Star Residence

The Dragon Spirit Pearl was held in Zi Yan's palm. The milky white pearl was slightly warm in her hand, like a sleeping heart slowly awakening.

Zi Yan lowered her head and gazed at the coiled Bai Long phantom in the pearl. Her purple-gold eyes reflected a warm light, and deep within her pupils, purple-gold flames flickered slowly.

At this moment, Zi Yan clearly sensed the immense Spiritual Energy and bloodline essence contained within the Dragon Spirit Pearl. The power was vast and gentle, like an ocean that had been sealed for ten thousand years breathing quietly within the pearl.

Her Dragon-Phoenix Bloodline trembled slightly at that moment, like a traveler who had been starving for a long time seeing a sumptuous feast, and that instinctive desire surged up from the depths of her bloodline.

Without delay, Zi Yan sat cross-legged before the White Bone Throne, holding the Dragon Spirit Pearl on her lap with both hands, her eyes slightly closed.

The Dragon Phoenix Power within her surged violently at that moment, and colorful purple-gold light burst forth from her body, bathing the entire Ruins in a warm and majestic halo.

The Dragon Spirit Pearl sensed the Dragon Clan Bloodline originating from the same source within Zi Yan's body. The Bai Long phantom within the pearl suddenly opened its eyes, and silvery-white light surged forth from the pearl, like a torrent that had been suppressed for millennia finally finding an outlet.

The light enveloped Zi Yan completely, the silver and purple-gold colors intertwining to create a magnificent and dazzling spectacle.

Lin Ming stood at a distance, gazing at Zi Yan in the light and shadow, and nodded slightly.

He could sense that the power within the Dragon Spirit Pearl was being refined and absorbed by Zi Yan bit by bit. The process of integration was extremely smooth. The Bai Long power within the Dragon Spirit Pearl and the bloodline within Zi Yan's body were like two rivers from the same source flowing into the same lake, blending together seamlessly without any repulsion.

Lin Ming then withdrew his gaze, turned to look at the North King and Xia Jia, and whispered, "Zi Yan is refining here; let's use this time to search the Dragon Mansion."

The two nodded in agreement, and the three of them turned and sped off in other directions from the Ruins.

They searched several side halls and storerooms in the Dragon Mansion. The side halls were indeed larger than those in the Lin Residence, and the storerooms occupied a larger area, but most of the things inside had turned to dust over the millennia.

Occasionally, a few remnants of artifacts would be found, but they were all dim in Spiritual Energy and broken. The highest grade was only a few mid-grade divine artifacts. Not even a single Quasi-Sacred Artifact was found.

The North King found a broken longsword in the basement of a side hall. The blade was broken into three pieces. Although the material was extraordinary, most of the Spiritual Runes contained within it had been shattered, making it beyond repair.

Xia Jia found the remnants of several pills in another storeroom. The pills had long since turned into grayish-white powder, and only from the remaining Medicinal Fragrance could one barely identify a few extremely rare medicinal ingredients, but the pills themselves no longer existed.

The Dragon Mansion ranks third among the Nine Residences, making it far more powerful than the Lin Residence. The Dragon Mansion's former master's cultivation level was close to the threshold of the Upper-Rank Earth Sovereign, and the scale of his mansion and the grade of its defensive formations far surpassed those of the Lin Residence.

Logically speaking, such a powerful mansion should contain far more treasures and be more valuable than the Lin Residence.

But when they actually began their search, they found that the results were completely opposite to their expectations. Their haul was even less than what they had found at the Lin Residence.

Apart from the Dragon Spirit Pearl that Zi Yan obtained, none of the other gains caught Lin Ming's eye.

This is understandable, though. Judging from the extent of the damage to the Dragon Mansion, it's clear that the battle there was far more intense than that at the Lin Residence.

The Ruins of the Dragon Mansion were littered with the marks left by a tremendous bombardment, marks that were even more dense and violent than those of the Lin Residence. Several side halls were completely razed to the ground, their foundations shattered and sunken, revealing craters dozens of feet deep beneath.

Judging from those traces, the Evil Clan army that attacked the Dragon Mansion back then was definitely not weak, so even if there were treasures at that time, they were probably damaged in the battle.

Lin Ming wasn't disappointed. His biggest goal for this trip was to find a suitable opportunity for Zi Yan, and having obtained the Dragon Spirit Pearl was his greatest gain. As for the other things, they were icing on the cake if they came along, but not essential if they didn't.

He led the North King and Xia Jia to thoroughly search the Dragon Mansion. After confirming that nothing was missed, he returned to the Ruins where the White Bone Throne was located and quietly waited for Zi Yan to complete the refining.

At this moment, Zi Yan also completed the refining and absorption of the Dragon Spirit Pearl.

The silver and purple-gold light that enveloped her began to slowly recede after a long time. The light surged into her body like a receding tide, eventually disappearing into Zi Yan's brow.

Zi Yan slowly opened her eyes, and a bright light flashed in her purple-gold eyes. The light was like two stars shining simultaneously in the depths of her pupils, and then slowly settled, turning into a deep calm.

Zi Yan stood up, her aura significantly stronger than before the refinement. That aura was deep and profound, like a bottomless lake, its surface calm but containing immense power capable of overturning rivers and seas.

With the help of the Dragon Spirit Pearl, Zi Yan's cultivation level naturally rose to the Tier 9 Supreme Perfection.

Moreover, after absorbing the power of the Bai Long Dragon-Phoenix Bloodline within her became purer and stronger. The pressure emanating from the depths of her bloodline was also more intense than before, and every move she made carried a Dragon Phoenix might that made all things submit.

"How are you feeling?" Lin Ming stepped forward and asked.

Zi Yan flexed her wrists, feeling the abundant and refined power within her body. A satisfied smile curved her lips as she said, "Very good. Tier 9 Supreme Perfection, and my bloodline has strengthened considerably. That Dragon Spirit Pearl is indeed a good thing."

She paused, turned her head to look at Lin Ming, and asked with a hint of anticipation in her purple-gold eyes, "Where to next?"

The search of the Dragon Mansion was complete, and Zi Yan's advancement was finished. Lin Ming immediately led the group back to the Heavenly Palace in the outside world.

Four streaks of light emerged from the Stone Island of the Dragon Mansion and reappeared beneath the gray-white sky.

"Next, let's go straight to the Star Residence, the head of the Nine Residences," Lin Ming said immediately.

His dark, unfathomable eyes gazed in a certain direction deep within the Heavenly Palace.

The Star Residence, the head of the Nine Residences, is ruled by a Lord who is not only at the peak of the Upper-Rank Earth Sovereign, but also the number one master of formations in the Ancient Heavenly Palace.

Judging from the map's description, the Master of the Star Residence of formations has reached its pinnacle. If he were to set up the formations properly, even the Five Halls Hall Master in the Heavenly Palace, whose strength is at the peak of the Earth Sovereign level, might not dare to say they could defeat him, except for the Heavenly Emperor.

The dangers and opportunities within a mansion with such a powerful figure residing there must far exceed those of the Lin Residence and Dragon Mansion.

However, if one can gain something in the Star Residence, the gains will be far greater than those in the previous two palaces.

Upon hearing this, no one objected; everyone was eager to try.

So they set off. Four streaks of light rose into the air from in front of the Stone Island of the Dragon Mansion and sped toward the depths of the Heavenly Palace.

The green peaks and Stone Island below rushed past beneath their feet, and those towering mountains rose from the earth like green bamboo shoots, only to be left behind in an instant.

They flew over the vast area between the Lin Residence and Dragon Mansion, passed through several floating Stone Island, and crossed several bottomless abysses, speeding towards the Star Residence.

After about half an hour, Lin Ming, who was leading the way, slowed down and stopped.

His figure slowly solidified from the stream of light, hovering in mid-air, his gaze fixed ahead.

The group stopped and stood beside Lin Ming. Zi Yan moved to his side, while North King and Xia Jia stopped behind him on either side.

All four of them turned their gazes forward at the same time, but then a look of doubt appeared on their faces.

At this moment, seven Stone Island appeared before them.

The seven Stone Island varied in size and shape, and were separated by several miles.

They are all independent entities, with no connection between them, and none of them is more conspicuous or grander than the others.

Her gaze swept back and forth across the seven Stone Island, trying to find clues from their appearance, size, and architectural style. But no matter how she looked at them, the seven Stone Island resembled seven independent mansions, none of which deserved to be called the "head of the Nine Residences."

She even tried to probe with the spatial perception of her Dragon-Phoenix Bloodline, but the surfaces of the seven Stone Island were covered with extremely sophisticated concealment formations. Her perception was silently repelled as soon as it touched them, and she was unable to penetrate them at all.

Looking at the seven Stone Island, Zi Yan frowned slightly and asked, "There are seven Stone Island here. Which one is the Stone Island where the Star Residence is located?"

Upon hearing this, a smile appeared on Lin Ming's lips. The outlines of the seven Stone Island were reflected in his dark, unfathomable eyes, and a faint light slowly flowed deep within his pupils.

He then slowly said, "These seven Stone Island are all part of the Star Residence!"

Lin Ming's words were like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, stirring up ripples in the hearts of the group.

"They're all from the Star Residence?" Zi Yan suddenly turned to look at Lin Ming, her purple-gold eyes filled with surprise.

North King and Xia Jia were also stunned. Their gazes swept back and forth between the seven Stone Island and Lin Ming, clearly shocked by the answer.

Lin Ming nodded, his gaze slowly sweeping over the seven Stone Island before he began to speak.

"Since the Master of the Star Residence is the number one master of formations in the Ancient Heavenly Palace, his residence naturally cannot be an ordinary Stone Island."

"These seven Stone Island Dharma Form, forming a complete whole. They appear independent, but in reality, they are one. Together, the seven Stone Island constitute a massive array."

Upon hearing this, the group couldn't help but sigh that Star Residence truly lived up to its reputation as the head of the Nine Residences; the sheer number of these Stone Island alone was comparable to the Dragon Mansion and Lin Residence they had searched for.

For a moment, the group turned their attention to the seven Stone Island, considering how to enter them.