"Wait!"
Dragon‑Qilin’s eyes flashed. He said, "Brother, Jasper Yin has always been close to Vast‑Sky Venerable and harbors ill intent. He’s probably here to block your northern route, and most likely he’s leading the Heavenly Court Grand Army to stop you!"
Crown Prince Yooming hesitated, then went to the palace gate to look out. He saw Jasper Yin chasing after Black Tortoise Palace, with the Heavenly Court Grand Army close behind—tower‑ships flying banners, just as Dragon‑Qilin had said. Jasper Yin really was leading the Heavenly Court Grand Army to attack!
Yooming flared with anger and shouted, "Jasper Yin, I treated you as a brother, but you take me for a fool! If I let you in, won’t the Heavenly Court’s tiger‑wolf legions trample my Black Tortoise Palace?"
Prince Umbral glanced back and laughed, "So you think I’m one of them, that’s why you’re so guarded. Brother, I came to warn you, but the Celestial River Fleet spotted me and is chasing me down. If you don’t let me in, I’ll die out here!"
Yooming was at a loss and looked at Dragon‑Qilin. "Brother, he says he came to warn me. If I don’t let him in, won’t he die outside?"
Dragon‑Qilin’s mind churned with schemes. "Black Tortoise Palace is a serious matter. If you mishandle this and let the palace fall to the enemy, even Xuan‑Emperor and Wu‑Empress will be implicated. We must be cautious. Make Prince Umbral kill some Heavenly Court soldiers to prove he’s not with them."
Yooming praised, "Brother, you’re clever. Jasper Yin, if you truly want to help me, kill some Heavenly Court gods and demons—otherwise, you’re here to harm me with them!"
Prince Umbral stared blankly: "When did this turtle get so clever?"
He glanced back and saw the Celestial River Fleet had arrived. The lead general stood at the bow, blade across his knees, and shouted, "Crown Prince Yooming, His Majesty the Heavenly Emperor commands you to return to Jade Capital City!"
Yooming saw that Prince Umbral hadn’t attacked the Celestial River Fleet, nor had the Fleet attacked him. Instantly furious, he shouted, "Jasper Yin, you really are trying to trick me into opening the Glass Azure Firmament Banner so you can seize my Black Tortoise Palace!"
Prince Umbral, both angry and anxious, clenched his teeth and charged at the Celestial River Fleet, thinking, "If not for all the treasures in the Northern Emperor’s house, would I risk my life like this?"
He suddenly struck hard—countless white banners flew out, shaking toward a tower‑ship of the Fleet. The gods and demons aboard wavered, their Primordial Spirits pulled from their bodies and sucked into his banners.
A few strong ones kept their Primordial Spirits intact and escaped his grasp, but in the next moment, Prince Umbral’s gourd opened—countless blood‑mosquito‑like insects buzzed out, swarmed the ship, and drained those strong ones dry!
Prince Umbral succeeded and shouted, "Yooming, brother, now you see my sincerity!"
Angry shouts rang out from the surrounding tower‑ships. The Celestial River Fleet’s formation arrays activated—the river boiled, countless formation runes flew up, locking down every side.
Whoosh—
Countless divine weapons and sharp tools shot along the runes, blasting toward Prince Umbral and wounding him severely.
Prince Umbral spat blood, knocked back and sent flying, slamming into the barrier of the Glass Azure Firmament Banner.
Yooming was about to open the barrier of the Glass Azure Firmament Banner to let him in, but Dragon‑Qilin raised a hand. "Brother, why not wait a bit longer? What if this is all just a ruse?"
Yooming hesitated for a moment, and just then, the Celestial River Fleet launched their second strike!
The Fleet’s formation arrays were incredibly fierce—tower‑ships cut through the waves, divine weapons appeared one after another, and when combined with the arrays, their power multiplied.
Even Prince Umbral’s ancient god‑insects were worn away by the formation arrays, and when he summoned his Mingdu Heaven Gate, the gate—still incomplete—was shattered into pieces by the terrifying array power!
"Nether Sea, rise!"
Blood in his mouth, Prince Umbral shouted fiercely, "I may not be a Venerable, but I’m no mere pretender!"
Whoosh—
A vast Nether Sea surged in from the void, waves roiling with blood‑light. Colossal god‑corpses and demon‑corpses rose from the sea, roaring and preparing to battle the Celestial River Fleet.
Though Prince Umbral’s cultivation had not yet reached perfection, his divine arts already hinted at the future.
He was a master of the Nether City Dao, with astonishing skill in soul arts. Whether Nether Sea or Mingdu Heaven Gate, his knowledge of the underworld was vast—even touching on the Dao of reincarnation. He had broken past tradition and achieved profound mastery.
On the Fleet’s great ships, powerful semi‑divine generals sneered, raised their palms, and slashed down: "Offer the Sea‑Fixing Divine Pins!"
Boom, boom, boom!
One after another, massive iron pillars plunged from the sky into the Nether Sea, instantly pinning it down. The god‑corpses and demon‑corpses that had just begun to rise were forced back, sinking beneath the waves.
The Nether Sea fell utterly still, not a ripple left.
Prince Umbral coughed up blood and collapsed to his knees, about to beg the Celestial River Fleet for mercy, when suddenly the Glass Azure Firmament Banner parted—a giant hand from Yooming reached out and pulled him inside.
Dragon‑Qilin sighed, "Brother, we really should have waited a little longer…"
"If we’d waited any longer, Brother Umbral would be dead!"
Prince Umbral blushed with guilt and said to Yooming, "I misjudged you, brother. I never expected such loyalty and selflessness—you risked everything for my Black Tortoise Palace. I’m ashamed."
Prince Umbral shot him a weak glare, blood rising in his throat—he nearly passed out.
His Nether Sea, refined for over a hundred thousand years, was suppressed by the Celestial River Fleet; his Mingdu Heaven Gate shattered. Most of his life’s treasures were lost.
"If I don’t squeeze a fortune out of Black Tortoise’s foolish son, I’ll have lost everything!"
He tried to pull himself together, but his injuries were too severe—his breath was weak and fading.
Yooming quickly supported him, introducing Dragon‑Qilin and the others: "This is Brother Dragon, these are the descendants of the Eastern Emperor, and this is my cousin—the princess of the Southern Emperor’s house."
Prince Umbral eyed Dragon‑Qilin and sneered, "Brother, your companions don’t dare give their real names. I suspect a trick."
Yan’er was a bit nervous. In later generations, when Qin Mu visited the Northern Emperor, Prince Umbral had met them, but never seen Dragon‑Qilin’s human form. And back then, Yan’er was slim and graceful—not plump as she was now.
If they gave their real names, wouldn’t Prince Umbral recognize them in the future?
But Dragon‑Qilin remained calm. "I’ve heard Prince Umbral is cunning and deadly—he can kill with just a name. Before you, I dare not reveal mine. We’re all wanderers in this world; must we know each other to meet?"
"Well said!"
Yooming applauded and laughed, "Brother Umbral, you do have such a technique—no wonder Brother Dragon won’t give his name."
Yan’er admired Dragon‑Qilin even more, gazing at him with respect.
Dragon‑Qilin felt secretly proud: "At least I’ve read a few poems with the Cult Master… If only I had a tail to wag right now…"
Prince Umbral was gravely wounded and would not recover any time soon.
Yooming gathered the Black Tortoise descendants in the palace and invited Dragon‑Qilin to take command of the defenses.
Dragon‑Qilin declared, "Deploying troops and arranging formations—I’ve learned a thing or two from the masters. With me in charge, not even the Celestial River Fleet or the Ten Guards of the Heavenly Court could breach Black Tortoise Palace!"