Watching the two dragons give up attacking and head directly into the sect, Zhang Tianlin and the other elders were puzzled.
As they followed closely behind, the dragons arrived in front of Goddess Mountain, where Huangfu Xianyue resided.
With a flick of its tail, one of the dragons shattered the protective barrier over the mountain.
“This...” the elders looked on, confused.
“Who else is on Goddess Mountain?” Zhang Tianlin asked.
“No one, right? Huangfu Xianyue went to the Misty Forest, so it’s unoccupied now,” an elder replied.
“No, did you all forget about Lin Qiu’s companion?” Huangfu Xuan said with a frown.
“You mean that girl, right? Her name was Jiu You,” Zhang Tianlin nodded. “We kept her in the sect in case Lin Qiu didn’t return. It’s been a while since we last checked on her.”
Everyone had been busy dealing with the dragon situation, trying to find a solution, so no one had paid attention to the girl.
Now, seeing the dragons heading here, they were naturally confused.
When the blue dragon broke the barrier, its massive body slowly stopped on the mountain peak.
Jiu You stood at the summit, terrified by the giant dragon so close to her.
The overwhelming dragon might filled the air, and its breath raged like a tornado.
Seeing Jiu You’s fearful expression, the blue dragon turned its head and tapped its back with its claw.
Jiu You froze. Seeing that the dragon hadn’t harmed her, she cautiously asked, “Do you want me to get on?”
The blue dragon slightly nodded, its icy blue eyes showing no emotion.
Dragons were proud creatures. Without Xu Zimo’s command, they would never allow anyone to ride them.
When Jiu You carefully climbed onto the dragon’s back, the two dragons roared toward the sky. Their massive bodies stirred a raging storm as they soared away toward the distant horizon.
“This...” the people of the World Sovereign Empyrean Sect were stunned.
“They’re leaving?” an elder asked in disbelief.
“What else do you want? For them to destroy the sect before you're satisfied?” Zhang Tianlin snapped.
“Sect Master, this whole thing is strange,” said Red King Huangfu Xuan.
“Someone is definitely pulling the strings. Clean up the sect for now and send people to investigate,” Zhang Tianlin said. “The sect suffered great losses this time. I’m afraid other powers already know about it.”
...
After leaving the lizard race’s world, Xu Zimo didn’t waste any time.
He headed straight toward Bright Flame City.
He had obtained the Blood Lizard Heart for a specific item in the Eternal First Shop.
Though he didn’t know exactly what was inside, Xu Zimo had his suspicions.
While the Southern Region was vast, the distance between Fury City and Bright Flame City wasn’t very far.
Fury City was near the Nine Heavens Imperial Sect, especially close to the Misty Forest.
Riding the Darksky Tiger, Xu Zimo arrived at Bright Flame City after about half a month.
The city was as familiar as ever, with blazing flames burning atop its walls.
At the city gate, Xu Zimo saw Jiu You.
She had been waiting there the whole time.
When she saw Xu Zimo, her face showed shock. She stared for a while before finally saying, “You…”
“What’s wrong?” Xu Zimo smiled.
“The incident at the World Sovereign Empyrean Sect, was that all arranged by you, including those two dragons?” Jiu You asked in shock.
“Knowing too much isn’t good for you. As long as you’re safe, that’s enough,” Xu Zimo said, waving his hand.
Jiu You nodded and followed Xu Zimo into the city. She asked, “When are we going to the God-Demon Battlefield?”
“Today,” Xu Zimo replied.
“So soon?” Jiu You was surprised.
“What, don’t want to go?”
“No, no,” Jiu You quickly waved her hands. “Then let’s go today.”
...
The two headed straight to the Eternal First Shop.
Perhaps because the items were too expensive, there were very few customers.
When Xu Zimo and Jiu You arrived, they saw only two other people inside.
An old woman and a young girl.
The old woman looked extremely aged, holding a silver cane and wearing simple light blue clothes.
Her hair was completely white, and her forehead was wrinkled.
Her eyes were cloudy with age, and she needed the support of the young girl beside her just to walk.
The girl wore a white long dress.
At first glance, she looked delicate and refreshing like a spring breeze, with a particularly pleasant smile.
The girl looked a few years younger than Xu Zimo and was supporting the old woman as they browsed the shop.
Xu Zimo took a quick look and didn’t pay much attention, then stepped inside.
The previous shopkeeper was a puppet, only passively managing the shop.
Now, it was a real person, flesh and blood, clearly human.
This shopkeeper looked exactly like the puppet version, the puppet technique flawless.
“What are you looking for, sir?” the shopkeeper asked with a smile.
Xu Zimo pointed to the wooden box above his head, something he had noticed previously.
The wooden box was dark brown, covered in runes and seals as if something was being contained inside.
The shopkeeper looked up at the box, then quickly flipped through a book on the table.
After a moment, the shopkeeper smiled and said, “The Lost Treasure Box. It’s been here since the Eternal Shop opened. No one knows what’s inside, but it contains a strong wood-elemental energy. It requires a Blood Lizard Heart to exchange.”
Xu Zimo didn’t say anything more and directly took out the Blood Lizard Heart.
The shopkeeper’s eyes lit up and said with a smile, “Impressive, sir. As far as I know, the fusion method has long been lost. Especially with how dangerous the swamp lands are.”
“Why so much chatter? Just get the box down,” Xu Zimo said, waving his hand.
The wooden box was embedded in the dragon pillar at the center of the shop. The shopkeeper waved his hands.
A white stream of spiritforce shot from his hands, piercing a section of the pillar.
The wooden box naturally fell down.
The shopkeeper caught it with a red tray and presented it to Xu Zimo.
As Xu Zimo took the box, he felt the Wind-Destroying Pearl and Soft-Water Pearl in his body trembling even more violently.
Although the box was sealed, it seemed to be for protection rather than resisting Xu Zimo’s presence.
When Xu Zimo channeled spiritforce into it, the seal disappeared. With a loud “bang,” the wooden shell shattered.
Inside was a dark green bead.
It exuded a rich aura of life.
This life force didn’t feel human, it was more like that of plants and trees.
“Second-Wood Pearl,” Xu Zimo muttered.