Under One Person: The Sea Emperor Who Shattered Heaven and Earth

Jiang Zhen paused for a moment, then looked down and flipped through the stack of invoices.

His expression turned extremely strange, and finally he laughed in anger, shaking a receipt in his hand.

"It's one thing to list buying brooms on the list, but to ask for 150,000 for just a few brooms? Are your brooms made of gold? Or are they specially made for sweeping up the garbage of Heaven?"

Zhang Zhiwei, with a straight face and a stiff neck, said, "That's the price! The invoice is right here, how could it be fake?"

Jiang Zhen flipped through another sheet: "'Emotional fluctuation insurance premium for uncle and nephew reunion,' ten million? What the hell is this?"

“Jinzhong went to see you at the New World, and after he came back, he was so excited that he couldn’t sleep at night. He’s so old, and as his senior, I took him for a physical examination, got medicine, did psychological counseling, and bought him supplements for free, right?”

The atmosphere eased quietly amidst these few words of banter. The tension that had been taut in the square, almost breaking, was gently eased by this stack of outrageous invoices, and the tense standoff subsided.

Lu Jin walked up laughing: "Uncle-Master, don't spoil this old bastard. If you ask me, don't give him a single penny, and see what he can do to you."

"Never mind, never mind." Jiang Zhen sighed and casually handed the stack of invoices to Jiang Ping behind him. "Ping'er, write this down and have someone transfer some money to Longhu Mountain during the Spring Festival."

"Yes, Dad." Jiang Ping respectfully accepted the invoice.

"Thank you, Uncle-Master!" Zhang Zhiwei said with a beaming smile, but Jiang Zhen's next words made him stop smiling.

Jiang Zhen sighed: "I never expected that a dignified Celestial Master would have such a narrow vision. Tsk tsk tsk."

Zhang Zhiwei's smile instantly froze on his face: "Oh no, we ordered too little."

Seeing this, the other ten elders also stepped forward.

Lu Ren stepped forward, cupped his hands in greeting, and said in a steady tone, "Brother Jiang, it's been decades since we last met, you still look as dashing as ever."

"Brother Jiang, you must come visit us this time you're back!" Guan Shihua shouted in a loud voice.

Wang Ai also smiled and stepped forward to exchange a few pleasantries. This group of big shots, whose mere presence in the world of supernatural beings could cause an earthquake, walked side by side towards the backyard, chatting and laughing. Zhao Fangxu stood there watching their backs as they walked away, the weight that had been hanging over him for so long finally lifted.

But to the onlookers, this scene was even more unbearable. Their faces were practically humiliated, and the Ten Elders didn't even seem to care?

The bloodshed they expected didn't happen?

"Did you hear that? Just now, Master Lu and the Celestial Master called him 'Uncle-Master,' did I hear that right?"

“I heard that. And Grandpa Lü called him ‘Brother Jiang’…”

……

In the quiet pavilion on the back hill.

The tea has been brewed and its aroma fills the air.

Jiang Zhen picked up his teacup, gently blew away the foam, and looked at Zhang Zhiwei:

"Zhiwei, let's get serious. You went to all this trouble to hold the Luotian Grand Ceremony just to protect that Zhang Chulan—and you even plan to pass the position of Celestial Master to him? Aren't you afraid that your disciples will harbor resentment by suddenly handing over the Longhu Mountain inheritance to a junior you've never met? Like your last disciple?"

Zhang Zhiwei pictured Zhang Lingyu's perpetually stern face and smiled helplessly. "Lingyu isn't quite ready yet." He paused, as if thinking of something much further back, a slight sigh escaping his lips. "Besides, the position of Celestial Master was originally meant to be passed down to Huaiyi. I don't want to be it—knowing so many things that can't be said, do you know how much I've suffered keeping it all inside?"

"Celestial Master's Crossing?" Jiang Zhen asked tentatively. Zhang Zhiwei looked at Jiang Zhen in surprise, but with so many people around, he didn't say anything more and continued muttering:

"Now look what's happened, Huaiyi's grandson has walked right into our door. They have the exact same rat-like temperament, they're a perfect match."

"As for the spirit jade..."

Zhang Zhiwei turned his gaze to Lu Jin, who was sitting on the other side of the pavilion, intently sipping tea: "There's something I've been keeping quiet about. I secretly pulled out some hair from Lingyu and Lao Lu's head to do a paternity test. If the report hadn't said there was no blood relation, I would have suspected that they had some kind of ambiguous relationship."

"He has white hair from birth, exactly the same. His temperament is also exactly like Old Lu when he was young—stubborn and straightforward, once he's made up his mind, nothing can change it. He even chose to wear a pure white Taoist robe. If you didn't know better, you would think that Lingyu is a successor of their Sanyi Sect."

Upon hearing this, Lu Jin was taken aback at first, then angrily cursed, "Zhang Zhiwei, you old scoundrel! You may have no shame, but I do!"

“What a fine child. If you don’t like him, then let Lingyu join my Sanyi Sect.”

"I guarantee you'll teach better than Zhang Zhiwei."

“Oh,” Zhang Zhiwei raised an eyebrow, “I wonder who this was when I tricked him a little and he cried. Now he’s all tougher?”

Lü Ren, Lü Ci, Wang Ai, and Guan Shihua all turned to look at Lu Jin.

Lu Jin remained expressionless and sneered, "Heh, I wonder who it is now who was wrapped up like a mummy when they were young, begging me every day to carry them out for a stroll on a stretcher."

Lü Ren, Lü Ci, Wang Ai, and Guan Shihua all turned their heads toward Zhang Zhiwei.

Just as the two were about to begin their usual round of revealing each other's secrets, Jiang Zhen gently tapped his teacup on the stone table. The sound was soft, but it perfectly extinguished the tension that was building between them.

"Alright. Whatever the purpose, I'll join in the fun. Let Ping'er and the other two join in too, let them practice with the strange people from their hometown."

Chapter 136 The Pearl of Transformation

Upon hearing Jiang Zhen's request, Zhang Zhiwei and Lu Jin, who were about to continue their argument in the pavilion, simultaneously fell silent. The Ten Elders' gazes all fell on Jiang Zhen, each with their own assessment in their eyes.

"Let the three of them go?" Zhang Zhiwei picked up his teacup and chuckled. "Brother Jiang, I knew the potential of your three little ones just by taking a look. They are all outstanding individuals."

“However, your three little ones are all over thirty, even in their forties. That age is a bit out of line for the Luo Tian Grand Ceremony. It will be difficult for them to participate—very difficult.” He rubbed his fingers together with a smile, the same gesture he had made when he pulled out the receipt earlier.

Jiang Zhen chuckled, then pulled three ID cards from his pocket and slammed them onto the stone table with swift, decisive movements. "What do you mean over thirty? They're all still very young. See for yourself—I had Fang Xu help me get these ID cards as soon as I got back."

Zhang Zhiwei peeked out. His hometown was Shanghai: Jiangping 29, Jiang'an 27, Jiangshun 27.

"Is it that you, as a Celestial Master, lack confidence in your own disciples? Or are you questioning the authority of the certificates issued by the organization?"

Zhang Zhiwei stared at the three ID cards for several seconds, his lips twitching. Finally, he looked up and sighed, "Goodness, you're really something. Fine, I admit it." He beckoned to a disciple and had the three names added to the competition roster.

“Since we’ve let them participate, as an elder, I should prepare a decent gift for myself.” With that, Jiang Zhen reached into his jacket pocket.

In an instant, everyone craned their necks to look, their bodies involuntarily leaning forward—Lu Jin put down his teacup, Lü Ci's hands on his knees tightened slightly, and Wang Ai's perpetually squinting eyes opened a little.

At their level, ordinary magical artifacts and elixirs are no longer of any interest. But who is Jiang Zhen? A tycoon who roamed freely during the Republic of China era, the pioneer of the "New World" in the open seas, and a maritime emperor revered by the world. Anything he can produce is definitely not ordinary.

Jiang Zhen slowly withdrew his hand, revealing a perfectly round, translucent glass bead, about the size of a marble, in his palm. Its surface was semi-transparent, with a thick, mercury-like luster slowly flowing within. As sunlight slanted in from the eaves of the pavilion, the bead emitted a faint, iridescent glow, as if it were breathing.

"Uncle-Master, what kind of treasure is this?" Lu Jin couldn't help but ask first, leaning forward half a body length. Lu Ren, Lu Ci, Wang Ai, and the others next to him also craned their necks, their eyes filled with undisguised curiosity.

“This is the Transformation Bead.” Jiang Zhen picked up his teacup and took a sip. “It can be considered a magical artifact. But mine is not quite the same as the magical artifacts you are familiar with.”

He pointed to the bead and continued, "This is the ultimate creation that Old Ma and Yingzi crafted using 'Divine Refinement' and 'Dual-Hand Techniques,' combined with the divine tree from the New World. However, it's currently only a semi-finished product, or rather, it's still an 'unclaimed embryo.'"

"Divine Craftsmanship Refinement... Dual-Handed Techniques..."

Upon hearing these two words, everyone present breathed heavily. The significance of the Eight Extraordinary Techniques in the world of supernatural beings needs no explanation.

"What do you mean by 'unclaimed fetus'?" Wang Ai asked, her eyes narrowing slightly, her voice hoarse yet filled with intense focus.

Jiang Zhen smiled faintly: "Its true form depends on the first person to establish a soul connection with it. Once Qi is infused into it, this bead will instantly read the soul form of the person who infused it, the characteristics of the Qi, and even the desires in their subconscious. Then, based on this data, it will spontaneously construct a unique and exclusive magical artifact, and the abilities of each artifact will be different. Moreover, it will evolve as the holder grows—it is alive. As long as the holder does not die, this thing is a part of his body, more obedient than his hands and feet."

Lu Ci leaned forward abruptly: "Brother Jiang, do you mean this is a magical artifact that perfectly fits you and has the ability to evolve infinitely?"

“That’s one way to understand it,” Jiang Zhen nodded. “Not only that, it’s also symbiotic with its owner’s soul. Once it recognizes its owner, unless the owner’s soul is completely destroyed, it’s useless to outsiders and can be recalled at any time.”

"The first prize in this Luo Tian Grand Ceremony is the Celestial Master of Longhu Mountain, and the second prize is this Transformation Pearl."

"By the way, my three children have them on them. I'll let you see them during the Luo Tian Grand Ceremony."

"Zhiwei, can we use magical artifacts at the Luotian Grand Ceremony?"

Zhang Zhiwei: "Of course you can. Otherwise, how would those weapon cultivators or weapon refiners participate and have some fun? As long as they don't pull out guns or other weapons, it's fine."

At this moment, everyone present was pounding their hearts. A unique magical artifact that perfectly matched the soul and could evolve on its own was a miracle that had never been heard of in the traditional world of weapon crafting.

If you get your hands on this, it's a treasure that can be passed down through generations.

Lu Jin took a deep breath, then suddenly slammed his hand on the table and burst into laughter.

"Excellent! What a magnificent Transformation Pearl! Martial Uncle, your actions are as bold as ever!" Lu Jin suddenly stood up and waved his hand. "Since the atmosphere has been built up to this point, I don't mind adding fuel to the fire!"

As he spoke, Lu Jin unleashed his inner energy, raising his right hand and rapidly slicing it through the air. Countless blue talismans appeared in the air, radiating dazzling light; this was one of the Eight Extraordinary Techniques—the "Heavenly Talisman."

"Elder Celestial Master, Uncle-Master, the champion of this Luo Tian Grand Ceremony inherits the position of Celestial Master, the runner-up possesses the Transformation Pearl, and the third-place winner... I, Lu Jin, am willing to offer up this 'Tongtian Lu'!"

Lu Jin then looked at the rest of the group, "I know many of you have been secretly eyeing this skill. Fine, if everyone wants it, then stop with the underhanded schemes. This time, I'll just give it to you! Let's see what you're capable of at the Luo Tian Grand Ceremony!"

Upon hearing this, everyone's expressions instantly became incredibly interesting.

“Now that the prize has been set,” Jiang Zhen stood up and straightened the hem of his white coat, “we old folks should go and watch the kids’ performance.”

Meanwhile, on Longhu Mountain, and even on the entire online platform of the domestic community of supernatural beings, things have completely exploded.

What was originally just a grand event within the world of supernatural beings turned into something extremely bizarre because of the few black cars that forced their way through the mountain gate, and the group of people wearing white "justice" coats who dared to publicly curse the Ten Elders as worthless scoundrels.

Everyone was frantically asking their friends or intelligence brokers about Jiang Zhen's identity, while the elders of the major sects and intelligence chiefs who truly knew the inside story were all keeping quiet and speaking like riddles.

"Don't ask, because it's something I can't say."

"Those who know, know; those who don't, there's no point in explaining to you."

"That old man is someone who can truly turn the world upside down; knowing too much won't do you any good."

This ambiguous attitude only fueled the increasingly outlandish speculations among the independent cultivators and young supernatural beings. Rumors flew thick and fast. Some said Jiang Zhen was a two-hundred-year-old monster, others said he was a reclusive powerhouse, and still others claimed he was the mastermind behind the global supernatural economy.

"What a load of rubbish! There's not a single clue. Who is that old man anyway?"

"I've never seen such a grand spectacle in my life. Even Chairman Zhao had to jog around to lead the way."

Various speculations emerged, becoming increasingly outrageous, with some even suggesting that he was the old master's adopted father.

Seeing that the situation was about to get out of control, Zhao Fangxu, after consulting with his superiors, finally updated an extremely brief but shocking document on the official announcement channel.

For a moment, all the supernatural beings holding phones and looking at their screens fell into a deathly silence.

A young superhuman muttered these four words, his voice trembling: "Sea Emperors—the founders of the New World? The one that even the United Nations wouldn't dare to easily provoke?"

"My God, he's an old monster from the Republican era! And his seniority is terrifyingly high!"

"Sea Emperor? That's incredibly awesome."

The moment the truth was revealed, those independent cultivators who had been whispering and even harboring resentment instantly became more obedient than grandsons.

No wonder those people in white coats could call the Ten Elders "rotten fish and shrimp" so confidently; they really had the right to do so.

After their identities were revealed, news quickly followed about the prize pool for the Luo Tian Grand Ceremony. Many had initially come simply to make an appearance and gain recognition. But now, news was pouring in, leaving everyone dizzy—"Have you heard? That Sea Emperor has brought out a peerless treasure from the New World, the Transformation Pearl! A unique magical artifact that can automatically evolve and perfectly fit the soul!" "Not only that! Old Master Lu has also made a move; the Tongtian Talisman, one of the Eight Extraordinary Techniques, has been added to the prize pool!"

The atmosphere at Longhu Mountain instantly shifted from solemnity to extreme fervor and restlessness.

The elders from various schools and sects were surrounding their talented juniors, giving them repeated instructions.

"Listen up! In this Luo Tian Grand Ceremony, everyone knows that the first place winner is from Longhu Mountain. The position of Heavenly Master is a given. But you must secure one of the second or third place no matter what!"

Similar sentiments were repeatedly expressed in every corner and every guesthouse of Longhu Mountain.

As an overseas VIP, I naturally skipped the group selection and entered the top 32 directly as a special guest.

At this moment, Zhang Chulan was squatting next to a secluded tree pit, holding a newly printed list of contestants in his hand. He was trembling like a leaf, and the list was making a rustling sound in his hand. If you didn't know better, you would think he was fanning himself.