The King Vessel

Three days later, they ventured once more into the depths of the island.

The vast snowy mountains were thick with yin aura, a testament to the unfathomable depth of the Demon's power. Keke, however, was utterly unafraid. Huffing with indignation, it stood before the snow-covered peak that concealed the ice palace within its mountain belly, crying out with a flurry of "Ya-ya!" sounds. Its binding art directly shifted the mountain's entrance away.

A fierce yin wind howled, and a cloud of nether mist rushed out, looking especially terrifying amidst the cold, snowy peaks. Yan Qingcheng's expression soured. She had never expected Xiao Chen to actively provoke the Demon—he was a madman.

When the nether mist dispersed, the Demon walked out. His pale face had gained a bit more vitality than before. He asked with surprise, "I heard the roars of the Dragon Kings. Why haven't you left?"

"We missed the Divine Ship. We came to ask you for details about the King Vessel," Xiao Chen stated his purpose directly. Keke glared furiously at the Demon, as if it wanted to pounce.

"Ah, I see." He did not answer Xiao Chen at first but instead smiled at Keke. "Everything has gone smoothly. In two months at the fastest, half a year at the slowest, I will return the Sacred Tree to you—much sooner than expected. I keep my word. One day, I will repay you for this."

Keke huffed but nodded.

Having addressed Keke, the Demon turned to Xiao Chen. "I have a way to summon the King Vessel, but I fear you may not be able to withstand the assault of the vengeful spirits aboard that sacred ship."

"Is it that severe?" Xiao Chen sensed by instinct that riding the King Vessel carried enormous risk, far less safe than the Ancestral Dragon Ship.

"Yes. Because it was never meant for the living. The King Vessel is also called the Ghost Ship. Sealed within it are fragments of a king's residual soul. If ordinary living people board it without a corresponding sacred artifact, they will likely lose their lives."

Yan Qingcheng gradually pieced together what was happening. She was both excited and alarmed, feeling that the King Vessel must be something sinister and horrifying.

"Would Keke's Sacred Tree not suffice?"

"Most likely not. In fact, they might conflict. It would be best to find a yin-affinity sacred object, not one brimming with life force."

"Then... where can we find such a thing?" Xiao Chen frowned.

"The City of the Dead..." The Demon's expression turned unnatural at the name, as if he harbored a taboo fear.

Xiao Chen immediately shook his head. With his level of cultivation, it was a miracle he had survived his last trip into that place. How could he court death again?

The Demon looked at him. "How about this? Can you wait three to five years? I can take you all away from Dragon Island. I will guarantee your safety on the King Vessel."

"Three to five years? That is far too long. Didn't you say you would shed your deathly aura within a few months?" Xiao Chen asked, puzzled.

"Shedding deathly aura only means I no longer need the Sacred Tree. It does not mean my cultivation is complete. You will have to wait a very long time."

Xiao Chen fell silent. Was he truly going to be trapped on Dragon Island for years? He wanted to help Keke reclaim the Sacred Tree and leave immediately. He could not bear to stay on this desolate island any longer.

"Is there truly no other way?"

"I told you—you only need a yin-aligned sacred object. But such things can likely only be found in the City of the Dead."

"If I had known, I would have brought that burial shroud out of the city," Xiao Chen muttered, recalling the sinister cloth stained with blood that he had obtained after killing the fierce spirit in the City of the Dead.

"A burial shroud..." The Demon's eyes lit up. "Tell me about it."

Xiao Chen recounted the events of that day in detail. The Demon sneered. "A burial cloth like that could be considered a sacred object? It was merely soaked in the blood of a powerful god. It is hardly a sacred object! However, what you said does remind me of something. According to some stone carvings on the island, at the very foundation of the Divine Stele that seals this land, there really is such a yin-aligned sacred object."

"What sacred object?" Yan Qingcheng asked, eager to leave this place.

"The burial shroud," the Demon replied.

"A burial shroud again? What makes it different?" Xiao Chen asked.

"It is a yin-aligned sacred object that would drive even gods mad, because its origin is too great," the Demon said slowly.

This only made Yan Qingcheng more curious. She had lost her fear of the Demon by now. "How great of an origin?"

"Legend says it is Sovereign Suiren's burial shroud." As soon as the Demon spoke these words, Xiao Chen was stunned speechless. After a long moment, he managed, "How is that possible? Has Ancestral God Suiren truly passed away?"

Yan Qingcheng also shook her head. "Impossible. Rumors say that Ancestral God Suiren appeared in the Southern Wastes of the Eternal Continent in ages past. Though he has not been seen for endless years, there is no way he is dead. No one could kill him."

The Demon shook his head. "I do not know the truth of the matter. This is only what the legends and stone carvings on Dragon Island record. However, even if Sovereign Suiren's burial shroud lies at the foot of the Divine Stele, you cannot retrieve it. I myself cannot approach that place unless a sacred artifact like the Buddha's Dharma Wheel or the Golden Divine Halberd leads the way."

At the mention of the Golden Divine Halberd, Keke's large eyes went wide. It let out a frustrated, dejected cry. It had almost had it in its grasp, but it had mysteriously vanished.

Leaving the snowy mountains, Xiao Chen, Yan Qingcheng, and the three skeletons returned to the Bone Sea. They gazed at the towering Divine Stele, utterly at a loss. There was no way to reach its foundation; the area was thick with deadly energy that ground anything physical to dust.

"Yan Qingcheng, perhaps neither of us will ever leave this island. The Demon's words cannot be trusted completely. Who knows if he can truly take us away?"

"I do not trust the Demon's words either," Yan Qingcheng replied.

"If we are trapped here forever, at least the matter of marriage can be resolved. But it would still be far too lonely!" Xiao Chen sighed.

"Go to hell!" Yan Qingcheng ignored him and walked away gracefully. Now that only the two of them remained on Dragon Island, she no longer feared being killed, only that Xiao Chen might have improper intentions.

In truth, Xiao Chen was a normal man with the seven passions and six desires. But right now, he was racking his brain for a way off Dragon Island. He was far from being as scheming as Yan Qingcheng imagined. If he had any such thoughts, it would only be after his survival was no longer in question.

King Qin Guang, King Yan Luo, and King of Samsara—the three skeletons—took things as they came, quietly cultivating near the Bone Sea. Xiao Chen spent every day exploring the area with Keke, searching for a solution. Yan Qingcheng did the same most of the time.

Half a month passed. One day, while hunting for game in the forest, Xiao Chen encountered the stubborn and proud little dragon again. As before, its body was covered in fresh wounds, though none were life-threatening this time. A short section of its horn had grown back, gleaming with a milky white light that seemed quite mystical.

Xiao Chen was surprised to notice that the little dragon's strength had grown considerably. It seemed it truly could improve through combat. Perhaps, through slow transformation, it would become stronger and stronger until it was the most powerful being beneath the Dragon Kings.

"Little Defiant Dragon, we meet again. At least you are not in too sorry a state this time." Xiao Chen took out a piece of Snow Lotus Heart and offered it to the dragon. Keke protested with a few disgruntled cries—since the dragon was not fatally wounded, there was no need to waste the delicacy it had not yet enjoyed.

The little black-brown dragon quietly ate the Snow Lotus Heart. Instead of leaving immediately, it watched the kind-hearted human and beast with curiosity. After all, Xiao Chen had saved it several times now, even if the dragon itself thought it needed no saving.

"Silly little dragon, you always end up battered from fighting. I wonder why you love fighting so much. Ah, if only you were a Dragon King! You could go to your race's sacred mountain and steal the Ancestral Dragon Horn for me... Hah, I'm just daydreaming. Even a Dragon King might not have touched that relic."

When the little black-brown dragon heard Xiao Chen mention stealing the Ancestral Dragon Horn, it immediately looked wary and stared at him as if he were a villain.

Xiao Chen was amused by the little creature's expression. This little dragon was quite intelligent and could fully understand his words. What surprised him even more was that Keke began chattering with the little dragon in a series of "ya-ya" sounds, as if they were conversing.

To his astonishment, the little black-brown dragon actually responded with a few childish cries, just like Keke's, as if answering her.

Who would have thought—the two little creatures could communicate! Xiao Chen found it incredible.

After a while, the little black-brown dragon turned and left, moving with remarkable speed—much faster than before, a testament to its increased strength.

"Keke, what did you say to it?"

"Ya-ya ya-ya..." Keke pointed toward the Bone Sea.

"You told it about our difficulties?"

"Ya-ya!" The little white beast nodded emphatically.

At sunset, Xiao Chen was roasting meat near the Bone Sea. Keke's round belly had finally shrunk a bit after so many days, and it could once again enjoy delicious food. Just then, a small dragon figure emerged from the Dead-Silent Forest. The little black-brown dragon had tracked them here and quickly appeared before Xiao Chen.

"Come, Little Defiant Dragon, let me share some food with you," Xiao Chen called out. But the next moment, he was stunned into silence. The little dragon was carrying something in its mouth. The creature was barely over a meter long, yet the object trailing behind it stretched far longer.

"No way... No way!" Xiao Chen cried out in shock.