The Master of Beasts

Thinking of how this little chubby dragon floated up only to get knocked down by Tian Que and then beaten up, Chen Jiuge felt a little embarrassed. He stretched out his hand and invited, "We're going to have a meal. Do you want to join us?"

The stubborn little chubby dragon's fondness for Chen Jiuge soared. This human… he's actually inviting me to eat.

With tears in the corners of his eyes, the little chubby dragon placed his tiny hand on Chen Jiuge's larger one and said, "I want to eat too."

Chen Jiuge, leading one little chubby fellow by the hand, returned to the Bai Family restaurant.

In the void, a handsome couple had watched everything that had just happened.

Ao Xuan, whose dragon horns were slightly more delicate, asked with some worry, "Will Little Treasure be alright following a human?"

Ao Ning replied, somewhat helplessly, "My dear, it's fine. This is Myriad Beasts Sect territory, and the disciples of the Myriad Beasts Sect treat Spiritual Beasts quite kindly. Besides, weren't you the one who said Little Treasure was too fat and needed to exercise?"

Somewhat annoyed, Ao Xuan said, "That's flesh from my own body; how can I not feel distressed? That little chubby one just now was too harsh. I've never even hit Little Treasure that hard."

Speechless, Ao Ning kept complaining in his mind, Little Treasure is even fatter than Lu Wu, yet she has the nerve to call others 'little chubby'? If this pampering continues, the Young Master of my West Sea Dragon Palace will really turn into a ball.

「」

"It's so delicious! This is my first time eating shrimp," Ao Bao said with a satisfied expression.

Curious, Chen Jiuge asked, "Aren't you from the Dragon Clan? Why haven't you eaten shrimp before?"

"My dad says the shrimp at our home are our own people, so we can't eat them. The same goes for crabs," Ao Bao recalled.

Chen Jiuge thought of an idiom: shrimp soldiers and crab generals. So the Dragon Palace's subordinates really are shrimp soldiers and crab generals. I wonder if a Prime Minister Turtle actually exists?

After eating and drinking their fill, Ao Bao's fondness for Chen Jiuge had greatly increased. He then invited, "Brother Chen, do you want to come with me to the Dragon Palace of the East Sea for a feast?"

"The Dragon Palace of the East Sea?"

"Yes! It's said that the East Sea Dragon King's youngest daughter is reaching adulthood, and they're holding a coming-of-age ceremony. They're specially inviting various members of the Sea Clan and cultivators with whom they share a fated connection to the feast," Ao Bao said, his mouth watering unconsciously.

"The Dragon Clan has a coming-of-age ceremony?" Chen Jiuge was confused. He could understand the words separately, but mashed together, they made no sense to him.

"I don't know either. It's said to be something learned from a minor world. Anyway, it's just a banquet where they invite people. Brother Chen, are you going?" Ao Bao asked hopefully.

"I need to check with my companions. Can we still go without an invitation?" Chen Jiuge hesitated.

"I am the future Dragon King of the West Sea! What's bringing a few people?" Ao Bao said proudly, although the swollen wound on his face somewhat ruined the atmosphere.

Returning to the Bai Family's residence with the little chubby dragon, the dispute with the Yan Family over the Earth Flame Stone mine had already concluded.

In the five rounds of competition, the Bai Family won four, securing eighty percent of the mine. The Yan Family received a pitiful twenty percent. Fortunately, the Bai Family knew not to overstep. The Yan Family was made responsible for mining and could take an extra ten percent share, which provided some consolation to the Yan Family.

「」

Below Bai Yao's pavilion.

"So, this matter is concluded?" Chen Jiuge was somewhat surprised. Why so quickly? Were the True Immortals of the Yan Family fakes?

"This time Wen Ruo and Jun Sandao both made a move," Bai Yao explained.

"I see. Oh, Senior Sister, I have something to discuss with you all," Chen Jiuge said, pointing at Ao Bao. He briefly described Ao Bao's invitation to the Dragon Palace of the East Sea.

"You all go ahead. I need to stay here," Bai Yao said with some regret.

"I'll stay with Yaoyao," Jun Sandao said, shaking his head.

"Then I'll accompany Junior Brother on this trip. I've never seen a Dragon Palace before," Wen Ruo smiled.

"Alright, Ao Bao, let's go," Chen Jiuge was pleased. Having Senior Sister accompany him felt good; the idea of going to the Dragon Palace alone made him a bit uneasy.

"Hold on," Jun Sandao said, pulling out a Jade Scroll. "An introduction to the Four Seas Dragon Palaces. Junior Brother, you can read this on the way."

"Thank you, Senior Brother."

「」

On the Flying Boat.

Chen Jiuge and Wen Ruo seriously examined the Jade Scroll given by Jun Sandao, while Tian Que and Ao Bao had already started another eating competition.

The relationship between the Four Seas Dragon Palace and the True Dragon Clan of the Desolate World was not only distant but actively hostile.

The ultimate reason was the pride and lustful nature of the Dragon Clan. Every cultivator knew that dragons were inherently lustful. Coupled with their aggressive Dragon Bloodline power, this meant many ordinary Spiritual Beasts also carried a trace of Dragon Bloodline.

However, the Dragon Clan was very proud and hardly recognized these Spiritual Beasts, even those they had sired themselves were almost ignored—though there were exceptions, of course. Just as humans had prodigies, these Spiritual Beasts naturally had their own prodigies and geniuses too.

Thus, the Four Seas Dragon Palace was established by four True Dragons who had achieved their status through countless tribulations of cultivation. They began to accept the abandoned True Dragon offspring.

Previously, even if these abandoned dragon offspring cultivated into True Dragons, they would obediently bow their heads and become vassals of the True Dragon Clan. Now, however, they had a better option, which led to a significant conflict of interest between the Four Seas Dragon Palace and the True Dragon Clan of the Desolate World.

"So, you're saying everyone in the Four Seas Dragon Palace cultivated their way up from the very bottom? That's truly admirable!" Chen Jiuge expressed his admiration, realizing the hardships involved in cultivating into a True Dragon from a mere trace of True Dragon Bloodline.

"It is indeed quite admirable. We'll have to experience it properly when the time comes," Wen Ruo agreed.

「」

"Husband, are we really letting Little Treasure go with them to the Dragon Palace of the East Sea?" Ao Xuan asked, worried.

What if these two humans harbor ill intentions midway and want to taste dragon meat, or enslave Little Treasure? Both are True Immortals; would I be able to intervene in time?

No, I must take preemptive action, Ao Xuan thought, her gaze turning stern.

Ao Ning, somewhat speechless, grabbed Ao Xuan's hand and advised, "My dear, we are Golden Immortals. Besides, Little Treasure has protective measures set by our ancestor; nothing will happen."

Ao Xuan gradually calmed down.

Seeing that Ao Xuan had indeed calmed down, Ao Ning vented in his mind: Heavens! To think that I, Ao Ning, brilliant my entire life, would marry a wife with such a persecution complex! The most infuriating part is that I can't even defeat her. It's a complete breakdown of a husband's authority!

「」

As the Flying Boat continued eastward, the Dragon Palace of the East Sea was now not far off.

"We're finally almost there," Chen Jiuge said, somewhat dispiritedly.

It had been a full three months, and only then did they barely glimpse the edge of the East Sea. If it weren't for wanting to see the legendary Dragon Palace of the East Sea, he wouldn't have agreed to come again, no matter what.

As for why they didn't use a Transmission Array, you'd have to ask these two little fatties.

To taste every delicacy, the two little fatties had thrown tantrums, rolling all over the ground. Tian Que was somewhat manageable, but Ao Bao was difficult. After all, Ao Bao was their guide, so what else could Chen Jiuge do but indulge him?

Who knew the East Sea was so far away? Even a Flying Boat piloted by a True Immortal took three whole months. It was simply absurd.

"We should be entering the territory of the Dragon Palace of the East Sea soon," Wen Ruo said softly.

"Senior Sister, how do you know? Have you been here before?" Chen Jiuge asked in surprise.

Wen Ruo simply pointed to a structure piercing the clouds not far away.

A stone pillar reached into the heavens, a massive stone dragon coiled around it. In the stone dragon's mouth was an actual True Dragon Pearl!

"A True Dragon Pearl!" Chen Jiuge's eyes almost bulged out. Aren't they afraid someone will just steal it?

Noticing the sparkle in her junior brother's eyes, Wen Ruo explained, "Junior Brother, that's an Array Core. If I'm not mistaken, the owner of this True Dragon Pearl must have been at least a Heavenly Immortal in their lifetime."

"If a True Immortal were to forcibly approach it, they'd probably be crushed into paste," Wen Ruo joked.

Chen Jiuge chuckled awkwardly, "Senior Sister, what are you saying? Your Junior Brother isn't the type who dreams of reaping without sowing."

A True Dragon Pearl... I really want it! If this True Dragon Pearl were mine, both Ao Yi and Ao Li could revert to their True Dragon Bloodline. It's truly drool-worthy, Chen Jiuge exclaimed internally with great emotion.

As the vast stone dragon structure vanished from their sight, they were finally approaching the Dragon Palace of the East Sea.