Muddy Bay Wharf.
The riverbank, once merely a place for ordinary merchant ships to dock, had now become the busiest spot along the entire Qu River.
As far as the eye could see, ships crowded the water.
Tower ships of every size clustered together, like a city floating on the river.
Masts rose in a forest, and flags of every color fluttered in the wind.
In just a few days, news of the Underwater Dragon Palace's emergence had drawn martial artists from all across the Qu River region.
Some had traveled through the night from hundreds of miles away.
Others had even abandoned their secluded training and come straight down from the mountains.
All of Muddy Bay.
Had become a place where winds and clouds converged.
"Have you heard?"
Beside the wharf, several young martial artists sat together, discussing in low voices.
"The entrance to the Dragon Palace is right around here!"
"I heard it's the Flood Dragon Ruins!"
A young martial artist's eyes lit up as he lowered his voice. "Any treasure inside would be enough to set us up for life!"
An older martial artist beside him could not help sneering. "Set you up for life?"
"You're dreaming."
"Those things aren't just sitting there waiting for you to take them."
As he spoke, he glanced at the turbulent river in the distance. "Quite a few people went underwater to investigate a few days ago."
"And what happened?"
"They couldn't even get through the Dragon Palace's gates."
"A few Meridian-Opening Realm martial artists even died down there."
The others immediately fell silent.
Their earlier excitement faded somewhat.
Someone asked quietly, "It's that dangerous?"
The old martial artist nodded. "The greater the opportunity, the greater the danger."
"This is the Underwater Dragon Palace."
"If you go in without enough strength,