If you don't give up, I'd like to be your adoptive father.

Chapter 1446 A True Dragon Plus an Emperor: Very Promising
The pavilions and palaces within the Dragon Palace stretch for dozens of miles, numbering in the thousands.

The courtyards where the heroes of China reside only occupy a small part of the entire Dragon Palace.

Heroes like Ying Bu, who lived relatively close to the East China Sea and arrived early, took time to explore the surrounding landscape after visiting the other heroes.

Liu Ji arrived late, and even though Li Zhong offered to show them around, they were too busy socializing to go out and enjoy the sights.

When he came to see the Dragon King of the East Sea with Li Zhong, it was the first time he had ever seen the main hall of the Dragon Palace.

Before he could even admire the magnificent and fantastical scenery around him, he saw a tall, imposing man in a bright yellow imperial robe at the head of the table. He glanced at Li Zhong beside him and, seeing him bow, confirmed that the man was indeed the Dragon King of the East Sea.

He also stepped forward, knelt on the ground, and bowed three times, saying, "Liu Ji of Pei County pays respects to His Majesty the Dragon King."

Ao Guang stared at him for a while with his dragon eyes that shimmered with a faint golden light, before bending down and helping him up. He grinned, revealing his jagged hippo mouth, and said gently, "Liu Ji, you don't need to be so formal, and you don't need to be nervous."

I called you here mainly for two things.

First, determine if Yu Fengxian has secretly planted demonic thoughts in your mind.

Yu Fengxian is a rare genius among demonic cultivators, one in ten thousand years.

Her Dream Erosion Curse has not yet been completely broken by the Great Immortal.

But she went a step further, developing a new spell that allows demonic thoughts to reside within people's hearts. You may think you are still yourself, but in reality, you have already become her.

She arrived silently, without a trace; she departed just as silently, without a trace, yet she had already accomplished her goal.

Whether it's killing, gathering intelligence, or planting a curse, it's all done without alerting anyone.

Liu Ji exclaimed in horror, "Is this even human?"

“She is not human, she is a demon, the Dream-Eating Demon Ancestor!” Ao Guang said in a deep voice.

"A demonic possession has taken hold, and I didn't even realize it myself. What should I do?"

I heard from Li Zhong that he was suspected of being Yu Fengxian, and he was agitated and angry.

He's starting to lose confidence.

"I've been acting a bit strange these past two days, especially today. I think I've lost my mind, and I even had Commander Li brag for me."

Not content with boasting, he even dared to slander the King of Chu.

With a complex expression of frustration, doubt, and fear, Liu Ji nervously grabbed the Dragon King's sleeve. "Your Majesty, I am definitely possessed by Grand Tutor Yu's demonic thoughts."

She manipulated my body, mind, and soul, making Commander Li help spread rumors in the Dragon Palace and even provoke the King of Chu.

That's not me!

In the past, I was always honest and upright, careful in my words and deeds, and would never have been so dissolute.

It was Grand Tutor Yu who used my body to incite internal strife among the heroes of China. What a vicious heart he has!

She could even lay a hand on me, a mere mortal with no magical powers.

The old dragon's yellowish-brown face, covered with fine scales, was twisted and deformed, on the verge of collapse.

“I just checked, and you probably haven’t been possessed by demonic thoughts.”

"Not parasitized?" Liu Ji was overjoyed, but a look of suspicion appeared on his face. He said seriously, "Your Majesty the Dragon King, I really feel like something is wrong with me."

Why don't you check it again carefully?

Before entering the palace, he heard Li Zhong say that he should carefully examine himself from the inside out. He was very worried and secretly pushed the spiritual power of "Old Man's Joy" to the limit, desperately hiding his inner thoughts. He also prayed in his heart: "Old Taoist Wuyazi, your judgment must not be wrong. Old Man's Joy can really resist all mental probing and erosion."

When he bowed to the old dragon, the old dragon looked down at him for a long time, but he did not feel any discomfort from being dissected and examined inch by inch.

He suspected that Lao Long hadn't checked at all, or had only checked with the naked eye.

Can this simple and crude method of examination really probe the demonic thoughts deep within his mind?
He didn't want anyone to pry into his heart, but he was even more afraid of being possessed by Yu Taishi's demonic thoughts.

Ao Guang said meaningfully, "Yu Fengxian's demonic possession is terrifying, but this curse also has great limitations."

Those who possess the aura of a king are immune.

To put it bluntly, demonic possession can only target mortals and low-level cultivators whose Dao hearts are not pure.

It's not very strong, but its most terrifying feature is its stealth!

Once a distracting thought arises in your mind, she may find a weakness and transform that thought into a demonic one—a thought belonging to her. Her demonic thoughts control your subconscious, leaving you completely unaware.

If it weren't for the fact that she's been using this spell a lot lately.

If it weren't for the fact that the Dao Ancestor was holding the Great Luo Dharma Assembly at the Mi Luo Palace to 'break the Dream Erosion Curse,' with over a hundred Great Luo Golden Immortals watching her every move from the Great Luo Realm at all times.

It's likely that many years will pass before anyone discovers the existence of 'demonic parasitism'.

Fortunately, this is during a great calamity, and fortunately, she has already been targeted by my Xuanmen Daluo.

In normal times, a new supernatural power or secret technique can be hidden for thousands or even tens of thousands of years.

During the great calamity of heaven and earth, any new supernatural powers or secret techniques used will immediately be noticed by the people of the world, who will then raise their vigilance and take targeted measures to counter and prevent them.

Liu Ji's palms began to sweat, and he said in a hoarse voice, "I am just a mortal, without the Dao heart, which meets the conditions for being parasitized by demonic thoughts."

"Hehe, Liu Ji, you don't need to worry or hide anything from me," the old dragon said with a smile.

Liu Ji's forehead began to sweat, and his throat went dry. "Your Majesty, I... I don't quite understand."

Old Dragon asked, "Do you know why I risked so much to take the initiative to organize this anti-Qin alliance meeting?"

Liu Ji was somewhat confused. "The Dragon Clan of the Four Seas dominates the waters of the human world. His Majesty the Dragon King is incredibly powerful and has boundless magical abilities. He is not afraid of Grand Tutor Yu or the Qin Dynasty."

Old Long shook his head and said, "You're so wrong! I'm scared, terribly scared! I wouldn't take such a big risk if there weren't huge profits to be made."

"What benefits could there be in holding an anti-Qin alliance?" Liu Ji asked doubtfully.

"Did you know that after Qin Shi Huang, the 'Human Emperor' would disappear, and be replaced by the 'True Dragon Son of Heaven'?"

Seeing that Liu Ji was still confused, the old dragon simply put it more bluntly, "The power that suppresses your fortune is called the 'Dragon Vein'."

Those of you who possess the dragon vein are called 'Hidden Dragons', and the hidden dragons who conquer the world are called 'True Dragons'.

The reason we are called this is because the fate of my dragon race has long been bound to that of your human race.

The rise of the human race was certainly due to the pioneering efforts and arduous struggles of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors.

Starting a business also requires capital.

At the beginning of the human race's founding, my Four Seas Dragon Clan, representing the ancient dragon clan of the primordial era, entrusted a portion of the ancient dragon clan's destiny to the three Holy Emperors.

In return, the human leader must acknowledge himself as a 'true dragon'.

Liu Ji understood somewhat, but still not completely. "Your Majesty, I am ignorant and shallow. I have never heard of such an ancient secret, nor do I know how this secret has anything to do with me."

The old dragon said, "Your dragon aura can fool others, but it can't fool me."

—Oh no, we've been discovered.

Liu Ji was startled, but his expression was one of surprise and delight. "I really have dragon energy?"

“Not only does it possess dragon energy, but it is also very strong. However…” The old dragon frowned and sighed, “You are ultimately a descendant of the Heavenly Star, destined to fulfill the true dragon’s purpose, even though you yourself are not a true dragon.”

Liu Ji's dragon aura was thin yet full of vitality, indicating he should be strong and full of potential.

But the dragon energy around him kept dissipating.

It was as if he was merely a transit point for dragon energy, through which the dragon energy was passed on to its true master.

Isn't this exactly the weather pattern of the Tian Kui Fu Xing (天魁辅星)?
"However, the dragon energy within you is intact. Since the dragon energy is intact, it means that the external demons have not invaded your mind."

A person of great nobility protected by dragon energy will have the dragon energy react first when encountering external evils. Only by breaking the dragon energy can the person be harmed.

Therefore, I don't need to examine your Taoist heart and soul.

Of course, I also lack the ability to break through Yu Fengxian's demonic parasitic curse.

I am very sensitive to the dragon energy emanating from you, and I can see even the slightest change.

If we confirm that the dragon energy within you is intact, we can be certain that you have not been possessed by the demonic thoughts of the Phoenix Fairy.

That's enough.

—Damn, that gave me a real fright! You went on and on about all those ancient secrets, I thought you were some kind of genius.

Unexpectedly, you didn't see through the false destiny and aura arranged by the old Taoist Wuyazi at all, and didn't even have any doubts.

Liu Ji breathed a long sigh of relief, his admiration and awe for the old Taoist Wuyazi growing stronger, while he looked down on the lowly old dragon.

In fact, he overestimated Wuyazi and underestimated Laolong.

Wu Yazi was able to conceal the secrets of heaven for him; it was fate. "Heaven" did not want him to be exposed too early, and was already keeping it hidden for him. Wu Yazi was simply following the will of heaven and doing as it pleased.

By following the will of Heaven, one can receive its assistance and achieve twice the result with half the effort.

Even the Jade Emperor couldn't be 100% sure of his true nature, so how could we expect the old dragon to be stronger than the Jade Emperor?

"Your Majesty, it's not that I don't trust your judgment, but I really feel like I'm not myself today. It must be Grand Tutor Yu using my body to disrupt the great unity of the heroes of the land."

Liu Ji felt no worry, and his demeanor and tone became more natural and sincere.

—Under no circumstances should one admit to being normal. If one is normal, then one must take responsibility for the internal strife among the heroes of China.

Old Dragon naturally understood his thoughts.

Speechless, he also felt disgust and contempt for Liu Laosan.

—This guy certainly doesn't have the makings of a true dragon; he's too shameless and too dishonest.

"Since you feel something is wrong, let's have Fuqiu Gong and the others examine you again when we meet them!"

Liu Laosan didn't want to be inspected by the prospective Grandmasters, and he couldn't help but feel conflicted.

"Since I have no problems, what about Commander Li? What about my brothers?"

Li Zhong's eyes darted around, and he quickly said, "Your Majesty, I feel like there's something wrong with me."

Old Dragon nodded. "In that case, be careful in your next life."

A glint of light flashed in his eyes, and Li Zhong's expression froze. His body went stiff and he fell to the ground, his soul drifting into the underworld.

Liu Ji was horrified, "Commander Li, he, he..."

Old Long said calmly, "He might really have a problem. As for your companions, don't worry, they weren't involved in this at all."

Seeing the unwavering confusion on Li Zhong's face, Liu Ji felt a mix of emotions.

It's only a possibility.
Moreover, Old Dragon just admitted that he couldn't distinguish the curse inhabited by demonic thoughts at all.

Old Long gave the guards at the door a wink, and immediately two warriors swiftly and quietly swam over and silently carried away Li Zhong's body.

"Besides checking whether your dragon energy is intact, there's another reason I called you here."

"Let me, Old Dragon, act as a peacemaker and mediate the conflict between you and the King of Chu, Liu Ji. What do you think?"

Old Long smiled warmly again, his tone as gentle as if he were speaking to an old friend.

Liu Ji immediately suppressed the complex emotions in his heart and instantly painted a look of surprise and gratitude on his face, which resembled a mask.

"Your Majesty's great kindness is beyond my gratitude!" His knees buckled, and he was about to kneel again.

This time, however, Old Dragon held his arms and helped him up, earnestly instructing him: "I won't lie to you, Chen Sheng's destiny was only to start the uprising."

Now that the uprising is complete, even though his momentum is great and his power shakes the Central Plains, his future achievements will not be comparable to yours.

However, you are a hidden dragon in the abyss, yet to rise to power; you must remain hidden and patient.

Liu Ji was even more grateful, his eyes slightly reddening. "Your Majesty, Liu Ji understands. I will follow your arrangements."

"Come on, let's go to the 'water altar' to worship God."

Old Dragon grabbed his right arm and led him toward the back hall with unusual enthusiasm.

Liu Ji let him drag him along, and asked in confusion, "What God are you worshipping? Isn't it to resolve the misunderstanding between me and the King of Chu?"

"Worship the Jade Emperor, then go see Chen Sheng."

The old dragon led him away from the main hall, flashing rapidly in the water.

The scenery in front of Liu Ji was blurry; he could only see streaks of colorful light forming a passage around him, through which he moved quickly.

It seemed like a long time had passed, yet it also seemed like only a moment had passed before he was led by the old dragon to the edge of a deep pool.

"This pool connects to the lotus pond behind the Lingxu Palace. If you make a wish to the Heavenly Emperor while standing by the pool, He can hear you directly."

It was even more efficacious than the Temple of Heaven in the Xianyang court, and thus became the 'water altar' through which my Dragon Palace communicated with the heavens.

The old dragon offered an explanation, then lit incense, faced the water altar, and kowtowed, saying, "Your subject, Ao Guang of the Eastern Sea, pays his respects to Your Majesty!"
Today, on behalf of the Dragon Clan of the Four Seas, I hereby sign an alliance with Liu Ji, a hero of the Divine Land.

Your subject presents Liu Ji with a wisp of dragon clan fortune in exchange for Liu Ji's recognition as the 'True Dragon Son of Heaven'.

"Your Majesty, on behalf of Heaven, bear witness for us."

Liu Ji was both angry and anxious. "Your Majesty the Dragon King, what alliance? I know nothing about it!"

Old Dragon bowed three times, inserted the burning incense into the brass incense burner, and then turned around and said, "Didn't I just explain the origin of the 'True Dragon' to you? And you agreed."

“I’m illiterate, just a country bumpkin. I don’t understand what Your Majesty is saying at all, but I dare not be rude, so I can only hum and haw in agreement.”

"If there's any misunderstanding, I apologize to you!" Liu Ji said urgently.

The old dragon said unhappily, "I wasn't discussing any difficult or obscure Taoist principles with you. I was just recounting ancient stories. What's so difficult about that?"

“I understand every word you say, but I don’t understand the deeper meaning behind it,” Liu Ji said.

Old Dragon said, "There's no deeper meaning; it's just the literal meaning. Even if you don't know the ancient secrets about the 'True Dragon Emperor,' you've surely heard of 'The Phoenix Cries on Mount Qi,' haven't you?"

After years of arrogance, the Phoenix Clan finally had no choice but to acknowledge that the Dragon, Phoenix, and Qilin had been abandoned by the Heavenly Dao, and that the Human Race was now the protagonist of the world.

On the eve of the last great calamity of the Investiture of the Gods, the current Phoenix Ancestor bestowed the fortune of the Phoenix Clan upon the human race.

Liu Ji asked in confusion, "Isn't the phoenix's cry in Qishan an auspicious omen? How come there's investment related to its fortune?"

The old dragon said with a complicated expression, "After that time when the phoenix cried out in Qishan, the phoenix, like my true dragon clan, became a 'lucky omen' for the human race."

But don't you think about it? At the beginning of time, my Dragon Clan, along with the Phoenix and Qilin Clans, were the main characters of heaven and earth, the only three masters of the world!
Let alone your human race, even the Three Pure Ones are just relatively special Qi cultivators in the world.

Now, the Taoist Ancestor is revered.

Our dragon, phoenix, and qilin have dominated the world for billions of years, which has been condensed into a 'era name' of the Primordial Celestial Venerable.

Mortals live one year, while immortals live one year, which is 365 years.

The Primordial Celestial Venerable used the Great Calamity of Heaven and Earth to mark the years. Every time the Three Realms went through a Great Calamity of Heaven and Earth, he would grow 'one year' older.

His first year was named "Longhan".

Therefore, the great calamity of the heavens and earth in the death battle between the dragon, phoenix, and qilin is also called the 'First Calamity of the Dragon and Han Dynasties'.

(End of this chapter)