At this moment, inside the private room, Zhang Jian waited briefly, and soon saw the Qingping Dragon Monarch personally bringing two dragon elders dressed in luxurious attire.

"Fellow Daoist Zhang, here are the three items you acquired at the auction. You may inspect them personally!"

Zhang Jian glanced over and nodded slightly.

After carefully inspecting each of the three trays, he nodded and handed a Qiankun Cloth Bag to the Qingping Dragon Monarch.

Within it was a total of thirty-six million one hundred thousand top-grade spirit crystals.

Together, they formed a small mountain of spirit crystals.

The Qingping Dragon Monarch effortlessly received it, then passed it to a nearby dragon elder wearing a purple gold robe.

Zhang Jian’s eyes flickered at this moment, and he added.

"Brother Xuan Dao, I wish to cultivate in the Dragon Palace for a period. I wonder if the Dragon Palace could provide rental meditation chambers?"

The Qingping Dragon Monarch displayed a faint smile, laughing heartily.

"Fellow Daoist Zhang is a distinguished guest of the Dragon Palace, there’s no need for renting! There are many meditation chambers within the Dragon Palace, Fellow Daoist Zhang, feel free to go to the cultivation area and choose one!"

He merely assumed that Zhang Jian had also noticed the unsettling atmosphere outside and wanted to seek refuge in the Dragon Palace.

This was naturally welcomed by the Qingping Dragon Palace.

Zhang Jian nodded.

He wasn’t borrowing the Qingping Sea Dragon Palace for refuge but to master two Tier Two Immortal Techniques.

Given time, mastering these two Tier Two Immortal Techniques would certainly elevate his Dao practice and magic.

At this moment, the Qingping Dragon Monarch’s expression suddenly changed, and Zhang Jian also looked up, sensing a slight spatial fluctuation in the Qingping Divine Department.

After a brief greeting with Zhang Jian, he quickly departed.

...

Meanwhile, at the outskirts of the Qingping Dragon Palace, most High-Tier Cultivators had gradually left, but a few remained hidden, prepared to watch the spectacle. They sensed an extraordinary occurrence being born deep within the expansive sea.

Suddenly, from the depths of the Qingping Sea, strands of black qi surged skyward, sweeping in from afar.

This black qi darkened the skies, carrying a force that devoured all vitality.

"Demonic Qi!"

In the depths of the void, two figures watched from afar, their expressions exceptionally solemn.

They were Wu Liang True Monarch and True Monarch Qingyun.

"Such intense demonic qi, could there already be an open Outer Demon Gate deep in the Qingping Sea?"

Observing this, Wu Liang True Monarch’s expression shifted dramatically.

Beside him, True Monarch Qingyun’s Liu Mei was also tightly furrowed.

The two of them were quite familiar with encounters involving Outer Demon Gods.

Before the Outer Demon Gate is fully opened, these Outer Demon Gods can only release part of their power, attempting to enhance the might of Demonic Cultivators in this realm to conduct clandestine sacrifices without revealing their full scale.

Yet, in front of their eyes, the demonic qi even penetrated the seawater, soaring skyward.

This suggests that an Outer Demon Gate might be fully secured.

Wu Liang True Monarch contemplated for a moment and then spoke to True Monarch Qingyun beside him.

"Junior Sister Qingyun, you should first take the two divine objects back to the Sect, while I stay here to handle this matter!"

After a moment’s thought, he scanned the surroundings, his expression solemn.

"Additionally, be cautious. Carrying two precious treasures, some in heterodox sects may act recklessly!"

True Monarch Qingyun was momentarily speechless at his words, then smiled.

"If that’s the case, I would welcome it. The few treasures in my hands have been unused for a long time, and they need to be consecrated with the blood of these wicked unorthodox practitioners!"

She paused slightly, her eyes flickering as she asked.

"Senior Brother Wuliang, do you think the cultivator who auctioned the Three Lights Divine Water is indeed Junior Zhang?"

Wu Liang True Monarch’s gaze slightly contracted.

Recently, the matter had stirred much discussion within and outside the Dragon Palace.

Rumors suggested that the mysterious guest in room number nine, was the Lord of the Eastern Continent, the Great Xia Emperor.

To verify this claim, the two of them had expended efforts.

The sheer involvement of numerous Dragon Palace attendants made it feasible to probe the truth of the claim.

Many pieces of evidence strongly indicated toward the Lord of the Eastern Continent, the Great Xia Emperor.

Yet, Zhang Jian hadn’t interacted with them or sought the protection of Tongshan Dao Lineage experts, leaving them puzzled.

"There’s an eighty to ninety percent chance, but Master Zhang might have other means to repel the enemy, so we should just observe for now!"

Buzz, buzz, buzz!!

At that moment, they saw a grand surge of divine power suddenly arise from the depths of the sea.

It was a gold-blue divine force.

Wu Liang True Monarch and True Monarch Qingyun exchanged a glance, recognizing it as the power of the Qingping Sea Divine Department.

The gold-blue divine force interweaved at the edges, birthing a vast purifying divine light within, carrying the power to cleanse everything. It collided with the tidal demonic qi and promptly dissipated a large swathe of the black clouds.

Witnessing this, True Monarch Qingyun’s form transformed into a spiritual light that pierced through the void, quietly escaping.

Roar, roar, roar!!

Almost simultaneously, an earth-shattering dragon’s roar resounded from deep within the sea, revealing rolling tides beneath. Streaks of escape light from within seemed to penetrate the clouds.

At this time, the strong figures of the Qingping Dragon Palace finally reacted.

...

In the depths of the Qingping Dragon Palace, Zhang Jian also detected the unusual divine power fluctuations surrounding the Qingping Sea. A divine light subtly gleamed within his brow, and wielding the authority of the Sheji Emperor, he vaguely sensed changes in the outside world.

However, the presence of the Qingping Sea Divine Department disrupted his control over the earth.

He immediately withdrew his thoughts.

This was the core base of the Qingping Dragon Palace, home to innumerable strong dragon race figures, and he believed the Qingping Dragon Palace was fully capable of handling the matter.

He could also sense that outside the void of the Qingping Sea, many formidable presences remained. These beings continued their vigil.