Chapter 742: Chapter 31 The Dharma on This Land is Inadequate to Speak Of (Conclusion) Chapter 742: Chapter 31 The Dharma on This Land is Inadequate to Speak Of (Conclusion) When Li Yan saw Li Jiang again, her massive body lay within the shadows, indistinct to the eye.

Mr. Holding-Sun bowed deeply and said, “I have brought the person, please, Yan Gong, make your presence known.”

It was evident that Li Jiang held a foremost status in magic power and position within the ashram. Although she was trapped there by the Heavenly Mother, Mr. Holding-Sun treated her with respect. Even as she fought fiercely with Ma Ling, he did not dare to intervene immediately.

Suddenly, the water surged, and the enormous head of a squid emerged from the trench, darting towards Li Yan. It stopped less than half a meter from Li Yan, its dim, nest-shaped organ creating an overwhelming presence.

Li Yan stepped back a few paces and managed to see Li Jiang’s full visage. A gash tens of meters long spread from her mouth diagonally across her body, strikingly apparent. Many of her dark gold tentacles were damaged, the flesh twisted and knotted, with some tentacles even broken off at the base, leaving ugly purple-black wounds. It was clear the battle with Ma Ling had been brutal.

“Where’s that Pig Dragon of yours? Does he not dare to face me?”

Li Jiang’s tone was as fierce and hoarse as ever, betraying no sign of weakness.

Li Yan spread his hands and replied, “Yang Zichu is dead, you saw it with your own eyes.”

“Nonsense! He stole the Reincarnation Berry from Ma Ling’s head and faked his death to deceive me. He wanted to create an opportunity for you to escape, so by the time I realized, you would have both long fled. I fell for your evil ruse!”

Li Yan, imitating Mr. Holding-Sun, bowed courteously and said, “I implore Yan Gong to see clearly, he and I were master and servant, with a deep bond. How could I not care to see his body lying in a foreign land? Now, Yang Zichu’s corpse lies within my Water Palace, as I’m making arrangements to build him a good tomb. Could this possibly be untrue?”

Li Jiang, with human-like skepticism, narrowed her eyes, “Then surely it must be that he consumed the Reincarnation Berry and could not endure its intense magic power, thus falling into a feigned death. Yet, fatefully, it spurred the fight between Ma Ling and me.”

Hearing this, Ma Ling, if present, would probably break his thigh with a smack, “Finally, you’ve got it, my big sister!”

Li Yan purposefully maintained a stern face, “This, I am unaware of, the mysteries of the Heavenly Mother Palace are beyond my comprehension.”

“Humph, for the sake of old Mr. Holding-Sun, I will not take this up with you.” Li Jiang did not persist with Li Yan. After hesitating for a while, she then said, “I heard Mr. Holding-Sun promised that you could take away a few great demons from the ashram to help you subdue the Jiudou Sect Master?”

“That is indeed so,” Li Yan confirmed.

Li Jiang proudly asked, “What do you think of me then?”

Li Yan had not expected Li Jiang to volunteer herself, and his face showed a thoughtful expression.

“Don’t get too pleased with yourself; I do have my conditions,” said Li Jiang as her tentacles swayed lightly, not noticing Li Yan’s expression and continuing on her own, “I’ve thought it over. Since you are a guard of Mazu and hail from the ascended realm, calling you my adopted son might seem inappropriate. How about this, I’ll acknowledge you as my sworn younger brother, and you’ll share a strand of your blood with me. I will still grant you a Seven-Star Precious Pagoda to match Duke Huan of Qi. This wouldn’t be too degrading for you, right?”

“Also, I’ve been confined here in Heavenly Mother Ashram for too long, used to freely roaming through palatial buildings and beauty. Now that I’ll be changing residence, you must build a grand hall for me in your Water Palace. I understand you’re not as affluent as the Heavenly Mother, but this hall only needs to cover 20,000 acres, with just 500 servants. If it’s completed within two years, that will suffice.

“I have been restricted for too long and do not like to be constrained. I want twenty days of freedom each month. Also, I hear the upper realm is rich, with endless delicacies and fine wines; you must offer these regularly without any deception or carelessness. And if Yang Zichu revives from death, considering his capability, he must serve me at my side…”

Li Yan cut her off, “No.”

Li Jiang, feeling displeased having been interrupted mid-speech, did not erupt in anger but muttered discontentedly, “Ah, which condition do you find unacceptable? Speak, and we can adjust it.”

Li Yan smiled faintly, “Yan Gong sees clearly; the seniors in the ashram say they are unwilling to work with you. They claim if I choose you, they will decisively refuse to leave with me. Therefore, I must carefully consider.”

Li Jiang remained silent for a while, then scoffed coldly, “What use are those wastes anyways?”

“Alas~”
Li Yan sighed in Mr. Holding-Sun’s tone, but did not directly comment. By Li Jiang’s terms, he would be bringing back a tyrannical matriarch. Better to leave with Tunjin Demon Toad and the others instead.

Li Jiang’s face struggled to maintain composure, and she then compromised, “Alright! Forget everything I said before. You grant me a royal title of nine thousand years, and we rule the Water Palace together. Should we encounter a lethal threat, I will certainly lend a hand. Can that be agreed upon?”

Li Yan coughed dryly, “Speaking of which, what entails an official water official appointment, I must seek guidance from Yan Gong the Great.”

Last time they faced Sifan, Feng Yi had mocked Yang Zichu for following Li Yan, as he could not even secure an official appointment. Now hearing Yan Gong mention the water official appointment, Li Yan hastily inquired.

Li Jiang looked at Li Yan with disbelief, “You are a descendant of divine lineage, a water official of the Nine States. Do you really not possess the water talisman bestowed by the Celestial Emperor to govern the rivers?”

Li Yan shook his head, “I’ve never heard of such a thing.”

Li Jiang scoffed coldly, “I’ve seen countless Huaxia water officials, not a thousand, at least five hundred. A minor official like you would be at the very bottom. Without the official water talisman, even if I were willing to serve you wholeheartedly, your little Water Palace would probably collapse within days once I moved in. Wait until you secure an official Celestial Emperor appointment, then come to subjugate me. Otherwise, it’s absolutely impossible.”

No sooner had her voice faded than the Bai Ze Hundred Spirits Map within Li Yan’s personal seal stirred and unexpectedly issued a Yan Fu event to Li Yan.

Seeking the Celestial Emperor’s lost water talismans of the four rivers
Scope: All Yan Fu Fruits containing “Dragon Palace” “Dragon King”
Target audience: All Yan Fu Heritage with water affinity.

All Dragon Palace Dragon Kings in the current Yan Fu Fruits have been wiped out.

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Note 1: After achieving Perfection in the water-attribute Yan Fu Heritage, one can still search for a path to progress within the vast Daqian Yanfu.

Note 2: The Imperially Conferred Water Talisman can also be of assistance to the Divine Court Road.

Remaining uses of the Vast Sea Dragon Essence: 96/100
Li Yan accepted the responsibility for the Yan Fu incident, and with a cupped-fist salute to Li Jiang, he said, “Many thanks to Lord Yan Gong for the guidance. Should I be fortunate enough to obtain the Water Talisman, I will come to invite your lordship. I would also ask Lord Yan Gong to return my water subordinates so that I may descend to the mortal world at once and capture the Jiudou Sect Master as soon as possible.”

Li Jiang let out a long howl toward the sky, “Those subordinates of yours are nothing special, dull as dirt. If you are willing to become my sworn brother, I’d have no issue returning them. But as it stands, we’re not seeing eye to eye, so you still wish to take them back? Fine! Just hand over Yang Zichu to me. I’ll release them immediately.”

“Yang Zichu is dead; why make things difficult for me, Lord Yan Gong?”

“I want his body, too.”

Li Jiang’s obsession with Yang Zichu was extreme, yet Li Yan still refused, “As I said before, my friendship with Yang Zichu runs deep, and I simply cannot use him as a bargaining chip. Since Lord Yan Gong is not amenable, I shall take my leave.”

Li Jiang hesitated for a moment before suddenly reaching a tentacle into a deep trench, searching around and then stretched out holding two giant golden bubbles. Inside, an array of various treasures shimmered with a radiant, lustrous aura, most of which were of legendary quality.

“Hand over Yang Zichu to me, and you may choose freely from these.”

Li Yan slowly shook his head, though his gaze still lingered amongst those treasures for a moment.

Li Jiang flew into a rage, and her intact tentacles unconsciously began to thrash, “Little Water Official, I have tolerated you over and over again. Do you take me for someone weak and easily bullied? You must hand over Yang Zichu today, or even Mr. Holding-Sun won’t be able to protect you!”

Li Yan took out the Summoning Gold Medallion and brandished it before Li Jiang, “I am certainly no match for Lord Yan Gong, but I came prepared this time, and escaping should not be difficult. If we part on such terms, it would be to our mutual detriment.”

Mr. Holding-Sun also hurriedly gestured, “Please, Lord Yan Gong, for the sake of my Heavenly Mother and the people of this world, calm your anger.”

Li Jiang snapped, “Calm what anger! The Jiudou Sect Master is but an insignificant worm. If need be, I will intervene personally! Mr. Holding-Sun, just open a small loophole in the Heavenly Mother’s oath, and even if I have to scour the mountains and search the seas, I will capture the Jiudou Sect Master for you!”

“Alas…”

Mr. Holding-Sun held his forehead.

Given Li Jiang’s volatile temper, if she were to go ashore to capture the Jiudou Sect Master, who knew how much calamity she would unleash. Li Jiang’s casual mention of scouring the mountains and searching the seas could likely mean cataclysm for all living beings.

Li Yan, not wanting the favorable situation to go to waste, offered Li Jiang a way out.

“Lord Yan Gong is interested in Yang Zichu merely for his cleverness and capability, yet now, with his life or death uncertain, how could he serve you? I promise that if the day comes when Yang Zichu is revived, I will surely bring him to meet you. How does that sound?”

Li Jiang finally calmed down a bit, “Are you speaking truthfully?”

“Li Yan swears to heaven,” he declared.

“Well said,” allowed Li Jiang.

Li Jiang lifted a tentacle towards Li Yan, who was startled, but did not move, and rightly so, as Li Jiang’s tentacle broke off midair and fell into Li Yan’s hands.

“This tentacle holds my past experiences of creating the Seven-Star Precious Pagoda and will benefit even a minor Water Official like you. If you break your promise or try to abandon it, that counts as treachery, and I will not let you off.”

Li Yan felt the sticky tentacle between his fingers.

Yan Gong’s Touch
Category: Yan Fu Secret Treasure
Quality: Legendary
Records the animal organ of the great Seven-Star Precious Pagoda from the Water Lord Palace.

Through contemplation upon it, the following Yan Fu Heritages can obtain secret enhancement “Seven-Star Precious Pagoda”: Wu Zhiqi… (Already acquired heritages will be listed at the forefront)
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“To the southwest of Borneo lies the Java Evil Sea, where the Black Tea Tide wreaks havoc. In the past, when Qianjun Biao of the Blue Flag was pursued by the Allied Fleet, he was forced into the Black Tea Tide and was never heard from again. Likely he’s dead. Thus, we had to go around this area, causing a delay, but at last, we have arrived!”

Cha Xiaodao could already see a row of thatched huts on the island and greenish-black seaweed floating on the water’s surface. On a solitary boat, a young girl wearing a conical hat stood pointing in their direction, shouting something to the adults on shore.

“What’s the Black Tea Tide?”

He asked Hu Bailing, curious.

Hu Bailing looked grave, “I haven’t seen it with my own eyes either, only heard the elders speak of it. They say when the Black Tea Tide arises, the sun and moon lose their color, and one cannot see their hand before their face. To encounter it means certain death. I suspect it’s something like a violent storm. Legend has it, in ancient times, a Holy Monk acquired Buddhist teachings from India and encountered the Black Tea Tide on his sea voyage home near the island of Borneo. Everyone on the ship perished except for the Holy Monk. After staying on Borneo for half a year, he returned to his homeland and named the island Borneo. When asked what he found there, the Holy Monk simply said, ‘The Buddhism of this land is beyond words.'”
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