Chapter 307: The Bold Die from Overreaching

The grand Dragon Palace, illuminated by treasure-light, cast its glow across a ten-li radius of the seabed. Without seeing the Dragon Palace, one could never understand the meaning of luxury and opulence—wealthy yet noble, a kind of majestic splendor rather than the crude extravagance of a nouveau riche.

The city walls, built from bluestone, exuded a sense of historical depth and solemnity under the radiant treasure-light, as well as an unshakable sturdiness.

A massive dome enveloped the entire Dragon Palace. Within its ten-li-wide bounds was a bright undersea world—not the imagined palace submerged in water, but something entirely different.

The life forms and residents here were also quite unique: jellyfish demons with a single head, starfish demons with eyes growing in the center, ordinary sea demons with fish heads and human bodies, shrimp soldiers, crab generals, and more. It was like a wild assembly of monstrous beings.

Of course, in addition to these beings that defied conventional aesthetics, there were also beautiful mermaids, elegant flood dragons, delicate and gentle clam maidens, mighty sea-patrolling yakshas, and dainty, translucent water spirits.

“Lord Xian, please.” Two mermaid maidens led Li Xian inward. Out of the seawater, the mermaids did not transform their tails into legs as they would on land. Instead, they hopped forward using just their tails, their flowing hair dancing behind them like cheerful spirits, their movement akin to a graceful dance.

After passing through the heavy city gate and walking for another three li, they finally reached the true Dragon Palace—or more precisely, its heart: the Dragon King’s Mansion.

Upon entering the main gate, Li Xian saw that Ao Qingxue had personally come out to welcome him.

“Princess, princess, Lord Xian has arrived.” The two mermaid guides bounced happily behind Ao Qingxue, chirping excitedly about something unclear, but their enthusiasm was obvious.

When Ao Qingxue saw Li Xian, she immediately blinked, a hint of playfulness softening her noble demeanor. But before Li Xian could let his thoughts wander, she cheerfully said, “We’re truly grateful for your support this time, Lord Xian. If you hadn’t agreed to provide the compensation of 1,823 tridents, the Dragon Palace of the Eastern Sea in Yingzhou would have ended up fighting the Northern White Sea Ice Dragon Palace.”

Hearing this, Li Xian’s good mood instantly vanished, and his tone grew a bit somber. “Your Highness, there’s something I don’t understand. The Dragon Palace has always been proud and aloof. But this time, things seem a little…”

Li Xian did not finish his sentence, but his meaning was clear.

Although Wei Zhe had once explained that “issuing a refund is tantamount to admitting defeat,” which was a reasonable point, Li Xian later realized a deeper issue. The Dragon Palace, which had always maintained an air of arrogance, was behaving out of character. This time, it seemed petty. Moreover, seeking aid from Anyang—it felt beneath them.

“This…” Ao Qingxue’s face dimmed slightly, and she suddenly let out a gentle sigh. In that moment, the noble and proud Dragon Princess seemed to shed her aura. What remained was a trace of sorrow and exhaustion. Her slightly furrowed brows could not hide her deep worries, and her slender shoulders looked unable to bear the heavy burden.

With a sorrowful sigh, the Dragon Princess spoke in a low voice, “It’s all used up. All the spirit stones are gone.”

Hmm?

Li Xian’s heart stirred. Could it be that the Dragon King of Yingzhou was unwell? Ever since their dealings with Yingzhou began, Ao Qingxue had been the one handling everything—he had never seen the Dragon King. Also, he only knew the mischievous, unshaped blue dragon Ao Han as the “Third Prince.” There had never been mention of the Crown Prince or the Second Prince. Clearly, something was amiss.

And now, it seemed like the problem was quite serious. For it to trouble the usually haughty Ao Qingxue so deeply, it must not be a trivial matter.

After speaking, Ao Qingxue suddenly looked up at Li Xian and gently bit her lip with her pearly teeth. “Would Lord Xian like to know the reason?”

Li Xian immediately hesitated. This wasn’t a matter of simply knowing the reason. To know meant to get involved—that was Ao Qingxue’s real intent. Curiosity always came at a price.

Standing beside Li Xian, Xia Qingqing quietly watched Ao Qingxue’s troubled expression, as if reminded of her former self. She felt a sense of empathy, but as someone mature and discerning, she did not interfere with Li Xian’s judgment—she simply stood silently by his side.

As for Li Xian, he was wrestling with himself.

Clearly, this was an opportunity—one that could allow him to gain full access to the seas. If he could seize this chance, his future plans for maritime exploration would become far smoother.

But it might just be wishful thinking. Whatever was troubling the Dragon Palace of Yingzhou so much could be catastrophic for Anyang.

Although Anyang now had quite a few Nascent Soul stage experts, no one could clearly discern Ao Qingxue’s true cultivation level. There was only a vague sense—she was likely in the late Nascent Soul stage. Taking into account the natural divine abilities of the dragon race, her combat power was probably on par with a human cultivator in the Deity Transformation stage.

The dragon race, after all, were divine beasts—or at least bore divine bloodlines. That was a clear advantage over humans.

And whatever could make the Dragon Princess so anxious—Anyang might not be able to bear the consequences.

But… but… it was an opportunity. If they missed it, Anyang could lose its claim to the seas. Moreover, with Anyang bordering the Eastern Sea Dragon King’s domain in Yingzhou, any souring of relations would severely hinder future development.

Suddenly, Li Xian gritted his teeth: Damn it! Fortune favors the bold. And if the worst comes to pass, he could always flee with his followers. With his current power and abilities, he could easily find refuge in another nation. Surely, no other country would turn away someone like him.

In the worst-case scenario, he would just start over again! What was there to fear? He was already a Nascent Soul stage cultivator! Would the dragon race dare chase him onto land? Those desperate Nascent Soul and even Deity Transformation cultivators would skin and gut any dragon cultivator who dared invade!

These thoughts flashed through Li Xian’s mind in just a few blinks of an eye.

With that, Li Xian looked up. “I’m quite a curious person, and I like to get to the bottom of things. Your Highness, please don’t leave out any details.”

Ao Qingxue looked at Li Xian and suddenly smiled. For a moment, her entire being lit up. The usual solemnity on her face softened, becoming tender and gentle. Li Xian was briefly mesmerized.

A sharp pain from his waist brought him back to reality, and his mouth twitched slightly.

Ao Qingxue covered her mouth and chuckled, her mood noticeably lifted. “Please come with me, Lord Xian.”

Xia Qingqing hesitated briefly, then said, “I would like to look around the Dragon Palace. I hope Sister will permit it.”

Gratitude flashed in Ao Qingxue’s eyes as she turned to the two mermaid maidens beside her. “Zhu’er, Le’er, take the Princess around.”

“Yes.” The two mermaids responded sweetly, then led Xia Qingqing away. Shadow and Daoist Feiyu followed closely behind her.

Ao Qingxue then led Li Xian deeper toward the center of the Dragon King’s Palace. The farther they went, the more Li Xian could feel a terrifying pressure all around—many Nascent Soul stage experts were hidden throughout, guarding the place. As they walked, Li Xian estimated that there were at least three hundred such experts present, many of whom were clearly at a higher level than mid-Nascent Soul.

After passing through another radiant doorway, a grand hall made entirely of what appeared to be bronze appeared before them.