Chapter 182: Ao Chun is Punished and Enters Reincarnation; The Dragon Mother's Two Sons and the Peng Bird [4k]

Emerald colors veil the windows, eaves obstructing the misty clouds.

Mottled shadows tilt inward, scattering shade across the floor.

In the corner, the chime bells ring without wind, a ghostly sound; who is there hoeing the moonlight, drifting away from the dust of the world?

Facing such a quiet and elegant scene, the Turtle Prime Minister had no heart to admire it; he merely extended his left hand, and there, sleeping in his palm, was an Azure Dragon the size of a tiny earthworm.

The Dragon Queen turned around, looked at Ao Chun sleeping in the Turtle Prime Minister's palm, and sighed.

"Sorry to trouble you with this trip, Prime Minister!"

"What are you saying, Your Highness." The Turtle Prime Minister shook his head, then hesitated before saying: "Your Highness, why did you stop me from bringing the Eighth Prince back at the very beginning?"

"As a result, this disaster was born for no reason, and it greatly affected that Highness's impression of our East Sea Longgong."

One must know, following the orders of his own Dragon King Majesty, ever since that Highness first entered the East Sea, he had hidden himself in the void, guarding by his side the entire time.

Even now, his true body was still secretly following behind that Highness, wandering the East Sea! Back then, the moment the Eighth Prince had a conflict with that Highness, he had intended to step in and stop the Eighth Prince.

As it turned out, this Dragon Queen stopped him. Otherwise, how could it have developed to this point?

The East Sea Dragon Queen shook her head and said meaningfully: "Grudges and favors, grudges and favors. Sometimes, when the bond of favor is too shallow, it is better to form a grudge first; once there is an opportunity for contact, then one can climb up to build a friendship."

"Do not forget how we climbed up to build a friendship with the Three Altars Sea-Meeting Great Deity over these years."

The Turtle Prime Minister understood.

Indeed, there are some figures you simply have no qualifications to curry favor with, so you can only start by forming a grudge.

Afterward, whether it is becoming friends through fighting, that enemies should be reconciled rather than knotted, or that the entanglement of grudges and favors is as deep as the sea, is another matter entirely.

It all depends on one's own maneuvering.

Take, for example, that Three Altars Sea-Meeting Great Deity; in the end, the fault did not lie with our East Sea Longgong.

But over these years, our East Sea Longgong has offered him the utmost respect, treating him with a fawning smile, letting him face us with a cold expression, whether he beat us or scolded us, never changing our attitude.

As a result, didn't this fellow, known for his arrogance, feel embarrassed under such an offensive? A while ago, he even specially recruited several Princes and Princesses from our East Sea Longgong to go to heaven to serve as his close attendants.

The intention to promote them is evident.

From being enemies at the start, to later becoming a direct superior, and now, a backer.

It has made outsiders' jaws drop.

If you want to take, you must first give.

Today, our East Sea Longgong lost seventeen Golden Immortals for this matter, along with countless soldiers and generals beneath them.

It seems we offended that Highness, but when both sides calm down and look back, the one who has always been at a loss is our East Sea Longgong.

As long as it is not a deep-seated hatred, anyone would smile and let the grudges vanish, or even turn to compensate us.

"Your Highness, how should the Eighth Prince be dealt with?" The Turtle Prime Minister thought of the grudge between Ao Chun and Fang Longye and asked.

"Has the Underworld been taken care of?"

The Dragon Queen did not respond to this question, but simply took the shrunken, earthworm-sized Ao Chun from the Turtle Prime Minister's hand.

Her gaze seemed to be looking at Ao Chun, but in reality, her mind had entered the void, wondering what she was contemplating.

"There are no omissions, just as usual."

Under normal circumstances, the True Spirit of a Golden Immortal does not perish; it exists forever in the world and cannot be killed off.

And when Fang Longye was killing the Longgong Golden Immortals, because he was wary of attracting backlash and being ambushed by Long Xuan, he did not dare to use the Pure Lotus Divine Ability to devour his opponents.

Furthermore, Fang Longye and Peng Mowang were, after all, only True Immortals; their means for directly dealing with the True Spirits of Golden Immortals were limited, nearly non-existent.

Therefore, among these seventeen fallen Longgong Golden Immortals, there were still quite a few whose True Spirits survived.

Except for a few unlucky ones who were either swallowed alive by Peng Mowang or directly devoured by Fang Longye's Refining Immortal Pot, causing even their True Spirits to vanish into nothingness.

In total, there were still nearly ten Golden Immortal True Spirits that survived and were cast into reincarnation.

Once these surviving Golden Immortals have their True Spirits reincarnated and go through a few more lifetimes, they will accumulate some Merit and Luck.

Afterward, when they are guided by the Longgong to enter the Dao again and practice a little, they will be fine men once more.

Therefore, neither the Turtle Prime Minister nor the East Sea Dragon Queen cared much.

It was just that when the East Sea Dragon Queen pondered how to deal with Ao Chun, she remembered this matter and casually paid attention to it.

A moment later.

The East Sea Dragon Queen truly returned to her senses, looked at Ao Chun gathered in her palm, and her gaze became firm, as if she had finally decided on something.

Without hesitation, she flipped her palm, and radiance swirled in her palm.

While Ao Chun was in his sleep, his physical form vanished silently, his unstable primordial spirit emerged, and all his essence and Dharma power merged into his soul.

"Your Highness!"

The Turtle Prime Minister exclaimed in shock at this sight.

Not only because the Dragon Queen was clearly about to cast him into reincarnation, but also because on the side of Ao Chun's soul, strands of brilliant golden blood were gathering.

They formed a drop of blood as bright as the morning sun, crystal clear, resembling amber.

Around it was a rich, swirling vitality, lively, and even with wood-colored textures swirling within.

Her Highness had actually extracted the Eighth Prince's Azure Dragon Bloodline!

The Turtle Prime Minister was terrified; the Eighth Prince was her own child! The East Sea Dragon Queen waved her hand and said in a deep voice: "Even if he has a conflict with that person, I can tolerate it. But I cannot tolerate a fool who is easily incited by a woman!"

Long Xuan's actions over these days were naturally reflected in the eyes of her, a Taiyi-level existence.

To be frank, she did not dislike Long Xuan's little schemes; after all, it was for the sake of cultivation, even if they were still immature.

But it was this immature little trick that her son had failed to see through.

It was truly too disappointing!

"Let him stay in reincarnation for a thousand or a hundred lifetimes first!" The Dragon Queen casually cast a bead into Ao Chun's soul.

This was the key to preserving his soul and personality so they would not be erased by the memories of reincarnation.

"I will keep his Azure Dragon Bloodline for him for now, but if he is still not worth molding after he returns in the future,..."

Dragon Queen did not say anything more.

But Turtle Prime Minister understood her unspoken meaning: if Eighth Prince were to return through reincarnation in the future and had not yet grown strong, this heaven-bestowed Azure Dragon Bloodline would have to belong to someone else. After finishing her words with Turtle Prime Minister, Dragon Queen did not hesitate, pointing a finger directly at the void and tearing open a pitch-black hole.

With a wave of her fair hand, she cast Ao Chun into reincarnation.

Afterwards, she sighed and waved her hand at this primordial spirit avatar of Turtle Prime Minister, saying, "You should focus your efforts on your true body; do not divide your attention here with me."

Seeing that Dragon Queen was not in a good mood, Turtle Prime Minister naturally understood. After all, she had personally disposed of her own son. Even if she were broad-minded, it was impossible for her to have no emotions at all.

He was sensible enough to agree, and this primordial spirit avatar immediately dissipated and retreated.

……

Seeing Turtle Prime Minister retreat, Dragon Queen let out a breath, and her eyes finally revealed a look of grief and regret.

She stretched out her fair hand, and a wisp of black-red energy appeared between her palms.

"Calamity!"

This was a wisp of calamity energy she had discovered on Ao Chun.

"Why must every such matter fall upon the head of my East Sea Longgong?"

She lifted her gaze to the sky, her eyes filled with indignation.

Those who are parents plan deeply for their children.

She was very disappointed in her son, but she would not go so far as to use his life as a bargaining chip to curry favor with others.

Do not be fooled by the firm, resolute words she had just spoken to Turtle Prime Minister about turning resentment into connection.

It made it seem as if the old affair of Nezha causing trouble in the sea was entirely calculated by their Longgong, using their own Dragon Prince's life as the price, rushing to deliver him to the door, to provoke a conflict, and to intentionally create entanglement with that person.

It was not so; her son's life was not that cheap!

It was entirely the result of the Calamity manifesting. The means of connection she spoke of just now were not without reason, but that was not something she had realized from the very beginning.

It was entirely the experience her good son had carved out with his life, his blood and tears, and his own path of Dao! Whether it was Ao Bing or Ao Chun, what they faced were the results of others' Calamities manifesting.

Just like in a mundane play, if there is a protagonist, there must be a villain. The protagonist endures thousands of hardships, defeats countless villains along the way, and finally achieves success—a happy ending for all.

And that Nezha Third Prince, who is now majestic and famous throughout the Three Realms, and the one who confronted her own Ao Chun, this junior of the Dragon Clan, are both so-called protagonists.

Her two sons, including the East Sea Longgong, were all merely stepping stones for a protagonist to ascend to glory!

It cannot be changed.

Simply because this is the result of the operation of heaven and earth, which does not shift according to human will.

Of course, perhaps existences above the Taiyi Realm could do it—but it is very clear that their East Sea Longgong cannot.

It is precisely because of this that she decisively cast Ao Chun into reincarnation. Simply because this is the best result.

Otherwise, with the Calamity entangling them, I fear it would be even more troublesome later.

"I only hope that there will not be a next time for this kind of thing!"

Opening the window to face the waves, shadows enter the green window.

Under the eaves facing the water, the wind rises suddenly, frost flowers turn white, blooming in clusters.

Dragon Queen stood before the window, taking in the scenery, and could not help but sigh.

Being the villain in someone else's life script is by no means a glorious thing—……

Deep within the East Sea.

In the void of the nether.

A stream of light appeared out of thin air and merged into the body of Turtle Prime Minister, who had been following behind Fang Longye.

It was his primordial spirit avatar returning after bidding farewell to his Dragon Queen.

Turtle Prime Minister did not pay attention to the return of the avatar, but kept pinching his fingers to calculate.

As he calculated, he muttered to himself: "Strange! This is clearly a Calamity that this Highness himself must face. Why do I also feel my heart pounding?"

"Could it be that the person who will manifest the Outer Tribulation that this Highness must face later is very strong? So strong that even this old bone of mine cannot handle it?"

Turtle Prime Minister stroked his beard, feeling astonished in his heart.

However, even with the calculation ability of his Taiyi Realm turtle clan, he still could not see clearly.

Nevertheless, he secretly increased his vigilance.

……

Just as Fang Longye was flying along the path of the vitality he had sensed.

Long Xuan, who had fled earlier, also encountered her own tribulation.

"Little loach, you had better save your energy! Can you really outrun me by running?"

"Tell me, how do you think I should prepare you? Steamed, or deep-fried?"

"By the way, that pair of wings of yours is not bad; I will make them into a separate dish later!"

Sea and sky meet in a line.

Between the azure blue, Long Xuan was still in the form of Yinglongzhishhen, flapping her wings incessantly, using all her might, traversing space without a moment's pause, fleeing all the way.

Her dragon eyes were filled with terror, as if there were something terrifying behind her.

Only to see that not far behind her, the light of the sky was obscured, leaving only the sound of a roc bird crying, splitting the sky—urgent, high-pitched, and containing monstrous Demon energy.

The rolling sound waves descended, stirring up wind, rain, and thunder in the surroundings.

Even countless spatial rifts appeared because of this.

Appearing and vanishing in an instant.

A true peerless Demon! A colossal creature with wings hanging like clouds, a golden-winged eagle head, star-like eyes, and leopard pupils; as it spread its wings, clouds and water followed, its momentum astonishing.

However, even so, compared to his status, the current commotion was merely play.

Treating Long Xuan in front, his roc eyes were full of mockery; he was completely treating her as prey under his claws to be teased.

Long Xuan was flustered and panicked, thinking to herself: "Truly an unlucky year! Just after fleeing, I ran into such a wicked Demon!"

At first, when they met, she had thought she had run into the Peng Mowang from before! It was a pity, though, that she had hoped for too much.

Although the two appeared quite similar in looks, this one was far more ancient than Peng Mowang, that little Dapeng Bird who had only recently debuted.

And far more ferocious.

The one behind Long Xuan was the second son born to Feng Mu in the past, the younger brother of Kong Xuan—the Golden-Winged Great Peng.

As for why this lawless, rampaging Demon had appeared in the East Sea, that was a long story.

The Dapeng Bird watched the slender, delicate little Yinglong ahead with great interest, pursuing her at a leisurely pace, teasing her from time to time.

He thought to himself: "Man proposes, God disposes. What a pleasant surprise!"

Previously, he had secretly caught sight of that fart-stinking peacock's Buddhist incarnation going to speak with the Ancient Buddha Randeng.

Thinking it concerned some major matter for Fomen, he had intended to eavesdrop and then cause some trouble.

As it turned out, after listening in, he had gained insight into quite a bit of Heavenly Secrets from the void.

That little loach, who had connections to both Kunpeng and Yinglong, might actually snatch away the treasure in his possession—the Yin-Yang Two Qi Bottle!

This was intolerable!

Originally, he had viewed those two detestable fellows, Kunpeng and Yinglong, as his mortal enemies.

And now, this little loach, who was connected to both of them, was actually going to bully him.

If this could be endured, what could not! Thus, after that, he had run out of Mount Ling, searching everywhere for the trace of that little loach.

As a result, no matter how he calculated the Heavenly Secrets, he had gained nothing.

He could only follow the dull, stupid method of searching place by place.

Heaven have mercy!

Finally, today, he had found a clue.

And he had gained something else as well—he had run into such a little Yinglong!

The Dapeng Bird was exhilarated; while using the Aura of Fang Longye he had picked up from Long Xuan to cast a secret technique, he tried to track his whereabouts.

At the same time, he pondered how to deal with the Long Xuan before him, this Yinglong who had inherited the Bloodline of his enemies.

In fact, the reason the Dapeng Bird could not calculate the specific location of Fang Longye through the Heavenly Secrets was not for any other reason.

It was entirely because Fang Longye's own Golden Finger was playing a role in obscuring the Heavenly Secrets.

Even if it weren't for the fact that his Tribulation was currently upon him, he wouldn't be having such bad luck—even now, the Dapeng Bird had gained nothing from his calculations based on the Aura of Fang Longye obtained from Long Xuan.

But the operation of Heaven and Earth has its own rules.

Under the Calamity, anything is possible.

Long Xuan's eyes darted about, her mind racing, and she threatened urgently: "I'm telling you, this Princess has been summoned by Yinglong Laozu herself. You had best let me go now, and I might still let bygones be bygones."

At the same time, she changed direction, heading toward the place where she had previously fought with Fang Longye.

Besides the wicked intention of finding a scapegoat, she also harbored the plan of relying on the power of Fang Longye and Peng Mowang to fight the enemy together.

"The Dapeng beside that bastard, although not as good as the one behind me, definitely has an astonishing background. He should have a few tricks up his sleeve!"

In the worst case, she could take the opportunity to slip away.

"Yinglong? That lowly maid?"

"Ha, ha, ha—"

While Long Xuan's mind was racing, the Dapeng Bird following behind her burst into loud laughter upon hearing her threat.

The sound traveled far, like a thunderbolt, triggering changes in the weather in all directions; black clouds rolled, and electric snakes danced wildly.

Countless spatial rifts were shaken open by the sound, unable to heal for a long time.

His eyes were bright, Generating Light, and ice-cold: "You use her to threaten me?"

(End of chapter)