Chapter 83: Longgong Gifts Invite Sighs; Measuring One's Own Worth【5k】

Outside the Longyuan River, clouds and mist swirled.

That old turtle and the Dragon Whale General named Jinglong were leading a group, waiting not far away.

Three thousand soldiers and generals were fully armored, holding weapons, silent and motionless; under strict orders, they looked just like Heavenly Soldiers and Generals descended to the mortal world.

Those who knew understood they were bringing congratulatory gifts to pay a visit, but those who didn't might think they were there to attack Fang Longye's mountain gate! This was the majestic scene Qingli and Luming saw when they stepped outside the Longyuan River.

They were startled at once.

Even though the old turtle had already submitted a formal visiting card through Hu Qiuyue beforehand.

Seeing this display now truly made one feel a sense of dread.

Not to mention the old turtle and Jinglong, those two True Immortals.

Even the hundred-odd palace maids were none below the Immortal Realm.

Among the three thousand soldiers and generals, there were six Origin Immortals and sixty Loose Immortals; the remaining soldiers at the Primordial Spirit Realm were all cultivation-level warriors who were only a step away from the Ascended Immortal realm.

This troop was enough to sweep across the entire Cangmang Mountain, excluding Fang Longye himself.

Qingli's sleeves fluttered as she trailed her skirt and stepped forward.

"Manager Turtle? Why such a grand display? Is some distinguished guest arriving?"

Seeing the palace maids surrounding a carriage carved with dragons and phoenixes, peerlessly exquisite and radiating precious light, Qingli immediately welcomed them with a smile and asked.

"Distinguished guest? Who could be more of a distinguished guest than your own master?" The old turtle gave a bitter smile in his heart.

"Don't look at me with a smile now; once you see the list of gifts I've brought for your Highness, you'll be drawing your sword against me."

Back at the Yaofang, this old turtle had dealt with Qingli many times, and relying on the experience gained through the passage of time, he had long since figured out her temperament and aspirations.

He saw through her pursuit of the position beside that Highness, which happened to coincide exactly with the current plans of Dragon King Majesty.

The old turtle pondered this, yet his face remained calm as he smiled: "There is no distinguished guest; this carriage is merely a gift from my Dragon King to his Highness."

"Miss Qingli, is it time to welcome us in?"

"Ah, it is my discourtesy. I hope Manager Turtle and this General will not take offense." Qingli only then came to her senses and said with an apologetic face.

"The Immortal is too kind. I am no General; just call me Fellow Daoist Jinglong." This Dragon Whale General had done his homework for the sake of his own future.

Having long since learned from the old turtle about the people close to his future master, he naturally responded with a gentle face and soft voice.

Seeing this, Qingli apologized once more and immediately manipulated a token in her hand, causing dots of light to flow.

Suddenly, the clouds and mist vanished.

A vast, long river, eight hundred miles across and stretching for millions of miles, entered the eyes of the group.

Waves surged to the heavens with great momentum, like the Heavenly River flowing; the water was shimmering, its color a deep, mysterious black, bottomless, with the sound of waves crashing against stone.

A fine method! The old turtle and Jinglong almost thought simultaneously in their hearts. With their cultivation, they could naturally see the foundation of this long river.

"Longyuan River? A fine name!" the old turtle praised.

Qingli smiled and said nothing.

As for Luming, he had long understood the purpose of his master having him accompany Immortal Qingli to welcome the guests.

It was simply to let him broaden his horizons.

Therefore, he had been adhering to the principle of speaking little and listening much, respectfully acting as an attendant on the side.

At this moment, above the Longyuan River, dots of light gathered, varying in size, revealing strange patterns of a thousand forms, possessing a natural, inherent charm.

Looking closer, the patterns between the light halos collided, Yin and Yang outlined, the Five Elements flowed, and hexagrams were derived, as vast as the starry sky, bottomless.

Afterward, a seven-colored rainbow bridge appeared amidst the gathering light, shrouded in mist and glowing brilliantly.

"Manager Turtle, the Cave Abode has just been renovated and is not yet perfect. Please come directly to see me!"

Fang Longye's voice came from an unknown place, echoing all around, carrying a sense of majesty mixed with an ethereal quality, as if the Heavenly Dao itself were speaking.

"Then I shall take the liberty of being presumptuous!" The old turtle immediately prepared to instruct the group behind him to wait in place.

But he heard Fang Longye's voice ring in his ears again, "No need for such trouble, just come over together! Although my Cave Abode is simple, it still has enough space to accommodate your three thousand-plus people."

The voice carried a kind of confidence, as if he had no fear at all that these three thousand-plus people might stir up trouble inside his Cave Abode.

Fang Longye naturally had this confidence; even if there were six or seven True Immortals among this group, he could suppress them all with a flip of his hand while under the protection of his own Cave Abode's array.

Why else would one say that a well-arranged Cave Abode is incomparably important to any practitioner of the immortal path?

Standing in his Cangmang Mountain Cave Abode, with various augmentations, he could even rival a Golden Immortal.

Upon hearing Fang Longye's words, the old turtle no longer hesitated; he and Jinglong led the group, following Qingli and Luming onto the rainbow bridge, and sped toward the front.

Before long, they saw the true appearance of Fang Longye's Cave Abode: the ocean was deep and vast, with water merging with the sky. Auspicious light shrouded the clouds, and propitious energy illuminated the mountains and rivers.

Thousand-layered snowy waves roared at the blue sky, and ten thousand layers of misty waves surged in the daylight. Water flew in all directions, and waves rolled all around.

The continent served as a belt, with hundreds of mountains crisscrossing and dotting the landscape, and in the center stood a mountain of five-colored, hazy precious layers.

The mountain peak was towering, piercing through the void.

The scenery was extraordinary, with exotic flowers and rare herbs everywhere, pines and bamboos intertwined in green, and flying streams flowing horizontally.

Spiritual energy was abundant, and Dao Rhyme was everywhere.

Along the rainbow bridge, they flew across the ocean and entered above the Huan Shan Chengchi.

Following Fang Longye's voice transmission, Qingli arranged lodging for each of the three thousand-plus "visitors."

Afterward, she brought the old turtle and Jinglong, who were clearly the leaders, to Fang Longye.

……

Inside a palace.

Auspicious mist drifted, and propitious smoke swirled.

A golden burner was placed on a sandalwood table, from which fragrant, misty smoke emerged, condensing into smoky water and permeating the surroundings.

Fang Longye leaned casually on a jade throne, reading a gold and jade scroll in his hand.

A moment later.

He raised his head, looked lazily at the old turtle, and sneered: "Heh~ Steward Turtle, are you certain your Dragon King isn't joking with me?"

He had originally thought those three thousand soldiers and over a hundred palace maids were merely for escort, a gift bestowed upon him.

After all, the reputation of a Golden Immortal Realm Dragon Clan Princess was still very important, involving the dignity of the Longgong itself. A moment of carelessness could cause the North Sea Longgong to lose its prestige.

Previously, he had presented that turtle demon as a gift, so the return gift was bound to be significant; it was indeed worth having so many people come to escort it.

But after looking at this gift list, he only wanted to say, you aren't even trying to hide it at all! He had thought it was a return gift involving the matter of that previous turtle demon. But now he only wanted to say, he had overthought it.

Look at the contents of this gift list; it directly included everything the old turtle brought. Soldiers, palace maids, carriages, and even this dragon whale standing before him.

Tsk~ that sycophantic face was written all over it.

No, was it really necessary?

You are, after all, one of the Four Seas Dragon Palaces; even if you know my background, there is no need to go to such lengths just to curry favor with me, right? "That, I will accept the other gifts, and I can even accept that army. Including General Jinglong, if he is truly willing to stoop to my small temple, I would naturally be extremely welcoming. But those Longnu are unnecessary, right?"

Fang Longye recalled the group of beautiful palace maids he had probed earlier and was full of complaints: "Good heavens, you really do treat me like a stud horse!"

Yet he hadn't expected the old turtle to become anxious immediately.

Because the Dragon King Ao Shun, who had specifically summoned him back to the North Sea Longgong, had given him repeated instructions that he must make Fang Longye accept these Longnu.

"Your Highness, these Princesses are all stunning beauties, and each one was carefully selected by my Dragon King from among his own kin. Their Bloodline is noble, their foundation is solid, and each has the potential of a Golden Immortal."

Fang Longye rolled his eyes; it was precisely because he had probed their status that he was unwilling to accept them.

Not only was each one's natural talent extraordinary, but the gift list also specifically noted: "Presenting over a hundred Longnu slave girls." Even if the Dragon Clan could reproduce, Longnu with such cultivation potential and True Dragon forms shouldn't be so common as to be worthless!

Otherwise, the Dragon Clan would have long since dominated the Primordial World.

As it turned out, judging by your words, these Longnu are all Princesses, damn it.

This isn't currying favor with him at all; this is clearly kneeling to lick his stinking feet~

"Steward Turtle, you jest. What virtue or ability do I have to receive such courtesy from the Longgong? And how would I dare to treat these golden branches and jade leaves as slave girls?"

"Your Highness, regardless of whether you know your own background, my Dragon King told me to relay this message to you: for someone like you, Your Highness, it is their honor to serve as slaves."

Seeing that Fang Longye was hesitant to agree, the old turtle could only grit his teeth and humble himself.

"Steward Turtle, I naturally understand the intentions you are harboring." Fang Longye's expression turned cold, and he continued: "If your Longgong truly thinks highly of me, then providing me with more support in terms of spiritual objects, divine materials, and cultivation scriptures would suffice. Such kindness, I, Longye, would surely keep in mind."

The old turtle smiled bitterly; he also didn't understand why there was a need for such painstaking consideration. Although he was unclear about the Longgong's assets, they could surely produce one or two Innate Spiritual Objects! This Highness clearly prioritized cultivation. If they really wanted to gift a few Innate Spiritual Objects, why throw away their dignity and, like now, press a hot face against his cold backside?

Suddenly, a flash of inspiration struck his mind, and he immediately said: "That, Your Highness, is there a possibility that my Dragon King doesn't even have the qualifications to gift you treasures?"

Fang Longye's expression stalled; his thoughts turned, and he gained a clearer understanding of the North Sea Dragon King's actions.

"Could it be that those figures above can even have a contest over how much they invest in me? By now, has everything already been decided?" he pondered to himself.

Thinking of the Shu Mountain novels he had read in his past life, where every opportunity and fortune was already destined, and even the time of ascension could be arranged with perfect precision.

"This North Sea Dragon King throws over a hundred Longnu in True Dragon form at me, kneeling and begging me to accept them as slaves. Forsaking his status as a father-in-law, he debases himself. Could it be that even my marriage has been arranged by someone?"

"The positions of primary wife and even concubines have all been decided by someone? Making this North Sea Longgong have to strengthen its connection with me only through this method?"

"Is my value really that great?" Fang Longye felt suspicious.

Even if he was the catalyst that prompted the great Hongyun to take that step, it shouldn't be to this extent, right? This was a flaw in his knowledge and background.

If it were top-tier second-generation figures like Yang Jian or Nezha, even if they returned to the past and were still only at the True Immortal Realm, they would be able to understand why these great beings of the Myriad Heavens would be so eager to flock to him.

At present, they are in the Second Tribulation of the Myriad Heavens Era, and after the Third Tribulation passes.

The Primordial World will enter the Myriad Heavens Era, where the Laws will completely replace the Great Dao, and the entire Chaos will become a part of the Primordial World, thereby evolving into the Myriad Heavens and Myriad Worlds.

By then, there will be enough opportunities and fortunes to achieve the Hunyuan.

And as Hongyun, who is destined to achieve the Hunyuan, he is naturally the target that those great beings who intend to achieve the Hunyuan compete to befriend.

For the sake of their own cultivation, they naturally wouldn't let go of any small opportunity to show favor.

And he, Fang Longye, coincidentally formed a karmic connection with Hongyun, naturally becoming a target for the great beings to invest in and show favor to.

It is no different from the drivers or nannies of big bosses in his past life who were curried favor with by others.

Strictly speaking, with such a unique encounter, he is not so special when placed in the entire Primordial World, across the space and time of the past and future.

In the boundless space-time, there are too many figures with encounters similar to his. The various investments and care from great beings that he has experienced are also experienced by these figures.

It just depends on whether they can eventually grow up.

The difference between him and others lies in the fact that he possesses the Equivalent Balance, a treasure that even great beings cannot see through.

Fang Longye, who could not understand why he had such value, set aside his conjectures and looked at the earnest-looking old turtle.

Seeing that his attitude seemed to have loosened, the old turtle said: "Each of these Princesses is an elite carefully cultivated by my Four Seas Dragon Clan. Besides having outstanding cultivation aptitude, they are not ignorant of worldly affairs. Whether it is fighting against enemies or handling mundane matters, they can satisfy you."

"My Majesty said, he does not dare to hope for them to have any status here with Your Highness; if they are negligent, you may beat or kill them as you please, entirely according to your wishes."

"Your Majesty is truly ruthless!" Fang Longye sneered.

Once they entered his Dao field, no conversation could escape his probing.

After Qingli arranged these Longnu to the same garden palace at the foot of the mountain, these Longnu were not silent after a period of stillness.

While talking to the old turtle, Fang Longye had long since learned from their discussions that nearly half of them came from the North Sea Longgong, almost sweeping up all of the old dragon Ao Shun's excellent daughters below the Golden Immortal Realm.

The old turtle looked embarrassed upon hearing Fang Longye's remarks, which were mixed with a sneer.

"Then, Your Highness, what do you think?"

"Your Dragon King has already thrown his dignity onto the ground and ignored it. What else can I do?"

"Many thanks to Your Highness for being willing to accept this sentiment from my North Sea Longgong." The old turtle was full of joy.

"Let's be clear first, I don't care what the relationship between Jiao Mowang and your Dragon King is. If he comes to my door because he is resentful that his sisters have been humiliated by me, I will not show mercy, regardless of this goodwill you have brought today."

"Your Highness, do not worry. Speaking of which, it was actually the suggestion of the Thirteenth Princess to befriend a figure like Your Highness!"

"Interesting, the Demon Master Mansion, is it?" Fang Longye muttered in his heart.

"Greetings, Master!"

The group of beauties bowed in unison, especially since there were five Longnu of the True Immortal Realm among them.

Fang Longye gasped in a cold breath.

Even though he had been scoffing at the North Sea Dragon King's intentions all along, seeing this scene still made Fang Longye feel dizzy.

It was not just because they were so big, so white, and so round~

It was even more because of the identities of these Longnu; they were all proper Princesses of the Four Seas Dragon King, yet now they were all kneeling on the ground, letting him take whatever he wished.

This feeling~

Hiss—it could not be described in words.

"Eh? What is this?" As these Longnu bowed, a small dragon-shaped mark appeared above each of their heads, revealing a blood-colored radiance.

Absorbing a wisp of Qi that Fang Longye had emitted, it then submerged into the bodies of these Longnu, each manifesting a coiled dragon mark from between their brows, looking like a dot of cinnabar.

During this process, because Fang Longye sensed no malice, he did not stop it.

When a blood-colored mark resembling cinnabar appeared between the brows of each of these Longnu, Fang Longye finally gained a glimmer of realization.

"Dragon Clan Blood Pact!" Sensing that with a single thought of his, these Longnu would immediately perish, information regarding the Dragon Clan Blood Pact flowed through Fang Longye's heart.

Aside from being able to take their lives at will, the lives of these Longnu were now linked to his own.

If he perished, they would perish along with him. But if they perished, it would be of no consequence to him. He could even transfer any fatal damage he received onto them.

This connection was on the level of causality; below the Great Luo, there was absolutely no possibility of removing it.

"What an overbearing Dharma. What a ruthless North Sea Dragon King."

Although he himself did not care much about children or descendants, he would still disdain to push his own daughter into a fire pit as the North Sea Dragon King had done.

Even though he also understood that this was to entice him to cultivate these Longnu with all his heart.

Even if these Longnu truly died as substitutes for him.

Not to mention causality or anything else, as long as one was not absolutely heartless, one would not be able to turn a blind eye, and if one had the ability, one would inevitably pull them back into the world.

Putting aside these thoughts, Fang Longye thought of the contents of the gift list.

"Now, I really need to sort things out properly. Both in terms of influence and wealth."

……

At the foot of Cangmang Mountain, Luming led the way in front, while the old turtle walked alone behind, moving slowly along the continental mountains toward the outer Longyuan River.

Having completed his task, he wore a smile. All the gifts arranged by the Dragon King had been delivered.

It was truly a relief to have nothing to worry about.

Watching the surrounding green bamboo sway, the bits of spiritual energy emanating from Cangmang Mountain condensed into sweet dew and fell, creating a lush layer.

Ding-dong, ding-dong, ding-dong.

The sweet dew misted all around like clouds and water, and the faint earth Qi beneath the green rocks responded to it, emitting mysterious immortal music and swallowing it bit by bit, making a gurgling sound.

Joyful, natural, and ancient.

"It seems that this Highness wants to develop even these continents into a treasure land like Mount Ling!"

Just as he was comprehending Fang Longye's methods of managing his Daoist temple, he heard the tinkling of jade pendants behind him, and a faint, subtle fragrance wafted over.

"Oh no!" the old turtle cried out inwardly.

"Clang~" A piece of verdant Turtle Shell instantly appeared above his head, blocking a strike filled with hatred from a certain fairy, leaving a mark an inch deep.

"Fairy Qingli, listen to my explanation~"

"Screw your explanation! I was respectful to you back then~ and yet you actually brought so many vixens for the Young Master!" Qingli was furious.

"Fairy Qingli, this was all ordered by my Dragon King; it has nothing to do with me!"

"Do you think I believe you?"

"Fairy Qingli, your own Young Master gave the final word to accept them; can you blame only me?"

"Heh!"

……

Five thousand characters per chapter. The second chapter isn't finished yet~ However, I will post it immediately after writing it; even if it is past 12 o'clock, it will still count as today's quota.

PS: The Daoist temple has been tidied up, and the subordinates are in place to help guard the home. In the next chapter, it is time to continue the treasure-hunting 'adventure'~

(End of chapter)