Time passed, and ten days had gone by since the opening of Qianlong Abyss.
After discovering the ore vein last time, Little Azure Dragon and Lin Yun continued to roam Qianlong Abyss in the following days, searching for opportunities, but they found nothing particularly noteworthy.
It seemed that the ore vein area had likely been sealed off before, which was why it hadn’t been discovered earlier. Such opportunities were exceedingly rare.
Qianlong Tower.
The Qianlong Tower stood at the heart of Qianlong Abyss.
The tower, roughly several hundred zhang tall, exuded a grand and imposing aura.
Members of the four dragon palaces had already begun gathering here in a steady stream.
Little Azure Dragon and Lin Yun also arrived at the site.
When the two reached the area, the Second Elder of the West Sea Dragon Palace, along with some of its members, was already present.
Some members of the other major dragon palaces had also arrived, including a number from the East Sea Dragon Palace, though the Grand Elder of the East Sea Dragon Palace was nowhere to be seen, nor was the elder Little Azure Dragon had fought earlier.
“Dragon King!” The Second Elder hurried forward to greet Little Azure Dragon upon seeing him.
“Dragon King, you didn’t run into any trouble along the way, did you?” the Second Elder asked with concern.
“No major trouble, just a skirmish with an elder from the East Sea Dragon Palace,” Little Azure Dragon replied.
“What? An elder from the East Sea Dragon Palace?” The Second Elder was startled.
After all, anything involving the powerful East Sea Dragon Palace was a serious matter.
The Second Elder sighed: “Dragon King, forgive my bluntness, but you should try to avoid conflicts with the East Sea Dragon Palace. They are, after all, far stronger.”
“Second Elder, you don’t even know the full story. Lin Yun and I discovered an ore vein, and the East Sea Dragon Palace came demanding a share, even mocking our West Sea Dragon Palace. I ignored them and continued mining, but they attacked me directly. How could I tolerate that? Do they really think our West Sea Dragon Palace is an easy target?” Little Azure Dragon said, visibly angry.
“His Majesty the Dragon King did the right thing! Our West Sea Dragon Palace isn’t one to be bullied!”
The surrounding members of the West Sea Dragon Palace chimed in. As dragon race members, they carried their pride and wouldn’t tolerate being pushed around by other dragon palaces.
“I see. Dragon King, you didn’t suffer any losses, did you?” the Second Elder asked anxiously.
“Losses? Me? The only one in the East Sea Dragon Palace’s group who could pose a threat to me is their Grand Elder. The rest? No match for me. They’re the ones who suffered,” Little Azure Dragon said.
The Second Elder breathed a sigh of relief but then showed a hint of worry: “Dragon King, the East Sea Dragon Palace, relying on their dominant status, has always acted arrogantly. Even if they were in the wrong and attacked first, since they’ve suffered a loss, they likely won’t let this go easily.”
“Let them come. We’ll meet any challenge head-on. Even if our West Sea Dragon Palace has declined, we’re not to be trifled with!” Little Azure Dragon’s tone was sharp.
“Indeed, even if our West Sea Dragon Palace can’t match the East Sea Dragon Palace, we’re no pushover,” the Second Elder nodded.
“Since we’ve reached the Qianlong Tower, let’s prepare to enter,” Little Azure Dragon said.
Lin Yun looked up at the Qianlong Tower.
“This Qianlong Tower is at the centre of Qianlong Abyss, but the area behind it seems to be shrouded in a layer of light,” Lin Yun said, shifting his gaze to the rear of the tower with a hint of puzzlement.
If the Qianlong Tower marked the centre of Qianlong Abyss, then the areas explored so far were only the front half of the abyss, while the region beyond the tower constituted the latter half.
The Second Elder explained: “The area behind the Qianlong Tower has always been sealed off. Every time Qianlong Abyss opens, that section remains inaccessible. As far as I know, it has never been opened.”
“Oh? Why is that?” Lin Yun asked curiously.
“That’s unknown. Qianlong Abyss was left by the Dragon Emperor, and why he sealed off the latter half, or what lies within it, no one knows. Whether it will ever open remains a mystery,” the Second Elder said.
Lin Yun nodded in understanding, casting a few more glances at the area behind the Qianlong Tower.
He was quite curious, but if even the dragon race didn’t know, there was no way he could.
“Let’s go. We’ll head into the Qianlong Tower now,” Little Azure Dragon said.
“Alright!”
With that, the group charged towards the Qianlong Tower.
Inside the Qianlong Tower.
Lin Yun followed Little Azure Dragon and the others, successfully entering the tower.
“What a peculiar place.”
Lin Yun looked up.
The interior space of the Qianlong Tower was vast, with an internal height of at least a hundred zhang, making people feel particularly small inside.
Looking up, the inner walls of the tower were adorned with numerous glowing pillars, emitting faint light, stretching from the base to the top. The visual effect was breathtaking.
“Each of those glowing pillars contains a dragon race secret manual,” the Second Elder of the West Sea Dragon Palace explained.
Lin Yun looked up again. Among the members of the four dragon palaces already inside, most had begun browsing and examining the pillars.
At that moment, the Grand Elder of the East Sea Dragon Palace entered through the tower’s entrance, leading a large group of East Sea Dragon Palace members.
As soon as they entered, their gazes locked onto Little Azure Dragon, Lin Yun, and their group.
“West Sea Dragon King, you’ve got some nerve!” the Grand Elder of the East Sea Dragon Palace roared.
With those words, the Grand Elder led his group, charging aggressively towards Lin Yun and the others.
The commotion quickly drew the attention of the other two dragon palaces’ members inside the tower.
Hearing the noise, Little Azure Dragon, Lin Yun, and their group turned to look.
“It’s the Grand Elder of the East Sea Dragon Palace!” The members of the West Sea Dragon Palace paled slightly.
“Dragon King, with their aggressive stance, it’s clear they’re here to pick a fight!” the Second Elder of the West Sea Dragon Palace said, his expression grim.
“Don’t be afraid. Our West Sea Dragon Palace isn’t a pushover,” Little Azure Dragon said, standing tall.
In an instant, the Grand Elder of the East Sea Dragon Palace, leading his group, reached Little Azure Dragon, Lin Yun, and their party.
“Grand Elder of the East Sea Dragon Palace, what is this Qianlong Tower? A place for you to shout and make a scene? Didn’t your Dragon King teach you any manners?” Little Azure Dragon stood proud, his tone sharp and exuding an air of regal dominance.
“West Sea Dragon King, you ask why I’m shouting? You dared to injure members of my East Sea Dragon Palace. Your West Sea Dragon Palace has some gall!” the Grand Elder of the East Sea Dragon Palace said, brimming with fury, his presence no less imposing.
“What? We injured your people? Grand Elder of the East Sea Dragon Palace, don’t you know it was your elder who attacked us first?” Little Azure Dragon sneered.
