Right before the stunned eyes of all the East Sea dragons and elders, Ao Qing reached out with one hand—and lifted the Sea-Fixing Divine Needle that had suppressed the eastern shores!
He immediately noticed that the massive golden staff bore several large characters: Ruyi Jingu Bang—just like the one Sun Wukong encountered in Journey to the West!
At that moment, Ao Qing softly muttered: "Shrink!"
As if responding to his command, the Ruyi Jingu Bang suddenly shrank rapidly—from tens of thousands of feet long, down to just a hundred feet, then ten feet...
Until finally, it transformed into a dazzling golden staff that fell neatly into Ao Qing's hand.
It truly was the Ruyi Jingu Bang!
The moment Ao Qing simply gave it a test swing, the entire eastern coast trembled. Yet the divine weapon, said to weigh tens of thousands of jin, felt as light as a twig in his grasp.
Then it clicked.
With the Dragon God Codex in hand, what was a mere ten thousand jin? Even a hundred thousand or a million jin could be wielded with ease!
"This… this can't be happening…"
"The Sea-Fixing Needle… he actually pulled it out!"
"Could it be… the dragon clan is truly about to rise again?"
"No wonder he's a six-clawed golden dragon—what terrifying strength!"
The dragon elders were awestruck, exclaiming in wonder, their voices trembling with excitement.
And in that moment, the former East Sea Dragon King Ao Guang, who had been bound to the golden staff for ages, let out a long, thunderous roar.
Boom!
A burst of sonic energy surged from his cry, and the golden chains binding him shattered into glittering fragments.
Just like that, the Dragon King Ao Guang had broken free!
The surrounding dragon elders erupted with emotion. Some were too overwhelmed to speak, their eyes brimming with tears of joy.
Everyone knew—the so-called Sea-Fixing Needle might appear to "stabilize" the East Sea, but in truth, it was suppressing the dragon clan's destiny, imprisoning their fate.
Now that Ao Qing had ripped it from the seabed—how could their hearts not be in turmoil?
Moments later, Ao Guang reverted to his human form and fell to his knees before Ao Qing with a loud thud.
"Thank you, Dragon King, for saving my life! From this day forward, I will follow you in defying fate!"
Seeing this, the other elders followed suit, dropping to their knees one by one with heavy thumps. The shrimp soldiers and crab generals didn't even hesitate to kneel with even greater reverence.
"From this day forward, we shall follow the Dragon King in defying fate!"
"From this day forward, we shall follow the Dragon King in defying fate!"
"From this day forward, we shall follow the Dragon King in defying fate!"
Voices united in a deafening pledge.
In their hearts, Ao Qing was no longer just the newly crowned Dragon King.
He had become their faith, their hope for resurgence.
To be honest, when Ao Guang first appointed Ao Qing as the new East Sea Dragon King, the elders had some reservations.
But now—whether it was his evolution into a six-clawed golden dragon, or his unthinkable feat of pulling out the Sea-Fixing Needle—Ao Qing had achieved what they had never dared dream of.
How could they not submit? How could they not acknowledge his worth?
Just as Ao Qing was about to speak, he heard the system's sweet notification chime:
"Ao Guang's loyalty has increased to 100!"
"Ao Tian's loyalty has increased to 100!"
"Ao Xin's loyalty has increased to 100!"
…
"Ao Zang's loyalty has increased to 100!"
Ao Qing blinked in surprise—then grinned.
He hadn't expected that pulling out the Sea-Fixing Needle would completely win over the entire East Sea Dragon Clan!
"All of you, rise."
Ao Qing said calmly.
Whoosh—
With a collective rustle, Ao Guang and the other elders stood up slowly. Their eyes still shimmered with unconcealed awe and exhilaration.
But just then, a shrimp soldier came rushing in, flailing in panic.
"Dragon King! Dragon King, bad news!"
Seeing his frantic expression, the elders' hearts collectively sank. Their faces darkened.
After all, they had lived under the oppression of gods and immortals for far too long.
"Speak," Ao Qing said coldly.
His tone instantly carried a powerful authority. The sheer aura of dominance pouring from him settled over the crowd like a divine pressure.
The elders felt the force of his presence—and their anxiety vanished.
Right! They had a six-clawed golden dragon now—why should they fear anyone?
"The Nine-Headed Insect, the son-in-law of the Myriad Saints Dragon King, has barged in with a group of shrimp soldiers and crab generals! He's demanding we hand over some treasure armor or something!"
The shrimp soldier stammered.
At that, the dragon elders all frowned deeply, their expressions turning grim.
Ao Qing, drawing on inherited memories, instantly recalled who this Nine-Headed Insect was.
He was a terrifying monster with nine heads, who had cultivated into a powerful demon.
Several years back, he'd married the daughter of the Myriad Saints Dragon King of Green Wave Pond, thus becoming a member of the extended South Sea faction.
The Nine-Headed Insect already ruled over his own sea territory, commanding vast forces. And while the Myriad Saints Dragon King was technically just a flood dragon, he had ties to the South Sea Dragon King—making him part of that political network.
With their alliance, the South Sea Dragon King's power expanded rapidly.
On the surface, the Four Sea Dragon Kings maintained friendly relations—but in truth, they each pursued their own interests. The South Sea and North Sea often found pretexts to harass the East Sea, trying to seize their resources and land.
While Ao Guang had been in charge, the South Sea didn't dare go too far.
But now, with the Nine-Headed Insect and the Myriad Saints Dragon King backing him, the South Sea had begun dreaming of unifying the Four Seas.
And now this Nine-Headed Insect had come swaggering in—clearly intending to take advantage of the East Sea's recent upheaval.
Too bad for them—the South Sea Dragon King, the Myriad Saints Dragon King, the Nine-Headed Insect…
None of them could possibly imagine that here, at the eastern shore of the world, a six-clawed golden dragon had emerged!
Ao Qing had just been wondering how to gain more reputation…
Who would've thought the South Sea would deliver an opportunity right to his door?