Mang Shusheng's Ink Painting Practice

Chapter 271 The Old Tales of the Dragon Clan
Before heading to the East Sea to search for the Dragon Clan, Zhao Yifu decided to first reconnect with his biological brother.

As for how to find the 'Biology Brother'?
That's when we'll need to use 'Dreamlike Immortal Journey'.

After closing his eyes and falling into a deep sleep, a wisp of his divine consciousness drifted across the layers of spatial barriers and descended to the mortal world.

He is back.

I came back in my dream.

This world still belongs to Da Xu.

Nearly fifty years have passed since the successful northern expedition of Emperor Zhongzu of Daxu, and the national strength of Daxu has reached its peak.

For cultivators, fifty years may not change much, but for Zhao Yifu, it meant that he had almost no familiar faces left in the sect he once knew.

Upon revisiting Mount Mo, Zhao Yifu discovered that there were no longer any great scholars or highly skilled individuals from within the sect residing on Mount Mo.

Why?

It's just that everyone is too realistic.

After all, they are local deities, mountain gods, and underworld officials. Some people who know they cannot succeed in their cultivation in this life have long chosen to reincarnate and start over.

Shenhe Manor, on the other hand, is thriving...

Zhao Yifu's divine consciousness drifted to Shenhe Manor and saw his father, who was over a hundred years old but still very energetic...

"Huh? Is it time for me to come? Why do you see my Fu'er here to pick me up?"

The saying "old people become shrewd" probably describes this situation perfectly.

Zhao Yunhe is so old, and he has practiced Qi all his life. Even if he couldn't enter the cultivation world, he must have acquired some spirituality... That's why he saw Zhao Yifu, who wasn't deliberately hiding himself.

Upon seeing this, Zhao Yifu respectfully bowed and said, "Father, are you still alive? Your son has come down to earth to see you... I never expected to see you again."

This is what I said...

Zhao Yunhe took it all in stride, after all, he was getting on in years and didn't have many more years left to be father and son.

He said, "It really is Junxin! How is it up in heaven?"

He said with eyes full of envy.

Zhao Yifu said, "Heaven is not so good. It is full of deceit and treachery. Ordinary celestial beings are not even as secure as those on earth."

What he said wasn't entirely correct, but the life and death of celestial beings in the heavenly realm are indeed often in the hands of powerful individuals, unlike in the mortal realm where, if there is a powerful unified dynasty to suppress them, there is always a law that can provide some protection.

Upon hearing this, Zhao Yunhe couldn't help but sigh: "How could it be like this? It's really not as good as the human world... By the way, I won't go to heaven to become a celestial being after I die, will I?"

Zhao Yifu was speechless.

If someone else had said that, he would have had to scoff at it.

After all, most of the celestial beings in the heavenly realm live very comfortably, since there is a powerful institution like the Heavenly Court keeping things in check.

But the problem is, it looks like the Heavenly Court is about to collapse.

Judging from all the signs, he even suspected that his own grandmaster was also researching how to bring down the Heavenly Court...

However, he then explained, "Don't worry, Father, you will enjoy the incense offerings for three lifetimes after you die, and then you will enter the cycle of reincarnation."

"The son will definitely find a good place for his father."

Zhao Yifu felt he had that ability. Not only had he already latched onto Dongyue's coattails, but now he also had the Taiqing lineage as his backer... More importantly, after getting on Youquan's good side, he had the right to flip the table at any time... Anyway, he could always make Youquan take the blame.

Zhao Yunhe chuckled and said, “It’s alright, it’s alright. In this life, although I live a long life, I am confined to my home and unable to realize my ambitions. In comparison, I envy your second uncle. Although he passed away early, he was very powerful and respected by thousands when he was alive. I deeply admire him… In the next life, I also want to live a different life.”

Zhao Yifu understood and said, "Okay, okay, I'll make the arrangements."

"By the way, when I was a county magistrate in the southwest, I found a geomantically auspicious site. If Father wants the family to prosper and to be rich and noble in the next life, perhaps he can be buried there after his death."

"By the way, I have a servant over there, but I don't know if he's still alive... But it's alright, I'll have Old Huang take you there when the time comes."

Zhao Yifu said with a smile that he had already planned where to bury his father.

Zhao Yunhe was speechless for a moment, then waved his cane and said, "Go away, you can't expect anything good to come out of a dog's mouth."

The aged Zhao Yunhe had completely lost the imposing presence of his youth; in his old age, he seemed to have only a kind and gentle demeanor left.

He looked at his second son with affection and sighed, "The eldest son is gone because of bad luck, and the third son hasn't come home often since he went to Mount Mo. As for you... sigh, I'm getting old, I'm getting old."

Zhao Yifu suddenly felt a pang of sadness; after all, it was his father.

He sighed and said, "Father, don't be sad. I will come to see you often in the future."

As a son, there are some things that you have to take on even if you don't want to.

Besides, his visits were only in dreams.

A dream can be very long, or it can be just a fleeting moment.

Zhao Yifu paused and asked, "Where's the third brother? Where is he hiding?"

Zhao Yunhe's cloudy eyes dimmed slightly as he said, "After he got married, he and his wife lived on Fairy Lake. It's not far, but it's been thirty years since he's been home."

Zhao Yifu was quite surprised. His younger brother was something else; not only was his wife his enemy, but he also went to settle in the place where he had been killed in previous lives...

Zhao Yifu bid farewell to his father and then drifted south until he arrived at that great lake.

Zhao Yi'an and his wife live on this small island in the middle of the lake.

They were equally surprised by Zhao Yifu's arrival... The couple seemed completely isolated from the world and had forgotten their worldly identities.

Zhao Yifu said irritably, "How long has it been since you went home to visit your father?"

"I heard you weren't there when Mother passed away, you only showed up briefly at the burial... Are you not proper sons?"

Zhao Yi'an still had that youthful appearance. Looking at Zhao Yifu's wisp of divine thought, he subconsciously said, "Second Brother, didn't you go to the upper realm?"

Zhao Yifu said, "Yes, I worked hard to cultivate to become a Celestial Immortal in the Upper Realm, and the first thing I did was to spare a thought to come down to the Lower Realm to see you all... Who knew that you unfilial wretch only cared about living with your wife and left your parents and relatives aside... Take this beating!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a huge wave suddenly surged up on the lake, slapping Zhao Yi'an hard on the back like a slap, sending him tumbling several times.

Zhao Yi'an exclaimed in shock, "Second Brother, this is just a wisp of divine thought, isn't it? No, Second Brother, you've already become a celestial being?"

Zhao Yifu snorted coldly and said, "Is that so strange?"

Zhao Yi'an said with a sigh, "Back then, I was trapped in the fairy realm for thousands of years, and I was so disheartened that I descended to the mortal world to become a dragon king."

His wife, standing beside him, said quietly, "I remember back then, after I ascended to the mortal realm, I served as a celestial soldier for two hundred years without even being entitled to a name. In the end, I couldn't bear it any longer and had to be banished to the mortal realm."

Different people, different fates—this is their most direct feeling right now.

Zhao Yifu said, "Stop talking nonsense. Since you have become members of the Zhao family and wives of the Zhao family in this life, you should bear the corresponding responsibilities. After all, our bodies and hair are given to us by our parents, which is a matter of human ethics and natural law."

Zhao Yi'an said lazily, "Okay, okay."

This perfunctory attitude makes it clear what will happen after Zhao Yifu leaves.

Zhao Yifu also had a way to deal with this.

Don't forget that he also imprisons many celestial demons in the 'Demon King's Castle' of the dream world!
Suddenly, a dark figure appeared beside him, trembling...

This is a man who instills a sense of instinctive fear in even the most powerful demons.

Then, without hesitation, Zhao Yifu threw the Heavenly Demon at Zhao Yi'an and said, "From now on, you must pay your respects to your father every day, and even after he passes away, you must offer incense every year, otherwise..."

He thought about it for a moment and realized that Zhao Yi'an was too lazy to even cultivate...

So he said, "As punishment, you'll always see a burly barbarian man whenever you see your wife."

What a vicious curse...

Zhao Yi'an stared blankly, unable to believe that his brother would do such a vicious thing to him.

His wife was also severely psychologically distressed, but she quickly recovered and said, "Please rest assured, Second Brother, I will definitely make sure he pays his respects to Father."

Zhao Yifu nodded in satisfaction.

Then, looking at Zhao Yi'an, whose mental defenses had been completely broken down, he said, "Alright, now tell me what the Dragon Clan is all about."

Zhao Yi'an looked up blankly, feeling utterly speechless... After all that, all they wanted to do was try to get information out of him. Was it really necessary to go through all this trouble?

……

Zhao Yifu's divine sense returned, and he embarked on his journey to the East Sea.

The information Zhao Yi'an received wasn't exactly useful, but it also provided him with crucial information... It all depends on what these dragons are thinking right now.

Heading eastward, they soon left the land and entered the ocean.

Once inside the ocean, Zhao Yifu seemed even more carefree, like a fish swimming in water.

He plunged into the sea, just like a drop of water flowing into the ocean, without any hesitation.

In this sea brimming with water, he felt as if he were back home... This was another benefit of his current Celestial Immortal realm: making what he was already good at even better.

He was originally skilled in water magic, but now magic has become supernatural power, and supernatural power has become instinct... It would be appropriate to say that he is a member of the water tribe.

As for the location of the Dragon Palace... there's no need to go looking for it specifically, since we've already asked for directions.

The location of the Dragon Palace has never changed since ancient times. Zhao Yifu quickly arrived at a magnificent palace complex built of colorful corals and seabed crystals by traversing the water.

With his water-escape technique, he could easily get close without being detected.

But considering that Youquan had asked him to 'establish diplomatic relations', he behaved politely enough.

He revealed his figure from afar, then bowed deeply, his voice already reaching the Dragon Palace: "This humble student, Fu Yinzi, requests an audience with the Dragon King."

His voice startled many beings, and shrimp soldiers and crab generals swarmed over, surrounding him completely.

However, these shrimp soldiers and crab generals only dared to surround him, because Zhao Yifu had an aura that made them fearful.

It's like the bloodline suppression from one's father or grandfather.

Zhao Yifu still respectfully made a fist-and-palm gesture, after all, he was facing the Dragon King of the East Sea, who was personally appointed by the Heavenly Court and was the sea god who guarded the sea.

However, a moment later, a person with a dragon head on his head was seen walking briskly with an old and unsteady gait.

During this process, he clasped his hands together and repeatedly shouted, "So it is an immortal who has come here. This humble god greets you."

Looking at the pale, drooping dragon whiskers, Zhao Yifu suddenly felt a pang of sadness.

The Dragon King is very strong, but he is also very old.

At such an advanced age, yet still so humble...

At an age when he should be respected, he was overly polite, which was humility. Zhao Yifu quickly stepped forward, took the old dragon king's hand, bowed and pleaded, "How can the dragon king demean himself like this? I am but a nobody who has only recently ascended to heaven. How can I ask the old dragon king to bow down? You are making me feel ashamed."

Polite, extremely polite.

The old Dragon King shook Zhao Yifu's hand with emotion and said, "Young friend, how can you be an unknown nobody?"

"Even Old Dragon, who is far away in the East Sea, has heard of the story of destroying the Sword Immortal Alliance in one battle."

Zhao Yifu was embarrassed, never expecting his reputation to spread so far.

However, the headquarters of the Sword Immortal Alliance is located in the Eastern Heaven Realm, so any incident here will definitely spread first in the Eastern Heaven Realm. Strictly speaking, the East Sea Dragon Palace is also part of the Eastern Heaven Realm.

Zhao Yifu said modestly, "Dragon King is too kind. It's just a small matter and not worth mentioning. May we go inside to talk?"

Looking at Zhao Yifu, who appeared humble on the surface but was actually shameless, the Dragon King was speechless. Wasn't he rushing out to perform just to avoid trouble?
If Zhao Yifu were to enter the Dragon Palace, some things would become unclear.

So he said, “No problem, no problem. The Dragon Palace is large but also cramped. Why don’t we set up a feast here and talk while we eat?”

Zhao Yifu nodded and said, "Alright, let's do it that way."

As he spoke, the surrounding seawater naturally created a considerable space around him.

The old Dragon King immediately ordered people to bring in tables, chairs, wine, and dishes, and then told them to retreat far away.

Then the old dragon displayed excellent social skills, drinking and chatting with Zhao Yifu for quite a while, and the atmosphere in the desolate seabed was not awkward at all.

He even lamented, "It's a pity this place is a bit far, otherwise I would definitely have my old maids dance to entertain you, young friend."

Zhao Yifu smiled and said, "No need to be so polite. Actually, I have quite a connection with the Dragon Clan."

The Dragon King's beard twitched, and he couldn't help but ask, "What's the connection?"

Zhao Yifu said, "My third brother is actually the reincarnation of a dragon king in the mortal realm. Isn't that the origin of our connection?"

The Dragon King was taken aback for a moment, then stroked his beard and laughed out loud, saying, "I see. However, my dragon clan is numerous, so those remote little dragons probably have little to do with my East Sea Dragon Palace."

Good grief, they're so eager to distance themselves from the situation.

Zhao Yifu added, "That's right. My younger brother is just an ordinary little dragon. He only got a job in the mortal world because he was once a close attendant of the Third Prince."

"Clang~"

Old Long's wine glass suddenly fell to the ground.

Then, absentmindedly, he picked up the wine glass and was about to pour himself a drink.

Seeing this, Zhao Yifu snatched the wine cup, rinsed it with water, and then poured a cup of fine wine for him, presenting it with both hands and saying, "Dragon King, please."

They treated the old dragon with the respect due to a junior.

The old Dragon King trembled slightly, and shakily accepted the wine cup, saying, "My dragon clan cannot withstand any more turmoil!"

With that, he downed the drink in his glass in one gulp.

This seems to make their stance clear.

Zhao Yifu didn't say anything upon hearing this. He simply took out a scroll from his sleeve, placed it on the table, and said, "I have only come here to get to know the Dragon King. I have no intention of asking the Dragon King to do anything."

"Consider this painting a small gift. I hope that next time you visit, young man, you can..."

Zhao Yifu paused for a moment, then, feeling that there was no need to say anything more, laughed and said, "It's nothing, I just hope the Dragon King likes it. In any case, I personally have great respect for the Dragon King."

With that, he got up to take his leave.

The Dragon King watched Zhao Yifu leave with an air of nonchalance and breathed a slight sigh of relief.

Then He looked at the painting on the table and felt a strange sense of emotion, and then reached out His hand to the painting...

……

Zhao Yifu didn't care whether he could befriend the Dragon Clan, but if nothing unexpected happened, the matter would definitely succeed.

Because his younger brother told him some tragic stories about the dragon race:

Long ago, in a place called Chentang Pass, there came a super-powerful young man. This super-powerful young man not only disturbed the sea creatures while bathing in the sea, but also killed the patrolling sea demon who came to check.

The Dragon Palace has the responsibility of guarding the sea frontier. How could it be allowed to kill a righteous god personally appointed by the Heavenly Emperor?

So another deity personally appointed by the Heavenly Emperor, the Third Prince of the East Sea Dragon Palace, who was in charge of summoning clouds and rain to nourish all things, went to investigate...

Good heavens, that extraordinary young man actually pressed down on the Third Prince's head and skinned him alive!

What a torture.

Guess what?

Although the extraordinary young man was forced to suffer a calamity by the enraged Dragon King, he had a powerful background and managed to reshape his physical body and eventually become a god in his physical form!
And what about the third prince of the Dragon Clan?
Although he was also made a god... is being made a god after death the same as becoming a god in the physical body?

The third prince of the Dragon Clan was appointed as a War God. Although he regained his divine position, he was no longer the third prince he once was...

You should know that both the sea patrol yaksha and the former third prince of the Dragon Palace held official positions in the Heavenly Court... so it's no big deal that they died.
How could the dragons possibly let this go?

Enraged, a portion of the dragon race raised an army, leading many sea creatures in an attempt to storm the Heavenly Court and seek justice for the dragon race.

As for the ending, there's not much to say.

The leading dragon was named Ao Jia, and he was defeated and captured along with many other sea creatures.

Another pure-blooded dragon named Ao Yi was so badly injured that he never appeared again.

Zhao Yifu leaped out of the sea, preparing to fly away.

He planned to come back in a couple of days, since he had just reached the Celestial Immortal realm and still had many things to learn and solidify his foundation.

In the blink of an eye, a strong aura of yang energy gathered from the 'Seal of Faith' in his arms.

It was a deep, unadulterated concern, devoid of any superfluous emotions.

Zhao Yifu stopped. He knew the old Dragon King would be eager to find him... There was no need to cause a father so much more trouble.

"Young friend, young friend, please wait a moment!"

The Dragon King emerged from the sea, shouting.

Zhao Yifu greeted him with a smile.

The Dragon King composed himself, then flicked his sleeve and said, "Please come to the Dragon Palace for a chat, young friend."

Zhao Yifu said, "Let's just go to a secluded place. There's no need to make things difficult for the Dragon King."

The Dragon King nodded, then said, "Please follow me, young friend."

As he spoke, he turned over and dived back into the water.

Zhao Yifu also chased after them.

He swam in the water like a fish, even more freely than a fish, and kept up with the Dragon King without falling behind.

The Dragon King had no intention of taking it seriously; he simply led Zhao Yifu to a desolate underwater pit.

“Young friend, there used to be a powerful treasure here, but it was taken away and left unused.”

“In this deep sea, even if someone wants to spy, they cannot hide it from this old man.”

Without any unnecessary words or hesitation, Zhao Yifu directly projected an image onto the sea using illusion magic.

A massive dragon coiled beside the Heavenly Prison Pillar, constantly enduring the purging of heavenly lightning and the excruciating torture of the Nine Heavens Gale Winds.

It remained silent with its eyes closed, as if silently enduring or simply asleep.

"My son!"

Old Dragon wept bitterly.

Zhao Yifu silently stepped aside and said softly, "It is imprisoned on the ninth level of the Heavenly Prison, while those aquatic creatures who followed it in rebellion back then are probably imprisoned on the seventh level of the Heavenly Prison."

As he spoke, he prepared to leave, giving the old Dragon King the time to himself.

Longlong suddenly wiped away his tears and said, "Immortal, don't go! Since you know my son's whereabouts, you must have a way to save him... Please, Immortal, save my son!"

Zhao Yifu shook his head and said, "It was only by chance that I worked as a jailer in the Heavenly Prison for a while, which gave me the opportunity to see it."

"But the Heavenly Prison is heavily guarded; how could someone as insignificant as me possibly find a way out?"

"Ah~"

He sighed one last time, expressing deep pity for the old Dragon King and his family.

This family is truly miserable; they were just sitting at home when disaster struck from the sky.

The old Dragon King sighed softly, "The fact that the immortal brought news of my son is already the greatest favor. Old Dragon... Old Dragon..."

The old Dragon King began to sob uncontrollably again.

Zhao Yifu comforted him, saying, "Dragon King, please accept my condolences. Since the Crown Prince is still alive, there is hope, isn't there?"

The old Dragon King didn't cry for long. He quickly wiped away his tears and said, "Immortal, please tell me. What do you and the beings behind you want me and the Dragon Clan to do?"

"Apart from using the dragons as cannon fodder, I, the old dragon, will agree to anything as long as it can save my son."

Zhao Yifu smiled knowingly; his mission was now complete.

I thought it would be a really difficult task, but I completed it, didn't I?
So he said, "I wonder if the Dragon King has ever heard of the ancestral god born from the dark river?"

The dragon race has a long history, and they even know some of these secrets.

The old Dragon King trembled, nodded with difficulty, and said, "I know."

"Could it be..."

Zhao Yifu smiled gently and said, "Indeed, I have come as a persuader on the orders of Venerable Youquan."

The old Dragon King's expression changed rapidly.

He hesitated for a long time, and just as Zhao Yifu was wondering why the name of Youquan was so frightening, He finally said, "If this Venerable One is capable of saving my son... However, this old man dares not have too much of a connection with him."

The concept of the orthodox lineage of heaven and earth is indeed deeply ingrained in people's minds. Even the dragon race, which has suffered so much bullying, is unwilling to truly oppose the orthodox lineage.

Perhaps it is because the dragons have enough knowledge that they know there is someone else behind the true lineage of heaven and earth.

Just then, Zhao Yifu suddenly heard his grandmaster's voice: "The Life-Creating Treasure Bamboo that Xiangzi gave you, combined with the Dragon Palace's treasure 'One Yuan Water Essence', can heal Ao Yi's injuries."

As soon as he heard that voice, Zhao Yifu knew exactly what he had to do.

(End of this chapter)