An Invitation to the Ten Thousand Dragon Pavilion

The structure of the Sacred Heaven Dragon Palace was simple. The inner palace, also known as the Inner Court, resided within a separate, secret pocket realm, while everything else was designated as the Outer Court. Yet, not all parts of the Outer Court were created equal.

Once, a long time ago, an unknown pioneer ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠from the Outer Court organized a gathering. The purpose of this group was for the Outer Court clansmen to cooperate and seek mutual benefit. By human standards, such an alliance was nothing extraordinary, but for the arrogant dragon race, it was a revolutionary shift. The only reason they could organize such a group and show interest in it was precisely because they belonged to the Outer Court.

They were no fools. Though they were called clansmen, they knew all too well that they were treated as cold leftovers. Awakening to this harsh reality, they naturally began to band together for the sake of progress and survival. After the first gathering was established, others cropped up like bamboo shoots after a spring rain. Over the long passage of time, countless groups rose and fell, and through this cycle of elimination, only the truly reputable ones endured.

Jekyeong had previously heard about these Outer Court gatherings from Song Gwan, and he learned that there was one such group formed by the local Outer Court clansmen in this vicinity. Of course, "vicinity" in this context referred to a vast region spanning dozens of cultivation worlds, including Yangseo Lake.

"Since your entry into the palace is already known, Fellow Daoist, they will likely contact you first if you wait. However, if you are interested in their gathering, it wouldn't be a bad idea to initiate contact yourself."

Jekyeong was naturally intrigued and intended to reach out first, just as suggested. The one who came to his mind was an earth dragon said to reside in Muryangae. However, when he brought this up, Song Gwan only offered an awkward smile.

"I would not recommend... contacting that fellow."

"And why is that?"

"Because Senior Sobyeok does not get along with him. Since you entered the palace under Senior Sobyeok's recommendation, Fellow Daoist..."

Song Gwan tried to put it delicately, but Jekyeong understood instantly. He could easily guess the truth hidden behind the euphemism of "not getting along." If it were a trivial matter, Song Gwan wouldn't have beaten around the bush so ambiguously; their conflict was undoubtedly severe enough to draw blood.

"I understand."

Jekyeong dropped the matter cleanly and decided to wait for them to seek him out. And now, that moment had arrived.

"Fellow Daoist Jekyeong! Byeokpa has traveled from afar to seek you!"

A booming voice reverberated through the air, carrying a formidable dragon aura. Everyone except Jekyeong cowered at the sheer weight of that single shout.

How noisy, Jekyeong thought.

He detected an underlying intent to test him within that confident voice.

"A guest has arrived."

Releasing the aura he usually kept strictly suppressed, Jekyeong slowly ascended into the sky. Soon, two Gyoryong faced each other in the heavens.

While the other party sized him up, Jekyeong also examined the blue Gyoryong who had introduced himself as Byeokpa. His body was about two-thirds the size of Jekyeong's, and the aura radiating from him was slightly more intense than that of the Jansu Whale King. While raw aura was not everything, the way he perfectly controlled his monster power was certainly more impressive than the Whale King.

"May I address you as Fellow Daoist Byeokpa?"

Although there was a clear difference in their cultivation realms, Jekyeong ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠did not falter. Nor did the other party find Jekyeong's composure strange. Though Jekyeong's cultivation stage was lower, his monster power was controlled with equal perfection, and his presence was in no way inferior. This proved an extraordinary nature that could not be measured by mere cultivation levels.

And above all, he knew that Jekyeong possessed a Sealed Title. The Black Flood Dragon of Yangseo. Though it was a rather plain and uninspired title, a Sealed Title was still a Sealed Title. It meant Jekyeong's status was not as simple as it appeared on the surface. That was why, upon his arrival, he had made his stance clear by addressing Jekyeong as "Fellow Daoist."

"Indeed. You may call me that."

"Since you seem to already know of me, I shall skip the introductions, Fellow Daoist Byeokpa. Let us go inside and speak."

Byeokpa quietly stole another glance at Jekyeong's massive frame, which far exceeded his own, before following him into the Black Cult Palace. Looking around the palace, which felt modest to the point of being shabby, he fell into a brief silence before finally managing to speak.

"This is a fine place."

From that single remark, Jekyeong realized that Byeokpa was not a silver-tongued orator, and that he had come with genuine goodwill.

"Fellow Daoist Byeokpa. You have traveled a long way. What business brings you to seek me out?"

"I have come to invite you to our gathering, the Ten Thousand Dragon Pavilion."

Byeokpa lightly waved a three-clawed forepaw, causing a large wooden slip to float into the air. It drifted slowly toward Jekyeong and unfurled, allowing him to immediately read the contents written upon it.

"What is the purpose of the Ten Thousand Dragon Pavilion?"

"Everything," Byeokpa replied with emphasis. "Necessary resources, cooperation, and even simple socializing. It is, quite literally, a gathering for everything."

Having said that, he quickly added, "There is no coercion, so you can rest easy on that front. There are some who have registered their names but haven't shown their faces for hundreds of years."

Byeokpa was not particularly pushy. At least, that was how it appeared on the surface, which was exactly what he intended.

This one seems a bit different, but in the end, nature cannot be defied.

He had seen countless of his own kind. No matter their bloodline or cultivation level, they all shared one common trait: arrogance. Every single one of them was arrogant. Some flaunted it openly, while others hid it deep within, but in the end, that sky-high pride would always manifest in one way or another.

When dealing with such individuals, the more eagerly one approached them, the easier it was to lose ground. There were plenty of fools who mistook an invitation for a plea. Therefore, he maintained as indifferent an attitude as possible when delivering invitations, just as he was doing now. He cast his line casually, as if to say, It would be nice if you came, but it doesn't matter if you don't. This would bruise their pride slightly, but at the same time, it forced them to assess the reality of the situation objectively.

Byeokpa was not lying. In his view, their gathering truly offered only benefits with no drawbacks. Since he had no intention of deceiving the other party and was merely recommending something beneficial, his conscience was clear, and this confidence was reflected in his demeanor.

"Hearing your words, it seems I have nothing to lose."

"Precisely." Byeokpa's tone softened. Conversations are always best with intelligent fellows. They understand immediately without me having to waste my breath.

"When is the next gathering?"

"In four years."

"Perfect."

A warm and friendly conversation ensued. Jekyeong asked most of the questions, and Byeokpa answered, with the majority of their discussion revolving around the details of the gathering.

"An exchange market is held at every meeting of the Ten Thousand Dragon Pavilion. Transactions can be made with spirit stones, but bartering is also common. Sometimes, certain individuals will only trade for specific items."

Listening to Byeokpa, Jekyeong's anticipation for the Ten Thousand Dragon Pavilion grew. In particular, when he heard about the various rare spiritual treasures traded during the last gathering, his heart couldn't help but stir.

The only question is whether I can afford them. Jekyeong inwardly smacked his lips.

Although the next gathering was four years away, four years was far too short a time for a Core Formation cultivator's pockets to recover. No matter how much he pressured his subordinates in the Human Territory, expanded his domain, or plundered the Great Yao to amass resources, there was no guarantee it would be enough to spend at the gathering.

As expected, it would be better to focus on the Grotto-heaven.

Jekyeong recalled the thousand-year-old spiritual herb he had harvested earlier. Although he had not yet identified exactly what it was or what effects it possessed, he had a strong premonition, bordering on certainty, that its value was by no means low. If there were more such items in the Grotto-heaven... devoting his efforts to excavating them would be far more lucrative than struggling in the outside world.

With this added motivation, Jekyeong's enthusiasm for expanding the Grotto-heaven grew even stronger. He poured his monster power into the Grotto-heaven until his mental energy was completely depleted, and under his efforts, the pocket dimension, which had been stained by the darkness of ages, slowly began to regain its original luster.

When a full half-year had passed, Jekyeong had gained complete control over about a third of the Grotto-heaven. In the process, he acquired several extraordinary-looking items: mysterious spiritual herbs and ores, wooden slips containing secret techniques, and even a deactivated formation array.

He handed the formation array over to Hyeongu to study, and decided to take his time researching the secret techniques on the wooden slips. As for the spiritual herbs and ores, including those he had obtained previously, he decided to inquire about them all at once.

Bul-mang-won.

Jekyeong sought out Jang Hu-am.

"Hmm. I cannot say for certain, but this appears to be Night-Accumulating Herb, and this one seems to be Tears of Ten Thousand Mice. As for the rest..."

Looking at the spiritual treasures projected vividly from Jekyeong's memories, Jang Hu-am named a few more. Some were spoken ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠with confidence, while others trailed off into mere speculation.

Rather than just borrowing his expertise, Jekyeong revealed the origin of these items. Since the Yeongbu Merchant Alliance was the most convenient partner to trade such goods with anyway, there was no need to hide it.

"A Grotto-heaven sealed for thousands of years... Does that mean the medicinal age of these spiritual herbs is thousands of years? No, wait, since the Grotto-heaven itself was sealed for thousands of years, we cannot simply calculate it that way."

Jang Hu-am's excitement was palpable. He was a Core Formation cultivator, but he was also a merchant. When presented with valuable items, it was a merchant's instinct to estimate their worth and calculate the potential profit.

"These spiritual herbs are highly likely to have mutated. Their general effects might be similar to the originals, but even that cannot be said for certain."

After muttering to himself for a while, Jang Hu-am seemed to organize his thoughts and looked back at Jekyeong.

"I doubt you showed me these items merely to ask for an appraisal, Fellow Daoist. Am I correct?"

"Given the friendship between us, I simply wanted to show you first. Since I intend to dispose of them anyway, I wanted to give you the first opportunity if you were interested, Fellow Daoist."

"Haha. Even if you put it that way, business is business. I am a merchant, after all."

"Indeed, you are a merchant, Fellow Daoist. Not a swindler."

"Hmm. May I take that as a compliment?"

"Of course. I do not ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠associate with swindlers."

Having finished their light sparring, they began to discuss the price in earnest.

"Night-Accumulating Herb helps harmonize the spirit and the flesh, while Tears of Ten Thousand Mice helps strengthen a cultivator's soul. Both can be used as ingredients for Rank 3 spiritual pills, and they can be considered decent cultivation treasures. Their base value is not that high, but considering their age, it would not be an exaggeration to say they are worth dozens of times their original price. However, as you know, Fellow Daoist, the age of these herbs cannot be calculated so simply."

Jekyeong's spiritual herbs had not grown in a normal environment, absorbing spiritual energy over thousands of years. Therefore, their age could not be used as a standard for valuation, and since mutations had to be taken into account, determining their price was extremely difficult. Furthermore, they could not even examine the physical items in person right now.

To conduct a transaction under these circumstances, there were only two methods. One was for Jekyeong to send the spiritual herbs to Jang Hu-am one by one so he could inspect them directly, and the other was to take a gamble right here.

Anyone with a normal mindset would choose the former. Since they shared a certain level of mutual trust, choosing the former would allow them to trade without taking unnecessary risks, ensuring neither side suffered a loss.

However, neither of them was an ordinary cultivator. This rare merchandise and unusual situation provided them with no small amount of excitement, and their desire to maximize profit was far stronger than their fear of taking a loss.

"It seems we are thinking along the same lines. Am I right?" Jang Hu-am said with a smile.

"Perhaps."

"Then let us discuss it."

Having reached a mutual understanding, the bargaining began immediately. It was a negotiation that pitted their discernment and courage against each other.