The Dragon Clan was famous for its love of collecting treasures. The moment Xuan Qing stepped into the Dragon Clan's treasury, waves of treasure light washed over him. Spiritual treasures and materials were everywhere, too numerous to count.
There were over a hundred Innate Spiritual Treasures as well, but most were mid-grade or low-grade. There were only a few high-grade ones, while not a single Top-grade Innate Spiritual Treasure was in sight.
There was no need to think about it. It was not that the Dragon Clan lacked Top-grade Innate Spiritual Treasures; they were simply all controlled by old Dragon Clan ancestors such as Candle Dragon, Azure Dragon, and Yinglong.
Xuan Qing merely glanced over the low-grade and mid-grade Innate Spiritual Treasures. Their power was limited, and they held little appeal for him.
He turned his gaze toward the high-grade spiritual treasure section.
Before long, a Mountain River Cauldron emitting dense water and earth elemental auras caught his attention. It also carried a faint, almost imperceptible trace of authority.
Seeing Xuan Qing looking toward the Mountain River Cauldron, Yinglong immediately introduced it. "This treasure is not particularly powerful, but it contains a world within. It once belonged to the Huai River Dragon God. It can draw upon the qi of earth veins and the essence of water veins to nurture Tianyi True Water and Pure Yuan Soil, which can nourish spiritual roots. There is even a Minor World within it!"
"The Huai River Dragon God?"
Xuan Qing immediately asked, "I see a faint trace of authority within this Mountain River Cauldron. Is it related to the Huai River Dragon God?"
"That is right!"
Yinglong could not help but reveal a bitter smile. "At the height of the Dragon Clan's prosperity, we not only dominated the Four Seas, but also controlled countless water veins throughout the Primordial World. The Huai River was one of them! But after the Dragon-Han Calamity, the Dragon Clan became burdened by Karma and could no longer hold those water veins. We could only barely preserve our foundation in the Four Seas!"
"This Mountain River Cauldron was once the spiritual treasure the Huai River Dragon God used to suppress the fortune of its mountains and rivers. But as the Demon Clan rose to power, the Huai River Dragon God fell, and the Huai River Water Mansion was occupied by the Water Ape Great Sage Wu Zhiqi. The fortune of the mountains and rivers that had originally gathered in this treasure has mostly dissipated over the years!"
Ever since the Witch and Demon Clans rose, the Dragon Clan's situation had grown increasingly difficult. The Huai River was far from the only water vein occupied by other races.
"Wu Zhiqi?"
Hearing that somewhat familiar name, Xuan Qing smiled knowingly. "Then I'll choose this treasure! I feel that it has no small karmic connection with me!"
In his memories, Wu Zhiqi should have been the Red-butt Monkey, one of the Four Mixed-World Monkeys. In the future, he would be suppressed for obstructing Yu the Great's flood control efforts.
Moreover, as one of the future Four Rivers, the Huai River should become human territory.
He could use this to make arrangements in advance!
As he spoke, he thought of Ice Yi Yuan Jun. The Yellow River she occupied was also one of the future Four Rivers. Now that she had voluntarily followed Ao Hong in betraying the Dragon Clan, the Yellow River Water Mansion had become ownerless. Could he take the opportunity to seize it and refine the fortune and authority of the Yellow River region's mountains and rivers?
Xuan Qing held the Mountain River Cauldron in his hand and carefully sensed it. As a High-grade Innate Spiritual Treasure, it was enough to bear the fortune of the mountains and rivers of several rivers comparable to the Huai River!
And he also possessed Nuwa's Map of Mountains and Rivers. Gathering the fortune of the mountains and rivers in the Yellow River and Huai River regions would not be difficult for him!
After thinking for a moment, he looked at Yinglong and asked, "Does the Dragon Clan intend to send someone to take charge of the Yellow River Water Mansion?"
Yinglong looked at the Mountain River Cauldron in Xuan Qing's hand and instantly understood his intentions. She immediately smiled. "The Dragon Clan is no longer what it once was. We only wish to preserve our foundation in the Four Seas! As for the Yellow River Water Mansion, if you are not afraid of Ice Yi, I can make the decision to give it to you!"
Yinglong did not think much of the Yellow River Water Vein or the Yellow River Water Mansion. With the Dragon Clan's current strength, it would already be good enough if they could barely hold on to their foundation in the Four Seas!
If they could use a single water vein to befriend Xuan Qing, a direct disciple of a Sage, then in her view, it was undoubtedly worthwhile.
"Then many thanks, Senior Yinglong!"
Xuan Qing did not refuse.
Yinglong's intentions were obvious, and he understood them perfectly well.
She merely wanted to use this opportunity to befriend him and, in passing, find someone to bear Ice Yi Yuan Jun's karma.
Both sides believed they had profited!
Soon afterward, he bid Yinglong farewell and prepared to return to Golden Ao Island to refine the Mountain River Cauldron.
Meanwhile, Ao Hong and Ice Yi Yuan Jun looked grimly at Daoist Jieyin, who had just taken the fragments of the Dragon Transformation Pool from Ao Hong.
This was the price of saving them!
Daoist Jieyin wore a compassionate expression as he sat upon a golden lotus platform. "Since the two of you have nowhere to go, why not join my Western Teachings?"
Ao Hong immediately refused. "Thank you for your kind offer, Sage, but the two of us are used to freedom!"
Daoist Jieyin looked regretful.
How could Quasi-Sage cultivators, especially ambitious people like Ao Hong, abandon their ideals and convictions because of a few words from him?
He watched the two leave.
Only then did Daoist Zhunti emerge from the void. "Senior Brother, since you value these two, why not directly use the method of conversion to bring them into our Western Teachings?"
"It will not be so easy!"
Daoist Jieyin shook his head and sighed. "How can Quasi-Sage cultivators be so easily converted? If we force it, I fear it will only have the opposite effect!"
With a thought, he gathered the fragments of the Dragon Transformation Pool together. "Once the two of us reforge the Dragon Transformation Pool, Dragon Clan members will naturally take the initiative to join the Western Teachings!"
Elsewhere, after leaving Mount Sumeru, Ao Hong immediately had Ice Yi Yuan Jun use the Sky Concealing Mirror to obscure the Heavenly Secrets. Then they swiftly fled toward Zhang Yuan.
"At this point, we have no way of returning to the Yellow River Water Mansion!" Ao Hong sighed. "We can only first seek Ji Meng's protection in Zhang Yuan!"
Ji Meng had once been a great general under Ancestor Dragon. Like Ao Hong, he was one of the Dragon Clan's radicals. After Di Jun became leader of the Demon Clan, he had voluntarily joined them.
Now, with the aid of the Demon Clan's Fortune, he had successfully broken through to the Quasi-Sage realm and become one of the Ten Demon Saints. Within the Heavenly Court, his authority stood below only the Demon Clan's four emperors.
"Alright."
Ice Yi Yuan Jun silently nodded.
In truth, she had already begun to regret taking Ao Hong in. If not for Ao Hong, she, a mighty Quasi-Sage, would not have been hunted by the entire Dragon Clan.
And Ao Hong had even lost the Innate Dragon Gate and the fragments of the Dragon Transformation Pool.
Zhang Yuan was where Ji Meng had taken form. However, after joining the Demon Clan, Ji Meng had brought most of his clansmen to the Heavenly Court.
Only a small portion remained behind to guard the place.
Yet upon learning of Ao Hong's situation, he immediately returned to Zhang Yuan in secret.
"Fellow Daoist Ao Hong, and Fellow Daoist Ice Yi, it truly has been a long time!" Ji Meng said with a smile. "Since the Dragon Clan can no longer tolerate the two of you, why not join the Heavenly Court with me?"
Ao Hong shook his head. "Forget it! I do not wish to hand over my true spirit and have my life and death controlled by others from now on!"
Ji Meng froze at those words.
When he had first joined the Demon Clan, he had indeed been highly valued. But after Di Jun refined the Monster Summoning Banner, Ji Meng could not help but develop some resentment toward him.
Among the Ten Demon Saints, he and Gui Che came from the Dragon Clan and Phoenix Clan respectively. They were far less trusted by Di Jun and Eastern Emperor Taiyi than the other eight Demon Saints.
Unfortunately, his true spirit was already on the Monster Summoning Banner. It was too late for regrets!
"So be it!"
"Since the two of you are unwilling to join the Demon Clan, you may stay in Zhang Yuan for now!"
"This is my territory, and with the Demon Clan's protection, I trust that old fellows like Candle Dragon will not dare come here to cause trouble for you two!"
After some thought, Ji Meng still decided to conceal their whereabouts. Should the Demon Clan's grand enterprise suffer a setback one day, he could also gain the aid of two Quasi-Sages.
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