It felt like a straightforward sweep, which showed a bit of overconfidence. Ji Shiyu had already stayed behind with Yan Bingling. Yun Liu glanced at Ji Shiyu, his expression shifting unpredictably. Ever since the Heavenly Phenomenon was exposed, trouble had come one after another, and he’d thought…
Thankfully, Qin Xiang and Ah Lian were still at Shuifu Palace; Ao Tian couldn’t carry four people at once.
“Do we have the right to refuse?”
Old Turtle sneered coldly, the answer plain to see.
Since we’re here, we might as well make the best of it.
The hunched old man was the first to dive into the Abyss Rift, where massive silhouettes occasionally swept past in the darkness. Their hidden Divine Sense bristled with hostility, and there was no shortage of deep-sea demons lurking here.
Yun Liu quietly squeezed Ji Shiyu’s small hand, his smile warm and gentle, easing the young girl’s nerves considerably.
The two carefully avoided countless Turbulent Flows, following Old Turtle as he dove to the deepest part of the Anchao Liekou, passing through a Water Curtain.
Inside the vast cavern, seawater couldn’t invade, the air was moist, and faint blue flames burned on the stone walls for illumination, while a thick Demonic Aura emanated continuously.
A colossal eye opened in the darkness, its golden vertical pupil cold and sinister, utterly terrifying. The gaze swept lightly over the two insignificant beings, then closed again.
Smack! Smack!
The sound of someone clapping rang out, and Ji Shiyu’s vision suddenly brightened as the smoldering flames blazed to life, illuminating the stone grotto.
Only then did the two see that this Sea Demon Nest was built on an undersea Spiritual Vein, with massive mineral clusters scattered all around, worth a fortune.
From deep within the cave, a young demon of the Yao Race slowly emerged. He wore a smile, his features delicate and handsome, appearing extremely amiable—but the sharp dragon horns on his forehead marked his special identity.
“For certain special reasons, I had no choice but to lurk here. I hope Mr. Yun will forgive me.”
“I apologize for meeting like this, but due to some special reasons…”
“You know who I am?”
The young man laughed dumbfounded, as if he’d heard the funniest joke in the world.
“Is there anyone in the Great Whirlpool who doesn’t know you now? A Discarded Son of Sword Sect who carved his own path, burst onto the scene, entered Radiant Heaven Tower, a new Fourth-Rank Heavenly Dao Alchemist at Shanhai Pavilion. The name of East Extreme Pavilion Master is well deserved.”
“Just empty fame.”
Yun Liu’s expression was calm, his emotions unreadable.
“The Mister is too modest. As for my identity, I’m sure both guests already know it well. Please, sit.”
The Little Dragon King pointed to a Stone Platform nearby, where two Night Luminous Cups appeared out of thin air, filled to the brim with purple nectar.
Ji Shiyu glanced sidelong at the ill-tempered Old Turtle. She’d probably heard some things about Sea Demon overlords from Senior Sister Qin, so she sneered:
“Is this how the Dragon race treats its guests?”
“These days, cultivators from the Five Islands who want to curry favor with the Mister could probably line up from Shipwreck Bay all the way to Qiongxiao Palace. Jie Lin could only resort to this trick. If the hospitality is lacking in any way, I sincerely apologize.”
The young man smiled and apologized, but Ao Tian, hidden in the Chicken Nest, squawked wildly, pecking at Ji Shiyu’s skull like a woodpecker.
“It’s him, it’s him, it’s definitely him! No mistake!”
The Luck Navigation was sounding the alarm!
Yun Liu slowly sat down and slowly let out a breath, reorganizing the chain of events in his mind.
He hadn’t expected to run into the second volume’s boss so soon, let alone have the boss make the first move. With Jie Lin’s depth of cunning, it meant he was already on guard, so catching him off guard was no longer an option.
Ji Shiyu’s Dan Forming had triggered an unexpected chain reaction…
“Wu Lei of the Sea-Severing Alliance, Dongfang Shuo of the Cold Chant Sect, Luo Xiu of Penglai Island, Canye Shusheng of Evil Spirit Port, Ji Shiyu of the Tianji Sect, the East Extreme Pavilion Master… Fang Ya of the Chain Docks. All the strong contenders for the Dragon Pearl are on this list. Yun Liu, the above names are in no particular order.”
The Little Dragon King tucked his hands into his sleeves and said casually.
Yun Liu frowned:
“What does the Dragon King mean?”
“Just that I don’t want the two of you to be used. You two are nothing but stepping stones for Yingluo to stop me from going home.”
Jie Lin’s smile was意味深长, hitting the nail on the head.
Going home?
Ji Shiyu’s eyes darted around, her little mind spinning at full speed, sharply catching onto something.
Yun Liu shrugged, equally candid.
“I did promise Madam Yingluo. No choice, really. She offered way too much.”
Jie Lin nodded, unsurprised.
Rare Treasures, beauties, power and status—once you obtained the Rosy Consort, everything this sea had to offer was yours. It was hard for anyone to refuse.
“You two have probably heard my story from Yingluo by now. Am I really that heinous, deserving death at everyone’s hands?”
“Close enough.”
“Then do you want to hear the truth from my side?”
Yun Liu casually patted Ji Shiyu’s head, signaling Ao Tian to stand down. This was definitely not the right moment.
“We’re all ears.”
“I won’t deny that I resent the Human Race, but I also acknowledge the unique merits of some of their cultivation methods. However, my kind doesn’t lie like you humans do. And Yingluo, who went through all that trouble to infiltrate mortals, did indeed get what she wanted—she learned a certain technique.”
Jie Lin’s gaze was mocking, his vertical pupils cold.
“And that is hypocrisy!”
Yun Liu and Ji Shiyu exchanged a glance, both sensing something out of the ordinary. There was likely more to this story.
“The Mister is different from those greed-blinded mortals. You have no intention of meddling in the disputes between Qiongxiao Palace and the Sea Demon clans. I can see that—otherwise, you wouldn’t have turned your back on the Sword Sect to join Shanhai Pavilion and live like a free-spirited crane among the clouds.”
Yun Liu tugged at the corner of his mouth, smiling without a word.
“So… I want to save your life.”
Jie Lin raised a hand gently, and the Night Luminous Cup was refilled again.
Yun Liu tapped his temple with two fingers and said teasingly:
“Let me guess. You’re not saying you want to save me—you’re saying you’ll spare me, right? Advising me to stay out of it?”
“Correct. Stand against me, and you’ll find only death!”
Madam Yingluo’s words were half-truths, but this Little Dragon King was indeed arrogant, looking down on everything.
Ji Shiyu also laughed, rolling her eyes:
“Big talk. How do you know until we’ve fought?”
Only now was she truly getting interested. She’d finally figured it out—this dead man wanted to hog that pig all to himself.
Was it really that tasty?
“Lord Ji, don’t be hasty. Hear me out first.”
Jie Lin’s smile turned eerie as he let out a deep, rumbling roar that shook the entire undersea cavern.
“I am the Tide-Calling Dragon King, leader of the Hundred Serpents, Lord of the Deep Sea.”
The dragon’s roar was incredibly piercing, cutting straight through the Sea of Consciousness, displaying a Divine Soul far stronger than this frail body could suggest.
“Ugh!”
Ji Shiyu’s body and mind trembled as she silently recited the Sword Scripture of Zhuiyun, steadying her Sword Heart.
Why is this snake-skinned freak suddenly throwing a fit?!
“The Mister has no interest in Qiongxiao Palace or even Mirage City, so I can be frank with you. I’m no newly ascended Dragon King. I am Yingluo’s Husband. I am the true master of Qiongxiao Palace!”
His Divine Soul’s strength didn’t lose ground at all.
Yun Liu narrowed his eyes, unmoved, simply staring coldly at the other man.
This made Jie Lin nod inwardly—just as expected. A hint of wariness joined his surprise, and he quietly withdrew his Dragon Might.
Ao Tian, however, was utterly shocked, his beak hanging crooked, eyes wide as saucers.
“That Divine Sense is insane. Did you hear that, daddy? This kid says he’s what? So… he’s the Rosy Consort’s birth father? The dead husband Madam Yingluo talked about never died, and now he’s coming back to take over Qiongxiao Palace and marry his own daughter?”
This is beyond messed up!
“Hahahahaha! See that, Oily Boy? There’s no freak in this world weirder than you!”