The Last Sentinel

Ao Bai led the way quickly, walking through the layers of the Dragon Palace Jade Corridor. The crystal walls along the way reflected the deep sea's ethereal light, and the shimmering water ripples followed their footsteps.

As he walked, he whispered to Ye Feng about the background of the visitors, his words filled with helplessness and apprehension.

It would have been better if he hadn't said anything; this detailed explanation only made Ye Feng's interest grow even stronger.

This distinguished guest from afar was not a top-tier figure among the heavens, but rather a renowned and deeply rooted immortal family from ancient Chinese mythology—the Li family of Chentang Pass.

Our ancestor, Li Jing, was originally the general of Chen Tang Pass under the Shang Dynasty. He was just an ordinary military officer, but he changed his fate against all odds by having three outstanding sons in his family. His father rose to prominence through his sons, and he led his entire family to ascend to immortality. He can be regarded as a classic example of the rise of a family in the world of cultivation.

When the ancient Heavenly Court was destroyed, countless veteran immortals and gods were implicated and perished. Only Li Jing was clear-headed and able to assess the situation. He immediately switched sides and firmly established himself in the new Heavenly Court of the newly formed world. After several upheavals in the heavens, he still sat firmly in a high position, thrived, and his foundation became increasingly profound.

Ao Bai's dragon robe swept lightly across the jade bricks with his steps, his tone carrying a hint of complaint and impatience: "Ancestor Ye, to be honest, I have very little dealings with the Li family of Chentang Pass."

Ye Feng glanced at him casually: "You look down on Chen Tang Pass?"

"Absolutely not, Ancestor Ye, you've misunderstood." Ao Bai quickly shook his head, his golden eyes revealing the pragmatism of a businessman. "My Longyuan business deals in arms from all corners of the world. We have customers from all directions, regardless of their faction, good or evil, or size of power. We've always treated everyone equally. My only problem with the Li family is the current General of Chentang Pass and the head of the Li family, Li Jing. He's a master at making empty promises and setting up accounts on credit. He's always dragging his feet on final payments and makes all sorts of excuses when you come to collect debts. He's really difficult to deal with."

Ye Feng nodded slightly, secretly agreeing. For arms dealers across the heavens, factionalism, good versus evil, and morality are all superficial. Real rewards and regulated transactions are the foundation for survival; empty promises are nothing short of fraud.

As the two chatted, they passed through the winding corridors and entered the magnificent and solemn Crystal Palace of the Dragon Palace.

The entire palace is constructed from warm jade from the deep sea that has been there for thousands of years and translucent crystal pillars. Thousands of glass crystal pillars stand straight and tall, flowing with clear and warm blue water light. Fine stardust and water droplets float slowly in the palace, and shimmering waves spread over the white jade floor and carved beams and pillars. The entire palace is ethereal and magnificent, with its own solemn and majestic aura of ancient dragon gods.

On the coral throne to the side of the main hall, a middle-aged immortal was sitting and waiting.

He sat upright, only sitting on half of the chair, his back straight. His elegant white Taoist robe was spotless, with neat folds. His hands were placed neatly on his knees, his eyebrows and eyes were humble and lowered, his gaze was reserved and not looking around. He had completely concealed his immortal power, not revealing the slightest bit of sharpness. His expression was respectful and solemn, showing a humble and respectful attitude.

Ye Feng glanced at the other person indifferently, and instantly understood the identity of the newcomer.

This person is Li Jing, the current head of the Li family and the person in charge of Chentang Pass. He shares the same name as his ancestor, Li Jing, the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King, and his appearance and demeanor are also seven-tenths similar. He has an air of otherworldly elegance, but there is a hint of utilitarianism and calculation hidden in his eyes.

Ye Feng secretly pondered: With the same name and appearance, I wonder if he also has such outstanding offspring as his ancestor, and whether he can produce another Nezha the Third Prince who wreaks havoc in the heavens.

Thoughts flashed by, but Ye Feng, relying on the connection between his true self and his clone's consciousness, had already thoroughly grasped Li Jing's recent movements. This person was currently plotting to invade Huaguo Mountain and confront his junior brother Qi Tian in battle. His journey from afar to Longyuan was clearly aimed at revealing his true intentions.

Longyuan boasts a top-tier arms industry across the heavens, and its East Sea armory is open to the public, making it a renowned arms trading hub. Clearly, Li Jing has come specifically to purchase arms on credit, intending to leverage Longyuan's military strength to suppress Qitian.

At this moment, Li Jing, who was sitting upright in the chair, noticed the arrival of the two, and especially felt the unfathomable and completely restrained terrifying aura emanating from Ye Feng, and her heart tightened suddenly. This young senior stood silently, without saying a word, but he had his own invisible pressure, and his authority was imposing without anger, which made Li Jing feel uneasy and dare not be presumptuous.

Ao Bai stepped forward first, suppressing his distracting thoughts, and said with a calm smile, "Brother Li, how have you been?"

Li Jing quickly stood up, cupped her hands in greeting, and replied politely with a warm smile, "It's wonderful to meet Brother Ao. And who is this gentleman?"

His gaze fell on Ye Feng, full of inquiry and curiosity, completely unable to fathom the other's true nature.

"This is the venerable ancestor from beyond the world, who is now a guest in my Dragon Palace. His status is exceptionally noble." Ao Bai spoke with respect, deliberately elevating Ye Feng's status.

Upon hearing this, Li Jing's expression turned solemn, and she quickly bowed respectfully, saying, "I see! Junior Li Jing greets Ancestor!"

Ye Feng remained calm and offered no response. In terms of seniority, he was born during the Battle of Zhuolu between Xuanyuan Chiyou and Li Jing, while Li Jing, the ancestor of the Li family, was a figure from the time of King Zhou of Shang. If his ancestor came, he would have to call him ancestor, so it was normal for him to call him ancestor.

Ao Bai, unwilling to waste time on pleasantries, went straight to the point, patting Li Jing on the shoulder: "Brother Li, I heard you found the Endless Tears? Where is it?"

Li Jing's eyes lit up, and she immediately raised her right hand. A faint light flashed from the storage ring on her fingertip, and her tone carried a hint of pride and difficulty: "It's in this storage ring. This item is extremely rare; I spent countless efforts and relied on numerous opportunities to obtain it. Knowing that Brother Ao had been searching for it so diligently, I brought it here immediately. However, Brother Ao, I'm currently in dire straits and urgently need a batch of military equipment..."

Upon hearing this, Ao Bai immediately showed impatience, rolled his eyes, and said in a colder tone: "Brother Li, you still haven't settled the balance of the military equipment you bought on credit last time. Have you already forgotten about it completely? Longyuan values ​​rules the most. One thing at a time. No new transactions are allowed if old debts are not settled."

"This..." Li Jing's smile froze instantly. Forcing an awkward smile, she urgently explained, "Brother Ao, to be honest, I recently received an incredible opportunity and have entered into a betting agreement with the Mo family. If we win this battle, the profits will be enormous, and the old debt will be repaid a hundredfold! I only ask that you be lenient and grant me a batch of weapons on credit, even defective equipment! I'm willing to use this Endless Tear as collateral; if I cannot repay the debt after the battle, this item will be yours!"

Ao Bai was immediately enraged. His face turned cold and his voice was accusatory: "You, surnamed Li, are supposed to be the head of a powerful family. How can you be so unreasonable! The value of Endless Tears is far greater than your final payment. Don't you know that?"

"I haven't chased you away or used force today, all because Senior Ye Zu was present, and I'm giving you some face!"

"Your current attempts to make excuses and inflate prices are nothing but self-humiliation!"

"Leave the Dragon Palace before I become enraged! I, Longyuan, have no interest in your so-called Endless Tears!"

The atmosphere inside the hall instantly tensed, tensions escalating, and the deal was on the verge of collapse. Li Jing was extremely anxious, knowing Ao Bai's resolute attitude. She quickly turned to Ye Feng, who stood silently to the side, attempting to use this mysterious ancestor to break the deadlock. Her tone was earnest, pleading, "Senior Ancestor Ye, may I have the privilege of seeing these Endless Tears? This item was personally obtained by me at an exorbitant price on the battlefield of the heavens; it is no ordinary object!"

Ye Feng's mind suddenly stirred, and a glint of light flashed in his eyes.

Battlefield of the Heavens!

In recent days, he had been intensively studying the common knowledge of the myriad phenomena of the heavens and had long been familiar with the secrets of the multidimensional battlefields. The so-called multidimensional battlefields are all divine tombs and star-whale fall ruins formed by the decaying and sedimenting bodies of ancient supreme giants. The ruins are divided into three tiers: upper, middle, and lower, and each tier is further subdivided into four realms: Azure Heaven, Yellow Heaven, Jun Heaven, and Xuan Heaven, with a strict hierarchy. The Azure Heaven Battlefield is a top-level secret realm that only experts of the sixth tier or above can enter, and the treasures born there are all rare treasures of the heavens, far beyond the reach of ordinary people.

The value of treasures produced in such a mysterious place is self-evident.

Ye Feng suppressed the turmoil in his heart and said calmly, "Take it out and let's take a look."

"Thank you so much, Ancestor!" Li Jing was overjoyed and quickly took off the storage ring on her finger.

A sudden flash of inspiration, and a milky-white water droplet, resembling solidified white jade, slowly floated out, drifting quietly in the center of the hall. The instant this object appeared, the light, gravity, and spatial frequency of the entire crystal hall subtly changed. There was no overwhelming impact, but rather, in a perfectly natural manner, it assimilated the surrounding environment, mysterious and profound.

Ye Feng raised his hand and waved it lightly. Milky white water droplets fell into his palm, their shapes changing at will. Sometimes they condensed into beads, sometimes they took shape, and they even condensed into a mini water dragon according to his thoughts. The warm and powerful vitality swept through his limbs and bones, and the pure life force was vast and boundless.

At that moment, a fragment of ancient memory flashed through his mind—the Beast Milk of the Realm of Immortality that Emperor Ye Fan had mentioned! The legendary divine object that nourishes the Holy Son of the Emperor and nurtures the Supreme Dao Body, and this Endless Tear before him was exactly the same!

Ye Feng was deeply shaken, his eyes burning with intense fervor. He instantly became certain that if he could find a large quantity of Endless Tears, his bottleneck in transforming into a dragon would be completely broken through. He would master the [Everyone Can Be a Dragon - Dragon Taming Chapter - Dragon Transformation Technique] and forge an unparalleled true dragon body in no time! This item was, for him, an unparalleled opportunity that could defy fate!

He suppressed the turmoil in his heart, gently pushed his hand, and the milky white water droplets slowly drifted into Ao Bai's palm.

"Take a closer look."

Ao Bai quickly focused his attention on the artifact, his fingertips lightly touching the water droplets as he murmured, confirming the records in the ancient texts: "Endless Tears, true to its name, is indestructible and eternally stable. Even in the midst of a dimensional battlefield where time and space are distorted and the oceans change in an instant, it can endure forever, even reversing the surrounding time and space environment. It is exactly as described in the ancient texts, truly a genuine artifact!"

Having received confirmation from Ao Bai himself, Li Jing became even more emotional, her tone tinged with a mixture of regret and pride: "To obtain this precious treasure, I spared no expense, even selling the protective swaddling clothes passed down from my ancestors, which were once used to wrap Nezha, the Third Prince!"

"Nezha, the Great God of the Three Altars and Seas, is the eternal lucky star of Chen Tang Pass! Recalling those days, the Third Prince's divine might was unparalleled; he stormed the East Sea, slew the evil dragon, skinned it, and pulled out its tendons—how awe-inspiring he was, shaking the heavens!"

"Unfortunately, times have changed. Chen Tang Pass is no longer respected in the new Heavenly Court. The Heavenly Court would rather give a celestial position to Hua Xiaobai or those foreign races from the Tianzhu civilization than trust the Li family of Chen Tang Pass! There is no other way but to part ways with the Heavenly Court and go our separate ways from now on!"

"If the Heavenly Court cuts off the Li family's logistical supplies, then we'll find our own!"

"Now we've finally found Brother Longyuan Ao!"

"Brother Ao, you don't know, Flower Fruit Mountain is now occupied by Qi Tian, ​​a carbon-based native with no experience in the wars of the heavens. He mocks us relentlessly and hinders us in every way. It's truly frustrating! A mere native dares to set up an array to contend with my orthodox immortal race. This is simply intolerable!"

The moment the words left his mouth, the temperature in the Crystal Palace plummeted to freezing.

The indifference in Ye Feng's eyes completely vanished, replaced by a layer of bone-chilling coldness, and his aura instantly became heavy and stagnant.

Qi Tian was his fellow disciple, and Li Jing's public belittling and insulting of Qi Tian was tantamount to offending his dignity.

Ao Bai, standing to the side, was even more ashen-faced, his scales flaring up, his heart burning with rage.

As soon as Li Jing finished speaking, she suddenly realized that the atmosphere was eerily silent. Her whole body stiffened, and she instantly realized what was happening. Her face turned pale, and her heart turned cold.

He was so engrossed in venting his anger that he completely forgot that this was the sacred land of Longyuan, and that the person sitting in front of him was Ao Bai, the patriarch of the East Sea Dragon Clan! To talk at length about Nezha's past of skinning and pulling out the tendons of dragons in front of the supreme ruler of the Dragon Clan was undoubtedly to reopen the ancient wounds of the Dragon Clan and to publicly provoke the dignity of Longyuan.

Such behavior is no different from riding on Aobai's head to humiliate and provoke him.

A cold sweat instantly broke out on Li Jing's back. She was at a loss, filled with regret, and her heart was filled with extreme embarrassment and fear.