Chapter 1000: Early Preparation

"Uncle Ji, please have some tea. Ruoli is currently discussing matters with the flood dragons in the main hall of the Dragon Palace and should be here soon."

There were no palace maidens in the side hall. The Dragon Prince himself brought tea and refreshments, pouring tea for both Ji Yuan and the old dragon, then stood to the side.

"Mr. Ji, this tea is made from tender shoots of ice vine flowers that grow beneath the extreme ice of the North Sea, stir-fried with both gentle and strong heat. It is incredibly rare, and few in the world have had the chance to taste it. It was offered to Ruoli as tribute by that ancient ice flood dragon, who emptied his entire century's worth of stock for it. Please, enjoy!"

The old dragon stroked his beard, smiling, and invited Ji Yuan to try the tea. Ji Yuan lifted the lid of his tea bowl and saw that while the bowl felt warm to the touch, a layer of beautiful ice flowers had formed on the surface of the tea. When he gently shook it, the ice flowers seemed to dissolve into the water, yet the tea's surface remained soft. Interestingly, there was no tea fragrance when he sniffed it.

Ji Yuan looked at the old dragon, who seemed to be proudly showing off his daughter's achievements. He then looked at the Dragon Prince, who also smiled without any hint of dissatisfaction or inferiority.

"Alright, I'll try it!"

With that, Ji Yuan picked up the tea bowl and took a sip. It wasn't cold but had a wonderfully mellow texture. Afterward, a faint freshness lingered, and a rich fragrance bloomed in his mouth, as if the previously hidden tea aroma had burst forth. As he swallowed the tea, he felt as if gentle, comfortable ripples had massaged his internal organs, and a subtle, cool current flowed across his skin, down to every hair follicle.

"Invigorating and exquisite tea! Among all the teas I've drunk, this is certainly the finest!"

Ji Yuan felt a sudden weight in his sleeve. He simply flicked his arm, and the Xiezhi scroll flew out. The Xiezhi, no longer hiding, transformed into its true form before Ji Yuan, drawing the gaze of both the old dragon and the Dragon Prince.

"Uh, heh heh, how about a cup for me too?"

"Mr. Xiezhi?"

The Dragon Prince looked at Xiezhi in surprise. He recognized him as the one who had come with Uncle Ji to the Dragon Transformation Feast, but he had never imagined he would be hiding in Uncle Ji's sleeve.

"Is that truly the painting?"

The old dragon scrutinized Xiezhi. Although he had already suspected it when he heard Xiezhi's name and recalled the painting he had seen before, he was still somewhat surprised to see the confirmation.

"Yes, yes, that's the painting! Could you pour some of that tea for me too?"

Xiezhi bowed to the old dragon, then looked at the Dragon Prince, who quickly retrieved a tea bowl and poured tea for Xiezhi. Xiezhi immediately broke into a smile, swirled the cup, and then savored the tea delicately, appearing even more refined than Ji Yuan.

"Sometimes I can't help but wonder, are you truly Xiezhi and not a Taotie?"

Xiezhi didn't bother to explain. It wasn't his fault; who could blame him when the culinary arts in this era had blossomed so splendidly? It was almost as significant as any grand path of cultivation. In ancient times, many beings still lived by eating raw meat and drinking blood—how could that compare to this?

"Uncle Ji!"

The Dragon Princess's voice rang out, and she soon hurried in from outside with light steps. Her face, naturally, no longer held the majestic and sacred aura she displayed earlier when facing the dragons in the main hall; instead, she was smiling radiantly.

"Uncle Ji, Ruoli has already stirred the power of the Untamed Sea. Before long, it will be considered an act of creation!"

This statement sounded astonishing, but in a certain sense, it wasn't much of an exaggeration.

"Ruoli is truly a worthy Dragon Goddess, possessing immeasurable merit!"

Ji Yuan praised her, and the Dragon Princess had already approached him, then glanced at Xiezhi with a hint of surprise.

"Mr. Xiezhi is here too? My attendants didn't inform me."

"Oh, you just noticed I'm here! Tsk tsk, Lady Ying's tea is indeed excellent. Could you share some with Ji Yuan?"

The Dragon Princess smiled and nodded at Xiezhi, then looked at Ji Yuan and said, "This ice tea has already been packaged for Uncle Ji—a whole catty! Please take it with you, Uncle Ji."

In truth, it hadn't been packaged beforehand at all, but the Dragon Princess said it anyway. The old dragon and the Dragon Prince secretly clicked their tongues in astonishment; even before any was consumed, there wasn't even two catties of this ice tea in total...

"Heh heh, Lady Ying is truly generous!"

Xiezhi chuckled, knowing from the Dragon Prince's expression that one catty was certainly a generous amount. In any case, if Ji Yuan had it, he would get to drink some too.

"Then I humbly accept!"

"We can discuss that later. Mr. Ji, you must know about the emergence of the Yellow Springs. Of course, before your book was finished, you mentioned that its appearance would surely affect heaven and earth, perhaps serving as a precursor, marking the beginning of great changes. However, we initially calculated there would be at least ten more years, but now the Underworld is already overflowing with the Yellow Springs!"

The old dragon's words perfectly led into what Ji Yuan wanted to say. Now that the Dragon Princess had also arrived, he no longer held back.

"Indeed. Before coming to Tongtian River, I visited the Netherworld Underworld and met the Netherworld Emperor. That place is the source of the Yellow Springs in the Underworld and also where the path of reincarnation will manifest in the future."

Xiezhi, taking small sips of his tea nearby, suddenly interjected, "And also oversee the ferrying across the Yellow Springs."

Ji Yuan nodded.

"Precisely, it will also oversee the ferrying across the Yellow Springs."

The old dragon looked up slightly, stroking his beard in thought. The Dragon Princess and Dragon Prince exchanged glances. All were intelligent, not only highly cultivated but also experienced in the ways of the mortal world, and they instantly grasped some key implications.

"Mr. Ji, the Netherworld Emperor will wield significant power in the future!"

It was true that most parts of the Underworld were not centrally governed. Even with the Netherworld Underworld's current formidable power, it only oversaw a few nether regions within Dazhen and Yunzhou.

However, since the Netherworld Underworld managed the path of reincarnation and oversaw the ferrying across the Yellow Springs, it would genuinely become the most influential entity in the Underworld. Even if the Netherworld Underworld was utterly selfless, all nether offices throughout the land would still have to rely on it.

"There are pros and cons. I still stand by the saying, 'Trust whom you use, and don't use whom you doubt.' Of course, that's a bit of an exaggeration. From start to finish, I merely offered a few pointers; it's not really a matter of 'using' anyone."

The old dragon and Xiezhi simultaneously curled their lips. It would be absurd to believe such a claim.

"Alright, enough of these digressions. Let me get to the real reason for my visit. If I had arrived any later and had to chase them out to sea, it would have been quite conspicuous."

The old dragon, Dragon Prince, and Dragon Princess all perked up, awaiting Ji Yuan's next words.

"The Dragon Clan's pioneering of the untamed lands is a great undertaking beneficial to heaven and earth, and also an opportunity for recreating the world. This holds true for us, as well as for those shadowy, malevolent figures hiding in the dark. The Great Tribulation is a calamity for all beings, but also a great contention. This first contention begins with the pioneering of the untamed lands, and Ruoli, as the true dragon leading the Dragon Clan in this endeavor, bears immense responsibility!"

Xiezhi, listening from the side, nearly spat out his tea. What about revered masters not speaking falsehoods? What about true immortals not uttering lies? This Ji Yuan fellow spouted half-truths and half-falsehoods so readily, and yet he spoke with such solemnity and earnestness.

"Uncle Ji, rest assured. Ever since Ruoli vowed to pioneer the untamed lands, she has been aware of her great responsibility. She will surely oversee the seas well and prevent any petty scoundrels from disrupting this endeavor to open up the untamed seas. Now, Ruoli vaguely senses more and more merit accumulating upon her, so the time for success must not be far off!"

Ji Yuan glanced at the thoughtful old dragon, then added after a moment's consideration, "You don't need to worry about them destroying the pioneering effort; perhaps they even anticipate its outcome. Just prevent them from stealing this portion of merit. Furthermore, I hope that no matter what happens, Ruoli, you will try your best to keep the aquatic forces following you in the pioneering effort from becoming too scattered. If the worst comes to pass, they can still act as a unified fist."

"Uncle Ji, don't worry, Ruoli understands this principle!"

"However, the aquatic creatures of the world are not unified. Even within our Dragon Clan, not all are under the direct governance of the Four Seas. Additionally, there are the two desolate lands and demons and devils from all corners of heaven and earth, against whom we must be vigilant. Of course, there are many masters among the righteous path, but when it comes to responsiveness, none can compare to the Dragon Clan. And Ruoli's prestige within the Dragon Clan is currently at its zenith; should there be any shift in the Heavenly order, ten thousand dragons will respond immediately."

The old dragon's words truly resonated with Ji Yuan.

"Elder Ying is absolutely right," said Ji Yuan. "Although the world appears prosperous, its fate is in disarray. Ruoli's ability to lead the dragons at this time ensures a swift response, which puts my mind at ease."

"Uncle Ji, you flatter me..."

The Dragon Princess's face flushed. She had heard many compliments before, but hearing them from Ji Yuan made her very happy while also feeling a sense of pressure.

"Oh, Uncle Ji, did you hear about that evil creature impersonating your Dao companion? Ruoli really wanted to teach her a lesson for you, but she managed to escape!"

Ji Yuan nodded with a smile.

"Yes, Wei Wuwei told me. That person was actually the one who escaped from Tongtian River last time, named Lian Ping'er. However, she is already dead, so there's no need to dwell on it."

"Is that so... Oh, by the way, how is Ah Ze?"

"As for Ah Ze, I can only say that everyone has their own path. Even if the world might find it hard to tolerate him, I still recognize him."

Hearing Ji Yuan's words, the Dragon Princess knew that Ah Ze's situation wasn't very good, and she felt a pang of regret. She also wondered when that painting would be returned to her.

"Hmm, that painting of his probably can't be returned."

"Huh?"

The Dragon Princess instinctively blurted out, then forced a small smile.

"W-well, I never said I was giving it to him..."

"Ah Ze certainly didn't intend to borrow it and not return it; it's just that the painting was destroyed at Nine Peaks Mountain during the demonic hour. When I have time, I'll paint you another one."

Ji Yuan quickly explained, fearing the Dragon Princess might be upset, even though he thought it was unlikely.

The Dragon Princess's expression remained somewhat unnatural.

"Hmm, Ruoli quite liked that painting; it's a shame it was destroyed. Even if I get another one, it won't be the same one..."

The Dragon Princess's concern surprised Ji Yuan slightly, but there was nothing more he could say.

"Alright, Ruoli, it's just a painting. When Mr. Ji has some free time, he can casually paint a hundred more."

The old dragon intervened, and the Dragon Princess could only nod in acknowledgment. They then continued their discussion about possible future changes as if nothing had happened, but even after Ji Yuan left, he could still sense that the Dragon Princess remained somewhat downcast.

Ji Yuan couldn't do anything about it. The painting was destroyed, and even replacing it with a new one wasn't something he could conveniently do at the moment.

Without staying to witness the magnificent spectacle of dragons emerging from the sea, Ji Yuan departed from Tongtian River. He merely dropped off a letter for the Yin family as he passed through the capital prefecture city, then headed straight for Yuhua Mountain.

Long ago, Ji Yuan had been determined to acquire the mountain decree talisman that Yuhua Mountain had always guarded. However, this time he wasn't going to argue for it, as Yuhua Mountain had already agreed that he could take the talisman whenever he felt it was necessary to use it. Now that the Human Body God had appeared, the time was ripe.