly trained Shrimp Soldiers to cause trouble along the East Sea Coast, only for the Immortal Crossing Sect to show up and eliminate the demons, protecting the human race.

He dared not retaliate against the Immortal Crossing Sect, as it was a lineage of the Human Teachings, so he had prepared this Monster Quelling Assembly as a pretext to flaunt his military might and redraw the East Sea boundaries with the human Qi Practitioners.

Thus, he had heeded advice and deliberately sent an arrogant Azure Dragon to deliver the invitation to the Immortal Crossing Sect, intending to teach them a lesson and thoroughly slap their face.

All of this, he knew well.

But what was the result?

The moment Ao Yi arrived, he instantly glimpsed the heavenly secrets and understood what had truly happened back then.

Not only had that Azure Dragon been slapped down instead, but he had also given them the wrong time.

Moreover, he discovered that some Dragon Clan nobles had arranged a series of petty traps during the banquet and the Monster Quelling Assembly, hoping to vent their anger. This directly made the East Sea Dragon King laugh in fury.

A bunch of fools.

If they didn't dare to fight, then don't fight—why resort to all these crooked schemes? Was this a Monster Quelling Assembly?

This was clearly a Dragon Clan bare-ass show!!!

And as for those setups, never mind whether they were stupid or not—if the Immortal Crossing Sect showed up at the wrong time, wouldn't all their preparations be wasted?

Just then, the Turtle Prime Minister saw the East Sea Dragon King's displeased expression and immediately understood his intent. He stepped forward and explained quietly to Ao Yi.

"Second Prince, Your Highness, this isn't a loss for both sides—this is a loss only for our Dragon Palace."

Seeing that Ao Yi still didn't grasp it, he elaborated further. "The Monster Quelling Assembly is a full year earlier than the time given to the Immortal Crossing Sect. Within that year, the Immortal Crossing Sect is bound to find out.

So when the notified time arrives, whether they come or not, it will be a resounding slap to our Dragon Palace's face."

Ao Yi's eyes went wide. So no matter how you looked at it, the Dragon Palace was the one losing?

Glancing at his father's expression, Ao Yi realized the Dragon King was already aware of this.

"Then, Father, with the Monster Quelling Assembly about to start, what should we do?"

"What else? Send a dragon to notify them!"

The East Sea Dragon King still had some pride and didn't want to admit fault, but Ao Yi thought otherwise.

"Father, either way, we lose face. But if we send another arrogant dragon and anger the Immortal Sect of the Human Teachings, and they refuse to come, wouldn't that slap us even harder?"

"Then what do you suggest?"

The East Sea Dragon King grumbled, clearly still displeased, but Ao Yi pressed on as if he hadn't noticed. "Let the Turtle Prime Minister go in person. He is steady and experienced, and it will show that our Dragon Palace values the Immortal Crossing Sect.

As for other dragons, I fear they might get skinned and have their tendons pulled."

"Impossible!"

Just then, the Azure Dragon who had caused the trouble shouted out. "Your Highness the Prince, if the Turtle Prime Minister goes, wouldn't that mean our Dragon Palace bows to the humans?"

"Blasted!"

Within the Immortal Crossing Sect, a group of elders erupted in fury.

"What does the East Sea Dragon Palace mean by giving us a false time for the Monster Quelling Assembly? Are they looking down on our Immortal Crossing Sect? Or trying to spite us?"

The Immortal Crossing Sect was closely allied with many other Immortal Sects invited to the Monster Quelling Assembly.

Not long ago, these sects had sent messages saying they were preparing to attend and asking when the Immortal Crossing Sect would set out with them.

Yet here they were, thinking they still had a year, taking their sweet time.

By the Grand Pure Sage above, the Dragon Clan's brains must be full of weeds!!

"Now that it's come to this, we can just prepare and go together when the time comes."

"No, that would be lowering ourselves to the East Sea Dragon Palace for no reason!"

"Exactly. This is their mistake. If we go, wouldn't that mean our knees are weak and we admit inferiority to the Dragon Clan?"

These elders were all hot-tempered. Even knowing their cultivation levels were no match for the East Sea Dragon Palace, they still shouted for blood without restraint.

What could they do? They were of the Human Teachings' Daoist Tradition, with the Sage Lord backing them!

Who else but the Dragon Clan could bear such a vast karmic burden?

They're just that unyielding now.

"If you ask me, we simply shouldn't go—let the Dragon Clan lose face properly."

"I think we should go, and then confront the East Sea Dragon Palace directly in front of all the immortal sects."

These shouts for blood and battle gave the Immortal Crossing Sect's Sect Leader a splitting headache.

Just then, a disciple came to report.

"Sect Leader, the East Sea Dragon Palace's Turtle Prime Minister has come to visit!"

These words meant nothing to the others, but to the Sect Leader, they were like sweet rain from a drought.

"Quickly, invite him in!"

This Turtle Prime Minister truly lived up to his title of Prime Minister—steady in his dealings, not arrogant like the Azure Dragon. He descended his cloud and waited outside the Immortal Crossing Sect's mountain gate, his etiquette utterly flawless.

This single act filled the Immortal Crossing Sect's Sect Leader and all the elders with satisfaction.

"So it's the East Sea Dragon Palace's Turtle Prime Minister. This Poor Daoist arrived late—please forgive the offense!"

Who would have thought the Turtle Prime Minister would lower his posture and apologize in turn: "Not at all, not at all. It is entirely my Dragon Palace's fault—we had no idea the envoy we sent earlier had delivered false information. Now that the Dragon Palace has investigated and uncovered the truth, I have been specially dispatched to offer our apologies. Please do not take offense, honored sect."

Then, the Turtle Prime Minister had the Shrimp Soldiers and Crab Generals behind him carry chests forward one by one.

"These are my Dragon Palace's gifts of apology. Please accept them, honored sect."

He then produced an invitation to the Monster Quelling Assembly.

"All the fault lies with the Dragon Palace. Please do not hold a grudge. This is the new invitation to the Monster Quelling Assembly. Whether your honored sect attends or not is entirely up to you."

His words were watertight. The chests carried by the Shrimp Soldiers and Crab Generals, stretching for ten li, radiated treasure light. With such sincere goodwill, the Immortal Crossing Sect could not refuse.

They were, after all, humans—a Daoist Tradition under the Human Teachings. Since the Dragon Palace had given them face, they had to attend the Monster Quelling Assembly.

"In that case, my Immortal Crossing Sect will shamelessly accept these gifts. Twenty-one days from now, at the Monster Quelling Assembly, my sect will arrive punctually!"