"Hmph! That damned East Sea Dragon Clan!"
Bodhi Daoist furrowed his brow, eyes darkening.
"Back in the Great Desolation, when the Ancestral Dragon still reigned, they were already an arrogant bunch.
And now, after several eras have passed, not only have they not mellowed… they've become even more outrageous!
They even dared to kill your personal disciples, Receiving Daoist!"
His tone was filled with disbelief.
Though the Western Sect's fame might not match that of the Primordial Heavenly Venerable or Tongtian Cult Master, Receiving Daoist and Bodhi Daoist were still Saints—supreme beings of the Mythic World. Even the major powers showed them respect.
And yet—some backwater Dragon Clan actually dared to kill disciples sent by a Saint?
That wasn't just defiance.
That was a slap to the face.
Receiving Daoist's expression turned dark as well, clearly about to act against the Dragon Clan.
But just then, one of their disciples nervously interjected:
"Please, Saints! You mustn't provoke the East Sea Dragon Clan so lightly!"
"Haven't you heard? The Dragon King Ao Qing has already unified the Four Seas, and nearly drowned Chentang Pass!"
Hearing that, Bodhi Daoist scoffed.
"Hmph. So what? Drowning a human city? Unifying the Four Seas? That's nothing."
But before his sneer could fully form, the disciple continued:
"It's not just that—word is, the East Sea Dragon Clan also killed Taiyi Zhenren, and captured both Li Jing and Lady Yin, bringing them back to the East Sea!"
"What!?"
The names alone made Receiving Daoist and Bodhi Daoist freeze in place.
They knew very well—
Taiyi Zhenren wasn't just any cultivator. He was one of the Twelve Golden Immortals, a direct disciple of Primordial Heavenly Venerable, and an immensely powerful figure.
His treasures included:
Red Armillary SashFire-Tipped SpearWind Fire Wheels
…all of them postnatal divine artifacts of serious consequence.
And he had been defeated and captured by a supposedly declining Dragon Clan?
Just as their minds reeled, the disciple added one more thing:
"And most critically… the one who made the move wasn't even the Dragon King himself.
It was Prime Minister Turtle. Ao Qing never lifted a claw.
Word is, Ao Qing has already evolved into a Seven-Clawed Golden Dragon."
At this, the two Saints could no longer maintain their composure.
They exchanged shocked glances.
Even Prime Minister Turtle—a subordinate—could defeat someone on Taiyi Zhenren's level?
Then what about Ao Qing himself!?
Just how terrifying has the Dragon Clan become!?
As Saints, they remained calm on the surface, but their hearts began to churn.
They both understood something very clearly:
Even a Seven-Clawed Golden Dragon wasn't enough to match a Saint.
So… this kind of meteoric rise couldn't possibly have come from the Dragon Clan alone.
Someone—or something—had to be backing them.
"Who's behind this?"
"Who's manipulating things from the shadows?"
"The Dragon Clan must have a terrifying patron…"
Receiving Daoist narrowed his eyes.
"Where did you hear all this?"
"It's already spread across the entire Mythic World," the disciple replied.
"Taiyi Zhenren's disappearance has shaken everyone."
Upon hearing this, Receiving Daoist and Bodhi Daoist suddenly changed expressions completely.
Gone were the scowls and fury. In their place—smiles. Calm. Pleasant faces.
As if they hadn't just been foaming at the mouth minutes ago.
"What do we do now?" Bodhi Daoist asked, though his voice was clearly reluctant.
Our disciples were killed. Can we really just eat that loss?
Receiving Daoist, too, looked conflicted.
"Either that Dragon Clan is suicidally arrogant… or their backer is terrifying."
He exhaled deeply.
"In either case, one of us must go to the East Sea Dragon Palace in person.
We need to see this for ourselves."
At that, Bodhi Daoist's eyes lit up as if a new idea struck him.
"If the East Sea truly has risen this far, then maybe…
We should consider building ties.
If we form a bond with them, perhaps when the Fengshen Cataclysm erupts, the Dragon Clan could be an asset to our Western Sect!"
Receiving Daoist's gaze sharpened slightly.
"That… is not a bad idea."
Meanwhile, the ripples from Taiyi Zhenren's defeat weren't limited to the Western Sect.
High atop Kunlun Mountain, in the halls of Jade Void Palace—
The personal domain of the Primordial Heavenly Venerable—
The air was thick with suppressed fury.
"Master! Taiyi Zhenren is still being held by the East Sea Dragon King!
His fate is unknown!"
A group of disciples stood before the Saint, faces full of anger.
One of them, eyes blazing, clenched his fists.
"Please! Allow us to descend and annihilate the East Sea! We'll flatten the Dragon Palace ourselves!"
These weren't just any disciples. Some were among the Twelve Golden Immortals.
All had trained alongside Taiyi Zhenren and shared deep bonds with him.
Once news spread that he'd been subdued at Chentang Pass, they came straight to their master to demand justice.
And Primordial Heavenly Venerable?
At first, his first instinct was indeed revenge.
His disciple had been taken.
His pride had been trampled.
He had wanted to mobilize every force available and reduce the East Sea to ashes.
But after just one moment of thought…
No. Wait.
Taiyi Zhenren wasn't just defeated—he was defeated by Prime Minister Turtle, not even Ao Qing himself.
The Dragon Clan's rise isn't random. Someone powerful must be backing them.
If even Taiyi Zhenren could fall, then Ao Qing's current strength may not be measurable by conventional means…
And so, he did not give the order.
"No one is allowed to go."
His voice was cold and absolute.
"Until we uncover the true extent of the Dragon Clan's power—no one is to provoke them."
"Understand this: Taiyi Zhenren was subdued by a mere Prime Minister Turtle.
The true strength of the Dragon King Ao Qing is still unknown."
That single statement stunned the room into silence.
Those who had just moments ago been shouting for blood… fell completely silent.
Even the boldest of them did not dare to protest further.
And across the Mythic World, the same conversation repeated:
Saints, immortals, clan lords—all received word of Taiyi Zhenren's defeat.
All turned their eyes toward the East Sea.
The Dragon Clan—once a declining race—was now the center of every conversation.
And in secret, the major powers of the world began speculating…
"Who's really behind the Dragon Clan's rise?"
"Who gave them the courage… to strike at Taiyi Zhenren?"
"What kind of terrifying being stands at Ao Qing's back?"
Want to read ahead, early Chapters on: patreon.com/Zefyrus