Chapter 885: Dragon Vein

Li Huowang had always been indifferent to such things in the past. This was because they always presented conflicting, equally valid arguments, and never aligned with actual events. Yet, even a distorted truth was still a truth.

Other matters could wait, but since he was about to confront Tianchen, the dragon veins were undoubtedly the top priority. Dragon veins not only anchored the daily hours, but dragon qi could also isolate the influence of other Si Ming. Furthermore, the dragon veins themselves...

Ever since he saw the golden dragon in Tianchen, a doubt had lingered in Li Huowang's mind: what exactly were the dragon veins? Whether it was instinct or something else, Li Huowang felt that the golden dragon was certainly not as simple as it appeared.

"Regarding the dragon veins, Father, you should know what I know," Li Sui said, wrapping two tentacles around a nearby teapot to pour Li Huowang a cup of hot tea. "Each dragon vein corresponds to a specific hour, and the disappearance of a dragon vein causes that corresponding hour to vanish."

"No, that's not what I want to know," Li Huowang said, setting down the teacup he had just picked up. "I want to know *why*. Where do the dragon veins come from? And why are they synchronized with the hours?"

"Other sects and factions have outrageous legends, even Qingshan's widespread belief in the Eternal Heaven. So, are there no legends about the dragon veins? That doesn't seem right."

Xuanpin extended a tentacle and gently touched Li Huowang's head. "Father, there truly aren't any. The dragon veins *are* the hours themselves; it has always been this way. Can there be isolated hours without corresponding dragon veins?"

"Just because it's always been this way doesn't mean it's right, does it? Besides, who says hours *must* be tied to dragon veins? Hours themselves should be independent entities." At this point, Li Huowang suddenly paused.

"Father, what are you trying to say? Although ordinary people don't understand the intricacies, you yourself have witnessed dragon veins dying and hours decreasing. Furthermore..."

"Wait a moment! Just wait!" Li Huowang ran his fingers through his hair, anxiously scratching his scalp. "Hold on, I feel like I'm remembering something."

Li Huowang tried hard to recall for a while, but he still couldn't remember what was on the tip of his tongue. Even with Li Sui extending a tentacle to help him scratch, it was no use.

"Damn it, what was it I just thought of? It was clearly important," Li Huowang said, slamming his hand down.

"Father, aren't we getting a bit off topic? Weren't we just talking about dragon veins?"

"Ah, right, the dragon veins. Let's continue," Li Huowang said, sitting upright again. "What I mean is, what exactly *are* the dragon veins? 'Dragon veins,' by definition, shouldn't they be part of a dragon? Why are they attached to humans?"

Li Huowang then recounted to Li Sui the golden dragon he had previously seen in Tianchen. "Dice said that golden dragon might be Tianchen's dragon vein. I suspect even more that it could be related to the so-called 'Heavenly Imperial Bloodline.'"

"I don't know how strong Tianchen is, but it's certain that if they can so easily manipulate the Heavenly Dao, they can probably just as easily utilize dragon veins and dragon qi. Whichever of these possibilities is true, they'll likely be difficult to deal with."

"Father, I'm truly not lying to you. There are really no legends about the dragon veins. After all, speaking rashly about the emperor in the mortal realm can lead to execution."

"Hmm..." Li Huowang leaned back, arms crossed and brows furrowed. He had hoped to gather some information about the enemy, but had found nothing. This made things difficult. With only three days, he couldn't possibly rush to Tianchen without even understanding who his enemies were, could he?

While Li Huowang was still deep in thought, Li Sui stood up, tugged on his sleeve, and began to walk outside. Seeing Li Sui move, Li Huowang didn't ask any questions and followed her forward.

Led by Li Sui, Li Huowang circled back to the oppressive imperial palace. They finally stopped before the Imperial Ancestral Temple, where incense burned brightly. Li Huowang had been here before, more than once, and naturally knew what lay within.

"Father, if you truly want to ask something, this is probably the only place you'll find answers."

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go," Li Huowang said, leading Li Sui into the Imperial Ancestral Temple.

There were people inside the Imperial Ancestral Temple, mostly old eunuchs with faces like withered wood. They diligently swept non-existent dust from the memorial tablets with their fly whisks, guarding the tombs of deceased emperors. It seemed their own final resting place would also be here, if nothing unforeseen happened.

Li Huowang knew that the outside was merely a facade, so he walked directly towards the bright yellow silk cloth hanging on the nearby wall. As the yellow cloth was pulled aside, a majestic black stone gate appeared before them. Carved into its surface were nine colossal dragons, their claws outstretched and teeth bared, appearing lifelike.

When Li Huowang pulled open the massive stone gate, a chill that sent shivers down his spine washed over them. Beyond the stone gate, the entire space was funnel-shaped, high at the edges and low in the center, decorated with utmost imperial extravagance. Everything glittered with gold. Even the enormous coffin at the lowest point, as large as a house, was made of gold. Nine golden dragons of varying forms were wrapped in chains, pulling this golden coffin in all directions.

Inside that golden coffin lay the most precious treasure of Daliang: its dragon veins. One Daliang emperor was stacked upon another, and the person beneath him was likewise stacked upon someone else, one after another, layer upon layer, seemingly endless. The interior of the coffin appeared extremely deep and dark. Successive Daliang emperors were firmly pinned in mid-air by chains, neatly stacked into a vertical column of corpses.

As Li Huowang gazed at them, the emperors in the column of corpses reacted, all turning their eyes toward him.

"Should we just ask them about the golden dragon?"

"No, they probably wouldn't know either. We need to find the oldest part," Li Sui said. With that, she led Li Huowang to the edge of the coffin and jumped straight down.

The bottom of the coffin was very dark, deep, and cramped. Fortunately, Li Huowang could embed most of his body into the wall, making it less crowded for him. The dim environment prevented Li Huowang from seeing much, allowing him only to barely discern the occasional glimpses of gilded gold flickering in the profound darkness.

"Fire," Li Huowang said, raising a hand. Flames illuminated the conditions at the very bottom of the coffin. However, the flames weren't as large as Li Huowang expected, flickering erratically. The presence of the dragon veins was already affecting everything in the vicinity.

"Young man, you're Li Huowang, aren't you? Do you need something?" a venerable voice drifted from above. Li Huowang didn't lift his head. "I'm not looking for you."

He crouched down, moving the fire in his hand closer to the emperor at the very bottom. He then saw a half-human, half-dragon face; the golden dragon robe on the emperor's body had completely fused with his flesh.