Chapter 973

When Li Yi stepped out of the Dragon Palace Treasure Pavilion, he had spent nearly all ten jin of Nine Heaven Divine Water he borrowed from Hua Qing, leaving only two liang—yet the value he gained was astonishing.

Heavenly King Armor, Reverse Scale Battle Armor.

True Dragon Soaring Heaven Art, and the Emperor-level spell, Five Color Divine Light Art.

In addition, there were many precious elixirs, such as Three Light Mystic Elixir, Celestial Dragon Immortal Elixir, and Myriad Methods Return to One Elixir—all of which could rapidly heal injuries and instantly restore full magic power; though expensive, they were truly effective.

But the most special item was the Dragon Maiden.

Behind Li Yi now walked a woman with a single horn on her brow, vertical pupils, a plump and maturely beautiful figure; from the Xuanguizhanglao ’s mouth, Li Yi learned her name was Yu Chang, her true form a five-clawed Dujiaolong , though of mixed blood, her true dragon lineage was far from low, and she possessed Heavenly General-level combat power.

Otherwise, she wouldn’t have been sold so dearly.

To restrict Yu Chang, the Dragon Palace Treasure Pavilion had implanted a Dragon-Binding Spell upon her; with a mere thought, Li Yi could activate the spell, instantly binding her primordial spirit and magic power, rendering her immobile.

Even if Li Yi died, she would not gain freedom—instead, without anyone to lift the spell, the Dragon-Binding Spell would go out of control and kill her outright.

This reminded Li Yi of the Self-Sacrifice Spell.

Though powerful, such spells had flaws: the afflicted must willingly cooperate, or they would fail.

Behind him, the Dragon Maiden Yu Chang remained calm, her vertical pupils studying the man she now called “master”; having cultivated for many years, she carried a certain poise, unlike other fiery-tempered dragon maidens.

Having been sold into the Dragon Palace Treasure Pavilion, she had already accepted her fate; excessive resistance would bring no benefit, only suffering.

Thus, among the dragon maidens, she endured the least torment.

Yet as a commodity, her value-to-price ratio was low; though she possessed Heavenly General-level power, her cultivation potential was exhausted—by dragon maiden standards, she was already middle-aged.

Moreover, her bloodline was impure; younger true dragon maidens, even with weaker power, were more desirable, for they could quickly produce true dragon offspring.

But before leaving the Dragon Palace Treasure Pavilion, Yu Chang recalled the words of the Xuan Gui Elder.

“This customer who bought you also purchased a set of Heavenly General armor—hope you cherish this opportunity.”

Yu Chang was no fool; she immediately understood the implication.

He had not bought her to breed true dragon offspring, nor as a servant, but valued her Heavenly General-level combat power and her long years of experience surviving in the Heavenly Realm.

Moreover, he was willing to cultivate her—after all, a set of Heavenly General armor was costly; using it on a dragon maiden was extravagant, for many Heavenly General-level cultivators traveling the world could not even afford one, and even when joining great factions, they had to earn it through merit.

Precisely because she understood this, Yu Chang held no great hostility or hatred toward Li Yi; though their time together was brief, she still did not know his temperament.

If he was not terrible, she was willing to give her life for him.

As the Dragon Palace Treasure Pavilion faded behind them, Yu Chang pondered many things along the way.

“I learned your name from the Xuan Gui Elder—you’re called Yu Chang?” Li Yi, standing on auspicious clouds, flew toward the direction of the Land of Setting Sun.

Only after leaving the Dragon Palace Treasure Pavilion’s territory did he speak up.

“Yes,” Yu Chang replied, her voice cool yet softened slightly.

Li Yi said: “Your name is fine. I am Tai Yi.”

Since arriving in the Heavenly Realm, he still preferred to use a pseudonym—but Tai Yi was not a pseudonym; it was his Dao title.

“I am straightforward—I won’t waste time with empty formalities. I bought you to serve me. Do your duty well, and I won’t treat you poorly. I promise that once I reach the Heavenly Emperor realm, I will lift the Dragon-Binding Spell and grant you freedom.”

“But before then, I won’t tolerate disobedience or secret schemes—if I find out, sorry, even if it costs me six hundred thousand, I’ll kill you immediately,” Li Yi said.

Others might feel uneasy hearing this, but Yu Chang felt nothing; her experience taught her that those who clearly state the stakes, regardless of temperament, are at least honest men.

“Since you bought me, I will serve you. As long as your demands aren’t extreme, I will do what’s required,” Yu Chang said calmly.

Li Yi glanced back at her: “The Xuan Gui Elder said dragon maidens are fiery—you’re quite different.”

He had expected anger, tantrums—but she accepted it all without protest.

Yu Chang said: “The moment I entered the Dragon Palace Treasure Pavilion, I knew this day would come. I’m not pure-blooded true dragon—I’m lucky to have survived the purge; I dare not expect more.”

“As long as one lives, there is always hope. I hope we can fight side by side, explore the Heavenly Realm—it’s also a chance for you,” Li Yi said.

“Your words are sincere. I believe you,” Yu Chang said. “But unfortunately, your money isn’t enough—if it were, I’d suggest you buy the other dragon maiden. She suits you better.”

“Oh? Who is she?” Li Yi asked.

Yu Chang said: “I don’t know her name, but I know she’s a war general under the Dragon Emperor. Her power is about to break into Heavenly King level, and her bloodline is pure—you’d only need to pay Heavenly General price to gain a Dragon King.”

“Then forget it—I can’t afford a pure-blooded dragon maiden,” Li Yi shook his head slightly.

Though it was a bargain, the Dragon Palace Treasure Pavilion wasn’t foolish; pure-blooded dragon maidens started at eighty or ninety thousand—Li Yi still needed to buy spells and Heavenly King armor, so he had no spare funds for another dragon maiden.

He’d return when he was richer.

The Land of Setting Sun was vast; Li Yi, with Dragon Maiden Yu Chang, rode auspicious clouds toward the Realm Boat.

But along the way, he clearly sensed several hidden gazes watching him—studying, probing, with unmistakable malice.

“Is it because carrying a dragon maiden is too conspicuous?” Li Yi thought.

Yet no danger came his way.

After all, both he and Yu Chang were Heavenly Generals—enough to deter many petty thieves; if they dared target him, they’d have to weigh whether their lives were worth it.

Soon.

The two rode auspicious clouds and arrived at the Realm Boat’s departure point half an hour later.

Above a sea of clouds, many translucent great ships floated motionless, each radiating powerful spatial fluctuations—energy sufficient to shield the vessels, ignoring spatial barriers, sailing freely through the Heavenly Realm.

“So this is the Realm Boat?” Li Yi examined it curiously.

“If you want to leave here, you must first buy a ticket,” Yu Chang said, pointing to a floating palace in the air.

Many cultivators entered and exited, purchasing tickets to travel across the Heavenly Realm.

Some traveled in groups, others alone like Li Yi—yet those who dared travel solo were never weak; all were at least Heavenly General level.

Li Yi even sensed Heavenly King-level cultivators—but even they obeyed the rules, lining up quietly to buy tickets.

Clearly, the power behind the Realm Boat was terrifying—likely under the command of a Heavenly Sovereign, for no other force could command so many powerful cultivators.

Li Yi immediately flew toward the palace with Yu Chang.

Though the palace appeared small from outside, inside it contained its own space, easily accommodating millions—but the staff managing it were not demons, but human cultivators.

They wore uniform robes, male and female alike, each with a token hanging at their waist.

“The Realm Boat to the Third Heaven departs in five days. Standard ticket: ten Nine Heaven Jade Dew. Private cabin: fifty Nine Heaven Jade Dew,” said a man selling tickets.

Li Yi understood: tickets had tiers, and prices varied.

“We need one private cabin,” Li Yi said.

The man raised an eyebrow: “Friend, are you certain only two of you? The Realm Boat has inspectors for stowaways—any found will be thrown off, to prevent people from smuggling others via spatial artifacts.”

Li Yi fell silent, sighed, then said: “Then give me a three-person cabin.”

For safety, he bought a ticket for Hua Qing—if Hua Qing were discovered and thrown off, it would be disastrous.

He’d stop taking chances.

“Three-person cabin: one hundred Nine Heaven Jade Dew,” the man said.

Li Yi paid immediately.

The man handed him three tickets formed of magic energy, each bearing a number indicating his cabin’s location; the tickets would auto-destroy upon arrival at the Third Heaven.

After buying the tickets, Li Yi prepared to leave without lingering.

But just as he turned to go—

A squad of Rakshasa cultivators passed by; one Rakshasa Heavenly General stared at him intently, as if sensing something unusual about him.

“Is there a problem?” Li Yi stopped, turned, and fixed them with a stare.

“Apologies, mistaken identity,” said the Rakshasa’s leader immediately.

Li Yi glanced at them, said nothing, and quickly left with Yu Chang.

“Just a human Heavenly General and a dragon maiden—nothing unusual in the Land of Setting Sun. Why did you take interest?” asked another Rakshasa elder.

“I sensed a trace of my kin’s aura on him. After all, we’re here to investigate the disappearance of the Held Power Heavenly King—no clue too small. But upon closer inspection, I think it was my imagination,” the Rakshasa Heavenly General shook his head slightly.

Anyone who had contact with Rakshasa retained their aura—hard to erase, easily sensed by others of their kind.

Though Li Yi had indeed encountered Rakshasa, his body had been purified by Chaotic Qi and washed by Purple Blood—the Rakshasa aura had long vanished.

Their scrutiny of him may have stemmed from some mysterious, intuitive resonance.

The deeper one’s cultivation, the stronger such intuitions become—Li Yi understood this, however elusive.