"Not to hide from Great Saint, the combat power of our Dragon Palace is rather weak, and moreover, on such a matter, I, alone, cannot make a decision. How about I gather my brothers later for a consultation and then give you an answer?"

"Since that’s the case, I will take my leave today, and will return to visit in three days’ time, hoping that the Old Dragon King will have a definite response by then," Divine Exorcist Great Saint said decisively.

Such a response left Ao Guang somewhat surprised; he had thought that Divine Exorcist Great Saint would continue to haggle, but the other party had decided to leave so decisively.

This attitude made him feel even more uneasy, unaware of what Divine Exorcist Great Saint was really planning.

All the responses he had prepared in his mind thus became useless, like a forceful punch hitting cotton.

Not until Divine Exorcist Great Saint had left did Ao Guang realize that the other party had truly left, departing without any hint of reluctance, as though his visit to the Dragon Palace was just an insignificant matter.

At this moment, his heart was in turmoil. He had long heard of the great reputation of the Divine Exorcist Great Saint; not an easy person to deal with, especially adept in various conspiracies.

For a moment, he even felt a huge shadow looming over him, like a venomous snake coiling around his body, causing him to shiver involuntarily.

"I think this Divine Exorcist Great Saint is nothing special, your previous worries might have been somewhat unnecessary," said Lord Qiantang with a smile.

His visit to the Dragon Palace today was not a spur-of-the-moment decision but an invitation by Ao Guang.

Divine Exorcist Great Saint had left the Heavenly Court secretly, but for some reason, Ao Guang had already received the news, proving indeed that the Heavenly Court could not keep secrets.

"No, you don’t understand him; he is a very dangerous person. The more indifferent he appears, the more likely he has other plans. We can’t continue like this; I need to gather a few brothers to discuss this properly," Ao Guang said with a worried tone.

"I appreciate my uncle’s support today, for facing the Divine Exorcist Great Saint even shook me somewhat," said Ao Guang as he turned to thank Lord Qiantang.

"It’s nothing, but I fear the Heavenly Court will not let this matter rest," said Lord Qiantang.

"Our Dragon Clan is weak, and we rely on the protection of the Heavenly Court; some matters are indeed difficult to reject," Ao Guang sighed.

"If it weren’t for our duty to suppress the Ocean Eye, why would we have fallen into such a predicament?" Lord Qiantang sighed as well.

The decline of the Dragon Clan to this day is complex, but the most apparent reason is probably the tumult of the Ocean Eye, which requires suppression by the Dragon Clan.

"Everything has its causes and effects."

Ao Guang spoke as he walked deeper into the Crystal Palace where a small bronze bell hung, adorned with dragon patterns and seemingly engraved with the names of various dragons.

This bell is known as the Dragon Gathering Bell; when rung, as long as that dragon’s name is on it, no matter the distance, they could sense it, a treasure of heritage for the Clan Leader of the Dragon Clan.

All adult dragons must have their names inscribed on it, to prevent any overturning of the Dragon Clan, which has always been scattered across Heaven and Earth, with many dragons fond of sleeping, often for many years.

The sonorous sound of the bell rang forth, carrying to all directions, and soon the other Dragon Kings began to respond.

The Western Sea Dragon King Ao Shun, asleep within his own Dragon Palace, suddenly opened his eyes, glanced at his grand hall, and his face showed an expression of dismay.

The Demon Emperor and his gang went too far. Ao Shun could vividly recall that not far from his own vast Dragon Palace there should have been a bright pearl that, even deep under the sea, could emit a brilliant light warming one’s heart, but now that place was utterly empty.

At that moment, a powerful bell tone reached his ears.

"Big brother has summoned us in such a hurry, could there be some serious matter?" Ao Shun murmured to himself. He always felt that the Three Realms were in turmoil, especially with the great war between the Heavenly Court and the Demon Clan and the conflicts between the Buddhist Sect and Marx drawing attention.

Without any hesitation, the Dragon King revealed his true form and soared through the emerald waves toward the Eastern Sea.

In less than half a day, the Dragon Kings of the Four Seas had gathered in the Eastern Sea.

"Big brother, why have you urgently called us brothers here? What’s the matter?" Ao Run, the Western Sea Dragon King, was the first to ask.

"It’s good that my brothers have arrived. A calamity is approaching, and I could not decide alone, which is why I’ve called you all to discuss this," Ao Guang said bluntly.

He slowly mentioned the arrival of the Divine Exorcist Great Sage, and indeed, all the Dragon Kings furrowed their brows.

"What do you think the Divine Exorcist Great Sage wants with our Dragon Clan?"

"Isn’t it obvious? Everyone in the Three Realms knows he is a confidante of the Jade Emperor. He’s come to us today surely to persuade us to send troops against the Demon Clan!" Ao Shun said impatiently.

He actually did not want to get involved in the war between the Demon Clan and the Heavenly Court, especially given that today’s Demon Clan was incomparably strong. The vast army of the Heavenly Court was merely blocked in the mountains, unable to advance an inch.

Engaging with such a power was not their original intention.

"Exactly. Remember when the Demon Clan was weak, Heavenly Court controlled the Luzhou in the North, Summoning Wind and Calling Rain, acting recklessly without a thought for our Dragon Clan, fearing that we might share a piece of the spoils."

Talking about the past, Ao Run was filled with anger. If it hadn’t been for the obstruction by the Heavenly Court, would he have needed to resort to smuggling? Perhaps his accumulated wealth would have been much greater.

At that moment, he suddenly thought that if that were the case, he would have lost even more to the Demon Emperor and his gang, and at this thought, his heart ached even more.

"That being said, after all, we are under the jurisdiction of the Heavenly Court. If the Jade Emperor invokes the name of justice, we will probably have no way to refuse," Ao Guang sighed.

Such is the way of the world, where every gift comes secretly tagged with a price, and now was the time for the Dragon Clan to pay the price.

"In my view, we might as well stall for time. Going to war requires assembling troops, preparing provisions, and devising plans. Let’s delay for a while until the situation becomes clearer and then make our decision. By then, it might not involve our Dragon Clan at all," Ao Qin suggested.

The Dragon Kings exchanged glances, seeing a spark of agreement in each other’s eyes. Clearly, this approach, albeit somewhat unscrupulous, was effective, at least in silencing the Heavenly Court.

As long as they were thick-skinned enough, they could hold on for a long time. By then, the overall situation might have been settled, and they simply could make an appearance.

"Then let’s go with that. We’ll verbally agree but find reasons to procrastinate when the time comes. Don’t rush to the battlefield too easily. Today’s Demon Clan is not like before; it’s formidable. We shouldn’t gamble away our foundations," Ao Guang decided.

While the Dragon Kings were still discussing how to deal with the Heavenly Court, the Divine Exorcist Great Sage had already quietly arrived at a solitary island in the Eastern Sea.

A scout from the Heavenly Court had been waiting there already.