There was no denying it—Prime Minister Turtle's efficiency was unmatched.
In just a few breaths, he had already spread the word to all relevant officials and dragon clan elders about Ao Qing's plan to hold a court assembly!
Although many of the dragon clan elders were no strangers to meetings, this was their very first time attending an actual court assembly.
Within the span of a quarter-hour, the plaza before the East Sea Dragon Palace was packed with people—elders of the dragon clan and the heads of every major system all gathered, forming two orderly lines like the ministers of a human emperor's court.
Many of the gathered dragons were seeing the majestic and awe-inspiring Dragon Palace for the first time, and their hearts brimmed with new hope for the future of the dragon clan.
Within the palace, Ao Qing—now the Dragon King of all Four Seas—sat silently upon the dragon throne. His dragon eyes swept across those assembled, exuding an unshakable aura of majesty.
"This assembly was called for a simple purpose. I, the Dragon King, do not merely intend to rule the Four Seas. I wish to restore the former glory of our dragon race."
Ao Qing spoke calmly.
His voice was not loud, yet as it fell upon the ears of the elders and system heads, it rumbled like thunder, shaking their hearts.
Many dragon elders found their eyes flickering with excitement—but almost as quickly, that excitement was overshadowed by concern.
The system heads wore the same conflicted expressions: exhilaration and anxiety in equal measure.
Exhilarated that the dragon race was finally poised to rise again…
But anxious that such a rise might also invite unprecedented disaster!
Ao Qing's gaze swept across them, a faint smile curling his lips. How could he not guess their thoughts?
"To be frank," Ao Qing said with deliberate weight, "I have already evolved into a Seven-Clawed Hunyuan Elemental Controlling Golden Qilin Dragon. I trust you understand what this signifies."
He made no attempt to hide it.
After days of consolidating rule, the loyalty levels of these elders and system heads had long since reached 100. There was no risk of information being leaked.
The moment his words fell, the entire East Sea Dragon Palace instantly boiled over like a pot of water, erupting into a storm of voices.
"S-Seven Claws? A Seven-Clawed Hunyuan Elemental Golden Qilin Dragon?! That's the apex of Seven-Clawed Golden Dragons!"
"Just how fast is our Dragon King evolving!?"
"Could it be… could we really restore the glory of the dragon race!?"
All the elders surged to their feet, trembling with excitement. Whatever concern had lingered in their hearts now quietly melted away.
Once a Golden Dragon reaches the level of seven claws, even top-tier immortals could not easily kill it. It was widely known: a Seven-Clawed Golden Dragon possessed nine lives—only by exhausting all nine could it truly be slain.
Hence, the Seven-Clawed Golden Dragon was also called the Nine-Lived Golden Dragon.
"It's not just likely—we have every reason to believe it's certain!"
Ao Qing let a grin tug at the corner of his mouth. "And because of this, I wish to raise the strength of our entire race. Only by becoming truly strong, can we thrive!"
In this mythic world, it was a simple truth—without enough loyal followers, you wouldn't last long. Ao Qing knew this all too well.
Hearing these words, the elders were beyond ecstatic, and the system heads felt their blood ignite with fervor.
"Prime Minister Turtle," Ao Qing continued, "make preparations to establish academies and training grounds across the Four Seas—as many as possible. At the same time, dispatch dragon elders to these sites to teach the art of dragon transformation and enlighten the fish spirits and aquatic beasts."
He had considered it carefully before speaking.
Though the East Sea's waters were teeming with life, the majority of those fish and creatures lacked sentience, much less the ability to cultivate or transform. Most of them had never even taken the first step toward becoming yao.
And without that, they would never become capable shrimp soldiers or crab generals.
The only way to build a vast army was to awaken wisdom in these creatures and guide them into becoming spirit beasts and demons.
Ask yourself—what is the most numerous lifeform in the Four Seas?
Not dragons. Not shrimp soldiers. Not crab generals. Fish.
There were likely more fish in the Four Seas than there were immortals in the entire mythic world combined!
As bold as the idea was, the moment Ao Qing laid it out, the palace fell silent.
Many elders stared at him with wide eyes, stunned.
It wasn't that they didn't want to do this—it was that the idea of giving wisdom and form to common fish carried its own risks. What if these new spirits and demons one day threatened the rule of the Dragon Palace?
But after a moment, they dismissed those worries.
With Ao Qing—the heaven-defying Seven-Clawed Golden Dragon—at the helm, who among them would dare rebel?
As the realization sank in, their eyes lit up.
"T-This is an incredibly creative decree!" one elder burst out, visibly stirred.
"Yes, brilliant! Extremely innovative!"
"If this works, we'll have an endless supply of soldiers, and endless talented individuals to call upon!" another elder added excitedly.
Even the former East Sea Dragon King, Ao Guang, slapped his own forehead in regret. "Why didn't I ever think of something like this!?"
Seeing their reactions, Ao Qing gave a small nod.
In truth, he had another motive as well: awakening fish spirits would increase the dragon clan's karmic fortune, netting him a flood of evolution points.
And the number of points? Likely enormous.
As for any threat those fish spirits might pose? With the system in hand—and everyone's loyalty locked at 100—he had no need to worry.
"Y-Your humble servant shall see to it at once!" Prime Minister Turtle quickly recorded the order and disappeared without hesitation.
Even a fool could see that this decree, once enacted, would shake not only the East Sea—but all Four Seas!
Barely had Prime Minister Turtle departed when Ao Qing issued a second decree:
"The navy is to increase the intensity of their training and begin seizing nearby resources and wealth to forge divine weapons and sacred armaments!"
"Any disobedient faction—crush them without hesitation!"