Chapter 102: The Reflective Treasure Mirror

Deep within the secret chamber beneath the Dragon King’s rear palace, Ao Bei descended one thousand one hundred and eleven steps, only to be met by a dark, ancient door blocking the path ahead. Even amidst the pitch-black darkness where one could not see a hand before their face, this jet-black door was clearly visible. It embodied an absolute, transcendent darkness, akin to the principle of yin and yang—when darkness reaches its ultimate extreme, it transforms into light.

This utterly black door evoked feelings of vastness, antiquity, grandeur, and majesty. An aura of primeval desolation, tracing back to the dawn of time, clung deeply and restrained within it. Countless runes were inscribed upon the door—authentic symbols of the dragon clan’s heritage, pointing directly to the supreme treasures of the Dao.

“The ancient ancestral Dragon King was truly a peerless powerhouse, a master who penetrated the primal chaos. This Dragon Gate before me, incomprehensible to the uninitiated, would pulverize even a peak True Immortal of the Great Luo realm into dust upon contact, erasing both form and spirit. Even an early-stage Semi-Saint of great power would suffer grievous injury if careless—a terrifying thing indeed. And this is only the first layer of the Dragon Gate; there are eight more below, each one doubling the power of the previous. I dare not imagine the immense might of the final layer, nor the level of cultivation the ancient ancestral Dragon King must have attained.” Ao Bei had seen this pitch-black Dragon Gate before, but each time, he could only sigh in awe, feeling as if traversing a dream bridging ancient and modern times.

The dragon clan’s origins trace back to ancient times, founded by the two brothers Ancestral Dragon and Murky Dragon, who sought dominion over the primordial wilderness. The Four Seas Ocean was their stronghold, with the Crystal Palace of the Four Seas as the heart of dragon royalty. Yet few knew that beneath the Dragon King’s rear palace in the Four Seas Crystal Palace lay a secret chamber guarded by nine layers of Dragon Gates, arranged by the ancestral dragons. Starting from the first step, one thousand one hundred and eleven steps formed each floor, with a Dragon Gate standing as a barrier at each level—a total of nine thousand nine hundred ninety-nine steps and nine Dragon Gates. Only by passing through all nine layers could one enter the inner sanctum of the secret chamber, where the dragon clan’s most precious and hidden treasures lay.

Among the Four Seas dragon clans, status varied. The most exalted was the East Sea dragons. In ancient times, the Ancestral Dragon was the first East Sea Dragon King, ruling over the entire dragon race with absolute authority. However, since the decline of the three clans, the Ancestral Dragon perished, Murky Dragon remained absent, and the power structure of the Four Seas shifted slightly. The East Sea Dragon King now ranked beneath the dragon ancestor Murky Dragon, who served as the clan’s supreme figure. The East Sea Dragon King could decide minor affairs independently, but major matters required Murky Dragon’s judgment.

Below the East Sea dragon clan were the South Sea dragons, then the West Sea dragons, and finally the North Sea dragons. This hierarchy affected not only the relative strength of the dragon kings and their armies—from mighty generals down to countless sea creatures—but also influenced the quality of equipment, the opulence of dragon palaces, secret treasures, and the prosperity of their respective territories.

The nine-layer Dragon Gate of the North Sea was also an ancestral dragon masterpiece like those of the other seas, but its power was the weakest. The precise reason was unknown, though rare and secret rumors within the dragon clan suggested it was linked to the clan’s fate.

“Pfft, pfft, pfft!” Facing the first layer of the North Sea Dragon Gate, Ao Bei gathered himself, bit his tongue, and spat out three mouthfuls of his life essence mixed with the abundant power of a true dragon. The golden-yellow vital blood spilled forth, leaving his face pale as paper and his aura greatly diminished—clearly a heavy toll.

Boom! Bang! The three mouthfuls of life essence struck the center of the Dragon Gate simultaneously. With a muffled sound, the center of the gate turned intangible, allowing space for a single person to pass through. Over time, the intangible section was gradually consumed by the surrounding solid matter, restoring the gate to its original state after about a quarter of an hour.

Ao Bei did not dare delay. Upon seeing the center of the Dragon Gate become intangible, he immediately slipped through, descending to step one thousand one hundred twelve.

“Sigh! The dragon ancestor sure knows how to make things difficult! Only life essence from a true dragon cultivated beyond the sixth level of the ‘Nine Dragons Transformation’ can open the Dragon Gate once. It’s like risking one’s life! It must never be done frequently, or even ten lives wouldn’t suffice. Each opening consumes three mouthfuls of life essence, and with nine layers, that’s twenty-seven mouthfuls. Going in and out means fifty-four mouthfuls! Even with a true dragon’s exceptional constitution, that’s an unbearable strain!”

The ancestral dragon did not want later generations to become overly reliant on the treasures stored within the secret chambers. Out of caution, the rule was that no item could be taken from the chamber unless at a moment of utmost crisis for the dragon clan. The Four Seas secret chambers were the lifeblood of the clan, containing great secrets about its rise and fall. No accidents could be allowed.

***

Third Dragon Gate!
Fourth Dragon Gate!
Fifth Dragon Gate!
...

Ao Bei passed through layer after layer of Dragon Gates smoothly, but his injuries deepened. By the time he reached the ninth gate, he was gasping for breath, having expended twenty-four mouthfuls of life essence—his internal injuries were substantial.

“One last Dragon Gate remains. After uncovering the clues about who killed Fei’er and Yun’er, I’ll use the North Sea Dragon Vein to heal. But I can’t hide this for long; I must seize that ancestral dragon treasure swiftly. Otherwise, the ten elders won’t give up such a golden opportunity easily, and it’ll be much harder to take the treasure.” Ao Bei thought to himself. Among the North Sea dragons, his cultivation was not the highest. Among the ten elders, several rivaled or even surpassed him. His status as a Dragon King of the North Sea alone was insufficient to compel the elders to abandon the ancestral treasure’s lure. His only advantage was his head start. If he played his cards well, his chances of claiming the ancestral treasure were very high.

Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!
Boom! Bang!

Under Ao Bei’s three mouthfuls of life essence, the last Dragon Gate’s center became intangible, revealing the secret chamber’s inner sanctum. A misty glow filled the air, treasures radiating brilliance, suffused with an array of colors—red, green, blue, purple—every hue imaginable.

Passing through the ninth Dragon Gate, Ao Bei’s eyes beheld countless rare treasures: ancient books, miraculous pills, magical artifacts, divine weapons—both orthodox Daoist and demonic relics could be found.

Within a space of several hundred square meters were ten tables arranged vertically across nine levels. Each level held one or a few items. Yet, the runic light flowing over the tables clearly indicated protective seals. Each item had a corresponding seal, and though distinct, these seals were interconnected—disturbing one would trigger the combined counterattack of all.

“I really don’t want to be here! Every time I come, I’m tempted. I wonder what the ancestors were thinking when they decreed that none of these items could be removed unless the dragon clan faced extinction. If all these treasures were brought out, even if we’re weaker than the witch clan now, we could multiply our strength many times over! Back then, the witch clan wouldn’t have dared to underestimate us; we might have even vied for the role of protagonist in the primordial age. Now, I have to expend so much effort just to investigate these clues. Sigh! But it’s worth it. After this, I’ll possess a spiritual treasure of the dragon ancestor.” Thinking of the bright future ahead, Ao Bei felt a surge of excitement, almost as if he had already claimed his elder brother’s position as East Sea Dragon King and become the clan’s second-in-command.

With practiced ease, he approached one of the tables, his hands weaving formations that emitted flickers of spiritual light. Upon reaching the table, the formations ceased, and the protective seal on one item dissipated temporarily. However, this was only momentary—the seals would regenerate unless the table was destroyed, for the seals were eternal.

With the barrier removed, Ao Bei smoothly took an item from the third level of the table.

He examined it closely: an ancient bronze mirror, palm-sized. One side depicted a star cloud map moving in the natural order; the other side showed the star cloud map reversed. The intensely black stars matched the source of the nine-layer Dragon Gate’s runes.

“A creation of Murky Dragon, it must be exquisite! This high-grade postnatal spiritual treasure cannot attack or defend, but its power is truly extraordinary—it can reverse time! With just a trace of a person’s aura, it can rewind events from the past ten days. If the user’s cultivation surpasses the person whose aura is traced, they can even predict the future. I just hope the killer of Fei’er and Yun’er isn’t stronger than me; otherwise, this will be a serious problem.”

The mirror in Ao Bei’s hand was indeed a high-grade postnatal spiritual treasure forged by Murky Dragon. Though it lacked offensive or defensive capabilities, it allowed the user to trace back time by detecting a single strand of aura and viewing events within the last ten days. If someone had murdered the aura’s owner, and the user’s cultivation exceeded that of the killer, the mirror could even deduce the assailant’s future—details depending on the strength difference between both parties. If the disparity was too great, the mirror would be unnecessary; Ao Bei could simply divine the truth.

Tracing a finger over the reversed star cloud map, thousands of jet-black stars seemed to come alive, tracing mysterious celestial trajectories. The patterns were obscure and inscrutable.

Once the star map formed, Ao Bei released two strands of aura—those of Ao Fei and Ao Yun. Their true spirit tokens were still within the North Sea, and despite their forms having been destroyed, a trace of aura remained accessible to Ao Bei.

The two auras flowed into the star map like stones dropped into water, rippling outward and conjuring images that replayed the moments before Ao Fei and Ao Yun’s dispute.

The scenes unfolded vividly: the pursuit of Ao Fei—Qingxu’s intervention—fratricidal conflict—the brothers turning weapons on one another.

One scene after another surfaced before Ao Bei’s eyes.

Quietly watching the entire process, Ao Bei’s heart remained unsettled. The pain of fraternal strife, the complicated emotions stirred by Ao Yun’s words...

After a long moment, Ao Bei touched his cheek, feeling it wet. Unnoticed, tears had already streamed down his face.

“Sigh.” The once ruthless Ao Bei seemed to have aged many years in that moment, a flicker of regret and inner conflict stirring within him.

Could an ancestral dragon treasure truly equal the bond of kinship?

If given the choice again, he did not know what he would decide.

“But there’s no time for sorrow now. Fei’er and Yun’er are dead; their deaths cannot be in vain. I must obtain the ancestral dragon treasure.” Ao Bei firmly resolved. His eyes now fixed on the twelve Sea Stabilizing Pearls in Qingxu’s possession—he was determined to seize them at all costs.