Dragon Spawn

Several months later, in the Seclusion Chamber of the Earl of Nan'an's Residence in Xuanwei City.

Kuang Liuting sat Ruyi on the cloud-dragon prayer mat, his hands forming the dragon-tiger mudra, his brows furrowed, and he remained silent.

The dense Spiritual Qi emanating from the Third-Tier Lower-Grade Spirit Gathering Formation inside the room was enough to make an ordinary True Cultivator faint, but the Kuang Liuting on the futon was like a human-shaped vortex, with Spiritual Qi swirling up and down, and the top-grade Spirit Stone in the array was flashing and working busily.

Suddenly, the candlelight on the jade table burst into sparks, Kuang Liuting's knees slumped, and sweat beaded on his face. The scene from months ago flashed back into his mind, nearly causing the Marquis of Earl of Nan'an to collapse on that small prayer mat.

"Indeed, you have not disappointed the expectations of the elders of the clan. Liu Ting, you are indeed the only choice for the Kuang family to save the day." After hearing Kuang Liu Ting's theory on alchemy, the Southern King Kuang Shenzhi could hardly hide his smile, and joy overflowed from his fingertips as he stroked his beard.

"Your Highness flatters me," Kuang Liuting said calmly, showing little joy.

Seeing that Kuang Shenzhi was in a good mood, he suppressed his own inner thoughts, but could no longer hold back and spoke out, "Liuting dares to overstep his bounds again, I hope Your Highness will understand this matter outside Learning Forest Mountain."

"Liuting, stop talking." The Prince of the South did not allow Kuang Liuting to continue speaking, and at the same time, the joy on his face suddenly faded.

Seeing Kuang Liuting's face darken, he sighed again:

"I think you've misunderstood. The person in the outer sea wants you to support yourself, leave the capital to cultivate, and only go to see him after you've achieved Upper-Grade Golden Core. That's the most important thing."

The Emperor and I summoned you to Cloud Horn Prefecture merely to test the reactions of various factions. Everything else was just a side effect, and you have already done an excellent job.

Perhaps you don't know, but because you successfully established Yue Household's daughter as the Holy Maiden of Five Old Mothers Mountain, the actions of many self-proclaimed clever big shots outside the clouds have been clearly seen by me and the current emperor.

As for how to proceed, His Majesty and the Prince of the North are discussing it, so you don't need to worry. In the days to come, you only need to True Cultivator and strive to Golden Core Formation Pill as soon as possible.

The gains and losses of these few prefectures and counties in Shannan Circuit are of no concern to anyone. As for the laws and regulations of the Immortal Dynasty, you don't need to care at all. Just like when the Great Ancestor was alive, even if no one mentioned it, few dared to violate it.

"The urgent task for the Kuang Household is to cultivate talented individuals like the one with the Primordial Chaos Mysterious Pivot Physique' into True Person Immortals as soon as possible and bring them into the service of the clan, so that the one from the outer sea can become True Lord and revitalize the clan."

Kuang Liuting was stunned after hearing this, realizing that it would be difficult to persuade the Prince of the South, so he remained silent. Only after bowing and presenting the portrait of the Prince of the South did he finally unleash the resentment in his heart:

"Do you think I don't know that when Emperor Taizu was alive, no one dared to violate the laws and regulations of the Immortal Dynasty?! But can the Great Wei family really produce another Emperor Taizu?! If we really hope that the one from the outer sea becomes True Lord, who knows whether he will first come to pacify my Kuang Household's rule, or first come to slaughter my Kuang Household's clan?!"

Once I reach the Upper-Grade Golden Core cultivation, I can become his disciple?! Who knows if he's plotting to destroy my Kuang Household's direct lineage!

The laws established by Emperor Taizu are still clearly in effect, so why not use them? Why do you say that my rituals in Cloud Horn are useless!

From small things we can see big things, from subtle things we can understand great things! When I sit on the throne of the Emperor in the future, even before I become True Lord, I will establish rules for each family as True Person.

With more capable officials like Kang Dabao to assist him, even if only the capital region is governed by strict laws and righteous principles, it is not impossible for the entire country to gradually recover its vitality. Once the True Lord of the Great Wei lineage reappears, the celestial court can be restored to its Immortal Dynasty!

"Cough!" Kuang Liuting was jolted awake from his reverie, opened his eyes, and coughed again.

The anger in his dark eyes had dissipated, and he sighed inwardly, "The Prince of the South should have already led his men to the outer sea by now. Even with such flattery, how could he possibly let go of any resentment in their hearts?! Heh, it seems I must become True Person soon, lest this world truly fall into the hands of you old fogies."

---- Great Wei Immortal Dynasty, a thousand miles beyond the Subduing Dragon Cliff

The clear blue sky changed in an instant. Dark purple thunderstorm clouds filled the azure sky, pressing heavily on the sea and turning the calm water into raging waves, as black as jade.

The thunder rumbled for a long time, and after an unknown number of lightning bolts cleaved the sky, a large amount of blood rain suddenly fell from the gaps in the clouds, making the already salty air even saltier and the grim scene even more so.

Before the foul-smelling rain of blood even touched the surface of the sea, the undercurrents below were already boiling.

Thousands upon thousands of Red-Scaled Patterned Ray emerged from the waves. They were no bigger than a palm, with twelve pairs of transparent wing membranes on their backs and mouthparts as bright as fire, standing out starkly against the surrounding water vapor.

Those cultivators who frequently make a living on the open sea will surely recognize these water beasts. These little creatures, whose cultivation is often only at the lower-middle level of the first rank, are the tyrants of the sea that even ordinary pseudo-core cultivators must give way to.

Legend has it that this Red-Scaled Patterned Ray was born after the Great Ancestor Great Wei killed the Fifth Tier Mystic-Patterned Fish Dragon who claimed to be a descendant of the True Chi Dragon. Because the latter's Qi and Blood were extremely abundant, some of it fell into the belly of the Founding Emperor, causing it to fall into the outer sea and connect with the fiery veins at the bottom of the water, thus giving birth to this strange species.

Despite their low rank, few dare to provoke them in the outer seas.

Among some cultivators who have long resided in the open sea, there are even outrageous rumors that they gathered into millions and devoured a top-tier True Person.

However, at this moment, they are frantically flapping their wings and taking flight, even tearing apart their own kind in the stench of the storm in order to get ahead.

One after another, the Red-Scaled Patterned Ray were gnawed down to their bones. The victors showed no mercy to their kin, nor did they seem unaware that their red scales were even more vibrant. They relentlessly tore at their own kind in front of them, only thinking of squeezing out of the crowded formation to survive.

However, the enemy moved faster than they expected. A flash of bluish-white lightning illuminated the black water, instantly revealing a shadow lurking beneath the surface.

A ten-zhang-long, Wave-Winged Mixed Qiulong burst from the water, its head splitting into eight pieces, revealing eight sets of ring-shaped, gleaming white fangs.

The eight streams of poisonous mist it spewed out intersected and condensed into a net in the air, instantly engulfing the entire swarm of stingrays into a blood-red ball and swallowing them whole.

The efforts of the victors among the Red-Scaled Patterned Ray were in vain at this moment. After the poisonous fog appeared, a crimson foam covering a radius of hundreds of feet immediately rose on the sea surface.

Those were undigested Essence Blood of the Red-Scaled Patterned Ray, flickering inside the dragon-like beast's belly, like fireflies imprisoned in black gauze, unable to find freedom.

Wave-Winged Mixed Qiulong had just felt full, and his satisfied expression had only lasted for a fleeting moment. Suddenly, another gust of foul wind swept in from the east.

Its fierce eyes were slightly dazed. At first, it just glanced around casually and saw a ferocious beast rushing towards it. It quickly came over.

The ferocious beast charged forward with extraordinary momentum. With a single, swift flick of its massive tail fin, the blue flames it unleashed seemed to instantly evaporate half a foot of seawater within a ten-mile radius.

Wave-Winged Mixed Qiulong carefully examined this enormous creature, whose age was unknown.

It had a single horn on its forehead, four thick legs like an elephant, and a single tail as sharp as a spear. Layers of black scales were densely packed together, and there seemed to be mysterious runes growing on them, making it extremely strange. I wonder how much effort it would take to break through them.

Even though they were still dozens of feet apart, Wave-Winged Mixed Qiulong felt heavy breathing and could hardly catch his breath.

Faced with such a formidable yet hostile opponent, a hint of fear flickered across Wave-Winged Mixed Qiulong's eyes in a remarkably human-like manner. It was clearly unaware that it, which had been chasing its prey all along, had become prey in the eyes of other giant beasts.

"Roar----"

The Wave-Winged Mixed Qiulong was, after all, a sea monster that had just advanced to the Third Tier rank, and it was only a little bit away from refining its transverse bones. It was certainly not a stupid creature without any intelligence. But at this moment, it could only use this fierce but cowardly roar to cover up its fear, hoping to make the hunter feel a little wary.

It wasn't until it saw that the beast opposite it was also emitting blue flames from its tail fins and that its sharp eyes were filled with desire and greed that it realized there was no way to avoid it this time.

"Then kill them!"

Sitting idly by and waiting for death is not the style of Wave-Winged Mixed Qiulong.

Seize the initiative!

Suddenly, six poisonous rays appeared on the false wings of the Wave-Winged Mixed Qiulong, and thirty-two poisonous fangs, each half a zhang long, were revealed on its eight dragon heads, their cold light chilling and terrifying.

Unexpectedly, the ferocious beast remained fearless. With a flap of its wings, it unleashed countless fireballs. These flames coalesced on the water's surface and then spread along the salty seawater towards the Wave-Winged Mixed Qiulong.

At the same time, its four thick claws, like golden hooks, joined together, about to carve countless terrifying gashes on the body of the Wave-Winged Mixed Qiulong.

"Click"

The six poisonous rays of the Wave-Winged Mixed Qiulong were blocked by the beast's wings and had no effect; the blue flames on the sea surface were also ineffective, only making the Wave-Winged Mixed Qiulong's whole body hot, as if even the blood in its body had become boiling soup.

If that were all, or even less, most of its venomous fangs would have turned to dust the moment they touched the beast. Only the four venomous fangs on its head were embedded an inch into the beast's hide. However, only a small amount of venom seeped out before the beast's strong muscles held them firmly in place, making them difficult to pull out.

Before Wave-Winged Mixed Qiulong could even react with shock and anger, it saw that the ferocious beast, after carving several deep, bone-revealing, terrifying gashes on its own body, had abandoned its easy advantage and turned to peck at its true head.

This beast, however, was unwilling to do so, and disregarded everything, channeling all its spiritual power into its four sharp teeth.

With a muffled "thud," the sharp teeth ripped through the flesh, carving several irregular blood grooves on the beast's back. Pus and blood spurted out, and the beast, in pain, had no choice but to temporarily abandon its opponent. It roared to the sky, causing the already black and foul-smelling seawater to surge and churn.

Wave-Winged Mixed Qiulong was cautious and did not expect to gain any advantage. He simply put away the seven dragon heads that had lost their sharp teeth, and his whole body became a little more solid.

Just as Wave-Winged Mixed Qiulong was about to flee, it felt another evil wind swirling behind it.

"Oh no! That ferocious beast was just pretending to scream in pain to lure me back and make me run away!!"

Having experienced countless bloody battles in his life, Wave-Winged Mixed Qiulong didn't hesitate to pour his Demon Power into several vital points on his body without any mercy.

At the same time, spiritual patterns flickered on its few remaining fangs. Although it was at a disadvantage, it was not always ready to find an opportunity to strike and kill it.

However, this ferocious beast was much more determined than Wave-Winged Mixed Qiulong had hoped for.

As soon as the ferocious beast's two front claws seized the head of the Wave-Winged Mixed Qiulong, its metatarsal bones were shattered by several spiritual energy blasts from the dragon's head. The beast's howl of pain was much more real this time, but the latter was also in bad shape, its Divine Sense clouded and its mind unclear from the shock of the front claws.

Before it could react, the beast's two hind claws struck one after the other. This time, Ling Gang could no longer save it. Several gashes were carved into the Hardness head of the Wave-Winged Mixed Qiulong, and it thrashed helplessly in the sea in pain.

But soon, the ferocious beast did not inflict pain on it for long. The moment its two hind claws pressed down on the dragon's head, thirty-six blue flames flowed through its meridians and into the robust body of the Wave-Winged Mixed Qiulong.

The latter lost its head and its Divine Sense Demon Power, cultivated for hundreds of years, was now uncontrollable. In just a moment, the ten-zhang-long dragon's body was charred and fragrant by the flames.

Countless sea creatures in the deep sea were tempted and drooled, but this ferocious beast with its pair of broken front paws was clearly not one to do good deeds. While feasting, it didn't scatter many bits of meat. In just the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, it had chewed up the monstrous body clean, leaving only a single beast core floating in the air.

A hint of satisfaction flashed in the beast's eyes. Ignoring the excruciating pain in its claws, it swallowed the beast core in one gulp.

"Haha, what a good boy!"

A loud laugh echoed from the dark purple thunderclouds, instantly shattering the beast's smug satisfaction from its recent feast. Its eyes widened in disbelief, and it felt the sea breeze taste even saltier and fishier than before.

A robust Daoist priest, shirtless, summoned a dark cloud amidst flashes of lightning and thunder.

The cloud cage in his hand was emitting the radiance of the stars, and twenty-eight runes on the cage pillars flickered like breathing, which was extremely mysterious.

The ferocious beast could no longer hear the wind and rain, nor see the sun, moon, and stars. It could only see the cloud dragon rising and a dark cloud descending. Unable to struggle at all, it was trapped inside the dark cloud.

The ferocious beast seemed to have lost all its abilities; its enormous body shrank to the length of a palm, curled up in a ball, showing no trace of its former power, resembling a palace guard on a wall.

The rising clouds carried the ferocious beast back into its cage. Only when the cover suddenly fell did the beast regain its strength, thrashing and struggling inside the cage.

Sparks flew as its sharp wings and tail scraped against the cage posts, causing the inscriptions on the cage to flow and protect the clouds above, preventing them from dissipating. The Daoist priest smiled at this and murmured, "Quite spirited."

He extended his short, stubby finger and gently tapped it, and the stopper on the murky dehydration bag at his waist popped open, pouring out turbid liquor that formed a mist that enveloped the clouds completely.

After this, the ferocious beast in the cage finally quieted down and could not be heard making a sound.

After finishing his task, the robust Daoist priest suppressed his joy, bowed respectfully towards the clouds in the void, and said apologetically, "It took so long to deal with this Heavenly Lance Flame Beast; I'm truly sorry to have Prince of the South to wait so long."

As soon as the robust Daoist finished speaking, Kuang Shenzhi, carrying Kuai En, pushed aside the lightning and descended from the void. The latter was clearly not yet used to being a disciple of the Prince of the South, and was still stunned by the scene of the earth-shattering battle.

His Highness the Prince of the South, however, clearly didn't pay much attention to his disciple's reaction. He concealed the hint of anxiety between his brows well, and after hearing the robust Daoist's words, he also smiled and said:

"This beast is excellent wine fodder. For Vice Envoy Changxiao to show such filial piety to you, sir, I, as a member of the imperial clan, am ashamed enough not to dare to blame you in the slightest."

After hearing what the Prince of the Prince of the South said, Vice Envoy Changxiao's joy did not diminish. He replied, "His Majesty has had a poor appetite for the past sixty years. At the grand banquet held in the palace every five years, he only eats half a Third Tier sea beast, which makes everyone in the palace very anxious."

However, thanks to the Prince of the South's good fortune, Changxiao has encountered such a rare creature as the Heavenly Lance Flame Beast. Once Changxiao returns, he will find the wine official to butcher it and make pepper wine for the Lord. Surely, the Lord's appetite will be much better, and joy will naturally fill the palace."

Upon hearing the words "Your Majesty" from Vice Envoy Changxiao, a barely perceptible hint of melancholy seemed to appear between the Prince of the South's brows. However, he then echoed the former's words, saying, "That is indeed a joyous occasion for the royal family."

Vice Envoy Changxiao simply smiled after hearing this and did not respond.

After a moment of silence, the two, along with Kuai En, boarded a dragon-shaped flying boat.

This flying boat was one of the magical Law Treasure for travel that the Prince of the South crafted based on the design left by the founding emperor. Although its appearance was similar, it was not even a fraction as good as the original. Otherwise, how could the three True Person of the Blood Sword Sect have possibly dealt with this top member of the royal family of the Great Wei Immortal Dynasty?

The Southern King Kuang Shenzhi was very different in temperament from the current emperor and the Northern King. He was known for being pragmatic, down-to-earth, and averse to extravagance.

At most, he would only have a hundred or so attendants when traveling, but sometimes, on a whim, he wouldn't even bring a tea-serving boy. Without the female musicians and dancers on the flying boat, he also had much less interaction with Deputy Envoy Changxiao.

Kuai En endured the silence on the boat as he and the two True Person piloted the dragon-headed flying boat through layers of water vapor, until they saw a crystal palace standing on a boundless island.

"Billowing Dream Palace?" Kuai En had just managed to utter these three words when he was dragged to the palace gate by the solemn-looking Prince of the South of the South.

"Who did Vice Envoy Changxiao bring?" a mermaid palace guard on duty shouted.

Before anyone else could speak, Prince Kuang Shenzhi of the South spoke up, saying in a loud voice, "This junior, Shenzhi, has brought talented individuals to pay my respects to Your Excellency."

As soon as the words were spoken, a strong wind blew in from the sea, and a mocking laugh came from the Billowing Dream Palace. It was so grating that even Kuang Shenzhi, a great cultivator in the Nascent Soul Late Stage, found it extremely irritating.

"Prince of the South of the South, please don't stand on ceremony, just call me Dragon Spawn."