Upon entering the Great Chang world, Qin Yun arrived in a hall. He surveyed his surroundings and immediately saw the Void Altar.
"Qin Yun, you returned so quickly?" Ancestral Master Zhang's voice sounded in Qin Yun's ears. Following that, the door to the hall was pushed open to reveal Ancestral Master Zhang.
"The sooner I return, the sooner I can rescue Xiaoxiao," replied Qin Yun.
While Qin Yun had left the Effulgent Great World without any qualms, something else happened in the Lianyang Lake Dragon Palace in the Effulgent Great World.
Dragon King Lianyang was sitting on his throne watching a dancing performance in the hall when he suddenly sensed something. With a thought, he isolated his surroundings and took out his transmission treasure.
Hum!
The phantom of a red-haired Daoist in red robes appeared in front of him.
"You old dragon king, you requested my help in getting a spot but actually sent someone so powerful. Why didn't you tell me ahead of time?" said the red-robed Daoist with a stare.
"Brother Fire Refinement, what's the matter?" asked Dragon King Lianyang, immediately confused.
"My Scenic Jade Palace disciples recently headed for the Ancient Augury World, and you asked for a spot from me, correct? You sent someone called Qin Yun, remember?" pressed the red-robed Daoist.
"Yes, yes, yes." Dragon King Lianyang nodded. "It was a junior brother of my Dragon race that requested my help. Back when we studied in our sect, we had quite a good relationship. I couldn't ignore his request, and so helped him send that cultivator. Why? Did something happen?"
The red-robed Daoist stared and said, "You old dragon king, don't you know that the mortal named Qin Yun… has long reached the Skyimmortal realm?"
"What?" Dragon King Lianyang asked immediately. "No, I never heard that! My junior brother did not mention it. He only said that he had strength at the peak Third Firmament Essence Soul realm."
"Then, he was either concealing his strength or he made a breakthrough just recently," said the red-robed Daoist. "That spot you took has really stirred some major figures. For instance, Sword Immortal Crimsonhero of the Grand Supreme sword immortal lineage and the Jade Tripod Sect's sect master. Even our Scenic Jade Palace's Palatial Lord is investigating the matter. Palatial Lord even summoned me to ask directly."
"Oh?" Dragon King Lianyang was alarmed.
Although the dragons were considered a major race they were still far inferior to the lineages of the Daoist's Three Pure Ones. As such, the dragons kept somewhat of a low profile in the Effulgent Great World.
"For him to reach the Skyimmortal realm as a mortal, his potential is limitless," said the red-robed Daoist with a sigh. "If I had known earlier, I would have gotten you to introduce him to me. Unfortunately, he has already returned to his homeworld, the Great Chang world."
"Returned?" Dragon King Lianyang was astounded. "That punk didn't even pay me a visit before leaving."
"You have to be a lot more polite. There might even come a day when you need his help in the future," said the red-robed Daoist.
"He reached the Skyimmortal realm as a mortal?" Dragon King Lianyang rolled his eyes.
Great Chang world.
In a particular yard of the Divine Firmament Chapter, Qin Yun was chatting with Ancestral Master Zhang.
"This is a superior-grade Numinous treasure I obtained from the Effulgent Great World. With this, I can request Puqu Dragonlord's help to rescue Xiaoxiao, right?" Qin Yun took out a golden seal, the last treasure he had obtained.
"Oh?" Ancestral Master Zhang revealed a look of shock. "Qin Yun, you actually obtained a superior-grade Numinous treasure on your trip to the Ancient Augury World?"
With that, he took another look.
On a careful look, three words surfaced on the golden seal—Minor Empyrean Seal.
"Minor Empyrean Seal?" Ancestral Master Zhang was somewhat astonished. "It looks like its a replica of the Empyrean Seal, a Connate Numinous treasure. Qin Yun, I advise you to not hand the Minor Empyrean Seal to Puqu Dragonlord."
Qin Yun looked at Ancestral Master Zhang.
"Superior-grade Numinous treasures have their own hierarchy of values," said Ancestral Master Zhang. "The most ordinary superior-grade Numinous treasure is worth ten inferior-grade Numinous treasures. As for some rare ones, they can be worth dozens of inferior-grade Numinous treasures. Puqu Dragonlord only mentioned wanting one superior-grade Numinous treasure. You just need to give him the most ordinary kind! It is already pretty remarkable that a mortal sword immortal like yourself can produce one ordinary superior-grade Numinous treasure. To the Dragonlord, you giving him a better superior-grade Numinous treasure would only accomplish delighting him a little more."
"Based on my appraisal of this Minor Empyrean Seal, it's worth twenty inferior-grade Numinous treasures," said Ancestral Master Zhang. "You will be losing out if you give it up. Let's do it this way. Give me half a day to use this Minor Empyrean Seal to exchange for two ordinary superior-grade Numinous treasures. You have waited more than ten years to rescue Yi Xiao. I hope that you can endure half a day more."
Qin Yun was secretly alarmed.
The Minor Empyrean Seal actually had such a high value.
But…
He recalled how Arhat Tenside had only obtained the treasure pagoda and was immediately ranked ninety-two on the Roll. He had obtained a superior-grade Numinous treasure, two medial-grade Numinous treasures, three inferior-grade Numinous treasures, and various other treasures. Even with all that, his ranking was still lower than Arhat Tenside's.
Clearly, different superior-grade Numinous treasures were valued very differently.
"I'm in no hurry to exchange this Minor Empyrean Seal. I still have other Numinous treasures. They should add up to a superior-grade Numinous treasure."
With that said, he took out the two medial-grade Numinous treasures he had received—a rope and a flute.
"Senior Zhang, look at these. How many more am I short?" asked Qin Yun.
"Oh?" Ancestral Master Zhang looked at them and nodded. "This flute is quite ordinary but this rope is rather extraordinary. You should just need another two inferior-grade Numinous treasures."
Qin Yun took out a reddish-bronze pole and the Space-shattering Halberd.
When Ancestral Master Zhang saw this, he smiled and said, "You had quite a bountiful harvest. If you make a few more expeditions there, I might not even match you when it comes to treasures."
"It's all thanks to Senior East Sea Skydragon who helped me find this opportunity," said Qin Yun.
"Alright. I'll exchange all of these for a superior-grade Numinous treasure for you within half a day." Ancestral Master Zhang took the treasures.
Qin Yun nodded.
Half a day. Just half a day of waiting before he could get Puqu Dragonlord to save his wife.
While Ancestral Master Zhang was contacting his friends to make the exchange, a black-haired male dragon descended upon the Divine Firmament Chapter with a whoosh. He was none other than the East Sea Skydragon.
"Brother Ao," said Ancestral Master Zhang with a smile.
Instead, East Sea Skyimmortal stared at Qin Yun. "Qin Yun, you broke through to the Skyimmortal realm?"
Ancestral Master Zhang was also given a fright.
Although the peak third Firmament realm appeared to be a step away from the Skyimmortal realm, there was actually a rather qualitative difference.
Many cultivators were stuck at the peak third Firmament realm, forever failing to break through to the Skyimmortal realm! For instance, Patriarch Yi, Patriarch Zhongli, etc. There were countless peak Essence Souls in the Effulgent Great World! Breaking through such a huge bottleneck was extremely difficult.
From the Connate realm to the Essence Soul realm, the Essence Soul realm to the Skyimmortal realm, and from the Skyimmortal realm to the Golden Immortal realm, the breakthroughs of such bottlenecks were extremely difficult. One needed a qualitative metamorphosis.
"Oh?" Qin Yun was slightly taken aback but he still nodded.
"You didn't even tell me this." East Sea Skydragon could not help but comment. "I only learned of it when Senior Brother Lianyang contacted me."
When Qin Yun heard that, he took out a Cosmic Bag and retrieved two beads that had a purple luster emanating from them. The luster appeared to give them life. He handed them to the East Sea Skyimmortal. "Senior Skydragon, these are the Purple Wood Beads that Dragon King Lianyang wanted. They are really hard to find and I was in a rush to return. I'm very sorry if I offended him. These two Purple Wood Beads were found in the treasures a Skyimmortal left behind. Please help me by giving them to him."
"Haha, alright." East Sea Skydragon said as he triggered a transmission talisman.
Whoosh.
Ripples emanated from the void beside him as he was connected directly to the Lianyang Dragon Palace in the distant Effulgent Great World.
The purple-robed Dragon King Lianyang immediately smiled when he saw Qin Yun.
"My friend Qin Yun," said Dragon King Lianyang with a smile. "You hid the fact that you stepped into the Skyimmortal realm from me."
"Senior Brother, these are the two Purple Wood Beads that Qin Yun found for you." As East Sea Skydragon spoke, he waved his palm to tear open a void passageway. He threw the payload casually, and a forcefield carried the two beads through the void passageway.
"I have been searching for Purple Wood Beads for years. There's no rush." Dragon King Lianyang thought nothing of it. He needed a large number of Purple Wood Beads! If he only needed ten or so, he could have bought them a long time ago!
Soon after, the exchange with Dragon King Lianyang was completed. Dragon King Lianyang threw over a Dragon Pearl to Qin Yun which was equivalent to half an inferior-grade Numinous treasure.
"I heard that your wife is also a dragon. This Dragon Pearl is rather helpful to the cultivation of a dragon's body at the True Dragon realm," said Dragon race Lianyang with a smile.
Qin Yun naturally accepted it. "Thank you, Your Majesty."
"When you come to the Effulgent Great World again, make sure to come to my Lianyang Lake. I wasn't a good host the last time," said Dragon King Lianyang with a smile.
"Definitely." Qin Yun nodded.
The ripples in the void closed after the conversation was over.
Ancestral Master Zhang said immediately, "Qin Yun, you didn't tell me that you have entered the Skyimmortal realm."
"I only made the breakthrough in the Ancient Augury World," replied Qin Yun.
Ancestral Master Zhang nodded slightly and immediately said, "You have only cultivated for decades, isn't that so?"
"Senior Zhang, did you forget the treasure you once gave me that allowed me to dream a hundred years?" asked Qin Yun.
Ancestral Master Zhang chuckled. "Who doesn't have opportunities? Even with the dream of a hundred years, that's still less than two hundred years of cultivation. Many cultivators are still stuck in the Connate realm… for longer amounts of time. It would be impressive for most to just step into the Dao! Yet you are already at the Skyimmortal realm. I have to report this matter immediately!"
"Report?" Qin Yun turned anxious as he said immediately, "That can wait half a day. Let's find Puqu Dragonlord and ask him to rescue my wife first. The rest can be left to the following days without any problems, right?"
Ancestral Master Zhang could not help but nod when he saw Qin Yun's anxious look. "Alright, I know you are worried about your wife."
Following that, Ancestral Master Zhang helped Qin Yun exchange for a superior-grade Numinous treasure.
Finding ordinary superior-grade Numinous treasures was not easy either. This was because powerful Skyimmortals only had maybe two or three superior-grade Numinous treasures! And they were usually needed.
Fortunately, Ancestral Master Zhang had a wide social network. He contacted his good friends in other worlds. As a personal disciple of Numinous Treasure Dao Ancestor, many of his friends had reached the fourth Firmament of the Skyimmortal realm. They were quite friendly towards him.
Finally.
Ripples formed from the void again and again and after more than ten times, and contacting more than ten experts of other worlds, Ancestral Master Zhang finally found a willing participant.
"Brother Divine Firmament. I happen to have a superior-grade Numinous treasure here. It's the Militant Gold Ax. I'll exchange it for your items." The nine-tailed Skysnake demon immortal said.
"Alright." Ancestral Master Zhang revealed a look of delight.
Qin Yun's face was the same when he heard that too.
The delay added another two-plus hours! However, the superior-grade Numinous treasure was in the bag.
Soon, both parties had made the exchange.
"Whoosh."
A purplish-gold ax flew out of the void rift.
Qin Yun immediately extended his hand to grab the ax. He nodded when he felt it.
"Let's contact Puqu Dragonlord," said Ancestral Master Zhang. He and East Sea Skydragon turned a lot more solemn. After all, they were meeting a mighty figure.
Qin Yun held the token with the words Puqu.
He activated it.
Buzz—
A ripple emanated from the void, revealing a spot in the endless distant space. A dragon larger than a planet coiled in the sea of stars. His dragon whiskers flailed in the cosmos as his dragon scales flickered with an otherworldly luster. Everything about him seemed to contain the charms of the Dao. When he opened his eyes, they were even more glaring than the sun.
"Dragonlord." Qin Yun bowed extremely respectfully.
Daoist Divine Firmament and East Sea Skydragon also acted reverentially.
Puqu Dragonlord looked over at Qin Yun. "It appears you have acquired the superior-grade Numinous treasure."
Qin Yun held the Militant Gold Ax and bowed, his voice trembling slightly. "Dragonlord, please save my wife, Yi Xiao."
(End of Volume)