128: East China Sea trip

Walking on the vast sea surface, the green waves stretched for ten thousand hectares, reflecting light like shattered gold.

Qing Wu and Yuan Feng walked upon the waves, ripples spreading beneath their feet, startling a group of colorful spiritual fish.

These fish were not afraid; instead, they curiously swam around the two, their scales reflecting colors that painted a flowing rainbow bridge on the sea surface.

In the distance, scattered immortal islands dotted the sea like pearls.

Lush spiritual trees grew on the islands, with white cranes occasionally dancing among them.

Qing Wu and Yuan Feng took a temporary rest on an island shaped like a dragon's head.

Waterfalls on the island hung down like dragon whiskers, reflecting seven-colored rainbow mist in the sunlight.

When the sea breeze blew, it brought bursts of sweet floral fragrance; it was the Water Moon Immortal Flower, unique to the East Sea, in full bloom.

Yuan Feng walked among them, as stunningly beautiful as a picture of a phoenix smelling the rain and dew.

It was the first time the two had come to this East Sea territory, so it was necessary to ask around for some information.

Qing Wu thus sat beneath a Spiritual Root, engaging in some communication with it.

This old Spiritual Root had existed for a long time and had witnessed the process of a great war between the three clans.

"What did it say?" Yuan Feng leaned in curiously as well.

Qing Wu took her hand and sat down together, sharing the narration of this old Spiritual Root with her.

At that time, this place was still a complete continent, not split into islands like it is now.

Later, the war between the three clans gradually broke out.

The Qilin Clan intended to launch a sneak attack on the Dragon Clan's Crystal Palace but was discovered by the Dragon Lord presiding there, who led an army to resist.

The great war lasted for tens of thousands of years. Under the devastation of various powers, this continent gradually became what it is today, shattered into three thousand islands.

Ultimately, the Dragon Clan paid the price of losing a Dragon Lord to finally repel the Qilin Clan's sneak attack.

After that Dragon Lord died, his head transformed into this island.

"To think there was such a story about this place." Saying this, Yuan Feng frowned slightly and shook her head at those swaying Water Moon Immortal Flowers.

She had originally found these spiritual flowers pleasing to the eye and wanted to pick some to see if they could be transplanted and matured.

At that time, it would also add some exotic biological diversity to the Immortal Volcano.

She hadn't expected these to be the "grave grass" of that Dragon Lord; suddenly, they didn't seem so fragrant anymore.

Qing Wu also smiled and shook his head, pulling her to continue listening to the story.

This old Spiritual Root seemed to be quite a chatterbox; having finally found someone to talk to, it went on and on.

According to it, in the Late Stage of the Great Tribulation, the East Sea had actually been ruined, the Sea Eye was on the verge of collapse, and the Laws of this world were crumbling.

Because of this, the Dragon Clan was tainted with boundless Karmic Obstruction, and their Luck was rapidly collapsing.

If it weren't for the Ancestral Dragon eventually using his own body to fill the Sea Eye, allowing the East Sea to gradually stabilize, the Dragon Clan would not have obtained that silver lining of survival.

"Looking at it this way, the Ancestral Dragon's situation might be as pessimistic as the First Qilin's," Yuan Feng said calmly, looking at the peaceful sea surface.

That Great Tribulation had caused each of the three clans to carry heavy Karmic Obstruction.

The Luck of the Feather Clan collapsed directly, and the clan no longer existed. The First Qilin suppressed the center to stabilize the Earth Veins. The Ancestral Dragon sealed the Sea Eye to stabilize the Four Seas and seek a sliver of life.

They had previously seen the First Qilin; although there was an element of acting, under the devastation of Karmic Obstruction, he looked like he was at death's door.

It was evident how much loss was caused by bearing the clan's Karmic Obstruction by oneself.

And the Ancestral Dragon suppressing the Sea Eye by himself was likely the same.

Qing Wu nodded but didn't think there was anything pitiable about their situation.

Under the Great Tribulation, swept along by the great trend, it was inevitable for actions to deviate, but that was no reason for them to shatter the Primordial World.

To suppress the earth and seal the Sea Eye to seek a sliver of life was already something to be grateful for.

Moreover, although the current Dragon Clan was far inferior to before, it still preserved a certain amount of strength.

They still controlled the four sea regions; their status couldn't compare to their past selves, but they were still the strongest existence in the Four Seas.

Instead, it was the Sea Eye that made him somewhat curious.

An existence concerning the stability of the Primordial World had great exploration value for them now.

If there was a chance, he really should go near that Sea Eye to take a look.

Of course, everything would only be feasible after seeing the Ancestral Dragon first.

At this moment, two heads suddenly popped out of the sea surface.

One large and one small, one tall and one short, they were observing them.

After making eye contact, Qing Wu waved his hand, spreading his dao rhyme; after the other party came into contact with it, they immediately slipped away without a trace.

Qing Wu recognized that this pair was the Shrimp Soldiers and Crab Generals under the Dragon Clan's command.

The two of them had not completely concealed their auras since coming to the East Sea, so it was time they encountered some people from the Dragon Clan.

They wanted to see the Ancestral Dragon and the Sea Eye, but the East Sea was vast, and it was difficult to search for the other's aura, and even harder to find the location of the Sea Eye.

At this time, it was more reliable to go through the existing Dragon Clan.

So they had been releasing a friendly aura and were in no hurry to actively contact the Dragon Clan.

Instead, they waited for the other party to discover their presence first and would decide how to proceed based on their attitude.

He just didn't know how the Dragon Clan would react after the Shrimp Soldiers and Crab Generals went back to report.

Whether it would be an equally friendly attitude, or if they would ignore it, or respond with caution or even hostility, was unknown.

But as the saying goes, "courtesy before force"; they had already fulfilled the basic courtesy.

If the other party didn't know what was good for them, then there would be something to talk about.

The possibility of the God-Slaying Spear falling into the Dragon Clan's Crystal Palace for no reason was not necessarily zero.

Then they would have a reason to come looking for the spear... While waiting, Qing Wu saw that this old Spiritual Root knew a lot and was quite friendly to them, so he took out a drop of three lights divine water and dripped it onto its roots.

As the three lights divine water entered its body, the old Spiritual Root immediately radiated new vitality.

Crack, crack, crack~

The entire tree trunk began to grow rapidly upward.

A refreshing feeling was conveyed from the inside out, just like the scene of a withered tree meeting spring.

Looking again, the withered old Spiritual Root had become lush and green.

In its excitement, the old Spiritual Root actually twisted its trunk, performing for them, though it looked a bit eyesore.

I gave you an Opportunity, why are you returning kindness with such an eyesore?

Qing Wu couldn't help but kick it over.

Fortunately, the Dragon Clan responded quickly.

Suddenly, a thousand layers of waves surged on the sea surface, and dozens of true dragons burst out of the water, intertwining in the air to form an arched water bridge.

A dull drumming sound came from the bottom of the sea, the rhythm solemn and slow. Following the drumbeats, teams of Dragon Palace guards marched out in formation.

Shrimp Soldiers held halberds, and Crab Generals held pearls, lining up on both sides from the seabed to the surface, forming a brilliant path of light.

Suddenly, the waters of the East Sea parted in the middle, revealing a bottomless trench.

A deep voice came from the deepest part of the seabed.

A giant crimson dragon burst through the waves, its eyes rotating like the sun and moon; it was the current ruler of the Dragon Clan—the Torch Dragon.

With such a display, those who didn't know better would think the Dragon Clan was about to set out to conquer the Four Seas again after countless ages.

Coming closer, the Torch Dragon transformed into a red-robed old man, the dragon patterns on his forehead shining brightly.

"Honored guests have arrived. I, the Torch Dragon of the East Sea, welcome you two Fellow Daoists here."