Chapter 2341: The Dragon King of the East Sea, Carved Cages as Cups

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After the Zi Hun Shi, the vast sea once again had no Dragon Emperor. But there were still some figures respected by various sides as "Dragon Lord."

Some were indeed those who commanded one side and possessed power far surpassing other Emperor Lords. Some were those who had made outstanding contributions to the sea race and were respected by the sea race.

For example, the legendary wise teacher Fu Hai, or Gao Jie, who supported the sea race's leap forward.

But the true highest authority representing the sea race was still the honorable position of "Vast Sea Dragon Lord."

Wielding the Vast Sea Royal Court, commanding the water domains of all sides. Cang Lang's water, all belonged to the Lord's name.

"East Sea Dragon King" is considered an alias for this honorable position.

Unlike those ancient elders holding high positions, the contemporary East Sea Dragon King, Ao Jie, was still very young.

He was only three thousand nine hundred and twenty-nine years old, born on the day the Dao Calendar began anew, named "Jie."

The Dragon Clan wise man for whom he was named had already died on the day of his birth.

It was not known for whom this "Jie" was exactly intended.

Ao Jie was the same age as the Dao Calendar. At the age of two thousand seven hundred, he formally ascended to the great position of "Vast Sea Dragon Lord." He had wielded the Vast Sea ever since, for over a thousand years now.

The first major event after he took power was to seize the opportunity of Yang Country's collapse, advance the army westward, surround Cang Wu Border, lock down Tian Jing Country, overturn Jin Wu Terrace, rush out of Mi Jie, and launch a massive attack into the near sea!

This was also the closest the sea race had ever come to "counterattacking the present world" in its history.

He was also once regarded as the "contemporary Dragon Emperor," within reach of that supreme honorable position. Although he ultimately failed, he also won race fortune for the sea race and immense prestige for himself.

However, that battle back then was also an extremely significant turning point in his governing career.

Before that battle, his attitude towards the human race was the most radical. It was even more intense than the Great Prison Emperor Lord, who was most enthusiastic about a war between the two races now. He constantly sought opportunities and created opportunities. For over a hundred years in power, he raised the banner of "westward advance" every day, with swords and knives never sheathed. Many people believed that in the story of the nine countries dividing Yang, he played an extremely important role.

After that battle, his strategic direction took a major turn. He maintained a defensive posture towards the human race, focused on the construction of the Mi Jie defense system, and absolutely did not mention anything about counterattacking the present world. Instead, he put more energy into developing the depths of the Vast Sea.

In the eyes of many powerful sea race individuals, this was a laborious and thankless task. The Vast Sea was so barren and the environment so harsh. Developing towards the deeper parts of the Vast Sea was extremely costly and yielded extremely little. The Yuan Zong Saint's "Tian Huang Notes" said: "Expand the sea ten thousand li, gain one hair. Never not exhaust blood to fill the road, cut flesh to offer grain."

Sometimes, winning a battle in Mi Jie or plundering a domain yielded gains that were incomparably stronger than developing the Vast Sea. And the losses from war were often less than the high cost of developing the Vast Sea.

There was also one most important problem—that year, Zi Hun Shi pointed to Shen Lu and swore, saying, "Vast Sea for ten thousand generations, cannot forget to return. If the bloodline is about to become extinct, the extinct heir should face Shen Lu and die!"

Turning to develop the depths of the Vast Sea was almost equivalent to strategically abandoning Shen Lu. In some sense, this was a betrayal of the previous generation of the sea race! It was also an abandonment of the sea race's spirit of never-ending, relentless struggle.

Given this, how to make a choice was almost something that didn't require thinking.

Even Ao Jie, with his prestige that once surpassed previous Vast Sea Dragon Lords, dared not say he wouldn't return to Shen Lu. He only spoke of "expanding east to store grain," "watching for opportunities to advance," or said things like "a strange treasure will appear in the east, and I will go and seize it to benefit the sea crowd," and so on.

In the thousand years after that great battle, Ao Jie was completely in a state of obscurity.

Although he held the supreme position and wielded power over the Vast Sea, he rarely appeared in public and did not host any wars. If it weren't for his achievements in attacking the near sea, he would probably have been forgotten by the sea crowd.

How many habitats he developed in the depths of the Vast Sea would not be remembered by the brave sea race warriors. But the victories of the True Kings and Emperor Lords fighting against the human race on the front line would be repeatedly recited.

And he also greatly delegated power, saying, "If it can aid the Vast Sea, I will not regret the throne!"

For example, the last Mi Jie war was almost entirely led by Gao Jie.

But after a thousand years, the development suddenly turned back.

Today, with the human race launching a massive attack into the Vast Sea, he, the "Vast Sea Dragon Lord," finally could no longer "delegate power." Finally, it was time for him to stand out.

However, Jing Country's preparations were so sufficient. With the middle ancient heaven road as a cloud ladder, and the eternal heaven stele as a siege hammer... How could the Vast Sea resist?

Today, two world-renowned generals were here, two branches of the world's strong armies were at full strength, nine sons cast the stele, the Jing Emperor remotely controlled... It was simply the momentum of pouring mountains and filling seas.

Although Ao Jie set rules, built walls to cut bridges, and overturned the Vast Sea to resist the heaven stele, he also felt quite powerless!

"Ji Feng Zhou!"

The sea tide rolled, thunder clashed, and inside the endless deep sea, Ao Jie's disappointed voice rang out: "The Jing people pacify the sea, depicting such a grand plan, not accomplished in a single day, and the sea race beforehand actually detected nothing. This is the path of death! Surveying the various countries of Shen Lu, all contending for petty profits, only the central great Jing, with a grand strategy for the Vast Sea, strongly seeks eternal rule. Your handwriting, I recognize! Even if Lie Shan were to revive, I fear it would be no more than this!"

He greatly praised Ji Feng Zhou, and then said: "For the Vast Sea to gain rule, and for the billion beings of the Vast Sea to attain eternal peace, is my lifelong wish. If Your Excellency can fulfill it, this lord will have no regrets. To rule the Vast Sea greatly, it is not necessary for it to be with Ao Jie!"

"Your Majesty!" Red Brow Emperor Lord raised his eyes, shocked and angry, daring not believe his own ears.

Was the East Sea Dragon King not acting decisively, and when he did act, he simply surrendered?

"Withdraw!" The Vast Sea generated angry tides, pushing the injured Red Brow Emperor Lord of Wu Zhi Yang far away.

"I will not withdraw!" Red Brow Emperor Lord counter-attacked, pushing the heavily injured Wu Zhi Yang into the void, but rising himself, going straight towards the middle ancient heaven road. Flames rose all over his body, his long hair danced, his ten fingers were like daggers, and his red brows were like blood: "For ten thousand years the Vast Sea has fought against wind and waves, the sea race has fought against heaven and cut disasters. How can we retreat without a fight? If Your Majesty has lost his spirit, please see how red Red Brow is!"

Before Ji Feng Zhou could act with the eternal heaven stele, the void collapsed, printing out a deep concave palm print.

Ao Jie's voice howled with the sea tide: "Sitting on the front line with no merit, confronting Shen Lu yet failing to detect human schemes, is incompetence; When the great situation is difficult to reverse, strongly doing the impossible is unwisdom; Not respecting me is rudeness! — Slap face!"

The palm print that collapsed within the void easily broke through the barrier and, without any fancy moves, printed directly onto Red Brow Emperor Lord's body, instantly pushing her into the depths of the Vast Sea.

At the same time, above that extremely magnificent middle ancient heaven road, a clear palm print was imprinted!

Yu Que and Cao Jie, each leading a hundred thousand troops, were actually unable to intercept it.

Two masters of military strategy, wielding the world's strong armies, possessing unmatched prestige, had almost no gaps.

But it precisely penetrated the gap between the two armies.

Dou E and Xia Shi, after all, were clearly distinct and did not blend.

This palm print was several tens of thousands of zhang long and one thousand zhang deep, like a five-fingered valley printed on flat ground, with deep ravines and biting wind. But for the entire golden, dazzling, era-penetrating middle ancient heaven road, it fundamentally did not appear deep. It still hung firmly in the high sky, firm without the slightest tremor.

"Ao Jie, ah Ao Jie!" Ji Feng Zhou's voice echoed through the eternal heaven stele: "Your slap, cursed upon her body, struck my boot face!"

"The Jing Emperor should not blame!" Ao Jie's voice seemed to be explaining: "Seeing the grand plan shattered like an illusion, the Vast Sea changing owners, although the matter cannot be done, I am somewhat unwilling and inevitably had to try my hand!"

"Having tried, and how?" The nine seats of the eternal heaven stele almost simultaneously brightened! An extreme sense of oppression made every sea race being gazing at it breathe with difficulty!

"What can be done? Haha, one should accept fate!" Ao Jie's voice was instead very carefree: "No regrets in placing pieces, bear responsibility for winning and losing oneself. With the situation like this, how can I not acknowledge it? You, Ji Feng Zhou, are a world-covering lord. The Vast Sea will be fine with you too! Fine, fine, fine! If it cannot be? As the master of the Vast Sea and the common lord of the sea race, I cannot but bear the responsibility for defeat. I should die for the defeat!"

"Fairly speaking, this responsibility cannot be placed on you." Ji Feng Zhou's voice echoed in the sky, seemingly with comfort: "I hear you have not viewed near sea matters for a long time. The last Mi Jie war was also not led by you..."

"No reasons, no excuses. Receiving the soil of the country is to be the lord of the state altar!" Ao Jie's voice rolled in the sea, yet it was very firm: "As the Vast Sea Dragon Lord, I bear the responsibility for the Vast Sea. Victory is because of me, defeat is because of me, merit is with me, fault is with me!"

"But—"

Rumble!

Rumble!

In the depths of the Vast Sea, a huge land seemed to be floating up.

It was such a colossal giant shadow, with scales like a mirror world, horns reaching to the sky, and bone spurs all over its body like standing peaks, the spaces between the bone spurs full of heaven-sea fierce patterns. When its full appearance howled forth, it gave people the feeling... that it was difficult to stretch, that it filled the Vast Sea!

Ten thousand ancient times as a raft could not bear it.

Heaven and earth as a cage were all too small for it.

The Vast Sea was merely an extremely narrow, shallow pond on one edge!

No, even more than that.

In this moment's vision, the Vast Sea seemed like a small puddle of water. That almost 'great' dragon body, once lifted, caused the shallow water to all fade, splashing and falling!

This "shallow water" was already the sky-covering mad tide.

Too grand a Dao body!

The moment the Dao body floated on the sea, his voice also possessed the substantial majesty to shake the heaven stele: "I am but one head, yet today the Jing troops are all lined up—this head of the Vast Sea Dragon Lord, to whom should it be promised?"

Ao Jie showed this kind of posture, lifting his dragon head from the deep sea, his dragon eyes opening, seemingly two bright blood-red suns hanging on the sea surface!

The light of heaven and earth was not fiercer than this.

Above the middle ancient heaven road, whether it was the armored soldiers of Dou E or the strong troops of Xia Shi, hearing this voice, hearing this intent, none were on guard.

The Vast Sea was already calm. How could it not be precisely the time for weapons to face each other?

The rice was mature, it was time to snatch the grain!

But whether it was Cao Jie or Yu Que, they all maintained restraint, firmly tying down their soldiers and horses, preventing restlessness from turning into action.

Ji Feng Zhou laughed even harder—

His laughter echoed within the nine seats of the eternal heaven stele, stirring up the engravings of the Dragon Emperor's nine sons, spreading the rhyme of the great Dao.

After laughing, the Son of Heaven of this central great Jing Empire said very casually: "Heaven gives not and receives its blame. Cao Jie, before your eyes is this head. If you can cut it down, then it shall be yours, Son of Heaven of your home. Carve a cage as a cup, all depends on the Qi people."

The lord's words are not a joke!

Ji Feng Zhou saying these words at this time could be seen as Jing Country's promise.

The unparalleled military merit of beheading the East Sea Dragon King, he was even willing to give it away?!

Ao Jie hummed and said: "Jing people build bridges, Qi people cross rivers. Jing people plant trees, Qi people pick fruits. This logic, even I cannot understand. Do you owe him from a past life?"

Ji Feng Zhou laughed in a clear voice: "Qi Ji's ambition lies in a thousand li! What intention to flow like flies, attach to a tail and ride the wind! Then go the same thousand li!"

"You are a thousand li! Your whole family is!" Ao Jie cursed once, then turned his dragon eyes: "Cao Jie, he belittles your home's Son of Heaven as a flowing fly, I cannot bear it for you!"

Before Cao Jie could open his mouth, Ji Feng Zhou said again: "It is exactly Jiang Shu, my wise brother, whom I respect my entire life! Today I pacify the Vast Sea, and the Qi people are welcome to share the merit! To accomplish a great cause, what does it matter whether it is south or north? East and west, the human race is all one family! That day I tread the extreme six directions, I am also willing to promise him the Eastern Son of Heaven!"

"The Jing Country Emperor has a good breadth of mind! When our home's Son of Heaven ascends to the top, he is also willing to appoint you the central state king!" Cao Jie responded in a flood of voice, immediately gathering soldier evil, lifting a heaven-cleaving knife, and chopping towards that grand dragon body floating on the sea: "Dragon Lord, if you want to sacrifice the sea, just don't resist! It won't hurt! It will be very fast!"

In today's situation, if the Vast Sea were pacified, everything that Jing Country should get, obtaining the greatest achievements, was already an inevitable reality.

The head of the East Sea Dragon King was Ji Feng Zhou's share, and it was also the honor that Cao Jie could see and strive for most at the moment. Ji Feng Zhou dared to give it, and he dared to want it. Without the slightest hesitation, he led a hundred thousand troops to chop the Dragon King.

The soldier evil heaven knife fell, falling on the dragon claw that floated like land.

Rumble rumble! The two collided, stirring up tens of thousands of zhang of electric light once again.

"I indeed should die!" Ao Jie laughed loudly: "It's a pity your group's knives are not sharp! They can't chop it down!"

In the extremely deep part of the Vast Sea, a co-vibration occurred.

It was a resonance upon every drop of water, an echo in every corner of the Vast Sea, and even a shuttling in the depths of the souls of all sea race beings... the sea cry!

It was the sorrowful voice of the Vast Sea!

In the thousand years of development in the depths of the Vast Sea, Ao Jie was not merely seeking suitable gaps and diligently building habitats. He was more in the exploration of the future of the sea race.

In that battle of yesteryear, he asked himself, during and after the war, if he had done everything to the extreme, grasping a rare good opportunity of ten thousand years, greatly killing into the near sea, yet still being driven back by the human race. He already realized then... the current human race could not be defeated!

The famous generals of the sea race reviewed that battle multiple times, summarizing the reasons why they ultimately could not expand their winning situation. Some thought it was a strategic mistake, some thought the advance was too slow, or simply felt that preparations were still insufficient... With the current situation of the sea race, how else could they prepare!

The fact was, the gap between the sea race and the human race had widened to a degree that many powerful sea race individuals dared not admit.

After the battle in the middle ancient times, the two races stood separate at the boundary. For tens of thousands of years of striving to catch up, the more they chased, the farther they fell behind... Unbeknownst to them, the human race already had sufficient strategic depth and huge space for error tolerance! While as long as the sea race made one mistake, it would collapse.

That year, Lie Shan Human Emperor stopping in Mi Jie had probably already seen the future!

The thousand years of tug-of-war within Mi Jie, appearing evenly matched, was just an illusion created by the human race dividing their hearts and forces.

The sea race fighting in Mi Jie was striving for resources, contending for living space. The human race in Mi Jie was just practicing their soldiers.

When this long-lasting war would end was not decided by the sea race, but only by when the human race determined their resolve to fill the Vast Sea, or perhaps, when they were free to wade through the Cang Lang.

After fully venturing west, he also gave up. He knew he had a limited lifespan and probably no hope of becoming a Dragon Emperor.

He was also a Dragon King who had created history for the sea race, a male lord of the Dragon Clan who shouldered heavy responsibilities and bore countless expectations. If there was an opportunity to counterattack the present world, how could he be unwilling?

But he could not let the billion subjects of the sea race pay for his Ao Jie's unwillingness!

So for these thousand years, he turned to exploring the depths of the Vast Sea, towards the past, towards the future, exhausting his wisdom, tracing everything, always seeking new possibilities.

He did indeed find some—but not possibilities against the human race.

But it was that last, hopeful possibility that preserved the sea race's fire seeds.

Yes, he thought this moment had already reached the point of extinction. He had to activate the last preparation—

People have lifespans, dragons have lifespans, mountains shift, and seas dry up.

All things have an end time.

Heaven and earth have lifespans!

That endless obscure place had infinite fog, and within the fog were fires that were gradually lighting up.

Those were the fire seeds of the sea race civilization that he had left in the deeper places of the Vast Sea.

He activated all kinds of arrangements he had made in the depths of the Vast Sea, one by one at this time. It was as if in the eternal night, torches were gradually lighting up and being sent off.

For a time, between heaven and earth, there was only the sea cry.

Endless power of decline rotated in Ao Jie's dragon eyes, sinking into an empty, obscure, bottomless vortex.

He wanted to kill this piece of sea!

This sound, like death, like crying, was it merely the wail of the sea?

It was also his farewell as the Vast Sea Dragon Lord!

Goodbye forever, my hometown!

Goodbye forever, Shen Lu!

Our generation will finally return!

Perhaps, never to return!