System's New Quest: Infiltrate the Dragon Palace and Seize Its Treasure

The Dragon-Han Calamity had lasted for a hundred years, and the flames of war across the Primordial Lands showed no sign of dying down. Relying on their powerful bodies and water-element divine abilities, the Dragon Clan had gradually gained the upper hand in their conflict with the Phoenix Clan and Qilin Clan, taking control of most of the waters of the Primordial World as their influence grew ever stronger. Meanwhile, under Xuan Chen's protection, Zichen Cave Abode had remained unscathed, becoming a sanctuary amid the chaos of the Primordial World.

That day, Xuan Chen was in seclusion within his cultivation chamber, deducing the layout of the Dragon Palace. Suddenly, the system's notification sounded in his mind:

[Ding! Detected that the Dragon-Han Calamity has entered a critical phase. The Dragon Clan's power is expanding, and a weak point has appeared in the defenses of the Dragon Palace Treasury. Main Quest triggered—Infiltrate the Dragon Palace and Seize Its Treasure!]

[Quest Objective: Infiltrate the Eastern Sea Dragon Palace Treasury, seize the Proto-Dinghai Needle Iron, and give it to disciple Nüwa for self-defense.]

[Quest Reward: Chaos True Water ×1, Primordial Unity Origin Power +10%, unlock divine ability "Water Control" (grants perfect control over all waters beneath heaven, with absolute suppressive power against water-element divine abilities).]

[Quest Hint: The Proto-Dinghai Needle Iron was formed from Seabed Divine Iron, an Innate Spiritual Root. It contains vast water-element origin power and a Chaos aura, can change size according to its master's will, and is an exceptional defensive weapon. The Dragon Palace Treasury is heavily guarded, with Dragon Clan elders at the Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal level stationed there. Proceed with caution.]

A glint flashed through Xuan Chen's eyes. The Proto-Dinghai Needle Iron was the predecessor of Sun Wukong's Ruyi Golden-Banded Staff in the future. It contained immense power, and giving it to Nüwa would undoubtedly greatly increase her strength, giving her another layer of security in the future calamity. As for the rewarded Chaos True Water, it was an exceptionally rare innate spiritual treasure. Not only could it nourish the body, but it could also deepen one's comprehension of water-element laws, benefiting both Nüwa and himself immensely.

This system quest has come at just the right time, Xuan Chen thought. Nüwa's cultivation had already reached the peak of the Mid-Stage Golden Immortal realm. Her foundations were of the highest innate grade, and her Chaos Imperishable Body had also begun to take shape. All she lacked was a suitable magical treasure. The Proto-Dinghai Needle Iron would perfectly complement her Water Dao; it was practically tailor-made for her.

Xuan Chen immediately ended his seclusion and went to the main hall. At that moment, Nüwa and Fuxi were discussing the expansion of Spiritstream Valley. Upon seeing Xuan Chen enter, they hurriedly rose and bowed.

"Master. Senior."

Xuan Chen nodded and gestured for them to sit. Then he went straight to the point. "I have just received a system quest. I must infiltrate the Eastern Sea Dragon Palace Treasury, seize the Proto-Dinghai Needle Iron, and give it to Nüwa for protection."

Both Nüwa and Fuxi were startled. The Eastern Sea Dragon Palace was the Dragon Clan's core stronghold, heavily guarded and watched over by Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal-level experts. Infiltrating it to steal a treasure was undoubtedly a venture with nine chances of death and only one of survival.

"Master, the Dragon Palace is exceedingly dangerous. You must not take such a risk!" Nüwa hurriedly tried to dissuade him. "This disciple already has the Chaos Imperishable Body and has mastered the divine ability Myriad Spirits Protection. I have more than enough ability to protect myself. There is no need for you to risk danger merely to seize a treasure for me."

Fuxi also chimed in, "Senior Xuan Chen, the Dragon Clan is tremendously powerful now, and the Eastern Sea is their home ground. Water-element divine abilities become far more powerful in the sea. It is simply too dangerous for you to go alone. Why not wait for a better opportunity?"

Xuan Chen waved a hand, his tone exceedingly firm. "This is a system Main Quest, and its rewards are substantial. Moreover, the Proto-Dinghai Needle Iron is vital to Nüwa's growth. The Dragon-Han Calamity is now at its fiercest, and most of the Dragon Clan's main force is fighting outside. The Dragon Palace Treasury's defenses are comparatively weak, making this the best opportunity to seize the treasure. If we miss this chance, infiltrating the Dragon Palace in the future will be harder than ascending to heaven."

Seeing the worry in Nüwa's eyes, he continued, "Rest assured. My cultivation has long since reached the Late-Stage Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal realm, and I have mastered both Primordial Unity Power and the Chaos Dao. Even if I encounter a Dragon Clan Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal, I have the ability to protect myself. Besides, I excel at concealment. So long as I act carefully, I may not be discovered."

Xuan Chen paused before arranging the matters that would follow. "After I leave, the safety of the cave abode will be entrusted to you and Fuxi. You must remain here, cultivate diligently, use this time to consolidate your Mid-Stage Golden Immortal cultivation, and attempt to break through to the Late Golden Immortal realm. You must also take good care of the little spirits in Spiritstream Valley. Do not allow any mishap to befall them."

"When will you depart, Master? Is there anything this disciple needs to prepare?" Seeing that Xuan Chen's mind was made up, Nüwa no longer tried to stop him and instead turned her attention to his journey.

"Matters admit no delay. I will leave today," Xuan Chen said. "I only need to bring a few concealment treasures and Formation-Breaking Talismans. Nothing else is necessary. You need only remember this: no matter what happens outside, do not open the cave abode gates without authorization. If a powerful enemy attacks, activate the highest level of the defensive formation and wait for my return."

Fuxi said, "Rest assured, Senior. This junior will assist Junior Sister Nüwa in guarding the cave abode and deduce the safety of the surrounding area, ensuring that nothing goes wrong."

Xuan Chen nodded, took out a jade talisman, and handed it to Nüwa. "This is a Primordial Unity Guardian Talisman. If you encounter a life-or-death crisis, crush it. I will sense your location and return at once to aid you. Remember this well: do not act on impulse. Protecting yourself and the living beings within the cave abode is what matters most."

Nüwa accepted the jade talisman and gripped it tightly, her eyes filled with reluctance and worry. "Master, please be careful on your journey. This disciple will wait for your return in the cave abode."

Xuan Chen smiled faintly and gently rubbed the top of her head. "Do not worry. Your master will be fine. Once I return, I will give you the Proto-Dinghai Needle Iron and help you raise your strength more quickly."

Afterward, Xuan Chen returned to his cultivation chamber and prepared the items needed for his journey. He took out an innate spiritual treasure, the "Invisibility Garment." It could conceal both his form and aura, making him difficult to detect even for a Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal. He then produced several "Formation-Breaking Talismans," refined from Primordial Unity Power and capable of breaking most innate formations. Finally, he brought the "Primordial Unity Sword" as a weapon for self-defense.

Once all preparations were complete, Xuan Chen came to the cave abode entrance and gave Nüwa and Fuxi one final instruction. "The cave abode is in your hands. I will be back before long."

"Take care, Master!"

"Take care, Senior!"

Nüwa and Fuxi spoke in unison, their eyes full of expectation.

Xuan Chen nodded, turned into a streak of light, shot through Zichen Cave Abode's defensive formation, and sped toward the Eastern Sea. His figure was swift as lightning. Along the way, he avoided several patrols from the three clans and flew all the way southwest.

The Eastern Sea lay in the southeastern region of the Primordial World. Its waters were vast and its waves turbulent; it was the Dragon Clan's main base. The Dragon Palace was hidden more than ten thousand zhang beneath the Eastern Sea, built from countless seabed pearls and Innate Spirit Jades. It shimmered with flowing radiance and possessed a majestic grandeur. Layer upon layer of formations surrounded the Dragon Palace, including the Four Seas Dragon-Locking Formation and the Azure Water Cold Crystal Formation. All were innately powerful defensive formations, and infiltrating them would be no easy task.

Xuan Chen arrived above the Eastern Sea, restrained all his aura, transformed into an invisible streak of escape light, and slipped into the water. The seawater was icy enough to pierce the bones and contained dense water-element law power, but it had no effect on Xuan Chen. He circulated Primordial Unity Power, forming an invisible barrier around himself that blocked the sea's pressure and probing senses.

After diving ten thousand zhang beneath the sea, Xuan Chen finally saw the outline of the Dragon Palace. A massive palace floated upon the seabed, surrounded by countless glowing corals and seaweed. Innumerable Dragon Clan soldiers patrolled outside it, their auras powerful; even the weakest possessed Golden Immortal cultivation. Above the palace hung an enormous curtain of light—the Four Seas Dragon-Locking Formation. Water surged across its surface, containing boundless water-element power and emanating a heart-palpitating pressure.

Xuan Chen did not dare lower his guard in the slightest. He carefully concealed himself behind an enormous reef and observed the Dragon Palace's defensive layout. He discovered that its defenses were mainly divided into three layers: Golden Immortal-level Dragon Clan soldiers patrolled the outer perimeter; the Four Seas Dragon-Locking Formation and Azure Water Cold Crystal Formation were set in the middle; and Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal-level Dragon Clan elders guarded the core region.

To infiltrate the treasury, I must first break through the outer formations, then evade the patrolling soldiers and the stationed elders, Xuan Chen considered. He knew that the Four Seas Dragon-Locking Formation was rooted in the waters of the Four Seas and contained the origin power of the Water Dao. Breaking it by force was virtually impossible. He could only find a weak point in the formation.

Xuan Chen circulated his divine sense and carefully examined the formation patterns of the Four Seas Dragon-Locking Formation. He discovered that although the formation was exquisite, the Dragon Clan had weakened its energy supply during the Dragon-Han Calamity in order to deploy forces for battle. In particular, near an undersea trench on the western side of the Dragon Palace, the formation's defenses were at their weakest.

"That is the place." A glint flashed through Xuan Chen's eyes. He took out a Formation-Breaking Talisman, infused it with Primordial Unity Power, and hurled it toward the trench. The talisman became a streak of light, silently landed upon the formation's light curtain, and instantly burst with dazzling radiance.

Boom!

With a muted explosion, a brief crack appeared in the formation's light curtain. Xuan Chen seized the opportunity, flashed forward, passed through the fissure like a ghost, and entered the Dragon Palace.

After entering the Dragon Palace, Xuan Chen became even more cautious. Its internal passages crisscrossed in every direction, with Dragon Clan soldiers patrolling everywhere. Relying on the concealment effect of the Invisibility Garment, he carefully avoided the patrols and stealthily advanced toward the Dragon Palace Treasury.

The Dragon Palace Treasury was located at the deepest part of the palace and guarded by a massive stone gate. Complex dragon patterns were carved upon it, containing powerful restrictive force. A Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal-level Dragon Clan elder stood guard on either side of the gate, their auras deep and still, like two towering mountains that no one dared approach lightly.

Xuan Chen hid behind a distant pillar and observed the two elders' auras. The elder on the left wore golden dragon armor and wielded a dragon-shaped spear. His aura was domineering; he was the Dragon Clan's Golden-Armored Elder. The elder on the right wore silver dragon armor and held a jade ruyi. His aura was soft and sinister; he was the Dragon Clan's Silver-Armored Elder. Both were Early-Stage Zenith Heaven Golden Immortals. Working together, even a Mid-Stage Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal would find it difficult to break through.

Breaking through head-on is almost impossible. I can only find a way to divert their attention, Xuan Chen thought. In a distant passage, he spotted a squad of Dragon Clan soldiers escorting a batch of innate spiritual materials toward the depths of the palace.

A calculating glint flashed through Xuan Chen's eyes. He circulated Primordial Unity Power and condensed it into an invisible gust, which he blew toward one of the soldiers in the escort squad. Caught off guard, the soldier dropped the spiritual materials in his hands all over the ground.

"Who goes?!"

The escort captain immediately became alert and shouted sharply. The surrounding Dragon Clan soldiers also drew their weapons and searched in every direction.

This sudden disturbance caught the attention of the Golden-Armored Elder and Silver-Armored Elder.

"What is all this commotion?" the Golden-Armored Elder asked in a deep voice, his gaze sweeping toward the escort squad.

"Reporting to Elder, someone launched a covert attack, causing the spiritual materials to fall!" the captain hurriedly reported.

The Silver-Armored Elder frowned. "Someone dares cause trouble inside the Dragon Palace? Come with me and take a look!"

The two elders exchanged a glance, rose to their feet, and headed toward the escort squad. They assumed that some ignorant seabed beast had intruded and did not pay much attention to it. Nor had they imagined that anyone would dare infiltrate the Dragon Palace Treasury.

Xuan Chen seized this perfect opportunity. With a flash, he arrived before the stone gate. He took out three Formation-Breaking Talismans, infused them with Primordial Unity Power at the same time, and hurled them at the restrictions upon the gate.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The three talismans erupted simultaneously, and their powerful Primordial Unity Power instantly shattered the restrictions on the stone gate. Xuan Chen pushed the gate open and flashed into the treasury.

The treasury's interior shone with ten thousand rays of light. Countless innate spiritual treasures and heavenly materials were piled high like mountains. There were Innate Spirit Jades radiating dense spiritual qi, Innate Spiritual Roots containing law power, as well as all manner of precious pills and talismans. At the very center of the treasury floated a jet-black piece of divine iron that emitted a faint golden glow—it was the Proto-Dinghai Needle Iron!

The divine iron stood roughly three zhang tall and was about one chi in diameter. Complex patterns covered its surface, containing vast water-element origin power and a Chaos aura. Even the surrounding space was slightly warped by that immense power.

Xuan Chen was overjoyed. He strode quickly to the divine iron and reached out to take it down. At that moment, the divine iron suddenly erupted with a powerful repulsive force, trying to push him away.

"Hmph!" Xuan Chen snorted coldly and circulated Primordial Unity Origin Power, forcibly suppressing the divine iron's repulsion. He could sense that powerful spiritual intelligence dwelled within it and was resisting being taken by an outsider.

"Proto-Dinghai Needle Iron, today you will leave with me and be given to my disciple in the future. Help her attain the Great Dao and protect the living beings of the Primordial World." Xuan Chen spoke with unquestionable majesty in his voice.

He continuously poured his Primordial Unity Power into the divine iron, soothing its spiritual intelligence. The iron's repulsive force gradually weakened. It seemed to sense the Chaos aura and Great Dao pressure around Xuan Chen, and it stopped resisting.

Xuan Chen grasped the divine iron and gave it a light pull, removing it from the treasury's restrictions. It felt heavy in his hand, yet it contained a lively power that could freely change size according to his will.

"Very good!" Xuan Chen nodded in satisfaction and stored the divine iron in his storage space. He did not dare linger. Turning around, he rushed toward the treasury exit.

At that moment, the Golden-Armored Elder and Silver-Armored Elder had discovered that something was wrong and were rushing toward the treasury. They shouted sharply, "Bold scoundrel! You dare infiltrate the Dragon Palace Treasury and steal its treasure? Leave your life behind!"

Xuan Chen flashed forward, burst out of the treasury, and sped toward the outer perimeter of the Dragon Palace. He knew that once the two Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal elders entangled him, escaping would become difficult.

"Trying to run? It will not be so easy!" The Golden-Armored Elder roared, wielding his dragon-shaped spear as he transformed into a golden streak and thrust at Xuan Chen. The Silver-Armored Elder attacked at the same time, his jade ruyi turning into a silver light that descended over Xuan Chen.

Xuan Chen's gaze sharpened. He drew the Primordial Unity Sword and swung it behind him. Primordial Unity Power condensed into an enormous Sword Qi and collided with the dragon-shaped spear and jade ruyi.

Boom!

A massive explosion rang out within the Dragon Palace. The seawater churned violently, and countless treasures were blasted into the air. Borrowing the recoil, Xuan Chen accelerated and charged toward the Dragon Palace's outer perimeter.

"Chase him! Do not let him escape!" the Golden-Armored Elder roared, leading a multitude of Dragon Clan soldiers after Xuan Chen.

Xuan Chen raced onward, continuously evading the pursuers' interceptions through his knowledge of the Dragon Palace layout and the Invisibility Garment's concealment effect. He rushed out of the treasury, passed through the palace corridors, avoided layer after layer of patrols, and charged toward the place where he had previously breached the Four Seas Dragon-Locking Formation.

"Four Seas Dragon-Locking Formation, activate!" the Golden-Armored Elder roared from behind, intending to activate the formation and trap Xuan Chen inside the Dragon Palace.

But Xuan Chen had anticipated this. He once again took out a Formation-Breaking Talisman and threw it at the formation's light curtain. At the same time, he circulated Primordial Unity Power and forcibly broke through the formation's blockade, transforming into a streak of light that shot out of the Dragon Palace and sped toward the surface of the Eastern Sea.

"Damn it!" The Golden-Armored Elder watched Xuan Chen flee and was so enraged that he stamped about in fury, yet there was nothing he could do. Xuan Chen was too fast and skilled in concealment. Once he had escaped the Dragon Palace, finding him in the boundless Eastern Sea would be like fishing for a needle in the ocean.

Xuan Chen burst out of the Eastern Sea and sped toward Zichen Cave Abode. He knew that the Dragon Clan would certainly send people to hunt him down, but he did not care. With his cultivation, unless a Quasi-Saint-level Dragon Clan expert personally acted, no one could possibly keep him behind.

He glanced back toward the Eastern Sea, a cold glint flashing through his eyes. This infiltration of the Dragon Palace to seize its treasure had been fraught with danger, but he had ultimately succeeded in obtaining the Proto-Dinghai Needle Iron and completing the system quest. Next, he only needed to return to Zichen Cave Abode as quickly as possible and give the divine iron to Nüwa. He would then receive the system rewards, further increase his strength, and prepare for the coming upheavals of the Dragon-Han Calamity.