Journey to the West: I am the fiercest bird under Bodhi's seat

After the Great Calamity of the Dragon and Han Dynasties, the Dragon Clan was severely weakened. Donghuang Taiyi integrated the various clans into the Demon Court, established the Ancient Heavenly Court, and took control of the ancient era.

At that time, the dragon race still had some power.

However, the Demon Court remained highly vigilant against them, and even though it was constantly at odds with the Witch Clan, it never relaxed its suppression of the Dragon Clan.

Over countless years, the dragon race gradually declined and had no choice but to retreat step by step, shrinking its territory in order to survive.

The last dragon clan powerhouse who had the potential to become a quasi-saint was killed by Donghuang Taiyi in ancient times, thus completely severing the path to the revival of the dragon clan.

After the war between the Lich King and the Demon King ended and both races were destroyed, the Jade Emperor rebuilt the Heavenly Court and took the opportunity to incorporate the Dragon Clan, appointing them as the Dragon Kings of the Four Seas.

Nominally ranked among the feudal lords.

Don't think that you can enjoy peace and tranquility from now on.

The new Heavenly Court was newly established, and everything was in ruins. The human world was in the end times of the primordial chaos. Although the human race was rising, there were still many powerful demons running rampant, and the waters were rife with chaos.

The Dragon Clan, acting on the decree of the Jade Emperor, conquered the four seas and annihilated countless powerful demons who wreaked havoc in their respective regions.

As a result, the remaining foundation was almost exhausted.

When it came time to confer the gods, they couldn't even produce a single Great Luo Golden Immortal. Faced with Nezha's provocation, they could only swallow their anger.

After all, the other side has the support of a Grand Luo Golden Immortal from the Chan Sect. The Dragon Clan is weak and helpless. If they confront them head-on, they will only bring shame upon themselves.

From then on, the old dragon king lost all his remaining vigor and turned to indulging in wine and women, becoming increasingly cunning and no longer making enemies easily.

Accompanying the two, he casually probed, "Fellow Daoists, I've heard a little about Flower Fruit Mountain, but I've never heard of you two before. May I ask where you cultivated and which cave you lived in seclusion?"

Before the monkey could answer, Ye Feng spoke first:

"My junior brother and I have been traveling the world for many years, trying to comprehend the Great Dao. We have occasionally gained some insights, which we have learned on our own. Because I am a few years older, I am called senior brother. Recently, I encountered a bottleneck in my cultivation, so I returned to my hometown. It is quite normal that the old Dragon King has not heard of this."

The Dragon King's eyes narrowed slightly as he thought to himself, "This person's cultivation is unfathomable. His demeanor is composed, and his words are meticulous. He clearly does not wish to reveal the origins of his sect. Well then, let's stabilize the situation for now and conduct a more thorough investigation after he leaves."

Before long, the three entered the central main hall—the renowned Crystal Palace.

The entire palace was crystal clear, carved from the finest crystal from the seabed, without a single flaw.

Adorned with pearls and accompanied by coral, treasures are hidden every ten steps and rare gems are found every hundred steps, displaying extreme luxury and extraordinary grandeur.

The monkey, witnessing this scene for the first time, stared blankly, its expression dazed.

The Dragon King stroked his beard and chuckled, secretly pleased: "He really is a monkey from the mountains; he must have been intimidated by the grandeur of this Dragon Palace."

Little did the monkey know that it had already made a plan: it had come at the perfect time, and it would make the old dragon pull out its most treasured possession, or it would not leave empty-handed!

Ye Feng remained calm; the magnificent Dragon Palace failed to move him.

The seabed is full of wonders, but these are just worldly things and hold no appeal for him.

The group took their seats in the main hall, where the Dragon King served fragrant tea. Although located in the deep sea, the palace was protected by a barrier, ensuring that not a drop of water could penetrate the crystal palace that stretched for thousands of miles.

After drinking a cup of tea and exchanging a few pleasantries, the Dragon King finally spoke, asking, "May I ask what brings you two here? Could it be that you have come specifically to visit this old dragon?"

Ye Feng replied with a smile, "The old Dragon King is indeed wise. To be honest, firstly, my junior brother and I came here specifically to pay our respects; neighbors should know each other. Secondly—" He paused, looking at the monkey, "My junior brother is currently lacking a suitable weapon. He has long heard of the Dragon Palace's countless treasures and has come specifically to request one. Surely our old neighbor wouldn't be so stingy as to turn us away?"

"So they came here to ask for their treasure!"

The Dragon King's eyes narrowed slightly, and he gently stroked his long beard with his fingertips.

He had anticipated this scene. The Dragon Palace's wealth was known throughout the Three Realms. Even though its glory had faded, its foundation remained. How could it be allowed to be coveted by petty villains? Which ordinary demon would dare to set foot here and cause trouble? Only those with deep roots and powerful backers would dare to come and "visit." And among these people, eight or nine out of ten were related to the Heavenly Court.

He weighed his options, not daring to easily offend Ye Feng, yet unwilling to offer up such a valuable treasure for nothing. He could only turn to the monkey, speaking politely, "May I ask what weapon the Great Sage desires?"

The monkey grinned, scratching his ears and cheeks, and said, "The heavier the better! I, Old Sun, am strong, it's no fun to carry something light."

The Dragon King nodded and immediately ordered one of his yaksha followers to fetch a weapon. Before long, the yaksha brought in a large golden-winged ringed sword, its blade shimmering with golden light and radiating a chilling aura; it was clearly no ordinary weapon.

Ye Feng glanced at it briefly and understood—it was passable, but not surprising, and far from being a true innate spiritual treasure.

Sure enough, Sun Wukong only glanced at it before waving his hands repeatedly: "Useless! Useless! I, Old Sun, don't use this thing. Get another one!"

The Dragon King frowned, pondered for a moment, and then ordered the treasure to be retrieved again. This time, two eel spirits worked together to carry out a long fork, its nine branches gleaming coldly like teeth.

"Look, this is the 'Nine-pronged Water-Dividing Fork,' a treasure of the Dragon Palace. It weighs 3,600 catties and is a rare artifact. Is it to your liking?" the Dragon King asked with a smile.

Wukong stepped forward, lifted it up with one hand, spun it casually, and then shook his head: "Too light! It feels like chopsticks in my hand. Try again!"

The old Dragon King's face darkened, but he had no choice but to continue ordering his men to retrieve the treasure. A moment later, several aquatic monsters worked together to bring over a halberd, its blade dark and emanating a faint aura of malevolence.

The Dragon King stroked his beard and said, "This halberd is forged from the black iron of Shouyang Mountain, weighing 7,200 catties. It is the first-class divine weapon of my Dragon Palace. I suppose... you are satisfied now?"

Wukong took it, twirled it a couple of times, and was still dissatisfied: "Still too light! Change it!"

The Dragon King's expression finally changed: "Fellow Daoist! This is already the heaviest weapon in the Dragon Palace; there is nothing heavier!"

The monkey, however, persisted, shaking its head and shouting, "No, no! Old Dragon King, don't be stingy! There must be some good stuff hidden away!"

At this moment, Ye Feng coughed lightly and slowly stood up: "Old Dragon King, I have heard that when Yu the Great controlled the floods, he left behind a divine iron rod called the Sea-Stabilizing Needle, which is placed deep within the Dragon Palace. May I have the honor of seeing it?"

The Dragon King was taken aback upon hearing this, and his gaze fell suspiciously on Ye Feng's face.

How did this Taoist priest know the origin of that iron pillar?

They clearly came prepared.

His guard rose even higher, but he also secretly breathed a sigh of relief—since they had specified an object, it meant they wouldn't be demanding things endlessly. Fine, as long as he could get rid of these two menacing figures, sacrificing a piece of scrap metal wouldn't hurt.

That iron pillar was originally used by Yu the Great to measure the depth of the sea; it was not a weapon. And that devastating flood of that year was far more than just a natural disaster. Although the Dragon King did not experience it firsthand, he knew some of the secrets—there was more than one force stirring up trouble, even involving the grand scheme of the succession to the Human Emperor; undercurrents were surging, and Wuzhiqi was merely a scapegoat pushed out to take the fall.

But what do all this have to do with him? He is merely a water lord with mediocre cultivation, seeking only peace and enjoyment, and avoiding any involvement in conflict.

He then gave a shout and led Ye Feng and Sun Wukong away from the Crystal Palace, heading straight for a hidden treasure at the bottom of the sea.

Before long, the three arrived at their destination. There stood a colossal iron pillar rising from the sea abyss, its top invisible, thousands of feet high, piercing the darkness. The pillar was covered with moss and rock fragments, clearly having been buried there for a long time, untouched by anyone.

As the three approached, the iron pillar suddenly emitted a five-colored divine light, and an extraordinary phenomenon occurred.

Sun Wukong paused, his heart skipped a beat, and he involuntarily flew out to the iron pillar, where he gently knocked on it.

boom--!

A burst of brilliant light erupted, sending shards of rock flying and seaweed scattering, revealing the entire iron pillar in a sudden, majestic, and awe-inspiring sight.

Wukong was overjoyed at the sight and opened his arms to hug it, but it was as thick as a mountain and he couldn't close them at all. He could only sigh, "What a treasure! It's just too big!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the iron pillar shrank by several feet, and its overall size also narrowed.

Wukong was taken aback, then overjoyed: "Wonderful! It's a sentient being! Quick, make it thinner! Make it shorter!"

After speaking, the iron pillar seemed to understand its meaning, and quickly shrank, instantly transforming into an iron rod about a foot long. The two ends of the rod were gleaming with gold hoops, and the center was solid tungsten iron. A line of small characters clearly appeared on the rod: "Ruyi Jingu Bang, weighing 13,500 catties."

Wukong was overjoyed. The size of the cup was just right in his hand, and he couldn't help but wave it around a few times.

He was already skilled in martial arts and possessed immense magical power. Now, wielding this divine weapon, the wind and clouds instantly changed color. Wherever the staff passed, the seawater churned, whirlpools appeared, and the entire sea area trembled violently. In the distance, the Crystal Palace shook violently, and fish, shrimp, crabs, and monsters lost their footing and fell to the ground.

The Dragon King was terrified and hurriedly shouted, "Great Sage! Stop! If you keep dancing like this, my palace will collapse!"

Wukong then stopped his attack, but his face still showed a hint of unsatisfaction as he rubbed the iron rod in his hand, his eyes gleaming.

Ye Feng remained calm throughout, as if he had foreseen everything that was happening before him. The golden cudgel was originally destined for the monkey, and it naturally resonated with his approach.

This staff was originally a postnatal spiritual treasure forged by Laozi in the Eight Trigrams Furnace, and later bestowed upon Yu the Great for his flood control efforts. Although not born of nature, it was crafted by Laozi, making it no ordinary item, and its power is comparable to a mid-grade postnatal spiritual treasure. Especially when combined with the monkey's bloodline, its power is multiplied once it is used.

However, even so, it is still slightly inferior to the Primordial Heaven-Slaying Sword that Ye Feng obtained.

As Wukong stopped swinging his staff, the sea gradually calmed. The Dragon King secretly wiped away a bead of sweat, feeling a pang of heartache, yet also a slight sense of relief—surely these two evil spirits would be gone by now?

Unexpectedly, Ye Feng suddenly turned his head, smiled at him, and said softly, "Old Dragon King, your mansion is indeed extraordinary, even possessing such a treasure. Since my junior brother has obtained the item he desires, and I happen to be lacking a suitable weapon, why not trouble you to grant my request?"

The Dragon King's expression changed drastically. The monkey had already given him a headache, and now this Taoist was actually asking for something too?

He was inwardly groaning, but dared not show it on his face, and could only politely decline: "I wonder what the immortal seeks? Although my Eastern Sea has treasures, the treasure trove is too shallow and narrow, and I'm afraid it is not worthy of your high regard."

Ye Feng grinned, his tone relaxed: "No problem, no problem. I'm not as picky as my junior brother. I've only heard that the Dragon Palace is full of treasures. My senior brother and I come from poor backgrounds and have never seen such a sight. Please lead the way so I can take a look in the treasure vault and pick out one item at random."

"You want to enter my treasure vault?"

The Dragon King of the East Sea was shocked and speechless. He had seen rude people before, but he had never seen anyone so shameless! It was bad enough that they came to rob him, but they weren't satisfied with just getting a valuable treasure, and now they wanted to break into the treasure's lair!

He quickly shook his head: "No, no! There are no rare items in the treasure vault. If you need anything, please tell me, and I may be able to find it."

Before he could finish speaking, Ye Feng's eyes turned cold: "Old Dragon King, do you not trust me? Are you afraid I'll covet your wealth?"

After speaking, his eyes flickered slightly, with faint golden flames dancing within them.