Ao Lie Enters Guixu and Kneels at the Start

The Blackwater Dragon King slowly opened his eyes.

The atmosphere in the great hall instantly grew grave.

Ao Zheng stood to one side, his expression changing slightly.

"Father King, that's impossible!"

"I saw that being with my own eyes."

"With a single thought, he sealed all my mana and even severed my Dragon claw."

"If he were truly gravely wounded and slumbering, how could he possess such might?"

The Blackwater Dragon King did not answer immediately.

His slender fingers lightly tapped the armrest of the Dragon throne.

After a moment, he let out a cold sneer.

"Precisely because of that, he is even more suspicious."

Ao Zheng froze.

The Blackwater Dragon King said calmly, "If that Black Tortoise truly possesses the power to suppress the Northern Sea, why has he never revealed his true form?"

"If he truly does not fear the Dragon Clan, why did he not kill you?"

"If Guixu truly intends to contend for supremacy, why does it only shelter a group of weak races?"

"Perhaps he merely borrowed the power of the Ruins Sea Eye that day to forcibly intimidate you."

"And his true body was wounded long ago."

Ao Zheng opened his mouth.

He wanted to argue.

Yet for a moment, he could not find any reason to do so.

Because Lu Chen had indeed never truly shown himself.

What suppressed him that day had only been Guixu's chains and an invisible divine thought.

The Blackwater Dragon King's gaze was unfathomably deep.

"An Elder Black Tortoise's shell can be refined into a supreme treasure, its four limbs into Heavenly Pillars, and even its flesh and blood can extend one's lifespan."

"If that creature is truly gravely wounded and slumbering, then this is an opportunity for my Blackwater Dragon Palace."

Ao Zheng's heart trembled.

He always felt that something was wrong.

But the Blackwater Dragon King had already made his decision.

"Ao Zheng, you are injured. It is not suitable for you to go again."

"Let Ao Lie go."

Ao Zheng's expression changed slightly upon hearing that name.

Ao Lie.

The Third Prince of the Blackwater Dragon Palace.

His talent surpassed Ao Zheng's.

At such a young age, he had already entered the Taiyi True Immortal realm and was only one step away from becoming a Supreme Unity Golden Immortal.

More importantly, Ao Lie was proud by nature and greatly favored by the Blackwater Dragon King.

"Father King, isn't it too risky to send Third Brother?"

The Blackwater Dragon King said coldly, "I will bestow the Blackwater Dragon Talisman upon him."

"If Guixu is merely putting on a show, he will bring back information about that Black Tortoise."

"If Guixu truly holds danger, he will still be able to retreat safely."

Ao Zheng fell silent.

The Blackwater Dragon King continued, "Also, give him three hundred Dragon Clan elites."

"I want to know exactly what Guixu is hiding."

Several days later.

Outside the Blackwater Dragon Palace.

A young man clad in black-and-gold armor patterned with Dragons slowly stepped out of the water palace.

His features were cold and stern, a pair of pitch-black Dragon horns atop his head, his eyes carrying an innate arrogance.

Behind him, three hundred Dragon Clan elites stood in neat formation.

Every one of them possessed at least Celestial Immortal cultivation.

There were even several Golden Immortal experts among them.

Ao Lie looked toward the Northern Sea, a cold smile appearing at the corner of his lips.

"Guixu."

"Black Tortoise."

"Let me see whether you truly have skill or are merely pretending to be mysterious."

At the same time.

Guixu Inner Realm.

Lu Chen sensed the false information sent out by Han Qi and was in a good mood.

Good.

This round was secure.

After seeing how barren Guixu was, the Blackwater Dragon Palace probably would not come again, right?

A group of weak races.

One gravely wounded Black Tortoise.

No resources, no threat.

Anyone normal would think it was not worth wasting time on.

Satisfied, Lu Chen prepared to continue his seclusion.

However, the system's voice suddenly sounded.

Detected: Third Prince Ao Lie of the Blackwater Dragon Palace is leading three hundred Dragon Clan elites toward Guixu.

Lu Chen: "..."

He remained silent for a long time.

"What?"

"Is there something wrong with the Dragon Clan?"

"I already said Guixu has nothing."

"Why are they still coming?"

Above the Northern Sea.

Blackwater churned.

Three hundred Dragon Clan elites traveled through the waves, and wherever they passed, the aquatic races of the sea retreated.

The Dragon Clan's prestige had almost been carved into the bones of all races across the Four Seas in this era.

Especially the aquatic races of the Northern Sea.

The moment they saw armor bearing Dragon patterns, their first instinct was to lower their heads and make way.

Ao Lie stood at the very front.

He wore black-and-gold Dragon armor, a Blackwater Dragon Talisman hanging at his waist, his brows and eyes filled with unconcealed arrogance.

As the Third Prince of the Blackwater Dragon Palace, he had been supplied with Dragon Clan resources since childhood, and his cultivation speed far exceeded that of his peers.

Even within the Blackwater Dragon Palace, he was one of the rare prodigies.

He looked down on Ao Zheng.

Ao Zheng was older than him, yet a Black Tortoise hiding in Guixu had frightened him so badly that his Dragon claw was severed.

After word of the matter returned to the Dragon Palace, no one mocked him to his face, but it had already become a joke whispered among many Dragon Clan members.

Ao Lie held him in even greater contempt.

Just a Black Tortoise that hid its head and showed its tail.

If it truly possessed the strength to suppress the Northern Sea, why hide in Guixu without showing itself?

If it truly did not fear the Dragon Clan, why let Ao Zheng return?

In his view, that Black Tortoise had most likely relied on the special terrain of the Ruins Sea Eye to barely intimidate Ao Zheng.

Now that he had come with the Blackwater Dragon Talisman and three hundred elites.

Whatever Guixu was hiding, he would naturally investigate it thoroughly.

"Third Prince, the Ruins Sea Eye lies ahead."

A Dragon Clan Golden Immortal behind him spoke in a low voice.

Ao Lie raised his eyes and looked ahead.

The sea before them gradually turned pitch-black.

The seawater was heavy as ink, and the spiritual energy there was exceptionally chaotic.

Once ordinary aquatic races approached, their Primordial Spirits would be shaken at best, while their bodies would shatter at worst.

This was the forbidden region of the Northern Sea.

The Ruins Sea Eye.

Ao Lie's eyes shifted slightly, but he showed no intention of retreating.

He took out a pitch-black disc.

Nine tiny Little Black Dragons were engraved upon it, their Dragon heads all pointing toward the depths of Guixu.

This was the Dragon-Seeking Disc bestowed by the Blackwater Dragon King.

Though this treasure could not be considered a top-tier spirit treasure, it could investigate water veins, formations, and entrances to Grotto-Heavens. It was especially suited for use in deep-sea regions like the Northern Sea.

Ao Lie poured mana into it.

Buzz!

The Dragon-Seeking Disc trembled lightly.

The phantoms of nine black dragons drilled into the Ruins Sea Eye.

A moment later, a blurry image appeared before Ao Lie.

Within the image was a barren space.

Several crude stone houses.

Some weak aquatic races.

A few water veins with thin spiritual energy.

And a stone hall with a dim aura.

Deep within the stone hall, there seemed to be a slumbering presence.

That aura was ancient and heavy, yet carried an unmistakable sense of weakness.

Ao Lie's lips curled upward slightly.

"It seems the information Han Qi sent back was correct."

A Golden Immortal beside him hesitated. "Third Prince, His Highness Ao Zheng was severely injured that day."

Ao Lie gave him an indifferent glance.

"Ao Zheng's temperament is too weak. It is not strange that the Ruins Sea Eye frightened the courage out of him."

"If that Black Tortoise truly possessed the might of the Great Principle, how could this Dragon-Seeking Disc reveal nothing but a barren little realm?"

"Besides, he has not dared to show himself even now."

At this point, Ao Lie sneered.

"He is merely putting on an act."

After hearing this, the three hundred Dragon Clan elites also felt much more at ease.

What they feared most was that Guixu truly concealed some great expert they could not afford to provoke.

Yet what the Dragon-Seeking Disc showed resembled nothing more than a group of exiled weak races barely clinging to life on Guixu's outskirts.

That so-called Mysterious Abyss Emperor was most likely just an exaggerated title passed around by rumor.

Ao Lie raised his hand.

"Enter Guixu."

"If you encounter resistance, suppress it directly."

The three hundred Dragon Clan elites answered in unison.

"By your command!"

The next moment.

The Dragon Clan force tore through the Blackwater and forcibly charged into the Ruins Sea Eye.

Guixu Inner Realm.

Lu Chen was cultivating the Chaos Shell-Shedding Method.

Ever since the system warned him that Ao Lie was coming with three hundred Dragon Clan elites, he had felt somewhat uneasy.

He had thought the Heaven-Deceiving Water Mist would make the Blackwater Dragon Palace abandon its investigation.

Instead, they had directly sent people over.

Lu Chen found it difficult to understand.

He had already disguised Guixu as a shabby refuge.

Why was the Blackwater Dragon Palace still coming?

Had the Dragon Clan become so idle that they needed to search even poor places?

Just as he was thinking this, the system's voice suddenly sounded.

\nDetected: Third Prince Ao Lie of the Blackwater Dragon Palace has forcibly entered the outskirts of Guixu.

The Black Tortoise Sea-Calming Formation has automatically activated.

Lu Chen's eyelid twitched.

"They're here?"

His consciousness instantly extended to the outskirts of Guixu.

The outer layer of the Guixu Womb Membrane.

Three hundred Dragon Clan elites had just rushed into the Blackwater region.

At first, everything around them was calm.

Ao Lie had even caught sight of the barren outer city ahead, disguised by Heaven-Deceiving Water Mist.

The spiritual radiance there was dim, and its aura was weak.

Many aquatic creatures seemed to have been frightened into scattering in every direction.

Ao Lie became even more certain.

"Just as I thought."

"So-called Guixu is merely..."

Before he could finish.

Boom!

The entire sea suddenly sank.

Countless currents of Blackwater pressed in from every direction.

The Black Tortoise Sea-Calming Formation activated.

An enormous Black Tortoise phantom, too vast to describe, slowly emerged beyond Guixu's outskirts.

The Black Tortoise bore the black sea upon its back, its four feet suppressing all directions.

An irresistible pressure instantly descended upon the three hundred Dragon Clan elites.

Bang!

Several dozen Celestial Immortal Realm Dragon Clan members at the front were crushed to their knees on the spot.

Immediately afterward, more Dragon Clan elites found their mana stagnating as their bodies plummeted.

In barely a few breaths, the three hundred Dragon Clan elites had been crushed into complete disarray.

Ao Lie's expression changed drastically.

"A formation?"

He raised a hand and activated the Blackwater Dragon Talisman.

A Great Principle-level aura surged from the Dragon Talisman, barely protecting his body.

Ao Lie roared angrily.

"A mere formation thinks it can suppress me?"

A Dragon's roar resounded through Guixu's outskirts.

Ao Lie directly transformed into his true Dragon form.

A ten-thousand-zhang black Dragon soared into the sky, Blackwater lightning coiling around its body. Its Dragon claws tore through the heavy water as it slammed toward the Black Tortoise phantom.

It had to be said that Ao Lie truly was stronger than Ao Zheng.

Though both possessed the Blackwater Dragon Clan bloodline, Ao Lie's mana was purer, and his true Dragon body was more condensed.

Outside, cultivation like his would have been enough to sweep aside many minor clans.

Unfortunately.

This was Guixu.

And the edge of Lu Chen's turtle shell.

The Black Tortoise phantom slowly lowered its head.

Those eyes formed from the formation looked indifferently at Ao Lie.

The next moment.

The Black Tortoise raised one foot.

And brought it down.

Boom!

Ao Lie's ten-thousand-zhang Dragon body instantly fell from the air, smashing viciously into Guixu's Blackwater.

His Dragon scales shattered.

His Dragon horns trembled.

The Blackwater Dragon Talisman let out a mournful cry, its glow rapidly dimming.

Ao Lie's mind went blank.

How was this possible?

Hadn't the Dragon-Seeking Disc said Guixu was strong on the outside but weak within?

This was supposed to be strong on the outside but weak within?

He had not even seen the master of the place. A single formation had nearly crushed apart his true Dragon body.

The three hundred Dragon Clan elites were utterly terrified at the sight.

They had previously thought Guixu was merely a gathering place for weak clans.

Only now did they understand.

The place they had stepped into was nothing less than a giant mouth that had long been opened.

Lu Chen's voice rang out beyond Guixu's outskirts.

"More Dragon Clan?"

His voice was not loud.

Yet it made Ao Lie's entire body stiffen.

The voice was deep and heavy, as though it came from the very end of Guixu.

Ao Lie struggled to raise his head.

"Senior... this junior is Third Prince Ao Lie of the Blackwater Dragon Palace."

"Today, by my father's order, I came to investigate Guixu's sheltering of fleeing clans."

Lu Chen found it irritating to hear.

Blackwater Dragon Palace again.

Dragon Clan orders again.

He had clearly stated that Guixu would not involve itself in the conflict of the three clans, yet the Dragon Clan kept coming wave after wave.

Weren't they just like flies?

Kill one, and a swarm came.

Lu Chen had just been about to throw them all out when the system's voice sounded.

"Detected that Ao Lie has led three hundred Dragon Clan elites in forcibly trespassing into Guixu. Please choose."

"First, kill Ao Lie and intimidate the Blackwater Dragon Palace. Reward: Dragon Clan bloodline divine ability, Blackwater Dragon Transformation Art."

"Second, detain Ao Lie and demand a ransom from the Blackwater Dragon Palace. Reward: Innate Spiritual Treasure, Dragon-Binding Rope."

"Third, punish Ao Lie by having him guard Guixu's outskirts for a thousand years, grinding away the Dragon Clan's arrogance. Reward: Black Tortoise Sea-Calming Formation upgrade."

After reading them, Lu Chen's gaze settled directly on the third option.

Kill Ao Lie?

The Blackwater Dragon Palace would definitely go mad.

Demand a ransom?

It sounded tempting, but that would mean taking the initiative to negotiate with the Dragon Clan.

Negotiation would lead to dealings.

Dealings would lead to karma.

That path could not be taken.

The third option was best.

Make him guard the gate.

Neither kill him nor release him.

He could even serve as a living sign to deter the Dragon Clan.

More importantly, the reward was an upgrade to the Black Tortoise Sea-Calming Formation.

Lu Chen made his decision instantly.

"Third option."

"Congratulations, Host. The Black Tortoise Sea-Calming Formation is beginning its upgrade."

Beyond Guixu's outskirts, Blackwater churned.

Formation patterns rose one after another from the seabed, winding around Ao Lie's Dragon body.

Ao Lie's expression changed dramatically.

"Senior, what does this mean?"

Lu Chen's voice remained calm.

"You trespassed into Guixu. Your punishment is to guard the outskirts for a thousand years."

"You may not leave within those thousand years."

"If you dare bring Dragon Clan members into Guixu again, I'll stew you."

Ao Lie's mind trembled violently.

Guard the outskirts for a thousand years?

He was the lofty Third Prince of the Blackwater Dragon Palace, yet he was going to guard Guixu's gate?

That was even more unbearable than death.

"Senior, I possess Dragon Clan blood!"

"My father is the Blackwater Dragon King!"

"You humiliate the Dragon Clan like this. Aren't you afraid of the Dragon Clan's wrath?"

Lu Chen fell silent for a moment.

Then the Black Tortoise phantom raised its other foot.

Boom!

Ao Lie was stomped into the seabed once again.

This time, he could not even speak.

Lu Chen said blandly, "You talk too much."

Ao Lie finally behaved himself.

The three hundred Dragon Clan elites trembled violently.

They finally understood that the Master of Guixu had no regard whatsoever for the Dragon Clan's status.

The Blackwater Dragon King's name could not even make him hesitate.

Lu Chen did not kill these Dragon Clan elites either.

He had the Black Tortoise Sea-Calming Formation erase their awareness of the Guixu Inner Realm, leaving behind only the memory of Ao Lie being punished to guard the outskirts.

Then he threw them out of the Northern Sea.

The news quickly returned to the Blackwater Dragon Palace.

But within the Guixu Inner Realm, the thirty-six clans had already erupted.

"Ao Lie has been suppressed!"

"The Third Prince of the Blackwater Dragon Palace is now guarding Guixu's outskirts!"

"The Emperor even dared punish a Dragon Clan prince!"

"Guixu finally has a true backing capable of resisting the Dragon Clan!"

Before the Northern Darkness Dao Palace.

Lan Shuang, Lady Mingzhu, Han Jue, and the others gazed toward Guixu's outskirts, unable to calm the shock in their hearts.

Han Jue in particular.

His gaze burned with such fervor that it seemed almost ready to ignite.

"So this is the Emperor's majesty?"

"The Dragon Clan's Third Prince forcibly trespassed into Guixu, yet the Emperor did not even reveal his true body. He suppressed him with nothing but a formation."

"If I, Han Jue, could obtain even one ten-thousandth of the Emperor's divine abilities in this life, my journey through the Primordial World would not have been in vain!"

Lan Shuang took a deep breath.

She was equally shaken.

But she thought further ahead.

Ao Lie's punishment of guarding the outskirts was absolutely not a casual decision.

The Emperor had not killed him, avoiding a complete rupture with the Dragon Clan.

Nor had the Emperor released him, lest the Dragon Clan think Guixu weak and easy to bully.

Making a Dragon Clan prince guard the gate was both punishment and warning.

It was also a declaration to the countless clans of the Northern Sea.

Guixu could resist the Dragon Clan.

A thought immediately arose in Lan Shuang's heart.

Perhaps a pass should be built beyond Guixu's outskirts.

A true pass capable of suppressing the Dragon Clan.

She looked toward the depths of Guixu and slowly spoke.

"Pass down the order."

"Gather every division for deliberation."

"A pass must be established beyond Guixu's outskirts."

"This pass shall be called Dragon-Suppressing Pass."