Dragon Clan: I'm too lazy to talk to you, you're not worthy to listen!

Under the cover of night, the black seawater surged and churned, creating towering waves.

Ye Jingchen leaned against the railing, quietly watching the eight families of the Dragon Kingdom suddenly attack from all directions, letting the waves blow against the bangs covering his forehead.

Gunshots rang out all around me.

Li Wuyue alone is enough to subdue the mixed-bloods of the eight families of the Dragon Kingdom. This is the absolute crushing power of the Dragon King over mixed-bloods, barring any unforeseen circumstances.

Ye Jingchen stood with his hands in his pockets, gazing thoughtfully at the huge black shadow swimming beneath the shimmering waves of the sea.

Wang Guowei said that there are three realms of life.

First, "Last night the west wind withered the green trees; alone I climbed the high tower, gazing to the ends of the earth."

Secondly, there is the line, "I grow thinner and thinner, yet I have no regrets, for I am wasting away for her sake."

Thirdly, "I searched for him a thousand times in the crowd, but suddenly when I turned around, I found him where the lights were dim."

It sounds too complicated. To put it simply, there are nine stages, or levels.

The first hurdle is being too eager for quick success.

Because of their youth and lack of experience, their considerations may be flawed. Whether working for a company, starting their own business, or playing mahjong, they tend to focus on immediate gains and easily overlook long-term goals. This is because hardship at first does not guarantee success later, but success at first is truly rewarding.

The second hurdle is having ambitions that are higher than the sky.

You don't believe you're destined for a life of hardship. Because you're eager for quick success, you achieve some results. When you stand up and look around at your classmates and friends, you find that some of them are still living off their parents, some have failed the postgraduate entrance exam on their second or third attempt, and some haven't even found a job yet. At this stage, you feel proud and full of vigor. You can't listen to anyone's advice and always think that you are the chosen one who will have a smooth and successful career.

The third challenge: falling to the bottom.

Pride comes before a fall. Whether you get fired from your job, fail in business, or lose big at mahjong, you become numb in an instant. Many people get stuck at this point and can't get past it.

The fourth challenge: isolated and helpless.

Basic living expenses, mortgage payments, car loan payments, and expenses with your girlfriend… You'll find that those classmates you used to look down on, who claimed to be "out of the loop" on the world of debt, were absolutely right. You're struggling to breathe, you start borrowing money, and every time you make a call, you get blocked. Some of them are jealous of your past success and arrogance, and now they're deliberately giving you the cold shoulder. You do have close friends, of course, but you're all around the same age, and they can't really help you.

The fifth hurdle: self-isolation.

You begin to accept your fate, shedding your so-called "Kong Yiji long gown" and taking on jobs that don't require much brainpower. You have to survive, and you still have to pay off your debts. Actually, this is a form of self-protection. You often find yourself silently lost in thought late at night, still feeling resentful. You think everyone looks like an idiot, that they don't deserve to be your companions. You begin to feel trapped in this tiny place, unable to escape.

The sixth challenge: Accept everything.

Life's hardships have made you more docile. You're willing to accept your failures, forgive yourself, and embrace your ordinariness. You realize that you were just a little bit smarter and a little bit luckier back then. It wasn't that you were particularly outstanding. You no longer blame others or yourself; you understand that these are all normal occurrences.

The seventh challenge: Change yourself.

This is the hardest part. You've risen from a small place, started enriching yourself, and your mood has brightened every day. Looking to the future, you begin to make up for your shortcomings, and you've almost paid off your debts. You realize the limitations of your past actions, and your thinking begins to broaden. Even if you have to start all over again, doing the things you did before—like applying for a job—you know how to submit a good resume, how to handle interviewers, how to quickly get into the swing of things after starting work, and what details to pay attention to. You discover that those seemingly insignificant things you overlooked before, when accumulated, can be incredibly powerful. But now you're not afraid. Only the unknown is the source of fear. You've now gained a deep understanding through practice. In this second time around, you've regained your confidence.

The eighth level: a calm and tranquil mind.

Your heart is like still water, no longer easily swayed by external things such as rumors, beauty, power, or decadent pleasures. These can no longer easily enslave you, and you remain steadfast in your present actions. For example, in starting a business, you treat your partners with equality and kindness, and you communicate with customers in a pleasant manner, explaining the advantages of your partnership, even if they don't give you a friendly welcome, even if many times, the interactions with these customers end unpleasantly. Your heart remains calm; you are not afraid.

The ninth level is a unique system in itself.

You might become like the Buddhists, believing in the emptiness of all things. Or like the Taoists, believing that going with the flow is best. Or like the Confucians, cultivating inner wisdom like Wang Yangming's philosophy and applying Cheng-Zhu Neo-Confucianism externally. Or perhaps you'll become a staunch materialist, returning to your youthful, spirited self—just do it!

No matter what stage you are in right now, don't give up easily. Simplify your life, protect yourself, and everything will pass.

Skilled players prefer the difficult level and even higher. Good luck!

Every obstacle is difficult, but every obstacle can be overcome.

The giant black serpent was tamed by Li Wuyue's Dragon King power in an instant.

Li Wuyue moved freely across the decks as if they were empty, and wherever she went, blood mist rose up!

Zhao Kuangying's expression suddenly changed. The black snake sub-dragons he had personally raised had all turned against him and started attacking his own retainers.

Suddenly, he felt a chill down his spine. He turned his head slightly and saw Li Wuyue standing behind him, clad in gray-white bone armor.

Li Wuyue pressed her sharp, dagger-like dark gray dragon claw against the back of Zhao Kuangying's neck. "These black snake dragons, did you raise them?"

"Who are you?" Zhao Kuangyin was somewhat flustered, but he still tried to remain calm. "Do you know who I am? I am the head of the Four Northern Families, Zhao..."

Before he could finish speaking, Li Wuyue impatiently inserted a small section of her little finger's dragon claw-like tip into the back of Zhao Kuangying's neck. "I'm asking you, don't you even understand the principle of asking first and answering first?"

Zhao Kuangyin could clearly feel the dragon claw rubbing against his neck bones as it pierced the back of his neck. His face instantly darkened. "I fed it. What's wrong?"

"Nothing much." Li Wuyue knocked Zhao Kuangying unconscious with one hand, and in a short while, she captured the heads of the four northern families.

She put the four people into a burlap sack and carried it towards Ye Jingchen's direction...

Liu's fleet.

Liu Dexuan noticed that the fleets of the four northern families had all stopped their attacks, and he instantly became alert.

He approached Zhuge Riyue and asked in a low voice, "What do the Four Northern Families mean by this? Do they really intend for the Four Southern Families, as guests, to take the lead and be the vanguard?"

Upon hearing this, Zhuge Riyue narrowed his eyes slightly. "We cannot rule out this possibility. After all, the four northern families are not exactly benevolent armies."

However, judging from the current situation, we are still on the same side as the four northern families for the time being. We should first send our ships over and join them before making any further plans.

"If the enemy doesn't move, I don't move; if the enemy moves, I move first."

“I really don’t want to see those Jiangdong Jerrys from the Sun family at all,” Liu Dexuan’s eyes darkened. Earlier in the restaurant, he hadn’t retaliated against the Sun family because of the unity between the eight families of the Dragon Kingdom in the North and South. “Fine, Riyue, I’ll listen to you. Let’s go and meet with the four families in the North first.”

The thick fog drifted along the sea surface, turning the searchlights of Liu's flagship into dim, yellowish cones of light.

Zhuge Riyue leaned against the porthole of the bridge, his fingertips tracing the metal edge of the tactical tablet.

The holographic projection showed the outline of the flagship "Xuan Niao" of the four northern ships flickering in and out, like a ball of cotton soaked in oil.

“Three nautical miles to go.” The first mate’s voice was damp. “Lord Zhuge, the Zhao family’s flagship has sent an encrypted signal, requesting the activation of alchemy authentication.”

Upon hearing this, Liu Dexuan immediately loosened the gold lion button on his collar, and his Adam's apple bobbed beneath the bulging veins.

"Where is the Sun family's boat?"

"At the three o'clock position on the starboard side!" Zhuge Riyue suddenly spoke.

His white shirt cuffs were stained with specks of ink, as if he had just used a brush to proofread ancient books. "Half an hour ago, they sneakily turned off their location signal, but I still noticed."

"Good, very good." Liu Dexuan nodded with a smile.

The command room fell silent, a tense atmosphere thick with impending danger.

The aged teak paneling exudes a faint ambergris fragrance, a craft passed down through generations of the Liu family, using the brain marrow of three generations of animals to create a tranquilizer incense.

Liu Dexuan suddenly remembered that when he was twenty years old, he followed his uncle to wipe out the Dragon Servants of the Southern Frontier. When those monsters wearing human skin were shot through by alchemical crossbows, they would also emit a similar smell.

It was like a dream, or like the lingering echo of time.

"Activate the Crimson Sky Array." Zhuge Riyue's finger traced an arc on the holographic sand table. "Have the Zheng family's speedboat fleet clear a path for us; we'll head directly towards the Sun family's fleet in Jiangdong."

A deafening explosion rang out! A dazzling flash of fire instantly tore through the thick fog.

It was the Zheng family fleet behind them that opened fire!

Liu Dexuan was stunned for a moment, then looked at Zhuge Riyue, "Is the Zheng family sabotaging us from behind?"

"No, the data doesn't show any damage to warships. Let me check the surveillance footage!" Zhuge Riyue looked at the data on the monitor and swiped the tablet in his hand. "The Zheng family isn't attacking us, but rather those black giant serpents in the seawater. They look a bit like sub-dragons."

Upon hearing this, Liu Dexuan reached for the alchemical double-edged sword at his waist and said sternly, "Is the Sun family up to something?"

"The possibility is unlikely. According to the intelligence I have, it should be the Black Xuan Giant Serpent raised by the Zhao family," Zhuge Riyue said, shaking his head.

Liu Dexuan's face flushed red. "They really are a den of snakes and rats, utterly disgracing the mixed-blood race of my Dragon Kingdom."

The entire warship tilted violently, and bronze teacups rolled to the ground.

The spilled Pu'er tea water meandered into the shape of a blood river on the teak floor.

Liu Dexuan gripped the edge of the tactical platform and looked through the ship's window at the burning Sun family flag, bobbing on the waves, its emblem of the Chibi fire ships being consumed by pale flames.

"Dragon's Breath!" The lookout's scream, mingling with the alarm, echoed across the deck. "The Sun family's fleet has been hit by a Dragon's Breath!"

In the seawater, the second shockwave from the black snake swarm knocked Liu Dexuan to the ground.

He looked out through the broken porthole and saw a figure wearing a bronze mask standing on the wave wall hundreds of meters high, with a long halberd in his hand pointing at the flagship's keel.

"Patriarch, be careful!" Zhuge Riyue suddenly rushed over.

The moment his back slammed into the tactical platform, Liu Dexuan saw the bronze-colored veins spreading across his neck, exactly like the twitching embryos in the holographic image three days ago.

With the help of Zhuge Riyue, Liu Dexuan dodged the long halberd that pierced straight through the deck.

The four northern families, the flagship "Black Bird"

Li Wuyue stepped on Zhao Kuangying's back to wipe the bone armor, and tiny beads of blood rolled down along the dragon scale patterns.

Ye Jingchen squatted in front of the encrypted communication station, the screen displaying Zhuge Riyue's vital signs.

"Blood pressure 190, adrenaline three times the normal level, Chen Xiaoxiao, you hit him a bit too hard, but it's alright, Zhao Kuangying won't die anytime soon." Ye Jingchen said calmly, flicking his cigarette ash and looking at the fleet confronting the port in the distance. "Liu Dexuan's strategist is much more interesting than his master."

Suddenly, a pale blue flame blazed outside the porthole.

Chen Motong flung open the hatch, ice shards still clinging to her ponytail: "The Dragonblood Warriors of the Four Northern Families are attacking my port indiscriminately! We must stop them quickly, or the losses will be too great!"

"Also, those old foxes are not easy to deal with."

Ye Jingchen switched the monitoring screen to the right flank of the sea. "How difficult can it be to deal with? Li Wuyue alone is enough to handle it."

On the deck of the Sun family's flagship.

An elderly man with white hair was dancing with his sword in the pouring rain. Wherever the sword passed, the giant black snakes that Li Wuyue was controlling to counterattack fell down like ears of wheat.

Li Wuyue's golden eyes narrowed slightly: "Oh? This old man actually knows the ancient Dragon-Slaying Sword Technique. He's got some skills."

Sun family flagship "Fire Phoenix"

The white robe of the white-haired old man was stained ochre with blood, and ice crystals were wrapped in the spray from the sword's edge.

With each step he took, the faint outline of a Bagua (Eight Trigrams) formation appeared on the deck. When the eighth black giant snake fell, a bronze cauldron suddenly rose at the center of the formation.

"Young men of Jiangdong!" the old man's roar pierced the rain, "Do you still remember the rules of the ancestral temple?"

Twenty burly men, shirtless and with red scarves tied around their heads, rushed out of the hold, each with a dragon entering the sea tattooed on their back.

They bit their thumbs and pressed them against the cauldron. The moment their blood seeped into the inscriptions, a roar of a primordial beast came from inside the cauldron!

At this moment, Norton, far away in the region of the Black-skinned Hybrids, seemed to sense something and said with a slight upturn of his lips, "Use my blood to forge my weapon? Sun Quan had far more backbone than you all; he dared to directly use the bone flask of the King of the Ocean and Water."

The wreckage of the Liu family's flagship.

Zhuge Riyue dragged the unconscious Liu Dexuan onto the life raft, his bronze mask gleaming coldly in the moonlight.

He removed his mask to wipe the black blood from the corner of his mouth, revealing a jawline as sharp as the moon.

"Twenty-seven minutes left. Attention all Liu family hybrids, I've already dealt with these black snakes." He murmured to his wristwatch, the inside of which was engraved with an inverted cross and an ouroboros.

In the distance, the Sun family's flagship was sinking amidst the azure flames. The white-haired old man jumped into the cauldron and instantly transformed into a dragon. The enormous dragon body stirred up a tsunami a thousand meters high in an instant!

Facing the storm, the life raft suddenly began to rock violently.

"The Sun family really has a grand scheme to make." As Zhuge Riyue turned around, he was facing Chen Motong's alchemical crossbow bolt.

The camellia hair clip tucked into her red hair was exactly the same as the one Ye Jingchen had seen in the Kassel College archives in his old high school graduation photo.

"Good evening, Chen Motong, Nuonuo," Zhuge Riyue smiled, his teeth gleaming with a cold light characteristic of dragons, "Or perhaps, Your Excellency the Black King's Egg?"

As Zhuge Riyue spoke, he gently lifted Liu Dexuan's unconscious body, showing no sign of panic...