This time, the Seven Distinguished Dragon Marquises had taken heavy losses. So, they all focused their anger at Leng Shaofan and complained to him.
If Xiao Chen were here, he would be surprised at this Leng Shaofan’s appearance.
This black-clad person was none other than the Leng Ao that Xiao Chen had paid attention to in the Sea Monarch Palace—the Leng Ao who had hidden himself well and was very mysterious.
Leng Shaofan raised his gaze. For some reason, the Seven Distinguished Dragon Marquises did not dare to say anything more.
When Leng Shaofan saw that they had fallen silent, he said indifferently, “I will make up for everyone’s losses this time, including those seven King Grade warships. As for now, we should leave quickly. The experts of the Supreme Sky Sect should be making their moves already.”
After he finished speaking, he turned around and rushed off, leaving the Seven Distinguished Dragon Marquises looking at each other in dismay.
After a long time, Huan Qiuyu said, “Let’s go. When Xiao Chen arrives at the Heavenly Starry Ocean, we must make him spit out everything with interest added. We will show him that the great sea is not a place where the Azure Dragon of the continent can play around.”
—
Supreme Sky Sect:
When Xiao Chen rushed back, the place had returned to its usual calm already. Shui Lingling took out six peak Divine Flame Talismans and handed them to Xiao Chen, along with the spatial rings of the six old men.
[TL Note: The group of old men might already have had one peak grade Divine Flame Talisman of their own before receiving the six from Leng Shaofan.]
“I got these from the six old men. These people had indeed planned that out. You will probably encounter some more trouble after you go to Heavenly Star Island. These six peak Divine Flame Talismans should be able to save your life at a crucial moment.”
Xiao Chen was the one who killed these people. Naturally, the most valuable things on them would be handed over to him.
Peak grade Divine Flame Talismans were definitely lifesavers. However, these things were very difficult to refine. Ordinary Divine Flame Talismans could send one fifty kilometers away at most. For great grandmaster-level Martial Sages, these would not be sufficient.
Only peak grade Divine Flame Talismans, which could instantly send a person five hundred kilometers away, would be good enough. Xiao Chen was happy to accept these. After a moment’s thought, he took one out and handed it to Shui Lingling.
Shui Lingling smiled and did not reject it. “When do you plan to leave?”
“Three days from now!”
“Why the rush?” Shui Lingling asked, finding it strange. Leaving in three days was truly a little too hasty.
Xiao Chen nodded, confirming his intent to leave three days hence. He had originally planned to cultivate quietly and spend time comprehending while making ample preparations before his departure.
However, the sudden turn of events gave him a strong sense of danger, which changed his mind.
He had already been worried that the Three Holy Lands had prepared some tricks at Heavenly Star Island. Now, there were the Sea Monarch’s old guards. He did not know what they were planning.
So, it was best that he start on his journey earlier, in case the situation changed for the worse later.
There were simply too many things to do in three days. Xiao Chen temporarily set aside cultivating and counted the Black Astral Coins on hand once again. He discovered that when he combined his thirty million Black Astral Coins from the Longevity Fruits and what he obtained by killing all the enemies in his way, he already possessed a horrifying amount—forty million Black Astral Coins. Furthermore, that was not all; there were a lot of miscellaneous secret manuals, Medicinal Pills, and Secret Treasures.
There was a saying, “he who has wealth speaks louder than others.” Xiao Chen took out twenty million Black Astral Coins and wantonly procured Astral Cores. For three days, his figure could be seen in the various major transaction points and markets of the Supreme Sky Sect, buying up all the Astral Cores.
Astral Cores had many applications. They could be used for large-scale formations or to power warships.
Since Xiao Chen planned to make Heavenly Star Island the base for rebuilding the Dragon’s Gate, Astral Cores were something that he could not do without.
Within three days, he spent all twenty million Black Astral Coins. Even a regular Rank 9 sect did not have the boldness to spend such a sum in three days like that.
However, the harvest was considerable. Xiao Chen managed to purchase ten thousand Inferior Grade Astral Cores, three thousand Medial Grade Astral Cores, and even one thousand of the rare Superior Grade Astral Cores.
Previously, he would not have been able to purchase so many Astral Cores with just twenty million Astral Coins. After all, an Inferior Grade Astral Core could sell for one thousand Black Astral Coins.
However, his title of Azure Dragon King allowed him to enjoy a twenty percent discount when purchasing things within the Martial God Palace’s territory. Furthermore, because some merchant associations wanted to establish a good relationship with him, they gave him an additional discount. Hence, he managed to obtain so many Astral Cores with his twenty million Black Astral Coins.
Yue Chenxi, Jin Lin, Liu Ke, and Xiao Xian gathered at Xiao Chen’s peak with smiles on their faces. For the sake of this day, they had prepared for a long time.
A purple dragon-shaped warship hovering above the summit of the peak emanated extraordinary might as it hid in the clouds, waiting to depart.
This was precisely one of the seven warships that Xiao Chen snatched. An old man with unfathomable cultivation rested inside the recuperation room of the warship—the Supreme Elder that Ying Zongtian sent, a bona fide quasi-Emperor.
Shui Lingling came to send Xiao Chen off. She did not know when she would see him again after he left today. Thinking this, she could not help but feel melancholic.
“First Senior Sister, we are leaving. We will meet again in the future,” Xiao Chen said with a cupped-fist salute.
“Don’t be in a rush to leave. You should wait for a few more people.”
“There are still more coming? Who?” Jin Lin asked, feeling confused.
Xiao Chen felt equally confused. This trip was not like children playing house. He could not bring just anyone who wanted to go.
Shui Lingling smiled mysteriously and said, “Just wait for a while longer, and you will know the answer. Of course, if you do not agree, these people will not press the matter. I’m only introducing them.”
Someone who could get Shui Lingling to make the introductions personally had to have strong influence. This piqued Xiao Chen’s interest. Who was it that was willing to travel a long way to Heavenly Star Island?
“Whoosh! Whoosh!”
Soon, three figures flew over from far away. Xiao Chen raised his head and looked. When the three figures were one kilometer away, he made out their appearances. He frowned. Why is it these three?
Three figures descended, two males and one female. The ones who came were actually the Asura Race’s outstanding talents, Lan Shaobai, Xiao Yu, and the youth that followed them.
Lan Shaobai performed a cupped-fist salute and said, “Brother Xiao Chen, would you be willing to bring three more people on this trip?”
Xiao Yu blinked and waited for Xiao Chen’s answer in anticipation.
During the past year, Lan Shaobai suffered many setbacks. He no longer has the will to compete with Di Wuque. Junior Brother Xiao Chen, I can guarantee that he does not have any ill intent.
Shui Lingling sent a voice projection to Xiao Chen. Clearly, she did not want him to lose a strong helper.
The strength of these three went without saying; Xiao Chen was well aware of it. This was especially so for Lan Shaobai, who had been about as strong as him before. However, why were such people willing to come with him?
Never mind. First Senior Sister introduced them. I should accept her kind intentions. Even if I bring them and they have other agendas, as long as we do not clash, it should be fine.
Xiao Chen set off, the Azure Dragon King stepping into a vaster sky and world with glory. From here on, the vague form of the new Dragon’s Gate would emerge.
The purple warship broke through the clouds, heading for the vast oceanic world, bringing the Azure Dragon King’s dreams and his friends and disappearing from Shui Lingling’s sight.
“What’s wrong, girl? Your heart flew off with them?”
At some point in time, Ying Zongtian had appeared beside Shui Lingling, standing there with a smile.
“Master, why are you here?!” Shui Lingling exclaimed, startled.
Ying Zongtian smiled and asked, “What’s wrong? Only you can send this fellow off, and your master cannot?”
When Shui Lingling saw her master’s strange smile, she blushed slightly. “You’re even smiling. Why are you still smiling? Be careful. Or else I will use the Supreme Sky Sect as a dowry and toss you out.”
Ying Zongtian laughed loudly and said, “Are you talking about that brat, Xiao Chen? Go on. Give it to him. If you truly want him, Master will help you grab that boy back.”
Shui Lingling smiled in response. “Good. Master, go ahead and bring him back. Lingling will wait here.”
“You brat, you still dare to continue with this? Let’s go. I’ll ask around my old friends, see if I can help you find a better bow. Your master is a Prime already, and his disciple is still wielding trash. That is utterly inappropriate.”
Shui Lingling giggled and said, “Master is really considerate. I have been eyeing the third-ranked Emperor Yi Shooting Sun Bow of the Divine Weapon Ranking for a long time already.”
Ying Zongtian’s foot paused, and he nearly fell over. He smiled helplessly. “You still dare to mention it? That bow has been lost for a long time already. How am I going to find it?
“Never mind, let’s speak about proper things. Hurry and cultivate. I’ve allocated the best resources of the Supreme Sky Sect to you. Don’t let that fellow leave you too far behind. By then, even if you offer yourself, you won’t be able to marry him.”
Ying Zongtian’s figure wavered, and he turned into a flash of light, disappearing from the summit.
Shui Lingling muttered, “Speak about proper things? In the end, it is still not proper. However, I really should hurry. Master already shared with me all his comprehensions in cultivation. It would be too unfortunate to waste this opportunity.”
—
On this day when Xiao Chen left the Supreme Sky Sect, the three Holy Scions and many others all moved in another direction—towards the toughest experiential training ground of the Starry Heavens, the Astral Battlefield, where the Kunlun Realm’s starry world and the Deep Abyss Demonic World intersected.
Ten thousand years ago, in the Deep Abyss Demonic Calamity, the eighteen Demon Monarchs led the army of the Demonic Worlds and charged into the Kunlun Realm. However, they did not enter from the difficult-to-pass-through spatial tears. Instead, they opened a tunnel into the Kunlun Realm right outside the Starry Heavens.
Then, the Demons broke through the barrier of the sky, catching the Kunlun Continent’s five major races unprepared. The casualty rate was disastrous.
If not for the Azure Emperor arriving at that time, leading the Martial God Palace to struggle to turn the tide of this desperate crisis, killing his way through the Deep Abyss Demon Races, and ultimately forcing them to the edge of the Kunlun Realm’s domain in the Starry Heavens, the consequences would have been too horrible to contemplate.
At that area by the edge, the fortress that the Deep Abyss Demon Races had left was not destroyed completely.
After the fall of the Azure Emperor, the Deep Abyss Demon Races had returned. They came through the transportation formation in the Starry Heavens and reestablished a stronghold at the border.
For the sake of preventing that miserable experience from recurring, the humans, the Deity Race, the Ghost Race, the Fiend Race, and the Corpse Race also had set up fortresses of their own at the edge of their domain in the Starry Heavens.
Both sides had been deadlocked for ten thousand years; neither could drive the other out. This situation resulted in the famous Astral Battlefield of the Kunlun Realm and the Deep Abyss Demonic World.
That was the toughest battlefield in the Starry Heavens. No one below Martial Sage was qualified to enter. Even someone as strong as a Martial Emperor could fall.
For ten thousand years, many experts from both sides killed each other on this battlefield. They became famous for their accomplishments or left a trail of blood across the sky and fell.
However, Xia Houjue had to go to this place. If he wanted to regain his dignity and get back what belonged to him, he needed to brave certain dangers.
Feng Wuji and Nuan Muyun, who were on good terms with Xia Houjue, did not want him to go alone, so they accompanied him.
Xia Houzun, who was sending off the three, sighed softly, “Originally, I was planning to wait until you all were great grandmaster-level Martial Sages before sending you there. However, time waits for no man. Xiao Chen’s sudden rise resulted in the three of you being left far behind. Without this gamble, you can only keep chasing his shadow forever.”
Xia Houjue squeezed out a smile and said, “Father, don’t worry. The three of us will return alive. The fame of the three Holy Scions will resound once more. Even if he becomes the second Azure Emperor, the situation where the Dragon’s Gate overshadows the Three Holy Lands will never happen again. The three of us will make sure the Holy Lands’ glory lasts forever.”
