Gu Ning quickly landed the wooden boat and had Windsor activate her stealth skill.
Just then, he witnessed a scene so awe-inspiring it shook him to his core.
From the northern side of the mountain peak, a massive procession was making its way forward.
Leading the formation were hundreds of pitch-black giant pythons, each with crimson eyes and over 200 meters long. Behind them trailed four azure-scaled flood dragons.
These four flood dragons were bluish-green in color, each with a pair of horns on their heads and bodies stretching over 400 meters.
What was even more astonishing was what they were pulling—a massive chariot. Or rather, it was more fitting to call it a palace.
This palace stood over 30 meters tall and spanned three levels, predominantly decorated in shades of blue, with golden patterns accenting the design. Guarding the railings on each level were halflings of various races.
They had humanoid bodies but the heads of sea creatures—fishmen, turtlefolk, shrimp warriors, and crab soldiers…
Behind the palace were another four giant flood dragons, followed by several hundred more massive pythons.
The entire procession moved forward majestically, radiating an unparalleled aura of dominance.
Gu Ning quickly checked the flood dragons' information.
Azure Flood Dragon (Purple Grade)Level: 24Strength: 442Agility: 342Defense: 386Skills: Level difference too great. Unable to view.
Seeing these stats made Gu Ning shiver. What the hell… With that level and those attributes, these dragons were just pulling a cart? And there were four of them? Another four just as strong acting as guards?
If even the drivers were this powerful, just how terrifying was the one riding inside?
Almost as if the universe wanted to answer his question, the door to the third level of the palace slowly opened. All the guards stationed there immediately knelt and chanted in unison:
"Greetings, Third Highness!"
A group of individuals stepped out. Leading them was a man about 1.9 meters tall, dressed in a cyan robe, with a pair of bluish-green dragon horns atop his head.
He was flanked by two beautiful dragon women and several elegant mermaids.
The man nodded at his kneeling guards, scanned his surroundings, and eventually looked directly toward Gu Ning's mountain.
Gu Ning stared at him—and at the dragon women and mermaids by his side. Honestly, he was a bit envious. One day, he thought, I'll keep a few of my own—not for any strategic reason, just to feast the eyes.
Windsor noticed Gu Ning's gaze and gave a slight pout.
At that moment, the man leaped into the air—and transformed into a massive dragon stretching hundreds of meters long.
This was no flood dragon—it was a true dragon.
Its entire body was a majestic bluish-green, with terrifying, jagged horns. Wisps of white hair flowed elegantly from its giant head, while two long dragon whiskers danced at the corners of its jaws.
It had four powerful limbs, each ending in five sharp claws.
The dragon swam freely through the sea, unrestrained and untouchable. Then, suddenly, it let out a thunderous roar.
All the creatures on the mountain immediately prostrated themselves, trembling uncontrollably.
Even Gu Ning felt his legs going weak—an instinctive biological reaction to encountering an overwhelmingly dominant lifeform. The four people around him, including Molly, were already lying flat on the ground. Only Windsor and Firefire were relatively unaffected.
Firefire even flew around in curiosity, eyeing the enormous dragon.
Gu Ning, meanwhile, opened his system interface and began checking its stats—snapping a few photos for motivation.
Not for vanity—just to remind himself that one day, he had to be this impressive.
Azure Sea Dragon King (Legendary Hero)Level: 24Strength: 473Agility: 387Defense: 401Skills: Level difference too great. Unable to view.
So, this Azure Sea Dragon King was actually a legendary hero—not just a sea beast. Gu Ning was stunned by its power.
But what interested him even more was the identity. If the system labeled him as a "Legendary Hero," then he must belong to someone's domain—this was a unit from a powerful territory.
The guards earlier had called him "Third Highness." That meant this guy was the son of a lord.
Gu Ning suddenly found himself wondering: Where do these sea clans build their territories? On islands? Or deep beneath the ocean?
The world, he realized, was far vaster than he had imagined. The endless ocean was filled with secrets and civilizations.
The world wasn't just about survival or sailing endless waters. There were rich, unseen realms and glorious civilizations—but he would only access them once he grew strong enough.
Right now, he was merely a child in this vast world.
Still, Gu Ning was now filled with a burning sense of ambition. One day, he would stand toe-to-toe with these powerful beings. He believed it.
And the first step? Build his own domain.
That determination lit a fire in his heart.
Just then, the Azure Sea Dragon King, still hovering in the air, seemed pleased with the sea beasts' worship. In a deep, commanding voice, he spoke a single word:
"Reward."
He then transformed back into his humanoid form, wrapped an arm around a dragon woman, and returned to the palace.
Gu Ning was still wondering what the reward was when he saw several sea clansmen emerge from the palace's first floor, carrying large treasure chests.
They opened the chests and began tossing treasures from them toward the mountain.
"What the hell? Rich bastard! Spoiled brat!" Gu Ning exclaimed in disbelief.
It was like someone tossing money on the street—treasure raining from the sky!
Thank goodness that wasn't his son. If it were, he'd beat the kid until he couldn't walk.
Well, some other lord could worry about that. As for Gu Ning—time to loot!
He immediately ordered Little Blue to snatch up as much as possible, and had Windsor and Firefire use control skills to grab treasure as well.
Before long, the Azure Sea Dragon King and his entourage had disappeared into the distance, leaving behind a frenzy of sea beasts now fighting each other over the spoils.
Gu Ning, seeing how dangerous it was becoming, made a swift decision to leave.
It was too chaotic now—accidents were bound to happen. Plus, his diving time was almost up.
Gu Ning powered up the boat and watched the chaotic mountaintop fade from view, eventually vanishing from sight.
Gradually, he began to hear the sound of rain hitting the ocean's surface—he was about to emerge.
Breaking through the surface, he looked at the gloomy sky and the vast sea.
Reflecting on everything he'd just seen, he couldn't help but think—if not for the treasures now stored in his inventory, he'd have believed it was all a hallucination.
Gu Ning pulled himself together and turned to Molly and the others.
"You four go fishing," he said, handing them rods.
Then he turned to Windsor. "You and Firefire go to the cabin and recharge the boat."
Windsor nodded. "Understood, my lord."
Cradling Firefire in her arms, she turned and headed toward the cabin.