Chapter 304: Wang Cheng Treasure Hunt: Who Stole the Benwo Sect's Secret Treasure?

A bright yellow light separated from within the small cauldron, and Zhao Xing's spirit immediately perked up.

"Earth-attribute spiritual energy!"

He then cast the Pure Origin Projection to draw the Earth-attribute spiritual energy into the Pure Origin Space.

"Hmm? More?"

Zhao Xing noticed that as soon as he took the first batch of Earth-attribute spiritual energy, another bright yellow light orb emerged from the bronze small cauldron, the same size as before, also Earth-attribute spiritual energy.

"I'll absorb it!"

Zhao Xing quickly retracted the second batch of Earth-attribute spiritual energy.

Voom~

Another bright yellow light orb emerged.

"The third batch! The Dragon Court indeed has abundant spiritual energy!"

Zhao Xing beamed with joy and absorbed the third batch of Earth-attribute spiritual energy.

It swayed, and the small cauldron separated a batch of spiritual energy.

Slightly smaller than before, it could only be counted as half a batch.

Zhao Xing collected it again and waited for a while.

The small cauldron swayed unsteadily, and a fifth light orb appeared.

In the next quarter-hour, the bronze small cauldron separated Earth-attribute spiritual energy twenty times in total. Finally, ten batches of spiritual energy appeared in the Pure Origin Space.

Zhao Xing patted the bronze small cauldron, confirmed there wasn't a single drop left, and only then set it down.

"Ten batches of spiritual energy, this equals all the amounts I've obtained before." Zhao Xing sank his mind and gazed inward at the Pure Origin Space.

The Pure Origin soil at this moment could be described as vast.

"Go!"

Ten orbs of bright yellow light fell into the ground.

Buzzing~

The earth trembled slightly, and the area began to expand again.

"Still Level Six soil, but the Earth-attribute characteristics of Level Six soil are becoming even more obvious." Zhao Xing perceived.

"The heaviness of Earth can crush an enemy's Pure Origin Projection."

"It can also nurture more plant soldier units."

"If development continues, I can plant Level Seven plant soldier units on a large scale."

At this moment, many plants were planted on Zhao Xing's Pure Origin soil, but the vast majority were Level Six, and they were spread quite sparsely because the rooting range required for a single plant soldier unit was very large.

Forming a dense forest was still quite difficult.

"There are twenty-four types of Level Seven plants, corresponding to the twenty-four solar terms, but right now they are all in the seedling stage."

"When a land vein and a small river appear within the Pure Origin soil, that will be truly awesome, and Level Seven soldier units will mature in a single day."

Right now it is only 'Earth's Heaviness'; the subsequent advancement path is 'Earth's Land Vein' — 'Earth's Spiritual Vein'.

"Advancing to 'Earth's Land Vein' in the Dragon Court is still hopeful." Zhao Xing arrived at the center of the soil and sensed carefully.

"The space of the Pure Origin soil, including the land itself, was originally absolutely flat. One could say that the emergence of the 'Earth's Heaviness' characteristic starting from Level Six is the standard line for a land vein."

"Right now here, a patch of soil has already bulged up to the height of a shoe sole."

The change was not obvious, but this single step was enough to create a gap between him and many Benwo Sect Agronomists.

His mind floated upward, and Zhao Xing opened his eyes.

Next, he did not find any more spiritual energy items.

Instead, he harvested a large amount of Dragon Crystals.

Outside the City Lord's Mansion, Dragon Turtles pulling Dragon Ships arrived one after another.

"Splash-"

A large quantity of Dragon Crystals was dumped out.

"Collect!"

Zhao Xing picked out all the Dragon Crystals of Level Six and above.

"The remaining Dragon Crystals can still be smelted into higher-grade ones."

"But I don't need to wait here, wasting time." Zhao Xing thought silently. "Leaving a clone here to supervise is enough."

He spent two double-hours selecting materials or seeds such as Dragon Wood and Dragon Blood Grass according to the list in the "Treasures of Heaven and Earth" provided by the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion, and stored them in the Pure Origin Space.

"The basic mission the imperial court assigned me; this single city is enough to provide an explanation."

Zhao Xing cast "Near as Far, Far as Near" and located Cao Qianyue.

"Your Lordship, have some?" Cao Qianyue had already completed the mission, selected some valuable treasures, and piled them in the arena.

Then, he started eating Dragon meat.

"Haha, you eat with gusto." The meat of the descendants of Ji Meng is tough and old; Old Master Zhao does not like to eat it, and for a Third Rank official like him, it has little effect.

What he found rather strange was that Cao Qianyue could actually coexist peacefully with three battle beasts; three beasts and one man, eating with great relish.

"I won't eat. Are you full? If you're full, prepare to set off with me." Zhao Xing said.

"Set off?" Cao Qianyue was stunned. "Your Lordship, aren't we developing here?"

"No, this place is just to obtain an identity to enter Wang Cheng." Zhao Xing said. "Without the Dragon Clan identity of King Gu Ting, I cannot enter Wang Cheng."

Wang Cheng? Cao Qianyue was stunned again; how could what the Lordship was doing differ so much from the process he knew?

It must be known that the normal opening time for the Dragon Court ancient lands is 15 to 20 years.

After entering, one naturally occupies a place to develop; then, if there are mineral deposits, mine them; if there are treasures, go plant them and pick fruits.

Enslave the Dragon Clan under one's command to mine and search for treasures, then accumulate merit in the Dragon Court to upgrade one's Dragon Noble title.

If it were a Medium Grade, with weaker strength, one would have to start from Dragon Soldier or Dragon General.

Zhao Xing is currently Third Rank; he has already occupied a Dragon City, with surrounding territories containing Long Jing mines, producing Dragon Blood Wood, and even having several Dragon Springs. How can he possibly leave again?

Cao Qianyue didn't understand, but whatever Zhao Xing said was what would be done. The Marquis of Divine Might was, of course, beyond his comprehension.

"Yes, My Lord." Cao Qianyue wiped his hands on his belt, then said, "My Lord, I have already inventoried the valuable items. They are packed into three Dragon Ships, all right there."

"If My Lord grants me a few more days, I can still dismantle some useful parts from those Dragon Clan war machines."

Zhao Xing waved his hand and said, "You are alone; you couldn't dismantle much anyway. Besides, what you mentioned isn't valuable in the Dragon Court, so it's unnecessary."

The roster he held himself was completely different from the one Cao Qianyue held.

What Little Cao considered valuable was not very important in Zhao Xing's eyes.

"Go make preparations. Leave plenty of materials for crafting Boundary-Breaking Nails and dismantling types. Depart in one shichen; make as many as you can along the way."

Zhao Xing smiled. "When we reach Wang Cheng, you will have plenty of time to dismantle things."

"Received!" Cao Qianyue waddled off to prepare.

Zhao Xing, meanwhile, opened the map and began writing and drawing on it.

Bringing so many things, emptying Meng Yun City of its valuables, was not for his own use nor did he intend to take them out.

It was to offer tribute!

But his target for tribute was not the superior of the former Meng Yun City Lord, the 'Flame Dragon Lord', but another Dragon.

"The Flame Dragon Lord is merely a Lord; offering him tribute, no matter how powerful he is, will never make me a Lord."

"However, if I offer tribute to the Dragon King, I can not only secure a Lordship but also sneak out a few treasures when the Dragon King bestows rewards." Zhao Xing recalled the strategy from his past life.

"After attaining City Lord status in the Gu Ting Kingdom, one can go to Wang Cheng to seek tribute opportunities with a Dragon King."

"Such cross-level tribute would offend the Flame Dragon Lord, as Meng Yun City is his Dragon Clan fiefdom." However, who cares? I never intended to develop here anyway.

"Currently, there should be only one awakened Dragon King in Gu Ting Wang Cheng. His true name, translated, is Yin Li."

"He is a descendant of the Great Dragon King 'Gu Ting the Nineteenth'."

"But Yin Li also has an older brother, the Dragon King Yin Xiu." Zhao Xing recalled. "The two brothers rule in turns; currently, it is the 'Yin Li' period."

"Dragon King Yin Xiu is also in slumber, but not in deep sleep. Every hundred years, he enters a light sleep state. This is to prevent sleeping too deeply; if an external enemy invades, he can emerge from seclusion even in light sleep."

"The one who wakes him only needs to offer Yin Xiu treasures he likes."

"Yin Xiu will then allow the tribute-giver to enter his treasury, granting one chance of blind selection as a reward."

"Yin Xiu will scramble all the treasures, causing them to gather dust; usually, no one can gain an advantage, relying entirely on luck to choose."

"But currently, no one knows this hidden plot." Zhao Xiu revealed a slight smile. "Most tribute-givers choose Yin Li, and Yin Li is quite domineering and greedy; he is the type who takes ten and gives back one."

Zhao Xing calculated: "In over three hundred years, it will be the Yin Xiu ruling period. For the long-lived Dragon Clan, Yin Xiu is already nearing the awakening stage. Waking him won't be difficult."

"The treasures looted from Meng Yun City should be sufficient."

"But obtaining the exchange count is still somewhat difficult; with just the things from Meng Yun City, even securing one chance is pushing it."

As a Dragon King, what in the Gu Ting Kingdom's production has Yin Xiu not seen?

Therefore, obtaining his rewards is still quite difficult.

"Naturally, I have no treasures and am too lazy to find any, so I can only borrow." A slight curve rose on Zhao Xing's lips.

"Xuantian Sect, Corpse Puppet Sect, Flame Light Wang Ting, Purple Feather Wang Ting, Yuan Snake Kingdom. Hehe, I'll borrow from your treasuries."

Who to borrow from? Naturally, the opposing factions!

The time when the Dragon Court Ancient Land opens can be traced back in historical records to two dynasties before the Great Li. Of course, at that time, all sides were just beginning exploration and had not yet established a complete exploration mechanism.

Furthermore, the Dragon Court opens once every hundred years. If the outside world undergoes a change of dynasty, experiences large-scale warfare, or if the laws of heaven and earth in the Xuan Huang Realm are too chaotic, the Dragon Court Ancient Land will not open.

For example, the era of chaotic wars among ten thousand states before the Great Zhou lasted for tens of thousands of years.

Thus, after tens of thousands of years, only a tiny portion of the Dragon Court's map has been explored.

Currently, the Xuan Huang Realm is relatively stable because whether the Xuan Huang Realm is chaotic or not is decided by the Nineteen Provinces.

As long as there is a unified dynasty in the lands of the Nineteen Provinces, the Dragon Court will inevitably open.

Therefore, counting from the reign of the Taizu, the Dragon Court has opened steadily more than twenty times.

Entering the Dragon Court is for the sake of returns, so naturally, there is also an investment.

Whether it is the Great Zhou, sects, Southern Barbarians, Eastern Japan, or the Water Clan, all have established "storage warehouses" in the Dragon Court.

Especially after the "tribute system" was discovered, there are even more storage warehouses!

But here lies a problem: the treasuries left by various sects, the Southern Barbarian Wang Ting, and other factions must have prohibitions and seals. How could anyone easily steal from them?

For top-tier vaults, Zhao Xing indeed finds it very difficult. Even if he knows the location and the unlocking method, it is useless. Because he is the Minister of Agriculture, not a Formation Master or Mechanism Master.

Theoretically speaking, the strength is right there; relying solely on himself, it is very hard to succeed.

However, theory is one thing; the actual situation is different.

One must consider the factor that the Dragon Court Ancient Land opens only once every hundred years.

In the Dragon Court Ancient Land, once the time arrives, all outsiders are kicked out.

As a result, the treasury formation arrays and mechanisms go a hundred years without maintenance.

Lack of maintenance is one thing; one must also consider the territorial shifts of the Dragon Clan.

The Dragon Court Ancient Land has no Minister of Agriculture to regulate the timing of heaven and the advantages of earth.

Therefore, large-scale territorial shifts are very common in the Dragon Court Ancient Land.

Additionally, there is the factor of the Dragon Clan itself.

Powerful Dragons might play around, burrow into the earth, or something similar, potentially triggering an earthquake.

If they encounter war, there are even more external factors causing destruction.

This causes severe damage to the vault formation arrays and sealing spells.

"Even if we take ten thousand steps back and assume those vaults are installed within a Dragon City, I still have a way to retrieve them."

"When I go to Wang Cheng, I can first take some treasures, offer them to Yin Li, and apply for a transfer."

Transfer to where? The Dragon Clan's Engineering Corps. The Dragon Clan are high-level intelligent beings; they also forge divine weapons and sharp blades. Like those Dragon Generals in Meng Yun City, they wield long spears and wear armor.

"This matter isn't something I'm doing alone. All factions are both the An Family Party and the House-Razing Party."

"I must hurry to Wang Cheng to quickly secure the permissions of the Dragon Engineering Department there; otherwise, if too many people ask Yin Li for permissions, the threshold to obtain them will rise." Zhao Xing's advantage was knowing the location and being familiar with the process.

So he felt his chances for this journey were very high.

Cao Qianyue said that occupying land and developing was nothing compared to how fast robbing and razing houses could be.

"One step fast means every step fast. As long as I exchange something with Yin Xiu once, my advantage afterward will be even greater. Jie jie jie..." Zhao Xing thought with great satisfaction.

Cao Qianyue, who had come over to report, saw Zhao Xing's ferocious face and his gloomy, sinister laughter, and couldn't help but shiver.

Your Lordship, why do you feel so much like a villain?

One shichen later, three dragon ships, escorted by three hundred Dragon Generals, proudly raised the Meng Yun Dragon City flag and began marching toward Wang Cheng.

The city lord's permissions of Meng Yun Dragon City, upon payment of dragon crystals, could activate an ancient teleportation array, appearing quickly in the territories of other city lords.

It would take only three days to reach Wang Cheng.

Along the way, he passed through the territories of many city lords, attracting many covetous glances.

Because Zhao Xing was a strange aura, although flying the banner of the Meng Yun City Lord, he carried so many treasures that he naturally attracted covetousness.

However, after sensing Zhao Xing's strength, they all cancelled their plans.

Because Zhao Xing's Dragon Language level was very high, Upper Rank 5, which was already at the level of a Lord. Although Upper Rank 5 Dragon Language did not represent the strength of Dragon Language spells.

But who would dare risk their life to test whether Zhao Xing truly had this strength?

Although the Dragon Clan were warlike, city lords were not fools; as long as Zhao Xing did not come to cut them down, they did not wish to provoke him.

Thus, the teleportation proceeded very smoothly.

The Flame Dragon Lord didn't react in time, because he didn't care who the Meng Yun City Lord was.

Who killed 'Pu' was unimportant; as long as they pledged loyalty to him, the Flame Dragon Lord.

He was still waiting for Zhao Xing's tribute.

But before the Flame Dragon Lord could react, Zhao Xing had already fled.

Two and a half days after entering the Dragon Court, Zhao Xing, in his capacity as Meng Yun City Lord, arrived at Gu Ting Wang Cheng with three ships of treasures.

After passing the detection of the formation and the guards, Zhao Xing entered Wang Cheng.

"Your Lordship, so many dragons." Cao Qianyue stood behind Zhao Xing.

In the sky and on the ground, many dragons existed, including city-lord-level dragons.

"Of course, there are many dragons in Wang Cheng." Zhao Xing said. "Dunlie, are you afraid?"

Cao Qianyue stuck out his neck and touched his hammer: "Afraid? With Your Lordship here, I'm afraid they'll suffocate me!"

"Hahaha." Zhao Xing couldn't help but smile.

Inside Wang Cheng, it was relatively safe; except for the arena, basically no dragons dared to fight or kill.

However, the scope of Wang Cheng was also very large; after entering the city, they flew for half a day before reaching the outer perimeter of the royal palace area.

"Look, that is Gu Ting Wang Palace. Created by the ancient Dragon Emperor 'Ting', but in this era, there are no Dragon Emperor-level existences anymore, only Great Dragon Kings." Zhao Xing stared at the tall palace wall ahead.

The palace wall was not built of stacked stone, but was a barrier wall; many eighth and ninth-tier trees were cut down to serve as array foundations, and many dragon stones and supreme-grade dragon crystals were installed underground.

Outside the palace wall, many palace guards patrolled.

"The bloodline level of the guards here is very high; every ten li, there is a city-lord-level existence."

"There are also many lord-level dragons; do not move recklessly, and do not wander." Zhao Xing instructed.

"Yes." Cao Qianyue kept his eyes straight ahead, not even glancing sideways.

The Cang Ni Dog and the Dian Dao Sheep also began to grow restless; this was suppression from bloodline auras.

As for the mountain cat, it remained very calm, lying on the bow of the ship, ignoring this pressure.

"Huo hou (Stop)!" A palace Dragon General blocked Zhao Xing's dragon ship.

"I, 'Zhao', Lord of Meng Yun Dragon City, have specially come to offer tribute to Our King!" Zhao Xing activated Dragon Language to negotiate with the palace guard general.

As the new Lord of Meng Yun Dragon City, it was very reasonable for Zhao Xing to come to Wang Cheng to offer tribute.

Yin Li would only feel happy, because the Dragon Clan's rule was: the vassal of my vassal is not my vassal.

City-lord-level dragon seeds like Zhao Xing already had very strong free wills and strong resistance to Dragon Might and Dragon Pressure.

If, without having to beat someone, one could make the other switch from pledging loyalty to the Flame Dragon Lord to pledging loyalty to oneself, this was something Yin Li would be very happy to see.

Not long after, the Dragon General who had gone in to report came out again.

"Meng Yun City Lord, enter."

Zhao Xing piloted the three dragon ships into the palace grounds.

After entering the palace grounds, they flew for another hour or so before reaching the palace where Yin Li resided. Ahead appeared a ten-thousand-zhang high mountain shrouded in clouds and mist; the Dragon King Palace towered majestically, like a giant beast in a fairyland, emitting solemnity.

Li Palace was built against the mountain; the mountain body seemed to be its natural foundation, or as if it had merged with the palace. The mountain peak of the palace was like a long spear piercing the sky; dragon skulls adorned the peak tip. Not just one was pierced by the mountain peak; there were over a hundred!

These were the achievements of the monarchs of the ancient Gu Ting Kingdom; every dragon bone was of Dragon King level, with various colors matching the hues of the Five Elements, Wind, and Thunder.

Additionally, outside the palace perimeter, there were dragon crystal towers.

The dragon crystal pagodas were carved with mysterious runes and dragon-shaped patterns, containing immense power. On both sides of the palace gate stood two lifelike dragon crystal statues; their eyes glared angrily, their dragon whiskers fluttered in the wind, as if they would come alive at any moment and charge into the clouds.

Among them, the largest one was a Dragon God statue.

When Zhao Xing saw the Dragon God statue, the scene of the (Ancestral Dragon Chant) couldn't help but return to his mind. "Kuang!" In Zhao Xing's sea of consciousness, something was touched, and the sound became somewhat clearer.

Dragon statues were everywhere in the Dragon Court, but this one here matched the Ancestral Dragon image Zhao Xing had seen very well.

Upon reaching the mountain top, the dragon ships could no longer advance; they stopped at a mountain peak square specially designated for dragon ships.

Arriving at the main peak, there was a huge fountain; water sprayed from dragon mouths, turning into crystal-clear water flowers that formed various wonderful shapes in mid-air, such as dragons dancing in the nine heavens. Water mist filled the air, bringing a touch of coolness and mysterious aura.

Moving forward along the square was the main hall of Li Palace.

The roof of the main hall was covered in dragon-scale tiles, each glazed shard glinting golden in the sunlight, carved with intricate dragon patterns.

Arriving at the steps outside the main hall, Zhao Xing activated the Fire Chi Transformation, prostrating himself: "Subject of Guting, Zhao, pays homage to the Dragon King."

After a long wait, a solemn dragon roar echoed from within the main hall.

"Enter!"

Zhao Xing immediately rose and swam into the palace interior.

Inside the palace main hall, the space was vast; at the far end stood a magnificent Dragon King's throne.

The throne was carved from a single block of crystal, within which mist swirled, faintly revealing dragon-shaped phantoms gliding through it.

Zhao Xing remained prostrate, daring not to lift his gaze toward the throne.

The dragon clan was efficient—he had already stated his purpose upon entering the palace.

Yin Li had waited a long time before responding, clearly having sent subordinates to verify the treasures Zhao Xing had offered. Allowing him in meant Yin Li had approved this tribute.

"Zhao, you serve me. What do you desire?" spoke Yin Li from the throne.

"My King, I wish to become a member of the Fuming Divine Temple in Wang Cheng," Zhao Xing said slowly, syllable by syllable,

afraid of mispronouncing and being reassigned elsewhere.

The Fuming Divine Temple was equivalent to the Dragon Clan's Tian Gong Si.

After another long wait, a dragon roar came from the throne.

A faint tone slipped through the air and sank into his mind.

Zhao Xing carefully discerned it, and soon understood—Yin Li had agreed.

Then a tablet, seven or eight meters tall, like a door panel, descended and landed behind Zhao Xing.

"Chii-chii-chii—"

The dragon scales on Zhao Xing's back were branded by the tablet, inscribed with ancient Guting Wang Zu dragon script, marking him as a member of Wang Cheng's Long Gong.

"(Dragon tongue) Thank you, my King, for this gift."

Zhao Xing, bearing the tablet, prostrated himself as he retreated from the palace.

When he descended the mountain and returned to the docking peak, the three dragon ships were gone—only three battle beasts and Cao Qianyue remained in the square, helpless.

"My Lord, a dragon took all three ships," Cao Qianyue muttered, lifting the box in his hand. "Only this toolbox remains."

"There's nothing to be done—Yin Li is like this," Zhao Xing said. "I thought two ships of treasure would suffice for the permit. I underestimated his appetite."

"Fortunately, we brought three ships—otherwise, this Long Gong decree might never have come through."

The tablet behind Zhao Xing, due to its material's elasticity, had shrunk somewhat, yet still stood over two meters tall.

"Now we must hurry to raid some households," Zhao Xing rubbed his chin.

"Raid households?" Cao Qianyue looked bewildered. "Whose households, my Lord? Can this tablet let you raid the lairs of dragon clan members?"

"Not the dragon clan," Zhao Xing smiled. "You'll find out soon enough."

When Zhao Xing completed the procedure and exited the Li Palace,

in the west of Wang Cheng, a group of Daoists carrying coffins arrived on dragon mounts. The party totaled five, all of high rank; their leader bore a purple coffin inlaid with glazed tiles, and his destiny pillar was intensely condensed, with a phantom flickering atop it—like a violet blossom.

"Finally arrived," said True Person Zi Luo, stroking his beard with his left hand and flicking his dust whisk with his right, a smile creasing his wrinkled face.

He was at the early stage of Tian Yun Realm and the main force of the Corpse Puppet Sect's delegation to Guting Kingdom. True Person Zi Luo was not only the strongest in the group but also the oldest and most senior.

Those behind him were all Third Rank, but they were his disciples or nephews-in-the-dao.

One of them, a Third Rank beginner, was even his grand-disciple.

"Thanks to Master's boundless fortune, we reached Guting Wang Cheng in less than four days without a single obstacle," said a middle-aged man behind him, riding a two-headed fire dragon and carrying a green coffin, praising him.

He was True Person Zi Luo's disciple, known as You Sha.

"Brother is right—if not for Master's guidance, we could never have gathered so swiftly," added a middle-aged woman with a seductive face and peach-blossom eyes, also praising him; her title was Yun Ji Yuan Jun.

Facing the flattery of his disciples and grand-disciples, True Person Zi Luo smiled: "Enough, You Sha, Yun Ji—stop flattering me.

"You two are merely Dragon Generals; You Jue and Ying Ji are only Dragon Soldiers—your ranks are too low. Acting within the Dragon Court's ancient lands is extremely inconvenient.

"We must remain discreet."

The four behind him listened obediently.

"Once inside Wang Cheng, rest briefly, then prepare as I instructed."

"Find the treasure vault left by our sect, retrieve a portion, and exchange it in Wang Cheng for a Lord-level permit.

"Only then will it be time to act," True Person Zi Luo instructed.

All his disciples except him were entering for the first time.

Because the Corpse Puppet Sect held few slots—only Third Rank could even hope to be assigned one.

Their lineage was weak; even True Person Zi Luo was only on his second visit. He had never been to Wang Cheng before—last time he was randomly sent to Ziti Kingdom, during war, and never came here.

Though one of the top sects, they still lacked the depth of the Great Zhou. Two among them were still only Mid-Level 9th Rank Dragon Tongue.

"Let's enter the city."

In Wang Cheng, the Long Gong Si, a massive volcano burned fiercely.

"We've arrived; this is the Heavenly Crafts Bureau of the Ancient Ting Wang Cheng. Dun Lie, do you know what kind of dragon clan the statue beside that palace belongs to, and what it is called?" Zhao Xing pointed ahead.

"Here we are—this is Guting Wang Cheng's Tian Gong Si. Dun Lie, do you know what kind of dragon the statue beside the palace represents, and what its name is?" Zhao Xing pointed ahead.

Cao Qianyue replied: "My Lord, I know this—the Dragon Clan's Tian Gong Si is called the Fuming Divine Temple."

"The peculiar dragon beside it is named 'Fuming'—legend says he is the Dragon Clan's god of craftsmanship."

"He was born with mastery over Li Fire, San Mei True Fire, Liu Ding Divine Fire—nearly all flames in the world."

"It was he who forged many divine artifacts for the Dragon Clan, aiding them against the legendary Tian Yuan Demon Clan."

"All craftsmanship departments in the Dragon Court's ancient lands are called Fuming Divine Temple."

Zhao Xing nodded: "Correct. I traded three ships of treasure for a Level Two permit to the Fuming Divine Temple."

【241】 Cao Qianyue frowned: "But My Lord, you're not a Mechanist—why not exchange for another permit? Do you plan to enter and learn something?"

He still couldn't understand Zhao Xing's line of thinking.

A Minister of Agriculture, why would he go to the Fu Ming Shrine to learn technology?

Zhao Xing laughed: "Don't underestimate me—aren't sealing spells a form of craftsmanship?"

"Of course, I'm not going to learn technology. With my Level Two Fu Ming Token, I can command many lord-level craftsmen."

Cao Qianyue finally understood: "Your Grace, you mean to open a treasure vault?"

"But Your Grace, you can't just open a dragon clan's treasury at random, can you?"

"I won't open a dragon clan's."

"Sssss!" Cao Qianyue finally got it—he excitedly patted his bald head—"You want to steal the stash left behind by those outside-world demons in the Dragon Court!"

"Hahaha, don't put it so crudely—it's requisitioning." Zhao Xing grinned. "Once you come in with me, learn well. Watch closely."

See if there's anything you can use—better yet, learn the techniques too."

"It's always better to have our own craftsmen than to rely on dragon clan ones."

Cao Qianyue exclaimed excitedly: "Yes, Your Grace! I understand!"

Dragon craftsmen are mostly descendants of Fu Ming—smaller in size, but with enormous abdomens, their bodies dark red.

At the end of their tails is a massive iron ball, like a hammer meant for striking.

Fu Ming descendants have hair like human fingers, capable of extending; at both ends of their dragon whiskers, fluorescent light glows, allowing fine embellishments on divine weapons and artifacts.

After entering, Zhao Xing first familiarized himself with the Fu Ming Shrine's organizational structure.

Meanwhile, his clones began scouring locations across Wang Cheng.

In just fifteen minutes, Zhao Xing's clones had found dozens of sites.

"Indeed, replacing the coordinates of the previous life with the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches still works. Even with changed geography, I can still pinpoint the exact locations."

Without hesitation, Zhao Xing's true body held up his Level Two Fu Ming Token and summoned a squad of dragon craftsmen out of the shrine.

Shhhhhhh～

Soon, Zhao Xing arrived at the first site—a collapsed pile of giant stones.

"If I remember right, this vault has three layers of seals: the first is sealed by Earth Fire, Earth Heaven, and Dragon Flame incantations."

"The treasures left in the first layer are few—just ordinary items."

"They were left behind by the top sect, Corpse Puppet Sect," Zhao Xing said, immediately casting a sealing-breaking spell.

"Boom—"

The ground cracked open, revealing an underground chamber built with dragon clan arrays.

"Splash—" Inside, vast quantities of dragon crystals and divine weapons piled into a small mountain.

"The first layer is just camouflage," Zhao Xing said, using a storm wind to sweep the treasures onto a ship.

"Their value isn't especially high—roughly Level Four to Six. In dragon coin terms, this is worth about two hundred thousand dragon coins."

"The second layer is where the dragon clan's Fu Ming craftsmen come in," Zhao Xing recalled his clones and ordered the craftsmen forward.

"Aaang～" A squad of Fu Ming craftsmen swiftly flew over.

"Dig!" Zhao Xing's command was simple.

"Aaang～" Dozens of dragon craftsmen darted into the underground chamber below.

Soon, the second layer's underground space appeared, revealing a large hole.

"Come back!"

Zhao Xing ordered the craftsmen up again.

Then he sent his clone down to explore.

"The second layer's treasury holds far better treasures," Zhao Xing glanced down. "Value exceeds two million dragon coins—but still not enough to trade with Dragon King Yin Xiu. At best, it's enough to awaken him."

"But there's still a third layer," Zhao Xing said, after emptying the second. He ordered the dragon craftsmen down again.

This time, the dragon craftsmen had to use tools.

"Boom—"

Four massive pillars, each as thick as ten men could embrace, slowly sank into the earth, radiating light and trembling continuously.

"Boom—" Huge boulders shattered, soil vanished.

Zhao Xing stared closely—beneath the second layer's depths, a giant dragon-carved door emerged.

Clearly visible were the Corpse Puppet Sect's coffin insignias.

"Click-click-click—" As the Fu Ming craftsmen unraveled it, ten Fire-Breaking Needles erupted in red flames, eroding the barrier completely.

"Stop!" Zhao Xing called out as the barrier dissolved. "Come up!"

The Fu Ming Shrine craftsmen obediently climbed back up.

Zhao Xing's clone swiftly descended to begin hauling away the treasures.

"The third layer contains nothing but materials above Level Seven—the total volume exceeds the combined storage of the first two layers."

When Zhao Xing descended, he was stunned by the dazzling display cases.

"And they're neatly categorized—most of these aren't from the Gu Ting Kingdom!"

As the saying goes: rarity commands value.

If these were Gu Ting Kingdom products, they wouldn't fetch high prices.

But these were carefully selected over generations by the Corpse Puppet Sect.

"Value is incalculable—but at least twenty million!" Zhao Xing grinned broadly; according to the tenfold increase, the third layer should be worth this much.

"No wonder it's a top sect—just one of their treasure vaults holds this much wealth."

"With this haul, I've got enough to make one deal with Dragon King Yin Xiu." Zhao Xing swiftly loaded the ship.

As for the Fu Ming Shrine craftsmen, Zhao Xing had cast the Dragon Tongue Sealing Spell on them—and with his Level Two Fu Ming Token, they could never reveal this.

Even if it leaks out, it doesn't matter—Wang Cheng has no law prohibiting the excavation of treasures from underground, nor can anyone kill each other within the city.

"Let's go to the next place!"

Two hours after Zhao Xing left.

True Person Zi Luo arrived late.

"Found it—this territory hides the sect's ancestral 'Great Stone Vault'."

"Inside are the accumulated riches of seven or eight generations of our lineage," True Person Zi Luo said proudly. "With this startup capital in the Dragon Court's ancient land, you can immediately gain high status by offering it to the Kingdom's Dragon King."

"Thank you, Master!" You Sha was thrilled.

"Great Stone Vault? It can grant us high-level dragon permissions," Yun Ji licked her lips, equally eager.

"Wait here while I find it," True Person Zi Luo pulled out a compass, activated the sect's secret technique, and began searching for the vault's exact location.

With the passage of time and the shifting of lands, he wasn't certain of the vault's precise position—he had to search carefully.

Moments later, True Person Zi Luo received two pieces of news.

Good news: he found the sect's secret treasury without much effort.

Bad news: the Great Stone Vault had been emptied—and it had just been emptied!

"Who is it!" True Person Zi Luo let out a low roar. "Who stole my Corpse Puppet Sect's treasure!"

Today I'll write nine thousand first; trying to sleep early, not keeping you all up.

Also, thank you to the Silver Patrons Sheng Xian and Shang Xian.