The moment Ao Yi collapsed, the scene descended into chaos.
Li Changshou could feel the hostile gazes of numerous Dragon Palace experts locking onto him, their enmity intensifying by the second.
Having roughly grasped the Dragon Palace Second Prince's bewildering behavior, Li Changshou swiftly analyzed his options.
The little prince's acting had been terrible, but his identity was undeniable. If the Dragon Palace used this as a pretext to cause trouble, it would be no small matter.
Jiu Jiu stood in front of Li Changshou, her somewhat diminutive frame shielding half of his body.
She asked softly: "Senior Nephew Changshou—are you hurt?"
"Some minor qi tremors. Martial Uncle, Martial Aunts, please don't worry. This Second Prince's fist was simply too powerful. This disciple is fine."
Li Changshou replied in low tones, already formulating his strategy. Adopting an expression of mild concern mingled with a touch of shame, he sighed:
"I wonder how His Highness is faring. My talisman arts shouldn't have been able to penetrate his immortal armor. Could it be that because I kept dodging with movement techniques instead of confronting him head-on, His Highness grew anxious and his qi went astray in his haste?"
"Martial Uncle, should you perhaps go up and examine him? I'm not sure how advanced the Dragon Palace's medical arts are—they might not be equipped for such a condition."
Jiu Jiu was simultaneously amused and exasperated. "The Dragon Palace is brimming with experts! How could they possibly fail to diagnose something like this? Stop worrying!"
Upon hearing this, the gazes of the Dragon Palace ministers and generals shifted to Ao Yi. The turtle prime minister, who had been the first to catch the collapsing prince, soon announced:
"The Second Prince is fine. His mana simply went briefly awry during circulation, causing a minor disruption to his outer armor. He has only fainted from the self-inflicted qi deviation and will recover shortly. There is no cause for concern..."
A dragon general in silver armor immediately asked: "Then, Prime Minister—how is this match to be judged?"
The turtle prime minister considered for a moment, glancing at the boundary line and then at the unconscious Ao Yi.
This time, Li Changshou need not expend further effort.
A male True Immortal of the Du Xian Sect spoke up with a smile: "Naturally, His Highness the Second Prince is the winner. After my junior nephew stepped outside the boundary, His Highness suffered a minor injury from his own qi deviation. The result is self-evident."
"I happen to have some Du Xian Sect Qi-Restoring Pills. I doubt the Dragon Palace would value such ordinary pills, but it is a small token of our sincerity."
"We thank the immortal for his kind gesture."
The turtle prime minister gestured for the dragon general to accept the pills, effectively bringing the matter to a close.
The turtle prime minister immediately summoned several celestial flood dragon soldiers, who placed the unconscious Second Prince Ao Yi upon a jade chair and carried him away.
The Du Xian Sect immortals each offered a cupped-fist salute, then escorted Li Changshou back to their seats.
As they walked, Li Changshou murmured to Jiu Jiu beside him: "Martial Uncle, I believe I once read in an ancient text that the grapes on our table are quite effective for this kind of qi deviation condition."
"The grapes are from the Dragon Palace themselves—of course they know about them!" Jiu Jiu retorted. "And you—why did you step out of the boundary on your own? If you'd held on just a moment longer, you might have won outright!"
Li Changshou smiled bitterly. "This disciple simply couldn't hold on any longer."
Jiu Jiu launched into a spirited lecture:
"When we get back, this martial uncle will personally supervise your cultivation! What's the point of mastering pill refinement and formation arrays if your own cultivation can't keep up? Really—personal cultivation is the foundation of the Dao! Otherwise, even if a powerful treasure fell into your hands by accident, you wouldn't be able to unleash even a tenth of its true potential!"
"Yes, this disciple knows his error."
Li Changshou lowered his head in submission, though inwardly he felt somewhat relieved.
Because he could distinctly feel the gazes that had been gathered upon him rapidly dissipating...
Ahead, Youqin Xuanya approached with her great sword on her back, her eyes carrying a trace of urgency.
"Senior Brother Changshou, are you uninjured?"
"It's nothing, just some qi turbulence. I'm fine," Li Changshou replied with a sheepish expression. "I've caused Senior Sister and all our fellow disciples to worry. My inadequate skills have brought shame to our sect."
A senior brother immediately transmitted: "That Dragon Palace Second Prince was clearly looking for trouble, deliberately targeting you, Junior Brother Changshou! Just watch—when I get up there, I'll make sure the next dragon prince or princess learns what real skill looks like!"
Li Changshou cast a grateful look toward this senior brother.
"Senior Brother Changshou, please sit down and regulate your qi. Don't stay standing."
"The Dragon Palace has gone too far. That Second Prince was downright despicable."
Jiu Jiu cut in: "Everyone, sit down properly and stop complaining! There are Heavenly Immortals watching us from above!"
The disciples fell silent, though several still harbored indignation on Li Changshou's behalf, only to be scolded further by the other True Immortals.
These reactions from his fellow disciples...
Were entirely normal.
Li Changshou understood perfectly—their intensity correlated with their own sense of collective honor, not with any particular regard for him personally.
Back in his seat, Li Changshou's fluctuating aura swiftly returned to equilibrium. Youqin Xuanya cast one last backward glance before finally departing.
Then, the concern on her delicate face evaporated, replaced by an ever-deepening chill.
The Du Xian Sect's publicly acknowledged foremost disciple among the current generation was beginning to radiate heat from within.
She unslung her great sword and laid it across the table, her sword fingers tapping various points along the blade. Forming the Azure Lotus Heaven-Opening Treasure Seal, flame patterns slowly appeared along the blade, splitting it into a dozen slender flying swords.
The temperature among the Du Xian Sect's younger disciples dropped noticeably.
She produced two bottles of pills, inspected them, confirmed that rapid mana-recovery pills were in sufficient supply.
Then she drew out a handkerchief and began methodically polishing the set of flying swords. Her cold, beautiful face was utterly expressionless, but her eyes held a certain... unsettling intensity.
"Junior Sister Youqin."
Li Changshou's voice reached her ears via transmission.
Youqin Xuanya's movements paused. She turned to look.
"If you intend to fight later, do exercise some restraint. This is the Dragon Palace—there's no need to confront them head-on."
Youqin Xuanya gave a slight nod. The look in her eyes—which moments ago had been virtually screaming "I'm going to pick a fight"—softened considerably.
It was hard to say whether, in that instant, she was pressing her lips together in restraint or offering the faintest smile. Perhaps both.
But her expression and gaze were unmistakably conveying: *'Don't worry.'*
The three Du Xian Sect disciples seated between Li Changshou and Youqin Xuanya saw this display for the first time. Stunned and inexplicably aware of themselves, they simultaneously felt rather superfluous...
And redundant.
Youqin Xuanya resumed her careful polishing of the flying swords. Her demeanor made clear that Li Changshou's words had done nothing to change her mind.
Li Changshou decided to let it go. In truth, there was nothing he could do.
He activated the Wind-Message Incantation, this time primarily to listen to the murmuring crowd—a form of "post-performance audience feedback analysis."
Whispers drifted in on the breeze, close and far, a cacophony of voices...
"That Du Xian Sect disciple did rather well. The Dragon Palace Second Prince was far too hasty—couldn't bring out his true strength at all."
"Didn't the turtle prime minister say he was only ten? A bit hot-headed for his age—that's to be expected."
"I could probably have beaten the Second Prince myself. What a shame that Du Xian Sect disciple got knocked out of the boundary first..."
After analyzing the commentary for a while, Li Changshou felt somewhat reassured.
At this point, his image as an outstanding Du Xian Sect disciple was three-dimensional, well-rounded, and virtually flawless.
And when seated alongside the sect's ten best immortal seedlings, he was immediately overshadowed. No one would perceive any particular radiance from him, and the attention would naturally dissipate.
The turtle prime minister formally announced once more that the Dragon Palace Second Prince had won the spar.
But because the Second Prince had been impetuous, his qi had gone astray, causing self-inflicted internal injuries. He had returned to the Dragon Palace for recuperation, and several subsequent birthday celebration segments were canceled.
This minor incident was temporarily settled.
And from this bizarre episode, Li Changshou had glimpsed the caprice of the Primordial and the complexity of the Dragon heart, reflecting that he was still too young, having underestimated both human nature and dragon temperament—he hadn't considered all the angles...
But who could have guessed this little dragon would pull something like this?
Ao Yi's approach was wild—he had actually planned to deliberately lose to Li Changshou!
Fortunately, Li Changshou had stepped out of bounds and surrendered first. Otherwise, who knew what kind of chaos would have ensued.
Next time he encountered a similar situation, he would simply punch himself, inflict a dramatic injury, and withdraw from the scene entirely...
Recalling those moments of apparent calm yet utterly absurd confrontation—the instant when fist met palm—
Behind both of their seemingly disheveled figures, two dark shadows seemed to materialize, regarding each other with cold disdain.
*'You were acting me?'*
*'Right back at you.'*
Enough thinking. This little dragon probably had other schemes.
Returning safely to the sect was Li Changshou's greatest hope at this point.
Weighing the costs and benefits—even if it meant exposing some of his hidden cards, escaping this dangerous environment would be worth it.
After all, the entire purpose of keeping trump cards hidden was to ensure he could continue living.
Who knew what further dragon drama awaited!
...
After one exhibition match, the Demon-Quelling Assembly officially commenced.
The Dragon Palace staged several more grand spectacles, then produced twelve immortal-grade treasures as rewards for the coming inter-sect sparring competition.
The format was challenge-based: disciples could enter as many times as they wished, and the arena was divided into several zones.
Each round featured one immortal treasure as the prize. Anyone who could defend the ring nine consecutive times and defeat the Dragon Palace's appointed "ring champion" would claim the treasure.
The ring champions were young dragon youths, their cultivation equivalent to a standard Return-to-the-Dao first or second rank Qi Refiner.
The difficulty was considerable, but the disciples' enthusiasm was fervent—immortal treasures were exceedingly rare.
The competition soon saw magnificent displays of skill from various sects.
Within the span of an hour, a Return-to-the-Dao initial-rank disciple from a major sect had won nine consecutive matches, earning the right to face the ring champion. But after a fierce battle, the dragon youth prevailed.
At that moment, Youqin Xuanya slapped the table, her body soaring into the air. Twelve Bright Glass Flying Swords circled around her as she landed before the dragon youth.
"One match."
That day, at the Dragon Palace Assembly, Youqin Xuanya of the Du Xian Sect dazzled all who watched.
With her superb sword-control and fire-manipulation arts, she seized four immortal treasures, defeated dozens of Qi Refiners, and wounded four dragon youths at the Return-to-the-Dao stage. Her reputation spread throughout E Sheng Shen Zhou.
After the battles, this female cultivator—whose future path was destined for greatness, now carrying the gaze of the entire assembly—dragged her exhausted body back toward the Du Xian Sect seating area, bearing wounds across her frame, the great sword on her back, each step deliberate.
She refused assistance from several fellow disciples, disregarded the elders' urgent instructions to regulate her qi immediately. Passing her own seat, she continued walking a few steps further...
She bent down. Her slender fingers trembled slightly from the tremendous expenditure of mana.
But in the end, she successfully placed those four luminous, flowing immortal treasures upon the low table of the Return-to-Void second-rank male disciple whom the vast majority had already forgotten.
Then she looked at the young man gazing up at her and offered a smile tinged with fatigue...
In that moment, every Qi Refiner in the arena felt a surge of respect for Youqin Xuanya. The True Immortals of various sects nodded with deep appreciation.
As for Li Changshou—his gaze was complex beyond words, language wholly inadequate. He rose and extended his hand to support her, but Youqin Xuanya, mindful of his "injury," immediately dodged away.
And so Li Changshou could only bow deeply—a full Dao salute—to Youqin Xuanya's retreating figure, while silently offering yet another blessing to Jiu Wu...
Several hundred times.
...
In a resplendent underwater palace.
The youth lying on the hundred-foot-long bed suddenly opened his eyes and seized the hand of a maid who sat beside him peeling grapes.
"Did I lose? Did I lose?"
"Your—Your Highness, there's no need to worry. You won this match..."
"What?! How is that possible! I clearly—pfft!"
"Second Prince! Second Prince!
Someone come quickly! His Highness has fainted again!"