Scheming Against My Senior Brother...

Scheming Against My Senior Brother...

The moment Ao Yi collapsed, the scene immediately fell into some confusion.

Li Changshou sensed that the gazes of quite a few Dragon Palace experts had locked onto him, their hostility steadily intensifying.

Having roughly understood the baffling behavior of the Second Prince of the Dragon Palace, Li Changshou swiftly considered his response.

Though this little prince's acting was fake, his status was there for all to see. If the Dragon Palace used this chance to make trouble, it would truly be no good thing.

Jiu Jiu stood before Li Changshou at this moment, using her somewhat petite body to shield half of him.

She asked softly, "Martial Nephew Changshou, are you hurt?"

"Just some disturbance to my breath. Martial Uncle and Martial Uncle need not worry.

His Highness the Second Prince's fists were a little too powerful, but this disciple is fine."

Li Changshou replied quietly, already having a plan in mind. His face carried a trace of worry and a few hints of shame as he sighed.

"I wonder how badly His Highness the Second Prince is injured. This disciple's talismans should not have been able to break through his Immortal Armor.

Could it be that, because this disciple kept evading with movement techniques and lacked the courage to confront him head-on, His Highness grew anxious and his immortal power went astray?

Martial Uncle, should you go help diagnose him? I wonder how skilled the Dragon Palace's medical arts are—whether they can even identify this sort of ailment."

Jiu Jiu was so angry she laughed, lightly scolding, "The Dragon Palace is filled with experts. How could they fail to diagnose something like this? Stop worrying blindly!"

At these words, the gazes of the Dragon Palace ministers and generals all landed on Ao Yi. The Turtle Prime Minister, who had been the first to support Ao Yi, quickly spoke up.

"The Second Prince is unharmed. His immortal power merely deviated in its circulation for a moment and burst through his outer armor.

His Highness has only fainted after being struck by the recoil of his own immortal power. He will awaken shortly; there is no serious harm..."

A Dragon Palace general clad in silver armor immediately asked, "Then, Prime Minister, how should this match be judged?"

The Turtle Prime Minister immediately fell into contemplation, looking first at the boundary, then at the unconscious Ao Yi.

This time, Li Changshou did not need to trouble himself further.

A male True Immortal of the Du Xian Sect smiled from the side. "Naturally, His Highness the Second Prince won.

Only after my poor disciple withdrew beyond the boundary did His Highness the Second Prince suffer a minor injury from the turbulence of his own immortal power. The outcome is plain for all to see.

I have here some Du Xian Sect secret formula pills for regulating one's breath. I imagine the Dragon Palace would not think much of such ordinary pills, but they represent a small token of our Du Xian Sect's regard."

"Thank you for the Immortal's kindness."

The Turtle Prime Minister signaled for the Dragon Palace general to accept the pills, which counted as closing the case.

The Turtle Prime Minister promptly summoned several Immortal Flood Dragon Soldiers and placed the unconscious Second Prince Ao Yi upon a treasured jade chair, having the Immortal Flood Dragon Soldiers carry him away.

The several immortals of the Du Xian Sect also cupped their hands in greeting, then escorted Li Changshou back toward their seats.

As they walked, Li Changshou suddenly said softly to Jiu Jiu beside him, "Martial Uncle, this disciple seems to have read in an ancient book that the grapes on our table are quite effective for cases of cultivation going astray."

"The Dragon Palace gave us those grapes. How could they not know that?" Jiu Jiu retorted irritably. "Tell me, why did you jump out of the boundary yourself?

If you had stayed a little longer, you might have won outright!"

Li Changshou gave a bitter smile. "This disciple could no longer hold on at that time."

Jiu Jiu was immediately rather displeased and gave Li Changshou a thorough scolding.

"Once we return, this Martial Uncle will supervise you and make you focus on cultivation! What use is it to spend every day refining pills and studying formations if your cultivation never improves?

Honestly, your own cultivation is the foundation of attaining the Dao!

Otherwise, if some powerful magic treasure that has no eyes falls into your hands someday, you will not even be able to unleash half its power!"

"Yes, this disciple knows his mistake."

Li Changshou lowered his head in acknowledgment, but inwardly, he was somewhat relieved.

Because he could clearly sense the gazes that had gathered upon him beginning to disperse rapidly...

Ahead of them, Youqin Xuanya approached with her greatsword on her back, urgency in her eyes.

"Senior Brother Changshou, are your injuries all right?"

"I'm fine, fine. My breath was merely shaken," Li Changshou replied, his face full of shame. "I have made Junior Sister and all our fellow disciples worry. My skills were too meager, and I have caused our immortal sect to lose face."

A senior brother immediately sent a Sound transmission into ear. "That Second Prince of the Dragon Palace was clearly trying to stir up trouble, and he deliberately chose you, Junior Brother Changshou!

Just watch, Junior Brother. Later, I will surely let those Dragon Princes and Dragon descendants who take the stage afterward learn what we are capable of!"

Li Changshou immediately cast this senior brother a grateful look.

"Senior Brother Changshou, sit down and regulate your breath first. Do not keep standing."

"The Dragon Palace truly went too far. That Second Prince was even somewhat despicable."

Jiu Jiu said, "All of you sit properly and stop complaining! So many Celestial Immortals are watching over our heads!"

Though the disciples had been reprimanded, several still spoke up indignantly on Li Changshou's behalf, only to be scolded a few more times by the other Du Xian Sect True Immortals.

These reactions from his fellow disciples and peers...

Were actually quite normal.

Li Changshou understood well that the intensity of their reactions depended on the strength of their collective honor, and had little to do with him personally.

After returning to his seat and sitting down, Li Changshou's unsettled breath swiftly returned to calm. Only then did Youqin Xuanya leave his side, looking back with every step.

Afterward, the concern faded from Youqin Xuanya's lovely face, and she grew increasingly cold.

The publicly acknowledged strongest cultivator among the current generation of Du Xian Sect disciples gradually gained a touch of fire in her eyes.

She removed the greatsword from her back and placed it on the low table. Her Sword Finger tapped various points on the blade as she formed the Azure Lotus Heaven-Opening Treasure Seal. Lines of flame appeared upon the greatsword, slowly merging into slender flying swords...

The temperature in the seating area where the Du Xian Sect's younger disciples had gathered abruptly dropped a little.

She took out two bottles of pills and checked them, confirming that she had prepared enough pills to rapidly restore immortal power.

Then she took out a handkerchief and unhurriedly wiped down her set of flying swords. Her cold, beautiful face bore no expression, but her gaze was somewhat...

A little frightening.

"Junior Sister Youqin."

Li Changshou's voice entered her ear, once again through Sound transmission into ear.

Youqin Xuanya paused, then turned to look over.

"If you wish to act later, you must still exercise some restraint.

This is the Dragon Palace. There is no need to meet them blade for blade."

Youqin Xuanya nodded lightly. The look in her eyes that had plainly been seeking someone to fight softened considerably.

It was hard to say whether she was pursing her lips or smiling in that instant; perhaps it was both.

But her expression and gaze truly seemed to be telling Li Changshou four words: Do not worry.

The three Du Xian Sect disciples seated between Li Changshou and Youqin Xuanya were seeing such an expression from Youqin Xuanya for the first time. Amid their surprise, they somehow also felt rather conspicuous...

And unnecessary.

Youqin Xuanya continued carefully polishing her flying swords. Judging from her appearance, she had not changed her mind just because of Li Changshou's sound transmission.

Li Changshou simply stopped trying to interfere. In truth, there was little he could interfere with.

He cast the Wind Whisper Spell, this time mainly to listen to the discussions in the venue and gather some "real-time audience feedback after the performance."

Strands of conversation drifted into his ears on the wind, near and far, exceedingly noisy...

"This Du Xian Sect disciple is quite good. That Second Prince of the Dragon Palace was truly too impetuous and could not bring out his own strength at all."

"Didn't that Turtle Prime Minister say it just now? This Second Prince is only ten years old after all. His spirit is a little too headstrong; it is unavoidable."

"This poor Daoist might even have been able to defeat the Second Prince if I had gone up, but alas, that Du Xian Sect disciple was knocked out of the boundary first..."

After carefully analyzing matters for a while, Li Changshou felt slightly more at ease.

At this point, his image as an outstanding disciple of the Du Xian Sect was vivid, well-rounded, and without much flaw.

And when he sat among the sect's ten finest immortal seedlings, he would swiftly be eclipsed. Others would see no radiance in him, and naturally would not continue paying much attention to him.

The Turtle Prime Minister formally announced once more that the Second Prince of the Dragon Palace had won the earlier sparring match.

However, due to the Second Prince of the Dragon Palace's impetuous nature, his breath had gone astray and he had injured himself internally. He had returned to the Dragon Palace to recuperate, and the several birthday celebration events that followed were therefore canceled.

This small disturbance temporarily came to an end.

From this strange incident, Li Changshou also saw the unpredictability of the Primordial Wilderness and the complexity of dragon hearts. He lamented that he was still too young, that he had underestimated human hearts and dragon nature, and had failed to consider this matter thoroughly enough...

But who the hell could have known this little dragon would pull something like this!

Ao Yi's methods were actually this wild—he had even wanted to deliberately lose to him?

Fortunately, Li Changshou had stepped out of the boundary and conceded one step ahead of him. Otherwise, who knew how chaotic the situation would be right now.

If he encountered something similar next time, he might as well punch himself, beat himself into a serious injury, and withdraw directly...

Thinking back to that seemingly calm yet absurd moment of confrontation just now.

The instant their fists and palms met...

Behind their somewhat disheveled figures, two pitch-black silhouettes seemed to emerge, coldly staring one another down.

You're putting on an act with me?

Same to you.

No more thinking about it. This little dragon might have other schemes.

Returning safely to the sect was now Li Changshou's greatest hope.

Weighing the pros and cons, even if he had to reveal part of his hidden cards later, he would not hesitate if it meant leaving this dangerous environment smoothly.

After all, the purpose of hiding one's cards was to survive better.

Who knew what other dragon business and dragon theatrics might come next!

After an exhibition match, the Demon-Quelling Assembly officially began.

The Dragon Palace put on several more grand displays, then brought out twelve magic treasures of the immortal treasure tier as the ultimate rewards for the upcoming sparring matches between disciples of the various sects.

The matches were conducted in a king-of-the-hill format. Sect disciples could participate without limit, and the arena was divided into several areas.

Each arena began with an immortal treasure as the prize. If someone could defend the arena for nine consecutive matches and defeat the "arena master" sent by the Dragon Palace, they could claim the immortal treasure.

The arena masters were young dragons whose cultivation and strength were equivalent to Qi Refiners at the first or second stage of the Dao Attainment Realm.

The difficulty of claiming a treasure was not low, but the disciples of the various immortal sects were highly enthusiastic. Immortal treasures were hard to come by, after all.

When the arenas opened and the disciples of all sects displayed their skills, the scene was quite spectacular for a time.

In less than an hour, a disciple from a major sect at the initial stage of Dao Attainment won nine matches in succession and earned the chance to face an arena master. Yet after a fierce battle, he was repelled by that young dragon.

At that moment, Youqin Xuanya slapped the low table and soared into the air. Twelve Luminous Glaze Flying Swords circled around her as she landed before the young dragon.

"One battle."

That day, at the Dragon Palace assembly, Du Xian Sect disciple Youqin Xuanya astonished all four quarters.

With her outstanding Sword Control Technique and fire-controlling arts, she claimed four immortal treasures in succession, defeated dozens of Qi Refiners, and injured four dragon youths of the Dao Attainment Realm. From then on, her name rose to prominence across Eastern Continent of Divine Grace.

After the great battle, this female Qi Refiner—whose future immortal path was destined to be extraordinary and who bore the attention of the entire venue—dragged her weary Dao body, covered in injuries, carrying her greatsword, and walked step by step back toward the Du Xian Sect seating area.

She refused the support of several peers from her sect and ignored the urging of several Martial Uncles and Martial Uncles to immediately regulate her breath. Passing her own seat, she continued several steps farther...

Lowering her head and bending over, her slender hands trembled faintly from the excessive depletion of immortal power.

Yet in the end, she successfully placed those four radiant immortal treasures upon the low table before that male Du Xian Sect disciple at the second stage of Return to Dao, who had now been forgotten by the overwhelming majority...

Then she gave the male disciple who looked up at her a smile tinged with slight exhaustion...

At that moment, the Qi Refiners throughout the venue regarded Youqin Xuanya with solemn respect, while the True Immortals of the various immortal sects sighed endlessly in admiration.

Li Changshou's expression, meanwhile, was extremely complicated. Words had already failed him. He rose and reached out, intending to support her, but Youqin Xuanya remembered his ailment and immediately dodged away.

Thus, Li Changshou could only make a deep Daoist salute toward Youqin Xuanya's retreating back, while silently offering blessings in his heart to Martial Uncle Jiu Wu...

Several hundred times.

Within a magnificent underwater palace.

The youth lying on a hundred-foot-long bed suddenly opened his eyes and grabbed the hand of the maid kneeling beside him, who was peeling grapes for him.

"Did I lose? Did I lose?"

"Your Highness, you need not worry. You won that match..."

"What? How could that be? I clearly... Pfft!"

"Second Prince! Second Prince!

Someone come quickly! His Highness has fainted again!"