"Celestial River Dragon King?"
The Dragon-Keeper Lord’s mind stirred slightly. He probed, "What sort of treatment does the Celestial River Dragon King receive?"
Qin Mu replied, "The same as before, except the aquatic resources in the Celestial River won’t belong to you."
The Dragon-Keeper Lord cautiously pressed on, "This so-called Celestial River—how wide is it, how long? My lord, it’s not that I don’t trust you, but after seeing Blaise Rift stuck with Hundred-Years Hill, I’m wary. My dragon body is rather large—an ordinary three- or five-li stream can’t contain me."
Qin Mu laughed, "The Celestial River is vast, of course—at least as broad as the current Yong River, and teeming with fish and shrimp. You’ll never have to worry about food."
The Dragon-Keeper Lord was overjoyed, but still uneasy. "If I can be Celestial River Dragon King, that’s wonderful. But I’m always afraid you’re tricking me. Blaise Rift’s Hundred-Years Hill..."
Qin Mu frowned, "Are you taking the position or not?"
"I’ll do it! I’ll do it!"
The Dragon-Keeper Lord made up his mind on the spot and grinned, "Staying here just means getting bullied by the Yong River demigods every day. I might as well be Celestial River Dragon King—at least I’ll have some authority! But, my lord, how do we erase Tu Bo’s Pact?"
"No need to erase Tu Bo’s Pact—just sign a supplementary small Tu Bo’s Pact."
Qin Mu showed him how to swear the oath, and the Dragon-Keeper Lord followed his instructions, sealing the Little Earth Sovereign’s Pact. After that, Qin Mu ignored him, turning his attention to Human Emperor Connor Hayes and Human Emperor Ethan Graves, guiding them to sense the power of the Celestial River and reconstruct their Seventh Divine Treasury.
The Dragon-Keeper’s massive head hovered above the Yong River for a while, watching Qin Mu busy himself without ever telling him where the Celestial River actually was. Finally, he grew impatient and laughed, “Master, where exactly is this Celestial River?”
Qin Mu still paid him no mind, but the Dragon-Qilin, ever kind-hearted, said, “Dragon-Keeper Lord, the Yong River is the Celestial River. You’re already standing in the Celestial River.”
The Dragon-Keeper Lord froze, still not understanding.
The Dragon-Qilin shook his head and sighed, “You know, for someone who pioneered the Dragon-Keeping Canon and is a master at raising dragons, you’re pure as a blank sheet when it comes to people. Yong River is the Celestial River, and the Celestial River is just Yong River after it’s unsealed. When the Cult Master saw Yong River become the Celestial River, he thought making you the Yong River Dragon King was a loss—because now all the river’s aquatic resources belong to you. There are countless treasures in these waters: dragon palaces, demigod lairs, and endless sunken artifacts from every dynasty. The Cult Master’s been heartbroken for more than a year, but thanks to Tu Bo’s Pact, he couldn’t take them back.”
The Dragon-Keeper Lord was utterly dazed, his mind a complete blank.
The nearby water-kirin looked on sympathetically and said to the Dragon King, “Master Pi’s old master is as cunning as they come—er, wise and heroic, I mean. He didn’t cancel Tu Bo’s Pact because Yong River is the Celestial River, so there’s no need. But the extra Little Earth Sovereign’s Pact? That’s precisely for reclaiming the treasures of the Celestial River. Heh, Little Earth Sovereign is downright ruthless…”
The Dragon-Keeper Lord just looked bewildered.
Qin Mu, meanwhile, was busy checking the progress of the two Human Emperors, seeing whether they could sense the power of the Celestial River—an absolutely crucial step.
Human Emperors are all extraordinary figures, unmatched for centuries. If even they can’t sense the Celestial River’s power, it’ll be even harder for lesser cultivators.