Chapter 310: Spirit Spring, Ninth Rank Floating, Void Seed Germination

"Yin Xiu, wasn't he in slumber? He actually came over?" Ye Yukong was shocked. He had personally experienced Yin Xiu's power; even in slumber, just the dragon spirit alone was enough to overwhelm him, a peerless second-rank master. In fact, he wasn't the only one; Ji Mengjun and Tong Jin, both first-rank Fate Palace Realm masters, had also exchanged items there and felt the same way: he was unstoppable! Otherwise, Great Zhou would be plotting how to seize Yin Xiu's treasures, not exchanging for them.

"Don't worry, he's here to pledge allegiance," Zhao Xing said with a slight smile. "Evil dragons and rebellious dragons cannot enter the Central Dragon Court. Any dragons that can come must obey the world's rules set by the Dragon Court." Now that he had unsealed the Dragon Clan divine artifact, he could openly speak about information from his previous life.

"Pledge allegiance?" Shenluo Wang noticed the word, his pupils trembling involuntarily.

"Didn't they say that when a Dragon King awakens, there's a period of weakness where their strength recovers, and they stay in the royal city during that time?" Jiang Chuan was also somewhat shocked. "Yin Xiu would actually risk his safety to come pledge allegiance?" For dragons, this period was quite long. Yin Xiu, however, had immediately rushed out upon waking. From Jiang Chuan and others' understanding of Dragon Kings, this should be Yin Xiu's weakest moment!

"He's different," Zhao Xing explained. "Yin Xiu was already close to awakening, and the fact that he could receive tributes during his slumber was because his dragon spirit continued to read and cultivate. Therefore, after he awakens, there will be no drawbacks, and he can immediately unleash his peak strength. Of course, even if there were a cost, he would still rush over. He is absolutely loyal to the Dragon Court."

"This dragon is quite good," Ye Yukong commented.

"He is truly a loyal minister of the Dragon Clan," Tong Jin remarked.

"What other special qualities does he possess?" Ji Mengjun asked.

"Yin Xiu is the inheritor of the Eastern Emperor Scripture (the Dragon Emperor is also known as the Eastern Emperor)," Zhao Xing replied. "He is a loyal supporter of Dragon Emperor Jie, and his ambition is to carry on the Dragon Emperor's legacy and rebuild the Dragon Court. Now that I've inherited the Dragon Imperial Codex, it's as if I am the Dragon Emperor's successor. That's why he actively rushed here. Actually, without me actively summoning them, other Dragon Kings would only sense something, but because of this specific reason, he rushed over." Ji Mengjun nodded slightly, but her hand, hidden in her sleeve, remained tightly clasped.

***

In Guting Royal City, near the North Sea, at the Campaign Hall, the powerful figures of Great Zhou arrived, looking for Jisi. The moment Dragon King Yin Xiu awakened and left the Dragon Palace beneath the North Sea.

"Lord Ji, what's going on? Dragon King Yin Xiu has awakened!"

"Where did he go?"

"Can our exchanges continue?"

"What exactly happened—"

Jisi opened his eyes, looking at the emotional powerhouses who had come to question him. "Please calm yourselves, everyone. Allow me to make a calculation." With that, Jisi rose excitedly and went to a secret chamber.

Once in the secret chamber, Jisi could no longer restrain himself. "Hahahahahahaha! Hahahahaha!" Jisi laughed for a long time before finally stopping. He then walked to a table. A pile of bamboo slips lay on it. The slips were pure white, emitting a soft, warm glow. This was a Cloud Casket Time Slip, a communication tool exclusive to first-rank fate officials.

*Shhh-shhh* Jisi began carving characters onto the bamboo slips. "The 20th year of Dazhi, June 25th, my brother Tianyan, will surely see this slip." Currently, it was clearly the 20th day of the 12th month of the 3rd year of Dazhi, but Jisi wrote the date as the 25th day of the 6th month of the 20th year of Dazhi. Why? Because this was an official document written to the future! This was a method of high-rank fate officials. "My brother Tianyan" was the designated recipient. "Will surely see this slip" reinforced the spell's directionality and also served as a rule. The Dragon Court Ancient Land would close in the 20th year of Dazhi; logically, Jisi would also leave at that time.

Meanwhile, in the outside world, at Juzi Palace, Heavenly Secret Hall, King Tianyan, who was currently within a pillar of light, suddenly moved his eyes. He repeatedly pointed with both hands, indicating the southeast corner of the light pillar at the fifty-mark. A picture appeared, reflecting a Cloud Casket Time Slip.

"—Since Zhao Xing obtained the Dragon Clan divine artifact 'Dragon Imperial Codex,' he has studied it for over half a year. Yesterday, he went to the Central Dragon Court, and today Yin Xiu awakened and proceeded to the Dragon Court, proving that he has successfully unsealed and mastered the divine artifact— The Edict of Imperial Seal has not yet been used—"

King Tianyan watched quietly, a look of surprise on his face. "Summoning Dragon King Yin Xiu? A true divine artifact indeed!"

Although human first-rank masters were said to be on par with Dragon Kings of the Dragon Clan, in reality, a first-rank master couldn't defeat a Dragon King. Primarily, their rank was insufficient. Great Zhou only had four king-level dragon nobles; everyone else, regardless of what flashy dragon noble titles they obtained, was a rank below a Dragon King. Subordinates challenging superiors: if they were from the same kingdom, the Dragon Court's world rules would brand them as 'rebellious dragons' or 'evil dragons.' Except for certain specific areas, without a dragon identity and within the Dragon Court, one's strength couldn't be fully utilized and they would be attacked by groups. Even in different kingdoms, the conditions for a lord to challenge a Dragon King were extremely strict. Unless under the command of another Dragon King, or in other situations within the Grand Arena, a lower-ranked individual attacking a Dragon King was an act of grave disrespect; their strength would be significantly weakened. Therefore, Bai Yunwu and the other three who could obtain king-level noble titles were incredibly valuable. Because as long as one acted with these four, most actions in the Dragon Court Ancient Land would be unimpeded. Now, Zhao Xing, holding the Dragon Imperial Codex, could actually command Dragon Kings? It was simply incredible!

King Tianyan was trembling with excitement at this moment! What was the difference between this and holding His Majesty's imperial edict within Great Zhou? A single imperial edict could strip one of their official position, reclaim their power, and reduce them to their original form! There was still a difference: the Dragon Court Ancient Land had a more stringent hierarchy, and Zhao Xing wasn't holding an imperial edict, but the Dragon Imperial Codex, which could *issue* imperial edicts.

"Good lad, good lad!" King Tianyan's fingers clenched white with excitement.

On the other side, Jisi, who was carving, stopped, a hint of helplessness on his face. Because he had a premonition of King Tianyan's excitement, which made his carving more difficult. He had to stop for a moment to let the other party calm down. However, after half a day, the other party still hadn't come to his senses, so Jisi could only remind him, carving on the slip: "Brother, don't get excited. I'm still casting a spell here." The sound of the carving knife entered King Tianyan's mind. He immediately saw the line of text.

"Ahem—My apologies," King Tianyan immediately regained his composure. Jisi then crossed out that line and continued his narrative.

"—In this humble brother's opinion, it is advisable to immediately suggest to Duke Yang to commit all remaining forces, taking this opportunity to decisively thwart the enemy's scheme—"

After writing, Jisi put the carving knife aside and carefully preserved the bamboo slips. If the bamboo slips were lost during this period, or if King Tianyan died, he would be unable to deliver the message in the 20th year of Dazhi, and he would suffer a powerful backlash from the rules. Various accidents would inevitably occur during that time, causing him to lose or forget to complete this task. Therefore, from this moment on, Jisi had to carry them at all times. He also couldn't participate in combat, because if he were killed, all the secrets on these bamboo slips would become known.

"Writing so many copies in half a year, I'm going to lose some lifespan," Jisi muttered. "Why didn't ancient sages develop a 'payment upon delivery' function? That way, it would be my brother's lifespan that's shortened." Anyway, he wouldn't live much longer; wouldn't it be simpler to bear all the costs before he died? "I can research this method later," Jisi thought to himself. Suppressing this thought for now, Jisi continued to write the second slip.

"The 20th year of Dazhi, June 25th, your humble servant submits this to Your Majesty, and Your Majesty will surely see this slip. As Your Majesty predicted, in the Ancient Land, the Western Sea Aquatic Tribe's 'Boyi' has indeed rebelled—he invited Bai, Tang, and Ao to explore the Nine-Star Fire Prison by appointment. White Dragon King went along with the plan and has hidden himself within the Fire Prison. He has a treasure bestowed by Your Majesty, which will allow him to endure for ten years without issue. Since the day he was trapped, orders have been given for rescue. Luo Guanxiu, Mou Dingbang, Lan Zhongji, and fifteen others whose intentions are unclear and loyalty is not evident, enjoying the court's good fortune yet being selfish and evasive—Divine Might Marquis Zhao Xing has obtained Dragon Clan divine artifacts, named 'Dragon Imperial Codex' and the community divine artifact 'Kunyuan Divine Hoe'—There's a slight discrepancy with the predicted timeline, nearly five years ahead of schedule. Divine Might Marquis is heading towards the Fire Prison Plains..."

Towards the end of his writing, Jisi suddenly brought up other trivial matters. "Your humble servant had a sudden inspiration, thinking of a new method for fate officials. If the Cloud Casket Time Slip could be combined with the spellcraft of historical scribes, perhaps this method could forge a new path..."

In Juzi Palace, King Tianyan had no idea that his younger brother had come up with such a heaven-defying idea: to change the cost of the fate official's 'Time Message Slip' spell into a 'payment upon delivery' version. He quickly walked out and sent a message to King Luo.

"Luo, the situation within the Dragon Court Ancient Land has changed significantly. We can begin preparing for a counterattack." King Tianyan informed King Luo of the situation Jisi had described.

King Luo frowned, "Isn't all this too—"

King Tianyan whispered sternly, "Luo, don't think about what you shouldn't, and if you guess it, don't say it."

King Luo was silent for a moment, then nodded, "I will notify Yang Xiong'ing." King Tianyan put away his Earth Mirror.

Soon after, King Luo contacted Duke Yang, the Commander of Jinwu, and Lu Ying, the Junior Minister of Works, via the Earth Mirror. "Duke Yang, a major change has occurred within the Dragon Court. You are to enter immediately—" Yang Xiong'ing's expression grew increasingly serious as he listened to King Luo's words.

***

At True Dragon Royal City, at the teleportation array, after a burst of scorching rainbow light, a Dragon Clan formation appeared above the square. *Buzz!* Golden light rippled for a hundred miles as Dragon King Yin Xiu unleashed his domain. Behind him were five hundred Dragon King guards, all Qimeng lords with dragon heads and human bodies, each wielding a ninth-tier divine weapon.

The moment Yin Xiu arrived via teleportation, Zhao Xing stopped flying and landed in the wilderness, waiting for Yin Xiu's arrival. If he were to actively fly to the royal city to find Yin Xiu, how undignified would that be? Of course, Yin Xiu should come to him. However, his position was not far from the True Dragon Royal City.

Soon, Yin Xiu led his Dragon Clan guard army to the wilderness. *Roar!* The 48 Dragon Clan lords on Zhao Xing's side became restless. Because they were not subordinate to Guting Kingdom, and Yin Xiu's oppressive presence was extremely strong.

"Silence!" Zhao Xing flew out of the dragon boat and roared at the surrounding lords. The Dragon Clan lords immediately quieted down. Soon after, Yin Xiu and his dragon guards flew and stopped three thousand meters ahead. The golden domain rippled like clouds and mist, obscuring his form, while the five hundred Qimeng lords stood ready beneath the clouds. A massive dragon head emerged from the golden clouds. The entire head was dark golden, but two scales on its brow were purple: one square, like a book, the other resembling a hiltless sword blade.

Ji Mengjun's lips were pressed tightly together, the imperial edict in her sleeve ready to be thrown out at any moment. Tong Jin's entire body was tense, his heart pounding uncontrollably. As for Jiang Chuan, Ye Yukong, and Shenluo Wang, they felt nothing specific, only a sense of immense power! At this moment, Dragon King Yin Xiu was so much stronger than them that they couldn't even accurately gauge his power.

Zhao Xing remained in human form, calmly staring at Yin Xiu, holding the Dragon Imperial Codex in his hand. Yin Xiu also observed Zhao Xing, a sense of familiarity immediately rising within him. In his large dragon eyes, a clear trace of bewilderment appeared. "Isn't this the 'Fire' dragon he had exchanged with half a year ago? What was its true dragon name again? Was it 'Zhao'?" However, Zhao Xing's aura at this moment was vastly different from half a year ago, so Dragon King Yin Xiu wasn't entirely sure. But he only paused for a second before the dragon clouds lowered, and his dragon head prostrated itself, descending to Zhao Xing's feet.

"Guting Yin Xiu, greets the great inheritor of the Dragon Emperor." Yin Xiu spoke in the same source of dragon language as Zhao Xing used when casting decrees, both being the Dragon Emperor's Golden Script created by Dragon Emperor Yan.

"Yin Xiu, why have you come?" Zhao Xing asked indifferently.

"To follow in your footsteps," Dragon King Yin Xiu replied respectfully. "My vassal lords and I wish to serve you."

Zhao Xing flew to Yin Xiu's dragon head. "Guting Yin Xiu, this king accepts your allegiance. Your true name shall be recorded on the Codex, making you the first Dragon King under my command!" With that, Zhao Xing extended a palm and pressed it onto Dragon King Yin Xiu's sword scale. From the Codex in his other hand, a surge of golden light erupted, with numerous dragon shadows, transforming into Yin Xiu's name, which appeared on the Dragon Imperial Codex.

This was an Imperial Seal spell cast using the Dragon Imperial Codex. With the Codex's blessing, he merely held a rank comparable to a Great Dragon King, but without the corresponding strength. He would need to master the Nine Great Spells to possess that power. The Imperial Seal spell he cast on Yin Xiu now didn't have much effect; at most, it was a symbolic gesture. Because the remaining power within the Dragon Imperial Codex was insufficient to bestow Yin Xiu the title of 'Great Dragon King.' Even if he had recovered some power earlier, it was far from enough to elevate a Dragon King to a Great Dragon King. It was, however, enough to elevate a Dragon Clan lord to a Dragon King. However, to achieve that, he would first need to master the third page of the Dragon Imperial Codex and then cast the 'Dragon King Imperial Seal Spell.' The time was too short; Zhao Xing hadn't yet mastered the Dragon King Imperial Seal Spell, one of the Nine Great Spells. Great Dragon King? That was even more impossible. Even if he could, Zhao Xing wouldn't bestow the title. The Great Dragon King level required a massive amount of spiritual energy to achieve, and maintaining that state thereafter also required a continuous supply of spiritual energy. This was also why Great Dragon Kings in various countries would fall into slumber. It was completely passive! Lacking sufficient spiritual energy to maintain their normal state, they could only go into slumber. Zhao Xing himself was short on spiritual energy; why would he create a Great Dragon King?

*Huang!* Zhao Xing let out a dragon's roar, imprinting his voice onto Yin Xiu's reverse scale. Thereafter, unless Yin Xiu was willing to abandon his dragon identity and become a rebellious dragon, he could not defy Zhao Xing's commands.

"Thank you for your bestowal, My King." Yin Xiu was somewhat emotional. Although the power was very weak and didn't help him much, this power was precisely the Dragon Emperor's might he had once felt!

Once the procedure was complete, Zhao Xing immediately said: "Yin Xiu, a great battle is underway in the Fire Prison Plains. I suspect it's the doing of the Heavenly Abyss and Sinful Sea, attempting to defile the dignity of the Dragon Clan's ancestral land. You shall accompany this king to quell the rebellion! Great Zhou has four human individuals who have obtained king-level dragon noble titles. Other forces combined have three. They are: 'Pompey' of the Southern Barbarian Purple Dragon Royal Court, who spent 356 years completing the numerous trials of the Dragon Court Ancestral Land, obtaining ancient Celestial Dragon essence blood, and establishing his Dragon King position, known as the 'Celestial Dragon King'. Then, 'Tuoyan,' a first-rank Heavenly Witch from the Golden Feather Royal Court, who spent 508 years slaying 30,700 rebellious dragons in the Sinful Sea, endured trials of blood and fire, obtained ancient Fire Dragon blood, and established his Dragon King position, known as the 'Fire Dragon King'. The other is 'Ichuan' from an ancient Eastern Ying tribe, who spent 534 years obtaining the Chaofeng bloodline from the Heavenly Abyss, known as the 'Wind Dragon King'."

Inside the dragon boat, Ji Mengjun narrated: "The siege of the Fire Prison Plains was led by these three, launching a surprise attack on the White Dragon King's team. Excluding the White Dragon King, who are the other three Dragon Kings of our dynasty?" Zhao Xing asked.

"Golden Dragon King Yang Xiong'ing, Ritual Dragon King Gao Feng, and Ice Dragon King Ji Ji."

Zhao Xing nodded. It was not easy for humans to obtain the Dragon King position after entering; the chained quests were not simple to complete. Of course, the actual time wasn't as exaggerated as Ji Mengjun stated. The Dragon Court's opening period was about 15 to 20 years. She calculated from the moment they began these series of trials, while the time spent outside was merely preparation. Sect realms were not qualified for such opportunities. The Dragon King position required the full strength of a nation, expending vast human, material, and financial resources for preparation. What part could sects play?

"Ten thousand high-rank masters fighting sounds exaggerated; in reality, these three Dragon Kings used their authority to