Chapter 57: The First Encounter with the Dragon Palace
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The sea in the Immortal Realm was vast and boundless, with numerous immortal mountains standing tall. Immortal phoenixes and white cranes flew through the misty clouds that covered the mountaintops, startling a group of swimming fish.
The frightened fish hurriedly swam towards the depths of the sea, bypassing countless underwater reefs and passing through the shimmering water mirrors emanating from the sea trench.
The calm water flow pacified the silvery little fish as it swayed its tail, adorned with lace-like patterns, and passed through an invisible barrier.
Within the barrier, towering pavilions and connected towers stood. Although there was no water flow, fish of various colors moved freely as if they were swimming in water.
The silvery little fish swam through exquisite coral thickets and headed towards the magnificent palace not far away, following a familiar path.
Golden curtains, pearl walls illuminated by the bright moonlight. The outer perimeter of the leftmost palace was supported by twelve luminous jade pillars, on which carved jade dragons coiled and their lifeless eyes subtly moved as the little fish passed by.
The little fish was startled and grumbled as it blew a bubble, hastening its pace.
The black-armored guards stationed at the side were unfazed by the strange occurrence. Carrying swords and long spears, they patrolled the area, as a guest had recently arrived at the Dragon Palace, requiring constant vigilance.
The little fish greeted the maids who had just come out of the halls. One of the maids, dressed in a flowing white gown, pointed it towards a room and then lowered her head before retreating.
The silvery little fish understood the signal and immediately swayed its tail, swimming through the crack deliberately left by the maid, and entered the room.
Inside the room, the floor was paved with jade stones, and a hint of golden orange light flickered in the crystal lamps positioned at the four corners. The little fish turned a corner, carefully passing through the azure pearl curtains and arriving at a huge mother-of-pearl bed.
Within, a young man with disheveled black hair and a slightly rising and falling chest from his breathing lay peacefully. His fair complexion appeared particularly serene under the radiance of the crystal lamps.
The silvery little fish liked the aura emanating from the young man and couldn't help but wiggle its tail, wanting to get closer. However, it was suddenly caught by a small hand.
"Don't disturb him."
The little fish looked at its owner's displeased expression and helplessly spun around in his hand, reluctantly swimming into its own small shell near the crystal lamp.
...
When Yun Zhao opened his eyes, his mind was momentarily confused by the rippling water light through the gauzy curtain, and fragmented memories gradually returned to his mind.
It seemed like he went to the creek to wash his face, then someone called out to him, and then...
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Yun Zhao sat up with a vacant mind, finding the surroundings unusually unfamiliar.
The huge mother-of-pearl bed was covered with thick soft quilts, and the coral and various pearls on the black jade shelves hinted that this place no longer belonged to the land.
He turned his head in confusion and saw a young boy in green attire sitting beside the bed. The jade-like dragon horns on his head were not as magnificent and dazzling as Ao Yu's, but rather cute and rounded, resembling deer antlers.
The young boy in green attire was playing with a red string in his hand, while a silvery little fish was wiggling its tail, resembling a beautiful skirt, as it moved through the red string.
Seemingly aware of the youth's gaze, the young boy in green attire turned his head. His light golden pupils were slightly round, giving him a youthful appearance, but his voice was surprisingly steady. "You're awake."
Yun Zhao looked at the child in front of him, who bore a resemblance of six or seven points to Ao Yu, and was slightly taken aback. If it weren't for the mismatched hair and dragon horn colors, he would even suspect that he had traveled back in time to encounter Ao Yu in his infancy.
Sensing Yun Zhao's shock, the system came out to explain: [You haven't traveled through time. This is a two-hundred-year-old dragon cub.]
Yun Zhao's mind went blank. "Where am I?"
The system responded speechlessly: [It's evident. This is the deepest part of the sea realm barrier, in simple terms, you've been brought to the dragon domain where the dragons reside.]
Yun Zhao exclaimed, "Wow!"
Seeing that Yun Zhao didn't respond, the young boy in green attire could only stare at him, furrowing his brows.
Could it be that his magic was harmful to the immortal race? Or perhaps this mountain spirit was too weak to withstand the pressure of the dragon domain?
He threw away the red string in his hand and spoke, "My name is Ao Jing, Ao Yu is my elder brother."
Yun Zhao snapped back to attention and asked curiously, "Elder brother? You're his younger brother?" However, he realized that he had never heard the little dragon mention it before, or rather, Ao Yu had never mentioned anything related to the dragon race.
"To be precise, I'm his cousin." Ao Jing nodded with a serious expression, as if he found Yun Zhao's slow reaction a bit dull.
Thinking that the youth was probably not accustomed to the dragon domain, Ao Jing caught the silvery little fish that was swimming around and placed it in Yun Zhao's palm.
The youth's aura was comforting, and the little fish swam around his slender fingers. Yun Zhao was indeed captivated, and he relaxed considerably.
The tip of Yun Zhao's finger was tickled by the lightly fluttering tail of the little fish, and a faint smile unconsciously appeared on his face.
He looked up and asked Ao Jing, "Is this your friend?"
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"Friend?" Ao Jing looked at him strangely, shaking his head in denial, "No, it's a pet I found."
After thinking for a moment, he added, "It's clumsy but very greedy."
His cultivation was dull, and he unintentionally rescued this fish from the jaws of a shark, keeping it as a source of amusement.
The silvery little fish, perhaps due to being raised by Ao Jing for a long time, possessed some intelligence. Upon hearing its owner's evaluation, it couldn't help but puff out a huge bubble in annoyance towards the child.
Ao Jing frowned, popping the floating bubble and reaching out to grab it. Unexpectedly, the small fish agilely dodged into Yun Zhao's palm, even wagging its tail arrogantly.
Yun Zhao chuckled, "You two have a good relationship."
"Good relationship?" Ao Jing secretly sneered, stood up, and smoothed out the wrinkled hem of his clothes, "It's just a pet. I can throw it away whenever I'm tired of it."
Yun Zhao looked at the child's gaze, which seemed to fall somewhat absentmindedly on his own palm, and lifted the small fish, handing it back to him, "Your temperament is somewhat similar to Ao Yu."
Ao Jing took the little fish and upon hearing such a comment from the youth, he couldn't help but pause, "Similar?"
"Yes," Yun Zhao lifted the covers and sat up, "Both of you are stubborn in appearance, but in reality, you're very gentle and attentive to harmless young creatures."
When it came to Xiao Long, a smile unconsciously appeared in Yun Zhao's eyes and brows, and he became more talkative, recounting various interesting stories about Ao Yu and the young ones in Yuming Mountain.
As Ao Jing listened, his eyes widened, and he even began to suspect whether he had mistaken the person because he found it difficult to associate the gentle and attentive person described by the youth with his own elder brother.
Among the Dragon Clan, emotions were not affectionate but rather revered power and lineage.
When Ao Yu was still in the Dragon Domain, Ao Jing didn't have the qualifications to enter the Dragon Palace, so he could only catch a glimpse of this proud and temperamental elder brother at occasional banquets. However, he never concealed his admiration for this elder brother.
Listening to the youth speak softly and gently, Ao Jing didn't feel impatient at all. He sat obediently and quietly beside Yun Zhao, growing curious about the stories he shared about Yuming Mountain.
After speaking for a while, Yun Zhao suddenly remembered something and asked, as if in an afterthought, "You said this is the Dragon Palace, and I heard someone calling me by the stream. Was it you?"
Ao Jing, seeing his delayed question, felt that this person's reaction was unusually slow, but he still nodded and admitted, "Yes, it was me."
Yun Zhao shook his head in disagreement, "I was having a picnic with everyone at that time. Bringing me here suddenly would worry them."
Ao Jing lowered his eyes and said, "I'm sorry."
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Yun Zhao bent down, gently patting the child's head, "It's alright."
He never intended to blame the child. Seeing him apologize so obediently, he waved his hand generously to show that he didn't mind. He wasn't petty.
Ao Jing blinked and raised his hand to touch the spot where the youth had just touched. There seemed to be a lingering warmth, different from the coldness of the Dragon Palace.
"Next time, you can't do this." Yun Zhao didn't notice the child's absent-mindedness and continued, "When inviting someone as a guest, you need to seek their consent. You can't just use magic to bring them over. Besides, it was so sudden, and I didn't prepare any gifts, and the others don't even know that I came to the Dragon Palace..."
"Ah!" Yun Zhao suddenly remembered something while speaking, Xiao Long didn't know either!
"Oh no!"
Yun Zhao stood up, scratching his head in panic, pacing back and forth in the room, muttering, "When I woke up, Ao Yu wasn't there, and now he won't even know that I came to the Dragon Palace."
The more he thought about it, the more worried he became. With Xiao Long's temper, who knows what kind of commotion he would create!
Thinking about it, he was about to leave. "No, I have to go back first. Ao Yu is still waiting for me."
Just as he was about to walk out quickly, he was stopped by two black-armored guards at the door.
"I'm sorry."
Yun Zhao turned back in confusion and saw Ao Jing tucking the silvery little fish into his sleeve, his face devoid of any extra expression. He looked up and said calmly, "You can't leave now."
Yun Zhao's smile disappeared from his face. "What do you mean?"
Ao Jing clapped his hands, and rows of maidens entered, carrying various clothing and utensils, passing by Yun Zhao.
Ao Jing avoided the youth's gaze and lowered his eyes, saying, "You need to stay in the Dragon Palace for a while."
Seeing Yun Zhao's displeased expression, he thought for a moment and took a few steps forward to comfort him, "Don't worry, I will take care of you."
At that moment, the system suddenly spoke up, "Oh, in-law, how peculiar!"
Yun Zhao: "......"
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...
Thick clouds covered the warm sun, and Yuming Mountain was shrouded in the shadows of the clouds. The birds in the mountains fell silent, creating an eerie quietness.
Countless dragon souls, like shimmering lights and shadows, wandered through the forest, seemingly searching for something. But they all returned to the edge of the mountain spring, bowing down and chanting softly at the feet of the Dragon Lord in the black robe.
After reporting back, one of the dragon souls turned into scattered light spots in his hands and dissipated. The divine beasts retreated behind the rocks, anxiously peering at the silent Dragon Lord.
Luo Xue and the little ferret couldn't bear the oppressive atmosphere and curled up under the belly of the black panther. Sun Yang sat down on the side with his head lowered, his ears drooping listlessly, appearing extremely dejected.
"It's not your fault." Bai Ze patted the little dog's head and walked past him, raising his hand to disperse the oppressive aura around him. He said to Ao Yu, "We've searched the surrounding immortal mountains and clans, but Yun Zhao is nowhere to be found. Ease up on your pressure."
The air became stiflingly heavy. Seeing Ao Yu's gloomy face and silence, Bai Ze sighed.
He had seen Ao Yu's youthful and unrestrained appearance, witnessed his fierceness in the abyss, and even saw him covered in blood when he arrived at Yuming Mountain in a sorry state. Bai Ze considered himself an old friend of this Dragon Lord, but even he felt a sense of fear in the current state of Ao Yu.
The silence made the atmosphere even more solemn. Bai Ze looked at the trembling little phoenix and frowned. "They can't hold on much longer. If something goes wrong, Yun Zhao would worry if he knew."
Indeed, his words had an effect. Bai Ze felt the air relax once again and couldn't help wiping away his sweat. At this moment, the last dragon soul returned, handing the handkerchief it held in its mouth to Ao Yu before dissipating into golden light.
Bai Ze leaned closer and exclaimed, "Yun Zhao's handkerchief?"
Ao Yu held the handkerchief, and his golden eyes narrowed slightly as he looked down at the faint traces of spiritual energy flowing on it.
He remained silent, but Bai Ze was deeply alarmed by his silence. The current Ao Yu was even more terrifying than his appearance during the abyss massacre.
Just as Bai Ze thought he would be ignored, he looked up and saw Ao Yu tucking the handkerchief into his chest before turning around and leaving.
Bai Ze hurriedly asked, "Where are you going?"
A gentle cold breeze carried the chill of moisture, causing the fallen leaves to rustle.
From the tranquil mountains came his deep voice:
"The realm where the four seas converge, the Dragon Domain."
Chapter 57: The First Encounter with the Dragon Palace
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The sea in the Immortal Realm was vast and boundless, with numerous immortal mountains standing tall. Immortal phoenixes and white cranes flew through the misty clouds that covered the mountaintops, startling a group of swimming fish.
The frightened fish hurriedly swam towards the depths of the sea, bypassing countless underwater reefs and passing through the shimmering water mirrors emanating from the sea trench.
The calm water flow pacified the silvery little fish as it swayed its tail, adorned with lace-like patterns, and passed through an invisible barrier.
Within the barrier, towering pavilions and connected towers stood. Although there was no water flow, fish of various colors moved freely as if they were swimming in water.
The silvery little fish swam through exquisite coral thickets and headed towards the magnificent palace not far away, following a familiar path.
Golden curtains, pearl walls illuminated by the bright moonlight. The outer perimeter of the leftmost palace was supported by twelve luminous jade pillars, on which carved jade dragons coiled and their lifeless eyes subtly moved as the little fish passed by.
The little fish was startled and grumbled as it blew a bubble, hastening its pace.
The black-armored guards stationed at the side were unfazed by the strange occurrence. Carrying swords and long spears, they patrolled the area, as a guest had recently arrived at the Dragon Palace, requiring constant vigilance.
The little fish greeted the maids who had just come out of the halls. One of the maids, dressed in a flowing white gown, pointed it towards a room and then lowered her head before retreating.
The silvery little fish understood the signal and immediately swayed its tail, swimming through the crack deliberately left by the maid, and entered the room.
Inside the room, the floor was paved with jade stones, and a hint of golden orange light flickered in the crystal lamps positioned at the four corners. The little fish turned a corner, carefully passing through the azure pearl curtains and arriving at a huge mother-of-pearl bed.
Within, a young man with disheveled black hair and a slightly rising and falling chest from his breathing lay peacefully. His fair complexion appeared particularly serene under the radiance of the crystal lamps.
The silvery little fish liked the aura emanating from the young man and couldn't help but wiggle its tail, wanting to get closer. However, it was suddenly caught by a small hand.
"Don't disturb him."
The little fish looked at its owner's displeased expression and helplessly spun around in his hand, reluctantly swimming into its own small shell near the crystal lamp.
...
When Yun Zhao opened his eyes, his mind was momentarily confused by the rippling water light through the gauzy curtain, and fragmented memories gradually returned to his mind.
It seemed like he went to the creek to wash his face, then someone called out to him, and then...
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Yun Zhao sat up with a vacant mind, finding the surroundings unusually unfamiliar.
The huge mother-of-pearl bed was covered with thick soft quilts, and the coral and various pearls on the black jade shelves hinted that this place no longer belonged to the land.
He turned his head in confusion and saw a young boy in green attire sitting beside the bed. The jade-like dragon horns on his head were not as magnificent and dazzling as Ao Yu's, but rather cute and rounded, resembling deer antlers.
The young boy in green attire was playing with a red string in his hand, while a silvery little fish was wiggling its tail, resembling a beautiful skirt, as it moved through the red string.
Seemingly aware of the youth's gaze, the young boy in green attire turned his head. His light golden pupils were slightly round, giving him a youthful appearance, but his voice was surprisingly steady. "You're awake."
Yun Zhao looked at the child in front of him, who bore a resemblance of six or seven points to Ao Yu, and was slightly taken aback. If it weren't for the mismatched hair and dragon horn colors, he would even suspect that he had traveled back in time to encounter Ao Yu in his infancy.
Sensing Yun Zhao's shock, the system came out to explain: [You haven't traveled through time. This is a two-hundred-year-old dragon cub.]
Yun Zhao's mind went blank. "Where am I?"
The system responded speechlessly: [It's evident. This is the deepest part of the sea realm barrier, in simple terms, you've been brought to the dragon domain where the dragons reside.]
Yun Zhao exclaimed, "Wow!"
Seeing that Yun Zhao didn't respond, the young boy in green attire could only stare at him, furrowing his brows.
Could it be that his magic was harmful to the immortal race? Or perhaps this mountain spirit was too weak to withstand the pressure of the dragon domain?
He threw away the red string in his hand and spoke, "My name is Ao Jing, Ao Yu is my elder brother."
Yun Zhao snapped back to attention and asked curiously, "Elder brother? You're his younger brother?" However, he realized that he had never heard the little dragon mention it before, or rather, Ao Yu had never mentioned anything related to the dragon race.
"To be precise, I'm his cousin." Ao Jing nodded with a serious expression, as if he found Yun Zhao's slow reaction a bit dull.
Thinking that the youth was probably not accustomed to the dragon domain, Ao Jing caught the silvery little fish that was swimming around and placed it in Yun Zhao's palm.
The youth's aura was comforting, and the little fish swam around his slender fingers. Yun Zhao was indeed captivated, and he relaxed considerably.
The tip of Yun Zhao's finger was tickled by the lightly fluttering tail of the little fish, and a faint smile unconsciously appeared on his face.
He looked up and asked Ao Jing, "Is this your friend?"
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"Friend?" Ao Jing looked at him strangely, shaking his head in denial, "No, it's a pet I found."
After thinking for a moment, he added, "It's clumsy but very greedy."
His cultivation was dull, and he unintentionally rescued this fish from the jaws of a shark, keeping it as a source of amusement.
The silvery little fish, perhaps due to being raised by Ao Jing for a long time, possessed some intelligence. Upon hearing its owner's evaluation, it couldn't help but puff out a huge bubble in annoyance towards the child.
Ao Jing frowned, popping the floating bubble and reaching out to grab it. Unexpectedly, the small fish agilely dodged into Yun Zhao's palm, even wagging its tail arrogantly.
Yun Zhao chuckled, "You two have a good relationship."
"Good relationship?" Ao Jing secretly sneered, stood up, and smoothed out the wrinkled hem of his clothes, "It's just a pet. I can throw it away whenever I'm tired of it."
Yun Zhao looked at the child's gaze, which seemed to fall somewhat absentmindedly on his own palm, and lifted the small fish, handing it back to him, "Your temperament is somewhat similar to Ao Yu."
Ao Jing took the little fish and upon hearing such a comment from the youth, he couldn't help but pause, "Similar?"
"Yes," Yun Zhao lifted the covers and sat up, "Both of you are stubborn in appearance, but in reality, you're very gentle and attentive to harmless young creatures."
When it came to Xiao Long, a smile unconsciously appeared in Yun Zhao's eyes and brows, and he became more talkative, recounting various interesting stories about Ao Yu and the young ones in Yuming Mountain.
As Ao Jing listened, his eyes widened, and he even began to suspect whether he had mistaken the person because he found it difficult to associate the gentle and attentive person described by the youth with his own elder brother.
Among the Dragon Clan, emotions were not affectionate but rather revered power and lineage.
When Ao Yu was still in the Dragon Domain, Ao Jing didn't have the qualifications to enter the Dragon Palace, so he could only catch a glimpse of this proud and temperamental elder brother at occasional banquets. However, he never concealed his admiration for this elder brother.
Listening to the youth speak softly and gently, Ao Jing didn't feel impatient at all. He sat obediently and quietly beside Yun Zhao, growing curious about the stories he shared about Yuming Mountain.
After speaking for a while, Yun Zhao suddenly remembered something and asked, as if in an afterthought, "You said this is the Dragon Palace, and I heard someone calling me by the stream. Was it you?"
Ao Jing, seeing his delayed question, felt that this person's reaction was unusually slow, but he still nodded and admitted, "Yes, it was me."
Yun Zhao shook his head in disagreement, "I was having a picnic with everyone at that time. Bringing me here suddenly would worry them."
Ao Jing lowered his eyes and said, "I'm sorry."
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Yun Zhao bent down, gently patting the child's head, "It's alright."
He never intended to blame the child. Seeing him apologize so obediently, he waved his hand generously to show that he didn't mind. He wasn't petty.
Ao Jing blinked and raised his hand to touch the spot where the youth had just touched. There seemed to be a lingering warmth, different from the coldness of the Dragon Palace.
"Next time, you can't do this." Yun Zhao didn't notice the child's absent-mindedness and continued, "When inviting someone as a guest, you need to seek their consent. You can't just use magic to bring them over. Besides, it was so sudden, and I didn't prepare any gifts, and the others don't even know that I came to the Dragon Palace..."
"Ah!" Yun Zhao suddenly remembered something while speaking, Xiao Long didn't know either!
"Oh no!"
Yun Zhao stood up, scratching his head in panic, pacing back and forth in the room, muttering, "When I woke up, Ao Yu wasn't there, and now he won't even know that I came to the Dragon Palace."
The more he thought about it, the more worried he became. With Xiao Long's temper, who knows what kind of commotion he would create!
Thinking about it, he was about to leave. "No, I have to go back first. Ao Yu is still waiting for me."
Just as he was about to walk out quickly, he was stopped by two black-armored guards at the door.
"I'm sorry."
Yun Zhao turned back in confusion and saw Ao Jing tucking the silvery little fish into his sleeve, his face devoid of any extra expression. He looked up and said calmly, "You can't leave now."
Yun Zhao's smile disappeared from his face. "What do you mean?"
Ao Jing clapped his hands, and rows of maidens entered, carrying various clothing and utensils, passing by Yun Zhao.
Ao Jing avoided the youth's gaze and lowered his eyes, saying, "You need to stay in the Dragon Palace for a while."
Seeing Yun Zhao's displeased expression, he thought for a moment and took a few steps forward to comfort him, "Don't worry, I will take care of you."
At that moment, the system suddenly spoke up, "Oh, in-law, how peculiar!"
Yun Zhao: "......"
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...
Thick clouds covered the warm sun, and Yuming Mountain was shrouded in the shadows of the clouds. The birds in the mountains fell silent, creating an eerie quietness.
Countless dragon souls, like shimmering lights and shadows, wandered through the forest, seemingly searching for something. But they all returned to the edge of the mountain spring, bowing down and chanting softly at the feet of the Dragon Lord in the black robe.
After reporting back, one of the dragon souls turned into scattered light spots in his hands and dissipated. The divine beasts retreated behind the rocks, anxiously peering at the silent Dragon Lord.
Luo Xue and the little ferret couldn't bear the oppressive atmosphere and curled up under the belly of the black panther. Sun Yang sat down on the side with his head lowered, his ears drooping listlessly, appearing extremely dejected.
"It's not your fault." Bai Ze patted the little dog's head and walked past him, raising his hand to disperse the oppressive aura around him. He said to Ao Yu, "We've searched the surrounding immortal mountains and clans, but Yun Zhao is nowhere to be found. Ease up on your pressure."
The air became stiflingly heavy. Seeing Ao Yu's gloomy face and silence, Bai Ze sighed.
He had seen Ao Yu's youthful and unrestrained appearance, witnessed his fierceness in the abyss, and even saw him covered in blood when he arrived at Yuming Mountain in a sorry state. Bai Ze considered himself an old friend of this Dragon Lord, but even he felt a sense of fear in the current state of Ao Yu.
The silence made the atmosphere even more solemn. Bai Ze looked at the trembling little phoenix and frowned. "They can't hold on much longer. If something goes wrong, Yun Zhao would worry if he knew."
Indeed, his words had an effect. Bai Ze felt the air relax once again and couldn't help wiping away his sweat. At this moment, the last dragon soul returned, handing the handkerchief it held in its mouth to Ao Yu before dissipating into golden light.
Bai Ze leaned closer and exclaimed, "Yun Zhao's handkerchief?"
Ao Yu held the handkerchief, and his golden eyes narrowed slightly as he looked down at the faint traces of spiritual energy flowing on it.
He remained silent, but Bai Ze was deeply alarmed by his silence. The current Ao Yu was even more terrifying than his appearance during the abyss massacre.
Just as Bai Ze thought he would be ignored, he looked up and saw Ao Yu tucking the handkerchief into his chest before turning around and leaving.
Bai Ze hurriedly asked, "Where are you going?"
A gentle cold breeze carried the chill of moisture, causing the fallen leaves to rustle.
From the tranquil mountains came his deep voice:
"The realm where the four seas converge, the Dragon Domain."
