Cultivation Starts from Farming Chapter 981 - 423: Stirring Up the Storms (Part 3)

The Star Palace's attention would likely not shift towards him, affording him a temporary respite from the prevailing storm.

Nevertheless, he was keenly aware that maintaining vigilance was paramount at this juncture.

He had to maintain a low profile, refrain from drawing undue attention, and avoid exhibiting any unusual behavior that might alert certain individuals.

"Little Mouse was merely acting strictly according to the master’s instructions," Shuihu Mouse declared with an obsequious grin.

Xu Ping bestowed a dismissive glance upon it. "Regarding the matters I entrusted to you, you haven't... divulged them to your Dao companion, Jin Linger, have you?"

Shuihu Mouse emphatically affirmed, "Master, please be at ease. I have not let slip a single word concerning this business."

"All intelligence was acquired when I, Little Mouse, coincidentally stumbled upon the Star Palace engaging in suspicious activities and subsequently reported it with righteous indignation to the Golden Spirit Mouse clan."

"Hmm."

Only then did Xu Ping offer a nod of approval.

It wasn't a matter of distrusting Jin Yuxuan; rather, the stakes were incredibly high, and the fewer individuals privy to the information, the safer it would be.

Seizing the moment, Shuihu Mouse proudly added, "Furthermore, Master, due to my meritorious report, the True Dragon Hall bestowed numerous boons upon the Golden Spirit Mouse clan, including a precious drop of ancient dragon whale essence blood."

"It appears the Golden Spirit Mouse clan's standing within the True Dragon Hall is set to rise significantly!"

Upon hearing this, a subtle smile graced Xu Ping's lips. "That is most excellent."

The more elevated the status of the Golden Spirit Mouse clan within the True Dragon Hall, the greater their access to crucial intelligence, which would invariably serve his future schemes.

It would also facilitate the exploitation of the Demon Race's power for his objectives.

After ascertaining a few particulars, Xu Ping bestowed a Fourth-Tier Demon Core upon Shuihu Mouse as a reward and then dismissed it.

The chamber once again embraced silence.

Left to his own devices, Xu Ping meticulously scrutinized every facet of this operation. Only upon confirming the absence of any discernible flaws did he finally allow himself to exhale in genuine relief.

...

At the heart of the Star Palace's restricted domain.

Within an edifice that seemed to be fashioned from innumerable stars.

A figure of imposing grandeur, enveloped in a shimmering aura of starlight, was passively receiving a subordinate's account of their devastating defeat in the outer sea.

As the report unfolded, the stellar luminescence in the surrounding expanse appeared to grow frigid and muted.

"Holy Lord, such is the current situation. Owing to the intervention of the True Dragon Hall, we have temporarily surrendered our surveillance over the outer sea..."

The reporting Star Palace Cultivator kept his head bowed as he spoke.

The starlight radiating from the Star King's form flickered subtly. Though no outward tempest of fury was displayed, the palpable chill and suffocating pressure emanating from him nearly overwhelmed the subordinate cultivator.

Fortune had been seized, and in its wake came retaliatory injuries.

Moreover, they had failed to detect anything, sustaining such grievous losses.

Since assuming command of the Star Palace, when had he ever endured such a profound humiliation?

Simultaneously, a deep-seated suspicion began to fester in his mind.

He had engaged with the Demon Race for countless years and was intimately familiar with their nature and their customary state of lethargy.

Yet, this particular operation had been executed with remarkable swiftness and decisiveness.

"Could it be... that the appropriation of fortune was the doing of that ancient mudfish, Ao Qin?"

A shadow of grim premonition flickered in the depths of the Star King's eyes.

Fortune had been snatched away, the origins obscured, and despite his potent divine techniques, he could only discern a faint, approximate location within the outer sea.

Such clean and rapid methods, capable of shrouding his perception... could it truly be the work of that usually dormant, power-accumulating five-clawed ancient dragon?

Aside from him, who else in the entirety of the outer sea possessed such formidable capabilities?

Under normal circumstances, he would have unhesitatingly joined forces with the Moon God and personally descended upon the outer sea, stirring up a maelstrom.

He would have engaged in combat with that ancient mudfish, should the need arise.

However, at this very moment, the Star King subconsciously registered his own not-yet-fully-healed injuries, and the equally concerning condition of the Moon God...

Entering into a confrontation with an equally ranked being at this juncture would be tantamount to adding insult to injury, potentially even destabilizing his very foundation.

Suppressing the roiling anger and lethal intent, the Star King's voice gradually returned to a state of composure, yet it carried an unnerving undercurrent of coldness.

"Transmit the directive for all remaining personnel stationed in the outer sea to execute an immediate withdrawal. This matter is temporarily suspended, and await my further commands."

"Yes, in accordance with the Holy Lord's decree."

The cultivator, as if granted a reprieve, hastily bowed and retreated, vanishing instantly from the starlit expanse.

The Star King remained solitary within the grand hall, his gaze seemingly piercing through the boundless void, fixated upon the vast and turbulent outer sea.

"That old mudfish better not be you. Once I recover from my injuries... I shall personally visit the outer sea to catch up with you!"

On one hand, it was to investigate the matter of seizing fortune, on the other, it was a probe.

If it were indeed the old dragon’s doing, their future plans to gather fortune and break through to higher realms might encounter unexpected complications, even benefitting others at their expense.

At the deepest part of the True Dragon Hall, at the core spring of a mid-grade Fifth Rank Spirit Vein.

The concentration of Spiritual Qi here had surpassed the liquid level, almost forming a sticky, rainbow-colored spiritual gel.

In the center of the spiritual gel, a colossal five-clawed golden true dragon lay in slumber.

With each slow breath, the entire source of the Spirit Vein fluctuated, and massive amounts of spiritual gel were absorbed into the dragon’s body, nourishing its terrifying flesh and Dragon Essence.

The snoring was like muffled thunder, echoing throughout this space.

Suddenly—

"Achoo!"

A massive, unexpected sneeze burst from the golden dragon’s nostrils.

Boom!

Like sudden thunder from a clear sky.

Countless sticky rainbow-colored spiritual gels were sprayed, the entire core of the Spirit Vein quaked violently.

The five-clawed golden dragon abruptly opened its giant eyes, which were like suns and moons. A trace of confusion disrupted its peace, quickly turning into coldness and puzzlement.

"Hmm?"

It lifted its enormous head, its nostrils twitching slightly as if sniffing something, myriad mysterious runes swirling and deducing in its pupils.

"Is someone secretly plotting against this seat?"

A trace of extremely dangerous cold light flickered in the dragon’s eyes.

It pondered for a moment, then let out a low dragon’s cry. The sound penetrated through multiple Restrictions, reverberating through the True Dragon Hall: "Ao Qin, come see me!"