by Dragon King
“From my perspective, North Ocean and South Ocean’s soldiers are sufficient here. Brother Hao, General Liu can be stationed somewhere else.” The Second Duke of North Ocean took advantage of Hao Ren’s young age and inexperience, and he said flippantly.
“Commanding General, this must not happen!” Liu Yi said in a hurry.
If they lost control of the West Ocean Dragon Palace, South Ocean and North Ocean could go around East Ocean’s back and slowly devour the West Ocean Dragon Palace, especially swallowing up the West Ocean Mystic Ice!
Zhao Yanzi lightly pulled on Hao Ren again.
She did not understand military strategy, but she knew that the Third Prince of South Ocean was a mid-tier Qian-level master. If the two of them joined forces, Hao Ren would lose.
A wise man does not fight when the odds are against him.
“Why would Hao Ren want to fight to lose?” Zhao Yanzi thought as she saw the attitude of the Third Prince of South Ocean and Second Duke of North Ocean; she knew that they wanted to push Hao Ren out of here.
“I wonder what does Crown Prince Zeng have to say? After all, this is the West Ocean Dragon Clan,” the Second Duke of North Ocean suddenly asked Zeng Yitao.
The Third Prince of South Ocean also looked at Zeng Yitao. At this time, he stood on North Ocean’s side. The East Ocean Dragon Clan was getting stronger, and if they acquired large quantities of West Ocean Mystic Ice…
Zeng Yitao looked at Hao Ren and started nodding. When he was about to speak, Hao Ren’s 320 sword energies suddenly shot out.
The sword energies separated into three clusters, and they shot toward Zeng Yitao from left, middle, and right.
The dozens of elders of West Ocean immediately went up to block the attack.
“What is the meaning of this? General Hao!” The Second Duke of North Ocean unsheathed the blade under his black robe ferociously.
The Third Prince of South Ocean hesitated for a moment before pulling out his spear and joining the fight.
Bam! Bam! Bam!
Hao Ren’s three clusters of sword energies were knocked back.
“Liu Yi! Protect Zi!” Hao Ren shouted.
“As you wish!” Liu Yi raised his green dragon crescent blade and protected Zhao Yanzi behind him.
Liu Yi knew that if Hao Ren made concessions now, East Ocean would have to back away from the defensive circle around the West Ocean Dragon Palace and lose influence in the Senate. That meant South Ocean and North Ocean would scavenge the East Ocean Dragon Clan’s victory over the West Ocean Dragon Clan!
Letting South Ocean and North Ocean co-administrate the matters at the West Ocean Dragon Clan was because the three parties had all sent troops; East Ocean could not occupy West Ocean alone and fight back the two other dragon clans. However, East Ocean wouldn’t back down either!
Liu Yi knew that Hao Ren’s sudden attack was to stop Zeng Yitao, but how could Hao Ren fight the Third Prince of South Ocean, the Second Duke of North Ocean, and the dozens of generals?
This worried Liu Yi!
“Pardon me for potentially offending you!” The Third Prince of South Ocean raised his white spear and charged at Hao Ren.
“Brother Hao, let’s spar!” The Second Duke of North Ocean’s blade spun in his palm and left a series of afterimages in the air.
The defeated West Ocean Dragon Palace was a big piece of cake, but Liu Yi who was stationed here by Hao Ren became a very troublesome obstacle!
They did not anticipate Hao Ren to start a fight, but they reacted quickly; beating Hao Ren would suppress the morale of the soldiers of East Ocean.
According to Zhao Guang’s personality, he would not start a war for such a small conflict!
They never thought that Hao Ren was the actual commander of the military of East Ocean, not just in name! Hao Ren had comparable prestige as Zhao Kuo, and he didn’t lack bravery.
The moment Hao Ren moved, he was prepared for war!
Ding!
Hao Ren’s sword energies condensed into a colorful stone sword, and he used the first variation of the first strike in the Mystic Water Sword Techniques naturally.
The tip of the sword met the tip of the spear, and a slight vibration appeared in the spear. Then, Hao Ren followed the momentum and flung out to block the slashing blade!
Just one move by Hao Ren completely dumbfounded Liu Yi!
In a one versus two situation, Hao Ren was able to hold off the joint attack of the other two Commanding Generals!
The soldiers and generals of South Ocean and North Ocean were more surprised. They all knew the power of the Third Prince of South Ocean’s spear and the Second Duke of North Ocean’s blade; these two were almost invincible in their respective military!
However, Hao Ren only performed one move and handled the spear and the blade!
As the Commanding Generals of North Ocean and South Ocean, the two had fought many battles. They adjusted their mentalities and quickly stabbed and slashed at Hao Ren!
“Commanding General!” Liu Yi shouted in anxiousness.
Zhao Yanzi also opened her eyes wide.
However, Zeng Yitao was having fun as he watched Hao Ren being attacked.
The sixth variation of the first strike in the Mystic Water Sword Techniques! Hao Ren’s stone sword drew a rainbow circle, and his steps tightly followed the circle, placing him in between the Second Duke of North Ocean and the Third Prince of South Ocean.
Close-range combat!
The two had never seen such ingenious sword techniques, and they struck their weapons at Hao Ren rapidly.
The 12th variation! Hao Ren’s sword pointed at the ground as he was upside-down!
The Mystic Water Sword Techniques had high requirements of the sword, and Hao Ren’s sword was condensed by the Light Splitting Sword Shadow Scroll and could be firm and flexible, long and short. It fit the requirement of the Mystic Water Sword Techniques perfectly.
The firm stone sword momentarily transformed into a soft sword, and it sprung Hao Ren up by half a meter!
The Second Duke of North Ocean and the Third Prince of South Ocean both went for a stab, but Hao Ren suddenly sprung up, making them almost stabbed each other!
Hao Ren was still upside-down like a hawk, and his sword dashed around.
Just as the Second Duke of North Ocean and the Third Prince of South Ocean were about to block, Hao Ren’s soft sword suddenly transformed into 320 sword energies!
The two treated Hao Ren’s longsword as an ordinary weapon and miscalculated!
Bam!
The Second Duke of North Ocean and the Third Prince of South Ocean were both knocked back five to six steps, and their clothes were torn. If it were not for their high realms, they would be fully wounded!
Hao Ren turned his body and landed firmly. He raised his right hand, and all the sword energies gathered in his palm and transformed back into a colorful stone sword.
“If you two want a rematch, I’m more than willing to participate!” Hao Ren crossed his arms and said indifferently with the Five-Mountain Bracelets on his wrists.
578 The More the Merrier!
The intense battle boiled Hao Ren’s blood, and the spiritual core in his Qihai Acupoint vibrated in excitement.
If he removed Su Han’s Five-Mountain Bracelet, he could release the power of top-tier Qian-level at any time!
The Second Duke of North Ocean and the Third Prince of South Ocean looked at each other.
They jointly attacked Hao Ren but did not use any nature essence. However, on martial arts alone, they couldn’t beat Hao Ren!
Hao Ren’s sword techniques were ingenious, and his sword energies were remarkable. However, if they admitted defeat now, they would have to lower their heads in front of East Ocean!
The colorful stone sword hummed in Hao Ren’s hand and glowed.
Hao Ren knew that one of them was at low-tier Qian-level and the other was at mid-tier Qian-level. However, if he released the power of top-tier Qian-level, the outcome o
f the battle would be turned around instantly.
Su Han especially gave him the Five-Mountain Bracelets in the hope that he would never use the power that was disproportional to the endurance of his body. That was the only way to avoid permanent injury.
There was a moment of silence.
Zeng Yitao and the elders of West Ocean did not speak, and Liu Yi observed the situation and remained silent as well.
Zhao Yanzi did not know what to do.
As for the Second Duke of North Ocean and the Third Prince of South Ocean, they were still calculating the situation, and their generals and soldiers all stared at Hao Ren anxiously.
Hao Ren could even defeat a level 8 demon beast, and he just fended off both the Second Duke of North Ocean and the Third Prince of South Ocean. He was powerful!
Before anyone moved, they had to consider the consequences.
If it were only casual sparring, then the Second Duke of North Ocean and the Third Prince of South Ocean had already lost, and they should back off.
However, if it were a probe, then the real battle was about to start!
From all aspects, it seemed like Hao Ren was only at mid-tier Gen-level. The fact that he beat that level 8 demon beast could be due to his ingenious use of Sword energies. South Ocean and North Ocean had never witnessed Hao Ren’s domination in the Dragon God Shrine’s general exams, so they couldn’t really tell what his trump cards were.
“How did the East Ocean Dragon Clan recruit such a brilliant character!” they thought.
The spiritual core in Hao Ren’s Qihai Acupoint spun fast, and Zhao Haoran’s 1,000-year cultivation strength was about to gush out!
“Hohoho! Brother Hao, there is no need to be so serious!” The Second Duke of North Ocean finally opened his mouth and said, “I led the troops all day and got bored. Sparring with Brother Hao keeps me in a merry mood!”
He then turned to the Third Prince of South Ocean and continued, “Brother Song and I always spar for fun. For Commanding Generals like us, we are going to die on the battlefields if we don’t practice our skills!”
The Third Prince of South Ocean’s face suddenly turned stiff; he did not anticipate that his ally would suddenly soften up. He laughed embarrassingly, “Indeed! If we are on the same level, we should practice more often!”
“Humph!” Liu Yi snorted and appeared not convinced.
“Since you lost, you say that it is just a spar. However, if you won, you would be forcing the soldiers of East Ocean to retreat!” Liu Yi thought but did not speak his mind. However, his face had expressed his thoughts.
“From now on, if my soldiers or generals do something wrong, they’re mine to manage. You two have no authority over them,” Hao Ren said calmly.
This statement was calm but undeniably domineering!
Hao Ren decided to fight for two reasons. One was to silence Zeng Yitao, and the other was to vent for Liu Yi.
Liu Yi was a loyal general of East Ocean. The Second Duke of North Ocean dared to pressure a general of East Ocean, so Hao Ren had to get back at him!
When Liu Yi heard what Hao Ren said, he immediately felt incredibly proud.
“Bravo! Great General Hao Ren’s presence is definitely on par with Third Lord!” he thought.
When he remembered that he once challenged Hao Ren and wanted to have Zhao Kuo reinstated as the Great General, Liu Yi’s face instantly turned red.
His weak ability was no match for even Hao Ren’s finger!
The Second Duke of North Ocean’s lips twitched. As he was about to say something, Hao Ren continued, “But, if you two want to practice some more, I’m more than willing to participate!”
The Second Duke of North Ocean’s face turned green and then white, and the Third Prince of South Ocean’s clean and white face did not look too good either.
They led dozens of generals over here to pressure Hao Ren, and they did not expect to be suppressed by him!
“He is just a young kid with a slightly more powerful technique; I’m not afraid of you!” The Second Duke of North Ocean thought as he clenched his blade tight, and a flash of light appeared in his eyes.
Hao Ren stood with his hands behind him. He was trying to provoke the Second Duke of North Ocean to make the first move. This vibration of the spiritual core in his body was not a common occurrence. He must grasp this chance to release the peak Qian-level power to suppress North Ocean and South Ocean completely. It would be very beneficial in the long run!
Buzz… Hao Ren suddenly felt a small reaction from the golden shield in his necklace.
The golden shield seemed to have found a powerful master it wanted to follow, and it flew around in Hao Ren’s necklace restlessly.
Hao Ren opened his necklace to let it out.
Vroom!
The glamorous golden shield flew out from Hao Ren’s necklace.
Blinding gold light instantly lit up the back mountain and the back hall as if the Sun appeared in this area!
In the air, the golden shield spun swiftly and transformed into thousands of tiny golden shields.
The bottom of the ocean, which was deep and dark, lit up instantly! Every corner and every crack were clearly illuminated!
“Supreme… spiritual treasure!”
The Third Prince of South Ocean and the Second Duke of North Ocean had their eyes wide open.
The Nine Dragon Palace opened once every dozens of years.
In the last few hundred years, the four ocean dragon clans had sent their cultivators in and obtained several treasures from there. These treasures were extremely precious for smaller dragon clans, but they were not that rare for the four ocean dragon clans.
However, supreme spiritual treasures with spirit properties were something else!
Nobody including the Third Prince of South Ocean and the Second Duke of North Ocean had ever seen a supreme spiritual treasure with spirit property. Once Hao Ren released the golden shield from his necklace, they were instantly fixated in awe.
Buzz!
The golden shield glowed once again, and the nature essence around the West Ocean Dragon Palace was suddenly drained by it!
The dozens of West Ocean Mystic Ices deeply embedded in the back mountain of the West Ocean Dragon Palace were also suddenly sucked out by it!
The legends said that supreme spiritual treasures possessed spirit properties and could automatically locate precious materials. Now, it seemed like the legends were true!
The Third Prince of South Ocean, the Second Duke of North Ocean, and their generals looked up at the blinding golden shields, and they were shocked beyond words.
“The East Ocean Dragon Clan actually has such a treasure! The true power of East Ocean is way greater than we imagined! Could it be that the East Ocean Dragon Clan has been acting low-key to hide their capacities?” people thought.
The golden shield circled the West Ocean Dragon Palace and sensed that the aura of peak Qian-level belonged to Hao Ren. Therefore, it gradually gathered itself back into one golden shield.
Hao Ren packed up his sword energies, raised his left hand, and the golden shield returned to his palm obediently. It was still humming as if it wasn’t willing to give up and still tried to search for something.
Everyone there, including Liu Yi and Zhao Yanzi, was shocked.
However, Hao Ren knew that this golden shield could not escape; the purple gold hairpin was still here. If it were to run, it had to pass through the purple gold hairpin.
When Hao Ren saw the bright lights all over the sky, he knew that the golden shield had only released a tiny fraction of its power when Xu Ke used it.
Tink! Tink! Tink! The golden shield spat out more than a dozen West Ocean Mystic Ices.
Witnessing this, Zeng Yitao’s face turned green. These West Ocean Mystic Ices were the only ones left in West Ocean’s reserve. In other words, they were the last strategic resources West Ocean had. They were not willing to hand them over, but Hao Ren’s supreme spiritual treasure found all of them!
West Ocean Mystic Ices were like pieces of ice fragments, cool and smooth.
Hao Ren took out a small bottle and put them in there.
The Second Duke of North Ocean and Third Prince of South Ocean witnessed Hao Ren’s action silently as they looked at the golden shield on his shoulder.
Supreme spiritual treasures were dharma treasures that did not require control. They could fight according to their spirit properties and instincts. They were terrifyingly powerful!
Even if the two Great Generals and all their generals attacked with full force, they might not be able to break through this supreme spiritual treasure’s defense, nor could they endure its furious retaliation!
Whether it was by strength or luck, the fact that Hao Ren could make the supreme spiritual treasure stay with him was quite frightening!
They did not know that the golden shield was only temporarily staying with Hao Ren due to the presence of the purple gold hairpin.
“Crown Prince Zeng, what did you want to say?” Hao Ren turned to ask Zeng Yitao.
“No… Nothing!” Zeng Yitao looked at Hao Ren in fear and shook his head hurriedly
“Hao Ren can even possess and use a legendary supreme spiritual treasure!” he thought. He felt like he would be lucky if he could save his own pathetic life from Hao Ren’s terrible strength!
After thinking of the past when he offended and threatened Hao Ren many times, Zeng Yitao was drenched in sweat. If he displeased Hao Ren even the slightest, Hao Ren could eliminate him with the snap of a finger!
“Second Duke, Third Prince; do you have anything to say?” Hao Ren asked.
“N… No!” In front of absolute power, they immediately shook their heads and didn’t dare to utter a word.
Supreme spiritual treasures could even overpower five to five Qian-level cultivators!
If used in full force, the power of the supreme spiritual treasure could instantly demolish a dragon palace! North Ocean and South Ocean did not want to follow the fate of West Ocean!
“In this case…” Hao Ren turned his head slightly and said, “Liu Yi, I see that the situation in the West Ocean Dragon Palace is not very stable. Pull over 30,000 more soldiers! We must engage in strict defense.”
