Journey to the head

Hai Yiwei was stunned for a moment, then cursed, "The Dragon Clan and the Sea Clan have a total of eight Dao Integration Realm experts, and five of them have come today. They'd rather abandon the Starry Sea than not fight us?"

Hai Shuangyao craned her neck out: "If these aren't the four Immortal Lords from the east, west, south, and north, where did these five come from?! (⊙o⊙)!"

She finally saw clearly that what was rising higher and higher, standing like a mountain on the sea, casting a shadow that covered the sky, was actually a giant tortoise!
Upon closer inspection, the giant tortoise, though having the body of a tortoise, was covered in dragon scales, with a dragon head and claws. Its spiritual pressure was as deep as an abyss, so astonishing and terrifying that when it appeared, the auras of the other Dao Integration cultivators immediately diminished considerably.

Its carapace bears the marks of countless calamities, flowing with indescribable and mysterious runes. A layer of misty, earthy yellow halo, like a celestial dome, envelops the entire abyss of the ocean, protecting millions of dragon sons and grandsons, as well as the sea race's navy.

Vast as the sea, immovable as a mountain!
It was just too old; its skin and scales were pale and weak, and its eyes, which were larger than buildings, were cloudy.

Even standing far away, Jiang Qingfeng could feel the aura of decay and decay.

"They've even brought out that old tortoise, Bixi. Aren't they afraid it'll suddenly die?" Hai Yiwei narrowed his eyes. "What exactly does the Dragon Clan want?"

That's not all. Around these five Dao-Merging, heaven-reaching pillars of light, there were also shadowy figures standing in mid-air. Space around them was constantly rolling, rippling with gentle yet dangerous waves, and the moonlight and starlight in the sky were all distorted.

Originally, the elite forces of the Immortal Fall Islands came out to intimidate, but unexpectedly, the Dragon Clan and the Sea Clan gathered so many experts, summoning most of the top combat forces in the vast Star Sea!
The team of the Six Immortal Pillars who perished arrived with three Dao Integration cultivators, forty-eight Void Refinement cultivators, and four hundred and fifty Primordial Spirit Mystic Lords.

Among the dragon and sea races, five have reached the Dao Integration stage, seventy-two have reached the Void Refinement stage, and there are as many as eight hundred primordial spirits!
Almost twice the number of the six immortal pillars that fell!
However, if such forces are diverted, the sea will inevitably be empty. Do they no longer want the Starry Sea?

Moreover, the leader of the army was none other than Bixi, the sixth of the nine sons!

The ancestor Bixi is the common spiritual leader of the Dragon Clan and the Sea Clan. Having survived the True Immortal Calamity to the present day, it has become a living legend!
Perhaps now in the Yuan Chen Realm, apart from the old demon general who has lived and died repeatedly, only Bi Xi has personally participated in the battle of true immortals.

However, the irreversible damage during the True Immortal Calamity severely injured it, severing its hope of becoming an immortal. Even though it possesses the unique talent for prolonging life, it has only managed to survive until now, and its death may be imminent.

The sudden appearance of this dragon totem has put all the cultivators of the Six Pillars of Immortal Fall on high alert.

Inside the giant ship's cabin, Hai Yiwei remained silent, simply restraining Hai Shuangyao, who was trying to squeeze out. At this moment, atop the extreme abyss of the ocean, even this invincible commander with his primordial spirit had become an insignificant figure.

"Bixi, the Dragon Ancestor, we, the Fallen Immortals, have been exploring the Dragon Palace together with the Dragon Clan for ten thousand years, and our cooperation has been pleasant. Today, the Dragon Clan has gathered, and all its experts have come out. What is your purpose?"

The female immortal lord of Tian Shi Yuan Dou Palace asked this question.

Bixi exhaled with difficulty, and instantly the sea surface was filled with waves and a thunderous roar.

It searched through its long memory and identified the three human immortal lords before it.

"Yaoshu, Tianmen, Basuo... it's you all."

"We have enjoyed peace for too long, and my children have been living far away in the ocean, so they are not up to the task. Today, with the Holy Land open, I am bringing my children out to train them and let them see the world. You need not be alarmed."

Another male immortal lord from the Heavenly City Palace, Immortal Lord Tianmen, sneered: "Since when have dragons become so secretive? As far as I know, the seabed is now overrun with wild beasts, and the aquatic races are on the verge of collapse. You're conducting military exercises with such a grand display, are you even abandoning your own foundation?"

"Why didn't that highly accomplished cultivator, the Sea-Treading Lord, come? What is he hiding in the shadows for? Just tell us your purpose, and we will certainly accompany you."

The Eight-Section Immortal Lord from the "Suspended Sea Sect" shouted, "If the Dragon Clan harbors unrealistic fantasies, they'd better give up as soon as possible! I have already contacted the Immortal Lords on the Tianji and Tianquan continents. If the Dragon Clan wants to challenge the Guimao Agreement, they will probably have to face more than just the three of us!"

Upon hearing this, the four immortal lords from the east, west, south, and north were enraged. Ten thousand dragons roared in unison, and the battle formation roared to the heavens!
A sudden gust of wind whipped up the waves, creating towering waves and a deafening roar. The Hai family's silver-white behemoth was tossed about, and the cultivators aboard were all visibly shocked.

The disparity in strength between the two sides in this area is simply too great. Even if the human experts from the mainland were to come to their aid, our side would inevitably suffer heavy losses as the first to bear the brunt.

Moreover, those land-based cultivators might very well be inclined to sit back and watch the two sides fight, hoping to weaken them and then reap the benefits. Would a continental immortal lord really intervene before their own side is severely weakened?
Bixi suddenly fell silent. It even closed its eyes and stood quietly in the sea, like a majestic mountain.

The allied forces of the Dragon Clan and the Sea Clan gradually quieted down. The Immortal Fallen cultivators were baffled, and the three Immortal Lords, Yao Shu, Tian Men, and Ba Suo, dared not make any rash moves.

Suddenly, the deepest part of the ocean fell silent, with only the sound of the waves and the howling of the sea wind.

"What's that old tortoise doing?" Hai Shuangyao asked in a low voice. "Is he going to fight or not?"

Haiyiwei tapped her on the head: "You don't know your place! If you really start a fight—"

However, he couldn't finish his sentence. The Hai family, having reached the Void Refinement stage, sent a message calling for a meeting to address this urgent situation, and Commander Wei naturally couldn't be absent.

"It's a pity that my great-great-grandfather stayed at home and didn't come over, otherwise I could have sneaked in and listened to what was being said at the meeting." Hai Shuangyao said with a face full of regret.

She turned to comfort Jiang Qingfeng, "Don't worry, Sister Jiang. If a fight breaks out, we'll just turn around and run!"

Jiang Qingfeng was both amused and exasperated. Run? In today's Great Ocean Abyss, where could the two Nascent Soul cultivators possibly run to? Even a True Monarch of the Void Refinement Realm couldn't guarantee their safety.

But her biggest worry right now isn't herself.

Jiang Qingfeng looked into the distance, but in the sea, apart from the dragons of all kinds huddled together, there were also sea creatures swaggering around in formation. There was not a trace of Lu Qian.

Tomorrow is the second day of the second lunar month, and the Dragon Palace will open. Where is my junior brother now?
The two sides are now at loggerheads, on the verge of all-out war at the slightest provocation; the situation is extremely dangerous. It would be a good thing if my junior brother hadn't found the Dragon Palace map and hadn't arrived here. The real fear is that in this critical situation, he might suddenly appear, like a spark thrown into a hot oil pan.
Being drawn into a war of this magnitude would truly mean certain death!
The Six Pillars of Immortal Demise held an emergency meeting. On the surface, they planned to remain unchanged in the face of all changes, but in secret, they contacted the dominant sects of the six continents, hoping to gain their explicit support.

The dragons and sea creatures, on the other hand, seemed to be waiting in comfort, ready for battle at any moment.

With both sides having different thoughts, the situation remained deadlocked, and the air was heavy and icy as if it were about to freeze.

The moon gradually sank in the west, the stars gradually disappeared, until dawn broke in the east, and the sea could no longer contain the magnificent red glow that was about to burst forth.

Amidst the tense stalemate, the second day of the second lunar month arrived.

Just as the short-tempered Eight-Section Immortal Lord was about to speak up and question again, the high mountain suddenly trembled, and the Bixi slowly opened its eyes.

All eyes were on it, and it spoke slowly and leisurely.

"I'm getting old and my energy is waning, so I fell asleep while we were talking. Did you say anything beforehand?"

The expressions on the faces of the human cultivators instantly became quite interesting, and the Eight-Section Immortal Lord's face turned red. He wanted to say something, but he held back.

Immortal Lord Yao Shu and Immortal Lord Tian Men exchanged a glance, sensing something amiss. They both felt that the old dragon before them was not as old and senile as it appeared. What exactly were the dragon and sea races trying to do by dragging this place here?
Yao Shu Immortal Lord chuckled: "It's nothing. Bixi Dragon Ancestor, the second day of the second month has arrived, it's time to open the Dragon Palace."

Bixi nodded as if suddenly realizing something. With a slight movement of its body, it stirred up towering waves, pushing away the dragons and sea creatures within a thousand miles.

"Yes, yes, the time has come."

The three human immortal lords watched coldly. If the dragon race truly intended to do something, they would not allow human cultivators to enter once the Dragon Palace opened.

Everything will have to wait until the Dragon Palace is opened.

Hai Shuangyao's eyes widened, and Jiang Qingfeng couldn't help but clench his fists.

Is the Dragon Palace finally about to open? But where is the Dragon Palace?

Jiang Qingfeng obtained the treasure map of the Dragon Palace from Lu Qian, and had also heard Lu Qian describe the Heavenly Monarch Dragon Palace that was under construction in Meng Chi's memory.

It must have been an incredibly vast palace complex, its boundaries invisible to the naked eye, making it absolutely impossible for it to have been hidden so easily.

But now, on the far reaches of the ocean, there are only the two sides' forces spread out, where is there any trace of such a dragon palace?

Hai Shuangyao stared intently for a long time, her eyes almost popping out, but she still found nothing. She grabbed Hai Yiwei, who had been to the Dragon Palace before, to ask him for clarification, when suddenly her arm stiffened.

A golden beam of light suddenly rose before the Bixi. In an instant, a vast and overwhelming aura spread in all directions, filling the abyss of the ocean.

This is an aura far surpassing that of the Dao Integration level; this is an existence that has transcended this realm, dwelling high in the clouds, looking down upon the mortal world—this is an immortal.

Everyone was stunned. Even those who had protected the Dragon Palace on many occasions, such as those who had achieved Dao Integration and those who had achieved Void Refinement, were unwilling to look away.

The golden light gradually receded inward, slowly transforming into a massive conch shell the size of a small mountain. As the conch shell appeared, the oppressive aura that made one instantly want to prostrate themselves in worship intensified.

The human cultivators' gazes were filled with barely concealed envy and covetousness.

It's a celestial artifact!
Bixi took a breath, as if an enormous bellows was being pulled across the wilderness. It held the conch shell in its two giant claws, and countless memories flashed through its mind, making its turbid eyes clear.

My Lord, for so many years before, I never touched Fourth Brother's conch shell again; I always had the younger generation do it for me.

Today, even though I am old and frail, let me blow the conch shell one last time in the final moments of my life.

The Dragon Palace is our treasure, the culmination of our efforts! We are powerless to resist, and can only allow them to defile it for eternity. But today, no matter what—

Bixi blew the conch shell with all his might!

A ring of golden light burst forth from the screw head and suddenly spread outwards.

Suddenly, the world fell silent, even the waves seemed to freeze on the surface of the sea, as if the world had been put on pause.

Everyone's heart pounded. Hai Shuangyao swallowed hard, then heard Hai Yiwei say in a deep voice, "Watch closely, the Dragon Palace is about to appear."

The sea surface, which had been cleared away by the Bixi, began to tremble again, and a whirlpool was rapidly expanding and deepening on the surface. In the blink of an eye, a huge funnel-shaped whirlpool, spanning thousands of miles and leading straight to the seabed, roared loudly in the ocean!

On the seabed, which was originally buried by the deep ocean, a spiritual light was shining brightly.

A spiritual vein?
Jiang Qingfeng's heart stirred. She opened her eyes wide and saw Bixi blow the conch shell again with all its might!

Without a sound, a golden light shot out from the conch shell once again, shooting straight into the spiritual vein.

In an instant, the void trembled, light flickered, and a phantom-like world rose up.

And in that miniature world, there is a boundless, radiant palace!

Jiang Qingfeng took a deep breath.

So that's how it is! The Dragon Palace isn't actually in the Yuan Chen Realm; it exists in the Chai Xin Minor Realm behind the Spirit Vein!
The True Dragon Heavenly Lord built the Dragon Palace in a small realm, or rather, he transformed a small realm into the Dragon Palace!
That conch shell artifact has a function similar to that of a golden tree branch; it can open spiritual vein channels, which means it opens the Dragon Palace channel!

However, my junior brother's golden tree branch can open and close any spiritual vein channel, and can also expand or contract it. Could this conch shell do the same? Or perhaps it's just a specific celestial artifact designed for the Dragon Palace Minor Realm?

She was shocked, and Hai Shuangyao jumped up, her eyes shining as she shouted loudly.

"Wow, amazing! So the Dragon Palace was hidden in the underwater spiritual vein! Father, did they hide the entrance to their celestial abode inside the spiritual vein?"

It turned out that she was unaware of the existence of the Firewood Minor Realm. Just as Hai Yiwei was about to answer, he heard the voice of the Eight-Section Immortal Lord resound across the sea.

"The Dragon Palace is now open. Can our cultivators enter with their Ascension Vouchers?"

Bixi took a few deep breaths, and the scales on its body seemed even paler.

After a long while, it put away the celestial artifact conch shell and stared at the immortal demise team with a strange look in its eyes.

It shook its head.

"I'm afraid not."

The three Immortal Lords who had fallen from grace changed color drastically. All the elite Immortal Lords who had fallen from grace had activated their spiritual power, and the soaring spiritual pressure shattered the clouds for thousands of miles, disrupted the spatial boundary, and revealed the pitch-black outer void.

Bixi suddenly laughed: "Why are you in such a hurry? I mean, I'm afraid it's not possible now."

"How could you all forget the old rules that have been in place for ten thousand years? These young men who want to enter the Dragon Palace need to have a competition."

"Whoever demonstrates superior skill in the contest will be the first to enter the Dragon Palace and explore its treasures!" (End of Chapter)