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

"Ting'er!" Ao Ming let out a heart-wrenching scream, rushed to Ao Ting's side, and scooped up his body. "Ting'er! What happened to you! Ting'er!"

Jingci rushed over and knelt beside Ao Ting, tears streaming down her face. "Ting'er! My child!"

The officials were in uproar.

"Your Highness!"

"What's wrong, Your Highness!"

"Third Prince! What have you done?!"

The main hall was in complete chaos.

Ao Chong stood amidst the chaos, a ferocious smile on his face.

"Brother," his voice echoed in the hall, "your eldest son has been poisoned by me. Abdicate in favor of me now, and I can give you the antidote and save his life. Otherwise…"

He paused, then said slowly and deliberately, "An hour later, he turned into a puddle of pus."

The entire hall fell silent instantly.

No one could believe their ears.

The Third Prince, the Crown Prince's own uncle, actually poisoned the Crown Prince!

"Third brother..." Ao Ming raised his head, his eyes filled with tears, his voice choked with sobs, "You...you actually poisoned Ting'er? He's your own nephew!"

"My own nephew?" Ao Chong sneered. "So what? Anyone who stands in my way dies!"

He walked up to Ao Ming and said, "Brother, I'll give you the time it takes for an incense stick to burn to consider. If you don't agree to step down after that time, then you can expect to be collecting your son's corpse."

After saying that, he flicked his sleeves, turned around, walked to the main seat, and plopped down in it.

His posture suggested that he had become the new master of the Dragon Palace.

The main hall was completely silent.

All the officials bowed their heads, not daring to breathe. Some secretly glanced at Ao Chong, who sat in the main seat, and then quickly lowered their heads again.

Ao Ming held Ao Ting's body, his head down, his shoulders trembling slightly, as if he were crying.

Shen Yifei stood below the stage, watching Ao Chong's smug expression, and felt incredibly happy.

He held back his laughter for a long time before he managed to suppress it.

Judging by the time, the effects of the Qi-dispelling powder should be starting to take hold soon.

"Ahem..." Shen Yifei cleared his throat, breaking the silence. "Um... Third Prince, excuse me."

"Heh, you little human, you dare to show your face? You almost ruined my plans today!"

"Third Prince, what are you saying? I didn't mean to ruin your plans. I was just helping a friend in need. That poison was strange; it didn't seem like it was freshly administered."

"Hmm...Young man, you have a good eye. I'll say it again: I enjoy making friends with talented young people. If you follow me, I will never treat you unfairly."

Shen Yifei quickly waved his hands, "No, no, the Dragon King has already married his daughter to me, how could I abandon my wife? Third Prince, do you have a daughter? Why don't you marry your daughter to me too, and I'll think about it some more..."

Hearing Shen Yifei spouting nonsense, Ao Ying turned green with anger. Just as she was about to lash out, Ao Yun grabbed her and said, "Calm down!"

Shen Yifei seemed to sense Ao Ying's murderous aura, turned around and glanced at her, then winked at her.

He turned back and continued, "Third Prince, what are my conditions...?"

"You little bastard, you little scoundrel, I'll kill you!"

Shen Yifei's teasing touched a nerve with Ao Chong.

The cultivation method he practiced was yin and cold. In his youth, he spent several years in extremely cold places to cultivate, which damaged his yang energy and made him unable to have children.

This is an open secret in the Dragon Palace, but no one dares to say it to his face.

Shen Yifei not only brought it up, but also asked him in front of all the officials if he had a daughter, which was like rubbing salt into a wound.

However, as he performed the hand seal, he suddenly froze.

The dragon power within his body seemed to have been drained, leaving him completely empty.

He looked down at his hands, tried again, but still nothing came out.

Shen Yifei chuckled and said, "Third Prince, what's wrong? Did you get a stitch?"

"You...you poisoned me!" Ao Chong finally realized what was happening, pointing at Shen Yifei, "You fucking poisoned me!"

"Yes, I poisoned your drink!"

"You little brat, you're so vicious!"

"Haha, Third Prince, you call me vicious? I'm nowhere near as wicked as you. You poisoned His Highness the Crown Prince when he was very young, didn't you?"

"Hahaha……"

Ao Chong laughed louder and more arrogantly than Shen Yifei!

"So what if it is! This little brat deserved to die from the moment he was born! Dragon King, this position is mine, and no one can take it from me! Ao Ming, give me the Dragon King's Decree!"

"Hahaha...cough cough..." Shen Yifei's laughter was meant to overpower Ao Chong's, but he ended up catching his breath.

After catching his breath, Shen Yifei chuckled, "Third Prince, you're celebrating a bit too soon. If you hadn't met me, you might be sitting on the throne today. What a pity..."

He turned to Ao Ming and tossed him a pill, "Dragon King, catch..."

Ao Ming took the pill and stuffed it directly into Ao Ting's mouth.

Two breaths after swallowing the pill, Ao Ting opened his eyes, sprang to his feet with a somersault, and exclaimed, "Oh my god, I was suffocating! Where's my second brother-in-law? Where's my second brother-in-law?"

He completely ignored his father and mother beside him, his eyes searching everywhere for Shen Yifei.

Ao Chong was stunned, as if struck by lightning.

He considered the immense obstacles that would be placed in his attempt to seize the throne, and even the thought of his men and reinforcements all dying in battle, but none of that mattered.

Poisoning Ao Ting was his trump card to turn the tide at the last moment. As long as Ao Ming agreed and he obtained the Dragon King's Token, everything would fall into place.

Unexpectedly, his years of planning were completely ruined by a mere human boy.

Ao Chong suddenly burst into laughter, his laughter filled with desolation and despair.

"Good! Good! Good!" he exclaimed three times, pointing at Ao Ming, "Ao Ming, you've raised a good son and found a good son-in-law!"

Looking at his younger brother's insane state, Ao Ming felt a mix of emotions.

In power struggles, it's always a life-or-death struggle; there's no room for kinship. If you let Ao Chong go today, you'll be the one lying dead tomorrow!

He walked up to Ao Chong, and without the slightest hesitation, slapped Ao Chong on the top of the head. "Third brother, you shouldn't have killed Ting'er. You want the Dragon King's throne? I'll give it to you!"

Ao Chong let out a miserable scream and collapsed onto the dragon throne! Clearly, this palm strike had crippled Ao Chong's cultivation.

Ao Ming turned around. "Ao Chong plotted treason, colluded with sea monsters, and poisoned the Crown Prince. The evidence is irrefutable. From this day forward, Ao Chong and his entire lineage are stripped of their royal titles, demoted to commoners, and never to be employed again! Guards, imprison Ao Chong in the Heavenly Prison!"

Several guards rushed up, dragged Ao Chong away, and started to walk out.

The officials looked at each other in dismay, none of them expecting that today's banquet would turn into a dramatic scene of fair judgment.

Ao Ming then looked at Ao Ting, "From this day forward, you are the new Dragon King of the East Sea Dragon Palace! I abdicate and will no longer concern myself with the affairs of the Dragon Palace."

All the officials knelt down, saying, "Greetings to the new king!"

Ao Ting stood on the high platform, holding the Dragon King's Token in his hand. He had been looking forward to this moment since last night, but now that it had actually arrived, he felt like he was dreaming.

Looking at the officials prostrate on the ground, a surge of pride welled up within him. "Gentlemen," he declared, "the wine you drank today was laced with a 'disarming agent,' and I'm sure you all know why now! Many of you used to be close to the traitor Ao Chong, but you needn't worry. As long as you remain loyal to me from now on, I will forgive your past transgressions. But if you show any disloyalty again, you will be executed without mercy!"

Shen Yifei sat below the stage, watching Ao Ting's new kingly demeanor, and nodded inwardly. This kid, although usually unreliable, really does have the air of a king when it matters.

After Ao Ting finished dealing with official business and the officials dispersed, he ignored his father, mother, Ao Yun, and Ao Ying, and pulled Shen Yifei to the back hall.

"Second brother-in-law, everything's done. What are your plans regarding Princess Beiming?"