Chapter Twenty: The Dragon Palace Beneath the Sea!

“Thank you, Director Zhao. If you hadn’t arrived in time, I’m afraid I’d be finished.” Yang Haishan was disappointed that Zhao Fei hadn’t managed to catch Yang Ye, but he was still deeply grateful.

Zhao Fei waved his hand. “No need to thank me. If you hadn’t advanced to the Stellar stage, I wouldn’t have bothered with this. Now that you’re one of my subordinates, you’ll report to the Administration the day after tomorrow—after your birthday tomorrow.”

“Yes, sir!” Yang Haishan replied respectfully.

Zhao Fei nodded. “It’s late. I’ll take my leave.”

“Safe travels, Director Zhao!” Yang Haishan bowed low.

With a leap, Zhao Fei vanished into the night sky.

After Zhao Fei left, Yang Haishan and his son Yang Le returned to their room. Yang Le’s face was still pale with fear. If Zhao Fei hadn’t intervened just in time, he would have been killed by Yang Ye.

“Dad, why did Director Zhao save us?” Yang Le asked, exhaling deeply.

“It’s simple,” Yang Haishan replied. “He wants to strengthen his own power. The Star Martial Administration is no longer the just, disciplined organization it was when it was first founded. For decades now, there’s been endless internal strife. The fight for the director’s seat has torn the bureau apart multiple times. In the past, the Administration truly served the nation and the people. Now... well!” He laughed with disdain. “By saving me and having me assist him, his influence within the bureau grows. It’s a great benefit for both him and us. Remember this, son: if you want others to value you, you must first have strength.”

“I understand, Father.” Yang Le nodded solemnly.

“The day after tomorrow, you’ll come with me to report at the Administration. Try to secure a post inside. Be modest, make friends. Yang Ye is dangerous—so long as he lives, he’s a huge threat to us. If we can use the Administration’s power to get rid of him, all the better.”

...

Yang Ye’s body recovered quickly. Within an hour, he could move as usual. After swallowing a beast core, Long Xiaoqing was also refreshed.

“Husband, where will we go now?” Long Xiaoqing asked, her eyes wide in the darkness.

Wiping the dried blood from his lips, Yang Ye replied, “We’ll return to Sun City first, pay respects at my father’s grave. After that...”

Where next? Yang Ye looked south. Perhaps finding a small island at sea to live on wouldn’t be bad. Long Xiaoqing loved the ocean—she’d be happy. Living on an island, he could also use the resources of the sea for his cultivation.

Just as he was about to voice his plan, Long Xiaoqing spoke up. “Husband, let’s go back to the Dragon Palace.”

“The Dragon Palace?” Yang Ye was taken aback.

She nodded. “It’s a huge dwelling my grandfather built at the bottom of the sea. I lived there with him for a long time. Though he’s gone now, the palace remains.”

“Alright!” Yang Ye agreed without hesitation. A palace under the sea—just the name sounded grander than any estate cultivators might own.

“Wonderful!” Long Xiaoqing was overjoyed. The Dragon Palace was her home on Earth, and Yang Ye’s agreement filled her with happiness.

...

At dawn, Yang Ye arrived at the eastern hillside outside Sun City, where a cemetery was tended by caretakers. He made his way to his father’s grave, presenting offerings, incense, and paper money. It had been a long time since anyone paid respects—if not for the caretakers, the grave would be overgrown with weeds.

After paying his respects, Yang Ye headed toward the cemetery’s main road.

“Husband, someone’s coming,” Long Xiaoqing warned.

Yang Ye smiled. “They must be here for me.”

Sure enough, as soon as he stepped onto the main path, three cultivators in red uniforms approached. Leading them was a young man of twenty-seven or twenty-eight, accompanied by a woman in her early twenties and a man with facial scars in his thirties.

“You must be Mr. Yang Ye?” the leader greeted with a smile.

“I am. What’s the matter?” Yang Ye replied coolly.

“I’m Li Jiang,” the young man introduced himself. “These are Song Ning and Han Zhongguo. We’re with the Sun City branch of the Star Martial Administration’s Southwest District. We’ve been ordered to find you and invite you to the bureau.”

“You mean arrest me, don’t you? And if I refuse?” Yang Ye smiled.

Li Jiang smiled back. “We’re just doing our jobs, Mr. Yang. If you’re unwilling, then please go on your way.”

With that, Li Jiang gestured for him to leave.

Yang Ye nodded and strode away, soon disappearing from sight.

“Boss, why didn’t we try to catch him?” Song Ning, the youngest, asked with a frown.

Li Jiang sighed and stared at her. “Are you stupid? Do you know what level he’s at? What level are you? Do you have a death wish?”

“Then why did we even come here?” Song Ning pressed.

Li Jiang glanced at the silent Han Zhongguo.

Han Zhongguo spoke up, “We report his whereabouts to headquarters. Say we weren’t his match and he got away.”

Song Ning finally understood. She pursed her lips, pulled out her phone, and began to make her report.

...

By nightfall, Yang Ye had reached the seaside.

With a splash, he dove off a cliff and into the ocean. Long Xiaoqing remained within his body, guiding him forward. The Dragon Palace she spoke of was extremely far from land. After traveling through one night and one day, Yang Ye, under her guidance, dove nearly ten thousand meters down into an ocean trench.

After a while, a stone door engraved with strange patterns came into view.

Following Long Xiaoqing’s instructions, Yang Ye swam to the door and knocked.

Knock, knock, knock... Knock, knock, knock...

Each knock was a set of three. After several rounds, the stone door rumbled open.

The one who answered appeared to be an old man of about sixty.

“Master!” Yang Ye exclaimed in surprise.

“You’re mistaken, young master,” the old man replied expressionlessly. “I am not your master. Your master and my lord once played a joke by making me look like him.”

Stepping aside, the old man gestured for Yang Ye to enter.

The stone door was not large, but once it swung open, a breathtaking scene unfolded before Yang Ye’s eyes.

Beyond the door was a vast, dry expanse—much larger than the Yang family’s estate. The ceiling simulated the night sky, and stars glittered above.

“Please come in, young master,” the old man said when he saw Yang Ye standing in a daze.

Yang Ye snapped out of it and stepped over the threshold.