Could the true form of the old man of Tianfu be a dragon? Gao Jing was surprised and doubtful. This truly defied all understanding. The old man of Tianfu was an existence of the present world, while the dragon race had vanished from this realm eons ago. Generally speaking, the ‘present world’ refers to the period from the first year of the Dao Calendar to the current year, 3918. This means the dragon race has not been seen by human eyes for at least four thousand years, perhaps even longer. If the old man of Tianfu were truly a dragon, he should have been discovered long ago. Could it be that the old man’s later disappearance was due to this very reason?

Gao Jing halted his musings. Now was not the time to delve into historical secrets; those were inconsequential. What mattered was that since this place was named the Tianfu Dragon Palace, the opportunity for the Divine Power Inner Mansion was likely within. He wondered if he was the first to find the path beneath the water, or if others had arrived before him. Or perhaps, each individual perceived a different Tianfu Dragon Palace?

Following the long tunnel, Gao Jing stopped. For behind the vermilion jade archway, he saw a person. That timid young man from the Zhang family, with a Zhou Heaven cultivation… was it Zhang Yong?

“You’re alone here? Where are the others?” At this moment, Gao Jing harbored no particular ill will towards him. People had already entered the Tianfu Secret Realm, the quota was filled, and kicking him out now served no purpose. However, his questioning was devoid of any politeness. The Gao clan of Jinghai, being a “rising star” in Qi country, had always resented those self-proclaimed ancient families, believing them to be stuck in their old ways and long overdue for historical elimination. This was why he had previously been dissatisfied with Zhang Yong’s low cultivation yet his ability to secure a quota by relying on his ancestors’ legacy.

Zhang Yong seemed unfazed by the events at the Full Moon Pond, casually pointing behind him and saying, “They’re all in the Dragon Palace. There are a total of five Dragon Palaces underwater, and each one holds only a single opportunity for the Divine Power Seed.”

Gao Jing immediately yearned to rush into the Dragon Palace, but he checked himself, cautiously asking, “How do you know?”

“Look.” Zhang Yong nodded his chin towards the front. “It’s written up there.”

Following his gaze, the back of the vermilion jade archway was indeed inscribed with simple rules. Underwater, there were five Dragon Palaces, each allowing entry for a maximum of ten people, and each containing only one opportunity. On the back of this vermilion jade archway was engraved the character “two,” indicating it was the second of the five Dragon Palaces. However, facing the Tianfu Dragon Palace, most people likely wouldn’t pause to examine the back of the archway.

“How many people did you see enter?” Gao Jing asked.

“Five.”

Gao Jing nodded and then prepared to step into the Dragon Palace. Zhang Yong added, “Right, the other person from your Gao family also went in. But I heard his scream earlier; he seems to have been killed by someone already.”

Gao Jing’s face subtly darkened. Entering the Tianfu Secret Realm, he had naturally been prepared for such possibilities. He only regretted the loss of a potential helper. He thought for a moment and said, “Don’t think that by telling me this, I’ll be soft-hearted. Just stay hidden here; if you dare to enter and compete with me for the opportunity, I will show no mercy either.”

“No problem.” Zhang Yong finally shifted his gaze from the vermilion jade archway, looked at Gao Jing, and smiled. “I just want you to die a little more clearly.”

The interior of the Tianfu Dragon Palace was still exceedingly lavish. Anyone with discerning eyes would be dazzled upon entering. Jiang Wang, on the other hand, remained remarkably calm. He didn’t recognize any of the materials anyway. To him, the treasure beads and rare woods were merely aesthetically pleasing. Before entering the Dragon Palace, he had observed the inscription on the back of the vermilion jade archway and knew that the Dragon Palace was the likely site of direct competition. Of course, he still didn’t know what opportunity the Divine Power Inner Mansion represented.

This Dragon Palace was designated with the number four. Jiang Wang estimated that he was the fourth wave to discover the underwater entrance, as he had lingered on the riverbank for quite some time. However, it was also possible that the order of entering the Dragon Palaces was randomized; these things were uncertain.

He had just finished searching the main hall when he heard footsteps approaching from behind. Jiang Wang suddenly turned back. Since entering the Tianfu Secret Realm, he had maintained a constant state of readiness. Especially within the Dragon Palace, one should be particularly vigilant. The back of the vermilion jade archway only described the upper limit of people entering, not the lower limit. This meant that… one could eliminate everyone first, then leisurely search the Dragon Palace. And one wouldn’t have to wait for the opportunity to appear before competing with a group of people. Jiang Wang himself didn’t plan to do this, but he couldn’t guarantee that others wouldn’t. The saying “do not harbor malicious intent towards others” might not be universally believed, but “do not be without vigilance against others” was certainly true.

The person who entered appeared to be from a good family background, accustomed to being treated with respect, and carried an air of nobility in his bearing. “Friend from the Heavy Xuan family?” He spoke with a smile before even reaching them. “I saw you with Heavy Xuan Sheng outside. I am Tian Yong.”

“Jiang Wang.” Jiang Wang maintained a proper distance.

Tian Yong, on the other hand, didn’t say much. After looking around, he said to Jiang Wang, “I’ll go to the left side hall, Brother Jiang can go to the right. Let’s each rely on our luck?”

“Agreed.” Since there was no harvest in the main hall anyway, Jiang Wang turned and walked towards the right side hall. He didn’t object to killing, but he didn’t believe it was the best method, especially at this moment when the opportunity hadn’t yet appeared and it wasn’t time to compete. It was best if Tian Yong had no intention of fighting early, but if he harbored any thoughts of a sneak attack, Jiang Wang’s hand remained on his sword hilt.

The concept of a Dragon Palace was very distant to Jiang Wang; dragons were mythical creatures. In many legends, the Dragon Palace represented ultimate luxury and splendor, and what he now saw before his eyes was indeed so. The side hall was very quiet, with only the sound of his own footsteps. The lamps in the hall were lit with eternal flames, their light seemingly having flickered for thousands of years.

Since entering the Tianfu Secret Realm, he hadn’t encountered any other living beings. Perhaps the only ones present in the secret realm were the cultivators who had entered. This Dragon Palace was also like this. The reason he agreed to explore the right side hall was because his intuition indicated that Heavy Xuan Sheng was also in this direction. However, there were no signs of passage within the Dragon Palace. “Is the Tianfu Secret Realm a place where the virtual and the real are intertwined? Half true, half false?”

Jiang Wang walked and searched simultaneously, not easily overlooking any area. Who knew what the opportunity was, and how it would manifest? After continuously searching several side halls, he still gained nothing. Time slowly passed, and Jiang Wang gradually felt a bit irritable. Just then, he suddenly heard a scream! It was Tian Yong’s voice, coming from the main hall they had just been in.

Jiang Wang immediately turned back, rushing through the halls and doorways like lightning. In less than ten breaths, he had returned to the main hall of the Dragon Palace. And at this time, five figures stood sparsely in the hall. To be precise, four people were vaguely surrounding the one in the middle wearing a luxurious hat. They seemed to be the cultivators who had entered the Dragon Palace after he and Tian Yong had separated to search. And at the feet of the cultivator with the luxurious hat lay Tian Yong, his face blackish, his breath completely gone, dead beyond all doubt.