"There's no need to overthink it. You've likely been influenced by something, causing you to overlook certain essential details."
Su Qing looked at the Dragon King, her tone exceptionally calm. She didn't show much panic over the matter.
Upon hearing this, the Dragon King was momentarily stunned. He rubbed his brow and said, "I've been influenced by something? Hiss... could it be the influence of that Black Dragon's source?"
Although the Old Dragon King's memory was slightly flawed, he was clearly still sharp and quickly connected the dots.
Su Qing chuckled and nodded slightly. "I suspect so. In fact, I believe it's not just you. Your subordinates, and even everyone in the Dragon Palace, have likely been affected to some degree. As for whether I've been influenced, I can't say for sure—after all, a physician cannot heal themselves."
Su Qing actually knew whether she had been affected. Given her current strength, very few things could influence her consciousness. If something did, she would certainly detect it immediately.
Therefore, she was essentially certain of her own state. However, since nothing was absolute, she left a bit of room for error to avoid a potential oversight.
The Old Dragon King exhaled a long breath, feeling a heavy weight in his chest. He truly hadn't expected that as soon as one wave settled, another would rise. Before the previous trouble was resolved, a new one had emerged—one thing after another, as if someone held an unresolvable grudge against the Dragon Palace.
"This... what should we do? If my memory is being affected, how can we possibly find the source?" the Old Dragon King sighed.
Su Qing pursed her lips, seriously considering a countermeasure. After thinking for a moment, she said, "I have a rough idea, but it's only a hunch. I'm not sure if it's accurate."
"Forget it, I'll just consult with Laojun. Keep the arrays active and don't let anything else go wrong."
Su Qing had originally intended to solve it herself, but on second thought, her own capabilities were limited. It was better to just ask for help. As for whether she could reach Laojun today, she wasn't sure. After all, those seniors had been incredibly busy lately.
Even if she couldn't reach him, it wouldn't matter much; at worst, she would just have to make another trip to the Heavenly Court.
The Old Dragon King was momentarily stunned, then he cupped his hands toward Su Qing and thanked her. He then watched as Su Qing returned to the Dragon Palace.
As she walked, Su Qing took out the Dharma treasure used to contact Taishang Laojun. She circulated her magic power and performed a hand seal, initiating the connection through the artifact.
She waited for quite a while, but Laojun didn't 'pick up.'
'It seems Senior Laojun is still busy. Oh well, I'll just go to the Heavenly Court to find someone.'
With that thought, Su Qing was about to end the 'call.' However, just as she was about to hang up, Taishang Laojun suddenly connected. His large face appeared on the mirror surface of the Dharma treasure.
"So it is my little friend Su Qing. What brings you to contact me so suddenly?" Laojun asked after the connection was established.
Su Qing gave a helpless smile and said, "I've contacted you quite a few times over the last ten years or so! It's just that you've been so busy you never answered. I really don't know what you seniors are so occupied with."
Laojun was visibly stunned, then seemed to check the 'communication' records of his artifact. A moment later, an apologetic expression appeared on his face.
"So you have been trying to reach me! My apologies. I've been so busy these past few years that I didn't notice at all." Laojun gave a weary laugh. "As for what we've been doing, it's naturally the matter of the Jianmu Tree. The construction of the New Heavenly Court has nearly worked us old bones to death!"
Laojun didn't hide much regarding this matter, though he didn't explain it in great detail either, offering only a simple summary.
Su Qing nodded slightly and asked, "So it really is that. How far along have you seniors progressed?"
Su Qing didn't intend to blame Laojun; she understood his situation. Her questions were born of pure curiosity.
Laojun answered simply, "Everything is going smoothly. If nothing goes wrong, it should be completed in a few more years."
"A few more years? That's still quite a while," Su Qing said with a smile.
Laojun didn't disagree and simply laughed. Then he asked, "By the way, Little Su, you contacted me this time because you've encountered some trouble you can't solve?"
Laojun knew Su Qing wasn't the type to visit without a reason. This contact must be for a specific purpose; it couldn't be just to catch up.
Su Qing didn't waste time and nodded. "Yes, I have encountered some trouble. However, it's not just my personal trouble, but a problem for the North Sea Dragon Palace and perhaps the whole world!"
Hearing this, Laojun nodded, not appearing too surprised. He raised an eyebrow and asked, "So, what exactly is the trouble? Tell me in detail so I know how to help you."
Su Qing gave him a full account of the situation. After listening, Laojun's brow furrowed.
"The situation this time is likely exactly what you suspected. It is indeed the black water that was sealed before causing trouble again."
Laojun quickly reached a conclusion. "The anomalies brought by the omens of the Great Tribulation of Heaven and Earth are never simple. Although the black water last time was just a simple mutation, that Earth Vein already possessed a bit of consciousness. It's only natural for something like this to happen."
"As for how it escaped... I suspect there was a problem with the seal on the Earth Vein. Even if it was just a tiny crack, it was enough for that fellow to seize the opportunity and flee."
"And its resentment toward the Dragon Clan—specifically the North Sea Dragon Clan—is likely due to the suppression it suffered back then. Since it has gained sentience, it's perfectly normal for it to hold a grudge."
Laojun lived up to his reputation; after a simple explanation, he reached a conclusion very similar to Su Qing's. Of course, the information Su Qing provided was quite comprehensive.
Su Qing's brow remained furrowed as she asked, "It seems Senior Laojun's thoughts align with mine. In that case, how should we solve it? Seal it again?"
The only solution Su Qing could currently think of was to reseal the black water.
"Yes, I'm afraid it can only be sealed again."
Laojun stroked his beard and thought for a moment before saying, "However, the task of inspecting the arrays cannot be left to the Dragon Clan. They will be influenced by that black water... Right now it's only affecting their memories, but later it might affect their consciousness as it did before, or even allow the black water to control them completely."
"As for those Black Dragons, you needn't worry too much. They are merely constructs of the black water. Just kill them; it won't have much of an impact, other than being a bit difficult and troublesome to deal with."
Su Qing nodded slightly and sighed. "I didn't expect things to become so complicated..."
Laojun laughed and shook his head. "Don't worry. We just need to reinforce the seal. The only trouble is that the Heavenly Court can't help you much... You know the situation here; we're already swamped. So, you'll have to handle the North Sea Dragon Palace yourself."
Su Qing gave a helpless smile and shrugged. "As expected... Honestly, if you hadn't answered my call, I was prepared to come to the Heavenly Court to find help."
Laojun laughed at that. "Hahaha, it was just good timing. I'll arrange for a few people skilled in arrays to help you with the inspection. These people should be stronger than those in the Dragon Palace and won't be easily controlled, so you can use them with confidence. However, to be safe, it's best if you stay with them."
Su Qing nodded. This wasn't a problem, as long as the people Laojun sent were reliable.
"Then I'll have to trouble you, Senior Laojun," Su Qing said.
Laojun smiled and shook his head. "This is the most I can do. If we weren't so busy, I might have come to help personally, but right now, this is all I can offer."
Su Qing shook her head. "Being able to help this much is already enough. After all, I am the one troubling you, Senior..."
"It's not really troubling me. After all, the omens of the Great Tribulation of Heaven and Earth are a problem that everyone in the Heavenly Court must work to solve," Laojun said with a smile. "Alright, do you have any other matters besides this? If so, ask them all now. I likely won't be able to spare any time for quite a while after this."
It was clear Laojun was truly exhausted.
Su Qing nodded and then inquired about longevity pills for mortals.
Laojun shook his head. He did have some longevity pills that could work for mortals, but they were not easy to refine. Furthermore, the cost of the required medicinal ingredients far exceeded the value of the pills themselves, making them largely impractical. Moreover, even if a mortal took them, it would only extend their life by ten or twenty years at most. After that, no other pill would work. A person can only use one type of longevity-extending item in their lifetime. Even the immortal medicine in the Queen Mother of the West's possession can only be taken once per person.
However, after thinking for a moment, Laojun didn't simply say there were no pills. Instead, he told Su Qing the truth and let her decide for herself. After all, with the Great Tribulation of Heaven and Earth approaching, it didn't matter if she exercised a bit more freedom, as long as she didn't cause too much trouble.
Hearing Laojun's answer, Su Qing fell silent for a moment before exhaling and saying, "I understand. Then I must trouble Senior to teach me how to refine those pills."
Laojun nodded helplessly. "It seems you really have someone you want to keep alive for a few more years... Fine. If you want to learn, I shall teach you. But I must remind you again: these pills can only be used once in a lifetime. No matter what longevity-extending item it is, it only works once. You must understand this. After all, extending a mortal's life is no simple matter."
Su Qing nodded. "I understand... I never expected her to live forever. I only want to give her the chance to live a bit longer. This way, I can satisfy the debt I feel within myself."
Laojun nodded. "You... you still don't quite act like an immortal. Come, I will tell you the refining method and the required ingredients. Remember, never let this spread, and never let mortals know such pills exist. Otherwise, the mortal realm will be plunged into a bloodbath."
"Yes, Senior, don't worry. I understand that," Su Qing said with a nod. "I never intended to grant longevity to many people. I only want my friend to live a few more years."
Seeing this, Laojun said no more and shared the refining method and required materials with Su Qing.
After hearing the list of ingredients, Su Qing rubbed her chin and nodded, thanking Laojun.
"No need to thank me. This is all I can do..." Laojun shook his head. "Alright, if there's nothing else, I'll get back to work. The people from the Heavenly Court likely won't arrive until tomorrow, so you'll have to wait a bit."
Su Qing nodded. "Yes, thank you, Senior."
"It's a small matter." With that, Laojun disconnected the call.
Watching the mirror surface go dark, Su Qing exhaled a breath of turbid air.
'I didn't expect longevity medicine to have such restrictions... Fortunately, the item I gave Bai Yuhe back then could directly extend her life by centuries, otherwise I'd be having a real headache now.'
Su Qing put away the mirror, feeling a sense of relief in her heart. She thought, 'But now that I have this pill recipe, I can consider one of my regrets settled. Even if it only lets Su Qingyu live for another dozen years, it's enough...'
Su Qing was not a greedy person. Being able to achieve this much was already quite difficult, so she was satisfied.
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