A strong wind swept over the sea, and a massive tidal wave rose. It was like a hungry beast with bloodied maw opened, lunging straight towards the beautiful figure in red floating over the water.
No outer disciples resided on the main peak of Xuyun; only four people lived there. When strange winds and waves stirred upon the sea, Sect Leader Yin Changxin remained inclined atop the mountain and took no action. Meanwhile, Lin Da Shixiong and Second Fang Shixiong were under the old sacred tree, struggling about how to become a dao couple.
Thus, the first to rush to the cliff and confront the outsider was a little girl in red.
The girl appeared to be thirteen or fourteen years old, with fair skin and dark eyes. She was so cute that one would feel tenderness for her at first glance.
Her fluttering skirt was red, the pair of agate hairpins in her black hair were red, the shoes on her slender snow-white feet were also red, and her whole body was radiant with light.
But at this moment, the girl in red was drenched, gasping for breath, like a red flower on a branch withering in a storm.
She gripped the handle of a bamboo umbrella, the exquisite red paper canopy shining brightly as it blocked the incoming waves.
But against the monstrous surge ahead, the girl and her umbrella seemed impossibly small and fragile.
In an instant, a sword light swept down from above. The pitch-black double-edged blade brimmed with a sharp sword intent, like a thunderbolt descending from the heavens to split the sea!
Yu Hongtang looked up. “Yuan-ge!”
Water droplets sprayed across Fang Zhiyuan’s sharp brows. His grip on Zaiya’s handle tightened until veins stood out along his skin, and spiritual energy violently surged down!
The blade cut across and down, the tip seemed aflame, leaving behind a line of white smoke.
A metallic clang rang out. Fang Zhiyuan’s roar split the air, and with sheer force, he cleaved the tidal wave apart.
One sword divided heaven and earth!
A thunderous crash followed, and the sea churned violently, countless waves breaking themselves upon the rocks surrounding Taiqing Island.
The spray rose high into the air, then drifted down like the fine rains of early spring.
Crash…
From behind the rocks, where they had been hiding, a group of bold outer disciples craned their heads to watch.
One child stretched out a hand to the sky and asked, “Is it raining?”
The other child said in horror, “It seems to be…second shixiong…”
Their companions’ expressions shifted in unison, brows loosening as an unspoken understanding passed between them.
“Ohhhh……”
“Ahhhh……”
Generally, within Xuyun, if there was an earthquake, rain, or thunder, nine times out of ten, Fang Shixiong was to blame.
Understood. Everyone understood.
……..
At the foot of the main peak, Fang Zhiyuan stood upon a reef that jutted from the sea, sword in hand, black robes billowing.
His gaze fixed across the waters, where a man stood upon the waves.
The man was unusual in appearance, looking to be in his thirties or forties, with long, wavy hair draping over his shoulders. A white shirt with one sleeve missing revealed his right arm, a gleaming gold belt encircled his waist, and his feet were bare.
The waves beneath him remained unbroken, swirling around him as though in worship, as though he were their king. It was a strange and arresting sight.
Sheltered behind Fang Zhiyuan, the little girl remained unharmed.
But Yu Hongtang showed no fear. Her bright black eyes fixed stubbornly on the man as she said clearly, “Yuan-ge, this uncle is so powerful. The sea water listens to him. Xiao Hongtang can’t beat him.”
“It would be strange if you could,” Fang Zhiyuan replied softly. “Why don’t you go back?”
Yu Hongtang obediently stepped back, only to be caught by another slender hand.
Lin Fuqing had silently descended behind Fang Zhiyuan, his calm gaze resting upon the stranger. “How did it come to this?” he asked Yu Hongtang.
Her answer was guileless. “This uncle wanted to enter the island. Xiao Hongtang asked for his name, but he wouldn’t tell me, so we fought.”
Lin Fuqing sighed faintly, exchanging a knowing glance with Fang Zhiyuan before stepping forward to bow. “Lin Fuqing of Xuyun greets the Dragon King of Dongliu Sea. My shimei is young and mischievous. Thank you, Your Majesty, for showing mercy.”
Fang Zhiyuan sheathed his sword with a slight lift of his brows, following Lin Fuqing’s lead. “May I ask what business brings the Dragon King to our tiny Xuyun?”
……….
At the top of Tinghe Peak, when the sword light clashed with the waves, the two musicians had already rushed to the cliff to see what was happening.
Seeing the man standing on the sea, Shentu Linchun’s face changed. He muttered to himself, “Isn’t that Dragon King Ao Yin, one of the three kings of the demon beast tribes? How did Xuyun Sect get involved with this old monster?”
Xun Mingsi was slightly surprised. “Dragon King? The Sea Tribe Beast King? One of the five great Tribulation Crossing masters in the current Immortal Realm?”
“That’s right.” Shentu Linchun bit his bright red lower lip, counting on his fingers as he spoke. “Mingsi-ge, you know, the immortal world says the area west of our Senluo Stone Palace is the demon beast world, but that’s not entirely accurate.”
“The demon beasts are divided into three major tribes, each led by a beast king. The land and sky beasts live and reproduce mainly west of Senluo Stone Palace, obeying the Jade Qilin and the Phoenix beast kings respectively. But the sea beasts don’t inhabit the usual beast domain. Instead…”
The little demon boy cast his gaze down toward the sea and whispered, “They live in the mysterious Dongliu Sea in the far east, where the five-clawed golden dragon is worshipped as beast king. This generation’s beast king is named Ao Yin — that is the one before you.”
Xun Mingsi’s brows furrowed as he pondered, “How could such a person…”
Shentu Linchun added, “From our perspective as human cultivators, most demon beasts appear to be land dwellers. But in terms of number and strength, the sea tribe holds the highest, most unshakable status among the three tribes. Dragon King Ao Yin is the only one amongst the three beast kings who has reached Tribulation Crossing, making him the true leader of the demon beast tribes.”
Xun Mingsi’s smile was strained. “Chun’er, are you trying to scare me on purpose?”
“Ah, how could I?!” The little demon boy grinned. The gold and jade ornaments hanging around his neck jingled as he sat cross-legged. “Don’t worry. Your shixiongs are not ordinary people. Nothing bad will happen. Mingsi-ge, just sit here and let’s wait and see what happens.”
Xun Mingsi was silent for a moment. He looked at the still silent main peak, and nodded, “That’s right.”
If there really were a crisis, Master would have acted.
Yin Changxin’s lack of movement meant the visitor was not an enemy.
Across the sea, the man in the white shirt and gold belt smiled, clasped his fists, and bowed, returning Lin Fuqing and Fang Zhiyuan’s greetings.
“I dare not accept.”
His voice carried a hint of laziness, but beneath that laziness lay a natural nobility.
When he straightened, a pair of golden dragon horns flashed among the curls on his forehead, scales glimmering in the sunlight.
“Ao Yin, the little dragon of Dongliu Sea, greets the two Xuyuns.”
Although Yu Hongtang was also a disciple of Xuyun, Ao Yin only addressed the two men, showing he did not take the young girl seriously.
Yu Hongtang puffed up her cheeks in displeasure. Holding her red paper umbrella, she hid behind Fang Zhiyuan and glared at the Dragon King.
Lin Fuqing gave the Dragon King a deep look, then pulled Yu Hongtang out from behind Fang Zhiyuan. “Be good, go play by yourself.”
Yu Hongtang glanced at the two of them and ran away obediently.
Lin Fuqing made a polite gesture. “As a guest from afar, please, Your Majesty the Dragon King, honor us by entering the mountain for a chat.”
Xuyun seldom received outside guests, so naturally, there was no special place prepared to entertain visitors.
Fang Zhiyuan’s cave was essentially off-limits to outsiders, so Lin Fuqing led the Dragon King to his own cave.
They sat beside Lin Shixiong’s lotus pond. White lotuses bloomed luxuriantly even in winter like immortal blossoms on frozen water. Spirit carps swam beneath the ice, creating an otherworldly beauty.
Ao Yin bowed again.
But this time, the name used by the Dragon King had changed.
“Ao Yin, the little dragon from the Dongliu Sea, greets the Immortal Sovereign Huangyang and the Lotus Bone Demon Lord.”
Lin Fuqing and Fang Zhiyuan looked at each other and saw a sigh of “as expected” appear in each other’s eyes.
At the age of 19, no matter how talented they were, even if they had just made a name for themselves in the Golden Osmanthus Challenge, they were still juniors after all.
In cultivation, seniority, and status, it was impossible for the Dragon King of the demon beast race to regard them as equals or personally pay respects. To Ao Yin, they should have been no different from Yu Hongtang.
Unless—
Dragon King Ao Yin turned to Lin Fuqing and said leisurely, “It has been more than a few months since I returned to this world, and I have not yet thanked the Lotus Bone Demon Lord for his grace in giving me a new life.”
Lin Fuqing’s eyes twitched slightly, and he covered a cough with his sleeve.
In fact, he also had a title.
It was nonsense. When a practitioner’s cultivation or status reaches a certain level, it becomes taboo to address him by his name.
Therefore, most people would give themselves a lofty-sounding immortal name early on, usually after breaking through the Nascent Soul stage.
If the person fails to name themselves in time, others could quietly assign them a name based on public impression. If this name sounded bad, it would be very embarrassing.
Unfortunately, Lin Fuqing, the Demon Lord, belonged to those who delayed naming themselves.
He had his reasons.
As the first person to establish the demonic path after the Immortal Calamity, Lin Fuqing became the unprecedented Emperor of this path. Thus, both immortal and demonic cultivators called him “Demon Lord.”
The significance of the title was to avoid confusion. Much like Ye Jianshen from Sword Valley, who had been missing for many years. The world gradually forgot his early title, and from then on, his title simply became Jianshen (Sword God).
The same goes for the Demon Lord. Lin Fuqing was the Demon Lord, and the Demon Lord was Lin Fuqing, so naturally there was no need for any other title.
But the downside was that, later on, the demonic cultivators ended up splitting into two groups when a self-proclaimed Evil Ghost Emperor named Gu Wenxiang appeared.
This Evil Ghost Emperor was interesting. Dissatisfied by Lin Fuqing’s title of Demon Lord and troubled by his inability to dethrone him, he suddenly had an idea. He would help give Lin Fuqing a new title.
Taking one character from Red Lotus Abyss and one from Snow Bone City, he came up with Lotus Bone.
The Evil Ghost Emperor came up with it himself, so naturally he took the lead in spreading this nickname.
“You may be a Demon Lord, but you’re just the Lotus Bone Demon Lord and not the sole Demon Lord. When I’m happy in the future, I can also confer myself the title Ghost Demon Lord and so on, isn’t that right?” was the implied message.
Of course, the impact was minimal. Cultivators were used to calling him Demon Lord, and it wasn’t easy to change this habit.
However, there were some gaps between the demon beast race and the human race. The beast race thought that when facing powerful humans, they must call them by their title to show respect, and thus the title of “Lotus Bone Demon Lord” ended up sticking after all.
Hearing himself being called thus, even Lin Fuqing himself took a moment longer to react. It had been a long time since he’d been called this mistaken title…
He smiled bitterly and waved his hands. “I can’t bear it. I just wanted to bring Huangyang back, but I couldn’t control the forbidden technique…”
Dragon King Ao Yin became silent.
You’re really honest…
It was said that humans were cunning and hypocritical. Why are you more honest than us demon beasts?
This topic suddenly became a bit awkward.
The Dragon King coughed, turned to Fang Zhiyuan and said, “In my previous life, thanks to the righteousness of the Immortal Sovereign, who ignored the gaps between humans and demons and led the Golden Osmanthus Palace in protecting the people of my Dongliu Sea in times of crisis, I, the little dragon, owe my thanks.”
Fang Zhiyuan straightened and said expressionlessly, “You flatter me. Dongliu Sea is connected to Linhai Sea, so I did it for convenience.”
Dragon King Ao Yin went silent again.
Again with the honesty?
It was said that the human race valued reputation the most, and they especially loved the kind of reputation that praised their benevolence, righteousness, and morality. But why…?
“You two.” Ao Yin frowned, touched his dragon horn with difficulty, and smiled dryly, “You’re a little different from what the little dragon had imagined.”
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Fang Zhiyuan looked at Lin Fuqing and signaled with his eyes. Although Ye Fu said…
Xuyun, Tinghe Peak. Ye Huaguo came out from behind the big tree and squatted curiously…
Dawn found birds chirping on the main peak of Xuyun. The wind blew gentle ripples…
Even after they’d left the small town and returned to Xuyun Sect, the storm was…
There was no warning when Lin Fuqing took action. An invisible force yanked the city…
...Do you want to try dual cultivation again? Lin Fuqing spoke so gently and softly.…
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Hahahahahahha the poor ‘little’ dragon is lost with how honest they are xD
also ~~ wowowow, I came to check if there was an update and find not one, but 10 more chapters ~~~~ eveheheh
extra side comment: when Ao Yin was first introduced, an imagery of Jesus came to mind _(:3」z)_
thx for the chapters xixi ~~~ ╰(*´︶`*)╯♡