Volume One: The Celestial Cloud Palace Chapter Sixty-Seven: The Dragon King's Treasury

Chapter Sixty-Seven: The Dragon King's Treasury

A casual remark, spoken softly yet echoing throughout the grand hall of the Crystal Palace, struck Cai Lingzi's ears like a slap to the face. It stung with the force of disdain and deep provocation; for the first time, he felt belittled.

Above the hall, the colossal peacock formed by Cai Lingzi’s transformation fixed all its attention on Su Qing, who hovered in midair as well. An invisible, formless pressure emanated from both, raising the temperature in the hall so much that those below were drenched in sweat, struggling to endure.

“You wish to die? Allow me to grant your wish!” The giant peacock spoke, its wings flapping at lightning speed. Two torrents of color burst forth from its wings, making the very air rumble with their force, surging toward Su Qing.

In an instant, flames erupted in the air—blinding, multicolored fire, as if painted by an unseen hand. Su Qing was swallowed by the flames in the blink of an eye, her figure vanishing in the dazzling inferno. The heat was unbearable, even for those far from the center of the attack, who relied on their cultivation to barely withstand it. Su Qing, the direct target, was facing a peril beyond compare.

“So much for her reputation; she’s no match at all!” scoffed the peacock, watching the swirling, colorful flames.

Below, Zhou Hao stared wide-eyed at the blaze. Everything seemed unnaturally calm, as though this was simply the way of things.

“Did Su Qing just die? That damned bird’s flames burned her to death?” the turtle exclaimed in disbelief.

“They say Su Qing is both the most beautiful and powerful immortal of the Sixteen Immortal Halls. From that standoff just now, she’s clearly at the Golden Immortal level. Yet she still couldn’t withstand a single attack from Cai Lingzi?”

“It doesn’t make sense! Cai Lingzi’s strength is almost unnatural!”

“If a Golden Immortal is felled in one blow, what hope is there for the rest of us?”

The disciples of the remaining four factions were thrown into chaos, each contemplating the worst possible outcome.

“Hahaha! Now it’s your turn!” The peacock turned its gaze to the two strongest disciples from Wind Desert and Fire Plains, who immediately met its eyes.

The man in blue from Wind Desert and the red-robed man from Fire Plains exchanged a glance, each seeing resolve mirrored in the other’s eyes. They knew they must fight together, or face certain defeat.

“Five-Colored Divine Light—Sweep!” the peacock shrieked, its cry reverberating through the hall. The sound alone could kill a late-stage lesser immortal. Streams of dazzling colored light shot from its feathers, sharper and more lethal than any sword, slashing toward the pair.

“Wind and Fire Dance—Kill!” Almost simultaneously, the two Golden Immortals unleashed their power. A vortex of crimson flame and a towering azure tornado appeared, each man fusing himself into his respective phenomenon. The wind roared, the fire howled, and the very air trembled as a giant sword within the tornado unleashed torrents of sword energy and a massive blade floated within the fire vortex. Wind and fire met in a spectacle above the hall.

The tornado anchored itself within the vortex, sweeping out in all directions. The five-colored divine light could not break through the union of wind and fire, which pressed ever closer to the peacock.

“No one can break my Five-Colored Divine Light—no one!” the peacock cried, flapping its wings and sending out two more torrents of color to halt the wind-fire onslaught.

At that moment, a flash of silver lit up the peacock’s forehead. With a spurt of blood, the massive creature crashed to the floor below, raising a cloud of dust.

“It’s Su Qing! She struck with her sword!”

A gasp followed as people realized that the silver gleam embedded in the peacock’s forehead was an immortal sword, now in Su Qing’s hand, aimed at the prone Cai Lingzi, who had reverted to human form.

“Any last words?” Su Qing asked coldly, her gaze fixed on Cai Lingzi as he coughed up blood.

“So, your sword is a treasure capable of countering my peacock clan’s mystical arts. But you won’t have another chance to use it,” Cai Lingzi replied, strangely unconcerned about Su Qing’s intent to kill him, his attention fixed on her sword.

Suddenly, as the cold blade pressed to his neck, his hands—miraculously restored—shot out. One caught the blade, the other darted like a phantom to seize Su Qing by the throat.

“Heh, the most beautiful immortal of the Sixteen Halls indeed. What a pity I can’t make use of you—your value is lost.” Cai Lingzi’s grip tightened around Su Qing’s neck. He gazed at the radiant woman before him, shaking his head in regret. Yet, there was nothing tender about this seemingly handsome youth; his cruelty was evident from the day he tore out and devoured the heart of a Chixian Hall disciple.

There was no fear in Su Qing’s eyes. She could no longer speak, only emit choking sounds as Cai Lingzi’s grip grew ever tighter. It was clear he meant to kill her. With her boundless potential, having reached the Golden Immortal stage in just three centuries, Su Qing would become a dire threat to the Cai Clan Hall. Cai Lingzi could not let her live.

At this critical moment, Zhou Hao struck with all his might. Though only at a quasi-Golden Immortal level, he put everything into the mighty Solar Radiance Palm, his sole trump card. The golden palm print, no larger than a human hand, shot forward at unimaginable speed toward Cai Lingzi’s arm—the one choking Su Qing. Had he aimed for Cai Lingzi’s wounded forehead, it might have killed him outright, but Zhou Hao’s only thought was to save Su Qing.

Cai Lingzi’s arm exploded under the blow, and this time, it seemed beyond regeneration.

The Solar Radiance Palm hit its mark, eliciting a howl of pain from Cai Lingzi. Su Qing immediately struck him with another palm, making him cough blood, then snatched her sword back before he could react.

“You’ll pay for this—all of you!” With a flash, Cai Lingzi disappeared, leaving only a puddle of blood behind.

Suddenly, on the steps above the hall, two figures were knocked from the crystal throne—the disciples of Thunder Mountain. In their place stood a wild-haired man, head bowed, a chilling aura of bloodlust radiating from him.

A low hum filled the hall as the crystal throne blazed with light. On the wall behind it, ripples of blue light appeared, and to the astonishment of all, a living world was revealed beyond the wall. The realm was filled with red coral, each piece adorned with treasures of dazzling colors—immortal artifacts beyond counting.

Even a fool could see that this was the Dragon King's Treasury. Excitement rendered everyone speechless as they rushed forward. Cai Lingzi, nearest the crystal throne, was the first to enter.

Su Qing, supporting a weakened Zhou Hao, was among the last to follow. For her, the most urgent task was not seizing treasures, but helping Zhou Hao recover his immortal power.

“Thank you… for saving me just now,” Su Qing said with a gentle smile.

“You saved me before; now it’s my turn. There’s no need for thanks,” Zhou Hao replied, gazing at her lovely face.