Chapter Ninety-Four: Perishing

"You may choose another condition."

The refined-looking man narrowed his eyes to a slender slit, a glimmer of cold light flashing within them as he gazed at Su Yuanbai, who floated calmly in the seawater, and said with a faint smile.

"The Sea-Calming Pearl."

Su Yuanbai met the refined-looking man's gaze with his dark eyes and answered evenly.

"The Sea-Calming Pearl is something specifically demanded by the Biyou Palace of Penglai. Even if I were to return it to you, you would still not be able to keep it."

The refined-looking man's slit-like eyes opened a little wider as he spoke.

"The treasure bestowed upon our Azure Sea dragon clan by the Divine Emperor is not something you may take at will," Ao Chi said, his voice still carrying a cold anger despite the Dragon-Binding Cord restraining his body as he glared at the refined-looking man.

"It is not we who want to take it. It is the Biyou Palace of Penglai."

The refined-looking man's gaze slid past Su Yuanbai, and with a smile he looked at the enraged Ao Chi, placing special emphasis on the words Biyou Palace of Penglai.

"And what of the Biyou Palace of Penglai? The affairs of the Eastern Sea do not reach the Azure Sea," Ao Chi said coldly.

"Second Brother, the Biyou Palace of Penglai was once the ancestral temple of the Severing Sect, where the ancient gods paid homage and ten thousand immortals came in attendance... But after the ancient conferment of the gods, the Biyou Palace withdrew into the true realm of the immortal domain and has since vanished without a trace."

Ao Ning swam to Ao Chi's side and whispered into his ear.

Her second brother cared for nothing but fighting. He never read the archives in the Azure Sea Dragon Palace, nor did he listen to the matters their father and eldest brother often discussed.

"Your little sister knows rather more than you do," the refined-looking man said, glancing at Ao Ning before lightly flicking his eyes toward Su Bufan beside her. "It's just that her taste is not very good."

"None of your business!" Ao Ning bared her dragon fangs at him, puffing up with indignation.

"How can matters from the ancient past be dragged into the present? The one who now rules the Three Realms is no longer the Heavenly Emperor, but the Divine Emperor. If you do not return the Sea-Calming Pearl to the Azure Sea, I shall go to the heavens and report this to the Divine Emperor!"

Hearing his little sister's explanation, Ao Chi was not frightened in the least. On the contrary, his laughter turned even colder as he spoke to the refined-looking man.

"The Divine Emperor, hmm..."

At Ao Chi's words, a strange smile appeared at the corners of the refined-looking man's lips. He lifted his gaze toward the depths above the sea, and in those profound eyes there flickered a trace of mockery.

"My patience is limited."

Su Yuanbai interrupted the exchange between the refined-looking man and Ao Chi. He took a calm step forward and said to the man, "I want the Sea-Calming Pearl."

The refined-looking man took half a step back, then suddenly advanced two steps, studying Su Yuanbai with those deep eyes as he asked, "And what if I refuse to give you the Sea-Calming Pearl?"

"Then die," Su Yuanbai said, meeting his gaze with his dark eyes in perfect composure.

The Taoist in the pale blue-and-white robe, who had been watching the scene all along, swallowed nervously. From those two words he felt an undisguised killing intent.

It was a killing intent he had never before sensed from this handsome man.

"Since you put it that way, what reason do I have not to hand it over? I am only a pawn; there is no need to stake my life here. What do you think, Le Xian?"

The refined-looking man suddenly let out a soft laugh, shrugging as he looked up at the Taoist standing on the back of the fire raven and asked.

"Give them the Sea-Calming Pearl. The imprint on it has not yet faded anyway, and we do not need it for now. There will be a chance to take it back in the future," said the Taoist called Le Xian, nodding at him.

"Very well."

The refined-looking man reached into his autumn-colored robe, then suddenly paused and smiled faintly at Su Yuanbai.

"My name is Xu Xinyuan, lord of Luofu Tower, the second tower among the twelve towers of Lingyun Tower. I am a cultivator of the Dustless Realm. May I ask your honorable name, your origin, and your cultivation level?"

Xu Xinyuan asked with a smile.

"Su Yuanbai."

Su Yuanbai answered briefly and calmly.

"A fine name."

Xu Xinyuan narrowed his eyes slightly. After waiting a moment and seeing that Su Yuanbai had nothing more to say, he did not become annoyed. Instead, he merely gave a quiet laugh and tossed a small, square gray box from within his autumn robe.

"Le Xian, let's go."

Xu Xinyuan appeared behind the Taoist and patted his shoulder.

The fire raven beneath Le Xian cried out sharply, flapping its wings to unleash a wave of heat that scorched away all the surrounding seawater of the Azure Sea. In a haze of smoke, they vanished.

Su Yuanbai did not raise his head. His dark eyes simply watched the empty space ahead in silence.

Ao Ning had just been about to swim toward the gray little box that was sinking toward the seabed, intending to verify whether the item inside was truly the Sea-Calming Pearl, when Su Bufan beside her suddenly stopped her.

"Wait. The Dragon-Binding Cord has not yet been removed. Remember to inform your sea folk of the Azure Sea; I do not wish to commit too many killings."

Xu Xinyuan's figure suddenly appeared beside Ao Chi. His deep eyes glanced at Su Yuanbai's retreating back before he smiled and said to Ao Chi.

The golden cord binding Ao Chi's body instantly loosened and turned into a streak of golden light, flying up toward the water's surface.

"Go."

With one hand, Ao Chi seized Ao Ning and Su Bufan; with the other, he held the Golden Scale Spear as his body shot forward.

Scorching flames dove down from the heights of the sea. The fire raven had returned, carrying Le Xian with the Dragon-Binding Cord in hand, while Xu Xinyuan was lifted up once more. Another wave of heat surged outward, evaporating the seawater.

"Su Yuanbai, if you have any trouble in the future, you may come find me at Luofu Tower. The three hundred and sixty-five divine seals upon your body... perhaps I may have a way to undo some of them for you."

Xu Xinyuan's light laugh grew more and more distant, until it vanished along with the departing fire raven.

"It is the Sea-Calming Pearl."

As soon as Ao Chi was freed, he immediately picked up the gray box falling toward the seabed. Opening the square little box, he revealed a transparent pearl inside.

Within the pearl, five-colored radiance was self-contained, and within that multicolored brilliance one could also see the forms of the twenty-four heavens. Between every six heavens, seawater converged, making four seas in all.

Seeing that her second brother had opened the gray box and that the transparent pearl inside was indeed the Sea-Calming Pearl, Ao Ning finally let out a breath of relief.

"Thank you for your assistance."

Su Bufan had already swum to Su Yuanbai's side. He bowed deeply and offered his thanks.

Since he could remember, Su Bufan had never bowed to anyone, not even when receiving a treasure from that immortal lady; at most he had only inclined slightly. He had certainly never bowed so deeply.

But Su Bufan received no reply from Su Yuanbai.

He was not surprised. A figure of such stature would naturally ignore his thanks. Though he had once been a noble of princes and lords, in the eyes of such immortals he was no more than dirt.

"What happened to this benefactor?"

Ao Ning swam over to Su Bufan. She had been about to, like her husband, thank this benefactor as well when she suddenly noticed that the benefactor's dark eyes held not a trace of life.

Then, from the hundred bones and nine apertures of Su Yuanbai's body, glaring scarlet blood abruptly began to seep out, and his body tilted backward.

"He is dead."

Ao Chi, holding the Sea-Calming Pearl and the Golden Scale Spear, appeared behind Ao Ning. He looked calmly at Su Yuanbai, who was sinking into the depths, and beneath his cold gaze there surfaced a trace of regret.