Wet viviparity

Chapter 983 The Old Camp, the True Purpose
The old camp of the spotted shark was not built on the water, but hidden at the entrance of a deep underwater canyon, 400 miles southeast of Longmen.

Countless caves have been carved into the rock walls on both sides of the canyon, densely packed like a honeycomb. These caves are all surrounded by bone fences as strong as steel, from which a faint, malevolent aura emanates.

There is no ethereal glow of a pearl market here, only the darkness of the seabed and the coldness of the water. Being here always gives you a sticky feeling on your skin.

At the largest cave entrance stood two watchtowers constructed from the skulls of enormous sharks. The eerie green phosphorescent flames atop the towers, like a pair of ghostly eyes, scanned the surrounding dark seawater. This was the old camp of the East Sea Dragon Palace, stationed near Dragon Gate to deter the treacherous spotted sharks.

Uncle Zhao, a thin old man dressed in a black armor made of sharkskin, held the Zhao Su talisman and moved like a slippery black fish, silently passing through the layers of sentries and guard arrays surrounding the old camp, and came straight to the outside of the main camp cave.

Before he could even announce it, his gaze sharpened.

Beside the cave entrance, which was carved from a single piece of coral reef, stood a young man clad in bright silver scale armor and sporting a pair of small, jade-colored dragon horns on his forehead.

The boy stood with his arms crossed, a playful smile on his lips, his bright eyes observing with great interest the various ferocious shark demons swimming in the camp. He was none other than the youngest son of the East Sea Dragon King, Xiao Chenlong.

Third Uncle's heart sank suddenly.

Ever since Xiao Chenlong was accidentally caught up in the battle between Lingxu Xiaosheng and Caihu Chanshi in the East China Sea, he has held the little saint of Taiping Mountain in high esteem and has often praised the little saint's "great supernatural powers" and "advanced ideas".

It is said that since then, he has been in close contact with Xiao Sheng, and unexpectedly became best friends with Luo Manshi Tong from Letou Mountain Qimen Cave, who also worships Xiao Sheng.

His presence at this sensitive location, in the old camp of the spotted sharks, speaks volumes.

"Isn't this the third master of the Zhao family?"

Xiao Chenlong also saw Uncle Zhao and greeted him casually, but there was a hint of danger in his eyes. "What wind blew you here to this underwater dwelling? Is it for the excitement at Dragon Gate?"

"Little Chenlong, I have come to discuss important matters with Xie Yue Shuixian on the orders of the patriarch." The third uncle remained unmoved. He did not want to get entangled with this little dragon prince any longer, and stepped into the cave.

Just then, after only a few steps, a steady footstep sound came from inside the cave, along with a gentle yet authoritative voice, "Is it Senior Mingyan of the Zhao family who has arrived? This junior is Nanpanjiang Linghan, greetings."

As the words fell, a handsome young prince, dressed in a brocade robe and wearing a pearl crown, slowly stepped forward, his arms crossed, blocking his way.

"Jinbi Water Mansion!"
"May the precious merits and virtues grace the sacred hall!"

The two words flashed through his mind.

As early as during the Grand Council presided over by the Little Sage Lingxu, the Jinbi Water Mansion of Nanpanjiang had signed that damned "Treasury Merit and Spiritual Court Assistance Charter," thus becoming deeply intertwined with the interests of Taiping Mountain. At this moment, the Crown Prince of the Jinbi Water Mansion appearing at the Spotted Shark Camp of the East Sea Dragon Palace, and even sharing the same place with the Little Sage's obviously close Xiao Chenlong, is no coincidence.

The cave was dark and deep. Prince Linghan and Xiao Chenlong stood one in front of the other, their expressions gradually revealing murderous intent.

What is the meaning of Xie Yue's narcissus in this old camp?

But I must use my old head to curry favor with the young saint.

Zhao Mingyan was very calm, which was a gift from his cultivation and experience. He faced the most threatening Crown Prince Linghan directly and first pointed out that Xie Yue Shuixian was the one who could make the decision, even though he had guessed that Xie Yue Shuixian in the old camp must have been transferred elsewhere.

He added, "That Little Saint Lingxu has already lost his power. It's not worth taking any risks for him, and he can't offer any wealth or path to enlightenment."

I know that your Jinxiu Water Mansion, like Taiping Mountain, also wants to dredge Luoyin Lake and use the Lijiang River from Baoguang Prefecture to flow eastward into the sea, thus connecting the Nanpan River and Beipan River, which are separated by the lake, and regaining control of all the waterways in southern China. The matter of using the Lijiang River as a passageway is something I believe we can discuss.”

"Little Chenlong".

Zhao Mingyan turned his head slightly, his gaze sweeping over the little dragon behind him, and stroked his beard, saying, "Don't forget, the dragon princesses of your Dragon Palace for generations have all been important subjects under my Holy Ancestor. The position of the Prosperity Immortal Official was originally created specifically for your dragon princess."

Although the dragon maiden refused and later tragically perished, the bond between the Holy Ancestor and the Dragon Palace was forged from that time onward, and the position of the God of Prosperity has always been held by the dragon maidens of the East Sea Dragon Palace.

"You're not a child anymore. If you keep acting like this, how much face will the Dragon Palace retain in the mortal realm? After this, I'll go ask that Chongchi Dragon Maiden how she became such a benevolent official, unable to even control her own family."

Having said that, the third uncle of the Zhao family strode forward, while Crown Prince Linghan and Xiao Chenlong remained motionless.

Seeing that the Crown Prince Linghan stepped aside to make way, Zhao Mingyan loosened his grip on the jade seal slightly.

"Little Saint, this is on the coast of the East China Sea in Baoguang Prefecture, not in the South. Who would dare to disobey my Holy Ancestor here? You are already powerless to do so. How long can you control the Righteous God?" Zhao Mingsan thought to himself, stroking his beard and laughing with satisfaction.

When he reached the innermost part, he saw two figures, one sitting and one standing.

The standing figure was a female immortal, with her hair styled in a cloud-like pattern and dressed in a green robe. The person sitting cross-legged also had an extraordinary bearing, and beneath his thin Taoist robe, there seemed to be an inner garment that emitted a blood-red glow. The two looked like a divine couple.

"Stone Venerable Ding Ruyi, and Green Flower Fairy, do you really dare to kill your own kind?" The seated man roared, his eyes blazing with fury, "Old dog, when your Zhao family traitorous ancestor insulted my master, did you ever think of the righteous path? Now you use this to suppress me, how laughable, how hateful!"

Listening to the Waves Stone is located on a remote riverbank, about 200 miles west of Longmen City.

The towering rock resembles someone listening intently to the ocean waves, hence its name. Beneath the rock lies a hidden waterway connecting to the Luogen Blessed Land, providing the Zhao family with a shortcut for emergency reinforcements.

At this moment, Zhao Si Niangzi, Zhao Ni, stood alone atop the Listening to the Waves Stone, the river wind whipping her long, tied-up hair and Taoist robes.

She was ordered to provide support, but in reality, she sat idly by, a deep worry etched on her brow. Not far behind her, the Sea Patrol Yaksha tribe and the River-Turning Army had quietly deployed their defenses on the river, their menacing aura emanating from them as they advanced towards Longmen.

Uncle Langxing, who was stationed there, possessed profound Qi, like a silent mountain, ensuring absolute safety.

"It's always like this."

Zhao Ni's worried expression was tinged with coldness.

Before leaving, the patriarch's words still echoed in my ears: "The priority on this trip is to provide support and stabilize the situation. As for those disciples from the scattered sects... Alas, the Dragon Gate has suffered such a great calamity, it is already difficult for them to survive. The family will handle the subsequent investigation and make its own judgment. You do not need to interfere too much and add to the trouble."

"Jiang Shiliu"

As Zhao Ni silently recited the name, the image of that gentle-eyed young man who dared to cross the South China Sea for the sake of justice appeared before her eyes.

She admired Jiang Shiliu's kindness and courage, and never hid it. Compared to the increasingly rigid and scheming members of the Zhao family, Jiang Shiliu was like a rare spring of clear water. But was this spring about to be swallowed up by the filth of the Zhao family?

"Why is it always so pedantic and corrupt, and does it not please me?"

Just as Zhao Ni was feeling depressed, Uncle Langxing arrived with Yu Biao's family retainers from the Yaksha tribe and Hui Jin's family retainers from the Daobing Camp. They looked at a place outside the stone and said, "People are coming! If they are outsiders, you don't need to take action. Don't make things difficult for them."

"Then thank you, Uncle."

“Ni girl.”

Uncle Langxing didn't look at the approaching people, but said to Zhao Ni, "There are quite a few people in the family who are inclined to reform and eliminate the old, and there are also those who betray their families and rebel against their superiors. As long as these children show any signs of this, they will be marginalized."

"You, Ni'er, over the years, with your chivalrous spirit, you've made friends regardless of social status, high or low, and deeply influenced by the spirit of change. Yet, the head of the family and the elders of the clan have never doubted you. Do you know why?"

"Why?"

"Because of the bigger picture."

Uncle Langxing said firmly, "Don't laugh at me, but which of us—myself, Patriarch Zhao Su, and your Uncle Mingyan—didn't do outrageous things when we were young? Not to mention proclaiming reforms to the Zhao family, we even assassinated the elders of the True Spirit Sect."

But in the end, the clan still entrusted him with important responsibilities.

This is not because we have changed, but because we have a broader perspective. We are not like those naive people who shout slogans all day long, rely solely on brute force, and naively believe that the reform cause can be accomplished by eliminating one or two leaders.

The reconciliation we are about to achieve is a difficult step we have taken, but if all goes well, we will all have a much-needed chance to catch our breath.

"hehe!"

Zhao Ni smiled inappropriately and said in a strange tone, "Uncle, if you hadn't said it, I would have thought that it was because I had cultivated the true form of the male and female snakes that you valued me so much. It turns out it's not because of my cultivation level, but because of my character. I've really learned something."

At the edge of the pine forest outside the Listening to the Waves Stone, on the edge of the shadows cast by the moonlight on the woodland, a glimmer of water appears, and a human figure emerges within it.

“Uncle!” Zhao Ni stared at the figure that appeared and said, “Do you really think that the righteous god attacked Longmen for the Dog Lord’s Dog Talisman?”

“You wouldn’t want to say that he has his eye on my Zhao family’s Chenlong Yuanfu, which is currently in the hands of Ancestor Nazhen.”

"Otherwise, it could be the two talismans of my Zhao family, Chen Yun and Chen Lei. One of these talismans is with the family head, and the other is with my great-uncle Mingyan. They can also enable the righteous generals to cultivate the 'Six Jia Spirit Flying Strategy Essence Book' to perfection."

Upon hearing this, Uncle Langxing's spirit skipped a beat, then his expression relaxed.

He laughed and said, "That's absolutely impossible. If that happens, my Zhao family will definitely summon a Yang God Earth Immortal to destroy him. He's just a mere Earth Deity. His cultivation might be comparable to the Fifth Realm, but he's no match for a Sixth Realm Yang God Earth Immortal."

(End of this chapter)