I will savor it well on your behalf

The two guards froze completely when they saw the half-step Imperial Weapon Qin Hao pulled out.

Half-step... Imperial Weapon?

They even doubted their own eyes.

They were just gatekeepers, their cultivation only at the early Immortal stage.

Normally, they were lucky just to get their hands on low-grade Immortal artifacts. But a half-step Imperial Weapon—this was a treasure even top-tier Immortal Kings would fight over.

“M-Master, did you say what I think you said? This... this is really for us?”

The guard’s throat bobbed nervously, his voice cracking.

Qin Hao’s tone was calm, as if he were handing out cabbages:

“Take it. A half-step Imperial Weapon—more than enough for you.”

The two guards trembled as they reached out to take the weapon from Qin Hao’s hand.

“Thud!”

Both guards knelt down at once, their voices trembling:

“Thank you, Master, for your generosity! Thank you, Master!”

“Please wait a moment, Master. We’ll open the barrier for you right away.”

Hearing this, Qin Hao raised an eyebrow:

“That’s not right. Didn’t you just say you needed the permission of the Immortal Court? So why now...?”

The two guards kowtowed eagerly:

“Master, you’re different. Everyone knows the Empress of the Immortal Court is the wife of the Imperial Son.”

“Besides, we don’t want to waste your time. Rest assured, we’ll handle all the formalities with the Immortal Court for you!”

Qin Hao’s mouth twitched involuntarily. Watching these two guards flip-flop faster than turning pages, he suddenly felt like he had given away his Imperial Weapon for too little.

He shook his head helplessly and nodded in approval of their actions. He didn’t want to waste time waiting for others.

With the Imperial Weapon in hand, the two guards were full of energy. They turned and began operating at the entrance of the secret realm.

Before long, the barrier of the secret realm opened, creating a narrow passage.

“Master, please proceed!”

As soon as the barrier opened, Qin Hao caught a faint scent of dragon musk.

This fragrance resonated subtly with the ancient Dragon Emperor bloodline within him.

Qin Hao’s eyes brightened as he strode forward.

Ah Long and Ah Hu flanked him on either side.

No sooner had the three entered than a horde of ferocious beasts charged at them.

“Annoying!” Qin Hao muttered softly.

Ah Long and Ah Hu immediately understood—it was their time to shine.

Both of them radiated the oppressive aura of half-step Immortal Kings. The restless beasts in the passage were suppressed under their might.

A large group of beasts that tried to rush forward sensed the terrifying aura emanating from the two and turned tail in retreat.

With the beasts cleared, Qin Hao quickly reached the deepest part of the secret realm.

There, at the heart of the realm, lay a dragon’s nest. Suspended in the center was a golden glow.

Within the glow floated a golden crystal the size of a fist, shaped like a kidney.

Countless intricate dragon patterns swirled across its surface.

With every rotation, a dense, suffocating aura of vital energy radiated outward.

“This is the Kidney Essence of the Ancient Dragon Emperor!”

Qin Hao’s eyes lit up. Just as he reached out to touch it—

The kidney-shaped crystal suddenly shot into his waist, actively beginning to merge with him.

“Haha, it seems the Ancient Dragon Emperor bloodline within me has a natural affinity for it. I barely did anything, and it started to merge with me on its own!”

With that thought, Qin Hao immediately took out Xiao Dingtian’s Twin Pupils. He intended to simultaneously refine the Kidney Essence and the Twin Pupils here.

Qin Hao sat cross-legged, holding the Twin Pupils in his left hand, while his right hand pressed against the Kidney Essence fusing within his waist and abdomen.

Closing his eyes and focusing his mind, Qin Hao began the simultaneous refinement of these two treasures.

The fusion of the Kidney Essence went far more smoothly than Qin Hao had expected. The Ancient Dragon Emperor bloodline inside him was like a slumbering giant dragon awakening.

It greedily absorbed the vital energy and blood essence contained within the Kidney Essence.

This overwhelming sensation made every pore on Qin Hao’s body feel stretched and refreshed.

Just as Qin Hao was about to enter his consciousness fully and guide the power of the Kidney Essence to merge completely with his own bloodline, a chilling thought suddenly exploded in his mind.

“Young one! Do you think my Twin Pupils can be taken so easily?”

Within Qin Hao’s sea of consciousness, Xiao Dingtian’s will manifested as a ghostly figure, coldly staring at him.

Though it was only a fragment of his will, the supreme pressure of an Immortal Emperor still overwhelmed Qin Hao’s mind, causing it to begin shattering.

Seeing this, Xiao Dingtian let out a cold laugh:

“You dared to steal my Divine Pupils and still wander around as if nothing happened! Now, without powerful guardians by your side, those two half-step Immortal Kings aren’t enough to protect you from me!”

Before he finished speaking, Xiao Dingtian’s divine will surged into every limb and bone of Qin Hao.

Judging by his actions, he intended to use the lingering remnants left on the Twin Pupils to possess Qin Hao’s body.

Qin Hao felt his entire body stiffen, as if countless invisible threads were wrapping tightly around every muscle.

“Hahaha, I never expected you to be the man of that Extinct Demoness from the Immortal Maiden era.”

“Don’t worry, once I possess you, I won’t neglect her. The Extinct Demoness… I’m really curious what she tastes like! I’ll savor it properly.”

“And those women around you, all stunning beauties. You really are living the good life, but soon, they’ll all belong to me.”

“Everything about you will be mine!”

Xiao Dingtian’s malicious will stabbed into Qin Hao’s heart like a sharp dagger.

Suddenly, Qin Hao’s eyes snapped open.

At this moment, his pupils transformed into golden vertical slits, and an icy, lethal aura radiated from his entire body.

“You’re courting death!!!”

The three words squeezed out from between Qin Hao’s clenched teeth, his voice deep and resonant like a dragon’s roar echoing from the depths of the Nine Netherworlds.

However, upon seeing Qin Hao’s terrifying form, Xiao Dingtian showed no fear at all. Instead, he wore a look of smug satisfaction.

“That’s right, I’m courting death. But what can you do about it?”

“Kid, I don’t just want to possess everything you have, I’m going to seal your divine consciousness, making you watch as I take it all from you!”

“Just thinking about it is thrilling!”

Soon, Ah Long and Ah Hu sensed something was wrong and hurried over.

“Your Highness, what’s wrong?”

“Not good! It’s the Twin Pupils in His Highness’s hand! Damn it, the original owner’s will still lingers inside! His Highness is being possessed!”

“What should we do? Hurry, contact the Imperial Consort immediately. After all, this is the will of the Immortal Emperor. Even if we can handle it, he might take this chance to harm the Imperial Consort.”

Faced with the anxious Ah Long and Ah Hu, Qin Hao forced a smile:

“No need. This is such a trivial matter, not worth calling Ru Yan to help me!”

“It’s nothing but a mere thought! I don’t even put it in my eyes.”

Hearing this, Xiao Dingtian within Qin Hao’s sea of consciousness sneered coldly:

“I like your confidence, little brat. Let’s see if you can still be this cocky after I take control of you.”

“Hmph, take control of me?” Qin Hao curled his lips disdainfully:

“Ancient Dragon Emperor’s Dharma Form! Activate!”