Chapter 2148: The Tomb of Ten Thousand Dragons

Zu An tried to pry for information several times, but Kachel was extremely cunning and didn't reveal much useful information.

Knowing that Kachel was somewhat suspicious, Zu An didn't press the issue too hard, not wanting to appear too obvious.

In the following days, all parties busied themselves with their arrangements.

The Tomb of Ten Thousand Dragons opened once every hundred years. Besides the customary ancestor worship, it was also time to inter the dragon remains that had accumulated over the past century.

Some elderly dragons, sensing their end was near, even chose to enter the tomb early to spend their remaining time there.

This was to avoid dying just a few years after an opening, only for the next opening to be centuries away—as the Tomb of Ten Thousand Dragons wouldn't be opened unless there were enough dragon corpses to inter.

If left outside for centuries, their bodies might become restless spirits. It was far better to return to the Tomb of Ten Thousand Dragons, where their souls could quickly rejoin the Dragon God's embrace, perhaps even reincarnating as dragons sooner.

Therefore, the ceremonies held by the Merfolk for each opening of the Tomb of Ten Thousand Dragons were always exceptionally grand.

Traditionally, preparing these ceremonies required significant effort from both the Dragon King and the Queen. Zu An seized this opportunity to appear frequently in public with Shang Hongyu, ostensibly to finalize details. In reality, he used this time to investigate the demons and the underworld's planted agents within the Merfolk ranks.

Given his diligent efforts recently in "conquering" Shang Hongyu and his ability to use the Crown of the Sea God, both factions trusted him and didn't suspect his actions.

After some time, he had gathered considerable information.

Soon, the time for the Tomb of Ten Thousand Dragons to open arrived.

On that day, as Shang Hongyu was being elaborately dressed by her maids, her face suddenly changed, and she rushed aside to dry heave.

"Your Majesty, what's wrong?" a maid nearby exclaimed, startled.

"It's nothing, continue," Shang Hongyu said with a forced smile, then returned to her seat, gesturing for the maid to resume applying her makeup.

However, not long after, she again rushed aside to dry heave. After several such episodes, she looked faint and unsteady.

"Perhaps we should call the imperial physician," one maid suggested, but Shang Hongyu stopped her.

At that moment, the maid disguised as Shang Liuyu suddenly spoke: "Could it be that you're pregnant?"

The other maids suddenly understood. Indeed, the Dragon King had been favoring the Queen daily, like a newlywed couple. The Queen's cries even made the maids' faces blush. Lately, she had been radiant, looking much more vibrant than usual; who knew how much "essence" the Dragon King had poured into her.

The news quickly spread. By the time Zu An, Kachel, and several high-ranking demons arrived, Shang Hongyu was already resting in bed, having reportedly just fainted.

"Would pregnancy cause such a strong reaction?" Kachel asked, somewhat suspicious.

The Flame Demon Sea Monster chuckled. "You wouldn't understand this. If the real Dragon King had impregnated her, there naturally wouldn't be such a strong reaction. But have you forgotten his true identity?"

They had dismissed all attendants, so they weren't afraid of being overheard.

As he spoke, he couldn't help but glance at Shang Hongyu lying in bed in the distance. He thought, 'This mermaid is truly beautiful, and now she's pregnant—that makes it even more exciting. After we come out of the tomb, I'll find a way to distract the Lord of Myriad Transformations and ensure I get to have some fun with this mermaid at least once.'

Upon hearing his words, Kachel instantly understood. 'Ah, right, he's a demon. A union between a demon and the Merfolk Queen—who knows what kind of monster might be born? No wonder the Queen's reaction is so extreme; she probably can't conceive successfully.'

At this time, the Bloodthirsty Crocodile Ancestor and the Fearful Shadow Demon were also communicating telepathically in secret:

"The Lord of Myriad Transformations is truly amazing; he actually managed to impregnate the Merfolk Queen."

"What do you think will be born then—a mermaid or another Lord of Myriad Transformations?"

"Probably more like the Lord of Myriad Transformations, since he's more powerful."

In the universe of myriad realms, the stronger one is, the more dominant their bloodline.

Seeing these few gossiping without suspecting that Shang Hongyu was faking it, Zu An breathed a sigh of relief. This saved him a lot of trouble explaining things.

While they had been engaging in intimate acts, both were well aware that they couldn't risk a real pregnancy at such a crucial juncture. Thus, Shang Hongyu's pregnancy was, of course, fake.

It was simply an excuse for her to remain outside and facilitate other matters.

Just then, Kachel suddenly frowned. "If the Queen is unwell, what about the upcoming ceremony?"

The Flame Demon Sea Monster dismissed the concern. "The ceremony doesn't absolutely require her presence. Besides, isn't there still her younger sister?"

Kachel considered this and agreed to the plan.

Afterward, when everyone had left, Zu An announced the joyous news of the Queen's pregnancy, declaring a general amnesty and a grand celebration for the entire Merfolk race.

The Merfolk subjects immediately erupted in endless cheers; after all, the more royal descendants, the better.

Naturally, no one objected to the Queen remaining in the palace to rest.

Many loyal ministers even felt relieved. They had previously feared chaos when the Queen was suddenly declared a fugitive, but now that the two sides had reconciled and their affection seemed even stronger than before, it was truly a joyous outcome for everyone.

Of course, not everyone was happy, for example, Ao Yong.

Upon hearing the news, his fingernails, hidden in his sleeves, dug so hard into his flesh that they almost broke the skin.

Damn it, damn it!

That bastard actually got the Queen pregnant!

It might have been from that very night!

Recalling the high-pitched moan he had heard from outside the courtyard wall that night, he trembled all over.

'You were almost mine! How could you get pregnant with someone else's child at a time like this!'

Rage points from Ao Yong: 999,999,999...

Sensing the flood of rage points in the background, Zu An cast an annoyed glance at him, wondering if there was something wrong with this guy's head.

However, he didn't dwell on it, as he had far more important enemies to deal with, requiring his full attention.

Next, a ritual to worship the gods was held, similar to the human race's heaven-worshiping ceremony, though here they seemed to be honoring the Sea God.

After the ceremony concluded, they finally arrived before the Tomb of Ten Thousand Dragons.

Though called a tomb, what lay before them was actually a vast, continuous underwater mountain range.

Zu An, having studied in the past, had considerable knowledge of geomancy.

A single glance at these mountains filled him with shock. They stretched out majestically, resembling colossal dragons sprawled across the seabed.

If, in human geomancy, "dragon veins" were an honorable term for mountains with special formations, here, "dragon veins" felt like a literal description.

Each mountain range seemed to conceal an extremely dense dragon aura. This was truly a treasured burial ground, coveted by human emperors throughout history.

He felt a surge of excitement. Sensing such a rich dragon aura even from across the mountains, he thought it was possible that a divine dragon's elixir of immortality might truly be nurtured within.

"Your Majesty, it's your turn," Kachel's voice reminded him from beside him.

It turned out the Merfolk elders had already completed the summoning ritual, and a colossal tomb entrance suddenly appeared on the large mountain directly ahead.

The tomb entrance was hundreds of meters tall, covered in various enigmatic runes. It was clearly an incredibly sophisticated ancient formation, extending across all the dragon veins, emanating a latent, immense power.

Should anyone attempt to force it open, the formation would unleash a thunderous counterattack.

Zu An grew even more surprised, as he found that with his current mastery of formations, he could barely comprehend the runes on it!

It was well known that after his recent gains, his proficiency in formations was unmatched. He hadn't expected that even with his skill, he couldn't fully decipher the formation on this tomb entrance.

Recalling the profound ancient formations left behind in the Dragon Palace, Zu An increasingly felt that he had gravely underestimated the Merfolk. Their heritage was far deeper than he had imagined.

Moreover, based on his interactions within the Merfolk for some time, it seemed the current Merfolk were considerably weaker than their ancient counterparts.

At that moment, the seemingly carved patterns on the tomb entrance appeared to come alive, faintly forming the shape of a dragon. The dragon's eyes stared intently at Zu An directly in front, their gaze exceptionally fierce, as if ready to devour anyone who displeased it.

In the preceding days, Zu An had already been briefed by Shang Hongyu and her sister on the procedures for each opening of the Tomb of Ten Thousand Dragons. Unhurriedly, he stepped forward.

As he reached the dragon's line of sight, the Crown of the Sea God on his head suddenly lit up. Then, as if drawn by something, the crown's light converged into a single beam, shooting directly into the eyes of the stone dragon on the tomb entrance.