The Hehuan Sect cultivates alchemy; my senior sister helps me refine alchemy throughout the world.

The guards at the palace gate bowed to Ao Ting upon seeing him.

Ao Ting nodded slightly and led the way, with Shen Yifei following closely behind.

Along the way, Shen Yifei couldn't take it all in. The place was beyond luxurious; the ceiling was covered with pearls the size of dragon eyes, the floor was paved with ancient jade, and everywhere he looked there were rare treasures.

Shen Yifei really wanted to take them all and bring them back to the Tianyan Sect. When the sect held its grand assembly in the future, the spectacle would be unmatched by ten Golden Crow Sects.

Ao Ting did not enter the main hall, but led Shen Yifei through a maze of turns to a side hall.

The side hall was brightly lit, and a middle-aged man was sitting behind a desk, flipping through something, while a woman was pouring him tea.

The man looked to be in his forties, with a handsome face, three long wisps of beard, and wore a golden dragon robe. Although he wasn't wearing a crown, his regal aura could be felt from a great distance.

Needless to say, this is the Dragon King of the East Sea.

Looking at the woman next to him, Shen Yifei's eyes almost popped out of their sockets.

The woman looked to be in her early twenties, wearing a light blue dress. She had delicate features and was pouring tea with an elegant and composed demeanor.

The worst part is that her face is practically a carbon copy of Ao Ying's.

If Shen Yifei hadn't seen what Ao Ying looked like, he would have made a fool of himself today.

Ao Ting strode forward, cupped his hands in greeting, and said, "Father, Mother, your son has returned."

Shen Yifei quickly composed himself and bowed to Ao Ting, saying, "Junior Shen Yifei greets the Dragon King and Dragon Queen."

The Dragon King raised his head, carefully examined Shen Yifei, and frowned slightly.

"Shen Yifei... Sect Master Shen... was it you who cured Ting'er's illness?"

Shen Yifei knew that Ao Ying must have told him the whole story, but he didn't know if she mentioned that he was the one who caused the trouble and that he was the one who cured the illness.

But judging from the Dragon King's tone, it seemed unfriendly.

Shen Yifei thought to himself, since I'm already here, I have to shamelessly keep up the act.

He cupped his hands in a respectful gesture and said, "Your Majesty, this junior did indeed treat His Highness the Crown Prince."

"Hmm... Sect Master Shen's methods are quite clever."

The Dragon King's words had a double meaning, and Shen Yifei took it as a compliment. "Your Majesty flatters me. I only know a little bit about medicine. It was just a coincidence that I cured His Highness the Crown Prince's illness. It is His Highness's good fortune that he was able to save him."

Shen Yifei spoke without batting an eye, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

The Dragon King didn't reply, but turned to look at the Dragon Queen beside him. He had probably never seen such a shameless person who took a question as a compliment.

The Dragon Queen put down the teapot and smiled slightly. "Ying'er said that Ting'er offended someone in Binhai City and was punished. Fortunately, Sect Master Shen disregarded past grievances and came to his rescue."

Upon hearing this, Shen Yifei knew that Ao Ying had already explained the whole story, without even mentioning the veil.

This mother-in-law is about to expose my secrets.

He quickly cupped his hands in greeting, "Your Majesty is too kind. My relationship with His Highness the Crown Prince can be described as a case of becoming friends after a fight. Although His Highness is young and impetuous, he is not a bad person. I am extremely fortunate to have made such a friend."

The Empress smiled slightly, said nothing more, and simply picked up her teacup and took a sip.

Her movements were so elegant, as if she had stepped out of a painting, and she had more charm than Ao Ying. Shen Yifei stared at her, completely mesmerized.

Shen Yifei sighed inwardly. No wonder Ao Ying's face could make him lose his mind. It turned out that he had such a beautiful and charming mother.

The Dragon Queen felt a little uncomfortable under his gaze and coughed lightly.

Shen Yifei quickly regained his composure, chuckled twice, and said, "Your Majesty the Dragon Queen is of divine beauty. I was momentarily out of line. Please forgive me."

After saying that, I immediately realized that what I said was inappropriate.

The Dragon King snorted and put down the scroll in his hand. He hadn't expected this guy to flirt with the Dragon Queen right in front of him. Just as he was about to lash out, Ao Ting, seeing the situation was getting out of hand, cried out, "Father... Sect Master Shen, he... he also discovered that someone has poisoned my body!"

Upon hearing this, the Dragon King jumped to his feet. "What did you say? You've been poisoned?"

The Dragon Queen was also shocked and turned pale. She stood up slightly, then sat back down.

Shen Yifei thought his brother-in-law was really good; he had come out of the predicament just right.

He hurriedly followed up with an explanation, "Your Majesty, please don't be angry. His Highness the Crown Prince was indeed poisoned, but I have temporarily suppressed it with medicine, and it won't take effect for a while."

"Short time? How long is that?" The Dragon Queen asked with concern.

Each change of expression from the Dragon Queen had its own unique charm.

Shen Yifei secretly resolved that he had to get Ao Ying to learn from him.

He smiled at the Dragon Queen, "Your Majesty, there's no need to worry. There won't be any problems in eight or ten years."

The Dragon Queen breathed a sigh of relief, her eyes blinking twice. "Sect Leader Shen, are you confident?"

Shen Yifei said solemnly, "Your Majesty, please rest assured, since I dare to say this, I am absolutely certain. However..."

"But what?" The Dragon King's voice rose in pitch.

"I have two questions, I wonder if they will be offensive?"

"What's the problem? Don't beat around the bush!"

Shen Yifei finally realized who Ao Ying's temperament resembled.

"Your Majesty, do you intend to pass the throne to Prince Ao Ting in the future?"

Even Ao Ting was stunned by this question!

He hadn't expected Shen Yifei to ask so bluntly; this was a major taboo within the Dragon Clan. Countless people were eyeing him covetously, and forcing the Dragon King to take a stand now was tantamount to suicide.

But then I thought, my brother-in-law dared to risk his life to ask this question, wasn't it all for my sake?

Ao Ting suddenly felt a sense of loyalty and camaraderie, realizing that his second brother-in-law was someone worth befriending!

"Sect Leader Shen, what do you mean by that?" The Dragon King's tone was already angry.

Shen Yifei remained calm and composed. "Your Majesty, please don't misunderstand. I asked this because the poison in Your Highness's body is related to the heir to the Dragon Palace."

Actually, the Dragon King had already suspected it when Shen Yifei mentioned being poisoned, but he didn't expect him to dare to ask so openly in front of him.

This kid is either stupid or fearless, and he doesn't take the Dragon King seriously at all.

The Dragon King began to take a liking to the young man before him.

The Dragon King sat back on his throne, pointed at Shen Yifei, and said, "Continue."

"The person who poisoned His Highness the Crown Prince was extremely skilled. The poison was planted in his body from childhood, remaining dormant and integrated with his flesh and blood. This kind of method is not something an ordinary person can do."

Shen Yifei noticed the slight changes in the expressions of the Dragon King and Dragon Queen, realizing that they might have already locked onto their target.

He continued, "This poison doesn't usually manifest, but given the right opportunity and someone to trigger it, His Highness the Crown Prince will quickly turn into pus. At that point, even if His Majesty wanted to investigate, he wouldn't have a way to find out. With the Crown Prince's death, the position of heir to the Dragon Palace will be vacant. So, my second question is, who is the most likely successor to the throne after His Highness?"

The Dragon King, finally losing his temper, slammed his fist on the table. "Shen Yifei, how dare you! Do you know that either of those two questions could cost you your life?"

Shen Yifei remained unfazed. "Your Majesty, as the saying goes, illness enters through the mouth, and disaster comes from the mouth. Since I dare to ask, I am not afraid of offending anyone! If you wish to save Your Highness, please answer me truthfully!"