Chapter 971: Dragon Palace Treasure Pavilion

Li Yi chose to remain in the Heavenly Realm for a while, intending to escort Hua Qing back to his hometown—but that was only one of his goals.

He also wanted to leverage the Heavenly Realm’s resources to improve himself further.

If all else failed, bringing back some local specialties from the Heavenly Realm would do—at least they could help his friends and family on Earth; he couldn’t possibly return empty-handed.

At this moment, his form transformed into a violet lightning bolt, streaking across the heavens at an terrifying speed; the deafening thunder echoed through the sky, instantly drawing the attention of many beings.

“A Heavenly General on the move?”

Sensing such power, some knowledgeable beings grew wary and dared not provoke him.

The Heavenly Realm was vast; a Heavenly General’s strength was already considered a formidable force, for not every region was teeming with experts—places like the fringes of the Gui Xu Sea were relatively barren.

Yet even barren lands were still precious cultivation grounds, drawing all manner of beings—but achieving Heavenly General-level power remained no easy feat.

Thus, Li Yi’s current strength granted him the right to travel freely within the Heavenly Realm.

But only that much.

“This realm is truly boundless; merely this region alone could keep a cultivator trapped for a lifetime.” Li Yi gazed at the endless coastline and the myriad lifeforms thriving along it, unable to suppress his awe.

As he flew like lightning, he felt as if he were trapped—no matter how far he went, the scenery remained largely unchanged.

The only difference was that the nearby lifeforms began to vary greatly.

At first, Li Yi saw a group of half-human, half-fish beings living by the sea; later, he encountered a clan of humans with strange hair and eyes; then he spotted numerous beast tribes who had taken human form. Clearly, each region was dominated by a distinct race, each establishing its own kingdom to cultivate in peace.

After flying continuously for seven days and nights, Li Yi finally spotted a major city where cultivators gathered. From afar, immortal mountains and treasure pavilions rose from the clouds, stretching endlessly in undulating waves.

“The Nation of the Setting Sun.”

Li Yi recalled the map Hua Qing had shown him; on that vast chart, there was a tiny, unremarkable mark indicating a cultivator kingdom on the shores of the Gui Xu Sea—named the Nation of the Setting Sun.

Yet to Li Yi, this tiny dot on the map was no less than an entire world.

“There should be a Boundary Boat here,” Li Yi thought to himself.

Though he had passed many large cities along the way, only a cultivator kingdom had the resources to construct a Boundary Boat capable of crossing realms; smaller places lacked such things entirely.

“Oh, you’ve reached the Nation of the Setting Sun so quickly? Your speed is impressive—you must have gained some opportunity; your strength truly is different now that it’s restored.” Hua Qing had just awakened, yawning as if he’d just slept.

“Have you ever been here before?” Li Yi asked.

Hua Qing replied, “Never. Who would come to such a remote and dangerous corner of the Gui Xu Sea? But don’t worry—there’s definitely a Boundary Boat here. Any kingdom recorded on the Heavenly Realm map can’t possibly be insignificant.”

Li Yi nodded slightly, then suppressed his aura, no longer flaunting it, and swiftly flew toward the Nation of the Setting Sun.

Several hours later, he entered the outer reaches of the kingdom.

The area had grown bustling; cultivators from all directions converged here, traveling back and forth, with all manner of flying vehicles appearing, while countless beings soared through the cloud seas—some pulled by jade dragons, others by winged Luoyu fish, and various beast tribes with true dragon blood; even true dragons appeared occasionally.

“I suspect the Rakshasa clan’s dragon boat was purchased here,” Li Yi thought, seeing a ship whose design bore resemblance to the Rakshasa vessel.

“If I’m to travel long distances, I’d best acquire a boat—or a mount—so I can cultivate while en route.”

He then realized why the Heavenly Realm was so filled with carriages and conveyances.

“Moreover, any cultivator who comes to the Nation of the Setting Sun is no weakling—at least a Heavenly General leads each group,” Li Yi observed as a party of cultivators passed by.

The cultivators were all blue-skinned outsiders; their leader was a Heavenly General clad in fish-scale armor, followed by several Tianbing-level warriors, along with some low-ranking members of their own kind.

Yet even those low-ranking ones surpassed Demon Kings in strength within the Demon God Realm.

Such was the advantage of the Heavenly Realm’s Detianduhou environment.

“Don’t rush off yet,” Hua Qing suddenly called out. “Even if you find the Boundary Boat, do you have money? Riding a Boundary Boat in the Heavenly Realm costs money.”

“Listen to me—first find a place to exchange some currency. With money, everything becomes easy.”

“Alright,” Li Yi nodded, remembering he still had some items in his Five Elements Bracelet that might be exchanged for cash.

He just didn’t know what currency was used in the Heavenly Realm.

Soon after.

Li Yi flew toward the group of outsiders.

His movement immediately drew the Jingti of the outsider Heavenly General, who gripped his spear tightly, his deep-blue eyes flashing with spiritual light.

In the Heavenly Realm, there were no laws—out in the wild, only strength mattered.

“Friend, don’t be alarmed. I’m a human cultivator from afar, passing through the City of the Setting Sun, and I’d like to ask you something—is there a place nearby where I can exchange currency?” Li Yi halted at a distance and spoke bluntly.

This approach was the fastest way to dispel suspicion.

Excessive politeness or pretense would only provoke hostility.

“Ten thousand li ahead—the Dragon Palace Treasure Pavilion,” the outsider Heavenly General replied coldly.

“Thank you,” Li Yi bowed respectfully.

In an instant, his form blurred into a violet lightning bolt and vanished.

After watching Li Yi depart, the rest of the outsider group visibly relaxed—they too had no desire to clash with a Heavenly General-level cultivator.

With directions in hand, Li Yi quickly located the Dragon Palace Treasure Pavilion.

It was a towering treasure pavilion spanning three hundred li, its structure piercing heaven and earth, entwined by a true dragon whose mouth faced the entrance; though its eyes were closed in slumber, its terrifying aura radiated, inspiring awe and reverence.

“A Heavenly King-level true dragon sleeps atop the pavilion, guarding its safety,” Li Yi’s heart tightened.

“So this is the territory of the true dragon clan of the Gui Xu Sea,” Hua Qing, sensing the dragon’s aura, spoke up: “Don’t worry too much—dragons are still trustworthy. Operating a trading hub here is credible; far better than those shoddy little workshops. At least you won’t get swindled.”

“But you must hide that purple blood in your storage ring—those are the true blood of a Heavenly Sovereign. Even the Heavenly Emperor would go mad for it. If you reveal it, that Dragon King might wake up and swallow you whole.”

“I know,” Li Yi said. “That’s why I suppressed my aura after entering the Nation of the Setting Sun—to avoid drawing attention. I’ve never been to the Heavenly Realm, but the rules of the world are the same. Do you really think I’m some naive rookie?”

He had traveled through countless worlds—he understood the value of humility and caution.

“Good,” Hua Qing nodded slightly.

He offered so much advice because his strength had not yet recovered; his fate was tied to Li Yi’s—he didn’t want to see Li Yi get hurt.

Li Yi soon rode a auspicious cloud toward the Dragon Palace Treasure Pavilion.

Many cultivators came and went; he blended in easily, for a human Heavenly General was commonplace here. Remember, the Nation of the Setting Sun was a gathering place for cultivators—not the backwater villages Li Yi had passed through. This place was truly teeming with experts.

Yet the moment he stepped inside, a beautiful woman clad in apricot-yellow heavenly robes immediately approached him; though her appearance resembled a human, her physique bore unmistakable demonic traits.

She was a fish demon, yet wore a pendant bearing the Dragon Palace Treasure Pavilion’s insignia.

“Esteemed sir, I am a servant of the Dragon Palace Treasure Pavilion. How may I assist you?” the beautiful fish demon said with deep respect.

Li Yi noticed: only Heavenly Generals received such personal service.

Tianbing-level beings were ignored outright—they had to go to designated areas and wait in line.

“I’d like to exchange some treasures for currency,” Li Yi said directly.

“Of course, esteemed sir, please follow me,” the beautiful fish demon gestured and led the way.

Li Yi nodded.

Following her, he was taken to a private chamber, its walls crafted entirely from mica and crystal—translucent, shimmering with treasure-light, and radiating an aura that purified the mind and spirit.

“What treasures would you like to exchange? The Dragon Palace Treasure Pavilion has fixed prices for items from the Gui Xu Sea, and we also have specialists to appraise and purchase rare treasures from other realms,” the fish demon smiled.

Li Yi paused, then pulled out a star core. “How much is this worth?”

“This is a star core—we buy by weight. Your small piece is valued at thirty Nine Heaven Jade Dews,” the fish demon replied. Clearly, she was more than just a servant—she had been specially trained; though her strength was modest, her talent for appraising treasures was exceptional.

Nine Heaven Jade Dew?

Was this the currency here? Li Yi felt puzzled, but remained expressionless. “How many Nine Heaven Jade Dews do I need to board a Boundary Boat to the Third Heaven?”

“A ticket from the Nation of the Setting Sun to the Third Heaven costs ten Nine Heaven Jade Dews,” the fish demon smiled.

“So star cores are really valuable,” Li Yi now had a rough understanding.

The star core he’d shown was merely a small fragment—he’d pulled it out just to test the waters. If this valuation held, the star cores in his possession were worth at least hundreds of thousands of Nine Heaven Jade Dews—a vast fortune.

After all, star cores were obtained only by destroying entire realms; even in the Heavenly Realm, they were highly valuable.

With newfound financial confidence,

Li Yi asked: “Do you have any Heavenly King-level battle armor? What’s the price?”

If he was to survive in the Heavenly Realm, he needed proper gear.

He wanted to trade his money for quality items to aid his travels.

“If you’re seeking weapons or armor, perhaps examine this,” the fish demon handed him a treasure pearl. As she activated it with spiritual power, countless holographic images appeared.

They displayed various weapons, armors, along with descriptions and prices.

“Like a 3D projection,” Li Yi quickly adapted to the device.