Chapter 260: Jewel of the Dragon King, Progress Soars

In the South Sea dwell the Jiao people, who weave water into silk and whose tears turn into pearls.

Jiao tears are rare and extraordinary treasures.

For this reason.

The Jiao people of the South Sea were nearly exterminated.

Jiao tears are not merely a simple drop of tears—they are formed from the entire essence of their blood and greatly benefit martial artists in cultivating their bodies.

Do you really think all Jiao people are the beautiful, fish-tailed maidens from stories?

No.

They have green skin and black scales, resembling demons, fierce in nature, fond of flaying human skins—countless hunters have lost their lives in the South Sea pursuing them.

Yet Jiao tears are so precious that despite the danger, many still rush to obtain them.

The Jiao tear in Li Rui's hand is different.

It is not a Jiao tear—it is a Jiao King's tear.

A single character difference, yet a world apart!

Only Jiao of the fourth rank or higher may be called Jiao Kings—beings comparable to Primordial martial artists.

The number of Primordial martial artists among humans is limited; among the Jiao, even fewer exist.

In other words, the shimmering blue gem in Li Rui's hand is formed from the entire essence of a fourth-rank Jiao King, its value incalculable.

His heart pounded wildly.

'Jiao tears are immensely beneficial to Sea-Observing martial artists, surpassing all great elixirs.'

Li Rui's breathing grew rapid.

Even countless prodigies from major sects might never have the chance to obtain one.

And yet here it was, right before his eyes, so vivid and real.

The Jiao King's tear is immensely valuable even to a fourth-rank martial artist like Jiang Linxian—yet he was willing to give it to me.

What a grand gesture!

He's certainly no miser.

Li Rui had anticipated Jiang Linxian might give him some treasures or elixirs as compensation, but he never imagined it would be something as priceless as the Jiao King's tear.

It was as if fate had handed him a pillow just as he fell asleep.

Now that Li Rui has opened his Qi Sea, he stands at the critical moment of breaking through to Sea-Observing.

According to his original pace, it would take at least several years.

But with this Jiao King's tear, everything changes.

He could break through in at most one year!

Moreover, since the Jiao King's tear is formed from the Jiao King's entire essence, its effects are gentle and gradual—not sudden like pills—so there's no need to worry about rapid, unstable advancement.

"A wonderful treasure."

Li Rui's heart burned with excitement.

He recalled the ancient texts describing how to consume Jiao tears: it was simple—grind them into powder and swallow raw.

In fact, this method is not uncommon.

Pearls from the sea are often ground into powder and used medicinally, prized for moistening the lungs, stopping coughs, and enhancing beauty—highly sought after by noblewomen in the capital.

Li Rui directly used the flat of his blade to shatter the sapphire-blue Jiao King's tear, grinding it meticulously until it became a fine powder.

Then he tilted his head back and swallowed it all.

After taking a sip of cooled tea, the Jiao King's tear was fully swallowed.

Unlike ordinary elixirs,

he felt no violent medicinal force—only a faint coolness rising from his dantian.

This is the unique quality of the Jiao King's tear: it does not transform instantly, but releases its power slowly and steadily.

Precisely because of this, there is no danger of advancing too quickly.

A faint smile curled at the corners of Li Rui's lips.

"The Sea-Observing realm is within reach."

In the Governor's Mansion of Man Gu City.

"For some reason, that old dragon has withdrawn."

Qi Rui walked with a gloomy expression: "Now the Yu forces have rested and departed from Wu Bei City."

Madam Ling Luo turned to look at Qi Rui entering the courtyard, her beautiful face showing surprise:

"That old dragon was so protective of his offspring—yet he just gave up?"

Previously, the old dragon's monstrous underlings had tied down the Yu army, leaving them too occupied to attack Man Gu City.

Now, everything has reverted to the previous situation.

If the Yu forces launch a coordinated siege on Man Gu City, it will be in grave danger.

"Strange."

Madam Ling Luo murmured softly.

Indeed.

Everything appeared to have been triggered by Duan Yu's greed, but in truth, it was all her scheme.

The old dragon had a volatile, irritable temperament and doted excessively on his young offspring, the little white dragon—provoking the little dragon meant touching the old dragon's most sacred nerve, a fight to the death.

Duan Yu was merely an unfortunate pawn caught in the trap.

The appearance of the old dragon's son near the Anning Garrison was deliberately orchestrated by her using a precious artifact as bait.

Dragons love treasure; so do dragons.

Both are insatiable, and she exploited this weakness perfectly.

The hunter who captured the dragon's son was also planted by her.

Greed.

Dragons are like this—humans are no different.

Once greed arises, one can be manipulated.

Madam Ling Luo excels at manipulating human hearts. The Yu kingdom reveres dragons—someone would inevitably develop greed for the dragon, whether it was Duan Yu or someone else.

The outcome would be the same.

But she hadn't anticipated the old dragon would withdraw so quickly.

Qi Rui spoke: "I heard… it was Jiang Linxian who did it."

Madam Ling Luo's surprise deepened.

Originally, she had planned a two-pronged strategy: to tie down the Yu army's front-line forces while luring Jiang Linxian out of Qing He City.

Yet Jiang Linxian had quelled the chaos far sooner than expected.

Madam Ling Luo felt a thrilling sense of encountering a worthy rival:

"No wonder he's called the Sword Immortal of Jiangdong—his swordplay is superb, and his tactics are equally impressive."

"Fascinating."

To quell a monster uprising without shedding a single drop of blood—regardless of the method, it's a remarkable feat.

Madam Ling Luo has never been a rigid person; as long as the problem is solved, it's brilliance—she cares only for results.

Qi Rui ventured cautiously: "What should we do next?"

Madam Ling Luo replied calmly and coolly:

"Why rush? Didn't Yuan Gao say the Dharma King has arrived in Yun Province?"

Upon hearing the name "Dharma King," Qi Rui fell silent.

The Nine Souls Dharma King—a Earth Immortal!

Madam Ling Luo's lips curled slightly as she gazed at the crimson crabapple blossoms nearby, her thoughts drifting.

"Jiang Linxian…"

"Could you also be the one who killed Zhuang Renhe?"

"Big brother, I'm back!"

Upon arriving at the Anning Garrison, Ning Zhongtian didn't go home—he went straight to Li Rui's house.

This war has lasted far longer than anyone anticipated.

Not only were the Wu rebels stubbornly resilient, but the Yu court, especially Governor Yuan stationed in Yun Province, showed no intention of withdrawing troops.

As time passed,

the intensity of combat naturally diminished from its initial ferocity.

Soldiers deployed on the front lines could even rotate back for a few days every month.

Ning Zhongtian was one such soldier on rotation.

Li Rui gazed at Ning Zhongtian's sharpened eyes and silently marveled—battlefield truly hones a man's will.

Ning Zhongtian came from humble origins, not a pampered nobleman—yet even he had changed so noticeably, let alone other soldiers.

"Glad you're back. How long will you stay this time?"

Ning Zhongtian: "Five days total, then I must return."

"Five days…"

Li Rui had already heard the news and had notified the Heaven and Earth Alliance in advance: "Come on—Fei the Third heard you were back and rushed all night from Anning City."

"Mm."

Ning Zhongtian nodded and immediately followed Li Rui to the Heaven and Earth Alliance. When the two arrived at Huang Chui's home, Fei Laosan was already sitting in the courtyard.

Seeing Li Rui and Ning Zhongtian appear, his expression grew excited:

"Fourth brother, you've finally come back."

Huang Chui, hearing the commotion from the back courtyard, hurried out: "Fourth brother."

They had risen from humble beginnings together—this bond was unmatched by anyone.

Ning Zhongtian was undoubtedly capable, but this time he had gone to the battlefield, where life and death hung by a thread every moment; to say he wasn't worried was false.

"Fourth brother, you've lost weight."

Ning Zhongtian laughed heartily: "Second brother, third brother, the camp isn't as brutal as you think. Most days, there's nothing much going on."

Li Rui chuckled: "See? Fourth brother's fine. Why's your eye red, Third?"

"Got sand in it."

Fei Laosan, eyes still red, burst into laughter too.

Pulling Ning Zhongtian and Li Rui along, he said: "Come, taste this—Second brother hunted a red-horned deer yesterday. It's roasted and waiting for you."

Please... collect... 6... ... ooks...!

The four brothers entered the back courtyard.

Smoke curled upward; they sat around the fire, slicing deer meat directly with daggers, washing it down with strong liquor, feasting with abandon.

They were brothers—no need for pretty dancers or empty formalities.

Those were for outsiders.

Not for family.

Fei Laosan downed three large bowls, face flushed, and asked: "Fourth, how's Wugu?"

Ning Zhongtian grinned: "The women in Wugu are strong."

"I didn't ask you that."

Ning Zhongtian glanced sideways at Fei Laosan.

Pretending.

If not that, then what did you mean?

Fei Laosan, uncomfortable under Ning Zhongtian's gaze, admitted: "Fine, I admit that's one part—what rewards did you earn this time? Any promotion?"

He asked not because he thought Ning Zhongtian's promotion would benefit him, but simply out of brotherly curiosity.

Ning Zhongtian chewed deer meat:

"Don't mention it."

"At first, I got plenty of gains—but then came that damned spirit tide. Our Anning Guard lost many men. We had to rest for a full month in Wubei City. Those rebels had all hidden away. We just sat in camp watching men wash their feet, bored out of our minds."

Huang Chui and Fei Laosan had already heard of the spirit tide.

"How in the world did a spirit tide even happen?"

Ning Zhongtian looked at Li Rui: "Speaking of which, Brother, you went with Lord Jiang. How did he handle it? He's truly capable."

Only those who had experienced the spirit tide knew how terrifying Wugu's spirit beasts could be.

Countless spirit beasts stormed the camp like they had no fear of death—Ning Zhongtian would remember that scene for life.

Hearing this, Huang Chui and Fei Laosan grew eager:

"Brother, tell us!"

They knew Li Rui, their elder brother, kept his mouth shut tight—had it not been for Ning Zhongtian, they'd never have known about this.

Now that the chance had come, they meant to hear every detail.

Li Rui took a sip of strong liquor, grimaced, and exhaled alcohol fumes:

"All credit goes to Lord Jiang."

"Actually, the spirit tide was caused by the ancient dragon in the Ten Thousand Mountains."

He then recounted the general events.

But he deliberately omitted many details—such as Duan Yu—and attributed everything to Jiang Lin.

Huang Chui listened with delight: "Lord Jiang is brave and cunning—a true man."

Fei Laosan nodded vigorously.

Ning Zhongtian seized the key point: "Big Brother, so who was the man driven by greed?"

His eyes blazed with fury.

If not for that man's greed, over a hundred Anning Guard brothers wouldn't have died needlessly.

Ning Zhongtian wanted to rip the man's tendons out.

Li Rui: "Fourth, Lord Jiang didn't say."

Ning Zhongtian fell silent, then sighed softly.

Li Rui's answer told him enough—it must have been someone with immense influence.

The Anning Guard was full of connections, noble sons—greed was only natural.

Ning Zhongtian knew this was beyond his control; otherwise Jiang Lin would have exposed it publicly, not hidden it so carefully.

Huang Chui sensed the mood had turned sour and changed the subject:

"By the way, Fourth, when will this war end?"

He stayed in the Heaven and Earth Alliance mainly to handle trade. Iron Kuang had forged immortal weapons, yet still remained in Qinghe, idle—so he kept running the arms business.

Huang Chui didn't really care when the war ended—he hoped it wouldn't end.

Weapon prices had soared again and again, and the cost of buying spirit beasts from Wugu had dropped—profit margins were so high he nearly pulled a muscle counting silver notes.

Ning Zhongtian paused: "I don't know, but at least another year."

Though the Eastern Army had suffered setbacks, the other divisions had won repeatedly.

Rumors said they'd captured several cities and seized much loot.

They were making a fortune.

Withdraw?

Not even the Emperor or Yuan Viceroy, nor the soldiers stationed in Wugu, wanted to leave.

The situation was excellent.

"Good. Very good."

Hearing the boom could last another year, Huang Chui grinned from ear to ear.

Men were always curious about war.

Huang Chui and Fei Laosan asked many more questions about Wugu; Ning Zhongtian answered everything not classified.

"One thousand seven hundred li from Qinghe lies Man Gu City. They say its governor is a woman."

"Guess what?"

"She was the former governor's concubine. Somehow, after the governor and his wife died, she rose to power."

"But she's truly capable—Man Gu City held out for a full month with no losses."

A female governor!

This topic was irresistible.

Li Rui listened quietly.

He had heard of this female governor before—from Dao Mo.

Dao Mo's evaluation of her was four words: venomous scorpion heart.

If even Dao Mo said that, she was formidable indeed.

Li Rui: "Fourth, be extra cautious of the governor of Man Gu City."

"Brother, don't worry."

Ning Zhongtian stayed in Qinghe for five days.

Then he departed for Wugu.

As Ning Zhongtian had said, after that, not just the Eastern Army, but all divisions heading to Wugu slowed considerably.

Daily routine: marching, then training in camp.

In truth,

This was the normal rhythm of war—even in the fiercest Northwest, two or three major battles a year were extraordinary.

Li Rui's life was quiet.

Before he knew it,

Half a year had passed.

"The Jelly King's Tear truly is formidable."

Li Rui sat cross-legged on a mat, circulating true qi.

The Jelly King's Tear earned its reputation as the top medicinal herb for the Sea-Viewing Realm because of its powerful enhancement of true qi—even Sea-Viewing cultivators benefited greatly, let alone Li Rui, who had only just opened his qi sea.

He turned his gaze inward.

The small puddle had become a pond.

As Li Rui was circulating qi, he suddenly sensed something—he opened his eyes.

"I've entered the Sea-Viewing Realm."

(End of Chapter)