Goodman Bloodpine sighed. "Azure Sea Lake a thousand years ago was nowhere near as magnificent as it is today."
"These vast waters can now sustain a million Dao soldiers and nurture countless aquatic demons."
"A thousand years ago, Azure Sea Lake was long constrained and suppressed by the Blood Demon Cavern and Flame Mountain. People gradually forgot that, after the Water Virtue Dragon Lord took charge of the lake all those years ago, it had already amassed formidable reserves."
"Yet in the vast Southern Shu Territory, few people have paid much attention to these changes."
"You must understand that Azure Sea Lake ranks second among Southern Shu's six great spirit lakes. Its lord is on friendly terms with the Qi Mountain Demon Emperor and maintains secret dealings with the Profound Heaven Demon Sect. Their ties run deep."
"Through carefully weaving alliances and playing one side against another, Azure Sea Lake has long since escaped its former predicament of enemies on every side and attacks at every turn."
A faint smile touched Xiao Minghuan's lips. She lowered the curtain and added softly, "What's more, every power in Southern Shu knows that the struggle for the position of Crown Prince within Azure Sea Lake has long become as irreconcilable as fire and water."
"The various powers watch coldly from the sidelines, unwilling to intervene rashly. They fear that outside interference might instead unite Azure Sea Lake's endlessly feuding clans, upsetting the present balance of power."
"And through the faction of his principal consort, Jiaozhu, the Dragon Monarch secretly checks and suppresses the Nine Great Demon Clans within the lake. Over the past thousand years, Azure Sea Lake has faced no powerful invaders, while its internal foundations have long been secure."
The Azure Void Sword Immortal nodded at this and said slowly, "In