Free Web NovelChapter 446: Chapter 77: Man’s Killing Intent, Heaven and Earth Overturned
North Sea Dragon Palace.
"Upper Immortal, please have a seat..."
The Turtle Prime Minister tremblingly served tea while several Dragon Princes and Princesses stood off to the side, most of them looking indignant.
Lu Xuan was in no mood for tea, his brow slightly furrowed. ’The North Sea Dragon King has been captured...’
’A seventeen-year drought across the lands...’
His thoughts turned to the rough-looking man from before, and his expression darkened further. ’I’ve been gone for nine thousand years. For this to happen as the Qin Dynasty’s fate reaches its end... it’s a bit surprising, but on reflection, perhaps it’s to be expected.’
’But... nine thousand years ago, I sat enthroned in Xianyang for a century. All the Immortals and Buddhas knew. How could they possibly dare to do something like this?’
’Are those few Daluo pulling the strings from behind the scenes?’
As he was lost in thought, a fiery-tempered Dragon Maiden could no longer restrain herself and took a step forward, huffing indignantly.
"You’ve already taken my father away, what more do you want?! This rain had nothing to do with us!"
After a pause, she added sarcastically:
"If making it rain just once gets you thrown into the Celestial Prison, then who would dare summon the clouds? Who would dare make it rain? Upper Immortal, you might as well just go back where you came from!"
The Crown Prince’s expression changed. Hissing, "Sister!" he pulled the Dragon Maiden behind him and offered a cautious apology:
"My younger sister is unruly. Please, Upper Immortal, don’t take offense..."
"Brother!!"
The Dragon Maiden exclaimed indignantly:
"They’re walking all over us! Father couldn’t stand to see the suffering, so he let a little rain fall and saved some people. How is that a high crime? Why should he..."
The Crown Prince clapped a hand over her mouth, his expression turning grim. The other Dragon Princes, Princesses, and the Turtle Prime Minister were all trembling with fear.
Though they didn’t know the masked Upper Immortal’s origins, his terrifying aura was completely unfathomable. ’His cultivation must be frighteningly high...’
Lu Xuan, however, did not get angry. He simply said softly:
"I am the one who made it rain. I have been away from the world for a long time and was unaware of the current state of affairs. I mistakenly believed the Dragon King was deliberately withholding the rain. That was my mistake. I apologize."
The Dragon Princes, Princesses, and the Turtle Prime Minister were all stunned.
The fiery Dragon Maiden’s expression softened, and she let out a sigh of relief.
"I thought you were one of them, too..."
After a moment’s thought, her expression changed.
"You’re the one who made it rain?! Then you have to flee, quickly! Otherwise, someone will come to capture you! In recent years, many have made rain without permission. Lighter offenses get you thrown into the Celestial Prison; for more serious ones, your soul is extinguished on the spot! You must..."
"Which Celestial Prison, and which Celestial Court issued this decree?"
Lu Xuan asked calmly.
"Why are you asking that? Just hurry up and get out of here! The Celestial Generals sent to capture you are probably already on their way. There’s a secret passage beneath the Dragon Palace; you can take that path!"
"Sister!!" The Crown Prince’s expression changed again, a look of exasperation on his face. ’This girl, how can she just blurt out everything?’
’She has no idea how to hold her tongue!’
Lu Xuan’s expression softened slightly, and he asked with a smile:
"Little one, what is your name?"
"Ao Xianzhi!" the fiery Dragon Maiden answered, lifting her head proudly. She was about to say more when a furious roar suddenly echoed from the depths of the Dragon Palace.
"Enough is enough!!"
Amid the roar, an ancient Immortal True Dragon approached, his aura surging outwards and shaking the North Sea Dragon Palace to its foundations! frёewebηovel.cѳm
"Taking my son is one thing, but what in the world does the South Pole Celestial Court want? I may have abdicated, but I am still alive—I’m not dead yet!"
As the Old Dragon stormed over, the dragon descendants and the Turtle Prime Minister all prostrated themselves. Ao Xianzhi cried out, "Ah!"
"Grandfather! You’ve misunderstood! He’s a good immortal, not here to make trouble!"
She knew her grandfather had a fiery temper as well and, fearing he would immediately unleash a Killing Skill, hurriedly tried to explain.
But she was a moment too late. The Old Dragon stormed right up to the guest, saw him clearly, and froze abruptly.
"Grandfather! Don’t be angry! He’s a good immortal, a good..."
Ao Xianzhi’s words trailed off as she stared in astonishment.
The Old Dragon, who had been bristling with fury just a moment before, dropped to his knees in a deep bow with a THUD, his face wreathed in smiles.
"This humble dragon greets the Emperor..."
This was none other than the previous North Sea Dragon King, who had personally witnessed the establishment of the blood pact between the human and dragon races. He had been quite unruly at the time and was nearly whipped to death by the Ancestral Dragon’s tail.
"Old Dragon King, it has been a long time."
Under the bewildered gazes of the many Dragon Princes, Princesses, and the Turtle Prime Minister, Lu Xuan gave a slight nod and said:
"Rise. There is no need for such ceremony."
The Old Dragon smiled humbly and rose carefully to his feet.
"Emperor, it has been over nine thousand years since we last met. You..."
He recalled the rumors that had been circulating in the Celestial Court for the past few centuries. A flicker of fear crossed his face, quickly replaced by a sense of schadenfreude.
’Heh!!’
’Spreading rumors that the Emperor has fallen?’
’Fallen my ass!’
’And they even arrested my eldest son. Tsk, tsk. Now things are really about to get turned upside down...’
Lu Xuan, unaware of the Old Dragon’s thoughts, frowned and asked:
"You just mentioned the South Pole Celestial Court. So, this seventeen-year drought and the decree forbidding rain—was it that fellow, the South Pole Emperor, who issued them?"
The Dragon Princes and Princesses all stared wide-eyed. ’The South Pole Emperor... that fellow??’
Even the fiery, fearless Ao Xianzhi fell silent, her heart pounding. ’To refer to a Daluo so contemptuously... this man...’
’Could he also be a Great Divine Power User at the Daluo Level?!’
’No wonder Grandfather is being so respectful!!’
While everyone else stood scared into silence, the Old Dragon nodded cautiously.
"Replying to the Emperor, the Thunder Division is under the jurisdiction of the South Pole Celestial Court, and matters of thunder, lightning, wind, and rain are all managed by the Thunder Division’s Wind and Rain Department..."
Lu Xuan’s brow furrowed deeply.
"The Four Seas Dragon Kings belong to the Central Celestial Court and serve under my throne, do they not? Is the Thunder Division so bold as to overstep its bounds? Are they tired of living?"
The Old Dragon gave a bitter laugh.
"There is something you are not aware of, Emperor. You were gone without a word for nine thousand years. Then, nearly a thousand years ago, a celestial official performed a Divination and declared that you no longer existed in this world, that you had been erased from this period of Time and had fallen..."
"So, the Thunder Division extended its claws over here?"
"Replying to the Emperor, that is exactly it. Things have been strange these past few years. The Immortal Mother has been the one issuing orders and decrees in the Central Celestial Court, while His Majesty the Celestial Emperor has barely managed any affairs at all..."
