The Sea Dragon Hall Master and the Grand Elder saw Evan Linfeng's unwavering determination and, for a moment, didn't know how to persuade him otherwise. He was the Dragon Clan's king—if he truly insisted, no one could stop him.
Though both of them were stronger than Evan Linfeng, bloodline hierarchy was absolute. This innate sense of rank among dragons left them completely helpless.
"If you truly insist on entering the Sea Dragon Forbidden Land, Linfeng, then I'll accompany you," said the Sea Dragon Hall Master after a long hesitation. "The dangers inside are immense—even as a God-Emperor, I still have heart-devils. Protecting you will be extremely difficult. You need to be mentally prepared for that."
"If it's truly that dangerous, then you shouldn't take the risk, Hall Master. The Sea Dragon Clan needs you to hold the fort. If anything happened to you, the entire Sea Region would be thrown into chaos, and the Four Domain Palaces would never submit to the Sea Dragon Hall again. It could bring enormous danger to our clan," Evan Linfeng replied seriously.
"Hall Master, Linfeng makes a good point. If you really encountered danger, the Sea Dragon Clan could face annihilation. The Four Domain Palaces only submit because of your presence—they've long been dissatisfied, but only fear your strength enough to hold back their anger.
And Linfeng can't go either. You're the Dragon Clan's king—your status is far too exalted. If anything happened to you, the entire Sea Dragon Clan would be guilty. So, I think we shouldn't pursue the Ghostshade Herb at all.
If we truly must obtain it, then let me go myself! I believe I can bring back the Ghostshade Herb," the Sea Dragon Grand Elder said at this moment.
The Sea Dragon Hall Master waved his hand and said, "Do you really think I could just sit back and watch our Dragon King walk into danger without doing anything? Even if the entire Sea Dragon Clan were destroyed, as long as the king is safe, that would be our greatest achievement.
Of course, I can't agree to you entering by yourself. You handle almost all affairs of the Sea Dragon Hall—if anything happened to you, things would fall into chaos. So don't even think about it."
The Silver Dragon felt he couldn't get a word in. He looked at Evan Linfeng with deep admiration—even though Linfeng's cultivation was much lower, he excelled in many ways and possessed countless secrets. The Silver Dragon believed Linfeng was fully capable of giving it a try.
"Enough, all of you. Trust my instincts—entering the Sea Dragon Forbidden Land won't be a problem for me. How about this: the four of us go in together! As the Dragon Clan's king, I have some terrifying innate gifts. Heart-devils may be fierce, but to me they're not that powerful," Evan Linfeng said.
After a moment of silence, the three others said, "Then we'll listen to you. Let's all enter the forbidden land together and see for ourselves!"
"That's perfect! Tonight, let's drink to our hearts' content. We'll need to prepare before entering the forbidden land, and once you two have handled the hall's affairs, we'll head in. Hopefully, we'll gain something from this trip," Evan Linfeng laughed.
Evan Linfeng drank happily that night. With the Sea Dragon Hall Master's help, he might finally leave the Sea Region—being trapped here was truly not an option.
The banquet lasted a long time before ending. The Sea Dragon Hall Master said, "Linfeng, let's go to the main hall. I want every Sea Dragon to know that you are a distinguished guest of the Sea Dragon Hall. Everyone must treat you with respect. This way, your identity won't be exposed, you'll be free to move about, and you'll avoid a lot of unnecessary trouble."
"Is that really necessary? I'd prefer to keep a low profile," Evan Linfeng said with a smile.
"Of course it's necessary. You're our Dragon King, and honestly, we're already treating you unfairly. In the Sea Region, only true strength earns respect. Your power is monstrous, but your cultivation realm is low, so many Sea Dragons won't truly submit. That's why I must let everyone know your special status," said the Sea Dragon Hall Master.
The four of them then left the room and returned to the main hall. The Sea Dragon Hall Master sat at the highest seat, arranging for Evan Linfeng to sit beside him. "Everyone, today I have an important announcement. From this day forward, the Sea Dragon Hall will have a new Vice Hall Master—my brother, Linfeng."
At those words, every Sea Dragon present was shocked. Everyone here was a God-Venerable, and each one's cultivation was far higher than Evan Linfeng's. They all turned to look at him, unable to understand why the Hall Master would make such a decision.
"Hall Master, why is he becoming our Vice Hall Master? You owe us an explanation! In terms of cultivation, he's weaker than any of us. How can someone like that be Vice Hall Master? This is a world where martial strength rules. If you want us to accept it, he'll have to prove his strength," an elder said.
"Third Elder, I understand your concerns. Although his cultivation is only at early God-Venerable, his attack power matches the late stage. Plus, he's one of our Dragon Clan—a talent like his deserves special cultivation from me as king.
Furthermore, I've already sworn brotherhood with him. Even if you're dissatisfied, for my sake, you should drop the matter. That's final," the Sea Dragon Hall Master said sternly.
For a moment, no one in the hall made a sound, while Evan Linfeng looked utterly helpless. He'd just been saddled with the Vice Hall Master title—something he'd never expected.
"Hall Master, you say the Vice Hall Master has late-stage God-Venerable strength, but the brothers here may not believe it. If he truly has that power, we'll willingly acknowledge him. Otherwise, we can't accept it," another elder said.
He knew saying this might displease the Hall Master, but for the sake of the Sea Dragon Clan, he had to. In his eyes, Evan Linfeng simply didn't have that kind of power.
The Hall Master glanced at Evan Linfeng, wanting to get angry, but saw Linfeng smiling faintly. "Honestly, I don't want to be Vice Hall Master, but since it's your wish, old brother, I'll reluctantly accept. If you all want to see whether I have late-stage God-Venerable power, that's fine.
Anyone who wants to come out and spar with me is welcome. But let me warn you—these matches may result in serious injury or death. If you get hurt or killed, don't blame me for not warning you," he said.
Evan Linfeng's words were arrogant, making the Sea Dragons below seethe with anger. Every one of them wanted to spar with him—even if they couldn't kill him, they wanted to put him in his place and show him that the Vice Hall Master title wasn't something just anyone could claim.
"Hall Master, do you approve?" the elder who spoke first asked.
The Sea Dragon Hall Master's expression changed slightly, but seeing Evan Linfeng's confident face, he said, "Since the Vice Hall Master has spoken, I naturally agree. Whoever wants to challenge him, step forward!"