Sunlight could not penetrate the abyssal depths—this place should have been swallowed by utter darkness.
Yet the walls of the East China Sea Dragon Palace glowed with a soft, shimmering blue light, spilling over the crystal floor of the main hall.
The entire palace was encased in seawater, carrying the crisp, invigorating aura of primordial water essence. Every so often, a few spirit fish, their bodies pure white and translucent, darted past, only to crash into the palace's protective barrier and flee in a flurry of tail flicks.
On the dragon throne at the center of the main hall sat Ao Xuan, clad in a cyan-and-gold Taoist robe. His fingertips twirled a wisp of pale blue mist as his gaze drifted to the calm sea beyond the palace gates. Since purging the seventy-two demon strongholds of the East China Sea, over a hundred thousand aquatic beings had sworn allegiance. The once chaotic East China Sea had finally found order—but beneath this order, a stable governing structure was needed to weather the storms ahead.
"Your Majesty."
Qing He's voice echoed from the hall entrance. She wore a turquoise Taoist robe, and in her hands, she held a wooden slip carved from primordial spirit wood, its surface etched with dense golden runes. "The registry of surrendered clans and the map of the East China Sea's spiritual veins have been compiled. Please review them, Your Majesty."
Ao Xuan lifted a hand, and the wooden slip glided through the mist into his palm.
His fingertips brushed the golden runes, and instantly, a phantom of the East China Sea materialized before his eyes. In the deep blue waters, countless glowing dots represented the surrendered clans: the Black Tortoise clan held the bays, the Crab clan guarded the coral reefs, the Cuttlefish clan lurked in the abyssal ink clouds, and smaller clans like the Red Carp and Spirit Mussel were scattered across the seas.
Vibrant green lines traced the paths of the spiritual veins—most clustered around the Dragon Palace, but those in the southern waters were as sparse as broken beads, clearly drained dry by fiends like the Stone Lichen Jellyfish.
"The spiritual veins are unevenly distributed, and the combat prowess of each clan varies wildly," Ao Xuan said, placing the slip on the jade table. His eyes swept the hall entrance. "By my decree—summon Xie Ao, Mo Yuan, and Xuan Cang to the main hall for a council."
Moments later, three figures strode into the hall. Xie Ao was clad in black iron armor, his every step sending faint tremors through the floor, with seawater seeping from the armor's gaps. Mo Yuan was shrouded in a thin veil of ink mist, within which countless tiny tentacles wriggled—his means of probing the surroundings. Xuan Cang had taken a half-human form, his tortoise shell condensed into a thick chest plate. His aged face was etched with reverence; only half a month prior, he had been a warlord ruling his own domain, but now he served as a vassal of the Dragon Palace.
"We pay homage to the Dragon King!" The three knelt in unison, their voices reverberating through the hall.
Ao Xuan waved a hand, gesturing for them to rise. "I have summoned you here today to establish the Dragon Palace's governing hierarchy. In the Primordial World, the strong prey on the weak. Only with strict laws and clear order can we unite the clans' strength to face the calamities to come. My will is this—we shall create four major departments, each with distinct duties, to support and complement one another."
He flicked a fingertip, and the sea beyond the palace walls condensed into four pale blue water curtains in the hall, each emblazoned with a department's name and responsibilities.
"First—the Water Spirit Department." The first curtain flared to life, glowing with patterns of spiritual veins and ocean currents. "The East China Sea is rooted in water energy and spiritual veins. This department shall oversee vein exploration, water current regulation, and resource allocation. It must ensure a steady supply of spiritual energy for the Dragon Palace and all clans, and further, it shall dredge the tributaries of the Nine-Bend Heavenly River to solidify the East China Sea's water energy foundation."
Before his voice faded, Xuan Cang stepped forward. "Your Majesty! My clan has dwelled in the East China Sea for ages. We know the lay of the underwater spiritual veins like the backs of our hands. We humbly request the authority to lead the Water Spirit Department—to seek out veins and regulate currents for the Dragon Palace!"
Ao Xuan nodded. "Xuan Cang, you shall be the Director of the Water Spirit Department. I bestow upon you the Water Spirit Token, which grants you command over all clan forces tasked with vein exploration. Additionally, I appoint Qing He as the Department's Supervisor. As a primordial wood spirit, you possess an innate sensitivity to the vitality of spiritual veins. Assist Xuan Cang in distinguishing between pure and corrupted veins, and prevent chaotic miasma from contaminating the vein sources."
Qing He knelt in obeisance. "Your servant shall obey." She twitched her fingertips, and a wisp of wood essence infused the Water Spirit Token, causing it to glow with a verdant light—she had etched vein-sensing runes into its surface.
"Second—the Black Tortoise Guard." The second curtain shifted, taking the form of armor and sword phantoms. "This department shall be responsible for coastal patrols, external defense, and new recruit training. Though the East China Sea is now pacified, chaotic fiends still lurk in the abyssal rifts. In the days to come, we shall face fiend tides and infernal flames—we need an elite army to safeguard our realm."
Xie Ao slammed a fist against his chest, his armor clanging like thunder. "Your Majesty! I volunteer to lead the Black Tortoise Guard! I have already organized the surrendered aquatic troops into three divisions—awaiting only your orders to begin training!"
"Excellent." A flicker of approval crossed Ao Xuan's eyes. "Xie Ao, you shall be the Commander of the Black Tortoise Guard. I grant you the Azure Dragon Black Tortoise Armor, forged from primordial water crystal and your own black iron carapace—it can withstand a blow from a Golden Immortal at the early stage. The Black Tortoise Guard shall be divided into three battalions:
The Patrol Battalion shall guard the seventy-two strategic sea routes, hunting down remnants of chaos daily.
The Elite Battalion shall consist of the strongest aquatic warriors, trained in divine arts like the Water Blade Technique and Tortoise Shell Technique, ready for full-scale war.
The Reserve Battalion shall be made up of the elderly and weak, trained in defensive arts to protect clan settlements."
He flicked a streak of cyan-gold light, which landed in Xie Ao's hands and solidified into a suit of dragon-patterned black armor. As Xie Ao grasped it, a surging wave of water energy coursed through his body. He dropped to his knees, prostrating himself. "Your servant shall not fail your trust!"
"Third—the Array Forging Hall." The third curtain shimmered with intricate array patterns. "This department shall oversee array defense, array research, and wartime array strategies. The Azure Dragon Sea-Subduing Array I laid down requires constant maintenance and improvement. Furthermore, we must develop smaller arrays like the Profound Water Array and Water Spirit Binding Array for the clans to defend themselves."
The ink mist around Mo Yuan churned slightly. "Your Majesty! My clan boasts many elders skilled in stealth and array crafting. We are willing to dedicate our entire clan's strength to the Array Forging Hall. I humbly request the position of Vice Hall Master, to assist the Hall Master in array research."
Ao Xuan paused, deep in thought. "The Array Forging Hall shall have no Hall Master for the time being—I shall personally oversee its affairs. Mo Yuan, you shall be the Vice Hall Master. I bestow upon you the Array Forging Scroll, which records the foundational evolution methods of the Profound Water Array. Assemble your forces quickly to link the Azure Dragon Sea-Subduing Array's core nodes to all clan settlements. In times of attack, we shall channel the array's power to reinforce our defenses. At the same time, research ways to infuse the Azure Dragon's soul power into smaller arrays to amplify their might."
Mo Yuan took the scroll, and tentacles emerged from his ink mist to brush its surface. The array patterns on the scroll instantly seared themselves into his mind. He bowed deeply. "Your servant understands!"
"Fourth—the Ritual Administration." The fourth curtain transformed into phantoms of ritual vessels and law scrolls. "This department shall manage internal affairs, inter-clan diplomacy, and judicial punishment. The Dragon Palace and its vassals must abide by clear rules. The Ritual Administration shall draft the Dragon Palace Code, clarify rewards and punishments, and facilitate communication to unify the East China Sea's clans. It shall also be responsible for receiving envoys from foreign realms and gathering intelligence on the Primordial World's movements."
Qing He stepped forward. "Your Majesty! I volunteer to lead the Ritual Administration. I have already compiled records of each clan's customs and needs. I can quickly draft a preliminary version of the Dragon Palace Code, ensuring fair and impartial punishments for all."
"Approved." Ao Xuan nodded. "Qing He, you shall be the Director of the Ritual Administration. I bestow upon you the Ritual Seal, which grants you authority over the Dragon Palace's internal affairs staff. All revisions to the law must be submitted to me for review before being promulgated. Additionally, dispatch envoys to all corners of the Primordial World to gather news of Lord Hongjun's sermons, as well as developments in the Western Wasteland and Southern Territories. If any signs of an impending fiend tide emerge, you must report them to me at once."
With the four departments established, the four vassals prepared to take their leave—until Xuan Cang suddenly spoke up. "Your Majesty, I have one matter to report. The coral reef waters in the southern East China Sea have extremely thin spiritual veins. The clans there lack sufficient cultivation resources. If we fail to explore new veins soon, discontent may brew."
Ao Xuan's eyes flickered. He tapped a fingertip, and the southern region of the East China Sea phantom flared to life. "That was the Stone Lichen Jellyfish's former territory. Her poison mist has corrupted the spiritual veins—purification is the first priority. Mo Yuan, dispatch your clan's elite warriors to infiltrate the southern abyssal depths and search for uncorrupted vein sources. Xie Ao, send the Black Tortoise Guard's Patrol Battalion to escort them—prevent any attacks from chaotic fiends."
"Your servants shall obey!" Mo Yuan and Xie Ao replied in unison.
Xie Ao added, "Your Majesty, most warriors in the Elite Battalion only master basic water-elemental arts. They may not stand a chance against powerful foes. Are there any divine arts suitable for cultivation by all clans?"
Ao Xuan fell into thought, then flicked several streaks of light into the four vassals' hands. "This is the Water Abyss Scripture—a foundational water-energy divine art that can temper the body with primordial water essence and enhance combat prowess. Teach it to all clans, and adjust it according to their unique traits. The Crab clan shall focus on the Black Tortoise Armor Technique to boost defense. The Cuttlefish clan shall practice the Ink Mist Escape Technique to improve stealth and evasion. The Black Tortoise clan shall master the Tortoise Breath Array to assist in defensive operations."
The four vassals took the light streaks, and a warm surge of water energy flooded their minds, the contents of the Water Abyss Scripture unfolding clearly before them. They knelt again, offering their gratitude.
Once the three vassals had departed, only Ao Xuan and Qing He remained in the main hall. Qing He gazed at the flowing seawater beyond the palace gates, her voice soft. "Your Majesty—though the hierarchy is established, the East China Sea's clans have only just surrendered. Their loyalty is not yet fully secured. If any unexpected changes occur, unrest may erupt."
Ao Xuan walked to the hall entrance, his gaze fixed on the distant glimmers of spiritual energy. His cyan-and-gold robe fluttered gently in the sea breeze. "In the Primordial World, loyalty is forged through strength and mutual benefit. Once the Water Spirit Department locates new spiritual veins, the clans will have ample cultivation resources. When the Black Tortoise Guard becomes a crack force capable of protecting them, and with the Dragon Palace Code to bind them—their hearts will naturally turn toward the Dragon Palace."
He waved a hand, and a pale blue water mirror materialized before him, reflecting the direction of Mount Buzhou. Chaotic energy swirled faintly on the horizon—a clear sign that the fiend tide was approaching.
"Establishing the hierarchy is only the first step," Ao Xuan said, his voice heavy with gravity. "It will not be long before the fiend tide sweeps across the Primordial World, and Luo Hu's infernal flames spread. Before that day comes, we must forge the East China Sea into an unbreakable fortress—only then can we survive the impending calamity."
Qing He stared at the scene in the water mirror, her eyes blazing with resolve. "Rest assured, Your Majesty. Your servant shall oversee the affairs of the Ritual Administration and Water Spirit Department with all haste, to strengthen the Dragon Palace's foundations."