Supreme Golden Palace

Chapter 219 Dragon Palace (Part 2)

Lu Shang raised his hand and stroked the table, feeling his blood and energy surging through his body.

"This divine dish is truly extraordinary,"

Then, he lowered his eyes to look at the faint white steam rising from his palm and said softly, "Eating this celestial delicacy, I feel my heart filled with purity and my mind clear; it is truly wonderful."

"It is absolutely wonderful,"

Upon hearing this, the Dragon King of the Wei River slightly closed his dragon eyes and laughed, "My lord, in this vast world, most immortals of the Three Realms do not eat grains, but drink the wind and dew. The reason they eat immortal food is because this immortal food has three benefits."

"The so-called benefits are: first, to cleanse the body of impurities and remove chronic illnesses; second, to nourish the vital essence and add to one's longevity; and third, to refresh the mind and uplift the spirit, forgetting worldly worries. The delicacies of the immortals are not merely for satisfying the palate, but truly a step closer to immortality!"

"I've learned something," Lü Shang said, slowly releasing his palm as the white mist in his hand gradually dissipated.

As they spoke, the music from the zither ceased, and the dampness inside the hall gradually subsided.

With a wave of his hand, the Dragon Lord of the Wei River summoned eight female attendants in green robes who quietly withdrew with empty plates, leaving only a faint fragrance on the table.

Lu Shang got up and straightened his robes. At this moment, Lu Shang was enveloped in a lustrous glow, which was the light emanating from the acupoints of his body after being nourished by the immortal food.

He clasped his hands and bowed deeply, solemnly saying, "The Dragon Lord has treated me with great kindness, and I have no way to repay him. In the future, if you ever have any requests, I will certainly grant them."

"The banquet is over, and I still have many worldly affairs to attend to. I dare not disturb the tranquility of the underwater palace any longer, and it is time for me to return."

The Dragon King of the Wei River also rose. Looking at Lü Shang's increasingly clear eyes, his smile still lingering, he said, "Since you wish to return to the mortal world, I will not force you to stay."

"If you encounter a water disaster on this journey, you may use this talisman to summon the aquatic creatures of the Wei River,"

With that, he flicked his finger, and a jade-white scale flew out from his sleeve, landing steadily in Lü Shang's palm. The scale felt slightly cool to the touch and trembled slightly in Lü Shang's hand.

"Lord Lü, I know you are on this journey to quell the Qiang rebellion, therefore I have something to tell you,"

The Dragon King of the Wei River paused slightly, his dragon eyes sharpening, and said, "Your Excellency, please be extremely careful on your journey. The Qiang people have been based in Nanzhan for thousands of years and have their own strengths."

"Even if Your Excellency is a martial arts master, invincible among mortals, it's easy to dodge a spear in the open, but hard to guard against an arrow in the dark. You should still be cautious."

The Qiang people can be considered the main branch of the Western Rong. They lived in the northwest before the Three Dynasties and migrated with the water and grass.

During the Shang Dynasty, there was a saying about four states. Among them, the western states were Qiang and Zhou. Zhou later established a state, which was Ji Zhou.

Today, the capital of the Zhou dynasty, Haojing, has long since fallen to the iron hooves of the Quanrong, while the Qiang people continue their traditions.

The fact that the Qiang people survived for thousands of years shows that their strength should not be underestimated.

Lu Shang frowned slightly, cupped his hands and said, "Thank you for your guidance, Dragon Lord."

Outside the hall, the envoy Xuan Yuan was already waiting at the foot of the steps. When he saw Lü Shang come out, he bowed and led him toward the exit of the water boundary.

Outside the palace, the waterway meanders, with coral and jade trees on both sides shimmering with light. Mermaids stand among the water plants, holding jade fans as they bid farewell from afar.

Lu Shang's gaze swept over this magnificent waterside landscape. Without stopping, he passed through three water gates and arrived at the boundary gate of the water realm once again.

Xuan Yuan stood beside the archway and, seeing Lü Shang stop, whispered, "If you encounter any difficulties on your journey, my lord, you can use this edict to summon the aquatic creatures of the Wei River for assistance."

Lu Shang felt the shimmering white scales on his palm, then turned to look at the water realm behind him. The crystal-clear waters were gradually being shrouded in mist, and the shimmering light of the coral and jade trees was hidden in the fog.

“Let’s go,” Lü Shang said, withdrawing his gaze and stepping into the border pass.

The moment I passed through the archway, the cool, damp air around me vanished, and the gurgling sound of water was replaced by the clattering of armor plates.

The night fog still enveloped the city gate, but the glow in the fog was no longer the pearly light exhaled by shrimp, but the flickering candlelight on the eaves of the government office.

The bamboo whip lay quietly on the table. Lü Shang opened his palm, and the dragon scales in his hand were still trembling slightly. Golden light flowed on the scales, reflecting a trace of solemnity in his eyes.

The dragon scales were a talisman bestowed by the Dragon King of the Wei River! Lü Shang thought for a moment, then put the dragon scales into his robes and touched the bamboo whip on the table. The daze in his heart immediately dissipated.

------

Just after Lü Shang left the Dragon Palace of the Wei River and returned to the human world, he arrived at Dazhen Pass.

"It's a pity that such a talented person is hard to find; it's a shame he couldn't ascend to immortality and join the ranks of the immortals."

Inside the main hall, the Dragon King of the Wei River sighed softly, his dragon eyes deep and thoughtful, as he stood before the table.

The Dragon King of the Wei River truly admired Lü Shang and genuinely wanted to take him as his son-in-law.

If he didn't truly value him, why would he host a banquet and serve Lü Shang celestial delicacies? Although the Dragon Lord was wealthy, he wasn't this rich.

"It's rare to see Your Majesty so favored by someone from below,"

Just as the Dragon King was feeling lost and dejected, the Dragon Palace's Prime Minister, the Turtle Prime Minister, slowly emerged from the side hall and said softly.

"First, he presented this boy with a guide diagram, and now he's hosting a banquet for him. Your Majesty is being far too generous to him,"

"You do not understand,"

Facing the Prime Minister Turtle Prime Minister, the Dragon King of the Wei River shook his head and said, "This child is no ordinary person. If he can settle his karmic debts in the human world and enter the mountains to cultivate, his future will be limitless. Who knows, he might not be the next Wang Lingguan?"

"You mean, Wang, Wang Lingguan?"

Prime Minister Gui was taken aback, and finally couldn't help but glance at the misty water outside the palace.

"Your Majesty, do you really think highly of that person below?"

What kind of existence is Wang Lingguan? Riding a golden whip and sitting in the Lingxiao Palace, he is a ruthless person whom even the fiercest demons of the Three Realms would avoid.

Taoists revered him as the "Great Spirit Official of the Capital Heaven", the "Head of the Five Hundred Spirit Officials", and the "First Guardian Spirit Official".

It's important to know that in Taoism, there are five hundred spirit officials. These spirit officials are essentially guardian deities. Those who can be called spirit officials are all top-tier divine generals, each a powerful figure capable of dominating their own region.

Among them, the best, such as Zhao Gongming of Zhengyi Xuantan and Sanyan Huaguang, are all people with great supernatural powers. Wang Lingguan was able to become the head of the five hundred spirit officials, which shows his ability.

Its full title is "Primordial Chief General, Loyal Protector of the Way, Three-Five Fire Chariot King, Heavenly Lord, Manifestation of Mighty Spirit, Heavenly Venerable". He holds a wind and fire wheel in his left hand and a golden whip in his right. He has a red face, three eyes, golden armor, and a red robe. He is in charge of investigating and punishing people in the heavens and the human world, and guards the mountain gate.

It can be said that within the Three Realms, there are only a handful of battle immortals who can compare to Wang Lingguan. Even the most famous ones, such as Sun Wukong, Yang Jian, and Nezha, might not be able to easily defeat Wang Lingguan.

"alright,"

Seeing the turtle's panicked and astonished appearance, the Dragon King of the Wei River raised an eyebrow, glanced at him with displeasure, and said with a hint of impatience in his golden eyes, "You old turtle, how come you're getting less and less impressive as you get older?"

"I merely valued his talent and granted him some opportunities. When did I ever say that he would definitely become a great supernatural being like Wang Lingguan?"

"Human affairs are most unpredictable. Although I have high hopes for him, whether he succeeds or not depends on his own fate."

"It was this old minister's fault for being impolite,"

The Turtle Prime Minister felt a chill run down his spine when the Dragon King looked at him, and quickly composed himself.

"That's all,"

The Dragon King snorted, flicked his sleeves, and slowly stepped across the palace steps.

Finally, I stopped in front of the Dragon Palace Water Pavilion, gazing at the coral reefs that appeared and disappeared in the mist, my golden eyes reflecting the shimmering water.

(End of this chapter)