Chapter 1171: A Weird Present

The various races who began to investigate Earth realized that Wang Zhong was not the only exceptional Earthling in the Land.

“The Earth civilization was recently upgraded to a level-4.5 one because of Wang Zhong’s entry into CHC. Aside from him, there was also one named Aiolos who borrowed the strength of Titan Tsarilorhuan and became a new rising star in the Arena. His strength and potential are considered exceptional too. On top of that, there was also the Netherworld River Messenger from the Underworld who proclaimed that he was from Earth.”

“It’s amazing to have three high-potential cultivators emerge from the same race using different cultivation methods in the same period. This exemplifies the immense potential Earth civilization has, and it was thus temporarily assessed as Rank A, with a very high chance of being promoted! Although it cannot be compared to a civilization like the Heavenly Shell Race, it should be able to become a level-6 or level-7 civilization easily. They should thus be treated seriously.”

Pieces of information regarding Earth appeared in front of the higher-ups of various races. It was rare even in the entire history of the Star Alliance to see such an instance where so many powerful forces paid attention to a level-4.5 civilization. However, all the races understood that Earth should be treated seriously and be given the amount of respect they should have. If they had treated Earth as an ordinary level-4 civilization that relied on relations to get into the Star Alliance, they would inevitably suffer a big loss in the future.

The civilizations that had previously made things difficult for the Earthlings in the boundary worlds immediately changed their attitudes and the way they acted. Ma Dong was the one that managed to feel this difference the most. The Illusion Race who were originally doing business with the Earth in the dark now did it openly and without fear.

Wang Zhong was a strong powerhouse with immense potential who was maintaining his neutrality in the conflict between the Heavenly Shell Race and the Fire Demon Race. Although he won the life and death battle, he did not kill Phumetheus after the match, which prevented him from having an irreconcilable conflict with the Fire Demon Race. Thus, he had become a person both the Fire Demon Race and the Heavenly Shell Race wanted to win over. Being close with the Earth Civilization now also meant that one maintained neutrality in this conflict between the two races. Thus, many races chose to extend their friendships to Earth.

After turning down the invitations from different races, Lao Wang’s life became more relaxed. He did not have to deal with the revenge of or trouble from the Fire Demon Race. Lao Wang’s life became more routine: going to the alchemy room, the library, the dormitory, and attending the lectures by the elders. He wanted to enrich himself as much as possible during this moment of peace.

Both races had decided to adopt a wait-and-see attitude towards Wang Zhong. However, this peace could be broken at any point in time if one party decided to become impatient. Thus, Wang Zhong wanted to be able to confidently deal with any trouble when the time came.

Lao Wang had also benefited a lot from the match with Phumetheus. After the integration with his Draconic Spiritual Power, his second-stage true form became his biggest trump card. He had even used it to defeat Phumetheus.

In the eyes of others, this was probably an unimaginable limit that a Void Core could have reached. But Wang Zhong thought otherwise. He felt that something was lacking and could feel the huge potential of his second-stage true form. His use of the Draconic Spiritual Power was still too lacking. He merely let the divine cells help replicate the power, which was an automatic function of his body. He did not understand the mysteries behind the Draconic Spiritual Power. If he did not truly comprehend the power, how would he be able to use it to his best? He realized that the road he had accidentally chosen to walk on seemed to be a long one…

“Master Wang Zhong, you have a letter.” A well-behaved seabird messenger came to his mushroom house with a letter.

It could be seen that although the quality of this messenger bird wasn’t high, it had received a fair bit of strict training. It paid great attention to its etiquette when delivering the letter and was extremely respectful to Wang Zhong. It was the standard messenger specially used by major civilizations for diplomacy. The low grade of the messenger bird meant a humble attitude from the sender, and the etiquette training it went through was the basics for any diplomacy.

He had received many such messengers a while back. When the life and death battle had just ended, most major forces and civilizations had the intention of making friends with Wang Zhong. However, after a series of declinations by Wang Zhong, such messengers had become rarely seen.

After receiving the letter, he saw the standard Ocean Empire Planet seal on the envelope.

It was a messenger from Ocean Empire Planet? Lao Wang was surprised.

After the incident on Ocean Empire Planet previously, Lao Wang did not participate in the follow-up investigation. Although Ocean Empire Planet would be grateful to him, they had already expressed their gratitude through the gift forwarded by the Heavenly Shell Superintendent. Besides, he did not have any relations with Ocean Empire Planet. Why would they suddenly send a letter?

After he opened it up, apart from expressing their gratitude to Wang Zhong once again as expected, there was a small invitation for a private party.

Lao Wang smiled slightly. This invitation had come at the right time. Previously, there were also a lot of banquet invitations from the level-6 and level-7 civilizations. It was clear that they wanted to get close to Wang Zhong and establish friendships with him, all of which were rejected by Lao Wang. Apart from not wanting to get involved in the power struggles in the Land prematurely, another reason was that he was reflecting on his battle with Phumetheus and did not want to be distracted.

However, now that he had some small achievements in his cultivation, he did not mind going out and relaxing for a day or two. Moreover, Lao Wang felt something special towards the Ocean Empire Planet civilization. Perhaps it was the premonition that appeared when he condensed his Void Core, or perhaps it was because of his increased understanding of fate when refining pills that caused him to feel an unusual and subtle connection with the Ocean Empire Planet.

“Let’s go over and take a look.”

The place to meet was at the Machinery Palace. After all, the Heavenly Gates was not accessible to everyone, and the Machinery Palace was the closest base to the Heavenly Gates. With Lao Wang’s current status, except when using the Dimensional Gate, other ordinary teleportation arrays could be set up for him at any time without prior notification. The letter reached him at about ten in the morning, and by eleven, Lao Wang had appeared in the Machinery Palace.

He had come here not long ago and spent a whole day exploring with Riian[a] D, a guide in the city. He was thus quite familiar with the city.

He rented an aircraft outside the teleportation site and arrived at the agreed Anoma club. It was people from Ocean Empire Planet who greeted him at the door. They had the appearances of charming and handsome celestialoids, but they also had some blue scales on their neck and arms, which were very eye-catching. They also had a small horn on their head.

Lao Wang was surprised. Ocean Empire Planet had already left the Star Alliance. They technically no longer qualified to enter the Land. Besides, they had closed the entire Ocean Empire Planet two years ago. How could the children of their race appear here?

“Master Wang Zhong!” Several Ocean Empire Planet representatives greeted him with a smile. They were all Void Cores but were not the seven Void Cores that Wang Zhong had seen last time on Ocean Empire Planet. The young male in the middle not only looked young and handsome, but he also held strength rivaling that of a Solid Core.

He had felt that the Ocean Empire Planet civilization was not simple when he was there. Even the Superintendent had said similar things. At that time, only seven Void Cores had appeared to confront them, and it was not even their true strength.

“Master Wang Zhong, my name is Haiyeluo.” The young powerhouse did not have the arrogance of a Solid Core. Of course, an ordinary Solid Core was nothing in front of Lao Wang. He smiled and extended his hand towards Wang Zhong. “I am the fourth prince of the Ocean Empire Planet civilization, and I am eternally grateful for the help you have given my race, Master Wang Zhong. Haiyeluo has been admiring Master Wang Zhong for a long time and has long been eager to meet you. It was a pity that my Ocean Empire Planet was not qualified to enter the Heavenly Gates, and Haiyeluo thus couldn’t go visit in person. One could only send out a letter and wait anxiously. Fortunately, Master Wang Zhong came to visit. Haiyeluo is grateful that you could spare some time for our meeting.”

Lao Wang did not mind the trivial matter of who was the one that needed to travel. The other party was very sincere, so he just naturally laughed. “Your Royal Highness Haiyeluo is too humble.”

“A mere prince from a level-6 civilization dares not call himself a royal highness in front of you, Master Wang Zhong.” Haiyeluo laughed and said, “If Master Wang Zhong does not mind, you can simply call me by my name or even call me Little Luo. That would sound even closer.”

As they talked, they walked into the clubhouse, where the hall and banquet were already prepared.

Level-6 civilization? Lao Wang was a little suspicious. When he went to Ocean Empire Planet the last time, it was only a level-4.5 civilization. Furthermore, they had already left the Star Alliance. How long had it only been?

“Master Wang Zhong might not have known.” Hayeluo said with a smile. “Since the last time the Star Alliance made trouble for the Ocean Empire Planet, my father had thought about the danger of leaving and has already re-applied to return to the Star Alliance. The Heavenly Shell Race directly approved it and has also allowed the Machinery Race to re-evaluate Ocean Empire Planet. Now Ocean Empire Planet has been upgraded to a level-6 civilization and even has a place in the Star Alliance’s Elders meeting. I heard from the superintendent that this was only through the recommendation of Master Wang Zhong. After that, I heard that Master Wang Zhong managed to achieve a great victory against the Fire Demon Race’s Phumetheus in the Heavenly Gates. My father wanted to send me to congratulate you earlier, but it was a pity that the procedures for returning to the Star Alliance had not yet been completed.”

After he spoke, he clapped his hands. A waiter then came in with a gift list woven with silk.

“Sea Emperor Randolph pays courtesy to Master Wang Zhong and congratulates Master Wang Zhong for winning the Heavenly Gates Life and Death Challenge and defeating Phumetheus. We are giving one hundred thousand Gold Star Stones, two D-class fortresses made by the Machinery Race, a thousand level-9 supplementary pills, a thousand level-9 Guiyuan pills, a thousand level-9 Lieling pills…”

After hearing the long list of gifts, even Lao Wang, who was used to big scenes, couldn’t help but feel a little moved. The last time the Sea Emperor expressed his gratitude, he had given him 10,000 Gold Star Stones, around a hundred pills, and two D-class fortresses, which were already considered to be quite extravagant since it was a personal gift. But the extravagance of the gifting this time had gone far beyond the scope of personal gifts. It was more like forming a diplomatic relationship between the two civilizations.

Lao Wang smiled slightly. He indeed deserved to be called the Wealthy Sea Emperor. The previous level-6 and level-7 civilizations who wanted to win him over were simply incomparable to the Sea Emperor. Lao Wang might have doubted the intention of the Ocean Empire Planet giving such great gifts if he was not clear of the reason before. However, he had already known the reason behind such a bounty through the conversation with Haiyeluo previously. Thus, he felt that it was justified for him to accept the gifts.

There were mainly two reasons why Ocean Empire Planet had left the Star Alliance before. The first was due to the suppression by the Fire Demon Race. They had made life so difficult for Ocean Empire Planet, to the point that they could not expand or grow healthily as a civilization.

The other reason was that Ocean Empire Planet was not on good terms with both the Heavenly Shell Race and the Fire Demon Race. They were originally already on bad terms with the Fire Demon Race, with them wanting to loot the resources of Ocean Empire Planet. They had also once offended the Heavenly Shell Race when they snatched a large portion of the low-end pill market. This thus made it difficult for them to maintain neutrality or even take sides in the conflict between the Heavenly Shell Race and the Fire Demon Race.

However, this time, because of their relationship with Wang Zhong, Ocean Empire Planet managed to enter the sights of the Heavenly Shell Race and was able to seek refuge through Superintendent Erza. Without the suppression from the Fire Demon Race and the worry that they would be caught in the crossfire between the two races, the members of Ocean Empire Planet were happy to return to the Star Alliance. With Superintendent Erza’s help, Ocean Empire Planet managed to return to the Star Alliance easily and even establish themselves as a level-6 civilization.

Wang Zhong did not know of this matter. Yet, the Heavenly Shell Superintendent had said that it was Wang Zhong’s credit for allowing Ocean Empire Planet to be reinstated back to the Star Alliance so easily. This was an obvious sign of the Heavenly Shell Race showing their sincerity towards Wang Zhong. This was more than likely a move to repair the rift between the two sides that had appeared due to the life and death battle.

Not only was Wang Zhong aware of the intention behind the Heavenly Shell Race’s actions, the Sea Emperor knew about it too. However, neither would say this aloud. Ocean Empire Planet was now already part of the Heavenly Shell Race faction. Since they wanted to use Ocean Empire Planet to show their goodwill towards Wang Zhong, Ocean Empire Planet could only follow suit. Not to mention, they were already grateful towards Wang Zhong; thus, the gifts were expectedly heavy.

“The gifts are too precious for me to take.”

“Definitely not. If it was me, I would have given much more. Master Wang Zhong had played a large role in allowing Ocean Empire Planet to return to the Star Alliance and helping us easily attain our level-6 certification. How could such gifts be enough to represent our gratitude?” Haiyeluo smiled and said.

After some interactions with him, Wang Zhong had a favorable impression of him and felt that he was quite a straightforward person.

However, this was not the end to the gifts Ocean Empire Planet prepared for him.

After Haiyeluo said his piece, the lights in this banquet hall suddenly softened. Soft unknown music filled the room. The music sounded like waves hitting the shore and the sounds in conch shells. Just listening to the melody of the music made people feel as if they could feel the salty sea breeze.

Haiyeluo smiled and stopped talking. One could only see the mist that arose from the ground, enriching the air in the hall. Amidst the mist, a curvaceous and slender figure, which looked like a fairy, could be seen stretching her body.

Haiyeluo then leaned towards Wang Zhong and smilingly whispered, “Master Wang Zhong, my little sister will be performing the Sea Dragon Dance. Please enjoy it.”

Little sister? The dancer in the mist was the princess of Ocean Empire Planet.

Earthlings, one or two months ago, could never have imagined something like this could happen; having a princess from a level-6 civilization dance for Wang Zhong himself.

The dancer in the mist was grooving along to the music, her pink neck swaying to the rhythm. Her femininity was fully expressed through her body language. Her flexible body was incomparably beautiful against the backdrop of the mist.

Even Wang Zhong, who could be compared to an ascetic monk who only knew how to cultivate, couldn’t help but be captivated by such a wonderful dance.

When the dance ended, the Sea Dragon princess bowed towards Wang Zhong. By now, the mist had gradually cleared, and Lao Wang could see her face. Her beautiful and incomparably exquisite facial features could be compared to Celeste’s. It was rumored that she was a very sentimental and feminine lady and could be considered one of the best amongst all the races. Wang Zhong felt that the rumors were all justified the moment he saw her today.

“Greetings, Master Wang Zhong,” The Sea Dragon princess said with a slight bow.

“It was a wonderful dance. Thank you, princess.” Wang Zhong smiled back in reply; his eyes were no longer in a trance but appeared clear and pure.

Haiyeluo, who was next to him, could see the change. He was also slightly impressed in his heart. His father had originally intended to match his younger sister with Wang Zhong. As long as Wang Zhong showed even a tinge of willingness, the Sea Emperor would pair the princess with him without any hesitation. After all, Wang Zhong was now a very sought-after person in the Heavenly Gates. Even the Earth had been assessed as a civilization with extremely high potential and could attain high achievements in the future. Ocean Empire Planet would not lose out from getting close to him. It could be said to be a long-term investment.

However, it was a pity. It was not easy to stir the heart of such a person.

The Sea Dragon princess bent over and gave another bow. According to the tradition of Ocean Empire Planet, while her brother was beside her, she did not have the right to speak casually to Wang Zhong. She just relaxedly sat down at the side and looked towards Wang Zhong with strong interest and curiosity. Wang Zhong’s eyes were calm and pure. From her experience, few men could remain so calm after seeing her dance.

Although Prince Haiyeluo looked young, he was very good at conversing. He spoke very well and would not let there be any awkward moments. On the table, all the specialties of Ocean Empire Planet were being served. It was said that these ingredients were brought directly from there. The chefs in Anoma Club were merely tasked to cook them. Among them, there were all kinds of seafood including fish and “shrimps”. Wang Zhong was pretty surprised when he saw this. Sea creatures should be considered as being part of the Ocean Empire Planet too… To serve their kind on the plate was…

Prince Haiyeluo did not shy from such a topic and merely laughed, looking towards his little sister, signaling her to converse more with Wang Zhong.

The Sea Dragon Princess then smiled and said, “Master Wang Zhong might not know about this. Many people also have misunderstandings about the Sea Race. The Sea Race refers to all evolved creatures in the sea. Some creatures evolved over the long years of life in the sea. They have scales and many other organs similar to fish and shrimps, but more importantly, they have a higher level of thought and are intelligent. They are different as compared to the normal seafood that is served.

“Just like on the Earth, the home of Master Wang Zhong, people and animals lived together. But don’t Earthlings also feed on them? The relationship between the Sea Race and those fish, shrimps, and exotic animals is also the same. Not only is this prevalent on Ocean Empire Planet, but most Sea Races that join the Star Alliance are like this too. People from the Sea Race are not forbidden to consume seafood. Contrary to that, many even enjoy it, except for a few outliers.”

The Sea Dragon princess’s voice was light and crisp, similar to her graceful singing voice from before. Just listening to her voice was like being immersed in a gentle ocean wave, making one’s whole body feel relaxed and soft. She did not have the dense cyan scales like normal descendants from Ocean Empire Planet. She only had a little cyan gleam on some hidden parts of her body… She looked more like a beautiful celestialoid, the same applying to Haiyeluo who was next to her.

After hearing what she said, Wang Zhong also laughed. Because of the differences in their civilizations, there were a lot of customs and common knowledge that were different among various dimensional races. Therefore, it was often difficult for people to understand each other’s thoughts. Only by frequent exchanges between civilizations could they gradually understand each other.

“Master Wang Zhong, there is another purpose for my father to have sent me here.” After exchanging three rounds of drinks, Haiyeluo slowly started talking about serious business.

“Please do say.”

” Ocean Empire Planet was only a level-4.5 civilization before and was neither qualified to open a gathering point nor buy a shop in the Land. The previous pill business we had was all in collaboration with other civilizations who charged us a large amount. Apart from that, we could only do low-cost wholesale selling of pills,” Haiyeluo said with a smile. “This time, we have been promoted to a level-6 civilization. According to the rules of the Star Alliance, Ocean Empire Planet will be eligible to choose a commercial street in the middle circle of the Land. But as you know, let alone the middle ring of the Land, there are no empty vacancies even in the better locations of the outer ring? This is a huge problem for us.”

Wang Zhong smiled and did not answer. He had roughly guessed the Sea Emperor’s thoughts and was just waiting for the prince to speak about it himself.

Haiyeluo then continued to say, “Master Wang Zhong should know the rules of the Star Alliance. Each civilization only has one complimentary chance when they reach level-6 to do so. Unfortunately, there is no good place for us to choose from for the time being. My civilization does not want to waste this opportunity and thus hope to hold on to this opportunity and wait till a good plot of land frees up before we make our application.”

“Yes, such a matter should not be rushed.” Lao Wang agreed and waited for Haiyeluo to continue.

Haiyeluo laughed. “But we also can’t just remain idle like this. When Ocean Empire Planet previously exited the Star Alliance, the medicine markets rented by Ocean Empire Planet had already been returned. Now, we no longer have a place for us to settle down in the Land… I heard that Master Wang Zhong has a private commercial street in Catanlyke District. My father wanted me to ask if we could use Master Wang Zhong’s land to open a few pill shops before we manage to get our territory. You can rest assured that it will purely be for commercial purposes. We will obey all the regulations set up on Heavenly Treasures Street and would never make your Highness embarrassed.”

Indeed, it was the same as what Wang Zhong had expected.

Lao Wang already knew of Ocean Empire Planet’s plan as soon as Haiyeluo mentioned the commercial street.

They were just promoted to a level-6 civilization, and they only had one opportunity to choose a commercial street in the middle and outer rings of the Land as the foundation for their development. This was part of the benefits given by the Star Alliance to a level-6 civilization.

Ocean Empire Planet must have seen the Star Alliance map of the Land and probably could not find a good place that satisfied them. One would never pick a low-class neighborhood just because there was no space available. Instead, one would rather keep this opportunity and wait for other civilizations to fall and withdraw from the Land before applying for the place they had withdrawn from.

Such things depended on luck. Many level-6 civilizations in the Land displayed a strong front but were weak on the inside, such as the previous Shell Shade Faction. The former powerhouses in that faction had long since withered away. They were merely relying on their former reputation to maintain their identity as a level-6 civilization. It only took them one mistake before they were kicked out from Land.

There were countless races in the Land. There might be a case where Ocean Empire Planet could get a space they wanted in only a few days, or there could also be a case where they had to wait for a year or two or even 20. After all, it was not only Ocean Empire Planet who planned on doing such a thing. There were also a lot of level-6 civilizations waiting for the same opportunity in the Star Alliance.

The length of this period was simply impossible to determine. However, Ocean Empire Planet needed to re-enter the Land for development as soon as possible. Thus, they thought of Wang Zhong’s Heavenly Treasures Street.

One, Ocean Empire Planet had a good relationship with Wang Zhong and would thus not be scammed if they opened a shop at Heavenly Treasures Street. Second, although Heavenly Treasures Street in Catanlyke District was not one of the top few commercial districts in the middle ring of the Land, it was suitable for the sale of low-end pills made by Ocean Empire Planet. Third, Wang Zhong was now regarded as the benefactor of Ocean Empire Planet, and the Heavenly Shell Race had also suggested for Ocean Empire Planet to have a good relationship with Wang Zhong.

With Ocean Empire Planet’s potential in the low-end pill market, they could make Heavenly Treasures Street more popular if they set up shops there. Not only would it provide high taxes to Heavenly Treasures Street, but it would also drive up its economy… Since they could run the same business no matter the place, why not give such benefits to Wang Zhong? It was also another way of showing goodwill.

Lao Wang thought it through within a few moments. Ocean Empire Planet seemed to be asking for his help, but in fact, it was another generous gift. If he rejected it, he would be a fool. The other party’s desire to make friends with himself and the Earth was even more straightforward and sincere than the Illusion Race’s. How could he reject such a sincere ally?

“Then I shall wish that the business of Ocean Empire Planet’s pill shop on Heavenly Treasures Street be prosperous.” Wang Zhong smiled and raised his glass. He didn’t even discuss the details of the establishment of the store with Haiyeluo. Since the other party had shown such a sincere attitude, he should return the favor.

“Haha, Master Wang Zhong is decisive!” Haiyeluo was also overjoyed. He had never considered that Wang Zhong would refuse this kind of thing. No one would be stupid enough to do so. However, Wang Zhong’s attitude when he agreed to the matter clearly showed that he had acknowledged the Ocean Empire Planet. He had accepted their goodwill, just that he did not point it out. He was a smart man, and also a very powerful one. Cooperating with such a person was a win-win scenario for Ocean Empire Planet. “Come on, little sis, join me in toasting Master Wang Zhong!”

With an exchange of drinks, the verbal agreement between the two parties was considered to be settled. This matter was a win-win situation for both Ocean Empire Planet and Wang Zhong. Everyone was in a good mood. Haiyeluo clapped his palms again, and another person could be seen coming into the room, carrying a gold box engraved with pictures of various sea beasts.

Wang Zhong was fairly curious about what was in the box. Seeing so, Haiyeluo directly ordered someone to open the box. Inside it was a peculiarly shaped golden cauldron, shining brightly under the lights.

“Master Wang Zhong,” Haiyeluo said with a smile. “My father asked me to bring this along and said it was meant to be returned to you.”

“Returned to me?” Wang Zhong was stunned for a moment. With Haiyeluo’s intelligence, it was obvious that it was impossible to be a slip of the tongue. However, he didn’t even know what this was. How could it then be “returned to him”? Was it another gift?

“These were the original words of the emperor.” Haiyeluo smiled slightly. He too did not know of the truth behind it. When he first heard the emperor say to “return the item to Wang Zhong”, he was also very curious and asked his father repeatedly for an answer. However, the emperor did not divulge anything. “I’m sorry, I don’t know anything about this. However, I doubt that my father would give it to you casually. Master Wang Zhong should just accept it for now. Maybe you will find out more about it after some careful study.”

Wang Zhong became even more curious. He stood up and studied the item carefully.

The shape of the cauldron looked unique. It was surrounded by 11 dragon heads of different shapes. The dragons were not the two-winged Giant Dragons that had died out on the Earth but looked like a wingless golden five-claw dragon that could be found in carvings in ancient ruins during the old days of Tianjing or the Federation. The whole cauldron was not big, but it was delicately made. The carved dragon heads were very lifelike. It was hard to determine what materials were used to make them, but it did not seem to be a particularly precious material. There was no spiritual power in the cauldron either.

However, the Tianjing Dragon from that day had some resemblance to this. The Sea Dragon Emperor said that this was his. Did it have a connection with the dragon from that day?

In any case, there was no maliciousness in this matter. There had always been legends about the disappearance of the Dragon clan on the Earth, but most of them referred to the Giant Dragons with wings. To be honest, Old Wang had explored the Heavenly Gates Library for a very long time. Yet, he did not see any clues that such wingless golden five-claw dragons existed in the Land. It was as if such a dragon was unique to the Earth. It seemed that the Sea Emperor had some other meaning behind this.

“Please help to send my thanks to the Sea Emperor for such a gift then.” Wang Zhong had no reason to decline the item. Anything that had a link to the Earth in the divine territory was useful.

“You are too courteous! Come, let’s drink until we’re drunk!”

The banquet was a joy for both the guest and the host. Lao Wang could see that Prince Haiyeluo had the intention of matching his sister and him up. It was a pity that Lao Wang had no intention of being involved in this. Thus, he could only apologize and pretended to be foolish. However, the princess was also an interesting person. She seemed to heave a long sigh of relief when she saw that Wang Zhong deliberately kept his distance from her. Wang Zhong let out a laugh when he accidentally saw her turn her head to stick out her tongue and snicker.

After that, the Sea Dragon princess disregarded her previous restraints and became a lot more lively, laughing and talking with Wang Zhong. Lao Wang understood at a glance. This princess was also being forced by her father. No matter what race one was from, any outstanding child born into the royal family was always against the various weddings arranged by their parents. As long as it was arranged by their parents, regardless of whether the other party was outstanding, they would instinctively be against it in their hearts.

In the eyes of ordinary people, being born in a noble family meant that one would have all kinds of glory and wealth that brought happiness to them. However, they also had their troubles that ordinary people did not understand.

After returning from the Machinery Palace, Wang Zhong first asked Nini to send a letter to Heavenly Treasures Street explaining the matter regarding Ocean Empire Planet. Wang Zhong did not need to intervene personally in the follow-up. Old Cow and the others would naturally settle it nicely with Ocean Empire Planet. Apart from that, the generous gifts from Ocean Empire Planet were divided into two parts. The big one was for Jhonas to pass it on to Ma Dong, while the smaller part was for Nini to bring directly to Old Cow.

A boss like Lao Wang was one of a kind. Not only did he not care about the financial income of his property, he just kept throwing money into it. As the base for the Earth, the scale of Heavenly Treasures Street was still too small. Now was the stage for rapid expansion. Most of the taxes or protection fees collected by Mugthol and Old Cow were used for the infrastructure construction of Heavenly Treasures Street, the recruitment of personnel, the housing of Earthlings, etc.

Besides, now that Ocean Empire Planet entered Heavenly Treasures Street, with their ability to compete with the Heavenly Shell Race in the low-end pill market, one could already foresee the future development and potential of Heavenly Treasures Street. With a bigger market and more buyers, the quality of the place must be improved first. If one wanted to expand and earn more, how could it be done without upfront investment?

After settling things there, he brought along the weird dragon cauldron and went into his fragment world.

The Sea Emperor did not give it to him without a reason. This dragon cauldron seemed ordinary, but the wingless five-clawed golden dragon image seemed to be closely related to the ones on Earth. It made Lao Wang very curious, and he couldn’t wait to study it carefully.

The golden cauldron had 11 dragon heads…

Eleven was a number that was all too familiar.

It was said that there were a total of 12 pieces of the Golden Stone Slabs. However, in official records, there were only 11 of them. Moreover, each dragon head looked as if it was playing with a ball, and each dragon ball was engraved with unique mysterious runes.

Wang Zhong couldn’t understand the engraved runes on the dragon balls. It seemed on first look that they were merely simple lines, but upon closer inspection, he felt that they were very profound. They were completely different from the knowledge of runes he had learned before. It felt as if the runes did not follow any form of rules or laws.

After studying it for a long time, Lao Wang faintly has some strange feelings towards it, as if the things expressed by these ancient runes were very similar to that of the 11 Golden Slabs. Of course, he was not certain of it. It was merely a vague perception.

Lao Wang couldn’t help but start thinking of his previous encounter in the Illusion Sea; the powerful dragon leader, the Eight Heavenly Kings of the four clans, and the unspeakable ancient grievances they had with each other… It was as if all of these held some kind of thin connection and was suggesting something to Wang Zhong.

The dragons seemed to be completely different from the Giant Dragons in the Land. Of course, there was also a chance it was a Dragon that could transform. If he had a chance, he would have to ask Celeste about this matter.

He looked at the Fate Stone suspended in the air in the fragment world. If Lao Wang had to pick an item that was the most special and important in his life, it would undoubtedly be the Fate Stone. Perhaps the Fate Stone was also related?

Lao Wang couldn’t help but lift the golden dragon cauldron and flip it over and over again. He also tried bringing it next to the Fate Stone, but unfortunately, neither gave a reaction or a hint.

Wang Zhong rubbed his nose helplessly. It seemed that this was not like playing Open Sesame. It might take a while to solve the mystery of this cauldron. If he had the opportunity to visit the Sea Emperor next time, he should have a good chat with him. Saying that he was “returning this item” meant that he should know more about this golden dragon cauldron than Wang Zhong. Perhaps he knew of some hidden secrets.

The fragment world had grown a lot from the past and was now nearly thirty square meters. Lao Wang estimated that the spiritual pressure and gravity in the fragment world had exceeded the ordinary environment in the Heavenly Gates… However, it was still slightly lower than that of the Internal Gates. There was still considerable room for improvement.

Wang Zhong had found some ideas on how to upgrade the fragment world. The first was to be in a place of higher spiritual pressure and gravity for a longer period of time. The second was to let it be nourished by the Fate Stone. The last was to improve his own strength.

Compared to the first two, the improvement of his strength would be the greatest help to upgrading his fragment world. After condensing his Void Core, the fragment world had grown by nearly half its original size. Since then, steady cultivation and improvement had only allowed the fragment world to grow to around thirty square meters.

Now that the space was larger and the spiritual pressure was higher, the place was not as tight and constrained as before. Instead, it had been divided into three sections by Wang Zhong. The largest one occupied the entire central area and most of the east and west sides. It was mainly used to cultivate elixir ingredients. The materials grown here had a much higher quality than those outside.

Except for the elixir area, a small area in the north was opened up by Lao Wang for his cultivation. The cultivation conditions near the mushroom house were no longer as good as in his fragment world. The spiritual pressure here was much higher and stronger. With the aura of the Fate Stone as a supplement, it was faster to cultivate in the fragment world than outside.

The southern corner of the fragment world was where he threw all the other things he did not have much use for.

Although the space ring also had the storage function, it was not as convenient as the fragment world. Furthermore, the space ring was not safe. For example, if there was a special situation where a powerhouse wanted to check his space ring for some reason, even if he did not allow it, the other party could directly check for what was inside simply by destroying the ring. But if it was placed in his fragment world, it would be difficult for even Gold Core experts to discover the existence of his private fragment world, let alone check it.

His space ring was now piled up with inferior and unimportant magical artifacts, such as the Falling Star sword, low-grade pills, and various forms of money. Of course, there would be a few valuable items that were placed in the space ring, such as a few perfect pills, and even the Hidden Dragon Sword was often placed in the space ring. This was also done in an attempt to cover people’s eyes. If he was forcibly searched, it would be alright for Lao Wang to take the initiative to give them the space ring for random inspection. But his most valuable private possessions, such as the few unidentified artifacts sent by Grai and the recent golden dragon cauldron, were all stored in his fragment world.

After putting away the golden dragon cauldron, he saw the copper mirror that was placed there. Since the last time he had tried to contact Aiolos, the copper mirror had not been used. The mirror seemed to be in good condition. During this period, it should have collected quite an amount of spiritual power and should thus not have any issues if used to communicate.

Lao Wang had a spur of interest and took out the copper mirror to have another try. With the experience from last time, he was more familiar with how to use it this time.

He poured the spiritual energy from his Void Core into the artifact.

[a]avoid “human” names for the alien stuff.