Chapter 363: The Banquet at the East Sea Dragon Palace

Bai Ze was unhappy, but Shen Tu and Yu Lei, the two brothers, were happy!

They had previously struggled half a day to get a chance to go out for a breather; now if they could let Bai Ze stand guard for them, they might even be able to return to fight in another world?

"Bai Ze, think it over, we two brothers are willing to plead for you!" Shen Tu looked ready to stab his own ribs for Bai Ze.

Bai Ze rolled his eyes, completely unwilling to deal with Shen Tu; this dog Shen Tu only wanted to go out and play—if he had any thought for himself, why didn't he plead earlier?

"Bai Ze, have you thought it through clearly! Maintaining this concealment technique is really exhausting!" Yu Lei said gloomily to Bai Ze.

Shen Tu immediately understood his brother's meaning, turned his head and said to Yu Lei.

"Last time the Heavenly Court seemed to say they'd send the Heavenly Generals and Earthly Fiends, all those Star Lords, to come and hand over the calamity with us two brothers—who knows if anyone would see?"

"Shen Tu, Yu Lei, you two bastards!" Bai Ze's face twisted; he heard it, those two bastards planned to have people come watch him.

"Senior Bai Ze, the Lady Xi Wangmu previously said that if she could catch you, she'd give me a flat peach!" Mu Yi timely added his jab.

Bai Ze really panicked now; he knew Mu Yi had seen the Lady Xi Wangmu, and if she offered a flat peach, this kind of emperor‑special heavenly treasure, it was hard to say Mu Yi wouldn't sell him out.

Given his understanding of Mu Yi, that guy is the type to repay grudges; earlier he had threatened him to spill secrets, and it might really let this guy take revenge on him.

"I agree, I agree!"

"I am willing to stand guard here for your two brothers for a hundred years at the Ghost Gate Pass!" Bai Ze shouted hurriedly.

"But you must succeed, otherwise I being hanged here would also be unable to guard the Ghost Gate Pass!"

As they spoke, the rope on Bai Ze's body came undone, and Bai Ze fell heavily to the ground.

A figure appeared before the several people; it was an attendant maiden of Hou Tu Niangniang.

"The Lady has an edict: Shen Tu and Yu Lei, the two Ghost Emperors, have labored with great merit; they are specially permitted to go out and travel for a hundred years, and Bai Ze is permitted to atone through service, guarding the Ghost Gate Pass for a hundred years to redeem his sins!"

"We will obey the Lady's edict!"

Bai Ze and the three of them hurriedly offered respectful salutations to the messenger maiden who conveyed the edict.

The maiden slightly bowed her head, then turned her gaze toward Mu Yi.

"The Lady has an edict: the matter of the foreign god entering the Underworld arose because of you; the deeds of Shen Tu and Yu Lei are also karmically entwined with you; they specially order you to settle their karma, capturing all the evil ghosts that have escaped the Underworld and bringing them back!"

"I will obey the Lady's edict!" Mu Yi likewise bowed and saluted.

After the maiden's figure disappeared, only then did the several people rise.

"Hehehe! Mu Xiaozi, the ghost‑catching task is yours! We two brothers are off!" Shen Tu said, his body already turning into a golden light as he rushed toward the Yellow Springs Road, clearly unwilling to stay even a second longer.

"Most of those fleeing evil ghosts are confused true spirits, also having entered that world's calamity; you only need to find the anomaly in that world to locate them!" Yu Lei also patiently gave Mu Yi two pointers.

"For the specifics, you can ask Bai Ze!"

"By the way, we two brothers are going out to fight in foreign lands, so our summoning ability will temporarily be unavailable!"

After finishing his instructions, Yu Lei also turned into a golden light, clearly his heart was equally excited.

Only Mu Yi and Bai Ze remained, staring at each other.

Mu Yi felt bitter inside; this was a troublesome assignment, and he couldn't yet summon Shen Tu and Yu Lei—what could he do?

Seeing Mu Yi turn his head to look at him, Bai Ze reached into the void and pulled out a mirror, held it up to himself, and the mirror instantly turned into a Bai Ze crouching guard before the Ghost Gate Pass.

Bai Ze's true self then walked aside on his own, found a spot to lie down; a mere hundred years, for him this ancient primordial species, was nothing but a snap of the fingers—just find a place to sleep.

"Senior Bai Ze, is there any way for me to get hold of the Tiger Soul Blade?" Mu Yi rubbed his hands, ran up to Bai Ze and asked.

"Go see the Yellow Emperor; if he nods, you can take that Tiger Soul Blade." Bai Ze said lazily.

"Even though the Female Corpse has calamity qi in her body, only a handful can beat her; with just you wanting to touch the Tiger Soul Blade, go wash up and sleep."

"Look, you kid also managed to muster some strength, so this problem doesn't count toward your quota!"

Mu Yi's mouth twitched at the words; fortunately he hadn't previously gone looking for death—indeed this sort of thing isn't something he could touch.

Sighing, Mu Yi turned and entered the Ghost Gate Pass, intending to bring the evil ghosts he'd captured in the Shu Mountain world to the Hall of Yanluo for trial.

But before Mu Yi could reach the Hall of Yanluo, he was intercepted by the Black and White Impermanence.

"Heavenly Lord, the Lady has ordered that the evil ghost souls you capture need not be sent to the Underworld for trial; with your free judgment they can be cast into the Six Paths of Reincarnation!"

The White Impermanence smiled and said to Mu Yi.

"Thank you, both Yin Marshals, for the notice!"

Mu Yi first stared blankly, then bowed deep in the Underworld, before thanking the Black and White Impermanence.

"Heavenly Lord, the Lady values you—do not let her down!" the Black Impermanence said coldly to Mu Yi, then was dragged away by the White Impermanence.

Mu Yi shook his head; ultimately his strength could not match this divine post, and those long‑famous Yin gods were bound to be dissatisfied.

Besides the Underworld, Mu Yi went straight up Kunlun Mountain to find Ming Yue.

He used a demon beast's corpse from the Demon‑Locking Pagoda to trade with a descendant of the White Tiger, taking a portion of its essence blood from that side.

"Mu Brother, your timing is perfect—there are results!" Ming Yue saw Mu Yi coming and was quite enthusiastic.

"I did not disgrace the mission, but this essence blood was taken from a descendant of a lower‑realm sacred beast; I don't know if it can be of use!"

"The Four Sacred Beasts are holy beasts approved by the consciousness of Jiuzhou; whether or not they are from the lower realm, they contain a part of the divine pattern acknowledged by the Heavenly Dao—this is the key point!" Ming Yue explained.

"I have already figured out the efficacy of these materials, summarized one side of alchemical theory, and copied a set for Elder Mu; if you're interested, feel free to flip through a page or two!"

As Ming Yue handed Mu Yi a tome of alchemical insights, Mu Yi flipped through it casually and discovered that it recorded not only the effects of each ingredient but also the synergistic effects with the materials here in Jiuzhou; obviously it was a work Ming Yue poured his heart into.

"Thank you, Brother Ming Yue!" Mu Yi thanked solemnly; having this, he could bring it back to the main world and fully cultivate a batch of alchemists himself.

"What are you saying? If it weren't for Elder Mu bringing these materials, I in the alchemical path would still have been delayed who knows how long!" Ming Yue excitedly told Mu Yi about his recent achievements.

Day and night he studied these materials; eventually a flash of insight struck, he grasped the principle of medicinal pills, integrated the Kunlun Palace's Classic of Alchemy, and his alchemical ability rose to a higher level.

"Congratulations, Brother Ming Yue, on your progress in alchemy!"

Mu Yi didn't fully understand, but he could also feel Ming Yue's joy, and thus sincerely congratulated him.

"I'm about to fire up the furnace and refine pills, Elder Mu—come back in forty‑nine days!" Ming Yue seized the sacred beast's essence blood and dove into the alchemy chamber.

Mu Yi was somewhat speechless; Ming Yue's overexcitement was a bit abnormal. He had originally wanted to ask Ming Yue for some pills to bring back for the Hundred Schools Academy to study, but Ming Yue was so urgent he could only leave resentfully.

As his front foot had just stepped out of the Kunlun range, someone shouted urgently.

"Lord Mu! Lord Mu! Lord, please stay your step!"

Mu Yi heard it and his heart trembled; fortunately it wasn't a fellow Daoist asking him to stay.

He looked up and saw a true dragon emerging from the clouds, transforming into human form and landing before Mu Yi.

"Lord, please stay a moment. I am the young dragon Ao Xing, son of the East Sea Dragon King; my father has specially ordered me to wait here, and I wish to invite you to be a guest at the Dragon Palace!"

"East Sea Dragon King? Invite me?" Mu Yi was startled; he should have had no dealings with the East Sea Dragon King, so why was he suddenly being invited?

However, thinking of the many treasures in the Dragon Palace, Mu Yi hesitated briefly, then nodded.

"Lord, please follow me!" Seeing Mu Yi nod, Ao Xing summoned a carriage drawn by four jiaolong, moving at great speed.

In barely a moment, they arrived at the East Sea.

The jiaolong drove the carriage straight into the water; Mu Yi, whose body is of water spirit, felt nothing, and the carriage seemed to possess water‑repelling ability, with not a single droplet entering the interior.

Along the way, Mu Yi surveyed the underwater scenery, and whenever they reached a particularly beautiful spot, Ao Xing enthusiastically explained a few details, opening Mu Yi's eyes.

It could be said that the East Sea truly lived up to its name, genuinely astonishing this country bumpkin Mu Yi.

Yet upon reaching the Dragon Palace, Mu Yi finally understood what "magnificent and splendid" truly meant.

The entire Dragon Palace is a palace built from jade, stone, gold and silver, yet it does not become tacky; the various gold, silver and jewels are ornamented just right—adding more would be vulgar, taking away would make it fall short of perfection.

Just a glance makes it clear that this Dragon Palace is the pinnacle of opulence; even the famed Hall of the God of Wealth may not have such grandeur.

No wonder everyone says not to think the Dragon King lacks treasures; after seeing this Dragon Palace, one would never doubt the Dragon King's wealth.

However, to turn the matter around, the Four Seas Dragon Clan also suffers many calamities.

In almost any great deity's backdrop, dragons are present.

Moreover, although the Four Seas Dragon Clan appears unremarkable, it actually includes giants like the Ying Dragon and Azure Dragon, so despite repeated disasters, they still firmly occupy the Four Seas.

Yet to cause trouble within the Four Seas Dragon Clan, you must either truly possess overwhelming power,

otherwise, beneath the Four Seas lie countless burial grounds.

And if the Four Seas Dragon Clan is truly driven to desperation, an ancient war‑god Ying Dragon may emerge, leaving no resolution.

Furthermore, the Four Seas Dragon Clan has always been accommodating; aside from a few deities, most immortals have obtained something from these seas.

For example, Sun Wukong's armor originated from contributions of the Four Seas Dragon Palace.

Upon entering the Dragon Palace, the East Sea Dragon King actually stepped forward to greet.

"Greetings, Lord, I, the old dragon, have failed to receive you from afar; I beg your forgiveness!" The East Sea Dragon King bowed extremely low, making Mu Yi feel both honored and startled.

Even if the East Sea Dragon King is somewhat lax in cultivation, through long years of accumulation he is still a first‑rank immortal.

The saying "the accomplished become teachers"—regarding the strong, Mu Yi has always maintained the proper respect.

"Dragon King, you are too modest; this humble deity comes to disturb you, please do not disdain me!"

"No such thing, it is the old dragon who invited the Lord; how could there be any reason to disdain? Please!" The Dragon King led Mu Yi into the interior of the Dragon Palace.

Just after taking seats, a multitude of shapeshifted sea beings presented plates of delicacies and began the banquet, most of them looking stunningly beautiful.

Mu Yi did not lose composure; after all, times are not the same as before—if a slight temptation caused him to show a flaw, wouldn't the enemy's mental arts be able to take his life?

Before long, the banquet's delicacies were all present, yet these sea‑beauty maidens did not leave; they remained standing within the palace.

Mu Yi looked toward the East Sea Dragon King with some puzzlement.

The East Sea Dragon King, supporting his dragon beard, smiled and said, "I have heard the Lord is establishing a residence and likely has no attendants yet; if we are fortunate enough to serve the Lord, that would indeed be our blessing."

"Dragon King, you are truly careless!"

Mu Yi nodded and did not refuse; a residence indeed needs people to run it, and he had been considering finding some alchemical automatons in the Zongwang, and the sea clan was also a fine option.

"Come, come, try the feast of my Dragon Palace!"

Seeing Mu Yi did not refuse, the East Sea Dragon King was clearly even more enthusiastic, fearing Mu Yi might not accept; now that Mu Yi has accepted, the spirits of the Four Seas number in the billions— even if only one in ten thousand, it is but a drop of water for the East Sea.

Mu Yi took a bite of the delicacy; it was extraordinarily delicious, and a surge of warm flow rushed into his body.

【Zongwang Prompt: Consuming the delicacy increases maximum blood energy, maximum mana, and slightly improves constitution.】

Seeing the notice, Mu Yi couldn't help but sigh; with heavenly materials and earthly treasures as ingredients, this banquet must be astronomical in cost—truly befitting the Dragon Palace, its wealth unimaginable.

Mu Yi was unreserved, immediately feasting heartily.

The East Sea Dragon King also did not disturb, selecting some of his own favorite foods, waiting for Mu Yi to eat his fill.

When Mu Yi sensed his blood and qi becoming a bit restless, he also halted his actions; the heavenly ingredients caused his blood to churn, something previously hard for Mu Yi to imagine.

"Dragon King invited me here, perhaps not solely to entertain me!" Mu Yi raised the fine brew in his hand and asked slowly.

"Not at all, entertaining the Lord is a blessing of my Dragon Palace!" the East Sea Dragon King said, placing his wine cup down.

"But the old dragon indeed has something to ask of the Lord!"

"With my strength, I'm afraid I can't be of much help to the Dragon King!" Mu Yi said cautiously.

The Dragon King, hearing this, smiled, brushed his long whiskers, and said cheerfully.

"Lord, do not rush; listen as I speak slowly!"

"Servants, go fetch those worthless things and bring them here; my Dragon Palace has an honored guest, how can they hide?" the East Sea Dragon King shouted toward the hall, then turned, smiling, and said to Mu Yi.

"I feel ashamed to say, having heard that the Lord comes from the lower world, the Four Seas are barren and ungoverned; the old dragon volunteers himself, recommending my East Sea dragon offspring and grandchildren to the Lord."

Mu Yi instantly realized this was directed at his own Four Seas realm, or rather at his own deity rank, just like Ao Mo of old.

However, unlike Ao Mo who only held the Yin deity rank, now he possesses the Tian Shen rank; there is no superiority, but for the dragon clan, the Tian Shen rank is far more suitable.

But to seek a deity rank over just one meal is to underestimate him, isn't it?

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