Gu Hai followed Long Shenwu’s group in the sea, moving quickly through it.

They stopped at a large submarine valley two hours later. A ritual array’s barrier surrounded the valley, and some officials and dragons stood within it.

“Your Reverence!” the officials greeted respectfully when they saw Long Shenwu.

“How is it going?” Long Shenwu asked.

“We tried many ritual arrays, and only the Spirit Breaking Ritual Array is slightly useful. However, Prime Ao’s blood is somewhat insufficient,” an official answered respectfully.

Long Shenwu looked at Gu Hai.

“How much do you need?” Ao Shun asked with a frown.

“Just a small cup will do!” that official exclaimed with pleasant surprise as his eyes lit up.

Frowning, Ao Shun forced out a small cup’s worth of blood from his body.

“That’s enough! That’s enough!” that official said excitedly.

That official seemed satisfied after receiving Ao Shun’s blood.

Gu Hai’s group saw that official lay out an altar and activate it. The altar immediately gave off ripples of multicolored lights when that official poured Ao Shun’s blood onto it.

Buzz!

The altar flared with red light.

Bang!

The burst of light shot out of the barrier and into the valley’s depths. It looked like it would hit the cliff but strangely stopped as if it had crashed into an invisible wall.

Rumble…!

Suddenly, crimson ripples appeared at the point of impact, causing the surrounding seawater to shake. Then, a large cluster of palaces manifested vaguely on the other side of the transparent wall, countless Night Pearls brightly illuminating them.

“It’s indeed the Western Sea Dragon Palace?” Joy flashed across Long Shenwu’s face.

“The location is right. Hahaha! This sea region was the Western Sea Dragon Palace’s territory! We found it!” Ao Sheng’s eyes gleamed red with excitement.

When the ripples appeared, everyone could see the other side. However, they still could not open the entrance.

Long Shenwu stepped forward and threw a punch at the visible ripples.

Boom!

After Long Shenwu punched, it seemed like he established a handhold. The surrounding seawater moved away from Long Shenwu’s palms, and the Western Sea Dragon Palace’s barrier trembled. Long Shenwu looked like he would crack it.

However, when Long Shenwu pulled his right hand back, the ripples strangely returned to normal.

“It can self-regenerate?” Long Shenwu’s face sank.

“Your Reverence, let’s use a lifespan ritual array to melt it. It will just take a few days!” an official suggested excitedly.

Long Shenwu looked at that official. “That’s fine. You learned under Lifespan Beiming for a few decades. Start, then.”

“Yes!” that official answered.

Then, that official waved his hand. Black energy came out of a jade box and rushed at the transparent wall.

Sizzle! Sizzle! Sizzle! Sizzle! Sizzle!

The sound of violent corrosion rang out. It was the black energy eating the transparent wall.

The transparent wall rippled continuously, trying to repair itself. However, the corrosion of the black energy was too strong. The regeneration could not keep up, so the deterioration advanced with time.

At the same time, a school of fish swam around the barrier the group was in.

The fish lingered for a while before darting into the distance.

In another underwater barrier far away, a group of dragon experts stood behind Di Shitian, looking coldly toward the distant valley.

The fish swam over to Di Shitian and spat out bubbles, showing the scene at Long Shenwu’s location.

Di Shitian revealed a cold smile. “The Western Sea Dragon Palace? Haha! Ao Shun’s blood is indeed pure. No wonder Ao Tianhuang kept such a close eye on him previously. Humph!”

“Prime, what should we do now?” a subordinate asked worriedly.

Di Shitian extended his hand and fed a golden ball to the fish.

“Go on, then. It is time for the dragons we planted in the Northern Sea Dragon Palace to do some work,” Di Shitian said coldly.

Whoosh!

The fish swam away.

In Long Shenwu’s barrier:

As it would take a few days for the black energy to corrode the Western Sea Dragon Palace’s barrier, the group stayed there for now.

Long Shenwu had a palace hall erected there.

Only Long Shenwu and Ao Sheng stood in that palace hall. They used a zither puppet to receive reports from the Wu Imperial Dynasty.

“Zither puppets? They are indeed great stuff. Gu Hai is extraordinary for thinking up such a thing. Unfortunately, that Yun Mo is a blockhead. How great it would be if the Wu Nation could monopolize the zither puppet!” Long Shenwu marveled with a sigh.

“Your Reverence, are we going to just leave Gu Hai’s group be? Why are we not sealing their cultivations?” Ao Sheng frowned.

Long Shenwu shook his head. “We aim to enter the Western Sea Dragon Palace. They will cooperate to the greatest extent if we do not attack them.”

“Huh?”

“Furthermore, this Gu Hai is very strange. Now that we are in the Spirit Mountain Holy Land’s territory, the Three Lives Buddhas are watching from behind. It would not be good to face enemies on all sides. Gu Hai’s group can help us draw away most of the Three Lives Buddhas’ attention. After all, Gu Hai’s group is a group that attracts trouble,” Long Shenwu said with a cold smile.

“Draw most of the attention away? Will that happen?” Ao Sheng asked worriedly.

“It definitely will. Don’t underestimate Gu Hai. This person is cunning and shrewd. If we want to seal his cultivation by force, he will resist fiercely. He has many backup plans. If we anger him and end up fighting him, Di Shitian and the Three Lives Buddhas may benefit from the conflict. If that is the case, why do something unnecessary? Entering the Western Sea Dragon Palace is the most crucial thing,” Long Shenwu said indifferently.

“Yes. However, I worry that he will flee,” Ao Sheng said.

“Flee? He won’t,” Long Shenwu said with a faint smile.

“Why?”

“Di Shitian already made it very clear earlier. The Three Lives Buddhas are watching from outside. What do the Three Lives Buddhas want? Hah! Isn’t it to enter the Western Sea Dragon Palace? They let us break the dragon palace’s barrier first while they collect the benefits later? Gu Hai should have figured that out. He will not part from us,” Long Shenwu said confidently.

“Is that so?” Ao Sheng frowned slightly.

“Furthermore, we are keeping an eye on him.”

In a palace hall, Gu Hai’s eyes lit up. “Ao Shun, is what you said true?”

“Yes. The dragon palaces of the four seas are independent worlds that my Ao Clan ancestors established. Naturally, the Ao Clan’s dragon deities can enter, and they can also bring people in,” Ao Shun said with a smile.

“That is good.” Joy flashed in Gu Hai’s eyes.

“However, I am uneasy. Long Shenwu has been keeping an eye on us. With someone of Long Shenwu’s strength watching us, we…,” Ao Shun said worriedly.

“Don’t worry. There will be a chance soon,” Gu Hai said with a smile.

“Oh?”

One day later:

Boom!

A loud report suddenly rang out at the other side of the sea.

Long Shenwu’s face suddenly sank as he stepped out of the palace hall. “What happened?”

“I…I don’t know. It came from Di Shitian’s sea region!” a subordinate reported, at a loss.

Ao Sheng’s expression changed. “Oh no! The Western Sea Dragon Palace’s aura is also coming from there. Di Shitian found it too?”

“What’s going on? The Western Sea Dragon Palace is hidden in an independent world. There is no way to come in contact with it, not even with Ao Sheng’s blood. Di Shitian should not be able to touch it…unless he has Ao Shun’s blood.” Long Shenwu’s face sank as he suddenly turned to Ao Shun, who had just walked out of a nearby palace hall.

At the side, Gu Hai’s expression changed as he asked, “Ao Sheng, did you send a dragon to ask Ao Shun for blood earlier?”

“I did not!” Ao Sheng’s expression changed.

“Who was it?” Long Shenwu’s expression turned cold.

“Prime, Xiao Zhe disappeared!”

“Prime, I saw Xiao Zhe leaving in a rush earlier!”

Ao Sheng’s subordinates immediately called out.

“A spy?” Ao Sheng’s expression changed.

“Humph!” Long Shenwu snorted coldly. Then, he rushed towards Di Shitian’s position.

“Hahahaha! Long Shenwu, you go about your business, and I’ll go about mine. What are you doing at my side?” Di Shitian’s carefree laughter suddenly came from the distant sea region.

Boom!

A loud report rang out as the surrounding seawater shook.

Ao Sheng’s face sank as he stepped forward and flew over.

After the two experts left, Gu Hai smiled faintly. “Isn’t there a chance now? Ao Shun, let’s go!”

Taking advantage of the chaos, Ao Shun flew over to the transparent wall with the three.

“What are you doing?” The expressions of the surrounding people changed.

Ao Shun had already arrived at the transparent wall. Then, he waved his hand, encasing Gu Hai, Chang Ming, and Shangguan Hen in a bubble.

Buzz!

The bubble strangely merged with the transparent wall. Then, the four walked through the transparent wall as though it was not there.

“Oh no! Come out!” the surrounding people cried out.

Boom!

A loud sound rang out in the distance. Then, Long Shenwu and Ao Sheng instantly flew back.

“Your Reverence, they entered! Ao Shun brought them in!” the officials exclaimed.

“That’s impossible! No one can enter aside from the dragon deities of the four seas. Even I could not enter despite having a dragon deity! How could Ao Shun enter?!” Ao Sheng exclaimed as his expression changed.

However, Long Shenwu’s expression turned scarily sullen. “Perhaps Ao Shun does have a dragon deity.”

“That’s impossible! How could he have one? Unless Royal Father…Royal Father?! How unfair of Royal Father! How biased!” Ao Sheng suddenly raged with a ferocious expression.

Whoosh! Di Shitian also approached with a group of his subordinates.

“Hah! Hahaha! It looks like we were all tricked by Gu Hai?” Di Shitian suddenly sneered.

Long Shenwu looked coldly at Di Shitian. “If not for you, how could Gu Hai have slipped away from under our nose?”

“What is the point of saying so much? Long Shenwu, we fought for a long time, but Gu Hai and Ao Shun took advantage of us. You might feel upset, but do you think I don’t feel upset? Yet, you still want to fight now?” Di Shitian sneered.

“We want the Western Sea’s dragon deity, the dragon burial mound, and the Earthly Soul Essence!” Long Shenwu said.

“If you take all the benefits, what is left for me? Humph! What you obtain depends on your own ability after you enter!” Di Shitian countered.

Long Shenwu remained silent for a while. “Alright!”

“Since you agree, let’s start working together. Men, lay the ritual array!” Di Shitian shouted coldly.

Di Shitian’s subordinates immediately laid a ritual array, pouring golden energy into the transparent wall.

Sizzle! Sizzle! Sizzle! Sizzle! Sizzle!

Like the black energy, the golden energy corroded the transparent wall.

“Attack together!” Di Shitian shouted.

Long Shenwu and Di Shitian attacked the corroding transparent wall simultaneously.

Boom!

A loud report rang out, and the transparent wall trembled. Many cracks appeared, but they soon mended. However, some scars remained under the golden and black energies’ corrosion.

“We should be able to break it in half a day, at most, if we maintain this speed. Continue!” Long Shenwu said coldly.

Boom!

Di Shitian and Long Shenwu continued attacking together.