Chapter 7
The scorching flames seared his flesh, while the waters of the West Sea were suppressed. Ao Chaofeng, enduring excruciating pain, transformed into his dragon form, trying to escape the inferno. He desperately channeled his celestial energy, blasting through the smoke and clouds. Just as he thought he was about to break free, a crimson streak of light shot towards him from the side, slashing across his body.
He let out a piercing scream, his celestial energy dispersing as he plummeted towards the sea. A thunderous boom echoed as the boiling waves surged upwards. He hit the water, but instead of diving into the depths, he landed on the surface with a sickening thud, his bloodshot eyes glaring at Feng Chiyue, who stood calmly, stroking her sword.
“I am the West Sea Dragon Prince! You dare to treat me like this? The West Sea will not let you get away with it!” he roared furiously.
Feng Chiyue ignored his empty threats. She sauntered over to the massive black dragon, casually picked off a scale with her sword, and then surveyed him, pondering how to extract his tendons.
Ao Chaofeng had never suffered such humiliation. His furious roars were met with indifference. Seeing Feng Chiyue’s smile, he switched tactics, pleading for mercy. He had only borrowed a few materials and would return them in a few days. Was it worth suffering such agony? Was it worth offending the entire West Sea? He tried to reason with her, but all he received in return was a blood-chilling smile. The good-for-nothing of the Celestial Realm? No, she was a complete lunatic!
With his cultivation level, Ao Chaofeng wouldn’t die easily. But he was like a fish on a chopping board, completely at her mercy. A wave of terror washed over him as he felt the scorching tip of her sword pressing against his flesh, slicing through muscle and bone with a sickening sound. Agony shot through his body as the sword probed, searching for his tendons. If she extracted his tendons, his cultivation would plummet. He…
Just as his fear reached its peak, Feng Chiyue stopped. The excitement in her eyes faded, replaced by a faint smile. She stood in the sea of fire and blood, her red robes billowing around her, a terrifying yet alluring figure.
“Master, please spare him,” a gentle voice pleaded. A young woman in white robes, her beauty rivaling the frost and snow, emerged from the waves. Her long hair was tied with white ribbons that fluttered in the sea breeze, giving her an ethereal appearance.
Feng Chiyue raised an eyebrow and smiled. “He took what belonged to me. He should pay with his scales and tendons, shouldn’t he?”
The woman glanced at Ao Chaofeng in surprise, disbelief flickering in her eyes. She couldn’t believe he would do such a thing. Seeing her, Ao Chaofeng felt a surge of relief, followed by shame and embarrassment. “I—” he started to explain, but a sharp blow to his head silenced him. It felt like a mountain crashing down on him, leaving him breathless.
Feng Chiyue warned coldly, “Be quiet.”
Tears welled up in Ao Chaofeng’s eyes as he looked pleadingly at the woman, but she ignored him. She took out a Qiankun bag from her sleeve and tossed it to Feng Chiyue. “There are enough dragon scales and tendons inside, along with other materials and Cinnabar Jade. Will this be enough to spare him?”
“Yes.” Feng Chiyue considered herself a reasonable and accommodating person. Her goal in coming to the West Sea was to retrieve the materials needed to repair “Understanding Words.”(magical artifact) Now that she had them, what use did she have for this useless dragon? With a thought, she extinguished the flames, and the raging waves subsided, leaving the sea calm and tranquil. Freed from his restraints, Ao Chaofeng flicked his tail and dived into the depths.
Despite intervening on Ao Chaofeng’s behalf, the woman had barely glanced at him since her arrival. She hadn’t even noticed his departure. Her gaze remained fixed on Feng Chiyue, a friendly smile on her face. “My surname is Ying, and my name is Cunxin. I hail from the East Sea.”
Feng Chiyue, lost in her own thoughts, barely registered her words. “Uh-huh,” she mumbled absently. Ming Jiansu was gone, Zhu Wan hadn’t mastered the necessary skills to repair “Understanding Words,” and neither could she. Where could she find someone who could fix it? The Longding Palace? But they might not be willing. What should she do? Kidnap someone? A new problem arose, and Feng Chiyue’s brow furrowed again.
When Ming Jiansu was around, she never had to worry about such things. Why had Ming Jiansu disappeared on the battlefield? Was it the work of the Demons? Unlikely. Perhaps it was just an excuse to fake her death. If so, they deserved to die too. Should she take some time to eliminate them?
Ying Cunxin observed Feng Chiyue, noticing the shifting emotions on her face, the aura of dejection and barely suppressed killing intent. She raised an eyebrow. She had heard of Feng Chiyue, but only in passing while inquiring about the Dong’e Mountain Lord. She admired strength and had no interest in good-for-nothings. But now, the good-for-nothing wasn’t so useless after all. It was Ao Chaofeng, who had boasted of his power, who had proven to be utterly incompetent. It seemed the marriage alliance between the West Sea and the East Sea was off the table.
A jumble of thoughts swirled in Feng Chiyue’s mind, giving her a headache. She focused on the most pressing matter: repairing “Understanding Words.” Without sparing Ying Cunxin a glance, she grabbed the Qiankun bag, leaped onto her golden chariot, and prepared to leave. But just then, the calm sea erupted once more. Hundreds of aquatic soldiers and generals, armed with swords and spears, emerged from the depths, led by Ao Chaofeng, who, still smarting from his humiliation, sought to regain face in front of Ying Cunxin.
Feng Chiyue looked down at the aquatic army, confusion and surprise flashing in her eyes. Hadn’t she let that loach go? Why was he back?
“Cunxin, come over here,” Ao Chaofeng said, his face dark, his eyes glinting with malice.
Ying Cunxin: “…”
At the Qingjun Palace in the Celestial Court:
Chu Yi had been closely monitoring Dong’e Mountain. When she heard that Feng Chiyue had left, she sneered inwardly, anticipating a good show. As expected, Feng Chiyue had encountered a setback at the Longding Palace, failing to obtain any materials. However, unlike yesterday, the Immortal Lord of the Longding Palace still cared about his reputation and hadn’t stooped to the Jingde Immortal Lord’s level.
She had assumed that after this setback, Feng Chiyue would obediently return to Dong’e Mountain and wait for the Phoenixes to intervene. But to her surprise, Feng Chiyue had gone straight to the West Sea, seemingly intending to confront Ao Chaofeng. But what was her cultivation level? And what about Ao Chaofeng’s? How could she possibly stand against the West Sea? Making a fool of herself was one thing, but she couldn’t afford to lose her life in the West Sea.
After a moment’s thought, Chu Yi transformed into a streak of light and flew towards the West Sea.
But when she arrived, the scene she had envisioned was nowhere to be found. Feng Chiyue stood calmly in her golden chariot, the jade pendants on her belt and the bells on the chariot chiming in the strong wind. The West Sea was in turmoil, shrimp soldiers and crab generals floating belly-up on the surface.
Ao Chaofeng, the West Sea Dragon Prince, lay wounded, his dragon horns broken, his scales scattered, blood oozing from his wounds. Ying Cunxin, the East Sea Dragon Princess, stood on a black reef, a swirling vortex beside her. Her robes fluttered in the wind, her beauty ethereal. If not for the hint of amusement on her lips, she would have resembled a true immortal, detached from the world.
Chu Yi: “…”
It couldn’t be the West Sea cultivators attacking their own prince. The flames floating on the water like lotuses were clearly Phoenix Fire. She recalled her reaction when she heard about Feng Chiyue destroying the Supreme Palace’s alchemy furnace yesterday… It seemed the joke was on her. But Feng Chiyue hadn’t even been qualified to be a Celestial Soldier back then. Had Ming Jiansu trained her in the past few hundred years? What methods had Ming Jiansu used to make the spoiled and indulgent Feng Chiyue learn magic? The thought filled her with a grudging respect.
“Welcome, Heavenly Empress,” Ao Chaofeng said coldly, his voice filled with hatred. He turned to Chu Yi. “Feng Chiyue has humiliated the West Sea. What does the Celestial Court have to say about this?”
Chu Yi looked at Feng Chiyue. No wonder she had continued her reckless behavior after Ming Jiansu’s death, acting without restraint. It seemed she had the power to back it up. A spark of anger ignited in her eyes. “Master Feng, do you have anything to say?”
Feng Chiyue replied with a puzzled expression, “Didn’t he invite me to this seafood feast himself?”
“Seafood?” Ao Chaofeng choked, spitting out a mouthful of blood. How shameless could she be?
Feng Chiyue continued, “I appreciate the Dragon Prince’s kind intentions, but I’m not fond of seafood, especially not the stupid kind.” She didn’t want to waste any more time on him. It had been a while since she had heard Ming Jiansu’s voice. Without acknowledging Chu Yi, she urged her golden chariot forward, heading towards Mount Kunlun.
Ao Chaofeng couldn’t bear to watch her leave. He lunged after her, but Chu Yi intercepted him. “I heard you took materials belonging to Dong’e Mountain from the Longding Palace?” she said with a smile. “It’s only natural for Master Feng to come and demand their return. Even if this matter were brought before the Celestial Court, few Immortal Lords would side with the West Sea.”
Ao Chaofeng’s face darkened. “So this is just going to be swept under the rug? I only borrowed a few materials! I’ll return them! She’s so unreasonable! I can’t let this go!”
Chu Yi sighed dramatically. “The Dong’e Mountain Lord’s body is still cold. The other Immortal Lords are sympathetic towards Master Feng. My father has also mentioned treating the Dong’e Mountain Lord’s relatives with kindness.”
Ao Chaofeng stared at her intently. Did she think he was stupid? The first person to cause trouble at Dong’e Mountain after the Dong’e Mountain Lord’s death was the Heavenly Empress herself! Was she hinting that he should wait for a better opportunity? The more he thought about it, the more sense it made. He swallowed the blood rising in his throat and gritted his teeth. “I’ll give the Heavenly Empress face.”
Chu Yi smiled. “Thank you for your understanding.” With the matter temporarily settled, she had no desire to linger. She hurried towards Dong’e Mountain, eager to uncover the truth. What was going on with Feng Chiyue? Was it her own power? Or a protective measure left behind by Ming Jiansu? Or perhaps the Phoenixes were secretly helping her?
The fierce battle had caused a great commotion, but its ending was surprisingly anticlimactic. Ao Chaofeng, never expecting such a disastrous outcome, suppressed his anger and turned to Ying Cunxin, who stood nearby. He softened his tone. “Cunxin…”
Ying Cunxin replied indifferently, “I’m returning to the East Sea.”
Ao Chaofeng’s expression changed! She had come to the West Sea to spend time with him and discuss their marriage, but now she was leaving before they had even begun. Did this mean the marriage was off? He said urgently, “Is it because of those materials? I didn’t take them intentionally!”
Ying Cunxin shook her head, looking at his bruised and battered face. He had lost his last redeeming quality.
Ao Chaofeng squirmed under her gaze. He knew he looked terrible, but no matter how he channeled his celestial energy, he couldn’t heal the wounds inflicted by Feng Chiyue. But Cunxin wasn’t someone who judged by appearances. He couldn’t understand her sudden change of heart. Just as he was about to ask, she spoke.
“I was naive before,” she said sincerely. “You are indeed strong among the current generation of the Four Seas Dragon Clans. But compared to the female Celestials of the Celestial Court, you are nothing. Even Feng Chiyue, who is known as a good-for-nothing, could defeat you. What chance do you have against the Heavenly Empress?”
Ao Chaofeng gaped at her, bewildered. How had the topic shifted to the Heavenly Empress? After a moment, he sputtered, “Those are just rumors!”
Ying Cunxin smiled faintly. “But you lost.” She didn’t care about the lineage of her future partner, but he had to be strong. Her critical gaze swept over him once more. “Go back. Don’t delude yourself.”
Ao Chaofeng was devastated. “This isn’t just about our marriage. It concerns the alliance between the Four Seas.”
Ying Cunxin gave him a fake smile. “Whoever proposed this alliance, you can marry them.”
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