Chapter 305: Wangcheng Treasure Hunting, Who Stole the Secret of My Corpse Puppet Sect?

A bright yellow light emanated from the small cauldron, instantly invigorating Zhao Xing.

"Earth Elemental Qi!"

He then cast his Pure Essence Projection, drawing the Earth Elemental Qi into his Pure Essence Dimension.

"Hmm? There's more?"

Zhao Xing noticed that immediately after he took the first portion of Earth Elemental Qi, another bright yellow orb, identical in size, emerged from the bronze cauldron. It was also Earth Elemental Qi.

"I'll take it!"

Zhao Xing quickly absorbed the second orb of Earth Elemental Qi.

Yet another bright yellow light appeared.

"That's the third one! The Dragon Court truly is rich in spiritual energy!"

Zhao Xing beamed, absorbing the third portion of Earth Elemental Qi.

After a slight shake, the small cauldron produced another orb of spiritual energy. It was slightly smaller than the previous ones, only about half a portion. Zhao Xing absorbed it again, then waited for a moment. The small cauldron wobbled, and a fifth orb of light emerged.

Over the next fifteen minutes, the bronze cauldron released Earth Elemental Qi twenty times in total. Ultimately, ten full portions of spiritual energy appeared in his Pure Essence Dimension.

Zhao Xing patted the bronze cauldron, only putting it down when he confirmed there was nothing left.

"Ten portions of spiritual energy; that's more than all I've gathered before." Zhao Xing focused his mind inward, observing his Pure Essence Dimension.

At this point, his Pure Essence Soil could already be described as vast.

"Go!"

The ten bright yellow orbs sank into the ground.

A low hum emanated. The earth subtly trembled, and its area began to expand again.

"It's still Grade 6 soil, but its earth elemental characteristics are becoming more pronounced," Zhao Xing mused. "The Earth's immense weight can crush an enemy's Pure Essence Projection. It can also nurture more plant-based constructs."

"If I continue developing it, I'll be able to cultivate Grade 7 plant-based constructs on a large scale."

Currently, Zhao Xing's Pure Essence Soil supported many plants, but most were Grade 6 and somewhat sparsely distributed, as each plant construct required a significant rooting area. Achieving a dense forest was still quite difficult.

"There are twenty-four types of Grade 7 plants, corresponding to the twenty-four solar terms, but they are all still in their seedling stage."

"Only when an earth vein and a small river appear within the Pure Essence Soil will it truly be extraordinary; Grade 7 constructs could then mature in a single day."

Currently, it's merely "Earth's Imposing Weight." The subsequent advancement path is "Earth Vein" followed by "Earth Spirit Vein."

"There's still hope of advancing to 'Earth Vein' within the Dragon Court," Zhao Xing thought, moving to the center of the soil and carefully sensing it. "The space of the Pure Essence Soil, including the land itself, was originally perfectly flat. One could say that the emergence of the 'Earth's Imposing Weight' characteristic at Grade 6 is the baseline for an earth vein."

"Now, there's already a patch of soil here that has risen to about the height of a shoe sole."

The change was not obvious, but this step alone was enough to create a significant gap between him and many other Agricultural Officers from the Self-Enlightenment School.

Bringing his awareness back, Zhao Xing opened his eyes. He didn't find any more spiritual energy items after that. However, he did acquire a large quantity of Dragon Crystals.

Outside the City Lord's manor, a procession of Dragon Turtles pulling Dragon Boats arrived. With a resounding crash, large quantities of Dragon Crystals were poured out.

"Collect them!"

Zhao Xing sorted out all the Dragon Crystals of Grade 6 and above. "The remaining Dragon Crystals can still be refined into higher-grade ones."

"But I don't need to wait here and waste time," Zhao Xing thought to himself. "I can just leave a clone here to supervise."

He spent two hours selecting materials or seeds, such as Dragonwood and Dragon Blood Grass, according to the list in the "Compendium of Heavenly and Earthly Treasures" provided by the Pavilion of Heavenly Secrets, and then stored them in his Pure Essence Dimension.

"This city alone is enough to account for the basic mission assigned to me by the imperial court."

Zhao Xing used Shrink the Ground to an Inch and located Cao Qianyue.

"Marquis, would you like to eat something?" Cao Qianyue had already finished his task, having selected some valuable treasures and piled them up in the arena. He then began to eat dragon meat.

"Haha, you certainly enjoy your food." The meat of Ji Meng's descendants was tough and old, which Zhao Xing didn't particularly care for, and it offered little benefit to him as a third-grade cultivator. What surprised him was that Cao Qianyue was able to get along peacefully with the three battle beasts; the four of them, three beasts and one man, ate with great relish.

"I won't eat. Are you full? If so, get ready to leave with me," Zhao Xing said.

"Leave?" Cao Qianyue was momentarily stunned. "Marquis, aren't we developing this place?"

"No, this place is just for obtaining an identity to enter the Royal City," Zhao Xing explained. "Without a dragon identity from King Guting, I can't enter the Royal City."

"The Royal City?" Cao Qianyue was perplexed again. The Marquis's actions didn't seem to align with the process he knew.

One must know that the Dragon Court Ancient Land typically opened around every 1520 years. After entering, the usual procedure was to occupy a territory and develop it, mining for resources if there were mineral deposits, or cultivating treasures and harvesting fruits if there were valuable items. One would enslave the local dragons to mine and search for treasures, accumulating merits in the Dragon Court to upgrade their Dragon Noble title. If one was of a lower rank with weaker strength, they would have to start as Dragon Soldiers and Dragon Generals.

Zhao Xing was now a third-grade cultivator. He had already occupied a Dragon City, and the surrounding territory had Dragon Crystal mines, produced Dragon Bloodwood, and even had several Dragon Springs. Why would he want to leave? Cao Qianyue didn't understand, but whatever Zhao Xing said, went. After all, he was the Marquis of Divine Might, certainly beyond his comprehension.

"Yes, Marquis." Cao Qianyue wiped his hands on his belt and then said, "Marquis, I've already itemized the valuable goods. They fill three Dragon Boats, and they're all there."

"If you give me a few more days, Marquis, I could still dismantle some useful parts from those heavy dragon war machines."

Zhao Xing waved his hand. "You're just one person; you can't dismantle much. Besides, what you're talking about isn't valuable in the Dragon Court, so it's unnecessary."

The list Zhao Xing had was completely different from Cao Qianyue's. What Cao Qianyue considered valuable was not very important in Zhao Xing's eyes.

"Go prepare. Keep more materials for making Realm-breaking Nails and dismantling tools. We'll depart in an hour. Make as many as you can along the way."

Zhao Xing smiled. "Once we reach the Royal City, you'll have plenty to dismantle."

"Understood!" Cao Qianyue cheerfully scurried off to prepare.

Meanwhile, Zhao Xing opened a map and began making notes and sketches. He wasn't taking so many valuables from Mengyun City for his own use or to bring them outside. He was taking them as tribute! But his target for tribute wasn't the previous Mengyun City Lord's superior, the Fiery Dragon Lord; it was another dragon entirely.

"The Fiery Dragon Lord is just a lord. Even if I give him tribute, there's no way he'd make me a lord myself."

"However, if I pay tribute to a Dragon King, not only can I become a lord, but I can also get my hands on a few treasures during the Dragon King's reward ceremony," Zhao Xing recalled from his past life's strategies. "After acquiring a City Lord rank in the Guting Kingdom, one can go to the Royal City and seek to pay tribute to a Dragon King."

"Such a cross-rank tribute will offend the Fiery Dragon Lord, as Mengyun City is his dragon fiefdom. But it doesn't matter; I don't plan to develop here anyway."

"Currently, there should only be one awakened Dragon King in Guting Royal City. His true name translates to Yin Li."

"He is a descendant of the Great Dragon King, Guting XIX."

"But Yin Li also has an elder brother, Dragon King Yin Xiu," Zhao Xing remembered. "The two brothers rule in turns, and it's currently Yin Li's period of governance."

"Dragon King Yin Xiu is also in slumber, but his isn't a deep sleep; every hundred years, he enters a state of light sleep. This is to prevent him from sleeping too soundly, so that if external enemies invade, he can emerge from his light slumber."

"Anyone who wishes to awaken him merely needs to present him with his favorite treasures as tribute. Yin Xiu will then allow the tribute-giver to enter his treasury and receive one chance at a 'blind pick' as a reward."

"Yin Xiu will scramble all the treasures, obscuring them, so usually no one gains an advantage; picking items relies entirely on luck."

"But currently, no one knows about this hidden quest," Zhao Xing smiled. "Most tribute-givers choose Yin Li, who is quite domineering and greedy, typically taking ten and returning only one."

Zhao Xing calculated, "In over three hundred years, it will be Yin Xiu's turn to rule. For long-lived dragons, Yin Xiu would be nearing his awakening. It shouldn't be difficult for me to awaken him."

"The treasures plundered from Mengyun City should be sufficient. However, obtaining multiple exchange opportunities will still be difficult. The items from Mengyun City alone might barely be enough for one chance."

As a Dragon King, Yin Xiu had seen everything produced in the Guting Kingdom. Therefore, obtaining his reward was quite challenging.

"Naturally, I don't have such treasures, and I'm too lazy to go find them, so I'll just have to borrow," Zhao Xing's lips curved into a slight smile. "Profound Heaven Sect, Corpse Puppet Sect, Fiery Radiance Royal Court, Purple Feather Royal Court, Serpent Kingdom. Heh heh, I'll borrow your treasuries for a while."

Who to borrow from? Of course, his enemies!

The opening of the Dragon Court Ancient Land can be historically traced back to two dynasties before the Great Li. At that time, all parties were just beginning to explore and had not yet established a comprehensive exploration mechanism. Furthermore, the Dragon Court opened only once every hundred years. If there were dynastic changes or widespread wars outside, or if the rules of heaven and earth in the Profound Yellow Realm were too chaotic, the Dragon Court Ancient Land would not open. For example, the Myriad Kingdoms Warring Era before the Great Zhou Dynasty lasted for tens of thousands of years. Thus, after tens of thousands of years, only a small part of the Dragon Court's map had been explored.

Currently, the Profound Yellow Realm was relatively stable, because whether it was chaotic or not was determined by the Nineteen Prefectures. As long as there was a unified dynasty in the Nineteen Prefectures, the Dragon Court would inevitably open. Therefore, since the era of the Grand Ancestor, the Dragon Court had opened stably more than twenty times.

Entering the Dragon Court was for rewards, so naturally, there was also investment. The Great Zhou, various sects, the Southern Barbarians, Eastern Ocean factions, and the Aquatic Race all established "storage vaults" in the Dragon Court. Especially after the "tribute system" was discovered, the number of these vaults increased significantly!

But here lay a problem: the treasuries left by various sects, the Southern Barbarian Royal Court, and other forces were bound to have restrictions and seals. How could they be easily stolen? For top-tier vaults, it would indeed be very difficult for Zhao Xing; even if he knew the location and unlocking methods, it would be useless. This was because he was an Agricultural Officer, not a formation master or a mechanism master. Theoretically, the protective strength was immense, and it would be very difficult for him to succeed on his own.

However, theory was one thing, and the actual situation was another. One needed to factor in that the Dragon Court Ancient Land opened every hundred years. Once the time was up, all outsiders in the Dragon Court Ancient Land would be expelled. This meant that the treasury formations and mechanisms would go without maintenance for a hundred years. Lack of maintenance aside, one also had to consider the geographical changes caused by dragons. There were no Agricultural Officers in the Dragon Court Ancient Land to manage its natural conditions or advantageous terrain. Therefore, large-scale geographical changes were very common in the Dragon Court Ancient Land. Additionally, there was the dragon factor. Powerful dragons playing around, digging into the earth, could easily trigger an earthquake. If wars occurred, there would be even more external disruptive factors. This caused severe damage to the vault formations and sealing incantations.

"Even if, by some slim chance, those vaults were safely secured within a Dragon City, I would still find a way to retrieve their contents."

"When I go to the Royal City, I can first take a portion of the treasures, present them as tribute to Yin Li, and request a transfer." Transfer where? To the Dragon Race's Engineering Corps. Dragons are highly intelligent beings and also forge divine weapons and sharp armaments. For example, those Dragon Generals in Mengyun City carried spears and wore armor.

"I'm not the only one doing this; all factions are both 'settlers' and 'looters'."

"I need to hurry to the Royal City and quickly acquire authority from the Royal City's Dragon Craftsmen Department. Otherwise, if too many people request authority from Yin Li, the threshold for obtaining it will rise." Zhao Xing's advantage was knowing the locations and being familiar with the process. So, he felt quite confident about this trip. Cao Qianyue talked about occupying land for development, but what development could be faster than plundering and raiding?

"One step ahead is always ahead. Once I make one exchange with Yin Xiu, my advantage will be even greater. Heh heh heh..." Zhao Xing thought gleefully.

Cao Qianyue, who was about to report, shivered involuntarily when he saw Zhao Xing's distorted face and sinister, strange grin. *Marquis, why do you feel so much like a villain?*

An hour later, three Dragon Boats, escorted by three hundred Dragon Generals, grandly raised the Mengyun Dragon City banner and began their journey towards the Royal City. With the authority of the Mengyun Dragon City Lord and the payment of Dragon Crystals, ancient teleportation arrays could be activated, allowing rapid transit to the territories of other city lords. It would take only three days to reach the Royal City.

Along the way, he passed through many city lords' territories, attracting numerous covetous gazes. Although Zhao Xing flew the Mengyun City Lord's banner, his unfamiliar aura and the abundance of treasures he carried naturally made him a target for scrutiny. However, upon sensing Zhao Xing's true strength, they all rescinded their intentions. This was because Zhao Xing's Dragon Speech level was very high, at High-Grade 5, which was already at a lord's level. While High-Grade 5 Dragon Speech didn't necessarily indicate the power of his Dragon Speech incantations, who dared to risk their life to test if Zhao Xing possessed that strength? While dragons were warlike, city lords weren't fools. As long as Zhao Xing didn't come to attack them, they had no desire to provoke him.

Thus, the teleportation proceeded very smoothly. The Fiery Dragon Lord didn't even react, as he didn't care who the Mengyun City Lord was. Who killed 'Pu' wasn't important; what mattered was loyalty to him, the Fiery Dragon Lord. He was still waiting for Zhao Xing's tribute. However, before the Fiery Dragon Lord could even react, Zhao Xing had already departed.

Two and a half days after entering the Dragon Court, Zhao Xing, in his capacity as the Mengyun City Lord, arrived at Guting Royal City with three boatloads of treasures. After passing through the detection arrays and the guards' scrutiny, Zhao Xing entered the Royal City.

"Marquis, there are so many dragons!" Cao Qianyue exclaimed from behind Zhao Xing.

There were numerous dragons everywhere, both in the sky and on the ground, including many city-lord-level dragons.

"Of course, the Royal City has many dragons," Zhao Xing said. "Dun Lie, are you afraid?"

Cao Qianyue stiffened his neck, rubbing his hammer. "Afraid? With the Marquis here, I'm only afraid they'll gorge me to death!"

"Hahaha." Zhao Xing couldn't help but chuckle.

Inside the Royal City, it was relatively safe; apart from the arena, dragons generally dared not fight or kill each other. However, the Royal City's expanse was vast. After entering, they flew for another half-day before reaching the outer perimeter of the Royal Palace area.

"Look, that's the Guting Royal Palace. It was created by the ancient Dragon Emperor 'Ting,' though in this era, there are no more Dragon Emperors, only Great Dragon Kings," Zhao Xing said, staring at the towering palace walls ahead.

The palace walls were not built of stone, but rather were barrier walls. Many Grade 8 and Grade 9 trees had been felled and used as array foundations, and numerous Dragon Stones and top-grade Dragon Crystals were embedded underground. Many Royal Palace guards also patrolled the outer perimeter of the palace walls.

"The guards here have very high bloodline grades; there's a city-lord-level entity every ten li. There are also many lord-level dragons. Don't move or wander around recklessly," Zhao Xing cautioned.

"Yes." Cao Qianyue kept his gaze straight ahead, not even glancing sideways.

The Cerulean Lion Dog and the Inverted Sheep also began to grow restless, a result of suppression from bloodline auras. The Lynx, however, remained calm, sprawled on the bow of the boat, ignoring the oppressive aura.

"Halt!" A Royal Palace Dragon General blocked Zhao Xing's Dragon Boat.

"I, Zhao, Lord of Mengyun Dragon City, have come specifically to present tribute to His Majesty!" Zhao Xing activated his Dragon Speech, communicating with the Royal Palace guard.

As the new Lord of Mengyun Dragon City, it was perfectly reasonable for Zhao Xing to come to the Royal City to offer tribute. Yin Li would only be pleased, as the dragon rule was: "My vassal's vassal is not my vassal." A city-lord-level dragon like Zhao Xing already possessed strong free will and robust resistance to Dragon's Might and Dragon's Pressure. If he could persuade the other party to shift their allegiance from the Fiery Dragon Lord to himself without a fight, it was something Yin Li would be very happy to see.

Not long after, the Dragon General who had gone in to report came back out.

"Mengyun City Lord, enter."

Zhao Xing piloted his three Dragon Boats into the Royal Palace grounds. After entering the Royal Palace grounds, they flew for another hour or so before reaching the palace where Yin Li resided. Ahead, a cloud-shrouded mountain, tens of thousands of feet high, appeared, with the Dragon King's palace standing majestically atop it, like a colossal beast from a fairy tale, radiating majesty.

The Li Palace was built into the mountain, which seemed to serve as its natural base, almost merging with the palace itself. The palace's peak, like a long spear, pierced the sky, adorned with dragon skulls. Not just one, but hundreds of them impaled on the peak! These were the battle achievements of past monarchs of the Guting Kingdom; each dragon skull was of Dragon King level, varying in color to match the hues of the Five Elements, Wind, and Thunder.

Additionally, outside the palace, there were Dragon Crystal Towers. The Dragon Crystal pagodas were carved with mysterious runes and dragon motifs, imbued with immense power. On either side of the palace gate stood two lifelike Dragon Crystal statues, their eyes wide with rage, their whiskers swaying in the wind, as if they would come to life and soar into the clouds at any moment. The largest among them was a statue of the Dragon God.

When Zhao Xing saw the Dragon God statue, scenes from the "Ancestral Dragon Chant" involuntarily resurfaced in his mind. "Hrrnng!" A resonance occurred in Zhao Xing's Sea of Consciousness, and the sound became somewhat clearer. Dragon God statues were ubiquitous throughout the Dragon Court, but this particular one perfectly matched the image of the Ancestral Dragon that Zhao Xing had seen.

Once they reached the mountain, the Dragon Boats could no longer proceed and docked at a mountain plaza specifically designated for Dragon Boats. Arriving at the main peak, they found a colossal fountain where water spewed from a dragon's mouth, transforming into crystalline sprays that formed various wondrous shapes in mid-air, like dragons dancing through the heavens. A mist permeated the air, bringing a touch of coolness and mystery.

Continuing past the plaza led to the main hall of the Li Palace. The main hall's roof was covered in what resembled dragon scales, with each glazed tile shining golden under the sunlight, adorned with exquisitely carved dragon patterns.

Upon reaching the steps outside the main hall, Zhao Xing executed the Fiery Chi Transformation and prostrated himself, saying, "Zhao, a humble subject of Guting, greets the Dragon King."

After a long wait, a majestic dragon roar finally echoed from within the main hall.

"Enter!"

Zhao Xing immediately rose and glided into the palace.

Inside the main hall of the Li Palace, the space was extremely vast. At the far end of the hall stood a magnificent Dragon King's throne. The throne was carved from a single piece of crystal, within which mist seemed to swirl, faintly revealing phantom dragon figures swimming.

Zhao Xing remained prostrated, not daring to look up at the throne. The dragons were quite efficient; he had already stated his purpose when he entered the palace. Yin Li's delayed response clearly indicated he was having his subordinates verify the treasures Zhao Xing had presented. The fact that he was allowed in meant Yin Li had approved this tribute.

"Zhao, you pledge allegiance to me, what do you desire?" Yin Li spoke from the throne.

"Your Majesty, I wish to become a member of the Fuming Temple in the Royal City," Zhao Xing articulated slowly, syllable by syllable, speaking carefully, afraid of being assigned to the wrong place. The Fuming Temple was equivalent to the Dragon Race's Ministry of Works.

After another long wait, a dragon's roar emanated from the throne. Faint sonic patterns, traveling through space, entered his mind. Zhao Xing carefully discerned them, quickly understanding that Yin Li had agreed. Immediately afterwards, a token, seven to eight meters tall and resembling a door panel, pressed down and landed on Zhao Xing's back.

A sizzling sound was heard. Zhao Xing's dragon scales on his back were branded by the token, which bore the ancient Guting royal dragon script, signifying his new status as a member of the Royal City's dragon craftsmen.

" (In Dragon Speech) I thank His Majesty for this bestowal."

Bearing the token on his back, Zhao Xing prostrated himself and retreated from the palace.

When he descended the mountain and returned to the peak where the boats were docked, the three Dragon Boats were gone, leaving only the three battle beasts and Cao Qianyue in the center of the plaza, looking bewildered.

"Marquis, a dragon took all three boats," Cao Qianyue grumbled, lifting the toolbox in his hand. "Only this toolbox is left."

"There's nothing for it, that's how Yin Li is," Zhao Xing said. "I originally thought two boatloads of treasures would be enough to exchange for the authority, but it seems I underestimated his appetite."

"It's a good thing we had three boats, otherwise, this Dragon Craftsmen decree might not have been granted."

The token on Zhao Xing's back, which resembled a door panel, had shrunk somewhat due to the material's elasticity, but it was still over two meters tall.

"In that case, we need to hurry and start raiding homes," Zhao Xing said, rubbing his chin.

"Raid homes?" Cao Qianyue looked confused. "Whose homes are we raiding? Marquis, does your token allow us to raid the nests of dragon members?"

"Not dragons, of course," Zhao Xing smiled. "You'll know when the time comes."

As Zhao Xing completed the process and emerged from the Li Palace, to the west of Guting Royal City, a group of five Daoists, all high-grade cultivators, arrived on dragon mounts, each carrying a coffin on their back. The leader, bearing a purple, glazed-inlaid coffin, had a pillar of immense condensed luck above his head, with a shimmering phantom image resembling a blooming violet.

"Finally, we've arrived," True Master Zilu said, stroking his beard with his left hand and flicking his whisk with his right, a smile spreading across his wrinkled face.

He was at the early stage of the Heavenly Fortune Realm, and also the main force of the Corpse Puppet Sect's expedition to the Guting Kingdom. True Master Zilu was not only the strongest in the team but also the oldest and highest in seniority. Although the people behind him were all third-grade cultivators, they were either his disciples or grand-nephews. One of them, an early third-grade cultivator, was even his great-grand-disciple.

"Thanks to Master's boundless good fortune, we arrived at Guting Royal City unimpeded in less than four days," a middle-aged man carrying a green coffin and riding a two-headed fire dragon flattered from behind. He was True Master Zilu's disciple, Daoist name You Sha.

"Senior Brother is right," another flattering voice added. It belonged to a charming middle-aged woman with peach blossom eyes, Daoist name Cloud Consort Yuan Jun. "Without Master's guidance, we couldn't have gathered so quickly." Facing the praise from his disciples and grand-disciples, True Master Zilu smiled and said, "Alright, You Sha, Cloud Consort, there's no need for flattery."

"Both of you are still just Dragon Generals, and You Jue and Ying Ji are merely Dragon Soldiers. Your statuses are too low, making it very inconvenient to operate in the Dragon Court Ancient Land. It's still best to maintain a low profile."

The four behind him dutifully listened.

"Once we enter the Royal City, rest for a moment, then prepare as I've instructed. Go find the treasury left by our sect. Take out a portion, and you can exchange it for city-lord-level authority in the Royal City. That will be the time to act," True Master Zilu instructed.

Apart from him, the other disciples were all entering for the first time. Because the Corpse Puppet Sect didn't occupy many slots, even third-grade cultivators weren't guaranteed a spot. Furthermore, their lineage was relatively weak, and even True Master Zilu was only entering for the second time. This was also his first time in Guting Royal City; last time, he was randomly assigned to the 'Ziti Kingdom', which was then in a state of war, so he had never come to this side. Although they were one of the top sects, they ultimately couldn't compare to the Great Zhou Dynasty's deep foundations. Two of their members were even only at Middle-Grade 9 in Dragon Speech.

"Let's go, enter the city."

In the Royal City, at the Dragon Craftsmen Department, a massive volcano blazed furiously. Above the volcanic crater stood an incredibly vast palace.

"We're here. This is the Ministry of Works in Guting Royal City. Dun Lie, do you know what kind of dragon that statue next to the palace is, and what its name is?" Zhao Xing pointed ahead.

Cao Qianyue replied, "Marquis, I do know this. The Dragon Race's Ministry of Works is called the Fuming Temple."

"The uniquely shaped dragon next to it is named 'Fuming,' rumored to be the Dragon Race's God of Craftsmen. He was naturally endowed with control over Separation Fire, Samadhi True Flame, and Six Ding Divine Fire, virtually all flames in the world. It was he who forged many divine artifacts for the dragons, helping them resist the legendary Abyssal Demon Race. All craftsmanship departments in the Dragon Court Ancient Land are called Fuming Temple."

Zhao Xing nodded. "Indeed. The treasures from three boats are what I exchanged for Grade 2 authority at the Fuming Temple."

Cao Qianyue was puzzled. "But Marquis, you're not a mechanism master. Why didn't you exchange for different authority? Do you intend to go in and learn things?"

He still couldn't understand Zhao Xing's way of thinking at this moment. An Agricultural Officer going to the Fuming Temple to learn techniques?

Zhao Xing chuckled, "Don't underestimate me. How are unsealing spells not a form of craftsmanship technique?"

"Of course, I'm not going to learn techniques. With a Grade 2 Fuming Token, I can mobilize many lord-level craftsmen to work for me."

Cao Qianyue finally understood. "Marquis, do you mean to open treasures?"

"But Marquis, you can't just open any dragon's treasury, can you?"

"I won't be opening dragon treasuries."

"Gasp!" Cao Qianyue finally understood, excitedly rubbing his bald head. "You mean to steal the stored treasures left by those foreign fiends in the Dragon Court!"

"Hahaha, don't put it so harshly. It's 'requisitioning'," Zhao Xing corrected with a laugh. "When you come in with me later, you must study carefully and observe closely. See if there's anything useful for you, and ideally, learn the techniques as well."

"Having dragon craftsmen do it is never as good as being able to do it ourselves."

Cao Qianyue excitedly declared, "Yes, Marquis! I understand!"

Dragon craftsmen were mostly descendants of Fuming. They were relatively small in stature but had enormous abdomens, and their scales appeared dark red. The end of their tails bore a large iron ball, resembling a hammer used for striking. Fuming's descendants had hair-like appendages that could extend like human fingers. Their dragon whiskers glowed at the tips, allowing them to perform intricate embellishments on divine weapons and heavy armaments.

After entering, Zhao Xing first familiarized himself with the organizational structure of the Fuming Temple members. Simultaneously, his clones began searching for locations throughout the Royal City. In just fifteen minutes, Zhao Xing's clones located dozens of places.

"Indeed, replacing the coordinates from my previous life with the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches method still works. Even with changes in terrain, I can still accurately pinpoint locations."

Zhao Xing's main body didn't hesitate. Wielding his Grade 2 Fuming Token, he immediately dispatched a team of dragon craftsmen from the temple.

*Swish, swish, swish, swish, swish—*

Soon, Zhao Xing arrived at the first location: a collapsed megalithic ruin.

"If I recall correctly, this treasury has three layers of seals. The first layer consists of three sealing incantations: Earth Fire, Earth Sky, and Dragon Flame. The treasures left in the first layer aren't abundant and are mostly ordinary items. They were left by the top sect, the Corpse Puppet Sect." Zhao Xing directly cast an unsealing incantation to try and break it.

*Boom!*

Soon, the earth cracked open, revealing an underground space constructed with dragon formations. "Whoosh!" Inside, vast quantities of Dragon Crystals and divine weapons were revealed, piled up into a small hill.

"The first layer was merely a diversion," Zhao Xing said, sweeping the treasures with a fierce wind and loading them onto a boat. "Their value isn't particularly high, roughly Grade 4 to 6. Converted to Dragon Coins, this haul is only worth about two hundred thousand Dragon Coins."

"For the second layer, it's time for the Fuming craftsmen to take over." Zhao Xing recalled his clone and then ordered the team of craftsmen forward.

"Roar!" A team of Fuming craftsmen swiftly flew over.

"Dig!" Zhao Xing's command was simple.

"Roar!" Over a dozen dragon craftsmen quickly flew into the underground space below. Before long, the second underground space appeared, revealing a large opening.

"Come back!" Zhao Xing then had the craftsmen ascend. He then sent a clone down to explore.

"The second layer of the vault has many more good items," Zhao Xing said after a quick look. "It's worth at least two million Dragon Coins, but that's still not enough to trade with Dragon King Yin Xiu. At best, it's the cost to awaken him."

"However, there's still a third layer." After emptying the second layer, Zhao Xing sent the dragon craftsmen down again. This time, the dragon craftsmen had to use their tools.

*Boom!*

Four sharp pillars, each thick enough for a dozen people to embrace, slowly sank into the ground. The pillars emitted bursts of light and continuously vibrated.

*Boom!* Massive boulders shattered, and dirt vanished.

Zhao Xing looked intently and saw that at the deeper part of the second underground space, a large dragon-carved gate appeared. The Corpse Puppet Sect's coffin emblem was clearly visible on it.

*Click, click, click!* As the Fuming craftsmen continued their deciphering, the Ten-Flame Realm-Breaking Needles simultaneously erupted with red flames, eroding the exposed barrier.

"Stop!" Zhao Xing called out, seeing the barrier dissipate, and halted the craftsmen. "Come up!"

The Fuming Temple craftsmen immediately ascended obediently. Zhao Xing's clone quickly descended and began moving items.

"The third layer is entirely comprised of Grade 7 and higher materials, and its total volume also exceeds the storage space of the first and second layers combined."

Upon descending, Zhao Xing was immediately astonished by the dazzling display cabinets. "Furthermore, everything was categorized, and most of it didn't originate from the Guting Kingdom!"

As the saying goes, rarity dictates value. If they were products of the Guting Kingdom, they naturally wouldn't fetch a high price. But these items had been specially selected by many generations of the Corpse Puppet Sect.

"Their value is immeasurable, but at the very least, it exceeds twenty million!" Zhao Xing grinned from ear to ear; based on a tenfold increase, the third layer should contain at least that much. "As expected of a top-tier sect; a single major treasury holds such immense wealth. With this haul, it'll be enough to make one trade with Dragon King Yin Xiu," Zhao Xing said, swiftly loading the items onto a boat.

As for the Fuming Temple craftsmen, Zhao Xing had placed a "Dragon Speech Muting Spell" on them. Combined with his Grade 2 Fuming Token, these dragon craftsmen were completely incapable of revealing this matter. Even if it were revealed, it wouldn't matter. There was no law in Guting Royal City prohibiting the excavation of buried treasures, and fighting within the Royal City was impossible.

"Let's go to the next place!"

Two hours after Zhao Xing departed.

True Master Zilu arrived belatedly.

"Found it. This location holds the 'Megalithic Vault' left by many of our sect's ancestors. It contains the accumulated wealth of seven or eight generations of our lineage," True Master Zilu stated proudly. "In the Dragon Court Ancient Land, with this initial capital, by offering tribute to the kingdom's Dragon King, you will immediately gain a high status."

"Thank you, Master!" You Sha exclaimed excitedly.

"Megalithic Vault? It can grant us high-level dragon authority." Cloud Consort Yuan Jun licked her lips, also filled with anticipation.

"You all wait here while I, your master, locate it," True Master Zilu said, pulling out a compass and activating a secret sect technique to begin searching for the precise location of the treasury. With the passage of time and changes in the landscape, he wasn't certain of the treasury's exact position and needed to search for it.

A moment later, True Master Zilu received two messages.

Bad news: The Megalithic Vault had been emptied! And it had only just been emptied!

"Who?!" True Master Zilu immediately let out a low growl. "Who stole my Corpse Puppet Sect's treasure?!"

(Author's note: I'll write 9,000 characters today, aiming for an early night so as not to keep everyone up late. Also, thanks to Sacred Immortal and Exalted Immortal for the Silver Alliance.)