Chapter 898: Sea Monarch Palace
Qi Wuque walked over in a carefree manner, without any misgivings at all.
Xiao Chen recovered his wits and saw that these two were not giving off any killing Qi. He said calmly, "Since you are here, come in and have a seat."
The three casually sat at a small table in the courtyard. Xiao Chen took out a flask of wine and poured out a cup each for the two.
Qi Wuque downed his cup in one go and frowned. He said, "This isn't tasty. Brother Xiao, it appears that you do not know much about wine. Brother Long, take out a flask of your precious monkey wine."
Monkey wine was a delicacy. Based on what Xiao Chen had heard, there was a kind of wild monkey in the world that lived on the difficult-to-climb Mount Wanren. It did not have many abilities. However, it had an innate talent for gathering wild fruits and spring water and brewing wine.
The wine that this monkey brewed was much more delectable than any wine made by the various races' winemakers. Martial Emperor experts would frequently roam the mountains in search of this monkey wine but would return empty-handed.
Long Fei fanned himself with the folding fan, then took out a flask of wine. When he took off the stopper, a natural wine fragrance spread out, permeating the courtyard with an intoxicating aroma.
He poured out a cup for everyone before carefully capping off the flask of monkey wine like it was a treasure and quickly putting it back in his spatial ring.
Qi Wuque picked up the cup and sniffed it a long time before draining it in one go. After smacking his lips, he said, "You are really stingy. Even after seeing the White Robed King, you are willing to take out only one cup."
Long Fei gently took a sip before putting down the wine cup. He said, "Qi Wuque, let's talk about proper matters. Xiao Chen is probably getting impatient."
When Qi Wuque heard that, he withdrew the smile on his face. He asked, "Brother Xiao, do you know about the trouble that the Merfolk Race is in and what they need us to help with?"
Xiao Chen replied gently, "Isn't it to kill the evil Demon clones and fix the seal? Could there be some other issues?"
Qi Wuxue smiled and said, "Brother Xiao, in that case, do you know the location of the sealed evil Demon?"
"Where?"
"The Sea Monarch Palace!"
A cooling sensation came from the Sea Monarch Headscarf on his forehead, instantly settling Xiao Chen's somewhat agitated heart. No emotion or expression appeared on his delicate face.
This was really surprising news. The evil Demon was actually sealed in the Sea Monarch Palace?
What was the Sea Monarch Palace? That palace was the Sea Monarch's residence. There would be countless treasures and wealth in there. How could it have anything to do with an evil Demon?
Qi Wuque continued, "It is strange, right? In fact, this matter has something to do with you. It was the Azure Emperor who sealed the evil Demon in the Sea Monarch Palace ten thousand years ago. Originally, the Merfolk Race did not intend to publicize this secret. However, this time, they had no choice but to do so."
"What do you mean?"
"Do you still not understand? Why do you think the seal weakened? How could a seal the Azure Emperor placed weaken so easily? The Merfolk Race became greedy for the treasures within the Sea Monarch Palace and disturbed the seal. In the end, matters went out control, and they could no longer resolve the issue with their own power.
"The Sea Monarch Palace itself is an Emperor Grade Secret Treasure. The Azure Emperor specially integrated his seal with the Sea Monarch Palace, completely resolving the hidden dangers of the evil Demon. Haha! But people's hearts are hard to fathom. The Merfolk Race disturbed the originally perfect seal," Qi Wuque said somewhat mockingly, curling his lips in a slight sneer.
To think there was actually such a story behind this. Indeed, things were not as simple as Xiao Chen had thought. He looked at Qi Wuque and asked, "How did you learn of this?"
Smiling faintly, Qi Wuxue replied, "There is no such thing as an impenetrable wall in this world. Experts all over have heard about this. Which of them does not know? Which of them is not here for the treasures of the Sea Monarch Palace? Who here really cares for the life and death of the Merfolk Race?"
Long Fei added, "Brother Xiao Chen, we are all people with nothing to hide. Brother Qi and I are here for the Sea Monarch Palace's treasures as well.
"Initially, we were not planning to ally with you. However, this time, we cannot handle this ourselves anymore. The seven great sects near the Chaotic Demonic Sea all sent their experts with lightning-attributed flames, some old loose cultivators came uninvited, and even the great sects in the Penglai Sea made a move."
Qi Wuxue looked at the silent Xiao Chen and said, "Others do not know, but Brother Long and I know that Brother Xiao Chen possesses the Purple Thunder True Fire. Furthermore, with your strength, you can hold your own even against a grandmaster-level Martial Sage. We will definitely benefit a lot if we work together."
Xiao Chen stood up and started to pace around the courtyard. Originally, he had just been prepared to repay a debt of gratitude before leaving immediately. He had not expected to get dragged into so many matters.
Long Fei exchanged a glance with Qi Wuxue and stood up. "Brother Xiao, are you worried about the hard feelings between us? Although I, Long Fei, do not consider myself a righteous person, I still do things openly.
"That day, if I had not noticed that you were making a breakthrough with starlight falling to the ground, I would not have waited for you to finish your breakthrough to fight you. This time, when the three of us work together, Brother Xiao will have priority in choosing from the profits we obtain. Furthermore, you can have forty percent of all our gains."
Seeing Xiao Chen remain silent, Long Fei continued, "Brother Xiao, if you agree, I can share with you the refining method of the trident in advance to demonstrate my sincerity."
When Xiao Chen heard all this, he knew that the two misunderstood him, thinking that he was trying to make use of this opportunity to raise the price.
"This is a major concern. I cannot make a decision based on one side of the story. Before this Xiao came here, I really knew nothing about the Sea Monarch Palace. I am merely here to repay an old debt of gratitude. If things are really as the two of you say, I do not have any problems with allying with you two to fight the enemy."
Qi Wuxue's eyes lit up. He smiled and said, "So, does that mean Brother Xiao agrees? Hehe! I did not spread your name everywhere in vain."
Finding the comment strange, Xiao Chen frowned. He asked, "What name?"
"The White Robed King! Brother Xiao, you probably don't know, but the Primal Chaos Domain has people from all trades gathered there. As long as there is any big news, it can spread from there to the entire Kunlun Realm immediately.
"For the sake of making your title of White Robed King known, I sent out two thousand people of my sect to over a thousand cities of various sizes to spread your story. Haha! Now, the entire world knows about the White Robed King Xiao Chen."
Qi Wuque spoke very leisurely, appearing quite pleased with himself. He did not notice that Xiao Chen's face had turned black at some point in time.
In the end, the tacky title of the White Robed King originated from Qi Wuxue.
"Bang!"
There was an explosion, and Qi Wuxue flew out of the courtyard and landed on the road, his head crashing heavily into the ground.
When Long Fei walked out the courtyard doors and saw Qi Wuxue lying on the ground in a sorry state, his lips cannot help but curl up a faint smile.
"Strange, is the title of White Robed King not good? Brother Xiao, why are you suddenly so angry?"
Qi Wuxue stood up and rubbed his head. He could not understand, so he looked at Long Fei and said, "White Robed King, that is a graceful and elegant title. Long Fei, don't you agree?"
Somewhat appalled, Long Fei said, "Serves you right. What do you think a King title is? How could one just casually give such a title? He is the descendant of the Azure Emperor. Naturally, he has to inherit the Azure Emperor's title."
"What is the Azure Emperor's title?"
"Azure Dragon King!"
Qi Wuxue mumbled to himself for a while. Then, he suddenly seemed to see the light, saying, "Indeed! Azure Dragon King sounds more tyrannical. However, adding the words 'White Robed' in front sounds pretty good too: White Robed Azure Dragon King!"
Now, Long Fei was completely appalled. The King title was something that would accompany a cultivator for life. It concerned his glory and dignity. This Qi Wuxue was simply too casual about it, treating this as a lark.
In the courtyard, Xiao Chen held a jade strip in his hand and closed his eyes. After he reviewed all the information inside, a look of enlightenment appeared on his face. He said, "So that is how you refine the throne into a weapon. One requires a Mental Flame to directly refine it, and then one can change its form in an instant."
Before Long Fei left, he had handed over the refining method of the throne to Xiao Chen to show his sincerity.
Xiao Chen put the jade strip away. He could not help but feel somewhat restless. Now that he thought about this matter carefully, he discovered that this simple matter contained many complications.
Why did Princess Yao Yan not explain the issues to me first?
Thinking of the Sea Monarch Palace, Xiao Chen took off the Sea Monarch Headscarf on his forehead and examined it. It looks like this Sea Monarch Headscarf must have come from the Sea Monarch Palace.
He set the headscarf aside, then took out a wine cup from the Universe Ring and placed it at the seat opposite him. He believed that someone would come and give him an explanation.
Xiao Chen looked up. There were several manmade gems above, flickering like stars. Looking at them made one forget that they were more than ten kilometers underwater.
However, it still felt like something was missing. So after a few sips of wine, Xiao Chen raised his hand.
A pure and bright moon rose up behind him, giving off gentle moonlight and filling the entire courtyard with a faint radiance.
Xiao Chen revealed a satisfied smile as he continued drinking. When the moonlight fell on his white figure, it threw a lonely shadow on the ground.
Cup after cup, Xiao Chen drank alone.
At some point in time, an exquisite figure appeared in the cold courtyard. Yao Yan landed across him. When she saw the prepared wine cup, a look of shock flashed in her eyes.
"Young Master Xiao knew that Yao Yan would be coming?"
Xiao Chen put down his wine cup and revealed a faint smile on his delicate face. He said warmly, "Naturally. My eye for people is good. Princess Yao Yan, there are some things that were inconvenient to say along the way. You probably feared that after you said them, I would not help you. However, now that I'm here, I guess that Princess no longer has any fear."
Yao Yan was not sure if she was seeing wrong, but she felt that although Xiao Chen was clearly smiling, his eyes were cold and still like well water, with no ripples in them. It seemed like there was nothing in this world that could arouse his interest.
Hearing what Xiao Chen said, Yao Yan felt somewhat guilty. She drained the cup and smiled bitterly. She said, "I'm afraid that Young Master Xiao's eye for people was wrong this time. Yao Yan did indeed hide something from you. The tragedy of the Merfolk Race was our own fault.
"The Merfolk Race's Race Head along with the five Supreme Elders personally released the seal on the outer layer themselves to enter the Sea Monarch Palace. None of them came out; they all died inside. The three elders standing guard outside paid with their lives in the end, to patch up the seal on the outer layer. However, the seal on the inside is completely broken."
Chapter 899: Countermeasure
"It is only a matter of time before the evil Demon's true body emerges. As of now, the huge Merfolk Race no longer has any Martial Emperors left."
The price of greed was really high. Nine Martial Emperors had died, just like that.
Without needing Yao Yan to say anything, Xiao Chen could roughly guess how those Martial Emperors died. They must have ignored all advice and relied on their Martial Emperor cultivation, entering without preparing any lightning-attributed flames.
The Race Head probably thought that with nine Martial Emperors, they would have nothing to fear in the Sea Monarch Palace. He must have expected to be able to loot the palace of its treasures and leave easily.
However, Xiao Chen guessed wrong. Yao Yan's following words truly astounded him.
Unexpectedly, the appetite of those Merfolk Martial Emperors was extraordinary. They actually wanted to swallow the entire Sea Monarch Palace—refining it together with the evil Demon—to let the Race Head become the new Sea Monarch.
"Two years ago, I went in alone, wielding the Extreme Thunder Sword. I thought that I could suppress the evil Demon for a hundred years, using the Extreme Thunder True Fire in the Extreme Thunder Sword. However, who knew? I failed to kill all the evil Demon clones that swallowed up the Martial Emperors. Now, they have all regenerated.
"In the past two years, those evil Demon clones have eroded almost all the Extreme Thunder True Fire in the Extreme Thunder Sword. If we don't try something else, the main body of the evil Demon will definitely struggle free in the next half year. At that time, the entire Chaotic Demonic Sea will suffer an unprecedented disaster."
"I wish to invite Young Master Xiao to use the Purple Thunder True Fire to sweep away these evil Demon clones, then, together with the Extreme Thunder Sword, to suppress the evil Demon's main body."
Xiao Chen listened quietly as the moonlight shone down. He only drank wine without saying anything the whole time.
By coincidence or not, when Yao Yan's words ended, the wine in the wine flask had run out as well. Xiao Chen shook the wine flask, and indeed there was none left. Yao Yan had also finished saying what she had to say.
He put away the wine flask and waved his hand. The bright moon in the air wavered and turned into a gentle beam of light, disappearing from the sky.
Yao Yan was slightly stunned at the disappearance of the bright moon. She actually had not noticed until now that Xiao Chen had created this moon. How could there be a moon at the bottom of the sea?
Xiao Chen noticed the change in Yao Yan's expression and sighed in his heart. He stretched out his hand and pulled the Sea Monarch Headscarf on the table over, then donned it again.
Yao Yan was somewhat nervous. She could not tell what Xiao Chen was thinking. She wondered if he would continue to help her now that he knew the truth.
"That's odd. Princess, is there more?"
After Xiao Chen finished wrapping the Sea Monarch Headscarf back around his head, he noticed that Yao Yan still had not left.
At first, Yao Yan was stunned. Then, she asked in pleasant surprise, "Young Master Xiao is not leaving?"
A warm smile appeared on Xiao Chen's delicate face as he replied, "When did I say that I am leaving? On the contrary, it is already late at night, and Princess has finished speaking, but you don't seem to be leaving. Do you intend to spend the night here?"
When Yao Yan understood his meaning, she blushed despite herself. She shot a glance at the smiling Xiao Chen and quickly left this place.
"White Robed King, Yao Yan will remember this favor forever. The Merfolk Race will remember it forever as well."
An exquisite voice drifted over on the air. When Xiao Chen heard it, he became slightly distracted.
Xiao Chen flipped his hand, and a scroll appeared. He slowly unfurled it, and the Azure Emperor's portrait entered his eyes once again.
He said in a somewhat self-mocking tone, "Ten thousand years ago, you thought you were very smart in integrating the seal with the Sea Monarch Palace to create the perfect seal. However, the hearts of men are unfathomable. You did not expect that the perfect seal you made would end up bringing the Merfolk Race to the brink of extinction."
If the Azure Emperor had not integrated the seal with the Sea Monarch Palace back then, such an event might not have happened, might not have left a difficult problem for Xiao Chen.
The cause was ten thousand years ago, and the effect came ten thousand years later. It was time to break this cause-and-effect relationship.
With a determined gaze, Xiao Chen put away the painting but did not enter the house to rest. Instead, he rushed to where Long Fei and Qi Wuque were staying. Then, he asked about the strength of the people who had come over to take advantage of the chaos.
After obtaining the news that he sought, Xiao Chen frowned heavily. This matter was more complicated than he had expected.
The biggest problem now was not the evil Demon clones in the Sea Monarch Palace. Instead, it was the various experts who were going to the Sea Monarch Palace for its treasures.
Many among them had come uninvited. Not only would they not be of any help, but they would also make the situation more chaotic.
Xiao Chen did not hide his intentions and plans from Qi Wuxue and Long Fei, telling them everything in detail.
After the two of them heard his thoughts, they could not help feeling somewhat discouraged. Qi Wuxue said, "Brother Xiao Chen, it is not that I am picking on you, but this is a problem that the Azure Emperor left behind ten thousand years ago; it has nothing to do with you. Furthermore, this is the result of the greed of the Merfolk Race's seniors. Why the need to go in and deal with it?
"This time, the ones that came uninvited are mostly the older generation of the Primal Chaos Domain. They are all old monsters who have lived a century or two already."
Long Fei was also surprised at Xiao Chen's choice. He advised, "Xiao Chen, have you thought it through properly? There are several items in the Sea Monarch Palace that the Azure Emperor did not take away for lack of interest. However, to us, they are all supreme treasures.
"You are very kindhearted, not allowing those people to send themselves to their deaths to increase the strength of the evil Demon. However, others do not think that way. They'll only see your actions as your wanting to monopolize all the treasures in there."
Qi Wuxue nodded and added, "That's right. Furthermore, from what I heard, the Azure Emperor respected the remains of the Sea Monarch and did not touch them back then. The Divine Rain Robes he wore, the Sea Monarch Scepter in his hand, the Sea Monarch Crown on his head, and the Pursuing Wave Boots on his feet are all still there.
"All these items are things that will make people go crazy. Coincidentally, the Merfolk Race's Martial Emperors are all dead already. The few quasi-Emperors are all busy maintaining the outer seal without time to spare for anything else. These fellows will not let this opportunity pass."
Xiao Chen's eyes were as clear as water, the expression on his face as calm as a still lake. He turned around and looked to the front.
The manmade gemstones high above gave off flickering lights in the pitch-dark night, making the dreamlike castle looked very peaceful and beautiful.
After looking for a long time, Xiao Chen retracted his gaze. Then, he said, "Sometimes, after one acknowledges certain things, one will have to bear certain responsibilities. If I avoid these today, I might not hesitate to shirk similar matters in the future. In that case, what was the point of my acknowledging my identity before everyone back then?
"Many thanks for your kind intentions and news. If there is a conflict in the Sea Monarch Palace, I will be sure to lend you two a hand once. I'll take my leave first."
As Qi Wuxue watched Xiao Chen's figure slowly disappear, he said helplessly, "This Xiao Chen is still as unfathomable as ever. It is like he is tired of living. There will be a good show to watch tomorrow."
Long Fei opened his folding fan and gently fanned himself. He said in disappointment and frustration, "As of now, everyone in the world knows that he is the descendant of the Azure Emperor. After the King conferring ceremony, he will officially bear the title of Azure Dragon King. You see only the glory but not the hidden pressure of being the Azure Emperor's descendant.
"Thus, you are the rascally ruffian Qi Wuque, and he is the famous Azure Dragon King. You are the one that is unfathomable."
Unconvinced, Qi Wuxue said, "Hey, Long Fei, since when did you turn to the other side? Don't forget that he beat you up into a sorry state on Dragon Wood Star. Why are you speaking up for him so quickly?"
Long Fei closed his folding fan with a snap, revealing a proud look on his face. He said, "I am not someone who cannot afford to lose. Back then, I dared to wait for him to make his breakthrough, to fight a proper battle with him. In the future, when I become the White Bone Sovereign, I will naturally have another honorable battle with him."
Qi Wuxue curled his lips up and said, "Alright, alright, alright. I will not argue with you over this now. Hehe! I think that after you become the White Bone Sovereign in another ten years, you will get beaten up miserably by Xiao Chen. That will be very exciting to watch."
"Bang!"
Long Fei opened his folding fan again and whacked at Qi Wuxue. Chuckling, Qi Wuxue stretched his hand out to block this strike.
"No ivory will come of a dog's mouth. I will first beat you up until you crawl and can't get up."
[TL Note: No ivory will come of a dog's mouth: This is a Chinese idiom for "a mean person never speaks nice things."]
"What can you do to me? My Muddy Sky Demonic Arts experienced a massive improvement recently."
As the two bickered, they started fighting. However, they did not use much strength. Otherwise, they would have blown away the roof long ago.
In the morning, the light barrier above the castle shone with boundless radiance, mimicking the rising sun and waking the people who were fast asleep in this dreamlike castle.
Several old men exuding strong baleful auras arrived at the largest plaza in the city. They sat expressionlessly on the stone stools there.
As the sky turned bright, the cultivators in the plaza slowly increased. From the color of their hair, they were obviously not of the Merfolk Race. However, they were all frighteningly strong.
The weakest of these people was a Medial Grade Martial Sage. As for those old monsters with baleful auras, their cultivations were higher. They were at least Superior Grade Martial Sages. There was even an old man with short white hair who was already a peak Superior Grade Martial Sage.
This person was only one step shy of truly becoming a grandmaster-level Martial Sage, lacking the air of a grandmaster.
Those from the Primal Chaos Domain were familiar with this old man. They were all famous loose cultivators. Of course, this fame was notoriety.
This old man specialized in using poison. He originated from the famous Five Poison Sect of the Profound Domain. However, he had broken sect laws by using live people in experiments, betraying the Five Poison Sect. Even now, the Five Poison Sect continued to issue wanted posters of him.
However, this person still lived a good life. In the Primal Chaos Domain, he was known as the Five Poison Devil. Most regular grandmaster-level Martial Sages would not willingly offend him.
When some of the invited cultivators saw this person, their eyes filled with fear, not daring to underestimate him.
"Senior Five Poison Devil, I heard that that girl was very headstrong. She is not allowing those who are not invited to enter the Sea Monarch Palace."
While it was still early, someone in the group of old monsters spoke to the Five Poison Devil.
Sitting on a stone stool, the Five Poison Devil smiled coldly and countered, "Is it up to her? As of now, the Merfolk Race is left with only two quasi-Emperors. They can barely maintain the outer seal of the Sea Monarch Palace. Even their grandmaster-level Martial Sages can't free themselves to pay attention to other things. How would she dare to say no?"
"However, based on what I heard, the evil Demon clones in there are very horrifying. We do not possess any lightning-attributed flames. We will be in danger after we enter. This is something that trapped even Martial Emperors in there."
The Five Poison Devil's expression did not change. He said calmly, "Do you not see that there are many people here? They all have lightning-attributed flames. By mingling with them, we will be able to protect ourselves. As long as we are not too greedy and leave after obtaining some treasures, we will be fine."
Chapter 900: Fire Dragon God Mister Qin
"How did those Martial Emperors die? They got too greedy and wanted to refine the entire Sea Monarch Palace. In the end, the evil Demon's main body tricked them and wiped them all out."
The Five Poison Devil spoke in an indifferent tone, revealing information that several people were unaware of.
"There is such a thing?! I was wondering how Martial Emperors could die so easily. It turns out that they were just too ambitious."
"Wanting to refine the entire Sea Monarch Palace, they were really bold. Unfortunately, they overestimated themselves. Even a Sovereign Martial Emperor would not be confident of refining it, yet they actually dared to try? Dying in there serves them right."
When the uninvited loose cultivators heard this news, they all heaved sighs of relief. If this was the case, the evil Demon might not be as horrifying as they thought.
When the Five Poison Devil saw these people's expressions, he smiled coldly to himself. However, he said, "I am not a person who would risk everything for treasure. Without being confident enough, I will not mess around. Later, just follow Mister Qin and me."
The Mister Qin that the Five Poison Devil mentioned was a middle-aged-looking man in hemp robes.
After arriving, Mister Qin had closed his eyes and rested. Since he lacked a baleful aura, the surrounding people ignored him.
Hearing the Five Poison Devil mention this person, a few people quickly looked over. Only then did they discover that this gray-robed old man's cultivation realm was actually no lower than the Five Poison Devil's.
"Mister Qin? Could he be the Fire Dragon God Mister Qin from the Medicine God Valley?" someone asked uncertainly when he thought of something.
Nodding, the Five Poison Devil replied, "Precisely. Mister Qin has a very high position in the Medicine God Valley. He is one of the three grandmaster Alchemists there. With Mister Qin and me here, no matter how headstrong that girl is, she will still obediently let us in."
Not far away, Qi Wuxue and Long Fei saw this, and their expressions turned unsightly.
Long Fei said, "This Five Poison Devil kills people with his Poison Arts without any warning. Several grandmaster-level Martial Sages are unwilling to deal with him.
"That Mister Qin is no kind soul, either. He has grasped nine different-attributed flames and created the Nine Dragon Arts. He is not just a simple Alchemist."
As Qi Wuxue looked at the silent Mister Qin, he betrayed intense dread in his eyes.
"The people from the Penglai Sea are here!" someone exclaimed in the plaza right at this moment. Everyone looked over involuntarily.
The Penglai Sea was a very distant place. Not many outsiders knew how to enter it. The people there cultivated the legendary Immortal Arts and very rarely moved about in the outside world, which made people feel that they were very mysterious.
Two youths in Buddhist robes descended from above with proud expressions. They looked around, showing patent disdain for the people there.
"These two fellows seem to be uninvited as well."
"Yeah! I wonder if Xiao Chen will change his mind after he arrives. These people are not people that can be offended."
Suddenly, Long Fei said, "Xiao Chen is here!"
Qi Wuxue cast about but could not find that white figure. He asked anxiously, "Where is he? Where is he? How come I don't see him?"
Long Fei pointed to a direction, and Qi Wuxue quickly looked over. Silently sitting cross-legged on a stone stool was someone wearing a black cloak.
The shadows of the hood hid the face of this figure, preventing people from seeing this figure's countenance clearly. Qi Wuxue had to size him up several times before he managed to verify that it was Xiao Chen. He said, "What a fellow! Your eyes are really sharp. I did not notice. When did he arrive?"
This question stumped Long Fei. He realized that he did not know when Xiao Chen arrived. Earlier, he just caught a glimpse of Xiao Chen and even then nearly missed him.
Long Fei had to look back and observe carefully before vaguely suspecting that the cloaked figure was Xiao Chen.
"I'm not sure. Perhaps he just arrived, perhaps he arrived long ago. However, that does not matter. He could see whatever we saw. I can't understand this, though. This fellow is always very surprising." Long Fei fiddled with the folding fan in his hand.
Qi Wuxue withdrew his gaze and revealed a contemplative expression. He said with certainty, "I don't believe that there can be such a foolish person who would do something against his own interests just for the sake of his identity as the Azure Emperor's descendant."
As they chatted, a sudden bustle stirred the crowd. Qi Wuxue's and Long Fei's eyes lit up. The host had arrived.
Princess Yao Yan mounted the platform in the plaza unhurriedly with Mu Yun, Mu Lei, and some Merfolk Race elders in tow.
Princess, the White Robed King does not seem to be here, Mu Yun said anxiously through a voice projection as he quickly swept a glance through the crowd.
"Don't panic. He is here. Just directly convey my intent."
Mu Yun calmed himself and took a step forward. He said, "Thank you, everyone, for accepting our invitation and traveling such a long distance to come here. Later, we will issue the jade pendants for entering the Sea Monarch Palace according to our invitation list."
The Five Poison Devil glared at him and made a gesture. Someone immediately understood his signal. That person called out loudly, "Isn't the Merfolk Race being too unreasonable? Although we did not receive an invitation, like the rest, we yearn to kill the evil Demon as well. Why won't you hand out jade pendants to us?"
"This is too much. They are completely looking down on us. The Merfolk are bullies."
"What a bunch of hotheaded people, directly disregarding others. Is the Merfolk Race really that heartless?"
"Damn, you Merfolk, it is best not to be too selfish. We came to help out of goodwill. Why the different treatment?"
"Hand over the jade pendants. If not, then everyone can forget about entering."
Instantly, a large group of people created an uproar. Furthermore, these people were loose cultivators. Under such circumstances, their baleful auras were quite scary.
It felt like they really would attack at any moment, preventing both sides from proceeding.
Even though Mu Yun had expected this group of people not to take the rule lying down, he had not expected these old monsters to be so shameless and make such threats.
Mu Yun's heart could not help but tremble at the baleful auras spreading out and all the ferocious old men; he had never seen such a scene before.
Yao Yan shook her head and personally stepped forward. She looked directly at the silent Five Poison Devil and Mister Qin. These two people were the real masterminds.
"The matters of the Merfolk Race have worried everyone. However, today, it is not that Yao Yan does not need everyone's help. Rather, if you do not have a lightning-attributed flame or a Secret Treasure containing a lightning-attributed flame, you will only die if you enter.
"Not only will you be of no help, but you will even get consumed by the evil Demon clones, strengthening them, instead. If you can take out a King Grade Secret Treasure containing a lightning-attributed flame or have a lightning-attributed flame of equivalent rank, Yao Yan will definitely allow you in."
When dealing with these old monsters who had lived for a century or two, Princess Yao Yan politely explained the details.
However, these old men refused to listen. King Grade Secret Treasures were rare in the first place, and those with lightning-attributed flames were even harder to find.
As for subduing a lightning-attributed flame, that was even more impossible. Others would subdue the naturally occurring flames of the world the moment one appeared; these flames were even harder to find than Secret Treasures.
If these old men had either of these two items, they would not be creating such a commotion.
"Hehe! Princess Yao Yan, there is no need for you to worry about our lives. You just have to tell us, will you or will you not allow us in?"
The Five Poison Devil had wiggled his lips a few times, and then a short old man about one hundred and sixty centimeters tall stood up on a stone stool and questioned Yao Yan rudely.
Many of the cultivators who received an invitation fixed their gaze on Yao Yan, wanting to see how she would deal with this challenge.
If Yao Yan could not deal with this problem, then her failure would verify the rumor that the Merfolk Race was severely weakened. In that case, when they entered the Sea Monarch Palace, they would not be able to do anything to stop these rampant loose cultivators.
Yao Yan felt furious in her heart. These old men were too excessive. They actually threatened her. Her expression turned cold, and she said, "In that case, I will tell you directly. Unless you received an invitation, I will not let you in."
A strong wind blew and baleful auras spread out.
The short old man unleashed his Superior Grade Martial Sage aura without holding back. A cold wind instantly blew, carrying a repulsive shrieking.
"How laughable! Do you think that others do not know about the Merfolk Race's situation?"
The short old man smiled coldly as killing Qi flared in his eyes. As he looked at Yao Yan, he said, "Little girl, I gave you face, but you refused it. I respected you by addressing you as Princess. If I do not give you any face, what would you be? You are just a smelly fish. Today, even if you do not want to let us in, you will have to.
"Otherwise, don't blame me for being ruthless. We will have a few dead fishes in this plaza, and we can have barbequed fish tonight."
With the Five Poison Devil backing him, this short old man was eager to throw his weight around. He knew very clearly how strong he was. By helping the Five Poison Devil like this, he would, in turn, receive the Five Poison Devil's care when they entered the Sea Monarch Palace, gaining a lot of benefits.
"What a bully! You really think there is no one left in our Merfolk Race?"
Seeing Yao Yan become so angry that she flushed red, Mu Yun could no longer endure it. He pushed off the ground and leaped up. Even Mu Lei, who was beside him, could not hold him back.
Yao Yan could not help but panic in her heart. It's over. Mu Yun is simply not the other party's opponent. Not only will he end up getting injured, but the reputation of the Merfolk Race will also be lost. He fell for their trick.
Just as expected, when the Medicine God Valley's Mister Qin, whose eyes were closed all the while, sensed this scene, even he could not help but open his eyes. Then, a cold smile appeared on his face.
Don't hold back. Teach him a heavy lesson. Otherwise, this group of Merfolk will not understand the situation here, the Five Poison Devil said through a voice projection.
When the short old man received that instruction, he revealed a cruel smile on his wrinkle-filled face. The Heavenly Sage Laws in his body surged, and his aura intensified. His baleful aura rushed out and unexpectedly formed a scarlet cloud in the air.
There was a loud 'bang,' and Mu Yun, who was flying over, received a palm strike from the short old man, which knocked him to the ground. He could not get up as he vomited blood.
The short old man laughed loudly and said, "You are just some nobody, and yet you dare behave as you wish? Do you really think yourself to be some powerful person?"
The expressions of Princess Yao Yan and her retinue all sank. Many of the invited cultivators shook their heads as well.
However, right after the short old man spoke, the crisp sound of a saber hum rang out behind him like an absolute saber being unsheathed. An unparalleled sharp saber intent flew over along with a frigid wind.
"Oh no!"
A sense of imminent danger bloomed in the short old man's heart. He immediately abandoned the momentum he built up and pushed off the stone stool, wanting to leave this place without delay.