Xiao Chen thought about what that powerful expert from the Immortal Epoch in the Beautiful Mountain and River Painting had said. When something flourished to the extreme, it declined. It was hard to escape the Tribulation.
Since that happened to the Immortal Epoch, will it happen to the Martial Epoch?
If someone does write an Azure Dragon Bamboo Scroll, recording all the history of the entire Martial Epoch, people may be able to discover something from it, how to escape the Tribulation. It seems speculative, but a great tribulation will definitely come. There is boundless merit in this.
“Good. If that is really so, then I agree to help you finish writing the Azure Dragon Bamboo Scroll. If there is an opportunity in the future, I will organize a Martial Way tea party and gather all the outstanding talents of this great age so that you can write about them.”
Lan Shaobai was surprised to hear this. He had not expected Xiao Chen to change his mind so fast, so he quickly thanked him.
Just as Lan Shaobai was about to say more, his gaze suddenly sank. He looked to the front and said, “There seems to be a warship with an even stronger aura than the one we are on. It is currently flying towards us at high speed.”
Xiao Chen smiled faintly and said, “It’s fine. It’s our own people.”
Soon, all the people in the warship, aside from the Supreme Sky Sect’s Supreme Elder, gathered on the deck and looked up at that large warship.
“This is the Dragon’s Gate’s warship?”
When the warship drew near and the eighteen great sails became clear, someone immediately recognized the Azure Dragons carved around the vessel and the banner unique to the Dragon’s Gate.
“Hehe! I did not expect so many people to come out and welcome this Fat Lord. You are all too polite, too polite.”
On the Dragon’s Gate’s warship, Jin Dabao and Lord Jiu stood side by side.
“Why is that fellow here?” Yue Chenxi asked. She recognized Jin Dabao and found his presence strange.
Jin Dabao laughed and said, “Why? This Fat Lord cannot be here? This Fat Lord’s Azure Dragon Merchant Association is already famous. We are preparing to go to Heavenly Star Island to open a branch for the glory of Heavenly Star Island, to contribute my efforts. Brother Xiao Chen, there is no need to thank me.”
This speech stunned everyone. Jin Dabao appeared to be taking this venture very seriously. Even Lan Shaobai could not help but say, “Heavenly Star Island is far and desolate with many resources around it. However, no trade routes include it. If such a large merchant association came, it would be of great help.”
Xiao Yu could not help but smile. “It looks like appearances can be deceiving. This fat uncle is indeed quite capable.”
After the rest left, the fatty cautiously told Xiao Chen the truth. “I can’t carry on there. After your King conferral ceremony, someone smashed all the headquarters and branches I have in the Profound Domain.
“These people even said that we are not allowed to hang up the Azure Dragon Merchant Association’s signboard. Otherwise, every time they see it, they will smash it. This Fat Lord is an obstinate person. Since they said that I was not allowed to hang it, all the more I would hang it. In the end, it was as they said, every time I hung it up, someone smashed it.”
Xiao Chen’s face turned cold. “Who did it?”
“It was people from three of the Sovereign Noble Clans. Miss Ying Qiong could not do anything. She gave me money again, a hefty sum. Then, she told me to go with you to Heavenly Star Island.”
The people of those three Sovereign Noble Clans kept chasing after Xiao Chen on his way to the King conferral ceremony. Since they could not do anything to him, they vented all their frustration on his friend. They were really going overboard.
Xiao Chen consoled Jin Dabao and said, “Then come with me to Heavenly Star Island. Let’s see who dares to smash the signboard on the Azure Dragon Merchant Association on my conferred land. As for those people who smashed up the Azure Dragon Merchant Association’s signboard, someday we will smash them, including their lair.”
Jin Dabao smiled and said, “Your word is enough. However, Miss Ying Qiong is really thoughtful. That sum she gave me is remarkably huge. Furthermore, there were all sorts of resources. I could not contain all of them in my spatial ring. So we placed them in the storeroom of the Dragon’s Gate’s warship.”
“How much?” The fatty was someone in frequent contact with money. If he said it was huge, then there was definitely something to it.
The fatty looked around before whispering, “A total of one hundred million Black Astral Coins. She said that this sum is the Ying Clan’s support for you. If you want to use it, you can do so at any time.”
One hundred million Black Astral Coins. Xiao Chen could not help licking his lips in secret. It was not as simple as Ying Qiong made it out to be.
Such an astronomical sum was probably a tenth of the Ying Clan’s savings for the past ten thousand years.
Even though Xiao Chen succeeded in his King conferral ceremony, the Ying Clan would not provide such massive support. This was an amount that seriously undermined the clan’s foundations.
The only explanation lay with Ying Qiong herself.
Why was this girl so good to him?
“So, do you want to use any of it? If you need to, I can allocate half to you first.”
Xiao Chen recovered his wits and replied, “You can use it first. With such resources and your abilities, the Azure Dragon Merchant Association will definitely rise again.”
---
In the Primal Chaos Domain, Leng Shaofan received a message: The ambush failed. Xiao Chen did not leave by the transportation formation. Instead, he rode his warship straight to Heavenly Star Island.
Leng Shaofan muttered for a while before responding with an order: Cancel the plan. Quietly observe for any changes.
---
The Dragon’s Gate warship was even faster than the purple dragon-shaped warship. Since Jin Dabao brought back the Dragon’s Gate’s warship, everyone transferred to it.
The group traveled at an unhurried pace for one month, crossing over the Primal Chaos Domain and arriving at the Yellow Soil Demonic Garden. Against Xiao Chen’s expectations, the journey was peaceful.
As the group crossed the Yellow Soil Demonic Garden, they did not encounter any attacks, either. They arrived at the Chaotic Demonic Sea without any problems.
Xiao Chen had many memories of the Chaotic Demonic Sea. He wondered how Yao Yan was doing. Previously, she had relied on the sacrifice of nine Martial Emperors to completely grasp a Primordial Emperor Treasure, the Sea Monarch Palace.
These nine seniors used their lives to fasten chains—chains that would revitalize the Merfolk Race.
Now, Yao Yan was titled the Merfolk Empress. She wielded a Primordial Emperor Treasure, the Sea Monarch Palace, a treasure of the Merfolk Race, the Thorn Sovereign Circlet, as well as other Emperor Grade Secret Treasures that the Sea Monarch had used: the Sea Monarch Scepter, Pursuing Wave Boots, and others.
Yao Yan’s cultivation was sure to advance rapidly. Xiao Chen wondered how strong she was now.
Up in front, Jin Dabao already excitedly set the Dragon’s Gate’s warship down in the water and had it anchor. Then, he waved both his hands and called everyone aboard.
When at sea, warships normally traveled on the water. Firstly, this could conserve some energy. Secondly, there were oceanic currents. With proper use of these currents, they could move several times faster than flying—even ten times faster.
“I heard that the mysterious Empress of the Merfolk Race has a close friendship with Brother Xiao. Since we are already in the Chaotic Demonic Sea, will Brother Xiao go and visit her, as it is on the way?”
A total of three people came from the Asura Race. Aside from Lan Shaobai and Xiao Yu, there was a rather silent man, Ye Feng, who now spoke. This person usually said very little. Now that he started to talk, it seemed like he could tell why Xiao Chen hesitated to proceed.
Xiao Yu muttered to herself, “What do you mean close friendship? She can even give away an Emperor Grade Secret Treasure as a congratulatory gift. Without a certain level of relationship, that would definitely not happen.”
Xiao Chen looked away and evaded the question, saying directly, “Let’s go. We still have a long way ahead.”
Yao Yan was probably still cultivating bitterly. She possessed so many Emperor Grade Secret Treasures, even a Primordial Emperor Treasure. If she did not raise her strength, these items would just end up being taken away sooner or later.
Xiao Chen felt that it was best to pass up on a visit, to avoid interrupting her.
Wind and waves surged on the surface of the sea. Using its strong body, the Dragon’s Gate’s warship sliced through the waves and traveled forward. It moved very stably, not rocking at all.
---
Xiao Chen sat down cross-legged in another cultivation room, circulating the seventh layer of the Purple Thunder Divine Incantation to continue assimilating the Spiritual Energy in his body that he had not digested yet.
Ten Peak Spirit Veins contained an extremely vast amount of Spiritual Energy, sufficient for a regular cultivator to cultivate all the way to quasi-Emperor.
However, it was only barely enough for Xiao Chen to make it to great grandmaster-level Martial Sage. With the Purple Thunder Divine Incantation’s seventh layer refining the Spiritual Energy, he had already digested most of the Spiritual Energy, leaving nothing behind.
After the Purple Thunder Divine Incantation made a great cycle, he opened his eyes and spat out a mouthful of turbid Qi. This Qi was like a long arrow and appeared very solid, lingering for a long time.
Xiao Chen was a distance from peak great grandmaster-level Martial Sage. He needed to break through to the Purple Thunder Divine Incantation’s eighth layer. That way, he could rapidly attain peak great grandmaster-level Martial Sage, paving the way to quasi-Emperor, reach the border of Emperor, and become someone of tremendous influence in the world.
With one thought, a quasi-Emperor could stir up the wind and clouds, regaining the natural state, withdrawing the air of a grandmaster, which permeated their every movement, into their hearts.
Only when Xiao Chen reached quasi-Emperor would he truly have the strength to protect himself on Heavenly Star Island.
Xiao Chen stood up and started thinking. He considered his current situation and how to resolve it.
In the end, he concluded that all the solutions pointed to quasi-Emperor!
“There happens to be a Supreme Sky Sect Supreme Elder on the warship. Maybe I should go and seek some advice. I wonder if I will be interrupting him?” Xiao Chen said with some hesitation.
This Elder’s family name was Qin, and his given name was Yu. He was an antique of the Supreme Sky Sect, having lived for a thousand years. He had already stopped at quasi-Emperor for several hundred years.
Qin Yu was a quasi-Emperor with extremely deep cultivation, even stronger than the Supreme Sky Sect’s Vice Sect Master. However, he lost out in terms of potential.
“I might as well try asking. Life Bestowal Spell!”
Xiao Chen moved his ten fingers and used air to create a clone outside the recuperation room where Elder Qin was.
Creating a clone out of air was simple for Xiao Chen. However, such clones did not have any combat prowess. It would not even be able to defeat an insignificant Martial Disciple.
Of course, if he was willing to spend some time and use some essence blood, he could still create a clone that possessed some combat prowess, after nourishing it with some Spiritual Energy.
However, Xiao Chen was just using this clone to knock on the door and ask some questions. There was no need to go to all that trouble.
“Knock! Knock! Knock!”
Xiao Chen’s clone gently knocked on the door three times. Then, he said, “Elder Qin, Junior Xiao Chen would like to seek some advice from Senior. Do you have to time for that?”
“Haha! This old man has been waiting for you for a long time already. If you came any later, I would have put down my dignity and come down to find you.”
Carefree laughter came from the room. Xiao Chen rejoiced and quickly leaped up. Without touching the floor, he flew over to the recuperation room. He dispersed his clone and pushed the door open to enter.
The recuperation room was quite spacious, divided into front and back. The front was a fully equipped tea room, and the back was a cultivation room.
Elder Qin had already brewed some good tea and sat at the tea table. When he saw Xiao Chen arrive, he stood up and welcomed him.
After Xiao Chen took a seat, he explained his purpose in visiting Elder Qin in detail.
After Elder Qin sampled the tea, he said leisurely, “When the Sect Master told me to come, aside from helping you to hold down the fort at Heavenly Star Island, I have another purpose: to teach you some of the tricks to breaking through to quasi-Emperor.”
“Many thanks, Senior. In that case, Xiao Chen will not stand on ceremony. Might I ask Elder Qin, what is a quasi-Emperor? What is the difference between it and great grandmaster-level Martial Sage and Martial Emperor?”
Elder Qin put down his teacup and thought for a while, pondering how to explain this to allow Xiao Chen to understand objectively what a quasi-Emperor was.
After a while, Elder Qin opened his mouth and said, “Quasi-Emperor…you can treat it as a bridge, a bridge connecting great grandmaster-level Martial Sage to Martial Emperor. When you finish constructing this bridge, you can successfully advance to Martial Emperor. If you cannot complete it, you will forever be a quasi-Emperor.
“The cultivation of a quasi-Emperor is a process of bridging bridges. There are different qualities of bridges. The better the material, naturally, the better the quality.
“This is why when people advance to Martial Emperor, their strengths differ from each other. The reason is precisely this.”