Dragon-Suppressing Pass was henceforth divided into an inner and outer gate.
The outer gate stood near the outskirts of Abyss, facing the Northern Sea's black tide directly.
Ao Lie coiled atop the black reefs outside the outer gate, his dragon body wrapped around the pass pillars as Blackwater dragon aura constantly sensed movements beyond.
The inner gate, meanwhile, stood near the entrance to the Abyssal Womb Membrane.
Ancestor Xuan Jia led the Black-Shelled Turtle Tribe in guarding this place, gradually integrating the tribe's Black-Armor Array Runes into the pass walls.
The Northern Sea-Calming Stele Fragment hung between the inner and outer gates.
A faint sea-calming radiance descended from the stone stele, linking the aura of the entire Dragon-Suppressing Pass into one.
From then on, Dragon-Suppressing Pass's defenses surged dramatically.
The various Abyss clans visibly felt much more at ease.
After all, there were now two Great Luo-level combatants here.
Though Ao Lie had yet to enter the Great Luo realm, he bore the Dragon Clan crown prince's bloodline and still possessed remnants of the Blackwater Dragon Talisman. Guarding the outer gate was enough for him to deter ordinary Water Clan members.
Ancestor Xuan Jia, meanwhile, was a genuine early-stage Great Luo Golden Immortal.
With the Black Tortoise Sea-Calming Formation, the Northern Sea-Calming Stele Fragment, and the Abyssal Womb Membrane's reinforcement, even if the Blackwater Dragon King came again, he might not gain any advantage.
Of course.
Dragon-Suppressing Pass had become stable.
Yet things between the inner and outer gates were far from peaceful.
Ao Lie and Ancestor Xuan Jia practically traded barbs every day.
"Old turtle, the array runes on the inner gate are crooked."
"Those are Black-Armor Array Runes. It is only natural for the Dragon Clan not to understand them."
I don't understand them? "The Blackwater Dragon Palace's formation manuals could fill three water palaces."
"No matter how many manuals there are, none taught you to knock before barging into Abyss."
"You..."
Whenever this happened, Han Jue enjoyed standing nearby and watching the show.
He had even prepared spirit fruits.
He ate as he watched.
Ao Lie found him irritating.
"Are you that idle?"
Han Jue answered righteously.
"I am observing how the two commanders of Dragon-Suppressing Pass coordinate with each other."
Ancestor Xuan Jia glanced at him.
"If you have nothing to do, lead the Realm Guard to patrol the pass."
Han Jue sighed.
"You two are becoming more and more like Fate Overseer Lan Shuang."
The moment those words came out, Ao Lie and Ancestor Xuan Jia both fell silent.
Then they exchanged a tacit glance and glared at Han Jue.
Han Jue turned and left at once.
He might have been hot-blooded, but he was not foolish.
Provoking both of them at once gave him an extremely high chance of getting beaten up.
Life at Dragon-Suppressing Pass gradually stabilized amid such bickering.
After observing for some time, Lu Chen found that the dual-guardian system worked quite well.
Ao Lie was familiar with Dragon Clan communications, military formations, and sea patrol practices.
Several times, Blackwater Dragon Palace scouts had been discovered by Ao Lie before they could even approach Dragon-Suppressing Pass.
Ancestor Xuan Jia, on the other hand, excelled at defense.
After integrating the Black-Shelled Turtle Tribe's shell array runes into the pass walls, Dragon-Suppressing Pass's resistance to impact rose by a large margin.
The two refused to concede to each other, which only made them more diligent in their respective duties.
Neither wished to let the other find fault.
Lu Chen was very satisfied with this.
"Not bad."
"Argue all you want. As long as you can work, that is enough."
He even felt that this arrangement of his had been perfect.
Of course, Lan Shuang understood it in a far more complicated way.
When she summarized the Emperor's dual-guardian system at a Abyss council meeting, her tone was exceedingly solemn.
"Ao Lie comes from the Dragon Clan and guards the outer gate, using dragons to restrain dragons."
"Ancestor Xuan Jia comes from the Turtle Clan and guards the inner gate, guarding the foundation through steadfast defense."
"The outer gate observes the enemy; the inner gate guards the realm."
"One moves, one remains still. One dragon, one turtle."
"With this move, the Emperor has set the pattern for Dragon-Suppressing Pass for the next ten thousand years."
The leaders of every clan nodded repeatedly as they listened.
Lady Mingzhu sighed with emotion.
"The Emperor remains in seclusion within Abyss, yet he can still perceive the hearts of others and the momentum of the clans."
"No wonder even the Blackwater Dragon King dares not offend us again."
Han Jue listened nearby with a serious expression.
He felt that he had learned something again.
So even assigning people to guard a gate carried such profound meaning.
Deep within Abyss.
After hearing Lan Shuang's summary, Lu Chen fell into brief silence.
He had merely separated the two so they would not fight.
How had that become perceiving the hearts of others and the momentum of the clans?
Forget it.
They could think whatever they wanted.
As long as Dragon-Suppressing Pass did not run into trouble, that was enough.
With the Black-Shelled Turtle Tribe settling into Abyss, changes began occurring within the inner realm once more.
The Black-Shelled Turtle Tribe was naturally skilled at stabilizing earth veins.
After entering Abyss, they immediately began repairing several unstable peripheral regions.
The boundary of the Abyssal Womb Membrane became even more solid.
The Northern Dark Spirit Veins also began taking root deeper underground.
Around Abyss City, Blackwater Stone Forests suitable for Turtle Clan cultivation even began to appear.
Upon seeing the stone forests, the young Black-Shelled Turtles excitedly burrowed inside one after another.
Several hundred years later, quite a few small cave dwellings for young turtle cultivation had appeared within the stone forests.
Lu Chen watched these young turtles with mixed feelings.
The little creatures were round and plump, and they looked rather pleasing sprawled atop the rocks, basking in Abyss's spiritual radiance.
Thinking of how the Dragon Clan wanted to use them to forge armor, Lu Chen felt some displeasure as well.
No wonder Ancestor Xuan Jia had rebelled.
The Dragon Clan really had become increasingly excessive.
Of course, displeasure was displeasure.
Lu Chen still did not wish to actively seek trouble with the Dragon Clan.
It was enough that the Blackwater Dragon Palace had retreated.
Ideally, they would mind their own business from now on.
But the Primordial World clearly would not always follow his wishes.
On this day.
A strange fluctuation suddenly came from outside Dragon-Suppressing Pass.
From deep within the Northern Sea, beneath the Blackwater, an azure pillar of light shot into the sky.
Within the pillar, the phantom image of an ancient water palace faintly emerged.
Baleful Fiendish Aura churned around the water palace.
A powerful aura of an Innate Spiritual Treasure also spread outward.
The instant this aura appeared, every powerful figure within and outside Dragon-Suppressing Pass sensed it.
Ao Lie abruptly raised his head.
"Northern Dark Water Palace?"
Ancestor Xuan Jia narrowed his eyes as well.
"A relic from the Beast Tribulation has appeared at this time?"
Han Jue rushed onto the pass wall, his eyes shining.
"A treasure?"
Lan Shuang also received the news very quickly.
The Book of Cause and Effect opened on its own, and a blurry image emerged.
Within that ancient water palace, an azure pearl hung above an altar.
Blackwater surrounded the pearl, and it seemed capable of suppressing the sea and stabilizing water veins.
Lady Mingzhu's breathing caught slightly.
"The Black Tortoise Sea-Calming Pearl."
"It is said that this treasure can suppress water currents and stabilize an entire sea region."
Lan Shuang's expression shifted slightly.
What Abyss needed most right now was precisely a treasure capable of stabilizing the inner realm's waters and the Womb Membrane.
If the Black Tortoise Sea-Calming Pearl entered Abyss, the inner realm would surely expand once more.
But the problem was that with such an Innate Spiritual Treasure appearing, the Dragon Clan, Phoenix Clan, and Qilin Clan could all be drawn here.
If Abyss fought for it, conflict with the three clans would inevitably arise again.
She did not dare make the decision on her own.
The news soon reached Lu Chen.
Deep within Abyss.
Looking at the Black Tortoise Sea-Calming Pearl reflected by the Book of Cause and Effect, Lu Chen was somewhat tempted as well.
It could stabilize water currents.
It could strengthen the Abyssal Womb Membrane.
This treasure suited him very well.
But if such a treasure appeared, trouble would certainly follow.
As he hesitated, the system's voice sounded.
"Detected the emergence of the Northern Dark Water Palace and the birth of the Black Tortoise Sea-Calming Pearl. Please make a choice, Host."
"One, personally seize the treasure and deter the Northern Sea. Reward: complete binding of the Black Tortoise Sea-Calming Pearl."
"Two, abandon this treasure and avoid conflict. Reward: one tribulation-avoiding spirit talisman."
"Three, send the people of Abyss to gain experience and seize the treasure while the main body remains uninvolved. Reward: increased solidity of the Abyss Dharma Body."
Lu Chen looked at the three options and fell into thought.
Personally taking action was immediately ruled out.
His true body absolutely could not move lightly.
Abandoning the treasure would be safe enough.
But the Black Tortoise Sea-Calming Pearl offered Abyss far too many benefits. Giving it up like this was truly a pity.
The third option looked quite good.
He could send Abyss's people.
His main body would not need to act.
If they encountered danger, they could flee.
If they failed to obtain it, so be it.
It would be best if they could obtain it.
And it could also increase the solidity of the Abyss Dharma Body.
"Option three."
"Congratulations, Host. The solidity of the Abyss Dharma Body has increased."
Afterward, Lu Chen sent down a decree to Lan Shuang.
"You may go to the Northern Dark Water Palace."
"Remember three things."
"If you cannot get it, run."
"Retreat when you encounter a powerful enemy."
"Do not use my name."
Lan Shuang respectfully accepted the order.
"This junior understands."
Lu Chen felt slightly relieved.
He trusted that Lan Shuang understood what he meant.
On this trip to the Northern Dark Water Palace, they would grab whatever benefits they could.
If the risk was too great, they were to retreat immediately.
However, after returning to Dragon-Suppressing Pass, Lan Shuang gathered everyone, her expression solemn.
"His Majesty has issued a decree."
"There are three orders for this expedition."
"If we can't obtain it, we run. That means the Black Tortoise Sea-Calming Pearl isn't essential. Do not lose your lives for the sake of greed."
"If we encounter a powerful enemy, we retreat. That means His Majesty wants us to preserve Abyss's strength and not contend with the three clans out of pride."
"Do not invoke His Majesty's name. That means this mission is a test of our true strength."
Han Jue's eyes lit up.
"A test?"
Lan Shuang nodded.
"His Majesty cannot stand in front of us forever."
"In the battle of Dragon-Suppressing Pass, His Majesty already showed us Abyss's might."
"Now that the Northern Dark Water Palace has emerged, it is time for us to share Abyss's burdens."
Ao Lie said in a deep voice, "The Dragon Clan will definitely go."
Ancestor Xuan Jia slowly spoke. "The Phoenix Clan and the Qilin Clan may go as well."
Han Jue tightened his grip on his spear.
"Then all the better."
Lan Shuang glanced at him.
"Remember His Majesty's decree. Do not fight recklessly."
Han Jue nodded.
"I understand."
Ao Lie sneered.
"You'd better."
Ancestor Xuan Jia tapped his cane.
"This old man will go as well."
After pondering for a moment, Lan Shuang nodded.
"With Ancestor Xuan Jia holding the fort, Ao Lie familiar with the Dragon Clan, Han Jue leading the Realm Guard elites, and Lady Mingzhu identifying treasures—"
"I will use the Book of Cause and Effect to oversee the formation."
"This expedition is not about killing enemies. Our goal is only to seize treasures, scout the way, and return safely."
Abyss's first expedition was thus decided.
Outside Dragon-Suppressing Pass.
The dark blue pillar of light from the Northern Dark Water Palace grew brighter and brighter.
The auras of powerful experts from the three clans also began converging there from different directions.
A storm was about to rise.
Meanwhile, Lu Chen had already retreated back into the depths of Abyss.
He muttered, "Remember, if you can't get it, run."
"Don't let your blood get the better of you."
A moment later, he still felt uneasy.
"Especially that kid Han Jue."
"That guy looks like the type to lose his head easily."