Chapter 76: Chapter 74: Dragon Soul Pearl and Teleportation Array
Ordinarily, Jiang Ling’Er possessed an unparalleled grace and breathtaking beauty. She was like a fairy untouched by the mortal world, ethereal and otherworldly.
But at this moment, she had transformed into a treasure-crazed fiend. Her eyes curved into crescents, brimming with daydreams, and the look on her face was utterly and disarmingly cute.
Jiang Jichen was at a loss for words with his aunt. He cleared his throat and said, "Aunt, there are two of us. The treasure needs to be split evenly; it’s not for you to hoard!"
When she heard Jiang Jichen wanted to split the treasure with her, Jiang Ling’Er was not pleased. She shot him a glare with her beautiful eyes and stared him down. "Chen’Er, listen here. You’re not an adult yet, so I’ll hold onto all this treasure for you for safekeeping. Hmph, at your young age, what would you even spend money on? Unless you’ve picked up some bad habits."
They were still just standing outside the door, the treasure not yet in their hands, but Jiang Ling’Er had already decided who it all belonged to.
And she even accused him of picking up "bad habits"!
’What was that supposed to mean? Does having bad habits require spending money?’
Beads of sweat formed on Jiang Jichen’s forehead. He knew better than to argue about treasure with the money-crazed Jiang Ling’Er. If he did, the consequences would be dire.
Jiang Jichen could only change the subject. "Aunt, let’s just go inside first," he said.
Wary of potential dangers behind the great door, Jiang Jichen took the lead. After all, if there truly was a threat, his tough physical body could endure far more than Jiang Ling’Er’s. He wouldn’t die so easily.
The great door was forged from jade, shimmering with Spiritual Light and etched with the marks of time.
Jiang Jichen reached out and pushed open the incredibly heavy jade door. A brilliant, treasure-filled light burst forth, so dazzling it nearly blinded them both.
Then, they were left breathless by the astonishing scene before them!
Gold, silver, and jade; rare jewels and precious gems; ancient curios and strange artifacts...
There were all kinds of treasures, everything one could possibly imagine.
The Treasure Cave was immense, with treasures piled high as mountains. This had to be the most precious location in all of Ice Dragon Valley.
Any other Cultivator, upon seeing common riches like gold, silver, and jade, wouldn’t have given them a second glance. They would have focused solely on finding Exotic Treasures, Spiritual Weapons, and Treasure Artifacts.
Jiang Ling’Er, however, stared at the glittering gold and jewels, crying out with delight, "Jiang Jichen, quick! Give me the Mid-Level Storage Bag!"
Resigned, Jiang Jichen untied the Mid-Level Storage Bag and tossed it to Jiang Ling’Er.
Paying Jiang Jichen no mind, Jiang Ling’Er happily began gathering the gold and jewels from the floor all by herself.
In truth, the Dragon Clan only liked to collect shiny things. As a result, the hoard mostly consisted of gold and jewels, with very few of the Spiritual Weapons and Treasure Artifacts that Cultivators coveted.
Jiang Ling’Er also loved collecting the glittering gold and jewels. Jiang Jichen couldn’t help but wonder if she had some Dragon Clan blood flowing through her veins.
Jiang Jichen let Jiang Ling’Er have her fill collecting the gold and jewels while he ventured deeper into the cave alone.
At the far end of the Treasure Cave, his gaze suddenly froze. There, floating above a small Dragon Blood Altar, was a Dragon Soul Pearl, radiating a formidable power.
’So, the most precious treasure in Ice Dragon Valley isn’t the Ice Dragon Flower after all, but the Dragon Soul Pearl in this sacred hoard!’
Jiang Jichen was inwardly staggered!
Dragons were one of the Ancient Ten Most Ferocious Beasts, and a true Royal Ancestral Dragon possessed power that was considered virtually invincible.
The Ice Dragon from this place, while a far cry from a True Dragon possessing the bloodline of an Ancestral Dragon, was still a dragon nonetheless. Its power was a formidable force that surpassed even that of a Grandmaster.
The power radiating from the Dragon Soul Pearl actually carried the aura of a Holy Beast. Clearly, its owner had been extraordinary in life.
A Dragon Soul Pearl is formed when a True Dragon, prior to its death, infuses its entire life’s Cultivation into its Dragon Pearl. This allows the Dragon Pearl to birth a dragon soul, hence the name "Dragon Soul Pearl."
If he could refine this Dragon Soul Pearl, Jiang Jichen could very well break through his current bottleneck and step into the Innate Body Refining Realm.
However, Jiang Jichen didn’t immediately try to take the Dragon Soul Pearl radiating the Holy Beast’s aura. Instead, he began to inspect the small Dragon Blood Altar.
The Dragon Blood Altar was circular, about a meter in diameter. Its surface was carved with incredibly intricate, ancient patterns that had grown worn and damaged with the passage of time.
’This Dragon Blood Altar is also a Space Transmission Array! I just don’t know where it leads. And judging by the teleportation runes, it’s for the exclusive use of the Dragon Clan. It must require the Spiritual Qi of the Dragon Clan to activate!’
’And this Dragon Clan Teleportation Array is incredibly complex. Anyone who isn’t an Array Master would have no control over the destination and would just be sent to a random location.’
As Jiang Jichen mulled over his deductions, Jiang Ling’Er, having finished collecting the treasure, walked over to join him.
Her face finally registered shock when she saw the Dragon Soul Pearl.
"This place is more than it seems," Jiang Ling’Er said, her voice turning grave. "It has a Dragon Soul Pearl and a Teleportation Altar. I fear this is a Teleportation Point for the Dragon Clan!"
Jiang Jichen nodded. "I agree. I just don’t know what went wrong. The Dragon Clan never teleported here, and instead, the Ice Dragon guarding this place died. It probably left this Dragon Soul Pearl for its descendants. Which means it must have believed the Dragon Clan could eventually repair this Teleportation Point and return!"
By now, Jiang Ling’Er had looted the Treasure Cave clean. While gathering treasure, she’d even found more than a dozen Low-Level Storage Bags, so she wasn’t worried about running out of space.
All that remained was the Dragon Soul Pearl at the far end of the cave!
"Jiang Ling’Er," Jiang Jichen asked, "what do you think? Should we take this Dragon Soul Pearl?"
Jiang Ling’Er stared at the radiant Dragon Soul Pearl. "A treasure this shiny? How could we possibly leave it behind?"
As she spoke, she was already reaching out to grab it!
"Careful! There’s a Dragon Clan Restriction on it—"
Alarmed by her action, Jiang Jichen cried out, moving to stop her.
But to Jiang Jichen’s astonishment, Jiang Ling’Er’s hand passed right through the layers of Dragon Clan Restrictions as if they weren’t there. She easily retrieved the Dragon Soul Pearl. Then, the pearl dissolved into a stream of light that flowed into her palm and vanished without a trace.
Jiang Ling’Er was stunned as well. She had clearly grabbed the Dragon Soul Pearl, but now her hand was empty. Instead, it felt as though something new had been added to her memories, and a mysterious power was awakening within her.
Jiang Jichen was also stunned for a moment. "Could this be another ability of your Water Spirit Body?" he asked. "To instantly absorb and refine even a Dragon Soul Pearl... that’s just too powerful!"
But when he saw that Jiang Ling’Er seemed otherwise unaffected, he let out a sigh of relief.
Still, Jiang Ling’Er’s ability to effortlessly pass through the Dragon Clan Restriction filled Jiang Jichen with suspicion.
’Ignoring Dragon Clan Restrictions... No wonder she was able to slip through all those other Dragon Clan Restrictions undetected, infiltrate the depths of the Ice Palace, and be the first one to get the Ice Dragon Flower!’
’A flicker of understanding passed through Jiang Jichen’s mind. He was more certain than ever that Jiang Ling’Er held some extraordinary secret—a secret that perhaps even she herself was unaware of.’
"You don’t feel anything strange, do you?" Jiang Jichen asked again, still concerned.
Jiang Ling’Er flashed a devastatingly beautiful smile. "I feel great. I think I’ve absorbed the Dragon Soul Pearl, but its specific effects haven’t shown themselves yet. Let’s not worry about it for now. We should get out of here!"
Hearing this, Jiang Jichen’s face lit up. "You know how to get out of here?" he asked.
"Maybe it’s because I absorbed the Dragon Soul Pearl, but I somehow know the way out!" Jiang Ling’Er said, a hint of confusion in her voice.
"The Dragon Soul Pearl can do that?" Jiang Jichen was dumbfounded.
"Yep! We teleport out using the altar!" Jiang Ling’Er exclaimed excitedly.
Caught up in her excitement, Jiang Ling’Er ignored Jiang Jichen’s wishes and pulled him onto the altar.
Then, Jiang Ling’Er’s hands became a blur of motion. Specks of True Dragon Spiritual Power flowed into the Teleportation Altar, activating it. The Light of Teleportation enveloped both Jiang Jichen and Jiang Ling’Er.
Just as they were about to be teleported, a sense of unease suddenly gripped Jiang Jichen. "Where are we teleporting to?" he asked urgently.
Jiang Ling’Er looked a little sheepish. "I only know how to teleport back to the Blood Pool. I don’t know any of the other destinations."
"The Blood Pool? They’ll definitely be there waiting for us! The moment we appear, we’ll face a thunderous assault!"
Jiang Jichen cried out in alarm.
But the light of the Array flashed, and their figures vanished from the Teleportation Altar.
