"Boom!"
The Dragon-Severing Stone, weighing millions of jin and covered in defensive formations, was like a fragile block of tofu, blasted into a skyful of dust by Qin Chen's punch.
Outside the treasury, the Azure Abyss Prefecture Lord and Jiao Sha were pacing anxiously when the sudden crash made them shudder. They nearly drew their weapons.
When they saw the white-robed youth slowly emerge from the cloud of stone dust, both drew a sharp breath.
At that moment, Qin Chen gave off no fluctuations of true essence. He looked like a mortal without any cultivation at all.
Yet as a great demon at the Dongxu stage, the Azure Abyss Prefecture Lord felt his instincts screaming a warning.
He felt that what stood before him was not a person at all, but a primordial beast of the starry skies wearing human skin!
If Qin Chen wished, he could crush him to death with a single finger.
"Welcome back from seclusion, Master!" The Azure Abyss Prefecture Lord and Jiao Sha dropped to their knees in unison, cold sweat instantly soaking their backs.
"Rise." Qin Chen brushed the dust from his clothes and asked calmly, "How long was I in seclusion? What's the situation outside?"
"Master, you were in seclusion for an entire year." Wiping the cold sweat from his forehead, the Azure Abyss Prefecture Lord hurriedly reported, "Over this past year, I have thoroughly surveyed the surrounding million li of sea. Apart from our Azure Abyss Prefecture, the strongest powers are the Raging Shark Grotto-Heaven to the east and Black Tortoise Island to the north."
At this point, the Qingyuan Prefect's expression turned somewhat grim. "Master, in the second month of your seclusion, the Shark King of the Raging Shark Grotto-Heaven somehow learned that I was gravely wounded. He gathered an army