Chapter 306: When Raiding in Person, Blind Selection from the Treasury, Two Divine Artifacts

"Ah-choo!"

Inside the Fuming Envoy's Manor in the Imperial City, Zhao Xing, who was busy counting treasures, suddenly sneezed.

"Hm? I've reached this cultivation level, so why am I suddenly sneezing? Could I be getting sick?" Zhao Xing became extremely vigilant. Powerful cultivators generally don't fall ill, and when they do, it's usually a serious illness.

"Internal observation of the Five Elements, activation of the Zhou Tian Qi!" Zhao Xing immediately began a thorough check of his physical condition. He was capable of formulating the "Three Yin, Three Yang, Six Qi Grand Zhou Tian Theory," where the inner Five Elements and Six Qi refer to the body's six types of qi. His sensitivity to certain ailments was also quite keen. After all, the Dragon Court Ancient Land was a world very different from the outside. Zhao Xing performed a meticulous examination but found no abnormalities.

"No illness, then someone must be thinking of me." Zhao Xing then performed the "Five Fingers of Heavenly Fate" divination, calculating with his fingers. A subtle sensation came to him, and a blurry scene appeared before his eyes.

"Massive boulders everywhere... isn't this the Giant Boulder Vault where I just was?" If he hadn't been there before, it would have been difficult to extract useful information from such a simple image. But since Zhao Xing had just visited, he quickly identified the location.

"Someone went there." Zhao Xing intensified his effort, consuming most of his primal energy instantly, and then saw several blurry figures from behind. There were five figures in total, each carrying a coffin on their back. One of the purple figures was at the original site of the Giant Boulder Vault, roaring towards the sky.

"Could it be that people from the Corpse Puppet Sect have arrived? So that's it. This person must be a powerful cultivator from the Corpse Puppet Sect. Am I now hated by a Heavenly Fate Realm cultivator?"

Zhao Xing ended the spell and checked his almanac. After calibration, the almanac was now the version for the Dragon Court Ancient Land. It showed a warning: "Windfall gain, hidden misfortune in the East, minor ill omen."

"It doesn't matter. They can't do anything to me in the Imperial City anyway." Putting away the almanac, Zhao Xing walked over to Cao Qianyue.

"How's it going?" Cao Qianyue was using a Hundred-Skill Caliper to pry open an ancient-looking box.

"It's quite difficult to open." Cao Qianyue didn't take his eyes off it; waves of light shimmered from the box. "These are ancient Mustard Seed formations. The Great Zhou rarely teaches this version of mechanism and formation techniques."

Master Zhao, now quite wealthy, said nonchalantly, "No problem, don't feel pressured. If it's too difficult, just force it open." Forcing it open could easily damage the contents inside. After all, the Fuming artisans of the Dragon Clan were unfamiliar with human formations. In their eyes, a human-made box was as small as a grain of rice. They could quickly break large formations, but fragile structures like the Corpse Puppet Sect's treasure chests were more challenging. Zhao Xing had previously asked Cao Qianyue to accompany him and had prepared cracking tools in advance specifically for such situations.

Despite his large build, Cao Qianyue had surprisingly nimble hands. His hands had been modified; five flat prying needles suddenly extended from his left fingernails, inserting into the small holes revealed on the box. He picked up a hammer with his right hand, and four top-like metal pieces detached from the hammer's convex surface.

"Rise!" Five different lights suddenly emanated from Cao Qianyue's left hand. The formerly seamless square box abruptly sprang open from the middle, revealing a half-finger-width gap, but a force was pressing down, attempting to close the treasure chest again.

"Whir, whir, whir, whir!" The four tops immediately wedged into the central seam of the box and spun rapidly, forming thimbles.

"The Four Quarters Palace Rotation Device, quite impressive, little Cao." Zhao Xing watched Cao Qianyue open the box with great interest. It had to be said, men simply couldn't resist such a scene.

"Ding, ding, ding, ding!""Open!"The box floated up, trembling continuously. The central opening was wide! But Cao Qianyue didn't have a third hand to reach for the items inside the box.

"Marquis, could you lend a hand!" Cao Qianyue's face turned red.

"How do I operate it?""Touch the box."Zhao Xing nodded and quickly had his straw effigy clone reach inside, grabbing the two items within.

"Is it... empty, Marquis!""It's empty!"Cao Qianyue immediately withdrew his hands. The four palace rotation devices pushed hard, then rapidly pulled out. The box abruptly clunked shut, becoming perfectly seamless once more.

*Click, click, click, click!* Zhao Xing could hear the internal mechanisms grinding, furiously destroying themselves. In the blink of an eye, the half-human-height box collapsed, dented, emitted a puff of smoke, and turned into powder.

*Phew!* Cao Qianyue wiped sweat from his brow. Zhao Xing weighed the items in his hand and couldn't help but chuckle, "Not bad, Dunlie. I didn't expect you to be so skilled at opening boxes." The two treasures in his hand were leather scrolls. Zhao Xing, by deciphering the Dragon Clan script, determined these were very ancient Dragon Clan art collectibles. They might not have much practical value, but they were valuable! The magical box mechanism that contained them was of a high standard. Using the Four Quarters Palace Rotation Device to crack it was the ability of a third-rank artisan. For Cao Qianyue to be able to open it was quite remarkable. The military artisans were quite versatile, and Cao Qianyue was a genius among them.

"Hehe, you flatter me, Marquis." Cao Qianyue gave an honest smile. "My speed is still too slow.""Just keep opening them here," Zhao Xing said with a smile. "If you get tired or hungry, feel free to eat as many Dragon Crystals as you want; there are plenty!""Thank you, Marquis!" Cao Qianyue nodded excitedly. He cultivated the Gluttonous Devouring method, and eating other things no longer offered much improvement. However, Dragon Crystals were something he hadn't eaten outside, and they had significant effects. Zhao Xing allowing him to eat freely naturally made him happy.

Patting Cao Qianyue's shoulder, Zhao Xing smiled and walked out. Cao Qianyue remained at the manor, unlocking and inventorying items. Zhao Xing, meanwhile, continued to lead a team of Fuming Dragon Artisans to open more secret vaults.

"It's the fourth day since entering the Dragon Court, so there probably aren't many people who randomly arrived in Guting Imperial City. The earlier we open them, the more good things we'll find. If we wait for more people to arrive, they'll just open them themselves."

Dragon King Yin Xiu was there, available for exchange at any time, so Zhao Xing wasn't in a hurry. He estimated that he had just gathered enough resources for one exchange opportunity. If there was more to requisition, he might as well take a bit more.

"Let's go!" Sensing a prompt from one of his Myriad Law clones, Zhao Xing immediately set off with the Dragon Artisans.

The Imperial City was vast. As the Dragon Clan's imperial capital, even just the palace district was the size of an entire prefecture. If one included the administrative area of the Imperial City, it could encompass nearly half a province. However, despite its size, there weren't many suitable locations for establishing vaults. Stability had to be considered. If a vault was established and then its own people couldn't find it the next time, then building it would be meaningless.

"We found four Great Zhou vaults. Their levels are quite high, and one of them is even a safe house for the Heavenly Secret Pavilion. Never mind, let's leave the Great Zhou ones for now." One should act according to their authority. A first-rank vault of the Great Zhou was not something he could casually breach. Furthermore, if a first-rank expert from their own dynasty arrived in Guting Imperial City to execute certain plans, only to find the vault gone, it would disrupt their plans.

"Hm? This place?" When Zhao Xing's clone arrived at the coordinates of a high-level treasure vault from his memory, he found that magnificent pillared palaces had appeared there, with many Dragon Clan members patrolling around. Dragons came and went, and along the rows of dragon-stone streets, many Dragon Clan members stood before small hills, roaring skyward."Roar!""Growl!""Hiss!"Other Dragon Clan members were bustling around piles of treasures, exhaling smoke and mist, some with their tails intertwined. A moment later, a dragon spit out a pile of dragon crystals, then coiled up a heap of items from a treasure mountain and left. If someone unfamiliar with the Guting Dragon Clan or with insufficient Dragon language skills were to arrive, they would have no idea what they were doing.

But Zhao Xing, upon hearing and seeing, immediately understood. "We've arrived at the Dragon Clan's marketplace. During Emperor Jing's reign, was this a place for stall trading?"

Zhao Xing observed curiously. Some high-ranking Dragon Clan members were leading dragon turtles, carrying goods, slowly moving along. As Zhao Xing passed by, some Dragon Clan members roared at him, not in aggression, but in typical Dragon Clan shouts. The general meaning was equivalent to: "Come take a look, come see!""Today's special discount sale at our shop!""Interested in a deep-sea transformation secret method?"

The further east they went, the more valuable the traded items became. The treasure mountains grew taller and taller. When they reached the mountain gate constructed from dragon crystals, Zhao Xing's clone found itself unable to enter.

"Ahead is Lord 'Sangting's' trading ground." When Zhao Xing's clone approached, it was blocked by a group of Dragon Clan guards. Even though it spoke in the higher Dragon language, communication was fruitless, and it still couldn't enter.

"Sangting is the kingdom's third lord, high in status and power—never mind, I'll wait for my true body to arrive." Zhao Xing's clone stopped negotiating, retreated, and waited in the distance.

Meanwhile. True Lord Zilu, accompanied by his two disciples You Sha and Yun Ji, and his two grand-disciples You Jue and Ying Ji, arrived at the Dragon Clan's trading grounds.

"Do not act rashly," True Lord Zilu cautioned. "This is a Dragon Clan trading ground; they are not attacking.""Yes," his disciples and grand-disciples replied, behaving obediently because True Lord Zilu was in a very foul mood, his brows constantly furrowed. True Lord Zilu, meanwhile, frowned as he looked around, experiencing a bad premonition. He kept feeling that the damned thief was also nearby.

Zhao Xing was indeed nearby; he had come specifically for the Corpse Puppet Sect's vault. He wasn't in a hurry for the other vaults, but since people from the Corpse Puppet Sect had arrived, he naturally had to open this one quickly.

"This is one of only two high-level vaults of the Corpse Puppet Sect," Zhao Xing also looked around. "If people from the Corpse Puppet Sect have already arrived and discovered the Giant Boulder Vault was pried open, they will definitely rush here."

Suddenly, he flew to a mountain and saw True Lord Zilu on another peak. The subtle karmic sensation of the Heavenly Fate Realm immediately affected True Lord Zilu, causing him to turn around abruptly.

*Swish!* Their gazes met, and True Lord Zilu immediately understood: "It's that thief!" Zhao Xing also understood the other's identity: "He's here to snatch my things."

True Lord Zilu immediately flew over. He didn't know Zhao Xing's identity and couldn't tell which faction he belonged to from his attire: "Fellow Daoist—" Zhao Xing turned and left, going to a place with Dragon Clan guards to wait.

True Lord Zilu had intended to pursue, but he suddenly realized: "Oh no!""Master, what's wrong?""This person suddenly appearing here likely means he knows about this vault," True Lord Zilu said, both surprised and angry. "We must enter quickly."

However, entering the Sangting trading zone was not easy. Because True Lord Zilu and his group lacked starting capital and hadn't acquired the necessary identity permissions.

"No good, he's here." True Lord Zilu's gaze suddenly shifted to the mountain gate of the Sangting trading zone. He saw Zhao Xing's true body quickly arriving outside the Sangting trading zone with a team of Fuming artisans.

"Can't get in, can't get in—" True Lord Zilu silently prayed. He sensed that Zhao Xing's strength wasn't high, and it was only the fourth day, so he shouldn't be able to enter the Sangting trading zone, as it required lord-level authorization.

As if sensing True Lord Zilu's gaze, a slight smile appeared on Zhao Xing's lips. Indeed, under normal circumstances, his initial three ships of treasures wouldn't have been enough to exchange for lord-level authorization. But the department he chose to join was the Fuming Shrine. The Fuming Dragon Clan members and dragon ships he brought were specially selected. They were essentially the Dragon Clan's 'senior repairmen'.

Zhao Xing feigned urgency, and leading the Fuming artisans carrying two sets of tools named "Rising Mountain" and "Hidden Fire" on their backs, he simply walked straight in. True Lord Zilu was instantly dumbfounded!

"What the hell, you can do that?" The Dragon Clan guards didn't even stop Zhao Xing and his group!

"It's not a forbidden area, and it's perfectly reasonable for me, a senior Dragon Clan repairman, to carry a set of repair tools into the Sangting trading zone." After entering, Zhao Xing revealed a faint smile. It had to be said, the identity of a Dragon Clan artisan was remarkably useful. As long as it wasn't a forbidden area or a treasure hoard, entering a commercial zone like this was a breeze.

"I heard that in my previous life, there were even mechanism masters who sneaked into the palace vaults with just two common Dragon Clan tools. I wonder if it's true," Zhao Xing thought to himself. He didn't even need to pretend, because he was genuinely an artisan of the Fuming Shrine!

"You Sha, Yun Ji, the four of you stay here and keep an eye on things. I'm going to the Grand Arena now!" True Lord Zilu also became anxious. Although he didn't know why the other party knew the location of their Corpse Puppet Sect's secret vault, he had a very bad feeling. True Lord Zilu no longer cared about gaining status through tribute channels; he wanted to quickly go to the Grand Arena and obtain lord-level status.

Within the Sangting trading zone, near a lake. "Good fortune, there aren't many Dragon Clan members here. It's just a Dragon Spring for drawing water." Zhao Xing looked down. Not far from the lake, a three-headed, two-winged water-elemental Dragon Clan member of the Dragon General level was lying nearby, sleeping.

*Whoosh!* Zhao Xing landed near the Dragon Spring with the Fuming artisans. The security dragon, which had been sleeping, immediately woke up.

"Roar?" Zhao Xing presented the Fuming Token and spoke in the Dragon language: "The Dragon Spring requires maintenance. Move aside quickly.""Roar, roar." The two-winged water dragon obediently moved away.

Although it didn't know what needed repairing at a Dragon Spring. But they were from the Fuming Shrine, and if the Fuming Shrine said it needed maintenance, then it must! Could a mere water guardian possibly know more than the Fuming Shrine?

"Start digging!" After the Dragon Clan security guard moved away, Zhao Xing immediately instructed the Fuming Dragon Artisans to set up a fence to block the view.

*Splash!* A large number of treasures were extracted from the Dragon Spring. The same operation, the same method. With experience, the Fuming artisans became increasingly proficient. The Corpse Puppet Sect's three-layered vault seal was cracked layer by layer within an hour.

"Water Curtain Seal!" Zhao Xing applied a Dragon language seal to the treasure ships, making it impossible for outsiders to view the contents of the dragon ships. As a precaution, he also used the Earth Advantage Sect's Earth Spirit Divine Concealment spell to restore the Dragon Spring to its original state, even expanding it a bit. The Dragon Spring was now one-third larger than before, although the water quality was somewhat damaged. But... at least it was "repaired," right?!

"Back!" Zhao Xing wagged his tail contentedly.

"Roar." Seeing the Fuming artisans leave, the security dragon ran back to the Dragon Spring for another look. The Dragon Spring had indeed gotten larger! Then it lay down to sleep again.

Zhao Xing returned the way he came. As his aura wasn't yet lord-level, he occasionally felt the gaze of many lord-level Dragon Clan members along the way. However, upon realizing it was a Fuming Shrine dragon ship, they all withdrew their gazes.

"My luck is fluctuating, but it's within normal range," Zhao Xing thought to himself. As he flew out of the mountain gate of the Sangting trading zone, You Sha and Yun Ji immediately noticed Zhao Xing's presence.

"He's out!""Senior Brother, what should we do? Should we stop him?" Yun Ji asked."Master isn't back yet, Junior Sister, what do you suggest?" You Sha said."You are the Senior Brother, so naturally, you make the decisions," Yun Ji replied.You Sha cursed silently to himself; this vile woman wanted to avoid all responsibility. "Master told us to keep an eye on him, so we just keep an eye on him," You Sha said. "Master said not to act rashly.""Yes, we'll follow Senior Brother's orders completely."Thus, Yun Ji and You Sha each dispatched disciples to follow him.

Two hours later, True Lord Zilu returned. His aura had changed somewhat; it was heavily infused with dragon energy, and he carried a large token on his back.

"Where is he?" True Lord Zilu asked."Master, he has already come out," You Sha respectfully replied. "This disciple doesn't know if he succeeded, but I have already sent a disciple to follow him.""Come in with me." True Lord Zilu's face was grim. By now, he had acquired lord-level status, which was sufficient to enter the Sangting trading zone.

After searching for a while.*Whoosh!* True Lord Zilu appeared beside the Dragon Spring.

"Lord." The water dragon lying beside the Dragon Spring trembled, prostrating itself on the ground."Scram!" True Lord Zilu waved a hand, directly sending the security dragon flying. Then he leaped into the murky Dragon Spring. The next moment, he shot back up into the sky.

You Sha and Yun Ji didn't even need to ask, as they could tell from his expression alone that it was definitely gone. Their master's rage was already uncontrollable.

"That scoundrel!!" True Lord Zilu gnashed his teeth. The painstaking efforts of seven or eight generations of the Corpse Puppet Sect had just been stolen by Zhao Xing, right before his eyes. It was an open raid on their home. This was unbearable!

"Master, what do we do now?" You Sha carefully asked."Go find him!" True Lord Zilu suppressed his rage. If he didn't get it back, his thoughts would not be clear!

At the Residence of the Second-Rank Fuming Envoy, two dragon ships stopped.

Zhao Xing imposed a gag order on the Fuming Dragon Artisans, instructing them to return to the shrine and await orders. "Mouth shut!" The Fuming Dragon Artisans obediently flew away.

"Unseal!" Zhao Xing unsealed the dragon ships, then used wind magic to roll out all the treasures. Hearing the commotion, Cao Qianyue immediately came over. Seeing mountains of treasures falling from the sky, he couldn't help but be stunned.

"Marquis, did you… 'raid' another treasure vault?""Yes," Zhao Xing nodded. "Time is short and the task is urgent. Quickly categorize these items.""You don't need to calculate their value, and for those you can't open, don't be so cautious. Force them open, or just leave them as they are." If the tributor didn't know the value, Dragon King Yin Xiu would discern it himself.

"Yes," Cao Qianyue immediately began working. Zhao Xing also released his Myriad Law clone to assist Cao Qianyue. Time was indeed tight; he had already sensed someone tailing him. Although the Corpse Puppet Sect members couldn't enter the Fuming Shrine area, True Lord Zilu was a second-rank cultivator. Even without starting capital, he could obtain authorization from the Grand Arena.

"He will definitely be able to acquire lord-level status. To avoid any further complications, I must quickly use these treasures to exchange for good items from Yin Xiu, transforming wealth into strength." Although fighting was prohibited in the Imperial City, and he and True Lord Zilu were not on the same level (so the other party couldn't challenge him through the arena), a higher level of authority could still cause him trouble.

"Lost him?" On the periphery of the Fuming Shrine area, True Lord Zilu's face was terribly dark as he looked at his two grand-disciples."Grandmaster, we couldn't get in," the two grand-disciples stammered.The area encompassed by the Fuming Shrine was so vast. If they couldn't enter, how could they follow? Zhao Xing could have easily snuck out from another direction. Indeed, they had lost him.

"All of you, go to the arena!" True Lord Zilu commanded. "Go challenge those Dragon Nobles, complete your status promotion, and the faster the better!""Yes," the four disciples and grand-disciples immediately headed to the Grand Arena as instructed.

*Click!* True Lord Zilu closed his eyes, his daoist robe billowed, and the coffin lid on his back slowly shifted, revealing a gap.*Buzz!* Dragon flies, each the size of a finger, flew out. They were corpse insects that had evolved by devouring Dragon Clan corpses. They possessed twelve wings, two compound eyes, and sharp mouthparts. True Lord Zilu's eyes opened again, his pupils divided into countless grids. Each corpse insect became his eyes.

"Little thief! How dare you seize the Corpse Puppet Sect's secret vault! I will not spare you!" Just as True Lord Zilu intended to lie in wait and capture Zhao Xing, Zhao Xing, at this moment, had already left the Fuming Shrine area, dragging four dragon pearl transport ships.

"Marquis, where are we going?""North of the Imperial City, there's a place called Guting North Sea," Zhao Xing introduced. "Though called a sea, it's actually a massive lake. That is Dragon King Yin Xiu's sleeping place. He is Dragon King Yin Li's elder brother; the two siblings take turns governing. In about 300 more years, Dragon King Xiu will emerge, and his younger brother will fall into slumber. Dragon Kings lower their life signs through slumber to extend their lifespan."

Cao Qianyue wasn't aware of this, he just listened quietly. It was fine for Zhao Xing to tell Cao Qianyue, as this place would no longer be a secret in the future. If experts from their own dynasty arrived, Zhao Xing would choose to inform them anyway, since he couldn't possibly exchange all of a Dragon King's treasures by himself.

"I'm going to briefly awaken Dragon King 'Xiu' to offer tribute to him, just like we did for Dragon King 'Li'.""Marquis, what's the difference?""Dragon King Xiu's personality is more gentle and fair; his temperament is different from his younger brother's," Zhao Xing explained. "We can exchange for more good things."

"I see." Upon arriving at the North Sea Dragon Lake, Zhao Xing quickly located the area where Dragon King Xiu slumbered. There were no Dragon Clan guards here, but there were many Dragon language seals.

"Fire Transformation!" Zhao Xing performed the Marquis Transformation technique, diving headfirst into the sea.*Splash!* The dragon ships also tilted and submerged into the North Sea.

Soon, they encountered the first layer of obstruction: the constant push of the underwater currents prevented them from moving forward. "North Sea Current Return, Water Dragon Divine Concealment Charm!" Zhao Xing activated the Dragon language unsealing charm, and fire-elemental bubbles emerged from his mouth underwater. Upon appearing, the bubbles didn't float up but sank instead. Inside the bubbles, ancient Dragon script and patterns flowed. The surging undercurrents were quickly suppressed by the bubbles Zhao Xing exhaled. The seabed before them instantly transformed from murky to clear.

Zhao Xing continued, propelling the dragon ships forward. Two *kechen* later, the second layer of obstruction appeared. Twelve towering mountain peaks emerged from the seabed. Dragon heads stood erect on the peaks, and light scanned from their dragon eyes, segmenting the seabed space while causing the seawater to vibrate at a hyper-frequency. Any Dragon Clan member who trespassed here, if unaware of the method, would be vibrated to death, even if they were a lord-level cultivator.

"Dunlie, release the Sea-Calming Divine Needles. Insert them clockwise into the 'Heavy Light,' 'Zhaoyang,' 'Arid Camel,'... of the twelve mountains. The divine needles should enter the bodies at twelve *zhang* forty-six *ke*, nine *zhang* thirty-five *ke*, seven *zhang* fifteen *ke*..." The mechanism master's Sea-Calming Divine Needles were originally inherited from Dragon Clan craftsmanship. Naturally, the Dragon Clan version and the human version differed greatly. He remembered the correct insertion order. Although he could barely operate the artisan's heavy instruments, they weren't as easy to use as Cao Qianyue's. A single incorrect insertion would trigger the grand formation's counterattack function.

"Understood!" Cao Qianyue immediately began operating on the dragon ship.*Boom!* He maneuvered the dragon ship, precisely inserting the Dragon Clan version of the Sea-Calming Divine Needles into their corresponding positions as per Zhao Xing's instructions. The water currents exploded, and the surrounding seawater ceased to vibrate.

Zhao Xing continued forward, the twelve Sea-Calming Divine Needles remaining inserted there. After stealthily moving through the sea for another *kechen*, a Dragon Palace radiating a faint golden light appeared on the seabed.

"This is the last barrier." Zhao Xing arrived outside the Dragon Palace.

*Tap!**Tap!*Layers of dragon crystals rolled off the ship. The elongated dragon crystals intertwined, slots aligning, extending forward layer by layer. Around the Dragon Palace, a Grand Dragon Crystal Avenue formed, intricately pieced together with the pattern of Dragon King "Xiu."

Next, Zhao Xing spent another two million dragon crystals to construct a massive throne. The throne was embedded in what looked like an unfurling flower petal. Of course, Cao Qianyue simply thought it looked like half an eggshell. That boy always saw everything as something to eat.

"Almost done," Zhao Xing thought to himself. "The ancient ritual to summon Dragon King 'Xiu' has been completed. The Sea-Calming Divine Needles can be retrieved, but this grand avenue cannot. This is the cost of awakening him."

*Buzz!* The Dragon Crystal Grand Avenue and the throne emitted true light, with multiple phantom images extending into the Dragon Palace. An unknown amount of time passed.

*Rumble!* The Dragon Palace trembled, and the dim seawater grew even darker. Then two bright lights appeared. When Zhao Xing saw the lights, his heart trembled, and his body involuntarily shivered. Because those were Dragon King Xiu's eyes. He had awakened it!

Indifferent eyes emerged from the murky seawater, followed by sharp dragon horns and flowing dragon whiskers. Dragon King Yin Xiu appeared above the throne!

Zhao Xing immediately prostrated himself at the other end of the Dragon Crystal Grand Avenue and activated the higher Dragon language: "Respected Dragon King Your Highness, great protector of the Guting Kingdom, inheritor of the Eastern Emperor Golden Script, impartial adjudicator—" Dragon King Xiu had a long lifespan, and many titles. Zhao Xing mainly recited his four principal titles. Three of these titles—Dragon King Your Highness, Adjudicator, and Protector of the Guting Kingdom—were the same as Yin Li's. Only "Inheritor of the Eastern Emperor Golden Script" was unique to Dragon King Xiu. The Eastern Emperor Golden Script was a script created by the ancient Dragon Emperor 'Jie'; even Dragon Kings found it difficult to learn. However, Dragon King Xiu had mastered a portion of the Dragon Emperor Golden Script. Of course, these events occurred 70,000 years ago, during the active era of Dragon King Xiu. Nowadays, very few Dragon Clan members knew him by this title.

"...—Zhao, a humble citizen of the Guting Kingdom, devoutly summons your presence." After speaking, Zhao Xing quietly waited.

*Buzz!* The gloomy seabed suddenly brightened, and Zhao Xing felt himself moving. When he looked up again, he was already a thousand meters in front of the throne. He saw Dragon King Xiu's ethereal figure coiling above the throne, a dragon spirit manifested from its body—this was a fragment of Dragon King Xiu's spirit. Apart from a full awakening, Dragon King Xiu's shallow awakening descended in this manner. This was because it was not easy for the Dragon King's massive body to fully rejuvenate its vitality from slumber. Between waking and sleeping, Dragon King Xiu would also consume immense resources and incur considerable costs. To truly awaken him, Zhao Xing's offerings, worth tens of millions of dragon coins, were far from enough.

" (Dragon language) State your purpose." An ethereal voice echoed in Zhao Xing's mind.

"Tribute," Zhao Xing replied, brief and to the point. Dragon King Xiu looked up, and the water currents around the four dragon ships quickly swirled. Cao Qianyue had already left the dragon ships and was waiting in a small boat.

*Splash!* The water swirled, and the four dragon ships suddenly entered four whirlpools, disappearing into the Dragon Palace. A moment later, Xiu's voice resonated again.

"You shall receive the Dragon King's bestowal. Enter from here; you may choose any two items. You have fifteen days to make your selections. Once a choice is made, it cannot be changed."

Zhao Xing respectfully said, "Thank you for your bestowal, My King." With that, he obediently swam into a vortex above the Dragon Crystal Grand Avenue. The heavens spun, and the cosmos shifted.

After passing through the vortex, Zhao Xing appeared in a void. He looked down and saw a landmass floating below, rapidly expanding before his eyes. The land was entirely covered with mountains of treasures, stretching endlessly, with a diameter of almost ten thousand kilometers!

"Dragon King Xiu's Treasury World!" Zhao Xing's heart was filled with excitement.

"One could say this is the third most valuable treasury in the Dragon Court." The Great Dragon King had no treasury; its slumber had lasted far longer than its sons', and its treasures were divided among them. Unless there was a large-scale spiritual energy eruption in the Dragon Court, it would generally not awaken. Only the Central Dragon Court's vaults could surpass Dragon King Xiu's treasury in value. However, that was a forbidden area for the Dragon Clan, and extremely dangerous to explore. As for Dragon King Xiu's place, there was no danger at all.

Dragon King Xiu's treasury was vast, and the glow of its treasures was sealed by a powerful force, allowing judgment only by their appearance, text, or patterns. "It really tests your eyesight, like gambling on antiques," Zhao Xing thought to himself. He activated his Heavenly Eye method and began a large-scale scan. "For others, it's a blind selection, but not for me."

Zhao Xing pushed his Derivation God Art to its limit, while Huo swiftly flew, exploring Dragon King Xiu's treasury at the fastest possible speed. Even so, it took him a full day to roughly cover the entire area.

"Second pass!" Zhao Xing spent another two and a half days conducting a second round of screening.

"Third pass!" The third search was even more meticulous. The treasures here in Dragon King Xiu's treasury were immune to damage because they were enveloped by the Dragon King's power. Each treasure floated like a ball of light, and by mere perception, the fluctuations emitted by each were identical.

"Fifteen days is a short time for Dragon King Xiu's long lifespan, but quite long for me." Zhao Xing wasn't in a hurry, sweeping through the treasury repeatedly until the thirteenth day, when he finally stopped. "Less than two days left. Time to compare."

*Whirr!* His brain operated at lightning speed, replaying all the scenes from the past thirteen days. After repeated comparisons, an hour later, Zhao Xing opened his eyes.

"I've identified three treasures of the 'rare and precious' level, which are commonly known as divine artifacts. I also found five items that are potentially 'peerless wonders'." Why were there more 'peerless wonders'? Because Zhao Xing couldn't be precise; they looked like it, but there was a high possibility they weren't. He could confirm three.

*Whoosh!* Zhao Xing quickly determined the first essential treasure to take. He arrived before a golden light cluster. Inside the light cluster was a black carved tablet with dragon patterns.

"Dragon Emperor Jie's 'Dragon Emperor Codex'!""It's not the complete Dragon Emperor Codex, merely one-ninth of it, but even this one-ninth is still a divine artifact. The one here with Dragon King Xiu should be the 'Laws and Decrees' chapter. With it, I can explore many forbidden areas in the Central Dragon Court. With its power, I can even cast the corresponding nine grand incantations!"

Zhao Xing touched the light cluster without hesitation, taking it into his hand. Dragon King Xiu himself didn't know the true nature of this item, as it required activation at a specific location in the Dragon Court Sacred Land. The Dragon Emperor era was too distant from the Dragon King era; let alone Xiu, even the Great Dragon Kings had never seen a true Dragon Emperor. "How should I choose the second item? Should I pick a confirmed rare and precious treasure, or take a gamble on a peerless wonder?"

He didn't hesitate for long; Zhao Xing chose to take a gamble. Because he wasn't sure if others would come to make blind selections after him. Dragon King Xiu's matter definitely couldn't be kept secret for long. It was currently the eighteenth day since the Dragon Court opened; once he left, it would be the twentieth day. Over such a long period, many experts would likely have arrived in the Imperial City.

"For Old Meng, I'll take a gamble." Zhao Xing quickly hurried to the second location from his memory. Within the huge light cluster, the ethereal image of a hoe appeared.

Zhao Xing touched the light cluster. The moment he touched it, a profound sensation immediately transmitted into his mind. Upon entering this profound state, all of his Earth Advantage Sect spells were instantly elevated to the peak consummation level!

"I gambled correctly." Zhao Xing showed a slight smile. "Old Meng, this time you'll have to worship me. Let's see if you still nag me." Indeed, this was the historically lost Kun Yuan Divine Hoe, also nicknamed the 'Shennong Hoe'. It was one of the Four She Divine Artifacts. Only a She Divine Artifact could possess such miraculous effects, temporarily elevating his entry-level Earth Advantage spells to the peak consummation level.

*Buzz!* When the two selections were complete, a vortex passage appeared behind Zhao Xing. An invisible force pulled him out. Zhao Xing reappeared on the Dragon Crystal Grand Avenue, prostrating himself on the ground.

"Thank you for your bestowal, My King." Dragon King Xiu carefully glanced at the items Zhao Xing had chosen, said nothing, and merely gently swayed his dragon whiskers.

*Splash!* A current of water pushed Zhao Xing and Cao Qianyue outwards. Though it was a gentle push, Zhao Xing and Cao Qianyue instantly found themselves above the North Sea.

"Marquis?" Cao Qianyue grew anxious. "Why is this Dragon King like this? The twelve Sea-Calming Divine Needles are still down there!" Dragon King Xiu, though he didn't recognize the Dragon Emperor Codex, could certainly identify the Shennong Hoe, given its high tier. However, it couldn't be used by him, nor by anyone in the entire Dragon Court, as it was a divine artifact exclusive to the Minister of Agriculture. Having bestowed too much, he could only pull out the twelve Sea-Calming Divine Needles as a token of consolation.

Zhao Xing, however, remained completely unconcerned. "Let it take them back. He had the Kun Yuan Divine Hoe and a part of the Dragon Emperor Codex; what did he need 'Sea-Calming Divine Needles' for? Even if he lost ten thousand Sea-Calming Divine Needles, Master Zhao wouldn't care. After all, they were merely eighth-tier Dragon Clan treasures, rare outside but not uncommon within the Dragon Court.

"Let's go. Next time, the tribute offerings will have to be greater," Zhao Xing said. Tribute, tribute – the Dragon King needs to profit! While Dragon King Xiu was relatively fair, if he constantly incurred losses, he would also feel the pinch, and the next tribute would have to be even more substantial. Moreover, as the number of tributors increased, the standards would also rise. Zhao Xing also had to quickly accumulate wealth to ensure he could make more exchanges.

The moment Zhao Xing emerged from Dragon King Xiu's treasury, outside, in the Mojist Hall, within the Diviners' Secret Chamber, four first-rank diviners, including Heavenly Deduction King, were seated cross-legged within their "Heavenly Secret Pillars." Suddenly, *buzz!* One of the diviners, Ji Si, suddenly opened his eyes, a look of delight on his face.

When he opened his eyes, the other three diviners, including Heavenly Deduction King, also sensed something. "Ji Si." Heavenly Deduction King and the other two diviners quickly flew to Ji Si's Heavenly Secret Pillar. "How is it?" Ji Si and the other two did not hold kingly titles, so Heavenly Deduction King addressed him directly by name.

"Two items!" Ji Si extended two fingers, his smile crinkling his face like dried tree bark. "What about you?""Two items as well.""Two items."The four diviners quickly reached a consensus.

"Hahahahaha!" The four diviners burst into laughter. When all four diviners reached a consensus, it indicated a very high probability. Two divine artifacts had appeared and fallen into the hands of the Great Zhou! In less than a month, this was certainly cause for joy!

"Heavenly Deduction King, do you want to see who it is?" Ji Si asked expectantly. Heavenly Deduction King glanced at the other three, and seeing their anticipation, couldn't help but chuckle, "All right. Since it's calculating for our own people, the difficulty isn't high, and it won't consume much deduction power. Let's satisfy everyone's curiosity."

Then, the four returned to their Heavenly Secret Pillars, simultaneously activating their powers, redirecting their divination, and began to determine which Great Zhou expert had acquired these two divine artifacts. The deduction was unexpectedly easy. A *kechen* later, myriad names appeared on all four Heavenly Secret Pillars. Ninety percent of these names belonged to the same person: Zhao Xing.

"Zhao Xing?" Heavenly Deduction King was startled, thinking he had seen incorrectly. The other three also flew out of their Heavenly Secret Pillars and came to Heavenly Deduction King's side.

"Heavenly Deduction King, what are your results?""Mine is Zhao Xing, Marquis Shenwei Zhao Xing.""Mine too.""A mid-rank official, Zhao Xing? Obtained two divine artifacts in less than a month?" The three first-rank diviners immediately grew suspicious of their previous deductions, and even Heavenly Deduction King felt somewhat dazed.