Chapter 78

In the midst of cherry blossoms dancing in the wind, Misaki opened the old diary and read the words of promise written there.

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At the Taiping Lake Dragon Palace, the Dragon Lord of Taiping Lake sat on his throne, receiving important officials of the aquatic realm and making arrangements. Incense smoke wafted from the incense burner, filling the air with a sense of spiritual energy. At this moment, a messenger hurriedly reported.

The Dragon Lord, somewhat surprised, nodded slightly and said, "Handle it this way, you may withdraw—please welcome the Dragon Lord of Jinhuhu!"

A moment later, the Dragon Prince of Jinyang Lake entered the grand hall and stopped at the steps to pay his respects.

The Dragon Lord of Taiping Lake gazed at the Dragon Prince of Jinyang Lake for a long time before sighing, "Why must you do this?"

The Dragon Prince of Jinyang Lake smiled silently and said, "You know what the Dragon Pearl means to us dragons. It means the potential to become a true dragon, to enjoy a lifespan of thirty thousand years, and even the possibility of eternal life."

Thirty years of resentment swirled in his chest like a flood, yet his words were calm: "Precisely because of this, I did not act rashly. The dragon race is already in decline, and I admit that my actions have been somewhat reckless, but I have not committed any major faults, nor have I violated the taboos of the dragon race—sacrificing a future true dragon for no reason must have a significant cause and a powerful backer."

The Dragon Prince of Jinyang Lake paused, then smiled faintly, as if he were not talking about himself, but he stared at the Dragon Lord: "So today, I have come to talk to you alone, to seek your guidance."

The Dragon Lord was silent. The Dragon Prince of Jinyang Lake was, after all, his nephew, originally a person of high talent but with a lax attitude. Now, his words were calm, but there was an indescribable chill in his demeanor, each word piercing to the bone.

Has thirty years of hardship shaped him?

The Dragon Lord of Taiping Lake did not dare to underestimate the Dragon Prince of Jinyang Lake. This was a world where Daoist magic was revered, a world where personal power and the system shared equal importance, not a world where one was completely dependent on the system!

A real rupture might result in a rogue dragon appearing after a few hundred years, disrupting the dragon race. Such events had happened in the past million years, not just in the dragon race! The Dragon Lord of Taiping Lake slowly paced a few steps, then raised his head and sighed, "I know you have suffered a lot and have grievances, but some things are beyond our control."

"Now that you are free, I will be honest with you. The heavenly destiny has changed..."

The Dragon Lord's mood seemed conflicted. He paused, then sighed again, "Think about it! Have you noticed any increase in your power?"

"Though it is very subtle, it still exists. For those of us who have achieved a higher status and possess boundless power, it might not be noticeable, but for those who have lost their power and are on the verge of falling, it is like a life-saving spring!"

"Preventing the people from rebelling is more important than preventing a river from overflowing. In the past few hundred thousand years, how many heroes have unified the world and swept across the land, only to see the situation deteriorate once they relaxed!"

"Do you think the human race has not learned from history? The Daoist court, which has long enjoyed longevity and foresight, would not overlook this?"

The Dragon Prince of Jinyang Lake listened, his anger cooled by a bucket of cold water, and he shivered, his face turning pale. After a while, he said, "Uncle, your words make me shudder. Is my situation related to this?"

"Perhaps it is, perhaps it is not, I am not sure." The Dragon Lord of Taiping Lake said coldly, "I only know that the Heavenly Court has repeatedly issued edicts, ordering the aquatic race to regulate the water vapor, ensuring favorable weather in recent years, which means preparing for the future."

"Speaking of the Yu family, their background is not significant. Yu Wenhuan, the ancestor of the Yu family, though followed the founding emperor and served as the governor of Yingzhou, and was ennobled as the Marquis of Jingwen, but what does that mean to us dragons..."

"Even the backer of Yu Wenhuan in the Heavenly Court, a third-rank deity, is not something we dragons fear."

"However, the heavenly destiny has changed, and it is unclear whether it is a blessing or a curse. At this critical moment, who dares to act rashly? Not to mention that the dragon qi of the Da Cai dynasty, which was on the verge of decline, has suddenly become strong."

"Originally, the strengthening of the dragon qi would not be a problem, but the dragon qi in various regions has also surged, which is extremely abnormal!" The Dragon Lord of Taiping Lake bit his lip and sneered, "In this situation, when the Yu family's backer took your Dragon Pearl to respond to the dragon qi of Yingzhou, how could we not be alarmed, how could we dare to obstruct?"

The Dragon Prince of Jinyang Lake trembled, "So that's how it is!"

Now, he was no longer an impulsive young man. Thirty years of hardship had made him completely mature. He gritted his teeth and thought carefully, feeling helpless but also unwilling to accept it.

The Dragon Lord of Taiping Lake finally relaxed and looked up and down at the Dragon Prince of Jinyang Lake, saying, "Of course, you have suffered a loss, but now you have turned a disaster into a blessing, and you have grown. Moreover, Ye Qing saved you from prison, and his actions have been integrated into your memory, which is also a significant benefit."

"As for the Dragon Pearl, losing it has indeed weakened your dragon source!" The Dragon Lord of Taiping Lake waved his hand, "But it is not irreparable. Do you know, the clan has already prepared Golden Dragon Liquid to strengthen your foundation!"

"By absorbing this Golden Dragon Liquid, and with your experience of forming a Dragon Pearl, you can re-form a Dragon Pearl in a hundred years. How much of a loss is that?" He smiled. The Dragon Prince of Jinyang Lake also smiled, but he was still unwilling: "So the Yu family gets off easy?"

"Is there such a thing?" The Dragon Lord of Taiping Lake gazed at the young, handsome face opposite him and said after a long pause, "I will be honest with you. At first, the other party had everything planned."

"Planting the Dragon Pearl, having a descendant inherit it, then opening the Dragon Lord Banquet to activate the fortune, and saving you from prison, resolving most of the karma, forcing us to open a waterway, and even providing an opportunity for the descendant to resonate with the dragon qi of Yingzhou..."

The Dragon Lord of Taiping Lake sneered, patting his forehead, "They really treated us dragons like tools!"

"However, human plans cannot match the will of heaven. When Ye Qing sought an opportunity, I took the opportunity to give him a ticket. As expected, this young man shone at the banquet, and I officially named him the champion!"

"Now, he has taken the opportunity from the Yu family's descendant and saved you early. Don't underestimate this; it is a significant change!" The Dragon Lord of Taiping Lake leaned back, took a deep breath, and sat up straight, smiling, "You are still young, you don't understand. Such matters are either a great success or a great failure, with no room for retreat."

"If Yu Fan takes the Dragon Pearl to respond to the dragon qi of Yingzhou, if he succeeds, it will align with the will of heaven. If he fails, not only will he suffer, but the Yu family will also face a backlash!"

"Yingzhou is not large, but it has eight million people. Think about the backlash of the dragon qi!"

There was no wind in the hall, but the Dragon Prince of Jinyang Lake shivered.

"These words should not have been said, but now I have told you." The Dragon Lord of Taiping Lake said expressionlessly, "What do you think now?"

The Dragon Prince of Jinyang Lake's gloomy gaze shifted from the Dragon Lord, and he stood there for a long time, sighing, "This is the will of heaven. What can I do? But I have an idea, Uncle, do you think it is feasible?"

The Dragon Lord of Taiping Lake was taken aback and said, "Speak!"

The Dragon Prince of Jinyang Lake gritted his teeth and smiled coldly, "Though the rules are set, there is still room for maneuver. The Dragon Pearl is mine, and though it has combined with the Yu family's feng shui, it no longer belongs to the original owner. It is impossible to completely disperse the dragon qi, but I can still influence it!"

"Yu Fan has come to Luhua County, and I can feel the dragon qi in the lake. This person has at least gathered six-tenths of the Dragon Pearl's power—apparently, they are concentrating the dragon qi and placing their hopes on this young man!"

At this point, his muscles twitched, and for a moment, the deep-seated hatred could be seen on the Dragon Prince of Jinyang Lake's face: "If Yu Fan's life path is perfect and unbreakable, it will subtly align with the great fortune of Yingzhou, and I, as the original owner, cannot influence it. But now, Yu Fan and the great fortune of Yingzhou have already deviated, even slightly, leaving room for intervention."

"I heard that the current head of the Yu family, Yu Cheng'en, has five sons. Why favor one over the others?"

"I cannot take back the Dragon Pearl, but I can weaken it and transfer some of it to Yu Cheng'en's other sons, which is still possible!" At this point, the Dragon Prince's chest heaved, showing his intense emotion, but his tone remained calm: "Uncle, no matter how many reasons there are, I must vent this pent-up anger, or I will not be satisfied."

The Dragon Lord of Taiping Lake watched the Dragon Prince of Jinyang Lake for a while, then stood up, gazing into the distance, "I understand your meaning. You are determined to create chaos for the Yu family, to prevent them from having their way, is that it?"

He paused, not waiting for an answer, and asked, "But the Dragon Pearl has transformed into the ancestral feng shui, controlled by the ancestral spirits. How can you transfer it?"

"By the will of heaven!" The Dragon Prince of Jinyang Lake said calmly, "For every deviation from the great fortune, Yu Fan will be affected, and the fortune will shift."

"By making Yu Fan fail in this opportunity, when he is disheartened and confused, I can take the chance to disperse the dragon qi among his brothers, causing them to fight among themselves."

At this point, the Dragon Prince of Jinyang Lake's eyes darkened, and he sneered, "There is a Hu family by the lake, with five brothers. They fought over a piece of feng shui land, and in the end, only one survived, and he was crippled!"

"If they fight over feng shui, imagine the struggle for the family's leadership? I don't believe his brothers have no ambitions. With the deviation from the great fortune, the dragon qi will naturally disperse, and once it is absorbed by his brothers, they will not give it up."

"This is a natural process, even the ancestral spirits of the Yu family cannot intervene."

"Moreover, Ye Qing has a murderous aura, indicating a calamity. Since the fortunes are connected, how can I not take advantage of it?"

"Once they fight, the fate of the Yu family's internal strife will be sealed. I want to see what the outcome will be!" At this point, the Dragon Prince's words carried a metallic tremor, filled with killing intent.

The Dragon Lord of Taiping Lake listened, stunned. He had initially thought he could pacify the Dragon Prince of Jinyang Lake, but now he felt a sense of unfamiliarity.

Thirty years of hardship had transformed him, making him immune to easy deception.

He sighed, "But Ye Qing is your savior. Involving him might not be right."

"Uncle, since Ye Qing became the champion at the Dragon Lord Banquet and took Yu Fan's opportunity, he is already entangled. Taking my opportunity this time, the great fortune of Yingzhou might split, leading to a bitter rivalry."

"Even if I don't involve him, a battle is inevitable. Moreover, Yu Fan will be harder to deal with then. I am doing this for his own good. If he wins again, he will have a chance to align with the great fortune of Yingzhou, isn't that right?"

Though it was selfish, it sounded righteous. The Dragon Lord of Taiping Lake was speechless, gazing at the Dragon Prince of Jinyang Lake for a moment, then sighed, "Since you are determined, I will not dissuade you. Be careful!"

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