Four Embroidery Needles... Divine Weapons of the Four Seas
Ye Xuan looked down at the ten Dragon Clan women below, each graceful in her own way.
After a moment's thought, Ye Xuan ultimately decided to accept them.
The ten Dragon Clan women, including the dragon maiden Wushuang, had been sent to Chaoge as hostages from the Dragon King, plain and simple.
They also represented the Dragon King's determination to pledge allegiance to the Human Clan.
They symbolized the Dragon Clan's determination to remain on friendly terms with the Human Clan for all eternity.
Even if he had no use for the ten dragon maidens, he could have them serve as maids in the harem.
If he rashly refused the Dragon King, it would only spoil matters.
After all, the old dragon had even sent over his most beloved daughter.
Seeing that the Human Emperor had raised no objection, Dragon King Ao Guang let out a long breath of relief.
At last, he spoke slowly and solemnly:
"Your Majesty, this old dragon has brought one final gift."
"It is a token of my sincerity."
With that, he opened his hand, revealing four embroidery needles lying side by side on his palm.
The four embroidery needles were each giving off a different-colored light.
At the sight of the four differently colored embroidery needles,
Ye Xuan was instantly excited.
These were the treasures he had been longing for, and the old Dragon King had finally brought them to him.
He hurriedly rose to his full height, strode to the Dragon King's side, and snatched them from his hand.
Then he carefully examined the four embroidery needles in his hand.
The one on the far right was emitting an incomparably pure golden light.
Its middle section was black and gleamed darkly, with a golden band at either end and golden sections beyond the bands.
The golden light came from those sections.
Dragon patterns and phoenix seal script were carved into the rod, making it exceptionally beautiful.
Ye Xuan knew this was the Sea-Calming Divine Needle Iron that suppressed the East Sea.
Beside it was another long rod, black and gold in color.
The entire rod was black and gold, and its golden light was just as dazzling.
Only, faint black rays could be seen within the golden light.
The black rays came from the mysterious patterns on the rod.
Those patterns covered the entire rod, and its golden and black lights flickered together. It, too, possessed an unparalleled Dao intent.
Ye Xuan understood that this was the As-You-Will Iron Rod that suppressed the West Sea.
Beside the As-You-Will Iron Rod was an embroidery needle radiating a soft white light.
Without even looking, he knew this was the Heaven-Supporting White Jade Pillar that suppressed the North Sea.
The embroidery needle was radiating a soft white light, like crystal, like jade, like glazed glass.
It was truly spotless and beautiful to the utmost.
The embroidery needle on the far left, meanwhile, was emitting a hazy purple presence.
It looked quite mysterious.
The remaining purple embroidery needle should be the Sea-Spanning Purple Gold Beam.
The four embroidery needles were the Sea-Calming Divine Needle Iron of the East Sea,
the As-You-Will Iron Rod of the West Sea,
the Heaven-Supporting White Jade Pillar of the North Sea,
and the Sea-Spanning Purple Gold Beam of the South Sea.
All four divine weapons were extraordinary treasures.
In the ancient era of the Human Clan's Emperor Yu, the Four Seas Dragon Clan had been weak and unable to stabilize the four seas.
As a result, the four seas had been thrown into turmoil, floods had raged, and the living beings of the Primordial World had been plunged into misery.
Thus, the ancient Emperor Yu had sought out Taishang Laozi and obtained a piece of divine iron from beyond the heavens.
He had then divided it into four and added divine copper from the summit of Shouyang Mountain, the Human Race Holy Land, as well as divine iron from across the Primordial World.
By gathering the power of many gods and buddhas, he had forged these four treasures.
They had been placed in the four seas to stabilize them.
By now, the four divine weapons had earned merit for calming the seas and had long been suffused with boundless divine power of merit.
They had already become the very finest acquired merit treasures.
Not only was their merit immeasurable, but their power was also boundless.
Now Dragon King Ao Guang of the East Sea had finally brought the four treasures over.
Ye Xuan was naturally overjoyed.
Dragon King Ao Guang of the East Sea, meanwhile, turned pale with shock.
His eyes filled with utter horror.
He had never imagined that the Human Emperor would snatch all four divine weapons away in one grab.
These were treasures forged from divine iron from beyond the heavens!
The Sea-Calming Divine Needle Iron alone weighed 108,000 jin.
The other three divine weapons weighed roughly the same.
Together, the four divine weapons weighed four to five hundred thousand jin.
In the past, Dragon King Ao Guang of the East Sea could not have lifted even one of them.
Only now that he had become a True Dragon could he lift them with a True Dragon's strength, though even then it took considerable effort.
Yet the Human Emperor, a mortal, had snatched them away without feeling their weight at all.
What did that mean?
An inscrutable divine light flickered in Dragon King Ao Guang's eyes.
It meant the Human Emperor was not the ordinary person the rumors claimed him to be.
Rather, he was a super expert who had remained hidden for a long time.
It meant the Human Emperor had broken through the Heavenly Dao's barrier.
He had long since ceased to be an ordinary mortal.
It meant the Human Emperor had deceived everyone in the Primordial World, even the Heavenly Dao itself.
The Human Emperor appeared to be a mortal, but in truth he was a super mighty figure of boundless power.
Perhaps this was also why Empress Nuwa had regarded the Human Emperor differently and invited him to travel west with her.
This was also why the Human Emperor had dared to act so recklessly and curse Saint Zhunti to his face.
This was also why the Ancestral Dragon's corpse had suddenly broken free of Great Mount Sumeru's suppression and appeared in the Primordial World.
And why the Ancestral Dragon's corpse had ultimately vanished, only to appear in Immortal Wuming's hands.
Clearly, the Human Emperor had obtained the Ancestral Dragon's corpse and bestowed it upon Immortal Wuming.
Once he had thought it all through, cold sweat immediately streamed down Dragon King Ao Guang's body.
So the mysterious Immortal Wuming was not the Human Clan's hidden foundation at all.
The Human Clan's true foundation was instead this Human Emperor, who had concealed himself so deeply.
Having thought it all through, the East Sea Dragon King felt a chill run down his back.
Fortunately, the Dragon Clan had chosen to seek refuge with the Human Clan.
Otherwise, they would have died without knowing how.
Once he had thought it all through, the Dragon King grew even more respectful.
Ye Xuan played with the four embroidery needles for a while before finally putting them away.
Only then did he invite everyone to drink again.
The banquet prepared by Chaoge was extraordinarily lavish, with countless heavenly treasures, rare delicacies from the sea, and exotic beasts from the mountains.
After all, they were hosting the Dragon King, so naturally they could not be too shabby.
As everyone exchanged toasts, the atmosphere gradually grew more congenial.
The Dragon King alone felt as though he were breaking out in a cold sweat.
He had stumbled upon the Human Emperor's secret without meaning to, and it truly left his heart pounding.
When the atmosphere had warmed up enough, Ye Xuan finally spoke:
"Dragon King, how many members of the Dragon Clan are there in the four seas altogether?"
Hearing this, the Dragon King could not help letting out a long sigh.
"Of the four seas, the East Sea Dragon Palace has the greatest strength, with a little over ten thousand members of the Dragon Clan."
"The other three seas are much the same, though each is a little weaker than the East Sea, with around eight thousand apiece. Altogether, the Dragon Clan has a little over thirty-five thousand members in the four seas."
"Only around thirty thousand of them are truly capable of fighting!"
At this point, the East Sea Dragon King's voice gradually grew quieter.
"Though the Dragon Clan is quite numerous, most are merely destined to be slaughtered, waiting at any moment to become meat for Haotian Shangdi."
As he spoke, hatred appeared in his eyes.
Over countless years, countless members of the Dragon Clan had been slaughtered and eaten by Haotian Shangdi.
Even though Ye Xuan knew something of it, he was still secretly astounded.
Things had actually become this serious.
Ye Xuan could not help feeling somewhat irritated: