Of course, there's one exception among them, and that's the West Sea Dragon Clan. The West Sea Dragon King Ao Run is considered somewhat of a relative to Hao Tian, and coupled with consistent wealth accumulation, they're currently the most prosperous branch of the Four Sea Dragon Clan—possibly even overshadowing the East Sea Dragon Clan.

After Nezha arrived with two companions, the shrimp soldiers went to report, and soon enough Ao Run came out hugging what looked like a child around five or six years old to greet them.

"Oh my, what wind brings the Emperor here today? Come, come, enter the Dragon Palace, and let this old dragon treat you properly!"

The Four Sea Dragon Kings are unmatched in their knack for interpersonal relationships and understanding etiquette.

Nezha didn't hold back and casually led his two companions into the Dragon Palace. The banquet in the palace was still understated yet generous – giant lobsters, freshly steamed crabs, all kinds of seafood along with the soft-spoken Bivalve Girls – it was comforting in a way.

Athena, with years of cultivation at Lishan, displayed the poise and elegance befitting an immortal from a prestigious lineage. Sitting to the side, her demeanor was graceful and composed.

Jin Can Zi, on his first outing from Lingshan, was brimming with curiosity about everything in the outside world—curious about the lobsters, curious about the crabs, curious about the Turtle Prime Minister, curious about the exquisite Bivalve Girls.

Nezha, chomping down on the crab meat in front of him, glanced at Jin Can Zi, who was looking around with wide eyes, and said, "Why aren't you eating?"

Jin Can Zi clasped his hands together.

"Amitabha Buddha, this humble monk has taken vows and cannot consume alcohol or meat."

Just as he finished speaking, Nezha grabbed a chunk of shrimp tail as thick as an arm and shoved it into Jin Can Zi's mouth.

"This is seafood, not meat. Kids who are picky eaters won't grow tall."

Jin Can Zi instinctively started to refute but ended up muttering three words after the first bite.

"Eh? So tasty."

Seeing the relaxed demeanor of the trio, Ao Run also eased up, realizing they weren't here to stir up trouble. As he directed the servants to bring more dishes, he joked, "Emperor, let me introduce my third son Ao Lie. He's five hundred sixty-three years old this year. Lie-er, weren't you always saying how much you admire your third brother-in-law? Well, here's his superior—more skilled than your third brother-in-law!"

Little Ao Lie stared at the robe-clad youth, doubting that someone without the striking appearance of his third brother-in-law's armor could truly be as impressive. Skeptically, he asked his father, "Really?"

Nezha, his mischievous mind spinning, thought of a fresh way to spice up the gathering. He gave a pat to Jin Can Zi beside him and said, "Why don't you try for yourself? This kid has been following me for two days now. Didn't you learn a few moves from Yang Jian? Want to test them out?"

Ao Lie, at the peak of the playful and energetic age, especially as a dragon, excitedly turned his gaze toward the bald-headed child beside Nezha. His inherent dragon instincts told him that this was a formidable opponent, but fear wasn't in his vocabulary!

As someone reincarnated from a Fierce Beast, Jin Can Zi wasn't one to shrink from a brawl. But he still remembered the teachings of his mentor and hesitated slightly, saying, "Brother, my mentor taught me not to be aggressive or combative and to prioritize reason."

Nezha waggled a finger at him and declared, "This isn't being aggressive; this is earning his respect. Only with his acknowledgment will he accept your understanding of Buddhist Law. Otherwise, will he quietly listen to you preach Buddhism?"

Before Jin Can Zi could even nod, Ao Lie had already nodded.

"The Emperor is right! If you can't beat me, why should I bother listening to your Buddhist teachings?"

And he added an exaggerated "Hmph!" for good measure.

This caused a sudden epiphany for Jin Can Zi, who stepped off the Lotus Platform and said, "Amitabha Buddha, I, Jin Can Zi, humbly request your guidance."

Ao Lie struck a pose that was rather nonsensical and announced, "The Third Prince of the West Sea Dragon Palace, Little White Dragon Ao Lie, at your service!"

Then, the two launched into a brawl.

Nezha, thoroughly entertained, watched while sipping from his wine jug as Ao Lie and Jin Can Zi clashed. Even the West Sea Dragon King didn't step in to stop them, knowing full well the Emperor's peculiar tastes weren't a recent development. Besides, bonding through conflict could turn out beneficial – if his son managed to build a friendship with Jin Can Zi, it would be advantageous for his future.

Athena, experiencing such antics on her outing with Nezha for the first time, felt slightly embarrassed. Under the table, she jabbed Nezha hard twice.

How old are you? Still stirring up fights between kids!

Despite their age difference, the brawl came across as surprisingly intense. Ao Lie, though young by dragon standards, was about equivalent to a human child of seven or eight. He hadn't cultivated any Divine Skills yet, and while Ye Jian liked him as a brother-in-law, teaching advanced techniques carelessly would only harm him. So, he only taught Ao Lie some basic martial skills and moves.

On the other hand, while Jin Can Zi was also young, he had been diligently cultivating authentic Buddhist techniques since childhood. Additionally, his body retained traces of his previous Cicada Shedding form. This resulted in one-sidedness—Ao Lie's "Flood Dragon Leave the Sea" move landed on Jin Can Zi's glowing body. It stung a little but caused no damage.

However, Jin Can Zi's stored energy punch left Ao Lie writhing in pain for quite a while.

After some more scuffling, Jin Can Zi swept Ao Lie's legs, knocking him to the ground before pouncing on top of him.

"Do you admit defeat?"

"No!"

"I won, so why won't you yield?"

"I just won't!"

"Not yielding doesn't exempt you from Buddhist teachings!"

With that, Jin Can Zi immediately sat cross-legged atop Ao Lie and began chanting Buddhist scripture.

Little Ao Lie, who had fancied himself a seasoned warrior, found himself toppled and forcibly subjected to Buddhist chanting, leaving his fragile childlike pride in tatters. He burst into tears.

"Waaaahhhhhh…"

Jin Can Zi's Buddha Nature became evident at this moment – the crying beneath him didn't faze the rhythmic recitation of scripture one bit!

The louder you cry, the more passionately I chant!

Nezha watched this unfold, recording the events while bursting into laughter. Poor Little White Dragon, he gave you the opportunity, but you blew it. With Jin Can Zi riding on top of you now, you can forget about reversing fortunes in the future.

Ao Run felt a twinge of embarrassment at his son's performance. How did it end with him crying after a fight?

Meanwhile, Athena, ever the compassionate female immortal, had a soft spot for children. She glared twice at the still-laughing Nezha before stepping forward to separate the two, calming them down. She crafted two beautifully intricate flower crowns, placing one on each child's head. Children don't hold grudges for long, and after pouting briefly, the pair soon became fast friends, running off to play as if nothing had happened.

By the time the banquet was halfway through, Ao Run raised his cup once more and asked, "Emperor, may I inquire about the purpose of your visit?"

Nezha introduced Athena, saying, "This is my junior disciple. She trained under Lishan Old Mother."

Ao Run immediately bowed in respect. "So she's a disciple of the Old Mother. Greetings, Immortal."

"Her mother suffered a great calamity many years ago and has been resting in the Eight Treasures Merit Pool to reconstruct her Divine Soul. Recently, her recovery has advanced, but she requires a physical body for rebirth. After calculating, I found that using a dragon's form would be most suitable, so here I am."

Seeing Ao Run's troubled expression, Nezha clarified, "No live dragons are needed—just a dead egg. Allowing her mother to reincarnate as a dragon will bind her fate with the West Sea, ensuring incense offerings in the future."

Upon hearing this, Ao Run's expression softened considerably. After pondering for a moment, he finally made a decision.

"Emperor, I may have the perfect candidate. Please take a look."

Nezha didn't intend to be picky on this visit. Whatever Ao Run offered, he would accept, as there was no need to force the matter.

Ao Run whispered instructions to one of his maids. Shortly after, the West Sea Dragon Mother appeared at the front hall carrying a dead egg. She bowed to Nezha, placed the egg on the table, and silently withdrew to stand beside Ao Run.

The fact that the Dragon Mother personally delivered this egg suggested it wasn't ordinary. Ao Run began explaining—this egg wasn't from a standard dragon but was laid by Ao Run's fourth daughter, the elder sister of Little White Dragon.

Dragon eggs don't always hatch successfully, even within the elite Dragon King families. This particular egg had remained unhatched for reasons unknown.

Ao Run had sought advice from numerous dragons but still found no explanation for its condition. Nezha opened his Dharma Eye to inspect it and saw that while this dragon egg was indeed a dead egg, it was brimming with energy, far beyond ordinary levels.

Its issue wasn't a deficiency but rather an excess of innate vitality. The Dragon Clan's Qi Fortune had been declining over generations, rendering them unable to produce dragons of such exceptional quality.

Nezha explained the situation to Ao Run before asking, "Are you certain you want to entrust me with this egg?"

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