Arc 17The Dragon Palace Gambit
Chen Qing forged an alliance with Ao Zhen and faced Prince Consort Fei while the Heavenly Ghost Octopus and Dragon Palace crises unfolded. As Liu Yu’s long-laid plans drew rival factions into the East Sea Dragon Palace, blood from the Outer Heaven Demon Statue triggered mutations and turned them against one another.
- Chen Qing bound himself to the two Baili spellcasters, then survived their destruction by a Dragon Sinew Silkworm Silk trap and recruited the dragon maiden to help find Ao Zhen.
- Chen Qing revealed his plan to Ao Zhen, who accepted cooperation, and he made Yuchi Feihong the Wind Gate Battle God as the Dragon Palace came under attack.
- Prince Consort Fei attacked Ao Zhen and Chen Qing, but Yuchi Feihong fought him while the Heavenly Ghost Octopus seized Fei Yan and Xiao Mingyue emerged to kill him with Red Lotus Karmic Fire.
- Ao Zhen led Murong Yunji and Yaksha toward the Dragon King, while Chen Qing disappeared and the group learned that the Dragon Palace’s failsafe could revive the Dragon King and endanger the sealed demon statue.
- The Duke of Song revealed himself to Chen Qing in the East Sea and admitted to manipulating events, including using Wang Ye to plant a Flying Star seed in Chen Qing.
- Liu Yu explained his past to Chen Qing and revealed that he had engineered the Heavenly Ghost Octopus encounter, while Ziyue and Xiao Mingyue followed him to the East Sea.
- The Chen Household seized the East Sea Dragon Palace, and Ziyue learned that Chen Baifeng and his elders planned to withdraw before the Dragon King revived.
- Chen Baifeng, Xiao Mingyue, and Gu Ying converged on the Dragon King, then fought Liu Yu’s forces as spores from Outer Heaven Demon Statue blood began mutating the combatants and driving the factions against one another.