Chapter 207: Dragon Clan's Priceless Treasure, Dragon Palace!

Chapter 207: Dragon Clan's Priceless Treasure, Dragon Palace!

Tonight.

No one was cultivating on Dragon Island, as the path to immortality was long, and missing one night wouldn't make much difference.

The Mock Heaven Sect disciples were quite lively at this moment.

Seven or eight of them, with dark expressions and sinister smiles, surrounded Qu Gui, their fists clenched and teeth grinding. Words escaped from between their teeth, one by one.

"Qu Gui, we heard you've reached the Divine Transformation stage? Quite impressive."

"Do you remember how many of our heads you took?"

"You animal!"

Deep in the underground cavern, in the midst of the chaotic battlefield between the Demon Race and the Dwarf Race, Qu Gui hid in the shadows, collecting numerous heads of severely injured Nascent Soul stage Dwarf Race cultivators. These heads instantly boosted his cultivation, propelling him to the First Rank of the Divine Transformation stage.

"Mhm."

Qu Gui casually bit into the juicy chicken leg in his hand, then looked up at the others with a grin. "I remember, but the question is, can you beat me now?"

". . ."

As his words fell, the few Mock Heaven Sect disciples who had originally planned to come and stir up some trouble froze, then glanced at each other, momentarily at a loss for words.

It seemed like they couldn't beat him now.

But soon, they sat down beside Qu Gui, grumbling.

"I don't care. You're an Outer Gate Elder, Qu Gui. You should be looking after us disciples. You have to give us some compensation."

"Yes, or else it'll be hard to calm our hearts."

"No way."

Qu Gui shook his head sincerely. "I'm just worried about inciting everyone's anger, so I only kept an eye on the heads you guys took. I didn't even touch the others."

"So, only you guys came to find me."

"Of course—"

He paused, looking at the others with their resentful eyes, and clicked his tongue. "I can understand how you feel. How about this, later I'll take you guys to have some fun, and then I'll think of a way to make it up to you."

The Mock Heaven Sect disciples exchanged glances, their eyes filled with helpless resentment, and reluctantly agreed.

After all, there wasn't much else they could do.

By the bonfire.

Chen Qiu sat quietly on the ground, listening to Ao Tian telling a stand-up comedy routine. Whether it was because he hadn't spoken to anyone in so long or because of his natural talent, Ao Tian had a lot to say.

And what he said was quite interesting.

But Chen Qiu found his mind wandering, thinking about the three milestone tasks he hadn't completed yet.

"Full Sect Divine Transformation."

"Unify the Profound Sky."

"Dao Equal to Heaven."

These three milestone tasks were also the last three, and once completed, the twelve statues in the "Heavenly Palace" above the Nine Heavens would be filled.

The first milestone task wasn't too difficult.

He was already preparing for it, and with the abundant supply of Nascent Soul Heavenly Dao Cultivation Pills from the Dragon Clan, it would take a maximum of one year for the Mock Heaven Sect to achieve Full Sect Divine Transformation.

After completing the first milestone task, when he breaks through to the Soul Refinement Stage, leading the Full Sect Divine Transformation and a group of Dragon Clan Divine Transformers to unify the Xuantian Continent, it would be a natural progression.

The last milestone task was named "Dao Equal to Heaven," and the specific requirement was to complete eleven milestone tasks.

Only the first two milestone tasks needed to be completed.

The last milestone would then be naturally accomplished.

It could be said that everything would proceed smoothly.

Now, he just needed time.

Waiting for the Mock Heaven Sect disciples to break through to Divine Transformation, waiting for the first batch of Dragon Cubs to reach Divine Transformation, waiting for his Nascent Soul to give birth to enough small Nascent Souls—then he could simultaneously open more Divine Transformation Realms.

He still had two unused "Divine Transformation Realm Tokens," which would allow him to possess two more realms.

"Hmm..."

Chen Qiu could barely hear what Ao Tian was saying beside him, only faintly hearing a buzzing sound like mosquitoes. He nodded subconsciously while looking towards the Virtue Value Shop.

There was a Divine Transformation Realm that was quite suitable for him.

Divine Transformation Realm "Snow Births All," bought!

It was an auxiliary realm.

Upon activating this realm, his snow-related spells would be enhanced, and it would aid in his recovery, significantly increasing his healing speed.

It was quite fitting for him.

It was somewhat similar to Ao Tian's Ninth-Rank Divine Transformation Realm, "Hundred Phoenixes Return to the Nest."

Coincidentally, this Divine Transformation Realm required "Ten Thousand Years of Ice" as a special material, which he had in abundance.

So far, he had acquired the Thirteenth-Rank Divine Transformation Realm "Boundless Spirit Energy," the Thirteenth-Rank Divine Transformation Realm "Infinite Thunder," and the Thirteenth-Rank Divine Transformation Realm "Snow Births All."

These three realms, combined with the Lightning Summoning Art, were his strongest offensive methods, excluding his trump cards.

He hadn't used the remaining Divine Transformation Realm Token, as there was a Divine Transformation Realm in the Sin Points Shop that he quite liked, but it required 20 billion sin points."

Obtaining sin points is a lot harder than virtue points. I'll see if I have a chance to get 20 billion sin points in the future. If I do, I'll buy that realm; if not, then never mind."

After all, slaughtering an Evil Clan only gave him 2.9 billion sin points.

20 billion sin points would require slaughtering six or seven Evil Clans, and the Xuantian Continent didn't have that many Evil Clans for him to massacre.

He then looked at the newly acquired Trait on his Nascent Soul, "Ultimate Thunder Body." This Trait allowed him to withstand stronger and more numerous thunder tribulations, and his body would be tempered during the tribulations, increasing the power of his thunder-based spells.

It's a pity that he obtained it a little too late.

If he had acquired this term during his breakthrough to the Divine Transformation stage, it would have allowed him to absorb a significant amount of the tribulation's power. Even if he had obtained it during the tribulation in Demon State, it would have been quite beneficial.

What a shame.

Of course, the best scenario would have been the million-bolt tribulation in Evil State. If he had dared to rush into that grand feast, he could have thoroughly absorbed the tribulation's power. However, the prerequisite was whether he could survive it.

Although he possessed terms that reduced the tribulation's power and had virtue points for protection, he wasn't entirely sure if he could withstand the million-bolt tribulation.

But Chen Qiu sensed the Heavenly Path Ring's "Virtue Defense Token" and "Virtue Attack Token," and a thought occurred to him. If he used the Virtue Attack Token to release half of his virtue points, forming an even more terrifying tribulation, and then activated the Virtue Defense Token to rush in...

It would be like wielding a spear and shield.

Would he be able to absorb this tribulation to temper his body?

Perhaps not.

Chen Qiu shook his head, not dwelling on it further. There would be plenty of opportunities to face tribulations in the future, and the nearest one was the Nine Pale Tribulations during the Soul Refinement Stage. According to Ao Tian's description, its power was comparable to the Annihilation Thunder Tribulation.

However, he recalled that Ao Tian had seemed slightly worried when he mentioned it.

For ordinary people, breaking through from the Peak Divine Transformation to the Soul Refinement Stage required enduring these Nine Pale Tribulations. These tribulations were also known as the Nine Death Notes of Yama.

Each tribulation was a death sentence from Yama, and only after enduring all nine could one be considered to have reached the Soul Refinement Stage.

This was the process of refining the soul and returning to the void.

That was the case for normal people.

But—

The problem was that Chen Qiu was clearly not normal.

Therefore, Ao Tian was deeply concerned about the tribulation Chen Qiu would face during his breakthrough, and he believed there was an 80% chance that it wouldn't be the Nine Pale Tribulations. It might even be eighteen tribulations.

Each one would be stronger than the last.

Eighteen tribulations were not just twice as powerful as nine; they were at least two or three times stronger.

However, Chen Qiu remained optimistic about the situation. As long as he conserved his virtue points and didn't spend them all, even with eighteen Pale Tribulations, he should be able to pass through smoothly with his thousands of billions of virtue points.

"Little brother, let's leave it at that then!"

At this moment—

Chen Qiu, who was daydreaming, heard Ao Tian's voice becoming increasingly indistinct. Ao Tian was now excitedly shaking his shoulder.

Chen Qiu, not fully understanding the situation, subconsciously replied, "Okay, I'll listen to my brother."

"Good!"

Ao Tian was already a little tipsy, patting his thigh heavily before saying excitedly, "When you marry my daughter, the connection between our two families will become even closer. You and I will be true in-laws."

"Even though we can't have children, it doesn't matter."

"The Dragon Clan's heritage is sufficient with Fatty Dragon. It's not important if a mother dragon can't give birth. When the Dragon Clan and the Mock Heaven Sect celebrate their grand wedding, we will..."

"Wait a moment—"

Suddenly, Chen Qiu snapped out of his daze, his eyebrows furrowing as he interrupted Ao Tian, "What's this about marriage?"

"Ah?"

Ao Tian was taken aback and asked in confusion, "I just said that I would betroth my daughter to Fatty Dragon, making the Dragon Clan and the Mock Heaven Sect in-laws. Then you shook your head."

"I just asked if you wanted to."

"You nodded."

"Then we agreed that you would marry my daughter, didn't we?"

"Stop!"

Chen Qiu, realizing what was happening, turned to Ao Tian with a serious expression and said, "First of all, I need to explain that there are significant cultural differences between the Human Race and the Dragon Clan in certain aspects."

"First of all, your daughter's behavior is not accepted by the Human Race. You've already done it yourself, and now you want to betroth her to someone else. In the eyes of the Human Race, this is a great humiliation."

"I definitely can't accept it, and I'm sure Fatty Dragon wouldn't either. What would happen after Fatty Dragon marries your daughter? How would the three of you get along in the future?"

"Erm..."

"Fatty Dragon would never accept it!" Chen Qiu shook his head. "Based on what I know about Fatty Dragon..."

Just then—

Fatty Dragon, who was standing nearby, suddenly appeared, looking somewhat excited. "Well, Brother Qiu, I can reluctantly accept it."

"Ao Big Brother can guide me; he's more experienced."

"No problem!"

Ao Tian, with a beaming face, pulled Fatty Dragon into his embrace and smiled at Chen Qiu. "Of course, little brother, I still respect your opinion. If you don't want Fatty Dragon to marry the Dragon Clan, then I won't bring it up again."

"Mainly..."

"Ahem."

Ao Tian's face turned slightly red, and he spoke seriously, scratching his head. "Once these dragon cubs grow up, the Dragon Clan will have a large number of Divine Transformation experts. I want the Mock Heaven Sect and the Dragon Clan to have a closer relationship, so that when you encounter any difficulties, the Dragon Clan will fully support you."

"..."

Chen Qiu, expressionless, looked at the expectant Ao Tian and the excited Fatty Dragon. After a long silence, he spoke softly.

"The marriage alliance between the Mock Heaven Sect and the Dragon Clan is a good thing, and I personally support it."

"But..."

"Just find a more normal marriage partner, after all, she's your daughter, and..."

"I understand!"

Ao Tian suddenly realized and slapped his forehead. He quickly reacted, feeling a bit embarrassed as he turned to Fatty Dragon, "It's my fault. I haven't lived among the Human Race for a long time, so I forgot about this."

"Like this."

"After these dragon cubs mature, I'll have the mother dragon cubs transform and line up. You can choose one as your marriage partner. They're all virgins, and once you've made your choice, I'll let them start mating."

The once excited Fatty Dragon hesitated, "Is this..."

Before Fatty Dragon could finish his sentence, Chen Qiu interrupted with a blank expression, "Stop, don't think about it. This is even more absurd. Brother, we'll do as you say. Let Fatty Dragon and your daughter get married."

"Alright, I'll listen to my brother!"

As he spoke, Ao Tian, excited, didn't have time to chat with Chen Qiu. He immediately dragged Fatty Dragon towards the depths of Dragon Island, planning the wedding ceremony as they walked.

"Brother Fatty Dragon, I think the occasion must be grand, and it should feel like the Ten Thousand Clans are coming to celebrate."

"Hey, Brother Ao Tian, I think it's best to get married when Qiu Ge breaks through the Soul Refinement Stage. Imagine the Ten Thousand Clans coming to celebrate, and with everyone's attention, Qiu Ge will break through and preside over the ceremony, showcasing his prowess."

". . ."

Sitting on the ground, Chen Qiu watched as the two gradually walked deeper into Dragon Island. Fatty Dragon's suggestion and Ao Tian's enthusiastic agreement gradually faded as they moved away.

After a long while, Chen Qiu sighed lightly, got up, and walked away from the noisy crowd alone. He stood on the beach, leaning on the Heavenly Clue Umbrella, gazing at the horizon where the sea merged with the night sky, and the waves crashing against the reefs beneath his feet.

The damp air, mixed with the salty sea breeze, hit his face.

So be it.

That's how the world is, and he was used to it. He had been accustomed to it since the time of Daxia Kingdom.

Just then—

The scholar, who knew when he had arrived, whispered beside him, "Qiu Ge, is the Mock Heaven Sect going into seclusion on Dragon Island?"

"Hmm."

Chen Qiu casually nodded, "Probably over a year of seclusion."

"I want to go out and explore during this time. After the 'Heavenly Strife' version is released, many Heavenly Dao Secret Realms will appear on the Xuantian Continent. I'm just one step away from the Nascent Soul stage."

"I'm thinking of going to find my own opportunities. Even if I encounter danger, with my brother around, I can quickly escape."

"And..."

Before the scholar could finish his well-prepared reasons, Chen Qiu waved his hand and smiled, "No need to say more. If you want to go, just go. Tomorrow, I'll have the Black Dragon send you to the Xuantian Continent."

The scholar was slightly taken aback, then nodded solemnly, "Thank you, Qiu Ge."

He turned and ran off to prepare for the next day's journey.

Chen Qiu glanced at the scholar's departing figure without much thought. It was normal; obviously, Fatty Dragon's opportunity had made the scholar restless, wanting to try his luck and find his own opportunity.

That's good.

With the scholar's talent in Sword Cultivation, Chen Qiu felt that he might just find his own opportunity if he went out to try.

Soon—

The night passed, and as the sun rose, the Mock Heaven Sect disciples, who had been drinking all night, were already fast asleep on the beach. For cultivators, only exceptionally high-grade spirit wine could intoxicate them.

Ordinary spirit wine couldn't possibly make cultivators drunk.

But yesterday, in their excitement, they didn't bother to expel the alcohol, and it just happened.

At this moment, Chen Qiu and the scholar stood at the edge of Dragon Island, preparing to send the scholar and his companion to the Xuantian Continent early that morning. Meanwhile, Ao Tian looked out towards the distant horizon with some annoyance.

"The Black Dragon disappeared last night, who knows where he went."

"He probably went off to play alone again."

"This kid, he's never been easy to manage, he's always been like this."

"Brother, I'll send the scholar to the Xuantian Continent. When the Black Dragon returns from his play, help me catch him. Don't let him run away. When he's back, I'll teach him a lesson."

"Alright."

Chen Qiu nodded helplessly, then looked towards the scholar and his companion, who were about to be lifted by a golden light. He waved his hand and smiled, "Be careful out there. If you encounter an unavoidable danger, remember to take out the Sect Elder Token."

"There's a seventy percent chance it will save your lives."

"What about the remaining thirty percent?" the scholar asked subconsciously.

"Do you even need to ask?"

Ao Tian glanced at the scholar helplessly, "The Mock Heaven Sect has many enemies on the Xuantian Continent. The other thirty percent is the pressure you might face, or you might even be captured and used to threaten the Mock Heaven Sect."

"I hope such a dramatic scenario doesn't happen."

Ao Tian said with some resentment.

"I hate rescue missions the most. Back then, rescuing the Black Dragon took a lot of effort!"

"Don't worry, Qiu Ge." The scholar looked at Chen Qiu with a serious expression, "If that happens, my brother and I will commit suicide on the spot. We won't cause any trouble for the Mock Heaven Sect."

Leaning on the Heavenly Clue Umbrella on the beach, Chen Qiu couldn't help but chuckle. He waved his hand and consoled, "That won't be necessary. If it really happens, try to stay alive. If I go there, they'll have to release you."

"What if they don't release us?"

"Then you can start committing suicide. I'll go down there and join you."

After sending off the scholar, Chen Qiu didn't stay long on the beach. He returned to the island's peak, sat cross-legged on an oval stone, and began cultivating, entering a state of meditation.

Lately, his cultivation breakthrough speed had been a bit too fast.

After three days and three nights of cultivation, Chen Qiu, seated cross-legged on a round stone, exhaled a breath of turbid air. His cultivation base had stabilized somewhat, and with another seven to eight days of consolidation, his realm would be completely secure.

Even with his Twelfth Rank Nascent Soul, he was barely able to maintain stability after breaking through eight minor realms. Those with lower-ranked Nascent Souls would likely experience a decline in cultivation after consecutively breaking through four minor realms without proper consolidation.

Just then, a streak of light shot out from the depths of the island, and Ao Tian appeared. Unlike his usual carefree self, he was visibly anxious. "Black Dragon is missing! I've been searching for him for three days, checking all his usual haunts."

"I even went to the 'Red Fish School' in the west, where he occasionally likes to scare people, but there was no sign of him."

"Even his two sisters haven't seen him for several days."

"Hmm?" Chen Qiu furrowed his brows, stood up, and looked at Ao Tian, puzzled. "Don't worry, he might have gone to the Xuantian Continent on his own. Black Dragon has always wanted to go there."

The dragon that the scholar encountered in the seabed ten days after they destroyed the Evil State was Black Dragon.

"Impossible," Ao Tian said, his voice filled with anxiety as he paced back and forth in place, patting his head.

"He's only at the Nascent Soul stage and hasn't even reached the Divine Transformation stage. Without even taking human form, how could he go to the Xuantian Continent? He'd be discovered as soon as he arrived."

"A Nascent Soul dragon going to the Xuantian Continent would surely die!"

"I went to the Xuantian Continent within these three days to inquire. No one along the coast has seen a black dragon landing. This means Black Dragon didn't go to the Xuantian Continent; otherwise, without taking human form, he couldn't have hidden it."

"Hmm," Chen Qiu said, also feeling perplexed. "He didn't go out to play, and he didn't go to the Xuantian Continent. Where else could he have gone? Wait, I just remembered something about that bonfire party three days ago."

"You were talking to me and Fatty Dragon the whole time, leaving Black Dragon alone and isolated. Do you think he felt neglected and ran away from home?"

"Ran away from home?!" Ao Tian's eyes widened in disbelief. "That's impossible! The term 'running away from home' doesn't fit the Dragon Clan at all. Dragons don't run away from home."

"I remember talking to him briefly. Black Dragon stopped me and said he also wanted to quickly break through to the Divine Transformation stage and then take human form to play with everyone."

"I was busy at the time and brushed him off. Only adult dragons in the Dragon Clan can break through to the Divine Transformation stage; it's a bloodline rule that can't be changed. He's still over three hundred years away from adulthood."

"After that, I didn't pay him any attention. I thought he had gone off to play, but now, after three days, he's still missing. Who knows where he is..."

"Wait—"

Ao Tian suddenly froze, his eyes fixed on Chen Qiu, his voice trembling with fear. "Don't tell me that little rascal went to the Dragon Palace?"

"It seems so," Chen Qiu nodded silently. "Given that he didn't go to play or to the Xuantian Continent, the Dragon Palace is the only option left, as you mentioned. I've heard of Dragon Island, but this is the first time I've heard of the Dragon Palace. What is this place?"

"It's the origin of the Dragon Clan," Ao Tian said, his face grim as he gazed into the distance at the horizon. "Deep beneath the sea, a long time ago, the Dragon Clan of the Xuantian Continent lived within the Dragon Palace."

"However, as the Dragon Clan declined, the array formations in the Dragon Palace could no longer withstand the might of the deep sea, forcing the dragons to relocate to Dragon Island."

"This happened a long time ago. According to records, the Dragon Clan left the Dragon Palace over fifty thousand years ago."

"And the Dragon Palace isn't a creation of the Xuantian Continent."

"According to ancient Dragon Clan records, the first generation clan leader of the Xuantian Continent's Dragon Clan brought the Dragon Palace with him when he was expelled from the Dragon Clan in the Vast Continent."

"This is the Dragon Clan's ultimate treasure, even within the main branch of the clan."

"Within the Dragon Palace, there is a Dragon Clan heritage specifically for Dragon Clan prodigies. Any dragon who enters this heritage will immediately reach adulthood and gain access to the corresponding Dragon Clan heritage based on their rank. However, the mortality rate is extremely high, and according to the records, it has been a long time since any Dragon Clan prodigy has ventured into this heritage."

"The Dragon Clan cannot afford to lose any more members."

Chen Qiu furrowed his brows, pondering. He now had a general idea of what the Dragon Palace was. After a moment of hesitation, he asked, "Based on your understanding of Black Dragon, what do you think his chances of survival are in this Dragon Clan heritage?"

"Ninety-nine percent," Ao Tian said, his entire body exuding a deep sense of sorrow as he gazed into the distance, his eyes flashing with a hint of regret. His voice was hoarse as he spoke.

"Black Dragon isn't a prodigy; he's just an ordinary black dragon. There's no way he could pass through the heritage."

"Moreover, dying in the Dragon Clan heritage is an extremely painful experience for Dragon Clan prodigies."

"Before death, they endure the torture of flaying and dismemberment."

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end