Chapter 127: One Leaf Foretells Autumn (Please Subscribe!)

Hongyun and Zhenyuanzi remained unaware of the discussions taking place within the Dragon Palace. Having departed from that untraceable, transcendental immortal island, the two were now perched atop a giant whale, laughing and drinking, in high spirits.

They had managed to spirit away quite a lot of celestial nectar. It would have been fine otherwise, but the old vintner had left his stores far too exposed. As for why they had left in such a hurry—should the old man return early and find his cellar empty, he would surely blame the two of them. Hongyun, having secured these treasures by his own merit, had no intention of returning them. Deciding to make the most of their mood, they ventured into the ocean to take in the sights of the East Sea.

Although the giant whale did not flaunt its cultivation, it had spent so long in the company of the old vintner that its power was at least that of a Taiyi Mysterious Immortal. While its cultivation was not exceptionally high, its sheer size and immense strength meant that even an ordinary Golden Immortal would find it difficult to withstand a direct collision. As it carried the two across the East Sea, it used its innate water-repelling abilities to manifest a transparent bubble around its back. From within, the two watched as schools of curious fish gathered around them.

After drifting through the East Sea for roughly three hundred years, the two stopped, their expressions darkening with mild displeasure.

"Have you noticed it as well, Brother?"

"Indeed." Zhenyuanzi did not look at Hongyun, his gaze fixed on the distance, his brows knit in a slight frown. "I have long resided at the Wuzhuang Temple. Although there are sporadic demon clans in the vicinity, they possess a certain spiritual clarity, so I have found it easy to ignore them. I never imagined that here, on the shores of the East Sea, the influence of the Demon Race would be so ferocious, capable of slaughtering an entire clan at the slightest provocation."

"The Demon Race... it is precisely because of such behavior that I hold them in such low regard," Hongyun replied, gently patting the back of the giant whale. "Little whale, go over and take a look."

*Gurgle, gurgle.* The giant whale flicked its tail, sending up a pair of massive bubbles, and conveyed a youthful consciousness. The surrounding currents receded rapidly as it carried the two toward the scene.

...

"The sea demons in these waters are simply ungrateful! They insist on following the orders of the Dragon Race. Among the Demon Race, which of the Dragon clans could ever compare to our Demon Emperors, Di Jun and Tai Yi..."

On a small island, two factions of the Demon Race stood in confrontation. On one side were a few yakshas protecting a group of sea-fish demons who had attained spiritual awareness. On the other side stood seven or eight sea-bird demons of similar strength, accompanied by a hundred or so minor demons.

One side was stronger, the other weaker, but deterred by the presence of the Dragon Palace yakshas, neither side had yet struck. They had been instructed from above to merely stir the grass to startle the snakes. While they did not fully grasp the intent, they knew the meaning well enough, leading to this stalemate of verbal sparring.

Both sides were minor demon immortals who had transcended the Turbid Immortal stage, and none were eager to start a fight. The yaksha leading the defense was currently regretting his predicament immensely. They had originally been escorting a Dragon Prince, but that prince had abandoned them halfway back to the palace, and they could not simply leave their post.

"I care nothing for your Demon Emperors! They may be emperors to you, but what does that have to do with us?" Seeing the demons' faces darken, the yaksha braced himself and took a few steps back. "Do you have the power to wipe us all out? Do you? If even one of us escapes, my Prince will return and devour every last one of you!"

"Boss, this fellow is too arrogant! I can't take it anymore! If you swear to look after my third uncle, I will detonate my demon soul and..."

Before the words could fall, the small island, barely twenty miles wide, began to tremble. The crowd of demons looked on as the two-hundred-foot form of the giant whale rose, spewing a massive spray of water before fixing its gaze upon them.

"All things that attain spiritual awareness may be called living beings. If the Demon Race is to be this tyrannical, then I have truly misjudged you." Zhenyuanzi’s expression was tinged with anger. It was not the plight of these demons that bothered him—he had seen such things countless times since leaving the Wuzhuang Temple—but these demons had disturbed his drinking, and that was their error.

Drinking the wine of the Dragon Race while watching their subordinates being bullied was something they could not abide. "White Feathered Immortal? You dare to be so arrogant when a mere Mysterious Immortal is leading your party?"

Zhenyuanzi glanced at them from afar, and the sheer pressure left them terrified, unable to move a muscle.

"Brother, there is no need for such measures. Watch this little trick." Seeing his brother genuinely annoyed, Hongyun shook his head with a light laugh. He flicked his finger, conjuring a drop of wine that he sent toward the island. In the blink of an eye, the drop transformed into a dense cloud, enveloping the island and causing the minor demons to collapse in a drunken stupor.

The cloud then split in two, lifting the sea-fish demons and the sea-bird demons separately, drifting them away to different locations. Seeing this, Zhenyuanzi’s expression softened. However, his mood for drinking had vanished, and he no longer wished to linger on the East Sea.

"It is still too early to head beyond the chaos. Why don't we roam a bit more and observe the current state of the Primordial World? Just now, I felt a tremor in my heart; it seems something in the southeast concerns me."

"Since that is your wish, Brother, I shall accompany you." Hongyun felt a slight stir in his own heart. He considered calculating the omen, but seeing that Zhenyuanzi’s expression remained unchanged, he decided against it.

However, the giant whale could no longer follow them. Hongyun looked down at the creature, which possessed a keen spirit and sent a thought toward him.

*Interesting!* He smiled, stood up with Zhenyuanzi, and pulled out a jar of nectar. He shattered the clay seal, and the fragrance of the wine filled the air. With a flick of his finger, the wine poured out like a long dragon, flowing toward the giant whale below.

The jar contained a pocket-dimension charm, holding the volume of twenty ordinary jars. A single jar of this nectar was not much, but it was potent enough to make even Hongyun slightly tipsy, let alone this young whale demon.

As expected, the whale swallowed the entire jar in one gulp and slapped the water surface joyfully. Before the eyes of Hongyun and Zhenyuanzi, it waddled in a circle, lost control, and flipped over, exposing its belly. Moments later, a thunderous snoring sound filled the air.

"Such a beast is quite amusing." Seeing the whale in this state, Zhenyuanzi felt his mood lighten, and he joined Hongyun in casting a flight spell to depart.

"It seems the Demon Race has little room left for their schemes in the East Sea."

"Indeed, indeed. To see the trend from this scene—as one leaf falls, one knows autumn has come. A battle between the Dragon Race and the Demon Race is inevitable. Though the Demon Race is likely to prevail, it remains to be seen what choices the Dragon Race will make..."

...

As their voices faded into silence, the water rippled, and the old vintner emerged. He looked at the snoring whale, his mouth twitching slightly. He gazed in the direction where Hongyun and Zhenyuanzi had departed and sighed.

"As expected of top-tier Great Luo Immortals. Only those who can see the grand trajectory of the Primordial World are worth my investment. Fifth, Sixth... I hope you two do not disappoint me."