Chapter 321: Ao Zhou's Large Belly

Within the Spirit Emperor's hidden realm, the Divine Emperor activated her bell and caused it to send a burst of sound waves at the void right before it, producing a temporal rift.

Xiao Nanfeng and the Divine Emperor stepped out of the hidden realm via this rift as it slowly repaired itself and vanished from sight.

"Aren't you going to return to Yongding?" the Divine Emperor asked, reclaiming her bell. "Why leave the Spirit Emperor's hidden realm here alongside me?"

Xiao Nanfeng looked out at the sea before him. "Three months ago, my master left the hidden realm, but I haven't received any word since. I'm a little worried about his safety, and I'd like to retrace his route to ensure that he's alright. Do you know where we are?"

"It's been fifty thousand years. All my experiences are like fading memories. Of course I don't. However, I do know that the Spirit Emperor's hidden realm was anchored to thirty-six locations around the Eastern Sea. There are four keys that provide direct access to the four heavenly gates; all other spatial rifts leading out of the hidden realm lead to one of these thirty-six locations."

"And this is one of the anchors? Is there anything special about these anchors?" Xiao Nanfeng asked curiously.

"Each anchor is where a treasure of a large spiritbeast clan is hidden. These treasures aren't anything extraordinary." The Divine Emperor shook her head.

"Thirty-six treasures?" Xiao Nanfeng exclaimed.

"It's been fifty thousand years. They've most likely been stolen or discovered by now, or all their elemental force has already been drained. Don't covet them," the Divine Emperor advised, laughing.

"What a pity."

Just then, a blue serpent appeared from the sea. It opened its bloodthirsty maw wide and chomped at Xiao Nanfeng and the Divine Emperor.

The sudden appearance of the serpent caused Xiao Nanfeng to frown as he struck it. The serpent was sent flying; it struck the surface of the sea at great speed.

"You're only at Spiritsong—do you think you should be trying to attack everything you see recklessly? Are you crazy?" Xiao Nanfeng demanded.

The blue serpent spat out a mouthful of blood as it struck the waves, dizzy and disoriented.

"Brothers, there's a tough nut here. Come help me!" the blue serpent howled.

More and more serpents emerged above the surface, all shooting forward with malevolent looks on their faces.

There were dozens of such serpents, and a rare few among them were even at Wingform.

The serpents roared in outrage.

"Are you all crazy? Come, then. I'll roast you all and make a farewell banquet for the Divine Emperor!" Xiao Nanfeng brandished his divine undying blade.

The serpents didn't fear Xiao Nanfeng; they hurtled forward.

"Hold it!" a voice came from afar.

The howl manifested in the form of a sound wave that caused a huge splash over the surface of the sea.

The serpents stopped short and turned back to the source of the howl. A big-bellied black dragon was flying over.

The black dragon was clad in multicolored light. Its aura was so strong that it quelled the seawater beneath it. As it approached, all the serpents bowed down.

"What a fat black dragon," Xiao Nanfeng murmured.

"Xiao Nanfeng? Haha, what are you doing here?" The big-bellied dragon laughed.

Xiao Nanfeng blinked. Hesitantly, he called out, "Ao Zhou?"

"What, don't you recognize me now that I've become an Immortal? Are you shocked stiff by my Immortal aura?" The black dragon laughed again.

"No! It's only been a year. How have you grown as fat as a pig?" Xiao Nanfeng exclaimed.

"What? It represents wealth and fortune. It's a kingly aura! Don't you know?" Ao Zhou retorted in anger.

Xiao Nanfeng pursed his lips. He didn't believe a whit of what Ao Zhou was saying.

Ao Zhou swished his body and took on human form: a black-robed fatty with a bulging stomach.

"Are you pregnant?" Xiao Nanfeng needled him.

"This is the stomach befitting a dragon king! You don't know anything—you're the pregnant one!" Ao Zhou shouted back.

"There's simply been too dramatic a change in your body shape. You're the crown prince of the Eastern Sea Draconic Palace—shouldn't you look more presentable?"

"As if you're a good judge of these things! My prime minister's far more reliable than you. He tells me that this shows off my noble presence, and that this is how my father ruled over the Eastern Sea back in his heyday."

"I think you've been duped," Xiao Nanfeng replied, frowning. "I've seen your father, the former dragon king, and he didn't look like this."

Ao Zhou glared at Xiao Nanfeng disbelievingly. Then, he cocked his head. "Who's this? You already have Yu'er and Arclight as partners in cultivation, don't you? Have you found a third partner already?"

Xiao Nanfeng's face turned dark. Ao Zhou had to be doing this deliberately—why was he bringing Yu'er and the Lady Arclight up right in front of the Divine Emperor?

"Lady, you're aware of Yu'er and Arclight, aren't you? I'm telling you, Xiao Nanfeng's a Casanova!"

The Divine Emperor eyed Xiao Nanfeng and laughed. "I am aware of Yu'er and Arclight, and of you as well. Within the undying realm, you were shameless and rotten to the core."

Ao Zhou stiffened. He had been planning on messing with Xiao Nanfeng's relationship—but she already seemed to know everything!

"He maligned me!" Ao Zhou immediately defended himself.

"Oh, please. Who doesn't know about your misdeeds?" Xiao Nanfeng retorted.

"Xiao Nanfeng, how could you spread these rumors about me and ruin my reputation?!" Ao Zhou thundered.

Xiao Nanfeng rolled his eyes and ignored him. Meanwhile, the Divine Emperor clutched her mouth and laughed.

"What's with all these serpents? And how have you become the dragon king despite the destruction of the Eastern Sea Draconic Palace?"

"Don't you know who I am? I'm of noble birth, and I would have been the crown prince of the Eastern Sea dragon clan even without my ancestral palace. I can easily build a new one. In the future, I shall be the Dragon King. These serpents are my subordinates," Ao Zhou replied pridefully.

Xiao Nanfeng glanced toward the serpents close by. He gave Ao Zhou an arch look. "Can't you get more reputable subordinates?"

"What's wrong with them?" Ao Zhou glared.

"That blue serpent's only at Spiritsong. It shot toward me the moment I showed myself, attempting to eat me. Even after I sent it flying, it summoned more of its brethren to help it out. If not for you, I'd have roasted them all," Xiao Nanfeng said.

Ao Zhou gave the blue serpent an odd look. "What's going on? Even if you don't recognize Xiao Nanfeng, you should have seen that they were flying through the air. You're just at Spiritsong—are you trying to kill yourself? Don't you know that Xiao Nanfeng's a schemer, someone who kills as easily as he bats his eyes!"

Xiao Nanfeng frowned. Would he have to teach Ao Zhou a lesson?

Feeling wronged, the blue serpent replied, "The prime minister had us scout the surroundings and to take down any outsiders."

"Why wasn't I aware of this?" Ao Zhou asked.

"Three months ago, while you were in that formation, an old man barged into the domain. If the prime minister hadn't stalled him in a timely manner, he might have disturbed you and Elder Blue Lantern while you were trying to break the formation. The prime minister commanded that, after that incident, we were to kill any intruders without any mercy."

"An old man? What old man? What did he look like?" Xiao Nanfeng pressed.

The blue serpent spat out a mouthful of fog, which resolved into the shape of Ku Jiang.

"Where is he now?" Xiao Nanfeng asked.

He didn't divulge the relationship between him and Ku Jiang. He felt that something was amiss.

Ao Zhou turned to the blue serpent and repeated Xiao Nanfeng's question. "Where did he go?"

"He stole one of the prime minister's treasures and fled. That was what made the prime minister so angry and caused him to give the command he did," the blue serpent replied.

"You're certain that the old man got away safely?" Xiao Nanfeng asked, frowning.

"He did. Otherwise, the prime minister wouldn't have gotten so angry," the blue serpent replied.

Xiao Nanfeng frowned. His master had been heavily injured when he left the spatial rift, and his first thought should have been to bring Han Bingdie to a place they could both recuperate. Why would he snatch a treasure from this prime minister, whoever it was? Something had to be wrong!

Although the serpent claimed that his master had already left, he still couldn't fully relax. He wanted to meet that prime minister for himself to avoid having missed some crucial information.

"This serpent mentioned that Blue Lantern is here as well. I'd like to accompany you to your palace and meet him," Xiao Nanfeng said.

"You likely won't be able to meet him, but I can give you a tour of my place. Come on, then. Let's have a look at my budding empire," Ao Zhou bragged.

Xiao Nanfeng looked at the Divine Emperor. "Will you go sit down for a bit?"

The Divine Emperor understood the intent behind this question and nodded fervently.

"Xiao Nanfeng, where do you find your partners in cultivation? Why do they all look so beautiful? I tried to pick one out for myself among the serpents in the area, but none of them are attractive at all—they're like dinosaurs! Won't you teach me how to find an attractive companion?" Ao Zhou asked enviously.

Xiao Nanfeng rolled his eyes and ignored him.

"I knew it! You're trying to stop me from stealing your partners, aren't you? I was unlucky to have encountered this partner of yours only after she forged a relationship with you. Otherwise, given my charm, I'd easily have stolen her from your grasp!" Ao Zhou cried out.

"Ao Zhou, I recommend that you avoid speaking lest you be beaten to an inch of your life. Don't blame me not for warning you."

"Oh? Can you beat me? I'm already an Immortal, after all," Ao Zhou replied pridefully.

Xiao Nanfeng was silent for a long moment. He had already given Ao Zhou ample warning; if Ao Zhou refused to listen and instead made the Spirit Emperor mad, it wouldn't be his fault even if she were to paralyze him.

Ao Zhou brought the Divine Emperor and Xiao Nanfeng deep into the depths of the sea. Not long later, aquatic barriers bloomed. Some were so vast they had an exquisite pavilion and balconies in their midst.

"Oh? There's an underwater hall over here?" Xiao Nanfeng asked curiously.

"Blue Lantern told me that this was a small hall that my father had constructed, with one divine treasure of the Draconic Palace guarded by large quantities of formations. No ordinary cultivator would be unable to break through the formations. Blue Lantern has been helping me, claiming that I'd be able to revitalize the dragon race."

"Oh? What sort of treasure?" Xiao Nanfneg asked curiously.

"I won't allow you to claim this treasure!" Ao Zhou shouted. "Otherwise, you'll pay!"

As they spoke, the three of them arrived by the entrance to the underwater barrier. There were hundreds of serpents in the vicinity, along with countless sea spirits. When they saw Ao Zhou, they all bowed down respectfully.

"Well? I've made a name for myself, haven't I?" Ao Zhou preened.

Ao Zhou waved a hand, opening a portal through the barrier that allowed access to the three of them.