"Roooar~" The Dragon Whale struggled violently.
All four sea ships, along with Liu Tianning's three thousand clones, were dragged by the beast.
The desperate struggle of this massive creature was terrifying. A huge black cloud vortex appeared in the sky, even affecting Liu Tianning's Seasonal Qi Commands and cloud techniques.
"Release!"
Liu Tianning shouted.
"Release the chains!"
Pei Yuanchang immediately commanded the mechanics aboard the sea ships.
"Click, click, click, click~" The machinery roared to life, and the winch wheels spun rapidly, sending the chains deep into the sea.
The Dragon Whale, following its instincts, dove downward, trying to shake off its enemies.
However, the resilient vines Liu Tianning held, as well as the chains from the ships, were long enough to hold it.
Even after diving five hundred meters underwater, the whale remained tightly bound.
"Reel it in!"
At Liu Tianning's command, the tough vines and chains from the ships began to reel in, battling against the whale's immense strength.
The intense pain forced the Dragon Whale to ascend from the depths, breaching the surface once more.
"Smack!"
Its massive tail, over three hundred meters long, slapped the surface of the sea, sending massive waves crashing into Liu Tianning and the surrounding ships.
"Crack, crack, crack~"
The resilient vines, at the sixth rank, began to crack and peel under the tremendous pressure.
"This beast is incredibly strong," Xia Jing remarked as he watched the enormous creature below.
"And its life force is immense," Chen Shijie said, his eyes gleaming. "Even after taking so much damage, its vitality hasn't decreased much."
"Someone's approaching," Zhao Xing frowned, looking eastward.
At that moment, Ji Ye and Ji Chen, who had initially retreated, sailed their warships closer, evidently noticing the commotion.
With such a disturbance, there was no way they could remain ignorant.
"A Dragon Whale? Such a massive one?!" Ji Ye was astounded, his heart pounding when he saw the size of the whale.
"This is a huge opportunity. This Dragon Whale is undoubtedly the greatest fortune of the Extreme Night Sea!"
"Send the order!"
"Prepare all five warships for combat! Release all mechanical puppets and await further instructions!"
"Transmit the coordinates of the Dragon Whale. Notify all major exploration groups!"
"Master, this isn't wise," his advisor's face turned pale, fully aware of Ji Ye's intentions. "Liu Tianning may or may not kill the Dragon Whale, but he can definitely kill us."
"Do you think I'm that foolish?" Ji Ye sneered. "I'll let Liu Tianning and that giant beast fight it out. By spreading the news, I'll have a chance to reap the benefits!"
"With so many exploration groups arriving, does Liu Tianning have the power to kill them all?"
"The lure of the Dragon Whale is enormous. I refuse to believe no one will be tempted!"
"Master, perhaps two months ago, this plan might have had a chance. But now? It's unlikely. Even if the other exploration groups agree on the surface, they probably won't actually help," the advisor Zhang Wensong advised.
"No more talking. Go and carry out the plan!"
Zhang Wensong gazed at Ji Ye, disappointment flickering in his eyes.
After leaving the room, he looked up at the sky and couldn't help but shake his head.
"When Qin Chongwu and Huangfu Song were killed, he didn't dare fight. Now, for the sake of the Dragon Whale, he dares."
"Two months ago, before the six major exploration groups started supporting Liu Tianning, he didn't bother forming alliances. Now that everyone has taken their share of benefits, he suddenly wants to form alliances..."
Zhang Wensong's eyes showed a trace of disdain. "Following him will only lead to disaster."
With that thought in mind, Zhang Wensong returned to his quarters, packed up all of Ji Ye's previous rewards, even taking off his fine robes and placing them on the table.
He then flew straight toward Ji Chen's ship.
Prince Ji Chen, the thirteenth prince, had also noticed the commotion caused by the Dragon Whale. He, too, was tempted and wanted to claim a share.
However, his advisor cautioned, "Master, if you act, you might not get the Dragon Whale. Worse, you could offend Liu Tianning, the future leader of the Self School."
"So, what do you suggest I do?" Ji Chen asked.
"Help Liu Tianning," the advisor replied. "The commotion from the Dragon Whale will inevitably attract attention. Your Highness should block these nuisances for Liu Tianning."
"Whether Liu Tianning appreciates it or not, once Your Highness takes such action, he'll owe you a favor."
Ji Chen clapped his hands in agreement. "You're right. Whoever tries to attack Liu Tianning, I'll deal with them."
…
For three days and three nights, the Dragon Whale struggled while Liu Tianning and Pei Yuanchang's four ships followed its every move.
The commotion was impossible to hide from other exploration groups.
Surrounding the Dragon Whale were Liu Tianning and Pei Yuanchang's forces.
Beyond that, Ji Ye and Ji Chen's elite exploration groups were positioned.
Further out were combined forces like Xing Ming's coalition, the heir of Prince Tianjue, and Prince Liang's youngest son, Ji Dan's exploration group.
During this time, the fifth-ranked experts aboard the Myriad Tower Ship and Hailan Warship remained on high alert, ready for combat, preventing anyone from stabbing Liu Tianning in the back.
There were, indeed, attempts at betrayal. On the second night, Ji Ye's warship tried to intercept the Dragon Whale's movements.
Before anyone from the Myriad Tower Ship or Hailan Warship could act, Ji Ye's elder brother, Prince Ji Chen, stepped in to block his path.
One brother attacked, the other blocked.
Their infighting caused the other forces, hoping to fish in troubled waters, to hesitate and remain at a distance.
Finally, by the fourth day, during the Chenshi hour, the Dragon Whale's struggles weakened.
At the Wushi seventh period, the Dragon Whale ceased its resistance altogether, allowing Liu Tianning to strike and shatter its Life Soul.
Though the Dragon Whale's body wasn't dead yet, its soul had already dissipated.
"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh~"
The resilient vines retreated from the Dragon Whale, returning to Liu Tianning's body.
At this point, the other forces, realizing the opportunity for interference was gone, gave up their plans to take advantage of the situation.
"Zhao Xing, come over here."
Liu Tianning, standing atop the whale's back, waved Zhao Xing over.
"Yes, Master."
Zhao Xing flew over to the Dragon Whale.
As for the others, they remained on the ship, waiting patiently. Since Liu Tianning hadn't summoned them, they had no choice but to stay put.
"Master, is it dead?"
"More or less, but the life essence remains," Liu Tianning smiled. "I never expected that after consuming so many treasures, I'd come across this Dragon Whale, which defies the natural order."
Liu Tianning extended a finger.
"Whoosh~"
A golden glow suddenly appeared on the whale's back.
"Thump, thump~"
The golden light pulsed rhythmically.
It was the Dragon Whale's Heart!
Zhao Xing resisted the urge to rush forward and instead stood still, gazing at the heart.
The Dragon Whale's Heart was massive. Even the largest cabin on the Bloodshadow Airship couldn't contain it.
This part of the whale was also the most concentrated in Fortune Energy.
"The Dragon Whale's Heart, its fins, and its flesh are all incredibly nourishing," Liu Tianning remarked. "But for you and me, only the Fortune Energy within the heart is useful."
Liu Tianning gestured toward the heart, creating a small rupture, from which golden blood began to flow.
"Glug, glug~" A fist-sized orb of golden blood floated before Zhao Xing. "Consume as much as you can."
"Thank you, Master." Zhao Xing didn't hesitate. He opened his mouth and absorbed the golden blood into his body.
"Thump, thump~ Thump, thump~"
As the golden blood entered him, Zhao Xing felt his heart begin to beat rapidly.
His body swelled, and a golden aura, mirroring his form but ten times larger, appeared around him like a giant.
Threads of energy swirled around him, and upon closer inspection, these threads were shaped like the Dragon Whale.
Unlike the bloated appearance of Long Xiao and Xia Jing, Zhao Xing's expansion represented an increase in vitality.
Human lifespans had natural limits—part of the world's constraints on different races.
Even at the same rank, humans couldn't match the lifespan of spirit turtles, restricted by the essence of their life force.
Now, with the surge in Fortune Energy, that barrier had been broken, and Zhao Xing's lifespan limit was raised!
"A life force phenomenon," Liu Tianning observed. He, too, consumed a portion of the golden blood.
However, Liu Tianning's golden aura was fainter, as he absorbed it faster. In just a moment, the golden aura had integrated into his body.
Liu Tianning proceeded to consume his second orb of golden blood, while Zhao Xing continued digesting the first.
By the time Liu Tianning had consumed his fourth, Zhao Xing's golden aura had finally faded, and he began absorbing his second orb of blood.
The master and disciple stood atop the whale, quietly absorbing the Fortune Energy.
Liu Tianning stopped after consuming ten orbs of blood.
He then looked up at the sky, seemingly deep in thought.
…
Zhao Xing's absorption process was slower, but he too consumed ten orbs of golden blood.
As the golden aura dissipated, Zhao Xing stood, stunned.
"Did the Fortune Energy from this Dragon Whale really grant me an additional 200 years of life?"
He glanced at the display on his interface.
[You have consumed the Fortune Energy of heaven and earth. Heaven has granted you 200 extra years of life.]
[You have consumed the Fortune Energy of heaven and earth and gained knowledge of your destiny.]
The interface had also updated:
[Remaining Lifespan: 478 years]
Zhao Xing stared at the interface, lost in thought.
"The sixth rank typically allows a lifespan of three hundred years. My additional lifespan had previously increased to 178 years and hadn't moved since. Normally, this would mean that without any cultivation, promotions, or lifespan-extending treasures, I would have a natural lifespan of 122 years."
"Adding the kingdom's lifespan-boosting Fortune Energy and other enhancements brought my lifespan to exactly 300 years, aligning with the theoretical maximum for the sixth rank."
"But now, at 22 years old, I have 478 years remaining to live."
"This means my maximum lifespan now rivals that of a fourth-ranked official."
"Does this imply that when I reach the first rank, I could break the 800-year lifespan limit for officials?"
Zhao Xing pondered.
In theory, this limit had only been broken during Emperor Wu's era.
However, in a world as vast as this one, full of the extraordinary, with cave-heaven expansions rare even across millennia, perhaps he had indeed already broken that 800-year limit.
"Master Liu also consumed ten portions," Zhao Xing surmised. "If my guess is correct, he should be the same."
Verifying this was simple enough.
If, upon his promotion to the fifth rank, Zhao Xing's lifespan continued to increase during the kingdom's Fortune Energy ritual, then it would mean the theoretical lifespan limit had been broken.
If, upon reaching the fifth and fourth ranks, there was no further increase, it would suggest that while the lifespan limit had not been exceeded, he had nonetheless gained the lifespan of a fourth-rank official within the Ten Sun Cave-Heaven.
Having the lifespan of a fourth-rank official while still at the sixth rank was an advantage—he could live for five hundred years even without further promotion.
Notably, Pei Yuanchang, a fourth-rank official, theoretically only had a five-hundred-year lifespan, and likely wouldn't live to his full potential.
"It should be that the limit was indeed broken, which is why the system recorded it as 'Heaven has granted you longevity.'"
"With this, the next lifespan bottleneck for officials is a thousand years."
After reflecting for a while, Zhao Xing looked up.
The Dragon Whale's Heart continued to emit golden light, with Liu Tianning and Zhao Xing having consumed only half of it.
"The Dragon Whale's Bone Marrow will still benefit you," Liu Tianning said as he turned around. "You have two more hours to consume it."
"Master, what do you mean?" Zhao Xing asked, puzzled.
Liu Tianning gestured toward the Dragon Whale's Heart and said, "I told you earlier, I've already consumed nearly every lifespan-extending treasure available to me at the fifth rank."
"Now, the fact that I'm still able to absorb the Fortune Energy from this Dragon Whale's Heart means my lifespan limit has been broken."
"This is a matter of great importance, and I've already reported it to Lord Luohou. Soon, a king will arrive to handle the Dragon Whale."
"So, you must hurry."
Upon hearing this, Zhao Xing immediately began absorbing the Dragon Whale's marrow.
Liu Tianning's three thousand clones had already divided the whale into several parts.
All Zhao Xing had to do now was consume the prepared portions.
The Dragon Whale's Marrow.
Zhao Xing picked up a large piece of Dragon Whale bone and began to suck out the marrow.
Heat—a searing sensation—spread throughout his body, as if he had been thrown into a furnace.
His skin, flesh, meridians, and bones were all infused with a layer of gold.
"Ah—" Zhao Xing fell to his knees, a look of pain on his face.
The Dragon Whale's Marrow contained Essence Energy, its effect being to strengthen the body!
This Dragon Whale truly was a treasure trove.
"Huff, huff…"
An hour later.
Zhao Xing gasped for air, drenched in sweat.
By now, his skeletal structure emitted a golden glow.
[You have consumed the Dragon Whale's bone marrow. Your physique has undergone a transformation, advancing from 'Initial Gold Bone' to 'Gold Bone Perfection'!]
"Huh?" Zhao Xing was taken aback.
The Dragon Whale's marrow had directly elevated his physical body to the Gold Bone Perfection level.
Grabbing a piece of bone in his hand, Zhao Xing exerted a slight force.
"Crack!"
The once indestructible Dragon Whale bone, which had required divine weapons to break, was now crushed effortlessly in his grip.
Staring at his hand, Zhao Xing fell into deep thought.
His physical strength had multiplied many times over.
Moreover, there was a newfound sense of lightness in his sea of consciousness.
"My Life Soul now feels comfortable, no longer constrained, as my physical body strengthens."
A stronger physical body was undoubtedly a good thing.
If someone got close enough in battle, he wouldn't die from a single blow. His vitality had become far more resilient.
When he eventually reached the Essence Soul realm, the process would be much smoother.
"If I encounter forbidden spells or extreme environments, having this Gold Bone physique, combined with a bit of martial arts, will significantly improve my survival odds."
With nothing more to consume, the remaining parts of the Dragon Whale no longer held any use for Zhao Xing.
Unless he could break through his current realm.
By the time he had finished consuming the Dragon Whale's bone marrow, two hours had passed.
…
Two hours later, a Golden Dragon Warship appeared over the Extreme Night Sea.
The ship bore a banner emblazoned with a bow and arrow, radiating a faint golden light.
"Lord Luohou's warship?"
"Why is he here?"
The various factions in the Extreme Night Sea were shocked.
Since the explosion of spiritual energy in the Ten Sun Cave-Heaven, this was the first time the three kings had appeared publicly.
The Golden Dragon Warship flew beside the Myriad Tower Ship.
"Swish~"
Three shadows descended onto the Dragon Whale's back.
They were none other than King Tianyan, Lord Luohou, and Lord Lingde.
"Your subordinate, Zhao Xing, greets Lord Luohou, King Tianyan, and Lord Lingde."
"At ease," Lord Luohou said with a nod.
The three kings scanned the Dragon Whale, particularly focusing on its golden heart.
"What do you think?" Lord Luohou asked King Tianyan.
"It's certainly extraordinary," King Tianyan nodded. "It appears the whale has absorbed so much spiritual energy that it has undergone a qualitative transformation."
"Liu Tianning, take your disciple and return to the ship," Lord Luohou instructed.
"Yes," Liu Tianning immediately took Zhao Xing and flew back to the Myriad Tower Ship.
The three kings then sealed the surrounding space.
Banners appeared, falling over the Dragon Whale like a celestial curtain, hiding it from view.
…
Four hours later, the barrier dissipated.
The Dragon Whale's Heart had vanished, taken to an unknown location.
The three kings offered no explanation and returned to the Golden Dragon Warship, leaving the Extreme Night Sea.
Zhao Xing watched the departing warship, deep in thought.
The spiritual treasures of the Extreme Night Sea became useless outside its boundaries, but that depended on who was handling them.
Clearly, the three kings had used special methods to take the heart with them.
"In my past life, I never heard of a Dragon Whale. It seems the kings dealt with it and sealed the truth," Zhao Xing speculated.
However, Lord Luohou and the others only took the heart, leaving the rest behind.
Liu Tianning and Pei Yuanchang spent three more days cutting the valuable parts from the Dragon Whale.
Everyone aboard the Myriad Tower Ship also received a share of the whale's meat.
Though its quality didn't match the heart, it was still highly coveted by fifth-ranked experts.
The Dragon Whale's Marrow, in particular, could significantly enhance physical strength, greatly aiding in the advancement to the fourth rank.
Chen Shijie, Xia Jing, Long Xiao, Ji Ziyun, Murong Xue, Ji Zixuan, Liu Cheng'an, Wu Zhengting… everyone in Liu Tianning's exploration group received their portion.
Within days, many had overaccumulated essence, turning into 'fat men'.
Even the mountain cat was bloated, its belly round and body swollen.
"It's time to go back."
Standing aboard the Myriad Tower Ship, Zhao Xing glanced at the crowd below, distributing the whale's meat, and then checked the calendar.
Today was already July 2nd!
"At this point, I have nothing left to seek in the Ten Sun Cave-Heaven. Even if there's some leftover spiritual energy, it's insignificant," Zhao Xing thought.
"I might as well take this time to refine my techniques and absorb the essence I've gained."
The Ten Suns Rising would occur at the end of August, but Zhao Xing decided to stop his pursuits in early July.
His harvest had exceeded expectations, and it was time to pull back.
No one could predict whether unforeseen events would occur, or if the Ten Suns Rising would happen earlier.
On July 3rd, Zhao Xing returned to Yang City aboard the Myriad Tower Ship, following Liu Tianning.
With less than two months until the Ten Suns Rising, he arrived back at the Eighteen Locust Willow Courtyard and entered a meditative dream state to reflect on his three-month-long exploration, ensuring nothing was overlooked.
Entering the memory palace of his dreams, Zhao Xing recalled the 'Heavenly Gate Calculation', and his expression changed.
This time, he actively reviewed the memory and recalled the sealed knowledge.
"The Ten Suns Rising is linked to the Xuantian Sect? It might even involve Prince Liang?" Zhao Xing pondered.
He had originally sealed this memory because his physical state was too weak to handle it.
But now, knowing Liu Tianning's strength and realizing that his master's patron was Lord Luohou, he began to entertain other possibilities.
"The Xuantian Sect and the Ten Suns Rising…" Zhao Xing continued to contemplate.