Chapter 1338: Dragon Palace Treasure

Pure Nine-Lotus Lamp: , , , , , , , , ,

The Sky-Escape Talisman in the Young Flood Dragon's hand was specially produced by the Grand Void Ethereal Palace to open up the markets in the Four Seas.

Such a life-saving item naturally paved the way, effortlessly opening up the previously closed market for the marine demon tribes.

However, the Grand Void Ethereal Palace did not foresee that after the Black Flood Dragon Royal Court replaced its Dragon Palace Lord, the promises made by the predecessor would simply be invalidated.

Later, when both sides fell out and the Grand Void Ethereal Palace completely withdrew from the Four Seas, this Sky-Escape Talisman was not recovered, allowing the Young Flood Dragon to use it today.

Amidst the shimmering silver light, the Young Flood Dragon cast one last reluctant glance at the ornately carved Dragon Palace before escaping into the void and vanishing from its original spot.

Above the Celestial Sea.

Above the vast and boundless sea, a blue-and-white-haired youth was fishing, seated upon a spiritual tortoise that was entirely black.

His name was Qiu Xingluo, one of the nine Venerables of the Jellyfish Palace.

This water region, named Starfall Domain, possessed a sixth-tier spiritual vein and was his territory.

“Oh, it seems someone is coming?”

Just then, the black spiritual tortoise suddenly poked its head out of the water, looking towards the sky with some surprise.

“Otherwise, why would I suddenly feel like taking you out for a stroll?” Qiu Xingluo murmured softly, looking up at the sky which had already begun to distort above them.

Accompanying the spatial fluctuations, a void portal opened, and a black, dragon-shaped creature, its head already emerging, flew out—it was precisely the Young Flood Dragon.

Ten years ago, when the Five Elements Sect's army embarked on its expedition to the Black Sea, it had already considered a retreat path.

At that time, the fallout between the Five Elements Sect and the Jellyfish Palace was already widely known throughout the Five Continents and Four Seas, so the Young Flood Dragon's first instinct was to seek aid from the Jellyfish Palace.

After all, the Ancestral Black Dragon had once received guidance under the Jellyfish Master.

However, the Grand Elder of the Merman Clan was confined by the Primordial Water-Controlling Banner, and Nangong Jin, as the sect master, was very cautious about opposing the Five Elements Sect.

He believed that if the Celestial Sea directly sent troops to aid the Black Flood Dragon Royal Court, it could escalate the minor friction between the Five Elements Sect and the Jellyfish Palace into a full-scale war sweeping across the Five Continents and Four Seas.

Although the Jellyfish Palace had lost face in Eastern Continent, Nangong Jin had at least seized control of the sect's power through that incident. Therefore, regarding the Young Flood Dragon's plea for aid, he merely introduced it to Qiu Xingluo.

The Starfall Sea, where Qiu Xingluo resided, was previously Southern Continent, and beyond Southern Continent lay the Black Sea.

Within the Celestial Sea, the Jellyfish Palace's Primordial Grand Array completely enveloped and concealed it. Thus, as long as the Young Flood Dragon escaped here, its life would be safe.

“Greetings, Fellow Daoist Qiu…”

Seeing Qiu Xingluo waiting below to receive it, the Young Flood Dragon couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

As long as it could survive, it would be able to use the Celestial Sea as a base, reorganize the Royal Court, and constantly threaten the Five Elements Sect, which had occupied the Black Sea.

In any case, it had made up its mind to dedicate the next few millennia of its lifespan to opposing the Five Elements Sect.

Qiu Xingluo, upon seeing the Young Flood Dragon, was just putting away his fishing rod and about to greet it when his expression suddenly changed drastically.

The Young Flood Dragon, flying out of the void, also noticed something was amiss.

It was clearly flying downwards, so why was it getting further and further away from Qiu Xingluo?

Streaks of dazzling silver light appeared. To the Young Flood Dragon's disbelief, they extended from the void portal behind it, forming a transparent chain that, starting from its tail, bound its torso, limbs, dragon horns, and head.

With a final 'click,' the Young Flood Dragon's two horns were also firmly locked. Its entire dragon body was as if chained, involuntarily retreating in the direction it had flown from, pulled by an unseen giant hand from beyond the void.

Although the Young Flood Dragon didn't know what was happening, it sensed the aura of the Black Sea and the Azure Emperor of the Eastern Barrens from the void portal behind it. It immediately struggled violently, unleashing its most potent vital energy, even considering severing part of its body to escape.

However, once bound by the void divine chains, it found it exceptionally difficult even to mobilize its own power.

“Fellow Daoist Qiu, save me!”

The Young Flood Dragon shouted to Qiu Xingluo below. The latter, recalling Nangong Jin's instructions, rose from the spiritual tortoise's shell, raised his fishing rod, and prepared to try and pull the Young Flood Dragon back.

But just then, a bell chime resounded from within the void portal.

A white jade bell flew out and hovered above Qiu Xingluo's head.

As five-colored ripples shimmered, terrifying Dao power rendered Qiu Xingluo rigid on the tortoise shell.

As one of the nine Venerables of the Jellyfish Palace, he clearly perceived that if this bell fell, he would die.

The fifth-tier spiritual tortoise beneath him, without any hesitation, immediately retracted its head from the water and fled towards the depths of the Celestial Sea at its fastest speed.

However, Qiu Xingluo, locked by the Primal Chaos Bell, was left stranded on the sea surface.

Although he had heard that three of their Void Refinement cultivators had suffered losses in the Eastern Continent, it was only when directly facing Chen Mobai that Qiu Xingluo understood why a cultivator at the perfected Soul Transformation stage, like himself, could cause the Jellyfish Palace to lose so much face.

“May I ask if you are the Azure Emperor of the Eastern Barrens? I am Qiu Xingluo. Seeing the fine weather today, I came here to fish. Casting my rod was merely to change positions; I absolutely have no intention of colluding with the Sea Dragon King.”

Realizing his inferiority in strength, Qiu Xingluo clutched the life-saving sixth-tier Primordial Water Talisman, ready to activate it at any moment, yet he also spoke up to explain, wishing to avoid truly triggering a war with the Five Elements Sect because of himself.

As he spoke, Qiu Xingluo swung his retracted fishing rod and cast it into another spot on the water.

In response, Chen Mobai offered no reply.

After the transparent void divine chains dragged the Young Flood Dragon back to the Black Sea, Chen Mobai extended a hand, lifted the Primal Chaos Bell hovering above the Starfall Sea, and then closed the void portal.

Soon, the Starfall Sea returned to its calm state.

Qiu Xingluo waited for a while, only daring to breathe a sigh of relief after confirming that the Azure Emperor of the Eastern Barrens' aura had vanished.

However, he did not dare to put away the sixth-tier Primordial Water Talisman in his hand.

He was deeply afraid that the Azure Emperor of the Eastern Barrens might remember his grievances with the Jellyfish Palace, regain his focus, and casually turn him into ash.

A gurgling sound of water arose.

The escaped fifth-tier spiritual tortoise, also sensing the situation, surfaced again. Its shell landed precisely at Qiu Xingluo's feet, and it stretched out its head, chuckling, “Um, my water escape speed is a bit faster, so I thought if something happened, I could quickly go to the Cerulean Palace to seek aid from the sect master.”

“Hmph, one day, I'm going to stew you.” Upon hearing this, Qiu Xingluo clearly knew that his spirit beast was cowardly and afraid of death, and it was precisely this trait that allowed it to become the oldest fifth-tier true spirit in the Celestial Sea.

“That person must be the legendary Azure Emperor of the Eastern Barrens. Even across the Black Sea, his power can make me tremble. His control over the void is clearly no weaker than that of the sect master and the Grand Elder.”

The spiritual tortoise immediately changed the subject, speaking of Chen Mobai, the Jellyfish Palace's newly emerged formidable enemy.

The Black Sea was a hundred and eight thousand miles away from here, yet Chen Mobai was still able to transmit his power through the Sky-Escape Talisman. Such mastery over the void was typical of a Void Refinement cultivator.

It was precisely because of this that Qiu Xingluo, a perfected Soul Transformation cultivator, didn't even entertain the thought of resistance.

“Let's go to the Cerulean Palace and report this matter to the sect master.”

Qiu Xingluo realized that his Starfall Sea was the closest to the Five Elements Sect's territory, and suddenly felt that this domain, where he had resided for a millennium, was somewhat unsafe.

Now, the Young Flood Dragon had been seized by the Azure Emperor of the Eastern Barrens like a roadside snake. If the Five Elements Sect's power were to expand further, the Celestial Sea might be their next target.

The fifth-tier spiritual tortoise also considered this point, and as it carried Qiu Xingluo towards the deepest parts of the Celestial Sea, it secretly groaned.

This Starfall Sea was considered the most barren place in terms of spiritual energy in the Celestial Sea. Besides Southern Continent, it also bordered the Barren Sea. It was precisely because of this that it could hole up here and ascend to the fifth-tier through the passage of long ages.

Originally, it had thought that even if the Jellyfish Palace collapsed, it might be able to hide in the Barren Sea and avoid the calamity.

It had never expected that the Jellyfish Palace's greatest enemy might now come from the direction of the Barren Sea.

While the man and the tortoise were reporting the news of the Five Elements Sect's pacification of the Black Sea to Nangong Jin, Chen Mobai had already entered the Black Flood Dragon Royal Court, still holding the Young Flood Dragon.

“Azure Emperor, please show mercy!”

“This little dragon is willing to surrender and become your mount.”

“My Black Flood Dragon clan has dominated the Black Sea for over a hundred thousand years, possessing countless treasures in our vault. We are willing to offer them all to Your Majesty, the Azure Emperor.”

“In the Dragon Palace, there are also my father's and my own thousands of dragon concubines, beauties of various races from the Four Seas…”

Before the last plea for mercy was finished, Qing Nü's gaze turned cold, and the Sea Stabilizing Sword hovering beside her emanated a chilling gleam, causing the Young Flood Dragon to immediately shut its mouth.

“The Dragon Palace treasures, did you not carry them with you when you escaped?”

The reason Chen Mobai didn't immediately kill the Young Flood Dragon was precisely for the legendary Dragon Palace treasures.

Among the Five Continents and Four Seas, excluding forces like the Purple Cloud Sky Pavilion, Jellyfish Palace, and Grand Void Ethereal Palace, the Black Flood Dragon clan, which commanded the Black Sea, was the wealthiest.

Although the Five Elements Sect had now ascended to become the top holy land in the Celestial River Realm, its foundational strength was still inferior even to the Nine Heavens Demon-Slaying Sect and the Daoist Virtue Sect.

Although Chen Mobai was developing it as much as possible, both medicinal materials and high-tier cultivators required time to show results.

If he could acquire all the Black Flood Dragon clan's treasures accumulated over hundreds of thousands of years, then it was estimated that he could immediately surpass the other three great holy lands in the Eastern Continent.

Therefore, when the Young Flood Dragon escaped, Chen Mobai, in order to capture it, did not hesitate to even expose his progress in Void Refinement.

However, in the Celestial River Realm, it was almost common knowledge that he could step into the Void Refinement stage at any time, so revealing a bit more wasn't an issue.

Perhaps it could make his enemies more patient.

Thinking they would wait until after his ascension to cause trouble.

“Yes, yes, I have some with me.”

“But my clan's treasures are truly too numerous, and the most precious ones are hidden within the Eye of the Sea.”

“There are sixth-tier Black Sea Marrow Crystals, Profound Abyss Ice Souls, Star-Weaving Dragon Silk, Primordial Flowing Flames, and artifacts left by our ancestors who ascended through generations, such as the Nine Rippling Ice-Patterned Armor, the Thousand-Scale Moon Reflection Screen, and more.”

The Young Flood Dragon was deeply afraid that Chen Mobai would directly kill it and refine it into an elixir. Thus, at the latter's inquiry, it immediately recounted the Dragon Palace's most precious treasures as if listing its family heirlooms.

“Why are they hidden in the Eye of the Sea? You seem very eager for me to go there.”

Chen Mobai recalled that the Heaven-Penetrating Altar always gave a warning whenever it passed over the Black Sea's Eye of the Sea. He thought the Young Flood Dragon was trying to lure him into an ambush or trap left by the Black Flood Dragon clan. His tone was calm, but his eyes grew colder and colder.

“Your Majesty, the Azure Emperor, you misunderstand! I truly wish to offer you the Dragon Palace's finest treasures.” Although bound by the void divine chains, the Young Flood Dragon still sensed Chen Mobai's clear killing intent. Looking at some of its kin who had already turned into corpses under the might of the Cerulean Flow Sea Beasts and the Five Elements Sect army, it couldn't help but tremble, racking its brain to figure out how to make Chen Mobai spare its life.

“Oh, and I also heard my father say that within the Eye of the Sea, there are also the bones of our ancestor. It is said that they have been constantly immersed in the Dao of the Eye of the Sea, reaching the seventh-tier innate grade. Your Majesty, the Azure Emperor's Primal Chaos Bell refines all five elements; if it were to incorporate those bones, it might also attempt to ascend to the seventh-tier…”

The Young Flood Dragon had indeed thought of something that made Chen Mobai's eyes light up.

The Ancestral Black Dragon was a true spirit that could inherently control the Dao of Water and eventually stepped into the Dao Integration stage. If the Primal Chaos Bell could refine its remains, it might be able to evolve innate Five Elements from innate Water, laying the foundation for its promotion into the Primal Chaos Golden Dipper.

“Why would you leave such good things in the Eye of the Sea?”

However, Chen Mobai was not swept away by these revelations and continued to ask calmly.

“Throughout the entire Black Sea, there is no safer treasury than the Eye of the Sea. Even our clan could only enter it with the help of the Deep Sea Suppressing Pearl. Decades ago, my father, overestimating himself, challenged Your Majesty the Azure Emperor's authority and died by your hand. After that, the Deep Sea Suppressing Pearl was lost, and our clan has had no way to re-enter the Eye of the Sea and retrieve these treasures…”

The Young Flood Dragon explained why it hadn't taken these treasures. As it spoke, it opened its mouth and spat out one brilliant blue pearl after another, which fell into the seawater, emitting dazzling silver light.

“Your Majesty, the Azure Emperor, these are my clan's storage pearls. They were refined using Abyssal Blue Pearls as raw material, with the help of the Grand Void Ethereal Palace in the past. All the treasures I could bring from the Dragon Palace are inside. Besides spirit stones and minerals, most are fifth-tier spiritual items, with a few being sixth-tier.”

As the Young Flood Dragon spoke, Qing Nü's face lit up with joy, and she collected these brilliant blue pearls before her.

“What a waste!”

Chen Mobai counted them: there were exactly twenty-three Abyssal Blue Pearls. He couldn't help but exclaim.

One must know that the Sea Stabilizing Pearl he had refined for Qing Nü was made from an Abyssal Blue Pearl.

And he had been quite proud of it.

He had never expected that this item, in the Dragon Palace, was merely equivalent to a storage bag.

In comparison, he felt like a poor villager.

Thinking of this, Chen Mobai tightened the void divine chains binding the Young Flood Dragon slightly, asking if it had spat out everything. The latter cried out in pain, indicating that it truly had no more within its body.