Chapter 1427: Wondrous Treasures

“Fish one out and cook it?” muttered the Skyhorn Ant, slurring his words from drunkenness.

To be honest, the idea actually tempted Shi Hao. He had tasted everything under the sun—except dragon meat. And in the past, such an opportunity would have been impossible.

Now, there was a real chance. There might even be three dragons in that Thunder Pool!

Of course, it was just a fleeting thought. He knew it was unrealistic. If he dared take even a single bite of dragon meat, the old-timers in Imperial Pass would probably devour *him* instead.

True Dragons were supreme beings, ranked first among the Ten Fierce. If any descendants remained, they would undoubtedly be protected at all costs, nurtured with every resource available.

Besides, the Thunder Pool was sealed—by the Grand Elder, no less. Perhaps he had already sensed something and feared reckless interference.

Right now, fishing out a dragon was simply impossible!

At that moment, everyone felt a sense of absurdity. *Dragons*—legendary, invincible, divine beings—were within reach, trapped in a mere stone pool.

All eyes turned to Shi Hao with strange expressions. Just how monstrous was this guy? He snatched a Thunder Pool during a heavenly tribulation and ended up with three dragon whelps?

For a moment, no one could find words. They could only scream inwardly: *Huang is a freak!*

The Thunder Pool was so extraordinary that everyone crowded around, eager to catch a glimpse of the True Dragons, brimming with curiosity and shock.

Eventually, each person took their turn peering into the pool, though none could be certain whether it truly was a dragon’s nest.

A mustard seed containing a universe—nothing extraordinary for a True Dragon. Though the pool was small, who could say it didn’t hold an entire world within?

Soon, the Thunder Pool became the center of heated discussion, yet no definitive conclusion was reached.

Everyone agreed that only a supreme being like Meng Tianzheng could unveil the truth. Creatures of his caliber would surely discern the reality.

“Hmm, that beam of light seems to have settled down,” Shi Hao mused, his focus diverging from the others. He was still fixated on the glow within the Thunder Pool.

Now calm, it lay motionless, a deep crimson streak—identical in hue to the Executioner’s Blade, eerie and terrifying, sending shivers down the spine.

Shi Hao pondered how best to utilize this mysterious divine radiance. Should he forge it into a weapon or fuse it with his flesh?

He believed external objects could never truly belong to him. Weapons could never be as reliable as one’s own body. His thoughts turned to tempering his flesh with this divine light.

If even a single part of his body could harness the power of this crimson beam—the mere thought was staggering.

After hours of debate, the clamor finally subsided. Throats grew dry, and the crowd quieted. The Thunder Pool’s mysteries would have to wait for a supreme being’s insight.

Originally, this gathering was meant for the younger generation. Before arriving, Shi Hao had heard rumors—invitations even extended to the forbidden lands of the Nine Heavens. But his tribulation had derailed the event.

Only after the elders departed did the gathering gradually return to its intended purpose.

“Today has been eye-opening. Brother Huang’s feats are beyond comprehension—snatching a Thunder Pool? All we can do is marvel,” someone sighed.

“Speaking of the unknown, I’ve brought a curiosity from the foreign realm, meant to be showcased today. But Brother Huang’s tribulation stole the spotlight earlier,” said Qi Hong, master of the Five-Spirit War Chariot.

This was, after all, a gathering for the youth—a place to discuss the Dao and share rare treasures. Whispers of such wonders had circulated even before the event.

“Oh? What could be so extraordinary to warrant such gravity from Brother Qi?” another asked.

Even the likes of the Ten Crown King, the Banished Immortal, Shi Yi, Great Xu Tuo, the Little Heavenly King, Tuo Gu Yulong, and others from the long-life families turned their attention toward him.

Thus, the Thunder Pool incident was set aside, and the gathering resumed its original course.

“This was obtained by an ancestor from the Ancestral Altar after a bloody battle beyond the pass,” Qi Hong revealed.

A collective gasp swept through the crowd.

The ancestor he spoke of was undoubtedly one of the supreme beings—those peerless figures who secluded themselves within the Ancestral Altar.

Though they were thought to remain in seclusion, they occasionally emerged in secret to protect the armies, confronting the foreign realm’s supreme experts.

Qi Hong’s Five-Spirit War Chariot belonged to one such invincible figure. Though not formally a disciple, he had received teachings from this supreme being.

Naturally, it was no surprise he could retrieve battlefield relics from such a figure.

“What is it?”

When he solemnly opened a stone box, dazzling divine light erupted, blindingly radiant—like a miniature sun.

The object hovered midair, weightless, refusing to fall.

Murmurs of astonishment spread. The brilliance it emitted was too intense to behold directly.

A few sharp-eyed individuals squinted, discerning its form—golden, like the most resplendent burning gold, mysterious and rare.

Moreover, it exuded a potent vitality, a pure life force that invigorated all who felt it.

Though it couldn’t compare to Thunder Tribulation Liquid, it far surpassed ordinary spiritual treasures. Its life essence was so pure it sent shivers down the spine.

Someone reached out to touch it—warm and smooth, like jade, translucent and gleaming.

This was the treasure Qi Hong had brought.

Weightless, suspended, radiating boundless life energy—a gemstone of unparalleled rarity.

“It doesn’t resemble the legendary Life Stones from the Primordial Ancient Mine, but it’s still extraordinary, of immense value,” someone commented.

“Indeed. A small fragment can be absorbed directly, refining into pure energy, accelerating cultivation,” Qi Hong explained.

Many frowned. This was troubling. If the foreign realm could mine such stones in abundance, their cultivators would advance far faster.

“There’s something even more terrifying,” Qi Hong added.

His mentor—a contemporary supreme being—hadn’t just obtained these stones but also a jade cauldron containing a golden liquid.

“That liquid is pale gold, even more potent. It harbors substances of longevity, sharing origins with these stones but remaining uncoagulated,” he said.

“Can it be consumed?” someone asked.

“It can, but its true power lies in—*sealing*,” Qi Hong revealed.

The supreme being had once submerged an ordinary ant in the liquid. When it solidified into stone, the ant was eternally preserved—yet unmistakably alive.

Even after ten thousand years, the ant remained unchanged. When the stone was later split open, the ant was as lively as the day it was sealed.

The crowd was stunned. This had happened long ago—meaning the supreme being had acquired these treasures years prior.

“Do the other elders know?”

“Of course. The higher-ups have long deliberated and researched it, even interrogating foreign realm creatures,” Qi Hong said.

Eternal preservation, unyielding to time—such a liquid was revolutionary. Its implications could reshape the world.

“Was this discovered in the foreign realm, or has it always existed? Is it the source of their strength?” someone pressed.

Even the solidified stones alone could accelerate cultivation, their energy unnervingly pure.

“According to interrogated foreign nobles, some claim it was unearthed in recent millennia, while others say it’s a fundamental essence of the world. But there’s a more terrifying theory…”

Qi Hong’s expression darkened as he trailed off.

Urged to continue, he obliged.

“Anlan, Yu Tuo, and others once opened an ancient burial ground and found records hinting at an existence beyond them—an *Immortal Emperor*.”

Thus, for eons, they had sought answers, probing whether such a supreme being truly existed.

The foreign captives claimed these stones were accidentally discovered during Yu Tuo’s excavations of ancient burial zones in pursuit of this mystery.

The crowd was dumbfounded, shaken to the core.

These stones were unearthed because beings like Yu Tuo and Anlan were digging into ancient tombs for answers?

Those burial zones were perilous, places even immortals feared to tread, holding untold dangers and secrets.

“Brothers, if you encounter such things beyond the pass, take heed. They may hold great significance,” Qi Hong urged.

The discussion left everyone unsettled.

Only when Tuo Gu Yulong produced another artifact did attention shift—a tattered map, crafted from some beast’s hide.

Time had ravaged it; a mere breeze might reduce it to dust.

With great care, Tuo Gu Yulong spread it across a table. “Friends, this map holds a great secret—a great opportunity beyond the pass.”

Everyone knew the frontier was vast—home to the Beast Forest, Divine Medicine Mountain Range, Lost Sea, Immortal Ruins, and even ancient burial zones.

Legends of great fortunes hidden there had long circulated in Imperial Pass.

This map, Tuo Gu Yulong explained, had been seized from the foreign realm. Their forces had been using it to search for something.

Gasps erupted.

“It’s because of this map that invitations were sent to the ancient forbidden lands of the Nine Heavens—and why they responded,” he added.

This time, the crowd was thunderstruck, erupting into uproar.