"The Tibetan Buddhist Temple, the Tripitaka Master, presents a Mahayana Buddhist scripture to His Majesty the Xuan Ting, congratulating Your Majesty on attaining the body of a true dragon!"
"Tianyandao presents His Majesty with a Heaven-Stealing Jade as a congratulatory gift for His Majesty's attainment of the status of a True Dragon."
"Qingqiu, a battle formation diagram!"
...
When the Xuan Ting Dragon King transformed into a dragon and entered the main hall, the guests, as if by unspoken agreement or perhaps to outdo each other, presented their own or the gifts prepared by their respective sects and demon kingdoms.
In an instant, the main hall of the Dragon Palace was filled with dazzling colors and radiant light. Even the Qiankun Formation could not contain this vast divine light, so much so that the radiant light shot out of the Dragon Palace and reflected a magnificent aurora above Xuan Ting Lake.
As Feng Bingwen watched this scene unfold, and the sounds of offering congratulatory gifts rose and fell, he took out a bundle of gold paper from his robe and presented it to the messenger.
"Bai Yujing, a scroll with the character 'Dao' (道), is presented as a congratulatory gift to His Majesty Xuan Ting."
After Feng Bingwen presented the clothes with his "carefully prepared" congratulatory gift, the main hall fell silent for a moment. The next moment, Feng Bingwen felt many eyes fall on him, and then they all looked away.
The main reason was that the words of congratulations were too brief, and even briefer was the congratulations from the great sage of the demon race who came from Qingqiu.
It was just a simple array diagram, without even specifying what kind of array it was. No one dared question whether the gift from this fox lord was inappropriate for his status.
Compared to the Great Sage of the Demon Clan, whose name resounds throughout the nineteen continents and is known to all, Feng Bingwen is virtually unknown. However, since he is able to appear here, it is naturally because he has been recognized by the Old Dragon King.
Although none of the immortals and saints knew Feng Bingwen, they still treated him with the respect due to a fellow practitioner, at least outwardly.
Feng Bingwen knew that his actions just now seemed a bit flamboyant and eye-catching, but there was nothing he could do. With the little he had given, there was really nothing special to offer.
Fortunately, these powerful figures in the cultivation world didn't care about him—mainly because Feng Bingwen acted too aloof, just like that Nine-Tailed Fox Venerable, ignoring everyone. The only one who took the initiative to speak to him, Luohe Jushi, also received a cold shoulder.
The only thing Feng Bingwen did slightly better than the Nine-Tailed Fox Lord was that he didn't lie down and sleep on the spot. In this situation, and since no one recognized Feng Bingwen, naturally no one came up to cause trouble.
Feng Bingwen was bored in the main hall of the Dragon Palace. He sat and waited for his three little ones to eat and drink at the table. After eating until his energy was completely depleted and he could no longer stand it, he found a dragon girl and asked to leave the table.
"Brother Bingwen, are you leaving already? Has my Dragon Palace failed to provide adequate hospitality?"
Upon learning that Feng Bingwen was leaving, the Dragon Palace Prince, who was entertaining a Taoist immortal, also arrived in a blue robe.
"Of course not. The delicacies of the Dragon Palace are hard to find in the mortal world. What could I possibly be dissatisfied with?"
Feng Bingwen smiled and shook his head in denial.
"Then why leave?"
Xi Qingyi was puzzled.
“Brother Qingyi, if I had no worries and was all alone, I could stay a little longer. But I am still a mortal, and I miss my parents at home. I can’t rest easy, so I want to go back as soon as possible.”
Feng Bingwen explained the reason.
The dragon race's concept of time is completely different from that of mortals. When a dragon lord becomes a true dragon, the ascension banquet he holds lasts at least ten months, and to exaggerate a bit, the banquet can even last for a year.
Feng Bingwen certainly couldn't hold out from beginning to end. Let alone a year, he couldn't even wait a month. The illusion he left at home could only last a few days. If he didn't go back for a long time, he would be exposed sooner or later. He wasn't ready to confront his family so soon.
"Ah, I see. I'll go tell my father. Brother Bingwen, please wait a moment."
Xi Qingyi couldn't say anything about this reason, but he felt it was necessary to call his father over.
Rice Ball Exploration
"OK."
Feng Bingwen had no objection, and before half a quarter of an hour had passed, Xuan Tinglongjun, his face flushed and reeking of alcohol, arrived with a wine cup in hand. Upon hearing the reason for Feng Bingwen's departure, he was unable to stop him.
After exchanging a toast with Feng Bingwen, she sent her son and daughter to see Feng Bingwen off from the Dragon Palace. A few minor incidents did occur during this time.
"Brother Bingwen? Who taught you to call me that? How disrespectful! What kind of behavior is this?"
Upon hearing his son address Feng Bingwen, the Dragon King Xuan Ting immediately frowned.
"My husband addresses Mr. Feng as a fellow Daoist, yet you treat him as an equal. Do you perhaps wish to address me as a brother as well?"
“Fellow Daoist Xi, there’s no need for that. I asked him to address me that way. We cultivators shouldn’t be too concerned with these formalities. Let each do our own thing.”
The issue of generational relationships has always been a major problem in the cultivation world. When one has a long lifespan, it is inevitable that some relationships spanning hundreds, thousands, or even tens of thousands of years will occur, such as grandfather-granddaughter relationships.
Therefore, the issue of how to address someone according to their generation can sometimes become a minor but significant problem. The unspoken rule is that everyone addresses each other by their own titles, without interfering with each other, which is a more relaxed approach.
"No, they've only been cultivating for a few days. How can they be qualified to be considered equals to Fellow Daoist Feng? They can't address each other as brothers. You should at least call him Uncle Feng!"
The last sentence was naturally spoken by the newly enthroned Dragon King to his eldest son.
"..."
As the saying goes, you can't fight city hall, and you can't disobey your father's orders. Feng Bingwen had spent a lot of time and effort to change the way he addressed him, but he was corrected again. Moreover, his seniority was forcibly raised by one level, making him an uncle.
Feng Bingwen was naturally helpless about this. The other person's own father told him to call him that, and what could he do but stand by? Was he supposed to fight the Dragon King? He couldn't possibly win.
After this little episode, Feng Bingwen was sent out of the Dragon Palace by the Dragon King's son and daughter. As soon as he stepped out of the Dragon Palace, Feng Bingwen saw the magnificent scene of the Dragon Palace at that time.
Apart from the main hall of the Dragon Palace, which was used to entertain true dragons, demon saints, and true immortals and Buddhas, its side halls, even ordinary courtyards, were all packed to the brim.
Aquatic dragons from all corners of the world, as well as demons and humans who could establish connections with the dragon race, gathered together. At this moment, the Dragon Palace was practically devoid of ordinary people; if you threw a brick down there, you might just hit seven or eight demon kings, big or small.
Moreover, outside the Dragon Palace, the scene was even more exaggerated. The guests who could enter the main hall of the Dragon Palace were powerful and had a good background, but this only accounted for a very small part of the demons and monsters who came to offer their congratulations. Most of the monsters and monsters could not even enter the gates of the Dragon Palace.
However, since they had given a gift, the Dragon Palace naturally wouldn't be stingy and accept the gift while sending the person away. Instead, they simply set up a banquet at the bottom of the lake.
The banquet outside the Dragon Palace was truly bustling and lively. The Dragon Palace was filled with prominent demon kings and water lords, but those outside were all nameless and faceless, without so many scruples, so they did whatever they wanted to have fun.
Feng Bingwen, sitting on the dragon carriage, watched and sighed for a long time before finally lowering the curtain. It wasn't until quite some time later that the noise and bustle outside the window disappeared.
"Today I have truly witnessed what it means for all aquatic creatures to share a common veneration!"
Feng Bingwen, who had already traveled three thousand miles from the Dragon Palace, sighed to his nephew in green robes.
“Bingwen… Uncle, the reason we have such a scene is mainly due to the influence of my grandfather.”
Xi Qingyi, who had changed his address due to pressure from his father, felt quite awkward. In less than two days, he had been demoted by a generation. When he came, he was addressed as brother, but when he sent him back, he became his nephew.
"I see."
Even Feng Bingwen, who was not yet engaged, felt somewhat saddened upon hearing the title of "uncle." He hadn't even lost his virginity yet, and he had already become an uncle.
The difference in their generations made it impossible for the man and the dragon to have anything to talk about. Fortunately, the time did not pass too quickly. With the power of the dragon, they controlled the river and its waters, and the thousand-mile river flowed by in an instant.
Within a few quarters of an hour, Feng Bingwen was sent back to Wolong Lake by the Dragon Prince.
"Uncle Bingwen, please accept this small gift."
When Feng Bingwen got off the carriage with the three children, he saw the Dragon Prince take out a belt from his pocket.
"What are you doing?"
Feng Bingwen frowned.
"Uncle, the gift you sent is too valuable. My father feels bad about it, so he specially prepared a small gift in return. Please do not refuse, so as not to put me in a difficult position."
After several shouts, the Dragon Prince, who had calmly accepted the fact that his seniority had been downgraded, explained.
"I see."
Feng Bingwen then reached out and took the belt. He was never one to be pretentious, and having witnessed the extravagance of the Dragon Palace, he felt no remorse for his actions.
Clang~
When the belt landed in his hand, Feng Bingwen extended his divine sense slightly and felt the broken divine weapon inside his body vibrate. Clearly, there were precious materials in the storage belt that could repair the divine weapon.
"Your Majesty the Dragon King is very kind."
With a sweep of his spiritual sense, Feng Bingwen noticed the substantial amount of precious materials in the belt and couldn't help but sigh in admiration.
"I'm glad Uncle is satisfied."
Xi Qingyi cupped her hands in greeting.
"Since we are friends in private, you can be more at ease."
"It's hard to disobey one's father."
"..."
Finally, with the Dragon Prince watching him go, Feng Bingwen stepped onto the riverbank and leisurely returned home.
Then the Dragon Prince, who had personally driven Feng Bingwen back, turned around and went back to report to his father.
Back at the Feng family mansion, Feng Bingwen initially intended to organize his abundant gains from the Dragon Palace, but upon witnessing the fate of the phantom he had left behind, he immediately lost all interest.
"Over the years, you have thoroughly mastered the Four Books and Five Classics, and the Confucian classics... In two months, it will be the autumn examination season. At your age, you can go up and give it a try. You don't need to achieve anything, but you can experience the atmosphere of the examination hall."
Feng Bingwen had just arrived home when he entered the room and saw this scene: the old man was sitting in his room, talking incessantly to the phantom he had left behind, his words full of his intention to have him participate in this year's imperial examination.
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