"Yes, Dharma Protector! Charge!"
"Roar!"
At Ao Yue's command, three hundred thousand demon soldiers and officers surged toward Penglai Immortal Island, wreathed in demonic energy that filled the sky. On the sea, tens of thousands of East Sea Dragon Army troops let out battle-hungry Dragon's Roar and surrounded the entire island as he had ordered.
Realizing this, the Eastern King's face turned ashen inside the Immortal Court, and cold sweat slicked the palm gripping his Dragon-Headed Walking Stick.
The protective restrictions had been broken, the Demon Race had landed, and the Witch Race had yet to arrive. This-this was Heaven condemning him to death!
He might have been a Quasi-Saint and the foremost male immortal of the Primordial World, personally appointed by the Dao Ancestor, but a man knew his own affairs best. Apart from the weakest few Demon Sages of the Demon Race, he might well have been the weakest Quasi-Saint in the entire Primordial World!
He was not even certain he could defeat the Queen Mother of the West, much less the three hundred thousand soldiers and officers from the Six Heavens Guards-the Demon Race's strongest army-now facing him.
And their commander was none other than the Ancestral Dragon's eldest legitimate son, Ao Yue!
Even that would have been manageable. If he fought with his life on the line, victory aside, he should barely have been able to escape. But...
The Azure Dragon, Meng Zhang, was beside Ao Yue.
They were both Quasi-Saints. Could he fight two at once and escape safely from their hands?
The Eastern King considered it and realized... that would be difficult!
"Roar!" While the Eastern King was inwardly lamenting the hardships of immortal life, another dragon's roar shook heaven and earth, drawing ever closer. Then, with a thunderous crash, the Immortal Court began to collapse.
"Ao Yue, you brat! You push me too far! Even your father, the Ancestral Dragon, was never as savage as you!" The Eastern King rose from his seat and looked up through the shattered roof beams of the Immortal Court. Only the tip of the iceberg of Ao Yue's dragon body was visible there, and he shouted furiously at him.
"Nonsense! My methods are far gentler than my imperial father's! Had it been him, he wouldn't have asked you so many times whether you would surrender. He would have slaughtered everyone on Penglai in one fell swoop!" Ao Yue countered in a booming voice.
"You, you... outrageous!" Was my Penglai so feeble in your eyes that you could casually slaughter everyone here? This truly enraged the Eastern King. He had attained the Dao from the first wisp of Pure Yang Qi between heaven and earth, and his nature had always been fierce as fire. Remaining holed up without fighting while awaiting the Witch Race's support had already taken tremendous restraint.
Now the protective restrictions had been broken and the Demon Race had landed, leaving him no choice but to fight. With Ao Yue's words fanning the flames, his anger lent courage to this timid immortal. Gritting his teeth, he tightened his grip on his Dragon-Headed Walking Stick, transformed into a streak of dazzling light, and shot into the sky through the roof beams, charging at Ao Yue.
"Ao Yue, you brat! Today, on the Ancestral Dragon's behalf, I shall teach you a lesson, you dragon whelp who knows neither heaven's height nor earth's depth! Hah!" the Eastern King shouted. His Dragon-Headed Walking Stick blazed with dazzling golden light as he brought it crashing down at Ao Yue.
"Insolent fool!" Meng Zhang had intended to stay out of the war between the Demon Race and Penglai for the time being and watch Ao Yue's battle with the Eastern King, only stepping in to fulfill his duty as a guard if Ao Yue fell into a disadvantage. But when he heard the Eastern King shamelessly boast that he would discipline Ao Yue on the Ancestral Dragon's behalf, anger flashed through his eyes. He raised a hand and lashed at the Eastern King from afar.
"Roar!" At the same time, Ao Yue opened his mouth, lowered his head, and spewed a pillar of purple fire at the Eastern King. Then...
Boom!
An explosion shook the entire East Sea. Black smoke engulfed Penglai Immortal Island, and the Immortal Court, struck by the blast at close range, collapsed completely.
Three hundred and sixty thousand li beneath the sea, inside the East Sea Dragon Palace.
Ao Kai, whom the Ancestral Dragon had appointed the East Sea Dragon King, heard the explosion overhead and watched his crystal palace tremble slightly from the shock. He frowned, stroked his beard, and said with a hint of displeasure, "Are they planning to tear down my East Sea Dragon Palace too? That brat Ao Yue has no idea how to handle things!"
Beside him, the East Sea Dragon Queen handed him a cup of tea and cautioned him, "Husband, mind your words. There is still a distinction between sovereign and subject."
"A distinction between sovereign and subject? Hmph! Had Grand Elder Torch Dragon not protected him back then, His Majesty the Ancestral Dragon would never have named him crown prince. Now, I rule the East Sea. If he knows what's good for him and obediently remains the Demon Race's Dharma Protector, I'll still show him some respect. When he occasionally returns to the East Sea to visit his family, I'll address him as Your Highness and send him off with some local specialties. But if he still dreams of inheriting the Dragon Emperor's throne and commanding the entire Dragon Race, he can't blame me for turning against him without mercy." Accepting the cup from the Dragon Queen, Ao Kai gave a cold snort.
Although he was only at the peak of the Great Immortal realm and his cultivation fell short of Ao Yue's, the East Sea Dragon Race was now firmly under his control. With the dragon army's battle formations, he refused to believe Ao Yue could do anything to him-unless Ao Yue completely disregarded the Dragon Race's losses or brought the Demon Race to attack. That would be another matter.
But from what he knew of Ao Yue, Ao Yue could not bring himself to do such a thing. Besides, Meng Zhang would not let him do it either.
Then Ao Kai took a sip of the immortal tea in his hand.
"Husband, how does it taste?" the East Sea Dragon Queen asked Ao Kai.
"Excellent. The sweetness amid its rich fragrance refreshes the heart and soul. My wife, what tea is this? Why have I never tasted it before?" Ao Kai turned to the Dragon Queen and asked, then took another sip.
An odd look flickered through the East Sea Dragon Queen's eyes. She answered softly, "The leaves are only ordinary Rainmist Immortal Tea. There's nothing special about them. It's just... the water I used to brew it is a little different."
"Oh, different? Could you have found a spiritual spring somewhere, my wife?" Ao Kai asked thoughtfully, looking at her again with a touch of delight on his face.
"No." The East Sea Dragon Queen shook her head and began retreating. After taking a few steps back, she answered, "I haven't found any spiritual spring. It's just that a guest came yesterday and gave me... a bottle of Supreme Yin True Water."
As she spoke, the Dragon Queen lowered her head, not daring to look at Ao Kai.
"Supreme... what?!" At her words, Ao Kai froze for a moment. Then his pupils contracted sharply in horror. He hurriedly stood and hurled the teacup in his hand onto the jade tiles.
Crack! The cup shattered, splashing tea everywhere. Every jade tile touched by the tea froze over as an aura of utmost yin and cold spread. At the sight, terror filled Ao Kai's heart. He raised a hand and pointed at his wife before him, his voice trembling. "My queen, you!"
"Husband, I'm sorry. Eastern Emperor Taiyi promised me that after your death, as long as I lead the East Sea Dragon Race to welcome His Highness back and enthrone him as emperor, he will guarantee that Guang'er remains the East Sea Dragon King forever. From now on, for as long as the Demon Race exists, no one will harm him or shake his rule over the East Sea. The Demon Race is powerful, and the Demon Sovereign is mighty. For Guang'er's sake, I had no other choice. I hope... you won't blame me." By the end, the Dragon Queen's voice was choked with sobs, and she knelt before Ao Kai.
"You, you... vile woman! I'll kill-Aaaah!" The instant Ao Kai invoked his magical power, the seal Taiyi had placed on the Supreme Yin True Water vanished completely. A force of utmost yin and cold, powerful enough to freeze heaven and earth, erupted and encased his entire dragon body in ice, along with his soul.