The Mantis Stalks the Cicada, the Dragon Sparrow Behind

Black Tortoise Palace sailed north along the Celestial River, drawing ever farther from Heavenly Court. The starry sky glittered overhead, and the palace would occasionally pass by suns on the river’s edge, their radiant light dazzling and beautiful—a breathtaking, picturesque scene.

The Heavenly Court’s grand army had been routed, and no pursuers came after them. The Glass Azure Firmament Banner was too conspicuous, so Crown Prince Yooming put it away inside High Heaven Hall and ordered it heavily guarded.

After holding rites for their fallen clansmen, the people of Black Tortoise Palace threw a wild celebration.

Starlight and moonlight shone from outside, mingling with the glow of countless treasures within Black Tortoise Palace. It was truly a sky full of rainbows—enchanting and intoxicating. Laughter and merriment from the palace drifted out onto the Celestial River, drawing the Dragon Kings of the river to send their shrimp and crab soldiers to the surface to peek at the festivities.

Crown Prince Yooming, simple-minded and carefree, was repeatedly plied with wine by Prince Umbral until he was dead drunk.

Dragon-Qilin and Annie, seeing this, grew alert. They knew Prince Umbral would not be able to hold back much longer and would surely make a move on the Glass Azure Firmament Banner.

The revelry continued. Crown Prince Yooming collapsed drunk, sprawled over the table. Prince Umbral slung Yooming’s arm over his own shoulder and staggered out, saying, “I’ll take the Crown Prince down to rest.”

Dragon-Qilin and Annie quietly followed. They saw Prince Umbral supporting the drunken Crown Prince out of the banquet, but after only a short distance, he took out a paper man and lightly pressed it to Yooming’s back.

Prince Umbral let go of Crown Prince Yooming, then took out another paper man and stuck it to himself. Yet Yooming did not collapse—he simply stood there, swaying unsteadily.

Prince Umbral raised his hand, and Crown Prince Yooming raised his hand as well.

Prince Umbral lowered his hand, and Crown Prince Yooming lowered his arm as well.

Prince Umbral took a step forward, and Crown Prince Yooming followed suit.

He chuckled, "Heh, Dao-brother, you hid the Glass Azure Firmament Banner in High Heaven Hall and posted guards there. If I force my way in, won’t Northern Emperor know I stole the Banner?"

Prince Umbral laughed, "Of course, you’ll personally fetch the Glass Azure Firmament Banner for me. I’ll take the Banner and disappear, pinning the blame on Dragon Mountain Wanderer and that woman."

He quietly focused his mind, removed the paper man from his own body, crouched down, and placed it on the ground, blowing on it gently.

On the ground, the little paper man began to walk forward, and Crown Prince Yooming staggered toward High Heaven Hall as well.

Prince Umbral manipulated the tiny paper man, and it moved in sync with Crown Prince Yooming, controlling him all the way to the hall’s entrance.

The Black Tortoise Guardian and Soaring-Serpent Goddess, assigned to guard the Glass Azure Firmament Banner, saw this and hurriedly paid their respects.

The paper man waved its hand, and Crown Prince Yooming waved his hand too.

Prince Umbral whispered to the paper man, "I’ll stand guard here. You two go join the festivities. I’ll stay here and sober up."

The paper man repeated Prince Umbral’s words, and Crown Prince Yooming echoed the paper man, repeating them as well. The guardians assigned to watch over the Glass Azure Firmament Banner were both startled and delighted, saluted Crown Prince Yooming, and immediately flew off to join the festivities.

The paper man walked forward again, controlling Crown Prince Yooming as he entered the hall.

Prince Umbral’s heart raced wildly; he suppressed his excitement and had the paper man spread its arms. Inside the hall, Crown Prince Yooming also spread his arms and embraced the Glass Azure Firmament Banner.

After a moment, Crown Prince Yooming staggered out, carrying the Glass Azure Firmament Banner.

Prince Umbral was overjoyed, his heart nearly jumping into his throat.

Crown Prince Yooming drew closer and closer. Just then, Prince Umbral suddenly sensed two powerful auras approaching rapidly!

Startled, Prince Umbral had no time to react before two figures—one to his left, one to his right—slammed into him, sandwiching him in the middle. He couldn’t help but cough up a mouthful of blood!

On his left was the three-to-five-hundred-pound girl who claimed to be a princess of the Southern Emperor’s family; on his right was Dragon Mountain Wanderer, but this Dragon Mountain Wanderer had six Heavenly Dragons hanging from him!

Both were clearly High Heaven Hall Stage cultivators. The big girl’s cultivation was even higher—she managed to knock both Dragon Mountain Wanderer and Prince Umbral flying at once!

Prince Umbral was now at the peak of the High Heaven Hall Stage, with many tricks up his sleeve, but reaching the Emperor’s Throne Stage was extremely difficult. As a result, he remained stuck at the High Heaven Hall Stage.

The Dragon-Han Era has lasted for four hundred thousand years. Since Heaven-Guide Venerable founded the Heaven Palace realms, only a handful—less than ten—have reached the Emperor’s Throne Stage in sixty thousand years. Prince Umbral is not among them.

Even so, he shouldn’t have been caught off guard by these two. But his injuries hadn’t healed, and though he’d recovered some cultivation, he was still wounded.

On top of that, all his focus was on controlling Crown Prince Yooming with Paper-Man Art, leaving him wide open!

And even if he were fully healed, even if he had eyes in the back of his head, he still wouldn’t be a match for Annie.

Annie possessed both Azure Dragon and Vermilion Bird bloodlines, was Moon-Venerable’s personal maid, followed her master in cultivation, and had learned Southern Emperor Vermilion’s Dao arts and divine powers. Her abilities were extraordinary.

She just didn’t like to train much, nor did she put her heart into mastering her Dao arts, which was why she’d never broken through to the Emperor’s Throne Stage.

Still, she’d devoured several ancient gods—after digesting their power, she was fiercer than ever!

As Prince Umbral was knocked flying, the big girl came whirling in like a tornado. Suddenly, the space around him mirrored itself, sending chills down his spine.

All around him, space turned into a series of mirrors reflecting his image. Then the mirrors began to crack, and his reflected selves shattered one after another.

Prince Umbral had witnessed Moon-Venerable ambush the Heavenly Emperor’s reincarnated body before—even the Emperor’s reincarnation was torn to pieces in an instant by Moon-Venerable’s space Dao!

This big girl’s space divine art seemed even more formidable than Moon-Venerable’s. Prince Umbral instantly felt his flesh and spirit shattering with the mirrors, on the verge of utter annihilation!

"Dragon Mountain Wanderer, I swear you and your lover will pay for this!"

Prince Umbral gave a furious shout, his body suddenly plummeting to the ground. Demonic miasma surged up, like a dark demonic flower blooming from the earth, its bud unfolding outward.

Prince Umbral’s body shattered and fell into the rising demonic miasma.

The demonic flower fully bloomed, rising three to five fathoms high, then burst apart with a bang, dissolving into waves of demonic miasma.

Annie hurried forward, but as the miasma dispersed, there was no sign of Prince Umbral’s corpse inside.

Meanwhile, Dragon-Qilin and the six Heavenly Dragons tumbled and rolled, finally managing to stop themselves—Annie’s strength had sent him flying far away.

Shouts echoed from afar—their brief clash had clearly alarmed the Black Tortoise Clan, and many were now flying over to investigate.

Dragon-Qilin stood up, aching all over, secretly stunned.

The two of them rushed to Crown Prince Yooming, arriving one after the other. Crown Prince Yooming stood there hugging the Glass Azure Firmament Banner, fast asleep, drool at the corner of his mouth and the paper man still stuck to his back.

Annie tried to take the Glass Azure Firmament Banner from Crown Prince Yooming’s arms, but the prince was hugging it so tightly that he refused to let go.

Dragon-Qilin took out the Taichu God-Stone Quinn had given him and activated the fragmentary Grand-Luo Supreme Divine Sense he’d learned. He spoke softly: “Prince, here’s a soft cloud-bed. It’s as if you’re sleeping in the clouds, so tired and weary, holding a quilt as soft as a cloud…”

His divine sense surged forth, invading Crown Prince Yooming’s mind.

Crown Prince Yooming loosened his grip on the Glass Azure Firmament Banner and fell backward. Annie quickly caught him, gently laid him on the ground, then hefted the Glass Azure Firmament Banner and urged, “Let’s go!”

The air was filled with shouts—cries of ‘thief!’ rang out everywhere. Dragon-Qilin’s expression changed: “We may not make it out! This treasure grants wishes—let’s have it give us a hand!”

Annie shook the Glass Azure Firmament Banner and called out, “Mist! Wind and thunder!”

Immediately, thick fog poured out of the Glass Azure Firmament Banner, blanketing Black Tortoise Palace. Wind and thunder roared, drowning out the crowd’s voices.

Dragon-Qilin grabbed Annie and dashed outside.