The Magical Treasure, 'Zhuan Mountain Seal'!

In the icy seawater, Xia Jie stood on White Whale's back, supporting a middle-aged man.

"Young master, we're saved." The middle-aged man's face was pale, but his eyes brimmed with the joy of surviving a catastrophe.

"Is that the Xiantian Battalion of the Green Flood Dragon Army from Jade Dragon City?" Xia Jie watched two flood dragons dance through the sky.

Especially the largest one. With a single swipe of its claw, it had killed the culprit, Shang Li, who had murdered Xia Jie's mother, younger brother, and younger sister.

If Shang Ren, the eldest of the Shang Clan, hadn't brought out a magical treasure shaped like an earthy-yellow seal to block the attack, he would probably have died beneath the flood dragon's claws too.

"That seal..." Xia Jie's heart clenched.

It was clearly his father's magical treasure, the Zhuan Mountain Seal!

In midair.

Zhou Hao and nearly a hundred other soldiers formed a Dao Soldier battle array, transforming into flood dragons.

As the battle array's core, Zhou Hao gathered the true essence of all the Xiantian Lifeforms into himself. With him at the helm, each casual swipe of the flood dragon's claw or lash of its tail carried power rivaling the absolute peak of the early Purple Mansion Realm.

Shang Ren controlled the earthy-yellow seal, which was as large as a small mountain, and struggled to hold back the enormous flood dragon phantom formed from countless Dao patterns. He screamed himself hoarse:

"Brothers of the Xiantian Battalion, I'm no pirate! This is a misunderstanding, a misunderstanding!"

"I'm from the Shang Clan of Shangma Island. I came here only to settle a personal grudge. I haven't indiscriminately killed any innocents!"

"Don't wrong an innocent man!"

"Innocent?" The flood dragon phantom opened and closed its jaws, and Zhou Hao's sneer rang across heaven and earth. "If you're innocent, then those pirates are all great benefactors!

"I don't know whether you're innocent or not, but you can go argue your case with the Judge in the underworld!"

Boom!

The flood dragon rammed head-on into the earthy-yellow seal, which was as large as a small mountain. The two dragon fangs bared in its jaws were actually Zhou Hao's Red Gold Copper Rods.

With the formidable power of someone at the absolute peak of the early Purple Mansion Realm, amplified by the pair of copper rods weighing twenty-seven thousand catties, the flood dragon sent the earthy-yellow seal flying far away, revealing Shang Ren's face, stricken with shock and despair.

"M-my Shang Clan won't let you get away with this!"

"They won't let me get away with it?" Zhou Hao laughed heartily. "Then send your father a message in a dream. The one who killed you was Zhou Hao, commander of the Jade Dragon Army's Fifth Squad. If you've got the guts, come find me in Jade Dragon City!"

He had powerful backing now. Even a Myriad Phenomena True Person wouldn't dare make trouble in Jade Dragon City, so why should he fear Shang Youde, a mere Purple Mansion cultivator at the peak of his realm?

Pfft!

The flood dragon flashed past.

Shang Ren's body burst apart in midair, his mangled remains bringing down a rain of blood.

The exhilarating sight left Xia Jie's eyes bloodshot with excitement. Tears had already begun streaming down his face.

"Father, Mother! Shang Ren and Shang Li are dead. Just wait. Your son will make the entire Shang Clan pay for what they've done, in blood!"

Whoosh! Whoosh!

The flood dragons formed by the Jade Dragon Army soldiers circled the merchant ship. Their claws seized the surviving pirates, and they flew off toward the warship in the sky.

"The pirates have been dealt with. You should get going. We have military duties and can't stay. If more pirates come after you, you may not be so lucky." A clear voice drifted through the air.

Amid that clear voice, the enormous warship swept away in grand fashion, without stopping for even a moment.

Watching the Green Flood Dragon Army's warship disappear into the distance, the middle-aged man sighed. "Young master, we were truly lucky. If we hadn't run into the Green Flood Dragon Army, Shang Ren alone, as a Purple Mansion cultivator, could have slaughtered every one of us!"

"Our whereabouts have been exposed. Taking Boss Hai's ship again would make us too easy a target, and it's too dangerous. Fortunately, we're not far from Jade Dragon City. We'll ride Little White and travel beneath the sea."

"It's a shame Da Bai died in that fight the other night. Little White isn't a Xiantian great demon yet, or we'd have reached Jade Dragon City by now."

"Mm, I'll listen to you, Uncle Mo Er." Xia Jie nodded, his gaze fixed on the direction the warship had gone. He murmured, "Commander of the Jade Dragon Army's Fifth Squad, Zhou Hao."

Aboard the warship.

"Hahaha! That was exhilarating! Exhilarating!" Shangguan Yun threw his head back and laughed.

Unless human Xiantian Lifeforms cultivated special escape techniques or used their true essence to form wings and glide briefly through the air, they could generally only run and leap across the ground.

But by relying on Dao Soldier Armor to form a battle array and transform into a flood dragon, they could not only fight Purple Mansion cultivators on equal terms—the freedom of soaring through the sky had also left every Xiantian Lifeform in the Fifth Squad thrilled.

"Commander, if we run into pirates again, let the Second Row go first this time." Nan Ming watched Shangguan Yun's smug, self-satisfied look and felt his teeth itch.

"All right." Zhou Hao smiled and nodded. His men were in high spirits, and he had no intention of dampening them. "If we run into pirates who are Xiantian Lifeforms, each row will take turns fighting them to train. If the pirates have a Purple Mansion cultivator, the whole squad will engage!"

"Exactly! Pirates prey on merchants at sea, so we'll make a living hunting pirates!" Shangguan Yun grinned in agreement.

"Hu Yong, record the spoils from this fight. Once we're back in Jade Dragon City, exchange them for High-Grade Origin Stones and distribute them among the men," Zhou Hao instructed.

"Yes, Commander!" Hu Yong replied eagerly.

"I'll hold on to this one for now. Once we've calculated its value in Origin Stones, if my share doesn't cover it, I'll pay the difference." Zhou Hao raised the earthy-yellow seal in his hand.

Without Origin Power flowing into it, the seal was only about the size of an adult's fist. Two characters were carved into its base: "Zhuan Mountain."

Zhou Hao had seen the Shang Clan's eldest use the seal to both strike at them and block their flood dragon battle array. Its power was decent, and he liked that it could be controlled to smash people.

He had named the first fist technique he created Fantian Seal. How could he not have a seal-shaped magical treasure?

Although it was a Human-Rank Magical Treasure that required him to open a Purple Mansion Origin Sea and transform the true essence in his body into Origin Power before he could refine it, Zhou Hao figured that, at his cultivation speed, it wouldn't be long before he reached the Purple Mansion Realm. So he decided to keep it for himself.

After all, finding a magical treasure that caught his eye sometimes came down to luck.

"Commander Zhou, you've made quite a haul."

Just then, a somewhat shrill voice sounded from the deck.

An old man in Daoist robes emerged from the cabin. He was the very embodiment of a sharp-beaked, monkey-faced schemer dressed in finery.

"So it's Elder Zhu." Zhou Hao's smile vanished, and he said coolly, "Shouldn't you be in the cabin controlling the warship, Elder Zhu? What brings you onto the deck?"

The old man in Daoist robes, addressed as Elder Zhu, stroked his long beard, as if trying his hardest to project an immortal's dignified bearing. But his sharp-beaked, monkey-faced appearance, his constantly darting eyes, and the undisguised burning greed with which he eyed the magical seal in Zhou Hao's hand utterly ruined the effect.

"I've been looking for a few suitable magical treasures lately. I saw Commander Zhou kill that Purple Mansion cultivator and obtain several Human-Rank Magical Treasures. Since you can't refine Human-Rank Magical Treasures anyway, why not sell them to me? That would save you and your soldiers the trouble of going back to Jade Dragon City, selling them for Origin Stones, and then dividing the proceeds."

Elder Zhu spoke with an air of authority, as if he were doing everyone a favor.

"That's not out of the question." Zhou Hao smiled faintly.

He had wanted to keep it, but it was only one Human-Rank Magical Treasure. There was no need to make an enemy of him over it.

Besides, if they exchanged it for Origin Stones now and divided them among the men, they could turn them into strength right away while cultivating on the island. On balance, it wasn't a bad deal.

"How many High-Grade Origin Stones are you offering, Elder Zhu?" Zhou Hao asked. "Let me be clear: if the offer is too low, don't blame me for refusing. I can't let my soldiers get the short end of the stick."

"How about ten High-Grade Origin Stones?" Elder Zhu seemed pained. "That Purple Mansion cultivator was killed by a group of Xiantian Lifeforms like you, so his strength and magical treasures must have been bottom of the barrel. If I didn't want the soldiers to get their rewards sooner, I wouldn't be willing to buy it at all."

As he spoke, he stole a glance at Zhou Hao to gauge his reaction.

Hmph! They're just a bunch of Xiantian Lifeforms. I'm a dignified Purple Mansion cultivator, and I've deigned to ask. They ought to hand over the magical treasure with both hands at once—yet they actually dare to ask me for Origin Stones?

Normally, as Purple Mansion Realm attendants of the City Lord's Mansion, they would get a share whenever they accompanied the army on its duties, even if all they did was steer the warship.

But he had seen the seal clearly from the cabin. It was absolutely a top-grade Human-Rank Magical Treasure. Shang Ren had only just entered the Purple Mansion Realm, and his Origin Sea had probably only just opened, which was why he hadn't been able to unleash its full power.

If that magical seal ended up in his hands, he was confident he could use it to stand against even two deputy generals of the Green Flood Dragon Army.

Compared with a top-grade Human-Rank Magical Treasure, he couldn't care less about a small share of the spoils. He was willing to pay ten High-Grade Origin Stones only because Zhou Hao had exceptional potential. It was a way of giving him an out, letting him save face.

Anyone with a lick of sense would have taken the offer.

After all, at least he could get ten High-Grade Origin Stones out of it. That was a lot better than handing it over for nothing.

Unfortunately for him, he had run into Zhou Hao.

"Hahaha..." Zhou Hao laughed heartily. "Elder Zhu, you're certainly generous, offering a sky-high price of ten High-Grade Origin Stones for a Human-Rank Magical Treasure."

"I really appreciate how much you're looking out for the soldiers of our Fifth Squad. How could I let you take a loss?"

Exactly! That's it.

Go on, hand it over!

Go on, hand it over!

I promise I won't be shy about accepting it!

Elder Zhu's eyes nearly curved into crescents as he watched Zhou Hao expectantly.

"This piece of trash is better off staying with me." Zhou Hao turned the Zhuan Mountain Seal over in his hand and put it into his storage treasure. "If I find another fine magical treasure next time, I'll be sure to sell it to you, Elder Zhu—for the 'sky-high price' of ten High-Grade Origin Stones!"

"You—"

Elder Zhu's smile stiffened, and he glared at Zhou Hao.

But Zhou Hao had already turned to look beyond the warship, leaving the old man with nothing but his tall, straight back.

"Elder Zhu, the warship is moving too slowly with Attendant Qiu steering it alone." Zhou Hao gazed at the distant sky, the corner of his mouth curving up as he spoke at ease. "If military duties are delayed, don't blame me for reporting it to the City Lord when I return to Jade Dragon City."

"Hmph! Just you wait and see!" Elder Zhu flung his sleeve and stormed back into the cabin.

Although he was a Purple Mansion Realm attendant, compared with Zhou Hao, commander of the Jade Dragon Army, he was still an outsider.

If the matter came to a head, it was obvious whom True Person Muxuan, the city lord, would favor.

He had become an attendant to make a profit, after all. He understood that much.

"Commander, that man is the greediest of the City Lord's Mansion attendants," Hu Yong secretly transmitted to him. "It was satisfying to put him in his place today, but we still need to guard against him making trouble behind our backs."

"Mm, keep an eye on him from now on." Zhou Hao nodded slightly.

When people treated him with respect, he returned it tenfold. But if they took him for a fool, they couldn't blame him for refusing to show them any courtesy.

Although he couldn't refine the magical seal, he could tell that it was at least a mid-grade Human-Rank Magical Treasure—not something ordinary could compare to.

Ten High-Grade Origin Stones?

Even the most ordinary Human-Rank Magical Treasure cost at least ten High-Grade Origin Stones. The cheapest mid-grade Human-Rank Magical Treasures started at thirty.

A Qi-refining cultivator who had only just reached the middle stage of the Purple Mansion Realm through years of accumulation still had the nerve to pretend he was looking out for Zhou Hao and his soldiers.

Who did he think he was!

Second update. That's all for today.