Phoenix Crown, Golden Armor, Cloudstep Boots

Zhu Ying took some delicacies from her treasure pouch. Daoist Shen's hair and beard flew about, sweeping the food away as he devoured it with great relish. At the same time, he barked, "You may be on your way."

Zhu Ying did not know what he had said to Wang Chong. Though Wang Chong had sensed that Zhu Ying seemed to have undergone something different from himself, he could not very well ask. After all, the matter of the Langhuan Celestial Stele could not be divulged.

The two went around Daoist Shen. Zhu Ying said in a low voice, "Not a single word that Daoist says can be trusted. Let us retrieve the flying swords first and hurry back to Wutai Mountain. We must not delay the next scripture lecture."

Wang Chong kept everything bottled up inside and followed Zhu Ying past the layers upon layers of guards in the Dragon Palace, stealthily making their way near the treasury.

Zhu Ying took out a token and hesitated for a long while, thinking to herself, Brother Chong and I are invisible, so naturally we need not fear being seen. But if we use the token to open the treasury gates, how could others fail to notice?

Just then, an old turtle walked upright, clad in a bright-red court robe and cutting an imposing figure. A group of palace maidens and guards followed behind him, while three beautiful maidens carried trays bearing—the Phoenix-Winged Purple-Gold Crown, the Chainmail Golden Armor, and the Lotus-Thread Cloudstep Boots.

Each magical treasure shimmered with rosy radiance, dazzling to behold.

Zhu Ying whispered, "Strange. How did these three treasures return? Had they not been forcibly demanded away by a great demon?"

Wang Chong asked, "What is so special about these three treasures?"

Zhu Ying did not answer him. A faint delight appeared on her face as she said, "Quick, let us follow the Turtle Minister inside."

She pulled Wang Chong along. Wang Chong formed the invisibility hand seal and, with his heart pounding, followed the Turtle Minister's party into the treasury.

Once inside, Zhu Ying separated from the Turtle Minister and his entourage. The Dragon Palace treasury contained more than a hundred storehouses, like a maze. The front sections held mortal riches, antiques, calligraphy, and paintings. Farther in were all manner of divine weapons and sharp implements, while deeper still lay heavenly treasures and earthly rarities seldom seen in the world.

Spirit woods, mystic iron, precious pearls, spirit stones, medicinal herbs hundreds and thousands of years old... any one of them, in the hands of a cultivator, could be refined into a magical treasure or spirit pill, their value beyond measure.

Zhu Ying had visited her family's treasury many times before. She led Wang Chong through it for nearly half an hour before pointing ahead. "That is the storehouse where the flying swords are kept."

Wang Chong took one look and thought to himself, Sister Zhu said there were several. How is this merely several? There must be over a thousand of them!

Zhu Ying deliberately chose a pair of flying swords, so the two of them could cultivate together in the future, face enemies side by side, and unite their sword lights.

Wang Chong had no particular preference. He had even wanted to refuse several times, but Zhu Ying would not allow it. "Just consider it borrowing my swords. Why should there be any distinction between us?"

Wang Chong hesitated for a long while, thinking, If I obtain other flying swords in the future, I can return Sister Zhu's swords to her. Refusing now would be too stiff and would only make her unhappy.

After searching for a while, Zhu Ying took a fancy to a pair of flying swords. The male sword was called Scarlet Lightning, and the female sword was called Scarlet Rainbow!

She drew both swords from their sheaths. Both flying swords were crimson from end to end, their rosy light dazzling. The male and female swords were exactly alike, with no difference in shape, length, or size. Both hilts bore their respective sword names, and that was the only way to tell them apart.

She handed the male sword to Wang Chong and said, "How about we take these two flying swords?"

Wang Chong replied, "Excellent."

Zhu Ying fastened one sword onto Wang Chong and the other onto herself. Before leaving, she took another pair of flying swords as spares for the future, then hurried toward the treasury gates.

By coincidence, the Turtle Minister had just put away the three treasures and was leading the palace maidens and guards out. The two once again followed the Turtle Minister's party and slipped out of the treasury among them.

After leaving the treasury, Zhu Ying led Wang Chong in an attempt to sneak out of the Crystal Palace. They had only passed through two palace halls when they heard a great uproar. Countless aquatic soldiers shouted, "Do not let that little thief who stole the treasures escape!"

Zhu Ying thought to herself, Could word have leaked out? But we only just left the treasury. How could it have spread so quickly?

Wang Chong was even more alarmed. "Sister Zhu, we are going to be caught!"

Zhu Ying reassured him, "Do not be afraid. These are treasures from my own home. Even if the matter is argued to the heavens, it cannot count as theft."

"Besides, you saw it yourself—there are countless flying swords in that treasury. How could they possibly miss just two?"

Wang Chong thought to himself, You took another pair of swords before leaving. It was not just two swords.

The two hid in a corner of a palace hall, pondering how to weather this crisis, when they saw a child in white robes, with skin like powdered jade, standing upon a willow leaf as he drifted swiftly through the air. His speed was astonishing.

Wang Chong thought to himself, Are there willow leaves this large in the world? It must be an immortal treasure!

Zhu Ying whispered, "So the little thief they mean is not us. This fellow is outrageous—he actually came to my home to steal things. I must stop him."

Wang Chong thought to himself, Did you not also come to take things without asking?

Still, he knew this was Zhu Ying's own home. What she took could only be considered harmless, but if someone else came, it truly was theft.

Wang Chong saw Zhu Ying stretch out her hand from afar. The white-robed child's figure swayed slightly atop the willow leaf, then immediately steadied as though nothing had happened. Yet he looked toward the place where the two were concealed and gave a cold laugh.

Then he flicked his hand. Nothing seemed to possess any power, and he flew onward.

Before Zhu Ying could react, Wang Chong thought, Oh no—he nearly broke my invisibility spell.

The white-robed child had used some unknown secret art and nearly shattered Wang Chong's invisibility spell. Fortunately, his invisibility spell was a secret transmission of Langhuan. Wang Chong formed the hand seals anew; the nine talismans flashed, and he remained hidden without a trace, escaping danger unscathed.

Zhu Ying was also startled. "That white-robed child possesses formidable magical power. I just used a sword-art talisman, intending to send him tumbling head over heels, yet it was like an ant trying to shake a tree. I only made him sway."

Wang Chong said as well, "He nearly broke my invisibility spell just now. Had I not reacted quickly and cast it again, we would surely have exposed ourselves."

Zhu Ying looked into the distance and said, "We cannot catch up to him. He is lucky. Let us leave the palace."

Wang Chong did not wish to stir up more trouble either. By then, the shrimp soldiers, crab generals, and fish demons of every kind pursuing the white-robed child were already surging past in a mighty flood.

Though the willow leaf beneath the white-robed child's feet flew with incredible speed and moved with nimble flexibility, the Dragon Palace was filled everywhere with sea-clan soldiers and generals closing in to pursue and intercept him. For the moment, he could not escape.

Moreover, the Crystal Palace was guarded by eighteen great formations secretly handed down by the dragon clan. Though they appeared to be without barrier or obstruction, it was truly no place where one could come and go at will.

Taking advantage of the Dragon Palace soldiers and generals all being occupied with chasing and blocking the white-robed child, Zhu Ying and Wang Chong quietly passed through the great formations and slipped out of the Crystal Palace.

Once outside the Crystal Palace, Wang Chong let out a faint breath of relief. He had been tense the entire time. After all, stealing things from someone else's home went against his nature. Fortunately, this had been Zhu Ying returning to her own home to take things. In any other situation, Wang Chong would never have agreed to do such a thing.

Wang Chong said, "Sister Zhu, let us hurry back."

Yet Zhu Ying hesitated somewhat. "Daoist Shen said that if I could help him deliver a letter to a friend, he would give me a Heaven-Opening Pearl. It is a famous magical treasure from ancient times; quite a few ancient immortals refined them for protection."