Chapter 767: Caught Red-Handed

The Four Thieves of Juxuan Island stared menacingly at Xiao Xinghai, their hearts filled with murderous intent.

"Who exactly are you?! Where's the Dragon Pearl?"

Xiao Xinghai was utterly bewildered. What Dragon Pearl? Who are you four? Where am I?

The Four Thieves grew even angrier. They had spent a century meticulously preparing to steal the Dragon Pearl, only for it to be swapped out after they finally acquired it!

"It must have been that Liu fellow!"

"Still pretending to be foolish? Die!"

Although their cultivation levels had fallen, the four were still at the Soul Transformation stage. Moreover, Xiao Xinghai was severely wounded and struggled even to stand. Despite his bewilderment and innocent expression, Xiao Xinghai allowed them to attack him. The moment their attacks landed on Xiao Xinghai, a single strand of his hair suddenly erupted with a profound black light.

As the supreme prodigy of the Kunpeng clan, and arguably the most talented cultivator in their history, he naturally possessed life-saving treasures. This particular strand of hair was a feather from Venerable Black Feather, which would manifest when Xiao Xinghai faced danger.

"Ah—"

The Four Thieves of Juxuan Island were struck by the black light and instantly lost their lives.

Meanwhile, the Dragon Clan received a lead and split their forces into two, pursuing Lu Yang's group of four and the Four Thieves of Juxuan Island.

"Those four Soul Transformation cultivators left carrying a coffin?" a Dragon Clan elder sneered. "Do they truly believe they can escape like that?"

"Pursue them!"

The Dragon Clan elder led a large contingent, flying majestically out of the Sea Market. He began inquiring with the fish shoals near the market about the whereabouts of the four individuals. This was his innate talent; he could naturally communicate with these unintelligent, ordinary fish. Having received intelligence from the fish, they transformed into their true forms. Dozens of true dragons soared through the sky above the sea, their presence awe-inspiring.

"It's this island!"

Upon their arrival, they found Xiao Xinghai lying in the coffin, covered in blood, gasping for breath, and incredibly weak—too weak to even stand. The four Soul Transformation thieves lay dead on the ground, their blood staining the area.

Witnessing this scene, the dragons were deeply moved. "This person fought valiantly, slaying the four thieves! He is a hero of the Dragon Clan!"

The dragons descended. Some confirmed the identities of the four Soul Transformation cultivators, while others surrounded Xiao Xinghai, praising his heroic deed. Xiao Xinghai remained utterly bewildered.

"I was just lying in a coffin. Someone tried to kill me when the lid opened, and my ancestor's feather retaliated. And now I'm a Dragon Clan hero?" he thought. "Where did Lu Yang and the others go?"

Lu Yang and his three companions were heading to find the Black-Robed Dragon Clan member with the Ancestral Dragon Grass when Lu Yang suddenly stopped them halfway.

"Hold on a moment."

"What is it?"

"What if we give the item to the Dragon Clan elder, and he reneges on the deal, running off while we go back to retrieve the coffin?"

"He's masked, so we don't even know who he is."

"Good point. So, should we just take the coffin with us when we go to him?"

"Exactly."

Lu Yang's group turned around and headed for the merchant association.

At the merchant association, Deacon Liu had finished his tasks and was no longer at the front desk, having instructed another subordinate to cover it.

"Hello, we're here to pick up a coffin. We stored it three days ago and paid three hundred spirit stones," Meng Jingzhou said, producing a receipt issued by Deacon Liu.

The person at the front desk verified the receipt against the record book. After confirming everything, it took them a long time to locate the coffin, which was covered with a black cloth.

Lu Yang and the others retrieved the coffin, covered in black cloth, thinking the merchant association was quite thoughtful. He lifted the black cloth, confirmed the coffin's style was the same as before, and then eagerly went to find the Black-Robed Dragon Clan member.

Carrying the coffin, Lu Yang's group, disregarding the strange looks from passersby, ran into the room at the west end of the teahouse. The Black-Robed Dragon Clan member was already waiting inside. Lu Yang held the wooden box containing the Ancestral Dragon Grass in one hand and hoisted the coffin onto his shoulder.

The Black-Robed Dragon Clan member's body stiffened. He hadn't expected Lu Yang's claim three days ago about a seriously injured friend needing dragon blood to be true. Three days had passed; they had helped him find the Ancestral Dragon Grass, but their friend had seemingly died. Mortal beings always fantasized that bathing in dragon blood could revive the dead and grant immortality, but in reality, dragon blood possessed no such heaven-defying effects.

"Senior, we've completed the task."

The Black-Robed Dragon Clan member, surprised by the group's efficiency, asked, "You weren't discovered, were you?"

"No."

Lu Yang handed over the wooden box.

The Black-Robed Dragon Clan member opened the wooden box and, seeing the Ancestral Dragon Grass with leaves resembling dragon claws inside, let out a sigh of relief. It was finally found. Lu Yang rubbed his hands together and chuckled apologetically, "Senior, since we've completed the task, then this dragon blood..."

Dragon blood from a Soul Fusion stage cultivator would surely greatly aid Fellow Daoist Xinghai's recovery, and perhaps even elevate his Dragon Transformation Art to the next level.

"Of course, I'll provide it. I always keep my word," the Black-Robed Dragon Clan member replied.

Just then, a colossal dragon claw tore through the teahouse roof, sending the occupants scattering in fright.

"Aoran, I can't believe it was you who stole the Dragon Pearl! And you even brought four human accomplices!"

Three colossal dragons circled above the Sea Market, staring intently at the Black-Robed Dragon Clan member. Their whiskers swayed like water, and their eyes, full of majesty, showcased the might of the Eastern Sea's rulers.

"Aoye, you're slandering me!" Aoran, the Black-Robed Dragon Clan member, roared in fury. "What Dragon Pearl? I've never even seen it! And I certainly don't know these four people!" He had heard the Dragon Pearl was missing, but it was clearly the three of them who were responsible for guarding it. How was its disappearance his concern?

Lu Yang and his three companions found the name Aoran vaguely familiar. Mang Gu, whose mind was less cluttered, was the first to remember. Before they set off for the Eastern Sea, Old Man Ba had mentioned a friend in the Eastern Sea named Aoran, who was fond of sealing his cultivation and then breaking through on the spot.

"Senior Aoran, the four of us are from Wen Dao Sect. I'm Mang Gu, and these three are Lu Yang, Meng Jingzhou, and Li Haoran!"

"You're from Wen Dao Sect?" Aoran recalled a letter Old Man Ba had sent him recently, stating that five exceptional juniors from Wen Dao Sect were heading to the Eastern Sea and were prone to causing trouble. He was instructed to look out for them if they met.

"And you still claim you don't know them!"

Upon hearing Lu Yang's name, Aoye and the other two dragons seemed to recall something. "Lu Yang, the apprentice of the Silent Old Thief!"

"To think master and apprentice would take turns trying to steal the Dragon Pearl! They truly have no regard for our Dragon Palace!"

"The three of you stop twisting things!" Aoran protected Lu Yang and the others, suspecting Aoye's group was using this as an excuse to cause trouble.

"Twisting things? Then what's in that wooden box?"

Aoran, confident in his innocence, opened the wooden box, revealing the dragon claw-shaped grass. "Ancestral Dragon Grass, a birthday gift for the Palace Lord. What's the problem?"

Aoye and the other two dragons muttered to themselves, "This isn't right. Weren't we told the Dragon Pearl was in a wooden box?"

Suddenly, their gazes fell upon the most conspicuous object in the room: the coffin.

"What's in that coffin?"

Aoran angrily opened the coffin. "Of course, there's a person inside!"

Then, everyone saw a translucent, palm-sized, perfectly round pearl fixed inside the coffin.

It was precisely the Dragon Pearl.

Complete silence fell upon the room; not a sound could be heard.

Aoran was speechless.

"Caught red-handed! What more do you have to say?"

"You were just about to cut your wrist and drip blood. Was that to make it recognize you as its master?"