Chapter 697

Chapter 697: Arriving at Dragon Gate

Hearing this, the Sword God wore a sorrowful expression and said with great frustration, "No matter what, Ming Jianzi is my only child. The future of East Kunlun will be handed over to him, and any mistakes he makes must be rectified by me!"

"Can’t there be a reconciliation?" Immortal Lan Shan frowned and said, "Fang Lie’s undying nature is too mysterious. If the immortal restrictions in the Dragon Palace can’t kill him, then his revenge will surely be extremely ruthless!"

At this point, Immortal Lan Shan appeared very worried. If it weren’t for the close relationship with East Kunlun, he would rather not get involved in this trouble, and he definitely didn’t want to provoke a powerful enemy like Fang Lie.

Unfortunately, although Kunlun had split into two factions, they always stood together through thick and thin. After so many years of collaboration, they were truly like lips and teeth; outsiders saw them as just one sect.

In this situation, no matter how reluctant Immortal Lan Shan felt, he had no choice but to walk the same path as East Kunlun.

The Sword God furrowed his brows tightly and said unwillingly, "Between us, it is not just a blood feud anymore. There is also the great grudge of the natural Star Gold element core. Fang Lie will not give up on revenge, and even if he were willing, we can’t simply stand down while our ancestral secret treasures are extorted by him!"

"Alas, what a twist of fate!" Immortal Lan Shan sighed and said with worry, "If we can indeed eliminate Fang Lie this time, then it won’t be a problem. Together, we wouldn’t fear Mo Sect. However, if Fang Lie survives, shouldn’t we think of a way in advance to minimize our losses?"

"Ha ha~" The Sword God smiled slightly upon hearing this and said, "What are you worried about? We can just withdraw our disciples from outside and guard our homeland. With our two sects’ defense forces, we are definitely stronger than the Ximen family clan!"

"Ha ha, that’s true!" Immortal Lan Shan laughed back and said, "I was overthinking it!"

East Kunlun was filled with poor mountains and harsh waters. Anything valuable could be placed within the sect’s protective array, and the outside was merely desolate land prepared for the struggling cultivators, allowing for all kinds of activities.

In contrast, West Kunlun was highly valued land, but it had a long-standing tradition and specialized in refining treasures and setting up formations.

Thus, they had tight security in every area, with a lot of powerful treasures available. Even if Fang Lie sent several clones, it wouldn’t be enough to withstand the fierce assaults from them.

Of course, their defenses were more than sufficient; they wouldn’t end up like the Ximen family clan, begging for mercy from Fang Lie, but it certainly wouldn’t be easy either. Especially with their reputation on the line—being blocked by a mere Fang Lie, unable to go out, would undoubtedly cause great damage.

So even though they said this, they still had some worries in their hearts.

The trading event continued, with almost everyone presenting at least one item for trade. Wealthy individuals brought out four or five coveted treasures.

Many rare treasures appeared at this time, widening everyone’s horizons while making many lament their own poverty, as so many good items would be unaffordable for most of them.

Even the Top Ten Semi-Immortals felt overwhelmed after frequently participating in transactions, especially when encountering their righteous and demonic path rivals. Even if they couldn’t engage in direct conflict, they would raise prices to waste each other’s resources.

In such a situation, both sides were deeply drained while the price of treasures soared high, at least three to five times above their normal value.

At this moment, the Mo Sect suddenly shone brightly, repeatedly gaining treasures like the Eighth-rank Demon Sword, Seventh-rank warships, rare spirit herbs, and the ten-thousand-year spirit herbs taken from Ximen’s Ten-Thousand-Year Field by Fang Lie. These were all highly coveted treasures, allowing Mo Sect and Fang Lie to exchange for many precious items.

The entire trading event lasted two days and nights, ending with everyone’s reluctant expressions. Nearly everyone made a gain, with only a few items being unwanted. Others discarded things they no longer needed in exchange for treasured items they desired.

It could be said that this trading event enhanced the strength of all the cultivators present. As time went on, their advancements would continue to grow.

Of course, the biggest gainers were still Fang Lie and his two companions, Fang Lie, Mo Lanyun, and Mao Mao. They were not short on resources, and anything they set their eyes on rarely escaped them.

In the end, Fang Lie received more than fifty pieces of Seventh-rank peak treasures, all potential candidates for advancing to Eighth-rank, and even Ninth-rank high-grade artifacts.

Under normal circumstances, it would take hundreds or even thousands of years for these treasures to advance to Eighth-rank, but with the help of the Netherworld warship, they estimated that within ten years, all could become Eighth-rank treasures.

Just thinking about it made Fang Lie feel incredibly excited, as this amount accounted for nearly half of all the Eighth-rank treasures of Mo Sect!

With this excitement in mind, everyone set off on the road to Dragon Palace.

Thousands of high-level cultivators on the move was truly a stunning sight. Among the Top Ten Semi-Immortals, all of them had Eighth-rank warships, but there were only three—one shared by the righteous sect and the Ximen family, one by the Sword Ancestor of Penglai and Abbot Mountain Man, and one by the Demonic Path cultivators.

Most of the others, including Thunder Tribulation Immortal, were using Seventh-rank warships, totaling around thirty to fifty vessels.

Additionally, there were more than two hundred vessels used by Fire Tribulation Immortal. Altogether, the fleet numbered in the hundreds, filling hundreds of miles, moving in a grand, flowing formation like a great dragon!

However, the best warship was not one of those three semi-immortal ships but Fang Lie’s Netherworld Ghost Fire warship.

Since it was already exposed, Fang Lie no longer concealed it and boldly brought it out, transforming it into the largest, most comfortable appearance resembling the Glorious Heavenly Palace.

There were still the most people here—Qing Feng from the Xuan Sect arrived with his disciples, along with hundreds from other righteous sects. Members of neutral family clans also came.

They clearly favored Fang Lie and had come specifically to build connections while witnessing the formidable warships of the Mo Sect. Fang Lie couldn’t turn them away and had to arrange accommodations for each visitor. To avoid seeming impolite, he provided the finest arrangements.

Fortunately, being at Qingyu Island, experts swiftly modified existing pavilions and towers upon his order, meeting the needs of over a hundred guests. Each person received their own small building, with sect members housed together. Dissatisfied guests could even relocate their structures freely—such luxury left everyone in awe.

However, rumors soon surfaced that annoyed Fang Lie: the Xuan Sect had offered a Ninth-Rank Treasure for his warship, which he’d refused. This incredible tale spread rapidly. Many pressed Fang Lie and Qing Feng for confirmation, putting both in an awkward position. Admitting it risked attracting greedy eyes, but denying it would mean lying to their allies.

Finally, Fang Lie gritted his teeth and admitted the truth, shocking everyone but refusing to explain his reasons. This dissatisfaction led to constant prodding from others, frustrating Fang Lie, though he stubbornly kept silent. He eventually complained to Qing Feng about the leaked information.

Qing Feng wore a bitter smile, apologizing despite it not being his doing. The leak likely originated from within the Xuan Sect, but he bore the blame regardless. Despite this, the group enjoyed lively gatherings filled with feasting, cultivation discussions, and shared stories—greatly benefiting the powerful yet inexperienced Fang Lie.

The fleet’s overwhelming aura deterred all threats. Even in the perilous depths of Wanxing Sea, intelligent sea demons fled upon sensing their approach. When passing through a Demon King’s territory, the formidable convoy faced no challenges and sailed unimpeded.

Thus, Fang Lie’s group traveled uneventfully across the sea for nearly half a year. The Netherworld Ghost Fire warship alone could’ve completed the journey in half the time, but their pace slowed to accommodate the Seventh-rank warships.

Upon arrival, they witnessed a spectacular sight: a colossal rainbow archway towering in the sky, its frame shimmering with flowing starlight. Above it hung a radiant plaque bearing the characters "Dragon Gate."

Noticing Fang Lie’s awe, Mo Lanyun explained, "This is Dragon Palace’s entrance, usually sealed. Legend states that during ancient times, any demon leaping through this gate gained entry to Dragon Palace, earning the right to study Dao magic, purify their bloodline, and evolve into dragons."

"That a single Dragon Gate remains functional from ancient times shows how mighty the Dragon Clan once was!" Fang Lie exclaimed. "How were they destroyed?"

"Perhaps they weren’t," Mo Lanyun whispered. "As Nascent Soul energy dwindled, this realm became unfit for True Cultivators. Most ascended, including the dragons. They left Dragon Palace abandoned."

"Why not leave guards?" Fang Lie questioned.

"Dragons are Divine Beasts—even the weakest among them are immortal beings," Mo Lanyun replied. "They cannot dwell in the Mortal Realm. Wealthy beyond measure, they cared little about abandoning this palace."

"Couldn’t their servants use it?"

"Masters never let servants occupy their homes, even abandoned ones." Mo Lanyun chuckled. "Dragon pride surpasses our understanding."

"More like sheer arrogance!" Fang Lie snorted dismissively.