Chapter 240: Heaven-bestowed Longevity, Appearance of the Three Kings

The Dragon Whale let out a mighty bellow as it thrashed violently. Four sea vessels, along with Liu Tianning's three thousand avatars, were dragged along by the Dragon Whale. The colossal creature's death throes were terrifying; a massive vortex of black clouds appeared in the sky, even affecting Liu Tianning's Solar Term Edict and Cloud Arts.

"Release!" Liu Tianning commanded.

"Release the chains!" Pei Yuanchang immediately ordered the mechanist team on the ships.

With a series of grinding clicks, the machinery whirred, and the capstans spun rapidly, letting the chains disappear link by link into the sea. The Dragon Whale instinctively dived, attempting to shake off its pursuers. However, the resilient vines held by Liu Tianning and the God-Binding Chains from the ships were all sufficiently long. Even after diving five hundred meters, the Dragon Whale remained tightly bound.

"Retrieve!" At Liu Tianning's command, the resilient vines and the ships' God-Binding Chains began to retract, pulling against the Dragon Whale. The intense pain forced the Dragon Whale to ascend from five hundred meters below, resurfacing once more.

*Slap!* Its tail, over three hundred meters long, slammed against the ocean surface, sending massive waves surging towards Liu Tianning and the surrounding ships. The sixth-tier resilient vines began to crack, their outer layers peeling off.

"This creature is incredibly strong," Xia Jing remarked, looking at the colossal beast below.

"Its vitality is also astonishing," Chen Shijie said, his eyes gleaming. "After so many attacks, its life force hasn't diminished much."

"Someone's coming," Zhao Xing frowned, looking to the east. Just then, Ji Ye and Ji Chen, who had previously retreated, were seen approaching in their warships. They had clearly noticed the unusual activity. It was impossible for them to be unaware of such a massive commotion.

"A Dragon Whale? Such a colossal Dragon Whale?!" Ji Ye exclaimed in astonishment, his heart pounding after seeing its immense size. "What an opportunity! This Dragon Whale is undoubtedly the greatest fortune in the Abyssal Night Sea!"

"Issue orders!" Ji Ye commanded. "Have five warships enter combat readiness, deploy all mechanical puppets! Await command! Broadcast the Dragon Whale's coordinates to all major exploration teams!"

"My lord, you mustn't," the strategist beside him said, his expression changing. He knew exactly what Ji Ye was thinking. "Liu Tianning might not be able to kill the Dragon Whale, but he certainly has the power to kill us."

"Am I that foolish?" Ji Ye sneered. "First, let Liu Tianning and that giant beast fight it out. Once the news is out, I'll have the chance to reap the rewards! With so many exploration teams arriving, can Liu Tianning really kill them all? The Dragon Whale offers enormous benefits; I refuse to believe no one will be tempted!"

"My lord, if this were two months ago, your plan might have been feasible. But now, it's virtually impossible to achieve. Even if those exploration teams outwardly agree, they likely won't exert themselves," the strategist Zhang Wensong advised.

"No need for further persuasion, just do it!"

The strategist looked at Ji Ye, a hint of disappointment in his eyes. After leaving the room, Zhang Wensong looked up at the sky and shook his head involuntarily. "When Qin Chongwen and Huangfu Song were killed, he didn't dare to fight. Now, for the sake of a Dragon Whale, he dares. Two months ago, when the six major exploration teams hadn't pledged allegiance to Liu Tianning, he didn't try to form an alliance. Now, two months later, everyone has already reaped most of the benefits, and he's finally thinking about alliances..."

A trace of disdain appeared in Zhang Wensong's eyes: "He's too shortsighted to strategize with; following him will only lead to disaster sooner or later." With that thought, Zhang Wensong returned to his room, packed up all the previous rewards from Ji Ye, and even took off his elaborate robes, placing them on the table. He then flew directly towards Ji Chen's ship.

The Thirteenth Prince, Ji Chen, also noticed the Dragon Whale's activity and was quite tempted, wanting a share of the spoils. However, his strategist advised, "My lord, if you intervene, you might not secure the Dragon Whale, but you will instead offend Liu Tianning, the future leader of the Self-Nature Faction."

"Then, what do you think I should do, Master?" Ji Chen asked.

"Assist Liu Tianning," the strategist replied. "The Dragon Whale's immense activity will surely attract scrutiny from all sides. At this moment, my lord should shield Liu Tianning from those troubles. Whether Liu Tianning wishes it or not, as long as you take this action, he will owe you this favor."

Ji Chen clapped his hands. "Master, you are right. Whoever attacks Liu Tianning, I shall attack them."

After being chained, the Dragon Whale struggled for three days and three nights. Liu Tianning and Pei Yuanchang's four sea vessels were also dragged along for three days and three nights. Such a massive commotion naturally couldn't be concealed from the other exploration teams.

Around the Dragon Whale were first Liu Tianning's and Pei Yuanchang's forces. Further out were the two top exploration teams of Ji Ye and Ji Chen. Following them were Xing Ming's United Exploration Team, King Tianjue's direct descendant (grandson), and Ji Dan's exploration team (the youngest son of King Liang).

During this period, the fifth-rank cultivators on the Myriad Dharma Skyship and the Ocean Wave Warship were all prepared for battle. They were ready to prevent anyone from interfering with Liu Tianning or backstabbing him. Indeed, someone tried to backstab him. On the evening of the second day, Ji Ye's warships moved to intercept the Dragon Whale's movement area. However, before anyone from the Myriad Dharma Skyship or Ocean Wave Warship could react, someone stepped forward to shield Liu Tianning. It was none other than Ji Ye's brother, the Thirteenth Prince Ji Chen. The younger brother attacked, and the elder brother blocked. This left the other factions, who wanted to fish in troubled waters, to merely watch from the sidelines, because the two brothers' conflict blocked the path.

Then, at dawn on the fourth day, the Dragon Whale's struggles finally weakened. At 1:45 PM, the Dragon Whale completely ceased its resistance, and Liu Tianning seized the opportunity to shatter its life soul. At this point, though the Dragon Whale's body hadn't died, its soul had been extinguished.

*Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!* The resilient vines retracted from the Dragon Whale's body, returning into Liu Tianning. By then, the other factions could only sigh in dismay, giving up their intentions of profiting from the chaos.

"Zhao Xing, come here," Liu Tianning called, standing on the Dragon Whale's back and waving to Zhao Xing.

"Yes, sir." Zhao Xing immediately flew towards the Dragon Whale. As for the others, they remained on the ships, watching. Since Liu Tianning hadn't called them, they could only wait.

"Master, is it dead?"

"In a way, yes, but its vital essence remains," Liu Tianning said with a faint smile. "I never imagined that after consuming so many treasures, I would still encounter a Dragon Whale like this, a creature that seizes the very essence of creation."

Liu Tianning pointed a finger. *Pfft!* A golden radiance suddenly emerged from the Dragon Whale's back. *Thump-thump!* The golden light pulsed rhythmically, expanding and contracting. It was the Dragon Whale's Heart!

Zhao Xing suppressed the urge to lunge forward, simply gazing at the heart. The Dragon Whale's heart was enormous; even the largest compartment of the Blood Shadow Flying Boat couldn't contain it. This part also contained the most spiritual essence.

"The Dragon Whale's heart, fins, and flesh are all highly nourishing," Liu Tianning explained. "However, for us, master and disciple, only the vital blood within this Dragon Whale heart is truly beneficial."

Liu Tianning pointed, and a hole appeared in the heart, from which golden blood began to flow. *Gulp!* A fist-sized cluster of golden blood floated before Zhao Xing. "Eat it. Absorb as much as you can."

"Thank you, Master." Zhao Xing immediately dropped formalities, opening his mouth and drawing the cluster of golden blood in.

*Thump! Thump!* As the golden blood entered his body, Zhao Xing felt his heart immediately begin to pound violently. His entire body swelled, and a golden phantom appeared around him, resembling Zhao Xing but over a dozen times larger, like a giant. Wreaths of energy flowed around him, and upon closer inspection, one would notice these swirling energies took the form of a Dragon Whale.

Unlike Long Xiao and Xia Jing's 'robustness,' Zhao Xing's 'swelling' at this moment was an expansion of his life force. The fundamental essence of human life has an upper limit, a restriction imposed by the heavens and earth on all races. Even at the same sixth-rank, human lifespan is far inferior to that of spirit turtles, precisely due to the inherent limitations on their life essence. Now, this restriction was broken by the immense lifespan-enhancing spiritual essence, raising Zhao Xing's maximum lifespan!

"A life phenomenon," Liu Tianning commented, watching the scene. He also swallowed a cluster of golden blood. However, the golden phantom around Liu Tianning was fainter. This was because he absorbed it much faster; in just an instant, the golden phantom merged into his body. Liu Tianning began consuming a second cluster of golden blood, while Zhao Xing was still in the process of digestion. By the time Liu Tianning consumed his fourth cluster, the golden phantom around Zhao Xing had slowly faded. He then began absorbing his second cluster of blood. The master and disciple continued absorbing the essence while standing on the whale's back.

Liu Tianning continued to absorb until his tenth cluster of golden blood, then stopped. He then looked thoughtfully at the sky. Zhao Xing absorbed at a slower pace, but he also managed to absorb ten clusters of golden blood. The golden phantom on his body receded, and Zhao Xing stood up, a look of shock on his face.

"The spiritual essence from this Dragon Whale truly added 200 years to my lifespan?" He looked at an entry on his system panel.

*You consumed Heaven and Earth spiritual essence. Heaven bestowed upon you longevity. Your additional lifespan increased by 200 years.**You consumed Heaven and Earth spiritual essence. You comprehended your own destiny.*

His system panel also changed simultaneously: *Remaining Lifespan: 478 years.*

Zhao Xing also pondered as he looked at the panel. "At the sixth-rank, one normally lives only three hundred years. Previously, my additional lifespan increased to 178 years and then stayed fixed. I speculated that under normal circumstances, without cultivation, promotion, or consuming any longevity-enhancing treasures, my natural lifespan would only be 122 years. My natural lifespan of 122 years, plus the 178 years gained from national destiny boosts, lifespan spiritual essence, and other enhancements, totaled exactly 300 years, which matched the theoretical maximum lifespan for a sixth-rank."

"Now, at twenty-two years old, I can live for another 478 years. This means my maximum lifespan is now comparable to a fourth-rank's. Does this imply that if I reach the first-rank, I'll be able to break the theoretical limit of an 800-year lifespan for first-rank officials?" Zhao Xing mused. Logically, this limit could only be broken during the Martial Emperor's era. However, the world is full of wonders, and the elevation of a grotto-heaven is a rare sight, occurring perhaps only once in hundreds of thousands of years. Perhaps he had indeed already broken the 800-year limit.

"Old Liu also ate ten times," Zhao Xing mused to himself. "If my guess is correct, the same should apply to him." Verifying this conjecture was actually quite simple. If his lifespan still increased when he ascended to the fifth-rank and received the national destiny's baptism, it would mean that after consuming the Dragon Whale's spiritual essence, the theoretical maximum lifespan had been broken. But if his lifespan didn't increase upon reaching the fifth or fourth rank, it would mean he hadn't broken the great world's heaven-and-earth limits, but merely gained a fourth-rank lifespan prematurely within the Ten Suns Grotto-Heaven. Possessing a fourth-rank lifespan at the sixth-rank was still a benefit; even if he never got promoted, he could still live for five hundred years. One must know that even Tantai Ming, a fourth-rank, theoretically only lived for five hundred years, and normally wouldn't even reach that theoretical lifespan.

"It must have broken the limit, which is why the panel states, 'Heaven bestowed upon you longevity'!""With the natural lifespan broken, the next lifespan bottleneck for officials would be a thousand years."

After pondering for a moment, Zhao Xing looked up. The heart was still radiating golden light; he and Liu Tianning had only consumed half of it.

"The giant whale's bone marrow will still be beneficial to you," Liu Tianning said, turning around. "You have two more hours to consume it."

"Master, what do you mean?" Zhao Xing asked, confused.

Liu Tianning pointed to the Dragon Whale's heart and said, "I told you before that I had consumed all available longevity-enhancing treasures during my fifth-rank stage. The heaven and earth spiritual essence within this Dragon Whale's heart can still be absorbed by me, which means my lifespan limit has been broken. This matter is of great importance. I have already reported it to King Rahu," Liu Tianning stated. "A King-ranked expert will soon arrive to handle this Dragon Whale. So, you must hurry."

Hearing Liu Tianning's words, Zhao Xing immediately began to absorb the Dragon Whale's marrow. Liu Tianning's three thousand avatars had already sectioned off many parts of the Dragon Whale. Now, Zhao Xing only needed to consume the prepared portions.

"Dragon Whale marrow." Zhao Xing held a massive Dragon bone, tapping it to extract the marrow. Heat, an intense burning sensation, instantly spread throughout his body. Zhao Xing felt as if he had been thrown into a furnace. His skin, flesh, acupoints, meridians, and bones were all coated with a golden sheen.

"Ah—" Zhao Xing knelt, his face contorted in pain. The Dragon Whale marrow contained Primordial Spirit Essence, which served to strengthen the physical body! This Dragon Whale was truly a treasure from head to tail.

*Whoosh, whoosh!* An hour later. Zhao Xing was panting, drenched in sweat. Now, his bones themselves glowed with golden light.

*You consumed Dragon Whale bone marrow. Your physique underwent a transformation, evolving from 'Golden Bones Nascent' to 'Golden Bones Great Accomplishment'.*

"Huh?" Zhao Xing was stunned. The Dragon Whale marrow had actually forcefully elevated his physical body to the 'Golden Bones Great Accomplishment' level. He casually grabbed a bone. Dragon Whale bones were originally extremely hard, requiring divine weapons to break. But now, with a light squeeze— *Crack!* The tough Dragon Whale bone was crushed.

Zhao Xing fell into thought, looking at his palm. His physical strength had increased by an incredible magnitude. Moreover, a feeling of lightness came from his Sea of Consciousness. "With my life soul inhabiting my body, my physical form has grown stronger, and my life soul no longer feels confined; it has become free."

A stronger physical body was a good thing. If attacked in close quarters, he wouldn't die from a single blow; his vitality had become much tougher. Entering the Primordial Spirit Realm would also be easier in the future. "If I encounter any spell-forbidden zones or extreme environments, having these golden bones and some basic martial arts will greatly enhance my survival capabilities."

There was nothing left to consume after this; the remaining parts were of no use to Zhao Xing, unless he could break through his current realm. By the time he finished absorbing the Dragon Whale marrow, two hours had passed.

Two hours later, a golden dragon warship appeared in the Abyssal Night Sea. The warship bore a flag with a bow and arrow emblem, emitting a faint golden light.

"King Rahu's warship?" "Why is he here?" The various factions in the Abyssal Night Sea couldn't help but be astonished. Since the spiritual essence eruption in the Ten Suns Grotto-Heaven, it was the first time the Three Kings had publicly appeared.

The golden dragon warship flew next to the Myriad Dharma Skyship. *Swoosh!* Then, three phantoms descended onto the Dragon Whale's back. They were King Tianyan, King Rahu, and King Lingde.

"Your subordinate Zhao Xing greets King Rahu, King Tianyan, and King Lingde."

"Dispense with the formalities," King Rahu nodded lightly. The Three Kings then glanced at the Dragon Whale, especially its golden heart.

"What do you think?" King Rahu asked King Tianyan.

"Indeed, it possesses extraordinary qualities," King Tianyan nodded. "It seems it consumed too much spiritual essence and underwent a qualitative leap."

"Liu Tianning, bring your disciple aboard," King Rahu commanded.

"Yes, sir." Liu Tianning immediately flew away from the Dragon Whale with Zhao Xing, returning to the Myriad Dharma Skyship. Immediately after, King Rahu, King Tianyan, and King Lingde sealed off the surrounding space. Flags emerged, appearing above the Dragon Whale. They formed a celestial curtain, preventing anyone from seeing what was inside.

Four hours later, the celestial curtain barrier dissipated. The Dragon Whale's heart had vanished, its whereabouts unknown. The Three Kings offered no explanation, re-boarded the golden dragon warship, and departed the Abyssal Night Sea.

Zhao Xing watched the warship depart, deep in thought. Spiritual treasures from the Abyssal Night Sea were said to be useless outside the area, but it depended on who was handling them. Evidently, the Three Kings had taken the heart away using special means.

"I'd never heard of a Dragon Whale in my previous life. It seems the Three Kings truly intervened and suppressed the information," Zhao Xing conjectured. However, King Rahu and the others only took the heart. They completely disregarded the other parts.

Liu Tianning and Pei Yuanchang spent another three days cutting up the valuable parts of the Dragon Whale. The remaining members on the Myriad Dharma Skyship also received portions of Dragon Whale meat. Although its quality wasn't as high as the Dragon Whale's heart, it was still highly attractive to fifth-rank cultivators. Especially the Dragon Whale bone marrow, which could strengthen the physical body and greatly aid in subsequent advancement to the fourth-rank.

Chen Shijie, Xia Jing, Long Xiao, Ji Ziyun, Murong Xue, Ji Zixuan, Liu Chengan, Wu Ting... every member of Liu Tianning's exploration team received a share. A few days later, many people became 'chubby' due to excessive accumulation of vitality. Even the mountain cat had eaten until its belly was round, its body expanding by a full size.

"It's time to go back," Zhao Xing said, standing on the Myriad Dharma Skyship, watching the people below distributing the whale meat, and glancing at the almanac. It was already July 2nd!

"Now I have no further demands from the Ten Suns Grotto-Heaven; even if there are some minor benefits left, they're no longer important," Zhao Xing thought to himself. "It's perfect. I'll use the excuse of digesting the vitality and refining my spells to stay in Yang City and not go out."

The 'Ten Suns Overhead' event was in late August, but Zhao Xing decided to stop at the beginning of July. Because his gains had already surpassed his initial expectations, it was time to withdraw. No one knew if it would happen earlier this time, or what additional changes might occur.

On July 3rd, Zhao Xing followed Liu Tianning's Myriad Dharma Skyship back to Yang City. At this point, less than two months remained until the 'Ten Suns Overhead' event.

Upon returning to the Eighteen Locust Willow Courtyard, Zhao Xing entered a dream state to review his exploration experiences of the past three months, to prevent any omissions. Entering the memory palace within his dream, Zhao Xing's expression changed when he revisited the 'Heaven Gate Deduction' segment. At this moment, as he actively recalled it, he remembered this sealed memory.

"The 'Ten Suns Overhead' is actually related to the Profound Heaven Sect? And possibly even to King Liang?" Zhao Xing mused. His initial reason for sealing this memory was that his physique was too weak. But now, knowing Liu Tianning's strength and discovering that Old Liu's backer was King Rahu, he had some new ideas.

"Profound Heaven Sect, Ten Suns Overhead..." Zhao Xing pondered.