《Dragon Tamer》 Chapter 1 - 1 This is an accident 1 Chapter 1 This is an ident Trantor: Exodus Tales Editor: Exodus Tales The endless darkness shrouded this vastnd, and the faint glow of stars and the sporadic lights of fireflies in the jungle were among the few bright spots in this world. The night was foggy, like a thin veil covering a grey and white city. In the center of the city stood a graceful and enchanting statue, which could be seen with a slight look upward upon entering the city. In the dim light, she radiated a unique moonlight brilliance, her pure and sacred, and exquisitely dignified face made every neer to the city hold their breath involuntarily. The statue seemed lifelike, like the Night Governor Goddess adorned in a robe woven from the moon and fog¡ªher tempting figure, hidden in this haziness, was even more mesmerizing. Even though she was a breathtaking beauty, the people of the city did not dare harbor any irreverence towards her. She was the ruler of this city. She didn¡¯t symbolize anything like beauty, faith, or freedom, but more often than not, she represented ughter and war. The people called her the Valkyrie, who in just a year¡¯s time had tamed this wild and chaotd. The city and its surrounding territories finally gained a semnce of order, with establishedws and regtions. ¡­ The city guards were somewhat negligent, turning a blind eye to anyone entering the city, including the beggars, who poured in raggedly and in droves. Zhu Minng lingered at the city gate for quite some time and upon seeing the crowd of beggars, he decisively joined them and sessfully entered the Eternal City. This group of beggars, having fled from some city-state, spoke anguage Zhu Minng could not understand a word of. When they saw the misty statue of the Valkyrie, they all froze in ce, standing still for several seconds before leaving with drooping heads and a deted spirit. They were originally from the Sang town tribe and had their own Wuzhai City. Despite theirnd not being vast, they were considered a significant power in this region. A year ago, their Wuzhai City was destroyed; the ruler¡¯s corpses were neatly disyed on the streets. With no one to protect them, half became ves and the other half homeless refugees who, after roaming through several cities, ended up in the domain of the very person responsible for their misfortune. It was almost ironic that within a mere year, any thoughts of revenge or revival had been ravaged by exposure to the elements and hunger to the point of vanishingpletely. They merely longed for a wall to keep out wild beasts and avoid lying dead in the wilderness, and for a dirty street to huddle and survive on, even if the towering city walls and long streets belonged to the Valkyrie who destroyed their Wuzhai City. ¡°Soup¡¯s being handed out, head to the backstreet,¡± a buck-toothed man in official uniform coldly told the swarm of beggars, who were like cockroaches and rats. ¡°Esteemed Official, I am from Sang town. I encountered some bandits on my way to deliver silk to the City Lord Mansion. They took my money and the silk intended for the City Lord, leaving me in this state. Could you please notify Uncle Wang from Sang town toe for me?¡± Zhu Minng approached and politely asked. ¡°What nonsense, what nonsense, stay away from me. If you die of starvation without getting soup, stay away from this main street. If the Female City Lord sees this mess, it¡¯ll be my head,¡± the buck-toothed soldier did not pay any attention to Zhu Minng¡¯s words but instead cursed angrily. Zhu Minng had no choice but to step aside. Soon, a group of disced people who heard the soup distribution rushed to the backstreet, almost dragging Zhu Minng along with them. The backstreet was very dpidated, a far cry from the main street, with hardly a few intact houses made of wood and mud, all in disarray. Entering such a ce seemed to dissipate all the warmth of human life, leaving only decay and destion. The soup distribution was not a lie, for at the very end of the backstreet, a blue-dressed Maid from the City Lord Mansion was serving soup. Her smile was kind, and she showed no disdain for the lice-ridden vagrants, continuing to serve bowl after bowl of soup even though her delicate hands got dirty. Zhu Minng was hungry too. Encountering such a situation, he could only follow the local customs and ept the charity. ¡°Thump thump thump thump thump¡­¡± But before long, the disced beggars began to fall one by one¡ªnot just copsing backward but somersaulting forward as well. Some vagrants who remained conscious saw this and were frightened into running away, but before they could get far, they suddenly began to convulse, foaming at the mouth. Zhu Minng was stunned as well. Could it be! He had heard that some ruthless rulers of city-states, to keep their city¡¯s appearance prosperous and sacred, would periodically distribute soup to worthless individuals like the homeless, refugees, and beggars, then poison them and dispose of the bodies outside the city en masse. Just like dealing with rats in a sewer¡­ The thought that he might meet such an end filled Zhu Minng with tons of resentment. And if he died, who would take care of the little one? It needed to eat so many mulberry leaves every day! ¡°Thump! Thump! Thump!!!¡± The refugees kept falling, their eyes wide open with unconcealed indignation and resentment. But thend had always been cruel, and some rulers would take away others¡¯ cities and homes for mere words of offense, let alone their lives for the aesthetics of a city. Stateless refugees are no different than rats on someone¡¯s prosperous street, and even if they abandoned all dignity and struggled to survive, their end would not be good. Zhu Minng¡¯s head began to feel dizzy. He was a bona fide resident of Eternal City, a hardworking farmer of mulberries, an honest silk merchant, who paid taxes on time and made contributions proactively. If those people were rats, then having ingested rat poison, they would die; I consider myself at least a loyal ox, unfortunately having mistakenly consumed the poison in my own courtyard¡­ Spare my life! Zhu Minng simply didn¡¯t have time to prove his identity when several soldiers, each with a Cold Moon Long Knife at their waist, came out of the courtyard carrying sacks. He struggled to stay conscious. In the end, Zhu Minng still couldn¡¯t escape the potency of the ¡°rat poison¡± and staggered to the ground. Right before losing consciousness, he caught a glimpse of a pair of jade feet, stepping delicately, elegantly approaching from the depths of the courtyard¡­ Zhu Minng desperately tried to see clearly the owner of the jade feet, but hepletely lost consciousness. In that drug-induce haze mix with chaotic thoughts and dream world, the jade feet and the sculpture of the Valkyrie of the Nine Cities fused into one, bing a vivid, lifelike beauty, approaching with a willowy figure. ¡­ A rare beautiful dream, Zhu Minng felt that even the Old Heavenly Father hadn¡¯t treated him unfairly, blessing him with a splendid illusion before his head fell. He dreamt that the statue at the center of the city, supple and tender, came to life, slowly crawling towards him under the dim light of an oilmp, that slightly lifted exquisite face was the ultimate visual pleasure of this world, and what followed made Zhu Minng feel that passing away wasn¡¯t such an uneptable event. ¡­ ¡°Ah, I¡¯m going to die.¡± Zhu Minng couldn¡¯t help but cry out, thinking it all to be but a vision before death, only for his own echo to sound through this enclosed space shortly after. ¡°Going to die¡­ going to die¡­ died¡­¡± Zhu Minng heard his own echo and slowly came to his senses. He observed his surroundings and discovered that he was in a dungeon; the light from the flickering oilmp wasn¡¯t an illusion, and when he reached out a hand, he could even feel the heat. I¡¯m not dead?? Could it be that that wasn¡¯t poison meant for getting rid of rats! This is bad, if I¡¯m still alive, it¡¯s highly likely that these people will sell me to the remote mines of Shishan to be a ve!! To be a ve in those secluded mine tunnels¡­ I¡¯d rather be poisoned to death! ¡°Hmm?¡± Suddenly, a pleasing hum sounded, right beside Zhu Minng. Zhu Minng turned his head and only then did he realize that there was a naked woman lying beside him. Her hair was like ck, chestnut-colored silk, the lingering flush on her cheeks casting a beauty beyond words; his heart stopped beating in the instant of close scrutiny, then in the next second, it began to race uncontrobly. What¡¯s going on! Wasn¡¯t I just dreaming?? Why am I in a dungeon? And why am I locked up with a woman? Her appearance clearly resembles the statue standing at the very center of the city, the Valkyrie who appeared as a serene Fairy yet wielded the tactics of an iron-blooded emperor! ¡°You¡¯re all awake, sis, you¡¯re looking quite radiant. It seems this little vagabond served you really wellst night,¡± a fox-like shrill female voice came from beyond the high iron window. The woman beside Zhu Minng was still a bit groggy, as if heavily drunk. ¡°I wonder how many hearts will shatter when they hear that the sister, brilliant as the firmament, has shared a bed with a little beggar. But don¡¯t worry, sis, I will make sure this news reaches every ear, bing the most savory topic for people to relish over meals,¡± the fox-like voice continued. The words fully awakened the woman next to Zhu Minng; before she could respond in anger, the steps outside grew fainter, and the mocking, sharpughter echoed long in the chilly dungeon. Zhu Minng was puzzled as he gazed at the woman by his side, now imprisoned. The woman before him was unmistakably the City Lord of this ce, the so-called Valkyrie, her transcendent beauty too easy to recognize, even without any clothes on¡­ cough, in short, Zhu Minng was sure it was her. So, judging from what that speaking person just said¡­ ¡°Were you overthrown?¡± Zhu Minng broke the silence of the dungeon with his question. Thisnd had always been in utter chaos, with wars never ceasing, and the turnover of rulers as frequent as the changing seasons. The Valkyrie said nothing, using her long hair to cover herself, but unfortunately, her thin parts were lean and her full parts generous, not everything could be concealed. Chapter 2 - 2 The Down-and-Out Female City Lord 2 Chapter 2 The Down-and-Out Female City Lord Trantor: Exodus Tales Editor: Exodus Tales ¡°I¡¯m not a vagrant; I was just robbed, lost my money, and then identally ate some poisoned porridge¡­¡± Zhu Minng hastened to exin. ¡°What¡¯s the difference? She has already achieved her goal,¡± the Empress said coldly. ¡°What goal?¡± Zhu Minng had barely finished speaking when he realized how stupid his question was. What other goal could there be? If the Empress were overthrown, there would be plenty of ways to humiliate her, one of which was like now, having her supreme position defiled by coption with a social outcast such as a vagrant. Such a rtionship would instantly transform her erected pride and sanctity, her untouchable aura, into ¡°vile¡± and ¡°filthy.¡± Even the most humble rats in the streets could intimately entwine with the most sacred Valkyrie; what difference would there be between her and a prostitute, oh, no, at least a prostitute still chooses her clients. Having realized all this, Zhu Minng couldn¡¯t help butugh bitterly. So he had been used as a tool to insult a woman, indeed, there was no such thing as free porridge in this world. ¡°By the way, there were many refugees who were knocked unconscious by the poison along with me¡­ could they also¡­¡± Zhu Minng suddenly remembered this detail. ¡°You want to die; I can grant you that right now.¡± The Valkyrie¡¯s teeth were nearly ground to dust, her eyes gleaming with murderous intent. If she weren¡¯t so weak right now, she would have torn Zhu Minng to shreds. ¡°Cough cough.¡± Zhu Minng¡¯s face was full of embarrassment, why did he always say the wrong thing at the wrong time? The Valkyrie appeared distraught, but before long, her gaze sharpened as she fixed her eyes on the small window, clearly contemting an escape. As much as she wanted to kill the man beside her, the Valkyrie had picked up a crucial piece of information from Zhu Minng¡¯s words: that there were more vagrants imprisoned outside besides him. If a different man were sent in every day, she would prefer to bite her own tongue and die rather than endure such disgrace. She had to find a way out; she did not want a repeat ofst night¡¯s ordeal, and this was only the beginning. ¡°We need to find a way to get out of here,¡± Zhu Minng said seriously. The Empress didn¡¯t listen to Zhu Minng¡¯s words. She wasn¡¯t driven mad by this incident; she wasn¡¯t hysterical, enraged, or weeping bitterly. Perhaps deep down she felt this way, but she would only show her despair and pain after calmly resolving the predicament at hand and achieving her revenge. In any case, they needed to find a way out. ¡°Great, little guy, you¡¯re awake,¡± Zhu Minng suddenly said excitedly. Zhu Minng opened his right palm and, as if performing magic, produced a milky-white Ice Bug. The round body of the Ice Bug asionally rippled with circles of translucent and tender white flesh, which looked somewhat naive and adorable as it wriggled. Its tworge eyes even more so, sparkling with a hint of the extraordinary. The Empress nced at Zhu Minng and noted he was holding a small white bug in his hand, prompting her to snort dismissively. Blissfully ignorant optimism¡ªhe even had the mood to y with bugs. ¡°Go, go unlock the door; I know you can do it,¡± Zhu Minng said to the Ice Bug. The Ice Bug crawled up the stone wall and quickly found the iron bars. ¡°ng~~~~~~¡± Before long, the sound of a chain falling followed. Seeing this, the Empress¡¯s eyes suddenly brightened, her face unable to hide her joy. ¡°Heh heh, my little Ice Bug can do anything,¡± Zhu Minng smiled at the Empress. ¡°Help me up,¡± said the Empress, her body feeling somewhat weak, apparently under the effect of a persistent love poison. Barefoot, she stepped onto Zhu Minng¡¯s shoulders. With an effort, she climbed out of the dungeon and hesitated, looking back at Zhu Minng. Zhu Minng stood in the dungeon, his gaze fixated on her. Indeed, the Empress turned around, left the dungeon alone, and left Zhu Minng behind. The dungeon¡¯s stone walls were smooth, and without someone to lend a hand, it was impossible to climb out. ¡°Women, the prettier they are, the less trustworthy.¡± Zhu Minng shook his head in resignation, about to have the Ice Bug spin some silk for him to climb, when suddenly, footsteps as light as a cat¡¯s rang out above him. ¡°Put this on, and I¡¯ll pull you up.¡± The Empress, having found tworge sacks somewhere in the dungeon, tore them open and made a makeshift clothing. A smile immediately appeared on Zhu Minng¡¯s face as he quickly donned the sack cloth and grabbed the delicate hand that the Empress extended to him. ¡­ After pulling Zhu Minng up, the Empress was panting, the poison still lingering in her body, and despite her great strength, she now seemed no different from a weak girl. ¡°Follow me, don¡¯t make any sound,¡± the Empress whispered. ¡°You¡¯re very familiar with this dungeon?¡± Zhu Minng also whispered. ¡°I used to keep myself here,¡± she replied. Zhu Minng was puzzled. Keep yourself here?? Are you sick? ¡­ The Valkyrie was indeed very familiar with the dungeon; even without guards, Zhu Minng wouldn¡¯t have been able to find his way out¡ªit was as vast as abyrinth. Eventually, they managed to leave the city through a secret passage. Outside the city, Zhu Minng smeared himself with the dirty mud on the ground, and also smeared two streaks across the Valkyrie¡¯s fair cheeks. ¡°Let¡¯s take shelter at my ce for a while,¡± Zhu Minng said. The Valkyrie didn¡¯t respond, which Zhu Minng took as consent. On foot, they headed towards the outskirts of the city, and soon saw squad after squad of guards rushing along the road¡ªclearly, news of the Valkyrie¡¯s escape had spread. ¡­ After three days and nights of travel, Zhu Minng and the Valkyrie finally made it back to Xiaosang Town. Xiaosang Town was a gathering ce for sericulture farmers, with many traders from outside the citying here to purchase raw silk and silk materials. The poption was bing increasingly transient, gradually making it a ce teeming with all sorts of people. The more outsiders, the better for hiding. Zhu Minng and the Valkyrie had been traveling by night and dared not rest much during the day,pletely exhausted. Upon entering his small courtyard and house, Zhu Minng copsed onto his bed and fell asleep. The Valkyrie made do with two chairs pushed together andy down across them without a word. She, too, was very tired, and with the events that had urred, her heart was under extreme strain. But she didn¡¯t fall asleep immediately; recalling the recent events, her eyes unwittingly began to moisten. Zhu Minng, who had been sleeping soundly, soon ceased his snoring and opened his eyes. He watched the Valkyrie lying on her side, slightly curled up, and noticed the slight shimmer on her eyshes¡­ and he couldn¡¯t help but let out a soft sigh. Although the two of them had a rtionship of mutual need rather than affection, Zhu Minng still felt some regret. To himself, it was just having consumed poisoned porridge, spending a night in the dungeon, and a few days of travel. But what about her? She was the Eternal City Lord, her power and chastity stripped away, reduced to hiding in a small house reeking of silkworm dung. Her calmposure these past few days, along with asional bouts of despondency, no doubt were not easy forgetfulness of the humiliation but rather the transformation of all the inner fury and indignity into the resilience of revenge. Chapter 3 - 3 Dragon Gate 3 Chapter 3 Dragon Gate Trantor: Exodus Tales Editor: Exodus Tales s, I am now nothing more than a silkworm farmer. Getting by on selling some silk threads, if nothing unexpected happens, next year I will marry Little Yan from across the street who works with silk, living an ordinary life that goes with the flow. Over the years, Zhu Minng had already worn down his ambitions; he no longer yearned for past glories and just wanted to earnestly nt some mulberry trees and raise silkworms in a ce where no one knew him, to muddle through this life¡­ Who knew that one day he would suddenly end up sleeping in a dungeon with the dazzling Valkyrie, the ruler of Eternal City? Such an unsettled life indeed. Closing his eyes, Zhu Minng also began to feel lost and overwhelmed. Before long, he sumbed to exhaustion and fell asleep. ¡­ ¡°Sizzle~¡± What a delicious smell, is next door frying rolls again? Zhu Minng woke up and quickly smelled the tempting aroma of frying oil. After sshing his face with cold water, Zhu Minng realized that the fragrance wasing from his own kitchen. The Valkyrie? Is she in the kitchen?? Could it be that she knows how to cook! Amazing, she descends dungeons, graces the halls, and even enters the kitchen! Walking into the simple kitchen, Zhu Minng saw a big pot next to a bamboo basket, which contained golden, crispy, oily fried rolls that looked crunchy and delicious! But soon, Zhu Minng witnessed a scene that made him want to copse! The Valkyrie, handling long chopsticks adeptly, was coating each plump Large Meat Silkworm in sweet potato flour before tossing them straight into the hot oil, and the fresh aroma wafted up once again. ¡°My Large Meat Silkworms!!¡± Zhu Minng howled in despair. ¡°I was hungry and there was nothing else to eat in your house.¡± Silkworms are so adorable, how can you eat them! Zhu Minng hadbored hard to raise these Large Meat Silkworms for over a month, each one worth a grain of sand silver, relying on these most expensive silkworms to marry a wife from the town¡­ ¡°Seeing you with a beauty like a fairy and an extraordinary temperament, why does frying silkworms smell so good¡­ why so cruel!¡± Zhu Minngmented tearfully. ¡°I¡¯ve seen these Large Meat Silkworms you have; my people prepare them just like this. I tried one and it was too greasy for my taste, didn¡¯t quite like it,¡± the Valkyrie said as she wrapped a freshly fried Large Meat Silkworm with a tender green lettuce leaf to cut the grease, then bit into it with a slight frown and swallowed with difficulty. Eating¡¯s fine, but then you criticize them for being greasy and put on that painful and hard-to-swallow expression¡­ It¡¯s obviously delicious! In the end, Zhu Minng also picked up a piece, gently wrapped it in a fresh leaf, and put it into his mouth. ¡°Little guy, I won¡¯t eat you, I won¡¯t eat you; they¡¯re Large Meat Silkworms, meant to be eaten,¡± Zhu Minngforted the Ice Bug perched on his shoulder as he ate. ¡°In recent months, there¡¯s been a rumor that Young Dragons love to eat Large Meat Silkworms and if they spot a Juvenile Spirit eating them, capturing it is a must as the chances of it transforming into a dragon are very high,¡± the Valkyrie said. ¡°No wonder the Large Meat Silkworms have been selling especially welltely, in high demand. I thought it was some rich family¡¯s daughter needing a huge quantity of silk for a wedding dress. Damn it, what¡¯s meant for making clothes has turned into a meat dish; those Large Meat Silkworms must be so resentful.¡± ¡°If by consuming silkworms they can transform into dragons, tens of thousands of silkworm souls won¡¯t be in vain,¡± the Valkyrie stated. ¡°Are dragons very noble?¡± ¡°Noble.¡± ¡°Compared to you?¡± ¡°I am nothingpared to a dragon.¡± Thisnd holds a wondrous power, that is, no matter what creature it is, all have a certain chance to transform into dragons. Dragons are elusive, noble, and formidable beyond measure, with very few of the billions of lives ever turning into dragons. Legend has it, every living being has its own Dragon Gate. Once leaped over, they transform into dragons, Dragons, like the sun, moon, and stars, hung high in the sky, resplendent beyondpare. To those wild beasts and demon spirits vying for food and territory, these transforming dragon creatures appeared as nothing more than the rank and foul-smelling mortal fish and assorted shrimp that fill the river. ¡°If dragons are so powerful, what¡¯s the point of humans killing andpeting with each other?¡± Zhu Minng asked. ¡°Humans possess intelligence. Transforming into a dragon involves countless uncertainties. It requires a certain destiny and demands an arduous price. There are those who seek the patterns of dragon transformation, looking for young dragons that might have the potential butck other conditions, and they provide what¡¯s missing, helping them leap through that Dragon Gate!¡± ¡°Dragon Shepherd?¡± ¡°Mhm, humans can be¡ªDragon Shepherds.¡± ¡°How do you think I¡¯m doing?¡± Zhu Minng asked enthusiastically. ¡°Your silkworm is doing well, very plump.¡± Well, Valkyrie¡¯s reluctance to lie is also exceedingly beautiful. ¡­ Eternal City. It was still early in the morning with the sun yet to rise, but the sky was already painted with gorgeous crimson clouds. It seemed like true mes shone upon the entire city, illuminating even the darkest corners with incredible rity! ¡°Run for your lives, run!!¡± ¡°There¡¯s a fire, a great fire!!¡± A wave ofmotion suddenly came from down the street, growing louder as it approached. Arge crowd could be seen fleeing desperately towards the outskirts of the city as if pursued by some primordial fierce beast. ¡°Boom, boom, boom!!!!!!¡± Suddenly, a vast swath of fire rain swept across horizontally, striking the tall buildings, and in an instant, houses and estates on the street crumbled, turning into countless bricks and rubble that swept across the thoroughfare. A group of townspeople dressed in simple clothes was pierced by the fiery rubble, their bodies igniting and burning up, creating a truly pitiful sight! The buck-toothed soldiers managing the long street were shocked and hurriedly drew their long swords, thinking that some bandit group had entered the city, killing and looting. ¡°Roar~~~~~~~~~~~~~~!!!¡± Behind them, towering buildings belonged to the nobility and the wealthy, and upon the corner of a rooftop, a massive head suddenly rose into the air, bringing along a long and thick body, while dazzling fire scales incessantly exuded that scorching hot me¡­ ¡°A dragon!!!!!¡± The buck-toothed soldiers were immensely shaken, watching the Gilt me Dragon rise into the air and vent its rage, feeling a profound chill of fear despite the intense heat surrounding them! A Gold-ted Fire Dragon!! It was sanctifying the crowd below on the streets of Eternal City with a fiery rain spewed from its mouth. With a raise of its head and a spit of fire, every living soul on a street turned to ash! With a sweep of its tail, city walls and high-rises copsed, as well as government offices and shops, all falling down! As for the civilian homes, a mere touch of its fire scales was enough to set them aze, reducing them to burning rubble within half a minute! In just half a minute, the street was inplete disarray. There were some soldiers too, des in hand, wearing armor, appearing well-trained and fearless. But with a roar from the Gold-ted Fire Dragon, the soldiers¡¯ eardrums burst. They rolled on the ground in agony, covering their ears and screaming, unable to engage inbat. With one swipe of its ws, these soldiers had no chance to wield their martial power and were all turned into meat patties! If the soldiers couldn¡¯t stand against the burning Gold-ted Fire Dragon, let alone the civilians. The city had turned into a sea of mes. Even the flourishing armed forces of Eternal City were no match and soon, the armored city soldiers were seen dispersing and fleeing like the civilians. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª (Chaos: Live broadcast event for the new book, March 15, yes, tonight, at 8 pm, see you at Penguin E-Sports. Upon entering the tform, there should be a guide on the homepage, and everyone is wee to visit the author. A guest author from Pets Charm is also invited, cough, that¡¯s all I¡¯ll say for now.) Chapter 4 - 4 A Kind of Torture 4 Chapter 4 A Kind of Torture Trantor: Exodus Tales Editor: Exodus Tales ¡°` The bucktoothed soldier on the main street, shocked and frightened, followed the crowd out of the city. Beyond the city gatey open countryside, where countless shadows could be seen taking shelter in the woods. However, not everyone was as fortunate as this group of people. Just as they had escaped, a loud bang echoed from behind. The city gate had copsed! mes devoured the city gate wall, and the dense crowd inside the glowing red walls let out pitiful wails¡ªthe scene was like purgatory! Dragon! Was this a dragon? Merely one fire dragon had brought such annihtion to a bustling city! The strength of humanity, the wisdom of humanity, seemed utterly meaningless before such a divine beast! ¡­ Eternal City Lord Mansion. Outside the wide-open gates was a scene of disaster, with the red glow of fire reflecting on the face of the new City Lord, whose rule over the city had turned to this in mere moments of disagreeable conversation. ¡°Are you satisfied with this spectacle?¡± asked a pale-faced man inside,ughing. His smile was devoid of warmth, instead conveying a chilling feeling. ¡°Honorable Dragon Herding Sanctifier, I bear you no deep hatred. Why would you¡­¡± stammered the new City Lord with a trembling voice. ¡°Of course, you don¡¯t. I simply want you to understand that you need to listen carefully to every word I say. I don¡¯t like to repeat myself, as it makes me feel like you¡¯re dismissing my presence. I dislike hesitant answers even more because you have no right to bargain with me!¡± the pallid Dragon Shepherd said. ¡°Mr. Luo Xiao, you see, my daughter is in the prime of her youth, is exceptionally beautiful, and unparalleled in wisdom and valor. If the Sanctifier is pleased¡­¡± the City Lord said. The pale-faced Dragon Shepherd Luo Xiao nced at the somewhat attractive woman beside him and snorted in contempt. He unfolded the scroll in his hand once more, pointed at the woman depicted within, and said with a fierce expression, ¡°I want her. I told you that¡¯s who I wanted. It seems I¡¯ve been too merciful. This city truly does not deserve to exist.¡± ¡°Sanctifier!! Sanctifier!!¡± ¡°The woman you¡¯re asking for was overthrown by my daughter not long ago, reduced to amon criminal, and then thrown into a dungeon to spend several nights with a little beggar. Indeed, she may be a beauty rarely seen in this world, but she has also be the lowest and most filthy of women. As it turns out, aside from a somewhat desirable appearance, she has nothing else to offer,¡± the white-haired City Lord exined. Upon hearing this, the Dragon Shepherd¡¯s facial muscles twitched, and his eyes zed with immense rage, fueling the mes on the gold-ted fire dragon outside the hall! ¡°What did you say?¡± Luo Xiao¡¯s tone had changedpletely. It was disdain and arrogance before, but now it was palpably icy. He, Luo Xiao, had endured a thousand hardships and countless humiliations; he had crossed the threshold of despair at Dragon Gate and achieved his current status as a Dragon Master. After his transformation, the first thing he wanted was to prove himself to her, wishing for her favor, but he could never have imagined that the woman of his dreams would be sullied in thend of Eternal City by a wretched beggar! ¡°Honoured Dragon Herding Sanctifier, you are the sun in the firmament, and all of Wutu gaze upon your splendor. Why fixate on a woman of ill repute, dirty and unworthy? My daughter is still pure and gentle, with some strategic insights on military and city management. If you do not disdain it, she can marry you today as a gesture to celebrate your ascendance through the Dragon Gate,¡± the woman said in a shrill voice, thest sentenceced with a hint of allurement, like that of a docile and clever fox woman. Luo Xiao nced at the City Lord¡¯s daughter once more. The new City Lord had graying temples and looked as weak as a puppet eunuch, nearly wetting himself with fear at Luo Xiao¡¯s presence. In contrast, the woman was quiteposed in her speech and actions. With every word the Eternal City Lord uttered, he looked to the woman for approval. It was evident that the new City Lord was but a vassal, and this foxy, alluring woman was the real power holder. Noticing Luo Xiao evaluating her, the little fox woman slowly lifted her head, allowing the Dragon Master to see her face clearly. ¡°Heh.¡± Suddenly, Luo Xiao reached out, grabbed the City Lord¡¯s daughter by the throat, ¡°If she is a pearl, you are no different from stinking mud. You lowlifes growing in rotten soil have no right to live in this world!¡± As his voice fell, the sky outside the open hall gates revealed a dragon aze with mes all over, taking a slow but ferocious gulp, its throat as fiery as a cksmith¡¯s furnace¡­ ¡°Boom~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~¡± Dragon mes poured forth like a red river, melting the entire City Lord Mansion and with it, the blood of those who once strutted in power, as well as the guards, maids, and ves ¨C none were spared. Luo Xiao stood amid the mes, his hand still gripping the City Lord¡¯s daughter¡¯s neck; not even his hair was harmed by the dragon¡¯s fire. On the contrary, the fox woman in his grasp¡­ First, her clothes turned to ash. Then, her skin blistered until even her bones were exposed, transforming a once beautiful woman into a hideous ghoul. The stench of char was thick, with the mansion¡¯s eaves copsing, its painted pirs scattered in disarray. In the corner, the new City Lord¡¯s armor had melted into his skin, and he would have cried out in agony, save for the hope of narrowly avoiding death by hiding under the rubble and the charred bodies of others. On the battlefield, he was a valiant warrior who could face a hundred foes alone. Yet, against the extraordinary mes of the Dragon n, his lifelong resilience was no match and could only end up so undignified, hidden under debris and scorched corpses. ¡°Heh, heh¡­¡± suddenly, augh broke out. ¡°` Theughter came from the alluring fox woman in front of Dragon Shepherd Luo Xiao. At the moment, her face was so burned that it was falling apart, and her entire body was even more hideously disfigured by the mes. She was on herst breath, but she wasughing, a lowugh filled with pain yet tinged with a trace of madness. ¡°What are youughing at!¡± Dragon Shepherd Luo Xiao stared at the fox woman on the ground, writhing in agony. ¡°I understand now, cough cough¡­ I understand. Before you became a Dragon Shepherd, you were just the muck in that woman¡¯s eyes. She wouldn¡¯t even let her gaze linger on you for a moment. You¡­ you tried everything to gain her favor, but she treated you coldly, as if you were a servant or a follower.¡± ¡°Finally, you became a Dragon Shepherd¡­ cough cough, cough cough, you came riding on a dragon, a changed man, full of hope that she would look at you differently¡­ hahaha, but she was ruined by me. The woman you adored day and night, I threw her into the dungeon, and for an entire night, she was with a filthy beggar picked from the streets!¡± ¡°The eyes you can¡¯t forget, the lips you¡¯re infatuated with, the body you crave to the brink of madness, hahaha, in the end, they were all defiled by that lowly beggar. When they both woke up in the dungeon, I was the first to visit. Oh, the sight was too good for you to miss!¡± ¡°What a pity¡­ cough cough, what a pity. I had prepared over a dozen sturdy beggars for him, nning to send one to her every night so she could fully savor the joys of this world, but s, she escaped the next day¡­¡± The fox woman articted this reality amidst her pain. She alternated between low chuckles and shrill screams, as crazed as a real ghost. The fox woman knew she was not going to survive, but she didn¡¯t consider her defeatplete. At least she had trampled the Valkyrie¡¯s dignity and reputation to the utmost. No matter how noble she tried to appear, she was tainted; no matter how pure she seemed, she was filthy. Whoever became her man in the future would be haunted by this event, despising her, feeling revulsion toward her! Luo Xiao was the first to endure this torment, whether he was a Dragon Shepherd or an even greater, immortal Dragon Herding Sanctifier in the future. As long as he remained unable to let go of the Valkyrie, this thorn in his heart would spread like wildfire over time, driving him insane with fury, venting his rage on her, on everything! ¡°Hehehehe¡­¡± The fox woman¡¯sugh grew shriller and more deranged. The muscles on Dragon Shepherd Luo Xiao¡¯s face trembled, slowly beginning to contort, the veins on his face extending down his neck! ¡°Die!!¡± bellowed Dragon Shepherd Luo Xiao in a furious roar. He stomped heavily on the woman¡¯s decaying face, and the fox woman¡¯s sinisterughter ended as her face was crushed to a pulp. Seemingly satisfied at seeing Luo Xiao in such a state of disarray before death, the fox woman seemed content. ¡°Die, die, die!!!!¡± Luo Xiao could not quell the fury in his chest as he stomped on the fox woman time and again, even though she was already beyond recognition, dead beyond death. He didn¡¯t want to hear another word from this madwoman, nor see her malicious, twisted face again! Time passed, and the fox woman had been stomped into a mush of flesh and blood, yet Luo Xiao seemed far from having calmed his agitation. His chest heaved. He nced at the statue still standing in the center of the city that had not yet been destroyed¡­ Amidst the mes, the streets had turned into a chaotic scorched earth, but that pure white sculpture of the woman remained, blooming with an intoxicating, unmatched beauty. ¡°Even so, she is mine, Luo Xiao¡¯s!¡± He would take her as his first personal ything after his leap through the Dragon Gate! Luo Xiao jumped into the air,nding between the wide wings of the gold-ted fire dragon. The fire dragon pped its wings and soared into the clouds, while the Eternal City beneath Luo Xiao turned into nothing but a small dot against the ruins¡­ Suddenly, the gold-ted fire dragon took a deep breath in the high skies, and the surrounding air turned into a massive red vortex. ¡°Roar~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~!!!!¡± A st of dragon me erupted from the throat of the gold-ted fire dragon, like a volcano inverting to pour down moltenva onto the Eternal City below. Theva fell around the statue¡¯s location and quickly spread throughout the city¡­ Inside the city, everything turned a flowing crimson. Whether they were soldiers,moners, or nobles, they all vanished in the outpouring dragon mes!! ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª (Thanks to the Silver Alliance patron ¡°Red Snow Fragment,¡± and to the patrons ¡°Candid Conversation,¡± ¡°Witch Horse Travel,¡± ¡°Clear Spring Flowing,¡± ¡°Code Writer and Wandering Guest,¡± ¡°Furnace Fire Cooking,¡± ¡°Last Light,¡± ¡°Witch Nine,¡± ¡°The Cutest Cat,¡± ¡°Under the Moon Tofu,¡± and all other Hall Masters, Sect Leaders, Deacons, Disciples, Apprentices, and Novices for your generous rewards.) (And thank you to every reader who has rewarded, clicked, rmended,mented, and supported ¡°Dragon Shepherd.¡±) The system works like this: giving more book coins lets the author and everyone see you on the fan leaderboard, but sincerements and steadfast daily votes are just as vital for the author¡¯s motivation to write!!) (Ah, I almost forgot to mention the update schedule. There are two updates a day. One at noon and one at 6 pm every day! Feel free to leavements and interact. Love you guys.) Chapter 5 - 5: I Can Afford to Keep You 5 Chapter 5: I Can Afford to Keep You Trantor: Exodus Tales Editor: Exodus Tales Xiaosang Town The cold wind was deste, and the frosty autumn mulberry leaves had fallen all over the yard after a night¡¯s rain. Arge portiony on the roof like ripples of leafy tiles, adding a damp charm to this simple little house. With the fallen mulberry leaves, the silkworm farmers were entering a premature winter, a time when Zhu Minng usually started his days as an idle wanderer. Wearing a conical hat and d in a straw raincoat, Zhu Minng was sweeping up the rain-damaged leaves in the courtyard when he suddenly saw a pair of straight, slender jade feet approaching leisurely. Zhu Minng raised his head to look at her. She was as cold as frost, keeping people at a thousand miles distance, with a hint of murderous intent in her amber-like eyes. Today, she was not her usual fragile self, nor was she as cid as always. She exuded a presence, one that existed only in someone who had truly experienced the baptism of war! It seemed she had regained some of her strength, which of course, whenpared to her original self, was still far from enough. Zhu Minng had heard many rumors about her formidable power. ¡°Are you seeking revenge?¡± Zhu Minng asked. With his words, countless silver threads flew out from the Valkyrie¡¯s sleeves. They were extremely hard and swiftly converged into a Silver Thread Sword, hanging at Zhu Minng¡¯s throat. ¡°Am I the first?¡± Zhu Minng asked with a wry smile. The sword glided past, and the Valkyrie, as light as a swallow, flew over, leaving a trace of blood on Zhu Minng¡¯s neck. Zhu Minng didn¡¯t move, waiting for his head to roll onto the ground. But it was merely a shallow mark, one that had merely broken some skin. She didn¡¯t kill him? Zhu Minng touched his neck and turned to look at the majestic figure of the Valkyrie retreating from him. He didn¡¯t thank the Valkyrie for sparing his life. After all, if she were truly heartless, she wouldn¡¯t have extended her hand to pull him up in the dungeon. ¡°Will I really be branded in your heart, bing your lifelong shame?¡± Zhu Minng asked. In recent days, one could always hear stories about the Valkyrie and the vagabond. One from the pce in the sky, the other from the murky drains below. The vast disparity in status yet entwined, what a sensational topic it was, and surely in no time, people beyond Eternal City would know this news. The Valkyrie didn¡¯t respond, continuing to walk out. This time, unlike before, she revealed her true appearance ¡ª simple, haggard, yet still transcendentally beautiful. ¡°Actually¡­¡± Zhu Minng watched as she slowly vanished, and the words at the tip of his tongue were swallowed back. Zhu Minng understood. It wasn¡¯t he who was the Valkyrie¡¯s shame but her current lowly status. ¡­ She had left, and Zhu Minng felt aplex mix of emotions. Subconsciously, he picked a plump mulberry leaf, cing it in the palm of his hand, and the little Ice Bug immediately leaped joyfully from his shoulder onto the leaf. ¡°Will we ever return to those days when we were renowned and influential?¡± Zhu Minng asked nonchntly, holding the little Ice Bug. After so many years, Zhu Minng still didn¡¯t understand why a fine White Dragon would be covered with silk overnight, and just as quickly, its enormous body shrank within the cocoon, finally reducing to this little creature that only knew how to nibble on mulberry leaves. The little Ice Bug, oblivious, lifted the mulberry leaf with its nearly invisible front ws as if a child were holding a bowl several times his size and started to munch on it with ¡°shasha¡± sounds. It wiggled its plump body, emitting joyful chewing noises, and after finishing, its big eyes blissfully fluttered with satisfaction. Seeing the little creature¡¯s delicate and foolish appearance, Zhu Minng couldn¡¯t help butugh and poke at its plump belly with his other hand. The little creature had no sense of shame at all, immediately flipping over to present its belly for Zhu Minng to massage while emitting sounds of contentment, ¡°Mmm, ji ji.¡± ¡°Ordinary life is quite nice, too, no pressure, no worries, and no one else¡¯s burdens to bear¡­¡± Shaking his head, Zhu Minng continued to clean his small courtyard, nning to nt more mulberry trees in the hills next year. The little creature¡¯s appetite was growing, and he had to work harder, or else he wouldn¡¯t even be able to support his Ice Bugpanion. ¡°Speaking of which, it¡¯s not even noon yet, so why does it feel hot?¡± Zhu Minng hadn¡¯t been cleaning for long when he gradually felt the cold air being pushed away. Patches of red light broke through the dense fog, inexplicably tinting the small Sang Town. Even the nearby woods took on the brilliant red hues of a maple forest. Zhu Minng lifted his head toward the sky. The morning had passed already, hadn¡¯t it? So why was there such an exaggerated morning glow? The fiery clouds hung low like real mes, rapidly turning the vast blue sky incredibly splendid! ¡°Ga ji~~~¡± Before Zhu Minng could figure out the source of this strange phenomenon in the sky, the wooden door was suddenly pushed open, and the Valkyrie stepped inside in a hurry. Zhu Minng¡¯s eyes brightened¡­ She had returned. In fact, he could also grow wintersweet. This winter, Zhu Minng could work even harder. As long as she was willing to share a simple meal with him, and wouldn¡¯t disdain the small house smelling of silkworm droppings, well, I could support you. ¡°Would it be okay to stop seeking revenge?¡± Zhu Minng beamed, already knowing he wanted to say this. But before he could speak, the Valkyrie quickly said with a serious look, ¡°Pretend to be a member of my tribe.¡± Zhu Minng was still puzzled by her words when the courtyard door was pushed open violently once more, and a stately man dressed in blue with red patterns approached. While his clothes and appearance suggested a certain extraordinary quality, what caught the attention most was his exceedingly pale countenance, as if afflicted with some stubborn illness, utterlycking the usual flush of a healthy person¡¯s skin. Yet, his demeanor didn¡¯t convey the fragility of someone ill; on the contrary, he emanated a cold and lonely aura that was downright daunting. Zhu Minng nced at the endless fiery clouds in the sky, then at the asional sh of crimson in the man¡¯s eyes, and quickly grasped something. Dragon Shepherd. And a strong one at that!! ¡°The person you spoke of joining us on our journey, is it him?¡± Luo Xiao spoke up, his gaze piercing as he scrutinized Zhu Minng. The Valkyrie replied, ¡°He arrived here before me and has already reported my current situation to the tribe. I had him clean up the traces of my stay here, and we will return to the Ancestral Dragon City-State tomorrow.¡± Luo Xiao stepped forward, examining Zhu Minng with a serious and somewhat skeptical expression, clearly notpletely believing the Valkyrie¡¯s words. ¡°Female Monarch,¡± Zhu Minng gave the Valkyrie a fist-and-palm salute, and said without changing his expression, ¡°The tribe has ordered me to take you back, but they didn¡¯t agree to bring strangers. Given your noble status and dignified beauty, I would advise you not to trust those of unknown origin.¡± ¡°What do you mean, ¡®unknown origin¡¯? I am a member of the tribe¡­ the tribe¡­¡± Luo Xiao began, but seemed at a loss for words. ¡°Luo Xiao was once an Attendant in my father¡¯s Pce, and he is now a Dragon Trainer, not the person of unknown origin you speak of,¡± the Valkyrie stated. ¡°Oh, then he is also a part of our kin. In that case, let¡¯s journey together; we can look out for each other,¡± Zhu Minng finally agreed, making it seem like a reluctant decision. Doubt those who doubt you first, his cunning strategy tinged with a touch of mischief! Zhu Minng couldn¡¯t help but praise himself, his acting hadn¡¯t declined over the years at all! Chapter 6 - 6 Juvenile Spirit 6 Chapter 6 Juvenile Spirit Trantor: Exodus Tales Editor: Exodus Tales Luo Xiao frowned, but at this moment he was not in a position to say anything more. Wutu was a barren yet chaotd of savagery, and Eternal City was just one of its cities. Luo Xiao initially thought he was the first to find the beleaguered Li Yunzi. However, it turned out that someone had already beaten him to it. Putting aside Luo Xiao¡¯s strong possessive desire for the Valkyrie Li Yunzi, even if he took her back to the Li Family in Ancestral Dragon City during these difficult times, he would receive a great reward. Having just be a Dragon Shepherd, his Gold-ted Fire Dragon held boundless potential, but likewise, he needed a truly powerful force to pave a path for him to ascend to heaven, and the once-loyal Li Family was the perfect choice! Of course, this time he would not return to the Li Family of Ancestral Dragon City as a servant, but as a real Dragon Shepherd. The people of Eternal City may not know the background of Li Yunzi, but Luo Xiao was very clear about it. ¡°The journey is long, miss. You¡¯ll have to bear with riding my Gold-ted Fire Dragon back to Ancestral Dragon City. However, my Fire Dragon is born stubborn and does not like others on its back, so this gentleman will have to find his own way,¡± said Luo Xiao. ¡°Zhu Minng has just joined the Dragon Taming Academy. His Young Dragons are not yet fully formed, so he can only summon some Spirit Birds to send messages for now. We will still need Mr. Luo¡¯s escort and vignce on the road,¡± said Li Yunzi. ¡°To set foot in this savage Wutu without having be a true Dragon Shepherd requiresmendable courage. With that said, let¡¯s get on the road as soon as possible,¡± Luo Xiao seemed not to want to linger there either. ¡­ Zhu Minng was someone adept at reading the room. This frightening Dragon Shepherd, Luo Xiao, although extremely respectful towards the Valkyrie, was obviously wary of the immense force behind Ancestral Dragon City-State she represented. But this Wutu Eternal City was far too distant from Ancestral Dragon City-State, and Wutu had always been devoid of much civilisation. Savage, primal, strife and ughter were everywhere, and the conflict between tribes and cities was incessant. Without a sufficiently powerful force standing unchallenged, true order was simply impossible. With the mountains high and the emperor far away, although the Valkyrie came from a more glorious city-state n, in this ce where she found herself in trouble, she was like crying to heaven without response and asking the earth with no one to hear. At this moment, even if Luo Xiao did something outrageous, it was likely that the Valkyrie¡¯s city-state n behind her would note to know of it. The Valkyrie was still weak, likely due to poison¡­ well, perhaps there was also a reason of her own making. She hadn¡¯t recovered even a tenth of her previous abilities and had herself pretend to be someone from her n to warn the formidable Dragon Shepherd Luo Xiao to prevent him from taking advantage of her vulnerability. When Luo Xiao looked at the Valkyrie, the burning desire in his eyes was far too apparent, and even with great effort to restrain it, one could sense the longing in his expression. The Valkyrie had already endured humiliation once. She was well aware of what could happen when she was at a disadvantage, and she did not believe that Luo Xiao had sincerelye to escort her. Without having fully recovered her strength, without having returned to Ancestral Dragon City, no one was to be trusted. On the contrary, this man who had done what should and should not be done already was rtively safer for her. Luo Xiao led the way, heading towards the hillside forest that was aze with maple colors. The Valkyrie Li Yunzigged slightly behind. After grasping the intent behind the Valkyrie¡¯s request for him to impersonate someone from her n, Zhu Minng sighed softly and said to her in a low voice, ¡°You¡¯ve had it tough.¡± Without power, without martial strength, the once radiant and brilliant Valkyrie now walked on thin ice. Upon hearing this, Li Yunzi¡¯s expression changed slightly. She deliberately slowed her pace further, matching Zhu Minng, and said quietly, ¡°Don¡¯t let him see through us. Eternal City has been turned into a sea of mes by him, with very few survivors¡­¡± Zhu Minng was shocked. Razing cities, ughtering the popce! Was this Luo Xiao a psychopath? Even if it was to offer zealous devotion for the Valkyrie¡¯s revenge, it was unnecessary¡­ Suddenly, Zhu Minng realized something and recalled the barely concealed infatuation Luo Xiao had shown towards Li Yunzi. This crazed maniac could potentially be out to kill him. Not knowing who the little beggar mentioned by others was, he might as well have simply obliterated this entire city! Zhu Minng¡¯s heart pounded as he looked at this Luo Xiao dressed in a cyan robe with red patterns and a pale face, now with a sense of dread! ¡°He was once a servant to my father, cast out of the family for secretly climbing over the courtyard wall and spying on my sword practice. He harbors grudges, and now he has be a Dragon Shepherd¡­¡± Li Yunzi continued. Li Yunzi was very clear about her current situation; she had to rely on Zhu Minng ying the role of someone from her n to deter Luo Xiao; otherwise, she would still be at the mercy of others. ¡°He did not take you by force because he seeks to use this opportunity to return to your great n?¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°Yes,¡± Li Yunzi replied. ¡°This is a forceful escort; who knows if he might go berserk halfway!¡± Zhu Minng said. Li Yunzhi remained silent. Despite her apparent calmness, Zhu Minng could sense the wariness flickering in her eyes, like a wounded deer constantly searching for a sense of safety in the gaps of the forest. Sigh, she was after all a woman with whom he had shared pleasant dungeon times; he should do something for her. Wait a minute! He was nning to retire in Sang Town. If that were the case, wouldn¡¯t he have to move to a bustling, powerful, enormous city-state, allowing his utter ordinariness to be buried in an even more majestic world?? What happened to not being responsible?? ¡­ ¡­ The path to heaven was long and the Gold-ted Fire Dragon was truly a rare and powerful giant dragon. Its scales always emitted me-like ripples, casting a red glow across the sky as its shape passed through, an extraordinary disy of power! Zhu Minng had ridden flying dragons before, but without a windbreaker, he could only let the biting wind p wildly against his cheeks, especially since it was now the cold autumn. Riding a dragon, although both were on its back, the Valkyrie and Zhu Minng were still at the dragon¡¯s mercy. Luo Xiao was indeed a living person, yet for some reason, he always gave off the impression that he might turn into a man-eating beast at any moment. Zhu Minng was convinced that without his superflous presence, the frail Valkyrie would have long been devoured by Luo Xiao. Several times when they stopped to rest, Zhu Minng could feel his life being threatened by this man! ¡­ Around a campfire, with a fewrge stones, the three sat in front of the mes. Zhu Minng skillfully roasted arge green fish, and it wasn¡¯t long before the alluring aroma wafted through the air. He divided it into three portions, put each on a lotus leaf, and handed one to Li Yunzhi first. His fingers inadvertently touched hers, still ice-cold. ¡°Mr. Luo Xiao, this portion is for you,¡± said Zhu Minng to Luo Xiao. ¡°Thank you for the trouble.¡± Luo Xiao wasn¡¯t overly arrogant when dealing with his own n members. After biting into a piece of fish, Luo Xiao suddenly raised his gaze, staring at Zhu Minng, and asked, ¡°Now that young brother Zhu is about to enter the Dragon Taming Academy, do you know the different sses of dragons? What about your Juvenile Spirit? Can it be summoned for me to take a look?¡± Zhu Minng looked up at him. Are you out of your mind? I¡¯ve cooked such a delicious fish, and instead of enjoying it, you¡¯re probing me! Definitely a psychological case. After mentally cursing a few times, Zhu Minng kept the same smile on his face and replied, ¡°Why would Mr. Luo make such jokes with me? I¡¯m not a true Dragon Shepherd yet, and I haven¡¯t formed a Spirit Realm, so I can¡¯t contain my Juvenile Spirit within it. My family¡¯s Juvenile Spirit is indeed a Reserve Dragon, but it¡¯s inconvenient to carry around. It¡¯s currently in the n¡¯s warm nest, getting ready to hibernate.¡± Juvenile Spirits are young creatures with the potential to transform into dragons. Dragon Shepherds can¡¯t freely call upon Juvenile Spirits, so taking care of them is also a rather tedious task. Almost no one would take such vulnerable creatures on long journeys, especially since not all Juvenile Spirits are guaranteed to transform into dragons. A Juvenile Spirit that fails to transform into a dragon is worth nothing. There are many people who spend their entire lives¡¯ effort and all their wealth without being able to choose a Juvenile Spirit that will eventually transform into a dragon. Dragon Gate, for too many people, is like a pinnacle set upon the clouds, one they can¡¯t even qualify to look up to. ¡°I¡¯m also new to being a Dragon Shepherd, and there are some minor details I might get wrong, hehe. But as for dragons, how are they ssified? I always feel that after my Firewhip transforms into a dragon, it will be much stronger than the others.¡± Luo Xiaoughed insincerely. ¡°Dragons are ssified as Dragon Son Level, Dragon General Level, Dragon Lord Level, Dragon Monarch Level, Dragon King Level¡­ It must be that Mr. Luo¡¯s dragon bloodline is noble, with the potential of a Dragon Lord,¡± Zhu Minngughed along with him, though in his mind he had already gone through Luo Xiao¡¯s family tree once over. We¡¯ll soon arrive at Ancestral Dragon City, and this Luo Xiao still isn¡¯t giving up. Obsession is a frightful thing! Speaking of which¡­ Luo Xiao was previously beaten and expelled from the family for peeping at the Valkyrie practicing her swordsmanship. It was just peeping at sword practice, and it¡¯s not like she wasn¡¯t wearing clothes. Then what about me, who has done everything with the Valkyrie, am I not to be thrown by the Li Family into boiling oil to be fried, then wrapped in arge lettuce leaf to be fed to an evil dragon to reduce the greasiness??? Chapter 7 - 7 Invisible Zhu Minglang 7 Chapter 7 Invisible Zhu Minng Trantor: Exodus Tales Editor: Exodus Tales ¡­ The Ancestral Dragon City-State stood towering over a vast expanse of fertile ins, where three thawed rivers meandered from distant mountain ranges. They irrigated thend, passing through countless viges, market towns, and cities before finally converging at the silvery-gray Ancestral Dragon City-State! The city-state was divided into two parts, separated by the solemn and majestic silvery-gray high State Wall. The most awe-inspiring aspect of the Ancestral Dragon City-State was indeed this State Wall, which, from the moment one flew into the Qingmo ins, resembled an ancient Dragon that had touched the world¡¯s beginnings, sprawled across the horizon. ¡°Legend has it that the Ancestral Dragon City-State was transformed from the body of an Ancestral Dragon; seeing it today, I realize it¡¯s no falsehood,¡± Zhu Minng remarked to himself. Seeing the Ancestral Dragon City-State did little to unravel the knot in Li Yunzi¡¯s heart. Furthermore, the thought of facing those who were all too familiar with her made her feel breathless all over again. ¡°Miss Yunzi, you need not worry about that matter; I have silenced them all,¡± Luo Xiao seemed to discern theplexity within Li Yunzi¡¯s heart and showed this special consideration. Li Yunzi did not respond. Afterposing herself slightly, Li Yunzi¡¯s eyes regained their cold, starry frost-and-moon luster; she simply said, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡­ The Nan Family and the Li Family. For a long time, these two prestigious ns had ruled over the Ancestral Dragon City-State. Upon hearing the name Valkyrie, Zhu Minng instantly understood her background. No wonder she had managed to rule over Eternal City for a full year amidst the chaotic Wutu; her background must be extraordinarily deep. But why was she overthrown overnight? The journey was nerve-wracking, but atst, the mission waspleted, though Zhu Minng couldn¡¯t leave just yet. The Li Imperial Pce was grandly imposing¡ªa pity that their return was not one of glory. The three waited quietly in a spacious hall adorned with pear wood, with Zhu Minng and Luo Xiao standing a few steps behind Li Yunzi. Li Yunzi stood there, facing an elderly, thin man with a long beard in the main seat of the great hall. Next to the man was a woman of outstanding poise, dignified and elegant, pouring a cup of tea for the bearded, gaunt man. ¡°Master, please calm your anger; it¡¯s good that she has returned unharmed,¡± the woman said softly. ¡°Smash!¡± The teacup was fiercely knocked down by the long-bearded man. Sharp porcin shards flew towards Li Yunzi¡¯s feet, with one bouncing off the marble floor and mercilessly slicing across Li Yunzi¡¯s cheek. A fresh red line appeared on her face, and blood began to ooze out. Yet Li Yunzi stood there without any intention to dodge from the beginning. ¡°Any child raised by our Li Family should have chosen to end their life at a shrine by now, sparing you and our Li Family some dignity!¡± the middle-aged man with the long beard said indifferently. ¡°Your Majesty, I had already turned Eternal City into ashes; how could this news have reached the City-State so quickly?¡± Luo Xiao said in disbelief. ¡°Is it your turn to speak!¡± The Master of the Li Family red at Luo Xiao. Luo Xiao hurriedly knelt down, not daring to raise his head. It seemed that there was an innate fear of the Lord of the Li Family. Even the ambitious and arrogant Luo Xiao did not dare to act rashly anymore. ¡°You can¡¯t even protect your own reputation, how will you protect the Ancestral Dragon City-State, which is besieged on all sides!¡± Master Li roared in anger. Li Yunzi still did not speak. Seeing her remain silent, the Lord of the Li Family became even more irritated¡­ But soon the Lord of the Li Family suppressed the anger rising in his throat. ¡°Regardless, Yunzi has made no small contribution to our city-state¡¯s military achievements, expanding our territory. Even though her reputation is now in tatters, she still has hermanding dignity,¡± the woman at his side persuaded. ¡°Whatmanding dignity? Moreover, the soldiers under the name of Female Monarch will have to bear this disgrace with her. From now on, let the name of Female Monarch disappear. Your Army Guards will be dispersed to other camps to continue defending the western battlefield. The title of Ancestral Dragon God Princess shall be inherited by Nan Lingsha. You are to be under house arrest in the pce, forbidden from seeing anyone!¡± As Master Li spoke these words, his eyes revealed a hint of cold indifference. ¡°My lord, as her sister, Nan Lingsha might also be affected. Perhaps we should call her back as well¡­¡± The woman seemed to want to say something. ¡°Nan Lingsha is Nan Lingsha, Li Yunzi is Li Yunzi. Whoever dares bring up this matter in connection with Nan Lingsha, cut out their tongue, no matter their status!¡± Master Li dered. ¡°Your concubine will execute this order,¡± the woman answered. ¡°Luo Xiao,¡± the Lord of the Li Family turned his gaze to him at this moment. ¡°Here I am!¡± Luo Xiao quickly knelt down, not daring to lift his face. ¡°Your dragon is the Gold-ted Fire Dragon?¡± asked the Lord of the Li Family. ¡°Gold-ted Fire Dragon? My lord, that¡¯s a dragon breed with the potential to ascend to Dragon Lord status. Its lineage and attributes are of the highest tier. If it can demonstrate loyalty¡­¡± the woman expressed her surprise. ¡°Indeed a rare and precious dragon. I didn¡¯t expect that after leaving the Li Family, you would have such a remarkable adventure. You performed well this time, making those refugees from Wutu realize that people of the Li Family cannot be trampled upon with impunity!¡± Master Li stated. ¡°When I erred and was exiled years ago, I was filled with regret, but my heart has always been with the Li Family. After bing a Dragon Shepherd, I happened to be training in Wutu. When I learned of the youngdy¡¯s distress, I rushed there immediately. Unfortunately, I was a step toote. Please don¡¯t me the youngdy, my lord. It was myck of decisiveness; I should have also eradicated the nearby towns so that this incident would not have spread back to the city-state,¡± Luo Xiao dered his loyalty. Master Li nodded, somewhat pleased with Luo Xiao¡¯s ruthlessness. ¡°Come under mymand. The Gold-ted Fire Dragon indeed has immense potential but also needs substantial resources and guidance from a master. As long as you are sufficiently loyal, I assure you a future of great splendor!¡± Master Li proimed. ¡°Thank you, my lord, thank you, my lord!!¡± Excitement that he could scarcely hide emerged on Luo Xiao¡¯s face as he bowed his head in thanks again and again! Great splendor! This was precisely the great splendor Luo Xiao desired! Not to be some Dragon Herding Sanctifier in a barren and poornd, but to reign supreme in the grand and prosperous Ancestral Dragon City-State! ¡­ Throughout the entire scene, Zhu Minng had mentally rehearsed numerous times how he would respond to the domineering and cold words of the Li Family Head, even thinking of many vague words to obscure the issue of his identity. In the end, Zhu Minng realized that from beginning to end, he had never been taken seriously. He hadn¡¯t even been nced at, let alone addressed. This made Zhu Minng feel somewhat bitter. There had been a time when many esteemed individuals had pointed at him and said, ¡°This child has an extraordinary countenance, he will surely be a Dragon Phoenix among men.¡± How had he managed to be so in and invisible within just a few years of wandering? Chapter 8 - 8: The Degenerate Dragon 8 Chapter 8: The Degenerate Dragon Trantor: Exodus Tales Editor: Exodus Tales The Lord of the Li Family and his matriarch left, leaving only Li Yunzi, Luo Xiao, and Zhu Minng in the grand hall adorned with pear wood. Luo Xiao waited for a while after the Family Head had left before slowly rising to his feet. He took a few steps forward, approaching Li Yunzi. ¡°Miss Yunzi, I have failed in my duties, causing you to be wronged¡­ Miss Yunzi, you need not concern yourself with the opinions of others. Once you return to the Li Family, I will strive even harder to be its pir of strength. At that time, I will do everything in my power to persuade your father to betroth Miss Yunzi to me. I¡­ I, Luo Xiao, truly have sincere feelings for Miss Yunzi. I¡­ Speaking of this now may seem abrupt and offensive, but I will prove it to you with my actions. Miss Yunzi, please give me some time,¡± Luo Xiao said, his speech stammering and nervous. Zhu Minng stood by with his mouth agape. Am I really that transparent!! No matter how twisted Luo Xiao¡¯s heart was, he seemed to be sincere in his feelings for Li Yunzi, and he had chosen the most suitable moment to confess to her, earnestly showing that he was a man who wouldn¡¯t care about Li Yunzi¡¯s past. Li Yunzi did not respond, nor could her emotions be discerned at the moment. ¡°Miss Yunzi need not rush to reply, as long as you understand Luo Xiao¡¯s loyalty and infatuation. Miss Yunzi must be tired; Zhu Minng, have the servants take the young miss back to rest. I will go to the Family Head to receive my orders,¡± Luo Xiao said. Luo Xiao also understood that Li Yunzi hadn¡¯t yet walked out from the shadows and needed time. ¡°Alright, I wish you a future as splendid as the scenery in advance, Mr. Luo,¡± Zhu Minng replied perfunctorily. Luo Xiao nodded, satisfied, feeling that Zhu Minng was quite a sensible younger brother. Finally, with some reluctance, he shifted his gaze away from Li Yunzi and marched towards the Imperial Court of the family head. From this moment on, he, Luo Xiao, was truly embarking on a path to ascend among the clouds! Power, wealth, women¡ªhe would have them all!! ¡°Red Agate, do you remember those who used to bully us? Hehe, they would never have thought we would return with the status of a Gold-ted Fire Dragon and a Dragon Shepherd!¡± Luo Xiao wore a smile on his face, unable to resist caressing the red agate ring on his finger. The ring had an unusual sheen, in which one could see the shadow of a dragon slowly emerging. In Wutu, keeping rush impulses at bay was wise! I¡¯ll end up with even more, and Li Yunzi will eventually be mine! After what happened, there are probably not many of noble status who would be willing to marry her. This way, as long as I perform well under the Li Family Head, having him give Li Yunzi¡¯s hand in marriage to me is not impossible! You must know that Luo Xiao was nothing more than a servant in charge of guarding and keeping house in the Li Family, his status abjectly low! Now everything is different! ¡­ Pear Wood Grand Hall Zhu Minng walked up to the main seat, picked up the handkerchief left by the matriarch, and then handed it to Li Yunzi. ¡°You¡¯re still bleeding. By the way, that man just now, was he your father?¡± Zhu Minng asked. Li Yunzi did not tend to her wound but, when Zhu Minng wasn¡¯t paying attention, a tear slowly slid down her cheek, leaving a trail. Li Yunzi herself did not expect that after holding back for so long, she still broke down before everybody had left. Why did her psychological defenses weaken in front of this man? Zhu Minng, standing to one side, was at a loss as to how tofort her for a moment. If she had broken down in tears, it might have been easier, but instead, she let only a single tear fall. There was no pain, no sadness, but rather a sense of steadfastness that she was bearing it all. Yet, the sight of this beautiful resilience made one¡¯s heart ache. She was the victim, but in the eyes of others, she was the culprit. Hardly had she returned home than she was greeted with such scorn. It seemed if the blood rtionship could be cut, the Lord of the Li Family would do so without hesitation. Is this the refuge Li Yunzi traveled so far to return to? ¡°Let me help you back to rest, don¡¯t think too much,¡± Zhu Minng maintained his courteousness, assisting Li Yunzi as they walked out of the grand hall. ¡°This way.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± ¡­ When they reached Li Yunzi¡¯s courtyard, Zhu Minng indeed found himself turned away at the door. Zhu Minng could understand, after all,forting her was of no use, as he himself was the main culprit. In a world where status dictated everything, Zhu Minng wouldn¡¯t find it odd if Li Yunzi killed him in a fit of rage. But now, where should he go? He had been inexplicably brought to Ancestral Dragon City¡­ With no status, nond, no residence, and no money, surely he couldn¡¯t beg on the streets again? Hey, why do I say again? I¡¯ve never begged for food!! Li Yunzi didn¡¯tsh out at him, but she most likely didn¡¯t want to see him again either. In fact, by bringing him to Ancestral Dragon City, Li Yunzi had saved his life; at that time, Luo Xiao had nned to annihte Xiaosang Town as well. Since he was here, he might as well settle down and find temporary work that could sustain him, preferably something involving growing mulberry trees, as Little White, the insatiable glutton, would likely make a scene if he awoke without any milk to drink. Bai Qi, that is, the name of the Ice Bug. Speaking of Little White, it had not crawled out for air on its own for many days and was now lying unusually still within its Spirit Realm. Preparing for hibernation? Zhu Minng gently closed his eyes and checked his own Spirit Realm. ¡°Strange, why is there an Ice Pupa now¡­¡± Peering into his Spirit Realm, Zhu Minng was shocked to discover that, at some point, the little Ice Bug had wrapped itself up in ice silk it spat out, transforming into a huge Ice Pupa. Was it about to undergo metamorphosis? But it was an Azure Dragon of the Dragon General Level before. No creature of the Azure Dragon Bloodline was said to have this ability, right? The Ice Pupa hadn¡¯tpletely closed up yet; there was still a hole at the top. Through this hole, Zhu Minng could see inside. What he saw left him astounded by the world within the Ice Pupa! The inner world was magically crafted! The ice silks wrapping around the outside interwove profoundly delicate patterns inside, without the slightest hint of chaos. Instead, they formed a perfect artistry that transitioned from loose to unified. Amongst those frosty silk nests were sparkling ice grains, shining like rare white diamonds, or like a skyful of white stars in the vast night, orderly scattered within this tiny universe, dreamlike and fantastic. Each tiny frost strand had a long ancient pattern upon it. Within each ice grain, there appeared to house an incredible universe. All of this ultimately congregated around a small Holy Spirit ¨C it was Little White that had gradually grown wings, and its stature had be exceptionally graceful! At the heart of the pupa, Little White drifted in and out of sleep. It gently stretched its underdeveloped wings, and a pair of beautiful, vibrant eyes tried hard to watch Zhu Minng who hade into the Spirit Realm. But the little one was truly too sleepy. In the end, it closed its eyes. Momentarily, the frost strands began to dance, the ice grains started to shimmer. As Little White fell asleep once more, the world within the Ice Pupa began to revolve wildly. Tiny buds of life broke through the ice, minuscule ice flowers bloomed, something like life-giving snow trees spread their leafy crowns that shrouded everything, minuscule creatures were created here¡­ It was as if creation burst forth, as if oceans turned to mulberry fields! Meanwhile, the hole was filled by the frost strands surging from within, and the Ice Pupa sealedpletely. Zhu Minng could no longer see anything inside. From the outside, the Ice Pupa looked unremarkable, but the world inside that had left Zhu Minng utterly astounded was imprinted in his mind and would not fade away!! Little White, who slept like a queen in that frosty and vast world, what exactly was it? This probably marked the fifth year of Zhu Minng¡¯s wanderings. Once, Bai Qi was an Azure Dragon. When Zhu Minng was still a young man, he was already a formidable figure, watched by everyone, adored by everyone. But just when Zhu Minng himself thought he would have a splendid life ahead, Bai Qi devolved overnight from a mighty Azure Dragon to the most minuscule and frail Ice Bug among living creatures. In just one night¡­ To this day, Zhu Minng hasn¡¯t forgotten the white frost silk that wrapped around half the city!!! The huge ice cocoon enveloped the Azure Dragon Bai Qi, covering half the city in a vast expanse of sacred white, as if a Snow Spiritual God had descended. This stunning visionsted the entire night. But in the end, as morning light came, all the white silk melted away. The Azure Dragon left behind a shell devoid of any signs of life, melting with the frost silk into water under the sunlight, leaving only a minute Ice Bug, almost devoid of any consciousness, slowly crawling out¡­ Zhu Minng stood atop the cold city, watching this tiny Ice Bug emerge from Ice City. How could he, still a young man, believe it! The White Azure Dragon had actually regressed! The youth, who was once at his zenith, thus became a grain of sand in the sea of people and began his long, wandering journey. After so many years, the youth matured into a young man, his grand aspirations dulled to merely getting by. He had walked so many ces that he could no longer remember them all. However, the little Ice Bug, this grown youth, had been taking care of it diligently all along, and without realizing it, it had be a bond that could even be described as familial. For years, Little White maintained its status as a small Ice Bug with no change at all. But this time, it was undergoing transformation!! From that brief glimpse just now, Zhu Minng saw the semi-transformed state of Little White, with its thin wings, with its beautiful outline of form, with its delicate tail¡­ It seemed to possess the gentle grace of a Butterfly Dragon Spirit, yet it also seemed to retain the physique of the original White Azure Dragon! And unmistakably, these were signs of its imminent transformation into a dragon!!! The Ice Pupa was its Dragon Gate. Upon breaking out from the pupa, it would return to its rightful position as a dragon!!! In that moment, Zhu Minng¡¯s inner self, which had been like stagnant water, suddenly surged with excitement!! The White Azure Dragon was returning!! The recent events, which would inspire longing in anyone with a heart grown cold, only held back because they could not see their own future¡­ But with Bai Qi¡¯s return, everything was about to change!! Chapter 9 - 9 Dragon Taming Academy 9 Chapter 9 Dragon Taming Academy Trantor: Exodus Tales Editor: Exodus Tales ¡°Sigh!¡± ¡°Sigh!!¡± Zhu Minng took deep breaths, having not felt such unbearable excitement for a long time. No, no, no, he needed to calm down first. Little White was still in the process of metamorphosis, and before the chrysalis hatched, he was still a mere Ordinary Spirit. He needed to find a stable and safe ce to get through Little White¡¯s metamorphosis phase. So, where would be suitable to go now? He was somewhat unfamiliar with life in the Ancestral Dragon City¡­ ¡°Young master.¡± ¡°Young master, please wait.¡± As Zhu Minng hesitated in front of the Li Family Gate, a maid-dressed fair youngdy called out to him. ¡°Are you calling me?¡± Zhu Minng asked, puzzled. ¡°Is it Young Master Zhu Minng? The Female Monarch has instructed me to deliver this letter from the academy to you,¡± the fair maid said softly. Zhu Minng saw that the letter bore the imposing words ¡°Dragon Taming Academy.¡± Was this to make a deception appear real? Perhaps it was to prevent Luo Xiao from checking upter? The academy would indeed be a good ce, especially suitable for getting through Little White¡¯s metamorphosis period. Fine, if it¡¯s attending school, then I shall! Zhu Minng epted the weighty letter. The admission requirements for the Dragon Taming Academy were actually quite strict. Either you had enough money to ensure you could purchase a dragon, or the Juvenile Spirit you had raised was identified as a dragon with potential. The academy was also a good ce, inhabited by the offspring of nobles and high officials as well asmoners who became students of young dragons through unique insight and wisdom. Bing a Dragon Shepherd was not the sole privilege of the rich and powerful. Amongst the vast sea of people, there weremoners too who leapt over the Dragon Gate and soared to the heavens. ¡°Young master, after you report to the Li Chuan Dragon Taming Academy, don¡¯t miss the selection of the Juvenile Spirits. You¡¯d better have a good eye when choosing your Juvenile Spirit,¡± the fair maid reminded Zhu Minng with a blink of her eyes and a gentle tone. ¡°Thank you, youngdy.¡± ¡°Just call me Frost.¡± ¡°Thank you, Miss Frost.¡± ¡°Hehe.¡± Frostughed, her voice as clear as a bell. Holding the enrollment letter, Zhu Minng walked along the stairway to the bustling, prosperous azure stone streets of the city-state. Behind him was the Li Imperial Pce, strict and deste, separated from this azure stone street by a mere river bridge. But once across the bridge, the scent of life came rushing forth, blending in so no one would care to notice anyone¡¯s face. As one who lived with the circumstances, he could roam the world as his home or settle down in a refined academy! It was a new beginning¡­ ¡­ Inside the courtyard Frost, with a butterfly-shaped hair sp on her head, walked towards the house where she saw at a nce that Miss Li Yunzi was sitting alone on a goose down pouf. Frost had also heard about that incident. Outside, she was a Female Monarch, once the center of attention and respect, but in this courtyard, she was no different from anymon noble youngdy, and people within the Li Imperial Pce also called her Miss Yunzi. Frost knew that the youngdy had suffered these days, yet she did not know how to help her walk out from it. ¡°Miss, Frost does not quite understand how that woman from Eternal City knew your weakness, you¡¯ve always been very careful,¡± Frost said, bowing slightly. ¡°The person who framed me is right here,¡± Li Yunzi said coldly. Whye back? Li Yunzi was very clear that the only person who could seize her fatal weakness must be someone very close to her. ¡°Ah?? Is it someone from our Li Family who was instructing from behind? Then why didn¡¯t you talk to the Family Head? It¡¯s someone from the n who wants to harm you, right?¡± Frost said. Li Yunzi shook her head and replied, ¡°To speak out would only be to alert the enemy.¡± Frost was quite astute, and she immediately realized who Li Yunzi was referring to as the snake. Her eyes filled with surprise, and after a while, she said in a low voice, ¡°Do you suspect it¡¯s the young wife of the Family Head, Kong Tong?¡± ¡°I only wish it were her¡­¡± Li Yunzi murmured somewhat absentmindedly. ¡°No wonder that madman Luo Xiao razed Eternal City to the ground. The news spread throughout the city. There are indeed people in the n who do not wish for you to hold power, but such methods are just too cruel!¡± Frost said indignantly. Li Yunzi took a deep breath. Some people wanted to ruin herpletely and tarnish her reputation, but she would not let them have their way so easily. Li Yunzi also needed some time to let everything settle slowly. Those who had trampled over her without restraint, she would repay tenfold!! ¡°Have the autumn Nan trees nted by the Star Painting blossomed?¡± Li Yunzi asked. ¡°They have, and they¡¯re so beautiful. Let¡¯s go there to rx a bit, youngdy.¡± ¡°If she wakes up, don¡¯t mention this matter to her,¡± Li Yunzi instructed. ¡°Ah?¡± Frost didn¡¯t know how to respond for a moment. Behind the courtyard, there was a small hill with an unobstructed view, covered with azure trees. These autumn Nan trees stood tall and graceful, with branches full of Nan flowers that only bloomed in the fall. The tree flowers clung tightly together like silk floss, blooming inrge bunches on the branches. The flowers wereplemented by the orderly, pale green leaves, enhancing their graceful and gorgeous appearance. Standing under these Nan trees enveloped in their fragrance, Li Yunzi became somewhat entranced as she gazed at the flowers, leaves, and the soft branches, and the clean sunlight cascading through the gaps in the leaves and branches¡­ ¡°Time is never as tranquil and beautiful as it seems right now,¡± Li Yunzi said softly. ¡­ ¡­ Li Chuan referred to the three rivers that irrigate the vast ins from the distant mountains, nourishing the fertilend and giving birth to countless creatures. The Li Chuan Dragon Taming Academy was not located within the city of Ancestral Dragon City-State but situated further upstream of Li Chuan. Following the main river north from the confluence of the three rivers in Ancestral Dragon City-State, one could see the majestic and proud Phoenix Embankment Waterfall less than fifty kilometers away! This Phoenix Embankment Waterfall was essentially a dramatic turn in a colossal river channel, where thousands of tons of silvery-white river water cascaded down. Standing downstream and looking up at the Phoenix Embankment, it seemed as if hundreds of dragons were surging downward in a sweeping arc, with waves shimmering like white scales and silver feathers¡­ Above the Phoenix Embankment Waterfall, the mother river of Li Chuan suddenly widened many times over, with the waters converging here. The framework of the river gradually broadened on both sides, forming a rare tke within the river system. And the Li Chuan Dragon Taming Academy was built on this giant tke amidst the river! Zhu Minng arrived at this spot on foot, but he too was captivated by the scenery before him. This was the Dragon Taming Academy, with a location that demonstrated its extraordinary nature. Following the long slope covered with autumn greenery upward and circling around the grand Phoenix Embankment Waterfall, Zhu Minng saw an extremely quaint small town. The town was notrge, but it was densely popted with countless merchantsing and going. At the end of the street in Phoenix Embankment Town, the bridge leading to the Li Chuan Dragon Taming Academy was connected. In the center of the White Rock Bridge, there was arge gate made of copper and wood. The gate was wide open, and asionally one could see several young men and women dressed in opulenceing and going through it. ¡°Young brother, are you here to admire the academy?¡± asked a girl selling ripe peaches by the bridge. The girl¡¯s skin was the color of dark wheat, and she looked very healthy, obviously someone who spent a lot of time under the sun. She held one of her own peaches, took a bite, and unabashedly wiped the peach juice from the corner of her mouth with the back of her hand. ¡°I¡¯m here to enroll,¡± Zhu Minng said with an innocuous smile. ¡°Wow, I would have never guessed¡­¡± The peach-selling girl looked at Zhu Minng afresh, her surprise evident. Zhu Minng¡¯s smile gradually widened. ¡°I would have never guessed you were crazy,¡± the peach-selling girl continued. Zhu Minng¡¯s expression stiffened, not expecting this cheeky peach vendor to be so sharp-tongued! Chapter 10 - 10 The Choice of Juvenile Spirit 10 Chapter 10 The Choice of Juvenile Spirit Trantor: Exodus Tales Editor: Exodus Tales ¡°Let¡¯s make a bet. I¡¯ll walk in there right now, and the people at the bronze and wood gate won¡¯t stop me. If I manage to get in, you¡¯ll give me this basket of peaches,¡± Zhu Minng said, feeling provoked, to the peach-selling girl. ¡°Alright, but what if I win?¡± the peach-selling girl said with a smile, her dark ryeplexion and bright eyes creating a striking contrast. ¡°If you win, I¡¯ll buy all your peaches.¡± ¡°Judging by your clothes, it doesn¡¯t look like you can afford it,¡± the peach-selling girl said. ¡°Mind your own business!¡± When others enroll in school, not to say they must dress dazzlingly, but at least they should fit the descriptions of dignified and neat. Zhu Minng, having escorted flowers along the way to the Ancestral Dragon City-State, and then having trekked to the Dragon Taming Academy, didn¡¯t even get a chance to bathe, making his coarse clothes make him look somewhat unkempt. Zhu Minng didn¡¯t want it to be like this either. Before, despite being poor, there were no major issues with his appearance, and he would only be mistaken for a beggar if he encountered bandits or fell into misfortune¡­ Stepping onto the White Rock Bridge, the street vendors gradually decreased, and as he approached the bronze and wood gate, the surroundings showed the serene and tidy air of an elegant ce. ¡°I¡¯m here to enroll; this is my letter of admission,¡± Zhu Minng said as he handed over his admission notice, still quite polite. ¡°How did you end up like this?¡± the gatekeeping uncle asked. ¡°I went out to practice, and on the way, I encountered bandits; I fought to the death to protect this letter,¡± Zhu Minng exined casually. ¡°Mm, go ahead and get your school emblem, and then wait a moment to the side,¡± the gatekeeping uncle nodded and signaled for someone behind to take Zhu Minng inside. Zhu Minng pocketed the admission notice and deliberately looked back in the direction of the bridgehead where the dark rye-skinned girl was selling peaches, ready to sh her an evil grin. However, the peach-selling girl seemed to be discussing prices with a plump woman, gesticting passionately in the heat of haggling. She hadpletely forgotten about the bet they had just made! The cold wind over theke made a certain figure seem all the more lonely. In the end, Zhu Minng could only sigh and walk toward the main gate. Psst, it feels even worse than losing! Once he passed the gate, the bridge was nowhere to be seen. It turned out that the White Rock Bridge was just a broken bridge; beyond the gate was a crescent-shaped tform that gently stretched beneath the clearke water. And in theke water, a wide-backed long-necked dragon was waiting at the edge of the tform. It was as big as a solo room, and its neck was long enough to stretch from underwater to the bridge¡¯s entrance. The long-necked dragon¡¯s skin was tight and smooth. Despite its size, it gave off a docile and tranquil feeling, and being close to it didn¡¯t feel pressuring. It certainly didn¡¯t seem to be the same speciespared to Luo Xiao¡¯s Gold-ted Fire Dragon. ¡°Once we have enough people, we can set off,¡± the gatekeeping uncle soon led four more people over. Five people were already on the back of the long-necked dragon. With Zhu Minng and the four neers, that made ten. Ten people on one dragon-boat crossing theke. ¡°Li Shaoying, you are the hope of our entire vige; you must be a Dragon Shepherd at all costs,¡± a middle-aged man shouted from the tform, seeing off the students. Li Shaoying¡¯s face flushed with embarrassment, especially since there were so many students around. ¡°It¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t make it too. Juste back to the vige early, someone has to take the cows and sheep to the pasture. If they don¡¯t eat well, they won¡¯t grow fat; if they¡¯re not fat, they won¡¯t produce milk. Without milk, those littlembs and calves won¡¯t survive the winter,¡± the herding uncle continued to shout loudly. Laughter echoed around, especially from a few female students who were about to ride the long-necked dragon across theke, their hands covering their mouths, unable to contain their giggles. The young man called Li Shaoying now just wanted to dive into theke. He impatiently dismissed his herding uncle, ¡°I know, I know, Uncle Hua, please go back now.¡± ¡°Remember to share the bag of smoked venison with your ssmates. You¡¯re in a strange ce; you have to know how to foster good rtionships with those around you, ssmates and teachers alike, so that you¡¯re less likely to get bullied.¡± ¡°Uncle, please go back, I¡¯m begging you.¡± ¡°Ah, I forgot to give you the medicinal wine, here take this, just rub it on your wounds, and they will heal fast.¡± Finally, the warm and caring herding uncle was persuaded to leave. If he hadn¡¯t left, the new student called Li Shaoying might have really considered suicide byke. ¡°You three are quitete for enrollment. By the time you get to the Reserve Dragons Storage Hall, you will probably only be able to pick from the young dragons left over by others. Even if the journey is long, you should have set out earlier,¡± the gatekeeping uncle said to Li Shaoying, Zhu Minng, and another aloof young master. ¡°Are you also just enrolling?¡± Li Shaoying asked in surprise, sizing up Zhu Minng and the aloof young master. The aloof young master didn¡¯t even bother to respond, clearly showing no interest in making conversation with a Dragon Taming student like Li Shaoying, who came from some unknown backwater vige. Li Shaoying tried to initiate a conversation, but the other man ignored him, leaving Li Shaoying feeling rather awkward. Theke breeze was refreshing, and the long-necked dragon slowly carried ten people, inching closer to the central isle in theke, heading towards the hall that countless people dreamed of ¡ª the Dragon Taming Academy. ¡­ At the head of the bridge, after having sold several kilograms of ripe peaches, a girl suddenly remembered something and turned to look at the firmly closed paulownia wood gates. Her cheeks quickly filled with a look of surprise. ¡°Thrown into theke?¡± ¡°Such a pity.¡± the girl muttered to herself. ¡­ Reserve Dragons Storage Hall Every student who enters the academy, regardless of whether they already own a Juvenile Spirit, gets an opportunity to choose a dragon. Despite people¡¯s reverence for the art of dragon recognizing techniques, selecting a dragon from among the tens of thousands of unremarkable Juvenile Spirits is like finding a needle in a haystack, and often akin to cing a bet! Zhu Minng, Li Shaoying, and the aloof young master were taken to the Reserve Dragons Storage Hall, where the Juvenile Spirits and Spirit eggs were as plentiful as pebbles in a river, overwhelming the onlookers. ¡°Choose, and once you have made your choice, go register with the old master inside the hall, make the mark, and the Juvenile Spirit will be yours,¡± said the dutiful gatekeeper uncle, who had escorted them all the way and left only after giving clear instructions. Li Shaoying, somewhat excited, quickly walked into the Young Spirit Nest, eyeing a group of blue Bird Spirits still in their swaddling clothes, as if recognizing their species. Zhu Minng also followed theid out path, observing leisurely. There were so many types, Bird Spirits, River Spirits, Beast Spirits, Ancient Spirits, Poison Demons, Stone Demons, as well as a sizeable number of Sub-Dragons, Fake Dragons, and Hybrid Dragon Cubs that evidently carried the blood of the Dragon n. Without having truly transformed into dragons, they already disyed the impressive stature and extraordinary traits of dragons! ¡°Heh, you two are taking this quite seriously. Don¡¯t you know anything about the Dragon Taming Academy before entering? Among these thousands of Juvenile Spirits, there might not even be one True Dragon. Giving you the chance to choose here is merely providing a sliver of hope to you as trainees of the academy,¡± said the aloof young master at that moment. Zhu Minng and Li Shaoying both looked at him simultaneously. So, he isn¡¯t mute after all. Zhu Minng nodded inwardly and asked, ¡°We really don¡¯t know much, could you tell us?¡± ¡°Just grab one at random and stop dawdling. Instead of wasting time choosing trash here, it¡¯d better to spend more effort taming your own Juvenile Spirit,¡± the aloof young man said. Li Shaoying gave a sheepish smile. Indeed, the Juvenile Spirits given for free by the academy couldn¡¯t be too great; otherwise, everyone who entered the Dragon Taming Academy would be a Dragon Trainer, and there wouldn¡¯t be so many people lingering at the Dragon Gate. In the end, Li Shaoying chose the most seemingly aggressive and fierce among those few Bird Spirits, not treating it with much importance as he picked it up. Zhu Minng scratched his head. His situation was slightly awkward. Those who made it into the Dragon Taming Academy mostly already had a Juvenile Spirit with decent potential, and some were just a leap away from transformation. Li Shaoying obviously had his own Juvenile Spirit, and even the aloof young master looked as if he already possessed a Young Dragon. Bai Qi was still asleep in the Ice Pupa, so Zhu Minng had nothing at this moment, merely squeezed in as ast-minute addition. It seemed that his entry-level Juvenile Spirit would have to rely on the academy¡¯s charity after all. Nevertheless, this was Zhu Minng¡¯s start. Zhu Minng didn¡¯t bother listening to the aloof young master¡¯s arrogant boration; he continued to select earnestly. Distinguishing dragons is like appraising treasures¡­ It requires extreme discernment, and a bit of luck as well. Unfortunately, Zhu Minng possessed neither. Blind and unlucky. But a sense of ritual was still necessary, and his attitude had to be serious. ¡°Can you hurry up!¡± the aloof young master said more forcefully. Zhu Minng pretended not to hear, meticulously observing the little spirits around him. Some were still in Spirit eggs, some had just hatched, and others had already grown feathers and teeth, beginning to show a hint of destructive power towards the handcrafted nests¡­ Chapter 11 - 11 Little Crocodile Spirit 11 Chapter 11 Little Crocodile Spirit Trantor: Exodus Tales Editor: Exodus Tales ¡°` ¡°Luruluruluruluru~~~~~~¡± Suddenly, a trough opened, and a mix of various feeds flowed in. Hearing this sound, the surrounding juvenile spirits frolicking about scattered and pounced into the feeding trough. It¡¯s feeding time! Those who wererger and born earlier essentially nabbed good spots, eating their fill until their bellies were round and full, while those small and frail ones could only anxiously circle around. They hardly squeezed in a position before being shoved away after just a few bites. Zhu Minng paid attention to the food in the feeding trough, vegetables, chicken, fruits, meat worms,rge bones¡­ To be honest, it was more abundant than the rations of the littlemoners of Wutu. ¡°Large Meat Silkworms?¡± Suddenly, Zhu Minng noticed a type of food, the very Large Meat Silkworms he had been raising for years. Interestingly, the overwhelming majority of juvenile spirits had no interest in them at all, including some Bird Spirits¡­ After a round ofpetition, all that was left in the trough were some rotting food and a few unimed Large Meat Silkworms. At that moment, Zhu Minng spotted a little ck Crocodile Spirit, which cautiously skirted past several sturdy Little Wolf Spirits. It picked up a Large Meat Silkworm and bolted! The Little Wolf Spirits noticed the little ck Crocodile Spirit and immediately chased after it, biting and tearing at the little thing. The Crocodile Spirit was still very young, each of the Little Wolf Spirits was one size bigger, not to mention there were four of them surrounding and chasing the little crocodile. The little Crocodile Spirit was quite agile in its moving, managing to shake off three Little Wolf Spirits, but in the end, it was cornered in front of its den by the Little Wolf Spirit the size of a grown dog. It didn¡¯t even have the chance to swallow the Large Meat Silkworm before being pinned to the ground by the Little Wolf Spirit¡­ ¡°Bullying here too, huh,¡± Zhu Minng shook his head, grabbed the Little Wolf Spirit, and tossed it to the side. Once free, the little ck Crocodile Spirit immediately pounced on the meat worm covered in mud. It didn¡¯t care about the dirt and gulped down the meat worm in two or three bites. ¡°Little Crocodile Spirit, want to hang with big bro? Whether you can transform into a dragon or not, there¡¯s no end to the meat worms you can eat. I¡¯m a professional when ites to raising silkworms!¡± Zhu Minng lifted the little ck crocodile. This little ck crocodile looked somewhat ugly and cute up close, with a big, silly head and a body like that of a thick little crocodile. Its skin was still smooth, not covered in bumps like most Ferocious Crocodiles. ¡°Here, take another one, and we¡¯ll consider that an agreement,¡± Zhu Minng picked another unimed Large Meat Silkworm from the trough and offered it to the Little Crocodile Spirit¡¯s mouth. The Little Crocodile Spirit must have been starving, as it quickly nibbled away the whole thing. Zhu Minng tried feeding it chicken, but he discovered that the Little Crocodile Spirit would not eat it. It had a particr fondness for meat worms¡­ This indeed reminded Zhu Minng of something the Valkyrie had said: some True Dragons have a preference for meat worms during their juvenile stages. However, Zhu Minng had noticed that on the forehead of the Little Crocodile Spirit, there was a small bulge, which felt distinctly like hard bone when touched. Could it be an undeveloped hidden horn? Crocodiles with hidden horns? Only dragons have horns! Well, it must be you, then. Being a bit ugly and ck doesn¡¯t matter; there¡¯s no need for it to be all charming and cute. As long as it could fight and take hits in the future! The aloof young master was already growing impatient. Li Shaoying nced at Zhu Minng¡¯s juvenile spirit, but his face showed utter confusion. The aloof young master, on the other hand, didn¡¯t even bother to look. He didn¡¯t deign to choose a juvenile spirit here at all. ¡­ Once tethered with a Spirit Bond, the Little Crocodile Spirit became Zhu Minng¡¯s new spirit pet. ¡°` Next came the amodation arrangements. As expected, the aloof young master was not traveling with them, he had his own private courtyard. Zhu Minng and Li Shaoying were ced in arge courtyard house. There was amunal practice yard, twelve independent wooden houses lined up side by side, clean andfortable. Behind the houses was a separate area for the Juvenile Spirits that could not be taken into the Spirit Realm. Depending on the Juvenile Spirits¡¯ habits, the students made some modifications themselves. As the Little Crocodile Spirit was amphibious, Zhu Minng dug a small pond for it. The pond was surrounded by clean sand, and since he had decided to adopt this little Juvenile Spirit, he ought to treat it well! After tidying up, Zhu Minng was surprised to discover that meals were prepared thrice a day, which you could enjoy at the canteen whenever you wanted. Students who had money on hand could also go to Phoenix Embankment Town and spend freely. Having made up his bed, and night already deep, Zhu Minng took a hot bath, feeling refreshed andfortable, which immediately brought on a wave of fatigue. Hey down in bed, truly tired, and as soon as he closed his eyes, he fell asleep. Perhaps due to the release of suppressed emotions, he slept soundly andfortably, even revisiting the dungeon in his dreams¡­ ¡­ The morning light was gentle, the sound of other students¡¯ stern rebukes alreadying from outside the house. Some ambitious young men were already training their Juvenile Spirits, hoping they would transform into dragons soon. Little White¡¯s transformation into a dragon would likely need several more days. Zhu Minng enjoyed this rare peace and could not help but be stirred by the morning training sounds of those young men. He wondered, shouldn¡¯t he also start being diligent? ¡°Wuu wuu ooh ooh!¡± From behind the house, the call of the Little Crocodile Spirit came from the pond. Only then did Zhu Minng snap out of his thoughts to check on the Little Crocodile Spirit he had just adopted. ¡°Do you want to train too? Indeed, you¡¯re too small now. For now, just swim in theke,¡± said Zhu Minng to the Little Crocodile Spirit. He stretched out a palm and ced it by the sand. The Little Crocodile Spirit crawled up his slender fingers to the palm of his hand and gently moved to his shoulder, lying obediently on Zhu Minng¡¯s shoulder. As Zhu Minng left the house, the Little Crocodile Spirit¡¯s round big eyes were full of curiosity as it observed everything around it ¨C people, trees, the courtyard, and other Juvenile Spirits. Three parts curious, seven parts wary. ¡°You seem to have grown a bit, and you¡¯ve gotten a lot heavier in just one day.¡± Zhu Minng opened a box and offered a prepared Large Meat Silkworm to the Little Crocodile Spirit on his shoulder using a bamboo stick. The Little Crocodile Spirit swallowed it in one gulp, without chewing. As soon as he stepped out of the house, Zhu Minng immediately saw several youths and teenagers gathered together, discussing something. They were likely all Zhu Minng¡¯s ssmates. ¡°You haven¡¯t seen her in person. She¡¯s as beautiful as a fairy. It¡¯s just the cruel fate of the gods, why would they treat her that way?¡± ¡°Did you hear it was an old beggar?¡± ¡°I heard it was a young vagabond.¡± ¡°You know nothing. In a ce as disordered as Wutu, with her celestial beauty, certainly everyone would want a taste. Just think about being locked up in a dungeon. Even a warden would not be able to resist.¡± ¡°Please stop, I am begging you to stop! She is my sun, moon, and stars!! Don¡¯t talk about such indecent things anymore!¡± ¡°No one¡¯s holding you back oh, but why do I feel like you¡¯re drooling with excitement?¡± In the dormitory courtyard, this group of people was discussing the topic that had already caused a sensation in the town first thing in the morning. Zhu Minng walked past them, his brow furrowing. How the rumors have be more and more outrageous. Chapter 12 - 12 The Budding Dragon 12 Chapter 12 The Budding Dragon Trantor: Exodus Tales Editor: Exodus Tales It¡¯s precisely such baseless conjecture that can cause even greater trauma to those involved! Zhu Minng was one of those involved, and he knew the dungeon¡¯s situation better than anyone. There were no guards in that dungeon, as if some mystical force surrounded it, preventing just anyone from entering. Indeed, he was the first to be thrown in. Perhaps his constitution was better than that of the vagabonds, for he woke up from the poison first. Of course, there was another more important reason that made Zhu Minng realize he had taken the Valkyrie¡¯s first, second, third¡­. But the rumors had be more and more preposterous, many people simply didn¡¯t care about the truth. As long as it was sufficiently vulgar and evil, they would utter it irresponsibly. Sigh, in a little while, I should be able to bear the responsibility, I suppose. Being constantly called a beggar, a vagabond, leaving Li Yunzi with no face, made me very ufortable too. But I can¡¯t rush things, I still have to wait for Little White to turn into a dragon. Zhu Minng walked out of his residence towards theke, heading in the direction of Phoenix Embankment, where there was a forest of sweetgum trees in Li Chuan States. It was the peak of autumn, and the leaves were dense and thick. The orange and red leaves created a visually enjoyableyering effect atop the tree canopy, whichplemented the fallen Li Fire-red leaves on the ground. Ahead, the water was clear and appeared calm, but at the embankment, it suddenly cascaded down, creating beautiful rainbows in the mist intertwined with patches of sunlight. Sweetgum forest, greenke, waterfalls, rainbows¡ªnature effortlessly painted a scene of infinite romance. Zhu Minng was now very close to the waterfall, an excellent vantage point to take in the beautiful scene. ¡°If you want to swim, don¡¯t go too far out. There¡¯s a waterfall over there, and if you fall over it, that¡¯s the end of you, understand?¡± Zhu Minng warned the Little Crocodile Spirit perched on his shoulder. ¡°Woo oh oh~~~¡± Little Crocodile Spirit opened its mouth wide and let out a simple call, as if to agree. Arriving at a riverbank piled with countless pebbles, Zhu Minng put Little Crocodile Spirit down. It immediately chased after the stone-spotted fish in the shallows, moving with astonishing speed, leaving Zhu Minng only able to catch a fleeting glimpse of the little ck creature. ¡°Not bad with your moves there!¡± Zhu Minng was somewhat surprised; Little Crocodile Spirit was simply a fishing pro, catching three or four big, plump stone-spotted fish in no time, which would surely be delicious when grilled. Soon, Zhu Minng realized that Little Crocodile Spirit didn¡¯t eat the stone-spotted fish at all. It was purely practicing its hunting skills on these agile fish. Stone-spotted fish were quite difficult to catch among river fish; unlike the slower grass carp, they could swim swiftly against the smooth river pebbles, changing direction suddenly, or at worst, hide in the crevices¡­ As a Juvenile Spirit of the crocodile species, it would typically target young, naive deer or foolish sheep at the water¡¯s edge, sneaking up on them with a muddy disguise before mping down with a bite. Crocodile Spirits capable of capturing stone-spotted fish like the Little Crocodile Spirit were certainly rare! After hunting stone-spotted fish for a while, Little Crocodile Spirit seemed to find it no longer challenging and began to swim towards the deeper waters. Zhu Minng was momentarily distracted, and before he knew it, Little Crocodile Spirit had swum into the depths. ¡°Come back quickly!¡± Near the waterfall was extremely dangerous. The river¡¯s surface may seem gentle, but underneath were the terrifying currents of a Dark Vortex, which would ferociously toss everything in the water down to the rocky bottom of the waterfall! Little Crocodile Spirit clearlycked survival experience; it wanted to use the river¡¯s rapids to strengthen its limbs and body. Although it deliberately kept some distance from the waterfall, it was unaware of the Dark Vortex near the waterfall, which was now pulling its tiny body in!! At first, Little Crocodile Spirit moved its body and tail rhythmically, swimming against the current¡­ But soon, it began to backslide bit by bit. No matter how fast it paddled, it was being drawn toward the cliff edge of the waterfall. Seeing the situation worsening, Zhu Minng immediately stripped off his clothes and jumped naked into the river, using all his limbs to swim towards Little Crocodile Spirit. ¡°Hold on!¡± Zhu Minng immediately felt the resistance of the river, and something seemed to be ensnaring him below the waist, pulling him in a certain direction! Don¡¯t panic, don¡¯t rush, conserve enough strength. Zhu Minng slowed his pace, inching closer to Little Crocodile Spirit. Finally reaching Little Crocodile Spirit, Zhu Minng quickly hoisted it onto his body¡­ Shocked by the forces of nature, Little Crocodile Spirit was frantic. It climbed onto Zhu Minng¡¯s head like a drowning deer, its small ws iling wildly. ¡°Rumble rumble rumble rumble rumble~~~~~~~~~~¡± Behind him, the sound of the waterfall¡¯s torrent grew louder, and Zhu Minng realized he too was caught in the waterfall¡¯s vortex. Even a hundred meters from the waterfall, it was not easy to break free. Zhu Minng maintained a steady pace, attempting to match strength against the spin of the waterfall¡¯s current. But his body was continuously being dragged, and his strength was fading; resisting the flow was bing incredibly difficult. ¡°Ssh!!!!!¡± The water pped hard against his face, and just as Zhu Minng was about to take a deep breath, he choked on a mouthful of water and was suddenly pulled back, losing strength. Submerged in the water for a moment, Zhu Minng burst back to the surface, nced back at the giant pit of the waterfall now less than forty meters away, and realized his pace was not enough to escape the treacherous vortex! ¡°Don¡¯t be so naughty next time.¡± Zhu Minng grabbed the Little Crocodile Spirit on his head with one hand and pushed hard with both legs. Using the moment his upper body emerged from the water, he threw Little Crocodile Spirit forcefully out of the current. ¡°Glub glub glub!!!!!!¡± The next second, the surging river water, like a monster¡¯s gaping maw, swallowed Zhu Minng¡¯s entire body and carried him toward the thundering waterfall¡¯s precipice. ¡­ On the riverbank, a pitch-ck Little Crocodile Spirit kept pacing in the shallow water, trying several times to dive back in, but with little strength, it was swept back by the gentle waves. ¡°Woo-oo-oo~~~~¡± ¡°Woo-oo-oo~~~~~~~¡± It kept making noises, as if calling for help or crying like a child lost and unable to find its parents. Around it, there was only the rustling sound of wind through sweet-gum leaves, and no one passed by nearby, leaving the Little Crocodile Spirit without any help. Finally, it plunged into the river again, and as it touched the water, its dark skin gradually cracked open, and something seemed to be breaking through the skin on its forehead, extending bit by bit¡­ Many bloodstains spread along the riverbank, and chunks of ck skin peeled off from the Little Crocodile Spirit¡¯s body. As it swam toward the waterfall, it had elongated considerably, with more powerful limbs and tail, picking up speed. ¡­ Below Phoenix Embankment was a vast river pool, and Zhu Minng felt a wave of dizziness followed by darkness and dampness, as though something had caught him in its mouth. When Zhu Minng came to, he realized he was indeed in the mouth of a creature¡ªa Waterfall Flood Dragon!! Blue scales, long whiskers, no Dragon Horn but an extremely lengthy body, like a thousand-year-old python. This Flood Dragon was majestic and handsome, its prowess evident even amidst the torrential backdrop of the waterfall! Luckily, the Waterfall Flood Dragon bore no ill will toward Zhu Minng, instead gently cing him on arge rock by the pool¡¯s edge. Lying on the rock, watching the waterfall cascade down, observing the towering, castle-like stature of the upright Flood Dragon. The powerful curtain of water poured over the Flood Dragon¡¯s body, sshing wildly, yet it didn¡¯t flinch, clearly a genuine river Dragon of stature!! ¡°One¡¯s body and hair, given by the parents, how can one think of ending one¡¯s life?¡± a gentle and pleasant voice sounded. What a huge misunderstanding. Wouldn¡¯t it be better to find a rope in the woods for suicide, than toe to this waterfall and y the hero? Looking over, Zhu Minng saw a graceful woman standing on the head of the Waterfall Flood Dragon. Her long hair billowed, her brows fine, as beautiful as a fairy in the paintings or a legendary Dragon maiden, filled with a unique spirituality! ¡°Cough cough¡­¡± Zhu Minng spat out the water he had choked on and exined with an innocent face, ¡°It wasn¡¯t suicide, it was an ident.¡± The beautiful woman by the waterfall floated down from the Dragon¡¯s head and stood beside the drenched Zhu Minng. The Flood Dragon, whose neck and head had been following the woman, seemed to sense something, suddenly rose, and with pinpoint uracy, caught something else that had fallen from the top of the waterfall. The Flood Dragon had caught a ck creature of unknown origin, about a meter in length¡­ The Dragon then ced the ck creature on therge waterfall rock as well. The stunning Flood Dragondy nced at the ck Crocodile Spirit and asked, ¡°Is this your Juvenile Spirit?¡± Zhu Minng looked over and saw a ck crocodile about a meter long with a horn on its head. Just as he was about to shake his head, he suddenly felt a faint soul vibration¡­ It was indeed Little ck Tooth! In such a short time away, Little ck Tooth had undergone a huge transformation!! Its soft ck skin had turned into what appeared to be tougher hide, the hind legs had grown thicker and stronger, the forepaws had turned into ws that seemed somewhat sharp. The most remarkable change was on its broad ck forehead, where a horn had actually sprouted!! Right where Zhu Minng had felt the hidden horn before, it had fully grown out! His instinct had not been wrong; crocodiles didn¡¯t have horns. It was unmistakably a Dragon on the verge of blooming!! ¡°Little ck Tooth, you¡¯ve evolved!!!¡± Zhu Minng had not expected such a thing to happen. ¡°Woo-oo-oo~~~~~~~~~~~¡± Upon seeing Zhu Minng, the now meter-long Little Crocodile Dragon immediately pounced on him, itsrge tongue incessantly licking Zhu Minng¡¯s cheeks, excitedly almost pushing him back into the pool. Apparently, the Little Crocodile Spirit itself was unaware of the changes. It had rushed to the shore solely focused on saving Zhu Minng, and noticing he had been swept beneath the waterfall, it had jumped after him. ¡°All right, all right, I¡¯m fine, I¡¯m fine. But even if you¡¯ve be stronger, you shouldn¡¯t follow me like this; you could have shattered to pieces,¡± Zhu Minng said, holding the creature¡¯s adorably awkward head with both hands. ¡°As if you wouldn¡¯t have shattered to pieces,¡± the Flood Dragon woman remarked. ¡°Was it to save your Juvenile Spirit that you did this?¡± Chapter 13 - 13: The Food Supply Issue 13 Chapter 13: The Food Supply Issue Trantor: Exodus Tales Editor: Exodus Tales The girl noticed that the Little Crocodile Spirit still bore many marks of recent shedding and bone recement, and as a Dragon Shepherd, she naturally understood that this dark little crocodile spirit must have justpleted an evolution, taking a big step closer to bing a True Dragon! ¡°I¡¯m ashamed to say it, but I wasn¡¯t paying attention and let it get swept into the waterfall current,¡± Zhu Minng exined. ¡°Train it well, it will be a fine young dragon, it must have already found the path to the Dragon Gate. If there¡¯s nothing else, don¡¯t dy my cultivation here,¡± the Jiaolong woman said. ¡°Thank you, senior sister, for the rescue,¡± Zhu Minng maintained the proper etiquette, before leading his Little Crocodile Spirit to swim towards the shore. The pool was vast, and the current strong, but the Little Crocodile Spiritpared to before, waspletely different; it could even carry Zhu Minng to the edge of the pool, which greatly relieved him as he was already somewhat exhausted. Finally back on shore, Zhu Minng looked at the Little Crocodile Spirit nestled by his legs. After the incident, the little ck croc seemed to have grown much closer to him; Zhu Minng couldn¡¯t help but smile and said, ¡°If you encounter those Little Wolf Spirits that bully you in the Reserve Dragons Storage Hall again, you should be able to beat them to a pulp.¡± The Little Crocodile Spirit did not respond, itsrge eyes fixed on the vast and magnificent great waterfall, which hung like a colossal silver curtain. A slender blue silhouette was challenging the thousands of tons of heavy waterfall current, climbing against the flow! And finally, at the top of the waterfall, it leaped up, creating a magnificent ssh and soared through the air! The might of the Jiaolong was showcased to the fullest in this moment! ¡°Your ambition is not to defeat those little wolf spirits¡­ hmm, hm, someday, you too will be able to stand w-to-w with this Jiaolong,¡± Zhu Minng said. As he said this, he realized that the path was long; they couldn¡¯t even withstand the current of the waterfall. However, the incident gave Zhu Minng a good training idea: to have the Little Crocodile Spirit contend more with the raging currents, whirlpools, and waterfalls. On one hand, it could rapidly improve the Little Crocodile Spirit¡¯s constitution amidst the river¡¯s great resistance, and on the other, it could temper its spirit! ¡­ Upon returning to the house, amotion could be heard from the courtyard. By the time Zhu Minng entered, he saw a two-meter-long Big Wolf Spirit viciously biting a Bull Spirit¡¯s neck, blood seeping from its sharp teeth, creating a somewhat bloody scene. ¡°I give up, I give up!¡± Li Shaoying¡¯s voice had a hint of sobbing as he hurried over. The Big Wolf Spirit growled at Li Shaoying, frightening him to fall directly onto the ground, which was followed by boisterousughter from the surrounding young boys. ¡°Next time you do chores, stopining so much!¡± the young man controlling the Big Wolf Spirit said. Zhu Minng frowned. But not wanting to stir up trouble, he chose to bypass the scene. Most of the residents here were youths and teenagers, at the age when they¡¯re mostpetitive. Although they didn¡¯t have a single True Dragon among them, duels were still popr. Juvenile Spirit against Juvenile Spirit¡­ It seemed like a waste of time to Zhu Minng. Back in his little house, Zhu Minng went to his bedroom to change into a fresh, dry set of clothes. Little ck Tooth must have been very hungry. On the way back, I could hear its stomach rumbling incessantly. If it still only eats Large Meat Silkworms, Zhu Minng will have to figure something out. A small box of Large Meat Silkworms, I could maybe get some from the Reserve Dragons Storage Hall, since no other Juvenile Spirits like them, but now that it has grown several timesrger, its appetite is probably even more exaggerated. Where can I find enough Large Meat Silkworms? Whether it¡¯s a Juvenile Spirit or a Young Dragon, neither can be starved. The energy provided by food is not only to maintain physical strength and mental state for the dragons but also affects their growth potential and attribute changes¡­ Exercise is important, but eating well is even more crucial, and as a qualified Dragon Shepherd, one must feed different dragons different foodstuffs, adapting to their lineage, attributes, and growth conditions. ¡°It¡¯s toote to find a ce to farm. I¡¯ll take a look in the townter to see if anyone¡¯s selling Large Meat Silkworms. If all else fails, I¡¯ll have to make rounds in the city-state¡­ Sigh, I also need to figure out a way to make some money,¡± Zhu Minng began to worry. In the past few years, Zhu Minng lived a frugal but carefree life. Who knew that after raising a Juvenile Spirit, he¡¯d have to start worrying about his livelihood again! ¡°Large Meat Silkworms¡­ ah, I almost forgot. If Little White Bai Qi awakens, I must feed it enough honey!¡± Zhu Minng smacked his head. I haven¡¯t raised dragons for too long and forgot that Little White Bai Qi likes to eat honey. It must be ravenous after breaking out of its cocoon. The first meal after transforming into a dragon is extremely important, and it could miss out on some of its innate abilities. Luckily, Little White Bai Qi is still in its cocoon and needs to sleep for a while. There¡¯s time to prepare the expensive honey! Honey! I must prepare enough honey! Just born Dragon Sons need a lot of food, just like a newborn child needing to be breastfed every two hours. Insufficient breast milk can severely affect a baby¡¯s intelligence and growth, even leading to premature death. Not to mention, Bai Qi¡¯s transformation from a small Ice Bug to a Young Dragon has seen a huge change in stature, consuming an immense amount of energy every second, which the small amount of mulberry leaves I¡¯ve stored could never suffice to sustain it! s, had it not been for that robbery, I would still have some silver coins on me. Now I am truly penniless. ¡°Woo-wooo~~~~~!!¡± The Little Crocodile Dragon was probably really starving. Itsrge head emerged from the pool, gazing hopefully at Zhu Minng¡­ For a long time, Zhu Minng was the only one full, and his family never went hungry, and he saw money as dirt. Now, not only just for the about-to-transform Little White Bai Qi, even the food for the Little Crocodile Spirit has be a problem. I must never lead such a confused life again! Zhu Minng looked at the Little Crocodile Spirit, thought of Bai Qi in the Spirit Realm, and felt a spark of that old youth¡¯s fighting spirit! ¡°Little ck Tooth, just make do with a few Stone-spotted Fish for now. I know they¡¯re hard to swallow, but don¡¯t worry, by tomorrow morning there¡¯ll be arge basket full of Large Meat Silkworms for you to devour,¡± Zhu Minng told the Little Crocodile Dragon. The Little Crocodile Dragon was quite obedient. It dragged the bamboo basket of Stone-spotted Fish into its pond and started to nibble, albeit reluctantly. Now that it¡¯s a Young Dragon, possessing the characteristics of a dragon, these ordinary fish could hardly provide it with any substantial energy. To put it bluntly, they¡¯re not very nutritious¡ªsimr to humans eating tree bark, which can easily cause stomach problems. In such a situation, it could only sleep to conserve energy, as the slightest activity would make it ravenously hungry. Not to mention training in the roaring waterfall currents toy down the physical foundation for transforming into a dragon. The Little Crocodile Dragon was quite obedient; ity down in the pond and fell into a deep sleep, though its big belly asionally made a ¡°gurgling¡± noise. Zhu Minng cast a nce at the Little Crocodile Dragon, a look of helplessness on his face. Suddenly recalling the old man from the Reserve Dragons Storage Hall, he quickly tidied himself up and headed to the Reserve Dragons Storage Hall overnight. Chapter 14 - 14 This job has been taken 14 Chapter 14 This job has been taken Trantor: Exodus Tales Editor: Exodus Tales ¡°` ¡­ Dawn was breaking. Frost dotted the somewhat monotonous courtyard, where a young man, his face full of resentment, was sweeping the public area with arge broom. There were plenty ofrge Young Dragon skins kes, broken scales, beast phlegm spat out, and most of all, remnants of cheap wooden stakes and straw men. ¡°I thought I wouldn¡¯t have to do this rough work aftering here. Big Horn, you¡¯re really underperforming. Why can¡¯t you just knock down that Big Wolf Sprite so we wouldn¡¯t have to clean the courtyard?¡± Li Shaoyingined while recalling the dragon fight from the day before. The opponent was a Wolf Spirit Young Dragon, which in theory should not have been as strong as his own Horned Calf Young Dragon, yet his Horned Calf Young Dragon was unbelievably clumsy during the fight, getting yed the entire time. ¡°We need to work harder. Next time, we must regain our honor!¡± Li Shaoying continued to mumble to himself. ¡°Creak!¡± The courtyard door opened, making a hefty noise, and Li Shaoying, somewhat surprised, looked over at the entrance. Who would get up so early? Is there actually someone so diligent and hardworking that they finished morning training before the sun is even up? Soon, Li Shaoying saw Zhu Minnging back from the outside. From his steps, one could tell he was tired, and his face was full of confusion. ¡­ Back in his room, Zhu Minng took off therge bamboo basket from his back. He went around to the back of the house and saw the Little Crocodile Spirit lying on the sand, biting into some slightly stinky stone-spotted fish at a pace that showed he was having a tough time swallowing them due to the smell. Zhu Minng gave a wry smile. s, the little guy seems to know we¡¯re poor and is willing to gulp down even the unptable food. ¡°Little ck Tooth, look what I¡¯ve got?¡± Zhu Minng ced therge bamboo basket in front of the Little Crocodile Spirit. As the basket tilted, out rolled some plump, greasy Large Meat Silkworms, and the Little Crocodile Spirit¡¯s round eyes lit up at the sight! It sprinted over, firstly swallowing the few Large Meat Silkworms that had fallen out. Then, its head plunged into the basket like a starving pig, wiggling its plump rear and tail while eating with gusto. After a binge, the Little Crocodile Spirit was finally full. Not a single one remained in the basket, and with a face of contentment, it crawled beside Zhu Minng and slurped a big, wet tongue across him to show its affection. ¡°No, no, no, I stink all over. I need to take a bath,¡± Zhu Minng pushed away the sticky Little Crocodile Dragon. The Little Crocodile Dragon didn¡¯t mind at all, still cuddling up until its drool had anointed Zhu Minng¡¯s face, then it contentedly returned to its own pool. Zhu Minng got up too, nning to get rid of the smelly stone-spotted fish first, but the Little Crocodile Dragon seemed reluctant as it watched him. Little ck Tooth¡¯s intelligence was not low. It seemed to understand that Zhu Minng had been busy all night long just to exchange for that basket of silkworms. It nned to keep the stone-spotted fish, thinking it could make do with them if it got hungry again. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, there will be food for the next meal. By tomorrow morning, you will see anotherrge basket, even bigger than today¡¯s. We don¡¯t need these anymore,¡± Zhu Minngforted the Little Crocodile Dragon. The Little Crocodile Dragon seemed overjoyed upon hearing this, offering its adorably hideous head for Zhu Minng to pet. ¡°You go back to sleep. When you wake up, we¡¯ll have to train. Just to let you know in advance, I am a heartless devil when ites to training,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°Woof woof!¡± The Little Crocodile Dragon responded, eager to grow stronger as well. After the bath and lying down, despite feeling extremely tired, Zhu Minng couldn¡¯t fall asleep immediately. Cleaning the Reserve Dragon Storage Hall all night just for a basket of silkworms wasn¡¯t sustainable. He would have to go again tonight, ensuring the Little Crocodile Dragon¡¯s food for tomorrow, but this couldn¡¯t go on. Bai Qi might wake up at any time, and honey was far more valuable than silkworms, not something to be exchanged for doing these assorted tasks. Meanwhile, maintaining the Little Crocodile Dragon¡¯s food was already taking up most of Zhu Minng¡¯s time¡­ ¡°` The Little Crocodile Dragon would grow even bigger, reaching two or three meters in length. Its appetite would increase by several folds, and Zhu Minng knew that no matter how much menial work he did day and night, it wouldn¡¯t be enough to satiate it. Where would he find the time for training? ¡°When I came back from the Reserve Dragonsn Storage Hall, it seemed like the academy assignment board had a rewarding task avable. I¡¯ll take a short nap and try it before noon.¡± Within the academy, some tasks were published for students or Dragon Shepherds to take on. Raising dragons and young dragons entailed considerable expenses, and those students without any backing had to either work a job to sustain themselves or rely on these academy assignments for ie. Among these were the lucrative tasks of dragon hunting. There were also tasks that purely soldbor for hard-earned money, such as looking after young dragons, Juvenile Spirits, and cleaning the Dragon Caverns. Zhu Minng had talked with the old man from the Reserve Dragonsn Storage Hall; he could help look after Juvenile Spirits at night there. The new ve workers would clean the hall since they didn¡¯t understand the habits of Juvenile Spirits and young dragons. He, as a genuine student of Dragon Taming, was qualified for the job. One whole night¡¯s work could be exchanged for two baskets of Large Meat Silkworms. The old man needed Zhu Minng tonight, so if he pulled another all-nighter today, he would have resolved the next two days¡¯ food issue. He needed to find another task with a higher reward in the next two days to prepare the honey. ¡°Sigh, it¡¯s been a long time since I had such a nned life!¡± Zhu Minng sighed. Although the future would be harder, life had be something to look forward to. ¡­ Zhu Minng didn¡¯t sleep for long, as there wasn¡¯t enough time, and naturally, reducing his sleep was appropriate. He had to make use of time to prepare the food for the Little Crocodile Dragon and Bai Qi. At the dining hall, he randomly stuffed some food into his mouth and then hurried to the academy assignment board to see what tasks he could take on. ¡°Sss, there are even battlefield assignments, attacking cities¡­ Those must be for Dragon Shepherds, the academy really has a wide reach,¡± Zhu Minng said with a headache as he looked at theplex assignment board. The rewards for going into battle were extremely exaggerated; one could actually receive a quarter of that city¡¯s taxes! If Bai Qi hadn¡¯t degenerated, Zhu Minng might have given it a try. Owning the taxes from a city could exchange for several mountains of meat silkworms¡­ Eh, why am I measuring in meat silkworms, that¡¯s so unambitious. ¡°Fish monsters in Li Chuan Lake are beginning to overrun, mating and crying out at night,ying rock-hard eggs on the shore that not only severely affect the aesthetic of the academy and Li Chuan Lake but also the arrogant fish monsters that attack fishermen in the town, truly nefarious¡­¡± Zhu Minng read out this particr assignment. Clearing out the Spotted Blue Fish Monsters! It was an awkward task. Dragon Shepherds with True Dragons disdained doing such things as clearing out Little Demon Spirits. Little Demon Spirits all have their own ways of escaping and instincts to hide from stronger beings. With a Dragon Son handling this task, it would be quite time-consuming and the rewards were not high. Among Juvenile Spirits, they need to learn how to survive in water and have sharp hunting skills. Many young dragons might not be up to the task, and it¡¯s possible to get surrounded and killed by a swarm of Fish Monsters. Fortunately, the Little Crocodile Spirit was an expert at hunting fish species! Afternoon was the designated training time for the Little Crocodile Spirit, strengthening its body with the waterfall¡¯s currents while hunting down these Stone Spotted Fish Demons was killing two birds with one stone! ¡°Itsts for half a month, so Little ck Tooth now has a clear direction for training. If weplete it sessfully, we¡¯ll even get a piece of Gold Sand,¡± Zhu Minng said with a smile on his face. Training and earning money at the same time! Getting this piece of Gold Sand would greatly relieve the food crisis! I¡¯m taking on this task!! Chapter 15 - 15 Battle of Wits and Bravery 15 Chapter 15 Battle of Wits and Bravery Trantor: Exodus Tales Editor: Exodus Tales The dry, cool climate of autumn made every wisp of sunshine so precious and warm. On the glitteringke, Zhu Minng stood gravely at the edge of the wooden pier extending into the water, watching the Spotted Blue Fish Monsters dart through with incredible speed, then nced at the Little Crocodile Dragon sprawled beside him, exhausted to the point of almost flipping belly-up. ¡°Tap tap tap tap~~~~~~~~~~¡± A swarm of Stone Spotted Fish Demons flicked their tails rapidly, sshing water next to the Little Crocodile Dragon with a full dose of mockery. These damn Spotted Blue Fish Monsters¡­ They were incredibly fast and far more agile than the wild stone-spotted fish near the rivers andkes. Despite their numbers and being within arm¡¯s reach, it was a mystery why each time the Little Crocodile Dragon lunged at them, they dodged in perfect coordination, leaving it snapping at thin air. An entire afternoon¡¯s valiant effort yielded not a single Spotted Blue Fish Monster; no wonder this assignment was unimed¡ªthe difficulty was much higher than it seemed! ¡°Don¡¯t be discouraged, don¡¯t be discouraged. We¡¯re just not doing this quite right. I¡¯ll study these Spotted Blue Fish Monsters and tomorrow we¡¯ll fight again!¡± Zhu Minngforted the Little Crocodile Dragon. The Little Crocodile Dragon hung its head in defeat, probably not expecting to be so useless that even these Spotted Blue Fish Monsters could mock it. At this rate, when would it everpare to the Waterfall Flood Dragon? ¡­ When night fell, Zhu Minng locked the door as usual and headed to the Reserve Dragons Storage Hall. The young spirits inside the Reserve Dragons Storage Hall actually all possessed some extraordinary attributes that set them apart from wild beasts. Furthermore, most of them had just hatched or were still in their juvenile phase, making them very suitable for taming and nurturing, and the best choice for most people aspiring to be Dragon Shepherds. Yet even after human selection, their chances of transforming into dragons were still very slim. With some of the young spirits growing older without anybody willing to take them, they were mostly destined to be released into the wild. Tonight, Zhu Minng was helping Elder He release some of the creatures that had grown toorge and possessed destructive and aggressive natures. After all, they couldn¡¯t be allowed to freeload here their whole lives, could they? Busy for the first half of the night, Zhu Minng realized that releasing them wasn¡¯t an easy task. After all, most of the ones to be released were aggressive; they had harmed or even killed other young spirits in the Reserve Dragons Storage Hall¡­ ¡°You stay until dawn, then you may leave. There¡¯s a Resonance Bell over there. Unless there¡¯s a juvenile spirit jailbreak, do not ring it. The old man needs his sleep, and if disturbed, he might not be able to sleep well for a month. There are Large Meat Silkworms behind the hall; take as many as were delivered, no one feeds these inferior worms to the young spirits anyway, I don¡¯t know who would bring them as food.¡± Elder He instructed Zhu Minng. ¡°Sure, Elder, you go rest.¡± Zhu Minng nodded. ¡°When I leave there should be a certain number of them, and when I return there should be the same number, not one less,¡± Elder He said. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. If any are missing, it won¡¯t be on ount of any little fellows,¡± Zhu Minng replied. ¡­ Following Elder He¡¯s instructions, Zhu Minng patrolled every hour to prevent any creatures with a taste for ¡°yellow weasels¡± from stealing Young Spirit Eggs. Fearing idents, he patrolled quite diligently. Scanning the area, Zhu Minng unexpectedly came upon a pond in which a group of Spotted Blue Fish Young Spirits were being raised. The academy was too careless, just catching a few Spotted Blue Fish Young Spirits from theke to make up the numbers! These Spotted Blue Fish Young Spirits were slightly different; their spots shone more brightly, and they already had long whiskers even though they were still very young. ¡°So that¡¯s it, when they swim together, they use the movement of these whiskers to signal theirpanions of an attack. This way, the other Spotted Blue Fish Monsters can dodge the Little Crocodile Dragon¡¯s lunges in advance!¡± After observing for a while, Zhu Minng had an epiphany. ¡°But purely in terms of speed, the Spotted Blue Fish Monsters are also much faster. Little ck Tooth is going to need some training in the waterfall whirlpool, to get used to the resistance of the water on one hand and to increase speed on the other!¡± ¡­ Sharpening des doesn¡¯t dy the chopping of firewood, so the next afternoon Zhu Minng didn¡¯t rush the Little Crocodile Dragon into matching wits with the Stone Spotted Fish Demons. Instead, he went to the waterfall whirlpool that had trapped them originally. After two days of feeding, the Little Crocodile Dragon had grown to about 1.2 meters, and its physique was noticeably stronger than before. The waterfall¡¯s swirling current provided a powerful resistance and suction force for physical refinement, which was an excellent method of exercise. ¡°The goal for today is not to be swept away¡­¡± For safety, Zhu Minng found a long rope and tied it around the Little Crocodile Dragon¡¯s body so that, should it fail to withstand the current, the rope would offer some relief. The Little Crocodile Dragon was quite impressive; it hovered around the mouth of the waterfall all afternoon and was never swept away by the powerful current. This exercise method had significantly toughened its recently grown ck alligator skin. On the third day, Zhu Minng still did not take the Little Crocodile Dragon to hunt the Stone Spotted Fish Demon. After eating arge basket full of food, the Little Crocodile Dragon seemed to have grownrger. Zhu Minng increased the difficulty of today¡¯s training, not only requiring the Little Crocodile Dragon to withstand the waterfall¡¯s swirling current but alsomanding it to swim against the fierce current and escape the dark vortices as quickly as possible. ¡°Very good, you¡¯vepleted your task for today, and you no longer need the protective rope. Eat more tomorrow morning; we¡¯ll try to bite and attack amidst the waterfall¡¯s powerful resistance!¡± Zhu Minng stood guard all night and obtained two baskets of Large Meat Silkworms. However, in just a few days, the Little Crocodile Dragon had grown to one and a half meters in length. It was estimated that before long, its length could reach that of an adult, and its appetite had also doubled from one basket to two! Zhu Minng began to feel a headache. His temporary job seemed barely able to feed the Little Crocodile Dragon; he would have to find some more work. ¡­ On the seventh day, the Little Crocodile Dragon finally seeded in biting amidst the strong current, so Zhu Minng and the Little Crocodile Spirit once again appeared spiritedly at the Lake nk Bridge¡­ Theke water was crystal clear, and the Stone Spotted Fish Demons were indeed a bit rampant, often iling their tails and barbels near the surface, not just near the submerged rocks. ¡°Charge!¡± Zhu Minng gestured grandly, as if he weremanding an army of thousands. The Little Crocodile Spirit¡¯s ck body dove into the water, biting at a plump Spotted Blue Fish Monster with triple the speed it had before. The Spotted Blue Fish Monster was startled and clumsily dodged. Meanwhile, the other Spotted Blue Fish Monsters responded as well; they scattered like ripples before the Little Crocodile Dragon could get close to them. The Little Crocodile Dragon was much stronger than before, but chasing the Spotted Blue Fish Monsters was like chasing one¡¯s own shadow. Just as it seemed to touch them, they scattered apart! ¡°Little ck Tooth, disperse them and then chase down the one that¡¯s alone!¡± Zhu Minng shouted. Hearing themand, the Little Crocodile Spirit immediately switched its attack method. Instead of directly lunging, it used its body to disperse the rippling formation created by the Spotted Blue Fish Monsters, sending some of them into a panic¡­ Indeed, a young Spotted Blue Fish Monster revealed a weakness. It got scattered and isted outside of the school of fish, without the guidance of the barbels of the other Spotted Blue Fish to indicate direction, it swam in a daze! ¡°Roar!!!¡± Crocodile teeth struck swiftly and cleanlytched onto the panicked Spotted Blue Fish Monster! The ck teeth firmly mped the smooth demon fish as the Little Crocodile Dragon excitedly leaped from the water, tossing its prey high out of the surface and showing off its hunting results to Zhu Minng on the nk bridge!! ¡°Haha, we did it!!¡± Zhu Minng¡¯s face was filled with joyousughter. Although he had previously in ancient demons and destroyed giants, for some reason, capturing a small Spotted Blue Fish Monster made him even more thrilled. Perhaps this was change. In prolonged darkness, even the faintest glimmer of light can ignite hope. Simrly, when one¡¯s heart holds expectations, even the slightest change can stir one¡¯s soul. Chapter 16 - 16 Nan Lingsha 16 Chapter 16 Nan Lingsha Trantor: Exodus Tales Editor: Exodus Tales Understanding the pattern of the Spotted Blue Fish Demon and with the Little Crocodile Dragon¡¯s strength rapidly increasing, exterminating the Spotted Blue Fish Demon had merely be a matter of time. First scatter them, thenunch a surprise attack, and after breaking them one by one, the intelligent school of fish turned into a panicked cluster of foolish fish. What remained was simply a pure hunt, since naturally the Spotted Blue Fish Monster was no match for a species like the crocodile dragon. With the student appointmentplete, Zhu Minng received that piece of Gold Sand. To reward the Little Crocodile Dragon, Zhu Minng specifically went to Phoenix Embankment Town, nning to buy some fresh and high-quality Large Meat Silkworms from the mulberry farmers himself. He also took the opportunity to purchase some fresh nectar, seeing that Little White¡¯s Ice Pupa state suggested it wouldn¡¯t be long before it emerged. ¡°Gee, why did it take you almost half a month to crawl out of theke?¡± the peach-selling girl with the rye-colored skin said at the bridgehead. Zhu Minng looked at her, his smile gradually brightening, ¡°You still owe me a basket of peaches, girl.¡± The peach-selling girl was startled for a moment and realized that Zhu Minng indeed had an academy¡¯s badge on his chest. ¡°So you really are a student of the Dragon Taming Academy, but where¡¯s your dragon?¡± the peach-selling girl asked. ¡°Never mind that, I want the freshest,rgest, and juiciest peaches,¡± Zhu Minng said, his mood instantly lifting. All the slight grievances from before were swept away! ¡°Alright, alright, you win. My family has plenty of peaches. When I finish selling today¡¯s peaches, you cane to my house to get them,¡± the peach-selling girl said, showing a bit of forthrightness. ¡°That works. By the way, do you know where I can buy silkworms and where I can get good nectar?¡± Zhu Minng inquired. ¡°My family has them,¡± said the peach-selling girl. Zhu Minng, puzzled, looked at her and said, ¡°Isn¡¯t your family in the peach business?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t farmers have a family business? My parents grow and sell peaches, my third brother raises silkworms, and my seventh uncle collects nectar. There isn¡¯t a farm product that our family doesn¡¯t sell here in Phoenix Embankment Town!¡± dered the peach-selling girl, proud and justified. ¡°Fine, fine, fine, if you sell everything and the quality is good, from now on, I¡¯ll do business only with you,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°Just to be clear upfront, our family doesn¡¯t give credit,¡± the peach-selling girl stated. Zhu Minng was puzzled. Where did he look like someone who would skip out on a bill? He said with a touch of annoyance, ¡°I pay on the spot!¡± After negotiating the price with the peach-selling girl, Zhu Minng finally let out a long sigh of relief. He had finally sorted out the initial food supply for the two babies! ¡°Young man, you must be short of money, haggling over such little things. See that painted barge by the river? Inside, there are not only beautiful women but also handsome men. If you really are in need, you might try there. After all, you do have a decent look that could attract those lonely widows. Don¡¯t end up penniless and down on your luck like when we first met,¡± the peach-selling girl offered Zhu Minng a well-meaning little tip. ¡°????¡± Zhu Minng clutched at his slightly aching chest. Defeated once again! So ufortable! ¡°Nian Nian, did you save any honey peaches for sister?¡± a gentle and lovely voice came from behind. Just hearing that voice gave one a heart-tickling feeling, as if one could instantly imagine all the beauty of the person speaking. ¡°I have, I have,¡± the peach-selling girl¡¯s voice suddenly turned sweet. She quickly brought out a carefully wrapped bag ofrge honey peaches, her little cheeks full of smiles as she said, ¡°Sister, you really are beautiful. Even as a girl, seeing you makes my heart flutter.¡± Zhu Minng immediately widened his eyes, somewhat in disbelief that this sharp-tongued girl could instantly transform into Little Miss Sweetheart! ¡°Sister actually prefers sweet and glutinous girls as well,¡± said the woman with a voice that was undeniably graceful, yet her words sounded particrly alluring. Moreover, there was something vaguely familiar about her voice. Zhu Minng couldn¡¯t help but be curious and turned his head to look at the woman who had spoken. That single nce electrified Zhu Minng as if a current had shot through his body. Simply by the sound of her voice, he had imagined her to be a beauty, but the brilliance of her appearance left himpletely dumbfounded, staring at her for a long time! The woman noticed Zhu Minng¡¯s gaze but merely offered a shallow smile, purely out of well-mannered courtesy, and then continued to casually chat with the peach-selling girl. ¡°Did youe especially to see me?¡± Zhu Minng asked the woman in as carefree a manner as he could manage, although the other¡¯s beauty indeed made his heart race. Li Yunzi. The woman standing before him was unmistakably Li Yunzi. Her eyes sparkled like the Milky Way, her lips full like honeyed peaches; having spent an entire night in herpany, how could Zhu Minng not recognize her, even though her attire today was noticeably different, resembling that of a noble youngdy? Yet, her stunning and unique beauty was far too memorable. ¡°Do we know each other?¡± The woman¡¯s gaze returned to Zhu Minng¡¯s face as she spoke in a very calm tone. ¡°This¡­¡± At her question, Zhu Minng was left rather embarrassed. Did Li Yunzi not want others to know about their previous encounter and thus wanted to be strangers henceforth? ¡°Little brother, your flirting skills are worse than a toad¡¯s,¡± the peach-selling girl teased with an ease that swung between sarcasm and sweetness, then continued with a beaming smile to the other woman, ¡°Sister Lingsha, your charm is too potent, it irresistibly attracts even those little brothers with a screw loose.¡± ¡°Alright, alright, I¡¯m heading back to the academy,¡± the woman said with a smile, picking up her bag of peaches and walking towards Bai Qi Bridge, in the direction of the academy. Zhu Minng watched Li Yunzi¡¯s retreating figure, puzzled. ¡°What did you just call her?¡± Zhu Minng turned back to ask the peach-selling girl. ¡°Nan Lingsha, are you really a student at the Dragon Taming Academy, not even having heard of such a great beauty as Sister Lingsha?¡± The peach-selling girl asked doubtfully. ¡°I¡¯m self-taught and not very familiar with the academy. Her name is Nan Lingsha and she¡¯s from the Li Chuan Dragon Taming Academy?¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°Look here, don¡¯t entertain any fantasies about Sister Lingsha. She¡¯s the young mistress of the Nan Family, as noble as a phoenix. You¡¯d better spend more time thinking about how to fend for yourself rather than dreaming that entering the Dragon Taming Academy will make you soar high. There are plenty of students who descend into poverty and go insane because their Juvenile Spirits didn¡¯t transform into dragons,¡± said the peach-selling girl. ¡°The Nan Family? Could it really be a case of mistaken identity?¡± Zhu Minng was utterly confused at this point. Despite the disparity between the woman¡¯s temperament and the allure reflected in her eyes and brows, her face was clearly that of Li Yunzi! Nan Lingsha¡­ Nan Lingsha, this was a name Zhu Minng seemed to recall Master Li mentioning. Sisters? But sisters couldn¡¯t possibly look so identical. Zhu Minng shook his head. Perhaps it was a case of ¡®daytime thoughts bing nighttime dreams¡¯, and in that charming sunlight, he had mistaken someone else for the woman in his mind. Chapter 17 - 17 Ice Morning White Dragon? 17 Chapter 17 Ice Morning White Dragon? Trantor: Exodus Tales Editor: Exodus Tales ¡­ Li Imperial Pce In a slender, soft scale armor robe with hair hanging down the shoulders and an incredibly paleplexion, Luo Xiao stood on the bridge between the imperial residences and the military academy, his gaze involuntarily drawn to the tiered towers and the winding gardens hidden away¡­ He had grown ustomed to standing here, even back when he was a servant. From behind those terraces, he could barely catch a glimpse of the autumn Nanzhu forest and the eaves of an exquisite light silver house. He had thought that by bing one of the leaders of the Li Family¡¯s Hundred Armies, he would have the chance to get closer to Li Yunzi. But in fact, since the day he revealed his feelings, Luo Xiao hadn¡¯t seen Li Yunzi at all. ¡°Commander Luo, we all know your thoughts, it¡¯s not that we are unwilling to give you a chance to visit, only that Yunzi has been ced under house arrest by her father. It¡¯s rted to the face of our Li Family. The master does not wish to hear anyone in the city-state discussing that disgraceful matter,¡± said Kong Tong, thedy in charge. ¡°I have a modest suggestion. If the Family Head could arrange Young Miss Li Yunzi¡¯s marriage, and spend some silver taels to get those busybodies in the alleys to say it was people from other city-states spreading the rumor on purpose to nder the Li Family and Young Miss Li Yunzi, whether people believe it or not, this matter will soon subside,¡± Luo Xiao respectfully said to Lady Kong Tong. Kong Tong looked at Luo Xiao, who bowed his head in salute, a smile appearing on her cheeks. ¡°It¡¯s a good method. I will have the master consider Yunzi¡¯s marriage soon.¡± ¡°Thank you, madam!¡± Luo Xiao, both surprised and delighted, knew that if Kong Tong had agreed, the odds of it happening were very high! ¡°This is your appointment order. The master has instructed me to pass this to you. The Nine Cities of Wu Tu have united and started a rebellion, coveting our Dongxu Fortress City. The city-state¡¯s army has already moved out. You should set off tomorrow. Since the Wutu Rebels think that the heavens are unfair for giving them such barrennd, we¡¯ll let them understand who their true heavens are!!¡± Kong Tong handed Luo Xiao the order. Luo Xiao respectfully received it with both hands, quite eager to undertake this task, as he already harbored some resentment towards the Wutu outcasts. Dealing with rebels, ughter was the most direct and effective method. Moreover, the fear of killing would quickly spread throughout Wutu, and the people of other cities there would live in fear of this shadow for a long time, not daring to act rashly! ¡°Unlike the minor merits you¡¯ve achieved before,pleting this appointment will greatly increase your fame in the city-state,¡± Kong Tong added. ¡°Luo Xiao will not disappoint thedy or the Family Head!¡± Luo Xiao stated. ¡°Oh, I wanted to ask you something¡­¡± Kong Tong suddenly remembered something. Luo Xiao stopped in his tracks, turned around, and once again waited for Kong Tong¡¯s inquiry with a bow. ¡°That man who returned with you, do you recognize him?¡± Kong Tong seemed to change her mind. Luo Xiao frowned, puzzled. ¡°Zhu Minng, isn¡¯t he a member of our n?¡± ¡°We don¡¯t have his name in the family records. Who told you he is our nsman?¡± Kong Tong inquired. ¡°Young Miss Yunzi,¡± Luo Xiao¡¯s eyes were shifting, obviously considering this question very seriously. ¡°Alright, you head to Dongxu City first, we¡¯ll talk about this little matter when you return, and I will also rify his identity. Since Yunzi was framed, it¡¯s inevitable that some viins are close to her,¡± Kong Tong said. Luo Xiao saluted once again, his expression turning more solemn as he turned to leave. If Zhu Minng wasn¡¯t a member of the Li Family, why would Li Yunzi lie? ¡­ ¡­ Dragon Taming Academy Inside the house, to Zhu Minng¡¯s great delight, Little White finally broke out of the cocoon! He carefully lifted the drowsy Little White from his Spirit Realm, eager to see its juvenile form. ¡°Strange, isn¡¯t it an Azure Dragon?¡± Zhu Minng looked at Little White, quite astonished! Even after its transformation, Little White wasn¡¯t the same as before! Previously, Bai Qi was a pure-blooded Ice Cyan Dragon, with sturdy frosty scales, a slender body, and long tail, simr to a Waterfall Flood Dragon, without wings. But now, Bai Qi had a pair ofrge wings. He remembered that while in the Ice Pupa, it indeed had a pair of wings as light and thin as those of a butterfly. Now those wings had developed into more powerful ones, covered with intricately delicate Ice Velvet Feathers. Moreover, its wing bones wereposed of several segments, more flexible than human fingers, which seemed to allow its wings to fold back like a butterfly¡¯s, disying the beauty of its plumage. It could also powerfully p its wings to execute astonishing flight maneuvers with ease in the air, attacking and dodging freely, or fold them softly, making it seem like a harmless and elegant little swan. Of course, it retained some of its Azure Dragon physique, with a neck, chest, rump, and tail as elegantly long as a snake¡¯s, with limbs like a cat¡¯s and ws. ¡°` Its body was not covered with hard scales; instead, its neck boasted a silver-white long fluff resembling tassels, noble in appearance, while the rest of its body was covered with soft, short silver fluff, smooth as silk satin extending all the way to the tail. Its tail was also somewhat unique, long like a girl¡¯s braid trailing to the ground. It was unclear whether it naturally had such distinctive tail feathers or if it was the frost that had condensed upon its body and spread on its own! Zhu Minng carefully observed Little Bai Qi while cautiously feeding it nectar. Interestingly, when the little Ice Dragon attentively sucked the nectar, its yful, slender white braided tail would slowly curl up, and after a while, it would suddenly drop straight down, motionless for quite some until¡­ Overall, Bai Qi had lost much of its former martial aura and now appeared more elegant and noble. Every feather, every ice scale, and every inch of its skin radiated a unique beauty. ¡°What kind of dragon is this, a White Feather Aplysia Dragon? It seems to have the bloodline of a Giant Dragon¡­ Could it be an Ice Morning White Dragon??¡± Zhu Minng found himself unable to make an urate judgment at the moment. Overall, it resembled an Aplysia, but the Ice Fluff Feathers on its wings also bore a simrity to those of the Ice Frost Dragon among the Giant Dragons. Searching his memory for dragons, only the Ice Morning White Dragon, said to inhabit the endless icy void, came very close! ¡°Yiyiyiyi~~~¡± Little Bai Qi¡¯s cry was somewhat babyish. Whether it was whining because it was still hungry or if that was just its natural vocal tone was unknown. Zhu Minng had already prepared plenty of nectar for it. As the nectar filled with the rich fragrance of flowers was spooned into a smalldle, Little Bai Qi first looked at Zhu Minng, then at the nectar, with ripples of joy spreading in its small eyes. ¡°Drink up, grow big and strong,¡± Zhu Minng said to Bai Qi. Bai Qi, smelling the nectar, slowly brought its little head, now growing much fine white down, to the nectar spoon, gentlypping it up like a little kitten. Finally, it was sated and quenched. But it seemed to have no desire to return to the Ice Pupa bed in the Spirit Realm. It slowly crawled into Zhu Minng¡¯s arms, its long tail wrapping around its body, wings fully folded to cover its curled-up form, before it blissfully nestled into Zhu Minng¡¯s embrace, docile andzy. Soon, the soft breathing of the Ice Morning White Dragon could be heard, sleeping so sweetly. The soft,fortable short fluff made Zhu Minng feel as if he were raising a clingy little white cat, rather than a true dragon! Of course, Zhu Minng also knew that Little Bai Qi¡¯s emergence from the pupa marked a rebirth, returning it to its juvenile phase. The growth of most dragons was very slow. Giant dragons lived for thousands of years; they could take the lifespan of two generations of humans to transition from youth to adulthood. This was when the role of the Dragon Shepherd was most fully realized. Firstly, the human Spirit Realm was a growth incubator for all dragons that had signed a Spirit Contract, and even if they merely slept in it, their development would be greatly elerated. Secondly, this rapid growth within the Spirit Realm did not deplete the dragon¡¯s lifespan. Feeding them certain specific foods or purchasing some Spirit Fruit could allow even the youngest dragons to quickly pass through their most vulnerable stage within a very short time. It was not a problem that the Ice Morning White Dragon was still young. A bit more sleep and more nectar would do, for as a true dragon, it would change from day to day, and within a month, it would develop strongbat capabilities! ¡°Oops, I almost forgot about today¡¯s end-of-month ss!¡± Zhu Minng¡¯s thoughts had been entirely on Little Bai Qi, nearly causing him to overlook this matter. The Dragon Taming Academy¡¯s management of students was quiteissez-faire; sses were set up every morning, and it was up to the students to decide whether to attend. The academy had many facilities and venues that could be used without any charge, and students were free to use them at will. However, obtaining new Juvenile Spirits from the Reserve Dragonsn Storage Hall or receiving some healing medicine and special feed all requiredpleting tasks assigned by the academy to earn enough academic credits. In the Dragon Taming Academy, credits were more valuable than gold and silver. Every year, the academy deposited many treasures in the Big Warehouse Pavilion, which could be obtained simply by earning enough credits. It was rumored that there were dragon eggs inside. Hatching them would yield True Dragons. Zhu Minng had yet to see the legendary Big Warehouse Pavilion, mainly because the little academic credits he had managed to save up were exchanged for money and food. Why salivate over the treasures in the Big Warehouse Pavilion¡­ The daily morning sses were not free; they cost one academic credit. But the big ss at the end of the month was free, and students of the same ss were not allowed to be absent. Otherwise, they would have credits deducted. Atst, it was time to attend ss. Zhu Minng tidied himself up, partly because the content of the end-of-month big ss would be richer, and partly because he had yet to meet his ssmates from outside his own dormitory, especially the female ssmates, anticipating how mboyant they would be. Chapter 18 - 18: Fighting the Dragon 18 Chapter 18: Fighting the Dragon Trantor: Exodus Tales Editor: Exodus Tales ¡­ ¡°It is said that the Dragon Taming Academy is independent of all city-states, and more like a self-established church.¡± Zhu Minng walked along the forest and found that the buildings of the Dragon Taming Academy seemed to be even more imposing than those of the city-states. Upon reaching therge ssroom, which was a massive rock building that rose from the ground, its outer walls made of countless moon-white pebbles, with wooden stairs on the outside winding around the entire rock building up to the high teaching hall. From the hall, terraces extended in all four directions. When Zhu Minng climbed up, he just happened to see a Flying Bird Pseudo-Dragon raised by the academy perched on the terrace,plete with a leather saddle. It must have belonged either to a teacher or some shy student showing off. The Flying Bird Pseudo-Dragon was the offspring of a Pterosaur and a Giant Bird-Dragon, which the academy had domesticated quite a few. As long as a Spirit Bond was formed with one, it could be one¡¯s exclusive mount. They could also be exchanged for academic credits, but not for something trivial like exterminating fish demons. Zhu Minng arrived quite early and found himself a seat in the middle. Soon enough, several familiar faces also sat down, including the young men from his own dormitory and the aloof young master who had enrolled the same day as him, sitting right in front of him. The teacher hadn¡¯t arrived yet, so Zhu Minng casually flipped through the book he had borrowed. ¡°Have you heard? Recently, a Gold-ted Fire Dragon has been wreaking havoc in Dongxu City. The fierce mob from Wutu no longer crosses the border, and many people in Ancestral Dragon City are talking about the Dragon Trainer riding the Gold-ted Fire Dragon,¡± one student said. ¡°That¡¯s Luo Xiao, a Dragon Trainer recently recruited by the Li Family. I heard he¡¯s quite ferocious.¡± ¡°A man isn¡¯t considered worthy until he has made his mark on the battlefield. When my Wolfsprite transforms into a dragon, I¡¯ll take down a city. Then, you¡¯re all wee to visit my city, and I as City Lord will treat you well, hahaha,¡± Hong Hao said. This person owned a ferocious Big Wolfsprite and his favorite pastime was to challenge people to a fight with his Big Wolfsprite. In the dormitory, aside from Zhu Minng, the other ten had been thoroughly trounced by Hong Hao and his Big Wolfsprite, establishing him as the dormitory¡¯s tyrant. Beingbative is indeed one way to open the Dragon Gate for many creatures. This dormitory tyrant¡¯s training approach wasn¡¯t wrong; it was just a little wasteful. ¡°If anyone is to be a dragon, it should be Nan Ye. His Juvenile Spirit can already cast some low-tier magic. His dragon is inherently a Dragon Son, merely still growing. After maturing, it will be a true Giant Dragon, unlike us who are still struggling to find the way of the Dragon Gate,¡± Li Shaoying, who couldn¡¯t stand Hong Hao¡¯s arrogance, remarked coldly. Zhu Minng shook his head when he heard his words. This Li Shaoying, truly asking for a beating. Who talks like that to people from another dormitory? With that attitude, the medicinal wine his uncle gives him for bruises probably won¡¯t be enough. The Nan Ye that Li Shaoying mentioned was the same aloof young master who had enrolled with Zhu Minng. So this guy had owned a True Dragon right from the start; no wonder he never cared for the juvenile spirits in the Reserve Dragons Storage Hall. The aloof young master Nan Ye sat there, not talking to the other students around him. He wore a faint smile, probably pleased with the bootlicking from Li Shaoying. Some things, if said by oneself, seem tock a bit of impact, but they strike differently when said by others. This made the aloof young master Nan Ye suddenly the focus of everyone around, even causing a few female students who had been chatting quietly to steal more nces towards Nan Ye! ¡°My Wolfsprite transforming into a dragon is imminent. Don¡¯t talk to me about some juvenile Dragon Son. Without proper care in its nest, it might just get eaten by my Wolfsprite,¡± Hong Hao said carelessly. Nan Ye frowned in dissatisfaction. He turned his head to stare at Hong Hao and disdainfully said, ¡°You might not understand the difference between dragons and wild beasts. Even in its juvenile phase, it could tear your Wolfsprite to pieces.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like verbal disputes. In our dorm, except for Zhu Minng, everyone else has been beaten ck and blue by me. If you¡¯re capable,pare yourself to him,¡± Hong Hao continued. Zhu Minng was dumbfounded. What kind of rhetorical art was this??? He was just sitting quietly, hoping to remain inconspicuous, so why had he suddenly been thrust into the spotlight? The other dormitory students were also caught off guard by Hong Hao¡¯s move. Li Shaoying was about to correct him but was silenced by a fierce re from Hong Hao. Zhu Minng looked at Hong Hao deeply. He had thought this guy was just an aggressive brute. He himself wanted to test Nan Ye¡¯s strength, yet he was cautious of Nan Ye¡¯s Young Dragon and resorted to this underhanded tactic. Moreover, it also served to harshly punish Zhu Minng, the antisocial one in the dormitory. ¡°Is that so? If I recall correctly, you¡¯re the one who came to the academy begging for a Juvenile Spirit like a beggar on the day of enrollment, and now, just a monthter, you think you¡¯re capable?¡± Nan Ye¡¯s gaze turned towards Zhu Minng, his words dripping with mockery. Beggar?? Zhu Minng was sensitive to that term! On enrollment day, it was simply that his clothes were a bit in, hardly akin to a beggar¡¯s. This guy was clearly trying to insult him. ¡°That in your arms, is it the Juvenile Spirit you received upon enrollment? A white wild mountain chicken? You¡¯d better hold it tighter. Without the need for my Green Dragon to act, I could crush it with one hand,¡± Nan Ye continued to press aggressively. Zhu Minng was getting ufortable. Insult him if you must, but Little White was absolutely not to be ridiculed! ¡°Yi~~~~~~~~~~~~~¡± The sleepy Ice Morning White Dragon let out a soft chirp as it slowly opened its eyes. Its tail rippled out in circles, like waves spreading across water, and the wings unfolded gently, the pristine, frost-like feathers shining with a crystalline luster, as noble as a princess waking in the morning light. pping its wings, the exquisite Ice Morning White Dragon flew toward the demonstration tform in front of the academy buildings, its diamond-bright eyes fixing on the brash-spoken Nan Ye with an expression of pride mingled with cool disdain. Zhu Minng had thought Little White would be sound asleep, indifferent to the world outside, but to his surprise, it was as sensitive as he was. ¡°How beautiful! What kind of dragon is this?¡± a few female students couldn¡¯t help but exim, immediately captivated by the uniquely beautiful appearance of the Ice Morning White Dragon. ¡°Some chickens just live off their bright feathers, you may have not seen a real dragon.¡± Nan Ye said with utter disdain. He pressed his right hand onto the back of his left hand, where the palm of his left hand opened up to reveal his own Spirit Realm! ¡°Spirit Realm, Nan Ye has a Spirit Realm already!!¡± ¡°Nan Ye is really a Dragon Shepherd, but he has just started school.¡± Spirit Realm, a Dragon Shepherd¡¯s Spirit Realm can contain dragons with which they have a Spirit Contract. Before both human and dragon have stepped through the first Dragon Gate, other people raising Juvenile Spiritsck the ability to summon or call them back as they have not yet opened their Spirit Realm. ¡°Roar!!!!!!!¡± Suddenly, a roar emerged from nowhere, more shocking than a mountain tiger, and a green seal appeared on Nan Ye¡¯s palm, glowing intensely and casting beams onto the demonstration tform in front of the hall. In the intery of light and shadow, an erged tenfold seal manifested, standing in the air like a mirror gate that could open to another world. ¡°Roar!!!!!!!!!!¡± Another long roar, and from within the gate of the seal emerged a Green Forest Dragon, covered with coarse green skin, standing two meters tall. With a head asrge as a giant lizard, its nostrils emitting a green mist and its sharp teeth mostly bared. Its chest was muscr, and its belly bloated, covered with tougher scales; the ws of the Big Wolfsprite and the teeth of the Crocodile Spirit could hardly bite through them from the front. This Green Forest Dragon stood upright, its hind limbs incredibly strong, as if they could trample stone tiles, while its forews were somewhat shorter. It seemed still in its juvenile stage, its forews had not yet grown the sharp ws capable of slicing through wild beasts. Green Forest Dragon!!! Seeing the true appearance of this Green Forest Dragon, Hong Hao turned pale with fear. He was lucky that he had sent Zhu Minng to probe, otherwise his own Big Wolfsprite would have been bitten into two by the opponent! Compared to this Green Forest Dragon, his Big Wolfsprite was indeed just a wild beast,pletelycking in dragon essence!! The fifty fellow students in the hall had not expected Nan Ye¡¯s dragon to be so ferocious. To think it was still in its juvenile stage! Already sorge in its juvenile stage, exuding an overwhelming dragon might that crushed all living creatures!! When this Green Forest Dragon reached adulthood, what kind of terrifying colossus would it be!! ¡°There is a difference between dragons and wild chickens!¡± Nan Ye dered with an air of superiority. Compared with the Green Forest Dragon, the Ice Morning White Dragon indeed seemed much smaller, but thepetition between dragons was not purely about size. The Ice Morning White Dragon pped its wings, slowly rising into the air, its long tail still gracefully hanging down. Like a butterfly poised in front of a flower, the Ice Morning White Dragon hovered in the air, wings outstretched. Its wings appeared to move lightly, but a strong current of air was stirring around it, slowly gathering into a column of wind. ¡°Swoo~~~~~~~~~!¡± Suddenly, it tucked its wings and its slender body dived into the wind column. One could see its diving speed surge in that instant while the wind column intensified several times over, cushioning the Ice Morning White Dragon as it hurtled towards the Green Forest Dragon! ¡°Boom!!!!!!!!¡± The Green Forest Dragon, seeming like a giant rock, watched as the wind shaped by the Ice Morning White Dragon struck like a drill at its most muscr chest. The Green Forest Dragon slid backward and smashed hard against the rock wall, shaking the entire academy! ¡°Grrrr~~~~~¡± Wailing in pain, the Green Forest Dragony on the ground, unable to rise again. The Ice Morning White Dragon dispersed the winds it controlled, its delicate bodynding on the Green Forest Dragon¡¯s head, using its long tail to tap on the Green Forest Dragon¡¯s nose as though it were a stern teacher disciplining someone else¡¯s terribly naughty child. The students inside the academy were at a loss for words! How could that ferocious Green Forest Dragon be so vulnerable?? And how could the seemingly harmless, delicate creature burst forth with such terrifying power in an instant!! Chapter 19 - 19: The Advanced Dragon 19 Chapter 19: The Advanced Dragon Trantor: Exodus Tales Editor: Exodus Tales Clothed in the wind, it plunged and raced. The arc traced by the Ice Morning White Dragon was so marvellous that one couldn¡¯t help but exim in awe, and the force of the impact it created was so fierce and authoritative it left onlookers sighing in amazement! Nan Ye was someone who wasn¡¯t very good at hiding his emotions, but in order not to loseposure, he could only forcibly suppress his annoyance and disbelief, causing his face to turn red and then pale in quick session. Zhu Minng hadn¡¯t expected Little White to even use its tail to p the face of the Green Dragon, he called out with a wry smile and summoned the mischievous little guy back, so as not to leave Nan Ye without a shred of dignity¡­ In fact, Nan Ye¡¯s dignity was already gone. A private contest was one thing¡ªknown only to him and me¡ªbut to be easily knocked down in front of so many students of the same cohort from the academy was another matter entirely. Seeing the astonished look on Nan Ye¡¯s face, Zhu Minng patted him, saying, ¡°Everyone has their downfalls, there¡¯s no need for such hurtful words. Take back your dragon and nurture it well; your dragon still has plenty of potential.¡± s, Zhu Minng was several years older than them, and he didn¡¯t intend to stoop to the level of these youths. But these youngsters, who hadn¡¯t seen much of the world, were far too arrogant! After all, they had not yet experienced the harsh lessons of the world outside. Zhu Minng adopted an air of indifference, and with feigned kindness,forted his impassioned young ssmate. Yet inside, his heart was leaping with joy, nearly ready to do a backflip on the spot! Bai Qi was too fierce! Zhu Minng had thought that it would take at least until the growth period for it to have any fighting power, but who knew that even in its juvenile phase, it would be this ferocious. They¡¯re back, the glorious days of this young master are back!! Nan Ye walked towards his Green Forest Dragon, and from his dim eyes, one could tell just how disappointed he was. From the day he got the Green Forest Dragon, he had been proud and conceited. Those around him who seemed very talented were still struggling in the mire beneath the Dragon Gate, while he was born above it, possessing this Green Forest Dragon that would have the strength of a Dragon Son as soon as it reached adulthood! Yet he hadn¡¯t expected his True Dragon to be defeated by thesemon creatures in the mire!! ¡°Oh woo~~~~ Oh woo~~~~~~~¡± The Green Forest Dragon wailed in agony. Nan Ye raised his hand, still somewhat in disbelief as he took the Green Forest Dragon back into his Spirit Realm. ¡°Oh woo!!! Oh woo!!!!!!!!¡± The cries of the Green Forest Dragon grew louder; just as Nan Ye thought his dragon pet was suffering greatly, he saw the Green Forest Dragon rise on its own, and it even refused to return to the Spirit Realm to heal. ¡°Aoo woo!!!!!!!!!¡± The Green Forest Dragon suddenly let out a long roar to the sky, disying a burst of wild power. And then, a blue glow suddenly burst from its body, countless blue vines broke through the rock on the tform, crazily growing and extravagantly entwining the body of the Green Forest Dragon! As if in sync with the growth of the vines, the Green Forest Dragon¡¯s size began to expand at that moment; the crisp sound of bones growing echoed throughout the entire academy, as if some Demonic Beast was trying to burst from the body of the juvenile Green Forest Dragon, bing stronger and more terrifying than before!! ¡°Advanced???¡± Nan Ye¡¯s face was filled with shock. It seemed that, unwilling to bear the humiliation of defeat, the Green Forest Dragon had broken through some shackles amidst the pain and the desire for victory, and it had prematurely stepped into the growth period¡ªright here, right now! From juvenile phase to growth phase! When an ordinary creature undergoes such evolution, its strength would surge instantaneously, let alone the Green Forest Dragon which was a True Dragon! Even though it would take reaching adulthood for the Green Forest Dragon to possess the true power of a Dragon Child Level, but being one step away from leaping through the Dragon Gate, the Green Forest Dragon could still absolutely dominate the majority of creatures! The crowd at the school all showed looks of shock. The juvenile Green Forest Dragon was already an incredibly fierce creature, but now it had shot up to four meters tall¡ªin the face of a raging behemoth, its presence wasn¡¯t in the same league as before! The humiliation it had suffered made the Green Forest Dragon even more irascible, appearing as if it wanted to tear everyone apart, frightening all the people at the school into retreating backward. For a moment, only Zhu Minng was left in the hall, with the petite Linglong, the Ice Morning White Dragon, perching on his shoulder, its eyes like stars of icy void, still calmly and indifferently watching the Green Forest Dragon that had undergone a drastic transformation. Zhu Minng looked at the Green Forest Dragon, trying his best to appear nonchnt. If it were before, he could have easily crushed the Green Forest Dragon even if it evolved ten more times, but now¡­ he was panicked. ¡°Nan Ye, my friend, didn¡¯t I tell you so? Your Green Forest Dragon indeed has great potential. I won thest round, and I lose this one, so we¡¯re even,¡± Zhu Minng said to Nan Ye. ¡°I haven¡¯t called back my dragon pet yet, which means the contest isn¡¯t over. Haha, a pheasant will always be a pheasant, don¡¯t think that inheriting some Wind Controlling abilities means you canpare to my True Dragon!¡± Nan Ye¡¯s tone grew increasingly higher. Having just experienced the first major defeat in his life, and now immediately facing a stunning ascent¡ªnormally, it would take the Green Forest Dragon another half a year or even longer to possibly evolve into the growth phase¡­ A True Dragon is a True Dragon. How could it possibly crumble in such a battle? From humiliation to loss, from loss to astonishment, from astonishment to manic joy, then thinking that he could reim the face he had just lost in front of everyone and even attract more attention, Nan Ye¡¯s facial features began to contort from the intertwining of all these emotions. But this contortion was also one of ecstatic madness. ¡°Well, I concede¡­¡± Zhu Minng resigned himself, about to admit defeat. Before he could speak out, the Ice Morning White Dragon on his shoulder opened its stunningly white wings and once again flew towards the stone tform where it would face off against the Green Forest Dragon. ¡°Bai Qi,¡± Zhu Minng didn¡¯t want Little White to get hurt, because with the previous humiliation Nan Ye and his Green Forest Dragon wouldn¡¯t hold back. The Ice Morning White Dragon didn¡¯t fly back, remaining as aloof and noble as ever, even when facing the Green Forest Dragon in apletely different state. What was slightly different this time was the fighting spirit it showed, which it never had before! Its aura at that moment, it greatly resembled the White Soaring Dragon once overlooking all creatures with pride from the sky! ¡°Getting serious, are you?¡± Zhu Minng sensed Bai Qi¡¯s fighting spirit, and his own emotions began to change. Yes indeed¡­ Even though the opponent was far weakerpared to past enemies, at this moment, it ignited a feeling in Zhu Minng like a me burning in his heart. Wandering for so many years, starting all over again, that familiar feeling could never be forgotten! Chapter 20 - 20 Lurking Shadow of the Tail Sting 20 Chapter 20 Lurking Shadow of the Tail Sting Trantor: Exodus Tales Editor: Exodus Tales ¡°Roar!!!!!!!!!!¡± The adolescent Green Forest Dragon opened its enormous mouth, and the breath of its roar alone was enough to sweep away objects nearby, making Bai Qi, who was still rtively small, seem like a sparrow flying in a storm. Stepping forward, the Green Forest Dragon¡¯s fearsome charge was so powerful it could effortlessly shatter a stone wall, and its speed was not slow either. This time, the Green Forest Dragon did not intend to give the Ice Morning White Dragon the opportunity to harness the wind. The Ice Morning White Dragon¡¯s wings, resembling that of a butterfly¡¯s, it could be seen fluttering lightly in the air, and the clean, delicate body leaped to a higher position. At the same moment, the Green Forest Dragon alsounched itself into the air, viciously biting at the Ice Morning White Dragon. In the instant it lunged towards the Ice Morning White Dragon, the green glowing vines that grew over its body turned into an even more massive demonic maw, sealing off all possible escape routes for the Ice Morning White Dragon! The Ice Morning White Dragon would either be entangled by these light vines or be swallowed whole by the Green Forest Dragon. The Ice Morning White Dragon nimbly side-flew, its speed suddenly bursting mid-glide. With a p of its wings, the Ice Velvet Feathers on the edges spread apart, carrying along with them the surging airflows, flying towards the obstructing green light vines! The glowing vines, once fiercely growing, were about to entrap the Ice Morning White Dragon, but as the Ice Fluff scattered, the vines were rapidly frozen, turned into static frost vines. Bai Qi passed through these ice-bound vines, avoiding the Green Forest Dragon¡¯s biting vine array¡­ ¡°Be careful of the poison!¡± Zhu Minng¡¯s voice rang out at this moment. Zhu Minng noticed the Green Forest Dragon developing poison sacs during its evolution, so this Green Forest Dragon, in addition to controlling nt vines, also had a poisonous attribute. Bai Qi had indeed overlooked this, but fortunately, Zhu Minng¡¯s reminder allowed it to prepare in advance! The Ice Morning White Dragon turned and flew backwards, its auxiliary wings vibrating at a high frequency. Countless magic frost mists could be seen pouring out of these wings, spreading out in the air and condensing into a very magnificent ice screen! The ice screen was vast, unfolding in a fan shape, like an ice peacock spreading its enormous tail feathers. A wide range of venom came spraying towards it, and a portion of it was blocked by the ice screen. The venom corroded the rock walls and the wooden desks of the ssroom. The stone and ground were still alright, showing only slight signs of corrosion, but the wooden desks and chairs were rapidly decaying. If even a bit of it touched someone¡¯s skin, it would be directly melted through! Behind the ice screen, the Ice Morning White Dragon remained unharmed, but the Green Forest Dragon did not cease its attack. It crashed through the Green Light Vines, shattering the ice screen and its venomous vine-wrapped ws struck at the Ice Morning White Dragon. The ssroom ceiling was already quite high, but it still limited the flight of the Ice Morning White Dragon. Moreover, the Green Forest Dragon¡¯s strong ability to control the field had begun to show as the vines with poison thorns covered the ground, walls, and ceiling, continuing to grow and filling up most of the spacious ssroom in a short time¡­ The Ice Morning White Dragon was dodging the Green Forest Dragon using its agile movements, but the area avable for it to move in was gradually being constricted by those poisonous thorn vines. It was nearly hit by the Green Forest Dragon¡¯s ws several times. ¡°Fly outside, don¡¯t tangle with it here,¡± Zhu Minng said to Bai Qi. This confined space was already disadvantageous for the Ice Morning White Dragon. Zhu Minng now felt a bit of regret; even if there needed to be a battle, it should have been in a different terrain. ¡°` s, it was a little toote now; those vines sealed off all four sides of the terraced area. If Bai Qi attempted to fly out, it would be tantamount to throwing oneself into the. Having evolved to the growth period, the Green Forest Dragon was no longer merely a ferocious beast. It had be proficient in forest magic, capable of producing continuously growing vines around it. These vines were indeed lethal to agile creatures, like an ever-densifying, ever-tightening spider¡¯s web! Finally, the Ice Morning White Dragon was cornered. The rampaging Green Forest Dragon came barreling in; its venomous ws striking from the left and right. The vines on the wall closed in from the top down, and its gaping maw aimed to bite. Should its teeth close, the Ice Morning White Dragon, with its current size, would either die or be left crippled! Zhu Minng frowned, his palm facing toward Bai Qi. The summoning symbol lit up in his hand, ready to recall Bai Qi into the Spirit Realm the moment the Green Forest Dragon touched him¡­ But that symbol was a Summoning Gate linked to the Dragon Shepherd¡¯s soul. A Dragon Shepherd could rapidly recall their dragon to dodge a fatal enemy attack. However, the impact would hit the symbol, and the resulting shock would be borne by the shepherd¡¯s own soul! The injury to the soul was tens or even hundreds of times more painful than physical suffering and much harder to recover from. Some overly strong impacts could even im the Dragon Shepherd¡¯s life outright!! ¡­ The Ice Morning White Dragon gently pped its white wings, suspended in midair, seemingly with no room to retreat and at the mercy of its opponent. Yet its slender and supple tail had be tough without anyone noticing¡­ ¡°Swish!!!!¡± Just as Zhu Minng was bracing himself to bear the cost, the beautiful braided tail of the Ice Morning White Dragon transformed into a deadly sting. At the moment of the strike, it became fiercely powerful, as if reinforced by numerous joints, and an astonishing trail of needle-like shadows appeared! The tail sting of the Ice Morning White Dragon targeted the Green Forest Dragon¡¯s eyes. The Green Forest Dragon¡¯s lunge had now exposed a w, deftly evaded by the Ice Morning White Dragon. ¡°Boom!!!!!!!!!¡± The Green Forest Dragon crashed into the rocky wall, causing the academy to tremble. Chunks of limewash fell down like sand beside it, scaring the students gathered at the very back. ¡°Woo~~~~~~~~~~¡± ¡°Woo~~~~~~~~~~~¡± The Green Forest Dragon not only cracked its skull from the collision but found its eyes an unbearable torment. Blood spilled from its eyes, starting initially as a sharp pain, but the agony swiftly spread from its eye sockets throughout its body, incapacitating this ferocious beast on the ground! Looking at the Green Forest Dragon wailing on the ground. Then, at the Ice Morning White Dragon that once againnded on the head of the Green Forest Dragon. Nan Ye seemed as though he was struck by the same dragon sting, convulsing in agony! Defeated. ¡°` He lost once again! The Green Forest Dragon nearing its growth period, and a True Dragon one step shy from the Dragon Gate, was defeated by such a mixed spirit!! ¡°You¡­ What kind of dragon is this!¡± Nan Ye bellowed in a furious shame. Zhu Minng stood there. He did not answer. It wasn¡¯t because he was taking this opportunity to pretend to be mysterious and unfathomable; it was because he was himselfpletely shocked! It¡¯s just a juvenile¡­ Strictly speaking, Bai Qi is merely a newly born baby dragon! Yet, it managed to defeat a semi-adult Dragon Son!! Even Zhu Minng wanted to ask himself: What kind of dragon is this!!! All beings have four important periods. Juvenile period, growth period, adult period,plete period. As beings and dragons step into a new period, an ¡°evolution¡± urs! Not only does this evolution exponentially increase their strength and change their physical form, but it also awakens some unbelievable abilities! The strength Bai Qi exhibited at this moment was clearly approaching the first level of a True Dragon¡ªthe Dragon Child Level. The issue is, the vast majority of True Dragons also require reaching adulthood to possess the strength of the Dragon Child Level! Just like Nan Ye¡¯s Green Forest Dragon, it only reached the Dragon Child Level upon bing an adult¡­ If Little Bai Qi is demonstrating this kind of strength at the juvenile period, then with three more opportunities to evolve, if each evolution is a significant advancement, the levels it can reach would not merely be the Dragon Child Level or Dragon General Level!!! It could be a Dragon Lord¡­ Or even a Dragon Monarch!!! ¡°That is an Ice Morning White Dragon, with its primary bloodline being the Silver Moon Response Dragon and its secondary bloodline the Star Wind Ice Dragon, which is also a True Dragon.¡± At this moment, a gentle and dignified voice came from the entrance. Zhu Minng himself could not fully confirm Bai Qi¡¯s bloodline, yet this person seemed to have some understanding of this rare kind of dragon, even capable of identifying its primary and secondary bloodline. Looking over, Zhu Minng couldn¡¯t help but be amazed. It was the Dragon Shepherd girl who had saved him and Little ck Tooth at the waterfall. Could she also be a student of this academy?? ¡°Teacher Duan Lan.¡± ¡°Teacher Duan Lan, good morning.¡± Students in the academy bowed their heads one by one to pay their respects, showing their reverence for this Dragon Shepherd girl. Zhu Minng¡¯s mouth fell open. A teacher??? To have such a beautiful and sweet-voiced teacher with powerful strength! Upon reflection, it made sense. Someone who owned a Waterfall Flood Dragon like that, how could they possibly be just another student struggling under the Dragon Gate like them? ¡°The performance of the two students in front of the academy was not bad. Both of you, return to your ces,¡± Duan Lan nced over the somewhat disheveled ssroom, not too concerned about it, and continued with the lesson. ¡°Lan Sister¡­ Teacher Duan Lan, my Green Forest Dragon¡¯s eye,¡± Nan Ye still harbored resentment and did not want to let the matter rest just like that. ¡°Apply this to your Green Forest Dragon¡¯s eye, and it will recover quickly. You should be grateful. It could have directly pierced your Green Forest Dragon¡¯s pupil, and that would have been fatal,¡± Duan Lan red at Nan Ye, disying a bit of strictness and fairness. Not blinded?? Nan Ye hurriedly followed Teacher Duan Lan¡¯s instructions, applying the healing medicine to his Green Forest Dragon¡¯s painfully injured eye area, only then did Nan Ye realize the wound was at the corner of the eye, indeed not damaging the pupil. But if left unchecked, the wound could spread, and the entire eye might die. ¡°Everyone take your seats. Today we will be talking about bloodlines. There are three major bloodlines among dragons: Ancient Dragon, Giant Dragon, and Azure Dragon,¡± Duan Lan began teaching without waiting for the students to sit down. Everyone was still not over the recent battle but out of respect, no student raised any objections. They quietly straightened out the disordered chairs and tables and diligently took their seats. Of course, the way they looked at Zhu Minng hadpletely changed. Especially for Hong Hao, Li Shaoying, and those who shared the same dormitory with Zhu Minng. ¡°Ancient Dragons possess war skills. Giant Dragons cast magic. Azure Dragons have Profound Art.¡± Duan Lan seemed to have been outside earlier, she did not intervene in the battle between the two dragon pets, she continued, ¡°Take Nan Ye¡¯s Green Forest Dragon, for example. Its type is that of a standard Giant Dragon, and those Green Light Vines are the Green Forest Magic it has mastered.¡± Chapter 21 - 21 Are You a Pursuer? 21 Chapter 21 Are You a Pursuer? Trantor: Exodus Tales Editor: Exodus Tales ¡°Teacher, did the Ice Morning White Dragon just use the Azure Dragon Mystics, and are those profound arts more powerful?¡± a student asked eagerly. Teacher Duan Lan shook her head, her gaze falling on Zhu Minng, mainly focusing on the white mini-dragon he held in his arms, and spoke, ¡°As I mentioned earlier, that was an Ice Morning White Dragon. Its main bloodline is from the Azure Dragon, with the Giant Dragon as its secondary bloodline. Inbat, the Ice Morning White Dragon used Wind and Ice Magic, not the Azure Dragon Mystics.¡± It didn¡¯t use profound arts?? If the main bloodline of the Ice Morning White Dragon is from the Azure Dragon, then its profound arts should be even more powerful. That is to say, the Ice Morning White Dragon still has hidden abilities from its main bloodline! Even so, a growth-stage Green Forest Dragon is no match for it?? That¡¯s a bit too exaggerated! Nan Ye was applying medicine to his Green Dragon and, hearing this, his hand slipped heavily. The Green Forest Dragon immediately let out a mournful cry, whether it was from its juvenile spirit being struck or from the pain of Nan Ye¡¯s hand slipping on its wound. Zhu Minng noticed that everyone¡¯s eyes were all fixed on him¡­ He scratched his head in embarrassment. Truth be told, Zhu Minng himself had not noticed this detail. It shouldn¡¯t be that Bai Qi did not use it, but rather that it had just emerged from the Ice Pupa not long ago and its Azure Dragon Mystics had yet to awaken. ¡°Bai Qi didn¡¯t know how to use Giant Dragon Magic before,¡± Zhu Minng muttered to himself. Bai Qi¡¯s regression¡­ It seems it¡¯s not a simple reversal of life; it is more like a metamorphosis and rebirth! The bloodline and bloodline lineage of the Ice Morning White Dragon is higher than that of the White Soaring Dragon. By adulthood, Bai Qi¡¯s strength will far surpass its past! Azure Dragon Mystics. Bai Qi has not yet awakened the Azure Dragon Mystics. This means it will possess them by the time it reaches the growth-stage. The nurturing process from juvenile stage to growth-stage is therefore crucial. If handled well, it could awaken an extremely powerful Azure Dragon Mystics. If it¡¯s not well-fed, nor cared for appropriately, the Azure Dragon Mystics might be buried forever, never to be awakened! Usually, the abilities of the main bloodline are a bit stronger than those of the secondary bloodline. The Ice and Wind Magic demonstrated by Bai Qi are already quite remarkable, so what could its Azure Dragon Mystics be? Zhu Minng couldn¡¯t help feeling some anticipation! ¡°Not good, there¡¯s not much honey left, and it needs to be fed for nearly a month.¡± Zhu Minng suddenly realized this. He and Little ck Tooth had worked hard to obtain a grain of Gold Sand, half of which he had spent on honey. But this honey was only enough for Bai Qi to eat for a week. Now that he knew of Bai Qi¡¯s bloodline and bloodline lineage, Zhu Minng thought it best to feed it spiritual food, which would be more helpful to its soon to be awakened profound arts! ¡°Teacher Duan Lan seems to know quite a lot about the Ice Morning White Dragon. I¡¯ll consult her moreter,¡± Zhu Minng thought to himself. Zhu Minng had previously thought his own knowledge was sufficient and there was no need to attend sses, but now it seems that learning is endless, and he should take the opportunity to listen more in the academy. ¡­ Teacher Duan Lan taught with utmost seriousness, not taking things lightly, and was always ready to answer questions. Zhu Minng also listened attentively, which was rare for him, to her analysis of Dragon Bloodlines and bloodline lineage. Unfortunately, she did not get into the specifics of feeding and nourishing, which was probably not within the scope of today¡¯s lesson. As noon approached, the ss finally came to an end. As soon as the ss was dismissed, Hong Hao and a few other dormitory mates gathered around. Usually domineering and aggressive, Hong Hao wore a big smile and carried an unusual humility, though he still had an annoying demeanor. ¡°The moment I saw Brother Zhu, I knew he was a cut above the rest. Just a little probing proved me rightpared to Brother Zhu, what¡¯s a Nan Ye, what¡¯s a Green Dragon? They¡¯re practically a disgrace to our Qinfeng Court dorm!¡± Hong Hao praised effusively. Zhu Minng gave a warm but distant smile and hastily followed in the direction Teacher Duan Lan had left. ¡°Brother Zhu, I, Hong Hao, will take care of cleaning both your back and front rooms from now on, and if there¡¯s anything else you need, just let your brother know. Being in the same residence is fate!!¡± Hong Hao shouted energetically at Zhu Minng¡¯s retreating figure. After shouting, Hong Hao pped Li Shaoying heavily on the shoulder, squeezed it emphatically, and said with a smile, ¡°Li Shaoying, oh Li Shaoying, you want to climb up the ranks with Nan Ye, huh? Trying to disrupt the unity of the residence, so you¡¯re now in charge of making all the floors in our rooms shine.¡± Li Shaoying was on the verge of tears. Zhu Minng, if you had such an incredible dragon, why did you appear more destitute than me on the day of enrollment! And that clueless act you put on in the Reserve Dragon Storage Hall¡­ it was so convincing!¡­ The woods, a color of maple yellow; the path, ink-ck; Teacher Duan Lan didn¡¯t ride the academy¡¯s provided Flying Bird Pseudo-Dragon but walked leisurely with the book used for today¡¯s lesson in her arms. Zhu Minng hurried forward but, by chance, a man had already approached Teacher Duan Lan and was speaking with her. For a moment, Zhu Minng didn¡¯t know whether to interrupt or not, but Teacher Duan Lan noticed him, turned around, and asked, ¡°Is there anything from the ss that was not clear, student Zhu Minng?¡± Zhu Minng was overjoyed and quickly stepped forward. He looked at the man dressed in a silk brocade long gown; from his attire, it seemed he was also a teacher. ¡°I¡¯m still somewhat confused about feeding¡­¡± said Zhu Minng. Teacher Duan Lan listened attentively, and the silk-brocade man showed the demeanor of a superior, waiting quietly, without interrupting. ¡°This season, there¡¯s a kind of Frost Snow Tree Flower. The honey from these flowers is more suitable for the growth of your dragon, but it¡¯s a bit difficult to gather because there are oftenrge swarms of Bee Monsters around the Frost Snow Tree Flower. You could consider spending some gold and silver to hire others to do it,¡± suggested Teacher Duan Lan. Zhu Minng gave a wry smile. What hecked the most was gold and silver! ¡°Teacher, I¡¯m poor. Is there an alternative?¡± Zhu Minng asked. ¡°I have some, but even as your teacher, I can¡¯t simply give it to you for nothing. How about this¡ªI¡¯ll bring some Dragon Shepherd Students to Rong Valley City to create rain soon. You help me with some misceneous tasks, and a jar of Frost Snow Tree Flower Honey will be your reward,¡± said Teacher Duan Lan. Summoning clouds and rain to nourish all beings, that¡¯s Azure Dragon Mystics! Teacher Duan Lan¡¯s strength was not ordinary. ¡°Alright, alright,¡± Zhu Minng hastily nodded, as this was more than perfect! The Frost Snow Tree Flower Honey was sure to be more expensive than ordinary honey, and Zhu Minng was just worrying about where to earn some money. ¡°Follow me; if you need it urgently, I can get it for you now,¡± said Teacher Duan Lan to Zhu Minng. After speaking, Teacher Duan Lan smiled slightly and politely said to the silk-brocade man, ¡°Teacher Ke Bei, I will consider what you have said. I need to get something for my student first.¡± ¡°Sure, alright,¡± Teacher Ke Bei responded elegantly. Zhu Minng maintained the respect a student should show, bowing and sending off Teacher Ke Bei. Then, once Teacher Ke Bei had turned away, Zhu Minng tilted his head and looked at Teacher Duan Lan¡­ A suitor? Teacher Duan Lan intentionally had him stay by her side, to turn down Ke Bei. It was clear that Ke Bei had been waiting here on purpose for the ss to end. But this worked out well for Zhu Minng; he could get the Frost Snow Tree Flower Honey sooner! ¡°Where¡¯s your Crocodile Spirit?¡± Teacher Duan Lan asked. ¡°Resting behind the house,¡± Zhu Minng replied. ¡°Do another small favor for me,¡± said Teacher Duan Lan. ¡°No problem,¡± Zhu Minng nodded in agreement. Chapter 22 - 22 Using Crocodiles as Bait 22 Chapter 22 Using Crocodiles as Bait Trantor: Exodus Tales Editor: Exodus Tales Frost Flower Trees are definitely not cheap, and while anyone could do the job of a misceneous assistant, it¡¯s only right that Teacher Duan Lan asks me to help with another ten small tasks! However, Zhu Minng was curious why Teacher Duan Lan didn¡¯t request the stronger Bai Qi for this task but Little ck Tooth instead. When they arrived under the Phoenix Embankment Waterfall, Zhu Minng finally understood why Duan Lan needed Little ck Tooth. Looking at the turbulent waterfall currents and therge rocks in the giant pool, Zhu Minng fell into deep thought, unsure of how tomunicate with Little Crocodile Spirit. ¡°Little ck Tooth, remember, as soon as it lunges at you, you must swim away immediately. Don¡¯t let it catch you. Leave the rest to Teacher Duan Lan¡¯s Waterfall Flood Dragon, understand?¡± Zhu Minng said earnestly while cradling Little Crocodile Spirit¡¯s adorably ugly big head. Little Crocodile Spirit had a face like a bitter melon, although it always looked that way. It could never have imagined that it, who had been soundly sleeping behind the house, would suddenly be fish bait. It was a crocodile, a big crocodile, for goodness¡¯ sake! Who ever heard of using a crocodile for bait!! ¡°Don¡¯t worry, that century-old water monster isn¡¯t very strong; it just has an extremely sensitive sense of smell. Every time I summon the Zhan River Dragon, it hides among the rocks at the bottom of the pool. It would be easy to use Profound Art to forcefully obliterate it, but that could harm other creatures living at the bottom of the pool,¡± Teacher Duan Lan exined to Zhu Minng. As a teacher at Li Chuan Academy, Teacher Duan Lan had noticed a water monster under the waterfall that posed a great threat to fishermen. This was something he should take care of even without a formal mission, but unfortunately, the creature bulled the weak and feared the strong; it knew how to survive and was hard to catch on an ordinary day¡­ The Waterfall Flood Dragon was quiterge, making it inconvenient to search among the chaotic stones at the bottom of the pool. Hence, when Duan Lan saw Zhu Minng, he remembered that Zhu Minng had a Little Crocodile Spirit. The Crocodile Spirit was just at the right level: weaker than the century-old water monster but also a perfect prey specimen for it, as an ordinary fish wouldn¡¯t even catch its attention! Now, Zhu Minng finally understood. Using his Crocodile Spirit as bait for the century-old water monster was the realpensation! In this world, there are beings that have never transformed into dragons. At the age of a hundred years, they are called Demon Spirits. At a thousand years, they are called Devil Spirits. At ten thousand years, they be Holy Spirits. These special demons and devils, despite never having crossed the Dragon Gate, possess strength that can sometimes crush that of True Dragons, especially the Devil Spirits and Holy Spirits, before whom even Dragon Lords and Dragon Kings would cower! A century-old Demon Spirit was also not weak, likely close to an evolved Green Forest Dragon. It would have been fine to send Bai Qi. But Little ck Tooth stood no chance against it. So Zhu Minng kept reiterating his instructions, telling it to bolt at the first sign of the water monster among the chaotic stone forest at the bottom of the pool! ¡­ Little Crocodile Spirit was brave; it jumped into the giant pool. Without a Spirit Contract to sense its feelings and condition, Zhu Minng was honestly quite worried. Yet considering that Little Crocodile Spirit had to cross the Dragon Gate someday, experiencing these trials was necessary. After all, merely training inke waters without danger wouldn¡¯t lead to transformation into a dragon anytime soon. Due to the impact of the waterfall, the pool¡¯s water was constantly turbulent, and Zhu Minng couldn¡¯t see underneath at all. The longer he waited, the more anxious he became. The Spirit Bond connecting him with his dragon pet was too weak, breaking only upon death. Although Zhu Minng understood that every creature needed to go through life and death training to possibly transform into a dragon and knew the risk was low with a powerful Dragon Trainer like Duan Lan around, he couldn¡¯t help but worry. ¡°Gurgle, gurgle, gurgle!!!!¡± The water surface suddenly began churning violently, and a dark crocodile head slowly emerged from the midst, noting outpletely but rather quickly wiggling its body just below the surface. Zhu Minng could clearly see its ck figure swimming from his position on therge rock. It was Little ck Tooth! Before Zhu Minng could heave a sigh of relief, purple-red bolts of lightning began to appear where the water churned, spreading slowly amidst a cloud of underwater smoke! The next second, a dark red monster burst out and chased after Little Crocodile Spirit at full speed. As the dark red monster moved, the bolts of lightning and ck smoke apanied it. Meanwhile, manyrge fish that couldn¡¯t escape in time were flipped belly-up and floated on the agitated surface, paralyzed or electrocuted in a matter of moments. The scene was nothing short of horrifying! Yet the dark red water monster showed no interest in those plump fish, biting down on Little Crocodile Spirit instead. The thick smoke with dark red lightning looked like a huge demonic w, about to catch Little Crocodile Spirit¡¯s tail. ¡°Teacher Duan Lan,¡± Zhu Minng called out urgently. ¡°Not yet under the waterfall curtain,¡± Duan Lan replied calmly. Little Crocodile Spirit struggled fiercely, moving twice as fast as it usually did in the training currents, but it still couldn¡¯t shake off that terrifying dark red water monster. Little Crocodile Spirit was giving it everything it had, but at this rate, it wouldn¡¯t reach the waterfall curtain in time and would be paralyzed by the dark red creature! Realizing its life was in danger, Little Crocodile Spirit began to cry for help. It had never encountered such an enemy and was clearly terrified. The sound was akin to a crying child. Zhu Minng realized Little Crocodile Spirit couldn¡¯tplete this task and immediately reached out his hand to summon Bai Qi to save it. ¡°If you stop now, you are essentially giving up on its Dragon Gate. Many young creatures don¡¯t even know their own potential, often choosing to rely on the Dragon Shepherd at critical moments. But it¡¯s not yet a True Dragon, and you can¡¯t possibly keep it protected in the Spirit Realm forever. One day it will leave your sight, it will again be entangled in the waterfall¡¯s current, and it will encounter predators stronger than itself¡­¡± Duan Lan¡¯s tone was somewhat severe. As a teacher, she understood that the condition of the Little Crocodile Spirit was not yet dire. Anxiety leads to chaos, and Duan Lan hoped that Zhu Minng would maintain the detachment that every Dragon Shepherd should possess at this moment. Just like with eagles, if you don¡¯t push the eaglets to the brink of the cliff, they will forever hide in their nest, waiting to be fed, never learning to fly. Without the ability to hunt or fly, even the mighty eagle bes prey to cunning pythons, or is killed by otherrge birds fighting for territory. Zhu Minng took a deep breath and finally chose to watch coldly from the sidelines. The cries for help from the Little Crocodile Spirit grew louder, yet Zhu Minng did not respond. ¡°Grr!¡± Suddenly, the dark red water monster protruded half of its head; its eyes were blood red and flickered with a demonic luster. It was clear the water in the pool ahead was being affected by some strange force; it abruptly began rolling backwards as ifshed by a huge tail, creating a reverse wave! The Little Crocodile Spirit was already too close forfort, and this sudden wave caught it off-guard. Unable to evade, the creature was delivered straight into the jaws of danger! Zhu Minng felt a sinking feeling in his heart upon witnessing this scene. The opponent knows Demon Art, the Little Crocodile Spirit will not escape. Realizing that no one woulde to its rescue, the Little Crocodile Spirit, hit by the reverse wave, spun almostpletely around. Any hope of escape was utterly lost! ¡°Ohhhhhhh!¡± The Little Crocodile Spirit decided to swing its tail, aligning itself to face the approaching dark red water monster. Using the reverse wave, the Little Crocodile Spirit plunged its head down and stood its horn upright, charging with reckless abandon at the dark red water monster! Heavy Crocodile Horn Strike! When it came to physical robustness, the two-meter-long Little Crocodile Spirit was not inferior to many ferocious creatures, and its horn on the forehead wasparable to that of a rhinoceros. The force of this counter-charge was astonishing! ¡°Bang!¡± Within the ck mist, the dark red monster was likewise taken aback by its prey¡¯s resistance. It was violently knocked out of the water surface. It was only then that Zhu Minng finally caught a clear glimpse of the creature; it was a terrifying Violent Catfish with a pair of barbels hanging from each of its upper and lower jaws, emitting dark red sparks! The Violent Catfish was naturally scaleless, but this century-old Demon Spirit had developed a skin nearly as tough as metal tes. Although the Little Crocodile Spirit¡¯s Heavy Horn Strike could have severely injured its opponent, it was thwarted by the Violent Catfish¡¯s hardened skin. ¡°Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle~~~~~~~~~~~¡± The Violent Catfish was surrounded by electric threads and ck mist. As the Little Crocodile Spirit sent it flying, the creature itself was assaulted by the dark red electrical fments, causing its body to convulse. ¡°Ohhhhh!¡± The Little Crocodile Spirit cried out in agony, quickly trying to swim out of the ck water and electric mist before its entire body became paralyzed¡­ It managed to get away, but its head, neck, chest, and forelimbs were virtually immobile. Relying on its tail, the Little Crocodile Spirit struggled to paddle toward the direction of the waterfall curtain. ¡°Grrr~~~~~~~~~~!!¡± The Violent Catfish screamed, taking some time to recover from its daze. Its bloodshot eyes red hatefully at the Little Crocodile Spirit. The Violent Catfish once again stirred up a huge wave and rushed after the Little Crocodile Spirit. It would not rest until it had swallowed the Little Crocodile Spirit alive! With its extremely slow speed, the Little Crocodile Spirit was like an old man with a cane against a fully grown man sprinting, but it did not give up. Dragging along its painful, exhausted body, it continued to swim forward¡­ ¡°Grrr, grrr!¡± The Violent Catfish leaped, its wide mouth gaping like a ck basket. In front of it, the two-meter-long Little Crocodile Spirit seemed quite slender. The monster intended to truly swallow it whole! ¡°Roar~~~~~~~~!!¡± Suddenly, from the churning waterfall, a blue Waterfall Flood Dragon burst forth from behind the water curtain, its majestic and elongated bodyunching toward the water¡¯s surface. As swift as a thick blue lightning bolt, the Waterfall Flood Dragon intercepted in midair, capturing the fierce Violent Catfish in its jaws as easily as a snake catches a frog. Standing like a towering cliff, the Waterfall Flood Dragon thrashed its neck, flinging the captured Violent Catfish hard against the waterfall¡¯s rocky wall! ¡°p!¡± Flesh flew, sttering against the waterfall¡¯s rocks. The strength with which the Waterfall Flood Dragon threw the creature was truly fearsome; the Violent Catfish, brutally ferocious, was smashed to pieces, reduced to a smear! ¡°Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh~~~~~~~~~¡± The current washed away, and soon the spatter of Violent Catfish¡¯s flesh was cleansed by the waterfall, little by little dissolving into the pool below¡­ The carcass dispersed, attracting countless carnivorous fish from the pool that frenziedly fought over the remains. Having been oppressed by the Violent Catfish for a long time, these carnivorous fish feasted with unrestrained glee, happily pping their tails. In a matter of minutes, the Violent Catfish was dismembered, its blood diluted by the water¡­ Chapter 23 - 23 The Hundred-Year Demon Pearl 23 Chapter 23 The Hundred-Year Demon Pearl Trantor: Exodus Tales Editor: Exodus Tales The Waterfall Flood Dragon gently curled its tail around the Little Crocodile Spirit and brought it softly in front of Zhu Minng. Its treatment was entirely different from how it dealt with the Violent Catfish; the Waterfall Flood Dragon treated the Little Crocodile Spirit with great tenderness. ¡°Wuu ohhhh~~~~~¡± Seeing Zhu Minng, the Little Crocodile Spirit looked utterly aggrieved. Zhu Minng sat in front of itsrge head, a smile gradually spreading across his face. ¡°Little ck Tooth, look, even it holds you in high regard; you¡¯ve done very well,¡± Zhu Minng said, pointing at the Waterfall Flood Dragon with his finger. The Little Crocodile Spirit was covered in injuries, and it tried hard to lift its head to see the proud Waterfall Flood Dragon standing beside it, with more than half its body submerged in the deep pool. Perhaps the thought of striving to be a dragon as powerful as this Zhan River Dragon inspired it; how could it justy there and groan? The Little Crocodile Spirit then struggled to its feet, disying a stubborn attitude that it wouldn¡¯t easily fall. The Little Crocodile Spirit probably wanted to say that they had cooperated to kill that Violent Catfish. ¡°Teacher Duan Lan, that¡­¡± Just as Zhu Minng was about to say goodbye, he saw Duan Lan standing on arge rock, looking toward the direction of the rocky wall where the Violent Catfish had been sted into pieces. Mist floated around, hazily enveloping the figure of Duan Lan, the daughter of the dragon, who appeared even more graceful amidst this damp mist. Even the thunderous waterfall couldn¡¯t drown out her ethereal and transcendent beauty. She lifted a palm, as if to grasp some substance from the air. After silently maintaining this posture for several minutes, she finally grasped something and slowly turned around, walking toward Zhu Minng and the injured Little Crocodile Spirit. ¡°It turns out this Violent Catfish had nearly two hundred years of cultivation, a cunning beast that had been hiding here all along. This is its Soul Demon Pearl, consider it a healing medicine for your Little Crocodile Spirit. It should enable your Crocodile Spirit to transform into a dragon more quickly,¡± Duan Lan handed a murky dark-red bead to Zhu Minng. The bead was notrge, about the size of a thumb, and Duan Lan seemed to be using her spiritual power to stabilize it and prevent it from dissipating. This is really good stuff! Zhu Minng hadn¡¯t expected Teacher Duan Lan to be so generous, and to go to the lengths of expending a great deal of spiritual power to brew the Soul Collecting Pearl for him! Being a student of Teacher Duan Lan was indeed very fortunate. Taking the Demon Pearl, Zhu Minng naturally knew it wasn¡¯t easy to condense, and so he fed it to the Little Crocodile Spirit immediately. Apart from raising and training dragons, Dragon Shepherds also possess a particrly strong skill: Soul Collecting Pearl Brewing. For a deep pool old monster like the Violent Catfish, whose cultivation had surpassed that of Ordinary Spirits, even its dissipating soul after death was extraordinary. Dragon Shepherds can use their spiritual power to condense these post-mortem spirits in their hands and purify the residual brutal and vengeful thoughts of the Demon Spirit from its life, resulting in a Demon Pearl that is incredibly beneficial to their own Juvenile Spirits and Young Dragons! Generally speaking, the higher the years of cultivation a Demon Spirit possesses, the better the Spirit Bead it bes after death. Although after consuming the Demon Pearl, the Little Crocodile Spirit won¡¯t inherit all of the two hundred years of cultivation, it is still a huge step forward in its growth! Once the Demon Pearl has been digested, the Little Crocodile Spirit will be the Great Alligator Spirit and the Dragon Gate won¡¯t be far off!¡­ Having received a jar of Frost Tree Flower Honey from Teacher Duan Lan, the issue of food for the two Dragon Babies for the near future waspletely resolved, and Zhu Minng would no longer have to toil through the night keeping watch. To enjoy a stable night¡¯s sleep and then slowly wait for Little Bai Qi and Little ck Tooth to grow was the next step. In their own Spirit Realm, their growth rate was actually very fast. Unlike those wild monsters who must rely on fighting and seizing Spirit Fruit to increase their cultivation, or on umting it slowly over time. The Dragon Trainer¡¯s Spirit Realm not only increases the growth rate of dragons but also multiplies their cultivation base. One year for a dragon in the Spirit Realm is roughly equivalent to ten years of cultivation for beings outside. As the Dragon Trainer¡¯s own strength increases, this multiplier can go even higher. It¡¯s a shame Little ck Tooth has not yet transformed into a dragon; otherwise, by merely sleeping in the Spirit Realm, it could easily surpass other students¡¯ Young Dragons even if it just slept all day long. ¡­ The most excellent aspect of the Dragon Taming Academy was their expansive Dragon Studies Library, which housed a vast array of dragon species. In order to better understand Bai Qi¡¯s growth, Zhu Minng specifically went to the Book Pavilion to search for details on the Ice Morning White Dragon. The Book Pavilion was elegantly clean; both the floor and the wooden bookshelves were spotless, showing not a trace of dust. The rare warm light of a cold autumn afternoon spilled in through the spacious wicker windows like a golden velvet nket wrapping around Zhu Minng¡­ Several books, a cup of clear water¡ªthe academy was indeed extraordinary in its generosity; even the public areas were styled with taste, a world away from the war-torn, poverty-stricken Wutu. ¡°Whether it¡¯s the Silver Moon Response Dragon or the Star Wind Ice Dragon, their young period to growth periodsts only about a year and a half. They not only don¡¯t belong to the long-developing years of the dragon n but also grow quite swiftly,¡± Zhu Minng said as he held two books, makingparisons, ¡°That being said, the Ice Morning White Dragon, carrying the bloodlines of both, should also reach its growth period in about a year and a half.¡± There weren¡¯t many records on the Ice Morning White Dragon, so naturally, Zhu Minng could only analyze based on its two major bloodlines. ¡°A year and a half, with the nourishment from the Spirit Realm, it would only take a little over a month,¡± he deduced. ¡°Feeding a sufficient amount of flower honey can shorten it to a month.¡± ¡°Unfortunately, all the honey has toe from Frost Tree Flower Honey; this time might be reduced to twenty-something days, and moreover, Bai Qi¡¯s Ice Velvet Feathers and his ice magic will be more powerful,¡± he considered. Frost Tree Flower Honey, with a market price of five Gold Sand grains per jar, was five times more expensive than ordinary honey and also scarce. ¡°Come to think of it, Little ck Tooth, after eating a Demon Pearl, has had a huge increase in appetite, and the Large Meat Silkworms I prepared before are no longer sufficient¡­¡± he mused. While reading, Zhu Minng calcted on his fingers, quickly sinking into life¡¯s most profound contemtion¡ªhow to make money. As if possessed by some ghost, Zhu Minng picked up another book on making money, and upon seeing a stunning proposal in the book that ¡°Giant Dragon nests are generally piled with gold and silver treasures; robbing the dragon¡¯sir is the fastest way to riches,¡± he mmed it shut with a thud. He should look for records on Little ck Tooth instead; Teacher Duan Lan had repeatedly emphasized that it was a Juvenile Spirit with tremendous potential, and he ought to do more nning for its dragon life! Walking along the long gallery, the sunlight nting from the clear sky entered from the west, piercing through one grid after another, oneyer upon another of bookshelves, turning into countless golden streams of light¡­ Amid the streams of light, a graceful woman wandered casually through the gallery, her eyes more dazzling and beautiful than the golden sunlight itself, equally indifferent. She glided past the bookshelves, her delicate hand pausing briefly on the spines of a few ancient books, but ultimately she chose none and slowly withdrew her hand. She didn¡¯t find the book she wanted, nor did she seem to be in the mood to read them today. At the intersection of the galleries, Zhu Minng¡¯s gaze was involuntarily drawn, forgetting that staring at a woman in such a way was impolite and even forgetting his search for books. Why was it her? Nan Lingsha¡­ Or was it Li Yunzi? He had only caught a fleeting glimpsest time, and Zhu Minng had started to doubt whether he was delusional, mistaking some other woman for Li Yunzi. But encountering her again this time, Zhu Minng was still certain, she was Li Yunzi. Today, she seemed a little less cold and resolute, and a touch more gentle with the aura of schrly beauty. ¡°What a coincidence, meeting again,¡± Zhu Minng greeted as he saw her slowly approaching. ¡°Do you think it¡¯s a coincidence?¡± The woman seemed to have noticed him long ago, her beautiful eyes fixed on the bookshelves, yet her words responded to Zhu Minng. ¡°Yunzi?¡± A hint of joy appeared in Zhu Minng¡¯s heart. Chapter 24 - 24: I’m Coming to Kill You 24 Chapter 24: I¡¯m Coming to Kill You Trantor: Exodus Tales Editor: Exodus Tales This time, it was indeed her. The one from the bridge encounterst time must have been her sister, who only looked strikingly simr. ¡°Mm,¡± the woman said. ¡°Are you here to visit me?¡± Zhu Minng asked. Hey, I¡¯m not in prison, so why say ¡°visit¡±? ¡°I¡¯m here to kill you,¡± the woman said nonchntly. Zhu Minng, with an embarrassed expression, asked, ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you do it earlier?¡± ¡°These past few days I¡¯vee to realize that letting you live is like a poison thorn, unexpectedly stabbing me whenever I feel the slightest bit of joy, more painful and tormenting each time. It¡¯s better to just end it,¡± she said, approaching with light steps, her heels tapping rhythmically on the wooden floor. As she came closer, Zhu Minng could see her face more clearly. It was indeed Li Yunzi, her innate haughtiness hidden beneath her cool and stunning demeanor. ¡°I can understand, these past few days everyone in Ancestral Dragon City has been discussing this matter, tearing open your wounds with dirty, disgusting words, while I can hide herefortably, tend to my dragons, read books. It seems like a twist of fate from the heavens that both of us have to endure, yet you are the one bearing it all alone,¡± Zhu Minng said, nodding seriously. ¡°You don¡¯t resent me?¡± she asked. ¡°I do resent, I just can¡¯t beat you,¡± Zhu Minng replied. ¡°Do you have anyst words?¡± she followed up. ¡°I thought you were different from other women, that you wouldn¡¯t take your anger out on others even after such humiliation. In my eyes, you were quite unique¡­ Never mind, no matter what, thank you for sending me the academy¡¯s letter, allowing me to spend a good time at the academy,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°Oh?¡± she suddenly raised her eyebrow slightly, a delicate rosy lip curling into a light arc. ¡°She even sent you an enrollment letter?¡± ¡°She??¡± Zhu Minng looked puzzled. ¡°Li Yunzi,¡± the woman said. Zhu Minng looked at her, and suddenly remembered what Li Yunzi had told him in the dungeon, that she was sick. Seeing her now, she really did seem out of her mind. ¡°Are you all right??¡± Zhu Minng asked. ¡°It turns out that you are the little beggar who caused a huge uproar, brutally dethroning Li Yunzi from her position as female monarch, hehe, Li Yunzi still spared your life, even allowing you to go to the Dragon Taming Academy¡­¡± the woman continued with a mocking tone. Zhu Minng observed Li Yunzi, whose personality and mood had greatly changed, and for a moment he was stunned. ¡°You¡¯re not Li Yunzi?? You are Nan Lingsha!¡± Zhu Minng suddenly remembered the woman from the bridge. ¡°I am Li Yunzi¡¯s sister.¡± ¡°You are twins?¡± Zhu Minng eximed, shocked. Twins!! My god, how did I not think of that. Li Yunzi and Nan Lingsha are twins! But how could I have guessed?? Who would think there¡¯d be two of such peerless beauties! ¡°She takes our father¡¯s surname; I take our mother¡¯s. She¡¯s with the Li Family, I¡¯m with the Nan Family,¡± the woman iming the surname Nan said coolly. ¡°This¡­ this¡­ this¡­¡± Zhu Minng stammered. It¡¯s too chaotic, way too chaotic! Li Yunzi does have a sister named Nan Lingsha! But no one told me they were twins! No wonder the Lord of the Li Family said back then, ¡°Li Yunzi is Li Yunzi, Nan Lingsha is Nan Lingsha.¡± They look identical, Li Yunzi¡¯s reputation has been damaged, which will inevitably affect her sister who looks just like her¡­ What kind of mess have I created? ¡°Thanks to you, I now have to wear a veil when I go out, and if not for the fact that there aren¡¯t many who know we are twins, I would have already been dragged through the mud!¡± the woman¡¯s words now clearly conveyed some anger. She had been probing me just now. She wasn¡¯t sure at first if I was really the culprit! It¡¯s true that Li Yunzi seemed a bit different today. Zhu Minng looked at the woman who looked just like Valkyrie Li Yunzi, feeling a mix of happiness and anxiety. What pleased him was that Li Yunzi was still the unique Li Yunzi; she didn¡¯t want to kill him. What worried him was, what to do about this little sister-inw¡ªhe had let something slip! ¡°Ahem, Miss Lingsha, not everything is as you think. Why don¡¯t you ask your sister for more details? She can vouch for me, for what kind of person Zhu Minng is,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°Do you think sisterhood between us is about deep affection and harmony? Perhaps she believes that her current tragedy is all my doing,¡± said the woman with a cold snort. ¡°This¡­¡± Zhu Minng scratched his head, ¡°what do you suggest we do?¡± The woman circled Zhu Minng slowly, scrutinizing him with supreme arrogance. Zhu Minng felt it was better to keep silent, for fear of saying too much. Li Yunzi should have given herself a reminder. ¡°You look presentable, so why are you ndered so badly? Called lowly, filthy, a beggar covered in sores?¡± the woman interrogated. ¡°Actually, I¡¯m rather handsome and smart, right?¡± Zhu Minng said. The woman gave him a nce, never having seen such a shameless person before. ¡°Spill it, what really happened? You better tell the truth. If I¡¯m not satisfied with your exnation, these words will be yourst!¡± Her beautiful eyes red fiercely, looking both beautiful and menacing. ¡°Alright, after all, you are a victim too.¡± ¡°Silence! I have nothing to do with you!¡± the woman snapped, her cheeks flushing with anger. ¡°¡­¡± Zhu Minng decided it was best to focus inward, letting his mind wander the world. ¡°Speak!¡± ¡°Wasn¡¯t it you who told me to keep silent?¡± ¡°Now! Exin! The! Facts! To! Me!¡± With teeth fiercely clenched, the woman finally suppressed her anger and enunciated each word. Zhu Minng gathered his thoughts, feeling it was best to tell the truth to this young aunt of his who had been wronged. ¡°Here¡¯s the thing. I used to live to the south of Sang Town, having both mulberry trees and fields, a life both leisurely and peaceful. But the Wutu bandits, so unreasonable and violent, they robbed me of all my money. This misfortune led me to begging on the streets, and ironically, it¡¯s the poisonous porridge that¡¯s the root of all evil¡­¡± ¡°Why does it feel like you¡¯re a storyteller from the streets?¡± ¡°Miss, every word I say is true,¡± Zhu Minng assured. The woman considered Zhu Minng¡¯s words, casting nces at him from time to time. Zhu Minng maintained a sincere smile, inwardly stirred as he observed her: she looked so much like her¡­cough cough, this was her sister, not Li Yunzi. There are odd tales about twins having a telepathic connection, and who knows¡­ Stop! Zhu Minng, how could you stoop so low! ¡°Hmph, even so, you are merely amoner, and the stories about you are revolting,¡± the woman thought, hating the idea of ying the man before her for the unwarranted insults she suffered for no reason. But would killing Zhu Minng really solve anything? She nced at Zhu Minng¡¯s current appearance, pondering his newfound status. Suddenly, she realized something as her eyes, even more dazzling in the sunlight, stared at Zhu Minng¡¯s face and she murmured, ¡°I understand now. This is why Li Yunzi has spared your life.¡± Zhu Minng was puzzled. ¡°If you had died, it would have been as the lowest and vilest individual, and the one who tarnished her title as Female Monarch would forever be a beggar and vagabond. If you live, you will gradually shed that lowly identity, and even bing a lowly Dragon Shepherd is far better than a filthy beggar. This must be why she sent you the academy¡¯s letter. Li Yunzi, oh Li Yunzi, is this your way of healing?¡± Her gaze was sharp and icy, her tone was no longer as gentle as before. Zhu Minng opened his mouth. In fact, Zhu Minng hadn¡¯t thought of it on that level. ¡°Perhaps she is just rational and kind-hearted, or perhaps¡­¡± Zhu Minng suggested. ¡°Kind-hearted? She has killed enough to fill Li Chuan Lake!¡± the woman said disdainfully. Li Yunzi bore the title of Valkyrie and was the iron-blooded Female Monarch of Ancestral Dragon City. Her bloody deeds had already spread far and wide across all thends and city-states. Zhu Minng only smiled without responding, but it was clear that the rtionship between the twin sisters wasn¡¯t as harmonious as one might assume. ¡°Thud! Thud! Thud!¡± Footsteps sounded from not far away, belonging to several energetic young men discussing something about the eastern fortress. ¡°That Luo Xiao, achieving a thousand kills, is just too mighty. Why haven¡¯t we heard of such a character before? He ughtered those Wutu savages so fearlessly. How sacred is the territory of our Ancestral Dragon City-State, and who are they to trample upon it?¡± one of the youths eximed boldly. ¡°It¡¯s quicker to establish a martial reputation during war, isn¡¯t it? Now probably a lot of people within the Ancestral Dragon City-State have heard of the name Luo Xiao, the thousand-killer.¡± ¡°Lingxiao City-State to the west is getting restless again; I can¡¯t wait for my Scythe Beast to evolve into a Scythe Dragon!¡± ¡°Luo Xiao¡¯s fierce reputation has spread through Wutu already. Eternal City was his bloodbath, and now those Wutu mobs are petrified at the mention of him!¡± ¡°Speaking of Eternal City, heh heh, do you guys know about that affair¡­¡± murmured a slightly sleazy voice. ¡°Who doesn¡¯t know about it?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve got thetest version right here. They say the Female Monarch was lecherous by nature and had even ordered strong young men to serve her in her tent during the war in the west against Lingxiao City¡­¡± continued the sleazy voice. A few youthful men, seemingly elegant and neat, had forgotten their original purpose foring to the Book Pavilion and gathered together to whisper among themselves, asionally erupting in lewdughter. The woman and Zhu Minng were just behind the bookshelf. As the group approached, she quickly donned her veil, but one could see in her eyes, the emergence of a chilling murderous intent! Chapter 25 - 25 A Craft Skill Chapter 25: A Craft Skill Trantor: Exodus Tales Editor: Exodus Tales Men enjoy discussing war. Whenever war is mentioned, it inevitably rtes to the recent rebellion in Wutu. And where there is mention of Wutu, there is Eternal City; and with Eternal Cityes Empress Li Yunzi, and then the topic spirals out of control. Once too dazzling, abination of wisdom, bravery, and beauty, she illuminated the whole Ancestral Dragon City-State territory, but in the process of quelling the Wutu rebellion, such a thing happened. ¡°Once disgraced, one struggles tomand respect, and without respect, one cannot lead an army. The Valkyrie of Ancestral Dragon City-State was thus pulled down from God¡¯s altar by a wretchedmoner, s.¡± A handsome young man holding a scroll let out a light sigh, shaking his head as he looked at the group of youngsters spewing foulnguage. Nan Lingsha, seeing more and more people in the Book Pavilion, red fiercely at Zhu Minng, with a look that said, ¡°I¡¯ll let you off today.¡± With her face veiled, people could only think of her as a beauty. There probably weren¡¯t many who had seen Li Yunzi up close; otherwise, that thin veil would hardly shield her from the surrounding gazes, and as a spitting image of her sister, Nan Lingsha, too, might have to live a life of istion. Watching Nan Lingsha leave, Zhu Minng began to contemte. It seemed she was also at the Dragon Taming Academy; how was he to peacefully coexist with this little aunt in the future? To be honest, having a close conversation like that, Zhu Minng¡¯s heart still raced a beat faster; they really looked too simr, and even now, Zhu Minng wondered if it was Li Yunzi herself using her sister¡¯s identity to test him. But Her Eminence, the Empress, wouldn¡¯t do something so childish, would She? Sigh, seeing her twin sister was like seeing the fairy-like Li Yunzi standing before him once more, making him somewhat miss her. ¡°What kind of person is Li Yunzi, really? Could she be like Nan Lingsha said, not killing me to vent her anger?¡± Zhu Minng couldn¡¯t see through Li Yunzi¡¯s thoughts; she hid them too deeply. But no matter what, if fate was to toy with the two of them, it shouldn¡¯t be for her to bear alone; no matter how formidable she was, she also had a vulnerable side. He must quickly be a powerful Dragon Shepherd. Whether Empress Li Yunzi wants to take on this responsibility is one thing. But if there is affection, he simply cannot hide behind her forever. He must have the ability to shoulder this responsibility! The abilities possessed by a Dragon Shepherd aren¡¯t many, and a Dragon Shepherd without a dragon is hardly any stronger than ordinary soldiers. The dragon is always key to a Dragon Shepherd. Bai Qi¡¯s growth was rapid; probably by the end of autumn, it would advance to the growth phase and transform into a True Dragon, possessing at least Dragon Child Level strength. But that still wouldn¡¯t be enough. Luo Xiao¡¯s Gold-ted Fire Dragon was a Dragon General Level existence, yet he was still filled with trepidation in front of the Lord of the Li Family. Whether the Ancestral Dragon City-State has any Dragon Monarch Level remains to be said, but there are definitely some at the Dragon Lord Level. ¡°First set a small goal, step into the Dragon Master Level!¡± Zhu Minng said to himself as he walked out of the Book Pavilion. By now, those entering and exiting the Book Pavilion were no longer few, and they cast strange nces at him. ¡°Another one obsessed with dragon raising.¡± ¡°Choosing a dragon is like gambling on stones; there are many who have lost their entire fortunes. Let¡¯s hope this student doesn¡¯t go pondering life at the top of the towering building with high eaves¡­¡± Thinking about the long term, it won¡¯t do to be so poor. In fact, aside from sericulture, Zhu Minng had another family skill, armor casting! Armor, formoners, is merely clothing; for the powerful, a great expense of war; and for dragons, it¡¯s mighty protective gear inbat. Creatures like the Little Crocodile Spirit, which inherently possess a physical advantage, would absolutely have an even stronger turning back horn attack if they were armored in a set of heavy Dragon Armor. They could easily pierce through the belly of a Violent Catfish andplete the kill on their own. Dragon Armor is exceedingly expensive, and the vast majority of Dragon Shepherds have already spent a considerable amount of money on raising their dragons. The few who can afford to equip their dragons with armor are even rarer. However, if one aims to be an excellent Dragon Shepherd, Dragon Armor is indispensable. It not only enhances strength but can also protect the life of the dragon pet in critical moments. Smithing art is also a skill passed down in Zhu Minng¡¯s family, and to this day, he has not forgotten the tricks of the trade. As a son of the Zhu family, it would be a disgrace to their ancestors to spend arge sum of money buying armor for his dragonpanion in the future! Do it yourself. And in the process, earn some gold and silver. The Dragon Taming Academycked a forging shop, and Phoenix Embankment Town seemed to have no decent foundry either; he would have to go to the bustling State Wall inside the Ancestral Dragon City. Go early in the morning and return at night; first, craft some armor for the nobility, and once he had enough materials and had mastered his casting art, he would forge a set of Crocodile Dragon Heavy Armor for Hei Ya! ording to n, he would head to the Ancestral Dragon City in the early morning and drag himself back to the dormitory, exhausted at night. On the first day of his apprenticeship, Zhu Minng felt as though his limbs and waist were going to break. After living afortable life akin to retirement for several years, his strength was not what it once was, and picking up the family artisan skill nearly cost him his life. Zhu Minng had to admit, there was a moment when he considered the proposal from the Fairy Fang Niannian¡­ to sell peaches. She had whispered to him what the secret code aboard her painted boat was: ¡°Honey, I don¡¯t want to struggle anymore.¡± On the second day, Zhu Minng chose between the opulent painted boat on the river and the foundry; his sore body ended up as an apprentice in the art of smithing. Although Zhu Minng was born into a smithing gentry, his ambitions nevery there. It was as if his family had anticipated his unreliability and forcibly instilled all the smithing knowledge into his brain. Now, he hade to truly appreciate those discerning elders. But like any skilledbor, smithing not only requires exceptional techniques and knowledge but also demands skillful hands and the physical strength to withstand its intensity. Zhu Minng had to start as an apprentice, slowly regaining the feel of the craft. Moreover, he had to learn quickly how to fully craft a set of Dragon Heavy Armor. He didn¡¯t have the luxury to leisurely refine his skill; he had to practice with more intensity than when he was first introduced to the art. On the third day, continue! The essence of the sword is honed through grinding, and the fragrance of plum blossomses from the bitter cold¡ªstick to one¡¯s moral bottom line! If he couldn¡¯t refine his artisan skill, given his current predicament, he really would have had to sell the aesthetic of his youthful handsomeness! Time flew by, and after half a month of apprenticeship in armor crafting, Zhu Minng was gradually regaining some of his former sensations. He could nowpletely forge a suit of armor for soldiers, which also meant that Zhu Minng could earn some money through this hardbor. Of course, the profit from soldier armor was too low. To maintain his current expenses, he had to craft fine Armor and sell it to soldiers and nobles. And crafting Dragon Armor? That would be the start of his path to wealth and sess! As the end of autumn approached, Zhu Minng had not gone to the city foundry these past few days. It wasn¡¯t because he was deliberately cking but because he had promised Teacher Duan Lan to go with her to ¡°turn the clouds upside down¡±¡­ ahem, to ¡°summon the wind and call for the rain¡±! This was a travel lesson, seemingly heading to a city in the east. It was a trip afar, and he needed to make some preparations in advance. This time, the participants were not students still loitering below the Dragon Gate but actual Dragon Shepherd trainees, those who already possessed True Dragons! Chapter 26 - 26: Becoming a Concubine Chapter 26: Bing a Concubine Trantor: Exodus Tales Editor: Exodus Tales Bai Qi spent most of his time in deep slumber. asionally, when Zhu Minng was free, he would fly out from the Spirit Realm, using Zhu Minng¡¯s embrace as a warm nest to continue his deep snores. Little ck Tooth, however, had undergone significant changes, growing from two meters to nearly three or four meters in length, nowparable to a full-grown ferocious crocodile, having be a Great Alligator Spirit! Of course, given the dragon blood in ck Tooth¡¯s veins, if it encountered wild crocodiles in the wild, it should be able to handle a group on its own with no problem. Those two-hundred-year-old Demon Pearls had a remarkable effect! ¡°Come, wear this cor; your neck is so thick. For now, let¡¯s just put it on your tail so that others won¡¯t mistake you for a wild Big ck Crocodile,¡± Zhu Minng said as he put a juvenile spirit cor issued by the academy on the Great Alligator Spirit. They were about to go out, and Bai Qi was fine as he could be stored in the Spirit Realm. However, it was not convenient to carry Big ck Tooth, and it didn¡¯t seem right to keep him confined in the small pond behind the house, so Zhu Minng decided to let the big fellow roam free for a few days! ¡°Every morning, head to the bridge. There will be a girl, as dark as you, who will feed you meat grubs. I have a field trip ss and will probably be away for many days,¡± Zhu Minng instructed, stroking ck Tooth¡¯srge head seriously. With a spirit bond, ck Tooth wouldn¡¯t be taken by others and would also understand human nature better than other creatures. As long as it didn¡¯t leave the academy¡¯s jurisdiction, no one would harm it. The academy¡¯s management of recognized juvenile spirits was very strict, even Dragon Shepherds with True Dragons would be severely punished by the academy if they attacked juvenile spirits without cause. ¡°Oooooh-??? The Great Alligator Spirit understood that he was to be a stay-at-home child for a few days. Li Imperial Pce A majestic hall, surrounded by ancient pines, stood tall with its silver walls exuding solemnity. The City-State Forbidden Army, dressed in Silver ck Armor, stood full of presence, arrayed in a line like statues in the pce courtyard. This was the Ancestral Dragon City State¡¯s council hall, where people inside decided on matters big and small within the realm. Today, Li Yunzi appeared in the council hall after being grounded for many days. She was dressed in in clothes, her makeup not as exquisite as usual, but her innate, stunning beauty still made the other female n members in the hall feel inferior¡­ However, because of a disgrace that could never be washed away, these women no longer feltpletely overshadowed by Li Yunzi as they used to and could even sit together with a sneer. ¡°Ultimately, we are all women, still unable to step over the threshold of men,¡± Li Kongxi spoke first, as the sisters beside her dared not to express their opinions openly. ¡°I, Mu Qing, prefer to fulfill my duties. I stay pure and clean in my boudoir and let my elders decide when it¡¯s the right age to marry. In this way, I can also contribute to our n,¡± said the woman who called herself Mu Qing. Li Yunzi didn¡¯t care about their sneering and mockery and simply ignored it. She just quietly watched these people of the n. She wasn¡¯t here to humiliate herself today; she knew her enemies would reveal themselves, right here in the n, in this very hall. But obviously, it wasn¡¯t these Li familydies who could only utter sarcastic remarks. ¡°Kongxi sister, I heard you are to marry into the Sect Pce. Which of the Sect Pce¡¯s fine men is it? Could you give your sisters a sneak preview?¡± The subordination of women to men wasn¡¯t so prevalent in the Ancestral Dragon City-State. Women of certain status were involved in n affairs, though their marriages were mostly determined by the n elders, and men without any achievements were treated simrly. What was just discussed was military affairs. The main concerns were harassment from Lingxiao City State and those Wutu Rebels who fancied breaking through the fortress into Ancestral Dragon City-State territory. Now, the elders were talking about the matrimonial matters of the younger generation within the n. In the Li Family from the south, matrimony had always been a subject for council discussions. After all, Ancestral Dragon City-State faced threats from all sides, so rtionships with neighboring city-states, towns, and fortresses relied heavily on critical marital alliances. Noble families valued marriages because promises, contracts, and alliances were like worthless scraps of paper to those in power; they could be torn up whenever interests were at stake. Only blood rtions were hard to truly sever. Only when two families sharedmon offsprings,mon bloodlines, could they genuinely move forward together or retreat as one! ¡°Today we announce two marital matters. Listen carefully, I said announce,¡± said the Junior Mistress of the family, Kong Tong, as she began to speak. Military and state affairs were discussed by the Lord of the Li Family, while marriage affairs were all dealt with by the Mistress of the House. ¡°Last year, Li Kongxi apanied the Old Mistress to the Sect Pce¡¯s annual banquet, where the Sect Pce¡¯s fourth young master, Du Cheng, took a liking to Li Kongxi at first sight. After our discussions, we will go with the Old Mistress to the Sect Pce next month to facilitate this marriage,¡± dered Kong Tong to everyone. ¡°This is a good marriage. If we have this connection with the Sect Pce, Lingxiao City State, no matter how brazen, wouldn¡¯t dare tounch a military strike against us lightly,¡± said someone. ¡°As expected of Mistress Kong, you¡¯ve finally opened a grand door for us to the Sect Pce. From now on, we no longer have to worry about thends south of the Li Chuan River, and we can even open up many trade routes,¡± said another. In the grand hall, smiles appeared on everyone¡¯s faces, and their gazes fell upon Li Kongxi. Li Kongxi smiled faintly and said, ¡°Although Kongxi is willing to adhere to the arrangements of my elders, I still need to meet this fourth young master of the Sect Pce in person before I go there next month. I want to understand his character. If he is vile-natured,cks ambition, and shows no respect for our Ancestral Dragon City-State, I kindly ask the Family Head and Mistress to reconsider.¡± ¡°Sister Kongxi, don¡¯t you know Du Cheng? Is it true he fell for you just from a distant glimpse?¡± ¡°Truly, younger sister is the epitome of a national beauty,¡± Mu Qing eximed in surprise. ¡°Speaking of which, Du Cheng is indeed a fine man. His fame had spread throughout the major city-states long ago. It¡¯s said that Miss of the Ling Family from Lingxiao City-State even went to great lengths to seek an audience with Du Cheng at the Sect Pce, yet he didn¡¯t even grant her entrance¡­ And that¡¯s the Ling Family¡¯s Miss we¡¯re talking about!¡± Li Kongxi shook her head, indicating that she indeed had never met Du Cheng. ¡°Congrattions to Sister Kongxi on finding a good match.¡± The other female members of the n also offered their congrattions to Li Kongxi in advance. However, Li Kongxi appeared quite calm. ¡°About another marriage.¡± The head of the family, Kong Tong, spoke again, and soon the hall quieted down. People¡¯s gazes uncontrobly fell upon Li Yunzi. In the past, as the Female Monarch of the city-state, Li Yunzi used to be seated alongside the two great Family Heads, the four heads of families, the City Lord, severalmanders, and others. But now, there was no ce for her there. Like any other ordinary female member of the n, she sat in the observers¡¯ seats, silent, her demeanor ice-cold. Ever since Li Yunzi had fallen from God¡¯s Altar, she had not appeared in the deliberation hall for some time. Her presence today obviously meant that the n had arrangements for her. ¡°Li Yunzi¡­¡± The head of the family, Kong Tong, had already called out Li Yunzi¡¯s name. Indeed, in order to prevent the situation of the Female Monarch being humiliated from escting and further tarnishing Ancestral Dragon City¡¯s reputation, the family had decided to settle her matrimonial matter. Only by marrying Li Yunzi off could that unspeakable incident be potentially quelled. At the military guest seating area, Luo Xiao straightened up involuntarily. In recent days, he had achieved miraculous feats at the eastern fortress, and his name as Luo Xiao of the Fire Dragon had echoed throughout Ancestral Dragon City. ¡°We have decided to marry Li Yunzi into the Ling Family of Lingxiao City, ¡± announced the head of family, Kong Tong. Although Kong Tong¡¯s voice was clear, it wasn¡¯t very loud. Yet for some reason, it exploded like a thunderp in Luo Xiao¡¯s mind, causing his entire body to tremble violently! ! How could this be possible¡­ It was he who suggested to Kong Tong to marry Li Yunzi off! And his infatuation with Li Yunzi wasmon knowledge. ¡°Family Head, Madam!¡± Luo Xiao simply could not ept this decision; he stood up from his seat. ¡°Luo Xiao, sit down,¡±manded the Lord of the Li Family, Li Ying. ¡°This matter¡­¡± ¡°Sit down!!¡± Li Ying¡¯s tone became more forceful, his eyes sharp, and his entire presence changed as if he would turn into a Mad Dragon at any moment and tear someone to shreds!! Luo Xiao sat down, dispirited, his already pale face now resembling that of a corpse, ghastly to behold. ¡°Madam, just now we discussed the encroachment of Lingxiao City-State, and the Family Head did not provide us with a perfect countermeasure in the military. Could this be the family¡¯s strategy against Lingxiao City-State? Yet, I still have some doubts,¡± said themander. ¡°Please speak,¡± said Kong Tong. ¡°As the Female Monarch, Li Yunzi had more than once ughtered entire armies from Lingxiao City who came attacking. From the military to the civilians of Lingxiao City, all detest Li Yunzi. How then would the Ling Family of Lingxiao City-State be willing to form a marital alliance with us?¡± asked themander. ¡°For a normal marital alliance, those soldiers and civilians of Lingxiao City-State surely wouldn¡¯t agree, as they loathe Li Yunzi¡­¡± the head of family, Kong Tong, paused deliberately before adding, ¡°Therefore, Li Yunzi is to enter the Ling Family as a concubine.¡± ¡°Is that still an alliance?¡± themander asked. This was clearly not a negotiation for a marital alliance but a ploy to push Li Yunzi out to be dealt with by Lingxiao City-State! ¡°If themander has a better way to handle this¡­ Wutu Rebels cannot bepletely exterminated, and the morale of our western troops has greatly declined due to the matter concerning Li Yunzi, making it difficult to resist the aggressive advance of Lingxiao City-State¡¯s forces. The only way to negotiate peace is this,¡± Kong Tong said. ¡°Our Female Monarch, to be the concubine of the enemy City Lord, what face will Ancestral Dragon City-State have in the future?¡± themander said. ¡°This matter must not be spread carelessly. Lingxiao City-State will send a bridal escort at the end of autumn. Commander Cheng, your assistance will be needed then,¡± said Li Ying. His attitude was decisive, leaving no room for further discussion. Li Yunzi took one look at Li Ying, her expression gradually turning colder. Then, Li Yunzi nced at the head of family, Kong Tong, and her understanding became even more clear. In the end, it was still them, this series of schemes against her¡­. Chapter 27 - 27: Surfacing Chapter 27: Surfacing Trantor: Exodus Tales Editor: Exodus Tales The crowd within the ancestral hall dispersed. Indeed, today¡¯s arrangements were a bit unexpected; some felt sympathy for Li Yunzi, while others took pleasure in her misfortune. ¡°I actually thought madam would just let Li Yunzi marry some servant to prevent that incident from causing an uproar and losing our family¡¯s dignity. Who would have thought she¡¯d end up as someone¡¯s concubine? How pitiful,¡± Mu Qingmented, with hints of sorrow in her voice. Yet thismentation was overly false, as her pale pink cheeks were nearly bursting with vivid joy. Li Yunzi had outshone many of the family¡¯s outstanding women, and now she had fallen to such a fate. ¡°After all, as the concubine of a city lord, if she serves well, she might even live better than us dociledies.¡¯ ¡°She definitely wouldn¡¯t becking in that regard, after all, she could even arch her back for a lowly beggar¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t speak so loudly, she¡¯sing this way,¡± Li Kongxi said. Nowadays, the young women of the family all clustered around Li Kongxi and Mu Qing. Li Yunzi walked alone, descending the hall¡¯s steps. That flock of twittering female rtives all moved with grace, and naturally, Li Yunzi overheard their words. Li Yunzi nced at thosedies who were kicking her while she was down, her face still incapable of distinguishing joy from anger. But thosedies couldn¡¯t help but inch closer behind Li Kongxi and Mu Qing. Who knew if Li Yunzi would go mad? But, she didn¡¯t do anything drastic. She walked through another door of the ancestral hall, not to return to the Li Imperial Pce, but to head towards the army camp. Seeing her back, Li Kongxi couldn¡¯t help but huff coldly. But the moment she thought of their starkly different fates, Li Kongxi¡¯s face brightened again. A stone bridge, a few withered willows, Li Yunzi stood on the bridge, gazing at the silver and red carp swirling the water below into murkiness. Before long, a burlymander d in silver-ck armor approached. Commander Cheng saw Li Yunzi on the bridge and hastened his steps. ¡°Yunzi, are you waiting for me here?¡± Commander Cheng asked. ¡°Yes, I have a matter for which I hope Commander Cheng can assist me,¡± Li Yunzi nodded, her eyes bright and clear, seemingly unfazed by the ultimate humiliation in the hall. ¡°Your father is easily influenced by the young madam after all. Since he hasn¡¯t objected to this affair, despite your significant contribution to the city-state, you will be sent into the enemy¡¯s jaws for a false truce. Sigh, let¡¯s go, Yunzi. I will help you escape. Travel far, find a true kind man and live a good life. Don¡¯te back. This Li Family doesn¡¯t deserve you,¡± said Commander Cheng, filled with pity and helplessness. Even if Li Yunzi hadn¡¯te to him, Commander Cheng was prepared to help her escape. Hearing these words from Commander Cheng, Li Yunzi felt a touch of warmth in her heart. There were indeed people who cared about her welfare. ¡°Uncle Cheng, Yunzi hasn¡¯t thought about escaping.¡± ¡°Not escape? Do you want to suffer that humiliation? After all, you are a daughter of a family, and you are still young. This Li Family is not worth trading your life for a pitiful truce. Don¡¯t worry about the war at the frontier; even if it costs my old life, I will never let those beasts from Lingxiao City step a foot into our territory!¡± Commander Cheng said somewhat passionately. ¡°Uncle Cheng, do you know why the Wutu riots can never be quelled, no matter how many people are killed, and why those unarmed rebels still crazily charge into battle, recklessly?¡± Li Yunzi asked. Commander Cheng frowned. He didn¡¯t understand Li Yunzi¡¯s thoughts; she was in imminent danger, yet she still worried about the stability of the Ancestral Dragon City-State?? ¡°Wutu is barbaric and primitive; its people have not been enlightened. Our Ancestral Dragon City-State is blessed with fertile and vastnds, which they have long coveted. Fueled by certain individuals, they attack ravenously like wolves and tigers,¡± Commander Cheng said. Li Yunzi shook her head and replied, ¡°The Wutu Rebels are endless¡­¡± ¡°You should be worried about yourself, Yunzi.¡± ¡°Lingxiao City-State has been eyeing our Ancestral Dragon City-State for a long time. Now that we are constrained by the Wutu Riot Army to the east, there¡¯s no way they would discuss peace with us. The so-called proposal of me bing a concubine for the sake of peace negotiations is just a pretense. They just want us to let our guard down on the western front, then suddenly attack us, catching us unprepared,¡± Li Yunzi calmly said. The more frantically one struggles in a quagmire, the deeper one sinks. Not long ago, Li Yunzi had felt somewhat lost because she didn¡¯t know who her real enemy was. Now, she was gradually seeing things clearly. One by one, they surfaced, their grim smiles revealed, unable to contain their joy as they came rushing forward to trample her mercilessly into the mud. But, can they really have their way? ¡°Is that so?¡± Commander Cheng asked in surprise. ¡°Uncle Cheng can call back my former Army Guards to turn the tables,¡± Li Yunzi said. As winter was close at hand, the Ancestral Dragon City-State hadn¡¯t seen a drop of rain for a month, and even the always fertile Li Chuan Great in began showing signs of sparsity and drought. Without the nourishment of the three great rivers, it might have long been covered with dried-up grass reaching the skies. Zhu Minng remembered when he first arrived at the Ancestral Dragon City, it was a verdant and fertilend. After staying at the Dragon Taming Academy for over a month, the vastnd outside the city seemed to have changed its clothes. A vast expanse of withered yellow grasnd, forests littered with fallen leaves, and the mountain range at the far end of the in had somehow turned into a continuous range of undting silver-white, imbued with a deste grandeur¡­ ¡°Achoo!¡± Li Shaoying wrapped himself tightly in a woolen coat, but still couldn¡¯t withstand the bitter cold wind from the sky, his nose reddened by the freeze, his snot almost flowing out. Zhu Minng nced at him, not understanding why this guy was also mingled into this field trip. However, seeing him riding a Flying Bird Pseudo-Dragon alongside Nan Ye, Zhu Minng roughly understood why. At this moment, they were all in the high sky, sitting on the backs of Flying Bird Pseudo-Dragons, holding the reins in their hands. The withered yellow and deste in stretched out beneath their feet, but the wind was like an ice de, painfully scraping against their cheeks and ears. Li Shaoying obviously had not spent much time in the sky and didn¡¯t know what protective measures to take. There were a total of thirteen Flying Bird Pseudo-Dragons, each carrying a student. Among these students, there were true Dragon Shepherds who already possessed a dragon, and there were also students like Li Shaoying and Nan Ye who were still under the rank of Dragon Gate. Two teachers led the group, one was Teacher Ke Bei, responsible for the students¡¯ safety, the same man Zhu Minng had met that day. The other was the ss instructor Duan Lan, who was in charge of using a spell to make clouds and bring rain. Besides the thirteen students and two teachers, there was also one teaching assistant, and that assistant was Zhu Minng. Duan Lan, Ke Bei, and Zhu Minng were all sitting on an Eagle Beast Dragon. The Eagle Beast Dragon had a back as broad as a lion¡¯s, a chest and a head like that of a giant eagle. Over five meters in length, sitting on the back of the Eagle Beast Dragon was like sitting in a plush armchair with a fur nketid over it, a first-ss experience! In fact, Zhu Minng had not expected that someone who hade to do odd jobs would be assigned as a teaching assistant. ¡°The Azure Dragon can even manipte wind, clouds, and rain? I feel like the Azure Dragon is the real Dragon Leader,¡± Li Shaoying said. He wore a simple long coat with no patterns or decorations, which whenpared to the slightly more extravagant attire of other Dragon Trainer students, indeed seemed rather in and humble. There was nothing he could do about it; this was one of the best pieces of clothing Li Shaoying had. If his Bull Spirit hadn¡¯t suddenly exhibited characteristics of a dragon, he¡¯d still be home herding cattle.. Chapter 28 - 28 The teacher asked me to patrol the mountain Chapter 28: The teacher asked me to patrol the mountain Trantor: Exodus Tales Editor: Exodus Tales Conjuring clouds and rain, for Li Shaoying, who had grown up in a farming family, was no different from the work of deities. Their family raised so many cattle and sheep, which needed grass to feed on. Grass relied on rainwater to thrive¡ªduring those dry summers and the autumns without a single drop of rain, their entire family would expend a great deal of energy driving the cattle and sheep to grassy areas. This process was not only mentally and physically taxing but also made it easy to lose livestock. Moreover, without rain, the grass wouldn¡¯t grow, and the cattle and sheep dying of starvation was a frequent urrence¡ªit was an absolute disaster for herders who depended on livestock for a living, potentially leaving a whole family without money for food or clothing, unable to survive the winter. Conjuring clouds and rain, the Azure Dragon Mystics. If I possessed this ability, wouldn¡¯t the entire vige hold me high up in the Sky? ¡°Profound Arts include summoning rain and snow as well as casting curses. Each dragon possesses unique powers, and even dragons of the same bloodline may developpletely different abilities during their growth and training,¡± Teacher Duan Lan continued to lecture, even while flying. The wind was biting and howling, yet her voice clearly lingered by the ear. The other students listened attentively, mainly because the scenery of the ins had be somewhat monotonous. However, Teacher Duan Lan was a sight they could never tire of. Dragons are divided into three main types. Ancient Dragons. Giant Dragons. Azure Dragons. Ancient Dragons are the masters of thend. They boast unparalleled strength and brute force and possess some ancient War Skills. Most have bulky bodies, ferocious fangs, sharp ws, and skin as hard as stone. In Zhu Minng¡¯s view, Little ck Tooth¡¯s primary lineage seemed to be closer to that of the Ancient Dragons. Therefore, if it could be equipped with a set of Heavy Armor, it would surely be invincible! Giant Dragons have robust physiques. They can also cast Destruction Magic, and most of them have a pair of powerful wings, allowing them to soar high in the sky and engage in battle, as well as to charge through mountains and valleys. Luo Xiao¡¯s Gold-ted Fire Dragon was a creature whose lineage was closer to the Giant Dragons, wielding me magic! Compared to Ancient Dragons and Giant Dragons, Azure Dragons are not as robust, but their Azure Dragon Mystics are extremely powerful. Even Giant Dragons proficient in magic are unable to match the artful spells of the Azure Dragons. Teacher Duan Lan¡¯s Zhan River Dragon was indeed a very pure Azure Dragon. Although dragons are categorized into these three lineages, most dragons in this world possess several types of bloodlines. Dragons with mixed bloodlines may inherit the three major abilities of War Skills, magic, and Profound Arts all at once; they may also end up with none of them. Pure-blooded dragons are ny percent guaranteed to possess the specific abilities of their lineage, while the other two kinds of abilities will not emerge, no matter how they are nurtured. Bai Qi was also a pure-blooded Azure Dragon before, but after re-transforming into a dragon this time, Zhu Minng felt it seemed to have changed somewhat; the Ice Velvet Feathers that covered its wings looked more like Magic Crystals. Rong Valley City was situated below a mountain stream. Perhaps because the autumn this year was colder, the source of the stream had frozen over early on, and the stream that gushed from the valley was reduced to a trickle, not to mention being able to irrigate Rong Valley City¡¯srge swathe of rice fields and grazing grounds. The rice here was naturallyte-maturing due to the climate and terrain. Now, with not a drop of rain having fallen in a month and insufficient water from the streams for irrigation, what could have been a bountiful harvest might turn into a drought disaster, greatly affecting livestock as well. Over the deste old city, six Flying Bird Pseudo-Dragons streaked across the sky,nding one after another in the very center of the city. A group of people d in brown clothes respectfully gathered around, as if seeing their saviors. ¡°We¡¯ve been awaiting the arrival of the two Commanders from Li Chuan High Academy!¡± announced a rtively young-looking man at the front. ¡°When the mountains freeze, you, as the city lord of Rong Valley City, should have foreseen the shortage of water for irrigation. With Dongxu Fortress only fifty miles away at the frontline of battle, where food supplies are critical, if you let those lowlifes from Wutu break through, do you think your head will remain on your shoulders?¡± Teacher Ke Bei angrily rebuked as soon as he disembarked. ¡°Your instructor is correct. A month ago, I sought help from the Ancestral Dragon City for a Rain Dragon, but sadly, there aren¡¯t many Dragon Shepherds with the abilities of Commander Ke Bei and Commander Duan Lan. The matter has been dyed, but fortunately, the plea reached Li Chuan High Academy. Please, Commanders and Dragon Shepherd Students, rest at my mansion first,¡± the young city lord replied, neither servile nor overbearing. ¡°Since it¡¯s rted to the war at the frontlines, there¡¯s no time for dy. Let¡¯s start immediately, ¡± Teacher Ke Bei impatiently said. ¡°Night is approaching, and the temperature will drop sharply. The rain called forth by both Commanders might turn into frost, potentially damaging the crops and freezing the grasnd,¡± said the brown-clothed city lord. ¡°Hmm, then let¡¯s wait until tomorrow,¡± Duan Lan nodded. Ke Bei had nothing more to say. ¡°Please!¡± Upon entering the mansion, the leading instructor Ke Bei did not forget his teaching mission, and said to the students following behind him in a calm and even tone. The originally noisy students immediately quieted down and listened attentively. Seeing the noble status that academy instructors held outside, these students naturally dared not show the slightest disrespect. ¡°For this rain invocation, the primary demonstration will still be by the Zhan River Dragon brought by Teacher Duan Lan from the Azure Dragon Mystics. Rise early tomorrow and don¡¯t miss the chance to observe,¡± Instructor Ke Bei continued. In the coldest part of the night, the eastern sky was pitch ck, clusters of red clouds constantly radiating light, casting Rong Valley City in a glow as brilliant as dusk. Fifty miles away was the battlefield, and as Zhu Minng gazed at that majestic red cloud, he quickly recalled a man with a pale face and a burly Fire Dragon covered in me scales. ¡°That guy seems stronger now,¡± Zhu Minng muttered to himself. Zhu Minng was no fool; he was well aware that the man with the Gold-ted Fire Dragon posed the greatest threat to him now. He had a brutal nature and was coldly murderous, but most importantly, his terrifying obsession with Li Yunzi seemed to drive him tomit any madness in order to possess her. Sooner orter, his own identity would be seen through, and the tale of the vagabond and the Female Monarch escaping the dungeon together was already the talk of the town. With just a bit of verification, his situation would be exposed immediately. Luo Xiao would certainly not let him off. This was the first formidable enemy he faced, and he could not afford to take him lightly! ¡°Zhu Minng.¡± A gentle voice sounded, interrupting Zhu Minng¡¯s thoughts. ¡°Teacher Duan Lan.¡± Zhu Minng, maintaining the respect due to amander, ced his left hand on the back of his right and bowed slightly. ¡°I will pray for rain nearing noon tomorrow, but the rain will only temporarily moisturize. Whether it¡¯s for subsequent irrigation or feeding the livestock, we will need arge amount of water. I hope you could walk upstream along the stream at dawn to see if anything is blocking the stream and cutting off the water supply,¡± Duan Lan said to Zhu Minng. ¡°All right, ¡± Zhu Minng nodded. This was something an assistant should do. ¡°Don¡¯t go too far, the deep mountains are full of demons, return before the rain prayer,¡± Duan Lan blessed him again. Zhu Minng bowed again and watched as Teacher Duan Lan left. At the break of dawn, Zhu Minng woke up. The remnants ofst night¡¯s incense lingered in the room, giving off a refreshing scent upon inhtion. Just as he was about to get up, Zhu Minng noticed a spotless little creature by his bed. Its delicate tail was coiled around its exquisite body, lyingzily but regally like a spry little cat. Its gorgeous fury unmatted against its body, and with each light breath, the fringes of the Ice Morning White Dragon¡¯s ice fluff opened slightly, like pure coral branches stirred by a gentle wave. A smile crept onto Zhu Minng¡¯s face as he gently stroked the fur of the Ice Morning White Dragon, especially enjoying the tassel-like fur around its neck which was a pure delight to touch. ¡°Mew¡ª-¡± The Ice Morning White Dragon seemed to enjoy being petted and unconsciously rubbed its little body against Zhu Minng¡¯s fingers. ¡°Up already? Just in time to apany me on a mountain patrol,¡± Zhu Minng said to the Ice Morning White Dragon. ¡°Meep!¡± Little White nodded its little head enthusiastically, willing to go for a walk in the mountains with Zhu Minng. ¡°You should have advanced by now, why do you still look so delicate?¡± Zhu Minng curiously sized up Little White. Going by the time, Little White should have reached its growth phase after waking from its hibernation, ording to what he had read in books. Judging by its dual lineage, its juvenile period should be exceedingly brief. But Zhu Minng did not notice any change in Little White. Perhaps it still needed a bit more time, and Zhu Minng was not particrly anxious. It had probably grown weary of sleeping in the Spirit Realm and wanted toe out for some fresh air. After feeding Little White some nectar, despite having wings like a bird and fluffy wings like a butterfly, it had limbs as endearing as those of a cat, with soft and adorable paws. Its snout was not sharply hooked like a bird¡¯s but rather like a small deer¡¯s. When feeding nectar, Zhu Minng couldn¡¯t use a jar, so he poured the nectar into his palm and held it up to its mouth. Then,zily, it stuck out its little tongue and, like a fawn drinking water,pped up the nectar bit by bit into its belly. While walking towards the upper reaches of the stream valley and gradually feeding the Ice Morning White Dragon, Zhu Minng specifically noticed the frost forming on the crops near the stream. Zhu Minng made his way deep into the valley quickly, with a constitution much stronger than that of regr people. Unlike some Dragon Shepherds, deprived of their dragonpanions, he was not as frail as some martial artists. As he crested the hill, the day had fully brightened.. The warm sunlight shone through the pristine forest, and all living things began to absorb energy while the birds and beasts started searching for food¡­ Chapter 29 - 29: Ulterior Motives Chapter 29: Ulterior Motives Trantor: Exodus Tales Editor: Exodus Tales ¡°It looks like there won¡¯t be any rain again,¡± Zhu Minng muttered to himself. The forest had its own way of storing water, dense shrubs, thick soil, and those leaves that oozed water when the sun steamed them, while the towns in the valleys were so dry that even the ground was cracked. It wasn¡¯t that people had no water to drink, but rather that the fields and livestockcked a substantial amount of water, and winter wasing; people needed to stock up on some food. Little White really waszy. It clearly had wings and had just woken from a long sleep, yet it didn¡¯t want to flit through the lovely forest, preferring to just lounge on Zhu Minng¡¯s shoulder¡­ Determined not toe down and walk on its own if it could ride on someone. Luckily, the little guy was light; if Big ck Tooth shared that same attitude, Zhu Minng felt he might as well change careers and be an armorer, leaving the Dragon Shepherd profession behind. ¡°There¡¯s a cliff ahead in the valley, it¡¯s not suitable to continue this way. Look around and see if there¡¯s another path,¡± Zhu Minng said to Bai Qi. Bai Qi seemed reluctant to leave thisfortable perch, its little head nuzzling uD to Zhu Minng¡¯s face. acting sDoiled. ¡°Lazy will be the death of you,¡± said Zhu Minng, torn betweenughter and tears. Forget it, I¡¯ll go explore myself. Zhu Minng bypassed the stream and discovered that the terrain of the forest ahead suddenly rose, with several spots that were so steep there was no ce to climb¡­ ¡°Strange, why are there traces of a path here?¡± As he skirted the steep area, Zhu Minng noticed that some vines and brambles in the forest were cut, and there was a clear path underfoot, just like the mountain paths frequented by woodcutters. With some suspicion, Zhu Minng followed the path to higher ground and, ording to his memory, located the position of Stream River¡­ But the sight that met his eyes made Zhu Minng speechless. A water dam! There was a dam, perfectly positioned at the steep area topletely block the stream. The water conservancy methods of Ancestral Dragon City weren¡¯t archaic; it would have been normal to find a water dam in such a ce. The water dam was meant to store water during times of abundant rainfall and release water during droughts, which was apletely standard agricultural water management practice. Yet behind this water dam, the water was as plentiful as a mountainke, not showing the slightest sign of drying up, and the high stream, though not much, was still continuously pouring into this valley water dam! With the storage capacity of this water dam, it couldpletely irrigate the dry fields of Rong Valley City and sustain the livestock, as long as the stone sluice gate of the dam was opened!! ¡°What¡¯s going on here??¡± Zhu Minng was somewhat bewildered. The young City Lord had clearly stated that Rong Valley City was out of water, making irrigation and feeding a huge problem, yet here this dam had amassed a full source of water¡ªwas it deliberate, to put themon people in crisis! Zhu Minng had a somewhat good impression of the young City Lord, who was neither servile nor overbearing when facing Dragon Shepherds, who articted matters in an organized way, and who even considered some of the hazards brought by nighttime rainfall¡­ However, seeing this full reservoir, seeing the securely locked sluice gate, seeing the meager stream that flowed into the mountain fields and pastures, Zhu Minng felt a strong disgust and disappointment toward the young City Lord! Water abounded, but they wouldn¡¯t release it. The suffering of the people, ignored. Such suspicious intentions! On the way back, Zhu Minng felt somewhat heavy-hearted. Though he harbored no great ambitions, he couldn¡¯t stand the sight of such loathsome bureaucratic corruption. It would be best to inform Teacher Duan Lan of the matter as soon as possible. In contrast, Teacher Duan Lan was truly a person of great kindness. He didn¡¯t mind flying thousands of miles to the eastern Rong Valley City, just for a rain ritual that brought him no benefits, and he also established a valuable concept for the Dragon Shepherd trainees that ¡°those who are capable should bring welfare to the toiling masses.¡± At noon, beams of intense light struck like whips upon all things, fruit orchards withered, fields cracked open, and although it was autumn, which should bring ample warmth, it only made people feel colder at heart. With the temperature varying greatly between day and night, Zhu Minng returned to Rong Valley City already soaked in sweat. He walked along the street toward his residence and saw vendors hastily packing up their wares, looking somewhat panicked. Upon arriving home, Zhu Minng didn¡¯t see his teacher and ssmates, who had probably gone to the ritual altar. After asking a servant for directions, he made his way there. Just as he stepped out the door, he encountered someoneing toward him. Seeing Zhu Minng, the man acted as if he had been searching for him, his expression somewhat peculiar. ¡°Is it Brother Zhu?¡± The man bowed deeply. Zhu Minng looked at him but remained silent. This man was the young City Lord, Zheng Yu. Zheng Yu stood before Zhu Minng, maintaining his bow, which made Zhu Minng wary and ready to call upon Bai Qi at any moment. ¡°I heard Brother Zhu went to the Stream River upstream, did you see the water dam?¡± Zheng Yu continued to ask, his tone unchanged. ¡°I did,¡± Zhu Minng said, ready for what mighte next. ¡°Are you going to inform Commanders Duan Lan and Ke Bei?¡± Zheng Yu asked again, still in the same tone. ¡°Speak your mind directly,¡± Zhu Minng said, ready to act. ¡°Please don¡¯t misunderstand, Brother Zhu. Zheng Yu is but a weak schr who does not understand the Way of the Dragon Shepherd, and I harbor no ill intentions toward you. Before you inform the twomanders, could you please hear me out? If Brother Zhu still wishes to expose my disgraceful actions to the public and to the teachers after listening, I will not stop you and am willing to ept punishment,¡± Zheng Yu said, rising and showing a hint of sincerity. Zhu Minng nced at the sky. A moment ago it had been cloudless, but now, it was overcast, and he wasn¡¯t sure if this was another sudden change in weather or if Teacher Duan Lan was already casting the Azure Dragon Mystics. It was no longer scorching, but it started to feel oppressive. ¡°Then, City Lord, please speak,¡± Zhu Minng said, not in a hurry, as the man hade this far in conversation. ¡°Brother Zhu, do you know of Wutu, do you know that fifty miles away, soldiers are fighting against the Wutu Rebels?¡± Zheng Yu began. ¡°I know,¡± Zhu Minng nodded. Wutu, where he had fond memories¡­ fond memories of growing mulberry trees and raising silkworms. ¡°I see Brother Zhu as a wise man, so what is your take on this war?¡± Zheng Yu asked. ¡°I¡¯m only listening to you,¡± Zhu Minng said indifferently, though inwardly, he started to see Zheng Yu in a different light. This man¡¯s actions might be disgusting, but he was clear-sighted, a world apart from a certain small trader at the bridgehead. (Let¡¯s change the update time, eh? Two chapters before seven in the evening If I don¡¯t have drafts stored, I usually write all afternoon and then postCough cough, herees the vor you¡¯re familiar with¡­.) Chapter 30 - 30 Brother Zhu, take care Chapter 30: Brother Zhu, take care Trantor: Exodus Tales Editor: Exodus Tales ¡°So please hear my analysis. Brother Zhu has seen Rong Valley City; with itsck of rainfall and dried-up rivers, without that levee, we would have no harvest at all this fall, let alone provide any food to the Dongxu Battlefield,¡± Zheng Yu began to say. Zhu Minng was listening while observing the weather. The weather was changing, and that unusual air pressure also made one feel suffocated. This kind of suffocation often precedes rainfall. Teacher Duan Lan was already performing the ritual to summon clouds and rain. ¡°If our fertile Rong Valley City, blessed with rivers, is in such a state, what about Wutu, with its harsher environment and more barrennd?¡± Zheng Yu lifted his gaze, staring into Zhu Minng¡¯s eyes. ¡°We have no rain, Wutu has no rain either,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°Yes, Wutu has a primitive system, backward agriculture, and a barbaric folk tradition. This fall, they didn¡¯t get a single drop of rain, and winter is almost upon us¡­¡± Zheng Yu said, but suddenly, a thunderous roar came from the grey skies! ¡°Boom!!!!!!¡± As the thunder resounded, the sky and earth, which were clear just a moment ago, had somehow turned murky and obscure, and a sh of lightning streaked across Rong Valley City, illuminating the ancient streets ahead and themoners in homespun clothes waiting for the rain at the street corners. On their faces, there was anticipation, there was the color of joy! They could already smell the rain, the source of life. In front of the mansion¡¯s gate, Zheng Yu didn¡¯t move an inch, standing before Zhu Minng with a humble posture. Zhu Minng looked at the young City Lord, somewhat touched inside. What really moved him wasn¡¯t the break of dawn with thunder and rain, but Zheng Yu¡¯s words. It was the angle from which he considered the current affairs. ¡°This war¡­¡± Zhu Minng felt waves rising in his heart. ¡°There can only be one oue,¡± Zheng Yu said gravely. Zhu Minng looked toward the east. In fact, it was only this small valley that was covered by dense clouds; everywhere else was still under the fierce sunlight. ¡°Drip-drop- A raindrop,nding precisely behind Zhu Minng¡¯s neck, was cool, was moist¡­ ¡°Drip-drop- ¡°Drip-drip-drip-drip-drip- More and more raindrops fell, hitting the ancient cobblestones of the road and producing a melodious sound, like piano keys. From gentle to rapid, like a soft and slow movement of a symphony, subtly changing, gradually stirring, getting higher and more excited, until one waspletely engulfed in the wondrous pce of rain sounds. ¡°It¡¯s raining!¡± ¡°It¡¯s raining! !!! ! ¡± In the streets, inside the houses, over the fields, cheers erupted. The rain seemed sweet even to the smell. The rain washed away the gloom in everyone¡¯s hearts. The rain was like blood flowing through a parched body, bringing this valley, bringing this city back to life! The heartfelt cheers of the people exceeded any festivity, even outshone the triumph of battles. Listening to the rain nourishing all things, listening to the joyous sounds of the entire city, Zhu Minng stood under the eaves of the Mansion¡¯s gate, his sleeves and shoes dampened by the fluttering curtain of rain. And City Lord Zheng Yu stood outside the eaves, still not moving a step, still maintaining that humility¡­ But the rain had drenched his hair tie, soaked his robes, rain droplets clinging to his side face, lending his schrly and frail face an exceptional resolve, his eyes, at that moment, shone with an unyielding light. ¡°Why don¡¯t you join your people in theirughter? You¡¯ve dyed the time, letting this rain fall, and now even if you tell the two teachers of your actions, you can im that this rain has filled the reservoirs,¡± Zhu Minng said with a smile, looking at the hypocritical City Lord. ¡°Brother Zhu, how long have you and I been talking?¡± Zheng Yu asked earnestly. ¡°Just a few minutes.¡± ¡°Did you know that before we met, the front line had already sent a dyed battle report?¡± Zheng Yu continued. Zhu Minng¡¯s face changed slightly. A dyed battle report? Just now, Zheng Yu had already analyzed the Wutu war, and Zhu Minng found himself very much in agreement with what Zheng Yu had said. Yes, there was only one oue to this war¡ªdefeat! Why would the Ancestral Dragon City lose? They had superior equipment, skilled military leaders, and towering city wall fortresses¡­ But what of it? Wutu faced its greatest catastrophe. Zhu Minng had lived in Wutu and knew well that most of the Wutu people lived from one year¡¯s toil to feed themselves for the same year. Theirnd was barren, and just to fill their stomachs was not an easy task, much less storing grain or clothing. And now, since his departure from Wutu, not a single rain had fallen. Even Rong Valley City, with its valley irrigation, was facing a crisis of dried fields and dead livestock, let alone Wutu! No rain meant wasted fields, withering fruit trees, and apleteck of food. In winter, without hemp or cotton for clothes, how could one withstand the cold? The winters in Wutu were already harsh! They were caught in a desperate situation! They had no space left to survive!! This was the origin of the riot. As the end of autumn drew near and winter approached, more and more Wutu people realized they wouldn¡¯t live to see the next year. It wasn¡¯t that the rioters coveted the fertilends of the Ancestral Dragon City; they were being ruthlessly driven to the brink by a ¡°God of Death¡± known as winter. They had to either break through the sturdy fortress for a slim chance of survival or perish in Wutu!! It didn¡¯t matter how well-equipped the soldiers were or how fierce the dragon beasts seemed to them. Their desire to live would drive the Wutu people like moths to a me¡­ They fought to live. The Ancestral Dragon City fought for dignity andnd. Who would win, who would lose? There was only one oue to this war, Zheng Yu knew it well, and now Zhu Minng understood it too. So that dyed battle report¡­ Rong Valley City was merely fifty miles from the fortress front line. Moreover, being in a valley, even climbing high wouldn¡¯t afford a view of the ins outside. The Wutu Riot Army would soon arrive here! ¡°Da da da da da da da da- The sound of the rain was deafening. The civilians celebrated. As the City Lord, Zheng Yu stood in the pouring rain, just one step away from seeking shelter under the eaves, but he did not move. ¡°The rain hase, the city is lost,¡± Zhu Minng finally understood why Zheng Yu could not smile. ¡°Brother Zhu, now you can tell them, and please inform the two teachers to have the students leave quickly. On behalf of Zheng, I want to express my gratitude to the two teachers and the Dragon Taming students for theirpassion towards themon people,¡± Zheng Yu bowed deeply to Zhu Minng once again. The rain beat against his deste back, water seeped into his clothes, and flowed from his hair down to his cheeks¡­ Zhu Minng set aside his previous suspicions, brought his hands tightly together, and stepped down the stairs, allowing the rain to baptize him, slowly lowering his body, then lowering it further, bowing deeply just the same. ¡°Brother Zhu is powerless, Brother Zheng take care,¡± Zhu Minng said. Having said his goodbyes, Zhu Minng ran through the rain, his heart heavy. Zheng Yu did not abandon the city and flee. He was ready to fight to the death with the Riot Army that had just breached the fortress. He was going to protect the citizens of Rong Valley City who had just received the celebrating rain. The Flying Bird Pseudo-Dragons ascended slowly through the rain; their lineage came from Pterosaurs, with flesh wings, and the rainwater didn¡¯t wet their feathers but added some resistance. Thirteen students donned the leather raincoats that had been prepared, and Teacher Duan Lan and Teacher Ke Bei stood on the back of the Eagle Beast Dragon. They were slowly leaving Rong Valley City, and when they reached a height of two hundred meters, they could see masses of raindrops at the valley¡¯s mouth, where throngs of people, like a stampede of beasts, were surging into the valley, rushing toward Rong Valley City! It was the Wutu Riot Army!! Their shouts were getting louder and louder, so loud that not even the heavy rain could drown them out, like endless thunder in the distance growing ever nearer!!! From the ground, perhaps only some figures were visible, but from high above, these figures were unending, some even wearing armor looted from the city-state soldiers; they were charging into the rice fields, just moistened by the rain, charging towards the city! ¡°The fortress really fell???¡± A Dragon Taming student said doubtfully, stupefied by the scene. ¡°Teacher Ke Bei, we are citizens of the Ancestral Dragon City too, shall we just watch these rioters invade our city? We are Dragon Shepherds; why fear these lowly people!¡± Nan Ye shouted loudly. As a member of the Nan Family, he was royalty in Ancestral Dragon City, and seeing his family¡¯s territory trampled like this was unbearable! With Teachers Duan Lan and Ke Bei, two senior Dragon Shepherds present, and thirteen students, each with a Dragon Son, they should be able to ughter this mob! ¡°Once you join the Dragon Taming Academy, unless it is to attack Evil City, you must not involve yourselves in any conflict, don¡¯t you understand this rule!¡± Teacher Ke Bei scolded sternly. ¡°But those are Wutu Beasts, wicked people, they have their ownnd, yet they step into the Ancestral Dragon City-State territory. They don¡¯t deserve our pity!¡± Nan Ye protested emotionally. Why not act? The two teachers could definitely stop the Riot Army or at least dy until reinforcements arrived! ¡°They are not beasts; they too are merely seeking to survive¡­¡± Teacher Duan Lan¡¯s voice carried a sob. They were meant for the people, summoning the rain of the dragon, yet they hadn¡¯t foreseen that their Azure Dragon Mystics would only revive a small valley¡¯s residents,pletely unable to save the tragedy inflicted by the natural disaster. Even without the explicit prohibitions of the Dragon Taming Academy, what should Duan Lan do? Massacre a group of men fighting to carve out a path of survival for their families, or protect the popce tormented by a drought-ridden autumn? There was nothing to be done. Dragon Shepherds. Transcending ordinary spirits, yet equally insignificant. ¡°Rumble rumble rumble rumble rumble- Suddenly, bursts of thunderous noise came from the depths of the valley. Through the curtain of rain, one could see that a tiny stream was being blocked by some colossal ancient beast, with rocks and trees violently pulled into it, swept along with the raging torrent towards the entrance of the valley¡­ ¡°A sh flood???¡± Everyone was astounded; how could the long-dry woods cause a flood with just this rain! The rain, at most, would nourish the forests, not cause such a fierce deluge. The water filled the stream, unstoppable as it rolled through the fields of Rong Valley City and poured recklessly into the narrow path leading into the valley! That narrow entrance to Rong Valley City was overcrowded; packed with the Riot Army pouring in from Wutu. Their lengthy columns couldn¡¯t have expected that such a surge of valley flood woulde rushing in from the peaceful valley city.. A mournful wail! Countless Wutu people were swallowed up by the flood in the valley, They wanted to retreat, but the narrow terrain of the valley left them with no ce to hide from the sh flood! Tens of thousands suffered from the flood¡¯s ravages, They were savagely smashed against the rocks by the waves, drowned in the water, or washed away to the delta of the valley. The once overwhelming Riot Army that could have easily breached the city walls crumbled for the most part due to this critical flood, their bodies drifting along with the mountain stream. Overlooking this shocking scene from above, Zhu Minng¡¯s heart churned with equally massive waves! He thought of that frail schr at the mansion¡¯s steps, who had been nothing but courteous and polite. He thought of that young City Lord who was unyielding in the heavy rain. His eyes, too, in the gloomy rain, sparkled with determination. Refusing to open the floodgates despite the reservoir¡¯s brimful state. Prefer the people to suffer, but absolutely not open the water gates. ¡°Before winter, Dongxu Fortress will surely be breached, When one falls, the next follows. Once Dongxu falls, sparsely guarded Rong Valley City will definitely face ughter by the mob, perhaps even to the point of bloodshed and cannibalism.¡± ¡°People can endure hardship. They can get through the winter by various means, but they cannotck the weapons to resist invasion.¡± I am aware of their suffering, butpared to misery, I wish for them to survive this chaotic world even more,¡± he murmured. ¡°Brother Zhu, take care.¡± The heavy rain roared in his ears. The rain cape couldn¡¯t keep out the drifting rain; Zhu Minng¡¯s mind was filled with the image of that slim figure drenched in the rain, and hisst wordless, deep bow was the unspoken sentiments he harbored! Zhu Minng took a deep breath, inhaling the sour, damp air. Gazing through the swaying curtain of rain and then at the destendscape, we are all but mortals. ¡°There¡¯s more of the Riot Army behind us, heavens, just how many people from Wutu have joined this uprising!¡± Li Shaoying suddenly eximed in shock. Once clear of the valley, one could see the ins, and it was unimaginable that outside that valley were tens of thousands of Riot Army soldiers. Only a part of them had entered Rong Valley City! The Riot Army had indeed suffered great damage, but it hardly affected their vast foundation! Eventually, the reservoir would dry up, and the valley path would slowly reappear. The Riot Army would still surge into the granary city in the valley! Given Wutu¡¯s brutal acts, the civilians of Rong Valley City were unlikely to survive. ¡°The narrow pathway is low-lying, as if deliberately excavated. Not all the floodwater is gone. It¡¯s now umting into a pond, submerging the valley road. The rioters must swim through the muddy pond to be able to attack Rong Valley City,¡± said Nan Ye, incredibly excited. That pondy right at the only entrance to the valley, entirely as if it had been designed that way. With the road flooded, horses and beasts could not enter, and the steep valley walls on both sides of the pond made climbing extremely difficult. After the rain, it was even easier to fall and get killed¡­ This pond had be a barrier for Rong Valley City, preventing the Riot Army from flooding in en masse. ¡°As long as we establish a post on the other side of the pond and shoot arrows at enemies who jump in, a thousand people could hold off an army of ten thousand. Is this miraculous flood a gift from heaven to Rong Valley City????¡± A female student couldn¡¯t help but voice her joy. The Riot Army that the fortress couldn¡¯t stop was at a loss against the small Rong Valley City! ¡°Teacher Duan Lan, this rain has saved all the citizens of Rong Valley City. Even if the Riot Army clears the pond temporarily, it will take a day or two. By then, reinforcements will have already arrived¡­¡± Other students couldn¡¯t help but exim in amazement. This flood was like a miracle! But only Zhu Minng knew all of this originated from a weak schr. He held back the water and did not release it. It was he who preserved the city¡¯sst line of defense with his extraordinary insight and wisdom, safeguarding his people! Brother Zheng, take care as well. Please also survive in this chaotic world. Zhu Minng stood on the back of the Eagle Beast Dragon and bowed deeply once more in the direction of Rong Valley City. (After some thought, I decided that a cohesive read is better, so I¡¯ve released all the drafts I¡¯ve saved.. Show some support with your votes- Chapter 31 - 31 The Ambusher Chapter 31: The Ambusher Trantor: Exodus Tales Editor: Exodus Tales ¡°Teacher Ke Bei, quick, we must fly back to the Ancestral Dragon City-State as soon as possible and inform the City Lord of this matter!¡± ¡°It¡¯s just informing, right? It¡¯s not viting any explicit rules for dragon taming students, is it?¡± Teacher Ke Bei nodded. As someone from the Ancestral Dragon City-State, he naturally preferred to see Rong Valley City triumph. ¡°Then Teacher can go ahead, and we¡¯ll follow back to the academy!¡± Nan Ye was already urging. The Eagle Beast Dragon¡¯s flying speed naturally far surpassed that of the Flying Bird Pseudo-Dragon, even exceeding the army¡¯s message delivery. If battle reports from Rong Valley City were dyed, it meant the fortress had been breached very suddenly¡­ ¡°Then you all be careful on your own, and do not get involved in the warfare. You still cannot change the course of battle,¡± Teacher Ke Bei instructed. As long as they didn¡¯t leave the Flying Bird Pseudo-Dragon, these students shouldn¡¯t face any life-threatening dangers, and they could quickly escape from this battlefield. The speed of the Eagle Beast Dragon was so fast that it could reach the City Lord¡¯s hands even before the battle report was delivered to the Ancestral Dragon City-State. Ke Bei was acutely aware that Rong Valley City was only using theke to dy. Once the floodwaters drained and the soil absorbed the water, the Riot Army would still storm into the city! Time was of the essence; they had to fly at full speed. pping its massive and powerful eagle wings, the Eagle Beast Dragon pierced through the curtain of rain, and after a few sinks and rises in the air, it left the valley, flying towards the direction of the Li Chuan Great in¡­ The mountains receded behind them, slowly sinking toward the horizon. Ke Bei¡¯s expression was grave as he urged his Eagle Beast Dragon to increase its speed. They had not yet left the clouds and rain, but Rong Valley City was already bing more and more distant. With the speed of the Eagle Beast Dragon, it should only take half a day to fly back to the Ancestral Dragon City-State. Warm red light broke through the dark clouds, shining down from the higher heavens onto thisnd. One could see vast expanses of the forest slowly turning the color of maple red. Zhu Minng subconsciously turned his head, nced at the cloud-covered sky, nced at the drifting mist high above, and, at some point, the dark clouds had turned into swaths of red mist, red like zing mes, thinning the mist, and streams of white vapor appeared beneath the clouds, like a freshly uncovered boiler! Red sky phenomenon! Zhu Minng had seen this scene more than once! On his shoulder, the Ice Morning White Dragon, which had been drowsily dozing, suddenly opened its eyes. Its frosty star-like cold gaze was fixed on one of the red cloud clusters that was right above the soaring position of the Eagle Beast Dragon! ¡°Careful!!¡± Zhu Minng shouted. From the red fiery clouds, a Giant Dragon with gold scale light flowing over its body fiercely pounced down. Its incredibly strong body collided with the Eagle Beast Dragon with terrifying force! Ke Bei waspletely unprepared, and the Eagle Beast Dragon was like it had been hit by a fiery meteorite. Its body skidded downwards, falling towards the forest below. The wildfire instantly ignited the surrounding trees, turning swathes of them into a wall of mes that moved with the wind. The Eagle Beast Dragon pulled itself out of the dirt pit. As it fell, it had used its wings to protect the three of them, but its right wing had broken as a result, and as it stood up, the eagle wing could not stretch out, looking as if it might fall off its shoulder at any moment! Stepping onto the ground, the Eagle Beast Dragon, unafraid of the fire around it, red angrily with its sharp eagle eyes at the Red Gold Fire Dragon in mid-air. ¡°Does Wutu also have a Dragon Shepherd??¡± Ke Bei¡¯s expression grew somber as he turned back to look at Duan Lan and Zhu Minng. Thankfully, the two of them were also unharmed. Teacher Duan Lan quickly recovered from the daze of the impact, stretching out her palm and pressing it firmly downwards towards the burning forest. Instantly, a magnificent ripple of water spread from where her palm struck! Countless droplets sprayed out, flying towards the towering walls of fire, and the ripple¡¯s power was so strong that it swiftly extinguished the wildfire in the forest. At the same time, the area where the water ripple spread resembled a passage to some mysterious deep pool. The Spiritual Realm Symbol appeared clear within the ripples of the water. Luzhuang Jiaolong soared out from these ripple imprints, and for a moment, the surrounding fiery air waspletely extinguished by the dragon breath, cooling down the area significantly. Zhu Minng and Little White were also unharmed. Zhu Minng¡¯s eyes were fixed on the arrogantly extreme Gold-ted Fire Dragon, his brows furrowed deeply. How could it be him? Gold -ted Fire Dragon! ! ¡°So young master Zhu is here too, what a good day this has turned out to be!¡± Sure enough, Luo Xiao¡¯s voice came from the Gold-ted Fire Dragon. Ke Bei looked toward Zhu Minng and asked, ¡°Who is this person?¡± ¡°Gold-ted Fire Dragon, Luo Xiao¡ªhe was supposed to be stationed at Dongxu Fortress,¡± Teacher Duan Lan spoke up at this time. Zhu Minng nodded. ¡°Since he¡¯s a fortressmander, shouldn¡¯t he be swiftly reporting military intelligence, instead of harming people here?!¡± Ke Bei said angrily. ¡°Hahahaha, how do you think the battlefield reports got dyed? I killed all the battlefield messengers, and, of course, that includes meddlers like you!¡± A pathological cruelty shone through the pallor of Luo Xiao¡¯s face. This psychopath finally revealed his true colors! ¡°You¡­ you traitor, why are you helping the Wutu Riot Army?!¡± Ke Bei pointed at Luo Xiao. ¡°Why? Why??¡± Luo Xiao¡¯s face grew more ferocious. Already in a state of madness, seeing Zhu Minng seemed to push him to an incurable extreme! Zhu Minng was equally puzzled. If Luo Xiao knew about his affairs with Li Yunzi, then he should have taken revenge directly on Zhu Minng, with no need to kill all the battlefield messengers, plunging the entire Ancestral Dragon City¡¯s eastern side into crisis and chaos¡­ Had something else happened within the Li Family? Something must have driven Luo Xiao to such extremes, leading to such a treasonous act; it seemed as if a deep obsession of his had beenpletely crushed!! ¡°I ved for their Li Family, yet they treated me like a dog that shouldn¡¯t even bark. This whipping, I¡¯ll make their entire Li Family regret it!!¡± Luo Xiao removed his hood, revealing his full face. A heavy whip mark, starting from the side of his face, crossing over his ear, all the way to the back of his head¡ªthe burst flesh on the side of his face had not yet healed, fresh and coagted blood mixed together, showing just how severe the whipping had been! This whipping was a gift from Li Family Head, Li Ying. After the council meeting ended, he pleaded with the Li Family Head to reconsider the matter concerning Li Yunzi and expressed his unrequited love for her. But Li Ying¡¯s response was to reward him with a whipping. ¡°Even with a tarnished reputation, she is the young miss of the Li Family. What are you? Have no delusions and don¡¯t forget who you are. This whip is to remind you of your ce, and if you again question decisions within the council hall, get out of the Li Family.¡± For days, Li Ying¡¯s words tormented him, ying over and over in his mind, torturing him while driving him to the brink of madness! Chapter 32 - 32: Growth Period White Dragon Chapter 32: Growth Period White Dragon Trantor: Exodus Tales Editor: Exodus Tales Luo Xiao was no mere obedient house dog! With the defeat of the fortress, Luo Xiao didn¡¯t even need to add to the chaos; Wutu easily breached Dongxu Fortress. Even Luo himself didn¡¯t have to overtly reveal his treachery, he just needed to secretly cut down any messengers, letting the rebel troops of Wutu advance further into the hearnd of Ancestral Dragon City for a few more days¡­ Unfortunately, the staff of the Dragon Taming Academy from Rong Valley City were problematic, and Luo Xiao had to take matters into his own hands! Not all messengers needed to be intercepted; as long as these three Eagle Beast Dragons were dealt with, even if the Flying Bird Pseudo-Dragons managed to reach the Ancestral Dragon City, it would be toote! Of course, among these three, Zhu Minng was an unexpected bonus for Luo Xiao! Ever since Kong Tong mentioned Zhu Minng to Luo Xiao, he had some inkling of what was going on. Zhu Minng had been staying at the Dragon Taming Academy and Luo himself had been on the battlefield, with no time to confirm his suspicions. Who would have known that Zhu Minng would be among these three trying to send a message? It was indeed amusing! Had he remained hidden within the Dragon Taming Academy, Luo Xiao would indeed have had no way to deal with him, for the academy had no shortage of powerful individuals. ¡°Li Yunzi kept you protected within the Dragon Taming Academy, yet you came out to court death on your own. Heh, Zhu Minng, Zhu Minng, you and Li Yunzi have really put on quite the show!¡± Luo Xiao stared at Zhu Minng, his emotions gradually spiraling out of control. To think that the man before him was the thorn in his side that kept him awake at night, and remembering the humiliation from the whip marks on his face and the pain of being expelled from the Li Family, all the rage ignited within his chest!! ¡°Zhu Minng, I¡¯ll kill these two first, then I will cut off your flesh bit by bit while leisurely listening to your story about you and Li Yunzi in the dungeon!¡± Luo Xiao hadpletely lost his humanity, bing a vicious and malevolent specter! No sooner had he spoken than the Gold-ted Fire Dragon once again unleashed terrifying mes, like a volcano erupting countless magma, sttering over the vulnerable forest. Even Teacher Duan Lan¡¯s Zhan River Dragon¡¯s mist could not hold back the assault. Heat swiftly enveloped them, and the wingless Eagle Beast Dragon stood next to the Zhan River Dragon. The towering Gold-ted Fire Dragon descended at an angle from the sky into the forest, with its fearsome waves of fire rolling down from above. The momentum was so immense it felt like the entire forest was shaking! The Eagle Beast Dragon, in both size and power, seemed inferior to the Gold-ted Fire Dragon, especially with one of its wings broken. It struggled to dodge the fire waves cascading from the sky with its agile body. The Zhan River Dragon kept shifting positions, creating waterfalls that poured towards the Gold-ted Fire Dragon. However, the water rituals appeared to have exhausted this powerful dragon beast, making it appear somewhat frailpared to its usual self. The Gold-ted Fire Dragon was extremely domineering. It rode the waves of fire down, shaking the Eagle Beast Dragon. Dragon Teeth were bared, its mouth filled with moltenva, it bit into the neck of the Eagle Beast Dragon. The fangs sunk deep into the flesh, nearly breaking the neck of the Eagle Beast Dragon! ! The Zhan River Dragon¡¯s body surged with cold water. It swiftly coiled around the Gold-ted Fire Dragon like a water serpent, entwining its neck and chest to allow the Eagle Beast Dragon a chance to escape from the Gold-ted Fire Dragon¡¯s ferocious bite. ¡°Aooooo- The Gold-ted Fire Dragon raised its head with a roar. Its entire body covered in Fire Scales suddenly erupted like sulfur stones, transforming the dragon into a fortress-sized powder keg. It blew the Zhan River Dragon, protected by icy water, away with the explosion. ¡°Two low-rank dragons, thinking they can contend with me??¡±ughed Luo Xiao heartily. Although at the same Dragon General Level, the Eagle Beast Dragon and the Zhan River Dragon, in healthy condition, would still struggle against the Gold-ted Fire Dragon. After all, the Gold-ted Fire Dragon was now a High-Rank Dragon General! Blood flowed from the neck of the Eagle Beast Dragon, many of its robust feathers sheared off. Ke Bei looked somewhat panicked; he knew the disparity in strength was significant. Even if they summoned other Dragon Sons from the Spirit Realm, it would be difficult to withstand the might of the Gold-ted Fire Dragon. Likewise, Teacher Duan Lan¡¯s strongest dragon was the Zhan River Dragon. Without the widespread creation of clouds and rain, she might have been able to dy it a while longer, but now she might really fall victim to this madman! ¡°We could turn a blind eye to your vendetta with the Li Family, but you should know that the Dragon Taming Academy is not like the Gentry. If you kill a teacher or student of the Dragon Taming Academy, you will not end up well!¡± said Ke Bei. ¡°Therefore, you should die first, then I¡¯ll kill them, hahahaha!¡± Luo Xiao sneered. The Gold-ted Fire Dragon was fully engulfed in sulfur explosions, with sulfur wounds within a fifty-meter radius around. It charged at the Eagle Beast Dragon with this terrifying energy, aiming for a fatal blow. The Eagle Beast Dragon, with only half a wing, struggled immensely to take flight and had nowhere to hide from the Gold-ted Fire Dragon¡¯s sulfur explosion¡­ Just as the Eagle Beast Dragon seemed doomed, a sharp gust swept through, piercing the massive body of the Gold-ted Fire Dragon, and heading straight for Luo Xiao standing atop arge pine tree. Within the gust, a pure white figure could be seen, like a sprite of ice and wind, employing a powerful spell to attack Dragon Shepherd Luo Xiao. ¡°Ice Morning White Dragon?¡± Duan Lan recognized the figure. It was indeed Zhu Minng¡¯s Ice Morning White Dragon, which had grown stronger since its days in the academy. The tornado it conjured this time was more forceful, a horizontal whirlwind storm that stirred countless shards of sharp ice!!! The Ice Morning White Dragon had reached its growth stage! Zhu Minng didn¡¯t direct it to challenge the mighty Gold-ted Fire Dragon, instead, it struck directly at Dragon Shepherd Luo Xiao himself! Luo Xiao¡¯s face visibly changed at the sight of the Ice Morning White Dragon. He had never regarded Zhu Minng as a threat from start to finish, and he hadn¡¯t noticed that Ke Bei and Duan Lan had summoned other dragon pets. The Ice Morning White Dragon¡¯s sudden attack was indeed surprising! ¡°Do you think I, Luo Xiao, am an idiot?¡± Luo Xiao suddenly burst intoughter. He stood still, but the ring on his finger emitted a dazzling red light, and quickly, thick beams intertwined in front of Luo Xiao, forming a huge red silhouette! The silhouette was clearly that of a Gold-ted Fire Dragon, and those seemingly unsubstantial red lights had somehow solidified into red armor¡­ A luxurious suit of armor appeared around Luo Xiao, protecting him tightly. The Ice Morning White Dragon¡¯s icy wind swooped down like a whirlwind but was not as swift as the transformation of Luo Xiao¡¯s armor! ¡°ng ng ng- Inside the wind tunnel, the delicate body of the Ice Morning White Dragon slowly expanded amidst the white characters of wind and the burrowing snow, its wings unfolding perfectly to the size of a giant eagle, while its beautiful auxiliary wings resembled those of a sacred butterfly. Ice fluff scattered, a sight of utmost beauty¡­ Its body also grew much longer, possessing the agility of a Spirit Deer and the health of a snow leopard. Its long tail dragged along, creating a stunning trail of ice. Just as the wind tunnel¡¯s swoop failed to prate Luo Xiao¡¯s red armored silhouette, the tail of the Ice Morning White Dragon transformed into a deadly weapon!! ¡°Swoosh!¡± The seemingly impregnable armor was pierced through with a hole, and Luo Xiao was shocked and unable to dodge in time. Blood sprayed, and with a scream, Luo Xiao fell from the towering pine¡­ The Gold-ted Fire Dragon roared furiously, throwing the corpse of the Eagle Beast Dragon to the ground, then plowed through all the ming trees, catching Luo Xiao just in time as he crashed towards the ground. Luo Xiao clutched the left side of his forehead, agony twisting his entire face. Blood reddened the hair on his forehead, dripping across his pale cheeks, his eyes filled with a malicious resentment!! ¡°Zhu Minng! l¡± Luo Xiao bellowed. Zhu Minng¡¯s heart sank. There was a hole in his head, and yet he was not dead¡­ After all, it was the armor¡¯s silhouette that cushioned the fatal sting of the Ice Morning White Dragon; otherwise, Luo Xiao would have been dead for good! Dragon Shepherds are very fragile. If there is a chance, one must kill the Dragon Shepherd first. Zhu Minng did not let Bai Qi strike earlier because he was waiting for this opportunity. What a pity that Luo Xiao actually had an armor¡¯s silhouette to protect himself! Although the Dragon¡¯s Armor is defense equipment for Dragon Beasts, at Luo Xiao¡¯s level, he was already capable of establishing a method of illusion, which is to summon the armor that originally rested on the body of a Dragon Beast out of thin air, to temporarily protect the Dragon Shepherd himself. It must be said that this armor¡¯s silhouette saved Luo Xiao¡¯s life and gave the Gold-ted Fire Dragon time to return and protect its master! Even though the opportunity was missed, Zhu Minng did not feel much regret. Even if Luo Xiao had been killed, his Gold-ted Fire Dragon would not have perished because of that. Instead, it would have made the Fire Dragon seek revenge even more fiercely, never stopping until death. It would still have been difficult for them to survive. The Gold-ted Fire Dragon stood tall with mes all over its body, its burly figure like a burning tower. It raised its head and spewed arge swath of magma towards the Ice Morning White Dragon! Just a single drop of magma could turn a clump of grass into ashes. The high-temperature molten rock could even melt through stone. The red-hot, deadly liquid aimed at the Ice Morning White Dragon, which used the agility of its auxiliary wings to dodge like a butterfly dancing in mid-air! In the air, arge block of airborne mes ignited, and Bai Qi passed below them, attempting to escape the range of the magma when, out of nowhere, the Gold-ted Fire Dragon charged, its sharp ws aiming directly at the neck of the Ice Morning White Dragon¡­ The Eagle Beast Dragon had perished under those golden ws. Despite its seemingly bulky body, the Gold-ted Fire Dragon was actually incredibly fast. ¡°Python Vortex! ¡± Teacher Duan Lan¡¯s voice rang out, as the Zhan River Dragon¡¯s pupils shed with azure light. Where its gaze reached, rough bands of water transformed into fierce water elemental pythons, their long bodies coiling together to form a raging vortex! The water python vortex swept in from the side, striking the Gold-ted Fire Dragon urately and knocking it to the ground! Those water elemental pythons did not dissipate due to the fierce collision but instead turned into finer water snakes, entwining around the Gold-ted Fire Dragon¡¯s limbs! ¡°Hiss hiss hiss hiss- What was once a pool of cool water, a powerful Water Profound Art, was boiling and evaporating. The python¡¯s Profound Art was also gradually vaporizing. The mes of the Gold-ted Fire Dragon were so dominant and overbearing that the watery arts of the Zhan River Dragon struggled to hold it back.. Chapter 33 - 33 Scythe-clawed Ferocious Dragon Chapter 33: Scythe-wed Ferocious Dragon Trantor: Exodus Tales Editor: Exodus Tales ¡°Yoooo¡ª¡ª!¡± The Ice Morning White Dragon let out a long chant, extending its magnificent main wings like the mythical phoenix of ice and snow. An icy chill spread from its snowy feathers, sweeping through the chaotic forest like a storm, the evaporating cold water visibly quickening into rock-solid frost! ¡°Creak creak Trees froze, rocks froze, a nket of white frost overtook the Gold-ted Fire Dragon¡¯s surge of heat waves, even turning the water snakes entwined around the dragon into hoops of ice! The hooped frost firmly mped around the Gold-ted Fire Dragon like shackles, rendering it unable to rise. Teacher Duan Lan nced at Zhu Minng with a slight trace of delight on his face. Seizing the rare opportunity, Ke Bei took a few steps back, extended his left hand towards the ground, palm down, and opened his own Spirit Realm. The pattern of the Spirit Realm Map could be seen emerging in his palm and projecting onto the muddy ground in front of him, causing the earth to suddenly roil. As stones flew and mud sshed, Ke Bei was summoning a Mud Dragon; although it was weaker than the Eagle Beast Dragon, this Mud Dragon possessed an exceptionally thick body capable of withstanding several full-powered attacks from the Gold-ted Fire Dragon. After all, they had been ambushed with no opportunity to summon; if not for the Ice Morning White Dragon and the Zhan River Dragon trapping the Gold-ted Fire Dragon, Ke Bei wouldn¡¯t have dared to open the Summoning Seal carelessly, as summoning required undivided attention and a bit of time. ¡°Teacher Ke Bei, be careful!¡± Suddenly, Zhu Minng shouted at the top of his voice. Ke Bei was about toplete the summoning, but he felt a chill rising up, as if someone had swung a cold knife behind his neck! He turned around only to see a sharp w! ! This w had no finger bones, resembling a ripper¡¯s scythe, hacking towards him. Not far off, Zhu Minng had anticipated this moment, but he had no other dragon pets, if only the Great Alligator Spirit had been there, it might have bought Teacher Ke Bei a little time¡­ ¡°Swish!!!!!¡± The scythe-w still managed to sh open Ke Bei¡¯s chest, with blood spraying out. Ke Bei tumbled to the ground, but the Scythe-wed Ferocious Dragon had no intention of sparing him. The Scythe-wed Ferocious Dragon caught up to Ke Bei in a few strides, its other w viciously piercing into Ke Bei¡¯s abdomen, then, as if to show off its hunting trophy, it lifted Ke Bei high into the air! The nature of the Scythe-wed Ferocious Dragon was indeed Luo Xiao¡¯s true nature. This bloodthirsty creature had been summoned at some point, seemingly lurking nearby, waiting for this chance! ¡°Run¡­ run¡­¡± Ke Bei, hanging from the w, didn¡¯t die immediately; he stared with blood-filled eyes toward Zhu Minng¡¯s direction, struggling to utter this word. ¡°You all must die!¡± Luo Xiao issued themand again, this time targeting Zhu Minng. Luo Xiao was a bloodthirsty lunatic, yet his thoughts were clear. He knew very well that among the three of them, Ke Bei was the strongest; he was Luo Xiao¡¯s primary target to kill. From the initial ambush from the sky to the chosen moment and order to kill¡­ Even though the Ice Morning White Dragon threatened Luo Xiao¡¯s life, Luo Xiao had not let the Scythe-wed Ferocious Dragon appear, all so he could strike the fatal blow to Ke Bei at the crucial moment! ¡°Yoooo¡ª¡ª¨C¡± Bai Qi had already detected the Scythe-wed Ferocious Dragon, its wings pping toward Zhu Minng¡¯s direction, stirring up a crosswind. The fluff beneath its feathers, turned into Ice Fluff weapons and densely nailed toward the Scythe-wed Ferocious Dragon with the crosswind. The Scythe-wed Ferocious Dragon, far weaker than the Gold-ted Fire Dragon and obviously adept in ambush, found itself outssed as Bai Qi had clearly reached maturity, matching the strength of some lower-ranked Dragon Generals. Its Ice Nails swept through in a tempest akin to an ice spike storm, sealing off all possible attack paths of the Scythe-wed Ferocious Dragon on arge scale. The Scythe-wed Ferocious Dragon had intended to strike down both Ke Bei and Zhu Minng but had to abandon the notion of killing Zhu Minng. With the barrage of Ice Nails, the Scythe-wed Ferocious Dragon already wanted to retreat but still got a few nails stuck in its back. The Scythe-wed Ferocious Dragon let out several mournful howls and quickly fled into the dense forest, not showing itself again. It was a pity; had more Ice Nails hit it, they would have frozen the muscle on the back of the Scythe-wed Ferocious Dragon, causing its run to stiffen. ¡°Bai Qi, let¡¯s go!¡± Zhu Minng nced at the Gold-ted Fire Dragon struggling to break free from its icy shackles and decisively shouted. The Ice Morning White Dragon stayed low, gliding in Zhu Minng¡¯s direction. Zhu Minng grasped the w of the Ice Morning White Dragon and was lifted into the air. ¡°Teacher Duan Lan, don¡¯t linger in battle!¡± Still not recovered from Ke Bei¡¯s tragic death, Teacher Duan Lan only reached out to grab Zhu Minng¡¯s hand as he and the Ice Morning White Dragon flew past her. ¡°Gurgle- The Scythe-wed Ferocious Dragon wouldn¡¯t let them ascend safely; the carnivorous beast scaled arge tree at breakneck speed, then leaped from the treetop, transforming its forelimbs into bone scythes that shed with icy shes through the air, aiming a heavy chop at Zhu Minng and Duan Lan hanging from the Ice Morning White Dragon below. The Zhan River Dragon appeared just in time; its tail whipped up from the mountainous forest floor, sending the Scythe-wed Ferocious Dragon flying away. With a scream, the Scythe-wed Ferocious Dragon crashed into a pile of rocks, battered and bloody. ¡°Teacher Duan Lan, retract the Zhan River Dragon, quick!¡± Zhu Minng urged anxiously. If they went too far, Zhan River Dragon would be left behind on the battlefield; none of them dared to stop now, knowing that once the Gold-ted Fire Dragon broke free, none would survive to leave. Teacher Duan Lan extended her palm, a Summoning Seal appeared, and a muchrger seal materialized around the Zhan River Dragon on the ground, resembling a gigantic Summoning Gate, through which one could pass easily. Zhan River Dragon immediately flew into the Summoning Seal, entering Teacher Duan Lan¡¯s Spirit Realm just in time before the Ice Morning White Dragon soared high and far away. ¡°Do you think you can run away??¡± Luo Xiaoughed loudly. The Gold-ted Fire Dragon had melted its icy chains with mes, its limbs stiffened from the cold, but with a few bursts of intense me, it could rapidly regain its fighting strength. Rising from the frost, the Gold-ted Fire Dragon was about to spread its wings to pursue when suddenly, an enraged roar filled the air, and a frenzied Mud Dragon mmed into the Gold-ted Fire Dragon! ¡°Beast, courting death! Luo Xiao roared furiously. This Mud Dragon was the second Dragon Luo Xiao summoned before his death; with the Eagle Beast Dragon gone and Ke Bei dead, the Mud Dragon could have fled back to the wild, but now it charged with a furious vengeance for its master! s, merely at Dragon Child Level, the Mud Dragon stood no chance against a High-Rank Dragon General and was like a moth to a me. Luo Xiao¡¯s rage stemmed from this thick-skinned Mud Dragon dying his pursuit of Zhu Minng and Duan Lan!! Chapter 34 - 34: Blood Battle at the Deep Pool Chapter 34: Blood Battle at the Deep Pool Trantor: Exodus Tales Editor: Exodus Tales The sky was clear for thousands of miles, and the Li Chuan in had alreadye into view, with the silver outline of the Li Chuan River winding in the distance. The Ice Morning White Dragon¡¯s size had not reached that of the Eagle Beast Dragon, and carrying the weight of two people was somewhat strenuous for it. Its ability to maintain high-speed flight now was mainly due to its control over wind magic¡­ Teacher Duan Lan seemed still unable to emerge from the shadow of Ke Bei¡¯s death, her gaze lifeless. ¡°We¡¯re almost there,¡± Zhu Minng pointed to the ground. Seeing those three rivers, and that the rivers were slowly converging in the midst of the in, it meant that they were not far from the Ancestral Dragon City-State. Once at the Dragon Taming Academy, if the unfettered Luo Xiaoruo dared toe after them again, it would be akin to seeking his own death. ¡°Yuu- The Ice Morning White Dragon let out a warning cry. Zhu Minng furrowed his brows, turned around and looked back. The clear sky behind them was a sea of red, and in the higher skies, a dazzling ball of mes was rapidly approaching. The wave of heat had already hit their faces; the persistent Luo Xiao and the Gold-ted Fire Dragon had finally caught up! ¡°We¡¯re very close to the Dragon Taming Academy,¡± Zhu Minng could already see arge blueke at the far end of the river. Therey the Dragon Taming Academy. Given Bai Qi¡¯s flight speed, they were afraid they¡¯d be intercepted by the overpowering Gold-ted Fire Dragon midway. A roar from the Zhan River Dragon suddenly rang out, and an illusory imprint appeared, revealing an azure-scaled Jiaolong flying out of thin air, surrounded by circles of water waves, colliding with the approaching Gold-ted Fire Dragon. ¡°Qianlin!¡± Duan Lan had not summoned it; the Zhan River Dragon had taken the initiative toe out of the Spirit Realm! Forcibly breaking out of the Spirit Realm could cause certain harm to its owner, but this Zhan River Dragon clearly did not wish to see its owners brutally in by the ws of the Gold-ted Fire Dragon; it was trying to buy the final moments for Zhu Minng and Duan Lan! ¡°Quickly call the Zhan River Dragon back,¡± Zhu Minng urged hastily. Bai Qi was already gathering the wind. With its utmost speed, it might reach the Dragon Taming Academy before the Gold-ted Fire Dragon caught up¡­ Of course, there was also a great risk involved. Bai Qi had not much strength left, devoid ofbat power, unable to assist the Zhan River Dragon. The situation for the Zhan River Dragon fighting alone against the Gold-ted Fire Dragon would not be much better than that of the Eagle Beast Dragon. ¡°Come back,¡± Duan Lan once again opened the summoning imprint, to call the Zhan River Dragon back to the Spirit Realm. But the Gold-ted Fire Dragon had already arrived. Luo Xiao saw the blue summoning imprint at a nce and immediatelymanded the Gold-ted Fire Dragon to crash into the location of the imprint. ¡°Teacher Duan Lan, be careful, he¡¯s attacking the imprint!¡± Zhu Minng, seeing what was happening, quickly warned. The Zhan River Dragon showed no sign of returning, and Duan Lan did not close the portal. Then they saw the heavy body of the Gold-ted Fire Dragon crashing into the imprint, shattering itpletely in midair as if it were made of ss. ¡°Pfft- A mouthful of blood spilled out. Duan Lan suffered a severe soul shock,pletely losing her vitality and nearly falling from the back of the Ice Morning White Dragon. Zhu Minng quickly grabbed Teacher Duan Lan, who floated like paper, and saw that her garment was dyed red with blood. He then nced at the Zhan River Dragon, which was relentlessly battling the Gold-ted Fire Dragon¡­ The decision of the Zhan River Dragon was correct. With Bai Qi¡¯s maximum speed, they would not reach the Dragon Taming Academy. But why must Teacher Duan Lan and the Zhan River Dragon suffer so? One was to keep a path to survival, refusing to retract the imprint even when faced with the enemy, knowing that it would harm her soul. The Zhan River Dragon, even more so, left the Spirit Realm to save its owners, willingly using its body to block the Gold-ted Fire Dragon¡­ ¡°Yuu- The Ice Morning White Dragon didn¡¯t slow down in the slightest, continuing to head towards the Dragon Taming Academy. Its wings were already so sore that it couldn¡¯t p them, only gliding along with the art of Wind Controlling. Every Dragon pet had its own thoughts; even if Zhu Minng chose to fight, it wouldn¡¯t obey. Bai Qi only wanted Zhu Minng to survive. With a gaze as pristine as ice and snow, the Ice Morning White Dragon looked back in flight at the Gold-ted Fire Dragon. It seemed to be etching the appearance of the Gold-ted Fire Dragon deeply into its memory. Given some time, it would surely tear this rampant Fire Dragon to shreds! Simrly, anger was stirring within Zhu Minng¡¯s heart. It had been years since someone had incited such loathing in him! The grudge of today, Zhu Minng would repay tenfold! Amid the crimson sky, countless azure scales peeling off the Zhan River Dragon¡¯s body, it was drenched in blood from head to tail. Even with abundant mana, it could not contend with the Gold-ted Fire Dragon. ¡°Damn it, damn it, damn it!!!¡± Luo Xiao raged like thunder. This Zhan River Dragon had dyed his pursuit of Zhu Minng, and now he watched as the Ice Morning White Dragon was about to fly into the domain of the Dragon Taming Academy. ¡°Throw it away and pursue!¡± Luo Xiaomanded. The Gold-ted Fire Dragon had wanted to swallow the Zhan River Dragon¡¯s head whole, but upon hearing the order, it viciously threw the dying Zhan River Dragon towards the ground. Whipping up mes, the Gold-ted Fire Dragon pped its enormous wings and chased after the Dragon Taming Academy¡­ The Zhan River Dragon fell faster and faster; if it were to smash directly onto t ground, it would surely be a bloody, indistinguishable mess. But right below it was the Li Chuan River. Its body plummeted into the churning waters, its blood spreading throughout the river, formingrge, shocking patches. Before long, it floated to the surface again, belly-up like a discarded corpse, drifting along the swift current of the river, aimlessly carried along by the waves with no telling where it might end up. At Phoenix Embankment Town, by the bridge, a few vendors jovially exchanged goodbyes, lifting their shoulder poles, ready to head home for dinner. Selling peaches, Fang Niannian too, shouldered her bamboo basket, except hers didn¡¯t contain peaches but stinky, fishy silkworms. She walked unwillingly towards thekeshore with a disgruntled expression. Pouting, Fang Niannian really didn¡¯t understand why selling some goods meant she had to end up as a nanny teacher. Why on earth did they dump a giant, ck, ugly Crocodile Spirit on her to feed? Even a caretaker¡¯s fee wasn¡¯t worth it! At thekeshore, after feeding the Great Alligator Spirit her full, Fang Niannian, in a mood of blind boredom, suddenly had a bright idea. ¡°You go catch me a few big white fish from the Dool to take home and stew for a whitening soup. Just consider it your pay for today¡¯s feeding,¡± Fang Niannian said to the ck Crocodile Spirit in the water. The Great Alligator Spirit had long been bored. Zhu Minng had set strict limits on its roaming area, and since someone was taking it to the Waterfall Pool, it wouldn¡¯t count as wandering everywhere! Following Fang Niannian, the Great Alligator Spirit walked through Phoenix Embankment Town. Even though it stuck to the alleys, it still encountered some pedestrians; thankfully, the people of Phoenix Embankment Town had seen enough spiritless Dragon Shepherds to not find someone walking a crocodile out of the ordinary, as long as they kept out of the way. Circling down to the Waterfall Pool, Fang Niannian rolled up her sleeves and began perfunctorily directing Big ck Tooth. ¡°You dumb lump, you giant clumsy fish, do you have the blood of sows in you, why did you stop chasing halfway¡­¡± Just as Fang Niannian was about to jump into the water to fish out of sheer frustration, a huge silhouette appeared in the rapid waterfall, crashing down into the pool like an ancient water serpent. Suddenly, the smell of blood permeated the air, scaring Fang Niannian to a pale fright, causing her to tumble into the water. Fortunately, she fell into a shallow area. As she got up from the water, Fang Niannian then looked at the creature that had fallen from the waterfall, and to her shock, it was a dragon!! How could a dragon be falling from above!! Furthermore, this dragon¡­ appeared to be dead, its body lifelessly thrashed by the waterfall currents, showing no sign of life or vigor. ¡°Oh Oh Big ck Tooth saw the dragon and kept calling out, swimming over to the dragon which looked like a corpse. ¡°Do you know it??¡± Fang Niannian asked, puzzled. The pool was vast, and the scent of blood quickly diffused, especially the blood of a real dragon. It wasn¡¯t long before the creatures living in this pool began to emerge from below the water, including some demon spirits that made their nests behind the waterfall. They were all drawn by the scent. Fang Niannian watched with terror as various demons began to pop out of the pool, too frightened to speak loudly anymore. Why hadn¡¯t she seen so many monsters in this pool before?? Was it because of the dragon¡¯s carcass that they all wanted a share?? Indeed, the monsters gathered around the blue dragon, and given the number of demons, it wouldn¡¯t take long for the big dragon to be picked clean to the bones! ¡°Woo ¡°Woo The Great Alligator Spirit stood guard by the dragon¡¯s side, showing no intention of moving away. Feeling the threat from all around from the little demons, it roared at therge group of water demons. ¡°Big ck Tooth, what are you doing? They want to eat the dragon¡¯s corpse!¡± Fang Niannian shouted. The Great Alligator Spirit continued to roar fiercely, its eyes locked on the approaching little demons. One of the demons, a pool snake, bared its fangs and was about to lunge. At that moment, the Great Alligator Spirit struck first, pouncing like a ferocious crocodile, biting the burly venomous snake and tearing it in half before all the little demons! The surrounding little demons, wary, backed away a bit, but more and more demon spirits, lured by the scent of dragon blood, came, forming circles around the Zhan River Dragon, staring fiercely at Big ck Tooth. Fang Niannian had no idea what the hell the big stupid crocodile was doing. With its cultivation base, a crocodile close to dragon transformation, it could have easily imed arge share for itself. As long as it didn¡¯t wish to monopolize the blue dragon, other denizens of the pool would not have attacked it. Why was it angering all the monsters in the pool?? ¡°Oh The Great Alligator Spirit roared again, but this time, the cacophony from the gathering monster group drowned out its roar. All the demon spirits had a fierce glint in their eyes as they pounced on the Zhan River Dragon, whichy before them like a gourmet dish. Big ck Tooth still didn¡¯t back down. It met the pool¡¯s little demons in battle, causing the waters to turn a bloody red in the fierce struggle. ¡°I¡¯ll go get help. Hang in there, big guy,¡± Fang Niannian realized that Big ck Tooth wasn¡¯t trying to hoard but was protecting the Zhan River Dragon. Ignoring her drenched clothes, she ran towards the direction of the Dragon Taming Academy. The roars grew dense, and the little demons that normally hid in the deep pool now became incredibly ferocious and aggressive. The corpse of a two-hundred-year-old Violent Catfish would have been an object ofpetition for them, let alone a true dragon.. Chapter 35 - 35: Becoming a Dragon Chapter 35: Bing a Dragon Trantor: Exodus Tales Editor: Exodus Tales Having eaten flesh and drunk blood, they too would be spirits capable of undergoing dragon transformation, and some demonic spirits were just one opportunity away from leaping over the Dragon Gate! However, the Great Alligator Spirit stood in their way, relying on its robust physique; the Great Alligator Spirit bit to death quite a few of the leading little demons, but how could it withstand such arge group of pond demons! Before long, the body of the Great Alligator Spirit was covered with bite marks, its blood mixing with the dragon blood; yet the stubborn Great Alligator Spirit did not retreat an inch, using its alligator horn to impale a century-old demon sawfish and with a swipe of its w, it crushed a frog spirit, then charged like a wild beast, knocking away all the monsters that tried to climb onto the Jiaolong! ¡°Ohoooo!!!!!!¡± The fierce and violent howling of Big ck Tooth managed to intimidate the group of little demons for a moment, but there were some others near the waterfall, beings of the same caliber as the Violent Catfish, whose silhouettes gradually appeared around the pond, lying in wait, growling unceasingly. All around were roars, and the dying Zhan River Dragon opened its heavy eyes. It saw a big ck crocodile dyed red with blood, it saw the densely packed water demons in the pond¡­ The life of the Zhan River Dragon was nearing its end, but it never expected to see a familiar Little Crocodile Spirit before its dying breath. It was still so weak, clearly not having even crossed the Dragon Gate. But up until now, it had not let a single demone near it. ¡°Ugh- ¡± The Zhan River Dragon called out weakly, signaling to ck Tooth to leave this ce, as it would sooner orter be torn to shreds by these demons. ¡°Ohohoh!!!!!!¡± ck Tooth roared, not moving an inch from its spot. It once again pounced on a century-old pike fish, using its ws and ck teeth to tear it to shreds, the water of the pond, just cleansed by the waterfall, was again stained red with fresh blood, among which also flowed the crocodile blood surging from ck Tooth¡¯s back. ¡°Ohoh!!!!!!¡± ck Tooth simply would not submit. In its continuous roars, it warned every demon in the pond while conveying to the Zhan River Dragon that it could not die, the only thing that could defeat it in this world was itself! Yes, in the small world understood by ck Tooth, the Zhan River Dragon was the strongest being. ck Tooth¡¯s goal was to surpass this Jiaolong. Perhaps witnessing the Zhan River Dragon fall to such a fate also shocked ck Tooth. The Jiaolong could be defeated?? This made ck Tooth realize that there were beings stronger than the Jiaolong in this world, it became aware that the entire world was far broader than what it had seen¡­ But what of it! It remembered the strength of the Zhan River Dragon, and even more so, the tenderness it showed when catching it from the waterfall. Being strong doesn¡¯t have to be like the wolf spirits in the Reserve Dragons Storage Hall, bullying everything weaker. It could also be gentle. Dragon Taming Academy In the Rehabilitation Pavilion, an old man from the Reserve Dragons sat inside with a grave expression. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± The old man recognized Zhu Minng, and he recognized Duan Lan even more. ¡°Teacher Duan Lan has been attacked in the Spirit Realm, her spirit is injured, and she has fallen into aa,¡± Zhu Minng informed the old man of the situation. ¡°It¡¯s not just aa, she¡¯ll be dead if it¡¯s slower by a bit. Little Pear, help her up,¡± the old man said to the woman beside him. The woman called Little Pear responded, and it was clear that she was specifically skilled in healing people and dragons, her movements extremely adept. ¡°Zhu Minng, Zhu Minng!¡± Just as Zhu Minng was feeling extremely anxious, Hong Hao¡¯s shout came from outside the door. ¡°This has nothing to do with you, we¡¯ll do our best to save her life. I¡¯ll inform the dean about the matter you mentioned, but you¡¯d better go to the Li Imperial Pce yourself and state all the facts; this is no trivial matter,¡± said the old master from the Reserve Dragons. Zhu Minng nodded, quickly left the Rehabilitation Pavilion, for there was nothing he could do here. As soon as he stepped out of the pavilion, Hong Hao came running over with a face full of excitement, urgently saying, ¡°A girl said your Little Crocodile Dragon is being besieged by a group of demons under the waterfall, hurry over there.¡± Zhu Minng¡¯s expression changed, and he rushed toward the waterfall. ¡°Whoooo¡ª¡ª-¡± Bai Qi glided down from the top of the pavilion, its white wings outspread, pure and noble. Catching the ws of the Ice Morning White Dragon that flew over his head, Zhu Minng and the White Dragon glided into the air together¡­ Hong Hao stood in ce, staring nkly at the stunning departure of the man and dragon. How could it be that in just a month, the Ice Morning White Dragon had already be extraordinary, and Zhu Minng more like a mysterious and unfathomable master! Frost descended abruptly, and patches of clean down feathers fell upon the pond, like a sudden holy snowfall, even turning the sshing mist into frost. Falling from above the waterfall, Zhu Minnznded in front of the Zhan River Dragon and ck Tooth, surrounded by the bodies of little demons, those with throats torn out, those torn to pieces, those crushed to bits¡­ The bodies nearly nketed the entire pond, making the pond look as if painted in striking red paint!! And on the central rock of the pond,y a blue Jiaolong, gasping for breath. Next to the blue Jiaolong, a badly injured Little Crocodile Dragony, its naturally ck body now dyed a bright crimson with the blood of enemies mixed with its own, congealed together. Seeing this scene, Zhu Minng¡¯s throat welled up with endless sorrow, and his eyes grew moist. He walked over to the Little Crocodile Dragon and slowly crouched down beside it, embracing the scarred Little ck Tooth. ¡°Wuu wuu¡ª¡± The Great Alligator Spirit, seeing Zhu Minng approaching, finally let go of all its toughness, clinging to Zhu Minng like an injured child. ¡°Bai Qi, kill them,¡± Zhu Minng said to Bai Qi. At that moment, his gaze swept across the myriad little demons around the pool, eyes filled with cold fury. The temperament of the Ice Morning White Dragon matched Zhu Minng¡¯s exactly. It slowly levitated, dominating all of the deep pool¡¯s water demons from above and looking down upon these greedy, ordinary demons! ¡°Yuuu!!!!!¡± With a long cry, the Ice Morning White Dragon¡¯s body producedrge shards of ice crystals, that glimmeringly attached to each feather and plume, as if donning a sacred armor, making the originally soft-feathered Ice Morning White Dragon appear majestic like a monarch! ¡°Yuuu!!!!¡± The crystal wings unfolded suddenly, and instantly a chilling coldness swept in all directions. This freezing breath was tyrannical enough to turn flowing waterfalls into ciers. And those demon spirits on the surface of the pool, already fleeing in panic, did not realize that the eyes of the God of Death had already locked onto them! ¡°Crack crack¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± The surface of the water froze over, thick as rock, and those demons still fancied diving deep into the pool to escape, but their retreats had already been anticipated by the Ice Morning White Dragon. ¡°Crack crack¡ª¡ª-¡± Standing on the blocks of ice, those little demons found themselves stiff all over, soon they didn¡¯t even have the strength to run, their bodies slowly sticking to the thick ice below. First, their skin and muscles turned into frost; next, their flesh and bones froze into ice; finally, even the blood flowing through their bodies solidifiedpletely. One after another, ice sculptures appeared on the surface ot the pool; the murderous Bai Qi allowed none of the attackers to escape. They lost all signs of life, frozen on the ice. ¡°Hoo hoo hoo hoo!!!!¡± The windshed fiercely onto the frozen cascade and pool, hitting the frozen bodies of the water demons as well. Though all were of flesh and bone, they began to disintegrate in the wind into countless dust particles of frost, like minute grains of white sand. ¡°Little ck Tooth, you protected the Zhan River Dragon; it¡¯s not dead¡­¡± The Zhan River Dragon was still alive! It seemed to have been knocked into the Li Chuan River and then washed by the fierce current to the waterfall. Without Little ck Tooth guarding it with its life, the Zhan River Dragon would have surely been devoured by those demons. Zhu Minng looked at Big ck Tooth, too exhausted to even stand, and felt an honest sense of pride. Well done. This spirit was by no means an ordinary one from the murky ponds! He called for instructors from the Dragon Taming Academy. They carried the Zhan River Dragon back, and with teachers who could treat dragon beasts present, the Zhan River Dragon should be able to avoid life-threatening danger. Hopefully, Teacher Duan Lan would wake up and findfort in seeing the Zhan River Dragon still alive. After settling Little ck Tooth, Zhu Minng knew he still had something very important to do. ¡°Heal well; I will be back soon, ¡± Zhu Minng said, holding the Great Alligator Spirit¡¯s head and rubbing it with his forehead as he instructed. The Great Alligator Spirit obedientlyy in the healing pool. Its pain should also be somewhat alleviated. Zhu Minng left. The girl named Little Pear walked over to the healing pool, intending to check Little ck Tooth¡¯s wounds again, preventing any residual toxin from poisonous creatures from worsening the injuries. ¡°Huh? The flesh that was torn open just now, howe it¡¯s grown back in the blink of an eye¡­¡± said Little Pear, puzzled. Big ck Tooth roared in response, seemingly just as clueless. ¡°Are you a snake, shedding your skin?¡± Little Pear frowned, looking at therge chunks of injured skin shedding from Big ck Tooth¡¯s body in the healing pool. ¡°Oh???¡± Big ck Tooth turned its head and was startled by the skin peeling off its body. Its four paws iled chaotically in the water. Is it going to die??? Why is the skin not sticking to its body!! ¡°Don¡¯t Danic, don¡¯t Danic¡­ Big ck Crocodile, ah¡­ whv is there light in the blood seeping out of you!¡± eximed Little Pear in surprise. ¡°Oh! Big ck Tooth looked at its wound again, and indeed, the blood was glowing! It¡¯s over, it¡¯s doomed, beyond cure! ¡°Master, Master, something¡¯s wrong, something¡¯s terribly wrong! Little Pear ran flusteredly towards the inner room. The old master red at the girl in annoyance. There were already too many patients today, and he was nearly overwhelmed. ¡°Master, you must look at the Big ck Crocodile, your disciple is scared!¡± said Little Pear. The old master was just finishing stitching up the Zhan River Dragon¡¯srge wound. His hands had not even been washed before Little Pear dragged him to the side of the healing pool. ncing at Big ck Tooth, the old master tapped on his female disciple¡¯s head with his finger. ¡°What¡¯s all the fuss about, haven¡¯t you ever seen a dragon transformation?¡± he said. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s transforming into a dragon¡­ Ah! The Big ck Crocodile is bing a dragon!! Little Pear¡¯s mouth hung open in shock.. Chapter 36 - 36: Peace-Making Marriage Chapter 36: Peace-Making Marriage Trantor: Exodus Tales Editor: Exodus Tales ¡°What are you getting excited about? It¡¯s not your dragon. Stop being so rmed, and go inform Duan Lan¡¯s family,¡± the old man said. ¡°Why notify the family again? Master, please think of another way. I don¡¯t want to see Sister Duan Lan die,¡± Little Pear nearly cried out. ¡°Die? Her soul is gravely wounded. If her family doesn¡¯t find spiritual medicine for her, she¡¯ll never wake up!¡± the old man said, clearly annoyed. ¡°Oh, so she¡¯s not dead. Then we need to find the spiritual medicine that can heal her soul?¡± Little Pear calmed down. ¡°It might take at least half a year. The injury is too severe. Fortunately, the dragon hasn¡¯t died. If the dragon had died and her soul were further harmed, not even a deity could save her.¡± Little Pear hurried off. Spiritual medicine is hard to find, and it¡¯s best to let Duan Lan¡¯s family start gathering it as soon as possible, otherwise who knows how long Duan Lan will remain unconscious. The old man washed his hands, his gaze involuntarily drawn to the pool where a ck Crocodile Spirit was undergoing its dragon transformation. ¡°You¡¯re that little ck croc that likes to eat meaty silkworms, aren¡¯t you?¡± the old man squinted and said. When nothing required his attention in the Rehabilitation Pavilion, the old man liked to stay in the Reserve Dragons Storage Hall, findingfort in the presence of these vibrant young spirits. He enjoyed feeding them and asionally distributing Juvenile Spirits to those down-on-their-luck students. The old man remembered all the Juvenile Spirits in the Reserve Dragons Storage Hall, including those that he had already released. They were like a group of homeless pets, and the old man hoped that each one would find a good home, whether they were Dragon Spirits or Ordinary Spirits. ¡°You¡¯ve transformed into a dragon so quickly; it seems you¡¯ve met a good owner,¡± he remarked. ¡°It has been a long time since we¡¯ve had a genuine dragon transformation among the Juvenile Spirits in the Reserve Dragons Storage Hall. I¡¯ll make a note of your record; the Reserve Dragons Storage Hall should not be in danger of being ordered to close by the head of the Imperial Court.¡± Pines surround the imposing pces. Li Ying sat in the grand hall early on, facing a stack of letters concerning the affairs of the Ancestral Dragon City, unsure where to begin. Each issue seemed critical to the lifeline of Ancestral Dragon City. ¡°Let¡¯s take a break first, ¡± Kong Tong approached, holding a steaming cup of fresh tea, and spoke gently to Li Ying. ¡°I still can¡¯t stop worrying about the east,¡± Li Ying sighed. ¡°The envoy from Lingxiao City will arrive soon. After this negotiation, we can concentrate on dealing with those Wutu Rebels. They won¡¯t be able to stir up trouble again, ¡± Kong Tong moved behind Li Ying, massaging his shoulders. Just then, a guard hurried across the grand hall. Kong Tong red fiercely at the guard who didn¡¯t understand the rules. But the guard was panicked and, without pausing to greet thedy, he approached Li Ying and quickly whispered something in his ear. Li Ying¡¯s expression changed instantly, and he almost stood up from his seat, mming a hand onto the table. The youngdy by his side, Kong Tong, was startled and rushed to offerfort. ¡°Summon the general of the Flying Bird Camp immediately!¡± Li Yingmanded angrily. It wasn¡¯t long before the general of the Flying Bird Camp came forth. Kneeling before the grand hall, the general spoke softly, ¡°Family Head, what is the matter?¡± ¡°Someone from the Dragon Taming Academy has ryed a message saying that Dongxu Fortress City has fallen to the reinforced Wutu Rebel Army, and they are now making a beeline for the Li Chuan in?¡± Li Ying could almost not control her emotions as she eximed indignantly. ¡°The military has not received any war correspondence, who said this?¡± the general of the Flying Bird Camp asked in surprise. ¡°The messenger delivering the war correspondence is already on his way here, he will exin everything in detail. This matter cannot be dyed, you must immediately send the Flying Bird Camp to Rong Valley City to eliminate all the rebel forces, and ensure they do not enter the Li Chuan in!¡± Li Ying ordered. Dongxu Fortress City and Rong Valley City serve as natural barriers against Wutu, while the Li Chuan in is vast and t; if the rebels were to disperse and raid the various cities across the in, a considerable military force would be needed topletely annihte them. Moreover, the other cities on the Li Chuan in all have reserves of food and military supplies. Once the Wutu Rebels seize weapons and armor, they could be an army with an exceedingly strong capacity for resistance! ! ¡°But the Flying Bird Camp¡­¡± the general hesitated. ¡°Go!¡± Li Yingmanded. The general of the Flying Bird Camp obeyed the order and quickly left the empty grand hall. Hot tea was spilled across the desk. Kong Tong used her embroidered handkerchief to wipe away the stains and whispered to Li Ying, ¡°If this is true, why haven¡¯t we received any news?¡± ¡°The messengers with the war correspondence have been intercepted,¡± Li Ying said. ¡°Who did this, and how could the rebels possibly know who our war correspondents are?¡± Kong Tong asked in utter astonishment. It is true that Dongxu Fortress is remote and the roads are tough and perilous, making it difficult for messengers to get through. However, not all couriers of war correspondence are in the military, some even disguise themselves as merchants or civilians. Aside from the military¡¯s high-ranking officials, how could the rebels precisely target them? ¡°There is a traitor in our ranks. The student from the Dragon Taming Academy has already arrived and will inform us of the details,¡± Li Ying said. ¡°The Flying Bird Camp has already set out, so you needn¡¯t worry for now. The envoy from Lingxiao City-State, on the other hand, will soon arrive and the peace negotiations must not be dyed¡­¡± Lady Kong Tong said. ¡°I know, summon everyone to the hall,¡± Li Ying said. ¡°I will temporarily control the information and try to prevent the news of Dongxu Fortress City from spreading,¡± Kong Tong said. ¡°Hmm, ¡± Li Ying nodded. The Lingxiao City State is theirrgest concern; if peace can be negotiated, they will no longer have any worries on their western front. They could even tten Wutu with ease before winteres!! Of course, they cannot let the Wutu Rebels rampage unchecked. They must quickly send reinforcements to the east. The Flying Bird Camp is Ancestral Dragon City¡¯s strongest and most mobile military force. Once they¡¯re deployed, the Wutu Riot Army will soon be massacred to thest man. Inside the grand council hall of the Li Imperial Pce, a crimson honor guard procession was slowly marching across the courtyard, steadily ascending the steps. Leading the honor guard was a man dressed in an exquisite green and red official robe. He wore a feather crown and had a handsome appearance, exuding an air of nobility in every gesture¡­ Following him were numerous soldiers carrying wooden chests, each of whom had tied a floral ribbon onto their chests. It was clear that they were not here to provoke a battle but to celebrate some joyous asion. The wooden chests were finely crafted and carved with various patterns, ced on either side of the entrance to the hall; the feather-crowned man ordered all of them to be opened. Upon opening, the boxes revealed gold and silver jewels, as well as fine silks and satins. Although the Ancestral Dragon City was wealthy,pared to Lingxiao City State in terms of riches, they were second best. Thetter had inexhaustible gold mines and endless food supplies. ¡°Our Lingxiao City State has always been so generous to our neighbors. For this marriage alliance, our City Lord will naturally not skimp. These are the bridal gifts for weing the Female Monarch. We hope that the esteemed nobles of Ancestral Dragon City will appreciate them, ¡± said the feather-crowned man with a hint of pride in his voice, though his manners remained impable. Chapter 37 - 37: The Cession of Four Cities Chapter 37: The Cession of Four Cities Trantor: Exodus Tales Editor: Exodus Tales ¡°Mr. Yang Xiu, pleasee into the hall,¡± Lady Kong Tong weed him with a smile that was courteous, if not sincere. Inside the hall, the family members had mostly arrived. After all, it was an alliance between city-states, as grand as any festival. Even the main thoroughfare of Ancestral Dragon City had been adorned with colorfulnterns. ¡°Where is the Female Monarch? It has been some days since west saw her. Our soldiers from Lingxiao City-State have missed her dearly,¡± Yang Xiu strode into the hall. Yang Xiu brought only two guards with him; the rest waited outside the hall. Even in hostile territory, Mr. Yang Xiu didn¡¯t seem the least bit nervous, as rxed as if he was visiting a neighbor. ¡°The servants should be helping the Female Monarch dress and prepare,¡± said Lady Kong Tong. ¡°Well, that¡¯s good, that¡¯s good. Speaking of which, it is somewhat surprising to see such apliant Female Monarch. But she is still the Female Monarch, after all, willing to sacrifice everything for the future of both great city-states, even if it means kneeling to be a concubine, haha!¡± Mr. Yang Xiuughed, his voice echoing through the hall. The faces of the Li Family members darkened at his words. No matter how one looked at it, the party initiating peace talks was ultimately seen as the one making apromise. They had thought Yang Xiu was a dignified envoy, but to their surprise, he carried a hint of sarcasm as soon as he entered the hall. ¡°Here is the peace treaty. Mr. Yang, please review it, and if there are no issues, sign here,¡± Li Ying spoke up at that moment. Yang Xiu performed a token gesture of respect, a minimal show of deference to the Lord of the Li Family. He took the treaty and quickly scanned through its contents. While he was inspecting the treaty, a soldier with a vermilion chest flower hastened over and whispered something into Yang Xiu¡¯s ear. Yang Xiu held the pen but it never touched ink, seemingly without any intention to sign from the very beginning, nor to ce his seal. After the soldier left, Yang Xiu made a displeased expression, clicking his tongue distastefully, then set down the pen and said, ¡°Master Li, our Lingxiao City-State has sent so many bridal gifts, showing utmost sincerity. So why does this treaty not include a use for ceding the four western cities? Even now, you are reluctant to let us see the Female Monarch?¡± At these words, the members of the Li Family could hardly contain their outrage. Cede the four western cities?? The four western cities were rich and prosperous, the most important territories and fortresses outside of the main city of Ancestral Dragon City. Even if the city-states continued in war, the Li Family would never concede these four cities to Lingxiao City-State!! ¡°What ceding the four western cities? The conditions we initially agreed upon only stated that Li Yunzi would marry into your Ling Family of Lingxiao City as a concubine!¡± Lady Kong Tong said, annoyed. This Yang Xiu, arrogant as he was, was now spewing nonsense. ¡°Oh, that wasn¡¯t mentioned before, was it? But times change. It¡¯s not toote to add this condition now. I can wait,¡± Yang Xiu said as he himself moved a chair from its ce to the center of the hall. He ced the chair right in the middle of the great hall, sat down, and even had the audacity to take a fruit te from in front of a youngdy of the Li Family, starting to eat the fruit as if no one else was there. ¡°Impudence! You are just a mere envoy; do you take our Imperial Court of the Li Family for your own backyard?¡± roared a Dragon Trainermander from the Li Family. ¡°I, Yang Xiu, am representing the Ling Family of Lingxiao City-State to negotiate peace with your Family Head. War, after all, is decided by a few people sitting in this hall. Peace talks are a matter of a few words, and shing swords is equally so. But some minor characters can¡¯t decide anything and might invite disaster upon their city and family for uttering foolish words. I wonder if this Junior is the former? If not, then shut your mouth!¡± Yang Xiuughed, his mouth still full of unchewed fruit. Just a moment ago, Yang Xiu had been wearing a Feather Crown, all politeness and decorum. But now he was indistinguishable from a ruffian, crude and overbearing! ¡°Excuse me, sir, why suddenly covet our four cities to the west? If seeking peacees at such a cost, why not just go to war?¡± At that moment, Commander Cheng spoke. ¡°Commander Cheng, Master Li, as far as I am aware, your Dongxu Fortress City has already been breached by the rebel army. I fear the rebels are pressing forward, killing their way into the eastern part of Li Chuan in¡­ Your granaries and cities are about to be looted. Ah, spit, these dates are really terrible,¡± Yang Xiu said, spitting out both the pit and his phlegm onto the ground. Li Ying¡¯s expression grew solemn. Lady Kong Tong showed a look of surprise. They had just learned of this news, and Yang Xiu, an envoy who had just arrived from the west at Ancestral Dragon City-State, couldn¡¯t possibly know about this! Had someone leaked the information?? Was it the soldier from earlier who informed Yang Xiu about this, and then Yang Xiu took the opportunity to turn hostile? The question is, how did he know about it, when even the armies of Ancestral Dragon City-State had only just found out. ¡°Mr. Yang, as you just said, war is but a matter of a few words for those of us here in this hall. You want us to cede cities to you without any reason, just because you heard about the uprising in the east? Setting aside whether the source of the news is true or false, an uprising is nothing but a bunch of greedymoners aspiring to be the masters of their cities, and quelling an uprising is not a difficult task. I want to know if you alone are trying to be clever by inciting war in the west or if your master never intended to negotiate peace from the start. If it¡¯s the former, I will treat you as if you¡¯re ying the fool for our amusement. If it¡¯s thetter, then tell your master that we don¡¯t mind fighting the Lingxiao City-State to the death!¡± Li Ying maintained hisposure as he spoke these words, intimidating the entire arrogant delegation. However, Yang Xiu did not take these words to heart. He picked up the fruit te again, eating crystal grapes one by one, casually spitting the skins onto the ground. His disregard for the Family Head instantly angered everyone present, and the Junior Dragon Shepherd who had stood up earlier now had the air of wanting to chop down the envoy on the spot! Li Ying remained outwardly calm, but inside he was filled with anxiety. If the Lingxiao City-State sent troops from the west to attack the rich four cities at this time, Ancestral Dragon City-State would be attacked from both front and back, greatly increasing the possibility of having their defenses breached and losing much territory. The question remained, how could there be a dy in military intelligence if it had been breached! Suddenly, the hall fell eerily silent, and the gazes of the Li family members involuntarily settled on Li Ying. Had Dongxu Fortress City truly fallen?? Li Chuan in is a vast in. Once the rebels enter, it¡¯s like a pack of wolves on a in; killing thempletely could take an unknown amount of time and require dispatching an untold number of troops. And the eastern part of Li Chuan in, trampled by the rebels, would be in chaos even if it was recaptured. With no taxes and no grain, Ancestral Dragon City-State would be in severe decline. ¡°The Family Head does not respond, and allows such behavior from the envoy; it seems the situation at Dongxu Fortress City must be true!¡± someone whispered. ¡°Then isn¡¯t our Ancestral Dragon City-State truly going to be at the mercy of others??¡± Some within the n began to grasp the gravity of the current situation. The atmosphere became heavy in an instant, with everyone discussing amongst themselves, yet still only able to wait for the Family Head¡¯s decision. ¡°Family Head, let me kill this dog, I see that Lingxiao City-State never intended to negotiate peace with us, sending this man to insult us!¡± The Junior who had stood up earlier finally could not tolerate such brazenness anymore and spoke angrily. ¡°They say the Li family gets worse with each generation, full of idiots, and it¡¯s true. Now you cane up here and kill me; if no one stops you, I will hold a sword to my own throat. But if someone stops you, you kneel down and chew the pits and skins I have spat out!¡± Yang Xiu said,ughing out loud with unabashed arrogance.. Chapter 38 - 38: Naming the Lines Chapter 38: Naming the Lines Trantor: Exodus Tales Editor: Exodus Tales The Li Family¡¯s junior was furious, no longer calling for ¡°Dragon¡± as he grabbed the sword from a general beside him and chopped straight at Yang Xiu¡¯s head! Yang Xiu sat there, neither dodging nor flinching, with a smile curling up at the corners of his mouth, loaded with utter disdain and sarcasm. ¡°Li Pinghai, step back,¡± at this moment, a woman¡¯s voice rang out. Li Pinghai felt even more rage, why would someone stop him now, when these people had nearly defiled the Li Family! ¡°Step back!¡± Suddenly, the woman¡¯s voice became more severe. Li Pinghai halted, mysteriously trembling all over without knowing why, even his grip on the sword became unsteady. As the sword fell to the ground, Li Pinghai looked in shock toward the side entrance of the hall, where a woman stood, unbeknownst to him when she had arrived, with a tall and majestic presence, exuding an extraordinary aura. And indeed, it was she who had just issued those words like an inescapable curse. ¡°Li Yunzi??¡± Li Pinghai couldn¡¯t believe it. Why could this woman make him shiver with just a single sentence¡­ ¡°Spare his life, I need him to deliver a few words to Ling Luotian for me,¡± said Li Yunzi. Under everyone¡¯s gaze, Li Yunzi walked towards the grand hall. She was dressed in light armor. The armor clung to her, not only entuating her figure but also highlighting her valiant air. Her ck hair was coiled up, with brows like drawn swords and bright eyes, bare of excessive makeup. As she marched into the solemn hall, she resembled a female general about to head into battle, in stark contrast with the festive garb of everyone else and the crimson of the honor guard! In fact, when Li Yunzi had previously appeared in this deliberation hall as a Female Monarch, her attire had been simr. But she was no longer a Female Monarch now, and today was the day that the Lingxiao City¡¯s wedding procession was due to arrive. ¡°Your Highness, Yang Xiu pays his respects, ¡± Yang Xiu rose from his chair and performed a bow. After bowing, Yang Xiu no longer paid any attention to the junior, then surveyed Li Yunzi and said, ¡°It is indeed the familiar Your Highness. If you favor this appearance for your entry into the bridal pnquin, I believe our City Lord might like it even more. Oh, I forgot to say, regarding the conditions for ceding the four cities, we will not budge, and you must arrive at the Ling Family in Lingxiao City as scheduled, otherwise there will be no peace talks!¡± Having said this, Mr. Yang Xiu let out a strangeugh. Thisugh was thick with sarcasm and hinted at sleaziness. ¡°Mr. Yang Xiu, I have a gift here; how about you ept it on behalf of your City Lord?¡± Li Yunzi did not take her seat but stood in the deliberation hall. ¡°Your Highness, whatever charm you have, save it for your wedding night with our City Lord. I dare not ept on his behalf,¡± said Yang Xiu, bending slightly. Li Yunzi paid no heed to his mocking words. She sent a look to Commander Cheng. Commander Cheng nodded and raised his hand to give a firm p. The sound carried, and immediately a dozen soldiers arrived carrying objects shrouded in ck cloth. They walked in an orderly fashion up to Yang Xiu and ced the wrapped objects at his feet. Arranged in a row, their contents indiscernible to Yang Xiu. His face filled with confusion, Yang Xiu wondered what Li Yunzi meant by this. ¡°Unwrap them and see if there are any faces you recognize,¡± Li Yunzi said indifferently. Yang Xiu immediatelymanded two attendants beside him to unwrap the objects. Upon opening the first ck cloth and seeing the messy hair, spotting a bloodstained head turning brown, Yang Xiu¡¯s face turned pale. ¡°Unwrap the next one!¡± Yang Xiu inhaled sharply. Feeling that the two attendants were too slow, Yang Xiu began to do it himself. Within the ck cloths were all heads! That stench of blood instantly permeated the hall, and many youngdies who had rarely seen wars turned pale and were nearly screaming and fleeing. Yang Xiu continued to unravel the cloths, but now his hands trembled non-stop. He recognized every single head! Before he had led the wedding procession to Ancestral Dragon City, he shared a drink with each one of them. At that time, their heads were still firmly on their bodies, now they were wrapped up one by one in dirty ck cloths, about to roll off without support¡­ These faces, Yang Xiu knew them all too well; weren¡¯t they supposed to have already prated the west side of Ancestral Dragon into its four western cities following Zhi Gorge! Why were they all here, and only their heads!!! Yang Xiu¡¯s hands were now covered in filth. When he looked again at Li Yunzi, gone was his frivolous attitude, reced by sheer terror!! She killed everyone!! She killed everyone!! This Demon Lord, she ughtered all the Lingxiao City soldiers who ambushed the four western cities and even had the heads of theirmanders severed and sent here¡­ What about raising the stakes opportunistically, what about harboring ill intentions at thest moment¡­ It not tor having absolute confidence, how would he, Yang Xiu, dare to make a scene in Ancestral Dragon City¡¯s deliberation hall?? In fact, on the very first day the Lingxiao City¡¯s wedding procession set out, Lingxiao City¡¯s army had already entered Ancestral Dragon¡¯s territory along Zhi Gorge! Calcting the time, at the same moment I signed the peace treaty, their Lingxiao City-State¡¯s Sudden Attack Team wouldpletely stir trouble, coborating from within and without with the border army, and in one fell swoop, they would take down the four cities to the west of Ancestral Dragon City! Peace talks?? From the beginning, they never intended to negotiate peace! Once they¡¯ve taken the four western cities, even Li Ying, the headdy of the Li Family, would have to yield, let alone a disgraced Li Yunzi? However, Yang Xiu could never have imagined that the heads of all the generals of this Sudden Attack Team would end up disyed in this great hall! ¡°Commander Cheng, what are these¡­¡± Li Ying did not recognize these heads and asked, puzzled. ¡°Family Head, while our attention was focused on the peace talks, this elite team from Lingxiao City infiltrated through Zhi Gorge and into our territory, intending to breach our border defenses, but instead, our Army Guardy in ambush there and captured them,¡± Commander Cheng reported. ¡°What Army Guard?¡± Li Ying asked. ¡°They are the former subordinates of the Female Monarch. I called them out from various camps and, following Li Yunzi¡¯s instructions, searched for gorges where the enemy might have infiltrated¡­ Later, we discovered this Lingxiao City Sudden Attack force and shot them all dead in the gorge,¡± Commander Cheng said. ¡°The Female Monarch¡¯s Army Guard! l¡± Yang Xiu couldn¡¯t help but cry out, his whole body copsing to the ground as if struck by lightning. The members of the Li Family within the great hall simultaneously broke out in a cold sweat at that moment. The Lingxiao City-State already had an army that had broken in??? While they were still in festive moods, believing Lingxiao City-State was sincerely seeking marriage and peace, had they already dispatched troops to seize the four western cities?? What cession of four cities. If Li Yunzi¡¯s Army Guard had not seen through their ruse, they would already be in possession of the four western cities. The blood on these heads had dried a long time ago! ¡°You¡­ you will not die well, Li Yunzi, you vile woman, you will certainly go to hell, ¡± Yang Xiu roared in near madness. ¡°Stop acting crazy here, I spare your life,¡± Li Yunzi said coldly and indifferently to Yang Xiu. Upon hearing this, Yang Xiu immediately changed his demeanor, crawling humbly towards Li Yunzi, continuously kowtowing and saying, ¡°I have always heard of the Female Monarch¡¯s decisive words; thank you, Your Highness, for sparing my life, thank you for your mercy.¡± This Yang Xiu was also ridiculous, at times polite, at other times wild and brutal, at times insane, and yet at other times as lowly as a dog. ¡°You didn¡¯t find the head you¡¯re most concerned about in these, did you?¡± Li Yunzi asked from a higher position. ¡°Yes¡­ yes¡­¡± Yang Xiu felt that all of his thoughts were seen through by this woman and dared not show any disrespect. ¡°Your Ling Family¡¯s heir is still alive, this is the message I want you to take back to Ling Luotian,¡± Li Yunzi said. Yang Xiu slowly lifted his face, somewhat disbelieving the words of Li Yunzi. Still alive?? The Ling Family heir is still alive?? No matter how many generals there were, none couldpare to the heir of the Ling Family, the future ruler of the Lingxiao City-State, whom the Family Head cherished greatly. To establish his renown, he led the Sudden Attack Team intending to be the hero who conquered Ancestral Dragon City! It should have been a wless victory and would have brought him great fame, but who knew that it would end up like this¡­ ¡°I will sign the peace treaty now, right now, without any conditions, and of course, I dare not make a fool of the Female Monarch any longer!¡± Yang Xiu began searching the ground for the peace treaty, and after some effort, he found it, but when he looked up, he saw Li Yunzi looking at him with cold indifference. Peace talks?? With the Female Monarch present, there¡¯s likely no chance of peace between Ancestral Dragon City and Cloud Heaven City-State! ¡°Sit down, and use your eloquence to draft a letter to ransom back your heir¡¯s life¡­ but before that, clean up everything on the ground,¡± Li Yunzi said. Seeds, peels, spat-out fruit flesh, and some slimy phlegm. Facing the disgusting mess on the ground, Yang Xiu suddenly felt an impulse to p himself. Li Yunzi turned away, no longer paying attention to Yang Xiu cleaning the floor. ¡°Yunzhi, you have aplished great things for us!¡± an elder from the n said. ¡°Truly worthy of being the Female Monarch, the blessing of Ancestral Dragon City,¡± someone immediately eximed. ¡°We should restore the title of Female Monarch; Li Yunzi has suffered quite a few grievances recently.¡± Li Yunzi didn¡¯t pay attention to these words from within the n; she walked straight toward the front of the great hall, towards Lady Kong Tong. Lady Kong Tong mustered a smile, looking at Li Yunzi, but didn¡¯t know what Li Yunzi was going to do. Li Yunzi took the thick marriage ledger from Lady Kong Tong and, before everyone¡¯s eyes, crossed her own name out from it. Lady Kong Tong¡¯splexion changed, but at that moment, she didn¡¯t dare to make a sound. With the name ¡°Li Yunzi¡± erased, the ink brush in her hand was tossed by Li Yunzi, aimed at the cases before Li Kongxi, Mu Qing, and the other well-behaved youngdies of the Li Family. Ink sttered from the end of the brush,nding on the pristine little faces¡­ ¡°Leave the task of selling oneself for peace to them; if there¡¯s a battle I cannot win, they will be qualityfort offerings for the enemy city,¡± Li Yunziughed. However, thatugh left Li Kongxi, Mu Qing, and the so-called proper maidens of the Li Family pale with fear, their facespletely void of color!! Chapter 39 - 39: In Control Chapter 39: In Control Trantor: Exodus Tales Editor: Exodus Tales ¡°Yunzhi, you¡¯ve avenged us fiercely. I believe the Family Head won¡¯t me you for moving the troops on your own, right?¡± Madam Kong Tong didn¡¯t speak until now. Moving troops without authorization is a serious crime. Without her title as Female Monarch, Li Yunzi still gathered her subordinates in the west, an act no different from rebellion. Of course, even serious crimes depend on the situation. Had it not been for Li Yunzi moving those former troops and capturing that Sudden Attack Team, the four cities in the west might have been lost by now. The highly mobile Flying Bird Camp had already been redeployed to the east, leaving nothing to salvage the situation. This is why Li Ying had remained silent all this while. He was very aware of how dire the Li Family¡¯s situation was the moment the Fortress City fell. What¡¯s most frightening was that the Lingxiao City State had no intention of negotiating peace from the beginning. The proposal for the Female Monarch to be a concubine was merely a ruse, a distraction on the one hand and, on the other, waiting for the eastern Fortress City to fall, then the main army would press in!! Even if Li Ying was confused, he couldn¡¯t fail to understand this point. ¡°Yunzhi, you¡¯ve done well. You will still be in charge of those Army Guards,¡± Li Ying finally said, showing a hint of warmth on his face. When Li Ying took away Li Yunzi¡¯s Army Guards, he intended topletely strip her of her military power, but Li Yunzi had retrieved her troops in this manner. How could Li Ying possibly impose punishment on her? Without her Army Guards, the western border would have likely faced a devastating coordinated attack by the enemy! ¡°Yes, the Army Guards should indeed be given back to Yunzhi, after all, they were her old subordinates.¡± ¡°Lingxiao City State¡¯s wolfish ambition is truly detestable!¡± ¡°Speaking of which, howe we didn¡¯t know when Dongxu Fortress City was breached???¡± a general said. ¡°We have a traitor within our army!¡± Li Ying said gravely. ¡°We should hurry and summon that student from the Dragon Taming Academy to the hall; he should have arrived by now,¡± Kong Tong said at this moment. ¡°Yes!¡± Li Ying had already guessed as much, but he still wanted to hear it. Now that the great menace in the west was suppressed by Li Yunzi who also captured the eldest prince of the Lingxiao City State, this gave the Ancestral Dragon City a significant negotiation leverage against the Lingxiao City State. How could they dare to make another move? The issue of the rampant forces in the east needed to be addressed urgently! The pine trees stood tall, and those in the wedding party, dressed in festive vermilion outfits, appeared lifeless, no different from a funeral procession. The inside affairs of the hall had already spread, and they were firmly controlled by the Prohibition Guards, unlikely to leave the Ancestral Dragon City alive. Zhu Minng walked along the hall and up the steps towards the Li Family Deliberation Hall, his gaze curious as he observed these brightly dressed people from another city¡­ Stepping inside the hall, Zhu Minng saw the members of the Li Family, seated solemnly on either side of the hall, their expressionsplex as if they had just experienced some significant event. At this moment, they were all looking at him. Zhu Minng saw Li Yunzi standing at the front of the hall. She slowly turned around, seemingly surprised to see him too, her beautiful eyes shining with an enigmatic brilliance. ¡°Isn¡¯t this Zhu Minng, the man who impersonated a member of our n, who returned with Yunzhi from Wutu?¡± Kong Tong recognized Zhu Minng instantly and spoke up first. Li Ying too recognized Zhu Minng, whom he had not even bothered to question at the time. Zhu Minng had no desire to engage in verbal sparring with this woman. If it weren¡¯t for his pity for the residents of Rong Ancient City and his concern for the frail schr in the rain, he wouldn¡¯t even have appeared in this hall. ¡°Luo Xiao has killed all the messengers with battle reports¡­¡± Zhu Minng stated the facts and informed the Li Family that there were still survivors in Rong Ancient City. The City Lord of Rong Ancient City, Zheng Yu, was struggling to hold onto the narrow path that led directly into the Li Chuan in! ¡°Nonsense, if the Fortress City has fallen, how could a mere Rong Ancient City withstand an army of tens of thousands in rebellion? Does the City Lord possess the power to reach the heavens?!¡± Li Pinghai, a junior member of the Li Family, said irritably. Zhu Minng had no energy to deal with such foolishness today. His gaze fell on Li Yunzi, who today was dressed in light armor, lookingpletely different from her usual frail appearance. A heroic aura surrounded her beautiful features, making her hard to ignore. ¡°Yang Xiu,¡± Li Yunzi spoke. ¡°Here, I¡¯m here¡­¡± The envoy had lost all backbone. ¡°Have you prepared the ransom note?¡± Li Yunzi asked. ¡°It¡¯s ready, but the Female Monarch has not yet told me which city we must cede to secure the safe return of our son, ¡± Yang Xiu asked respectfully. Li Yunzi took the brush and personally wrote the name of the city on the document prepared by Yang Xiu. Yang Xiu picked it up and looked at it earnestly, but after reading it, his face was filled with confusion. Without waiting for Yang Xiu to ask, Li Yunzi had already approached Li Ying¡¯s seat at the head of the hall and spoke, ¡°Father, give me themand seal of the Flying Bird Camp, I will quell this uprising.¡± ¡°Even if you wield a sword, you can only kill a limited number of rioters. Let General Wu from the Flying Bird Camp handle this,¡± Li Ying said. Li Yunzi stood before Li Ying, her eyes fixed on her father, showing no sign of backing down from these arguments, and they were at an impasse in front of the great hall. ¡°Yunzi, although you have achieved a great feat this time, the military authority¡­¡± Kong Tong tried to interject at this moment. ¡°I am not seeking permission,¡± Li Yunzi said with an increased tone, cutting off Kong Tong. Lady Kong Tong was on the verge of anger. Li Ying¡¯s expression was also not pleased. Hadn¡¯t this scene urred before? ¡°Li Ying, the peaceful marriage conspiracy of the Lingxiao City-State was seen through by Yunzi, saving our four western cities. Yunzi is indeed capable of shouldering great responsibilities. After discussing among ourselves just now, the elders believe it¡¯s best to restore her title as Female Monarch and let her takemand of the Flying Bird Camp to quell the Wutu uprising,¡± the family matriarch spoke at that moment. This family matriarch, who had always remained silent, watched everything in the Deliberation Hall quietly, like a deaf olddy. ¡°Yes!¡± Faced with the matriarch¡¯s words, Li Ying did not dare to object and handed over the militarymand seal of the Flying Bird Camp to Li Yunzi. The Flying Bird Camp had already set out. It was an extremely fast army, riding Flying Bird Pseudo-Dragons and should be able to reach Rong Valley City in about a day¡¯s time. Each soldier in the Flying Bird Camp was highly skilled inbat, and the Flying Bird Pseudo-Dragon mounts were also strong fighters. A thousand of them could contend with ten thousand troops. It was no wonder Li Ying was so reluctant to hand over this military power! Having obtained the seal, Li Yunzi quickly walked towards the outside of the hall. ¡°Minng,e,¡± Li Yunzi said to Zhu Minng. Zhu Minng¡¯s attention was still on Yang Xiu; he had barely caught a glimpse of what Li Yunzi had written, but couldn¡¯tpletely make out what it was. Only when Li Yunzi called his name did Zhu Minnge back to his senses. ¡°Oh,ing,¡± Zhu Minng responded and quickly followed Li Yunzi. ¡°Where are we going?¡± ¡°East,¡± Li Yunzi replied.. Chapter 40 - 40: Traversing the Galaxy on a Sword Chapter 40: Traversing the Gxy on a Sword Trantor: Exodus Tales Editor: Exodus Tales It was night, and the sky was the color of deep indigo. Stars like pieces of ze crowded the entire heavens, forming a romantic river of stars along the eastern firmament, extending endlessly into the vast cosmos. The stars were slowly shifting, as if in several years they would all pour into the ocean of nothingness, but on thisnd below there would always be a brilliant starlight, with clusters of stars from different skies arriving with the winds of the years¡­ Zhu Minng was now amidst this river of stars. Yet on that starry path above, the figure wielding a sword in flight made Zhu Minng utterly forget how dazzling the starry sky overhead was, as if all the celestial brilliance was but a backdrop for her! Li Yunzi was already as beautiful as a fairy, but at this moment, riding her sword through the skies, she resembled the legendary fairy dwelling in Guanghan Pce¡­ She truly was a God and Mortal. The sword threads were her divine mortal artifacts! No wonder she had always been called Valkyrie! This Sword Flight distinguished her from mortals, even making some Dragon Shepherds green with envy! In a city-state, one might see many Dragon Shepherds, but God and Mortals were extremely rare, mostly unattainable throughter training, and usually tied to some ancient divine inheritance that required a very special physique. God and Mortals could surpass human limits and wield supernatural abilities like some ancient, powerful creatures. Regrettably, God and Mortals were not superior to the truly powerful Dragon Shepherds. Some God and Mortals couldn¡¯t even withstand the onught of a Dragon Herding Sanctifier¡¯s dragon swarm. Moreover, God and Mortals did not possess a Spirit Realm; they could not raise dragons. Ahead, numerous shadows appeared, lining up in a row like migrating geese, flying towards the easternnds. Li Yunzi¡¯s silver Flying Sword was evidently quicker than those figures flying in the night sky. With a light tap on her sword, the silver Flying Sword under both Zhu Minng and Li Yunzi picked up speed, catching up to the shadows ahead. Flying Bird Camp, the elite forces of Ancestral Dragon City were racing through the night sky, heading towards Rong Valley City. Arge group of Flying Bird Pseudo-Dragons, their neat wingbeats creating a massive airstream enveloping the lengthy ranks, allowed them to glide even when some grew weary, without falling out of formation. The Flying Bird Camp was moving very fast, and it would probably not take long to reach Rong Valley City. Given the current situation there, City Lord Zheng Yu should be able to dy until the arrival of this brigade. ¡°It¡¯s the Female Monarch!¡± The soldiers in the rear of the formation saw Li Yunzi and Zhu Minng, wielding a sword as they approached, and they all showed expressions of amazement. They had heard of Li Yunzi¡¯s reputation and asionally saw her among the troops, but it was their first time witnessing her flying on a sword like a Sword Immortal! ¡°General Lu,¡± Li Yunzi passed through the whole Flying Bird Camp and stopped themanding general. ¡°Female Monarch, what is it?¡± General Lu asked with confusion. ¡°Take half of the soldiers back to Ancestral Dragon City, the other half will follow me to Rong Vallev Citv.¡± Li Yunzi said. Just as General Lu was about to question, Li Yunzi threw him themanding token for the military. Taking the order token, General Lu fell into thought; after a moment, he handed the token back to Li Yunzi and asked, ¡°How goes the battle in the west?¡± ¡°Once you return to the city, you will know. Bring me what I want to the front as quickly as possible,¡± Li Yunzi didn¡¯t dwell further with the general. The General of Flying Bird Camp saluted, then ordered two lieutenants to follow all of Li Yunzi¡¯smands. The two lieutenants felt puzzled. With half of the Flying Bird Camp sent away and the remaining half, while fearsome, facing the daunting task of attacking the tens of thousands strong Riot Army was no easy matter¡ªit was a risky venture! Li Yunzi, still riding her sword,manded the troops. One of the lieutenants whispered something, to which Li Yunzi turned and, with a sh of her sword, severed the lieutenant¡¯s ear. The lieutenant was shocked and angry but dared not react, simply pressing his hand against his bleeding ear. ¡°Manage your subordinates. The next one who speaks out of turn will lose more than an ear!¡± Li Yunzi was like an iceberg, her frosty and formidable aura evoking fear! The lieutenant dared not utter another word and retreated. The long line behind him, having witnessed theirmander¡¯s ear being sliced off, fell silent! Soon, the Flying Bird Camp regained its orderly formation and continued its flight eastward, the atmosphere no longer as casual as before. Two colossal mountain ranges intersected at the end of the Li Chuan in, segregating the Wutunds from the territories of Ancestral Dragon City. Dongxu Fortress stood proudly on the eastern foot of the mountain range, with Rong Valley City on the western side, separated by merely fifty li. Crossing mountains and ridges isn¡¯t realistic; the sheer cliffs are not conducive to marching an army. To truly enter the Li Chuan in, one must pass through Rong Valley City. But not even the tall fortification walls could withstand the tens of thousands in the Riot Army; how much longer could this small Rong Valley City possibly hold? The relentless Riot Army was currently trapped between the Fortress City and Rong Valley City, like a pack of hungry beasts, their momentum unstoppable. As soon as the floodwaters receded from theke depression, they would vent all their fury on the inhabitants of Rong Valley City, and to drink their blood and eat their flesh would be no exaggeration. The armies of the Flying Bird Camp circled in the sky above, and faced with the situation before them, they too felt disbelief. The massive Riot Armyy densely outside the valley, causing even these battle-hardened and brave soldiers a sense of dread; yet that fragile ancient city was still standing. The enemy was at the gates, but they resisted stubbornly. Without tall city walls or elite soldiers, what they relied on was just a depression filled with water and the one thousand archers upying the high ground! If they had not seen it with their own eyes, how could they believe that Rong Valley City had withstood the Riot Army and dyed until the tardy arrival of reinforcements! ¡°A miracle!¡± ¡°This time, the heavens bless our Ancestral Dragon City-State. Indeed, these despicablemoners abandoned by the gods have no right to set foot in the Li Chuan in!¡± said the lieutenant with the stopped bleeding in his ear. ¡°Female Monarch, allow me to take a hundred men and strike from above theke depression, and eliminate those restless rioters first,¡± another lieutenant with long eyebrows requested. For the average soldiers, the Flying Bird Pseudo-Dragons were already raptors. At this moment, many were still trapped in the narrow pass, and a direct dive attack on them would be as simple as an eagle catching a chick! ¡°I will make amends for my actions and lead the troops to face the enemy!¡± said the lieutenant with half an ear. Li Yunzi didn¡¯t rush to give orders; she stood on her silver Flying Sword, surveying the entire situation. ¡°Female Monarch, please issue your orders quickly. The water in the depression will be gone soon, and once the Riot Army breaks into Rong Valley City, no matter how swiftly we kill, we will ultimately be unable to save everyone,¡± the long-eyebrowed lieutenant spoke. ¡°Hold positions in the sky,¡± Li Yunzi said. ¡°They¡¯re about to cross the depression!¡± ¡°Hold positions!¡± Li Yunzi repeated. The two lieutenants were burning with impatience, but they could only bow respectfully. ¡°Minng, go into Rong Valley City and calm the citizens,¡± Li Yunzi said to Zhu Minng. ¡°Actually, I¡­¡± Zhu Minng wanted to say something when suddenly the silver Flying Sword beneath his feet sped up, heading straight for Rong Valley City. At the tower of Rong Valley City, City Lord Zheng Yu gaped as he saw Zhu Minng forced into Sword Flight, and watched him wobble unstably before jumping off the Flying Sword. ¡°Zhu¡­ Brother Zhu??¡± Zheng Yu hurried forward to confirm the identity of the person as the student from the Dragon Taming Academy, and a weary joy appeared on his face as he said, ¡°It¡¯s Brother Zhu who has brought the reinforcements; I, on behalf of all the people of Rong Valley City, express our deepest gratitude!¡± Zheng Yu bowed meticulously, which made Zhu Minng feel somewhat ashamed, and he quickly helped him up. ¡°It¡¯s you who have protected the citizens of Rong Valley City. I am just a messenger, an observer, that¡¯s all,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°Flying Sword Flight¡ªthat must be the Female Monarch?¡± Zheng Yu looked up and asked. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Brother Zhu is acquainted with the Female Monarch?¡± Zheng Yu inquired. ¡°Uh, somewhat acquainted,¡± Zhu Minng felt the question was a bit sharp. ¡°The Flying Bird Camp has appeared in the east, this is bad news,¡± Zheng Yu didn¡¯t feel joy at the arrival of the reinforcements; instead, he sighed deeply. ¡°Why?¡± Zhu Minng didn¡¯t understand Zheng Yu¡¯s concern. ¡°I have been so foolish, overlooking the current situation of the Ancestral Dragon City-State. The day the fortress in the east falls will be when Lingxiao City-State mounts a massive attack on our western territories. Now that the elite Flying Bird Camp of Ancestral Dragon City-State hase to the east to quell the riot, I fear all our western cities might be taken. We may have held Rong Valley City but lost the bigger picture!¡± Zheng Yu was filled with self- reproach. The citizens of Rong Valley City are people, and so are the citizens of the West Four Cities. Given the brutality of Lingxiao City-State, I fear they will show no mercy to the civilians of the Western Cities! Zhu Minng didn¡¯t know much about the situation of Ancestral Dragon City-State, but from Zheng Yu¡¯s analysis, he suddenly understood Luo Xiao¡¯s actions. Luo Xiao must have colluded with Lingxiao City-State. As soon as the Fortress City fell, he immediately informed Lingxiao City-State, then cut down all the messengers, causing a dy in battle reports to Ancestral Dragon City-State, so that it would be hard-pressed on both fronts, teetering on the edge of copse! How malicious the heart! ¡°Although it¡¯s toote, I must still trouble Brother Zhu to inform the Female Monarch,¡± Zheng Yu said. ¡°Brother Zheng, there¡¯s no need to worry. Lingxiao City-State must have suffered a setback in their sh with us. The enemy general was captured, and when I left the council hall, the envoy of Lingxiao City-State was kneeling to write the deed of cession, with the Female Monarch personally filling in the names of the cities she demanded,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°Really??¡± Zheng Yu asked in amazement. ¡°Really..¡± Chapter 41 - 41: The Boundary of Sword Marks Chapter 41: The Boundary of Sword Marks Trantor: Exodus Tales Editor: Exodus Tales Li Yunzi sped on her sword, flying over the tops of the riotous armies, looking down upon the dark mass of Wutu people. Many from the Wutu Riot Army lifted their heads, seeing the woman flying on her sword high in the sky, each of them showing a look of astonishment. Especially the leaders of the riotous army, most of whom were rulers of the Nine Cities of Wutu or city generals, how could they have not seen this sword-rider! That was the former Wu Tu Empress, who ruled Wutu for a full year; before she was overthrown, there was no one who did not fear her iron-fisted methods! Li Yunzi flew over the mighty Riot Army and soon after, under the watchful eyes of all, she arrived at the triangr area of the valley. She descended slowly, her right hand gradually lifting, and silver soft threads emerged from nowhere, quickly entwining in her palm¡­ Silver threads intertwined, and in a very short time, they formed the Star and Moon White Sword. The night sky was originally resplendent with stars, yet it seemed to fade at the moment Li Yunzi raised that white sword!! ¡°Swoosh!!!!!!!!¡± A chop toward the entrance of the valley, and one could see the silver sword light, like tens of thousands of splendid meteors cutting through the night, following the line of brilliance that Li Yunzi had drawn down, striking straight at the valley¡¯s entrance!! Whether it was the Wutu Riot Army or the soldiers of the Flying Bird Camp, their faces were full of shock, hardly able to imagine that a mortal could wield the power to cleave mountains! The steep cliffs on both sides were sheared off, and the earth was split open with a giant fissure! Ordinarily, the sword scars people struck were either on an enemy¡¯s chest or on the trunk of a tree, but Li Yunzi¡¯s sword had torn open an entrance to a valleyrge enough to amodate thousands, cutting open both the path people walked on and the mountain rocks on either side!! The sword scar, like a chasm from heaven,y shockingly across the path of the Riot Army. Li Yunzi seemed to have done this deliberately; she didn¡¯t aim the sword de at anyone, yet even though this sword didn¡¯t kill a single soldier, to those of the Wutu Riot Army who had witnessed its power, it was no different from a battlefield strewn with corpses! ¡°With the sword as the boundary, life and death, it¡¯s up to you to choose.¡± Li Yunzi¡¯s voice was not loud, but Gods and Mortals could make everyone inside and outside the valley hear her words clearly! After a brief silence, restlessness emerged within the Riot Army, the majority of Wutu people had only ever seen armed officials, and asionally they might witness powerful Dragon Beasts on the battlefield, but who had they ever seen split the earth with one sword! ¡°Those who cross the Sword Boundary will be regarded as rioters, to be executed without exception.¡± ¡°Beyond the Sword Boundary, they are civilians, they are my subjects,¡± Li Yunzi said. ¡°My people, your lives will no longer be decided by the heavens. I will decide them, and I will see you through this winter and keep you alive,¡± Li Yunzi¡¯s words echoed throughout the entire valley and even reached beyond it. The soldiers of the Flying Bird Camp were even more puzzled by Li Yunzi¡¯s actions! Shouldn¡¯t these rioters be killed off entirely? Shouldn¡¯t they be made to recognize the strength of the Ancestral Dragon City and be made to retreat in the face of difficulty? Why can they also be called subjects? ¡°She¡¯s employing a dying tactic, don¡¯t believe this woman! Soon, a leader of the army, burly like a bear, shouted loudly. ¡°She¡¯s just one person, no matter how strong, and holds but a single sword. Ourpatriots are joining the army in an endless stream; she can¡¯t kill us all. Don¡¯t forget how we joined forces to take down Fortress City. We¡¯re one step away; once we reach Li Chuan in, we will have everything! someone immediately yelled out, rallying the spirits of all the people. ¡°We have no way back; we can only move forward!¡± ¡°Even in the face of the gods, let them be reduced to dust and smoke!!¡± ¡°Fearless, fearless, fearless!!!!!¡± Among the riot army, several leaders began to shout, repeatedly echoing slogans that aroused the bloodlust in everyone. They had no way back; they could only move forward, not even the deities could stifle their will to survive!! ¡°You all recognize me.¡± ¡°I was once your ruler, and I ask you.. ¡°When I reigned, did you have grain to eat?¡± ¡°Did you have clothes to wear?¡± Li Yunzi¡¯s voice descended from the starry heavens, so distinct that no mor could drown it out, audible to everyone. For a moment, the riot army boiled with fervor! People looked up at the night sky, where amidst the dimness, someone stood atop a silver longsword bathed in starlight¡ªthey indeed recognized this person, for her statue stood in every city of Wutu! Wutu¡¯s leadership had changed time and again, but only Li Yunzi had controlled the Nine Cities of Wu Tu for one full year, in which a semnce of order emerged. Yet, that order vanishedpletely after her overthrow. Wars raged on, bandits roamed, and they even faced an autumn drought, pushing all Wutu people to a desperate plight.. ¡°Don¡¯t believe her beguiling words anymore, storm this city, and we will have inexhaustible food, we will have endless clothes, we can build our own city-state of Wutu, we are not their ves! The bear-like colossal leader of the riot army suddenly roared. This riot army leader kept inciting the emotions of the people, keeping them frenzied. Suddenly, Li Yunzi plunged downwards on her sword, her figure like a white bolt of lightning, cutting through the hordes of armored riot soldiers¡­ The soldiers¡¯ eyes widened in shock, and by the time they reacted, the formidable riot army leader erupted in a spurt of bright red blood! Steaming blood spattered across the faces of the surrounding soldiers, who stood dumb as posts, watching as their leader¡¯s head tumbled from his neck and rolled on the muddy ground!! Dead!! In the midst of thousands, one of their leaders died just like that; the riot soldiers still vividly remembered how this powerful leader crushed the fortress¡¯s shield wall with brute force, a veritable war meat grinder, yet in a blink of an eye, he met a grisly death under Li Yunzi¡¯s sword! ¡°The second leader is dead, the second leader is dead.¡± ¡°This venomous woman, avenge the leader!!!¡± ¡°Avenge the second leader!!!¡± Death sparked panic in the riot army, and this panic spread contagiously; soon, some in the frenzied army raised their weapons and charged toward Rong Valley City! The army of the uprising roared, more and more charging towards Rong Valley City, no longer mindful of anything else. ¡°Those who cross the Sword Boundary shall die!¡± Li Yunzi¡¯s voice once again prated the ears of every member of the riot army. Still, the vanguard of the riot army surged wildly forward, with furious cries easily overwhelming all reason! Chapter 42 - 42 Unparalleled in the World Chapter 42: Unparalleled in the World Trantor: Exodus Tales Editor: Exodus Tales Li Yunzi waved her hand at that moment, issuing a kill order to the Flying Bird Camp in midair! In an instant, hundreds of Flying Bird Pseudo-Dragons dived down, each person exuding a bloodthirsty aura that perfectly resonated with the fierce Pseudo-Dragons! This airborne ughter was more devastating than cavalry trampling; it was like reaping wheat, with swathes of blood-red spreading open, and countless rioters falling into pools of blood!! ¡°Charge, charge, we have no way back! Some still waved their gs and shouted within the riot army. As blood sprayed and screams were incessant, some still rushed into the scars from swords, making it to the now shallowke, running madly towards Rong Valley City! Like geese casting shadows, they rose and fell, each low-flying swoop iming lives of the rioters who never made it to the city towers of Rong Valley before dying terribly under the de. Blood flowed like streams, seeping little by little into the fields, converging in the valley streams, with bodies continuously rolling into the water, cleansed by blood. Even in the dimness of night, all was still so shockingly dreadful! The Long Eyebrow Lieutenant rode a Pterosaur. The Pterosaur pped its mighty wings, tossing the riot army high into the air, while the lieutenant¡¯s long sword swiftly shed, urately killing them one by one! In just a short time, the Long Eyebrow Lieutenant had already in dozens. Her martial spirit stirred, she couldn¡¯t help shouting angrily, seeing a group of rioters trying to flee, she quickly pursued on her Pterosaur. The long sword was raised, and just as the lieutenant was about to cut down these people, a sword shadow shed by, knocking her long sword away, and even the Pterosaur was startled by this sudden sh, pping its wings wildly, nearly falling to the ground. ¡°Those who retreat beyond the Sword Boundary shall be considered subjects!¡± Li Yunzi¡¯s voice came from above. The Long Eyebrow Lieutenant paused, feeling a mix of annoyance and confusion, but he dared not pursue beyond the Sword Boundary. The Flying Bird Camp possessed unparalleledbat strength; thousands of rioters simply could not contend with them, and those crossing the Sword Boundary were essentially ughtered. Bodies piled up in theke, with the fields equally strewn with carnage, Li Yunzi watched all this with cold indifference, unmoved, ordering the killing of anyone who crossed the Sword Boundary! ¡°Retreat, go back and you can live!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t kill me, I don¡¯t want to die¡­¡± Li Yunzi¡¯s words were not just for the Long Eyebrow Lieutenant, the rioters struggling in the blood also heard, when there is a vast disparity in strength, no one doesn¡¯t treasure their own life, they retreated, they fled backward¡­ Sure enough, as long as they retreated beyond the Sword Boundary, the Flying Bird Camp would never give chase, they were unsettled as if they had walked past the Ghost Gate. Those charging bravely into battle, would indeed be blinded by their martial spirit at times, disregarding everything, but seeing the people by their side die one after another, fear and the will to survive would bring them to their senses. ¡°Zhang Tuo.¡± Li Yunzi spoke again, calling the name of a leader in the Riot Army. Within the Riot Army, a leader with an extremely haggard face had aplicated expression. He looked up at Li Yunzi, who shone like the sun and moon in splendor, not sure whether to respond or not. ¡°Tell them,y down their weapons, and I will let them get through this winter. But if they choose to be rioters, they shall not survive the night!!¡± said Li Yunzi. ¡°I trust the Female Monarch¡¯s character, but how do I exin this to the brothers who have followed me through life and death? You represent the Ancestral Dragon City State, not our City Lord anymore. Behind me, there are tens of thousands of my people, without food, without a single cotton garment. If the Female Monarch truly pities the Wutu people, please give us a way to survive. Even if we starve or freeze to death, we will never offend any city under the Female Monarch¡¯s rule,¡± Zhang Tuo, the leader, said with eyes full of destion. ¡°This is the way to survive I offer you,¡± said Li Yunzi, extending her left hand. Suddenly, she grasped her sword with her left hand and cut deeply, severing the palm of her own hand! Bright red blood spilled, flowing down the silver sword and through Li Yunzi¡¯s fingertips to the ground. ¡°What kind of promise is this???¡± shouted Zhang Tuo. The blood was thick, forming a red thread and then falling to the ground. Li Yunzi simply turned her palm downward, letting the blood continue to fall unceasingly¡­ ¡°I¡¯ve prepared food and clothing, already on the way, enough to get you through winter.¡± ¡°By this blood covenant, if these goods do not arrive before my blood runs dry, my life, Li Yunzi, shall be a sacrifice to you.¡± Zhang Tuo, the leader of the Riot Army, was momentarily stunned, unable to respond for a long time. The soldiers of the Flying Bird Camp were equally shocked; they didn¡¯t understand why Li Yunzi would do this when they clearly could have killed all these thugs without leaving a trace! ¡°If holding a hoe means we can survive, why would we take up arms?¡± Zhang Tuo said. Zhang Tuo¡¯s words expressed the helplessness and despair of the Wutu people in their current plight. He turned back to nce behind him, where the people with no path of retreat were still gathering. The majority of them were numb, tormented by the cruel heavens so much that they no longer had the capacity to think, surviving solely on instinct. Moreover, what he saw at this time was overwhelmingly men¡­ But when winter came, the figures of women and the elderly would join the ranks. And with the harsh winter, even the children would appear, their frail figures on the battlefield, their innocence should have kept intact, now numbed, transformed into beasts by the cold and hunger! To resent the injustice of the heavens? Or toment the ruthlessness of this world? Zhang Tuo lifted his head again, looking at that haughty figure. Her blood had not stopped flowing, a wound torn open, the blood would never clot without medicine applied. The Wutu people recognized her, stepping into any of the Nine Cities, one could see at a nce the statue standing tall at the center, pure and proud, most would exim at first sight how wondrous she was, yet she never symbolized anything good¡­ Now, they saw the original figure of the statue, she was flesh and blood. ¡°Flying Bird Camp, fall back to Rong Valley City,¡± Li Yunzimanded. ¡°Female Monarch.¡± ¡°Fall back!¡± Li Yunzi shouted angrily. Military orders were as heavy as mountains, the two lieutenants dared not hesitate any longer. ¡°Retreat!¡± ¡°Retreat!¡± The Flying Bird Camp was well-trained, following the two lieutenants as they rode the Flying Dragons back to Rong Valley City, those dark shadows swiftly crossing over the hollowke, flying past the city towers of Rong Valley City. For a moment, all that was left on the entire mountain pass was Li Yunzi, alone, standing tall. In front of her, a multitude of Riot Army members, a group of people forsaken by the heavens, desperate with cold and hunger. And behind her, not a single soldier remained. Drop after drop of blood slid down, the night seemed to fall silent. No one else stepped towards the Sword Boundary; within the numb gazes of the crowd, there finally appeared a focus ¨C they watched the woman standing proudly against the sky, watched as her life slowly drained away¡­ ¡°We are all mortals, but the Female Monarch is a goddess!¡± From the city tower, Zheng Yu couldn¡¯t help but exim in astonishment. They thought that with the Female Monarch¡¯s arrival. holding the militarvmand token, she would surely wreak havoc,pletely eradicating the hidden threat to the east of Ancestral Dragon City-State. But Zheng Yu waspletely wrong! Beside him, Zhu Minng¡¯s gaze almost couldn¡¯t move away from Li Yunzi, watching herplexion grow increasingly pale, watching as her left hand began to quiver ever so slightly¡­ In this moment, Zhu Minng suddenly remembered something extremely important. The letter of cession that Yang Xiu held in her hand¡­ what Li Yunzi had written on it was not the name of any city, not any affluent city of Lingxiao City-State! It was grain and clothing! It was what could relieve the whole of Wutu, What could ensure these people with no hope of survival would safely get through this winter ¨C food and clothing!! When she ordered the killing, there was not a trace of pity or sympathy for those Riot Army members who had crossed the Sword Boundary; Li Yunzi appeared so indifferent and cold-blooded in that moment! Yet when she cut her palm and blood dripped for the people of Rong Valley City, for the people of Wutu, seeking a way for them to live, Li Yunzi was like a goddess descending to earth, wishing least of all to see these living beings suffering. That was why he was always unable to discern her thoughts from her clear eyes; she was indeed unparalleled in this world! (Fling some votes my way, don¡¯t bezy, after all striving to be a tinum-tier author, it¡¯s rather embarrassing when the votes are low. Although my face is generallycking, we shouldn¡¯t condonements in the review section that talk about high beginning, low progress in our books, right? To those silent readers who never send danmaku, I also ask for your help..) Chapter 43 - 43 Feeding Porridge Chapter 43: Feeding Porridge Trantor: Exodus Tales Editor: Exodus Tales The indigo sky had, unnoticed, shifted shades, slowly emitting the luster of jade. Streaks of pristine white light began to spread across the horizon in the direction of Dongxu Fortress City, gradually sketching the contours of thend and gently lifting the veil of night¡­ The stars did not depart immediately; they still studded the clear sky with hues of pink, azure, navy, and jade white. With dawn nearing, the canopy of stars revealed another magnificent and colorful spectacle in this faintly lit world! Blood continued to drip from Li Yunzi¡¯s palm as she had yet to stop the bleeding. She seemed to hear something, slowly turning her face, her gaze fixed on the west, watching the dark-shrouded mountains in that direction. Suddenly, atop the mountains, figures emerged one after another like ck geese. These ck geese, formed in lines, brushed past the veil of dawn. Seemingly flying from night into day, they headed toward Rong Valley City, without an aura of ughter about them. These were the half of the Flying Bird Camp that Li Yunzi had sent back, led by Lu Jiangjun himself. He brought all the Fake Dragons to Rong Valley City and, following Li Yunzi¡¯s wishes, unloaded all the supplies! The supplies piled up like a mountain in an instant, and ripe grains squeezed out from the gaps in the sacks, scattering on the ground. Bathed in morning light, their sheen was even brighter than gold. At the moment when these Fake Dragons appeared, the Riot Army was somewhat panicked, especially the leader Zhang Tuo, whose face was taut and dry, causing cracks to form on his skin¡­ But when he saw that the Fake Dragons carried food and clothing, just as Li Yunzi had said, Zhang Tuo¡¯s face trembled slightly. After a moment, tears that he thought had dried up welled up and just wouldn¡¯t wipe away cleanly! ¡°The Rong Valley City Lord will distribute these to you. Zhang Tuo, you should help him as well,¡± Li Yunzi said with a gentle smile to Zhang Tuo. ¡°This sword wound¡­¡± Zhang Tuo hesitated. ¡°The moment youy down your weapons, you are my subjects. Within the territory of the Ancestral Dragon City-State, you cane and go freely, even if you¡¯re unarmed, ¡± Li Yunzi answered. ¡°Thank you, Female Monarch, thank you for yourpassion towards themon people!¡± Zhang Tuo knelt on the ground, endlessly bowing and giving thanks to Li Yunzi. In Rong Valley City, the residents were also not few in number. Ever since the Riot Army emerged, they had been tormented, because they knew these so-called beasts, the destitute, would take away everything they had. But now, the city gates were wide open; the mighty Riot Army did not step into the city. Instead, they orderly collected the materials in front of the city walls that would help them through the winter. On the ancient streets, people began to emerge one after another from their tightly shut homes. There were also women leading their children; they watched from a distance with a mix of fear and curiosity¡­ ¡°Mommy, why did you lie? They don¡¯t even have big fangs,¡± a four-year-old girl with pigtails said in a babyish tone to her mother. The girl¡¯s mother was visibly embarrassed and unsure how to respond. In the City Lord Mansion, some blue bricks, some gray tiles, and the damp courtyard were filled with plum blossoms. The petals, wet from the rain, were scattered all over the ground, their fragrance mixing with the fresh scent of the post-rain valley, utterly intoxicating. On a simple bamboo matid a nket, and Zhu Minng sat on a small stool, carefully treating Li Yunzi¡¯s wound. Li Yunzi had fainted. The symptom was excessive blood loss. Indeed, Zhu Minng felt that there was an element of gambling with death in Li Yunzi¡¯s actions. What if the Flying Bird Camp had been dyed? Wouldn¡¯t she have lost her life in vain? Just as he finished dressing the wound, just when Zhu Minng thought he had finally proven useful, Li Yunzi woke up. She opened her eyes, her gazending on Zhu Minng¡¯s face¡­ Zhu Minng considered himself passably handsome, but definitely not enough to make a woman foolish with infatuation. Being stared at by Li Yunzi in such a manner, Zhu Minng actually felt a little bit uneasy. How did that saying go again? His old face blushed. ¡°There¡¯s some red date porridge, just made. I¡¯ll go to the kitchen and bring it to you,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°Alright,¡± Li Yunzi nodded in response. After bringing the red date porridge, Zhu Minng intended to hand it over, but upon ncing at the bandages wrapped around her palms and then at the incredibly frail beauty, he gently stirred it, letting the aroma and sweetness of the red dates spread through the porridge. Zhu Minng then slowly extended the wooden spoon to Li Yunzi¡¯s lips. Li Yunzi hesitated. ¡°I took a sip in the kitchen; it¡¯s not hot anymore,¡± Zhu Minng said. Li Yunzi looked deeply at Zhu Minng and said, ¡°Put it down, I can do it myself. ¡± ¡°You need to lie down for proper blood cirction,¡± Zhu Minng insisted. Li Yunzi was a veteran of battles and had suffered serious injuries. She was well aware that even a slight effort to sit up would cause breathing difficulties. ¡°How¡¯s the situation outside?¡± Li Yunzi took a sip and immediately after swallowing, she asked. ¡°It¡¯s going well. City Lord Zheng and Leader Zhang are capable people. More than ten thousand Wutu people have already received supplies and are on their way back,¡± Zhu Minng said as he continued to feed Li Yunzi spoonfuls of the red date porridge. Zhu Minng fed her slowly, which was a reasonable pace for feeding. However, with each parting of Li Yunzi¡¯s lips, her gaze would shift, avoiding ?his. He remembered the resolute look in her eyes when she faced tens of thousands of the Riot Army. Perhaps Zhu Minng indeed posed a greater threat than a thousand soldiers. ¡°Is this your young dragon?¡± Li Yunzi saw the fluffy little pseudo-dragon beside Zhu Minng, and a ripple of joy spread in her eyes. ¡°You recognize it, huh,¡± Zhu Minng smiled. He meant to say that it was Bai Qi who had helped them unlock the dungeon, but he was grateful for his restraint, feeling it wasn¡¯t the right time to bring up that setting. ¡°Hm?¡± Li Yunzi revealed a hint of confusion, and after a moment, she recalled the small Ice Silkworm that Zhu Minng often nurtured in the palm of his hand. Little White gazed up with itsrge eyes, clearly recognizing Li Yunzi, too, and emitted a melodious chirping sound that was joyful and song-like. ¡°You see, I¡¯m not just good at raising silkworms,¡± Zhu Minng said with a hint of pride in his voice. However, thinking of her flying on her sword alone and holding off the tens of thousands in the Riot Army, Zhu Minng felt a bit defeated. Maybe he still had a long way to go¡­ Li Yunzi¡¯s attention was on Little White, and a smile emerged on her somewhat pale cheeks. No one disliked cute and docile pets, and with Little White possessing the Linglong Technique, it now looked no different from a small white cat with gorgeous wings. If one were to ce it in a pet market, it surely could melt any woman¡¯s heart with ease. ¡°What¡¯s its name?¡± Li Yunzi asked. ¡°Bai Qi.¡± ¡°Bai Qi, Bai Qi¡­¡± Li Yunzi repeated a few times. At the courtyard gate, a man came striding in briskly, drenched with sweat but with a beaming smile on his face as if about to share some joyous news. As he was about to speak, he caught sight of this scene in front of the house, where an ambiance of implied intimacy seemed to permeate the air like the fragrance of plum blossoms. Zheng Yu gaped, then quickly came to a realization, looking like he understood everything, and promptly retreated back outside the courtyard. ¡°This Brother Zhu is truly no ordinary man. Even a woman of such illustrious esteem as the Female Monarch appears shy and meek before him,¡± Zheng Yu couldn¡¯t help but feel even more reverence.. Chapter 44 - 44: Good Talent Chapter 44: Good Talent Trantor: Exodus Tales Editor: Exodus Tales After feeding her a small half-bowl of red date porridge, Zhu Minng remembered something and felt that he should report it to Li Yunzi. ¡°I saw your sister at the academy,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°Who?¡± Li Yunzi asked. ¡°Do you have many sisters?¡± Zhu Minng asked, puzzled. ¡°What did she say to you?¡± Li Yunzi said. ¡°The first time, I saw her at the bridgehead, she was buying peaches next to me. I thought she was you, so I spoke to her, but she didn¡¯t say much. Later, I saw her in the Book Pavilion, where she disguised herself as you, and I was deceived,¡± Zhu Minng recounted the events to Li Yunzi. Zhu Minngter learned that people at the Dragon Taming Academy all knew of Nan Lingsha, but not many had actually seen her, with many saying she had the beauty to bring down a nation. In the nearby Foundry and marketce, not many knew of Nan Lingsha, and no one had seen her. Only when Zhu Minng tested Nan Ye did Nan Ye seem to know the situation surrounding Li Yunzi and Nan Lingsha. Nan Ye was naturally from the Nan Family and seemed to have a high status, as if he alone knew of the rtionship between Li Yunzi and Nan Lingsha. ¡°They¡¯ve all seen her,¡± Li Yunzi seemed to understand something, nodded her head, and after a while, said, ¡°They shouldn¡¯t have taken part¡­¡± After saying this, Li Yunzi herself seemed a bit lost, with a tinge of mncholy between her eyebrows. Participated? Zhu Minng couldn¡¯t quite grasp the meaning of the two words Li Yunzi had said. ¡°Do you suspect your sister and the Nan Family are also the ones plotting against you?¡± Zhu Minng asked, surprised. ¡°I have many enemies,¡± Li Yunzi said. Zhu Minng didn¡¯t know much about Li Yunzi¡¯s family, so naturally, he couldn¡¯t help her analyze the situation. Then there was the foxy woman who called Li Yunzi ¡®sister¡¯ in the dungeon. She seemed to have been killed by Luo Xiao, so what was her true identity? From what he could tell, she used to be someone close to Li Yunzi, and this person was most likely just an executor. So who was the mastermind behind the scenes? Many enemies, does this mean during her times in Wutu when she was overthrown and framed, many people were involved? Close rtives, old enemies, distant enemies? On further thought, Li Yunzi originally had many subordinates, her own Army Guard, and extraordinary Divine Power. How could she be reduced to a prisoner by an ordinary woman? The situation was much moreplex than what Zhu Minng had seen. ¡°How can I help you?¡± Zhu Minng asked. ¡°Take good care of yourself,¡± Li Yunzi said. Zhu Minng scratched his head awkwardly. ¡°Some of my enemies are still lurking in the shadows, and they will likely target you. You will need to be even more careful going forward,¡± Li Yunzi seriously told Zhu Minng. Zhu Minng nodded. Luo Xiao apparently already knew who the man sharing a dungeon with Li Yunzi was. To Zhu Minng, he was a major problem, and those who did not wish to see Li Yunzi rise again would undoubtedly exploit the situation to the fullest! Li Yunzi¡¯s situation within her family seemed to be improving, while Zhu Minng, on the other hand, was likely bing her weak point. At this moment, Zhu Minng remembered what Nan Lingsha had said. The best way for the wound to heal for Li Yunzi was for her to transform herself. ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about me; I will manage. As for you, in the future, try to do less of this self-harming. Passing out like that when there¡¯s no one as upright as me to take care of you is very dangerous,¡± Zhu Minng also took the opportunity to remind Li Yunzi of this. Li Yunzi chewed slowly on the red date flesh in her porridge, her beautiful eyes looking elsewhere, probably feeling that there was a hint of hypocrisy in Zhu Minng¡¯s words. At this time, footsteps were heard in the courtyard. It was Zheng Yu. He had actuallye by earlier, but considering the two needed some private time, Zheng Yu purposely strolled around the streets to reassure the residents of Rong Valley City. ¡°Female Monarch.¡± ¡°Brother Zhu.¡± Zheng Yu maintained the courtesy of a schr, meticulous every time. ¡°Brother Zheng, what brings you here?¡± Zhu Minng¡¯s response was much more casual, as he never considered himself a schr. ¡°The resources the Female Monarch brought this time are very plentiful. Although not fully distributed yet, I estimate it¡¯s enough for eight thousand households for a season. Zhang Tuo, the leader, is also a man with ideas. He discussed with me and thinks that the surplus food and clothes should not be given directly to the Wutu people. It¡¯s better to teach them how to fish than to simply give them fish. Using the organizational cohesion and crisis awareness they still have, we could hire some of them to mine iron ore in the North Mountain behind Dongxu Fortress City and then settle the wages daily,¡± Zheng Yu said. Food would eventually run out. What if next year¡¯s harvest were also poor? What if the summer heat disasteres next year, and the winter bes even colder? Zheng Yu believed that since the Female Monarch considered them her own people, then the people should not only receive relief but should also work. Every one of the Wutu people who had suffered from this natural cmity understood how precious it was to be able to work, harvest, and receive payment. Iron ore was in demand in all the major city-states; selling the iron ore and exchanging it for food and clothing meant Wutu would have an extrayer of security. ¡°Mm, that¡¯s a good suggestion, but there¡¯s no need to mine those low-grade iron ores. I have a vein map of Wutu; I will send someone to give it to you. You and Zhang Tuo carry out this task, ¡± Li Yunzi nodded and said. ¡°I had heard that Wutu contained rare ores, so the Female Monarch has already thought of a path to prosperity for Wutu!¡± Zheng Yu once again bowed respectfully to express his admiration and respect. ¡°Flying Bird Camp will withdraw from this ce soon. Have Zhang Tuo retain some morally upright individuals to stay in the army. Wutu needs its own army. I will pay these people¡¯s sries for half a year. After six months, the proceeds from the mines will take over. The Nine Cities of Wu Tu will be exempt from thebor tax for theing year,¡± Li Yunzi stated with clear artiction. ¡°Your servant understands!¡± Zheng Yu nodded. He had wanted to raise this issue with Li Yunzi, and sure enough, she had already taken it into ount. Having experienced this riot, Wutu was in chaos and needed to be reorganized and more importantly, to recuperate and heal. Fortunately, everything was developing in a positive direction; Zheng Yu felt extremely relieved. As long as they didn¡¯t face a disaster with bodies strewn everywhere and widespread carnage, with the army, officials, and people working together, they would ultimately not be devastated by natural cmities again! Zheng Yu also knew that Li Yunzi needed more rest and did not mention other trivial matters¡ªthose were naturally for them, the officials, to handle. ¡°Zheng Yu is a capable talent,¡± Zhu Minng said to Li Yunzi. On the way here, Zhu Minng had already told Li Yunzi about Zheng Yu¡¯s water-retention strategy to fend off enemies, and just now, Li Yunzi¡¯s words also showed her intention to make good use of Zheng Yu. ¡°Yes, he held Rong Valley City, stopped the tragedy of people killing each other, and left us room to maneuver. If he can handle the tasks I assign, let him take charge of the Nine Cities of Wu Tu,¡± Li Yunzi nodded. Understanding military strategies, capable of governing a city, aware of the bigger picture while not neglecting the details¡ªLi Yunzi might¡¯ve been able to stop the riot, but the true peaceful living of the people depended on someone like Zheng Yu. Moreover, civilians killing each other was extremely unfortunate. As one of the rulers of Ancestral Dragon City, if the citizens of Rong Valley City were massacred and she let the killers go free, it would be difficult to exin to the people of Ancestral Dragon City. The current oue was already a stroke of luck amidst the misfortune! Zhu Minng also felt relieved; at least he could still enjoy the tranquility in the courtyard filled with falling plum blossoms. Any other oue might have numbed his heart to death. However, this peace was slightly fleeting. When it was time to say goodbye, Zhu Minng suddenly felt a bit of reluctance. ¡°Then, I will return to the academy,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°I won¡¯t appear in the academy. The person you¡¯ll see there won¡¯t be me,¡± Li Yunzi reminded Zhu Minng. Zhu Minng scratched his head, unsure whether Li Yunzi was upset about the incident where he mistook another person for her, or if she was suggesting that she would not take the initiative to find him. ¡°Be careful. The person you met at the bridgehead was not by chance,¡± Li Yunzi hesitated for a moment, but still gave Zhu Minng another reminder. ¡®I???¡± Zhu Minng wanted to ask further, but Li Yunzi had already stepped onto the Flying Sword woven from numerous silver threads, leaving Zhu Minng with a stunningly beautiful silhouette¡­ Zhu Minng watched her leave and soon fell deep into thought. Not by chance? So their encounter at the bridgehead was her initial test. And then, another encounter in the Book Pavilion¡­ At first, Zhu Minng had even suspected that Li Yunzi might have a split personality; the woman he met at the bridgehead and in the Book Pavilion was just too simr to her, and having been in Ancestral Dragon City for a while, he had never heard that Li Yunzi and Nan Lingsha were twins. Now it seemed, he was a little too imaginative. Li Yunzi¡¯s warning to be cautious of Nan Lingsha, was it because she was worried Zhu Minng would not be able to tell them apart and get tricked again, or did she think Nan Lingsha was still a suspect? For some reason, Zhu Minng felt that Li Yunzi was wary of Nan Lingsha. Were their rtions not harmonious? Twins usually share both glories and misfortunes.. Was it because they grew up in separate families, or had some unpleasant events happened between them in the past? Chapter 45 - 45: Hei Ya, Azure Dragon Bloodline Chapter 45: Hei Ya, Azure Dragon Bloodline Trantor: Exodus Tales Editor: Exodus Tales Havingpleted his mission, Zhu Minng naturally should return to the Dragon Taming Academy. After all, he was a qualified spectator in this catastrophe! ¡°Brother Zhu, are you leaving? I was preparing some modest gifts for you to express Rong Valley City¡¯s gratitude for your righteous rescue,¡± said Zheng Yu, hastening to catch up as he saw Zhu Minng was about to leave. ¡°It¡¯s just a trifling matter; we can skip the gifts,¡± Zhu Minng said, somewhat embarrassed. ¡°Let it be a gift between friends,¡± Zheng Yu insisted. Zheng Yu was very persistent. In his view, the fact that someone was willing to help was a mark of their nobility, and expressing gratitude was an ethos befitting a gentleman¡¯s character! ¡°Then I shall respectfully ept. Weren¡¯t you organizing the townspeople to mine the vein? If youe across any silver iron with a verdant luster, please collect some for me. I want to forge a very satisfying piece of Dragon Armor for my dragon,¡± said Zhu Minng, bringing up this matter. ¡°It sets my mind at ease to be able to do something for Brother Zhu. In a few days, I¡¯ll send someone to the High Court with them, and I¡¯ll trouble you to convey my sincere thanks to both teachers,¡± said Zheng Yu. ¡°Teacher Ke Bei, I¡¯m afraid¡­¡± Zhu Minng sighed deeply, then recounted the incident of their ambush on the road and Teacher Ke Bei¡¯s passing. Upon hearing this, Zheng Yu was even more shocked, with a look of extreme guilt and shame on his face. He bowed solemnly to Zhu Minng and said, ¡°I will definitelye in person to offer my thanks and pay my respects on a chosen day.¡± Upon leaving Rong Valley City andying eyes on the Blue Water Silver Wave Lake, Zhu Minng felt a sense of relief. After passing through the forest of vibrantly hued maple leaves, he went by his own quarters, but instead of stopping, he headed straight for the Rehabilitation Pavilion. The Rehabilitation Pavilion was on the opposite shore of theke, and everything was very quiet when Zhu Minng walked in. A woman with soft hair, using flower branches as hairpins, wasying with her head on the table, breathing softly, asleep in the bright and gentle afternoon, undisturbed by Zhu Minng¡¯s footsteps. This must be Little Pear, the old master¡¯s disciple. Teacher Duan Lan had already been taken away by her family, and the Zhan River Dragon was no longer in the healing pools. ¡°Little ck Tooth,¡± Zhu Minng called softly. After searching several healing pools and not finding hisrge ck Crocodile Dragon, Zhu Minng decided to walk deeper into the Rehabilitation Pavilion. In the back hall, there was arge pharmacy with big stoves for decocting medicine andrge pots for cooking therapeutic food. Just as Zhu Minng thought he was in the wrong ce, a huge ck shadow began to move slowly from therge medicine stove. The Rehabilitation Pavilion served not only the Dragon Shepherds but also provided care for wounded dragons, which meant that all the stove and furnace equipment was massive, some as tall as low courtyard walls. Yet, the space in the stove where all the firewood was stacked could barely amodate the dark culinary thief. Half of its tail was sticking out, wagging and threatening to knock over the surrounding stoves, while its plump dragon rear wriggled as it voraciously gobbled up the food! As unsightly as the eating was, this ck dragon seemed to possess the Azure Dragon Bloodline, exuding an imposing majesty and fierceness from tail to body, showcasing a hint of extraordinariness! ¡°Whose unruly charcoal dragon is this? It may be imposing, but it has no manners, stealing food like this,¡± Zhu Minng said with a helpless shake of his head, deciding to pretend he hadn¡¯t seen anything and continue looking for his ck Tooth. ¡°Oh?¡± The wild charcoal dragon seemed a bit slow to react, but after a while, it turned itsrge head and spotted Zhu Minng, who wore a look of disdain. Overwhelmed with ¡°Dragon Heart¡¯s great joy,¡± the dragon abandoned its food and excitedly lunged towards Zhu Minng. Zhu Minng was stunned. This ill-mannered ck dragon, not satisfied with stealing kitchen food, was about to taste him too? Moreover, the creature looked truly ferocious, its ck dragon skin like wrought iron, to say nothing of its powerfully built physique. His own frail body would probably not even suffice for an appetizer! ¡°Don¡¯te any closer, I am¡­ Ahhh!!¡± Zhu Minng hadn¡¯t even had the chance to cry out to Bai Qi for help when he was pounced on and brought to the ground by the ck dragon. Soon, Zhu Minng saw therge, ck, ferocious fangs of the dragon, feeling that not even an ancient millennia-old crocodile could match the terror and fierceness of this dragon. Just when he thought he was really about to be eaten, a sticky, soft tongue suddenly swept over him, baptizing Zhu Minng thoroughly. Seemingly realizing Zhu Minng had no reactions, the ck dragon licked him several more times until Zhu Minng, with a hint of doubt, asked, ¡°Big ck Tooth?¡± The ck dragon¡¯srge head nodded heavily several times, nearly smashing the nearby Yan Yong to smithereens. It was then that Zhu Minng hurriedly quieted his mind to sense the faint spirit bond with ck Tooth¡­ Soon, there was a response from the ck mad dragon in front of him, surprising Zhu Minng so much that he couldn¡¯t speak for a good while, only able to stare wide-eyed at this ¡°unrecognizably transformed¡± Big ck Dragon! Transformed into a dragon???? His Juvenile Spirit had actually transformed into a dragon!! Most importantly, he had perfectly missed the moment it leaped through the Dragon Gate!! ¡°Big ck Tooth! It really is you!¡± ¡°You¡­ You transformed into a dragon!!¡± Zhu Minng was stammering as he spoke. How did it transform into a dragon!! Could it be that the fierce battle in the cold pondpletely awakened the Dragon Bloodline inherent in ck Tooth¡¯s bones, enabling it to cross the final threshold and transform into a dragon!! This is such a big, big, big surprise!! By now, ck Tooth had grown to seven or eight meters in size, and that was just because the kitchen space was limited. If you included its thick, massive crocodilian tail, it would probably be close to ten meters long. Its hind legs had be even more robust than before, and its forelimbs,plete with dragon-muscled arms, while its whole body retained its original crocodilian shape, no longer just a wild giant croc, but a fierce dragon-croc physique. Its skin was still not rough or bumpy but had a sleek look, giving the impression of toughness and solidity as if it was d in a suit of ck iron armor. The crown horns on its head had fully grown out, covering from its forehead to the back of the brain, adding a touch of true dragon majesty to what was once a cute and clumsy-looking Big ck Tooth! It really is the Azure Dragon Bloodline!! The Azure Dragon is one of the Ancient Dragons, simr to crocodiles and lizards, often active in shallow waters. Like crocodiles that dwell mostly in swamps, wends, rainforests,kes, and river shallows, the Azure Dragon is also called the top predator in the ocean. They not only prey on the behemoths in the depths but also ferociously leap from the shallow reefs to bite powerful creatures that wander near the sea. Even the tyrannical dragons onnd have to give way to them! In this transformation, Little ck Tooth had thoroughly awoken the Azure Dragon¡¯s bloodline; with its unparalleled physique, it was likely unafraid of any dragon species in closebat battle! Of course, in the water, it would be even closer to being unstoppable! Zhu Minng¡¯s face was filled with smiles.. Just when he needed a swift transformation, ck Tooth¡¯s evolution into a dragon came at the perfect time, giving Zhu Minng the confidence he needed, even if he were to face that bastard Luo Xiao again! Chapter 46 - 46 Black Wild Boar Chapter 46: ck Wild Boar Trantor: Exodus Tales Editor: Exodus Tales After transforming into a dragon, a Spirit Contract can be signed. Thanks to the previous Spirit Bond with the Juvenile Spirit, signing the Spirit Contract became very smooth. Combined with Big ck Tooth¡¯s own willingness, Zhu Minng has now officially be a Dragon Shepherd to two True Dragons starting from today!! Uponpleting the signing, Zhu Minng could feel the soul connection more clearly. At the same time, he felt as if there was something different in his own mind and spirit world, as if his five senses had be sharper, and his insight into the surrounding things had also strengthened! ¡°Spiritual Power has increased, and the Spirit Realm can make both Bai Qi and ck Tooth grow faster, one day equivalent to half a month. Moreover, now I can try to use Spiritual Power for Soul Collecting Pearl Brewing!¡± Zhu Minng eximed excitedly. The leap over the Dragon Gate by ck Tooth had evidently brought about many changes to himself, as if his own realm had taken a huge step forward, and he didn¡¯t have to be a salted fish anymore! Although Bai Qi¡¯s strength was still far above ck Tooth¡¯s, being an inferior Dragon General in its growth stage, for some reason its advancement did not bring much change to his mind and spirit. On the other hand, it was ck Tooth¡¯s transformation into a dragon that had truly brought Zhu Minng into the threshold of being a Dragon Shepherd! ¡°The first time being a formal Dragon Shepherd, there¡¯s still a lot to slowly figure out. Mhm, mhm, steady but advancing, moving towards a small goal!¡± Zhu Minng was in high spirits, already vaguely seeing the signs of his return to the peak! To be a strong individual of this era, one must have a Dragon Lord. But thinking about the realm Li Yunzi was in, Zhu Minng felt he needed to raise his small goal a bit. Li Yunzi exhibited strength at the Lord Level, so as an authoritative man himself, he should at least reach the Monarch Level to be able to sweep away all opposition! After taking ck Tooth with him, Zhu Minng noticed that a certain girl was still lying on the desk, sleeping just like before,pletely unaware that a big man and a ck Azure Dragon had walked out from the rear pavilion. The only difference was that she had changed her sleeping posture, looking rather cute and no longer tranquil¡­ Zhu Minng didn¡¯t want to disturb her, but as he was leaving, he suddenly noticed a bill hanging in front of the door, clearly stating the credits he needed to pay and some of the ingredients they had fed in these days. ¡°You eat this much?¡± Zhu Minng turned to ask Big ck Tooth. ¡°Oh??¡± Big ck Tooth looked as if it had never been satiated. Zhu Minng felt a headacheing on as he thought about his money and the pitiful number of credits he had on hand. Fortunately, the Rehabilitation Pavilion was one of the few ces in the Dragon Taming Academy where you could run up a tab, otherwise Zhu Minng would have had to pawn the newly transformed Big ck Tooth right there. Speaking of dragon food, the formerly high-spirited Zhu Minng fell into deep thought once again. The supply of Frost Tree Flower Honey for Little White was almost out, and after its advancement, its appetite had increased a little, and it seemed that the Frost Tree Flower Honey was no longer nutritious enough. At least up to now, Zhu Minng had not seen Bai Qi awaken its Azure Dragon Mystics¡­ After Big ck Tooth transformed into a dragon, its appetite¡­ could no longer be sated by just a few baskets of meat grubs. Now, Big ck Tooth no longer ate cheap meat grubs, it wanted meat, rich and premium, and energy-packed meat. The recent bill clearly stated that Big ck Tooth had consumed a total of seven adult wild ck pigs!! Yet, Big ck Tooth still didn¡¯t feel full. Dragons truly did eat gold! Now that Big ck Tooth could be taken into the Spirit Realm, moving in and out would be much easier. Having be a true Dragon Shepherd, Zhu Minng was eligible to move into a separate residence, but changing living arrangements cost credits and money. After thinking about it, he felt the lively atmosphere with his enthusiastic ssmates was pretty good! His own house had been cleaned spotlessly. When Hong Hao saw Zhu Minng return, he immediately came up to greet him, and his praise made Zhu Minng feel quitefortable. ¡°I¡¯ve been a bit short on money recently¡­¡± Zhu Minng just so happened to have something to ask Hong Hao. ¡°Ah?? I¡¯m not rich though.¡± Hong Hao shuddered in fear, feeling that his wealth was about to be bullied away. ¡°I¡¯m not borrowing from you, what are you panicking for? I¡¯m asking if there are any goodmissions within the academy that offer high rewards?¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°Not many academy appointments recently, you can go check in the city-states, there should be something suitable for Brother Zhu¡¯s level!¡± Hong Hao said. ¡°Help me find out where there¡¯s an abundance of ck wild pigs,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°No problem!¡± Hong Hao became exceptionally enthusiastic. Zhu Minng went back to his room to sleep. He hadn¡¯t closed his eyes in a while and was just as exhausted. He fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow, sleeping very deeply. The windows of the room were tightly closed, with curtains drawn, hardly letting in any light. asionally, when Zhu Minng awoke, he couldn¡¯t tell if it was day or night outside. In the Spirit Realm. Little White was deeply asleep too, its feathers lightly fluttering with its breath. Big ck Tooth was in another corner, its snoring thunderous, growing more intense. Whenever the snores reached a peak, Little White¡¯s tail would sweep through the air sending a strong wind across Big ck Tooth¡¯s face in the Spirit Realm. Big ck Tooth half-awoke and rubbed his face against his nest a few times before falling back asleep, his snoring growing louder by the moment until a crosswind swept through the Spirit Realm, bringing a moment of tranquility. Apparently unable to endure the ck Dragon¡¯s snoring any longer, Little White woke up, crawled out of the Spirit Realm, and, as usual, folded his wings, circled his tail around himself, and curled up like a little cat on Zhu Minng¡¯s quilt. Zhu Minng groggily opened his eyes, still heavy with sleep, but when he noticed a Little White Dragon nested atop his quilt and taking up a spot, he carefully turned to one side, daring not to tug even a bit at the bedding so that part of his body was nearly exposed. Even as he shivered from the cold, he couldn¡¯t bear to ask Little White to move¡­ Overcast skies, cold autumn. To the north of Li Chuan Dragon Taming Academyy a vast and lush forest, with a region near the entrance dominated by cedar trees, while deeper in stood many tall and ancient pines. The reason Zhu Minng was in these woods was due to Hong Hao¡¯s high rmendation of it as an excellent hunting ground, where many Dragon Shepherds who had carnivorous dragons would hunt every now and then, maintaining the dragons¡¯ ferocity and wildness! Walking into the cedar forest, the soil was covered with many leaves that had only recently fallen, which felt incredibly soft underfoot. Of course, it was Zhu Minng walking on them, but when Big ck Tooth took a step, his huge footprints appeared directly in the soil, causing the fragile young cedar trees nearby to tremble. As one moved deeper, they would encounter forest ck pigs, but such creatures were not as ubiquitous as sparrows and not easy to find. Zhu Minng had wandered the area for quite a while and hadn¡¯t spotted a single wild boar! The most difficult part of hunting wasn¡¯t killing the prey, but finding it. In a vast forest full of trees, even without the obstructed view by low shrubs, locating a fierce wild boar was no easy task. Fortunately, Zhu Minng had made some preparations; tracking the footprints of certain creatures was a skill most Dragon Shepherds needed to know. With Zhu Minng¡¯s greatly enhanced sensory abilities, he could now detect the residual scent of certain creatures within a certain area. Closing his eyes, the scents would float around like fragrant wind, lingering somewhere before drifting in a fixed yet slightly vague direction¡ªthe direction most likely taken by the creature¡­ Of course, scents could also dissipate with environmental disturbances, and many Demon Spirits knew how to hide, mislead, or erase their scent to avoid being found by their predators. ¡°This way,¡± Zhu Minng pointed in a direction. Sitting on Big ck Tooth¡¯s back, Zhu Minng felt much more at ease and moved much faster than before. ¡°No, that¡¯s wrong. That seems to be a deer. It¡¯s this way. This time, I¡¯m sure I¡¯m not mistaken,¡± Zhu Minng corrected, pointing in another direction. The ck Azure Violent Dragon turned quite nimbly; it did, after all, have powerful hind limbs and could, like the Barbaric Tyrant Dragons, maintain an upright gait¡­ Zhu Minng had already conducted some identification at the academy; Big ck Tooth bore the pure bloodlines of a Barbaric Tyrant Dragon and a Dark Azure Dragon¡ªan authentic Ancient Dragon. Barbaric Tyrant Dragon and Azure Dragon were respectively the overlords ofnd and sea, so Big ck Tooth possessed exceedingly formidablebat capability onnd as well. A howl came from ahead, and Zhu Minng immediately ordered the ck Azure Violent Dragon to halt and wait there. The ck Azure Violent Dragon was too big, and its Violent Dragon aura was immensely powerful. Those Ordinary Spirits with keen senses would scatter like birds and beasts long before Big ck Tooth could approach. Forest ck pigs were no different; they could not contend with an Ancient Dragon, and they would start to flee at the slightest noise. Zhu Minng certainly didn¡¯t want to miss this wild boar. He decided to go on foot, following the call. The ck Azure Violent Dragon had to move very slowly if it wanted to proceed, but its size made it hard to move stealthily. ¡°You wait here; I¡¯ll go ahead and take a look. Don¡¯t scare off our first prey,¡± Zhu Minng instructed. ¡°Shh-???? Zhu Minng quickly made a quiet gesture to Big ck Tooth. Big ck Tooth forcefully held back his vigorous response, snorting heavily through his nostrils! Zhu Minng hurried forward. He noticed many gnawed cedar cones at his feet, though most were not eaten cleanly. Probably the work of ck pigs¡ªthey didn¡¯t have the agile incisors like squirrels or rabbits to eat cedar cones delicately. Instead, they gobbled them up whole and had to spit out the inedible shells in the end. After crossing the area littered with cedar cones, Zhu Minng saw a huge wild boar covered in long, thick hair! The ck pig¡¯s fur was nearly dragging on the ground, its size could rival some wild yaks, which was significantly older than the ck wild boars caught in the academy. In a few more years, this ck wild pig might even be a demon itself! Chapter 47 - 47 Ancient Dragon Warfare Skills Chapter 47: Ancient Dragon Warfare Skills Trantor: Exodus Tales Editor: Exodus Tales ¡°Eating this one is as good as those sevenbined!¡± Zhu Minng was delighted. Hong Hao really hadn¡¯t deceived him¡ªthe hunting here was indeed very fruitful! Zhu Minng had already set his sights on his prey and was about to call the ck Azure Violent Dragon, which was a little behind him, when suddenly a fierce wind arose, causing the fir trees to sway violently, and numerous cones to fall to the ground like hail. Therge ck wild boar immediately became alert. It rotated its head, trying to identify the source of the peculiar wind. Suddenly, a white-furred giant shadow charged at therge ck wild boar with extreme speed. Zhu Minng felt as if the forest itself was shaking before his eyes. ¡°Owvvwee!!!¡± Therge ck wild boar let out one cry after another as the white-furred frenzied shadow lifted it up. At mid-air, the creature bit straight into the ck boar¡¯s neck! The boar¡¯s carotid artery was torn open, and blood gushed out like a fountain while the white-furred being opened its mouth to greedily drink the boar¡¯s blood¡­ Underneath the fir trees, the white-furred monster held the ck boar high, letting it struggle wildly. The more it struggled, the more blood flowed, and the white-furred monster drank even more merrily! Minutes passed, and there wasn¡¯t much blood left flowing from the ck boar. The white-furred monster then nonchntly threw the plump boar to the ground, showing no interest in its flesh. The ck boar hadn¡¯t diedpletely, its limbs twitching and iling, still attempting to struggle free, but its life was nearing its end. ¡°Blood-drinking Furry Beast!¡± Zhu Minng recognized the creature, his face showing astonishment. Would it be considered spineless to wait for this Blood-drinking Furry Beast to leave, then let Big ck Toothe eat this boar? While Zhu Minng was pondering what to do, the Blood-drinking Furry Beast, now stained red all over, turned its face toward the fir tree behind which Zhu Minng was hiding. Zhu Minng stayed hidden behind the tree, avoiding direct eye contact, but he was acutely aware that the Blood-drinking Furry Beast was staring right at him. It had picked up his scent. It knew he was hiding behind the tree! Such a strong sense of smell¡ªthis Blood-drinking Furry Beast was a genuine specter, likely even Sub-Dragons could be its prey! ¡°Roar!!!!!¡± The Blood-drinking Furry Beast seemed to dislike being watched. It charged towards Zhu Minng. It didn¡¯t even seem to find it necessary to dodge the trees. Bullying its way through, this utterly arrogant creature toppled every fir tree in its path, yet its rock-solid body remained unharmed. Zhu Minng made a decisive retreat. Initially, he had intended to escape around the trees, but realizing the ferocity of the beast behind him, he simply ran in a straight line. ¡°Big ck Tooth, hooked an even bigger one,¡± Zhu Minng called out loudly. Hearing themand, the ck Azure Violent Dragon instantly unleashed its full wildness. Its body, which had been crawling, suddenly rose, and its ck hide and powerful dragon frame reached the height of the mature fir trees¡¯ crowns! ¡°Boom boom boom!!!!¡± When the ck Azure Violent Dragon started moving, the momentum was even more terrifying. The Blood-drinking Furry Beast had no idea that by chasing Zhu Minng into this forest, it was running straight towards the ferocious ck Azure Violent Dragon lying in wait. It pursued Zhu Minng recklessly, effectively crashing into the path of the ck Azure Violent Dragon! However, this Blood-drinking Furry Beast was clearly no ordinary creature either. It brandished its exceedingly thick arms, and with fists that could match the great hammers in the foundries, it hammered down towards the ck Azure Violent Dragon¡¯s head. ¡°Heavy Horns! ¡± Zhu Minng observed the Blood-drinking Furry Beast¡¯s response and immediately ordered the ck Azure Violent Dragon to change its attack method. The ck Azure Violent Dragon was about to pounce and bite, but upon hearing Zhu Minng¡¯s voice it immediately buried its head down, thrusting up its incredibly exaggerated ck dragon horn! ¡°Boom! !!!! ¡± The heavy horn struck with unstoppable force! The Blood-drinking Furry Beast, bulky as it was, was sent flying by the ck Azure Violent Dragon, crushing four or fiverge fir trees before finallying to a shaky stop. The Blood-drinking Furry Beast¡¯s forearms were nearly fractured by the ck Azure Violent Dragon¡¯s horn, clearly struggling to lift them again! ¡°Don¡¯t let it get up,¡± Zhu Minng said. He had seen the speed of the Blood-drinking Furry Beast; when it sprinted, it was like a white tornado. Zhu Minng had finally found arge ck wild boar, only for the monster to snatch it away. He did not n to let it escape. The ck Azure Violent Dragon was a purebred Ancient Dragon, in possession of Ancient Dragon Warfare Skills, making it fundamentally different from those monsters. There the ck Azure Violent Dragon stood, its body half-erect, the mouth full of ck crocodile teeth slowly opened, wide enough to seem like it could swallow therge ck wild boar whole¡­ ¡°Ohohohoh¡ª¨C A powerful surge gushed from the ck Azure Violent Dragon¡¯s throat, and the earth, covered in pine nuts, was brutally torn apart by terrifying cracks, ferocious and swiftly spreading towards the dizzy Blood-drinking Furry Beast! ! Sonic Roar! Though it was the power of a sonic roar, it seemed like the fearful sh of a dragon¡¯s ws sweeping through air and earth. The Blood-drinking Furry Beast had no time to react when suddenly the tearing roar swept over it, its body as hard as rock was ripped open!! sh after sh appeared on the Blood-drinking Furry Beast, just like the cracks on the ground, even though it was still some distance from the ck Azure Violent Dragon, it looked as if it had been mauled by the dragon¡¯s ws, its body a bloody blur, its rib bones exposed¡­ The Blood-drinking Furry Beast wasn¡¯t the only thing severely damaged; the surrounding fir trees all suffered heavily. The earth, the trees, the Blood-drinking Furry Beast, none were left intact; such was the power of the Sonic Roar that even Zhu Minng couldn¡¯t help but widen his eyes in amazement! Fierce, Big ck Tooth!! With another serious injury, the Blood-drinking Furry Beast found it difficult to flee at full speed; its skin and muscles were severely torn, and barely managing to stand up, it couldn¡¯t maintain bnce while walking. ¡°Kill it and take the Soul Bead,¡± Zhu Minng told ck Tooth. Big ck Tooth no longer needed to be so hasty. It strode towards the limping Blood -drinking Furry Beast. The Azure Dragon¡¯s biting ability was already superior to that of prehistoric crocodiles; Big ck Tooth opened its mouth and bit through the neck of the Blood-drinking Furry Beast in one go! There was no struggle from the Blood-drinking Furry Beast; as the ck teeth pierced through its neck, the rampant beast was no different from a dying wild rabbit. After a few kicks, the Blood-drinking Furry Beast was dead. Big ck Tooth had no interest in the flesh of the Blood-drinking Furry Beast; carrying the corpse in its mouth, it turned to look at Zhu Minng, seemingly asking, ¡°Master, do you eat first?¡± Zhu Minng shook his head and said to Big ck Tooth, ¡°There¡¯s a ck-haired pig ahead without much blood; drag it over here, I¡¯ll roast it for you before you eat, eating raw is bad for the stomach.¡± Forget about eating raw to retain the bloody ferocity; Zhu Minng didn¡¯t care for that, food has to be delicious! Chapter 48 - 48: Scoring an Assist Chapter 48: Scoring an Assist Trantor: Exodus Tales Editor: Exodus Tales Big ck Tooth let go of the corpse of the Blood-drinking Furry Beast and checked it over again, making sure that the demon beast was indeed dead before moving toward the direction Zhu Minng had indicated, to gnaw on its own big ck pig. Zhu Minng stretched out his palm and activated his spiritual power. Spiritual power, like a ma, could attract and condense the souls of recently deceased creatures. Zhu Minng noticed that when he harvested souls with his spiritual power, his eyes seemed to be able to see the wisp of a soul hovering next to the body of the Blood-drinking Furry Beast¡­ The deep red color, resembling a shadow that was slowly fading, Zhu Minng began to concentrate, trying to make this dark red soul gather towards him. The process was not too difficult, mainly depending on the host itself, on one hand, the soul had not been damaged in battle, on the other hand, the host had to have a certain level of cultivation base. Once it became a Demon Spirit, it had a cultivation base, which was fundamentally different from the wild beasts in the mountains. This cultivation base was not only reflected in a strong, agile, and fierce body but more importantly, in a strong and extraordinary soul, the most obvious characteristic being the ability to use Demon Art! ¡°This Blood-drinking Furry Beast¡¯s soul is weak, I¡¯m afraid it won¡¯t condense into a good Soul Bead,¡± Zhu Minng said, somewhat disappointed. Zhu Minng didn¡¯t know whether it was his own inexperience or the Blood-drinking Furry Beast really wasn¡¯t anything special, but he managed to harvest a Blood Pearl, which was of lower quality than the Violent Catfish Soul Pearl Teacher Duan Lan had given him before. ¡°Although it¡¯s of inferior quality, it¡¯s still a pity to throw away, and it¡¯s not good to sell. The preservation box is more expensive than the bead itself. I¡¯ll give it to Hong Haoter as payment for his information,¡± Zhu Minng said. After harvesting the Soul Bead, Zhu Minng ced it into a very simple wooden box. These wooden boxes actually didn¡¯t have much of a preservative effect. Periodically, the Soul Bead would dissipate some of its energy at a very fast rate. The big ck pig was dragged over by ck Tooth. Despite being very hungry, this big fellow was very obedient and didn¡¯t bite into it right away. Instead, it seriouslyid the big ck pig in front of Zhu Minng, acting as if it wanted its master to have the first taste of a good thing. ¡°Find somerge stones to build a stone stove, and throw all those fallen cedar trees into it,¡± Zhu Minng instructed. ck Tooth was very diligent and immediately did as Zhu Minng said, and Zhu Minng didn¡¯t even have to lift a finger. He watched as its massive and powerful body moved back and forth, while Zhu Minng started the fire and began dealing with the thick fur on the exterior of the big ck pig. In no time, an open-air barbecue rock tform was constructed. Skipping the bleeding step, Zhu Minng cleaned out the big ck pig¡¯s innards too and began roasting the ck pig¡­ No oil or seasonings were needed, as the ck pig¡¯s own fat was aromatic and overflowed withrd, which slowly seeped into the meat that was starting to turn golden brown under the grilling mes. ¡°ck Tooth, could you turn your head away when you drool? I thought it started raining!¡± Zhu Minng said, ring at it unhappily. The big guy was so gluttonous that his eyes almost shone, drool thick and sticky sliding from the corners of its mouth. After a while, it swept up all the saliva with itsrge tongue, swallowing back the drool. The master hadn¡¯t said it was ready. Couldn¡¯t eat yet. Had to restrain the urge. Bai Qi leisurely stood on Zhu Minng¡¯s shoulder, looking at ck Tooth with puzzlement, yet also with a hint of pride. No matter how crispy the skin was grilled or how juicy and fragrant the meat became, Bai Qi couldn¡¯t muster any interest, as if fairies were all about their transcendent beauty, feeding on dewdrops. ¡°You can eat now, after we¡¯re done we¡¯ll go find some Demon Spirits to test our skills,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°0hhh- ¡± ck Tooth raised its head and let out a howl, making Zhu Minng wonder if it had some degree of Grey Wolf blood in it. With each bite taking down a big fatty leg, ck Tooth ate with its face covered in grease, and each time its tongue swept over the greasy face, it radiated a feeling of bliss¡­ Taking advantage of ck Tooth not having swallowed everything, Zhu Minng cut off a piece of pork neck meat and started reading while eating. There was a lot to learn, especially to be a qualified Dragon Shepherd; having a well-stocked reserve of knowledge was essential. Previously, Zhu Minng only had Little White Bai Qi, who was self-taught with exceptional talent and didn¡¯t need Zhu Minng to worry about anything. However, ck Tooth was like a grassroots existence, so postnatal efforts were more important, and he needed to n more. Little White Bai Qi seemed bored, already lying listlessly on Zhu Minng¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Do you also want to find some opponents?¡± Zhu Minng asked. ¡°Yiyi!¡± Bai Qi immediately nodded its little head. Just thinking about the Gold-ted Fire Dragon filled Bai Qi with fighting spirit. However, some strength was still dormant inside its body, as if bound by something; only through battle could it break these shackles. Bai Qi was also looking forward to the fight. ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll walk deeper into the territoryter,¡± Zhu Minng said. This meal should sustain us for many days. The meat of the ck pigs, which are almost demonic, contains great energy. Even a beast the size of Big ck Tooth would need time to digest it, and eating again would be possible only if the meat were more nutritious; otherwise, it would simply be overindulgence. Continuing deeper into the cedar forest, thendscape gradually changed as old pine trees started to dominate. They were tall and sturdy, each requiring two people to hug their girth, giving the impression that these trees might have be spirits. Otherwise, why would their branches seem so terrifying, as though they were about tosh out and bite! Big ck Tooth did not know how to conceal its presence, and most beast spirits would avoid it, let alone those demon spirits that had lived for hundreds of years. They were extremely alert. No matter how vast the cedar forest or how abundant its birds and beasts, tracking them down was a difficult task. Having learned from the difficulty of hunting wild pigs, Zhu Minng had be wiser. Demon spirits coveted the flesh of powerful creatures, so Zhu Minng deliberately had Big ck Tooth carry the carcass of the Blood-drinking Furry Beast. Upon reaching areas with a strong aura of magical beasts, they used the carcass as bait to lure out those powerful demon spirits! This method proved incredibly effective. It wasn¡¯t long before a brown bristle creature appeared deep in the cedar forest. Its demonic energy was extremely strong, and its presence scared away other beast spirits hoping to share the loot. They could only wander from a distance, maintaining a safe gap. ¡°Is this a wild dragon??¡± Zhu Minng asked in surprise. The brown beast resembled a pig, but its mane was full of sharp spines and it had three horns on its head. It somewhat resembled the Triceratops among ancient dragons, and its whole body was covered in a meaty armor. Despite its short legs, the bulky size of its meat armor seemed capable of crushing fragile Azure Dragons and Giant Dragons into dust. ¡°It¡¯s probably not a True Dragon but a wild Fake Dragon, and it has a beast spirit cultivation base of over five hundred years,¡± Zhu Minng said, somewhat surprised. A cultivation base of five hundred years doesn¡¯t mean the creature has lived for five hundred years. In this world, there are many ways to increase cultivation base, including various forms of spiritual essences. Some wild beasts and demon spirits, when encountering such fortune, could have their cultivation base soar by hundreds of years. Moreover, through fighting, killing, and devouring the corpses and souls of other demon spirits, one can also quickly increase their cultivation base. Purely enduring for hundreds or thousands of years to achieve such cultivation base is rare in this vast world. With the bloodline of an Ancient Dragon and a cultivation base of five hundred years, the Bristle Hog Fake Dragon lured by Zhu Minng was likely the undisputed ruler of the cedar forest for many years. ¡°It should have the strength of a Dragon Child Level.¡± Zhu Minng was a little excited; finally, they had a worthy prey! The jungle wasplex, and even the smallest creatures had their own ways of survival. Even the monsters in the deep mountains and old forests weren¡¯t just wandering around; smart hunters were ustomed to understanding the habits of their prey and implementing a hunting strategy. ¡°Oh! ck Ocean Violent Dragon was now eagerly raring to go. The previous Blood-drinking Furry Beast had been too weak. Atst, a decent opponent. ck Ocean Violent Dragon could now fight with full force! ¡°Bang Bang Bang!!¡± With a hearty sprint, ck Ocean Violent Dragon was ready for battle¡­ However, a graceful white figure moved even faster. Suddenly, the ancient pine trees around it mysteriously frosted over, all of their needles turning a snowy white. With wings unfurled inyers of splendid beauty, the Ice Morning White Dragon struck before ck Ocean Violent Dragon could! It first sprinkled countless frosty kes, freezing the entire forest. Then it whipped up a whirlwind with silver feathered des, which shredded the century-old pines into sawdust and stripped awayyers of soil from the ground. The Bristle Hog Fake Dragon, usually fearless, only realized it was not facing a mere local demon when the silver-feathered whirlwind soared dozens of meters above the treetops. It tried to flee in panic, only to find its short, pudgy limbs frozen to the ground. Struggling to break free from the icy soil just in time, the silver-feathered whirlwind was already upon it¡­ The Fake Dragon, as heavy as a stone house, was still tossed into the wind. The lethally sharp silver ice feathers minced it brutally, slicing through its formidable meat armor effortlessly!! Blood scattered within the silver-feathered whirlwind, turning the entire storm blood-red. ¡°Boom! !!!! ¡± It took a while before the Bristle Hog Fake Dragon finally plummeted from the sky, lifeless by the time it hit the ground. ck Ocean Violent Dragon had run all the way, eager for a vigorous fight with the Bristle Hog Fake Dragon, only to find it already dead, leaving its crocodile face filled with confusion. Turning its head, ck Ocean Violent Dragon took a long look at the Ice Morning White Dragon, nowrger and floating midair, before helplessly directing its gaze towards Zhu Minng. If only it had been left barely alive. Even ck Treasure could have imed an assist. Chapter 49 - 49 The Young Do Not Endeavor Chapter 49: The Young Do Not Endeavor Trantor: Exodus Tales Editor: Exodus Tales ¡°Cough cough, this one is Big ck Tooth¡¯s opponent.¡± Zhu Minng also felt a bit embarrassed, for he hadn¡¯t set things up in advance. Bai Qi dispersed all the snow and ice, still looking uninterested, andnded back on Zhu Minng¡¯s shoulder. As it descended, its body slowly transformed into something exquisite, surrounded by feathers that melted into the air like snow. ¡°Let¡¯s find the next prey, at least we have better bait now,¡± Zhu Minngforted Big ck Tooth. ¡°Oh oh¡ª¡± Big ck Tooth felt a bit wronged and, indeed, a bit struck. The opponent he thought was on par was just so easily killed. Zhu Minng walked towards the hideous corpse of the Fake Dragon, reasonably, he hadn¡¯t even fully seen the creature¡¯s appearance. Extending his palm, Zhu Minng once again began the Soul Collecting Pearl Brewing process. This was a magical beast close to the Dragon Child Level, and the pearl that might be condensed from it could be a Dragon Ball. If it was a Dragon Ball, he would make a fortune! Dragon Balls had a certain chance of helping those Juvenile Spirits with Potential Dragon Qualification to be dragons, and for those already True Dragons, they were also a great tonic. They might awaken the power of their main bloodline and inborn talents. Bai Qi¡¯s Azure Dragon Mystics still hadn¡¯t awakened, and it was very likely its Star Wind Ice Dragon bloodline overpowered the Silver Moon Response Dragon¡¯s bloodline, considering all the abilities it currently possessed were from the Star Wind Ice Dragon¡­ However, Bai Qi¡¯s main bloodline was that of the Silver Moon Response Dragon, and its Azure Dragon Mystics and Azure Dragon Talent should be even more powerful abilities. If there was no awakening during subsequent nurturing, Zhu Minng was considering relying on the Dragon Ball for assistance. But the value of Dragon Balls had always been high¡­ especially since Bai Qi was a Dragon General. ¡°Strange, why is this Pseudo Dragon¡¯s soul so faint??¡± Zhu Minng noticed the tan soul energy. But that soul energy was so weak it was almost turning into a wisp of mist; despite his earnest efforts in soul collecting, Zhu Minng ended up brewing only an even lower quality Pseudo Dragon Soul Pearl. Pseudo Dragon Soul Pearls could also sell for some money, but this one¡¯s quality was so poor it felt like it could get blown away by the wind on the way to school. ¡°How could this be?¡± Zhu Minng was puzzled. A Fake Dragon with near Dragon Son Level strength and five hundred years of cultivation base¡ªhow could its Soul Bead be so poor, when his technique was undoubtedly wless? Right then, Zhu Minng flipped through the Soul Collecting Pearl Brewing Book he carried, but even after reviewing the entire book, he found no mention of the situation he had encountered¡­ ¡°Could it be that Bai Qi shattered its soul?¡± ¡°The Pseudo Dragon spirit I saw earlier looked like it was falling apart¡­¡± ¡°Does that mean when high-level creatures¡¯ strengths are too powerful, they can easily destroy lower-level Demon Spirits¡¯ bodies and souls together, causing the soul to be overly fragmented? When a Dragon Trainer is Soul Collecting Pearl Brewing, the resulting Soul Bead will be exceptionally poor quality.¡± ¡°So it seems that when you find a high-quality prey, it¡¯s best not to exert overwhelming level suppression.¡± Zhu Minng was quite perceptive; by reviewing scattered records in the books andbining them with the current situation, he came to this conclusion. Dragon Training is indeed a profound discipline. Zhu Minng felt there was still much for him to learn. In the past, Casting Art and Pastoral Techniques were just auxiliary studies for Zhu Minng, never a true focus. Now, he somewhat regretted it. Youth not spent in diligence, regrets appear right before your eyes. How can one be content with just one bowl of rice when having several dishes would be even more delightful? Bai Qi returned to the Spirit Realm to sleep, likely because there was no opponent in this forest that could match its caliber. And that was indeed the case. This was just an ordinaryrge forest; how could there possibly be a Dragon General Level creature here. Thousand Year Demon Spirits probably lived deeper in the wild, and during this hunting expedition, they had no ns to venture into those areas. As for the assignments from the academy and the Dragon City-State¡¯smissions, Zhu Minng had Hong Hao review them all for him; assignments requiring the intervention of a Dragon General Dragon Herder were few and far between. At the Dragon General Level, one was indeed powerful within the boundaries of Ancestral Dragon City, but it was unlikely that there would always be fitting assignments avable; so if Little White wanted to practice, it would have to wait for opportunities. Getting a profitable Dragon Generalmission within a month or two would mean Zhu Minng was extremely lucky! It wasn¡¯t that he couldn¡¯t take on low-payingmissions; it was that some were not worth the effort. Any dragon that battled would consume a tremendous amount of energy. Setting aside whether they were injured or not, the food needed for recovery after a fight would cost many times more. Currently, the amount of Frost Snow Tree Flower Honey Zhu Minng had was limited, enough to support Little White¡¯s full-force battle just once. If wasted on some minor assignments, on one hand, it wouldn¡¯t be of any value for training Bai Qi; on the other, he might not even recoup the cost of the honey. Therefore, despite Little White pping its wings majestically, creating a blizzard in the sky, it was appealingly grandiose. Actually, it was all money being scattered¡­ Big ck Tooth was quite perceptive too. After only one round of using the baiting strategy with Zhu Minng, it caught on pretty quickly. Dragging the bloody corpse of a Fake Dragon, it ced it in areas where the demon aura was palpable. Compared to the Blood-drinking Furry Beast, this five-hundred-year Demon Spirit Fake Dragon was an immense temptation to many Deep Mountain Old Monsters. ¡°We should be able to hook a bigger prey this time. Once we get the Soul Bead, we can consider it a full return!¡± Zhu Minng said to Big ck Tooth. Big ck Tooth tried to hide itsrge, fat body behind a thin tree trunk, nodding vigorously as if it too eagerly anticipated the prey taking the bait, oblivious to the fact that its entire fierce and ferocious form was practically exposed. A long cry echoed down from the dense canopy above. Zhu Minng raised his head, trying to find the creature that made the sound, but soon the same calling was heard around him, sounding like some ferocious bird of prey. ¡°Puda Puda- The scent of blood spread through the surroundings, and those predators hidden in the tree crown pped their wings, having found their prey. Pairs of eyes peered through the dense pine leaves. These predators were cautious and keen observers, and swiftly, they noticed the presence of the ck Ocean Violent Dragon. Just as Zhu Minng thought the forest birds would deem it too difficult and retreat, suddenly several agile figures dove from above the tree canopy. They swooped at incredible speed over the corpse of the Bristle Hog Fake Dragon, and their sharp ws tore arge chunk of flesh from its body! ¡°Damn, quickly gather our bait!¡± Zhu Minng eximed in a hurry. The ck Ocean Violent Dragon also realized that the Fake Dragon it was using as bait was about to be snatched by this group of predators and immediately unleashed its Dragon Might, charging towards the shameless birds of prey. Zhu Minng recognized these predators, a group of Cliff Vultures. They often circled high above vast forests, their eyesight piercing through the ovepping green leaves to observe creatures on the ground, and with their terrifying sense of smell, they could detect the scent of blood from several kilometers away. Whenever a living thing was injured, this group of Cliff Vultures would circle overhead, exhausting the prey¡¯s vitality while calling theirpanions to gather. When the time was ripe, they would strike like lightning, tearing the wounded target to death! Cliff Vultures were extremely dangerous creatures, feared even by powerful Demon Spirits.. Their appearance meant death was very, very close! Chapter 50 - 50 Robbing the Dragon’s Lair Chapter 50: Robbing the Dragon¡¯s Lair Trantor: Exodus Tales Editor: Exodus Tales Zhu Minng had never expected that a group of Cliff Vultures inhabited this area. The bait he finally managed to hunt was torn away, piece by piece, by these creatures, which felt just like having the flesh scraped from his body, utterly painful! Big ck Tooth had already charged up, putting in great effort to guard the food. But these Cliff Vultures were incredibly agile; they didn¡¯t engage with the ck Ocean Violent Dragon at all, soaring high into the sky immediately after stealing a piece of meat. They even knew to distract Big ck Tooth with several of their members, while others quickly took away important parts of the Fake Dragon¡­ Big ck Tooth waspletely enraged, opening its maw of the Azure Dragon and generating a powerful force from its deep lungs, capable of tearing apart anything, and it ferociously spat it towards the Cliff Vultures. Ancient Dragon Warfare Skills, Sundering Roar!! This Sundering Roar tore a greyish-brown Cliff Vulture to shreds, its thick feathers scattering, and its blood sprayed in mid-air. This Cliff Vulture was utterly dead. But that changed nothing; those cunning Cliff Vultures didn¡¯t care about the life or death of theirpanions. In fact, they snatched up the Fake Dragon¡¯s corpse even more greedily after witnessing the brutal demise of their peer! Before long, the once sulent-looking Fake Dragon was reduced to a messy pile of rotten flesh, leaving behind only bones and fur of no value. Big ck Tooth revealed all its teeth in fury, wishing it too had wings to fly up to the treetops and bite each and every one of the Cliff Vultures to death. Zhu Minng could only smile bitterly. Indeed, in this world, not only humans possess intelligence. The seasoned hunters of the great forest knew how to avoid the strong and achieve their goals. Luckily, Zhu Minng was not a novice at survival; he had treated the meat of the Fake Dragon in a certain way. It wasn¡¯t some clever tactic, simply some spices, thinking that if he didn¡¯t catch good prey, he might as well marinate the meat first, preserving it for Big ck Tooth. Tracking the scent of a group of Cliff Vultures that could fly might be difficult, but tracking the extremely distinctive scent of the spices was easy. The fragrance would always drift through the air, and even if it was faint, it could still point out the direction. ¡® ¡°Dare to steal our stuff, let¡¯s raid their nests,¡± Zhu Minng said with a cold huff. ¡°000000~~~~¡± Big ck Tooth immediately howled, the embarrassment from earlier instantly gone. The master is truly the master, wise and resourceful! ¡°You go back to the Spirit Realm first, Bai Qi and I will follow up,¡± Zhu Minng extended his palm and recalled Big ck Tooth back into the Spirit Realm. He called out Bai Qi, who looked sleepy and drowsy. Ever since emerging from the Ice Pupa, this little guy seemed to be drowsy at all times, rarely ever truly alert. However, upon hearing that Big ck Tooth and Zhu Minng had been bullied by a flock of Cliff Vultures, Bai Qi¡¯s expression changed. It immediately transformed into thebat form of the Ice Morning White Dragon, and although its body was notrge, it could fly with Zhu Minng by harnessing the wind. ¡°Can you smell the spices, just follow the scent,¡± Zhu Minng said to Bai Qi. Bai Qi had a strong sense of smell, and even though the Cliff Vultures had left a while ago, it was able to urately find the direction. They swooped through a pine forest, and ahead, the jungle became more primeval. asionally, they could see giant ancient trees stretching skyward, towering over the rest of the forest, while massive vines hung from their trunks, surrounded by colorful birds. They were deep inside the forest now, and Zhu Minng realized he was being somewhat reckless. But going back empty-handed was not an option. They would soon find the nests of those Cliff Vultures, whose crown feathers were considered a luxury in the city¡ªI saw some tailors in the foundry treating them like jewels. ¡°There¡¯s actually a cliff.¡± The green branches and leaves were like the waves in an ocean, unevenly spreading over the vast earth, with a cliff suddenly rising among the giant pines and spruces. The cliff was quite imposing, with few visible steep rocky areas. The entire high cliff was covered with old pines, climbing vines, and rock moss, incredibly lush. Numerous creatures inhabited the top and bottom of the cliff, and Zhu Minng spotted a few Cliff Vultures struggling near the middle part of the cliff, fighting over the very Fake Dragon meat he had gone to great lengths to obtain! ¡°Their nest is midway up the cliff, can you fly over there while hiding your aura?¡± Zhu Minng asked Little White. Little White indicated that hiding its aura was easy, but it couldn¡¯t maintain this form; it would have to transform into the Exquisite White Dragon. ¡°Then find a ce to set me down; we¡¯ll stealthily approach,¡± Zhu Minng suggested. Cliff Vultures were cunning, and they never pitied theirrades. The best way to wipe them out was to corner them in their nests, or they would easily scatter in all directions. They were likely dividing the spoils in their nests at the moment¡ªwith only a few Cliff Vultures keeping watch outside. It was a good opportunity to eradicate them! This raid could make them a small fortune. Zhu Minng reached the side of the cliff, where he saw cracks in the cliff face and many vines; climbing over by hand was not a difficult task. With Little White by his side, Zhu Minng had more courage. When he spotted venomous snakes and evil birds, Little White¡¯s mere nce would scare them into retreating. Zhu Minng stepped on the cracks and grabbed the vines. He was quite agile, and soon he arrived near the Cliff Vulture nest, using an ancient pine tree past its prime for cover. ¡°Can you subtly deal with those few Cliff Vultures keeping watch?¡± Zhu Minng inquired. Little White¡¯s eyes, which resembled icy white stars, glowed faintly, and soon an unusual breeze began to swirl around the cliff, blowing over the Cliff Vultures standing guard there. The wind was strong, and even the cliff vultures, creatures adept at flying, struggled to maintain their bnce. They had no choice but tond on the old trees, seeking shelter from the sudden powerful gusts. ¡°Great opportunity!¡± Zhu Minng immediately leaped out, stepped on the protruding rocks a few times, then grabbed a vine and rapidly slid down. As hended in front of the cave, Zhu Minng swiftly darted into the cliff cave, and the strong wind outside conveniently ceased. ¡°If there¡¯s wind¡­ there must be other exits,¡± Zhu Minng deduced after entering the cave, his brow quickly furrowing. If this were the only entrance, Zhu Minng nned to start sweeping through immediately. The few cliff vultures outside could be ignored, but none inside the cave would have a chance to escape. But the cliff vultures¡¯ cave having other exits was the best proof that the winds were circting. The other entrances had to be blocked! While still undetected, Zhu Minng walked deeper into the cave. It wasn¡¯t as dark inside as he had imagined. Large cracks in the cliff overhead allowed light to spill in. The cliff vultures were gathered in the spacious area of the cave, feasting on pseudo-dragon meat. It was evident that these vultures had reached the demon spirit level and, having developed some demon cultivator abilities, each piece of fake dragon meat they digested made them stronger. Even their next molt might produce tough feathers capable of resisting attacks from fierce Hmph, thew of the jungle, the survival of the fittest. Did they really think with a bit of cunning they could steal food from the jaws of a tiger? Zhu Minng had already spotted another exit. The next step was to simply have Little White create an ice wall to seal the two exits. Afterwards, he could leave the rest to Big ck Tooth, who was full of draconic fury with nowhere to vent it! Little White suddenly uttered a faint call, lifting its gaze to the crack above the cave where the light was filtering through! ¡°Boom!!!!¡± A loud noise came from the crack, and immediately countless small stones and rock dust rained down, startling Zhu Minng. The light disappeared abruptly, and the cave became very dark. Zhu Minng looked up at the crack in surprise, barely managing to see arge w covering the widest part of the opening. Fortunately, the fissure was narrow and long, leaving just enough light to see clearly. ¡°Dragon w?¡± Zhu Minng gasped. No wonder this group of cliff vultures lived halfway up the cliff; there was an even more powerful creature at the very top. And judging by the shape of the w, it was clearly a dragon! Dragon Cliff! This was a Dragon Cliff! These cliff vultures were the dragon¡¯s neighbors, or perhaps its subordinates. Giving the vultures another look, it was clear they weren¡¯t bothered by the ¡°upstairs¡± powerful predator. Aside from being startled by the initial dust fallout, which caused them to p their wings a few times, their mealtime was undisturbed. Zhu Minng had intended to clear out the cliff vultures, but now he didn¡¯t dare to summon the ck Ocean Violent Dragon recklessly. Its presence would quickly be noticed by the creature above the mountain fissure¡­ This was its Dragon Cliff! ¡°What kind of dragon is it, a mature Green Forest Dragon perhaps?¡± Zhu Minng started to identify the dragon by its w. Considering the surrounding environment, along with the color and shape of the dragon w, the chances were good that it was a Green Forest Dragon. The Li Chuan in was home to many extensive forests, with the Green Forest Dragon being one of the mostmon wild dragons. Zhu Minng had heard that the Nan Family of the Ancestral Dragon City-State had a Sacred Forest¡ªa noble and mysteriousnd for raising dragons. Some important members of the Nan Family had the opportunity each year to enter the Sacred Forest for trials. Those lucky enough mighte out with a young dragon and the capable ones might even subdue a mature Green Dragon! Of course, Zhu Minng had heard this from Li Shaoying and Nan Ye. The Li Family ruled the Ancestral Dragon City-State, governing all within. The Nan Family were gentry with a lineage of dragon trainers, uninterested in anything but dragons. Zhu Minng refrained from acting rashly for the moment. Although Little White¡¯s power should allow it to crush the mature Green Forest Dragon, ying dragons did not carry significant meaning¡ªliving dragons were more valuable than dead ones. Since this was a Dragon Cliff, then this cliff vulture¡¯s cave was a Dragon Cavern! ¡°Most giant dragons do not constantly guard their treasure vaults, so often some subordinate species live in the dragon vaults filled with treasure, such as griffins, pseudodragon venomous sparrows, rock snakes¡­¡± At this moment, Zhu Minng suddenly recalled a passage from a book. What was the name of that book again¡­? Path to Wealth? Indeed, it was the one he had randomly grabbed in the Book Pavilion, written by some brainless author! However, the books descriptions of dragonirs were urate! These cliff vultures were the guardians of the dragon¡¯s treasure hoard! ¡°Robbing the Dragon¡¯s Lair is the quickest way to make money! ¡± Zhu Minng never dreamed that he would actually have such a day!! Chapter 51 - 51 Dragon Nature Chapter 51: Dragon Nature Trantor: Exodus Tales Editor: Exodus Tales The Giant Dragon¡¯s outer scales were extremely hard; they did not like soft things for their nest, but instead, gold and diamonds¡ªwhich were hard yet not easily crushed¡ªmade the mostfortable beds for them. Moreover, gold and diamonds could polish their Dragon Scales, making them even more sturdy and shiny. Sturdy, to be ready forbat and to maintain an indestructible body. Shiny, to attract the opposite sex, which follows the same principle as humans liking to wear various beautiful garments. The saying that a Giant Dragon¡¯s cavern is the richest is absolutely true. ¡°Winter ising, and the Giant Dragon should be foraging everywhere to stock up food for winter, ¡± ¡°Then we¡¯ll just wait it out. Wait for it to leave, and then empty out its treasure cave!¡± Zhu Minng gazed at the group of Cliff Vultures, suddenly feeling they were wonderful little guiding spirits. Their greyish-brown dirty feathers and pointed faces seemed especially adorable¡­eat slower, eat slower, don¡¯t choke to death. ¡°We¡¯re going to be loaded.¡± Though his words carried a draft, it did not diminish Zhu Minng¡¯s joy. Finally, he could be rich overnight! After nting a big kiss on Little White, Zhu Minng picked a safe ce, settling down in that cave first. Whenever the Dragon above moved, that was when he would make his move! As soon as he heard about stealing things, Little White¡¯s little eyes lit up with excitement, even more than when facing an evenly matched opponent. This was odd, as defeating the Dragon fair and square and then taking its things actually yielded the same profit. But to snatch someone¡¯s treasure with little effort while they guard it rigorously, and to then make a swift getaway and watch them fluster with anger¡ªsuddenly the treasure seemed much more delightful! He had done this plenty of times before, but the joy had never diminished! Zhu Minng looked into Little White¡¯s clear eyes, which suddenly became shifty; while retaining its spirit, how did it gain a hint of cunning akin to a little fox? This plunged Zhu Minng into brief contemtion¡­ It¡¯s said that a Dragon¡¯s temperament closely reflects its master¡¯s. Could Little White¡¯s nature actually be his own issue?? Apetent hunter needs patience. Zhu Minng still had some jerky with him, intending to keep up this stalemate with the Giant Dragon above. Big ck Tooth had recently eaten to its fill, so it could sustain for many days. With nectar carried by Little White, it was certainly not going to starve. At night, the Giant Dragon above showed no signs of movement. It seemed that the Dragon had juste back from outside when Zhu Minng entered the cave, but Zhu Minng did not hear any eating sounds above. Asrger creatures, they must have arge appetite to maintain their body heat. Without anything in their stomachs, they would constantly be using up their reserves, which is akin to constantly reducing their strength and power. Should a stronger predatore along, they wouldn¡¯t even have the energy to flee. Zhu Minng believed that, even if the Giant Dragon had just eaten its fill, it wouldn¡¯t take many days before it needed to hunt again¡ªespecially since winter, a time when all is dormant and predators most anxious, was just around the corner. Two days. Three days. On the fourth day, its hair disheveled, Zhu Minng finally heard a noise from Dragon Cliff! ¡°Huff! ! It was the sound of meaty wings pping. Zhu Minng looked up through the crevice and saw a Giant Dragon covered in mossy scales gradually ascending. Its wings were asrge as pine tree canopies, casting a shadow that instilled fear¡­ It was a Forest Giant Dragon! And clearly, it was a fully matured one, its aura radiating much stronger than Big ck Tooth¡¯s! Zhu Minng could not gauge its strength. Beings in their Mature Period and Complete Period were very simr. If the Forest Giant Dragon was at the Complete Period, even the Ice Morning White Dragon might not be able to subdue it! Not recklessly using brute force was wise. Zhu Minng started to act. He hadn¡¯t been simply waiting these past few days; he had already figured out the habits of those Guardian Beast Cliff Vultures. Effortlessly bypassing this group of vultures, Zhu Minng immediately darted into the deeper parts of the cliff cave. Deep in the cliff cave, it ascended, obviously connecting to the mountain¡¯s upper cliffside. Zhu Minng followed it up and soon saw a massive beam of light nting down from above, like giant spears piercing the darkness beneath them. Zhu Minng approached that light, finding both above his head and the direction from which he came patrolled by Cliff Vultures. After the Forest Giant Dragon left, the vulture guards became more stringent. Sadly, they could never have imagined that someone had already hidden inside much earlier. The inside was almost unguarded. Zhu Minng moved towards the ce where the light poured in to find a Dragon¡¯s nest carved from the cliff top with their ws. The Dragon¡¯s nest was nearly the size of a courtyard, covered with gold, silver, and jewels. The nting sunlight that fell on just a small part of it dazzled the eyes with splendor! Zhu Minng stared at the Red Agates, tinum, Orange Gold, and Emeralds, his eyes nearly popping out!! No wonder Giant Dragons liked to collect them. Putting these gorgeous treasures together, letting them shine with their brilliant radiance¡ªit truly made up the most beautiful scene in the world!!! It was not in vain that he lived on wind and dew; this Forest Giant Dragon was indeed the world¡¯s most adorable sprite. ¡°Bai Qi, do you still remember that move?¡± Zhu Minng asked urgently. Little Bai Qi nodded his head vigorously, excitedly raising his long tail. The tail began to stir incessantly in mid-air, rippling like a whirlpool¡­ The longer the tail swayed, the stronger and yet silent the suction force became within the dragon¡¯s nest. The pitiful gemstones that were scattered on the ground began to lift themselves up and fly like swallows returning to their nest toward the vortex that Little Bai Qi¡¯s tail had formed. Zhu Minng remembered that in the past, this move of Little Bai Qi¡¯s was used to absorb the enemy¡¯s Profound Art and could even reflect the power back at the attacker, but he didn¡¯t know when this technique had gradually degenerated! ¡°Little Bai Qi, you¡¯re too genuine. You¡¯ve lost the Azure Dragon Mystics from the past, but you haven¡¯t forgotten this Theft Technique,¡± Zhu Minng said with a sense of satisfaction watching Little Bai Qi¡¯s skilled operation. Before long, the treasure of this nest had been gathered into Little Bai Qi¡¯s storage technique, and Little Bai Qi looked rather satisfied. With no intention of lingering, Zhu Minng and Bai Qi quickly made their getaway. ¡°Woooah!!!!!!!¡± Cries came from behind them, piercing and intermingling together. Zhu Minng hastily hid, thinking they had been discovered. After a while, those cries echoed in the cave again. It seemed that arge flock of Cliff Vultures had returned, stepping up their vignce around the perimeter as the Forest Giant Dragon left its nest. They still hadn¡¯t checked the dim and empty dragon¡¯s nest, which greatly relieved Zhu Minng. Being able to leave unnoticed was the best oue! ¡°We probably can¡¯t go back the way we came, let¡¯s climb out from the top here,¡± Zhu Minng decided, realizing the cave they had arrived through was now full of Cliff Vultures. They resolved to leave via the top of the cliff, using the nts there to hide from the patrolling Cliff Vultures above. Climbing up from the dragon pit, Zhu Minng moved extremely cautiously, while Little Bai Qi also tried to control the wind elements near the cliff to disturb the patrolling Cliff Vultures. Upon reaching the top of the cliff, which was covered with thick, soft vines, Zhu Minng poked his head out and, seeing that the top was clear, immediately jumped out of the dragon pit and hid under an old tree draped with long branches. There were many Cliff Vultures in the sky. Little Bai Qi continued to manipte the wind, waiting for the strong breeze to force the patrolling Cliff Vultures to hide in the pine trees above before Zhu Minng could leave. Otherwise, the Cliff Vultures would surely chase them all the way until the Forest Giant Dragon arrived. Waiting silently for the right moment, Zhu Minng couldn¡¯t help but look towards the soft vines and noticed those dry vines didn¡¯t seem to grow naturally. Instead, they were broken and piled up, forming something like arge grass nest. An idea shed through Zhu Minng¡¯s mind when he saw this nest of vines. He stepped back and hid behind a tree. Just then, arge head emerged from the nest of vines, with light green skin, snake-like pupils,rge nostrils, and slightly protruding dragon horns! The head slowly lifted, its eyes surveying the pine trees that were swaying intensely in the wind. Young Dragons?? Zhu Minng was astonished. No wonder the Forest Giant Dragon had always stayed at the top of the cliff; there was a hidden nest up here for the young dragons that had not yet grown hard scales! The young dragon hadn¡¯t spotted Zhu Minng; it was just curiously looking around. Seemingly realizing that the Dragon Mother had gone out, the Forest Young Dragon suddenly made a joyful sound and started to crawl outwards with something in its mouth toward the edge of the cliff¡­ Zhu Minng looked carefully and realized that the Forest Young Dragon¡¯s mouth was holding an even smaller dragon hatchling! The hatchling being carried had some wounds on its body, clearly inflicted not long ago. The older young dragon elerated its pace after leaving the vine nest. When it reached the edge of the cliff, the little hatchling began to struggle and let out a miserable cry, as if pleading for something. Unfortunately, the older young dragon was unmoved. It bit the little hatchling again, then flung the hatchling forcefully! With no developed wings, the little hatchling plummeted straight down, its shrill and terrified screams instantly echoing around the cliff. Zhu Minng was stunned. This was definitely not the older brother teaching its younger brother how to fly. This was therger young dragon taking advantage of the Dragon Mother¡¯s absence to throw its underdeveloped sibling off the cliff!! Zhu Minng had now witnessed the blood of the Giant Dragon boiling like magma, but its nature as cold as a snake. Even as dragons transcend Ordinary Spirits, they still follow the cruelws of this world. Dragons are powerful, capable of easily killing fierce tigers and wild buffalo, but in reality, at the level of dragons, ordinary wildlife can hardly satisfy them. If the food does not meet their bodily needs, eating a sheep or cow is like humans chewing on grass roots and tree bark. They need to hunt specific magical beasts, and since these beasts have a certain level of intelligence and survival skills, they can hide, making it difficult for even Giant Dragons to find them! Food that can replenish their body¡¯s energy and at the same time restore their magic is always scarce! Some underdeveloped dragons may even fall prey to certain Demon Spirits. In order to grow robustly on their own, therger young dragon not only often bit the little hatchling but now, with the onset of winter, had fully revealed its true nature! In the past, Zhu Minng had heard some rumors about Giant Dragons infighting within their nests, but witnessing it firsthand today was still shocking! Chapter 52 - 52 Forest Dragon Cub Chapter 52: Forest Dragon Cub Trantor: Exodus Tales Editor: Exodus Tales Aftermitting the cruel act of tossing another over a cliff, the cold-blooded young dragonling wobbled back to its soft nest, seemingly now the sole owner of its abode, and able to sleep more soundly. Zhu Minng witnessed the whole process and couldn¡¯t help but sigh. He had initially nned to steal the dragonling, but thinking about its cold-blooded and despicable nature, he suddenly lost all interest. Waiting silently for the Cliff Vultures to hide in the pines, Zhu Minng realized he might have inadvertently created the perfect crime scene for the little beast, unseen by the Cliff Vultures. He guessed that when the Dragon Mother returned, it could me the Cliff Vultures for not watching over its dragon sibling well enough. Zhu Minng didn¡¯t linger. He took advantage of the raging winds to slide down the vines from the cliff top, nning to leave Dragon Cliff as quickly as possible. As soon as hended, a series of weak cries came from a thicket, like those of an injured puppy. That¡¯s when Zhu Minng realized the dragonling must have been thrown down here¡­ It actually survived the fall?? Zhu Minng looked up at the broken vines and then at the thicket. Unable to harden his heartpletely, Zhu Minng quickly approached and parted the thicket, spotting the injured dragon cub covered in wounds. Its skin was still tender, its size norger than a puppy, and likely due to its bones still being soft, it hadn¡¯t died on impact after the fall. Instead, it was struggling painfully in the thorny thicket. The dense thicket had provided some cushioning that saved it from instant death, but those same thorns viciously pierced its delicate body, prolonging its pain before death¡­ Seeing the dragon cub in such a pitiable state softened Zhu Minng¡¯s heart. ¡°I¡¯ll save you. Whether you live, that¡¯s up to you,¡± Zhu Minng softly said to the dragon cub. Zhu Minng had Little White freeze the thorns and also relied on Bai Qi¡¯s frost to slowly stop the bleeding from the Forest Dragon Cub¡¯s severe wounds. He carefully picked the cub out of the thicket. For some reason, Zhu Minng felt as though the little creature could fall apart at any moment due to the fall from such a height, with likely many broken bones inside, adding torture as the bone fragments pierced its flesh. Logically, such agony was more than a young cub could bear, but the Forest Young Dragon clenched its newly grown teeth, with a look of resentment rncKermg In Its uny eyes! It didn¡¯t want to die this way. It longed to live. In the past, when Zhu Minng saw such a creature struggling in pain, he thought the kindest act of mercy was a Sword Stab to its vital parts, to end its sufferingpletely. Zhu Minng actually wished more to grant the cub a quick release, because merely looking at its somewhat deformed, bloody body was heart-wrenching! Removing his clothes, Zhu Minng gently wrapped the young cub and hung it against his chest. He grasped Bai Qi¡¯s hind ws and flew toward the Dragon Taming Academy. The wound had only been treated roughly, and those medications hardly helped, perhaps only prolonging the pain before death. Zhu Minng felt it wouldn¡¯tst until they reached the Rehabilitation Pavilion¡­ Soaring above the sea of leaves, the sky remained gloomy. The Ice Morning White Dragon pped its wings, its small size meaning it could only rely on the winds to stay aloft. Blood seeped through Zhu Minng¡¯s clothes. The young cub no longer whimpered in pain, leading Zhu Minng to look down at it, thinking it had no signs of life left. But Zhu Minng saw its eyes. Green vertical pupils, still refusing to close. Filled with pain, yet the teeth would not unclench. To live in such pain, why not give up, especially when it was still so young? In another world, perhaps it would be more beautiful than this one. ¡°Bai Qi, can we go any faster?¡± Zhu Minng asked. The Ice Morning White Dragon pped its wings, stirring up a gale above the forest that made all the trees sway like seaweed in the waves. Riding the wind, the Ice Morning White Dragon flew even faster, and soon its pristine white silhouette appeared at the end of the Ancient Pine Forest, after which crossing the Cedar Forest should bring the in and the Li Chuan River into view. At the cliff¡¯s edge, a Giant Dragon covered in moss slowlynded on top of the precipice. From this height, the Forest Giant Dragon¡¯srge pupils reflected the distant white figure, which was gradually moving away. ¡°Yi The Cliff Vultures, finally realizing that their treasury had been plundered and the Dragon¡¯s offspring stolen, circled above the cliff in a panic. They searched for the scent in midair, preparing to chase after the thief! ¡°Roar! l¡± The Forest Giant Dragon roared, instantly scaring all the Cliff Vultures into hiding within the treetops, none daring to utter a sound any longer. Trembling on the branches, the Cliff Vultures feared that the Dragon Mother might kill their entire species. By the foot of the Forest Giant Dragon, a young dragon nuzzled up, making a very soft calling sound, as if it were being affectionate. The Forest Giant Dragon lowered its head to nce down and opened its mouth to regurgitate a piece of meat preserved in its stomach. The Forest Young Dragon let out an excited cry and pounced on the piece of meat. Without anypetitors, it no longer had to gulp down its food as it had before, instead taking its time to let the meat dissolve in its throat before swallowing it. The Dragon Mother looked at the bite marks on the young dragon¡¯s forehead, then at the gradually departing white silhouette, and ultimately chose not to give chase. It slowly sank its body into the empty Dragon Pit and closed its eyes¡­ Not long after, the satiated young dragon also wriggled over. The Forest Giant Dragon, without opening its eyes, simply lifted its wings and wrapped the young dragon under its wooden pinions. After crossing the forest, ins and rivers hade into view. The little cub wrapped in Zhu Minng¡¯s clothing, however, was growing weaker and weaker, trying very hard to keep its eyes open while gazing at Zhu Minng. ¡°Why put yourself through this?¡± Zhu Minng looked into its little eyes and couldn¡¯t sense any anger inside; it was as if it was bidding farewell to a stranger, with a touch of reluctance and a bit of gratitude. It couldn¡¯t hold on any longer. Though it tried so very hard. The injury was just too severe. Without the thicket, it would have died instantly, and life would have found its release. But that thicket extended its stay in this world for a short while longer. This short while let the little one experience excruciating pain! If there were a next life, better not to descend here again. ¡°Ah, I don¡¯t know if this will work, bute to my Spirit Realm,¡± Zhu Minng finally couldn¡¯t let go. Since we have met, let it be fate then.. Chapter 53 - 53 New Dragon Pet Chapter 53: New Dragon Pet Trantor: Exodus Tales Editor: Exodus Tales Zhu Minng bit his finger and quickly drew a sigil on the forehead of this young dragon whelp, the very sigil of a Spirit Contract, which he was signing with this soul that was about to dissipate. The young dragon showed hardly any resistance, probably because its internal organs were shattered to pieces, leaving it with no strength to fight back. Its soul, under the signing of the Spirit Contract, became linked with Zhu Minng, and upon sess, Zhu Minng immediately sent it into his Spirit Realm so that the spiritual energy there could sustain thatst breath of life. This was actually very dangerous. The young dragon was a dying life; if it did not survive after the Spirit Contract was signed, it would mean Zhu Minng¡¯s dragon pet had died, causing the Spirit Contract to shatter. Once a Spirit Contract shattered, it would bacsh severely against Zhu Minng, not only causing him to suffer a grave soul injury but also rendering the contract thoroughly necrotic, beyond repair. A broken Spirit Contract could no longer be signed with other dragons. Zhu Minng currently had only three Spirit Contracts. As one aspiring to be a Dragon Shepherd, losing an important Spirit Contract during one¡¯s growth was a major taboo. But some lives, they just emanate an indescribable radiance, making it very hard for Zhu Minng to ignore. Still, he went ahead with it. Even at the cost of a sacrifice, Zhu Minng hoped that the young dragon whelp in his arms could survive, for it so yearned to stay in this world, even if most of its brief life was filled with torment and pain. It was now night, and Zhu Minng felt the elder should be in the Reserve Dragon Storage Hall. He flew towards the Reserve Dragon Storage Hall and, pushing the doors open, immediately saw the old man lying drowsily on a rattan chair. ¡°Elder Master Wu, please help me save it,¡± Zhu Minng said without any hesitation, opening his Spirit Realm and cing the young dragon whelp in front of Master Wu. Startled awake by Zhu Minng¡¯s voice, what Master Wu saw before him was a bloodied whelp, its body almost twisted to breaking, looking as pitiable as the corpse of a cur by the roadside! Master Wu¡¯s first reaction was toy the whelp t and then use his spiritual power to create a warm mist like that of a hot spring, enveloping the young dragon whelp while quickly massaging its bones back into ce to ensure proper blood flow. ¡°Go to the Rehabilitation Pavilion, get a barrel of Healing Spring Water, hurry!¡± Master Wu instructed Zhu Minng. Zhu Minng did not dare dy and immediately ran towards the Rehabilitation Pavilion. Having signed the Spirit Contract, the young dragon¡¯s pain was now transmitting to Zhu Minng¡¯s mind through their soul connection. Upon tasting barely a tenth of this soul feedback, Zhu Minng was finding it quite unbearable. With this bond and connection, Zhu Minng was even more determined not to let the young dragon die. He found a wooden barrel, filled it with Healing Spring Water, and flew back once again. The night grew deeper in the Reserve Dragon Storage Hall, where several little heads curiously gathered around the tform, bewildered as they watched the young dragon whelp lying there opening its eyes, then closing them again, and before long, opening them once more¡­ Finally, Master Wu, his face covered in sweat mixed with blood, told Zhu Minng to lift the young dragon whelp, letting its body bepletely submerged in the wooden barrel filled with the Healing Spring Water. ¡°It¡¯s good that you arrived in time,¡± Master Wu said with a long sigh of relief, then added, ¡°Otherwise, I would have gone back to sleep.¡± ¡°Will it survive?¡± Zhu Minng looked at the young dragon whelp in apletea and expressed his concern. ¡°Hmph, as long as you can bring it to me and it¡¯s still breathing, I can keep it alive,¡± said Mr. Wu. ¡°On my first day at the Dragon Taming Academy, I knew right away that you sir, are an immortal among men,¡± Zhu Minng sincerely admired. ¡°You¡¯re being reckless. A dying young dragon; if it dies, so be it. Do the creatures of the great forest not die every day? So a young dragon can¡¯t die, is that it? You almost jeopardized your own future!¡± Mr. Wu¡¯s tone grew stern as he expressed strong disapproval of Zhu Minng¡¯s actions. After understanding the situation, Mr. Wu really didn¡¯t know how to assess his student Zhu Minng. As a Dragon Shepherd, the soul is very important. If one wishes to advance further, the Spirit Contract absolutely must not be broken. It affects not just one dragon, but also the growth of the Dragon Shepherd himself. ¡°It was a special circumstance,¡± Zhu Minng said with a wry smile. ¡°Tonight, you¡¯ll keep watch. I¡¯m going back to sleep. Oh, and by the way, settle your ountter. The Rehabilitation Pavilion isn¡¯t a charity,¡± said Mr. Wu, pounding his back as he walked out of the Reserve Dragons Storage Hall. Zhu Minng quickly bowed in thanks; the man had helped him out a great deal once again, and keeping watch for the elderly was the least he could do! ¡°Oh, do you know what breed it is?¡± Mr. Wu stopped at the doorway and turned back to ask Zhu Minng. ¡°Not yet, ¡± Zhu Minng replied. ¡°You, signing a Spirit Contract with a dragon when you don¡¯t even know its breed¡­ You¡¯re lucky, that boy. When it wakes up, feed it some Nanmu Juice. It¡¯s perfect for producing Jade Blood,¡± Mr. Wu said, finally cracking a smile. . ¡°Isn¡¯t it a Green Forest Dragon or a Forest Giant Dragon?¡± Zhu Minng asked in surprise. ¡°Much stronger,¡± came the reply. After speaking, Mr. Wu had reached the doorway, followed by several particrly clingy Juvenile Spirits, but they were quickly scolded back by Mr. wu. Zhu Minng bid him farewell and closed the door of the Reserve Dragons Storage Hall. After patrolling for a while, the Juvenile Spirits were as unruly as ever, morous and restless. Without being coaxed back into their nests and locked up, they simply didn¡¯t wish to sleep. It wasn¡¯t until thetter part of the night that the Juvenile Spirits finally settled down to sleep, and only then did the Reserve Dragons Storage Hall quiet downpletely. Zhu Minng walked over to the wooden barrel and gazed at the young whelp, trying to see the extraordinary qualities Mr. Wu had mentioned. But Zhu Minng had only seen it bloodied and battered; he reckoned he would only be able to tell what made it different once it was fully recovered. As the onset of winter began, glistening frost covered the Dragon Taming Academy. It hung from the branches now bereft of leaves,y scattered among the bushes, and spread over the small courtyards. Zhu Minng stretched and realized he was the first to wake up that day, his ssmates seemed still to be hiding under their nkets, and even the most studious Li Shaoying was nowhere to be seen training the Juvenile Spirits. Zhu Minng was also tired, but he had no choice; he had a lot to dotely. First, he had to go to the Foundry early in the morning to regain his basic skills. This required diligence and persistence. Luckily, after being promoted to a true Dragon Shepherd, Zhu Minng¡¯s physique had improved greatly, and he no longer had to wander near the boats every day, his body sore and fatigued, pondering life. Next, he had arge sum of Dragon Den Treasure to deal with. He needed to find a suitable ce to offload it so he could be wealthy.. That way, he could buy high-quality nectar for Little White and forge the Heavy Armor he wanted! Chapter 54 - 54 Identity Exposure Chapter 54: Identity Exposure Trantor: Exodus Tales Editor: Exodus Tales Upon entering the foundry, Zhu Minng saw the old master who wore only a soft leather vest even in the deep winter. His skin was like cured meat, and his muscles were like those of a fierce bear. If he were to charge with a shield, he would probably cripple an entire troop of soldiers. ¡°Master Zhao Long, good morning,¡± Zhu Minng greeted. ¡°Ah, Zhu, you¡¯re also here so early today. Sigh, you are a fine apprentice, determined and perseverant, unlike thosezy dogs I¡¯ve been teaching. Heaven knows how long they¡¯ll have to muck about here before they can graduate,¡± Zhao Long said as he threaded a needle, mending a piece of torn armor. To be honest, every time Zhu Minng thought that Master Zhao Long should go to the adjacent foundry workshop, where forging, hammering, and sharpening would suit his image better. He couldn¡¯tprehend how those roughrge palms of his handled such tiny needles and threads, and yet his craftsmanship was exceptionally good. ¡°Master Zhao, when I said I have a family trade, I wasn¡¯t talking about some minor apprenticeship. Just you wait, I¡¯ll show you the armor I finished a few days ago¡ªit¡¯s really something!¡± Zhu Minng dered. ¡°Hahaha, I believe you, of course I believe you. Your technique is different from others, too bad we can¡¯t learn it. Otherwise, you could teach us smiths who only know how to follow the routine¡­ Oh right, someone delivered something heavy and very valuable the other day, said it was for you,¡± Zhao Long said. ¡°Is that so? Then I¡¯ve got work to get busy with, I won¡¯t chat with you for now!¡± ¡°Good, good¡­ Strange, where¡¯s my scissors? Which foolish apprentice used my tools and didn¡¯t put them back properly, sigh¡­ Forget it¡­¡± As he spoke, Zhao Long opened his mouth and bit down on the thread he pulled out, severing the highly flexible thread with his fine teeth. Zhu Minng shook his head with a smile. The professional aura he had just disyedpletely dissipated with that thread-biting act! If someone sent something to the foundry, it was almost certain it was the gift Zheng Yu had sent for him. Azure silver ore! This ore wasn¡¯tmon, nor was it exceptionally rare; if one was intent on collecting it, quite a bit could indeed be gathered. However, Zhu Minng had learned that in the casting arts of Ancestral Dragon City, azure silver wasn¡¯t used as a material. Instead, azure silver was found in ornaments like hairpins, earrings, and decorative chains, used purely for their aesthetic appeal. Zhu Minng needed azure silver because it possessed certain magical attributes. If he could activate the energy contained within, it could directly transform onto his dragon pet. Dragon armor! Now with the materials and the money, plus the continuous practice he had put in recently, he could officially start crafting the Heavy Dragon Armor! ¡°Master Zhao, I need a private casting room. Here¡¯s the money,¡± Zhu Minng said to Zhao Long. ¡°What money? Just use it, no one will disturb you,¡± Zhao Long replied. ¡°Thank you, Master Zhao.¡± Crafting dragon armor was a discreet affair, and Zhu Minng did not want others to know about it. It was apparent that within Ancestral Dragon City, very few people had this skill, and even fewer in other city-states. To avoid unnecessary troubles, it was better for Zhu Minng to keep a low profile. Buried in armor forging, time would pass surprisingly quickly; sometimes he had only entered the private casting room and smelted a few key pieces of azure silver before it was time to eat, and the sky had already darkened. But research was a pleasure in itself. Gathering ingredients, taming dragon pets, and refining armor¡ªit had been a long time since he felt as fulfilled as he did now, finding there was never enough time every single day. Of course, no matter how busy he was, Zhu Minng still remembered to visit the little dragon, his Third Spirit Pact Dragon. He hoped it would recover soon. Snow, white as it fell on the silvery-grey tones of Ancestral Dragon City, first touched the high State Wall, the tips of the towers, weing these holy winter spirits. The first snow fell like white butterflies, gracefully flitting, and only someone as diligent as Zhu Minng could perfectly witness their dance before dawn in Ancestral Dragon City. By the time the day was fully bright, the snow butterflies had already melted in the radiant sunshine, leaving the vast city in a holy, majestic silver-white! The procedures for crafting the armor had recently beenid out clearly, so Zhu Minng, trudging through the snow, still entered the foundry at the usual time. In every setting, there¡¯s always someone who is more diligent than you are, arriving earlier. While you¡¯re psyching yourself up to push on through the day, that person is already deeply engrossed in their work. That person was Master Zhao Long. On several asions, Zhu Minng tried to arrive a few minutes earlier just to see if Master Zhao Long slept there, but he never uncovered the secret of how Master Zhao Long was always the first on the scene. ¡°Master Zhao, good morning,¡± Zhu Minng greeted again. ¡°Ah Zhu¡­ ah, is that Zhu!¡± Suddenly, Master Zhao Long eximed, dropping what he was working on and staring at Zhu Minng. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Zhu Minng was confused. Wasn¡¯t it just yesterday that he didn¡¯te because he had sses? As for having the same face as someone who had been separated from me for many years!! ¡°Quick, take a look, look at what¡¯s posted at the door. Is that really you?¡± Master Zhao Long hurried Zhu Minng to the street and urgently said. Zhu Minng took a step closer and indeed saw a portrait posted in front of the shop. The material of the paper was very much like the wanted posters for notorious criminals! What¡¯s going on? What heinous crime had Imitted? But the person in the drawing really did look exactly like me! Was I actually wanted?? For what reason? ¡°The whole workshop was abuzz with the news yesterday. They say this man is the same vagrant who was imprisoned with the Valkyrie. Rumor has it, the man used to be a silk farmer from Sang Town, poor and humble, of low birth. Because he waszy and gluttonous, he couldn¡¯t even rear silkworms properly. Ending up penniless, he became a beggar in Eternal City. By bad luck, he was thrown into the dungeon, where he was involved in something shameful with the Valkyrie who was deep in the cells at that time,¡± Zhao Long stooped down and whispered to Zhu Minng. ¡°Huh?¡± Zhu Minng listened with a face that wanted to die. He wanted to correct it, but quickly realized that by correcting it, he might as well admit it. ¡°You look too much like that vagrant. I advise you to wear a mask in public, especially since it¡¯s winter and many people catch colds. Keeping a mask on is also taking care of your health, ¡± Zhao Long earnestly told Zhu Minng. ¡°It¡¯s not a matter of looking simr or not. How did such a rumor suddenlye about?¡± Zhu Minng asked. ¡°Who knows? Overnight everyone started talking about it, and this portrait of you has been posted all over the city. People from the shops nearby all say it looks a lot like you, let alone the people in our own shop. All the craftsmen, big and small, think it¡¯s you!¡± Zhao Long said. ¡°Fine, I¡¯ve been cooped up in the foundry workshop recently anyway,¡± Zhu Minng nodded. He remembered when he parted with Li Yunzi, she had warned him that her enemies would likely use him to create trouble. It seemed they had already made their move. Of course, it was also highly likely that it was Luo Xiao¡¯s retaliation. After being expelled and hunted, he no longer dared to move freely in Ancestral Dragon City-State and could only resort to such despicable methods to disgust me. ¡°You, you¡­ You¡¯re saddled with someone else¡¯s sins without their fate. If it reallyes down to it, you might consider going to some old doctors to see if they can change your appearance,¡± Zhao Long said with a concerned look. ¡°¡­¡± Zhu Minng didn¡¯t know how to respond for a moment. Some things were indeed bound toe, and Zhu Minng had also mentally prepared himself. Changing one¡¯s appearance was out of the question. It was time to clean up the atmosphere in Ancestral Dragon City. He was sick of hearing stories about how the Valkyrie¡¯s man was a vagrant, a despicable beggar. Enough was enough! I, Zhu Minng, will shine bright in this Ancestral Dragon City! Upright and forthright. That was Zhu Minng¡¯s response now. As expected, by night time, his own name had also begun to spread through the town. When Zhu Minng, somewhat fatigued, stepped out of the foundry workshop, the old master Zhao Long and several other apprentices were standing outside, staring at him with a strange gaze. Master Zhao Long wore an incredulous expression. He had thought that the drawing merely resembled Zhu Minng, but now that the name hade out, there could be no mistake! As for those young apprentices. In truth, they had not refrained from discussing the Valkyrie¡¯s affairs when drinking privately. The tales of the lofty Female Monarch and the little beggar had countless versions among themon people, and had long dominated the best-selling lists of forbidden books. Zhu Minng had been portrayed in countless ways, short, ugly, fat, thin¡­ ¡°Little Zhu, you¡¯re not really that¡­ that vagrant from back in Eternal City, are you?¡± the master finally couldn¡¯t help asking. Zhu Minng knew it was pointless to exin. Whoever spread the rumor was truly vile, to say he waszy and incapable of rearing silkworms, resulting in begging ¨C when in fact, he had been kidnapped! Of course, Zhu Minng also realized that since the rumor detailed his identity as a silk farmer from Sang Town, Luo Xiao himself must have had a hand in spreading it. Luo Xiao didn¡¯t want him to live a peaceful life in this Ancestral Dragon City-State, saddled with this unbearable and enviable identity. Without the ability to protect himself, it really would be difficult to survive. ¡°Zhu Minng, have you actually slept with the Valkyrie?¡± apprentice Zhou Xin asked in a weird tone. Chapter 55 - 55 The Man Who Lives Off A Woman Chapter 55: The Man Who Lives Off A Woman Trantor: Exodus Tales Editor: Exodus Tales ¡°Alright, alright, even if that¡¯s true, what does it have to do with any of you? Zhu Minng, don¡¯t mind them. You go back to the Dragon Taming Academy. You don¡¯t need toe to the foundry these few days,¡± Master Zhao Long red at the apprentices and said. ¡°Sure, my armor is already finished. I also forged a few chainmail robes with the leftover materials. Please help me sell them for a good price, Master Zhao,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°No problem, your craftsmanship is quite good. After this idle gossip blows over, you¡¯re always wee here,¡± Master Zhao Long said. ¡°I think it¡¯s better not toe. What¡¯s the status of the Valkyrie? The entire Ancestral Dragon City-State admires and adores her, countless of whom are dignitaries and nobles. If they knew he was in our shop, how could we have peace?¡± The headmaster spoke up, he didn¡¯t want to invite trouble. ¡°It¡¯s not Zhu Minng¡¯s fault, he¡¯s a good person. If anyone¡¯s to me, it could only be¡­¡± Zhao Long felt somewhat indignant for Zhu Minng. ¡°Master Zhao, it¡¯s alright. There¡¯s no problem with what the headmaster said. I understand. Anyway, my main reason foring here was to forge a piece of armor, and now that it¡¯splete, I can go. Just don¡¯t forget to pay me for the pieces I¡¯ve left here to sell,¡± Zhu Minng said with a broad-minded air. ¡°Now, these rumors really are deadly. A perfectly fine young man has been harassed to the point where he can¡¯t find peace. What about the Valkyrie? Can¡¯t the Valkyrie have feelings for a decent and honorable young man like our little Zhu? I think Zhu Minng is great, and he deserves her!¡± Master Zhao Long eximed loudly. However, his words just drew a burst of strangeughter from those around, especially that apprentice called Zhou Xin, whoughed the loudest. ¡°Come on, even if Zhu Minng were to be reborn, he still wouldn¡¯t be worthy of her,¡± Zhou Xinughed even more unreservedly. ¡°But Zhu Minng did sleep with the Valkyrie.¡± Somebody uttered quietly, not sure who. This statement stopped theughter of the apprentices immediately. ¡°I¡¯ve never even met her, but the artist¡¯s depiction of the Valkyrie is indeed very beautiful¡­ ¡°I saw her once during a festival, and she¡¯s much more beautiful than in the paintings.¡± As they chatted, the atmosphere gradually changed from mockery to gnashing of teeth! Why hadn¡¯t such good fortune befallen them, why were they forging iron here at that time instead of wandering around Wutu! Zhu Minng walked down the street towards the exterior of the State Wall. Although the bustling main street didn¡¯t disy the recklessly posted portraits, once he ventured into smaller alleys, there were more of them than wanted posters, with some people even copying them, fearing their faces wouldn¡¯t spread far enough. Such a waste of time! Probably those bad singers and the leading courtesans on the painted boats didn¡¯t be as famous as fast as he did. Overnight, their long-believed identity of the wandering beggar became known: his name was Zhu Minng! Fortunately, appearances can be somewhat deceiving. Zhu Minng walked on the big street, and nobody stared at him thoughtlessly, firmly convinced he was that man. However, being scrutinized a bit longer by people or engaging in conversation, it was mostly likely that they would harbor suspicions. Walking back to the Dragon Taming Academy, Zhu Minng felt the power of public opinion. Perhaps this matter had been fermenting for a long time, and finally, there was a version close to the truth. Everyone was intrigued and looking forward to the developments¡­ After all, Li Yunzi had regained the status of Female Monarch, bing the sun and moon¡¯s glow of the Ancestral Dragon City-State. ¡°Little brother, you¡¯re something else,¡± Fang Niannian said, eyeing Zhu Minng as if she had been waiting there all day by the bridge, her basket of unsold peaches beside her. ¡°Your peaches are going to rot,¡± Zhu Minng remarked. ¡°I knew at first nce you were the type to live off a woman, and it turns out I was right,¡± Fang Niannian didn¡¯t care about her peaches. Snow¡­kes fluttering, the north wind howling. Zhu Minng stood forlorn in the cold falling snow, feeling as if the chaos of the wind was pping his cheeks! Zhu Minng didn¡¯t care about others¡¯ teasing since most people couldn¡¯t hit where it hurt. But this girl, her words pierced right to the heart! A crushing defeat among defeats! Taking a deep breath, Zhu Minng tried his best to regte his emotions. After all, she was just a girl, not a demon from the abyss; even a demon would probably lose its sanity and crawl back to itsir after meeting her. ¡°It¡¯s winter now, and there¡¯s a kind of Mountain Snow Orchid. Check if it is avable in the market. I need your family to help me turn them all into honey. Also, look for autumn phoebe wood, preferably fresh wood. If you can find these two things, buy them regardless of the price, all of them. Here¡¯s yourmission, ¡± Zhu Minng handed Fang Niannian a few pieces of gold sand. ¡°Okay, Mr. Zhu,¡± Fang Niannian immediately said sweetly, even curtsying a bit. ¡°Just keep calling me brother; ¡®Mr. Zhu¡¯ sounds odd,¡± Zhu Minng said with a wry smile. ¡°Little brother, is the Valkyrie sister fair-skinned, busty?¡± Fang Niannian asked with a secretive air. The words of a young girl, yet they are phrases fit for a lustful beast!! And what does that gleaming look in her tiny eyes mean, huh? You a girl, are you drooling over this too! The snowkes fell, and on theke at night, the snow resembled white petals, which, under the illumination of thentern-lit boats, was actually rather beautiful. Passing through the frost-covered forest, Zhu Minng made his way to his dwelling. For some reason, he had an ominous premonition, especially after the conversation with Fang Niannian by the bridge¡­ When he arrived at the door, his dwelling was even more tranquil than he had imagined. Perhaps because of the cold weather and falling snow, everyone must have been hiding inside their houses. ¡°How can there be people in this world who are so idle?¡± He pushed open the courtyard door and returned to his room to sleep. Today¡¯sst process had almost drained his spiritual power. He needed to rest for a few days, and take the opportunity to attend more sses and learn. The academy was indeed wonderful, like an idyllic paradise, free from the troublesome dust of the world. Having developed the habit of getting up early, Zhu Minng didn¡¯t sleep in, even on a cold day. After visiting the young dragons, he held his books and headed to the ssroom. Today was the day for the monthly lecture. It was free, so he had to go. As soon as he entered the ssroom, it was already full of people. There were students who were already Dragon Trainers, as well as those still lingering under the Dragon Gate, presumably because today¡¯s lecture was important for both groups of students. Having found a seat and settled down, Zhu Minng was just about to open his book to learn about the Forest Giant Dragons when suddenly a few dozen people stood up around him, in unison. Zhu Minng thought a teacher had arrived and subconsciously stood up to salute, but then he realized these people were all staring at him, as if a was already set here, just waiting for him to walk into it. ¡°Are you Zhu Minng?¡± one of the fair and handsome young men dressed in fur asked as he took the lead in questioning. Zhu Minng looked at the man, feeling that he had seen him somewhere before. After thinking carefully, he seemed to recall that it was in the Book Pavilion that day, where this gentleman expressed a few sentiments of unworthiness for Li Yunzi. He remembered that his words did not contain the crudenguage of those few young students but rather a sense of regret. He must be an admirer and lover of the Valkyrie. The problem was why he seemed ready to use and confront, and he was apparently not the only one with such thoughts! Did they know that he would definitely attend this monthly lecture today? Zhu Minng nced around and noticed that a few of his dorm mates, whom he seldom greeted, were also in the ssroom, and their eyes were avoiding his. No wonder his courtyard was so quietst night; it turned out they had agreed to intercept him here today. He had thought that the atmosphere within the academy would not be as vtile as the outside world, but it seemed it was the same on this issue. ¡°Whether or not you are Zhu Minng, do you not even dare to admit that much?¡± the fair and handsome man in the fur coat asked again. ¡°Yes, I am. May I know why so many fellow seniors have gathered here?¡± Zhu Minng responded. ¡°How dare you ask. Is that vagrant from Wutu you?¡± A person behind the fair young man in the fur coat asked angrily. ¡°That is absolutely a rumor,¡± Zhu Minng immediately replied. The fair young man in fur scrutinized Zhu Minng closely, finding him to be quite unremarkable. ¡°Since it is a rumor, how do you n to rify this matter?¡± the fair young man, who seemed to be the most prestigious among the group,manded the attention of the others¡ªthey ceased their chatter when he spoke. ¡°In fact, she and I had an immediate rapport and mutual affection. There is no such thing as a dungeon; it¡¯s merely that some people cannot stand to see us happy together and cannot bear to see a beauty with a heart that belongs. Thus, they concoct such vicious methods to belittle me and insult her,¡± Zhu Minng stated righteously to the crowd. ¡°Li Yunzi felt an immediate rapport with you? You?¡± The fair young man, who had maintained someposure until then, immediately showed a look of disdain and disgust upon hearing Zhu Minng¡¯s words. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s nothing more than the mostmon experience of mutual joy between a man and a woman, yet certain malicious individuals have twisted it into something ugly. It¡¯s likely that there are also some rumors spread by enemies to nder the illustrious image of our Ancestral Dragon City¡¯s Valkyrie. Of course, to vilify me, Zhu Minng, as well. Therefore, I think that the rumor-mongers are either spies from enemy cities or twisted admirers of Li Yunzi,¡± Zhu Minng continued, his voice tinged with indignant righteousness. ¡°Don¡¯t spout such nonsense here. Why would the Female Monarch fancy you?¡± The male students expressed their disbelief. ¡°Matters of the heart are hard to exin clearly. In truth, I also do not understand why I fell in love with her. Perhaps love for someone does not need a reason,¡± Zhu Minng said with a touch of a poet¡¯s mncholy. With one hand holding the book, his eves deep and contemtive, he gazed out the window at the cold plum blossoms, like a true poet, sometimes expressing joy, sometimes recalling sweet smiles, and sometimes murmuring infatuatedly¡­ The expressions of the people around him changed. Especially the fair young man, his eyes aze with a demonic light! He had never seen such a shameless person before. To not even understand why he had fallen for her? Were these words spoken by a human? The name of the Valkyrie is not only due to her unrivaled wisdom and bravery but also because of her beauty, like a fairy from the heavens. Everyone who saw her marveled at the beauty that stunned the world. Did you, a nameless nonentity, need to rack your brains to figure out why you were smitten with her? We¡¯re all men! Chapter 56 - 56 My Wife Chapter 56: My Wife Trantor: Exodus Tales Editor: Exodus Tales ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, I know you all have long admired Yunzi from my family and have heard many untrue rumors. If you truly respect and revere her, please do not believe those filthy words and nders anymore,¡± Zhu Minng continued to say. His tone was so determined, his attitude so sincere that for a moment, the group of students who hade to use him did not know how to respond. ¡°I don¡¯t believe it, how could the Female Monarch ever fancy someone like you!¡± Finally unable to hold back, a handsome young master pointed at Zhu Minng, saying with anger, ¡°You have tarnished her great name, and we cannot forgive you!¡± Zhu Minng, seeing the handsome young master¡¯s shame-tinged rage, couldn¡¯t help but find it amusing. ¡°It¡¯s strange, isn¡¯t it? Over the past few months, throughout Ancestral Dragon City-State, both inside and outside, there has been nothing but maligning of Li Yunzi. Howe I didn¡¯t see you indignant gentlemen forming such a group back then, to support her and condemn those who insulted her with their words?¡± Zhu Minng asked the crowd. Some people are truly hypocritical and repugnant. Having lived in the Ancestral Dragon City-State for several months, Zhu Minng had heard more than once in the streets and within the academy about those who truly smeared her name, not seeing a single person speak up to stop them, nor did he ever see this so-called group of admirers of the Female Monarch? How is it that the moment Li Yunzi reimed her title as the Female Monarch and reasserted her might amidst western conflicts and eastern chaos, all these people sprang into action? Upon discovering that the beggar was him, Zhu Minng, all the me was directed at him. Was it genuine allegiance, or were there ulterior motives? ¡°How could we not have intervened, but as long as you, this malignant tumor, exist, she will never be free of this filthy shadow. If I were you, knowing my low status, I would have long since hanged myself!¡± The handsome young master was now red in the face with anger. ¡°Exactly, someone like you does not deserve to live in this world!¡± ¡°You have insulted decency!¡± ¡°How utterly vile! ! ¡± Soon, everyone found amon outlet for their aggression, which was to hurl all the insults they could think of at him. ¡°Jealousy makes people ugly, ah. When you were all speaking to me just now, I could understand your feelings. After all, Yunzi from my family does indeed perfectlybine intelligence and beauty. It¡¯s normal for you to struggle to ept that her heart belongs to someone else. Yet even after I¡¯ve told you the truth, you stille at me like rabid dogs. As a man of honor, I cannot tolerate this,¡± Zhu Minng said, maintaining hisposure. Not everyone in the academy was ackey of the handsome young master. There were some who had objectively looked at the situation, and even they felt that the purported admirers of the Female Monarch were being too much. It¡¯s been said: When two hearts are mutually caught, Why should the Female Monarch not have a proper lover? ¡°Yin Yaowu, Zhu Minng has made himself very clear. Why must you persist in this confusion? I think this is a good thing; at least our city-state¡¯s Female Monarch will not have to suffer those previous malicious words,¡± a senior sister then stood out and said to the handsome young master. Zhu Minng recognized this senior sister; she had been one of those who initially went to Rong Valley City. She must have heard about Ke Bei and Duan Lan¡¯s incident. Seeing Zhu Minng being attacked by this group of false suitors, she stood up to speak a fair word. The handsome young master, Yin Yaowu, gave the woman a nce, clearly not happy about her interfering. ¡°It¡¯s rare for everyone to gather today, so I, Zhu, also have a few words to say to all present. I hope that both those present and those not present will pass them on to each other,¡± Zhu Minng first bowed to the senior sister in gratitude, then raised his voice a few notches as he spoke. ¡°Are you going to slit your throat as an apology?¡± pressed Yin Yaowu, aggressively. ¡°You people, I don¡¯t mind that you admire her, for she truly is dazzlingly brilliant, but please have some self-respect from now on.¡± ¡°My family¡¯s Yunzi has repeatedly instructed me to keep the matter quiet, fearing that I would be harassed by you so-called admirers. Indeed, I, Zhu, have been granted divine favor to have such a celestial being favor me.¡± ¡°How could I not know that there are insurmountable barriers between her and me, yet how can the most sincere affection in the world be hindered by these worldly beings and things?¡± ¡°From this day forward, her glory shall be guarded by none other than myself.¡± ¡°Yin Yaowu, and all you so-called admirers of the Female Monarch, please cease harboring any vain fantasies about my beloved wife! ¡± Zhu Minng¡¯s statement, a stark departure from his previously meek demeanor, stood firm among the crowd, his expression unchanging, his tone steady, and carrying an air of belligerent exclusivity! This was a deration, a promation of the Female Monarch¡¯s belonging! Everyone watching was dumbstruck! They had thought there was no one in the world as shameless as Zhu Minng, but who could have expected him to outdo himself! ¡°Junior instructor, elder sister supports you, you spoke really well. If the Female Monarch hears this, she will surely be moved,¡± the senior sister was the first to respond. Zhu Minng nodded, maintaining his impassioned zeal, but silently prayed in his heart: Please, let these words never reach Li Yunzi! ¡°For love, one must not fear gossip or daunting challenges; Junior Zhu, we support you too,¡± several deeply moved senior sisters also expressed their admiration and blessings. Those who took it to heart were mostly women, while those who disbelieved and scorned were mostly men. Zhu Minng understood that in the end, it was jealousy that made people ugly. Li Yunzi was like the bright moon in the heavens, with her pale light illuminating the hearts of many naive boys and impassioned youths, who ultimately could not ept that such a bedraggled man could win her; deep down they all hoped to be the one among a million favored by her. Such a multitude of rivals was indeed rming. Zhu Minng certainly did not wish to be a rat crossing the street, shunned by all. Rather than being ceaselessly targeted by this crowd, why not crush them with dignity! ¡°You¡¯re just azy sericulture farmer, shamelessly defiling the name of the Female Monarch and even daring to spread such dirty rhetoric about being in harmony with her. Low and despicable, the Female Monarch deems you unworthy of any association, yet you cling tenaciously. Don¡¯t me us for what happens next!¡± Yin Yaowu dered with haughty contempt. ¡°This is the academy, Yin Yaowu, how can you be as barbaric as a bandit!¡± the senior sister protested. ¡°He¡¯s the one who issued a challenge to us all just now. If he doesn¡¯t dare to ept, then not a single word he says is to be believed, and what¡¯s wrong with expelling such Wutu bad people from the Ancestral Dragon City-State?¡± Yin Yaowu retorted. ¡°And what authority do you have to do such a thing, Yin Yaowu?¡± Some in the academy also stood up for Zhu Minng. ¡°Sorry, but I, Yin Yaowu, indeed have such capacity. It¡¯s my father who controls the movements of the city-state¡¯s popce, and people like him, spouting lies and seeking to tarnish the Female Monarch¡¯s integrity, have the right to be expelled!¡± Yin Yaowu said with a smirk. With poweres the propensity for arbitrary action. Did they really think he, Yin Yaowu, had no way of dealing with such a despicable lowlife? The Ancestral Dragon City-State had its Expulsion Orders, and the Dragon Taming Academy could not keep him either! ¡°If you all issue challenges one by one¡­¡± Zhu Minng began to say. ¡°Hmph, to deal with you, one of me is more than enough. Do you think we are as despicable as you?¡± The handsome young Yin Yaowu was a representative of this group of Li Yunzi¡¯s supporters. Should there be a fight, naturally he would be the one to step forward. And Yin Yaowu was sure to be merciless, crippling if not killing, crippling before expelling, leaving him to perish in and of chaos and war! Only by doing so could he ease the thorn in his heart a little. Otherwise, the thought of this dog, who shared a cell with the Valkyrie, still being alive was pure torture! ¡°That¡¯s not what I mean. I¡¯m saying, since there are many of you, taking turns would be too time-consuming.. Please, write a joint challenge letter, have everyone present today sign it, and then attack altogether!¡± Zhu Minng said calmly, but each word he uttered was saturated with arrogance! Chapter 57 - 57: How Could He Forget Her? Chapter 57: How Could He Forget Her? Trantor: Exodus Tales Editor: Exodus Tales Those who were there for the spectacle in the school hall, including a few of Zhu Minng¡¯s hallmates, all had their jaws drop, unable to close them for a long time! He took it upon himself to challenge all of Li Yunzi¡¯s admirers, that was one thing, but not one by one¡ªhe wanted to take on a group at once!! Even the most energetic and warlike Dragon Shepherds in the academy wouldn¡¯t dare do such a thing! There were easily twenty or thirty people around Zhu Minng, all students indeed, but nearly all of them were Dragon Shepherd Students with True Dragons. If each summoned a dragon, that would be twenty or thirty dragons! ¡°You¡­ you¡­ are you out of your mind!¡± a tall and thin student with a hair bun eximed. ¡°I¡¯ve said it before. I alone will guard her illustrious reputation. I don¡¯t need you bunch of hypocritical andughable ¡®admirers¡¯. Also, I¡¯m the jealous type and don¡¯t like you pretending to be my wife¡¯s admirers. Just sign your names on the collective challenge letter, and if defeated, dissolve on the spot and scram!¡± Zhu Minng dered, his tone not softening one bit¡ªit seemed he had long been fed up with these morons! ¡°You¡­ you¡­ you! Those admirers were so angry they were stuttering. ¡°When my wife fell into distress and was ravaged by public opinion, none of you dared to bark like dogs. Now that she¡¯s returned to her holy seat, youe out and try to defend the Female Monarch¡¯s reputation with your tongues. Hmph, you¡¯re all a bunch of chicken-hearted curs. Either sign up to fight me or shut up and get out of my sight,¡± Zhu Minng repeated. There was no point in reasoning with them; they just wouldn¡¯t get it. ¡°Moreover, should any student not like the look of me, Zhu Minng, or covet my wife, there¡¯s no need to follow any so-called civil procedures. Just sign up on the challenge letter and once we gather twenty people, I¡¯ll take care of all of you at once.¡± ¡°You¡¯re oblivious to your own impending doom. I was going to let you live a little longer, but it seems there¡¯s no need for that now!¡± The handsome young master Yin Yaowu¡¯s eyes were filled with outright murderous intent. A Wutumoner¡¯s death would matter to no one. And for Yin Yaowu, ying this disgusting refugee who¡¯d been talked about for months would definitely be a pleasing deed to the people of Ancestral Dragon City! ¡°Go, draft the challenge letter. Make a few extra copies for me; the whole Ancestral Dragon City probably has no shortage of your kind, and I¡¯m ready to overturn them all, ¡± Zhu Minng said. The academy allowed students to challenge each other with challenge letters. The challenge had to be filed with the academy, and they usually assigned a teacher to supervise to prevent any unnecessary idents. After getting rid of Yin Yaowu¡¯s band of Female Monarch supporters, Zhu Minng sat back in the school hall with ease and continued with his important monthly ss. The ss was about the Forest Giant Dragons in the Li Chuan Forest, and Zhu Minng didn¡¯t want to miss a thing since he still wasn¡¯t sure what kind of dragon the little juvenile he had revived was. As its body gradually healed, it seemed quite different from traditional Giant Dragons; at least its skin didn¡¯t resemble regr dragon skin, but more the smooth bark of a birch tree. After drafting the challenge letters, they had to choose a Dragon Battle Field. Although located on thiske ind and sand bar, the Dragon Taming Academy was surrounded by vast tracts ofnd near Phoenix Embankment Town and Li Chuan Waterfall, includingrge orchards, medicinal gardens, pastures, and Dragon Battle Fields. No sooner had Zhu Minng left the school hall than the challenge letter was delivered into his hands. Their chosen venue was the River Battlefield, a ce Zhu Minng had never visited before. The time was set for the afternoon, and Zhu Minng wasn¡¯t in a rush. After enjoying a delightful lunch, he strolled leisurely towards the upstream area of the Li Chuan in. Passing through a forest of willows, their withered branches stood destely in winter, yet frost-covered grasnds sprouted some winter flowers, adding sshes of color to the somber willow woods. After noon, the gloomy sky held a slight hint of sunlight, but it was blocked byyers of thick winter clouds. The clouds glinted with a silvery-gray sheen, unable to bring the same brightness to the vast river in below. Just as he was about to cross through the willow grove, a woman, resting a paper umbre on her delicate shoulder, appeared in Zhu Minng¡¯s line of sight. Her figure was slender and graceful, her attire elegant, exuding the charm of a beauty from a painting. Zhu Minng slowly walked past the woman, who indeed had an impable profile, but he pretended not to notice. Li Yunzi wouldn¡¯t normally dress like this, with such a poetic and picturesque quality¡­ If she dressed this way, she would surely be breathtakingly beautiful. ¡°Do our hearts resonate at first sight?¡± the woman suddenly spoke, her voice soft yet dignified. Zhu Minng feigned surprise, bowing courteously like a humble gentleman, ¡°Miss Nan Lingsha.¡± ¡°Did I say I was Nan Lingsha?¡± the woman slowly turned around, a gorgeous smile gracing her lips with an innate allure. ¡°What a coincidence, Miss Nan venturing out here in winter. I have other matters to attend to, so I will be taking my leave now,¡± Zhu Minng pretended not to hear and quickened his pace. ¡°Stop right there,¡± the woman said. ¡°Oh dear, Miss Nan Lingsha, we¡¯re hardly acquainted, and it¡¯s rather unseemly for a man and a woman alone together in such a deste ce. I, Zhu Minng, am already entangled in enough scandals,¡± Zhu Minng hurriedly said. Run. Zhu Minng quickened his step further. If Li Yunzi asserted she wouldn¡¯t appear at the academy, then this person could only be Nan Lingsha. She must have learned about the words he had spoken at the school, which obviously differed from the version he had told her in the Book Pavilion. ¡°What did Li Yunzi tell you?¡± the woman asked coldly. Zhu Minng did not reply. ¡°Did she tell you to be wary of me?¡± the woman asked again. ¡°No, but think about it, miss. Most people can¡¯t tell the difference between you and your sister. There are quite a few people passing by this road. If they see you and me talking here, there¡¯s no telling what misunderstandings might arise. Things are alreadyplicated enough, I just think it¡¯s better to avoid trouble,¡± Zhu Minng exined. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that be even better?¡± the womanughed. ¡°How would it be better?¡± ¡°It was you who told everyone that we have mutual affection. So if I appear here, concerned about your well-being, isn¡¯t that the most natural thing in the world?¡± the woman¡¯s smile grew brighter. ¡°Miss, I have nothing to do with you!¡± Zhu Minng called out loudly. ¡°Others don¡¯t see it that way. I¡¯m tired of wearing a veil all day. It¡¯s good to breathe some fresh air. Come on, Mr. Zhu, let me apany you to your men¡¯s battlefield.¡± The woman extended her hand, elegantly gathering up her willowy hair. This action left Zhu Minng stunned. She intended to impersonate Li Yunzi! In fact, once she pulled her hair up, her aura aligned with Li Yunzi¡¯s, not to mention their appearance. Those equally dazzling eyes, that equally stunning beauty.. Zhu Minng involuntarily took a few steps back, fearing that a few more nces would make himpletely unable to discern the difference! Chapter 58 - 58: Playing Along with You Chapter 58: ying Along with You Trantor: Exodus Tales Editor: Exodus Tales ¡°Miss Lingsha, what do you have in mind?¡± Zhu Minng could not help butugh and cry. How had he forgotten that Nan Lingsha was also at the academy? It might be uncertain if this matter would reach Empress Li Yunzi, but Nan Lingsha would definitely hear about it. What should he do now? ¡°Do you think I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re thinking? You just want those foul rumors to stop, to wash away the previous humiliations suffered by Li Yunzi¡­¡± the woman said. ¡°Miss understands me. How can personal affairspare with the great matters of the Dragon City-State? I am making a small sacrifice,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°But how can you smooth things over by yourself? It¡¯s highly unlikely that the proud Li Yunzi will cooperate with you in this act,¡± the woman continued. ¡°Miss, I can direct and act by myself; there¡¯s no need to trouble you to help me,¡± Zhu Minng hastily refused. ¡°It¡¯s a good idea. This way, I won¡¯t always carry the same humiliation. Isn¡¯t it good to clear my name?¡± the woman¡¯s eyes shone like autumn waters, and when she looked at Zhu Minng, she tried to show a hint of affection. She reined in that casual aura, and every movement and expression seemed well-thought-out. The woman took a few steps in front of Zhu Minng. Li Yunzi¡¯s aura of being cool and unapproachable was suddenly mastered by her, as if she was Li Yunzi herself, peerlessly unique! ¡°Minng, do you see me as Yunzi or Lingsha?¡± Her voice was soft but with a hint of coldness, exactly the way Empress Li Yunzi would speak. ¡°Miss¡­¡± Zhu Minng swallowed hard. He had thought his acting skills were so good that there was no one in the world who could match him, but seeing Nan Lingsha¡¯s change in demeanor and temperament¡­ ¡°I will act with you in this meeting of minds, mutual affection at first sight,¡¯ the woman said with a shallow smile, putting away that bit of willfulness to fit even more perfectly into Li Yunzi¡¯s demeanor. If from the beginning, she had spoken to him in this manner, Zhu Minng would not have been able to tell at all! This was simply unbelievable! This younger sister could imitate her older sister to perfection! ¡°Ahem, Miss Lingsha¡­¡± Zhu Minng was starting to feel overwhelmed. ¡°Who told you I am Nan Lingsha?¡± the woman¡¯s eyebrows revealed a mischievous arrogance. Zhu Minng felt like his head was about to explode. How would he wrap this up? She had entirely entered the role!! How would he exin to his own wife¡­ how would he exin to Empress Li Yunzi?? ¡°Zhu Minng, why are you still here?¡± At that moment, a voice came from behind on Willow Forest Road. Zhu Minng turned pale with fright. As he was about to hide, the ¡°Li Yunzi¡± beside him blocked him with an umbre and gave him a fierce look. ¡°If you dare to expose me, I¡¯ll expose you in the identity of Li Yunzi,¡± the woman said coldly. Zhu Minng finally understood why Empress Li Yunzi had warned him to be careful of Nan Lingsha¡ªthis woman was entirely unpredictable and did not shy from stirring up big trouble! The neers were two acquaintances. Nan Ye and Li Shaoying, they saw Zhu Minng standing under the willow tree. Only when they moved a few steps forward did Nan Ye and Li Shaoying catch sight of the graceful figure partially concealed by the willows. ¡°Sister Lingsha?¡± Nan Ye¡¯s face showed a hint of surprise as he looked at the woman beside Zhu Minng. It was apparent that Nan Lingsha held a very high status in the Nan Family; seeing her, Nan Ye, usually so haughty, acted cautiously and paid his respects to Nan Lingsha. But Li Shaoying was staring, dumbfounded. The woman beside Zhu Minng looked exactly like Li Yunzi as depicted in paintings, stunning beyond words. Li Shaoying had thought Zhu Minng was making things up, but who knew he really had a rtionship with Li Yunzi¡­ ¡°I am Yunzi, Nan Ye,¡± the woman said calmly. ¡°Oh, oh, my apologies! What brings Empress Yunzi to the Dragon Taming Academy¡­¡± As Nan Ye nced at Zhu Minng, his eyes also flickered with surprise. Though surprised, once he knew she was Li Yunzi, Nan Ye did not dare to be negligent and bowed to her once more. Zhu Minng found Nan Ye¡¯s reaction quite odd. Nan Ye, oh Nan Ye, are you a pig? You can¡¯t even recognize your own sister! ¡°You two go ahead. I have a few words to say to Zhu Minng,¡± the woman maintained her indifferent and aloof demeanor. ¡°Okay, okay.¡± Nan Ye bowed respectfully again. Pulling the still stunned Li Shaoying, Nan Ye hurriedly moved ahead. They came just to watch the Dragon Duel, only to find Zhu Minng and Li Yunzi having a private meeting! So everything Zhu Minng said was true!! What merit does Zhu Minng have¡­ Why would Empress Yunzi fall for him??? Walking all the way to River Battlefield, Nan Ye still hadn¡¯t recovered from his shock. He was somewhat unable to ept it. It felt even less believable than the previous version. ¡°It really is Zhu Minng; he and the Female Monarch are actually involved. My heavens, Zhu Minng is the shame of the Empress, that wandering vagrant from the rumors. Oh, wait, not right, they are mutually affectionate, gued by rumors, but why Zhu Minng? Although he has be a Dragon Shepherd and has powerful dragons, there should still be a huge gap between him and the Female Monarch¡¯s status!¡± Li Shaoying mumbled to himself incoherently. Turns out, that legend was right beside them. Nan Ye now also felt that things were bing more and more perplexing. He was a scion of the Nan Family. Regarding the humiliation suffered by Empress Li Yunzi, the truth as he understood it was of course different from the rumors on the streets. In Nan Ye¡¯s view, the dungeon incident was mostly true. But the fact that the vagrant was Zhu Minng, that was somewhat bizarre. ¡°By the way, when did the three of us enroll in school?¡± Nan Ye suddenly asked. ¡°At the start of autumn,¡± Li Shaoying replied. Calcting the time, the Zhu Minng he saw upon enrolling, that time seemed to coincide precisely with when Empress Li Yunzi returned to the Li Imperial Pce from Wutu. That really is problematic! How could he have not considered this aspect? No, how could he have possibly considered this aspect? ¡°Nan Ye, why did you just now call that fairy-like sister ¡®Ling Sha¡¯?¡± Li Shaoying suddenly remembered this detail and asked with curiosity. ¡°What¡¯s it to you with all these questions!¡± Nan Ye said irritably. ¡°Ling Sha, the artist from the academy, Nan Ling Sha? I¡¯ve heard some people at the academy say she¡¯s also a stunning beauty!¡± Li Shaoying asked. Quite a few people in the academy knew of the artist Nan Ling Sha, but not many had actually seen her, mainly because she usually wore a veil. ¡°If I tell you to stop asking, then stop asking!¡± Nan Ye said. ¡°So, the Empress is also your sister, huh? No wonder you went and fought those men who spoke those vile wordsst time¡­ But how did you mistake her just now?¡± Li Shaoying uttered in wonder. Nan Ye no longer paid attention to Li Shaoying¡¯s incessant chatter. For some reason, Nan Ye always felt something was amiss. About Empress Li Yunzi and Nan Ling Sha, even the members of his n were very reticent to discuss it. Although Nan Ye had met both his sisters, when he saw the person under the willow tree just now¡­ The strange tale once circted in the n, whether true or false, was not known. Zhu Minng walked along the river upstream, and by the time he got close to the River Battlefield, there were already many people gathered there. The news spread quickly; Zhu Minng¡¯s statements had circted widely just after noon, and many people hade to see the excitement, waiting near the battlefield area early on. Zhu Minng walked on, holding an umbre, with snowkes drifting gently down from the silver-gray clouds, melting before they even touched the ground. To Zhu Minng, therefore, the umbre shielding the snow seemed entirely pointless. But someone maliciously insisted, and Zhu Minng did not dare not to hold the umbre for her. ¡°I¡¯ll take you only this far; do take care of yourself.¡± The woman revealed a sweet smile, tinged with the bashful charm of a snow orchid¡¯s first bloom. She disyed a demeanor that was inherently dignified and elegant, uniquely altered beside her beloved, expressed in all its glory. In terms of acting, Zhu Minng had already admitted defeat. Nan Ling Sha was very clever; she did not engage in overly deliberate actions. She merely appeared at a distance within the view of the people from the Dragon Taming Academy, and then graciously bid farewell to Zhu Minng, took the umbre, and left on her own. Making but a brief stop for farewells, leaving everyone a stunning silhouette, she allowed the rich imagination of the academy¡¯s teachers and students to run wild! ¡°It¡¯s the Female Monarch!¡± ¡°She¡­ why would shee to the Dragon Taming Academy??¡± ¡°Li Yunzi? Is that woman really Li Yunzi??¡± ¡°Could it be that everything Zhu Minng said is true! For a moment, all the disciples waiting to watch the duel boiled over with excitement because of that figure! So all the previous rumors were false! What Valkyrie and vagrant, it was clearly a fairdy and a noble gentleman. Some malicious schemers actually concocted such venomous rumors to destroy the Female Monarch¡¯s image!! ¡°Has anyone seen the Female Monarch, has anyone, thatdy, is she the Female Monarch?!¡± ¡°Absolutely certain, I¡¯ve seen her at the celebration, and that woman looks identical to the one in the portraits, there¡¯s no mistake!¡± ¡°The Female Monarch, despite being so busy, still doesn¡¯t forget toe to the academy to care for Zhu Minng. Instead, some people proim themselves her supporters, but now their faces must be swollen!¡± taunted the sister who had started to mock Yin Yaowu for his arrogance. Yin Yaowu¡¯s face had now turned blue. Although it was only a fleeting glimpse, that stunning appearance was something with which few in the Ancestral Dragon City-State couldpete. Was it truly Li Yunzi?? Then everything Zhu Minng said was the truth! Detestable! ! Not only did the Valkyrie take possession of her body, but she even stole her heart!! This Zhu Minng, his death is insignificant!! ¡°From so far away, who can guarantee that it was definitely Empress Li Yunzi? Maybe Zhu Minng found some woman from somewhere to impersonate her. Unless the Female Monarch announces it herself, we won¡¯t believe it!¡± Yin Yaowu dered loudly to everyone. ¡°Right, Yin Yaowu is correct. If it¡¯s true, then let her tell us in person, otherwise we won¡¯t give up!¡± ¡°You lot are the unreasonable ones; don¡¯t you feel ashamed!¡± ¡°A challenge has been issued; he must ept the fight. Even if what he says is true, what qualifies him to protect the Female Monarch¡¯s reputation? Does he possess the strength? The Empress¡¯s worthy son-inw should be a peerless warrior, unbeatable by anyone!¡± Yin Yaowu continued. ¡°Sister, why bother arguing with them anymore? They are clearlycking discipline at heart,¡± said Zhu Minng,ing forward and speaking gently to the sister.. Chapter 59 - 59: Facing the Dragons Chapter 59: Facing the Dragons Trantor: Exodus Tales Editor: Exodus Tales ¡°This is the challenge letter we¡¯ve drafted. Upon hearing that there¡¯s a shameless and rampant scoundrel like you, numerous students from the academy are eager to teach you a lesson. Take a look for yourself.¡± Yin Yaozu handed over the joint letter to Zhu Minng. Zhu Minng took it. Wow, actually seventy or eighty people! Did he overdo it, dragging in some bystanders as well? ¡°True sentiments are always fraught with difficulties and dangers. Merely less than a hundred people, how could I, Zhu Minng, shrink back?¡± Zhu Minng said, his face unchanged. Having said that, Zhu Minng walked toward the River Battlefield under the admiring eyes of the many academy¡¯s elder sister-students, with the pride that he would be willing to confront this world for the sake of one person. For some reason, though, after walking a distance, his calves started to feel weak, and he had to try his best to control it so as not to reveal any ws to others. Do his beloved¡¯s admirers really number that many? Is there only one peerless beauty in this Ancestral Dragon City? The number official Dragon Herding teachers of the academy should be only a few thousand, and many often travel in all directions. So howe there are fifty extra people on this challenge letter all of a sudden? Other beauties are also attractive, aren¡¯t they? Howe these ssmates have the same taste as him? Maybe he should run away after crossing the river? By the time Zhu Minng had crossed the river, the challenging party also gradually appeared on the other side of the river. In total, there were twenty students, mainly those hypocritical supporters who had surrounded Zhu Minng in the academy. ¡°The academy has already set a rule that each fight can involve no more than twenty people. However, to deal with you, I alone am enough. The others just need to summon their dragons and watch from the side,¡± Yin Yaozu said to the others. ¡°Good, once you¡¯ve beaten him, we¡¯ll all spit in his face together!¡± Chen Leiluo said. Chen Leiluo¡¯s strength was even greater than that of Yin Yaozu, and he also had a degree of fame within the academy. However, since they were going to drive out Zhu Minng, it seemed more appropriate for the well-backed Yin Yaozu to do it. Moreover, since the other party dared to answer the challenge in this way, he must be hiding something. Having Chen Leiluo there would also prevent any unexpected urrences. ¡°You may summon your dragon pets now. Considering the odds -many against few¡ª you are only allowed to call upon one dragon for the fight. Please choose wisely.¡± Yawning and appearingzy, a handsome young instructor rode on a Flying Bird Pseudo-Dragon, clearly very reluctant to preside over the event. This long-haired young instructor seemed to be quite famous among the female students. The elder sisters who came with him to watch the battle all had brightened eyes when they saw that it was him. ¡°Teacher Bai Yishu, thank you for the trouble.¡± ¡°Thank you for the trouble.¡± Yin Yaozu, Chen Leiluo, and the others were dismissive yet didn¡¯t dare to show the slightest disrespect to this instructor and bowed one after another. ¡°Let¡¯s get this over with quickly; don¡¯t dy my afternoon nap. It¡¯s better to spend time traveling through famous mountains and rivers to broaden your horizons instead of always stirring up strife over these trivial matters,¡± Teacher Bai Yishu said impatiently, waving his hand. ¡°You¡¯re right, Teacher. You¡¯re right. Once we¡¯ve dealt with this insolent fellow, we will certainly travel more to gain experience, ¡± Yin Yaozu said respectfully. ¡°Speaking of which, what are you fighting for this time, and why is there only one person on the other side?¡± Bai Yishu asked indifferently. ¡°Oh, this is Zhu Minng, the vagrant who tainted the reputation of our Female Monarch. I have no idea how he managed to steal a letter of introduction from the academy. Not only does he loiter in the academy, waiting for his death, but he¡¯s also spouted madness¡­¡± Yin Yaozu hurriedly spoke of Zhu Minng¡¯s attempt to monopolize the Female Monarch. ¡°I see, that does make things a bit more interesting¡­¡± Bai Yishu curled his lips upward, still maintaining his disinterested and indifferent demeanor. Each person summoned a dragon, resulting in twenty dragons sprawled on the western side of the river. ording to Yin Yaozu¡¯s initial statement, their sole duty was to cheer from the sidelines to prevent any denial of defeat by their opponents. After all, once they brought the opponent down, each could take their turn stepping on him and spitting on him to make him understand what he really was, before using some method to make himpletely disappear from this world. Yin Yaowu opened his Spirit Realm, summoning a Red wed Speed Dragon that he possessed. Speed Dragons are standard Ancient Dragons, among which they are a particrly cunning and ferocious type of predator. Don¡¯t be fooled by the Speed Dragon¡¯s size, which is onlyparable to an adult cow or horse; among True Dragons, they aren¡¯t considered particrly coarse or strong. However, they are extremely fast, skilled at jumping, and even better at ambushing. Their ws are retractable, capable of rotating to a great degree, akin to some ughtering de instruments. Once targeted by a Speed Dragon in the wild, it usually means certain death, given their top-tier tracking abilities. Yin Yaozu¡¯s Red wed Speed Dragon had clearly been trained as an executioner on the battlefield. Its forelimbs, more flexible than a human arm, could easily slice through leather armor, flesh, bones, and even pierce internal organs¡­ Such a vicious creature inherently possessed a bloodthirsty nature. If the Dragon Shepherd failed to control it properly, it was highly possible an ident could ur on this battlefield. Fortunately, such academy battles did not permit attacks on Dragon Shepherds, nor did they allow students to y dragons. But rules were rules, and whether Yin Yaowu would abide by them was another matter entirely. Chen Leiluo also summoned his dragon, a Stone Dragon covered from head to toe with thick mudstone. This Stone Dragon not only carried the Triangle Armored Dragon Bloodline from the Ancient Dragons but also had the blood of a Giant Dragon from the Grey Dragons. It was not purely a closebat battering ram! The other eighteen individuals also revealed their Spirit Contract Seals, showcasing their True Dragons, most of which were recorded in the bestiary though their bloodlines were mixed. Fierce Sparrow Dragons, Wind Drift Dragons, Saber-toothed Tiger Dragons, Violent Wolf Dragons, Green Forest Dragons¡­ Zhu Minng recognized most of them as their distinctive features were fairly clear, but among them was one dragon that caught Zhu Minng¡¯s particr attention, an Azure Dragon. Without a doubt, it was a Candle Dragon. Its form resembled a giant gecko, with extremely smooth scales tinged with mottled patterns. It had only front limbs, no hind ws, and it moved rapidly, its slender body swaying like a bamboo leaf snake. Moreover, its forelimbs were clearly very powerful, able to effortlessly crushrge rocks. Since the opponents were across the river, Zhu Minng couldn¡¯t identify the master of the Candle Dragon, but it was definitely worth noting. ¡°You don¡¯t have any other assistance?¡± Teacher Bai Yishu asked as he circled above Zhu Minng on a Flying Bird Pseudo-Dragon. ¡°This is my own business,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°You can summon all your dragon pets now, or you can keep your summoning rights and call them during the ongoing battle,¡± Teacher Bai Yishu said. Zhu Minng nodded and also opened his Spirit Realm, summoning the ck Azure Violent Dragon that had been raring to go! Zhu Minng¡¯s Spirit Contract Seals were all ck. The ck Azure Violent Dragon stepped out of the huge seal gate, standing on the somewhat muddy riverbank, almost instinctively raising its proud Tyrant Dragon¡¯s Skull, wanting to roar to the heavens and fully release its Dragon¡¯s Domineering Spirit! But as soon as it opened its mouth wide, the ck Azure Violent Dragon¡¯s eyes scanned the enemies on the opposite bank. A group of ferocious and evil True Dragons!! Chapter 60 - 60 Dragon General Chapter 60: Dragon General Trantor: Exodus Tales Editor: Exodus Tales Each one was at least of the Dragon Child Level, and each emitted the powerful aura of a True Dragon, iparable to those little devils beneath the waterfall pool. To the ck Azure Violent Dragon, any one of them seemed to possess the strength to contend with it in singlebat. The ck Azure Violent Dragon dared not roar anymore. It turned its head, looking like it was asking its master which direction they should run for the best chance of escape. ¡°Run? This is your training theme for today,¡± Zhu Minng said to the ck Azure Violent Dragon, annoyed. Where is your spirit, mongrel born from a Tyrant Dragon and an Azure Dragon?? ¡°Oh oh! The ck Azure Violent Dragon howled sadly. If you want to rece me, just say it, Zhu Minng. At the worst, ck Treasure can venture alone into the mountains and seas. Could you not afford me a way to live? ¡°Your presence, ck Fang, focus on your presence. Don¡¯t you trust me? Moreover, how could I let you face them all by yourself? Bai Qi is also here!¡± Zhu Minng said, still annoyed. The ck Azure Violent Dragon turned its head again to look back at its unreliable master. Twenty True Dragons! Even if Bai Qi were there, it¡¯s unlikely he could withstand so many dragons! ¡°You go provoke them first. We can¡¯t let them scatter too much, otherwise Bai Qi¡¯s magic won¡¯t be able to cover them all,¡± Zhu Minng instructed. So it¡¯s just being used as bait. Being bait¡ªit was familiar with that¡­ Maintaining the imposing presence that a Tyrant Dragon should possess, ck Fang began to move forward. After only a few steps, it suddenly felt that something was not quite right. Before it transformed into a dragon, when it was just a little ck crocodile being used as bait was one thing. Why should it suffer the same fate now that it has be the ck Azure Violent Dragon, the perfect fusion of an Azure Dragon and a Tyrant Dragon, the ultimate predators of bothnd and sea!! ¡°Hurry up! Use the river to your advantage. Some of them are not ustomed to water!¡± Zhu Minng urged ck Fang. The ck Azure Violent Dragon took hesitant steps towards the other side of the river. Reaching the wide river, the ck Azure Violent Dragon went straight into the water, using its sturdy tail and the instincts of a crocodilian dragon to move just as adeptly in the water. And unlikerge marine creatures such as whales and sharks, it would never be beached in shallow water thanks to its four limbs. After crossing the river, the ck Azure Vite Dragon slowly stood up from the water. The Violent Dragon exuded a sense of wild and powerful build from afar, and now, up close, as the river water slid off its back and its dark, tough dragon skin came into view, it seemed like a moving mountain of cast iron. It must be said that ck Fang¡¯s bloodline was superior to many dragons. For instance, the Saber-toothed Tiger Dragon seemedpletely unimpressive in the presence of the ck Azure Violent Dragon, not to mention the other dragons that appeared rather slender. An adult Green Forest Dragon was quite outstanding in terms of size, but unfortunately, it was still shorter than the ck Azure Violent Dragon by a head¡ªnot to mention the wildly ferocious straight horns ot the ck Azure Violent Dragon! Since it was to be bait, since it was to provoke outrage, the ck Azure Violent Dragon had its own way of drawing hostility. It stepped onto the other bank, where the other dragons were restrained by their masters, except for a Red wed Speed Dragon that seemed eager to try¡­ ¡°Pffft-¡± it exhaled arge amount of spray from its nostrils. The ck Azure Violent Dragon turned its hefty dragon rump toward the twenty Dragon Sons, then slightly bent its body and twisted its dragon face. ¡°St! Arge heap of dragon dung fell, a hefty pile that immediately spread a stench to the heavens as it hit the green grass. When blown by the river¡¯s breeze, the overpowering odor brazenly assaulted the Red wed Speed Dragon, Mudrock Dragon, Saber-toothed Tiger Dragon, Fierce Sparrow Dragon¡­ Defecating in front of twenty dragons!! This ck Azure Violent Dragon¡­ For a moment, the onlooking students were struck dumb. As the master, so the dragon, limitlessly wild¡ªjust how much did it look down on the dragon pets of Yin Yaozu, Chen Leiluo, and others!! As for the dragon owners on the battlefield, their faces turned ck with anger! And their dragon pets, which had just been obediently following orders, became agitated to the point of breaking their restraints after the extreme provocation from the ck Azure Violent Dragon, wishing they could tear it apart immediately. Especially those Ancient Dragons. Ancient Dragons often use feces to mark their territories, to ward off wandering predators from intruding on theirnds and prevent unnecessary fights. But this sort of public defecation was not a message of ¡°live and let live¡±; rather, it was telling them where you stand is my domain, and I¡¯ll take it as I please!! ¡°Vulgar dragon, vulgar people!¡± the handsome nobleman Yin Yaozu said angrily. After being humiliated time and again, Yin Yaozu¡¯s patience reached its limit. ¡°Why even talk about a gentleman¡¯s battle with such a person? He doesn¡¯t understand what a gentleman is¡ªlet¡¯s deal with him together!¡± Chen Leiluo yelled out at this moment. Yin Yaozu looked at Chen Leiluo with confusion, not understanding why Chen Leiluo would say such a thing. Wasn¡¯t it agreed that he would take care of Zhu Minng by himself and then everyone would spit on him together? ¡°That dragon has Tyrant Dragon bloodline; your Red wed Speed Dragon might not be its match, ¡± Chen Leiluo hurriedly whispered to Yin Yaozu. Although Yin Yaozu was displeased, he did not retort. Indeed, the ck Azure Violent Dragon summoned by Zhu Minng had surprised him. He hadn¡¯t expected the guy to genuinely be a Dragon Shepherd. Then, what exactly was the deal with the rumors that he was a vagrant? As another Ancient Dragon, the Saber-toothed Tiger Dragon let out an angry roar first. It was wildly fierce, and even with the attempts by its owner to restrain it, the true nature of the Saber-toothed Tiger Dragon still couldn¡¯t be controlled. It had gone as far as shitting on its own face! ¡°Grrr! ! The Fierce Sparrow Dragon was also an extremely irritable creature. Although the Saber-toothed Tiger Dragon was ahead, the Fierce Sparrow Dragon¡¯s speed was even quicker. It was seen pping its wings rapidly, with the sharp ws of the Sparrow Dragon aiming straight for the ck Azure Violent Dragon¡¯s eyes! However, the ck Azure Violent Dragon had no intention of engaging in battle; it tookrge strides and ran toward the river. In terms of agility, it indeed could notpete with the Saber-toothed Tiger Dragon¡¯s ground sprint or the flight of the Fierce Sparrow Dragon, and soon it found itself cornered by these two fastest dragons. But the ck Azure Violent Dragon wasn¡¯t a sheep on the ins. It grabbed the Fierce Sparrow Dragon that was flying toward it with its forepaws, then smashed it heavily into the Saber-toothed Tiger Dragon that was attempting to bite it! The Fierce Sparrow Dragon and the Saber-toothed Tiger Dragon tangled up and rolled out more than a dozen meters. Soon, other dragons had also arrived. They were fiercely aggressive and uncontrobly angry, each determined to eat the ck Azure Violent Dragon alive. Decisively, the ck Azure Violent Dragon leaped into the river, causing a great surge of water, and then swam toward the other side of the river. In the water, none of the other dragons couldpare to the ck Azure Violent Dragon in speed. Even the Red wed Speed Dragon, a smaller species among dragons, dared not enter the river for fear of being washed away by the strong current. ¡°ck Tooth, ashore!¡± Zhu Minng shouted loudly. After crossing the river, the other dragons had been left far behind, except for the Fierce Sparrow Dragon and a Blood Wing Dragon that could fly and managed to reach the other side of the bank. Zhu Minng nced at the two flying dragons in the air, then at the majority of the dragon pets that had already followed into the river. With only one ck Azure Violent Dragon, those students seeking to expel Zhu Minng wouldn¡¯t care about such a trivial stream. All dragons familiar with water had pursued¡­ The force of the river¡¯s current was no obstacle for many of therger True Dragons. ¡°Bai Qi, freeze those behind!¡± At that moment, Zhu Minng unleashed another one of his Spirit Contracts. White light bristling with sanctity intertwined to form a dazzling imprint; around the imprint, snow and ice drifted. As the Ice Morning White Dragon emerged from the Spirit Realm, a blizzard began to whip up over this vast portion of the River Battlefield. The snowy onught instantly cast a thick pall of winter gloom over the partially clear early winter afternoon! ¡°Is that the Ice Morning White Dragon? How did it advance so quickly! some students who had previously seen the Little Ice Morning White Dragon at the academy eximed in surprise. The Little Ice Morning White Dragon used to be no bigger than a white eagle, but now it had fully grown. The wings it spread open were far more majestic than those of the gloriously feathered Fierce Sparrow Dragon, let alone the fact that the Ice Morning White Dragon¡¯s body bore countless sanctified Ice Velvet Feathers! The cold of winter was already severe, and with the arrival of the Ice Morning White Dragon, the temperature on this in plummeted steeply, creating a frosty atmosphere that was truly formidable. Frost covered the River Battlefield. With the Ice Morning White Dragon pping its white wings powerfully, a strong freezing current swirled above the river. First came thickyers of ice that, like white armor, enveloped the ground. Then followed the turbulent river, which calmed down in an instant, its surface forming a thick sheet of ice! The iceyers trapped the advancing dragon pets in the river, with half of their bodies under the ice and the other half exposed¡­ In fact, as the freezing currents swept by, they had already been struggling to escape the water. But the water froze too quickly, preventing them from breaking through the ice with their full force. So, they could only watch as the thick ice gradually encased them, locking them within the river¡¯s frozen grasp!! ¡°Dragon General??¡± In the sky above, Teacher Bai Yishu was somewhat astonished as he looked at the Ice Morning White Dragon. No wonder this student dared to challenge twenty Dragon Shepherd Students; his Ice Morning White Dragon had actually reached Dragon General Strength. Moreover, by utilizing the river, he had maximized the effectiveness of the freezing magic. Just at the beginning of the confrontation, on the riverbank, there were already seven or eight dragons that had lost the ability to fight, trapped in the ice! ¡°Did you see that? I told you, Zhu Minng¡¯s Ice Morning White Dragon has advanced, why didn¡¯t any of you believe me??¡± At that moment, Hong Hao shouted excitedly as if the Ice Morning White Dragon was his own dragon pet. The others were also staring nkly at the suspending White Dragon, hardly believing that this was a student who had just started a few months ago. After all, a Dragon Shepherd with a Dragon General would typically be qualified to be their teacher! ¡°Was his Ice Morning White Dragon just in its growth period back then??¡± Nan Ye was also seeing the true form of the Ice Morning White Dragon for the first time, which was a world apart from when it battled his Green Forest Dragon in the academy. Those splendid Ice Feathers, like silver-white sacred armor, and the nobly frosted Ice Fluff all held freezing magic power. A mere gesture could bring forth a blizzard¡­ ¡°Is an adult Ice Morning White Dragon that powerful? Can it trap seven or eight True Dragons at once??¡± Li Shaoying couldn¡¯t differentiate the levels of dragons, but the sheer force of the Sky Ice Earth Knot showed that it was leagues more powerful than the dragons of the challengers. ¡°Theirs are Dragon Sons, Zhu Minng¡¯s Ice Morning White Dragon is a Dragon General,¡± Nan Ye exined.. Chapter 61 - 61: Public Humiliation Chapter 61: Public Humiliation Trantor: 549690339 Yin Yaowu and Chen Leiluo¡¯s faces were an iron shade of blue as they looked up at the saintly and noble Ice Morning White Dragon in the sky and then nced at the unremarkable Zhu Minng amidst the crowd. It was as if they had just discovered that Zhu Minng was the vagrant, their eyes filled with demon light! Why does this person possess a Dragon General Level creature! Shouldn¡¯t he just be azy good-for-nothing from Wutu!! Such a lowly person should die with just a squeeze, shouldn¡¯t he! ¡°He¡¯s alone; if we join forces, he will definitely not be our match,¡± Yin Yaowu suppressed that jealousy in his heart and spoke to the other Dragon Shepherds. ¡°This Zhu Minng, he seems different from the rumors,¡± said the student who owned the adult Green Forest Dragon. ¡°Even so, he doesn¡¯t have the qualifications. Don¡¯t forget what he said; we don¡¯t even have the right to admire the Female Monarch. Perhaps it was him who framed her in Wutu. He coveted the Female Monarch, so he concocted such a vicious n. Why else would he appear in the dungeons?¡± Yin Yaowu said to everyone. ¡°Right, it must be his conspiracy; he sullied the Female Monarch¡¯s name and then started to use these despicable methods and dirty public opinion to bind her! Such a person should be spat upon; such a person doesn¡¯t deserve to stay in the Ancestral Dragon City or our noble Li Chuan Dragon Taming Academy!¡± Chen Leiluo immediately agreed with Yin Yaowu¡¯s words. ¡°That¡¯s right, he must be the chief culprit!¡± ¡°It makes sense, it makes sense!¡± Why was it Zhu Minng who appeared in the dungeons, not someone else?? There must be a conspiracy! It wasn¡¯t a coincidence; everything was Zhu Minng¡¯s plotting and trickery! ¡°Such a vicious person doesn¡¯t deserve to live, kill his dragon first!!¡± someone shouted loudly. As their voices fell, they saw the Candle Dragon crawling across the frosty river surface. Raising its head, its scales, which had a slightly variegated luster, suddenly emanated a zing glow, like a golden sun pouring intense, hot light onto the frozen river below. The river¡¯s surface melted, the ice cracked, and those Dragon Sons trapped in the thick ice began to struggle and break free. Soon, several powerful Ancient Dragons extricated themselves from the icy surface. ¡°Let¡¯s attack together; it can¡¯t fend us all off!¡± the owner of the Candle Dragon spoke up again. The Candle Dragon crossed the ice surface, and suddenly four or five Ancient Dragons appeared beside it. Under the leadership of this powerful Candle Dragon, they rushed across the river, heading straight for the location of the Ice Morning White Dragon. This Candle Dragon, seemingly wingless, could leap into the air with the flexibility of its body, striking like a venomous snake. Bai Qi immediately soared up to avoid the attack from the Candle Dragon, but both the Fierce Sparrow Dragon and the Blood Wing Dragon appeared nearby. They fought from above, forcing the Ice Morning White Dragon to dodge towards the ground. ¡°Huhuhuhuhu!!!! ¡± A dust storm appeared out of nowhere, attacking the isted Ice Morning White Dragon like a muddy serpent, preventing it from casting its powerful ice frost spells! Surrounded, the Ice Morning White Dragon had no choice but to confront the assaulting Candle Dragon with its physical body. This Candle Dragon was clearly much more powerful than the other Dragon Sons. The brilliance emanating from its scales was extremely ring, and looking at it felt akin to staring at a burning sun¡­ The eyes of the Ice Morning White Dragon were seared, and it was unable to urately judge the angle of the Candle Dragon¡¯s attack. ¡°Bai Qi, to Hei Ya!¡± Zhu Minng¡¯s voice came through. As the Candle Dragon approached, eves hurt more and more. Even tightly closing its eyes couldn¡¯t fend off that piercing golden light. Hei Ya was on the ground, and there were more than a dozen dragons on the ground as well. If it flew low, or fought on the ground, the Ice Morning White Dragon would be subjected to an attack by the dragons. But Bai Qi trusted Zhu Minng¡¯s judgment. It folded its wings, stirring up a whirlwind-like current. The white body plummeted downwards suddenly, and to the Candle Dragon¡¯s surprise, the Ice Morning White Dragon chose tond. It missed its attack, flying right over the Ice Morning White Dragon from above. ¡°Itnded, quick, attack, attack! Yin Yaowu became excited all of a sudden, urging everyone to attack loudly. ¡°Be careful of its ice-element magic, we can¡¯t resist Dragon General Level magic with our dragons!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it won¡¯t have the chance!¡± Chen Leiluo said. The Mudrock Dragon stood on the t ground, its tail already probing into the soil, stirring up a wide expanse of silt and sandy pits! ¡°Roar!!!¡± With a roar, the Mudrock Dragon utilized its mastery over sand, and all the sand and dust from the silt pits rose into the air, gradually spinning into a strong sandstorm tornado! The sand flowed like a current, enveloping arge area. The Ice Morning White Dragon had justnded on the ground when it saw the sandstorm tornado trapping it inside¡­ The sand swirled about, hitting the Ice Morning White Dragon¡¯s icy feather armor. They couldn¡¯t even break the frost armor, and naturally, they couldn¡¯t injure the Ice Morning White Dragon. However, the sandstorm tornado obscured Bai Qi¡¯s vision, making it difficult to perceive the surroundings and discern where the enemies would strike from. Vision blurred by the turmoil, it became difficult to lock on to targets; even the most powerful frost magic was of little use without precise aiming. Moreover, with the enemy so close at hand, the Ice Morning White Dragon could no longer chant magic as before and unleash wide-range ice spells! A deafening roar surrounded them as the sandstorm tornado raged, drowning out all nearby sounds for the Ice Morning White Dragon. ¡°Swoosh! !!! ¡®l Suddenly, dark red ws sliced through the air, targeting the side of the Ice Morning White Dragon¡¯s wings. It was the Red wed Speed Dragon. Within such a sandstorm tornado, the Red wed Speed Dragon could leverage its innate ability to hide within the foliage, ensuring that each attack struck a vital spot on the Ice Morning White Dragon, especially in its blind spot, leaving no time to react. Spreading its wings, the Ice Morning White Dragon¡¯s feathers instantly froze into a solid feather armor, resembling a white winged shield that blocked the ambush from the Red wed Speed Dragon. As its long tail rose in preparation to deal a fatal blow to the Red wed Speed Dragon, robust vines suddenly sprouted from the ground. They wrapped around with the ferocity and strength of a deep-sea monster¡¯s hunting tentacles¡­ Forced to abandon its intended attack, the Ice Morning White Dragon leaped away from the constricting vines like a sprinting leopard. Shifting its gaze, through the sandstorm tornado with severely limited visibility, the Ice Morning White Dragon saw a robust figure within five meters¡ªits ferocious body sprinting towards it! It was the adult Green Forest Dragon!! The Green Forest Dragon was also physically formidable. Despite the Ice Morning White Dragon¡¯s feathers hardened with frost armor, it was unlikely to withstand such a direct collision. There wasn¡¯t enough time to use ice wall magic. Just as Bai Qi found nowhere to hide, a more towering and robust fierce dragon burst through the dust, its collision force even greater than that of the Green Forest Dragon. ¡°Boom!!! l¡± The Green Forest Dragon was about to injure the Ice Morning White Dragon when the majestic dark shadow intercepted from another direction, flinging the Green Forest Dragon into the murky dust with a pained howl. The noise was so tremendous that even without seeing it, Bai Qi could infer from the thunderous sound just how badly the Green Forest Dragon was struck and how far it was flung. After colliding with the Green Forest Dragon, the ck shadow remained steadfast. It approached the Ice Morning White Dragon, its dark body towering like a ck rock fortress¡­ ¡°Oh! The ck Azure Violent Dragon opened its mouth wide, disying its pitch-ck fangs, looking proud as if it had positioned itself perfectly for protection. ¡°Bai Qi, use the wind to disperse this dust,¡± Zhu Minng said. Zhu Minng wasn¡¯t far away; he was right on the back of the ck Azure Violent Dragon. As soon as he saw the dust rising in a wide expanse, he ran over here, for otherwise, the obstruction of his view would make it difficult for him to control the battle. Now with protection by his side, Bai Qi could finally concentrate and control the airflow around him. The Mudrock Stone Dragon only knew some basic dust magic and could notpare to the Ice Morning White Dragon in manipting the wind. With a piercing gaze, swept through the nearby opaque and turbulent sand, seeing the powerful energy causing it to whir intensely and gather together! This gathering turned the previously randomly stirring wind into an increasingly powerful force, transforming the murky swirling winds into a yellow hurricane. The shift in air currents allowed this force to leave the area upied by the Ice Morning White Dragon and slowly sweep towards the direction of the Mudrock Stone Dragon!! The river stretched long, the battlefield was vast, and a dustden tornado rolled fiercely over like a disaster across the pastures, catching the Mudrock Stone Dragon unprepared as it tried to seek refuge in the river. But some parts of the river were frozen, and the spot it jumped onto was the thickest ice, leading to a dizzying collision with the ice, and the following sand hurricane tossed it high into the air. ¡°Roar roar! On the ice, a Quadripedal Demon Dragon, having just broken free from the ice, was about to join the fray only to see a giant Stone Dragon spinning less than two meters above the ice barrier. ¡°Roar??¡± Startled, the Quadripedal Demon Dragon spread its ws to run, but it slipped on the ice and crashed heavily into the Stone Dragon. After this collision, covered in blood and wounds, the fierce wind rolled both dragons higher and higher into a spiraling ascent! ¡°Boom!!!!!!! Eventually, they crashed to the other side of the river,nding not far from the group of Dragon Shepherd students. Chen Leiluo¡¯s face was a picture of shock as he looked at his own Mudrock Stone Dragon, wholly unprepared for such an abrupt exit from the contest. The owner of the Quadripedal Demon Dragon pped his face in dismay, quickly recalling his fractured Demon Dragon back into his Spirit Realm. How utterly humiliating, truly a spectacle of embarrassment. What exactly had his Quadripedal Demon Dragon done? Initially frozen on the river during the charge and finally breaking free, it was immediately swept into the air by the encroaching tornado that wasn¡¯t even targeting his Demon Dragon¡­ And just like that, the battle ended.. Chapter 62 - 62: Silver Blue Savage Armor Dragon Chapter 62: Silver Blue Savage Armor Dragon Trantor: 549690339 The blinding sandstorm had dispersed, and strong winds arose over the river ins, making it difficult for the Fierce Sparrow Dragon and the Blood Wing Pterosaur to maintain their bnce in the sky. ¡°Roar!!!!!¡± The ck Azure Violent Dragon let out a thunderous roar, and the earth split asunder. The Saber-toothed Tiger Dragon, caught in the midst of the fissure, appeared as if torn and shed by countless Fierce Dragons, its flesh mangled and bloodied! A sigil light emerged hurriedly, into which the Saber-toothed Tiger Dragon scrambled like a dog with its tail between its legs, devoid of its former wildness and pride. The Ice Morning White Dragon, with its nimble limbs, was as graceful as a deer in the forest and as swift as the tiger leopards of the deep mountains when on the ground. Its wings acted as flexible shields while its front ws and tail were lethal weapons. With the colossal figure of the ck Azure Violent Dragon blocking distant magic and profound arts, the close-quartersbat of the Ice Morning White Dragon was none the weaker. Flesh and armor torn asunder by its ws were scattered all around, and no Dragon Son it stung with its tail spike could stand again. The thickest Dragon Scales were no match for this retractable whip-like tail! For a time, a single ck Dragon and a White Dragon coordinated together, leaving the pack of dragons helpless. ¡°Separate them, attack that ck Violent Dragon!¡± Yin Yaowu began tomand the others around him. Capable of flight, the Ice Morning White Dragon unleashed powerful ice and wind magic from the air and was as nimble as a tiger leopard on the ground. Its icy feathered armor made it difficult for stealthy attackers such as the Red ws Speeding Dragon to find any weak points. This was already under the circumstance of suppressing the White Dragon, not allowing it to cast a wide range of Ice Morning Magic. Should they give it a chance to rise and chant the Dragon¡¯s magic, many more of their Dragon Sons would perish. Therefore, Yin Yaowu changed his strategy. The likelihood of defeating the Ice Morning White Dragon was low, so they decided to target ck Azure Violent Dragon and Zhu Minng instead. Zhu Minng was foolish to the extreme, immersing himself in such danger. So during the dragon¡¯s ferocious battle, if they identally bit him to death, they couldn¡¯t be med. ¡°I¡¯ll entangle the Ice Morning White Dragon, act quickly and don¡¯t let that teacher perceive your intentions, ¡± whispered a student of the Candle Dragon at that moment. With a Dragon General Level Creature like the Ice Morning White Dragon present, their chances of winning were already slim, but this duel wasn¡¯t about victory; it was about ensuring Zhu Minng¡¯s death! Zhu Minng should have stayed far behind, with Teacher Bai Yishu watching over; they would indeed have a hard time making a move. Now, however, Zhu Minng had ced himself in the midst of a fierce dragon skirmish, all to help the Ice Morning White Dragon escape the encirclement¡­ After all, Zhu Minng was no top-tier Dragon Shepherd; how could he engage in dragonbat without harm to himself? The Candle Dragon slithered like a serpent, hiding within a patch of riverbank reeds, its powerful forelimbs cutting through the air like scorpion pincers, emitting a terrifying slicing sound. Its scales, capable of changing color, were dazzlingly golden just moments ago, but now camouged within the reeds and indistinguishable from the reed stems when still. Unmoving, ity in wait, undetectable to anyone passing by the reeds¡ªa fearsome dragon hidden within! Utilizing the reeds for concealment and its color-changing camouge, the Candle Dragon had drawn near the Ice Morning White Dragon, now entangled with five dragons. At that moment, arge ck figure approached the Candle Dragon¡ªits ck Skin stood out even amongst the group of dragons¡ªthe ck Azure Violent Dragon. With its back to the Candle Dragon, looking from its position, one could clearly see Zhu Minng atop the broad back of the Violent Dragon. ¡°They haven¡¯t noticed my Candle Dragon. You all restrain the Ice Morning White Dragon, I will kill Zhu Minng!¡± the owner of the Candle Dragon suddenly said excitedly. This person, d in dark purple clothing, with deep-set eyes and high cheekbones, looked as though he harbored deep-seated hatred for Zhu Minng. Seizing this perfect opportunity, he could barely contain the excitement in his heart. ¡°Okay, take him down!¡± Yin Yaowu said. Aftermunicating with the others, all the Dragon Sons put forth their full effort to pounce on the Ice Morning White Dragon. There was a difference between restraining the Ice Morning White Dragon and defeating it. Even if they couldn¡¯t win, with their numbers of Ancient Dragons and Giant Dragons, they could certainly keep the Ice Morning White Dragon too busy to care. ¡°Can you handle it alone?¡± Chen Leiluo asked with some concern. ¡°My Candle Dragon is but one step away from the Dragon General, it¡¯s at the peak!¡± the student in purple and ck clothing said. ¡°That ck Azure Violent Dragon is just a high-level Dragon Son, very good, very good!¡± Yin Yaowu¡¯s eyes lit up. Lower levels, upper levels¡ªthese are the realms where the vast majority of creatures that have crossed the Dragon Gate reside. But those creatures that are about to undergo another transformation and evolve are far stronger than their upper-level counterparts. They are referred to as peak. No wonder this Candle Dragon could pose a certain threat to the Ice Morning White Dragon. If it¡¯s at the peak, then it can definitely take down the ck Azure Violous Dragon. The reeds were dense to the extreme, and with the Candle Dragon¡¯s color-changing camouge, the ck Azure Violent Dragon was very close and still hadn¡¯t detected the presence of this ferocious dragon. All the Dragon Sons surrounded the Ice Morning White Dragon. They would rather get hurt than let the Ice Morning White Dragon escape their encirclement, and at this moment, the Candle Dragon finally made its move! Before the attack, the Candle Dragon¡¯s body had already slightly coiled up. When it struck, it was like a venomous snake hiding in the jungle, reaching peak speed through a sudden lunge of its body and neck¡ªa swift and cold arrow! The ck Azure Violent Dragon heard the sound and finally reacted. In a hurry to turn around, the ck Azure Violent Dragon realized that this malicious Candle Dragon¡¯s target wasn¡¯t itself, but its master on its back. It was instantly filled with rage¡­ But the movement speed of the ck Azure Violent Dragon was iparable to that of the Candle Dragon. It felt as if its sharp fangs and ws had already touched Zhu Minng. Zhu Minng eyed the Candle Dragon. He felt the Candle Dragon¡¯s intense killing intent¡ªit was clearly out to kill him. This was clearly no longer a bout between academies! ¡°Do you really want me dead that much?¡± Zhu Minng¡¯s gaze turned cold. Zhu Minng didn¡¯t dodge. He stretched out his palm, and one could see silver-green light patterns appearing on it. These patterns emitted a blinding brilliance, and the light kept solidifying, as if bing real metal, appearing before Zhu Minng and also on the ck Azure Violent Dragon! Armor Shadow! A silver-green armor appeared on Zhu Minng¡¯s body, and at the same time, the ck Skin of the ck Azure Violent Dragon underwent a massive change. The armor shine scattered from Zhu Minng¡¯s palm spread with lightning speed, covering the skin of the ck Azure Violent Dragon. Starting from the Dragon Horns, the head was covered with silver-green armor, then from the neck all the way to the tail. Except for the ws and limbs that needed to move, the ck Azure Violent Dragon seemed to be reborn within this armor shine, transforming into a Silver Blue Savage Armor Dragon! The ck Skin turned into Silver Green Heavy Armor, and with a dazzling metallic luster, perfectlybined the Tyrant Dragon¡¯s wild strength. The aura released waspletely different from these Dragon Sons¡ªa proud and noble aura!! Chapter 63 - 63 Bai Qi, Azure Dragon Mystics Chapter 63: Bai Qi, Azure Dragon Mystics Trantor: 549690339 ¡°Bang!!! ! J¡¯ The Candle Dragon¡¯s venomous bite was as swift and fierce as the agony it inflicted when it crashed against Zhu Minng¡¯s shadow armor, shattering several of itsrge front teeth. Yet Zhu Minng remained unharmed beneath the protection of his armor. At this moment, the furious Silver Green Heavily Armored Violent Dragon hadpletely turned around. It fully arched its body, its head nearly touching the ground as it aimed its heavy silver-green horns at the Candle Dragon, which had fallen into the reeds. ¡°Ohhhhh!!!!¡± The Furious Dragon unleashed its brute force, cutting a wide trench through the reeds, and even some deeply embedded rocks were shattered to pieces by the dragon horn! The Candle Dragon, with its mouth full of blood, desperately wriggled its slender tail, attempting to flee¡­ But the ck Azure Violent Dragon in its Silver Cyan Dragon Armor brutally burst through everything in its path. The rocky ground beneath was no different from foam, and the Candle Dragon, unable to escape in time, was rammed onto the dragon horn! The Silver Cyan Dragon Horn was startlingly sharp and directly punctured the Candle Dragon¡¯s chest. Even so, the ck Azure Violent Dragon continued its ferocious assault. The Candle Dragon with its broken chest was impaled on the dragon horn, held aloft on the dragon¡¯s head and pressed against the ground, rolling over the continuously crumbling earth. Scales split, flesh torn, the wound in the chest grotesquely exaggerated¡ªfrom the ferocious and imposing Candle Dragon moments ago to a bloodied, mangled carcass of a reptile now, a Peak dragon was being brutally maimed and killed by a superior dragon! Onlookers from the River Battlefield¡¯s outskirts, the observing students, all widened their eyes with horror filling their gaze. The ck Azure Violent Dragon, far from intending to let the Candle Dragon live, grabbed the bloody dragon from the mud and debris and, before all eves, grasped the Candle Dragon¡¯s neck and tail! ¡°Rip!!!!¡± With one ferocious tug, the Candle Dragon was ripped into two parts, blood and sma gushed violently, and its viscera slid out from the tear, the scene gruesomely blood -soaked. Having discarded the tail half, the ck Azure Violent Dragon could not contain its rage. It opened its mouth wide and violently bit off the Candle Dragon¡¯s head, then chewed it between its sharp ck fangs! ¡°Teacher Bai Yishu, why are you¡ªAhhh!! The student in purple-ck attire was about to call for help when their dragon¡¯s head was bitten off, swallowed whole into the belly of the raging ck Dragon. With the dragon¡¯s death, the bacsh from the broken Spirit Contract stung the student¡¯s body like countless poisoned thorns, pain far more intense than any physical torture. His face contorted, muscles spasmodically twitching, he screamed in agony, copsing and writhing on the ground as if being devoured alive!! ¡°You brought this upon yourself, and now you cannot live,¡± Bai Yishu coldly stated to the student. Anyone who wasn¡¯t blind could see the deplorable behavior of the Candle Dragon. Since it was an academy contest, it was explicitly forbidden to attack Dragon Trainers themselves. The Candle Dragon could have directly attacked the ck Azure Violent Dragon, but instead it went straight for Zhu Minng, and that ripping bite was clearly lethal! Bai Yishu indeed could have stopped the ck Azure Violent Dragon from devouring the Candle Dragon¡¯s head, but he chose not to do so. They weren¡¯t three-year-old children. One should bear the consequences for their own actions! ¡°Yoooo!!!!¡± Suddenly, a piercing long chant broke through the air. The Ice Morning White Dragon, which had been besieged on the River Battlefield, had without anyone realizing, soared into the sky. Its sacred feathers and downy wings fully expanded, a sudden blizzard descended, and the cold wind was piercing. The entire vast in was shrouded in a dark snowstorm at some point, impervious to even the daylight! Like long stars apanying the bright moon, the Ice Morning White Dragon hovered high above the river basin. Its solitary figure and the pure brilliance formed a chilling majestic pressure, causing the dragons on the ground to shiver uncontrobly, filled with an inexplicable panic and unease. ¡°Yuuu!!!!!¡± With another long cry, on the dim sky, silver devastating meteors fell, so fast they seemed like streaks of white piercing lightning, dragging long fiery tails, leaving behind stunning traces in the boundless firmament! ¡°Daytime meteors????¡± At night, the fall of stars is an utterly beautiful spectacle, even if it¡¯s fleeting, it can leave a profound impact on people¡¯s hearts. Yet it was still the afternoon, and even though the world was dark, it should be impossible to see the shooting stars in the sky.. However, more and more long stars appeared, falling from around the Ice Morning White Dragon, resembling the moon at its zenith, either straight down or at an angle, with a visually impactful strike towards the earth! ¡°Boom boom boom boom boom!!!!!!¡± Stars exploded upon the earth; these daytime meteors were indeed magnificent, but they also possessed an endless aura of destruction, like some heavenly god¡¯s punishment or a demon¡¯s annihtion. The white river suddenly copsed, water sshing wildly. The riverbank to the east was even more vast, and the ground there sank under the meteor¡¯s heavy impact, turning into gaping cavities amidst the loess slopes. The dragon flock panicked, and even though they were True Dragons, beyond Ordinary Spirits, they were no different from the frenzied wild creatures scampering during floods and earthquakes, desperately seeking a safe refuge. But with the stars continually falling, each direct strike on the ground brought about a terrible destruction and copse! ¡°Bai Qi, I¡¯m alright, spare their lives,¡± Zhu Minng, sensing the rising murderous intent within Bai Qi, immediately shouted out to stop him. Bai Qi was disying a power Zhu Minng had never seen before. The wrath of a single outrage was enough to bring down falling stars! Bai Qi was using the Azure Dragon Mystics, the supreme Profound Art of the Silver Moon Azure Dragon! ! Despite his joy that Bai Qi had finally awakened to his true essence as an Azure Dragon, Zhu Minng knew the destructive nature of the Azure Dragon Mystics was too strong; few of the Dragon Sons littering the ground would survive¡­ As hateful as the Candle Dragon might be, Zhu Minng wasn¡¯t prepared to take his anger out on the other utterly properbatants. Previously, atop ck Fang, those dragons clearly had no intention of attacking him¡ª they had all targeted his pet instead. Many stars clustered around the moon; the moon was the Ice Morning White Dragon, while those stars were the force of annihtion. The Profound Art of the Silver Moon Azure Dragon was inherently powerful; even Dragon General Level Creatures might die tragically, let alone these Dragon Sons. If Zhu Minng had not shouted out to stop them, by the time more densely packed long stars fell, the severely injured Dragon Sons who fell into the pits would have no chance to dodge¡ªit would be a true massacre! Daytime meteors, extremely visually impacting, And that copsed stretch of river, along with the devastatednd that had changed beyond recognition, was shocking enough to leave everyone somewhat breathless! This was the power of a Dragon General, moreover, a Dragon General possessing the Azure Dragon Mystics!! Hong Hao, Nan Ye, Li Shaoying, and some of Zhu Minng¡¯s peers, they all had seen the Ice Morning White Dragon fight with the adolescent Green Forest Dragon in school. Although the Ice Morning White Dragon disyed a degree of extraordinariness back then, it was nothing like today¡­. today it was transcendent beyond everything! Chapter 64 - 64 Another Obsessive Chapter 64: Another Obsessive Trantor: 549690339 Is this the true visage of the Ice Morning White Dragon? No matter how many Dragon Sons there were, they were no different frommon spirits when facing it! ! Yin Yaozu, Chen Leiluo, and those other students who were eager to challenge Zhu Minng were now standing still as if petrified, their souls scattered as if they had just brushed past the God of Death! At the moment when the long star fell, their souls trembled, the fear of their dragon pets also transmitted to the owners, especially this feeling of death looming¡­ Why provoke him? Such a powerful individual, how could he possibly be a wanderer from Wutu, clearly more noble than these junior Dragon Masters who had just entered the Dragon Gate by more than one rank! Yin Yaozu¡¯s handsome face had turned green and red, as if whipped repeatedly by willow branches! Chen Leiluo dared not utter a sound even more so. And beside them, the person who had suffered from Soul Rebelling was still howling, each cry a heavy blow to the souls of these students who had just narrowly escaped ¡°Soul Rebelling¡± themselves! Not only were they beaten without a semnce of resistance, but they also had to face the disgust and scorn of other students for using such despicable means and still losing. Moreover, Zhu Minng ultimately stopped the Ice Morning White Dragon from ughtering the group of dragons, leaving these troublemakers with some leeway¡­ Character and integrity, the difference was clear! Among those challengers, many were instigated by Yin Yaozu and Chen Leiluo, and they now felt utterly disgraced! ¡°Conflict between academies, nothing more than youthful exuberance, I am very relieved that student Zhu Minng can discern right from wrong, ¡± a voice came from the mud pit. Zhu Minng was startled, turned around, and saw a person climbing out from a pit of mud and sand nearby, his face full of dirt, and his clean clothes somewhat disheveled. If it weren¡¯t for the Flying Bird Pseudo-Dragon trembling with fear beside him, Zhu Minng wouldn¡¯t have recognized him. ¡°Teacher Bai Yishu, my apologies for my rudeness,¡± Zhu Minng said somewhat apologetically to the teacher. ¡°You¡¯re different from them; having the power to take life, you still manage to distinguish between right and wrong. I, as a teacher, am very gratified that Li Chuan Dragon Taming Academy has a student like you¡­ cough cough, it¡¯s good that you held back, otherwise I would have had to pack up and leave,¡± Bai Yishu first said with an air of moral integrity but thetter part made Zhu Minng break intoughter. It seemed even Teacher Bai Yishu had not anticipated the Profound Art of the Ice Morning White Dragon to be so powerful, powerful enough that even he as a teacher didn¡¯t have time to summon his own dragon to intervene, and even if he had summoned it, it¡¯s doubtful he could have saved the lives of the Dragon Sons gathered there. ¡°Thank you, Teacher, for presiding over with fairness,¡± Zhu Minng maintained proper etiquette. After crossing the river, Zhu Minng nced at the broken river flow; fortunately, nature in this world regenerates and cycles very quickly, otherwise this tributary would have been ruined¡ªBai Qi¡¯s Azure Dragon Profound Art was shockingly domineering! ¡°Thank you, Student Zhu Minng, for showing mercy,¡± a few of the challengers who hade to their senses bowed hurriedly, expressing their apologies. ¡°Being beaten before learning modesty and rationality, what were you thinking before? As grand Dragon Shepherds whock their own judgment and allow others to incite them to throw away their lives, if you were on the battlefield, in the affairs of the world, you would be dead.¡± Teacher Bai Yishu rebuked them without any courtesy. ¡°The teacher is correct in his teachings, the teacher is correct in his teachings,¡± those few students didn¡¯t dare to lift their heads and kept bowing to Zhu Minng to apologize. ¡°I¡¯ll thank you not to worry about my wife¡¯s future reputation,¡± said Zhu Minng. ¡°Yes, yes, yes, we were actually just admiring the Female Monarch, nothing more, absolutely nothing improper,¡± they hurriedly said. ¡°Brother Zhu is a formidable man of this era, and he¡¯s perfectly matched with the Female Monarch, absolutely matched, ¡± the owner of the Fierce Sparrow Dragon immediately ttered. From a distance, a few students huddled together, their faces gloomy, their eyes fixed on Zhu Minng, and then looking at the miserable Candle Dragon Master. ¡°Our challenge is set for next month, I wonder if there are any Dragon General Level experts among our group?¡± a big-eared, fat student said. The joint challengers numbered seventy to eighty people, this time only twenty went up, all from Yin Yaozu¡¯s group, and there were no small number of Valkyrie supporters, mostly males. They, of course, would not allow someone like Zhu Minng to exist. Their gazes all fell on a tall, thin young man; among them, he was the strongest. They needed toe up with a strategy after witnessing Zhu Minng¡¯s strength. The tall, thin youth remained unfazed, disying aposure different from others who were panic-stricken. ¡°Swish! Swish! Swish!¡± Suddenly, a crisp sound rang out, and they saw theposed student ripping something apart, shredding the object in his hands to pieces in a matter of moments. This action startled the surrounding students! ¡°What challenge? Next month we had agreed to go hunting, remember?¡± the tall, slimposed student said calmly. Everyone¡¯s jaw nearly hit the floor. But then they thought about it and realized, Zhong Shenxiu was still the greater student! ¡°Right, right, we were going hunting.¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing important, indeed no need to disrupt our ns, cough cough.¡± A few elegantly poised young masters hurriedly nodded in agreement. Their boots didn¡¯t forget to trample the fragments of the challenge letter into the mud, thoroughly eradicating any trace! At this moment, Zhu Minng and his ssmates happened to be passing by. The group immediately worepassionate and kind faces, indistinguishable from others who hade to watch the excitement,pletely forgetting the swagger they had when they signed the petition not long ago! It was still a triumphant return. Zhu Minng looked at the astonished gazes from his fellow students and knew that from now on, living a life free as the idle cloud and wild crane was unlikely. This was probably the ebb and flow of fate! It was quite thrilling. A real man should be like this, steady as an old dog when things go south, and as wild as a proud Heaven Dragon when rising to power. I am still me, sparkling with the fireworks of an extraordinary life! ¡°Cough cough, everyone, let¡¯s part ways here. I have some small matters to deal with. Thank you sisters and ssmates for your support of Zhu Minng. I will work doubly hard to earn more people¡¯s recognition. Please also help me clear the rumors, and don¡¯t damage Yunzhi¡¯s reputation any further. Thank you, thank you.¡± Zhu Minng bowed to his fellow students, showing the modest and gentle demeanor he ought to have. Concerning the rumors, their true origin required some time to uncover, but using this method to curb the unfavorable public opinion against himself and Li Yunzi would help them gain a better foothold in Ancestral Dragon City. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, don¡¯t worry. We might not be able to manage what happens within the boundaries of Ancestral Dragon City, but if anyone in the academy spreads those doujinshi and scurrilous books about you and Valkyrie, we will definitely beat up those rumor-mongers,¡± said that refined senior. ¡°Thank you¡­ uh, what doujinshi?¡± Zhu Minng was just about to bow in gratitude when he raised an eyebrow, looking confused. The elegant sister¡¯s face turned red, and she hastily changed the subject. Fortunately, Zhu Minng wasn¡¯t the type to delve deeply into such matters, and the issue passed by lightly. Mainly because Zhu Minng, who was rather pure and innocent inside, didn¡¯t quite understand the meaning behind the term the sister had used. Everyone dispersed, but the battle of the dragons would surely spread quickly inside and outside the academy, which meant Zhu Minng, already in the eye of the storm, would soon be the focus of his fellow students. After all, as a Dragon Shepherd student, owning a Dragon General Level Azure Dragon was very rare. Furthermore, the name ¡°Zhu Minng¡± would continue to ferment within the Ancestral Dragon City due to that sudden outbreak of rumors. Zhu Minng waited for the students to leave, and he seemed to be heading back into school. In reality, he stealthily followed the individual whose soul he had severely wounded. That person was the owner of the Candle Dragon. Zhu Minng didn¡¯t know this person at all, nor did they have any interaction. Zhu Minng still wanted to understand why he had such a strong intent to kill him. Indeed, the noble gentlemen Yin Yaozu and Chen Leiluo were pretty loud-mouthed, but their main goal was to drive him out of Ancestral Dragon City-State. The one who truly wanted him dead was this person. Following him all the way, Zhu Minng had some aplishments in concealing his tracks, honed from the times he had tailed those he perceived as threats. After all, back then, there were quite a few people who envied him. Zhu Minng discovered that after being sent to the sanatorium, this individual did not rest for long but left the academy impatiently with a somewhat heavy body. Zhu Minng made special inquiries and learned that the man¡¯s name was Lei Feiming¡ªa rather low-profile Dragon Shepherd with no significant background, one who often tempered himself outside and didn¡¯t spend much time in the academy. This person had a residence in the Dragon City-State, just within the State Wall. Zhu Minng followed him to his home. finding that he lived alone. The courtyard was nearly overgrown with weeds and hardly ever tended to. After guarding outside for a whole night, Zhu Minng discovered that he hadn¡¯t been in contact with anyone else. Unable to suppress the confusion in his heart, Zhu Minng still sneaked into the man¡¯s home. Lei Feiming had already fallen into a deep sleep. His soul was injured, and his body was extremely weakened. Without another dragonpanion, he would never be able to be a Dragon Shepherd again in his lifetime. After wandering around his home, Zhu Minng eventually abandoned further investigation. Indeed, there was such a possibility¡ªthat this person was Luo Xiao¡¯s pawn, who couldn¡¯t approach the Dragon Taming Academy and Ancestral Dragon City-State. Thus, he remained hidden near himself, waiting for an opportunity to strike. Zhu Minng had hoped to catch Luo Xiao hiding in his house, but there was no connection between the two. However, what truly shocked Zhu Minng was inside the house. It was filled with countless portraits of one person¡ªink paintings and color ink alike¡ªall consistent with the statues erected in each of the Nine Cities.. Chapter 65 - 65: Night Encounter in the Bamboo Forest Chapter 65: Night Encounter in the Bamboo Forest Trantor: 549690339 Li Yunzi¡¯s sculpture and portrait, it¡¯s unknown which master crafted them, amazed countless people in the Ancestral Dragon City and kindled the springtime fantasies of many young men, even leading to the emergence of obsessives like Luo Xiao with their twisted psyches. Lei Feiming was just one of them. Unlike those who merely satisfied their curiosity and fantasies, each of his collected portraits was dignified and holy, like a frosty and immacte Celestial Maiden, devoid of those unspeakable versions circting in the market. It was apparent that, in his heart, Lei Feiming had enshrined someone as a supreme faith. With that, murderous intent began to coalesce within him. After sparing his life¡ªnow reduced to a broken man¡ªZhu Minng stepped out of the room and couldn¡¯t help but let out a long sigh. How many more people like this were there in this city-state? This made Zhu Minng recall a line from ¡®Jianjia¡¯: ¡°The so-called beloved is on the other side of the water, I follow her up the stream, the path obstructed and long.¡± Having witnessed Li Yunzi¡¯s quelling of the Wutu uprising, Zhu Minng realized that she was even more extraordinary than he had imagined, and her ability to endure humiliation and rebuild herself had elevated her status within the Ancestral Dragon City. Whether it was Li Yunzi¡¯s real enemies or those who harbored hatred from unrequited love, Zhu Minng knew they would alle after him. Among these, there were definitely powerful individuals who were more than just Lei Feiming with his Peak Candle Dragon. ¡°Until Little White Qies of age, I must guard against these venomous fangs.¡± Regardless of the madness, one must never let down their guard, especially since from today on, there would be even more people eyeing him. The night was deep and still when frost began to form in the overgrown yard, and the pond full of water ferns slowly developed ayer of ice. Suddenly an unusual breeze swept through, and the ice on the pond cracked open, revealing one pattern after another. The room was dimly lit, and only the towers on the nearby State Wall illuminated the outlines of the furniture, the screen, and the bed inside¡­ The room was tightly closed, but the sessive paintings on the wall began to flutter without wind, making a sound like flipping book pages. Lei Feiming, half-asleep, saw therge mural on the wall in the darkness, where the woman¡¯s proud figure seemed to emit a moonlit glow even in the gloom. Lei Feiming rubbed his eyes, thinking he was hallucinating, for it seemed that the person in the painting floated down from the canvas and was taking steps toward him. ¡°Swoosh!¡± The beauty in the painting had a sword in hand, and without warning, she thrust it forward, the inky sword piercing through Lei Feiming¡¯s throat! Lei Feiming couldn¡¯t believe his eyes as the ink-formed beauty came to life from the painting, nor could he ept that his adored deity had stabbed him with a sword. As blood began to spill from his throat and shock filled his eyes, even in his dying moments, he couldn¡¯t understand why he was being killed by the pure and holy woman in the portraits he had collected. The shadowy figure pulled out the ink sword, her graceful silhouette gradually drifting backward, but as she re-entered the huge canvas, she suddenly melted away like disarrayed smudges of ink, trickling slowly down the white canvas¡­ The night was silent, the courtyard deste, and all the portraits inside the house ceased fluttering, returning to their original tranquility. Lei Feimingy in his blood, which spread across the floor along with the ink. Zhu Minng returned to the Dragon Taming Academy and headed towards the Reserve Dragon Storage Hall, where he found the young dragon had recovered well; it was yfully chasing other Juvenile Spirits in the hall¡­ Seeing Zhu Minng appear, the dragon whelp¡ªyet unfledged¡ªran towards him, disying a dependent demeanor. ¡°I haven¡¯t named you yet,¡± said Zhu Minng. ¡°Woof woof¡ª¡± The young dragon seemed to understand, looking expectantly at Zhu Minng. ¡°Greenie?¡± ¡°Woof woof!¡± ¡°Mung Bean??¡± ¡°Woof woof woof!!¡± The young dragon felt like crying; even without understanding humannguages, it thought these names sounded dreadful! ¡°Qing Zhuo? Naming is a tedious task, and after all, a name is just abel. Choose one from these three: Greenie, Mung Bean, Qing Zhuo,¡± Zhu Minng said to the little creature. The little dragon opened its vertical pupils, identical to its mother¡¯s, their green irises filled with bewilderment. Was there really a need to choose with such bullying of children? ¡°Fine, Qing Zhuo it is. If you undergo metamorphosis and change to blue or purpleter on, we¡¯ll change your name to Blue Zhuo or Purple Zhuo¡­¡± Zhu Minng, seeing the young dragon pleased with the name he picked, couldn¡¯t help but smile. ¡°For now, head into the Spirit Realm. Nanmu Juice is hard to find, so you¡¯ll drink some fruit juice to grow quickly and be healthy, ¡± Zhu Minng continued. The youngster entered the Spirit Realm and saw Big ck Tooth and Little White Qi. Zhu Minng introduced himself, and soon three dragons in his Spirit Realm started to voice their discontent at the same time. Could there be a more perfunctory master? Couldn¡¯t he put a little heart into naming them? Would he go on toplete the set of all different colors if he adds more family members in the future? Actually, Zhu Minng did have such ns in mind. He had prioritized adding dragons of red, blue, yellow, and other colors, aspiring to have an orderly andplete set of names for his dragons! However, the limit on Spirit Contracts had already been reached. To open new Spirit Contracts, he¡¯d need some rare Heavenly Essence and Earthly Splendor, and in a ce like the Ancestral Dragon City, any treasure that could increase Spirit Contracts would be fiercely bid upon¡­ Now that Bai Qi had awakened his Azure Dragon Mystics on his own, Zhu Minng no longer needed to worry about buying expensive Dragon Balls. There was still arge sum of alimony from Qing Zhuo¡¯s mother, which could be used to elerate Bai Qi¡¯s growth so he could reach adulthood faster, and to properly raise Little Qingzhuo. Even Mr. Wu felt that Little Qingzhuo was extraordinary, and its strength was definitely worth looking forward to. If he could add another dragon to his fold in a short time, he could actively seek out Luo Xiao and deal with this malignant tumor! Killing Ke Bei and severely injuring Duan Lan¡ªZhu Minng wouldn¡¯t forget these grudges so easily. On his way back to his residence, he walked through a bamboo forest that was evergreen all year round. The tall and slender bamboos gently swayed in the cold night, asionally emitting soft rustling sounds that soothed the spirit. The sound of the bamboo forest was most calming to the mind, and Zhu Minng also liked the bamboo forest. In the forest stood a solitary pavilion with a viewing tform. From Zhu Minng¡¯s perspective, he could just make out the warm light of antern on the tform. Under the light of thentern was a graceful woman holding a brush, elegantly painting. Bamboos,ntern light, and the beauty made the bitterly cold winter night suddenly bright and warm, as if it had gained an indescribable amount of color. Zhu Minng stood on the pathway in the bamboo forest, his gaze lingering on the flexible bamboos for a while. ¡°Painting at night?¡± A small puzzle stirred in his mind, but upon further thought, perhaps she was merely practicing and not intending to depict the pitch-ck bamboo forest. Zhu Minng did not disturb the woman¡¯s artistic indulgence and continued to walk forward. He actually knew her a little; she had apanied him in an act of mutual affection that very afternoon. He had heard that Nan Lingsha was one of the painters at the Dragon Taming Academy. Now, seeing her painting here, Zhu Minng didn¡¯t find it strange at all, as long as she wasn¡¯t drawing some bizarre ritualistic picture and cursing him by adding his name to it. Pretending not to see, he hurried on his way, like a schr walking at night who suddenly sees a lovely silhouette by the roadside. Thinking that such serendipitous encounters are rare in life and often not a good sign, he chose to act as if he were blind. But Nan Lingsha saw Zhu Minng. It seemed she had finished her painting, putting her brush down, and watched Zhu Minng¡¯s retreating figure from afar. Her clear beautiful eyes held no ripples, making it impossible to discern her inner emotions. Just as Zhu Minng was about to walk away, suddenly, a small creature resembling a green puppy darted out from Zhu Minng¡¯s direction, weaved through the bamboo forest, and agilely leaped onto the tform where Nan Lingsha was. The small dragon with green vertical pupils carefully sized up the beautiful woman before it, making sure she did not exhibit any hostility, before it confidently began to lick the blue-green pigment used for painting. This pigment was clearly not real ink but a kind of leaf extract. It emitted a unique fragrance and had a particrly special color. The pigments were neatly arranged in a row, with more than a dozen different colors, but the blue-green leaf extract was this little creature¡¯s favorite. Once again, the dragon lifted its head to confirm the gentle and graceful human big sister would not attack it, and then it licked the pigment used for painting without any worries. ¡°Thump, thump, thump, thump¡­¡± The sound of footsteps came from the staircase on the side; Zhu Minng followed the sound and saw Little Qingzhuo drinking someone¡¯s painting pigment, which turned his face ck with dismay. Bai Qi liked to drink nectar. Big ck Tooth relished fatty meat. And you, little one, fancy paint pigment? What kind of taste is that?! This was indeed troubling for a Dragon Shepherd! ¡°Sorry, sorry, ¡± Zhu Minng apologized awkwardly as he walked forward and picked up the mischievous little creature. ¡°That¡¯s Nanmu Juice. Let it drink,¡± Nan Lingsha said indifferently. ¡°Juice?¡± Zhu Minng was surprised and leaned in to sniff; indeed, it had a fragrant woodsy scent, but it was far from being pleasant and tasty. ¡°Where did this dragone from?¡± Nan Lingsha inquired. ¡°From the forest, the one to the north, where the Ancient Pine Forest is, there¡¯s a Dragon Cliff,¡± Zhu Minng responded, ¡°Do you recognize this dragon? Its life n is a bit confusing to me, and the books don¡¯t seem to have records of its bloodline or species.¡± Since Nan Lingsha was the youngdy of the Nan family, she was not unfamiliar with dragons. Little Qingzhuo was neither a Green Forest Dragon nor a Forest Giant Dragon, but it clearly belonged to that family tree. Zhu Minng had asked Mr. Wu, but he too had told him to ask someone from the Nan family. Zhu Minng had asked Nan Ye, who knew nothing, and now that he had met Nan Lingsha, whether by coincidence or not, he hoped she could help clear up his confusion.. Chapter 66 - 66 Divine Green Holy Dragon Chapter 66: Divine Green Holy Dragon ¡°If anyone from my tribe sees you, you will be summoned to answer for your actions,¡± Nan Lingsha said in a calm tone. ¡®I???¡± Zhu Minng waspletely baffled. What did his taking responsibility for the dragon have to do with the Nan Family? ¡°The Forest Dragon n originates from the ancient Divine Wood Holy Spirit and, after mating with the Forest Giant Dragon, gave rise to our n. Few among the Forest Dragon n inherit the ancient Divine Wood Holy Spirit¡¯s bloodline, and almost all of them are giant dragons, but should one grow, that Divine Green Holy Dragon would be the lead of the Forest Dragon n. s, s¡­¡± Nan Lingsha said. The Divine Green Holy Dragon, the name alone denoted its extraordinariness! No wonder the little one¡¯s blood turned blue after the transfusion, and its rotted hide transformed into the bark of spirit wood. Were it not for the eyes, mouth, and nose, which are clearly characteristics of a living creature, Zhu Minng might have thought the little one was turning into an actual wooden dragon! He truly was a Dragon Shepherd genius, having discerned another treasure! But why did Nan Lingsha repeat those words of regret? ¡°What¡¯s to regret?¡± Zhu Minng asked, his heart¡¯s joy somewhat hard to contain. ¡°I can sense its extremely weak aura. It likely suffered a grave injury during a critical stage of its birth and growth. Even if it reaches its peak in the future, it will be hard for it to manifest the true might of the Divine Green Holy Dragon, ¡± Nan Lingsha said. ¡°This¡­¡± Zhu Minng gave a wry smile. It was a Disabled Dragon, destined to be so for life. In fact, Mr. Wu had also told him this, which was why he had so severely reprimanded Zhu Minng for using the Spirit Contract casually. Fortunately, a starving camel is still bigger than a horse; even a Disabled Dragon, when nurtured, would far surpass any other Forest Dragon. Perhaps a fortuitous encounter might one day heal Little Qingzhuo¡¯s juvenile wounds? Little Qingzhuo seemed unconcerned with the conversation between the two, clumsily holding up the bottle of Nanmu Juice with its ws, trying to lick clean thest of it. Suddenly, the thin little body lost bnce and rolled backward, set to knock over all of the Bamboo Ink Bottles¡­ Zhu Minng didn¡¯t have time to intervene, and just as the little one was about to topple someone¡¯s treasured colored inks, the fragrant inks inside the Bamboo Ink Bottles seemed toe alive on their own, floating up into the air. ck ink, vermilion ink, purple ink, water-blue ink, and rosy cloud ink, under themplight, were as soft as silk, entwining around this slender and graceful beauty standing beside them. Despite the heavy ink liquid being knocked over, not a single drop spilled or scattered. Nan Lingsha stood amidst it all, ethereal and beautifully picturesque like a Paint Immortal who had descended to the mortal world. The Green Saint Dragon had overturned an empty bamboo bottle, and their collision produced a pleasant sound. ¡°My apologies, my apologies,¡± Zhu Minng withdrew his gaze, not sure if he was apologizing for bing transfixed while staring or for the Little Azure Dragon knocking over her ink, and hastily put the scattered bottles back upright on the ground. Nan Lingsha looked at the bamboo bottles and then returned the ink mists to their containers like fments of spring silk, each strand falling back inside. Her eyes, which had been extraordinary and sparkling bright, slowly regained their peaceful luster. ¡°I still have painting practice to do here,¡± Nan Lingsha said. ¡°The night is deep and the air is chilly, mydy should take care,¡± Zhu Minng said courteously, then picked up Little Qingzhuo who was still lingering and walked towards the stairway. ¡°Mhm,¡± Nan Lingsha replied coolly, her gaze no longer on the long painting before her. Zhu Minng approached the top of the stairs, about to step down, when suddenly he remembered something and turned back to say, ¡°By the way, Yunzhi, where did you get this Nanmu from¡­¡± ¡°I am Nan Lingsha.¡± ¡°My deepest apologies, ¡± Zhu Minng inwardly gave himself a hefty p. Truth be told, Zhu Minng thought Nan Lingsha was still in character from a y, for even in the night when he saw her, her demeanor was tranquil with a touch of coldness, and their previous encounter made Zhu Minng feel as if Nan Lingsha was like the unpredictable rain in June¡­ But now, she had put all that away, and even though she appeared soft and serene, there was an inherent pride and coldness in her bones. She no longer resembled Li Yunzi, and Zhu Minng felt that she was indeed her true self. Feeling too embarrassed to ask about the Nanmu again, Zhu Minng left quickly with his well-fed Little Azure Dragon. ¡°Different powers of God and Mortality, it must not be the same person,¡± Zhu Minng muttered to himself after leaving the bamboo forest. To be honest, Zhu Minng still felt that he had encountered Li Yunzi. He remembered that when he first saw Li Yunzi, some of her words had puzzled him; he even thought she might have some kind of split personality disorder¡­ It seemed he had been overthinking it. The Divine and Mortal Powers of Li Yunzi and those disyed by Nan Lingsha just now were entirely different. It¡¯s improbable for one person to possess two types of Divine and Mortal attributes, just as a God and Mortal cannot be a Dragon Shepherd. If there were potential for both, one must be forsaken. Then again, thinking carefully about the details, Zhu Minng felt there were still many differences in demeanor between Nan Lingsha and Li Yunzi. Nan Lingsha¡¯s words were soft yet maintained a certain decisiveness, whereas Li Yunzi¡¯s tone was cold and indifferent. But then again, the Nan Lingsha at night and the Nan Lingsha by day seemed like two different people¡­ Perhaps this is the unpredictable nature of the June rain. What happened to the agreement to y along with a love-at-first-sight scenario? Why, in the absence of others and under the night sky, did she behave like this, not even telling him where to find the Nanmu Juice? A few days ago, Zhu Minng had asked Fang Niannian to help him find Nanmu Juice. There was good nectar avable, but it turned out there was not much Nanmu in the entire Ancestral Dragon City-State, so when he finally saw Nan Lingsha using the Nanmu for making ink, it was a rare sight. Never mind, I¡¯ll ask again next time. Perhaps it was indeed toote, and Nan Lingsha had her reputation to think of. Maintaining an early rise can infuse one with vigorous energy. A vast expanse of white frost stretched out, the air shrouded in cold mist, but it couldn¡¯t dampen Zhu Minng¡¯s fervor to continue striving for his brilliant future. He made some brief ns. Bai Qi¡¯s adulthood was a critical juncture. Without any idents, Bai Qi¡¯s power could reach at least the Dragon Lord Level upon maturity. Luo Xiao, someone so arrogant and presumptuous, would be nothing but dregs in front of a Dragon Lord. One could tell by his attitude towards Li Ying, who was likely a Dragon Lord powerhouse. The books say that it takes about a year for the Ice Morning White Dragon to grow from its juvenile to adult stage. Now that my Spiritual Power is stronger, this period could be reduced to just over eight months. If I find more corresponding Earthly Treasures and feed it even better nectar, it might only take half a year. In half a year, I will have nothing to fear. Next is Big ck Tooth¡¯s growth. With its powerful Silver Cyan Dragon Armor, Big ck Tooth canpete with lower-tier Dragon Generals, but Zhu Minng still hoped it could advance to the Dragon General Level. Then, with the addition of the Dragon Armor, facing Luo Xiao¡¯s Gold-ted Fire Dragon in a duel wouldn¡¯t be a problem. Soul Beads and Dragon Balls are excellent aids; he should be able to afford them now. Of course, collecting better materials to strengthen the Dragon Armor would make Big ck Tooth even fiercer. As for the Divine Green Holy Dragon, its potential was quite significant. If it hadn¡¯t been thrown off a cliff, it probably wouldn¡¯t be inferior to the Ice Morning White Dragon once it reached adulthood. I should also find the Nanmu as soon as possible, feed it more, and even a Disabled Dragon would be enough to crush those Hybrid Dragons! Chapter 67 - 67: Academy, Appointment of All Staff Chapter 67: Academy, Appointment of All Staff Trantor: 549690339 Maintaining the good habit of attending sses, Zhu Minng now wanted to be a learned man. Today¡¯s ss happened to be taught by the iparably elegant Teacher Bai Yishu, and Zhu Minng found that today¡¯s ssmates were mostly girls. No wonder he was the most handsome teacher at Li Chuan Academy, his charm and influence could evenpete with his own! At the end of ss, the teacher assigned homework. This assignment wasn¡¯t arranged by Teacher Bai Yishu alone, but was distributed by the entire Li Chuan Dragon Taming Academy as a collective mission. Since it was mandatory, basically every Dragon Shepherd with a dragon needed to participate, and of course, the academy¡¯s rewards for this mission were also very high. Big ck Tooth was a glutton. The academy had its own ranch, which Zhu Minng had visited. Recently, some Dragon Shepherds had captured many wild ck pigs and confined them at the ranch, where they could be exchanged for academic credits. Since ck pig was Big ck Tooth¡¯s favorite and the price of ck pigs outside had tripled this winter season, considering the growing expenses in his future, Zhu Minng naturally prioritized using academic credits to exchange for Big ck Tooth¡¯s food. The academic credit rewards for the all-member mission were quite generous, and many students had already set out in advance upon hearing about it. If they performed excellently, they could also receive academy honors! The academy¡¯s honors and rewards were very tempting, including offerings of young dragons, Soul Beads, Dragon Balls, Spirit Fruits, Magic Diamonds, Different Corpses, and more¡­ ¡°This time, the academy will award an outstanding student with a Spiritual Realm Fruit. I suppose some students who have only recently entered the Dragon Shepherd Spiritual Domain might not know what the Spiritual Realm Fruit is for, right?¡± Teacher Bai Yishu said, looking at the students. Indeed, many students nodded in agreement, including Zhu Minng. Teacher Bai Yishu nced at Zhu Minng. Ha, what are you pretending to be, a novice Dragon Shepherd? Wasn¡¯t it you who knocked me off the Flying Bird Pseudo-Dragon! Despite his internalints, Teacher Bai Yishu still patiently exined to the students: ¡°The Spiritual Realm Fruit, as the name implies, enhances the spiritual domain. The direct effect is that it allows you to add one more Spirit Contract; the other effects depend on the individual¡¯s absorption.¡± Zhu Minng¡¯s eyes immediately lit up. Anxious about not being able to buy a Spiritual Realm Fruit, and since Little Qingzhuo had taken up the third Spirit Contract, Zhu Minng no longer had a spare Spirit Contract. Even if he encountered a good Juvenile Spirit Dragon sprout in the future, he wouldn¡¯t be able to establish a Spirit Bond. No matter how many dragons one might have in the future, keeping a spare Spirit Contract was always best. The Dragon Taming Academy was indeed a Dragon Taming Academy. Offering Spiritual Realm Fruit as an annual end-of-year academic reward, an item even the major families of the city-states were reluctant to give away casually was being given as a schrship by the academy! The other female students were also thrilled; the academy¡¯s rewards were always the most anticipated event of the year and never disappointed the students. ¡°Of course, this all-member mission is not without its difficulties,¡± Teacher Bai Yishu continued. The mission list was written up, not in much detail, but Teacher Bai Yishu took the opportunity to discuss the specifics of this mission with the students attending his ss. ¡°In winter, when all things wither and prosper, many creatures are driven by this white season to desperation. Upstream on the Li Chuan River, there are numerous towns, viges, and nomadic groups who have been harassed and attacked by many Demon Spirits after winter began.¡± ¡°ording to information from the Nan Family at Ancestral Dragon City, these Demon Spirits have been ravaging our towns because they are led by a very powerful Demon Spirit with Spiritual Wisdom. Many Monster Creatures and Demon Spirits, driven to the brink of starvation in the mountains and prairies, have joined the ranks of this Great Demon Spirit with Spiritual Wisdom, continuously plundering our human cities, including a number of man-eating monsters and Demon Spirits.¡± ¡°If it were only a matter of taking livestock, we would not need to go to such lengths, but with man-eating creatures involved, we cannot ignore the situation!¡± To feast upon humans, such monsters are extremely dangerous in any city-state, and these Demon Spirits are often very cunning, knowing too well how to exploit the vulnerabilities of human poption centers¡­ In the upper reaches of the Li Chuan River, there are many affluent towns that are basically unscathed by war, and the local military force is rtively small. If a powerful Demon Spirit were to suddenly break into the city walls one night, a blood-drenched massacre could ensue. Some monster spirits can consume a hundred people in just one night! Not to mention this time it¡¯s a group of monsters plundering, with even a Demon Spiritmander! If the Demon Spirits invade the city, it would surely be a ughter, a truly horrendous atrocity. Moreover, while the military is skilled in warfare, they are often helpless against those powerful demon spirits. No matter how numerous they are, what can the army do if the demon spirits flee? How can they give chase? As for searching the mountains and hunting them down, that¡¯s an absolute fantasy. Some of the smarter Demon Spirits might even seize the chance when the military leaves the city and attack the defenseless settlement! Even with arge army, they can only defend. Not all towns have high walls, nor do all civilians live within the safety of tall walls. Therefore, the army is quite passive when facing Demon Spirits. Only Dragon Shepherds can handle these wanton Monster Groups more effectively. ¡°Of course, we teachers will also be stationed in various major towns. Your goal is to eliminate those Demon Spirits and monster spirits that are lurking around different towns and viges. Do not provoke those of the Demon Spirit level. If you encounter any, immediately notify your academy¡¯s mentor. Do not overestimate your strength and lose your life,¡± Teacher Bai Yishu specifically cautioned. Being a Dragon Shepherd has always been a dangerous profession. Every year, a number of students who go out for practice never return. This all-out mission is not some academy cleaning or a visit tofort the elderly in nursing homes. One wrong move, and both person and dragon could be devoured by the monster group! Therefore, Bai Yishu repeatedly emphasized to the students that they must travel in pairs. Acting alone will not earn any credits. Zhu Minng had originally thought about operating solo. With his current strength, he could definitely handle crises on his own. However, seeing that a mandatory rule of partnering up had been enforced, he suddenly made a sour face! This rule was designed partly to ensure the safety of the students and also in the hope that the stronger students could lead the weaker ones. So who should he choose as a partner for this mission? There should be some strong individuals among the students, but he didn¡¯t know any of them. They were usually too arrogant and prideful, and they didn¡¯t mingle much with someone humble and gentle like himself¡ªa true gentleman. He did know a few people from his dormitory. But they haven¡¯t even passed the Dragon Gate yet. Students without a True Dragon don¡¯t even have the qualification to go. They should stay at the academy with peace of mind, do the cleaning, and help the local grandmothers find their lost kittens. The Spirit Fruit from the Spiritual Realm¡ªhe was determined to get it. And he needed to earn the full amount of credits. It¡¯s just the problem of finding a partner¡­ ¡°Junior Zhu,¡± a refined senior sister approached, looking at Zhu Minng¡¯s worried face. ¡°Are you offering to partner up with me?¡± Zhu Minng¡¯s heart leaped, and he quickly asked. ¡°Ah?¡± Chu Yanyan¡¯s purpose wasn¡¯t actually that. She was simply curious whether the woman who went to the River Battlefield with Zhu Minng that day was Li Yunzi. Gossip keeps one forever young. That was all Chu Yanyan was interested in.. Chapter 68 - 68 Friends Addressing Each Other Chapter 68: Friends Addressing Each Other Trantor: 549690339 ¡°Junior Zhu, even a talented person like you worries about team matters, huh? I¡¯ve already made arrangements with a few other ssmates. If Junior Zhu would like to join us, that would be great. After all, everyone wees the addition of someone as strong as you,¡± Chu Yanyan said with a smile. Zhu Minng scratched his head awkwardly. He med himself for not attending sses regrly and seldom engaging in in-depth conversations with his ssmates, which had led to a rather limited social circle. ¡°We n to set out early the morning after next. Shall we meet at the Broken Bridge then?¡± Chu Yanyan proposed. ¡°Sure, thank you for including me, Senior Sister,¡± Zhu Minng responded. ¡°Not at all, our team¡¯s strength is average, and if we encounter a big monster, we¡¯ll rely on Junior Zhu to show your might, ¡± Chu Yanyan politely said. A modest smile appeared on Zhu Minng¡¯s face. ¡°Ah, where is Teacher Bai Yishu??¡± Chu Yanyan suddenly remembered something and began searching for Teacher Bai Yishu at the front of the ssroom. ¡°Junior Zhu, I won¡¯t keep you any longer. I have some questions to ask Teacher Bai Yishu¡­¡± Before Zhu Minng could respond, Chu Yanyan hurriedly chased after Teacher Bai Yishu outside the ssroom. In fact, as soon as the ss ended, many senior and junior sisters had followed Teacher Bai Yishu out, all muttering that they had questions for him. By the time Chu Yanyan decided to go, there probably weren¡¯t any spots left. Stepping out of the ssroom and seeing the throng of eager female students around Teacher Bai Yishu, Zhu Minng couldn¡¯t help but reflect. In terms of looks, they were all quite evenly matched, but in erudition, there was room for improvement. He resolved to strive harder to be a more learned person himself¡­ Upon returning to his residence, Zhu Minng saw a lean figure waiting diligently at the door, standing with meticulous manners as if not daring to disturb, yet exhibiting patientposure. Zhu Minng was surprised, not having expected this visitor. ¡°Brother Zheng,¡± Zhu Minng greeted, a smile on his face for this person he greatly admired. ¡°Brother Zhu!¡± Zheng Yu was ever so earnest, maintaining proper decorum despite being well-acquainted and having met many times before. Zhu Minng also bowed. Interacting with someone like Zheng Yu often made him feel like his own brashness diminished significantly. ¡°I haven¡¯t yet thanked you in person for the Silver-green Ore you sent. For you to visit me first, Zheng makes me feel ashamed,¡± Zhu Minng said. Zhu Minng was truly thankful for the swift delivery of the Silver-green Ore from the Wutu mines by Zheng Yu. It was clear much effort was put into this endeavor. Without the Silver Cyan Dragon Armor, both he and Big ck Tooth might have faced unexpected danger. ¡°It was simply a token of thanks in return. I¡¯ve just paid my respects to Commander Ke Bei, but I don¡¯t know where Commander Duan Lan might be. I wanted to express my gratitude and apologies in person,¡± Zheng Yu stated. Zhu Minng had thought Zheng Yu was just making a casual remark earlier and was surprised to learn he had traveled all the way to Ancestral Dragon City-State just to mourn Commander Ke Bei. On closer inspection of Zheng Yu, Zhu Minng could see signs of travel weariness on his face, indicating his exhaustion from the journey. ¡°Let¡¯s go inside my house and talk,¡± Zhu Minng offered, leading Zheng Yu into his abode. After pouring a cup of hot tea for Zheng Yu, whose lips were somewhat chapped. Being a schr of delicate constitution, Zheng really was too particr, he could havefortably waited inside, yet he chose to stand at the door all along. ¡°Teacher Duan Lan has been taken back by her n for recuperation. I also visited, but her people said she needs rest and cannot receive visitors, so I wasn¡¯t able to meet her,¡± Zhu Minng informed Zheng Yu. ¡°I¡¯ve gathered some Silver Tael and bought some Lingzhi mushrooms, hoping to offer some modest help,¡± Zheng Yu said. ¡°I¡¯ll take them to Teacher Little Pear at the convalescence home. She should be able to deliver them for you,¡± Zhu Minng suggested. Little Pear seemed to be more familiar with Duan Lan, and, being a woman, she would likely find it easier to see Duan Lan than either of the two men. ¡°Then I thank you, Brother Zhu,¡± Zheng Yu stood up again. ¡°Wait, wait, please have a seat and catch your breath, drink something hot to warm up. You must be swamped with work back in Rong Valley City, why travel such a distance for this? You could have ordered your subordinates to handle these matters, ¡± Zhu Minng objected. ¡°One must attend personally to matters of mourning. As for the affairs in Wutu, Commander Zhang Tuo is indeed a capable and ambitious man. I have few worries there. It¡¯s just that opening up the mining routes is urgent, requiring me to travel frequently to the City-State, ¡± Zheng Yu exined. ¡°Opening the mining routes is indeed a good thing. Ancestral Dragon City-State is rich, but it has always been short on ores, requiring us to buy at high prices from neighboring cities¡­¡± Zhu Minng remarked. ¡°Yes, the Female Monarch is far-sighted. She also wants me to quickly settle the mining route between the City-State and Wutu. It¡¯s just unfortunate that there¡¯s no small amount of trouble. I intended to visit the upstream cities of Li Chuan to connect with old friends and persuade other City Lords to support the opening of this trade route. Unfortunately, with the recent Demon Disasters, they¡¯re not interested in such affairs, and even the officials are too afraid to escort me there,¡± Zheng Yu said with a wry smile. ¡°You¡¯re a schr who doesn¡¯t understand martial arts or dragon training; traveling to the upstream cities during this period is a sure way to lose one¡¯s life,¡± Zhu Minng said in astonishment. ¡°Although I understand that sess lies in fate, sometimes one must still push oneself¡­ It¡¯s a pity I cannot talk more with Brother Zhu. But once the trade route is open, we¡¯ll have a good long drink together,¡± Zheng Yu stood up, clearly thinking about ways to travel to the upstream cities. ¡°Brother Zheng, please wait, why not listen to my suggestion first?¡± Zhu Minng interjected. Zheng Yu had already extended his hand to bid farewell but eventually resumed his seat slowly. ¡°The day after tomorrow, I and some other students from the academy are heading upstream mainly to protect the popce and eliminate the cannibal ghosts roaming about. Brother Zheng, you could apany us on the journey, and I¡¯ll act as your escort,¡± Zhu Minng offered with a smile. Zheng Yu looked at Zhu Minng, trying to judge whether the offer was sincere, not wishing to inconvenience Zhu Minng with his own affairs. ¡°I couldn¡¯t possibly impose on you like this,¡± Zheng Yu replied. ¡°The Dragon Taming Academy is already tasked with eliminating these Demon Disasters, our team will take you along as it¡¯s nothing more than lifting a finger.¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°Oh, oh, oh, then¡­ then I truly can¡¯t thank Brother Zhu enough.¡± Zheng Yu stood up once more and bowed seriously. Zhu Minng knew Zheng Yu was a person of proprieties and did not stop him. It indeed was a trivial effort; they were going to pass through several cities anyway, and Zheng Yu needed to persuade various City Lords. It was good to havepany on the journey, and Zhu Minng didn¡¯t wish for Zheng Yu to die a random death in the region of the upstream cities. Even with soldiers¡¯ protection, Zhu Minng would not feel at ease. ¡°As friends in the future, let¡¯s not be so formal.¡± Zhu Minng said. Zhu Minng did, in fact, wish to forge a deep friendship with someone like Zheng Yu. ¡°That would be an honor for Zheng Yu,¡± Zheng Yu responded. ¡°Not at all, I really admire you,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°Admire what?¡± Zheng Yu suddenly raised his eyebrows, feigning ignorance. Zhu Minng was taken aback. Truly not standing on ceremony, huh? ¡°You said ¡®In my view, Brother Zhu is also a sage,¡¯ it¡¯s this discernment in recognizing people that I admire,¡± Zhu Minng said. Zheng Yu was also taken aback. His opponent was a step ahead. Zheng Yu gave a dryugh, clinked tea cups with Zhu Minng, substituting tea for wine and drank it down in one gulp. Having packed up his luggage, today was the day of departure. Zhu Minng had just stepped out the door when he saw Li Shaoying from the neighboring house also carrying luggage, looking as if he was setting off on a long journey. ¡°Li Shaoying, have you finally been expelled by the academy?¡± someone in the courtyard teased. Li Shaoying was someone easily provoked; his face instantly turned red as he angrily exined, ¡°I am going to visit home; my family is in the region of the upstream cities!¡± ¡°Oh, oh, well you be careful then. If something were to happen to you, we wouldn¡¯t have such a consistent handyman around here,¡± the person continued. The courtyard maintained the excellent tradition of weekly sparring, and Li Shaoying, unable to withstand the provocations, always participated, but he always ended up inst ce, responsible for cleaning the entire dormitory. ¡°You all wait and see, I will be the first to pass the Dragon Gate, and by that time, you won¡¯t even be worthy to clean my shoes!¡± Li Shaoying stormed out, his lofty deration echoing in the courtyard for a long time. Daily jests had be the most delightful urrences in the courtyard. Zhu Minng shook his head, feeling living in the dormitory was livelier. Li Shaoying was not actually qualified, but he had applied to the academy to visit home, and there should be a team that would take him along, so there was not much to worry about on the road. Zhu Minng headed to White Rock Bridge, where he saw the others had already gathered; Chu Yanyan and Zheng Yu were both present. Chu Yanyan knew Zheng Yu, and upon learning that Zheng Yu would be traveling with them, excitedly recounted the feats of Rong Valley City to the other students. In the Dragon City-State, there were intermittent rumors about how Rong Valley City had survived amidst the chaos, but most people didn¡¯t quite understand the exact circumstances. When they learned it was Zheng Yu who had stopped the furious troops in such a manner, these students were even more admiring. Zheng Yu was also a well-spoken individual, and he quickly got to know these Dragon Trainer students, and everyone discussed the affairs of the upstream city region. ¡°Zhu Minng, over here, we¡¯re all here.¡± Chu Yanyan extended her slender, fair arm, waving at Zhu Minng, a few thin and beautiful silver ornaments on her wrist jingling crisply. There were quite a number of people gathered here, most of them were setting off to the upstream city region today. Zhu Minng arrived and found this team not to be toorge,prising six people in total; five were female, and one was male. Including Zhu Minng and Zheng Yu, the male to female ratio was also five to three. ¡°So you are Zhu Minng??¡± ¡°He doesn¡¯t look odd or peculiar, does he?¡± ¡°Do you really have a private affair with the Female Monarch?¡± ¡°How did you get to know the Female Monarch?¡± ¡°Is Li Yunzi truly the most beautiful woman in the Ancestral Dragon City-State, how do you think Ipare, is she prettier, or am I?¡± The female students immediately bombarded him with questions, not even giving Zhu Minng a chance to answer properly, and in fact, they didn¡¯t want Zhu Minng to respond; they simply blurted out all their curiosities all at once. ¡°Everyone is here now, let¡¯s set out; we shouldn¡¯t fall behind the others,¡± the only male student spoke up, his tone somewhat cold. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s follow Senior Brother Jin,¡± Chu Yanyan said then.. Chapter 69 - 69: Release the Dragon Child? Chapter 69: Release the Dragon Child? Trantor: 549690339 On a long slope covered with patches of yellowish-green grass, a group of cattle and sheep were struggling to chew on roots, asionally letting out a fewint-filled bleats, obviously dissatisfied with nature¡¯s offering for their meal. An uncle, wearing a woolly hat, had a somewhat darkened face that conveyed a certain helplessness. At the foot of the slope was a grassy Pool Lake, which during rainy seasons saw a stream flowing down from the top of the slope, filling the whole slope with lush grass and even making a sight of blooming flowers, before all the water finally poured into theke, sustaining the woods, meadows, viges around it¡­ Pool Vige was thus amon pastoral vige found in the upstream city regions, with many such viges relying on such localkes. ¡°Uncle Zhan! Uncle Zhan!!¡± ¡°Li Shaoying, why are you back? Aren¡¯t you at the Dragon Taming Academy? Didn¡¯t you say you wouldn¡¯te back until you became a Dragon Shepherd?¡± Uncle Zhan asked, confused. ¡°Uncle, I might not be a Dragon Shepherd,¡± Li Shaoying said with a bitter taste in his voice. His ssmates were either continuously advancing, drawing closer to the Dragon Gate, or they had already stepped through the Dragon Gate, bing real Dragon Shepherds; only he was marking time, his Great Horn Bull showing not the slightest sign of advancement, let alone the Young Spirit Bird he had adopted. Be confident, remove the ¡®might,¡±¡® Uncle Zhan said as he patted Li Shaoying on the shoulder. Li Shaoying nearly missed his step on the muddy ground and staggered a bit before steadying himself. ¡°I¡¯ve raised cattle and sheep for more than a decade. Can¡¯t I tell a cow from a cow, a sheep from a sheep? A Great Horn Bull is special, but at the end of the day, it¡¯s still a bull,¡± Uncle Zhan said. ¡°Uncle, you really know how tofort me,¡± Li Shaoying said with tears streaming down his face, unable to stop them, unable to stop them. ¡°Go back, it¡¯s gettingte,¡± Uncle Zhan said. Back at Pool Vige, it was already half dark, and the lights at the entrance of the vige were unusually unlit, likely to avoid attracting cannibal monsters from afar. Cannibal monsters are not like beasts; they¡¯re not afraid of light, so this was a wise decision. Seeing the vigers finally bing aware of the need to take precautions, Li Shaoying let out a big sigh of relief. As he entered the vige, it was rather dark. Suddenly, Uncle Zhan pulled Li Shaoying to the side and then, looking grave, pointed down at their feet. Li Shaoying looked down and his face changed too! It was blood! There was arge pool of blood at the vige entrance, and it clearly wasn¡¯t the shape from ughtering chickens or sheep, it was the kind of spray that stters, and upon closer inspection, Li Shaoying found that even the wicker fences around the entrance were sttered widely. Taking a few more steps forward, Li Shaoying lifted arge wooden nk, and beneath ity a person covered in blood, his eyes wide with the agony endured before death, vividly captured in the twisted face and those eyes. A dead person!! It was the vige¡¯s lumberjack brother, strong and sturdy as he was, yet he died so miserably, and right at the entrance of the vige! Cannibal Monster¡­ The Cannibal Monster had appeared!! Li Shaoying scrambled backward in fright, just about to run away with Uncle Zhan when suddenly someone shouted. ¡°Hey, there are still two alive here.¡± Torches were suddenly lit, illuminating the vige entrance and the vige itself, and Li Shaoying quickly saw many people approaching, each holding a gleaming long knife in their hands. At first, Li Shaoying thought they were officers. The officers had arrived for a rescue search, but looking at the attire and appearance of these people, his face turned even paler! They weren¡¯t officers¡­ There was no Cannibal Monster¡­ It was bandits!! ¡°Hahaha, almost let a couple of fish slip through the, drag them both in,¡± said a man with a butcher-like build. Chapter 70 - 70 Robbers Chapter 70: Robbers Trantor: 549690339 Several knife-wielding bandits escorted Li Shaoying and Uncle Zhan inside, and Li Shaoying looked to find that the vigers had been tied up andid on the ground, but their heads were gone! Blood-soaked heads littered the ground. Li Shaoying¡¯s face was filled with horror, nearly scared out of his wits. People had been ughtered like animals, including those he had grown up with in the vige¡ªthe aunts, the old men, and even the young children! The entire vige had been butchered!! ¡°Number Two, you¡¯re the smart one, eh? With the soldiers busy hunting the Cannibal Monster, they won¡¯t care about us. We can raid vige after vige, and the money will be enough for us to live in luxury for a lifetime!¡± said the man who looked like a butcher. ¡°Kill them all and then throw them out for the wolves. No one will find out it was us, with those soldiers and Dragon Shepherds still looking for the Cannibal Monster!¡±ughed the deputy bandit leader with the viciousness of a jackal. ¡°After we deal with these two, we can leave. Let¡¯s start with the younger one.¡± The butcher leader, holding a knife, approached with a cold smile. Li Shaoying waspletely petrified. The scene before his eyes was too bloody and shocking, and he had even forgotten to struggle or dodge. At that moment, Uncle Zhan stepped in front of Li Shaoying, standing between him and the butcher leader. ¡°You¡¯re so eager to die; I shall grant you your wish.¡± With these words, the butcher leader ced his cleaver on Uncle Zhan¡¯s face and pped it twice heavily, creating an ominous sound, as if ready to carve flesh! Uncle Zhan didn¡¯t avert his gaze. He took a deep breath and said, ¡°Thest man to p my face like that was Li Ying. I chopped three of his dragons.¡± ¡°Who the hell is Li Ying? A mere herdsman acting like some big shot with us? My cleaver never dulls when chopping meat!¡± retorted the butcher leader with a smirk, as he swung hisrge knife back. Uncle Zhan stood there, his brown eyes suddenly zing with a sharp light! ¡°Rumble rumble rumble rumble rumble! !! ¡± Suddenly, the distant waterwheel began to spin violently, and by the light of the fire at the vige entrance, one could see theke churning furiously as if something were climbing out. The water level began to plummet, dropping to half its height! ¡°BOON¡±I!!!!!!¡± Far away, theke exploded terrifyingly, and a ck Serpent emerged, crashing through the waterwheel the size of a house and rampaging through the vige entrance¡­ The ck Serpent moved too swiftly; the butcher leader hadn¡¯t finished his swing when the serpent was already upon him. Just like a python biting a young mouse, it flung the ferocious butcher into the air. The butcher leader was thrown high, then plummeted straight down, and in that moment, the ck Serpent opened its mouth wide, allowing the butcher to slide into its elongated esophagus! Swallowed alive! The butcher leader was devoured alive by the ck Serpent under everyone¡¯s gaze, his form clearly visible within the serpent¡¯s writhing stomach, desperately struggling! The ck Serpent hovered in the air, its body dripping wet, coiling above the vige. The flickering light from the basins barely managed to outline its full size; half of it hidden in the darkness¡­ Uncle Zhan stood there, his gaze indifferent. At this moment, his presence was inplete harmony with the dragon floating in mid-air, looking down upon the inhuman gang of bandits. These bandits, possessing at best some brute strength, had no power whatsoever to resist the ck Serpent. The ck Serpent gave the other bandits no chance to survive, biting and tearing one after another. The bandits couldn¡¯t even flee and were wiped out in a few minutes! Li Shaoying was stunned, his eyes filled with shock. For over a decade, Uncle Zhan had always been like any other hardworking viger! Why, with such immense power, did he choose to live as amon man, and why, being a Dragon Shepherd himself, did he not reveal a hint of it to me? Zhan An looked at the massacre of the entire vige. Then nced at the bandits, torn to shreds and receiving their just deserts, his eyes filled with helplessness. s, despite guarding against the Cannibal Monster, they couldn¡¯t guard against these bandits, and the vige was still lost. He wasn¡¯t herding on the slopes; he was hunting the Cannibal Monster, keeping them away from the vige. ¡°Uncle, are you a Dragon Shepherd??¡± Li Shaoying couldn¡¯t believe it. ¡°I am not a Dragon Shepherd, just someone with some other abilities. The ck Serpent knows human nature well. Even without a human Spirit Contract and bond, it has always been by our side. From now on, take care of it. Now that I have shown my power, my enemies will likely seek me out; I must leave,¡± sighed Zhan An. Li Shaoying was stunned. There were so many questions he still wanted to ask, and with the vige destroyed, where was he to go? Li Shaoying and the ck Serpent continued to follow Zhan An, who waved his hand and then said, ¡°Go back to the Dragon Taming Academy. Take good care of him for me. ¡°Awoo!¡± Li Shaoying, with tears in his eyes, was about to respond when the ck Serpent beside him raised its head, sounding a high-pitched cry in answer to the departing Zhan An. Li Shaoying¡¯s tears flowed even more freely.. Chapter 71 - 71: Suppressing Bandits and Eliminating Demons Chapter 71: Suppressing Bandits and Eliminating Demons Trantor: 549690339 Dwarf Mountain City. In the manor courtyard, Zheng Yu strolled out along the stone pathway with a hint of loss in his expression, but it was no surprise that he couldn¡¯t be persuaded. ¡°How did it go?¡± Zhu Minng asked Zheng Yu at the entrance. Zheng Yu shook his head and said, ¡°On one hand, the Cannibal Monsters have indeed caused too many tragedies, on the other hand, Wu Tu Zhi is still not well received.¡± Zhu Minng was about to offer some constion when an official-robed man hurried over from behind, appearing to be looking for Zheng Yu. This man dressed in official robes was likely the administrator here, and he looked relieved to see Zheng Yu had not gone far. ¡°City Lord Lian,¡± Zheng Yu greeted with a bow. ¡°City Lord Zheng, why did you mention before you left about strengthening the patrol of vige market routes? Cannibal Monsters don¡¯t travel on our vige roads and market paths,¡± the man in the official robe said. ¡°Cannibal Monsters cause cmities, and bandits will certainly take the opportunity to plunder; we must block natural disasters and not ignore human evils, otherwise, new tragedies will unfold,¡± Zheng Yu exined. The man in the official robe looked at Zheng Yu in surprise. ¡°You¡¯ve juste to Dwarf Mountain City, how could you know that the brigands would cause such chaos? We just received a report from the people, arge band of robbers was captured in Pool Vige, and had it not been for a Dragon Shepherd present, the whole vige might have been ughtered!¡± the official-robed man stated. ¡°Pool Vige must not be the first to suffer dire consequences; City Lord Lian, I fear you may need to visit those viges where the cmities urred yourself to determine which disasters were caused by monsters and which by humans. Otherwise, the students from the Dragon Taming Academy will just go from one vige to another in vain and waste precious time,¡± Zheng Yu continued. ¡°City Lord Zheng is wise, thank you, thank you. If the Cannibal Monster can be eliminated quickly and the brutal band of robbers destroyed, then we in Dwarf Mountain City can also open up our trade routes,¡± City Lord Lian earnestly said, his view of Zheng Yupletely changed. ¡°If bandits are raiding frequently, they will need a ce to store their loot, so if City Lord Lian is nning to dispatch troops to eliminate the bandits, you could start by searching along the mountains from the junctions of several viges. Look for mountain trails with clear signs of multiple trampling, horse hooves, wheel tracks¡ªthese are likely the bandits¡¯ strongholds,¡± Zheng Yu continued to expound. ¡°Brother Zheng, why not appoint a troop under yourmand to eliminate this menace for the people? In fact, the upper stream cities have long been gued by a group of vicious brigands, and those in Pool Vige were just a small faction of them. If City Lord Zheng can rid us of this scourge that has troubled the cities for years, I myself will apany you to discuss business routes!¡± City Lord Lian offered. Zheng Yu was also surprised; he did not expect City Lord Lian to be a brave champion for the people, entrusting the management of his troops to someone from outside the city, a decision that required some courage. ¡°I cannot shirk my duty when ites to serving the people. Even if it¡¯s not for the sake of trade routes, I would still take on this responsibility!¡± Zheng Yu immediately bowed in response. ¡°Thank you, thank you. This esteemed student from the Dragon Taming Academy, I ask for your and your ssmates¡¯ assistance to visit the disaster-stricken viges. I fear the Cannibal Monsters may have already started to act in groups,¡± City Lord Lian hastily bowed upon noticing Zhu Minng¡¯s attire. Zhu Minng nodded and said, ¡°We are ready and can leave at any time. Please prepare as soon as possible, City Lord Lian.¡± Stepping out of the manor, Zhu Minng drank a mouthful of the sweet spring water and said to Zheng Yu beside him, ¡°Brother Zheng is still Brother Zheng indeed.¡± ¡°Has Brother Zhu¡¯s admiration for me increased once again?¡± ¡°For the people¡¯s cause, there is no room for refusal. You spoke well,¡± Zhu Minng said. Zheng Yu smiled wryly, then helplessly shook his head. ¡°I just wanted to hear Brother Zhu praise my great wisdom, but it seems I¡¯m unlikely to have that chance. However,pared to the intelligence of the Female Monarch, I am ashamed to admit my inferiority.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not necessarily true. The Female Monarch was born into a ruler¡¯s family and is more alert to affairs involving cities and states, while you, as a magistrate, are already quite impressive to have insight into these matters,¡± Zhu Minng responded. ¡°Thanks for your praise, Brother Zhu,¡± Zheng Yu said, his face beaming as if he had been waiting for Zhu Minng to say these words. Zhu Minng stopped talking immediately and took another sip from his water pouch. The water was no longer as sweet as before¡ªit was actually a bit bitter. Zheng Yu was indeed very intelligent. After the City Lord gave him troops, he did not immediately set out along the roads to find the bandits¡¯ir. He had all the soldiers and persons like Zhu Minng move together, making it look as though the troops that were sent to root out the bandits were actually on a mission to eradicate Cannibal Monsters at points where cities and towns meet. ¡°In this way, those bandits watching the mountains will see our conspicuous approach and will not think we areing to besiege them, thus letting their guard down. By the time they realize we aren¡¯t targeting the Cannibal Monsters, it will be toote for them to escape,¡± Zheng Yu said to City Lord Lian. City Lord Lian¡¯s face beamed with joy, holding Zheng Yu in even higher regard. Eliminating bandits was not difficult; how could they stand against official soldiers? The difficultyy in the fact that once the soldiers mobilized inrge numbers, they could easily be detected by the bandits, who would then move to hide in the Dwarf Mountain range, leaving the grand armed forces to return empty-handed. Therefore, when City Lord Lian took in the robbers from Pool Vige, he did so without fanfare, silently strengthening the patrols. Among the academy¡¯s assignments, some involved rooting out bands of robbers, but such tasks were difficult toplete. The bandits did not operate all the time, nor did they have distinct, monstrous faces, making it impossible for Dragon Shepherds to urately pinpoint the disguised bandits hidden amongst the vast mountain cities. ¡°The bandit groups are your concern. We won¡¯t waste time on this. City Lord Lian, please focus on helping us find the Cannibal Monsters and, preferably, theirirs,¡± Senior Brother Jin spoke to City Lord Lian. ¡°Rest assured, you won¡¯t be dyed in your monster hunting,¡± City Lord Lian responded.. Chapter 72 - 72: Massacre Town Chapter 72: Massacre Town Trantor: 549690339 Zhu Minng didn¡¯t mind, considering the bandits probably had alreadymitted numerous acts of murder, he didn¡¯t mind helping Zheng Yu eliminate those bandit gangs. However, the issue of the cannibal monsters was indeed important, killing one more of them was akin to saving a dozen or more lives. ¡°Zheng Yu, these cannibal monsters move in unpredictable ways, often attacking the vulnerabilities of our towns. Do you have any insights?¡± Zhu Minng asked. ¡°Brother Zhu, you¡¯re giving me too much credit. I don¡¯t understand these monsters at all!¡± Zheng Yu replied. ¡°Alright then, be careful on the road eradicating bandits, and you, a weak schr, better not rush into battle,¡± Zhu Minng reminded him. Zhu Minng had a habit, that being, whenever someone around him was using their brain, he would habitually throw the problem over to them, enjoying his leisurely life for so many years because raising silkworms didn¡¯t require thinking aboutplex issues. But now, he could only rely on himself. When arriving at the site, he needed to observe more, think more. Upon reaching White Tea Town, the town had already been secured by many official troops, with even some important exits guarded by the army. The stench of death still wafted out from the town, considering the need to find clues, some of the corpses gnawed on by the cannibal monsters had not been disposed of, left to be scorched by the sun. ¡°With everyone dead, that¡¯s when the official troops show up. What¡¯s the point of encircling the town now? Afraid of corpses turning?¡± An old man vented his indignation at the town gate. The City Lord felt a wave of shame and didn¡¯t dare to look at the old man. He led Zhu Minng, Jin Minjun, Chu Yanyan and others into this deste ce, only to find that another team from the Dragon Taming Academy had arrived earlier, among whom was someone Zhu Minng knew well, Nan Ye. Nan Ye¡¯s team seemed to mostly consist of Nan Family members, and with their own monster hunters, they didn¡¯t need any guidance from the City Lord. Seeing Zhu Minng and his group arrive, the Nan Family members didn¡¯t even greet them, leaving arrogantly as if they already had a clue and were headed to the wilderness. ¡°We¡¯rete,¡± Jin Minjun frowned. ¡°There are a lot of monsters; a single team might not be able to find them all. Let¡¯s follow the City Lord,¡± Chu Yanyan suggested. ¡°You guys go look at the corpses, we¡­¡± said the female student, who was known for her beauty alongside Li Yunzi, as she covered her nose with a scented handkerchief. ¡°Alright, Senior Brother Jin and I will have a look. The rest of you search around for any clues left by the cannibal monsters, such as w fragments, hairs, saliva, and the like,¡± Zhu Minng nodded, understanding their psychological limits. Not all students within the academy frequented the outside world, and it was not umon for Dragon Shepherds, especially female Dragon Shepherds, to have limited exposure to bloody scenes and rarely venture out alone without a team. Senior Brother Jin and Zhu Minng headed to the ce where the corpses were stored, which was an old house that had been heavily damaged with bricks and tiles strewn about. Because a whole family had been ughtered here by the cannibal monsters, resulting in thergest number of bodies, the subsequent dead were all brought here. An entirerge, old house filled with corpses; as soon as Senior Brother Jin stepped in, hisplexion changed, and he took out a scented handkerchief to cover his nose. The pattern on the handkerchief was consistent with the one previously used by the female student. However, Senior Brother Jin was clearly ustomed to bloody scenes; while listening to the City Lord¡¯s narration, he examined the corpses. ¡°The bite marks are very clear, most of the internal organs are eaten. Can you tell what kind of monster it was?¡± Zhu Minng inquired of Senior Brother Jin. Being able to be the guardian of the Five Flowers, Senior Brother Jin certainly had outstanding abilities. ¡°The gnawing is too severe, it¡¯s difficult to distinguish, but the monster that eats the innards should be a Human-faced Rat,¡± Jin Minjun said. ¡°This woman has strangtion marks on her neck, and her body is smashed; someone probably took advantage of the chaos to rob and kill her,¡± Zhu Minng shook his head and pointed at one of the corpses, saying to Lian City Lord, ¡°City Lord, send someone to check out who the woman¡¯s neighbors are, it¡¯s best to directly confront them and ask if they killed her.¡± Lian City Lord leaned over to look and indeed discovered strangtion marks on the woman¡¯s neck, so he hurriedly instructed the scribe beside him to record it, and then sent people to investigate. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about those, someone is already ahead of us, a single Cannibal Monster is worth ten credits,¡± Senior Brother Jin red at Zhu Minng, displeased with his meddling. ¡°Some people¡¯s evil is not less than that of Cannibal Monsters¡ªthey shouldn¡¯t be allowed to hide among the crowd,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°What have you discovered?¡± Jin Minjun snorted coldly and asked. ¡°This old mansion has many side doors, there are over a dozen to twenty people living here, including the master of the inner and outer courts and their servants. Not a single one of them escaped the Cannibal Monster¡¯s clutches, and they also showed no signs of struggle¡­¡± Zhu Minng¡¯s attention had been on the people who died first in the old mansion. ¡°So what?¡± Senior Brother Jin asked. ¡°I think they might have been hypnotized, and then the Cannibal Monster dug out and ate their innards one by one; that¡¯s why their deaths don¡¯t seem so painful. Aside from the disembowelment, the rest of their bodies are intact¡­¡± Zhu Minng continued. ¡°Hypnosis? Could it be a Night Vine Ratwolf!¡± Senior Brother Jin immediately thought of this creature. Night Vine Ratwolves feed on night vines; they absorb the hypnotic elements from the nt so that the gas they excrete is not the foul stench of a Yellow Weasel, but a potent hypnotic effect! The Cannibal Monster that killed this family must be a great demon with a cultivation base of over five hundred years. It took advantage of the night to hypnotize the entire family, then devoured all their innards without anyone noticing, even the nearby neighbors had no clue! ¡°So when we search the mountains, we should look for ces with lots of night vines, we might find something,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°Junior Zhu, your thinking is sharp,¡± Senior Brother Jin immediately nodded in acknowledgment, and his attitude toward Zhu Minng changed slightly. ¡°These travelers who died in the inn, they have signs of being torn and fought over, and there are very few survivors. City Lord, could you help us investigate the inns that were attacked, especially those near the post stations? The location of the first inn is very important, it¡¯s likely to be near their of the Human-faced Rats,¡± Zhu Minng said. Lian City Lord nodded and inquired with the scribe behind him. ¡°The first one attacked should be the Small Pond Mountain Post Station, twenty miles from the town,¡± the scribe flipped through his records and stated earnestly. ¡°There should be arge group of Human-faced Rats. If we are to go to Small Pond Mountain, we need to move as a group,¡± Zhu Minng said. Human-faced Rats live in groups, unlike Night Vine Ratwolves which can act alone. They are numerous and even Dragon Shepherds can fall victim to them. Jin Minjun nodded heavily; there should be arge den of Human-faced Rats. Several monsters, maybe even more, broke into the town together at night. If one could analyze their species in advance, it would provide some basis for searching in the vast mountains and ins; otherwise, aimlessly searching might not yield a single one the entire winter. ¡°Sister Chu has dragons with a keen sense of smell. Later on, we can also use Spiritual Power to capture the demon aura in the mountains; I believe we can quickly capture them all in one fell swoop!¡± Jin Minjun said.. Chapter 73 - 73 Life-saving Skills Chapter 73: Life-saving Skills Trantor: 549690339 At the long slope of Pool Vige, a team of Dragon Shepherds riding Flying Bird Pseudo-Dragonsnded in this somewhat withered grasnd. Among them, one person was on the ground, riding a Hellhound Dragon that radiated an intense heat. As it ran, moltenva would drip from its fur, leaving a trail of scorched signs behind. ¡°You guyse down,¡± said the young man from the Nan n, who was riding the Hellhound Dragon. ¡°Wasn¡¯t there arge group of Low Wolf Demons here? We followed their scent all the way,¡± Nan Ye asked with some confusion. ¡°Someone killed them all, see for yourself,¡± the youth from the Nan family said. Only then did the Nan descendantsnd from the sky. Amidst the barren grass, arge pit appeared, filled with many bodies half-buried in it. At a nce, there were about twenty or thirty, not to mention others hidden deeper in the mud. Nan Ye was quite surprised. They were some of the earliest to arrive at White Tea Town and had also followed thergest group of beasts here. They had expected to score a vast number of points in one go, but all the beasts had been killed and carelessly discarded in the long slope pit¡­ ¡°The spirits have dispersed, and the bodies are smashed; there¡¯s no difference from the remains of ordinary wild animals. The battle was almost aplete rout. Do we have someone that strong in our academy? Even at Dragon General Level, it would be difficult to achieve this extent,¡± said the Hellhound Dragon¡¯s young rider. ¡°There seems to be a vige at the bottom of the slope; let¡¯s go and ask,¡± said a long-haired woman from the Nan family. ¡°It¡¯s infuriating to have made a wasted trip. If we go back to White Tea Town now, Jin Minjun¡¯s team probably has beaten us to it!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go to the vige to get some clean water and prepare to move to the next ce. We can¡¯t lose to the Li and Duan families again this year,¡± said the young man with the Hellhound Dragon. ¡°Without any gains this time, we might be behind others. I think we can try to look for traces of Demon Spirits. If we can hunt down a Demon Spirit, our ranking will be secure,¡± the long-haired woman from the Nan n said. ¡°Okay, we¡¯ll search for Demon Spirits. If we find one we can¡¯t handle, notify Nan Lingsha in Red Lotus City right away. If she chops down the Demon Spirit, we can still get half the points,¡± they agreed. Small Pond Mountain Post Station, a traveler¡¯s inn that is twenty miles away from White Tea Town, boasts three inns and a peddler¡¯s shop. This location also serves as a meeting point for various towns. Every five days, peddlers, farmers, woodcutters, hunters, and tea growers from each township gather here. Fortunately, the post station was not attacked on a market day; otherwise, the number of casualties would have risen by several times, reaching several hundreds of people. Zhu Minng and the others had already given up on the trail of the Cannibal Monsters, since the people from the Nan n had already locked down their escape direction and pursued them before Zhu¡¯s group arrived. Thergest group of monsters they could find now were those Human-faced Rats, which had attacked all night from the inn at the post station, up to White Tea Town¡ªmonsters that relished eating entrails! Zheng Yu¡¯s soldiers were also in the post station, where the blood had dried up; they were searching for the traces of Cannibal Monsters under the pretense of looking for any bandits taking the opportunity to cause chaos. It seemed that they had found a clue: Zheng Yu had already set off for the low mountains. After Zhu Minng and Jin Minjun searched the post station, they discovered an unusual bloodstain. ¡°This blood is not human. It must be from a hunter who wounded one of the Human-faced Rats with a knife,¡± Jin Minjun said seriously, pointing at the bloodstain. Zhu Minng examined it carefully but couldn¡¯t see any difference between rat blood and human blood. Perhaps Jin Minjun just had a keener awareness of bloodstains. Through his own eyes, powered by spiritual energy, he could see some things that others couldn¡¯t. Zhu Minng¡¯s spiritual power was especially sensitive to the aura of monsters, provided it was left behind not long ago. Traces that were a bit older, like these, were actually harder to find. The injured human-faced rat had be key in their search for the nest, and Zhu Minng realized the team he had found himself in was quite formidable¡­ Indeed, real Dragon Shepherds were different from the few ckers back at his residence. Following the trail of blood, the team ventured directly into the mountains. To avoid startling the wary human-faced rats, they did not let their dragon beasts apany them, only Chu Yanyan¡¯s Windbell Dragon moved ahead to seek out the monster¡¯s aura. The Windbell Dragon was also quite petite, probably only equivalent to a peacock in size. Its aura was as weak as that of an ordinary Bird Spirit, so there was no worry of it being discovered by the human-faced rats while on the hunt. With a call as melodious as a bell, the Windbell Dragon danced in the mountain breeze, light and elegant. Whenever the tracking became a bit perplexing for everyone, the Windbell Dragon would point out a clearer path, and the missing footprints and traces of blood would reappear in their line of sight. ¡°Yiyiyi- The Divine Green Holy Dragon asked toe out for some air. Zhu Minng thought about it and decided that since it had just reached its juvenile stage and its aura was very weak, it could indeede out for some exercise. Little Qingzhuo enjoyed the essence of nature, as the mountains and forests could bestow upon it even greater strength. Moreover, the Little Sacred Dragon seemed to also like the Windbell Dragon ¡°big sister, ¡± pping its somewhat stiff wings and following the Windbell Dragon¡¯s beautiful tail to learn the art of flying. ¡°Is that a wooden dragon?¡± Lu Xiaoyao asked. Lu Xiaoyao was the best at grooming among the five female students, applying makeup whenever she got the chance along the way to maintain her red lips and arched eyebrows. ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s a rotting wood dragon. Rotting wood cannot be carved, after all, haha.¡± Cough cough, the Divine Green Holy Dragon was teased by them as a rotting wood dragon, and for a moment, Zhu Minng didn¡¯t know how to defend his own Little Azure Dragon. ¡°When we encounter the human-faced ratster, you better hurry up and put it away. It would be a pity if the young dragon died,¡± Chu Yanyan said. A young dragon in the Ancestral Dragon City was considered very expensive. If it had a high bloodline and potential, it could be bid up to a staggeringly high price. Everyone actually saw that Zhu Minng¡¯s green dragon was extraordinary, but they chose not to say it out loud. Zhu Minng nodded his head. The little one had just gone through a life-and-death ordeal and was not like other newborns that fearlessly face a tiger. It wouldn¡¯t act recklessly. As he thought this, suddenly Little Qingzhuo disappeared from his field of vision. He looked at the Windbell Dragon and found it was not behind the Windbell Dragon. In a panic, he used his soul perception and searched for Little Qingzhuo among the trees, only to sense that it was right around him. ¡°Yiyiyi- Amidst a curtain of drooping crowns of leaves, Little Qingzhuo was pping its wings, hovering in ce with its adorable vertical pupils fixed on Zhu Minng, and a sly grin on its little cheeks. Zhu Minng looked carefully and realized that this Divine Green Holy Dragon had a natural affinity, its feathers and scales could change color, drawing close to the yellow-green leaves, and its feathers also looked exactly like the leaves! The little one was showing off its skills to him, but this ability was indeed quite special, blending inpletely with the surrounding environment. A skill for survival¡­ prizing life was good. Zhu Minng liked abilities that ensured stability until the end of time.. Chapter 74 - 74 Hollowed-out Jungle Chapter 74: Hollowed-out Jungle Trantor: 549690339 ¡°Hurry, over here, ¡± Chu Yanyan led the way, quickly following her Windbell Dragon. Everyone hastened to keep up. Zhu Minng used his spiritual power to sense that demon qi lingered nearby, and he quickly caught up with the somewhat overeager Chu Yanyan, pulling her behind him and said, ¡°Be careful, they could be hiding in the bushes.¡± Chu Yanyan nced around and realized that the nearby underbrush was indeed dense and the trees were low- if something were hiding there to ambush her, it could sever her throat in an instant! She moved back a little, whispered a thank you, and then stood among the others. With spiritual power focused in his eyes, Zhu Minng scanned the surrounding shrubbery and discovered that the demon qi here hadn¡¯t dissipated for quite some time, indicating that the Human-faced Rats must have lingered here for a while. ¡°It¡¯s Human-faced Rats, but they¡¯re dead!¡± At this moment, Jin Minjun¡¯s voice came from ahead. Everyone immediately followed him, and before Zhu Minng could even stop them, they had already passed through the dense undergrowth in front. ¡°Something¡¯s off, the demon qi here¡­ it¡¯s not dissipating¡­ They¡¯re right here!¡± Zhu Minng instantly realized this. Stretching out his palm, Zhu Minng immediately gathered spiritual power in the center of his hand, and ck patterns swiftly emerged, forming arge ck gate leading to the Spirit Realm. ¡°Hiss!!!!¡± A low growl rose from a dark thicket less than five meters away, and a vicious, pointed-faced creature sprang out, followed by its grey-red filthy fur. The creature, the size of a grown dog, was many times faster, and its sharp, elongated ws resembled short daggers! ¡°Crafty beast,¡± Zhu Minng scoffed coldly. Summoning the Dark Cang Violent Dragon at this point wouldn¡¯t be an issue, but Zhu Minng¡¯s own throat could also be bitten through. Zhu Minng intended to dodge sideways, to put some distance between himself and the Human-faced Rat before summoning the Dark Cang Violent Dragon, when the Divine Green Holy Dragon, which had been beside Zhu Minng, let out an angry cry. ¡°Hiii!!! Thorns burst forth at his feet, erupting in explosive growth, and those initially less than an inch tall instantly transformed into vine tips, viciously piercing through the body of the Human-faced Rat as it got within a meter of Zhu Minng!! From bottom to top, the thorns turned into a spiky lotus, skewering the Human-faced Rat mid-air, piercing through various parts of its body¡­ Blood spilled from the creature¡¯s vicious pointed face, and its long ws iled in vain, just shy of reaching Zhu Minng. The Human-faced Rat could never have expected the deadly threat hiding within the thorns below! Zhu Minng pulled back his step, looking surprisingly at the Divine Green Holy Dragon flying around him. How could it feel like its green forest magic was much stronger than Nan Ye¡¯s Green Giant Dragon!! ¡°Hiss hiss hiss!!!!!¡± Suddenly, a chorus of growls erupted from the denser trees ahead, and without time to think further, Zhu Minng, with Little Qingzhuo beside him, ran toward their direction! No one had time to summon their Dragon Beasts, and these Human-faced Rats were also lurking in such dense thickets, making it very difficult to detect their presence even as one walked past them! Just now, Zhu Minng had nearly been taken by surprise by such a cunning creature! ! Dragon Shepherds in the wild must not be careless under any circumstances; after all, they themselves are very vulnerable, potentially meeting their end before they can summon their Dragon Beasts! But if they start by keeping a strong dragon at their side, the formidable presence of the dragon might scare away the very prey they are hunting¡­ Moreover, sometimes little demons are even more troublesome than great demon lords! ¡°Hei Ya!¡± Zhu Minng, while running forward, summoned the ck Azure Violent Dragon. There were too many obstacles ahead, as well as numerous vines and thorns; Zhu Minng could no longer see where his teammates had run off to. The ck Azure Violent Dragon burst out from the Spirit Realm, finding itself in the midst of dense foliage. The towering, mighty creature could only catch glimpses of grey-red figures scurrying through the gaps in the brush, unable to get a clear view of what they were. ¡°Yiyiyiyi- Little Qingzhuo flew ahead of Zhu Minng, and where it passed, the shrubs and vines parted to either side like well-trained ceremonial guards, allowing Zhu Minng to finally spot Chu Yanyan. She was being followed by two Human -faced Rats! The Windbell Dragon stirred up a whirlwind, but it was impeded by the trees, significantly reducing the force of the wind vortex. It could only make the Human-faced Rats float briefly in the air. Chu Yanyan hadn¡¯t expected to fall into a trap set by Human-faced Rats; her face turned pale, uncertain of where to take cover. ¡°Roar!!!¡± The ck Azure Violent Dragon¡¯s chest swelled, and it suddenly roared in the direction of Chu Yanyan. The vegetation shattered, and the ground split open. The two Human-faced Rats attempting a sneak attack from behind had no time to react before they were torn to pieces, blood and gore flying everywhere! Chu Yanyan turned around, her face drained of color from fright; she hadn¡¯t realized there were two of them behind her. ¡°Come to me,¡± Zhu Minng ran towards Chu Yanyan, and she hurriedly dashed towards him as well. ¡°Yiyiyiyi- The Divine Green Holy Dragon let out a series of cries, its vertical pupils shing an unpredictable glow. Suddenly, colossal vine hands emerged within the chaotic thicket, sweeping fiercely through the underbrush like green -brown pythons! ¡°Squeak squeak squeak!! Shrieks echoed as several Human-faced Rats, converging from another direction, were smacked away by the vine hands, hitting the tree trunks hard enough to break their bones! ¡°Well done,¡± Zhu Minng praised. ¡°Junior Zhu, they¡¯ve fallen through the ground, ahead is a chasm covered by vines and ferns!¡± Chu Yanyan said in a hurry. No sooner had she spoken than a loud noise came from behind. Zhu Minng turned and saw the massive ck Azure Violent Dragon as if it had stepped into a trap, its body plunging down. It tried to grab onto nearby vines and branches, but these were unable to sustain its weight. ¡°The area is full of chasms; we cannot summonrge dragons!¡± Zhu Minng¡¯s expression changed. Considering that Bai Qi¡¯s magic was area-of-effect and could identally harm others in a ce where visibility was obscured, Zhu Minng had chosen to first summon the overpowering ck Azure Violent Dragon for close quarters suppression. He hadn¡¯t expected that this thicket was not as simple as it appeared and that many ces underfoot were hollowed out!! It seemed that Jin Minjun and other older and younger female students had suddenly disappeared because they fell down while summoning their Dragon Beasts. Hopefully, it wasn¡¯t very deep, or else it would be dangerous! ¡°Hei Ya, are you alright?¡± Zhu Minng shouted down into therge hole where Hei Ya had fallen. ¡°Oh oh- From below came Hei Ya¡¯s response. It must have been fine with its thick skin and strong bones, though climbing back up might prove difficult with the surrounding vines unable to support it. ¡°Go find the others and protect them; I¡¯ll have Bai Qi take care of the Human-faced Rats up here!¡± Zhu Minng shouted to Hei Ya. ¡°Oh oh!¡± The ck Azure Violent Dragon was not afraid of these little demon rats, but the environment around it was too hostile, with random charging potentially leading it to be tied up by ancient vines and branches into a ck rice dumpling. It dared to crush rocks; however, the entangling thorny vines were genuinely vexing because of their flexible strength! Chapter 75 - 75: The Hypnotic Vine Chapter 75: The Hypnotic Vine Trantor: 549690339 Too much vegetation, like a hollowed-out jungle, I had not realized upon first entering this overgrown, vine-entwined area just howplex the terrain was. By the time I was deeply mired within, it was as if I were imprisoned in a cage made of nts! Jin Minjun and his four junior sisters were trapped there, they had already summoned their dragons, but in this soft terrain that could give way underfoot, the strong dragons couldn¡¯t even stand firmly. And the dragons capable of flight found it difficult to spread their wings, let alone fly freely, as the tangled thorn vines and enormous branches pressing down from above restricted them. This rift jungle was fraught with crisis from every corner! The human-faced rats climbed down along the vines, approached stealthily through the thickyer of leaves and moss on the ground, and advanced under the cover of thick shrubs¡­ Their strange cries sounded as if they were right next to the ear. The idental touch of a cold leaf to the neck instilled a fear as if ws were holding one up! I had been too careless. Jin Minjun started to me himself. Normally, even if all the human-faced rats emerged from their nest, they would be no match for the Violent Dragon he had summoned, let alone the fact that each person in their group owned a True Dragon. But trapped in such an environment, each human-faced rat posed a threat to their lives; a moment¡¯s inattention could result in being gutted and eviscerated! Jin Minjun kept a watchful eye on his surroundings, his spiritual power sensitivity allowed him to detect footsteps, even those far away could be heard by him. It¡¯s just a shame that under these circumstances, he could only hear movements within less than ten meters, and deadly traps lurked beneath the deceptive quiet of the rift! ¡°Junior sister, how are you all doing?¡± Jin Minjun whispered. ¡°Lu Xiaoyao has injured her knee and can¡¯t move,¡± the short-haired girl said. ¡°Let your dragons just protect themselves, don¡¯t move recklessly. The soil under our feet is very loose, and we might even sink further,¡± Jin Minjun said. ¡°Senior brother, my eyes are almost unable to stay open¡­¡± ¡°Can¡¯t keep your eyes open?¡± Jin Minjun didn¡¯t quite understand what she meant, but soon he himself felt a strong wave of drowsiness hit him, making him extremely tired, as if he could just copse onto the soft jungle floor. Why was this happening?? Why was my whole body so weak and limp, my eyelids so heavy? ¡°Night vine??¡± Finally, Jin Minjun noticed a dense green vegetation hanging on the rift walls, which extended into the area they were standing. The aromatic scent of its leaves brought about an overwhelming drowsiness! ¡°Not good¡­ Junior sisters¡­ Cover your mouths and noses!¡± ¡°Junior sister!¡± ¡°Little Xiaoyao!¡± Jin Minjun was rmed and shouted several times in a row, but none of his junior sisters responded to him. They were hypnotized! ! Arge number of night vines were growing here, and it was also the den of human-faced rats, which meant that the highly-cultivated Night Vine Ratwolf demon also resided here! With the sleep-inducing scent of the night vine and the added hypnotic effect from the Ratwolf, even some powerful Ancient Dragons might fall into a deep sleep. ¡°Zhu Minng, Zhu Minng, the junior sisters have been hypnotized, save them quickly!¡± Jin Minjun resisted the drowsiness and shouted up to Zhu Minng, who was higher up. ¡°I¡¯m surrounded!¡± Zhu Minng¡¯s voice came through, muffled. ¡°The Junior Sisters are going to have their innards gouged out, Zhu Minng!¡± Jin Minjun yelled again. Above the fault line, Zhu Minng was now surrounded by more than a dozen Human-faced Rats, which seemed to think that he and Chu Yanyan were isted, so they focused their attack on the two of them. ¡°Bai Qi, deal with them, I¡¯m going down to rescue,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°000h- The Ice Morning White Dragon gazed at the lush vegetation around it, its star-like pupils extremely focused, yet carrying a hint of indifference and disdain. It didn¡¯t use wide-range Ice Morning Magic, as the thickyer of nts would act as a protective wall for the Human-faced Rats, giving them time to escape. ¡°Swish!!¡± Suddenly, the Ice Morning White Dragon pounced like a white leopard; it pinned down a Human-faced Rat that had been lingering close by under its ws. With one sweep of its icy ws, the Human-faced Rat was immediately cleaved in two, not even having time to let out a shriek. ¡°Hiss hiss hiss hiss!!!!!!¡± A low growl sounded as arge Human-faced Rat appeared behind the Ice Morning White Dragon, trying to use itspanion¡¯s death as bait tounch a surprise attack at the Ice Morning White Dragon¡¯s back! ¡°Swipe!!!!!!¡± The dragon¡¯s tail swept cleanly through the Human-faced Rat¡¯s skull, moving so fast that only a needle-like shadow could be seen. When the Ice Morning White Dragon retracted its tail, it remained pristine, without a speck of dirt! Zhu Minng asked Chu Yanyan to stay on the upper level; with Bai Qi there, she should be safe. He chose to slide down the hanging vines, but underneath was a dense vegetation cover, where not only the few Junior Sisters could not be seen, but even the Dragon Beasts they summoned were out of sight. ¡°Little Qingzhuo, do you have any way?¡± Zhu Minng asked. The Divine Green Holy Dragon pped its wings andnded straight among those thick Night Vines, its head slightly raised, emitting a melodious chirp like ark. The singing seemed to be a form ofmunication with nature, and the nts that had grown wildly began to spread apart slowly, like a receding tide, exposing the soil beneath the fault line. At that moment, Zhu Minng saw an Iron w Tiger Dragon. It let out a low growl, standing guard near a short-haired sister named Guan. Sister Guany on thick leaves without any consciousness, while several Human-faced Rats loitered nearby, their mouths dribbling corrosive saliva, seemingly eager for the body of the female Dragon Shepherd, to tear her open and devour her innards! For monster kinds, Dragon Shepherds were like Cultivators among humans. If ordinary Human-faced Rat monsters devoured a Dragon Shepherd, it was like eating hundreds of people, and their cultivation base would likely increase by at least five or six hundred years. No wonder, even with an Iron w Tiger Dragon beside her, they had no intention of leaving. ¡°Big ck Tooth, Big ck Tooth!¡± Zhu Minng realized he had no dragons by his side and called out in a hurry. ¡°Oh oh!!¡± Not far away, Big ck Tooth indeed responded, but it seemed to have fallen into a pitfall again, and was entangled by dense vines, like an insect trapped in a spider¡¯s web. The ck Azure Violent Dragon was out of the question, so Zhu Minng turned to look at the Divine Green Holy Dragon beside him. Little Qingzhuo indeed had other abilities; its vertical pupil shed and therge tendrils above wrapped around the Human-faced Rats like tentacles, rapidly entwining them and hanging them upside down! At this point, the Iron w Tiger Dragon struck like thunder, gutting all the bound Human-faced Rats, making them taste the pain they relished¡­. Chapter 76 - 76 Becoming a Demon Chapter 76: Bing a Demon Trantor: 549690339 ¡°Screech screech screech!! ¡± Sharp cries erupted from the broken mountain wall, and from that night vine-covered barrier, a pair of greasy green eyes emerged¡­ These eyes moved among the night vine leaves; the body was unseen, only those toxic-glowing green eyes were mortifying, as if one¡¯s own heart had been gouged out, breathing bing rapid! ¡°Zhu Minng, it¡¯s that night vine ratwolf! This creature must have a cultivation of over nine hundred years, and now it¡¯s about to be a demon!¡± Jin Minjun¡¯s voice came from somewhere, his presence unseen, only his voice heard. Nine hundred years of cultivation, a monster on the verge of demonhood!! There is a fundamental difference between demon spirits and devil spirits, and some who transform into dragons are the food of these devil spirits. ¡°This beast, it¡¯s aiming to be a demon through us!¡± Jin Minjun¡¯s voice carried a hint of sobbing, as though he was tearfully outraged. Zhu Minng stared at those shifting sinister eyes, his heart sinking. At that moment, the night vine ratwolf finally revealed itself, crawling out from the dense tangle of night vines, its sharply curved ws dripping with fresh blood. Zhu Minng saw that hooked onto one of its bloody ws was a heart¡­ As it slowly raised its w, the night vine ratwolf let out augh akin to that of a woman, carrying an eerie and terrifying tone that would be even more bone-chilling if heard at night! It bit into the bloodied heart with relish, as if enjoying an apple, and seemed to be deliberately chewing slowly to show Zhu Minng and the others, its gestures mimicking those of a woman, yet so revolting it made one¡¯s skin crawl!! Someone¡¯s heart had been ripped out. Which junior sister was it? Zhu Minng¡¯s eyes grew increasingly cold. By consuming a dragon shepherd¡¯s innards, it would instantly gain a hundred or two years of cultivation. This heart was merely the night vine ratwolf¡¯s after-dinner dessert. Now that it had be a demon, it no longer needed to sneak around as before, and its entire body exuded an eerie air of one about to shed its skin and transform into a human! ¡°I didn¡¯t protect her¡­¡± Jin Minjun¡¯s voice of self-reproach cried out. ¡°Can you move? How are the other junior sisters?¡± Zhu Minng asked after taking a deep breath. ¡°Junior Sister Yang still hasn¡¯t been found; she may have fallen to a lower level, ¡± Jin Minjun said. ¡°You go find her; I¡¯ll handle this one,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°It¡¯s be a demon, you¡­¡± Jin Minjun¡¯s voice grew nearer, presumably wanting to help Zhu Minng against it. ¡°Go, the dead can¡¯t be brought back, protecting the others is key, and those human-faced rats cannot be ignored,¡± Zhu Minng told Jin Minjun. ¡°Alright, Zhu Minng, you must be careful of this ratwolf demon,¡± Senior Brother Jin said. The night vine ratwolf demon stood like a human. Were it not for the dark crimson bloody fur that covered it, its form was that of a stooped old woman, her wrinkled face exuding hypocrisy and cunning. Perhaps it had be a demon, a devil spirit that cultivated by consuming human innards, and it constantly imitated human behavior. Yet, since it was a monster to begin with, its mimicked movements and smiles were stiff and odd¡­ Thus, it appeared ever more sinister! Zhu Minng watched calmly, as the night vine ratwolf demon crept closer. Suddenly, a bizarre scent surged from the night vine ratwolf, an overwhelmingly brain-invading fragrance, the kind that nauseates! Zhu Minng stood amidst arge expanse of night vines, and for some reason, after the scent swept through, the night vines underwent a strange transformation. Leaves turned into a multitude of jade-green ws, haphazardly nging together, producing an unpleasant cacophony! Like a horde of malicious ghosts, they reached out to Zhu Minng, as if they had been hiding within the thick night vines, always poised to ambush the living! In the face of these malicious ws, Zhu Minng remained unmoved. Hypnosis and hallucinations, abilities that once could only hypnotize humans, had evolved in the night vine ratwolf, now capable of directly instilling these terrifyingly real illusions. Zhu Minng¡¯s mind was clear and tranquil; he was not frightened by the illusions. The night vine ratwolf demon took the chance to approach. Tired of ordinary humans, unless it was arge group of merchants, dragon shepherds would be its preferred food in the future! Using the illusion, the night vine ratwolf had already made its way to the side of this human, yet the man was foolishly fixated on the illusion of licking blood from a heart. Unlike its previous cautious consumption of humans, it could now directly make its move, even if the target was a human with a dragon, which happened to be trapped in a pit, unable to climb out anytime soon. As it leaned towards Zhu Minng¡¯s neck, the night vine ratwolf wished to smell the scent of this somewhat different human dragon shepherd¡­ But at that moment, Zhu Minng turned his head, ck pupils locking onto it, as if he had seen through its ploy of intentionally performing the act of eating a human heart right in front of him. ¡°Squeak! ! ! ¡®l The Night Vine Ratwolf, enraged and humiliated, let out a piercing scream. d in dark red fur, it charged toward Zhu Minng, resembling a bloody demon, sinister and vicious! A long cry echoed as a wless White Dragon, in its dainty Linglong form, glided through theplex vegetation, falling like a white star. ¡°Boom! !!!! ¡± A massive energy surge rocked the area; before the Night Vine Ratwolf could get close to Zhu Minng, it was sent flying by Bai Qi¡¯s perfect star descent, and the surrounding night vines, ghastly as goblin ws, were obliterated in an instant. A dozen little demon rats stood no chance against Bai Qi; after ughtering them all, he even perched on a tree branch, eyeing the Night Vine Ratwolf below as it yed tricks of illusion! ¡°This guy should be a match for you,¡± Zhu Minng said to Bai Qi. Seemingly disagreeing with Zhu Minng¡¯s remark, the Ice Morning White Dragon¡¯s figure shed rapidly through the shattered vines, casting white shadows around the Night Vine Ratwolf. Transforming into a dark red shadow, the Night Vine Ratwolf dodged the Ice Morning White Dragon¡¯s fierce attacks, but as a fully demonized creature, it was still slower than the winged Ice Morning White Dragon! Trails of blood appeared; the Night Vine Ratwolf sustained frequent injuries in the closebat and speed contest with the Ice Morning White Dragon, staining its originally blood-red fur with its own demon blood. ¡°Hiss, hiss, hiss, hiss!!!!!¡± The Night Vine Ratwolf hissed furiously, likely never imagining that among these humans, there would be a Dragon General Level powerhouse. What was supposed to be a perfect demonic hunting turned into a scenario where it might be the prey. From monster to demon, the Night Vine Ratwolf did not want to flee upon sight of dragons as it used to; it maintained some distance from the Ice Morning White Dragon and then, with a fierce flick of itsrge tail hidden behind, unleashed a withering poison mist! This withering poison mist did not drift slowly but swept through like a hurricane, visibly rotting the surrounding nts¡­ The Ice Morning White Dragon, too, was a Wind Controlling powerhouse; it stood its ground and did not move. One could see a white whirlwind dragon spiraling around it, forming a protective barrier that no other force could prate¡­ ¡°Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!!!!!!¡± At first, the wind formed only a small white dragon, but as Bai Qi¡¯s gaze grew sharper, the surrounding wind grew stronger, even the dense vegetation couldn¡¯t block this momentum! The withering poison mist was blown away, and even the Night Vine Ratwolf couldn¡¯t stand firm. It dug its limbs into the ground, fiercely gripping the unaffected night vines to prevent itself from being swept away¡­ The Ice Morning White Dragon raised its head and let out a long chant. From the soil littered with withered leaves, enormous Ice Bones rose, at least seven or eight meters tall, not straight like bone columns but curved like fangs. They stood menacingly around the Night Vine Ratwolf¡­ ws gripping the ground and under the effortless control of the Ice Morning White Dragon, one could see these towering Ice Bones cross each other in mid-air, forming a circr fanged maw as it closed in! ¡°Squeak! A pitiful scream was heard as the Night Vine Ratwolf¡¯s body was not only trapped by the Ice Bones but also pierced by thinner, longer ones. It held onto those bone pirs, trying to break free, but to no avail. The Ice Bones were like a prison, and the slender icy spikes resembled long fur; the Night Vine Ratwolf was like a tortured soul, its bodycerated to a bloody blur by the ice spikes¡­ ¡°Kill it!¡± Zhu Minng said coldly. Whether it would destroy the soul was irrelevant now; recalling this creature¡¯s performance of feasting on a human heart in front of him, Zhu Minng could hardly wait to obliterate itpletely! A newly demonized Demon Spirit might hunt Dragon Sons, but to contend with a Dragon General of the Ice Morning White Dragon¡¯s caliber was sheer folly. With mastery over Azure Dragon Mystics, Bai Qi was now a High-Rank Dragon General. Perhaps demons that were a thousand or two thousand years old might be able topete, but in a head-on fight with the Night Vine Ratwolf Demon, there was noparison! It¡¯s a shame that in this cruel world¡¯s rules, strength does not guarantee absolute dominion. Little demons will flee, Demonic Beasts are cunning, and one must not underestimate any minor sentient creature. The moment they take advantage of a situation, it¡¯s hard to say who will survive to the end. This Night Vine Ratwolf Demon¡­ Eating humans wasn¡¯t its true purpose; it aimed to devour Dragon Shepherds. Cunning and malicious, Jin Minjun and the five female seniors were still too reckless. They dived into thisplex broken forest without first scanning the terrain. As a result, dragons were trapped in sinkholes, and people were hypnotized. If it weren¡¯t for Zhu Minng and Bai Qi, likely the only survivors would have been Chu Yanyan and Jin Minjun! Thinking of the capabilities of this newly demonized being, Zhu Minng couldn¡¯t help but worry for the Dragon Shepherds¡¯ survival; no wonder most Dragon Shepherds dare not venture into deep forests and ancient woods, and even the powerful Divine and Mortals are extremely cautious¡­ In the territory of demons and monsters, even with overwhelming strength, one misstep can still turn you into food! ¡°Squeak, squeak¡ª¡ª-¡± The Night Vine Ratwolf kept calling out as if summoning those Human-faced Rats to its rescue. But already in such a sorry state, those lingering Human-faced Rats dared not rashly emerge. The Ice Morning White Dragon itself had an imposing aura, and now as it was executing the Night Vine Ratwolf Demon, their loyalty was evident in their not fleeing¡­. Chapter 77 - 77 Joining the Teacher’s Team Chapter 77: Joining the Teacher¡¯s Team Trantor: 549690339 ¡°Go to hell, all of you go to hell!¡± Jin Minjun roared angrily, his Violent Dragon continuously breathing fire from its mouth. The mes were as big as drums, coalescing into a fiery orb that would explode upon touching the mountain walls and the ground, sweeping out a stronger ze in all directions. Jin Minjun vented his fury on the Human-faced Rats. He wouldn¡¯t spare any that he could see. ¡°Senior Brother Jin, calm down, if this goes on we¡¯ll all be buried in a sea of fire,¡± Zhu Minng sighed. ¡°You guys go, I must burn this ce to ashes. I won¡¯t let go of any of these harmful beasts!¡± Jin Minjun said. ¡°Senior Brother Jin¡­¡± Lu Xiaoyao wanted tofort him. Zhu Minng nced at the few junior sisters who were somewhat injured. Apart from Chu Yanyan who was still on the upper level, they were indeed missing one. It was Junior Sister Yang. While Zhu Minng was dealing with the Night Vine Ratwolf Demon, Jin Minjun had gone deeper into the sinkhole. But soon, Jin Minjun was ughtering the Human-faced Rats with his Violent Dragon like a madman. The fire started at the bottom of the fault, and heavy smoke suffocated the Human-faced Rats hidden in the caverns of the fault, driving them all out. The exit was right where the Dark Cang Violent Dragon had fallen. Big ck Tooth and the Violent Dragon had killed about ten Human-faced Rats in the lower levels. Still, this could not quell Jin Minjun¡¯s raging fire. After all, when he found Junior Sister Yang, her chest and abdomen had been torn open with a bloody hole, and all her internal organs had been dug out and eaten. Anyone would go mad at such a sight. Fire was indeed the way to kill all the Human-faced Rats hiding in the night vine and fault, but Jin Minjun was still too reckless. They should have waited for the others to leave the hollowed-out jungle first. They could have spread out to guard the exits where the Human-faced Rats might flee, and then let the Violent Dragon make a fiery assault to ensure that not a single Human-faced Rat could escape! ¡°Bai Qi, go watch from above,¡± Zhu Minng said. As long as the Cannibal Monsters weren¡¯t eradicated, there would be endless future trouble. Zhu Minng and Jin Minjun shared the same thought; they had to eliminate all the Human-faced Rats. Big ck Tooth and the Violent Dragon blocked the bottom of the fault, and the fire was allowed to spread up through the middle of the hollowed-out jungle. This should also be enough to catch all the Human-faced Rats in one fell swoop. ¡°As long as we¡¯re careful not to fall into any traps,¡± Chu Yanyan said in a low voice, tears brimming in her eyes. These Human-faced Rats couldn¡¯t contend with their dragons. If they had just surveyed the surroundings from the start, they could have killed all the Cannibal Monsters without any harm using the method they were now employing. Even if the Demon Spirit emerged, they had enough people to deal with it. ¡°No matter what, we¡¯ve also eliminated a demon. Had we let that cannibalistic demon be, there¡¯s no telling how many more families would have been wiped out, ¡± Zhu Minng consoled his junior sisters. The junior sisters fell silent. Looking at the roaring fire in the hollowed-out jungle, they could only find sce in Zhu Minng¡¯s words for the moment. Upon returning to Dwarf Mountain City, we reported the incidents involving the Human-faced Rat and Rat-wolf Demon to the academy. Shortly after, an older teacher came forward; he was actually on his way to another city where, it seemed, students had also fallen victim to the ws of Cannibal Monsters. From the day we set out, every teacher had warned the students that this monster-hunting quest was fraught with dangers, and that we should not act recklessly. . ¡°To have encountered a Demon Spirit and still be alive is a stroke of great fortune,¡± sighed the older teacher, as if talking to himself, but also tofort us, ¡°There are reports from further north that a teacher didn¡¯t survive the clutches of the Demon Spirit Blood.¡± ¡°Teacher, we have personally escorted Junior Sister Yang¡¯s body back to the academy,¡± Jin Minjun said. ¡°Hmm, you have indeed performed a great service, bringing a measure of peace back to Dwarf Mountain City. Go back, ¡± nodded the older teacher, aware of the students¡¯ despondency and grief over Junior Sister Yang¡¯s death. ¡°What about you, Junior Zhu?¡± Chu Yanyan asked. Zhu Minng shook his head and replied, ¡°I n to continue northward. After all, I still have a friend to escort. ¡°But it¡¯s dangerous to go alone, and besides, you won¡¯t earn any academic credit for acting alone, ¡± Chu Yanyan expressed her concern. ¡°Killing monsters is about eliminating harm for the people, what does academic credit matter in the face of that?¡± Zhu Minng said with a broad-mindedness. ¡°Well spoken! With that attitude, I will also exin the situation to the higher-ups at the academy on your behalf,¡± said the older teacher. ¡°Junior Zhu, I¡¯m sorry. We really shouldn¡¯t have withdrawn halfway, but this has been too much of a shock for us¡­¡± Jin Minjun continued to apologize to Zhu Minng, feeling even more ashamed. Jin Minjun initially shared Zhu Minng¡¯s goal of obtaining the Spiritual Realm Fruit, but following these events, he realized he still had much to improve. Before he could enhance his own abilities, he didn¡¯t dare to risk the safety of his junior sisters. ¡°I understand. Go back, and don¡¯t be too upset or me yourselves,¡± Zhu Minng told them. ¡°Speaking of which, I¡¯ve heard Bai Yishu mention you. Your strength isparable to some instructors. Since you won¡¯t receive any student rewards for acting alone, why not take my ce and go to Clear Water River City? The academy offers very generous rewards to teachers,¡± said the older teacher. This senior teacher still had to head north; he couldn¡¯t neglect his duties when there were student casualties, but Clear Water River City also required the help of a Dragon General Level Dragon Trainer. Thinking it over, it made sense to involve a strong student like Zhu Minng in the instructors¡¯ monster-ying operations. His solo defeat of a Thousand Year Demon Spirit naturally proved his strength. ¡°That¡¯s even better,¡± Zhu Minng nodded repeatedly. ¡°Even when working with teachers, don¡¯t be careless. If you are assisting against a Cannibal Demon Spirit that is older than three thousand years, you mustn¡¯t act recklessly. Inform the overseer of Red Lotus City at the first sign of danger, and let her handle it. Understand?¡± the older teacher specifically instructed. ¡°I understand,¡± Zhu Minng replied. Seeing that Zhu Minng didn¡¯t have to act alone anymore, Chu Yanyan, Jin Minjun, and others breathed a sigh of relief. Chu Yanyan had been considering whether to stay behind. Even if she couldn¡¯t assist Zhu Minng, she didn¡¯t want him to lose academic credit due to the pressure of academy rules. After saying goodbye to Zhu Minng, Jin Minjun, Chu Yanyan, Lu Xiaoyao, and the others took Junior Sister Yang¡¯s body back to the academy. Zhu Minng didn¡¯t rush to Clear Water River City, as Zheng Yu was still in the mountains fighting bandits and hadn¡¯t returned. Worried, Zhu Minng decided to check their route for any signs of them. Just as he reached the city gate, a troop of soldiers, weary from travel, returned. Riding a brown horse at the lead was Zheng Yu, who had the air of a delicate schr.. Chapter 78 - 78 Painted City Chapter 78: Painted City Trantor: 549690339 At the rear of the procession, arge group of ragged bandits was encircled by the officials. Their hands were broken and bound in an almost contorted manner; the agony on their faces was testament to the cruel bone-breaking punishment they were enduring¡­ The bone-breaking punishment was an order issued by Zheng Yu, who had all the captured bandits¡¯ joints broken. Indeed, any city lord who heard about the atrocities these banditsmitted in the viges and towns they plundered would have wished to have them dismembered on the spot. Zheng Yu, too, had suppressed the rage in his heart and resorted to this bone-breaking punishment to escort them all back to Dwarf Mountain City. ¡°Brother Zhu, was your mission not sessful either?¡± Zheng Yu asked Zhu Minng with a wry smile. ¡°We lost a junior sister,¡± Zhu Minng replied. ¡°Which one?¡± ¡°All I know is her surname was Yang, and when she first met me, she said I didn¡¯t look odd or grotesque¡­¡± That was all Zhu Minng remembered about Junior Sister Yang. But for some reason, this made him feel an even deeper sorrow. A fine young girl, whose given name he never fully knew, nowy in eternal sleep. It¡¯s no wonder Jin Minjun and the other junior sisters had lost all will to fight and left. They had clearly shared many more spirited and ambitious moments, joyful andughing along the way, only to end up cradling a cold body, immersed in memories of her, their painpounded by their own guilt! ¡°Sigh, when I reached their stronghold, I saved a few women. When I asked them where they lived and told them I was an official, they begged me for release¡­¡± Zheng Yu¡¯s expression darkened as he slowly recounted the incident to Zhu Minng. Just a few light words conveyed the shock and anger that Zheng Yu felt at the time. Zhu Minng nced at the bandits suffering the bone-breaking punishment, their bones shattered, understanding now why Zheng Yu had chosen to act this way even after capturing them alive. Any person with a shred of humanity would do the same! Inparison, at least Junior Sister Yang had died in her sleep, never having experienced the pain and terror, the torment or a fate worse than death. ¡°Brother Zhu, please ept my condolences.¡± ¡°Brother Zheng, you have my sympathies as well.¡± Lian City Lord used every word of gratitude and tried every means to retain and lead Zhu Minng and Zheng Yu, but neither of them intended to stay long. Though the matter was settled, their spirits were weighed down even more. They both knew that to secure a peaceful life, the journey was long; weary as their hearts were, they had to continue on their way. Riding the fine horses given by Lian City Lord, the two men traveled along the official road toward the next upstream city. Clearstream River City was their next destination. They stopped at a post station along the way, and considering Zheng Yu¡¯s frail constitution, as well as Zhu Minng¡¯s own inability to endure long treks, they decided to stay at an inn first. ¡°Brother Zhu, what is the orb you¡¯re holding in your hand?¡± Zheng Yu asked with some curiosity. ¡°This is a Demon Soul Orb. I extracted it from that Night Vine Ratwolf Demon. I¡¯m nning to feed it to my Little Qingzhuo. The attributes of the Night Vine are especially suitable for its nativews,¡± Zhu Minng exined. A demon-grade Soul Bead had a market price so high that it could buy a reasonably wealthy small town, making this bead a significant loot from this demon-ying exploit. ¡°I¡¯ve heard that dragon training often involves wealth-gathering. With your exceptional strength, Brother Zhu, why haven¡¯t you taken a few cities and collected some taxes? I see some Dragon Masters doing that. They protect a region¡¯s peace while also collecting hefty taxes¡­¡± Zheng Yu asked. ¡°I don¡¯t have such ns for the time being, but if I ever find myself penniless and destitute, maybe I¡¯ll indeed upy some cities. Then, I¡¯ll have to trouble Brother Zheng to manage and govern for me,¡± Zhu Minng said with augh. ¡°Speaking of upying cities, the Female Monarch¡¯s iron troops have already set foot in the southern region. It is said that they¡¯ve conquered ten cities in a row, considerably expanding the Ancestral Dragon City-State¡¯s territory¡­¡± Zheng Yu said. Zhu Minng scratched his head awkwardly. Maybe in the future, he would just be a freeloader, guarding the cities that Li Yunzi conquered, chopping down monsters, eradicating demons¡­ Protecting thend his wife had fought hard to im. Zhu Minng purified the residual malice and negative energy from the Demon Bead before feeding it to Little Qingzhuo. Little Qingzhuo was young and injured, but with such a Demon Bead for nourishment, it should undergo a significant improvement. At the very least, once digested, it should be able to advance to the growth stage. A thousand years of cultivation base! If the Night Vine Ratwolf had been vegetarian, feasting on things like Spirit Fruits, immortal leaves, or demonic roots, Little Qingzhuo might have been able to inherit hundreds of years of cultivation base benefits. Unfortunately, the transfer rate of cultivation base from such Demon Beads always wasn¡¯t high, and theirpatibility with Little Qingzhuo was limited. Originally, Zhu Minng had nned to buy Demon Beads to enhance Big ck Tooth¡¯s cultivation base, but the attributes of this ready-made Demon Bead didn¡¯t match with Big ck Tooth. Feeding it to Big ck Tooth wouldn¡¯t be as effective as giving it to Little Qingzhuo. For ck Tooth¡¯s Demon Bead, he still had to search at an auction house. A Demon Bead with the bloodline of an Ancient Dragon would be far more important to Big ck Tooth. After swallowing the Demon Bead, Little Qingzhuo went to sleep soundly within the Spirit Realm. Zhu Minng clearly saw Little Qingzhuo¡¯s skin, which resembled birch bark, continuously emanate a unique radiance, transforming over and over again¡­ Its feathers were changing, too; what began as fine, soft green down gradually became as tough as blue pine needles, dense and needle-shaped. It was evident that once these pine needle feathers all became firm and straight, they¡¯d be like deadly iron-edged fans, capable of severing rocks when it swooped by! Zhu Minng had noticed from the beginning that Little Qingzhuo¡¯s appearance during its juvenile phase was entirely different from its older brother¡¯s, and as it evolved toward the growth stage, Little Qingzhuo was developing in its own unique direction. Its skin was like jade, like wood; its feathers like iron, like leaves; its tail was more gorgeous than some of the bird spirits, and its entire body intermittently shimmered with an aura of Green Saint Feathers, which seemed like a unique protective aura¡­ As for its vertical pupils, they were capable ofmanding all greenery. Even at such a young age, it showed an extraordinary ability for controlling the Sacred Forest. Watching Little Qingzhuo¡¯s incessant transformations nurtured by the Demon Bead, Zhu Minng felt quite gratified. From the very beginning, when it fell off the cliff, injured all over and helpless like a dying pup, to now radiating green feather aura, on the verge of revealing the true form of the Divine Green Holy Dragon, his efforts had not been in vain through the strenuous struggles and relentless perseverance! ¡°A growing Little Qingzhuo should be stronger than Big ck Tooth without his Silver Green Heavy Armor, right?¡± Zhu Minng began to feel some anticipation. ¡°00000¡ª¨C¡± As if his thoughts were discerned by Big ck Tooth, the ck Azure Violent Dragon let out a intive cry. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, don¡¯t worry. We have a big sum of money on hand, all prepared to buy you Demon Beads. When the timees for you to swallow a two-thousand-year-old Ancient Dragon Demon Bead, you might just soar to the Dragon General Level,¡± Zhu Minng consoled the imbnce in Big ck Tooth¡¯s heart. If Big ck Tooth reached the Dragon General Level and then put on the Heavy Armor, he would probably be able topete with Bai Qi as he was now. Thinking of his three dragon babies soon bing capable of standing on their own, Zhu Minng¡¯s smile gradually became as benign as that of an old father. ¡°Brother Zhu, are you missing the Female Monarch? Why such a soft smile?¡± Zheng Yu took a sip of tea and looked at Zhu Minng. ¡°Cough cough cough, now that we¡¯ve rested enough, let¡¯s get moving,¡± Zhu Minng said, covering up. At the stables, as he climbed onto the steed, Zhu Minng suddenly thought of Little Qingzhuo in the Spirit Realm, whose body was growing rapidly¡­ With the bloodline of a Forest Giant Dragon, Little Qingzhuo should grow to a size close to that of its mother during its growth period. If that was the case, he would soon have a Green Saint Dragon to ride! The Flying Bird Pseudo-Dragon was too slow, and because it was tamed, it often didn¡¯t respond well, making Zhu Minng especially ufortable when riding it. Hence, he had chosen to ride a horse to Clearstream River City this time. The speed of a horse was limited, and he needed to travel along official roads, which also posed many inconveniences. The thought that soon he could soar through the skies on a Green Saint Dragon made the corners of his mouth curl up even more! Now that¡¯s a bit more like what a Dragon Shepherd should be! Red Lotus City, fiery red lotuses likenterns stringed together for a festival, swayed alluringly in the river beneath the city gates. The red lotuses zed like me year-round, a magnificent sight and one of Red Lotus City¡¯s greatest attractions, drawing many travelers from upstream cities¡­ In previous years, the city¡¯s waterways would have been crowded with people admiring the red lotuses, but now, because of the Cannibal Monster, even the bustling Red Lotus City seemed a bit deserted, only the winter fire lotuses bloomed in full rage, gorgeously captivating. Walking slowly on the long wooden bridge, a man with somewhat dark cheeks stopped inside the city, captivated by the sight of the red lotuses in the river, he paused to watch quietly for a while. After a long moment, he continued his journey into the city. Looking at the still bustling streets, Zhan An stopped again, scanning the variously dressed passers-by. Soon, his gaze fell on the shops on both sides, the gold and silver stores, the tall tea houses, the grandly constructed high pavilions, and the majestic city towers behind him¡­ After hesitating for a moment, Zhan An kept walking forward, but his pace had slowed down considerablypared to when he started. ¡°Dear sir, would you like toe inside?¡± ¡°Fine jade hairpins, fine jade hairpins,e take a look!¡± ¡°Candied fruit skewers, candied fruit skewers¡­ This string isn¡¯t for sale, it¡¯s for my daughter.¡± ¡°Haggling over a single baked cake, two copper coins is two copper coins!¡± Zhan An continued walking forward, the hustle and bustle around him no different from the cities he had seen before, but to Zhan An, it all seemed distinctly odd. What exactly was amiss? He couldn¡¯t put his finger on it. When entering this city, he smelled a strong scent of ink, even though there were no shops selling ink or paintings nearby, yet the scent seemed to emanate from everywhere¡­ Suddenly, the pavement tiles in front began to ripple strangely. They were neatlyid along the grey-tiled houses lining the main street into the city but rippled like waves caused by a stone in ake, spreading in circles across the stone tiles! When these ripples spread to the rows of grey-tiled houses, even the buildings and shops started to sway, as if the sight before him was a reflection in water, utterly inconceivable! Beside him, pedestrians and shopkeepers suddenly froze. The noise came to an absolute halt in that instant. A lone traveler, dressed as a schr in white, walked briskly past Zhan An. But as he walked, he began to sink into the ripples at his feet. As he walked, he turned into ink! Zhan An looked back. The road behind him, the streets behind, the pedestrians, the city towers¡­ At some point, they had turned into a vast ink painting, exquisitely detailed! And himself, a living person, somehow found himself within this world sketched with ink and water ¡ª a Painted City so vividly alive! (Chaotic Sky: There are two live broadcast events, conveniently around World Book Day. One is on the 22nd at 8 PM, in the ¡°QQ Browser & QQ Reading Channel live room¡± where I¡¯ve decided to spill the beans. Unless something unexpected happens, multiple authors within the circle are going to suffer, hehehe, saying I look like Cat¡¯s Mischief, saying I look older than Elbow, just you wait!) Another one is on the 24th at 9:30 PM, on Kuaishou Live, follow the ount ¡°Reading Writer.¡± 9:30 PM on the 24th! Lots of little gifts will be distributed to everyone. Then, I can share with everyone the bitter story of how I wavered between being a professional esports yer and a writer, and finally took the irretrievable path to writing¡ª) (By the way, how can there still be people asking if the sky of the fish is dead or alive, I am the sky of the fish, wee to confront me in person, old readers..) Chapter 79 - 79: The Dragon Master Artist Chapter 79: The Dragon Master Artist Trantor: 549690339 Blue tiles, grey pavilions, the rich scent of ink¡ªwhen Zhan An turned his attention back, the undting city before him suddenly lost its original colors. It was a series of ink brush strokes, clearly delineated, that sketched out the charm of the entire Red Lotus City, even the distant rolling hills and a few ancient towers had be the farthest few touches of scenery¡­ The sugar gourd seller was merely a few simple strokes. The tea house waiter hailing customers was no more than a cluster of ink shadows. The hurriedly walking horses and travelers, though still, were finely depicted in their toilsome hustle and bustle. Zhan An touched himself with his hand, wanting to know if he had also be an ink painting, but he still had flesh and blood, and warmth. ¡°Which expert has set up a banquet here to wait for someone like me? To paint this city for my arrival, I am truly ttered,¡± Zhan An spoke to the Painted City within the painting. His voice echoed in the Painted City, but no one responded. On the main street that Zhan An faced, a dark, towering shadow suddenly emerged. When it stood upright, it nearly reached the city towers, and the wide road seemed somewhat crowded and narrow beneath its feet! The dark shadow approached step by step, the Painted City trembled, and by the time it reached the crossroads ahead, the merchants, pedestrians, and soldiers had all vanished. The entire street was cleared, leaving only Zhan An and the giant ink beast! The dark creature was d in armor, with hair that wavered like mes in the wind. Although it was entirely drawn in ck ink, the variation in ink intensity still conveyed the powerful aura of ming embodiment! ¡°A Fire Kirin Dragon?¡± Zhan An recognized the creature. Moreover, it was an ink-made Fire Kirin Dragon. For some reason, as it stepped towards him, it was as if a real Fire Kirin Dragon stood before him, its majesty and sanctity undiminished! Zhan An was certain this was no illusion. The Painted City he was in was real, and the ink-drawn Fire Kirin Dragon before him was real. As a God and Mortal, he couldn¡¯t possibly be deceived by the trivial illusion techniques of folk art. The painter who had drawn Red Lotus City and waited for him to fall into the trap must be a peerless master¡­ But does the Dragon City-State have such a strong expert? Zhan An couldn¡¯t recall anyone capable of reaching such a realm, where paintings became reality, and even the drawn dragons were no less inferior to the Fire Kirin Dragon itself! ¡°Since you want to kill me, why not show yourself? As a fellow God and Mortal of the Dragon City-State, I am, after all, your senior,¡± Zhan An said, facing the advancing Fire Kirin Dragon, without taking a step back. Still, only his own voice echoed back, the painter God and Mortal had no intention of appearing. Zhan An frowned. Could it be a powerful expert from another state? Could Li Ying, so desperate to kill him, have shamelessly sought the help of a God and Mortal from another state? The Fire Kirin Dragon¡¯s roar was like that of a divine bull. As it stamped on the ground, a wave of me that affected most of the city rolled forward. The fiery wave struck, and even though it was a fluctuation of ink lines, the sensation of heat and impact was no different from molten fire. Zhan An¡¯s sleeves almost caught fire. Zhan An leapt up, light as a wild goose, stepping on the eaves of the ink houses and swiftly dodging toward the back of the city towers. The ink-me wave shattered the houses and pavilions on the streets. As the Fire Kirin Dragon moved its limbs in pursuit, the wave surged higher and higher, threatening to engulf half of the city along the street! Having leaped onto the dark dome of the city tower, alsoposed of ink, Zhan An pushed off from the corner of the eaves. In a sh, the city tower crumbled into fragments. Zhan An, like an arrow released from a tensed bow, almost left behind elongated phantoms in the burst of propulsion. Passing through the attacking me wave, he saw a massive curtain of fire that was torn open by his rush. Confronting the Fire Kirin Dragon barehanded, Zhan An¡¯s fist, in that moment, shone with a zing light, and even the surrounding Painted City twisted from the force of his punch! The Fire Kirin Dragon was sent sliding backward, and the punch exploded at the crossroads, scattering the phantom city like scattered waste ink. For a moment, the entire Painted City lost its original shape. The Fire Kirin Dragon swayed, not toppling but merely shaken back by the punch. Although its mes briefly extinguished, as the domineering Swiss Beast bellowed, ink mes surged again on its body, even more intense than before! Zhan An¡¯s expression grew more solemn. He had thought that this ink-drawn dragon, despite its appearance and strength, would be easily shattered upon touch. However, he hadn¡¯t expected the ink-made Fire Kirin Dragon to be as robust as steel; even his arm felt numb from the punch. Moreover, having not used the Power of God and Mortality for some years, his strength had greatly declined. Moving back a bit, Zhan An watched the Fire Kirin Dragon intently, hoping to find its vulnerabilities within the phantom drawing. Since it was a painting, there had to be something distinctly different from a real entity; if he could find the essence of this Painted City, this painted dragon, he could easily ovee it! ¡°Rumble rumble rumble rumble rumble- A tremendous noise arose from the copse of the city tower behind him; Zhan An felt an unprecedented terror emanating from behind, making his neck chill and his body break out in goosebumps! He turned his head back and saw the tower walls¡­ The walls of Red Lotus City were quite high and solid, capable of withstanding the assault of Demon Spirit-ss creatures. The walls were also delineated with painting ink, but to Zhan An¡¯s disbelief, the walls began to wriggle, to stretch out! The wall bricks appeared like scales, the fortifications like bones; the walls protecting Red Lotus City came to life, transforming into a Coiling Dragon City, slowly raising its rocky head, looking down upon Zhan An, as insignificant as an ant¡­ Zhan An was immensely shocked; this level of painting had reached its peak, and what was truly terrifying was that this Divine and Mortal could turn any dragon they have seen into a Dragon Beast of their own creation! The walls of Red Lotus City certainly did not possess the Power of God and Mortality. The ce rumored to have this power was Ancestral Dragon City-State, where it was said that the State Wall was made of Dragon Bone! This artist, clearly a Divine Mortal of the city-state, must have seen the real Dragon Bone of Ancestral Dragon City, otherwise how could they employ such painting skills. ¡°Ancestral Dragon Divine Consort, pinnacle of painting realms, are you Li Ying¡¯s daughter?¡± Zhan An finally realized who the painter of the city was. However, when he left Ancestral Dragon City-State, Li Ying¡¯s daughter was but a child. After more than a decade, she had mastered such Divine Skills! Zhan An¡¯s words still received no response, as the other party seemed to have no need to converse with a man on the verge of death. The oppression brought by the Wall Dragon left Zhan An unable to move a step, while the Fire Kirin Dragon in front of him charged forward. Zhan An gave a bitter smile, yet what showed was an indifference to life and death¡­ He never imagined he would reveal his Divine and Mortal nature only to encounter a killing disaster. There was no anger or hatred in his heart, only concern for those two little ones. He could defeat the Fire Kirin Dragon; after all, he had once shattered a horn of the Kirin Dragon itself. But the Wall Dragon behind him was possessed by the soul of the Ancestrial Dragon. Since the artist could paint it, their realm must be above his own. He was no longer that youth who would not bow to fate or believe in destiny. He had already exhausted a lifetime¡¯s worth of passion and fighting spirit, thinking he might find a quiet ce to enjoy his twilight years, but in the end, he couldn¡¯t escape the entanglement with Li Ying. ¡°Whoosh- Suddenly, all the ink fell like water. The Fire Kirin Dragon running in front of him turned into puddles of sttered ck ink, and the wild mes dripped drop by drop. Behind him, the terrifying painted Coiling Dragon slowlyid upon the earth, curling up, encasing the Painted City beneath its lengthy body. All momentum dissipated in an instant! Like a ludicrous yet grand dream, he woke up on the couch. The sounds of the bustling market returned to Zhan An¡¯s ears, and his surroundings were once again filled with busy pedestrians. To both sides stood houses with blue-gray tiles. In front stretched the stone-paved street, with ancient towers perched on distant low hills. Behind him, the walls of Red Lotus City stood in silent majesty; white stone, gray rocks, and towers, motionless, never having transformed into any lifelike dragons. Everything seemed as vague as a dream. Zhan An¡¯s gaze roamed the bustling streets of Red Lotus City, still failing to see the artist, but the fear of being watched by the painted dragon spread continuously into the depths of his soul! Red Lotus City, Ancient Tower Mountain. A pond of red lotuses, an observatory, a stone desk, an ink brush, and a woman in a blue velvet long coat with eyes as deep and beautiful askes, reflecting the very Red Lotus City and the crowds on the streets. A man in light-colored clothing, with sweat beaded on his forehead, watched the woman painting with utmost gravity. ¡°Speak,¡± Nan Lingsha said. ¡°I followed my mentor¡¯s arrangement to assist a group of demon-hunting mages at Clearstream River City. By the time I arrived, all three magesy lifelessly, peaceful in death, with the Demonic Beasts vanished,¡± Zhu Minng took a deep breath, recounting the facts to Nan Lingsha. As he climbed the mountain, Zhu Minng witnessed the bizarre ink transformation of the entire city. Although he had no idea what Nan Lingsha was doing, the abrupt death of three mages surely indicated that an extremely powerful Demonic Beast was rampant, and he had to report to the academy¡¯s higher-ups immediately. ¡°I will handle it,¡± Nan Lingsha began tidying the ink bamboo bottle next to her. ¡°Be careful,dy. The Demonic Beast has at least three thousand years of cultivation, ¡± Zhu Minng said. Nan Lingsha continued to hold her brush, but this time, instead of painting on canvas, she began to write in thin air. The painting ink didn¡¯t fall in the air, instead, a lifelike Kylin Dragon gradually took shape. With a light tap on the dragon¡¯s eye, the painted Kylin Dragon came to life. ¡°You take charge of Red Lotus City for me,¡± the Kylin Dragon bent down, and Nan Lingsha, in a side-saddle position, spoke to Zhu Minng. Quickly, the Kylin Dragon carried Nan Lingsha, rushing through the ridges of the low hills. Zhu Minng had no time to ask how to take charge of a city when she had already gone dozens of miles away¡­ Zhu Minng closed his mouth, looking at the peaceful Red Lotus City, his headache intensifying. From assisting to taking charge, how did a student who had just entered the Dragon Taming Academy not long ago end up with so much responsibility?? Chapter 80 - 80 Substitute Teacher Chapter 80: Substitute Teacher Trantor: 549690339 Zhu Minng stood at the base of the ancient tower, ncing at the painting Nan Lingsha had made earlier. What she painted was exactly Red Lotus City, and although she used nothing more than simple ck ink, it was as though she had brought the entire ethereal city to life. The second painting was nk, but judging from the brush marks, it seemed something had been depicted, the outline closely resembling the Kirin Dragon she had just ridden. The third painting was even stranger. No matter how Zhu Minng scrutinized, he couldn¡¯t make out what she had drawn; it was as if a veil of mist had been cast over his eyes by the canvas, and only by reaching a higher realm would he be able to see the object within the painting. ¡°Dragon Painter¡­¡± Zhu Minng murmured to himself. Nan Lingsha¡¯s cultivation base was even higher than Zhu Minng had imagined. Initially, Li Yunzi¡¯s shock given to Zhu Minng by traversing the stars with her sword had been significant, but who would have thought that her younger sister Nan Lingsha¡¯s cultivation was so formidable! Sitting on the chair, Zhu Minng picked up the water cup beside him; he had traveled so far that he hadn¡¯t even had the chance to drink a sip of water. The situation in Clearstream River City was too bizarre. When Zhu Minng arrived there, all three instructors had died. If it weren¡¯t for the elder instructor being dyed by Junior Sister Yang¡¯s matter, he might well have been poisoned as well. Of course, Zhu Minng himself was also full of trepidation. Fortunately, he was a littlete arriving, or else he might have been afflicted too¡ªa demon spirit with a cultivation of over three thousand years, it was feared that the majority of instructors would not have had a chance to survive¡­ What Zhu Minng couldn¡¯t figure out was why such a high-level demon spirit would ravage human territories in the winter, or was it that this kind of demon spirit was inherently man-eating, much like the Night Vine Rat-wolf Demon, specifically preying on Dragon Shepherds! Being a teacher was equally dangerous, facing enemies that were not in the same realm at all, and he didn¡¯t know whether Nan Lingsha could handle it¡­ ¡°Eh, why does this cup taste sweet¡­¡± Zhu Minng sipped and tasted. Suddenly, Zhu Minng realized that this cup of water wasn¡¯t meant for him at all, but he was just so tired and thirsty that he had picked it up and drunk from it. My apologies, my apologies. Zhu Minng hurriedly looked around and saw an unused bamboo cup. He then went to the nearby spring to fetch another cup of water to drink. Finally having taken a breather, above the mountain forest, a group of figures riding Flying Bird Pseudo-Dragons emerged, their attire all luxurious¡ª obviously on a different level from many of the poorer Dragon Trainers. They orderlynded at the ancient tower. Initially, they all exhibited a respectful and cautious demeanor, but when they saw that the person sitting before the desk was Zhu Minng, their faces showed confusion. ¡°May I ask this instructor, is Sister Lingsha presiding over this ce?¡± a young member of the Nan Family asked. ¡°Zhu Minng??¡± Nan Ye walked over quickly, his eyes full of surprise as he looked at him. The canvases were there, some ink bamboo bottles too, and even a shoulder garment for keeping warm was hanging on the side¡ªNan Lingsha clearly was the one in charge here. So why was Zhu Minng also here! ¡°Oh, oh, Nan Lingsha asked me to take her ce presiding over this location, ¡± Zhu Minng exined. Nan Ye stared at Zhu Minng suspiciously. Not long ago, he had seen him secretlymunicating with Li Yunzi in the willow forest, and now he had caught him at Nan Lingsha¡¯s painting spot. Moreover, no one else was present at the ancient tower, which also qualified as a rendezvous spot. ¡°You are Zhu Minng??¡± The tone of the young man with the Hound Dragon took on a note of frivolity and disdain. ¡°Yes, now I am the substitute teacher, stationed at Red Lotus City. If you have any matters, report them quickly,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°Hmph, who do you think you are to rece the teacher and be stationed at the city?¡± The Hellhound Dragon youth seemed to despise Zhu Minng intensely. Recently, Zhu Minng had be ustomed to this kind of inexplicable rejection, especially since tales of love at first sight and mutual affection were widespread, and there were many like this young man from the Nan Family who harbored intense hatred towards him. Zhu Minng didn¡¯t mind. To wear the crown, one must bear its weight. Let the fiercest stormse his way; after all, he was Zhu Minng, so what! ¡°So are you going to talk or not? If not, then don¡¯t disturb my peace,¡± Zhu Minng said indifferently. ¡°We are looking for Sister Lingsha,¡± the quieter young man from the Nan Family said. ¡°She went to deal with a demonic beast that has cultivated for three thousand years, which is why I am substituting here,¡± Zhu Minng exined. ¡°Substituting, heh, I want to see if you have the ability to rece her as the teacher stationed here. Nan Ye, tell him about the demon spirit we are tracking,¡± the Hellhound Dragon man said. ¡°Let those brothers rest at the spring well first. I will speak slowly with Zhu Minng,¡± Nan Ye spoke without the usual arrogance, probably because the brothers he followed were more capable than him. The group went to the wellside, drawing water and feeding some to the Flying Bird Pseudo-Dragon. Nan Ye looked at Zhu Minng with a strange expression¡­ If Zhu Minng truly had mutual affection with Li Yunzi, then Nan Ye would have to call Zhu Minng ¡®brother-inw.¡¯ If Zhu Minng were to have any sort of rtionship with Nan Lingsha, Nan Ye felt he might never be able to hold his head high in front of Zhu Minng again. ¡°Was it really Sister Yunzhi in the willow forest that day?¡± Nan Ye was still UUUULIUI. In fact, Nan Ye¡¯s first impression was that the person was Nan Lingsha. Although he hadn¡¯t seen Li Yunzi many times, it was highly unlikely he would mistake his own cousin Nan Lingsha, especially given the attire, which was characteristic of Nan Lingsha. ¡°Your sister, and you¡¯re asking me??¡± Zhu Minng said, annoyed. ¡°Then it wasn¡¯t Sister Yunzhi. I thought so; Sister Yunzhi probably doesn¡¯t even remember my name,¡± Nan Ye murmured. ¡°Actually, I have some matters I want to ask you about your sister¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s talk about the demon spirit. You saw it too; Nan Zhaobing is extremely biased against you. He used to run to the Li Family often, looking for any excuse to enlist, just to be closer to Li Yunzi¡­¡± Nan Ye said. ¡°I know, he¡¯s just jealous of me,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°Now in Ancestral Dragon City-State, there is no one who doesn¡¯t hate you, ¡± Nan Ye said. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s talk about the demon spirit. If it¡¯s one that has cultivated for over two thousand years, you might as well give up. Not long ago, three mentors were killed by a demon spirit,¡± Zhu Minng said. Nan Ye was shocked; he hadn¡¯t expected that this monster hunting expedition would result in the deaths of teachers, and not just one but three from the same team! (Open the QQ Browser homepage and go to the ¡°Novel Channel¡± where I will be live streaming at 8 pm tonight. Just one more hour until I see everyone. You can also find the live stream entrance in the QQ Reading Novel section.. Feel free to join the chat and listen to gossip!) Chapter 81 - 81: Ghost Wife Demonic Spider Chapter 81: Ghost Wife Demonic Spider Trantor: 549690339 Nan Ye and his group discovered the demon spirit to the west, near the edge of a vast forest, where they found a group of demonic beasts that had devoured a woodcutter from a logging camp, not too far from Red Lotus City. As the stand-in teacher here, it was impossible for Zhu Minng to ignore this matter, especially since there seemed a possibility that some of the woodcutterborers had survived. Letting Nan Ye and the Nan Family disciples lead the way, Zhu Minng, in his capacity as a teacher, went to the logging camp mentioned by this group of students. The edge of the great forest was devoid of much greenery, dry trees standing tall on the tnd, their bare branches intecing under the gray sky. Loggers would generally choose this season for heavy logging, since there was no need to deal with the bothersome foliage. The logging camp was under the jurisdiction of Red Lotus City, Dwarf Mountain City, and Clearstream River City, three major cities, and was arge-scale logging operation. The so-calledborers were not actually civilians, but rather individuals who hadmitted serious offenses and had been demoted or criminals from the three cities who were sent here for hardbor! Therefore, the ce was actually guarded by soldiers, and if the several hundred prisoners gathered together, they could potentially cause a significant uproar. ¡°Only a demon with over a thousand years of cultivation could do as it pleases in such arge logging camp,¡± Zhu Minng said. There were hundreds ofborers and many soldiers armed with weapons present. Even if demonic creatures with hundreds of years of cultivation appeared, they would probably be killed by these people in a chaotic fight. Demon spirits are powerful, far surpassing the physical flesh in several aspects, virtually immune to swords and spears, which is why they are not afraid of theborers armed with woodcutting axes. ¡°As soon as the demon broke in and started killing, both the officials and theborers were scared out of their wits and scattered in all directions. Particrly those guiltyborers, although they were shackled, many of them took the opportunity to escape, and the result¡­¡± Nan Ye pointed toward the bloodstains that spread out bit by bit along the forest. They ended up being devoured by other little demons. It was evident that the demon spirits did not act alone; they were often apanied by groups of little demons. When hunting together, the demon spirits ate the flesh, and the little demons got to drink the soup. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you knew where they settled?¡± Zhu Minng asked. Nan Zhaobing coldly snorted and showed no desire to respond. Zhu Minng nced at the young man who had disdain written all over his face. Acting so arrogant here, if you are so capable, go deal with that cannibal demon spirit yourself, whye to me for help? After being shown disdain repeatedly, Zhu Minng had his own temper too, especially since he was the substitute teacher. When did students ever behave so arrogantly in front of their teacher? Suppressing the urge to stomp on this contemptuous face, Zhu Minng¡¯s gaze fell on Nan Ye and the younger Nan Family boy, the only two who seemed rtively normal. However, they remained silent, and instead, a long-haired Nan Family girl spoke up. ¡°T have found some scales and skin kes. They are indeed hiding in the great forest, and this group of monsters is not skilled at hiding. Considering the strength of those little demons and the demon spirits, we dared not pursue them deep into the forest. We made marks and then went to Red Lotus City to inform the resident teacher,¡± the long-haired girl exined. ¡°If we go now, will we lose them?¡± Zhu Minng nodded and asked. These Nan Family children must have undergone training and were much more cautious than Senior Brother Jin and hispanions. Being from a prominent family, they were surely led by more experienced elders on expeditions and taught various matters. Although the academy also had teachers leading excursions, with therge number of students, it was difficult to cultivate this awareness in each of them. ¡°No, I can find them,¡± the long-haired girl stated. ¡°Good.¡± En route to the great forest, the long-haired girl was searching for skins and scales left by the monsters, including excrement, which she examined with a bamboo strip¡­ Seeing this, Zhu Minng frowned. Why is such dirty and tiring work being done by a girl, while these extravagantly dressed Nan Family children do nothing? ¡°Lu Wenye, didn¡¯t you mark the trail?¡± Nan Zhaobing asked disdainfully. ¡°It¡¯s human teeth¡­ It seems they have eaten someone again,¡± Lu Wenye responded calmly. Was this the difference between being born with the Nan surname and not? Zhu Minng noticed that this girl named Lu Wenye dressed quite simply and inly, and her family was probably not very affluent. She was more than likely a side-branch family member and held a much lower statuspared to other Nan Family members. After all, there were two other Nan Family girls in the team, and they showed a particr contempt for Lu Wenye¡¯s actions. Zhu Minng passed her water to wash her hands and asked, ¡°So we¡¯re on the right track then, we need to take care of them quickly, or more people will suffer.¡¯ ¡°They¡¯re just a bunch of prisoners hoping to escape in the chaos, why bother caring about their life and death?¡± Nan Zhaobing said. No matter what Zhu Minng said, Nan Zhaobing was determined to contradict him. Lu Wenye had a knack for tracking; she wouldn¡¯t miss any detail, and when she activated her spiritual power, she could also see traces invisible to others. This made Zhu Minng view the girl with new respect; if she had been in his team at the time, perhaps Junior Sister Yang might have been spared from misfortune. ¡°Strange, why are there traces of a fight? Could there be other Dragon Shepherds?¡± Lu Wenye found some broken scales on the ground and collected them into her small box. ¡°The trees here have been broken, it seems like the work of arge creature,¡± Nan Ye came running over to say. Zhu Minng advanced and discovered furrows in the soil that had been violently disrupted, along with some deep friction marks. The bloodstains were not dry, indicating the fight had urred not long before, which could help them locate their target faster in this pine forest. However, what had been battling these monstrous demons? ¡°Follow me,¡± Lu Wenye said. The others followed closely behind Lu Wenye. With so many pines around, the Flying Bird Pseudo-Dragons were no longer suitable for riding. They had to be followed on foot, watched over by one person. The rest increased their pace. Among the Nan Family disciples, some had already summoned a few Green Forest Dragons in their growing phase. These dragons hadn¡¯t reached the Dragon Child Level; their dragon might was not strong, so there was no need to worry about startling the enemy, and they could still provide some protection. The ancient pines became thicker, their trunks obstructing the view, and low shrubs started to hinder their path. These Green Forest Dragons understood forest magic, making the nts part their way¡­ Suddenly, an immense roar echoed through the ancient forest, whipping up fierce winds. The Green Forest Dragons in their growing phase were so frightened that they all retreated, no longer having the courage to move forward. ¡°Lu Wenye, go see what¡¯s happening ahead; we¡¯ll summon the Dragon Beasts,¡± said the woman adorned with fine clothes and a gold ornament on her forehead. ¡°I¡¯ll go; you wait here,¡± Zhu Minng intercepted Lu Wenye. As a substitute teacher, he naturally couldn¡¯t let the students take risks, especially thinking of the reckless actions of Senior Brother Jin, Junior Sister Yang, and the others. Zhu Minng did not wish to see any more good girls lose their lives. ¡°Let him go,¡± Nan Zhaobing said. ¡°I¡¯ll apany Teacher Zhu. If something happens, we can alert everyone to surround and attack these monsters,¡± Lu Wenye said. ¡°I¡¯ll also go take a look. I¡¯ll use my flute to signal everyone to move,¡± Nan Ye said at this time. Zhu Minng had not yet summoned his dragon pet. Bai Qi was asleep; after every battle, he would enter a long sleeping period. After all, he was still in the growth phase and needed plenty of rest. Big ck Tooth would be set aside; with its size, it might get stuck between the trees, ana It was not toote to summon It needed. The Divine Green Holy Dragon, on the other hand, digested the Demon Bead at an incredibly fast pace. It was showing signs of waking up, and its body had undergone tremendous changes, feeling like it had fully stepped into the growth phase. Was it because of the attributepatibility? When Big ck Tooth digested the Violent Catfish Demon Pearl previously, it took some time. How had the Divine Green Holy Dragon advanced so quickly in just a few days? ¡°ROAR Another violent roar sounded. At that moment, in the Spirit Realm, the Divine Green Holy Dragon fully opened its eyes, seemingly awakened by the noise. It slowly unfurled its wings, like ironwood fans. ¡°Don¡¯t rush; let¡¯s see what¡¯s happening first,¡± Zhu Minng said to Little Qingzhuo. Passing through the forest wall-like rows of ancient pines, Zhu Minng, Lu Wenye, and Nan Ye finally saw the source of the blood. The battle they were tracking had not yet ended. Beneath those thick ancient pines, there was a terrifyingly horrifying Ghost Wife Evil Spider in a standoff with another massive creature. The ws of the Ghost Wife Evil Spider were incredibly long and sharp, stabbing into the ground like blood-red spears, while its body resembled a crawling giant woman, wrapped entirely in ck scales. Its abdomen was swollen and writhing as though containing a huge fetus! ¡®Wall!¡± The Ghost Wife Evil Spider suddenly vomited profusely, disgustingly spitting out a Red Spider enveloped in sticky fluid. Within seconds, it broke free, and what was truly chilling was the Red Spider¡¯s head¡ªa grotesque human head. It seemed half-digested and then fused with the spider embryo inside the Ghost Wife Evil Spider¡¯s belly. As the Human-head Red Spider emerged facing Zhu Minng and the others, they could clearly see it was missing a front tooth! Lu Wenye turned pale, her first thought linking to a human tooth¡­ Fortunately, the Human-head Red Spiders did not seem to possess much intellect. Controlled by the Ghost Wife Evil Spider, they turned towards their real enemy¡ªthe massive creature that had roared. Dragon! The foe the Ghost Wife Evil Spider was fighting was indeed a dragon. There were no Dragon Trainers nearby; it was a wild Giant Dragon. Demons prey on dragons; the Ghost Wife Evil Spider was hunting a dragon! The dragon was entirely green, its scales like iron leaves, and its wings were half flesh, half wood. What astonished Zhu Minng the most were the dragon¡¯s green vertical pupils! Forest Giant Dragon! !! Zhu Minng then noticed that he was indeed in an Ancient Pine Forest, likely part of the same vast forest he had previously visited near Dragon Cliff. And the Forest Giant Dragon currently besieged by the Demonic Spider and a Monster Group was none other than Little Qingzhuo¡¯s mother! Zhu Minng looked further. Indeed, behind the Forest Giant Dragon, there was a smaller forest dragon with arge scar on its forehead.. Even though it had transformed into its growth phase, the scar had not faded! Chapter 82 - 82 You ‘re still alive, you’ve been reborn! Chapter 82: You ¡®re still alive, you¡¯ve been reborn! Trantor: 549690339 Although there had been great changes, the shape of the scar on the forehead remained the same, and Zhu Minng could be very certain, that it was Little Qingzhuo¡¯s brother! No wonder just now, when the roar was heard, Little Qingzhuo immediately came to its senses and seemed very anxious. It heard the Dragon Mother¡¯s roar! The ancient pines were thick and massive, their branches intertwining high above, and upon the trunk and the grey branches, there were figures in red, resembling a spider web woven from the heavens, ensnaring the Forest Giant Dragon and the Little Forest Dragon, with Human-head Red Spiders crawling all over the web, which were birthed from the belly of the Ghost Wife Evil Spider! Among those Human-head Red Spiders, some had skulls for heads, some were decayed, and others were intact. If the woodcutting officials and soldiers were here, they would recognize that these heads belonged to the convicts of the logging camp!! They were swallowed alive and turned into monsters by the Ghost Wife Evil Spider! ! This scene was indeed horrifying and repulsive, and Nan Ye had already run to the back to vomit upon witnessing the Ghost Wife Evil Spider spewing out humans. Lu Wenye¡¯s condition at the moment was not much better, his face was ghastly, but he was forcing himself to endure. Zhu Minng was mainly shocked by the Dragon Mother and Little Forest Dragon that were trapped. ¡°Could it be that this Ghost Wife Evil Spider consumes humans, not for the sake of sating hunger, but to breed more Red Spiders, in order to devour the Forest Giant Dragon!¡± Zhu Minng thought to himself in shock. Demon is as demon does, arrogant to the extreme. And mentally, it was not on the same level as those ignorant Demon Spirits. If it were a one-on-one fight, the Ghost Wife Evil Spider could probably only fight the Forest Giant Dragon to a draw. But with so many Human-head Red Spiders, they trapped the Forest Giant Dragon here, and from the signs of the previous battle, the fight hadsted a very long time. The Forest Giant Dragon had been drained of its strength, its body bearing many poison wounds, while the Ghost Wife Evil Spider looked to be brimming with vigor. Just by this state of affairs, it was evident that the Forest Giant Dragon would eventually be devoured. ¡°Teacher Zhu, this is a forest dispute. Let¡¯s just watch from here. After they¡¯ve fought to mutual destruction, it won¡¯t be toote for us to make a move,¡± Lu Wenye said. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯ll go and notify the others to surround from different directions. We can¡¯t let so many disgusting Red Spiders escape!¡± said Nan Ye, who couldn¡¯t bear to watch anymore, to Zhu Minng. Having said that, Nan Ye turned and left. Zhu Minng also agreed with Lu Wenye¡¯s view. Let the two battle it out, and just quietly wait for the oue. Even though it was Qingzhuo¡¯s mother and brother, it was hard to feel any pity for them after having witnessed the desperate struggle for survival by Little Qingzhuo. They had brought it upon themselves. Little Qingzhuo emitted a cry, looking very anxious. It seemed to already know that its mother and brother were right ahead. ¡°You have no ties to them anymore,¡± Zhu Minng sighed. ¡°If you remember the agony you once suffered, how can you not harden your heart now?¡± Zhu Minng asked. ¡°Yuuu¡ª¡± ¡°You are you, it is it. I understand your feelings now.¡± Cold-blooded and selfish, that was its brother. Even though they were from the same brood of dragon offspring, they hadpletely different natures. Qingzhuo was not like its brother. Everything its brother did only showed that it was a selfish, cold-blooded dragon, while the Divine Green Holy Dragon inherentlycked such traits. How others treated it was their affair. It would only do what it had to! ¡°Go ahead, you should let them know that you are still alive, that you have been reborn from the ashes!¡± Zhu Minng said. These words seemed to give the Divine Green Holy Dragon boundless strength. It spread its wings and burst forth from the Spirit Realm, its feathered leaves strong and extraordinary. Unlike the Dragon Mother¡¯s iron leaves, it radiated a unique green luster! It soared past the sea of pines, and in an instant, all the withered giant pines as if nourished by Divine Dew, wildly sprouted fresh leaves. As the Divine Green Holy Dragon fell, the entire ancient forest seemed to shuttle through a season, bursting into life and lush greenery! Roots and vines grew wildly and unrestrained, as if they had a life of their own, actually taking the initiative to attack those Human-head Red Spiders crawling all over the pine crowns¡­ The branches too seemed as if someone was gripping them with two hands, fiercly stabbing like sharp spears at those Human-head Red Spiders. A pair of green vertical pupils dazzled brilliantly, as if they were the dominions of the giant forest, propelling everything, one by one the Human-head Red Spiders were being killed. Strangled by roots and vines. Pierced through the heart by branches. Sliced into pieces by flying leaves. Crushed into pulp by great trees. A vast cloud of blood mist slowly spread from the branches reaching to the sky, from light to dense. Traces of blood slid down the trunk of the huge evergreen trees, dyeing the grey-green pines a bloody hue. The bodies of the Red Spiders fell like ripe fruit in the rain, continuously knocked down, continuously smashing onto the soil, muddled in blood and flesh, a sight of extreme misery! And the Divine Green Holy Dragon stood in front of the Ghost Wife Demonic Spider from beginning to end, just a pair of holy pupils turned the entire forest into its guards. Creating life, driving all things! If the forest were a kingdom, it would be the king of all the spirits of the woods! ¡°Hiss hiss hiss hiss!!!!¡± The Ghost Wife Demonic Spider let out a low roar, its eyes of venom and resentment fixated on the Divine Green Holy Dragon, revealing both anger and a more terrifying greed! A Holy Dragon not yet fully matured. For the Ghost Wife Demonic Spider, this had even greater value¡ªif it could consume this Holy Dragon, perhaps no other Demon Spirits could contend with it, not to mention the Forest Giant Dragons! The Ghost Wife Demonic Spiderunched an attack, its ws sharper than some spears, with its hind limbs propping its body up, its other four poisoned ws stabbing toward the Divine Green Holy Dragon. The Divine Green Holy Dragon soared up in an instant, spiraling among the crowns of trees, in a moment, ancient trees shook violently, as branches thirty to forty meters long bent crazily and hundreds of them, like the ws of a devil, plunged towards the earth from above! How could the ws of the Ghost Wife Demonic Spiderpare with these hundred wooden spikes? One could see the frantic dodging of the Demonic Spider, narrowly evading being pierced through by the sharp and firm branches several times¡­ The Ghost Wife Demonic Spider is a demon, agile in movement. But those Human-head Red Spiders were not so lucky; you could see the Red Spiders scampering around being staked to the ground by those trunks falling from the sky, dying on the spot! The encirclement that had seemed so overpowering was quickly dissolved by the Divine Green Holy Dragon. The injured Forest Giant Dragon and the Little Forest Dragon were right behind the Divine Green Holy Dragon, and they did not recognize their once-little dragon cub at first, not until the Dragon Mother saw those green vertical pupils¡­ The form had undergone a drastic change, but those eyes. How could the Dragon Mother forget the eyes of her own child, yet the strength and majesty disyed by the Divine Green Holy Dragon were unbelievable. ¡°Umm!!¡± Behind her, the Little Forest Dragon was overjoyed, for it saw a more powerful dragon helping them out of their plight. ¡°Roar! ¡± The Dragon Mother gave a low growl. The Dragon Mother was telling it, that was the brother you threw off the cliff! The joy on the face of the Little Forest Dragon vanished instantly, its face not just showing shock, but also a kind of fear¡­ This fear was even stronger than facing the Ghost Wife Demonic Spider!! (Join us at 9:30 PM on the 24th for a live broadcast on Kuaishou. Did you enjoy the story yesterday? If you want to hear more, remember to tune in, and follow the ount ¡°Yuewen Authors¡± haha.) (Continue with the story at 9:30 PM tomorrow..) Chapter 83 - 83 A Patch of Reverse Scales Chapter 83: A Patch of Reverse Scales Trantor: 549690339 ¡°Hisssss¡ª¡ª¨C¡± The Ghost Wife Evil Spider suddenly crawled upside down out of thin air as if there were an invisible wall of air, allowing its ws to adhere to it. Reaching midair, the Ghost Wife Evil Spider suddenly let out a piercing screech. As it screeched, holes on its back squirted thick ck toxic fog in all directions. The fog was as scorching as steam, and it spread at an rming rate. Before long, the ck fog shrouded the forest. Within the toxic fog, one could see dark red ghostly fires meandering through, the ck fog acting as a deep pool for these ghostly mes! The ck fog was highly toxic, and the vegetation that the Divine Green Holy Dragon had imbued with vitality was withering and dying. Even the vines and old roots were gradually turning into a heap of dry charcoal¡­ And those ghostly fires, increasing in number, flitted about like spectral creatures, swirling around the Divine Green Holy Dragon before suddenly exploding within the ck poisonous fog! The ghostly fires and toxic fog erupted instantly, unleashing terrifying powers of burning and searing poison. The scales and feathers on the Forest Giant Dragon and the Little Forest Dragon immediately suffered from rot and poison; their skin split and flesh burst open as they also endured the agony of the toxins. In the midst of the ck fog, the Divine Green Holy Dragon was somewhat hindered as well. Its green feathers became even more radiant, the Phenomenon of Sacred Dragon¡¯s green glow exceedingly strong, yet it could only disperse the toxic fog and ghostly fires within a few dozen meters of itself. The Ghost Wife Evil Spidernded back on the ground, concealing itself within the thick ck poisonous fog, then stealthily made its way behind the Forest Giant Dragon and the Little Forest Dragon. Sensing the Ghost Wife Evil Spider, the Forest Giant Dragon immediately caused the ground to tremble, forcing the Ghost Wife Evil Spider back. The Ghost Wife Evil Spider quickly retreated, ready to continue hiding within the dense ck fog¡­ ¡°OOOOOH!!!!!! Just then, behind the dense fog, a ferocious Violent Dragon covered in Silver Scale Heavy Armor burst forth, bending its body to reveal its silver horns and striking precisely at the Ghost Wife Evil Spider! The Ghost Wife Evil Spider was flung away, crashing through several ancient pines before finallying to a halt. Its hind limbs were broken, and several bones along its back, which had been spraying venomous steam, were visibly shattered; the ck fog lightened considerably as a result. ¡°OOOH!!!¡± Big ck Tooth was wildly domineering, and even as a Demon Spirit, the Ghost Wife Evil Spider couldn¡¯t withstand a hit from the armored ck Tooth¡¯s horns. Upon seeing the Dark Cang Violent Dragon entering the battle, the Divine Green Holy Dragon joyfully cried out. Why fight alone? If the Ghost Wife Evil Spider could spit out so many disgusting Human-head Red Spiders, didn¡¯t he have any brothers? ¡°Qing Zhuo, entangle it!¡± Zhu Minng¡¯s voice resounded. The Divine Green Holy Dragonckedbat experience; after all, it had not been growing for very long and did not even know many of the true Holy Dragon arts. ¡°Mmmm¡ª¡ª¡± The Divine Green Holy Dragon raised its head as if calling to something buried deep within the earth. The ground began to stir crazily, soil waves churned up, and innumerable thick old roots writhed and struck around. They were strong and powerful, even sturdier than those vines¡­ The Ghost Wife Evil Spider struggled to rise. Losing its hind two legs, its movement had be significantly slower. The giant roots from the soil whipped its body. And when they managed to knock it over, they quickly entwined around the Ghost Wife Evil Spider¡¯s legs and torso! The pine roots constricted extremely tightly, nearly twisting the body of the Ghost Wife Evil Spider to the point of breaking. But the Ghost Wife Evil Spider was also a fierce creature; as it was being bound, it actually broke off one of its own forelegs and then held the severed limb in its mouth to hack at the pine roots! Having broken free, the Ghost Wife Evil Spider then saw the Violent Dragon in full-body silver armor lunging and biting towards it, its toxic fangs dropping down with immense power. The Ghost Wife Evil Spider rolled to avoid. The ancient pine where it was just before splintered and burst with a mping bite. Thinking it had evaded in panic, it was unaware the ck Ocean Violent Dragon grabbed the broken pine and ruthlessly mmed it towards the Ghost Wife Evil Spider. ¡°Bang!!!!!¡± The Ghost Wife Evil Spider and the old pine shed together, the impact crushing it so much that it spat out several dead red spider offspring, clearly those that had not yet merged with the people it had consumed, the lifeless things. ¡°Swoosh!¡± The Divine Green Holy Dragon dove from the sky, its Iron Leaf Wings spinning like scythe des. As it skimmed across the ground, it chopped the Ghost Wife Evil Spider cleanly into two. From back to belly, the body was split in two, even the ground itself was cut open with a long crack. The Divine Green Holy Dragon¡¯s wing cut boasted astonishing power, causing even Big ck Tooth to look on, dumbfounded. ¡°Don¡¯t let your guard down, this thing isn¡¯t dead!¡± at this moment, Zhu Minng cautioned. Both the Divine Green Holy Dragon and the ck Ocean Violent Dragon had failed to notice, after all, how could something cut in half possibly be alive. But in fact, the Ghost Wife Evil Spider was not dead; during the time when both the Divine Green Holy Dragon and the ck Ocean Violent Dragon rxed their guard, its two halves suddenly pounced! The front half, the Ghost Wife Evil Spider bit towards the Divine Green Holy Dragon. Its fangs, filled with deadly poison, could cause the organs of the Divine Green Holy Dragon to necrotize in a very short time, the venom being a hundred times stronger than the poisonous steam. The back half, the posterior of the Ghost Wife Evil Spider also sprang up, spewing out a dozen Red Spiders from its abdomen, which flew towards the ck Ocean Violent Dragon and suddenly exploded as they drew close. Inside the bodies of the Red Spiders was nothing but spectral fire. A dozen Red Spiders exploding at once created an even more terrifying st of specter fire, which hit the unprepared ck Ocean Violent Dragon¡­ The ck Ocean Violent Dragon was repelled by the specter fire, its massive body also engulfed by the ghostly mes. The Divine Green Holy Dragon was unable to react in time, the Ghost Wife Evil Spider¡¯s final attack was too sudden, and even with Zhu Minng¡¯s shout, it was difficult to dodge. ¡°Roar!! !!! ¡± The Forest Giant Dragon charged over, and when the Ghost Wife Demonic Spider bit towards the Divine Green Holy Dragon, it fiercely rammed her and sent her flying. The Ghost Wife Demonic Spider¡¯sst bite failed, and instead, her upper body was further shattered and mashed by the impact from the Forest Giant Dragon. The Divine Green Holy Dragon immediately took to the air, its body spinning as its Iron Leaf Wings turned into a green disc in mid-air. When it gloriously spun, it emitted green de-like sacred lights, shing in turns at the front half of the Ghost Wife Demonic Spider¡¯s body. ¡°Swoosh swoosh swoosh!!!!!¡± The Ghost Wife Demonic Spider was sliced into pieces, its head no longer intact, its once tenacious vitality unable to mount any further attacks. Meanwhile, the ck Ocean Violent Dragon emerged from the ghostly mes, looking bewildered, it nced at its Silver Green Heavy Armor, which was hardly damaged¡­ It didn¡¯t hurt much, nor was it injured. Oh, it thought it was as good as dead, scared ck Treasure to death! Turns out it¡¯s that strong!! The ck fog began to dissipate, and Zhu Minng approached, originally wanting to criticize these two for being so careless in the face of the Demon Spirit. But then he thought, Little Qingzhuo is still very young after all andcks battle experience. And Big ck Tooth is still a Dragon Son, even if he realized the danger, his reaction speed couldn¡¯t possibly match that of the Demon Spirit¡­ Both need to improve; they need more training in the future. They were nearly killed by this Ghost Wife Demonic Spider, a double kill, at that. ¡°One thousand seven hundred years, if this thing had eaten a dragon, I¡¯m afraid nothing in this great forest could stand against it, and the cities beyond the forest would likely suffer as well,¡± said Zhu Minng as he extended his hand to collect the soul of the Demon Spirit. After death, one could tell how old it was by the depth of its soul. Luckily, it wasn¡¯t over two thousand years old; otherwise, he would have to wake up Bai Qi, who was already deep in slumber. Battle experience is indeed very important. Having gone through this, Zhu Minng felt that he would still need to train Big ck Tooth and Little Qingzhuo more in the future. If Bai Qi were to handle all the goblins and demons, the two of them would rx too much and find it difficult to improve and awaken. The Demon Bead from the Demon Spirit he killed naturally belonged to him. Zhu Minng already heard the sounds of the approaching dragons from the Nan Family and also took the chance to let Little Qingzhuo bid farewell to its mother. Little Qingzhuo did the right thing. It could abandon its brother to die, but the Dragon Mother had always had feelings for them. If it had not been for the Dragon Mother¡¯s timely charge that knocked away the Ghost Wife Demonic Spider¡¯s venomous bite, Little Qingzhuo would have been in mortal danger. ¡°Hiss- The Forest Giant Dragon suddenly yanked a Green Inverse Scale from its body and, bloodied, ced the scale before Zhu Minng. Zhu Minng didn¡¯t quite understand the action of the Dragon Mother, who had already slowly walked towards the deeper part of the pine forest. The Little Forest Dragon didn¡¯t dare to raise its head to nce at the Divine Green Holy Dragon, even its walking required being dragged by the Dragon Mother¡­ It was very afraid, afraid that its younger brother would seek vengeance. With Little Qingzhuo¡¯s current strength, killing it would be easier than when it took advantage of its greater age to toss it off the cliff. Zhu Minng¡¯s gaze fell on Little Qingzhuo and realized that it had nomunication with the Dragon Mother at all. It stood there like a stranger, its pair of green vertical pupils looking elsewhere. There was no need for recognition. But it felt gratitude for the nurturing of the Dragon Mother, so it could not bear to see her killed by hunters. And it seemed the Dragon Mother understood all of this, leaving behind a piece of Green Inverse Scale for Zhu Minng, then taking the Little Forest Dragon, which was scared out of its wits, and retreating deep into the dense forest¡­ ¡°We owe each other nothing from now on, and their life or death has nothing to do with you, right?¡± Zhu Minng picked up the scale and sighed softly. That was Little Qingzhuo¡¯s attitude. Little Qingzhuo would not forget the pain of being thrown into the gorge and impaled by thorns due to its weak body, but it also did not harbor hatred. Because survival is cruel! Perhaps the Dragon Mother, seeing Little Qingzhuo find a better fate, was also content. Otherwise, why leave the rare Green Inverse Scale to Zhu Minng¡ªit was thest thing she could do for Little Qingzhuo. Looking at the injured and weary figure of the Dragon Mother and then at Little Qingzhuo, which never looked back at them¡­ Zhu Minng¡¯s emotions wereplex. Gently stroking Little Qingzhuo¡¯s feathers with his hand, Zhu Minng was connected to its soul, how could he not feel its emotions? In the end, Little Qingzhuo was just a child, yet what it faced were things even adults would struggle with. So be it. Let them leave, and do not concern himself with their life or death anymore. (Tonight, on Kwai, at 9:30 PM, the ¡°Yuewen Writers¡± channel, in my live stream, I¡¯ll be on time.. I see in the public ountments that you all want to continue hearing about the embarrassing stories from my journey as a writer, alright, I¡¯ll tell you a few more¨C Ohe on, I have had my shining moments too, why do you all only want to hear these?) Chapter 84 - 84: The Sister-in-law is Poisonous Chapter 84: The Sister-inw is Poisonous Trantor: 549690339 The ck fogpletely dissipated, and some noise arose around them. The descendants of the Nan Family seemed to be dealing with the Human-head Red Spiders, having surrounded them from several directions and killing off those Zhu Minng hadn¡¯t managed to handle¡ªcleaning them up without a trace. They themselves didn¡¯t dare to confront the Demon Spirits head-on, so letting them assist and mix in to earn some academic credits wasn¡¯t a problem. ¡°Brothers need not worry; Teacher Zhu has already killed the Ghost Wife Demonic Spider,¡± Lu Wenye said with a smile upon seeing the tense expressions of Nan Zhaobing and the others. ¡°It¡¯s been dealt with?¡± Nan Zhaobing could hardly believe it. They hadn¡¯t actually seen the true face of the Ghost Wife Demonic Spider, and it was difficult to discern how many years it had been alive. ¡°Is this the thing?¡± Nan Zhaobing walked over to the corpse of the Ghost Wife Demonic Spider and nced at the unrecognizable Demon Spirit. Suddenly, the mangled corpse twitched, and a tiny red spider burst out, frightening Nan Zhaobing into shooting away. ¡°Teacher Zhu¡¯s dragon is very powerful; no wonder he could rece Sister Lingsha to keep watch over Red Lotus City. The Ghost Wife Demonic Spider has lived for one thousand seven hundred years. If we bring back its eye beads to report, we can get very high academic credits!¡± Lu Wenye said. Lu Wenye didn¡¯t mention anything about the Forest Giant Dragon, which saved Zhu Minng the trouble of having to exin. As for Nan Ye, seeing that Lu Wenye didn¡¯t bring it up, he didn¡¯t say any more, but his gaze still lingered on Zhu Minng with a sense of peculiarity¡­ That Ghost Wife Demonic Spider, Nan Ye had witnessed it himself during a dragon hunt! Such a powerful Demonic Beast, and Zhu Minng had killed it in such a brief period. This guy, why is he getting more and more mysterious and unpredictable! ¡°The Divine Green Holy Dragon?¡± At that moment, the woman wearing the golden ornament noticed Little Qingzhuo. Zhu Minng¡¯s silver-green armored Violent Dragon had been showcased at the academy, so it was not surprising to them when they saw it, being familiar with it. But it was Little Qingzhuo that stood out. Its body radiated a green holy light, standing among their Green Forest Dragons it was truly like a crane standing amongst chickens¡ªimpossible to ignore. The question was, the Divine Green Holy Dragon was practically a Sacred Beast of their Nan Family Sacred Forest. Zhu Minng was not a descendant of the Nan Family, so how did hee to possess such a Holy Dragon? Next to Zhu Minng, Nan Ye¡¯s eyes were wide to their limits. He thought, why did this dragon look so familiar! He thought, why would Zhu Minng appear on the ancient tower mountain of Red Lotus City, which was guarded by Nan Lingsha, and happened to be the one giving lectures in her ce at that time? ¡°Zhu Minng, was this Holy Dragon a gift from Sister Lingsha?¡± As if having realized something in an instant, Nan Ye couldn¡¯t help but speak. ¡®I???¡± Zhu Minng himself did not understand what Nan Ye was talking about. ¡°What, Nan Lingsha gave you the Divine Green Holy Dragon?¡± Upon hearing this, Nan Zhaobing was even more shaken, his whole body trembling with fury. The other Nan Family descendants also showed disbelief. Although they were reluctant to ept this fact, upon further reflection, the only origin of the Holy Dragon could be this! After all, the whole Nan Family knew that, perhaps, only Nan Lingsha was qualified to receive the Divine Green Holy Dragon! To think she gave away a family treasure to an outsider? Nan Lingsha¡¯s actions were indeed unfathomable, but this was utterly preposterous!! ¡°You misunderstood; my dragon is¡­¡± Zhu Minng began to say it was the Forest Giant Dragon, but since he had let the Forest Giant Dragon go, he was momentarily at a loss for words. ¡°Whether it is or not, we¡¯ll know once we ask Sister,¡± the woman with the golden ornament said. ¡°What¡¯s there to ask? Can¡¯t you see already?¡± Nan Ye said with a bitter smile. It was clear now, Nan Ye understood everything now. Sister Yunzhi, Sister Lingsha ¨C both had some inexplicable connection with Zhu Minng, at least that¡¯s what Nan Ye himself had witnessed. ¡°This concerns our n¡¯s treasures; how can we not ask!¡± Nan Zhaobing¡¯s eyes, when looking at Zhu Minng, were even more resentful than those of the Ghost Wife Demonic Spider! These direct descendants of the Nan Family, as long as they sought progress and strived tirelessly, they could generally receive Young Dragons of the Green Forest, and with their family resources, it could be said that they were born Dragon Trainers¡­ But how could the Dragons of the Green Forestpare with the Divine Green Holy Dragon? How could they not be envious, how could they not be jealous! ¡°Nan Ye, if you don¡¯t know, don¡¯t talk nonsense,¡± Zhu Minng offered an exnation, briefly recounting his extraordinary encounter at Dragon Cliff. Nan Ye¡¯s expression seemed to say: Keep making it up, it¡¯s obvious you just came up with this story on the fly after seeing the Forest Giant Dragon just now. ¡°Nan Ye, we¡¯re ssmates, aren¡¯t you aware of my character? My rtionship with your sister Yunzhi is one of instant rapport and mutual affection, and with Nan Lingsha, I barely have an acquaintanceship. By spreading such rumors, everyone will definitely think that my rtionship with Nan Lingsha is intimate. How am I supposed to face Li Yunzhi in the future?¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°Then where did this Divine Green Holy Dragone from?¡± Nan Ye asked seriously. ¡°I told you just now!¡± ¡°Hmph, you won¡¯t tell the truth, yet you¡¯re afraid we¡¯ll spread rumors. You want to have it all, but no, I can¡¯t let a scumbag like you¡ªwho obviously has an ambiguous rtionship with sister Yunzhi yet covets sister Lingsha¡ªhave such an easy life!¡± Nan Ye had no shred of sympathy for Zhu Minng. This beast who desires to have both sisters! If you don¡¯t want people to know, then don¡¯t do it! ¡°Alright, alright, we¡¯ll go find Nan Lingsha and confront her directly.¡± Zhu Minng had had enough trying to reason with these people. You suspect that I stole your sacred treasure, anyway, since I¡¯ve stolen the admiration of your female monarch, the Holy Dragon doesn¡¯t make much of a difference¡­ But if you say Nan Lingsha gave it to me, any sane person would think there¡¯s something more, giving away a Holy Dragon for no reason; I risked my entire future as a Dragon Shepherd to save it! Zhu Minng could disregard what others thought. But what about hisdy? Li Yunzhi and Nan Lingsha were already on bad terms. If she finds out that he is involved with her twin sister, will she castrate him with a sword? At that moment, Zhu Minng really wanted to strangle Nan Ye. Just using him of stealing the Holy Dragon wasn¡¯t bad enough for you, you had to bring morals and ethics into it? Back in Red Lotus City, the Nan Family disciples seemed to care less about school credits than before. Nan Lingsha hadn¡¯t returned, and these people were stubbornly waiting for her in Red Lotus City. As a substitute teacher, Zhu Minng couldn¡¯t just leave casually, in case there were problems with any of the students that he would have to attend to. Facing the Nan Family disciples¡¯ odd expressions and doubtful eyes, Zhu Minng felt ufortable all over, simply hoping that Nan Lingsha would show up soon¡­ As night fell, Nan Lingsha returned. She seemed a bit travel-worn and tired from chasing after Demonic Beasts at the administrative center of the city. ¡°Sister.¡± The gold-adorned girl seemed quite familiar with Nan Lingsha and immediately approached her affectionately, linking arms with her. Looking at the group, confusion appeared in Nan Lingsha¡¯s eyebrows. ¡°Sister, did you give Zhu Minng a Divine Green Holy Dragon?¡± the gold-adorned girl hurriedly asked. Nan Zhaobing, Lu Wenye, Nan Ye, and the others were all extremely respectful when facing Nan Lingsha, not daring to show any hint of pride, especially Nan Zhaobing, who had a glimmer of infatuation in his eyes. Nan Lingsha still had her face covered with a veil, and she nced at Zhu Minng. At first, she seemed puzzled, but she soon remembered something, and a shallow smile emerged on her beautiful face beneath the thin veil. ¡°It¡¯s just a Disabled Dragon, yes, I gave it to him,¡± Nan Lingsha said calmly, as if speaking of a very trivial matter. ¡°Pfft- Zhu Minng¡¯s mouthful of hot tea sprayed out everywhere, creating a scene of utmost embarrassment. ¡°So hot, so hot.¡± Zhu Minng hurriedly tried to cover it up, staring at Nan Lingsha with apletely bewildered look. Where did your artist¡¯s aloofness go?!! ! Where did your recent disdain for everything go?! !! How did you change so suddenly again?! !! Don¡¯t make a big deal out of this, little auntie!! This is a big deal!!! ¡°That night in the Bamboo Forest when we met, the Disabled Dragon was in critical condition. Seeing that he was a decent Dragon Trainer and shared close affection with my family¡¯s sister Yunzhi, I gave him the Divine Green Holy Dragon to express my regard since he has been very caring for my sister¡­¡± Nan Lingsha¡¯s voice became increasingly gentle. Stop talking!! This young master and this young master¡¯s dragon have nothing to do with you!!! Zhu Minng was on the verge of tears! This little aunt, she¡¯s deadly poisonous!! Chapter 85 - 85 Unexpected Double Harvest Chapter 85: Unexpected Double Harvest Trantor: 549690339 Nan Lingsha seemed to speak lightly and there was nothing wrong with what she said. But why did she have to mention ¡°bamboo forest¡± and te at night,¡± two phrases that lead to wild spection? The people of Ancestral Dragon City-State had imaginations that Zhu Minng was well aware of, where a few keywords could give birth to an epic tale of sorrow and romance. And multiple versions that are vastly different from one another would emerge! Heaven knows what sorts of rumors and gossip would spread once Nan Lingsha¡¯s words got out. It wasn¡¯t long since he had managed to stay under the radar, and people were almost convinced by his heartfelt and moving speech. As expected, after Nan Lingsha spoke, the youths of the Nan Family fell silent, their eyes full of unspoken words, but due to Nan Lingsha¡¯s absolute status within the family, they dared not express them lightly. ¡°So Teacher Zhu is also quite formidable in this regard, ¡± Lu Wenye whispered. ¡°Since it¡¯s a gift from Sister Lingsha, naturally we have nothing to say. However, why would sister give away such a precious dragon¡­¡± Nan Zhaobing¡¯s face was almost as sinister as that of a human-faced rat, yet he pretended to be polite and inquisitive. ¡°How I do things is none of your business,¡± Nan Lingsha stated. Nan Zhaobing quickly lowered his head, not daring to speak further, but his gaze shifted slyly to Zhu Minng. It was another of those hideous looks. Zhu Minng was used to such sights by now and hoped this was not another person with a hidden agenda, because in that case, Zhu Minng wouldn¡¯t be polite with such individuals. ¡°Then¡­ then we¡¯ll take our leave first,¡± said the woman with the golden forehead adornment. The others naturally didn¡¯t feel it was right to stay either and left one after another. Zhu Minng knew he couldn¡¯t clear his name and left the mansion helplessly along with the people from the Nan Family. ¡°Zhu Minng, you stay, I have words to speak with you.¡± Indeed, the devilish call of Nan Lingsha sounded. The eyes of everyone from the Nan Family shone brightly as they stared at Zhu Minng, then they hurried away, as if afraid of disturbing their sister¡¯s mood. In the Nan Family, no one dared to offend Nan Lingsha; even the elder family members had to look for her good graces. These younger family members who still relied on elders for support had to be even more cautious. The courtyard was open to the sky, with the eaves of green tiles enclosing a Drmgnt mgnt SKY devoid or stars, only a tmnyer or mist. In the center stood a green bamboo stone basin, and Zhu Minng was standing beside it, with clear spring water flowing through the bamboo heart of the basin down to the seams of the stone tiles at his feet, glistening under the light. Zhu Minng stood there, not stepping back nor leaving. He slowly turned around, with a touch of resignation, ¡°Miss, there¡¯s no need to cover up for me, I¡¯m not afraid of the Nan Family¡¯s questions.¡± ¡°You¡¯re mistaken,¡± Nan Lingsha replied with a yful smile and anticipative eyes, speaking in a carefree tone, ¡°Wasn¡¯t she warning you to be wary of me? It seems she still cares about you. So, I¡¯m even more curious to see Li Yunzi¡¯s reaction and whether she minds that you and I are getting closer.¡± ¡°Miss, you might not care about your reputation, but I, Zhu Minng, still need to marry someone with a clean te!¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°You? With a clean te?¡± Nan Lingsha broke intoughter, which continued unabated. Zhu Minng found it difficult to maintain hisposure with such an alluring voice, especially since the person before him resembled Li Yunzi so closely, which made him remember some unforgettable events. Zhu Minng thought it best to leave quickly, lest Nan Ye spread more distasteful rumors. Nan Lingsha was stillughing, her devilish demeanor so at odds with the reserved and demure painter he¡¯d met before that Zhu Minng was convinced she was the one who was truly sick. Upon leaving the mansion, Nan Ye looked at Zhu Minng in surprise. ¡°That was quick?¡± Nan Ye asked with a strange tone. Zhu Minng red at Nan Ye. Can¡¯t you speak properly? Nothing happened, and it has nothing to do with being fast or not! Zhu Minng left Red Lotus City, continuing to escort Zheng Yu as he persuaded several major cities. With the efforts of the academy¡¯s entire staff, the monsters in the upper cities were also massively eradicated, and Zheng Yu fulfilled his mission; Zhu Minng himself also received a good reward. The days became colder, and most creatures sought shelter, with fewer people traveling. Only on sunny days would many peoplee out to bask in the sunlight. Li Chuan Dragon Taming Academy first held a few days of mourning for the students and teachers who had died during the monster subduing and demon ying mission, and made proper arrangements for their families. Then, they rewarded those who had performed excellently during the mission. The results were announced in the form of an honor roll. It was a sunny day, and the warm glow of sunshine fell on everyone; one could see that everyone at the academy had made a special effort to dress up. The men were dashing, and the women were enchanting. Gathering around the announcement, whether one was on the roll or not was a matter of great joy, for those who made the roll would receive a Spiritual Realm Fruit and the opportunity to form an additional Spirit Contract. ¡°Li Kang, Duan Wenrui, Zhu Minng, Zhong Shenxiu, Lu Wenye¡­¡± ¡°No way, our team killed so many monsters and not a single one of us made the roll? How many monsters did those on the roll have to y?¡± ¡°I heard they all made significant contributions to ying demons!¡± ¡°Demons, those are thousand-year-old monsters. We almost didn¡¯t make it back when we faced an eight-hundred-year-old mountain monster! ¡® Beneath the roll, the students chattered amongst themselves. Some were on the roll, while others did not even see their names, which inevitably led to feelings of disappointment. ¡°Hey, hey, look at the teacher¡¯s roll. There¡¯s someone with the same name as Zhu Minng,¡± someone suddenly pointed at a nearby list and eximed. ¡°What same name? That is Zhu Minng.¡± For a moment, everyone turned to look at the teacher¡¯s roll and discovered that indeed, Zhu Minng¡¯s name was on the list of outstanding contributing teachers, although it was not ranked particrly high¡­ On both rolls??? There he was on the student¡¯s roll. And now on the teacher¡¯s roll too? This was just too outrageous!! The crowd burst into discussion. Nan Ye and Lu Wenye seized the opportunity to spread the word that Zhu Minng, acting as a substitute teacher, had single-handedly killed a seventeen-hundred-year-old Demonic Spider. The students then came to a sudden realization, marveling that Zhu Minng was truly a formidable person who did not easily reveal his capabilities. At this moment, Zhu Minng was also among the crowd, equally puzzled. Being on the student¡¯s roll, ranking quite well, was somewhat understandable to him; after all, he had killed two demons and a good number of monsters. But what was the deal with this teacher¡¯s roll? Could it be that the demon with three-thousand years of cultivation base killed by Nan Lingsha counted as part of his contribution? That was the only exnation; a student reporting the whereabouts of a demon meant half the credit for ying it went to the student. So, acting as an assistant teacher at the time, he had discovered the bodies of three teachers and reported the whereabouts of the three-thousand-year-old monster, which seemed to have brought him an unexpected benefit. What a surprise double harvest! Chapter 86 - 86: Dragon Disaster Chapter 86: Dragon Disaster Trantor: 549690339 The sunlight wasfortable, and receiving awards was always a delight. Especially since he could collect two prizes, one being a Spiritual Realm Fruit as an outstanding student, and the other was given by the academy to the instructors. Spiritual Realm Fruit, Zhu Minng had never seen such a spirit fruit before and wondered if even the Divine and Mortals tasted it, would it also help to enhance their cultivation base. Having obtained the Spiritual Realm Fruit, Zhu Minng nibbled on it while humming a tune on his way to the academy to collect the award for the instructors. ¡°Zhu Minng, how is it?¡± A friendly-looking ssmate came up to him, and upon seeing Zhu Minng, couldn¡¯t help but ask. ¡°It¡¯s not as sweet as the peaches that girl sells by the bridge,¡± Zhu Minng casually replied. The ssmate¡¯s face immediately darkened. Spiritual Realm Fruit, was it about the taste?! Zhu Minng didn¡¯t bother to savor it carefully, just letting the fruit slowly digest in his body, believing that as a genius blessed by the heavens, whatever he ate would greatly enhance his power, which is why he didn¡¯t prepare with incense burning and hand washing, or bathe and change clothes before consumption like other outstanding students. Arriving at the academy, only the core of the Spiritual Realm Fruit was left, and Zhu Minng casually tossed it, noticing that when the core fell into the soil, the soil quivered. Subsequently, a light blue sprout rapidly grew out, quickly absorbing the nutrients from the surrounding soil and turned into a very beautiful spirit seedling! Zhu Minng gaped, realizing that the core was also valuable, had he been a bit wasteful? Oh well, what¡¯s done was done, think of it as contributing to the academy¡¯s beautiful greening. Starting now, one could pretty much say goodbye to the poor and impoverished former self! Moreover, with three strong dragons by his side, his strides could now be even bolder than before. ¡°With the credits earned, enough for Big ck Tooth to feast on pork till spring, and I can afford expensive queen bee honey with the gold and jewelry I have. This way, Bai Qi¡¯s Ice Morning Method will be much more powerful, and by summer, it will reach maturity!¡± In summertime, he would truly be a Dragon Herding Sanctifier, radiant and splendid, and should anyone dare to give him attitude like Nan Zhaobing did, he¡¯d definitely stomp on their smug faces. Whatever, the overbearing sort that loved to strut around were his favorites, he¡¯d absolutely give them a lesson they¡¯d turn green over! ¡°You can pick anything from the third level of the treasure house, but you can¡¯t take anything from the high shelves,¡± the old woman guarding the treasure house said. The old woman knitted her yarn, her eyes hollow and lifeless, speaking without much of a friendly tone. Zhu Minng showed his respects by bowing. Those who seemed to reject worldly interactions were often the ones with profound skills, and anyone capable of guarding the entire treasure pavilion was certainly no ordinary person. The first and second levels were mostly rewards for students; with enough credits, they could basically exchange for items. Zhu Minng just walked up along the staircase and spotted many items he desired, such as an elixir that could refine ancient dragon bones, a real treasure for Big ck Tooth. Unfortunately, Zhu Minng was also running out of credits, having exchanged for a season¡¯s buffet voucher for the pasture. On the third floor, Zhu Minng saw many ancient tables, on which there were many sandalwood boxes and some vessels, most of which were for storage purposes. ¡°Exchange the Demonic Spider¡¯s Demon Bead for an Ancient Dragon Demon Bead, I might get a better match. This Ancient Dragon Demon Bead is good, but it¡¯s only a little over a thousand years old,¡± Zhu Minng shook his head, abandoning the thought of choosing this Ancient Dragon Demon Bead. There¡¯s a six-hundred-year gap between one thousand seven hundred years and one thousand one hundred years, which could afford you a nice house within the city-state wall. Zhu Minng continued to look forward; the really good stuff is usually ced towards the back. ¡°Stardust Stone?¡± ¡°That¡¯s also a good item, could make a piece of Starlight Armor, but what a pity, there¡¯s so little material.¡± If Bai Qi were to wear Starlight Armor, its Azure Dragon Mystics would likely leap an entire level, and even Dragon Lord Level beings wouldn¡¯t dare take its hit lightly. The material was too scarce, and anyway, Zhu Minng¡¯s craftsmanship hadn¡¯t fully matured; he probably couldn¡¯t forge such high-level dragon armor. ¡°Storm Phantom Feather?¡± ¡°This item seems pretty good, could be attached under Bai Qi¡¯s feathers, whimsically controlling the storm, significantly strengthening the Wind Controlling Method!¡± Zhu Minng saw an item that truly caught his eye. It was a cluster of really extraordinary feathers. Seeming toe from some ancient Holy Spirit, its unique feathers could reside on almost any feathered dragon beast, bestowing the dragon beast with the ability of wind feathers! Even though Bai Qi would eventually evolve into a Dragon Lord, with these feathers¡¯ enhancement, whether using Profound Art or mastering ice and wind control, it would far surpass any dragon beast of the same realm! This is good! Wind was probably Bai Qi¡¯s weakest ability, and with these feathers attached, it would be strong enough to thrash a High-Rank Dragon General. ¡°Bai Qi¡­ no, no, no, everything here is quite nice, but you can¡¯t just roll them up and take them, it could be fatal!¡± Zhu Minng finally chose an item, only to find Little Bai Qi already raising its tail. It was preparing to use the Universe Concealment Trick; it seemed to disapprove of Zhu Minng¡¯s hesitant decision-making, nning to take everything away in one fell swoop. ¡°Yoooooo¡­¡± Bai Qi called out in a intive tone, the meaning of which was, isn¡¯t there nobody around? ¡°Our realm at the moment is far from what it used to be. Looting is something we can¡¯t afford to do just yet. That olddy guarding the door must be quite formidable,¡± Zhu Minng said with a wry smile, hurrying to exin to Bai Qi. Only then did the Ice Morning White Dragon gain some understanding and, albeit somewhat unwillingly, let its braided tail droop. Those clean and bright big eyes of its fixed on the small feather that Zhu Minng had chosen¡­ Is this it? What could be taken differed too much from what had been imagined, not exciting in the least. Zhu Minng let out a long sigh. It seemed that Bai Qi was ustomed to livingrge, and this kind of meticulous, underhanded cultivation was something it couldn¡¯t adapt to in a short time. ¡°It¡¯s alright. It won¡¯t be long before we return to our peak again. If we can find the way back, perhaps we can even surprise our old adversaries, ¡± Zhu Minng consoled Bai Qi. ¡°Yooo¡­¡± Bai Qi pped its wings, indicating it too looked forward to returning to the ces it had once stayed. However, when those eyes gazed at Zhu Minng, they revealed a touch of sadness and guilt. Zhu Minng picked it up, gently stroked its fluffy little head with a hand, and smiled, ¡°It¡¯s okay, being a Dragon Shepherd is also quite nice. Look, we¡¯ve gained newpanions like Big ck Tooth and Little Qing Zhuo.¡± ¡°Think about it, in the past we were weak on our own and got bullied, sometimes even having to run away. Now that I¡¯ve be a true Dragon Shepherd, we will have even morepanions in the future. When we want to trouble others, we will call them all out at once to let them know what it means to have the advantage of numbers.¡± ¡°Do you remember that time we were chased for a month by a Dragon Shepherd who had a Dragon King? What powerful dragons did he have, do you remember?¡± ¡°Yooo¡­¡± Bai Qi nodded, as it was gradually recalling past events. ¡°Now you are my Dragon Leader, you are strong, therefore I am strong,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°Yooo!!¡± Bai Qi seemed to ignite its fighting spirit, telling Zhu Minng that it would definitely try hard to sleep and be stronger!! ¡® Zhu Minng chuckled wryly. It seemed that after its regression and rebirth, Bai Qi indeed possessed an extraordinary talent¡ªBig ck Tooth trained strenuously every day, yet couldn¡¯t catch up with the Ice Morning White Dragon, which spent most of its time sleeping. But it wasn¡¯t as simple as it looked; after all, Bai Qi had regressed into a small ice bug for so many years, and in this world where giant Demon Dragons roamed rampant, it lived like an ant, surviving solely by being subservient¡ªno other creature would have experienced such divine tribtions¡­ Everyone has their own way of cultivation, including Zhu Minng himself¡ª from glory to mediocrity, then rising bit by bit from mediocrity, life¡¯s ups and downs; a heroic life needs no words, just one true phrase to apany: in strength one may mock the heavens with pride, in adversity one stays steady like an old hound! Summer, neither close nor far away. Zhu Minng was very clear that once he made it to summer, he would no longer fear the vast majority of strong beings in the Ancestral Dragon City. Having selected the item he wanted, Zhu Minng reluctantly left the Treasure Pavilion. With winter¡¯s chill, Zhu Minng stopped wandering around, devoting himself to cultivating and training dragons within the academy, replenishing his Dragon Shepherd arts that he hadn¡¯t properly studied due to pastziness, and simultaneously searching for the Law of Evolution for Big ck Tooth and Little Qing Zhuo. There are many ways to enhance the strength of a dragon, but considering the speed of Bai Qi¡¯s transformation, Zhu Minng naturally would not be content with his dragons remaining at the Dragon Son or Dragon General level. The so-called Dragon Gate is not a divine gate to leisurely ease after one leap through. This First Dragon Gate is but a threshold for Ordinary Spirits to cross, to be higher beings capable of cultivating and transforming, no longer like wild animals that only seek to satisfy their hunger and survive, but more to find their own path, soaring above all creatures! There are countless Dragon Gates, and their heights are unknown to anyone; every being in every realm understands that by transcending one realm, beyond and above, there lies a more grand Divine Mountain, and a more majestic Dragon Gate Waterfall¡­ Ordinary Spirits have their own Dragon Gate. Cultivating Spirits have their own elusive and difficult Dragon Gate. Zhu Minng vaguely remembered being told by an elder of the Zhu family that grown dragons must face their own Dragon Gate tribtions if they wish to transform again. This tribtion isn¡¯t merely a test of enduring thunderous ordeals to attain immortality. Was Bai Qi¡¯s regression the Dragon Gate tribtion? My decision was akin to enduring this tribtion with it. Regrettably, after scouring through some of the Dragon Taming Academy¡¯s archives, there are only mentions of the Dragon Gate, but no records of the second Dragon Gate¡ªthe Dragon Disaster. If we could uncover the Dragon Disaster for ck Tooth and Qing Zhuo, they would transform again! If Bai Qi¡¯s regression is indeed the Dragon Disaster, having already crossed it, does it now face the Third Dragon Gate, and what might the Third Dragon Gate Or perhaps Bai Qi¡¯s regression was merely a disaster in its life. It has be stronger than before, turning into the Ice Morning White Dragon, because of some other reason. Indeed, the Way of the Shepherd Dragon is a long and winding path. There won¡¯t be any dull moments for the rest of my life! Chapter 87 - 87 Ancient Mountain Chapter 87: Ancient Mountain Trantor: 549690339 Ancient Mountain was and of extreme primordial essence, encircled on three sides by the Void Sea, with ovepping mountains and a forest so eerie it was a mountain of true wonder and strangeness. It was only when the Void Sea slowly receded that a winding and muddynd surface appeared, the sole path to the Ancient Mountain. At this moment, five White-eyed Flying Dragons circled above the coast of the Void Sea, six Giant Forest Dragons lurked in the dark woods, and several other Ancient Dragons of Dragon General Level, including Azure Dragons, were besieging the area. On the only wend leading to Ancient Mountain, Luo Xiao clutched the Gold-ted Fire Dragon¡¯s horn, his face pale and pained, his eyes filled with rage and unwillingness. He nced back at Ancient Mountain, now enveloped in a dense mist of nothingness. Ancient Mountain was fraught with danger, not only could one get lost within, but it was also a ce where one could be prey to Ancient Demons and Ancient Dragons. Yet, he had no other escape routes left. It was a choice between a death battle with the group besieging him or fleeing into the perilous Ancient Mountain, a ce where survival was slim. ¡°Dragon Taming Academy, Duan Family, Li Family, do I, Luo Xiao, really deserve to be hunted down like this?¡± Luo Xiao said angrily. ¡°You traitor, you¡¯re lucky to have lived until today, nowe forward and meet your death!¡± Li Pinghai of the Li Family dered. How could Luo Xiao surrender without a fight? He took one look at Ancient Mountain and, without any further hesitation,manded the Gold-ted Fire Dragon to charge into it. Mists entwined, the White-eyed Flying Dragons closed in, flying over the sea to obstruct Luo Xiao¡¯s path to the Ancient Mountain. Little did they know, there was some powerful prohibition above the Void Sea that made the wings and bodies of the White-eyed Flying Dragons increasingly heavy. After flying only a few hundred meters, the White-eyed Flying Dragons could no longer stay aloft and were forced tond on the mudt that had appeared with the receding tide. ¡°What is happening??¡± A man from the Duan Family riding a White-eyed Flying Dragon was shocked and nearly fell directly down to the ground. ¡°The water of the Void Sea is like a ma, impossible to fly across or swim through. Do not get close to the water, follow the exposed wet path and chase after him,¡± an instructor from the Dragon Taming Academy advised. ¡°But isn¡¯t that the perilous Ancient Mountain ahead? Are we really going to chase after him? If the water rises, we won¡¯t be able to retreat,¡± someone questioned with worry. ¡°If we don¡¯t bring back the traitor¡¯s body before the end of the year, how can we face our nsmen? If you¡¯re afraid, then I¡¯ll go!¡± Li Pinghai said. Although the others were somewhat hesitant, they were not deterred by the Void Sea¡¯s harmless water. They pursued along the muddy wend, shrouded by sea fog, as the mountain range seemed to float mysteriously above the clouds, a truly awe-inspiring sight¡­ In the end, thebined forces of the Duan Family, Li Family, and Dragon Taming Academy¡ªseeking to apprehend Luo Xiao¡ªall entered Ancient Mountain. The dragons they called upon numbered nearly twenty, theirbined strength sufficient to face any Ancient Demons and Demon Dragons within the mountain. Waves of ink-ck seawater constantlyshed against the sand bar, and before long, the path that had emerged across the sea was gradually submerged by the dark waters. Time passed, and the fog grew denser, enveloping the sequence of mountains seemingly floating amongst the clouds in the region of Ancient Mountain. The so-called Ancient Mountain¡­ seemed as though it had vanished into thin air from this spot. The people just a moment ago seemed to havepletely evaporated from the world! The harsh winter had finally passed. Even though the air was still a bit chilly, the sight of blooming flowers and budding leaves, witnessing all things slowlying back to life, made it feel as if one¡¯s heart was warming up as well. A breeze gently curled, lifting the floral scent by theke. After the snowmelt, the rivers andkes seemed cleansed, devoid of the previous turbidity mixed with silt, always reflecting the wide blue sky like a mirror. Zhu Minng had started his day early, stepping into the courtyard and stretchingzily. He turned to look. The person cleaning the yard had changed, no longer the frail Li Shaoying. Since returning to the academy, Li Shaoying¡¯s strength had dramatically increased, no longer the same as before. Inside the residence, another had transformed into a dragon, specifically the former dorm bully, Hong Hao. Usually, after bing a true Dragon Shepherd Student, most would move out of these rather simple dwellings and live in better private houses, but it seemed because Zhu Minng had not left, Hong Hao and Li Shaoying both took the opportunity to settle here¡­ The people were still the same old crowd, only the one sweeping the yard and cleaning up the Juvenile Spirit manure in the backyard kept changing. ¡°Zhu Minng, I think you are quite fortunate. I n to choose another Juvenile Spirit tomorrow, how about you help me take a look?¡± the student cleaning the yard asked. His name was Chen Bai, a name that was refined, amiable, and profoundly meaningful. It was he who had inquired about the taste of the Spiritual Realm Fruit during Zhu Minng¡¯s consumption of it. There had not been much interaction before, but Zhu Minng noticed that this fellow had recently been quite intent on currying favor with him. ¡°Chen Bai, sometimes you can be very lowly. You clearly want to ask for advice and learn, yet you talk with such a sour tone. Rethink your approach, and then I¡¯ll answer you,¡± Zhu Minng said casually, straightening his clothes. ¡°Big Brother Zhu, your strength is unfathomable, and you have a discerning eye. Could you please help your little brother check out the Juvenile Spirits and see which one would be suitable to choose?¡± Chen Bai quickly changed his tune. ¡°Not possible, I don¡¯t have time today,¡± Zhu Minng answered crisply. ¡°¡­¡± Chen Bai immediately wore the face of a disgruntled woman. Zhu Minng opened the letter and, upon seeing the signature, began to read carefully. It was a missive from Zheng Yu, who believed that since they were friends, there should be correspondence to prevent their friendship from bing distant due to separation. Zheng Yu told Zhu Minng about the opening and stabilization of the Wutu trade routes. Moreover, the new Army Guard of Wutu¡¯s Female Monarch was being established. From Zheng Yu¡¯s description, Zhu Minng could even sense Li Yunzi¡¯s ambition; it was not merely to achieve glory in Ancestral Dragon City but to turn the Ancestral Dragon City into an eternal city on thisnd! Wutu was gradually beginning to be incorporated into Ancestral Dragon City¡¯s territory, and the Wutu people were also continually epting new teachings and reforms. In fact, even before she was overthrown, Wutu had been trending in this direction, but after experiencing a great natural disaster and a rebellion, the Wutu people became even more resolute in seeing Li Yunzi as a leader of faith. All these changes had taken ce in just one winter, transforming thendscape. ¡°The Wutu people can now enter the Realm, which is an extremely important respect for their identity. I believe that, before long, they will no longer be looked down upon as impoverished refugees and ves¡­¡± After finishing thest part, Zhu Minng couldn¡¯t help but ponder. Li Yunzi, what kind of woman was she? And what was she trying to aplish? The battle in the south had been aplete victory, yet she had not returned. During Ancestral Dragon City¡¯s most splendid annual festival, people cheered for her name as the Valkyrie, eagerly awaiting her triumphant return. But she was still on the battlefield¡­ Zhu Minng couldn¡¯t see through her thoughts. And for some reason, he began to miss the calm and clear eyes that were hers, more intoxicating than the tranquil Li Chuan Lake thawing in the spring snow. If only she, too, liked to write letters to him, it would be something warmer than the spring breeze.. Chapter 88 - 88: Armor of Love Chapter 88: Armor of Love Trantor: 549690339 He entered the city-state and made his way to the foundry. Even in the cold winter, Zhu Minng maintained the good habit of tempering his casting art. Little White and Little Qing Zhuo could both have a set of armor suited to their attributes, as long as all the materials were gathered. The rest was a matter of his own craftsmanship. Ever since the moving romantic love story of their instant connection and mutual affection spread throughout the academy, the citizens¡¯ attitude toward Zhu Minng was no longer as hostile as before. There were even some who believed the story to be true and constantly sought to curry favor with him. Zhu Minng preferred to keep a low profile on ordinary days, not wanting these matters to disturb his state of mind for cultivation. So even now, as he went to the foundry, he merely greeted a few familiar people before diving headlong into the work of the furnace fire. The effects of the Spiritual Realm Fruit were extremely significant. Zhu Minng¡¯s spiritual power had increased by quite a bit, making it easier to temper the scales that required the infusion of spiritual power. The Dragon Mother had given Zhu Minng a Green Inverse Scale, which was a rare item, as one might not find such a scale even after ying dozens of dragons. It was a pity, however, that this Inverse Scale could not be used to make Dragon Armor; Dragon Armor requiredrger scales. Selling it seemed unprofitable no matter the price, so in the end, Zhu Minng decided to make it into an Inverse Green Soft Armor for his own protection. Zhu Minng had been working on this Inverse Green Soft Armor for some time now, and recently he had realized just how unskilled he had been before¡­ The size and scale materials both had significant deviations. If he forcibly matched it with other materials, it would only result in many weaknesses in the Inverse Green Soft Armor, limiting its effectiveness. ¡°Zhu Minng, Zhu Minng.¡± Outside the casting room, Master Zhao Long knocked on the door as if he had some good news for Zhu Minng. ¡°What is it, Master Zhao Long?¡± Zhu Minng did note to the door but shouted from inside. ¡°Have you heard? Your Female Monarch is returning to the city, ¡± Master Zhao Long also called out loudly. ¡°Ah?? Great news!¡± Zhu Minng replied. ¡°Why are you still cooped up in there, not going to the southern part of the city to meet her earlier?¡± Master Zhao Long seemed even more anxious than Zhu Minng himself. ¡°There¡¯s no need, no need, she¡­¡¯ ¡°Oh, I see, are you making her an Armor of Love? I saw you with a half-finished small armor some time ago, and I never would have guessed. Did you know through letters long ago that the Female Monarch wasing back, so you¡¯re working hard these days just to give her a surprise? What a romantic, you young people!¡± Master Zhao Long suddenly eximed as he understood. The door suddenly opened, Zhu Minng¡¯s face slightly reddish from the heat of the forge. He nced at Master Zhao Long. Turning his head, Zhu Minng looked back at the Inverse Green Armor that was obviously too small for him to wear and thought of Li Yunzi¡¯s delicate and graceful figure¡­ Indeed, why was he being so stubborn? Making a woman¡¯s soft armor was just the thing, wasn¡¯t it? He had never had the chance to thank Li Yunzi for the enrollment letter she sent him. For someone like her who often found herself on the battlefield, how could she be without a good soft scale armor? Moreover, he had fabricated the story of their instant connection and mutual affection, which had already spread throughout the city. She had been on the southern battlefield previously and had no time to hold him to ount¡­ When the time came and he offered this precious armor to her, if she had any dissatisfaction, it would be dispelled. If she didn¡¯t mind, wouldn¡¯t that make things even more perfect and sweet? A fairdy, a gentleman¡¯s good match. Even though some things had taken their course, Zhu Minng felt that it was appropriate to take some initiative in a fitting manner. What the oue would be he couldn¡¯t yet say, but surely making a good connection couldn¡¯t be wrong. He continued to strive hard, taking advantage of the days before Li Yunzi¡¯s arrival in the city, to quickly finish this Armor of Love¡­ the Inverse Green Treasure Armor! Luckily, he had always been a man of meticulous attention to detail. If he were to make clothes for another woman, Zhu Minng might not necessarily get the size just right. But for Li Yunzi, it should be no problem. The mountain flowers were dazzling, and the leaves in the forest serene in their beauty. The autumn nan trees had grown fuzz-like buds that changed a little each day. Yet not every change was watched daily by an attentive eye, slowly savoring the unfolding romance beneath the trees. Standing by a light-colored wall beneath the autumn nan tree, Zhu Minng was d in clean garb, looking up in admiration at the branches and leaves sliding down the rooftiles. A maiden approached and, upon seeing Zhu Minng, standing august and bright, couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit surprised. He seemed different from when she first met him, even his disposition seemed softer and more refined than before. ¡°Mr. Zhu, my miss said that she really likes your gift,¡± Frost said with a polite bow as she addressed Zhu Minng. ¡°Then please convey my regards to your miss,¡± Zhu Minng said, nodding with satisfaction. ¡°Why not tell her yourself?¡± Frost asked with a lightugh. ¡°Isn¡¯t she injured and not seeing anyone?¡± Zhu Minng asked in confusion. ¡°Are you, someone else?¡± Frost blinked her eyes teasingly. Zhu Minng¡¯s face turned red, obviously, the maid had heard the wonderful stories that Zhu Minng had crafted all by himself. Being invited into the courtyard should be considered a great honor; after all, the courtyards of wealthy families never weed any men, and even some rtives had to stay away. Yet for some reason, as he stepped into the courtyard, Zhu Minng felt a bit cautious. In his mind, he recalled the lieutenant who had lost an ear¡­ Upon entering, would he witness Li Yunzi¡¯s swordsmanship that he couldn¡¯t forget? There was a thin screen, and Zhu Minng had thought they would be separated by it, but Li Yunzi wasn¡¯t fond of such cumbersome social decorum. She invited Zhu Minng to sit in front of the house while the maid Frost brewed two cups of clear tea. Listening to Frost¡¯s light footsteps, she must have walked away, perhaps intentionally. Zhu Minng drank a cup of tea, his gaze wandering elsewhere. He wasn¡¯t sure if he felt like a thief or if he was simply admiring the uniqueness of the courtyard¡¯s residence. ¡°This return has been much more pleasant than thest. At least I haven¡¯t heard any vulgarnguage,¡± Li Yunzi smiled, realizing that the man before her was actually quite good at ying dumb. ¡°You know, I¡¯ve always been quite skilled at acting,¡± Zhu Minng said, slowly smiling as well. ¡°Really? The night encounter in the bamboo forest, the exchange of tokens of affection, was it all just an act for the asion?¡± Li Yunzi sipped her tea. Zhu Minng¡¯s smile gradually stiffened on his face. There were sweet stories and scandals as well. Nan Lingsha¡¯s words from before had been twisted beyond recognition by the rumor mills, mutating from the gift of a disabled dragon to an exchange of tokens of affection.. Even though most now believed in Zhu Minng¡¯s narrative of instant rapport and mutual affection, there were still rumors that Zhu Minng, a scoundrel at heart, was hopping from one side to the other, ying two ends against the middle! Chapter 89 - 89 Thick-skinned Chapter 89: Thick-skinned Trantor: 549690339 ¡°Misunderstanding, mydy¡­¡± Zhu Minng hurriedly tried to exin but inadvertently blurted out this self-invented address. Li Yunzi¡¯s eyes widened. If it had been some other frivolous yboy, whether he heard clearly or not, she would have cut out his tongue with a sword right there. ¡°Slip of the tongue, slip of the tongue, Miss Yunzi, I, Zhu Minng, have always maintained a proper conduct. I also don¡¯t understand why she would stir up trouble,¡± said Zhu Minng. Li Yunzi looked at him, saw his sincere face, but couldn¡¯t help snorting in her heart. When did she ever think Zhu Minng had such thick skin? ¡°I warned you not to get too close to her¡­ Oh well, from the current situation, she probably won¡¯t take your life,¡± Li Yunzi shook her head and no longer pursued the matter concerning Nan Lingsha. Zhu Minng scratched his head, realizing that she was worried he might die at Nan Lingsha¡¯s hands. Initially, Nan Lingsha indeed had thoughts of killing him, butter, she must have been gradually won over by his upright personality. ¡°That night in the bamboo forest was truly an ident, and as for the Divine Green Dragon of Divine Wood¡­¡± Zhu Minng proceeded to exin; he didn¡¯t want Li Yunzi to see him as the kind of person portrayed in the city¡¯s rumors. Even though they were twin sisters and looked exactly the same, Zhu Minng still preferred topletely separate them in his mind. ¡°Miss, what are you¡­ Ah, you can¡¯t go in, you can¡¯t!¡± At that moment, Frost¡¯s voice came from the distant doorway. Zhu Minng then realized she had gone out to stand guard for him. Hey, why did he think of it as standing guard? He hadn¡¯t done anything shameful; it was just a chat to catch up. ¡°Who is this person so presumptuous to barge into your courtyard?¡± Zhu Minng looked at Li Yunzi with some surprise and asked, ¡°Do you need me to leave?¡± ¡°Leave? Wouldn¡¯t that just lead to more spection?¡± Li Yunzi replied. She seemed to know who had barged in, merely rising slowly, taking a clean cup from a wooden stand behind her, and then lifting the teapot, slowly filling the empty cup with clear tea. Zhu Minng was somewhat puzzled, his gaze involuntarily drifting toward the long courtyard path, wanting to know who the visitor was. When he saw Li Yunzi walking along the path of Leaf Garden Stone, his face was filled with shock, until he turned his head back around and realized Li Yunzi hadn¡¯t teleported; she was right in front of him. That¡¯s when Zhu Minng finally understood! Indeed, there were two flowers from the same stem. Previously, Zhu Minng always felt something inexplicably odd, believing that perhaps tales of one body with twin souls existed in this world. Now, seeing them both at the same time, hepletely discarded those strange, unfounded spections. However, their simultaneous presence brought no small visual shock. Li Yunzi was already peerlessly beautiful, and regrettably, such beauty was possessed by another person, equally enough to sink fish and fall geese, not in the least bit inferior. ¡°Nan¡­ Nan Lingsha?¡± Zhu Minng¡¯s eyes alternated continuously between the two women. Frankly, unless they readily showed their distinct personalities, Zhu Minng simply couldn¡¯t tell them apart. And it seemed that Frost, who had been standing guard outside, also almost believed that the person who stormed in from the outside was Li Yunzi! ¡°Sit, ¡± Li Yunzi pointed to the wooden chair beside her and said calmly. Upon seeing Zhu Minng, Nan Lingsha¡¯s face blossomed with a smile, but this smile was far from gentle and graceful; instead, it carried a bit of yfulness. ¡°Sister, aren¡¯t you ambitious?¡± Nan Lingsha took a seat, just to the left of Zhu Minng. Zhu Minng had Li Yunzi in front of him and Nan Lingsha to his left, yet for some reason, he felt a bit of a headacheing on. The tea table was round, and Zhu Minng felt that if he were slightly distracted, he would immediately mistake one for the other¡­ Fortunately, Nan Lingsha wasn¡¯t silent and indifferent today. Her blue eyes were rippling, truly reflecting her unique alluring charm. ¡°If you intend to stop me, I won¡¯t be polite to you,¡± Li Yunzi said, still with her usual cold demeanor, not allowing much emotion to show, even towards her sister. ¡°Hmph, such a killjoy, what bad timing,¡± Nan Lingsha stood up but didn¡¯t touch the tea in front of her, simply looking like she was about to leave. However, she quickly halted, her gaze sparkling as she turned to look at Zhu Minng, who was content sitting there, wishing to remain unnoticed. Zhu Minng looked down at his teacup, his face as calm as the water within, but inside his heart swayed like the Mid-Autumn festival branches and leaves in the wind. ¡°The streets are bustling, and the whole winter has been tedious and dull. Sister, wouldn¡¯t it be nice to lend me this handsome gentleman to brighten my day? Take him to stroll through the fragrant, flower-filled Ancestral Dragon City?¡± Nan Lingsha said with a glowing smile, her eyes as bright as if washed by melting snow. ¡°No,¡± Li Yunzi tly refused. ¡°Can¡¯t bear to part with him? Zhu Lang, why don¡¯t you talk to me today? Usually you¡¯re so attentive and eager, never showing signs of fatigue even after chatting all night,¡± Nan Lingsha¡¯s smile seemed pure and charming, as if she were an innocently cheerful younger sister, concerned only with trivial pleasures like strolling and enjoying delicious food. ¡°Miss Ling Sha, I¡¯ve alreadyid out the facts for your sister, so don¡¯t twist the truth. What¡¯s more, my affection for your sister is nobler than¡­ that of a gentleman, and your provocations are meaningless,¡± Zhu Minng said seriously. ¡°You¡¯re not afraid to bite your tongue!¡± Nan Lingsha red fiercely at Zhu Minng. Zhu Minng remained unfazed, knowing this was a moment to stay as still as a meditating monk. After all, he couldn¡¯t figure out whether the discord between Li Yunzi and Nan Lingsha was because they had lost all sisterly love or due to simply differing stands. ¡°I have matters to discuss with him. You are free to stay or leave as you please,¡± Li Yunzi said, not appreciating Nan Lingsha¡¯s capricious behavior. ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll wait for you to finish talking. Afterward, apany me to see the spring nightnterns by the river. Maybe sister coulde too. It¡¯s been so many years since we¡¯ve gone out together,¡± Nan Lingsha said decidedly, sitting down and gracefully sipping her tea in silence. Zhu Minng frowned. It was his rare chance to be alone with Li Yunzi, which might allow their rtionship to develop a bit further. He wondered what Nan Lingsha was really probing for, whether she wanted to understand his true rtionship with Li Yunzi, or if she was just causing trouble for the sake of it. Li Yunzi nced at Nan Lingsha. Nan Lingsha, however, rolled her eyes. Suddenly, the atmosphere grew silent. Li Yunzi didn¡¯t speak, as if waiting quietly for Nan Lingsha to leave. Nan Lingsha wouldn¡¯t give in; either Li Yunzi would speak in her presence, or she would just wait there too. Zhu Minng saw the sisters were at an impasse and decided to be a good invisible man¡­ A breeze passed through, caressing a clump of meticulously grown lily of the valley in the courtyard. The tender white blossoms, like delicate hanging bells, swayed gently, not chiming, but wafting a delicate fragrance. Still very quiet, no one spoke. Suddenly, Zhu Minng remembered he hadn¡¯t eaten lunch. Seeing some pastries next to the table, he stood up, took the te of handmade treats, and began to enjoy them alongside his tea. Nan Lingsha stared with her beautiful,rge eyes, silent, as if to say: Do you think this is your own home? ¡°Oh, you should eat too, they¡¯re really tasty,¡± Zhu Minng said, sharing some of the pastries with Li Yunzi. Li Yunzi also took a bite but said nothing. Yet she seemed to redefine her opinion of Zhu Minng¡¯s thick skin.. Chapter 90 - 90 Concerns Chapter 90: Concerns Trantor: 549690339 Nan Lingsha really couldn¡¯t stand these two people anymore. It felt as if there was some kind of tacit understanding between them. She took another look at Zhu Minng and saw nothing extraordinary about him, yet Li Yunzi seemed to have a special tolerance for him. Could it really be because of that dewy love affair? ¡°You two continue your eye-flirting, this youngdy will take her leave,¡± Nan Lingsha stood up, carrying a hint of resentment. ¡°Frost, send Ms. Rain¡­ offer her an umbre,¡± Li Yunzi said, ncing outside the court, seeming to notice the clouds slowly obscuring the bright sky. ¡°No need!¡± Nan Lingsha said irritably. She nced at Zhu Minng¡¯s te with pastries carefully wrapped in a napkin, then petntly wrapped up the pastries, tied them with a delicate and pretty butterfly knot, and gently lifted them. ¡°I can¡¯t let all of Star Painting¡¯s pastries benefit him.¡± With that, she haughtily hummed a little tune, carrying the small pastries as she walked out. Zhu Minng, holding a bean cake in his hand, watched Nan Lingsha¡¯s graceful figure leave, his eyes revealing a touch of reluctance. Such delicious bean cakes, all snatched away by her! He wondered if there were any more left in Li Yunzi¡¯s house. He should pack some to take away when he left. ¡°Fourth Miss, your umbre, please take an umbre, or your pastries will get wet,¡± Frost offered an umbre, quickly following her out. True to being Li Yunzi¡¯s maid, she was so clever and intelligent, creating a rxed andfortable atmosphere without any sense of discord. ¡°Are there any more? This vor is really good; I haven¡¯t tasted such delicacies in a long time,¡± Zhu Minng finished thest half of his bean cake, took a sip of tea, and waited until the pastry powder in his mouth waspletely dissolved before asking. To be gluttonous, one must also do so with grace. ¡°No more,¡± Li Yunzi said as she gently slid the portion in front of her, which she hadn¡¯t touched much, towards Zhu Minng, probably noticing that he had skipped lunch toe to the Li Imperial Pce. ¡°Although you said your mood improved a bit this time, I still feel you are full of worries. Is something troubling you? Tell me, it¡¯s better than keeping it inside,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°Okay,¡± Li Yunzi nodded. Zhu Minng was somewhat surprised; his words were intended as a mere courtesy, purely out of concern for Li Yunzi¡¯s condition. He hadn¡¯t expected her to be willing to share her worries with him. Under normal circumstances, shouldn¡¯t Li Yunzi keep all her troubles hidden within her heart? ¡°It¡¯s okay, you eat your food, I¡¯ll talk about mine,¡± Li Yunzi said softly, seeing Zhu Minng sitting upright and proper. ¡°Okay,¡± Zhu Minng wasn¡¯t too formal. ¡°Before the annual celebration, all the generals hoped to return, including the big city-states in the south, which all thought we would surely withdraw our troops before the new year. But in the end, my army guards captured their main city on the day of their celebration, ¡± Li Yunzi narrated calmly. Zhu Minng suddenly felt the pastry get stuck in his throat and quickly poured a cup of tea to moisten it. The city-states in the south had been captured? All in a winter? Even though they weren¡¯t as strong as the Ancestral Dragon City, they shouldn¡¯t have fallen like that¡­ These few lightly spoken words left Zhu Minng utterly shaken. The celebration¡ªon one side, festivity withnterns and auspicious happiness; on the other side, soldiers at the gate and a country in turmoil! Even though he hadn¡¯t witnessed it with his own eyes, Zhu Minng could imagine the soul-stirring scene. ¡°Wutu, the army guard will be established, and by summer at thetest, the Wutu Nation will be formed. Zhang Tuo will lead as the city-state¡¯s think tank, with Zheng Yu as city lord, ¡± Li Yunzi continued her narrative. Zhu Minng took a deep breath. From Zheng Yu¡¯s letters and the constant news of border wars, Zhu Minng had already sensed Li Yunzi¡¯s ambition. Zhu Minng did not expect that, in just one winter and half a spring, two city-states around Ancestral Dragon City-State would belong to Li Yunzi alone! ¡°Ancestral Dragon City is the foundation, no matter how many cities I capture, once Ancestral Dragon City-State encounters any unforeseen event, the seventeen battles I¡¯ve fought in the past half year would be meaningless,¡± Li Yunzi continued. ¡°Lingxiao City has begun to condemn, Sect Pce has begun to obstruct, they see me as a demon, constantly igniting the mes of war, relentlessly causing people to be disced,¡± Li Yunzi looked at Zhu Minng. Zhu Minng refilled Li Yunzi¡¯s tea cup, simrly gazing into her eyes. ¡°I can¡¯t see the joy of seizing power from your eyes. You¡¯re not obsessed with power, nor do you care about wealth. What is it you want, can you tell me?¡± Zhu Minng finally couldn¡¯t help but ask. What she truly wanted. On thisnd, although the mes of war had never ceased, now half of the wars were instigated by Li Yunzi, and all of them could be described as wars of aggression begun by her. Having taken the city-states to the south, and intending for Wutu to dere independence, if Ancestral Dragon City-State also fellpletely under her control, she would possess three major city-states by herself! At that moment, Li Yunzi¡¯s eyes finally showed emotion, fierce and sharp as a sword¡¯s re. ¡°To establish a nation!¡± she dered. Nation, a word not unfamiliar to the many city-states, but no actual nation existed on thisnd. City-states were independent of each other, with no alliances to speak of. Apart from Sect Pce holding some bnce of power, essentially every city-state was its own little kingdom! What Li Yunzi wanted was the unification of city-states, to establish a nation! Such towering ambition! ! Zhu Minng felt he had truly underestimated Li Yunzi, having thought she was only reiming her sovereign rights, not realizing she aimed to be the true sovereign of the entirend! ¡°So your enemy is actually Sect Pce?¡± Zhu Minng said with a wry smile. ¡°I don¡¯t actually have enemies in the true sense, only obstacles in my path,¡± Li Yunzi replied. ¡°I don¡¯t understand, if you truly want to be the ruler of a nation, you could wait until Wutu prospered, you could slowly consume South Nation, even wait until the situation within Ancestral Dragon City-State was stable, why act now¡­¡± Zhu Minng shook his head. No, that¡¯s not right. Even though Li Yunzi had been overwhelmingly victorious, even having taken South Nation by surprise, her foundation was unstable, with internal strife and external threats. Before long, she might push herself into a corner! She couldn¡¯t possibly have failed to foresee these issues, so why was she in such a hurry? To establish a nation, one cannot rush. ¡°In taking South Nation, I was injured. This news, those who obstruct me already know, ¡± Li Yunzi said. Zhu Minng¡¯s mouth fell open, but then he stopped himself from responding. It was not without reason that Nan Lingsha came at this time¡ªcould it also be to probe Li Yunzi¡¯s injuries? In that case, Nan Lingsha was ultimately one of Li Yunzi¡¯s obstacles, holding power in the Nan Family. Even if she did not care about power struggles, as long as she was intent on obstructing, Li Yunzi would have a hard time establishing herself firmly in Ancestral Dragon City-State¡­ With so many enemies, returning to recover from her injuries, Lingxiao City State would likely not miss this rare opportunity, and Sect Pce would sanction Li Yunzi even more. ¡°How is it that you have hardly any guards by your side? It¡¯s far too unsafe, especially since Li Imperial Pce is filled with so many with ulterior motives,¡± Zhu Minng stood up and looked around the courtyard. Even when using spiritual power to sense, Zhu Minng could not feel the presence of any experts by Li Yunzi¡¯s side. ¡°Even with a vast army, there are scarcely one or two I can trust. The so-called loyalty, the so-called faith, none can withstand threats and inducements,¡± Li Yunzi said, her words tinged with a trace of destion. Having experienced a fall from grace, and tasting the bitterness of humiliation, she was now clearer than anyone that the so-called support, the so-called loyalty, were all illusory, scattering as soon as a strong wind blew. ¡°This¡­¡± Zhu Minng, upon hearing this, suddenly felt a pang of sympathy. Human nature is indeed such, even in Wutu, providing them a chance at life, yet with better interests, they quickly betray and even scorn. Such things had happened before, hadn¡¯t they? Chapter 91 - 91 Close Protection Chapter 91: Close Protection Trantor: 549690339 ¡°Having no reputation as a teacher, and having made enemies on all sides, I am injured now. If you continue to tell others about that so-called mutual affection, it is tantamount to sending yourself down the Netherworld Road. What I have told you today is just this¡­¡± Li Yunzi was seemingly calm as she narrated, but she also struggled with hesitation. Zhu Minng understood the message behind Li Yunzi¡¯s words. ¡°You trust me, that¡¯s why you¡¯re telling me all this. But why conclude with such misleading words? If I were a straightforward man, I might think you want to part ways with me,¡± Zhu Minng spoke up. ¡°If you need me, just say it. I¡¯ll pack my things tomorrow and move in, uh, I mean, move in to protect you,¡± Zhu Minng said. Li Yunzi looked at Zhu Minng¡¯s earnest face, feeling both relieved and helpless. Relieved that Zhu Minng understood the things she left unsaid. Helpless because she didn¡¯t actually want Zhu Minng to get involved in this matter, since her own future was uncertain as well. ¡°There are still some things I have not spelled out to you, but if you make this decision, it¡¯s a matter of life and death, and it¡¯s not as simple as just protecting me¡­¡± Li Yunzi hesitated for a while, then decided to reveal her other ns to Zhu Minng as well. Zhu Minng, however, shook his head, showing no intention of listening further. ¡°I trust my judgment.¡± Zhu Minng¡¯s lips curled into a smile, and he raised his tea in ce of wine to honor Li Yunzi. In Wutu, the Valkyrie¡¯s brilliance shone across thend, and countless people revered her as their faith. Zhu Minng had never believed in anything; he only believed in himself, in his ability to judge people. Li Yunzi, she was not elusive and far away. She was a living, breathing woman. People gossiped, focusing only on the aspect of her that was rumored, while he had seen her most authentic self. She treated everyone equally. This fairness meant that she did not seek the favor of the powerful and the elite, and it also meant she was not close to the poor and the toiling masses. Thus, in thisnd of chaos, there was only one Female Monarch, only one Li Yunzi. Even with thousands of troops, the truly trustworthy were few and far between. Zhu Minng understood Li Yunzi¡¯s feelings; she shared these things with him not only to make him aware of her predicament and encourage him to retreat from danger, but also to show that she desperately needed someone trustworthy by her side. Wasn¡¯t that person himself? A bit awkward maybe, but at least he was someone who wouldn¡¯t harm or betray her, a trustworthypanion. Rather than offering some token of affection, it was better to provide close protection. Frankly speaking, Zhu Minng really didn¡¯t trust those seemingly sturdy and loyal guards by her side, especially now that she was injured, vulnerable in a time of crisis¡­ ¡°Thank you,¡± Li Yunzi said, no longer making a fuss. Understanding each other meant there was a tacit agreement. Moreover, the very reason Li Yunzi wanted to talk to Zhu Minng was to hope that he would stay by her side for the time being. If he hadn¡¯t understood, or if he had been scared off by the difficulties and dangers ahead, then it was not meant to be, and Li Yunzi would not want him, a Dragon Shepherd with promising prospects, to get involved in her troubles¡­ The Female Monarch¡¯s illustrious name, I shall guard it alone. Zhu Minng had never thought the boast he made woulde true. Of course, Zhu Minng also understood that having made this decision, he would have to be even more cautious in his future actions. What she had said before was not just to scare him off. ¡°Only a pleasant story, but without truepanionship in adversity, in the end, is nothing but a fleeting pair of mandarin ducks¡­ uh, I mean, pretense, the pretense of a gentleman¡¯s friendship,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°Keep your distance from Nan Lingsha, ¡± Li Yunzi cautioned once again. ¡°Alright.¡± Zhu Minng nodded, almost ready to raise his four fingers to swear an oath to Heaven that he would indeed keep the boundaries clear with his sister-inw, resolutely not coveting her due to their resemnce! Stepping out of the Li Imperial Pce, Zhu Minng¡¯s expression became even more solemn. Although he had fallen on hard times and was raising silkworms to scrape by, it did not mean he was unaware of the bigger picture. Li Yunzi was in grave danger; she could be overthrown at any moment by the collective resentment, and her fate would only be more tragic. With his current level of strength and realm, he was yet unable to stem the tide. Was she truly skating on thin ice, or was she masterminding her strategies behind the scenes? s, everything was too urgent. In fact, given more time to be the sovereign of the Ancestral Dragon City-State in this era, it was not impossible. Little White¡¯s growth rate was even faster than he had anticipated¡­ But what exactly was pursuing Li Yunzi? This was why, despite her many battle victories, she remained anxious. She was desperate to establish her country, for it could bring her a tiny sense of security. The pressure on her was certainly even more terrifying. Of course, not all was so grim. Thinking of the phrase ¡°Even with ten thousand troops, the trustworthy are few,¡± Zhu Minng couldn¡¯t help feeling a bit proud. In Li Yunzi¡¯s heart, he had always been such a dependable man! Someone who could see through the veneer and recognize his true nature under his ordinary yet handsome appearance¡ªhis wife truly had an insightful eye for gems. To survive hardships together, then to be united in life as they were in dreams ¡ªwhat had once been a mundane life had suddenly be unpredictable and even more inspiring! Inside the courtyard, Frost emerged from behind the thin screen, her lively eyes fixed on Zhu Minng¡¯s retreating figure. Only after he hadpletely disappeared did she bring the freshly brewed hot tea forward. ¡°Miss, I did not expect your son-inw to appear gentle and approachable, with a somewhat delicate and casual air, yet he also possesses responsibility and courage, not seeming like someone from a small ce¡­¡± Frost muttered to Li Yunzi. Li Yunzi lifted her gaze, looking at her maid. Frost had not initially realized what might have been wrong with herment, but upon recalling her reference to Zhu Minng, her cheeks immediately flushed crimson, and she hurriedly apologized, ¡°Frost is too frank and outspoken; I know I was wrong.¡± Frank and outspoken?? So, that was what the girl truly thought! Li Yunzi waved her hand dismissively, sending the maid away, and then closed her eyes to rest, listening to the quiet sound of falling rain like flowers. Whether she could survive this ordeal was still uncertain, even if a hint of tender sentiment arose in Li Yunzi¡¯s heart, it would quickly be overwhelmed by the current situation. Inside the main courtyard of the Li Imperial Pce. Nan Lingsha stood quietly in front of the Pear Wood Hall; there was no one else in the hall except for Li Ying, who was seated in the ce of honor. ¡°No guards?¡± Li Ying asked with some surprise. ¡°Yes, she is having tea with Zhu Minng.¡± Nan Lingsha said. ¡°That shouldn¡¯t be right; there¡¯s news that she was seriously injured. How can she be without a guard by her side?¡± Li Ying questioned with some confusion. ¡°Father, did you take part in Li Yunzi¡¯s affairs in Eternal City?¡± Nan Lingsha asked. ¡°How could I! Although she has always been seizing power from the family, acting recklessly without regard for me, the Family Head and father, she is still my daughter. How can Imit such an atrocious act?¡± Li Ying said, his anger rising. ¡°Then who did it? There are things that only our family knows about¡­ Now, Li Yunzi is acting like she¡¯s out of her mind, constantly seeking power and raising troops. If she¡¯s not seeking revenge, what is she doing?¡± Nan Lingsha said, puzzled. ¡°You just need to understand one thing; I only wish for stability in the Ancestral Dragon City-State. Yunzi and I have different philosophies, and I would only confront her openly and honestly,¡± Li Ying said, his tone bing a bit calmer. Nan Lingsha did not ask further. She bowed and then turned to leave. ¡°It¡¯s starting to rain; put on a raincoat,¡± Li Ying called after her. ¡°I¡¯ll take the sedan chair.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll have someone bring the sedan chair over; wait here,¡± Li Ying said. ¡°I want to see the Festival of Lanterns on the river.¡¯ ¡°Someone, go order the street cleaners to clean up River Street,¡± Li Ying yelled out loud. Chapter 92 - 92: Poor Stomach Since Childhood Chapter 92: Poor Stomach Since Childhood Trantor: 549690339 He had said he was going back to the academy to pack up his things, but Zhu Minng found that he actually didn¡¯t have much to pack up¡­ Big ck Tooth¡¯s meal ticket at the pasture was about to expire in just a few days. After consuming food through a whole winter and half a spring, Zhu Minng had thought his academic credits could feed it for much longer, but he didn¡¯t expect the ck Azure Violent Dragon to be such a glutton. However, he was quite relieved that with a perfect diet, saw-toothed fins had grown on Big ck Tooth¡¯s body. These saw-toothed fins were extremely sharp and could easily slice open the scales and hides ofrge organisms during closebat, creating wounds that continued to worsen over time. Zhu Minng had tested it on a ck pig that had killed a Juvenile Spirit, and once the saw-toothed fins inflicted a wound, even one as small as a fingertip, the ck pig would die within an hour! It proved to be a very lethal natural weapon, including Big ck Tooth¡¯s sharp teeth, which also had the ability to worsen wounds. If they encountered a difficult enemy in the future, they could first tear open its wound and then slowly wear it down, waiting for the injury to worsen, which would also provide a very secure way toplete the hunt! The Divine Green Holy Dragon continued to practice tirelessly, practicing flying, practicing the Method of Driving, and strengthening its own physique. It was several sizesrger than Bai Qi and could already carry Zhu Minng to fly freely above the academy. Unfortunately, due to injuries, it had not been able to awaken new abilities, ?and seemed to be stuck at the size of a Flying Bird Pseudo-Dragon, which could have grown muchrger¡­ Its wings wereposed of tough iron-leaf green feathers, more solid than some shields, but its body was somewhat fragile, with poor defense capabilities, and it had many weak points and vital areas. Zhu Minng had already been trying to make up for these weaknesses; however, the restrictions of a Disabled Dragon¡¯s constitution, along with the difficulty in finding divine wood, were likely to lead to many developmental inadequacies. That was the best they could do for now. Zhu Minng knew that the Divine Green Holy Dragon¡¯s growth journey was even more difficult and required even more effort. Fortunately, the Divine Green Holy Dragon was diligent. Having suffered hardships, it never neglected any training session or realbat, and Zhu Minng believed that it would one day ovee its congenital damage and achieve something extraordinary. Bai Qi¡¯s cultivation was much simpler. It had already transformed from an Ice Bug to an Ice Morning White Dragon, so all it needed to do was to grow steadily. Luckily, its growth was extremely rapid. Perhaps it wouldn¡¯t even need to wait until summer to enter adulthood. Of course, this was also rted to its consumption of Spiritual Realm Fruits¡­ Raising dragons is a gold-consuming affair; this saying was not in the least bit false. Zhu Minng had managed to save some money after much difficulty, thinking a luxurious spring was about toe, only to find out after a season had passed that his savings had dwindled to next to nothing. The main issue was that Bai Qi¡¯s growth resources were extremely expensive. The materials to satisfy the bloodlines of Ice Dragon, Star Wind Profound Art, and Azure Dragon Mystics were scarce and costly. Zhu Minng had almost reached the point of being willing to spend a fortune for bones, and when the perfect earthly treasure finally appeared, he nearly emptied his coffers to get Now thinking back on it, biting the bullet and making the purchase was worth it. Given the current dire situation, Bai Qi¡¯s advancing a day earlier provided security for both himself and Li Yunzi. If they were to rely solely on time, it would likely take many more months¡­ After adulthoodes another evolution. It is the Complete Period¡­ But it won¡¯t be that easy. The first three stages, juvenile period, growth period, and adult period, are all natural growth phases for dragon pets. Even without transformative heavenly treasures or the help of the Spiritual Realm, changes will ur with time. But the Complete Period is unpredictable. Many creatures may not evolve to this stage even at the end of their lives. As a Disabled Dragon, the Divine Green Holy Dragon probably wouldn¡¯t reach this fourth stage. ¡°Zhu Minng, are you finally moving out to live on your own? Sigh, our status is simply too low, living with us indeed diminishes your value,¡± Chen Bai said with his usual tinge of sourness. Hong Hao and Li Shaoying saw Zhu Minng packing his luggage and also stuck their heads out from their rooms. ¡°Brother Zhu, I have connections in the academy, I¡¯ll arrange a big mansion for us. The few of us with True Dragons can live there and continue to be neighbors, ¡± Hong Hao offered generously. ¡°I have no money,¡± Li Shaoying said with a gloomy face. ck Serpent needed to eat Golden Toads, which were great delicacies for the rich, and the farmers who caught them sold them for a very high price. Li Shaoying was busy every day, with no time to quarrel with ssmates anymore. Bing a Dragon Trainer wasn¡¯t as privileged as he had imagined; instead, it felt like he had be a Dragon ve. ¡°No worries, your ck Serpent is fierce like a tiger. Let¡¯s take on a mission togetherter. We¡¯ll split the profits fifty-fifty, and then we¡¯ll have the rent,¡± Hong Hao said. ¡°Rent??¡± Li Shaoying rolled his eyes. Other Dragon Trainers were buying mansions, so why did he have to rent one¡­ Forget it, forget it. It was tight feeding a ck Serpent. It wouldn¡¯t matter if he lived a little more modestly. ¡°I¡¯m moving to the Li Imperial Pce. As for a house, that¡¯s good, you guys keep a room for me, I¡¯ll pay the rent,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°What¡¯s to pay for? That little amount of money is something I, Hong Hao, can afford for a friend,¡± Hong Hao said. Hong Hao wouldn¡¯t forget the favor. Zhu Minng had once given him a Soul Bead, and without it, Hong Hao¡¯s Big Wolfsprite might not have transformed into a dragon so smoothly. ¡°Hong Hao, didn¡¯t you hear the main point that Zhu Minng just mentioned?¡± At that moment, Chen Bai spoke in a hushed tone. ¡°What main point?¡± Hong Hao asked with a look of confusion. ¡°He said he is going to move to the Li Imperial Pce. That is where Empress Li Yunzi lives¡­¡± Chen Bai muttered. Hong Hao¡¯s mouth immediately fell open, his jaw seemingly refusing to close. ¡°I¡¯m just going to watch over the house and guard the courtyard¡­ Anyway, take care everyone, if nothing unexpected happens I¡¯ll be back. My wife frequently goes off to fight battles, and once gone, she¡¯s away for several months, so I cane back and continue to study and tame dragons with you all,¡± Zhu Minng said with a smile. Although the academy had a veryid-back and rxing atmosphere, making it hard to leave, this time it was a matter concerning Li Yunzi¡¯s safety, and he could not shirk his duty! ¡°Zhu Minng, my mother also often says that I have a weak stomach since childhood, I can¡¯t eat food that is too hard. As we¡¯ve been ssmates, could you teach me how to handle such a prosperous soft rice-eating situation?¡± Chen Bai asked in a low voice. Zhu Minng couldn¡¯t be bothered to deal with the millennia-old lemon spirit. He said his goodbyes to everyone else and then headed into the city-state. After leaving the academy and passing by White Rock Bridge, Zhu Minng wanted to also say goodbye to Tao Yatou, the peach-seller girl, but unfortunately, he did not see her today. Her peach stand had been taken over by someone selling pinecones. ¡°Where¡¯s Niannian?¡± Zhu Minng asked the pinecone seller. ¡°Her family wants her to marry someone, apparently a young master who often visits the pleasure boats has taken a liking to her. But that girl doesn¡¯t know what¡¯s good for her, saying she looks down on such scoundrels, and then she ran away into the city to hide. Now her whereabouts are unknown¡­ If my daughter had such luck, I would tie her up and send her to that man¡¯s mansion myself, it¡¯s better to be a concubine than to toil away like this!¡± The pinecone seller shook his head and sighed. Zhu Minng frowned. How could she not inform him about such a serious matter? Quite a lot of the ingredients for his three dragons had been procured by her hard work. Even though she might have a sharp tongue, she was reliable in her tasks. How could she, a young girl, manage such a thing on her own? She should have sought the help of a noble Dragon Shepherd like him, yet she didn¡¯t even consider him a friend. Upon entering the Dragon City-State, Zhu Minng thought for a moment and then decided that he should still look for Fang Niannian, fearing that the girl might suffer from bullying. He walked towards River Street, as Zhu Minng remembered she had told him more than once that she loved the River Lantern Festival in mid-spring, that serene and beautiful time, far more appealing to her than the annual celebration. So Zhu Minng felt sure she would be there. The street was crowded, even the drizzling rain didn¡¯t stop thedies of Ancestral Dragon City from wearing their soft, flowing Yunzhi dresses, roaming romantically among the rivernterns. With an umbre in hand, Zhu Minng searched among the throngs of chattering women for the runaway girl. ¡°Go on, go on, a lowborn maid, don¡¯t ruin the view. Tonight, the Miss of the Nan Family is here to watch the rivernterns, and I¡¯m here to keep the streets clean, naturally I won¡¯t let your stinky self in,¡± a street guard snarled, blocking the entrance without a trace of kindness. Zhu Minng searched inside and thought she might have already been enjoying the festival, only to find that the girl had been barred at the entrance. Fang Niannian¡¯s face was flushed with humiliation and anger. As a resident of Phoenix Embankment Town, she naturally had the right toe and go in most areas of Ancestral Dragon City. But because she had run away in a hurry, she hadn¡¯t brought any change of clothes, and she didn¡¯t have much money either¡­ Zhu Minng stepped forward, blocking the insolent street guard. Seeing Zhu Minng¡¯s insignia from the Dragon Taming Academy, the guard quickly bowed and did not dare to scold as loudly as before. ¡°Let¡¯s go, I¡¯ll take you to buy some clothes, freshen up at a nearby inn. If you want to stroll, you should do it beautifully, as you said yourself,¡± Zhu Minng said, grinning as if he had picked up a little stray kitten on the side of the road. ¡°Hmph, I just left in too much of a hurry to change my clothes!¡± Fang Niannian replied defiantly. ¡°Alright, stop being stubborn. I¡¯ve heard about your situation from someone else,¡± Zhu Minng said. Soon bing a little beggar, and yet Fang Niannian still held onto her pride. After purchasing some clothes, and getting cleaned up, Although there was no time for her to dress up delicately and wishfully put a few beautiful bows in her hair, joy and excitement were evident on Fang Niannian¡¯s face. When she entered the riverntern street again, the street guard did not recognize Fang Niannian, but he did recognize Zhu Minng and bowed to him once more. ¡°Judging people based on their appearance, hmph!¡± Fang Niannian did not forget to return the disdain she had received. The street guard was taken aback, only then realizing that the spirited and radiant girl in front of him was the same poor girl from before, he awkwardly offered a smile, not daring to retort even after being scolded. ¡°I¡¯m going to the Li Imperial Pce, they will probably arrange a maid for me there. I don¡¯t really like dealing with strangers, and besides, they might not be able to find ingredients that match my requirements¡­ If you don¡¯t want to go home,e be my Dragon Trainer¡¯s little housekeeper,¡± Zhu Minng asked. The maids arranged by the Li Imperial Pce were most likely under surveince. Empress Li Yunzi herself only had one maid named Frost in her courtyard, and no others. It wouldn¡¯t be suitable for Zhu Minng to ask Li Yunzi for arrangements either.. Chapter 93 - 93 Strange Heaven Chapter 93: Strange Heaven Trantor: 549690339 After some thought, Zhu Minng decided to bring Fang Niannian along. She could help him find the ingredients he needed, and even some lower-tiered enhancement materials. After all, she was familiar with the attributes and tastes of his three dragons. Of course, in public, Zhu Minng wouldn¡¯t let her get too close to him. Apanying Li Yunzi this time was dangerous, and Fang Niannian couldn¡¯t be involved. ¡°I certainly don¡¯t want to be a little maid!¡± ¡°A little housekeeper, that¡¯s a pretty high status.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve seen some Dragon Shepherds, and most haverge teams supporting them, even whole cities or families. Why are you so shabby?¡± Fang Niannian inquired. ¡°We¡¯re slowly building up, aren¡¯t we? If you join, you¡¯ll be an elder of the Master of Dragon Shepherd, in charge of all the dragon food supplies!¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°When you put it like that, it does sound quite impressive,¡± Fang Niannian remarked. ¡°So, you agree?¡± Zhu Minngughed, knowing this little girl had felt aggrieved these past few days, so he spoke some kind words tofort her. ¡°It¡¯s not because of you, it¡¯s because I like Little White and Big Clumsy ck!¡± Fang Niannian dered solemnly. ¡°Let me make myself clear, if you don¡¯t do well, I will still rece you with someone more capable,¡± Zhu Minng stated. ¡°Hmph, even if it¡¯s a strange ce, buying dragon food is just like shopping for groceries!¡± Fang Niannian dered confidently. Zhu Minng didn¡¯t say anything more. The food for dragons, some can only be obtained by farmers and mountain harvesters. Apart from buying it with money, Dragon Shepherds have basically no other way to get it. Thus, the more dragons a Dragon Shepherd has, therger their team tends to be. They have people specifically responsible for the dragons¡¯ diet, procurement, raising Juvenile Spirits, managing finances, collecting taxes from towns, and seekingmissions and assignments¡­ Of course, these are things that usually happen when you have five or six dragons. Zhu Minng currently had only three dragons, so hiring a little housekeeper would greatly ease his burden. Clear ripples on the river, the flickering lights like little boats swaying in the charming night. Winter had long gone, and the women of Ancestral Dragon City in their cloud-like gowns had be the most romantic scenery of River Light Street. Modest yet vivacious, free-spirited, alluring, enchantingly graceful¡­ Purchasing a Night Wish Flower Lantern, writing down wishes never before revealed, and sending them along with the splendidntern down the distant river, who at the end picked up one¡¯sntern? Perhaps the sympathetic river goddess, perhaps a man downstream unfamiliar with romance, or perhaps there is no end, like one¡¯s heart unfound¡­ Each riverntern blooms its own small dream reflection amidst the flowing waves and their reflections. What are the wishes of the multitude? The most intriguing thing, perhaps, is that everyone is different. Zhu Minng gazed at these rivernterns, slowly bing entranced by them. Even having seen more bustling worlds, he feared that nothing was quite as precious as the tranquility and beauty before his eyes¡­ Was the Iron Hoof Army that Li Yunzi refused to halt just there to protect this small, present tranquility? Zhu Minng bought antern and also wrote down his own hopes. ¡°What did you write?¡± Fang Niannian leaned over, her crescent eyes sparkling with curiosity. ¡°Peace and prosperity for all, ¡± replied Zhu Minng indifferently. ¡°So clich¨¦.¡± ¡°What did you write?¡± asked Zhu Minng. ¡°I¡¯m not showing you.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve seen mine.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t hide it. Besides, yours is not a wish that can¡¯t be seen by others.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re saying you¡¯ve written a secret that can¡¯t be seen by others?¡± Zhu Minngughed heartily. Fang Niannian brandished her little fists, ready to give anyone who dared to peek a clear warning with her ferocious posture! Zhu Minng wasn¡¯t too curious. He looked up at the night sky, which still drizzled with fine rain, and as he did so, it seemed like the myriadnterns on the river were mirrored in the sky, little sparks brightening the dense darkness!! Zhu Minng showed a hint of surprise, focusing more intently on the sight. In an instant, a wave of fear without warning surged through him. Above Ancestral Dragon City-State, amidst the scattered rain, streams of flying sparks were slowly slicing through the darkness, illuminating and spreading the dense, fine rain that was previously only visible above River Street! The rain was widespread, covering the sky of Ancestral Dragon City-State in a fine mist. Due to the sky¡¯s sudden rity, the rain appeared golden, delicate and dreamlike, visible from both the River Street and outside the State Wall of Ancestral Dragon City-State. But what made the rain so brilliant, and the objects crossing the sky, why did they instill a fear deep in one¡¯s soul? Was it because the eyes only saw the grandeur and beauty, while the subconscious associated it with an imminent terror, sending a shiver down one¡¯s spine!! ¡°Stars falling in the night rain, heavens, look everyone!!¡± ¡°It really is stars falling from the sky dome, so dazzling! This is an auspicious sign, even the heavens are blessing our Ancestral Dragon City-State, bestowing fortune upon us!!¡± ¡°Wow, is there an artist here? Hurry, capture this rare spectacle of the sky!¡± Amidst the River Light Street, wherenterns floated, the gasps of astonishment resembled the fervor of New Year celebrations. Such a celestial phenomenon had never been seen before; so breathtaking was its beauty that even the ordinary drizzle turned into golden fireworks that cast the Ancestral Dragon City-State in a light as resplendent and sacred as the Divine Pce¡­ ¡°Spread out, everybody, spread out! Quick, move!¡± But just then, someone yelled at the top of their lungs. This person was nothing like the others, infatuated and admiring; his face was fraught with shock and fear. And this person was Zhu Minng! ¡°Move away, they¡¯re falling! Zhu Minng had already used his spiritual power, trying to drown out all the cries of joy and amazement, but still, he struggled to alert the delighted citizens of the Ancestral Dragon City-State of the impending terror¡­ The sky grew more and more brilliant, the night brighter than day, so dazzling one might call it resplendent, a sight unseen for decades. ¡°Sssssssssssssssssssssss- Pink rain and golden dew began to turn into steam; intense heat vaporized them midair, creating thick clouds of obscuring mist. The heat wave struck Ancestral Dragon City, gradually making the overly joyful poption feel ufortable. For a while, there was no wind. Then, in an instant, it became wildly tempestuous. Waves in the city¡¯s river surged violently, engulfing countlessnterns. Street stalls were overturned, uunched colorfulnterns scattered on the ground, and even those hung on the osmanthus trees were swept up; whether they ended up in disarray on the ground or caught on the eaves of houses. Clothes billowed in disarray, intricately arranged hairstyles became disheveled, and from joy to panic, people began seeking shelter in shops, fleeing the raging atmosphere! ¡°Scatter, everyone, scatter!¡± Zhu Minng¡¯s voice repeated over and over, but no one listened. Finally, the sight that made Zhu Minng¡¯s blood run cold appeared. Within the rain-enshrouded skies above the Ancestral Dragon City-State, a massive Morning Stone, entangled with pink and golden fire, fell like a plummeting sun towards the Ancestral Dragon City-State, heading straight for the area near River Street! The light was blinding, forcing eyes shut, and with a single loud bang, everyone¡¯s hearing was temporarily deafened, their vision blinded, their heads spinning! The city trembled, followed by a sky-high tidal wave that swept across, beginning at a riverside tavern, spreading mes and massive shockwaves, shattering tiles, copsing buildings, upending streets, and sending clustered crowds into a whirlwind of carnage¡­ These were not the auspicious signs the people had prayed for. This was divine wrath, a punishment from the heavens! Human beings were utterly insignificant in the face of such power, as if the city, built with countless years of wisdom, was equally powerless! When people could hear and see again, the most bustling part of humanity had be half a charred purgatory. From joy to shock and then to a copse in terror, in just a brief span, the citizens who hade to see thenterns at Ancestral Dragon City-State felt as though they had glimpsed the Ghost Gate, their souls flying, their spirits scattering. Zhu Minng shielded Fang Niannian behind him, covering her eyes so she would not see the Asura Hell a hundred meters ahead. He looked up and saw streaks of zing fire tearing through the higher sky, arching across the long expanse of the sky, flying toward a distant ce, unknown where they would fall. But it was just one such streak, falling into the city, that brought untold grief and despair! Zhu Minng¡¯s heart was in turmoil, and as he red at the sky dome, his eyes filled with blood. If somebody controlled this heavenly fire, they must be a demon! The cries, the screams, the calls for loved ones all merged into one, as people forgot their own emotions amidst the falling fire, only awakening as if from a nightmare when surviving the cmity, remembering they should feel fear and sorrow, remembering to search for those who hade with them to see thenterns; were they still alive? Some fears can be avoided, some powers allow people time to flee, but this heavenly fire seemed to have already delivered its sentence. Children clung helplessly to their parents, and the parents huddled helplessly under the roofs, watching buildings ttened to the ground, they could only hold their children tight, unsure to what they should pray¡­ ¡°Quick, disperse the crowd. If another heavenly fire falls by chance, there will be even more casualties!¡± Zhu Minng saw the street overseer and called out to him. The street overseer hadpletely lost his wits, but when he heard Zhu Minng speak, an instinct for decency kickstarted him to inform the people, paralyzed with fear, to scatter. The chaos and helplessnesssted who knows how long; even without any hovering heavenly fire, they struggled to escape the shadow of this deathly promation. Gradually, the army appeared, faces equally etched with horror. They began to clear the Asura field, attempting to dig out some who were still alive. Zhu Minng and Fang Niannian were also driven away. In the face of such a catastrophe, they were powerless, at most they could help lost children find their way home,forting their emotions. The only relief was that no other heavenly fire fell that night. But this panic would remain buried in people¡¯s hearts for who knows how lengthy¡­ Chapter 94 - 94: No Sunlight Chapter 94: No Sunlight Trantor: 549690339 The darker the night, the more restless it became. And this night was excessively long. In her separate court, Li Yunzi opened her eyes and nced out at the sky beyond the curtain. Dawn had not broken. Was dawn not gracing us with its presence anymore? At this time, daylight should have already unfolded, even if heavy clouds enveloped the sky, it shouldn¡¯t be this dark. The air was murky, and the wind had blown for a long time without dispersing it. She was already aware of what had happenedst night, but she didn¡¯t leave her courtyard, opting instead to send a squad of army guards¡­ ¡°Miss, chaos reigns outside. The day remains dark; there¡¯s a group of people with malicious intent gathered at the ancestral altar, condemning you! Heavens, your army guards were the first to arrive there. You are the only one who cares about the people¡¯s lives, yet they want to push all the me onto you,¡± Frost said indignantly. Li Yunzi remained silent, her gaze fixed outside the window. Such gloominess, even an eclipse in an inauspicious year, should notst this long. What exactly had caused the cosmos to enter this endless night? She stayed indoors, quietly healing. ¡°Miss, sir¡­ Zhu Minng has moved into the residence. Is he to be arranged in the nearest courtyard?¡± Frost came to ask. ¡°Clean up the left court¡¯s room,¡± Li Yunzi said. ¡°Ah? Isn¡¯t that living in the same courtyard? How can you allow a man to reside within your courtyard, Miss? Although separated by the central courtyard¡­¡± Frost expressed her surprise. Li Yunzi did not respond. She was very tired and seemed to not even have the strength to speak, or perhaps she was contemting and had no intention to repeat herself. Frost knew that her miss was not the kind ofdy who dithers. What she said had to be done. Frost hurriedly set about tidying up, clearing the left court¡¯s room, and at the same time, pondered whether she should add a temporary door between the central and left courts. She would stand watch at this door at night to prevent any mishaps. Zhu Minng moved into the left court¡¯s room, and Fang Niannian quickly became friendly with Frost. The two women seemed to have endless conversations, always seen smiling between the two courts¡­ Li Yunzi did not leave her room. Zhu Minng only went to the back mountains when it was time to train dragons. The day still had not brightened, and it was now the fourth day. This strange phenomenon caused even greater panic throughout the Ancestral Dragon City-State, as more and more skywatchers began to wildly spread their views. These opinions, unsurprisingly, all pointed towards Li Yunzi. ¡°Li Yunzi is a malevolent star, wherever she goes, warfare follows without end. The divine stone fell from the sky, directly onto Ancestral Dragon City, isn¡¯t it informing us, the people of Ancestral Dragon City-State, that we must eliminate this evil star, or else we will never see the clear cosmos again!!¡± ¡°Li Yunzi¡¯s cruel actions have provoked the heavens¡¯ wrath. Heavenly Capital punishes her people, yet you still follow her so blindly. In my opinion, she should take her own life to atone for her sins; otherwise, celestial fire will be our punishment!¡± Inside and outside the city-state, all was chaos. Without the light of day, eternal darkness shrouded the earth. It was thought that spring and summer were approaching, and the Li Chuan in would be fertile once more. Yet, the sunshine seemed to have been taken away by the heavens, and even outside the Li Chuan in, only a faint light could be seen. Without sunshine, there were no crops; without crops, there was no meat. If this continued intote spring, chaos would surely engulf the world! Sacrifices. Prayers to the heavens. Repentance. Supplications. All sorts of religious rites had been performed to no avail. Gradually, under the guidance of countless opinions, people began to believe in the only solution. Vendetta! Vendetta against the root of the disaster! She ceaselessly ignited wars, her greed boundless, again and again encroaching upon the territories of others. People started to believe that the wars she stirred were not for the protection of territory or to strengthen the Ancestral Dragon City-State, but simply to satisfy her cruel bloodlust! ¡°Miss, more and more people are condemning you. There are even gatherings at the ancestral altar every day, calling for your head, and they say those filthy and vile words. Now that youmand a strong force, why not execute those who spread such nonsense!¡± Frost was increasingly anxious. The situation was bing ever more unfavorable. The sky sees no light, and with that, the rage only grows stronger! ¡°Heaven¡¯s anomaly is beyond anyone¡¯s control, yet anger needs to be vented. Someone will inevitably be condemned by thousands, and they think I am to me. So let them think that,¡± Li Yunzi said indifferently. ¡°When the heavens punish mankind, people do not resent the heavens, yet they make you bear the burden¡ªwhat kind of reasoning is that? If they have the guts, let them tear down the heavens themselves, a bunch of cowards, a rabble. You¡¯ve achieved so much for Ancestral Dragon City-State, they reaped the benefits, they were spared from the ravages of war, yet they never had the slightest gratitude. It¡¯s bad enough other city-states me you, but why must even our Ancestral Dragon City do the same!¡± Frost¡¯s eyes were red with anger. Li Yunzi could endure such nder, but Frost couldn¡¯t bear seeing Li Yunzi being criticized and prosecuted by the outsiders and felt it was unjust. How can one me people for heaven¡¯s cmity? And to me it on someone who fought on the battlefield and never let a single war reach the Ancestral Dragon City-State?? Are the world¡¯s people really like this? Then why bother for them at all!! ¡°This is just the way people are; don¡¯t harbor any resentment towards them,¡± Li Yunzi consoled Frost, who was almost in tears from anger. Having said that, Li Yunzi saw a figure standing in the courtyard, upright and clean-cut, with eyes once scattered and gentle, now several degrees deeper and moreposed. ¡°It¡¯s not man-made.¡± Zhu Minng approached and spoke to Li Yunzi. ¡°Hmm, it is the will of heaven.¡± Li Yunzi nodded. In this world, there might be divine mortals powerful enough to summon those heavenly fires that ravage the cities, but absolutely no one could plunge the sky into Eternal Darkness!! Zhu Minng was initially extremely angry because all of this seemed premeditated, just to turn Li Yunzi from a glorious female warrior into a malevolent, wicked star. But that was not a man-made heavenly fire, and the eternal night was not the doing of any divinely skilled being either. It was this catastrophic natural disaster that pushed Li Yunzi, already beset on all sides, into an abyss! ¡°How much time do we have?¡± Zhu Minng asked. ¡°Whether this sky brightens or not, how could Miss know!¡± Frost replied indignantly. ¡°After seven days, it could happen any day,¡± Li Yunzi responded to Zhu Minng. ¡°Seven days¡­ that should be enough. Rest assured and heal your wounds, no one will be allowed to set foot in this courtyard,¡± Zhu Minng stated. ¡°Hmm.¡± Frost, standing by,pletely failed to understand the conversation between Li Yunzi and Zhu Minng. What exactly is the time, and who would dare to storm this yard, the Li Imperial Pce, indeed? Do those disorderly masses actually dare to prosecute a Female Monarch?? Zhu Minng hadn¡¯t spoken to Miss earlier, so how could he seem to know everything? Why did it seem like there was some kind of tacit understanding between them that she could never reach? Is something big about to happen?? ¡°Thump, thump, thump!¡± Someone was knocking on the courtyard door. Frost, full of confusion and somewhat distracted, took a moment before she realized she had to check who it was at the door. Gathering her skirts, she hurried to the front of the yard. After a while, she returned, skirts gathered, rushing back to Li Yunzi¡¯s side. ¡°Miss, Sect Pce¡¯s Du Cheng has arrived, and the Family Head hopes you will also attend the grand hall; otherwise, it would seem rather rude,¡± Frost whispered. Li Yunzi was about to speak when a shout came from the left side of the courtyard. ¡°There¡¯s no need. Tell the messenger that Miss is focusing on healing and won¡¯t attend any discussions or receive any guests,¡± Zhu Minng¡¯s voice came through. Frost looked at the white wall, wondering how he could hear despite the distance?? ¡°Respond as he said, ¡± Li Yunzi directed. ¡°Alright, alright.¡± Frost nodded, gathered her skirts again, and walked back to the front of the yard, not as hastily this time, feeling that since both Miss and Zhu Minng didn¡¯t take the Sect Pce seriously, there was no need to rush. Thus, not having gone far, she let go of her skirts and walked slowly, replying leisurely to the messenger.. Chapter 95 - 95: Conspiracy Suppression Chapter 95: Conspiracy Suppression Trantor: 549690339 Many days passed, and the sky gradually regained some luster, a murky brilliance, but still better than being without daylight. The Imperial Court was somewhat deserted. Frost had gone to the great kitchen to fetch some fresh ingredients and discovered that most people had left that morning, heading to the Nan Mansion to celebrate Elder Nan¡¯s birthday. Elder Nan was an extremely influential Dragon Shepherd who had served as the dean of the Dragon Taming Academy and had supported both the Li Family and the Nan Family, truly one of the grand elders of the Ancestral Dragon City-State. Even though the Li Family now held power and Elder Nan had be old and senile, his dragons dispersed, his birthday was still celebrated with grandeur, with the Li Family¡¯s members, big and small, all making an appearance. Li Yunzi did not attend. Early on, Elder Nan had spoken words of outright severance of ties; there was no need for Li Yunzi to feign pleasantries and go there. Zhu Minng did not know what kind of person Elder Nan was. There were plenty of those who took advantage of their age, and he only cared about the safety of his own wife. Moreover, just yesterday, the Lingxiao City-State had once again mobilized for war, forcing the Female Monarch¡¯s Army to head to the western battlefield. The timing was particrly tricky, which made Zhu Minng even more vignt and cautious. To Zhu Minng, Elder Nan¡¯s birthday banquet seemed more like a Hong Gate Banquet for Li Yunzi, so he was resolutely against going. The Li Imperial Court was rarely this quiet, which actually improved Zhu Minng¡¯s mood. Unfortunately, with summer approaching, the sky remained dark and murky. Otherwise, Zhu Minng would have invited Li Yunzi to take a walk in the shallow forest behind the mountain. Nan Mansion Its position was almost directly opposite the walls of the Li Imperial Pce. Unlike the towering walls of the pce, the Nan Mansion was not as high, but it was more majestic and disyed the profound heritage of the Ancestral Dragon City¡¯s foremost gentry family. At the entrance, the noise of the crowd could be heard, with many students exploring the Way of the Shepherd Dragon, unable to enter the mansion but still hoping to bask in its dragon¡¯s aura. After all, the mysteries of the Dragon Gate often involved superstition¡ªwhom to pay respects to, which gods to believe in¡ªthere were always particr customs among themon folk. Inside the mansion, contrary to the mor outside, the atmosphere was solemn and strict, not at all like celebrating an old man¡¯s birthday, with numerous guards and a serious demeanor. Some of the guests who hade to give birthday gifts were then led to another grand hall. In an iron courtyard, Nan Lingsha slowly walked along a marble path. She wore a rose-red dress, her skin fair as snow, smooth and tender. Even with her face covered by a veil, her peerless beauty and the grace and nobility she exuded with every movement were irrepressible. ¡°Young Master, Young Master.¡± ¡°Who is this woman?¡± Fourth Young Master Du Cheng stared infatuatedly at Nan Lingsha from the steps. ¡°She is the one in charge of the Nan Family, Nan Lingsha. Hmph,¡± Li Kongxi let out a cold snort at that moment, expressing her discontent. ¡°Oh, oh¡­¡± Du Cheng nodded absentmindedly, seemingly indifferent to Li Kongxi¡¯s emotions despite their betrothal, as if making a special point to remember that name. Nan Lingsha passed by without even a nce at Du Cheng. Several Dragon Shepherds of the n opened the heavy iron doors, ushering Nan Lingsha inside. Inside the Iron Hall of the Nan Mansion, it was already filled with people. They didn¡¯t engage in much conversation, and the quiet atmosphere felt somewhat eerie. ¡°Close the door,¡± Nan Lingsha told the several Nan Family members behind her. As the door closed, those sitting inside showed signs of panic. They watched Nan Lingsha in horror, as if they had seen a Female Monarch who had uncovered their secret plot. ¡°Everyone, don¡¯t be nervous. This is my youngest daughter, Nan Lingsha,¡± Li Ying hurriedly spoke out. ¡°She is the one who holds sway over the Nan Family. Without her support, we would find it difficult to overturn Li Yunzi¡¯s autocracy,¡± the aged Elder Nan spoke. Before organizing this secret subjugation meeting, the Li Family hadmunicated with the Nan Family, nning to use this rare natural disaster as an opportunity to topple Li Yunzi. If they were to wait for Li Yunzi¡¯s injuries to heal and for her to continue her campaigns, wielding military power over several city-states, none of those present would be able to contend with her. ¡°Lingxiao City-State has been dispatching troops for many days now, sufficiently demonstrating the sincerity of the Ling Family Head. Let¡¯s not hesitate any further¡­¡± Yang Xiu was the first to speak up. ¡°The Sect Pce has also sent Lord Du Cheng here, and he has acted on schedule.¡± ¡°All the guards and warriors of the Li Family, both great and small, have been sent away, or they have been deceived intoing here for a birthday celebration. At this moment, the Li Imperial Pce is but an empty wall,¡± Kong Tong addressed everyone seated at the gathering. A birthday celebration? That was just a pretense tor outsiders. The birthday of Elder Nan was the anniversary of Li Yunzi¡¯s doom. Now that everything was in ce, even the heavens had sent an east wind for this asion, causing Li Yunzi to lose the people¡¯s hearts in such a short time! ¡°It is the will of heaven. The reason I have convened you all here today is not to scheme about resistance. Instead, it is to prevent the chaos that would ensue after Li Yunzi¡¯s fall. Wutu needs someone to collect taxes, the citizens of South Nation need a new ruler, and the Army Guard of Ancestral Dragon City-State must be taken over by someone¡­¡± Elder Nan continued. Division of spoils! Elder Nan¡¯s intention couldn¡¯t be clearer. The gathering today was not about risking being executed by Li Yunzi, but rather about the division of interests. Right now, in front of each person,y a Subjugation Letter, and each individual in this Iron Hall wielded power over a region, not just within and beyond the Ancestral Dragon City-State, but also included the Sect Pce, Li Family, Nan Family, South State Remnants, Lingxiao City-State, and more¡­ In fact, when representatives from other states saw that the members of the host Li Family, Elder Nan of the Nan Family, and the orchestrators were all initiators of the subjugation, they breathed a huge sigh of relief. Several city-states had suffered from Li Yunzi¡¯s conquests, with countless soldiers dead and rebels mercilessly beheaded. The Sect Pce was unwilling to see Li Yunzi monopolize power, and neighbors of Ancestral Dragon City-State shuddered in fear. Even within Ancestral Dragon City-State itself, Li Yunzi¡¯s tyrannical trampling of everyone¡¯s rights was unbearable. Li Yunzi had returned home injured to recuperate. With the condemnation of heavenly fires and a dim sun overhead, if they did not take action now, were they to wait for Li Yunzi¡¯s iron troops to trample down everyone¡¯s residences and cities in attendance?? ¡°Write down your names. I will temporarily rece Li Yunzi andpletely disband her Army Guard. There is no need for anyone to worry about her loyalists seeking revenge,¡± Nan Lingsha said as she walked along the table. ¡°How can you rece her? Do you think Li Yunzi¡¯s loyal Army Guard will listen to the words of a mere Nan Familydy?¡± Zhong Yue, the representative of the South State Remnants, snorted coldly. ¡°This is the key to the subjugation, to prevent future trouble.¡± ¡°Many may not know this, but my daughter Li Yunzi and Nan Lingsha are twin sisters,¡± Li Ying stood up and informed all present. Nan Lingsha slowly removed her veil, revealing her true face. Upon seeing Nan Lingsha¡¯s face, Zhong Yue fell off his chair in shock. He had not forgotten the cold and cruel look in the eyes of that female demon on the night of the annual celebration! ¡°Her Army Guard, not knowing of Nan Lingsha, will not realize that their mistress has been reced by her sister Ling Sha after Li Yunzi is imprisoned. This is the guarantee that the Nan Family provides you all!¡± Elder Nan dered.. Chapter 96 - 96: Blood-like Rose Chapter 96: Blood-like Rose Trantor: 549690339 In fact, those who could appear at this Iron Hall meeting all knew this key point. Other city-states could not withstand Li Yunzi¡¯s trampling, and the reason Ancestral Dragon City had not fallen under her sole control was precisely because Elder Nan of the Nan Family and a powerful God and Mortal like Nan Lingsha were present. In terms of strength, Nan Lingsha was not at all inferior to Li Yunzi and might even be slightly stronger. The only way for Li Yunzi to break Nan Lingsha was to send the Military Guard Army to roll over the Nan Mansion. For a long time in the past, the Li Family did not allow Li Yunzi to station her troops near Ancestral Dragon City, so naturally there was no talk of Li Yunzi relying on the army to rule the entire city-state. But now, Li Yunzi had recaptured Wutu, seized the South Nation, and it was heard that Thousand Catalpa City-state from the southeast had secretly submitted to her as well. None of the neighboring cities of Ancestral Dragon City, including the un-¡°conquered¡± Lingxiao City State, were free from threat! Unable to dissolve the entirety of Ancestral Dragon City from the inside, Li Yunzi began to work from outside in, trapping the whole city into submission. It wouldn¡¯t take long for Li Yunzi,manding the forces of the Female Monarch¡¯s Army, Wutu Land Military Guards, the South Nation Grand Army, and the Thousand Catalpa Alliance Army, to level the entire Nan Mansion to the ground! Subjugate or die. Elder Nan, Nan Lingsha, and the whole Nan Family weren¡¯t fools; how could they let such a terrifying event happen? The Sect Pce and Lingxiao City State were even more panicked. If Ancestral Dragon City couldn¡¯t hold out, it was only a matter of time before Li Yunzi would wipe out her greatest enemies¡ªLingxiao City State and the Sect Pce together! Subjugation was urgent! ¡°Li Yunzi has incurred the rejection of her kin and her cruelty knows no bounds. Not to hide from everyone here, the matter of Wutu Eternal City was also nned by Elder Fan of Sect Pce and me. You¡¯ve all seen it¡ªwithout the Eternal City event, she would be even more unstoppable today, and we would not be sitting here as subjugators. Likely, we would either be skeletons or her prisoners of war,¡± Lady Kong Tong spoke up. Elder Fan was a middle-aged woman with skin as plump as a young girl¡¯s, yet her hair was graying. She was silent and observant, quietly watching the changes unfold. When mentioning this matter, she simply nodded her head. As the representative of Sect Pce, she had already made it clear that her grudge against Li Yunzi was irreconcble, which reassured some of those present who were still hesitant. ¡°Look around, who amongst you is not an influential and powerful person? Despite Li Yunzi¡¯s fiery aggression, have we not all sought to speak kindly with her, even making various concessions? Yet she remains aggressively intolerant, drawing her sword and seizing lives upon the slightest disagreement, and deploying troops against us without hesitation¡­¡± Li Ying said with a look of pain on his face. As Li Yunzi¡¯s father, Li Ying couldn¡¯tprehend when exactly his daughter became so ruthless and coldhearted, as if possessed by some god demon. Then look at Nan Lingsha, her sibling sister, no weaker than Li Yunzi herself, yet she strictly abided by her duty and never overstepped her bounds, guarding Ancestral Dragon City. Although the rulers knew that divine retribution was unknown, when thinking of Li Yunzi¡¯s actions, they believed in the threat of heavenly punishment! ¡°Family Head Li, why continue to feign such pretense? The Li Imperial Pce has be empty walls, and Du Cheng has already led the Sect Pce masters on a covert mission to assassinate Li Yunzi. Why not tell everyone directly?¡± Elder Fan of the Sect Pce finally spoke up. What time was it to still y the role of a father who can¡¯t bear to act? He is the person in this room who most desires Li Yunzi¡¯s death. Kong Tong was just a Family Head¡¯s wife. Li Yunzi had long been on guard against her. If it weren¡¯t for Li Ying¡¯s involvement, the Eternal City matter would have been much harder to achieve. Those who dare, must also ept the consequences. The Li Family was now empty,cking guards; could it be that Kong Tong, a Family Head, had such authority? ¡°Write down your names. Today, we be an alliance and can enjoy the benefits I promised earlier. If anyone is still hesitant, please leave on your own volition.¡± Elder Fan of the Sect Pce finally assumed the role of presiding over this subjugation meeting. Assassination? It was already in motion! The Female Monarch¡¯s Army was drawn away by Lingxiao City. The guards of the Li Imperial Pce were dispatched by Li Ying. Elder Nan and Nan Lingsha were the first to write down the Subjugation Letter! Heavenly fire and will were decreed! The Sect Pce and valiant heroes took action Li Yunzi, injured and alone in the courtyard¡­ Even if her wounds were feigned, her fate was inescapable!! ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, setting aside the Female Monarch¡¯s brutal actions, she is undoubtedly a prodigy, whom I admire. I have written the order for expulsion ¡ª please feel free to add your signatures!¡± As a representative of the Lingxiao City-State, Yang Xiu penned the document. There were two ces to sign on the Subjugation Letter. Exile or execution. There were no other options. Where one signed merely reflected the degree of enmity towards Li Yunzi. But in reality, the Sect Pce was carrying out an assassination. It didn¡¯t matter where one wrote one¡¯s name on the Subjugation Letter; it all meant bing an enemy of Li Yunzi, vowing a fight to the death! Yang Xiu finished signing. Elder Fan of the Sect Pce also wrote down his name. Li Ying and Kong Tong did the same. The atmosphere had changed, it was no longer about deliberation¡­ Or perhaps everyone had long since made up their minds. This conspiracy was merely to bind everyone together to prevent anyone from withdrawing during the campaign or even defecting to Li Yunzi. ¡°This ink is made from Dragon Blood, and this paper from Dragon Skin. Today we form an alliance for the campaign, regardless of the oue of the assassination, we must act together and ensure that Li Yunzi does not leave the Ancestral Dragon City-State alive!¡± Elder Nan stood up, his aged face showing a hint of indifference and determination. Li Ying also stood up, holding aloft the Subjugation Letter that he had personally written. The others followed suit, raising up their signatures high! Instantly, an air of solemn killing intent filled the Iron Hall. The scent of blood ink was thick, lingering on everyone¡¯s fingertips. Nan Lingsha slowly covered her face with a veil and began walking towards the iron gate, her rose-red gown trailing behind her. People watched her, for her appearance was so simr to Li Yunzi¡¯s that, had it not been for the fact that many present had seen them together and knew of their animosity, they still might have felt some trepidation. ¡°Father, didn¡¯t you say that you weren¡¯t involved in what happened at Eternal City?¡± Suddenly, Nan Lingsha recalled something, turned around, and a mournful smile crept across her cheeks. Li Ying furrowed his brows. He did not understand why Nan Lingsha chose this moment to question him on this matter. ¡°It was indeed your father¡¯s doing that she was thrown into the dungeon, but he knew nothing of what followed, ¡± said Kong Tong at that moment. ¡°Oh, so was it Lady Kong Tong who caused her to be humiliated in prison?¡± Nan Lingsha raised an eyebrow and asked softly. Kong Tong fell silent. It was a tacit admission. ¡°Ambition as high as the heavens, fate as thin as paper.¡± ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, you¡¯ve written your own names in the Book of Life and Death. Nan Lingsha awaits outside the gate those who may survive from my book.¡± The moment Nan Lingsha spoke those words, her usually graceful demeanor turned icy cold. The blood-red rose attire made her icy and jade-like appearance all the more breathtakingly beautiful¡­ But why did the figure they saw resemble the shadow of Yama, the Judge, sending shivers down their spine? The dragon skin paper trembled. The ink characters unexpectedly turned into nooses. The nooses wound around the fingertips of every person in the Iron Hall, like soul-snatching, venomous serpents creeping towards their very spirits!! Book of Life and Death. Soul Snatching Locking Spirit! !! (The book is going live, it¡¯s going live! The next chapter is when it goes live. It¡¯s been five years, and I¡¯ve forgotten that before going live at twelve, I must release one more chapter. I have no time to write aunch speech, as I¡¯m working hard on the next chapter and it might be a littlete. Each chapter of this book, I have written slowly, liking the feeling of taking my time, but when the waves surge, it will surely bring you exhrating excitement.) (I hope for your support, please give me your first subscription.) Chapter 97 - 97 Ancestral Dragon Painting Soul Chapter 97: Ancestral Dragon Painting Soul Trantor: 549690339 Inside the Iron Hall, chaos erupted instantly. Elder Nan, Li Ying, Kong Tong, Elder Fan, and others all knew Nan Lingsha well. How could she possibly suddenly do such a thing!! ¡°Nan Lingsha!!¡± Elder Nan roared in fury. Nan Lingsha disregarded him, she closed the iron door again, letting the ink spill wildly within the Iron Hall, allowing those who had their names written to struggle in agony on the ground. ¡°Damned fool! Damned fool!!¡± Li Ying also screamed, his eyes filled with rage and, even more so, disbelief! It was a known fact to everyone, including Li Ying, the father, and Elder Nan, the heavyweight, that Li Yunzi and Nan Lingsha were at odds. After all, if the sisters had been allied, Li Yunzi¡¯s path of sweeping and trampling would have been smoother! But why¡­ Why had Nan Lingsha turned traitor now!! Could it be that the sisters¡¯ discord had been a sham from the very beginning? The true trump card of Li Yunzi was her sister, Nan Lingsha. The Ancestral Dragon City had long been in the grip of Li Yunzi, and the many years of discord and disputes between Nan Lingsha and her were nothing but an illusion created by Li Yunzi for all those who tried to overthrow her! Was it all to eradicate all the rebels, to make people mistakenly believe that her foundation in the Ancestral Dragon City was unstable, all for today¡­ Yet, the sisters haven¡¯t gotten along for many years, not since they were mere girls. Li Ying and Elder Nan knew this all too well. When they were so young, had they already foreseen this day!! It is easy to deceive others with sibling discord¡­ But to deceive the closest kin, that requires a n buried for many years! Keep in mind, in the eyes of Li Ying, Elder Nan, including Kong Tong, the sisters¡¯ discord was at a point where everyone in the Iron Hall might side with Li Yunzi, with the sole exception being Nan Lingsha! After all, should Nan Lingsha side with Li Yunzi, they would be in control of the entire Li and Nan families¡¯ power, and no one within the Ancestral Dragon City would dare to question any of their decisions. ¡°Hehehe, hehehe¡­¡± Li Ying¡¯s eyes were bloodshot. Veins on his face throbbed as the deadly ink lock prated his soul with an unstoppable evil power, madly burrowing into his spirit. His features contorted in agony. His internal organs were failing. He had dreamed countless times of Li Yunzi piercing his, her father¡¯s, throat with a sword in her sleep, but he would never have imagined it would be Nan Lingsha. This pain was a thousand, no, a hundred thousand times worse than a sword piercing through his throat by Li Yunzi, because he had never doubted this father-daughter affection. He indulged his younger daughter from the bottom of his heart, hoping she could inherit all of Ancestral Dragon City and was even more relieved that she had always stood by his side, restraining the boundless ambitions of his elder daughter, Li Yunzi¡­ In the end, they both betrayed him. ¡°Bang!!!¡± Li Ying staggered and bumped into the stone table in front of him as his mind began to blur. He saw the surrounding walls transform into the Walls of the Underworld. The stone tables on either side turned into the neatly arrayed Yama¡¯s Desk. The people around, under the swirling ink mist, turned into the green-faced, fanged Ten Halls Yama¡­ With the Judge at the forefront. It was a woman. She was neither Li Yunzi nor Nan Lingsha, nor was she anyone else. She was his original spouse. She had eyes just like her daughters¡¯. She was judging him. Li Ying had a heart full of rage andints, but facing this woman, he could not even muster the courage to look her in the eye. It was¡­ it was he who had betrayed them. It was his folly, his depravity, his forgetting of true intentions, his resentment over Li Yunzi¡¯s power grab, his buried discontent with his wife¡¯s dominance, because of various reasons, because of so many reasons¡­ The Judge approached and handed the Blood Dragon Paper to Li Ying. Li Ying dared not look at it, for he had written his own name with his own hand. How could his father do such a heinous thing? He was willing to descend into this hell. He¡­ Exiled! Exiled!! In his self-reproach and torment, Li Ying saw his own name written under the word ¡°Exiled.¡± Was it Yunzhi and Lingsha Nian showing him some face for his father¡¯s sake? The noose had not tightened; Li Ying merely felt his breathing constricted, and as his consciousness gradually cleared a little, he found himself nearly paralyzed, lying on the cluttered floor of the Iron Hall. All around him, bodies were scattered haphazardly, their eyes wide open and faces twisted in terror; most were already breathless, but their death throes and despair were palpable! Li Ying trembled, his bodypletely devoid of strength. Through his blurred vision, he saw Kong Tong, his face full of hatred, maintaining an expression of resentment and bitter wrath, no different from the others, devoid of any sign of life! Elder Nan swayed unsteadily. He was one of the few who could still stand. Beside him, Elder Fan leaned heavily on the desk, breathingboriously. Like Elder Nan, she was tightly bound by the ink noose, dripping with perspiration, and in excruciating pain¡­ It was probably because the power of Nan Lingsha¡¯s life-and-death register had spread to others that these two strong figures had managed to survive. However, it was clear from their bloodless faces that they were far from at ease. Nan Lingsha¡¯s power was unfathomably deep, and no one had ever seen anyone who could match her. The Ancestral Dragon God Princess was likely already the strongest Divine and Mortal being in Ancestral Dragon City! ¡°The grace of not killing, the grace of not killing, the grace of not killing¡­¡± On the ground, a man wearing a Feather Crown was foaming at the mouth, even with a paralyzed face, he kept repeating the same mad words. That man was Yang Xiu. A representative from the Lingxiao City-State. He had also written ¡°Exiled.¡± So he also had the tough luck to survive. Those who wished for Li Yunzi¡¯s death. Not one could live. But within this Iron Hall, the vast majority had written ¡°Death!¡± The iron gate was closed, and the murky light outside filtered through the crack in a thin line, like a thread of a sword. Elder Nan and Elder Fan swayed¡­ Behind them were a few others who had managed to hold on, their eyes ck, their bodies bruised all over, their souls severely wounded. But they knew very well that the real Judge was still behind the door. She was d in rose-colored garments, her beautiful eyes like stars and moons, and only those who had passed under her paintbrush were the truly alive who walked out of this Iron Hall! The door was finally pushed open. As she had said. Nan Lingsha waited at the top of the steps. Her eyes swirled with unfathomable emotions, but one thing was certain, she had no intention of letting those who had survived leave. ¡°Wicked and vicious woman!¡± ¡°May you not rest in peace! Elder Fan pointed at Nan Lingsha, her eyes full of rage. ¡°I hear Elder Fan is the Dragon Herding Sanctifier, who can summon the Five-wed Heavenly Dragon. I wonder if you canpare with the Fire Kirin Dragon that I have painted?¡± said Nan Lingsha. ¡°Elder Fan, do not contest her power; she can paint the Ancestral Dragon!¡± At this moment, Elder Nan urgently spoke up. Upon hearing this, Elder Fan¡¯splexion changed. Not to mention her soul was injured, even at her best, she did not haveplete confidence to stand against the Ancestral Dragon Painting Soul! Chapter 98 - 98: The Child of Destiny Chapter 98: The Child of Destiny Trantor: 549690339 ¡°Even if she is the Ancestral Dragon Painting Soul, with several of us joining forces, she, a mere God and Mortal, will hardly be a match for our pack of dragons attacking together!¡± Elder Fan took a deep breath and decided he would no longer recklessly duel with Nan Lingsha alone. At this moment, Elder Nan whispered a few words into Elder Fan¡¯s ear, making his expression even uglier. ¡°How could that be, there¡¯s no one in the world who can master two kinds of power!¡± Elder Fan quickly denied it, not believing what Elder Nan had said. Elder Nan didn¡¯t want to believe it either. But in fact, he had witnessed Nan Lingsha awaken the Ancestral Dragon Bone within the State Wall; it was a Bone Dragon. ¡°Monsters, both sisters are monsters, they are the reincarnation of an evil and malevolent witch, unworthy of living on thisnd!¡± Elder Fan refused to listen anymore to Elder Nan¡¯s rming and exaggerated words. Elder Nan understood Nan Lingsha, which was why he was so fearful. Elder Fan bore a grudge against Li Yunzi, and now he had fallen for Nan Lingsha¡¯s schemes, naturally enraged to the extreme. Could the mighty Sect Pce really be afraid of these witch sisters??? Even if she dies here today, the Sect Pce will never let them go!! ¡°Ling Sha, we, the older generation, are indeed outdated, hindering the great business of the Ancestral Dragon. Now, we are too humiliated topete with you. I, your grandfather, can swear to our ancestors that I will not interfere in any n affairs from now on and will be a retired old man, just wanting to enjoy my remaining years in peace,¡± Elder Nan said weakly, hoping to use a bit of kinship to secure a way out for himself. ¡°I will draw you a coffin, and then you can enjoy your remaining years in peace!¡± Nan Lingsha¡¯s eyes were cold and resolute. Fear spread across Elder Nan¡¯s aged face, which just a moment ago had looked resigned, but now looked as fearsome as a ghoul baring its teeth! The choice had been given from the start. Exile or execution. If Elder Nan really cherished the affection for his n, for the blood ties, why should he have made the choice of execution between exile and execution? He survived only because of his profound soul as a Dragon Shepherd, not because he left Li Yunzi a way to live! Mercy?? How can there be mercy! Colluding with Lingxiao City. Allied with the Sect Pce. Li Family, Nan Family¡­ All to doom a radiant woman who shone brighter than all others! Had they not done so. Nan Lingsha would have always just been Nan Lingsha. The world is so vile that it¡¯s infuriating! It forced the sisters to separate from a young age, be estranged, only to be each other¡¯s secret guardians. The sister was in the light. She was in the dark. But whatever happened to the sister, would happen to Nan Lingsha as well, it was only a matter of time. She saw very clearly! To be driven away, to live. To be executed, to die. There would be no shred of pity, the Ancestral Dragon City-State should have been purged long ago. Had it been done a year prior, how could the incident at Eternal City have urred??? ¡°Do you think by contending with us here, Li Yunzi can live??¡± ¡°She¡¯s probably nothing more than a corpse now.¡± ¡°Our Sect Pce¡¯s Lord Du Cheng is the true chosen one of destiny!¡± ¡°You lowly mortal women, you only have to submit!!¡± Elder Fan sneered, as she called forth her Five-wed Heavenly Dragon. Nan Lingsha saw the survivors summoning their Dragon Beasts, but instead of retreating, she stepped forward toward the swarm of dragons, not knowing when the Iron Hall had started to shake¡­ The entire Nan Family Residence in fact relied on the grand State Wall, and as the wall trembled, the towering stone wall came to life, transforming into a primeval Divine Beast, encircling Nan Mansion. ¡°Do not panic, it¡¯s merely a shadow painting!¡± Elder Nan shouted loudly. While that was said, the image was far too lifelike, feeling as if the State Wall slithered like a dragon, sensing the city shake violently due to its awakening. The power of Divine and Mortal possessed by Nan Lingsha was unheard of by several of the mighty figures in the Sect Pce, how to contend against it?? It seemed they had been sentenced to death from the very start! Li Imperial Pce. Bleak and nearly deserted. The Four Heroes of the n Pce walked along with Du Cheng towards Li Yunzhi¡¯s courtyard, led by Li Kongxi who appeared very confused, mistaking Du Cheng¡¯s visit as merely a courtesy call on behalf of the Sect Pce. ¡°Beyond this area of pavilions and towers for the women, lies Li Yunzhi¡¯s dwelling. She has always kept to herself, reclusive and indifferent. Unless there is other business, none of us sisters would go there. However, I heard that recently there has been a man staying in Li Yunzhi¡¯s courtyard, said to be a guard. Yet from his looks, he seems to be Zhu Minng, who is in an ambiguous rtionship with Yunzhi,¡± Li Kongxi said with a smile, continuing. ¡°Zhu Minng, isn¡¯t he that lowly refugee from Wutu who stumbled upon tremendous luck?¡± Du Cheng alsoughed, but his eyes were not as jesting, instead carrying a trace of grimness! ¡°Lord, he¡¯s the one. When the timees, may I have the honor of dealing with him?¡± spoke the masked man at Du Cheng¡¯s side at that moment. ¡°Of course, but as for the uncles, when you besiege Li Yunzhiter, do leave her breathing. I heard she has a figure that rivals that of a Celestial Maiden descended from heaven, and I too would like to have a taste,¡± said Du Cheng. ¡°Lord Du Cheng, how can you speak such words, when you and I are betrothed!¡± Li Kongxi protested, her face flushed. ¡°It¡¯s nothing more than what men do when visiting a brothel, why must you be so delicate?¡± Du Cheng said. Li Kongxi was so angry she was grinding her teeth. This Du Cheng was utterly outrageous, showing no restraint even in front of his future wife, ogling Nan Lingsha, who was wearing a veil, and now even nning tomit such shameless and lowly acts!! ¡°There¡¯s the aura of a God and Mortal, one,¡± suddenly said the high-foreheaded man among the Four Heroes of the n Pce; this man was exceptionally tall, with a protruding forehead, and dressed in ordinary clothes, he would seem like a skeleton in this murky and gloomy weather! ¡°There¡¯s the aura of a Dragon Shepherd, one,¡± he continued, seemingly possessing a keener spiritual sight than others. ¡°There really are no other guards; Li Yunzhi probably never dreamt that the entire Li Family would abandon her,¡± said Du Cheng, somewhat surprised. ¡°I remember her aura was very weak when she exited Eternal City, for some unknown reason,¡± the masked manmented. ¡°The trials and tribtions of a Divine and Mortal being are only to be expected. Lord, still, do not underestimate her; her injuries might have healed by now, and her power may be no less than that of a Dragon Lord,¡± the gaunt Hero stated. ¡°And what about Zhu Minng, what¡¯s his strength like?¡± another Hero of the Sect Pce inquired at that moment. ¡°Hmph, he¡¯s at best a lower-tier Dragon General. I once chased him for hundreds of miles, and he fled in panic into the Dragon Taming Academy!¡± the man behind the mask said with great disdain. The thought of Zhu Minng actually living in Li Yunzhi¡¯s private residence made the masked man¡¯s face almost split with rage. ¡°There should be some improvement by now, I¡¯ve heard some people from the Dragon Taming Academy say so,¡± Li Kongxi still spoke up. ¡°Even with improvement, how can hepare with me? Ever since my life-and-death experiences on Ancient Mountain, I am no longer the person I once was!¡± the man behind the mask continued. ¡°Ha ha ha, it seems you truly hold a grudge against that youngster called Zhu Minng, alright, you can handle himter!!¡± Du Cheng dered. (Monthly votes are important, guys, the first day, monthly votes are very important, there¡¯ll be three more releases ?For this book, I¡¯ve been gued with insomnia every day, yet still write with great anticipation, tirelessly. In the blink of an eye, five years have passed, I barely paused my pen yet forgot the publishing process¡­ s, I even forgot to write acknowledgments.. Regardless, my heart still flutters nervously, sincerely hoping for everyone¡¯s support, for the aching and swollen ¡®Luan¡¯ you¡¯ve kept alive, for supporting Dragon Shepherd, I am deeply grateful!!) Chapter 99 - 100 White Dragon Prince Chapter 99: Chapter 100 White Dragon Prince Trantor: 549690339 The courtyard was dense with shadows, high walls standing tall. After traversing a profound path, one could catch sight of a bay of azure trees, exuding their unique color and charm under the overcast sky. The way opened up ahead, revealing an elegant pavilion by a clearke, where, had the weather not been foul, birds might have sung, and the scenery would have been pleasant. Beyond the pavilion andkey the silver estate. The man in the mask¡¯s gaze grew intense at this point, as if numerous memories flooded his mind, the expectations and enthusiasm he once held shattered to pieces here, turning into anguish and madness, making his eyes reveal everything in his heart! ¡°If possible, please leave her remains for me to treasure,¡± the masked man finally spoke. Du Cheng and Li Kongxi were stunned. Du Cheng soon burst intoughter, pping the man on the back, ¡°This wish will surely be fulfilled. I hadn¡¯t realized you were so obsessed with her. She was nothing more than a woman wielding power. In our Sect Pce, you¡¯ll enjoy endless glory and a tireless supply of beauties!¡± Li Kongxi eyed the man in the mask with a sense of panic stirring in his heart. Why did his voice sound so familiar? ¡°There¡¯s someone on thekeside pavilion,¡± the gaunt man then said. As the light of dawn faintly shone, without careful observation, one might have missed the figure in the pavilion, standing there like a spring visitor, dressed in a clean robe, his hair pitch ck. What drew attention was the immacte, pure white Exquisite Dragon lying at his shoulder. The man was refined and peaceful, while the White Dragon appeared regal, the pair standing between the pavilion and theke exuding a sense of poetry and beauty. However, both the man and the White Dragon¡¯s eyes emitted a light far less gentle than they seemed. ¡°By a stroke of fate, you must be here to kill mydy,¡± the man walked towards them across the pavilion bridge. As he moved, the hazy sky gently began to shed numerous exquisite velvet snowkes, flocking down like sacred feathers, filling the Li Imperial Pce¡¯s pavilions and towers. Soon, the rooftop edges, cups, and stone steps were nketed in the soundless, enchanting snow. Continuing forward, the frost surrounding the White Dragon Prince transformed into numerous Ice Spirits, flitting like butterflies. They were pure and holy, part of them clustering around them as mysterious snow guards, and part spreading freely, lightly touching theke water, sparking the tranquil and beautiful bloom of ice orchids. As ice orchids touched each other, theke unknowingly became a painting, aside from the man on the bridge who continued to slowly walk, everything else appeared to have fallen into a hushed silence. ¡°Zhu Minng!¡± the masked man spat out this name like a vengeful demon. ¡°So, you¡¯re the beggar who cavorted with the Female Monarch in the dungeon. Seems the rumors were wrong,¡± Du Cheng eyed Zhu Minng with a malicious gaze, his tone teasing, ¡°But you¡¯re nothing more than amoner.¡± Zhu Minngughed. With the sky and earth embracing ice, every living thing frozen, to call such a poetic, picture-esque realm ¡®mundane¡¯ indeed. If your sight is poor, you can dig them out and give them to my Bai Qi to y with as ss marbles. ¡°Young master, it seems the situation has changed. Don¡¯t get tangled up with this nameless junior; go ahead and take care of Li Yunzi,¡± the sole female among the Four Heroes of the n Pce said at that moment. This woman looked to be in her thirties, herplexion pale, lips a vibrant red. Despite the warm weather, she was wrapped in countlessyers of cloth, her appearance somewhat bloated and entric. ¡°Luo Xiao, this man is yours now,¡± Du Chengughed heartily. ¡°I believe you will let him taste the agony of being worse than dead, after all, he has defiled your goddess!¡± After speaking, Du Cheng, leading the four powerhouses, continued to walk toward the silver annex. However, the masked man also stepped toward Zhu Minng, his body seeming to ooze a molten liquid, and soon after, arge pool of the fiery red substance spread on the ground. The liquid ignited like oil hitting fire, burning fiercely with mes high enough to surpass the hedges. Amid the zing fire, a bronze-golden creature appeared as if summoned from hell itself. Its majestic frame stood firm within the roaring mes, the terrifying aura emanating as if it carried a hundred spirits from purgatory, extremely fearsome! ¡°Take a good look at who I am!!¡± Luo Xiao¡¯s anger surged from within as he stood atop the dragon horn. He pulled off his mask, preparing to re at Zhu Minng. But the bridge was empty; the Minng that had been there before summoning the fire dragon had disappeared in an instant. He¡¯s run away??? While Luo Xiao stood dumbfounded, by thekeside path, Du Cheng and the Four Heroes of the n Pce frowned one after another, their gaze fixed on Zhu Minng and the White Dragon that now stood before them. Luo Xiao turned his head, only to see Zhu Minngpletely ignoring him, and he felt like a volcano about to erupt!!! Purgatory Fire! He had survived a brush with death on Ancient Mountain, obtaining this unparalleled Purgatory Fire. His once Gold-ted Fire Dragon had also be the Purgatory Dragon; he was no longer the same as before! He intended for Zhu Minng to be the first sacrifice to the fire dragon!! ¡°Take a good look at yourself,¡± Du Cheng said disdainfully as he saw Zhu Minng blocking their path again. ¡°To us, some Dragon Shepherds are less than beggars, nothing but tail-wagging, begging dogs!¡± ¡°Elder brethren, you go deal with Li Yunzi; Luo Xiao and I will take care of this nuisance dog first.¡± The four stalwarts immediately dispersed, charging into different parts of the annex. But Zhu Minng had no intention of letting anyone past; he gently stroked the White Dragon¡¯s neck, its fur like tassels, as if he had already set a trap from the start. ¡°Ice Space World!¡± With a low chant, the snowy world suddenly quivered, and from the murky snow-filled sky, a silver waterfall cascaded down, pouring with slow-moving ice crystal particles like mercury being poured. Countless ice particles connected into a waterfall, into a curtain, just hanging there between the annex and the pavilionke, crystal clear enough to see through the Ice Space Curtain, but one could feel the divide, as ifpletely separating a whole different world! The four stalwarts stopped below the Ice Space World, looking shocked at the impassable Silver Waterfall Ice Curtain, then turned their gaze to the White Dragon Prince¡­ ¡°This Dragon Shepherd¡¯s realm is not low, be careful!¡± said the gaunt man among the four stalwarts. ¡°Then let¡¯s sever his head as a condolence gift for Li Yunzi!¡± Du Cheng said coldly. However, before the four could act, Luo Xiao, riding the Purgatory Dragon, already charged forward in a ze of fury. The tempestuous and capricious bronze-golden Giant Dragon raised its head, charging towards Zhu Minng, while from its mouth gushed a fountain of Purgatory Fire magma! Chapter 100 - 101 Dragon Lord Level! Chapter 100: Chapter 101 Dragon Lord Level! Trantor: 549690339 Around Zhu Minng¡¯s body, countless Ice Feathers swirled, not soft like down, but tough like shield tes, thick with the chill of frost. Magma rolled toward him, carrying a terrifying force that could melt through metal, likely unable to withstand such temperatures. But Zhu Minng just stood there, his shield feathers fluttering, his robe billowing, without a speck of dust, as if he were in another world,pletely separate from the raging Purgatory me. The Purgatory Fire churned, its me shadows flickering; the Ice Morning White Dragon lithely leapt from Zhu Minng¡¯s shoulder, immediately solidifying a Crystal Ice Carpet beneath it, even every step resulted in more of the carpet appearing. The tassels of nobility elegantly lifted, the dancing Ice Spirits transforming from gentle beauty to sharp coldness, and surrounded by an ever-tightening vortex of white, the graciously shaped Ice Morning White Dragon took form amidst the increasingly intense blizzard of white feathers! The ice spread wantonly, no longer the gentle embrace from before, but a violent devouring of everything around it. The wind howled and roared, and in the vast sky, murky wind swirls twisted like Heavenly Pythons, making the grandeur of the Li Imperial Pce sway as if it were a dpidated shack. Just a moment ago, the White Dragon, docile as a kitten and nesting against its master, now revealed its true form, its divine presence and sanctified wrath making even the fully evolved Purgatory Dragon pale inparison! Luo Xiao stood on the dragon horn, watching the adult Ice Morning White Dragon ascending an icy staircase, almost unable to believe his eyes. Back in the days on the Li Chuan in, this White Dragon had been nothing but fodder for his own Gold-ted Fire Dragon, forced to flee in disarray. How could it be that, after he had returned alive from Ancient Mountain, and the Gold-ted Fire Dragon had also entered the fourth stage, the Complete Period, second only to Dragon Lord Level creatures, he would tremble in the face of this Ice Morning White Dragon?! The once unrivaled Purgatory Dragon¡­ It was the very reliance Luo Xiao dared to step back into Ancestral Dragon City- State with. Who knew that this reliance would seem so inconsequential in front of Zhu Minng¡¯s seemingly insignificant Little White Dragon?! He was supposed to shine brightly. With infinite potential, he should have be a Venerable of the Dragon Lord Level, and eventually achieve everything he desired¡­ Why was it so inconsequential? The inconsequential one should be Zhu Minng, the impostor of the Li Family, the scum who should descend to the Eighteen Levels of Hell for desecrating his faith! This scum!! Luo Xiao was virtually insane, bellowingmands to the Purgatory Dragon to tear into the adult Ice Morning White Dragon. Upon reaching adulthood, the Ice Morning White Dragon¡¯s neck tassels became more ostentatious, its noble white dragon dignity exemplified in every piece of its sacred body armor of ice scale feathers, making even some rare gemstones and silver diamonds pale inparison¡­ The Gold-ted Fire Dragon, frenzied and domineering, covered in a golden-brown Purgatory Fire, appeared wild and unstoppable, but each step of the Ice Morning White Dragon was supported by an Ice Leaf, its eyes alight with a brilliance that could summon wind and snow with a nce. Not to mention when the Ice Morning White Dragon trulyunched an attack¡ª what seemed like an indifferent stomp sent Earth shattering Death Frost into instant bloom, like a hill formed of ice spears and cold swords, fiercely thrusting in all directions!! The heart of the Death Frost Mountain pierced the Gold-ted Fire Dragon, cracking its skin and flesh; its prideful Fire Scale unable to defend against the chill, not to mention the prating frost¡­ The Gold-ted Fire Dragon was covered in blood, which flowed onto the ground and started to burn upon contact. At that moment, atop the hill-like Ice Flowers, a pair of astounding white wings burst open,yer uponyer of sacred downy feather fans unfurled. Behind the Ice Morning White Dragon, the vast sky suddenly dimmed, dense cold stars rained down like a deluge, piercing through the sky above Li Imperial Pce, sting toward the Gold-ted Fire Dragon and those from the Sect Pce!! Daytime Star Fall! Although its power had a significant gappared to the disaster-bearing heavenly fire from the past, it was nheless an obliteration for living creatures!! The Purgatory Dragon roared powerlessly, merely masking its inner fear of death. And Luo Xiao, witnessing the deathly magnificent fall of cold star clusters, seemed to have lost his soul!! ¡°Bang bang bang bang bang! ! ¡± Pavilions, terraces, and towers, all were razed to the ground. It looked as if the Li Imperial Pce region had suddenly been swallowed by the earth,pletely disappearing amidst the thunderous roar. The four heroes initially wanted to break through the Ice Space World, to fight a quick battle, but seeing such a catastrophic Star Fall, they dared not linger under the Ice Space World any longer and scattered, retreating to even further from thekeside pavilions. Du Cheng was also dodging; he seemed to be a Divine and Mortal, his movements strange and swift. Yet, when the cold stars touched the ground, setting off shocking airwaves, his movements were as clumsy as a scurrying mouse, nearly falling into the caverns several times! The only ones who did not flee were the Purgatory Fire Dragon and Luo Xiao. The target of the Ice Morning White Dragon¡¯s attack this time was precisely them. Around them were craters, debris and broken beams everywhere. If the women of the Li Imperial Pce had not been deliberately sent away, I¡¯m afraid none would have survived. The wings of flesh and blood were broken, limbs twisted, and the thick chest was pierced through by one of the cold stars, then exploded inside the body, shattering and blowing apart the Purgatory Fire Dragon¡¯s internal organs¡­ Luo Xiao was covered in blood, lying beside the Purgatory Fire Dragon. Looking at the extremely miserable Purgatory Fire Dragon, the resentment and rage that had been surging in his heart finally began to subside! Luo Xiao was by no means a fool. He knew there were many people stronger than him in this world, so no matter how much he improved, he would always seek a backing. Previously it was the Li Family, now it was the Sect Pce. However, what he could not close his eyes to in this broken agony was, why could the insignificant Wutu Bad People also trample him into this filthy, stinky rubble just like the venerated ones he dared not even look up to!! ¡°The eyes you can¡¯t forget, the lips you¡¯re infatuated with, the body you crave to insanity, hahaha, in the end, all were thoroughly enjoyed by that despicable beggar. After their reckless coption in the dungeon, upon waking up¡­¡± That woman¡¯s sharp, frantic words tormented him at all times. Even as he fell into the deathly trap, they stung and agonized him over and over, unwilling to die! The one who should have been protecting the vi. It should have been himself. He Zhu Minng, by what virtue or ability¡­ Her eyes, her lips, all of her, he wished to see them onest time. Luo Xiao crawled on the ground, slowly making his way toward the vi. Most of his body was gone, leaving only one hand and a face like that of a ghoul. He could not swallow hisst breath; that madwoman¡¯s voice was waiting for him in the depths of death, and he would not go down! However, soon enough, someone stood before him. This person was Zhu Minng; Luo Xiao could only see his legs, unable even to see his face¡­ ¡°Turns out it¡¯s Brother Luo Xiao, I didn¡¯t recognize you just now, my apologies.¡± While he couldn¡¯t see the face, he could hear the voice. Zhu Minng looked down from above. And yet this condescending voice, these words, made the face that emerged in Luo Xiao¡¯s mind clearer than if he had seen it with his own eyes! With hisst dying breath, because of these words, he was forcefully stuffed back down! If there really are the Yellow Springs, if there really is the Naihe Bridge, not even the soup of Granny Meng could make Luo Xiao forget this scene! (There¡¯s another chapteringter, you can read it tomorrow if you want, as I write a bit slowly.. Just trouble everyone to cast their monthly votes, the first month of a new bookunch, let¡¯s show some presence, go go go for the chaotic alliance Chapter 101 - 102 The Old Thespian Chapter 101: Chapter 102 The Old Thespian Trantor: 549690339 Separated by the icy void, the courtyard still maintained the gentle warmth of spring and summer, with the azure autumnal nanmu trees gently swaying, unaffected by the strong currents, branches, and leaves all intact. Li Yunzi looked at the ice-space curtain with some worry, and her slender, fair fingers would unconsciously grip tightly, but whenever she concentrated, fine beads of sweat would form on her forehead. She stood up, wanting to leave the courtyard, when a voice came from outside the ice-space world, gentle and calm, not at all like it was amidst a fierce battle. ¡°Don¡¯t agitate your injuries, just stay calm inside the yard, I can handle it.¡± ¡°I¡¯m worried about Ling Sha.¡± Thedy is still a bit shy, after all. Having witnessed the scene of Nan Lingsha painting the city, Zhu Minng thought it was those who contended with Nan Lingsha that should be worrying. Zhu Minng had previously been puzzled by why Li Yunzi would wage war so extensively with an uncertain foundation. Looking at the current situation, the assassins were only a few people from the Sect Pce, not a city full of powerful warriors¡­ He could roughly understand now; it seemed the so-called sisterly strife was merely an illusion to mislead all who would hinder Li Yunzi on her path. Of course, Zhu Minng was hindsight; from the beginning, everything he learned, facts and rumors alike, indicated that Li Yunzi was virtually unsupported in the Ancestral Dragon City-State, aside from havingmand over troops. If Zhu Minng believed it, there was no reason others wouldn¡¯t. Understanding this in his heart, he also felt somewhat relieved. Relieved that Nan Lingsha was on Li Yunzi¡¯s side; otherwise, even if Hei Ya and Qing Zhuo had ascended to Dragon Lord Level, they might have been unable to stop the relentless pursuit of the entire city! ¡°Be careful. If you¡¯re overpowered, retreat back here. I can handle it,¡± the voice of Li Yunzi still came through. ¡°Okay.¡± Rubble, craters, and wreckage of pavilions and towersy scattered all around. Du Cheng and the Four Heroes of the n Pce kept their distance, watching Zhu Minng and the Ice Morning White Dragon with furious eyes. ¡°Are you saying your final goodbyes? You¡¯d better say everything now; I¡¯m afraid you won¡¯t have the chance very soon!¡± Du Cheng¡¯s tone started to turn cold as he approached Zhu Minng, walking through the ruined Li Imperial Pce. At that moment, the four had also summoned their dragon beasts, some with sturdy and massive bodies like fortress towers, others grotesque and bizarre,parable to ancient fierce creatures. And among them was one who had summoned the Azure Dragon of Thunder! This Azure Dragon of Thunder floated in the air like an ancient demonic whale, its flesh as tough as steel rock, and what¡¯s more dramatic was that half of its body was enveloped in storm clouds, with lightning generated from within the clouds enough to tear open the sky and illuminate it! Dragon Lord Level! The Azure Dragon of Thunder was evidently a creature of Dragon Lord Level as well; as it swam through the air, the cosmos seemed to turn into its raging sea, capable of stirring up towering waves with just a movement! And Du Cheng was certainly no ordinary individual. He was a God and Mortal, with ghostly movements. As he walked, he would inexplicably vanish within thend of debris, with only asional glimpses of his figure visible. The moment he exerted the Power of God and Mortality, he became shadowy and eerie, his form as if shrouded by ayer of deathly haze, bearing a striking resemnce to the ck Impermanence of folklore, walking through theherworld, roaming in the ghostly night! Luckily, Zhu Minng had encountered quite a few Divine and Mortals before, and he was able to discern some patterns in their abilities. ¡°Let the dragon beasts engage Bai Qi, has hee to harvest souls?¡± Zhu Minng understood Du Cheng¡¯s intent now. Therefore, he wouldn¡¯t give Du Cheng the chance to get close to him. It wasn¡¯t just one dragon, after all. Zhu Minng had already summoned the Divine Green Holy Dragon. As soon as Du Cheng got close, he decisively jumped onto the back of the Divine Green Holy Dragon. Soar through the sky,e up here and fight if you dare! Du Cheng, like a chilling specter, first tried to break through the Ice Space World, intending to directly kill Li Yunzi¡­ But at this moment, the female heroine hurriedly spoke up to warn Du Cheng, ¡°Young master, do not act rashly. Li Yunzi is a Lord Level upper echelon God and Mortal. If she has recovered from her injuries, I¡¯m afraid you might lose your life.¡± Du Cheng furrowed his brows. Was the intelligence urate or not? Wasn¡¯t it said that Li Yunzi had sustained severe injuries and didn¡¯t even have the strength of a general¡¯s level? Howe now they were saying there was trickery involved? ¡°Let¡¯s kill this Dragon Shepherd first. We can join forces to surround and attack Li Yunziter. Be cautious, young master!¡± the female heroine continued. The female heroine was the master of the Azure Dragon of Lei Kun, a fierce Dragon Beast strong enough to confront the Ice Morning White Dragon head on. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s kill him first¡­¡± Du Cheng was about to step onto the ice curtain and leap over when suddenly a fierce and fiery punch came from the outer side of the frozenke!! The punch was like a me, leaping over the iceke and snow pavilion, heading straight for Du Cheng at an astonishing speed! Du Cheng was terrified and quickly fled. You could see his afterimages multiply, like a bodiless spirit¡¯s ghostly garment flowing sideways¡­ But the punch was so domineering that even the outer force of the wind sweeping by Du Cheng blew him away, smashing him into the ruins and shoveling aside who knows how many remains of buildings! Zhu Minng in the air, with one nce, saw that on the other side of the pavilionke, a person had appeared at some unknown time. This person had ordinary features, dark skin, and wore nothing but the attire of a kitchen-hand, but it was that face that made Zhu Minng feel he had seen it somewhere¡ªsimple and honest! I have seen this person before. I have definitely seen this person before. Zhu Minng was certain, but just couldn¡¯t recall. ¡°Fist Master! !¡± The gaunt powerhouse couldn¡¯t help but exim, and a rare light showed in his sunken eyes, but it was one of terror. Zhan An, the Fist Master with fierce punches. Wasn¡¯t he a God and Mortal who had faded from public view for many years? Why would he show up here? ¡°No, no, that God and Mortal is this man!¡± The gaunt hero suddenly realized, pointing at the middle-aged, honest-looking man and shouting. From the moment he entered this ce, the gaunt hero had sensed that in the vicinity of this annex, there was only one God and Mortal and one Dragon Shepherd. But now he realized a problem. If Li Yunzi¡¯s injury was a deception, then with her Cultivation Base far beyond his own, he might not be able to detect her God and Mortal aura. And if she indeed was injured, with a weak God and Mortal aura close to Mortals, that also would not be easy to capture. So the one with the very obvious God and Mortal aura wasn¡¯t Li Yunzi, but this man! Zhan An, the Fist Master. If this was over a decade ago, there was nobody who did not know his name, even in foreignnds and the Sect Pce, he was well known. But to the younger generation like Du Cheng and the female heroine, they had never heard of this man. Thus, when Du Cheng was blown away by a punch, his face covered in dirt, he became even more infuriated, his eyes staring at the unremarkable-looking Zhan An like a ghostly death re. ¡°Young brother, we meet again.¡± Zhan An walked along the frozenke, saw Zhu Minng looking at him, and then waved to Zhu Minng up in the air. Only at this moment did Zhu Minng finally remember who this simple and honest farmer was! Wasn¡¯t this the down-to-earth shepherd uncle who had sent Li Shaoying to school in the beginning? There once was a time when Zhu Minng thought he was an old actor, always ying the fool to catch the wise, butpared to the uncle before him, he was just too green! Chapter 102 - 103 Surging Feather Chapter 102: Chapter 103 Surging Feather Trantor: 549690339 The Azure Dragon abruptly flew low, and in an instant the surrounding lightning clouds dispersed in all directions, countless bolts of dark red lightning shing terrifyingly. The sky and earth darkened and turned murky, the dark red lightning reminiscent of demon ws, fiercely tearing through everything around it. The power at the Dragon Lord Level was truly domineering. Even though the Divine Green Holy Dragon had already distanced itself from the Azure Dragon, it was still wounded by the dark red lightning. ¡°Little brother, I am better at ying dragons. How about you deal with that so-called Child of Destiny from the Sect Pce?¡± the boxer Zhan An said. Without waiting for Zhu Minng¡¯s response, he charged directly towards the most powerful Azure Dragon. Zhu Minng nced at the ruins and saw Du Cheng standing there, his face covered in dust, looking like a vindictive spirit that had resided in an ancient mansion for a thousand years, extremely frightening. At that moment, a Double-headed Wing Dragon circled in the sky and suddenly dived down towards the Divine Green Dragon of Divine Wood that had just been struck by the lightning. This Double-headed Wing Dragon had a crimson me crest on its left head and a jade green poisonous crest on its right, clearly a fierce ancient dragon with poison and fire attributes, and it was unknown which of the four mighty ones owned this dragon bird! ¡± The Divine Green Dragon of Divine Wood pped its iron-leaf wings, its whole body radiating a green glow, with vine roots materializing beneath it without warning. Coiling, bending, and growing, it did not take long for a small mountain of roots and vines to form. The Divine Green Holy Dragon did not need to fight the poison-fire Pterosaur in the high sky. Relying on these roots, it would definitely not fear the Pterosaur Dragon General! Storm Feathers swirled all around Zhu Minng, lifting him gently to the ground. The feathers were sometimes sharp as des, sometimes sturdy as shields, and sometimes as soft as leaves. The same, Bai Qi also had Storm Phantom Feathers on him, as the soul connection allowed Dragon Trainers to use the same gear as their dragon beasts. As the boxer Zhan An joined the fight, Bai Qi broke free from the encirclement of dragons and returned to Zhu Minng¡¯s side, with its gaze fixed on Du Cheng who possessed the Power of God and Mortality from the Sect Pce. Suddenly, Bai Qi became a white shadow, its speed so fast it seemed to cover hundreds of meters in an instant to reach Du Cheng¡¯s side. Du Cheng was a person known for his elusive movements, but upon seeing the Ice Morning White Dragon¡¯s terrifying speed and explosiveness, he retreated in panic. With a w aimed straight at the heart, Du Cheng managed to scramble out of the way. Another w tore towards his face, and although Du Cheng was considered strong among the Divine and Mortal, facing Bai Qi, a creature of the Dragon Lord Level, it was like a young child wrestling with a ferocious tiger¡­ ¡°Protect the young master!¡± The bulky female roared amand. The strength of the Ice Morning White Dragon was even above that of the Azure Dragon. After all, it had just been that the Azure Dragon and the other six Dragon Generals had attacked the Ice Morning White Dragon, and it did not seem to be at a disadvantage. Under the same level, Divine and Mortals need quite a lot of experience to hope to stand a chance in a solo tight with dragon beasts, let alone Du Cheng who imed to be at Lord Level strength, which actually contained quite a bit of exaggeration. His reliance was the Charm Shadow Clothes he wore. Without this Sect Pce treasure, he could only be considered a peak General Level Divine and Mortal. The Charm Shadow Clothes might afford some leeway against some slower dragons. However, the Ice Morning White Dragon is a nimble spirit. Even when encircled by six Dragon Generals and a Lower Dragon Master Azure Dragon, it was hard to injure it, showing its exceptional agility, making the Charm Shadow Clothes seem rather pale and powerless in front of it. ¡°Swoosh!!!¡± A spike of ground crystal appeared out of nowhere in front of Du Cheng, piercing a Lower Dragon General and spraying blood. Du Cheng dodged in rm and involuntarily looked down at the ground. The pitted ground suddenly cracked open with countless white fissures from which terrifying underground ice crystals speared out, brutally wounding several Lower Dragon Generals who had juste to protect their master. One Yin Dragon, which seemed to possess only the strength of a Lower Dragon General, was pierced through the neck and abdomen by two separate spikes of ground crystal. It died instantly in the wide-ranging emergence of the underground ice crystals. Lower Dragon Generals¡­ In the Ancestral Dragon City, that already constituted the ranks of the strong. But in front of the Ice Morning White Dragon, they were no different from cannon fodder. The death of the Yin Dragon immediately subjected its owner to soul rebelling, depriving him of the ability to rece his in dragon beast inbat. Du Cheng¡¯s life, indeed, seemed quite precious. The Azure Dragon helmed by Lei Kun had been pummeled with countless heavy blows by Zhan An and yet, no other mighty warriors assisted it. Instead, seven or eight Dragon Generals gathered around Du Cheng, deeply fearful that he would be killed by the Dragon Lord Level Ice Morning White Dragon! In fact, if not for the interference of these Dragon Generals, the Ice Morning White Dragon would have already torn Du Cheng to shreds. Necessarily, the Ice Morning White Dragon had to slowly eliminate these Dragon Generals! Among these Dragon Generals, a Corpse Tyrant Dragon stood out as the most vigorous, ranking as a Peak Dragon General. It boldly emerged from the cowering group of dragons to attack. Its enormous body was covered in gaping orifices like the mouths of worms, and backward-pointing bones grew at all of its joints. Lacking a ferocious and massive Tyrant Dragon head, its neck had only a gaping maw, with teeth growing outward as though sprouting from the surface to line the stomach walls. This Corpse Tyrant Dragon was hideously malformed¡ªnothing but the desecrated skeleton of a Tyrant Dragon upied by some parasitic monster or worm, decked in corpse maggots and slime all over its body! Zhu Minng was also eye-opening at this moment. People in this world actually raised such dragons. The Ice Morning White Dragon stood still, unwilling to engage in closebat with such a thing. It would be repulsed even if it wasn¡¯t bitten by the creature. In terms of cleanliness, as Bai Qi sometimes managed even better than some of Zhu Minng¡¯s college dorm mates, and dignity and grace certainly required purity! The surrounding Storm Phantom Feathers began to separate slowly, surging like tidal waves in the direction of Bai Qi¡¯s focused gaze. With eyes transforming, secondary feathers lifting gently, Bai Qi turned the Storm Phantom Feathers into sharp de butterflies while harnessing the restless airflow between heaven and earth. He fed these currents into the surging feather waves, transforming the gales of feathered storm surge into a tumultuous, roaring sea!! Surging Feather, de Wave Bone Scraping!! The Peak Dragon General Level Corpse Tyrant Dragon had not even managed to approach before it was violently swept into the roaring currents. The powerful airflow allowed the sharp phantom feathers to slice through the dragon¡¯s corpse hide and bones again and again¡­ It was not just the Corpse Tyrant Dragon¡ªother Dragon Generals around Du Cheng were also affected, getting their skincerated and flesh burst open, their blood sttering everywhere! Du Cheng still deludedly thought he could dodge using his Charm Shadow Clothes. However, among the sharp phantom feathers, there were distinctively edged ice crystals.. He might avoid the cutting of phantom feathers, but how could he escape these omnipresent des? Chapter 103 - 104: Don’t Mess with Me in Summer! Chapter 103: Chapter 104: Don¡¯t Mess with Me in Summer! Trantor: 549690339 ¡°Storm Phantom Feather,bined with Bai Qi¡¯s Riding the Wind and ice control techniques, is so tyrannically powerful!¡± Seeing those Dragon Generals beaten up by Bai Qi¡¯s dragon technique to the extent of no unharmed spot, a smile appeared on Zhu Minng¡¯s face. This special feather obtained from the Dragon Taming Academy had actually grown stronger alongside Bai Qi¡¯s growth and evolution. It gave Zhu Minng another potent weapon to kill enemies with, in addition to the Armor Shadow Body Protection he crafted for himself. After all, any equipment that could be armed onto a dragon pet could also be used by the Dragon Shepherd himself! The Storm Phantom Feather had also been amplified due to Bai Qi¡¯s evolution, which was equivalent to Zhu Minng holding a tool of Dragon Lord Level in his hand now¡­ With this assurance, Zhu Minng stood still, seemingly focusing all his attention on the battle between Bai Qi and those Dragon Generals, but in reality, he was sneering secretly in his heart. Someone was stealthily approaching. This sneaky fellow could be none other than Du Cheng. Du Cheng¡¯s divine skills were close to Ghost Power, and he could even split off a puppet to bewild factions. The one who was wounded by the ice crystals wasn¡¯t Du Cheng himself but his puppet. His Shenfan¡¯s plot¡­ Zhu Minng saw through it with a single nce. Back in his hometown, there were many more with divine mortal abilities stronger than him. If it weren¡¯t for those Charm Shadow Clothes, this Du Cheng would be nothing but dregs! ¡°Child of Destiny, is this all you¡¯ve got?¡± Zhu Minngughed, slowly turning around, his gaze unshiftingly fixed on Du Cheng, who thought he was moving noiselessly. Du Cheng was like a lingering shadow in the dim light, practically invisible. When Zhu Minng faced him, Du Cheng was startled! How had he discovered him? That puppet, to deceive the Ice Morning White Dragon, even the wounds carved on its flesh were real! ¡°Little Dragon Shepherd, how dare youpete with me for glory, die!¡± Du Cheng raged in his heart. There was still some distance to the Ice Morning White Dragon, and there were no other powerful dragon beasts protecting Zhu Minng. In the early stages, it was difficult for a Dragon Shepherd to contend with a divine-mortal, but given just a sliver of opportunity, the divine-mortal could bypass the dragon to kill the dragon rider and then make a clean escape to achieve ultimate victory. However, the higher the level, the more terrifying the Dragon Shepherd bes. Several divine-mortals of the same level might not be able to take down a single Dragon Shepherd. The Dragon Shepherd¡¯s dragon beasts were many and each was formidable in its own right. Thus, within the team of a Dragon Shepherd, divine-mortals often appear as the followers instead. Clearly, Zhu Minng was far from reaching that level. His Ice Morning White Dragon was strong¡ªthere was no one here who could face it alone¡ªbut once bypassed or restrained, Zhu Minng was no different from a cripple! He could be killed! Du Cheng was certain of it. Even if he had been exposed, the Ice Morning White Dragon wouldn¡¯t be able to save his master in time now. For such a short distance, Zhu Minng wouldn¡¯t have time to summon another powerful dragon! ¡°Die!¡± de pricked from his sleeve, one in each hand, Du Cheng flew forward, like multiple haunting shadows, as he snipped towards Zhu Minng¡¯s throat from behind with the des in both hands. The de shadows looked like two Evil Moon¡¯s Fangs. Zhu Minng couldn¡¯t retreat nor could he dodge them. Of course, Zhu Minng didn¡¯t n to dodge either. He just wanted to try out the Storm Phantom Feather executed on his own body on this Du Cheng. Comparing sharpness,peting in throat-slitting? ¡°Swoosh swoosh swoosh swoosh swoosh swoosh!!!¡± Feathers exploded, des whirled furiously, and a terrifying presence that matched a Dragon Lord Level creature suddenly enveloped Zhu Minng. Those two crossing fangs of the Evil Moon halted abruptly mid-air, and Du Cheng, who moved like a shadow, weirdly froze before Zhu Minng, with scores of silver feathers, fiercely spinning, piercing through his flesh and bones¡­ Flying out from his throat. Flying out from his chest. Flying out from his spine!! The most terrifying part was that these Storm Phantom Feathers seemed to prate Du Cheng¡¯s body from unknown ces and angles. There were hundreds, perhaps thousands of feathers, and even as Du Cheng¡¯s body sprayed a vast mist of blood, forming a shape like a giant blood lotus, the Storm Phantom Feathers remained as clean as snow¡­ They sharply harvested life, and as they formed a spectacr yet heart-stopping swirl of feathers around Zhu Minng, they were sharp as des, but when they flew back to Zhu Minng¡¯s side, they became soft and lightweight again! Snowkes drifted down, and the Phantom Feathers floated gently, Zhu Minng stood there, unmoving, his long coat still spotless. Du Cheng¡¯s body seemed to lose its support, slowly copsing to the ground; during this process, his hands separated, feet separated, his whole body was as if it had been precisely butchered, all came apart! His face was not intact, but one could tell from the pieces that it bore an expression of disbelief right before his death!! A son of destiny, a son of destiny from the Sect Pce¡­ How could he die so inexplicably at the hands of a Wutu Bad Person, a nobody! He was to be the ruler of thisnd in the future, the Sect Pce was his, and all these cities, big and small, would bow down to him! ¡°A frog in a well,¡± Zhu Minng said with a coldugh. As he had said, once summeres. No one should provoke him!! Whichever Sect Pce it might be, once Bai Qi reached its Complete Period, Zhu Minng wouldn¡¯t mind crushing them t! On the ground, Du Cheng appeared intact, only bleeding profusely, but not a single part of him was connected. Zhu Minng looked down at him and saw a shadow emerge from his body, drifting away like smoke. Zhu Minng initially thought it was Du Cheng¡¯s departing soul, which, as a Divine and Mortal, could still be collected by the Soul Collecting Pearl Brewing. Du Cheng¡¯s Soul Bead wouldn¡¯t be much different, but Zhu Minng soon realized the smoky shadow was not his soul. ¡°Armor?¡± Zhu Minng was in this business himself, so how could he not recognize such an item. So, Du Cheng had been wearing a ck garment, no wonder his movements seemed so strange earlier, that even a Dragon Lord like Bai Qi had to exert some effort to catch up with him. ¡°The material is quite rare, although the craftsmanship is a bit rough, it could certainly be improved. Thanks for the gift, Lord Du Cheng!¡± Zhu Minng bowed to Du Cheng¡¯s departing soul. This Charming Shadow Clothes, far more valuable than Du Cheng¡¯s ragged soul!! Considering that the Soul Collecting Pearl Brewing might damage the Spirit Bond between the Charming Shadow Clothes and Du Cheng, Zhu Minng decisively abandoned the guy¡¯s rotten soul, cut off the slight spirit connection of the Charming Shadow Clothes and silently pocketed it. ¡°Lord!!¡± ¡°Fourth Lord!!!¡± Among the four brutes, the female behemoth screamed in panic. There were many lords in the Sect Pce, but each one was treasured by the master of the Sect Pce. Now that one had died tragically in this conspiracy, how were they to exin themselves! ¡°If you care so much about him, then you can join him on the road to the Ghost Gate!¡± At that moment, a deep voice arose beside the female brute. The female brute turned pale with fright¡ªwhen had this pugilist gotten so close to her! Chapter 104 - 105: The Great Harvest of Soul Gathering Chapter 104: Chapter 105: The Great Harvest of Soul Gathering Trantor: 549690339 ¡°Boom!!¡± As the punch was thrown, the female warrior hastily summoned her armor¡¯s shadow. Unfortunately, her armor¡¯s defensive capabilities were not very strong, especially considering Zhan An was a Lord-level master. The armor¡¯s shadow shattered, her bulky body dented by the strike as blood spilled from her mouth. The ck Azure Violent Dragon roared, its body covered in fierce lightning thatshed out like massive dark red whips against Zhan An. Zhan An quickly retreated, while two Peak Dragon Generals pounced, almost tearing off one of Zhan An¡¯s arms¡­ A long cry rang out, and the serene moonlight unknowingly sprinkled down, at first seeming exceedingly gentle but soon turned into countless moonlight swords piercing from the sky to the earth. The ck Azure Violent Dragon hovered low in the sky, as these moonlight swords struck its rocky flesh. They were lightsabers capable of tearing apart the earth, but they left no marks or bloodstains on the dragon¡¯s hide. Tough and hardy, the ck Azure Violent Dragon¡¯s defenses were much stronger than imagined. ¡°Swoosh!¡± Suddenly, a shadow darted through the hundreds and thousands of moonlight swords, piercing through the ck Azure Violent Dragon¡¯s spine. That was the Ice Morning White Dragon¡¯s stinger tail, hidden among the moonlight profound arts of the Azure Dragon, which had withstood all the moonlight swords¡¯ energy. The ck Azure Violent Dragon never expected that this seemingly inconsequential dragon tail could prate its rocky flesh without any resistance! Flesh and tough muscle were like paper before this stinger tail. No matter how solid the defense, if the Ice Morning White Dragon found an opportunity and the right angle, it could pierce right through! The hole wasn¡¯trge, but blood gushed out uncontrobly, and the ck Azure Violent Dragon, roaring furiously, suddenly burst out with a rampage of thunderous power, charging at the Ice Morning White Dragon. The Ice Morning White Dragon danced in the air like a butterfly, eluding the raging Azure Dragon¡¯s random attacks, barely brushing a feather. And the more berserk the ck Azure Violent Dragon became, the easier it was to expose its ws. The Ice Morning White Dragon, maintaining theposure of a hunter,unched a swift surprise stinger attack whenever the ck Azure Violent Dragon drew near! The cold shes pierced through even the hardest dragon skin and could directly prate bones. The Ice Morning White Dragon seemed to know that the ck Azure Violent Dragon was tenacious, its skin and muscles like steel. Ordinary profound arts and magic might not seriously injure it, so it adopted this strategy¡­ Blood flowed like water from a fountain, and as more holes appeared in the ck Azure Violent Dragon¡¯s body, the dragon blood simply couldn¡¯t stop pouring out. Bai Qi¡¯s tail inflicted wounds caused unstoppable bleeding, and the ck Azure Violent Dragon, it seemed, didn¡¯t have any special healing abilities as it crazily unleashed dark red lightning. The lightning continuously exploded in the air, creating terrifying thunderous sweeps¡­ Each time the ck Azure Violent Dragon disyed such dominance, the Ice Morning White Dragon would retreat and dodge far until another w emerged, and the stinger would puncture another wound! ¡°Swoosh! !!! ¡®l This time, the Ice Morning White Dragon¡¯s tail struck a vital spot on the ck Azure Violent Dragon, the neck. You could see blood spurting from beneath the ck Azure Violent Dragon¡¯s neck like a water column. And this time, the substantial blood loss finally slowed the ck Azure Violent Dragon¡¯s movements, significantly weakening the thunderous power. Other Dragon General-level creatures, when pierced by Bai Qi¡¯s tail, typically died instantly, but only the ck Azure Violent Dragon had struggled for so long before it was truly grievously wounded. Bai Qi¡¯s body also had some scars from the dark red lightningshes, not to mention Zhan An, the boxer, who had been entangled with the ck Azure Violent Dragon for an even longer time. ¡°Uncle, are you okay?¡± Zhu Minng asked Zhan An, seeing him attacked by five or six Dragon Generals. ¡°It¡¯s a bit tricky, my left arm is numb from the electricity, but I won¡¯t die. You first take care of the ck Azure Violent Dragon, everything else we¡¯ll deal withter!¡± Zhan An weaved through the dragons, taking a while before responding. ¡°Qing Zhuo, go help him,¡± Zhu Minng instructed the Divine Green Holy Dragon in the high sky. The Divine Green Holy Dragon had concluded its high-altitudebat with the Poison Fire Pterosaur, decapitating its poisoned crest with a wing chop. Had the skinny warrior not recalled the Poison Fire Pterosaur, Qing Zhuo could have killed it. To prevent idents, Zhu Minng also summoned Big ck Tooth and had it directly don its Silver Green Heavy Armor! Though not high-ranking, it could bind one of the Dragon Generals with its thick body. Zhan An, now with the assistance of the Divine Green Holy Dragon and the ck Azure Violent Dragon, naturally no longer struggled! ¡°Kill it, the soul bead of the ck Azure Violent Dragon should greatly boost Big ck Tooth,¡± Zhu Minng said to Bai Qi. Bai Qi was more than willing to help the younger dragon brothers and sisters grow, especially Big ck Tooth, a loyal and massive meat shield. Furthermore, the ck Azure Violent Dragon was of Ancient Dragon lineage. The female warrior was dazed and dizzy after Zhan An¡¯s punch. When she recovered slightly, she realized to her dismay that her ck Azure Violent Dragon had been severely wounded by the Ice Morning White Dragon. With unstoppable blood loss and plummeting strength, it was known that the dark red lightning and the surrounding thunderclouds released by the ck Azure Violent Dragon depended on its thunderous blood. The more blood it lost, the weaker its Azure Lightning Profound Art grew. However, the female warrior dared not recall the ck Azure Violent Dragon to the Spirit Realm. If she did, the Ice Morning White Dragon would be unstoppable, and all the warriors from the Sect Pce would likely perish. ¡°One must preserve the green hills,¡± said the skinny warrior with the Corpse Tyrant Dragon at this moment. ¡°The third one probably won¡¯t survive, and the young master has already¡­ We will have a hard time dealing with the Ice Morning White Dragon.¡± ¡°Damn, where did this Dragon Shepherde from, and how does he have a Lord-level White Dragon that none of us knew about??¡± the female bruiser raged. ¡°Stop talking so much, let your Lei Kun Azure Dragon cover our retreat, or we¡¯ll all die here,¡± the skeletal bruiser said. The female bruiser clenched her teeth. The Lei Kun Azure Dragon was her biggest reliance in thisnd; she couldn¡¯t bear it! The Ice Morning White Dragon, this Ice Morning White Dragon!! A being at the Lord Level, not to mention within the Ancestral Dragon City-State, but even across this vastnd, could easily be counted on one hand. Just who exactly was Zhu Minng, and how could he bemanding such a sacred White Dragon?? ¡°Let¡¯s go. We will return today¡¯s humiliation twofold,¡± the female bruiser said viciously. ¡°We will use the blood of everyone in the Ancestral Dragon City-State to mourn for our Fourth Master! ¡± As grandiose as their ims were, the sight of them abandoning their Soul Contracted dragons in a desperate attempt to escape, merely clinging to life, was trulyugnaD1e. Unfortunately, they thought that by sacrificing their dragon beasts, they could escape the Li Imperial Pce without realizing that, within the pce, there was a God and Mortal figure. That was Li Yunzi! She had always believed in an eye for an eye! And she never held back an ounce of mercy for her enemies! The swords were like silver threads, shing through the Ice Space World; the female bruiser¡¯s chest was cruelly pierced by those threads, hanging her up like a marite. At the same time, the Ice Morning White Dragon flew above the Lei Kun Azure Dragon, its long tail hanging down firmly, and its body began to spin like the wind! ¡°Whoosh!!¡± The spiraling strike pierced through the heart. The dragon¡¯s tail, its power unknown how many times amplified, and its speed unfathomable, suddenly plunged down from the head of the Lei Kun Azure Dragon, silver light crashing to the ground, blood exploding, and this abandoned Azure Dragon had no chance to struggle anymore. The floating bodynded with the silver light; other parts of the body were still bleeding, but the fatal wounds were the gaping holes above the head and below the neck, stripping it of even the ability to float and swim. Like a beached whale, ity there on the shallow rocks, waiting for its water to be evaporated slowly, waiting for its life to wane, waiting for its corpse to rot! The other two bruisers, witnessing this scene, were scared out of their wits, frantically summoning lower-level Dragon Beasts to protect themselves. Yet silken sword threads still flew out, cutting down both their Dragon Beasts and the bruisers themselves, blood blooming like mist about their bodies. Zhan An stared in astonishment at the protected courtyard; separated by the ice barriers and walls, he could not see the person within wielding the thought-controlled Flying Swords, but they could effortlessly y the escaping figures, with a cultivation base that was clearly above his own. Moreover, she was injured! Inside the courtyard, Li Yunzi coughed lightly, and the silver sword threads, like snapped threads, quickly disappeared. It was still somewhat forced, using the Power of God and Mortality this time would likely require several days of rest for recovery. However, Li Yunzi was by no means going to let those three bruisers leave, even if they were willing to abandon their Lord-level dragon beasts, there was no need to let them live to return to the Sect Pce. It¡¯s not that Li Yunzi feared the Sect Pce¡¯s retribution, but she was worried that they might target Zhu Minng after he revealed his strength. Of course, the strength Zhu Minng had shown stunned Li Yunzi herself, especially since the Fourth Young Master Du Cheng of Zong Pce had died by his hands¡­ From an ordinary silkworm farmer to someone who could stand on his own, it had taken less than a year. The pavilions of the Li Imperial Pce would need to be thoroughly rebuilt. Fortunately, after this ordeal, many people had been exiled, so there were still plenty of houses to live in. Beside him, Zhan An enviously watched Zhu Minng collecting Soul Beads. God and Mortals didn¡¯t have the ability to harvest souls and brew beads, while Dragon Shepherds could fight to sustain their battles, God and Mortals had to be cautious in choosing their battles, as some fights were not worth the losses incurred. ¡°These were killed by you, what a pity, I can¡¯t collect souls,¡± Zhu Minng said, feeling somewhat regretful. Collecting souls and brewing beads wasn¡¯t about just stretching a hand towards a corpse, furrowing one¡¯s brow, and then avidly sucking in the spirit. Those wandering souls were gathered by a Dragon Shepherd¡¯s spiritual power because when a dragon beast used war skills, Profound Art, or magic, it essentially ced various marks on the enemy. When the enemy died and their soul dispersed without any external force¡¯s interference, these marks would resonate with the spiritual palm print of the Dragon Shepherd, and then slowly converge. Therefore, collecting souls from creatures killed by others to condense beads was futile. God and Mortals didn¡¯t have bonded dragons to leave marks on the enemy, nor did they have a Spirit Realm or spiritual power. A wealth of war trophiesy scattered on the ground! Dragon corpses were treasures! Zhan An could only smack his lips and watch Zhu Minng collect all their Soul Beads. Chapter 105 - 106: The Dragon is Raised Well Chapter 105: Chapter 106: The Dragon is Raised Well Trantor: 549690339 ¡°Young man, you¡¯re quite skilled at Soul Collecting Pearl Brewing,¡± Zhan An couldn¡¯t help butment. ¡°Yes, I focus on that,¡± Zhu Minng nodded. Dragon Shepherds have many abilities, most of which revolve around dragon rearing, like Soul Collecting Pearl Brewing, which is a good way to enhance a Dragon Beast¡¯s cultivation base. Finding a creature that matches the bloodline and attributes, killing it to obtain the Soul Bead, can greatly enhance one¡¯s trained dragon pet. If one obtains those with high years of cultivation and quality, they can also be preserved and sold in the market for a high price. In addition, Dragon Shepherds possess Spiritual Sense, which allows them to find treasures in the Great Wilderness World that others have difficulty detecting. Some Dragon Shepherds wander the outside world year-round, mostly in search of these things. Even if it takes a lot of time and climbing over mountains and hills, just digging one up can elevate their realm! ¡°People say Dragon Shepherds squander gold, but we God and Mortal beings are so poor we can¡¯t even see gold, sigh,¡± Zhan An sighed heavily. ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean you have to resort to herding, does it?¡± Zhu Minng said with a smile. ¡°I had no choice; I was young and offended those in power,¡± Zhan An shook his head, smiling bitterly. Originally, Zhan An had nned to find a new ce to hide and continue herding, but on the way through Red Lotus City, a painter he had never met stopped him. The painter tasked him with protecting this courtyard in exchange for canceling all past grievances. Considering that Li Shaoying was still at the Dragon Taming Academy and not wanting him to be implicated by his own past, Zhan An agreed to the painter¡¯s request. However, he wouldn¡¯t have been so nervous had he known that there was a dragon shepherd expert like Zhu Minng in this courtyard as well. Speaking of which, the young people of today are truly remarkable. Not only are they outrageously strong, but they also look handsome, making the once-famed boxer Zhan An envious. ¡°Uncle, are there any other experts in the Sect Pce?¡± Zhu Minng inquired. ¡°You dare to kill their young master without knowing anything??¡± Zhan An said in surprise. ¡°The enemy of my wife is my enemy,¡± Zhu Minng dered. ¡°Sect Pce has Four Heroes, Three Elders, Double Chief, and one Monarch. As you¡¯ve just seen, the strongest of the Four Heroes has the Thunder Kun Azure Dragon, which is of the Dragon Lord level. Even though it¡¯s at the lowest tier of the Dragon Lord level, its strength is not to be underestimated.¡± ¡°And each of the Three Elders possesses Lord-level strength, at least Lower-level Sovereign.¡± ¡°Both of the Double Chief are Upper-level Sovereigns, and if they haven¡¯t reached it, they probably have some kind of Magic Artifact or Dragon Armor that allows them to contend with Upper-level Sovereigns.¡± ¡°And that one Monarch, I think you should understand what strength that is?¡± Zhan An said. The powerhouses of the Sect Pce haven¡¯t changed for nearly a decade, and even if there have been new powerful figures emerging in the Sect Pce, they have been unable to shake the status of these few people. Now that the Four Heroes are dead, but Zhan An remembers that there is also an elder in the Ancestral Dragon City. He didn¡¯t know whether the Sect Pce elder was still alive, but it would be best if they could deal with him. They had already started a fight to the death, and eliminating one meant weakening the Sect Pce¡¯s strength! ¡°The master of the Sect Pce is at the Monarch Level, should I grab my wife and run away??¡± Zhu Minng joked. ¡°You underestimate the foundation of Ancestral Dragon City. Rest assured, if your wife dares to annihte the Four Heroes and clean house, it means she has the ability to check the Sect Pce master. You should be cautious of the Sect Pce¡¯s Three Elders and Double Chief,¡± Zhan An advised. ¡°That¡¯s good,¡± Zhu Minng nodded. That¡¯s what they say. However, Zhu Minng was quite looking forward to wandering the world with his wife. Ancestral Dragon City was full of problems, like a muddy mess; let whoever wants to control it do so. The wind calmed, and the waves stilled. This day was supposed to be a bloodbath for Ancestral Dragon City, the more turmoil, the more innocents would be harmed. However, the streets remained bustling, and people noticed that the murky skies finally showed signs of clearing. They were oblivious to what was happening in Li Imperial Pce and Nan Mansion. The soldiers continued patrolling the State Wall of the city-state, while the officers inspected the streets¡­ Everything remainedrgely unchanged. However, at the Ancestral Altar, some people filled with righteous indignation, some intent on delivering divine justice, had disappeared without a trace, and the rumors of someone being a star of cmity also seemed to have stopped abruptly. After a rest, Zhu Minng walked towards the silver courtyard. The azure autumn nanmu trees were still beautiful and varied, but for some reason, a few appeared tock vitality, especially those near the left garden. Upon arriving at the house, Zhu Minng saw Li Yunzi and their eyes met. Her eyes were like a pool of autumn water, unwittingly intoxicating anyone who gazed into them. If he could spend this long life with the owner of those eyes, Zhu Minng would not refuse. ¡°I¡¯ve been puzzled for a very long time¡­¡± Li Yunzi spoke first. Zhu Minng sat next to her, took a sip of tea, and sat up straight with an attentive look, ready to listen. ¡°Where exactly Wutues from,¡± Li Yunzi said. ¡°That¡­¡± ¡°How many years have you been in Wutu?¡± she continued to ask. ¡°Quite a few years. But when I was there, Wutu was surrounded by the Void Sea, like a slowly floating ind continent. It wasn¡¯t long before it bordered the Dongxu Mountain Range of Ancestral Dragon City, ¡± Zhu Minng exined. ¡°The easternmost part of Ancestral Dragon City, I visited when I was very young, and I vividly remember it used to be a sea, but one year, Wutu appeared. The first time I stepped into Wutu, what I saw was backwardness, primitiveness, and barbarism¡­¡± Li Yunzi continued her narrative. Shaking her head, Li Yunzi herself didn¡¯t understand why she was sharing this with Zhu Minng. The puzzles buried in her heart were many, and while some would never be solved, others seemed to be unraveling bit by bit. Zhu Minng was one such puzzle for Li Yunzi. Ever since they escaped from the dungeon together, Li Yunzi felt Zhu Minng was like a fog. At the moment, he was like thend of Wutu that had inexplicably floated in, filled with the unknown. Do I still have much to learn about this world? In this world, such transformations do indeed exist. Is it really possible to go from someone with no abilities to a Lord-level powerhouse in less than a year? ¡°This world is more mysterious than I imagined, right?¡± Li Yunzi asked. ¡°Yes,¡± Zhu Minng nodded. ¡°Were you also a Dragon Shepherd before?¡± Li Yunzi asked. From the beginning, Zhu Minng knew some things about Dragon Shepherds, especially when faced with Luo Xiao¡¯s questioning, he was able to respond convincingly. At that time, Li Yunzi felt that Zhu Minng must be a down-and-out Dragon Shepherd, perhaps once having a Dragon Beast that had died. ¡°No,¡± Zhu Minng shook his head with a bitter smile. ¡°A God and Mortal?¡± ¡°Yes, but I lost it.¡¯ ¡°You¡¯re raising your dragon pretty well,¡± Li Yunzi said, the corners of her mouth lifting in a knowing smile. Zhu Minng was taken aback for a moment, then smiled as well. Indeed, why cling to what one used to be? Raising dragons fits my slightlyzy nature now; I don¡¯t even need to lift a finger for fighting and killing. When facing a formidable enemy, I can hold a fan with leisure or even stand farther away, munching on seeds, filing my nails¡­ ¡°When will your injury heal?¡± Zhu Minng asked, looking at Li Yunzi, whoseplexion stillcked color, with concern. ¡°Half a month.¡¯ ¡°Good, I can keep youpany for a while longer,¡± Zhu Minng said. Once she¡¯s healed, mydy will be off to conquer thends again, and I won¡¯t be able to see her ¨C naturally, I¡¯ll worry. I just hope everything settles down soon; otherwise, we won¡¯t even have time for romance. After wandering alone for so long, suddenly having someone to care about makes one hope to be closer, even just a little more. But Zhu Minng wasn¡¯t a naive young man; he knew that now was not the right time. The worries Li Yunzi held hadn¡¯t dissipated with the Sect Pce¡¯s defeat. Just wait and see. The master of the Sect Pce was a Monarch-level powerhouse. Looking across the various city-states, big and small, there was likely no one who could contend with him. Although Li Yunzi and Nan Lingsha had methods to deal with the master of the Sect Pce, Zhu Minng still wasn¡¯tpletely at ease. If the Sect Pce were to fight to the death with the Ancestral Dragon City, and something unexpected happened, Zhu Minng would be unable to ept it. ¡°If Little White can reach the Complete Period, he should also have the strength of a Dragon King.¡± ¡°Big ck Tooth and Little Qingzhuo shouldn¡¯t fall behind either.¡± ¡°That Soul Bead of the Azure Dragon should certainly allow Big ck Tooth to enter the Dragon General Level, and perhaps reach the Upper or even the Peak level in a very short amount of time.¡± A Lord-level Dragon Ball can not only evolve Big ck Tooth to its Complete Period, but as time goes by and it digests it, it could be even more unrivaled at the Dragon General Level! If I can then strengthen its Silver Cyan Dragon Armor, it might even stand a chance against a Dragon Lord! Little Qingzhuo too is gifted; after reaching maturity, its strength is likely to be close to that of the Ice Morning White Dragon, considering it¡¯s a Holy Dragon Baby that had Dragon General strength even as a juvenile! There are four stages for Juvenile Spirits and Dragons. Juvenile Period, Growth Period, Maturity Period, Complete Period. Each advance is a huge boost for both Juvenile Spirits and Dragons, built on the foundation of their own strength. So those that disy astonishing strength in the Juvenile and Growth periods will see an even greater enhancementter on. Furthermore, when Juvenile Spirits cross the Dragon Gate. It¡¯s not just stepping onto the lowest threshold of the Dragon Child Level. But transforming into some kind of Dragon. For example, certain spirits of ice and snow have a certain chance of turning into an Ice Dragon¡­ But there¡¯s also a chance they could be an Ice Morning White Dragon! Ice Dragons and Ice Morning White Dragons differ by several levels. A wild Ice Dragon at its Complete Period is also at the Sub-level, at most peaking at the Dragon Child Level. Yet a wild Ice Morning White Dragon at its Complete Period could touch the threshold of Monarch Level. As for Dragon Shepherds, they can help their Dragon Beasts break their bloodline limitations and reach higher levels through feeding, training, tempering, and enhancement. Big ck Tooth is a ck Azure Violent Dragon. Its bloodline isn¡¯t particrly noble, and its limit is probably just a Lower-level Sovereign. But once it has digested the Soul Bead from the Azure Dragon, the situation changespletely. If it can acquire even better Dragon Balls or other Ancient Dragon Spiritual Objectster, it could even hope to ascend to the Dragon Lord Level. So to be a truly powerful Dragon Shepherd, the strength of each and every dragon cannot fall behind. At the same time, one must continue to seek those Juvenile Spirits with tremendous potential. If they transform into dragons with extremely noble bloodlines while still in their Juvenile Period¡­ The space for enhancement is truly terrifying! Chapter 106 - 107: The Anomaly in the Sky Chapter 106: Chapter 107: The Anomaly in the Sky Trantor: 549690339 Rumors, if not fanned by gossip, fall apart by themselves. The gloomy skies, too, finally began to clear bit by bit, as a current of air surged from the furthest mountains in the Li Chuan in. The murky air seemed to have been thoroughly cleansed. This was the first clear morning, a morning with the light of dawn, with the sky gradually brightening. Opening a window, one could see a vast expanse of azure sky; although the other half was still shrouded in thick clouds and fog, it was believed that the summer breeze would soon disperse them. People¡¯s spirits lifted with the weather, a disaster that had cked out the sun was finally past without perils, and with continuedbor, a great harvest was still possible before the arrival of autumn. ¡°Let¡¯s go out for a walk, to see the summer willows, to try the new tea at Lu Hua Tower?¡± Zhu Minng walked up to the main house of the separate courtyard. He didn¡¯t enter uninvited; even though everyone was quite familiar with one another, Zhu Minng still maintained the dignity and integrity one should have, waiting outside for Li Yunzi¡¯s response. Even in recovery, one needed to get out and about, to breathe fresh air. Recently, Zhu Minng had seen people running around outside the courtyard from morning till night, rying messages, and he knew that the Ancestral Dragon City had just gone through a change, with many people asking her for instructions on various matters. But he also saw that she had little interest in n affairs; she had essentially appointed her sessor and left the handling of everything to him. This person, might not have Li Yunzi¡¯splete trust, but at least would not hinder her anymore. At the Army Guard, it seemed Commander Cheng was in charge. There had beenrge-scale movements among the troops recently, and they seemed to be waiting for a signal, which was for Li Yunzi to survive this upheaval. Once she did, all the Army Guards of the three major city-states and those of the southeastern city-states would prepare for nation-building. Since many matters were handled through messages, staying indoors was fine, but going out to enjoy the scenery was also possible. Li Yunzi liked green tea, and going to the scenic and elegant Lu Hua Tower was perfect¡­ ¡°Miss might be somewhat indisposed today,¡± Frost¡¯s voice came from inside at that moment. ¡°It¡¯s okay, going out for a walk is good as well¡­¡± Li Yunzi then spoke; her voice today was very soft, and it was unknown if it was because she felt very good, or worries had lessened with her recovery from her injuries,cking the usual coolness. Zhu Minng nodded and continued to wait outside. Waiting, just waiting. Zhu Minng¡¯s calves started to ache from the waiting, but he did not see Li Yunzie out. He wanted to ask Frost if her mistress had fallen asleep, but he felt it would be impolite and decided to keep waiting in silence. Finally, Li Yunzi came out, and Zhu Minng, with feigned formality, gave a bow, slowly lowering his sped hands. In the moment he lifted his eyes, he was stunned! With a svelte waist and lotus steps, she showed her creamy wrists through gossamer sleeves. Her eyes, like pools of autumn water, shone tenderly. When she noticed Zhu Minng lost in a gaze so fond and doting, those autumn waters rippled with a shy tremor. ¡°Hmm-hmm, hmm-hmm,¡± at that moment, Miss Frost attempted a reminder. It was then that Zhu Minng snapped back to reality, awkwardly smiling in politeness. Well, Zhu Minng had to admit a fact. Like those so-called admirers of Li Yunzi, and most ordinary men, he too was attracted to Li Yunzi¡¯s unsurpassed beauty and her ethereal grace. After the delicate dressing, Li Yunzi was filled with graceful beauty, and simply gazing at her was a pleasure to the eyes. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Li Yunzi said. Miss Frost opened an umbre to shield her mistress from the sun, and they walked in step, moving leisurely. Zhu Minng walked alongside them, along with Fang Niannian, who had also opened an intricate little umbre. But she only shielded herself and didn¡¯t lean towards Zhu Minng at all, her small mouth pouting, like someone who is showing a little proud petnce, saying she isn¡¯t your maidservant. Zhu Minng didn¡¯t mind, maintaining his distance, yet unconsciously moving closer when walking and talking. If Zhu Minng had his way, he wouldn¡¯t mind tying up the two greenhorn girls, Frost and Niannian, and tossing them into the river, on this sunny and breezy day, he only needed himself and Li Yunzi. They arrived at the Deer Hua Pavillion. With willows casting soft, beautiful shadows everywhere, there were indeed a lot of people out for a stroll today, after all, it was the first sunny day after such a long time. The clouds were slowly being pushed aside, and the sky waspletely clearing. After sipping some tea, Zhu Minng was about to share some unheard tales of thend with Li Yunzi when a wave of noise came from outside, as if something had happened. Soon, the noise from below turned into a mor. Even the pleasant folks in the Deer Hua Pavillion went to the wooden windows, curious to see what was happening outside. Fang Niannian especially loved to watch the excitement, she quickly walked to the window, first looking down to see many people on the ground below and in the streets standing still. Even some busy vegetable farmers had set down their carrying poles and were all looking up at the western sky. All these people had stopped just to look at clouds? Fang Niannian was puzzled and consequently also looked towards the western sky like everybody else. But this nce sent shivers down her spine uncontrobly!! What met her eyes was not the azure sky nor the beautiful clouds, but a mountain range so distant yet seemingly within arm¡¯s reach!! It seemed distant because the mountain range was unknown how many thousands of miles away from Ancestral Dragon City, so much so that even in this clear and dustless vast sky, the range appeared to have a faint shimmering distortion due to light refraction, spanning from the azure blue of the sky to the lighter blue and even farther to the faint purple of the distance¡­ It seemed close because it was unimaginably enormous. The northernmost mountains of Ancestral Dragon City were said to be majestic by anyone who had seen them, but even those paled inparison to this mountain range mirrored in the heavens, which was still insignificant byparison. This mountain range dominated a whole swath of the western sky, even more expansive and boundless than thends to the west! ! As the murky clouds in the west dissipated, the sight became increasingly awe-inspiring, as people gradually realized that it wasn¡¯t a mountain range at all, but a floating continent big enough topletely overshadow the western heavens!!! Screams began to echo through the streets; some people had been inside their homes unaware of themotion outside. But as more and more people heard the news and went out to the streets to look up, they were immediately scared out of their wits!!! The heavens are unimaginably vast, and a small patch of blue sky far away in the distance might be several dozen times bigger than the entirety of the Li Chuan in¡­ Yet now, that western expanse of sky waspletely cloaked by andmass, and the imposing mountain range people initially saw was just the tip of the iceberg of the entire floating continent! !! It was boundlessly vast, though incredibly far away, yet it presented an astonishingly close vision!! Chapter 107 - 108: Lucky to Have You Chapter 107: Chapter 108: Lucky to Have You Trantor: 549690339 The mountains loomed high and continuous, likely ten times more majestic than the proud North Mountains of the Ancestral Dragon City State. But looking at the sky from the streets, those mountains appeared merely as wrinkles in a cloud. The massivendmass at its edges revealed unimaginable chasms and faults; people stood on solid ground yet raised their heads to see the cross-section of a continent. It was the rugged veins of the earth, the profound earth¡¯s crust, the meteor dust mingling in the starry sky¡­ That dust, in the slow-moving process of the shocking continent, would rub against the atmosphere, wobble, and due to some tremendous celestial force, it would fall!!! Even if it was just a very small piece of meteor dust, attached to a tiny part of those rugged veins, as they fell and streaked across the blue sky, they shone like splendid fiery stars, bringing about spectacr destruction!!! People suddenly realized where the fire in the sky came from at that moment, but why did they shudder uncontrobly!! Theck of daylight, where did ite from? People found the thought exceedingly terrifying. Tens of thousands of people stood on the streets of Ancestral Dragon City State like statues, while their souls shattered and dispersed at the sight!!! Fiery stars fell¡­ And there was the long night! The anomalies in the heavens, a sign of divine retribution. But who could have imagined that the true divine retribution would be a mysterious continent, slowly descending, slowly falling toward the western horizon!!! It was this mysteriousnd, hovering in the sky, that obscured the proud sun, casting Eternal Darkness for an entire month. It was the veins of thisnd that shook loose countless massive crystalline rocks, turning them into fiery stars of annihtion; not only the Ancestral Dragon City State was affected, but other city-states too did not escape¡­ But why, why did this happen!! At the Deer Hua Building, Zhu Minng and Li Yunzi both leapt onto the eaves. They could be said to be standing in the tallest tower in Ancestral Dragon City State. To the east, the sky was beautifully azure, and Ancestral Dragon City State seemed no different from usual, peaceful and serene. But to the west, it was as if witnessing the terrifying scenes from the creation of the world, so horrifying that a few more nces would send shivers through one¡¯s soul. More important was that everyone understood how minuscule the current peace and serenity were. And this insignificance would violently shatter everyone¡¯s inner understanding! Once understanding was upturned, they would forever live in the fear of being small!!! ¡°So the Ancestral Dragon City State has cleared up, while Lingxiao City State to the west and the other smaller city-states have begun to enter Eternal Darkness¡­¡± Zhu Minng muttered to himself. Their souls were gone, only able to reason in a pitiful way. ¡°Is this how Wutu came about?¡± Atst, Li Yunzi voiced this thought. Where Wutu came from had always troubled Li Yunzi. Hovering above the Void Sea, is it really so? Probably even those living on Wutu weren¡¯t clear about this. In their eyes, they might as well assume that Ancestral Dragon City State, Li Chuan in came floating from another, broader and more fertile continent, mysteriously bordering their ownnd! Zhu Minng turned his head, gazing at Li Yunzi. And Li Yunzi was also looking at him. In Ancestral Dragon City State, everyone was in fear, kneeling and praying for something. Zhu Minng and Li Yunzi stood firm on the high building¡¯s eaves, integrating the fragmented known facts in their hearts, drawing aplete picture of the truth! The truth was that the emergence of Wutu was not idental. Li Yunzi also pondered the shape of the world. When Wutu appeared at the end of the city to the east, she spected boldly that this world might beposed ofnds floating in the Void Sea¡­ Thesends would slowly move and, at certain times and epochs, link up with othernds to form arger territory. With Wutu, it meant there were othernds that one day would emerge in the Void Sea and ultimately, like mas, cling tightly together. But never in her wildest dreams did Li Yunzi imagine the continents in the sky. That they would fall like stars. When Wutu appeared, Ancestral Dragon City State and the southeastern city-states also experienced an eclipse. The night ruled over the following day¡¯s morning and noon, only near the twilight of the afternoon, did everything return to normal. But this time, the nightsted an entire month. Li Yunzi gazed at the sky, her eyes showing a dimness and sorrow Zhu Minng had never seen before. ¡°Is this the reason that has been troubling you all along?¡± Zhu Minng asked. ¡°Yes,¡± Li Yunzi nodded. Even in victory, that anxiety never dissipated. As absurd as it was, Li Yunzi had told her own people and Elder Nan more than once that there would be othernds drifting over from the Void Sea, but they all thought her actions ludicrous. The fact proved her right. But she had foreseen it wrong. Thend came from the sky. Like a meteor falling, yet unlike a meteor in its transient brilliance, touching the earth it only left a burnt crater¡­ They would crash into the Void Sea like Wutu, and then slowly border some far end of thisnd! ¡°Thank you for joining me to appreciate the willows and taste tea, I must go now,¡± Li Yunzi said, bowing to Zhu Minng. ¡°Yunzi¡­¡± Zhu Minng wanted to hold her back, he had some words he wanted to say. Li Yunzi shook her head, not letting Zhu Minng continue. Everything was not yet over. When a vast city-state could no longer offer a sense of security to anyone, any tenderness was only as fleeting as a blossoming cactus flower, as clouds dispelled by a single gust of wind. Li Yunzi didn¡¯t want these things. Rather than indulging in brief warmth before a painful loss, she¡¯d rather use all she had to preserve them before they were lost. She wanted longevity. ¡°I will guard everything well,¡± she said. ¡°Minng, I am fortunate it¡¯s you¡­¡± After saying this, Li Yunzi stepped onto the high eaves of the Ancestral Dragon City buildings and flew westward. Her figure elegant as a wild goose, the sky to the west dark as an abyss, Zhu Minng foolishly watched the gradually receding beauty, his heart as if ink spilled into a pool, the myriad colors each representing different vors, spreading in the originally clear pool of his heart. Indescribable and inexplicable. So intimate yet as if they were just acquainted. Even though their skins had touched, there still seemed to be ayer of gauze between them. Just as he was about to lift the gauze, the overwhelming gloom veiled everything again, never to see her peerless elegance once more. Taking a deep breath, Zhu Minng looked up at the Mysterious Continent to the west so majestic in the sky, his eyes filled with a bit more indifference. ¡°No matter what you came for, you better not make my wife sad,¡± he said. ¡°Otherwise, I will grind you into dust once again!¡± Just now, Zhu Minng had wanted to tell Li Yunzi the secret he had been hiding. He knew where Wutu truly came from. Because it was he who had shattered a piece of the Veins of the Earth of the Mysterious Continent in the western sky. Allowing the once secluded Wutu to plummet into the Void Sea. Zhu Minng thought he would never find the way back, that he would be lost on this unfamiliar continent. But the world he once lived in passed over the sky of Ancestral Dragon City, slowly falling towards the west. He had heard about worlds falling apart before. The Supreme Court Courtyard Continent had been falling towards a certain ce for many years¡­ That ce was the Li Chuan Continent where Ancestral Dragon City was located. He shattered the Veins of the Earth and caused Wutu to fall into the Void Sea prematurely. Thus, Wutu bordered the Li Chuan Continent even earlier than expected.. Chapter 108 - 109 Adjacent Chapter 108: Chapter 109 Adjacent Trantor: 549690339 The tides were no longer stable. Early in the morning, a magnificent ancient mountain stood on a damp beach devoid of surging waves. At night, the entire ancient mountain would be submerged by the sea, as if poised to sink into the ocean depths at any moment. Within the ancient mountain, birds and beasts began to flee in all directions, even a highly rare Phoenix Dragon, an ancient dragon shimmering with Divine Radiant Aura, fled the ancient mountain. The highest peak of the ancient mountain, piercing the sky like a sword, was now slowly turning into dust, starting from the summit to the mid-mountain, and then to the main massif of the ancient mountain¡­ The mysterious continent that appeared as ake reflected in the sky had finally fallen, its celestial turbulence crashing into the Sea of Nothingness, sending waves crashing against the dome of the sky. Its collision with the surface of the earth sparked celestial mes that evaporated the waters of the Sea of Nothingness. On thend of Li Chuan Continent¡¯s Wesnd, a major earthquake urred, shaking ancient cities to the brink of copse. The Sea of Nothingness, the edge of the earth, once hated by people as a cage that confined them to a limitednd. But now, the people of Wesnd had to be thankful for the Sea of Nothingness; without it, the wave from the mysteriousnd¡¯s collision would have wiped out all living beings in Wesnd! A monthter, the waters of the Sea of Nothingness had beenpletely evaporated, and the mysterious continent had fully embedded itself into what used to be the sea level. A massive rift between Wesnd and the mysterious continent now bordered the Lingxiao City-State, and the Dragon Shepherds there havee to call this connecting rift the West Cliff! The West Cliff was just a small extension of the mysterious continent but had be the bridge between the twonds. On both sides of the West Cliff, magma rolled in countless river-like pools, and it would take many years for these red fiery liquids to disappearpletely. Moreover, the fog produced by the evaporation of the Sea of Nothingness enveloped the surroundings of West Cliff, preventing any life from passing through alive, only waiting for it to gradually dissipate. Thus, West Cliff became the only ¡°bridge¡± that both continents could use to connect, just like the former Dongxu Mountain Range and Valley of Glory. However, it can be inferred that once the magma disappears and the fog clears, Wesnd¡¯s horizon will bepletely integrated into that mysterious world! God and Mortal beings and Dragon Shepherds had already gathered at West Cliff. For the people of Li Chuan Continent, they were mysterious visitors from a different space, worth the curiosity whether they were three-headed six-armed God Demons or unusually shaped beasts. Of course, the most important thing was that the mysterious continent had fallen from the Realm of the Gods; they might possess resources never seen on Li Chuan Continent, whether streets of gold or fields of heavenly spiritual roots¡­ Anything was possible! In fact, the creatures of the mysterious continent harbored simr thoughts. When the waters of West Cliff hadpletely evaporated and the two continents were passable, the people of Supreme Court Courtyard Continent were also watching, eager to set foot in this newly ¡°merged¡±nd! One man arrived, riding a majestic and divine Holy Lion Purple Dragon. d in dazzling armor, he traversed the misty haze and approached the edge of West Cliff. Leaping from West Cliff, the Holy Lion Purple Dragon didn¡¯t even fear the high temperatures of the magma scorched earth, stepping on the fire liquid as sshes of magma turned into zing blooms in the air. ¡°So, there are humans after all,¡± the Holy Lion Purple Dragon rider said with a smile curling at his lips, his eyes sweeping over the gathered Dragon Shepherds and God and Mortal beings of Wesnd. ¡°Turns out there are Dragon Shepherds too,¡± the Purple Dragon rider continued. As he spoke, a high-haired woman appeared behind him, donned in a simple yet elegant cultivator robe, her well-defined figure still noticeable beneath the loose garment. Her face was cold, yet her bare visage gave off a sense of refinement. But her demeanor was one of utter pride, in stark contrast to the Purple Dragon rider¡¯s rxed and casual attitude. Upon seeing the people of the newnd, she regarded them with pure disdain and a contemptuous look! ¡°Do you have Sects here?¡± the high-haired cultivator woman asked indifferently. ¡°What¡¯s a Sect?¡± ¡°Does Sect Pce count as a Sect?¡± replied a Dragon Shepherd from Lingxiao City-State. Thenguage was the same, just like the Wutu that appeared from god knows where. The people of Li Chuan Continent breathed a sigh of relief, it seemed that the mysterious continent was not full of fearsome beasts, and perhaps the West Cliff would soon see the rise of a great city-state. ¡°Is it a City-State where you¡¯re from?¡± asked Lingzhuo, a Dragon Shepherd from Lingxiao City-State. ¡°City-State?¡± The Purple Dragon riderughed upon hearing this. ¡°What are you then¡­?¡± ¡°We are what you would call the Heavens!¡± The Heavens! That was utter contempt! Ancestral Dragon City-State, Dragon Taming Academy. Zhu Minng had spent the past month doing only two things, burning money and burning money. The first burning of money was for feeding the Ice Morning White Dragon. A Dragon Lord Level creature, its weekly food consumption could be calcted in baskets of gold. If it weren¡¯t for the thousands of kilometers around being his wife¡¯s territory, Zhu Minng would have considered conquering cities to collect taxes! It was too expensive, Little White no longer just drank the costly high-quality honeydew as if it were water, but also needed to consume Star Fragment Crystals. What are Star Fragment Crystals? Can ordinary people afford to buy such a thing??? Meteors falling to the earth generate the highest temperature mes in this world, and some special rocks are tempered into crystals in this intense heat. These crystals are known as Star Fragment Crystals! To raise a dragon, do I also need to observe the stars at night and chase after meteors?? Even with the Power of God and Mortality in the past, it would¡¯ve been difficult to aplish. You can¡¯t just wait day and night; after all, thend is vast and limitless. Who knows where a meteor willnd! Thankfully, Li Yunzi was considerate. Upon learning that Bai Qi¡¯s food was such a rare item, she had people collect it. Later, when the lords, families, and wealthy merchants from the four major city-states heard that the Female Monarch favored these Star Crystals, they all vied to present her with the items as a form of ttery¡­ In this way, it took a month just to scrape together enough for three months¡¯ worth of provisions! There was no other way, as Bai Qi¡¯s Azure Dragon Mystics originated from the stars and the moon. To practice these Mystics, it needed to eat Star Fragment Crystals¡­ It¡¯s just that whenever I saw Little Bai Qi munching on Star Fragment Crystals as if they were pinecones¡ªcrystals that were hundreds of times more expensive than gold¡ªmy heart bled! ¡°There should be quite a few of those crystals around West Cliff, but we can¡¯t go there at the moment, too many troubles happening there recently.¡± ¡°Eating for two full months should help Little Bai Qi¡¯s strength stabilize at the High-level Dragon Lord Status.¡± If you use other things as a makeshift, not only might its strength stagnate at the Lower Dragon Master status, but also there¡¯d be no hope for Little Bai Qi¡¯s fourth stage. If raised well, Bai Qi might only need half a year to enter the fourth stage. The fourth stage is like a dam collecting water. Any gap in the dam prevents it from filling up. Feeding ingredients. Nourishment from the Spirit Realm. Battle tempering. Strengthening of soul bones. Each of these is like a source of water flowing into a reservoir. Feeding poor-quality ingredients is like an imperceptible trickle. Providing high-quality Soul Beads is like a rushing river entering the reservoir. If Bai Qi just drank nectar, it wouldn¡¯t starve to death, but it would do virtually nothing for its growth. So no matter how hard or exhausting it is, we must not let our Dragon Babies go poor. Li Yunzi has helped me out in a pinch, but from now on, I have to rely on myself. Heaven knows when it reaches the Dragon Monarch Level, whether the Ice Morning White Dragon will need to eat crystals from the moon and sun. Continuing to maintain the attitude of a learner, Zhu Minng went to ss, only to find that today¡¯s ss, originally taught by a deputy dean, had been canceled at thest minute. The deputy dean is highly respected, and is one of the rare Dragon Herding Sanctifiers in this Li Chuan Continent, so his ss opportunities are few. Therefore, whenever he does teach, students will give up their precious study points. ¡°Zhu Minng, someone wants you to go to Bamboo Forest Pavilion,¡± Hong Hao came running to tell him. Zhu Minng was puzzled, but he went to the bamboo forest anyway. Arriving at Bamboo Forest Pavilion, Zhu Minng climbed the steps, reminded of the scene of Nan Lingsha painting there that night. Upon opening the door, he saw several people already seated inside, including the elderly Mr. Wu from Juvenile Spirit Hall and the woman who was the Guardian of the Treasure House. In addition, Deputy Dean Bai Hongbo, who had not gone to ss, was also present. Looking further, Zhu Minng¡¯s eyes lit up for a moment, but then he bitterly twisted his lips. Although he had known them for some time, he still couldn¡¯t fully differentiate their appearances. It was Nan Lingsha. Whenever she appeared serene and indifferent, Zhu Minng was always reminded of Li Yunzi sipping tea elegantly. ¡°Sit down,¡± Nan Lingsha said. Zhu Minng found a seat and sat down, somewhat baffled. What was the purpose of gathering several deputy dean-level figures from the Li Chuan Dragon Taming Academy here? And why was he included? By status, he was still just an exemry student at the Dragon Taming Academy! ¡°All present here from the academy with Lord Level status, since the dean is not here, I, Bai Hongbo, will preside,¡± Bai Hongbo nced at Zhu Minng. Although there were some questions, he didn¡¯t dwell on it. Mr. Wu also looked at Zhu Minng with a puzzled face. How did this kid get here? Is he Lord Level?? Zhu Minng nced at Nan Lingsha, knowing that his presence here was mostly due to her. She knew that he had the Dragon Monarch Level Ice Morning White Dragon. ¡°The Sect Pce has been eradicated, the six major cities in the Wesnd of Lingxiao City-State have been massacred, and the Ling Family has abandoned the main city to flee into the Li Chuan in seeking aid from our Dragon Taming Academy,¡± Bai Hongbo began. ¡°What, the Sect Pce eradicated???¡± Mr. Wu stood up abruptly from his seat. ¡°Dean Bai, you can¡¯t be joking with us,¡± the woman from the Treasure House said. Bai Hongbo looked solemn and said earnestly, ¡°I am not joking with any of you.¡± ¡°Both chiefs of the Sect Pce, the two elders, including the lord of the Sect Pce and other powerhouses, have died in battle. The Sect Pce, from top to bottom, with several hundred Dragon Trainers and nearly a hundred Divine and Mortal strong beings, some dead, some fled¡­ The Sect Pce is no more, just yesterday.¡± These words from Bai Hongbo made the few Lord-level powerhouses present feel a chill down their spine. The Sect Pce¡ªthat was the Sect Pce! It held absolute authority over this part of the Li Chuan Continent, and it was extinguished overnight! If someone had said this a month ago, they would¡¯ve beenbeled a madman! (I couldn¡¯t sleepst night, so I clicked on the audioments and discovered that many youngdies have done voiceovers for the female characters in our book, with sweet and lovely voices, as if a TV series had been made. Impressive,dies of Dragon Shepherd, hearing your voices lets me picture the foxy women, Frost, Li Yunzi, Nan Lingsha, Fang Niannian, and other female characters from the book. Everyone can also listen; it¡¯s really good.. And that Sichuan-ent version of Zhu Minng, that¡¯s enough from you!) Chapter 109 - 110 Zhu Xuehen Chapter 109: Chapter 110 Zhu Xuehen Trantor: 549690339 ¡°Are they strong characters from the Mysterious Continent??¡± asked the woman from the treasury. Deputy Dean Bai Hongbo nodded. ¡°What n are they from, and how many Lord Level powerhouses do they have?¡± Mr. Wu took a deep breath before finally raising this crucial question. Bai Hongbo did not answer immediately but nced at Nan Lingsha. ¡°One person, a Dragon Shepherd,¡± Nan Lingsha spoke slowly, her tone almost as if she herself could not bear to believe it. ¡°It is a Dragon Shepherd riding a Holy Lion Purple Dragon,¡± Bai Hongbo added. This supplement shocked the several Lord-level powerhouses present to the extreme. One man, destroyed the Sect Pce!! Could this Dragon Shepherd be a deity! ! How did he manage to tten that great authoritative Sect Pce all by himself?? Most importantly, the Sect Pce had a Monarch Level Powerhouse; it was because of his presence that the pce could stand tall above all other city-states. If a powerhouse from the Mysterious Continent could destroy the Sect Pce, wouldn¡¯t it mean that to them, this Li Chuan Continent is utterly insignificant!! ¡°Who is in control of this city!¡± ¡°Who is in control of this city!¡± Suddenly, a voice sounded from the skies outside the Dragon Taming Academy. The voice was not loud, and it was from a great distance, but each person could clearly hear every single word she said! Several people immediately left the Bamboo Forest Pavilion, with Nan Lingsha even drawing a flying leaf-boat to take everyone to the top of the bamboo forest. It wasn¡¯t at the Dragon Taming Academy. It was in the Ancestral Dragon City-State, seemingly right above the State Wall City Tower. From here, one could see a proud figure suspended in midair! ¡°Let¡¯s go and see,¡± said Bai Hongbo, his face betraying his surprise. The painted boat flew towards the State Wall of the Ancestral Dragon City-State, but everyone¡¯s expression was extremely solemn; the closer they got, the clearer they could see the Holy Lion Purple Dragon coiled on the majestic City cower¡­ Its majestic and divine posture was unlike any creature of this world, more like an Immortal Dragon from ancient mythology, overlooking this silver-gray Ancestral Dragon City-State, looking down upon all the Ordinary Spirits of the entire city-state!! He is the Purple Dragon Shepherd who destroyed the Sect Pce!! Next to him was a proud woman dressed in a Taoist robe, the one who questioned; her voice could carry hundreds of miles, ensuring that every person in the Ancestral Dragon City-State could hear her. The Purple Dragon looked monumental in the sky, dazzling like a deity, its scales shining brighter than gold and jewels, let alone the man riding it, whose brows conveyed an authority that transcended all others, making people quiver uncontrobly with awe, despite him being neither fierce nor dreadful but merely calm! ! The painted boat continued its flight¡­ Dean Bai, Mr. Wu, and the treasury woman¡ªall of them were flustered by these two individuals. These two were the culprits who destroyed the Sect Pce yesterday!! Could it be that for them, destroying the Sect Pce was as effortless as blowing off dust, and the very next day, they directly flew to the Ancestral Dragon City-State! ¡°I will negotiate with them; if the situation turns unfavorable, do not act rashly,¡± Nan Lingsha then said. She let the others off the boat, evidently nning to confront those two supreme beings alone. ¡°I will join you, ¡± Zhu Minng did not leave the painted boat. That Purple Dragon character might appear gentle, but he emanated a dangerous aura. He killed so many from the Sect Pce without a tinge of malice on him; perhaps, to him, the living beings of this Li Chuan Continent were no different from ants. Zhu Minng couldn¡¯t possibly allow Nan Lingsha to negotiate with such a dangerous individual. Although Nan Lingsha had no intention of dragging Zhu Minng into it, when he insisted on staying, she had no other choice. The Purple Dragon man lounged casually atop the city tower, his gaze sweeping over the citizens of Ancestral Dragon City. In the streets, on the roads, at the windows, countless people looked up at him, their faces filled with astonishment and bewilderment. Through the long years, too many people lived like frogs at the bottom of a well, only seeing a small piece of sky, unaware that the world is more vast than they could imagine, unaware there are those more powerful than they know¡­ Oh, to them, he could no longer be categorized as human. He was the heavens, akin to a deity! A painted boat approached, and the Purple Dragon man noticed the man and woman on it immediately. The woman seemed to be a God Mortal Painter, capable of manipting brush and ink, creating extraordinary things, and the man¡­ ¡°This city is the Ancestral Dragon City, and I am Nan Lingsha, the one in charge of it,¡± Nan Lingsha dered from the flying boat. ¡°Are you a Sect?¡± ¡°No, city-state tribes,¡± Nan Lingsha replied. ¡°If it¡¯s not a Sect, take care of yourselves,¡± the Purple Dragon man said indifferently. Nan Lingsha showed some confusion. Were they here to destroy Sects? In this Li Chuan Continent, there¡¯s hardly any notion of Sects unless one counted the Sect Pce, which should be considered a gathering ce for Dragon Shepherds and God Mortals; other than that, it¡¯s mostly cities and city-states. The Purple Dragon man bore no killing intent towards those in charge of the city-states, nor was he the least bit interested in themon people within them. It was as if an Immortal had tread upon this mortal world, merely asking a casual question. ¡°A bunch of disorderly minor Sects, some city-states with mediocre resources, thisnd is all there is to it, less intriguing than I had imagined. Venerable One, we can head back now,¡± the Purple Dragon man said, greatly disappointed. ¡°Wait a moment,¡± said the woman with her hair in a Taoist bun. ¡°Venerable One, this is already the most prosperous city-state, there is no need to visit other ces¡­¡± the Purple Dragon man said. The woman in the Taoist bun walked on air, her every step as if striding on solid ground, yet with the city tower so high, her walking across the air without riding the wind or stepping on anything was truly inconceivable. The Daoist woman with her hair bound up approached Nan Lingsha. Dressed simply, she nheless exuded an authority that overwhelmed Nan Lingsha, making her feel as if she were facing a formidable adversary. The woman¡¯s cultivation base¡­ Feared to surpass her own by more than a single level, even the master of the Sect Pce definitely did not possess such amanding presence! Initially, Nan Lingsha thought that this powerful divine and mortal woman intended to kill her as a show of strength, but soon she realized the woman¡¯s gaze was not even on her. Her eyes looked past her, fixated on the person behind her. ¡°Zhu Minng, ¡± the Daoist woman with her hair bound up uttered this name. Nan Lingsha turned around in surprise¡­ How could a formidable being from a mysterious continent across the starry sky know Zhu Minng¡¯s name??? ¡°Aunt Xuehen, ¡± Zhu Minng said with a bitter smile, finally performing a courtesy due to an elder. The Purple Dragon man was also astonished. He looked at Zhu Xuehen, then at the man standing on the painting boat¡­ How could there be someone here who is recognized by a person of such high esteem?? ¡°Since you¡¯re not dead, go back and report your safety,¡± the Daoist woman with her hair bound up initially had much to say, yet in the end, she still spoke these indifferent words to Zhu Minng. Report your safety. Zhu Minng wished he could! Hadn¡¯t he lost his way back? ¡°Aunt Xuehen, could you, out of consideration for your little nephew, let the war cease? I¡¯ve heard that six cities have been ughtered; they are butmon people, why the need for such cruelty?¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°The war has nothing to do with me. If you want to intervene, why don¡¯t you talk to the King yourself¡­ oh, there are rumors that you lost your divine and mortal powers, could not withstand this cmity, and threw yourself into the abyss to die. It seems the rumors were half-true,¡± Zhu Xuehen responded indifferently. ¡°I am now a Dragon Shepherd,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°Dragon Shepherd???¡± Zhu Xuehen suddenly chuckled, herughter tinged with mockery. The Purple Dragon man beside her was full of confusion. What¡¯s wrong with being a Dragon Shepherd¡­ After all, within the Sect, it was still the Dragon Shepherds who held the highest positions. And who exactly was this man? Zhu Minng?? The name sounded familiar, and indeed, many years prior within the Zhu Gate, there was a very formidable person. ¡°Is she the wife you met on your travels, do you have children?¡± Zhu Xuehen scrutinized Nan Lingsha, seemingly very interested in her divine and mortal powers. ¡°????¡± Nan Lingsha¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°This is my fianc¨¦e¡¯s sister, Nan Lingsha,¡± Zhu Minng answered truthfully. ¡°Go home and report your safety, let this woman bear you a child, raise the child with peace of mind. If they can inherit the divine and mortal powers from either of you, it would make up for many regrets of our nspeople,¡± Zhu Xuehen continued. I think I can still salvage this, can¡¯t I? Does Aunt need to be so disappointed in me? Indeed, after nurturing me for so many years, in the end, I have lost every semnce of divine and mortal power. In her eyes, I must have died a long time ago; suddenly appearing on thisnd probably can¡¯t stir any ripples in her heart. Zhu Xuehen has always been like this, aloof in nature, regarding family as nothing more than a nuisance that can be severed at whim, caring only about supreme power. ¡°Aunt Xuehen, about the matter just discussed, I still hope you will take care of it,¡± Zhu Minng earnestly requested. ¡°I will ensure that no Sect opportunistically exploits others or kills the innocent indiscriminately, that is also my duty. But as for disputes among countries and city-states, leave it to fate.¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough, thank you, Aunt. In a while, I will return to report my safety,¡± Zhu Minng once again performed a gesture of gratitude. Zhu Xuehen nced at Nan Lingsha indifferently before finally withdrawing her gaze. The Purple Dragon man stepped forward to give Zhu Minng a serious look and then paused on Nan Lingsha as well. ¡°Dragon Shepherd, there aren¡¯t many from Zhu Gate who are Dragon Shepherds, we should have a friendly match sometime,¡± the Purple Dragon man said with a smile to Zhu Minng. The man bowed and exhibited goodwill. Zhu Minng returned the gesture. As Pu Shiming left riding the Holy Lion Purple Dragon, he made it a point to observe Zhu Xuehen¡¯s profile. In his interactions with Zhu Xuehen, Pu Shiming rarely saw her show any concern for anything or anyone, as if everything in the world was but insignificant dust. Yet upon seeing this man named Zhu Minng, a clear fluctuation of emotions could be seen in her eyes. Even if it was full of disappointment¡­ To feel disappointment towards a person wasn¡¯t it a sign that she once had great expectations for him? If he truly didn¡¯t matter, why would she react like this? Pu Shiming rarely witnessed Zhu Xuehen¡¯s emotional responses, yet from that moment on, he sensed a subtle shift in Zhu Xuehen¡¯s state of mind. In her daily life, she didn¡¯t need to make any conscious effort to maintain her demeanor, always appearing detached from the mundane world, pure of heart and desiring little. However, Zhu Xuehen was now actively avoiding thoughts, ignoring, and not letting that disappointment turn into sorrow within her heart, preventing it from surfacing in her eyes and expression.. Chapter 110 - 111 Land of Slavery Chapter 110: Chapter 111 Land of very Trantor: 549690339 The painted boat descended. Itnded atop the city wall. Zhu Minng watched Zhu Xuehen disappear into the distance and a longing for old friends and family began to burn in his heart. The way back revealed itself. It was time find an opportunity to go back and exin his situation to them. Some would still worry about him, and some rtives didn¡¯t care whether he was once the dazzling God and Mortal¡­ The appearance of extremely powerful beings still instilled great panic in the citizens of the Ancestral Dragon City. After all, news had traveled from the west that six cities of Lingxiao City State had been ughtered, and not just the soldiers of Lingxiao City State had died, but civilians as well. However, seeing the Purple Dragon man and that nun-like woman leave, the people breathed a sigh of relief. At least they were not directly crushed to dust by these god-like beings! In the Li Imperial Pce, the grand hall for discussions. The Li Family¡¯s Old Grandmother began to gather everyone to discuss the current situation. Several vice-dean level figures from the Dragon Taming Academy sat among them, and the newly reshuffled personnel of the Nan Family of the Li Family sat in the hall in utter silence. Clearly, everyone was aware of the destruction of the Sect Pce. Fortunately, the two powerful beings from the Mysterious Continent had left, otherwise, even with all the powerful figures of the Ancestral Dragon City gathered, it would have been very difficult to withstand the power of those two. No one in the hall wanted to speak, the appearance of the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent had everyone feeling anxious and fearful. ¡°Dean, Dean Duan, you¡¯re finally here!¡± Bai Hongbo suddenly saw someone approaching and felt an immense relief as he hurried to meet them. In front of the grand hall¡¯s doors stood a middle-aged elder dressed simply, much like a storytelling master from a tea house, with a woman at his side. Zhu Minng recognized the woman at once, it was Duan Lan! Zhu Minng looked over and realized for the first time that the dean of the Dragon Taming Academy had the surname Duan and this was also his first encounter with the elusive Dean Duan. So Teacher Duan Lan was the daughter of the head dean, and judging by Duan Lan¡¯s currentplexion, she had recovered a lot. It was said that Dean Duan Changqing was a Monarch Level Dragon Shepherd, a figure on the Li Chuan Continent whom even the Sect Pce greatly feared, truly a highly respected leader of thisnd. ¡°Please, take a seat,¡± said the Li Family¡¯s Old Grandmother. ¡°No need, let¡¯s first talk about those two guests from the Mysterious Continent. I heard that someone recognizes one of them, may I ask who that is?¡± Dean Duan Changqing spoke. Mister Wu, Bai Hongbo, and Nan Lingsha all turned their gazes towards Zhu Minng. ¡°It¡¯s me, Dean,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°How do you know the Orderer from the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent, could it be that you too were swept here by the Void Vortex?¡± asked Dean Duan Changqing. ¡°Too?¡± Zhu Minng looked surprised at Dean Duan Changqing. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± Duan Changqing inquired. ¡°Zhu Minng.¡± ¡°The Zhu Gate, known for its exceptional Casting Art?¡± Duan Changqing said. Zhu Minng didn¡¯t quite know what to say at that moment, his gaze fixed on this mysterious and powerful Dean of the Dragon Taming Academy. Could it be that this dean had gone through the same experience as him!! Was he also from the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent, mysteriously transposed to this ce??? The Dragon Taming Academy¡­ Indeed, there had always been a Godly Mortal Academy and a Dragon Taming Academy on the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent, and Zhu Minng had thought the Dragon Taming Academy here was merely a coincidence in the developmental history of every continent¡¯s Human Race. It turned out that Dean Duan Changqing, who founded the Dragon Taming Academy, was also from the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent! Unable to find his way home, just a few years had passed for himself, while the dean had been searching for decades¡­ his daughter was already so grown up! ¡°Yes¡­ yes, I am indeed a disciple of Zhu Gate. I identally fell into a rare Void Sea whirlpool and when I woke from unconsciousness, I found myself amidst Wu Tu Zhi,¡± Zhu Minng said. So both he and the Dean were strangers in a foreignnd. The founding of the Dragon Taming Academy was no coincidence. It was Dean Duan Changqing who continued the academy¡¯s philosophy of the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent and established it on the Li Chuan in! ¡°The emergence of Wu Tu Zhi made me understand some patterns of this vast world. Over these years, I¡¯ve been beyond the Sea of Nothingness, in Ancient Mountain, on Hidden Fog Ind, at Jinmen Pass, hoping to uncover the secrets of the Void Sea Vortex. Little did I expect¡­ little did I expect that the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent would descend from the sky. For a long time, I thought the past was nothing but a ridiculous dream¡­¡± said Dean Duan Changqing, his voice tinged with bitterness. Zhu Minng understood that bitterness. If he, like the Dean, had settled here for decades, he surely would have begun to doubt whether the world he once lived in was just an illusion, a fantasy constructed from trauma. If thier weren¡¯t so many people present, Zhu Minng feared he might burst into tears and embrace the sorrowful Dean Duan Changqing! ¡°You two, please rify things for us first. Life and death are at stake, we can¡¯t afford any dy,¡± the Li Family¡¯s Old Grandmother said with a long sigh. ¡°Start by telling us about the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent,¡± Bai Hongbo said. Zhu Minng nced at Dean Duan, feeling it was better to let Dean Duan exin. Dean Duan nodded, indicating that if Zhu Minng misspoke, he would supplement and correct. ¡°The Supreme Court Continent has an empire and many city-states, with the empire strong and setting nationalws.¡± ¡°Other city-states stand like forests, with varying strengths, constant disputes, but all must abide by the imperialws.¡± ¡°In addition, the Supreme Court Continent has powers like Sect Forests, Family Doors, Dragon Pces, Cathedrals, and Academies, which do not interfere arbitrarily in wars between city-states.¡± The Dragon Taming Academy has explicit regtions not permitting involvement in any war, and especially forbidding the ughter of soldiers and civilians on the battlefield. Once entering the battlefield, one has effectively left the Dragon Taming Academy! This principle is adhered to by all powers. Unless it¡¯s and with no master, and and of sin! ¡°Sect Forest, Family Door, Dragon Pce, Cathedral, Academy¡­ Does that mean there are four other powers on the Supreme Court Continent that canpete with your Li Chuan Dragon Taming Academy, Dean?¡± an elder from the Nan Family asked. Dean Duan Changqing shook his head, speaking bitterly, ¡°The Academies are divided into the Godly Mortal Academy and Dragon Taming Academy. Both of these main academies are within the Supreme Court Empire. Our Li Chuan Dragon Taming Academy¡¯s scale is nearly equivalent to one of the many smaller countries, perhaps even less.¡± Everyone was shocked. The Dragon Taming Academy was after all a power that even the Sect Pce dared not provoke, so to speak, any of those powers like the Sect Forest, Family Door, Dragon Pce, or Cathedral on the Supreme Court Continent could easily trample over Ancestral Dragon City-State! ¡°Just like the previous case of Wutu, any city-state on our Li Chuan Continent, if it mobilized arge army, could crush them. Now, we are seen as Wutu by the Supreme Court Continent, as lower-ss people, as backward barbarians,¡± continued Dean Duan Changqing. This statement made everyone feel as if something was stuck in their chests. Lower-ss people. So their prosperous Ancestral Dragon City- State actually had such a day of decline! When Wutu first appeared, so many city-states wanted to carve it up, many lives were lost, not to mention the annihtion of numerous ns, stockades, tribes, and cities¡­ Ultimately, Li Yunzi intervened, gradually driving out other city-state forces, thus establishing some order. That is to say, now the entire Li Chuan Continent faces the same tragic circumstances as Wutu once did. Until a true powerhouse unites everything, everyone¡¯s wealth, life, and dignity will be plundered, reaped, and trampled at will! Moreover, not all powerholders are like Li Yunzi, who governed with the philosophy of establishing order and living in harmony. If they encounter a tyrant, their existence could be over in an instant! ¡°Yunzhi has always wanted to establish her own nation. Could it be that she also knew about the Supreme Court Continent, aware that such a day woulde??¡± Suddenly, an elder from the Li Family realized. The eyes of the Li and Nan Family members all fell on Nan Lingsha, due to the resemnce in appearance, everyone almost subconsciously looked to Nan Lingsha for an answer. But Li Yunzi was not here; she was in the western territory of Ancestral Dragon City-State, at Long Gorge Defense Line. More than half a month ago, she had gathered the armies of the four great city-states, stationed at Long Gorge! Yes, she was already at the border weing the approaching armies of the Supreme Court Continent¡¯s city-states! ¡°I will protect all of this,¡± Zhu Minng recalled the words Li Yunzi said in his head. To establish her own nation was to prevent Ancestral Dragon City-State from bing the next Wutu. Wutu was still fortunate because, in the end, order was established, and a city-state was formed by her. Even so, as a ruler treating everyone equally, Li Yunzi¡¯s hands, too, were stained with blood¡­ The rulers of the Supreme Court, would never treat everyone equally. Li Yunzi was very clear about this. Unity was a must, power was essential. Otherwise, once the foreign armies advanced, with no soldiers or generals to resist, the people of the city-state would be left to the ughter! ¡°Dean Duan, if we surrender, can we barely keep ourselves intact, after all, even the Sect Pce was destroyed by those so-called Orderers,¡± Li Family¡¯s Old Grandmother spoke up and asked. ¡°Absolutely not!! Many city-states on the Supreme Court Continent practice very. In general, any leaderlessnd that is captured, all the people must first serve as ves for ten years, after which they may gradually transition to lower-ss citizens,¡± said Dean Duan Changqing, his voice involuntarily rising. ¡°ves, not protected by nationalws, nor sheltered by powers; their life and death unountable,¡± Zhu Minng said gravely. ves¡­ To be ves! Those present were all prominent figures in the city-state; they never could have imagined they might fall to very! ¡°We cannot fail, or we be a ve City-State! Six cities from Lingxiao City-State were ughtered, with no ountability from the Orderers; this is precisely because Lingxiao City-State had already be a ve City-State, where the lives of the citizens were less than livestock!¡± eximed Duan Changqing forcefully. Cities had already been ughtered. This indicated that the ruler who stepped over West Cliff was tyrannically cruel, without any regard for the lives of the people. If Li Yunzi was defeated, the fate of Ancestral Dragon City-State would not be much better than those six cities of Lingxiao City-State! ¡°What¡­ what should we do??¡± ¡°We¡¯ve been frogs in a well, we¡¯re all frogs in a well.¡± ¡°Yunzhi must win; I don¡¯t want to be a ve, I don¡¯t want to be a ve!¡± Once, many from the Li and Nan Families stated in the n meeting that they wanted to make Wutu and of ves to Ancestral Dragon City-State, making them build cities tirelessly,y paving stones day and night, and be expendable soldiers on the battlefield¡­ But now, just imagining such a fate falling upon each one of them, they nearly copsed in despair.. Chapter 111 - 112: Step on it Again Chapter 111: Chapter 112: Step on it Again Trantor: 549690339 Li Yunzi opposed everyone, forcing them to forsake this easily attainable benefit. As a result, some of those present quietly aligned themselves with Li Ying, Kong Tong, and Elder Nan. Now, they only wanted to give themselves a harsh p in the face! If it weren¡¯t for their covert obstruction, Li Yunzi¡¯s army could have been more formidable than it was now, and this battle might have had a better chance of victory. It would have been good if Li Yunzi could hold out for just a while longer! When Li Yunzi first proposed the idea of taking precautions, they all thought she had gone mad. How could they take Wutu as an example and fantasize about a more powerful civilization that might exist within the fog of the Void Sea? The more they thought about it, the more regret they felt. If they could travel through time, they would definitely beat some sense into their foolish past selves! ¡°If there are so many powers as strong as the Sky Dome above, how can Li Yunzi¡¯s army withstand them? It¡¯s nothing but a struggle,¡± Mr. Wu sighed deeply. The fate of everyone became uncertain and turbulent. If what Duan Changqing and Zhu Minng said was true, even they, the Lord-level powerhouses, might not escape very, given the existence of mightier beings! ¡°It¡¯s notpletely hopeless. As long as the powers strictly follow the nationalws, a pure war won¡¯t easily crush us. Li Yunzi nowmands the military forces of the Four-Nation City-State. Although there¡¯s still a gappared with one nation¡¯s army in the Supreme Court, if we make good use of the Long Gorge terrain, there is still hope of holding out,¡± Duan Changqing said. ¡°But didn¡¯t you just say that we are ownerlessnd, unprotected by national rules, and those powers could also strike against us?¡± asked the Li Family Grandmother. At this moment, Duan Changqing¡¯s gaze fell upon Zhu Minng, as if the answer could be found with him. Everyone also looked towards Zhu Minng, since he had hardly spoken up to this point. He was from the Supreme Court Continent after all, and moreover, from one of its Family Doors. Could he possibly bring protection to the Ancestrial Dragon City? ¡°War is inevitable, so in terms of warfare, everyone can only ce their hopes on Yunzhi, ¡± Zhu Minng spoke. ¡°But regarding power, there is one way. That is, I represent the Zhu Gate and swear allegiance to the Imperial Dynasty. The Ancestrial Dragon City will belong to the Zhu Gate, paying heavy taxes annually, and will no longer be ownerless. Then other powers will not be able to interfere and will have to abide by the national rules,¡± Zhu Minng exined to everyone. Everyone¡¯s eyes immediately lit up. Now, both inside and out, the Ancestrial Dragon City belonged to Li Yunzi. Since Zhu Minng was already rumoured to be Li Yunzi¡¯s lover, his oath of allegiance was just that¡ªan oath. During such times, why would anyone mind? Besides, Zhu Minng seemed to have quite the background! If Zhu Minng could step in and help everyone avoid the crisis of bing and of ves, Zhu Minng would be a god to everyone! ¡°Then let Ling Sha marry you in Yunzhi¡¯s stead immediately. The city¡¯s great seal is also in Ling Sha¡¯s hands, so there¡¯s no need for recement,¡± the Li Family¡¯s Old Grandmother said. Zhu Minng didn¡¯t quite follow the Old Grandmother¡¯s logic. Marriage was not something one could substitute for another, right?? Even if they looked identical, Li Yunzi was Li Yunzi, and Nan Lingsha was Nan Lingsha. ¡°Old Grandmother, please don¡¯t rush. Let me finish speaking,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°Alright, alright, go ahead. No one else speak!¡± the Old Grandmother instructed every member of the Li family and the Nan family. ¡°This kind of major decision isn¡¯t something I can make right now. I need to return to my Family Door and discuss it with them. After all, it is the authority of the Family Door that can intimidate all the major powers,¡± Zhu Minng stated. ¡°I, Duan Changqing, will also swear on behalf of the academy regarding the allegiance of the Ancestral Dragon City¡¯s forces. I hope to gain the support of the Supreme Court Academy, but I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll need to visit there personally¡­ I hope my old friends from the Supreme Court Dragon Taming Academy still remember me,¡± Duan Changqing also spoke up. ¡°This journey of yours may take several days. By that time, the powerful forces may have already ughtered all the experts within our Ancestral Dragon City,¡± Deputy Dean Bai Hongbo remarked. ¡°Please be assured, I have already asked that elder from my n to gain us some time,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°Who is this elder from your n, and does she possess such deterrent power?¡± Duan Changqing asked. ¡°Her name is Zhu Xuehen, my aunt. Her mother is a member of the Supreme Court Royal Family. If she speaks as an Orderer for thisnd, she can preside over justice for us,¡± Zhu Minng dered. ¡°What does presiding over justice mean? Isn¡¯t it just that once allegiance is dered, other powers won¡¯t interfere?¡± the Old Grandmother questioned. ¡°Dering allegiance is only to have all powerspete in a fair and open manner. It doesn¡¯t mean that just by my shouting, ¡®The Ancestrial Dragon City is under Zhu Minng¡¯s protection,¡¯ others will obediently back off. Without someone to oversee justice, they simply won¡¯tply, ¡± Zhu Minng rified. ¡°So dering allegiance is just a way to buy time and deter powers from meddling. If the Zhu Gate loses in thispetition, if the Li Chuan Dragon Taming Academy loses this time, other powers can stille and take over,¡± Duan Changing added. Competition. It was nothing more than a struggle between Dragon Shepherds and Divine and Mortal beings. War. It was the ughter between rulers of national territories and city-states and their armies. A territory is generally governed jointly by the ruling ss and the seated power. Actually, the Ancestral Dragon City also presented this form. For example, the Li family clearly represented the ruling ss, in charge of people, cities, taxes, the military¡­ The Nan family and the Dragon Taming Academy could be considered the seated powers,prised of organizations of Dragon Shepherds or Divine and Mortal beings. Concerning the matter of war, no constraints were possible, they could only count on Li Yunzi¡¯s army. Fortunately, near West Cliff, there were still many streams of uncooled magma, and asionally there would be some toxic miasmas from the Veins of the Earth. The majority of the Supreme Court¡¯srge armies wereposed of physically mortal soldiers; they couldn¡¯t possibly cross over directly like Dragon Shepherds and Divine beings. They had enough time, and Li Yunzi¡¯s military force was not weak. As long as they survived this ¡°ownerless¡± phase and let the Ancestral Dragon City have a seated power recognized by the Imperial Dynasty, even if they ultimately lost in battle, the Ancestral Dragon City would not turn into and of ves. Once they escaped the mark of very, the military could not wantonly ughter the innocent, let alone the strictly disciplined forces. Green pines and silver walls, the end of the white-stone long path was still a ce under repair and in disarray, where Zhu Minng and people from the Sect Pce had once battled fiercely. It hadn¡¯t been long, and the Ancestral Dragon City hadpletely changed. Zhu Minng remembered the worry knotted in Li Yunzi¡¯s brows, and now he understood why it never seemed to dissipate. What she saw and what the family members saw in the hall just now were simply not on the same level. However, why did Li Yunzi know about the existence of the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent and had been making preparations in advance? Even Zhu Minng himself did not know that the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent would fall from the sky and border with othernds; he only knew that inds or territories might appear outside the Sea of Nothingness¡­ Was it simply because she had seen the Wutu region that she thought of so much? That¡¯s not right either. ¡°Worried about Li Yunzi?¡± a pleasant voice sounded, as if Li Yunzi was talking right behind him. Zhu Minng knew that the tones of her and her sisters were very simr, especially when speaking calmly. ¡°Yes,¡± Zhu Minng nodded. Up to now, Zhu Minng still couldn¡¯t get that scene out of his head, where she said she wanted to protect everything, including himself. In her eyes, he saw his own reflection. It¡¯s fortunate to be you. Zhu Minng also wanted to say these four words to her. He was fortunate to have gotten lost on a strange continent, to have met her¡­ It felt as if whether he could find his way back or not didn¡¯t matter anymore. ¡°The only time she failed was at Eternal City. But I know that after that, she would not be defeated a second time,¡± Nan Lingsha said. Her tone made Zhu Minng feel as if Li Yunzi was personally telling him that. ¡°I feel the same way, so you don¡¯t need to worry,¡± Zhu Minng forced a slight smile, trying to make his mood seem a bit less gloomy. ¡°I will participate in the power struggle as a representative of the academy,¡± Nan Lingsha said. ¡°In fact, just one power needs to take a stand¡­¡± ¡°What if you lose?¡± Nan Lingsha asked. Zhu Minng¡¯s face immediately darkened. Look down on whom! ! Those so-called Sect Forest, Family Door, Sacred Pce, Cathedral, which prodigy had not been trampled by him! As a Divine and Mortal, he had trampled once. And as a Dragon Shepherd, he¡¯d do it again!! Let them know what it means to excel both as a Godly and a Mortal! ¡°Miss Lingsha, I have some doubts. Does Yunzi have some other Divine Skill? Otherwise, how could she know that the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent would fall?¡± Zhu Minng asked. Nan Lingsha hesitated, seemingly reluctant to answer Zhu Minng¡¯s question. But after some thought, she still spoke, ¡°There is a woman named Star Painting, and her Divine and Mortal ability is stargazing and prophecy.¡± ¡°Pro¡­ Prophet? I have seen countless Divine and Mortal beings, but I have never heard of this stargazing prophecy!¡± Zhu Minng felt like his sister-inw was pulling his leg. ¡°You are ignorant.¡± ¡®I???¡± Zhu Minng felt that his previous knowledge of the Divine and Mortal was false. Fortune tellers, Zhu Minng had heard of them, nothing more than street swindlers who read people¡¯s faces. ¡°Star Painting predicted a rough time, and the rest was deduced by Li Yunzi herself,¡± Nan Lingsha said. ¡°Then I would like to meet this Miss Star Painting one day, ¡± Zhu Minng paid his respects and didn¡¯t question the existence of this prophetic Divine and Mortal person any further. Prophetic Godly Mortal, this is indeed unheard of, whether at the Divine and Mortal Academy or among those renowned Divine and Mortal families, none had simr abilities. Perhaps he indeed was ignorant. Or perhaps, this world was not limited to the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent, Li Chuan Continent; in the vast gxy, were there other continents slowly falling towards this part of the world, approaching like maized stones? The Sea of Nothingness that encircled the edge of the horizon, did it have another shore¡­ ¡°In a few days, we will set out for the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent,¡± Nan Lingsha said. Although handling the power struggle would be the greatest help to Li Yunzi, they couldn¡¯t let those powerful forces appear on the battlefield as it would tip the scales of war. The Imperial Dynasty would not take action. Therefore, the first armies to step into Li Chuan Continent would mostly be from the nations within the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent. ording to the messages from West Cliff and Lingxiao City State, on the other side of the West Cliff lies a small country called Rui. Rui Small Country has a total of thirteen city-states, each city-state nearly the same in size as those of the Li Chuan Continent, consisting of dozens of towns and cities¡­ The West Cliff is still covered with magma, armies have to march in a long column along the cliff, and horses find it difficult to proceed, which slows down the efficiency. They would most likely first capture Lingxiao City State and the nearby small city-states, where they would station troops and rest. To the west of the Ancestral Dragon City-State lies Long Gorge and mountain ranges, which offer advantageous terrain. Engaged in constant warfare with Lingxiao City State, many fortresses, bastions, and city walls have been built. For Rui Country to take down the Ancestral Dragon City-State, it would take no less than half a year! But if they lose the power struggle¡­ Dragon Shepherds and Divine and Mortals rushing into the war, everything would be unpredictable.. Chapter 112 - 113 Raising a Dragon is Also Very Simple Chapter 112: Chapter 113 Raising a Dragon is Also Very Simple Trantor: 549690339 Just before they were set to depart, Nan Lingsha took Zhu Minng to a ce called the Sacred Forest, treasured by the Nan Family. The Nan Family Sacred Forest was situated behind the grand mansion, and continuing deep into the woods beyond a distinctly separate garden, they could see a vast and magnificent cedar forest. The Silver Firs towered high, their canopy umbre-like, blotting out the sun. Their guide was a Nan Family protector, apanied by his son, Nan Zhaobing. When Nan Zhaobing saw that Nan Lingsha actually brought Zhu Minng to the Wood Spirit Altar, his dissatisfaction showed tantly on his face. ¡°The Wood Spirit Altar finally collected the Ten-year Dew, which should be used for nurturing a new Divine Green Holy Dragon, or as a baptism for the most outstanding Dragon Shepherds of our n. How could it be casually given to an outsider, especially someone with a tarnished reputation!¡± Nan Zhaobing was extremely dissatisfied with Zhu Minng in his heart. Although he knew such words should not be spoken in front of his elders, in the presence of Nan Lingsha. Still, he couldn¡¯t hold back. After all, this Ten-year Dew was the most precious wealth of the Nan Family Sacred Forest, and the Nan Family disciples were vying for it in secret for this very reason! As usual, Nan Lingsha wore a veil, giving a cold stare at this ignorant neer. ¡°p! At that moment, the protector delivered a fierce p across Nan Zhaobing¡¯s face. After the p, the protector immediately bowed and apologized to Zhu Minng, saying, ¡°Please, Mr. Zhu, don¡¯t mind my foolish son¡¯s insolence. I admit I have failed to educate him properly.¡± ¡°Dad, 1¡­¡± ¡°p!!!!¡± Seeing Nan Zhaobing attempting to speak nonsense again, the protector backhanded him with another p. This p almost knocked out Nan Zhaobing¡¯s teeth, his mouth full of blood. Zhu Minng inwardly praised the protector for being able to deliver such a strict punishment. He figured if he didn¡¯t deal with this idiot, Nan Lingsha would have likely finished him off. The entire Nan Family was still living in fear of Nan Lingsha using the Book of Life and Death to take the souls of those who rebelled against Li Yunzi, and the protector had been present at the recent event in the conference hall. The Li Family¡¯s Old Grandmother now even regarded Zhu Minng as her own grandson. Who would dare to utter half a word that could make Zhu Minng ufortable, knowing it would be tantamount to suicide! ¡°He does need a good disciplining,¡± Nan Lingsha said coldly. The protector hastily lifted up Nan Zhaobing, who was covered in blood and looked utterly confused, and scolded, ¡°Now get lost! You were brought here to learn, not to run your mouth!¡± Dazed from the ps, Nan Zhaobing eventually retreated under the anger and authority of his father. ¡°He seems still ignorant of his mistake. Being ssmates, I actually could mentor him on a thing or two,¡± Zhu Minng said to the protector with a smile. The protector immediately turned pale and frantically apologized, swearing he would punish his son even more severely when they got home. ¡°The Ten-year Holy Dew will be of great assistance to the growth and strengthening of your Divine Green Holy Dragon,¡± Nan Lingsha said. ¡°Thank you, Miss Lingsha,¡± Zhu Minng replied without formality. The Sacred Dew preserved by the Nan Family was quite rare, deemed Heavenly Essence and Earthly Splendor. Even if one traveled through thousands of mountains and forests, it might not be found. Moreover, this was a spiritual object perfectly suited to the attributes of the Divine Green Holy Dragon. If he had heard about such a treasure from the Nan Family earlier, he would have stolen a share for the dragon babies back home! ¡°Great Protector, the cultivation of Hundred-year Holy Dew must have also beenpleted. Please also retrieve it for Zhu Minng,¡± Nan Lingsha continued. ¡°A hundred¡­ Hundred-year Holy Dew, that¡¯s the foundation of our Nan Family¡­¡± The Sacred Forest protector was shocked, having not expected Nan Lingsha to offer even this most precious treasure to Zhu Minng. Yet, quickly noticing Nan Lingsha¡¯s gaze, the protector resolutely added, ¡°But only such precious treasures are worthy of Mr. Zhu Minng¡¯s status!¡± Zhu Minng nced at the protector whose tone suddenly aligned with his earlier statement and internally sighed. Nan Zhaobing¡¯s father was quite the character, managing to turn the conversation around so smoothly! Only after Nan Lingsha retracted her icy look did the protector breathe a sigh of relief and hurriedly continued to lead the way for Zhu Minng. The Ten-year Holy Dew is collected from the essence of heaven and earth, ultimately extracted from the wood spirit in the Silver Fir Altar. It is slowly drawn from Silver Firs aged ten years or more. The collection process alone requires a significant amount of manpower and financial resources. The Hundred-year Holy Dew is even rarer, gathered from centenary Silver Firs. Elder Nan once achieved his revered status precisely because he secured Hundred-year Holy Dew, enabling the Nan Family to stand firm. In fact, part of the reason why Elder Nan rebelled against Li Yunzi was because of the Hundred-year Holy Dew. Elder Nan wanted to monopolize the soon-to-be-nurtured Hundred-year Holy Dew, whereas Li Yunzi wished to use it to cultivate a new potent Dragon Shepherd. Before long, the three arrived at a forest cliff. Below the cliffy an Earth Altar constructed of Spirit Wood Stone, obscured from the sunlight by the tall Silver Fir canopies, yet emitting a glow more vibrant than sunlight, hot and radiant! As they approached, an ancient tree atop the forest cliff sprang to life. Its trunk stretched out among the dense foliage and an ancient head emerged, gazing down upon the three visitors to the altar. It was an ancient Divine Green Holy Dragon! Zhu Minng was secretly shocked in his heart. Most of the body of the Divine Green Holy Dragon was still hidden in the Forest Cliff, and just the tip of the iceberg which was exposed gave off a sense of power, antiquity, and mystique. He had not expected that a Divine Green Holy Dragon actually existed within the Nan Family¡¯s Sacred Forest! ¡°Sacred Keeper, we are here for the Holy Dew; this is the offering we have brought.¡± Saying this, the Great Protector ced several translucent beads beside him and bowed respectfully before retreating. The ancient Divine Green Holy Dragon took the beads and slowly crawled back to the Forest Cliff. Its head, its trunk, its wings, all seemed like an ancient tree clinging to the cliff, and after a short while, it appeared topletely merge with the surrounding vegetation. Nan Lingsha walked towards the glowing stone altar and took out ten doses of Ten-year Dew and one dose of Hundred-year Dew. After dividing the Holy Dew into bamboo containers, she handed them to Zhu Minng. ¡°Each portion of this Ten-year Dew is enough for it to absorb for ten days. As for the Hundred-year Dew, it¡¯s best given when it is at a growth bottleneck, as it can enable a breakthrough and awaken some powerful Holy Dragon powers,¡± Nan Lingsha exined. ¡°Thank you, thank you, once again, Miss Lingsha,¡± Zhu Minng said. On the side, the Great Protector watched Zhu Minng holding the bamboo containers, swallowing hard as his Adam¡¯s apple moved! Even a person of the Great Protector level needed to serve diligently for many years to have a chance at receiving a portion. This Ten-year Dew was a treasured family heirloom for the Nan Family¡¯s young members, fiercely contested for, which is why his son, Nan Zhaobing, had reacted so intensely just now. And now Nan Lingsha was giving Zhu Minng and his dragons what she gave as if it were water! Other city-states would spend a fortune just for a portion of Ten-year Dew from the Nan Family, and here Nan Lingsha was, gifting all of the Nan Family¡¯s stock over the years to Zhu Minng in a bundle. Ten-year Dew wasn¡¯t just any cabbage, to say nothing of Hundred-year Dew¡ª a foundational treasure¡­ The tears of the Great Protector were on the verge of rolling down his face, and yet he couldn¡¯t speak a word against it. Zhu Minng didn¡¯t stand on ceremony either and epted the generous gift from Nan Lingsha, considering that they would be family in the future. ¡°Mr. Zhu, our Holy Dew doesn¡¯t interfere with the digestive processes of soul beads, spirit fruits, and other strengthening spiritual objects, so when feeding the Silver Fir Holy Dew, you can continue to use other spiritual objects for strengthening, ¡± the Great Protector reminded Zhu Minng this time. If he couldn¡¯t stop it, the Great Protector figured it was better to offer some goodwill to Zhu Minng, especially since his son, Nan Zhaobing, had previously offended this man who would likely be a significant son-inw of the Nan Family. ¡°It¡¯s so magical, indeed a genuine treasure!¡± eximed Zhu Minng, his eyes lighting up. It didn¡¯t affect the digestion time of other strengthening spiritual objects! The so-called strengthening meant using a variety of Heavenly Essence and Earthly Splendor to imbue one¡¯s dragon with the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, thereby rapidly boosting strength, as well as speeding up the dragon¡¯s growth through several stages. But all such strengthening spiritual objects had a digestion period. For instance, a Thousand-year Soul Bead generally required a digestion period of seven days to a month after consumption. During this digestion period, any dragon still in the digestion period that consumed more soul beads or other strengthening spiritual objects would find the effects virtually nil. If Holy Dew didn¡¯t conflict with the digestion of other spiritual objects, it meant that the dragon¡¯s evolutionary umtion had gained an additional surging river of energy! No wonder it was a treasured possession of the Nan Family; finding such spiritual objects that don¡¯t affect the digestion cycle on the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent, even for those powerful Sect Forests, would not be easy. ¡°Your other dragons can also take a dose, and there¡¯s no need for any more because only the bloodline of the Divine Green Holy Dragon can undergo multiple absorptions,¡± the Great Protector added once more. Indeed, to dominate a territory, one must have something to rely on. It appears that some wild Green Forest Dragons, which eventually made their home in the Silver Fir Sacred Forest, formed a symbiotic rtionship with the Nan Family, probably because of the unique properties of the Silver Fir Holy Dew! With these portions of Holy Dew, Little Qingzhuo¡¯s Lord Level power was secured. Perhaps Nan Lingsha was still worried about losing in strength, so she used the family¡¯s resources to ensure the emergence of a Dragon Lord level Holy Dragon first. It felt like, after absorbing all the Ten-year Dew and Hundred-year Dew, if he also worked on the other four aspects, Little Qingzhuo¡¯s base level would be that of a High-level Dragon Lord. It might even have a chance at reaching the Peak! Raising dragons didn¡¯t seem as hard as he had imagined¡­ Come autumn, he would have another Dragon Lord level dragonpanion! If the Great Protector knew what Zhu Minng was thinking at this moment, he probably would have been frustrated to death. The entire Nan Family had toiled for who knows how many years to produce this small amount of Holy Dew, each portion worth a fortune. If they were given to a pig, it could be an Earth Dragon! Otherwise, why would Elder Nan, advanced in years, still refuse to let go of the allocation of Hundred-year Dew and get involved in the n against Li Yunzi? Chapter 113 - 114 Li Xinghua Chapter 113: Chapter 114 Li Xinghua Trantor: 549690339 With a few days left before departure, Zhu Minng decided to stay in the Silver Fir Sacred Forest, mainly to train the ck Azure Violent Dragon and the Divine Green Holy Dragon. Big ck Tooth had consumed a Lord-Level Azure Dragon Soul Pearl, and after nearly a month of digestion, it had now reached Dragon General Level and had grown Dark Thunder Scales! The Dark Thunder Scales were special, for when the body of the ck Azure Violent Dragon was attacked by an enemy, they absorbed most of the energy, including the shock from impacts, which would then empower the ck Azure Violent Dragon¡¯s horns, ws, tail, back ridge, and other parts with a dark thunderstorm enhancement¡­ This made every part of the ck Azure Violent Dragon capable of generating thunderstorms with its attacks, naturally making them extremely terrifying! Beyond that, Big ck Tooth had mastered an Ancient Dragon Warfare Skill, the Blood of Bravery. This was a powerful ability that made an Ancient Dragon increasingly fierce in battle. Tyrant Dragons are top predators, and when they maintain a high-pitchedbat stance, their blood flows more rapidly, boils, gradually awakening their ancient fighting spirit, and fully releasing all potential in the midst of fierce fighting. Each wound inflicted on the enemy, the smell of blood, would make the Tyrant Dragon a bit stronger. Being wounded and losing blood would also make the Tyrant Dragon stronger than before. Continuous fighting, constant ughter, subjugating all living beings around them, and maintaining the highest predator¡¯s momentum and dragon majesty would also make the Blood of Bravery in the Tyrant Dragon¡¯s body boil, causing an explosion in strength, defense, speed, reaction, self-healing, warfare skills, and overall abilities! As long as it did not die, it would keep getting stronger! Big ck Tooth was a hybrid of Tyrant Dragon and Azure Dragon, and with the awakening of the Blood of Bravery, one could say that it had truly acquired its own authentic Ancient Dragon spirit. As a result, Zhu Minng nned to find some more opponents in the Sacred Forest, to give Big ck Tooth a real battle forging! It¡¯s worth mentioning that the Blood of Bravery isn¡¯t just a temporary gain during battles; it retains a portion of potential in the Ancient Dragon¡¯s body even after fighting. This meant that each victorious battle would permanently enhance the Tyrant Dragon¡¯s strength¡­ This warfare skill, rightly called an Ancient Dragon God Technique, was fortunate due to Zhu Minng¡¯s efforts to feed and strengthen Big ck Tooth with the best possible resources, or there was a chance he could have missed the awakening of this ability! With the Blood of Bravery, Big ck Tooth didn¡¯t have to worry about being left behind by the naturally gifted Bai Qi and Qing Zhuo with the Holy Dragon bloodline! However, Big ck Tooth was still in the digestion period. A Lord-level Soul Bead was quite substantial for Big ck Tooth, making the digestion period very long, which of course meant that Big ck Tooth might continue to grow stronger. Battle could shorten the digestion period and increase the chances of awakening abilities. Feeding, spiritual nourishment,bat, and strengthening are all indispensable in the growth process of all dragons, and it¡¯s best if theyplement each other¡­well, except for Bai Qi! Bai Qi probably maxed out his fighting attributes in a previous life, and in this life, only needs feeding, spiritual nourishment, and sleep. Whether he fights or not all depends on his mood and whether the opponent is worthy enough. ¡°It feels like I don¡¯t really understand Xiao Bai Qi either. When I get back home, I can ask Mr. Dumb for advice¡­¡± As Zhu Minng thought of Mr. Dumb¡¯s appearance, he couldn¡¯t help but feel likeughing. I remember when I was very young, Mr. Dumb tried so hard to convince me to be a Dragon Shepherd, yet I had chosen Divine and Mortal. Nowadays, I have be a Dragon Shepherd, and I hope Mr. Dumb hasn¡¯tpletely given up on me like my aunt has. ¡°Mr. Dumb should be able to exin Bai Qi¡¯s regressive condition,¡± Zhu Minng murmured to himself. Zhu Gate¡­ I wonder if for them, my return is a good thing, or just a headache. Some are happy, some are sorrowful, I suppose. Walking through the Silver Fir Sacred Forest afterpleting today¡¯s dragon taming, Zhu Minng had nned to return to the Nan Mansion, but he found himself wandering to the other side of the garden, where a shriney deep within the forest. It was already night, and there was candlelight within the shrine. Out of curiosity, Zhu Minng walked towards it. Normally, candles in such a shrine would only be lit on the death anniversaries of family members. Zhu Minng had just reached the entrance when he saw a man sitting on a grass mat with a sk of alcohol in his hand, his hair and beard slightly messy and unkempt. In the candlelight, Zhu Minng recognized the man as the master of the Li Family, Li Ying. He looked much more haggard and older than when Zhu Minng had seen him before, his eyes no longer as sharp as they had been, resembling more a middle-aged man keeping a vigil. After taking a sip of alcohol, he saw Zhu Minng and didn¡¯t show any surprise, but simply asked indifferently, ¡°Care for a drink?¡± Zhu Minng looked at the somewhat dispirited Li Ying and felt little sympathy in his heart. This guy, he¡¯s made his own bed. To be able to keep a vigil and enjoy peace here was probably because Li Yunzi and Nan Lingsha remembered he was their father, and did not wish to be the murderers of their own father. ¡°Who are you mourning?¡± Zhu Minng asked. ¡°My wife,¡± Li Ying replied. ¡°How did she die?¡± Zhu Minng nced at the shrine table, where a spirit tablet was ced¡­ It wasn¡¯t Kong Tong, but Li Ying¡¯s first wife, the birth mother of Li Yunzi and Nan Lingsha. ¡°My wife and I had four daughters; the two younger daughters were sickly from birth and passed away at the age of two or three. My wife was so grieved by this that she left on the same day,¡± Li Ying said. How many daughters did Li Ying have in the end? Had he always wanted a son, but was punished by fate with only daughters, leading to resentment in his heart? ¡°Was that today?¡± Zhu Minng inquired. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Alive, they don¡¯t cherish; dead, they mourn. You really are a joke,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°I just wanted to imprison them, I just wanted to imprison them¡­¡± As he repeated these words, Li Ying poured another mouthful of strong liquor into his mouth and continued to mumble. Looking at Li Ying¡¯s state, he seemed to be somewhat incoherent from drinking too much. But one could also see the remorse and pain deep in his heart. Zhu Minng didn¡¯t want to console his deservedly miserable father-inw anymore, and as he turned to leave the shrine, Zhu Minng noticed a name among the spirit tablets that seemed faintly familiar. Li Xinghua! ¡°Xinghua?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t she the prophet Nan Lingsha talked about?¡± Zhu Minng specifically walked over and saw that the spirit tablet indeed bore this name, and the birth and death dates on it clearly indicated an untimely demise¡­ Nan Lingsha had clearly told him there was a woman named Xinghua who was a prophet. Li Yunzhi had also learned from this prophet about an approximate time when a new continent simr to Wutu might emerge in the Li Chuan Continent. The problem is, her spirit tablet is here! And she died a long time ago. Could it be that Li Yunzhi possessed some sort of necromancy spell?? ¡°Hey, your prematurely deceased daughter¡­ How could you fall asleep drunk like this, and this is how you mourn your deceased wife and daughter?¡± Zhu Minng nced back at Li Ying and immediately rolled his eyes. Could this spirit tablet be a fake? Perhaps the prophet named Xinghua didn¡¯t die; for some reason, she was hiding somewhere?? Did Li Ying know that his daughter was still alive? ¡°Nan Yuso¡­¡± Zhu Minng quickly noticed another spirit tablet, almost ced next to Li Xinghua¡¯s. Just now, Li Ying mentioned two younger daughters who had passed away prematurely; it must have been them. Could it be that Li Xinghua and Nan Yuso¡¯s deaths were not due to frailty and illness but were actually caused by someone else? And the biological mother of Li Yunzhi and Nan Lingsha died of grief that day, which was equivalent to being indirectly killed as well. Was it Kong Tong¡¯s doing? Li Ying had always been unaware, but Li Yunzhi had some inklings, which is why her rtionship with her father had always been very poor. Or was it that Li Yunzhi saved her sister Xinghua, but her mother and Nan Yuso fell prey to malicious hands; recognizing her young age and the enemy¡¯s strength, Li Yunzhi could only hide Xinghua away? Could it be that, in addition to Kong Tong, there was also Elder Nan?? Otherwise, why would Elder Nan set out to punish Li Yunzhi? Even if it was to monopolize the Holy Dew for a hundred years, the enmity didn¡¯t seem enough to be relentless and deadly. For many years, Li Yunzhi and Nan Lingsha had been enduring in silence, just waiting for the opportunity to kill all of those who were responsible for the past atrocities! After all, was Li Ying simply oblivious and naive, never knowing that the murderers of his wife and daughters were within the Li and Nan Families from beginning to end? Or was it that he was involved too, having caused the death of his own daughter and his first wife? s, within a single family, there can be so many malicious people; it really was tough for Li Yunzhi and Nan Lingsha to survive in such an environment¡­ Fortunately, the ultimate oue was good, and the sisters still managed to eliminate all the culprits from back then. Having understood all this, Zhu Minng looked once more at Li Ying, who had copsed into the ground in a drunken stupor, and shook his head helplessly. He lit two candles, cing them separately at the spirit tablets of the deceased Nan Yuso and the biological mother of Li Yunzhi. Afterpleting the tribute, Zhu Minng didn¡¯t bother with Li Ying anymore and walked out of the shrine. It was time to pack up in the evening. It was about time to return to the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent, back to Zhu Gate. Who knows if the candle wax beneath my own spirit tablet has turned into a solid stone b! Sigh, the first thing to do when I get back is to go to the Zhu Gate¡¯s shrine and remove my spirit tablet. I, Zhu Minng, am not dead! Stop worshiping! As midsummer approached, the mountains bloomed brilliantly. Flying over the Li Chuan in, one could always see vast expanses of flower fields scattering beauty,pelling one to pause there. Riding on a sail dragon, the vastnd and boundless rivers gradually submerged into the horizon, reced by a series of rolling mountain ranges. These mountain ranges, known as Long Gorge Mountain, marked the boundary between Ancestral Dragon City and Lingxiao City State. Due to perennial warfare, one could see stone outposts and gs fluttering in the mountain breeze on the valleys, paths, and ridges. The group didn¡¯t linger in this area. After all, they couldn¡¯t meddle with the wars. Zhu Xuehen and Pu Shiming were Orderers; they were not only supervising the Divine and Mortal and Dragon Shepherds in those forces but also watching over the people of the Li Chuan Continent. Those who defied or rebelled faced a fate akin to that of the Sect Pce. The sail dragon belonged to Dean Duan Changqing, and this time, the number of people heading to the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent was not small, with just Dean Duan Changqing¡¯s Dragon Shepherd Team consisting of eight members. Zhu Minng¡¯s team was a bit meager; if not for the Divine and Mortal Nan Lingsha joining, he would only have Fang Niannian, the little Dragon Food steward.. Chapter 114 - 115 Supreme Court Courtyard Continent Chapter 114: Chapter 115 Supreme Court Courtyard Continent Trantor: 549690339 In ordance with the old grandmother of the Li Family, Nan Lingsha was ultimately assigned to the power of the Family Door. After all, the current Orderer of the Li Chuan Continent was a member of the Zhu Gate who could easily annihte the Sect Pce, and could make all covetous forces of the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent obediently follow the rules. In the old grandmother¡¯s view, the Zhu Gate might be a reliance for the Ancestral Dragon City-State in the future. Therefore, the old grandmother¡¯s intention was since Zhu Minng and Li Yunzi took to each other at first sight and were mutually attracted, she preferred to finalize the marriage straightforwardly. Considering that Li Yunzi could not leave the battlefield, Nan Lingsha would temporarily fill in for her. The Li and Nan families had always valued marital alliances, and the old grandmother was a straightforward person. She simply wanted to bind the Li and Nan families with a prestigious Family Door of the Supreme Court Continent before the battlefield copsed and the cities became indefensible, to avoid a future catastrophe! That¡¯s why, just before departing, the old grandmother was resolute about getting married. Zhu Minng firmly disagreed with this absurdity, even as a pretense; it was uneptable for Nan Lingsha to marry in Li Yunzi¡¯s stead. Likewise, Nan Lingsha was someone who could not be restrained by anyone. She wouldn¡¯t mind adding another coffin and burying the old grandmother if she were forced to do such a thing with Zhu Minng. Nan Lingsha was probably the person who cared the least if the entire Ancestral Dragon City-State became enved. She saw the Nan n as a burden, and her affection for the academy ran deeper than for the Nan n. That¡¯s why when the Sect Pce was destroyed, she didn¡¯t appear at the n meeting right away but was at the Dragon Taming Academy instead. After some discussion, the old grandmother finally gave up on the idea of marriage, but still insisted that Nan Lingsha join Zhu Minng¡¯s humble Dragon Shepherd Team as a member of the Family Door. In their team, some Lord Level or higher Dragon Shepherds would often have Divines and Mortals among them, and thepetition for power was not considered a one-man fight. Since the old grandmother had no affection for the Dragon Taming Academy, she naturally hoped that Nan Lingsha would go to the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent as a member of the Family Door. Given that the old grandmother¡¯s years were numbered and she might not have much time left, Nan Lingsha joined Zhu Minng¡¯s team, albeit reluctantly, to allow her to live out her final years in peace. Passing through the Lingxiao City-State, all they saw was chaos. Many of the rivers outside the cities were practically red with blood, and bodies were stacked by the roads like haystacks. Wild dogs roamed in packs, while carrion crows circled above. The Lingxiao City-State had clearly failed to withstand Rui Country¡¯s army, and thews of the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent did not protect this ce, leaving human life to be worth less than straw. Many people from the Wesnd, Sect Pce City, and Lingxiao City-State were fleeing eastward, hoping to enter the territory of the Ancestral Dragon City-State for some protection. The question was whether Ancestral Dragon City-State was willing to offer them this life-saving refuge. For those left inwlessnds, the end was tragic: either death or envement. The people of Lingxiao City-State probably never dreamed such a day woulde. After passing through Lingxiao City-State, they arrived in the Wesnd. The Wesnd was an even greater hell on earth. Rampant looting by the army, unbridled brutality, division of power, and inhumane atrocities. The Wesnd, with no city-states of its own, seemed like a primitive tribe trampled mercilessly by a more powerful national army. To survive was already a stroke of luck, let alone retaining any dignity¡­ Upon witnessing these scenes, several members of Duan Changqing¡¯s team could hardly believe their eyes. The difference between heaven and helly just beyond Long Gorge Mountain. Although the citizens of Ancestral Dragon City-State lived in fear, they still managed to lead normal lives. But look at Lingxiao City-State and the Wesnd¡­ Was this the fate of the weak and backward? ¡°A few months ago, people were condemning the Female Monarch for constantly starting wars, especially the citizens of the South Nation who hated her, thinking she was a reincarnated witch, brutal and excessive. Probably by now, all of them are on their knees thanking her for holding Long Gorge Mountain. Without Li Yunzi defending it, countless cities and city-states on the Li Chuan in would have ended up like this!¡± Bai Hongbo sighed deeply. ¡°Our vision has always been too shortsighted. When Wutu appeared, many leaders were arrogant, acting with impunity in Wutu, enjoying the twisted pleasure that such recklessness brought. Only Li Yunzi aimed to establish order there¡­¡¯ Order! They were now desperate for that order. With order in ce, although life and safety couldn¡¯t be 100% guaranteed, at least people wouldn¡¯t be treated worse than livestock. ¡°I just hope Ancestral Dragon City-State can endure until the day when order is established.¡± ¡°Mav heaven bless Ancestral Dragon City-State.¡¯ ¡°Nowadays, it¡¯s not heaven that¡¯s protecting Ancestral Dragon City-State, but the Female Monarch.¡± ¡°The citizens of the Ancestral Dragon City have always regarded the Female Monarch as divine.¡± Without lingering in the war-tornnds, among their group many were esteemed teachers from the academy, pitying themon people. Yet, at that moment, they could only turn a blind eye¡­ There wasn¡¯t much they could do; they had to continue moving forward, to establish order for the Li Chuan Continent. Upon reaching West Cliff, the moltenva continuously discharged vast amounts of heat into the surroundings, the me-storms swirling like towering red serpents, peering down disdainfully at the forlorn Wesnd territory. Through West Cliff Corridor, armies surged in, braving certain risks to their lives, They seemed unwilling to feed on leftovers. There were also many Divines and Mortals and Dragon Shepherds who traversed the corridor, exploring this newnd. Even though watched over by Orderers, it didn¡¯t prevent them from their explorations of these extraordinary mountains and peculiarnds. Besides, the watchers couldn¡¯t surveil the entire continent. They wouldn¡¯t attack some big city-states, but preying on the smaller cities was still lucrative! Many incidents, despite knowing they would happen and that many would be trampled underfoot, were beyond anyone¡¯s control. Not everyone is like Li Yunzi, waging war for the sake of establishing order. Upon arrival at West Cliff, where thend is about to extend into the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent, a group of people are clearing the bodies scattered across the scorched earth. These bodies are not all human; there is also arge number of dragon carcasses. From some of the clothing, it seems the deceased Dragon Shepherds were from the Li Chuan Continent, and it was clearly the people of the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent who killed them. ¡°You too wish to go to the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent?¡± ¡°Do you roll back on your own, or will you end up like them, leaving your life here?¡± A man apanied by a yellow snake approached Zhu Minng and his group. The yellow snake had horns, no limbs, and a pair ofntern-sized eyes that stared down anyone who dared to pass through the corridor. It seemed that a portion of the Dragon Shepherds wanted to enter the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent but were killed in the attempt. This corridor is one-way; the people from Li Chuan Continent are not allowed to set foot in the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent, just as the people of Wutu were once forbidden from entering Li Chuan in! All who tried to force their way through were killed, and among the intruders, many were Dragon Shepherds! ¡°Zhu Minng, do you have anything to prove your identity as a citizen of the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent, like a n waist token?¡± Dean Duan Changqing asked. ¡°No, do you, Dean?¡± Zhu Minng said with a wry smile. After thinking for a while, Dean Duan finally nodded and said, ¡°I don¡¯t know if this counts.¡± With that, Dean Duan opened his palms towards the sky, and one could see beams of light, like spears of a thousand feet, piercing down fiercely. Within the radiance, a golden dragon emerged, its lengthy body swimming leisurely through the harsh sunlight, while above, its dragon might zed like me,pelling onlookers into a panic-stricken prostration on the ground. The Sauron Dragon of Thousand Rays!! At this moment, what Dean Duan Changqing summoned was indeed a true Dragon King, with its golden scales and five ws, whiskers, and heavenly horns, every aspect disying the Azure Dragon¡¯s nobility and might! ¡°I wonder if this allows passage?¡± Dean Duan Changqing stepped forward, looking eye to eye with the man apanied by the snake-like Dragon Beast, calmly asking. The man with the snake-like Dragon Beast stood rooted to the spot. His Dragon Beast, which had just in many Dragon Beasts, was now curled up and trembling,pletely suppressed by the dragon might, losing even the will to fight. ¡°You may¡­ you may. Dragon Herding Sanctifier, please forgive my earlier rudeness. After all, we thought you were also from the Li Chuan Continent,¡± the man with the yellow snake hurriedly said. ¡°Wee from Li Chuan Continent,¡± Dean Duan dered. The man with the yellow snake widened his eyes, looking incredulous, and after a while, he managed a forced smile and said, ¡°The honor of a Dragon Herding Sanctifier knows no borders. Please, honored Sanctifiers, continue on your way.¡± After passing through the corridor, indeed there were no further obstructions from the Dragon Shepherds of the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent, for a Dragon Monarch Level was an extremely prestigious figure among all parties. Zhu Minng nced at Dean Duan, then at the yellow snake man who dared not show any arrogance. Strength truly is the only path to survival. Dean Duan¡¯s Dragon King was the qualification for passage through everything! Having traversed the extremely hot corridor of the greatnd, they beheld a vast expanse of hills and sea. The sea was a mix of the Void Sea and magma, some of which flowed into valleys, forming abyss-like terrifyingkes, and some cascaded towards faults and fissures created by the collision ofnd masses, forming fearsome subterranean waterfalls¡­ Copsed mountain ranges were also visible, albeit fragmented and shattered. Clearly, despite the cushioning effect of the Void Sea, there were still tremendously terrifying disturbances in the Earth¡¯s veins, rendering mountains unrecognizable as mountains, seas not like seas, valleys that weren¡¯t valleys, andscape so ravaged beyond recognition! Beyond this shattered terrain, the territory of Rui Country finally appeared before them, the first sight being a vast hignd prairie. Above the hignd, giant birds circled. Within the prairie, herds of beasts roamed. Most of these giant birds and wild beasts had already reached the cultivation base of Demon cultivators. Without some strength, just moving around would be a very difficult task. Near the hignds, their group finally saw the first city, a city seeminglyposed of seven or eight scattered towns surrounding a prairieke with a ten-mile radius¡­ ¡°It seems not much different from our Ancestral Dragon City¡¯s towns. I thought the city walls would be sky-high, the buildings made of gold, and each person walked with the wind like immortals, ¡± Fang Niannian curiously observed the first city they saw in the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent and then expressed her disappointment. Zhu Minng and Dean Duan bothughed. It¡¯s the same, indeed. Ordinary people are still ordinary, living in city buildings; could it be that they should have three heads and six arms, with cities like the heavenly court¡¯s pces?? ¡°Some ces in the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent are indeed backward, not evenparable to Ancestral Dragon City!¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°Speaking of which, Zhu Minng, what status does your family hold in thisnd, and do you have any say within your family?¡± Bai Hongbo inquired.. Chapter 115 - 116: City of Sin Chapter 115: Chapter 116: City of Sin Trantor: 549690339 ¡°The rise and fall of Sect Forests and Family Doors can sometimes happen in just a few years.¡± ¡°When I lett my family, Zhu Gate was only rankedst among the six great ns of the Supreme Court Imperial City. After all, most of my nsmen are casting masters, and there are far fewer Godly Mortals and Dragon Shepherds than in other Sect Forests and Family Doors.¡± ¡°And although I wasn¡¯t from a coteral branch, I caused quite a bit of trouble in my youth and didn¡¯t have much say in matters,¡± Zhu Minng began to exin. In the past, Zhu Minng was like Nan Lingsha in the Nan Family¡ªno one dared to provoke him, no one could restrain him. Now, well, Zhu Minng felt it was better to continue using his skills and be a perfect little transparent being. Of course, matters like bing the sitting force in Ancestral Dragon City-State, he could easily resolve by speaking to a few elders in his n who would go to the temple to offer incense for him. ¡°But speaking of which, I remember that the main campuses of the two major academies aren¡¯t in the Supreme Court Imperial City, but in two different national capitals¡­¡± Zhu Minng recalled this fact. Having been born in the Imperial City, although there really were two academies within, they weren¡¯t the highest courts of the Godly Mortal Academy and Dragon Taming Academy. ¡°Could it be that there have been changes over these decades?¡± Duan Changqing frowned. ¡°We¡¯ll find out when we pass through some city-states or capitals along the way,¡± Zhu Minng said. After resting for a while in the prairieke city and securing a map and sufficient water for the dragon beasts, the group continued their journey westward¡­ The journey was long, and not every ce could be traversed by flight directly. Some deep forests and mountains might be the territories of powerful demon spirits. Any creature that flew over their territory would be regarded as an invader. Such ces must be avoided, or one could be attacked by a swarm of demons! The safest method was still to follow the paths between city-states, these safest routes painstakingly discovered by countless predecessors. Even ordinary people would rarely be attacked by wild beasts along these paths, and they were unlikely to be monster dens or territories. Even at Dragon Monarch Level, there were ces in the Li Chuan Continent where one could not simply cross at will, let alone on the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent. Traversing mountains and wading through waters, heading west, upon reaching the capital of Rui Country, Dean Duan Changqing¡¯s Dragon Shepherd Team had to part ways with Zhu Minng. The highest academy of the Dragon Taming Academy had relocated to the easternmost part of the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent and became the national academy within Joy Country. The Li Chuan Dragon Taming Academy must earn the recognition of this Dragon Taming National Academy as soon as possible. Otherwise, it might be considered an irregr force like the n Pce and be directly ttened by the Orderers. Reluctantly bidding farewell, Zhu Minng felt a bit reluctant to part with Dean Duan Changqing¡¯s Sail Dragon, whose wings were as vast as sails, making it the perfect aerial mount. Fast and stable in flight, it could glide without any loss of stamina by leveraging the updrafts from the earth. As long as it had enough water, it could travel in the high skies for a day and a night¡­ Luckily, the Divine Green Holy Dragon had grown now and could carry Zhu Minng, Nan Lingsha, and Fang Niannian without much problem. Otherwise, they would have had to walk slowly on the city-state roads and who knows how many years it would take to reach the Supreme Court Imperial City. ¡°That¡¯s the way it is. I want to take a risk on this path. It¡¯ll get us to the next nation much faster.¡¯ ¡°The troublesome part is that to take this route, we must pass through a City of Sin.¡± Zhu Minng took out a sheet of paper and began to redraft the route. Nan Lingsha lifted her gaze and took a look at Zhu Minng. She didn¡¯t respond, which couldn¡¯t be clearer. Make your own decision, there¡¯s no need to consult me. Before, Zhu Minng wouldn¡¯t have hesitated to choose this path; any ¡°City of Sin¡± that didn¡¯t keep an eye out would have just been bombed to oblivion by him. But now, he was still growing, and with two girls by his side, the City of Sin¡ªa gathering ce for heretics and twisted cult followers, which also included exiles, wanted criminals, renegade armies, and dark forces¡ªwas not a ce to act rashly. In the City of Sin, there were nows, no order; everyone survived based on their own skills. In the end, Zhu Minng still decided to traverse through the City of Sin. After all, the sooner he could make an oath to sit as the Zhu Gate¡¯s protector, the sooner the people of the Ancestral Dragon City-State could suffer less. The jurisdiction of the City of Sin spanned a hundred miles of no man¡¯snd. As they stepped in, Zhu Minng and his twopanions soon saw two private armies shing on a major road, seemingly wanting to steal each other¡¯s refined equipment¡­ Circling around their battlefield, inside the City of Sin where the good and the bad mixed, viins were numerous. To ensure one¡¯s survival in such a ce, the most direct way was to disy one¡¯s strength, warning those with ill intentions that he was no pushover. Once inside the City of Sin, the streets were filled with merchants dealing in stolen goods,ying out their illicit wares for barter or selling them only for ¡°Zhu Minng, there are so many great things here, and the prices are all so low!¡± Fang Niannian¡¯s crescent-shaped eyes lit up as if she didn¡¯t take the horrors of the City of Sin seriously at all. ¡°I need some Dragon Blood for ink,¡± Nan Lingsha said. Many were selling Dragon Blood, Dragon Bones, and Dragon Skins as they had just walked in. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s look around. I¡¯ll also take this opportunity to deal with the Soul Beads I have on hand¡­¡± Zhu Minng said. The most tempting thing about the City of Sin was the items for sale here, as most of them were ill-gotten and often very cheap for their quality. Since Yinsu Sacred Dew can stack with Strengthening spiritual objects, it would be ideal to also find the right Soul Beads or Spiritual Objects for the Divine Green Holy Dragon to absorb. Zhu Minng hadn¡¯t sold the Dragon Beast Soul Beads of the Four Heroes of the n Pce yet, mainly because the number of Dragon Shepherds in the Ancestral Dragon City-State was limited and many niche attributes of items were not easy to circte. ¡°Star Fragment Crystals gathered from the eastern crevice of Rui Country. Zhu Minng, Zhu Minng, did you see them? Little White¡¯s provisions!¡± Fang Niannian said excitedly. Zhu Minng looked over and indeed found someone selling Star Fragment Crystals. Fang Niannian was truly his Little Food Manager¡ªshe¡¯d found Little White¡¯s provisions even in a ce akin to a vegetable market! He went to ask the price. Exorbitant would be an understatement; it was almost like putting a knife to someone¡¯s neck and demanding their money. Just Little White¡¯s quality provisions for half a month could possibly exhaust all the Soul Beads Zhu Minng had saved up. ¡°We can make it cheaper for you. Just let your sister spend a few nights with us, brothers, huh? She¡¯s got a great body. It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve seen a girl with such a good figure, must be a real beauty, so why does she cover her face?¡± said the bald brothers selling the Star Fragment Crystals. ¡°I like her legs; just looking at them makes me feel energetic,¡± the bald younger brother added. Fang Niannian, who had initially gone to negotiate the price, turned red with anger upon hearing their lewdments. Just as she was about to turn and leave, the scent of ink wafted from somewhere. Fang Niannian looked up and saw two lines of ink slowly descending, draping behind the necks of the foul-mouthed brothers. Suddenly, the ink turned intossos, quickly wrapping around the necks of theughing brothers and hoisting them up alive. With the ink ropes hanging, the brothers looked as though they were hanging themselves, struggling madly, trying with all their might to escape from the noose, which only tightened more and more around their necks! Zhu Minng walked over quickly and nced at the two brothers who were nearly out of breath¡­ Whom else could they have offended but this she-devil? Nan Lingsha¡¯s strength was formidable even amongst the powerhouses of the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent, and not many forces in the City of Sin could subdue her.. Chapter 116 - 117: Cunning Villains Chapter 116: Chapter 117: Cunning Viins Trantor: 549690339 ¡°Mercy¡­ mercy.¡± The brother struggled immensely to spit out these few words, his eyeballs already rolling back in their sockets. If they weren¡¯t released soon, they really would have been done for. Finally, the noose from the gallows vanished. The two men fell to the ground, first starting to dry heave, then frantically gasping for air. Having walked through the ¡®Ghost Gate,¡¯ they no longer had the sleazy look of old ruffians. Instead, they crawled pitifully on the ground. ¡°Hmph, as thanks, I¡¯ll give you this much money. I¡¯m keeping these star crystal fragments,¡± Fang Niannian snorted coldly, tossing the money before them. When the brothers looked, it was actually just one gold bead! But now, how could they dare refuse? They quickly handed over all the star crystal fragments, then continuously kowtowed and apologized to Nan Lingsha. This is the City of Sin after all. If Nan Lingsha had killed them, no one would have said a word. The two brothers probably never imagined that the seemingly gentle and beautiful woman would actually be such a powerful Divine and Mortal. Why was their speech so incredibly filthy! ¡°Sister, there¡¯s Dragon Blood up ahead, I¡¯ll go take a look for you,¡± Fang Niannian¡¯s mood suddenly improved greatly. Proper bargaining didn¡¯t work, and they ended up giving it away for free. The reason Nan Lingsha¡¯s painted dragons possessed such powerful strength was precisely because she used Dragon Blood for painting. Within the City of Sin, there were many who trafficked in Dragon Blood, and there was an enormous variety. Dragon Blood had a vast array of uses within the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent, but it was rare to see it for sale on the Li Chuan Continent. Where there was Dragon Blood for sale, naturally, there was also Dragon Meat. Zhu Minng went to where they sold Dragon Meat and discovered the price was unbelievably extortionate, especially for those processed slices of Dragon Meat. After being cleaned andpressed, it had been turned intorge, conveniently portable rock-hard meat cakes. Humans couldn¡¯t eat it; it was used to feed ferocious carnivorous Dragon Beasts. ¡°One piece of this kind of meat cake costs five grains of Gold Sand,¡± Zhu Minng groaned with a headache. He had to buy it¡ªfor Big ck Tooth¡¯s Dragon Lord Level. Starting now, it would have to eat real Dragon Meat. After cing the Dragon Meat cake into Bai Qi¡¯s Universe Magic, Zhu Minng saw that many Dragon Shepherds had purchasedrge quantities of Dragon Food. They essentially had to summon their mounts to carry it, tying big bags of it onto the dragons¡¯ backs¡­ Bai Qi¡¯s Universe Magic was quite rare, saving a lot of trouble. After all, once they started to have more dragon pets, even a short journey out would probably necessitate bringing a food transport caravan! Little Qingzhuo¡¯s Soul Bead was finally found too. It was exchanged using the Soul Bead from the Corpse Tyrant Dragon that Zhu Minng had. The other party was quite generous; even though their Spirit Leaf Soul Bead was of higher quality, they still made the trade directly. Havinge to the City of Sin, they ended up procuring a batch of needed supplies, which made Zhu Minng quite satisfied. However, you can¡¯t stay long in such a ce. Who knows when some viin might take a fancy to a nice item and, unwilling to pay, would just start fighting with the vendor, then trigger chaos down the entire street. After leaving the City of Sin, night began to fall, the stars twinkling faintly in the sky, barely outlining the road ahead against the silhouette of the mountain. The wind stirred the leaves, creating a curtain of foliage that whirled up from the trees, floating in the air for a long time beforeing to rest on the ground. ¡°Why aren¡¯t we staying in the city overnight?¡± Fang Niannian asked with confusion. ¡°Didn¡¯t you see how many people, like us, left the City of Sin before nightfall?¡± Zhu Minng said. He wasn¡¯t actually afraid of the trouble in the City of Sin, he just didn¡¯t want to be dyed by meaningless strife. ¡°Gentlemen, in such a hurry to leave, did you really think my brother and I are pushovers?¡± A voice came from the woods as two figures quickly approached. ¡°Hmph, if you don¡¯t treat us brothers well, don¡¯t even think about leaving here alive!¡± said the muscr bald brother. The speakers were the very same two bald brothers who had already seemed to forget the painful marks left on their necks. Their eyes radiated malicious intent as they ogled the shapely figure of Nan Lingsha. ¡°You two really are asking for death,¡± Zhu Minng said with a coldugh. ¡°Who¡¯s asking for death? You actually dared to steal our crystals!¡± the bald elder brother dered. In the woods, more footsteps could be heard as they rapidly closed in on the trio. There were at least a dozen people, who quickly surrounded Zhu Minng and hispany, clearly having been lying in ambush for a while. All of these people were Dragon Shepherds, and they one after another summoned their Dragon Beasts. Suddenly, the forest¡¯s night-resting birds were startled into flight. ¡°Who are these people?¡± Nan Lingsha asked in confusion. Zhu Minng, while waking up the deeply slumbering Big ck Tooth who had eaten therge meat cake, was also puzzled as he looked at Nan Lingsha. It¡¯s not so dark that you can¡¯t see. Was Nan Lingsha really that face-blind? They had almost strangled those two extremely sleazy bald brothers to death not long before. Even if she couldn¡¯t remember their faces, she should at least have some impression of their shiny bald heads. ¡°Zhu Minng, Zhu Minng, that one is the one who sold us the Dragon Meat¡­ and that one over there, he¡¯s the one who sold us the Dragon Blood,¡± Fang Niannian said in a low voice at that moment. Zhu Minng looked over and indeed recognized the two somewhat familiar faces. So these vendors were businessmen by day and turned into bandits at night! Indeed, it was somewhat meaningful. Normally, the green forest bandits would ambush travelers, but because the smell of blood could alert others, they wouldn¡¯t attack everyone who passed by. Instead, they¡¯d choose the biggest, fattest target, kill, loot, and then pull out immediately. Even so, they often failed to catch the truly satisfying fat sheep. After all, there were so many brothers, and each share would probably be less than what they could earn from legitimate business during the day. Therefore, they conducted business in the daytime and chose their prey during transactions. Many understood the fundamental wisdom of travel: don¡¯t unt your wealth. But during a transaction, it was hardly possible to stay on guard, as the goods purchased were often those that caught one¡¯s own fancy and were worth the price. They would precisely pick out the fat sheep during the day and keep a watchful eye on them continually. Once the target left the city or became isted, they would make their move and butcher the prey. Not only could they take back the valuable goods they had sold during the day, but they could also plunder all of the target¡¯s possessions! Sly viins, sly viins indeed. If such behavior wasn¡¯t utterly vile and malicious, Zhu Minng almost wanted to apud these viinous merchants of the City of Sin. It wasn¡¯t easy to conduct their trade with such cunning. Zhu Minng looked around and, sure enough, wasn¡¯t disappointed. The burly man who had sold him the Soul Bead was also there, eyeing him maliciously, clearly intent on retrieving his treasure! These merchants, they were all in cahoots¡­ ¡°How about it, my brothers, didn¡¯t I tell you this woman is a national beauty? Haven¡¯t let you all down, have I?¡± the bald brother once again leeredsciviously. ¡°Don¡¯t take her lightly; she¡¯s a Divine and Mortal.¡± ¡°That man is a Lord Level Dragon Trainer, and he should have a Spirit Wood Attribute Dragon Beast at Lord Level,¡± the big man who had traded the Soul Bead with Zhu Minng spoke up. Zhu Minng found himself at a loss for words for a moment. So it could be like this! Infer the other party¡¯s strength based on the quality of material goods exchanged. Learned something new, indeed. Their industrial chain is quite well established! ¡°You deal with the group behind us, and I¡¯ll handle the ones in front; these types of guys don¡¯t need to be left alive,¡± Zhu Minng whispered to Nan Lingsha beside him. ¡°You deal with the trouble you¡¯ve caused yourself,¡± Nan Lingsha said, refusing to dirty her hands with an air of nobility. ¡°Miss, have you forgotten again?¡± Zhu Minng said, feeling helpless. There were no shortage of fat sheep entering the City of Sin. Why were they particrly targeted if not for the grudging resentment of those two bald brothers? ¡°Sister, those two bald guys are the filthy ruffians you almost strangled to death today,¡± Fang Niannian whispered. ¡°Oh, then let Zhu Minng handle it,¡± Nan Lingsha said, seemingly recalling the incident, though such riffraff were too insignificant for her to take to heart. Zhu Minng had already summoned the Lei Cang Violent Dragon. Its entire body covered in ck thunder scales looked terrifying. asionally, electric oscitions highlighted its huge and majestic form, making it appear even more wild and ferocious! ¡°Ooh ooh!!!!!¡± The Lei Cang Violent Dragon charged straight towards the big man who had sold the Soul Bead. In front of the man was a Lord Level Blood Sickle Dragon, whose razor-sharp ws swiped at the Lei Cang Violent Dragon¡­ But the Lei Cang Violent Dragon didn¡¯t even bother dodging. It bared its fangs and bit off a chunk of the Blood Sickle Dragon¡¯s shoulder meat. Blood poured out, and the Blood Sickle Dragon quickly pulled away, licking its shoulder wound with its long tongue, trying to use the saliva to numb the pain and stop the bleeding. But its blood was ck. Far from stopping, the wound began to fester and spread from a small patch to arger area! Festering! This was one of the abilities of Big ck Tooth¡¯s ws and fangs! After injuring the Blood Sickle Dragon, the Lei Cang Violent Dragon, like a battering ram breaking through city gates, charged in an arc, colliding with the group of Dragon Beasts behind Zhu Minng! Its massive Dragon Horns plowed the ground, splitting the earth, and with each collision against the viins¡¯ Dragon Beasts, the thunder scales on its body shone even brighter¡­ Finally, amidst the frequent shes of lightning and sparks, the Lei Cang Violent Dragon let out a roar. As seven or eight Dragon Beasts swarmed towards it, Big ck Tooth tensed its entire body. A ck thunderstorm erupted from the Lei Cang Violent Dragon at the center, violently sweeping outwards in all directions. Lightning danced, air burst, and those seven or eight Dragon Beasts were thrown violently away, their bodies enshrouded in a ck web of electrical energy, paralyzed to the bone and skin split open!! A surge of thunderous power, and with Big ck Tooth¡¯s increasing mastery over lightning, standing amidst a motley crowd of Dragon Beasts of varying strengths, it truly looked down on everything with supreme dragon might! The man who sold the Soul Bead was stunned¡­ Even though he had guessed that Zhu Minng was a Lord Level Dragon Trainer, he never expected his Dragon to be so powerful.. A group of Dragon Sons together with two Dragon Generals were unable to withstand this Lei Cang Violent Dragon! Chapter 117 - 118: Not Just for Free Chapter 117: Chapter 118: Not Just for Free Trantor: 549690339 ¡°Little Qingzhuo, take care of the ones ahead.¡± Zhu Minng once again called upon the Divine Green Holy Dragon. The Divine Green Holy Dragon gleamed with a vibrant teal light. Having drunk the Yinsu Sacred Dew, its feathers were even more resplendent, and its vertical pupils became deeper and more spirited. When it appeared in this leafy forest, its gaze swept over those fallen leaves as if the nature spirits had endowed these nts with true life itself. Soon, the tall trees seemed toe alive. They twisted their thick trunks, like the waists of humans. They waved their slender branches, like nimble arms. Their roots rose from the soil, transforming into gigantic feet, and they stepped towards the Dragon Beasts of the viins, one by one! Tree spirits! The Divine Green Holy Dragon had turned the trees of this forest into tree spirit guards. They swung their arms and sent those robust Dragon Beasts flying, leaving them bloodied. The Dragon Beasts summoned by the bald brothers were Earth Cavity Dragons, adept at burrowing through the ground. Yet the tree spirit guards yanked them out from the soil, batting them around like rolling balls. The other Dragon Beasts panicked, trying to scatter, but were quickly entangled by the tree spirit guards, rendered utterly immobile. The branches, flexible as iron whips,shed mercilessly upon the skin of the Dragon Beasts. Over a dozen towering tree spirit guards beat them until their skin split and their flesh blurred with blood! The merchants, now evildoers, turned pale with fear, trembling uncontrobly. After all, there were a dozen or twenty of them; each could summon at least one dragon, and their leader was a general-level figure¡­ But in front of the opponent¡¯s Lei Cang Violent Dragon and the Divine Green Holy Dragon, they were like children being disciplined by a tutor wielding a ruler, with absolutely no power to fight back. ¡°Greedy for wealth and taking lives, your hands are stained with the blood of many, aren¡¯t they? I¡¯ll send you all on your way together, hoping you¡¯ll reflect properly on the Netherworld Road. With those brains of yours, you¡¯d better conduct honest business in your next life,¡± Zhu Minng said to the group of evildoers. There was no mercy in his heart. Zhu Minng knew exactly what kind of scum these people were. He issued the execution order, and soon Big ck Tooth and Little Qingzhuo began their dragon ying and people killing¡­ The merchant viins, realizing the immense disparity in strength and trying to flee, were all driven back by the tree spirit guards. It wasn¡¯t long before some of them were torn apart and dismembered by the powerful tree spirit guards. Their dismembered bodies were stomped into the soil by the gigantic feet of the tree spirit guards, including the corpses of the Dragon Beasts, which were also twisted into the ground by the roots, likely to soon be fertile manure for the fallen trees to absorb! ¡°Spare¡­ Spare our lives! The bald brothers burst into tears and snot. The Power of God and Mortality demonstrated by Nan Lingsha was not overly fancy; these two had reckoned that their opponent was just a general-level God and Mortal. So they had gathered so many brothers, determined to retrieve the star crystal fragments and capture the detestable woman. Little did they know that the Dragon Shepherd apanying the woman was so ridiculously strong. Two dragons swept away all of them! The tone was the same, but this time they would no longer have a chance. Two tree spirit guards stood behind them, one of which was strangling the bald brother¡¯s Earth Cavity Dragon with its roots. They stood like executioners, towering behind these two insignificant humans. ¡°Bang!!! ¡°Bang!!! ! Raising their root-like feet, the tree spirit guards stomped down on the brothers as if squashing two maggots, crushing them into the soil, ttening them, shattering their bones, leaving their faces unrecognizable! ¡°Spare our lives, spare our lives, we will hand over all the valuables,¡± cried the man who sold the Soul Beads, full of regret now. Why had he been greedy for that Spirit Leaf Soul Bead? If he had sold it, so be it, but now his very life was at stake. Soon there were others, like the man who sold the Soul Beads, handing over their prized possessions. However, Zhu Minng wasn¡¯t so kind-hearted. He wanted everything, and he wouldn¡¯t spare a single life. To let these scum live another day in this world meant the potential loss of more innocent lives. ¡°Kill them all,¡± Zhu Minng said. The Tree Spirit Guards began their massacre, and the ck Azure Violent Dragon used its Thunderw to tear a general-level Blood Sickle Dragon into two. Zhu Minng simply started the Soul Collecting Pearl Brewing during the battle¡­ Unfortunately, the Soul Beads of these Dragon Shepherds and Dragon Beasts weren¡¯t of the best quality. Collecting them to sell in bulk could fetch a few hundred gold without an issue. Of course, these viins actually carried more valuable things, considering they had done more than just their own deal throughout the entire day. Zhu Minng had been quite strapped for cash recently, and he had spent a lot on supplies during the day. Now, these eager citizens of the City of Sin not only returned his money in full but also spat out all the treasures they carried¡­ Without spending a dime, he made a huge profit! Just the Soul Bead of the Corpse Tyrant Dragon could sell for a thousand gold. Luckily, with the help of the Tree Spirit Guards, they quickly presented all valuable items from beneath the soil, saving Zhu Minng the trouble of scavenging them himself. All valuables were entrusted to Little White¡¯s Universe Magic for safekeeping. The chaos of the battlefield was also tidied up by the Tree Spirit Guards, and with plenty of Holy Dew to replenish the mana of the Divine Green Holy Dragon, they weren¡¯t short on time¡­ ¡°Hmph, sly viins, they¡¯ve harmed so many lives for mere money!¡± Under the moonlight, several proud figures appeared on a small hill in front at some unnoticed point. These individuals wore long robes and had their hair tied up high. The bright moonlight shone on their upright figures and illuminated the gleaming swords in their hands! Those carrying swords¡­ And they were all sword bearers! Although most soldiers on the battlefield also wielded swords, these few were quite different from the ordinary martial folks; one could sense an aura of cultivators that transcended the ordinary world! ¡°Disciples of the Yaoshan Sword Sect?¡± Zhu Minng was all too familiar with their attire. ¡°Their attire is quite simr to that air-walking woman who appeared in Ancestral Dragon City,¡± murmured Fang Niannian. Nan Lingsha stood by, looking curiously at this group of God and Mortal cultivators. After all, on the continent of Li Chuan, God and Mortal cultivators were very rare, but here on the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent, they seemed not so umon; they could be seen in every major city, city-state, and nation¡¯s capital. ¡°My fellow disciples¡­¡± Zhu Minng had hardly started to speak when he was interrupted by the other party. ¡°Scum of humanity, we advise you to surrender. We will not tolerate you viins from the City of Sin bringing havoc upon the world!¡± The man with his hair tied up spoke loudly at this moment. (There will be another chapterter-) Chapter 118 - 119 Yaoshan Sword Sect Chapter 118: Chapter 119 Yaoshan Sword Sect Trantor: 549690339 ¡°Did you guys poke your eyes out while sharpening your swords? It was clearly that group of people ambushing us in the woods, trying to steal our money and take our lives, and yet you call us viins??¡± Fang Niannian cursed angrily at this point. What a blowup! Zhu Minng was about to say something simr. Even if they were blind, did their brains not work either? Have you ever seen such handsome, dashing, and elegant bad guys¡­ oh, right, they¡¯re blind. ¡°Ridiculous, you¡¯re burying bodies and yet im these merchants ambushed you. If they were after your wealth and your lives, why are you still alive?¡± the man with the high forehead and tied-back hair scoffed. Zhu Minng and Fang Niannian were both dumbfounded. What kind of logical artistry is this?? So in his mind, whoever kills the other is the one plotting for wealth and murder. ¡°The entire Supreme Court Courtyard Continent¡¯s intelligence has been lowered by you, they are the viins,¡± Fang Niannian huffed. ¡°Ah, meeting a few Sword Sect disciples with such poor brains, it¡¯s not worth wasting our breath on them,¡± Zhu Minng said. A few Sword Sect disciples, yet they loiter outside the City of Sin. They dare not step into the City of Sin, because they are too few in number and far from having the level and strength needed to purge the entire City of Sin. But they must want to earn some reputation and establish some authority while adventuring outside. So they wait near the City of Sin, nning to take down any wanted viins thate out of the city. ¡°Entering the City of Sin, there¡¯s no such thing as beingpletely innocent; we¡¯re executing justice on behalf of heaven¡­ damn it, don¡¯t go, confess your crimes and spare yourself the pain!¡± the man with the high forehead and tied-back hair shouted furiously. The moonlight was pure white, spilling over the small forest like frost. As the leaves rustled in the wind, the male Sword Sect member leapt down, his arms spread open like a mighty eagle. The other three men and women also jumped down from the hillock at the same time, blocking the way in front of Zhu Minng, Nan Lingsha, and Fang Niannian! ¡°Demon girl, don¡¯t think you can escape,¡± said one of the female Sword Masters with her hair tied back, pointing the glinting tip of her sword at Nan Lingsha, who wore a veil over her face. ¡°Take one more step, and I¡¯ll kill your Dragon Beast!¡± the high-foreheaded man said, his sword pointing at therge and fierce Lei Cang Violent Dragon. Big ck Tooth moved its head from side to side, looking innocently at the high-foreheaded swordsman. There were clearly two dragons here, so why only kill ck Treasure? Oh, that¡¯s not right, there were three dragons. There was another one who seemed just to have woken up on its master¡¯s shoulder. The boss didn¡¯t seem happy, having been woken up by this man¡¯s grating voice. ¡°Everyone, you have all night to think things over here; we won¡¯t be keeping youpany,¡± Zhu Minng continued walking forward, not at all intimidated by the longswords brandished by these few. ¡°You!!¡± The high-foreheaded man grew even angrier, a Sword Sect Sanctuary Disciple, being ignored like this by a little Dragon Shepherd?? He raised his sword swiftly; the high-foreheaded man¡¯s swordsmanship was extremely skillful, his movements indiscernible, and there was no sign of him gathering strength¡­ ¡®Creak, creak, creak¡ª¡ª- Just as the man was about to exert his strength, a force of ice bondage had, at some unknown time, entwined around all the joints of his body. His joints became exceedingly stiff while he was raising his sword¡­ First at the shoulders, then at the elbows, followed by the wrists, this powerful ice bondage finally froze even his finger joints! The sword stuck to his palm, both the de and the hilt covered with cold frost. That arrogant Sword Sect disciple just stood there, his eyes wide open, watching as a thinyer of ice crystals covered his entire body!! The other three Sword Sect disciples were the same, the female sword master maintaining her sword-raising pose, but her body had turned to ice, bing an ice sculpture under the moonlight, herrge eyes filled with horror¡­ She looked toward the Dragon Shepherd man, observing the exquisite and pure white little dragon on his shoulder. ¡®Ice Morning¡­ Ice Morning¡­¡¯ The female sword master had good eyesight; she seemed to recognize that this was the Ice Morning White Dragon in its small form. If only she had discovered it sooner, they wouldn¡¯t have ended up like this. The moon shone like clear frost, spilling over the leaves and trees of the quiet forest, as well as the four Sword Sect disciples, whose bodies were rapidly bing encased in ice before the naked eye. ¡®Yawn-¡® Yawning, Little White shifted its position, letting its long tail drape down from Zhu Minng¡¯s shoulder, the white tassel-like neck fluff brushing against Zhu Minng¡¯s scap before it dozed off again, drowsy and hazy. Zhu Minng, Nan Lingsha, and Fang Niannian walked past these four,pletely disregarding their immensely shocked expressions¡­ The only things they could move were their eyes. ¡®When you travel the world, remember not only to bring your sword but also don¡¯t forget to bring your brain,¡¯ Fang Niannian rolled her eyes and said to the few Sword Sect disciples. These Sword Sect disciples felt as if they had undergone the ultimate humiliation, wishing they could burst out of the ice. However, they were utterly unable to break free from Little White¡¯s binding ice technique. After over a month of sleep and cultivation with Holy Dew, Little White¡¯s strength had be more solidified. Without any idents, it would be able to reach the High-level Dragon Lord stage during its growth period. Entering the Complete Period was just a matter of time; as long as it found a spiritual object that matched Bai Qi¡¯s attributes, before the anniversary celebration, Little White would directly advance to the Dragon King Level. Of course, it absolutely needed a continuous supply of high-grade nectar and Star Fragment Crystals. ¡®Zhu Minng, what is the Sword Sect?¡¯ Nan Lingsha asked. ¡®It¡¯s one of the Four Great Sects of the Supreme Court Continent. Yaoshan Sword Sect and Miao Mountain Sword Sect are thergest factions for sword masters. They are located at the furthest east and west of the Supreme Court Continent, respectively, and are supported by several great nations,¡¯ Zhu Minng exined. ¡®Do you have any connections with them?¡¯ Nan Lingsha continued to inquire. ¡®Well, that¡¯s a long story¡­¡¯ ¡®Cut the long story short,¡¯ Nan Lingsha said. Zhu Minng abandoned his previously sorrowful and affected demeanor and nced covertly at Nan Lingsha. He wasn¡¯t sure if it was just his imagination; Nan Lingsha¡¯s tone was different from her previous aloof and tranquil demeanor. Though she looked very much the same as usual, her eyes harbored her own thoughts. ¡®I¡¯m not Li Yunzi; don¡¯t look for her shadow on me,¡¯ Nan Lingsha noticed Zhu Minng¡¯s subtle gaze and snorted coldly in warning. ¡®You misunderstand, this time I¡¯m appraising you. I¡¯ve realized you¡¯re entirely different from Yunzi in personality. Sometimes, you¡¯re utterly detached, indifferent to everything. Other times, you¡¯re curious about everything, like a girl who has just entered the world¡­¡¯ Zhu Minng said. At that moment, Fang Niannian was vigorously nodding in agreement. She shared Zhu Minng¡¯s opinion. Although Fang Niannian had known Nan Lingsha for quite some time, their rtionship was basically just polite, as between a fruit-seller girl and a noble maiden. Now, having traveled together for so many days, Nan Lingsha would speak freely with Fang Niannian, behaving affectionately like sisters, and at other times she would maintain just the polite responses she¡¯d had at their first meeting.. Chapter 119 - 120: The Sword Sect’s Eldest Senior Sister Chapter 119: Chapter 120: The Sword Sect¡¯s Eldest Senior Sister Trantor: 549690339 ¡°My mood swings between good and bad.¡± ¡°Seeing the shifting clouds upon Yao Mountain and the verdant dawn upon Dawn Mountain fills me with joy.¡± ¡°Beholding the bright moon above the vast sky and stars mirroring the Milky Way also delights my heart.¡± ¡°What irritates me most, though, are prying questions and meddlesome behavior!¡± Nan Lingsha¡¯s fierce gaze swept across Zhu Minng, making it clear that her words targeted him alone. Zhu Minng forced a smile. If she found him annoying, why not just say it straight instead of speaking in riddles¡­ Her temperament was as unpredictable as June rain. And in fact, she had always been like that. ¡°Then, the ties between me and the Sword Sect actually have nothing to do with the young miss¡­¡± ¡°I told my older sister that you ckmailed our grandmother, wanting me to marry you in my sister¡¯s ce,¡± Nan Lingsha said with a smile, her dimples as beautiful as the crescent moon. ¡°As for me and the Sword Sect, the connection runs deep indeed. I spent arge part of my childhood practicing at Yaoshan Sword Sect, and one of the Sword Masters there is my grandfather,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°Howe you¡¯re both a Sword Cultivator and a Dragon Shepherd?¡± Nan Lingsha asked. Zhu Minng looked deeply at Nan Lingsha. Comining about others¡¯ incessant questions, yet she herself is quite the curious cat. ¡°All types of cultivation are inferior; only the Shepherd stands supreme. I believe that Sword Cultivators alone can¡¯t save this primordial universe, nor rectify the upassionate Heavenly Dao. Thus, I switched to be a Dragon Shepherd, hoping to do more for the world¡¯s popce,¡± Zhu Minng expounded grandly. ¡°When I don¡¯t sell many peaches, I switch to selling honey,¡± Fang Niannian nodded in agreement, appearing to endorse Zhu Minng¡¯s perspective fully. Nan Lingsha¡¯sughter continued, crisp and pleasant, setting her frame lightly quivering. Following that, Fang Niannian alsoughed, clutching Nan Lingsha like a pair of joyful sparrows. Zhu Minng showed a glum face. How could he have forgotten that Fang Niannian had seen him at his lowest? Why did he choose someone who knew his dark history to be the Little Food Manager? ¡°The reason I¡¯m leaving the City of Sin is that I want to make a trip to Yaoshan Sword Sect first. Making my way back to Zhu Gate is far too distant, and I¡¯m concerned that people might exploit esoteric or sinister methods to infuse powerful individuals into the battlefield¡­¡± Zhu Minng continued. ¡°Is Yaoshan Sword Sect far away?¡± Nan Lingsha asked. ¡°From here, crossing through another nation¡¯s territory should bring us to the boundary of Yaoshan Sword Sect¡¯s Forest,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°Then let¡¯s go and see what the Sect Forest on the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent is like,¡± Nan Lingsha¡¯s eyes gleamed with interest, evidently quite intrigued by the Sect Forest. Although reluctant to visit Yaoshan Sword Sect, He thought about the forces that, aside from the major orthodox powers, behaved so wantonly, like the City of Sin. It¡¯s not enough to rely solely on Zhu Xuehen¡¯s authority to deter those powerful entities; some substantial forces are needed to bolster the defenses of Ancestral Dragon City-State. ¡°Zhu Minng, the attire of those few people earlier resembles that of the female Orderer. Is she also from Yaoshan Sword Sect?¡± Fang Niannian suddenly recalled this matter and asked. ¡°Yes, she¡¯s a Sword Cultivator too, like me, having trained at Yaoshan Sword Sect since our younger days, ¡± Zhu Minng nodded. It was only after purchasing a few maps of the nation-states that Zhu Minng realized Yaoshan Sword Sect wasn¡¯t too far from West Cliff, which exined why Zhu Xuehen became the Orderer of the newnds. She must have been at Yaoshan Sword Sect all these years. During their journey, they didn¡¯t stay long in the city-states and national capitals they passed through. After acquiring what they needed, they continued on their way. Though said to be not far, the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent was much more vast than the Li Chuan Continent,pounded by high mountains, ancient forests, and many areas where direct flight was impossible. Viges, market towns, cities, city-states, and national capitals¡ªall were meticulously categorized on the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent. Even so, the region was fraught with endless wars and not as peaceful as the Li Chuan Continent. Moreover, a plethora of forcesrge and small Sect Forests, Family Doors, sanctified courts, pces, and academies¡ªwere intermingled, ensuring the rise of factional strife¡­ What kind of primordial power caused continents to crumble and join together in such a manner? Zhu Minng felt his life on the Li Chuan Continent was quitefortable byparison. Laying low for another year or so until Little White reached full maturity, he could then eradicate the cancerous Sect Pce and, together with his wife, be invincible in the world, joyfully exploring famous rivers and mountains, living freely and at ease. s, what was supposed to be an attainable dream was dyed andplicated by the unexpected interference of the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent. Layer uponyer, as picturesque as the winding mountain screens. The view of Yao Mountain revealed ovepping ridges shrouded in clouds and mist. When one found themselves within, they discovered many peaks and mountains soared above the clouds, as if ascending the highest peaks would allow one to touch the actual Cloud Courtyard Immortal Hall¡­ Amidst the mountainsy a city, enclosed by the screen-like meandering mountains. At night, the stars shone down mingling with the city lights, creating a sublime vision. Nan Lingsha lingered at a cliffside especially for this, capturing the splendid tranquility on her canvas, majestic and profound! Yao Mountain boasted a Fog City connected to the bordends of Yaoshan Sword Sect Forest. Zhu Minng didn¡¯t venture into the capital of Mist Country; instead, he followed the city¡¯s outskirts directly to Yaoshan Sword Sect Forest. Indeed, upon reaching this ce, Zhu Minng was quite familiar with the terrain, no longer needing a map to distinguish these towering mountains; after all, he had spent so many years cultivating here, so he was well aware of the number of female birds atop the mountains. ¡°Please inform Junior Sister Miuzhu that Zhu Minng hase to visit,¡± Zhu Minng said to the disciples guarding the mountain. ¡°Do you have any tokens of identification?¡± the disciple with long eyebrows asked. ¡°This¡­¡± Zhu Minng truly didn¡¯t have any token on hand; he didn¡¯t even have the Zhu Gate¡¯s identity waist que anymore. Having left the Sword Sect for many years now, it was perfectly normal for these disciples to be unaware of him¡ªafter all, the ones who guarded the mountains were usually from the younger generation. ¡°Well, there is a phoenix pine in front of the peak where she resides, with leaf bells hanging on it¡­ Does that count as a token?¡± Zhu Minng said. The long-eyebrowed disciple scratched his head, deliberately nced at several fellow disciples, and eventually, they all nodded in agreement. Junior Sister Miuzhu disliked being disturbed by others, so anyone who knew about the tree on the little peak where she resided must have been invited into her courtyard. The message was quickly passed along by the mountain birds; Zhu Minng, Nan Lingsha, and Fang Niannian only needed to wait patiently in front of the Sect Forest Gate. ¡°If you¡¯re truly from the Sword Sect, howe it seems no one recognizes you? Could it be you had no reputation to speak of¡­ which is why you switched professions?¡± Fang Niannian asked. ¡°I left here when I was fifteen years old. So many years have passed; it¡¯s only natural these neers don¡¯t know me,¡± Zhu Minng exined. ¡°Then who is this Junior Sister Miuzhu? How does she remember you?¡± Fang Niannian continued to inquire. ¡°We practiced together when we were children. She was a bit slow and learned at a leisurely pace, while I was clever and learned quickly. I used to give her some guidance,¡± Zhu Minng said. Zhu Minng actually spoke these words very softly. Yet the disciple with long eyebrows still overheard him. He immediately furrowed his long eyebrows tightly and red at Zhu Minng, saying displeasedly, ¡°Junior Sister Miuzhu is now the senior sister among our Holy Hall disciples. You giving her pointers? You don¡¯t even have a touch of the Sword Cultivator aura about you; don¡¯t spout such madness at the Sword Sect Forest Gate!¡± This long-eyebrowed disciple was rtively polite, merely giving Zhu Minng a verbal warning. ¡°Probably just some distant rtive with nowhere to go, seeking refuge. Our Sword Sect certainly doesn¡¯tck such menial helpers, ¡±ughed a few of the other younger disciples. ¡°The senior sister is arriving; everyone be more dignified.¡± ¡°Be more dignified!¡± The group of mountain-guarding disciples, who had just been casually chatting, swiftly stood at attention with their hands behind their backs, a solemn expression on their faces. Below the white stone mountain gate, they appeared as majestic and solemn as statues. It was evident that their swords, although not being held, all hung at their sides, slowly rotating, emitting a faint metallic tremor! ¡°Senior Sister!¡± ¡°Senior Sister!¡± ¡°Senior Sister!¡± The voices rose one after another as the disciples all saluted meticulously, showing no signs of negligence. Zhu Minng looked up to see a woman of outstanding temperament dressed in a light-colored, form-fitting robe, her jet-ck hair elegantly pinned up without a single stray strand. Adorning her smooth forehead was a piece of jade jewelry, the luster of the silver forehead jade making her cheek skin appear even more ruddy and alluring, delicate as if it could be shattered by a blow, bright and graceful. ¡°Zhu Minng!¡± ¡°Junior Sister¡­¡± Zhu Minng tried his best to show a warm and gentle smile. ¡°Who is she!¡± Zi Miuzhu suddenly pointed at Nan Lingsha, her words carrying a deep questioning tone. Zi Miuzhu¡¯s questioningpletely scattered Zhu Minng¡¯s train of thought! Zhu Minng had prepared a perfect exnation, one that would make his junior sister feel that his years of disappearance were justified and also touch her heart. Shouldn¡¯t she be overjoyed to tears upon seeing her senior brother was still alive? ¡°She is a Divine and Mortal from my Dragon Team, a travelpanion, Nan Lingsha. Beside her is our little food manager, Fang Niannian,¡± Zhu Minng gathered his thoughts and then exined. ¡°Travelpanions? Why are you traveling together??¡± Zi Miuzhu questioned again. Zhu Minng felt dizzy. Under normal circumstances, shouldn¡¯t his junior sister be concerned as to why he became a Dragon Shepherd? ¡°Zhu Lang, why the need for secrecy? Our story of immediate kinship and mutual affection, known throughout the Li Chuan Continent, speaks for itself,¡± Nan Lingsha said with augh at this moment; even wearing a veil, one could sense the alluring waves undting within her exquisite demeanor. ¡°Just as I thought, just as I thought!¡± Zi Miuzhu quivered with anger, her beautiful eyes brimming with indignation, ¡°All these years, Grandfather has been lying to me, saying you were dead. In the end, you simply found another woman and didn¡¯t want to see me anymore!¡± Zhu Minng felt a tightness in his chest as if blood was about to surge up his throat. Could it be that all Sword Cultivators have somewhat of a ¡®sword pit¡¯ in their brains? He was supposed to be dead¡­ Ah, ah, ah, this is too hard to exin, especially since he was standing here, alive and well. Nan Lingsha! Nan Lingsha!! Why is it that every time she stirs the waters, she is not in her usual detached serenity, thedy of the house demeanor, but takes on the role of this mischief-making little witch, as if she fears the world is not chaotic enough!! Chapter 120 - 121 Growing Big and Small Chapter 120 - 121 Growing Big and Small Chapter 120: Chapter 121 Growing Big and Small Trantor: 549690339 The Sword Sect¡¯s Senior Sister, Zi Miaozhu¡¯s eyes widened likerge pearls, revealing a thick hostility. She seemed to have forgotten Zhu Minng¡¯s existence and was instead ring at Nan Lingsha. Nan Lingsha was not afraid of her, simply locking gazes with her. The surrounding Sword Sect disciples all stood petrified, their gazes once again meticulously scrutinizing Zhu Minng, not perceiving any remarkable ability in this man that could cause their Senior Sister to erupt in jealousy before everyone here! ¡°Junior Sister, I have important matters to discuss with Grandfather, so let¡¯s not get hung up on this issue,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°Fine, I won¡¯t pester you, she can y the minor role, and I¡¯ll y the major one,¡± Zi Miaozhu said. ¡°ng, ng, ng, ng, ng!!!!!¡± The swords floating beside the Sword Sect disciples suddenly fell to the ground, devoid of the slightest bit of Sword Qi, scattering in disarray ¨C just like the sound of their breaking hearts! Senior Sister, our Senior Sister Zi Miaozhu¡­ Our Sword Sect¡¯s goddess, why do you need topromise so much in front of an insignificant nobody? ¡°Junior Sister, stop being unreasonable. First, there is no arranged match between you and me, nor have we ever had any romantic involvement¡ªonly the mostmon interaction between senior brother and junior sister. Secondly, Nan Lingsha is not mypanion, just a traveling Divine and Mortal with me. Her words just now were merely to test our friendship,¡± Zhu Minng seriously exined. ¡°She¡¯s not yourpanion?¡± Senior Sister Zi Miaozhu asked. ¡°No,¡± Zhu Minng answered seriously. ¡°That¡¯s more like it¡­¡± Senior Sister Zi Miaozhu breathed a sigh of relief, her face gradually brightening with a smile. The disciples, who had just managed to pick up their swords, had to drop them again, causing a dissonant cacophony. Senior Sister, haven¡¯t you noticed? You were just rejected! ¡°Where¡¯s Grandfather?¡± Zhu Minng asked. ¡°Here, and Uncle Xue Hen is also present,¡± Zi Miaozhu replied. ¡°Good.¡± Zi Miaozhu¡¯s mood was equally capricious; a moment ago she was brimming with animosity, but now she was like a little sister chattering non-stop intimately beside her long-lost brother. The apanying Sword Sect disciples were all agape, probably having not heard so many words from Senior Sister Zi Miaozhu in their many years at Yaoshan Sword Sect. Is this really what the goddess is like in front of others?? Granted, this man had a noble and elegant presence, but he didn¡¯t seem to be much different from any of the disciples; instead, it was the veiled woman beside him, with her ethereal demeanor and graceful poise. Even with her face concealed, she radiated a captivating beauty, likely surpassing even the Senior Sister¡­ But as Sword Cultivators, how could they merely focus on someone¡¯s appearance? Women are but beautified skeletons. It¡¯s Senior Sister Zi Miaozhu, strong, decisive, and virtuous, who is the moon among the stars! ¡°So, Senior Brother, do you feel that no Divine and Mortal in this world is your match anymore, and thus you¡¯ve discarded this dull ability to be a Dragon Shepherd, to experience a different kind of extraordinary life?¡± Senior Sister Zi Miaozhu asked with sparkling eyes. ¡°¡­¡± Zhu Minng truly didn¡¯t know how to respond. In fact, he left the Yaoshan Sword Sect when he was fifteen, and Zi Miaozhu was only fourteen at the time. Although they had seen each other asionally over the years, they had not spent much time together. The problem is, no matter how many years have passed, it seemed her self-awareness was still stuck on the belief that she was always outshined by others, as if she had always been the legendary youth of the Sword Sect. But once she stepped out of the Sword Sect, the world became unimaginably vast. Moreover, the world people saw was just the tip ot the iceberg. Even it they shone brilliantly for a period, time kept passing, so how could one truly be invincible forever? When they arrived at a mountain pass, there were several long forest paths paved with broad white jade steps. On each side of every path were stonenterns that would emit a bright light at night, illuminating the entire path leading up the mountain. However, one of the paths clearlycked these carved stonenterns and was instead covered with fallen leaves. There was even some overgrown grass in the distance, as if it hadn¡¯t been cleaned for a long time. A stele stood at this path¡¯s entrance, with three characters etched on it: ¡°Abandoned Sword Forest.¡± Zhu Minng stopped here, his gaze trying to prate deeper into the likeness of the forest. But with the dense growth of pines and bamboos, arranged in a haphazard beauty, it was hard to see further. ¡°Big brother, strange things have been happening in the Abandoned Sword Forest, scaring away the souls of who knows how many disciples, and even I dare not enter rashly. The revered masters of the Sword Sect also went to investigate, but they found nothing, as if the odd urrences hid themselves,¡± Zi Miaozhu said. ¡°That¡¯s right, the Abandoned Sword Forest is like a haunted ce. No one has lived there for many years. Once, some of us young Sword Disciples threw some broken, rusty swords into it, and when we came back, we fell unconscious for several days¡­¡± the long-eyebrowed disciple said. The Abandoned Sword Forest was all too familiar to Zhu Minng, so much so that standing at this entrance, vivid images of past hardships flooded his mind. Practicing over and over again, exhausting oneself time after time, starting anew time and time again¡­ Childhood, adolescence. If you were to talk about the deepest memories, it might not be Zhu Minng¡¯s own home at Zhu Gate, but rather the Abandoned Sword Forest, which felt more like the ancestral house, filled with many memories. Every rusty sword had been stained with the blood that flowed from his own calloused, broken hands. ¡°Big brother, do you want to go in for a look?¡± Zi Miaozhu asked. ¡°In a little while, let¡¯s go see Grandfather first,¡± Zhu Minng replied, managing to calm his somewhat unsettled emotions. ¡°Mmhmm.¡± Upon entering the main peak, one could see manyyers of mountain vis built from various precious woods, with eaves like white clouds and pirs tall as pines ¨C majestic and full of ssical charm. Inside White Cloud Mountain Vi, a few Sword Cultivators werepeting on arge mountain t. They were not using any Sword Qi, merely swordy, yet it already offered an exciting and pleasant sight to behold. Walking into the hall of the vi, Zhu Minng saw an elderly man with a full head of white hair sitting upright in a Taishi Chair. His face was full of wrinkles, and his eyes were half-closed. ¡°Grandfather, Zhu Minng is here to see you,¡± Zi Miaozhu said. ¡°What!¡± The white-haired elderly man nearly leaped from his chair, eximing, ¡°All I did was take a nap, how did I end up getting my soul hooked by the messengers of Yellow Springs? Minng, Minng, your old man doesn¡¯t need your visitation, go where you need to go, Grandfather still wants to live a few more years!¡± Zhu Minng¡¯s face turned dark. So Grandfather thought he was meeting him in the Yellow Springs? Originally seeing the old man¡¯s hair whiter, his vigor diminished, his nose a bit sour, feeling guilty about not visiting for so many years, and saddened by the worries he added to his family with his long disappearance, now all that sentiment was gone.. Chapter 121 - 122 She is a Dragon Shepherd Chapter 121 - 122 She is a Dragon Shepherd Chapter 121: Chapter 122 She is a Dragon Shepherd Trantor: 549690339 ¡°Grandfather, I¡¯m still alive but I simply stepped into a ce of bizarre and fantastic sights by ident and couldn¡¯t find my way back.¡± Zhu Minng¡¯s face couldn¡¯t hide his emotions as he slowly bowed his body, performing a solemn gesture of respect to his elder, and without waiting for a response, he did not rise. The Elder Sword Sovereign still got up and walked up to Zhu Minng, his wrinkled palms covering the back of Zhu Minng¡¯s hands, gently patting them. ¡°Your cultivation base is gone, your spirit is calm, without sorrow orint, excellent, excellent, your current state is very good, I, the old man, like it. Youth should traverse more. What was that ce you mentioned you traversed to?¡± asked the Elder Sword Sovereign. ¡°Li Chuan Continent, ¡± Zhu Minng replied. ¡°Ah, that newnd. The Imperial Dynasty has sent a decree, asking our Sword Sect to be vignt and prevent any unknown dangers. Aunt Xuehen seems to be the Orderer there; did you see her?¡± the Elder Sword Sovereign continued. ¡°I did see her. I came this time to request that, Grandfather, for the city-state in Li Chuan Continent, which is my family¡¯s¡­hard-earned territory I¡¯ve strivedboriously to keep stable. Now, many powers are coveting it, wanting to carve it up, and there are already those who don¡¯t follow the rules. I hope Grandfather can dispatch some experts from the Sect Forest to sit in fortification there,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°Why don¡¯t you just speak to Xuehen about this?¡± the Elder Sword Sovereign remarked. ¡°Aunt Xuehen is probably thoroughly disappointed in me; she just deals with matters impartially, ¡± Zhu Minng said with a bitter smile. ¡°s, why is she like that? No matter what, she is still your half-teacher. In times of chaos, one can¡¯t be an otherworldly powerhouse; to live a life of peace is already difficult,¡± the Elder Sword Sovereign sighed deeply. ¡°The choice was mine to make; I can¡¯t me her,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°Miuzhu, I remember one of your martial uncles mentioned to me before, he had ns to go to Li Chuan Continent, to understand the exotic realm, and seek unknown adventures. Tell him, if he¡¯s willing to stay in that city-state, I¡¯ll gift him the Haoying Sword,¡± Elder Sword Sovereign told Zi Miaozhu. ¡°It¡¯s Uncle Gu Tang. I¡¯ll convey the message immediately; but¡­ Master, do we still have any Haoying Swords in our Sword Sect? Thest one is still in the Abandoned Sword Forest, and no one dares to enter there now; the strange urrences there still haven¡¯t been dealt with by anyone,¡± Zi Miaozhu expressed. Zhu Minng had an impression of Uncle Gu Tang. He was a highly upright Sword Monarch who could not tolerate even a speck of dust in his eyes and frequently traveled, enjoying the different regional customs of various cities and towns. If Uncle Gu Tang were to guard the Ancestral Dragon City-State, the heavy stone in Zhu Minng¡¯s heart these past few days would finally be set down. With a Monarch Level Swordsman there, even petty viins would not dare to act rashly! ¡°Have you forgotten where your senior brother came from? Haoying Sword is indeed rare for our Sword Sect, but to the family of your senior brother, it¡¯s just a few pieces of good iron,¡± the Elder Sword Sovereign said. ¡°Right,¡± Zi Miaozhu agreed. ¡°Minng, as you know, Gu Tang has no other hobbies; he likes collecting swords. Only the Haoying Sword can move him,¡± Elder Sword Sovereign exined. ¡°That couldn¡¯t be better. I was just about to go back to report safety to my family. After obtaining the Haoying Sword, I will personally deliver it to Uncle when I return to the Ancestral Dragon City-State,¡± Zhu Minng once again performed a bow, thanking the old grandfather for his help. ¡°Grandfather, I¡¯m just moving my lips. Since you¡¯re here, stay a few more days. The journey to the Imperial City is still far, and you must be tired froming all the way from Li Chuan Continent. By the way, since the Abandoned Sword Forest has been neglected for some time, take a look at what¡¯s going on there as a way of thanking your old grandfather,¡± the Elder Sword Sovereign proposed. ¡°Yes, yes,¡± Zhu Minng nodded in agreement. A Monarch Level Powerhouse might not be enough to deter all the forces, but the prestige of the Yaoshan Sword Sect is what matters the most. As long as the Yaoshan Sword Sect has someone holding the fort there, it could deter most of the treacherous individuals and greatly reduce the burden on Li Yunzi in the battlefield. After all, if Rui Country fails to breach it for a long time, it would definitely induce some powerful individuals to secretly infiltrate the army; there might also be thosewless viins from the City of Sin who wouldn¡¯t hesitate to plunder the Ancestral Dragon City-State¡­ ¡°Is this the wife you married in Li Chuan Continent? Very good, your taste is as excellent as your teacher¡¯s,¡± the Elder Sword Sovereign smiled, looking at Nan Lingsha. ¡°Master, she is the younger sister of my spouse,¡± Zhu Minng rified. ¡°Oh, oh, your little wife?¡± ¡°Master, we¡¯re pure and clean; it¡¯s just that she probably admires me as a person, much like Junior Sister, and often says inexplicable things to others, giving rise to misunderstandings, ¡± Zhu Minng stated. Zi Miaozhu had already left, likely to pass on a message. The Elder Sword Sovereign continued, ¡°After all, you grew up together. Junior Sister Miaozhu worships you like an older brother, and sometimes she can¡¯t distinguish these feelings. Now that your heart belongs elsewhere, it can also let her release her obsession. Have a proper talk with her; she¡¯s not the kind of girl who would pester endlessly.¡± ¡°Rest assured, Master, I will speak earnestly to Junior Sister. After all, I¡¯ve always seen her as a younger sister,¡± Zhu Minng sincerely said. At this moment, several female disciples came forward. They paid their respects to the Elder Sword Sovereign and led Nan Lingsha and Fang Niannian away, showing them to their residence in the neighboring peak¡¯s vi. Zhu Minng let them go ahead and stayed behind to chat a bit longer with the Elder Sword Sovereign. After they had gone, the Elder Sword Sovereign said with profound meaning, ¡°I find you and her quitepatible. Are you deliberately calling her ¡®wife sister¡¯ to reduce Junior Sister Miaozhu¡¯s hostility towards her?¡± ¡°Master, they are sisters of a twin pistil, with no difference in their looks. It¡¯s natural for you to think their faces match,¡± Zhu Minng replied. ¡°I see, no wonder¡­ But now that you¡¯re a Dragon Shepherd, why don¡¯t you find a God and Mortal to apany you instead of walking with two Dragon Shepherds? It might lead to some trouble,¡± the Elder Sword Sovereign said. ¡°She is a God and Mortal, Master,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°That¡¯s not right. I sense her aura as that of a Dragon Shepherd. Surely I haven¡¯t aged to the point where I can¡¯t even distinguish this. Moreover, her Dragon Shepherd Realm is quite strange, fluctuating uncertainly around Monarch Level,¡± the Elder Sword Sovereign remarked. Zhu Minng¡¯s mouth fell open. The Elder Sword Sovereign surely hadn¡¯t fully woken up from his nap. Nan Lingsha was a God and Mortal. A God Mortal Painter! How could she be a Dragon Shepherd¡­ ¡°Master, please don¡¯t joke with me. I have seen her Power of God and Mortality myself; she couldn¡¯t possibly be a Dragon Shepherd,¡± Zhu Minng shook his head. ¡°Is that so? Then your master may need to tell you that the Divine Mortal Ability you saw might belong to your wife, not her. The woman apanying you is indeed a Dragon Shepherd,¡± the Elder Sword Sovereign stated sternly, showing no sign of jest. Zhu Minng¡¯s expression gradually turned solemn. The level of his master should make it impossible for him to be mistaken. Was Nan Lingsha truly a Dragon Shepherd? But he had witnessed her Divine Mortal painting several times. Was it Li Yunzi who painted? That can¡¯t be, some days ago in the City of Sin, when passing through Fog City, Nan Lingsha also painted! Could she possess both Divine Mortal and Dragon Trainer abilities at once? Impossible! There couldn¡¯t possibly be anyone in this world who has both abilities. One must choose between being a God and Mortal and a Dragon Shepherd. This was something Zhu Minng would never question! (Herees another chapter, a monthly ticket would be great¨C muah) Chapter 122 - 123: Using the Wind as Gravel Chapter 122 - 123: Using the Wind as Gravel Chapter 122: Chapter 123: Using the Wind as Gravel Trantor: 549690339 ¡°It seems you don¡¯t know her as well as you think,¡± chuckled the Elder Sword Sovereign. Zhu Minng still hadn¡¯te back to his senses and, recalling some details, couldn¡¯t quite understand the reasons behind them. ¡°After you visit Abandoned Sword Forest, you should head back home earlier. There have been quite a few changes with the Zhu Gate over the years,¡± said the Elder Sword Sovereign. ¡°Sure, Master. About my visit to the Sword Sect, please don¡¯t mention it to others. I¡¯m afraid some senior students and junior brothers might want to challenge me to a duel,¡± Zhu Minng spoke. ¡°I know, I know. Now that youmand dragons, perhaps your future will shine brighter than the past. I¡¯ve always believed in you,¡± said the Elder Sword Sovereign with a smile. Looking at the Elder Sword Sovereign, who was advanced in years, Zhu Minng felt a great many emotions. There were so many things he wanted to say, yet it felt like everything was already understood without words. ¡°Then Grandfather, please rest more and take good care of your health in the future,¡± Zhu Minng said. The Elder Sword Sovereign waved his hand, signaling Zhu Minng to go ahead. As Zhu Minng walked outside, barely turning around and stepping out of the main hall of the vi, he heard the Elder Sword Sovereign whisper to a female disciple who was waiting nearby: ¡°That one¡­¡± ¡°Master, do you have any instructions?¡± ¡°Girl, go to Ji Zhuang and take down the spirit tablet written with ¡®Zhu Minng¡¯ on it; stop the monthly offerings too. Save some incense oil money,¡± the Elder Sword Sovereign said. Outside, Zhu Minng missed his step on the stairs, nearly tumbling out head over heels. Steadying his form, Zhu Minng was already in tears. Master, is this how much you believe in me? He headed to a neighboring peak and settled down within the vi where Nan Lingsha and Fang Niannian were waiting for him to join them for a meal. A disciple with long eyebrows was also there, standing with meticulous posture. Zhu Minng sat down and nced at the modest dishes. The cuisine of the Sword Sect had always been in, mostly vegetarian. Zhu Minng, who was supposed to leave the ce at sixteen, had left a year earlier because of this very issue. Bad food, nothing worth missing! These bamboo shoots and mountain delicacies were said to be cultivated with the spiritual energy of heaven and earth. Even without meat, they were supposed to be more nutritious than meaty tastes. At the Yaoshan Sword Sect, the cultivation of the sword mainly focused on the Sword Heart, Sword Qi, and Sword Intent. Eating less meat and more of these immortal vegetables would stabilize a person¡¯s cultivation and help them be renowned for their swordsmanship. And so, Zhu Minng gave up being a Sword Cultivator, choosing braised pork, wild mushroom stew, pure meat frying instead¡­ Just thinking about eating these for the next few days, Zhu Minng decided to release Big ck Tooth and let it hunt down any wild pigs causing trouble under the guise of ¡®eradicating mountain spirits¡¯. Come night, he could also enjoy the plum wine from here while roasting a delicious wild boar by the campfire. Now, that¡¯s the life of a carefree Sword Cultivator! ¡°Niannian,ter you take Big ck Tooth to the mountain over there,¡± Zhu Minng pointed out the window and whispered to Fang Niannian. ¡°Alright!¡± Fang Niannian would surely not refuse anything to do with eating, and Zhu Minng¡¯s barbecue skills were truly exceptional anyway. ¡°Miss Lingsha, just wander around and rx. The long journey must have tired you out,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°Mmm,¡± Nan Lingsha responded, either because her temperament had changed again or because she typically didn¡¯t like to talk while eating. Her cultivation base was fluctuating around the Monarch Level. Still a Dragon Shepherd. Zhu Minng nced at Nan Lingsha and felt that the woman had be even more mysterious. Forget it, there will be plenty of time to understand herter. Zhu Minng didn¡¯t dwell on the issue any further. He casually ate a few bites, saving room for the big meal in the evening. ¡°Brother!¡± Zi Miaozhu appeared at the door, her eyes brimming uncontrobly with joy. ¡°You¡¯ve worked hard, junior sister,¡± said Zhu Minng. ¡°Gu Tang, Uncle-Master has agreed. The issue of securing Ancestral Dragon City shouldn¡¯t worry you anymore,¡± said Zi Miaozhu. ¡°Good, good, that¡¯s a relief,¡± Zhu Minng sighed with relief. With a strong member of the Sword Sect settling things beforehand, there was no need to rush to the Imperial City to swear fealty to thend. ¡°Brother, after you left, Abandoned Sword Forest has remained deste. Only when the disciples¡¯ swords break or be rusty do they throw them into the forest,¡± said Zi Miaozhu. ¡°What mysterious event happened that even the Sword Sect Masters can¡¯t handle?¡± asked Zhu Minng, puzzled. ¡°They say there are ghosts, and they possess spiritual wisdom. Whenever the disciples go to discard their swords, they appear. But when our Masters go to eradicate them, they hide. Only you and Snow Trace Master know the inside of Abandoned Sword Forest well, but Snow Trace Master never pays attention to such matters,¡± said Zi Miaozhu. ¡°I heard from some higher cultivation seniors that it might be due to the swords being abandoned without a care, holding some resentment. This resentment is like a demon, starting to take revenge on us Sword Cultivator disciples,¡± said the disciple with the long eyebrows. ¡°When do they usually appear?¡± asked Zhu Minng. ¡°Around sunset, during the turnover of day and night.¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll have a look.¡± ¡°Brother, let me apany you,¡± said Zi Miaozhu. ¡°No need. You take Nan Lingsha out for a walk,¡± said Zhu Minng. ¡°Sure,¡± replied Zi Miaozhu. This time she agreed quite readily, her eyes seemingly filled with some other scheme, shining brightly. The sword is the biggest consumable for the Sword Sect. No matter it was the peachwood sword he initially practiced with or the iron sword he received after bing a disciple, and even those fine swords forged from various precious metals. Zhu Gate could be considered the Sword Sect¡¯srgest supplier, as Zhu Gate was divided into two major factions: one specialized in armor casting, the other in sword casting. In fact, Zhu Gate was involved in casting other types of artifacts as well. However, before the age of fifteen, Zhu Minng spent more time in the Yaoshan Sword Sect and did not have much interest in the casting art. Swords wear out extremely quickly; every sword cultivator needs to practice their sword techniques for extended periods, whether it¡¯s shadow fencing, practicing against wooden stakes, or even stone statues, all of which could easily damage a sword. Following the dim and lengthy path without anynterns, he passed tall que pines and yellow bamboos, all standing straight and tall. He deliberately waited until it was almost dusk toe here; Zhu Minng looked at the pine and bamboo shadows that grew increasingly lush, with images flipping through his mind like the pages of a book. Continuing forward, he could see rotten wooden swords scattered haphazardly on the ground, covered in green moss. Going deeper, the path was eroded by mud and overgrown weeds. Looking around, he could see iron swords and bronze swords stuck upright in the soil, standing tall like the pines and bamboos! The discarded swords grew more numerous, with hundreds in sight. When he was very young, Elder Sword Sovereign told him that each discarded sword here was a grave marker for a sword, and while ¡°alive,¡± each had its own story. Some swords were damaged from the moment of forging, unused by anyone, and thus discarded here. Some swords had more fame than their users, sought after by everyone but ultimately fell in a well-known battle and were forever sealed here. Some swords, like unremarkable people, led in lives and when their time came, they were buried in the soil. Going even deeper, there were even more swords, packed more densely than the pine and bamboo; they varied in length and style, most of them stuck upside down in the soil like tombstones, so many that at a nce it was impossible to count how many there were! At dusk, the setting sun¡¯s afterglow, the shadows of the pine trees and yellow bamboo mingled with the profuse shadows of the discarded swords. The pine and bamboo were lush green, the sword bodies dark, but the shadows mergedpletely, like huge swords piercing the sky and slender swords one could grasp, forming this utterly serene Sword Grove in the twilight. As the sunset cast light on the swords, the rust stains on the thousands of discarded swords turned exceptionally brilliant. Copper rust, iron rust, green rust, red rust¡­ Are sunlight and the years themselves not tinged with rust? Otherwise, there would be no dusk. ¡°Aunt Xuehen, my hand is numb already,¡± said a young boy with a face full of sweat as night was about to fall. ¡°Continue.¡± ¡°My palm is bleeding.¡± The Abandoned Sword Forest was so hot and red under the zing sun. ¡°Continue.¡± ¡°Aunt Xuehen, how long do I need to practice before I can be as strong as you?¡± The boy, with a tinge of greenness, stood in the snow and asked. ¡°What¡¯s required to sharpen a sword?¡± ¡°Hard and smooth pebbles,¡± the green boy replied. ¡°From today on, you will pull out every sword in this grove, swing it towards the sky, use the wind as your sharpening stone. Once you¡¯ve worn away the rust from each discarded sword, you¡¯re free to leave this ce.¡± Using the wind as a sharpening stone. Every sword here has worn through its own calluses, shed its own blood. But because of this, they have regained their sharp edges! Years passed, and the discarded swords in the Sword Grove still stood erect in the soil, their sharp and clean bodies once again covered in rust. Zhu Minng, carrying the dusk on his back as did the swarm of swords, was overwhelmed by a rush of images, making it difficult for him to breathe smoothly as if something was stuck in his throat. Any regrets? Zhu Minng never had any. He just felt a touch of sadness, a bit of helplessness. No matter how brilliant an extraordinary sword might be, it will one day be full of rust stains. In the fleeting years, if the heart belongs somewhere, there won¡¯t be any regrets. ¡°Hummmmmmmmmmm-¡ª-¡ª¡ª-¡ª- Suddenly, a unanimous vibration of swords filled the quiet grove, sounding like thousands of zithers ying around Zhu Minng. The music was so prating that it sent a cold shiver down the soul. Zhu Minng came back to his senses and saw the sea of swords that undted with the mountain woods, as if responding to some ancient call to rise from the soil, his face filled with astonishment. Shadows of swords swayed, the pine forest grew dark, and the twilight light waspletely obscured by the mountains. The grove was about to slip into darkness, but the shadows of the swords seemed toe alive, wildly running through the sky, the earth, and the woods. Yet the real discarded swords still stood inverted in the soil.. The shadows of the swords, like ghosts emerging from tombstones, soared through the air, and their piercing sword howls, along with the sharp screaming of the ghosts, turned the symphony of swords into a shrill wailing of a hundred ghosts! Chapter 123 - 124: Sword Spirit Dragon Chapter 123 - 124: Sword Spirit Dragon Chapter 123: Chapter 124: Sword Spirit Dragon Trantor: 549690339 Indeed, such a sight would scare any Sword Sect Disciple¡¯s soul out of their body, as some longswords were mysteriously oozing blood, sinisterly crimson! Zhu Minng did not immediately run away; instead, he let the sword shadows whirl and zip by his side. Closing his eyes, he used his spiritual awareness to sense the true ¡°specter¡± within the Abandoned Sword Forest. Zhu Minng wanted to know the reason behind their restlessness¡ªcould it be that they had really grown resentful due to being forsaken and neglected in this ce? Every abandoned sword here had once apanied him. Zhu Minng still recognized some of the inscriptions on their des. If they truly became swords of resentment, Zhu Minng believed he could appease them¡­ ¡°ng, ng, ng, ng, ng, ng!!!!!!!!¡± Finally, the swords in the forest started to move. They pulled themselves out from the earth and crossed des in the air. Thousands upon thousands of abandoned swords, as if wielded by just as many Sword Masters, shed in exhrating duels right there. ¡°Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding!!!!!!!!¡± Countless sparks flew as des glinted repeatedly. Zhu Minng felt as if he were in the midst of an ancient battlefield of sword cultivators, unseen yet evidenced by their swords that incessantly reyed and relived the ancient wars. A thunderp tore through the sky above the Abandoned Sword Forest, the dazzling white forcing Zhu Minng to shield his eyes. The lightning did not so much illuminate everything in the dim forest as it seemingly devoured it all with its intense light. A normal person facing such a bizarre scene would have likely fainted by now, unable to remain conscious. But Zhu Minng still did not leave. He believed that if these swords had souls, they would not harm him. He slowly opened his eyes, and upon looking at the centuries-old Abandoned Sword Forest once more, he found the dim woods empty, the ground-sown abandoned swords mysteriously vanished! In the bamboo forest, not a single sword remained to be seen; they seemed to have escaped into another void, mysteriously disappearing right before his eyes. Lightning tore through the dim night, illuminating the sinister Abandoned Sword Forest. Suddenly, an ominous presence rushed over him, and what caught Zhu Minng¡¯s eyes was the towering shadow of a ghastly sword, standing like a mountain before him! The sword was rust-red, soaked in blood, as if it had been immersed in a blood-red abyss for countless years with every inscription within it stained in this crimson hue! What truly terrified Zhu Minng was not the sudden appearance of this sword peak, but the sensation that the evil sword seemed to be gazing at him!! This evil sword did not seem like a mighty magical artifact; it felt more like a living entity. Being so close to it, Zhu Minng could even feel its vitality. ¡°Tool Demon??¡± Zhu Minng could hardly believe his own eyes. He had once heard from Mr. Dumb that such beings, called Tool Demons, existed in this world. These so-called Tool Demons were powerful artifacts that absorbed the essence of heaven, earth, sun, and moon, turning into demons, cultivating into devils, and even ascending to sainthood. But calling this evil sword a ¡®demon¡¯ seemed a misfit. Many swords within the Abandoned Sword Forest had lifespans of over a thousand years, not to mention that this evil sword was clearly the soul of all the abandoned swords here. It was a Tool Devil! Possibly even a Tool Saint! A Holy Spirit with ten thousand years of cultivation!! ¡°That¡¯s not right, that¡¯s not right, the aura it¡¯s giving off isn¡¯t that of a demon¡­¡± Zhu Minng shook his head again. The aura of the evil sword was incredibly peculiar; if he had topare it to a living creature, Zhu Minng felt¡­ Just then, the evil sword approached him. Its towering stature began to shrink as it drew nearer to Zhu Minng, revealing its true form. Finally, the evil sword appeared before Zhu Minng. Its shape was identical to that of a sword, but for some reason, Zhu Minng felt that what stood before him was a living being! Its aura¡­ Dragon!! The aura was unmistakably that of a dragon!! Zhu Minng¡¯s heart surged violently. This sword had first attained a demon cultivator, bing a Sword Spirit¡­ Then, this Sword Spirit had even crossed the Dragon Gate!! Sword Spirit Dragon!! All things in this world could transform into dragons¡­ An Artifact Spirit was already an exceedingly rare existence, but for an Artifact Spirit to transform into a dragon was even more of a fantastical tale. ¡°Swoosh-¡ª¡± The sinister Sword Spirit Dragon drew close to Zhu Minng, circling him gently as if carefully discerning something. As if sensing a familiar aura on Zhu Minng, the Sword Spirit Dragon, rare in the world, cautiously approached him like a child. Suddenly, the Sword Spirit Dragon swiftly flew over Zhu Minng¡¯s palm, slicing a bloody wound across his palm. The wound seeped fresh blood, which quickly dripped down, and the Sword Spirit Dragon immediately brought its sword-tipped tongue close, absorbing Zhu Minng¡¯s blood drop by drop into the Crimson de¡­ Just a few drops of blood were enough for the rust-like dirt to scatter like dust in the wind from the Sword Spirit¡¯s body. Thickyers of rust acted as chains holding it back, and as its de shone bright crimson, its edge revealed, the Sword Spirit was utterly revived in that moment! Another bolt of lightning split the sky, once again illuminating the entire Abandoned Sword Forest. Not a single abandoned sword was left in the forest, except for the Sword Spirit, trembling as it drank blood. Behind ity a vast expanse of wilder forest, casting its shadow, a shadow that now unfurled sword wings, stretched out its sword form, standing tall and majestic like a mountain, awe-inspiring!! What Zhu Minng had seen was its Sword Soul¡¯s shadow. It had its own soul! It was a dragon! The Sword Spirit Dragon, created from the collective will of countless discarded swords, had cultivated itself from a Sword Spirit into a dragon of swords! ¡°Was it my blood that turned you into the Sword Spirit?¡± Zhu Minng still couldn¡¯t calm down from the shock. It had just drunk his blood and then dissolved the rust from its body. It was telling him that it recognized him, it knew where it came from. ¡°That sword shadow darting to and fro, was it the sword mark I once shed across the sky?¡± ¡°That intertwined battlefield, was it the sound of swords I practiced with day and night?¡± ¡°You were waiting for me here, but you turned into a dragon?¡± Zhu Minng looked at the Crimson Sword before him, recalling the scenes he had witnessed, and his eyes immediately moistened. The so-called ghost stories of the Abandoned Sword Forest had persisted in the Sword Sect for some years. But these were all the true Sword Spirits of the Abandoned Sword Forest conveying a message to the outside world, waiting for his return at every dawn and dusk. ¡°I am no longer a Sword Master.¡± ¡°Nor are you just a Sword Spirit.¡± Zhu Minng wiped away the tears that were about to spill from his eyes with his hand. Fate¡¯s cruel jest, had Zhu Minng returned as a Sword Master, the Sword Spirit Dragon would no longer be able to be a sword in Zhu Minng¡¯s hand, for it had transformed into a dragon. But Zhu Minng had lost the Power of God and Mortality, no longer able to wield true Sword Intent, he had be a Dragon Shepherd¡­ Bit by bit, a Spirit Bond formed in Zhu Minng¡¯s heart, like drops of rain falling into ake, from the initial ripples to a fullke of wave patterns. Zhu Minng could even sense some of the Sword Spirit Dragon¡¯s emotions! It was the blood just now. It had created a soul connection between them. When it recognized him, it was nearly as joyful and tearful as he was. Because he was a Dragon Shepherd. It was a Sword Spirit Dragon. They had almost missed each other. But they would miss each other no longer! Zhu Minng slowly extended his hand, thinking he would never touch a sword again in this lifetime, yet he never imagined holding one in such a way. His arm was trembling, his fingers were trembling, both the palms and the back of his hands were the same, but Zhu Minng still grasped the Sword Spirit entwined with his own destiny! In the moment of his firm grip, Zhu Minng opened his fourth Spirit Contract. With the previous blood bond, even though the Sword Spirit Dragon¡¯s cultivation base was higher than Zhu Minng¡¯s Dragon Shepherd Realm, they still slowly established a soul connection, their minds, spirits, and souls coexisting! The Sword Spirit Dragon had a tail. Like long strands of sword fluff, as Zhu Minng¡¯s soul connected with it, the Sword Spirit Dragon¡¯s tail grew like vines along his arm. The growth continued, and as Zhu Minng looked down, he noticed that inscriptions had appeared on his arm, glowing densely and covering his entire arm as if imprinting some ancient power into his bloodstream¡­ Zhu Minng suddenly felt his blood surging, boiling, as if it were igniting into mes. As if in a crucible, the crucible spewed endless strength, making him feel that with just one swing of the sword in his hand, he could slice through all things in heaven and earth! ¡°Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle¨C¡ª-¡ª-¡ª¡± The inscriptions grew brighter, like metal tempered with fire. As the Sword Spirit inscriptions climbed towards Zhu Minng¡¯s arm and chest, the Sword Spirit Dragon seemed to sense something urgent, hurriedly swinging its sword form and extracting itself from Zhu Minng¡¯s arm! At this extraction, the inscriptions on Zhu Minng¡¯s arm faded instantly, and Zhu Minng, steaming with heat as if he had just stepped out of a furnace, was drenched with sweat and his skin was flushed red. ¡°Only this arm can endure the force of the myriad inscription Sword Souls for now.¡± ¡°It seems that even though it was my blood that turned you into a Sword Spirit, we still need more time to adjust to each other,¡± Zhu Minng said, catching his breath, to the Sword Spirit Dragon. The Sword Spirit Dragon¡¯s crimson and upright sword form hovered beside Zhu Minng, its tail-like sword fluff lightly floating. Harmonizing was merely a matter of time. Having waited to be transformed by the one who would be the Sword Spirit, it was already very happy. Moreover, by signing the Spirit Contract with Zhu Minng, it could leave the Abandoned Sword Forest and reveal its edge once more. It was the spirit embodiment of all the discarded swords. If a sword could have a soul, it would never want to lie rusting in the woods, eroded by the years, slowly decaying. ¡°Whoosh¡ª-¡± ¡°Whoosh¡ª¡ª¡± The Sword Spirit Dragon continuously darted around Zhu Minng, and even without wings, it resembled a metal flying dragon with a sleek body. But its speed was so fast, in others¡¯ eyes, it probably seemed no different from teleporting. ¡°I remember, the sword that stayed with me the longest was named MO Ye.¡± ¡°Sword Spirit Dragon¡­ I¡¯ll call you MO Ye.¡± The Sword Spirit Dragon came to a halt, suspended in front of Zhu Minng. Its crimson glowing de reflected Zhu Minng¡¯s face. ¡°Whoosh!¡± It disappeared in an instant. It flew into Zhu Minng¡¯s Spirit Realm. The Sword Spirit Dragon must have liked the name. (For those nostalgic for the past, cast your votes.. Do you like the Sword Spirit Dragon?) Chapter 124 - 125 Sword Master vs. Painter Chapter 124 - 125 Sword Master vs. Painter Chapter 124: Chapter 125 Sword Master vs. Painter Trantor: 549690339 At Yao Mountain¡¯s Peak, nearly reaching the clouds, a woman d in Daoist robes with her hair tied up stood on the cliff¡¯s edge. From there, one could overlook the entire Yaoshan Sword Sect. As day turned to night, the mountains, manors, high pavilions, and pine pavilions below gradually became shrouded in the evening mist. The mountain streams and valleys nurtured the night¡¯s damp essence. Just as the night mists were about to conceal the majestic mountain ranges, suddenly an invisible force swept through from a particr forest¡­ The clouds and mist that nketed the mountains immediately dissipated, and from the highest peak, a colossal vacuum vortex first emerged in the cloudyer, followed by all the mists of Yao Mountain being swept into it. The mountains, rocks, and peaks became incredibly clear, and even the night sky was cleansed! Zhu Xuehen had intended to fly toward that forest to see who was behind this force, but ultimately, she returned to the pavilion on the peak, sitting alone on the grass, and slowly closed her eyes. What significance is there in knowing who it is? There are too many powerful beings thate and go in a sh. In front of the manor, on the t mountain in: A group of Sword Sect disciples stood on the edge of the in, each with faces full of anticipation, their gazes flitting back and forth between two women. ¡°They¡¯re going to fight, they¡¯re going to fight!¡± ¡°The Big Disciple is about to duel with someone!¡± ¡°I heard it¡¯s over a man. Could it be our Junior Xu Senior Brother?¡± On the Bagua Giant Stone tform that extended from the in, Zi Miaozhu and Nan Lingsha stood on either side of the Yin-Yang dividing line. Dusk had passed, andnterns had been lit around the giant stone tform. The vigorous mes in thenterns flickered, their light ying across the enchanting figures of the two women, exciting the onlooking disciples even more. ¡°Remove your veil and let me see your true face first,¡± said the Sword Sect¡¯s Big Disciple, Zi Miaozhu. ¡°Who are you?¡± asked Nan Lingsha. You¡­¡± Zi Miaozhu was so angered by this question that she trembled all over, unable to speak! To think she had never regarded her at all from the very beginning! Zi Miaozhu had never believed the words Zhu Minng said; his rtionship with this woman was definitely not clear-cut. Even though Zi Miaozhu knew she was often unrequited, she wanted to understand where exactly she had lost! This woman, by what right¡­ The wind picked up, fluttering the veil, and in that moment, Zi Miaozhu caught a glimpse of part of her side profile. So beautiful. How can a girl be so gorgeous? Ah pah! Fox Demon! Reincarnation of a Demon Girl! So this woman had relied on her beauty¡­ well, unparalleled beauty, to bewitch her Senior Brother! Yet, the one to stand by Senior Brother¡¯s side cannot solely rely on looks. Without peerless talent and exceptional wisdom, she still wouldn¡¯t be worthy of Senior Brother. After all, he is a reincarnation of a holy spirit, one who has taken sword cultivation to its extreme. No rival exists for him, as he seeks the utmost simplicity and returns to the origin after reaching the ultimate peak! ¡°Senior Brother said you are the God and Mortal of his team. Show me what you¡¯ve got and let¡¯s see if you truly deserve to be by his side,¡± the Big Disciple of the Sword Sect, Zi Miaozhu said. Nan Lingsha didn¡¯t understand what the seemingly crazed woman was talking about. She harbored no intent to fight, instead, her gaze was fixed on the nighttime scenery of Yaoshan Manor. But suddenly, a chilling might erupted beside her. Although only a single sword flew toward her, it felt as if a massive iceberg from the high heavens was crashing down, its formidable and terrifying presence causing the surrounding disciples who hade to watch the excitement to scatter. Aware of the strong hostility, Nan Lingsha counteracted by holding a brush in her hand and fluidly, swiftly drew a Tai Chi Mirror in the air! With a single stroke, the ink Tai Chi spread out, bing asrge as the Bagua Giant Stone tform underfoot, as if someone had erected the stone tform upright. The spreading ink bore an invisible sturdiness that intercepted the iceberg-like sword in another section of the Tai Chi inky barrier. The disciples were shocked, witnessing the Tai Chi tform Nan Lingsha had drawn in front of her, hardly able to imagine that the Big Disciple¡¯s powerful attack had been so easily blocked. And Big Disciple Zi Miaozhu was equally astonished. She had intended to retract some of her force, to avoid taking the other woman¡¯s life, but she didn¡¯t expect that her Iceberg Sword couldn¡¯t even lift a corner of the other¡¯s clothing or hair. Such a formidable power of God and Mortality, was she wielding a paintbrush just now? ¡°Sword Master?¡± Nan Lingsha looked at Zi Miaozhu, only then a hint of ripples appeared in her eyes. ¡°Yes, I am one of the most prominent Big Disciples of the Yaoshan Sword Sect!¡± dered Zi Miaozhu with towering pride. ¡°Let¡¯s see if you can stand against my ink sword,¡± Nan Lingsha said, and with that, she forcefully swept her brush through the air. The ink, like the unsheathed edge of a sword, revealed a shadowy longsword beside Nan Lingsha. As she swept the brush to the other side, another equally majestic stroke created a second Ink Shadow Longsword in the air! Suddenly, Nan Lingsha cast her brush into the night sky. Like the two previous strokes, the brush wildly danced, freely expressing itself in midair. Above Nan Lingsha, one Ink Shadow Longsword after another materialized out of thin air. Although all were outlined with dense ck ink, these painted swords were vividly lifelike, exuding a chilly gleam!! Clothed in a flowing long dress, Nan Lingsha stood poised in front of the ink Bagua, surrounded by the densely arrayed Ink Shadow Swords. Her veil fluttered, her hair danced in the wind, and her unworldly aura seemed to merge with the reality of painted shadows, stunningly beautiful yet so powerful it took one¡¯s breath away! Zi Miaozhu held the sword in her hand and looked at the scene before her, feeling utterly astonished. All were mere paintings, yet they were even more terrifying than real sharp swords! She gritted her teeth, determined not to be overwhelmed by the opponent¡¯s momentum. She admitted that the other was a powerful God and Mortal, but she was not weak either! ! As the lights dimmed, Zhu Minng walked along this gloomy path. The Abandoned Sword Forest probablycked abandoned swords now, who knew how many years it would take for it to return to its previous grandeur. The Sword Spirit Dragon was in the Spirit Realm, limating to its new environment. Its crimson de flew past the head of Big ck Tooth, who was getting drowsy to sleep. Thinking it was a mosquito, Big ck Tooth shook his head a few times, annoyed, and opened his eyes¡­ Upon looking upward, Big ck Tooth¡¯s originally hazy and closing eyes suddenly opened wide, filled with puzzlement. Was that a sword that just flew by? ¡°Whoosh¡ª¡± The Sword Spirit Dragon flew deeper into the Spirit Realm, suddenly catching sight of a sanctified white figure, spreading its magnificent phoenix-like wings. Feathers like snowy cotton shone like crystals, beautiful and noble. ¡°Whoosh, whoosh!¡± The Sword Spirit Dragon stopped in front of this White Dragon, as if it had seen an old friend. Bai Qi too opened his blurry eyes, first startled by the sight of the crimson Sword Spirit, then slowly recognizing it from the Sword Patterns on its body! Bai Qi yelled, yfully rolling towards the Sword Spirit Dragon like a cat. ¡°Whoosh!¡± Bai Qi naturally recognized the Sword Spirit Dragon. When Zhu Minng practiced his swordsmanship in the Abandoned Sword Forest, Bai Qi discovered a sword that could move on its own. Whenever bored, Bai Qi would chase this sword all over the forest. Bai Qi had been slumbering all this while, never expecting that this once Tool Demon would be a Sword Spirit, and even transform into a Sword Spirit Dragon, appearing in this Spirit Realm! Just like childhood friends reunited, Bai Qi was very happy, thus chasing the Sword Spirit Dragon all over the Spirit Realm. The Sword Spirit Dragon was very fast. Little Bai Qi, already one of the fastest Dragon breeds, couldn¡¯t keep up with the Sword Spirit Dragon¡¯s nearly instantaneous speed. The Sword Spirit Dragon clearly had its own consciousness and deliberately slowed down to amodate its little ymate¡­ ¡°So you¡¯ve known each other for some time?¡± Zhu Minng¡¯s face was riddled with embarrassment. He had been so focused on his sword practice that he hadn¡¯t even noticed the gradual formation of the Sword Spirit. Bai Qi, who had been the White Soaring Dragon back then, had already been aware of its existence¡­ Qing Zhuo and Big ck Tooth both approached, curiously inspecting the Sword Spirit Dragon. The Sword Spirit Dragon performed some illusions of sword shadows for them, duplicating from one to two, two to four, four to eight¡­ Shortly after, the Sword Spirits densely filled Zhu Minng¡¯s Spirit Realm. They moved and danced in a synchronized fashion, dazzling the three dragons who reached out their pudgy paws to apud, akin to children seeing a show for the first time. Zhu Minng found it amusing; his Spirit Realm seemed to be getting busier and busier. The fourth Spirit Contract already had its owner, and he wondered what kind of extraordinary dragons he might encounter in the future, taking them around on fun adventures. Zhu Minng¡¯s mood was more than just cheerful as he walked along the long stairs, feeling a slight, contented bounce in his step. The Sword Spirit was nurtured by a myriad of abandoned swords, including famous swords like the Ink Shadow Long Sword, Tai Chi Mirror, Bagua tform¡­ which had been around for countless years. Although the Sword Spirit hadn¡¯t been awakened for long, its cultivation base was presumably close to that of Holy Spirits! Thus, the Sword Spirit Dragon¡¯s strength was likely not inferior to some of the elder disciples in the Sword Sect, and could even be stronger! Zhu Minng noticed that the Sword Soul Inscription was the source of the Sword Spirit Dragon¡¯s power, and these inscriptions were the essence of each abandoned sword. Many of its Sword Soul Inscriptions were dim, indicating that some of the ancient famous swords had not yet awakened. If all the famous swords in the Abandoned Sword Forest turned into inscriptions of the soul and shone on the Sword Spirit Dragon¡¯s body, the Sword Spirit Dragon could undoubtedly surpass many Holy Spirit level beings! Luckily, all the abandoned swords of the Abandoned Sword Forest had now merged with the Sword Spirit Dragon. When the Sword Spirit Dragon was performing for the three dragons, Zhu Minng saw many sleeping famous swords manifest. He took them all in one go. There would be plenty of time to slowly polish off their rust and awaken their fiery Sword Souls! At that time, he would be unstoppable! How could Zhu Minng not hum a little tune, feeling buoyant and content? With the Sword Spirit Dragon by his side, even if he were to return to Zhu Gate now, he would have the confidence to do so! Moreover, Zhu Gate was a renowned name for crafting tools, and those unsealed inscriptions of the Sword Spirit Dragon might find more effective methods there! Already powerful, yet there was room for even more strength! The feeling of returning to Supreme Court Imperial City was just as joyful and carefree as when he first left the mountains¡­. Chapter 125 - 126: Admitting Defeat Chapter 125 - 126: Admitting Defeat Chapter 125: Chapter 126: Admitting Defeat Trantor: 549690339 Upon arriving at the main peak vi, Zhu Minng discovered that the Sword Sect disciples were watching the excitement. Zhu Minng, who also liked to join in on the fun, walked over quickly, wondering if it could be a sword master engaged in a jealous spat. The Yaoshan Sword Sect was quite encouraging of its disciples¡¯ paired cultivation, so it was not umon to see a brawl break out over some alluring senior sister or innocent junior sister within the sect. Parting the crowd, he almost asked a nearby disciple for a handful of roasted melon seeds when he caught sight of the woman standing on the Bagua Stone tform and his eyes involuntarily widened. Was this how Zi Miaozhu showed Nan Lingsha around the Yaoshan Vi?? Hadn¡¯t he already told her that he had no connection with Nan Lingsha, even though her appearance was identical to his wife¡¯s, they were still two different people! ¡°Huff¨C Huff¨C The Sword Sect¡¯s chief female disciple Zi Miaozhu was panting heavily, her chest heaving, her eyes shing with a touch of unwillingness. Even her sword-wielding hand was beginning to tremble, her fingers numb to the point of almost losing sensation. They were of simr ages. She, Zi Miaozhu, was even the chief female disciple of the Sword Sect Sanctuary; how could she possibly lose to an unknown woman! Turning to look at Nan Lingsha, she stood silently on the other side of the Bagua dividing line, having not moved from the beginning to the end, and not a single drop of sweat was visible on her cheeks. This meant she hadn¡¯t even used all her strength. Zi Miaozhu found this hard to ept. ¡°May I lift your veil? I want to see clearly who I have lost to,¡± Zi Miaozhu said. To lose was to lose; there was no point in feeling resentful, as her master had taught her to face her shorings and failures squarely. Nan Lingsha hesitated for a moment, but in the end, she slowly removed the veil from her face. It was just a friendly contest, and Nan Lingsha had noticed that the opponent¡¯s initial strike had been held back. Of course, she was also quite satisfied with Zi Miaozhu¡¯s strength; finding someone in Ancestral Dragon City who could match Zi Miaozhu¡¯s level was very difficult. Zi Miaozhu looked at Nan Lingsha, her gaze losing focus for a moment¡­ She was more beautiful than imagined. The Sword Sect disciples were all stunned as well. It wasn¡¯t just a delicate face that could move everyone with different aesthetic tastes, but the fact that she was so naturally beautiful having already awed everyone with her strength! ¡°Painter Nan Lingsha,¡± Nan Lingsha slowly put down her brush and gracefully gave a refined bow. ¡°Sword Master Zi Miaozhu, I concede defeat,¡± Zi Miaozhu sheathed her sword and returned the bow. Zi Miaozhu¡¯s return bow was a bit deeper. When she lifted her head again and met her gaze, she continued, ¡°From now on, I shall regard my fellow brother only with sisterly affection and will harbor no other thoughts.¡± ¡°?????¡± The fog had apparently dissipated, but Zhu Minng¡¯s mind was more clouded than ever. ¡°This has nothing to do with me,¡± Nan Lingsha stated indifferently. After saying this, regardless of whether Zi Miaozhu understood or not, Nan Lingsha walked towards the edge of the Bagua Giant Stone tform, gazing at the clear Yaoshan night sky as ifmitting the mountain scenery to memory. ¡°But didn¡¯t you say earlier that you hit it off right away and took a liking to each other?¡± Zi Miaozhu asked hurriedly, more perplexed. Frowning, Nan Lingsha turned around, only to catch sight of Zhu Minng cracking melon seeds in the crowd. ¡°That¡¯s Li Yunzi; you can ask him for the details, ¡± Nan Lingsha said, pointing at Zhu Minng, then disregarding the matter, she resumed memorizing thendscape of Yaoshan in her heart. Li Yunzi?? And who is Li Yunzi!! Zi Miaozhu stared at Zhu Minng with wide eyes. Eh, where¡¯d he go?? Just now his fellow brother was clearly in the middle of the crowd, so how did he disappear in the time it took to speak! Having arrived at the neighboring peak, Zhu Minng brought Fang Niannian into the deep forest, where they hunted a wild boar with demon cultivation properties. Zhu Minng simply started a campfire next to the mountain brook pavilion. After feeding the two little greedy pigs, Zhu Minng then returned to his residence in the vi. By then Nan Lingsha had returned; she was at the wooden table, repeatedly copying the Yaoshan night scene, with many discarded sheets of paper neatly stacked to one side. Under themp, she was concentrating with a refined and elegant demeanor, calm as if she were ady of a respectable family with poetic talents. Zhu Minng didn¡¯t disturb her. Fang Niannian was initially eager to snuggle up, but after some hesitation and contemtion, she chose to give up. At this moment, Nan Lingsha appeared gentle as water but was actually keeping everyone at a distance! ¡°Zhu Minng, do you think Sister Lingsha has intermittent amnesia?¡± Fang Niannian whispered. ¡°I¡¯m not sure about her, but I do know of someone who definitely has it,¡± Zhu Minng replied. ¡°Who?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll find out when we get to Zhu Gate.¡± The next day, the name of the painter Nan Lingsha spread throughout the Yaoshan Sword Sect. After all, what all sect ns cared about the most was reputation, and such sparring and challenges, as long as they held significance, were easily remembered by people. As the Chief Female Disciple of the Sword Sect Sanctuary, it was indeed a big deal to lose to an outsider from the God and Mortal realm. Zhu Minng also felt quite embarrassed. He had returned to the sects of the Supreme Court Continent without making a name for himself, yet the name of Nan Lingsha was quickly spreading across all sect ns. Disciples always attracted the most attention. Young disciples, with infinite potential, were so valued that the Four Major Sect ns even held a grandpetition every two years, which was essentially figures at the level of uncles or masters showcasing their outstanding disciples in public spars in the Supreme Court Imperial City. Those who stood out would immediately have their names known throughout the nations and city-states of the Supreme Court Continent. ¡°Senior brother. ¡± Outside the door, the call of Zi Miaozhu arose. Zhu Minng knew there were some things he couldn¡¯t avoid and walked out to the courtyard withposure. Zi Miaozhu stood under the phoenix perch pine, by the silver bells that chimed crisply in the night breeze, truly a sight of graceful beauty. ¡°Junior sister,¡± Zhu Minng approached, recalling the words that his grandfather, the Sword Expert, had entrusted to him. ¡°I was really looking forward to this year¡¯s Great Sect Woods and Family Doorpetition, wanting to make a name for myself far and wide. However, after today¡¯s battle, I feel I still have much to improve¡­ I wish to travel and see a broader world, ¡± said Zi Miaozhu. ¡°Then, be sure to stay safe,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll be following Aunt Xuehen,¡± Zi Miaozhu replied. ¡°That¡¯s good. You can learn a lot from her,¡± Zhu Minng nodded in agreement. ¡°The Great Sect Woods and Family Doorpetition is the highest honor for us disciples, and we prepare for it day and night. But after you, senior brother, came down from the mountain, you never participated in any of thepetitions. By then, you had already moved beyond our category of disciples, hadn¡¯t you?¡± Zi Miaozhu asked. ¡°Yes, if there were apetition for uncles or masters, I might take part, but those who are older usually mind their reputations too much, preferring not topete rather than to lose,¡± Zhu Minng nodded. As for the Great Sect Woods and Family Doorpetition, he hadn¡¯t even heard of it sinceing down from the mountain. Zhu Xuehen never allowed Zhu Minng to take part in those childish fights, even though he was still a minor at that time. ¡°So, senior brother, how many years have you been a Dragon Shepherd?¡± asked Zi Miaozhu. ¡°If we¡¯re counting formally, not even a year,¡± Zhu Minng replied. ¡°Then this time you can participate. As a sword cultivator, you are at the master level. But as a Dragon Trainer, you¡¯ve only just begun; you count as a disciple¡­ The rewards for the annualpetition are very generous, and Dragon Shepherds need resources the most, ¡± Zi Miaozhu said. ¡°I¡¯ll consider it,¡± Zhu Minng thought to himself, calcting the time; thepetition was not far off, set forte summer. Dragon Shepherds required substantial resources: the more abundant the resources, the stronger the strength. After all, if every dragon is seen as an embodiment of the Power of Divine and Mortality, then Zhu Minng, as a lone cultivator, was simultaneously cultivating four types of Divine and Mortal powers. This is why Dragon Shepherds be stronger as they progress; God and Mortals only cultivate one type, and many Heavenly Essence and Earthly Splendor elements do not suit them, rendering good items useless. For Dragon Shepherds with so many dragons, if each one is well-trained and stands out on its own, they would face groups of God and Mortals without fear. Therefore, the better the resources, the higher the potential! Any obtainable resources should be taken without hesitation. Even if they weren¡¯t needed, they should be sold for money! In the past, Zhu Minng, who fought the world with his sword, was alone and indifferent to all things; money to him was as worthless as dirt. Now that he was raising so many dragons, just the monthly dragon food alone was enough to bankrupt Zhu Minng¡­ In the future, there would only be more dragon pets. He would also have to establish his own Dragon Shepherd Teams. If Nan Lingsha in the future were to seek rpense from him as a God and Mortal, the cost of her expensive Dragon Blood and Blood Dragon Paper would also fall upon him, an unimaginable expense! Zi Miaozhu¡¯s words also served as a reminder to him. The resources to be taken were to be seized promptly;petitions like those of the Great Sect Woods and Family Door were about the face of these powerful forces, and the rewards were undoubtedly rich, far better than aimlessly seeking essence around the world. ¡°Senior brother, senior brother?¡± Zi Miaozhu saw Zhu Minng was somewhat distracted and called out twice. ¡°Ah? What is it?¡± Zhu Minng asked. ¡°Aunt Xuehen is an Orderer of the Li Chuan Continent. If I follow her, I¡¯ll also set foot in thend that you¡¯ve lost yourself in. If I get the chance, I¡¯ll make sure to meet Li Yunzi,¡± Zi Miaozhu said. ¡°Actually¡­¡± ¡°Senior brother, spare me those words meant tofort me. How could I, your junior sister, fail to understand your thoughts? It¡¯s just that often I cannot reconcile myself to it. If Li Yunzi turns out to be even more outstanding than Nan Lingsha, I think I would be happy for you,¡± Zi Miaozhu said with a smile, her voice carrying a hint of serenity. ¡°Junior sister, I¡¯m relieved to hear you think this way. After all, in my eyes, you have always been like a real younger sister. In the Zhu Family, I have many blood rtives, but I know well that if I were to lose the dazzling Power of Divine and Mortality, they would treat me like dirt. You, however, regardless of whether I am powerful or weak and ordinary, have always been consistent in your treatment of me,¡± Zhu Minng responded sincerely. Years had passed, and Zi Miaozhu still carried that same reverence. And she clearly knew that since he became a Dragon Shepherd, his strength had greatly diminished. Yet she still respected him, treating him with honesty and openness. Even without the love between a man and a woman, this bond between brother and sister was incredibly precious to Zhu Minng. He wondered how many familial rtionships within the Zhu Family couldpare to what he had with this junior sister. Perhaps many within were taking pleasure in his misfortune, or even adding insult to injury.. Chapter 126 - 127 Cloud Dragon Country Chapter 126 - 127 Cloud Dragon Country Chapter 126: Chapter 127 Cloud Dragon Country Trantor: 549690339 After returning to Zhu Gate. It should be quite interesting. They think that losing the Power of God and Mortality is tantamount to bing a useless person. Little do they know, I¡¯ve be a Dragon Shepherd, and it won¡¯t be long, perhaps even stronger than before! ¡°Senior brother, rest early, don¡¯t make Sister Lingsha worry,¡± Zi Miaozhu said with a smile before turning to leave. ¡°Really, I have a pure rtionship with her,¡± Minng exined. ¡°I¡¯m not hiding anything from you, Junior Sister. She is Li Yunzi¡¯s twin sister. One took the father¡¯s surname, and the other took the mother¡¯s, that¡¯s all.¡± ¡°Oh, I see,¡± Zi Miaozhu nodded earnestly, then said, ¡°But still, Senior Brother, the way you look at her is ultimately different, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Is it?¡± Minng raised an eyebrow. ¡°Since they are twin sisters, when you look at the younger sister, it¡¯s different from looking at the older sister, right? If you have feelings for one of them, as long as you¡¯re normal, there will be ripples in your heart, and your eyes will unconsciously reveal them,¡± Zi Miaozhu said. Probably knowing her senior brother Minng too well, when his gaze fell on herself, she had never seen such emotions in him. Therefore, Zi Miaozhu always felt that there was a deep rtionship between Minng and Nan Lingsha. Minng scratched his head awkwardly. Was it that obvious? Indeed, many times when Minng stared, he subconsciously thought it was Li Yunzi, and he would experience a brief stupor. But afterward, he would remind himself that this was not her, it was her sister Nan Lingsha, and then he would force himself to be calm and collected¡­ But this process already showed clear turmoil within his heart. ¡°Senior brother doesn¡¯t need to blush; it¡¯s a natural response. If there wasn¡¯t a bit of emotion, it would mean Senior brother didn¡¯t genuinely care for Li Yunzi¡­¡± Zi Miaozhu said. Minng nodded. She really was his good Junior Sister, easing the guilt that had just begun to form in his heart, and making him feel a great deal morefortable. ¡°Besides, Nan Lingsha is so pretty, even I, as a girl, find myself moved. It¡¯s perfectly normal for Senior brother to be enamored with her beauty,¡± she added. They didn¡¯t stay at the Yaoshan Sword Sect for too long, Minng, Lingsha, and Fang Niannian quickly took their leave. The main reason was that Minng worried the old masters at the Sword Sect woulde to reprimand him, asking where on earth he had put their swords. Even if the swords were abandoned, they were still the treasures of the Sword Sect! Better slip away before they found out. Originally, Minng thought about heading to the highest peak to say goodbye to Zhu Xuehen, but after careful consideration, he decided she probably didn¡¯t want to see him and thus dropped the idea. ¡°Minng, is that grandpa of yours the strongest in the Yaoshan Sword Sect?¡± Fang Niannian asked curiously. ¡°He used to be in the top three, but he¡¯s quite old now, mostly focused on teaching his disciples. My aunt is one of his disciples,¡± Minng said. ¡°How powerful is this Aunt Xuehen really? I heard some male disciples discussing her while I was at the Sword Sect¡­ Why, although she looks young, do they all address her as a respected teacher?¡± Fang Niannian inquired. ¡°It depends on what youpare. If you¡¯re talking about Cultivation Base, she¡¯s probably at the Peak Monarch Level. Among the Four Major Sect ns, she is rather exceptional. But her sword and her Sword Territory are actually more terrifying than her Cultivation Base. In a life and death struggle, no one below the King Level could possibly be her opponent, not even a group of Peak Monarch Level Divine and Mortal beings,¡± Minng exined. In the Sect Woods, the distinction in seniority was clear and simple. Master, martial uncle, disciple. Generally speaking, in a Great Sect Woods like the Yaoshan Sword Sect, the disciples¡¯ Cultivation Base ranged from Sub-level to Lord Level. Disciples at the Lord Level were often exceptional, like Zi Miaozhu, who as the Chief Female Disciple of the Holy Hall was at the Higher-Rank or Peak King Level in Cultivation Base. And martial uncles would have Cultivation Bases ranging from Lord Level to Monarch Level, with the more ordinary ones possibly only at the Lower-level Sovereign. The excellent ones reached Monarch Level, and the extraordinary ones were mostly at the High Rank King Level or Peak Monarch Level. The Cultivation Base of a master was at least at the Peak Monarch Level. But anyone sealed as a master often has some power that surpasses their Cultivation Base. Just like Big ck Tooth, whose own Cultivation Base was no more than a Lower-level Dragon General. Yet with the Thunder Scales, Fierce Courage Bloodline, and Silver Green Heavy Armor, it could stand undefeated below the Lord Level! So whether it is Divine and Mortal beings or Dragon Shepherds, Cultivation Base is just a measuring stick. Each Cultivator, each dragon, has its own winning form. ¡°If Sister Zi Miaozhu is the chief disciple of the Yaoshan Sword Sect, and Sister Lingsha has beaten her, doesn¡¯t that mean that among the powers of the Supreme Court Continent, there aren¡¯t many disciples who can match Sister Lingsha?¡± Fang Niannian continued to ask. Minng couldn¡¯t help but chuckle upon hearing this. Disciples? They couldn¡¯t possibly remain just at the disciple level. After all, disciples are generally younger, with elders above them to take care of any troubles. They wouldn¡¯t have to hold up the sky even if it fell. But Minng, Li Yunzi, and Nan Lingsha were rulers and governors of the Li Chuan Continent, facing threats from the entire Supreme Court Continent. Who would care if you were a disciple or not, a martial uncle or not? Moreover, some of the nations in the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent might not even be asrge as the current Ancestral Dragon City, nor as fertile as thends of Li Chuan. Nan Lingsha and Li Yunzi were equivalent to the strongest in a nation, with the highest cultivation, strength, and resources. It was no surprise to Zhu Minng when they outssed all the so-called genius disciples from various powers. Furthermore, most of these disciples were coddled and nurtured within the Sect Forest Family Door, like Zi Miaozhu, the head sister, who probably rarely ventured outside the sect¡¯s gate and focused on her intensive training. Yet Li Yunzi and Nan Lingsha, at such a young age, had managed to rule half of the Li Chuan City-State with their own strength and wisdom. Therefore, the emergence of the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent, with its even vasternds, might not necessarily be a bad thing for them. Their growth rate could be even faster. The world had simply be bigger. It didn¡¯t mean they were weak. Zhu Minng vividly remembered the severely wounded Li Yunzi, who still disyed Higher-Rank strength, ughtering those four formidable foes. Once healed, she seemed to others to have remained at the Sovereign level, but in fact, she had already stepped into the Monarch level. Originally, her next n would have been to tten the Sect Pce, only to find it destroyed by the Orderer of the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent. As for Nan Lingsha, even the Elder Sword Sovereign had said that her realm fluctuated uncertainly around the Monarch level. This realm referred to her cultivation level, not her true strength. So, even now, Zhu Minng had not figured out exactly in which realm Nan Lingsha was situated. It seemed that after ruling the Ancestral Dragon City, the sisters¡¯ strength had both be unfathomable. Could it be that those subjugators actually had some resources which were previously beyond Li Yunzi and Nan Lingsha¡¯s reach? After unification, they obtained them, and their strength soared! Most likely, they were extraordinary items simr to Yinsu Sacred Dew. Perhaps, there was also some secret realm within the Li Family. The journey was indeed long. The Divine Green Holy Dragon grew each day, and its flying speed noticeably increased. Yet, after flying over a range of mountains, there stood taller mountains, and beyond a city-statey even vaster territories. Along the way, they encountered countless Sect Forests and factions, all of them peculiar and divine. They also saw entire nations revolving around dragons and Dragon Trainers. The vastness of the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent was such that even after a month of uninterrupted flight, they seemed to have not yet seen the borders of the Supreme Court Empire. While hurrying on their way and practicing their cultivation, despite the rush, the three of them also appreciated the distinctive customs and scenery of many city-states andnds on this Supreme Court Courtyard Continent. If they could sessfully im their territorial rights and bring order to the Ancestral Dragon City, it would truly be worthwhile to travel and explore the various countries andnds on the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent. Famed mountains and rivers, forbidding forests and forbiddennds, cities of fire and wind, Dragon Valleys and Holy Lakes, Flower Kingdom and Snow Town, Salt Sea heaven¡­ After half a month, the Supreme Court Imperial City finally emerged on the horizon. It was noon, and the summer sun zed down upon the earth, and amongst the Silver Stream Purple Mountains, a series of majestic cities stretched out along the terrain, hills, rivers, andkes. The grand and majestic capital seemed to merge perfectly with the vast and boundlessnd. From high above, one could only see a tip of the iceberg of the Imperial City. And yet, that tip was asrge as several city-states. The cities were orderly distributed, ultimately converging on a t expanse of bronzend. There, clearly, the buildings were more splendid and towering, more dense and impressive. When observed from afar, it was like entering an ancient and sacred mystical kingdom¡ªserene and solemn, enduring and hallowed! Supreme Court Imperial City! This was the residence of the ruling ss of the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent, with many Sect Forests, Family Doors, pces, churches, and academies standing tall¡­ In the sky above the Imperial City, clusters of ancient bronze dragons circled. More astonishingly, at the heart above, where the clouds soared, there was a floating cloud forest where dragons of purple, bronze, gold, and white flew back and forth between the cloud forests and the Imperial City¡¯s buildings below. The variety and the number of dragons there fully constituted a Cloud Dragon Country, which had defended the prosperity of the Supreme Court Imperial City for a thousand years! ¡°Cloud Dragon Country,¡± Nan Lingsha said, her eyes shining as she gazed at the huge and auspicious expanse of clouds. In some of the tomes at the Dragon Taming Academy, Nan Lingsha had read about the legends of the dragon dwelling Cloud Country. She had thought it was merely a legend. Now, having witnessed the real Cloud Country, and moreover, right above the Supreme Court Imperial City, the sight was breathtaking. It was as if a wondrous new door had opened in her heart! ¡°The Cloud Dragon Country is the lifeblood of the Royal Family,¡± Zhu Minng spoke. Every time he saw it, he was overwhelmed by the sight. Zhu Minng suddenly realized that even if he, as a Sword Cultivator, had ever reached the pinnacle, it seemed he had never touched the Cloud Dragon Country¡­ And he wondered if this time, he might have the chance. The Cloud Dragon Country was a mystical realm that Zhu Minng had longed since childhood to disturb¡­. to behold! Chapter 127 - 128 Zhu Gate Mourning Chapter 127 - 128 Zhu Gate Mourning Chapter 127: Chapter 128 Zhu Gate Mourning Trantor: 549690339 Zhu Gate stood by Droplet Lake, and within it, one of the cities, Droplet City, was spread around this sereneke. With willows gently swaying and scenery pleasing to the eye, Droplet City was always known for its mostfortable climate. Some wealthy merchants were even willing to spend their fortunes to purchase a residence near Droplet Lake, just to bask in the Spirit Realm of theke and enjoy the tranquility amidst the bustling opulence of the Imperial City. Following the long main street of Droplet Lake to its very end, one would find Zhu Gate, upying the most scenic half of theke¡¯s ind mountains. The first half of Zhu Gate¡¯s entrance seemed to be situated right in the bustle of the city, while the second halfpletely entered the ind mountains in theke. Towering and magnificent pavilions and terraces appeared now and then among the tall weeping willows, silent and refined. But now, with the continuous echoing sound of the suona, resembling the incessant crying of crows at the front of Zhu Gate¡¯s entrance, when Zhu Minng stepped into the gate, what he saw were one startling whitentern after another¡­ Some exotic beast carriages were parked in the spacious entrance area, while groups of high officials and nobles were stepping into Zhu Gate. Standing at the front of Zhu Gate¡¯s entrance were a couple, somewhat gray-haired. Their faces were somber as they numbly observed the etiquette of speaking with the iing guests. Their eyes were hollow, as if their souls were not in their bodies. The visitorsing to mourn were endless, with white sail-like banners and dark ck writing, apanied by the mournful sounds of the suona¡­ Clearly, they were conducting a funeral! Whose funeral?? Zhu Minng¡¯s steps quickened involuntarily. He walked toward the gate, his gaze fixed on the gray-haired couple. At first, the couple did not notice Zhu Minng, but after they made out the features of this young man, the pair of hollow eyes finally began to shimmer with light! ¡°Uncle, Aunt¡­¡± Zhu Minng looked at them, feeling suddenly as if he had a fishbone in his throat, and found himself unable to speak. ¡°Minng?¡± The couple doubted their eyes, confirming again and again. Finally, both the husband and wife ran down from the high steps, as if only by touching Zhu Minng could they confirm he was alive! ¡°Uncle, Aunt, whose funeral are you holding??¡± Zhu Minng asked. By now, Zhu Minng already had a very bad feeling. His Uncle Zhu Yushan and Aunt Bai Xin were childless, and they always treated him as if he were their own child. Late in their years, when they were nearly forty, Zhu Yushan and Bai Xin decided to adopt an orphan who had sought refuge at Zhu Gate, named Zhu Tong. Zhu Tong was sensible and well-behaved since childhood. Although his talents were not exceptional, he had always been grateful to Zhu Yushan and Bai Xin and held great respect for Zhu Minng, this older cousin of his¡­ Seeing those whitenterns one by one, and then reading the characters on the white banners, Zhu Minng already felt something was wrong. ¡°You¡¯re back, you¡¯re back.¡± Zhu Yushan¡¯s face showed wrinkles, clearly out of grief, yet lit up with excitement upon seeing Zhu Minng. Bai Xin felt the same, as if seeing their child who had been traveling afar finally returning home, holding Zhu Minng¡¯s arm without wanting to let go. ¡°Uncle, Aunt, where is Zhu Tong?¡± Zhu Minng asked once more. Just then, a man riding a crag rock horned dragon appeared. He had a half-grown beard and held a fan decorated with jade ornaments in his hand. By his side was a young man with pitch-ck pupils and a grim expression, wearing a suit of dark ck clothes. ¡°Brother Yushan, Brother Yushan, it¡¯s all my fault,¡± said the man with the half-grown beard, looking as if torn by remorse. ¡°My unworthy son has always raised some fierce and evil dragons. Most importantly, he truly did not know that the yellow-haired kid was your foster son, Brother Yushan. For this, I¡¯ve specifically ordered my son toe and apologize with thorns, hoping Brother Yushan, whatever you do, will not pity the past. However you wish to deal with it, I willply!¡± Zhu Yushan and Bai Xin looked over to find that the young man in dark clothes indeed had a bundle of thorns on his back, the thorns piercing his skin¡­ But what was the point of such an apology with thorns? He wounded only his skin, which could be treated with healing ointmentter, while Zhu Tong would sleep forever in a cold wooden coffin! ¡°Steel your heart, steel your heart. Each bigpetition will inevitably lead to some fatalities. Brother Yushan, please do not let this incident harm the harmony between Zhu Gate and the Purple Sect n,¡± said ady in Imperial n attire. ¡°Indeed, sparring andpeting often cause harm to the innocent. Especially when two disciples insist on determining a victor. Brother Yushan, if there¡¯s any hardship, feel free to talk to us of the Purple Sect n. We of the Purple Sect n indeed bear the initial fault,¡± the middle-aged man with the half-grown beard said. ¡°Inferior in skill, life and death are also a matter of fate. Elders, I know I should not have been heavy-handed, but sometimes, even a Dragon Shepherd can¡¯t fully control the beastliness of the Dragon Beasts. If after every victory I have to apologize with thorns like this, I might as well take my own life as an apology right now, and all the great sect woods and family doors should stop organizing any bigpetitions!¡± said the young man in ck clothes, with a hint of resentment in his heart. Just then, a figure suddenly moved through the crowd, his hand fiercely grabbing the throat of the young man in ck, making the bones in his throat creak! ¡°I¡¯ll do it for you, and you don¡¯t even need toe in and kowtow!¡± Zhu Minng, sping the young man¡¯s throat, became surrounded by countless white feathers. These feathers, like spinning des, circled around Zhu Minng. With just onemand from him, this murderous youth would be cut into pieces! ¡°Minng, Minng, don¡¯t do it, you mustn¡¯t,¡± cried Aunt Bai Xin, rushing over. She hurriedly grabbed Zhu Minng¡¯s hand, signaling him to let go. ¡°What kind of bullshit is this, daring tomit a crime here!¡± The man with half a beard exploded in rage, his palm striking toward Zhu Minng. In his palm emerged a huge imprint, like a gate engulfed in zing mes. From within the gate, an Azure Dragon enveloped in purple mes opened its mouth, lunging to bite Zhu Minng. Seeing this, Bai Xin urgently tried to shield Zhu Minng, but with one hand he held her back. His eyes suddenly shed with a crimson light, his aura surging in that instant like a demon! ¡°Sword Spirit Dragon.¡± As themand was issued, a sword broke through the space, revealing only a grand phantom that shed. Before anyone could react, it chopped towards the purple me Azure Dragon. The purple me Azure Dragon was terrified, initially ready to lunge and devour Zhu Minng, but now it dared not emerge from the gate, wriggling back into the Spirit Realm like an earthworm. ¡°Minng, Minng¡­¡± Bai Xin tried to persuade him again. Meanwhile, everyone in the courtyard stared in this direction, all watching Zhu Minng, who was clutching the young man¡¯s throat. ¡°Isn¡¯t that Zhu Minng???¡± ¡°The son of Zhu Heavenly Officer, the formidable Sword Cultivator, Zhu Minng?¡± ¡°Wasn¡¯t there a rumor that he had died?¡± ¡°Zhu Minng used to be the little tyrant of the Imperial City. He¡¯s even chopped off the limbs of the Royal Family¡¯s younger generation. Hao Shaocong, the Big Disciple of the Purple Sect n, probably has a disaster looming.¡± ¡°What disaster? Haven¡¯t you heard that this little tyrant angered the heavens, and his skills as a Sword Cultivator were utterly destroyed, turning him into amoner who wandered around without the face to return!¡± There were not many who truly stepped up to intervene; they merely stood by to watch the drama unfold. Were conflicts between the ns of the Sect Forest umon? In the end, due to the Supreme Court Royal Family, big issues would be minimized, and small ones would be dissolved. Ultimately, it was all about who had greater power and a more substantial backing. ¡°Go kneel a hundred times, or I¡¯ll ughter you and your father together,¡± Zhu Minng said sternly, giving the bastard a hard shove and throwing him to the ground. Hao Shaocong coughed violently, his face flushed with rage. As soon as he caught his breath, he stood up and, pointing at Zhu Minng, said, ¡°What the hell are you, Zhu Tong¡¯s so-called brother of justice?¡± At that moment, the bearded man hurriedly pulled Hao Shaocong to his side and shot him a fierce re, silencing him. ¡°Father, he tried to kill me¡­¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± Hao Yong bellowed, scaring Hao Shaocong into retreating back to the side of ady from the Royal Family, his face pale with fear. Taking a deep breath topose himself, Hao Yong then put on an apologetic face, ¡°It turns out to be the famous son of Zhu Heavenly Officer, Zhu Minng. Indeed, my son was too aggressive in the contest and identally took Zhu Tong¡¯s life. As his father, I will personally oversee him kneeling a hundred times in front of Zhu Tong¡¯s memorial tablet.¡± ¡°Zhu Minng?¡± The Royal Familydy scrutinized Zhu Minng from head to toe, then huffed coldly, ¡°Hmph, it¡¯s not as it once was, yet you still behave so arrogantly. Do you think you can do whatever you please in the Imperial City just because you have Zhu Heavenly Officer and Zhu Xuehen protecting you?¡± ¡°Madame Zhao, get as far away from me as you can. Say one more word that displeases me, and I guarantee your Zhao n can also hold a funeral this month,¡± Zhu Minng replied coldly to the Royal Familydy. They were old acquaintances with a history of grievances, so Zhu Minng didn¡¯t feel the need to be polite with them. Madame Zhao, relying on her status as a Royal Family member¡¯s wife, was backing the Hao family¡¯s father and son. Although Uncle Zhu Yushan and Aunt Bai Xin had always beenmoners, they were by no means to be trifled with! Thinking they could use their Royal Family status to smooth things over? Dream on! ¡°You¡­¡± Madame Zhao pointed at Zhu Minng, too furious to utter another word. Most importantly, Madame Zhao was genuinely wary of Zhu Minng. If he dared to chop off the limbs of the Imperial n, what more her family¡ªthe Zhao n, which was not of the Royal Family. Zhu Minng couldmit such acts, and with Zhu Heavenly Officer around, no one dared to touch him. ¡°Minng, it¡¯s good that you¡¯re back, it¡¯s good that you¡¯re back¡­ As for Zhu Tong, oh¡­ go see him first. He always wanted to see you again. Over the years, Zhu Tong worked hard in his cultivation, striving to keep up with you¡­ Ah, go talk to him,¡± said Bai Xin, tears falling as she spoke. How could she not be angry or heartbroken for her adopted son? But what could they do? The deaths in the great shes among the powerful always ended up being dismissed by the Royal Family as mere idents¡ª¡±ack of skill, unavoidable..¡± Chapter 128 - 129: Prepare the Coffin for Your Son Chapter 128: Chapter 129: Prepare the Coffin for Your Son Trantor: 549690339 But now, the person is no longer here. No matter how much of a fuss is made, in the end, it would not truly result in giving a life for a life. What could somewhat console Bai Xin was that Zhu Minng hade back, standing alive and well in front of her. Moreover, on the very first day Zhu Minng returned to the Imperial City, he killed Hao Shaocong in the street, which might bring even greater trouble to Zhu Minng and Zhu Heavenly Officer. This ount could be settled slowly with the Hao father and son; handling it this way was the most foolish. The Hao father and son knew Zhu Minng was not someone to be trifled with and stowed away their initial arrogance and deceit. Hao Shaocong¡¯s eyes were filled with rage, but in the end, under the coercion of his father, he had to enter the mourning hall. Kneel down, kowtow. Continue until you¡¯vepleted a hundred. Zhu Minng just stood at the mourning hall, looking at a young teenager lying quietly in the wooden coffin¡­ ¡°Kowtow harder,¡± Zhu Minng turned around and said coldly to Hao Shaocong. Filled with resentment and anger, Hao Shaocong still ended up mming his head hard on the ground, causing his forehead to bleed. ¡°Zhu Tong, this is the murderer who killed you. In a few days, I will be participating in the great npetition, and then I will make sure he goes down and apologizes to you personally!¡± Zhu Minng did not whisper these words, but said them directly in front of everyone in the mourning hall. Hao Yong, Madame Zhao, and other attendees of the funeral were all shocked as they looked at Zhu Minng. Was Zhu Minng publicly swearing to kill Hao Shaocong? How could someone be so outrageously disregardful of thew? ¡°Zhu Minng, my son only identally killed your unrted brother. By saying such words in public, are youpletely disregarding me, Hao Yong, and the Purple Sect n??¡± Hao Yong roared in a great rage. ¡°My uncle and aunt had only this one child in their entire life, while you, Hao Yong, have three sons. A life for a life¡ªwhat have I said that¡¯s excessive?¡± Zhu Minng retorted. ¡°I said it was an ident!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, on the day we meet, it will also be an ident,¡± Zhu Minng said with a smile. An ident, such a barefaced lie, was only worthy of deceiving oneself. When Zhu Minng had been gazing at Zhu Tong¡¯s body just now, he had seen the scars that could not even be concealed by makeup, clearly visible even through the extravagant burial garb! If this had happened before, Zhu Minng might have believed the ident story, made him kowtow a hundred times, and then handed him over to the Royal Family for disposition. But after examining the body, Zhu Minng was certain not to let Hao Shaocong off the hook!! This was clearly a malicious act of murder. Even after death, the body had been severely mutted, showing a profound hatred for Zhu Tong. Not only was the murderous intent heavy, but the attacks did not cease even after the victim was dead. Such repugnant behavior was not that of a friendly rivalry between ns; what was even more detestable was the so-called guilt they showed before Zhu Minng¡¯s appearance. It was as if they were mocking Zhu Yushan and Bai Xin, simply ying around with insincere apologies! After taking things this far, did they still expect Zhu Minng to interact with them cordially? What, had the Zhu family be a ce where any Tom, Dick, or Harry coulde to cause trouble? ¡°Hao Yong, if your wretched son drops out of thepetition, or if you hide him somewhere, prepare coffins for your other two sons. I will also present free of charge the musicians who yed the suona for us today, to make your family¡¯s funeral even more solemn than ours today at Zhu Gate!¡± Zhu Minng said. These words silenced the entire mourning hall, including guests from the Great Sect Woods and the grand ns. They had not expected to encounter such an unrestrained and wildly arrogant individual in the Zhu family! For a moment, Hao Yong and Madame Zhao¡¯splexions turned ashen, and Hao Shaocong, with his head bleeding profusely, changed from anger to fear. They had heard of some of Zhu Minng¡¯s past deeds. This fellow, an extraordinary Sword Cultivator, had beaten up senior figures, and at a young age, had battered the exceptional geniuses of various major forces¡­ Although they had heard that he had fallen and be lost, they still worried that this little devil from the Imperial City would do something excessively outrageous, especially as he was the son of Zhu Heavenly Officer ¨C his significance was entirely different from that of an adopted child like Zhu Tong! ¡°Zhu Minng, if you dare touch my son, I will spare nothing to make you regret it immensely!¡± Hao Yong¡¯s face twisted fiercely, probably provoked beyond the point of calming his temper. ¡°Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s leave, don¡¯t get entangled with this madman,¡± Madame Zhao said hurriedly. ¡°You still have twenty more,¡± Zhu Minng said coldly, staring at Hao Shaocong¡¯s back. Hao Shaocong¡¯s head was already covered in blood. Just now he had been frightened badly by Zhu Minng¡¯s words, and as Zhu Minng stood behind him, he was like an executioner from the Underworld. Hao Shaocong believed that if he did not finish the kowtows, his head would indeed fall off. Zhu Minng, although no longer a Sword Cultivator, exuded a terrifyingly evil aura, making Hao Shaocong feel as if there was an Evil Sword hanging behind his neck ¡ª a sword that had drunk the blood of untold donors and chopped untold souls. Finally, hepleted the kowtows. Hao Shaocong was somewhat delirious, and it was his father who helped him to his feet. ¡°The family extends its thanks.¡± It was only then that Zhu Minng, like seeing off guests, uttered this phrase. Hao Yong and Hao Shaocong had to bow to Zhu Yushan and Bai Xin once more before leaving Zhu Tong¡¯s mourning hall with unsettled spirits. After this father and son left, many people from the Zhu Sect were already quietly discussing beside the mortuary hall. ¡°For such scum, this is exactly what they deserve. I¡¯ve long wanted to avenge Zhu Tong. You have no idea, when Zhu Tong¡¯s body was sent back, it was no different from a butchered pig or sheep!¡± a young casting apprentice said. ¡°It¡¯s just like big brother Minng, he deals with such trash without hesitation or dy, finally feeling a sense of relief!¡± ¡°Is he really Zhu Minng??¡± some younger disciples, who could hardly recognize Zhu Minng, looked at him curiously. After all, living in the Zhu Sect, they had somewhat heard of this name. The conducting of the ceremony is just thest respect for the deceased. But the ceremony will eventually end. He will fadepletely from everyone¡¯s sight, be they mere acquaintances or close kin like Zhu Yushan and Bai Xin. People are distinguished as noble or lowly, rich or poor, and once they are in different social sses, human lives do not receive a fair judgment. Zhu Tong, after all, was not a direct descendant, but just an adopted son. Zhu Minng was very clear that, apart from himself, there were not many who would seek justice for him. He had still been considering whether to participate in the Sect Forest and Family Gatepetitions, but now, because of this Hao Shaocong, Zhu Minng had no choice but to go. Passing through the gates, he walked toward Water Droplet Lake Half Mountain Ind. There, whitenterns were no longer hung; like usual, it maintained the Zhu Sect¡¯s consistent solemnity and simplicity, as if the funeral before the gates had nothing to do with the Zhu Sect behind them. After all, Zhu Tong was an adopted son and his aunt and uncle also did not have much status in the Zhu Sect; they merely managed some of the Zhu Sect¡¯s shops in the Imperial City. The willows danced lightly, and aheady a stone arch bridge leading to the Zhu n Inner Court. The Zhu Sect was divided into the inner court and the foreign court. The inner court was the core of the Zhu Sect, responsible for the inheritance and development of forging skills, while the foreign court primarily managed the business of casting shops. For a long time, the inner court of the Zhu Sect had been indifferent to the foreign court, even with a hint of disdain. They held their funeral, just as unrted to the happenings within the Zhu Gate Lake Mountain Ind inner court. ¡°Zhu Minng, your family seems veryplicated,¡± Fang Niannianmented in a low voice. She had also noticed that the foreign court and inner court of the Zhu Sect seemed like two different worlds. The inner court in the midst of theke and mountains seemed like an isted, sacred ce, unaffected by the foreign court¡¯s funeral, as if they were two unrted families. ¡°Our Zhu Sect once took in a defeated nation¡¯s casting family, most of whom became ves. My grandfather disagreed with the ve system and thus established a separate court, which was handed over to the defeated nation¡¯s forging family to manage. That is the foreign court now under the charge of my aunt and uncle,¡± Zhu Minng exined helplessly. In the Supreme Court Imperial City, many families within the dynasty had their own ve groups. And for any power, these ve groups held no status, even though individuals like Zhu Yushan were gradually changing their identity and bing a true core member of the Zhu Sect, the entire dynasty still did not take them seriously. ¡°Then, your aunt and uncle, they¡¯re not blood-rted?¡± Fang Niannian asked. ¡°Uncle Zhu Yushan, originally named Yushan, was a studypanion of my father¡¯s. My father shared the same view as my grandfather and disliked the whole defeated nation ve thing, calling him brother all the time, and even requested to the n to let him change his surname of the defeated nation, which is why we now have the name Zhu Yushan. My father treated him like a brother, and they have always treated me as if I were their own,¡± Zhu Minng exined. Indeed, even if the ve group had offspring, they were certainly of ve status. Even though Zhu Yushan and Bai Xin had already changed their surnames and seemed to have shed the status of defeated nation ves on the surface, if they had children, they would still be considered ves by the Supreme Court Dynasty. This is why they had not had children for many years. Their children would still be unable to cleanse the ve brand. ¡°So, Zhu Tong, as a disciple of your n, even if he was killed in thepetition, no one would deeply investigate the matter??¡± Fang Niannian finally realized. Coming from the Yaoshan Sword Sect, Fang Niannian¡¯s rough impression was that the Zhu Sect should be extremely powerful ¨C how could they allow a funeral to be mocked and ridiculed,pletely disrespecting the bereaved family, if not deliberately provoking them. It turns out the foreign court of the Zhu Sect wasprised of ves from a defeated nation, and while the Zhu Sect epted them and gave them enough respect and status, outsiders still saw them as a lowly group of ves. The thought that Ancestral Dragon City-State could also end up in such a situation sent a shiver down Fang Niannian¡¯s spine. Even relying on a reasonable and powerful n, life is still as cheap as dirt. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter how others see it. My uncle is my uncle, my aunt is my aunt, and my brother is my brother!¡± Zhu Minng took a deep breath and said. ¡°Right, those words you said at the mortuary hall earlier, in one word, cool. The faces of that father and son and especially Madame Zhao, were simply disgusting, and they went too far!¡± Fang Niannian remarked. Zhu Minng looked at Fang Niannian, slightly stunned. After a moment, he finally said, ¡°All this time I¡¯ve known you, that¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve heard youpliment me..¡± Chapter 129 - 130: Eating Soft Rice Again? Chapter 129: Chapter 130: Eating Soft Rice Again? Trantor: 549690339 Zhu n Inner Court, filled with maple and willow trees, had building structures resembling pavilions, intricately scattered around this hillsideke ind. Looking back, one could catch sight of the entire bustling, dreamlike Waterdrop Lake City; looking ahead was like stepping into an otherworldly garden, with broad paths lined with orchids that bloom all year round, and branches, willow twigs, grasnds, and flower beds all meticulously maintained. The outer court still carried a strong metropolitan residence vor, but upon entering the inner court, it became apletely different world, as if it was the spiritual essence of the grand Waterdrop Lake all concentrated in one ce. To describe it as the Spiritual Mountain Wondend would not be an exaggeration. This is probably the true foundation of the Zhu n. At the gate, it would have been impossible to imagine such a sight within; even the Imperial Pce¡¯s Imperial Court could notpare to the tranquility and elegance here. ¡°The stone arch bridge we just crossed is the boundary between the inner and outer court. Sigh, my uncle and aunt have borne such humiliation; after such an incident, they probably don¡¯t wish to share the details with my father. In the end, they just swallow it all down.¡± Zhu Minng heaved a sigh. ¡°You think I¡¯m unaware of this matter?¡± Just then, a man fishing by an ancient willow tree at thekeside spoke. Zhu Minng, Nan Lingsha, and Fang Niannian all turned their gaze toward thekeside simultaneously; initially, they hadn¡¯t even noticed there was someone sitting there. ¡°Your wife and daughter have grown up so much, and only now you bring them back home. If your Elder Sword Sovereign hadn¡¯t given me a heads up, next month we¡¯d be arranging your funeral here in the inner court,¡± the fisherman continued. Fang Niannian and Nan Lingsha nced at each other. Uncle, please don¡¯t pretend to be some wise man and not even turn around. Could you please make sure of your facts before speaking? Who are his wife and daughter here? ¡°Father, after so many years, you still haven¡¯t cured your poor eyesight,¡± Zhu Minng said, bringing the two women with him toward the fisherman. It was then that the fisherman finally gave Nan Lingsha and Fang Niannian a closer look before his eyes awkwardly returned to Zhu Minng, and with an embarrassed smile, he said, ¡°Your mother has never allowed me to take a concubine. You, on the other hand, are leading a carefree life, discarding the enviable cultivation others dream of, ignoring theplex familial politics, living these worry-free days¡­¡± ¡°Uncle, don¡¯t live in your own world. We aren¡¯t like that!¡± Fang Niannian said indignantly. ¡°They are members of my Dragon Shepherd Team, this is a Divine and Mortal from the Nan Family of the Li Chuan Continent¡¯s Ancestral Dragon City-State, Nan Lingsha. The one calling you uncle is my Little Food Manager; we are partners, not spouses,¡± Zhu Minng earnestly exined. ¡°What did you just say you were?¡± the fisherman slowly stood up, looking solemnly at Zhu Minng. ¡°I said I am now a Dragon Shepherd,¡± Zhu Minng met his gaze, unflinching. ¡°Dragon Shepherd, Dragon Shepherd!!¡± The fisherman seemed almost frantic upon hearing this, nearly throwing his fishing rod aside as hemented, ¡°The Zhu n¡¯s Casting Art¡ªdoes it hold no ce in your eyes? You said you wanted to pursue the sword, and then you followed your Aunt Xuehen to the Yaoshan Sword Sect. Now that your Sword Cultivation is gone, I was actually very happy, thinking you could settle down and learn our Zhu n¡¯s skills properly. But no, not you, you became a Dragon Shepherd instead. Is there something disgraceful about Casting Art??¡± Fang Niannian and Nan Lingsha stood by with their mouths agape. Something seemed off about Zhu Minng¡¯s father. As the helmsman of the Zhu n, shouldn¡¯t he be stern and authoritative, not indulging inughter with his son? Why did he seem¡­ somewhat like a humbly doting father? ¡°Father, I have been practicing. I made a suit of armor for my dragon, I¡¯ll show it to youter,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°So you picked up our ancestral craft because of dragons?¡± ¡°If you wish to see it that way, I can¡¯t help it,¡± Zhu Minng replied helplessly. ¡°Fine, if it¡¯s for the sake of dragons, then let it be for dragons,¡± the fisherman said, settling back down. He waved his hand toward theke as if calling someone upon the water¡¯s surface. Suddenly, in the tranquilke, a figure as graceful as a goose skimmed across the water, a valiant woman in ck brocadended at thekeside, her whole being like a block of ice emerging from the water¡­ Without a word, the ck-brocaded woman simply maintained a kneeling posture, her cheeks showing no superfluous emotions. ¡°I originally instructed Qin Yang to chop off the limbs of that little beast but spare his life so that your uncle and aunt could exchange it for some improvement in status. However, since you¡¯ve already said what you did in the ancestral hall, there¡¯s no need for me to intervene,¡± Zhu Heavenly Officer stated. ¡°So you had ns in ce, father. I thought the years had softened you,¡± Zhu Minng said, managing a slight smile. Seeking justice for Zhu Tong was the least he could do for Zhu Yushan and Bai Xin. ¡°There are things you¡¯re better handling publicly than me doing them covertly,¡± Zhu Heavenly Officer remarked. Power struggles in the dark, friction and grudges are all toomon, but there are unwritten rules as well. If Zhu Heavenly Officer were to kill Hao Shaocong himself, it would not ensure that some higher-ranked individuals from the Purple Sect n would not harm the younger generations of the Zhu n. ¡°Is this matter targeted at you?¡± Zhu Minng asked. ¡°Half of it is. They want to provoke me, tossing out a Hao Shaocong and Hao Yong, hoping I would strike first. It would be equivalent to me breaking the rules first, giving the Purple Sect n free rein to suppress and bully the younger generation of our Zhu n,¡± Zhu Heavenly Officer exined. ¡°Knowing the gravity of the situation, you still nned to have Qin Yang take action?¡± Zhu Minng inquired. ¡°They have their ns, and I have my anger to vent. If something simr happens in the future, I will act the same,¡± Zhu Heavenly Officer snorted coldly. Don¡¯t talk to him, Zhu Heavenly Officer, about schemes; he was a man who believed in retribution! Of course, Zhu Minng had returned¡­ Originally, it meant harming the enemy by a thousand, at the cost of self-inflicting eight hundred, but now there was no need for self-hurt. Whatever conspiratorial tactics the other party used, they would simply bite back in kind. Having Zhu Minng kill Hao Shaocong in the grand tournament would be no big deal, they, Zhu n, would even pay for Hao Shaocong¡¯s funeral expenses. Zhu Yushan and Bai Xin would surely be delighted to spend that money, probably even hiring a professional pallbearer team to ensure the Hao family¡¯s loss was handled with dignity! ¡°Father, I heard from the Elder that there have been great changes within our Zhu n recently. Has something significant happened? Our Zhu n is, after all, one of the Six Great ns, albeit thest one; why do we now seem so destitute?¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°What destitute, Young Master? Do you even care about the Zhu n at all?¡± Qin Yang, dressed in ck brocade, spoke up at this moment. ¡°Aren¡¯t we destitute??¡± Zhu Minng asked in confusion. ¡°Do you really have that little confidence in your father¡¯s ability to manage our n?¡± Zhu Heavenly Officer raised an eyebrow and asked. ¡°Now the Zhu n and the Pu n stand as the two heads of the Six Great ns. The other four major ns have already been suppressed by us. Let alone Hao Yong and Hao Shaocong ¨C these minor families and ns ¨C without Purple Sect n, we could annihte them and no one would dare to criticize us. It¡¯s precisely because in these years, our n¡¯s development has been too rapid, which has drawn jealous eyes from the Royal Family, Purple Sect n, and other ns and powers, leading to many incidents.¡± Qin Yang exined. Zhu Minng¡¯s mouth hung open in shock for a long while, unable to close it. The so-called changes¡­ Meant that we had risen from thest of the Six Great ns to the first??? Elder Sword Sovereign, could you not speak so ambiguously? All the way here, Zhu Minng had been incredibly nervous in his heart, fearing that the people in his n were being bullied and destitute. Especially after returning and seeing those whitenterns for the funeral! ¡°So when you act in the future, you don¡¯t need to be too timid¡­ But the thing about severing the limbs of Royal Family descendants, try to do less of that. If you must, don¡¯t leave any leverage for others, make it wless, you understand?¡± Zhu Heavenly Officer earnestly advised. Fang Niannian and Nan Lingsha listened from the side, finding it all very odd. Would any father really teach his son to act this way? Shouldn¡¯t he be advising his son to be cautious, not to act rashly or on impulse? ¡°Right, there is something I need Father to take care of urgently¡­¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°Which girl did you impregnate?¡± Zhu Heavenly Officer asked. ¡°Would you stop being so disrespectful? I¡¯m speaking of urgent matters. Do you know of the Li Chuan Continent?¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°Of course I know. Thatnd isn¡¯t as simple as it appears, and in a little while, I¡¯m afraid many powers will covet it.¡± Zhu Heavenly Officer stated. ¡°What does Father know?¡± Zhu Minng was somewhat surprised. Likely, such a distant territory shouldn¡¯t arouse any interest in the Zhu n, so why did it sound like many big figures were eying the Li Chuan Continent??? ¡°I¡¯ve only heard some fragments here and there. The Li Chuan Continent is actually even older than the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent. It is said to contain many undiscovered ancient relics, and perhaps even an Ancient Dragon Gate¡­¡± Zhu Heavenly Officer revealed. ¡°Is that true?¡± Zhu Minng looked perplexed and turned to nce at Nan Lingsha. Nan Lingsha did not respond. It was unclear whether she had never heard of such matters or if she indeed had some secrets she had not shared with him. ¡°So if you are intending topete, you may face not just scions of various ns.¡± Zhu Heavenly Officer also knew what Zhu Minng was thinking. ¡°Does Father have any good ideas?¡± Zhu Minng asked. ¡°What ideas can I have? Our Zhu n is now the envy of many. Any slight movement can bring a host of troubles. It might be difficult to protect the entire Li Chuan Continent, and if the rumors are true, those old monsters will certainly not allow our Zhu n to monopolize it¡­ But to protect the four city-states you mentioned should be no problem. If worstes to worst, I¡¯ll call in your grandfather and tell him there¡¯s an ancient sword tomb on the Li Chuan Continent. With Yaoshan Sword Sect backing us, this matter will be secure.¡± Zhu Heavenly Officer said. Zhu Minng nodded. He had had this idea for a while, which was why he had made a point of visiting Yaoshan Sword Sect. ¡°With Father saying this, I can rest assured. Sigh, I thought there had been a huge change in the n, that it was struggling to survive. I had nned to return and revitalize the n; it seems my worries were unnecessary.¡± Zhu Minng remarked. ¡°Huh, I knew early on that I couldn¡¯t rely on you, you little good-for-nothing, so I had to be even more prudent than you. Our Zhu n doesn¡¯t have many Dragon Shepherds, so we can¡¯t offer you much support. Or else I¡¯ll go to the Royal Family and arrange a marriage for you, make you a prince consort or something. With the resources of the Royal Family, you will surely ascend to the top with ease!¡± Zhu Heavenly Officer¡¯s eyes lit up, as if even he thought the idea was excellent. Eating soft rice again??? Zhu Minng wouldn¡¯t stand for it! Hey, why did he think ¡®again¡¯? Fang Niannian, standing nearby, was alreadyughing so hard she could barely stand straight.. Chapter 130 - 131 Mr. Jinli Chapter 130 - 131 Mr. Jinli Chapter 130: Chapter 131 Mr. Jinli Trantor: 549690339 ¡°Father, when ites to marriage, I¡¯d rather make my own decisions; you don¡¯t need to worry about it. People only live once, and if I can¡¯t have my freedom in this regard, what difference is there between me and the sparrows and swallows?¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°Well said, you¡¯re truly my son, Zhu Heavenly Officer¡¯s¡ªstubborn just like I was in my youth. Back in the day, your grandfather, your great-grandfather, too, arranged marriages. At first, I was obstinately against it, determined to choose my own partner. Onlyter did I realize that your mother was like a fairy who had unwittingly fallen to this mortal world. Someone asmon as me could only have umted enough good fortune over many lifetimes to meet her and be wed in this life.¡± As Zhu Heavenly Officer spoke these words, his heart was full of emotion. Zhu Minng felt that it was impossible to have a proper conversation with his father. With a dark expression, Zhu Minng feigned a yawn and said, ¡°The two youngdies are tired too. I¡¯ll take them to rest. You can continue fishing here at your own pace, Father.¡± ¡°Qin Yang, please show them the way,¡± Zhu Heavenly Officer instructed thedy in ck brocade, then continued speaking to Zhu Minng, ¡°Zhu Minng,e sit here. I¡¯ll have someone prepare a set of fishing gear for you. It¡¯s been a long time since we¡¯ve had a father-and-son night of fishing and heart-to-heart talks.¡± Zhu Minng couldn¡¯t be bothered to deal with him and quickly caught up with Qin Yang, Nan Lingsha, and Fang Niannian. After a long journey and rushing against time, Zhu Minng hadn¡¯t had a good night¡¯s sleep for the past month. He knew all too well what kind of man Zhu Heavenly Officer was. Spending a night by theke would simply mean listening to him brag about how carefree and splendid his youth was, followed by recounting, once again, the romance between him and his wife. Zhu Minng could recite all his father¡¯s stories by heart. They reached a small hill with a panoramic view of Droplet Lake, where a very simple courtyard marked Zhu Minng¡¯s residence. The courtyard was close to other ces and next to severalrge buildings, not the particrly quiet type. Zhu Minng was not someone who liked too much quiet. Having his own little space with familiar people around was more than ideal. The courtyard was small but had a few nice little buildings. Nan Lingsha and Fang Niannian stayed in the building next to Zhu Minng¡¯s. Tired like him, they washed up and then turned off the lights to sleep. Zhu Minng had wanted to visit Mr. Dumb, but he fell asleep in the bath, and had it not been for a mouthful of bathwater, he would have thought he was in his cool bed¡­ The journey was indeed too arduous. But anyhow, it was finally possible to rx a bit. The scent of flowers woke Zhu Minng, who had slept with therge wooden window open. Opening his eyes and looking down from upstairs, he spotted a familiar figure next door, standing straight with her slender waist, carefully practicing something stroke by stroke. Half-asleep and bewildered, Zhu Minng was somewhat mesmerized. But he soon realized something, shook his head hurriedly, and rubbed his eyes. Nan Lingsha was painting, depicting the scenery of Droplet Lake. From his window, he had the perfect view of her at her desk, but from her side, it was difficult to see into his¡­ Previously, the neighboring building had always been empty, and Zhu Minng had never paid it any attention. Who would have thought that after a woman moved in, the whole building seemed to brighten with colors, invariably attracting his gaze. Still feeling a bit sleepy, Zhu Minng turned over and closed his eyes again. It was uncertain whether only moments passed or he had slept for longer, but when Zhu Minng opened his eyes again, he found himself once again facing the direction of the window. And there, through the bright window of the other building with its curtains gently blowing, he could see Nan Lingsha still sitting there, her figure graceful and curves striking, but she was no longer painting. Instead, she was ying with a very peculiar little creature¡­ The little creature had a very unusual shape, like the clear water of theke, with a green color and a bit of a ghostly light. He could even see through its crystal clear body to the ink it covered on the paper. To call it a little creature was to say it was more a lively little ghostly dragon. Zhu Minng was instantly awake. He leaned forward towards the window, trying to clearly see whether the thing she was ying with was truly a dragon, when suddenly Nan Lingsha stood up and headed inside, apparently called by Fang Niannian. Zhu Minng also hurriedly got up and washed hastily. When he reached the courtyard, Nan Lingsha was alsoing out, seeing Zhu Minng with his clothes still wrinkled. ¡°Niannian and I will take a walk around,¡± Nan Lingsha said. ¡°Oh, okay, Qin Yang will follow you, and since there aren¡¯t many dragon food supplies left¡­ Right,st night I asked you about the Ancient Dragon Gate, and you said you would borate today. In the evening, I¡¯ll take you to the finest restaurant here to try the steamed fish of Droplet Lake and taste some Willow Liquor. Then, you can take your time telling me all about it,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°Sure,¡± Nan Lingsha seemed quite interested in tasting fish and drinking liquor, a slight smile appearing on her face. Zhu Minng maintained a modest and polite smile, watching as Nan Lingsha and Fang Niannian walked out, while Qin Yang in her golden-orange brocade outfit was already waiting at the entrance of the courtyard. Once they left the courtyard, the smile on Zhu Minng¡¯s face gradually faded away. He gazed at the spot where Nan Lingsha had left, falling deep into thought. Last night, he had not asked Nan Lingsha about the Ancient Dragon Gate, yet just now, Nan Lingsha had not had the slightest question. After breakfast, Zhu Minng headed toward another path on Lake Ind Mountain. He did encounter some people on the way, but many of them no longer recognized him. Of course, Zhu Minng alsopletely failed to recognize some people, even though it was within the inner courtyards of Zhu Gate. It seemed that there had been quite significant personnel changes over the years. Passing through the magnificent Sword Casting Hall, Zhu Minng arrived at a blue pool created by ake¡¯s inflow, Blue Pond Stream, where he saw a group of children, about seven or eight years old, sitting neatly in rows on stone benches, as if listening to the most fascinating y. But there was no stage in front of them, just a blue stream of water, above which Mr. Dumb was speaking non-stop, as if his words flowed like a river, recounting some ancient and inconceivable Divine Dragon legends. ¡°This dragon, it possesses an Ancestral Vein, and when it is enraged, it can soak the heavens and earth in the sea of void it summons. The waves of that sea can break down mountain ranges hundreds of kilometers long, and the Ancient Beasts within the sea can easily tten a nation¡¯s capital¡­¡± ¡°So do you know who is revered above this Ancestral Vein Void God Dragon? Yes, that¡¯s right, it¡¯s none other than yours truly!¡± ¡°I am the primordial ancestor from beyond the nine heavens, returned to simplicity as the most diminutive Mortal Fish.¡± Having said this, the children were already leaning side to side withughter, as if the happiest event of their day was to sit in neat rows here and listen to Mr. Dumb¡¯s absurd tales. If an outsider were to walk in here and see a group of children gathered around a Jinli that could float and move freely in the air, hearing this Jinli speak humannguage, they¡¯d surely find it an extremely bizarre sight. But within Zhu Gate, even three or four-year-old toddlers were aware of this talking fish. Everyone called it Mr. Dumb. No one within Zhu Gate knew the origins of this Jinli, only that Jinli had always been seen as a bringer of good fortune. During the holidays, almost every household would hang lifelike paintings of carp, hoping for good luck to descend. Zhu Gate was no different, but Zhu Gate never hung carp paintings or handed out carp scrolls. They just let their childrene to this Blue Pond Stream to pay their respects to Mr. Dumb, and that was enough. ¡°So you see, the waves can break down mountain ranges hundreds of kilometers long, and those Ancient Beasts in the sea¡­¡± The small Jinli continued to open its mouth, sounding somewhat weary with age, yet its voice was not really that old, often tinged with a sense of humor. ¡°Mr. Dumb, you just spoke about that part.¡± said a chubby child. ¡°Ah? Isn¡¯t it because I¡¯m afraid you won¡¯t remember it that I¡¯m telling you again,¡± the small Jinli flicked its tail, swimming through the air as if to mimic a private tutor walking and standing with his hands behind his back in a ssroom. ¡°But you¡¯ve already repeated this part seven times today.¡± said a little girl with her hair done up in a standing braid. ¡°Then that¡¯s all for today¡¯s lesson, go y.¡± said the floating little Jinli. The children scattered, chasing butterflies near the mountain stream, quickly disappearing from sight. The small Jinli swam several circles above the water of the stream. Zhu Minng approached the stream, and had only walked about seven steps when he heard the small Jinli shout. ¡°Those little rascals! Not a single one came to ss today. I¡¯m going to give each of their parents a piece of my mindter. It¡¯s infuriating, absolutely infuriating!¡± The little Jinli started to swim even faster, its whiskers lifting and eyes bulging with anger. Zhu Minng almostughed out loud. Mr. Dumb, truly lived up to his name. It was a wonder how that seven-second memory could hold so many bizarre tales. ¡°Mr. Jinli, Zhu Minng hase to see you,¡± Zhu Minng called out loudly as he arrived near the stream. ¡°Zhu Minng???¡± Mr. Jinli suddenly leaped through the air, reaching Zhu Minng in an instant, staring him down with its big, dumbfounded eyes. ¡°It¡¯s me¡­¡± ¡°You kid, you¡¯ve been eating that fish feed from thekes and ponds, how did you grow so big all of a sudden??¡± Mr. Jinli¡¯s fishy face managed to make a surprisingly human expression of shock. ¡°Mr. Jinli, I am now a Dragon Shepherd and I have many questions to ask you,¡± Zhu Minng said, already used to Mr. Jinli¡¯s entric way of speaking. ¡°Dragon Shepherd?? You¡¯re a Dragon Shepherd now, ha ha ha ha! Mr. Jinli suddenly stood on its tail, its short fins making the gesture of cing hands on hips,ughing uproariously while looking up, ¡°What nonsense being a Sword Master, no big achievements in a lifetime. At the end, they just work for Dragon Shepherds. It¡¯s not toote to start dragon rearing with your nine heavens fish grandpa here, I guarantee you¡¯ll easily dominate far and wide!¡± Zhu Minng was at a loss for words, Mr. Jinli was indeed as entric as ever. ¡°Now I have four dragons¡­¡± ¡°What about the White Soaring Dragon that grew up with you? Has it died?¡± Mr. Jinli suddenly recalled something and asked in astonishment. ¡°Bai Qi is in hibernation; it¡¯s now the Ice Morning White Dragon.¡± Zhu Minng replied.. Chapter 131 - 132 Reincarnation Transformation Chapter 131 - 132 Reincarnation Transformation Chapter 131: Chapter 132 Reincarnation Transformation Trantor: 549690339 Zhu Minng came to seek Mr. Jinli, actually for the sake of Bai Qi¡¯s matter. Moreover, regarding the Dragon Disaster, Zhu Minng vaguely remembered that he had heard about it from Mr. Jinli as well. Mr. Jinli may have a seven-step memory, but his understanding of dragons far exceeded that of many academy schrs, and it seemed he had some knowledge of this world that had always been shrouded in the Void Sea and fog. Zhu Minng used to think that Mr. Jinli spoke only of irrelevant matters, but after experiencing being lost, after experiencing the adjacency of this continent, Zhu Minng felt more and more that Mr. Jinli was truly a learned genius! If only his memory wasn¡¯t so disordered, he would be an excellent mentor. At the moment, Zhu Minng also detailed Bai Qi¡¯s situation to Mr. Jinli. From regressing into an Ice Bug, to metamorphosing into an Ice Pupa and then into the Ice Morning White Dragon, Zhu Minng now couldn¡¯t be sure whether Little Bai Qi¡¯s regression was due to Crossing the Dragon¡¯s Cmity or not. Little Bai Qi slept very soundly, even if summoned from the Spirit Realm, he still could not open his eyes, just curled his tail around Zhu Minng¡¯s body andy on Zhu Minng¡¯s shoulder, sleeping soundly again. Mr. Jinli was also surprised. Because the Little Bai Qi he saw was clearly a White Soaring Dragon. Even if it had gone through some advancements, transformations, or leap through the Dragon Gate and survived the Dragon Disaster, it was impossible for the original bloodline of the White Soaring Dragon to disappear and turn into abination of the Silver Moon Response Dragon and the Star Wind Ice Dragon¡¯s bloodlines! Thispletely contradicted any known dragon advancement method. ¡°How is it?¡± Zhu Minng asked. ¡°It¡¯s not Crossing the Dragon¡¯s Cmity, this regressive transformation ability should be called Reincarnation Transformation. It¡¯s abination of the Butterfly Spirit Transformation and the rebirth of a Phoenix Dragon, but with an additional cycle of life. I can tell you clearly that with this ability, Little Bai Qi doesn¡¯t need to cross any Dragon Disaster. After one more reincarnation, it can easily cross into a higher realm,¡± Mr. Jinli said. ¡°One more reincarnation???¡± Zhu Minng was stupefied upon hearing this. What does ¡®one more reincarnation¡¯ mean!! ¡°It means there¡¯s a possibility of degrading again. This ability is extremely special. It should reincarnate over and over again, advancing each time, even without a Dragon Shepherd, it would keep transforming into higher level dragons during the endless years,¡± Mr. Jinli said. ¡°Little Bai Qi indeed doesn¡¯t need any resources or training to keep getting stronger, but to regress again, that¡¯s just too¡­¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°Do you naively think that when you met Little Bai Qi, it hadn¡¯t experienced reincarnation? I can tell you explicitly that during its White Soaring Dragon phase, it definitely wasn¡¯t its first reincarnation form,¡± Mr. Jinli said. Zhu Minng opened his mouth, somewhat in disbelief, yet unsure what to say. Since he had memories, the White Soaring Dragon had been by his side, and at that time, Little Bai Qi was still a young White Soaring Dragon. Even without a Spirit Contract, it had always lived with him, growing up together. As for where Little Bai Qi came from, and what it was before, Zhu Minng really hadn¡¯t given much thought. Could it be that when he first saw Little Bai Qi, it had just gone through a reincarnation and taken the form of a White Soaring Dragon? The lifespan of the White Soaring Dragon was long, and its growth rate was slow due to theck of a Dragon Shepherd¡¯s Spirit Contract, so it just slowly grew up with him? ¡°What was Little Bai Qi¡¯s form before then?¡± Zhu Minng asked incredulously. ¡°Only the heavens know that, perhaps at the very beginning, it was a tiny Ice Bug, the most insignificant and humble creature in this world, one that even a sparrow could eat,¡± Mr. Jinli said. ¡°Having gone through a Reincarnation Transformation, it became a Butterfly Spirit or a White Jiao Spirit, slowly moving away from the most trivial levels, but still struggling to survive in this survival of the fittest world,¡± Mr. Jinli said. Zhu Minng tilted his head, looking at Little Bai Qi lying on his shoulder, sleeping so peacefully, so tranquilly, and his heartstrings were suddenly jostled by a few words. When he met Bai Qi, it was already a White Soaring Dragon. Before knowing him, how many times had Bai Qi gone through such reincarnations?? How did it survive on its own in this fierce and dangerous world? Keep in mind that when it regressed, it was so weak that it might not even find a few mulberry leaves to fill its belly. If he didn¡¯t pay a bit of attention, it could even be carried away by some birds! ¡°Its ability means that any life constraints, bloodline ranks of this world cannot bind it, it will only be stronger over and over again, strong enough to surpass the Dragon King, to be on par with the Progenitors, strong enough that in this eternal universe, billions of gxies can no longer find any creature that could stand above it,¡± Mr. Jinli said with some excitement. Zhu Minng looked at Mr. Tinli. and then nced at Bai Oi Iving on his shoulder like a fluffy kitten¡­ For some reason, even though Mr. Jinli often spoke of nonsense, including these preposterous words, Zhu Minng somewhat believed them to be true. He grew up with Little Bai Qi. He had seen the powerful state of the White Soaring Dragon, and he had also seen it weakened into an Ice Bug, too weak to even fill its belly. So when Bai Qi transformed into the Ice Morning White Dragon, he became incredibly powerful even without any need for cultivation, and Zhu Minng didn¡¯t find anything unreasonable about this. It was precisely because he had witnessed the entire process of Little Bai Qi¡¯s regression, and saw how difficult its existence was! ¡°Mr. Jinli, doesn¡¯t that mean I¡¯m very lucky? All beings have their shackles; no matter how strong they are, they can¡¯t break through the heavens or obliterate the earth. But ording to Mr. Jinli, even if Little Bai Qi is to be the unparalleled Dragon King of this era, it is merely a matter of going through one or two Reincarnation Transformations?¡± Zhu Minng could hardly calm the tumult in his heart. ¡°In my eyes, the little guy is the lucky one.¡± ¡°There probably isn¡¯t another fool in this world like you, Zhu Minng, who would give up a matchless Sword Master¡¯s cultivation base, just to let an ordinary White Dragon survive a disaster, and apany it like an insignificant bug in this fierce world, leading a life of ups and downs,¡± said Mr. Jinli gravely. Zhu Minng looked at Mr. Jinli with a face full of surprise and, ultimately, couldn¡¯t help but smile bitterly. ¡°It turns out Mr. Jinli has seen through it. Please do not tell others, especially Aunt Xuehen,¡± Zhu Minng said helplessly, giving Mr. Jinli a bow. ¡°You have made it what it is, and it will make you who you will be. What God and Mortal, what Sword Cultivator, in the end, they are but mere specks of dust. Before long, your mastery as a Dragon Shepherd will surpass that of a Sword Cultivator. Not to mention this Supreme Court Courtyard Continent, even the Divine Realm Sky, ten times, a hundred times, a thousand times more vast, cannot stop your ascension. As a Sword Cultivator, you might be a king, but I¡¯ll make you a god,¡± Mr. Jinli said spiritedly, his words full of passion! For a long time, Zhu Minng thought Mr. Jinli must have once been the leader of some cult, instilling ideas of supreme dominion and ruling the primitive world. But after hearing what Mr. Jinli had said today, even Zhu Minng himself felt a surge of enthusiasm. Zhu Minng couldn¡¯t help but turn his head to look at Little Bai Qi, estimating that Little Bai Qi was not even aware of its past cycles of reincarnation, because of the soul connection with the Dragon Shepherd, it was slowly recalling its experiences of being a White Soaring Dragon during its reincarnations. Mr. Jinli also leaned over, his eyes focused on the still sleeping Little Bai Qi. Itv on Zhu Minng¡¯s shoulder. emitting slight. adorable snores. with a Mr. Jinli gave a long sigh. Indeed, for Zhu Minng and Bai Qi, each was the other¡¯s good fortune. Mr. Jinli knew that even if Little Bai Qi were to regress again, bing weak and insignificant, Zhu Minng would still take very good care of it. ¡°Zhu Minng, whether it¡¯s Phoenix Nirvana or Butterfly Spirit Transformation, there are ways to make this stage pass more quickly, so you wouldn¡¯t have to wander as long as you did before,¡± said Mr. Jinli. ¡°How should I do this? Please enlighten me,¡± Zhu Minng said respectfully. ¡°I don¡¯t remember,¡± Mr. Jinli said honestly. Why does this have to happen at this moment! Zhu Minng grimaced. ¡°I should remember eventually. Anyway, Bai Qi won¡¯t be reincarnating any time soon. Reincarnation Transformation only happens when its current form reaches its peak and its strength can no longer break through, or when progress is slow, then it will enter the next cycle,¡± said Mr. Jinli. ¡°But I can¡¯t always be here at Zhu Gate. It would be quite troublesome if you remember when I¡¯m not around,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°Listen to yourself, Zhu Minng, aren¡¯t you willing to give even a small monthly stipend to this little fish? When I urged you to choose Dragon Trainer with great earnestness, I had anticipated that we would elegantly traverse the world together. Do you really think my ambition is to be a mascot, to be copied and forwarded at will?!¡± Mr. Jinli said with heartache, and as he spoke, he really clutched his fins over his heart. Zhu Minng hadn¡¯t thought about it that way. But it was a good thing after all! There were many things Zhu Minng didn¡¯t understand, but now he had someone to ask. And with its guidance, he could avoid many detours on his path to dragon rearing. Even the painstaking task of consulting the Dragon Code books was unnecessary ¨C Mr. Jinli¡¯s belly was like a vast library; there was nothing he did not know. If he truly didn¡¯t know, he could always weave tales. It¡¯s just that sometimes he forgets things. And sometimes, he only has a seven-step memory. That is why the children also call him Mr. Dumb. On second thought, that was a minor issue. If it followed him in his Dragon Shepherd Team, it could immediately tell him once it remembered. That would be more efficient than aimlessly searching for those unfamiliar records and books. Besides, how much could fish bait cost? There¡¯s nothing cheaper to keep than fish in this world. You feed them, change the water¡­ Zhu Minng nced at Mr. Jinli, who was leisurely swimming in the air, wiggling its tail¡­ Heh, no need to even change the water! Chapter 132 - 133 Ancient Dragon Palace Chapter 132: Chapter 133 Ancient Dragon Pce Trantor: 549690339 ¡°By the way, Mr. Jinli, do you know about the Ancient Relics and the Ancient Dragon Gate?¡± Zhu Minng remembered to ask this. ¡°I can¡¯t remember.¡± ¡°These darned kids, not a single one showed up for ss today. Later, I¡¯m going to scold each and every one of their parents one by one. I¡¯m so mad, so mad¡­ Hey, aren¡¯t you Zhu Minng? You¡¯re back from training at the Yaoshan Sword Sect? Is the Yaoshan Sword Sect feeding you pig slop? Howe they turned a fine young man like you so haggard?¡± Mr. Jinli said, his fish face full of surprise. Zhu Minng smacked his lips, thought for a moment, and then decided it was better just to leave. It would be too tiring to exin everything all over again. After all, in a little while, Mr. Jinli would probably remember on his own. After visiting with Mr. Jinli, Zhu Minng made his way to the outer courtyard. He thought it would be good to check on Zhu Yushan and Bai Xin to fully understand the whole story of what had happened. For the major contest of forces, his father should have already arranged everything. In a few days, he would participate in thepetition as a Zhu n Disciple. In the outer courtyard, some whitenterns had been taken down. Only in some potted nts and on the hedges, there were still some in colored flowers. It seemed that in just one day¡¯s time, this ce had returned to its usual self. The people of the outer courtyard were busy as ever. The absence of one person did not affect the operation of the outer courtyard at all. Zhu Minng went to the mansion, where he saw Zhu Yushan and Zhu Qianjie discussing something with a group of merchants. These merchants should be the managers of weapon stores from various countries and city-states. They came this time not only to visit and mourn but also to seek a batch of fine weapons from Zhu Yushan¡¯s side. Zhu Minng sat on the side for a while, and Zhu Yushan quickly finished his business with these merchants. Zhu Qianjie came over first. He nced at Zhu Minng and snorted coldly, ¡°Since you¡¯re back, why not stay in the inner courtyard, report to the elders about your safety, and run over here for what?¡± Zhu Qianjie was an elder of the Family Door and controlled the financial power of the outer courtyard. Zhu Minng responded with a smile but did not answer. Elder Zhu Qianjie couldn¡¯t be bothered to say more and hastily left the outer courtyard. ¡°Are you getting used to being back?¡± Zhu Yushan asked. ¡°It¡¯s quite nice. I just went to see Mr. Jinli,¡± Zhu Minng replied. ¡°You, you, other children, when they return, they have to go and greet each elder in the inner courtyard one by one, but you, you only visited a talking fish,¡± Zhu Yushan shook his head. ¡°Anyway, the elders who don¡¯t like me won¡¯t have a better opinion of me even if I go there to exchange pleasantries. Uncle, I still want to fully understand what happened to Zhu Tong,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°This is partly my fault. Ever since Zhu Tong started dragon training, he has been climbing up on his own step by step. I didn¡¯t give him much help and didn¡¯t expect that he had already been isted among those disciples of the powerful, often subject to bullying by offspring with stronger backgrounds,¡¯ Zhu Yushan said with great self-reproach. ¡°So, the instigator wasn¡¯t just Hao Shaocong?¡± Zhu Minng asked. ¡°Yes, after the boy was brought back, one of my old friends who works as a servant in the Family Door told me. He took the opportunity toe out to gather materials and told me that Zhu Tong actually died in a gambling game of a group of dandies. This group is referred to by the younger generation of powerful disciples as the ¡®Royal Young Gang¡¯,¡± Zhu Yushan exined. Royal Young Gang?? Zhu Minng had actually never heard of this before. ¡°They are just a group of youngsters with backgrounds and power who often hang out together, relying on their strong connections in the Imperial City tomit all kinds of evil, bringing cmity to themon people,¡± he said. ¡°About three or four months ago, a destitute rtive who once lived in our outer court had a daughter who became an apprentice in the Ancient Dragon Pce. Not long after she entered, a member of the Royal Young Gang took a fancy to her, harassed and threatened her in various ways.¡± ¡°It seems the girl eventually lost her chastity. Zhu Tong became very angry when he heard about it and beat that little beast up, which led to aplete fallout with this so-called Royal Young Gang.¡± ¡°Later on, the Royal Young Gang bullied Zhu Tong for various reasons, even killing all of his Juvenile Spirits and a Dragon Beast. Despite this, they still wouldn¡¯t leave Zhu Tong alone, so when the gang members were drunk on one asion, they made a bet, iming that whoever dared to kill Zhu Tong during the greatpetition would be rewarded with money collected from everyone to buy a Spiritual Realm Fruit.¡± Zhu Yushan grew increasingly remorseful as he spoke, for he had been busy with business all the time,pletely unaware of the bullying his son had faced from these wretches over the past three or four months. If he could have heard of the situation, the death of Zhu Tong might have been avoided. Zhu Tong also, to have encountered such a serious matter and not even mention it to his family! Though they were part of Zhu Gate¡¯s outer court, if the elders had stepped in, those Royal Young Gang members definitely would not dare tomit such atrocities! ¡°What¡¯s the girl¡¯s name, and is she still in the Ancient Dragon Pce?¡± Zhu Minng asked. ¡°Lu Ming¡¯er, she should still be there,¡± Zhu Yushan replied. ¡°Good, I¡¯ll go ask her.¡± Zhu Minng didn¡¯t know much about the various powers of the Imperial City; after all, he never inquired about anyone¡¯s background when he used to bully others with his own background and power. Moreover, because of his rtionship with Zhu Xuehen, Zhu Minng did not hesitate to act ruthlessly even against members of the Royal Family. The Ancient Dragon Pce is a force that Zhu Minng is truly not very familiar with. He spent most of his time in the Yaoshan Sword Sect training before he turned fifteen, and the Supreme Court Imperial City was so vast that it was impossible to keep track of which powerful dragons and local snakes were inside. The Ancient Dragon Pce is located within Elephant Hill Capital, which is backed by a vast range of mountains. It¡¯s said that these mountains are a paradise for ancient dragons, and the people of Elephant Hill Capital could asionally hear terrifying roars emanating from the peaks of Ancient Elephant Mountain. Compared to Waterdrop Lake City, Elephant Hill Capital is less prosperous. Zhu Minng flew on the Divine Green Holy Dragon for a long time before arriving in the somewhat remote Elephant Hill Capital. The Ancient Dragon Pce, as the name suggests, is a force that specializes in nurturing ancient dragons. Everyone in their pce sees ancient dragons as the most powerful beings in the world and venerates them as objects of faith. The Elephant Hill Ancient Dragon Pce is not the most authoritative or powerful of its kind; the supreme Ancient Dragon Pce is in another kingdom, whose precise location Zhu Minng didn¡¯t know, but he heard it was so powerful that it ranked just below the Royal Family. Besides the Ancient Dragon Pce, there¡¯s also the Azure Dragon Pce. The Azure Dragon Pce shares the same philosophy with the Ancient Dragon Pce, only they worship the mysterious Azure Dragon as their faith. Those who worship giant dragons, however, are not called dragon pces or dragon halls. Those who worship giant dragons belong to the Church, which sees giant dragons as symbols of strength capable of conquering everything in this world. The Church¡¯s power is also immense, having once ruled over half of the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent and standing on equal footing with the Supreme Court Royal Family. In fact, whether it is Sect Forest, Family Door, Pce, Church, or Academy, each has ruled over the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent during a certain period in history. After various rises and falls, the Supreme Court Royal Family eventually took over. Chapter 133 - 134 Little Beast Chapter 133: Chapter 134 Little Beast Trantor: 549690339 ¡°Ancient Dragon Pce, they must have their unique ¡®secret recipes¡¯ for taming and cultivating ancient dragons,¡± Zhu Minng stood at the entrance of the Ancient Dragon Pce in Xiangshan City and reported his identity to the gatekeeper. Upon hearing that it was a son of the Zhu Gate, the gatekeeper dared not neglect his duties and hurriedly went to have Lu Ming¡¯ere out to meet him. Zhu Minng did not enter but waited at the pavilion beside the gate. Soon a young woman with pale skin and a slender figure walked out, her eyes timidly looking towards the gate. ¡°Lu Mingler, I am Zhu Minng, Zhu Tong¡¯s brother,¡± Zhu Minng said. Hearing the name Zhu Tong, Lu Ming¡¯er¡¯s eyes darted with a flicker of panic. She hemmed and hawed, unsure of how to respond to Zhu Minng. ¡°It¡¯s like this, I was flipping through some of Zhu Tong¡¯s notes yesterday, and he mentioned you in them. He said you have encountered some trouble and hoped he could help you as much as he could, but his notes were very vague. I thought, as his brother, I should fulfill these unfinished matters for him, so I specifically came here, wanting to resolve this. But Miss Lu Mingler, can you tell me what trouble you¡¯ve encountered?¡± Zhu Minng asked. Upon hearing this, the panic in Lu Mingl er¡¯s expression gradually subsided a bit. ¡°Mr. Zhu, when your Zhu Gate allied with our family, I heard about you, and Zhu Tong also spoke of you often to me,¡± Lu Ming¡¯er quietly said. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s good, just don¡¯t consider me a bad guy,¡± Zhu Minng chuckled. Zhu Minng talked with Lu Ming¡¯er for a while about his rtionship with Zhu Tong, enabling Lu Ming¡¯er to temporarily lower her guard. After understanding the situation, Lu Ming¡¯er told Zhu Minng that the one who persistently harassed her was a member of the Royal Young Gang, Zhao Xi. No wonder Madame Zhao appeared together with Hao Yong and Hao Shaocong, the father and son duo, hoping to use her Royal Family status to soothe the matter. It turns out that the whole affair began with Zhao Xi, the brat,mitting acts of bullying against a maiden! Madame Zhao, a member of the Royal Family, was originally married into a minor family door. After her husband died, her son took her surname. The Zhao n, even being part of the Royal Family, meant that Zhao Xi, originally just a minor family door¡¯s disciple, began tomit wrongdoings relying on his mother¡¯s royal status. No doubt Zhao Xi, upon initially learning that Zhu Tong was a disciple of the Zhu Gate, did not dare take any action. Butter, after discovering the distinction between the outer and inner courts of the Zhu Gate and understanding Zhu Tong¡¯s status as an adopted son, he entrusted Hao Shaocong to directly attempt the murder during thepetition! These roguish scions might not possess much real ability, but they are quite aware of whom they can trample on and who they¡¯d best not provoke! However, the domestic servant deemed insignificant in their eyes was indistinguishable from a blood cousin to Zhu Minng. Zhao Xi, Hao Shaocong. These two little beasts, Zhu Minng would make sure they paid for their blood debt with blood! Zhu Minng returned to the Water Droplet Lake Imperial City, and the Divine Green Holy Dragon stretched its iron-leaf wings, a body of green brilliance flying over the skies of the Droplet Lake. Alighting at his small courtyard and building, Zhu Minng found a koi, shimmering in the sunlight, casually swimming around in his yard. Despite the absence of a single drop of water, it seemed as if it was in a clear mountain stream, so content and at ease. ¡°Zhu Minng!¡± Mr. Jinli called out, his voice somewhat high-pitched. ¡°Mr. Jinli, have you figured out how to help Bai Qi get through his degeneration period faster?¡± Zhu Minng inquired. ¡°No, it¡¯s you who should answer for this. How could you just leave little Mr. Jinli there without a word? Weren¡¯t we supposed to conquer the world together!¡± Mr. Jinli eximed, raising his voice. ¡°I haven¡¯t really gone far either, have I?¡± ¡°Divine Green Holy Dragon??¡± At this moment, Mr. Jinli¡¯s gaze fell upon Little Qingzhuo and he quickly swam over to the Divine Green Holy Dragon¡¯s side. Circling around the Divine Green Holy Dragon a few times, Mr. Jinli¡¯s fish eyes kept rolling. ¡°How on earth did you raise this dragon? A perfectly fine Holy Dragon without a hint of the powerful aura it¡¯s supposed to have,¡± Mr. Jinli demanded. ¡°It was severely injured when it was a fledgling,¡± Zhu Minng exined right away. ¡°Oh, a Disabled Dragon. You really aren¡¯t particr when ites to choosing dragons. But it¡¯s good that this little fellow has a solid foundation, and since it¡¯s been fed with ten-year Yinsu Sacred Dew, there might be some hope for it topete with the Ice Morning White Dragon if it gets a bit of hundred-year Holy Dew,¡± Mr. Jinli said. ¡°As for that hundred-year Holy Dew, I do have some in my possession, but I am not sure when would be the best time to administer it. Do you have any suggestions, Mr. Jinli?¡± Zhu Minng asked. ¡°Where did you get such a rare treasure??¡± Mr. Jinli inquired, yet before Zhu Minng could answer, Mr. Jinli hurriedly continued, ¡°Now is the best time to take it, but it would be ideal tobine it with the essence of an element to help it reach maturity. That way, when it awakens the Holy Dragon bloodline, its ability to harness natural forces will be significantly enhanced.¡± ¡°Mr. Jinli truly is a knowledgeable genius. Just a nce and you know what abilities the Divine Green Holy Dragon has. As for the essence of an element, there are many kinds. What should I choose?¡± Zhu Minng asked. ¡°Water and wood properties are best. The Yinsu Sacred Dew is the main ingredient, and Mangrove Essence is a good choice. Other essences from trees growing in wends and water forests are also suitable, as long as they are between three and five hundred years old. Anything older is too much for it to absorb; anything younger won¡¯t have any effect,¡± Mr. Jinli said, speaking with a solemn and serious tone that flowed out almost automatically. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Jinli,¡± Zhu Minng replied, overjoyed. Zhu Minng had been struggling with when to give the Divine Green Holy Dragon the hundred-year Holy Dew because he could not determine whether it was at a stage where it could advance. If given too early, it might just fall short of the next stage, and dying it could mean an indefinite wait for advancement. Trees that grow in wends would do. He would discuss this with Fang Niannianter; she should be able to find the required essence quickly. The battle between powers wouldmence in no more than three days, and by then, it would be time for the Divine Green Holy Dragon to demonstrate its prowess! When night fell, Zhu Minng arrived at the Lake View Restaurant as promised. Choosing the best spot with the view, Zhu Minng ordered some of the tastiest wine and dishes avable here. After drinking a few rounds, Zhu Minng stole nces at Nan Lingsha, and only when he saw her cheeks gain a rosiness did he start talking about the Ancient Ruins and the Ancient Dragon Gate. ¡°If Ancient Mountain is what we¡¯re considering, then it¡¯s at the very northern end of the Li Chuan Continent. That snowy realm is mystical, ancient, and easy to get lost in. I¡¯m uncertain if it¡¯s the so-called Ancient Ruins. As for the Ancient Dragon Gate, I¡¯ve never heard of it,¡± Nan Lingsha said. ¡°In a few days, I¡¯ll be participating in the battle between powers. If Miss Lingsha is free, you can join as well. There will be many strong Divine and Mortal beingspeting, and the rewards are substantial¡­¡± Zhu Minng mentioned. ¡°Sure,¡± Nan Lingsha nodded in agreement. The battle between powers involved individuals participating on their own behalf; no teams were involved. However, the rivalry between powers was openly contested by teams, and how exactly it would y out was uncertain. It all depended on the negotiations between Zhu Heavenly Officer and the other powers. One simply had to wait quietly for the response; Zhu Heavenly Officer would certainly strive for apetition format that was most advantageous to them.. Chapter 134 - 135: Group Fight Chapter 134 - 135: Group Fight Chapter 134: Chapter 135: Group Fight Trantor: 549690339 The grandpetition between powers took ce in the ancient bronze-colored Supreme Court Imperial City, at the intersection of the Five Royal Pce Avenues; hence, those who wanted to watch this battle simply needed to follow any one of the pce avenues to the end to catch sight of the showdown between the Dragon Shepherds and the God and Mortal! The avenue of the Droplet Lake Imperial City actually starts right outside the doorway of Zhu Gate. Zhu Minng had wanted to ride directly into the heart of the Imperial City on the Divine Green Holy Dragon, but considering that the central part of the Imperial City isn¡¯t Zhu Gate¡¯s territory, dragon flying isn¡¯t permitted. It was still early, and Aunt Bai Xin had a luxurious carriage prepared for Zhu Minng and Nan Lingsha, suggesting they proceed slowly, to also take in the prosperity of the Droplet Imperial City and the Central Imperial City. Upon arriving leisurely in the Central Imperial City, the ground paved with ancient bronze-coloredrge stones was neatly cut and polished smooth. With sunlight shining upon them, they look like a field of gold and copper. ¡°There are a lot of people.¡± Nan Lingsha remarked quietly upon seeing the usually spacious road already somewhat congested. ¡°Let¡¯s walk over there, who knows when this carriage will get there,¡± Zhu Minng suggested. ¡°Mhm.¡± The grandpetition adopted a very open approach: five Royal Pce avenues, if you believe you have what it takes, just walk into the Bronzed Battlefield. As long as you can hold your own until the specified time, you¡¯re considered selected. Hence, the grandpetition basically didn¡¯t require prior registration, and even if you weren¡¯t a member of any powers, you could still enter the battlefield. If you could continuously survive several rounds, powers would naturally want you. By the time Zhu Minng and Nan Lingsha reached the Bronzed Battlefield, the surroundings were already buzzing with noise, much like celebrating a festival. As for those taverns located around the Bronzed Battlefield with excellent views, their business was booming. For some people, sitting in a tavern, drinking, while enjoying the chaoticpetition of the Ancient Bronze Battlefield, was an ultimate pleasure. Thus, some prestigious individuals from these taverns established betting rings, setting odds on thepeting disciples¡¯ numbers before thepetition started, winning with every round they surpassed. Zhu Minng and Nan Lingsha walked towards the interior of the Bronzed Battlefield, where Qin Yang had already arranged seats for them away from the crowds. The Bronzed Battlefield is an epic diator arena left from the era of Church rule,rge enough to amodate nearly ten thousand people for collective training. There was not a single wall around the battlefield; only the crescent moon-shaped Chi River separated the throngs of city streets. Therefore, as long as the citizens of the Imperial City came early, they could secure a good spot on the other side of Chi River and directly watch the thrillingbat inside the Bronzed Battlefield. Simrly, the taverns built around the Bronzed Battlefield had even better views. In short, anyone coulde to watch, and even entrance tickets weren¡¯t collected, you just needed toe early to avoid being pushed back by the crowd. Moreover, there were some white stone pavilion seats on the surface of the crescent-shaped Chi River, reserved for dignitaries from various powers. Zhu Minng and Nan Lingsha were currently in one such pavilion on the water, with water grapes, cool melons, fragrant peanuts alreadyid out on the table, as well as some wines and melon juices bought from the taverns. If one spoke of luxury, it actually didn¡¯t cost that many silver taels, but when looking back at the crowded and noisy streets beyond Chi River, sweltering under the zing sun, the exclusivity of the few enjoying the pavilion on the water seemed iparably precious, especially since even wealthy merchants had to reserve spots in advance at the high levels of a tavern. ¡°Is anyone from Zhu Gate participating today?¡± Zhu Minng asked Qin Yang. ¡°Master, Zhu Gate is primarily known for its casting art, not as skilled in fighting and killing as other powers, so we haven¡¯t nned onpeting for any ranking in thispetition,¡± Qin Yang exined. ¡°Thatid-back, huh?¡± ¡°But to prevent some powers from ganging up during this free-for-all and over-coborating, we only allow one to three disciples from a power to enter the field at the same time,¡± Qin Yang stated. ¡°It seems like a mass brawl,¡± Nan Lingsha pointed out, indicating the several stone bridges where people were gradually stepping onto the Bronzed Battlefield and preemptively choosing strategic positions. ¡°Yes, each round will have one hundred participants enter the field. Either you¡¯re still standing when time is up to advance to the next round, or only thest ten remain,¡± Qin Yang nodded and replied. A hundred people brawling! So the grandpetition between powers is this thrilling. I had imagined it would be one-on-one duels on a rigid stage! Zhu Minng liked this approach. He nced again at Nan Lingsha, and there seemed to be a gleam in her eyes too. ¡°After the fringe forces have entered, Young Master and Miss Nan can go in,¡± Qin Yang said, holding two rank insignias in his hand and handing them to Zhu Minng and Nan Lingsha. ¡°Numbers fifty-five and fifty-six?¡± ¡°It¡¯s about to start, Young Master and Miss, be careful. Once it begins, try not to make too many enemies, and opt for opponents who appear weaker to eliminate them first,¡± Qin Yang advised. ¡°What round is Hao Shaocong in now?¡± Zhu Minng asked. ¡°The third round; that¡¯s already a battlefield for the strong yers among the forces,¡± Qin Yang replied. Zhu Minng took a bunch of grapes and started walking towards the Bronzed Battlefield. Nan Lingsha slowly stepped onto the field still filled with the scent of blood from the previous fight. However, Zhu Minng and Nan Lingsha had no intention of sticking together. They each headed towards different sides. ¡°These two, they came from the Daguan Pavilion, they must be descendants of some big powers. Why didn¡¯t anyone inform us beforehand, ah, betting on their numbers would have made a fortune!¡± ¡°It seems they are from Zhu Gate, haven¡¯t you heard that a few days ago a kid from Zhu Gate died in there?¡± ¡°I was there that day, the kid was a Dragon Shepherd, his dragon got killed, and he was chewed up so miserably, probably by the time they carried him back to Zhu Gate, his parents wouldn¡¯t even recognize him.¡± ¡°Zhu Gate excels in Casting Art, but I¡¯ve never heard of any particrly outstanding Dragon Shepherds or Divine and Mortal ones. It¡¯s also baffling who they have sent to the battlefield this time.¡± People were already discussing. Some enthusiasts who were extremely keen on such apetition feast could even name and background of the vast majority of entering disciples. But for Zhu Minng and Nan Lingsha¡­ To many, they were strangers. ¡°A bunch of loners, trying to gain fame in a ce like this, don¡¯t end up losing your lives in the process,¡± said a young man wearing a ck straw hat. The young man in the ck straw hat was less than twenty meters from Zhu Minng, and he also seemed to be one of theters. Generally, those who enter the battlefield will keep a safe distance from their opponents as soon as possible to avoid being attacked by multiple people. But this young man in the ck straw hat didn¡¯t care at all, as though no one on the battlefield was worthy of his attention. And he could stand wherever he wanted to. ¡°Hey, you with the grapes¡­¡± the young man in the ck straw hat nced at Zhu Minng and said. Zhu Minng tossed a grape into the air, and Little White on his shoulder swiftly lifted its paw. A gust-like force sliced through therge crystal grape. The grape shed its skin in mid-air, revealing its plump and tender flesh. It then urately dropped into Zhu Minng¡¯s mouth. ¡°What is it?¡± Zhu Minng asked, chewing the flesh and tilting his head. ¡°If you don¡¯t scram now, you won¡¯t have the chanceter,¡± the young man in the ck straw hat said with some arrogance.. Chapter 135 - 136 Provoking Battles Everywhere Chapter 135 - 136 Provoking Battles Everywhere Chapter 135: Chapter 136 Provoking Battles Everywhere Trantor: 549690339 The Imperial City may be vast, but it doese with its perks. One such benefit is that there¡¯s never a shortage of people who are in dire need of education ¨C sometimes, when I¡¯m feeling down, I happen upon one or two of these individuals, and my mood instantly brightens! ¡°Dong! ¡± The sound of a bronze bell echoes throughout the central city of the Imperial City, and immediately, the onlookers begin to shout with excitement. As the bell rings, the battle begins. Sure enough, the young man in the ck straw hat walked toward Zhu Minng with a mix of disgust and contempt in his eyes. ¡°Sometimes, people must have awareness. I already warned you. Now, will you flee into the Chi River to beughed at by the whole city, or shall I beat you into a cripple?¡± The young man in the ck straw hat approached Zhu Minng, his gaze as fierce and predatory as a ck panther. As he spoke, the shadow behind the young man in the ck straw hat swayed unusually. Ayer of eerie shadow mist enveloped his body, slowly spreading outwards, and the area avable for the shadow behind him to move also expanded as the mist increased. Initially, Zhu Minng considered the young man in the ck straw hat to be a God and Mortal, and soon Zhu Minng noticed that the spreading shadow mist was actually forming a ck shadow rune, a special area where certain Dragon Beasts could operate! Finally, from within the shadow mist, a Shadow Trick Dragon burst forth; its body was hidden in the strange ck mist, but its spider-like ws seemed to be omnipresent. Zhu Minng used his Spiritual Sense to inspect, and only with some struggle could he clearly see the true appearance of this Shadow Trick Dragon¡­ It was abination of a Swift Shadow Dragon and some type of Demon Spider Dragon, possessing the body, limbs, and ferocious fangs of a fierce dragon, while also having six extremely bizarre bone wings on its spine! These bone wings were essentially incapable of flight and resembled a spider¡¯s six limbs, elongated and sharp. They could bend and extend flexibly, even touching the ground in coordination with its hind limbs to make its attacks faster and more unpredictable. Shadow Dragon, indeed a very fine breed. Zhu Minng was quite interested, but this Shadow Trick Dragon seemed a bit too fierce. The bone wing ws on its back made one feel as if it were a Death Spirit Dragon pieced together from two corpses. Regardless, this Dragon species was indeed special, and it seemed quite powerful. In this case, the young man in the ck straw hat did indeed have a reason for his arrogance. Pity he chose the wrong opponent. Yawning, Little White hopped with ease from Zhu Minng¡¯s shoulder to the ground. It did not summon storms and ice around its body, which meant that this Little White Dragon couldn¡¯t even bother to assume its battle form. It stood amidst the eerie shadow mist, its icy eyes calmly watching the Shadow Trick Dragon that moved as fast as a shadow, asposed as a white cat observing a mouse causing trouble on the beam above. ¡°Shua!!¡± Suddenly, ws extended from its soft and fluffy toes, and with a fierce swipe through the shadow mist, it left several shes, the movementpleted in the blink of an eye¡­ The shadow mist ripped open like a huge piece of ck cloth suddenly torn apart, and all the mist swiftly dissipated. Simultaneously, the Shadow Trick Dragon let out a pained cry, its body convulsing as it fell where the w marks swept. Its spiderlike bone wings on its back were utterly shattered, scattering around like broken bones. The young man in the ck straw hat stood where the shadow mist had cleared, and the shadow that had cloaked his face now slowly revealed itself. The previous arrogance that spurned everything vanished without a trace. He nced at the small white dragon and then at Zhu Minng, who was still peeling grapes. ¡°Get yourself into the Chi River,¡± Zhu Minng said indifferently, pointing with his finger to the water behind him. ¡°Oh¡­¡± The young man in the ck straw hat quickly recalled his injured Shadow Trick Dragon back into the Spirit Realm and then truly bent down to crawl on all fours, scuttling into the river like a spider. The ck straw hat floated on the surface of the water, probably not wanting the entire city to see his face; once in the Chi River, the young man in the ck straw hat didn¡¯t evene up for air, but tenaciously swam to the opposite shore¡­ ¡°This guy, shuffles between dragon and bug with ease,¡± Zhu Minng couldn¡¯t help but chuckle, shaking his head without taking offense to the young man in the ck straw hat. Youthful arrogance ismon, and if he hadn¡¯t met me, he truly could have dominated the Bronze Battlefield with that shadow mist and Shadow Trick Dragon. The group battles had already started, and Zhu Minng understood that if he let Bai Qi take action, no one on the field except Nan Lingsha could likely withstand a single round of attacks from it. The initial folly of the young man in the ck straw hat led everyone nearby to immediately conclude that Zhu Minng was a master, and as a result, they targeted others, leaving Zhu Minng standing there without a single personing to trouble him! ¡°No help for it, if you all don¡¯te at me, I¡¯ll have toe at you,¡± Zhu Minng said as he called forth the Lei Cang Violent Dragon and the Divine Green Holy Dragon. ¡°Big ck Tooth, Qing Zhuo, today¡¯s training exercise is to clear everyone from the field except Nan Lingsha before the time runs out!¡± Zhu Minngmanded. ¡°Owoo!!! Big ck Tooth roared with excitement upon hearing this. ¡°Group fights? It loves them the most!¡± Swinging its wings, Divine Green Holy Dragon fixed its green vertical pupils on the other dragons that had dominated the airspace over the Ancient Bronze Battlefield. ¡°Yiiii- Qing Zhuo called out to Big ck Tooth, signaling, ¡°I¡¯ll handle the ones in the sky, you take care of those on the ground.¡± Having said that, Divine Green Holy Dragon soared to the highest point of the Ancient Bronze Battlefield, like a green eagle king overseeing its territory and picking a target to assert its dominance. Soon, Divine Green Holy Dragon set its sights on a Flies Knife Dragon! That Flies Knife Dragon had several pairs of wing-like knives, thin as des, buzzing irritably in the air with their rapid fluttering. At the same time, these fluttering fly-knife wings were also extremely fearsome weapons, like meat grinders on the battlefield. Just after entering the melee, severalrger dragons had already been shed by these des! On the ground, Lei Cang Violent Dragon charged wildly like a savage bull, and all the dragons that could stand, all red, were enough to provoke its raging aura. At the beginning of the fight, most Dragon Shepherds would observe their surroundings and not engage hastily, trying their best to ensure they wouldn¡¯t be attacked by multiple opponents at once¡­ But with Lei Cang Violent Dragon¡¯s rampage, the scene suddenly descended into chaos. Several naturally violent and fierce Ancient Dragons quickly revealed their true nature amid the scent of blood, and started fighting with the seemingly calm Dragon Beasts beside them. ¡°That ck Violent Dragon is stirring up trouble, take it down first!¡± ¡°Damn it, that ck Dragon is spitting saliva at me!¡± ¡°What a strange smell, is it a Poison Dragon¡­ Scoundrels, that ck Dragon deliberately farted at us, ah ah, I won¡¯t forgive it!¡± A female disciple from Azure Dragon Pce, red-faced with anger, had long thrown the cautioning words of her elders to the wind! The dragon summoned by that Azure Dragon Pce female disciple was a Four-wed Mountain Dragon, a strong-limbed Azure Dragon that normally dwells on cliffs and peaks, capable of stirring up dust and shaking mountains. The Four-wed Mountain Dragon, too, was infuriated by the stench, grounding itself more agilely and swiftly than and lizard. Its body was segmental, akin to a centipede, with each segment appearing as if it could freely stretch and contract. So, when all its segmentspressed and contracted simultaneously, a powerful tremor was generated!! ¡°Earthquake Art! ¡± the female disciple from Azure Dragon Pce shouted angrily. Suddenly, the Four-wed Mountain Dragon expanded itspressed body, and a force resembling that of a spring traveled from its neck all the way to its tail, which, unbeknownst to onlookers, had anchored onto the ancient bronze ground of the battlefield¡­ ¡°Boom!!! !! ¡± The ground shook violently, rocks shattered and fissures spread in every direction. The terrifying vibrational force even caused the extremely solid ground of the battlefield to copse several meters deep. Dragon Shepherds, Dragon Beasts, and Divine and Mortal beings within hundreds of meters were all affected. Manyrger Dragon Beasts were dizzy and fell to the ground, their bones nearly shattered by the intense tremor. Many Dragon Beasts suffered as a result. The culprit, Lei Cang Violent Dragon, was no exception. It climbed up from the sunken ground somewhat dizzily. Luckily, it was on the periphery of the Earthquake Art, otherwise, with its size, the damage might have been much worse. ¡°Isn¡¯t that Fu Jinguo, the big disciple of the Azure Dragon Pce? Howe she¡¯s also entering the match sote? With her strength, she should¡¯ve gained entry to the next round long ago!¡± ¡°I ced my bets on her, hahaha, I¡¯m going to make a fortune this time!¡± ¡°Once the Four-wed Mountain Dragon shows its power, all the surrounding Dragon Beasts are like chicks, scared and running for holes to hide.¡± At another part of Chi River, people witnessed this exciting moment and immediately started discussing this female disciple from the Azure Dragon Pce named Fu Jinguo. At the Chi River Pavilion, an elder stroked his beard, a smile appearing on his face. As one of the leaders of the Azure Dragon Pce, he had been concerned about the possibility of troublesome opponents in this round. That¡¯s why he especially cautioned his disciple Fu Jinguo not to be too conspicuous. But looking at it now, it seemed there was no need for excessive caution. Coming here to fight was all about gaining fame. If one couldn¡¯t stand out right away, there was no need to participate in anypetition of powers. A single Azure Dragon Mystic Art had caused at least seven or eight people to lose theirbat capability directly. With the help of the battlefield¡¯s attendants, they were carried off the field. ¡°Don¡¯t run, you crude, smelly, shameless ck Dragon!¡± Fu Jinguo sat on the neck of the Four-wed Mountain Dragon, chasing after Lei Cang Violent Dragon. Lei Cang Violent Dragon had already run back to Zhu Minng¡¯s side, and behind it, in addition to the Four-wed Mountain Dragon, there were at least seven or eight Dragon Beasts, all of general-level strength¡­ ¡°Oh!! Oh!!¡± Big ck Tooth dashed back, repeatedly crying to Zhu Minng: Master win, what to do, master win, what to do! Chapter 136 - 137 Ancient Dragon Bravery Chapter 136: Chapter 137 Ancient Dragon Bravery Trantor: 549690339 Zhu Minng covered his face with one hand, sliding it helplessly down his forehead, nose, and mouth. ¡°Does my Violent Dragon actually have some skunk bloodline in it? What are you doing lifting your tail at the windward and brewing up this ultimate stench for the crowd of dragons?¡± ¡°Ever since you and I have formed a spirit bond, I have never taught you this move!¡± To be honest, in such a crowd-packed event, Zhu Minng felt like pretending he didn¡¯t know this Big ck Dragon. If the ability to collectively mock could be counted among Ancient Dragon Warfare Skills, even the bones of Ancient Dragon ancestors scattered in unknown continents and secret realms would be angered enough toe back to life! ¡°Without a Dragon Lord Level, Bai Qi will not help you,¡± Zhu Minng said to Big ck Tooth. Among the dragons that were provoked, there were no Dragon Lord Level ones. Bai Qi also had no need to act. The strongest now, like the Shadow Trick Dragon earlier, had already been sent packing by Bai Qi due to its own folly. The Four-wed Mountain Dragon¡¯s strength probably wasn¡¯t at the Lord Level, and Zhu Minng thought that Big ck Tooth could handle it. Big ck Tooth felt a bit wronged and looked up at the sky, seeing that the Divine Green Holy Dragon was also surrounded by a group of Flying Dragons and knowing that it couldn¡¯t possiblye to his aid anytime soon. The Lei Cang Violent Dragon roared a few times as if mustering courage for itself. ¡°First deal with that Four-wed Mountain Dragon, then find an opportunity to take down more Dragon Generals,¡± Zhu Minng instructed Big ck Tooth. The Lei Cang Violent Dragon stopped fooling around. To be as strong as Bai Qi, it had to put forth much more effort. Soon, the Lei Cang Violent Dragon had adjusted its state and surveyed the approaching Dragon Beasts with its Azure Crocodile pupils. Those entering the arena were well-aware of their own strength. If they could weakly ally to take down some of the more dominant Dragon Shepherds first, it would be to their benefit in advancing to the next round. So, upon seeing Fu Jinguo of the Azure Dragon Pce and her Four-wed Mountain Dragon heading for the Lei Cang Violent Dragon, they all came forward one after another. ¡°This shameless Stench Dragon is yours, isn¡¯t it?¡± Fu Jinguo of the Azure Dragon Pce fiercely demanded. ¡°Everyone has emergencies, let alone meat-consuming Ancient Dragons. With the strength of the youngdy, you should be able to enter the next round with steady progress. Why bother tangling with my Dragon Beast?¡± Zhu Minng replied. ¡°Hmph, if you make me unhappy, you¡¯ll have no good fruit to eat. A dragon follows its master, don¡¯t think you can shake off that vulgar, slovenly, foul breath just because you look prim and proper!¡± Fu Jinguo said. Zhu Minng found this uneptable! ¡°You¡¯ve got quite the temper, just wait until I toss you into a pool to cool off,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°You dare!!¡± Fu Jinguo eximed angrily. With that, she pointed her finger at Zhu Minng andmanded her Four-wed Mountain Dragon beneath her. The ws of the Four-wed Mountain Dragon were extremely powerful¡ªlike those of tiger leopards. As it charged forth, the ancient bronze-colored ground was shattered and cracked under its ws. The Lei Cang Violent Dragon didn¡¯t confront this Azure Dragon head-on. Not all Azure Dragons had a weak frame; this Mountain Dragon was one of those especially strong in closebat! Furthermore, it had ayer of brown muscle skin that sometimes flowed like mud over the joints of its dragon body, keeping it nimble and swift, and then it would solidify rapidly, turning into tough masonry armor, making it difficult for the ws of the ck Azure Violent Dragon to tear through this defense. Zhu Minng noticed that in terms of defense, the ck Azure Violent Dragon simply couldn¡¯tpare to the Four-wed Mountain Dragon, so he decisively summoned the Silver Green Heavy Armor, making the Lei Cang Violent Dragon¡¯s body sturdy and thick. The Silver Green Heavy Armor was a type of illusory armor; it would not iste Lei Cang Violent Dragon¡¯s thunder scales. Zhu Minng had Big ck Tooth engage with the Four-wed Mountain Dragon first, turning the target to the other Dragon Generals, hoping to use the other Dragon Generals to fill the ck Azure Violent Dragon with thunder energy. Once all the thunder scales were fully activated with electricity, they could face the Four-wed Mountain Dragon head-on! Despite the Lei Cang Violent Dragon¡¯srge size and the weight of the heavy armor, with its Azure Dragon bloodline, it could sometimes be as slippery as an eel, weaving in and out between the clumsier Dragon Beasts. On several asions, the Four-wed Mountain Dragon unleashed its brute force on other Dragon Beasts instead, with few of its attacks actuallynding on the Lei Cang Violent Dragon. Fu Jinguo, the big disciple of the Azure Dragon Pce, was so enraged that she gnashed her teeth. Her Mountain Dragon¡¯s immense strength found no outlet, even though the Lei Cang Violent Dragon¡¯s level wasn¡¯t high. Taking cover behind other Dragon Beasts, the thunder scales on the Lei Cang Violent Dragon had already started to shine. Moreover, as the blood spread continuously on the battlefield and the fight grew more intense, Big ck Tooth¡¯s eyes began to turn a redder shade of blood! Zhu Minng caught the change in the aura of the Lei Cang Violent Dragon almost at the same moment and immediately probed with his spiritual sense. Soon, he saw unique blood energy intertwining in the air like strands of special energy, gradually gathering towards the Lei Cang Violent Dragon¡¯s nostrils. With each breath of these strands of blood and qi, the scales of the Lei Cang Violent Dragon became a few shades brighter, and its whole body of Ancient Dragon muscles seemed to swell and firm up! It was the Fierce Courage Bloodline! The chaos of the battlefield was incessantly stimting the Lei Cang Violent Dragon, constantly awakening the power of the Ancient Dragon within it! Suddenly, the Lei Cang Violent Dragon, which had been avoiding attacks, turned around and caught a Four-wed Mountain Dragon that was hurtling towards it with its front ws. With a burst of brute strength and a surge of an extremely wild predator¡¯s breath throughout its body, the Lei Cang Violent Dragon lifted the Four-wed Mountain Dragon and mmed it to the ground so hard that its head smashed into the bronze earth, its body curling and crashing into it. Arge gully was plowed open by the Four-wed Mountain Dragon, and many cracks appeared on its hardened dermal muscles. ¡°Roar roar roar!!!!!!¡± Bellowing towards the sky, the electric threads that had previously formed between the Lei Cang Violent Dragon¡¯s scales and the humid air now all gathered at one point and turned into a chain of thunderbolts, following the path where the Four-wed Mountain Dragon was thrown! ¡°Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!¡± The thunderbolts hammered the earth as if driving in stakes, shattering the ground consecutively, and by the time they reached the Four-wed Mountain Dragon¡¯s position, it had just gotten up¡­ ¡°Bang!¡± The Four-wed Mountain Dragon was once again sent flying, including the sash of Fu Jinguo on its neck, which was knocked to the ground and rolled in the dust. Fu Jinguo stood up, wiped the mud off her face, her eyes filled with raging fury. She nced coldly at the injured Four-wed Mountain Dragon. Fu Jinguo extended her hand, with one palm she opened the Recall Seal, bringing the Four-wed Mountain Dragon back into her own Spirit Realm, while her other hand started to open the Summoning Seal¡­ ¡°Steel Thorn Azure Dragon!¡± Fu Jinguo shouted angrily. From within the seal, a majestic adult Azure Dragon flew out, its head as tough as iron, disying a metallic sheen. Its elongated body was not only covered with dragon skin resembling steel armor, its dragon scales were even more unique. Those scales, shaped like pine needles, stood erect one by one, and because each spike was so closely positioned, aside from a few body parts covered by steel armor skinyers, including the tail, neck, and head, were all covered with such spiky metallic thorns! This adult Azure Dragon, armed with steel and bristling with spikes all over its body, stood out in the battlefield, making the distant onlookers involuntarily take a few steps back, fearing those steel spikes would hurt them. Exuding an extremely dangerous aura from head to toe, this Steel Thorn Azure Dragon was clearly Fu Jinguo¡¯s Dragon Leader. She had intended to save her true strength for the next round, but now she could no longer afford to be cautious. ¡°First, pull out all its teeth; I want to see it bleeding from the mouth!¡± Fu Jinguomanded arrogantly. The Steel Thorn Azure Dragon looked as if it were cast from metal, and even as an Azure Dragon, it emanated a terrifying sense of power. It coiled its tail and suddenlyshed out, creating a horizontal storm of steel spikes from its tail¡­ The steel spikes were dense and numerous, nailing into the rocks on the ground, shattering even the rocks into powder! The sweep of the Steel Thorns Dragon¡¯s Nail Scales Storm covered an extensive range, and for a moment, those Dragon Trainers who tried to take advantage of the chaos didn¡¯t know where to dodge, being severely injured in the process. The Lei Cang Violent Dragon stood there, and even though it wore the incredibly sturdy Silver Green Heavy Armor, the impact of those nail-like forces still caused pain. Its hefty body was gradually pushed back by the storm of steel nails, and soon, the Silver Green Heavy Armor was pierced by the Steel Thorn Scales, revealing numerous spikes that had prated the muscle of the Lei Cang Violent Dragon. Blood slowly seeped out from these punctured wounds, and Zhu Minng intended to recall Big ck Tooth back into the Spirit Realm, seeing that it was outssed by not just one Realm by the Steel Thorn Azure Dragon¡­ But the Lei Cang Violent Dragon showed no intention of leaving the field. Its nostrils red, taking inrge amounts of air from around it. Zhu Minng quickly saw that evenrger amounts of the blood and qi strands, invisible to others, were entering the body of the Lei Cang Violent Dragon, and at some point these red strands had coiled into a red vortex of blood and qi. Not only the scent of blood from the surroundings, but the blood seeping from the Lei Cang Violent Dragon itself didn¡¯t slide off; after a brief contact with air, it rmingly evaporated. In this blood-evaporation process, the Lei Cang Violent Dragon seemed to be bathed in some Ancient Alien Method. It was stimting every inch of its skin, awakening the most ferocious and brutal predatory force in its bones, causing its blood to burn within its body!! Frenzied, aggressive, fearless!! The Lei Cang Violent Dragon didn¡¯t care about the puncture wounds on its body. It stepped over the injured Dragon Beasts and boldly confronted the Steel Thorn Azure Dragon. It bit towards the Steel Thorns Dragon¡¯s neck, heeding not the spiky scales there! Fu Jinguo wanted to see it bleeding from the mouth, didn¡¯t she? With this bite, the Lei Cang Violent Dragon¡¯s mouth would indeed be filled with blood, but surely the Steel Thorn Azure Dragon¡¯s head would also be shattered! The Fierce Courage Bloodline, was making the Lei Cang Violent Dragon stronger, and it resolutely refused to bow down to any creature, even if their status was above its own! Chapter 137 - 138 Violent Dragon Nature Chapter 137: Chapter 138 Violent Dragon Nature Trantor: 549690339 The Steel Thorn Azure Dragon ultimately chose to retreat. And this retreat provided the Lei Cang Violent Dragon with an excellent opportunity for a fierce attack. Opening its maw full of ck, sharp fangs, the Lei Cang Violent Dragon let out a roar toward the direction of the Steel Thorn Azure Dragon! The roar, powered by thepression within the deep throat, resonated with tremendous air-tearing force, spanning a wide fan-shaped area. With nowhere to hide, the Steel Thorn Azure Dragon could only shield itself with its banana-shaped tail, but even its iron-like skin was visibly torn open, and arge swath of spiny scales fell off! After finishing its roar, the Lei Cang Violent Dragon had already charged at the Steel Thorn Azure Dragon. It wrapped itself around the tail of its adversary, and with its brute strength, flung the Steel Thorn Azure Dragon away. In midair, the Steel Thorn Azure Dragon twisted its body like a steel python, wrapping its long form around a huge rock pir standing in the Ancient Bronze Battlefield. Its other body parts became supple and also wound around the rock pir¡­ After stabilizing its form, the Steel Thorn Azure Dragon quickly climbed to the top of the massive pir, then ttened its body somewhat and glided down from the high ce. The spikes on its body all stood on end, and it plowed into the Lei Cang Violent Dragon with them. First its head, the Steel Thorn Azure Dragon¡¯s head bypassed the front ws of the Lei Cang Violent Dragon and slipped down from the back of its neck like a slippery eel, followed by the rest of its body, which turned as tight as a noose. Despite being encased in steel-like muscle, it was incredibly flexible. The Lei Cang Violent Dragon was now entwined by the Steel Thorn Azure Dragon, and those sharp scales became even more terrifying than barbs, sinking deeply into Big ck Tooth¡¯s flesh as the Steel Thorn Azure Dragon tightened its hold. As the Steel Thorn Azure Dragon constricted its body, it also slowly writhed, which was akin to hundreds of sharp scales rolling over the body of the Lei Cang Violent Dragon, causing excruciating pain! However, the eyes of the Lei Cang Violent Dragon turned even redder. Its body was soaked in blood, but the blood kept evaporating, gradually heating up as if it was about to burst into mes. Not only did ayer of blood ignite around Big ck Tooth¡¯s body, but it also scorched the entwined Steel Thorn Azure Dragon¡­ Seemingly bathed in blood, its thunder scales became brighter. Amidst the raging blood mes, thick chains of purplish-ck lightning danced vividly! With a wild roar, the blood mes and ck electricity on Big ck Tooth¡¯s body fused together and created an even more terrifying explosion! This roar was like breaking free from all constraints, as the blood mes burst forth and the ck thunderstorm swept over, shattering the thorny grip of the Steel Thorn Azure Dragon around the Lei Cang Violent Dragon and severely scouring its tough spiky scales!! ¡°ng, ng, ng- The spiny scales shattered, like a series of rusty nails. The steel skin also became ragged, as if an entire sheet had been torn off the body of the Steel Thorn Azure Dragon. The Steel Thorn Azure Dragon was covered in blood, and the ck thunderstorm left its muscles paralyzed and difficult to move, while the Ancient Dragon Blood seeping from Big ck Tooth¡¯s body burned like fire poison, tormenting the injured Steel Thorn Azure Dragon¡­ Even though there wasn¡¯t an inch of unmarred skin on the Lei Cang Violent Dragon, its inexplicably growing blood fury and overwhelming fighting spirit made it clear that this Lei Cang Violent Dragon would not be easily taken down! Looking at the Steel Thorn Azure Dragon again, it clearly no longer possessed the dominant aura it had over all other Dragon Beasts at the beginning, and instead seemed like an iron python that had suffered serious injuries, even showing a hint of fear towards the Lei Cang Violent Dragon, which was of a lower level than itself. At the Chi River Pavilion, a bearded elder from the Azure Dragon Pce had a solemn expression, his face clearly showing many signs of worry. ¡°This Ancient Dragon has the Ancient Dragon Warfare Skills that get stronger as the battle progresses. Fu Jinguo might have met a tough opponent this time,¡± said the elder from the Azure Dragon Pce. He nced over at other areas of the Ancient Bronze Battlefield. At least more than half of the people there were very smart to stick to their own little territory, not rashly provoking powerful enemies, and certainly not allowing some seemingly weaker individuals to team up and challenge themselves. ¡°No way, I have wagered half a year¡¯s worth of earnings on Fu Jinguo. As the Big Disciple of the Azure Dragon Pce, how can he lose to an unknown nobody?!¡± ¡°Who is the master of that ck Violent Dragon? How was this dragon trained, and why does it seem like an Upper-Rank Dragon General but managed to defeat the impostor Lord Level Steel Thorn Azure Dragon??¡± ¡°That¡¯s how Ancient Dragons are, especially the Violent Dragons. They are the top predators, and if the Steel Thorn Azure Dragon does not use the Azure Dragon Mystics and just engages in physicalbat with an Ancient Dragon, it is sure to be defeated!¡± In those taverns, men and women dressed in silk were all paying attention to the duel between the two dragons. Among them were many Dragon Trainers, and some had even participated in thepetition a few days ago. ¡°By the way, does anyone recognize that person?¡± At this point, people were starting to take an interest in the owner of the ck Violent Dragon. ¡°Isn¡¯t that the person who came out of the Daguan Pavilion? That¡¯s right, that¡¯s someone from Zhu Gate!¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t Zhu Gate just hold a funeral because a junior died on this battlefield? Why are they still sending disciples to die??¡± ¡°Zhu Gate rarely cultivates Dragon Trainers, and even if they do, their strength probably can¡¯tpare with the other Family Doors and Sect Forests. I¡¯ve even heard that they have a feud with a major power. This time Zhu Gate had several people participating in thepetition, they might as well prepare a few coffins!¡± Zhu Gate! Anyone in the Imperial City knew that this Family Door was primarily famous for its casting art. The swords they forged were the favorites of the Sword Sect. Their workshops were in long-term cooperation with various countries, and the elite forces in the armies used armors and weapons with the Zhu Gate imprint. Not to mention the extraordinary paraphernalia used by the Divine and Mortal from various powers and the helmets, saddles, armor, and ws on the Dragon Trainers¡¯ beasts¡­ Such a Family Door, even without a single powerful Divine and Mortal or Dragon Trainer, was still respected by many organizations, as each piece of equipment they forged could greatly enhance a person¡¯s strength! Therefore, in the powerparison, not many people were optimistic about Zhu Gate, especially since a disciple of Zhu Gate had died not long ago. ¡°I¡¯m not sure which faction of Zhu Gate that disciple is from, but he seems to have decent strength, managing to hold his own against the Big Disciple of the Azure Dragon Pce for a while.¡± ¡°He¡¯ll probably make it to the next round at most. With that kind of strength, he is likely to be thrashed by the outstanding Big Disciples of the powerful factions in the second round. ¡°I wonder if the rumors are true and whether another disciple of Zhu Gate will die on this battlefield¡­. Chapter 138 - 139 Ultimate Predator Chapter 138 - 139 Ultimate Predator Chapter 138: Chapter 139 Ultimate Predator Trantor: 549690339 At the Daguan Pavilion in Chi River, a resplendent hall draped with thin white gauze on either side, and carpeted within, stood a group of maids upright, their tall and captivating figures adding a charm to the scene¡­ They were serving four young men, among whom was Hao Shaocong. Dressed in a ck silk robe, his jet-ck hair and eyes fixed coldly on Zhu Minng¡¯s position, he stared at the ck Azure Violent Dragon. ¡°Hmph, struggling so much just for an initial selection match. If one knew he¡¯s nothing but trash, I would have buried him in Zhu Tong¡¯s coffin that day, letting him sleep forever alongside Zhu Tong!¡± Hao Shaocong scoffed as he watched the scene on the battlefield. ¡°We didn¡¯t ask you to go and apologize with a show of submission, but you insisted on going. If I identally kill a family servant, the first thing the family should do ise and apologize to me, worrying that their servant has annoyed me!¡± Zhao Xi said. ¡°It¡¯s all because of my father. He said if I didn¡¯t go, the Zhu Heavenly Official would definitely take my life. He imed to understand the character of Zhu Heavenly Official, ¡± grumbled an angry Hao Shaocong. The bruise on his forehead still hadn¡¯t subsided, and now, with a swollen bump like the Antarctic Immortal, his forehead seemed to sport a longevity peach. Every time he thought of the humiliation he suffered in the spirit hall, Hao Shaocong itched to leap into the Ancient Bronze Battlefield and ughter Zhu Minng and his dragon! ¡°He should have passed this round, but in the next round, we¡¯ll find a few reliable ones to see if we can kill all his dragons,¡± Zhao Xi said coldly. ¡°Just kill his dragons?¡± At that moment, a young man wearing an Imperial Brocade Robeughed. ¡°This¡­ Your Highness, Zhu Tong and Zhu Minng are not on the same level. Zhu Minng is from the Zhu n Inner Court and moreover, he¡¯s the only son of Zhu Heavenly Official, and the close-door disciple of Zhu Xuehen. Grandfather is the Sword Honour of the Yao Mountain Sword Sect. If he dies, even our elders might not be able to withstand the wrath of these people,¡± Zhao Xi hesitantly replied. ¡°He wants to kill me, so I¡¯ll kill him,¡± said Hao Shaocong, undeterred and discourteous in his remark. ¡°I was only speaking off the cuff. Hao Shaocong, did he truly say in the spirit hall that he would take your life in this grandpetition?¡± The man in the Imperial Brocade Robe asked with a smile. ¡°Madame Zhao was there at the time, just ask Zhao Xi and you¡¯ll know. This Zhu Minng is far too arrogant. Ever since he returned from the Yaoshan Sword Sect, he never took any force¡¯s scions seriously. Now, who in the Imperial City doesn¡¯t know that his sword cultivator skills are ruined, yet he still doesn¡¯t tuck his tail between his legs like a dog! I¡¯d like to see how he ns to kill me. With that Violent Dragon that hasn¡¯t even reached the Lord Level, it¡¯s ludicrous!¡± Hao Shaocong said. ¡°In my view, he won¡¯t make it past the second round.¡± ¡°Right, let¡¯s finish him off in the second round; kill all the dragons he summons, snuffing out his ridiculous hope of rising through being a Dragon Shepherd! ¡± ¡°In the second round, are there any of our Royal Young Gang? It¡¯s best to choose that kind of person for the task, you get what I mean?¡± said the man in the Imperial Brocade Robe. ¡°Of course, we understand Your Highness¡¯s meaning¡­¡± On the Ancient Bronze Battlefield, the Lei Cang Violent Dragon shed once more with the Steel Thorn Azure Dragon. From the dragon¡¯s aura, it was evident that the Steel Thorn Azure Dragon was beginning to weaken. The Lei Cang Violent Dragon grew more valiant as the battle went on, its ancient dragon blood flowing more profusely, intensifying the fiery intent for battle. However, the wounds on the Steel Thorn Azure Dragon continued to deteriorate, expanding with every new injury, and with each additional wound its strength waned slightly. ¡°Detestable, utterly detestable, just a small step away!¡± Fu Jinguo couldn¡¯t swallow this grievance. In fact, her Steel Thorn Azure Dragon was in the midst of advancing. This process involved shedding its steel hide and thorn scalesyer byyer. During this stage, the Steel Thorn Azure Dragon was temporarily unable to perform the Azure Dragon Mystics. Had the Azure Dragon Mystics been bestowed, this Violent Dragon would have stood no chance, and a few collisions would have been enough to crush it, eliminating the need for what followed. And yet, her Azure Dragon, on the brink of attaining the Lord Level, was unable to defeat a Dragon Beast with the cultivation base of a High-Rank Dragon General¡ªa humiliating disgrace! ¡°Ooooohhhhhhh!!!! ¡± The scales on the Lei Cang Violent Dragon remained saturated, an inexhaustible storm of lightning like colossal whipsshing ferociously onto the Steel Thorn Azure Dragon¡¯s body. Big ck Tooth¡¯s thunder scales were drawn from the Soul Bead of the Lei Cang Azure Dragon; as long as there was enough energy to activate these thunder scales, their power wouldn¡¯t be inferior to that of a Lord Level. Therefore, this fierce lightning, the Steel Thorn Azure Dragon¡¯s skin was already festering and rotten, how could it withstand attack after attack! Finally, a female disciple of the Azure Dragon Pce, Fu Jinguo, who still retained a shred of reason, saw the Steel Thorn Azure Dragon continuing to suffer in battle from a distance. She opened the Recall Seal and took her severely wounded Steel Thorn Azure Dragon into her own Spirit Realm. ¡°You won, but your dragon is even more severely injured than mine!¡± Fu Jinguo admitted defeat but was not convinced at all. Fu Jinguo was right; Big ck Tooth¡¯s injuries were worse. There were hardly any patches of skin left intact on its body; Big ck Tooth was purely being supported by the Fierce Courage¡ªa profoundly powerful war talent. In this state, Big ck Tooth¡¯s life force would be several times more vigorous than that of other dragon species. What would seem like severe wounds on an ordinary day were nothing more thanmon bite marks when the Fierce Courage bloodline was fully boiling. In short, I might not be in better physical condition than you, but you will always copse before me! That¡¯s just how it is for predators. For predators, to fall meant death! ¡°Big ck Tooth,e back.¡± Zhu Minng also felt distressed. His fine Big ck Dragon had turned into a blood-red dragon. Since the opponent had admitted defeat, there was no need to continue the fight. Big ck Tooth was panting heavily, and even the dragon breath it exhaled was tinged with red mes of blood. Its eyes scanned the battlefield and saw that there were still many Dragon Beasts there. It seemed to remember Zhu Minng¡¯s words; today¡¯s training task was to clear all the dragons from the field. Without waiting for Zhu Minng to open the Recall Seal, the Lei Cang Violent Dragon had already pounced toward its next target¡ªa two-tailed scissor-like Ancient Dragon! Scissor Dragon! It, too, was a predator of the jungle! The Scissor Dragon was currently entangled in a battle with a Red Dragon, which spewed forth a magma from the earth that caused other Dragon Beasts to keep their distance, yet the Scissor Dragon was not afraid at all. When the Lei Cang Violent Dragon stormed into the battlefield of these two dragons, it startled both the Scissor Dragon and the Red Dragon! In terms of size, the Lei Cang Violent Dragon was twice as big as the Scissor Dragon and Red Dragon. Seeing a more powerful predator approach, they immediately ceased their relentless battle and formed an incredibly tacit alliance. The Lei Cang Violent Dragon was not there to fight a solo battle. It lifted its huge dragon foot, its body glowing blood-red. As its foot stomped down, a terrifying trampling momentum spread towards the two dragons! The Scissor Dragon and Red Dragon could hardly stand stable, and rather than nking to strike, they lost their advantage. The Lei Cang Violent Dragon arched its Tyrant Dragon body and revealed the heavy horn on its forehead. Then, with the attachment of lightning, its body seemed to gain an explosive power that transcended the limits of the flesh! Thunder Horn Strike!! Lightning burst forth, and the charging Lei Cang Violent Dragon turnedpletely into a chariot of thunder, the surface of the ground trembling violently. Therge rock columns in front of it could not pose any obstacle at all, and the columns crumbled like foam. Caught in the trampling and unable to steady its steps, the Scissor Dragon was attacked by the terrifying Lei Cang Violent Dragon with rolls of thunder! With that collision, the robust Scissor Dragon was sent flying a hundred meters away, its chest bones fractured beyond count. When it heavily crashed to the ground, the Scissor Dragon¡¯s owner was stunned. Who exactly had they provoked? They had finally chosen an opponent that seemed evenly matched, and they didn¡¯t truly intend to defeat that Red Dragon. It was only a matter of mutually stalling time, to scrape through for a ce. Who would have known that a Violent Dragon from the south would shatter his beautiful dream of advancing to the next round! And that Red Dragon wasn¡¯t really much better off than the Shearing Dragon. The Lei Cang Violent Dragon spewed a breath of bloody fire, unleashing a tornado of ming blood that swept up the moltenva strewn across the ground into its red breath whirlwind. The Red Dragon had nowhere to hide and ultimately fell into the Chi River. its ming body quenched by cool water, choking and suffering¡­ The Lei Cang Violent Dragon roared as if this was still not enough to satisfy its unquenched desire for battle. Itsrge, crocodile eyes, filled with blood-red threads, were searching for the next dragon on the battlefield that could match its prowess as a predator. Soon, the Lei Cang Violent Dragon set its sights on a Blue Tyrannosaurus, charging from one end of the Ancient Bronze Battlefield straight to the other, toward the Blue Tyrannosaurus that reigned supreme in another area. The Blue Tyrannosaurus was even more massive, standing a whole ferocious head taller than the Lei Cang Violent Dragon. Not to mention its body, which was like a small mountain of flesh, exuding an aura of being untouchable as it stood on the Ancient Bronze Battlefield. The Lei Cang Violent Dragon charged and collided with the Blue Tyrannosaurus in the crudest physical confrontation. With that collision, the Lei Cang Violent Dragon was sent flying backward, its bloody trails smeared on the ground, but those streaks of blood quickly ignited, turning into fervent vapors. As the Lei Cang Violent Dragon inhaled heavily through its nostrils, its bones emitted a series of explosive cracks!! The potential hidden within its bones was once again ignited. Although the Lei Cang Violent Dragon was covered in wounds, it seemed to be constantly undergoing a transformation in this bloodied battle, growing stronger with each passing moment as long as it didn¡¯tpletely fall, as long as it didn¡¯t stop breathing! It got up. Not willing to ept defeat! Once more!! After its bones exploded, the Lei Cang Violent Dragon¡¯s aura grew fiercer. It revealed its tattered Silver Green Heavy Armor, still covered with the thorny scales of the Steel Thorn Azure Dragon. With its horns held high, it transformed into a primordial wild ox and once again charged toward the more imposing Blue Tyrannosaurus! This time it was not sent flying. The ck Azure Violent Dragon, with its horns pressed against the Blue Tyrannosaurus¡¯s mountainous body, managed to push it back, bit by bit. The Blue Tyrannosaurus¡¯s owner was atop its spine, feeling the stark difference between the first and second collisions, the middle-aged Dragon Trainer was incredibly astonished. Seeing his Blue Tyrannosaurus being pushed towards a rocky pir, the middle-aged Dragon Trainer immediately jumped down from its back,nding in a safe position. Finally, the Blue Tyrannosaurus stopped, barely managing to hold its ground against the Lei Cang Violent Dragon¡¯s brute force by backing against the massive stone pir. The Blue Tyrannosaurus¡¯s forelimbs were rtively short; its main method of attack was its strong neck and the dragon teeth that could crush anything! It swung its neck backward and then ferociously sideswiped at the Lei Cang Violent Dragon¡¯s face, covering it in blood. After licking the blood off its crocodilian face with arge tongue, the Lei Cang Violent Dragon stuck close to the Blue Tyrannosaurus again, using the rugged body of the Ancient Dragon to engage in a fierce battle of strength!! ¡°Mad dragon, this is truly a mad dragon!¡± the middle-aged Dragon Trainer cursed loudly. There weren¡¯t many people left on the Ancient Bronze Battlefield; as long as they cleared out those taking advantage of the chaos, everyone could advance to the next round together. Why fight to the death at this moment? Could there be some deep-rooted hatred? ¡°Brother, please spare me. If your dragon defeats mine, you might also get eliminated,¡± the middle-aged Dragon Trainer said. He didn¡¯t belong to any particr faction; he was merely a wanderer who hade to the Imperial City, driven purely by the pursuit of substantial rewards in the next cycle. Originally, with a steady and firm approach, relying on the strength of the Blue Tyrannosaurus, he basically could havested until the end¡­ Zhu Minng, who had been trailing him all the way, didn¡¯t answer the Dragon Shepherd¡¯s pleas for mercy. Big ck Tooth fought ferociously, bathed in blood; its current state was one of constant battle, continually crushing opponents to establish its sole dominion as the Emperor of Predators. On normal days, it was rare for Big ck Tooth to find so many Dragon Beasts¡­ This battlefield felt like it could allow the Lei Cang Violent Dragon to undergo a transformative leap in strength. What Big ck Tooth needed most was battle¡­ Constant battle, the incessant awakening of potential, the relentless breaking of the shackles of its own bloodline!! Since it felt it wasn¡¯t enough, how could Zhu Minng stand in its way? How it yearned to be as strong as the Ice Morning White Dragon!! As a hybrid of Azure Dragon and Tyrant Dragon bloodlines, the Lei Cang Violent Dragon had a biting force that definitely feared no other Dragon n. Biting into the spine of the Blue Tyrannosaurus, Big ck Tooth ripped off a huge chunk of flesh, exposing one massive vertebra after another. And Big ck Tooth itself was missing arge chunk from its chest, with part of its ribcage exposed, revealing the flowing blood within that was as vibrant as moltenva. Touching the external air, it scorched fiercely hot! Even so, the Lei Cang Violent Dragon felt no pain; instead, the Blue Tyrannosaurus howled in agony, retreating from the brutal close-quarter biting. Its retreat gave the Lei Cang Violent Dragon an excellent opportunity. ¡°Oh!!!!!!¡± Rend Roar!! The breath of its roar was tinged with blood-red; the wound on its chest was like the door of a furnace flung open, clearly disying the fuel inside burning, bursting, and rolling wildly! The Blood me Rend Roar struck the Blue Tyrannosaurus, tearing its wound even further. The worsening wound didn¡¯t significantly affect the Blue Tyrannosaurus, an Ancient Dragon with incredibly robust vitality, but the Blue Tyrannosaurus didn¡¯t possess the Blood of Bravery. It couldn¡¯t, like the Lei Cang Violent Dragon, nullify the pain on its body and transform the bled blood into its own berserk power¡­ Seriously injured meant seriously injured, with greatly reduced stamina and weakenedbat ability, the Lei Cang Violent Dragon then charged at the Blue Tyrannosaurus once more! ¡°Bang!!! Finally, the bigger-bodied Blue Tyrannosaurus was knocked down by the ck Azure Violent Dragon. The Lei Cang Violent Dragon nted its foot on the body of the Blue Tyrannosaurus, its whole body covered in blood mes and lightning scales shimmering. It lifted its head and roared furiously, the roar echoing across the Ancient Bronze Battlefield, as if proiming its position as the sole dominator of this territory! ! There were no stronger Ancient Dragons anymore! Nor was there any other dragon species that could contend with it!! It was the battlefield¡¯s¡ªUltimate Predator!! Chapter 139 - 140: Leisurely Tour of the Fish Pond Situation Chapter 139 - 140: Leisurely Tour of the Fish Pond Situation Chapter 139: Chapter 140: Leisurely Tour of the Fish Pond Situation Trantor:549690339 Outside the arena, the watching crowd suddenly erupted into a frenzy. This kind of pure strength and direct physicalbat was exactly what they hoped to see, especially with the unrestrained ferocity of the Lei Cang Violent Dragon¡­ As for the distinguished guests in the taverns, their faces were ashen. The numbers they had spent a great deal of money on were all wiped out by Big ck Tooth. The problem was, no one had any confidence in Zhu Minng from the start. Those who didn¡¯t know Zhu Minng basically wouldn¡¯t bet on his victory, and those who knew him were even more aware that his sword cultivation was ruined. He was no longer young when he started on the path of a Dragon Trainer, so what achievements could he possibly have? ¡°Isn¡¯t that Zhu Minng?¡± one of the elders from the Azure Dragon Pce finally recognized the young man, expressing his surprise. ¡°He is Zhu Minng??¡± Fu Jinguo had alreadye down from the arena, her gaze fixed on the man who had defeated her. In thispetition of the great powers, it was mostly the Big Disciples participating, so their ages weren¡¯t too small, nor would there be anyone over thirty in thepetition, especially from those major forces that care greatly about their reputation. Therefore, there were no explicit regtions for the participants in thepetition, but the main purpose was still to provide an opportunity for the younger members to showcase themselves. In this session of thepetition, Zhu Minng was of the same generation as many of the big forces¡¯ younger members. The vast majority of them knew there was such a person at the Yaoshan Sword Sect and were aware that he came from the Zhu n. ¡°What kind of person is Zhu Minng? We¡¯ve never heard of him in the Dragon Trainers¡¯ domain,¡± asked Lu Bin, the Big Disciple of the Azure Dragon Pce. ¡°Big Brother, I have heard of this person. It is said that he emerged from the Yaoshan Sword Sect¡¯s Big Disciples trial at the age of fifteen, so strong that even some of the master-uncle level figures were no match for him. He has quite a reputation in the Imperial City!¡± said Fu Jinguo. Fu Jinguo was also surprised herself. She had just seen the owner of the Lei Cang Violent Dragon up close and hadn¡¯t recognized him as Zhu Minng. After all, at some grand feasts, she had seen from afar this legendary man whose brilliance overshadowed all his peers¡­ At that time, many of the sisters took pride in knowing Zhu Minng. ¡°If he is a Sword Cultivator, how can he summon a Dragon Beast?¡± Lu Bin asked, puzzled. ¡°I heard his Sword Cultivation Level was wasted and he became mundane¡­ Now it seems that he was not willing to fall and chose the Way of the Shepherd Dragon. It looks like he¡¯s done quite well on this path, for he has trained the Lei Cang Violent Dragon exceptionally well,¡± the elder of the Azure Dragon Pce said, stroking his beard. ¡°Hmph, I thought he was some incredible character, worthy of the amazement of several powers. With such skills, he won¡¯t even get past the second round, let alonepare to me,¡± Lu Binughed mockingly, seeing his master and junior sister both praising the man endlessly. Maintaining one¡¯s cultivation base was vital, and someone who had been powerful but could no longer retain it was nothing but a has-been. Cultivation was something that required a long-termmitment. It wasn¡¯t something that could be achieved by mastering a few clever tricks and getting ahead of one¡¯s peers, winning the praise of elders, teachers, and fellow disciples. Coming from another country, Lu Bin didn¡¯t know of Zhu Minng and had little regard for him. There had been many disciples in the Azure Dragon Pce who ranked above him, but in the end, he had trampled them underfoot! ¡­ Inside the arena, only four remained. Apart from Zhu Minng, the other three were all God and Mortals. The Lei Cang Violent Dragon wasn¡¯t very interested in God and Mortals, so it didn¡¯t clear them all out. However, Nan Lingsha, on the other side of the Ancient Bronze Battlefield, chose a few individuals who seemed to have particrly special Powers of God and Mortality, exchanged a few moves with them, and then stood there with an air of disinterest. No one dared to provoke her, as people nearby had witnessed some seemingly strong individuals being swiftly overwhelmed by her. ¡°Contestants number fifty-five, fifty-six, nine, and seventy-seven, please proceed to the next round and check the tournament announcements in the city in time to be aware of your next match¡¯s timing!¡± announced a referee with a loud voice. Zhu Minng had already retracted Big ck Tooth back into the Spirit Realm. Now was not the time to apply medicine to it; it needed to wait for its Fierce Courage Bloodline to slowly cool down. Fortunately, during the process of blood cooling, the Ancient Dragon¡¯s self-healing instinct would also increase several times. With the enhancement of the spiritual energy from the Spirit Realm, Big ck Tooth could recover in a few days even without taking any healing medicine. The Spirit Realm not only boosted the growth of Dragonpanions but also had a strong effect on their natural cycles and self-healing. Zhu Minng¡¯s Spirit Realm could now provide an enhancement of about fifteen times. After entering the Spirit Realm, some of the flesh that had started to fester on Big ck Tooth was slowly growing back, with red threads knitting together like stitches, gradually mending its torn wounds. Yet, what worried Zhu Minng was therge gap in its chest; healing that solely by self-regeneration would be somewhat difficult. ¡°Rest well. After this battle, your strength should soar. Later, I¡¯ll go to Zhu Gate to find some materials and craft you a better set of Dragon Armor,¡± said Zhu Minng to Big ck Tooth. The Silver Green Heavy Armor was already shattered. Zhu Minng had already been nning to make a better one, and with the craftsmanship of the Zhu n Inner Court, they could create an armor with functions far surpassing that of the Silver Green Heavy Armor! ¡°Little Qingzhuo, youe back too.¡± The Divine Green Holy Dragon clearly had more dominance. On one hand, there were fewer Flying Dragons than Earth Dragons, and on the other, the Divine Green Holy Dragon seemed to be on the verge of entering the next phase; it was much stronger than the other Flying Dragons. Its aerialbat didn¡¯t present much suspense, so Zhu Minng allowed the Divine Green Holy Dragon to y out freely. Exiting the battlefield, a crowd dressed as servants quickly swarmed into the bloodied Ancient Bronze Battlefield, briskly cleansing the entire area¡­ Zhu Minng and Nan Lingsha were not too interested in the subsequent matches. Their goal was to advance to higher rounds topete against members of stronger forces. Of course, as Dragon Shepherds, they could easily blend into battles at any level, as all the Dragons raised by Dragon Shepherds couldn¡¯t possibly all be at the same tier. To let their younger Dragon Beasts gain experience, many powerful Dragon Shepherds would also appear in these chaoticbats. Nan Lingsha probably wouldn¡¯t enter the fray anymore; she had already qualified for the higher rounds. Zhu Minng, however, became very interested in this kind of battlefield. There was no ce better suited for training the Lei Cang Violent Dragon and the Divine Green Holy Dragon than this battlefield. Thus, before the second round of thepetition, he decided to swim around more in this pond¡­ Chapter 140 - 141 Two Old Foxes Chapter 140: Chapter 141 Two Old Foxes Trantor: 549690339 Having returned to Zhu Gate, it was already nearing nighttime. After a busy day, he was tired and soon fell asleep early. However, deep into the night, Qin Yang suddenly appeared in his room, startling the alert Zhu Minng. ¡°The master has sent for you,¡± Qin Yang, who appeared and vanished like a phantom, was dressed in ck brocade that blended into the night. If not for the glimmer in her eyes, Zhu Minng would have thought there was a ghost in his room. ¡°What is it that can¡¯t wait until tomorrow?¡± Zhu Minng was still very sleepy. ¡°It¡¯s about the matter of taking an oath of residence,¡± Qin Yang added. Zhu Minng immediately sprung up from his bed and sshed his face with cold water. Zhu Minng¡¯s building was quite far from Zhu Heavenly Officer¡¯s study, chosen precisely to avoid disturbance from his father. This father of his mightmand awe and authority without showing anger outside, but in truth, he was quite the chatterbox, which Zhu Minng sometimes found annoying. Approaching the study, the building itself wasn¡¯t particrlyrge. It was surrounded by peach trees, an open and spacious wooden bookhouse without an attic, filled with many ancient artifacts, mostly historical casting tools. The night was cool, stepping into the study, one could see that the opposite side waspletely open, facing a glisteningke. The stonenterns standing in the water illuminated the gently swaying waves with even more grace. Looking along theke surface, one could even spot several wooden boats slumbering under the moonlight at a great distance¡­ ¡°Hungry?¡± Zhu Heavenly Officer was sitting in front of a long tableden with food and drink. Observing his ravenous eating, it seemed he must have been busy with something during the day and hadn¡¯t managed to eat. ¡°Not hungry, please go ahead,¡± Zhu Minng shook his head. ¡°The matter regarding the Li Chuan Continent is almost certain now; there truly are Ancient Ruins there. No matter how I threatened or tempted, those old codgers just wouldn¡¯t budge,¡± said Zhu Heavenly Officer as he took a sip of his liquor, casually using a nearby piece of silk to wipe his mouth. ¡°Then I¡¯ll have no choice but to hurry back to Li Chuan as soon as possible and take those people I know to flee,¡± Zhu Minng said helplessly. Zhu Minng could not stand idly by and watch the people of Li Chuan Continent be reduced to very. ¡°Now we have two options. The first is to break faces with them directly, eliminating whoeverpetes with us.¡± ¡°The second¡­ well, this is a method they proposed, and it puts us at Zhu Gate at a great disadvantage, so I believe dering war directly on them is the more secure option.¡± n war derations were somewhat rare in the stable and clear-cut power structure of the Supreme Court Imperial City, but were quitemon in other major realms. It was nothing more than irreconcble differences between powers, turning them into enemies, where upon encountering members of the opposing side, a fight was almost certain. At the lighter end, they would leave someone crippled or wrecked, at the worst, it led directly to ughter. ¡°Just tell me about the second method for now, how is it detrimental to us?¡± Zhu Minng inquired. Implementing the first method directly was too violent! Zhu Heavenly Officer actually suggested such a course of action; he must be confident enough in his ability to wipe outpeting powers, or at the very least, leverage the growth of Zhu Gate to force the opponent to back down knowing the difficulty. But by doing so, Zhu Gate would likely make many enemies! Zhu Gate itself had only risen to be the leader of the n powers in recent years; its foundations were not yet firmly established. ¡°The second method, inly put, is their way of humiliating us. You know that the true strength of Zhu Gate doesn¡¯t lie within the n itself, but rather in those powers that prosper and suffer together with us, like your grandfather¡¯s Yaoshan Sword Sect¡­¡± Zhu Heavenly Officer stood up and faced the open wall, gazing out at Droplet Lake enveloped by the night. ¡°I¡¯m aware of that, so even if we have to eliminate those powers, it is mostly up to others to take action,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°They know our n¡¯s focus isn¡¯t on nurturing Divine and Mortals or Dragon Shepherds, so they deliberately integrated thepetition into this major power contest. Those shrewd old foxes don¡¯t want to wade into murky waters themselves, so they push it onto their young disciples.¡± ¡°Integrate thepetition into a major power contest?¡± Zhu Minng was somewhat surprised to say. Apetition was a contest between powers. inly speaking, it meant employing the entire power¡¯s might to secure greater benefits for one¡¯s own power. It is usually the figures at the level of Uncle-Master and Grandmaster who jointly make decisions, especially in the case of territorial disputes whererge-scale conflicts and direct derations of hostilities often ur. In fact, it¡¯s the influence of the Dragon Shepherds; dragons consume an enormous amount of resources, and even a wealthy city may not be able to sustain the expenses of a Dragon Shepherd Team. Not to mention those forces involved in dragon raising¡ªthey invest huge sums of money and a great deal of manpower each year in feeding Juvenile Spirits, collecting Juvenile Spirits, and selecting Juvenile Spirits. Rich territories are fiercely contested for control, with forces frequently shing on a grand scale! As for the majorparison of forces, it is purely apetition among the young disciples of the major forces, focusing on friendly sparring and stopping when a point is made. Since they are all young, with limited connections and power, even if some friction arises between two forces during thepetition, it¡¯s unlikely to affect the overall harmony. The disciples will ultimately seek their elders¡¯ decision, and the elders usually handle issues amicably, taking both sides¡¯ backgrounds into ount. Even if there are incidents like Zhu Tong being killed in action or Zhu Heavenly Officer killing Hao Shaocong, it wouldn¡¯t lead to an eruption of grudges between Zhu Gate and the Purple Sect n. ¡°Do you think they¡¯re going too far?¡± ¡°It seems I, Zhu Heavenly Officer, have been far too lenient with these pedantic, stubborn, arrogant fools.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t go out casually these days. I¡¯ll have the people from Broken Gate first wipe out a few of the minor forces causing us trouble, cut off a few of the Imperial Dynasty¡¯s military supply lines, and also call over the ck Armor Army from Pei Country¡­¡± Zhu Heavenly Officer was seething with fury, as if he had suffered a grave injustice over thepetition for session during his recent visit to the court. ¡°Father, please calm down,¡± urged Zhu Minng. ¡°Calm down? They¡¯re practically trampling all over us. Our Zhu Gate doesn¡¯t cultivate Dragon Shepherds or God and Mortal beings, but they want us topete for the territorial rights of the Ancestral Dragon City-State in the majorparison of forces. It¡¯s no different from them telling us to get lost. Son, even if thend had nothing to do with you, even if it were apletely newnd with which we had no association, the way they¡¯re pushing us out is too much to swallow. Do they really think we¡¯re still the insignificant family from before?¡± Zhu Heavenly Officer said indignantly. ¡°Father, let¡¯s follow their wishes and decide thepetition based on the majorparison of forces. Nan Lingsha and I have both already entered and made it to the second round,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°How could that be okay? Whenpared to those Sect Forests with thousands of years of heritage, our Zhu Gate disciples are at a great disadvantage. Why don¡¯t theypare their forging skills with us instead?¡± Zhu Heavenly Officer stated. ¡°So, Father, would you rather wipe out their Sects than believe that I can distinguish myself in this majorparison of forces?¡± Zhu Minng asked. ¡°It¡¯s not a question of trust, it¡¯s a matter of fairness. We are the newest andrgest of the Six Great ns; there will always be old ns and Sect Forests who disapprove of us. If wepromise on certain matters once, there will be a second time, a third time¡­ There¡¯s no need to bother with their so-called majorparison of forces. I¡¯m going to see what they¡¯ll use topete with us for that parcel ofnd in the Ancestral Dragon City-State¡ªwe, the Zhu Gate, will im it!¡± Zhu Heavenly Officer dered. Zhu Minng nodded. Indeed, when it came to the whole matter, the various forces of the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent bullying Zhu Gate in this manner was just them throwing their weight around. ¡°How about this? We can ept their proposal, but all the major forces need to contribute more resources to thepetition. After all, it¡¯s apetition between forces, not just a contest between disciples. Why would they only offer such measly trinkets? If we¡¯re going to y, let¡¯s y big!¡± Zhu Minng suggested. Zhu Heavenly Officer¡¯s eyes lit up. What a good idea! Agree to this method, but with everyone upping the stakes, increasing the scale to what is appropriate for a truepetition. As for the Zhu Gate, we basically don¡¯t need to offer anything; we just need to share the ownership rights of the Li Chuan Continent, allowing all forces to qualify for thepetition! ¡°The Red Bird City of Purple Sect n, Thunder Iron Mine of the Royal Family, the True Fire Refining Ding of Azure Dragon Pce, the Forging Camps under the control of the Church¡¯s empire¡­ I have long desired these valuable resources and have been at a loss for a reason to have them transferred to us.¡± A smile quickly spread across Zhu Heavenly Officer¡¯s face. ¡°They want to make things difficult for us; we¡¯ll just strip them of ayer of skin. Father, tomorrow you just need to put on a warlike stance. Then, let those forces friendly to us feign dissuasion and suggest everyone raise the stakes for thepetition¡­¡± Zhu Minng picked up his wine cup, handed it to Zhu Heavenly Officer, and continued, ¡°The forces friendly to us should make big bets first, at least of a city-state¡¯s resource level, to force the other forces to either withdraw from thepetition, fearing too great a loss, or to scrape off ayer of skin. When Nan Lingsha and I win thispetition and take all the benefits, we will return the resources of our friendly forces in full, and split the resources of the other forces fifty-fifty between us.¡± Zhu Minng picked up his wine cup and poured a ss for both himself and Zhu Heavenly Officer. Upon hearing this speech, Zhu Heavenly Officer¡¯s previous annoyance vanished, and his face was full of smiles. He raised the ss that Zhu Minng had poured for him, clinked it against his son¡¯s, and said, ¡°To fifty-fifty shares!¡± In front of the house, Qin Yang, d in ck brocade, stood quietly. Her gaze swept across the faces of the father and son, noticing their smiles and unspoken understanding, as cunning as a pair of old foxes¡­ Which power was about to have a streak of bad luck? Even when Zhu Gate was only the least of the Six Great ns, Zhu Heavenly Officer and Zhu Minng seldom came out worse in dealings with the major powers. Now that the family was prospering, those forces still troubling Zhu Gate everywhere likely wouldn¡¯t fare well. Chapter 141 - 142: The Theory of Inscriptions Chapter 141: Chapter 142: The Theory of Inscriptions Trantor: 549690339 By the next day at noon, Aunt Bai Xin invited the three of them for a meal at her home. Zhu Minng noticed Aunt Bai Xin¡¯s feigned calmness, and felt a twinge of difort in his heart. That bastard Hao Shaocong, Zhu Minng had resolved to kill him, and when the time came, he would make sure that Aunt and Uncle were dressed in their finest to attend the funeral of their son, Hao Yong. After the meal, Fang Niannian ran out on her own. Concerned that Fang Niannian, a young girl, would get lost in the unfamiliar Imperial City or encounter troublesome people, Bai Xin specifically instructed a female nservant from the Sword Sect to follow close behind her. By evening, Fang Niannian had returned. She appeared jubnt as she spoke to Zhu Minng, who was tending to Big ck Tooth¡¯s wounds, ¡°The Dragon Food for next month is all prepared, and I even got the Essence of Water and Wood Element that you wanted. I bought it from an old man who grows trees, and it only cost 500 gold!¡± ¡°Impressive!¡± Zhu Minng gave her a thumbs up. Such Essence of Water and Wood Element would have cost at least a thousand or two thousand gold in the Spirit Market. Five hundred gold was indeed a bargain. ¡°The old man said that the people at the Spirit Market are even more ruthless, not even offering up to 300 gold for a single item,¡± Fang Niannian said. ¡°Such extortionate profit margins, eh?¡± Zhu Minng remarked. In this world, there are countless spiritual objects, most of which are closely linked to breeders, nters, herbalists, and mountain patrollers. Simply put, Dragon Shepherds specialize in dragon rearing. Different dragons require different foods, and the massive consumption of food has to be purchased from farmers and merchants. Simrly, the various unique treasures of the mountainous spiritualnds are more likely to be encountered by those who frequently venture into the mountains, such as hunters, woodcutters, herbalists, and mountain patrollers. Every once in a while, the people from the Spirit Markets would visit these individuals to collect items, paying high prices for spiritual objects that Dragon Shepherds need. This has formed an industry in the major cities across the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent, as there are so many Dragon Shepherds and countless Juvenile Spirits and True Dragons that without this group of farmers and merchants, many dragon pets would experience stunted growth. This is why Dragon Shepherds and other major dragon-rearing powers must upy cities. With a city, they can levy resources grown in the wild from the vast number of farmers and merchants. After all, the number of Dragon Shepherds who gather spirits on their own is still small. Fang Niannian grew up selling goods outside the Dragon Taming Academy and often purchased Dragon Food and spiritual objects for students, so she was familiar with the ropes. With a bit of extra time, buying directly from the farmers can save a substantial amount of money. Of course, it wasn¡¯t always possible to be so lucky and find spiritual resources that matched the needs of Little Qingzhuo, not to mention they had to be of the exact age. Fang Niannian nned if she hadn¡¯t found what she needed today, she would have bought it from the Spirit Market. Even if it would cost two or three thousand gold, she could not dy since Little Qingzhuo was on the verge of evolving. ¡°I have to report to you that Little White¡¯s crystals have cost a total of twelve thousand gold,¡± she said. ¡°Big ck Tooth has been eating food from the Zhu n¡¯s Outer Court, so that¡¯s some money saved,¡± she added. ¡°And for Little Qingzhuo¡¯s Nanmu Juice, that¡¯s been taken care of for a month too, costing two thousand three hundred gold,¡± she continued. ¡°Then there¡¯s the money we got from those viins in the City of Sin and our own savings. Starting today, we¡¯re down to less than a thousand Gold Sand. Boss, you haven¡¯t paid me this month¡¯s sry yet,¡± Fang Niannian itemized the expenses, causing Zhu Minng to feel dizzy with the numbers! How did the monthly expenses exceed ten thousand??? He thought with the inheritance from the Sect Pce and the viins, they could livefortably for a year or half, but now, before autumn has even arrived, they¡¯re down to a thousand gold??? One thousand gold probably wouldn¡¯t even cover Big ck Tooth¡¯s meals. Big ck Tooth now requires to eat Pig Demon Dragon Meat! ¡°How about we cut down on the meals a bit? I¡¯ve seen many substitutes, like the Star Fragment Crystals, for example. In the Spirit Market, there¡¯s a kind of Star Moon Mineral, I¡¯ve calcted it, and it only costs less than two thousand gold per month. For Nanmu Juice, let¡¯s not get the golden-threaded variety. Regr Nanmu Juice is just a few hundred gold,¡± Fang Niannian suggested. ¡°We can¡¯t do that, we need the very best. No matter how poor we are, we can¡¯t shortchange our dragon babies,¡± Zhu Minng insisted. ¡°Your father looks quite rich. Can¡¯t you ask him for a reimbursement?¡± Fang Niannian asked. Asking Zhu Heavenly Officer for money was easy, and this small amount was nothing to him. But since he was raising dragons, he needed to find his own way to make money. In the future, when the dragon pets reached higher levels, the monthly costs would be even greater. He couldn¡¯t possibly ask Zhu Heavenly Officer for handouts every month, could he?? ¡°It¡¯s not worth it to ask him for this little amount of money. Don¡¯t worry, we still have a month. I¡¯ll figure out a way to handle it!¡± Zhu Minng dered. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll make more trips to the Spirit Gatherers and see if I can procure some high-quality, low-priced resources,¡± Fang Niannian said. The Essence of Water and Wood Element, the quintessence of five hundred years, Zhu Minng arrived at the mountain stream and saw Mr. Jinli floating in the air, dozing off. After waking him up, Zhu Minng nned to inquire about some specifics. As expected, Mr. Jinli hadpletely forgotten he¡¯d ever said those things. ¡°You go back to enjoying your nap,¡± Zhu Minng said. Following the northern edge of the mountain stream, Zhu Minng headed to the Cast Pce. In the Zhu n¡¯s inner court, there was no smelting of raw iron or raw ore; therefore, even upon entering the Cast Pce, one would not see the great furnaces, nor would there be billowing smoke within the expanse of Zhu Gate Lake Mountain Ind. Zhu Minng stepped into the hall and saw that most people had already returned to their residences to rest, leaving behind a few night disciples. ¡°Young Master.¡± ¡°Young Master.¡± The night disciples greeted him politely. ¡°Is there anyone still inside, someone of the elder rank?¡± Zhu Minng asked. ¡°The master is inside,¡± one of the disciples replied. ¡°Hmm.¡± Zhu Minng walked in, bypassing the main hall, and headed for an armor casting room. Zhu Heavenly Officer should be in there. Pushing open the heavy door, Zhu Minng saw countless marks glittering like stars within this splendid foundry. They were ancient and mysterious, as if harboring boundless power that could move mountains and fill seas once unleashed! ¡°Inscriptions!¡± Zhu Minng eximed in surprise. ¡°You recognize inscriptions, huh.¡± Zhu Heavenly Officer raised his hand, and all the glowing marks swirled into a dazzling vortex, slowly infusing into an exceedingly thick armor piece. That armor piece, asrge as a millstone and already subjected to thousands of refinements, exuded a tenacious and weighty texture. As the inscriptions poured in, it appeared to be a mighty body endowed with a more splendid soul, radiating an aura of immortality! ¡°The infusion of inscriptions is the quintessence of our Zhu n. Any instrument, no matter how mundane the copper or iron, after being baptized by our inscriptions, will disy extraordinary power.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need to attend court today. This morning, I¡¯ve already coordinated with those old friends, and tomorrow in the court, we will surely make all the forcespeting against us lose a chunk of flesh!¡± ¡°It seems our n is perfect, but there¡¯s one key issue¡ªwhat if you lose?¡± ¡°If you lose, we will have nothing left, and we will have to add the resources of the forces that aligned with us.¡± ¡°So after some consideration, I thought that our Zhu n must present something respectable to ensure your victorious battle this time.¡± As he spoke, Zhu Heavenly Officer had alreadypleted the inscription infusion for that heavy armor piece. He ced it into a pool free of impurities, and then began to remove the protective gear he was wearing. ¡°Are you forging dragon armor for my dragon pet?¡± Zhu Minng asked. ¡°Yes, I heard about what happened at the Ancient Bronze Battlefield from Qin Yang yesterday,¡± Zhu Heavenly Officer said. ¡°I came here indeed to forge a new dragon armor for my ck Dragon, and by the way, to ¡®borrow¡¯ some of our family¡¯s good materials¡­¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°What do you mean by ¡®borrow¡¯? You can take whatever you want from the Zhu n; if any elder disagrees, I¡¯ll kick them out of the family, hmph!¡± Zhu Heavenly Officer said with a cold snort. ¡°Father happens to be free today, which is just as well as I have some things to ask him about,¡± said Zhu Minng. ¡°About casting art?¡± Zhu Heavenly Officer raised an eyebrow. ¡°Yes.¡± Zhu Heavenly Officer, who was just now serious, changed to look extremely joyful at a speed visible to the naked eye. He turned around, bowed to a statue inside the foundry, and said, ¡°Blessed by the heavens, blessed by the heavens, my child has finally decided to learn our family craft, blessed by the heavens!¡± ¡°What¡¯s the reasoning behind these inscriptions on armaments?¡± Zhu Minng asked. ¡°You can think of inscriptions as the soul of an armament. Once any armament has a soul, its power will be iparable to that of anymon metal. Take the Azure Dragon as an example; their strength lies in their Profound Art. An Azure Dragon without Profound Art is no different from a python,¡± Zhu Heavenly Officer exined. ¡°Which kind of instrument would have a soul, and which would not?¡± Zhu Minng continued to inquire. ¡°Like all creatures in this world, there is also a concept of cultivation for instruments. Forged by mighty craftsmen and refined year after year, over a long time, the instrument will have a soul, a shine of inscription. ¡°A sword that has in thousands and drunk copious blood will also possess a certain cultivation base and a blood glow of inscriptions.¡± ¡°An armor hammered thousands of times, forged from crystal ore that has absorbed the essence of the sun and moon, and worn by powerful individuals in each generation, will naturally be extraordinary,¡± Zhu Heavenly Officer exined. Zhu Minng lowered his head, deep in thought. The idea that instruments could have a cultivation base was perhaps the most absurd thing imaginable. If others heard such talk, they would think the speaker was ill. Previously, Zhu Minng would not have considered this aspect. But after seeing the Sword Spirit Dragon, Zhu Minng was utterly convinced. And this secret was already known within the Zhu n Inner Court. ¡°Is there a concept of inscriptions being sealed or sleeping?¡± Zhu Minng asked. What Zhu Minng wanted to learn about was the matter of the Sword Spirit Dragon¡¯s inscriptions. The Sword Spirit Dragon still had many legendary swords whose souls had not awakened, meaning that the inscriptions were dormant. If the glory of those legendary sword souls could be revived, the Sword Spirit Dragon would be even more formidable. The Sword Spirit Dragon might even surpass its original Sword Cultivation Level. Chapter 142 - 143: Devouring the Sword Chapter 142: Chapter 143: Devouring the Sword Trantor: 549690339 ¡°Every inscription has its effect, its origin, and its story,¡± ¡°Take the Guardian Rune, for instance. It senses the situation of its owner, and if thetter fails to notice a lethal blowing from a blind spot, the Guardian Rune will spontaneously radiate light and conjure an armor shadow to protect its keeper.¡± ¡°The Combat Rune, meanwhile, merges with the owner¡¯s fighting spirit. It awakens when the owner¡¯s desire for victory and fighting will is overwhelming, bestowing upon the vessel a power suited to the current battle, or even some ancient secret techniques.¡± ¡°Generally speaking, the older the vessel, the more likely it is to awaken an inscription. These vessels have witnessed many events through the changes of time¡ªincluding familial upheavals, the rise and fall of sects, and changes of national territory. They absorb the obsessions of those people and gradually develop their own souls.¡± ¡°However, not all soul inscriptions are active. They need the right environment, the right event, and the right owner to fully shine.¡± Zhu Heavenly Officer¡¯s exnation was rtively simple, and Zhu Minng had not heard anyone in his n mention these inscriptions before. It seems that only when casting art is learned to the highest realm, and the vessel itself manifests a degree of extraordinary quality, will Zhu n Inner Court pass on this knowledge of inscriptions, allowing an already perfectly forged vessel to undergo further baptism and transformation! No wonder all the Sword Sects hold Zhu Gate in such high esteem. A sword cultivator¡¯s sword is extremely important. With a fitting sword inscribed with runes, one¡¯s strength can increase significantly, and in certain situations, even burst forth with an unusual power¡­ ¡°What you saw just now was fragments of an inscription. I¡¯ve repaired and integrated them together, turning them into a Combat me Rune, which I have branded onto that chest armor te just earlier,¡± Zhu Heavenly Officer continued. Zhu Minng nodded. It seemed that Zhu Heavenly Officer was determined to personally craft a set of Heavy Armor for his Dragon Beast. This armor was not only intended to make Big ck Tooth more powerful but also to conjure an armor shadow to protect Zhu Minng¡¯s life in critical moments. ¡°Father has worried himself over me,¡± Zhu Minng looked at Zhu Heavenly Officer and slowly bowed. In Zhu Minng¡¯s memory, Zhu Heavenly Officer was an exceptionally busy man, who he could only see during mealtimes most of the time. Zhu Minng might not have understood this in the past. But now he understood that for arge family door like theirs, with everything from the prosperity and decline of the n to issues like Zhu Tong being bullied and abused, time was never enough. ¡°Sigh, since your mother left to pursue a monastic life, if I neglect youpletely, I will truly be a lonely man. I¡¯m still hoping that you will have the chance to go to Miao Mountain one day and plead on my behalf,¡± Zhu Heavenly Officer sighed deeply. ¡°Father, stop struggling with that idea. Just look around within the Supreme Court Court Empire for a suitable old maid and start a new family,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°What are you talking about? Once I¡¯m done with matters here, I¡¯ll personally go to Miao Mountain. If she won¡¯te back with me, I¡¯ll just stay at their Miao Mountain Sword Sect!¡± Zhu Heavenly Officer said. ¡°Father, don¡¯t be so naive. The Miao Mountain Sword Sect does not allow men to enter. At best, they¡¯ll sever your tendons, at worst, they¡¯ll cripple you. I once broke into their sect and nearly lost my life. If it wasn¡¯t for my youth and the fact that I was indeed born to my mother¡­ I would probably have to spend the rest of my life in bed,¡± Zhu Minng shook his head. ¡°Once Zhu Gate grows stronger, I will gather all forces to invade Miao Mountain Sword Sect and exterminate them. Even if I have to snatch her back by force,¡± Zhu Heavenly Officer said. ¡°So, this is actually the biggest motivation for Father to expand the sect. Well then, Father, you should work even harder. Once you unify all the powers within the Supreme Court Court Empire, I could truly be a Crown Prince,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°That¡¯s what I told your grandfather too.¡± Miao Mountain Sword Sect. It is known as Swordswoman Mountain. The entire sect consists only of females, even the country it¡¯s located in is called the ¡®Country of Daughters¡¯. It¡¯s not that there are no men in this territory, but the ones in power are all women. Men have a very low status there, and the vast majority are male ves. Since his cultivation at Yao Mountain Sword Sect, Zhu Minng had hardly seen his mother. In his impression, this mother never cared much for familial affection. Including her only biological son, she didn¡¯t seem to treat him any differently from ordinary people. Breaking into Miao Mountain Sword Sect happened when he was seventeen. He had two thoughts at the time. The first was to see the mother he hadn¡¯t met for many years, and the second was to challenge the strong cultivators of Miao Mountain Sword Sect. As a result, he was severely taught a lesson by a Swordswoman with a profound cultivation base. He still wasn¡¯t clear about the exact level of cultivation of that Swordswoman. Given the chance in the future, Zhu Minng would definitely seek her out again to reim the face he had lost at seventeen! Zhu Heavenly Officer had also visited several times over the years, but unfortunately, he too was denied entry. Thus, for both Zhu Minng and his father Zhu Heavenly Officer, Miao Mountain Sword Sect was a sore point! ¡°Your ck Dragon isn¡¯t of very high rank, so the best material I could choose for it was Volcano Crystal. Better ore would be too much for it to bear, suppressing its wildness,¡± Zhu Heavenly Officer said. ¡°It¡¯s already much better than the crudely made Silver Green Heavy Armor I had before,¡± Zhu Minng nced at the parts of the Heavy Armor soaking in various pools and said. ¡°The Volcano Armor can easily withstand attacks from Lord-level Dragon Beasts, and if you can awaken the Combat Rune, your ck Dragon¡¯s strength could contend with some High-level Dragon Lords,¡± Zhu Heavenly Officer said. ¡°That¡¯s a significant improvement!¡± Zhu Minng was somewhat surprised. Armor alone could elevate Big ck Tooth, a Dragon General, to the level where it could battle with High-level Dragon Lords¡ªno wonder Dragon Armors were so expensive! ¡°Spend these days learning well. In the future, as your Dragon Beasts grow stronger, you can forge even more powerful Armor for them and infuse more inscriptions. Sadly, time is limited; otherwise, I could cast a suitable set of Dragon Armor for each of your Dragon Beasts¡­¡± Zhu Heavenly Officer said. ¡°This Volcano Armor made by Father is already very good, its value is immense.¡± Zhu Minng said. His own dragon beasts were still in a stage of growth; forging armors for them prematurely might lead to the armors being quickly outdated. Therefore, before their strength had stabilized, Zhu Minng was in no rush to craft Dragon Armors for them. Take Little White, for example, it would soon reach the Monarch Level after some time. Once it reached the Monarch Level and its attributes stabilized, he could then forge a perfect Dragon Armor for it. ¡°Actually, it¡¯s good that you¡¯ve be a Dragon Shepherd, you can fully leverage our Zhu n¡¯s advantages, other Dragon Shepherds simply can¡¯tpare with you in this aspect,¡± Zhu Heavenly Officer said. Zhu Minng was studiously learning, and Zhu Heavenly Officer had also exined the prerequisites of forging to Zhu Minng, personally demonstrating the assembly of parts. Thebination of parts was crucial; it had to ount for the dragon beast¡¯s physique to avoid the Heavy Armor restricting its agility after being worn. Before they knew it, night had fallen. Zhu Heavenly Officer tried to infuse another Inscription to make this Volcano Armor even more powerful. But the final Inscription infusion failed. And with that, the Inscription shattered, nearly dispersing on the spot. Fortunately, Zhu Heavenly Officer promptly gathered the fragments together and repaired them. ¡°This Volcano Armor can only take one more Inscription at its limit. Later, I¡¯ll have the Hall Master of the Armor Casting Hall install a ring of Thunder Guiding Nails on this Volcano Armor for you. It will significantly amplify the lightning released by your dragon beast,¡± Zhu Heavenly Officer said as he wiped the sweat from his forehead, pointing to the ce where the armor pieces were joined. Zhu Minng nodded and made note of those connecting points. With this luxurious Heavy Armor, those who thought Big ck Tooth was merely a Dragon General were probably in for a tough time! Havingpleted his studies in the casting art for the day, Zhu Minng was also slowly mulling over the Dragon Equipment for Bai Qi, Qing Zhuo, and Mo Ye. Bai Qi and Qing Zhuo may not look as big, but forging armors for them was actually more difficult; their agility had to be considered. As for the Sword Spirit Dragon¡­ Zhu Minng fell into deep thought. In essence, the Sword Spirit Dragon was a sword. But could it wear Dragon Armor? With this question in mind, Zhu Minng left the Armor Casting Hall. As he passed by the Sword Casting Hall, the Sword Spirit Dragon suddenly made a noise, strongly requesting Zhu Minng to head inside the Sword Casting Hall. Zhu Minng stepped inside the hall and summoned the Sword Spirit Dragon. The Sword Spirit Dragon¡¯s crimson body floated next to Zhu Minng, its sword tassel tail gently swaying. Suddenly, the Sword Spirit Dragon flickered and flew into a pool of mes in the grand hall as if it was eyeing a table full of delicious food, excitedly circling around the fire pool. It had been more than a month since they came here from the Yaoshan Sword Sect. The Sword Spirit Dragon had practically been abstaining from eating and drinking. For a moment, Zhu Minng thought he might be able to save on the expenses of a powerful dragon, but now he felt that his initial thoughts were a bit naive. Indeed¡­ the Sword Spirit Dragon began to ¡°eat¡±! Its sword body trembled gently, causing ripples to appear in the surrounding air. As the sword¡¯s vibration frequency increased, the swords in the fire pool being tempered started resonating with it, and soon after, all the other swords in the grand hall, including the unfinished ones, began to act simrly. Suddenly, all the resonating swords flew up in an orderly fashion, gravitating towards the Sword Spirit Dragon¡­ At that moment, the Sword Spirit Dragon manifested a mountainous Sword Soul shadow. One could see all the refined, exquisite, and ornate swords in the Sword Casting Hall flying towards the shadow of the sword peak and swiftly merging into it, seemingly bing part of the sword-shaped mountain. In the hall, there were at least several hundred Sword Products. Many were finished products that could sell for tens of thousands. But in that brief moment of distraction, all were absorbed by the Sword Spirit Dragon into the shadow of the sword peak! Earlier, while in the Armor Casting Hall, Zhu Minng had been contemting whether to ask Zhu Heavenly Officer for reimbursement for some Dragon Food expenses. But witnessing the Sword Spirit Dragon¡¯s actions, Zhu Minng thought it might be better to handle these minor issues with the three dragons on his own. The absorption of the swords did make the Sword Spirit Dragon stronger. But this one meal equated to how many years of food expenses for the other three dragons! Fortunately, this was at the Zhu n. After all, how could one call it stealing when it involved one¡¯s own belongings? If it were any other Family Door, this would have led to ruin! Chapter 143 - 144: Adult Wooden Dragon Chapter 143: Chapter 144: Adult Wooden Dragon Trantor: 549690339 At Pinghu Bookstore Zhu Heavenly Officer was reading the letters sent from various Zhu Gates¡¯ branches across the nations. Just then, Elder Zhu Qianjie burst in with an aura of anger. He picked up a cup of freshly brewed green tea next to him and downed it in one gulp. After taking a deep breath, Zhu Qianjie finally spoke, ¡°I just went to the Sword Casting Hall, and for a moment, I thought there had been a thief in the n. It was only after asking the disciple at the door that I found out Zhu Minng had rushed in and taken everything.¡± ¡°Oh,e on, Elder. As a brat who imed at sixteen he would never inherit our Zhu Gate¡¯s will, taking a bit of rare casting material, what¡¯s the fuss about? There¡¯s no need for an uproar over such a small matter,¡± Zhu Heavenly Officer said. ¡°A bit of material???¡± ¡°Even if he took a lot, that¡¯s no problem either. After all, in the grander scheme of power, Zhu Minng still needs to fight for the honor of our Zhu Gate,¡± Zhu Heavenly Officer added. ¡°Heavenly Officer, I think it¡¯d be better for you to go see yourself,¡± Zhu Qianjie said. Bewildered, Zhu Heavenly Officer followed Elder Zhu Qianjie to the Sword Casting Hall, and when he saw that not a single one of the fine swords disyed in the central hall was left, as if the hall had been emptied by thieves, his expression also turned strange. This darn kid! Ransacking his own family! We said you could take what you wanted, but not like this!! ¡°Cough cough, Elder, are these swords urgently needed?¡± Zhu Heavenly Officer asked. ¡°Not exactly, just that a few fine swords were ordered by people from other cities,¡± Zhu Qianjie said. ¡°Then it¡¯s not a big deal. Our Zhu Gate branches have contributed quite a lot of treasurestely. Elder, pick a few that you like when the timees,¡± Zhu Heavenly Officer said. ¡°This¡­ all right then.¡± In the end, Zhu Qianjie nodded in agreement. Zhu Qianjie hade toin, after all, and there really wasn¡¯t a good solution to deal with Zhu Minng. The sons of other families¡¯ powers are like bottomless pits; no matter how many resources you pour into them, there¡¯s no guarantee of sess. This time, consider it a small investment by Zhu Gate in its own young master. It¡¯s just troublesome if he does this again, he should give us a heads-up in advance. Elder Zhu Qianjie nearly died of fright when he saw the scene in the Sword Casting Hall! After feeding the Sword Spirit Dragon, Zhu Minng began to prepare for the advancement of the Divine Green Holy Dragon. He had always treasured the century-old Yinsu Sacred Dew, just waiting for the right opportunity to let the Divine Green Holy Dragon undergo aplete transformation. Combined with the five-hundred-year Essence of Water and Wood Element, Zhu Minng began using his Spiritual Power to slowly channel these Spiritual Objects into the Divine Green Holy Dragon¡¯s body¡­ When strengthening dragon pets, the support from a Dragon Shepherd¡¯s Spiritual Energy is very important. Treasures like Yinsu Sacred Dew are not like drinking water, which takes effect just by pouring it into your stomach. Instead, a Shepherd must use his own Spiritual Energy to extract the ancient primal forces from the Yinsu Sacred Dew like drawing silk threads, and then through the Soul Connection, slowly transmit these primal forces into the dragon pet¡¯s soul or body. This process also nourishes the Dragon Shepherd himself. The century-old Yinsu Sacred Dew was indeed an extraordinary Holy Good. As Zhu Minng touched the cold dew that held the primal forces of the wood element, he felt his own Spirit Realm being soaked in the Holy Dew, with thin wisps of Spiritual Energy, like mist, swirling around the entire vast Spirit Realm. ¡°My Spiritual Power has actually increased as well, growing at twenty times the speed!¡± Zhu Minng hadn¡¯t anticipated that the century-old Holy Dew would bring such an unexpected delight to him, a Dragon Shepherd. Meanwhile, the Divine Green Holy Dragon was also absorbing the elemental power of the Yinsu Sacred Dew, and together with the Essence of Water and Wood Element, one could see the feathers on its body gradually develop green patterns. Its body was like a sky-reaching tree that was growing rapidly¡­ Adulthood! The Divine Green Holy Dragon had entered adulthood. With the nourishment of the Holy Dew, it had gradually shed the wildness typical of forest dragons and be more akin to the Spiritual Wisdom of the Divine Wood Holy Spirit. Its head was like that of an unripe ancient Divine Deer, and on its forehead grew Divine Deer Antlers. Its trunk, when still, was like a sacred tree¡ªtall, majestic, and exuding a thick forest essence, with its skin even glowing with green vines and feathers. Its wings, when spread, could rival the canopy of sky-high ancient trees, with feathers like sturdy leaves, dense and numerous. The most magnificent part was its tail, which exhibited the multicolored splendor of mythical birds and the noble grace of the phoenix¡ªthis endowed the inherently Divine Tree-shaped Divine Green Holy Dragon with much of the Holy Dragon¡¯s spiritual liveliness! Born of wood andbined with the blood of a dragon, it was only during its growth that the true appearance of the Divine Green Holy Dragon was fully realized! During its juvenile phase, the Divine Green Holy Dragon was more beastly, not much different from the majority of Forest Giant Dragons. Having transcended these two stages, its divine wood attributes were fully disyed, and it had transformed into a true Wooden Dragon! Towering and magnificent. The glow of the green patterns became even brighter, making its wooden skin glisten like crystal-clear jade. In silence, it was like a Divine Tree that could dazzle under the stars. In action, its aura was no less than that of the Mad Dragons¡ªsacred andmanding! Zhu Minng had not expected the transformational stages of the Divine Green Holy Dragon to be so drastic, nor could he tell if it was due to its bloodline or the effect of the century-old Yinsu Sacred Dew. ¡°How is it going?¡± At that moment, Mr. Jinli¡¯s voice came through. Zhu Minng turned around and found Mr. Jinli had somehow made his way into his courtyard. It seemed that Mr. Jinli had remembered something about the Divine Green Holy Dragon, and his fish-like eyes brightened when he saw the green holy light radiating from Zhu Minng. ¡°Has it reached adulthood?¡± Mr. Jinli asked. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll call it out for you to see,¡± Zhu Minng said as he activated the Spiritual Realm Symbol and summoned the Divine Green Holy Dragon. As soon as the Divine Green Holy Dragon appeared, it immediately made the small buildings in which it resided seem rather tiny; the small courtyard seemed barely able to contain therge form of the Holy Dragon! Zhu Minng himself was taken aback. Within the Spirit Realm, he only felt that the Divine Green Holy Dragon was veryrge, but having summoned it, he realized it was colossal,parable to a three or four-story tavern! ¡°It has already transitioned to the wood element; very good, after all, the Divine Wood Bloodline is far stronger than the Bloodline of the Forest Giant Dragon,¡± Mr. Jinli said with a satisfied nod. ¡°The element can be changed?¡± Zhu Minng asked in confusion. ¡°The main bloodline and secondary bloodlines can transform during the growth process. This is rted to the dragon¡¯s own growth journey, and it can also be adjusted by the Dragon Shepherd through Spiritual Objects,¡± Mr. Jinli exined. ¡°Was it thebined effect of the Yinsu Sacred Dew and the Essence of Water and Wood?¡± Zhu Minng asked. ¡°Yes, if you had fed the Divine Green Holy Dragon some meat and strengthened it mainly with Dragon Beast Soul Beads, Heart of the Giant Dragon and such, it would probably lean more towards the Forest Giant Dragon, with more evident bestial traits. But since the initial direction of your cultivation aimed toward the Divine Wood Holy Spirit, naturally, it would exhibit the Wooden Dragon form upon reaching adulthood,¡± Mr. Jinli exined. Chapter 144 - 145: The Siege of the Chess Master Chapter 144 - 145: The Siege of the Chess Master Chapter 144: Chapter 145: The Siege of the Chess Master Trantor:549690339 When I was at the Dragon Taming Academy, none of the teachers mentioned that the main and secondary bloodlines could be converted. ¡°So, what aspect of the Divine Green Holy Dragon should I focus on strengthening next? It can¡¯t just be about watering more frequently or applying more fertilizer, can it?¡± Zhu Minng continued to ask. ¡°The Method of Driving requires a great deal of the Essence of the Wood Element. Those servings of Nanmu Juice you fed it before can only be considered water. What actually has effects is the Essence of the Wood Element. As for the nourishing resources for strengthening, it¡¯s best to seek out Divine Tree fruits or the Holy Dew of Ten Thousand Woods. There¡¯s still hope to raise the strength of your Divine Green Holy Dragon to the Monarch Level,¡± said Mr. Jinli. Zhu Minng grimaced. Am I supposed to consume the Essence of Elements as regr sustenance? This substance is used to fortify the spiritual resources of Dragon Sons and Dragon Generals, and yet, just moving up a level, it¡¯s turned into mere sustenance! But seeing the current state of the Divine Green Holy Dragon, Zhu Minng felt that any expensive food was worth feeding. He felt that Little Qingzhuo¡¯s strength should now be on par with Little White¡¯s! Once Big ck Tooth¡¯s set of Volcanic Dragon Armor isplete, all three of my dragons will possess Dragon Lord Level strength! In this uing major powerpetition, I reckon there won¡¯t be a need for the Sword Spirit Dragon to take action; I could sweep through those so-called big disciples of the major powers! Moreover, with the enhancement of the Spirit Realm, the growth rate has reached twenty times faster. The time it takes for Little White to reach the Complete Period has been significantly shortened. There¡¯s no need to wait for the annual celebration; she will likely evolve by winter! The weather was still intensely hot. But the Central Imperial City was as bustling as ever. Today¡¯spetition was no longer just preliminary selections, but rather for those who had already qualified to enter the second round. Again, only a hundred people were allowed, and each power could only send in three contestants at a time. With the Ancestral Dragon City-State of the Li Chuan Continent also integrating itspetition into this major power sh, numerous golden tents could be seen on the walls of the Imperial Pce, and some major powers and members of the Royal Family began paying attention to this event. As the initiator of thepetition, Zhu Gate naturally became the focus. When Zhu Minng emerged from the Daguan Pavilion, he could already feel the attention from those on the walls and inside the pavilion fixated on him. Lu Bin from the Azure Dragon Pce also stepped out from the pavilion, heading straight towards Zhu Minng. ¡°Brother, you must fight hard and avenge our sister!¡± shouted Fu Jinguo. Lu Bin nodded. When Lu Bin approached Zhu Minng, he couldn¡¯t help but furrow his brows. His gaze swiftly swept over the individuals surrounding Zhu Minng, sensing that something was amiss. These people appeared to be standing idly in random spots, but they were actually choosing positions advantageous to themselves, yet they formed an encircling stance akin to a game of Go¡­ In Go, many of the pieces are ced in positions that seem unrted to the current battle, appearing to serve no great purpose. However, as more pieces popte the board, they often create key synergies¡­ ¡°Chess Sect¡¯s Encirclement Strategy, are all these people targeting Zhu Minng?¡± Lu Bin from the Azure Dragon Pce said in surprise. Lu Bin had a good friend who was a member of the Chess Sect, who had discussed their methods with him. In the eyes of a Chess Master, the battlefield is like a vast, real chess game, where every person on the field is one of their pieces. If those under theirmand can stand on the designated spots in their line of sight on the board, even a group of untrained farmers armed with weapons can exhibit greater power than some elite soldiers! This is the power of the Chess Sect¡¯s Ordinary and Divine; the entire world is their chessboard, and all creatures are their pieces. People of the Chess Sect often appear in thends of war, with the Chess Sect present, it ismon to witness them winning against the odds with fewer numbers¡­ However, what Lu Bin had not expected was that the people from the Chess Sect would appear here, and with a killing formation, they had trapped Zhu Minng alone in a corner of the battlefield! ¡°Isn¡¯t it that each force can only send a maximum of three members¡­ How many forces have joined together to get Zhu Minng directly eliminated?¡± Lu Bin stopped walking forward. Originally, Lu Bin wanted to personally experience the skills of this young man who was once quite famous in the Supreme Court Imperial City by sparring with him. But looking at this scene. His going there would be taking advantage of someone¡¯s precarious situation. His enemies were already numerous enough! Lu Bin¡¯s gaze swept over the crowd and finally spotted a man with unusually bright eyes. One of his pupils was ck, and the other was white. Just like the ck and white stones on a Go board! As for whether the battlefield he saw in his Spiritual Sense was also perfectly divided, and whether those who obeyed him were standing exactly on the positions of the battle formation, Lu Bin could not tell. He had only carelessly stepped half a step in. A chilling intent surged from nowhere, as if there were thousands of troops standing in that tiny area, wielding bloodthirsty weapons. Strangers keep out, swords drawn and crossbows cocked. In the end, Lu Bin from the Azure Dragon Pce still left the area of the killing formation, not wanting to muddy the waters. Gazing at Zhu Minng, Lu Bin couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit of pity for the man. Today, this young master from the Zhu Gate was likely in grave danger! ¡­ Zhu Minng quietly waited for the judge to announce the start. He had already felt the aggressive momentum surrounding him, but he was not very familiar with the Power of God and Mortality of the Chess Sect. He only knew that these people wereing fiercely, and the position of each of them seemed to have been meticulously considered, making it impossible for him to overlook any one of them. ¡°Boom!!!!!!!!¡± Finally, the second round of the tournament began. Shouts rose from the spectators all at once. Just from the Dragon Beasts summoned by each person, they were much more formidable than those from the previous days. Some were asrge as a small meaty hill, with robust physiques. Some were shrouded in mes, lightning, flying stones, and golden light, all showing a degree of extraordinary. Some Dragon Beasts appeared small and well-proportioned but exuded a nimble quality, and many had a somewhat eerie and strange charm, concealing who knows what unique skills¡­ Just looking at these Dragon Beasts was pleasing to the eye, not to mention the excitement of seeing them fighting and disying their War Skills, Magic, and Profound Arts duringbat, lighting up the entire battlefield like celebratory fireworks. How could that not be exciting? Zhu Minng was, in a sense, isted and without support. The round in which Nan Lingsha waspeting did not coincide with Zhu Minng¡¯s. So even though he knew that some of the forces were colluding dishonorably to take him out in this second round, Zhu Minng currently had no one to aid him. Fortunately, the profession of a Dragon Shepherd is not one to struggle alone. Zhu Minng summoned the Divine Green Holy Dragon. As the seal opened, a green light bloomed like a giant orchid, highlighting the Divine Green Holy Dragon as it stepped out from the Spirit Realm. The Divine Green Holy Dragon was of massive stature, standing tall like an ancient tree reaching for the sky. When it spread its wings and soared, circling in the sky, it gave off an overwhelming presence as if it could block out the sun. It could be said that the moment the Divine Green Dragon of Divine Wood made its appearance, it captured everyone¡¯s attention. They watched in shock as this green dragon with divine wood attributes seemed to overpower all the Dragon Beasts present just by its appearance! ¡°Has anyone seen his Dragon Beast before??¡± In the Daguan Pavilion behind the curtain, a man dressed in the Imperial Brocade Robe furrowed his brows. Hao Shaocong, at his side, stared in a stupor! This Divine Green Holy Dragon¡­ Could it be of High-level Dragon Lord cultivation base! Could it be that during the first round, Zhu Minng was merely training other young dragons and didn¡¯t reveal his true strength? ¡°Fortunately, we were prepared in advance. We had Gu Feijun from the Chess Sect set up the Tian Luo. Otherwise, with this Holy Dragon, Zhu Minng could have easily made it into the third round,¡± Zhao Xi said with a lingering fear in his heart. ¡°Hmph, it¡¯s normal for a Dragon Shepherd to hide his strength. I want to see how he breaks through this Chess Sect¡¯s Killing Array of Ten!¡± Zhao Yin Ge dered. The Divine Green Holy Dragon looked down at the ancient bronze-colored earth. After circling for a while, it took the initiative to fly into therge group of Dragon Beasts targeting Zhu Minng. Its proud green vertical pupils swept over each Dragon Beast, and the slightly raised head, much like that of a divine deer, seemed to be challenging every opponent present. Within the chess formation, there were ten people in total. This formation, also known as the Killing Array of Ten, is generally used against the most heinous criminals to prevent them from escaping again¡ªa powerful strategy. Apart from the chess yer Gu Feijun, the other nine members were all Dragon Shepherds. Each summoned two to three Dragon Beasts, with a few even summoning Lord-level Dragons! Twenty or thirty Dragon Beasts stood within the chess formation, yet in the face of the Divine Green Holy Dragon, they did not dominate but seemed extremely cautious of the threat. The bronze-colored battlefield ground softly undted. Some roots, like underground Rock Snakes, burrowed out from the hard soil, spreading densely. In just a few seconds, this area was covered with these squirming python roots¡­ The feathers on its body, iridescent like Liuli ss, brushed gently against the root-filled earth. Like enchanting seeds nted, these feather seeds began to grow rapidly under the illumination of the Divine Green Holy Dragon¡¯s teal light. From sprouting to robust trees, it all happened within mere seconds. Rootstocks, wood buds, moss, and flowers quickly covered the ancient bronze battlefield. The green vines, unbeknownst when, had filled the rocky columns and were intricately intertwined above the ground, forming a massive vine canopy. ¡°Act now, we can¡¯t wait any longer!¡± At this moment, the chess yer Gu Feijun began to panic, urgently addressing the Dragon Shepherds within the chess board. The longer the Divine Green Holy Dragon stood on this battlefield, the more the strength of the greenery would take over everything around it¡­ Prospering and thriving! This was the Divine Green Holy Dragon¡¯s natural talent from Divine Wood. No matter how barren thend, no matter how harsh the surroundings, its power of nature would convert any area into a scene of thriving life. So even if not in a dense forest, the Divine Green Holy Dragon could still use its formidable power to drive all things! Gu Feijun could see that their group was being trapped by an ever-growing dense forest, which only added to his anxiety. ¡°Moo!!!!¡± The Barbaric Bull me Dragon! That was a red barbaric dragon whose whole body was filled with scorching mes. It sported a pair of exaggeratedly huge, sky-piercing bull horns and its physique was no less formidable than the predators among ancient dragons. Rude and wild with a me-possessed body, the Barbaric Bull me Dragon seemed unstoppable as it charged towards the mountains! It hurled itself at the Divine Green Holy Dragon, essentially bing a colossal, rolling fireball. The Divine Green Holy Dragon did not retreat. It remained standing in the area like a nest of python snakes, its green pupils dting. Its Method of Driving was even mightier than before. A particrly fast-growing seed was seen shooting upwards at an elerated pace, transforming into a towering silver fir! The silver fir stood across the path of the rolling Barbaric Bull me Dragon. Suddenly, the silver fir came to life; its branches turned into wooden palms, one after another, all reaching out to embrace the chaotic Barbaric Bull me Dragon! The Silver Fir Demon Guard possessed immense strength and managed to halt the Barbaric Bull me Dragon¡¯s onught. Its bark, branches, and leaves were unafraid of the mes, showing no signs of igniting no matter how the Barbaric Bull me Dragon spewed fire. Essence of Water and Wood Element! Witnessing the Silver Fir Demon Guard¡¯s indifference to fire, Zhu Minng immediately realized something. No wonder Mr. Jinli needed the Essence of Water and Wood toplement the Yinsu Sacred Dew. On one hand, it allowed the Holy Dew to be absorbed more efficiently; on the other hand, it bestowed the wood attribute with the moisturizing effect of water, protecting it from the suppressive power of intense mes! The strength of the Silver Fir Demon Guard was leagues beyond the tree spirit guards. The barbaric bull was lifted by the Silver Fir Demon Guard and hurled towards another Giant Frost Dragon! Without lifting a finger, the Divine Green Holy Dragon had severely wounded two formidable dragons. But soon, more dragon beasts charged forward, some heading straight for the Divine Green Holy Dragon, others targeting Zhu Minng. Zhu Minng nced at the vicious dragons assaulting him and sneered, about tomand Little White to strike. However, a beam of green light appeared before Zhu Minng, striking the soil where a seed had been buried unnoticed. That very seed rapidly expanded and grew, swiftly turning into a gargantuan silver fir tree! The Silver Fir Giant Tree came to life, standing protectively in front of Zhu Minng. It swung its immensely thick wooden arms, throwing a punch that sent the vicious dragons targeting Zhu Minng flying onto the vine umbre! Little White¡¯s ws were ready tounch an attack, but upon witnessing this scene, it silently withdrew them and resumed its perch on Zhu Minng¡¯s shoulder, with its bright and shiny eyes examining the Silver Fir Giant Demon Guard. Zhu Minng too was left with his mouth agape in amazement at the Divine Green Holy Dragon¡¯s Method of Driving. This Silver Fir Giant Demon Guard might have reached the strength of the Lord Level. He had consumed so much Yinsu Sacred Dew over the previous decade, yet it only granted the Divine Green Holy Dragon the ability tomand tree spirit guards. Now, having consumed the century-old Yinsu Sacred Dew, the effects were immediate. Not only did the Divine Green Holy Dragon¡¯s Method of Driving improve significantly, but it was also able to summon a Silver Fir Demon Lord with the power of a lower-level Sovereign right away! What¡¯s the big deal with feasting on the Essence of Wood Elements? Zhu Minng now profoundly understood that the Essence of Wood Elements was not overpriced at all! The talent for thriving growth was still ongoing. Waves of green light rippled from the Divine Green Holy Dragon, spreading out in concentric circles. The seeds of the Silver Fir Demon Guards buried in the soil continued to grow. Roots, sprouts, branches, tendrils, and moss were still invading, as a mysterious ancient forest was taking shape¡­ Chess Master Gu Feijun had begun to panic! His formation should have been encircling to kill¡­ But now the forest vegetation was covering his vast formation, shrouding it. In turn, it was they who seemed to be trapped inside this rapidly growing thicket maze! Chapter 145 - 146: Trapped and Killing a Group of Dragons Chapter 145 - 146: Trapped and Killing a Group of Dragons Chapter 145: Chapter 146: Trapped and Killing a Group of Dragons Trantor:549690339 The jungle was fraught with danger. Those nts, it¡¯s as if they all had pairs of unsettling eyes, stealthily observing you when you weren¡¯t paying attention. But whenever the Dragon Shepherds and their dragon beasts abruptly turned to look, they¡¯d find these things indistinguishable from ordinary vegetation. The Chess Array had already lost its effect due to the dense forest¡¯s multiple obstructions; three Dragon Shepherds from the Zhou n looked around with grave expressions. ¡°Gurgling Suddenly, on the moss-covered ground, blossom after blossom of gigantic moss flowers opened. Their stamens like spiders, they spewed countless sticky threads¡­ The sticky stamens swiftly intertwined, forming a vast and dense floral which ensnared all three members of the Zhou n within it. Their dragon beasts were not spared either; hundreds and thousands of moss flowers turned that part of the dense forest into air of spider-like stamens and flowers, the beasts unable to exert any strength, their Magic and Profound Arts ineffective against these exceedingly sticky floral webs. The Divine Green Holy Dragon pped its wings and spiralled to the top of the jungle, like a green phoenix, standing on the highest point of its own dense forest territory. It didn¡¯t need to act personally; the countless wooden totems in the forest could take care of all the enemies. ¡°Whoosh whoosh whoosh whoosh whoosh A fierce wind swept up, ravaging this thrivingnd. The Wind Annihtion Dragon took flight, its body swirling with wind vortexes sharp as des; one could see roots and vines shredded to pieces by its powerful force. The Wind Annihtion Dragon shot straight up into the sky; its eyes grew deep and terrifying, and above the Ancient Bronze Battlefield, dark clouds quickly gathered, forming hurricanes from top to bottom, like elongated heavenly spinning tops, as if to drill a hole into the ground of the Ancient Bronze Battlefield! ¡°This Wind Annihtion Dragon is also at Lord Level¡­ Quick, close the windows!¡± At the tavern, waiters hurried to shut the windows. The wind was strong enough to affect people outside the Ancient Bronze Battlefield; the dishes and food in taverns that didn¡¯t close their windows in time were blown all over the ce. The Divine Green Holy Dragon looked up; it suddenly soared, its wings-patterned like green leaves became tough and sharp. The wind drill fell, but the Divine Green Holy Dragon dispersed the hurricane with a strike, the Green Sacred Radiance in the high sky growing ever more brilliant, like a green curved sword shing across the sky! The Wind Annihtion Dragon tried hard to evade, but it only managed to dodge the vital points. The Wind de Array surrounding its body was no match for the Divine Green Holy Dragon¡¯s wing sh, and its wings, not retracted in time, were cleanly halved. A mist of blood sprayed in the air, blooming a vivid blood flower above the Ancient Bronze Battlefield. The Wind Annihtion Dragon struggled to maintain bnce, teetering towards the Chi River below. ¡°Swoosh swoosh swoosh!!!!!!¡± Suddenly, sharp wooden spikes flew out from the dense forest, aiming at the dragon¡¯s body as it was about to hit the river. The Wind Annihtion Dragon flipped its body, raising a burst of wind on the surface of the river. Using the uplifting wind, the Wind Annihtion Dragon managed to ascend again, barely avoiding the wooden spikes flying from the dense forest. Landing steadily in the middle of the Ancient Bronze Battlefield, the Wind Annihtion Dragon somehow stopped the bleeding in its wings; it even managed to create a murky wind orb using its control over the wind, circling around the broken wing, employing this wind Magic topensate for the loss of its wings. The Wind Annihtion Dragon red fiercely, its master clearly unwilling to go down like this. But at this moment, six flying dragons had already appeared around the Divine Green Holy Dragon, circling above the dense forest like a flock of pigeons battling a mighty eagle, hoping to ovee the Divine Green Holy Dragon with their numerical advantage. The Divine Green Holy Dragon, possessing a Giant Dragon Bloodline, was certainly not weaker than these flying dragons in the sky. In the dense forest, more than a dozen dragon beasts had already been trapped, with the Silver Fir Demon Guard continuously growing and multiplying. As for the flying dragons in the sky, they would be personally dealt with by the Divine Green Holy Dragon. With wings as tough as green iron and a bark-like skin even more durable than some rocks, the Divine Green Holy Dragon soared high, an absolute predatory Divine Eagle. In its skirmish with the six flying dragons, it not only managed to hold its ground but also repeatedly inflicted heavy injuries on them¡­ The most splendidbatant, naturally, was the Divine Green Holy Dragon battling two or three dozen beasts on its own. Some people who hade to watch thepetition a few days earlier quickly recognized that its master was Zhu Minng of the Zhu n. They were deeply impressed by the ck Violent Dragon that grew stronger as it fought and trampled all the ancient dragons underfoot. What they didn¡¯t expect was that such a powerful dragon was just one of Young Master Zhu n¡¯s dragon pets, and he also had the Divine Green Holy Dragon, which dominated its peers with such ferocity in the second round, fighting one against ten! To outsiders, it was naturally the appearance that mattered. But for the Royal Young Gang and the Chess Sect¡¯s Vice-Sect Master, it was not as simple as it seemed. They were both angry and annoyed at this moment. These ten individuals were carefully prepared by them to act as a web to trap and kill all of Zhu Minng¡¯s dragon beasts in the second round, to teach this oblivious fool a lesson. But now, the lives of these people¡¯s dragon beasts seemed precarious! Even if Zhu Minng were foolish, he could not fail to see that these people hade prepared, and for those who deliberately sought trouble with him, Zhu Minng would not be merciful! He dealt ruthlessly with their dragon beasts. If he could kill them, he would absolutely not give them the slightest chance to survive. ¡°What a disgraceful disy!¡± said Gu He from within the golden tent atop the pce walls. ¡°Brother Gu, for a long time I, Zhu Heavenly Officer, thought that our Zhu n had a good rtionship with your Sect Forest, but who could have thought we wouldn¡¯t withstand such a test. The behavior of your boy today has squandered all the years of your fawning and groveling,¡± Zhu Heavenly Officer said with augh. The Chess Sect. Hmph, a minor sect n actually being used as a pawn by the Royal Family and the Purple Sect n. Now that they had already chosen their side, Zhu Heavenly Officer no longer needed to be polite to them. The chess manuals of the Chess Sect had always interested Zhu Heavenly Officer. Cultivating a few Chess Divine and Mortal in the army would be very beneficial! Of course, this was provided that they first cleared out the current stewards of the Chess Sect!! ¡°Sect Leader Zhu, this really has nothing to do with me. My foolish son, Gu Feijun, must have befriended some wealthy and idle young masters in the Imperial City and was instigated by others. Even if I gave the boy a hundred times the courage, he wouldn¡¯t dare to treat your young master this way,¡± Gu He said with a pale face. Over the years, Zhu Heavenly Officer had wiped out a considerable number of Family Doors, and the Chess Sect was just a small Sect n, notparable to the Four Major Sect ns at all. Zhu n¡¯s current strength was so formidable that it could rival the Purple Sect n. What was most terrifying was that the Sword Sect of the Four Major Sect ns would, under any circumstances, stand by the Zhu n! Their alliance was strong, and amidst the chaos in the Imperial City, if these smaller sect ns once exposed, without the protection of major powers, they were essentially doomed! Chapter 146 - 147: Tit for Tat Chapter 146: Chapter 147: Tit for Tat Trantor:549690339 ¡°I know your son was instigated by someone, something about Royal Young Gang, right? Led by Zhao Xi and Zhao Yin Ge, all a bunch of good-for-nothings¡­¡± Zhu Heavenly Officer said. ¡°Yes, yes, yes, I only found out a few days ago, and from now on I will make sure my son Feijun cuts off all ties with them!¡± Gu He said anxiously. ¡°What good-for-nothings, Zhu Heavenly Officer, do you sit here because you can¡¯t see mydy?¡± Madame Zhao said sternly to Zhu Heavenly Officer. ¡°Madam Zhao Qin, whether you are here or not, your son is still a good-for-nothing. There¡¯s no need for us to have a pointless squabble over this, is there?¡± Zhu Heavenly Officer smiled. This remark almost made Madam Zhao Qin faint from anger!! ¡°Zhu Heavenly Officer, what exactly are you up to, insulting the Royal Family in public like this??¡± Madam Zhao Qin finally said furiously after some time. ¡°The Royal Family naturally has its respectable members, but there are also good-for-nothings and some surname-clinging shrews,¡± Zhu Heavenly Officer continued. ¡°Who are you calling a surname-clinging shrew, you¡­ you¡­¡± Madame Zhao was incoherent and her face had turned red with ckness! ¡°Madam, Madam, don¡¯t argue with such a rude person, mainly because you can¡¯t outtalk him. Let¡¯s go sit over there, sit over there, take a breath, eat some watermelon to cool off,¡± Hao Yong hurriedly said on the side. Hao Yong helped the nearly fainting Madam Zhao Qin and headed towards another tent under the scorching sun. Meanwhile, Gu He, vice leader of the Chess Sect, was restless. He wanted to plead for his son, but he didn¡¯t know what to say to make Zhu Heavenly Officer believe him. ¡°Gu, my brother, you¡¯ve taken a narrow path. Why can¡¯t you trust me, Zhu Heavenly Officer? Why must you side with those old-fashioned, ignorant, parasitic powers?¡± Zhu Heavenly Officer patted Gu He on the shoulder and turned to walk towards the pce walls. ¡°Master Zhu, Master Zhu, my son is foolish and manipted, please don¡¯t take this matter to heart, there are so few in our Chess Sect who inherit the Power of God and Mortality, please consider our Sect Forest is already in decline, show some leniency. In the future, I will definitelye to apologize personally, I definitely will¡­¡± Gu He chased after Zhu Heavenly Officer, bending over so low that his body almost touched his belly. ¡°How could I not know he was manipted?¡± Zhu Heavenly Officer sighed softly, stopped his steps, and turned to Gu He. Before Gu He¡¯s face could ease, Zhu Heavenly Officer continued with a stern look, ¡°But a grown son,cking his own judgment, following a group of troublemakers from Imperial City and bullying others. They have powerful backgrounds that can save their lives, but what does your son have? Over the years, you¡¯ve groveled and ingratiated yourself with all the powerful forces, and it¡¯s not been easy to build up a bit of influence and improvement for Sect Forest, but in the end, you show not a shred of sincere respect for me, Zhu Heavenly Officer, for Zhu Gate.¡± Gu He, hearing these words, froze in ce. The sky was clear, but it felt like thunder rolling, as if everything he had worked so hard for crumbled because of that sentence! ¡°Master Zhu, Master Zhu, please have mercy, please have mercy, please have mercy¡­¡± Gu Hey prostrate on the ground, continuously shouting in the direction Zhu Heavenly Officer left! At the golden tents by the pce walls, there were many influential figures. Their gazes fell on the abject Gu He. Some were perplexed. Some sneered. Some were indifferent. Yet, there was not a single person willing to step forward and say a word for Gu He, nor anyone to help him up from the scorching sun. Zhu Heavenly Officer left in the distance, Gu He lifted his gaze, his pupils wet and bloodshot. He looked at the nobles in the golden tents, seeing their indifferent faces, and fire surged within him at that moment. On the Ancient Bronze Battlefield, Chess Sect¡¯s Gu Feijun still had a sullen look, unaware that his Sect Forest no longer existed. He still wanted victory, loudlymanding those Dragon Trainers within his formation, foolishly hoping to use the formation¡¯s advantage for a strong attack. But his formation was suppressed by the thriving realm of the Divine Green Holy Dragon, and he himself had no realbat ability. A man dressed in white, slowly emerged from the dense forest. The extremely dangerous vines, moss flowers, and roots all cleared a path for him as if they too were controlled by the man¡¯s will. ¡°Zhu Minng!¡± Gu Feijun stared at him, saying with revulsion. ¡°Chess Sect?¡± Zhu Minng asked. ¡°Yes!¡± Gu Feijun replied. ¡°A member of the Royal Young Gang?¡± Zhu Minng continued asking. ¡°What Royal Young Gang, I simply can¡¯t stand people like you who bully others with sheer power. During thepetition for influence, life and death are fated, and yet, just because your younger brother was identally injured, you had the gall to threaten violence at the memorial hall. Do you even have any regard for thews of the Imperial City!¡± Gu Feijun said with righteous indignation. ¡°Oh, so you¡¯re just not very bright.¡± Zhu Minng gave a faint appraisal upon hearing his words. For a chess master, the most important thing is wisdom. This Gu Feijun¡¯s brain really isn¡¯t fit for a chess master. For someone with a feeble mind, Zhu Minng could spare his life. But for the rest of his life, it would be better spent in bed! Zhu Minng saw no need to show leniency just because the other party was foolish, especially since, when he set up this chess formation to kill ten pieces, he did not consider how dangerous his own situation could be. Feathers like des, dancing wildly, created a fierce de-feather storm around Zhu Minng, d in white. With a flick of Zhu Minng¡¯s hand, the storm phantom feathers flew towards chess master Gu Feijun in an instant, dense and terribly sharp! These storm phantom feathers precisely avoided Gu Feijun¡¯s vitals, shing his tendons at the wrists and ankles, severing his elbows, chopping off his fingers, cutting into his thighs, his back, his calves¡­ ¡°Ah!!!!!!¡± The piteous cries of pain from Gu Feijun echoed throughout the entire Ancient Bronze Battlefield. He seemed to have been tortured, yet every part of his body was intact. The des had sliced through every joint, severing tendons and bones, yet they had avoided the vitals¡­ The storm phantom feathers spun around, flying out and then circling back to Zhu Minng¡¯s side, still without a single drop of blood on them, clean and white. Zhu Minng turned away, toozy to even nce at the paralyzed man. Just then, a Quick Dragon that had been lurking nearby burst forth, choosing the perfect moment right after Zhu Minng retracted his storm phantom feathers to attack the Dragon Shepherd himself. Zhu Minng¡¯s white garment suddenly billowed, and, like a ghostly figure, he floated dozens of meters away. The Quick Dragon¡¯s ws missed their mark, and in its anger, it tried to pursue Zhu Minng, but he calmly dodged with his ghostly garment, the Quick Dragon not even touching the hem of his clothes. ¡°Boom!!!!!!¡± Suddenly, a Silver Fir Giant Demon Guard stomped down, and before the Quick Dragon could even react, it was crushed into a mound of flesh! With the Quick Dragon¡¯s death, a scream came from the vines nearby, likely from some Dragon Trainer suffering the soul-searing pain of their Dragon Beast¡¯s death. ¡°Deal with it,¡± Zhu Minng said to the Silver Fir Giant Demon Guard. The Silver Fir Demon Guard headed over there, and soon the screams of terror from that Dragon Trainer could be heard. Whether that person was dead or alive, Zhu Minng didn¡¯t care at all. In any case, Zhu Minng wouldn¡¯t have the slightest bit of mercy for these people who ganged up on him. The Silver Fir seeds buried in the soil grew more and more robust, and several more Silver Fir Demon Guards appeared in this thrivingnd, following Zhu Minng¡¯s side. Zhu Minng went wherever, ughtering those Dragon Beasts. If they encountered a Lord Level, the Silver Fir Giant Demon Guards would step in. With other Silver Fir Demon Guards joining the attack, even Lord-level Dragon Beasts couldn¡¯t withstand it. ¡°Either your dragon dies, or you die, choose for yourself,¡± Zhu Minng said coldly. There was a Lord-level Dragon Shepherd from an unknown power whose possession was precisely a Heavens Tearing Dragon, with strength considered strong in this second round of the battlefield, a true lower-level Sovereign. The Silver Fir Giants had battled it for quite some time, but in the end, they couldn¡¯t withstand the increasingly numerous Silver Fir Demon Guards joining the encirclement. The man wanted to recall the Heavens Tearing Dragon back into the Spirit Realm and escape from this forest woven by the Divine Green Holy Dragon, but Zhu Minng wouldn¡¯t let him leave unscathed! ¡°Do not push people too far!!¡± the young man red back in anger. ¡°So it turns out that I¡¯m the one bullying others¡­¡± Zhu Minng sneered. The pain of death in their final moments couldn¡¯t possibly bring a great epiphany to such scum who couldn¡¯t discern right from wrong. It would be better to kill all their dragons and then cripple these people. Only through the humiliation of being unable to fend for themselves in life, would they gradually understand the folly of their actions today! Of course, he wasn¡¯t the only one destined to end up disabled and paralyzed. There were ten individuals present today. They could live together in the same sanatoriumter on, exchange their conditions with each other, and theirter years wouldn¡¯t be lonely. If anyone finally came to their senses, and could hold each other, weeping bitterly and full of remorse, then Zhu Minng¡¯s benevolent intentions of sparing their lives today would not have been in vain! ¡°Bai Qi, roam around and see if there are any fish that slipped through the. Leave none behind!¡± Zhu Minng said to Little White. Little White leaped down from Zhu Minng¡¯s shoulder. It harvested the lives of these Dragon Beasts even faster, for to it, all the Dragon Beasts trapped within this dense forest were nothing more than prey to be wantonly trampled upon. Its figure darted into the dense forest that blotted out the sun, the Ice Morning White Dragon killing cleanly and swiftly, leaving behind terrified screams everywhere it went¡­ Outside the Ancient Bronze Battlefield, the fighting continued unabated. Those Dragon Shepherds and God and Mortals mostly fought to a point. Realizing they couldn¡¯t defeat their opponents, they would take the initiative to leave the battlefield and retreat beyond the boundary. In the area of the forest summoned by the Divine Green Holy Dragon, what had unfolded was pure ughter. More and more Silver Fir Demon Guards were joining, killing those Dragon Beasts. The Divine Green Holy Dragon overlooked from above, its battle in the skies having already ended. Six Flying Dragons, including that Lord-level Wind Annihtion Dragon, had all been killed by it. And those Dragon Beasts scattered within its Spirit Realm forest were as easy to ughter as chicks, carrying their owners in search of an exit from the maze of dense woods but meeting only creeping dread. Outside of the blooming prosperity, Lu Bin of the Azure Dragon Pce was shocked beyond measure. He had assumed Zhu Minng would be in grave danger, always struggling internally over whether to intervene in such an exceedingly nefarious act. But before he could make a decision, the Divine Green Holy Dragon had already disyed its awe-inspiring might. The ones in grave danger had turned out to be people from the Chess Sect and those conniving Dragon Shepherds. ¡°This Zhu Minng, how viciously cruel, to have killed all those people¡¯s dragons. Fortunately, I left the scene early that day,¡± Fu Jinguo said, still shaken. ¡°Jinguo, you¡¯re mistaken there. That day, his ck Violent Dragon, no matter how ferocious it became, never dealt a killing blow to any dragon that had lost the fight. But today, he has embarked on a great massacre¡­ In my eyes, these juniors have brought it upon themselves. A proper grandpetition among powers, each fighting their own battles, yet they conspired together using such despicable tactics to gang up on one person in the field!¡± an elder from the Azure Dragon Pce said. ¡°So that¡¯s it, an eye for an eye. It¡¯s fortunate that the senior brother did not take advantage of others¡¯ peril, or else, I fear the oue would have been the same,¡± Fu Jinguo said. ¡°Hmph, if he¡¯s going to be so unreasonable, he deserves to die,¡± said an elder of the Azure Dragon Pce. The dense forest gradually dissipated, leaving only a blood-red carpet of moss. Zhu Minng emerged from the corpses of those dragons, with all the Silver Fir Demon Guards standing loyally behind him like ancient guardians. They were towering and imposing, exuding a powerful oppressive force. The Divine Green Holy Dragon stood on the shoulder of a Silver Fir Giant Demon Guard, overlooking the Ancient Bronze Battlefield. Radiant in green light, holy and majestic, with just amand from it, all the Silver Fir Demon Guards could trample willfully over all thebatants in the Ancient Bronze Battlefield. However, unlike the first round, Zhu Minng simply stood in his spot and did not advance further into the battlefield. This greatly relieved all the descendants of influential powers in the Ancient Bronze Battlefield. If Zhu Minng wanted to clear the field as before, there was no way they could struggle into the next round. The area around Zhu Minng was essentially empty¡­ No one dared to move even half a step closer to that area; approaching it seemed more terrifying than being disqualified for stepping out of bounds. After all, Zhu Minng only upied one spot, and everyone had tacitly acknowledged that he had already advanced to the next round. They were already fortunate if this ¡°great Buddha¡± bore no other thoughts towards them! At the Daguan Pavilion. Behind a curtain of white gauze, Zhao Yin Ge sat like an iceberg, with anger burning ceaselessly in his eyes! Why is this guy, even without his sword cultivation, still so difficult to deal with. ¡°Yo, young princely heir, with your legs in such an inconvenient condition, you still haven¡¯t forgotten toe watch my lively battlefield performance,¡± Zhu Minng¡¯s voice suddenly came from the battlefield. The thin white gauze curtain seemed to be no barrier to Zhu Minng¡¯s gaze. Zhu Minng¡¯s eyes were fixed on the person inside the Daguan Pavilion. Upon hearing this, Zhao Yin Ge¡¯s entire being seemed to grow even colder. ¡°Looking at the young princely heir¡¯s condition, I fear a talented mechanist must have crafted a pair of flexible andfortable prosthetics for you. I wonder if they are morefortable than the ones you had before?¡± Zhu Minng continued. As these words reached his ears, rage felt like it was about to burst through the white gauze curtains of the Daguan Pavilion!! Others standing by could feel the terrifying aura emanating from Zhao Yin Ge! Prosthetics?? The princely heir of the Royal Family, Zhao Yin Ge, is using prosthetics?? No wonder he was wearing such heavy brocade robes in this sweltering heat¡ªwas it to prevent others from noticing his limbs were different?? ¡°Zhu Minng!!!¡± Zhao Yin Ge¡¯s face was almost twisted in anger. ¡°The life of my brother, Hao Shaocong alone is not enough topensate. Young princely heir, you¡¯d better hope I don¡¯t find out you had any involvement in this matter. Otherwise, next time, Zhu Minng won¡¯t stop at just your limbs!!¡± In front of everyone, Zhu Minng said with a smile to the highly esteemed princely heir of the Royal Family! Chapter 147 - 148: Those Who Should Pay with Their Lives Should Do So Chapter 147: Chapter 148: Those Who Should Pay with Their Lives Should Do So Trantor:549690339 Everyone was shocked! It was once rumored that Zhu Minng had severed the limbs of a member of the Royal Family. It turned out to be true! And that person was none other than the young Princely Heir Zhao Yin Ge! To think he would dare to inflict such grave injuries on the Princely Heir!! Hao Shaocong and Zhao Xi stared in horror at Zhao Yin Ge, noticing that the aura he emitted was no longer cold. Zhao Yin Ge, like a vengeful ghost, was a mix of resentment, rage, and humiliation, which could turn his face into a ferocious, fanged demon at any moment! No wonder Zhao Yin Ge, usually either seated or walking with some stiffness and strangeness, actually had prosthetic limbs¡­ As Hao Shaocong and Zhao Xi, who were quite close to Zhao Yin Ge, had never known about this, and they had only started associating with him in recent years! ¡°Zhu Minng, since your cultivation base is already destroyed, you best take care of yourself!!¡± Zhao Yin Ge eventually swallowed his torrent of grievances and spoke icily. ¡°So, does the death of my younger brother Zhu Tong have anything to do with you?¡± Zhu Minng boldly inquired. On the Ancient Bronze Battlefield, various fierce dragons and strange beasts fought fiercely, and different Divine and Mortal warriors disyed their divine skills, but for some reason, everyone¡¯s focus was on the two speaking. One was a son of the Zhu Sect, and the other a Princely Heir of the Royal Family. The two clearly had an irreconcble conflict! It was far more exciting than the battlefield skirmish, after all, it involved a dispute between thergest Family Door and the Royal Family, even if it was just the younger generation¡­ But it was only the younger generation that would be so unrestrained and rampant, letting the people of the Imperial City witness such brazen impudence; the intrigue of the big powers was of no interest to themoners or the youngdies! ¡°Your brother Zhu Tong died in the Great Trial, a pure ident. Are you saying that the Zhu Gate is now so domineering that even the death of a servant warrants an usation toward the whole world??¡± Zhao Yin Ge said. ¡°Coward.¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°What did you say!!¡± Zhao Yin Ge mmed the table and rose abruptly, shattering it to pieces, spilling wine and fruit in a messy sprawl all over the ground. ¡°This isn¡¯t like the old you, mboyant and arrogant, daring to act and ept the consequences, when you did wrong, you never med others¡­ I once respected you as a true rogue. I severed your limbs, but who knew you had now be a fake viin, only knowing how to stir trouble from behind the scenes.¡± Zhu Minng went on to say. ¡°Do you still have respect for the Royal Family in your eyes? I am the Princely Heir of the Supreme Court Imperial Dynasty, Zhao Yin Ge!¡± bellowed Zhao Yin Ge in a rage. ¡°So, aside from the distinguished identity of the Royal Family, what else do you, Zhao Yin Ge, have left? I, Zhu Minng, have also done some domineering deeds, like insisting on revenge for whoever killed my brother, but have I ever used the backing of my Zhu Gate in these matters? Zhu Minng acts alone, without the need for elders to support him, without using his background to make a point. Years have gone by, and you haven¡¯t grown at all,¡± Zhu Minng continued, his wordsced with sarcasm. Zhao Yin Ge fell silent. This silence was not one of calm. But rather, he was so provoked by Zhu Minng¡¯s words that he could barely breathe smoothly!! It was too much to bear! This Zhu Minng was too much to bear!!! Whoever goes up and kills him. This Princely Heir will pass his position of Royal Family to that person!!! The death of Zhu Tong was, of course, promoted by Zhao Yin Ge. That wager had been initiated by Zhao Yin Ge. Moreover, each of them had ced a hefty sum of Silver Taels on Zhu Tong¡¯s death. As Zhao Yin Ge¡¯s right-hand man, Hao Shaocong, upon hearing that Zhu Tong was merely a disciple from Zhu Sect¡¯s foreign court and had once been a lowly servant, took the chance to kill him mercilessly on the battlefield! At this moment, Hao Shaocong was at the side, naturally he heard the entire conversation between Zhu Minng and Zhao Yin Ge. He had only learned today that Zhu Minng had such a deep grudge with Zhao Yin Ge. Reflecting on the whole incident, although Zhao Yin Ge never directly ordered such a deed, he had repeatedly insinuated it while wining and dining with the Royal Young Gang. Moreover, Zhao Xi already had issues with Zhu Tong! So, in the end, it was he, Hao Shaocong, who became the executioner, caught in the crosshairs of Zhu Minng, the Demon Lord of the Imperial City! But¡­ What should he, Hao Shaocong, do now? Zhu Minng had already advanced to the third round. The next time he went on stage, it would be he, Hao Shaocong, facing Zhu Minng in person. Zhu Minng, that guy, would dare to chop Zhao Yin Ge¡¯s limbs off, so why wouldn¡¯t he dare to kill him? Especially in these grandpetitions, he couldpletely use the same excuses they had used for killing Zhu Tong to escape from me. In the end, even his support from the Purple Sect n might have no way of dealing with Zhu Minng! ¡°What¡¯s there to panic about? In the third round, we can mobilize even more powerful fighters. Together with me and Hao Shaocong, can¡¯t we take down that insignificant Zhu Minng?¡± Zhao Xi spoke up at this moment. ¡°Exactly, his cultivation base is already ruined. Relying on a Divine Green Holy Dragon and a Lei Cang Violent Dragon, how can hepete with us??¡± Hao Shaocong tried to sound calm. Yes, there¡¯s nothing to be afraid of. His strength was outstanding in the second round. But in the third round, all of them are outstanding disciples from the major forces, either excellent Big Disciples or Chief Disciples, and many disciples are even renowned. With the connections of the Royal Young Gang, would they worry about not being able to gather a few top-level fighters? Zhu Minng was so rampant today, and he even dered he would act alone, without involving his background. If he died here in the Ancient Bronze Battlefield, what face would the Zhu Sect have to pursue ountability with each force? ¡°He¡¯s made it into the third round. Just finish him off. From now on, I don¡¯t want to see this person in my sight again!!¡± Zhao Yin Ge said with a thick murderous intent to a dull young man behind him. The dull young man nodded without a word, but his eyes fixed intently on Zhu Minng, as if memorizing his face. ¡°Zhu Minng is seeking his own death. I¡¯ve heard that thepetition for the Li Chuan Continent is based on the oue of thispetition, and their Zhu Sect is the initiator of the oath. Zhu Sect is already the target of the rivalry among the major forces, and yet Zhu Minng dares to be so rampant!¡± Zhao Xi continued. ¡°I don¡¯t care about thepetition; I just want him dead!!¡± Zhao Yin Ge dered. Royal Young Gang. The moment Zhu Minng realized who the Royal Young Gang revolved around, he knew this Zhao Yin Ge was definitely not clean! He should have chopped him with a sword. Even if it meant never returning to the Supreme Court Imperial City in this lifetime. Originally, because he had chopped off this guy¡¯s limbs, he was exiled from the Imperial City, forbidden to return within three years¡­ Merely a three-year tour outside, Zhu Minng was not bothered at all. If he could kill Zhao Yin Ge, wipe out the trash of the Royal Young Gang, he could ept never returning to the Imperial City for his entire life. In any case, by the third round, Zhu Minng would do more than just incapacitate people! Those who owed lives would pay with their lives! Chapter 148 - 149: Do Not Peep at Impropriety Chapter 148: Chapter 149: Do Not Peep at Impropriety Trantor: 549690339 The second round had ended. People¡¯s focus was no longer on thepetition of the great powers, especially after the words Zhu Minng had said when confronting Zhao Yin Ge, which plunged them into discussions about Zhu Tong¡¯s death. The audience wasn¡¯t blind. In the Ancient Bronze Battlefield, there had been only a few unexpected deaths, and many had witnessed with their own eyes the brutal killing of Zhu Tong. Hao Yong, Zhao Yin Ge, and Madam Zhao Qin could pretend to be remorseful at the memorial service, saying things like ¡°fists and feet have no eyes,¡± but those who were present at the time knew very well that Zhu Tong was maliciously murdered! Originally, it was thought that the matter would just settle down. After all, it was just a disciple of the Zhu Sect¡¯s foreign court who had died, and he was a ve by status. The perpetrator was the Big Disciple of the Purple Sect n and a member of the Royal Young Gang, so there was virtually no follow-up. But today, Zhu Minng¡¯s public mention of it sparked discussions among the crowd, and many gossipers spread the words Zhu Minng had said at the memorial service. With this, people suddenly came to a realization. No wonder Zhu Minng confronted Zhao Yin Ge, the leader of the Royal Young Gang. And no wonder Zhu Minng treated those who surrounded him so viciously today! The Royal Young Gang, this malignant group, might not be well-known to therge factions, but the young nobles of the Imperial City, especially those sons and daughters with less significant backgrounds, kept a respectful distance from them. A group of young scions with deep backgrounds, once united, was capable of all kinds of evil. Over the years, many had suffered at their hands, and Zhu Tong was just one of them. So when someone finally stood up and pointed directly at Zhao Yin Ge, the leader of the Royal Young Gang, it naturally felt like a breath of fresh air, especially since this person was also a son of the Zhu Sect, whose power and background were in no way inferior to that rabble! ¡°Zhu Minng, wasn¡¯t he the sword-cultivating prodigy from the Imperial City?¡± ¡°Yes, I heard that after he left the mountains, he directly surpassed the level of a mere disciple¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right, there was even a Monarch Level Dragon Shepherd who went to teach the young Zhu Minng a lesson for his own disciple, but not only did his own Dragon King get killed, Zhu Minng also managed toe out unscathed!¡± ¡°That incident caused a sensation in the entire Imperial City back then, you know. Zhu Minng had only been out of the mountains for a year or two, only about sixteen or seventeen years old!¡± ¡°After that, there weren¡¯t any disciples who dared topare themselves to Zhu Minng, and then, I believe, it was him who chopped off the limbs of Zhao Yin Ge¡¯s Princely Heir and was banished from the Imperial City!¡± Years had passed since the incident, but there were still people in the crowd who knew about these events. Piecing together what they knew, they managed to rekindle the information about Zhu Minng. However, such a talented sword cultivator abandoned swordsmanship and became a Dragon Shepherd¡­ Such an act was indeed unthinkable! Turning to being a Dragon Shepherd meant starting everything from scratch¡­ But the fresh start of someone else¡¯s child seemed quite impressive, making the great faction¡¯s disciples, who had been practicing diligently for many years, still get trounced by Zhu Minng! This probably defines a prodigy! Others casually practice and reach heights that ordinary people cannot achieve! Imperial City Court With gold and wood standing tall, within the magnificent and sacred court, the holders of the major forces sat in their own seats. The Supreme Court Imperial City¡¯s Imperial Dynasty, although having the concept of a court and presided over by an Emperor, was not so rigid in its court proceedings. ¡°` No matter whether it¡¯s the Sect Forest, Family Door, Pce, Church, or Academy, when every power is integrated, they all possess the heritage to contend with the Royal Family. The Royal Family are the rulers, not the seated powers. For the rulers to stand firm, naturally, they cannot do without the support of all the major powers. ¡°Since the Zhu Gate has agreed to settle thispetition within the great contest among the powers, then the ownership of the new territories of Li Chuan will be decided by the final oue of this contest,¡± said a woman beside the Emperor, wearing a colorful crown. This woman was the Imperial Concubine, dealing specifically with matters of seatedw. The Emperor closed his eyes to rest, seemingly deaf to everyone¡¯s discussion, likely having no interest whatsoever in such matters. ¡°Speaking of which, Assistant to the Sharp State, such a small ce as Li Chuan, and you have not yet taken control of it to this day, is indeed aughingstock,¡± said a general of the Imperial Dynasty, chuckling. The Assistant to the Sharp State had a darkened face and remained silent. Ruling power is nothing more than the trampling of war. Eradicate or expel all armed forces in that region, let them manage and rule, let them make thews, let them collect the taxes. These days, the Sharp State has been continuouslyunching military offensives, but the poption of the Li Chuan Continent is not small, and the armed forces are muchrger than imagined. Especially to the east of Long Gorge, the four allied Dragon City-States led by the Ancestral Dragon City have an army with firm will, united and difficult to scatter. It feels as if without some small powers causing trouble, they have no hope of capturing any city in the east of Li Chuan¡¯s Long Gorge. ¡°What you don¡¯t know is that to the east of Long Gorge is a nation ruled by a powerful God and Mortal named Li Yunzi. She herself is extremely powerful, and her Army Guards are well-equipped, brave, and good at fighting. Our Sharp State¡¯s army already needs to travel a long distance, arriving exhausted, not to mention that Long Gorge has formidable military forts and strongholds¡­ Thend of Li Chuan is not as barren as our Sharp State; I even heard that the Wutu Veins are rich, providing arge amount of military equipment¡­¡± said the Assistant to the Sharp State. ¡°If you can¡¯t take it down, then offering amnesty is not out of the question,¡± the Imperial Concubine said indifferently. ¡°But Ancestral Dragon City and the alliance of four City-States are already a nation. By offering amnesty, wouldn¡¯t we have to acknowledge them as a new nation? This cannot be allowed!¡± said the Assistant to the Sharp State, in a hurry. Amnesty would be most unfavorable to the Sharp State. Originally, if they had taken control, they would freely manage the resources there, and all the people there would be ves, which would be a tremendous enhancement of national power for the Sharp State. ves, after all, do not require a penny of wages. But if it is a state, even if victory is achieved in war, the people will still be the people, with thews of the Empire in force, they cannot be killed on a whim, cannot be exploited at will, and even as their rulers, they must protect their lives and property, taxes can be increased, but the profits aresting, slow¡­ This is entirely a different concept from the benefits of turning them into a ve nation! ¡°Thus, I will give you another month,¡± ¡°If you still haven¡¯t taken control, our Empire will offer amnesty to the Ancestral Dragon City, Wutu, South Nation, and Lun State, and allow them to establish their own nations. After that, all of the Sharp State¡¯s military campaigns and actions must abide by thews of state warfare,¡± said the Emperor, opening his eyes and speaking to the Assistant to the Sharp State. ¡°That¡¯s too short a time; the Ancestral Dragon City¡¯s army has two or three hundred thousand soldiers, even our Sharp State¡­¡± theplexion of the Assistant to the Sharp State changed, he hurriedly said. ¡°The Li Chuan Continent has some unique ancient relics and many spiritual assets that are not avable on our Supreme Court Courtyard Continent. Excessive destruction and ughter in that territory would actually be a loss for us in the Supreme Court Empire. A month¡¯s time, if you have not taken control, we will then offer amnesty to the rulers there. There is no need for further discussion on this matter,¡± said the Emperor, waving his hand, disinterested in hearing the Assistant to the Sharp State¡¯s grievances. The Assistant to the Sharp State, in a hurry, bowed and dared not speak further. But his expression grew increasingly grim. A month¡¯s time; it seemed that the Sharp State must move to significant military action, even at the cost of incurring losses, they must take the ruling power of Ancestral Dragon City! ¡°As for the matter of the seated power, let¡¯s follow what you all just said. As the first one to take an oath, the Zhu Gate should suffer some loss.¡± ¡°All major powers can take out their tokens, and I shall keep them safe. After the oue of the contest, I will distribute them fairly,¡± said the Imperial Concubine to the holders of the major powers. ¡°Imperial Concubine, Imperial Concubine, our Chess Sect, Sect Forest is declining, unable to gain a foothold in the Imperial City. I hope to seek refuge with Zhu Sect¡¯s foreign court, please grant us your favor!¡± At this moment, Gu He knelt on the ground and gave a deep kowtow. ¡°You should ask Sect Leader Zhu about this, why ask me?¡± The Imperial Concubine raised her eyebrows. ¡°Please grant us your favor, please grant us your favor!¡± Gu He continued to kowtow, without mentioning the reasons. The people in the court naturally understood that the Imperial Concubine was sister to Zhu Xuehen, and her rtionship with Zhu Sect was profound; otherwise, Zhu Sect could not possibly have secured its position among major Family Doors within just a few short years. ¡°Sect Leader Zhu, look at Gu He¡¯s sincerity, perhaps you could trouble yourself to take him into your foreign court to toil for the benefit of the foreign court. Mainly because if Chess Sect¡¯s Divine and Mortal were to vanish from here on out, it would truly be a pity,¡± Imperial Concubine inquired. Though Chess Sect was a smaller force. But seeking refuge with Zhu Sect¡¯s foreign court¡­ This was indeed a cause for sighing! Zhu Sect¡¯s foreign court was nothing more than family ves from major ns. Gu He, in order to preserve his Sect Forest, must have thrown all caution to the wind, no longer caring for dignity or reputation¡­ Moreover, Gu He had already made up his mind under the scorching sun: aside from Zhu Sect, no other force would help them! Rather than being annihted by Zhu Sect. It would be better to directly seek refuge; if it¡¯s the foreign court, then the foreign court be it. Zhu Sect¡¯s principles didn¡¯t involve the notion of family ves. Zhu Sect¡¯s Young Master Zhu Minng could even be furious for a ve brother. If they were willing to take in Chess Sect, it would only mean bearing a slightly unsavory reputation¡ªit would undoubtedly be better than being wiped out! ¡°Since the Imperial Concubine has said as much, it would be difficult for me to refuse,¡± Zhu Heavenly Officer said reluctantly. A gentleke breeze blew by, bringing a touch of refreshment to the hot summer day. Zhu Minng returned to his own small courtyard and tower, to find Big ck Tooth sprawled in the little pond, crushing the artificial mountains into pieces, looking as if it were enjoying the coolness. ¡°Your wound ispletely healed??¡± Zhu Minng approached, somewhat surprised. Big ck Tooth opened its eyes, looked over itself, then reached out a paw to touch its own chest¡­ It was truly healed! Even the big wound on its chest had healed! Could it be that ck Treasure possesses an incredible ability to heal by sleeping and sunbathing? Howe I never knew about this?? Zhu Minng had instructed a female disciple to apply medicine to Big ck Tooth every hour, so he had not brought it with him when he left today. Normally, it would take at least ten to twenty days for Big ck Tooth to fully recover from such injuries, especially thatrge wound on its chest, which would probably leave some chronic issues. But now there wasn¡¯t a single scar on its body, not to mention the major wound on its chest was also fully healed, showing no sign of ever having been injured! This was truly inconceivable! Did Big ck Tooth possess some hidden lineage? ¡°Young Master, you¡¯re back.¡± The female disciple came out from the small tower nearby, holding a slice of cool melon, and said with naive charm. ¡°Do you know the healing arts?¡± Zhu Minng asked. ¡°No, I do not,¡± the female disciple shook her head. ¡°How did this Big ck Dragon heal so quickly? Did you apply the medicine you were given?¡± Zhu Minng continued to inquire. ¡°The Young Mistress told me to rest, so I took a nap in the house. When I woke up to apply the medicine, I found that your Big ck Dragon seemed to have healed,¡± the female disciple exined. ¡°Young Mistress? What Young Mistress?¡± Zhu Minng was puzzled. Since when does Zhu Sect have the title of Young Mistress? I am the Young Sect Master of this Zhu Sect. ¡°It¡¯s thatdy wearing a veil. Everyone says she¡¯s the Young Mistress. You haven¡¯t lost your memory like Mr. Jinli, have you?¡± The female disciple spoke while biting into her piece of melon. ¡°What nonsense, she is the God and Mortal of my Dragon Shepherd Team, not any Young Mistress¡­ Wait, you just said that after she visited Big ck Tooth, its injuries healed?¡± Zhu Minng asked. ¡°Yes, yes, the Young Mistress seems to have some healing method.¡± The melon-eating female disciple said. Zhu Minng grew even more puzzled. Nan Lingsha hadn¡¯t gone there today; her second round ofpetition had been yesterday, and she had advanced to the third round without any surprises. The question was, how could she possess healing abilities? Be it as a painter or as a Dragon Shepherd¡­ neither should be rted to healing. Nan Lingsha¡¯s personality was as unpredictable as the rain in June, and now her abilities were just as erratic? Unfortunately, Big ck Tooth was sleeping like a huge ck pig. Otherwise, it could be asked directly what had happened. ¡°Young Master, this melon is very sweet. Would you like a piece?¡± the naively charming female disciple offered. ¡°You eat, you eat,¡± Zhu Minng headed to the next tower, wanting to see what Nan Lingsha was doing. He also wanted to talk to her about thepetition. It was certain that the major forces would target Zhu Sect to prevent it from obtaining the right to preside over the tournament. Hence, the third round was crucial. Zhu Minng and Nan Lingsha had to join forces now. ¡°Miss Lingsha,¡± Zhu Minng did not ascend the stairs, for even though the tower was also his, one must not transgress without permission. ¡°What is it?¡± Nan Lingsha¡¯s voice came softly from above. ¡°We need to discuss the matter of thepetition,¡± Zhu Minng said. Soon, Zhu Minng heard the sound of footsteps from the stairs, light and slow. Still veiled, her beautiful eyes shone like gemstones, mesmerizing and brilliant. She was wearing a short gown of purple kale color, revealing her delicate corbones, radiating a fragile beauty. Her lining was sky-blue, creating a subtle color gradation with her gown, making her fair skin stand out even more enticingly. And as for the area snugly wrapped by the lining, full and perky, Zhu Minng glimpsed it quickly, then hurriedly averted his gaze¡­ Look not upon impropriety! But indeed, very big. Chapter 149 - 150: The Mechanism Battlefield City Chapter 149: Chapter 150: The Mechanism Battlefield City Trantor: 549690339 ¡°The situation is this, the oue of thepetition among the four city-states of the Ancestral Dragon City-State will be determined in this Power Competition, so this time the territorial order of the Ancestral Dragon City-State, will be established by ourselves,¡± Zhu Minng said to Nan Lingsha. Nan Lingsha nodded and said, ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± ¡°There¡¯s another matter that¡¯s a mixed blessing. That is, the Imperial Dynasty is now only giving Rui Country one month¡¯s time. If Rui Country cannot take over the governance of the Ancestral Dragon City-State within a month, then the Imperial Dynasty will allow the four states of Li Chuan to establish a new country as part of the Supreme Court Empire,¡± Zhu Minng exined. ¡°One month¡¯s time? Then within this month, Rui Country will surelye out in full force,¡± Nan Lingsha said worriedly. ¡°The third round will take ce in the Mechanism City, and all disciples who enter the third round will do so at the same time. Right now, we must win thispetition, otherwise, Rui Country is likely to make use of some evil forces to break through the defenses of the Ancestral Dragon City-State,¡± Zhu Minng said. The more urgent the time, the more recklessly Rui Country would act. Zhu Minng was not worried that Rui Country¡¯s troops could breach Long Gorge within a month; what he cared about were those evil forces! Only by securing the right to sit as soon as possible could the rulers of Rui Country possibly be restrained! ¡°Mechanism City?¡± Nan Lingsha asked in confusion. ¡°I¡¯m not very clear about that either, but it¡¯s said to be one of the ancient Imperial Cities. Due to the relocation of the central Imperial City, this Mechanism City has been abandoned for a long time. Later, some forces renovated it, turning it into an ancient city battlefield,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°We¡¯re facing more enemies now.¡± ¡°Yes, with thepetition at stake, other powers will spare no effort to eliminate us. Without surprise, the Royal Family, the Four Major Sect ns, the Six Great ns, the Azure Dragon Pce, the Ancient Dragon Pce, the Godly Mortal Academy, and the Dragon Taming Academy all want the sitting rights over the Li Chuan Continent, and they¡¯ve also thrown in a city-state level resource to make thepetition even bloodier,¡± Zhu Minng nodded and said. ¡°So life and death are no longer subject to the constraints of the Power Competition?¡± Nan Lingsha asked. ¡°Yes, since it has evolved into apetition, life and death are a matter of fate. Although there will be referees hovering over Mechanism City to promptly stop some killings, they can¡¯t guarantee that deliberate ughter can be stopped one hundred percent,¡± Zhu Minng answered. Seeing that Nan Lingsha didn¡¯t respond, Zhu Minng earnestly and seriously said, ¡°Therefore, entering the Mechanism City this time, amid the rivalry for power and pervasive crises, and considering I already have some grievances with the people from the Royal Young Gang, I hope Miss Lingsha¡­¡± ¡°Hmm, I will ensure your safety,¡± she replied. Did his sister-inw have some sort of misunderstanding about him? Zhu Minng touched his nose, remembering the matter with Big ck Tooth, before saying, ¡°By the way, thank you for healing ck Tooth¡¯s wounds. I didn¡¯t expect Miss Lingsha to have a healing-type dragon pet, which is quite rare.¡± The reason he said this was because Zhu Minng remembered seeing a dragon pet like a little ghost lingering around Nan Lingsha early one morning. It must have been the little creature that rapidly healed Big ck Tooth¡¯s injuries. He just didn¡¯t know what kind of dragon it actually was. Nan Lingsha stood there quietly, only watching Zhu Minng with those enchanting and beautiful eyes. With her face covered by a veil, her expression was unclear. ¡°What are you trying to probe?¡± Nan Lingsha asked. ¡°Nothing like that, I¡¯m just slightly expressing my gratitude,¡± Zhu Minng said with some embarrassment. ¡°If you want to ask, I can tell you the truth,¡± Nan Lingsha said with a smile. ¡°Actually, I was just thinking about thepetition in a few days; it¡¯s like entering the Asura Battlefield. If I could have a deeper understanding of Miss Lingsha¡¯s abilities, it would be more advantageous for our victory,¡± Zhu Minng said. Zhu Minng was telling the truth. Nan Lingsha had demonstrated two different abilities. Whether these two abilities could be used at any time, or if there were certain restrictions, was still unknown. Her painting skills as a God and Mortal were indeed formidable, and Zhu Minng didn¡¯t need to be too worried about that. However, it was her other ability that the Elder Sword Sovereign firmly believed she possessed as a Dragon Shepherd. Zhu Minng didn¡¯t have a clear understanding of her strength as a Dragon Shepherd, and if he were to be trapped by a formidable enemy, he would have to take her safety into consideration as well. If something unexpected happened to Nan Lingsha in thispetition, he would have no way to exin it to Li Yunzi. ¡°How do you know I have a dragon?¡± Nan Lingsha asked. ¡°I saw it identally.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s talk in detail after thepetition. You don¡¯t need to worry about me,¡± Nan Lingsha sighed softly. Nan Lingsha also knew the intent behind Zhu Minng¡¯s question ¨C he was still considering her well-being. ¡°Okay,¡± Zhu Minng didn¡¯t ask any further. The original power struggle hadpletely changed due to the integration of thepetition. ording to the methods of previous events, the main events towards the end were usually held within the Ancient Bronze Battlefield. It was no longer a selection of hundred-men melee, but rather single-elimination duels. But with thepetition, numerous forces got involved, even piling up the rewards for this powerpetition to be higher than a mountain. Under these circumstances, it was no longer a mere exchange of learning andpetition between disciples. Including the manner of thepetition, everything hadpletely changed. The battlefield was set in the Mechanism City, where all the disciples of the forces who¡¯d entered the third round would step into the Mechanism City at the same time. Hundreds ofpetitors, at every moment, there might be over a dozen battles urring simultaneously. This spectacle was truly unprecedented, and it took the already fiery powerpetition to a terrifying new height that everyone in the Imperial City yearned to witness. Valuing strength has always been the underlying philosophy of the Supreme Court Empire¡¯s prosperity. For such a grand feast of power showdowns, they would certainly do everything possible to allow themon people to watch as well. Therefore, choosing the Mechanism City as the battlefield was crucial. If one arrived early, they could find a spot with a good view on the Mysterious Wall of the Mechanism City, and still be able to witness the battles among Dragon Shepherds and God and Mortals as if they were in the Ancient Bronze Battlefield. The day of the Mechanism City¡¯spetition for supremacy had arrived. It wasn¡¯t dawn yet, but one could already see the vast tide of people from various Imperial Cities moving towards the Mechanism City. Mechanism City was a deste city; within it thrived overgrown weeds, towering ancient trees, as well as farmhouses, lofts, crumbling walls, and ruined temples. After some modification, it gradually evolved into a practice ground where wilderness and city features were intermixed. This ce was intended to be a battlefield for Dragon Beasts¡¯ confrontations, and with this year¡¯s power struggle coinciding with thepetition, the Imperial City officially utilized this deste city under continuous renovation, presenting the Supreme Court Imperial City with its seventh Imperial City¡ªthe Battlefield City! The location of the Mechanism City wasn¡¯t particrly remote, and those who set off early in this direction could probably arrive around sunrise. The Mechanism City was vast, approaching the scale of a city-state. The city was enclosed by mysterious walls, tall and robust, which even some Steel Armored Ancient Dragons might not be able to knock down! Chapter 150 - 151: A City Falls into Hand Chapter 150: Chapter 151: A City Falls into Hand Trantor: 549690339 The spacious pathways atop these mysterious walls serve as the seats for spectators, with the winding walls not only enclosing the entire mechanical city but also extending into the battleground cities within¡­ Gradually, the crowd began to ¡°upy¡± the mysterious walls, slowly dispersing to different ces. In each of the four directions of the mysterious walls, beautifully constructed city towers stand; these towers are where the nobles and members of powerful factions watch the battlefield engagements. Each city tower has an excellent view, allowing one to see nearly everything happening in the mechanical city. As the day rose, participants from the various powerful factions appeared at the gates of the mechanical city. Before the official battle began, those partaking in thispetition would enter the mechanical city in advance to prevent the congregation of four to five hundred disciples near the gates of the mysterious walls right at the start. As Zhu Minng and Nan Lingsha stepped into the city gate, a battle host loudly addressed every disciple entering the city, ¡°Before the me Banners atop the city towers are lit, all forms ofbat are prohibited; offenders will be immediately disqualified.¡± ¡°Half of the resources provided by the great factions are within this mechanical city. Disciples may seek them out themselves within the city, and upon obtaining them and lighting the Beacon Bamboo Tube, passing it to a judge will mean it belongs to them!¡± ¡°Inside the mechanical city, arge group of ferocious Ancient Dragons are kept; they will attack every one of you, so I hope everyone will try their best to avoid these fierce dragons while searching for resources to avoid idents.¡± ¡°Lastly, please retain some sense of reason. Do not harbor murderous intentions towards those who have lost the ability to fight. Those disciples who are overpowered should also hand over their obtained resources as much as possible to avoid unnecessary trouble!¡± After the rules were announced, the disciples entered the mechanical city one after another. Zhu Minng and Nan Lingsha walked together, following an ancient street straight into the mechanical city. After walking a thousand meters or so, Zhu Minng turned around only to find the long street had vanished. In ce of the path he¡¯d just been on, a dense forest appeared, seemingly containing some dpidated viges¡­ Surprise filled Zhu Minng¡¯s face. Could it be that this city itself is still in motion? The mechanical city, this entire battlefield of an ancient city, would change every so often, inadvertently causingplete disorientation within the city? Such a structure was quite extraordinary. As they continued to walk, indeed, theyout within the mechanical city kept changing. Zhu Minng and Nan Lingsha were supposed to cross an open grasnd but found tower after tower of rock buildings rising from the ground, while the earth itself kept shifting, turning from muddy to interlocked rocks¡­ A stone city formed right beneath their eyes, with what appeared to be a main street of shops, and densely packed houses, all made of rock and utterly empty inside, like mud fortresses made by ying children. The terrain kept shifting. Theyout kept changing. The mechanical city itself was one giant contraption of abyrinth, and those disciples who had entered in the same direction soon found themselves scattered in different ces. And it was truly bizarre. Despite the mechanical city having impossibly high mysterious walls and majestic towers, one would think that standing within thisbyrinthine city, it would still be possible to use these walls and towers for orientation¡­ But they could not see any of the tall mysterious walls at all! It seemed the mechanical city¡¯s mechanisms were moreplex than just a change in thendscape; there were dimensional contractions and expansions at y, employing techniques of illusion that made everything inside look even more intricate! ¡°The scorching sun, too, will shift in different directions, and the mechanical city has some visual illusions,¡± Nan Lingsha pointed out, indicating towards the Heavenly Dao with her hand. Zhu Minng looked up, only to find that the sun, which should be rising in the east, was now behind him¡­ He had clearly been walking eastward the whole time. So, are they heading west now? The directions arepletely chaotic! ¡°You can¡¯t rely on the sun to determine the cardinal directions here, Mechanism City is quiteplex indeed!¡± Zhu Minng eximed with some admiration. A ze of light suddenly ignited in the distance, its captivating brilliance hard to ignore. It¡¯s the me Banner! This signals that the officialbat has begun! All disciples from the various forces can engage in battle upon encountering each other. Ever since setting foot in Mechanism City, Zhu Minng had been drawn to itsyout, eager to grasp the principles behind its operation. After all, utilizing the terrain could offer a significant advantage. But who would have thought time would pass so quickly. The contest was underway, yet around him and Nan Lingsha, no disciples from any force were in sight. Rock City was vast and eerily empty. ¡°Half of the resources from the major forces are scattered within this Mechanism City. I think the disciples of the major forces must have started searching for these treasures as soon as possible,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°Let¡¯s look around,¡± Nan Lingsha suggested. When the me Banner ignited, theyout of Mechanism City began to change more slowly. It seemed the initial multiple shifts aimed to disperse the disciples to different locations, adding more spectacle for the citizens of the Imperial City. Stone City was deserted, Zhu Minng and Nan Lingsha wandered aimlessly until the sound of fighting reached them from up ahead. After rounding some rocky buildings, Zhu Minng saw a statue at the open intersection ahead, standing in the middle of a fountain. It wasn¡¯t very tall, but the statue held out a palm that cradled a shining brocade box. Inside the brocade box, there must be a rare treasure! Two groups of disciples had spotted the brocade box at the same time, both wanting to im it as their own. Zhu Minng looked at the statue, and then nced at the brocade box. The spiritual resources were idly ced there. As if they were meant to be found by the disciples from the major forces. Zhu Minng and Nan Lingsha exchanged a look, then nodded at each other. Zhu Minng stepped forward, unable to clearly discern which forces the several people belonged to. ¡°Bai Qi, go get it,¡± Zhu Minng instructed. Little White hopped off Zhu Minng¡¯s shoulder onto the ground, and then slyly made his way across the street ahead. He seemed like an innocuous little squirrel at most, perhaps just picking up scattered pinecones on the forest floor. At first, those people didn¡¯t take any notice. They were locked in confrontation, unleashing their Power of God and Mortality. Although still in a tentative stage, neither side was willing to step back. But then, with a flicker of movement and a sweep of its tail, Little White snatched the brocade box and swiftly ran back to Zhu Minng. Zhu Minng opened the brocade box to find inside a Contract Book. ¡°Runyu City deed??¡± A city¡¯s Contract Book! They had just obtained a city!! Chapter 151 - 152: Strike Before It’s Too Late Chapter 151: Chapter 152: Strike Before It¡¯s Too Late Trantor: 549690339 Truly worthy of the Imperial City. It¡¯s simply a game among the big powers and ruling sses. This Runyu City, who knows how many generations of effort have gone into it, and how many battles it has endured. But in the end, its ownership is just one of the prizes of this grandpetition for power. ¡°Someone has taken the brocade box, it¡¯s the city ownership deed!¡± said a woman in a martial robe, from among the two groups. This woman, even more robust than a man, was d in a short shirt, striking a stark contrast with Nan Lingsha¡¯s slender waist, delicate arms like lotus roots, and a swan-like neck. The body cultivation woman had arms like fine iron, her body as if forged in steel, her skin gleaming with a coppery luster. Even standing before Zhu Minng, who was tall and handsome, she might make him seem somewhat delicate! ¡°People from the Wu Zong,¡± Zhu Minng said to Nan Lingsha in a low voice. ¡°One of the Four Major Sect ns?¡± Nan Lingsha asked. ¡°Yes, they focus on body cultivation, mainly practicing fists, palms, body, legs, qi¡­ I once had a sparring with one of their senior disciples. Their Diamond Unbreakable Body is terrifying; ordinary sharp weapons can¡¯t hurt them at all,¡± Zhu Minng exined. There are different factions within Wu Zong; judging by this woman¡¯s frame, she should belong to the Body Cultivation Martial Sect. The Body Cultivation Martial Sect is considered a monster among the God and Mortals of humanity; there was once a body cultivator who went toe-to-toe with a giant dragon, a truly breathtaking scene! ¡°This Runyu City deed can also be exchanged for some decent spiritual resources. We¡¯ll take it,¡± Zhu Minng said, looking at the body cultivation woman with a gentle smile. ¡°What are you smiling about? Dare you sh with your granny? I hate your kind of pretty boy the most,cking any manliness. Right now, you¡¯d better kneel on the ground and present the city ownership deed, or else granny will smash your teeth!¡± the body cultivation woman¡¯s voice was, surprisingly, not much different from an ordinary woman¡¯s. Can¡¯t she appreciate aesthetics? A man like me, where strength and handsomeness are perfectlybined, is rare in the world. Zhu Minng continued to smile, but his smile had be cold. Wu Zong, huh? A hard body, right? Let¡¯s see if you can withstand the freezing power of Bai Qi¡¯s ice frost! Bai Qi¡¯s fur began to fly around, pure white like snow. Countless ice crystals swirled around it, like a miniature white storm. Within the storm of ice crystals, its body was transforming, and at the same time, the streets below began to freeze, withyers of frost covering them. Before long, the ground was entirely frozen. The sturdy body cultivation woman let out a roar, leaping up and, like an ape,nded on one of the rock buildings. Having dodged the swift frost freeze, she flipped down again, her body wrapped in a strange brown gas, making her fall like a heavy boulder, mming right towards Bai Qi¡¯s location! Bai Qi didn¡¯t budge; a stronger storm whipped up around it, forcing the Wu Zong female disciple to abandon her heavy rock crash and retreat behind the rock buildings. Then, a fist fighter charged in! Though his physique wasn¡¯t as robust as the woman¡¯s, one could see mes follow his fists as he swung them through the air. He was very fast; the streets cracked under his swift advance, and when he took the final step and swung his fist at the Ice Morning White Dragon, one could feel a thunderous force burst from him and explode from his fist! Little White still didn¡¯t avoid the attack. With a casual p of its wings, numerous ice crystals condensed in front of it, and a formidable ice mountain barrier formed to block the fist fighter¡¯s path. The fist fighter¡¯s punch, which seemed capable of toppling mountains, only cracked the ice barrier erected by the Ice Morning White Dragon¡­ The fist fighter looked astonished, struggling to believe that his mighty power couldn¡¯t even break through the opponent¡¯s casual defense. ¡°Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh!!¡± ws like flying des suddenly spun out from behind the ice mountain barrier. The fist fighting disciple hastily retreated, dodging left and right, but his body was still shed, creating several fresh wounds. Before the fist fighter could recover from his shock, the Ice Morning White Dragon turned into a sharp ray of light, striking with lightning speed. Its speed was many times faster than his sprint, its fearsome ws likely even sharper than famed swords and precious des! ¡°Junior brother!¡± The body cultivation woman yelled, appearing in time to protect the younger man, her arms crossed in front of her and a brown energy swirling around her, forming an ancient bell to shield the fist fighter behind her. However¡­ The body cultivation woman¡¯s judgment was still off. The Ice Morning White Dragon was so fast that its figure in their sight was nothing but an afterimage. It was already behind the body cultivation woman, striking like a white ice arrow, inflicting heavy damage on the fist fighter! The fist fighter stood there, disbelievingly looking at the gaping wound on his chest and shoulder. As he turned to look back at the Ice Morning White Dragon, blood spurted out like a fountain! ¡°Junior brother, junior brother!¡± The body cultivation woman hurried to help him, her eyes angrily fixed on Zhu Minng. ¡°Senior sister, we¡­ we¡¯re no match for him, he¡­ he has shown mercy,¡± the fist fighting disciple coughed, bloodied. Before the body cultivation woman could respond, she suddenly felt an intense chill at her back. She turned her head to find that the Ice Morning White Dragon had silently positioned itself behind her, its cold, starry dragon eyes gazing at her at close range, paralyzing her with fear. ¡°We admit defeat,¡± the Body Cultivation woman finally lowered her head, her face devoid of the pride she had before. The onespeting with the two Wu Zong for this brocade box were a small Family Door, consisting of three men. Originally, they had also wanted to make a move on Zhu Minng and Nan Lingsha, after all, the City Ownership Deed was in their hands, but before they could exert their Power of God and Mortality, they saw how effortlessly the two from the Martial Sect were defeated¡­ They looked at each other and then turned to leave. Fortunately, it wasn¡¯t them who acted first. Otherwise, it would have been them who were directly eliminated. This City Ownership Deed¡­ Had nothing to do with them! ¡°Isn¡¯t that Zhu Minng?¡± one of the men from the small Family Door said as they walked away. ¡°It seems so, but isn¡¯t his dragon usually an Azure Dragon and a ck Dragon? Why has it turned into a White Dragon today?¡± ¡°We gave it our all to make it to this third round, yet people are hiding their true strength, and still, during this third round, they casually trampled on Wu Zong disciples who were prepared to face great dangers¡­¡± ¡°Would one of you look back and check if they¡¯re following us? I don¡¯t want to get eliminated just after getting in.¡± ¡°No, no, we¡¯re just small fry; as long as we don¡¯t bother them deliberately, they are not interested in us.¡± ¡°Thank heavens.¡± Having taken the City Ownership Deed, Zhu Minng remembered what the referee had said. It was only considered theirs after igniting the Beacon Bamboo Tube and handing the City Ownership Deed to the referee who came to collect it. So holding it now only meant it was temporarily in their possession. If someone else came to snatch it, it could still be taken away. In this mechanical city, there were many simr valuable resources, and even richer ones; Zhu Minng was not in a hurry to give it to the referee. It wasn¡¯t toote to ignite the Beacon Bamboo Tube after gathering a bunch of good resources. As for where Runyu City really was, Zhu Minng did not know. Anyway, he wasn¡¯t very interested in the ownership of such cities; when the time came, he would sell it and convert it into a hefty amount of Silver Taels. The Divine Green Holy Dragon, Lei Cang Violent Dragon, Ice Morning White Dragon¡ª their monthly food expenses were already staggering, if he didn¡¯t have some ie, he really wouldn¡¯t be able to afford to keep them! This Runyu City was probably just a poor little city. If it was very far from Imperial City, this deed could be sold to a suitable buyer for up to five hundred thousand gold. If he couldn¡¯t find a buyer, settle for one hundred thousand gold at most. Of course, it might also be worthless¡­ Some cities, because of their location, had many issues, and sometimes one might even need to invest arge sum of money for construction and management before seeing any benefits. Zhu Minng wasn¡¯t very skilled or interested in city governance; if he handed it over to Zheng Yu, he would probably handle it better. ¡°Young Master, Miss,¡± suddenly, a voice came from behind. The person was already quite close, but Zhu Minng and Nan Lingsha hadn¡¯t really noticed. Clearly, she was an expert. However, Zhu Minng found her voice very familiar. ¡°Qin Yang, why are you here too?¡± Zhu Minng turned around, looking at the brocade-dressed woman with some surprise. ¡°Each power has three slots, and there was no reason for our Zhu Gate to leave one empty,¡± Qin Yang replied. ¡°It was my father who was worried about my safety and had youe to protect us, wasn¡¯t it?¡± Zhu Minng said with a wry smile. ¡°Young Master, I couldn¡¯t possibly undertake the task of protection. I am merely concerned that the young master has not been in Imperial City for many years and might not be familiar with many things. I can inform the young master about some matters to avoid unnecessary troubles¡­ For instance, the Royal Young Gang has already assembled,¡± Qin Yang began to exin. ¡°This mechanical city is soplex, and they¡¯ve gathered together so quickly??¡± Zhu Minng said with some doubt. ¡°Just as I could easily find the young master and the miss, among them, there are those who know the secrets of this mechanical city,¡± Qin Yang said. ¡°Well, it seems that in rules that appear fair, after all, there has been a teacher who went over simr subjects with the students,¡± Zhu Minng said, shaking his head helplessly. ¡°If the young master wishes to kill, we must act quickly. Once their experts gather together, it will be they whoe to kill us,¡± Qin Yang reminded Zhu Minng. Zhu Minng firmly believed that Hao Shaocong and the others wouldn¡¯t drop out of thepetition prematurely. Because thispetition was their only chance to kill him. If he ran away, Zhu Minng wouldn¡¯t need to act¡ªZhu Heavenly Officer would take care of the other offspring of the Hao family. Hao Shaocong had no choice left. He could only unite with the Royal Young Gang in thispetition to finish off Zhu Minng. ¡°Where are they now?¡± Zhu Minng inquired. ¡°Follow me, young master and miss; this mechanical city changes itsyout, but if nothing goes wrong, their target should be a deed of a Young Dragon Valley,¡± Qin Yang said. ¡°Young Dragon Valley, these guys really know too much about this mechanical city!¡± Zhu Minng said with a cold snort. Chapter 152 - 153: Banyan Bee Hive Chapter 152: Chapter 153: Banyan Bee Hive Trantor: 549690339 With Qin Yang leading the way, Zhu Minng and Nan Lingsha no longer needed to walk aimlessly. He had previously been somewhat worried about not being able to find that trashy group from the Royal Young Gang. Each power had three spots, and the vast majority of people from the same power would walk together, even forming alliances with other powers they had good rtions with. Thepetition rules inherently had many loopholes, the wider one¡¯s connections and the stronger one¡¯s power, the greater the advantage they would ultimately have. Of course, smaller powers could also band together, but their trust in one another might not be as strong, and they could very well tear each other¡¯s faces over the interests of a city-state! Qin Yang told Zhu Minng that Zhu Gate also had some allied forces and suggested that if they wanted to make a move on the Royal Young Gang, it would be best to join them. But both Zhu Minng and Nan Lingsha felt that would be too time-consuming. Moreover, the resources they acquired would have to be split with them. Zhu Minng was somewhat reluctant. Zhu Heavenly Officer also informed Zhu Minng that thepetition rules didn¡¯t progress as they had initially hoped. There was no longer a repayment in full or a fifty-fifty split of spoils. Everyone was to rely on their own abilities. After all, more than half of the resources were scattered throughout this city of mechanisms, left for the descendants of the various powers to search and fight over, and they wouldn¡¯t share their gains with anyone else. ¡°Since the young master and miss are both confident in their own strength, then there¡¯s no need for me to contact those forces from Zhu Gate,¡± Qin Yang nodded and said. ¡°Are there any Monarch Level experts?¡± Zhu Minng thought for a moment before asking. Qin Yang shook his head, his expression a bit strange when looking at Zhu Minng. If there were Monarch Level Powerhouses, they probably wouldn¡¯t need to ally with them. The young master¡¯s starting point is a bit too high, under normal circumstances a Monarch Level expert could uphold a small power on their own. Within the Four Major Sect ns and the Six Great ns, the number of disciples with Monarch Level Strength could probably be counted on one¡¯s fingers. After passing through several dpidated streets where orioles sang and grass grew long, vines and dense nts covered the houses, the ground was littered with broken tiles, bricks were everywhere, and even some eaves were overgrown with wild grass. Before themy deste and ruined cityscapes, as if abandoned for decades, trees taller than the houses, dense vegetation, birds and beasts nesting. ¡°They are searching for the deeds to the Young Dragon Valley, but within this Wastnd Grass City, there is a group of Plundering Dragons raised by the Ancient Dragon Pce. They are highly sensitive to the scent of living things, especially to human Divine and Mortal beings, Dragon Trainers, and other Dragon Beasts; we must be careful,¡± Qin Yang said. The Plundering Dragons are group hunters among the Ancient Dragons. In the wild, if you encounter a ferocious Violent Dragon, there might still be a chance of survival, as scattering and fleeing would mean the Violent Dragon could only prey on one of the group. But Plundering Dragons are different. They move as if they were well-trained and elite warriors, and even the masters of the jungle would take a detour at the sight of a group of Plundering Dragons. Most of the time, they are not greatly interested in weaker creatures, preferring to challenge stronger beings. In the aspect of hunting. Their intelligence is even more terrifying than that of humans. And because of the high intelligence of these Plundering Dragons, it¡¯s not an easy task for a huge force like the Ancient Dragon Pce to tame them. ¡°Someone has already perished,¡± Nan Lingsha pointed to a broken-walled house, indicating the bloodstains there. Zhu Minng went over to take a look. Indeed, insidey a skeleton, its flesh gnawed off, hardly leaving a few pieces, and it was barely possible to determine from the clothes that it was a lone traveler. Although the Ancient Bronze Battlefield selection process had weeded out those with lesser abilities in two rounds, there still would be some whocked enough experience to enter here. Their random blundering indeed made it very easy for them to lose their lives. From the Maze Wall City Tower, Hao Yong had already seen someone approaching Wastnd Grass City from afar. His expression changing unpredictably, his gaze involuntarily fell on Nie Chong, the protector of the Purple Sect n. Nie Chong had also witnessed this scene. Seated between two maids waving palm-leaf fans, he calmly said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, as long as your son, Hao Shaocong, does not move out of my disciple¡¯s sight, no one will be able to harm him.¡± ¡°But that person is Zhu Minng,¡± Hao Yong still said uneasily. ¡°Didn¡¯t he lose his Sword Cultivator abilities? If he still had his Sword Cultivator strength, I couldn¡¯t stop him myself even if I went down there. Now that he is a Dragon Trainer, there¡¯s nothing to be afraid of,¡± Nie Chong replied. ¡°Master Hao Yong, Xu Mao is a standout among the Purple Sect n and the most proud disciple of our protector Nie Chong. To my eyes, Zhu Minng seeking revenge at this time is equivalent to handing over the ruling rights of the Li Chuan Continent on a tter. Besides, isn¡¯t my son Zhao Xi also there¡­¡± Madam Zhao Qin said with a smiling assurance. Upon hearing these words offort, Hao Yong finally felt somewhat invigorated. Zhao Xi was very strong, and there was the demonically talented Xu Mao as well. Xu Mao was one of the most outstanding disciples of the Purple Sect n. ¡°Just watch, Zhu Gate still has to consider the face of our Purple Sect n. If Zhu Minng knows to retreat in the face of difficulty, that will be for the best,¡± Nie Chong said. Wastnd Grass City was not far from the Mysterious Wall, so many people had already seen Zhu Minng and the others approaching Hao Shaocong¡¯s group. This was one of the main events of thepetition, and most people were aware that Hao Shaocong had brutally killed Zhu Gate¡¯s disciple, Zhu Tong, during thepetition. The purpose of Zhu Minng¡¯s participation in thispetition was to avenge his younger brother Zhu Tong, and he had stated on the spirit hall that he would personally take Hao Shaocong¡¯s life¡­ At this moment, Hao Shaocong, Nie Chong, and Zhao Xi, who were in the city of mechanisms, were obviously still unaware that Zhu Minng and the others were closing in on them, while the onlookers on the Mysterious Wall and the city towers couldn¡¯t help but turn their gazes here involuntarily. ¡°Roar! Roar!!!¡± A few heart-palpitating low roars came from behind the houses. Zhu Minng, Nan Lingsha, and Qin Yang had bypassed the troublesome Plundering Dragons and arrived within Wastnd Grass City. In a cluster of dpidated wooden houses overgrown with vines, there stood a towering banyan tree. This banyan tree had stood there since ancient times, presumably even before the city of mechanisms had been established. Its branches wereden with aerial roots, and these roots, like newly sprouted banyan trees, had taken root in the soil. The surrounding area was strewn with derelict wooden houses that had merged with these aerial roots. Under the ancient banyan tree, four or five people were discussing something. As it turned out, this banyan tree was not as simple as it looked on the outside. Its lush canopy was like a small world, with banyan bee hives hanging from it, each one as big as wooden houses. The Banyan Bee Demons were slumbering in the summer heat, clinging like green leaves around the hives and on the branches and aerial roots. What was more terrifying was that within each dpidated wooden house, there seemed to be arge swarm of banyan bees. Once one of them was disturbed, tens of thousands of banyan bees would awaken at once! They now wore troubled expressions, trying to figure out how to avoid disturbing the banyan bees and to take the brocade box from the tree. When Zhu Minng, Nan Lingsha, and Qin Yang arrived, they had already spotted the concealed hives within the deste wooden houses. These banyan bees had been breeding here for many generations, with the number of hives totaling over a thousand. After entering this ce, they instinctively slowed their pace and reined in their murderous auras, lest they disturb the afternoon rest of this small army of demon monsters. Unlike the Plundering Dragons, These Banyan Demon Bees would not attack any creature on their own ord, unless they perceived ill intentions from the visitors! ¡°This is not a good ce to fight,¡± Zhu Minng said in a hushed voice, for fear of waking the Banyan Demon Bees nearby. ¡°They must be waiting for more helpers,¡± Qin Yang was equally uncertain. If they made a move, the banyan bees would surely wake up, which would give Hao Shaocong, Zhao Xi, and the others a chance to escape amidst the chaos. But if they didn¡¯t strike now, more members of the Royal Young Gang would gather, and if that many people interfered, it would be much more troublesome for Zhu Minng to deal with Hao Shaocong. ¡°That¡¯s easy,¡± Nan Lingsha looked up at the sky-obscuring banyan tree and inexplicably produced a scroll that had already been drawn. She tossed the scroll into the air, and from within it emerged a Fire Kirin Dragon, inked on the parchment. The Fire Kirin Dragon could tread upon the air, and although its entire body wasposed of ink, it did not diminish its majestic appearance in the slightest. The Fire Kirin Dragon charged straight towards the banyan tree, colliding precisely with thergest banyan bee hive right above the heads of Hao Shaocong, Zhao Xi, and the others. The impact was tremendously powerful and instantly awakened all the banyan bees in that area. The bees¡¯ wings almost synchronized their vibrations, and following that, a piercing tremor erupted in the eerily quiet Wastnd Grass City, as if a fierce and mighty storm had swept through somewhere! Under the banyan tree, Hao Shaocong, Zhao Xi, Xu Mao, and the others were still discussing their n, unaware of the ink-dragon that had startled the bees in the tree¡­ Although banyan bees did not usually attack creatures rashly, once enraged, they would consider any living being in sight as their enemy. What caused the faces of these people to drastically change was that, after the ink-dragon collided with the hive, it turned into a puddle of ink, disappearing at the base of the banyan tree trunk. And the banyan bees, having just woken up and opened their eyes, saw only the sneaky humans beneath the tree ¡ª there was no Fire Kirin Dragon to be seen! ¡°What are you waiting for, run!!¡± ¡°Which bastard set us up!!¡± These individuals were terrified out of their wits and no longer dared to linger under the tree. They each disyed their profound expertise in escaping, vanishing without a trace before the banyan bees had fully taken to the sky. ¡°Brilliant!¡± Zhu Minng gave Nan Lingsha a thumbs-up. ¡°Let¡¯s chase after them,¡± Qin Yang pinpointed the direction Hao Shaocong fled and said. ¡°No need, you two just wait here and see if there¡¯s a chance to get the brocade box from the tree,¡± Zhu Minng told Nan Lingsha and Qin Yang. After all, the task of killing was better done by himself. Mainly because Zhu Minng was also keen on the title deed of Young Dragon Valley which was a resource coveted by all major forces. The buzzing swarm of bees had already scattered, and chasing after the few from Royal Young Gang was the perfect opportunity to quietly take the item. ¡°Just be careful on your own,¡± Nan Lingsha nodded in response. In this Great n Competition, standing out didn¡¯t just rely on eliminating all opponents, but on which faction secured the most resources. So any resource that could be seized must not be missed, or else the stewardship rights of the Li Chuan Continent would no longer belong to them. ¡°You need to be more careful. There are many more monster hives above,¡± Zhu Minng warned. Chapter 153 - 154: Revenge in the Ancestral Hall Chapter 153: Chapter 154: Revenge in the Ancestral Hall Trantor: 549690339 It was indeed a coincidence. Hao Shaocong and the others had all fled separately. The majority of the banyan demon bees that had been startled originated from that banyan tree and were extremely numerous. If these people had all run in the same direction, it would have been very difficult to shake off the banyan bees, as clearly the more banyan demon bees gathered, the higher the danger level became. Zhu Minng noticed that Hao Shaocong was nning to flee towards a dpidated shrine overgrown with weeds, so he used the Ghostly Garment to move through the ruined citynes and got to the shrine first to wait for him. ¡­ Dressed in ck, Hao Shaocong rode a Leopard Dragon, trying hard to escape the pursuit of the banyan demon bees. Fortunately, the banyan demon bees weren¡¯t targeting him so after he had run a substantial distance, he noticed that there were hardly any pursuers left behind him, but now he was alone. The shrine in front of him was still rtively clean¡ªat least it hadn¡¯t been upied by any disgusting crawling creatures. He walked through the vine-covered gate and entered the shrine, only to find a man standing at the entrance, a malicious smile on his face. Hao Shaocong¡¯splexion changed immediately, paler even than when he had seen the swarm of banyan bees! How could the other party have found him so quickly! Hao Shaocong nced behind him. There wasn¡¯t a singlepanion left¡ªthey had all been chased off by the banyan bees to different ces. ¡°The scenery here is rather beautiful, if your father misses youter, he won¡¯t get lost in the city of mechanisms, he can juste to this shrine to worship,¡± Zhu Minng said to Hao Shaocong. ¡°Zhu Minng, you¡¯ve threatened me time and again. Our Hao family simply yields because your Zhu Gate has some influence in the Imperial City. Don¡¯t think that I, Hao Shaocong, am really afraid of you!¡± Hao Shaocong tried his best to keep hisposure as he spoke. When it came to the cultivation level of a Dragon Shepherd, the man before him might not be stronger than him! Moreover, the others should be rushing over to his location. If he could just stall for some time, it wasn¡¯t clear who would be buried here! ¡°Whoosh¡± It was like the wind passing through the hall. Hao Shaocong instinctively turned his head, feeling as if something at his back was watching him. But he couldn¡¯t see anything. Probably just a particrly persistent banyan demon bee. Hao Shaocong held out his hand, activating the seal. The purple Spirit Contract Seal was magnificently radiant, and a Horned Cang Dragon with a body covered in purple scales emerged from the Spirit Realm. This Sheep Demon Purple Dragon differed from most Cang Dragons in its strong and powerful limbs, broad back, and bear-like waist, with some skull bones hanging on its body, looking wild and ferocious. Only its head resembled that of a Cang Dragon; the rest of its body more closely resembled a demonic sheep, like the hellish demons described in some ancient texts of the church! Abination of a Purple Dragon and a hell demon? Such a rare species of beast wasn¡¯t often seen, and it was unclear whether it was born this way or had transformed into this form. In any case, ayer of Hellfire would asionally ignite among the purple scales covering its body! Hao Shaocong was a Purple Sect disciple. Seeing a Purple Dragon with him, Zhu Minng wasn¡¯t surprised. However, this Sheep Demon Purple Dragon did look quite unnerving. And moreover, as far as Zhu Minng knew, Zhu Tong had died at the hands of this monster, ripped into several pieces by the Sheep Demon Purple Dragon. ¡°If you want to kill me, you¡¯ll need to show some skill!¡± The fear on Hao Shaocong¡¯s face disappeared. Initially, Hao Shaocong thought it would be several strong members of the Zhu Gate appearing here, as Zhu Gate had been acting extremely arrogantly in recent years, so how could it not have cultivated some outstanding disciples. Seeing Zhu Minng, Hao Shaocong thought he had been ambushed. But up to this point, he hadn¡¯t seen anyone other than Zhu Minng. It seemed then that Zhu Minng was overestimating himself! ¡°My Sheep Demon Purple Dragon is of an upper Lord Level. What can you, Zhu Minng, use to kill me? Even if someone is on top of the city¡¯s tower, they can¡¯t see inside this shrine. I will kill you, Zhu Minng, right here and what can the entire Zhu Gate do to me!¡± Hao Shaocong gradually started to sneer. He wasughing. The Sheep Demon Purple Dragon was alsoughing, grinning like a true demon, eagerly anticipating the sensation of tearing living beings apart. ¡°I still have questions for you, so you should be able to live a little longer,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°You¡¯re far too full of yourself. Without your Sword Cultivator, you¡¯re nothing but a piece of¡± Hao Shaocong¡¯s words ¡°worthless trash¡± had yet to be fully uttered when he heard that wind-like sound for the second time; it passed by his ear. There was indeed a wind, which blew so coldly against his neck. Out of the corner of his eye, Hao Shaocong caught a glimpse of a fierce crimson glow, swiftly slicing across the neck of his Sheep Demon Purple Dragon. The Sheep Demon Purple Dragon was moving towards Zhu Minng, its draconic face still looking somewhat fierce. But that fierce face rolled off the Sheep Demon¡¯s body in the next moment, then thudded heavily onto the ground. ¡°Pffft¡± Blood sprayed forth like a fountain, reaching three to four meters high, sttering onto the eaves enveloped by the shrine¡¯s vines. Hao Shaocong simply couldn¡¯t believe his eyes. His Sheep Demon Purple Dragon had be a headless thing, standing just meters away from him, with hot blood pouring down, soaking Hao Shaocongpletely and staining himpletely red!! ¡°Whoosh¡± That wind-like sound resounded once again. Hao Shaocong¡¯s face was covered in blood and horror, and at this moment, he finally saw what had cut off the head of his Sheep Demon Purple Dragon! A sword! Fierce crimson body! Bearing the traces of years, yet it did not affect its sharp edge in the least! This sword, it seemed alive. It just floated in front of Zhu Minng, without the need for Zhu Minng to hold it, nor for Zhu Minng to control it with any thought. The sword emitted an aura that made people tremble immensely! His own Sheep Demon Purple Dragon A high Lord-level Dragon, so powerful that it could sweep through the disciples of various major forces! And ording to their understanding, Zhu Minng¡¯s Dragon Shepherd strength was only at this level! Why would such a sword appear that could kill creatures of the high Lord-level as if ughtering pigs and sheep for sacrifice! ¡°Your Sword Cultivator, your Sword Cultivator¡± Hao Shaocong was speaking incoherently, his finger pointing at Zhu Minng, yet he seemed to have seen the Soul Hooker Ghost Department. He kept backing away, wanting to flee from this blood-stenched sacrificial hall. But Hao Shaocong couldn¡¯t move. His legs were left with nothing but frantic trembling. ¡°You should fear me, Zhu Minng, the person, not my cultivation.¡± Zhu Minng stepped forward, standing in front of this blood-soaked young man. ¡°I I¡¯m just a hitman, just a hitman. It was Zhao Yin Ge who proposed, whoever kills Zhu Tong, would get the Soul Bead that everyone chipped in to buy. I have no grudge against Zhu Tong, and the ones who want Zhu Tong dead are Zhao Xi and Zhao Yin Ge!¡± Hao Shaocong could no longer stand firm, and he knelt on the ground. ¡°Do you think I wouldn¡¯t know about these?¡± Zhu Minng said with a coldugh. ¡°Zhu Zhu Minng, I can tell you a secret, spare my life. Hands and feet, you can chop off my hands and feet, I deserve it, but please spare my life no matter what!¡± Hao Shaocong knelt on the ground and began to kowtow repeatedly. That day in front of the spirit hall, facing the deceased, he hadn¡¯t been as sincere as he was at this very moment, with the sound of his forehead striking the ground clearly audible. ¡°Let¡¯s hear it.¡± Zhu Minng smiled. ¡°The Li Chuan Continent, the territory your Zhu Gate seeks to hold dominion over, its written charter of dominion is also in this city of mechanisms!¡± Hao Shaocong hurriedly said, fearing that the sword might also sweep over his own head. ¡°Are you kidding me?¡± Zhu Minng¡¯s gaze grew colder. The Li Chuan Continent was the main territory for thispetition, supposedly to be awarded as a prize to thest victorious power. This, his father had already made very clear to him. ¡°How dare I. Within the Royal Family, a significant figure has colluded with several major powers to suppress your father, to force him to deliberately cause trouble. I was also once drunk in Zhao Yin Ge when I heard him let it slip.¡± Hao Shaocong said. Zhu Minng frowned. If the charter for the dominion of Li Chuan Continent was indeed in this city of mechanisms, and they had not informed Zhu Heavenly Officer. Then it was outright contempt for Zhu Gate. If it were the status of Zhu Gate in the past, thest of the Six Great ns. Faced with such arbitrary actions by the Royal Family and major powers, most could only endure in silence. It just so happened that Zhu Gate¡¯s status had now nearly reached the top of the ns, and faced with such a situation, Zhu Heavenly Officer would certainly not let things rest! Were they deliberately provoking Zhu Heavenly Officer?? Had they already set some sort of borate trap, waiting for Zhu Heavenly Officer to walk right into? Zhu Minng remembered the day he returned to Zhu Gate, Zhu Heavenly Officer told him that their killing Zhu Tong was likely also to deliberately provoke him, to force him to break the rules. ¡°Where is the charter for the dominion of Li Chuan Continent?¡± Zhu Minng demanded. ¡°You don¡¯t kill me, I¡¯ll tell you. What I said is absolutely true!¡± Hao Shaocong said. ¡°ording to what you said, I¡¯ll only chop off your limbs.¡± Zhu Minng said. Hao Shaocong looked at Zhu Minng, hesitated for a while, as if wanting to negotiate further. But soon Hao Shaocong dismissed the idea. Being alive was enough. ¡°It¡¯s in the Nine Army Cemetery. The valuable spiritual assets of the Purple Sect, the Martial Sect, the Sword Sect, the Royal Family, the Pu n, Li Men, the Ancient Dragon Pce, the Azure Dragon Pce they are all near the Nine Army Cemetery, and they all more or less know about this, that significant figure deliberately revealed it to them.¡± Hao Shaocong continued. There was obvious collusion among the major powers, and their disciples most likely knew that there were treasures in certain areas of the city of mechanisms, and would instruct their disciples to go there. Simrly, Qin Yang also knew part of the information. But she did not know that the charter of dominion over Li Chuan Continent was also in this city of mechanisms. If what Hao Shaocong said was true. Zhu Gate had leapt from thest of the ns to the head of Zhu Gate, yet too many powers were unwilling to ept this, wanting to ruthlessly push Zhu Gate back down! The support had not been firmly established yet. Even the Royal Family was reluctant to see Zhu Gate grow stronger Exactly what traps and conspiracies were waiting for Zhu Heavenly Officer, Zhu Minng had no way of knowing. But right now, the charter for the dominion of Li Chuan Continent must not fall into the hands of another power no matter what! Zhu Minng walked towards the entrance of the sacrificial hall. On his white clothes, not a single spot of blood had stained them. From within the sacrificial hall, the screams of Hao Shaocong rang out, utterly pitiful and shrill. And he screamed four whole times! Being able to scream meant he was still alive. Zhu Minng had promised him, after all, only to cut off his limbs But those Banyan demon bees around them, they had not made such a promise. As for the man inside the sacrificial hall, with no hands and no feet, what his face looked like when he saw a swarm of Banyan demon bees flying towards the scent of blood, Zhu Minng did not bother to care about. After all, the most important thing in life is to keep your word! Chapter 154 - 155: Painting, Fighting. Chapter 154: Chapter 155: Painting, Fighting. Trantor: 549690339 He put away the Sword Spirit Dragon. Stepping out of the secluded temple, Zhu Minng¡¯s gaze drifted towards the distant city walls. At the city walls, despite people¡¯s intense curiosity about what had transpired within the temple, they couldn¡¯t see clearly through the overgrowth of grass inside. They only saw Zhu Minng emerge unscathed from within. However, there was no sign of Hao Shaocong who had hidden inside the temple earlier. Before long, Zhao Xi, Xu Mao, and others arrived on the scene. They had received some unknown news. When they entered the temple, their expressions changed drastically. For the Banyan demon bees had stung Hao Shaocong beyond recognition! Zhao Xi felt a chill all over his body. He hadn¡¯t expected Hao Shaocong to die so quickly, especially since they hadn¡¯t been separated for long while fleeing from the Banyan bees. And there was Xu Mao of Purple Sect n, his gaze fixed on the Sheep Demon Purple Dragon whose head had been severed. ¡°This Zhu Minng, he¡¯s audacious beyond belief,mitting such acts in broad daylight!¡± Zhao Xi shouted with intense anger. ¡°Hmph, a mere rat, daring only to strike at my junior brother when I¡¯m not around. Should I encounter him, I¡¯ll certainly make him pay with his life!¡± Xu Mao said coldly. ¡°Brother Xu Mao, this Zhu Minng is like a malignant tumor. He doesn¡¯t even regard the Princely Heir of Zhao Yin Ge, so why would he care about Purple Sect n? He knew full well that Hao Shaocong was Purple Sect n¡¯s Chief Big Disciple, yet he still acted so ruthlessly!¡± Zhao Xi added. ¡°Zhu Gate, heh, since when have they, just like any other force, been so overbearing towards the small factions, yet kneeling before our Purple Sect n? Do they really think that with their slight changes over the years, their insignificant n can show off in front of us?¡± Xu Mao said with disdain. ¡°Hao Shaocong is dead, let¡¯s go see if we can get our hands on the deed to Young Dragon Valley,¡± Zhao Xi sighed. ¡°Yes, my master specifically entrusted me with this task,¡± Xu Mao affirmed. Once the Banyan bees calmed down, they slowly approached the banyan tree, with an additional person among them. This person seemed to know the art of stealth, as he climbed up the banyan tree with ease, unnoticed by the Banyan demon bees. After a long while. The stealthy Divine and Mortal man leapt down from the tree, clutching a brocade box. Upon opening the brocade box, it was found to be empty. ¡°Where¡¯s the deed, the Young Dragon Valley deed!¡± Xu Mao eximed loudly. His voice nearly roused the Banyan bees once again. ¡°Someone must have taken it,¡± said the stealthy Divine and Mortal man. ¡°Damn it, it must have been that person who startled the Banyan bees earlier. Using us as bait for the bees, they not only scattered us but also took the opportunity to snatch the Young Dragon Valley deed. That deed is worth a fortune; my master repeatedly emphasized that we must secure it!¡± Xu Mao said, face reddening with rage. ¡°It must be Zhu Minng, and he had others with him,¡± Zhao Xi stated with certainty. ¡°Have you even looked into Zhu Minng¡¯s background? If we are to confront him, how can we be so ignorant of him!¡± Xu Mao said, annoyed. ¡°We have checked, but Zhu Minng hasn¡¯t been in the Imperial City for years All we know now is that there¡¯s usually a woman who apanies him, and she has also participated in the great factionpetition,¡± Zhao Xi replied, looking up at the tree trunk. On the trunk, there was a streak of ck ink. Zhao Xi focused intently for a moment, then had a revtion, ¡°I understand now, it¡¯s her, the God Mortal Painter!¡± ¡°What painter?¡± Xu Mao furrowed his brows. ¡°The woman who entered thepetition with Zhu Minng. She¡¯s a God Mortal Painter. Although her disyed strength was hard to judge, when we were attacked by the Banyan bees, there was an ink-painted dragon that rammed into the banyan tree!¡± Zhao Xi said with certainty. ¡°Find them, find them for me!¡± Xu Mao bellowed in anger. At the city walls. A referee riding a Pterosaurnded in a spacious area on the city wall, carrying arge object wrapped in a big, ck cloth under its ws. Hao Yong ran out disconstely, almost wailing. After unwrapping the ck cloth, the person lying inside was Hao Shaocong, his face swollen like a freshly ughtered pig. ¡°Your son was killed by the Banyan demon bee. Please ept my condolences,¡± the referee said in an indifferent tone. ¡°Why couldn¡¯t you arrive sooner, why didn¡¯t you save him, I told you, I clearly told you!¡± Hao Yong shouted, losing control of his emotions. ¡°Lord Hao, life and death are predestined, and the great factionpetition has turned into a race for survival. If you weren¡¯t mentally prepared for this, why allow your child to leave home to y in the mud instead of having him stay crying here?¡± the referee said, not sparing any face for Hao Yong and brushing off his hysterics. ¡°You you¡± Hao Yong pointed at the caustic referee, struggling to find a retort for quite some time. ¡°Hao Yong, my brother, these disciples from Zhu Gate are utterly reckless. I fear that in a few years, Zhu Gate¡¯s people will even dare to ride on the heads of our Purple Sect n. This vendetta, I shall help you with it. I will now inform the disciples of Purple Sect n that upon seeing Zhu Minng, they are to cripple him!¡± Protector Nie Chong said, likewise filled with fury. After all, Hao Shaocong was a disciple of their Purple Sect n. He was also the junior of Nie Chong the protector. Zhu Gate didn¡¯t give him the slightest face. Let them not me him for being discourteous! As if their Purple Sect n would be afraid of a tiny Zhu Gate. In terms of heritage and strength, a family door like Zhu Gate, which has had its ups and downs, can¡¯t even hold a candle to the leadership of the Purple Sect n. ¡°Protector Nie, Protector Nie, you must seek justice for my son!¡± Hao Yong sobbed as he spoke. ¡°Rest assured, even if this grandpetition ends and Zhu Minng remains unscathed, our Purple Sect n won¡¯t let this go!¡± Protector Nie Chong said fiercely. ¡°Hao Shaocong died at the hands of the Banyan demon bee; why vent your anger on a disciple from Zhu Gate?¡± the middle-aged referee countered. Neither Hao Yong nor Nie Chong replied. It was clear to any discerning eye that Zhu Minng was behind this¡ªwhy bother quibbling over the exact manner of death? Besides, Hao Shaocong must have suffered terribly before his death! ¡°The referee makes a good point. Even in apetition, blows cannd unpredictably, let alone in a race involving the interests of major powers. Bro Hao Yong, please ept my condolences Protector Nie, you should also calm down. I remember when I took my little fellow disciple Zhu Minng to visit your Purple Sect n¡¯s mountain gate, I didn¡¯t even know who this Xu Mao character was,¡± a swordsman from the Yaoshan Sword Sect said. ¡°I admit, he used to be very strong, but that was just a fleeting moment. Over the years, your Yaoshan Sword Sect likely can¡¯t evenpare to Miao Mountain Sword Sect anymore. I¡¯ve heard that the Miao Mountain Sword Sect¡¯s female disciple is exceptional in swordsmanship and her Sword Territory is extraordinary. I wonder if your Yun Zhonghe Chief Big Disciple is capable of matching up to Wen Mengru?¡± Protector Nie Chong ridiculed with a mixture of disdain and mockery. The Yaoshan Sword Sect swordsman just smiled and said, ¡°Please ept my condolences.¡± Nie Chong was so angry that he was grinding his teeth. And Hao Yong, his face was turning green with rage! Having left Wastnd Grass City, Zhu Minng, Nan Lingsha, and Qin Yang headed towards the direction of the Nine Army Cemetery. ¡°Milord, do not hurry; the Nine Army Cemetery is unlikely to reveal itself so soon. After all, that is the main event of this grandpetition and contest,¡± Qin Yang said confidently. ¡°Qin Yang, do you also know that the governing Decree of the Li Chuan Continent is in this Mechanism City?¡± Zhu Minng asked. Qin Yang hesitated for a moment but finally nodded and said, ¡°The master had instructed; the waters of the Imperial City run deep. Milord, you haven¡¯t been back for long and I haven¡¯t had a chance to exin in detail. But considering how crucial the Li Chuan Continent is for you, the master sent me to guide you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good, since he already knows and is prepared, I¡¯m reassured,¡± Zhu Minng said with a nod. I thought Zhu Heavenly Officer was being kept in the dark. It seems that Zhu Heavenly Officer also has his own channels and has learned who is deliberately targeting Zhu Gate. ¡°Indeed, you know the master¡¯s temperament. If we truly face an insurmountable peril, he will notify everyone in advance so that they can evacuate the Imperial City. Since the master hasn¡¯t informed you, it means he has his own ns,¡± Qin Yang breathed a sigh of relief. She had been worried that Zhu Minng might harbor resentment due to the concealment of this matter. In fact, the governing Decree of the Li Chuan Continent was ced in Mechanism City by some people with ulterior motives not long ago. The moment he was informed, Zhu Heavenly Officer sent Qin Yang to participate in this contest, precisely to guide Zhu Minng to retrieve the governing Decree of the Li Chuan Continent. At the same time, Zhu Heavenly Officer must make preparations for the aftermath. If someone disrespects Zhu Gate to such a degree and provokes them with such despicable and disgusting methods, it indicates a major move ising. Zhu Heavenly Officer must prepare for the response while also considering how to retaliate As for Zhu Minng, It would be a good thing if he can obtain the governing Decree of the Li Chuan Continent. If Zhu Minng fails to obtain it, Zhu Heavenly Officer will use every means to snatch it from the hands of the major powers. ¡°The master allowed me to choose the timing to inform you. I was worried that it might affect your and the miss¡¯s judgment if you were told too soon, so I temporarily kept it hidden,¡± Qin Yang said, bowing her head and maintaining a respectful posture. The Nine Army Cemetery won¡¯t appear so soon. Qin Yang was clear on this point and thus directed Zhu Minng to take care of Hao Shaocong first; it wouldn¡¯t be toote to head to the Nine Army Cemetery afterward. However, Qin Yang didn¡¯t expect that Zhu Minng had already received this news from Hao Shaocong. ¡°No harm done. Compared to what we must deal with at the moment, the struggle between Zhu Gate and the major powers is a hundred times moreplex and difficult to handle properly. It must have been very taxing for the poor old man to manage the affairs of the Li Chuan Continent,¡± Zhu Minng understood. Zhu Gate is in a period of change. The easier things appear to be, the more resistance they are likely to face from the major powers. Having the governing Decree of the Li Chuan Continent hidden in Mechanism City is actually a good thing for Zhu Minng¡ª At least he can win it by his own abilities! ¡°Whoosh!!¡± Suddenly, a sound of something tearing through the air rang out from a chaotic stone hill not far away. The three of them raised their heads to look, only to see thick smoke apanied by mes rising from amidst the stone hill Beacon Bamboo Tube! Someone had lit a Beacon Bamboo Tube! This meant that the other party may have found some treasure and was eagerly waiting to ¡°certify¡± it! ¡°Ahem, since the Nine Army Cemetery has yet to appear, shall we take a stroll around?¡± Zhu Minng raised an eyebrow, seeking the girls¡¯ opinions. ¡°It¡¯s for milord to decide,¡± Qin Yang said, unlikely to have any objections. Nan Lingsha nced at the smoke rising higher and higher, lightly pulled out her ink brush from the air, a faint smile gracing her face as she said, ¡°Hopefully for a Divine and Mortal powerhouse.¡± Zhu Minng rarely saw a smile on the face of the everposed painter sister-inw, but unfortunately, her facial veil concealed much, and he could only infer from the corners of her eyes. Zhu Minng also noticed. The painter sister-inw seemed to be particrly interested in only two things. Painting. Fighting! Chapter 155 - 156: Provocation at the Tip of the Sword Chapter 155: Chapter 156: Provocation at the Tip of the Sword Trantor: 549690339 Upon obtaining some expensive treasures, igniting a beacon is the clearest choice, but also the least wise. This beacon smoke not only alerted the referees of Organ City but also notified everyone within several kilometers. Not everyone has valuable goods at hand. There was even a group of people who were in no rush to seek out the treasures scattered throughout Organ City; rather, they quietly awaited those who lit the beacons. Before being handed over to the referees, all items could be seized. This arrangement was also intentional on Imperial City¡¯s part, after all, it was a feast of duels for disciples of major forces topete in-how could it be a simple treasure hunt game? They had to fight, engage in melee battles, and cast spells. Only then would it not disappoint the citizens of Imperial City who had gotten up early to secure good spots on the Mysterious Wall. Beacon smoke billowed; anyone without any gains would subconsciously take a nce. At Chaotic Stone Hill, a group of Dragon Beasts had already faced off. There were also some Divine and Mortal cultivators. They stood on the shoulders, backs, and heads of the Dragon Beasts with cold expressions, their eyes filled with intense hostility. ¡°Yun Zhonghe, the Chief Big Disciple of the Yaoshan Sword Sect.¡± Qin Yang said in surprise as he looked at a man with blue robes and a hair bun. The man in blue robes and a hair bun stood alone in the middle of Chaotic Stone Hill. It seemed that he was the one who had ignited the beacon, but at that moment he was surrounded by a group of people controlling Dragon Beasts, apanied by Divine and Mortal cultivators. There were probably five or six Dragon Shepherds. And seven or eight Divine and Mortal cultivators. The Dragon Beasts were numerous, and several had reached Lord Level. Some among them were already discussing how to divide up the treasures in the man in blue robes and a hair bun¡¯s possession, but the man showed no intention of running away; he stood beneath the beacon smoke on Chaotic Stone Hill. ¡°Yaoshan Sword Sect?¡± Nan Lingsha appraised Yun Zhonghe and after a moment said, ¡°This man is much stronger than Zi Meng Zhu.¡± ¡°Young master should be quite familiar with him,¡± Qin Yang said. ¡°So-so. The man is full of arrogance and boredom,¡± Zhu Minng said, curling his lip. No sooner had he spoken than Yun Zhonghe in blue robes and a hair bun made his move. His right hand, which had been held behind his back, now drawn forward, and a blue sword gleamed with a blinding halo the moment it came into view! Under the zing sun, the light of the sword made it difficult for the Dragon Shepherds and Divine and Mortal cultivators to keep their eyes open. It was then that Yun Zhonghe¡¯s figure split into several forms, as if there were three sword-wielding men charging at those Dragon Beasts at the same time! His movements were highly borate. One could see afterimages and sword trails lingering in the air for a short period, but those were events a few seconds ago¡ªhis real sword had already pierced through the thick armor of the Dragon Beasts! The ones attacking Yun Zhonghe were clearly disciples of Family Doors. They were acquainted with each other and were banding together, seemingly harboring malicious intentions upon seeing Yun Zhonghe was alone. Unfortunately for them, it seemed they had chosen the wrong target to rob. This Yun Zhonghe, his strength far surpassed theirs by more than one level. In the face of a group of Lord Level Dragon Beasts and Divine and Mortal cultivators, he appeared to take a leisurely stroll. His swordsmanship was brilliant. Even the people on the towers and Mysterious Wall seemed to be able to see the gleam of his sword. As that group of Family Door disciples was injured one by one, the people on the Mysterious Wall gasped in amazement. Who was this man in blue robes, who could fight a group all by himself? One should know that those who made it to the third round were basically the cream of the crop from each faction, entirely different from the previous elimination rounds! ¡°It looks like they¡¯re from the Huang Sect and the Qi n. I saw them early on gathering together using some special Dragon Beasts,¡± someone on the Mysterious Wall identified the group of Dragon Shepherds and Divine and Mortal cultivators. ¡°The man in blue robes, can¡¯t be Yun Zhonghe from Yaoshan Sword Sect, right??¡± ¡°I heard that this year, only one person from Yaoshan Sword Sect participated in the grandpetition, and it¡¯s Yun Zhonghe.¡± ¡°This Yun Zhonghe is far too strong, isn¡¯t he? The Huang Sect and Qi n disciples are like children before him, and those formidable-looking Dragon Beasts are no more different than y chickens and pottery dogs!¡± Where there¡¯s smoke from a beacon, it¡¯s especially easy to catch people¡¯s attention. The sight of Yun Zhonghe battling all disciples from the Huang Sect and the Qi n alone amazed many Imperial City citizens and made many Divine and Mortal cultivators blush with shame! At Chaotic Stone Hill, Yun Zhonghe still stood near the beacon smoke. He lifted the brocade box in his hand and handed over the Mine Deed he had just obtained to the approaching referee. Around Chaotic Stone Hill, many Dragon Beasts had fallen. Although those few Dragon Shepherds were not hurt, the fear on their faces defeated their will to fightpletely! ¡°A rabble,¡± Yun Zhonghe said with some disdain as he sheathed his blue sword. The disciples of the Huang Sect and Qi n were flushed red with embarrassment; they never imagined that so many of them couldn¡¯t even leave a scratch on him, and the Dragon Beasts they had spent so much effort raising were utterly clumsy before him. Was this the strength of Yaoshan Sword Sect?? It was simply terrifying! ¡°Wait a minute.¡± Suddenly, Yun Zhonghe seemed to notice something and took back the brocade box he was about to hand to the referee. The referee looked puzzled. The Mine Deed would belong to Yaoshan Sword Sect, to him, Yun Zhonghe, had he just handed it over, so why did he take it back now? ¡°Do I need to eliminate all threats within a hundred meters before the item can be considered mine?¡± Yun Zhonghe asked the referee. ¡°Within a hundred meters, no one can fight again,¡± the referee nodded in confirmation. ¡°Oh¡± Yun Zhonghe nodded, but then with the brocade box in hand, he started walking in a certain direction. People on the Mysterious Wall were utterly puzzled. Including the elder Sword Master from the Yaoshan Sword Sect on the city tower, everyone furrowed their brows, not knowing what their disciple was up to. Yun Zhonghe¡¯s pace became faster and faster, seemingly walking on t ground, yet he moved swifter than some horses at full gallop. He arrived at the base of Chaotic Stone Hill and walked towards Zhu Minng, Nan Lingsha, and Qin Yang. It wasn¡¯t until Yun Zhonghe was almost in front of Zhu Minng that he raised his head and said to the judge riding the Azure Dragon, ¡°Now, within my hundred-meter radius, there¡¯s still a threat.¡± The judges gaped, not understanding the thought process of this Sword Sect Disciple. On the Mysterious Wall, a buzz of excitement erupted. Just how confident was this disciple of the Yaoshan Sword Sect? He had just handed over the Mine Deed to the judge; wasn¡¯t it more enticing to earn tens of thousands each month without effort? Some cultivators on the Mysterious Wall, along with a few Huang Sect and Qi n disciples who had not recovered from their earlier excitement, were now enviously in tears! ¡°Little Martial Uncle, I trust you¡¯re well.¡± Yun Zhonghe pointed his sword downward, then quite dismissively, he bowed to Zhu Minng, with a smile that gradually brightened. ¡°Not bad,¡± Zhu Minng responded. ¡°This mine is quite valuable. Little Martial Uncle must also desire to fight for it, no? But due to the rtionship between Zhu Gate and Yaoshan Sword Sect, it would be inappropriate for you to make a move Actually, I¡¯d like to give it to you, but I wonder if you still have the skill now, Zhu Minng!¡± Yun Zhonghe said provocatively afterpleting the salute. A salute was nothing more than a matter of formality. But Yun Zhonghe didn¡¯t seem like he was there to pay his respects. He still held his sword in his hand, his eyes carrying a hint of mockery and scorn! In terms of seniority, Zhu Minng was above Yun Zhonghe. However, Zhu Minng and Yun Zhonghe were of simr age, and ever since their time in the Yaoshan Sword Sect, many elders hadpared the two. ¡°Are you looking for trouble?¡± Zhu Minng asked. ¡°So what if I am? Not long ago, I heard from the Sword Sect that you¡¯re back on the mountain, collecting discarded swords in Abandoned Sword Forest like a junk peddler,¡± Yun Zhonghe continued. ¡°Actually, when you¡¯re not being an idiot, you can be quite decent,¡± Zhu Minng sighed. ¡°Humph, I can give you the Mine Deed, but do you dare to take it!¡± Yun Zhonghe said, taking the contract out of the brocade box. He extended the Parchment Deed towards Zhu Minng, seemingly offering it as a friendly gesture, but Yun Zhonghe didn¡¯t pass it with his hand, but with his sword! The Parchment Deed remained motionless on the front end of Yun Zhonghe¡¯s sword-back. The contract was right in front of Zhu Minng. But the sword tip was also pointed at Zhu Minng. ¡°Yun Zhonghe, what is this supposed to mean? If you¡¯re too proud to help the Young Master win and wish to go your own way, then do so. Why point your sword at the Young Master!¡± Qin Yang said angrily. ¡°I haven¡¯t moved my sword. If he wants to take it, he just needs to reach out his hand. How could I point the tip of my sword at an unarmed man?¡± Yun Zhongheughed, his smile growing even stranger. Zhu Minng wouldn¡¯t reach out his hand. Honestly, if he wasn¡¯t worried about exposing the Sword Spirit Dragon too soon, Zhu Minng would¡¯ve already smeared his face with a sword, letting him understand he¡¯ll always be his Little Martial Uncle! In fact, when he saw Yun Zhonghe lighting the beacon fire, Zhu Minng thought of an interesting method to gather arge amount of treasures in a short time. So he was just about to leave and use this method when Yun Zhonghe approached. Zhu Minng didn¡¯t like Yun Zhonghe at all. It wasn¡¯t that they had any irreconcble hatred, but this guy always wanted to beat him at least once. Perhaps it was seeing himself be a Dragon Shepherd, Knowing he¡¯d never beat him in swordsmanship again in this life, that Yun Zhonghe became so angry, leading to such a foolish action. But now, the man had his sword pointed in his face. If he continued to endure, he wouldn¡¯t be Zhu Minng! Currently, everyone in the Imperial City believed he was unable to wield a sword. Yet, the existence of the Sword Spirit Dragon was his greatest source of arrogance! ¡°It¡¯s been many years since I dealt with you. You think you¡¯re up to it now, don¡¯t you, Yun Zhonghe?¡± Zhu Minng extended his palm. The Sword Pattern slowly spread out on the palm of his hand. As Zhu Minng was about to summon the Sword Spirit Dragon, a hand as smooth as jade pressed against his wrist. It was Nan Lingsha. She shook her head at him. ¡°Leave it to me, God and Mortal,¡± Nan Lingsha pressed down Zhu Minng¡¯s sword-calling gesture and whispered. Zhu Minng looked at her. He wasn¡¯t sure if she genuinely wanted to battle the strongest disciple of the Yaoshan Sword Sect or simply didn¡¯t want him to reveal his strength in front of the Nine Army Cemetery. ¡°Okay.¡± Zhu Minng nodded. ¡°I had the pleasure of experiencing your Yaoshan Sword Sect¡¯s swordsmanship not long ago.¡± Nan Lingsha walked a few steps forward, took the deed from the sword-back, and said indifferently, ¡°It seems quite ordinary.¡± Chapter 156 - 157: Drawing the Sword Formation Chapter 156: Chapter 157: Drawing the Sword Formation Trantor: 549690339 ¡°Seems quite ordinary?¡± This remark seemed to instantly hit Yun Zhonghe¡¯s Achilles¡¯ heel. The Blue Sword in Yun Zhonghe¡¯s hand trembled lightly. His gaze fell upon Nan Lingsha. After sizing her up for a moment, he coldly said, ¡°I¡¯ve heard about you, the painter Nan Lingsha. However, do you really think that a slight victory over Zi Miaozhu means you can defeat all the disciples of the Sword Sect?¡± ¡°If it were me dealing with this rabble, one move would suffice.¡± Nan Lingsha nced at the Qi n descendants and Huang Sect disciples on Chaotic Stone Hill who were in a sorry state. The battered Qi n and Huang Sect¡¯s descendants struggled to their feet and were slipping away in defeat when they heard Nan Lingsha¡¯s words; they slipped once more, tumbling back into the stones Especially the Qi n disciples, who were also sword cultivators, couldn¡¯t help the tears from falling. Why whip our corpses when you¡¯re vying for supremacy against each other? With so many people watching from atop the Mysterious Wall, their Family Door had already suffered enough humiliation! ¡°Who would use their full strength against someone not in the same realm?¡± said Yun Zhonghe with barely suppressed anger. Nan Lingsha didn¡¯t bother to continue the argument with Yun Zhonghe. Her hair danced in the air even though there was no wind, and her ink brush, unbeknownst to others, had already begun to move on its own. Around her, the shadow of an ink dragon emerged, coiling around her graceful figure. Seeing that his opponent had already made a move, Yun Zhonghe hesitated no longer. With a flick of his wrist, the tip of his sword shed through the air, emitting a piercing sound. Sword Qi burst forth from the tip, forming an even more immense sword might, trying to blow Nan Lingsha away. However, the ink dragon surrounding Nan Lingsha was as solid as a fortress, and the Sword Qi could not spread within that area. Instead, it sshed onto the trees at the sides, sting them to pieces! ¡°Swimming Dragon in the River!¡± Nan Lingsha suddenly murmured. The ink brush appeared in the palm of her hand in an unknown moment. With a flick of her wrist, just a few strokes sketched a majestic expanse. Suddenly, inky waves surged! A raging river formed within those long lines, and even though it was just a few simple strokes, one could feel the grandeur of a vast river, as if facing a wildly flowing stream. Within the river, simr swimming dragons soared, their bodies imposing as they passed through the river, making the already roaring river of ink even more magnificent, causing the Chaotic Stone Hill to tremble incessantly! ¡°Boom¡± The river roared down with a massive sound. Initially, Yun Zhonghe thought that the river drawn was merely an illusion and believed that by keeping his mind calm and spirit serene, he could shatter her painting technique. To Yun Zhonghe¡¯s surprise, Nan Lingsha¡¯s painting realm had long reached a level that brought her creations to life. Whatever she painted, that¡¯s what it became. The river was truly a river, its impact powerful enough to copse and fill in hills! Yun Zhonghe¡¯s face turned pale with fright. Using his swift movement technique, he tried to dodge the direct onught of the river, but within the river were the ink-drawn swimming dragons, which were hundreds of times more powerful than the water¡¯s flow! Chaotic Stone Hill copsed in an instant, buried by the river, and every path the dragons took showed a horrifying chasm. Yun Zhonghe reached the top of Chaotic Stone Hill, leaped up with his sword tilted toward the ground, and in an instant, beams of sword light shot out towards those dragons, decapitating all the pursuing dragons with precision. Light as a feather, Yun Zhonghe maintained a gliding posture as he slowly floated down from above. Before a smug smile could form on his face, he suddenly found himself above a vast abyss. The abyss was pitch ck, its depths invisible, and what was worse, it seemed as if countless ghosts were howling inside it, eager to drag him down and consume his flesh and bones! Yun Zhonghe looked in Nan Lingsha¡¯s direction and saw that this painter had produced another painting, which depicted a Ghost Door so eerie it made one¡¯s scalp tingle just to look at it. Yun Zhonghe looked up to find that very Ghost Door from the painting right above him, and he realized he had actually entered the Ghost Door! Yun Zhonghe swung his sword wildly in an attempt to shatter the Ghost Door. But the Ghost Door grew higher and higher as if ¡°falling¡± into the clouds, and when Yun Zhonghe looked down, he saw he was in the depths of darkness He was falling fast! This sensation of falling made it difficult for Yun Zhonghe to breathe; his body felt as if it was weighed down by heavy lead, and he could barely lift his sword! Completely soaked, Yun Zhonghe no longer dared to underestimate the painter. He calmed his mind and used his sword as a stepping stone, swiftly leaping towards the ever-rising Ghost Door. The sword fell at an extreme speed, while Yun Zhonghe passed through the Ghost Door, escaping the bizarre abyss of the Ghost Gate. Atst, the difort vanished, and Yun Zhonghe instinctively reached for his other sword, since he had left the Blue Sword in the abyss of the Ghost Gate. To Yun Zhonghe¡¯s chagrin, the Blue Sword was right beneath his feet. It was stuck in the ground. Around him, there was no Ghost Door. He had not fallen into any abyss; he had been in the same spot all along. What he had seen was merely a nightmare. The Ghost Door Abyss that Nan Lingsha had painted was derived from a nightmare! Illusion and reality. Yun Zhonghe never imagined that it was the second painting that was the illusionary world of painting techniques, and the various diforts he experienced were nothing more than the oppression of a dreamlike realm! ¡°I¡¯ve heard of sword flying to the heavens, but I¡¯ve never seen this sword control stepping in mud move, hahaha!¡± Laughter erupted from atop the Mysterious Wall. The people couldn¡¯t see the Ghost Gate Abyss drawn by Nan Lingsha, only Yun Zhonghe¡¯s actions, which were truly bizarre and didn¡¯t resemble those of a Sword Master at all. Instead, he looked like a child imitating actions from a y, somewhatical and amusing. Within the Divine and Mortal, some had good eyesight, some had good hearing, and others had powerful Spiritual Sense. Unfortunately for him, Yun Zhonghe was of the type with good hearing. He heard theughter and ridicule directed at him from afar, beyond the Mysterious Wall. It made him both ashamed and annoyed. Picking up his Blue Sword, which was covered with dirt at his feet, he flicked his wrist, and in an instant, the Blue Sword shook off all the filth and shone brilliantly once more. He realized he could not engage the painter from a distance, as the endless stream of painted shadows made it hard for him to distinguish the real from the fake. He chose to rush in close. Yun Zhonghe sprinted forward, transforming into several figures once more, not three this time, but five. Just as he had said, he had held back a certain level of his strength when facing that group of people before. This time, the speed and the realm he disyed were on an even higher level. ¡°After so many years, he still fancies shy nonsense,¡± Zhu Minng snorted disdainfully at Yun Zhonghe¡¯s Sword Territory. The five swift shadows meant simultaneous attacks from five different angles, yet Zhu Minng saw through Yun Zhonghe¡¯s moves in an instant; these seemingly powerful attacks were nothing more than illusions. His real deadly move would arrive half a beatter, the five swift shadows merely meant to make Nan Lingsha panic and expose a w Nan Lingsha didn¡¯t see through it. But her response was nheless simple and crude. Under her feet appeared a ck and white Bagua Map, and as Nan Lingsha stood up with her pen tip held ready, the ck and white Bagua Map also stood up, blocking Yun Zhonghe¡¯s attack! Yun Zhonghe, as the Chief Big Disciple of the Yaoshan Sword Sect, how could he fail to recognize this Bagua Giant Stone tform. Wasn¡¯t it the stone tform in front of their Mountain Vi? Whether it was the five exploratory and oppressive sword shadows that surged forth, or Yun Zhonghe¡¯s subsequent real deadly move, all were stopped behind the image of the Bagua Stone tform. Yun Zhonghe¡¯s strength was indeed much greater than Zi Miaozhu¡¯s. His final strike managed to break Nan Lingsha¡¯s Bagua Stone tform image, forcing her to retreat and maintain a certain distance from him. ¡°This painting technique, that¡¯s all there is to it!¡± Seeing that he had forced Nan Lingsha to retreat, a smile formed at the corners of Yun Zhonghe¡¯s mouth. ¡°Yun Zhonghe, oh Yun Zhonghe, when will you put away that moronic arrogance of yours and only then will your realm be able to ascend a level. If she can paint the Bagua Giant Stone tform of the Yaoshan Sword Sect, then she can also paint our Sword Sect¡¯s Swords Descend Formation, you fool!¡± Zhu Minng shook his head and sighed. Upon hearing these words, Yun Zhonghe immediately looked down at his feet. On the ground where he had shattered the Bagua Stone tform, a ground painting had appeared at some point! This painting depicted one of the most famous scenes of the Yaoshan Sword Sect, the Swords Descend Formation! This formation was made up of seventeen Ancient Swords, and each one was used by a past Sect Master of the Yaoshan Sword Sect. After their deaths, they turned their swords into meteoric des to protect the Yaoshan Sword Sect. Nan Lingsha had visited the Yaoshan Sword Sect, and the scene where she spent the most time wasn¡¯t the Bagua Giant Stone tform, but this ancient Swords Descend Formation, which could emanate endless power to lock the body and anchor the soul! She had drawn it. Right there on the ground. As if she had copied the Yaoshan Sword Sect¡¯s Swords Descend Formation down to this spot. Though it was far fromparable to the real Swords Descend Formation, it already possessed a hint of its essence and might! ¡°Hummmmmmmmm!¡± Sounds of resonance vibrated as the seventeen Sect Master Ancient Swords emerged from the ground painting, looking like seventeen peerless warriors exuding a majesty that sent shivers down one¡¯s spine. The first Ancient Sword, with itsrge de, flew into the sky and then violently plunged into the earth. In an instant, like ripples on ake, a huge sinking force pressed upon Yun Zhonghe¡¯s shoulders. He let out a soft grunt, using his own Sword Qi Hong to resist. But soon after, the second Ancient Sword, slender in shape, fell from the clouds and pierced obliquely into the ground not far from Yun Zhonghe. Suddenly, an invisible mountain weight pressed on Yun Zhonghe¡¯s back, bending his body down and almost making him face-nt into the mud! The third Ancient Sword whirled rapidly, its de serrated. As it spun, the air began to stir violently, and Yun Zhonghe felt as if he were in the midst of a tsunami vortex, dizzy and nauseous. As the fourth Ancient Sword appeared, Yun Zhonghe abruptly knelt to the ground, his knees seeming to shatter and making a bone-chilling crackling sound. Yun Zhonghe was stubborn, though; he didn¡¯t cry out. Hisplexion was pale, his expression pained, but his eyes stubbornly red at the painter Nan Lingsha. ¡°The Swords Descend Formation, I can only draw four swords But you have already lost,¡± Nan Lingsha approached and said to Yun Zhonghe. Yun Zhonghe looked at her. He saw that her cheeks, neck, and fair skin were bereft of even a single drop of sweat. Chapter 157 - 158 I Want It All Chapter 157: Chapter 158 I Want It All Trantor: 549690339 Yun Zhonghe gritted his teeth, it was evident that the Swords Descend Formation was putting him under a great deal of strain. Now, if he forced himself to stand up, Yun Zhonghe could do it. But looking at the current state of that female artist, Yun Zhonghe knew he had no chance of defeating her. Atst, he lowered his head, his face bereft of its usual defiant pride. ¡°Yun Zhonghe has lost!¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t he the disguised Chief Big Disciple of the Yaoshan Sword Sect??¡± At the Mysterious Wall, there were exmations of surprise from the crowd. From a distance, the shadowy image of Nan Lingsha was utterly indistinct. So many people had no idea how such a powerful Sword Master like Yun Zhonghe could have been defeated. At the top of the city tower, Wu Feng of the Yaoshan Sword Sect stroked his chin, plunged into a moment of deep thought This time, the Yaoshan Sword Sect had only Yun Zhonghe participating in the greatpetition. Now that Yun Zhonghe had ruined his own chances and was eliminated, weren¡¯t the Yaoshan Sword Sect at a great loss! It was not long before Yun Zhonghe left the Organ City. He walked along the top of the Mysterious Wall towards the location of the city tower. Many people around him were pointing and whispering, likely including many cultivators. But Yun Zhonghe¡¯s mind was still reying the scenes from the fight. He wanted to know, if he hadn¡¯t been careless, just what were his chances of winning? ¡°Uncle Master Wu Feng, I have brought shame upon the Yaoshan Sword Sect,¡± Yun Zhonghe said with some embarrassment, upon reaching the city tower and seeing Wu Feng. ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± Wu Feng patted Yun Zhonghe¡¯s shoulder and continued, ¡°Everyone in the Imperial City knows that Zhu Minng is the real face of our Yaoshan Sword Sect.¡± Yun Zhonghe didn¡¯t know whether tough or cry. Before, Yun Zhonghe had been solely focused on defeating Zhu Minng just once. Now his goal had changed, bing how to defeat the woman by his side. ¡°I will reflect behind closed doors,¡± Yun Zhonghe said in a low voice. ¡°Reflecting behind closed doors is unnecessary, that doesn¡¯t bring any benefits to the Yaoshan Sword Sect. I¡¯ll punish you by having you escort resources for some small nations instead. Hone yourself well and take a look at the wider world,¡± Wu Feng said. ¡°Yes!¡± Yun Zhonghe agreed, even as his gaze involuntarily drifted towards Organ City. Inside Organ City, Zhu Minng, Nan Lingsha, and Qin Yang were heading towards arger hillock of stones. It seemed they had already acquired quite a few treasures, as they had lit the Beacon Bamboo Tube. The smoke from the Beacon Bamboo Tube was purple, indicating they had possessions of the Purple Level. The Imperial City hoped that thispetition would be more entertaining to watch. The brocade boxes ced in Organ City were all marked with colors. And the Beacon Bamboo Tubes given to each disciple entering the city were also distinguished by color. Spanning from white to blue, then from blue to purple, and finally to purple-red, there were five levels in total. The treasure within each acquired brocade box was to be reported using the Beacon Bamboo Tube of the corresponding color to the judges patrolling in the sky. And the judges would only take away the brocade box treasures of the corresponding color, not all of the treasures acquired by a disciple. The reason for doing this was simple. It was to increase thepetition among all the disciples. Especially for the good items¡ª if one wanted to im ownership early, they must light up a Beacon Bamboo Tube of a deeper color, simultaneously signaling to all the nearby disciples that there was a high-level brocade box here! ¡°Purple and purple-red?¡± Yun Zhonghe said in surprise. Zhu Minng¡¯s area quickly lit up with the highest level of purple-red beacon smoke! Like the mine deed that Yun Zhonghe just acquired, it was probably just from the third level of brocade boxes. So the beacon he lit was blue. Whereas Zhu Minng first lit the purple smoke of the fourth level, and then even the purple-red smoke of the fifth level! Just how many treasures does this guy have on him? How did he get these top-level brocade boxes in such a short time! The grandpetition had been going on for some time now. Indeed, many ces throughout the city of mechanisms had seen wisps of thin beacon smoke rising. But the most eye-catching beacons in the entire city were definitely the purple and purple-red ones, which made even the ordinary folks and cultivators on the mysterious walls envious. ¡°Many people are heading towards the purple and purple-red smoke, they all want to fight for the brocade boxes!¡± ¡°This is the first time seeing the purple-red beacon smoke, I believe many who consider themselves strong wouldn¡¯t want to miss out on this treasure.¡± In a moment, the attentions of people on the mysterious walls and atop various towers throughout the city were also drawn to that purple-red beacon smoke. The patrolling referees had seen the purple-red smoke as well, one of them with long brown hair flew towards it, his arms spread out like arge goose, clearly one of the God and Mortal. This referee arrived at Big Stone Hillock quickly. He nced at the smoke and then at the person who had lit it. ¡°You can hand over the purple and purple-red brocade boxes to me now, but you need to deal with all the threats around you; only then will they belong to you.¡± The brown-haired God and Mortal spoke. Zhu Minng revealed a smile and said to the referee with the unique hairstyle, ¡°I don¡¯t have a purple-red brocade box.¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t have it, why light the beacon!¡± The brown-haired referee frowned. ¡°They might have them on their persons.¡± Zhu Minng¡¯s smile became even brighter. The brown-haired referee looked around and noticed that near this hillock, seven or eight groups of people had appeared. They obviously all wanted the purple-red brocade box that Zhu Minng had on hand. Soon, the referee understood what this young man was doing! Using the beacon smoke to lure people over! Purple-red smoke was the highest level. Those who dared topete for it were basically the outstanding big disciples of variousrge forces. Since they had been in the city of mechanisms for so long, they must have reaped a lot. Gather them over. Catch them all in one fell swoop! The mine deeds in Zhu Minng¡¯s hands hadn¡¯t reached the purple-red level. Considering to search one by one, or to follow others¡¯ beacon smoke, it was better to light the most eye-catching beacon of his own and deceive everyone nearby toe over ¡°Everyone, the brocade boxes on you, I, Zhu Minng, want them all!¡± Zhu Minng, seeing that those greedy disciples were ready to make a move, arrogantly shouted at the top of his lungs. All the disciples who arrived at Big Stone Hillock were dumbfounded. They were the ones who came to rob, how did they end up getting robbed! Most importantly, they were just three people, on what basis could they rob them! ¡°Bai Qi, Hei Ya, Qing Zhuo, take care of them!¡± Zhu Minng had already called out his three main pets. The Ice Morning White Dragon in the air let out a long chant. Icicle barriers fell from the air, trapping those still watching into Big Stone Hillock. Apart from that, walls of ink rose inexplicably from the ground like an ancient dragon, its massive outline encircled Big Stone Hillock! Some disciples, upon seeing there was no purple-red brocade box here, wanted to leave, but were immediately locked inside this Dragon Wall! Chapter 158 - 159 The Cunning and Sly Zhu Minglang Chapter 158: Chapter 159 The Cunning and Sly Zhu Minng Trantor:549690339 In the heart of Big Stone Hillock, dense forests thrived. As the Divine Green Holy Dragon soared into the sky, all the lofty trees came to life. The Tree Demon Guards stood tall and rugged; although they were not very effective against the Lord-level Dragon Beasts of these distinguished disciples, they were still quite capable of blocking everyone¡¯s way. ¡°Roar!!!¡± d in Melt Fire Heavy Armor, the Lei Cang Violent Dragon charged down the slope, pouncing towards several God and Mortal Talisman Masters from the Fu n. Yellow paper, talisman characters. A chaotic burst of yellow lightning red within those talismans and, during the process of ignition in midair, summoned a dense thundercloud! These individuals worked together to create talismans, collectively drawing in the thunderclouds. Among them, one agile Talisman Master avoided the onught of the Lei Cang Violent Dragon and managed to stick a Thunderbolt talisman onto the back of the Violent Dragon. ¡°Boom, boom, boom!!!¡± Instantly, massive bolts from the thunderclouds, like yellow chains holding up the heavens, ruthlesslyshed at the Lei Cang Violent Dragon. The destructive shockwaves diffused by the lightning even ground the loose rocks into dust. The Lei Cang Violent Dragon was mmed to the ground, its body cloaked in dense smoke from the lightning. The Talisman Master curled his lips into a sneer, scornfully saying, ¡°A beast merely at Lord Level dares to show off in front of our Fu n?¡± ¡°Snap!!!¡± Before the words could settle, out of the smoke came a thick tail that swept across and sent the Talisman Master flying. Within the dust and smoke, the robust silhouette of the Lei Cang Violent Dragon rose; emerging from the smoke, it chased after the flung Talisman Master, delivering another extremely violent ground-shaving charge! The other two Talisman Masters were greatly shocked and took a special nce at where the Thunderbolt talisman had been ced. The Thunderbolt talisman was shattered, yet the Lei Cang Violent Dragon appeared unharmed. The Melt Fire Heavy Armor it wore even lit up with some ancient patterns. These patterns made the lightning scales of the Lei Cang Violent Dragon shimmer brilliantly. When the Lei Cang Violent Dragon couldn¡¯t catch the agile Talisman Master, it opened its mouth and let out a mighty roar!! Thundercrack Roar!! Unlike the War Skills used before, this time the roaring Dragon Breath of the Lei Cang Violent Dragon wasden with purple-ck lightning cracks, far more powerful than its previous roars by dozens of times! The agile Talisman Master would never have imagined that his Thunderbolt talisman would not only fail to injure the Violent Dragon but also charge its lightning scales with electric energy. In the end, the lightning struck him instead, and not even the Dust Protection talisman could withstand such a force. Having dealt with one Talisman Master, The Lei Cang Violent Dragon then charged towards the two remaining disciples of the Fu n. Protected by its Melt Fire Heavy Armor, it was practically immune to the Talisman Masters¡¯ lightning and fire talismans and relied on its robust draconic body and wild brute force to overwhelm the two Talisman Masters. The Divine Green Holy Dragon¡¯s flourishing domain continued to spread. The trees in Big Stone Hillock, after a period of nourishment, became even mightier. The strength of the Tree Spirit Demon Guards also increased with the nourishment from this thriving state, and their numbers were growing continuously. Realizing that the domain of the Divine Green Holy Dragon was key to their constraint, several Dragon Trainers began to besiege the Divine Green Holy Dragon. They unleashed fierce offensives with their Dragon Beasts, among which a Shadowlight Wolf Dragon even reached Upper-level Sovereign The Divine Green Holy Dragon engaged inbat, yet it kept umting wounds on its body. The Shadowlight Wolf Dragon was ferociously powerful, possessing a third eye on its forehead that could unleash Shadowlight Destruction, causing great difficulty for the Divine Green Holy Dragon to defend against. But fortunately, Zhu Minng was not fighting alone. Qin Yang, seeing the Divine Green Holy Dragon being besieged, immediately stepped forward to assist, helping it to relieve the crisis. Qin Yang¡¯s cultivation base should be between Upper-level Sovereign and Peak King Level, ranking among the top in the disciples of various major forces. She is a martial cultivator, with unique palm techniques. With every palm strike she executed, one could see a trail of azure palm imprints, which were capable of repelling Lord-level giant dragons! Nan Lingsha stopped painting. She needed to catch her breath. Being able to draw the bones of dragons and trap these people was already quite an aplishment. The Ice Morning White Dragon sometimes soared high in the sky, sometimes dived rapidly, expertly alternating between two abilities, evenbining star wind with silver ice to create an even more powerful magic! In terms of cultivation base, although the Ice Morning White Dragon was also at the Upper-level Sovereign, when it deployed the Azure Dragon Mystics, its strength was very close to the Peak King Level! It was the main force of this hunt, making the Lord-level creatures of those Dragon Shepherds look somewhat powerless and clumsy inparison. The White Dragon soared once again, letting out a long cry, and suddenly, one glorious starlight after another appeared in the sky, surrounding the wholly bright, snow-white Ice Morning White Dragon like the stars that flock around the moon! The starlight plummeted diagonally, still dazzling even during the daytime, filled with the aura of destruction! ¡°Boom, boom, boom!!!!!!!!¡± Big Stone Hillock was riddled with holes from the Star Fall, and the dragon beasts on the ground were scattered in disarray. Faced with the absolutely crushing power of the Azure Dragon Mystics, those Dragon Shepherds could only call their creatures back But this was no different from a soldier abandoning his armor and weapons on the battlefield. After all, the number of Spirit Contracts requires time to build up. All the Dragon Shepherds here were still young. To reach the point where they could summon five or six dragon beasts, or even seven or eight, was still a very long way off. ¡°Peak King Level strength¡± ¡°This Zhu Minng has another even stronger White Dragon!¡± ¡°Three bloodlines, such dragons are extremely rare!¡± In terms of cultivation base, the Ice Morning White Dragon may not be high, but with its three bloodlines, three innate talents, proficiency in magic and profound arts, and most terrifyingly, itsbat abilities in close quarters were very strong, not inferior at all to that Upper-level Sovereign¡¯s Fading Light Wolf Dragon on the battlefield Fast speed, powerful bursts, and the Ice Velvet Feathers on its body were extremely unique, soft like tassels when moving agilely in flight, but bing immediately hard as silver and forming a divine frost armor when under group attack! Its cultivation base was Upper-level Sovereign, but the pressure it exerted was undoubtedly that of Peak King Level strength! Those who came coveting the Purple-Red Brocade Boxes, although they all had Lord-level strength, were generally of the Lower-level Sovereign. The Ice Morning White Dragon alone had taken care of half the enemies by itself! This scene was clearly visible to the people from the various major forces in the city tower. The elders, the stewards, the hall masters, one by one, their expressions noticeably displeased. Why did this Zhu Minng of the Zhu Gate, of simr age to their disciples, exude such cunning and trickery? How had they not thought of using beacon fires to lure the enemy? It was much easier than searching for the brocade boxes one by one! Originally, in terms of gathering resources, Zhu Minng¡¯s team should not have been able topare with some of the chief disciples from other major forces. But after this haul, Zhu Gate is probably going to soar past them! Chapter 159 - 160: Wen Mengru of the Miao Mountain Sword Sect Chapter 159: Chapter 160: Wen Mengru of the Miao Mountain Sword Sect Trantor:549690339 ¡°So young, yet so cunning and deceitful!¡± Nie Chong scorned Zhu Minng¡¯s actions. Wu Feng, however,ughed and countered Nie Chong¡¯s remarks, ¡°Perhaps the disciples of the Purple Sect n should live in a world of nursery rhymes. This is abination of strength and wisdom.¡± ¡°Exactly, how many people have Zhu Minng¡¯s courage to light the smoke signals, not caring about how many opponents there are or the strength of the adversaries? How can this be called cunning and deceitful? This is confidence!¡± Zhu Minng robbed arge number of people, especially the disciples of the Fu n and those from a Zhou Family, who all had quite a few Blue Brocade Boxes in their possession. The boxes hadn¡¯t even gotten warm in their hands before Zhu Minng¡¯s team swooped in and snatched them away, leaving them filled with regret. Why couldn¡¯t they just stay put and not be so greedy? Zhu Minng was simply a little demon among men. After looting that group of people, he immediately ran to another location in the mech city and duplicated his trick! With so many shields inside the mech city,pounded with the changing terrain, those disciples inside had no idea that someone was using purple-red smoke signals to lure enemies again. So, when Zhu Minng once again lit the purple-red smoke signals, the brown-haired referee was so furious that his whiskers curled up, and the people on the Mysterious Wall saw Zhu Minng¡¯s cunning maneuvers all too clearly. On the city tower, there indeed were many elders and hall masters from various forces watching. As they saw their own simple-minded disciples rushing in, their brows furrowed tightly, unable to rx. It¡¯s all over, all over. The few Brocade Boxes they had managed to get were going to bepletely cleaned out by that youngster from Zhu Gate! On the slope of Cypress Mountain, the smile on Zhu Minng¡¯s face never faded. He had to thank those viins from the City of Sin, who let him realize that being a bad guy also required a lot of thinking, and that robbery could be turned into an art. After the third heist, Zhu Minng had made a fortune. If it weren¡¯t for the need to let his dragon pets rest and recuperate for the uing confrontation in the Nine Army Cemetery, he would have kept on looting non-stop! It had been a long time since he felt the thrill of getting rich in one day. In these chaotic and turbulent times, only a pocket full of gold could provide a sense of security. No one knew which influential figure had proposed hosting thepetition during this great power struggle, but it was an incredibly wise idea. Why hadn¡¯t he realized before that scheming with these disciples from various forces was such an interesting thing to do? When he first came down from the mountain, he had stepped out of the category of disciples, which meant he missed out on the opportunity forpetition with his peers. This series of robberies also made up for many of Zhu Minng¡¯s regrets from his youth. Even in the Imperial City, there are too many disciples as innocent as nk paper. ying with them is still very enjoyable! ¡°Master, we can hand over all the Brocade Boxes we¡¯ve obtained this time to the referee,¡± Qin Yang said to Zhu Minng. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s about time we headed to the Nine Army Cemetery,¡± Zhu Minng nodded. With so many Brocade Boxes acquired, there likely weren¡¯t many disciples from other forces with resources as ample as his own. The next destination was the Nine Army Cemetery. The ones who would appear near the Nine Army Cemetery were basically the top fighters from the major forces, whether they were chief disciples or young masters of the Family Door, quite different from those lured by his signals of fire. Therefore, Qin Yang specifically reminded Zhu Minng not to use this method again once they got to the Nine Army Cemetery. After all, as time went by, even those who were still in the mech city, if not disciples fromrge forces, were basically among the best of the younger generation throughout the Imperial City. Among them were some self-taught talents who had extraordinary encounters and honed their skills in the outside world. During the third robbery, Qin Yang had encountered an extremely tough opponent. If it were not for Nan Lingsha¡¯s exceptional strength, they might have really been in trouble, for their opponents were getting stronger! ¡°Those still in the mech city now are mostly at Lord Level or higher. When we get to the Nine Army Cemetery, Master, you¡¯ll need to be cautious,¡± Qin Yang said. ¡°Is there someone particrly outstanding?¡± Zhu Minng asked. Qin Yang nodded and began, ¡°The Chief Big Disciple of the Purple Sect n, Huo Shangjun, is the person you need to be most wary of.¡± ¡°What about him?¡± asked Zhu Minng. ¡°It is said that he has two dragons, the Purple Cloud Dragon and the Golden Dome Dragon, both at Monarch Level strength,¡± Qin Yang exined. ¡°Monarch Level?¡± Zhu Minng was somewhat surprised. This generation of disciples from the major forces was impressive. When he had first descended from the mountain, he had only just broken through to Monarch Level cultivation. With such strength, he could basically sweep through the disciples of all the major forces. ¡°The Purple Sect n is our rival for the right to oversee the Li Chuan Continent. If they see us, they will definitely try their best to eliminate us,¡± Qin Yang said. ¡°There are powerful people ahead,¡± Nan Lingsha said quietly. The three had reached the Nine Army Cemetery, a rollingndscape of tomb hills where towering statues of generals stood at the foot of the mountains, and dense white tombstones filled the wilds. Ahead was a burial mound, where the energy surged tumultuously. The heavy tombstones shook unsteadily, clearly indicating a battle unfolding in front. Making their way to the top of the hill and looking forward, they saw three women in vibrant multicolored dresses, confronting arge group of God and Mortals. The group of God and Mortals obviously belonged to different factions. They didn¡¯t collude with one another; it was simply that the strength of the three women in the colorful dresses was so formidable that unless the God and Mortals united, they would basically be eliminated. ¡°Miao Mountain Sword Sect!¡± Qin Yang recognized the outfits of the three women at a nce. ¡°The one in the middle, she¡¯s very strong,¡± Nan Lingsha observed, her gaze fixed on the only one among the three women who had barely made a move. The woman¡¯s multicolored dress was actually simpler than the others. She exuded an aloof temperament and indifference as she faced the cooperative resistance of the God and Mortals, seemingly uninterested. Nevertheless, she still drew her sword. She pointed her sword at the group of God and Mortals, muttering something under her breath. ¡°Isn¡¯t that Wen Mengru of the Miao Mountain Sword Sect let¡¯s go, quickly!¡± In another direction on the hillside, several Dragon Shepherds from the Dragon Taming Academy spoke up. Witnessing the Miao Mountain Sword Sect¡¯s three women as if they had seen ghosts, the students from the Dragon Taming Academy turned and fled, no longer taking another step forward! The destination ahead was Mountain of the Nine Armies. People exploring within the Mechanism City had learned through various means and the clues left within the city that Nine Army Tomb Mountain was to be the final battleground for this grandpetition of forces. Moreover, the fifth level Purple-Red Brocade Boxes could only possibly appear within Nine Army Tomb Mountain! In fact, the Mechanism City was undergoing a massive transformation at the time, with different terrains gradually disappearing and theplex mazes turning into a straight path. What was originally a small cluster of graves at Mountain of the Nine Armies was slowly rising. Numerous tomb hills were emerging, these hills melding together to form a huge military tomb mountain visible at a nce by everyone in Mechanism City at the city¡¯s center. As time went on, the brocade boxes scattered throughout Mechanism City were being collected, but on Nine Army Tomb, some boxes were strewn about like stones on the ground, randomly ced. Exit the fray or enter the Nine Army Tomb; various opportunists and lesser disciples had essentially been eliminated. Those who would now head to the Nine Army Tomb were the elites of the great forces, and some grassroots warriors of exceptional strength. ¡°Swish!!!!!¡± Like a crane, the Miao Mountain Sword Sect¡¯s female disciple, Wen Mengru, suddenly made a strike with a posture both elegant and formidable. Her sword was like a nted beam of sunset light streaking in through a window,nding on a Peak Lord Level God and Mortal. It was a cultivator wielding an iron whip, a formidable opponent who had been witnessed by many in the Mysterious Wall defeating well-known disciples from major powers. But unable to counter this sword thrust, the iron whip cultivator dropped his weapon on the ground, the formidable cultivator spewed blood, his body slid backward involuntarily, mming into one of the General Statues! The General Statue shook, the iron whip cultivator¡¯s whole body trembled violently, the joints throughout his body dislocated from the tremendous force of that sword thrust, unable to stand erect despite struggling. Finally, the Peak Lord Level cultivator knelt to the ground, the blood he spat in stark contrast with his pale face. He struggled to raise his head, his gaze fixed on the woman from the Miao Mountain Sword Sect, a look of shock etched across his face. ¡°Monarch Level Swordsman!¡± he managed to gasp out these words. The shock wasn¡¯t limited to this cultivator; the elders and Hall Masters on the city wall from various factions widened their eyes, their gaze involuntarily focusing on a certain Swordswoman. That woman, wearing a veiled hat, seemed reluctant to let others see her face. Without uttering a word, she merely looked towards the battlefield of the Nine Army Tomb in the Mechanism City. She paid no mind to the astonishment shown by the other powers in the Imperial City! ¡°Monarch Level, Wen Mengru of the Miao Mountain Sword Sect, truly a Celestial Maiden shocking the world. I fear that within this Mechanism City, no one except Huo Shangjun could withstand her sword, right?¡± an elder from the Azure Dragon Pce spoke gravely. ¡°Elder, how could you forget my Big Brother? He is not weak either!¡± Fu Jinguo said somewhat dissatisfied. ¡°Fu Xumei might still fall short; his dragon is only Semi-monarch Level. Compared to this Wen Mengru, he mightck some depth,¡± the elder from the Azure Dragon Pce replied. ¡°Them old-established forces, each seems to be cultivating monsters. I thought with my brother¡¯s dragon ascending to Monarch Level, he could sweep through everyone in thispetition. Speaking of which, where has my brother gone? I haven¡¯t seen him anywhere,¡± Fu Jinguo looked around. Fu Xumei. The strongest disciple of the Azure Dragon Pce! At that moment, he was making his way down the hillside towards the Nine Army Tomb, when he happened to see Zhu Minng, Nan Lingsha, and Qin Yang standing on the hilltop. ¡°Zhu Minng?¡± Fu Xumei recognized Zhu Minng at once. Zhu Minng turned around and saw a somewhat familiar face, then couldn¡¯t help but smile and say, ¡°It¡¯s you I don¡¯t remember what you¡¯re called.¡± Fu Xumei¡¯s face darkened. Chapter 160 - 161 Nine Army Tomb Mountain Chapter 160: Chapter 161 Nine Army Tomb Mountain Trantor: 549690339 ¡°Zhu Minng?¡± At this moment, at the foot of the hillside, Wen Mengru, a female disciple of Miao Mountain Sword Sect with extremely good hearing, also turned around, lifting her gaze to focus on the white-robed man atop the slope. ¡°You two deal with these Divine and Mortal wastes,¡± Wen Mengru instructed the two female sword masters beside her. ¡°Yes, Senior Sister¡± the short-haired female disciple responded. ¡°Is that person really Zhu Minng, the young sword master who once forced his way into our mountain gate?¡± another female disciple of Miao Mountain Sword Sect asked in a hushed tone. ¡°It seems to be him. I heard that Senior Sister lost to him back then,¡± said the short-haired female. Wen Mengru¡¯s hearing was exceptionally strong, so naturally, she heard her junior sisters¡¯ conversation, adding a few degrees of bitterness to her heart! Back then, Wen Mengru was only sixteen or seventeen when she encountered the audacious youth who sought to barge into Miao Mountain Sword Sect. After some questioning, she learned that he was a disciple sent out from Yaoshan Sword Sect, specifically traveling thousands of miles to challenge their Miao Mountain Sword Sect. Everyone knew there were two major Sect Woods among the sword sects: Yaoshan Sword Sect and Miao Mountain Sword Sect! People oftenpared Yaoshan Sword Sect to Miao Mountain Sword Sect, curious about which faction had the most powerful sword cultivators. As a female disciple of Miao Mountain Sword Sect, Wen Mengru certainly knew about Yaoshan Sword Sect and had long wanted to see for herself what made this sect, as renowned as their own but with whom they had never crossed swords, so exceptional. The battle took ce right at the sect¡¯s gate. At the time, Wen Mengru was hailed as Miao Mountain Sword Sect¡¯s number one prodigy, and she was about the same age as the provocative Yaoshan Sword Sect youth. She didn¡¯t even withstand Zhu Minng¡¯s three moves. Zhu Minng advanced through their mountain gate, challenging and battling disciples and some uncles alike, almost reaching the threshold of the estate before finally being defeated by Wen Mengru¡¯s older sister, Wen Lingfei. But Wen Lingfei was no longer just a disciple, she was even a teacher who taught the disciples swordmanship. Zhu Minng ultimately lost. Yet, he had brought shame to all the disciples of Miao Mountain Sword Sect. He alone defeated all their female disciples! Wen Mengru walked up the slope, her eyes hinting at an icy chill. ¡°Where is your sword?¡± Wen Mengru demanded. Looking at Zhu Minng, she noticed that he did not have a sword on him. A sword cultivator without a sword. ¡°I am now a Dragon Shepherd,¡± Zhu Minng revealed with a friendly smile. When she first arrived in the Imperial City, Wen Mengru had inquired about Zhu Minng of Zhu Gate. One could say, her visit to the Imperial City this time was not just to establish prestige for Miao Mountain Sword Sect, but more importantly to experience Zhu Minng¡¯s sword territory again. But Wen Mengru had already received the news. Zhu Minng no longer practiced swordsmanship and had participated in the grandpetition as a Dragon Shepherd. This greatly disappointed Wen Mengru! ¡°You are no longer a match for me,¡± Wen Mengru dered. The cultivation base Zhu Minng showed was not high. Wen Mengru could sense this. She sheathed her sword and, confirming that Zhu Minng no longer possessed any sword cultivation level, turned and walked toward the depths of the Nine Army Cemetery. ¡°Do you recognize her?¡± Nan Lingsha asked, watching Wen Mengru¡¯s receding figure. ¡°Miss need not misunderstand. After the young master left the mountain back then, he defeated all the geniuses from every major power. This Chief First Female Disciple of Miao Mountain Sword Sect was also one of the young master¡¯s former defeated rivals,¡± Qin Yang hastened to exin earnestly on behalf of Zhu Minng. For some reason, Zhu Minng felt Qin Yang¡¯s exnation was superfluous. Firstly, Nan Lingsha¡¯s question wasn¡¯t because she thought this woman had something to do with him, but clearly because she was quite interested in such a Divine and Mortal of exceptional strength, especially since the other party was also a woman! Secondly, Zhu Minng didn¡¯t remember who this woman was. Back when he challenged Miao Mountain Sword Sect, he only remembered a very beautiful elder sister who had taught him a lesson. Her sword territory was probablyparable to that of Zhu Xuehen. In terms of looks the girl just now did bear some resemnce to that fierce swordswoman. ¡°Can you handle her? Miao Mountain Sword Sect is also our adversary in thispetition,¡± Zhu Minng inquired. Nan Lingsha did not respond, but the luster flickering in her beautiful eyes had already given Zhu Minng the answer. It seemed only these Divine and Mortal of the Monarch Level could genuinely pique her interest. Meanwhile, Fu Xumei touched his nose, feeling as though he was bing an insignificant extra in the presence of these individuals Since there was no intention to sh now, he felt no urgency. He made his way down the hillside, passing through a crowd of Divine and Mortal who had been scattered by the female disciples of Miao Mountain Sword Sect. The two female disciples of Miao Mountain Sword Sect seemed to want to take down Fu Xumei as well, but he didn¡¯t entangle with them and easily evaded the two women who attacked everyone they saw, heading deeper into the Nine Army Cemetery. Zhu Minng, Nan Lingsha, and Qin Yang also moved forward. Interestingly, the two female disciples recognized Zhu Minng; they gripped their swords as if facing a formidable enemy! It was only after Zhu Minng passed by them, showing no intention of harming them, that they took a long breath of relief. Momentster, the woman with short hair suddenly remembered something and said, ¡°Since he no longer has his swordsmanship, what do we have to fear from him?¡± ¡°Right, then will you chase after him?¡± ¡°Forget it, forget it, let¡¯s not enter the mountain. Those who are entering now are all the top disciples!¡± It wasn¡¯t just the Miao Mountain Sword Sect; the Purple Sect n, Wu Sect Forest, Pu n, Zhao n, Ancient Dragon Pce All these great powers had sent some disciples, just like the two women from the Miao Mountain Sword Sect, to stand guard at the entrance of the General Statue. They directly prohibited those from various lesser sects from entering the Nine Army Cemetery to prevent any chance of them seizing the purple and purple-red brocade boxes amidst the chaos. It was not that they could not defeat these people; rather, they were worried that if they grabbed the brocade boxes and fled, it would waste everyone else¡¯s time. The great powers, as if by agreement, weaved a at the entrance of the Nine Army Cemetery, blocking the average disciples from entering! The Nine Army Tomb Mountain continued to grow taller, turning the slopes into lower ground. Those who had already entered were making their way to the highest point, where the Army Mountain Mausoleum was located! The mausoleum was enormous, with no scattered tombstones around, only one tall and sturdy General Statue after another and bouldersrger than houses. Zhu Minng was well aware that the authority token for the Li Chuan Continent must be contained within a purple-red brocade box. And within the entire city of mechanisms, there were only a few purple-red brocade boxes. One of them was now being firmly clutched in the hand of the General Statue atop the mausoleum. As long as one climbed to the top of the highest Tomb Mountain and looked up, they could see the purple-red brocade box! Beyond this, on top of the surrounding General Statues, there were also blue and purple brocade boxes. They were not hidden deeply, disyed as if they were exhibits. However, taking these brocade boxes was not an easy task. Because as soon as a brocade box was removed from these General Statues, the statues woulde to life and relentlessly pursue whoever took the box Therefore, these disciples who came to the Army Mountain Mausoleum not only had to face thepetition from others but also had to deal with these formidable mechanical statues! ¡°Zhu Minng!!¡± An angry voice came through, the man¡¯s eyes ring at Zhu Minng, filled with what seemed like a vendetta. It was Xu Mao from the Purple Sect n. By his side were the members of the Yellow Youth Gang, not only Zhao Xi but also a wooden-looking young man d in the attire of the Royal Family¡¯s Prohibition Guard, seemingly a powerful follower always at Zhao Yin Ge¡¯s side. At a high ce on the city tower, where the Royal Family¡¯s seats were, Zhao Yin Ge¡¯s eyes were wide open, his pupils revealing an uncontroble excitement! They finally collided! Although it was muchter than he expected, as long as Zhu Minng didn¡¯t hide, his assassin was sure to make Zhu Minng disappear from this world forever! ¡°My Princely Heir, by sending Poison Crow into this city of mechanisms, are you not being a bit too obvious?¡± Madame Zhao asked softly. Everyone knew that Poisonous Pigeon was a guard by Zhao Yin Ge¡¯s side. If Poisonous Pigeon truly killed Zhu Minng, Zhao Yin Ge would certainly be questioned. Zhu Heavenly Officer would not easily let him go, even if he was from the Royal Family! ¡°It is now Zhu Minng who wants to fight me, not the other way around. Since the Imperial Uncle has decided to pressure Zhu Gate, hoping for Zhu Heavenly Officer tosh out, what could be more direct than Zhu Minng¡¯s untimely death? In extraordinary times, extraordinary measures are necessary. Are we, the Royal Family, to fear a Zhu Gate?¡± Zhao Yin Ge said coldly. The order had been given, and no matter what, Poisonous Pigeon would make an attempt on Zhu Minng¡¯s life. How could Zhu Minng not die to justify this broken body of his? He was the Princely Heir of the Royal Family! His limbs had been severed; under normal circumstances, it could even lead to the extermination of the Nine Tribes! Why should Zhu Minng be merely exiled for three years? Not to mention, here he was, standing lively before him, humiliating him at every chance! ¡°This Zhu Minng truly scorns everyone; his death would be well deserved,¡± Madame Zhao remarked coldly. ¡°Besides Poisonous Pigeon, our Royal Family has two other experts. They are both in the Nine Army Tomb Mountain, and I have already instructed them¡± ¡°Are you referring to brothers Zhao Chen and Zhao Wu? Both are Monarch Level Dragon Shepherds who have entered the Dragon Country of Clouds!¡± Madam Zhao Qin eximed with delight. With these two mighty members of the Royal Family present, Zhu Minng would have a hard time escaping! Indeed, even if the authority over Li Chuan Continent was lost, Zhu Heavenly Officer would not go mad, nor would he directly mobilize the army. It was Zhu Minng, on the other hand If anything happened to him, Zhu Heavenly Officer would surely lose his rationality. The moment Zhu Heavenly Officer mobilized the ck Armor Army of Pei Country, he would lead this valiant army to its downfall! Once this army was gone, the vast businesses of Zhu Gate would struggle to stand, inevitably allowing the great powers to carve them up. The Royal Family could even directly take Zhu Gate as a vassal, making Zhu Gate serve the Royal Family¡¯s cause for a thousand generations! ¡°I probed the Imperial Uncle, and he tacitly approved of my actions,¡± Zhao Yin Ge said. ¡°He too hopes topletely crush Zhu Gate this time around!¡± ¡°Actually, I rather hope Zhu Minng survives to see his Family Door slowly bing a vassal to our Royal Family, tasting the bitterness of humiliation himself!¡± Zhao Yin Ge remarked. Chapter 161 - 162 Puppet Master Chapter 161: Chapter 162 Puppet Master Trantor: 549690339 Tombstones stood tall, and numerous colossal stone coffins were exposed to view. The wind began to intensify inexplicably, causing the sand and gravel to whirl about atop the Nine Army Tomb Mountain. A potent killing intent emanated from the group of the Royal Young Gang, particrly from a very dull-looking youth. Despite his dazed expression, his eyes betrayed a terrifying murderous aura! Besides him, there were a few others, whose gazes towards Zhu Minng looked as though fueled by deep-seated hatred. These were two brothers dressed in royal attire, Zhao Chen and Zhao Wu! ¡°The deed to the Young Dragon Valley is in his hands, and he also killed Hao Shaocong!¡± Zhao Xi pointed at Zhu Minng and shouted loudly. ¡°This scourge may as well be eradicated by me, Xu Mao, as a service to heaven,¡± Xu Mao stepped forward. He stretched out his palm, which emitted a dazzling radiance of purple light from the sigil contained within. One could see a Purple Fire Azure Dragon flying out from his Spirit Realm, its significantly long body twisting and winding in the air. The scales burning with purple mes were exceptionally eye-catching, giving the dragon a semnce of searing everything around it vigorously! With a touch of wildness, Xu Mao leaped onto the head of the Purple Fire Azure Dragon. Standing there with his arms crossed, he looked down from a superior height, scrutinizing Zhu Minng standing on the ground. ¡°That Purple Fire Azure Dragon of Xu Mao¡¯s is at least at the Peak King Level.¡± ¡°Zhu Minng must be nning to summon that Ice Morning White Dragon if he hopes to have any chance of contending with Xu Mao of the Purple Sect n, right?¡± ¡°Zhu Minng has gotten into trouble with people from the Royal Young Gang, and now they¡¯ve all gathered together¡ªit looks more likely to end badly for him!¡± This long-standing grudge was finally about to be settled. Zhu Minng stood still, as the scorching heat from the purple mes rushed toward his face. Yet, the most threatening presence was the Purple Fire Azure Dragon, with its enormous girth. The tail of the Purple Fire Azure Dragon began to dance, sending down cascading rings of purple mes from above, smashing towards Zhu Minng¡¯s location. ¡°Whoooo¡± The Ice Morning White Dragon pped its wings, which, when unfurled, spread the silvery ice fluff around, creating a vast sea of frost flowers. Just as the purple rings of fire were about to reach the ground, frost flowers danced in the air, rolling up the most dazzling silver snow crystals. Thousands of silvery frost particles fluttered across the tomb mountain like dandelions caught in a strong wind, some flying low and others spiraling high The purple circles of fire melted away in the snow, leaving the Ice Morning White Dragon and Zhu Minng standing amid the frost flowers and snow fluff, unscathed! The secondary wings fluttered gently, provoking more and more ice flowers to bloom across the cemetery. Each time the wide wings of the Ice Morning White Dragon stirred them, they would lift into the air, suspended mid-flight. As the Ice Morning White Dragon soared toward the Purple Fire Azure Dragon, it was akin to a Holy Spirit escorted by ice elves, magnificent yet exerting an aura of oppression! Xu Mao, standing atop the head of the Purple Fire Azure Dragon, wore a look of shock on his face. Was it by harnessing the power of this Ice Morning White Dragon that he killed Hao Shaocong?? Hao Shaocong was not weak by any means; his Sheep Demon Purple Dragon was of the Upper Lord Level. Zhu Minng¡¯s ability to dispose of him in such a short period indicates that he must have a higher-level Dragon Beast. Ice Morning White Dragon! This was indeed a formidable and extraordinarily talented White Dragon, which, with the silver moon¡¯s frosty methods, overpowered the Purple Fire Azure Dragon¡¯s scorching heat. At this moment, amidst countless whirls of ice fluff, the Ice Morning White Dragon had taken to the air,unching a spectacr offensive against the Purple Fire Azure Dragon, its frost flowers constantly transforming. Sometimes they attached softly, carrying a freezing effect capable of immobilizing living things within moments. Other times they became hard and sharp, turning into something more terrifying than des, piercing through the air driven by the furious wind. The Purple Fire Azure Dragon and the Ice Morning White Dragon fought fiercely in the sky, yet neither could gain the upper hand. Faced with the endless array of abilities from the Ice Morning White Dragon, the former could only manage to parry and respond. The fires zed brilliantly. The frost flowers dazzled resplendently. Purple and white forces collided over Nine Army Tomb Mountain, igniting sparks that left the onlookers on the Mysterious Wall awestruck. It must be said that both the Purple Fire Azure Dragon and the Ice Morning White Dragon stood as peak examples among Lord Level dragons, much more potent than the Dragon Beasts summoned by other Dragon Trainers from the mechanical city! ¡°Poisonous Pigeon, now is the time¡ªtake care of Zhu Minng,¡± Zhao Xi said venomously. The dull youth began to advance, his strides growing longer and his pace quickening. His feet pressed into the dirt, initially leaving behind shallow footprints, but gradually his steps grew heavier, even crushing the stone bs he stepped upon! His skin started to morph, taking on a solid copper hue. Throughout his sprint, he transformed progressively, as if forged from copper and iron, exuding an incredibly terrifying sense of power! ¡°Young Master, be careful¡ªhe¡¯s a puppet, controlled by a Puppet Master!¡± Qin Yang, seeing the situation, promptly moved forward to deal with it. Puppet Master It was evident that this Poisonous Pigeon was not the Puppet Master; he was merely a controlled puppet! At this moment, this individual was entirely shaped from copper and iron, intricately constructed and perfectly molded, possessing immense strength and astonishing speed. Atop the tower, Zhao Yin Ge, who sat motionless on a chair, now wore a sinister smile on his face. His eyes, dark and fearsome, were mirrored in the pupils of the youth called Poisonous Pigeon on Nine Army Tomb Mountain¡ªso simr that upon closer inspection, one could discern an identical mark within the depths of their eyes! Poisonous Pigeon. Was none other than Zhao Yin Ge¡¯s puppet! And Zhao Yin Ge was the Puppet Master! Even without personally stepping into the city of mechanisms, he could still y Zhu Minng by hand! The copper and iron puppet rushed towards Zhu Minng. Its eyes shared vision with Zhao Yin Ge, and its consciousness was even more directly controlled by Zhao Yin Ge To create a truly perfect puppet, what¡¯s needed was actually a living person, transforming this person into a mechanized one, and then controlling all their actions! Prosthetics?? Ridiculous! How could Zhao Yin Ge possibly wear prosthetics! He could use this art of puppetry to be reborn in a puppet¡¯s body!! The Poisonous Pigeon was Zhao Yin Ge. Zhao Yin Ge harbored deep hatred for Zhu Minng! He would never miss this rare opportunity!! ¡°Young Master, quick, get back,¡± Qin Yang saw the Poisonous Pigeon puppet bearing down with ferocity and quickly moved in front of Zhu Minng. She struck out several palms towards the Poisonous Pigeon puppet. However, her palm strikesnded on the stele and stone bs instead. The Poisonous Pigeon puppet was more nimble than she had anticipated, easily dodging her attacks. The Poisonous Pigeon puppet was very close now, and like Zhao Yin Ge, it wore a bizarre and cruel smile. Its fist was like copper and iron. When swung, it could smash rocks the size of houses. It threw a punch at Qin Yang, who was then sent flying. In terms of strength, the puppet was even more terrifying than those Divine and Mortal martial cultivators. Probably even Big ck Tooth in armor wouldn¡¯t necessarily be able to withstand it! ¡°Zhao Yin Ge, you¡¯ve hidden your capabilities quite well!¡± Zhu Minng could tell from the pupils of the puppet that the one manipting it must be that Princely Heir. His hands and feet had been chopped off by Zhu Minng, turning him practically into a cripple. Yet, he had mastered this art of puppetry and had been concealing his strength all this time Probably just waiting for the day when he could avenge himself and wash away the shame! Zhao Yin Ge¡¯s five senses were at this moment shared with the mechanical puppet, so naturally he could hear what Zhu Minng was saying. His loathing manifested vividly on the Poisonous Pigeon puppet, with intense murderous intent. ¡°Only when you are dead can Iugh heartily. These years, every single day I have thought about how I would personally ughter you!¡± the Poisonous Pigeon puppet let out a sound. Although the voice was rather stiff, one could feel how much Zhao Yin Ge hated Zhu Minng. ¡°This puppet, how long did you spend to find it, it must have done quite a few things for you, right? Like ensuring the continuation of your lineage, for instance?¡± Zhu Minng once again began tough. With that question, Zhu Minng had hit Zhao Yin Ge¡¯s sore spot directly! Inside the tower, on his seat, Zhao Yin Ge who was handicapped almost spat out a mouthful of blood in anger. ¡°So, if there really is a descendant, should it be considered Zhao Yin Ge¡¯s or should it be considered the puppet body¡¯s?¡± Zhu Minng followed up with another question. ¡°You go to hell first!!¡± From the tower, Zhao Yin Ge roared out that sentence. He was supposed to be speaking through the puppet, but Zhao Yin Ge was so enraged that his head felt like it would explode, and he didn¡¯t care at all about what the people around him thought! The Poisonous Pigeon puppet leaped behind Zhu Minng. Its arms, at some point, had turned into copper and iron des. Taking advantage of the moment when Zhu Minng had no protection around him, it viciously chopped towards his head! He was about to split Zhu Minng in two. ¡°Whoosh!¡± A sword light shed by, and just as the Poisonous Pigeon puppet brought its de down, the light directly severed its copper and iron arm. The copper and iron de arm spun through the air, eventuallynding on a stone sarcophagus lid, cutting into the stone nearly in half. After its attacking momentum was broken, the Poisonous Pigeon puppet subconsciously stepped back, trying to see who had intervened to stop it from killing Zhu Minng. However, the Poisonous Pigeon puppet saw nothing. ¡°Whoosh!!!!¡± Another sound like the wind, sweeping past the other copper and iron de arm of the Poisonous Pigeon puppet. This time, the Poisonous Pigeon puppet reacted quite quickly, immediately using its de arm to block! ¡°ng!!!!¡± The copper and iron de broke upon impact, leaving only half an arm on the Poisonous Pigeon puppet! It was supposedly de against de, and the puppet¡¯s transformed de arm was no less than some of the finest swords. Zhao Yin Ge had spent who knows how much gold and silver on this mechanical puppet, collecting various materials that perfectly fit this puppet ¡°Whoosh!!!¡± Yet another sword strike, this time aimed at the legs of the mechanical puppet. Its legs, fully cast from pure copper, were impervious to swords and spears. One kick could easily send stones flying, but this mysterious sword could slice through metal like mud Both legs were directly chopped off. Like a mud figure. This puppet, which even the teeth of a Dragon Beast might not bite through, was no different from a mud statue! Inside the tower, upon the wooden chair, Zhao Yin Ge¡¯s face had turned livid, his visage bing increasingly ferocious. His hands and feet were chopped off again! Even though it was just a distant puppet, he couldn¡¯t feel the pain, but the humiliation felt even more intense than before!! Chapter 162 - 163: Please All Get Lost Chapter 162: Chapter 163: Please All Get Lost Trantor:549690339 What exactly was it? In the blink of an eye, it had severed the limbs of that powerful Poisonous Pigeon Puppet? Not to mention themoners on the Mysterious Wall who hadn¡¯t seen clearly what it was, even many of the aged strong ones on the city tower were utterly confused! ¡°By Zhu Minng¡¯s side, there¡¯s an even stronger dragon,¡± said Yun Zhonghe in a calm voice. Wu Feng of the Yaoshan Sword Sect had observed carefully, but the distance was too great to discern what that streak of light actually was. It was, however, somewhat too surprising to see the strength disyed by Zhu Minng as a Dragon Shepherd. The Nine Army Tomb Mountain finally stopped rising, and the General¡¯s Tomb Mountain stood tall among many slopes and tomb mountains, evidently muchrger. The vast majority of the strong ones were deterred by the General Statues on the General¡¯s Tomb Mountain and dared not enter lightly. But at this moment, Zhu Minng walked over there. The Copper and Iron Puppets were rolling on the ground, Zhu Minng was sozy to take another look, as if they were just a pile of scrap copper and iron. Continuing towards the highest point, the disciples of various major powers who were in the Nine Army Cemetery and the strong ones who had gathered from different countries all noticed a red light by Zhu Minng¡¯s side, flying past extremely fast. Because the speed of that red light was so fast, they too could not see clearly what it was. But what was certain was that it was this red light that had directly chopped off the limbs of the Copper and Iron Puppets! The strength of the Copper and Iron Puppets should be much stronger than that of some higher Lord-level Dragon Beasts, yet they were easily cut down For a moment, several Monarch Level disciples began to reassess Zhu Minng¡¯s strength! Zhu Minng was now standing at the highest point, surrounded by several General Statues, all holding in their hands purple-red brocade boxes. Just when people thought he would be the first to take down a purple-red brocade box, he slowly turned around and stood at the highest point, as if to make sure that all the disciples in the Nine Army Tomb Mountain could see him. ¡°Everyone, those of you within my line of sight can all get lost.¡± ¡°All the brocade boxes on this Nine Army Tomb Mountain belong to me, Zhu Minng!¡± Zhu Minng said. His words were light as a feather. But they left everyone present stunned like statues! On the continuous walls of the Mechanism City, there were tens of thousands of people. And in the wealthy city towers, there were countless powers and dignitaries. Standing at the highest point, Zhu Minng¡¯s words, backed by his Spiritual Power, were audible to everyone on the Nine Army Tomb Mountain and to all those watching thepetition. Huo Shangjun of the Purple Sect Forest, to his left was a Purple Cloud Dragon and to his right a Golden Dome Dragon. Not to say that Huo Shangjun himself was stunned, but the two Monarch Level dragons beside him seemed to understand the audacious words of this human, and their dragon mouths stayed open for a long time, unable to close What in the world was going on! With these two great Dragon Kings here, were they supposed to be invisible? A bald young monk from the Haoqi Martial School, who had just climbed up to the Nine Army Tomb Mountain, looked up at Zhu Minng, heard his words, and couldn¡¯t help touching his smooth head, showing a strange expression. Wen Mengru of the Miao Mountain Sword Sect frowned, her eyes fixed on Zhu Minng without moving. In her memory, the youth who had broken into the Miao Mountain Sword Sect had this same infuriatingly arrogant demeanor! Wasn¡¯t he a fallen Sword Cultivator? Why was he still the same!? Within his line of sight She was within his line of sight, so was she being told to get lost as well, did Zhu Minng now have that ability? ¡°What an audacious Zhu Minng, always heard that he is extremely arrogant and looks down on others!¡± sneered Zhao Chen from the Royal Family. Zhao Wu also smiled, but his smile carried a hint of mockery, as if watching a clown perform. They were still considering what excuse to use to eradicate Zhu Minng secretly. Without truly ughtering him, at the very least, they needed to make his fate more miserable than Zhao Yin Ge¡¯s to truly infuriate Zhu Heavenly Officer of the Zhu Gate. Now, there was no need for them to ponder over this. Zhu Minng¡¯s behavior would be challenged by the geniuses of the major powers; they would not tolerate his contempt and would surely strike hard! Fu Xumei of the Azure Dragon Pce stopped walking towards the highest point, unsure whether to continue upward or not. Zhu Minng He was somewhat familiar with him. Back then, they were all young men with high ambitions, and Fu Xumei was brutally defeated in a spar. He and Wen Mengru were both former subordinates defeated by Zhu Minng¡¯s hand. But Zhu Minng was now a Dragon Shepherd! If his Sword Cultivation Level had still been intact, he would have been the first to beat it after such a statement from Zhu Minng! Moreover, people improve. Admitting one¡¯s own strength was inferior to the Zhu Minng of the past didn¡¯t mean that he was the only genius in the world. Huo Shangjun of Purple Sect Forest, the foot monk of Haoqi Martial School, the Royal Brothers, Wen Mengru of the Sword Sect, Pu Hanrong of the Pu n, Ye Guang from Godly Mortal Academy, and He Qingqian, the peerless genius from a small gentry family Their strength was probably not inferior to his own. Among these people, there were also some with considerably high reputations, possessing overwhelming strengthpared to the other disciples, practically no longer within the same category. Now, their cultivation base might have caught up with Zhu Minng, the once dazzling and eye-catching sword cultivator! At this moment, all these people were within the Nine Army Tomb Mountain. In in terms, they were all under Zhu Minng¡¯s watch. Was he expecting all these unparalleled geniuses gathered in the Imperial City to roll out?! This was no longer presumptuous It was simply inhumane! ¡°You can¡¯t really think that just because you¡¯ve stepped on a princely heir of the Royal Family, you can dominate all of us, can you?¡± Pu Hanrong of the Pu n said with a hint of disdain. ¡°Zhu Minng, huh, I heard of him a few years back. Turns out he¡¯s just someone who craves the spotlight. In fact, I still don¡¯t understand why people in the Imperial City still talk about someone who couldn¡¯t even maintain his own sword cultivation level,¡± Huo Shangjun of Purple Sect Forest said. Huo Shangjun was probably regarded as a genius among the disciples of the major powers. As a Dragon Shepherd, his dazzlingly brilliant Purple Dragon King and Golden Dome Dragon King were testament to his terrifying strength. The two most mentioned people back then were Zhu Minng of the Yaoshan Sword Sect and Huo Shangjun of the Purple Sect Forest. Huo Shangjun is now truly powerful, his twin Dragon Kings sweeping away all in his path. It¡¯s likely he would not bother with such a mundane disciplepetition if it weren¡¯t for a contest. ¡°I remember you, Zhu Minng, taking on the challenge against Purple Sect Forest. It¡¯s a pity I wasn¡¯t in the Sect Forest at the time today seems like a good opportunity to make up for the regret of those days,¡± Huo Shangjun said as he was the first to walk towards the highest tomb mountain. He feared nothing. Whether Zhu Minng was making a scene for attention with some tricks, or he truly possessed that strength. As for Purple Sect Forest, being the foremost Sect Forest of the Imperial City, he felt he, the Chief Big Disciple, couldn¡¯t just spout such words before so many geniuses of the Imperial City! In terms of being outrageous, Huo Shangjun really felt inferior. But when it came to strength, Huo Shangjun didn¡¯t think there was anyone within this Maze City that could contend with him! ¡°Sorry, I haven¡¯t seen anyone more deserving of a beating than this guy in my whole life. Please let me have the first go,¡± Ye Guang from the Godly Mortal Academy also headed towards the Tomb Mountain, his face bearing a rebellious arrogance! Let alone the geniuses of these powers Even Nan Lingsha, who was in cahoots with Zhu Minng, wanted to go up and see for herself after hearing his tone! After a long look at Zhu Minng, Nan Lingsha finally came to a conclusion: he was seriously ill today. ¡°No need for squabbling, the thing I, Zhu Minng, dislike the most is wasting time. Just alle at once,¡± Zhu Minng spoke to Ye Guang and Huo Shangjun. Afterward, Zhu Minng¡¯s gaze inevitably fell on Wen Mengru, saying, ¡°And you, I don¡¯t even remember your name, mainly because, I, for one, don¡¯t like any woman who carries a sword, except for my wife.¡± Wen Mengru took a deep breath, her chest heaving violently, and seemed to be on the verge of an explosion! Just now, in consideration of Zhu Minng¡¯s fallen sword cultivation level, she hadn¡¯t bothered with such a miserable wretch, but now this scoundrel dared to be insufferably arrogant! ¡°Are you seeking death!¡± Wen Mengru, sword in hand, ascended the mountain, determined to leave some morous scars on Zhu Minng no matter what! ¡°What about the trash from the Royal Young Gang? I¡¯m supposed to see you right? So why haven¡¯t you rolled away yet?¡± Zhu Minng¡¯s gaze then shifted to the Royal Brothers Zhao Chen and Zhao Wu. The members of the Royal Young Gang like Zhao Xi, Zhao Chen, Zhao Wu, and others were dumbfounded. What on earth was Zhu Minng trying to do?? He was tired of living, wasn¡¯t he! If he was tired of living, he might as well just climb into a sarcophagus; why needlessly provoke all the experts on Nine Army Tomb Mountain?? At the city tower, Yun Zhonghe of Yaoshan Sword Sect turned his head and nced at his Martial Uncle Wu Feng. Wu Feng also furrowed his brow. He was someone who understood Zhu Minng quite well His behavior today, indeed, matched his character. But that was back when his sword cultivation level was still intact. His arrogance was not just aimed at peers; he also hadn¡¯t spared those of senior generations. And for a brief moment, the elders, hall masters, and deacons of the major powers all thought that Zhu Minng¡¯s im of discarded sword cultivation was a lie. His behavior was remarkably simr to when he used to challenge the various Great Sect Woods. However, everyone had seen him summon his dragon beasts, possessing an actual Spirit Realm, a fully orthodox Dragon Shepherd. So, what on earth was he so arrogant about? Could it be that someone who had practiced the Art of Dragon Shepherd for only a few years could dominate like he once did as a sword cultivator?? ¡°Perhaps his mind has be a bit abnormal after losing his sword cultivation,¡± someone said. ¡°Yes, yes, poor child, he also had his moments of glory.¡± ¡°His Art of Dragon Shepherd is actually quite impressive too, why can¡¯t he just keep hisposure for a few years? He might really have the chance to shine again, he¡¯s being too foolish now!¡± At the peak of Tomb Mountain, Zhu Minng¡¯s gaze was fixated on Huo Shangjun, Ye Guang, and Wen Mengru, who had already stepped up. Inside Zhu Minng¡¯s Spirit Realm, Big ck Tooth, who was resting, lifted its head It was only then that Big ck Tooth realised why it was born with the innate ability to taunt a crowd. It seemed that after the Spirit Contract was signed, some things subtly affected a dragon¡¯s nature. Their master¡¯s explosive capability far surpassed that of ck Treasure!! He wondered if the Sword Spirit Dragon could withstand it. Chapter 163 - 164 Blood-drinking Open Blade Chapter 163: Chapter 164 Blood-drinking Open de Trantor:549690339 Zhu Minng¡¯s expression remained calm, a slight upward curve at the corners of his mouth. It was as if from the beginning to the end, he had never taken any of the experts from this mechanical city seriously. His gaze was fixed on Huo Shangjun, who had already walked up to him. The two dragons beside Huo Shangjun were indeed quite eye-catching. Whether it was the Purple Cloud Dragon or the Golden Dome Dragon, both emitted an aura of dignity resembling that of the Azure Dragon. ¡°Tell me, which of my dragons would you like to be trampled underfoot by and pressed into the mud?¡± Huo Shangjun asked. The Purple Cloud Dragon¡¯s entire body radiated with a purple halo, misty and ethereal, exuding an extraordinary temperament. Especially its long dragon whiskers added a touch of immortal charm. The dragon looked down on Zhu Minng, inching its head closer to this tiny human bit by bit, its dragon teeth slowly parting as the purple aura on its body expanded to the surroundings, enveloping Zhu Minng. ¡°Hum¡± A faint thrumming sound arose. In front of Zhu Minng, an ancient sword with a crimson body hovered, emanating a tremendous sense of threat even in its motionless state, especially that inexplicable humming, like a sacred beast growling low. Huo Shangjun gazed at this sword, his face gradually assuming an expression of shock and horror. This seemed to be more than just an ancient sword artifact. It appeared more like a living entity. The humming from the sword spirit grew stronger, and the surrounding space seemed to shake along with it. Huo Shangjun¡¯s pupils shrunk, hisplexion changed slightly, and he shouted to his Purple Cloud Dragon, ¡°Retreat quickly!¡± Upon hearing its master¡¯smand, the Purple Cloud Dragon immediately flipped backward, creating some distance between itself, Zhu Minng, and the crimson sword in front of Zhu Minng. But at the same time, the sword spirit took action on its own. Its sword-fuzz tail swayed, and the sword body swept across suddenly. A sh of crimson cold moonlight seemed to split the day into night. Huo Shangjun could see nothing else but the unstoppable attack of the crimson cold moonlight sword radiance, terrifying to an extreme like the scythe of the God of Death! Around the Purple Cloud Dragon,yers uponyers of purple mist rose, an energy like ripples in water attempting to dissolve the sword radianceing head-on¡­ However, the power of the sword radiance was undiminished, forcing Huo Shangjun to retreat. Even the Golden Dome Dragon beside him swam forward, joining forces in an attempt to withstand this sword radiance power! The Purple Cloud Dragon was swept away. Arge chunk of scales was shattered on the body of the Golden Dome Dragon. Behind the two dragons, although Huo Shangjun was not truly injured, he broke out in a cold sweat. ¡°Sword spirit¡­¡± After a long while, Huo Shangjun, still heart-stricken, finally uttered these two words. By this time, Huo Shangjun had finally seen clearly. It was not an ordinary sword artifact. The aura emanating from the opponent was exceedingly simr to that of a dragon. It was a dragon. A rare creature in the world that transformed from a sword artifact to a spirit, and then from a spirit to a dragon! Sword Spirit Dragon!! And its cultivation base was extremely powerful! ¡°I don¡¯t like to repeat myself,¡± Zhu Minng said, staring at Huo Shangjun with an air of arrogance. ¡°Thinking of making me back down, it¡¯s impossible!¡± retorted Huo Shangjun. With that, Huo Shangjun himself leapt onto the back of the Golden Dome Dragon, clearly ready to join the battle personally. ¡°This minor character, you, Huo Shangjun, fail to capture, yet I, Ye Guang from Godly Mortal Academy, find it as easy as flipping my hand. Step back,¡± Ye Guang from Godly Mortal Academy arrived, saying this. He nced at the Sword Spirit Dragon and snorted derisively from his nose. Ye Guang was shrouded in a tumultuous wind, which increasingly intensified as he stepped forward. By the time he was about to reach Zhu Minng, the turbulent wind had whipped up into a colossal wind cap, seemingly about to obliterate even the General Statue behind him! Zhu Minng stood there, without any intention to evade. Meanwhile, the Sword Spirit Dragon drew an arc with its de, leaving a mark on the ground that turned into a barrier formed by Sword Qi as the sword body rotated, instantly appearing at the position of the sword arc! Therge stones piled around, the stone coffins buried halfway into the earth, and some statues standing four to five meters tall could not withstand the devastating might of the turbulent wind cap, turning into fine gravel. Yet, at Zhu Minng¡¯s location, only the corners of his clothing and strands of his hair fluttered gently, as he remained calm and collected. Ye Guang was now very close to Zhu Minng, but the turbulent wind he conjured could never breach the Sword Qi barrier, infuriating him! ¡°Whoosh¡± The Crimson Sword Body flew like a dart, and though the turbulent wind cap was powerful enough to shatter rocks, it posed not even the slightest threat to the Sword Spirit Dragon. The Sword Spirit Dragon plunged into the heart of the vast wind cap, its tip aiming at Ye Guang. Taken aback, Ye Guang swiftly gathered all the turbulent wind in front of him in a desperate bid to fend off the Sword Spirit Dragon¡¯s assault. However, the seemingly ordinary flying stab from the Sword Spirit Dragon could not be shaken, and in a panic, Ye Guang manipted the wind to whisk himself backward. ¡°Whoosh!¡± The Sword Spirit Dragon sped up, lunging with a thrust. Ye Guang drifted rapidly in the wind to dodge the strike and still failed to avoid it; a wound immediately appeared on his shoulder, and blood sttered! This blood, lingering in the air, seemed to be summoned by something, transforming into tiny Blood Pearls that flew towards the sword body of the Sword Spirit Dragon As the sword was stained with blood, its de became even more vivid red, and it seemed as if it had been scorched by fierce mes; the de¡¯s edge began to redden and grow hot. Blood-drinking open de! The Sword Spirit Dragon was extremely sensitive to blood. After all, it was born out of a person shing the air millions of times, sculpting it from the wind as sharpening stone, and blood as the soul! With every sh of its Sword, Its edge became sharper. With every sip of an enemy¡¯s blood, its inscriptions shone brighter! Previously, some blood had sttered onto the Golden Dome Dragon¡¯s broken scales, but the Sword Spirit Dragon had not tasted it. Thus, after wounding Ye Guang, the God and Mortal, the Sword Spirit Dragon noticed the Golden Dome Dragon above and roared upward, its body generating thousands of swirling sword shadows, as it magnificently attacked the Golden Dome Dragon. On the back of the Golden Dome Dragon was none other than the unruly Huo Shangjun. As he saw the Sword Spirit Dragon soaring towards the sky, he promptlymanded the Golden Dome Dragon to spew a golden cascade! A golden waterfall gushed from the Golden Dome Dragon¡¯s mouth, descending like a golden river from the heavens, magnificent and brimming with a destructive aura. Nheless, the Sword Spirit Dragon, like a dragon swimming through mud, confronted this golden cascade of Dragon Breath, forcefully cleaving the waterfall of Dragon Breath apart, and its trailing thousands of sword shadows segmented the Dragon Breath into countless pieces What was as fluid as a waterfall became like torn fabric. The Sword Spirit Dragon was at the peak of its strength; the Golden Dome Dragon had to retreat, but even so, its tail was wounded by the Sword Spirit Dragon, and golden dragon blood oozed out It wasn¡¯t much dragon blood, yet it was enough to make the Sword Spirit Dragon Sword glow hotter and brighter. ¡°Just a little more, let¡¯s try the Purple Cloud Dragon¡¯s blood,¡± Zhu Minng said to the Sword Spirit Dragon. The Sword Spirit Dragon hovered in mid-air, utterly proud; the previously repelled Purple Cloud Dragon had already approached, but suddenly, the Sword Spirit Dragon vanished from Huo Shangjun¡¯s sight. Nearly instantaneously repositioning itself, the Sword Spirit Dragon emerged beside the Purple Cloud Dragon¡¯s body, a ferociously chopping sword strike, its momentum like a rainbow! Chapter 164 - 165 Sword Awakening (Part 1) Chapter 164: Chapter 165 Sword Awakening (Part 1) Trantor:549690339 The Purple Cloud Dragon had just returned to the battlefield when it suddenly faced this sh. In an instant, a tremendous force fell upon its levitating dragon body, as if the space around it was plummeting with it. ¡°Boom!¡± The Purple Cloud Dragon fell heavily from a height of several hundred meters, its purple scales, hard as silver, shattered extensively, and its lengthy dragon bones seemed to have broken in several ces. The location of its fall was a statue of a general. The statue had been reduced to dust, and the hillside had be a horrifying crater, within which the Purple Cloud Dragony, its body several times heavier, struggling to rise even after a long time. Blood seeped from its crushed scales near the belly, turning into droplets, the Blood Pearls, floating up towards the Sword Spirit Dragon above. The de of the Sword Spirit Dragon, now crimson from drinking blood, had looked like an old Ancient Sword just before, but was now more like a treasured sword from the battlefield, radiating divine might! The sword¡¯s body began to heat up. The Sword Spirit Dragon seemed to be undergoing a transformation within the battle, awakening the ancient souls of the inscriptions that had been sleeping within its sword. ¡°Azure Blood Inscriptions.¡± Minng¡¯s lips curled up into a smile, probably only someone like him who had soaked himself in the Abandoned Sword Forest for ten years, would recognize this Sword of Azure Blood. The nobleman¡¯s blood, hidden for three years, turns to azure jade! Molding a sword body from this azure jade, once it enters the battlefield, any blood of the enemies it had chopped would provoke ayer of sharpness to ze forth! Many such ancient swords resided within the Sword Spirit Dragon, their souls would awaken under specific conditions, with the Azure Blood Inscriptions being the most direct and fierce among them! When still, the sword¡¯s body is as exquisite as azure jade. When swung, the sword seems ame, blood-red and shocking to the eye! ¡°Just a hair¡¯s breadth away, perhaps the blood of a Sword Master is most exquisite,¡± Zhu Minng¡¯s gaze was fixed on Wen Mengru of the Miao Mountain Sword Sect. Wen Mengru held a sword in her hand, her attention entirely focused on the Sword Spirit Dragon. She too had never seen such a dragon before. What kind of dragon behaves like a sword, even more powerful than actual swords! The Sword Master that Zhu Minng referred to was, of course, Wen Mengru. And now the Sword Spirit Dragon was descending from the sky; its crimson de assaulted her as she raised her sword to parry with a heavy heart. ¡°ng!¡± The seemingly nimble Sword Spirit Dragon was, in fact, extremely heavy. Wen Mengru tried to counter it with her sword power, but instantly felt numbing in her palms and heart of her hands, her footing bing somewhat disordered. ¡°Rapid Sword Style!¡± Zhu Minng said. After ten years of practicing the sword, the Sword Spirit Dragon was familiar with all of Zhu Minng¡¯s styles; it was agile and swift, following a heavy chop with a rapid flurry of attacks. Sword light danced wildly, and Wen Mengru also responded with her Rapid Sword Style. At first, the others could see the swords shing, then only afterimages remained amidst the swordstorm, and finally, nothing could be seen but the sparks from the swords colliding! ¡°ng!! ng, ng, ng!!¡± ¡°ng, ng, ng, ng, ng!!¡± Swords rained down like a torrent, Wen Mengru kept retreating, her eyes focused, her expression serious as if she was sparring with a master Sword Master. However, with each sh, her tiger¡¯s mouth felt burning hot, and she knew her thumb and index finger were splitting open! Not only was the Sword Spirit Dragon¡¯s cultivation base high, but its sword speed was also elerating steadily. Wen Mengru had already reached her limit, having to rely on her strength to ward off some of the sword attacks she couldn¡¯t parry. Yet, the Sword Spirit Dragon¡¯s intervals between attacks grew shorter, its sword strikes faster, her hands began to numb, and the palms started to chafe Huo Shangjun, Ye Guang, and Wen Mengru, the three top powerhouses of the grand power struggle, were all forced into retreat by Zhu Minng alone. At the city tower, many were Dragon Shepherds and God and Mortals, whose vision far exceeded that of ordinary people. They saw the Sword Spirit Dragon, equally shocked and confused. Could there really be a true Sword Spirit in this world? Even more unimaginable was the transformation of the Sword Spirit into a dragon! No wonder Zhu Minng was so rampant, not putting the geniuses of the major forces in his eyes at all. The cultivation base of this Sword Spirit Dragon was at least at the Monarch Level, and it seemed to be bing even stronger with the awakening of its inscriptions! ¡°This dragon is indeed rare in a thousand years, but it¡¯s just a Dragon King. If Zhu Minng hadn¡¯t been so arrogantly boastful, he actually had a chance to shine by using this Sword Spirit Dragon King to seize the resources he wanted, but inside Nine Army Tomb Mountain, there are still so many experts¡± An elder from the Azure Dragon Pce spoke up. ¡°To battle three great forces¡¯ Chief Big Disciples alone is already very strong!¡± ¡°Who would have thought that even after Zhu Minng transitioned to a Dragon Shepherd, he would still be so formidable.¡± All the major forces were outwardly admiring, but inside they were extremely ufortable. Those brocade boxes were still filled with their blood. Zhu Minng had already swept away who knows how many treasures with the signal fires, and now he was sweeping through the Nine Army Cemetery so domineeringly Most importantly, Wen Mengru, Ye Guang, and Huo Shangjun were clearly unable to take down the Sword Spirit Dragon. If others were directly scared off, wouldn¡¯t Zhu Minng end up monopolizing most of the resources? This was not what they had discussed before. The situation is not looking good at all!! ¡°Idiots, what are you standing there for, attack the Dragon Shepherd directly,¡± a man dressed in a Blue Dragon Robe shouted angrily from the highest point of the city tower. His words naturally couldn¡¯t reach as far as Nine Army Tomb Mountain, but fortunately, the members of the Royal Young Gang were not purely idiots. At this moment, the brothers Zhao Wu and Zhao Chen of the royal family had already ascended Tomb Mountain from another side. On Nine Army Tomb Mountain, Zhao Chen and Zhao Wu didn¡¯t take the frontal approach. Their clear target was Zhu Minng. The Sword Spirit Dragon was immensely powerful, enough to entangle Huo Shangjun, Ye Guang, and Wen Mengru. Zhao Chen and Zhao Wu could attack Zhu Minng directly. Even if the Sword Spirit Dragon came to his defense, Zhu Minng would still be caught in a pincer move Wasn¡¯t he the one who made the bold im to make everyone roll off Nine Army Tomb Mountain? Then it wasn¡¯t shameful for them to join forces first to eliminate him, this great threat. Moreover, the Zhao brothers came with a mission. They were after Zhu Minng¡¯s life! ¡°Imperial n Young Masters are also using such tactics??¡± At this time, someone on the Mysterious Wall had already seen the actions of the two men. ¡°This is not just a contest or sparring, it¡¯s a battle forpetition. If a Dragon Shepherd can¡¯t protect themselves well, it is a weakness in itself,¡± someone immediately retorted. Indeed, if a Dragon Shepherd couldn¡¯t protect themselves on the battlefield, they would die just the same. Fortunately, most Dragon Shepherds weren¡¯t loners, and within the teams they formed, there were often God and Mortals closely guarding them. As Zhao Chen and Zhao Wu were taking action, a woman with a veil over her face had already appeared near Zhu Minng. She quietly observed her surroundings, as if waiting for someone to fall into the trap. Zhu Minng saw Nan Lingsha and smiled, saying, ¡°Pick an opponent you find interesting, and leave the rest to me.¡± Nan Lingsha¡¯s eyes fell on Wen Mengru. Wen Mengru was on a slope of the mountain, under a huge rock, panting heavily. She grasped the hilt of her sword, from which blood was seeping out and turning into Blood Pearls, flying towards the Sword Spirit Dragon (There will be another chapterter around 12:30 Chapter 165 - 166 Sword Awakening (Part 2) Chapter 165: Chapter 166 Sword Awakening (Part 2) Trantor:549690339 Nan Lingsha withdrew her gaze. At that moment, she saw Zhu Minng¡¯s palm, which was covered in sword patterns emitting the light of azure blood! She nced again at the Sword Spirit Dragon, which had finally consumed thest bit of blood, the blood from the tiger¡¯s mouth of Wen Mengru, the Sword Master, just like the fresh blood that dripped onto the Sword Spirit when Zhu Minng practiced his swordy daily. Most of the time, the man before her gave Nan Lingsha the impression of being elegantly amiable, even reserved and casual, but at this moment, Zhu Minng¡¯s eyes seemed to ze with mes, making it impossible to look directly at him. The temperament he exuded underwent a tremendous change as the sword patterns spread, with a heroic aura that was sharp and unruly ¡°Let¡¯s see your true self then,¡± Nan Lingsha shook her head, indicating she had no intention of choosing any more opponents. Since these people had alle for Zhu Minng, let Zhu Minng take care of it himself. And Nan Lingsha knew that hering to protect him was actually somewhat superfluous. All she needed to do was to watch ¡°Fine.¡± ¡°I had thought I would never be able to wield a sword again in my life, but Mo Ye¡¯s existence has changed everything,¡± Zhu Minng said to Nan Lingsha. These words seemed more to be addressed to himself. Behind the General Statue on Tomb Mountain, two sneaky figures had already arrived. One of them was even holding a ck sword in his hand, a sword enveloped in dark mist, which also shrouded Zhao Wu in an eerie shadow. He was approaching Zhu Minng. He was also watching the Sword Spirit Dragon in the air. And Zhao Chen, trailing a bit behind, had a Bone Dragon in front of him, which was extremely sinister and even more terrifying in this tomb area. In size, the Bone Dragon was not huge, but the people on the Mysterious Wall could tell that it was a Bone Dragon Monarch! Another Monarch Level. It seems that those who dare to climb to the highest peak of Tomb Mountain all had Monarch Level strength! The Royal Family brothers had already set their hearts on attacking Zhu Minng; they did not want to waste their energy entangling with the Sword Spirit Dragon. They were very, very close to Zhu Minng! Finally, Zhao Wu made the first move. He swooped like a night pigeon, rapidly crossing by the General Statue, with his ck sword stirring up a ck wind of Sword Qi, making his move even more swift and strange! At the same time, the patterns on Zhu Minng¡¯s palm shone extremely bright. Knowing there was killing intent behind him, Zhu Minng did not turn around. He stretched out his hand and called out: ¡°Sword Spirit Dragon¡ªSword Awakening!¡± The Sword Spirit Dragon soared in the air; its sword body was so heated it seemed as though it had just been taken out of a forge. It flew towards Zhu Minng. It flew into Zhu Minng¡¯s hand! Zhu Minng grasped it tightly, and in an instant, a surge of Sword Power swept out from Zhu Minng as its epicenter. This Sword Power was not just any aura but more like a heat wave released from a forge. One could see the scorching hot Qi surge as if heavenly mes were plunging into the mortal world¡¯snd, overwhelming and turbulent, magnificent yet terrifying! Sword threads wrapped around Zhu Minng¡¯s arm. The sword patterns in his palm resonated with the inscriptions on the sword hilt; the Azure Blood Inscriptions sealed within the sword were now fully awakened at this moment! However, the power was no longer bursting forth from the Sword Spirit Dragon alone. The Sword Spirit Dragon and Zhu Minng had merged into one, with the soul of azure blood awakening as if within Zhu Minng¡¯s own spirit, the Ancient Sword vast, yet upon Zhu Minng¡¯s body! ¡°I am as ephemeral as an insect,¡± ¡°The Sword as vast as the heavens!¡± Zhu Minng intoned softly, yet in that instant, he elegantly chopped down towards his own back!! His swordy was clean and direct, without any deception, so familiar that it seemed branded into his soul. To others, it looked as though Zhu Minng stood still with his sword But he had already made his move, the Sword Power he shed out was like the dawn breaking, like the moonlight in the night sky. Zhao Wu, who came with a sneak attack, paled before Zhu Minng¡¯s stroke, and his motion abruptly halted when the sh swept over him! Frozen there, his chest revealed a red mark. Suddenly, the mark spouted blood mist, and those around could even hear the sound of the blood spraying, terribly startling. The ck sword fell from his hand, Zhao Wu knelt to the ground, his head buried down, motionless, but blood continued to spurt from his chest, staining arge swath of the ck soil before him. ¡°Crack!¡± That General Statue suddenly snapped at the trajectory of an upward sh. The enormous General Statue, its legs and the parts above the legs, began to slide away from each other. ¡°Boom!!!!!!!¡± The General Statue crashed down, causing a tremor in the Nine Army Tomb Mountain. On the Mysterious Wall, tens of thousands of people felt a chill in their souls at the same moment. The most prominent statue standing on the General Grave Mountain, a symbol in itself, was just cut down by one sword strike!!! And this person was none other than Zhu Minng, the fallen genius who challenged all forces! In the Nine Army Cemetery, Tomb Mountain towers high, and the position Zhu Minng stood at this moment was also the highest point. He stood there as if he had never made a move, but that simple backward sh left hundreds of thousands in the Imperial City in awe!! The wind gently swept, tangling the hair. While his momentum was like a rainbow, the surrounding air flow remained as serene as before. Wen Mengru¡¯s heart couldn¡¯t calm down for a long time; she could feel the power of that sword, yet the sword was so fast that not even the wind could react!! To train in swordsmanship, one starts by creating a sword wind. That is, the strength and speed of the sword are enough to drive the air flow, forming a strong sword wind that howls past. But Zhu Minng¡¯s sword, despite having ripped open Zhao Wu¡¯s chest and having severed the General Statue, despite possessing enough force to cause a storm with the sword Qi, stirred no air waves and didn¡¯t send the winds into disarray Wen Mengru took a deep breath. She gripped the sword in her hand a bit tighter, despite the pain in her palm, but as a Sword Master, such injuries were trivial. Sword Masters rely not just on their Cultivation Base. But also on their Sword Territory. Those with deep realms, even if they only use Lord Level strength, can contend with Monarch Level Powerhouses. Once, when Wen Mengru asked her elder sister why she lost so miserably even though her Cultivation Base was not weak, her sister told her that Zhu Minng¡¯s Sword Territory was exceedingly high. If he could further precipitate and enhance his cultivation, even she would not be Zhu Minng¡¯s opponent. But at that time, Zhu Minng was only seventeen years old. Previously, she knew nothing about what Sword Territory meant. Now she understood, she wanted even more to know just how much she differed from him! Wen Mengru walked towards the highest point of Tomb Mountain. Since Zhu Minng took up his sword again. She should fight again even more so! ¡°Perhaps, just as he said, we alone could no longer defeat him, but there are some things I will not surrender without a fight!¡± Huo Shangjun said in a deep voice. Ye Guang of Godly Mortal Academy nced at the wound on his shoulder. It wasn¡¯t very deep. Simrly, his gaze was fixed on Zhu Minng. In Godly Mortal Academy, no one was more dazzling than him Nor was there anyone in the Imperial City! He once again ascended Tomb Mountain. At the same time, other powerhouses who were confident in their might also climbed the mountain. What Zhu Minng wanted was for all of them to scram, and now that he had demonstrated immense strength, the best course of action was for everyone to join forces to deal with Zhu Minng first! The spiritual resources of so many forces, how could they possibly go to Zhu Minng alone. Only by killing Zhu Minng could they slowly fight each other. The genius of the forces, they wouldn¡¯t ept it. Even more so, people were not willing to let Zhu Minng monopolize everything! For a moment, all the disciples, Big Disciples, Chiefs, or those who had always concealed their strength from the forces in the Nine Army Tomb Mountain surged towards the peak of Tomb Mountain! Zhu Minng¡¯s one sword had made everyone realize that he was the biggest threat. More importantly, he had already dered before that he was the enemy of them all! Chapter 166 - 167 Sword Meteor Sword Technique Chapter 166: Chapter 167 Sword Meteor Sword Technique Trantor: 549690339 Nan Lingsha looked at the crowd on the hillside, her brows furrowed as she approached. The number of people in the Nine Army Tomb Mountain was more than imagined, and they clearly wouldn¡¯t easily give up any of the brocade boxes here. ¡°Roar!!!!!¡± Dragons roared, with an unknown number of Dragon Shepherds among them. For a time, the hillside was upied by the silhouettes of Giant Dragons and Ancient Dragons, while the sky above was circled by many Azure Dragons! The roars were deafening, and as their target was Zhu Minng at the top of the hill, the Dragon Beasts rushed toward the summit while spewing breath at it! As the dragons exhaled, different colors of energy could be seen erupting in Tomb Mountain! mes, frost breath, light-extinguishing breath, thunderous roars, quivering roars, sonic booms The colorful breaths of destruction interwove above Tomb Mountain into a terrifying spectacle. Facing the baptism of the Dragon Beasts¡¯ breaths, Zhu Minng swung his sword towards the air. This time his sword strokes seemed somewhat slow, more like he was tracing a certain shape with his sword. ¡°Bagua Sword!¡± As Zhu Minngpleted his final stroke, a blue pattern suddenly emerged in the air where his sword traces had passed, forming what looked exactly like a Bagua tform. Nan Lingsha watched the sword traces with some surprise. Wasn¡¯t this the very Bagua Stone tform she had drawn in front of the Yaoshan Sword Sect Vi? But Zhu Minng had drawn it in the air with his swordsmanship, and the Bagua Shield formed by the sword traces was even more stunning! The Bagua Sword Formation looked like a huge mirror barrier, blocking all the breaths and roars beneath this sword technique. It was evident that the surging elemental energy, War Skills vibrations, and Profound Art impacts were all mixed together, forming a wild power storm about ten meters in front of Zhu Minng, and yet Zhu Minng within the Bagua Sword Shield remained unharmed. ¡°Ao!!!!!¡± The Golden Dome Dragon was above Tomb Mountain, right above Zhu Minng¡¯s head. Its tail fell and started to stir vigorously. Turning Rivers and Oceans! The Golden Dome Dragon was using its Azure Dragon Mystics. Even though there was not a drop of water here, what the Golden Dome Dragon stirred wasn¡¯t real rivers and oceans, but atmospheric rivers and wind seas, which constitute everything in heaven and earth! Golden currents roiled. Golden wind waves swept through. The Azure Dragon Mystics of the Golden Dome Dragon surpassed all the Dragon Beasts¡¯ breaths, its power even stronger than the sum of all the Lord-level Dragon Beasts. One could see the heavy sarcophagi in the Nine Army Tomb Mountain, the giant rocks, and the standing statues unable to withstand such surging. They rolled without any order, crashing into each other, some even directly shattered! Zhu Minng was right at the center of the Golden Dome Dragon¡¯s Azure Dragon Mystics. The Bagua energy around him finally dimmed a bit, being dissolved by the Golden Dome Dragon¡¯s Mystics. However, he didn¡¯t seem worried at all. He nced at the approaching crowd of dragons and people, then looked at Nan Lingsha. ¡°Actually, the Swords Descend Formation is not a Formation, but Swordsmanship,¡± Zhu Minng told Nan Lingsha. ¡°Watch carefully, this is the first sword!¡± Zhu Minng naturally knew that Nan Lingsha could only replicate four swords of the Swords Descend Formation not because her Realm was not high enough, but because she had misunderstood the true essence of the Swords Descend Formation! Nan Lingsha¡¯s eyes were bright, yet they were also focused intently on him. The Swords Descend Formation was one of the few powerful forces she had mastered, and she too harbored many doubts in her heart. After all, just by unleashing the power of four swords in the Swords Descend Formation, she had already managed to overpower Yun Zhonghe, the Chief Big Disciple of the Yaoshan Sword Sect. If she could trulyprehend the essence and soul of this Swords Descend Formation, this painting could exert even greater extremes! The first sword. It was a Giant Sword. The Sword Spirit Dragon in Zhu Minng¡¯s hands was not one of those massively heavy swords. But as Zhu Minng held up the sword with one hand, Nan Lingsha saw a colossal shadow emerge behind him, rising like a mountain peak. The sword shadow was mountain-like, with a terrifying presence! Zhu Minng finally brought the sword down, and above the Sky Dome, a true mountain peak sword shadow fell like thunder. The mountain peak sword shadow plunged straight down, passing right over the body of the Golden Dome Dragon, which seemed to be crushed by the mountain¡¯s back and plummeted towards the earth! The mountain peak sword shadow fell on the hillside, standing like a monument, carrying a certain suppressive force. For a moment, the Ancient Dragon and Giant Dragons charging through the hillsides seemed to bear the weight of Mount Tai, moving with great difficulty, unable to withstand the pressure of the Sword Qi and lying prostrate on the ground! The oppressive feeling swept over; as the sword shadow of the mountain peak stood firm, many Dragon Shepherds fell on the slopes of Tomb Mountain. Each one of them, like their Dragon Beasts, seemed to be burdened with massive stone swords. No matter how resolute they were, none could escape the suppression of the sword shadow! ¡°This is the second sword,¡± Zhu Minng spoke again. The second sword was pointed out. The slender and delicate sword de, like a white qi serpent, swiftly struck from the highest point of Tomb Mountain and transformed into a white python in Nan Lingsha¡¯s eyes! The python twisted its body, sweeping in all directions, agile and powerful, and it could be seen that the Flying Dragons circling in the air were swept down by the Sword Qi Python! Many Dragon Trainers, while on the backs of their Flying Dragons, had escaped the first sword¡¯s mountain peak shadow because they were in the air, but unexpectedly, Zhu Minng¡¯s second sword came swiftly, and the Sword Qi Python was truly like a Heavenly God Python, the vast sky could not amodate any Dragon Beast to circle! ¡°The third sword!¡± Zhu Minng suddenly withdrew his sword, and the force of this withdrawal caused Tomb Mountain to tremble. Nan Lingsha noticed that there were countless strands of Qi on Zhu Minng¡¯s sword, which seemed to suck all the air around them as he pulled the sword back with great speed. Then, a terrifying Sword Howl appeared on Nine Army Tomb Mountain, like thousands upon thousands of troops thundered from afar, or as if a true tsunami was rolling over, all those in its midst felt dizzy and disoriented, as if their internal organs were dislocated and they suffered greatly! ¡°The fourth sword!¡± As Zhu Minng uttered lightly. Nine Army Tomb Mountain¡¯s nine Tomb Mountain peaks somehow exhibited countless terrifying cracks, and from atop the Mysterious Wall and watchtowers, the Nine Army Tomb Mountain looked as though it had been torn apart by something, some areas even revealing startling fissures! On the watchtower, Yun Zhonghe, the Chief Big Disciple of the Yaoshan Sword Sect, was already stunned. He looked at the Nine Army Tomb Mountain ripped open by Zhu Minng¡¯s fourth sword, then slowly turned his gaze to his uncle, Wu Feng, beside him. Nobody had ever told him that the Swords Descend Formation was a Sword Technique! Zhu Minng¡¯s each sword clearly disyed the characteristics of each Ancient Sword within the Swords Descend Formation Giant Sword, Cloud Sword, Sword Howl, Sword Tear! The Swords Descend Formation that Nan Lingsha originally painted, the four sword shadows that emerged were clearly off, but now Zhu Minng has unleashed the true power of the Swords Descend Formation! Chapter 167 - 168: Roll Out of Respect Chapter 167: Chapter 168: Roll Out of Respect Trantor: 549690339 ¡°Why has no one ever told me¡± Yun Zhonghe finally uttered these words. Having witnessed Zhu Minng¡¯s swordsmanship, Yun Zhonghe realized just how naive his own sword techniques were. Each of Zhu Minng¡¯s strikes carried an overwhelming momentum. Every move he made was like a tsunami. On the Nine Army Tomb Mountain, with so many disciples and over a hundred Lord Level Dragon Beasts, not a single one stood at the same pinnacle as Zhu Minng, who alone halted their advance, and up till now, no one has reached the same peak as him. As the Hall Master of Yaoshan Sword Sect, Wu Feng¡¯s face was no less filled with astonishment than Yun Zhonghe at this moment. In fact, after seeing this scene, his desire was to fly back to Yaoshan Sword Sect and then wake up the Elder Sword Sovereign who¡¯s always feigning sleep, and loudly demand why no one had ever told him that the Swords Descend Formation was swordsmanship! Yes, as a Hall Master, Wu Feng also didn¡¯t know this. Just witnessing Zhu Minng unleashing the Sword Meteor Sword Technique, the shock in his heart was no less than what Yun Zhonghe felt. ¡°He has released the fifth and sixth swords!¡± While Wu Feng felt heartbroken, his gaze couldn¡¯t move away from Zhu Minng. At this moment, Zhu Minng had swung both the fifth and the sixth swords. These two strikes were executed simultaneously. They were the Gemini Swords! One thunder, one fire. The Thunder Sword danced like a storm of thunder, forcing Huo Shangjun¡¯s two Dragon Kings into a relentless retreat. The Fire Sword erupted like a volcano, causing the Dragon Trainers of the Royal Young Gang to suffer unbearably. The seventh sword, Zhu Minng aimed at Wen Mengru. Wen Mengru was already very close to him. As the Chief Disciple of Miao Mountain Sword Sect and of Monarch Level cultivation, her power was nothing those n offspring down the mountain couldpare with. She was also among the few who managed to survive through Zhu Minng¡¯s six swords. Of course, it wasn¡¯t that she had blocked Zhu Minng¡¯s six swords but rather, those six swords were aimed at all those on Nine Army Tomb Mountain who refused to scram, nearly a hundred people, with even more dragons! Wen Mengru¡¯s eyes were sharp; her swordsmanship was quick and ruthless. It was she who shattered the lingering Bagua energy traces in front of Zhu Minng and shed head-on with him. Zhu Minng, seizing the moment, released the seventh sword, which had an extremely terrifying piercing power, and the speed of the sword was as swift as lightning! ¡°Shua!¡± Wen Mengru was quick to react, judging the angle of Zhu Minng¡¯s strike with precision. She immediately held her sword horizontally, using the tough back of the de to block. The back of the de was aligned perfectly, just at the position to meet Zhu Minng¡¯s sword tip, and Wen Mengru, somewhat pale, finally mustered a smile on her cheeks. She nned to turn defense into offense, taking advantage of the moment Zhu Minng¡¯s palm would be numbed by the shock from her sword¡¯s back! She spun her body in line with her sword, intending to avoid the residual force of Zhu Minng¡¯s strike. Just as she extended her arms, ready to use the Moonlight sh, she suddenly felt an inexplicable weakness spread through her body, as if a dancer had fainted amidst a grand performance The motion to sh halted halfway. Wen Mengru couldn¡¯t even stand steadily and copsed onto the ground, her arms too weak to lift. She nced at her hand, only to notice a gaping hole in her arm from which blood was pouring out, a hole she hadn¡¯t realized was there before. Meanwhile, in the corner of her eye, she saw a simr hole in the distant Mysterious Wall, that hole brought terror to the thousands above it, causing them to flee in panic! Half a cityy between here and the Mysterious Wall Wen Mengru gripped the sword in her hand tightly, unwilling to let go. But her arm began to lose sensation, and she lifted her gaze to look at Zhu Minng in front of her, her eyes filled with resentment and a touch of disbelief! Thest time they truly faced each other, Zhu Minng had defeated her in three moves. This time Would that be considered just a single sword strike? Even though their cultivation bases don¡¯t differ much, even if Zhu Minng had fully possessed the Sword Spirit Dragon¡¯s cultivation base at this moment, his realm wouldn¡¯t have reached the High Rank King Level, so how could he overpower someone at the same level sopletely?? Could this be the Sword Territory?? How many realms apart are they actually!! Wen Mengru felt a bitter taste, realizing that in the end, she still hadn¡¯t understood this point. This was the seventh sword. The only one attacked was Wen Mengru. It was just the hole in Wen Mengru¡¯s arm that made it difficult for her to wield her sword again. She realized she was too close to Zhu Minng. If she kept her distance, she might still have a chance to maneuver. In close-quarter sword fighting, swinging with full force, victory or defeat is quickly decided. Zhu Minng had already executed the seventh sword of the Sword Meteor Sword Technique, and Nan Lingsha watched very intently. Each of his strikes was breathtaking, each one unforgettable. ¡°I¡¯m a bit rusty now, I can only execute seven swords at most,¡± Zhu Minng calmly inhaled and took some time to regte his breath. However, during his brief respite, the slope of Tomb Mountain was already littered with copsed Dragon Trainers and Divine and Mortal beings. Some of themy in the ck soil as if dead, motionless. Yet, there were no excessively fatal wounds on their bodies. Zhu Minng¡¯s first six swords had been a vast cleansing sweep of sword strikes, mainly intended to make all of them choose to retreat rather than for ughter. Those who had fainted, those spitting white foam, those paralyzed by fear, those with loose bones This sweeping attack made those lingering around Nine Army Tomb Mountain finally realize the stark disparity in strength. No matter how tempting the brocade box was, they had lost the will topete for it. Of course, the sense of defeat was the most painful. All were disciples, the younger generation. Why could he alone crush so many? All were cultivators, yet Zhu Minng seemed like a warlord on the battlefield, with everyone else merely ordinary soldiers. The taste of being overwhelmed by one against many would spread within their hearts and brutally erode their firm and obstinate will to practice! ¡°I choose to scram, what about you guys?¡± said one of the young members from the small Family Door that had first encountered Zhu Minng in Stone City. At that time, they were stillpeting with disciples from Wu Zong for the contract in Runyu City. Seeing the strength of the Ice Morning White Dragon, they immediately turned and fled, narrowly escaping disaster. And this time, entering the chaos of Nine Army Cemetery Mountain was just a gamble on luck. When they saw arge group of people rushing toward Tomb Mountain, they thought some treasure had descended and ran up the mountain simply out of curiosity. So many people, so many dragons, they weren¡¯t really afraid. Who knew it would turn out to be such a scene. Last time they rolled away with a bit of reluctance. This time, they rolled away with a sense of relief, and even because they went up slower and were farther away, they weren¡¯t as heavily injured as those higher up the slope, feeling a tiny bit of luck. But in the area that Zhu Minng¡¯s gaze could reach, they didn¡¯t dare to stay for a moment! Many people were reluctant to leave. But what can reluctance do. This battlefield was no longer for small characters like them. Moreover, Wen Mengru, the Chief of Miao Mountain Sword Sect, was also defeated, wasn¡¯t she, as a person with Monarch Level cultivation?? Chapter 168 - 169 Monarch-Level Siege Chapter 168: Chapter 169 Monarch-Level Siege Trantor: 549690339 ¡°Those below Monarch Level should just give up their wishful thinking.¡± ¡°Might as well circle around the perimeter. Perhaps there are still some overlooked brocade boxes.¡± ¡°Brother, aren¡¯t you leaving? Could it be that you¡¯re also a concealed Monarch Level Powerhouse?¡± ¡°My legs are numb.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± ¡°Is there any kind soul to lift me up? I¡¯m trapped under a stone coffin¡± said a weak voice from the crack in the ground. City Tower High Pavilion At the splendid seating area, a man in a blue dragon robe with goat¡¯s beard showed a gloomy expression on his face. An Jingshan coldly watched Zhu Minng, who was brilliantly shining atop Tomb Mountain, as if he wanted to kill him with his gaze, his eyes filled with venomous resentment! He thought that the current Zhu Minng was nothing more than a minor character. He believed it would suffice to have Zhao Yin Ge and his people take action. Zhao Yin Ge had grievances with Zhu Minng, so such matters would not lead to suspicions about himself. Who knew that after Zhu Minng became a Dragon Shepherd, he would obtain such a rare creature as the Sword Spirit Dragon. Sword Master needs cultivation base. Without the cultivation base, no matter how advanced the Swordsmanship or how extraordinary the realm, it would still be limited to the level of a Martial Schr. But the existence of the Sword Spirit Dragon gave Zhu Minng a Sword Cultivator¡¯s cultivation level, even if just a bit. Given Zhu Minng¡¯s past training and his realm, he could unleash infinite power! Moreover, the cultivation level of the Sword Spirit Dragon was Monarch Level. ¡°This Sword Spirit Dragon is rare in the world. Zhu Minng can be said to be blessed in disguise¡± The Imperial Concubine said with a smile on her face. ¡°Indeed, Dragon Shepherd is inherently weak. Without a dragon, it is indeed far lesspared to a God and Mortal. But it seems that this Sword Spirit Dragon can merge with its owner¡¯s blood, making Zhu Minng, who is originally a Sword Master, even more powerful than some God and Mortal!¡± said a Mr. Hou. ¡°What does King An think?¡± the Imperial Concubine asked. An Jingshan, on the surface, showed amazement and admiration. He opened his mouth and said, ¡°In my opinion, this Sword Spirit possession probably cannot be done at all times. Zhu Minng should still be a Dragon Shepherd Even so, to disy such strength and exceptionalness at critical moments is enough to surpass everything.¡± As they were speaking,ughter emanated from the stairs. The personughing heartily carried a bit of arrogance, even some deliberate showiness. The one who cameughing was Zhu Heavenly Officer. Finally, after arranging everything, Zhu Heavenly Officer had time toe and watch the battle here. But this one look filled Zhu Heavenly Officer with immense joy. When hundreds of good swords suddenly disappeared from the Sword Casting Hall, Zhu Heavenly Officer has always been puzzled, wondering how Zhu Minng managed to take away so many swords, and what did he do with them? Now he finally understood. It turned out that there was such a dragon by Zhu Minng¡¯s side. Moreover, the existence of this Sword Spirit Dragon meant that Zhu Minng¡¯s once invincible sword cultivation did not have to bepletely abolished due to practicing the Art of Dragon Shepherd. Even more so, in the near future, Zhu Minng might surpass the realms that were once unreachable as a Divine and Mortal, relying on this situation. Such an exciting scene was exactly what Zhu Heavenly Officer saw. It¡¯s better to arrive at the right time than early. Various major forces were restraining Zhu Gate and wanted to use thispetition to suppress Zhu Gate¡¯s further expansion beyond the Imperial City, so they came up with this strategy, integrating the contest within the grandpetition Thinking that Zhu Gate had no one. Little did they know that Zhu Minng alone shone brighter than the vast majority of forces! The major forces could be said to have lost their wives and lost their armies! ¡°What a transformation from adversity to life, worthy of being my son, Zhu Heavenly Officer. As a Divine and Mortal, his brilliance was dazzling, and even switching to bing a Dragon Shepherd, he is still radiant!¡± Zhu Heavenly Officer¡¯s face never lost its smile. At this time, many people also began to echo along. Zhu Heavenly Officer took special notice of An Jingshan. He discovered that this old fox hadn¡¯t slipped up at all. An Jingshan stood for King An, the Emperor¡¯s brother of a different surname, who had also made contributions to the Supreme Court Imperial Dynasty. Zhu Heavenly Officer now clearly understood who his enemy was, though he hadn¡¯t expected it to be someone of King An¡¯s stature. No wonder those elders from the various forces dared to be so rampant, even deliberately cing the Contract Book of Li Chuan Continent within the mechanism city¡­ But Zhu Gate was not to be trifled with. The assault of the enemy hadn¡¯t inflicted any substantial damage upon him, but that was because Zhu Minng was formidable. They indeed trampled on the dignity of Zhu Gate! Zhu Heavenly Officer would certainly return the favor doubly! ¡°Now only disciples with Monarch level strength are left, I wonder if they can take down Zhu Minng by joining forces,¡± said Mr. Hou. ¡°It¡¯s hard to say, after all, Zhu Minng¡¯s Sword Territory is quite close to that of Xuehen¡¯s,¡± the Imperial Concubine obviously favored Zhu Minng more. ¡°Pu Hanrong has not yet made a move, his strength is not inferior to Huo Shangjun.¡± ¡°He Qingqian¡¯s strength should not be underestimated either; thisdy is someone I have always wanted to recruit into my doors,¡± said Mr. Hou. ¡°Why is Zhao Chen still waiting? Is he scared after seeing his own brother, Zhao Wu, start to fear?¡± ¡­ At the Nine Army Cemetery, on Tomb Mountain, there were very few people left who wanted to continue thepetition. Those who had not reached Monarch level strength naturally withdrew from this battlefield. The tempting brocaded boxes were left untouched, as none dared to im them, especially since those Generals¡¯ likenesses possessed offensive capabilities. Zhu Minng surveyed the area, noticing that the number of people who reached this summit wasn¡¯t small. This was rather surprising to him, as he hadn¡¯t expected that so many disciples from the major forces would have reached the Monarch level; not to mention some proud geniuses who disdained such struggles in the Imperial City and devoted themselves to the path. ¡°It¡¯s quite bothersome, I, Pu Hanrong, do not like this kind of fighting, the many against the few. But it can¡¯t be helped, my brother has repeatedly entrusted me to take the Contract Book of Li Chuan Continent, if you are willing to let me have this one, I can back out,¡± said Pu Hanrong,ing forward with a smile. ¡°Who¡¯s your brother?¡± asked Zhu Minng. ¡°Pu Shiming, one of the heads of our Pu n, Hall Master of Purple Sect n, and an Orderer of Li Chuan Continent,¡± replied Pu Hanrong. ¡°If he¡¯s an Orderer, why then does he covet Li Chuan Continent?¡± asked Zhu Minng. ¡°That I do not know,¡± said Pu Hanrong. ¡°In fact, I am a very reasonable person¡­¡± said Zhu Minng to Pu Hanrong, ¡°For instance, when Ick confidence, I am certainly open to negotiation. Unfortunately, today I feel quite confident.¡± ¡°So there is no room for negotiation?¡± asked Pu Hanrong. ¡°It¡¯s more than that; you still have time to leave, or else the brocaded boxes you¡¯ve collected with such effort will also be mine.¡± Zhu Minng smiled radiantly. Pu Hanrong¡¯s face darkened. No wonder Ye Guang said that he had never seen such a punch-deserving person in his life. This guy was indeed outrageously arrogant! ¡°Pu Hanrong, there is no need to discuss these matters with him at this time. He is nothing but an arrogant bastard. If we all join forces against him, he won¡¯t be able to fend us off!¡± At this moment, Zhao Chen of the Royal Family spoke up. By Zhao Chen¡¯s side, the Bone Dragon had not yet made a move. It was as if he was waiting for the high-ranking Monarch level experts from the major forces to gather. After all, he had witnessed with his own eyes how his brother Zhao Wu had his chest pierced by a sword! (Did I forget to ask for monthly votes) (Asking now, do you all still have any votes left?) (How did a month go by so quickly? Buried in writing every day, time sure flies) Chapter 169 - 170: Talisman Master He Qingqian Chapter 169: Chapter 170: Talisman Master He Qingqian Trantor: 549690339 Zhu Minng lowered his sword. His gaze was locked on Zhao Chen, who also felt Zhu Minng¡¯s intense hostility. The sinister Bone Dragon suddenly let out a roar, and suddenly, the tombs and stone coffins on Nine Army Tomb Mountain began to shake inexplicably, with weird threads of deathly aura seeping out from the cracks in the tombs and from within the coffins, drifting towards them. The aura of death was thick, turning the Bone Dragon¡¯s bones pitch ck and terrifying, its pair of green, ghostly eyes even more unnerving. The Dark Bone Dragon, having absorbed the deathly essence of Nine Army Tomb Mountain, had be even more powerful. Its wings spread open, pping out a breath of decay from within its bony wings, sweeping towards Zhu Minng. Enveloped in the intense poison of decay, Zhu Minng tried to disperse this strange substance with his sword wind, but these tendrils of decay were clearly not ordinary miasma; they spread and crept unaffected by any influence Caught in its midst, Zhu Minng only felt a stinging sensation on his skin, which quickly turned into a burning feeling, as if he was immersed in a liquid capable of dissolving human flesh. Zhu Minng leaped to higher ground, escaping the ineradicable poison gas, and in mid-air, several Dragon Kings were already waiting for him. The tail of the Purple Cloud Dragon struck like a steel whip, swift and fierce. Zhu Minng stepped through the air, dodging the attack of the Purple Cloud Dragon. The Purple Cloud Dragon and the Golden Dome Dragon, true to their name of Dragon Kings, still had robust fighting strength despite being injured multiple times, and Zhu Minng was evading the pincer attack from the two Dragon Kings in mid-air. Soon after, the Dark Bone Dragon took to the skies as well, spewing out Undead Poison Rain towards Zhu Minng. ¡°sh Dragon Sword!¡± Zhu Minng¡¯s body glided backward, evading the unavoidable poison rain. Once the rain thinned out, he merged with the Sword Spirit Dragon, transforming into a striking dragon that spanned a thousand meters He moved like an Azure Dragon, swift as lightning, evading the Purple Cloud Dragon and the Golden Dome Dragon while simultaneously piercing through the Dark Bone Dragon! The Dark Bone Dragon¡¯s wings of decay were pierced by his sword and instantly shattered in mid-air. Zhu Minng seemed to teleport as he appeared behind the Dark Bone Dragon. Moonlight sh! One could see Zhu Minng drawing his sword behind his back, the heated de producing an astonishing arc of cold moonlight, powered by a tremendous shing force. Zhu Minng¡¯s Moonlight sh was a swift sword technique, and after a sh of cold moon, another full moon sh appeared, followed by sword rays with different lunar arcs, shining rapidly one after another. Every single moon sh Zhu Minng delivered was aimed at the Dark Bone Dragon, which was knocked from the sky down to the ground, enduring countless terrifying moonlight shes along the way! ¡°Ha!¡± With the final chop, there was a slight pause from Zhu Minng, but the cold sword light he carved on the ground was incredibly shocking. It not only sliced through the body of the Dark Bone Dragon but also sheared off the top of Tomb Mountain. The deathly aura shrouding the Dark Bone Dragon waspletely dispersed, and its body, broken into several pieces, fell in different ces. At that moment, the decayed poisonous gas also dissipated. Zhu Minng stood on the ttened summit of Tomb Mountain only to see a petite woman who had appeared there without him noticing. She smiled at him, leaving Zhu Minng unsure of her intention. Looking down, he realized that his surroundings were silently covered with Thousand-weight talismans! These talismans didn¡¯t need to adhere to him directly; they just had to hover close to the ground to create a field of heavy gravitational force in the nearby area. An ordinary person standing within it would feel as if they were carrying the weight of a thousand jin of iron shackles. There were eight thousand-weight talismans, perfectly arranged around Zhu Minng in all eight directions. By the time Zhu Minng realized he had stepped into the woman¡¯s talisman array, it was toote to escape. The weight of eight thousand catties made his movements somewhat difficult. ¡°Talisman Master,¡± Zhu Minng frowned slightly. ¡°Talisman Master He Qingqian, at your service,¡± He Qingqian bowed slightly as she introduced herself. But as He Qingqian gave a curt bow, she reached into the air and produced several explosive talismans, tossing them unceremoniously towards Zhu Minng¡¯s location! The explosive talismans may have looked like ordinary yellow paper, but as the symbols on them burst into light, they detonated instantly,parable to sulfur barrels used for sting in mines!! ¡°Boom boom boom!!!!!¡± Zhu Minng was unable to dodge and, burdened by the thousand-weight talisman, found it difficult to unleash the Bagua Sword Qi. Fortunately, Zhu Minng had a valuable treasure on his person, the Charming Shadow Clothes he had pilfered from Fourth Young Master Du Cheng of Zong Pce. Like a cloak, the Charming Shadow Clothes appeared behind Zhu Minng, and at the same time, his figure became shadowy like a ghost The thousand-weight talisman immediately lost its effect, and Zhu Minng quickly moved out of the bombing range of the explosive talismans. ¡°Miss He, do you have a Gold Helmet Talisman for my Golden Dome Dragon?¡± Huo Shangjun asked. ¡°I do!¡± He Qingqian raised her hand, and a golden talisman flew into the air,nding on the scales of the Golden Dome Dragon. The symbols within the talisman shimmered, and soon all of the Golden Dome Dragon¡¯s scales shone brighter, enveloped in a faint golden shell that made the dragon appear like a true Azure Dragon, forged from gold and supremely majestic! Covered by the Gold Helmet, the Golden Dome Dragon dived, its ws reaching for Zhu Minng with golden lightning shing at its tips! Facing the imposing Golden Dome Dragon, Zhu Minng did not retreat an inch. He swung his sword fiercely into the air, and a tremendous Sword Qi Hong emerged, attacking like an ancient Sacred Beast lunging towards the Golden Dome Dragon. Forced back by the Sword Qi Hong, the Golden Dome Dragon circled in midair before flipping again, using its entire strength to m its Dragon Tail down onto the summit of Tomb Mountain Zhu Minng stepped back and saw the Dragon Tail sweeping down, shattering the ground to dust. ¡°Ao!!!!!!!¡± The Purple Cloud Dragon let out a roar, unleashing the Cloud Sea Mystique! A massive expanse of white clouds surged tumultuously, seemingly a benign white fog, yet more terrifying than rolling boulders. The vast cloud sea surged towards Zhu Minng, dreadfully powerful! Zhu Minng realized that if he did not deal with these two Dragon Lords, they would indeed pose a significant trouble for him. He turned around and struck with his sword. The Sword Qi was like a huge tsunami, shing with the Purple Cloud Dragon¡¯s Cloud Sea Mystique. The entire Nine Army Tomb Mountain began to shake violently, as if it could copse at any moment. Zhu Minng¡¯s Sword Howl proved superior, pushing back the Purple Cloud Dragon. Suddenly, he flew towards the Golden Dome Dragon and delivered a Mountain Splitting Sword strike to its tail! Even mountain ranges would be cleaved in two. Zhu Minng expended his full strength this time, shattering the Golden Helmet Talisman armor and severing the Golden Dome Dragon¡¯s tail outright!! Chapter 170 - 171 Canopy Sword Chapter 170: Chapter 171 Canopy Sword Trantor:549690339 Having executed that strike, Zhu Minng didn¡¯t pause to regte his breath. He directly stepped on the severed tail that had fallen, leaping up and instantly reaching hundreds of meters into the sky. While suspended in the air, he drew his sword and pointed it towards the earth. The sky darkened, and suddenly, Zhu Minng vanished from everyone¡¯s sight. Looking up, all they could see was the darkening sky seemingly pressing down, giving off an oppressive feeling that made it hard to breathe. ¡°Canopy Sword!¡± A high-pitched voice came from the sky; the gloomy firmament seemed to copse instantly, and people like Huo Shangjun, Pu Hanrong, He Qingqian, Zhao Chen, Fu Xumei, and Ye Guang in Tomb Mountain showed expressions of shock. The people on the city walls and Mysterious Walls only saw Zhu Minng falling sword-first from above. Despite the astonishing sight, they couldn¡¯t feel the power of the strike. It was only the ones inside Nine Army Tomb Mountain who were truly under the Canopy Sword; what they saw was the sky crashing down upon them, enveloping the surrounding world in darkness, facing annihtion and fragmentation!! Soon, even those far away began to feel the destructive force of the sword because all nine peaks of the Nine Army Tomb Mountain had crumbled¡­ The tailless Golden Dome Dragon, with its gold helmetpletely shattered and golden scales pulverized, fell from the blood-soaked skies. The Purple Cloud Dragon didn¡¯t escape unscathed either, as it was battered by the Canopy Sword. As for Zhao Chen¡¯s Dark Bone Dragon, which was capable of reassembling its bones, it had only recently been chopped into several pieces by Zhu Minng. This didn¡¯t cause fatal damage to the Bone Dragon, which could reconstitute its body after absorbing some death energy¡­ But just as it had painstakingly reformed its skeletal shape, the Canopy Sword crushed its newly fitted bones again, causing the Dark Bone Dragon to copse into several segments once more! The Talisman Master He Qingqian was in utter panic. In her view, everything seemed to be getting crushed by the vault of heaven. Not only was there endless darkness around her, but a force of destruction was also advancing towards her. She unleashed all the protective talismans she could use. One could see threeyers of talisman light sheltering her: the Gold Helmet Talisman Armor, Water Defense Talisman Shield, and Earth Rock Talisman Eaves Yet with eachyer of defensive talisman that disappeared, her face grew more and more panic-stricken! Ye Guang was already injured. He didn¡¯t want to exit the battle like this, enduring the pain in his shoulder as he continued to fight. An enormous wind barrier formed around him, protecting him within, but sweat still covered his forehead, indicating he was having a hard time holding up. ¡­ Nine Army Tomb Mountain was in a state of utter ruin. It was only then that the disciples who had already fled from Nine Army Tomb Mountain realized that Zhu Minng had been holding back before. If he had used the Canopy Sword earlier, many would likely have lost their lives. They then looked at the Monarch Level Powerhouses on top of the military tomb peaks of Nine Army Cemetery, struggling to withstand the pressure. ¡°Zhu Minng¡¯s Sword Territory is truly higher. The power of that strike, I¡¯m afraid, reaches a Middle-level Monarch Level Divine and Mortal,¡± Wu Feng of Yaoshan Sword Sect remarked from the city wall. With a high level in the Sword Territory, even if one¡¯s Cultivation Base hasn¡¯t reached Middle-level Monarch Level, they can still match them in battle. ¡°Middle-level?¡± Yun Zhonghe asked, puzzled. ¡°Although we generally ssify each level into Lower, Upper, and Peak, once reaching Monarch Level, there are actually wider degrees of hierarchy, much like riverspared to oceans. Rivers can be sufficiently described in three categories, but oceans, not quite so. Normally, at Monarch Level, we make a more detailed distinction into five rankings: Quasi-positional, Lower, Middle-level, Upper, and Peak,¡± Wu Feng exined to Yun Zhonghe. Yun Zhonghe¡¯s Cultivation Base was only at Peak King Level. While his Sword Territory allowed him to barely exchange a few blows with those at Quasi-positional Monarch Level, there was still a huge gap between him and a true Monarch Level. That Sword Spirit Dragon, based on its Cultivation Base, should be at Lower Monarch Level. But Zhu Minng¡¯s Sword Territory was very high, enabling him to unleash a mightparable to that of a Middle-level Monarch Level. Such was the power of the Canopy Sword! The chief disciples from the major forces on Tomb Mountain and extraordinary talents like He Qingqian, in essence, only have cultivation bases at the Quasi-positional Monarch level and Lower Monarch level. Naturally, they found it very difficult to withstand Zhu Minng¡¯s Canopy Sword! ¡°In fact, Zhu Minng and that Sword Spirit Dragon probably still need more coordination. I remember when Zhu Minng¡¯s cultivation was at the Lower Monarch level, he actually crossed swords with those at the High Monarch level, although he couldn¡¯t win¡± Wu Feng continued to say. When Zhu Minng first left the mountains, it was Wu Feng who took him to ¡°kindly visit¡± the various powerful forces. Wu Feng was very familiar with Zhu Minng¡¯s strength. But Yun Zhonghe¡¯s gaze had already turned dull, lifeless like a stagnant pool of water. Previously, he might not have realized just how wide the gap was between himself and Zhu Minng. The closer one gets to Monarch level, the more one realizes there¡¯s just noparing with the other. The Canopy Sword¡¯s main target was still Huo Shangjun. Huo Shangjun was indeed the strongest among these individuals; his Golden Dome Dragon reached the Lower Monarch level, and although the Purple Cloud Dragon was at the Quasi-positional Monarch level, it was equally difficult to deal with. Currently, the tail of the Golden Dome Dragon was already severed, and all of its scales were shattered. The Purple Cloud Dragon was even more so covered in wounds, making it very difficult to perform the Azure Dragon Mystics again. No matter how unwilling Huo Shangjun felt, he could only withdraw these two dragons back into his Spirit Realm. ¡°Huo Shangjun from the Purple Sect n, even he can be defeated!¡± ¡°Back in the Ancient Bronze Battlefield, seeing Zhu Minngmanding his ck Dragon, Azure Dragon, I thought he was just another ordinary disciple among many, who would have thought he¡¯d be this dominant today? He has stepped over all other geniuses. Even if he eventually loses, he should still be recognized as the strongest disciple!¡± ¡°Lose?? Which eye of yours sees Zhu Minng losing? Just look at the others; they are nearly copsing!¡± ¡°Zhu Gate has changed from what it used to be, besides the prosperity of the Family Door over the years, this Big Sword Cultivator genius has made a powerfuleback with the Art of Dragon Shepherd, dominating over everyone¡± ¡°So it goes to show, a true divine being, no matter what they cultivate, is beyond our reach to look up to!¡± Huo Shangjun withdrew the Purple Cloud Dragon and the Golden Dome Dragon. He was supposed to be the most dazzling one today, but now he had be merely a backdrop to someone else¡¯s glory. ¡°Thank you for showing mercy.¡± In the end, Huo Shangjun chose to give up and suppressed the anger in his heart. Zhu Minng¡¯s Mountain Splitting Sword could have aimed for the Golden Dome Dragon¡¯s body instead of the tail. If Huo Shangjun couldn¡¯t see that the other party had already shown restraint, that would be truly foolish. He didn¡¯t need to deceive himself anymore; if he wasn¡¯t a match, then he wasn¡¯t a match. ¡°But I don¡¯t acknowledge your Art of Dragon Shepherd. You¡¯re relying on nothing but this world¡¯s rarely seen Sword Spirit Dragon.¡± ¡°Hmph, even if you only rely on this Sword Spirit Dragon, it won¡¯t be long before I surpass you,¡± Huo Shangjun said to Zhu Minng. After saying these words, Huo Shangjun turned to leave Tomb Mountain. He had lost, and the brocade boxes in the Nine Army Tomb Mountain no longer belonged to him. ¡°Wait,¡± Zhu Minng called out to him. Huo Shangjun stopped in his tracks, thinking Zhu Minng might say some impassioned words, but his next sentence turned Huo Shangjun¡¯s face utterly pale with anger and embarrassment. ¡°You may go, but leave behind the brocade boxes you obtained.¡± Chapter 171 - 172 Demon Summoning Technique Chapter 171: Chapter 172 Demon Summoning Technique Trantor:549690339 Huo Shangjun ultimately handed over the brocade box he had obtained, albeit with resentment, to Qin Yang. When Qin Yang opened the brocade box and saw the treasures inside, his eyes lit up involuntarily. Seeing Qin Yang¡¯s reaction, it was clear that Huo Shangjun really did have many treasures in his possession. Seemingly confident in his superior strength, he had been toozy to light the beacon fire and submit these items to the judges in advance, and now, Zhu Minng had seized them all! Zhu Minng certainly took in Huo Shangjun¡¯sst few remarks. But his opinion of Huo Shangjun remained unchanged. The most difficult aspect of dragon cultivation was actually oveing the issue of spiritual assets. After this battle, having obtained arge amount of spiritual assets, let alone that Little White still possessed the Reincarnation Butterfly Transformation ability, even without it, he could use money to boost all three of his dragons to Monarch Level Strength! By that time, without the Sword Spirit Dragon needing to take action, without having to move a finger himself, he could easily crush this group of disciples!! ¡°His strength is fading, and you, monk over there, after watching for so long, do you really intend to watch this demon lord take away everyone¡¯s spiritual assets?¡± Zhao Chen spoke to a young monk standing on the edge. That young monk, ever since ascending Tomb Mountain, had shown no intention of making a move. He was simply watching quietly from the side. Although the Canopy Sword had also reached him. However, he seemed to bergely unaffected by it. As an Imperial n Young Master, Zhao Chen naturally knew that this monk was a powerful member of the Haoqi Martial School and was Yang Hua, the Chief Big Disciple of one of the Four Great Sects, with unfathomable strength. If he had joined in the attack from the start, Zhu Minng would naturally not have gained the upper hand. ¡°May I, a humble monk, advise Master Zhu?¡± Yang Hua from the Haoqi Martial School said. ¡°Can¡¯t you see what kind of person he is? Why bother advising when we can just fight?¡± Zhao Chen said, somewhat annoyed. Yang Hua approached Zhu Minng, and seeing Zhu Minng adjusting his breath, he did not rush to make a move either. Indeed, Zhao Chen, He Qingqian, Fu Xumei, and Ye Guang had not yet recovered from the overwhelming pressure of the Canopy Sword; they could only stand in ce, trying to keep their breathing as steady as possible. Pu Hanrong was somewhat peculiar; as a Dragon Shepherd, he had not yet summoned his dragon beast. It was unclear what he was waiting for. ¡°What, do I, a mere woman, have to take the lead?¡± He Qingqian said somewhat sarcastically at this point. ¡°I need some more time,¡± Pu Hanrong said. ¡°Is your dragon beast still taking a nap?¡± He Qingqian asked. Pu Hanrong did not respond further, but his gaze was fixed on a ce beyond Nine Army Tomb Mountain, as if waiting for something. At this moment, Yang Hua, the monk from the Haoqi Martial School, had already walked towards Zhu Minng. Zhu Minng could feel that among those present, this monk from Wu Sect Forest had the highest level of cultivation, a Lower Monarch Level Powerhouse. ¡°Zhuyman, one should not be too absolute in their actions. How about we stop here and each take a spiritual treasure box?¡± Yang Hua said. ¡°Monk, why didn¡¯t I see youe forward to ask me earlier? Instead, you wait until after I¡¯ve been engaged in fights with others for a while, and when my breath weakens slightly, you speak these words. I didn¡¯t expect that even a monk could be so cunning,¡± Zhu Minng said disdainfully. Wen Mengru and Huo Shangjun, although both of them were defeated, they at least faced off with me directly. In contrast, this martial monk from Wu Sect and Pu Hanrong deliberately waited until the forceful strikes from Zhu Minng¡¯s sword had ended before moving in to confront him. Such pretentious people, why bother pretending to be peacemakers? ¡°Layman Zhu¡¯s strength is indeedmendable, but your nature and temperament should still be improved. There is always someone better out there, do you really think yourself invincible in this world?¡± the martial monk from Wu Sect, Yang Hua, said. ¡°Monk, stop probing for my weaknesses. Be bolder,e forward, and spar with me. Show the valor that a member of the Haoqi Martial School should possess instead of acting like a Yellow Weasel, pointlessly cautious,¡± Zhu Minng said with a smile rising on his face. Monk Yang Hua remained expressionless, but a surge of resentment rose in his heart, as his true intentions wereid bare. ¡°I was merely trying to simplify the matter. After all, if everyone can obtain the spiritual treasure box they want, why continue to fight? But sinceyman Zhu is so stubborn and aggressive, I have no choice but to make a move,¡± Yang Hua continued. He Qingqian let out a cold snort. This monk was clearly taking advantage of others¡¯ plight while trying to sound so righteous and just, utterly hypocritical to the extreme. He was simply waiting for stronger individuals like Wen Mengru and Huo Shangjun to act as his shields before he stepped in. Despite her disgust, He Qingqian didn¡¯t want Zhu Minng to monopolize the spiritual treasure box. She prepared several Fire Talismans, her gaze fixed on Zhu Minng, looking for a good opportunity to throw them at him. ¡°Here ites! Hmph, Zhu Minng, I¡¯d like to see how you defend against this!¡± At that moment, Pu Hanrong disyed a smile, his attention focused on Zhu Minng. He Qingqian was somewhat puzzled and looked towards the shattered Nine Army Tomb Mountain, only to see arge mass of dark green fog rolling towards them at high speed. The fog drew closer, and He Qingqian could finally see the creatures within. They were exceedinglyrge Bee Monsters, one after another! There were so many Bee Monsters that they resembled a cloud of locusts blotting out the sky as they flew. It wasn¡¯t long before the Bee Monster Legion reached Tomb Mountain, and their eerie eyes fixed on Zhu Minng. Zhu Minng looked up, surprised to see these controlled Bee Monster Legion. No wonder Pu Hanrong had refrained from attacking previously¡ªhe had been summoning these wild demons! It seemed he was adept in Demon Summoning Techniques. The Bee Monsters and Banyan Demons from the nests near the banyan tree had all gathered here. They swirled around, forming a stormposed entirely of Bee Monsters, enveloping Tomb Mountain¡­ ¡°Good, Young Master Pu, let¡¯s join forces and take down Zhu Minng!¡± the martial monk from Haoqi Martial School, Yang Hua, said. The Bee Monsters fluttered densely around Zhu Minng, and just the noisy buzzing alone was enough to give someone a splitting headache, let alone the fact that each of these Bee Monsters carried a venomous sting¡ªa threat that even a Dragon King might struggle to withstand. Zhu Minng swung his sword, and a Sword Qi swept through the group of Bee Monsters, causing hundreds of them to be cut in half, plummeting from the sky. However, the death of those Bee Monsters was but a small fraction of the entire legion. Several more strikes of his Breaking Air Sword, and even though hundreds more Bee Monsters died, there seemed to be no end to them. Just as Zhu Minng was about to use a more powerful swordsmanship, the despicable martial monk attacked. Yang Hua¡¯s fists and kicks were imbued with a thick brown gas, turning each of his punches into a torrential flood, fierce and turbulent. Chapter 172 - 173: Isn’t it Good to be Alive? Chapter 172: Chapter 173: Isn¡¯t it Good to be Alive? Trantor: 549690339 That was the Haoqi Martial Master Haqi, simr to Jian Hong, it represents the divine might that transcends the physical body and its strength limitations. The Haoqi was vast and mighty, so when seemingly ordinary punches and kicks were thrown, they carried the momentum of mountain torrents and avnches, making Zhu Minng feel as though he was contending against a grand and terrifying natural disaster, rather than a monk. His fists could sh with sharp swords, as hard as iron. His arms could easily deflect sword des, dulling them. When he kicked, it was like a brown ancient beast charging. Zhu Minng took several steps back, not out of genuine fear of the monk, but because on another front, several Netherfire Talismans flew his way. If he didn¡¯t dodge, these mes that directly burned the soul would bring immense pain. Having just dodged the Netherfire Talismans, arge group of Banyan bees suddenly formed into a dark green wall and plummeted down fiercely. Zhu Minng tore through the Banyan bee wall with a swing of his sword, spun on the spot, and fiercely dragged the de across the ground, igniting a vast expanse of mes on the sword. The mes were a mix of green and red, clinging to the de without dissipating. Gathering all his strength, Zhu Minng swung the Sword of Azure Blood in his hand beautifully, and a fiery trail of crimson and green shot up from his sword!! ¡°Azure Dragon Sword!¡± As Zhu Minng danced with his sword, he manifested a ming Azure Dragon, which spiraled and soared above his head, with arge and lengthy body, the mes intensely dazzling The Bee Monster Legion formed a terrifying and eerie whirl of clouds, filled with dark, miasmic air, and as Zhu Minng swept his sword through, the ming Azure Dragon wouldsh its tail through the sky. As Zhu Minng lifted the sword, the dragon leaped and pounced; when he rotated the de, the dragon spiraled and entwined in a lethal dance! The fiery Azure Dragon extinguished countless Banyan bees, dispersing the cloud, and ultimately, Zhu Minng directed his searing sword toward the Haoqi Martial Monk, Yang Hua. The ming Azure Dragon flew towards him and, at the moment before it dissipated, it struck the Martial Monk with its body of fire. Yang Hua took a horse stance, pushing forward with both palms, transforming the brown Haoqi into a giant ancient bell that enveloped the monk. The Azure Dragon turned into raging waves of fire, igniting a sea of mes, yet the monk seemed utterly fearless of the fire, with his clothes showing no signs of scorching. However, Zhu Minng strode forward on mes, his Sword of Azure Blood still in a heated state. Inscriptions were branded onto his skin, making his entire being seem to possess a golden body of me! ¡°Monk, you¡¯re still out of your depth. From now on, stop meddling with these tricky schemes and put more effort into cultivation!¡± Zhu Minng appeared in front of Martial Monk Yang Hua. ¡°I¡¯d like to see how you break my Haoqi Golden Bell!¡± Martial Monk Yang Hua raised a foot, taking arger stance, and stomped on the ground, making it feel as if the earth sank a little. At the same time, his Haoqi grew even stronger, and the ancient bell around him seemed to be more solid. ¡°Watch carefully,¡± said Zhu Minng. Suddenly, Zhu Minng made his move with his sword so swiftly that it left an afterimage, causing Yang Hua to instinctively shrink back. When he realized that Zhu Minng¡¯s sword strike hadn¡¯t actually broken through his Haoqi Golden Bell, a smile crept across Yang Hua¡¯s face. ¡°Swish!!!¡± Another sword strike, leaving a deeper impression just in front of Martial Monk Yang Hua. For a moment, Yang Hua thought the sword¡¯s shadow had pierced through his Haoqi Golden Bell, sending a chill down his spine. ¡°Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish!¡± Zhu Minng¡¯s speed suddenly became extremely fast, so much so that to others, it appeared as if seven or eight Sword Masters were simultaneously attacking Martial Monk Yang Hua. And Zhu Minng¡¯s sword strikes were even faster, while the shadow of his previous strike still lingered in the air, his following blows had already been thrust forward; gradually, more and more shadows of those strikes umted around Yang Hua¡¯s Haoqi Golden Bell, so many that it seemed as if the golden bell itself was densely studded with ck sharp swords!!! Eventually, Zhu Minng¡¯s form and the shadows of his sword merged into a piercing line that swept past the front of Yang Hua, and the lingering shadow behind Zhu Minng faded slowly ¡°Pfft pfft pfft!¡± The Haoqi Golden Bell shatteredpletely, and the Martial Monk Yang Hua within seemed as if he had been stabbed by hundreds of swords, which were all pulled out at the same moment! Blood sprayed wildly, from the head, from the chest, from the limbs, from the back The strong warrior from the Haoqi Martial School, like a pierced blood bag, slowly copsed, falling onto the sttered blood flowers painted with his own blood! He Qingqian, who was on the side with the Poison Float in her hand, about to throw it, trembled at the sight. Zhu Minng turned around, revealing a chilling smile to He Qingqian, ¡°Would you like to experience my sword stab technique as well? I promise to avoid all vital points.¡± ¡°You monster, I concede!¡± He Qingqian¡¯s face turned deathly pale as she quickly stowed away the poison talisman. She was merely a Semi-monarch Level Talisman Master, incapable of withstanding a frontal confrontation with Martial Monk Yang Hua, let alone facing Zhu Minng¡¯s terrifying swordsmanship head-on. With the expert fallen, it would be less humiliating for a minor Talisman Master like her, who maintained distance and harassed, not to overstep her bounds. ¡°Hand over the brocade box and you can leave,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°I had already given it to the judge with a smoke signal before I came here Ah, watch out!¡± He Qingqian suddenly cried out, warning Zhu Minng. Zhu Minng also sensed a covert surge of evil qi attacking from behind, and as he turned around, he saw a Ghost Dragon that had somehow appeared in front of him, its terrifying spectral w lunging straight for his heart! It was already toote for Zhu Minng to dodge, but thankfully he raised his sword in defense. The spectral w aimed for the heart; it was a kill shot, and whoever was controlling the Ghost Dragon was after Zhu Minng¡¯s life! But just as its w was about to pierce Zhu Minng¡¯s chest, his body suddenly shone with the Melting Fire Brilliance, and these lights interwove into a Melting Fire Armor Shadow that protected his chest. The Ghost Dragon¡¯s w had failed, and it immediately tried to flee, but Zhu Minng was already filled with a murderous intent. He nced in the direction of the Ghost Dragon and saw Zhao Chen of the Royal Family, shrouded in a simrly sinister ghostly aura, his malevolent eyes ring! This person had been pretending to be weak all along, only letting that Bone Dragon take action. However, when Zhu Minng was not paying attention, he summoned an even more terrifying Ghost Dragon and fancied taking his life! Towards such a person, Zhu Minng would not show a trace of mercy, even if he was of the Imperial n Young Master! ¡°Isn¡¯t it good to be alive?¡± Zhu Minng said coldly. He slowly raised the Sword of Azure Blood, pointing its tip toward the sky behind him. A breath in, a breath out, Zhu Minng briefly closed his eyes; when his eyes opened again, they shed with an intimidating radiance! Chapter 173 - 174 Peak Sinking Sky Shadow Sword Chapter 173: Chapter 174 Peak Sinking Sky Shadow Sword Trantor: 549690339 Somehow, just standing there, Zhu Minng had already altered the air pressure around him into something unusual. Behind him in the sky, arge swarm of banyan bees buzzed but their speed of flight was slowing down, their wings growing heavier, and some of the bees inexplicably started to fall from the sky The banyan bees dared not approach Zhu Minng, as his aura was immensely powerful at that moment, so powerful that even the demons being controlled felt fear! ¡°Peak Sinking!¡± Zhu Minng uttered these two words. As he flicked his sword downward, his entire body leaned forward. In the instant that the sword was swung down, clouds in the sky behind him seemed to surge directly downward, turning into white cascading clouds that magnificently surged toward the earth, a testament to the terrifying power of this sword!!! To change the weather with one sword stroke, that was probably the scene at this moment. Above in the sky, an unbelievably shocking peak shadow plummeted down; that peak shadow was akin to a heavenly sword falling from the Heavenly Court, its sword shadowrge enough to envelop the entire Imperial City, so vast and grand that it sent the hundreds of thousands of people on the Mysterious Wall and the dignitaries on the city towers into a massive panic!! Fortunately, the Sky Shadow Sword Peak was not descending upon anyone in the Imperial City but was instead falling towards the Nine Army Tomb Mountain, towards Zhao Chen and his Ghost Dragon¡¯s location Zhao Chen, riding on the back of his Ghost Dragon, realized the immense power of this sword stroke and immediately fled toward the outside of the Nine Army Tomb Mountain, to other parts of the Imperial City. However, whenever he looked up, the expansive canopy of the sky was still dominated by a Sky Shadow Sword Peak pointing right at him, no matter how fast the Ghost Dragon flew, no matter where he fled! The Sky Shadow Sword Peak grew closer and closer, the entire Imperial City could see such an immense sword shadow, and when Zhao Chen looked back for thest time, he saw the entire sky was taken over by the sword, and he was like an ant beneath a meteor, helpless to do anything even as this celestial object descended toward the earth!! ¡°Hum!¡± The entire Imperial City trembled, the clouds in the sky poured down even more beautifully, and the mountain-like sword shadow plunged into the center of the Imperial City with incredible force, raising waves that formed an annihtion,pletely copsing the city¡¯s structures and dragging hills, houses, rivers, woods, and pastures all into the vast sword pit!! Hundreds of thousands of people, frozen like statues. All the disciples within the Imperial City, trembling. Even the elders and hall masters of the various powers on the city towers were swept by intense turmoil within their hearts. This sword stroke was something the vast majority of them could not achieve! A disciple of such a young age had turned this power struggle into his own legend!! Such power was truly terrifying. Zhao Chen and his Ghost Dragon, could never have survived. The members of the Royal Family also witnessed from atop the city tower, Zhao Chen¡¯s death at the hands of Zhu Minng¡¯s sword. At the highest floor, King An gripped the chair armrest, nearly twisting it apart. Anger disyed on his face, while others were still recovering from their shock, he finally stood up and said, ¡°To assassinate a member of the Imperial n in broad daylight, Zhu Minng has gone too far in disregarding the Royal Family. How can someone like him be allowed to stay in the Imperial City!¡± ¡°Ridiculous, does that mean the son of Zhu Gate¡¯s Sect Leader should just allow himself to be killed by Zhao Chen? Anyone with eyes can see that Zhao Chen was the first to attempt murder!¡± Zhu Heavenly Officer mmed the table, immediately arguing back at King An. ¡°Zhu Heavenly Officer, you¡¯ve always been arrogant, and now even your son is this rampant. I will certainly report this matter to the Emperor, and your Zhu Gate¡¯s disrespect towards the Royal Family will have its consequences!¡± King An bellowed in anger. ¡°Apetition is inherently dangerous, and didn¡¯t your Royal Family personally tell me that idents happen? Are your rules only applicable to yourselves and not to themon folk?¡± Zhu Heavenly Officer stood his ground without yielding an inch. ¡°How can we tolerate such wanton killing!¡± eximed King An. ¡°King An, if you want to frame someone with a crime, at least find a better excuse. Wanton killing? If my son intended to kill, how many of those geniuses trained by your forces would have survived leaving the Nine Army Tomb Mountain?¡± Zhu Heavenly Officer retorted. That was indeed a fact. Huo Shangjun of the Purple Sect n, Wen Mengru of the Miao Mountain Sword Sect, Ye Guang of the Godly Mortal Academy, Fu Jinguo of the Azure Dragon Pce Including the hypocritical monk from the Haoqi Martial School, Zhu Minng¡¯s sword stabs all avoided his vitals. The monk merely lost too much blood, but his bones and sinews were untouched. Zhu Minng¡¯s mercy could not have been any greater! ¡°Indeed, Zhao Chen tried to kill first, and Zhu Minng was merely striking back,¡± an elder of the Azure Dragon Pce spoke up. ¡°Zhu Minng doesn¡¯t even know who Zhao Chen is, so how could he know that this despicable and sneaky person is a member of the Imperial n Young Master. If someone from our Yaoshan Sword Sect were killed inpetition, only to kill our opponent in return, our Sword Sect would indeed have no face to seek retribution,¡± Wu Feng said slowly as he approached upon hearing themotion. ¡°Calm your anger, King An. It¡¯s likely that Zhu Minng truly didn¡¯t know Zhao Chen¡¯s identity. After all, he has been away from the Imperial City for some years now, and Zhao Chen wasn¡¯t wearing anything to signify his royal identity or royal clothing. Minng¡¯s intent to kill was personal, it had nothing to do with contempt for the Royal Family,¡± the Imperial Concubine said, trying to pacify the situation. Anger flickered in King An¡¯s eyes. He was well aware that the Imperial Concubine favored Zhu Gate. King An needed a reason. The original n was for Zhao Chen and Zhao Wu to kill Zhu Minng, thus provoking Zhu Gate to harbor resentment against the Royal Family. But with Zhao Chen being killed, in fact, it could also be considered an offense against the Royal Family by Zhu Minng. Holding on to this point, King An could stir up some trouble. Unfortunately, this reasoning was somewhat flimsy, and even the other great powers felt that King An was being excessive. ¡°First by dismembering the Princely Heir, and now by killing a member of the youth nurtured by the Royal Family, Zhu Heavenly Officer, if you have no intention of teaching your son how to respect the Royal Family, then someone from the Royal Family will teach yourwless son a lesson!¡± With these words, King An left in a huff. The Imperial Concubine watched King An with a steady gaze. She could see that King An was intent on exploiting this incident to his advantage, but persuasion was pointless. This was fundamentally a struggle between Zhu Gate and the great powers, and the faction of princes within the Royal Family. It would happen sooner orter, whether it be Zhu Minng killing a member of the Imperial n¡¯s youth or a Zhu Gate elder being persecuted. ¡°Be careful and avoid recklessness,¡± the Imperial Concubine whispered to Zhu Heavenly Officer. ¡°Yes, what¡¯s destined toe will eventually arrive,¡± Zhu Heavenly Officer nodded. On the shattered Nine Army Tomb Mountain, Zhu Minng maintained even breathing. Despite feeling a bit dizzy, Zhu Minng still gripped the sword tightly in his hand. The Sword Spirit Dragon told itself that it could maintain the Sword Awakening power for a little while longer. Once the inscription faded, other inscriptions would need to be awakened to grant Zhu Minng the Sword Awakening Power once again! The battle was over. Pu Hanrong stared nkly at the ce where the sword had fallen, a bitter expression crossing his face. He dispersed the banyan bees. What was there left to fight for in such a situation? His own Demon Summoning Technique was hardly worth mentioning. Chapter 174 - 175: Great Fall, Great Rise Chapter 174: Chapter 175: Great Fall, Great Rise Trantor: 549690339 Once upon a time, Pu Hanrong was also incredibly proud, believing that aside from Chief Big Disciple like Huo Shangjun of the Purple Sect, there were few in the Imperial City who couldpete with him. This time,ing to the greatpetition of powers, with his Monarch Level strength, dealing with disciples from other forces was like bullying the weak. Who would have thought that in others¡¯ eyes, he was also so insignificant? Voluntarily handing over those brocade boxes he had collected, Pu Hanrong also chose to withdraw. For a moment, there were hardly any people left on Nine Army Tomb Mountain, and what remained were only some broken statues. As for those animated General Statues, more than half of their mechanisms had already been destroyed by Zhu Minng¡¯s astonishing swords. No one dared topete with Zhu Minng anymore. All the spirit resources here now belonged to Zhu Minng alone. ¡°Young Master, the brocade box that grants the right to preside over the four city-states of Ancestral Dragon City-State in the Li Chuan Continent is here.¡± Qin Yang found a purple-red brocade box and said to Zhu Minng. Zhu Minng took it over, nced at it, and saw it was clearly written in ck ink on white paper, and there was also the seal of the Supreme Court Empire. With this document, the Ancestral Dragon City-State would no longer be masterless! He sighed deeply with relief. It was a close shave after all. Thankfully there was the Sword Spirit Dragon; otherwise, it would indeed be very difficult to stand out in thispetition. Letting the Sword Spirit Dragon return to the Spirit Realm, Zhu Minng gave the document to Nan Lingsha and said to her, ¡°The order of Li Chuan Continent will be established soon, the rest depends on Yunzhi¡¯s grasp of the war.¡± Nan Lingsha nodded, ¡°She won¡¯t be defeated.¡± The greatparison of forces and this powerpetition finally ended. Originally, the Chief Big Disciples of all major forces were the focus of attention, but in the end, it seemed that people only remembered Zhu Minng, with the most profound memory being that of the Peak Sinking Sky Shadow Sword, giving people a whole new understanding of the Dragon Shepherd. These days, the entire Imperial City was talking about the battle at the Mechanism City, especially Zhu Minng¡¯s wildness when he told everyone to get out of his sight, and his heroic stature when he single-handedly fought against the Chief Disciples of the major forces. As for Zhu Minng, exhausted, he had slept for a day or two. When he regained some strength, the first thing he did was ask Nan Lingsha and Qin Yang how many treasures they had collected! Zhu Minng used to treat money like dirt, but that was only because he was young. Now he felt that gold and silver treasures were the loveliest things in the world and he would cherish them properly. ¡°Young Master, after the battle at Mechanism City ended, there was a long queue outside Zhu Gate. Many forces wanted to buy those mines, property deeds, spiritualnds, and herb gardens from us¡­ You didn¡¯t see how humble they were, many good items were specifically instructed to be secured by their disciples,¡± Qin Yang said, his face rarely showing a smile. ¡°There¡¯s little point in keeping these things for ourselves. You organize and categorize them; if they¡¯re of no great use to Zhu Gate, sell them for money,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°Young Master, this is a lot of money, what do you need so much money for?¡± Qin Yang asked, puzzled. ¡°A Dragon Shepherd never finds money excessive. Ask my father if there¡¯s anything good; Zhu Gate will want to take its pick,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°Young Master, the old master has already taken his pick,¡± said Qin Yang. Zhu Minng gave a wry smile. Zhu Heavenly Officer really didn¡¯t stand on ceremony with him. But after all, they had agreed to split the loot fifty-fifty. Moreover, Sword Casting Hall had lost so much, and it was just about time for him to make up for it. Although the ¡°Sword Awakening¡± truly gave Zhu Minng a sense of exhration as if he were ascending, he had to admit that the aftermath was also quite potent. Zhu Minng¡¯s whole body was sore, and it took him a long time to recover. These days, he didn¡¯t do much else but, like someone recovering from a serious illness, only engage in some simple minor activities, such as taking a walk, strolling through the streets, or leisurely boating Droplet Lake was tranquil and tender, and there was no scenery more appealing than the willows by thekeside, swaying like gracefuldiesbing their hair in front of a water mirror. Zhu Minng sat alone in a small boat, with no one to row for him. In the past, he enjoyed doing just that, lying back in the wooden boat, letting the clean waves of theke carry him to the center of Droplet Lake, gazing into the clear sky for miles or intoxicating nightscape. At such times, his thoughts would drift aimlessly, with no purpose and not too many worries, simply whiling away the time leisurely, enjoying the peace andfort without the pressure of grueling training. Theke was vast, and Zhu Minng never snapped back to reality until the small boat touched thekeshore, but this time his mind might have drifted too far, perhaps there were too many things to reminisce about, or maybe the waves were fierce, for the boat bumped into the rocky shore near the bustlingkeside urban area, and Zhu Minng even heard some boatmen shouting out. As Zhu Minng rose, he noticed there were many pleasure boats around, each lit with brightmps, and morous females in vivid attire, along with several elegant young gentlemen, were preparing to take a boat tour of Droplet Lake. The boatmen who made a living this way looked at Zhu Minng with puzzlement on their faces. ¡°Young Master, did youe from the Zhu n Inner Courtke?¡± The boatman was quite perceptive and asked respectfully. ¡°Yes, I must have fallen asleep. The boat drifted here,¡± Zhu Minng replied awkwardly. ¡°All¡¯s well, all¡¯s well, as long as you¡¯re not here to steal our business. You look somewhat familiar, though¡± the boatman said. At that moment, the young men and women turned their gazes towards Zhu Minng, and one of them pointed at him, eximing with surprise, ¡°Isn¡¯t that Zhu Minng!¡± ¡°Zhu Minng??¡± ¡°The Zhu Minng from Zhu Gate??¡± ¡°He¡¯s a little legend in our Imperial City. Make way, let me catch a bit of his fairy air!¡± Soon, many people gathered by thekeside, excited and thrilled as if they were watching ake monster. Seeing this, Zhu Minng hurriedly took off in the boat. Word spread quickly. He had be a small legend of the Imperial City! Indeed, a truly extraordinary person would draw attention wherever he went. Be it the Imperial City or the Ancestrial Dragon City-State. He returned to the Zhu n¡¯s Inner Courtke by boat Droplet Lake was extremely vast, but half of it belonged to the Zhu n¡¯s Inner Courtke area, a region off-limits to the sightseeing merchants. Zhu Minng hadn¡¯t realized he¡¯d stayed on the boat for so long. And for some reason, even though he was back in the Imperial City, the ce of his origin, Zhu Minng still couldn¡¯t feel that sense of belonging. He still missed that person on the far borders of the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent, the one he couldn¡¯t stop thinking about. Wandering for years, time flew by. Within that brief year in Ancestral Dragon City, too many things had happened From a refugee used to insult an iparable woman to now bing a small legend spoken of by the people of the Imperial City, life truly had its ups and downs! Chapter 175 - 176: Wealthy! Chapter 175: Chapter 176: Wealthy! Trantor: 549690339 Qin Yang had already categorized those brocades, excluding some official documents and contract books, there were indeed a lot of spiritual treasures among them. One very special item was a ring. This ring, known as the Spirit Contract Ring, had a simple but brutal effect, it could add an extra spirit contract for a Dragon Shepherd. Zhu Minng currently had four spirit contracts, and with the addition of the Sword Spirit Dragon, all his spirit contracts were full. He was also worried about how to open a new spirit contract, not expecting that among the spoils of war he plundered, there would be such an exquisite ring. ¡°Zhu Minng!¡± As Zhu Minng continued to tally the war loot, an elderly voice sounded from outside the house. Before Zhu Minng could open the door, an extremely elegant small Jinli swam in through the window, glittering in the sunlight as it flicked its tail. It¡¯s no wonder Zhu Gate took it as their mascot; with the appearance of this little Jinli, it was perfectly suited to bring good fortune. ¡°What¡¯s the deal with your Sword Spirit Dragon? Why didn¡¯t you tell me about it?¡± Mr. Jinli demanded. ¡°I¡¯ve told you at least three times,¡± Zhu Minng replied with a wry smile. ¡°Is that so? You know I¡¯m forgetful. Show me how that Sword Spirit Dragon awakens. Dragons that can bestow such powerful strengths upon Dragon Shepherds themselves are extremely rare, not to mention it¡¯s a perfect match for the swordsmanship you trained so hard in initially,¡± Mr. Jinli said with obvious interest in the Sword Spirit Dragon. Zhu Minng shook his head and said, ¡°Sword awakening requires the activation of one of the inscriptions. For now, the Azure Blood Inscriptions seem to be the most direct, but these days it has been quite dim, and even if it was a blood-drinking open de, it¡¯s doubtful it would be as it was that day on Nine Army Tomb Mountain.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you steal a lot of good swords from the Sword Casting Hall?¡± Mr. Jinli asked. ¡°The Sword Spirit Dragon doesn¡¯t eat or drink, it only consumes swords but not all swords are of interest, like those iron swords sold at the cksmith¡¯s shop, it¡¯s not interested in those,¡± Zhu Minng exined. ¡°Oh, I remember now, you did tell me, the Sword Spirit Dragones from the Abandoned Sword Forest, it¡¯s the spirit of countless discarded swords,¡± Mr. Jinli suddenly eximed. Zhu Minng pursed his lips, signaling his helplessness at Mr. Jinli¡¯s intermittent memory loss. ¡°It should be temporary hibernation, simr to my body. After thest sword awakening, I needed a long time to recuperate before regaining vitality. The Azure Blood Inscriptions probably also need such meditation,¡± Zhu Minng spected. There were many mysteries about the Sword Spirit Dragon that needed to be slowly unraveled. Zhu Minng had naturally tried as well. He wanted to see if the Sword Spirit Dragon could awaken its sword at any time. After all, its strength was just shy of middle-level Monarch Level. If he could wield it and initiate the sword awakening state, with his own realm of swordsmanship, he could exhibit the strength of a high-rank King Level! Unfortunately, it didn¡¯t work. Once used, the inscription would enter a sealed state, simr to those ancient swords that hadn¡¯t awakened yet. ¡°It seems my guess was quite close. The awakening of the inscriptions on the Sword Spirit Dragon is connected to specific environments, events, and battles. If you want to lift the seal on other ancient sword spirits, you¡¯ll need to trace back to their origins. Secondly, after using an inscription, like the Azure Blood Inscriptions, Sword Spirit Dragon must recharge it through consuming swords before it can perform a sword awakening again,¡± Mr. Jinli exined. Zhu Minng nodded; this was simr to his own thoughts. There weren¡¯t many inscriptions truly awakened on the Sword Spirit Dragon¡¯s body at the moment, and the Azure Blood Inscriptions were one of them. But every sword awakening consumed a tremendous amount of energy inside the Sword Spirit Dragon¡¯s body, energy that needed to be replenished by consuming swords. Hundreds of good swords like those in the Sword Casting Hall were required to reignite the glow of the Azure Blood Inscriptions Of course, the Sword Spirit Dragon does not devour just any sword. Even now, despite being very wealthy and purchasing arge number of military iron swords, the Sword Spirit Dragon doesn¡¯t show the slightest appetite. Apparently, only those master-crafted swords that have been tempered by time, simr to those in the Sword Casting Hall, can satisfy the Sword Spirit Dragon. After all, it¡¯s a Lower Monarch Level Dragon! It seems I should visit those Sword Groves, Sword Mountains, Sword Sects, and Sword Factions more often in the future. Not only is there a high chance of awakening other kinds of ancient inscriptions, but I can also recharge the inscriptions I¡¯ve used to gain the power of Sword Awakening! ¡°I heard you¡¯re quite flush with cash at the moment,¡± said Mr. Jinli. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right,¡± Zhu Minng nodded in agreement. ¡°That¡¯s great, the Ice Morning White Dragon can¡¯t be raised in poverty, anyway. Allocate some funds to me, and I¡¯ll go buy some enhancement items to prepare for Bai Qi¡¯s transition into the Complete Period,¡± Mr. Jinli said. ¡°Mr. Jinli, you can work with my Dragon Food Manager. Mainly, I¡¯m worried that once you reach the Spirit Market and wander around, you might forget what you were supposed to buy,¡± Zhu Minng said. In fact, Zhu Minng wasn¡¯t really worried Mr. Jinli would forget what to buy; he was concerned that after a fewps, Mr. Jinli might think he was an ornamental Spirit Fish and just settle in someone else¡¯s fish tank and refuse to leave. It would be much better with Fang Niannian tagging along, since she¡¯s in charge of procurement after all! Fang Niannian has been in particrly good spiritstely. Now that she has abundant funds, not only can she greatly improve the feed for all the pet dragons, but she can also treat them to some snacks. For instance, for Bai Qi, she would buy the finest Ice Mountain Snow Lotus honey! The Ice Mountain Snow Lotus is an extremely luxurious item, and its honey even more so. And since Little White is an Ice Attribute Dragon, this Ice Mountain Snow Lotus honey would allow it to perform even more powerful ice-element skills! ¡°Before it advances, it¡¯s best to raise its cultivation base to the Peak Lord Level. That way, once it evolves into the Complete Period, its strength will see a major leap, possibly even surpassing the Sword Spirit Dragon But it¡¯s going to be expensive,¡± said Mr. Jinli. ¡°I have never cared about money. Go ahead and buy whatever is needed, Mr. Jinli. As long as it makes Little White¡¯s strength soar, no amount of money is too much,¡± Zhu Minng said generously. ¡°Without any surprises, it can reach Middle-level Monarch Level. While the Sword Spirit Dragon is undoubtedly powerful and is an ace card in your hand, as a Dragon Shepherd, all your dragons need to be strong. Only then can you be the Invincible Supreme!¡± Mr. Jinli said. Mr. Jinli has always emphasized that Bai Qi has infinite potential. Moreover, if it reaches the limit of Middle-level Monarch Level and moves into the next cycle, then its next Reincarnation Butterfly Transformation could possibly reach King Level! That is Mr. Jinli¡¯s goal. He has also mentioned this to Zhu Minng. The height Bai Qi can achieve in its next Reincarnation Butterfly Transformation also depends on the realm the Ice Morning White Dragon can reach. The stronger the Ice Morning White Dragon, the higher it can leap in its next cycle! ¡°Middle-level Monarch Level, huh? Can Little White really be that strong once it¡¯s in the Complete Period??¡± Zhu Minng eximed with joy. Sword Awakening cannot be used all the time. So, Zhu Minng effectively only has strength close to that of a Middle-level Monarch Level Sword Spirit Dragon at the moment. But if Little White reaches the Complete Period, then Zhu Minng would have both a Middle-level Monarch Level Ice Morning White Dragon and a Sword Spirit Dragon with nearly simr strength. Chapter 176 - 177 King An’s Ambition Chapter 176: Chapter 177 King An¡¯s Ambition Trantor:549690339 Two Monarch Level Dragons. Without Sword Awakening, they still fear not the vast majority of powerhouses! Why was Zhu Minng so arrogant in the Mechanical City, frantically plundering the spiritual resources that various forces used for betting? Don¡¯t you know that many Dragon Shepherds, if not upying cities and collecting huge taxes, are running around tirelessly mining for gold, all just to ensure their dragons don¡¯t fall behind at the starting line? If one can use the best, they absolutely won¡¯t settle for anything a notch lower! Especially upon hearing that Little White could break through to Middle-level Monarch Level! ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me earlier, did you forget again?¡± Zhu Minng asked Mr. Jinli. ¡°Not at all, I just felt like you couldn¡¯t afford it at that time, and I didn¡¯t have the thick skin to ask your father for money¡­¡± Mr. Jinli replied. Zhu Minng¡¯s face darkened. Do I really look that destitute? A dragon must be raised in wealth. Dragons raised in wealth and those raised in poverty have different ceilings. Although Little White doesn¡¯t rely on any spiritual resources to enhance its strength, it can also exhibit extremely strong talents and strength. But if one has a dragon that¡¯s already gifted with talent, nobility of blood, and exceptional strength, and is willing to spend heavily, it can definitely be elevated by several realms! Of course, it¡¯s not that Zhu Minng wasn¡¯t willing to spend money on Little White previously. It¡¯s just that the spiritual resources capable of enhancing a dragon of Little White¡¯s caliber all start at a hundred thousand gold. Back then, even dealing with the food issue was somewhat problematic, so it was naturally impossible to consider investing in strengthening spiritual objects. Anyway, when funds are insufficient, one must climb up step by step, and eventually, they will soar to great heights. When funds are sufficient, one can take big strides forward, and even if there¡¯s some waste of money, in order to have great strength earlier, one shouldn¡¯t mind! Sigh, it would be good if suchpetitions of power could be held more often. After all, the Imperial City is indeed rich! It¡¯s a beautiful sunny day with scattered white clouds, the kind of weather Zhu Minng enjoys. Zhu Minng stood in front of the Imperial Pce with Zhu Heavenly Officer, and behind them was the Ancient Bronze Battlefield. ¡°King Zhao wants you to enter the court, mainly because of your killing Zhao Chen, but rest assured, your father has already taken care of this matter. All you need to do is stand in the court, remain silent, make an appearance, and listen to the Imperial Dynasty¡¯s judgment on you,¡± said Zhu Heavenly Officer. ¡°What do they n to judge me with this time?¡± Zhu Minng asked. ¡°What else can it be? Continue your exile, as for how many years, that depends on the Emperor¡¯s mood. Mainly it¡¯s King An stirring things up, otherwise, there wouldn¡¯t even be talk of a judgment,¡± Zhu Heavenly Officer said with a cold snort. ¡°King An is our Zhu n¡¯s enemy indeed, I didn¡¯t expect it to be such a high-level figure,¡± Zhu Minng said. The Supreme Court Empire has three kings. They are the highest rulers of the empire, among them King An and the Emperor are brothers of different surnames. This man has always had deep ties with various powers and, like the Imperial Concubine, is an important leader in maintaining rtionships with the powerful factions of the Supreme Court Empire. ¡°Even when our Zhu Sect wasn¡¯t as prosperous as it is now, King An tried several times to incorporate our Family Door into his court, making Zhu Sect a vassal of King An¡¯s court,¡± Zhu Heavenly Officer said. ¡°He¡¯s quite ambitious, but he underestimated the Zhu Sect and also underestimated my father¡¯s ambition. Why would we be someone¡¯s hardborers?¡± Zhu Minng said. When Zhu Sect was still the least of the Six Great ns, things were indeed not easy. Mainly because Zhu Sect controlled the most outstanding casting art in the entire Supreme Court Empire. Whether it¡¯s the God and Mortals, Dragon Shepherds, or thebatants of the Asura Field, they all need weapons and armor. If one took down Zhu Sect, it would mean controlling an important lifeline that runs through the entire Supreme Court Courtyard Continent After all, the Imperial Dynasty does not control all the kingdoms and powers of the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent. They are just the leaders, but they can likewise be reced due to the changes of time and the rise and fall of power. Today¡¯s Great Sect Woods and the Six Great ns have all once supported an empire. Zhu Minng remembers his grandfather telling him that a thousand years ago on the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent, the imperial family¡¯s surname was Zhu! So even the royal family is constantly lobbying for hearts, constantly breaking apart powers, and constantly expanding their territories. Simrly, major powers were doing the same thing. That¡¯s why Zhu Minng was not surprised at all to see people from Chess Sect at Zhu Sect¡¯s foreign court a few days ago Small forces, if they do not keep to their ce, can easily be swallowed up byrger ones. Otherwise, they have to leave the Imperial City and seek a path to rise in other kingdoms, but that¡¯s hardly different from being exiled. The resources and opportunities avable in the Imperial City are far beyond what remote areas can offer. ¡°Once you leave the Imperial City, you don¡¯t have to worry about Zhu Gate. Just live your life well; after all, you don¡¯t like all these political intrigues. Ever since you were young, your aunt has instilled in you that cultivation is the true path. And indeed, our Zhu Gate is in need of someone who can fight,¡± Zhu Heavenly Officer said to Zhu Minng. Seeing Zhu Minng¡¯s performance that day brought more joy to Zhu Heavenly Officer¡¯s heart than anyone else could understand. He never insisted that Zhu Minng must inherit the family business or learn casting art. But Zhu Heavenly Officer hoped Zhu Minng would have a solid foundation of his own, so that when he truly needed strength, he wouldn¡¯t just sigh in angst, when humiliated, he wouldn¡¯t just swallow his anger in silence, and when persecuted or harmed, he wouldn¡¯t be powerless to fight back! Zhu Minng killed Zhao Chen. Zhu Heavenly Officer never saw any issue with that. On the contrary, that was the backbone that Zhu Gate should have. Because of Zhu Gate¡¯s defiance, King An continuously provoked and tested Zhu Gate¡¯s bottom line. The death of Zhu Tong was just one of their shameless acts. In the face of such things, one cannot endure endlessly! It was fortunate that Zhu Minng had returned. It was fortunate that he had this temperament. It was fortunate that he still possessed overwhelming power over others! What was Zhao Chen anyway? His status was not even as esteemed as Zhao Yin Ge. Zhu Minng had crippled Zhao Yin Ge, and yet he was merely exiled for a few years. If it weren¡¯t for King An persistently biting down on the issue, Zhu Minng wouldn¡¯t have even needed to attend today. The sole young master of the Zhu Gate, what¡¯s wrong with killing an Imperial n Young Master? Besides, the other party had made the first move to kill. ¡°If you really feel wronged, staying in the Imperial City is also an option¡­¡± Zhu Heavenly Officer ultimately expressed some dissatisfaction. Especially with this judgment. On what grounds should there be a penalty? Zhu Heavenly Officer was certainly not afraid of King An! ¡°Father, there¡¯s no need for that; I have no love for staying in the Imperial City. Wandering around is quite nice, seeing different states and viewing differentndscapes,¡± Zhu Minng shook his head. ¡°Alright then; try to bring back a daughter-inw the next time you return,¡± Zhu Heavenly Officer nodded, also knowing that being exiled from the Imperial City was not really a punishment for Zhu Minng. ¡°¡± Upon entering the court, Zhu Minng sat next to Zhu Heavenly Officer. The Emperor was not on the throne; it was a State Preceptor discussing matters of the kingdom. Issues were supposed to be dealt with one by one, and Zhu Minng didn¡¯t know when his own judgment woulde up. Zhu Minng had little interest in the other matters, yawning. Suddenly, a National Aid from a small country walked into the court in a hurry. Seeing that the Emperor was not at the throne, he looked at a loss. ¡°He¡¯s the National Aid from Rui Country. There must have been a change in the war situation in the Li Chuan Continent,¡± Zhu Heavenly Officer said to Zhu Minng. Zhu Minng furrowed his brow. The attacking army on Ancestral Dragon City-State was none other than the Swiss National Army. The power seat they had already captured. But the ruling power depended on the oue of the war Chapter 177 - 178: The Mighty Lady Chapter 177: Chapter 178: The Mighty Lady Trantor:549690339 It was at this moment that a man, yawning and d in a wide dragon robe, came alone, taking a seat on the throne. Seeing the Emperor, the National Aid of Rui Nation revealed a look of joy on his face and hastened to kneel on the ground. The Emperor raised his hand, signaling the State Preceptor to halt those petition reports that he had no interest in. The State Preceptor gathered up the petitions and took his seat once more, his gaze falling upon the National Aid of Rui Nation. If the National Aid of Rui Nation hade, and with such an expression, it was likely that the conflict on the Li Chuan Continent had finally reached a conclusion. After all, it was a new territory that could, to some extent, allow the people of the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent to better understand this world, so naturally many would be concerned about what was happening there. ¡°Let¡¯s hear it. Didn¡¯t I give you a month¡¯s time? It¡¯s almost up,¡± the Emperor said. ¡°Emperor, I implore you to issue an order to ept the surrender of the ruler of the Li Chuan Continent, Li Yunzi,¡± the National Aid of Rui Nation said, seemingly still in shock. ¡°Oh?¡± The Emperor raised an eyebrow, somewhat surprised by this action from the National Aid of Rui Nation. Rui Nation had been doing everything in its power to seize control of the Li Chuan Continent, and except for the four city-states united with Ancestral Dragon City, other cities and territories had already be vassal cities of Rui Nation. The Li Chuan in was clearly the most fertilend on the Li Chuan Continent, and Ancestral Dragon City was also thriving. With a few days still left, why was Rui Nation suddenly giving up? ¡°Speak the truth, and do not hide anything from me,¡± the Emperor said. The National Aid of Rui Nation¡¯splexion grew even uglier. ¡°Have a drink of water, take your time,¡± the Emperor showed great interest. ¡°Youmanded us to take over the governance of the Li Chuan Continent within a month. Rui Nation dared not neglect this, spending arge sum of money to recruit soldiers and horses and mobilizing the warriors of the major city-states to n a surprise attack through Long Gorge and press into the Li Chuan in¡± ¡°With our military strength, we should have been able to take that piece ofnd. Who knew that Li Yunzi would be so cunning? She had her soldiers destroy Long Gorge, dying our advance, and personally led an Army Guard to attack Rui Nation, capturing capturing our capital.¡± As he uttered the final words, the National Aid of Rui Nation appeared to be bearing an intense humiliation, each word spoken with difficulty. The leaders of various countries in the court, upon hearing this, all widened their eyes in astonishment. Rui Nation? It had been conquered by someone else! Rui Nation, as the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent¡¯s country closest to the Li Chuan Continent, was also a subordinate of the Imperial Dynasty. Thus, the responsibility of taking control naturally fell to Rui Nation. The Orderers had already inspected the Li Chuan Continent and had made rough estimates of its forces and military strength; for Rui Nation to take it over should have been a piece of cake. Who would have thought it would end like this! Not only did they fail to take over the other¡¯s territory, but they also lost their own! For a moment, the assembly couldn¡¯t quite judge whether the rulers of Rui Nation were ipetent or if the ruler of the Li Chuan Continent was far stronger than they had imagined! ¡°So, you¡¯re here to seek help from the Imperial Dynasty?¡± the Emperor asked with a smile that was hard to decipher. ¡°Emperor, our troops are still in Li Chuan, and it will take a long time to retreat and defend. Therefore, I earnestly request you to issue an order of eptance of surrender to prevent that Female Monarch of Li Chuan from ughtering Rui Nation¡¯s citizens,¡± the National Aid of Rui Nation sighed in despair. At the side, Zhu Heavenly Officer watched Zhu Minng attentively. Zhu Minng was also staring wide-eyed,pletely unaware of this matter. Mydy is mighty! We agreed to hold the fort until I could secure the controlling authority, and then we¡¯d discuss our next steps at length. How did she manage to conquer the capital of Rui Country? Given this, the Imperial Dynasty likely had no choice but to negotiate peace, as mobilizing troops from other territories takes time, and chaos would ensue in the Rui Nation Capital should war break out, leading toplete disarray in Rui Country. ¡°A minor ruler like that, my Tiger Dragon Sect can easily take them down,¡± a Sect Master spoke up at this moment. ¡°This Sect Master, Li Chuan Continent is now under the control of Zhu Gate. Are you suggesting you want to cross us? I might just send Yaoshan Sword Sect to pay your Sect Forest a visit, old and young alike,¡± Zhu Heavenly Officer said with a coldugh, addressing the Tiger Dragon Sect Master. That Tiger Dragon Sect Master immediately fell silent, though his expression was incredibly dark. ¡°Li Chuan Continent is no longer and without a master, and major powers would do well not to get involved in the war,¡± the Imperial Concubine said. ¡°State Preceptor, draft a royal decree for peaceful negotiation. Send someone from Zhu Gate to discuss with the ruler of Li Chuan Continent, bring them into the Imperial City, and appoint them as the Monarch of Li Chuan,¡± the Emperor said. ¡°Thank you, Your Majesty, thank you! The people of Rui Country are grateful for your benevolence,¡± the National Aid of Rui Country expressed their gratitude. ¡°It seems our Supreme Court Courtyard Continent has gained a new nation. Fellow Monarchs, when the timees, let¡¯s all meet this ruler of Li Chuan Continent,¡± the Emperor said. ¡°Indeed, a remarkable new ruler unlike any other.¡± ¡°Tounch an offensive as a means of defense is truly unexpected; Rui Country might well be aughing stock in history because of this.¡± ¡°That¡¯s just as well. Continuous warfare in Li Chuan Continent might destroy some valuable resources.¡± While everyone was discussing, Zhu Heavenly Officer slowly stood up from his seat. ¡°Let Zhu Xuehen escort the person to the Imperial City. After all, Li Chuan Continent has a limited understanding of our Supreme Court Empire. It would be much more effective if someone from Zhu Gate went to negotiate the peace,¡± the Imperial Concubine said. ¡°Good Oh, I recall now, King An came to me toin that Zhu Minng has once again shown contempt for the Royal Family, and even killed Zhao Chen. Is there any truth to this?¡± the Emperor suddenly turned his attention to Zhu Minng. Zhu Minng felt somewhat embarrassed. Why use the word ¡®again¡¯? ¡°Your Majesty¡± Zhu Heavenly Officer stood up, intending to exin. The Emperor gestured for Zhu Heavenly Officer to sit down, then pointed at Zhu Minng and said, ¡°You speak for yourself, I want to hear it.¡± Zhu Minng stood up. The Emperor eyed Zhu Minng, then questioned, ¡°You¡¯re the one who chopped off Zhao Yin Ge¡¯s limbs, aren¡¯t you? Weren¡¯t you banished from the Imperial City by me?¡± ¡°Your Majesty, three years have passed,¡± Zhu Minng replied. ¡°Oh, when did you return?¡± the Emperor inquired. ¡°Last month.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve been back for just a month, and you¡¯ve already killed another member of the Imperial n. Does Zhu Minng have some grievance against our Royal Family?¡± the Emperor asked. ¡°It¡¯s likely that the Princely Heir still harbors anger towards me, so he established something like the Royal Young Gang, intending to put me to death during the great power contest. I had no choice but to fight back,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°I personally resolved your dispute with Zhao Yin Ge, and I dered that anyone who harbors a grudge over this matter shows dissatisfaction with me. At Nine Army Tomb Mountain, where elders of all major powers were present, tell me, who harbored the killing intent first, Zhao Chen, of the Princely Heir¡¯s Zhao Yin Ge faction, or Zhu Minng?¡± the Emperor asked. Chapter 178 - 179: Trials in Cloud Country Chapter 178: Chapter 179: Trials in Cloud Country Trantor:549690339 The Emperor is certainly not someone to be trifled with. Moreover, under the watchful eyes of many, it was Zhao Chen who made the first move to kill, with tens of thousands of citizens from the Mysterious Wall as witnesses. In this Imperial Court, even if they wish to bring down Zhu Gate, they would not dare to fabricate right and wrong on such an obvious matter. The verdict, naturally, was unanimous. It was indeed Zhao Chen who struck to kill first; if not for the fact that Zhu Minng had been wearing a Melting Fire Armor Shadow, his heart would likely have been crushed by that Ghost Dragon. ¡°Zhao Yin Ge, you should go out and reflect as well and are not allowed to return within two years,¡± the Emperor said. Upon hearing this, Zhao Yin Ge had to swallow all his resentment, no matter how great, and could only nod in agreement submissively. ¡°Zhu Minng, you could have left Zhao Chen with a breath of life and thene to me to report the offense; I would not have let him off lightly either. But since you¡¯ve killed him, it also means you do not take the Imperial n Young Master seriously. Considering your outstanding performance in the recentpetition, I allow you to spend the New Year in the Imperial City. After the New Year¡¯s celebration, you shall pack your things and leave,¡± the Emperor dered. ¡°Zhu Minng epts the punishment,¡± Zhu Minng said, performing a bow. King An¡¯s expression was equally dissatisfied when he heard the final decision. But he knew that once the Emperor had made this decision, there would be no changing it. In the end, it was because the members of the Royal Young Gang were just too ipetent to create a better excuse. It was indeed a mere formality. As Zhu Minng left the Imperial Pce, his mood lightened. It wasn¡¯t because the punishment he received was insignificant, but because the affair of the Li Chuan Continent had finally reached a very satisfactory conclusion. Both the power to preside and to rule had been properly sorted out. The Ancestral Dragon City-State had also be part of the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent and, because of the gracious enfeoffment, even wars would cease for a few years. No wars, that in itself was the best divine blessing for the Li Chuan Continent. The thought that Li Yunzi¡¯s furrowed worry between her brows could finally be smoothed out made Zhu Minng let out a long sigh of relief. Besides, it shouldn¡¯t be too long before Li Yunzi woulde to the Imperial City. Finally, he couldy down all the burdens and revel in tenderness! News about the upation of Rui Country spread quickly through the Imperial City. Suddenly, the ruler of the Li Chuan Continent also became a popr little legend among the people of the Imperial City. In matters of power, Zhu Minng shone brilliantly, fighting alone against many. On the battlefield, Li Yunzi was even more unexpected, defeating the much more powerful Rui Country and turning a ve nation into a state recognized by the Supreme Court Court Empire, which was also a delight for people to talk about. Yet, somehow it was also very strange. In the Imperial City, people gradually beganparing Zhu Minng with Li Yunzi. As if debating who was more outstanding. Fortunately,munication was slow; if the citizens of the Ancestral Dragon City-State were to infiltrate the Supreme Court Imperial City, it wouldn¡¯t take many days before they could lead astray the public opinion, and the discussions would no longer be about who stood out more or who shined the brightest this year, but rather about some strange things¡­ Since Li Yunzi woulde to the Imperial City, Zhu Minng was in no hurry to rush back to the Ancestral Dragon City-State. It wouldn¡¯t be toote to leave together after the enfeoffment ceremony had ended. In these days, Zhu Minng devoted himself to dragon taming; with a master like Mr. Jinli, Zhu Minng¡¯s study of the Art of Dragon Shepherd bes much clearer. Especially the growth of Bai Qi and Mo Ye will be critical for a major increase in strength. Firstly, Bai Qi has very demanding requirements; it possesses the bloodline of the Silver Moon Azure Dragon and the abilities of the Star Wind Ice Dragon. Finding the spiritual resources of these two bloodlines is not an easy task. In order to strengthen Little Bai Qi to the Peak Lord Level, Zhu Minng had been frequently visiting Elephant Mountain these days, causing trouble for the fierce Dragon Beasts raised in the Ancient Dragon Pce within, allowing Bai Qi to undergo the baptism of battle. Only in the depths of Elephant Mountain can one find Ancient Dragons powerful enough. Zhu Minng ventured inside and immediately got lost, and after half a month, he emerged looking no different from a wild man. Walking out from Elephant Hill Capital, Zhu Minng lifted his head and nced at the skies above the Imperial City, where the clouds shone like a grand pce. Above the clouds, the gigantic Cloud Mountain Dragon Cliff was faintly discernible, and many colorful dragons with holy light shimmering about them were dancing in the sky. Little Bai Qi also raised its gaze at that moment, calling out to the nation of dragons above the Imperial City. ¡°Do you want to go there to pick your opponents?¡± Zhu Minng nced at the Dragon Country in the clouds. The nation above the clouds, that is the true fortune of the Imperial Dynasty. The unyielding foundation that wields overarching authority. Zhu Minng indeed had a great interest in the Dragon Country in the clouds, but someone like him, who ¡°disdains the Royal Family,¡± should not possibly be able to set foot there. Unless in one of his brocade boxes, there was something that the Royal Family very much wanted to repurchase, which could be exchanged for a ticket to enter the Dragon Country in the clouds? Zhu Minng¡¯s eyes brightened. Training like a wild man in Elephant Mountain really wasn¡¯t as good as going to the Dragon Country in the clouds and breathing in the breath of immortality there! Zhu Minng had a vast number of Contract Books in his hands, and if he nned to sell thosend deeds, the price fluctuated greatly. It might really be better to exchange them for a chance to enter the Dragon Country in the clouds! He decided to act on it. Zhu Minng returned to Zhu Gate, first tidied up his appearance, and then went to inform Qin Yang of his n to exchange with the Royal Family for an opportunity to enter the Dragon Country in the clouds. The Dragon Country in the clouds is a sanctified ground of the Imperial Dynasty, and even members of the Royal Family must make significant contributions to be qualified to enter it. Moreover, the Dragon Country in the clouds rarely opens to people from other forces, and it¡¯s said that inside there are many divine artifacts that are difficult to obtain even in the entire Supreme Court Imperial City, dependent on personal fate. Even if one gains nothing significant, just allowing one¡¯s four dragons to undergo special training there would have a unique effect. After all, the Dragon Country in the clouds itself is and rich with Holy Qi; simply dwelling there would substantially enhance a dragon¡¯s power! ¡°Young Master, there really are people among the Imperial n who want to take away many of our Contract Books. I see great hope in this matter; there must be someone among them who has the qualification to enter the Dragon Country in the clouds,¡± Qin Yang said. ¡°Some of those from the Royal Family have probably entered the Dragon Country in the clouds for spiritual enhancement before, and the atmosphere there is not as significantly beneficial for them now.¡± ¡°Under such circumstances, they would still be willing to exchange their qualification for more tangible assets.¡± ¡°The Young Master has never set foot in the Dragon Country in the clouds before; you will surely reap considerable benefits!¡± Qin Yang nodded, showing great approval of Zhu Minng¡¯s idea. Sacrednds like this are a must-visit if given the chance; even if one does nothing there, the special Spiritual Rhyme within will greatly aid one¡¯s cultivation. Of course, should there be any serendipitous encounters, that would be even more perfect! ¡°See if we can exchange for two people to go; Miss Lingsha would probably be interested in the Dragon Country in the clouds too,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°Okay!¡± When they plundered the brocade boxes, Nan Lingsha had exerted a lot of effort. Whether Nan Lingsha is interested in those external possessions is one thing; he himself should not be stingy. Besides, she is now the Divine and Mortal of his team. Her strength is his strength. Chapter 179 - 180: The Fertile Water Does Not Flow into Others’ Fields Chapter 179: Chapter 180: The Fertile Water Does Not Flow into Others¡¯ Fields Trantor:549690339 Qin Yang handled the matter very reliably. On the third day, Qin Yang told Zhu Minng that the issue had been resolved. A member of the Royal Family, who did not wish to reveal her name, was willing to exchange the mining and city ownership deeds that Zhu Minng had for an opportunity to cultivate in the Dragon Country. ¡°She is a Female Marquis who has encountered arge deficit in her finances and is selling off some items to cover these losses. We just happen to have so many deeds on hand¡­¡± Qin Yang said to Zhu Minng. ¡°Good, since having them without a suitable buyer is a loss anyway,¡± Zhu Minng nodded, agreeing to the small transaction. Zhu Minng had already looked into deeds like those of Runyu City. Its location was quite remote, and there probably weren¡¯t many people in the Imperial City interested in it, the price being just seventy or eighty thousand gold. This was far below his initial estimate of at least one hundred and fifty thousand. But in reality, holding onto the deeds for an extended time while searching for a proper buyer, or going to that country specifically to see if anyone wanted to be a City Lord, could bring a price as high as two or three hundred thousand gold¡­ The problem was, Zhu Minng simply didn¡¯t have the time to wait and look. The opportunity to train in the Dragon Country was once in a lifetime, and his current level was the most suited for cultivation there. Zhu Minng, holding so many deeds, ultimately needed to convert them into money, which was for the rapid enhancement of his strength! The qualification to enter the Dragon Country was priceless. Who knew how much money and connections it would take to secure another chance to travel to the Dragon Country after missing out on this deal with the Female Marquis¡¯s deficit. Moreover, he had been expelled from the Imperial City and would not have the opportunity for many years toe. Mr. Jinli had prepared many spiritual resources to enhance Bai Qi¡¯s abilities. The focus was mainly on strengthening Bai Qi¡¯s frost power. The strengthening process wasn¡¯t too difficult. But it was indeed quite costly. Zhu Minng also specifically waited until Little White Bai Qi had absorbed this batch of strengthening spiritual objects before he set off for the Dragon Country. Being at the Peak Lord Level, along with Little White¡¯s three powerful abilities, he should have a huge advantage even when facing creatures of the same level. Of course, to break through to the Monarch Level wasn¡¯t something that could be achieved simply by spending money. Little White had one more advancement to go, and it was best to prepare well for this advancement. After making the necessary preparations, Zhu Minng officially set off. Entering the Imperial Pce, someone specifically escorted them to the Dragon Country. The Dragon Country was a unique sacredndpletely suspended in the air, where one could see many miraculous sky vines hanging down from the thick clouds. In thend among the clouds, there were also magical trees and the mountains of Cloud Mountain, which were piled upyer uponyer, like a fairnd. Upon arriving at the entrance of the Dragon Country, all around were cloud screens resembling white mountain ranges, and the mist underfoot could be tread upon, soft like snow, sinking when stepped on. ¡°The two of you, while the dragons inside do not harbor malice toward humans, please do not lightly provoke those noble Heavenly Dragons,¡± said the Dragon Guard protecting the Dragon Country. ¡°If an ident urs, there will be no one inside toe to your rescue.¡± ¡°Furthermore, the space inside is much more extensive than what the naked eye can see, and there are also strange and uncharted ancient realms that even our Imperial Dynasty has not fully explored. Do not step into them out of curiosity, as it may be very difficult toe out alive,¡± the Dragon Guard warned Zhu Minng and Nan Lingsha very earnestly. Both nodded, indicating that they would remember these words firmly in their hearts. ¡°The dragons inside belong to you if you catch them, providing you have the ability,¡± another Dragon Guard added. ¡°The spiritual resources inside, if you can obtain them, they also belong to you.¡± ¡°Remember to pay attention to themp jade hanging around your waists. Themp jade can provide you with life vitality. In the Dragon Country of Clouds, every moment consumes a great deal of our life breath. Once yourmp jade dims, you must immediately leave. Otherwise, you might be frozen by the cloud ice, eventually bing cloud snow that drifts within the cloud kingdom, and this has nothing to do with the level of your cultivation base.¡± The Dragon Guards were quite professional, repeating all the essential matters that needed to be conveyed. After saying these, they let Zhu Minng and Nan Ling Sha enter. Upon stepping into the Dragon Country of Clouds, the cloudyers became dense and resembled a vast cial world. Although the clouds drifted aimlessly, they looked no different from frosty air. ¡°It¡¯s very cold here, unbearable for ordinary people,¡± said Nan Ling Sha. ¡°Yes, the icy cold depletes our life vitality until it exhausts our body¡¯s organs and freezes us to death. We would then be clumps of icy cloud dust. It seems that the real key to entering the Dragon Country of Clouds is not the qualification, but thismp jade that can maintain the breath of life vitality,¡± Zhu Minng replied. Even the royal family could not enter the Dragon Country of Clouds to explore at any time. Lamp jade is limited, which makes the cultivation in the Dragon Country of Clouds all the more precious. ¡°Mew¡± Little White seemed to like this ce very much. The chill in the clouds even made its feathers more spirited. It rarely dozed off on Zhu Minng¡¯s shoulder anymore, instead, it pped its wings and looked around at this extremely special fairnd of clouds. Some clouds could be walked on. But some clouds were hollow, and stepping on them might lead to a direct fall into the Cloud Sky Abyss. The Dragon Country of Clouds itself was a secret realm; from the outside, it looked like a floating mountain of colorful clouds, radiant and unbelievably magnificent, right above the center of the Imperial City. But once inside, it was another world, as if you were truly in a kingdomposed of ice clouds, heavenly vines, colorful pools, and Illusion Mountains! There were rivers inside. They were streams of even thinner flowing cloud mist. There were deep abysses within the clouds. Completely bottomless Cloud Caves that appeared out of nowhere, falling into which one might not know where they would end up. And those soaring Cloud Mountains, whose peaks were not visible, could be climbed. One could either brave the fierce icy winds to fly over or climb along the heavenly vines or find other Illusion Mountain clouddders. Everything in the Dragon Country of Clouds was as fantastical as a dream, beyond all exnation bymon sense. ¡°I have heard that the so-called Ancient Ruins are simr to secret realms like the Dragon Country of Clouds, areas not constrained by the naturalws, thus they might contain divine spiritual resources and be inhabited by transcendent and saintly beings,¡± Zhu Minng said to Nan Ling Sha. ¡°Are you asking about the matter of the Ancient Ruins in the Ancestral Dragon City-State?¡± Nan Ling Sha asked. ¡°If the Ancestral Dragon City-State were also to have a secret realm simr to the Dragon Country of Clouds, it would thrive immensely,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°Perhaps my grandmother knows something about it. We can ask her when we return,¡± Nan Ling Sha suggested. Zhu Minng nodded. One shouldn¡¯t let water intended for one¡¯s own field flow into another¡¯s. The person who first discovers such a special secret realm or ruins and enters it will surely reap the greatest benefits! How was the Imperial Dynasty established and how has it stood unshaken? Isn¡¯t it by discovering the Dragon Country of Clouds and gaining control over it? Chapter 180 - 181 Aberrant Beast Chapter 180: Chapter 181 Aberrant Beast Trantor: 549690339 ¡°Whoo¡± Little White suddenly seemed to have discovered something, pping its wings and darting into a cloud of flowers. These flower clouds, one by one, cluster by cluster, were as clean and beautiful as dandelions. When the wind came, the petals would scatter around and slowly evaporate in mid-air, eventually dissipatingpletely. Nan Lingsha walked slowly, seemingly very fond of these unique cloud flowers, enjoying them with delight. Rarely, she removed her face veil, revealing a smile that was seldom seen. Zhu Minng walked forward, following the trail of Little White. Generally, anything that interested Little White was never ordinary. So Zhu Minng wanted to see what it had found. ¡°Whoo¡± Little White itself was pure and noble. It weaved through the cloud vines like a little sprite in the kingdom of clouds. It alighted on a Cloud tform Tree, nimbly walking along the tree¡¯s colorful branches, attracted to a few fruits hanging from the tree¡¯s whiskers. With its chubby paws, it plucked one off. At that moment, a piercing cry came from therge expanse of snowy cloud ground around the Cloud tform Tree, and soon, several colorful sparrows with bodies covered in icy crystal feathers flew out. They circled around the Cloud tform Tree, eyeing the Ice Morning White Dragon that hade to steal their fruit menacingly while constantly emitting threatening calls, yet they dared not approach the Ice Morning White Dragon too closely. ¡°Just leave a few for them,¡± Zhu Minng said with a smile. These Cloud Congregate Sparrow Spirits were roughly at the Sub-level Upper rank. Speaking of which, Dragon Country in the clouds was indeed unique. Outside, a Cloud Congregate Sparrow Spirit having a lower Sub-level rank would be quite impressive, and some novice Dragon Shepherds might not even be able to handle them. What¡¯s the big deal about stealing a bit of fruit? There were plenty of fruits on this Cloud tform Tree. Little White pped its wings, and by merely exhibiting a hint of its draconic majesty, the Cloud Congregate Sparrow Spirits immediately sensed danger, crashing into the depths of the cloud cover, vanishing from sight. Several resentful cries echoed near the cloud grove. Clearly, the sparrows didn¡¯t understand why a Dragon Lord Level creature woulde to steal the fruit they had been guarding for many years. Was it really that greedy? ¡°These Cloud tform fruits, having absorbed the icy air of Dragon Country in the clouds all year round, should be even better than the hundred-year ice mountain snow lotus honey sold outside. Let¡¯s go deeperter and see if there¡¯s a bigger Cloud tform Tree,¡± Zhu Minng said. It was rare for Little White to take a liking to any food. Moreover, the nutrition was rather substantial; if Little White could eat these Cloud tform Spirit Fruits regrly, the power of its Ice Morning Method could at least double. Dragon Food, after all, rtes to Dragon Skills. Take Little White¡¯s Daytime Meteor skill¡ªit¡¯s fueled by Stardust Fragments, right? Moreover, if the Dragon Food fed to them contains Spiritual Power, that power will also be supplemented onto the Dragon Beast¡¯s skills. That¡¯s why the same dragon species, at the same level, using the same skill, if fed different Dragon Food, will exhibit different levels of power. A luxury version of the Ice Morning White Dragon, at maturity, could reach Peak Monarch Level strength. Be they demons, Dragon Beasts, or other spiritually aware creatures, all follow thew of the jungle. What is seized by strength is not considered robbery. So, for the few Cloud Congregate Sparrow Spirits guarding this Cloud tform Tree, Zhu Minng and Little White felt no guilt. Who knows, maybe these sparrows had also taken over from other creatures. ¡°Wooooo¡± Little White seemed to have already smelled an even more tempting fruit fragrance, emitting an excited chirping sound. ¡°Is it up ahead, but it looks ratherplicated up there,¡± Zhu Minng said. Zhu Minng used his spiritual perception to probe the surroundings and could clearly sense the presence of powerful creatures that had passed through the nearby clouds, and there seemed to be more than one. Little White, however, was not overly cautious. It took the lead and flew inside, with Zhu Minng having no choice but to quickly follow. ¡°If you got a bit bigger, you could carry me,¡± Zhu Minng said with a bit of yful resentment. As a distinguished Dragon Shepherd, one shouldn¡¯t be walking so pitifully on their own. It just so happened that the Divine Green Holy Dragon had recently been fed a great Spirit Fruit and was digesting it during hibernation. As for Big ck Tooth, forget about it. Zhu Minng worried that with its size, one step on the cloud-snow would send it plunging straight down. There were many clouds here that looked as soft as snow and could be trod on, but there were also many that were hollow. Those visiting for the first time would find it very difficult to distinguish between them. ¡°Woooooooo¡± The voice of Little White came from ahead, and as Zhu Minng passed through a cluster of suspended fog, he found the space ahead suddenly opened up into arge expanse of clear blue sky. Within the clouds, the blue sky was like a pool of autumn water, stunningly beautiful and intoxicating. Zhu Minng paused for a moment, wanting to wait for Nan Lingsha. In his view, Nan Lingsha would likely want to capture such a beautiful scene. But when Nan Lingsha strolled over, she, like him, was lost in the beauty of this heavenly pool in the sky, with no intention of taking out her paintbrush. ¡°Whoosh¡± ¡°Whoosh¡± Suddenly, a creature that resembled a Cloud Rabbit, like a little fairy, zipped quickly past Zhu Minng¡¯s eyes, then frolicked around the nearby clouds before nimbly returning, and softly, gentlynding in Nan Lingsha¡¯s arms. An Immortal Spirit Rabbit?? Moreover, its shape was like amber, and its fur shone with a ghostly light; yet, the aura emanating from it was full of vitality A pair of beautiful, sharply pointed ears that had fluttered backward during its sprint, making it look particrly charming and cute. Now held by Nan Lingsha, the ears wereid back against its round head. ¡°A rabbit?¡± Zhu Minng said, staring at it in surprise. ¡°It¡¯s an Aberrant Beast!¡± Nan Lingsha emphasized, her eyes conveying a bit of displeasure towards Zhu Minng¡¯s insensitive remark. ¡°So this rabbit dragon is the one that healed my Big ck Tooth?¡± Zhu Minng immediately understood. The little one was graceful and had a delicate face, with spiritual energy dispersing with every gesture and movement. Compared to the Ice Morning White Dragon, itcked a bit of nobility and aloofness but had an additional bit of pudgy approachability. Zhu Minng almost instinctively reached out to touch it. But considering where it was perched was rather sensitive, he dismissed the thought. ¡°Aberrant Dragon, it¡¯s an Aberrant Dragon! Not a rabbit dragon, silly human, silly human.¡± At this moment, the little Rabbit Spirit spoke in humannguage, its voice clear and childlike, just like a seven or eight-year-old girl! Zhu Minng¡¯s mouth hung open. This was the first time he had seen a dragon that could speak humannguage If Mr. Jinli doesn¡¯t count as a dragon, that is. ¡°Aberrant Beast, I¡¯ve only heard some old folks in the market talk about it; they are creatures from myths. If children keep telling lies, they will turn into an Aberrant Beast, which is a rabbit that only knows to eat grass,¡± Zhu Minng said. Chapter 181 - 182 Cloud Platform Mother Tree Chapter 181: Chapter 182 Cloud tform Mother Tree Trantor: 549690339 ¡°It should be all right, it¡¯s a dragon transformed from an Aberrant Beast, also called an Aberrant Dragon, but it doesn¡¯t like to be called an Aberrant Beast or an Aberrant Dragon. You can call it by its name, Little Chang¡¯e,¡± Nan Lingsha said. Zhu Minng almostughed aloud when he heard this. Who ever heard of a rabbit named Chang¡¯e. If you asked Zhu Minng, Nan Lingsha herself seemed more like Chang¡¯e, perfectly cradling an Immortal Rabbit Dragon radiating with spiritual energy, and she was incredibly beautiful. ¡°What are youughing at, hmph.¡± The Immortal Rabbit Dragon angrily stuck out its plump little paws and waved them in the air a few times. ¡°Nothing, nothing, thank you for healing my Big ck Tooth. You¡¯re amazing, to know healing Profound Arts. That¡¯s not something every Azure Dragon has,¡± Zhu Minng praised. ¡°Master, master, he praised me, should I pretend to be unhappy to show off my aloofness?¡± the Immortal Rabbit Dragon raised its head and asked. Nan Lingsha gave a nce at her Immortal Rabbit Dragon with its overly simplistic thoughts and didn¡¯t say a word. The little Immortal Rabbit immediately covered its mouth with its paws and said in a muffled girl¡¯s voice, ¡°I shouldn¡¯t talk, keeping silent is more elegant.¡± Nan Lingsha: Zhu Minng: This was the first time Zhu Minng had formally met Nan Lingsha¡¯s dragon. He just never imagined Nan Lingsha¡¯s Immortal Rabbit Dragon would be so¡­ indescribable. No wonder she hadn¡¯t let it out all this time, even though they had been together for so long. ¡°An Aberrant Beast???¡± Right at that moment, a somewhat old and weary voice came from behind Zhu Minng. The voice sounded familiar to Zhu Minng, but when he turned around, he saw no one. At that moment, however, Nan Lingsha noticed that the back of Zhu Minng¡¯s clothing was embroidered with a Jinli fish, and the voice wasing from that embroidery. The embroidery emitted a glow, which was rather dazzling. Soon, Nan Lingsha realized the embroidery hade to life, turning into a vividly striking Jinli fish that was now wagging its tail in front of them. ¡°Mr. Jinli?¡± Nan Lingsha naturally knew of its existence. Zhu Minng turned around and, seeing Mr. Jinli¡¯s miraculous appearance, his face was full of surprise. How did Mr. Jinli sneak in?? Considering that the Dragon Guards of the Dragon Country couldn¡¯t have possibly allowed a talking fish to enter, Zhu Minng had dismissed the idea of bringing Mr. Jinli along. Who would have thought that Mr. Jinli also seemed proficient in some wonderful spells, having transformed into an embroidery on the clothes. ¡°I did not expect this world to still have an Aberrant Beast, and one that has transformed into a dragon at that. It looks quite cute!¡± Mr. Jinli swam up to the Immortal Rabbit Dragon, staring with big fish eyes. It was actually sizing it up. It wasn¡¯t truly surprised; after all, it was always staring with those big fish eyes. ¡°A talking fish!!!¡± ¡°Master, this fish can talk, it¡¯s a monster, there¡¯s a monster!!¡± ¡°Little Chang¡¯e is so scared!!¡± The Immortal Rabbit Dragon was truly a treasure, burying its head into Nan Lingsha¡¯s arms, its entire head almost disappearing. ¡°I¡¯ve wanted to visit Dragon Country for a long time, but I never had the chance. How could I not want to explore such a wonderful ce?¡± Mr. Jinli said. ¡°Next time you want toe, Mr. Jinli, please give me a heads-up. I was wondering why my back felt so heavy today. Well, now that Mr. Jinli is here to guide us, we should find even more sess in the Dragon Country,¡± Zhu Minng said with a wry smile. ¡°Hey, Zhu Minng, what kind of food did the Yao Mountain Sword Sect feed you to turn a teenager of fifteen or sixteen into such an old hand?¡± Mr. Jinli stared with its big fish eyes at Zhu Minng and said. Having said that, before Zhu Minng could react, it fixed its gaze on the backside of the Immortal Rabbit Dragon and then expressed its surprise, ¡°An Aberrant Beast? I never expected that this world still had Aberrant Beasts, let alone one that¡¯s transforming into a dragon. It looks pretty cute too!¡± The little Aberrant Beast then lifted its head cautiously, sizing up Mr. Jinli. ¡°A senile Jinli?¡± The voice of the little Aberrant Beast was indeed crisp, sounding quite charming to the ear. ¡°What do you mean senile? Ever heard of ¡®great wisdom oftenes across as foolishness?¡¯ I have great wisdom in my head, and I choose to forget some utterly useless life details!¡± Mr. Jinli argued huffily. ¡°Oops, I forgot again.¡± At that moment, the Immortal Rabbit Dragon cried out and covered its mouth with its paw, saying, ¡°Not speaking gives a more dignified air. Otherwise, others will only find me cute. I don¡¯t want to be cute; I want to be cool and aloof.¡± Mr. Jinli¡¯s fish eyes suddenly bulged evenrger! There are such strange rabbits as well. Could it be that their brains aren¡¯t quite right? Oh, right. Where am I? What am I doing here? Where am I going? ¡°An Aberrant Beast?¡± Mr. Jinli stared with bulging fish eyes at the Immortal Rabbit Dragon, ¡°I never expected that there were still Aberrant Beasts in this world, let alone one that¡¯s transforming into a dragon. It looks pretty cute too.¡± The eyes of the Immortal Rabbit Dragon in Nan Lingsha¡¯s arms suddenly sparkled. It seemed to have grasped the secret of Mr. Jinli¡¯s seven-second memory. At this moment, it chose to be silent. Not speaking made it appear more serene and noble. ¡°Can you speak? I heard that Aberrant Beasts can utter humannguage, little Aberrant Beast?¡± Mr. Jinli moved in closer and asked very seriously. ¡°No.¡± the Immortal Rabbit Dragon answered. Having said that, it realized how foolish it had been and patted its plump mouth with its paw. Yet, the Immortal Rabbit Dragon also realized that by quietly waiting for a while, it could maintain the image it wanted, its pupils shining like jewels. ¡°Okay, okay, the two of you could go on like this all day. Miss Lingsha, let¡¯s move on. Little White must have discovered a bigger Cloud tform Tree, but I¡¯ve also sensed the presence of some powerful creatures,¡± Zhu Minng hastened to stop this pinnacle showdown between the two treasures. Nan Lingsha was also eager to advance and not hear the same conversation again, so she hurriedly walked ahead. Above that Blue Sky Pond, a thick clump of clouds hung suspended, and the Cloud tform Tree that Little White had discovered was actually hanging down from those high-flying clouds! The inverted Cloud tform Tree was lush and majestic, with some Azure Dragons coiled on the branches of the tree. These Azure Dragons had golden scales on their horns and purple bodies, with the Phenomenon of Sacred Dragon shimmering over them from time to time. Around them swirled a halo of fairy mist and cloud ice, making it seem as though a group of Immortal Dragons were present. The inverted Cloud tform Mother Tree itself was resplendent, with fruits glowing with sacred light, looking like the peaches of immortality from the Queen Mother¡¯s banquet in the myths, brimming with spiritual energy and extraordinarily enchanting. Such Holy Fruit was priceless outside of this world. Yet, on the Cloud tform Mother Tree, fruits abounded, a feast for the eyes. Zhu Minng was so eager he wished he could plunder the entire Cloud tform Mother Tree and once again be filthy rich! ¡°There are three Holy Candle Dragons,¡± Nan Lingsha announced. ¡°Mhm, they must all be at least at Monarch Level strength,¡± Zhu Minng nodded. This won¡¯t be easy! The Cloud tform Mother Tree had apparently be the dwelling ce for a family of three Holy Candle Dragons. It was not just about picking those luscious fruits; the mere appearance near the cloud clump above the Blue Sky Pond would alert them! Chapter 182 - 183: Male and Female Holy Candle Dragons Chapter 182: Chapter 183: Male and Female Holy Candle Dragons Trantor:549690339 Strength was not easy to judge. They only knew that two of them were above the Monarch Level. As for whether they were Semi-monarch level, Lower Monarch Level or Middle-level Monarch Level, it was difficult to determine. And even if there were some abilities that could sense the specific cultivation base of the opponent, knowing their exact cultivation base didn¡¯t mean they could be sure the enemies didn¡¯t possess some overly troublesome abilities or some directly fatal moves. It wasn¡¯t necessarily the case that one with higher cultivation base could defeat one with lower cultivation. There were also naturalpatibilities and conflicts among all things. A person endowed with brute strength might still drown if they carelessly fell into a mud pit. They couldn¡¯t be reckless. The rat demons and rat monsters they had encountered before were all extremely cunning, knowing how to ambush and use the terrain to defeat Human Dragon Shepherds, not to mention the intelligence of these Holy Candle Dragons. ¡°Once the fruits have ripened, they presumably won¡¯t leave,¡± ¡°Each fruit needs a day or two to digest, so they haven¡¯t swallowed all the Cloud tform Tree fruits in one go. Instead, they are guarding here, slowly nourishing themselves.¡± ¡°The question is, how can we lure them away? It would be best if we could get our hands on those few dazzling Holy Fruits,¡± Zhu Minng had already begun to ponder. This item would be of great help to Little White Qi¡¯s growth. Advancing to the Complete Period had the potential for failure, but with such Holy Fruits to aid, on one hand, it would ensure Little White Qi¡¯s sessful entry into the Complete Period, and on the other hand, it could stabilize its power at the Middle-level Monarch Level quickly after evolution! He had merelye to Dragon Country for a visit and had not expected to find suitable spiritual sustenance for Little White Qi¡¯s entry into the Complete Period so soon. This meant that Little White Qi¡¯s time to reach the Complete Period was drawing closer. ¡°One male, one female, and one Little Holy Candle Dragon. If we can separate the male and female Holy Candle Dragons, there is still hope for us to get the fruits. However, guarding a Cloud tform Tree full of ripe Spirit Fruits, it¡¯s probably impossible to lure them away,¡± Nan Lingsha said. ¡°Unless there is something attractive enough to draw their attention,¡± Zhu Minng said with a smile. Seeing his sly expression, Nan Lingsha knew that Zhu Minng already had an idea. The cloud clusters were thick, like ayer of heavy snow covering the Cloud tform Mother Tree. The Cloud tform Mother Tree hung downward at the Blue Sky Pond, surrounded by many scattered cloud clusters, likeyers of isted inds floating near the tree. The Female Saint Candle Dragon had purple-red scales and a slender and graceful form; its dragon horns were as beautiful as coral. The Male Holy Candle Dragon, on the other hand, had golden dragon horns and a considerably more husky and robust body. It coiled on the branches of the Cloud tform Mother Tree like a golden Heavenly Python, its red pupils on alert, watching its surroundings at all times. ¡°Hoo hoo hoo¡± A noble Ice Dragon covered in pure white snow flew from a nearby Illusion Mountain, approaching the Blue Sky Pond. The Male Holy Candle Dragon immediately raised its head, watching the Ice Morning White Dragon intently. Soon, the Male Holy Candle Dragon realized that this Ice Morning White Dragon was noting to the Cloud tform Mother Tree, but instead, with a shaky body, itnded on a lone cloud cluster ind and coughed up several mouthfuls of Dragon Blood. The Dragon Blood stained the snowy clouds red, a sight that was shockingly vivid. And the wings of the Ice Dragon looked as if they had been broken¡­ The Male Holy Candle Dragon quietly observed the severely wounded Ice Morning White Dragon, noticing that during the dragon¡¯s unsteady movements, an Azure Dragon¡¯s Gall slipped from its ws inadvertently. This Azure Dragon¡¯s Gall shone like a jade, emitting a unique luster. The Spiritual Energy stored inside emanated outwards, forming a magnificent mist, instantly illuminating the snowy cloud clusters with myriad colors. The severely injured Ice Morning White Dragon hastily grasped the jade-like Azure Dragon¡¯s Gall and then frantically scanned its surroundings in panic. The Male Holy Candle Dragon coiled around the Cloud tform Mother Tree and squinted its eyes. Meanwhile, on the other side of the Blue Sky Pond, a powerful Spirit Sword flew towards this ce, its evil aura raising the alertness of both the Male and Female Holy Candle Dragons. They both fixed their gaze on the Spirit Sword and sensed that the aura emanating from it was actually that of a dragon! The Sword Spirit Dragon, its tail and body still stained with blood, searched around the vicinity of Blue Sky Pond as if in pursuit of something. Subsequently, the Sword Spirit Dragon flew towards another direction, quickly disappearing from this area around Blue Sky Pond. Once the aura of the formidable Sword Spirit Dragon had gone, the Male Holy Candle Dragon immediatelymunicated with his mate. ¡°Hmm¡± The Male Holy Candle Dragon nced sideways, tilting his head. It seemed to be indicating to his partner that an injured Ice Morning White Dragon was hiding within the lone ind¡¯s cloud clusters, and it appeared that the aggressive Sword Spirit Dragon was after it. ¡°Hmm?¡± The Female Dragon obviously became interested, looking in that direction. Azure Dragon¡¯s Gall! The Dragon Galldder has always been an important organ for Azure Dragons, but like the reverse scales, it is difficult to preserve unless the dragon voluntarily¡­ So Dragon Galldders are extremely rare. The Female Dragon stretched out her body, her eyes observing the weary and powerless Ice Morning White Dragon amidst the clouds. At this moment, the Ice Morning White Dragon was licking the bloodstains off its wounds with its tongue and flying unsteadily as if nning to leave the area to find a ce to hide. The Male and Female Dragons were still hesitant. But the Ice Morning White Dragon slowly flew further away. ¡°Hmm!!¡± Finally, unable to resist such enticing prey within reach, the Female Dragon let out a roar at the Male Holy Candle Dragon, signaling for him to chase, while she would stay and watch over the area! ¡°Hmm!!!!¡± The Male Holy Candle Dragon immediately became excited, unfurling its body from the branches. Even without wings, it could easily achieve buoyant gliding¡­ The Male Holy Candle Dragon flew towards the cloud cluster. Seeing this, the Ice Morning White Dragon panicked, its wings pping wildly as it hurriedly rose into the air and flew towards the moreplex cloud ranges, hoping to use the mist to avoid the Male Holy Candle Dragon¡¯s opportunistic advance. The Male Holy Candle Dragon sped up. Although it noticed that the Ice Morning White Dragon had suddenly increased its speed, it didn¡¯t give it much thought, for most creatures do tap into a certain survival potential when their lives are threatened. It soared in pursuit, entering the cloud ranges. It could smell the Ice Morning White Dragon¡¯s scent and knew it was inside theseyered cloud ranges. Finding it was just a matter of time. Azure Dragon¡¯s Galldder¡­ This could enhance one¡¯s Cultivation Base by a thousand years! This brought the Holy Candle Dragon one step closer to the ten-thousand-year realm! Elsewhere, near the Blue Sky Pond, the Sword Spirit Dragon had returned to the vicinity of the Cloud tform Mother Tree. The Female Holy Candle Dragon had initially thought it wasing for the Ice Morning White Dragon, but then realized that the Sword Spirit Dragon was heading straight for her. The Female Dragon roared furiously, emerging from the Mother Tree and engaging in a skirmish with the Sword Spirit Dragon above the Blue Sky Pond. At the same time, a stealthy figure approached the Cloud tform Mother Tree¡­ Chapter 183 - 184 Stealing the Holy Fruit Chapter 183: Chapter 184 Stealing the Holy Fruit Trantor:549690339 Zhu Minng hurriedly climbed down the trunk of the Cloud tform Mother Tree. After all, it was a tree hanging down towards the sky below, and ncing at the Blue Sky Pond via the three-pronged trunk, Zhu Minng could see a spectacr dragon coiled in the distant Cloud Abyss. Although the dragon was very far away, its imposing presence could still be felt. It was like a primordial beast thaty asleep in an abyss tens of thousands of feet deep, its silver-blue wings as magnificent as clouds hanging from the sky. Zhu Minng was scared by this scene. How deep was the Blue Sky Pond? Zhu Minng couldn¡¯t judge, but he felt that if he were to identally fall off here, he might plunge directly towards that silver-blue sky abyss dragon, and he didn¡¯t know if just looking at such a creature, which could make fear crawl all over one¡¯s body like biting ants, meant that a single breath from it could sweep someone away into the heavens! Zhu Minng took deep breaths. He tried not to look at the deep abyss sky dragon under the Blue Sky Pond. If nothing went wrong, that was a Monarch Level epic. To it, most life forms were no different from mosquitoes; it would not care about the movements around the Cloud tform Mother Tree. Zhu Minng grabbed onto a tree tendril and slid towards the canopy. The fruits of the Cloud tform Mother Tree varied by age. One could see that the unripe fruits, mostly located at lower positions, shared a branch with many other Cloud tform fruits. But those ancient Holy Fruits were often enshrined by many branches, surrounded by Cloud tform flowers and leaves, having absorbed the spiritual energy of the Dragon Country¡¯s clouds for many years, endowing the fruits themselves with abundant spiritual power that almost shone through the fruit, emitting a special glow. Fortunately, when Zhu Minng entered the Dragon Country¡¯s clouds, he had prepared some substantial spiritual objects; otherwise, it would have been difficult to lure the Male Holy Candle Dragon away. Azure Dragon¡¯s Gall, this was snatched in the past using warfare. Inside the purple brocaded boxy an extraordinary treasure, which Zhu Minng originally nned to give to Little Bai Qi to consume, as it was going to spend half of its time in a period of digesting spiritual objects during their week-long stay in the Dragon Country. However, the attributes of the Cloud tform Mother Tree fruits clearly fit better with Little Bai Qi than the Azure Dragon¡¯s Gall. It¡¯s not that the value of the Azure Dragon¡¯s Gall was less than that of the Cloud tform Mother Tree Holy Fruits. For the Holy Candle Dragon that regrly nourishes itself with the Holy Fruits of the Cloud tform Mother Tree, three Cloud tform Mother Tree Holy Fruits are not as good as one Azure Dragon¡¯s Gall. But for Little Bai Qi, the medicinal effects of the Azure Dragon¡¯s Gall were not as good as the perfectly matched attributes of the Cloud tform Mother Tree Holy Fruits. ¡°I¡¯ll pick these four here and then make a quick getaway,¡± Zhu Minng said. Zhu Minng was quite greedy himself. While climbing, he casually picked somemon Cloud tform fruits, almost enough to fill arge basket. As for the most important Holy Fruits, Zhu Minng did not spare them either. The main trunk of the Cloud tform Mother Tree was trifurcated; Zhu Minng nned to scour two of the branches for the colored Holy Fruits, a total of four! It wasn¡¯t exactly a plunder. He left three Holy Fruits for the Holy Candle Dragon family of three. Mainly because time did not allow, and also because thest branch was very deep with a piercing high-altitude ice wind, making climbing over there extremely difficult. After securing the four Holy Fruits, Zhu Minng immediately turned to leave. ¡°Roar!!¡± Just then, the Little Holy Candle Dragon, which had been sound asleep, suddenly roared angrily, its red eyes staring fixedly at Zhu Minng, blocking Zhu Minng¡¯s escape route. With great hostility, the Little Holy Candle Dragon showed its fangs and ws, ready to tear Zhu Minng, the fruit thief, into pieces. ¡°Qing Zhuo, take care of it.¡± Zhu Minng immediately summoned the Divine Green Holy Dragon and then turned and ran, not wanting to let the Holy Candle Dragon catch sight of him. The Divine Green Holy Dragon agilely flew among the branches of the Cloud tform Mother Tree, its green vertical pupils staring at the Little Holy Candle Dragon. It was called a Little Holy Candle Dragon. In fact, it was also an adult, but its strength had not yet reached the Monarch Level. Since they were all Holy Dragons and adults, the Divine Green Holy Dragon was not afraid of it. The Little Holy Candle Dragon obviously was very angry; not only had someone stolen fruit from its home, but there was also a Holy Dragon provoking it. It raced along the huge branches and, at the end of a branch, suddenly lunged out, its fangs growingrge as if they could swallow a creature the size of the Divine Green Holy Dragon in one bite. The Divine Green Holy Dragon folded its green wings, and its dragon body suddenly sank. After avoiding the Little Holy Candle Dragon¡¯s bite, the Divine Green Holy Dragon immediately ascended, crashing into the Little Holy Candle Dragon like a small green mountain. After pushing it aside, the green patterns on the Divine Green Holy Dragon¡¯s body lit up, and one could see the whisker-like branches of the Cloud tform Mother Tree, flying towards the Little Holy Candle Dragon as if they were alive. The Little Holy Candle Dragon was also agile, constantly changing directions, sometimes swimming through the air, sometimes racing around the trunk, sometimes leaping up¡­ The tree whiskers couldn¡¯t keep up with it, so the Divine Green Holy Dragon abandoned this driving technique and switched to close-quartersbat. With sturdy feathers, green cutting wings, and horns of the Divine Deer Dragon, not to mention the blood of the Forest Giant Dragon flowing in its veins, since the Little Holy Candle Dragon wanted a close fight, the Divine Green Holy Dragon would oblige. At Cloud Abyss. The Ice Morning White Dragon, using the thick clouds for cover, had repeatedly shaken off the attacks of the Male Holy Candle Dragon. But the Male Holy Candle Dragon¡¯s insight was extremely strong; each time the Ice Morning White Dragon disappeared from its sight, it wasn¡¯t long before it found the hiding ce within the clouds. It seemed to roughly know the direction of the Ice Morning White Dragon¡¯s flight. It just didn¡¯t know exactly whichyer of clouds it was hiding in and had to search oneyer at a time. Little White stayed still and focused, hiding within a mushroom-shaped cloud, where it could hear the Holy Candle Dragon flying nearby. ¡°Whoosh whoosh whoosh whoosh¡± A strange, fierce wind struck at the mushroom-shaped cloud, and the cloud vapor that was covering Little White¡¯s tracks was quickly dispersed. At the same time, a gigantic head jutted out from the adjacent floating clouds and sprayed a breath of Candle Dragon Breath at Little White! The Dragon Breath, like mes of the Netherworld, disyed a bizarrely eerie green color. Little White reacted very quickly, immediately pping its wings to fly out, yet a few drops of the Candle Dragon¡¯s ghostly mes still touched its feathers. The Ice Morning White Dragon had ayer of frost-formed armor, which regr mes couldn¡¯t harm. But this Candle Dragon¡¯s ghostly fire melted through the frozen armor right away, burning off a patch of feathers on Little White¡¯s wings and spreading a strange agony throughout the Ice Morning White Dragon¡¯s body. This pain felt like ice picks piercing the bones and hot mes searing the bones. Little White hadn¡¯t expected that just a careless contact with the opponent¡¯s Dragon Breath could be so excruciating; if it hadn¡¯t dodged in time, it might have been tortured by the Candle Dragon¡¯s ghostly fire to the point of death being preferable to life. ¡°Bai Qi,e here,¡± Nan Lingsha¡¯s voice called from within a thick, dense cloud. Bai Qi instinctively flew towards the sound, and the powerful Holy Candle Dragon followed suit. As Bai Qi beat its wings, passing through the dense cloud, it saw the silhouette of a dragon, though it wasn¡¯t clear what kind of dragon¡­ Chapter 184 - 185 Sword Flight Chapter 184: Chapter 185 Sword Flight Trantor: 549690339 Even as they entered the clouds, the view remained hazy. Little White saw a dragon¡¯s shadow, with Nan Lingsha sitting on its back. That shadowy dragon charged towards the Male Holy Candle Dragon, its aura in no way inferior to it. Before Little White could make out what kind of dragon it was, Nan Lingsha had driven the mysterious dragon to repel the Male Holy Candle Dragon into the dense clouds. Little White originally intended to go take a closer look. But the remnants of the Candle Dragon¡¯s ethereal fire still clinging to its wings had not yet been extinguished and were spreading bit by bit across its body. The Ice Morning White Dragon raised its auxiliary wings, summoning countless icy breezes in an attempt to snuff out the Candle Dragon¡¯s ethereal fire. However, the frost had no effect whatsoever. The ethereal fire kept spreading, and the pain intensified with it. ¡°Spread your wings, I will heal you,¡± a young, childlike voice said at that moment. Above the clouds, an exquisitely graceful Immortal Rabbit Dragon leaped over, its soft pawsnding on Little White¡¯s back, seemingly weightless. ¡°Yuuu¡± Little White cried out, indicating that the ethereal fire was very strange and difficult to extinguish. ¡°Don¡¯t move, it won¡¯t hurt.¡± The Immortal Rabbit Dragon cast a Profound Art and exhaled a breath of healing frost mist. The mist gently brushed over Little White¡¯s wounds, significantly easing the bizarre agony that had been alternating between bone-chilling cold and scorching burns, and the Candle Dragon¡¯s ethereal fire stopped spreading. ¡°Pretty tough, extinguish, extinguish, extinguish,¡± the Immortal Rabbit Dragon muttered as if reciting an incantation, exhaling more dew of frost that continuously merged with, collided against, and neutralized the Candle Dragon¡¯s ethereal fire¡­ Before long, the Candle Dragon¡¯s ethereal fire gradually extinguished, and the sensation of pain waspletely eliminated at that moment. Waiting quietly for a moment, Little White gently fluttered its wings, finding the scalded wounds had healed as before, and even the burnt outer feathers began to slowly regrow. Little White was also a vanity-conscious Dragon Baby. A bald patch of feathers on its wings would upset it for a long time. ¡°Yuuu¡± Little White cried out, expressing its gratitude towards the Immortal Rabbit Dragon. ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re saying,¡± the Immortal Rabbit Dragon said in a crisp and pleasant voice, somewhat adorably. Little White was also very puzzled. It could speak humannguage. Why couldn¡¯t it understand dragonnguage?? ¡°Yuuu¡± Little White gestured with its paws, then called out in the direction of the strong ripples of power emanating from deep within the clouds. ¡°Are you worried about my master?¡± the Immortal Rabbit Dragon asked. ¡°Yuuu!¡± Little White nodded. ¡°My master is very formidable. That big Candle Dragon is just asking for trouble,¡± said the Immortal Rabbit Dragon. ¡°Yuuu¡± ¡°An Aberrant Beast? I did not expect that in this world¡­¡± A Jinli, radiating a special light, drifted by from the side. The Immortal Rabbit Dragon immediately closed its mouth, then imitated Little White¡¯s noble and graceful call. ¡°Yuuu?¡± Little White¡¯s delicate cheeks were full of confusion. The two Holy Dragons fought for a while. Zhu Minng had already made a quick escape, still worried that Little White would not be able to get away from the Holy Candle Dragon, so he hurried in that direction as soon as he could. ¡°Qing Zhuo, Mo Ye, don¡¯t get entangled in the fight!¡± Zhu Minng shouted. Little Qingzhuo was closer to Zhu Minng and quickly flew over with a p of its wings. Zhu Minng jumped onto the back of the Divine Green Holy Dragon, then looked back to see a magnificent silver-red light streaking across the center of the Blue Sky Pond, dividing the celestial realm in two like a mirrorke. The next moment, the Sword Spirit Dragon returned to Zhu Minng¡¯s side and followed by his side like an Immortal Sword, elegant and dashing. The Female Saint Candle Dragon was extremely infuriated; after flying in pursuit, it seemed it couldn¡¯t bear the indignity of the Sword Spirit Dragon having left a scar on its body. Although the scar was not deep, it felt like an affront to its dignity. However, no sooner had it flown out of Blue Sky Pond than the Female Saint Candle Dragon saw a group of sparrow dragons circling near the Cloud tform Mother Tree. They were the local residents who, hearing the disturbance, had alle to watch. Thinking that if it left, those sparrow dragons would divide up all the fruits of the Cloud tform Mother Tree, the Female Saint Candle Dragon could only swallow its resentment and fly towards the Cloud tform Mother Tree. At this moment, Little Holy Candle Dragon was even more infuriated, angrily crying out in the direction where the Divine Green Holy Dragon and Zhu Minng had fled. ¡°Hmm!¡± The Female Saint Candle Dragon also roared as if to tell Little Holy Candle Dragon: ¡°Go call your father back!¡± Immediately, Little Holy Candle Dragon flew towards the dense mass of dark clouds in the distance. Zhu Minng also flew towards the direction of the dark clouds and soon saw Little Bai Qi, Little Chang¡¯e, and Mr. Jinli, who were resting among the clouds. ¡°Where¡¯s the Male Saint Candle Dragon?¡± Zhu Minng asked. ¡°The master is dealing with it,¡± the Immortal Rabbit Dragon replied. ¡°Painter?¡± ¡°Dragon Shepherd, silly human!¡± The Immortal Rabbit Dragon replied with some irritation, ¡°How can you still not tell them apart?¡± How could Zhu Minng possibly tell them apart? If it weren¡¯t for the painter, Zhu Minng would be worried because he wasn¡¯t sure about Nan Lingsha, the Dragon Shepherd¡¯s strength. ¡°Sword Spirit Dragon, let¡¯s go,¡± Zhu Minng said. The Sword Spirit Dragon immediatelynded in front of Zhu Minng. Zhu Minng stepped onto the sword, and suddenly the Sword Spirit Dragon transformed into a streak of red lightning, flying towards the depths of the dark clouds. ¡°Slow down!¡± ¡°Slow down!!¡± Ice Morning White Dragon, Divine Green Holy Dragon, Immortal Rabbit Dragon, and Mr. Jinli all watched as Zhu Minng rode away on the sword. However, what should have been an extremely elegant sword flight was somewhat oddly executed in Zhu Minng¡¯s case. Sword flight was not supposed to be this shaky. Indeed, there was ack of synergy. Zhu Minng had to admit this point. It seemed that the Sword Spirit Dragon had never before been used as a flying sword to carry someone; it was just moving at its normal speed. The problem was, its speed for short distances was nearly indistinguishable from teleportation, and Zhu Minng, who currentlycked the cultivation base of a Sword Master and was not in a Sword Awakening state, was truly struggling to cope. Mainly because it was too fast! Sword flight is an operation of extreme difficulty. To be honest, when Zhu Minng first saw Li Yunzi able to perform sword flight, his surprise was not feigned. Usually, only those seasoned Sword Masters could achieve perfect control of the flying sword and ensure that they wouldn¡¯t be thrown off while rushing high in the sky. Especially at high speeds, the wind resistance can beparable to walls after walls of weight. It¡¯s a challenging task for Sword Masters to use their bodies to fend off the wind resistance that varies with speed. Control of the sword needed to be refined to the utmost. Although Zhu Minng had once been a powerful Sword Master, he was still young; most of his time was spent practicingbat swordsmanship. The technique of riding a sword, which only seasoned Sword Cultivators who had immersed themselves in swordsmanship for more than four or five decades could learn, was truly something he didn¡¯t know. Therefore, he was quite envious that Li Yunzi was capable of sword flight. Of course, he was also somewhat puzzled. Li Yunzi¡¯s swordsmanship was strange and different from that of conventional Sword Cultivators. She didn¡¯t even carry a sword with her. And how was she able to perfectly control the sword and even carry others while flying? Chapter 185 - 186: The Secret of the Ancestral Dragon Chapter 185: Chapter 186: The Secret of the Ancestral Dragon Trantor: 549690339 The Sword Spirit Dragon slowed down its pace. It slowed to a drift, no different from a light boat floating along the river. Fortunately, they had already caught sight of the Male Holy Candle Dragon. To Zhu Minng¡¯s surprise, it seemed injured. Its majestic purple shimmering scales were cracked in many ces, and even a dragon tooth appeared to have broken off. When it opened its mouth, the traces of blood between its teeth were visible. The Male Holy Candle Dragon nced at Zhu Minng and noticed him and the Sword Spirit Dragon. The Little Holy Candle Dragon was by its side, seemingly having informed the Male Holy Candle Dragon that the cunning human had stolen the Holy Fruit from the Cloud tform Mother Tree. The Male Holy Candle Dragon red with anger, but then it took a deep look into the depths of the dark clouds before choosing to head back home. The injury wasn¡¯t severe, just painful to look at; the Male Holy Candle Dragon was clearly not willing to give up. Zhu Minng was somewhat surprised and kept his gaze on the hazy dark clouds. Before long, Nan Lingsha emerged from them, apanied by a Chi Dragon. This Chi Dragon had a slender and graceful figure, its body smooth like jade, and devoid of scales. The Chi Dragon had neither horns nor ws, and its tail was thin and soft, covered with a fineyer of silver-grey velvet. Its cheeks were delicate like a beautiful woman, and its dragon pupils were narrow like those of a fox. Even quietly following beside Nan Lingsha, it radiated a sense of beauty and delicacy, as well as a hint of alluring charm. Dragons also have their own temperaments. Noble, aloof, free-spirited, lively, mighty, fierce, ferocious, strange¡­ But it was Zhu Minng¡¯s first encounter with a dragon that exuded an alluring demeanor. ¡°The Male Holy Candle Dragon is even stronger than the Female Saint Candle Dragon,¡± Zhu Minng observed as he looked at Nan Lingsha and the Chi Dragon beside her. ¡°Did you get the Holy Fruit?¡± Nan Lingsha asked. ¡°Of course. Four in total, two for each of us,¡± Zhu Minng replied with a smile, already dividing the spoils. ¡°I only need one. You can give the rest to Bai Qi as snacks,¡± Nan Lingsha said as she took only one Holy Fruit and handed it to the Chi Dragon beside her. The Chi Dragon opened its mouth with elegance, chewing slowly and savoring the taste,pletely different from creatures like the Lei Cang Violent Dragon. On their way back, other dragons gradually came to greet them. The three Holy Candle Dragons surely knew they were aplices. If they had stayed at the Cloud tform Mother Tree, they could have protected the fruits together. By splitting up and losing the fruits to others, a fight to the death would risk losing the remaining three Holy Fruits and their nesting rights in the Cloud tform Mother Tree. Clearly, they would not pursue any further. ¡°Chilodon?¡± Mr. Jinli immediately recognized the silver-grey Chi Dragon beside Nan Lingsha. Zhu Minng immediately perked up his ears, intending to learn about the origins of this Chilodon. ¡°Mr. Jinli, I just happen to have a few questions I¡¯d like to ask you,¡± Zhu Minng said, slowing down his pace as he saw Nan Lingsha walking ahead. ¡°Chilodon is the daughter of the Ancestral Dragon, a Chi Dragon of the most orthodox bloodline. That¡¯s what we call Chilodon. This youngdy is no simple character,¡± Mr. Jinli whispered to Zhu Minng. ¡°Descendant of the Ancestral Dragon?¡± Zhu Minng asked. ¡°Aberrant Beasts also trace back to the era of the Ancestral Dragon. You said before that you had been to the Li Chuan Continent, to the Ancestral Dragon City where the city walls were transformed from the skeletons of Ancestral Dragons. I thought Ancestral Dragon City was just a name without substance, but it turns out there really are relics of the Ancestral Dragon there,¡± Mr. Jinli said. ¡°My father also mentioned that there are Ancient Ruins there, and it seems that the revered masters of some major powers are aware of this as well. That¡¯s why they are so eager to obtain the right to rule over the Ancestral Dragon City-State,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°She has never shown this before; she must be wary of the people from the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent,¡± Mr. Jinli said. ¡°Does Mr. Jinli know about the term ¡®Divine Consort¡¯?¡± Zhu Minng suddenly thought of this and asked as he watched Nan Lingsha¡¯s retreating figure. ¡°During the barbaric era, when human tribes were weak and struggled to survive, they worshiped the Ancestral Dragons. There was a woman who worshiped the Ancestral Dragon and was the first to discover that Ancestral Dragons could fuse with human souls. It is because of her discovery that various Dragon Shepherd Ancestors were subsequently born, and that woman came to be known as the Divine Consort,¡± Mr. Jinli exined. ¡°Then¡­¡± Zhu Minng showed a look of surprise. ¡°Could she be a descendant of the Divine Consort? Descendants of the Ancestral Dragon are known as Ancestral Dragons, which are very difficult to tame, especially the pure-blooded Ancestral Dragons. Almost no Dragon Shepherd can control them, aside from the woman known as the Divine Consort. Her Chilodon definitely has the Ancestral Dragon Bloodline,¡± Mr. Jinli continued. Zhu Minng fell into deep thought. He remembered the time when the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent just fell, how the Li Family¡¯s Old Grandmother was eager for Nan Lingsha to marry him. The Old Grandmother surely knew about his affair with Li Yunzi. Even for the Twin Flower Sisters, it was absurd for the younger sister to marry in ce of the elder sister. Nan Lingsha vehemently refused, and eventually, the Old Grandmother still allowed her to join his Dragon Shepherd Team, as if she didn¡¯t want Nan Lingsha to stay in the Ancestral Dragon City-State at all. ¡°Nan Lingsha.¡± Zhu Minng hastily approached and called out to her. Nan Lingsha did not turn around immediately; she stopped in her tracks, her clear captivating eyes carried an unknown discontent as she gazed at Zhu Minng. Zhu Minng scratched his head. Had he offended her? Why such an expression? ¡°Have you ever considered that the Old Grandmother had you follow me to actually protect you?¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you mean,¡± Nan Lingsha replied. ¡°You are what¡¯s called ¡®Ancient Relics¡¯ because you have the Ancestral Dragon with you,¡± Zhu Minng said seriously. Nan Lingsha nced at the Chilodon, and then back at Zhu Minng. If the continents andnds of this world were fragmented and floating, and joined together during an unknown period. What continent was the Li Chuan Continent adjacent to before it was epassed by the Void Sea? Is it possible that Li Chuan Continent, like Wutu, had fallen from arger world and drifted like a floating ind in the vast cosmos? Therefore, Li Chuan Continent might be even older than the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent. This could also exin why there are Ancient Ruins on the Li Chuan Continent. Ancestral Dragon City¡­ It¡¯s not just a name. It might once have been a capital that was even more prosperous and flourishing than the current Supreme Court Empire. Merely because of istion, separation from the maind, or the enclosure of the Void Sea, the entire Li Chuan Continent gradually declined, bing far less prominent than the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent. ¡°The Old Grandmother only instructed me not to call the dragon lightly,¡± Nan Lingsha said. ¡°Without having seen other continents, how would she know the Ancestral Dragon is special? It seems the Old Grandmother has many things she hasn¡¯t told us,¡± Zhu Minng remarked. ¡°Do you think the Old Grandmother, like Dean Duan,es from the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent?¡± Nan Lingsha asked. ¡°Not necessarily from the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent¡­¡± Zhu Minng replied. Chapter 186 - 187 Another Attack Chapter 186: Chapter 187 Another Attack Trantor:549690339 Nan Lingsha fell into a brief contemtion. She carefully savored the words her grandmother had said before her departure. Perhaps Zhu Minng¡¯s guess was correct. Her grandmother was worried that people from the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent had discovered the Ancestral Dragon¡¯s secret and she herself might suffer persecution as a result, which was why she was so eager for her to leave. Thankfully, however, the Ancestral Dragon City-State was still intact. She could find out what had happened when she returned and asked her grandmother. Ancestral Dragon¡­ Ancestral Dragon City. What exactly is this world like? Nan Lingsha, too, started to feel somewhat lost. She didn¡¯t speak any further. Instead, she slowly walked forward. A sense of tiredness washed over her, and as she stepped intoyer uponyer of mist, it was as if she were sinking into a dream woven from white clouds, bing ever more deeply ensnared. The Immortal Rabbit Dragon beside Nan Lingsha had been joyfully admiring the beautiful scenery of the Dragon Country among the clouds. But suddenly, a vortex of Spiritual Power appeared on its body, sweeping the reluctant Immortal Rabbit Dragon into it. Soon, the Chi Dragon also inexplicably got wrapped into a spontaneously opened Spirit Realm. In an instant, Nan Lingsha was left alone by her side. She walked through the white, enchanting fog on foot, her eyes rippling with thoughts until they gradually became calm and clear. Behind her, Zhu Minng hastened his pace once more. He had just discussed the matter again with Mr. Jinli and felt that, regardless, he should take the opportunity to visit the Ancestral Dragon City-State again. If there truly were Ancestral Dragon Ruins, it would be very worthwhile to search for them. Although many dragon species have continuously merged over the passing of years and evolved into more powerful dragons with the abilities of the Azure Dragon, Ancient Dragon, and Giant Dragon, due to nature¡¯s selection, some dragons of the great wilderness and eternal past had vanished from the world. Their formidable power was once on par with the Gods, and naturally, acquiring the Ancestral Dragon¡¯s inheritance or secret techniques would greatly enhance one¡¯s strength. ¡°Miss Lingsha, how did your grandmother impart the Divine Consort inheritance to you?¡± Zhu Minng continued to ask. ¡°I¡¯m not familiar with her,¡± Nan Lingsha answered. ¡°???¡± Zhu Minng was puzzled. Hadn¡¯t she just mentioned that her grandmother admonished her not to summon her dragon in front of strangers? It was clear that her grandmother cared a great deal about Nan Lingsha; otherwise, why would she protect her in such a manner? ¡°What about the matter of the Divine Consort¡­¡± Zhu Minng went on to ask. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Nan Lingsha responded indifferently. ¡°But only descendants of the goddess can control dragons of the Ancestral Dragon Bloodline,¡± Zhu Minng said, furrowing his brow. ¡°What Ancestral Dragon?¡± Nan Lingsha finally stopped and turned her head to ask. Zhu Minng slightly opened his mouth, his gaze fixed on Nan Lingsha for a long time. Could it be¡­ Zhu Minng felt somewhat unwilling to give up, and so pointed towards Mr. Jinli swimming nearby and said, ¡°Mr. Jinli can vouch for us, we were just discussing the matter of the Ancestral Dragon.¡± Nan Lingsha nced at Mr. Jinli. But Mr. Jinli¡¯srge fish eyes turned towards Zhu Minng, equally perplexed as it said, ¡°What Ancestral Dragon?¡± Zhu Minng stood frozen in ce, his expression rigid as if he¡¯d stepped into a frigid arctic and been instantly immobilized! Oh no. Ismunicationpletely breaking down!! Where¡¯s the rabbit, where did that rabbit go¡­ It was just here a moment ago, how could it have disappeared so suddenly¡ªit could vouch for me too! Facing the interrogative stares of Nan Lingsha and Mr. Jinli, Zhu Minng finally couldn¡¯t bear being treated like a patient any longer and forced a smile, ¡°Nothing, nothing. I just miss thefortable life in the Ancestral Dragon City-State, and I miss the Dragon Taming Academy.¡± Only then did Nan Lingsha stop minding it, and she continued to move forward, serene andposed, while also meticulously admiring the unique scenery of this Cloud Dragon Country. Zhu Minng sighed. He felt a touch of mncholy in his heart. He really was something else. Why did he have to let Mr. Jinli bear witness? However, Zhu Minng¡¯s eyes from time to time were drawn to Nan Lingsha¡¯s retreating figure. The Dragon Capital had disappeared. The Immortal Rabbit Dragon just now. And that Chi Dragon. ¡°Do you want to paint? I could use a break. Oh, and my Big ck Tooth was injured in the fight just now, can you help me heal it?¡± Zhu Minng asked Nan Lingsha. ¡°I can¡¯t,¡± Nan Lingsha refused, and took out her inkbrush to paint amidst the lingering clouds. Those clouds, like suspended granita, were depicted by Nan Lingsha¡¯s brush as a white sand painting, effortlessly outlining the etherealnd of the Cloud Dragon Country, showcasing her rich imagination. Zhu Minng¡¯s gaze was deep. He whispered to Mr. Jinli beside him, ¡°Can a person be both a Dragon Trainer and possess the Divine and Mortal art simultaneously?¡± ¡°No,¡± Mr. Jinli answered with certainty. ¡°Her dragon is gone, which means her painter¡¯s Divine and Mortal art and the Art of Dragon Shepherd cannot manifest at the same time,¡± Zhu Minng mused to himself. ¡°She has a dragon???¡± Mr. Jinli eximed, his eyes wide with disbelief. ¡°An Error Beast Dragon and a Chilodon,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°An Aberrant Beast? I never imagined this world would¡­ ¡± ¡°Alright, alright, you go wander nearby.¡± Zhu Minng nearly spit out foam, Mr. Jinli¡¯s condition today was extremely severe. Zhu Minng found a cloud cluster and sat upon it. The soft cloud fluff was even morefortable than some of the cushioned benches covered with fur. It was a good opportunity to feed his dragon, especially the Saint Fruit of the Cloud tform Mother Tree. He would use his Spiritual Power to help it digest the previous Spiritual Objects before feeding it the Holy Fruit, perhaps Little White could evolve to the Complete Period very soon. While feeding, resting, and also appreciating Nan Lingsha¡¯s focused painting, Zhu Minng thought that instead of figuring out the Ancestral Dragon Ruins, he might as well understand the woman before him first. In the initial period when she entered the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent, Nan Lingsha would put on an act, at least she would just make him think she had a poor memory. But gradually, she stopped disguising her behaviour. And after the matters of the Ancestral Dragon City-State were fully resolved, she seemed to have discarded her concerns and summoned her dragons in front of him. Even though Zhu Minng was aware of an Aberrant Beast¡¯s existence and its ability to heal others, he had never seen a Chilodon before. This Chilodon was extremely powerful, even able to injure the Male Holy Candle Dragon in such a short time¡ªthat meant Elder Sword Sovereign hadn¡¯t lied to him. She indeed was a Dragon Shepherd, and her strength was at Monarch Level. As for her temperament¡­ Zhu Minng also had a rough estimate. As a painter, her focus was was undivided, calm, and refined, seemingly only pursuing a higher realm in painting, indifferent to everything else. As a Dragon Shepherd, she was coquettish and capricious, and if he wasn¡¯t mistaken, it was her who impersonated Li Yunzi and repeatedly created scandals for him at the Dragon Taming Academy. Chapter 187 - 188: One Body with Twin Souls Chapter 187: Chapter 188: One Body with Twin Souls Trantor:549690339 Suddenly, Zhu Minng recalled a small detail. Not long ago, when he called her by name, she seemed rather unhappy. Although he usually addressed her as ¡°Miss Ling Sha¡±, this time he directly called her ¡°Nan Lingsha¡±, and she was clearly dissatisfied and made no attempt to hide it. ¡°Nan Lingsha, isn¡¯t that her name?¡± Zhu Minng began to ponder. Then what is her true name? The artist is Nan Lingsha. Then the Dragon Shepherd is¡­ ¡°Miss Xinghua, we should go. If the Holy Candle Dragon catches up, we might be in trouble,¡± Zhu Minng walked over, nced at the painting Nan Lingsha had made on the ice cloud, and then spoke as if to maintain calm. Nan Lingsha turned around, her beautiful eyes rippling with emotion. She stared at Zhu Minng, and the aura about her clearly changed, no longer as tranquil and amiable as before, as if she became more guarded. Zhu Minng maintained theposed smile on his face, as if he were discussing a very ordinary matter. But his heart was beating faster. He felt that the person in front of him was different from the person before. The artist little sister, and the Dragon Shepherd little sister, were two different people. They didn¡¯t even seem to be aware of each other¡¯s existence. The Art of Mortals and Gods and the Art of Dragon Shepherd cannot coexist within one person. He himself was a clear example of this. Therefore, the only exnation for Nan Lingsha was that she had dual souls! Different personalities. Different memories. Different abilities. The artist is one person. The Dragon Shepherd is another. This is also why she gave him that feeling, like the rains of June. Zhu Minng had previously guessed this, but unfortunately, he had never seen Nan Lingsha summon dragons, as there were some God and Mortal beings with dragons that had human-like traits following them. But this time, Nan Lingsha summoned two dragons. And she had taken them both back into the Spirit Realm. She was a legitimate Dragon Shepherd, not just followed by a willing Dragon Beast. The God and Mortal cultivate from refining the soul. The Dragon Shepherd, merges soul with dragon. This is why you cannot have both. Zhu Minng knew from personal experience; he understood that opening his soul to the dragon meant cutting off his Mortal God Soul Cultivation. So unless a person¡¯s body was inhabited by two souls, She could possess both the Art of Dragon Shepherd and the Power of God and Mortality! If the artist is Nan Lingsha, Then the Dragon Shepherd must be Li Xinghua! The girl who was saved by the young Li Yunzi and then hidden away. Nan Lingsha even lied by iming Li Xinghua was a Prophet. In fact, she had always been right by his side. ¡°What is it?¡± Zhu Minng noticed the look in Nan Lingsha¡¯s eyes, which carried a hint of interrogation and doubt. Did he hit the mark? Otherwise, why would the focused artist Nan Lingsha have such an expression? Calling her by the wrong name intentionally, he had made the artist Nan Lingsha think he knew their secret of having dual souls. After all, the artist Nan Lingsha had no idea what he and the Dragon Shepherd little sister had discussed, what they had talked about. Although they shared the same body, their memories, consciousness, and abilities were not shared! That¡¯s why when the artist appeared, the Error Beast Dragon and the Chilodon were forcibly returned to the Spirit Realm. ¡°What are you probing at?¡± Nan Lingsha asked. ¡°What probing? You tell me yourself, calling you Miss Xinghua is also fine,¡± Zhu Minng pretended not to know. Zhu Minng couldn¡¯t possibly admit that he was probing. ¡°Feigning cleverness,¡± Nan Lingsha said coldly and indifferently. ¡°Oh, oh, Miss Lingsha, I thought¡­¡± Zhu Minng feigned ignorance, continuing to act as though another her had already revealed their secret. ¡°If you want to know, I can tell you,¡± Nan Lingsha said as she put away her paintbrush. ¡°I mean no harm,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°We met for the first time by the bridge. You mistook me for Li Yunzi, but it was not by chance because I was memorizing your appearance, nning to let you die in a dream painting,¡± Nan Lingsha dered. Zhu Minng¡¯s mouth fell open. Such a vicious woman! ¡°The second time we met was in the bamboo forest,¡± Nan Lingsha continued. ¡°It was in the Book Pavilion, you said it yourself that you wanted to kill me,¡± Zhu Minng corrected her. ¡°What do you think?¡± Nan Lingsha counter-asked. Surprise slowly spread across Zhu Minng¡¯s face. The one in the Book Pavilion was another person! Suddenly, Zhu Minng remembered something Li Yunzi said to him in Rong Valley City. Beware of the person you meet by the bridge. She was warning him to be careful of the painter Nan Lingsha. Because she really would kill him! They were sisters secretly watching out for each other, and in Nan Lingsha¡¯s eyes, he was the refugee who had insulted Li Yunzi at that time! Zhu Minng shuddered. ¡°So, there is indeed another person residing within you?¡± Zhu Minng asked. ¡°Do you really think it was Li Yunzi you were with in the dungeon?¡± Nan Lingsha suddenly questioned. Her words struck Zhu Minng like lightning, blowing his mind in an instant! Zhu Minng stepped back, looking at Nan Lingsha. ¡°Then¡­ who was that?¡± Zhu Minng felt a cold sweat forming at the back of his neck. Not Li Yunzi?? ¡°Just the person you called a moment ago,¡± Nan Lingsha said. Li Xinghua?? Impossible! He and Li Yunzi¡­ The Valkyrie who was powerless in the dungeons. Single body, dual souls, single body, dual souls! If Nan Lingsha is a single body with dual souls, then as the Twin Flower Sisters, Li Yunzi¡­ ¡°Li Yunzi, Li Xinghua, Nan Lingsha, Nan Yu Suo, four sisters¡­ are you quadruplet sisters??¡± Zhu Minng suddenly remembered the memorial night in the ancestral hall; Li Ying had mentioned his two younger daughters who died young. He subconsciously thought that Li Yunzi and Nan Lingsha were a few years older than the other two, but even among quadruplets, there is an order, there are elder and younger sisters! Li Ying was mourning his wife that time but did not mourn these two daughters who passed away young. Could this mean that these two were actually still alive? They lived on in another way, within the bodies of their two older sisters! ¡°This is what you wanted to know. You might as well stay confused,¡± Nan Lingsha said. After uttering those words, she continued walking ahead. ¡°Miss Lingsha.¡± Zhu Minng grabbed her wrist. A hint of embarrassed anger shed in Nan Lingsha¡¯s eyes. Zhu Minng released his hand and said, ¡°How do you know who was in the dungeon if you don¡¯t remember what happens to each other¡¯s bodies?¡± ¡°Xinghua is a Prophet; she has no other self-preservation abilities. Do you think it would be possible for Li Yunzi to be trapped?¡± Nan Lingsha said. ¡°So, you mean to say that Li Ying used this fact to trap Yunzi in the dungeon?¡± Zhu Minng said. It wasn¡¯t Li Yunzi who was in the dungeon¡­ They all have single bodies with dual souls. The one he was intimate with was merely another person. But when she woke up, who was it, Li Yunzi or Li Xinghua? And afterward, who was the one I interacted with? No, that¡¯s not right. Zhu Minng still felt something was off. The Li Yunzi he had interacted with was the same person from start to finish. ¡°I believe it was Yunzi. I trust my own judgment,¡± Zhu Minng finally shook his head, denying what Nan Lingsha had said. ¡°She¡¯ll be arriving at the Imperial City soon. You can ask her yourself,¡± said Nan Lingsha. ¡°So you¡¯re quadruplets? Li Yunzi, Li Xinghua, Nan Lingsha, Nan Yuso? You are Nan Lingsha, and Nan Yuso is another soul within you,¡± Zhu Minng stated. Nan Lingsha did not answer. That counted as an acknowledgment. Zhu Minng looked around, surrounded by mist. In the beginning, Zhu Minng thought that Li Yunzi had dual souls with just two different personalities. However, after seeing the two sisters appear at the same time, Zhu Minng dismissed that idea. But just as he was getting used to the idea of the sisters being twins, it turned out to be true that they had dual souls! Not even a storyteller would dare to make up such wild tales! Yet reality was right in front of him. How could Zhu Minng¡¯s heart not waver? It was okay with the painter niece and dragon shepherd niece¡ªas they had a clear rtionship with him and weren¡¯t involved in deeper issues. But what about Li Yunzi¡­ If it really was as Nan Lingsha had said, and the person in the dungeon was someone else. How is the rtionship I just established with Li Yunzi supposed to continue? My head¡¯s spinning! Zhu Minng was a man with principles, after all. Although Nan Lingsha looked exactly like Li Yunzi, he had not stepped out of line, always interacted with her politely, and maintained a gentlemanly rtionship. But now, within Li Yunzi¡¯s body, there were two souls. ording to Nan Lingsha¡¯s words. The one with me in the dungeon was her sister Li Xinghua. But afterward, the one I interacted with was her sister Li Yunzi. It¡¯s all too confusing. Zhu Minng shook his head, tossing the jumbled thoughts out of his mind. This is my own fault. Why did I have to unravel the mystery of Nan Lingsha¡¯s dual personalities? Just treat her as one person, whose mood changes inexplicably, isn¡¯t that okay? Mr. Jinli doesn¡¯t mind his seven-step memory loss either. Now look at the mess I¡¯ve made, dragging my wife into it,plicating matters even more, and challenging my moralpass. Indeed, it would be better to remain oblivious. Amnesia. I wish I could have amnesia too. Pretend I didn¡¯t hear anything just now. Li Yunzi will soon arrive at the Imperial City, how am I supposed to face her? I can¡¯t just meet her and ask, ¡°Do you remember what happened in the dungeon?¡± Nan Lingsha, oh Nan Lingsha. Are you the devil? We could have just discussed your issues, why did you have to involve my wife! The Dragon Country of Clouds is truly a holynd of the Supreme Court. After staying here for a week, my dragon pets all seem to have been nourished by the spiritual rhyme of this ce. Particrly Little White. After consuming the Saint Fruit of the Cloud tform Mother Tree, Zhu Minng even felt that it would advance to the next level soon! This was much earlier than expected. ¡°Zhu Minng, that is the Cloud Sea Spirit Eye, which can explosively increase the growth rate of your Spirit Realm, making three days equivalent to several years. With this spirit eye, before leaving the Dragon Country of the Clouds, Little White can reach the Complete Period!¡± Mr. Jinli called out excitedly. Zhu Minng lifted his head and saw a sea of clouds in front of him. The sea of clouds undted, and at a distance, there was a cloud eye, where countless rainbow glows could be seen nearby, like water currents being slowly sucked into the vortex, pouring into the Cloud Sea Spirit Eye. One could see arge group of dragon beasts, encircling the Cloud Sea Spirit Eye, all vying for the right to upy that ce, many of them reaching Monarch Level! ¡°With so many dragons wanting to fight over that territory, securing a spot there won¡¯t be easy,¡± Zhu Minng said. Indeed, cultivating there would be excellent. Even for the God and Mortal beings, staying there for a few days could lead to a qualitative leap in strength. ¡°You guard for one day, I¡¯ll guard for the next,¡± Nan Lingsha obviously took a great interest in the Cloud Sea Spirit Eye as well. ¡°That¡¯s fine. Otherwise, constant fighting will make it difficult to cultivate with focus,¡± Zhu Minng nodded in agreement. This Cloud Sea Spirit Eye was also a unique phenomenon in the Dragon Country of the Clouds, much like a rainbow after the rain, formed under certain specific conditions. The opportunity was indeed rare; one entered the Dragon Country of the Clouds for the purpose of finding such natural spirit eyes to leapfrog in strength once again. Nan Lingsha¡¯s suggestion was very good. They both needed the condensed spiritual energy of such spirit eyes for cultivation. But in the Dragon Country of the Clouds, there were many more powerful beings, all equally eager to plunge into it to absorb the treasures granted by nature. If arge group of creatures entered the Cloud Sea Spirit Eye at once, the spiritual energy would be dispersed to each creature, greatly reducing the effect. Since it¡¯s about concentration, naturally having one person alone would yield the greatest benefit, but the process of absorption requiresplete focus, making it difficult to concentrate on fighting. Zhu Minng and Nan Lingsha could take turns guarding for each other, which meant they both would absorb all the spiritual energy! ¡°I¡¯ll guard first; you¡¯re restless. It¡¯s a good time to adjust yourself within the Cloud Sea Spirit Eye,¡± Nan Lingsha said. Restless? Where was he restless? Was his steadfast heart really shaken just by those few words of Nan Lingsha about Li Yunzi! Nan Lingsha was clearly underestimating him. Was it just because she possessed a dual spirit and four souls? There were moments when Zhu Minng always thought Nan Lingsha was possessed by a ghost, wrapped around by the soul of her deceased sister. Since they were both alive, what was there to be restless about? Even Fang Niannian had guessed that Sister Lingsha had two souls. How could he not be prepared for that! However, there was no point in arguing over who went first, so he let Nan Lingsha guard for him. ¡°Miss Lingsha, I am grateful,¡± Zhu Minng said, still very polite. ¡°Who told you I am Nan Lingsha?¡± Sheughed, her smile carrying a hint of allure and teasing. Zhu Minng had already settled down cross-legged, ready to absorb the rare spiritual rhyme of the world, but thatugh from Nan Lingsha distracted him, making him somewhat dazed again. Nan Lingsha extended her palm and opened her Spirit Realm. The Chi Dragon flew out, its body sleek and jade-like, graceful and beautiful. Among the cluster of dragons gathered near the Cloud Sea Spirit Eye, it was like a distinguished empress. Its aura dispersed, the Ancestral Dragon Bloodline, suppressing those Azure Dragons, Ancient Dragons, and Giant Dragons mixed with other strange bloodlines, as if it held a higher authority over them. Standing atop the Chi Dragon, Nan Lingsha¡¯s sleeves fluttered, with rainbow glows shining on her graceful and beautiful figure, further beautifying her like a fairy descending from a painting into the mortal world. Zhu Minng closed his eyes. Her coyugh kept appearing in his mind. At this moment, he indeed felt restless. It wasn¡¯t Nan Lingsha. It was Nan Yuso. Although they didn¡¯t know what had happened to each other, they seemed to have a special way ofmunicating, probably just needed to leave a note as a reminder. And the originally capricious and fickle Nan Yuso seemed to finally not need to hide anymore. That alluringugh was meaningful. Chapter 188 - 189 Gathering Spirit Realm Chapter 188: Chapter 189 Gathering Spirit Realm Trantor: 549690339 Condensing Qi and Spirit. Zhu Minng gradually calmed down, feeling the torrential rush of Spiritual Energy pouring into him like rivers flowing into the sea. The Spirit Realm was nothing more than a little world gathering spirit that nourished dragonpanions; Dragon Shepherds, with their unique cultivation base, gathered the world¡¯s Spiritual Rhyme bit by bit, allowing those dragons in need of the spirit of heaven and earth to receive perfect nourishment. At this moment, the outside world itself had formed such a gigantic vortex of Spiritual Energy, stirring together all the Spirit Origin hidden within the Dragon Country of the Clouds. What Zhu Minng needed to do was very simple: he just had to absorb these natural Spirit Origins from the Cloud Sea Spiritual Well into his body¡ªhis dragonpanions, connected to his soul, would naturally receive the baptism of the Spirit Sea! Abundant in Spirit Origin, his cultivation base soared. Demon Spirits, Demon Spirits, and Holy Spirits¡ªwhat they needed the most was cultivation base. Cultivating here for a day was even equivalent to several years in the so-called Spirit Caves. This was why the area around the Cloud Sea Spirit Eye was teeming with arge number of creatures. In the Dragon Country of the Clouds, there were not only dragons but also many demons that had not transformed into dragons, among which were some creatures that aspired to be holy. Ten Thousand Year Saint Spirit¡­ How many lives in the world had truly lived for ten thousand years? Wasn¡¯t the birth of a Ten Thousand Year Saint Spirit derived from these Spiritual Springs and Immortal Cloud Wells that could make one¡¯s cultivation base increase hundredfold, thousandfold? As Zhu Minng immersed himself in cultivating peacefully, the area around the Cloud Sea Spirit Eye resounded with the roars of various powerful mythical beasts and Dragon Spirits. Several times, Zhu Minng was somewhat worried that Nan Lingsha wouldn¡¯t be able to cope¡ªoh, it was Nan Yuso. However, each time he opened his eyes, Zhu Minng found no threats around him. Those powerful creatures had all been driven away from this Cloud tform Spirit Eye, and the Chilodon Dragon with Ancestrial Dragon Bloodline was much stronger than Zhu Minng had imagined. Noticing that there was no significant trouble, Zhu Minngpletely let go of his concerns. As he led the Spiritual Energy, Zhu Minng could feel it like tendrils of smoke, casually drifting near the Spiritual Well. His aim was to focus wholeheartedly on drawing these strands of Spiritual Silk into his Spirit Realm. After half a day of tranquil and concentrated channeling, Zhu Minng noticed that his mental strength was depleting very fast, and he gradually started to feel somewhat lightheaded. Moreover, in the Cloud Sea, the Spiritual Energy was pouring in like tidal river waters¡ªrelentlessly flowing in, yet he could only absorb less than one-tenth of it. Zhu Minng couldn¡¯t help but wonder, ¡°Weak waters three thousand, of which I take only onedle?¡± ¡°I want it all!¡± It seemed his spiritual journey was stillcking. Mr. Jinli had said that a Dragon Shepherd was like a moving Spiritual Spring. Some people with exceptional talent in gathering spirit and nurturing dragons didn¡¯t even need to tame; dragons would willingly join them. It was like birds seeking an excellent nest. Zhu Minng had previously focused on practicing ¡°Soul Collecting Pearl Brewing,¡± an important means for Dragon Shepherds to generate wealth, and knew rtively little about gathering spirit to nurture dragons. The realm Zhu Minng provided now allowed dragonpanions to grow at twenty times their normal rate. Yet cultivating for a day by this Spirit Eye was equivalent to several years. Zhu Minng wondered whether he could also reshape his Spirit Realm to implement this method of absorbing energy from the Spirit Eye onto himself? ¡°It¡¯s better to teach fishing than to give a fish.¡± Zhu Minng was certainly not a person of short-sightedness; he activated his Spiritual Sense, and while resting and recuperating, he sought to understand theposition of the entire Cloud Sea Spirit Eye. How did it form? Why can the Spiritual Energy of the Dragon Country in the clouds be gathered into this tiny vortex? If my own Spirit Realm could also form such a vortex, wouldn¡¯t it be gathering energy every moment, increasing the cultivation speed of my dragon pets by dozens or even hundreds of times? ¡°This Cloud tform Spirit Eye, its way of gathering energy is surprisingly simr to the method of Sword Qi expansion!¡± Zhu Minng¡¯s heart leaped with joy as he discerned a pattern within the flow of the Spiritual Energy silk. When swinging a sword, if one wants to generate sufficiently powerful Sword Qi, it¡¯s necessary first to use the strength of the sword body to draw in the surrounding air currents, then swing the sword following the trajectory of those currents. This swing by itself might not be very powerful, but because the air current drives another air current, and the air current elerates the sword speed, the eventual Sword Qi grows exponentially in power! It¡¯s the same with the powerful spirit gathering of the Cloud tform Spirit Eye. Between heaven and earth, there are inherently some unstable Spirit Origins, aimlessly drifting like dust. Rather than concentrating hard and expending arge amount of Spiritual Power to painstakingly attract those stable Spirit Origins towards oneself, it¡¯s better to create a field with a specific trajectory, giving those inherently drifting unstable Spirit Origins a direction to flow. This direction isn¡¯t straight toward oneself, but like a vortex, making them first swirl around oneself. As the majority of these unstable Spirit Origins move in this manner, other unstable Spirit Origins will also be drawn into this circling trajectory. Consequently, more and more Spirit Origins form a Spirit Origin storm. The storm grows powerful enough to shake those stable Spirit Origins, and as more stable Spirit Origins join, the field besrger andrger¡ªdozens of kilometers, hundreds of kilometers, even hundreds of kilometers of Spirit Origins gather to eventually form a Spiritual Energy spring! Even the eagles and vultures, masters of flight, take to the wind, utilizing the earth¡¯s heat and the rising currents to save energy and maintain long-duration flights. Gathering energy is also about leveraging and going with the moment. Otherwise, how could a tiny Cloud Well gather the Cloud Sea Spirit Eye, coveted by countless Dragon Spirits and Demon Spirits? Once Zhu Minng clearly understood this principle, he naturally no longer needed to painstakingly attract the Spirit Origins one by one like he did at the start. All he needed to do was to start with those unstable Spirit Origins, and soon an entire spring-like flow of Spiritual Sources would be circling around him, finally entering his Spirit Realm in a vortex. People follow the crowd. So does Spiritual Energy. Having discovered this pattern, Zhu Minng not only greatly saved his mental energy but also concentrated all the Spiritual Energy within his body. In an instant, the Dragon Babies in the Spirit Realm became spirited, inhaling and exhaling deeply, like drought-stricken crops soaking up the rain! ¡°This half-day equates to half a year, and that¡¯s still in the early stages when I was not proficient.¡± Zhu Minng was overjoyed. Zhu Minng¡¯s tion was not just because the cultivation of his Dragon Beasts was soaring ¡ª his Dragon Trainer¡¯s cultivation was also advancing, feeling as though he¡¯d reached another realm in just half a day! Each time one ascended to a new realm, they would acquire a new Art of Dragon Shepherd. Zhu Minng was now very skilled in Soul Collecting Pearl Brewing. As Zhu Minng was contemting which Art of Dragon Shepherd he would obtain next, he discovered that his Spirit Realm was expanding. The Spirit Realm is like a miniature universe. All along, Zhu Minng¡¯s miniature universe had been somewhat shabby; after all, he also started halfway into the journey¡­ But at this moment, the Spirit Realm had expanded who knows how many times over, and the abundant Spiritual Energy that had been drawn in was swirling within this miniature universe ¡ª not only would it not disperse, but it even began to spontaneously produce Spirit Origins! Chapter 189 - 190: Nine Thousand Year Demon Spirit Chapter 189: Chapter 190: Nine Thousand Year Demon Spirit Trantor: 549690339 Spirit Origin was born of its own ord. This was something Zhu Minng hadn¡¯t even thought of. Between heaven and earth, the Spirit Origin is more minute than dust; only when a great amount gathers together does it form what people refer to as Spiritual Energy. Lands enriched with Spiritual Energy are known as Spiritual Mountains, Spiritual Waters, Spiritual Caves, and Spiritual Lands, and the sects of many great powers are mostly built in these ces abundant with Spiritual Energy. Although Dragon Shepherds can facilitate the rapid growth of Dragon Beasts, different Dragon Shepherds produce different effects in their Spirit Realms. For instance, many of Zhu Minng¡¯s ssmates at the Dragon Taming Academy experience only a threefold or fivefold increase in their Spirit Realm¡¯s growth rate. Since Zhu Minng became a Dragon Shepherd, he has experienced a tenfold rate of growth, whichter increased significantly due to Hei Ya¡¯s transformation into a dragon. But ording to Mr. Jinli, This eleration ratio of Spirit Realm growth is still not considered high. Some Dragon Shepherds have Spirit Realms whose growth rates can reach a hundredfold. A Dragon Beast spending one day in such a Spirit Realm equates to a hundred days of growth. Even those with long lifespans, like Thousand Year Dragons, can quickly reach the pinnacle of their strength, and possibly even break through to the Ten Thousand Year Realm. Zhu Minng has never understood the secret: have those Dragon Shepherds¡¯ Spirit Realms been affixed with some Divine Symbol to elerate at a hundredfold rate? Now, seeing the Spirit Origin born within his own Spirit Realm and gradually transforming into pure Spiritual Energy that enveloped the entire Spirit Realm, Zhu Minng had some sort of epiphany! ¡°So that¡¯s how it is, their Spirit Realms can produce Spiritual Energy themselves. Mr. Jinli was right, a Dragon Shepherd is indeed a Mobile Spiritual Spring!¡± Take a pasture, for example. One farm nts ordinary weeds, applies regr fertilizer, and irrigates with dirty water; the cattle and sheep raised there naturally turn out lean. Another uses Immortal Fields, nts Spirit Grass, and waters with sweet rain; not to mention the cattle and sheep bing plump, it wouldn¡¯t be surprising if they turned into spirits someday! In the past, the Spirit Realm was just an ordinary pasture where Dragon Beasts received nourishment sufficient only for growth enhancement. But now, having be a fertilend of Spiritual Energy, lying there asleep, one¡¯s Cultivation Base would grow faster than those demons and spirits seeking out Spirit Fruits in the wild! ¡°Source Spirit Realm.¡± ¡°It seems to have jumped to a fiftyfold rate all of a sudden.¡± ¡°With a fiftyfold rate of growth, not only does this significantly enhance my future dragon raising, but by absorbing the Spiritual Energy of the Cloud Sea Spirit Eye, Little White will be able to evolve to the Complete Period in just a few days!¡± Zhu Minng was in high spirits at this moment. If his Dragon Shepherd Realm made substantial improvements, the Cultivation Bases of the Divine Green Holy Dragon and Lei Cang Violent Dragon would also grow rapidly. Given time, they too could step into the Monarch Level! Moreover, there will be many more dragon pets in the future. Whether they are Young Dragons or creatures that have yet to transform into dragons, they will eventually enjoy the effects of the Source Spirit Realm. As for those dragons that are already powerful, when the timees to persuade them to join him, he will suddenly have the confidence! Calcting the time, a day had already passed. Zhu Minng opened his eyes and patted the dust off his body. ¡°Ms. Nan, let me take over as your protector,¡± Zhu Minng called out loudly. To prevent calling her the wrong name, Zhu Minng directly changed the form of address. But seeing the dragon beside her, he knew it was his younger sister Nan Yuso¡­ Nan Lingsha is the older sister, Nan Yuso is the younger. Zhu Minng remembered Li Ying mentioning this. ¡°We agreed on one day.¡± Younger sister Nan Yuso came riding a Chi Dragon, apanied by a fluffy bunny bursting with fairy energy. ¡°The time has not yete, right? No worries, I¡¯ll keep watch a little longer,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°Two days have already passed!¡± Nan Yuso red at Zhu Minng fiercely and adorably. Zhu Minng scratched his head. Was it really that awkward? Was it because he was so focused on Gathering Spirit that time flew by, or had he been too absorbed when the Source Spirit Realm was formed¡­ ¡°Then I¡¯ll keep watch for two days for you, Ms. Nan. You shoulde down and rest for a while,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°Be careful. Last night a Thousand Year Demon Spirit appeared; it injured my Chi Dragon. If it wasn¡¯t for Little Chang¡¯e¡¯s expertise in healing recovery spells, it would have been difficult for me to drive it away.¡± Nan Yuso did look rather tired, probably because of summoning Dragon Beasts. ¡°You¡¯ve seen what I¡¯m capable of,¡± Zhu Minng said with a smile. But soon, Zhu Minng realized that with him at Nine Army Tomb Mountain seemed to be Painter Sister Nan Lingsha¡­ Sure enough, Nan Yuso rolled her eyes and ultimately decided to leave Little Chang¡¯e behind to prevent any idents with Zhu Minng. Zhu Minng¡¯s head started to hurt again. Why were the people and dragons around him so exasperating? A niece with a One Soul Dual Body, Mr. Jinli with a seven-step memory, Little White Bai Qi who was regressing through reincarnations¡­ To be honest, Zhu Minng was somewhat afraid to imagine what it would be like having Li Yunzi around too. They all looked alike. Three times out of four, he would call them by the wrong name! On the day of a grand wedding, to liven the atmosphere and enhance intimacy, family and friends would y a game of guessing the bride. They would have several women dress the same as the bride and have the groom rely on his intimate knowledge of the subtle nuances of the woman he loves to pick out his true love. Zhu Minng, on the other hand, had to guess his wife every day. And the difficulty level was hellish. Zhu Minng summoned the Divine Green Holy Dragon, sat on its broad back, and looked around at the Cloud Sea. Nan Ling¡­ Nan Yuso¡¯s strength seemed to be not much weaker than the painter¡¯s. In the past two days, she had driven away most of the Dragon Beasts and Demon Spirits below Monarch Level, and the only ones left lurking nearby were those Dragon Kings and Demon Spirits with more than seven thousand years of cultivation. Demon Spirits over seven thousand years old were almost at Monarch Level in strength. And those at nine thousand years were probably a bit stronger than the Male Holy Candle Dragon. As for the Ten Thousand Year Saint Spirits¡­ If a Ten Thousand Year Saint Spirit appeared, Zhu Minng wouldn¡¯t hesitate to wake up his niece and make a clean getaway. The strength of a Ten Thousand Year Saint Spirit was at least Middle-level Monarch Level, if not High Rank King Level. Only Sword Awakening could barely cope with them. ¡°It¡¯s very annoying, that Demon Spirit is very annoying; it keeps looking at me with ill intentions, I really dislike it,¡± Little Chang¡¯e said, stretching out her bunny paw and pointing at a giant golden eagle. The giant golden eagle was d in golden feathers with a crown like mes. When it spread its wings, it could probably cover an entire building. As a Demon Spirit, its cultivation was likely around eight thousand years. It kept circling nearby, maintaining a certain distance from the Cloud Sea Spirit Eye but not leaving, as if it was waiting for something. Zhu Minng nced at therge golden eagle Demon Spirit and then at the fluffy, ethereal Immortal Rabbit Dragon. ¡°I think it¡¯s not interested in the Cloud Sea Spirit Eye, but in you. Eagles and hawks like to eat rabbits,¡± Zhu Minng said. The Immortal Rabbit Dragon immediately widened its rabbit eyes and indignantly dered in a cute child¡¯s voice, ¡°Big baddie, big baddie, this Immortal Dragon will pluck its feathers one by one and turn it into a bald bird!¡± ¡°Let me handle it. Consider it thanks for you healing my Little White and ck Fang,¡± Zhu Minng said. Chapter 190 - 191 Rainbow Scaled Heavenly Python Chapter 190: Chapter 191 Rainbow Scaled Heavenly Python Trantor: 549690339 The demon spirits around them realized that the Chi Dragon was no longer there. They became somewhat restless, ready to stir. After all, the one that constituted a threat to them was the very Chi Dragon possessing the Ancestral Dragon Bloodline. They attempted to approach, coveting a chance to enter into the Cloud Sea Spirit Eye to seize some Spiritual Energy. The first to fly over was the me Crowned Golden Eagle that had been circling for a long time. It had three eyes, the third of which resembled a burning, rotating me, exuding a sense of imposing fierceness. ¡°It¡¯sing over, bite it to death!¡± the Immortal Rabbit Dragon said in a huff, pointing at the me Crowned Golden Eagle. But the Immortal Rabbit Dragon nced at the Sword Spirit Dragon summoned by Zhu Minng¡¯s side and changed its tune, ¡°Pluck all its feathers off!¡± The Sword Spirit Dragon hovered beside Zhu Minng, its slender, deep red de radiating a sense of the ancient and solemn. It didn¡¯t flit about as usual but appeared like a true Spirit Sword, waiting for Zhu Minng¡¯smand. Zhu Minng focused intensely on the iing me Crowned Golden Eagle, at this moment, his mind in sync with the Sword Spirit Dragon. There was still much to harmonize between him and the Sword Spirit Dragon. For example, when the Sword Spirit Dragon acted autonomously, it was ultimately a Sword Spirit formed by the condensation of many sword souls, and there were some differencespared to the Ice Morning White Dragon, the Divine Green Holy Dragon, and Lei Cang Violent Dragon. It had the ability to fight on its own, but if Zhu Minng could turn the Sword Spirit Dragon into a Flying Sword, unifying it with his own thoughts, it would greatly enhance his strength. The Sword Spirit Dragon had excellent potential; what itcked was control. Zhu Minng was now attempting this unification of thoughts. Although he couldn¡¯t wield a sword himself and couldn¡¯t, like Sword Awakening, possess a powerful cultivation base, if he mastered the technique of Flying Sword, he could be unstoppable! Sword Cultivators have many sects. He had been practicing styles that fell under the Fighting Sword Sect, mastering various powerful destructive techniques of swordsmanship, in pursuit of higher Sword Realms. Sword Masters of the Fighting Sword Sect usually carried only one sword, mostly attacking with the sword in hand and also pursuing personal cultivation. But the Flying Sword Faction was somewhat foreign to Zhu Minng. The Flying Sword Faction emphasized refining the Immortal Spiritual Sword, usually with the sword as the core, carrying several swords with them. Sword Masters don¡¯t seek to be strong in their own swordsmanship and techniques but focus more on controlling the sword and ying enemies with it. Li Yunzi seemed to belong to thetter, as she controlled the Flying Sword with her thoughts. But there were still some confusing points, her Power of God and Mortality did not seem to be purely of the Flying Sword Faction. When she arrived, Zhu Minng could ask her in detail; it might help him control the Sword Spirit Dragon. In the past, Zhu Minng had traversed the world with a single sect, but he gradually realized that the world was actually very vast, with many ces worth learning from. If he had remained immersed in the Fighting Sword Sect with the same attitude, he would have found it difficult to climb higher. Now was an excellent opportunity to start from scratch, to integrate everything. He believed it wouldn¡¯t take long before he could stand at a higher Realm. Thoughts must be unified. One must be fully focused. The Sword Spirit Dragon itself had a Soul Contract with Zhu Minng, which gave him an advantage over those Sword Masters who started training in Flying Swordsmanship from scratch. Moreover, the Sword Spirit Dragon had a high cultivation base, eliminating the tedious steps of refining the sword. As long as his thoughts could synchronize with the Sword Spirit Dragon¡­ ¡°Mo Ye, try to get the sh Dragon Sword close to it,¡± Zhu Minng conveyed his thoughts. The Sword Spirit Dragon suddenly transformed into a dark red light, like a dark star falling into the sky, instantly reaching the front of the me Crowned Golden Eagle. The me Crowned Golden Eagle reacted extremely sensitively, and it seemed to anticipate the position where the Sword Spirit Dragon would pause, swiping its golden ws at the Sword Spirit Dragon. The Sword Spirit Dragon wasn¡¯t afraid at all and nned to sh with the talons of the me Golden Eagle head-on, to see whether the ws of the me Crowned Golden Eagle could shatter its sword-like body or if its sharp de could slice through the golden talons! ¡°Retreat!¡± Zhu Minng conveyed anothermand. The Sword Spirit Dragon was slightly slow to react, and when it retreated, the sword-back was scratched by the ws of the me Crowned Golden Eagle, instantly causing a piercing metallic sound to resonate throughout the Cloud Sea. A very obvious w mark appeared on the back of the Sword Spirit Dragon. The ws of the me Crowned Golden Eagle, however, were undamaged. Unbreakable as a diamond. The w of the me Crowned Golden Eagle was obviously extraordinary, able to tear through even the metallic body of the Sword Spirit Dragon like that! ¡°Whoosh!¡± The Sword Spirit Dragon had a close call and realized that if it had really shed head-on, it would have been the one to get hurt, and the repair of its sword body would require devouring arge number of high-grade good swords; the healing abilities of the Immortal Rabbit Dragon wouldn¡¯t be effective for it. ¡°Sword Spirit Dragon, stay focused, don¡¯t get distracted,¡± Zhu Minng said. Avoid the enemy¡¯s edge, seek out their weaknesses. When facing an enemy with a lower cultivation base, the Sword Spirit Dragon could naturally sweep away the opponent with a single sh, easily breaking through the enemy¡¯s defenses. But when the cultivation levels are simr, it¡¯s even more necessary to pay attention to skill, maintainingposure and calmness, and focusing on the game of strategy. The me Crowned Golden Eagle was a demon spirit of over seven thousand years, if it didn¡¯t possess unbreakable talons, how would it dare to grab at an ancient sword with a sharp de? ¡°Be wary of its third eye,¡± Zhu Minng said. The third eye! The figure of the Sword Spirit Dragon flickered, suddenly creating many afterimages of its sword body, flying in different directions. At that moment, the me Crowned Golden Eagle had already opened its third eye, and the fiery eye moved, releasing a Sun me Beam. The thick, crimson light was full of destructive power, and when it struck the Sword Spirit Dragon, one could see the vast Cloud Sea being split open, with the clouds being burned into a fiery chasm! The Sword Spirit Dragon cleverly created afterimages to confuse the me Crowned Golden Eagle¡¯s vision, narrowly avoiding the opponent¡¯s powerful sorcery. ¡°Do you have any long-range attacks? Test out the toughness of its golden feathers,¡± Zhu Minng inquired. ¡°Whoosh!¡± The Sword Spirit Dragon suddenly came to a quiet halt over the Cloud Sea, its sword body pointing forward. ¡°Hum!¡± The sword body trembled slightly, and a sword soul could be seen dissipating like smoke shadows but gently fading away as it reached the distant end like ripples. ¡°Swoosh!¡± As the sword body¡¯s smoky shadow appeared again, one could see a sharp sword soul flying at high speed from the Sword Spirit Dragon, streaking across the vast expanse of the Cloud Sea as if a sail tore through the vast waves! Sword Soul Outburst! It was an ancient sword of unparalleled caliber, rugged, heavy, and massive¡ªit was a Ten Thousand Catty Heavy Sword! The Heavy Sword Soul Shadow flew towards the me Crowned Golden Eagle, which immediately pped its wings, trying to soar high to avoid the swiftly approaching heavy sword. However, as the heavy sword neared the me Crowned Golden Eagle, it grew increasinglyrger, with the Heavy Sword Phantom turning as vast as a small mountain, carrying with it a dense murderous air that left the me Crowned Golden Eagle no space to dodge! ¡°Boom!!!!¡± The Giant Sword Phantom flew out of its sheath and struck the me Crowned Golden Eagle, sending it soaring. Countless golden feathers were scattered, and scorching blood sttered through the air. Seeing the mountain-like Giant Sword Phantom unsheathed, Zhu Minng was also stunned. He had only meant for Mo Ye to test the opponent¡¯s defenses, but it had gone straight for a vicious blow! If the me Crowned Golden Eagle had been even a bit slower to react, it might have been sted into smithereens by the Giant Sword Phantom! ¡°Whoosh~¡± Zhu Minng¡¯s emotions seemed to be felt. The Sword Spirit Dragon also seemed a bit aggrieved. This was the most basic of long-range attack methods. Even the weakest swordsmanship had little significance against a seven-thousand-year-old Demon Spirit. ¡°Fine, I don¡¯t me you. If anything, it¡¯s the me Crowned Golden Eagle¡¯s age that¡¯s not quite there. Of course, next time be careful. Even if creatures are weaker than you in cultivation, they may have some deadly weapons. Don¡¯t be headstrong¡­¡± Zhu Minng said helplessly. He had thought the me Crowned Golden Eagle could provide some practice in coordination with the Sword Spirit Dragon. Unfortunately, the me Crowned Golden Eagle¡¯s spiritual journey wasn¡¯t enough. ¡°Whoosh~¡± The Sword Spirit Dragon pressed its advantage, once again employing the Sword Rain Swordsmanship! The Sword Spirit Dragon¡¯s own de split, one into two, two into four, four into eight¡­ In an instant, the space around the Sword Spirit Dragon was filled with millions of fine sword shadows. From afar, they looked like countless bolts of crossbows sweeping across from a vast army, dense like a torrential downpour! The Sword Rain was fine and dense, yet terrifyingly powerful. One could see the sword rain shadows shing over the me Crowned Golden Eagle, those tough golden feathers being shredded and plucked away. For a moment, the Sword Rain Swordsmanship had sheared off countless feathers from the me Crowned Golden Eagle, making it look like a bald giant bird. Compared to its previous majestic and awe-inspiring appearance, it was a bird transformed. ¡°Big bald bird, hahaha, big bald bird!!¡± The Immortal Rabbit Dragon rolled on the ground,ughing so hard that its chubby paws iled about. Zhu Minng wore a wry smile. The Sword Spirit Dragon was still a bit too powerful, revealing its true capabilities the seven-thousand-year-old Demon Spirit couldn¡¯t resist at all. It seemed he needed to wait a bit longer. He would have to wait for the nine-thousand-year-old Demon Spirit to show up. Facing an equal opponent, Zhu Minng could then practice the Flying Sword Faction with the Sword Spirit Dragon. Allowing the Sword Spirit Dragon to act freely, Zhu Minng sat atop the Divine Green Holy Dragon¡¯s back, scanning his surroundings, looking to find a suitable opponent for it as well, to give it more experience. ¡°Why is Little White taking another nap?¡± Zhu Minng was nning to find suitable opponents for each of his dragons when he noticed Bai Qi sleeping in the Spirit Realm. Could it be progressing to the next stage? His own Spirit Realm had just undergone transformation and evolved into the Source Spirit Realm, with growth speed reaching fifty times the normal rate. Furthermore, he had spent two full days absorbing the spiritual energy from the Cloud Sea Spirit Eye, mainly channeling it into Little White¡¯s body for a surge towards its evolution. He had also fed it the second Saint Fruit from the Cloud tform Mother Tree. Though it felt somewhat wasteful. However, if he could propel Bai Qi¡¯s evolution in one go, it would be much better than waiting another two or three months! Typically, when Little White sank into ¡°slumber,¡± it was a harbinger of evolution! ¡°Mr. Jinli, Little White seems eager to enter the Complete Period,¡± Zhu Minng said. Behind his clothing, the koi embroidery began to shine brightly. It wasn¡¯t long before the embroidery vanished, and a fish appeared beside Zhu Minng, capable of floating in the air independently of water and gliding gracefully. ¡°With the foundationid before, coupled with the infusion of the Saint Fruit of Cloud tform Mother Tree and the Spirit Eye, it indeed should evolve,¡± Mr. Jinli was not surprised. So all that money spent wasn¡¯t wasted at all! ¡°Hmm? Your Spirit Realm, it¡¯s different now,¡± Mr. Jinli said, drifting close to Zhu Minng, his fish eyes bulging with curiosity. ¡°I¡¯ve mastered the cirction of Spiritual Yuan. With the massive influx of spiritual energy this time, my Spirit Realm has be the Source Spirit Realm, and my cultivation speed has increased fiftyfold,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°Not bad, I told you that you were clever, a fine candidate for a Dragon Shepherd, your ability to discover the cirction of natural spiritual energy on your own¡­¡± Mr. Jinli said. Some rules must beprehended by the Dragon Shepherds themselves; merely exining them in words is meaningless. Unless a Dragon Shepherd feels the subtleties of the natural world, no amount of talking can help them reach that understanding. Zhu Minng had an excellent aptitude. Upon seeing the Cloud tform Spirit Eye, he sought the method from within the Spirit Eye, rather than blindly drawing in one stream of spiritual energy after another like others. ¡°It seems that your Source Spirit Realm has also significantly elerated Little White¡¯s growth,¡± Mr. Jinli said. ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to you, Mr. Jinli, for providing a great foundation for Little White,¡± Zhu Minng replied. If he were to raise Little White cluelessly, by the time it reached the Complete Period, its cultivation base would likely only be between Quasi-positional Monarch Level and Lower Monarch Level. By following Mr. Jinli¡¯s approach and establishing a higher foundation in the growth period, the upper limit during evolution would be raised. Indeed, the difference between Quasi-positional Monarch Level, Lower Monarch Level, and Middle-level Monarch Level is substantial. ¡°The four growth stages of a dragon are particrly crucial, otherwise, why would you humans always drill children with rigorous study before adulthood, and pay less attention afterward? The foundationid early on can lift a person¡¯s potential,¡± Mr. Jinli exined. The principle was simple and straightforward. However, the specifics of when to intensify efforts and when to rx areplex matters¡­ Of course, the most important thing is to have money. ¡°Trouble¡¯sing!¡± ¡°Trouble¡¯sing!¡± The shrill and panicked voice of a young girl rang out, and Little Chang¡¯e perked up its ears. It hopped onto Zhu Minng¡¯s head, its ws gripping his hair, and said timidly, ¡°Trouble¡¯sing¡ªthe big Heavenly Python is back!¡± Zhu Minng looked toward the horizon and saw a moving rainbow arcing across the sky, its brilliance making it seem as though dyes had been painted onto the heavens. Upon closer inspection, he realized it was a rainbow-colored python! The Rainbow Scaled Heavenly Python possessed Demonic Qi surpassing that of most Dragon Kings. Its slender form and splendid scales shone brightly as it approached the Cloud Sea Spirit Eye, illuminating the sprawling clouds like a beautiful, colorful river. As the Rainbow Scaled Heavenly Python grew closer, Zhu Minng involuntarily caught his breath. Its slender form did not detract from its enormity. Rising from the Cloud Sea were towering cloud formations called cloud ridges, no less imposing thannd-based mountains. Yet, the Heavenly Python could coil around the waist of these ridges, with its tail stretching into another cloud bank. Its neck red as its t, elongated head proudly stood atop the cloud ridge, looking down like a Mountain God upon the Divine Green Holy Dragon, insignificant as sparrows, and Zhu Minng, minuscule as ants. For some reason, when Zhu Minng met its snakelike pupils, he could feel its scornful superiority, as if, to a demon cultivator on the brink of ascension, the flesh-and-blood mortals and the wild, fierce Dragon Beasts were all inferior beings! Chapter 191 - 192 White Dragon, The Strongest Form Chapter 191: Chapter 192 White Dragon, The Strongest Form Trantor: 549690339 ¡°Little snake skin, looking down on someone?¡± Mr. Jinli seemed to feel the opponent¡¯s undisguised contempt and couldn¡¯t help but show off his short fins, pointing at the Rainbow Scaled Heavenly Python like a human finger. ¡°Sssssssss¡± The Rainbow Scaled Heavenly Python let out a low growl. This growl rolled across the sky like muffled thunder, giving off an extremely dangerous feeling. ¡°A shabby colorful snake that has lived so long, with a cultivation base of just nine thousand years, if I, Lord Fish, spat in a pond, the water snakes there could transform into Divine Dragons of the Heaven Realm. And you dare to call yourself a Heavenly Python? Worms in dragon dung look more talented than you, and they achieved ¡®saint¡¯ status before you did,¡± Mr. Jinli verbally unleashed, making Zhu Minng somewhat unable to join in the conversation on the side. ¡°Roar!!!!!¡± The Rainbow Scaled Heavenly Python¡¯s neck puffed up, spreading out like a hideous expanse of colorful flesh wings, with nine-thousand-year-old red serpentine patterns running from its neck down to its lower jaw! Clearly enraged, the Rainbow Scaled Heavenly Python opened its massive jaws and spat out a swath of dazzling rainbow light. The falling rainbow light immediately made the view strangely variegated, and one¡¯s entire head felt extremely groggy as if plunged into a nightmare of overly vivid colors, causing intense disquiet. The Sword Spirit Dragon swept its sword, creating a massive wave of qi that alleviated the feeling of nauseating dizziness. ¡°Giant Sword unleashed!¡± Zhu Minng said to the Sword Spirit Dragon. The Giant Sword Phantom flew out, majestic as a mountain peak, and mmed fiercely into the exaggeratedly-sized Rainbow Scaled Heavenly Python. The Rainbow Scaled Heavenly Python didn¡¯t dodge or flinch. As the Giant Sword Phantom struck, it actually opened its mouth to swallow it, ingesting the mountain-like shadow of the giant sword directly into its belly! It was quite strange; that sort of Giant Sword Phantom would destroy mountains, but the Rainbow Scaled Heavenly Python seemed to swallow it as if it were mist, and aside from a bit of bulging in its belly, it acted as if nothing had happened. ¡°Nine Locks Sword!¡± Zhu Minng once again conveyed his thoughts, and the Sword Spirit Dragon darted around, appearing above the giant Heavenly Python. Along the sword¡¯s trajectory, chains of qi resembling lockchains appeared! The silver qi chains intertwined with the swift flights of the Sword Spirit Dragon, forming a total of nine Sword Chains, constituting a Sword Lock Array that descended over the Rainbow Scaled Heavenly Python. The Rainbow Scaled Heavenly Python suddenly dipped its body, whipping its tail, hidden among the clouds, upwards, shattering those Sword Chains with a single strike, turning them into numerous insignificant flows of qi, scattering in disarray. ¡°That¡¯s the one, that¡¯s the one that hurt master¡¯s Chilodon!¡± At that moment, the Immortal Rabbit Dragon cried out and suddenly hid within the clouds. Zhu Minng dared not be distracted. He hadn¡¯t expected the gap in strength between seven thousand years and nine thousand years to be so vast. The me Crowned Golden Eagle, continuously repelled by the Sword Spirit Dragon¡¯s strikes, did not dare to approach the Cloud tform Spirit Eye any longer. Yet this nine-thousand-year-old Rainbow Scaled Heavenly Python easily neutralized the Sword Spirit Dragon¡¯s powerful swordsmanship; evidently, the Rainbow Scaled Heavenly Python was not just profoundly cultivated but also terrifyingly powerful! The Sword Spirit Dragon was sent flying by the opponent¡¯s tail, taking a while to adjust its state. When it returned to the fray, the Rainbow Scaled Heavenly Python suddenly lowered its head as if drinking the sea like a dragon, sucking the rolling sea of clouds into its mouth! ¡°Whoosh!!!!!!¡± In an exhtion, the clouds that had entered the Rainbow Scaled Heavenly Python¡¯s belly turned into a white, long river in the sky, pouring down towards the Sword Spirit Dragon! This river formed from cloud qi was tremendously powerful; perhaps if a range of mountains stood here, they too would be destroyed into a pile of dust and sand. The Sword Spirit Dragon moved against the river of cloud qi, its sword body glowing with a light of Inscriptions, turning it dark red, like a malevolent star streaking through the daytime sky. ¡°Sword Piercing the Sky!¡± Zhu Minng practiced the Sword Piercing the Sky the most. Every object blocking his path, be it the invisible wind, the tough rocks, or the enemies behind a fortress, could not escape being prated by this sword technique! The Sword Spirit Dragon broke through the cloud river and shot straight towards the Rainbow Scaled Heavenly Python! The Rainbow Scaled Heavenly Python suddenly stopped its cloud breath and watched the Sword Spirit Dragon pierce through, maintaining its wide-open mouth posture. Zhu Minng furrowed his brows, feeling that something was not quite right. But at this moment, the Sword Spirit Dragon had already flown through the Rainbow Scaled Heavenly Python¡¯s throat; with the prating power of the Sword Spirit Dragon, it should have definitely pierced a hole in the serpent¡¯s esophagus! ¡°Ugh!!¡± The Rainbow Scaled Heavenly Python suddenly swallowed, actually eating the piercing Sword Spirit Dragon in one gulp. As the Sword Spirit Dragon flew through its esophagus, it found the Rainbow Scaled Heavenly Python¡¯s throat to be muchrger than imagined¡ªit felt like flying into an abyss with no boundaries or bottom¡­ The Sword Spirit Dragon¡¯s speed was still very fast, and with its flying sword pration, it should have already burst out through the stomach, but the Rainbow Scaled Heavenly Python¡¯s esophagus had no end in sight! ¡°This is bad.¡± Zhu Minng inwardly cursed. This Heavenly Python must have an infinite stomach; the Sword Spirit Dragon couldn¡¯t even touch the creature¡¯s stomach lining, so how could it break out with a single sword thrust? ¡°Your sword, how did it end up in the snake¡¯s belly?¡± the Immortal Rabbit Dragon poked its head out and asked cautiously. ¡°We¡¯re probably going to need to ask your master for help,¡± said Zhu Minng with a wry smile. This Rainbow Scaled Heavenly Python was indeed formidable; the Sword Spirit Dragon might not be able toe out for a while, and Zhu Minng had nothing to counter the power of this nine-thousand-year Demon Spirit. He would have to join forces with Nan Yuso to deal with this Heavenly Python. ¡°Yoooooooo¡± Just then, a long chant came from within the Spirit Realm. Zhu Minng looked into the Spirit Realm and saw that the Ice Morning White Dragon had woken up without him knowing, its entire body¡¯s feathers as gorgeous as sacred snow and moon silver, the noble White Dragon spreading its wings, followed byyers of auxiliary feathers as splendid as the mythical White Phoenix! Has it¡­ evolved?? Complete Period!! This was the strongest form of the Ice Morning White Dragon!! Zhu Minng had thought Little White would need another half month of slumber, but unexpectedly, itpleted its final transformation so quickly. This must thank Nan Yuso for protecting him for an extra day. In the Cloud tform Spirit Eye, this extra day of cultivation provided a huge speed boost to the Ice Morning White Dragon¡¯s evolution!! Just right, the nine-thousand-year Heavenly Python¡­ Deserved to have its ws sharpened against the Ice Morning White Dragon, nowpleted in all its growth transformations! Flying out from the Spirit Realm, the Ice Morning White Dragon¡¯s holy moon white feathers emitted an ice cloud aura, and this ice cloud frost was very simr to the icy atmosphere enveloping the entire Dragon Country drone the clouds, carrying with it a potential to freeze the vitality of life into decay! The Cloud tform Holy Fruit seemed to make the Ice Morning White Dragon inherit the unique oppressive aura of the Dragon Country, causing all the creatures caught in this atmosphere of icy decay to continuously wither in vitality! While the Sword Spirit Dragon and the Rainbow Scaled Heavenly Python were fighting, arge number of Demon Spirits and Dragon Beasts had also gathered around, hoping to benefit from their fight. But with the appearance of the Ice Morning White Dragon, its vast presence of freezing skies and withering life swept over everything, scaring all the watching Demon Spirits and Dragon Beasts into scattering! Chapter 192 - 193 Frost Heaven Dust Chapter 192: Chapter 193 Frost Heaven Dust Trantor: 549690339 Clouds of frost mist stretched on endlessly. Soon, a thickyer had enveloped the clouds above, and the Rainbow Scaled Heavenly Python seemed to sense the life-sustaining power of ice frosting in the frost. Its body moved upwards, coiling into a Snake Peak amidst the vast firmament and sea of clouds! Little White leaped up, its figure as holy as the bright moon suspended in midair. Its wings pped, and for a moment, the sky was filled with Frozen Star Mountains, as if formed by the icy dust from distant heavens or chunks of mountains copsing in a cial world!! These frosty celestial dust charged toward the Rainbow Scaled Heavenly Python, with its overwhelming destructive force engulfing the sky¡ªbroad and high, yet the dust stirred up a turbulentyer of atmosphere, shrouding this world of clouds in a breath of annihtion! The Rainbow Scaled Heavenly Python, looking at the frosty celestial dust falling from the sky, couldn¡¯t help but show signs of panic, despite maintaining its Snake Peak form. The Snake Peak was actually its defensive stance, using the Colored Scales and tough snake skin coiled together, like a fortress! When the frosty celestial dust collided, just the stirred Destructive Gas Layer nearly erased the entire sea of clouds, and the Rainbow Scaled Heavenly Python, realizing that it couldn¡¯t withstand such force, suddenly stretched its Python body and fled into the distance. But the celestial dust carried a terrifying power of ice sealing, causing the Rainbow Scaled Heavenly Python¡¯s body to be rigid in an extremely short time. Although it wasn¡¯tpletely frozen, this stiffness made its flight slow down dramatically. The frosty celestial dust was not just a single mass, and the true destructive power of this celestial dust was not from the impact itself, but from the copsing waves they formed when all the dust charged into an area of the sky! First came the Destructive Gas Layer, sweeping up everything, followed by the copsing booms caused by the celestial dust striking space¡ªwaves that seemed to make the entire clear sky fall into a ck abyss, where light was devoured, air currents were drawn out, and the heavens and earth copsed terribly! The Rainbow Scaled Heavenly Python struggled to escape the copsing waves caused by the celestial dust, but cracks started to appear in the space it upied¡­ It was like running on an iceke with cracks¡ªthe harder one tried to run out, the less the fragile ice could hold up, and eventually the cracks spread across the entire frozenke, leading to its copse and shattering, with all the creatures upon it plummeting helplessly into the Cavern of Cold! The cracks werergest where the Rainbow Scaled Heavenly Python was, and although it tried several times to change and weave through, it gradually found that the blue sky ahead was falling too, and it could not escape either. ¡°Yooo¡± A dragon¡¯s chant with a sense of ancient destion sounded as the Ice Morning White Dragon was shrouded in the holy Moon Silver radiance, its feathers shining like crystal and jade Armor, stunningly dazzling. It soared in this copsing area, looking down at the Rainbow Scaled Heavenly Python that kept falling into the ck abyss. The Rainbow Scaled Heavenly Python roared furiously. This nine-thousand-year-old Demon Spirit was indeed powerful; it swung its tail with great might, attempting to fly up against the force of the copsing waves. This was no less a feat than swimming upstream against a holy waterfall! The Rainbow Scaled Heavenly Python didn¡¯t fall further; although its scales were damaged, it was still fierce and untamed, lunging at the Ice Morning White Dragon, which controlled this space, as if to drag it into the copsing zone with it. The Ice Morning White Dragon could have evaded and flown high, slowly watching the Rainbow Scaled Heavenly Python fall, but it instead met the challenge head-on. As it flew, countless downy feathers like frost dust spread around it, forming a sharp and icy force of freezing. As soon as the Rainbow Scaled Heavenly Python got close, ayer of sticky ice covered it, seeping into its flesh and quickly petrifying its body, as hard as stone muscle! The Ice Morning White Dragon was always agile and nimble; though much smaller than this massive Python, it weaved through the long body of the Rainbow Scaled Heavenly Python. The Rainbow Scaled Heavenly Python twisted its body, trying to smash the Ice Morning White Dragon with its tail, but the White Dragon danced like a white butterfly, easily avoiding the ferocious attacks. The Rainbow Scaled Heavenly Python suddenly turned its head toward the Ice Morning White Dragon, its mouth agape, ready to spew that dazzling, dizzying rainbow light. Unfortunately, its movements grew increasingly sluggish, and the Ice Morning White Dragon took the lead, opening its dragon mouth to exhale a st of frosty dragon breath! In the beginning, the frosty dragon breath looked like mist or water, covering a wide area, but as soon as it touched the air, it instantly turned into icy dust and frost particles. These particles came with a rapid freezing effect, and even more so, they brought with them the Ice Withering! One could see the Rainbow Scaled Heavenly Python still poised with its mouth open, but its entire head had suddenly turned into a block of ice! The frozen head didn¡¯t retain its original state; you could see the head of the Rainbow Scaled Heavenly Python rapidly decaying. Its scales shriveled and rotted in the cold, its sharp teeth started to fall out, and even the pupils seemed to be rapidly losing vitality, moving toward death. ¡°Shoo¡± Maintaining its open mouth pose but frozen in ce, the Sword Spirit Dragon, which couldn¡¯t find an exit from within the python¡¯s stomach, finally flew out. The Sword Spirit Dragon seemed exceedingly angry. Being trapped in the dark, stinky, and damp stomach, when it saw the head of the Rainbow Scaled Heavenly Python frozen, it made a gorgeous turn and swung its sword! ¡°Swish!!!¡± The sword was enveloped in a mighty aura, and this aura was so massive it resembled a sky-piercing giant sword, chopping down at the neck of the Rainbow Scaled Heavenly Python! The Ice Morning White Dragon¡¯s Frost of the Ice Sky not only hastened the demise of the Rainbow Scaled Heavenly Python¡¯s life force but also made its scaled armor and muscles shriveled and brittle. With one chop from the Sword Spirit Dragon, it cut down the head and neck of the Rainbow Scaled Heavenly Python together! With its body severed from its head, the Rainbow Scaled Heavenly Python¡¯s body convulsed intensely, truly resembling a giant earthworm. And its head, it fell toward the copsing terrain, shattering continuously amid that terrifying force. Due to its body being frozen stiff, it took a while before blood began to spray out from the Rainbow Scaled Heavenly Python. Its body still struck about in a frenzy, even sweeping away the Ice Morning White Dragon and the Sword Spirit Dragon in the process. ¡°It¡¯s trying to escape, stop it,¡± Zhu Minng said. Even without its head, the Rainbow Scaled Heavenly Python was not dead. As long as its endless stomach remained, it could regenerate a new serpent-dragon head by devouring a few creatures of its own kind or by swallowing a serpent-dragon. Zhu Minng naturally understood that this ancient demon spirit of nine thousand years had its own escape mechanisms. Even if it abandoned its head, it would merely lose a couple thousand years of its cultivation base, and after lying low for a few years, it would still be a domineering Heavenly Python! The Sword Spirit Dragon immediately took flight, chasing after the headless body of the Rainbow Scaled Heavenly Python. Meanwhile, the Ice Morning White Dragon stayed where it was, its twin moon-silver eyes intently watching the distant sky, where a splendid cier had appeared out of nowhere! The cier was magnificent, emerging suddenly between the sea of clouds and the sky,pletely blocking off the path of the Rainbow Scaled Heavenly Python¡¯s escape! The cier was solid and majestic, and even the Rainbow Scaled Heavenly Python was like a small water snake facing a white dam. Chapter 193 - 194 Sword Spirit Practice Chapter 193: Chapter 194 Sword Spirit Practice Trantor: 549690339 The Rainbow Scaled Heavenly Python couldn¡¯t break through the Cloud Sea cier, let alone climb over it. Having lost its head, the nine-thousand-year-old Demon Spirit fell into a frenzy. The cier grew higher and suddenly copsed towards the Rainbow Scaled Heavenly Python, as a huge ice mountain and a rolling avnche together churned towards the aged fiend! The Sword Spirit Dragon, seeing this, seized the opportunity when the Heavenly Python was in a panic and delivered a sh. The sword gleamed brilliantly, slicing open a bloody gash on the python¡¯s tail. Although the Heavenly Python continued to struggle, obstructed by the falling cier ahead and the Sword Spirit Dragon¡¯s relentless killing intent behind, it suddenly shed its rainbow-colored skin, revealing a hideous and bloodied serpentine body underneath, which then burrowed into the depths of the Cloud Sea. The ice mountain crushed its injured tail, but with a fierce tug, the creature tore its tail off and continued its desperate escape. The Sword Spirit Dragon pursued, only to see that the severed tail was still moving and even managed to fly out from the ice fragments, darting off in another direction. ¡°Does this Heavenly Python really have earthworm lineage or something?¡± Zhu Minng eximed in surprise at the scene. The head was gone, yet the body ran off on its own. When the body was blocked, it shed its skin and slipped away. Without its tail, the tail still moved, seemingly possessing a will of its own. It has to be said, the nine-thousand-year-old Heavenly Python¡¯s survival skills were truly unmatched. ¡°Its colorful skin is the most valuable. There¡¯s no need for a long chase; this Cloud Sea Spirit Eye is more important,¡± Mr. Jinli said. That python skin, rainbow-hued, was indeed extraordinary. It must have grown after the Heavenly Python consumed some kind of fruit inside the Dragon Country of the Clouds, or absorbed some kind of rainbow Spiritual Energy. The Sword Spirit Dragon couldn¡¯t injure this creature precisely because of these rainbow scales, which were as hard as crystal! But, as they say, there¡¯s a counter for every kind of prowess. The Sword Spirit Dragon, a Sharp Sword-type dragon, had difficulty dealing with it, but the Ice Morning White Dragon¡¯s Azure Dragon Mystics and the aura of frost were something the Rainbow Scaled Heavenly Python particrly feared. In other words, its resistance to magic was not high. But Little White, after reaching its Complete Period, showed a strength that somewhat surprised Zhu Minng. Middle-level Monarch Level. Mr. Jinli hadn¡¯t lied to him at all. To be able to leap directly to the Middle-level Monarch Level Cultivation Base was unexpected. Zhu Minng¡¯s initial conservative estimate for the Ice Morning White Dragon was at best Semi-monarch level, and now it had jumped two tiers, giving Zhu Minng the sensation of returning to the peak of his abilities! Bear in mind, among the major forces, the strongest, Huo Shangjun, the Chief Disciple of Purple Sect, only had his Purple Cloud Dragon and Golden Dome Dragon at Lower Monarch Level. Moreover, Zhu Minng remembered how he, unwilling to admit defeat after losing to him, had refused to acknowledge that he was a Dragon Shepherd! The Ice Morning White Dragon, now at Middle-level Monarch Level strength. If it had reached this realm a bit earlier, there wouldn¡¯t have been a need for Sword Awakening to make all those talented disciples of the major forces roll as far away as possible! Taking the Yaoshan Sword Sect as an example, at the Middle-level Monarch Level, one would already belong to the rank of elders or Hall Masters. Once Zhu Minng mastered the Flying Sword Faction, he should also be able to bring out the Middle-level Monarch Level Strength in the Sword Spirit Dragon¡­ With both dragons possessing Middle-level Monarch Level strength, even if some sly and scheming old folks from the Royal Family or major powers wanted to cause him trouble, they would have to weigh their own capabilities first. Of course, the Imperial City was full of hidden dragons and crouching tigers, with many whose strength surpassed the Middle-level Monarch Level. Zhu Minng had already made a name for himself in the major forcespetition, so for the moment, there was no rush to reveal his hand. ¡°It¡¯s a pity we can¡¯t stay in this Dragon Country of Clouds any longer; otherwise, there could have been even more significant improvements,¡± Zhu Minng said with some regret as he nced at thentern jade hanging at his waist. ¡°As it is now, it¡¯s quite good already. Some peoplee to the Dragon Country of Clouds and merely take in the beautiful scenery, gaining nothing,¡± Mr. Jinli remarked. Zhu Minng nodded. There is a multitude of unique enchanted realms such as the cloud-like Dragon Country in the world, and even within the Li Chuan Continent, there still exist relics where Ancestral Dragons once dwelled. Visiting more of these ces is sure to yield various returns. ¡°Yawn¡± The Ice Morning White Dragon, at its Complete Period, was truly like a White Dragon from the Heaven realm. Not only was its aura powerful, but even its most trivial actions exuded nobility and sanctity¡­ However, this dragon was naturally clingy. After dealing with the Rainbow Scaled Heavenly Python, it dispersed the splendid ice dust around its body, transformed into its exquisite form, and became like a celestial little pet, lying on Zhu Minng¡¯s shoulder, sozy and dozing off to the extreme. Zhu Minng took out the Cloud tform Tree Fruit and fed it to Little White. Little White stretched out its ws, holding the fruit and nibbling at it. It instantly changed from azy little cat into a greedy squirrel, and its chubby little cheeks while chewing were so adorable that you couldn¡¯t help but want to pinch them. Zhu Minng watched it. From a little Ice Bug that was perfectly content eating mulberry leaves to now an Ice Morning White Dragon that could beat up a Thousand Year Demon Spirit, its earnest and serious face while eating had not changed. Speaking of which¡­ At this level, what should Little White eat? It couldn¡¯t possibly eat Cloud tform Tree Fruit every day, right? Although he himself had picked a basketful of tree fruits and still had one Cloud tform Holy Fruit, what aboutter?? Just now, the Azure Dragon Mystics it used ¡ª Frosty Sky Dust. The debris from the copse of celestial bodies in the universe could be called meteorites, but what exactly should it eat to replenish such an extravagant expenditure from the Azure Dragon Mystics?? Could it be moonstones?? These are even rarer than star fragments!! Fortunately, he had recently be very wealthy. Moreover, this basket of ripe Cloud tform fruits could be savored for a while; the matter of the moonstone could be nned out in the long term. ¡°Huff¡± ¡°Huff¡± With a full belly, the Ice Morning White Dragon quickly began to snore, and Zhu Minng carried it back into the Spirit Realm. The nourishment from the spiritual energy in the Spirit Realm greatly helped to stabilize the Ice Morning White Dragon¡¯s cultivation base. The Sword Spirit Dragon had to stay behind. To keep himpany and continue training. After all, some dragon beasts were still coveting the Cloud tform Spirit Eye, and without the Sword Spirit Dragon standing guard, it wouldn¡¯t do. ¡°Mo Ye, don¡¯t use those powerful Sword Soul techniques; if you do, the little demons and monsters won¡¯t be able to withstand it. We¡¯ll just purely practice the moves, got it?¡± Zhu Minng told the Sword Spirit Dragon. The Sword Spirit Dragon swayed its body, as if nodding in agreement. ¡°Shall we start with Sword Flight? It seems like you and Little White scared off all the dragon beasts just now, so we temporarily don¡¯t have any creatures to practice on,¡± Zhu Minng asked. The Sword Spirit Dragon flew over and then hovered beside Zhu Minng, remainingpletely still. It was very gentle. Facing enemies, the Sword Spirit Dragon was always brimming with ferocity, but beside Zhu Minng, it was very tender and well-behaved. Despite its high level of cultivation and ancient age, the Sword Spirit Dragon was not very mature in its mentality. In Zhu Minng¡¯s eyes,pared to White, ck Fang, and Qing Zhuo, it was more like a Sword Spirit baby, in need of further nurture and refinement. ¡°Good, just like that, slowly, slowly, take off gently, don¡¯t use your cultivation, just pretend you¡¯re strolling¡­¡± Zhu Minng said to the Sword Spirit Dragon, patient and gentle as if teaching a baby how to walk. Chapter 194 - 195: Ennobling a Noble Chapter 194: Chapter 195: Ennobling a Noble Trantor: 549690339 The sky was ink-blue, the cloudy peaks like snow. In the rolling tide of clouds, a woman in emerald green clothes sat gracefully and quietly within the Cloud Well, with nature¡¯s spiritual energy swirling around her like dancing spirit butterflies. Above the Cloud Well, a koi radiating the pattern of auspicious clouds in a hovering stance fixed itsrge, bulging eyes onto an Immortal Rabbit Dragon full of celestial aura. ¡°Aberrant Beast?¡± The Immortal Rabbit Dragon didn¡¯t speak, preserving its noble temperament by doing so. ¡°Aberrant Beast?¡± ¡°Aberrant Beast?¡± In the sky, an astonished shout asionally rang out as a youth maneuvered a flying Immortal Sword without any of the Sword Immortal¡¯s demeanor, like a rookie clinging onto the back of a wild horse, bouncing so much he almost fell apart. ¡°Slower!!¡± ¡°This way, this way, not downward, don¡¯t dive, Mo Ye, keep your cool!!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t ascend right after diving, bleh¨C¨C¨C¨C¡± Zhu Minng felt like he was dying. Perhaps he should just give up on this sword flight business; the back of the Divine Green Holy Dragon was simply paradise. His hair stood up like sprouting grass; Zhu Minngnded back near the Cloud Well, his expression as ghastly as if he¡¯d been tossing and turning at the Ghost Gate. Just can¡¯t learn it, just can¡¯t learn it. Aside from looking cool, sword flight was useless. All ir and no substance, the Flying Sword Faction was; how could itpare to the sheer dominance of the Fighting Sword Sect! ¡°Zhu Minng? What kind of feed did the Yaoshan Sword Sect give you that made a fifteen- or sixteen-year-old boy grow so old and worn?¡± Mr. Jinli asked, fixing its fisheye gaze on him. Zhu Minng pretended not to hear and closed his eyes to rest. ¡°Swish¨C¡± The Sword Spirit Dragon floated over and, seeing Zhu Minng lying t on his back atop the clouds, obediently settled next to him, its small tail swishing somewhat sheepishly. ¡°Take it easy, take it easy. When others practice the Flying Sword Faction, they need to familiarize themselves with their swords from a young age, to achieve unity with them. Although we have a soul contract, our rapport isn¡¯t enough yet; all it takes is practice,¡± Zhu Minng consoled. ¡°Swish¨C¡± The Sword Spirit Dragon seemed to be having fun, cheekily slipping under Zhu Minng¡¯s back and arching him up. ¡°No, no, no¡­ let me catch my breath; go y by yourself for a while,¡± Zhu Minng regretted his decision, wondering why he even bothered to practice sword flight. He was a Dragon Shepherd, after all; wasn¡¯t it better to install a luxurious couch on the back of a stylish and mighty dragon ¨C stable,fortable, and with wind-blocking feathers, all exuding nobility andfort? Why learn sword flight from others?? For the next two days, things were rtively peaceful; it seemed the Sword Spirit Dragon had imed dominion over this patch of the cloud sea, and after the Heavenly Python suffered heavy injuries, no other creature dared to approach. In theory, with both the Sword Spirit Dragon and Little White acting as protectors, he could also train in the Cloud Well alongside Nan Lingsha, but the reality was that spiritual energy was limited, and his presence would mean snatching resources from her. They had an agreement: two days each. On the second day, the Aberrant Beast was forcibly recalled to the Spirit Realm, and Nan Lingsha¡¯s method of cultivation also visibly changed. Clearly, it was the painter auntie who practiced in the Cloud Well on the second day. What realm the painter¡¯s cultivation base was really in, Zhu Minng couldn¡¯t quite fathom. When she initially dealt with Yun Zhonghe, who was close to Semi-monarch level, she seemed to do it with ease. ¡°` In terms of strength, the painter Nan Lingsha should be stronger. Zhu Minng had yet to encounter an opponent that could match Lingsha. When he was in his Sword Awakening State, although Lingsha was always quietly observing by the side, Minng often felt that her eyes betrayed an excitement she could hardly suppress. This eagerness wasn¡¯t because she was fascinated by his heroic stance or looked at him in a new light and silently gave her approval; it was because she wanted to challenge him. She was more interested in opponents who were both divine and mortal. Thus, when he was in his Sword Awakening State, he was equivalent to a sword master of both god and mortal. If it weren¡¯t for being in a team, Nan Lingsha would likely be the first to step out; Huo Shangjun, Wen Mengru, and the martial monks would have nothing to do with it. At that time, Minng had a premonition that if he didn¡¯t wreak havoc everywhere, the one to do so would probably be Nan Lingsha. She was far from satisfied; none of the divine and mortal opponents in the major power struggle had given her a real thrill. Now, observing Lingsha¡¯s cultivation, Minng was even more convinced of this. Her cultivation base was very high, her realm too. Especially after the stumbling blocks from Ancestral Dragon City were eradicated¡ªthat is, even if the Sect Pce had not been destroyed, they would not fear the Sect Pce anymore. The glow of themp dimmed, and both Zhu Minng and Nan Lingsha didn¡¯t dare to linger in the Dragon Country of the Clouds any longer. Even though Little White had mastered the method to prolong life amidst the decline of the ice clouds, it couldn¡¯t help Zhu Minng and Nan Lingsha preserve their life force. The powerful prohibitions of the Dragon Country of the Clouds would lead to the same end, even for someone of king level. The Dragon Country of the Clouds was vast; Minng hadn¡¯t yet ascended the tallest Cloud Heaven Mountains, the deep abyss beneath the Blue Sky Pond harbored a Silver Blue Dragon King, and beyond the sea of cloudsy a frosty forest which he¡¯d never explored. In this short time, they hadn¡¯t traversed even one-tenth of the Dragon Country of the Clouds. They had yet to see the legendary supreme dragon, a symbol of imperial power. Emerging from the Imperial Pce, Zhu Minng and Nan Lingsha found that a ceremony to appoint a monarch was taking ce in the court. Though the enthronement of a monarch wasn¡¯t a rare event, it seemed that the only recentnd to have a new monarch appointed was the Ancestral Dragon City¡¯s four states within Li Chuan Continent. ¡°Li Chuan Kingdom?¡± Minng stood in the courtyard, somewhat surprised as he looked at a newly erected dragon pir symbolizing the state, the carvings and paints clearly fresh. The ceremony was already underway? Based on his estimate of time, Empress Li Yunzi should still be a week away from arriving at the Imperial City. ¡°She won¡¯t ept the title of Monarch,¡± Lingsha stated indifferently. Lingsha understood Yunzi well¡ª even if Ancestral Dragon City did establish a nation, she would not serve as the Monarch. As expected, when the court session dispersed, it was Commander Cheng, donned in the robes bestowed upon a Monarch, who was appointed. Commander Cheng became the Monarch. Empress Li Yunzi didn¡¯t even appear in the court of the Supreme Court Empire. This took Minng by surprise. Was Yunzi stepping back into the shadows? That would be great! Minng did not relish the idea of his wife daily dealing with the affairs of state. ¡°Yunzi has been appointed as the Teacher of Li Chuan Kingdom; although everyone on the Supreme Court Continent knows that the real powerful ruler is Empress Li Yunzi, since Yunzi has arranged it this way, I, Uncle Cheng, will have to be the public face,¡± Commander Cheng came over, saw Minng and Lingsha, and said with a wry smile. When Yunzi first decided to establish a country, she had resolved to have Commander Cheng serve as the Monarch. Even though the Supreme Court Empire was honoring Empress Li Yunzi, ultimately, the decision of who would serve as the Monarch of Li Chuan Kingdom was hers to make. Chapter 195 - 196: Walk Around Chapter 195: Chapter 196: Walk Around Trantor: 549690339 In fact, within the vast majority of ruling sses, the status of the Monarch and the State Preceptor is often quite simr, with one in the limelight and the other behind the scenes. In some countries, the influence of the State Preceptor may even surpass that of the Monarch, existing in every citizen¡¯s heart like a faith, with ephemeral Monarchs and the enduring State Preceptor. Li Yunzi had little interest in power; she was more like a Valkyrie, protecting the Li Chuan Continent. It was ultimately Commander Cheng who came. Zhu Minng couldn¡¯t help feeling somewhat disappointed. He had thought that once he left the Cloud Dragon Country, after waiting another week, he would be able to see Li Yunzi. But it turned out that she wasn¡¯t the one who came. ¡°The current stability in the Ancestral Dragon City-State owes much to you both. Without you, we would have struggled on the battlefield,¡± Commander Cheng said. ¡°Uncle Cheng can take care of it,¡± Nan Lingsha said, disinterested in state affairs and appointments, and showing a hint of fatigue, she had decided to rest. ¡°Alright, you need not concern yourselves with the remaining matters. I will handle them. The Supreme Court Imperial City has already issued an order prohibiting war until after the New Year celebrations, so our Ancestral Dragon City-State can finally have a peaceful year,¡± Commander Cheng said. Zhu Minng returned to Zhu Gate, back to the small building. He was also somewhat tired. Even with a special life artifact like the Light Jade, in an environment like the Cloud Dragon Country, one¡¯s energy drains away, necessitating a good period of rest and recuperation. This was specifically mentioned by the guards as well. After a hot bath, Zhu Minng felt his body and nerves somewhat rxed. Dressed in clean clothes, maybe because his nerves were still a bit tense, Zhu Minng couldn¡¯t fall asleep, so he walked out of the house, nning to lie down in a small boat by theke. It was his unique way of rxing. And his mood would always smooth out afterward. ¡°Where¡¯s my boat?¡± Zhu Minng arrived at the inner courtke only to find his personal light craft missing. Had he not tied it up properly, allowing it to drift away with the waves? That was awkward. Zhu Minng, feeling helpless, had no choice but to walk around and ended up stealing a wooden boat from a n cousin whose name he couldn¡¯t recall, filled with the pleasant scent of sandalwood and quite nice indeed. Boating is all about going with the flow. Once away from the shore, wherever it drifts, it drifts; trying to purposefully steer it elsewhere would lessen the surprises. The inner courtke was veryrge, and there were many sights Zhu Minng himself had never seen, likest time when he identally drifted into a bustling marketce. He closed his eyes to rest and rejuvenate. With the gentle breeze blowing, time always seemed to pass quickly. ¡°Thump!¡± Suddenly, the wooden boat gently bumped into something, the body of the boat trembling slightly, stirring Zhu Minng from his daydreams back to reality. We¡¯ve arrived at the shore so quickly, is it an ind in theke, or the banks of the Willow Forest Lake? Zhu Minng slowly propped himself up and looked behind, only to find that he was still in the vast inner courtyardke, surrounded by gently rippling blue waves, graceful and enchanting. And what his boat had bumped into was not the shore, but another small boat, one that looked very familiar at first nce. On the small boat, there was a woman with a graceful figure, whose perfect curves entered the field of view without warning, causing an irresistible dryness in the mouth, and when he raised his eyes to gaze upon her face, there was a sudden palpitation. This stunning beauty seized all his thoughts in an instant. Zhu Minng was somewhat lost in a daze, and finally could only give an apologetic smile and said politely, ¡°It turns out to be Miss Lingsha, are you also boating?¡± She did not speak, just stood there, her beautiful eyes outshining all the scenery of the inner courtyardke, staring at Zhu Minng. ¡°Is there something troubling you?¡± Zhu Minng asked, somewhat puzzled. ¡°No,¡± she shook her head. ¡°I was just thinking, I wanted to wait for Yunzhi toe to the Imperial City before we headed back to Li Chuan together. There¡¯s no need to endure here until the yearly celebration. After resting for a few days, we can go back to Li Chuan, how about that?¡± Zhu Minng asked. ¡°I want to travel around and not return to Li Chuan for the time being.¡± ¡°Ah?¡± Zhu Minng scratched his head and after a while said, ¡°Then we may have to part ways for now. Miss Lingsha, please take care as you travel alone in the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent.¡± s, the Dragon Shepherd Team that had just been formed was being separated like this. Where could he find another God and Mortal to escort him without the need for a sry? And I wonder if mydy would like to travel around with me. If I could take her with me, I wouldn¡¯t even want to be a god in heaven! Speaking of which, Li Yunzi should have a great interest in exploring this world, as could be seen from her previous discussions with me about Wutu. Now that Ancestral Dragon City-State has ceased warfare, it won¡¯t be invaded by other nations of the Supreme Court until the yearly celebration. And with almost half of autumn and a whole winter before the celebration, it might be possible to ask Li Yunzi if she would like to travel with me after returning to Li Chuan, to perfectly enjoy our time together¡­ three¡¯spany too if the Prophet Li Xinghua counts. That¡¯s a good idea! Li Yunzi has done so much for the citizens of Ancestral Dragon City over the years and has worried about the survival of the city-state she grew up in for so long; she too deserves to rx and look around the wider world. With some peculiar and exotds as persuasion, maybe it will actually work. Nan Lingsha herself said she wants to travel around. Li Yunzi must have the same thoughts! ¡°Winter ising, and Snow Heko Country is quite special. I passed through there once and saw countless Dancing Butterfly Spirits in Snow that could not be numbered. When they rested quietly, they covered thend like a thickyer of soft snow. As the morning light shone, they came to life, fluttering their wings, with seas of silver, white, and moon-colored flowers gently rising and diffusing between heaven and earth¡­ At that moment, I wanted to capture that scene in a painting, but s, my drawing skills are poor. I have not forgotten that enchanting scene, and if Miss Lingsha is undecided, you might consider visiting Snow Heko Country,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°Just hearing you describe it makes it sound beautiful.¡± ¡°Or Man City is quite nice too, a city on the Western Sea near the Neon Sea. Actually, the city is located in a white shallow sea, its foundation is numerous colorful Coral Wood. The pavilions, the lofts, the workshops are all built over the seawater, anchored on those sturdy Coral Wood. When the sunset is reflected on the sea surface, the city bes incredibly splendid. I regret that my literary skills are limited, and it¡¯s difficult for me to describe it in poetry, but it¡¯s truly worth a visit,¡± Zhu Minng recalled another unforgettable ce and hurriedly spoke. ¡°But it still remains clear in your mind, doesn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Yes, when I was young and impetuous, I traveled through many ces, always wanting to prove to the world how unparalleled I was. Yet the things that touched me, that I kept in my heart, I let them dissipate like clouds and smoke,¡± Zhu Minng sighed softly. Chapter 196 - 197: Sisters Still Not Getting Along Chapter 196: Chapter 197: Sisters Still Not Getting Along Trantor:549690339 Fortunately, realizing all this now is not toote. Zhu Minng saw the utter disappointment in Zhu Xuehen¡¯s eyes; after all, she had always hoped that he would be an unparalleled Sword Master, surpassing her and everyone else in the Supreme Court Imperial City. Having given up sword cultivation, Zhu Minng indeed felt lost, but he had never regretted it. Because he knew that even if he eventually reached an unrivaled realm, having nothing and no one to cherish, he would truly regret it! Whether it was treating Little White or those he cared about, Zhu Minng spoke these words to Nan Lingsha, pondering at the same time whether these words could also move Li Yunzi. She cared about only a few people around her, But she guarded the whole city-state. Now that the city-state was at peace and people had returned to tranquility, she would probably choose her own path, just like Nan Lingsha. ¡­ The sky was a bit chilly, as it was already autumn. The two returned to the shore by boat and walked towards the building. Zhu Minng continued to speak of his experiences from back then, only to see a woman sitting quietly under a tree in the courtyard, holding a roll of book, engrossed in reading. Her absorbed demeanor was genuinely beautiful and touching. The reading woman nced at them as they approached, then returned her attention to her book without much reaction. But Zhu Minng stood frozen on the spot, first ncing at ¡°Nan Lingsha¡± by his side, then turning his gaze towards Nan Lingsha reading under the tree¡­ What¡¯s going on! Aren¡¯t they supposed to be one soul in two bodies? How is there a clone technique! Which one is the painting aunt, and which one is the Dragon Shepherd?? How can they appear at the same time??? No, that¡¯s not right! The one beside me¡­ ¡°Yunzi?¡± Zhu Minng finally realized something and turned to look at the woman who had been conversing with him on the boat. ¡°Yes.¡± Li Yunzi responded. Zhu Minng waspletely flustered! It turned out Li Yunzi had alsoe to the Imperial City, and had already been arranged by Zhu Heavenly Officer to stay in the Zhu n Inner Court. Why didn¡¯t anyone tell me??? Just now on the Inner Court Lake, I thought she was Nan Lingsha from beginning to end¡­ It¡¯s a good thing I didn¡¯t act inappropriately, nor did I say anything abnormal; otherwise, my reputation would be ruined! This is far more startling than a dive and ascent by the Sword Spirit Dragon! Most importantly, from beginning to end, Li Yunzi never told me that I recognized the wrong person; she simply tacitly agreed and engaged in conversation with me¡­ Is mydy testing me! To see if I cross the line! Luckily, I have always been a man of integrity, although I must admit I have often been attracted by the stunning beauty of someone like Nan Lingsha, but it always stopped at mere thoughts. ¡°Ahem, Yunzi, you¡¯re here, that¡¯s great.¡± Zhu Minng, both relieved and delighted, spoke. ¡°I heard some things about you in the Imperial City,¡± Li Yunzi said. ¡°At that time, I was prepared to just be a salted fish, thinking it was self-deception to talk to you about the past,¡± Zhu Minng said. In that small silkworm hut, when Li Yunzi left, Zhu Minng had hesitated to speak. Indeed, what was the point of telling Li Yunzi about his past then? On one hand, he was just a man raising silkworms, and even if he had some dashing looks, it was of no avail; moreover, people from Li Chuan Continent simply wouldn¡¯t believe anything regarding the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent. ¡°I will consider what I talked to Ling Sha about, and what you¡¯ve told me,¡± Li Yunzi said with a smile. Zhu Minng smiled as well. Just now by theke, he had simply been trying to persuade Nan Lingsha, wondering if the same arguments could convince Li Yunzi to join him in his travels to gain experience, as one needed to visit various ces. It seemed that what he had said had indeed sparked great interest in Li Yunzi. Does that mean there¡¯s no rush to return to Li Chuan Continent? That¡¯s great! Nan Lingsha didn¡¯t put the book away. It seemed she didn¡¯t want to engage in conversation with Li Yunzi, even though Li Yunzi had already approached her. ¡°He found out,¡± Li Yunzi said. ¡°Mm,¡± Nan Lingsha replied nomittally. ¡°Did Yu Suo tell him?¡± Li Yunzi asked. ¡°I did.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Li Yunzi demanded. ¡°If you cared, you should have told him earlier. If you didn¡¯t care, what does it matter if you told him or not?¡± Nan Lingsha said indifferently. ¡°I will handle my own affairs,¡± Li Yunzi said coldly. It wasn¡¯t the right time. Just as Zhu Minng didn¡¯t talk about his past while in the silkworm house because it wasn¡¯t the right time, and mentioning it would be meaningless, Li Yunzi also didn¡¯t think that now was the proper time to tell Zhu Minng about Li Xinghua. He would be on guard. He would suspect. He would be uneasy. Even Li Yunzi herself hadn¡¯t fully understood these feelings, she didn¡¯t want either Xinghua, Ling Sha, or Yu Suo to affect her judgment. ¡°Are you done asking?¡± Nan Lingsha asked. ¡°Mm.¡± ¡°Li Yunzi, I am helping you because of Xinghua; what right do you have to be high and mighty in front of me? I¡¯m annoyed, so I told him. If you¡¯ve got a problem with that, what can you do about it? If there¡¯s nothing else, don¡¯t disturb my reading,¡± Nan Lingsha¡¯s gaze turned extremely cold. ¡°You are as disgusting as ever,¡± Li Yunzi said. ¡°The feeling is mutual,¡± Nan Lingsha replied. Nan Lingsha turned a page of her book, no longer paying any attention to Li Yunzi. The thought that she wouldn¡¯t have to see Li Yunzi for a long time actually lifted Nan Lingsha¡¯s spirits. Zhu Minng was having a drink in the backyard when Fang Niannian ran over like a thief. As soon as she saw Zhu Minng, she said in a mysterious tone, ¡°Do you know what I just heard?¡± Zhu Minng looked puzzled. ¡°The rtionship between the two sisters is extremely bad!¡± Fang Niannian immediately described to Zhu Minng the scene she had just witnessed at the upper floor of the building. Li Yunzi and Nan Lingsha? What¡¯s going on? Although Fang Niannian didn¡¯t clearly hear what they were saying, the atmosphere between the two was quite wrong, nothing like that of close sisters. Li Yunzi said she wanted to talk to Nan Lingsha. One would have thought it was a sisterly expression of longing after not seeing each other for a few days, but from Fang Niannian¡¯s description, it sounded like they were at loggerheads! Could it be that Li Yunzi and Nan Lingsha didn¡¯t get along in the first ce? Was it Li Xinghua who was as close as sisters to Nan Lingsha? Oh, they were sisters after all. At that moment, Zhu Minng also told Fang Niannian about the Dual Body Four Souls, asking her to help him figure out what was going on. Fang Niannian had long suspected it might be the case. Now, upon hearing Zhu Minng¡¯s exnation, everything clicked into ce! ¡°I think, it¡¯s the Female Monarch sister and Sister Lingsha who don¡¯t get along, but Sister Xinghua and Sister Lingsha are very close,¡± Fang Niannian analyzed earnestly. ¡°That must be it,¡± Zhu Minng said with a wry smile. No wonder many from the Li Family and the Nan Family were deceived by the false appearance of discord between the sisters. They didn¡¯t get along in the first ce. But Xinghua¡¯s presence meant that when facing life-and-death decisions, younger sisters Nan Lingsha and Nan Yuso would ultimately stand on Li Yunzi¡¯s side. Chapter 197 - 198: Soul-Burning Sacrifice Chapter 197: Chapter 198: Soul-Burning Sacrifice Trantor:549690339 Only a year had passed. Yet it felt like a very long time. As autumn arrived with its cold rain, Zhu Minng nced at the gloomy and unclear sky. He had nned to go out for a walk when the weather cleared up, but the damp, cold rain was unrelenting. Sitting in thekeside pavilion, Zhu Minng poured a cup of hot tea. Raindrops turned to threads, falling from the eaves of the pavilion, forming a misty water curtain that made the scenery of the entire inner courtke hazy. ¡°It was probably when we were three years old that we encountered some things, but I can¡¯t clearly remember what exactly,¡± Li Yunzi said softly, holding the cup gently, her voice as soft as the sound of rain. ¡°Actually, you don¡¯t need to tell me these things; I trust my intuition,¡± Zhu Minng said with a smile. ¡°Nan Lingsha is also right, hiding things for too long is not good. Besides, I have something to ask of you,¡± Li Yunzi said. ¡°Ask of me?¡± Li Yunzi nodded. ¡°Star Painting and Yu Suo showed no signs of life when they were young, and our mother sacrificed her own life so that their souls could reside in mine and Ling Sha¡¯s bodies,¡± Li Yunzi said in a low voice. This had always been a secret between the sisters, known to very few within the Li Family and the Nan Family. Therefore, after the incident in the dungeon, Li Yunzi was almost certain that the person who had betrayed her was one of her own kin. Very few people knew of Star Painting¡¯s existence. The dungeon was not an actual dungeon, but an underground chamber that Li Yunzi used to protect Li Xinghua. In Wutu, there were not many people Li Yunzi could trust, but with twin souls in one, it was impossible for Li Yunzi to upy the body all the time. With no self-protection, Star Painting was an opportunity for those with ulterior motives to step in, seize Li Yunzi¡¯s power at that time, and imprison her in that chamber. ¡°So¡­¡± Zhu Minng listened to Li Yunzi narrating these things and felt even moreplex emotions. The question he wanted to ask, Li Yunzi knew it as well. Li Yunzi daring to share all this with him now showed that she cared about his perspective. Seeing her hand always on the cup, Zhu Minng instinctively reached out and held the back of Li Yunzi¡¯s hand¡­ Even warmed by hot tea, it was still very cold, as cold as touching the rain outside the pavilion. Zhu Minng looked at her, and although he wanted to know the answer, in the end, he shook his head. ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about these things. The past is the past. I only care about what you¡¯re thinking now,¡± Zhu Minng said. Who was in the dungeon after all? Was it Star Painting or Yunzhi? Does it matter? What could be done after knowing? Although Nan Lingsha¡¯s words had made Zhu Minng uneasy and filled with doubts these days, after seeing Li Yunzi, Zhu Minng was even more certain in his heart that it had always been Li Yunzi he interacted with. Whether it was in the small silkworm cottage or on the way escorting to Ancestral Dragon City, in Rong Valley City, in Li family¡¯s other courtyard¡­ it had always been Li Yunzi, no one else. All he needed to know was that, for now and for the future, that was enough. As for the flesh and blood kinship in the dungeon¡­ it might as well have been a dream. ¡°My situation is slightly different from Nan Lingsha,¡± Li Yunzi said. ¡°No worries, I¡¯ll be sure to tell them apart. If it is Miss Xinghua, I will treat her the same as Miss Lingsha and Miss Yu So,¡± Zhu Minng said. Nan Lingsha and Li Yunzi looked very simr. As long as he recognized one fact, this is not Li Yunzi, this is not Li Yunzi, so there wouldn¡¯t be any awkward issues in the future. Isn¡¯t that just like having another little sister-inw! ¡°` ¡°Do I bring upon myself too much?¡± ¡°A clear conscience fears no usation. With time, I¡¯ll naturally be able to distinguish the four sisters at a nce!¡± ¡°There are always subtle differences.¡± ¡°For example, Ling Sha and Yu Suo have obviously different personalities.¡± ¡°When I was at the Dragon Taming Academy, I had noticed it, and now I finally know the name of that reckless little aunt.¡± ¡°Are you hurt again?¡± Zhu Minng, feeling the coldness of the hands, nced again at Li Yunzi and saw that after being exposed to the cold, her lips had clearly turned pale. ¡°Mhm.¡± Li Yunzi nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about that now. I¡¯ll take you back to rest.¡± Zhu Minng opened the oil-paper umbre, sheltering Li Yunzi as he said, ¡°Come.¡± In the rain, Zhu Minng still held Li Yunzi in his arms, watching the moisture on her cheeks slowly being stolen away by the cold autumn rain and wind, feeling an even greater sense of pity. How many people in Ancestral Dragon City-State did Li Yunzi truly care about? They could be counted on one hand, but it was also because of them that she needed to protect that storm-tossednd. Nearly every time Zhu Minng saw Li Yunzi, she was in such a state of exhaustion and emaciation. ¡°Why is your aura so weak?¡± Zhu Minng asked, looking at her in surprise. To check Li Yunzi¡¯s condition, Zhu Minng utilized his Spiritual Sense and discovered that her aura was as weak as a little deer in the forest, seemingly without any self-defense or killing power. How serious were her injuries? About thest battle with Rui Country, Zhu Minng had only heard the basics, but at the time, the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent had only given Rui Country one month¡¯s notice. Li Yunzi found another entrance in ces where the veins of the earth¡¯s magma had not yet receded and personally led the Elite Royal Guards to prate into Rui Country. Rui Nation¡¯srge army was assembled in the Long Gorge of Li Chuan Continent. The domestic military strength was limited, but there were still some experts in residence. Li Yunzi probably sustained very serious injuries in that battle. Is that why she stepped back to be a State Preceptor? ¡°Yunzi, your condition is not right. If it were some people with weaker constitutions, they probably wouldn¡¯t live for many years,¡± Zhu Minng said with a frown. ¡°I¡¯ve considered what you said,¡± Li Yunzi replied with a faint smile. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me first that you were injured?¡± ¡°Minng¡­¡± Zhu Minng heard Li Yunzi¡¯s whisper almost in his ear. But Li Yunzi was not speaking to him about something that couldn¡¯t be heard by others. Instead, her whole body leaned weakly on him, and she gradually lost her strength, slowly sliding down. Zhu Minng¡¯splexion changed dramatically, and he quickly held her tight. ¡°Yunzi!¡± It was then that Zhu Minng realized something was seriously wrong. He hurriedly picked her up, creating a shield of feathers from the Storm Phantom Feather to block the drizzling autumn rain, and ran towards the courtyard. ¡°Soul injury.¡± ¡°Incurable.¡± ¡°Not long to live.¡± The Immortal Rabbit Dragon stood beside the bed, shaking its head and sighing. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Zhu Minng asked in surprise as he looked at Li Yunzi, who hadpletely fainted. ¡°She used a power that she shouldn¡¯t have used,¡± said Mr. Jinli at this time. ¡°It¡¯s the price of the Soul-Burning Sacrifice,¡± stated Nan Yuso, standing aside, after a long pause. ¡°Are you really descendants of the goddess?¡± Mr. Jinli turned his head to ask. ¡°Mhm, this power is inherited from our mother and is obtained through the Soul-Burning Sacrifice,¡± Nan Yuso said unwillingly. After all, her own mother had passed away because of that Soul-Burning Sacrifice. Chapter 198 - 199: Ancient Lantern Jade Chapter 198: Chapter 199: Ancient Lantern Jade Trantor:549690339 ¡°Zhu Minng, you needn¡¯t worry too much. There are many wonders in this world, and as long as life hasn¡¯t truly reached its end, conditions of a weakened life soul can actually be remedied,¡± Mr. Jinli said. ¡°We need the Ancient Lantern Jade,¡± Nan Yuso said. Lantern Jade? Zhu Minng remembered that it was a special jade artifact used to replenish vitality. It required intense mes to ignite the jade from within, allowing it to emit a glow that would bring life¡¯s breath to people. The special prohibitions of the Azure Dragon Country made the Lantern Jade the only ticket to enter it. However, Lantern Jade was extremely rare. Even the Royal Family couldn¡¯t meet the demand for it. The Ancient Lantern Jade that Nan Yuso mentioned was clearly of an even higher quality. ¡°My grandmother has told us that once we use the Language of Soul Burning, we must find the Ancient Lantern Jade to make up for the cost of the soul¡¯s passing, otherwise we won¡¯t live past twenty-five¡­ But I have ventured through many forbiddennds and have never found the Ancient Lantern Jade on the Li Chuan Continent,¡± Nan Yuso said. ¡°Of course you couldn¡¯t find it,¡± Mr. Jinli said. Zhu Minng looked at Mr. Jinli, anxious. ¡°The Ancient Lantern Jade is the original Divine Jade of the Divine Dragon Sect, controlled by the Divine Consort who couldmand the Ancestrial Dragon. After the sect split, it gave birth to the Purple Sect n, Azure Dragon Pce, Ancient Dragon Pce, Divine and Mortal Academy, Dragon Taming Academy, and many other factions. The Ancient Lantern Jade was divided into several pieces and became the most authoritative symbol of these major forces. Additionally, some nations that have been around for thousands of years also use the Ancient Lantern Jade as a royal seal, representing supreme royal power,¡± Mr. Jinli continued. Upon hearing this, Zhu Minng¡¯s eyes lit up. Fortunately, it wasn¡¯t a legendary untraceable object. As long as it still existed in this world, Zhu Minng could find it! ¡°So the treasures of the major forces and the symbols of national royal power are in the Imperial City, right?¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°Such a thing would only be entrusted to others in the face of existential threats, not so easily otherwise,¡± Nan Yuso had not expected that the Ancient Lantern Jade would be on the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent, and that it was hidden by various ancient forces. ¡°Probably, but it¡¯s not something money can buy. Of course, a lot and a lot of money might stand a chance¡­ Go ask Master Zhu, he should know,¡± Mr. Jinli said. Zhu Minng looked at the beauty quietly lying on the bed, his heart full of pity. She had finally untangled the knots between her brows, and atst, she could set down all her burdens and walk with him, to Snow Heko Country, to Man City, to the Exotic Realm. But why did she fall? She could have watched the flowers bloom and fade in the courtyard like any other woman, chatting with otherdies about the colors of their clothes and the scents of their makeup, but instead, she drained her life and soul on the battlefield. ¡°Okay, take good care of her,¡± Zhu Minng nodded. Although the Immortal Rabbit Dragon had put it delicately, Zhu Minng already knew that Li Yunzi¡¯s life was not long for this world. Zhu Minng still remembered the determination in her eyes as she witnessed the fall of the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent. She didn¡¯t know what the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent was, nor the strength of the people there; at that time, she was even fighting a lone battle. But she resolutely defended thisnd, simply because it was home to the people she cared about. There weren¡¯t many people she cared about, and he was fortunate to be in her eyes and in her heart. Whether it was a wandering person. Or a silk farmingmoner. Or a Dragon Shepherd. Or once a glorious Sword Master¡­ Zhu Minng knew that the person he had been with was Li Yunzi all along, because she had looked at him the same way from the beginning to the end. When he was insignificant and of no use, she never took out her humiliation on him. As he slowly entered her world, she never intentionally distanced herself or excluded him. Fate had arranged for him to be with her, and although their initial encounter was bitter, the heavens had still given them a chance and time to understand each other. Zhu Minng hoped that this time for mutual understanding couldst a little longer. Not just up to now. It didn¡¯t matter if there were twists and turns or many changes. He just hoped for more time¡­ Upon arriving at the Lake Central Book Pavilion, Zhu Minng felt somewhat heavy-hearted. He saw Zhu Heavenly Officer standing at the entrance. Zhu Heavenly Officer, seeing the expression on Zhu Minng¡¯s face, put aside his usual immature and worldly manner. ¡°Aside from that one time your mother refused to see you, it¡¯s rare to see you like this. What¡¯s wrong?¡± Zhu Heavenly Officer asked. ¡°Father, do you know about the Ancient Lantern Jade?¡± Zhu Minng said. There and then, Zhu Minng briefly exined Li Yunzi¡¯s physical condition to Zhu Heavenly Officer. ¡°Such an extraordinary girl, it is indeed a pity that her life is frail. This Ancient Lantern Jade you speak of is indeed a symbol of the various major powers and nations, but to say it would only appear in times of life and death, it¡¯s not that strict,¡± Zhu Heavenly Officer said. ¡°The Royal Family should have one, right?¡± Zhu Minng asked. Themp jade and Ancient Lantern Jade should be simr things. Lamp jade is used to maintain one¡¯s vitality, while the Ancient Lantern Jade can bestow vitality upon one¡¯s soul. ¡°The Royal Family really doesn¡¯t have one. You also know that the existence of the Dragon Country has mademp jade an extremely rare item. If the Royal Family had the Ancient Lantern Jade, they¡¯d most likely have used it to acquire resources from the Dragon Country long ago. The other powers and countries, especially the oldest ones, definitely have it; even if they don¡¯t, they know the whereabouts of the Ancient Lantern Jade. If you can offer something of equal value, they would be willing to trade¡­ However, you might have to travel far and wide then, as those powers¡¯ headquarters are in different ces on the Supreme Court Continent,¡± Zhu Heavenly Officer said. ¡°Running around is not something I¡¯m afraid of. I had nned to travel around anyway, and this gives me direction, so I won¡¯t be wandering aimlessly,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°Right, I¡¯ll have someone gather more information about the Ancient Lantern Jade for you, and I¡¯ll let you know as soon as there¡¯s news. You don¡¯t need to worry too much,¡± Zhu Heavenly Officer said, patting Zhu Minng on the shoulder. ¡°Then I won¡¯t stay here for the New Year,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°Oh, right!!¡± Suddenly, Zhu Heavenly Officer cried out as if he had just remembered something important. Zhu Minng was used to Zhu Heavenly Officer¡¯s dramatic reactions and calmly looked at him. ¡°Right, your mother must have one! The Miao Mountain Sword Sect! I remember now, the one and only time I was allowed to step into the Miao Mountain Sword Sect when I married your mother, I saw an ancient tower. That tower stored a very raremp jade, which I didn¡¯t recognize at the time, but thinking about it carefully now, that seems to be the Ancient Lantern Jade!¡± Zhu Heavenly Officer eximed loudly. ¡°Really??¡± Zhu Minng said with joy. ¡°Absolutely true. That ancient tower, originally made of Liuli and magically colorful, shone like the Divine Tower due to the illumination of that ancientmp jade. I even asked your mother what it was, and she said it was a symbol of their Miao Mountain Sword Sect,¡± Zhu Heavenly Officer said. ¡°That¡¯s wonderful.¡± ¡°Son, you might be getting happy a bit too early.¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± The surge of joy that had just welled up was quickly tempered as they thought of the rules of the Miao Mountain Sword Sect; both father and son fell into deep thought. Chapter 199 - 200 How Can It Be Called Stealing? Chapter 199: Chapter 200 How Can It Be Called Stealing? Trantor:549690339 Miao Mountain Sword Sect, even stepping into their Sect Forest is an extremely difficult task, and now to take away the Ancient Lantern Jade from that group of unreasonable Swordswomen¡­ Indeed, I was happy a bit too early. ¡°Cough cough, you figure it out yourself. The Ancient Lantern Jade is now more of a symbol among the various powers. Those who see it as a treasure consider it priceless, while those not too concerned about the ancient legacy wouldn¡¯t say it¡¯s not for sale. Go around, ask around, get to know the situation, and eventually, you can get your hands on it,¡± Zhu Heavenly Officer said, looking helpless. ¡°Father, don¡¯t you have the ambition to tten Miao Mountain Sword Sect, how about wee up with a n together?¡± Zhu Minng asked, raising an eyebrow. ¡°Cough cough, it¡¯s not the time, not the time yet,¡± Zhu Heavenly Officer said. ¡°Then I will first go to Miao Mountain Sword Sect to probe their strength,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°How about this, you get Wu Feng to write you an invitation letter, go there in the name of Yaoshan Sword Sect, and when no one is paying attention, take away their Ancient Lantern Jade?¡± Zhu Heavenly Officer suggested to Zhu Minng. ¡°Steal?? That doesn¡¯t seem right!¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with that, Miao Mountain Sword Sect, your mother is one of the leaders, can taking something from your mother be called stealing?¡± Zhu Heavenly Officer said. ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± Zhu Minng scratched his head, feeling that things were not so simple. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, if you get caught, just say I instructed you to do it, let here to me, or ask her toe to redeem you. Either way, I will be able to see your mother, and if I can see her, there is room for things to turn around,¡± Zhu Heavenly Officer said. At this point, was he still using this pitiful kinship to salvage this hopeless marriage? Zhu Minng sighed, feeling that Zhu Heavenly Officer was scheming against him. Forget it, I¡¯ll make specific ns when I get there. If it can be resolved in a civilized way, I¡¯ll try to do so as much as possible, otherwise, I¡¯ll consider the sewer strategy that Zhu Heavenly Officer mentioned. When he returned to the small courtyard, Zhu Minng felt much more rxed. Knowing that Miao Mountain Sword Sect had the Ancient Lantern Jade was enough; at least there was a clear direction, no need to panic anymore. Visiting Miao Mountain Sword Sect in the name of Yaoshan Sword Sect was not a bad idea; otherwise, charging into the mountain gate likest time was really too dangerous. Zhu Minng found Yaoshan Sword Sect¡¯s Hall Master Wu Feng. Wu Feng was stationed in the Imperial City all year round. Yaoshan Sword Sect had their own vi in the Imperial City, located on Orchid Forest Mountain at Water Droplet Lake Imperial City. After leaving Zhu Gate, Zhu Minng directly headed to the Orchid Forest Vi. The distance wasn¡¯t too far; riding on the Divine Green Holy Dragon, it would take roughly the time of an incense stick to arrive. Flying over the bustling city area of Water Droplet Lake Imperial City, hended in the quietly located Orchid Forest Mountain. Zhu Minngnded in front of the vi, where he was familiar with the route, almost like going back to his own home. When the disciples at the vi saw Zhu Minnging, they all respectfully called him Young Master. Compared with Yaoshan Sword Sect, the people here hadn¡¯t changed much, all familiar faces. ¡°Is Brother Wu Feng avable?¡± Zhu Minng asked. ¡°He is, but the Sword Master is with guests. Shall I take you there, Young Master?¡± the disciple from the vi asked. ¡°Sure.¡± At the bamboo pavilion for guests, Zhu Minng saw Wu Feng sitting at a long wooden table. Various swords were disyed on the table, including silver swords, bronze swords, thin swords, heavy swords, longswords, flying swords, and short swords. All sorts of swords. Wu Feng was obviously exining to the guests about different swords, swordsmanship, and sword factions. ¡°Speaking of the Fighting Sword Faction, the most outstanding in our Yaoshan Sword Sect is, of course¡­ huh, Zhu Minng?¡± As Wu Feng spoke these words, he lifted his gaze and just happened to see Zhu Minnging down from the stone steps of the bamboo house. ¡°Your Fighting Sword Faction¡¯s most outstanding is Zhu Minng?¡± At this moment, a swordswoman from the Miao Mountain Sword Sect expressed her surprise. A smug smile appeared on Zhu Minng¡¯s face. What a coincidence. The guests Wu Feng was hosting today were exactly those three female disciples from the Miao Mountain Sword Sect, with Wen Mengru among them! ¡°Of course not, the most outstanding of our Fighting Sword Faction is Zhu Minng¡¯s master, Zhu Xuehen,¡± Wu Feng rified. The smile on Zhu Minng¡¯s face gradually faded. He walked over, and the three swords women from the Miao Mountain Sword Sect also saw Zhu Minng, their little faces showing a hint of surprise. Especially Wen Mengru, her gaze at Zhu Minng was somewhatplicated. She looked unwilling to concede, yet she had to admit that the other party was much stronger than herself! ¡°Zhu Minng, your timing is impable. Thedies from the Miao Mountain Sword Sect have been wanting to visit us. However, since the path to Yaoshan Sword Sect is too distant and they have to return in a few days, I brought them to our Orchid Forest Mountain Vi to have a look and to learn from each other¡¯s sword factions,¡± Wu Feng stood up and weed Zhu Minng. Seated beside Wu Feng in proper attire was Yun Zhonghe. He nced at Zhu Minng, and his expression immediately darkened. At least Wen Mengru had exchanged a few moves with Zhu Minng. Yun Zhonghe couldn¡¯t even withstand the veileddy apanying Zhu Minng. ¡°Brother Wu Feng, I¡¯ve actuallye this time to visit the Miao Mountain Sword Sect to learn from the Flying Sword Faction. I didn¡¯t expect to meet the three sword sisters from Miao Mountain here. It¡¯s a good opportunity to seek your consent in person,¡± Zhu Minng got straight to the point about his intentions. There was no possibility of another brazen intrusion. Following the official procedures should be hopeful. ¡°What the young master says makes sense. Our Sword Sect hasn¡¯t exchanged knowledge for many years, while other Divine Mortal Powers and Dragon Shepherd Powers often hold meetings to learn from each other. I¡¯ve mentioned this several times to the masters¡ªthat we shouldn¡¯t ignore the integration of Sword Intent just because of the distance or different systems,¡± Wu Feng chimed in. ¡°Uncle Master Wu speaks the truth. Shall I go seek permission from our elders first?¡± Wen Mengru¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Sure, Wu Feng will be awaiting the good news. In fact, I would very much like to visit the Miao Mountain Sword Sect myself. Miss Wen Mengru, I hope you will help facilitate this,¡± Wu Feng asked earnestly and sincerely. ¡°Uncle Master Wu has been patiently and generously exining the Sword Dao of Yaoshan Sword Sect to us these past few days. We have learned a lot and are deeply grateful. We will certainly try our best to persuade our elders,¡± Wen Mengru replied. In fact, the Miao Mountain Sword Sect had let go of many prejudices over the years. Otherwise, they wouldn¡¯t have made the special trip to this Orchid Forest Mountain Vi to visit and learn. Since courtesy calls for reciprocation, Wen Mengru indeed hoped to have more exchanges with the people of Yaoshan Sword Sect, especially after her bitter defeat to Zhu Minng. ¡°Then I¡¯ll trouble the sword sisters,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°You jest, Brother Zhu. In theory, you are the Young Master of our Miao Mountain Sword Sect,¡± Wen Mengru said with a smile. Zhu Minng felt a wave of awkwardness. When he initially stormed into the Miao Mountain Sword Sect, that¡¯s exactly how Zhu Minng brazenly told the disciples there. And then he was thoroughly taught a lesson. Chapter 200 - 201: Star Gazing Chapter 200: Chapter 201: Star Gazing Trantor:549690339 After the three young swordswomen left, Yun Zhonghe¡¯s eyes fixated on Wu Feng. After a long while, Yun Zhonghe finally said with a serious face, ¡°Uncle Master, I want to go too!¡± ¡°Your cultivation base is too shallow. Going would only bring shame to our Yaoshan Sword Sect. I¡¯ll ask Hao Yeter to see if he is willing to go,¡± Wu Feng replied. ¡°Uncle Master, I must go. If you don¡¯t let me witness the schools of others, how can I improve? You are the one who said that staying within one¡¯sfort zone in cultivation will only lead to regression,¡± Yun Zhonghe dered resolutely. ¡°Then ask your little uncle master. Whether this can be facilitated also depends on the face of the Zhu Gate. Didn¡¯t you notice that after Zhu Minng expressed a wish to learn from the Miao Mountain Sword Sect, Wen Mengru became interested?¡± Wu Feng said. ¡°Little uncle master¡­¡± Yun Zhonghe walked over, shedding his previous aloof and arrogant demeanor from the Mechanism City, pleading pitifully. ¡°Considering that you gave me a dragon galldder, I¡¯ll take you along,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°Thank you, little uncle master, thank you!¡± Yun Zhonghe hastily expressed his gratitude. ¡°Senior brother, where are you going?¡± Zhu Minng asked. ¡°I¡¯m packing up too. The beauties of the Miao Mountain Sword Sect are like clouds¡­ Ahem, the strong practitioners of the Miao Mountain Sword Sect are like clouds. I¡¯m almost forty, and I want to experience the swordsmanship of their strong practitioners,¡± Wu Feng exined. Although this visit was proceeding through official channels, it was going smoother than anticipated. It seemed that the Miao Mountain Sword Sect had also been looking forward to exchanging and learning with the Yaoshan Sword Sect for a while but, because of their system where women are held in higher regard than men, they would absolutely not take the initiative to propose it. Going with the current, there was no need to fight their way up as they had thest time. Soon, the Miao Mountain Sword Sect sent their response. They would be returning to Sect Forest in a few days, and the people from Yaoshan Sword Sect could travel with them. Zhu Minng had not nned to stay in the Imperial City for too long, and with Li Yunzi¡¯s illness indeed being quite severe, the sooner they could get the Ancient Divine Lamp Energy Stone, the better, to avoid any real threat to her life. After having Fang Niannian make some major purchases in the Imperial City, Zhu Minng and a few others from the Zhu Gate said their farewells and prepared to depart. The country where Miao Mountain is located lies on the western side of the entire Supreme Court Courtyard Continent, in the opposite direction to Li Chuan Continent, and the journey is indeed very long. Even with dragon beasts taking turns traveling, it would take close to a month. The night before departure. Zhu Minng was considering the travel arrangements for the journey. Traveling directly by air would be cold and windy, which would be bad for Li Yunzi¡¯s health. Moreover, with towering mountains, foggy shrouds, and low-hanging clouds en route, flying the whole way would be foolish. They could easily enter cloud-bound mazes, wasting a great deal of time and possibly gettingpletely lost. Traveling bynd might be much slower, but as long as they followed the roads of nations and cities, they wouldn¡¯t get lost. Additionally, with dragon beasts and carriages onnd, the journey wouldn¡¯t be too bumpy or exhausting, which would be much morefortable for someone with injuries. The autumn night was cool, and Zhu Minng noticed a light on in a small building. He climbed up the stairs and saw a woman under themp¡¯s glow, carefully recing the soil for a withering orchid. ¡°Yunzi, you¡¯re awake?¡± Zhu Minng said joyfully. She had been asleep for nearly two days, and Zhu Minng was really worried that she might never wake up again. Every time he saw her pale face, his heart was filled with unease. Today, atst, she had awakened. The woman looked at Zhu Minng, her enchanting eyes revealing a hint of nervousness and unease. She straightened her posture a bit but almost knocked over the orchid pot. Zhu Minng, with his quick reflexes, steadied the pot, preventing the soil from spilling out. Zhu Minng noticed that Li Yunzi wasn¡¯t speaking and felt puzzled. But soon, Zhu Minng realized something, staring at the delicate and slightly timid woman who was now looking down. Why were her eyes avoiding his? Li Yunzi would never¡­ ¡°Are you Miss Xinghua?¡± Zhu Minng, though reluctant to believe, asked her, seeing that the woman¡¯s demeanor was distinctly different from Li Yunzi¡¯s. ¡°Mm,¡± the woman nodded, steadying the orchid pot before her gaze slowly lifted to meet Zhu Minng¡¯s. Her eyes, profound and dreamy, though equally beautiful, gave Zhu Minng a feeling of being seen through. It was as if her gaze could prate his surface and see right into his inner world, as if his thoughts were transparent to her. Her gaze had flitted away just now, as if she were simply unwilling to probe into the hearts of others. He didn¡¯t know why. When Nan Lingsha had mentioned the Prophet earlier, Zhu Minng had thought of those old fortune-tellers on the streets. But after meeting those eyes, Zhu Minng began to believe what the Prophet had said. ¡°We¡¯re leaving the Imperial City tomorrow, and I had prepared some Dragon Beast Carriages for Yunzhi¡­¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°She won¡¯t wake up for a while, but you don¡¯t have to worry too much, she just needs some rest,¡± the woman said softly. ¡°That¡¯s good then, thedy also looks quite weak, you should get some rest as well. It¡¯ste at night, so I won¡¯t disturb you any longer,¡± Zhu Minng said, bowing respectfully. ¡°From now on, the one who stays awake will probably be me,¡± the woman said in a soft and delicate voice. ¡°Oh, okay, sure,¡± Zhu Minng replied, not quite knowing how to respond at the moment. ¡°When we leave tomorrow, can we exit the city from the northern side of the Imperial City?¡± Li Xinghua asked. ¡°Yes,¡± Zhu Minng nodded. Zhu Minng didn¡¯t sleep at all that night. His gaze wandered unintentionally toward the small building next to him, where he saw that the lights were still on. He fell asleep in a daze and the next day was woken up by the sound of Fang Niannian and Mr. Jinli arguing in the courtyard. Instinctively, Zhu Minng looked towards the small building and saw that its windows were already open. The morning light spilled in through the window, where a delicate orchid on the windowsill was slowly blooming its full petals, embracing the vitality of the morning. Had she kept themp burning well into the night just to save this tiny orchid? Yet she was going to leave this ce today. Zhu Minng¡¯s courtyard normally didn¡¯t have many maidservants, and the potted nts and otherndscaping elements would usually wither away not long after being brought in, then be discarded and reced with new ones. Rarely did anyone take care of them. Zhu Minng washed up, dressed neatly, and walked into the courtyard. Under the shade of the awning outside the courtyard, stood two stunningly graceful and curvaceous beauties, conversing with gentle elegance. The soft, tender sound of their voices was a high-quality auditory pleasure. Zhu Minng approached them and for a moment couldn¡¯t tell who was who, so he just put on a smile and greeted them both. Zhu Minng had specifically observed theirplexions. He wanted to judge from theirplexions which one was Li Beauty and which one was Nan Beauty, but it seemed Li Xinghua¡¯s soul had not been damaged. Her awakening also infused her body with a healthy vitality, and herplexion looked much better than when she was unconscious. If he hadn¡¯t known they were two different people, Zhu Minng would have thought Li Yunzi had recovered. Moreover, Fang Niannian¡¯s earlier deduction seems to have been correct. Li Xinghua¡¯s rtionship with her sister appeared to be much better. It was evident from their intimate conversation as they stood there. ¡°Zhu Minng, you mustn¡¯t do anything over the line, okay? This is Miss Xinghua, she¡¯s absolutely pure with you!¡± Nan Yuso specifically cautioned. ¡°Yuso, don¡¯t be rude,¡± Li Xinghua frowned slightly. ¡°It¡¯s okay, we¡¯re going to be family from now on, so there¡¯s no need to be so formal. Just say whatever you want,¡± Zhu Minngughed, not minding Nan Yuso¡¯s deliberate provocation at all. The sister-inw has always been so mischievous. ¡°Mr. Zhu, just now I discussed with Yuso about the Ancestral Dragon Ruins. There should be Ancient Divine Lamp Energy Stones in the ruins. Also, since you all are Dragon Shepherds, there are many spirit wells in the ruins that could be beneficial for your cultivation. So, if wee across the Ancestral Dragon Ruins on our way, we might as well take a look,¡± Li Xinghua proposed gently. ¡°But we don¡¯t have any clues, it¡¯ll be hard to find the entrance to the Ancestral Dragon Ruins,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°Miss Xinghua can search by observing the stars.¡± ¡°Everything withers and prospers, and as the seas change into mulberry fields, the glimmer and arrangements of stars also subtly transform due to some ancient decay,¡± Li Xinghua exined. Zhu Minng listened to Li Xinghua and then remembered thatst night she was not only tending to the orchid, but she also seemed to often appear at the window, gazing at the starry sky. Was she observing the stars, searching for the Ancient Divine Lamp Energy Stone? Chapter 201 - 202: Foreknowledge of This Matter? Chapter 201: Chapter 202: Foreknowledge of This Matter? Trantor:549690339 Leaving through the gates of the Droplet Imperial City, they bypassed a stretch of Clearwater Hills and followed a trade route heading west. The Miao Mountain Sword Sect had a total of only five members: a swordswoman wearing a broad-brimmed hat, who was slightly older, with a ck veil falling from the edge of her hat, obscuring her face. The other four girls were dressed the same, but with varying essories. Although they did not wear the veils all the time, they clearly preferred not to reveal their faces to strangers in unfamiliar ces. In the country where the Miao Mountain Sword Sect was based, a woman¡¯s visage was considered mysterious and sacred. Zhu Minng had been there and noticed that in the city-states and capitals, probably more than half of the women would wear veils asmonly as earrings or jewelry, retaining a sense of hazy beauty. Traveling with them, in addition to the several members of Zhu Minng¡¯s team, were Master Wu Feng from the Yaoshan Sword Sect, the Big Disciple Yun Zhonghe, and the female Sword Master Shao Ying. Shao Ying and Fang Niannian were close in age and soon started chatting away like two little magpies, adding a lively atmosphere to the journey. Nan Yuso and Nan Lingsha both had the habit of wearing facial veils. Coupled with the other swordswomen doing the same, the others did not immediately realize that they were the Twin Flower Sisters since they did not dress or adorn themselves like other twins, aiming for symmetrical and identical looks. The vegetation was lush with a touch of autumn yellow, but in fact, the further west they went, the morefortable the climate became. On the other side of the Miao Mountain Female Country was the Neon Sea, where the days seemed to stretch longer. Outside the Western Imperial City, on the spacious main road, there were streams of merchants, travelers, farmers, and soldiers moving back and forth. A man wearing a Kylin robe stood with an evil aura on the necessary path leading to the western Prairie. ¡°Commander Hao, what brings you here? Are you waiting for some Mr. Hou?¡± A soldier approached with a smile and asked. ¡°You¡¯ve arrived right on time, help me inquire about where the people from the Miao Mountain Sword Sect and the Yaoshan Sword Sect left the city from,¡± said Commander Hao, his face full of anger. ¡°Them? Early this morning I saw the swordswomen leave through the northern gate of the Imperial City; they¡¯ve been gone quite a while. Commander, did you just return from the battlefield?¡± said a patrol guard from the city. ¡°If they¡¯re heading west, why go through the north gate!¡± ¡°I am not sure about that, Commander, are you trying to intercept them?¡± ¡°That brat from the Zhu Sect killed my nephew. Do you think I can let him off?!¡± Commander Hao roared in fury. The Emperor had already given orders not to pursue the matter with Zhao Chen. But what about Hao Shaocong? This has nothing to do with the feud of the Princely Heir of Zhao Yin Ge. Today is precisely the day of Hao Shaocong¡¯s burial. To wait for Commander Hao to return, the Hao family deliberately kept Hao Shaocong in the hall of mourning for an extended time. All to wait for Zhu Minng to leave the Imperial City and then seize him to kowtow at Hao Shaocong¡¯s tomb! They dared not kill Zhu Minng. But to humiliate Zhu Minng, to make him kowtow a hundred times, that was something Commander Hao dared to do. If he refused toply, Commander Hao was more than ready to rough him up, break a few of his bones, and not let the young man from the Zhu Sect have a moment of peace! Inside the Imperial City, Commander Hao dared not act. Hao Yong had also gone to great lengths to find out about Zhu Minng¡¯s whereabouts from some servants who served the Miao Mountain Sword Sect. He waited here specifically to regain his family¡¯s honor. The results had everyone waiting until almost noon, yet not a single person appeared. This infuriated Commander Hao to the point of fuming with rage! Did that kid just escape? Did someone tip them off in advance, allowing them to avoid us? The prairie was immensely vast; they had traveled for an entire day and still could not see its end. Having no choice, they settled in a city for the night, nning to continue their journey at dawn. ¡°Coming out of the north gate, we took a bit of a detour. Under normal circumstances, we should be able to reach Yuanbian City. There is a long stretch there suitable for flying, where we can hire a Dragon Shepherd,¡± Master Wu Feng said. ¡°Right, why did wee out of the north gate, anyway? You haven¡¯t told us the reason yet,¡± Wen Mengru asked, puzzled. Zhu Minng honestly didn¡¯t know the reason; he was just following Li Xinghua¡¯s instructions. However, no one paid much attention to this matter. It was not until they had entered the city and checked into an inn that Zhu Minng remembered to ask Li Xinghua about it. Li Xinghua indicated she wasn¡¯t aware of what might happen, but simply warned Zhu Minng that exiting through that city gate could lead to trouble. While Zhu Minng was still puzzled, inside the inn, a man dressed in the attire of a Sword Casting Shop rushed in, frantically searching for something. The man¡¯s clothing bore the emblem of Zhu Sect¡¯s foreign court, which Zhu Minng recognized at a nce, so he called him over. ¡°Mr. Zhu, I am the manager of the foreign court¡¯s shop in this city. Your uncle sent me to remind you that Commander Hao from the Hao family, named Hao Xingsheng, is trying to intercept you. They sent people to guard the western city gate this morning and n to have you apologize at the gravesite on the day of Hao Shaocong¡¯s burial,¡± the manager of the Sword Casting Shop said. Zhu Minng looked surprisedly at Miss Xinghua, who was enjoying a sweet soup beside him. ¡°Alright, I understand.¡± ¡°Please be extra cautious on your journey, Mr. Zhu. That Commander Hao is quite capable and influential. Once you leave the Imperial City, they will do everything in their power to trouble you, especially while you and your team are still within the Imperial City¡¯s territory. If there¡¯s any emergency, you can inform our branches in the various cities, and we will immediately summon experts to assist you,¡± the manager said. ¡°Thank you for your concern, but I am currently traveling with elders from the Miao Mountain Sword Sect and Yaoshan Sword Sect. With them present, nothing will happen to me. Please tell my uncle not to worry about me,¡± Zhu Minng responded. ¡°Mr. Zhu, this is a distribution map of our Zhu Sect in various cities, countries, and fortresses across the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent. If you need anything, you can go there,¡± the manager earnestly said, handing Zhu Minng a scroll. Zhu Heavenly Officer was a rough and tumble man who, once his own departed the Imperial City, would act as if he no longer had a son, hardly ever inquiring about him. Zhu Yushan and Bai Xin were different; there were times they genuinely seemed like Zhu Minng¡¯s real parents, taking incredibly meticulous care of him. This map, undoubtedly prepared by Zhu Yushan and Bai Xin, likely was made after they heard that Zhu Minng would be traveling far and had long since instructed the foreign courts to notify all branches of the Zhu Sect, asking them to keep an eye on his whereabouts and ensure he wouldn¡¯t suffer any indignities in unfamiliar ces. ¡°Okay, you can go back. I won¡¯t have any problems here,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°Yes,¡± the manager replied with a bow, then left the inn. After the manager left, Zhu Minng nced at Miss Xinghua¡­ ¡°Did you foresee this happening?¡± Zhu Minng asked. Chapter 202 - 203 This scene seems familiar Chapter 202: Chapter 203 This scene seems familiar Trantor:549690339 ¡°I only know there will be trouble; as for what specifically, I am not aware,¡± Li Xinghua said. Zhu Minng had not expected that there really was a power of Prophetic Godly Mortal in this world, and he immediately became very curious. ¡°Can you calcte whether this trip will bring fortune or misfortune, such as whether we can get the Ancient Lantern Jade?¡± Zhu Minng asked. ¡°We can obtain it, but the cost is unpredictable,¡± Li Xinghua replied. ¡°How far into the future can you foresee?¡± ¡°Some events that will happen in the future appear in my dreams, much like a dream world,¡± Li Xinghua exined. ¡°Then how do you differentiate between a mere dream and what will actually happen?¡± Zhu Minng asked, perplexed. ¡°I have to wait for an omen or seek one out. The details of urrences in my dreams linger in my mind, and when I wake up, if those details match reality, it suggests that the event will graduallye to pass. The more omens that appear, the faster it will happen,¡± Li Xinghua patiently exined. ¡°Could you give an example?¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°Normally, when we¡¯re doing mundane tasks, like when water spills from a cup while drinking, a bird enters our line of sight during a walk, or even now, as you are talking to me Suddenly, we might have a feeling of familiarity, as if we have experienced it before.¡± ¡°Yes, I asionally have such illusions,¡± Zhu Minng nodded. ¡°That night, when you walked up to the pavilion and heard your footsteps, mistaking me for Yunzhi, that scene felt familiar to me. Therefore, I deduced that the series of events that urred in my dream would indeed happen. Like us taking the west door, someone being injured and bleeding profusely; however, these visions are fragmented, like pieces of a torn painting,¡± Li Xinghua exined to Zhu Minng withposure. Zhu Minng watched her. Especially knowing that the person before him was Li Yunzi But her words, her demeanor, her nature, and the power she wielded, were all distinctly different; Zhu Minng gradually realized that Li Xinghua truly seemed like aplete woman, who simply shared a body with Li Yunzi. Zhu Minng watched her, somewhat lost in thought. It was not until Li Xinghua¡¯s cheeks flushed with a hint of red that Zhu Minng realized his stare was somewhat improper. How could he stare at someone like that. After all, their souls were pure, but physically, they had been intimate. ¡°Ahem, can it calcte a marriage destiny?¡± Zhu Minng joked, trying to alleviate the awkward atmosphere. ¡°It can,¡± Li Xinghua said earnestly, nodding. ¡°And how would that be calcted?¡± Zhu Minng raised an eyebrow. ¡°Whose do you want to know about?¡± ¡°Of course, my own No, no, no, don¡¯t calcte mine, calcte Yunzhi¡¯s, wait a moment, let me think it over. Alright, I¡¯m actually a bit worried too. If the result is not what I hope for, it¡¯s better not to ask. Adding some mystery and anticipation is good; life can be quite dull if you know everything,¡± Zhu Minng said. Seeing Zhu Minng indecisive and anxious, Li Xinghua couldn¡¯t help but smile warmly. Watching Li Xinghua smile, Zhu Minng couldn¡¯t resist taking a few extra nces. Miss Xinghua¡¯s smile was gentle, affable, and beautiful, and she seemed to treat everyone around her in the same manner. She was not like an ice queen who was taciturn and kept others at a great distance. Her speech was tender, like a warm-hearted elder sister from next door, somewhat reserved but not to the point of being aloof, indeed fitting the demeanor of a nobledy. Although she was forting with information, there was always an aura of mystery about her, as if her deep and hazy eyes concealed her inner world, making it impossible to see the truth within. Outside the inn, there were hardly any passersby left. Inside the inn, everyone had returned to their own rooms. Zhu Minng and Li Xinghua quietly sat in the courtyard, under a star-filled sky framed by the eaves, as beautiful as a cornucopia of treasures. ¡°Miss Xinghua, I may be crossing a line here, but I still want to ask; since you can foresee the future, couldn¡¯t you also find a way to avoid the situation with Wutu Eternal City?¡± Zhu Minng asked as he looked into Li Xinghua¡¯s eyes. Li Xinghua seemed to have anticipated Zhu Minng¡¯s question. There were things Li Yunzi couldn¡¯tfortably tell Zhu Minng, so Li Xinghua would exin for her. ¡°Have you ever thought about why it was you?¡± Li Xinghua asked in return. Zhu Minng¡¯s pupils dted, waves seemed to be churning in his heart. ¡°Can you change fate?¡± Zhu Minng asked. ¡°I am not a deity. I cannot change my own or others¡¯ destinies. Avoiding some events may simply lead to even more tragic oues. The result we have now is already the most fortunate one for us. Sir, didn¡¯t you want to know about Yunzi¡¯s marital fate? Eternal City is the answer,¡± Li Xinghua stated inly. Zhu Minng¡¯s face was ovee with a look of utter astonishment this time. ¡°Does thedy mean that even if I hadn¡¯t appeared in the dungeon, Yunzi and I would still have ended up together?¡± Zhu Minng said. It turned out he had once casually called Li Yunzi his wife She truly was his wife! Regrettably, Li Xinghua didn¡¯t answer this time. Zhu Minng suddenly remembered something. Before he encountered the bandits, he was actually on his way to deliver a batch of silk to the Valkyrie Mansion. Does that mean even if he hadn¡¯t mistakenly eaten the poisoned porridge, he would have met Li Yunzi, with a high probability of identally witnessing the process of Li Yunzi being framed and overthrown? ¡°What did thedy change?¡± Zhu Minng continued to ask. ¡°Nothing at all,¡± Li Xinghua said. Li Xinghua hadn¡¯t changed anything? Perhaps the ultimate oue didn¡¯t change, but the details of fate were different. In the future, if Li Yunzi really bes his wife, then the humiliation in the dungeon wouldn¡¯t be a painful memory anymore, but rather a bizarre encounter. But if things were to develop in a different direction Then it was still him who should go to the dungeon. Such a thing, though somewhat too abrupt, wasn¡¯t uneptable. ¡°It¡¯s gotten cold; let me help you back to your room to rest,¡± Zhu Minng decided that he had learned enough for one day and dared not continue chatting with this prophet. ¡°Yunzi is unaware of these things. I¡¯ve spoken only to you, Sir ¡± Li Xinghua said sincerely. ¡°Hm, thank you, Miss Xinghua, for your candor,¡± Zhu Minng nodded in acknowledgment. After escorting Li Xinghua back to her room, Zhu Minng still maintained the decorum due to every sister-inw. Li Xinghua also gave a slight bow and gently closed her room door. It wasn¡¯t until Zhu Minng had walked far away that Li Xinghua sat down by the bed again, her beautiful and profound eyes staring at the bamboo shadows cast upon the window paper. The bamboo shadows swayed gently in the wind, the leaves making soft sounds, and the asional unpruned bamboo branches tapped against the wooden window This scene. It seemed familiar. Chapter 203 - 204: The Thing That Can’t Sleep Chapter 203: Chapter 204: The Thing That Can¡¯t Sleep Trantor:549690339 The further west we went, the more lush the scenery became. This vast wilderness hadn¡¯t withered with the arrival of autumn. The green grass river, winding and twisting, had the group heading to Miao Kingdom stopping to let the horses and Dragon Beasts drink. They had hired two Dragon Shepherds, a husband-and-wife team that frequently escorted distant merchants and travelers. They conducted their business around the Imperial City¡¯s inns and towns, and although their cultivation bases weren¡¯t exceptionally high, the Dragon Beasts they raised were generallyfortable to ride, had ample stamina, and were good at long journeys The husband and wife both looked rather dark and stout. Apart from the Dragon Beasts they could summon, there were also a few Juvenile Spirits around them, acting like their offspring, always lively and bustling around them. ¡°This grasnd is home to a flock of Iron Eagles. As soon as we take to the sky, they will swarm over as if we¡¯re invading their territory. But once we¡¯re past here, we can fly for a distance and reach Long River City directly,¡± said the male Dragon Shepherd. ¡°Are there not many regions where one can fly?¡± Fang Niannian asked with some curiosity. She didn¡¯t quite understand. Since bing a Dragon Shepherd, and given that Dragons are among the most revered of all creatures, why was there such a great restriction on flying? Surely the wilderness couldn¡¯t all be upied by ancient demons? ¡°It depends on your knowledge of the area. If you are certain that there aren¡¯t any powerful creatures iming the airspace, then you can fly freely. However, during a journey, the vast majority of territories are unfamiliar. How many Monster Groups or demonirs there are is unknown. Without overwhelming strength to intimidate or fight them off, entanglement in battle could make the trip much slower than traveling bynd,¡± exined the male Dragon Shepherd. ¡°Actually, the most important reason is that once creatures in this world possess a spirit, they acquire a certain level of intelligence and be cunning and skilled in ambush and tailing. If they sense the scent ofbat, they will loiter nearby, relentlessly pursuing the wounded and directly pouncing on those who are too exhausted to fight. Even if the odds are small, just one encounter can severely slow down the journey and put you in a perilous situation,¡± added his wife. Fang Niannian nodded as if she understood, yet she didn¡¯t. Anyway, she had no intention of bing a Dragon Shepherd herself. But if in the future theycked a seasoned Dragon Shepherd to lead the way, issues were bound to arise, so she needed to pick up some experience. When they first left the Li Chuan Continent for the Supreme Court Imperial City, Zhu Minng chose the route with stability in mind, mostly flying along areas with city roads. The grass was luxuriant; even the rivers seemed to be covered by it. At a nce, all one could see was a vast and sprawling forest of green grass, with the rivers silently weaving through them. Dressed in cinnabar silk, a light purple ribbon encircled Nan Lingsha¡¯s slender waist. She let a piece of rice paper float in front of her, and her ink brush began to casually outline Her painting was very casual, not as focused as usual¡ªshe seemed to be just practicing. But within the rice paper, the wilderness, the grass, and the faintly discernible Clear River leaped from the page, effortlessly capturing the spirit of the scene. Yun Zhonghe nced at her, noticed the bamboo tube filled with water on arge rock beside Nan Lingsha, used to dilute the ink, and thus stepped forward proactively to fetch some water from the river. ¡°Miss, this painting is exquisite,¡± Yun Zhonghe said. Nan Lingsha stopped her brush and looked at Yun Zhonghe without saying a word, but her beautiful eyes seemed to say: Do I know you? Yun Zhonghe felt a bit awkward. She apparently didn¡¯t remember him at all. Do defeated enemies not deserve to have names? ¡°I am Yun Zhonghe. I had the honor to exchange knowledge of the Power of God and Mortality with the miss in the City of Mechanisms, where I was defeated by you,¡± confessed Yun Zhonghe. ¡°Hmm,¡± Nan Lingsha responded with a hum and then focused back on her painting. Yun Zhonghe scratched his head and walked away, knowing when to take a hint. ¡°Zhu Minng, Zhu Minng, look quickly,¡± Fang Niannian tugged at Zhu Minng¡¯s sleeve at that moment, pointing in the direction of Nan Lingsha. ¡°What is it?¡± Zhu Minng asked, puzzled. ¡°Sister Xinghua is feeding the Juvenile Spirits, and Sister Lingsha is showing her the painting she just finished,¡± Fang Niannian said. Zhu Minng looked over and saw that Nan Lingsha had finished her painting and walked over to Li Xinghua. He unfolded the painting and whispered with Li Xinghua. Although Nan Lingsha didn¡¯t wrap her arms around Li Xinghua affectionately like Nan Yuso did, the atmosphere was clearly different. ¡°It seems like you guessed right,¡± Zhu Minng said. Indeed, Li Xinghua had a more harmonious rtionship with Nan Lingsha. ¡°A woman¡¯s intuition is always right,¡± Fang Niannian said somewhat proudly. Zhu Minng gave a perfunctory thumbs-up. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Nan Lingsha saw that Li Xinghua seemed a bit distracted and asked with curiosity. Li Xinghua didn¡¯t immediately respond. Her gaze drifted to the end of the wilderness, and after a while, she raised her eyes to look at the increasingly darkening sky ahead. The painting by Nan Lingsha. The darkening sky before her. This scene seemed all too familiar. ¡°What did you see?¡± Nan Lingsha pressed on. ¡°Something terrible, at the end of the wilderness,¡± Li Xinghua had a somewhat paleplexion. At this moment, some brutal images surged into her mind, causing a fine sheen of sweat to appear on her forehead. Nan Lingsha wiped her brow and softly said, ¡°Has it already happened?¡± ¡°It¡¯s very vague, I can¡¯t see clearly.¡± ¡°Was it that which woke you upst night?¡± Nan Lingsha asked. ¡°Mhm,¡± Li Xinghua nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll go take a look.¡± Nan Lingsha knew that Li Xinghua often had nightmares. What was worse was that her nightmares often manifested in reality, and even took ce around her. Under such circumstances, she often couldn¡¯t sleep for a long time. If she ignored them, it would torment her conscience. Li Xinghua shook her head and said, ¡°I can¡¯t see clearly; I cannot predict the danger.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Nan Lingsha quietly consoled her. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Zhu Minng approached, having been watching the two sisters the whole time. He also noticed that Miss Xinghua looked different, seemingly afraid of something. ¡°I¡¯m going to check out the end of the wilderness,¡± Nan Lingsha said. ¡°I¡¯ll apany you Niannian,e over and talk to Sister, I¡¯ll take a walk with Miss Lingsha,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°Alright,¡± Fang Niannian replied. Zhu Minng also sensed that something was off, especially the fearful look in Li Xinghua¡¯s eyes. Her fear seemed to stem from the end of the wilderness. What had happened there? Had Li Xinghua foreseen something there? ¡°Be careful, that¡¯s something we¡¯ll encounterter on,¡± Li Xinghua said. ¡°That¡¯s all the more reason to go and see clearly,¡± Nan Lingsha said. In the past few days, Zhu Minng had noticed Li Xinghua looking quite pallid, as if she hadn¡¯t rested well each day. Could it be that she was foreseeing something that kept her from sleeping peacefully? Chapter 204 - 205 Evil Dragon Gate Chapter 204: Chapter 205 Evil Dragon Gate Trantor:549690339 After notifying Wu Feng and the others, Zhu Minng and Nan Lingsha started walking towards the end of the wilderness. Zhu Minng still had some doubts in his heart. So, he asked Nan Lingsha, ¡°She has looked haggard these past few days, is it because she¡¯s seen some unfavorable things?¡± ¡°From time to time, things that are either rted or unrted to her will intrude into her dream world. In her dreams, she might even y the role of one of the tragic figures, experiencing the torment firsthand until she wakes up,¡± Nan Lingsha said as she drew a River Grass Boat and stood upon it. Zhu Minng also boarded, as the painted boat could race through the Clear River or fly over clumps of grass, with the vast wild scenery rapidly being flung behind them. ¡°Isn¡¯t that very painful?¡± Zhu Minng asked, somewhat surprised. ¡°Mhm, if it¡¯s something that hasn¡¯t happened yet and can be stopped in time, the torment of the dream world will dissipate. If it actually happens, that kind of pain will linger in her heart and dreams like tormented spirits and malevolent ghosts, causing her restless days and sleepless nights for a long, drawn-out period,¡± Nan Lingsha exined. ¡°Is this the price of being a Prophet?¡± Zhu Minng said. Because they could see things that would happen in the future, sorrows that didn¡¯t originally belong to them would be imposed upon them, undergoing the same torture as the victims in their dreams. ¡°That¡¯s why Miss Xinghua doesn¡¯t wake up often, and this time it could be her longest ordeal,¡± Nan Lingsha said. Nan Lingsha¡¯s words reminded Zhu Minng of what Li Yunzi had mentioned before, that her situation with Li Xinghua was not quite the same as that of the younger sisters. Nan Lingsha and Nan Yuso seemed to change from time to time. Sometimes it wasn¡¯t clear what their pattern was, as if another soul awoke in the midst of their conversations. From previous interactions, it seemed that the times when Nan Lingsha and Nan Yuso awoke were quite simr. But what Nan Lingsha meant was that, between Li Yunzi and Li Xinghua, Li Yunzi was awake for a longer time, while Li Xinghua was awakeparatively less. ¡°Miss Lingsha, can you tell me specifically, seeing Miss Xinghua so wan and restless these few days, I¡¯m very worried too,¡± Zhu Minng earnestly asked. ¡°Miss Xinghua is experiencing bacsh from her prophecies, and most of the time she¡¯s in an unconscious sleep to avoid seeing things she shouldn¡¯t. This time, because Li Yunzi was injured, I am afraid it¡¯s the longest Miss Xinghua has been awake in years,¡± Nan Lingsha said with a hint of worry, rarely seen concerned for anyone. ¡°Yunzhi once said she had something to ask of me, but she didn¡¯t get a chance to speak it. Could it be she knew she wouldn¡¯t wake up?¡± ¡°The longer Miss Xinghua stays awake, the more she can foresee, and the bacsh will increase ordingly, and she can¡¯t escape it as she did before,¡± Nan Lingsha said. In the past, Miss Xinghua would only awaken for a few days at most. It was mostly Li Yunzi who was awake. This was precisely the consequence of the prophetic bacsh. In the past, the amount of time Miss Xinghua and Li Yunzi were awake was equal. However, as the prophetic bacsh surfaced, Miss Xinghua suffered greatly during her periods of wakefulness, so she chose to sleep. Gradually, it seemed Miss Xinghua got used to sleeping, leaving most of the time under Li Yunzi¡¯s control. This was also a way of protecting Miss Xinghua. However, this time, Li Yunzi¡¯s injuries meant that Miss Xinghua was forced to be awake longer, and the bacsh had already started to emerge, and it might get much worse in the future. ¡°So handling the events that intrude into Miss Xinghua¡¯s dream world and that she foresees will alleviate the pain caused by the bacsh?¡± Zhu Minng asked. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s best to prevent the tragic events from urring, as what she sees is often extremely horrific,¡± Nan Lingsha said. Zhu Minng nodded. It was evident that whether it was Nan Lingsha, Nan Yuso, or Li Yunzi, they all protected Li Xinghua dearly. Probably because she had been bearing this suffering, which wasn¡¯t hers, from a young age. Zhu Minng now understood what Li Yunzi wanted to entrust him with. At the edge of the wilderness, there was a hill. The hill was overgrown with green grass and moss, and from quite a distance away, Zhu Minng and Nan Lingsha could smell an extremely strong stench of blood. As they climbed over the hill, the scene before them left Zhu Minng and Nan Lingsha breathless with shock! Below the hill was arge, thick blood pond, enclosed by a pile ofrge rocks. In the blood pond, corpses were soaked one after another, all very fresh; some bodies were exposed to the sun on the chaotic rocks, some were hung upside down on the rock walls, and others were like criminals on a rack, nailed to withered tree trunks They were all eyeless. To be precise, their eye sockets had been dug out, turned into two terrifying holes. And in the blood pond, it was even more difficult to count the soaked corpses, whether mutted or intact, their eyes had been cruelly gouged out, and the expressions frozen on their faces conveyed the fear and pain before death, looking at them was truly hair-raising! ¡°Someone is using this hill as an evil altar!¡± Zhu Minng said angrily. Even the livestock used for sacrifices are usually cleanly killed by most people, but here, the victims had enduredyers of fear,yers of pain before death. The thought that Li Xinghua had empathetically experienced this in her sleep made Zhu Minng shiver even more. If it had been a person who had seen many battles, ustomed to life and death, they might not be able to ept such a brutal ughter, let alone Li Xinghua, a woman who wouldn¡¯t even let a pot of orchids wilt. ¡°They were all ves,¡± Nan Lingsha pointed out, nodding towards several of the bodies which still had shackles on, not even removed. Zhu Minng also noticed this, and even those without shackles bore the marks of ves on their bodies. ¡°I remember to the west of the Prairie, there is a ve City-State that specializes in trading stateless ves and tribal groups from the wilderness. It¡¯s probably some Evil Sect that transported the ves here, then gouged out their eyes and ughtered them to worship some evil creature,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°What Xinghua saw must be something that is about to happen, but here it clearly already ¡± Nan Lingsha suddenly frowned and said. Zhu Minng looked around. Yes, the people here were all dead. Discarded on the hill like heaps of trash. Whether some ritual had been performed, or some offering had been made, it seemed to have beenpleted. ¡°Shh!¡± Suddenly, Zhu Minng made a gesture to be quiet and pointed towards the blood pond. Nan Lingsha looked over, noticing something moving in the blood pond, like blood flukes, greedily drinking the blood in the pond, cursed as it seemed. Initially, they were very small, but after swimming a fewps in the blood pond, they became very plump, and gradually, their bodies appeared as fearsome as water serpents. Soon, the blood flukes began to devour each other, from serpents, they gradually transformed into creatures resembling lesser dragons, even radiating an evil light from their bodies, their aura bing increasingly powerful! ¡°Transforming into dragons!¡± Zhu Minng eximed in shock. These blood flukes were transforming into dragons! If such creatures became dragons, who knew how many lives they would harm, for they themselves lived by sucking the blood filled with living people¡¯s resentment, pain, and curses! The person who had created such a cruel altar probably didn¡¯t expect this ce to be a hotbed for a group of cursed blood flukes transforming into dragons. They had built an Evil Dragon Gate!! Chapter 205 - 206: The Demon Cult Chapter 205: Chapter 206: The Demon Cult Trantor:549690339 Nan Lingsha took out a scroll of painting. As she tossed the scroll into the air and it flipped, Zhu Minng saw that it depicted a downpour. The scroll slowly dissolved, but the dark clouds suddenly enveloped the bloody altar atop the hill. Zhu Minng initially thought it was a cleansing rain that would wash away all the sin and mess here, but the rain from the clouds was like rain nails, piercing into the hill and the blood pool below. They were rainwater, yet they possessed strong piercing capabilities. The dense rain nails fell, copsing the hill and also nailing the blood leech Dragon that was transforming into a dragon to death. That Blood Leech Dragon was exceptionally powerful. It had just begun its transformation and had already shown the aura of a Dragon General. In the blood pool, the blood-red leech dragon was twisting its ferocious body, crazily ramming the surrounding rocks, trying to dodge the rain nails falling from the sky. ¡°Qing Zhuo, purify it,¡± called Zhu Minng, summoning the Divine Green Holy Dragon. The Divine Green Holy Dragon flew, its green vertical pupils intently watching the direction in which the Blood Leech Dragon was fleeing. The Blood Leech Dragon was tricky and weird as it could actually turn into a stream of bloody pus and flow into the fissures between the rocks. The patterns of the Divine Green Holy Dragon lit up in green. It opened its mouth and spewed out a beam of green light, prating all the rocks and making the cursed blood boil The radiance of the Holy Dragon had an extremely potent effect of purification and annihting wickedness. The Blood Leech Dragon attempted to split into countless smaller leeches, but ultimately, they were eradicated by the dragon light expelled by the Divine Green Holy Dragon! Rain nails baptism. Holy light purification. The Blood Leech Dragon waspletely eradicated. Zhu Minng had the Divine Green Holy Dragon convert the corpses into nutrients for the earth, a gift to the verdant wilderness, which also prevented the vengeful spirits of evil from generating more sinister creatures that shouldn¡¯t exist. After dealing with this, Zhu Minng finally felt a great burden lifted. This type of Blood Leech Dragon was more terrifying than cannibalistic demons that lived for thousands of years. They fed in the same manner, and a creature of Dragon General Level, if extremely cunning, could bring disaster upon nearby towns and viges¡ªlet alone if this Blood Leech Dragon continued to increase its cultivation base, it was likely to be a ughterer of ten thousand souls. ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s the heavens taking pity on the people, yet unable to attend to everything, so they granted Miss Xinghua the ability to encounter disasters,¡± Zhu Minng said. To eradicate such malevolent beings before they were born was indeed the highest form of good. ¡°You should also drive away those umted resentments,¡± Nan Lingsha said. Zhu Minng nodded, extending his hand and began Soul Collecting Pearl Brewing. The Dragon Soul of the Blood Leech Dragon was nothing more than those wretched souls. They wandered around this hill, still forming a thick miasma of death that attracted evil spirits. Perhaps it was because it had just transformed into a dragon. The Soul Beads that Zhu Minng collected were of very high quality, still retaining the aura of spiritual transformation from the dragon¡¯s transformation. Such Soul Beads were very suitable for Spirit Beasts to cross the Dragon Gate! It seemed that virtuous deeds led to significant rewards. However, the Dragon Balls had too much negative energy and weren¡¯t verypatible with the nature of his own Dragon Beasts He thought that those dragon trainers who raised Bone Dragons, Corpse Dragons, and Ghost Dragons would be willing to buy these at a high price. For the time being, he put them away and Zhu Minng also breathed a sigh of relief. This should be no problem now. It won¡¯t be long before the hill is covered with lush green grass and trees, giving those lost souls a ce to rest. Having left the hill, they returned to the team, where the others were waiting for them, having evidently waited for some time. ¡°What did you two go off to do on your own?¡± Wen Mengru asked, somewhat puzzled. ¡°Hehe, young people are all about having fun. Ten years ago, my husband and I also liked to sneak off to scenic spots to do some crazy things¡­ Ah, now we¡¯re just ordinary mortals toiling away,¡± sighed the wife of the Dragon Shepherd. Wen Mengru immediately understood the implication and her cheeks flushed red. She spat in embarrassment and quickly rode up on the back of the Big Horned Dragon, no longer inquiring. The two Swordswoman sisters nearby were very curious. Being younger, they didn¡¯t understand what these crazy things were and asked without any hesitation. The atmosphere turned awkward for a moment, and Zhu Minng, not wishing to discuss the prophecy, exined that he was simply apanying Nan Lingsha to paint from the scenery. ¡°Ahem, little junior brother, just bear with it a little longer. We¡¯ll be at Long River City soon. The main issue is that you two were gone for quite some time, and everyone is getting impatient,¡± Wu Feng whispered to Zhu Minng. ¡°Brother Wu Feng, you¡¯re worldly wise; there¡¯s something I¡¯ve been meaning to ask you. Actually, when Nan Lingsha and I walked off into the distance, we found an altar on a hill¡­¡± Zhu Minng spoke in a low voice. Zhu Minng described the situation there to Wu Feng, whose face also showed a few traces of astonishment. After pondering for a while, he said, ¡°There is a City of Sin that worships the God without eyes. They believe that all the tyranny, sin, and impulsivity in the world originate from the eyes, which deceive people¡¯s thoughts and drag the living into the abyss of corruption bit by bit¡­ Of course, that¡¯s their public rationale. In fact, they often force people into their cult, then cut out their eyes, making them lose their self-sufficiency. In the end, they can only listen to the voice of the Eyeless Sect, bing ves to it.¡± Zhu Minng furrowed his brows. The Supreme Court Continent is quite vast, and many ces are in a state of istion. Even the civilization of Li Chuan Continent far surpasses some neglected tribes, allowing many strange and heretical deities¡¯ ideas to infiltrate the minds of the ignorant, developing into evil sects. Although Dragon Shepherds and Divine and Mortal beings initially flourished through sects, gradually bing powerful, there are countless sects in this bizarre world that exploit seemingly miraculous phenomena to amass wealth and expand their influence. The Eyeless Sect is one of them. Most frighteningly, some sects indeed possess secret teachings that can make the people within them powerful in a short time, or turn an ordinary person into a Dragon Shepherd or a Divine and Mortal being. ¡°Our journey was supposed to merely brush past Monument City, but if you want to get to the bottom of this, we can change course and rest there. The Eyeless Sect should have a stronghold in that ce,¡± Wu Feng said. Zhu Minng looked back at Li Xinghua; the unease on her face did not seem to have diminished much. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go to Monument City.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll find the right moment to speak with the sisters from the Miao Mountain Sword Sect about this. For such matters, they are duty-bound to act,¡± Wu Feng said. The Sword Sect is one of the Four Great Sects of the Supreme Court Continent, and what they value most is walking the righteous path and doing good. The Yaoshan Sword Sect is in constant conflict with the City of Sin all year round. The Miao Mountain Sword Sect cannot tolerate even a trace of the Evil Sect or Demon Sect in its eyes. (Chaos: My biological clock is upside down Updates have be a middle-of-the-night affair The familiar chaos of update schedules has returned, it took three months for the new book to settle down.) (Updates may bete but will never be absent! You can read them first thing in the morning, which is essentially like me updating at six in the morning every day!) Chapter 206 - 207: Li Chuan’s Slave Chapter 206: Chapter 207: Li Chuan¡¯s ve Trantor: 549690339 Monument City This was arge city built of stone, its walls likewise constructed from those grey ancient boulders from the wilderness. Upon entering the city, one could see a vast marketce. What was sold were not utensils, food, Dragon Food, or antiques, but person after person bound by rough shackles. These were all ves. Either captured from some uncivilized tribes. Or hailing from defeated countries, or perhaps a band of rebels. ¡°Take a look, this woman was snatched from Mount Fox God, savage and tempting, buy her and you¡¯re guaranteed the thrill of taming her, a thousand gold pieces!¡± A man dressed in a private army¡¯s uniform called out loudly, holding a sturdy leather leash, the other end of which was fastened to a woman with pointed, elongated ears. The woman¡¯s skin was wheat-colored with a hint of ck, but it did not conceal her natural allure. Those narrow eyes and sharp chin indeed carried an exotic charm and enticement. ¡°Prisoners from the Li Chuan Continent, transported from thousands of miles away, this one¡¯s nobility, whole families of servants, nsmen, misses¡ªall for just a hundred thousand gold!¡± In arge iron cage, a group of people with somewhat ragged clothing squatted. There were young men, delicate women, and also a few elderly matrons. They had dim expressions and vacant stares, looking as though they were simply walking corpses. ¡°Empress!¡± Suddenly, in the cage, a young man¡¯s eyes widened, shining with brightness. He desperately clutched the iron bars, shouting excitedly towards a woman on the street. ¡°Ling Tu, have you lost your mind?¡± said a General wearing tattered armor nearby. ¡°General, look, isn¡¯t that Empress Li Yunzi?¡± the young man known as Ling Tu pointed to a woman seated atop a Triceratops. The General gripped the bars of the cage, slowly standing up. As his gaze fixed on her, the woman¡¯s appearance was indeed outstanding, shining like a bright moon amidst the chaotic flow of people¡ªso beautiful and striking! ¡°It really is her!¡± General Ling Xun also widened his eyes. ¡°Ancestral Dragon City has established its own kingdom and be part of the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent. She is now a Monarch there!¡± Ling Tu said. On their way being escorted here, the Ling Family had heard plenty of news. Ancestral Dragon City had be a kingdom, and Li Yunzi, with her own power, had taken down the Rui Country. The four city-states she governed became the untramplends of the Li Chuan Continent; however, other city-states, othernds, were not so fortunate. Like their Lingxiao City State The city was trampled, families were massacred, and even their great Ling Family eventually fell into very, transported like cattle to the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent. After this drastic change, the Ling Family of Lingxiao City was filled with extreme regret. Why did they, in the first ce, prevent Li Yunzi from establishing a kingdom. If Li Yunzi had unified the entire Li Chuan Continent, they would not have ended up like this. Their backbone, Ling Luotian, died a tragic death, their n¡¯s experts were ughtered, and even their sisters who never left home were turned into ythings by raiders. Ling Tu¡¯s eyes, almost dried out, once again moistened and turned red at the thought. ¡°General, let¡¯s plead with her,¡± he said. ¡°How could we do that, after all we ¡± began General Ling Xun, intending to say they were from the Ling Family of Lingxiao City State. But his words choked off as he nced at the cage, then at his nsmen suffering alongside him, waiting to be sold like livestock, and he took a deep sigh. He knew all too well that they were nothing now. They only sought to survive. They only sought to give their people a path to life, rather than bing ves without any dignity. ¡°Empress, save us!¡± ¡°Empress, save us!¡± As a group of people passed by, Zhu Minng suddenly heard someone calling out to the Female Monarch. The Empress should be the title unique to Li Yunzi in Li Chuan Continent, and many people outside of Ancestral Dragon City also referred to her as such. Zhu Minng looked over and saw a group of ves locked in a cage. Because one of the men was shouting very loudly, the ve owner whipped him viciously with a whip, tearing his skin open. ¡°Ask about it,¡± Li Xinghua said softly. Zhu Minng stepped forward, stopping the person wielding the whip, and asked, ¡°Where did these peoplee from?¡± ¡°From Li Chuan Continent, young master. Are you interested in buying? For just one hundred thousand gold, this entire family will belong to you. Whether you¡¯re looking for prestige, power, or distinguished household ves, these peoplee from the Ling Family of Lingxiao City in the Li Chuan Continent. They were like Earth Emperors there, not only do they have young men with decent strength but also well-educated youngdies, all untouched!¡± the private army leader said. Zhu Minng, upon hearing they were from the Ling Family of Lingxiao City, lost his interest in purchasing. He had thought it might be a family from a city-state that had fallen on hard times. As the current ruler of Li Chuan Continent, rescuingpatriots wouldn¡¯t be a problem. But since it was his mortal enemy, Zhu Minng didn¡¯t want to spend that hundred thousand gold. He had his principles; he feltpassion for themon people, but enemies were notmon people. Turning his head, he walked back to his group. Zhu Minng said to Li Xinghua, ¡°The Ling Family from Lingxiao City is the one that tried to force Yunzhi to be a concubine. Let¡¯s pretend we didn¡¯t see it.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll buy them.¡± At that moment, Nan Yuso, wearing a veil, walked over, took out a Purple Gold Bead, and handed it to the soldier. Zhu Minng didn¡¯t even see when she had approached. What astonished him wasn¡¯t that Nan Yuso bought these people, but that Nan Yuso was so extravagantly generous. One hundred thousand gold, and she didn¡¯t even blink! ¡°Mydy has good taste. These are all high-quality ves. May I ask to which ce should they be delivered?¡± asked the private army leader, his face full of smiles when he saw the money. ¡°Send them back to the Li Chuan Continent. Tell Nan Family of Ancestral Dragon City that from now on, these people are their household ves,¡± she answered. ¡°Ah?¡± The private army leader had a headache. They had gone through so much trouble to bring them from such a far ce, and now they had to send them back. Although the transportation was rtively cheap, it would take a long time. ¡°I¡¯ll give you an extra ten thousand gold. Deliver them to the ce I said, if the people there send a message that someone died or something is missing, I¡¯ll level your ve camps,¡± Nan Yuso said without politeness. ¡°No problem, you pay the extra shipping, and all is well. Our camps specialize in this business; nothing will go wrong!¡± the private soldier assured. The down payment was made, and those involved in the ve trade were regted by the Supreme Court Imperial Dynasty. If they breached the contract, they would face severe punishment. ¡°Thank you, Empress, thank you, Your Highness. In the next life, I will surely be a horse or ox for you!¡± Ling Tu quickly gave thanks. ¡°There¡¯s no need for the next life. In this life, just serve our Ancestral Dragon City well as horses or oxen,¡± Nan Yuso said coldly. For many years, the Ancestral Dragon City-State and Lingxiao City-State had been embroiled in disputes. Both the Li Family and Nan Family were extremely disgusted with them. It was better to have them serve in Ancestral Dragon City than to be household ves for others. On one hand, it was a venting of anger, and on the other, it was considered an act of kindness, after all, they were citizens of Li Chuan Continent. Chapter 207 - 208: Kill if Can’t Be Sold Chapter 207: Chapter 208: Kill if Can¡¯t Be Sold Trantor: 549690339 In Monument City, there happened to be a vassal family n. Belonging to the Zhu Gate¡¯s outer court forces, and seeing that there were no decent inns in Monument City, Zhu Minng had the vassal family arrange a residence for them. The entire city was heavy with evil Qi. Monument City used to be a small market; it gradually developed into a major city because it specialized in selling ves transported from various parts of the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent. In cities like these where ves are sold, every one or two countries in the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent would have one, and the price of ves was not low. Some powerful ones would typically be bought by major families to serve as house ves or opponents. ¡°Ling Tu,e here, there¡¯s something I want to ask you,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°What would you have me do, Master?¡± Ling Tu hurried over and immediately knelt on the ground. It seemed that these days the people of the Ling Family had already been disciplined by the ve owners, and had almost forgotten they were once the young masters of the Ling Family. ¡°Stand up and talk properly. I want to ask you, have you seen any ves being dragged out of the city and killed recently, often involving the torture of eye gouging?¡± Zhu Minng said. Ling Tu hesitated for a moment, nced at Nan Yuso, and only after she nodded did he dare to slowly stand up. ¡°Master, three days ago a group of ves escaped towards the east, andter I heard they were caught and executed on the spot. As for eye gouging, I don¡¯t know ¡± Ling Tu answered truthfully. ¡°Whose ves were they?¡± Zhu Minng asked. ¡°It seems they belonged to Wolf Fang Camp, but even if those ves didn¡¯t escape, they were still on the path to death,¡± Ling Tu said. ¡°Why is that?¡± Zhu Minng asked, puzzled. ¡°Master, you will understand once you go look at the stele in the back,¡± Ling Tu said softly. Li Xinghua¡¯s bacsh had not been extinguished. Zhu Minng naturally had to pursue the traces of the Sect of Sightless. It now seemed that a group of ves had escaped; they were caught near the hills and directly ughtered by the people of the Eyeless Sect as a form of sacrifice. The fact that Ling Tu mentioned those ves were doomed from the start puzzled Zhu Minng. Even though night had fallen, Zhu Minng still left the residence and headed in the direction Ling Tu had indicated. Nan Yuso indeed followed him. She inquired about the previous situation, and Zhu Minng couldn¡¯t help but give a wry smile when he looked at his little aunt. She had been with him on the hill. Why couldn¡¯t she wait until this matter was dealt with before having to go over it all again with someone else? When they arrived at the stele in the back, Zhu Minng found that many people were guarding the area. It was clearly private property where outsiders were not wee. Zhu Minng and Nan Yuso had to sneak in. Torches illuminated the area, revealing that the ve owners who had been selling ves during the day wereing and going in this ce, bringing a group of unhealthy-looking ves inside, and thening out on their own. ¡°It seems these are the ves that weren¡¯t sold during the day,¡± Nan Yuso said in a low voice. Zhu Minng nodded, then decided to venture deeper to see how those unsold ves were dealt with. But soon, an extremely strong smell of blood hit them, almost at the moment Zhu Minng climbed over a high rock wall And Nan Yuso, after vaulting over the wall and seeing the scene behind it, turned deathly pale. Covering her mouth and nose, she nearly retched! Zhu Minng was also stunned, his face filled with shock and fear. Behind that stone wall stood a giant stele, and below it was a furnace pit asrge as a square. All the ves that hadn¡¯t been sold during the day were thrown into the furnace pit Their shackles hadn¡¯t been removed; the pit was filled with thick blood. The ves had their eyes gouged out, then were pushed alive into the pit to drown! The existence of this furnace pit was unknown, but the central stele had even been soaked to a bloody red, and the surrounding rocks of the kiln walls, once dried and smeared with fresh blood again, disyed shades of greyish red, tea red, and dirty red that sent chills down one¡¯s spine! Death Qi, resentment, and Evil Qi almost coalesced into a demonic cloud that enshrouded the skies above Monument City! Nan Yuso dared not open her eyes to look anymore. Zhu Minng stared at the Ten Thousand People Furnace Pit, ten timesrger than the hillside altar and as horrifying as hell itself, feeling as if his soul was about to be shattered! Was this the true scene that Li Xinghua witnessed? Is this really the realm of humans?? The blood pool was nearly full. Zhu Minng watched the vast pool of blood-red water and quickly noticed something swimming within! Some ves who hadn¡¯t immediately drowned were trying to break free, but before they could reach the pit¡¯s edge, something seemed to drag them down, and they were pulled into the blood pool with a churn of bloody waves! It was the Blood Flukes! The Blood Flukes in the furnace pit were many times thicker,rger, and more ferocious than those wild ones on the hill. They could even directly leap at and bite living people! Zhu Minng was even more horrified. He had thought the Blood Flukes were an idental presence at that altar, feeding off the dragon transformed by the dismal Evil Qi, but what Zhu Minng hadn¡¯t expected was that someone was actually breeding these creatures and using the ve pool of Monument City as a breeding ground for Evil Dragons! ¡°There¡¯s a Leech Dragon inside!¡± Zhu Minng whispered to Nan Lingsha. ¡°I can¡¯t take it anymore.¡± Nan Yuso, knowing she would see this scene, would never havee. She even wanted to faint right then and let Nan Lingsha take control. Seeing that Nan Yuso was indeed about to vomit, and noticing a group of ck Robe People patrolling, Zhu Minng immediately helped Nan Lingsha out over the rock high walls. For some reason, the Evil Qi, the smell of blood, and the stench were blocked by the rock high walls, and not a bit drifted into Monument City. Monument City was as usual, apart from many ces being in disarray and sttered with bloodstains. Not many realized that such a horrifying sceney beyond the stele. After returning to the residence, Zhu Minng called for the manager of this affiliated minor n. ¡°Mr. Zhu, please give your orders. We have been instructed by the outer court toply with any arrangement you make,¡± Shou Bin, the young Family Head, asked. ¡°The ve market, what happens to the ves that aren¡¯t sold in Monument City?¡± Zhu Minng asked. ¡°Did the ?Did Mr. Zhu see something?¡± Shou Bin hesitated. ¡°You know the rules of Zhu Gate.¡± ¡°Mr. Zhu, although our Shou Family does business in Monument City, we have never been involved in the ve trade!¡± Shou Bin was startled and quickly said. ¡°Then answer my question.¡± ¡°It has always been the case that the ve Camps in Monument City kill the unsold ves. In order not to dirty Monument City, there are ck Robe People who at night take away the unwanted ves from the ve Owners, perform a mass execution behind the stele, but how the corpses are dealt with, we do not know,¡± Shou Bin said. ¡°Why kill them??¡± Wen Mengru asked,pletely baffled. ¡°Miss, ves also need to eat and drink, they get sick, and they need a ce to stay. Since they can¡¯t be sold, they don¡¯t want to waste a drop of water or a morsel of food on them. Moreover, the cost of transport is also an issue, so it¡¯s easier to just kill them,¡± Shou Bin exined. Ling Tu stood by, his face mostly showing a numb stupor. Although he ended up as a household servant, that was far luckier than being a ve. In fact, on this journey, Ling Tu had seen too many inhuman horrors. Within the crowds of ves, if someone identally sprained an ankle and couldn¡¯t walk, the people from the ve Camps would simply chop off their heads with a knife and carelessly discard them by the roadside¡­ Chapter 208 - 209: Throwing a Stone to Ask the Way Chapter 208: Chapter 209: Throwing a Stone to Ask the Way Trantor: 549690339 ¡°Is this the fate of a ve?¡± Fang Niannian couldn¡¯t help feeling frightened. If the Ancestral Dragon City failed to defend its territory, would all the people of Phoenix Embankment Town, those she knew, end up the same way? Locked in iron cages, wearing heavy shackles, the terrifying unknown of who might buy them, to say nothing of being ughtered like livestock if nobody purchased them at all. Although the four city-states of the Ancestral Dragon City were at peace, other city-states existed on the Li Chuan Continent, and their fates were strikingly different from the people of the Ancestral Dragon City. In the end, one must be strong! Wasn¡¯t it because Ancestral Dragon City was strong enough that the Supreme Court Empire offered them protection? Otherwise, they would have been crushed by Rui Country directly. ¡°At the On Guard Altar, we saw a group of blood flukes devouring each other, using this blood and evil qi to transform into dragons ¡± ¡°And that Stele Furnace Pool, existing for who knows how many years, like aherworld basin, has gathered countless evil spirits. The leech dragons born from it are probably Blood Fluke Evil Dragons already.¡± What the Prophet Li Xinghua truly saw as the disaster was the ve Altar inside Monument City! Zhu Minng had exined the situation to the elders of both Miao Mountain Sword Sect and Yaoshan Sword Sect. The woman swordsman Bai Qin¡¯an, who always wore a veiled hat, showed some disgust. ¡°Such demoniac and toxic teachings should be eradicated!¡± Swordsman Bai Qin¡¯an said. ¡°They¡¯re very cunning, killing only the ves. This way, we cannot find a legitimate reason to kill them directly,¡± Wu Feng said. The lives of ves are not protected in the slightest by the Supreme Court Empire. Their life and death are entirely up to the ve Owner. Which means, even if they wantonly ughter living people and throw them into the furnace pool, it wouldn¡¯t be considered a vition of the empire¡¯sws in the Supreme Court Empire. Moreover, everyone in Monument City who deals in this business knows that the unsold ves are killed. It seems that the city¡¯s rulers turn a blind eye to this ¡°Well, if we act directly, the people from the Sect of Sightless are unlikely to show themselves.¡± While everyone was discussing how to eradicate this group of demonic scum, a woman d in tight ck armor approached. Her long ck hair, matched with the body-hugging armor, gave off a striking and enigmatic charm. The woman entered the courtyard, her gaze sweeping around, finally resting on Zhu Minng. Zhu Minng recognized her but was puzzled about why she was here. Fang Niannian and Nan Yuso also noticed this woman bore a resemnce to Qin Yang, except she looked a bit older. ¡°Young Master ¡± The woman in ck armor hesitated for a moment. ¡°Speak your mind,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°King An, Zhao Yin Ge, and Nie Chong have assembled a group of death servants lead by Hao Xingsheng, who have been tracking your whereabouts. Unless there¡¯s an ident, they intend to capture you to force Pei Country ¡± The woman in ck armor didn¡¯t finish her sentence. Zhu Minng understood what she meant to say next. In Pei Country, the Zhu Heavenly Officer controlled an elite army that was so powerful it could tten any force outside of the Four Great Sects and the Six Great ns. Of course, the Royal Family wouldn¡¯t allow such a powerful force to exist. But this ck Armor Army was scattered across different city-states of Pei Country. Unless there was some great upheaval, the ck Armor Army would never assemble together and pose a threat substantial enough for the Royal Family to feel rmed. King An seemed to be aware of the existence of the ck Armor Army and either wanted to stir up trouble using it or wished to take it over. ¡°The Hao family, always the scapegoats. Those death servants are unidentifiable, with no marks, no clues, and if anything goes wrong en route, it is Hao Xingsheng and the Hao family that will have to bear the consequences while King An, Zhao Yin Ge, and Nie Chong continue to hide behind the scenes,¡± Zhu Minng sneered. ¡°Young Master, there¡¯s no need to worry; those death servants won¡¯t live to see tomorrow¡¯s light,¡± said the woman in ck armor. Qin Luan¡¯s words did indeed make Zhu Minng¡¯s eyes brighten. If Commander Hao Xingsheng and his group of death servants were killed, wouldn¡¯t that also expose Qin Luan¡¯s existence? Zhu Minng wasn¡¯t quite sure how many Hidden Guards Zhu Gate had, but Qin Luan was definitely an important part of them. It would be a pity if they were discovered by King An and Zhao Yin Ge because of such a trivial matter. ¡°Have you figured out who leaked the news of my leaving the city gate in advance?¡± Zhu Minng asked. ¡°We have, it was a steward serving several Miao Mountain Sword Sect Disciples in the Royal Family courtyard,¡± Qin Luan said. Wen Mengru and her two junior sisters looked at each other in confusion. They had no idea about this matter. ¡°Indeed, we mentioned that day¡¯s event in front of that steward,¡± Little Sister Little Lu said. ¡°The person has been dealt with,¡± Qin Luan said. ¡°Find someone to set them up, and tell them I will be alone inside the Stele Wall tomorrow night,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°Using a borrowed knife to kill?¡± Wu Feng¡¯s eyes lit up immediately, and he patted Zhu Minng on the shoulder with a sly smile. Wu Feng liked this tactic. No need to spend a lot of time collecting evidence, nor to bear the infamy of a reputable sect killing a minor force at will. Let King An, Zhao Yin Ge, and Hao Xingsheng meet the Eyeless Sect for themselves and see what unspeakable things the Eyeless Sect is still hiding! ¡°Yes, your subordinate will follow the orders,¡± Qin Luan nodded. This disposal was indeed better than a direct assassination; perhaps they might even catch a bigger fish because of it. Qin Luan left, without a trace. But Fang Niannian grew curious and asked Zhu Minng, ¡°Howe I¡¯ve never seen this older sister before?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t really seen her much either,¡± Zhu Minng said, scratching his head. Qin Yang and Qin Luan were orphans adopted by Zhu Gate. Zhu Heavenly Officer initially trained them to be two Hidden Guards to protect himself, believing Zhu Minng would inherit the family business and be an iparable Casting Master. The Casting Master wouldn¡¯t engage in battles and killings, so naturally, he would need extremely skilled protectors by his side. But after Zhu Minng joined the Yaoshan Sword Sect, those Hidden Guards originally prepared for him were already withdrawn, since he himself was a powerful God and Mortal who needed no one else¡¯s protection. Qin Luan was very strong; even the rarely praising Zhu Xuehen was interested in taking her as a disciple. Just now, Zhu Minng had sized up her Cultivation Base, but he couldn¡¯t figure it out. ¡°So all along this journey, we¡¯ve had someone protecting us?¡± Fang Niannian was quite surprised. ¡°Once we left the boundary of the Imperial Dynasty, no more,¡± Zhu Minng said. Testing the waters with a thrown stone was the most effective approach. No matter what Hao Xingsheng could find out, the people from the Miao Mountain Sword Sect, Yaoshan Sword Sect, and Zhu Minng¡¯s Dragon Shepherd Team would all be waiting behind the wall. It was another matter whether they could eradicate the Eyeless Sect or not, but that Blood Leech Evil Dragon absolutely couldn¡¯t be left alive. Such an Evil Dragon, Relying solely on the lives of ves that couldn¡¯t be sold to survive? Zhu Minng would never believe it! Chapter 209 - 210: Destroying the Sect Chapter 209: Chapter 210: Destroying the Sect Trantor: 549690339 The frontier town set in the wilderness was supposed to have clear air, mingled with the fragrance of some grasses. But in Monument City, there was always a pervasive, pungent smell. This odor should have belonged to the ughter market, yet such things were never sold here. Those in the Supreme Court Imperial City who had the legitimate right to trade ves were known as the mercenary camps; they were like vultures, always circling near wars, waiting to feast on the spoils after the battles ended. As night fell, another batch of unsold ves were being sent, one after the other, behind the Stele Wall. Trailing behind a robust Earth Dragon, there was a lengthy chain. The chain ran through a group of ves whose necks were tied with coarse ropes. These ves no longer had much strength; they struggled to walk and were half-dragged, half-pulled forward by the Earth Dragon in front. ¡°Old He, these ves look quite sturdy. Aren¡¯t they sold to quarries or mines? You could get a hundred gold for each at least. Why bring them here to deal with?¡± A patrolling soldier came over and asked with some confusion. ¡°Really bad luck for them, they¡¯ve caught a disease that attracts poisonous insects, and their skin rots away every day. Being alive is a kind of torment; it¡¯s better to send them off quickly,¡± said the ve trader from the mercenary camp named Old He. ¡°That¡¯s a real shame. Look at that young one; he still looks young and handsome,¡± the soldier said, pointing at a young man at the end of the line. The young man¡¯s face was smeared with ck, his clothes were ragged, and his hair was disheveled, but it was evident that with a bit of grooming, he could pass for a handsome gentleman. The soldier felt regretful; if he hadn¡¯t been sick, he probably would have been bought by some wealthy old woman ¡°No helping it, diseases that attract poisonous insects are incurable,¡± said Old He. The young man was none other than Zhu Minng, who had disguised himself. He had dressed up as a ve and mingled openly among them. As for the crudely fashioned rope noose, it was no real restraint to Zhu Minng. Upon being led into the Stele Wall, Zhu Minng observed carefully. He saw a group of people in ck Robes approaching; they unfastened the long chain from the Earth Dragon, leading the ves inside like cattle or sheep. The leader wore a robe and hood, but his eyes were covered with a strip of red cloth ck Robes, blindfolded, with a strange eye pattern drawn on their chins that seemed to be daubed in blood¡ªso crimson! Despite appearing human and blind, there was still something sinister and ferocious about them! ¡°Disciples of the Eyeless Sect?¡± Zhu Minng stared at the person for a while. It seemed Brother Wu Feng was right; these were likely the Disciples of the Eyeless Sectmitting evil deeds. This cult had cultivated an image of being without desire or need, like Buddhists, for a long time. As they grewrger, they gradually revealed their true nature! Perhaps because they often used ves for their nefarious sacrifices, they had not been eradicated by the people of the Supreme Court Imperial City. But how could such a cancer be allowed to continue expanding and proliferating? ¡°Your agony will soon be over,¡± said a disciple of the Eyeless Sect. The ves were extremely numb; they were already tormented by toxins to the extent that death seemed a sweet release. However, as they were pushed one by one towards the execution tform, and saw the hellish scene of the furnace pit, all the ves began to scream in terror. They tried to wriggle out of the nooses, hoping to escape from here, but they were each twisted back into ce by the ck Robe People. The most terrifying was that on the execution tform, thick with dried blood, therey a ground full of eyeballs. Those eye globes were discarded messily like gravel and stones, with the ck Robe People even stepping on them ¡°Rest assured, you too will enjoy this special honor,¡± the blindfolded ck Robe man said with a smile. ¡°My lord, shall we help you?¡± a young ck Robe man asked. ¡°No need, I prefer to do such things personally. In the past, I was a clumsy podiatrist. I identally caused a noble¡¯s toe to bleed slightly, and then his subordinates dug out my eyes. At first, I was clumsy at gouging out eyes too; those people would always scream in agony. Gradually, my technique improved, the eyeballs on my knife¡ªit would take the person a few seconds to realize the pain ¡± The blindfolded ck Robe man let out a crow-likeugh, rambling on and on. Zhu Minng was among that group of ves, watching this psychological deviant And the ves were even more terrified; they thought they could simply die a swift death. They had no hope for life, only to endure such pain and torment before death! ¡°Can¡¯t you just kill us and then gouge out the eyes?¡± Minng couldn¡¯t help but ask. Even if there was such a twisted ritual, it would be better to gouge after death rather than while still alive. ¡°Of course not, gouging out the eyes after death, how can one experience the true essence of Eyelessness? Without eyes, you can¡¯t see fear; without fear, you have nothing to dread, nothing to care for, and only then can your heart see the true god,¡± the Eyeless Sect man said. ¡°But you had your eyes gouged out because of your poor skills, not out of the voluntary service to the god of Eyelessness. And what about the rest of you? Don¡¯t you all still have your eyes? If you¡¯re to perform this sacred ritual, yet you yourselves have eyes, doesn¡¯t that sully the piety in your hearts? You should go first, then we¡¯ll follow, all together in the service to the god of Eyelessness,¡± Minng continued. The ck Robe People looked at each other, not knowing how to react. In the years they had done this work here, which ve standing there wasn¡¯t weak in the knees, incontinent from fear? How could there still be someone who could think so clearly and make such a ¡°suggestion¡±? The blindfolded ck Robe man furrowed his brows. He passed through the group of trembling ves and walked toward Zhu Minng at the back. ¡°So, the one who performs the eye gouging is only me,¡± the blindfolded ck Robe man said coldly. As he spoke, the knife in his hand gleamed, indicating he wanted to start with the ve whose thoughts were too clear. But, to be reasonable, he wanted to cut out Minng¡¯s tongue first! Before death, still sowing discord among his ¡°troops¡±! ¡°My lord!¡± Just then, a ck Robe strong man ran over, looking somewhat panicked. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Wait until I gouge out this fellow¡¯s eyes ?no, cut out his tongue!¡± The blindfolded ck Robe man said. ¡°There¡¯s a group of experts surrounding our Stele Wall,¡± the ck Robe strong man said. ¡°Do you know who they are?¡± the ck Robe leader Guo Chang asked. ¡°I know!¡± Minng suddenly spoke up. ¡°Shut up!¡± The ck Robe leader grabbed the pointed knife with a barb and stabbed at Zhu Minng¡¯s eyes. Zhu Minng effortlessly dodged. The ropes binding him were like decorations hanging on his body, he simply shook and they all fell off. ¡°I am the Princely Heir of the Royal Family, Zhao Yin Ge. I have had my eyes on your group of demonic evil cult for some time now, and have specially dispatched experts to eradicate your sect!¡± Zhu Minng dered loudly. Chapter 210 - 211 Eyeless Evil Dragon Chapter 210: Chapter 211 Eyeless Evil Dragon Trantor: 549690339 Atop the Stele Wall, a man dressed in a ck robe drew his sword. Pointing the sword at a sneaky individual, he shouted loudly, ¡°Protect Mr. Zhu!¡± The man wielding the sword was Wu Feng, himself dressed in a simr ck robe, impersonating a Zhu Gate Hidden Guard, and he engaged Commander Hao with his rough swordsmanship. Commander Hao immediately dodged and summoned a Quartz Armored Dragon covered with spikes all over its body, rolling and crawling to hide behind the Death Servants, shouting, ¡°He¡¯s inside, storm in there and capture him at all costs. Even dead will do!¡± Seeing that the swordsman used the swordsmanship of the Yaoshan Sword Sect, Hao Xingsheng wasrgely convinced! Zhu Minng must be inside. It was only natural for him to be surrounded by Hidden Guards, being the sole son of the Zhu family. How could he not have a group of Hidden Guards for protection? For this reason, King An and Zhao Yin Ge dispatched the powerful Death Servants from the shadows of the Royal Court, among them not only Monarch Level experts but also countless Lord-level powerhouses, to ensure that the hostage-taking went off without a hitch! ¡°Kill!¡± At Hao Xingsheng¡¯smand, countless figures light as swallows flew into the walls of the Stele Wall. And on the Stele Wall, there were many ck Robe People, all members of the Eyeless Sect. On one side were those in ck robes, on the other were those in night clothes; the two sides met on the Stele Wall and immediately engaged in a ruthless battle The Death Servants were clearly stronger than the mob of the cult, and before long, the disciples of the Eyeless Sect were ughtered and scattered. Whether they were Divine and Mortal beings or Dragon Shepherds capable of summoning dragon beasts, they simply could not withstand the powerful Royal Court Death Servants from King An¡¯s mansion! Hundreds of them had already scaled the wall to this side. Soon, they saw the terrifying sacrificial pool, but for these Death Servants, solely focused on their mission, they had no interest in the ritual and were merely looking for Zhu Minng¡¯s figure everywhere. ¡°There, by the execution tform, a group of ck-Robed Hidden Guards are protecting him!¡± ¡°Heh, this little guy has gotten himself into such a sorry state, trying to flee amidst the chaos. Don¡¯t leave a single survivor!¡± ¡°Kill!¡± Royal Court Death Servants charged from all sides of the Stele Wall. Some of them exhibited impressive lightness skills, skimming over the blood-filled sacrificial pool like kingfishers hunting fish, their hidden weapons striking like stingers of poisonous bees. But just then, the blood in the sacrificial pool began to boil, emitting a vast presence of murderous aura. A leech-like body uncurled from the blood like a writhing tentacle and opened its maw, catching the acrobatic Death Servant and swallowing him whole! This Death Servant who threw the hidden weapon was at least a Lord-level powerhouse, but like an unaware mosquito in the jungle, he was easily hunted down! The blood began to spread, rushing toward the surrounding Stele Wall. More leech-like bodies emerged from the blood, countless in number, resembling a nest of gigantic worms!! However, these twisting bodies, simr to massive worms, eventually entangled together. Some werepletely intertwined, others stuck to one another, with some even engulfing each other, making it indistinguishable whether there were many Leech Dragons born in one ce or just one Blood Leech Evil Dragon with numerous wriggling bodies! ¡°Hahaha, with mere mortals like you trying to annihte our Eyeless Sect, let me show you what a true Eyeless Dragon God is!¡± Guo Chang burst into manicughter, his whole being in a frenzied state. The Blood Leech Evil Dragon was more terrifying than imagined. Its leech-like body was innumerable; each limb was like the eerie seaweed of the ocean. Therge pool behind the monument seemed almost insufficient to contain it, and its body spilled onto the ground, rapidly spreading over the Stele Wall and nearly causing the wall to copse. The Death Servants encircling from all directions were just like sacrifice offerings falling into a trap, each one seized, devoured, and swallowed by the Blood Leech Evil Dragon. Only the Monarch-level Leader of the Death Servants could avoid the attacks of this monstrosity! The Leader of the Death Servants was also greatly shocked at this moment; the Blood Leech Evil Dragon did not seem to be Zhu Minng¡¯s beast at all. Zhu Minng was very strong; this was something King An was acutely aware of, so he specifically sent higher-level Death Servants to ensure absolute certainty. Who would have thought that Zhu Minng¡¯s hiding ce contained such an evil leech dragon, that it decimated his followers in no time, leaving over half dead or injured! ¡°Fostering evil dragons, your Zhu Gate dares to defy the Heavenly Dao!¡± the Leader of the Death Servants eximed angrily. ¡°What Zhu Gate? You dogs of the Royal Family also delude yourselves into thinking you can contend with our Eyeless Sect that has survived for ten thousand years. Since you¡¯vee, be offerings to our Eyeless Divine Dragon!¡± Guo Chang said with a chillingugh. They are but a bunch of foolish mortals. They came here to meet their doom without understanding the true power of the Eyeless Divine Dragon. This Eyeless Divine Dragon has consumed who knows how many lives within this Monument City. The corpses don¡¯t dissolve; if piled up, they could probably fill the entire city! Are these people serious? They think they can subdue our Eyeless Sect? What of the Royal Family? Killing these experts of the Royal Family, they will flee in terror. We will simply move to another City of Sin to continue nurturing evil dragons, and in another decade, how many in this world could possibly contend with us! In this world, the one thing that¡¯s never scarce is living humans. And the Eyeless Divine Dragon only needs are endless supply of humans to devour and grow continually stronger! Of course The Eyeless Divine Dragon can be a bit picky, just like many people don¡¯t like eating poultry offal, it doesn¡¯t fancy human eyeballs, hence it¡¯s fed after their eyes are removed. ¡°These cultivators, eating one is as good as a hundred, a thousand. I must thank the Princely Heir for bringing so many delicious dragon fodders!¡± Guo Chang, who was without eyes,ughed hideously. He slowly backed away, and one of the blood fluke¡¯s tentacles lifted him, making him, d in a ck robe, seem as though he was surrounded by a host of evil dragons, exuding an aura of supremacy. ¡°Everyone, escape now,¡± Zhu Minng said to those ves who had been poisoned. The ves were so terrified they were paralyzed and couldn¡¯t move an inch. Zhu Minng had no choice but to call out Big ck Tooth, asking him to bite the chain that bound them all and drag everyone outside the Stele Wall in one go! They were human lives after all, and Zhu Minng didn¡¯t wish for them to be implicated. Saving as many as he could was all that mattered now. The bloody water churned violently, and countless skeletons were flushed out, a scene that was utterly horrifying. Zhu Minng did not rush to take action. The followers of the Eyeless Sect still believed that the death servants were their subordinates, engaging in a frenzied battle. Let them fight like dogs first The power of the Blood Leech Evil Dragon was brutally overwhelming, and the Death Servants were disastrously depleted. Very few of those Lord-level Death Servants survived, and the dragons they summoned were eaten one after another. The Blood Leech Evil Dragon would truly devour anything that¡¯s alive. Zhu Minng watched a Tyrant Dragon,rge as a mountain, get entwined and pulled into that conjoined body, then ripped and consumed by countless writhing mouths! Zhu Minng felt a chill in his heart. Luckily, he had thrown stones to probe the path; otherwise, their rash actions would have likely caused casualties, even with elders like Wu Feng and Bai Qin¡¯an present. Chapter 211 - 212: Flying Sword, Sword Flash Chapter 211: Chapter 212: Flying Sword, Sword sh Trantor: 549690339 ¡°Kill him first!¡± Guo Chang of Eyeless Sect stood amid those writhing leech bodies, pointing at Zhu Minng and saying. Zhu Minng saw the Eyeless Evil Dragon¡¯s ws swinging towards him, and couldn¡¯t help but feel puzzled. Isn¡¯t this guy blind? How could he pinpoint my location so urately? The Eyeless Evil Dragon doesn¡¯t seem to have eyes, yet it seems to see me very clearly. Zhu Minng flicked his sleeve, and a streak of red sword light broke through the air, emitting a trembling cry like a Dragon Phoenix wailing. Under Zhu Minng¡¯s control, the red sword light shed at the Eyeless Evil God¡¯s ws. He saw those ws, like giant earthworms, scattering onto the bloody ground. Then, they began to twist frantically, grew mouths, and lunged at Zhu Minng again. Luckily, Zhu Minng had encountered the Leech Dragon before and knew that these creatures would transform into living beings once separated from their host. Zhu Minng stepped back, moving his finger to beckon the returning Sword Spirit Dragon. As the Sword Spirit Dragon flew back to Zhu Minng, it performed a chaotic dance in the air, its sword light crisscrossing. A crimson sword formed in front of Zhu Minng, instantly cutting those Leech Dragon¡¯s ws into mincemeat! While the sword remained, the Sword Spirit Dragon itself was already hovering in front of Zhu Minng. Its de straight, tassels fluttering, it stood like an Immortal Sword beside its master, ready to eliminate any threat around, even if the master were to close his eyes and meditate. ¡°Zhu Minng!¡± Hao Xingsheng¡¯s eyes burned with anger like torches. He rode upon a Purple Demon Dragon, breaking through the blood waves rising from the furnace pool, charging straight towards Zhu Minng¡¯s location. ¡°Commander Hao, you¡¯ve arrived just in time. y this evil creature, and the Princely Heir will reward you handsomely!¡± Seeing this, Zhu Minng hurriedly shouted. Upon hearing this, Guo Chang on the Blood Leech Evil Dragon immediatelyughed sinisterly. ¡°To think that you can defeat our Eyeless Sect with so few people, is to severely underestimate us. I¡¯ll wipe out your men first, then I¡¯ll y and dismember you!¡± Guo Chang suddenly pointed at Commander Hao, who was riding the Purple Demon Dragon. The Purple Demon Dragon was also a Dragon King, quite imposing in stature. However, the Eyeless Evil Dragon in the furnace pool suddenly raised its body high, the blood water surging to the sky. It appeared as if hundreds of blood serpents took flight, and the Eyeless Evil Dragon was a monstrous being made up of tens of thousands of Blood Flukes. As it continued to feed on blood and devour living flesh, it kept evolving and growing stronger, eventually turning into the Ten Thousand Leeches Evil Dragon! Its body was even more massive than imagined, and the entire furnace pool resembled a cavern filled with the Evil Dragon¡¯s leeches. When these leeches simultaneously supported, expanded, and writhed, the Eyeless Evil Dragon became a towering leech castle, standing tall in Monument City, making the Stele Wall look insignificant inparison! In the dark night, shrouded with evil Qi, the people of Monument City saw an Evil Dragon coil up amidst the dense, snake-like ws and tendrils, and screams of terror echoed throughout the city! Compared to this Evil Dragon, the Purple Demon Dragon was like an ant facing a fierce spider of the jungle. Hao Xingsheng on the dragon¡¯s back was petrified with fear. He didn¡¯t even dare to look down and could onlymand the Purple Demon Dragon to keep flying higher. But several of the Eyeless Evil Dragon¡¯s colossal ws had already lifted high and were fiercely mming down. Commander Hao¡¯s Purple Demon Dragon narrowly dodged but was quickly surrounded by dozens of undting tendrils. ¡°Not a single one of you will leave alive!!¡± Guo Chang said somewhat maniacally. He was blind, but like those Blood Flukes, he could smell the scent of living beings and hear the sound of blood flowing in living people. Originally, he wanted to lie low for another month, and then have the entire living poption of Monument City be sacrifices for the Eyeless Evil Dragon. But now that we¡¯ve been detected, there¡¯s no need to wait any longer. Tonight, Monument City won¡¯t have a living thing other than our followers of the Eyeless Sect, this city is a blood bank!! ¡°My followers, open your chests, and receive the Divine Dragon¡¯s gift!¡± Guo Chang of the Eyeless Sect continued to cry out wildly. The congregation dressed in ck robes was numerous, their strength not up to par with the dead servants, causing many injuries and deaths. And as Guo Chang chanted a curse-like incantation, hundreds of ck blood flukes crawled out of the body of the Blood leech Evil Dragon. These ck blood flukes did not attack the living but instead crawled onto the ck-robed disciples of the Eyeless Sect like parasites. The ck blood flukes, following their chests, suddenly sharpened their previously soft, worm-like heads, then, like spears, they drilled into the chests of the ck-robed followers! At first, these followers all showed expressions of horror and fear, but soon they became as if intoxicated by hallucinogens, excited, fanatical, crazed Their eyes, which could see tiny mites, each disying a ck and red color, making their entire pupils as terrifying as the eyes of monsters! Their bodies crackled, bursting and swelling bones, and in a few short seconds, the average human form grew into ck and red demons, within the bulging muscles, one could even see long things wriggling! Evil entities invading the body, parasite demonization! All the ck-robed followers, originally of average strength, were transformed into such ck-blooded monsters, possessed of immense strength they could even lift and forcibly shred the Dragon Beasts! The ck-robed followers, who were initially decimated by the dead servants, became extremely brave at once. Like raging wild beasts, they chased the dead servants of Commander Hao Xingsheng, embarking on a one-sided ughter! ¡°Kill!¡± ¡°Kill! Kill everyone here, and all the living in Monument City, they could¡¯ve lived a month longer!¡± Guo Chang grew increasingly fiendish and manic, seemingly reveling in such carnage, he himself like a greedy, bloodthirsty leech, never satisfied. Zhu Minng stood on the thick Stele Wall, and at this moment arge group of ck-robed monsters rushed towards him. At this time, a tall and thin silhouette leaped in front of Zhu Minng. She wore a veil hat, her figure delicate but exuding a powerful aura. ¡°Bai Senior.¡± Zhu Minng recognized her, indeed she was an elder of the Miao Mountain Sword Sect. Bai Qin¡¯an, eyeing the group of demonized monsters, said sparingly, ¡°Flying Sword, Sword sh!¡± As soon as her words fell, a snow white longsword flew from the night sky, and with a shing gesture from Bai Qin¡¯an, the sword ferociously cut towards the onrushing ck-robed monsters. The sword light appeared in an instant, like transient lightning that disappeared after splitting the night sky, before entering a brief silence and darker darkness. With each sword sh, a few ck-robed monsters were beheaded, copsing into the blood-red pools below. After several such brilliant and bright, several times silent and dark moments, all the demons appearing before Zhu Minng were decapitated, and even the ck blood flukes that had burrowed into their bodies did not escape. Chapter 212 - 213: The Sect Leader’s Son Chapter 212: Chapter 213: The Sect Leader¡¯s Son Trantor: 549690339 Flying Sword Sect? So it turned out that the elder from Miao Mountain Sword Sect was a master of the Flying Sword Faction, and those ck-robed oddities were no ordinary foes, capable of ughtering even the carefully trained royal guards at will, but they stood no chance against Bai Qin¡¯an, the Swordswoman from Miao Mountain Sword Sect, with her swordsmanship, barely able to defend themselves. Flying Sword Sparkle! Whenunched, it was fierce and piercing, like lightning in the night sky, filled with a lethal intent! When pausing to adjust the position, it became one with the night, with no trace of the flying sword itself visible, as if it were gathering strength for the next rupture through the night. As Zhu Minng watched the senior of Miao Mountain Sword Sect, Bai Qin¡¯an, make her move, he paid close attention, thinking that if he possessed a sword cultivator¡¯s cultivation level, he should be able to imitate her sword charm. ¡°Sword Spirit Dragon, have you learned it?¡± Zhu Minng asked. The Sword Spirit Dragon swayed its tail, eager to give it a try. Zhu Minng turned his head to see a group of undead still relentlessly advancing towards him. Perfect! ¡°Flying Sword, Sparkle!¡± Imitating as best as he could, Zhu Minng was not very familiar with the Flying Sword Faction, so he had to start by mimicking all their moves and sword techniques. Earlier, Bai Qin¡¯an had used her hand as a guide tounch her sword from the void, seemingly effortless and agile despite the hundreds of meters distance, killing with the flying sword. Zhu Minng and the Sword Spirit Dragon were also in the process of cultivating tacit understanding, learning and practicing on the fly, and would eventually be invincible! ¡°Swoosh!!!!¡± Following Zhu Minng¡¯s motion, the Sword Spirit Dragon shed horizontally, the sword power strong enough to tear a hundred-meter-long crack in the thick stele wall, instantly crushing three of the undead to death, but it seemed quite different from the swift lightning-like Flying Sword Sparkle! ¡°Boom!!!!¡± Another lift and sweep, the sweeping forceparable to a massive wave, sent the undead flying one after another, crashing behind the stele wall. The next sword strike was like a fierce dragon crossing the river, the immense Sword Qi sting a dozen or so undead on the stele wall into the air, one after another hitting the steles and spitting blood in a daze! Bai Qin¡¯an from Miao Mountain Sword Sect was taken aback as she watched from the sideline. This was not the Flying Sword Sparkle! It felt more like a warrior with innate divine strength wielding a big sword, smashing and hacking haphazardly, and although those undead were neatly dealt with, it had nothing to do with the Flying Sword Sparkle! When others imitate, those with high aptitude can capture some of the spirit, and those with less talent can, at least, manage a bit of the form. Zhu Minng¡¯s Flying Sword¡­ had be a style of its own! How could he shout so loudly, Bai Qin¡¯an almost thought Zhu Minng was truly a divine talent, not only skilled in the Fighting Sword Faction but also highly aplished in the Flying Sword Faction! ¡°This is a waste of strength. Sword Sparkle requires a ¡®sink¡¯ and a ¡®sparkle,¡¯¡± said Bai Qin¡¯an, the Swordswoman from Miao Mountain Sword Sect¡¯s Flying Sword Faction, who could not stand it any longer and finally offered some advice to Zhu Minng, despite her usually sparing use of words. Zhu Minng was also embarrassed. His eyes understood, and his heart grasped the concept, but his hands were somewhat clumsy, not quite up to the task. Moreover, the Sword Spirit Dragon¡¯s attacks were always wild and forceful, relying on its cultivation base and innate sword spirit talent,cking any structured attack¡­ ¡°First ¡®sink¡¯ and ¡®submerge¡¯!¡± At this moment, the Swordswoman Bai Qin¡¯an personally demonstrated. Her two fingers came together, controlling the sword with her fingertips, guiding it with her heart, and the white longsword suddenly vanished into the night! ¡°Sink, submerge,¡± Zhu Minng took the hint, and his soul resonated with the Sword Spirit Dragon¡¯s soul, feeling the connection. Once he calmed his heart, the Sword Spirit Dragon, too, could feel its master¡¯s state of mind. Considering this hazy night as a deep pool or calm sea, he retracted all sharpness, slowly sinking into it¡­ The crimson Sword Spirit, in a moment of still air and focused spirit, attempted to sneak into the night. Despite its faint outline, the sharp Sword Patterns and Sword Glow on the Sword Spirit Dragon¡¯s body were slowly dissipating, like a drop of water falling into ake, like a shadow blending into the Night Governor! ¡°Strike with the sword like red lightning of the night sky, without warning, shattering all things!¡± Swordswoman Bai Qin¡¯an spoke again. As she spoke these words, the snow-white sword suddenly burst into a sharp radiance, illuminating the furnace pool as brightly as the sun in broad daylight. This time, she exhibited a realm of Flying Sword Sparkle that was several levels higher than before, and the target of this gleaming sword sh was the arrogant Eyeless Evil Dragon!! ¡°Swish!!!!¡± The white glow zed fiercely. It was just a streak of sword light, but it tore through the night, its momentum piercing through the Evil Dragon as if it were a fortress! One of the Evil Dragon¡¯s main bodies was directly severed, blood spraying out like rain to water the ground. The Eyeless Evil Dragon let out a piercing scream, and just as it was about tosh out with all its ws to attack Swordswoman Bai Qin¡¯an, a dark red lightning bolt shot through the air. While it was far less brilliant than the previous white sword light, its aggression and killing intent were no less fierce! Sword sh! Red lightning streaked across, and those ferocious ws dropped one by one, turning into countless blood sacs that were sliced open and quickly shriveled up, leaving a pool of thick blood behind! The Eyeless Evil Dragon had many ws. Anotherrge batch of Leech Dragon ws flew towards them, but the Sword Spirit Dragon had submerged into the slowly dimming night after delivering that strike. It wasn¡¯t until a new batch of ws flew towards Zhu Minng and Swordswoman Bai Qin¡¯an that the red lightning once again tore through the darkness, precisely chopping off those ws once more!! Bai Qin¡¯an lifted the veil with her hand and took a nce at Zhu Minng. Zhu Minng also caught sight of the swordswoman¡¯s appearance, which was younger than he had imagined ¨C she looked to be just over thirty, with cheeks whiter than snow. Although her features were not exquisite, she gave off a beautiful and generous aura. Bai Qin¡¯an slowly lowered her hand, letting the veil fall back into ce over her face. The exceptional talent of Sect Leader Meng seemed perfectly reflected in him. Very few within the Miao Mountain Sword Sect could grasp the essence of the Flying Sword Technique on both sides. As the son of the Sect Leader, it was undeniable that Zhu Minng was a rare sword cultivation prodigy, one not seen in a thousand years. ¡°Thank you for the guidance, senior,¡± Zhu Minng said with a smile, maintaining the proper humility and respect. ¡°In the Flying Sword Faction, the most outstanding in our Sect Forest is Wen Lingfei. When you reach the Miao Mountain Sword Sect, you can seek her advice,¡± Bai Qin¡¯an suggested. Zhu Minng scratched his head. Wen Lingfei, he would never forget that woman in his lifetime! Since he left the mountain, Zhu Minng hadn¡¯t been defeated except for a major setback at the Miao Mountain Sword Sect, and that person was Wen Mengru¡¯s sister, Wen Lingfei. At that time, her cultivation base was unfathomable, and her Sword Territory was exceptional. So many years had passed now, and who knew what level of monster she had be. ¡°Senior, the Eyeless Evil Dragon is powerful. We should work together to eliminate it, to prevent further disaster,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°Hmm,¡± Bai Qin¡¯an nodded. Such an evil beast must not be allowed to escape no matter what! ¡°Bai Qi!¡± Zhu Minng opened the Spirit Realm and called out the Middle-level Monarch Level Ice Morning White Dragon. As the Ice Morning White Dragon appeared, all that thick blood was frozen into stiff lumps. The holy snow-white White Dragon soared above Monument City, hovering in the air and confronting the sinister Leech Dragon! Chapter 213 - 214: Sword Riding to Chop the Dragon Chapter 213: Chapter 214: Sword Riding to Chop the Dragon Trantor: 549690339 The momentum swept through, like a storm surging from within the depths of winter, instantly transforming the entire Monument City into a realm of ice and snow. Even the Eyeless Evil Dragon, with its aura condensed from thousands of vengeful spirits, seemed cooled by several degrees, slowly extending its writhing body out of the blood pool. Those trunks, like blood-red, headless serpentine monsters, were hideously dancing, some even climbing along the enormous central stele¡­ The soft ice-crystal down on the Ice Morning White Dragon¡¯s body began to harden, gradually forming an exquisitely luxurious suit of ice-crystal armor, like perfect crystals densely covering its dragon body with a unique luster. Even at its Complete Period, the Ice Morning White Dragon had not increased much in size, still retaining its characteristic agility and elegance. The Eyeless Evil Dragon clearly sensed the powerful middle-level Monarch aura emanating from the Ice Morning White Dragon¡¯s body, and all its tentacles pointed towards the Ice Morning White Dragon in midair! ¡°Your White Dragon?¡± Bai Qin¡¯an asked in surprise. Bai Qin¡¯an almost forgot that Zhu Minng was actually a Dragon Shepherd. This White Dragon had been summoned by Zhu Minng back in the Mechanism City, and at that time it hadn¡¯t reached the Monarch Level. But in such a short period, it seemed to have leaped through a Sky Gate, disying the aura of a middle-level Monarch! One must know that the Eyeless Evil Dragon, which hadin dormant in Monument City for who knows how many years, feeding on the blood of countless living beings, also possessed only a middle-level Monarch Cultivation Base! ¡°Yes, let¡¯s make it quick and avoid harming the residents of Monument City,¡± Zhu Minng said. The Ice Morning White Dragon pped its wings, moving gracefully like a phoenix butterfly, while those fierce ws iling in the sky seemed somewhat clumsy in its eyes. As it waved its wings, studded with crystal-like finery, one could see sharp wind des chaotically shing through the night sky, severing those thick ws one by one, with blood spurting wildly. In the midst of blood raining down from the sky, the Ice Morning White Dragon suddenly dove, and the previously disorderly wind des began to converge in an orderly fashion around it. As it plunged downward, it transformed into a white wind cap! The surrounding air currents whipped into a terrifying vortex, with an evident column of air piercing through the night and Monument City! More and more bamboo-thick wind des clung to the Ice Morning White Dragon¡¯s body as it plunged towards the Eyeless Evil Dragon. The earth-shattering gust collided with the fortress-like Evil Dragon, pulling it out of the blood pool. At the same time, hundreds of wind des spun and cut, dismembering tentacles, trunks, ws, and leech bodies alike. As blood gushed from the Eyeless Evil Dragon like from a reservoir, its body also began to shrivel slightly. ¡°Damn it!¡± Guo Chang was drenched in blood. Although he was protected by the body of the Eyeless Evil Dragon and remained unharmed, seeing Zhu Minng suddenly summon such a powerful White Dragon filled him with dread. Though he was panicked, he could not show cowardice or fear. If they didn¡¯t kill everyone here, the Eyeless Sect could not escape. ¡°Drink blood!¡± Guo Chang ordered the Eyeless Evil Dragon. The Eyeless Evil Dragon still had dozens of tentacles, not much different from the ck Blood Leech of warlord-level inside the Mountain Altar. One could see them fiercely diving into the blood pool, frantically absorbing the exceedingly filthy blood. The tentacles wriggled, and one could see the many severed parts of the Eyeless Evil Dragon regenerating terrifying new ws, beginning to rekindle the life of the leech body, like wild grass that can¡¯t be burnt out, sprouting quickly with just a bit of rain. ¡°Freeze this blood!¡± Seeing this, Zhu Minng quickly spoke to Bai Qi. The icy cold aura around Bai Qi became even more biting, extensively spreading the Frost of the Ice Sky inherited from the Dragon Country in the clouds. This Frost of the Ice Sky had a powerful effect of depleting vitality. Blood was life to the Eyeless Evil Dragon. The Ice Morning White Dragon not only froze the surging blood pool into chunks of solid blood, but it also extinguished the life energy within, leaving the Eyeless Evil Dragon without any living blood to absorb! ¡°No one can stop me!¡± Guo Chang suddenly shrieked. At hismand, he actually ordered the Eyeless Evil Dragon to capture those worshippers d in ck robes. These worshippers had be demonic monsters with fierce and crazed appearances. They had thought they had obtained ¡°Divine Power,¡± but in an instant, they became food for the Eyeless Evil Dragon! The blood pool was frozen, so they had to extract living blood from living people. The scalding hot Living Blood in a human body was far more nourishing than the dead water in the blood pool, allowing the Eyeless Evil Dragon to grow stronger rapidly. ¡°Chop off its tentacles!¡± Bai Qin¡¯an called out, immediately using his decisive swordsmanship! A sh of the snow-white sword, and it cleanly pierced through a tentacle that was entwining a ck-robed freak, pulling out the ck Blood Leech from within their body. The person immediately copsed to the ground, their swollen pus and blood flowing out of the wound in their chest. Zhu Minng also followed suit. With a single thought, he seemed to forge an invisible chain of the soul with the Sword Spirit Dragon, transforming from the initial gas-like state into fments. Zhu Minng could clearly feel his synergy with the Sword Spirit Dragon improving. With a point of his hand, the Sword Spirit Dragon immediately unleashed the Heavy Sword Soul Shadow! The Heavy Sword Soul Shadow, full of power, sted apart the thickest tentacle! ¡°Sword Control!¡± Zhu Minng leaped down from the Stele Wall. If it were before, Zhu Minng would have broken his leg and the Sword Spirit Dragon would have arrived btedly. But this time, the Sword Spirit Dragonnded promptly under Zhu Minng¡¯s feet. Zhu Minng¡¯s body swayed slightly, but he eventually stabilized his stance, his arduous practice in the Dragon Country of Clouds not in vain. ¡°Boom boom!!!!¡± Several terrifying ws flew at them, smashing the Stele Wall where Zhu Minng had just been standing to dust. Seeing that Zhu Minng had already flown away on his sword, those ws chased after Zhu Minng as if they had eyes. ¡°Bai Qi, kill them!¡± Zhu Minng yelled as he looked up. The Ice Morning White Dragon flew low, maintaining just a few meters distance from Zhu Minng on his flying sword. As the Ice Morning White Dragon flew, it swung its tail, and suddenly, its braided tail became as hard and sharp as steel cables, piercing through those ferocious ws in an instant. Having dealt with the ws behind them, they were now charging towards the fortress teeming with tentacles and leech bodies. Zhu Minng¡¯s eyes were steely, fixed on Guo Chang who was protected by countless leech bodies. ¡°Rain of Sword Spirits!¡± Zhu Minng charged forward on his sword, fearlessly facing the terrifying mountain of leech dragon flesh. Below him, the Flying Sword suddenly created a sword shadow. This shadow flew parallel to the Sword Spirit, matching its speed and momentum. As Zhu Minng got closer to Guo Chang, more and more sword shadows appeared beneath him. Before long, a dense multitude of sword shadows rained down like a storm on Guo Chang! And Zhu Minng himself, like a Sword Immortal, rode the magnificent rain of swords in full charge! Chapter 214 - 215: Blade Sect Chapter 214: Chapter 215: de Sect Trantor: 549690339 The Eyeless Evil Dragon¡¯s body writhed on arge scale, foolishly trying to block the Flying Sword Rain with the hardest parts of its body. As a result, the Eyeless Evil Dragon¡¯s body was riddled with holes by the sword rain, with many of its main leech bodies being directly smashed to pieces. Guo Chang, driven to a furious rage by humiliation, madlymanded the Eyeless Evil God to kill Zhu Minng. By Zhu Minng¡¯s side, the Ice Morning White Dragon stood guard, disying incredible agility. It even leapt back and forth on the fortress-like body of the Eyeless Evil Dragon, with those clumsy ws entangling themselves, unable to touch the nimble White Dragon! Seizing the opportunity, the Ice Morning White Dragon shed its ws, fiercely tearing downwards from the neck of the Eyeless Evil Dragon. The tearing force split into five tracks, spanning dozens of meters, causing the Eyeless Evil Dragon to howl in agony. One had to admit, the Eyeless Evil Dragon was a creature with extremely tenacious vitality. Having taken so many sword attacks and previously been assaulted by multiple attackers from the Royal Court Death Servants, it only showed signs of slight weakness at this moment. If it were up to Zhu Minng alone, he probably couldn¡¯t have in the Eyeless Evil Dragonpletely, not even by daybreak! While Zhu Minng was directly confronting the Eyeless Evil Dragon, Bai Qin¡¯an had already circled around to another side at some unknown time. The snowy-white Flying Sword moved shadowlessly and tracelessly, each strike precisely targeting the Eyeless Evil Dragon¡¯s main trunk. Even if the Eyeless Evil Dragon wereposed of hundreds, if not thousands, of merged Blood Leech Dragons, it could not be immortal, especially under the assault of so many powerfulbatants. Blood poured out like water from a breached dike. The Eyeless Evil Dragon¡¯s body visibly shriveled. It always sought to drain the life from living beings to recover its formidable bloodthirsty momentum, but Zhu Minng and Bai Qin¡¯an persistently thwarted it. The Ice Morning White Dragon¡¯s attacks were fatally effective, and with its sessive sudden assaults and closebat, the flowing Living Blood within the Eyeless Evil Dragon began to slow. Ice Withering! Vitality Fading! The Eyeless Evil Dragon had no joints or bones to speak of; all its strength and might came from the blood vessels within its body. As a soft-bodied creature, if the blood could not circte or be pumped quickly, it would be no different from a dead and rigid giant centipede! Seeing this, Guo Chang¡¯s expression grew even darker. He could never have imagined that so many experts would suddenly appear within the Stele Wall! The Eyeless Evil Dragon had been raised for many years. Even if some so-called reputable sects identally discovered it, their attempts to eradicate it were only self-destructive endeavours. After all, the strength of the Eyeless Evil Dragon in the Supreme Court Imperial City was enough to easily destroy some powers! Watching the Eyeless Evil Dragon being continuously dismembered, Guo Chang began to flee amidst the chaos. He had a few ck Blood Leech Dragons branch off to protect himself, and then he slipped away into Monument City. As long as the green hills remain¡­ As long as he knew this secret technique, it would only be another decade or two before he could once again raise an Eyeless Evil Dragon like this! The key wasn¡¯t in the Blood Flukes but in himself as an Evil Dragon Master! In front of creatures of the same level, the Eyeless Evil Dragon might not possess any particrly terrifying offensive or destructive capabilities, but it had one huge advantage: its life force was strong! Consisting of hundreds upon thousands of Blood Leech Dragons merged together, unless every single Blood Leech Dragon was cut open, chopped up, and annihted, the Eyeless Evil Dragon would not diepletely¡­ Moreover, if one took away some of the key ck Blood Leech Dragons and raised them carefully for some time, the Eyeless Evil Dragon coulde back to life. So the Eyeless Evil Dragon itself could still hold its ground for a while in front of those strong fighters. ¡°Heh heh, you dog, die for me!¡± At this moment, the Leader of the Royal Court Death Servants burst forth from the side. This Death Servant Leader was a demaster cultivator who had been resting here; he just happened to see the culprit who had killed many of his Death Servant underlings and so he emerged directly from a dark corner, aiming a chop at Guo Chang¡¯s head! Guo Chang had no idea someone else was hiding here, and most importantly, that this person¡¯s cultivation base was of Monarch Level! This chop sent Guo Chang¡¯s head flying straight off, rolling on the ground like a watermelon. For a moment, the ck Blood Leech Dragons that had originally followed Guo Chang began frantically scrambling for the gushing Living Blood, one of them even burrowed into Guo Chang¡¯s severed neck, drilling desperately into his body. Guo Chang¡¯s head came to a stop against a wall; his eyes wide open with disbelief, and even in death, he saw his own nurtured ck Blood Leech Dragons greedily not sparing even him! However, what truly made Guo Chang die with lingering regret was that he had hidden the Eyeless Evil Dragon so perfectly; how had these people seen through his ruse? If Guo Chang had known that Prophets of the Divine and Mortal existed in this world, maybe his corpse, drained dry by the ck Blood Leech Dragons, would have convulsed a few more times! ¡°Heh heh, what fine swordsmanship. I wonder which master you hail from. It¡¯s pleasant to wander the world as a heroic demaster; why choose to be a dog for the powerful?¡± At that moment, a voice sounded suddenly from the wall. The Royal Court Death Servant Leader was shocked and sharply raised his head to see a man embracing an Ancient Sword, his gaze coldly fixed on him. The presence of this man was very concealed; the Death Servant Leader hadn¡¯t even detected his existence. If the stranger had struck with his sword just a while ago, he would have found it hard to dodge. But the stranger hadn¡¯t. He seemed to disdain such an ambush. The de Master Death Servant took a deep breath and, holding his de, rapidly struck the ground several times, managing to kill all the ck Blood Leech Dragons! The de Master wasn¡¯t eradicating them for the sake of justice; as his de continued to y several Dragon Souls, it suddenly became sharper. It was as if he had transformed the dead souls of those ck Blood Leech Dragons into some bizarre power, infusing it into his de! ¡°de Sect?¡± The Yaoshan Sword Sect Master Wu Feng recognized the technique and showed a look of surprise. ¡°Hmph, once I chop you down, I will imprison your wandering soul in my de!¡± the de Master dered. Wu Fengughed, his smile tinged with mockery. He had been guarding behind the Stele Wall the whole time, preventing the followers of the Eyeless Sect from escaping amidst the chaos and dealing with these oblivious Royal Court Death Servants. In any case, today, whether they were Death Servants or sect followers, none would leave here alive. It was just right; this Death Servant Leader had chopped off the head of the Eyeless Sect¡¯s leader, Guo Chang, so there was no need to dirty his sword. As for this Death Servant Leader, his cultivation level seemed substantial, but not yet enough to contend with him, the Sword Sect Master. ¡°de Sect, there was a time when you could stand shoulder to shoulder with our Yaoshan Sword Sect. If all in your sect are like you, fawning and ingratiating dogs, it¡¯s no wonder you have gradually declined!¡± Wu Feng floated down from the city wall. He slowly drew the sword from its scabbard and tossed the scabbard into the air. Chapter 215 - 216 The Nature of the Evil Dragon Chapter 215: Chapter 216 The Nature of the Evil Dragon Trantor: 549690339 The Sword Servant Master furrowed his brows, unsure of what Wu Feng was attempting by throwing his sword scabbard into the air. Could there be a hidden mechanism in his sword scabbard? Must he pay close attention to Wu Feng¡¯s sword scabbard? Wu Feng made his move. As a member of the Fighting Sword Faction, his body and sword united as one, emphasizing a sword strike¡¯s momentum like a rainbow. He valued the perfect fusion of power and speed, disying the essence of killing an enemy with a sword to the fullest! As the sword thrust forward, the Sword Servant Master saw countless sword flurries that looked like countless ck roses blooming on a climbing wall, leaving the Royal Court Death Servant nowhere to hide. He raised his de to strike back, deciding that if he could not dodge, he would break force with force! However, those ck sword flurries dissipated the instant he made his move, and he saw a longsword approaching like a torrential river. The overwhelming sword might far exceeded the Sword Servant Master¡¯s expectations¡­ This Royal Court Death Servant suffered a huge disadvantage in the very first round of their exchange. He barely withstood the sword strike, and his internal organs felt as if they had been disced! Wu Feng¡¯s attacks were extremely fast and fierce. Generally speaking, fast swords carried less power, but every one of Wu Feng¡¯s strikes was swift and vicious. The Royal Court Death Servant, after all, was a de Master who focused on training with immense power. The force of his two-handed de strikes should have been far stronger than that of a one-handed longsword. Yet the Royal Court Death Servant was ovee in strength by his opponent, not to mention the number of strikes! Although his skin was not pierced by a single sword strike, and not a drop of blood was spilled, the organs inside the Sword Servant Master¡¯s body were shattered by the sword strikes! Blood spilled out from his mouth, nose, and eye sockets. The Leader of the Death Servants stood atop the Stele Wall, looking at this Hall Master from Yaoshan Sword Sect¡­ It was then that the sword scabbard fell down. Only then did the Sword Servant Master realize that he had forgotten about the strange sword scabbard he had initially reminded himself to beware of. But the sword scabbard merely fell down, and Wu Feng casually raised his sword. He saw that the scabbard fit perfectly over the longsword before returning to the same posture, with the sword leaning against his chest and shoulder. The Royal Court Death Servant¡¯s eyes bulged like copper bells! There was no hidden mechanism after all. It was simply that the opponent had precisely calcted the timing for the sword to leave and return to its scabbard¡ªin that brief period, he was able to defeat him! ¡°Pfth! Pfth! Pfth! Pfth! Pfth! Pfth!¡± The blood, once slowly seeping, now sprayed out violently. The Royal Court Death Servant thought he could engage in a few more rounds ofbat, but to his surprise, all his organs were smashed, and his life rapidly drained away! There was no pain, just disbelief. Was de Sect far outmatched by Yaoshan Sword Sect, or was he simply no match for Wu Feng? In his dying moments, the Sword Servant Master who had thrown in his lot with the Prince¡¯s Mansion felt a tremendous shame! Watching the Royal Court Death Servant die. The only respect Wu Feng had for this de Master, once renowned alongside Yaoshan Sword Sect, was to leave his body intact. ¡°It seems the Prince¡¯s Mansion has annexed quite a few powers. I wonder if the entire de Sect has be a vassal to King An or if it¡¯s just this guy who has pledged allegiance to the Prince¡¯s Mansion. I need to remind Zhu Heavenly Officer,¡± Wu Feng sighed softly. A starving camel is stillrger than a horse. de Sect might be in decline, but it still has high rank king level and peak monarch level warriors inside. We need to be very cautious! An evil dragon is called such because even after forming a spirit contract with it, once the Dragon Shepherd loses their usefulness, they will be swallowed whole. In the eyes of the Eyeless Evil Dragon, Guo Chang is not its master, just a provider for its existence in this world. If he died, there would be others to serve it. All evil dragons are like this; the likelihood of devouring their masters is quite high. The furnace pool hadpletely frozen over, and a towering cier mountain range now stood within Monument City, separating the horrendous evil dragon from the city¡¯s normal streets. ¡°Don¡¯t let it enter the city,¡± Zhu Minng knew the evil dragon¡¯s intentions. The Eyeless Evil Dragon could absorb the blood of the living to restore its own vitality, and even its severed ws and tentacles would regrow in an extremely short time. This evil dragon has evidently been longing for the residents of Monument City, teased countless times by the vast aroma of living humans and the fragrance of living blood. Even without the foolish ns of the Eyeless Sect, it would choose the right moment to ughter the city and soak Monument City in the blood of the furnace pool! Now, heavily injured, it needed living humans, it needed blood. It crazily rammed into the cier Mountain Range, trying to break into Monument City. Wen Mengru and Nan Yuso had already been waiting between the Stele Wall and the city streets; after all, battling such an evil dragon within the city required ample preparation, and Zhu Minng had specially instructed the two women to intercept the evil dragon here. The majority of the residents were ordinary people, and even if a few blood leech dragons infiltrated their houses, it would lead to a bloodbath. Zhu Minng and Bai Qin¡¯an were attacking the Eyeless Evil Dragon relentlessly from behind. The Eyeless Evil Dragon had almost abandoned any defenses; it had so many ws, tentacles, and body parts that sacrificing some did not have a significant impact on its life. Right now, what it needed most was blood! After climbing over the cier Mountain Range, the lower half of the Eyeless Evil Dragon was petrified. It used its tentacles, which stuck to the ground and buildings like suction cups, to forcefully crawl towards the city! Many in the city had already heard themotion and saw the great battle from afar. At first, they merely watched for the thrill but suddenly realized with horror that a fortress-like demon dragon was crawling towards them, sending everyone into a panic! A casual sweep of its tentacles would topple sturdy buildings as if they were children¡¯s sandcastles, and when its ws struck the streets, the pavement would copse and shatter. More terrifying was the Eyeless Evil Dragon¡¯s head, a mix of several dozen blood leech dragons with no other facial features except for a gaping maw like a giant sucker! ¡°Bai Qi!¡± Zhu Minng called out loudly, leaping onto the back of the Ice Morning White Dragon from the towering cier. Mounted on the White Dragon, Zhu Minng¡¯s eyes locked onto that monstrous head made up of dozens of ck blood leech dragons, directing the Ice Morning White Dragon to fly straight towards the most terrifying part of the leech dragon¡¯s head! We must quickly kill this beast. Once it gets into the city, it can continuously ughter residents to replenish its vitality, making it much harder to kill it then!! Rushing towards the evil dragon¡¯s head, the evil dragon also held an immense hatred for Zhu Minng. Seeing him riding the White Dragon directly into the trap, suddenly its dozen ck blood leech dragons blossomed like a blood lotus, forming a vast abyssal maw big enough to swallow an entire city tower! The Ice Morning White Dragon¡¯s body was surrounded by countless holy feathers, swirling like a tornado, mercilessly shing at the evil dragon with its gaping maw exposed! After shredding one of the ck blood leech dragons, Bai Qi maneuvered skillfully like a fish in water, escaping through the gap. Chapter 216 - 217 Devil Dragon Bead Chapter 216: Chapter 217 Devil Dragon Bead Trantor:549690339 ¡°Swoosh!¡± An ancient sword, like a red meteor falling, flew towards the gaping maw of the Eyeless Evil Dragon, rubbing against the surrounding air to produce scalding hot ck sword mes! As the Sword Spirit Dragon struck towards the mouth of the Eyeless Evil Dragon, the ck sword me grew increasingly fierce, with the sword light spreading and possessing an intense burning power. At the same time, a snow-white flying sword followed closely behind, without the fancy glow of a sword halo but extremely sharp to the extreme. The ck me sword halo frenziedly burned the Eyeless Evil Dragon, with both the mes and the meteoric sword prating into the Evil Dragon¡¯s esophagus. Little did the Eyeless Evil Dragon know that Zhu Minng and the White Dragon were merely decoys, the real fatal moves were these two flying swords! The Sword Spirit Dragon¡¯s aura was magnificent. The ck me sword halo it formed while charging at the enemy became ever more terrifying, as if a zing meteor had crashed into a pool of volcanic magma, with the rising waves of fire and molten rock fierce enough to scorch the heavens. The Eyeless Evil Dragon was obviously fearful of mes. Ordinary mes might not affect it, but what the Sword Spirit Dragon unleashed was the celestial fire contained within the Ancient me Rune Sword, which had a temperatureparable to that of meteoric fire! The ck me surged into the belly of the Eyeless Evil Dragon, also sweeping through the connected parts of the Leech Dragon¡¯s body¡­ And the snow-white flying sword cut through like a knife through fish on the market ¨C from the Evil Dragon¡¯s gaping mouth all the way to its abdomen, cutting it open, and then allowing the internal organs to spill out! This time, the Eyeless Evil Dragon was thoroughly wounded. What remained of its limbs first underwent a frenzied twisting and pping, then retracted, before gradually losing the signs of life. Its trunk began to shrivel as blood flowed from the massive wound, spreading over the streets. The head it formed from the ck Blood Leech Dragon also becamepletely rigid, going from moving freely to stiffness, and finally, desation. The Frost of the Ice Sky from the Ice Morning White Dragon began to take effect, having taken itsst vestige of life force. The fortress-like Eyeless Evil Dragon had finally died. Zhu Minng and Bai Qin¡¯an could no longer remember how many swords they had struck it with, and how many tentacles, ws, and trunks they had severed. To ensure that this eerie monster wouldn¡¯t have any sort of clone transformation, Zhu Minng specificallymanded the Sword Spirit Dragon to enwrap the mes once more and give it another harsh baptism, insisting on burning the Eyeless Evil Dragon¡¯s limbs to ashes before he could finally rest easy. Seeing the Eyeless Evil Dragon turn into a pile of ashen bones atst, Zhu Minng let out a long sigh of relief. Atst, it was killed! I have never seen a demonic beast harder to kill than this one, and I wonder about the quality of its soul bead. Zhu Minng extended his palm, starting the Soul Collecting Pearl Brewing. Indeed, like the previous Blood Leech Dragon, its soul bead¡¯s quality was extremely high. The previous one was just a ¡®Shall Level¡¯ Soul Bead, but this one was a Monarch Level Devil Dragon Bead. When a pure ck Dragon Ball, looking like a real gemstone, appeared in the palm of his hand, Zhu Minng couldn¡¯t help but curl up the corners of his mouth. Acting as heaven¡¯s agent, the harvest was plentiful. Zhu Minng was very satisfied with this Devil Dragon Bead; it was the highest quality, highest grade one he had brewed since collecting souls. He estimated that if he were to exchange it, he could obtain a rather wealthy city, representing true ¡®the value of a city¡¯! ¡°Hao Xingsheng seems to want to escape,¡± Wen Mengru came over and pointed towards a pitch-dark direction in the city. ¡°No matter, someone will deal with him,¡± Zhu Minng wasn¡¯t too concerned. Anyone might be able to escape, but Hao Xingsheng definitely could not. Qin Luan would deal with him, and whether he was alive or dead would depend on her mood. As a leader among the royal family, to engage in such a scheme and fail, even if he had escaped, it would have been no different from being dead. The Zhu Sect was not a toy to be manipted by those high-ranking officials in the court. Zhu Heavenly Officer has always been known for his stern appearance and even sterner heart. Monument City had finally returned to peace. Walking on the streets of Monument City, Zhu Minng saw many posts simr to those used for tethering horses. Yet, fastened to these posts were not horses or dragon beasts, but the ves who had been transported to this city. They were bound by their hands and feet, squatting on the filthy ground. The great battle had awakened them, and they had seen the terrifying evil dragon behind the Stele Wall! Many ves knew that if they were not sold, they would be dragged behind the wall and executed. One would think that execution was already the pinnacle of despair, only to find that it was to feed such a vile creature; it was truly a fate worse than death! ¡°President Wu,¡± Bai Qin¡¯an called out to Wu Feng, and she slowly began to speak, ¡°Let¡¯s all write a letter, describing the events in Monument City in great detail, and hand it up to our controllers.¡± ¡°This matter truly sends chills down one¡¯s spine, and I have the same intention. ves should not be ughtered at will, not only is it against humanity, but it also gives those demons an opportunity to exploit, which in the end will harm the people of the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent,¡± Wu Feng nodded. After all, Monument City is within the Imperial Dynasty¡¯s realm. If a city within the realm has be so rampant, not to mention those remote cities and small countries, no wonder the City of Sin, such a malignant tumor, can never bepletely eradicated despite numerous forces attempting to purge it! ¡°Shou Bin, the City Lord of Monument City is most likely involved as well. Go to the Zhu Sect¡¯s foreign court and tell my uncle, Zhu Yushan, about the ve offerings to the evil dragon in Monument City. Those who deserve to be killed, kill; those who deserve to be exiled, exile,¡± Zhu Minng instructed Shou Bin. Shou Bin immediately nodded and said, ¡°The perennial malevolence of Monument City indeed needs to be rectified. Especially those mercenary camps selling ves, they are bing increasingly unprincipled and more like a bunch of profit-driven scum. This matter is undoubtedly rted to those camps!¡± Behind those mercenary camps are basically some national military lords. They obtain vast amounts of ves through wars, diplomacy, and various invasions, then sell them to these camps to find appropriate buyers. For a long time, many forces and more civilized countries have wanted to overthrow the ve system. However, it seems that some legions within the Imperial Dynasty also control the ve trade, so this legition has always failed to be implemented. Yet, even if the ve system exists, there should at least be some reasonable Imperialws to regte it. Zhu Minng, Wu Feng, and Bai Qin¡¯an cannot abolish the ve systempletely, but what they can do is merely get those officials to properly rectify it¡­ On his way here, seeing those tied to posts like livestock, lying on the side of the road, looking into their numb eyes, Zhu Minng suddenly felt that the Li Chuan Continent is still a beautiful ce. At least under Li Yunzi¡¯s rule, Wutu and the Ancestral Dragon City-State never experienced such a foul and stinking city. Sadly. My wife has been injured and needs to rest. Otherwise, it wouldn¡¯t have been bad if Li Yunzi had unified Rui Country. Rui Country is one of those that insists on the ve system. If not for the support of the Supreme Court Emperor, Rui Country would have already faced the consequences of its actions. The world would have one less country engaged in creating and selling ves. Chapter 217 - 218 Recruitment of a Son-in-law at the Autumn Festival Chapter 217: Chapter 218 Recruitment of a Son-inw at the Autumn Festival Trantor: 549690339 Zhu Gate and Sword Sect still had a voice in the Supreme Court Empire. The next morning, an army dispatched from Long River City took over Monument City and began a thorough investigation into the matter. As expected, not only ves were victims, but also merchants traveling from afar suffered as well. Although the missing person reports were piled up like mountains in the City Lord Mansion, the City Lord and officials had all set them aside. No one would believe these people weren¡¯t trading with the Eyeless Sect. For a time, all mercenary camps in Monument City were detained by the military and subjected to strict scrutiny. If any of the ves had unclear origins, or were obviously plundered civilians, then all the operators of that mercenary camp were beheaded on the spot, with no mercy given! Those who dealt in this business were more or less involved in human trafficking and could not withstand an investigation. By just noon, over a hundred people had been dragged out and beheaded, not to mention the implicated interest chains that followed¡­ The ves in Monument City, about six thousand in number, were confiscated. Even though they couldn¡¯t shake off the mark of very, at least they wouldn¡¯t be ughtered for failing to be sold. There were still some civil officials in the empire who had strong governance abilities, and all six thousand ves would have their destinies. However, the thorough destruction of the ve system would take another year, and Monument City would still be filled with people brought in from all over the continent. Moreover, many countries had very prominent ve trading cities. Six thousand people,pared to the millions in the ve poption, were really inconsequential. Having left Monument City, the group continued their journey. Free from the nightmarish entanglement, the Prophet Li Xinghua¡¯splexion gradually improved. Recently, seeing her haggard and pale face, and the unresolved mncholy between her brows, Zhu Minng felt especially heartbroken. Thankfully, he had been seeing her smile more oftentely, indicating that she was gradually emerging from the shadows of the prophecy bacsh. The Dragon Shepherd couple, having witnessed Zhu Minng, Bai Qin¡¯an, Wu Feng and others y the Eyeless Evil Dragon, were filled with admiration for them, and their behavior showed great respect for the strong. Finally, at a stretch ofnd suitable for flight, the Dragon Shepherd couple informed them that upon taking off from here, they wouldpletely leave the territory of the Imperial City and begin to enter the domains of other countries. The first country they would pass through was Pei Country, which had long established aerial routes. The Dragon Shepherd couple was very familiar with the air routes and could cross through Pei Country in no time. After Pei Country, there would be a rtively perilous mountain forest. They could follow the Dragon City-States¡¯ path, and if they knew the shortcuts, they could cross it quickly. With the group¡¯s strength at or above Monarch Level, the Dragon Shepherd couple had many options for paths to take. Even flying over some dangerous jungles, as long as the Dragon King¡¯s might was disyed, the ancient demons and monster hordes wouldn¡¯t dare to make careless moves. The journey was long; they unknowingly entered into the western regions of the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent, where the countries had the most distinctive features of the entire continent. The reason they were considered distinctive was not only because of their exotic vor but also because each country had formed its own philosophy. For instance, the Miao Kingdom they were about to reach. It was a female-dominant country. Men were inferior to women here, including the Miao Mountain Sword Sect, which was also known as Swordswoman Mountain. Even a male bird that identally flew into the forest would be chopped down with one swoop of a sword, let alone a man. Zhu Minng had visited once before. Although it was a bit of a rush, his impression of the country was so deep it could not be deeper. Miao Kingdom was a great nation, with no fewer than a hundred city-states and thousands of fortified cities. They had vastnds and abundant resources; their system was stringent and their management orderly, which made the surrounding nations, whose customs favored men over women, blush with shame. It would take approximately four or five more days to reach the Miao Mountain Sword Sect after entering the territory of Miao Kingdom, testimony to the vast size of the nation. Their group did not linger in any other cities or city-states of Miao Kingdom but flew directly to the kingdom¡¯s capital. The Miao Mountain Sword Sect could not be entered casually; even if the elders and Sect Leader had been notified in advance, Bai Qin¡¯an and Wen Mengru and the others still needed to personally return to the sect to report and then engage in discussions. Zhu Minng was not in a hurry and decided to rest in the Miao Kingdom first. Miao Kingdom was also known as Hua Kingdom. Their State Preceptor was even referred to as the Flower God. The capital¡¯s most notable characteristic was the flowers visible everywhere. No matter where one went, the fragrance from a beautiful woman¡¯s windowsill could be smelled, and often one would be so intoxicated that it was hard to tell whether it was the woman¡¯s mysterious scent or the overwhelming fragrance of flowers! These days, the capital was particrly lively as if a grand festival was taking ce. Colorfulnterns and huge bunches of fresh roses were seen everywhere. From the moment one entered the capital, they scattered throughout the city. Fang Niannian¡¯s eyes sparkled with a different light beholding this scene; she loved such a spectacle. It was much more shocking and beautiful than the Lantern Festival in the Ancestral Dragon City-State, especially since the entire grand capital was decorated to look so enchantingly beautiful¡­ ¡°Are you having some kind of festival?¡± Yun Zhonghe couldn¡¯t help but ask. ¡°Not a festival, but the time of the year when flowers bloom and suitors are courted. It¡¯s just the annual season for seeking sons-inw. Men from other nations are eager to test their luck, so the capital tends to be very crowded and noisy,¡± Wen Mengru said dispassionately. She was ustomed to this sight. ¡°Seeking sons-inw??¡± Zhu Minng raised his eyebrows. Although he had been here once before, he was not particrly familiar with the local customs. ¡°The Miao Kingdom has always done this. When princesses andmandery princesses reach a marriageable age, there will be a national call for sons-inw, usually set in autumn when the maple leaves turn red. Then the dukes and marquesses of the fiefs will follow suit, and gradually, themon women also seek sons-inw during this season, leading to the current situation,¡± Wen Mengru exined. ¡°And how exactly does this seeking of sons-inw work?¡± Yun Zhonghe seemed to be quite interested as well. The thought of all the women in the Daughter Kingdom seeking suitors amidst the red maple leaves was indeed an exciting image. No wonder the capital and its surroundings were bursting at the seams. It seemed heroes and talented men from far and wide thronged here, all to showcase their valor in Miao Kingdom and marry a beautiful woman! ¡°Junior brother, I heard that Zhu Heavenly Officer got to know Head Meng in this way,¡± Wu Feng whispered to Zhu Minng at that moment. ¡°Isn¡¯t it an arranged marriage?¡± Zhu Minng asked, puzzled. ¡°It is arranged, apparently. Your grandfather designated Head Meng, and Head Meng required Zhu Heavenly Officer to participate in this Flower Picking Sons-in-Law Festival and stand out from the crowd,¡± Wu Feng said. ¡°So that¡¯s how it is,¡± Zhu Minng realized with a start. So there was such an interesting story. Afterward, why their rtionship fell apart was not something Zhu Minng knew. Mainly because he did not dare to ask. Anyway, after they went their separate ways, Zhu Minng ended up an orphan as a consequence. Zhu Minng even felt that Head Meng, who shunned worldly affairs and sought only the Sword Dao, probably did not even remember his name anymore. Chapter 218 - 219: The Moon Kui Country’s Woman Chapter 218: Chapter 219: The Moon Kui Country¡¯s Woman Trantor:549690339 He had rested for the night. In the morning, Zhu Minng was awakened by a chorus of delicate calls¡ªhis room was right along the street. Zhu Minng pushed open the window and saw that the road below was somehow filled with people, mostly women, but also a significant number of men, dressed in styles that suggested many, like Zhu Minng and hispanions, came from other countries. As Zhu Minng wondered what was going on, a luxurious carriage drawn by three majestic golden dragons slowly made its way down the Flower God Avenue. The carriage itself was like a magnificent treasure mountain adorned with the most luxurious of rare flowers, colorful exquisite silks draped over a maple wood base, and a dazzling array of gold ornaments, silver ones, Luminous Pearls, jade, and other precious gems hung from the prestigious golden branches. The jewels alone glistened in the sunlight with a madly captivating glow, let alone the fact that atop the treasure mountain-like carriage stood a group of bold, gracefully dressed women. Their skin was as white as snow, appearing even more radiant against the backdrop of the silver ornaments; their figures were just right, not a pound too heavy or an ounce too thin. All had revealed their faces, each a beauty of the highest order. The city itself exuded a delicate charm like a country of blossoms and moonlight, and it became even more enchantingly beautiful with these stunning women everywhere you looked. Zhu Minng¡¯s room had an excellent view; he could take in the entire gorgeous scene just by sitting on the windowsill. As the treasureden carriage approached, Zhu Minng noticed that the group of stand-out beauties was clustered around a woman at the highest point, who wore a silver jade mask. Her hair color was quite extraordinary, reminiscent of white gold silk, paired with very sumptuous and finely-crafted silver hair essories, giving her an aura of unapproachable divinity¡ªnoble and untainted by the slightest speck of worldly dust. Her silver mask concealed her forehead and eyes, exposing a proud nose and seductive, soft lips. Even though one couldn¡¯t see all her features, she still left an indescribably stunning impression. ¡°That is Princess Luoshui, the beauty queen of this ¡®Festival of Enthralling Autumn Flowers¡¯!¡± ¡°The women below her, revealing their faces, are already quite outstanding. They would be the unrivaled beauties in any city. But somehow, I just can¡¯t take my eyes off Princess Luoshui.¡± ¡°I really want to remove her Silver Jade Ornament and see her true face!¡± Below Zhu Minng¡¯s windowsill, a few noblemen from foreignnds held their elegant fans, appearing quite graceful. They were full of admiration, but for some reason, their conversation began to take on a strange undertone. ¡°That little mouth, tsk tsk, if I could ravish it at will, I probably would never tire of it in this lifetime.¡± ¡°I love her hair, it¡¯s uniquely colored. Just think, waking up to see strands like golden satin strewn about with a slight dishevelment, paired with such a celestial beauty, I¡¯d never want to leave the bed!¡± ¡°You¡¯re all too superficial. I love her lofty air. The greatest pleasure for me would be to pay respects to her, then slowly bend down, not to kiss her outstretched hand but her noble and slender jade foot¡­¡± Zhu Minng spared a nce at the fellow with a queenplex. While he looked quite dashing, he emanated an unstoppable lewdness. ¡°Thump, thump, thump.¡± At that moment, there was a gentle knock at the door. Zhu Minng went over and opened it to find a woman standing quietly in front of his door, her in face and simple attire rallying together into an exquisitely beautiful assault that made his heart thump, as if it wanted to leap right out of his chest. ¡°Is¡­¡± Zhu Minng looked at her. For a moment, he couldn¡¯t recognize her. Which sister-inw might this be? Without speaking or a distinct expression, Zhu Minng simply couldn¡¯t distinguish between the three of them. The girl with a in face and simple attire nced at the open window, from where she could also see thevish princess carriage. ¡°My lord, I have seen the Ancient Lantern Jade,¡± the woman said in a gentle voice. It was the Prophet¡¯s sister-inw. The only one who would address herself as ¡®my lord¡¯ was Miss Xinghua. Nan Yuso would directly call him by his name or asionally address him flirtatiously as ¡®Charming Zhu¡¯. The painter¡¯s sister-inw rarely called him anything, speaking directly instead. ¡°Is it there?¡± Zhu Minng turned his head and looked towards the princess¡¯s throne. At that moment, the extravagantly luxurious carriage slowly made its way through the crowd, the entire kingdom gathering around her, truly a case of all the stars surrounding the moon. Princess Luoshui¡¯s carriage was adorned with some of the rarest jewels in the world, disyed for all to see like those delicate, prized flowers. ¡°Yes,¡± Li Xinghua nodded. ¡°Come inside to talk,¡± Zhu Minng invited Li Xinghua in and gently closed the door. Reaching the windowsill, Li Xinghua¡¯s unique, profound eyes stared at the approaching princess carriage, seemingly too focused, as she identally brushed off some dried flowers from the window ledge. These dried flower branches fell onto the street and onto the heads of a few schrs with peculiar tastes, one of whom, obsessed with queens, became somewhat irritated, tossing the branches aside and turning around, raising his eyes to scold. But as soon as he saw the inly dressed yet breathtakingly beautiful woman at the window, he was utterly stunned. After a short while, he tugged at the sleeves of his twopanions. His two friends were somewhat impatient because Princess Luoshui was about to pass right in front of them. Finally giving in to his persistence, they turned their heads towards the low building¡¯s window behind them and also stared in stunned silence¡­ As the throne carriage passed by the street where they stood, they even forgot to turn around, fixated on the earnestly focused beauty at the window sill. With no carriage, no gold or silver, no throng of maidens, and not even a trace of makeup, her beauty that could bring down kingdoms struck directly at the heart! At the window, Zhu Minng red fiercely at these men with eyes like starving wolves! The men were then embarrassed and hastily disyed their superficial courtesy, bowing and apologizing to Zhu Minng, but internally they were filled with frustration and sorrow. Why would such a peerless beauty be in a man¡¯s room! Shouldn¡¯t she be as pure as ice and chaste as jade! ¡°It¡¯s not on those gold-dusted branches¡­¡± Miss Xinghua continued searching, believing the Ancient Lantern Jade would be disyed on that treasure-like vehicle, but she hadn¡¯t found it. Finally, Li Xinghua¡¯s gazended on the face of the Princess of the Miao Kingdom, focusing on the Silver Jade Ornament that covered her forehead and eyes. On her cheek! The Ancient Lantern Jade! She wore that silver jade mask, and it was the Ancient Lantern Jade itself!! Li Xinghua herself showed a look of surprise. Chapter 219 - 220: Silver Jade Ornament Chapter 219: Chapter 220: Silver Jade Ornament Trantor:549690339 ¡°The silver jade ornament she¡¯s wearing is the Ancient Lantern Jade,¡± Li Xinghua pointed at the princess who was slowly floating past them. Zhu Minng¡¯s gaze also fell on the princess¡¯s moon-like cheeks at that moment. This princess, without ncing aside, was merely turning a corner right here where her throne¡¯s height happened to be level with the second floor of the guest house where Zhu Minng and Li Xinghua were. Princess Luoshui¡¯s gaze casually swept over here, but it likewise lingered on the small window sill decorated with dried flowers. At first, Zhu Minng thought Princess Luoshui was looking at his own handsome and outstanding appearance, but he soon realized she was just looking at Miss Xinghua. Li Xinghua didn¡¯t shy away from the gaze, meeting Princess Luoshui¡¯s look squarely. Was it a case of beauty recognizing beauty? The carriage moved away slowly, from being able to see only her profile to only her back, Princess Luoshui was like the most brilliant pearl swimming through the most bustling avenues of the kingdom. At this moment, Zhu Minng, like the rest of the popce, should be wishing to take the ornaments off the Moon Prized Maiden of the kingdom, but while others did so to catch a glimpse of the true face of the Moon Prized Maiden, having heard of Princess Luoshui¡¯s famed beauty before, now that she was dressed in her grand attire, naturally it made all men in the country, as well as those who came because of her reputation, itch with desire¡­ Zhu Minng merely wanted the ornament itself. After this grand public appearance, all the gant and talented men were probably thinking about how to gain favor from the princess, whereas Zhu Minng was calcting the feasibility of kidnapping her. Sitting in a hall as picturesque as a small garden, Zhu Minng and Li Xinghua sat opposite each other, with Fang Niannian tallying up the things they needed to purchase at their side. At this moment, Ms. Nan, whose exact rtion was yet unknown, descended the stairsnguidly and radiantly, her figure gently swaying, waves upon waves of grace. ¡°Good morning,¡± she said with a coy and alluring smile as she took a seat next to Zhu Minng, her fragrance wafting through the air. ¡°Morning.¡± There was no doubt about it, it was Miss Yu So. Ms. Nan would never greet someone! ¡°Money!¡± At one side, Fang Niannian extended her hand, smiling like a little conniving merchant. ¡°Ah,¡± Zhu Minng sighed and gave up ten pieces of Gold Sand earnestly. Miss Yu So looked at the two with a puzzled expression. The money was definitely not for purchasing supplies; ten pieces of Gold Sand couldn¡¯t even satisfy Big ck Tooth for one meal. ¡°What¡¯s this about?¡± Nan Yuso demanded. ¡°I was betting with Zhu Minng,¡± Fang Niannian said in a somewhat guilty whisper. ¡°What was the bet?¡± Nan Yuso pressed on. ¡°It¡¯s about¡­ It¡¯s about which sister it would be today,¡± Fang Niannian blurted out, then grabbed the money and bolted, shouting over her shoulder, ¡°I¡¯m going to restock the necessities!¡± Miss Yu So¡¯s face, which had been bright and charming, quickly clouded over. Fang Niannian ran fast, leaving her no choice but to turn to Zhu Minng. Zhu Minng had an awkward expression, not expecting the cheeky girl to run off with his money and sell him out. ¡°Are you cing bets every day?¡± Nan Yuso asked coldly. ¡°The journey is so dull, so I just¡­¡± Zhu Minng couldn¡¯t exin himself clearly and had to look at his sister-inw Miss Xinghua with a plea for help in his eyes. However, Miss Xinghua seemed disinclined to bail Zhu Minng out. Stuck with a helpless expression, Zhu Minng wondered why he had brought this upon himself. Just as Zhu Minng braced himself for his sister-inw¡¯s storm of anger, Nan Yuso produced a glittering gold bead in indignation and dered: ¡°This is a top-quality gold bead, I want to y too.¡± Zhu Minng was at a loss for words. Who ever bet on themselves? ¡°That¡¯s not fair, you definitely know who will be it the next day,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°Then let¡¯s bet on who it will be seven days from now. Starting from the morning after we ce our bets¡ªif it¡¯s me, you give me a top-quality gold bead, if it¡¯s my sister, I¡¯ll give you one. We¡¯ll settle up that day!¡± Nan Yuso proposed. ¡°This¡­¡± Zhu Minng felt something was off but still turned to Li Xinghua to ask, ¡°Can they choose the time they wake up themselves?¡± ¡°No,¡± Li Xinghua replied. ¡°Alright, a top-quality gold bead it is,¡± Zhu Minng nodded in agreement. Li Xinghua sipped some clear water and waited for them to finish their yful bickering before revealing to Nan Yuso that the Ancient Lantern Jade had appeared on the princess from the princely state. Sure enough, Nan Yuso had the same idea as Zhu Minng. Seize the opportunity to abduct the princess and then steal her silver jade mask. Or find a way to sneak into the imperial pce and snatch the Silver Jade Ornament while she was washing and cleaning her face! As they were discussing the n, Wanfeng, the junior sister from Miao Mountain Sword Sect, came over. Seeing the trio sitting there, she greeted them with a radiant smile. Nan Yuso immediately shot Zhu Minng a look, the picture of grace and allure. Zhu Minng got the hint and coughed deliberately to stop the approaching Wanfeng Junior Sister. ¡°Evening Wind Junior Sister, I saw your Miao Kingdom¡¯s Princess Luoshui just now. It seems she¡¯s the belle of this autumn¡¯s Blooming Festival¡­ I wanted to ask you, does the princess always wear a face ornament? Her ornament seems quite special; it¡¯s a Silver Jade Forehead Cover,¡± Zhu Minng said. Wanfeng Junior Sister had no choice but to sit down and answer Zhu Minng, ¡°Yes, face ornaments are the hallmark of imperial princesses andmandery princesses. They start wearing them when they turn eighteen and rarely take them off.¡± ¡°Then how do they wash their faces?¡± Zhu Minng inquired. ¡°Of course, they take them off to wash their faces, but the features of a princess ormandery princess are sacred. They wouldn¡¯t show their faces to strangers, especially not to unfamiliar men. Many Miao Kingdom nobles have the same custom, and some fathers may not even see their daughters¡¯ full faces after they turn eighteen,¡± Wanfeng Junior Sister exined. ¡°Is it that strict?¡± Zhu Minng asked, surprised. ¡°Yes, only after they have married can their husband personally remove the princess ormandery princess¡¯s face ornament on their wedding night,¡± said Wanfeng Junior Sister. ¡°Why do they have to wear face ornaments? Is there any special significance?¡± Zhu Minng asked. ¡°Miao Kingdom noblewomen fall into two categories. One kind takes only one husband. Most of them are actually quite pure and chaste. The face ornament partly represents this state of mind, and it also signifies their pristine purity. The other kind, with many husbands, even keep a number of male consorts and young husbands in their courts. These women usually don¡¯t wear veils or face ornaments¡­ Ordinary women don¡¯t have too many strictures; they wear them if they like, and don¡¯t if they don¡¯t, just like with gold and silver jewelry¡ªit¡¯s a decoration,¡± Wanfeng Junior Sister said. Actually, there were things Wanfeng Junior Sister left unsaid. In Miao Kingdom, the former look down on thetter, deeming them obsessed with the beauty of men, inclined to mismanage the state, disrupt cultivating, and cause trouble. And thetter also disdain the former, considering them hypocritical, falsely pure, and rotten at the core, with men being nothing more than ythings¡ªwhat can they possibly disrupt? ¡°Is Princess Luoshui one of the former?¡± Zhu Minng¡¯s head started to ache at the thought. ¡°Hmm, yes, the face ornament is a symbol of identity and conviction, and only her husband may remove it,¡± Wanfeng Junior Sister nodded. Chapter 220 - 221: Dragon Girl Palace Chapter 220: Chapter 221: Dragon Girl Pce Trantor:549690339 ¡°Evening Wind Junior Sister, here¡¯s the thing, our Mr. Zhu has fallen for Princess Luoshui at first sight. Since the princess is seeking a suitor, he naturally wants to try his luck to be the Prince Consort of Miao Kingdom. He¡¯s too shy to ask you himself, so I¡¯m asking on his behalf. If he wants topete for the position of Prince Consort, how should he go about it?¡± Nan Yuso asked with a smile. Evening Wind Junior Sister looked at Nan Yuso and Li Xinghua with surprise, then turned her gaze back to Zhu Minng, puzzled, and said, ¡°Doesn¡¯t Mr. Zhu already have two stunning wives?¡± ¡°Men are all the same, fickle, always chasing after the new and growing tired of the old. To keep from being disgusting to him, we have no choice but to endlessly indulge his ambitions, right, sister?¡± Nan Yuso said. Li Xinghua remained silent, but her silence seemed like acquiescence in Evening Wind Junior Sister¡¯s eyes. When Evening Wind Junior Sister looked at Zhu Minng again, her eyes might as well have spelled out two screaming words¡ªscumbag! ¡°Mr. Zhu, although many esteemed men in the Imperial City have multiple wives and concubines, it is different in Miao Kingdom. Even a farmer¡¯s daughter would not ept her husband taking a second wife, let alone a princess,¡± Evening Wind Junior Sister said with righteous indignation. ¡°Cough cough, it¡¯s not as exaggerated as she says. I was just a bit curious,¡± Zhu Minng hastily exined. ¡°Seeking a suitor is simple. Those with noble identities from various countries can go to the royal pce and express their intentions. Mr. Zhu is the sole heir of Zhu Gate and also the only son of Head Meng. His status is distinguished, so naturally, the princess would take a few extra nces. However, status and position are not the most important things in the eyes of the Princess of Miao Kingdom. She values personal talent above all,¡± Evening Wind Junior Sister said. Soon after, Evening Wind Junior Sister left. But the way she looked at Zhu Minng hadpletely changed, and it wouldn¡¯t be long before the fact that Zhu Minng was an utter scumbag would spread among the female Swordswomen. Zhu Minng knew that Nan Yuso was simply fishing for a response. They couldn¡¯t just tell Evening Wind Junior Sister that they were nning to kidnap a princess, could they? ¡°I¡¯ll feign interest in the suitor selection first to figure out how many guards are around Princess Luoshui. Then we cane up with a perfect kidnapping n. Once we get the Ancient Lantern Jade, we¡¯ll make a quick escape,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°Isn¡¯t that too risky?¡± Li Xinghua said, worried. Kidnapping a princess¡­ Wasn¡¯t there any other way? This could lead to quite an upheaval. ¡°I actually think, Mr. Zhu, you couldpete for the position of Prince Consort. Such a beautiful princess,¡± Nan Yuso said with a peach-blossom smile. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that be like picking up sesame seeds and losing a watermelon?¡± Zhu Minng raised an eyebrow as he spoke. Compete for what Prince Consort? To forsake an entire forest! ¡°Mr. Zhu, Li Yunzi probably wouldn¡¯t mind you taking a concubine. If you could conquer the Princess of Miao Kingdom and get her to be your concubine, wouldn¡¯t that be the best of both worlds?¡± Nan Yuso continued to tempt him. ¡°I¡¯m very faithful,¡± Zhu Minng said coolly. Little sister-inw testing him, it was useless. ¡°Let¡¯s not rush. Doesn¡¯t the Miao Mountain Sword Sect have a piece of the Ancient Lantern Jade?¡± Li Xinghua said. Whether it was kidnapping the princess or having Zhu Minng be the princess¡¯s husband, neither was a good thing and incredibly difficult. It was best to put it on hold for now. ¡°That¡¯s right, let¡¯s first take a look at the Miao Mountain Sword Sect and then make other ns. If we could get both pieces of the Ancient Lantern Jade, nothing could be better,¡± Zhu Minng nodded and said. The more Ancient Lantern Jade, the better, as it could help extend Li Yunzi¡¯s lifespan. A piece or two of the fragmented Ancient Lantern Jade wouldn¡¯t be enough. Zhu Minng wanted to be with Li Yunzi forever, ideally growing old together. ¡°Sister, can you predict the future?¡± Nan Yuso asked. Li Xinghua shook her head. She couldn¡¯t see everything. After all, many prophetic images intruded like dreams. ¡°Oh, Zhu Minng¡­¡± A radiant Jinli suddenly floated out, staring nkly as it swam towards Zhu Minng. ¡°I know, I¡¯m Old Chen,¡± Zhu Minng interrupted Mr. Jinli¡¯s sentence. ¡°Where are we?¡± Mr. Jinli swam back and forth in front of the table. The waiter at the side initially thought he¡¯d served the wrong dish, a live fish, and wanted to rece it, but after watching for a while, he left with a strange expression on his face. ¡°Miao Kingdom, in the capital.¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°Have you been to Miao Mountain? I remember now, there¡¯s a Sword Tomb on Miao Mountain. Visiting it should be of great help to the Sword Spirit Dragon,¡± Mr. Jinli said. ¡°We¡¯re not going until a few dayster. We need to wait for Bai Qin¡¯an¡¯s response,¡± Zhu Minng exined. ¡°Mr. Jinli, we¡¯ve found the Ancient Lantern Jade. It¡¯s on the cheek of that princess of the capital,¡± Nan Yuso said. It was a good opportunity for Mr. Jinli to give some advice. With his extensive knowledge and experience, perhaps he could offer a better method. As expected, Mr. Jinli couldn¡¯t remember what the Ancient Lantern Jade was, instead he kept asking about the condition of Zhu Minng¡¯s dragons. ¡°It¡¯s a pity that if the Divine Green Holy Dragon hadn¡¯t been maimed, we could have rebuilt a Dragon King in a short amount of time, ensuring that the Divine Green Holy Dragon¡¯s cultivation base and strength wouldn¡¯t be less than Bai Qi and Mo Ye,¡± Mr. Jinli sighed. ¡°Should I elevate Big ck Tooth to Dragon Lord Level first?¡± Zhu Minng suggested. ¡°Yes, Bai Qi¡¯s Dragon Armor, you can start forging it too. This can greatly enhance its strength,¡± Mr. Jinli said. ¡°Nian Nian has already gone ahead to explore the Spirit Market here, where some resources should be cheaper.¡± ¡°Miao Kingdom has a Dragon Girl Pce, one of the seven pces of Azure Dragon Pce. The spirit materials of the Azure Dragon should be abundant, Ancient Dragon is harder to say. However, you can check if they have any good Azure Dragon Scales to craft Dragon Armor for Bai Qi,¡± Mr. Jinli said. ¡°I was about to look around anyway.¡± Strength must continue to increase. Especially if undertaking dangerous endeavors like kidnapping princesses or storming the Miao Mountain Sword Sect, without a few Dragon Kings at one¡¯s side, one would inevitably feel hesitant. Dragon Girl Pce, located in the Capital of Miao Kingdom, piqued Zhu Minng¡¯s interest, so he specially called on Wu Feng from Yaoshan Sword Sect and Yun Zhonghe. The three nned to visit Dragon Girl Pce under the name of Yaoshan Sword Sect. The dragon herders in Dragon Girl Pce all imed to be Dragon Girls. They didn¡¯t reject men like Miao Mountain Sword Sect, even though most of their members were also female dragon herders. Hearing that sword masters from Yaoshan Sword Sect hade, the people from Dragon Girl Pce quickly came out to meet them. The one who came was a beautiful woman adorned in the distinctive Blue Water Robe of the Dragon Girl Pce. The robe was extremely form-fitting, perfectly outlining her thirst-provoking curves. ¡°Our Dragon Girl Pce is also seeking son-inws. Would you three be interested? The way of matchmaking in Dragon Girl Pce is quite simple, requiring only the strong!¡± The Dragon Girl beauty said with a charming smile, making no effort to hide her unique mature allure. ¡°This young disciple of mine, Yun Zhonghe, has always been single, emotionally dull and slow-witted. If he could win over a woman¡¯s heart directly through his cultivation base and strength, he would naturally be willing,¡± Wu Feng quickly sold out Yun Zhonghe standing beside him. ¡°Competing is fine, but marrying is out of the question,¡± Yun Zhonghe disyed an extremely arrogant demeanor. ¡°You speak too soon,¡± the Dragon Girl beauty said. Chapter 221 - 222 Arrogant Prince Liang Chapter 221: Chapter 222 Arrogant Prince Liang Trantor:549690339 Once inside a grand hall with no dome above, a few radiant red maple pavilions stood tall, adding a touch of bright color to the otherwise grayish-green hues of the Dragon Girl Pce. Of course, no matter how colorful these indoor maples were, they couldn¡¯tpare to the elegant women of the Dragon Shepherds who sat upright throughout the grand hall, their bright attire shimmering. Even in the slightly cool season, they wrapped their fair and supple shoulders in nothing but soft silk¡­ Zhu Minng nced around and his mood suddenly brightened. Beautiful things were always like that, capable of making one forget the petty worries of life. Yun Zhonghe¡¯s eyes went wide, but he still pretended to be worldly and experienced. ¡°Just a row of young dragon girls sitting there, at the Yaoshan Sword Sect¡­ I really haven¡¯t seen much of it, mainly because the disciples of the Yaoshan Sword Sect dress too inly.¡± One who didn¡¯t know better might think they were Taoists who had seen through the vanity of the world! ¡°They are all outstanding female disciples of our Dragon Girl Pce who are to be married this year. In the waiting hall next door, there are several Princely Heirs and Princes from other countries lining up, and outside the hall, there are at least a thousand other brave and talented suitors¡­ Seeing that you havee from afar as honored guests, we have allowed you to be ced right behind the Princes,¡± the beautiful Dragon Woman Luo Miaoyu said. ¡°So if I win, can I pick any of those women at will?¡± Yun Zhonghe asked. Yun Zhonghe had actually taken a fancy to one of them, a girl in a light red soft silk blouse, her face pure and her eyes lively, like the waters of ake. However, as he asked this question, even the prim and properly seated dragon girls burst intoughter, chirping like a flock of songbirds. The beautiful Luo Miaoyu alsoughed, shaking her head and saying: ¡°Young Master Yun seems to have spent too much time in a ce where men are revered. To speak somewhat offensively, every man whoes to our Miao Kingdom is considered a disy item by us sisters. On the one hand, you showcase your appearance and, on the other, your talents. Then, and only then, do the sisters consider whether to make an offer to buy. If Young Master Yun wins, it¡¯s not you who gets to pick them, but they who get to choose you.¡± ¡°Sister Luo, and which backwater country are these Princely Heirs and Princes from?¡± asked the pure-looking dragon girl whom Yun Zhonghe had noticed. Backwater country. The term was indeed a bit jarring to hear. Mist Country, to be precise, was really a backwater country. It wasn¡¯t particrly prosperous, not well-known abroad, and if it weren¡¯t for the support of the Yaoshan Sword Sect, it would be practically ignored. ¡°Sister Song, these three are honored guests. They are Hall Master Wu Feng and Chief Disciple Yun Zhonghe from Yaoshan Sword Sect, and this gentleman is even more special, being the only son of Zhu Gate of the Six Great ns from the Imperial City. Sisters, don¡¯t miss out on this opportunity,¡± Luo Miaoyu said with a beaming smile, not shying away from the topic of bridegroom snatching. Once these young dragon girls heard that they were from Yaoshan Sword Sect and Zhu Gate, their eyes immediately sparkled with interest. Such status was no less impressive than those so-called Princes and Princely Heirs, andpared to countries and states, as members of the Azure Dragon Pce, they naturally leaned more towards power and influence. ¡°Since he¡¯s the Chief Disciple, he must be very strong. Maybe he could perform some swordsmanship for the sisterster?¡± suggested a dragon girl adorned with a flower ornament. ¡°Young Master of Zhu n, how about spending a few nights with me? You¡¯re much more charming than those petty men at home,¡± said a sensual dragon girl, who wore no veils and her clothes covered only the key parts. ¡°Hall Master Wu, are you married yet?¡± Upon this inquiry, Wu Feng¡¯s face turned red. It seemed that a man in his thirties like himself was quite in demand here. Indeed, it was a fine ce. Too bad he was already married. And watched very strictly. ¡°Who are these bumpkins? Kick them out straight away!¡± At that moment, in the waiting hall, avishly dressed young man walked in, followed by a group of blue brocade-d guards. ¡°Prince Liang, these people are¡­¡± Luo Miaoyu was about to reintroduce. The prince waved his hand impatiently and said, ¡°Sister Luo, you have your rules, and I have mine. Since birth, I have never contended with others for anything. Those who are blind to this have been minced and fed to dogs by my men. My driving them away is already an act of mercy.¡± ¡°What a boast,¡± Yun Zhonghe snorted coldly. The ostentatious and arrogant Prince Liang walked over, nced at Zhu Minng, and gestured towards him with his finger, ¡°Break this guy¡¯s legs and throw him out.¡± Zhu Minng¡¯s eyes bulged in shock. What the hell! Did I even say anything? I was just standing here, minding my own business, and now you want to break my legs. ¡°May I ask why?¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°There was a cousin of mine, who grew up with me, who stole a beautiful servant girl from me. I captured him, and we drowned him in a well. But every time I see that face, I still get angry. You have the same kind of face, one that women like, and I find it very ufortable to look at!¡± Prince Liang dered arrogantly. After hearing his reasoning, Zhu Minng found himself in a difficult position for a moment. Normally, when encountering such arrogant and conceited people, Zhu Minng enjoyed putting them in their ce. If it had been during his days as a Sword Cultivator, he wouldn¡¯t have asked for a reason and would have served them with his sword. Now that he was beyond those impulsive years, he felt he should at least ask for the reasons before chopping them up to feed to his dragon! But then, Zhu Minng found himself conflicted again. The prince¡¯s gaze didn¡¯t seem to have any problems, a face that women liked¡­ This was a newpliment to him, and he quite enjoyed it! ¡°Break all three of his legs?¡± asked the prince¡¯s guard in blue at that moment. ¡°What a stupid question!¡± The guard in blue, exuding an evil Qi, strode forward. His figure was exceedingly broad, like a giant ape in human clothes, with thick limbs that seemed capable of twisting some frail people into pretzels. ¡°A Power Master?¡± Wu Feng recognized the cultivation of the prince¡¯s guard immediately. ¡°It¡¯s a pity that my ck Treasure doesn¡¯t eat humans. Otherwise, with so many foolhardy creatures in the world, we could save a lot of money on dragon food,¡± Zhu Minng extended his palm. A sigil spread out on Zhu Minng¡¯s palm like ripples on ake, and the Door to the Spiritual Domain slowly opened. Big ck Tooth¡¯s form was even more majestic as he stepped out, and the Grand Hall shook. A row of sharp ck teeth of the Lei Cang Violent Dragon, its body covered in thick ck-purple scales, suddenly opened its maw wide and roared at the prince¡¯s guard! The roar came with a mouthful of drool, like a tidal surge suddenly crashing against the shore, sshing onto the brawny Power Master. ¡°Even summoning a Dragon General is a disgraceful act? Zhang Nine, kill his dragon first,¡± the prince spoke with a sneer at the corner of his mouth, disdainfully. ¡°To deal with this trash, it¡¯s more than enough,¡± Zhu Minng said. The guard named Zhang Nine charged forward fiercely, actually trying to grab the Violent Dragon¡¯s sharp teeth with his bare hands! Chapter 222 - 223 Throw the Prince Out Chapter 222: Chapter 223 Throw the Prince Out Trantor:549690339 The man was so powerfully built that he could block the Lei Cang Violent Dragon¡¯s bite with his bare hands, firmly holding its jaw to prevent it from closing. Guard Zhang Nine¡¯s body sank down, and with a heavy shove, he pushed the Lei Cang Violent Dragon back. Such a massive beast wobbled and nearly fell to the ground. It steadied its body and charged forward again, but the Power Master somehow used his shoulder to head off the attack, then grabbed the Lei Cang Violent Dragon¡¯s scales and hoisted the colossal dragon into the air! The Lei Cang Violent Dragon was thrown out. Big ck Tooth, infuriated and embarrassed, scrambled to its feet and advanced once more. However, the Power Master seemed to be well-prepared, once again thwarting Lei Cang Violent Dragon¡¯s assault and sweeping the beast off its feet. Zhu Minng, seeing this, decisively recalled Big ck Tooth back into his Spirit Realm. They had encountered a counter. This Power Master was clearly adept at using force against force, and he must have often fought against ferocious Ancient Dragons in his daily life, knowing well some of their weaknesses. In fact, thanks to the Meltfire Heavy Armor, Big ck Tooth could have the upper hand even in Lord Level skirmishes, and most Lord-level Dragon Beasts would not be able to prate the Meltfire Heavy Armor created by the Zhu Heavenly Officer. But facing this wrestling Power Master, the Heavy Armor instead became a burden to the Ancient Dragon, causing it self-harm every time it was mmed to the ground. However, Dragon Shepherds have their own advantages. Unlike some Divine and Mortals, who are helpless when they meet their nemesis, unable to exert their strength. Dragon Shepherds simply switch to another dragon and fight again. Zhu Minng called out his Divine Green Holy Dragon. Indeed, faced with the Divine Green Holy Dragon¡¯s thriving domain, the skilled dragon-fighting Power Master was utterly suppressed. The Divine Green Holy Dragon hardly needed to take action itself, leveraging the Method of Driving to draw some natural power from the indoor maple wood of the Grand Hall¡­ Before long, the Power Master was battered and bruised, like an injured evil hound, hiding at a distance. ¡°Zhang Ba, you¡¯re up,¡± Prince Liang ordered another guard behind him, unconcerned. Zhang Ba was clearly much stronger than Zhang Nine, his cultivation base reaching the upper Lord Level. He was also a Power Master but specialized not in wrestling but in formidable arm strength! When he pounded his arms on the ground, arge crater would form. Although the Grand Hall was specifically designed for the Azure Dragons topete and battle, the sight of tiles shattering in pieces still pained the beautiful Luo Miaoyu. The rows of Dragon Girls watched,pletely engrossed. The selection of suitors was essentially based on the prowess of various experts, and as Dragon Herders of the Azure Dragon Pce, they naturally loved dragons and enjoyed witnessing the various abilities disyed by dragons. Zhang Ba was strong but still no match for the Divine Green Holy Dragon. He didn¡¯tst long before he was tied up like a rice dumpling and thrown out of the Grand Hall. ¡°Mr. Zhu, would you have time to discuss the path of dragon-rearing with my sisterte into the night?¡± said the sexy woman who had previously teased Zhu Minng. Seeing his own prestige undermined, Prince Liang¡¯s face showed some displeasure as he coldlymanded, ¡°Zhang Seven, you¡¯re up!¡± Zhang Seven was a Dragon Shepherd who summoned his own Dragon Beast. The dragon, d in thick iron armor covered with spikes, resembled an extremely aggressive thousand-year-old turtle. The Iron Cone Turtle Dragon was not at all afraid of vines or old roots, and the Divine Green Holy Dragon, in such a spacious hall, found many of its driving forces difficult to exert. After a long battle between the Divine Green Holy Dragon and the Turtle Dragon, the Divine Green Holy Dragon¡¯s Method of Driving was of no avail against this old Turtle Dragon, nor could the Turtle Dragon harm the Divine Green Holy Dragon. Zhu Minng called upon the Lei Cang Violent Dragon again, enabling it to don the Meltfire Heavy Armor. This time, the Meltfire Heavy Armor exhibited absolute defense; shing with a dragon that had the shell of a thousand-year-old tortoise, the armor sustained not the slightest damage. On the contrary, it gradually overwhelmed the old turtle dragon. ¡°Zhang Liu, get in there!!¡± Prince Liang said angrily. Prince Liang didn¡¯t care about the rules ofbat; it would suffice to deal with the opponent. As for being outnumbered, that was a prince¡¯s prerogative. ¡°Zhang Five, Zhang Four, stop just watching, I don¡¯t have that kind of patience!¡± Prince Liang said to thest two guards behind him. Seeing this, Yun Zhonghe also stepped forward to intercept Zhang Five and Zhang Four. He couldn¡¯t let Zhu Minng be the only one putting on a show; he also had to win the heart of that pure Dragon Girl. Besides, Zhu Minng was simply taming dragons. He had two Monarch Level Dragons at his disposal and showed no sign of summoning them. ¡°Dammit, if I had brought Zhang Three, Zhang Er, and Zhang One with me today, you two good-for-nothing twerps would have no chance against me!¡± Prince Liang, red-faced with anger, eximed. ¡°Since Prince Liang has three stronger subordinates, why not bring them to the Dragon Girl Pce? Could it be that, while eating what¡¯s in his bowl, Prince Liang is eyeing what¡¯s in the pot, really setting his sights on Princess Manor of Princess Luoshui?¡± the beautiful woman, Luo Miaoyu, asked with a smile. ¡°So what if I am!¡± Prince Liang didn¡¯t try to hide his intentions. ¡°How can it be ¡®so what¡¯? It looks like Prince Liang might have to suffer some hardship today,¡± Luo Miaoyu remarked. Zhu Minng was indeed taming dragons, and it was quitefortable for his two dragons to sharpen their ws on pompous princes who, despite their strength, proved impatient every day. Zhu Minng just needed to stand by, peeling fruit to eat while asionally offering a few tips. ¡°Big ck Tooth, throw this prince out of the pce, and throw him far. I don¡¯t like the overbearing stench of his princely lineage,¡± Zhu Minng instructed. All of Prince Liang¡¯s subordinates had been defeated. Zhu Minng didn¡¯t have to be courteous with this Prince Liang. Big ck Tooth gaped, seizing the prince like an evil dragon. ¡°Let go of me, let go of this prince! How dare you touch me! If youy a finger on me, I¡¯ll have 200,000 iron-d soldiers from my country trample over your Nine Tribes, not even sparing your ancestral graves!!¡± Prince Liang was lifted up like a small chicken, kicking his legs wildly in the air. This prince, clearly neither a Dragon Shepherd nor a Divine and Mortal being, had no way to resist on his own after his subordinates were taken down. Seeing this disparaged prince in such a ridiculous state, the seated Dragon Girls covered their mouths andughed. Even those who had been slightly interested in the prince now rolled their eyes¡­ Beyond his prestigious status, he was useless. And his subordinates weren¡¯t much in a fight either! Such an inept prince made even the pleasures ofpanionship feel dull. ¡°This Mr. Zhu, I¡¯ll take him. My sisters and younger sisters, just wait and see, let¡¯s see what the other waiting men have to offer,¡± the pure-looking Dragon Girl stood up at that moment, pointing her finger at Zhu Minng. Yun Zhonghe¡¯s jaw nearly dropped, looking at Zhu Minng with disbelief. Why Zhu Minng? He only summoned two dragons! These two dragons weren¡¯t even as powerful as his, Yun Zhonghe! Could it be because of his looks?? Chapter 223 - 224: Publicly Buying a Man Chapter 223: Chapter 224: Publicly Buying a Man Trantor:549690339 On the side, Wu Feng gently patted Yun Zhonghe on the shoulder and whispered, ¡°Maybe it¡¯s just like what Prince Liang said, he has a face that women like.¡± Outside the pce, Prince Liang was thrown far away, a mere mortal falling onto the hard ground, teeth broken, his mouth full of blood! Prince Liang cried out in agony. His guards, beaten ck and blue, hurried over to help him but were kicked away, one by one, by the prince who cursed loudly, ¡°You¡¯re all useless, utterly useless, better to raise dogs than keep you!¡± Prince Liang certainly wouldn¡¯t let things rest, but he wasn¡¯t a fool either; he knew that going back would mean getting beaten up again, so he left begrudgingly. Surrounding the pce were over a thousand people waiting for their turn to enter, all here for Dragon Girl Pce¡¯s groom selection, but seeing Prince Liang being thrown out so violently, covered in blood, they turned pale with shock! Who was this person, so savage that even Prince Liang was not spared from a beating? The thousand or so people who had been patiently waiting soon dwindled to just over a hundred; those remaining were braving it out, most likely because they had set their hearts on marrying one of the Female Dragon Herders. Inside the pce, Yun Zhonghe¡¯s face was even uglier than those outside! It was not only because that pure Dragon Girl had chosen Zhu Minng, but also because about half of those twenty or so pure and beautiful Dragon Girls were more interested in Zhu Minng. Do Dragon Shepherds really look down on mortals like this? Or was it that these Female Dragon Herders saw himself, a Sword Master, as nothing more than someone working for Zhu Minng from the very beginning? Had he known this would be the oue, he wouldn¡¯t have bothered dealing with Zhang Four, Zhang Five, who were much stronger¡­ No, if he hadn¡¯t taken action, Zhu Minng might have summoned the Sword Spirit Dragon or the Ice Morning White Dragon. In that case, it wouldn¡¯t just be these twenty or so marriageable Dragon Girls fawning over Zhu Minng, probably all of Dragon Girl Pce¡¯s maidens would be vying for him! ¡°Ladies and sisters, I came merely to visit the far-renowned Dragon Girl Pce to see if there are suitable Dragon Scales. I had no intentions of bing a son-inw,¡± Zhu Minng said, greeting the eager Dragon Girls with a graceful bow and speaking confidently. ¡°No wonder he¡¯s a Young Master of the Zhu n, fierier than the usual men, but that¡¯s just what I like!¡± said the sexy Dragon Girl sticking out her little tongue and licking her full upper lip, her eyes dreamy. Zhu Minng felt awkward. Over there, the pure Dragon Girl was getting unhappy. She pointed at the sexy Dragon Girl and said, ¡°Sister, you should look elsewhere.¡± ¡°Flower Sister, why the urgency? Perhaps some Commandery Princess or youngdy has taken a liking to him. Here at Dragon Girl Pce, shouldn¡¯t repelling outsiderse first?¡± the sexy Dragon Girl argued. ¡°That¡¯s true, Mister Zhu will probably make a few rounds at Commandery Princess Manors nevertheless¡­ In the end, you must visit the Princess Manor, right?¡­ Every man is like this; even though the hope is extremely slim, they still want to try,¡± said the pure Dragon Girl. ¡°Indeed, I do n on visiting just to see, but nothing more,¡± Zhu Minng rified. ¡°Even the excuses are the same.¡± Zhu Minng simply smiled and offered no further exnation. ¡°By the way, what exactly is the formality of this groom selection? Why are there so many people at the door? On our way here, we saw a simr crowd in front of many prestigious homes, though none as overwhelming as Dragon Girl Pce, but indeed quite a few,¡± Wu Feng couldn¡¯t contain his curiosity and asked the beautiful Luo Miaoyu. ¡°Why don¡¯t you even know this? Are you not here to be suitors?¡± the pure and beautiful Floral Dragon Maiden asked with some surprise. ¡°We¡¯re just here to exchange swordsmanship with the Miao Mountain Sword Sect, and we happened toe upon your Bridegroom Selection Festival,¡± Wu Feng said. ¡°I see¡­ Every year at this time, young men enter the capital, and then they visit various renowned families and ns. They pay respect to those households disying small maple trees out front. Any visitor is wee, but suitors are not chosen immediately, rather it¡¯s an opportunity for mutual acquaintance. The young men meet the variousdies, learn about their family backgrounds, look at their appearances, while thedies usually sit in the courtyard, testing these visiting young men in various ways. If anydy takes a fancy to someone, she will note down his name, then use a special soot to write it on a Last Moon Maple Leaf, which is then delivered to the royal pce,¡± Luo Miaoyu slowly exined. ¡°To the royal pce?¡± Wu Feng was still confused. ¡°Yes, if a young man is outstanding, his name will appear more often on the Last Moon Maple Leaves. We call those men ¡®excellent suitors.¡¯ Come the seventh day, we will bid for our suitors, and the highest bidder wins him,¡± Luo Miaoyu said. ¡°Bid? You mean you simply pay money for them?¡± Zhu Minng asked, his eyes wide with astonishment. ¡°Not necessarily money. If you can bring out a treasure of considerable value, it can also be used to bid,¡± Luo Miaoyu said. ¡°Someone like Mr. Zhu, handsome and talented as you are, surely many youngdies from renowned families would like you very much. By that time, you won¡¯t be able to avoid a bit of a fight with those sisters whose wealth rivals that of nations,¡± the sultry Dragon Maiden said. ¡°Is that so for Commandery Princesses and Princesses as well?¡± Zhu Minng asked. ¡°Of course. But Commandery Princesses and Princesses have substantial resources. The men they fancy rarely stand a chance inpetition against them,¡± the sultry Dragon Maiden said. ¡°Actually, you gentlemen needn¡¯t be too concerned. Even if you aren¡¯t here to be suitors, you can still visit more households to meet good women. Women in our Miao Kingdom also greatly admire quality men. Some of thedies from wealthy families even spend a fortune just to have a talentpose a poem solely for them¡­ Our Miao Kingdom women are very gracious, never forcing men to do anything they don¡¯t wish to,¡± Luo Miaoyu said. ¡°Indeed, you can also follow the local customs here. Just choose talent and good looks. If you can catch the eye of some Commandery Princess or Duchess¡¯ daughter, wouldn¡¯t that also be a very meaningful event?¡± Zhu Minng, Wu Feng, and Yun Zhonghe listened until they felt dizzy. However, they roughly understood the way brides were chosen here. In the past few days, various heroes and talents visited those seeking bridegrooms, but none of the men would receive a final response. It has to be thedies who write the names on maple leaves and submit them to the royal pce, which then conducts what¡¯s called a bidding war for excellent bridegrooms. Ultimately, the men will follow ording to whichdy bids the highest. ¡°Isn¡¯t this just openly buying men?¡± Yun Zhonghe finally couldn¡¯t help but say. ¡°You can understand it that way if you like, but if you¡¯re not prepared to do that, there¡¯s no need to show up. We won¡¯t force you to participate,¡± Luo Miaoyu added. Zhu Minng gave a wry smile. Now he understood the system of female superiority and male inferiority in Miao Kingdom even more thoroughly. Men had no choice but to wait quietly for the bidding by the powerful women here. Even if they fancied a particr woman, if she was not willing to bid, they would have no choice but to serve another affluent woman. It¡¯s a poignant thought, but on deeper reflection, quite thrilling nheless. Chapter 224 - 225: Ten Thousand Years of Fei Yu Chapter 224: Chapter 225: Ten Thousand Years of Fei Yu Trantor: 549690339 In the Dragon Girl Pce, there were indeed many high-quality Azure Dragon Scales. Zhu Minng arrived at their collection attic and exchanged some Soul Beads and Dragon Balls on hand for a few. But the Azure Dragon Scales were only the basic materials; he also needed flexible Dragon Feathers, unbreakable Dragon Silkworm Silk, and some Mysterious Pattern Skin that could enhance Profound Arts. As Zhu Minng walked through the collection attic, he suddenly saw a gorgeous tail, spread out on the wall like a peacock¡¯s tail fan. At first, Zhu Minng thought a beautiful dragon was standing by the wall, but upon closer inspection, he realized that those tails, which swayed gently like reeds, were actually woven together from Dragon Feathers. ¡°What is this?¡± Zhu Minng asked, pointing at the feathers. The one apanying Zhu Minng here was none other than the attractive Sister Ding Yan, who gave a slight smile and said, ¡°Mr. Zhu has good eyesight. This is a treasure of our Dragon Girl Pce. Please take a close look.¡± With those words, Sister Ding Yan walked up to it, pouting her full, seductive lips, and then gently blew a fragrant breath onto the peacock-shaped feather disy. The breath, carrying a hint of warmth, seemed to bear a special kind of disenchantment magic power as the breath floated over the peacock tail feathers. The originally rigid feathers slowly began to soften, slowly transforming into something akin to coral tendrils¡­ Quickly, they all drooped down, turning into long strands of fluff, like the neatlybed hair of a woman, soft, noble, and beautiful. Zhu Minng felt a sense of incredulity. How could a breath change these feathers? From hard to soft! It was very much like the Ice Fluff of the Ice Morning White Dragon, and even more magical. ¡°This is the Millennia Feather, a rare feather from the body of a Transforming Spirit, a pity we couldn¡¯t preserve its transforming effect in its entirety when we plucked it, or it would be even more valuable,¡± exined Sister Ding Yan. Originally, these feathers could freely change their flexibility and also their colors, shifting into me, lightning, scorching light, ice marks¡­ It could be said that with these feathers, a Dragon Beast¡¯s attributes could be freely altered. Unfortunately, the Azure Dragon Pce wasn¡¯t very adept in gathering materials, and there was some damage done when they were removed from the Holy Spirits, so now only the property that allowed the feathers to change their flexibility was preserved. This was far from the Millennia Feather¡¯s original effect. ¡°Can I buy this from you?¡± Zhu Minng naturally liked this feather material. The Ice Morning White Dragon¡¯s feathers already had some variability in their transformation, although it was due to the spreading of cold air that frosted the soft feathers with ayer of solid ice, yet it matched well with this kind of flexible, changeable feather. Most importantly, the Ice Morning White Dragon was not only good at ranged attacks but also powerful in closebat. An overly heavy Dragon Armor was definitely not suitable for it, yet too soft a Dragon Armor wouldn¡¯t offer much protection. For the Dragon Armor being made for Bai Qi, feathers were certainly core. ¡°Depends on what you can offer.¡± Sister Ding Yan gave Zhu Minng a suggestive wink as a small hint. Zhu Minng pretended not to see it and immediately took out the remaining Cloud tform Holy Fruit. Little Bai Qi had already eaten two, and an extra one wouldn¡¯t have much effect; consuming it would be no different from eating themon fruit from the Cloud tform Mother Tree. Indeed, it would be better to exchange it for these special Millennia Feathers. If he could sessfully make this Dragon Armor, Little Bai Qi¡¯s strength could be elevated a level, even allowing him to face higher-ranked Dragon Kings without having to turn and flee! ¡°Sister Ding, what do you think of this?¡± Zhu Minng asked. ¡°A Holy Fruit? Such a potent spiritual energy!¡± Ding Yan took it over, examining it closely. The Cloud tform Holy Fruit emitted a cold spiritual aura, slowly spreading throughout the hall; as the temperature dropped, one could see the millennia-old Fei Feathers on the wall standing erect, transforming back into the previous splendor and toughness of a peacock¡¯s opened tail. The Cloud tform Holy Fruit was exclusive to the Dragon Country of Clouds and, naturally, a rare treasure for the Azure Dragon Pce. Ding Yan, who seemed to hold significant sway within the Dragon Girl Pce, agreed to this exchange. Securing the millennia-old Fei Feathers greatly lifted Zhu Minng¡¯s spirits; next, he just needed to find Ice Attribute Pattern Skin to begin forging Monarch Level Dragon Armor! In his days at the Zhu Gate, Zhu Minng was anything butzy, spending any avable time in the Armor Casting Hall, practicing the art of armor crafting. Given the extravagant cost of the materials this time, Zhu Minng felt a bit apprehensive; if something went wrong, the loss would be tremendous! Of course, if it were sessful, the strength of the Ice Morning White Dragon could rise a whole level. This was key to his safety while navigating out of the Miao Kingdom, considering he had two crucial tasks: to hold the princess hostage and to steal the Ancient Lantern Jade from the Miao Mountain Sword Sect. Armor crafting was not a process that took exceedingly long; it was primarily the skill of the hand that required extensive practice. Once he had all the materials and an urate armor blueprint, he could get straight to work, and it would only take a couple of days toplete. The blueprint had long ago been requested from Nan Lingsha to draw up for him. Zhu Minng could draw as well, but his skills were far from as precise as Nan Lingsha¡¯s. Nan Lingsha found drawing dragons quite interesting, especially creatures that embodied both beauty and strength like the Ice Morning White Dragon. Zhu Minng also acquired other forging materials from the markets of various countries, cities, and city-states he passed through; now, only Dragon Silkworm Silk and Ice Pattern Skin remained, dependent on whether the Little Food Manager, Fang Niannian, had any results! Back at the garden-like little inn, Zhu Minng began pondering the blueprint. Before starting work, every detail on the blueprint had to be visualized in his mind. The truly great casting masters of the Zhu Gate could even memorize things at a single nce and perfectly forge armor to fit the Dragon Beast without the need for blueprints. Zhu Minng had not yet reached that realm and had tomit everything to memory, allowing no room for error, as there was only one batch of materials. ¡°Meow~¡± Bai Qi stood on Zhu Minng¡¯s shoulder, its little head nearly touching therge blueprint, seeming like a think tank helping Zhu Minng strategize. Zhu Minng¡¯s eyebrows furrowed, as he tapped his own cheek with one finger. ¡°Should we just start forging?¡± Zhu Minng inquired. ¡°Meow~¡± Bai Qi nodded its head, feeling there was no issue! ¡°Do we need any rituals? I¡¯ve heard from the elders in my n that when making something big, it¡¯s best to sacrifice some other materials first,¡± Zhu Minng said. The so-called sacrifice of materials was a kind of profound art. When creating a significant item, one would first make smaller items with a lower chance of failure. If these small items sessfully overcame the pitfall of failure, then one could immediately start on the real project, under the notion of ¡°cushioning the failure rate.¡± After all, even the most skilled forging had a chance of failure, and if it failed, the materials would be partly damaged! ¡°Meow¡± Bai Qi shook its head, not fond of those shy tricks; it believed in Zhu Minng. Chapter 225 - 226: Whom to Worship Before Armor Crafting? Chapter 225: Chapter 226: Whom to Worship Before Armor Crafting? Trantor: 549690339 Fang Niannian did indeed bring back the Dragon Silkworm Silk and Ice Pattern Skin required by Zhu Minng, and with such a capable little assistant, Zhu Minng even considered giving her a raise. While Dragon Silkworm Silk and Ice Pattern Skin are not extremely rare items, finding those that meet Zhu Minng¡¯s current crafting needs requires spending a lot of time searching the markets. A slight time-saving method is to offer a reward for their purchase, which often costs several times the original price. Finding them in such a short period wasn¡¯t easy! With all materials ready and the blueprint memorized perfectly, what remained was to start working! The armor Zhu Minng nned to craft didn¡¯t have high requirements for the furnace or the forging table, so any random casting workshop would suffice. No sooner said than done, Zhu Minng first went looking for Mr. Jinli. Mr. Jinli is the mascot of Zhu Gate, and the elders would mostly invite it over whenever they needed to make some divine armor or holy clothes. Even though Zhu Minng was a young man who very much believed in the Heavenly Method, Dao Method, and Human Method, and not in those ignorant mysticisms, he still felt it would be much better to have Mr. Jinli present considering the expensive materials. After looking around, he didn¡¯t see Mr. Jinli. This posed a bit of a problem for Zhu Minng, had the koi been taken away by someone in the kitchen? At that moment, Zhu Minng suddenly thought of someone else. ¡°I must be out of my mind, why believe in such boring stuff? Why not just ask Miss Xinghua for a prophecy?¡± Zhu Minng pped his forehead and quickly went upstairs. He knocked on the door and greeted politely. Only then did the door gently open, instantly a fragrance wafted out. Zhu Minng focused his gaze and saw the Prophet¡¯s younger sister with her wet hair, droplets of water on her pale, smooth skin sliding down from her delicate and beautiful neck to her frail corbone¡­ She appeared to have just bathed, and the color of her skin was particrly alluring due to the steamy warm water, exuding a bewitching charm reminiscent of a seductress. This made Zhu Minng suddenly recall that dim ce, those blushing cheeks, moving towards him like a dream. ¡°Young Master?¡± Li Xinghua looked at him, asking with a trace of confusion. ¡°Ahem, well, I was hoping that Miss Xinghua could give me a prediction because I n to cast a very expensive Dragon Armor, and due to my not so skilled craftsmanship, there¡¯s a higher risk of failure,¡± Zhu Minng said, using his cough to cover hispse of focus. This was too much to handle. It was the same person. Why must the heavens torment me like this! A double ordeal wasn¡¯t enough, it had to be quadruple, and I¡¯m certainly not one of those still-water monks. This agony wasparable to lying with a flower-like beauty, yet separated by a veil that could never be torn away. ¡°Young Master, I¡¯m sorry, but I am not Yunzhi,¡± Li Xinghua seemed to notice Zhu Minng¡¯s expression, both revealing her affection and restraining herself in a way that deceived herself. ¡°The one who should apologize is me,¡± Zhu Minng replied awkwardly, turning his cheek aside and avoiding to look at her. ¡°If you do it during the extreme cold of the autumn night, you should seed,¡± Li Xinghua said. Zhu Minng calmed down and considered it. His materials inherently carried some ice attribute, which meant that even a subtle difference in the surrounding temperature could affect the entire process of crafting the armor. What a great reminder! It hadpletely slipped his mind. ¡°Thank you, Miss, you¡¯ve been a great help,¡± Zhu Minng expressed his gratitude joyfully. ¡°Hmm.¡± Zhu Minng turned and walked away, and after he had gone some distance, he couldn¡¯t help but chuckle bitterly. What a challenge, truly daunting! As the prophet auntie advised, wait until the coldest part of an autumn night to forge. Indeed, the process went very smoothly that night; Zhu Minng managed to perfectly cut out the outline pattern on the Ice Pattern Skin to fit Little Bai Qi, and sessfully stitched together several materials¡­ There were no mes beside the furnace, but rather an extremely low-temperature blue fire. Zhu Minng stood by the blue fire, pouring his spiritual power into each and every millennium feather. The craft of a casting master can be crudely likened to that of a tailor. However, the casting art of Zhu Gate was never about sewing and weaving with needle and thread. When spiritual power flowed evenly into each feather, they seemed toe to life, dancing around Zhu Minng before slowly settling onto the Ice Pattern Skin. The Dragon Silkworm Silk was also manipted with spiritual power, moving like fish leaping out of the water¡¯s surface, rising and falling, quickly binding all the millennium feathers and Ice Pattern Skins together. ¡°The inscription process will be done tomorrow, not sure if it¡¯ll go smoothly,¡± Zhu Minng murmured to himself. Lying next to the furnace was Little Ice Morning White Dragon, already nodding off, yet still forcing its eyelids open to keep Zhu Minngpany as he worked. The next day, at the coldest part of the autumn night again, Zhu Minng began inscribing the armor with inscriptions. The inscriptions are the soul core of this Dragon Armor, rting not only to the intrinsic effects of the armor when born but also to the sess of the White Misty Feather Armor. Without inscriptions, the armor at best could only withstand attacks from Lord-level creatures and would be a w in the expensive materials, useless to the Ice Morning White Dragon. Zhu Minng took deep breaths, once again using his spiritual sense to capture the Inscription Fragments dispersed in the air. The Inscription Fragments came from the millennium feathers. The millennium feathers, being an essential part of the Holy Spirits, could change shape at will and swap attributes. As Zhu Minng extracted the Inscription Fragments, he sensed the elements of thunder, ring light, me, and frost around him. He did not need the other three; he had to extract the Frost Insignia. This step was extremely difficult; if he had not reshaped his spiritual power in Spirit Realm, it would have been very hard for Zhu Minng to achieve. While performing this step, Zhu Minng became even more conscious of how important the prophet auntie¡¯s reminder was; the autumn chill naturally made the millennium feathers appear as solid ice, emphasizing the frost attribute. Zhu Minng guided them, branding the entire Dragon Armor with them, thus smoothing the process considerably. ¡°Perfect!¡± ¡°The most difficult step is already taken care of.¡± ¡°Tomorrow, the final integration can bepleted: wings, feathers, ws, body, tail. With five parts, there should be enhancements; it wille out of the furnace tomorrow!¡± Zhu Minng said. Whether the inscriptions were branded on can only be confirmed when the armores out of the furnace. What kind of additional effects will be born in the five parts can only be known once the armor is out of the furnace. Sess or failure will also depend on tomorrow. Even the finest casting masters find it hard to control all the properties and effects of a full set of armor; they can only guide in one direction. That is probably why the Zhu Gate is so fond of Jinli. In fact, to craft something of the highest quality, one must prepare ten or twenty sets of materials. If one attempt doesn¡¯t work, after ten or twenty tries, a masterpiece will emerge. If this time it doesn¡¯t work out, consider it practice. A good casting master throws in as much money into the furnace as a mountain is high! Chapter 226 - 227: Redressing Past Humiliations Chapter 226: Chapter 227: Redressing Past Humiliations Trantor:549690339 On the third night, Mr. Jinli was finally summoned by Zhu Minng. Mr. Jinli had no interest in casting arts. He swam leisurely, mumbling about how to maximize the enhancement of the ck Ocean Violent Dragon. Since Zhu Minng¡¯s Spirit Realm was reshaped and he could brew Spiritual Energy on his own, the one who benefitted the most was actually Big ck Tooth. Due to being a Disabled Dragon, the Divine Green Holy Dragon could no longer advance to the Complete Period; it could only rely on subsequent efforts for any change. Both the Sword Spirit Dragon and Ice Morning White Dragon were at the Monarch Level. Even with a hundredfold growth rate, their enhancement was still slow. After all, they were approaching the cultivation base of those Ten Thousand Year Saint Spirits. A month of nourishment was indeed equivalent to ten years of cultivation base, but ten years inparison to the foundation of ten thousand years was, ultimately, just a drop in the ocean. Big ck Tooth was different. What itcked was years. This month of nourishment was tantamount to ten years of growth; still at the Dragon General level, its cultivation base was notably increasing, already on the verge of breaking through to the Lord Level on its own! Ever since he had money, Zhu Minng had never been stingy with Big ck Tooth. The meat he fed it was the best millennium demon beast meat, and the Spiritual Resources used for strengthening were never cut short. As soon as one was digested, he would immediately replenish it. It was precisely this that Mr. Jinli observed, and he was already nning the next step of evolution for the Lei Cang Violent Dragon. ¡°Mr. Jinli, I¡¯m ready to start the furnace,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°Start the furnace then, you start the furnace. Do you expect this noble fish to perform a ¡®fish leaping through the sea of flowers at the sky¡¯s edge¡¯ move for you?¡± Mr. Jinli replied irritably. He is a koi with dignity. Not some foolish human¡¯s tool for seeking good fortune! He despised being treated as a mascot, and that included Zhu Minng! No sooner had the furnace opened than Zhu Minng took out the Feiyu Dragon Armor he had just finished. Strangely enough, ording to those bizarre books he¡¯d read, once a treasured artifact ispleted, it normally bursts forth with a brilliant light that is hard for the naked eye to withstand and even ripples with a colorful saintly aura¡­ So why doesn¡¯t this dragon armor look so cool? Could it be that he had failed to infuse the inscriptions? If so, then this armor might be worthless. Zhu Minng felt a twinge of pain and held the dragon armor, which looked white but otherwise unremarkable, in his hands. He then had Ice Morning White Dragon, whose eyes were sparkling, try it on. Good or bad, you only know once you wear it. Dragon armor is connected with the soul and is not just put on like those warriors or war behemoths do. Afterpletion of the bonding, Zhu Minng let Bai Qi transform into his battle form and called forth the Feiyu Dragon Armor! Ice Morning White Dragon spread its feathers and dragon wings, its noble down also elegantly fluttering. As Ice Morning White Dragon lifted its head, a saintly aura as scorching as the sun emerged on its body, shining so brightly Zhu Minng could barely keep his eyes open! Then came a splendid brilliance. Piece after piece of the purest white saint feathers were born from within the saintly light, like the purest snow silver, the most perfect diamond crystal, dazzling and affixing onto the body of Ice Morning White Dragon, decorating itsyered secondary feathers, enhancing Ice Morning White Dragon¡¯s vigorous and majestic physique with dignity and the imposing presence of an ice cier ruler!! Zhu Minng slowly widened his eyes, slowly opened his mouth. There was indeed blinding light, an exquisite saintly aura, which meant the inscription infusion was sessful, and at least one of the five parts¡ªwing, feather, w, tail, body¡ªhad an added effect! Mr. Jinli, who had been muttering beside him, was also attracted to the Feiyu Dragon Armor, feeling that his fish eyes reflected with the brilliance of shining pearls. ¡°A little Holy Good!¡± ¡°Could it be that this noble fish truly possesses auspicious fortune?¡± ¡°Why can a half-baked castsmith manage to forge Minor Sacred Goods?¡± Mr. Jinli nced at Zhu Minng and then at the truly stunning Sacred Dragon Armor on the Ice Morning White Dragon. ¡°Perhaps this is what they call talent,¡± Zhu Minng said, contentedly admiring the fruits of hisbor. To hell with superstitious nonsense; he was a once-in-a-millennium genius! Whether it was sword cultivation, dragon training, or forging, he could easily master them all! ¡°Mr. Zhu, Mr. Zhu.¡± Outside the forging room, the crisp voice of Evening Wind Junior Sister echoed. ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Evening Wind Junior Sister? Why are you looking for me sote?¡± Zhu Minng opened the thick door, asking somewhat puzzled. ¡°The three Sect Leaders of the Sect Forest have agreed. Tomorrow, you can enter the Miao Mountain Sword Sect. They told me that Mr. Zhu has been immersed in casting art these past days, and they feared you might miss the time to go up the mountain, so they specifically came to inform you,¡± Evening Wind Junior Sister said. ¡°I see, thank you, Evening Wind Junior Sister,¡± Zhu Minng responded. ¡°Mr. Zhu, don¡¯t stay here too long, okay? It¡¯s best to be fully rested. After all, our Miao Mountain Sword Sect is quite hostile to men. Once you go up the mountain, you will naturally face many challenges from Sword Masters, especially since you are from Yaoshan Sword Sect¡­¡± Evening Wind Junior Sister kindly reminded him. After saying this, Evening Wind Junior Sister left. She was somewhat curious about what Zhu Minng was forging, but she restrained herself from peeking in. Zhu Minng closed the thick door and once again admired the cier-dominating aura of the Ice Morning White Dragon with a smile on his face. ¡°Perfect, tomorrow I can finally avenge my past disgrace!¡± Zhu Minng said. Wen Lingfei! Back then, young and with an inferior cultivation base, he had suffered a humiliating defeat and had been beaten ck and blue with the t of a sword. Now, he was no longer that little sword cultivator from the past! ¡°Yo~~~~¡± The Ice Morning White Dragon also vocalized. ¡°You haven¡¯t forgotten that arrogant woman either, have you?¡± Zhu Minng said to Little White. Little White nodded emphatically. If it were only a Middle-level Monarch, Zhu Minng knew it would be difficult to defeat Wen Lingfei, but with the Sacred Dragon Armor, Little White should be able topete with those of High Rank King Level. Indeed, Wen Lingfei might reach Zhu Xuehen¡¯s realm in the future, but that would still take her several years of cultivation. The current her couldn¡¯t possibly have the same freakish unbeatable strength below the King Level as Zhu Xuehen. Of course, Zhu Minng knew that this trip to the Miao Mountain Sword Sect wasn¡¯t just about venting his past grievances. It was primarily about the Ancient Lantern Jade. The Miao Mountain Sword Sect was located on top of Miao Mountain on the western side of the kingdom. At the base of the mountain, there was a tranquil town closely linked to the capital. With its blue tiles intertwined with green waters, one could see women wearing hats simr to theirs, d in ethnic garments of vibrant colors, resembling blossoming mountain flowers, each with their own radiance and allure. Passing through this Blue Mountain Town, one could see the gates of the Miao Mountain Sword Sect, grand in appearance, resembling ancient mountain vis and temples, with lengthy and distant green stone steps leading up to different peaks. Tall greenwood, redwood, and purplewood buildings such as the Sword Pavilion, Sword Hall, and Sword Pce were partially hidden in the distant foliage. ¡°Sect uncle, is our mountain vi a bit too shabby?¡± the female Sword Master named Shao Ying said in a low voice. ¡°Miao Kingdom is wealthy, as everyone knows, don¡¯t fuss over these details, it¡¯s the loftiness of the Sword Dao that is truly worth aspiring to!¡± Wu Feng said with a serious face. Chapter 227 - 228: Shall We Compare? Chapter 227: Chapter 228: Shall We Compare? Trantor:549690339 Under the guidance of Wen Mengru, Wanfeng, and Bai Qin¡¯an, several Swordswomen, everybody began to climb the mountain. Thest time Zhu Minng had been here was at night; he hadn¡¯t seen the situation of the Miao Mountain Sword Sect. Now, ascending the mountain in broad daylight, he discovered that each wide, long step was actually carved with a painting. In these paintings, a simplified figure of a woman, wearing a veil hat and holding a sword at her side, was depicted with Flying Swords swirling around her. Each level featured a different move, and it was clear that some of the swordsmanship and stances of the Miao Mountain Sword Sect were embodied in these climbing stair pictures. Wu Feng, Yun Zhonghe, Shao Ying, and Hao Ye, a wandering Sword Master who had rushed over early that morning, ascended the mountain while gazing at these simplified sword diagrams. Soon, the mountain path diverged, and the evolutionary derivatives of those stair sword scores also branched out in different directions. Walking up the path felt like someone was demonstrating various sword techniques right in front of them. The members of the Yaoshan Sword Sect werepletely captivated. They even started to have disagreements on the path to take during their ascent. Yun Zhonghe wanted to follow the staircase up the mountain that depicted the flow of water sword technique, while Shao Ying had be somewhat infatuated with the raging rain sword and was willing to walk alone on that path. ¡°Everybody, each mountain path will eventually lead to the Miao Mountain Sword Pavilion, but some steps might contain misleading moves that could trap those who have just entered the Miao Mountain Sword Sect.¡± Bai Qin¡¯an spoke up. ¡°Are the difficulties starting already?¡± Zhu Minng smiled. ¡°Mr. Zhu can also follow us up the mountain if these sword scores are of no help to you,¡± said Bai Qin¡¯an. Wu Feng, Shao Ying, Yun Zhonghe, and Hao Ye, the four Sword Masters from the Yaoshan Sword Sect, all showed great interest. The sword scores engraved in the mountain stairs represented the simplicity of the ultimate way. Beginner Sword Masters could gain improvements from observing them, and those who were adept in sword techniques could also perceive a newer level of Sword Territory. The Miao Mountain Sword Sect rarely had visitors, so although the sword scores were openly presented on the mountain path, not many had the chance to observe them! ¡°The Miao Mountain Sword Sect indeed has a profound heritage. By turning the climbing route into a path of the Sword Dao, it must be the life¡¯s work of countless predecessors. When in Rome, do as the Romans do. Since it¡¯s a test, I¡¯m willing to give it a try,¡± Wu Feng said. ¡°In that case, we will wait for everyone at the Sword Pavilion. There should also be some nobles from Miao Kingdoming to witness the swordsmanship and valor of the Yaoshan Sword Sect,¡± Bai Qin¡¯an said. After speaking, Bai Qin¡¯an, Wen Mengru, Wanfeng, and the others responsible for leading the way went up towards the higher parts of the mountain. They moved swiftly, seemingly already memorizing their sword-moving steps in their hearts. They weren¡¯t at all confused or stopped by the constantly changing andplex techniques of the stairway engravings. Even those who were not Sword Cultivators could be immersed in the path of the sword scores. As an artist, Nan Lingsha seemed to have noticed something odd about them. ¡°The sword diagrams have a bewildering effect,¡± Nan Lingsha reminded Zhu Minng. ¡°Does it mean that if one can¡¯tprehend the underlying Sword Intent, they might keep going around in circles on this mountain road?¡± Zhu Minng asked. ¡°Yes, it tests a person¡¯s insight, like an exquisitely profoundntern riddle. It gives you some hints and then derivates the answer. Even those who do not practice swordsmanship can understand it, but to grasp the Sword Territory within is quite difficult. Even an Old Sword Master who has been studying these sword scores for ten years might get stuck in a dead end, with severe cases leading to deviation,¡± Nan Lingsha exined. Her tranquil eyes rippled as if she found these puzzling sword scores intriguing. With every step she climbed, she would lightly trace with her fingers as if recording this method of arrangement. ¡°What if I close my eyes and walk up?¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°Then naturally you can climb the mountain, but as the Swordswoman said, can you resist the profound temptations hidden within? If solved, it can enhance the realm of any being from the Divine and Mortal realms,¡± Nan Lingsha said. On ordinary days, Nan Lingsha, who was usually undistracted and spoke so little that her words could be counted, rarely talked this much. ¡°I won¡¯t conceal it from Miss Lingsha, I, Zhu Minng, may not be exceptional in many respects, but in terms of perception, I¡¯m definitely the best. These broken sword scores can¡¯t stump me,¡± Zhu Minng revealed a confident smile. Nan Lingsha looked at Zhu Minng, her beautiful eyes carrying a hint of scrutiny, but of course, she mostly felt that Zhu Minng was talking nonsense. ¡°You don¡¯t believe me?¡± Zhu Minng asked, raising his eyebrows. ¡°You¡¯re not as good as me,¡± Nan Lingsha said. ¡°Then let¡¯s have apetition, who can climb the mountain first?¡± Zhu Minng said with a hint of provocation. The painter¡¯s little auntie actually held immense pride in her heart. Since she set foot on the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent, she hadn¡¯t considered any of the God and Mortal figures to be worthy adversaries. A person¡¯s perception has nothing to do with their realm or strength. It¡¯s about how they break through and transcend when faced with bottlenecks in their realm. ¡°I¡¯ll wait for you at the Sword Pavilion,¡± Nan Lingsha said, before choosing a winding path for herself, observing the sword scores while heading towards the higher reaches of the Miao Mountain Sword Sect. Hmph! Do you really think you¡¯ve already won? Zhu Minng also chose a path leading up the mountain. The sword scores look simple, just some verymon moves¡ªthrust, stab, chop, sweep, sh, block¡­ But if you connect the diagrams on each level of steps and execute thempletely, the power is extraordinary. Zhu Minng had been practicing the sword since he was young. He remembered everything at a nce. They were just various derivations of swordsmanship, nothing unusual. Following the path, Zhu Minng realized that there was no one else behind or ahead of him. In front was a long, quiet stretch of mountain steps, and behind was a somewhat perilous mountain road. Just as Nan Lingsha had said before, these sword score diagrams were filled with a confusing spell. If you stared at them, you would be immersed in them. Everything around seemed to disappearpletely, leaving only a woman d in the sword scores, practicing her swordy ahead of you¡­ Each time the sword technique changed, it seemed to reveal a new path. With every step taken upwards, careful thought was needed, as this determined whether you would be trapped on this mountain path. Zhu Minng walked on while secretly marveling. It turned out that even someone at his sword realm could be locked on this mountain path. It seemed there were indeed mysteries he hadn¡¯t yetprehended. ¡°This is interesting. If my sword realm can be improved through this, then it¡¯s helpful,¡± Zhu Minng gradually became immersed in those sword scores. The Sword Awakening, and how much power it could exert, partly depended on how much strength the Sword Spirit Dragon¡¯s Inscription could awaken, and partly on one¡¯s own sword realm¡­ Walking, walking, thinking, thinking, Zhu Minng¡¯s pace changed from slow to fast, as if he had caught the key to those sword scores and everything became clear. Gradually, Zhu Minng went from a brisk walk to a jog. Before long, the jog turned into a sprint. In the end, Zhu Minng started racing along the mountain trail! Chapter 228 - 229: Sword Tomb Ridge Chapter 228: Chapter 229: Sword Tomb Ridge Trantor: 549690339 The mountain paths wereplex, although Bai Qin¡¯an had said that all these mountain paths would eventually lead to the Miao Mountain Sword Pavilion, in reality, they were winding and diverged excessively, leaving one with no idea where they might end up. ¡°This path should lead to the Sword Pavilion ording to the Heavenly Scar Sword Manual, but what about the one beside it¡ªis it meant to confuse others, or is there another trick to it?¡± Zhu Minng stood at a fork in the mountain road. He headed down this secluded path, his heart filling with even more curiosity. Turning around, he walked along the somewhat peculiar path and soon, the Sword Spirit Dragon within the Spirit Realm started to thrum as if responding to some call. The Sword Spirit Dragon is reacting? Could there be an Ancient Sword hidden in the mountains? Zhu Minng hastened his pace, but suddenly, the path before him split into nine, nine identical paths, with only the sword patterns on the steps of each being different. Zhu Minng had to figure out the correct derivation from the basic swordsmanship depicted on some of the steps in front of him! ¡°Sword Spirit Dragon, go through them one by one for me, let me have a look,¡± Zhu Minng summoned the Sword Spirit Dragon. The Sword Spirit Dragon danced in the air, mimicking the sword techniques from the sword scores on the nine paths, with Zhu Minng watching intently, but soon, he fell into deep thought. All nine derivations of the sword score seemed fine, and although they belonged to the Flying Sword Faction that he was unfamiliar with, the power they generated, the effects they produced, and the scenarios in which they were used all made sense! How should he choose? Before, he could have used the process of elimination, but now all nine seem to be the correct answer. ¡°If they are all correct, then just pick one at random.¡± Those with lower Sword Realm might hesitate over these nine paths, insisting on finding the only correct derivation of the sword score. But in Zhu Minng¡¯s view, all nine Flying Sword sword scores had no issues. While they formed their own systems, they were alsoplete. Therefore, there was no need to waste time hesitating over the choice. Taking confident strides, Zhu Minng walked steadily, unswayed by the changing sword techniques on the steps. As he walked, Zhu Minng had the Sword Spirit Dragon mimic the techniques from the sword scores, watching as the Sword Spirit Dragon continuously traced sword marks along the secluded path, like fireflies dancing in a forest! Even though Zhu Minng had no cultivation base, he could mimic the sword moves. Walking along, he and the Sword Spirit Dragon were one in thought and heart, practicing swordsmanship across the air ¨C the dense, firefly-like sword lights filled the entire mountainside, lingering long on the leaves of the forest. Finally, afterpleting the sword score, Zhu Minng realized he was standing amidst a Sword Tomb! The deste grass mourned, hills undted, and atop each stone tomb, instead of tombstones, there stood swords eroded by the passage of time! ¡°This is the Miao Mountain Sword Tomb!¡± Zhu Minng¡¯s heart leapt with joy. Deste, ancient, with a hint of bleakness, as Zhu Minng walked into the Sword Tomb, he felt a surge of killing intent confronting him. The swords on top of the stone tombs were like guardian spirits undying for thousands of years, harboring deep hostility towards all creatures that intruded this ce. ¡°Buzz!!!¡± ¡°Buzz!!!!¡± The Sword Tomb suddenly let out one mournful cry after another, as if the swords stuck in the stones hade to life, actually wriggling free from their sturdy graves! The tombs stretched endlessly, the eye could not see their end and the suppressed ancient swords were innumerable. Now, their hostility grew deeper and thicker, the surging aura seemed intent on tearing Zhu Minng, the intruder, to pieces! ¡°What¡¯s happening here, could there also be a sword spirit in this ce?¡± Zhu Minng looked at the tomb in surprise, at each of those ancient swords, cold as wild beasts. The Sword Spirit Dragon was now a deep red all over, with the strong sunlight shining on its body, casting ovepping shadows on the ground, as if all the sword souls within the Sword Spirit Dragon¡¯s body were being revealed. ¡°Yaoshan Sword Sect and Miao Mountain Sword Sect were originally one sect. During a division, the two factions fought a battle. At that time, countless sword masters perished, innumerable swords were broken, and to mourn their respective sword ancestors, Yaoshan established the Abandoned Sword Forest, and Miao Mountain established Sword Tomb Ridge¡­¡± At this moment, a senile voice spoke up from behind Zhu Minng. The speaker was none other than Mr. Jinli, who still took the form of a koi embroidery, attached to Zhu Minng¡¯s clothing. This time, however, it did not show itself, only speaking from there. ¡°That battle was fierce and darkened the skies. So many years have passed, and perhaps the descendants of the sword ns havepletely forgotten, but those ancient swords that perished in the battle still remember,¡± Mr. Jinli continued. Zhu Minng looked on, seeing the Sword Spirit Dragon, although it was just a single sword suspended in mid-air, it indeed radiated different auras, and several of the ancient swords sleeping within it had awakened, shining with an inscription radiance never seen before! ¡°Even if the seas dry up and the mountains crumble, is there still no victor?¡± Zhu Minng muttered to himself. From the emotions of the Sword Spirit Dragon, Zhu Minng could feel the unwillingness and indomitable will of those broken ancient swords¡­ This reminded Zhu Minng of the words Zhu Heavenly Officer had once said to him. Every inscription has a story, whether it be its owner who shook the heavens and earth, or the instrument that sparked a fierce battle, or perhaps the artifact spirit that witnessed the rise and fall of a sect¡­ Their souls only awaken in certain scenarios. The unresolved battle between Miao Mountain Sword Sect and Yaoshan Sword Sect was halted due to the fall of sword masters and the advance of their age, but these ancient swords have never forgotten! ¡°The Sword Spirit Dragon is the entire Abandoned Sword Forest of Yaoshan Sword Sect. Originally, the two ces were half the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent apart and should not have been able to resonate anymore¡­¡± Mr. Jinli continued to speak from behind Zhu Minng, also secretly marveling. This ce is the Sword Tomb Ridge. The mountain forest beneath the twilight, covered in rust stains, was also a forest of sword graves. Perhaps unwilling to be forgotten so easily, or perhaps still wishing to determine a victor, Zhu Minng seemed to hear the ancient swords atop the continuous sword tombs wailing. A massive cloud slowly covered the intense sunlight. Sword Tomb Ridge began to darken, with a strange mist spreading all around, shrouding everything within Zhu Minng¡¯s field of vision. Zhu Minng wasn¡¯t sure if it was just his imagination, but he saw the sketch of a woman from the sword score leaping out from the lengthy steps behind him! On each step, there was a silhouette of a woman. They took out the ancient swords, tattered and battered, from the sword tomb, and actually surrounded Zhu Minng and the Sword Spirit Dragon! Zhu Minng was shocked; in all his travels, he had never seen such a scene! ¡°Don¡¯t panic, it¡¯s just like the scene of a Ghost Market,¡± Mr. Jinli said. Upon hearing this, Zhu Minng¡¯s face grew even paler. That¡­ that means it¡¯s haunted! Those silhouettes might be considered ethereal ghosts, but those swords are definitely real! Chapter 229 - 230: Scorched Marks and Blazing Quietude Chapter 229: Chapter 230: Scorched Marks and zing Quietude Trantor: 549690339 Fortunately, those Charming Shadows and the Ancient Swords of the Sword Tomb weren¡¯ting for me. There were already several hundred soul shadows on the Sword Spirit Dragon, each representing an ancient sword from years long past. I saw the Charming Shadows clutching the Ancient Swords of the Sword Tomb battling fiercely with the soul shadows on the Sword Spirit Dragon. Under the shroud of mysterious fog, I felt like I had inadvertently wandered into an ancient battlefield thousands of years old, where the shing of weapons created an unending cacophony. Zhu Minng noted that whether it was the Charming Shadows¡¯ ancient swords or the soul shadows¡¯ ancient swords, they all seemed to meld into their respective sword techniques as if controlled by the will of powerful Sword Masters. Such a spectacle was indeed rare to witness. Zhu Minng stood amid this entanglement of des, his gaze sweeping over the bodies of the various ancient swords. I had previously been studying the inscriptions on the stairs, but now I could see those Charming Shadows as if ancient people hade back to life, disying their swordsmanship right before me. Even many lost sword techniques appeared in this so-called ¡®Battlefield of Sword Ghosts.¡¯ As Zhu Minng watched in fascination, some dormant Inscriptions on the Sword Spirit Dragon began to glow. They caused slight changes to the dragon¡¯s sword body, with the Sword Pattern bing ever clearer, as if flowing with threads of molten fire, igniting immediately on contact with the air! ¡°Fire Trace Sword??¡± Zhu Minng¡¯s eyes lit up when he saw a faint me beginning to kindle on the Sword Spirit Dragon. A new ancient sword was awakening within the Sword Spirit Dragon, meaning Zhu Minng would gain another surge of Sword Awakening power! Those ancient swords, some broken, some decayed, some rusted as if never sharpened, shed and parried as if being reforged, honed, and quenched, ced into the furnace to endure the scorching heat and purified of all impurities to be incredibly refined! And the Fire Trace Markings were awakening amidst such fiercebat, turning the entire Sword Spirit Dragon¡¯s sword body red hot as if just extracted from the forge, with the shadowy fire patterns appearing to coil around like a thousand-year-old fire demon, lending an even more sinister and mysterious aura to the Sword Spirit Dragon! At times, the me was a ring red, wild and irascible, as if a single drop of the red fire liquid could turn a vast expanse of forest into ashes. The me would then quietly subside, transforming into a ghostly night fire, burning beneath the nine Netherworlds, the ultimate sinister and malevolent fire. Compared to the red fire, this shadowy me was even more unstable, briefly appearing before being immediately overwhelmed by the surging, wilful ze. ¡°It¡¯s another Inscription, seems like the Yellow Spring Sword,¡± Zhu Minng said, his face gradually revealing a look of surprise as he watched the ming Sword Spirit Dragon interchange. The Azure Blood Sword, Fire Trace Sword, Yellow Spring Sword¡­ Zhu Minng was very familiar with these swords. They had their own names, but they were all rusted. He remembered them distinctly from practicing in the Abandoned Sword Forest. Back then, the Azure Blood Swordcked the blood-drinking open de, its body did not glow crimson, and it could not slice through iron as if it were mud. The Fire Trace Sword didn¡¯t have this fierce, wild fire flickering like the vivacious sun capable of scorching the earth. Simrly, the Yellow Spring Sword didn¡¯t have this ghostly me attached to it, the sword body veiled inyers of Charming Shadows, heavy with an eerie atmosphere as if drenched in the mes of the Yellow Springs¡¯herworld pool. Having two ancient Sword Souls awaken at once and gaining two Inscriptions, Zhu Minng was overjoyed. Never did I expect to stumble upon the Sword Tomb of Miao Mountain and reap such rewards. ¡°I wonder if there are any other ancient swords awakening. Shall I have another look?¡± Zhu Minng was no longer in a panic. The legendary ancient swords fought as they would, yet not harming a single grass or tree. Zhu Minng immersed himself in the scene, learning the techniques of the Flying Swords on one hand and on the other hand, trying to break through the Sword Realm he had never reached before¡­ Of course, if I could awaken one or two more Inscriptions, it would be a fortune made! Rising Sun Sword Pavilion At Miao Mountain Sword Sect, a Sect Leader, three Elders, five Hall Masters, and a group of female disciples wearing veiled hats were quietly waiting in front of the Sword Pavilion¡¯s teau. Several elegantly dressed, bejeweled Female Marquises, Commandery Princesses, and Female City Lords were sitting gracefully under the canopy of white umbres, sipping fine wine and enjoying fruits as they awaited the arrival of those ascending Miao Mountain. At that moment, Hao Ye, a member of the Yaoshan Sword Sect who had only arrived the previous night, approached. He nced at the array set out by the Miao Mountain Sword Sect, his lips curling slightly upwards. It seemed that both the Miao Mountain Sword Sect and the nobility of Miao Mountain ced great importance on this swordsman exchange. He looked around and felt that no one had entered the pavilion earlier than himself. ¡°Yaoshan Sword Sect¡¯s Cloud Wanderer Sword Master, Hao Ye!¡± With hair as untamed and frivolous as wild grass, his casual appearance only added to his handsome, roguish charm. ¡°Please take a seat,¡± Bai Qin¡¯an gestured to a delicate cushion under the white canopy. ¡°I must be the first one to climb the mountain, aren¡¯t I? I wonder if my time ascending the mountain was faster than that of others who have visited Miao Mountain Sword Sect?¡± Hao Ye asked. ¡°There haven¡¯t been many visitors to our Miao Mountain Sword Sect, I can¡¯t remember the past, but this youngdy arrived a bit earlier than you,¡± Wen Mengru chimed in. Hao Ye turned his head and saw a woman wearing a light blue veil. At first, he thought she was another swordswoman! After taking a closer look, Hao Ye realized she was the samedy who hade up the mountain with them. Hao Ye was somewhat chagrined. He had thought that the only person faster than himself would be the freak Zhu Minng. ¡°I have not had the chance to introduce myself before. I am Hao Ye, a Cloud Wanderer Sword Master from the Miao Mountain Sword Sect,¡± he said with a salute. ¡°Artist, Nan Lingsha,¡± Nan Lingsha responded indifferently. Hao Ye had indeed arrived at the capital the night before and set off to climb the mountain early the next morning, barely having time to get to know the others. The main issue was that their Yaoshan Sword Sect needed to maintain their presence at thisswordsmanship exchange. Although Yun Zhonghe was the Chief Big Disciple, his generation was arguably the worst that Wu Feng had trained, which meant Hao Ye had to step up in a crisis. After sitting for a while, the figure of Wu Feng slowly appeared on the mountain path. With a look of pleasure, he seemed to have gained some insights in the steps of Sword Score Mountain. Seeing that Hao Ye had already arrived did not surprise Wu Feng; after all, apart from Zhu Minng, Hao Ye was the most exceptional disciple the Yaoshan Sword Sect had had in a hundred years, although he had long surpassed the level of a disciple, traveling the world at will¡­ But Wu Feng did not expect Nan Lingsha to have already arrived. She was not a Sword Master ¨C how could she have grasped these Sword Scores even more profoundly? Chapter 230 - 231: Toughness! Chapter 230: Chapter 231: Toughness! Trantor: 549690339 ¡°This is the Hall Master of the Yaoshan Sword Sect, Wu Feng,¡± Bai Qin¡¯an immediately introduced. The Sect Leader wearing the ck veil nodded slightly, but did not speak. Not only did she disregard the salutation, she did not respond at all. Wu Feng felt somewhat embarrassed, not expecting the Sect Leader of the Miao Mountain Sword Sect to be so aloof, or was it that he, as a minor Hall Master, was simply beneath her notice? As Wu Feng approached, he noticed that several Swordswomen, who were also Hall Masters, were intently staring at him. After all, Wu Feng was a man past thirty and wouldn¡¯t narcissistically think that they were all enamored with him. Most likely, they were eager to spar with him. It was not often that a Hall Master from the Yaoshan Sword Sect visited their mountain, and these women, who were obsessed with the Sword Dao, were probably itching to draw their swords and meet him in battle. There seemed to be another very important reason. Men were indeed not very wee here. Miss Nan Lingsha, who had arrived earlier, was seated under a white parasol, with fragrant fruits and fine wine before her, and a young female disciple attending to her. But Hao Ye did not receive such treatment. He was essentially seated outside, subjected to the wind and the sun, with nothing but a cup of the simplest clear water before him¡ªand nothing else. Looking at his own seating arrangement, Wu Feng found it was indeed just a cushion, the kind on which a hen could hatch eggs. Is the disparity between men and women really that great? Hao Ye appeared to be an easygoing person, ustomed to the life of wandering thends, often sleeping in dpidated temples, so he was quite content with the treatment here, but Wu Feng felt slightly lessfortable. He reluctantly sat down on the cushion, with the sunlight shining directly into his eyes, causing difort. A whileter, the young disciple Shao Ying ascended the mountain. Bai Qin¡¯an gave a brief introduction, and sure enough, those Hall Masters and Elders exhibited some degree of the expected hospitality, personally inviting Shao Ying to the prestigious white tent where she joined Miss Nan Lingsha, served by the female disciples of the Miao Mountain Sword Sect. Shao Ying, being of a lower status and not as powerful, was merely there to make up numbers. Seeing her seniors, who were far stronger than her¡ªHao Ye and Uncle Master Wu Feng¡ªsitting rather pitifully in a corner, she suddenly felt very ufortable. Wu Feng sighed softly, waved his hand, and gestured for Shao Ying to follow the local customs after all, they were on someone else¡¯s territory, and the entire nation had this kind of atmosphere¡­ It wasn¡¯t long before Yun Zhonghe arrived. Bai Qin¡¯an did not even bother to introduce him, and those Elders and Hall Masters of the Miao Mountain Sword Sect showed no interest at all. Yun Zhonghe waspletely baffled and then was ced next to Wu Feng, on the same kind of cushion, with an attitude of ¡®sit however you like.¡¯ The sun was at its most scorching, and even in autumn, it was unbearably hot. Yun Zhonghe was angry but dared not speak out. ¡°Uncle Master, we¡¯vee all this way, already reaching the capital, and not only have we been left to one side for several days, but once we were finally allowed up the mountain, we¡¯re beingpletely disregarded,¡± Yun Zhonghe whispered his grievances to Wu Feng. ¡°It¡¯s not that they don¡¯t consider us at all. Look, isn¡¯t Shao Ying being treated with great hospitality?¡± Wu Feng said helplessly. Yun Zhonghe was left speechless at once. So, it was because they were men? And they didn¡¯t even offer him a sip of water? In the sweltering heat, Yun Zhonghe¡¯s hands and feet were ice cold, his anger making him shiver all over. When would men be able to stand tall in the Miao Kingdom? They waited for nearly half a ¡®time¡¯. The people of the Miao Mountain Sword Sect did not say a word, as if they would disdain to interact with those from the Yaoshan Sword Sect until everyone had arrived. ¡°Could Zhu Minng have gotten lost?¡± Yun Zhonghe said. ¡°He¡¯s lost his Sword Cultivation Level, he might find it difficult to read the Sword Score, so let¡¯s wait a little longer,¡± Wu Feng said with a calm heart. As they were speaking, Zhu Minng walked up from the terraced steps of the mountain. He nced at the Miao Mountain Sword Sect¡¯s grand setup. Although it was all women, who were indeed a pleasure to the eye, they gave off a forbidding chill that made one quite ufortable. ¡°Everyone is here,¡± Bai Qin¡¯an said. Miss Xinghua did not ascend the mountain, choosing to wait with Fang Niannian in the kingdom. Considering it possible that someone might steal the Ancient Lantern Jade, it seemed better that the powerless Prophet did not risk involvement. ¡°Please take a seat,¡± said a Swordswoman, wrapped tightly from head to toe, guiding Zhu Minng towards a simple straw mat ced in the sun. But Zhu Minng walked straight to the extravagant white umbre tent and sat next to Nan Lingsha. He grabbed a bunch of grapes, which he liked to eat, paying no mind to behaving as a guest. ¡°Our rules dictate that men may not enter the tent, nor sit on chairs¡­¡± the tightly-wrapped Swordswoman sternly stated at that moment. Bai Qin¡¯an was about to speak when the Sect Leader beside her raised a hand to signal her not to intervene. ¡°You set your rules; whether I follow them is my business,¡± Zhu Minng replied. ¡°Why are you so rude?¡± the Swordswoman heatedly demanded. ¡°Your Chief Disciple is polite to me, yet you, a mere Swordswoman, dare to point fingers and make unnecessary gestures,¡± Zhu Minng red at the haughty Swordswoman. Wu Feng, Yun Zhonghe, and Hao Ye watched Zhu Minng as he remained arrogant and domineering on others¡¯ turf, and could not help but give him a mental thumbs up! So audacious! ¡°This is the Miao Mountain Sword Sect, I will not tolerate such insolence from a lowly man here¡­¡± ¡°Get lost!¡± Zhu Minng ran out of patience and scolded coldly. Chirping and chattering, disturbing the peace. The young Swordswoman, with her face turning red with anger and helpless against someone who refused to follow the rules, could only look pitifully for assistance from the Hall Master, who was the only one without a ck Veil. The Hall Master, with her austere face, exuded the severity and autocracy unique to those who governed the Disciplinary Sword. ¡°Master Wu Feng, are your disciples also so undisciplined and uncontrolled in your sect?¡± the Disciplinary Sword Maiden challenged. ¡°This is my junior brother Zhu Minng, not a disciple,¡± Wu Feng responded indifferently. Control Zhu Minng? Not even the Elder Sword Sovereign could handle him! And to control him, you¡¯d have to defeat him first. ¡°Our rules have been passed down for thousands of years, and we will not proceed with this swordsmanship exchange until the rules are properly observed,¡± the Disciplinary Sword Maiden stated. ¡°There¡¯s nothing much to exchange anyway, just some outdated, boring swordsmanship with no practical use; it¡¯s purely because you secluded Swordswomen think you¡¯re still the elite of the Sword Sects, simply because you venture out so seldom and are nothing but frogs in a well,¡± Zhu Minng stated. Wu Feng¡¯s eyes nearly popped out at the words. This was their territory! A little restraint was in order, especially with elders and Sect Leaders present! ¡°Heh, such big talk. In recent years, you¡¯re only the second person to speak so boldly in our Miao Mountain Sword Sect,¡± said the Disciplinary Hall Master as she approached, clearly intent on asserting her authority. Males are just like that, not disciplined for a day and they climb the roof to tear off the tiles! Chapter 231 - 232: A Mere Woman Chapter 231: Chapter 232: A Mere Woman Trantor: 549690339 ¡°Who was the first one?¡± Zhu Minng instead asked curiously. ¡°Many years ago, a sword master kid who trespassed our sect was only allowed to leave unharmed because he is the son of our Sect Leader Meng. You might not be so lucky!¡± the Discipline Hall Master said. After saying that, Bai Qin¡¯an quietly said to the master of the Discipline Hall, ¡°Hall Master Lin, it was him who trespassed the mountain back then.¡± The Hall Master Lin Min was stunned for a moment. The same person, huh! No wonder the tone and the audacity were both familiar. ¡°Zhu Minng?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t he the son of Sect Leader Meng?¡± ¡°It really seems to be him, I heard that a few years ago he even broke into our Sect Forest alone and defeated all our disciples. If it hadn¡¯t been for Wen Lingfei stepping in, we would have lost a lot of face.¡± Several swordswomen and hall masters started discussing quietly among themselves. And themandery princesses, female marquises, and female city lords sitting among them immediately perked up their ears to listen. Meng Bingci, Head Meng, the resident and ruler of Miao Kingdom, was a supremely distinguished individual in the Miao Mountain Sword Sect known to all, but most were unaware that she also had a son. The master in ck veiled hat was clearly not Meng Bingci. Meng Bingci had been in a secluded retreat at the waterfall house for many years, hardly managing many affairs. What kind of temperament Head Meng had was known to everyone in Miao Mountain Sword Sect, and nobody would really take Zhu Minng as the young master of the Miao Mountain Sword Sect. The lesson would be taught all the same! ¡°Since you said he is your junior brother, Master Wu Feng, he is of the same generation as us. So it wouldn¡¯t be considered overstepping if I were to take this opportunity to experience the swordsmanship of your Yaoshan Sword Sect and also teach him the rules of the Miao Mountain Sword Sect, would it?¡± Swordswoman Lin Min of the Discipline Hall spoke. ¡°Swordswoman, perhaps it is I, Zhu Minng, who ought to teach you the rules of this world instead, where the weak are contemptible, and the strong are revered!¡± Zhu Minng finished his grapes and slowly stood up, seemingly ready to ept the challenge. ¡°The weak are contemptible, the strong are revered¡­ Good, good, good!!¡± Swordswoman Lin Min was clearly angered. The eyes of the visitingmandery princesses, female marquises, and female city lords lit up. They thought it would be an exceedingly dull meeting, but they hadn¡¯t expected such abative start. As the foremost sword sect of the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent, such direct confrontation was only fitting. For some reason, the fruit became even tastier. Swordswoman Lin Min walked towards the spacious mountain clearing without even removing her veil. Zhu Minng would naturally not back down, was he supposed to cower beneath the sun like those three good-for-nothing men, Wu Feng, Hao Ye, and Yun Zhonghe? It wasn¡¯t so much about the embarrassment of squatting under the sun as about their intentional differential treatment, which made Zhu Minng very ufortable. In dealing with these people of the Miao Mountain Sword Sect, blindly following them was meaningless. If there was a problem, settle it with a sword! ¡°Please, enlighten me,¡± Swordswoman Lin Min said coldly, holding a sword in her hand. ¡°No problem, sparring with someone as outstanding in the Sword Dao as I am will indeed be of great benefit to you,¡± Zhu Minng said. Swordswoman Lin Min was so irritated that her hand holding the sword trembled slightly. All it took was a word of modesty for the Yaoshan Sword Sect, and this kid was getting too big for his boots! No more nonsense. As the Discipline Hall Master, Swordswoman Lin Min is specifically charged with teaching and severely punishing disciples who break the rules. Known for her severity and ferocity, the young swordswoman who was previously scolded by Zhu Minng is already gloating. Swordswoman Lin Min must be from the Fighting Sword Faction; her aura is like the never-ceasing gales at a strait, fierce and wild. Even without drawing her sword, her aura is already assaulting Zhu Minng¡¯s position with an icy ferocity. ¡°Behold, my sword!¡± The Discipline Hall Master Lin Min¡¯s steps are steady, her sword thrust motions are very deliberate; yet as her sword thrusts forward, roaring winds follow, causing the surrounding statues, pavilions, and trees to sway violently, as if they were about to copse at any moment. ¡°Sword Howl!¡± Zhu Minng stands in the distance, not needing to move an inch. The Sword Spirit Dragon bursts forth, its de crimson; its dancing generates currents around the entire Sword Pavilion, turning these currents into raging waves, which ultimately converge into a surging tsunami of Sword Qi. One is a gorge wind, the other a tsunami, with a vast difference in power. Zhu Minng can¡¯t be bothered to y fancy tricks with Swordswoman Lin Min, choosing to meet brutality with brutality! The air churns; Zhu Minng¡¯s side bes an overwhelming tide,pletely engulfing the Sword Qi whipped up by Swordswoman Lin Min and forcing her to retreat. ¡°Outside the Miao Kingdom, many excellent men like myself are quite chivalrous,¡± Zhu Minng said with a smile. ¡°Seeing that you¡¯re a mere woman, I¡¯ll give you a chance. If your sword can make me move half a step, I, Zhu Minng, will admit defeat!¡± His words were directed not only at Swordswoman Lin Min but also at the entire Miao Mountain Sword Sect. He must boast! How else to wipe away previous shame? ¡°A mere woman??¡± That phrase seemed to hit Swordswoman Lin Min¡¯s rage spot. She steadied her stance and pointed her sword at Zhu Minng. Suddenly, Swordswoman Lin Min attacked, her sword like a white sail shing through Zhu Minng¡¯s Sword Howl, turning into a sharp chopping de headed straight for Zhu Minng! Could Zhu Minng still not dodge this sword? A mere boastful dandy! Yet Zhu Minng still showed no intent to move; he even continued to talk incessantly. ¡°The simple sword scores of the steps above, I learned a few moves on my way up the mountain,¡± he said. ¡°Though it¡¯s an exchange of sword techniques between Yaoshan Sword Sect and Miao Mountain Sword Sect, I feel like you don¡¯t have the qualifications to make me use Yaoshan¡¯s swordsmanship.¡± As he spoke, the Sword Spirit Dragon intercepted the sail-chopping sword, its de forcing Discipline Hall Master Lin Min to rebound several steps. ¡°Sword sh!¡± Zhu Minng stood there, his mind united with the Sword Spirit Dragon, using his fingers as a guide to execute the Flying Sword Sparkle he had learned in Monument City! Daylight was intense, and the crimson body of the Sword Spirit Dragon was strikingly conspicuous, but as Zhu Minng held his breath and focused, the Sword Spirit Dragon vanished under the zing sun, without a trace or clue to its whereabouts! ¡°Sparkle!¡± Zhu Minng shouted, his finger sharply pointing at Swordswoman Lin Min, his bearing like that of a descending Sword Immortal! Swordswoman Lin Min sensed danger and hastily shifted her position left and right. Unable to see Zhu Minng¡¯s Flying Sword in such zing mes, even shadows were invisible, she couldn¡¯t help but feel unease. The swordswomen of the Miao Mountain Sword Sect, as well as the female dignitaries from the Capital of Miao Kingdom, all silently marveled. None of them had seen Zhu Minng¡¯s Flying Sword. The Flying Sword Sparkle, indeed first conceals the sword then strikes as fast as lightning. Even in the darkness concealing a sword, the de still gives some trace, certainly not vanishing into thin air, let alone under a bright sun where shadows should exist. Could it be that Zhu Minng has reached the Realm of Hidden Sword?? Chapter 232 - 233: The Strong are Revered Chapter 232: Chapter 233: The Strong are Revered Trantor:549690339 ¡°Cough cough, Hall Master Lin, he¡¯s not deploying Flying Sword Sparkle, he just recalled his Sword Spirit Dragon back into the Spirit Realm.¡± At this moment, Bai Qin¡¯an finally couldn¡¯t stand it anymore and spoke up to remind Hall Master Lin Min, who was still dodging around in the void. Hall Master Lin Min finally stopped and carefully scanned her surroundings with those eyes. There was no Flying Sword at all, nor were there any sophisticated techniques used to hide it! She had been yed! ¡°Hahaha, Uncle Zhu is too cunning; when he shouted so loudly just now, I really thought a majestic swordsmanship had been unsheathed!¡± Shao Ying, the junior sister, couldn¡¯t stopughing. Wu Feng shook his head, already trying very hard to hold back hisughter. Yun Zhonghe and Hao Ye both widened their eyes as well, can you really y like that?? ¡°Damn it!!¡± Swordswoman Lin Min had just broken out in cold sweat. The most terrifying thing about Flying Sword Sparkle isn¡¯t the shing de¡¯s strike, but the fact that you never know from which direction or angle the Flying Sword will attack, often capable of piercing directly through vital spots in one blow. Lin Min had been scared by the other¡¯s hidden sword¡¯s tracelessness, and what¡¯s more, Zhu Minng had shouted ¡°Sparkle¡± so loudly, even though there was clearly nothing, and he acted so convincingly! ¡°Zhu Minng has abandoned sword cultivation, he is now a Dragon Shepherd, Hall Master Lin Min, the Flying Sword hemands is the rare Sword Spirit turned dragon, one with his very thoughts, capable of executing the vast majority of Flying Sword Faction techniques.¡± Wen Mengru felt it was still necessary to offer a reminder, so she added. ¡°What Junior Sister Wen said is correct, I was just joking with Hall Master Lin just now, this time I will use the true Miao Mountain Flying Sword Technique, Hall Master Lin Min, you must not be careless!¡± Zhu Minngughed. He opened his palm, and the Spirit Realm only revealed a subtle spatial crack, from which the Sword Spirit Dragon slowly emerged, appearing by Zhu Minng¡¯s side! Zhu Minng wasn¡¯t holding a sword because he no longer had the sword cultivation level, and holding a sword made no sense. But the very essence of the Flying Sword Faction is in the Flying Sword itself, and their cultivation is in the Sword Control Technique¡ªwho in this world has a Flying Sword more perfect than the Sword Spirit Dragon?? ¡°A mere trick, Miao Mountain Sword Sect¡¯s Flying Sword Technique is profound and sophisticated. You, a kid who has just ascended the mountain, presume to grasp the essence of our Sword Sect, it¡¯sughably absurd!¡± Hall Master Lin from the Discipline Hall¡¯s face turned dark. She was both angry and annoyed, considering that Elders and Sect Leaders, as well as several Commandery Princesses from Miao Kingdom were watching, and yet she was being toyed with by this guy! ¡°So Hall Master Lin, watch carefully and seriously, and see if my Firefly Sword is authentic!¡± Zhu Minng slowly raised his hand, his fingers forming a sword-finger gesture. It was as if invisible threads were drawn, at the other end was the Sword Spirit Dragon hovering beside him. No need to hold a sword, for the sword flies on its own! The Sword Spirit Dragon soared into the fiery sky, and as Zhu Minng¡¯s fingertips sharply pointed downward, in an instant, the sword tip glowed like fire, still so bright and noticeable under the sunlight! The sword¡¯s tip was densely packed, resembling the countless fireflies in the forest at dusk, quiet and beautiful. At this moment, the sky above the Sword Pavilion was presenting such a scene, not a convergence of forest fireflies, but sparks from the friction between the Sword Spirit Dragon¡¯s sword tip and the air! ¡°Shua shua shua shua shua shua shua!!!!!!!!¡± Firefly Sword Technique!!! The dense, fiery sword tips fell, not in a wide-spread coverage like a sudden rain, but rather the scattered fireflies in the sky seemed to be guided, converging into a river of fireflies in mid-air,posed of sword shadows, sword sparks, and sword glows, madly baptizing the position where Swordswoman Lin Min was located!! Swordswoman Lin Min was greatly rmed. The disciples, Hall Masters, and Elders of Miao Mountain Sword Sect also showed shocked expressions, some even unconsciously removing their veiled hats, as if they believed the veil was obstructing their vision! It was the Firefly Flying Sword!! And it was a Firefly River of extremely high Realm!! The mountain clearing was left with numerous holes and gashes, as Swordswoman Lin Min exerted all her skills to defend. She retreated again and again, and the Firefly Flying Sword, like an endless river, ceaselessly washed over her with sword tips, causing her arms to go numb and her steps to be chaotic. ¡°Zhu Minng¡¯s Sword Spirit Dragon¡­ seems to have grown even stronger.¡± Wu Feng was secretly amazed. Back in the Mechanical City, Zhu Minng¡¯s Sword Spirit Dragon had already disyed an overwhelming power, but that was clearlybined with Zhu Minng¡¯s own Sword Realm. The Sword Spirit Dragon¡¯s cultivation level was now different than before, even without Sword Awakening, it was still mighty! Could it be that Zhu Minng had some great gains during the mountain climbing process? Firefly River, its momentum like a rainbow, Zhu Minng still stood in ce, not having moved half a step, yet the Flying Swords he controlled had already forced the Swordswoman of the Discipline Hall to retreat step by step, sweating profusely. Just as Wu Feng had guessed. The Sword Spirit Dragon¡¯s cultivation level had indeed surged. That was because the Sword Spirit Dragon had devoured all the Ancient Swords in the Miao Mountain Sword Tomb! After devouring them, the Sword Spirit Dragon¡¯s cultivation level approached that of a High Rank King Level, and together with the Flying Sword Technique that Zhu Minngprehended from those Sword Scores, should a Monarch Level Powerhouse appear, Zhu Minng would dare to engage inbat with them! The Flying Sword Faction, had sword territories as well. The Sword Spirit Dragon¡¯s own cultivation base, plus the sword territory Zhu Minngprehended¡­ Stacked improvement! Just as Zhu Minng had said, he didn¡¯t need to move half a step. And what humiliated Lin Min the most was that the swordsmanship Zhu Minng was using was the Firefly Sword from their Miao Mountain Sword Sect. ¡°Uncle Bai, did you teach him the Firefly Sword?¡± At this moment, Wen Mengru quietly asked Bai Qin¡¯an beside her. Bai Qin¡¯an shook his head. Back in the humble city, Bai Qin¡¯an had witnessed Zhu Minng¡¯sprehension abilities. Although he roughly knew that Zhu Minng could learn quite a few sword techniques from the Sword Scoredder, the short time it took toprehend the highly difficult Firefly Sword Technique to this realm was indeed somewhat outrageous! Can one really be this powerful just by looking at Sword Scores? Some sword techniques, no matter how high one¡¯sprehension is, still need the guidance and demonstration of an expert. Zhu Minng learning the Firefly Sword did not surprise Bai Qin¡¯an, but for him to be able to perform Firefly River Sword, that was somewhat unbelievable, as there were Hall Masters here who had not grasped the higher mysteries of the Firefly Sword! ¡°Sword sh!¡± Zhu Minng this time performed the true Flying Sword Sparkle! The sword disappeared under the clear sky, yet it appeared without warning behind Lin Min. Swift as a bolt of lightning, it cleaved through the tranquil forest, the sword light flickering, daring one not even to blink! First was Firefly River, followed by the lightning of Sword sh, both of these Flying Sword Techniques originated from the Miao Mountain Sword Sect, Lin Min¡¯s bamboo hat, sliced by Sword sh, split into two, gently falling to the ground. Her forehead and cheeks were full of sweat; though she wasn¡¯t injured, her eyes were filled with shock and pain! She was defeated. It wasn¡¯t just as simple as defeat. The opponent hadn¡¯t moved half a step. The opponent had used their Miao Mountain Sword Sect¡¯s sword technique! The ultimate humiliation!! ¡°Now, may I sit wherever I like?¡± Zhu Minng asked with a smile, walking towards thefortable canopy. The strong are revered! At this moment, those aloof and proud female sword cultivators of Miao Mountain Sword Sect no longer dared to speak ill of Zhu Minng. Chapter 233 - 234: The Sect Leader with the Black Veiled Hat Chapter 233: Chapter 234: The Sect Leader with the ck Veiled Hat Trantor:549690339 After sitting down, the Commandery Princesses, Female Marquises, and Female City Lords had snow-bright eyes, as if they had seen an extraordinary treasure. They all stared at Zhu Minng, and then started discussing among themselves, which made Zhu Minng feel, when she identally caught their gazes, that they wanted to kidnap her! Fortunately, Nan Lingsha was there to protect her. Those female dignitaries clearly realized that the first woman to reach the mountain was no ordinary person. A powerful man is the best backdrop to a woman¡¯s status, even if she does nothing and wears no gold or jewels. ¡°So, the swordsmanship exchange, can it begin now?¡± Wu Feng spoke up at this moment. They still had to attend to official business. Wu Feng, Hao Ye, and Yun Zhonghe, though still squatting on their cushions, were ustomed to training in this posture within the Yaoshan Sword Sect, so they no longer bothered about it, especially since Zhu Minng had already helped them vent some anger. ¡°Of course, could we perhaps have Master Wu Feng here demonstrate the Fighting Sword Sect technique of your esteemed faction?¡± the Sect Leader in the ck veil spoke. She didn¡¯t care at all about Lin Min¡¯s failure from the Sect Forest. It was as if she already knew Lin Min was no match for Zhu Minng. ¡°Hold on a moment,¡± Zhu Minng suddenly interjected. ¡°Mr. Zhu should not be too presumptuous. After all, Lin Min¡¯s strength is not among the finest in our Miao Mountain Sword Sect,¡± a senior elder said. ¡°What about Wen Lingfei? I didn¡¯te here this time to challenge the nameless juniors on your side,¡± Zhu Minng said. The Sect Forest¡¯s Lin Min, still struggling to catch his breath, nearly spat out a mouthful of clotted blood! To kill not only the body but the spirit as well! It was too much to bear! Just as the elder was about to speak, the Sect Leader in the ck veil raised her hand. The Hall Master beneath the ck veil slowly lifted it to reveal a face of stunning beauty, her eyes carrying hints of confidence, a touch of jest, and a sense of pride. Zhu Minng¡¯s mouth fell open. It was her!! How had she be the Sect Leader!! Wen Lingfei had actually be the Miao Mountain Sword Sect Leader??? What were those Hall Masters and elders doing? How could a woman not yet thirty years old have be their Miao Mountain Sword Sect Leader!! Wu Feng of the Yaoshan Sword Sect, Yun Zhonghe, Hao Ye, and Shao Ying were all stupefied as well. They had assumed the Sect Leader wearing the ck veil to be a middle-aged woman, or perhaps an olddy; who could have guessed she would be so young? If it weren¡¯t for her attire being a bit dignified and her demeanor graceful, one could easily mistake her for an ordinary female disciple! Is this the premier Sword Master of the Miao Mountain Sword Sect, bing the Sect Leader at such a young age? What, then, was her current cultivation base and realm??? ¡°Since you have abandoned your path as a Sword Cultivator and have started anew, there is no need for us topete. Furthermore, in my heart, the only one worthy of being my match is your master, Zhu Xuehen¡­¡± the ck Veil Hall Master Wen Lingfei said. This situation was both expected and unexpected. Back when she infiltrated the sect gate, the only person Zhu Minng couldn¡¯t ovee was this Wen Lingfei, whose cultivation and Sword Territory were above her own. Although she had reached that level herself within a couple of years after that incident, the opponent would also improve, and perhaps even faster than herself. Challenge Wen Lingfei? Of course, that wasn¡¯t Zhu Minng¡¯s purpose in asking the question. Wen Lingfei boasted a high realm, a strong cultivation base, and should be no different from those at the Sword Master level. Most Sword Masters in the Miao Mountain Sword Sect likely had their own quiet cultivation spots and seldom directly sat in charge of the Miao Mountain Sword Pavilion or Sword Manor. That Ancient Lantern Jade Tower was behind the Sword Pavilion, so Zhu Minng first figured out where the experts of the Miao Mountain Sword Sect were. This would make stealing the jade easier! So, the Hall Master in the ck Veil turned out to be Wen Lingfei. Then things would be easy. Meng Bingci was in the Waterfall House, which was far from here. There was also a Miao Mountain Leader who seemed to have gone travelling, ording to what Zhu Minng had inadvertently heard Bai Qin¡¯an mention. So, it seemed that there were no overly powerful figures guarding that ancient jade tower of the Miao Mountain Sword Sect. ¡°Let¡¯s find a suitable opportunity to make a move soon,¡± Zhu Minng signaled to Nan Lingsha with his eyes. Nan Lingsha nodded in agreement. The exchange officially started, and Wu Feng had Hao Ye demonstrate some of Yao Mountain Sword Sect¡¯s Fighting Sword Faction Sword Techniques to the members of the Miao Mountain Sword Sect. ¡°Our Yao Mountain Fighting Sword is best represented by this ¡®Seventeen Sword Meteor Formation.¡¯¡± While saying this, Hao Ye had already executed the Swords Descend Formation sword technique. In the Swords Descend Formation, each sword was considered a fine treasure of the Sect Forest, and the descendants of Yao Mountain Sword Sect had condensed them into a vast formation, which in turn evolved into a sword technique. ¡°I, Hao Ye, am not very talented. I can only execute up to eight swords,¡± Hao Ye said as hepleted the eighth Sword Meteor. At that moment, the Sword Pavilion¡¯s teau was filled with striking sword pits, and one could still see the remnants of the Sword Meteor Shadows stuck near the mountain steps. The presence was monumental, the power immense. ¡°Our Yao Mountain Fighting Sword emphasizes bold and broad strokes, and we pursue the utmost power in each stroke,¡± Wu Feng exined from the side. ¡°With the eight swords already being so majestic, I wonder how startling the ninth and tenth swords would be?¡± A Swordswoman Elder from the Fighting Sword Faction obviously found the Sword Meteor Sword Technique very interesting. ¡°There are only a few people in our sect who canprehend more than ten swords. At the moment, no one can perform theplete Seventeen Meteor Swords,¡± Wu Feng said. ¡°Hall Master Wu Feng, we look forward to the ninth and tenth swords. How about you give us a demonstration?¡± Master Wen spoke up. From the expressions of the members of the Miao Mountain Sword Sect, it was clear that the Sword Meteor Sword Technique was indeed one of the most superior sword techniques in the world. Each strike had a feel of overturning seas and moving mountains, and even a person with a lower cultivation base, if they couldprehend the subsequent Sword Meteors, could even defeat someone with a higher cultivation base. ¡°About that¡­¡± Wu Feng hesitated. ¡°Could it be that the subsequent Sword Meteors are secret techniques of your faction, and you are unwilling to disclose them to outsiders?¡± The Fighting Sword Faction Swordswoman Elder spoke earlier queried. ¡°That¡¯s not the case. Since we are here to exchange, we naturally will not hide anything. However, although I am also from the Fighting Sword Faction, the style I follow is not from the Sword Meteor Sword Technique lineage; thus, I have never practiced this sword technique¡­ How about letting my junior brother demonstrate for everyone instead?¡± Wu Feng said awkwardly. Not all sword masters of the Yao Mountain Sword Sect would learn the Sword Meteor Sword Technique. After all, sword techniques and sword schools have many branches, just like how Dragon Shepherds also pursue dragons and dragon beasts of different attributes and abilities. ¡°I don¡¯t have the cultivation base, I can¡¯t perform it,¡± Zhu Minng shook his head. ¡°Just go through the motions. It doesn¡¯t matter if youck the special effects, right?¡± Wu Feng said. ¡°Zhu Minng, how many swords can you use?¡± Wen Lingfei asked. ¡°He should be able to reach twelve swords,¡± Wu Feng answered for Zhu Minng. Wen Mengru and Bai Qin¡¯an couldn¡¯t help but turn their attention to Zhu Minng. They remembered that back on Nine Army Tomb Mountain, Zhu Minng seemed to have only executed roughly the same number of sword moves as Hao Ye. Could it be that he was holding back his true strength at that time? Chapter 234 - 235 Stealing the Divine Jade Chapter 234: Chapter 235 Stealing the Divine Jade Trantor:549690339 ¡°The Twelfth Sword!¡± The swordswomen of the Miao Mountain Sword Sect also revealed incredulous expressions. Hao Ye had reached the Eighth Sword, and it already felt unstoppable and terrifying. If the power of each subsequent strike was to double, wouldn¡¯t Zhu Minng, if he had the cultivation base of a sword cultivator, be absurdly powerful? ¡°Performing the Walking Sword Style is meaningless¡ªit¡¯s no different from dancing with a sword,¡± Zhu Minng shook his head firmly, refusing to partake. A collective sigh arose from the crowd. It was clear that even the onlooking noblewomen were looking forward to theter moves of the Sword Meteor Sword Technique. Hao Ye was also very troubled, chastising his ownck of insight for not being able to bring honor to his Sect Forest at such a critical moment. ¡°How about I do it?¡± At this moment, the melodious and delightful voice of Nan Lingsha rang out. Wu Feng, Yun Zhonghe, Hao Ye, and Shao Ying all widened their eyes as they looked at Nan Lingsha. Zhu Minng too stared at his artist little auntie niece with a face full of puzzled bewilderment. ¡°Go steal it,¡± Nan Lingsha whispered to Zhu Minng, audible to only the two of them. Zhu Minng immediately understood. Nan Lingsha was to attract everyone¡¯s attention, while he took the opportunity to steal the body jade from behind the ancient pagoda near the Sword Pavilion! Zhu Minng looked around and noticed that many swordswomen without the qualifications to attend this exchange meeting were also watching from a distance, obviously very interested in theter moves of the Sword Meteor Sword Technique. Indeed, now was the best opportunity, and he believed that even if there were some masters near the Sword Pavilion, they would not miss the chance to observe the mastery of the Sword Meteor Sword Technique. The question was, could Nan Lingsha truly perform theter sword techniques?? As a painter, to disy the Sword Territory with a painting was an incredibly difficult task! ¡°Isn¡¯t Miss Lingsha a painter?¡± Wen Lingfei inquired. ¡°Sect Leader, Miss Lingsha once used her art to disy the Sword Meteor Sword Technique during the great powerpetition and defeated Yun Zhonghe,¡± Bai Qin¡¯an said. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then let us wait and see,¡± Wen Lingfei said with a smile. Nan Lingsha walked outside the Sword Pavilion, facing the pines that sloped toward the vast valley. Her hand gently lifted; the brush emerged from thin air, as light as a feather,nding in her fair palm. She nced back, looking at the sword masters of Miao Mountain Sword Sect and Yao Mountain Sword Sect, then at Zhu Minng, who had quietly stepped out from under the white canopy¡­ She turned her attention back and began to paint; the delicate brush in her hand suddenly became as sharp as a sword, thrusting towards the vast valley! ¡°The First Sword!¡± The sword trembled, causing the entire forest to sway, and then everyone saw Nan Lingsha paint arge sword falling toward the distant valley. Birds and beasts scattered in rm, as if a significant disaster had descended. Nan Lingsha was proficient in her art, and she had practiced this Sword Meteor Sword Technique countless times on her canvas. Each sword she disyed flowed smoothly, with even her Fourth and Fifth Swords seemingly surpassing the power of Hao Ye, the orthodox Fighting Sword Faction sword master! By the time the Fifth Sword was executed, the people of the Sword Pavilion put aside their gawking demeanor and were immersed in the grand scene where the painting and the Sword Territory merged, the valley shook, rivers stopped flowing, trees were destroyed, and Nan Lingsha appeared like a true Sword Immortal¡ªevery brushstroke was the most fierce and domineering sword technique. The majestic sword shadows that fell from the sky and the destructive Sword Mights left most of the sword masters from both Miao Mountain Sword Sect and Yao Mountain Sword Sect feeling ashamed! ¡°The Ninth Sword!¡± Nan Lingsha suddenly flung the brush in her hand, and as it streaked across the sky, a primordial demon sword materialized out of thin air. It soared between two peaks, and the distant mountains were actually crushed by the surge of energy caused by the demon sword! The Tenth Sword! The Eleventh Sword! When these two swords were unleashed, everyone watched intently. The valley was vast, the ridges majestic, and the peaks towering, but after the appearance of the Sword Meteor Sword Technique following these ten swords, they simply couldn¡¯t bear the weight and seemed on the verge of copsing at any moment. If it weren¡¯t for Nan Lingsha deliberately directing the sword might toward the boundless sky, the beautiful valley scenery beneath the Miao Mountain Sword Sect¡¯s Sword Pavilion would have been utterly transformed! Fortunately, the Miao Mountain Sword Sect didn¡¯t care about these damages. In such a ce filled with spiritual energy, even if mountains crumbled and the earth split apart, it would not take too long to recover naturally, possibly even revealing a differentndscape. In order to buy Zhu Minng enough time, Nan Lingsha deliberately slowed down her assault, especially with The Twelfth Sword. She took a deep breath, as if regting her breath, almost as if she was immersed in the changes of the swordsmanship! On the other side, Zhu Minng, listening to the immensemotion in the valley, marveled in his heart that his little painter niece was indeed a monster, while he stealthily made his way toward the direction of the Divine Valley Lantern Jade. When it came to theft, Little White was perhaps the most excited. pping its wings, its icy starry eyes sneakily surveyed the surroundings. In this small and exquisite form, its presence was not easily detected. As for Zhu Minng himself, he did not have the kind of cultivation base that would leak overpowering presence. To some powerful guardian beasts and strong sitting figures, he was no different from a few small wild deer. The journey was smooth for the most part, with most people being drawn in by the exchange. Zhu Minng finally found the ancient pagoda that was somewhat conspicuous, shimmering in the sunlight with a gleam that screamed, ¡°Just one look, and you know it¡¯s a treasure!¡± Probably because the Miao Mountain Sword Sect never imagined anyone would dare to steal from their Sect Forest, there were no guards around the ancient pagoda. The asional figures that could be seen were just little swordswomen sweeping up fallen leaves, each around fourteen or sixteen years old, innocent and immature, posing no significant threat. Of course, he couldn¡¯t let these little swordswomen see him. If they discovered that the treasure was missing, they would inevitablye questioning, and it would be more advantageous to tly deny involvement then. ¡°Easier than I imagined,¡± Zhu Minng said as he reached the base of the pagoda and looked up at the Ancient Lantern Jade ced at the top. Considering the need for this trick, Zhu Minng had purchased many fake jades along the way, especially those that looked particrly lustrous but were actually useless¡­ Just for this moment, to switch out the treasure! If the theft were discovered on the spot, they would definitely be detained. But if they were already gone, even out of the sword sect¡¯s territory, and the other partyter realized the theft, even if they guessed it was their doing, with no proof, the Miao Mountain Sword Sect would have no other way to handle them. After a carefulparison, Zhu Minng found one from his collection that closely matched the luster and size of the one at the top of the pagoda and then had Little White fly up to make the swap. Behind him, the valley shook violently, causing even the Sword Pavilion to tremble slightly. The delicate cries of the swordswomen rang out; Nan Lingsha must have executed The Twelfth Sword! ¡°Now¡¯s the time.¡± Zhu Minng kept watch as Little White made the switch. Together, the man and dragon were skilled in this endeavor and wlessly executed this jade theft. Hiding the jade in the Universe Magic within Bai Qi¡¯s tail meant that even if they were caught on the spot, the stolen item would not be found. Zhu Minng didn¡¯t have time to admire the jewel and hurriedly made his escape, returning to his spot unnoticed while the Miao Mountain Sword Sect¡¯s swordswomen were still enraptured by Nan Lingsha¡¯s painting technique. Chapter 235 - 236: No Overnight Stay! Chapter 235: Chapter 236: No Overnight Stay! Trantor:549690339 Her prominent chest rose and fell slightly, and Nan Lingsha¡¯splexion turned crimson, clearly, the effort of exhibiting the Twelfth Sword, even in the realm of painting, still consumed a great deal of her energy. She slowly turned around, ncing at the white tent, and saw that Zhu Minng had neatly seated himself there, even leading the apuse for her. This made Nan Lingsha breathe a sigh of relief. It seemed that no one had noticed. This Sword Meteor Sword Technique was still too profound, the mere twelve strokes felt as if they were draining her of all her spirit, energy, and soul. If used in realbat, should the twelve painted swords fail to defeat an opponent, the one most likely to die would probably be herself. ¡°Such a formidable painter,¡± the veiled Hall Master Wen Lingfei sincerely eximed. The several elders of the Miao Mountain Sword Sect, all the presidents, and the female disciples of the Swordswoman all marveled as well. The power of these twelve strokes was no less than that of a real Sword Master. It was merely a demonstration, yet it made all the masters of the Miao Mountain Sword Sect keenly aware of how terrifying the painter¡¯s strength was! Miao Mountain Sword Sect¡¯s Wu Feng, Hao Ye, Yun Zhonghe, and Shao Ying gazed at Nan Lingsha as if she were a monster. Is there even any room left for us to live?!!! These orthodox swordsmen from Yaoshan Sword Sect had not yet grasped such a high level. In the entire Yaoshan Sword Sect, there were but a few who could perform more than ten swords. Nan Lingsha, as a painter, had merely observed the Swords Descend Formation and was able toprehend its essence! Only at this moment did everybody realize why Nan Lingsha was the first to reach the top of the Sword Pavilion! ¡°Miss Lingsha, the first time around you could only use four or five strokes, but this time it was twelve. I reckon no realm of God and Mortal would pose a challenge for you now,¡± Zhu Minng apuded. His admiration was heartfelt. The Twelfth Sword! He initially thought Nan Lingsha was using her artistic skill to create a chaotic illusion to craft an opportunity for herself to steal, yet she genuinely managed to depict the Twelfth Sword¡­ ¡°You¡¯ve lost,¡± the rosiness on Nan Lingsha¡¯s cheeks slowly returned to a snowy white. ¡°What?¡± Zhu Minng didn¡¯t quite understand. After a while, Zhu Minng realized what Nan Lingsha meant and could only offer a sheepish smile. Nan Lingsha was talking about who would be the first to climb the mountain! Indeed, he had lost. But that was because he had wandered into the Sword Tomb, and the Sword Spirit Dragon had started a fight with the ghosts there. Otherwise, he would have been at the Sword Pavilion much earlier! However, losing to a painter niece doesn¡¯t really count as something shameful. As a God and Mortal, the further you go, the more you¡¯re just a working stiff. In the exchanges that followed, Zhu Minng appeared nonchnt, but his heart was tumultuous. Don¡¯t get discovered! Don¡¯t let them find out at all costs! The female Sword Sect swordsmen of Miao Mountain all wore veils, practically half-blinded, so they might not notice that the Ancient Lantern Jade was stolen. If only the swordsmanship exchange could end soon, allowing everyone to descend the mountain safely, and then quickly depart, everything would be fine! As evening approached, what followed was both great Sword Sects¡¯ Sect Forests demonstrating some more basic swordsmanship, mainly for the disciples to learn. Before they knew it, dusk had arrived, and Zhu Minng felt that this group of sword fanatics actually seemed to be insatiable. How did they start getting along so well? The atmosphere was too polite. Weren¡¯t the tensions like drawn swords and bows just fine? They could just loathe each other and then leave, continuing their generational enmity. Why act as though they were about to be inws? ¡°Today¡¯s observation has indeed been immensely beneficial for our sect. In a few days, we¡¯ll also send some disciples to learn from the Yaoshan Sword Sect. Thank you to the several Yaoshan Sword Sect Swordsmen for your candid teachings,¡± Master Wen said graciously. ¡°The sky has darkened, and we are aware of the rules of the Miao Mountain Sword Sect, so we will descend the mountain first¡­¡± said Master Wu Feng. At first, they indeed came with significant prejudice, but gradually, the Swords women of the Miao Mountain Sword Sect were not so aggressive, and the treatment of the several men hadpletely changed. Being recognized by the sect leader and elders, Master Wu Feng still felt the trip was worthwhile. After all, for many years the Miao Mountain Sword Sect had been entirely insr, not giving the slightest regard to other Sect Forests. To make them see the Yaoshan Sword Sect in a new light was more beneficial for the future development of the Sword Sects! ¡°Rules are made by people. The Miao Mountain Sword Sect has indeed been somewhat closed off in recent years. Since I have taken charge, I¡¯ve gradually made some changes,¡± Wen Lingfei said. ¡°Sect Leader, we¡¯ve never had a precedent for amodating men overnight,¡± several elders said in rm, as if by hosting men, they would lose their honor! Wen Lingfei clearly felt that it was already evening, and the several swordsmen had performed swordsmanship all day and were very tired. Sending them down the mountain at this time was too pedantic and too much. The Yaoshan Sword Sect¡¯s Master Wu Feng, a free-spirited youngdy, always amodated their Miao Mountain Sword Sect rules, but she didn¡¯t hide anything when imparting swordsmanship. That kind of open-mindedness deserved admiration and respect. Just as she said, rules are made by people. Now that she was the sect leader, if she said it was possible, then it was possible. ¡°To stay overnight, that¡¯s fantastic! I¡¯ve always heard that the female disciples of the Miao Mountain Sword Sect are fragrant and delightful. Even if they¡¯re just sitting quietly, their scent intoxicates. Moreover, after bathing and changing clothes, ah, my greatest dream in life is finallying true¡ªto spend the night at the Miao Mountain Sword Sect, heh heh heh!¡± Zhu Minng said loudly, as if he feared others wouldn¡¯t hear him. All the Swords women furrowed their brows tightly. This scoundrel! So, he had this intention from the beginning! How could they let such a libertine spend the night at the Miao Mountain Sword Sect! ¡°Master Wen, in our Mist Country, men are extremely courteous. In our eyes, a youngdy¡¯s chamber is a sacred ce. Even if invited, we can¡¯t just enter at will. Simrly, the Miao Mountain Sword Sect has also regarded the Sect Forest as sacred and set some rules. Naturally, we will not mind. It¡¯s just that you are willing to send some disciples to our Yaoshan Sword Sect as guests, and we wee that immensely,¡± Wu Feng maintained the dignity befitting a mature man. They upheld the tradition of exalting women, and that did not hinder the humility and virtues of men from the Mist Country. ¡°Master Wu, if most swordsmen of the Yaoshan Sword Sect are like you, their state of mind alone surpasses many of our proud and haughty female swordsmen of the Miao Mountain Sword Sect,¡± Master Wen said with a bow, expressing an apologetic gesture and, at the same time, sincere admiration. ¡°Master Wen, please hold on a bit longer. We actually really want to stay overnight. Brother Wu Feng, there¡¯s no need to act like an old gentleman now. When you go back and tell the other hall masters that you spent the night at the Miao Mountain Sword Sect, they will all be envious of you,¡± Zhu Minng said with an unwilling look, hurriedly speaking. ¡°Uncle Master, even if that¡¯s your true inner thought, you shouldn¡¯t say it out loud like this. It¡¯s embarrassing,¡± Junior Sister Shao Ying said in a small voice. ¡°What¡¯s so embarrassing about it? ¡®Modest and fairdies are a gentleman¡¯s proper match.¡¯ Aren¡¯t those men who travel thousands of miles to the Miao Kingdom here to seek beauty?¡± Zhu Minng continued with offensive remarks that disgusted people. The Swords women of the Miao Mountain Sword Sect¡­ Zhu Minng understood them too well. The more they wanted to stay overnight, the more unified they became. Honestly, Zhu Minng was genuinely afraid that Wen Lingfei would single-handedly break the old rules, silencing those opposing elders. Actually staying overnight would cause great trouble! Zhu Minng was the one who most wanted to flee at the drop of a hat! But people can be capricious sometimes; acting contrary might very likely get them kept behind, and Master Wen wouldn¡¯t care about those outdated rules of the Miao Mountain Sword Sect! Chapter 236 - 237 Meng Bingci Chapter 236: Chapter 237 Meng Bingci Trantor: 549690339 ¡°Since that¡¯s the case, let us have our Spirit Birds carry everyone down the mountain and back to the capital.¡± Wen Lingfei said. Upon hearing this, Zhu Minng let out a long sigh of relief. Everyone stood on the mountain teau, where several female disciples of the Miao Mountain Sword Sect led over a few Spirit Birds with Dragon Sparrow Bloodline. They were fitted with saddles and were veryfortable to ride for flying, but only for flying. The Sect Leader, elders, Hall Masters, and various dignitaries stood at the Sword Pavilion, watching as the people from the Yaoshan Sword Sect departed. But just then, a female Swordswoman hurried over and whispered something into Master Wen¡¯s ear. Zhu Minng had a bad feeling! They¡¯ve been discovered! How could it be so quick? The majority were still at the Sword Pavilion, so which Swordswoman who had eaten their fill would go to the Ruined Ancient Tower and stare at the treasures? ¡°Zhu Minng.¡± Wen Lingfei called out to him. Zhu Minng immediately signaled to Nan Lingsha to lead the others away first. ¡°Head Meng requests your presence,¡± Wen Lingfei continued. Zhu Minng was nearly ready to summon his Sword Spirit Dragon, intending to fight these Swordswomen. Hearing these words, he almost used too much force and nearly fell from the Spirit Bird. ¡°The night is deep, and I¡¯m tired, another day to pay a visit to my mother,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°Head Meng has asked you to stay,¡± Wen Lingfei said. ¡°But don¡¯t you forbid men from staying overnight?¡± While saying this, Zhu Minng had already quietly had Little White pass the Ancient Lantern Jade to Nan Lingsha. Zhu Minng looked around and noticed that the elders who had vehemently opposed overnight stays were now silent. It seemed that Meng Bingci held a much higher position in the Miao Mountain Sword Sect. Those elders dared to oppose some of Wen Lingfei¡¯s actions, but they didn¡¯t dare to defy Meng Bingci¡¯s wishes. At that moment, Zhu Minng felt like he was between a rock and a hard ce. Why did it have to be at this time? Although she was his birth mother, in reality, Zhu Minng didn¡¯t know her all that well. Never mind that, the important thing was to shift the stolen item. Even if it were discovered at night, they would not find the Ancient Lantern Jade on him. He would deny any involvement, and if it came down to it, he could just eat vegetarian meals here for a month or so while waiting for Zhu Heavenly Officer toe and get him. ¡°You all go on ahead,¡± Zhu Minng said. Nan Lingsha looked at him but did not speak. Zhu Minng smiled and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s unlikely they can keep me here.¡± After everyone left, Zhu Minng returned to the Sword Pavilion, where the dignifieddies were quite enthusiastic about him, almost as if they wanted to spend the whole night chatting with him. However, Zhu Minng didn¡¯t linger long at the Sword Pavilion; Wen Lingfei personally led him to the waterfall and flowing mountain behind the Miao Mountain Sword Sect. ¡°It seems they haven¡¯t discovered it yet.¡± Zhu Minng observed quietly, noticing that there were no usationsing his way. Wen Lingfei, wearing a ck veil, only asked Zhu Minng about some matters concerning Zhu Xuehen. It had been a long time since Zhu Minng had seen Zhu Xuehen, so he answered nomittally. Gradually, the sound of the waterfall became audible, and some cool mist drifted down from mid-air, dampening Zhu Minng¡¯s hair. ¡°If you walk ahead, you will be able to see the Waterfall House,¡± Wen Lingfei said, pointing to a narrow path with her hand. Zhu Minng nodded and followed the path. Calcting the time, the Ancient Lantern Jade should have been taken down the mountain by Nan Lingsha by now. Even if it were discovered now, as long as there were no conclusive proofs of theft found on him, there was still room to maneuver. In any case, the idea was Zhu Heavenly Officer¡¯s, and if push came to shove, he could just me the mastermind on Zhu Heavenly Officer. The waterfall cascaded, resembling a silver dragon descending leisurely from one mountain peak to another in the Yonder Mountains, enveloped in the dusk. Indeed, the vista of mountains and waterfalls was uniquely elegant, and the Spirit Origin was dense amidst the slender streams, making practice in such a ce twice as effective with half the effort. Walking along, Zhu Minng saw a wooden bridge reaching across the waterfall¡¯s stream, and beside it stood a cabin with bright lights shining forth. A young woman in a long white garment stood guard, her face cold and aloof. Zhu Minng approached, ncing at this adopted sister whom he had met only a few times. Her name was Meng Han Wu, an adopted girl who served at Meng Bingci¡¯s side and was treated by her as a daughter. Meng Han Wu looked at Zhu Minng, her face expressionless. Zhu Minng passed by, not bothering to deal with this frosty adopted sister. Throughout his life, he probably could count the number of words they¡¯d exchanged on one hand. As he walked past her, Zhu Minng felt that the frost on her cheeks was sharp enough to freeze him to death. He had initially intended to reluctantly greet her, but on second thought, he decided against it. It was better to maintain the mutual disdain typical of an estranged family. Zhu Minng headed toward the brightly lit cabin and saw Meng Bingci. She stood in an open-work wooden corridor, gazing spellbound at the waterfall that was gradually bing hazy in the twilight. Zhu Minng realized he hadn¡¯t seen her for many years, yet her appearance seemed to have hardly changed¡ªprobably due to the nourishing spirit of the mountain and water, as most Sword Cultivators pursued a sort of ascetic transcendence akin to the path of immortals. ¡°What are you doing with the Divine Jade?¡± Meng Bingci turned around and asked. Zhu Minng was startled in his heart. What¡¯s happening! None of the people in the Sword Pavilion had noticed him stealing the jade, so how did Meng Bingci, living a secluded life under the waterfall, find out? Did she have irvoyance? ¡°To save someone,¡± Zhu Minng replied helplessly, forced to give an honest answer. Meng Bingci¡¯s demeanor remained calm, with no hint of interrogation in her words¡ªas if she was simply inquiring about a matter, and her emotions, whether of joy or anger, were inscrutable. ¡°You may have the jade¡­¡± Meng Bingci said. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Do something for me,¡± Meng Bingci continued. ¡°What is it?¡± Zhu Minng asked, his mind as foggy as the mist rising from the waterfall. ¡°Go forth as a suitor and be Princess Luoshui¡¯s husband,¡± Meng Bingci stated. Zhu Minng wondered if he had misheard. Arranged marriage?? Why should he be the one to trade on his dashing good looks? ¡°The person I¡¯m saving is my bride,¡± Zhu Minng dered. ¡°Once you be the princess¡¯s consort, whether you wish to stay with Princess Luoshui is up to you,¡± Meng Bingci said. Marry first, run awayter?? This is too thrilling! Zhu Minng felt he might not be able to handle it. ¡°It¡¯s quite inappropriate, and it goes against ethics and morals,¡± Zhu Minng protested. ¡°Then cultivate here in the mountains for ten years¡ªI will see to your progress,¡± Meng Bingci said, her tone leaving no room for negotiation. Zhu Minng furrowed his brow, shooting a nce at his icy sister and then at his mother who was like a cier herself. To undergo austere practice in such a ce for ten years¡ªhe might as well kill himself! ¡°Allow me to consider it,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°Be the consort, and the jade is yours. The Miao Mountain Sword Sect will not pursue the matter of you stealing the jade any further,¡± Meng Bingciid out the condition. Chapter 237 - 238: Reminiscing through Objects Chapter 237: Chapter 238: Reminiscing through Objects Trantor: 549690339 Zhu Minng had many doubts in his heart. Meng Bingci, who had always been indifferent to worldly affairs, why did she care about who Princess Luoshui¡¯s final husband would be? Was there something special about this Princess Luoshui? ¡°Why do you want me to marry a princess?¡± Zhu Minng asked. ¡°To be a son-inw by marriage for ten years, the choice is yours,¡± Meng Bingci did not intend to tell Zhu Minng the reason. Zhu Minng pretended to fall into contemtion, but his peripheral vision was scanning the surroundings, trying to decide which route would be the best escape. After all, now that he had obtained what he came for, as long as he could leave the Miao Mountain Sword Sect¡­ Zhu Minng¡¯s footsteps moved slightly, and suddenly, he saw the silver waterfall that hung from the twilight had at some point turned into a silver sword, suspended amid the mountains before him, majestic and imposing, as if a divine weapon from the Immortal Realm had fallen into this mortal world! Zhu Minng took a sharp intake of breath. When he looked again, the waterfall was still a waterfall, a magnificent cascade falling from the twilight and the mountains, a breathtaking sight. Yet, for some reason, this twilight waterfall instilled Zhu Minng with a fear that lingered in his mind, unable to be dispelled. Zhu Minng gave a bitter smile. His intention to escape had been seen through. Furthermore, the extent of Meng Bingci¡¯s realm was unfathomable, and it seemed unlikely that he could slip through her fingers. He had thought Meng Bingci had suddenly developed a conscience, wanting to see her son whom she hadn¡¯t seen for many years, but in the end, she wanted to force him into bing a prince consort. It turned out that the family no longer harbored any affection, and suggesting to Zhu Heavenly Officer to find another was indeed a wise choice. Zhu Minng didn¡¯t expect to y the emotional card with this cold-hearted woman. After hesitating for a while, Zhu Minng asked, ¡°If I be the prince consort in name but don¡¯t fulfill the role, would that be eptable?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Meng Bingci said. ¡°Then there¡¯s no problem,¡± Zhu Minng nodded. ¡°After the matter is settled, I will tell you the whereabouts of another piece of Ancient Lantern Jade,¡± Meng Bingci said. ¡°Great!¡± Zhu Minng was overjoyed inside, not expecting this additional gain. In fact, after stealing the piece of Ancient Lantern Jade from the Miao Mountain Sword Sect, Zhu Minng had already nned to hold the princess hostage and take the piece ofntern jade jewelry she wore as well. To restore Li Yunzi to her former state, he would need at least four pieces of Ancient Lantern Jade. That is to say, once he had possession of the Princess of Miao Kingdom, he would have two pieces of Ancient Lantern Jade, in addition to the exact location of another. ¡°Han Wu, escort Zhu Minng down the mountain,¡± Meng Bingci said. Meng Han Wu came over and summoned a Spirit Bird raised by the Miao Mountain Sword Sect. Approaching the Spirit Bird, Zhu Minng hesitated for a moment, then gave a bow to his elder, before he mounted the creature. Meng Bingci still had that same demeanor. Not a hint of joy, nor a trace of resentment. Zhu Minng was already used to it; if it weren¡¯t for their somewhat simr features, he would have long epted that perhaps he was the one who had been picked up. Aftering down the mountain, Zhu Minng returned to the fragrant inn. The night in the capital was like a grand festival, with flowers,nterns, colored ribbons, branches, and maple leaves seen everywhere, all symbolizing beautiful things. ¡°You can go back,¡± Zhu Minng said to Meng Han Wu. ¡°I¡¯ll keep an eye on you,¡± Meng Han Wu said. ¡°After all, we¡¯re family. How can there be absolutely no basic trust?¡± Zhu Minng raised his eyebrows and red as he spoke. Meng Hanwu didn¡¯t say anything, just headed to the counter herself, asked the shopkeeper for a room, and then, with her sword in hand, went straight to the newly opened guest room. Zhu Minng ignored her and made his way to Nan Ling Sha¡¯s room. After knocking on the door, Zhu Minng intended to exin his participation in the contest for the son-inw position, to avoid any misunderstandings by his sisters-inw that he was a heartless scoundrel! Entering the room, both the elder sister and the younger sister were there, but the problem was Zhu Minng couldn¡¯t tell which was which in the moment, so he awkwardly waited for them to speak first. ¡°Why the long face?¡± Li Xinghua asked, puzzled. Zhu Minng recounted the conversation he had with Meng Bingci at the waterfall house. ¡°Isn¡¯t that a good thing?¡± Nan Yusoughed, her little demon aura spreading instantly. ¡°Did the Divine Jade have any effect?¡± Zhu Minng was most concerned about that. If it couldn¡¯t restore Li Yunzi¡¯s soul, then all these days would have truly been in vain. ¡°Significantly, and there were also some unexpected effects,¡± Li Xinghua said. They were descendants of the goddess. At first, they didn¡¯t quite understand why the Li Family¡¯s Old Grandmother kept reminding them to search for the words of the Ancient Lantern Jade, but now, after a brief nourishment from the Divine Jade, Li Yunzi¡¯s condition not only recovered, but it seemed her cultivation base had also greatly improved. It appeared that the Ancient Lantern Jade was a tremendous boost to their inherent strengths. ¡°That¡¯s great, I¡¯ll make a trip to the Princess Manor tomorrow, but Miss Xinghua, Miss Yuso, and Miss Lingsha, you all have to testify for me that I¡¯m entering thepetition for the son-inw position for the Ancient Lantern Jade, and absolutely not because I¡¯m coveting the beauty of Princess Luoshui,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°Actually, you don¡¯t have to restrain yourself so much,¡± Nan Yuso said with a brilliant smile, as if she particrly hoped to see Zhu Minng swept away by the princess. ¡°I¡¯ve held back for so long already, not going to falter now,¡± Zhu Minng said. Compared to the allure of his three sisters-inw, what did this one Princess Luoshui count for? ¡°You have worked hard, Young Master,¡± Li Xinghua spoke softly. ¡°The affairs of the mortal realm are also a form of cultivation,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°Well then, Mr. Zhu, you better perform well in these next days. The women in Miao Kingdom are all very picky,¡± Nan Yuso was already looking forward to Zhu Minng¡¯s earnest performance! ¡°Miss Yuso, rest assured, no matter how outstanding other men are, they¡¯re but mere flickers of fireflies at dusk, remarkable but not exceptional. As for your brother-inw here, I am akin to the bright moon shining across the sky, my radiance spilling over thend. No yearning girl can resist falling in love or bing infatuated. When the timees, Miss Yuso just has to hold herself back, don¡¯t get lost in emotion. After all, we will have to continue seeing each other frequently, and it would just hurt Miss Yuso¡¯s kind feelings,¡± Zhu Minng couldn¡¯t help butugh, taking the opportunity to tease his little sister-inw. Nan Yuso¡¯s beautiful eyes widened in shock. She had never seen such a shameless person! ¡°Me, infatuated with you? If you dare to nce my way again, I¡¯ll gouge out your eyes on the spot!¡± Nan Yuso said, her cheeks turning bright red, like a fierce little kitten ready to pounce! ¡°I was only looking for Yunzi¡¯s image, after all, one is reminded of love by the things around them,¡± Zhu Minng said solemnly. Reminder of love! These words seemed to have struck right on Nan Yuso¡¯s tail, making her stomp her feet in anger. ¡°You¡­ you¡­ you big cloven hoof!¡± Unable to find any words to retort, Nan Yuso resorted to direct name-calling. Li Xinghua picked up the clear water in front of her and took a gentle sip, listening to their daily banter. Then, a strange scene shed through her mind. It seemed that a certain prophecy was beginning to slip from her control. Chapter 238 - 239: The Bully Zhu Minglang Chapter 238: Chapter 239: The Bully Zhu Minng Trantor: 549690339 The autumn in Miao Kingdom is still rather hot, with fiery-red maple leaves dancing in the breeze atop the eaves of the city¡­ Women on the streets are d in styles that couldn¡¯t be more different. Some are wrapped from head to toe, with headscarves, veils, and gloves leaving nothing exposed, while others dress daringly, revealing their pearly white and slender waists and long beautiful legs, perfectly showcased by the slits on the left side of their silk skirts¡­ These vibrantly dressed women don¡¯t care in the slightest about the gazes of the opposite sex. In fact, they seemingly disregard the fervent gazes of men altogether. Instead, when encountering simrly dressed, equally charismatic women, they would nce at each other, then lift their proud chins, neither willing to concede defeat! Today is the suitor selection event at Princess Manor, a ce already spacious and sprawling, but now it is packed to the brim, including a good number from foreignnds¡ªkings, princes, princely heirs¡ªwho, despite knowing full well that Miao Kingdom holds women in high esteem and the victor would have to marry into the princess¡¯s household, still swarmed like moths to a me. Zhu Minng arrived at Princess Manor,ing as a scion of one of the Six Great ns from Imperial City. Zhu Minng naturally made a show of force for this asion, first employing arge group of apprentices from Zhu n housing in Miao Country to pose as his suitor entourage, then, unting the banner of Young Master of Miao Mountain Sword Sect, he entered the manor without regard for prior arrangements! ¡°Who is this yboy, showing off such a spectacle in front of Princess Manor? Doesn¡¯t he know Princess Luoshui detests these opulent, useless dandies?¡± said a few maids at the gate, visibly disgruntled. ¡°Seems he¡¯s from Imperial City.¡± ¡°So what if he is? Here in our Miao Kingdom, he still must show respect.¡± The gate was bustling with activity, and with the arrival of Zhu n¡¯s Young Master¡¯s suitor procession, those who were sensible swiftly made way, opening up a broad path. Yet there were many, prominent and of high status, who were not necessarily inclined to amodate the face of Imperial City. ¡°Zhu Minng of Zhu n pays a visit,¡± dered Zhu Minng while seated atop the Divine Green Holy Dragon, dressed in pristine, luxurious attire, his hair groomed to perfection, even his essories chosen with great care to suit his current skin tone. ¡°Do youck any sense of decorum? We of Xu Public Mountain have already presented our visiting card; you must queue at the back!¡± said an irritable man, fanning himself with a feather fan. This person was also escorted by four masters, but judging by their attire, they had purposely chosen to understate their presence. Luoshui was known to dislike anything overly boisterous, which is why many royal family nobles chose to visit her in a rather subdued manner. ¡°Xu Public Mountain? What¡¯s that? Han Wu, throw that guy and hisckeys out,¡±ughed Zhu Minng, showing the arrogance typical of a n leader! Meng Hanwu¡¯s expression darkened. This Zhu Minng, was he treating her as hisckey now? Zhu Minng nced at Meng Hanwu and, seeing her indifferent, whispered, ¡°I¡¯m making an effort here for the suitorpetition. If you don¡¯t cooperate with me, and things fall apart, you can go back and exin to mother yourself.¡± Meng Hanwu coldly huffed, aware she had been outmaneuvered by Zhu Minng, but still moved towards the man who imed to be from Xu Public Mountain with icy coldness. Soon, screams emanated from the gatefront. Meng Hanwu¡¯s cultivation base was likely on par with that of the masters from the Sword Sect; dealing with these fame-seeking pretenders was almost too easy. ¡°Isn¡¯t that the Sword Master from Miao Mountain Sword Sect?¡± ¡°Such a formidable Sword Master, why would he act as an essory to this young master of Zhu n?¡± The folks from Xu Public Mountain were pitiful, not even making it inside the gate before being tossed into the moat outside of Princess Manor, utterly disheveled. ¡°Even if he is from Imperial City, one should still follow the rule of firste, first served. I am the young City Lord from North Wilderness Town¡­¡± ¡°Throw him out,¡± Zhu Minngmanded without waiting for him to speak, addressing Meng Hanwu. ¡°Such insolent arrogance! I am the youngest King in the Hidden Kingdom. Never have I seen such brazen audacity. On behalf of all the world¡¯s heroes and talented individuals, I take offense. If you dare, try to throw me out too¡ªif you¡¯re not afraid of my kingdom¡¯s one hundred thousand strong army ttening your Zhu Gate!¡± a man in his early thirties righteously proimed. In front of Princess Manor, with so many prestigious visitors present, those who dared topete for the princess¡¯s hand were either of eminent status or possessed outstanding strength. Zhu Minng¡¯s tant and bullish behavior spared no consideration for any other powers or kingdoms¡ªit was utterly unforgivable! ¡°A frog in a well,¡± sneered an elder from Zhu Sect¡¯s foreign court. He walked slowly over to the man who imed to be a King and whispered a few words to him. The self-proimed King, who had been fervently eager to take up the cause for everyone, immediately changed color. In the end, under the scrutiny of all, he had no choice but to bow in Zhu Minng¡¯s direction and then skulk away with his tail between his legs, apanied by his entourage. One hundred thousand strong army?? Nothing but a ragtag force of scrap metal! Nowadays, in the whole Supreme Court Courtyard Continent, any well-equipped army had dealings with the Zhu Sect¡¯s foreign court. On the annual celebration days, the so-called Kings, State Preceptors, and National Aids would all wait outside in the falling snow for an audience, simply to establish friendly diplomacy with the Zhu Sect¡­ This King of the Hidden Kingdom had probably indeed spent too much time in his remote and harshnds! ¡°No one else dares to obstruct me now, do they?¡± Zhu Minng nced around the crowd and asked with a smile curling up at the corner of his mouth. The vast majority were too angry to speak out, and of course, no one else wished to stick their necks out¡ªafter all, the scale of the house he represented was no small matter. After making a high-profile entrance into Princess Manor, the princess¡¯s maids pursed their lips, showing their dislike for Zhu Minng¡¯s pompous behavior. But however they were meant to receive him, they received him, inviting Zhu Minng and his ¡°henchmen¡± into the courtyard of Princess Manor. Yet soon after, Zhu Minngmitted another act that outraged everyone. ¡°Meng Hanwu, you stand at the entrance. Drive away anyone whoes after me!¡± Zhu Minng pointed at the gate to Princess Manor, exuding the tyrannical air of a thug who acted as if Princess Manor were his own house! ¡°Young Master, by doing this, you¡¯ll displease Princess Luoshui,¡± a chief maid raised her voice to say. ¡°Are you the princess?¡± Zhu Minng inquired. ¡°Of course not.¡± ¡°Then stop wagging your tongue. Doesn¡¯t the princess like peace and quiet? I¡¯m providing her a serene suitor festival to start with. Moreover, if others wish to enter Princess Manor, they can do so¡ªlet them defeat my guardian sister; if they win, I, Zhu Minng, will acknowledge their right topete with me!¡± Zhu Minng dered. A few maids of the princess had never seen such shamelessness. Knowing full well that this man was very likely a privileged fool from the Imperial City, they found themselves helpless against him in that moment. ¡°I will go ask the princess. You all apany Mr. Zhu to his seat,¡± the chief maid said as she hurriedly lifted her skirt and scampered away. Chapter 239 - 240 Competitor Chapter 239: Chapter 240 Competitor Trantor: 549690339 Meng Han Wu stood in front of the door, the ice on her cheeks almost freezing the entire doorframe. Who exactly hade to ept the marriage challenge? How had ite to be that she was here, clearing away thepetition for Zhu Minng? Meng Han Wu hesitated for a moment but eventually stayed in front of the Princess Manor. As long as she couldplete this task, she would act as Zhu Minng¡¯s guard for a while! Sitting down, Zhu Minng realized everyone was in the courtyard, surrounded by maple trees as red as rosy clouds, some fine wine, several tes of exquisite fruits, and some brushes, ink, paper, and inkstone. Had he not confirmed this was the Princess Manor, Zhu Minng would have thought he¡¯d entered some academy¡¯s examination hall. ¡°The princess is fond of poetry. Gentlemen, pleasepose a poem while you wait, as a first impression,¡± said an extremely tall pce maid. A literary test?? He really had guessed it. Was Princess Luoshui sifting out those nobles who were rich in wealth but poor in knowledge? In the realm of poetry, Zhu Minng wasn¡¯t a master, but in a gentry family like the Zhu Gate, which liked to collect antiques and famous paintings, he knew the basics well enough. After writing a poem about the red leaves, Zhu Minng began to observe the people around him. To Zhu Minng¡¯s surprise, there was a familiar face among them, none other than Prince Liang, who had lost a tooth at the Dragon Girl Pce! ¡°Zhang Three, Zhang Two, Zhang One, it¡¯s this guy, chop him up for me!!¡± Prince Liang also noticed Zhu Minng and immediately flew into a rage. With his missing tooth now exposed, his shout, which was meant to be imposing and fierce, turnedically ridiculous, provoking a round of delicateughter from the pce maids. ¡°Prince Liang, we are inside the manor, not at your doorstep. I hope Prince Liang will restrain himself. Any grievances can be dealt with after leaving the premises,¡± the tall pce maid said with emphasis. ¡°Fine, fine, just you wait, boy!¡± Prince Liang¡¯s face turned beet-red with frustration as he picked up his brush and began to write, his handwriting grandiose but utterly nonsensical. The princess must have set up this poetry challenge to weed out the likes of Prince Liang. Zhu Minng scanned the room and noticed a young schr whose demeanor stood out from the rest. His posture as he held the brush was somewhat peculiar ¨C his writing seemed to contain a certain momentum, as if instilling some kind of power into the white paper. The lines of ck ink on the papermanded a kind of respect. What kind of ability was this? Zhu Minng, after all, was a Dragon Shepherd who possessed a Dragon King; if the other party was simply showing off some calligraphy tricks, it wouldn¡¯t be possible to evoke such an odd emotion in him. The schr put down his brush, then closed his eyes to rest, not interacting with others or paying attention to his surroundings, as if he was among the gently swaying maple saplings¡­ Zhu Minng then looked towards another area and saw a mature-looking man who exuded an air of refined elegance. There didn¡¯t seem to be anything particrly special about him, except for his guardian, who appeared to be an extremely powerful Dragon Trainer, wrapped in Dragon Breath like a mountain hidden in dense fog! ¡°Brother, you must be in yourte thirties if not forty, why are youpeting with us young ones for the princess?¡± Zhu Minng, seated not far from the man, struck up a conversation. ¡°I¡¯m ashamed to say, I¡¯ve been busy with national affairs and have yet to marry. Now that the country is stable, and my travels have brought me to Miao Kingdom, I thought I¡¯d give it a try,¡± the mature man replied amiably, with a generous smile. ¡°Zhu Gate, Zhu Minng,¡± Zhu Minng introduced himself. ¡°ughter Country, Tu Wenhe,¡± the mature man returned the gesture. ¡°ughter Country? I don¡¯t seem to have heard of it. Where is it located?¡± Zhu Minng asked. ¡°It¡¯s quite normal that Mr. Zhu hasn¡¯t heard of it. I¡¯ve just changed the country¡¯s name. I¡¯m not someone of great talent, so I simply named the country after my own surname, Tu,¡± Tu Wenhe said evenly. Zhu Minng maintained aposed fa?ade but was inwardly shocked! ¡°` He¡¯s a ruthless one! Making nations take his surname! This guy is a Hunter! Within the Supreme Court Empire, there are many Dragon Shepherd Teams dedicated to traveling between major nations, even serving national armies, auxiliating in the assault of cities and upation of territories. Of course, some Dragon Shepherds are rulers themselves; they continuously conquer cities, imposing hefty taxes¡­ And among these Dragon Shepherd Teams are those with ambitions of nation hunting; important city-states and affluent nations are their prey! Stealing a hook incurs execution, stealing a nation earns one the title of marquis. This phrase perfectly manifests itself in these individuals! They hunt nations, making entire countries submit to their Master of Dragon Shepherd, milking them dry of resources before moving on, leaving the nation to rot away on its own! Hunters, in the Dragon Shepherd Team hierarchy, are indeed the cream of the crop. No wonder the guards around this person exude an imposing presence like mountains; Zhu Minng couldn¡¯t help but take a second look at this seemingly refined elder man. Of course, there are two kinds of Hunters: those willing to rule, bringing order tonds that are otherwise in chaos. The other kind is akin to swarming locusts, intent only on stripping a nation¡¯s resources, without a care for the aftermath since they harbor no thoughts of governance, merely serving their massive dragon herds. ¡°If you be the Imperial Son-in-Law, wouldn¡¯t Brother Tu have to stay in the capital of Miao Kingdom? The women here wouldn¡¯t want their men to be too prominent,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°Ha, that will depend on the circumstances,¡± Tu Wenhe replied with confidence, seeming unconcerned about the restrictions of the Miao Kingdom. While they were speaking, a person entered the room. He was short and slight but had a handsome face. Seeing that everyone had started to write poetry, he found a seat for himself. ¡°Which one is from Zhu Gate?¡± the handsome short man asked as soon as he sat down. ¡°That would be me,¡± Zhu Minng responded. ¡°Next time you find a gatekeeper, pick someone more capable,¡± the short manmented. Zhu Minng then remembered he had asked Meng Hanwu to guard the gate, permitting no one else to enter the Princess Manor. This short handsome man had actually defeated Meng Hanwu! Indeed, in no time, Meng Hanwu rushed in, sweat still glistening on her forehead and among her strands of hair. She looked around, seemingly unwilling to ept defeat, ready to challenge the short handsome man again. ¡°Let it go, he¡¯s got the skill,¡± Zhu Minng said to Meng Hanwu. ¡°What¡¯s it to you!¡± Meng Hanwu red at Zhu Minng. ¡°Miss, go back to the mountains and train for a few more years. Your swordsmanship is still too rough, and with your frigid demeanor, devoid of any feminine charm, I have no interest in entanglement with you,¡± the short man said. Zhu Minng couldn¡¯t help butugh. Well said. Always so icy, never a pleasant expression; it¡¯s not a matter of being womanly or not, she¡¯s lost all human warmth. However, Meng Hanwu¡¯s cultivation base should be fairly simr to Bai Qin¡¯an¡¯s. Being able to overpower her, it seems that thest toe is indeed formidable. There¡¯s no shortage ofpetitors! Chapter 240 - 241: Scumbag Exposed for Certain? Chapter 240: Chapter 241: Scumbag Exposed for Certain? Trantor: 549690339 ¡°If you write a poem for me from Zhu Gate, I won¡¯t quibble with you about sending someone to block the door,¡± said the short, handsome man as he ced paper and pen in front of Zhu Minng. ¡°What should I call you?¡± Zhu Minng asked. ¡°Quan Zong Yan Yuan,¡± the short, handsome man replied. ¡°Only good with your fists, not with a pen?¡± Zhu Minng asked with a smile. ¡°To write or not to write?¡± ¡°Alright,¡± Zhu Minng picked up the pen. He dipped it in ink and then wrote one big character on the white paper! Upon seeing the character, Quan Zong Yan Yuan¡¯s face changed, and his gaze turned icy. Tu Wenhe, who was standing nearby, leaned over to take a look at the character Zhu Minng had written and immediately burst intoughter. ¡°Scram!¡± On the white paper, Zhu Minng had written this bold and unconstrained character, no wonder Quan Zong Yan Yuan¡¯s facial muscles were twitching with anger! ¡°Looking for trouble, cksmith?¡± Yan Yuan was almost about to grab Zhu Minng by the cor and beat him up. At this moment, the senior pce maid scolded him and signaled Yan Yuan to sit down. Zhu Minng ced the ¡®Scram¡¯ he had written back in front of Yan Yuan and said with a smile, ¡°So you can read after all.¡± ¡°You¡¯re courting death!¡± Yan Yuan exploded in rage, but faced with the imposing senior pce maid, he restrained from acting out. Outside the Princess Manor, they could fight all they wanted, but once inside, they were not allowed to summon Dragon Beasts, nor were they allowed to use the Power of God and Mortality. Yan Yuan tore up the character Zhu Minng had written and simply sat there, no longer writing any poetry of first acquaintance, his eyes fixed deadly on Zhu Minng as if his goal that day was no longer to be the princess¡¯s consort but to beat Zhu Minng to a pulp! Before long, the pce maids and servants collected everyone¡¯s ¡®exams,¡¯ and the group was left hanging in the courtyard, only able to face the beautiful maple wood. After nearly a Time, the senior pce maid reappeared and read out a few names. ¡°The rest can go back and wait for the final contest,¡± said the senior pce maid. ¡°What does this mean, Princess Luoshui isn¡¯t even meeting us once, how does she know we¡¯re not the right candidates, is it just based on those few words?¡± Prince Liang was the first to voice his dissatisfaction. ¡°Visitors to different ces, looks, fame, strength, character¡­ Princess Luoshui has already heard of them all, she has a rough idea of the candidates in her mind. Those left here are just for the princess¡¯s amusement, to discuss poetry and taste tea with no intention of selecting a consort. The final results will only be announced on the day of the contest, and the one Princess Luoshui favors will naturallymand a high price,¡± exined the senior pce maid. ¡°But I have only visited the Princess Manor,¡± the mature man Tu Wenhe said. ¡°How could the princess not know of Dragon Herding Sanctifier Tu Wenhe?¡± the senior pce maid said with a smile. ¡°If that is the case, Tu Wenhe will await the good news,¡± Tu Wenhe stood up and spoke politely. The others withdrew, leaving only a few behind, including Zhu Minng, and a young schr among them. After waiting a bit longer, the breathtakingly beautiful Princess Luoshui finally appeared. The screen in front of her was pushed aside by a few maids, and she walked from her fragrant couch to the maple wood long table before inviting a few people whose poetic talent had been selected to sit nearer. Princess Luoshui personally poured tea, the fragrance was intoxicating and uplifting, but even the enchanting aroma of the tea couldn¡¯tpare to the mystery and elegance of Princess Luoshui that captivated everyone. She didn¡¯t speak but poured a cup of fragrant tea for each person. Zhu Minng was surprised that his poem had been selected. It was a vige song from the mountains hummed by some old farmers during his wanderings, barely modified by him to be easy to understand and not at all refined. ¡°Your swordsmanship is exceptional, your poetry talent is impressive, and your handwriting is also exquisite,¡± Princess Luoshui said in a gentle and elegant manner. Zhu Minng looked around, thinking Princess Luoshui was addressing someone else, but her eyes, hidden beneath the ornaments of silver and jade, were fixed on him. ¡°Swordsmanship?¡± Zhu Minng was surprised, how did Princess Luoshui know about his swordsmanship? ¡°At the Sword Pavilion of Miao Mountain Sword Sect, your phrase, ¡®The weak are lowly, the strong are honored,¡¯ was indeed memorable,¡± Princess Luoshui said with a gentle smile, her voice exceptionally pleasant and beautiful. ¡°So the princess was there that day too?¡± Zhu Minng was quite surprised. At the time in the Sword Pavilion, amidst the screen-painted parasols and curtained seats, there were indeed manymandery princesses, female marquises, and female city lords as spectators. Zhu Minng hadn¡¯t expected Princess Luoshui to be among them; she must have changed her attire not wanting to be recognized by others. ¡°The sword contest between Yaoshan Sword Sect and Miao Mountain Sword Sect is a rare event, urring only once every ten years. Naturally, I would not miss it,¡± said Princess Luoshui. ¡°It turns out the princess also likes the Sword Dao,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°However, with such a stunning and unmatcheddy by your side, whye to my modest princess manor?¡± Princess Luoshui continued to inquire. Zhu Minng¡¯s brow furrowed. Was she referring to Nan Lingsha? This was trouble! A confirmed phnderer! Savoring what¡¯s in the bowl, while eyeing what¡¯s in the pot¡­ The women of Miao Kingdom not only refuse to ept other countries¡¯ men having multiple wives and concubines, but they also despise men for being fickle. Here, a woman might be forgiven for an idental affair, but no man with a divided heart has ever escaped contempt and loathing! ¡°Princess Luoshui, you misunderstand. That female painter is merely a Divine and Mortal in my Dragon Shepherd team, and she and I have a pure and innocent rtionship,¡± Zhu Minng quickly came up with a response, showing a calm and nonchnt demeanor. ¡°Has the young master¡¯s heart never been moved? Several female city lords with special preferences told me that day they were besotted with the painter; beneath her veil, there must be a face of outstanding beauty,¡± Princess Luoshui said. ¡°If I were moved, why would Ie here?¡± Zhu Minng responded. ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± Princess Luoshui no longer pursued the matter, but instead talked with the truly poetic schr about the poem he had written, from the literal emotions to the hidden ambitions within the lines, and even the deeper implications¡­ Zhu Minng sipped his tea while nodding along as if he understood. After talking for a while, Princess Luoshui went back to rest. She did not express any particr fondness, merely making idle conversation. As for whether she would bid a fortune for the man who moved her heart on the day of the contest, that was uncertain. Zhu Minng also felt a bit of a headache. This overly simplistic method of ¡°matchmaking¡± was giving him no opportunity to apply his strengths. If Princess Luoshui had not visited Miao Mountain Sword Sect in disguise, she probably wouldn¡¯t even know of his existence. Could it be up to fate? Forget it, take it one step at a time. At least today he had roughly identified the experts around the princess. One was her senior maid, and there were two others dressed as maids who were hidden guards with high cultivation bases. He would need to remain vignt! If he failed to win the contest, he would abduct the princess. If all else failed, a bait and switch could be executed, offering her a fake silver adornment to wear, which would not tarnish her reputation. Chapter 241 - 242: Competing for Supremacy Chapter 241: Chapter 242: Competing for Supremacy Trantor: 549690339 In the capital of Miao Kingdom, some households were still bustling with activity, as countless elegant young men were jostling for a chance to see the official¡¯s daughter once more. At the front of some houses, even after presenting scented maple flowers, there still wasn¡¯t a soul in sight, leaving some heroic women so frustrated that they tore off their veils and dragged the handsome young men off the street and into their courtyards by force. The time to choose son-inws during the autumn festival when flowers bloom was drawing near to the final day of buying husbands. Zhu Minng had great confidence in himself¡ªhe had indeed written his name on many a youngdy¡¯s red love leaf, making him an outstanding prospective son-inw without surprise. The more premium the national son-inw, theter they appear, as after all, some young men couldn¡¯t resist the generous offers and the charm of the beauties and had already pledged themselves to the arms of powerful women. The final contest was left to those who received the most love leaves and were favorites among the various influentialdies¡­ On the day of thepetition, Zhu Minng took special care to groom himself. After looking in the mirror, he couldn¡¯t help but smile at the sight of his handsome and dashing reflection, when Fang Niannian nced at him with a strange look. Though she didn¡¯t utter a word, her eyes said it all: You finally went down this road. ¡°Shut up!¡± Zhu Minng red at the girl in annoyance. ¡°I didn¡¯t say anything!¡± Fang Niannian retorted, not satisfied, yet her cheeks betrayed her with a mischievous grin. From the first moment I saw you, I knew you were a man who liked being kept. And now, you¡¯re being kept to the level of a national son-inw, truly a top-tier kept man! Wu Feng, Yun Zhonghe, and Shao Ying were all baffled by Zhu Minng¡¯s participation in the son-inw contest, having seen the stunning beauties Li Xinghua and Nan Lingsha. Could they really not satisfy Zhu Minng¡¯s appetite, or was Princess Luoshui not breathtaking enough topare? Perhaps that¡¯s just the way a scoundrel is, never satisfied, always craving something new. ¡°President Wu.¡± Mr. Jinli roamed on the table, staring at Zhu Minng with an expression of grave seriousness as he spoke. ¡°What is it, Mr. Jinli?¡± Wu Feng asked. ¡°What kind of feed do you usually buy at Yaoshan Sword Sect, that can turn a fifteen or sixteen-year-old boy into someone so mature?¡± Mr. Jinli was baffled beyond words. Before heading to the pce, the area below was already overflowing with people, mostly women, as many fine men do not venture outside. With the scent of women like warblers and swallows in the air, Zhu Minng walked towards the National Son-inw Stage in front of the pce. Facing the sea of people, he fell into deep thought. He reminisced about his days wandering near the painting boat at the Dragon Taming Academy. In the end, he had still embarked on this path, only now, instead of being on the small painting boat, he was in the vast capital of Miao Kingdom. Calm,posed, and with a smile on his face, he exuded the air of a man who yed with worldly affairs disdainfully, Zhu Minng tried to appear familiar with the process¡­ No, this was his first timepeting on the stage! ¡°Zhu Minng, Zhu Minng, your sister here has taken a fancy to you!¡± At this moment, the sexy Ding Dragon Lady from the Dragon Girl Pce called out. ¡°When ites to financial power, there aren¡¯t many forces that canpete with my Hua Family. It seems like sister is going to have a hard time parting with her beloved.¡± The pure and innocent Floral Dragon Maiden giggled, looking as though she already had Zhu Minng in the bag. The matters of the Miao Mountain Sword Sect quickly spread throughout the kingdom. Lately, thanks to the various Female Prefects, Female Marquises, and Female City Lords talking about it, everyone knew how easily Zhu Minng had defeated the Discipline Hall Master of the Miao Mountain Sword Sect. This time, at the husband auction, these female nobles were the main force, and it was expected that they wouldn¡¯t be stingy with their Silver Taels. ¡°You all just love these pretty young men. As for me, I still have a thing for polite and amiable older gentlemen. No one willpete with this prefect for Tu Wenhe, right? Though he has never visited my residence, I have my eyes set on him!¡± a resplendent, unmasked Commandery Princess said. ¡°Stop arguing, everyone. In the end, the princesses will pick the Champion Son-inw first. It¡¯s only after they¡¯ve made their choice that we sisters can pick,¡± a charming Female Marquis said with a smile. ¡°That¡¯s right, we shouldn¡¯t overlook thedies from other countries who might step in,¡± someone added. At the husband auction, even visitingdies could participate. As long as they were willing to bid, gold and silver jewelry, silk and satin, Land Deeds and Spiritual Treasures were all eptable. Miao Kingdom itself revered wealth, and every woman had a fondness for collecting jewels. The eligible husbands were presented one by one for bidding by thedies who had written down their names on maple leaves. Of course, those who hadn¡¯t written down names could also participate, but in such cases, the eligible husbands had the right to refuse. This rule was somewhat rational. After all, being written down usually meant the man had personally visited the bidder¡¯s residence. If the bidder had never met the man or if he was of a particrly disagreeable sort, it would be quite uneptable to simply snatch him away with wealth. One after another, bids were ced for most of the eligible husbands, as they were generally favored by daughters of prominent households. Half of the bid price went to the pce, while the other half belonged to the man. Zhu Minng did feel somewhat impressed seeing those handsome young lords being auctioned off for hundreds of thousands of gold, realizing that in Miao Kingdom, it was indeed easy for a man to make money, as long as he was willing to forgo what little dignity he had. Zhu Minng¡¯s attention, however, was primarily on Princess Luoshui. Many eligible and fine husbands were previously presented, and most Commandery Princesses made symbolic bids. In the eyes of these noble prefects, having more choices was always good. Even if they already had an ideal candidate in mind, they would bid multiple times. Even if they inadvertently bought several sons-inw, they would choose the best among them without minding the expense, for their wealth was vast, and they didn¡¯t mind splurging for handsome men. Of course, those unmasked female nobles would bid on any they fancied. After all, having them in their own chambers, why would they ever think it was too many? ¡°Ahem, Sister Ding, I¡¯m a bit puzzled. Look at those noblewomen; they keep so many men and surely share their bed with them, right? If they have children, how do they determine who the father is, and what surname will the child take?¡± Yun Zhonghe quietly inquired of thedy from the Dragon Girl Pce, Ding Dragon Lady. Both Ding Dragon Lady and Floral Dragon Maiden gave Yun Zhonghe a look as if he were simple-minded. ¡°Of course they take the noble women¡¯s surnames,¡± Ding Dragon Lady said. ¡°Er, there¡¯s no need to figure out who the father is?¡± ¡°Is there a need?¡± Ding Dragon Lady replied. ¡°Alright, forget I asked,¡± Yun Zhonghe said with a troubled face, deciding not to inquire further. ¡°What is Yun Brother so worried about? Afraid that some undesirable offspring might result? Don¡¯t worry, even if the female nobles have arge male harem, each one of those men is top-notch. They wouldn¡¯t let just any man catch their eye. Like me, for example, I also keep men. Mr. Zhu is the kind I fancy. As for someone like you, Yun Brother ¨C no offense, but intimate pleasures carry risks. I wouldn¡¯t want my offspring to be as unremarkable as you,¡± Ding Dragon Lady stated. Chapter 242 - 243: How About Just Giving In? Chapter 242: Chapter 243: How About Just Giving In? Trantor: 549690339 Yun Zhonghe clutched his own chest, stricken with pain, but a mass of coagted blood was still churning in his throat. If he didn¡¯t spit it out, it would have cost him his life. At this moment, Yun Zhonghe truly wanted to p himself for asking such an idiotic question. ¡°Brother Yun didn¡¯t be a top suitor, don¡¯t you have any idea why?¡± Ding Dragon Lady continued to speak. ¡°I don¡¯t like this method. Even in our own country, women are not treated as objects of trade,¡± Yun Zhonghe said with a stern face. ¡°Yet every year, the queue of men vying for suitors in our country is endless. It¡¯s nothing more than a game for the pce women. Whether it¡¯s acting for fun or sincere emotions, everyone has their own choices. Why take it so seriously¡­¡± Ding Dragon Lady said. Finally, it was Zhu Minng¡¯s turn¡­ He appeared on the National Son-inw Stage. Looking at the countless enchanting women before him, his feelings were quiteplicated. On the one hand, being bought and sold like an exhibit at auction was somewhat shameful and revolting. On the other hand, as a man with vanity, he was also curious about how charming he was, how many women would be infatuated with him, and how much they would be willing to pay for him? It seemed that those men from other countries, who clearly couldn¡¯t ept this system but still desperately wanted to stand here, mostly shared this thought! ¡°Honey City produces a thousand jars of honey every year, yielding at least a hundred thousand gold in annual revenue. Mr. Zhu Minng is the object of my affection. Dear sisters, please show some mercy.¡± Indeed, Ding Dragon Lady was the first to announce a price, and she made it clear she would bid even higher. As soon as Ding Dragon Lady announced her bid, she did so with extravagant generosity, causing the whole audience to sigh in amazement. Many youngdies who had not heard much about Zhu Minng also began to take notice and discuss amongst themselves. ¡°Sister Ding is being too miserly. Mr. Zhu is the only son of the Zhu Gate. Their external estate is wealthy enough to rival a nation, not to mention the mysterious and solemn inner estate. I doubt Honey City can even afford a single night with the gentleman,¡± said a Female Marquis,ughing coyly, directly revealing Zhu Minng¡¯s identity. ¡°It¡¯s just a starting bid. Who would be so hasty with their heart¡¯s desire?¡± Ding Dragon Lady said with a smiling demeanor. ¡°This Marquis doesn¡¯t like to drag things out. A Red Diamond Mine worth, well, about five hundred thousand gold,¡± said the Female Marquis. After speaking, she threw a flirtatious nce at Zhu Minng, as though she had him all figured out. This Female Marquis was probably one of those who had watched from the sidelines at the Miao Mountain Sword Sect that day. Having witnessed Zhu Minng¡¯s Firefly Sword, the Female Marquis was deeply smitten! ¡°Hmph, Mr. Zhu¡¯s first visit was to our Dragon Girl Pce. Today, I want to see who canpete with our Hua Family. No matter who bids, this youngdy will add twenty thousand gold,¡± said the Floral Dragon Maiden, seemingly innocent and lovely, yet extremely domineering. The State Preceptor of Miao Kingdom belongs to the Hua Family, known as the Flower God. And this Floral Dragon Maiden, naturally, also had close ties with the State Preceptor, with a status and identity in no way inferior to those Commandery Princesses, Female Marquises, and even Princesses. ¡°Sister Flower, why put on such an earnest facade? Everyone knows that the Hua Family loves to curry favor with power. If the Hua Family has their sights on the status of the Zhu Gate, you might as well just say it¡­ Maybe Sister Flower would be willing to enter the Zhu Gate,¡± said a Female Prefect with a veiled face. In Miao Kingdom, there was no distinction between a woman entering a family and a man marrying into another family. To say it out loud carried an ironic tone. ¡°Prefect sister is looking quite splendid today, but this is not the first time I¡¯ve seen you dressed like this. Could it be that you have no better gold or silver jewelry? I have plenty, and I could give some to Prefect sister so that people won¡¯t misunderstand and think your family¡¯s territory is barren andcks the wealth to treasure valuable possessions,¡± retaliated the Floral Dragon Maiden. The face of the Female Prefect turned extremely unsightly; if not for the veil, her grimace would likely be visible. ¡°One million gold,¡± said the Female Prefect coldly. ¡°One million two hundred thousand,¡± said the Floral Dragon Maiden indifferently. ¡°One million five hundred thousand gold.¡± ¡°One million seven hundred thousand.¡± ¡°Two million gold,¡± the Female Prefect was no longer just bidding for a suitor; she was using the money to smash through her frustration. Zhu Minng listened, sighing to himself. Two million gold! That would be one million gold to my name! Although the total value of the items I currently have on hand far exceeds this one million gold, many things can¡¯t just be easily turned into gold. How incredibly wealthy must the noblewomen of Miao Kingdom be! ¡°This is a Moon Sky Stone, half a year ago a bishop from the church was willing to spend three million gold for it, which I did not part with. I wonder if Mr. Zhu finds this Moon Sky Stone of interest?¡± At this moment, Princess Luoshui spoke up, interrupting thepetition between the Floral Dragon Maiden and the Commandery Princess. Moon Sky Stone! Such a treasure is definitely rare, and its uses are extremely broad. To put it simply, for Little White Bai Qi, Little White Bai Qi¡¯s Azure Dragon Mystics and the Azure Dragon bloodline could even be elevated to another realm. Zhu Minng¡¯s heart thudded. What a great item! And it perfectly matches the Ice Morning White Dragon with its Azure Dragon attributes. Maybe I should just go for it! ¡°The princess has made an offer.¡± ¡°Who would have thought that Princess Luoshui would take a fancy to this overbearing Mr. Zhu.¡± ¡°Wasn¡¯t there a rumor before that the princess had a mutual affection with Shi Jun from the Tang Observation Academy?¡± ¡°Could it be that the princess also has her eye on the Zhu Gate¡¯s power in the Imperial City, intending to get a foothold in the Imperial City?¡± Princess Luoshui¡¯s first bid went to Zhu Minng. Although making a bid doesn¡¯t guarantee a win, nor does it necessarily mean it¡¯s the most coveted choice, having a princess make a bid is already an honor worth boasting about for a lifetime! ¡°Sister, it worked!¡± Nan Yusuo¡¯s beautiful eyes lit up. The princess took the bait! That meant the second piece of Ancient Lantern Jade was within reach. However, just as she began to feel happy, Nan Yusuo¡¯s mouth puckered up, and she said in an unhappy tone, ¡°Humph, Zhu Minng will probably show off about this for a while again!¡± ¡°Sister?¡± Seeing Li Xinghua remain silent, Nan Yusuo asked with some confusion. Li Xinghua still said nothing, simply watching the scene unfold. Nan Yusuo stared at her sister for a while until her expression slowly turned solemn. ¡°Princess Luoshui, do not bear a grudge against your sister¡­ Three million two hundred thousand gold.¡± The Floral Dragon Maiden certainly didn¡¯t give up so easily. Before she had left for the day, the State Preceptor had instructed her that she could bid for Zhu Minng without any reservations. For the Hua Family of Miao Kingdom, the Zhu Gate of the Imperial City represented a very excellent strategic marriage ally, and the Floral Dragon Maiden herself found Zhu Minng particrly agreeable. So even if it meantpeting with the princess for a son-inw, she didn¡¯t mind at all. The State Preceptor and the Monarch represent two opposing factions, after all. The only son of Zhu Gate joining forces with the Princess of Miao Kingdom would not be a good thing. Moreover, news came from Miao Mountain Sword Sect that Zhu Minng was the son of Head Meng, making this potential son-inw extraordinary. Princess Luoshui just smiled and did not bid for Zhu Minng again. It seemed that her maximum price in her heart was just three million gold; any more would purely be a matter ofpeting powers flexing their influence. Chapter 243 - 244: The Battlefield of Women Chapter 243: Chapter 244: The Battlefield of Women Trantor: 549690339 ¡°Oh no!¡± Zhu Minng felt a sense of panic. Why was this Floral Dragon Maiden so obsessed with him? They had met only once! In the end, it was all about identity. Although Miao Kingdom was far from the Imperial City, some powers within the kingdom still cared a great deal about the Zhu Gate, and thus they were relentless in their bidding, aiming to forge this marriage alliance. Zhu Minng certainly didn¡¯t believe his charm was explosive enough to warrant the Floral Dragon Maiden spending over three million gold on him! Princess Luoshui. Bid some more money, won¡¯t you? If you think it¡¯s too expensive, I¡¯ll chip in a bit. This young master might still have a chance to escape!! Zhu Minng now had a splitting headache, for he couldn¡¯t very well hold a sword to Princess Luoshui¡¯s neck and force her to continue bidding against the Floral Dragon Maiden. At this moment, if Princess Luoshui was unwilling to raise her bid, he would truly be the Floral Dragon Maiden¡¯s prize. The Floral Dragon Maiden¡¯s grand gesture had already deterred many Female Prefects and Female Marquises. Initially, once Princess Luoshui made a bid, there generally wouldn¡¯t be manypetitors, since aside from her robust finances, all factions were expected to make way for the season¡¯s main protagonist. Unfortunately, it seemed that Master Hua wished to avoid entangling Zhu Gate with the Miao Kingdom Pce, and thus had unhesitatingly instructed his sister to snatch the love. ¡°Five million gold.¡± Suddenly, a cool and detached voice rang out, its tone wonderfully melodious yet imbued with an icy, resolute determination! ¡°Five million gold!!¡± The pce official couldn¡¯t help but exim in shock. A group of royal officials turned their gazes toward the speaker. Those noblewomen also turned towards a breathtakingly beautiful woman, including Princess Luoshui who looked in astonishment at the woman who bid such a massive sum! The Floral Dragon Maiden was stunned. Three million two hundred thousand gold was already astronomical; the Hua Family would need substantial time to replenish their coffers. If the Zhu Gate weren¡¯t of tremendous help to their current predicament, spending three million for a son-inw would be a loss no matter how one sliced it. But who could have anticipated an even more outrageous bid? And from someone who had offered a staggering one million eight hundred thousand more than her own bid. Although the Master Hua had instructed her to hold nothing back, could the Hua Family reallye up with such an amount on the spot? Unveiled, her exquisitely captivating face drew the admiration of even other women. Her cool and proud bearing, firm and serene eyes, and demeanor made the reputations of some known Female Prefects and City Lords pale inparison. Princess Luoshui was watching her. She recognized the woman, even though she wasn¡¯t wearing a veil. Princess Luoshui knew she was the exceptionally talented female artist from the Miao Mountain Sword Sect¡ªNan Lingsha. Using the painting as a medium to disy the twelve falling swords of the Yao Mountain Sword Sect, she had probably shocked both the Miao Mountain Sword Sect and Yao Mountain Sword Sect¡¯s Sword Groves. She was bidding for Zhu Minng. And with a whopping five million gold that would not allow others topete! This suddenly reminded Princess Luoshui of the casual conversation she had with Zhu Minng that day in the mansion. ¡°She¡¯s just a Divine and Mortal in my Dragon Shepherd team; there¡¯s nothing between us.¡± Five million gold for a bid! And still nothing between you??? Zhu Minng was also somewhat taken aback. Could it really be a case of a love muddle? But she didn¡¯t seem to be Nan Yuso¡­ Zhu Minng looked over and saw that Nan Yuso was still wearing a veil, standing behind the bidding woman, with the Immortal Rabbit Dragon in her arms. The bidding sister, Li Xinghua?? What on earth was Miss Xinghua doing?? Five million gold¡­ even though it was being offered to him, half of it still had to be given to the pce, which meant a direct loss of two million five hundred thousand. If she really had designs on him, there was no need to splurge like this in such a setting. On a long and quiet night, a whisper in his ear would have been enough, and that would cost not a penny! No, wait¡­ She didn¡¯t seem to be Li Xinghua either. Those eyes, clear and calm, stood amidst countless distinguished and graceful women of the Miao Kingdom, yet emitted a formidable aura that was difficult to describe, like the bright moon amidst the starry sea. Zhu Minng looked at her. Her gaze was also fixed on Zhu Minng. After a while, Zhu Minng felt a surge of confusion. For some reason, he felt that the person staring at him was not Li Xinghua. Sure enough, the Immortal Rabbit Dragon suddenly sprang from the crowd and then hopped onto Zhu Minng¡¯s shoulder. The Immortal Rabbit Dragon leaned close to Zhu Minng¡¯s ear and kept saying in a crisp and anxious voice of a little girl, ¡°This is terrible, Li Yunzhi has awoken. This is terrible, Li Yunzhi has awoken!¡± It was indeed Li Yunzhi!! Tumultuous waves churned within Zhu Minng¡¯s heart¡­ Was it the Ancient Lantern Jade that had taken effect?? Awakening Li Yunzhi! Li Yunzhi remained imperious, as her opening bid was five million gold, her eyes brooked no dissent, as though dering the sole ownership of this man! Perhaps, Li Yunzhi had many confusions deep inside, unable to understand why Zhu Minng was standing on the stage for thepetition for husbands. But that didn¡¯t deter her from bidding for Zhu Minng. ¡°Li Yunzhi, we¡¯re just ying a scene to get the Lamp Jade Ornament from the princess¡¯s cheek, calm down!¡± cried Nan Yuso anxiously, not knowing how to exin to Li Yunzhi. Without uttering a word, Li Yunzhi simply waited quietly. Nan Yuso was also distressed, wondering why Li Yunzhi had to wake up at that exact moment! Moreover, Nan Yuso had no way to deal with Li Yunzhi, who had always been upromising. ¡°Five million five hundred thousand gold!¡± Suddenly, another bid was ced. Just when it seemed that five million gold was the ceiling and Zhu Minng was about to be the most expensive Champion Son-inw, someone made a bid under these circumstances, sending the price soaring to an outrageous level! Everyone immediately turned to see who had made the bid, and shockingly, the bidder turned out to be Princess Luoshui, who had previously chosen to withdraw! It was Princess Luoshui! The voice of Princess Luoshui, pure and gentle, seemed unwilling to lose to anyone in this setting. After stating her bid, she didn¡¯t even nce at Zhu Minng but locked eyes with the woman who induced a sense of unease and a tinge of unwillingness. ¡°Seven million¡­¡± Li Yunzhi stated almost without hesitation. But as the first word left her lips, her strength seemed to be drained away by something, making her voice weak and feeble. Nobody heard the bid of seven million gold except Nan Yuso standing beside her. Nan Yuso quickly supported her and began to exin, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Zhu Minng only wants her Lamp Jade Ornament to save your life.¡± Li Yunzhi slowly closed her eyes, as if falling asleep. Nan Yuso took a deep breath of relief. She could not have anticipated Li Yunzhi suddenly waking up. However, Li Yunzhi¡¯s awakening might not be a bad thing after all! Her assertiveness just provokedpetitiveness in the princess. To outsiders, this stunningly beautiful woman appeared distraught, seemingly unable to bid any higher. No one was able to offer a higher price. Princess Luoshui seemed to have secured her final victory, her lips gently lifting into a smile. No matter how dazzling this woman was, no matter how much she was praised by all the noblewomen of the entire kingdom, she ultimately lost. This woman couldn¡¯t move Zhu Minng¡¯s heart. Yet she could. Was thepetition for husbands really about gaining a husband? That might not be the case; the festival of choosing a husband within the blooming flowers has always been a battleground for women. As the protagonist of the year, she would not allow anyone to overshadow her own radiance! Moreover, the royal pce was hers. The price she had to pay was no more than three million gold. As a princess of the Miao Kingdom, she didn¡¯t need to talk about fairness with those women. Chapter 244 - 245: The True Face of the Princess Chapter 244: Chapter 245: The True Face of the Princess Trantor: 549690339 55 million gold, a sum that some countries might not amass in a year of tax revenue, was, in Miao Kingdom, merely for the pleasure of a game for the powerful. No subsequent bid reached this number. And thus, Zhu Minng had be this year¡¯s national son-inw. Although Zhu Minng knew this was inseparably tied to his identity, it was equally rted to hismanding presence, extraordinary handsomeness, exceptional poetic talent, outstanding swordsmanship, and his adeptness in dragon training! The son-inw selection festival also came to a gradual close with the final few outstanding son-inws making high bids, the most astonishing, of course, still being Zhu Minng¡¯s, which far exceeded those of the otherpetitors. As night fell, Zhu Minng had already been invited into the pce. This was so swift that Zhu Minng was still somewhat unustomed, not having expected that Miao Kingdom¡¯s son-inw selection would be this hurried. Shouldn¡¯t there be more time to get to know each other before proceeding with the evening¡¯s events? Or was it that once purchased, a son-inw was to be hidden away, never to show his face again? That would be fine, too. Having obtained the jade ornaments, he could simply vanish into thin air, and the exorbitant dowry given by the princess could be returned intact. The royal banquet was grand; Zhu Minng drank several rounds and was quietly waiting inside the Princess¡¯s Chamber in the Pce. In Miao Kingdom, women wielded the power of speech, even within the pce, and it was rare for men of special status to move about. Zhu Minng wasn¡¯t in any hurry;e the intimate hours of the bridal chamber, he would naturally get what he wanted. Gold and silver treasures were brought in chests to the courtyard; Zhu Minng was attended to by a group of entric maids who groomed and dressed him¡­ He hadn¡¯t expected to be deprived of experiencing the pride of a bridegroom on his wedding night; instead, he found himself prematurely treated to the delicate and luxurious grooming befitting of a newlywed bride. Finally, as the moon crested the treetops, Zhu Minng sensed an ominous stillness in the pce and was suddenly gripped by a forbidding premonition. Could it be that Princess Luoshui would arrive utterly inebriated, push open the door, and thenmence upon improper acts? The escape route had been nned; once he secured the Silver Jade Ornament, Zhu Minng would incapacitate the princess and then immediately leave Miao Kingdom. Yet this Princess Luoshui was nowhere to be seen! ¡°Princess!¡± ¡°Princess Luoshui, Mr. Zhu has been awaiting you in the sleeping chamber for quite some time.¡± ¡°Congrattions to you, Princess.¡± The voices of several maids reached him, and Zhu Minng¡¯s eyes lit up; he set down the grapes he was holding and sat up straight. Little Miss Tease, finally, you¡¯vee! The doors were gently opened by two maids, and it was evident that Princess Luoshui had also undergone meticulous adornment. Her silk clothes clung tightly to her exquisite body, making one imagine the silky smoothness and softness of her skin. Her hair, akin to tinum silk, took on an even more noble and alluring sheen under the moonlight and festiventerns. As for the Silver Jade Ornament, it added a touch of mystery, sanctity, and allure to her appearance. ¡°No one has ever seen the princess¡¯s true face, is that true?¡± Zhu Minng had poured a stronger serving of distilled wine and handed it to the elegantly approaching Princess of Miao Kingdom. ¡°Do you want to see?¡± Princess Luoshui asked with a smile, her tone teasing, ¡°Share a cup of cross-cupped wine with me.¡± Sharing a cup meant their faces would be very, very close together. Princess Luoshui reached out slowly, her hand gliding through the crook of Zhu Minng¡¯s arm, then little by little, drew Zhu Minng¡¯s face nearer to hers. Zhu Minng didn¡¯t mind; it was all just an act. Sharing cross-cupped wine was not a loss of honor, so he let Princess Luoshui draw her face closer to his. Feeling her warm breath,ced with a hint of drunken fragrance, Zhu Minng tried to maintain hisposure, yet something felt amiss. ¡°Won¡¯t you help me take it off?¡± Princess Luoshui¡¯s breathed out, her voice sweet as an orchid. As stoic as an ascetic monk, Zhu Minng drank the spiked wine and reached out his hand¡­ It¡¯s not as if I¡¯m undressing her, no need to be nervous. With the removal of her Silver Jade Ornament, I gave the princess an ¡°I¡¯m sorry, my love, but it¡¯s not you¡± gentleman¡¯s smile, then knocked her out, slipped past those two hidden guards, and fled far away with my little aunts! The Silver Jade Ornament was removed slowly, out of pure curiosity, Zhu Minng still took a nce at the mysterious princess who made the hearts of all the men in the nation itch¡­ Below the ornament, indeed, was a beauty, likewise, her appearance was even more breathtaking than imagined once the ornament was gone. Zhu Minng looked at her, lost in thought, and at the same time, his body trembled lightly as if electrified! ¡°This¡­ this¡­ this¡­¡± Zhu Minng couldn¡¯t speak for a long time, staring at the Princess Luoshui, his mind wentpletely nk! Outside the pce, Wu Feng, with his face covered, was quietly waiting for Zhu Minng outside the pce walls. Wu Feng knew about Zhu Minng¡¯s n; as his senior brother, he should offer his full support in Zhu Minng¡¯s escape from marriage. Yet, the dy in Zhu Minng¡¯s appearance gave Wu Feng an ominous premonition. ¡°Ladies, don¡¯t worry, perhaps the younger brother has encountered some tricky matter,¡± Wu Feng said. ¡°Indeed, the princess is too alluring; getting up from her jade bed must be really tough for him,¡± Nan Yuso said with augh. ¡°Yuso!¡± Li Xinghua frowned and spoke. ¡°Sister, it¡¯s almost dawn. We might as well go back to rest first. Tomorrow morning, sister can stew some deer antler soup and send it to the pce, lest Mr. Zhu exhaust himself from toiling all night,¡± Nan Yuso said. Li Xinghua was also puzzled, unable to understand why Zhu Minng hadn¡¯t shown up. Could it be that he ultimately fell for that temptation? ¡°Let¡¯s wait a little longer. I am clear about the younger brother¡¯s character; he will absolutely not betray youdies,¡± Wu Feng said with sincerity. ¡°We are pure and innocent with him; however he wants to be with the princess is his business, what does it have to do with us? We can find the Ancient Lantern Jade ourselves,¡± Nan Yuso said with a cold snort. Li Xinghua didn¡¯t say anything. How Zhu Minng would decide was not something they could influence. However, considering what Yuso mentioned, that Li Yunzi briefly awakened today, showing no signs of backing down, it inevitably made her feelingsplicated. The Princess¡¯s Chamber in the Pce The moon was bright and the stars sparse, sachets hung from the tips of maple trees, swaying gently with the breeze, filling the entire courtyard with a pleasant fragrance. On Zhu Minng¡¯s forehead, fine beads of sweat appeared; he held the Silver Jade Ornament tightly, his gaze fixated on Princess Luoshui¡­ Princess Luoshui was not at the most beautiful age, which many people knew, but that did not hinder her renowned reputation throughout the Miao Kingdom. Her appearance was sacred and secret, even the people in the pce might not be clear about it. Indeed, there were a few moments when Zhu Minng vaguely felt like he had heard Princess Luoshui¡¯s voice somewhere before, but he could not link these two people together. Worthily, as he lifted the Silver Jade Ornament from her forehead and witnessed her true face, Zhu Minng wanted to give himself a big p. ¡°Wen Lingfei!¡± Zhu Minng struggled to utter the name. ¡°So Head Meng never told you, did he?¡± said Princess Luoshui, revealing her true face with augh, her eyes like the autumn moon. This Princess Luoshui was no other than the youngest sect leader of the Miao Mountain Sword Sect, Wen Lingfei! This woman, how on earth could one knock her out?!! Chapter 245 - 246: Am I Not as Good as Her? Chapter 245: Chapter 246: Am I Not as Good as Her? Trantor:549690339 ¡°Master Wen, I had not thought you to be such a heartless person, given your identity as the leader of the Miao Mountain Sword Sect, why covet the title of princess of a mundane nation? What have you done with the real Princess Luoshui?¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°If you, Zhu Minng, can abandon the Sword Dao to learn the Art of Dragon Shepherd, why can¡¯t I give up my title as princess in pursuit of the Sword Dao?¡± Wen Lingfei said. Zhu Minng furrowed his brows. How could there be such an odd person in this world! Wen Lingfei was, in the first ce, the Princess of Miao Kingdom, the future ruler of this country. At the same time, she was also the Sect Leader of the Miao Mountain Sword Sect, the youngest and yet the most powerful woman in the realm of the Sword Dao. This meant that the entire Miao Kingdom and its power were in her hands alone! Did Meng Bingci know about Wen Lingfei¡¯s true identity, and thus sent me to vie for the position of the son-inw to the throne? Or could it be that from the very beginning, Meng Bingci had already chosen a daughter-inw for me! The Ancient Lantern Jade, which should belong to the Miao Mountain Sword Sect, appeared instead on the ornament of a princess. How could I not have realized that this princess and the Miao Mountain Sword Sect were, in fact, connected! ¡°Master Wen, we don¡¯t actually have any real feelings for each other, right?¡± ¡°Such archaic practices as arranged marriages are surely something we, as enlightened young intellectuals, must abandon and resist, right?¡± ¡°Here¡¯s your betrothal gift back. Let¡¯s just call it even, okay?¡± Zhu Minng asked in a negotiating tone. ns never keep up with changes, huh!! With Zhu Minng¡¯s strength, it wouldn¡¯t just be about knocking out a princess¡ªhe could easily fight his way out of the Princess Mansion of the Royal Pce. But unfortunately, this princess was the very leader of the Miao Mountain Sword Sect, one of the few people in the country he would find difficult to deal with. Zhu Heavenly Officer and Meng Bingci, not to mention anything else, were truly a match in the art of son-trapping! No wonder Meng Bingci didn¡¯t mind me fleeing from the wedding. Would I be able to escape? ¡°Can one trifle with the matchmaker¡¯s words?¡± Wen Lingfei¡¯s tone turned cold as she snorted, ¡°Or could it be that you actually hold some affection for that Miss Nan Lingsha?¡± ¡°Master Wen, we are not suited for each other, not to mention you have never regarded me as an equal opponent. It would be painful to spend a lifetime with a mediocre man like me,¡± Zhu Minng said with a bitter smile. ¡°As a woman, I should indeed excel beyond you.¡± Wen Lingfei said. Zhu Minng suddenly felt overwhelmed; this was Miao Kingdom, after all, where women were stronger than men, so in Wen Lingfei¡¯s eyes, having a husband less powerful than herself was perfectly normal! ¡°In fact, you could consider the other candidates; I have observed that they too are quite good choices¡ªbe it in terms of strength, identity, status, or appearance, none would be inferior,¡± Zhu Minng continued. ¡°I did consider them, but in the end, I still felt you were more suitable. On one hand, Head Meng is interested, on the other hand, Master Hua is always coveting royal power. If your Zhu Gate became their support, it would indeed create some unrest for the royal power,¡± Wen Lingfei said. ¡°Then why not just outbid from the beginning?¡± Zhu Minng asked, puzzled. ¡°I wanted to see what other forces wished to cling to your Zhu Gate. But I didn¡¯t expect to fish out a love rival,¡± Wen Lingfei took a sip of wine, herplexion already rosy and her eyes captivating. ¡°Alright, at this juncture, I might as well be frank with Master Wen. From the start, I never nned on being the son-inw and royal consort, it was solely because of this Silver Jade Ornament. Master Wen should know, it¡¯s made from the Ancient Lantern Jade. I need the Ancient Lantern Jade to save someone¡ªin fact, to save the one I love. My original n was to take the Ancient Lantern Jade and flee right away, but I never expected that Princess Luoshui would turn out to be Master Wen¡­¡± Zhu Minng nced at the sky and felt a sense of urgency in his heart. Li Yunzi hade around once. If she wakes up again at night and sees that I¡¯m still not back from the Princess Manor, she will certainly be distressed. Thinking about how she spent a fortune on me during the day, without even understanding the full situation, Zhu Minng felt a mixture of relief and heartache. That¡¯s why Zhu Minng could never overstep boundaries. ¡°Oh?¡± Wen Lingfei nced at the ornament in Zhu Minng¡¯s hand, then at the tall pce walls outside, before asking, ¡°Am I not as good as her?¡± ¡°Zhu Minng, the position of the Princess of Miao Kingdom is not the same as the princesses from other nations¡ªthe princess is the future heir to the royal power.¡± ¡°And Miao Kingdom is wealthy and powerful, far beyond those small nations. Our royal power is also prominent in the Imperial City.¡± ¡°Besides, I am the Sect Leader of the Miao Mountain Sword Sect, with a realm in the Sword Dao that, apart from Zhu Xuehen, no one else in the world can match!¡± ¡°And you¡¯ve seen my looks; the woman you love is only a few years younger than me, and I believe in terms of appearance, I do not consider myself inferior to her.¡± Wen Lingfei rose to her feet, standing with her hands behind her back, her figure graceful and her demeanor detached. Although the words she spoke were to tout herself, every sentence she uttered was the truth! ¡°Hence, Master Wen can make a better choice. I shall take my leave now,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°Zhu Minng, you stop right there!¡± Wen Lingfei¡¯s tone grew stern. ¡°Master Wen, we both know that there¡¯s not the slightest bit of affection between us, so why should we be forcibly tied together because of this worldly game of selecting a son-inw? I believe Master Wen is not one to rigidly adhere to rules. Consider this Silver Jade Ornament as a debt I owe to the Sect Leader. If there¡¯s ever anything you need, I, Zhu Minng, will definitely be of full assistance,¡± Zhu Minng had no intention of staying any longer. ¡°How many in this world truly have a deep and abiding love? I never harbored any extravagant hopes of developing feelings for a man. I only wish not to be repulsed by him, to find him not dull. But you were once a Sword Master, having reached the pinnacle and overlooked the world. So how many people left remain in your eyes?¡± Wen Lingfei asked. ¡°Master Wen, you should get out more. Eventually, you¡¯ll find a suitable family,¡± Zhu Minng replied. ¡°What if I insist on choosing you?¡± Wen Lingfei countered. ¡°Then I can only apologize, as I already have someone in my heart.¡± ¡°You are already my husband in name, proper and legitimate.¡± ¡°Master Wen, do I, Zhu Minng, look like someone who rigidly adheres to rules?¡± Zhu Minng couldn¡¯t help butugh. ¡°Zhu Minng, do I, Wen Lingfei, seem like someone who would willingly give up?¡± Wen Lingfei alsoughed. Indeed, Wen Lingfei didn¡¯t have much affection for Zhu Minng. In fact, she felt no particr affection for any man in this world. But if she truly had to choose a man to be her husband from this world, Zhu Minng was somewhat interesting. He could have surpassed her as a Sword Cultivator, yet he gave it up to be a Dragon Shepherd. Starting from scratch, he still excelled beyond the ordinary. Wen Lingfei could naturally see, even though his strength was not equal to hers now, he would gradually catch up to her in the future. Rather than spending a lifetime with a man who would be far left behind as the years passed by, she might as well choose Zhu Minng, one of the rare few whose realm could keep pace with her own. Chapter 246 - 247 I Have Had My Fortune Told Chapter 246: Chapter 247 I Have Had My Fortune Told Trantor:549690339 ¡°If you step out of this pce today, that painter will not live to leave Miao Kingdom!¡± Wen Lingfei dered in an unquestionable tone. ¡°Master Wen, are you serious?¡± ¡°If I abandon the luxuries of silk and jade, royal power and riches, to endure hard cultivation for twenty years in Miao Mountain Sword Sect, only to be forced topromise with others in the end, what meaning would all my efforts have?¡± Wen Lingfei spoke coldly, the authority of a sect leader fully manifesting at that moment. She stood there like a gxy waterfall cascading straight down, exuding a vast and majestic breathtaking aura that made one feel suffocated by just getting close. ¡°Master Wen, there are some words of yours that I agree with, but there¡¯s one thing you¡¯re wrong about,¡± Zhu Minng stood in front of the gate leading to the courtyard, his back against the towering pce walls, and behind him, a golden autumn moon. The brilliant glow of the night poured down, casting Zhu Minng¡¯s silhouette tall and resolute. ¡°Ideals differ, so where is the right and wrong!¡± ¡°Looking at the world, apart from Zhu Xuehen, no one in swordsmanship realm canpare with you¡­¡± Zhu Minng slowly raised his hand. The night sky was clear, the moonlight dazzling, yet a zing sword was burning; the bright crimson seemed to brighten the entire pce¡¯s night sky, turning the indigo, translucent silver moon into a brilliant fiery red!! In his palm, mes burst forth violently, streaks of fire patterns like dragons and pythons wrapped around Zhu Minng¡¯s long arm and quickly prated his veins, muscles, and bones, turning Zhu Minng¡¯s entire body into a piece of well-forged iron, glowing red-hot. Every inch of his flesh and bone erupted with fierce power, as if a god demon was awakening in his mortal flesh! ¡°Fire Trace Sword¡ªSword Awakening!¡± An eternal me of heart that millennia could not extinguish, as long as it is still raised by someone, brandished against the enemy of fate, this indestructible fire core would burn once more on the sword¡¯s rusted de, and shine brilliantly again! The aura was like a waterfall plunging straight down, cold and grand. Yet, Wen Lingfei¡¯s current momentum couldn¡¯t suppress the fierce fire aura igniting all over Zhu Minng¡¯s body. Her face was reflected red, and her eyes were filled with disbelief! Zhu Minng¡¯s body clearly possessed not a bit of sword cultivator¡¯s cultivation base. Why at this instant¡­ Powerful, wild, it was like a mountain of mes, making the entire pce seem as if it had fallen into a sea of mes, engulfed by a fiery purgatory. ¡°Didn¡¯t Master Wen obsess over the Heavenly Fall Sword Technique of the Yaoshan Sword Sect?¡± Zhu Minng, holding the Fire Trace Sword, danced with burning mes, the ze like blood-colored lotus in the sky! ¡°Hmph, even if you can cast the twelve swords, how could you possibly trouble me!¡± Wen Lingfei had already drawn her sword, its body smooth as jade, sleek and magnificent. Under the night moon, it was moon-white, and amidst a sea of mes, it turned maple red! ¡°The first twelve swords wouldn¡¯t even touch a single hair of Master Wen. But thesest five swords, they¡¯ve cut through veins of the earth and made a piece ofnd fall. I wonder which sword Master Wen can withstand!¡± Zhu Minng¡¯s aura suddenly burst forth. At that moment, Zhu Minng was a volcano whose moltenva had burst the entire volcanic dome, the scorching liquid and debris sweeping together. Such terrifying power, if unrestrained, would turn the Princess Pce to ashes in an instant. However, Zhu Minng had long reached the realm where he could freely control this momentum. He directed this power at Wen Lingfei alone, and although not a single cup in the room shook, Wen Lingfei herself was caught in a horrific cmity, as if heaven and earth were copsing, hardly able to stand steady! ¡°Heavenly Fall Sword Technique¡­¡± Without the initial twelve swords, Zhu Minng started directly from the fourteenth sword. The grand pce, the luxurious Princess Pce, was silent, not even the wind changed. But as Zhu Minng¡¯s sword fell, Wen Lingfei¡¯splexion changed. She leaped with her sword, touched lightly on the pce eaves, aloft as a nightingale, swiftly soaring into the night, quickly escaping Zhu Minng¡¯s paralyzing momentum¡­ Wen Lingfei flew higher and higher, the vast pce now appearing like a sheet of paper on the earth below, with the entire Capital of Miao Kingdom within sight. Looking down, Wen Lingfei¡¯s gaze prated the hollowed eaves and saw Zhu Minng, and even more tellingly, those eyes of his still locked on her with an intense heat¡ªtheir prominence inexplicable as if, even were she to ascend into the starry rivers of the ninth heaven, they would still be fixed upon her!! ¡°Vermilion Bird Sword!¡± The sword technique spoken matched the one that whispered in her ears. Zhu Minng swung his sword toward the night sky, toward the Wen Lingfei who sought to break free from his aura¡¯s binding hold. In an instant, the sword body blossomed like a Fire Lotus, as if setting the night sky aze. A celestial beast, the Vermillion Bird, descended amongst the myriad starlights, born from the scarlet autumn moon, unfurling fiery wings wide enough to potentially shroud the entire Capital of Miao Kingdom, its majestic form making the whole expanse of heaven seem cramped! The sword transformed into mes, assuming the form of a Verminion Bird. In that moment, every street, house, and courtyard of the Capital was illuminated in a crimson glow, as if the pce¡¯s high walls heralded a sunrise of fiery red¡­ People raised their heads, and under the intensely fierce night ze could see a woman with a graceful figure repeatedly casting frighteningly powerful Sword Qi into the night sky. Each stream of Sword Qi Hong was like a surging river¡ªand any single inadvertent strike that swept over the streets would leave them ttened!! But even such sword power could not tear through that fiery Vermilion Bird Sword. The Vermilion Bird plummeted toward the pce; the sumptuous ptial buildings and towers were on the brink of bing wastnds devoid of life!! ¡°Master Wen, in the future, do not lightly use what I, Zhu Minng, hold dear as a threat. Otherwise, your pce, your Sword Sect, and even you, will be ground to dust by me!!¡± Wen Lingfei was greatly shocked¡ªso domineering was this fiery Vermilion Bird Sword. She might survive the descent of this ming sword, but the pce at her feet would be instantly obliterated, potentially iming the lives of myriads of the pce¡¯s nobility, maids, and guards. However, just as that raging Vermilion Bird Sword fire was about to touch the flying eaves of the highest pavilion, the rampant mes suddenly turned into harmless fireworks in an instant. Aside from their dazzling beauty, they did not destroy anything. Not a single de of grass or tile, and those pce maids and guards were frozen like petrified chickens who dreamt of purgatory. Not a hair on their head was singed, but the fear that seemed to give them a glimpse of Ghost Gate spread from the depths of their hearts to their entire body, paralyzing them as they copsed to the ground one after another¡­ Wen Lingfei descended from the deathly splendid night sky, alighting on the towering eaves of the Princess Pce. Her gaze was icy cold as she watched Zhu Minng, who had jumped atop the pce¡¯s high wall. Zhu Minng turned to look at her once more, perceiving something moreplex in the woman¡¯s eyes, but knowing there was no possibility for any oue today. ¡°You can hide, but you cannot escape our ultimate destiny¡±, Wen Lingfei spoke with a tranquil breath. If the Way of Cultivation was a journey to ascend to heaven, the myriad Ordinary Spirits would slowly fade into the lofty mountains, but at the peak of Sky Gate, only a few will meet. Until now, Wen Lingfei thought Zhu Minng would be trailing behind her, struggling to keep up, yet at least she could see his figure. But now, she believed that in the meeting of those few at the pinnacle, Zhu Minng would have a ce. Regardless of which mountain they climb from, whichnd theymence their ascent, in the end, they would watch over each other out of loneliness at the highest peaks. This was their ultimate destiny, so why struggle? However beautiful the scenery along the way, what did it matter? ¡°I¡¯ve had my destiny read, and toply with that destiny, I must work doubly hard,¡± Zhu Minng said to Wen Lingfei. Having said that, he sheathed his sword, leaped down from the towering pce walls, and plunged into the vast bustling streets below, without a moment¡¯s lingering attachment to the pce or the beautiful Sect Leader. Chapter 247 - 248: A Two-Year Promise Chapter 247: Chapter 248: A Two-Year Promise Trantor:549690339 The ze of the Sky seemed to bring the dawn¡¯s rosy clouds a few moments earlier. Zhu Minngnded outside the pce walls, saw Wu Feng¡¯s figure, and also saw the sisters who looked exactly alike. In the cool breeze, their eyes were filled with doubt¡­ Hall Master Wu Feng, with a face of shock and admiration. Others might not know what the Heavenly Fall Vermilion Bird Sword fire just now was, but Wu Feng did. It was the Heavenly Fall Sword Technique, and moreover, it was the fifteenth sword of thetter five. Zhu Minng could actually wield it!! ¡°Junior brother, are you done?¡± Wu Feng took a while topose himself and asked with a serious face. Zhu Minng nced at him sideways. If you can¡¯t speak, can¡¯t you just be a mute? Are you done?? This wasn¡¯t this suggestive? The Hall Master of the Yaoshan Sword Sect, immersed in the Sword Dao, couldn¡¯t he read a few more books in his daily life, have a few more reliable words in his heart, and not speak like this? ¡°We should hurry up and leave. Princess Luoshui is Wen Lingfei, the Miao Mountain Sword Sect Leader, and my mother¡¯s designated daughter-inw. Knocking her out indeed took some time,¡± Zhu Minng exined. ¡°The jade?¡± Nan Yuso asked. ¡°Here it is, we should go now, I¡¯m afraid she will send people after us. Wen Lingfei¡¯s mind isn¡¯t quite right,¡± said Zhu Minng. They immediately left the Imperial City, and if they were somewhat hidden in their travels, even if Wen Lingfei was unwilling to let go, finding them would not be an easy task. Outside the Imperial City was a splendid Maple Leaf Forest. The dawn¡¯s glow mixed with the lingering brilliance of the sky fire, adorning the fragrant maple wood¡¯s sea of leaves even more magnificently. ¡°Hao Ye will be waiting for you in the next city. He¡¯s familiar with this area and will help you avoid the royal pce and Miao Mountain¡¯s people. Junior brother, don¡¯t feel any mental burden. Whatever the consequences, our Yaoshan Sword Sect will support you. Just elope with the twodies,¡± Wu Feng said with a pat on Zhu Minng¡¯s shoulder and a hint of envy. ¡°Brother Wu Feng, you¡¯ve misunderstood. My rtionship with these twodies is nothing but tonic,¡± Zhu Minng said, worried about embarrassing his sisters-inw. Wu Feng maintained his gentle smile, yet internally, he didn¡¯t think so. Refusing a princess who was within easy reach, and more importantly, the youngest and most beautiful leader of the Miao Mountain Sword Sect. To say there was no rtionship with these two devastatingly beautiful women, that would be too hypocritical! ¡°No matter what, junior brother will always be our Yaoshan Sword Sect¡¯s legend, in the Sword Dao and in romance,¡± Wu Fengughed. He rejected the female Sect Leader of Miao Mountain! Hahaha, from now on, their Yaoshan Sword Sect could walk with their heads held high!! In the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent, which power would dare to say that their Yaoshan Sword Sect was inferior to those Swordswomen from Miao Mountain? Zhu Minng¡¯s fifteenth sword had shattered the Sect Leader¡¯s restraints and crushed the young woman¡¯s deep affection. Raise the might of the Yaoshan Sword Sect¡¯s men; upon returning, they must publicize it widely and have all their disciples stand tall! Huh? It seemed their Yaoshan Sword Sect had never been inferior in the first ce. ¡°Then, brother, I¡¯ll take my leave. Please convey my regards to Elder Sword Sovereign,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°Go on, may you have children soon.¡± Following the continuous Maple Leaf Forest, Zhu Minng did not let down his guard. The women of the Miao Mountain Sword Sect mostly suffer from perfectionism, willing to go to all measures when something dissatisfies them. Zhu Minng certainly did not want to be captured and forced to be the son-inw or the husband of the Miao Mountain Sword Sect Leader¡­ Even though she was good-looking, had a perfect body, and her swordsmanship was exceptional. ¡°Whoosh Whoosh Whoosh Whoosh Suddenly, the sky was filled with flying leaves, resembling thin sheets of candle me, making the already crimson and aesthetically beautiful forest even more dazzling. Amidst the dancing leaf mes, a woman was standing silently on the sea of leaves, her gaze fixed on Zhu Minng and the Li Nan sisters, who were running away in this direction. Upon seeing this person, Zhu Minng¡¯s mood instantly plummeted to rock bottom. If it were Wen Lingfei, Zhu Minng could fight her again, but whether he could escape was another matter. But if it was this person, his current cultivation base was likely not enough to contend with her! ¡°Are you here to capture me?¡± Zhu Minng stopped in his tracks and asked. ¡°They are not bad, but Wen Lingfei would be much better,¡± Meng Bingci said indifferently, ncing at the twin sisters beside Zhu Minng. ¡°My father is not bad either, why don¡¯t you reconcile with him,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°I originally came here just to inform you of the whereabouts of another piece of the Ancient Lantern Jade, as we had agreed. Since you enjoy being facetious, then find it yourself¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Zhu Minng apologized without hesitation. ¡°Towards the direction of the Neon Sea, there is a city called Runyu City, and the City Lord¡¯s Seal is made from the Ancient Lantern Jade,¡± Meng Bingci stated. Runyu City? Such a familiar name. Wasn¡¯t that the first city ownership deed he obtained when he entered the mechanical city! Previously, Zhu Minng had been unable to find the location of Runyu City in the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent, little did he expect it to be situated in such a remote western territory! ¡°Really? Runyu City? I happen to have the deed for that ce. As long as I submit it to the state, I will be the Lord of Runyu City!¡± Zhu Minng was overjoyed deep inside, never imagining that this deed would turn out to be so useful. Moreover, it seemed that the people of the Imperial City were not interested in the cities of such distantnds, and the deed for Runyu City was one of the few that hadn¡¯t been sold! ¡°This is the Moon Sky Stone, which I gave to Wen Lingfei when she took the position of Sect Leader,¡± Meng Bingci tossed the priceless Moon Sky Stone to Zhu Minng. Zhu Minng frowned. From left hand to right hand, Wen Lingfei hadn¡¯t spent a penny! ¡°Generally, I would dictate your marriage, but the scene of painting the Sword Territory, which I saw from afar, I really liked. I will give the artist girl beside you two years. If she can defeat Wen Lingfei, I will personallye to the pce to annul your marriage. Otherwise, by definition, Wen Lingfei is still your wife,¡± Meng Bingci spoke calmly, yet steadfastly. ¡°You¡¯re mistaken, the artist is my sister Nan Lingsha¡­¡± Zhu Minng tried to exin. ¡°Any one of them oveing Wen Lingfei will do,¡± Meng Bingci was indifferent to whether the artist was the sister or the older sister, and didn¡¯t care whether Zhu Minng was involved with the sister or the older sister. ¡°Okay, two years,¡± someone agreed at this moment, but it wasn¡¯t clear who. Zhu Minng looked at the pair of sisters, and in his confused state, he couldn¡¯t tell who had agreed to this matter on his behalf. Meng Bingci did not say more. She stepped on the falling maple leaves, soaring towards the leaf canopy above, heading towards the distant sky marked by the Li Guang Star, and soon vanished from sight. Zhu Minng¡¯s feelings were somewhatplicated. In the usual knightly novels, shouldn¡¯t a hot-blooded repudiation of marriage be handled by the man himself? Why did it seem in his case, it hardly had anything to do with him?? And¡­ Who was the one who agreed? Chapter 248 - 249: Natural Progression Chapter 248: Chapter 249: Natural Progression Trantor:549690339 In terms of attire, they never had a fixed style, sometimes dressing simply and elegantly, other times dazzling and charming. Moreover, it was even more unpredictable with someone like Nan Lingsha and Nan Yuso, who were ¡®One Soul Dual Body¡¯, and not simply changing personalities after a sleep. One moment you might be arguing with Nan Yuso, and the next second Nan Lingsha could be looking at you as if you were an idiot, making the whole debate dull and tasteless. Therefore, as Zhu Minng looked at the two sisters, he couldn¡¯t for the life of him tell who had agreed or even who had said okay. Zhu Minng couldn¡¯t remember. ¡°Actually, it doesn¡¯t matter; it¡¯s just an empty, non-binding marriage promise,¡± Zhu Minng said. Two yearster. Let Meng Bingci find them first. Even if she did find them, by that time, his strength would not be something they could constrain if they wished. By then, the deed would already be done, and who knows, there might even be a child. With Meng Bingci¡¯s high martial arts skills, what could she possibly do to him then! ¡°What marriage promise?¡± ¡°Uh¡­ you know nothing about it, so what did you agree to?¡± Zhu Minng demanded. ¡°I just want to defeat Wen Lingfei,¡± was the reply. Zhu Minng took a sharp breath, his face freezing over. Loved to fight and always had that inscrutable air of ¡®I¡¯m the number one fairy in the world¡¯¡­ Undoubtedly, it was Nan Lingsha! ¡°Miss Xinghua, could you please take your time exining it to Miss Lingsha?¡± Zhu Minng asked. ¡°And who was that woman just now, with the high cultivation base?¡± Nan Lingsha pressed on. Looking into the fervent light twinkling within Nan Lingsha¡¯s tranquil eyes, Zhu Minng felt utterly overwhelmed. Nan Lingsha wouldn¡¯t be thinking of defeating Meng Bingci together, would she? As for what realm Meng Bingci¡¯s cultivation base was, Zhu Minng had no idea¡­ Please, my little artist sister-inw, stay calm. Regardless, the second piece of the Ancient Lantern Jade was now in his hands. He took out the piece of Ancient Lantern Jade he had obtained from the Miao Mountain Sword Sect, and cing it beside the newly acquired jade, confirmed that these two pieces were indeed two halves of a whole, fitting together perfectly at the seam. Temporarily turning the jade into a bracelet, he ced it on Li Xinghua¡¯s fair wrist. He believed that with some more nurturing, Li Yunzi¡¯s soul would gradually recover. Who knows, there might even be additional surprises. Following the n set by Wu Feng, Zhu Minng led the fourdies towards Three Forks City. Hao Ye was already waiting there with Fang Niannian. Since Wen Lingfei was a princess and naturally also a ruler of Miao Kingdom, Zhu Minng did not want to entangle further with her. Thus, he also disguised himself and followed a merchant caravan, slowly leaving in a horse carriage, heading towards the direction of the Neon Sea. The destination was Runyu City, where the third piece of Ancient Lantern Jade was located. Now that he had two pieces, and Li Yunzi¡¯s spirit was gradually healing, he could finally breathe a sigh of relief, no longer as anxious and uneasy as before, especially since obtaining this third piece of Ancient Lantern Jade seemed far less difficult than stealing from the Sword Sect of Miao Mountain or kidnapping the Princess of Miao Kingdom. Having passed Three Forks City and purchased a stable Beast Dragon Carriage, under Hao Ye¡¯s guidance, they were now moving away from the Capital of Miao Kingdom¡­ The journey was leisurely, taking in the scenery along the way, Zhu Minng inadvertently discovered that Lei Cang Violent Dragon had actually advanced on its own! Upon their arrival at a post station, a light burst forth in Zhu Minng¡¯s Spirit Realm, emanating from Big ck Tooth¡¯s scales while it was still sound asleep. Having just eaten its fill, it slept like a pig, dead to the world,pletely unaware that it was shedding its old form and advancing! ¡°Oh???¡± When it woke up, Lei Cang Violent Dragon was panicked to find that its scales had changed, its muscles had changed, its build had changed, even its Dragon Horns had altered, and due to the unfamiliarity with its post-advance state, it stumbled and fell several times in the Spirit Realm! So, it had the ability to be stronger just by sleeping??? The Lei Cang Violent Dragon roared with joy, as if catching up to Little White¡¯s cultivation base was now within easy reach. ¡°It¡¯s probably the effect of the Spiritual Spring Realm,¡± Zhu Minng said. Big ck Tooth had already tasted the Strengthening Spirit Fund before, and in fact, Zhu Minng had never stopped caring for the several dragons all along the way. With ample funds, the moment the dragon pets digested their food, he immediately replenished them with new Strengthening Spirit Fund, and needless to say, the fodder as well¡ªit was definitely the best avable. Consuming Spiritual Objects inside, applying Spiritual Energy outside, the effects were indeed significant. Big ck Tooth had naturally advanced to Lord Level! ¡°If we can awaken the Inscription Power of the Molten Fire Heavy Armor, Big ck Tooth should be very brave!¡± The Molten Fire Heavy Armor was personally forged by Zhu Heavenly Officer, and this armor actually had much room for improvement, especially the inscriptions iid on it, which Zhu Minng had not yet unlocked. On one hand, Big ck Tooth¡¯s cultivation base was not high enough, and overly powerful inscriptions might overburden it, on the other hand, Zhu Minng also hadn¡¯t found the appropriate Melting Fire Crystal to replenish it, as inscriptions were consumables. ¡°Once your cultivation is more stable, we¡¯ll find a way to awaken the inscriptions on the Molten Fire Armor, so you can even withstand the attacks of a Monarch Level Dragon Beast,¡± Zhu Minng was very satisfied. If the cultivation base isn¡¯t enough, equipment can make up for it. Big ck Tooth¡¯s cultivation base was naturally hard topare with a few other dragons with extraordinary talents, but with a Dragon Shepherd like himself who excelled in casting art, as long as he found a suitable method to improve the Dragon Armor, Big ck Tooth could still shine on its own! The inner court of Zhu Gate is revered precisely because an armor forged there can even enhance the strength of a Dragon Beast by an entire major level! Zhu Heavenly Officer left many nks in the forging of this Violent Dragon Heavy Armor, requiring Zhu Minng to adjust and enhance it ording to the changes in Big ck Tooth¡¯s cultivation base and attributes. Of course, the most important thing is the injection of inscriptions. If he can inject a second or even third inscription, it is not impossible to challenge across a major level! ¡°Little Uncle-Master, Little Uncle-Master, I just asked those merchants, and they said Runyu City is in this direction, but Runyu City is veryplicated¡­¡± Hao Ye hurriedly approached the carriage but didn¡¯t see Zhu Minng. At that moment, the curtains of the carriage were gently lifted, and Li Xinghua stepped out, wanting to breathe some fresh air. Hao Ye promptly greeted her with a bow and asked, ¡°Miss Nan, where is Little Uncle-Master?¡± ¡°Who are you?¡± Li Xinghua had never seen Hao Ye before, knowing only that someone had been escorting them in recent days. Ever since leaving the capital, Wen Lingfei had issued orders to obstruct their journey in every major city. Therefore, for the most part, they traveled inside the carriage, and even when they entered an inn, they would go in through the back door directly to their rooms, while Hao Ye was responsible for taking care of the carriage. Up to now, Hao Ye still didn¡¯t know there were actually two youngdies inside the carriage. ¡°I am Hao Ye, a Cloud Wanderer Sword Master from the Yaoshan Sword Sect, we¡¯ve met before at the Miao Mountain Sword Sect exchange,¡± Hao Ye was straightforward and didn¡¯t think too much, assuming the painter Miss just didn¡¯t remember him, so he reintroduced himself. Li Xinghua simply nodded, not saying much more. Even Zhu Minng himself couldn¡¯t tell them apart, so naturally, he couldn¡¯t expect someone who had only recently arrived to understand. Chapter 249 - 250 Who Are You? Chapter 249: Chapter 250 Who Are You? Trantor: 549690339 Zhu Minng was currently dragon taming, primarily because he had a piece of Moon Sky Stone in his hand. This was a Tianchen gemstone that could greatly enhance the Azure Dragon bloodline of dragons like the Ice Morning White Dragon. However, Mr. Jinli had told Zhu Minng that once the Moon Sky Stone was used, the emerging Azure Dragon bloodline of Little White would undergo reshaping. During this reshaping process, it would be unable to use any Azure Dragon Mystics. If Bai Qi could not use the power of the Azure Dragon bloodline, its strength should only be at the lower Monarch Level. But after the bloodline reshaping,bined with the Sacred Dragon Armor that he had crafted himself, its strength would be strong even among those at the high Monarch Level. The Moon Sky Stone changes only the Azure Dragon bloodline of the Ice Morning White Dragon and does not enhance the cultivation base. However, the spiritual materials that can reshape bloodlines are very rare to begin with. Unterally strengthening the Azure Dragon Mystics is actually more beneficial. Because the enhancement of the cultivation base would lead to an all-around improvement of all inherent attributes and abilities of the dragon pet. If a certain ability of the dragon beast was already outstanding, then with a higher cultivation base, that ability would be elevated to an even higher realm. It is just that materials for bloodline enhancement are inherently scarce. What¡¯s more important is that Little White has dual bloodlines with three types of attributes¡­ At this point, if Little White¡¯s cultivation base were to increase, it would have to rely on aparatively long period of time. However, there are many ways to quickly enhance its strength, including Dragon Armor, bloodline reshaping, attribute strengthening, and physical metamorphosis, among others. If it were possible to reshape every aspect, even a dragon at the Peak Monarch Level could be boldly confronted, not to mention that if Little White¡¯s own cultivation base rose by one rank, it could take on a swath of opponents of the same level! After stretching and yawning, Zhu Minng still decided to use the Moon Sky Stone directly. Bloodline reshaping was very important. The higher the value of an object, if not used, it is no different from an ordinary pebble. After discussing with Mr. Jinli, Zhu Minng took advantage of the rest at the ry station to find a quiet ce to reshape the Azure Dragon bloodline. Mr. Jinli gave Zhu Minng some guidance and seemed to remember something very important. He was about to speak to Zhu Minng, but Zhu Minng had already disappeared. ¡°Mr. Jinli,¡± Hao Ye came running, saw Mr. Jinli circling three times left under a tree and then three times more, and although puzzled, asked, ¡°Why haven¡¯t I seen Uncle Master? I just inquired; the situation in Runyu City is moreplex than we thought.¡± ¡°Who are you?¡± Mr. Jinli asked with wide fish eyes. Hao Ye frowned deeply. Hadn¡¯t he just introduced himself to this special Mr. Jinli a few days ago? It was probably because he had a rather in face that others found hard to remember. Patiently reintroducing himself, Hao Ye said, ¡°I am Hao Ye, the Cloud Wanderer Sword Master from Yaoshan Sword Sect, dispatched by Master Wu Feng to escort you out of Miao Kingdom.¡± ¡°Oh, Yaoshan Sword Sect, that reminds me, I have a question,¡± Mr. Jinli said. ¡°Please ask, sir,¡± Hao Ye respectfully and earnestly responded to this magical Jinli whose body shimmered with iridescent light. ¡°What kind of feed does your Yaoshan Sword Sect use? Why has everyone been fed to seem so mature?¡± Mr. Jinli asked. ¡°Well, maybe it¡¯s just that I look more mature. Mr. Jinli, have you seen Uncle Master? We may need to discuss the matters of Runyu City in detail,¡± Hao Ye said with sheer awkwardness. ¡°So who are you?¡± Mr. Jinli asked with wide eyes. Hao Ye¡¯s face darkened. Hadn¡¯t he just said who he was? ¡°I am Hao Ye, the Cloud Wanderer Sword Master from Yaoshan Sword Sect¡­¡± Under the tree, a man and a fish got along harmoniously amidst the hustle and bustle of the ry station. Finally finding Zhu Minng, Hao Ye discovered that Zhu Minng was fully focused on shaping the dragon bloodline. The process for a Dragon Shepherd was very simr to that of a God and Mortal breaking through in cultivation base, and thus should not be disturbed lightly. Hao Ye ultimately did not step forward. When he returned to themercial caravan, Hao Ye saw Ms. Nan. In her arms, she cradled an Immortal Rabbit Dragon full of spiritual energy, leisurely browsing through the small stalls set up in the post station. ¡°Ms. Nan, Uncle Master Wu Feng is cultivating and it is not appropriate for me to disturb him. The situation in Runyu City is veryplicated; it¡¯s essentially the intersection of four nations and also the center of national warfare. It¡¯s possible that in the morning, one nation¡¯s g is flying, and by the evening, it bes the territory of another state¡­¡± Hao Ye had been back and forth several times and now had beads of sweat on his cheeks. Cradling the Immortal Rabbit Dragon, Nan Yuso¡¯s beautiful eyes watched this stranger with vignce. ¡°Who are you?¡± Nan Yuso asked. Those gentle three words, delivered in the most cid tone, were to Hao Ye yet another profound soul-searching interrogation!! It wasn¡¯t that¡­ Hadn¡¯t he introduced himself not too long ago? Although whenpared with his junior uncle Zhu Minng, he indeed did not shine as brightly, it still seemed absurd that he could make no impression whatsoever after being introduced time and time again!? At this moment, a surge of bitterness welled up in Hao Ye¡¯s heart. Recalling his years of arduous cultivation as a Cloud Wanderer Sword Master, he never made a name for himself and had once taken pride in the encouragement from the elders at Yaoshan Sword Sect, only to step outside and realize that there are always others better than oneself. In the end, it was his own mediocrity that led to being forgotten. Uncle Master Wu Feng had made him follow his junior uncle precisely to make him learn from Zhu Minng!Y0u can read sh0rt, t0uching, and r0mantic st0ries ab0ut c0uples, as well as children¡¯s st0ries f0r free 0n sitest0rys(.)c0m ¡°I am Hao Ye, a Cloud Wanderer Sword Master from Yaoshan Sword Sect,manded by the Hall Master to lead the way for junior uncle and Ms. Nan, and to sincerely learn from both of you,¡± Hao Ye said, his confidence reviving as he spoke with a smile. ¡°Oh,¡± Nan Yuso nodded her head. ¡°Beyond this station, there is a path guarded strictly by officers. At that time, both junior uncle and Ms. Nan may have to hide in the carriage,¡± Hao Ye said. ¡°Understood.¡± Wen Lingfei was indeed a stubborn woman, having set up who knows how many checkpoints along the way. Zhu Minng could either take the risky routes through dangerous mountains and forests, possibly getting trapped in thosebyrinthine woods, or he could sneak out of Miao Kingdom. Wen Lingfei herself knew that this would not stop Zhu Minng. But she just wanted to make Zhu Minng suffer! To let him know that Princess Luoshui¡¯s power was immense and that even if Zhu Minng fled, he would have to live with his tail between his legs! Thankfully, the carriage wasfortable, and it could be considered as closed-door cultivation. It did not matter if they traveled slower, as long as they could shake off this intolerant woman. Finally reaching the borders of Miao Kingdom, Hao Ye¡¯s gloomy mood improved slightly because he realized that the girl he was with actually had a twin; they were the Twin Flower Sisters. Although on regr days one wore a veil and the other did not, their appearances were actually identical! In the previous days, Hao Ye¡¯s identity was questioned to the point of doubting his life, and he had to rely on self-encouragement to cope with the internal struggle and destion. ¡°Junior uncle, once we are out of Miao Kingdom¡¯s territory, we won¡¯t need to hide anymore, and Runyu City won¡¯t be too far,¡± Hao Ye said. ¡°No wonder no one wants this contract book for Runyu City. It¡¯s at the intersection of four conflicting hostile nations. I¡¯ve had this Deed City Book in my bag for several months now, and it has changed hands a dozen times. If I take it out, I might as well be seen as an enemy spy provoking a fight and beheaded on the spot!¡± Zhu Minng said, annoyed and almost tearing the contract book apart. Chapter 250 - 251: A Mess Chapter 250: Chapter 251: A Mess Trantor: 549690339 This document is utterly useless! With the Imperial Dynasty so far from the mountain¡¯s height, even a City Lord appointed by the Supreme Court Empire would be chopped into pieces without a hint of remains once settled in Runyu City! In the end, this gloriously titled City Lord still had to observe the whims of those military warlords! Runyu City has always been ceded, upied, invaded¡ªchanging gs faster than the seasons. Generally speaking, when one holds the City Ownership Deed of Runyu City, it must first be submitted to the local state, and the state will issue an appointment order. The holder of the Contract Book then formally assumes office with the state¡¯s appointment in one hand and the City Ownership Deed in the other, serving as the City Lord. The absurdity reached a point that was infuriating when, after leaving the territory of Miao Kingdom, Zhu Minng and hispanions were supposed to deliver the Contract Book to Dry Country. However, by the time they reached Runyu City, it had already be a territory of ughter Country. ording to the process, they would have to run to ughter Country to submit the documents¡­ Back and forth like this, who knows if Runyu City might change hands yet again. So, if Zhu Minng were to truly follow the Imperial Dynasty¡¯s bureaucratic procedures, he might as well just shuttle between these nations and do nothing else. ¡°Little Uncle Master, what should we do? Runyu City is not a benevolent ce,¡± Hao Ye said with a troubled expression. Zhu Minng also had a headache. All he wanted was the City Lord¡¯s Seal. At present, the City Lord¡¯s Seal was in the hands of the ruling power in this territory, belonging to the Godly Mortal Academy. The Godly Mortal Academy expressly stated that the City Lord¡¯s Seal would only be granted to a City Lord who had ruled over the city for more than a month; other transient City Lords weren¡¯t eligible to receive the City Lord¡¯s Seal. It would be one thing to know exactly where in the Godly Mortal Academy the City Lord¡¯s Seal was kept, and by whom, but there were absolutely no clues to its whereabouts. They couldn¡¯t possibly turn the entire Godly Mortal Academy upside down, could they? Upon reaching a border vige, a few people decided to stay there temporarily. Most of the houses in the vige were built of stone, frequented mostly by mercenaries, Dragon Shepherd Teams, armies, war profiteers, and the like. Ordinary citizens, on the other hand, were few and far between. Thisnd was known as the Tea-colored Ground, where blood flowed into the sandy soil, turning to a dark tea color after some time due to the endless wars between these four countries year-round. Also because of the war, the presence of Dragon Shepherd Teams, mercenary groups, private armies, National War Troops could be seen everywhere, and amidst them, there were bandit soldiers, marauders, viins, criminals, and ck market dealers, creating an environment of true chaos and disorder. Legitimate business travelers seldom crossed this Tea-colored Ground. Without any real skills, one wouldn¡¯t easily venture to such a ce for sightseeing, as one might carelessly get trampled by a vicious army. Thend was a greyish tea color, looking somewhat bleak, and Runyu City sat in the center of this t expanse, with no mountains, hills, woods to hide it, and not even a river in sight. The rain here is very precise, basically having a rather fixed amount of rainfall every season each year, and this territory should have been quite rich. But due to the chaos of the surrounding nations and theplexities of various factions, this city looks no different from a city made of yellow earth. Upon entering Runyu City, Zhu Minng found, helplessly, that there were hardly any travelers here. Most of the people were inrge groups, either Dragon Shepherd Teams resting here or some private convoys, almost all fully armed. Travelers like Zhu Minng¡¯s few lightly equipped individuals were very rare indeed. There were no inns, not even anyone willing to risk running such a business. With no other choice, they found someone to clean up an abandoned courtyard for them to settle into, a small broken courtyard overgrown with weeds. ¡°Life hasn¡¯t returned to normal here; we¡¯ll have to cook our own meals,¡± Fang Niannian said. ¡°What a deste city, if it weren¡¯t located at such a unique spot, at the crossroads of four countries, and if all the caravans that needed to travel to the Neon Sea didn¡¯t pass through here, it would have be a ghost city,¡± Hao Ye said with a sigh. ¡°It¡¯s precisely because of its unique location that it has been repeatedly crushed by various forces and armies,pletely destroying what was once a prosperous trade city. The reason why the City Ownership Deed has not been bought by anyone is also obvious,¡± Zhu Minng said as he swept the floor clean. This small and broken courtyard was made of light green stones, and the bricks and tiles were of quite good quality. It was probably once the home of a wealthy family in Runyu City, but now it resembled a dpidated temple by the roadside. Fortunately, after careful tidying, it was still livable. It was just that daily necessities were difficult to purchase nearby, and when they could be bought, they were quite expensive. ¡°The country¡¯s allegiance is ambiguous, but the sitting power is the Godly Mortal Academy. So, if we submit this official document to the Godly Mortal Academy, does it mean we can rightfully obtain the City Lord¡¯s Seal from them? After all, others have forcefully seized and ruled as if they were kings, while we would be the rightful appointees,¡± Zhu Minng stroked his chin and began to ponder this question. ¡°It should be feasible, but the problem is that there are close to a hundred or at least eighty military troops and Dragon Shepherd Teams currently using Runyu City as a base, and they might not agree to having a City Lord, right?¡± Hao Ye said. It¡¯s estimated that Runyu City hasn¡¯t had a real City Lord official for many years. Moreover, among the current generation, the number of mercenaries and Dragon Shepherds making war fortunes is not small. They are ustomed to the disordered life in Runyu City and would certainly not agree to the presence of a new City Lord. ¡°Hmph, a bunch of parasites, they never hoped Runyu City could revive. Given the chance, I will definitely drive them all out!¡± At that moment, an armored man and woman walked in, followed by a group of people, all armed, wearing armor that didn¡¯t quite fit well. When the armored man and woman stepped into the courtyard and found people cleaning and tidying it up, making it very neat and clean, they were dumbfounded. The woman, holding a helmet, walked over angrily and pointed at them, saying, ¡°What do you vagrants think this ce is? Get the hell out of here.¡± The man wasn¡¯t so nasty; he tried to calm the woman as he came forward to exin, ¡°Sorry folks, this property used to be our residence, abandoned and ruined due to war. Now, we n to station our brothers here.¡± ¡°We¡¯ve been cleaning up for almost a whole day without seeing any of you, and just as we¡¯ve got it nice and tidy, here youe, how coincidental!¡± Fang Niannian, wiping the sweat from her cheek, said with dissatisfaction. ¡°Here is your hard-earned money, now get lost!¡± The woman in armor threw a bag of gold at them with a look of disgust as if her sacred dwelling had been defiled. ¡°Hmph, who wants your money? We have the Deed of this city in our hands. Every street, every house, every tile, and the surroundingnd, it¡¯s all ours. You are the ones who should get lost!¡± Fang Niannian cursed. Chapter 251 - 252: Capturing the City Chapter 251: Chapter 252: Capturing the City Trantor:549690339 The armored man and woman listened intently to Fang Niannian¡¯s words, their gazes fixed on her. ¡°What kind of joke is this; the City Ownership Deed for this ce was sold long ago. To think you can simply waltz in here with some paperwork and try to deceive us, you¡¯ve trulye to the wrong ce!¡± The woman holding the helmet said coldly, her words alreadyced with a hint of murderous intent. ¡°Wee from the Imperial City.¡± Zhu Minng stepped forward, sizing up the couple¡¯s attire, as well as the group of armored soldiers behind them, and then said, ¡°This house used to belong to you, right? Are you residents of Runyu City?¡± The armored man appeared more amicable, as he stepped forward and began to exin, ¡°Runyu City was built by our forefathers. At that time, he led a Strong Army, which eradicated a group of Mourning Dragons that infested this ce and built the first watchtower on the Tea-colored Ground of Runyu City. That battle shook the Ten Nations.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard that the original builder of the city was called the Hu n. Are you members of the Hu n?¡± Hao Ye inquired. Hao Ye had gathered some information about this ce during his visits to nearby viges and stations. ¡°Yes, this is my sister Hu Bailing, and I am Hu Chongming. We siblings were originally the heirs to Runyu City, but due to various reasons, our forebears werepelled to sell Runyu City to the Godly Mortal Academy. However, normally, the City Ownership Deed for Runyu City should be in the hands of Godly Mortal Academy; why then is it in your possession? If you are not fraudsters, could you let us see the City Ownership Deed? It should bear my father¡¯s signature.¡± The man who imed to be Hu Chongming asked politely. Since Fang Niannian had already mentioned the deed, Zhu Minng saw no reason to hide it, after all, the document was practically worthless; in this violent, cutthroat ce, who cared about a single piece of paper? Zhu Minng produced the deed for Runyu City. ording to the Hu n man¡¯s ount, it must have been the Godly Mortal Academy that ced this deed into the mechanism city as a resource amidst the growing number of disciples from various powerful factions. The deed was presented, and the Hu Family siblings immediately leaned over to examine it. After they looked it over, their expressions changed dramatically! The siblings exchanged nces, and after a long pause, Hu Bailing looked at Zhu Minng and the others in astonishment and said, ¡°Are you really the City Lords appointed by the Imperialmission?¡± ¡°This Runyu City Ownership Deed has also been verified with the Imperial Dynasty¡¯s seal.¡± A man with a handlebar mustache eximed in surprise. He was the only one not wearing armor, and his attire suggested he was the Think Tank. ¡°Were you sent here by the Imperial Dynasty?¡± Hu Chongming also noticed the additional official seal on the deed. The deed was genuine, bearing their father¡¯s signature and their own thumbprints. Yet they never imagined that this document would have wound up in the Imperial City. ¡°You might say that.¡± Zhu Minng replied. ¡°So, there you go, we told you. Now it¡¯s your turn to leave.¡± Fang Niannian wasn¡¯t one to let go when she had the advantage. Hu Bailing and Hu Chongming wore embarrassed expressions. Runyu City hadn¡¯t had a true master for such a long time, with many of itsnds seized by powerful factions as their territories. Indeed, the Hu siblings had been the rightful owners of this estate, but after several conflicts, the final ownership of Runyu City naturally fell to the victors and those who held the deed. ¡°There is arge area of ruined houses next to this courtyards; they could be livable after some cleaning up. If you don¡¯t mind, you could live there.¡± Zhu Minng suggested. ¡°Young master, the deed no longer holds much importance. Moreover, this ce is far more dangerous than you could imagine. Coming here to assume the role of City Lord is tantamount to sending yourself to the gallows, especially with so few of you¡­¡± Hu Chongming¡¯s tone grew even more polite. ¡°Speak your mind.¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°Why don¡¯t you sell that contract book to me? Indeed, the elders in our n were shortsighted when they sold the city, but who would have thought thatter it would be trampled by various nations and turn into such a mess? For years, my sister and I have been recruiting soldiers and buying horses, hoping to regain control of Runyu City. If you sell the deed to us, the Hu Family can take over with legitimacy, which will also be more helpful for the future reconstruction of the livelihood of the people,¡± Hu Chongming stepped forward and earnestly said to Zhu Minng. ¡°You n to take the city?? With just this handful of people??¡± Fang Niannian nced over, from the siblings to the armored soldiers following behind them, there were only a hundred or two hundred people! A hundred or two hundred people, how to take a city? She had just walked along the road from Runyu City, and saw the forces in different outfits stationed on both sides of the streets, many of them numbering in the thousands. If not for being aware of the chaotic battlefield here in advance, Fang Niannian would have thought she had entered an army barracks city! ¡°Although we are few in number, every single one of us is an elite. Besides, even to take Runyu City, one needs to do it step by step. First, we need to upy a piece ofnd within the city, then slowly drive out those insignificant forces. We¡¯ve devised a long-term n, and this is just the first step,¡± said Hu Chongming. ¡°What about the City Lord¡¯s Seal? How do you n to take that back?¡± Zhu Minng asked. ¡°Of course, once we take the position of City Lord, if it does not change hands within a month, we can legitimately ask the Godly Mortal Academy to return it. The Godly Mortal Academy is not like thosewless warlords, I believe they will give it back to us,¡± Hu Chongming said earnestly. Zhu Minng gave Hao Ye a look. Hao Ye looked perplexed, not knowing what his junior martial uncle meant with that nce. Zhu Minng rolled his eyes; Hao Ye was seriously too rigid! His gaze turned to Nan Yuso. Sure enough, the Dragon Shepherd¡¯s younger aunt was intelligent enough to understand Zhu Minng¡¯s intention right away. She blinked her big eyes and whispered, ¡°Rather than us being the City Lords, it¡¯s better to support someone else to be the City Lord.¡± Governing and managing were indeed very troublesome tasks, especially since they had no footing in this ce. Rather than conquering the city and taking off with the City Lord¡¯s Seal, it would indeed be morefortable and proper to choose someone to take the position while they assisted from behind the scenes. ¡°We won¡¯t sell the deed, but we can trade it for the City Lord¡¯s Seal,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°Brother, the City Lord¡¯s Seal is actually just a symbolic, expensive collectible. What use do you have for it?¡± ¡°We have our uses,¡± Zhu Minng replied. ¡°But to take Runyu City, it could take at least a year, or at most three years. Brother, you might as well hand over the deed to us first. With it, the Hu Family can fly the g of rebuilding Runyu City to expand. That might speed things up,¡± said Hu Chongming. ¡°No problem, we can help you, and it won¡¯t take that long,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°Ah?? But your group only has¡­¡± Hu Chongming started counting then quicklypleted it, saying, ¡°You only have five people.¡± ¡°Seven!¡± Fang Niannian corrected, huffing with irritation. ¡°I am a Dragon Shepherd, and they are members of my Dragon Shepherd Team,¡± Zhu Minng said with a smile. ¡°That¡¯s quite a shabby Dragon Shepherd Team¡­¡± Hu Bailing remarked with disdain. ¡°I am the rightful City Lord, holding the contract book, and your family built this city, longing to reim everything you¡¯ve lost. Why let those murky, smoggy things linger within the city?¡± Zhu Minng said. Chapter 252 - 253: The Next Dao Method Command Chapter 252: Chapter 253: The Next Dao Method Command Trantor:549690339 Hu Chongming once again looked at the City Ownership Deed in Zhu Minng¡¯s hand. To those forces upying Runyu City, this deed was indeed nothing but a worthless piece of paper, but for the Hu family, it was an object tied to their dignity. As the Hu family recruited soldiers and purchased horses, they naturally encountered opposition and ridicule from some established families, among which the most humiliating was having to sell the city and not having thend title or city seal in hand. To revive Runyu City while bearing the name of a banished dog that had been swept out of its home! This was something the Hu family could not ept by any means. ¡°Alright, as long as we can expel all those viins upying Runyu City,¡± Hu Chongming nodded. They were the true owners of this city! ¡°Then, here¡¯s to a pleasant cooperation,¡± Zhu Minng said with a smile. ¡°I need to exin the situation here to you beforehand. Apart from those bandits and warlords, the Mourning Dragon n has appeared once more. They seem to be searching for something. Thisnd is soaked with the blood sacrifices of Mourning Dragons, burying countless corpses of their kin¡­¡± Hu Chongming said. ¡°Easy to say, as a Dragon Shepherd, capturing demons and ying dragons is but a trivial matter for me!¡± Zhu Minng dered. Hu Chongming first settled his subordinates. To Zhu Minng¡¯s surprise, his subordinates were not mere ordinary soldiers, but were all Dragon Shepherds. Although their cultivation base wasn¡¯t particrly high, a team of one to two hundred Dragon Shepherds was indeed not inferior to those armies with thousands of troops. It seemed that the Hu family siblings were truly determined to reim Runyu City! All the better, Zhu Minng himself was not very adept at matters of the battlefield, so having a true leader present would make things much easier. Hu Chongming wasn¡¯t aplete ignoramus when it came to the Jianghu; he could naturally tell that Zhu Minng and his fewpanions possessed high cultivation bases. What his teamcked was exactly such an independent and capable Dragon Shepherd Team, especially near Runyu City, where too many military financiers kept powerful Dragon Shepherds and even themanders themselves were Dragon Shepherds. Night had just fallen, and the room without oilmps was pitch-ck. Zhu Minng was not ustomed to sleeping so early; he walked out to the courtyard, where others also sat by the bonfire that had been lit. Fang Niannian was warming up some delicious meat over the fire. Fang Niannian had not learned other skills, but she had pilfered the skill of roasting meat. The Hu family siblings were also sitting there, along with the mustached Think Tank who was eating with a face full of grease, constantly inquiring Fang Niannian about her techniques. Suddenly, screams echoed from the street outside the house. Zhu Minng looked over and saw the silhouettes of several Fierce Dragons, as well as some armored soldiers standing on the rooftops, their expressions stern and austere. ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± Zhu Minng asked, pointing outside. ¡°Some scoundrels, they wanted to snatch the territory we had cleaned up to nest in. It just so happened that some of them had bounties on their heads. I had my men kill them. Exchanging the bounties can supplement some military supplies,¡± Hu Bailing said with a mix of disdain and disgust. ¡°This ce is truly chaotic; bandits are brazenly grabbing territories.¡± Zhu Minng also sat down and started to roast a skewer of chicken breast for himself. Thepany managed to harmonize well enough; Fang Niannian provided the meat, the Hu family supplied the wine. Despite being in the midst of a city, it felt as if they were in the wilderness¡­ ¡°That¡¯s why I suggest we first clean out all those reckless bandits from Runyu City. Otherwise, ordinary people simply won¡¯t dare toe to this city. We must first restore the livelihood of the people,¡± Hu Chongming said. There were no shops, no markets, no craftsmen, no agriculture; calling Runyu City a city was a stretch¡ªit waspletely a well-located ruin. ¡°Hmph, those bandits cause chaos on the Tea-colored Ground, and half of the wealth they acquire has to be handed over to the local army. These bandit groups are nothing but foul-smelling flies. Isn¡¯t it the army¡¯s trash that has really turned Runyu City into this state!¡± Hu Bailing said. ¡°We must take things one step at a time,¡± Hu Chongming said. ¡°There are so many bandits, how can you possibly eliminate them all? The whole table of dishes has gone rotten, attracting countless flies. Instead of throwing out the rotten dishes, you¡¯re trying to drive away the flies?¡± Hu Bailing criticized without holding back. ¡°Bailing, how many times have I told you not to talk back to your brother like this in front of outsiders? Am I not discussing strategies properly? Problems are always raised first, then slowly resolved,¡± Hu Chongming said with a wry smile. ¡°Slowly resolved? By your method, we¡¯ll all be in coffins by the time there¡¯s any change in Runyu City!¡± Hu Bailing didn¡¯t give Hu Chongming any face. The Think Tank by their side continued to inquire about the method of roasting meat, treating the squabbling between the Hu Family siblings as normal. After a fierce argument, neither sibling agreed with the other. Left with no other choice, Hu Chongming turned to ask Zhu Minng for his insights, to see if the new City Lord had any brilliant ideas upon taking up his post. Zhu Minng touched his chin, his mind aplete muddle. Commanding armies, governance, offense, and defense¡­ he knew nothing about these! How great it would have been if a Zheng Yu could have parachuted in right now, with his talent, he could have turned Runyu City into a trade paradise in minutes¡­ After Li Chuan established its nation, Commander Cheng became the Monarch, Li Yunzi the State Preceptor, while Zheng Yu and Zhang Tuo both became National Aids. That decisive battle seemed to be when Zheng Yu led an army to find another crack in West Cliff and along the way figured out a path to reach the Rui Nation Capital without attracting attention. So, while Rui Nation was gathering itsrge army, intending to break through Long Gorge¡¯s defenses in one fell swoop, Commander Cheng and Zhang Tuo abandoned and destroyed Long Gorge, dying the Rui Nation¡¯srge army from entering Li Chuan. At the same time, Li Yunzi led her Army Guards to join forces with Zheng Yu¡¯s troops, taking advantage of the Rui Nation when its national military strength was stretched thin, and directly captured the Rui Nation Capital. Li Yunzi was known for her bravery and skill in battle across the Li Chuan Continent, and Zheng Yu¡¯s innovation was also indispensable! Whether to first exterminate the roving bandits or purge the Dark Army warlords, Zheng Yu would likely have a clearer choice, after all, he always saw further than others. ¡°I¡¯m not very skilled in this area, as for how to handle it¡­¡± Zhu Minng shook his head, indicating he wasn¡¯t in charge of devising strategies. ¡°Issue a Dao Method order that all armed forces in the city, except for the Hu Family Army, are to be regarded as rebel forces and should be executed without exception,¡± said the woman next to Zhu Minng. Zhu Minng was taken aback. In his impression, this auntie who usually spoke as a Prophet didn¡¯t carry such a heavy undertone of hostility! Could it be Nan Lingsha? ¡°Who would obey such an order?¡± Hu Bailingughed, finding the method mentioned by the other party to be naive. ¡°After the order is issued, kill all the bandits using this ce as their stronghold, trace the connections to deal with the Dark Army warlords, and create a false impression of execution without exception for the armed forces in the city. Some armed forces that do not want to provoke unnecessary conflicts will leave on their own,¡± the woman continued. ¡°That¡¯s a good method!¡± Hu Chongming¡¯s eyes immediately lit up. Chapter 253 - 254: If You Like It, Take It Down Chapter 253: Chapter 254: If You Like It, Take It Down Trantor:549690339 Upon hearing about the Neon Sea, most youngdies would show a face full of longing, wishing to visit that ce, to walk around, and savor the uniqueness of this special sea region. They would gradually fall into the romantic trap of the coral forests there. However, as soon as her owndy heard of the Neon Sea¡¯s beauty, her way of showing affection was to dominate it, ensuring that every drop of its water, every corner of its coral, belonged to her ¡ª such was the romance of a female ruler! Perhaps for Li Yunzi, the Li Chuan Continent was still too small a ce to truly showcase her talents. ¡°Think of it as a tour to scout the area. If there¡¯s a ce you like, just mark it on the map,¡± Zhu Minng said. Taking the ink brush from Zhu Minng, Li Yunzi nced at the map. She didn¡¯t concern herself with the area of the Neon Sea but instead located Miao Kingdom, and then marked it with a stroke of the brush. ¡°The world is so unpredictable, it often makes people feel helpless, and I don¡¯t like that feeling,¡± Li Yunzi said. ¡°Do you care about the issue with me fighting for a son-inw?¡± Zhu Minng asked. ¡°Not at all,¡± Li Yunzi shook her head. Zhu Minng felt a bit disappointed. If she had said she cared, would he have been able to gaze affectionately at her and then take her small hand, gently leaning in¡­ How could she not care? ¡°In the end, [I¡¯m] too fragile¡­¡± Li Yunzi spoke in a very low voice, not as if she was speaking to Zhu Minng, but more like she was reminding herself. Yes, [she was] not strong enough. If [she was] strong enough, [she] wouldn¡¯t have been wounded in that battle in Rui Country. If [she was] strong enough, [she] wouldn¡¯t need anything like the Ancient Lantern Jade, or, even if it was needed, [she] could obtain it with her own strength, instead of Zhu Minng going against his will to be the son-inw of the Miao Kingdom for the sake of that piece of jade. It was precisely because of her fragility that those who cared about her had to make sacrifices. Li Yunzi didn¡¯t quite like that feeling. Uncertainty always existed. She needed to be strong enough to face it all withposure, including natural and man-made disasters, the fall of a new continent, and perhaps even the end of days that mighte in the future¡­ After all, this world was inherently unstable. Not like this time. A mere Rui Country had almost depleted all her energy. Zhu Minng understood Li Yunzi quite well. Seeing her look so worried, he couldn¡¯t help but give a wry smile. Was his wife thinking about some long-term issues again? Zhu Minng had long noticed that Li Yunzi¡¯s thinking was not like that of ordinary people. Most people would encounter a problem and then think of a solution. Li Yunzi, on the other hand, considered current problems too trivial, problems she could handle with her eyes closed. What truly worried her were the potential crises thaty ahead; she was like a master chess yer who, when looking sorrowful, was not upset about the piece in front of her being taken, but often saw the oue of the entire game being lost. To say she was preparing for a rainy day would be an understatement¡­ Not liking the feeling of helplessness, and yet such a thought was too far ahead of time! ¡°Mydy, could it be that you won¡¯t be able to breathe easy until you unify the entire Supreme Court Courtyard Continent? Don¡¯t think too much for now,¡± Zhu Minng said with a smile. Li Yunzi¡¯s beautiful eyes gazed seriously at Zhu Minng, saying, ¡°The Supreme Court Courtyard Continent may just be a speck of dust in this world. You cannot rx before understanding the structure of this vast universe.¡± In his heart, Zhu Minng gave his wife a thumbs-up. Indeed, he had underestimated the depth of thought of Her Highness, the Female Monarch. ¡°Mydy¡­¡± Li Yunzi red at Zhu Minng! Zhu Minng had managed to deceive with that term once already, so it could be overlooked for then. But why did it roll off the tongue so easily now? They were already married to someone else. Why not call her the Princess Consort of Miao Kingdom! ¡°Yunzhi, let¡¯s not think about the distant matters for now. If you like Runyu City, we¡¯ll take it,¡± Zhu Minng said without changing his expression. ¡°Let¡¯s wait and see what the Hu Family Siblings are capable of. If they can¡¯t hold onto the city, once we get the City Lord¡¯s Seal, we can leave,¡± Li Yunzi said. Moving troops and managers over from Li Chuan was going to be a troublesome matter, so it would be best if a family that was already familiar with the ce took control. Li Chuan Continent was just Li Chuan Continent, it might only ever be a quiet corner on the easternmost part of the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent, but Li Yunzi¡¯s rule couldn¡¯t be confined to such a small area. The current stability was nothing more than charity from the Imperial Dynasty. Including Li Yunzi herself, on this Supreme Court Courtyard Continent, she was very insignificant. From the very beginning, she had nned to expand. After all, it wasn¡¯t veryfortable to be weaker than any other power. Zhu Minng looked into Li Yunzi¡¯s bright eyes, confirming once more that possibility, that the Valkyrie in front of him had left Rookie Vige Ind and had stepped onto the much vaster Conquest Continent! Fine then, there was nothing wrong with Li Yunzi¡¯s philosophy. In this world with such a severe disconnect in human civilization, countless tragedies existed, and to prevent such misfortunes and helplessness from befalling oneself, standing at the very top would never be wrong. Besides, he himself was a Dragon Shepherd. The funds that hade from the power contest had already been greatly depleted, and if he didn¡¯t find a new source of ie, he¡¯d have no choice but to set free the increasingly expensive dragons he was raising. Because the dragons were expensive to feed and upkeep, Zhu Minng had not yet dared to raise a fifth dragon, fearing it would be another money pit. Runyu City was indeed quite good; on one hand, it was suitable as a base on the western side of the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent, and on the other, its potential for development was enormous¡ªeven the tolls collected could make other countries drool. Now that he had so many dragons and many sister-inws to provide for, he couldn¡¯t afford to have the attitude of eating well while the rest of the family went hungry. He needed to work hard alongside his wife. After chatting with Li Yunzi about the interesting things they encountered on the road, before they knew it, the lights around them had all been extinguished, and it was so quiet it seemed everyone had fallen asleep. This was the time when a man¡¯s thick skin came into y. Unless Li Yunzi asked him to leave the room with her own lips, Zhu Minng was determined not to go. If she hadn¡¯t outright said it was inappropriate, they had to sleep together. ¡°You sleep, I¡¯ll go to Yu Suo¡¯s room,¡± Li Yunzi said, exuding her usual air of cool detachment. ¡°The night is deep and the autumn air is cold; I¡¯ll leave instead,¡± Zhu Minng sighed softly. ¡°Mhm,¡± Li Yunzi didn¡¯t actually n to change rooms. After watching Zhu Minng leave, Li Yunzi blew out themp. Her bright and clear eyes did not close, but instead, she looked at the somewhat old window as if she had no intention of sleeping, and as if she was contemting even more distant matters. Zhu Minng stepped out of the room, nced at the night sky shrouded in dark clouds, and had no choice but to share a room with Hao Ye. Hao Ye was sleeping soundly and was surprised to see Zhu Minnge in. ¡°Little Uncle Master, did you upset Miss Xinghua?¡± he asked. ¡°None of your business, just sleep,¡± Zhu Minng replied irritably. ¡°Oh,¡± Hao Ye simply turned over and continued to sleep deeply. Chapter 254 - 255: The Reward for the Son-in-law Chapter 254: Chapter 255: The Reward for the Son-inw Trantor:549690339 Early in the morning, Hao Ye earnestly sought Zhu Minng¡¯s guidance on the intricacies of swordsmanship. Zhu Minng, with a sincere face, said to Hao Ye, ¡°Imagine yourself as a servant holding a grass-trimming sickle, your sword strokes so delicate that you do not harm a single flower or nt around you, whilst clearing all the overgrown and misceneous grass in the entire estate, that too is a form of practice.¡± So that morning, Hao Ye practiced, though he possessed powerful Sword Spirits capable of leveling the entire estate with a single stroke, he had to gently ensure that each of his strokes cut only one patch of weeds! Zhu Minng nced outside Li Yunzi¡¯s room, saw she was still resting, and decided not to disturb her, walking outside instead to see for himself the mix of fish and dragons in Runyu City¡­ He still hoped that Runyu City could help alleviate the burden of his dragon pets¡¯ feeding costs, so he had to take this city seriously. Alone, Zhu Minng followed the somewhat dpidated streets and saw a row of shattered shops, bricks and tiles scattered everywhere, beams and pirs copsed, with hardly a few intact buildings. In the midst of such ruins, surprisingly, there were still quite a few merchants setting up stalls, forming a small market. However, they were not selling vegetables, fruits, clothes, and the like, but weapons, armors, dragon skin, monster bones, and medicines. In front of the rubble market, there was arge wooden board, which could be seen from a distance. On the wooden board, portraits of wanted criminals were stered alongside many bounty offerings,missions, and hiring notices, attracting crowds of people around it. ¡°It seems that although this city is chaotic, it has formed its own little society; mercenaries, guards, soldiers, hunters, military traders, viins, they all depend on Runyu City for their survival in this region,¡± Zhu Minng thought, sensing an atmosphere somewhat simr to the City of Sin. Perhaps, with a few more inhumane ughters, Runyu City would descend into a City of Sin, teeming with viins, criminals, and members of the evil sects. Zhu Minng approached the wooden board to take a look at the postings, which reminded him of themission station at the Dragon Taming Academy, where one could find suitable tasks and earn corresponding rewards. ¡°Collect Mourning Dragon w hooks for making military weapons?¡± ¡°Wanted: defected Dragon Trainer?¡± ¡°Reward offered for one person, the runaway groom from Miao Kingdom¡ªZhu Minng.¡± Zhu Minng was scanning seriously among the crowd when he suddenly saw a portrait of himself, prominently ced in the center of the wooden board. Moreover, the portrait captured his likeness so divinely, nailing his once-in-a-millennium dashing looks. Anyone who saw him in person would be able to recognize him instantly! Zhu Minng was shocked to the core!! Looking carefully at the issuer of the bounty, it was Miao Kingdom¡¯s royal power! Wen Lingfei¡­ Could it be that he¡¯s practicing swordsmanship so much that it¡¯s driving him crazy? As a representative of Miao Kingdom¡¯s royal power, offering such a public bounty for a runaway groom was utterly face-losing! Shouldn¡¯t these kinds of matters be too shameful to make public? ¡°Brother, you look familiar,¡± said a man with arge python dragon slung around him, turning his head and scrutinizing Zhu Minng closely. ¡°So it wasn¡¯t just my eyes ying tricks on me. Doesn¡¯t this man look like that groom wanted by Miao Kingdom¡¯s royal power?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t he just!¡± ¡°It¡¯s really him, that¡¯s Zhu Minng!!¡± ¡°My God, how can there be such a wasteful person in this world, who fled after bing the Miao Kingdom¡¯s son-inw,pletely unforgivable. I don¡¯t need the bounty, we must grind him into meat paste!!¡± ¡°The bounty is three million gold, and he must be captured alive.¡± ¡°Oh, then you all stand back, don¡¯t hurt the three million.¡± Just moments ago, the people under the wooden board were amicable, but suddenly they turned into fierce wolves, their eyes greedy like they had spotted a priceless treasure, staring fixedly at Zhu Minng. Zhu Minng himself had not expected things to develop so outrageously¡­ As the holder of the Runyu City¡¯s Contract Book, he was just doing his duty as the local official inspecting the city early in the morning. Who would have thought that such a problem would arise during an inspection. Three million gold!! Wen Lingfei was really willing to spend; she only bid 2.75 million gold at the auction! ¡°Everyone, calm down a bit, can you listen to what I have to say first?¡± Zhu Minng said, looking at the already seething crowd, with a dark expression on his face. ¡°You are a disgrace to all men!¡± said the Dragon Shepherd, who imed to be a Lord. ¡°On this wooden board, there are bounties worth a few thousand gold, tens of thousands of gold, or even over a hundred thousand gold, asmon as hairs on an ox. Everyone still has to think carefully, weighing whether they can handle it properly. And why am I, Zhu Minng, offered a bounty of three million gold? You should all be clear in your hearts that I am a dangerous person. I advise everyone to carry on as before and not to attempt a bounty that you will regret for the rest of your life,¡± Zhu Minng said, very rationally, impartially, and objectively. However, this statement, rather than calming things down, further enraged more people who were seeking bounty targets. Too arrogant! He doesn¡¯t take these mercenaries and hunters, who live on bounties, seriously! Each one of them is a powerful troop frantically recruited by regr armies; in any country¡¯s army, they could hold their own! ¡°It seems you are all too impulsive,¡± Zhu Minng said, trying to advise them kindly. ¡°Attack! Brothers, let¡¯s take him down together; if we need to, we¡¯ll just split the three million gold!¡± shouted the Dragon Shepherd from before. This person must be a regr in Runyu City, and most of the teams, squads, and gangs under this board recognized him. Under the enticement of such a huge bounty, not many would back down! Zhu Minng had already used the Charming Shadow Clothes to drift to the ruins. Seeing the group rushing at him like evil wolves and each showing their own Divine Skills, Zhu Minng, who initially wanted to escape, thought carefully and decided that since he had to establish himself in Runyu City sooner orter, using these hunters, mercenaries, and Dragon Shepherds to establish his authority was not a bad choice. ¡°Oh!!!!!!¡± The Lei Cang Violent Dragon, which had been promoted to Lord Level, burst out from Zhu Minng¡¯s Spirit Realm in a frenzy. It did not care about being surrounded by arge group of ferocious Dragon Beasts, as if these sharp-wed, fanged dragons were just a group of lizards. The Molten Fire Armor made the Lei Cang Violent Dragon burn with red mes, which, apanied by the lightning constantly emanating from its scales, made it so that even the Lord Level Ancient Dragons couldn¡¯t withstand a single full-force attack from the Lei Cang Violent Dragon! ¡°Qing Zhuo, go!¡± Zhu Minng just kept dodging back, and even though he was being mobbed by a group of people, as a Dragon Shepherd, he could still peel an orange while fighting them. An Azure Dragon on the left, a Holy Dragon on the right, with a Sword Spirit Dragon in the middle! If any Divine and Mortal managed to break through his defenses, the Sword Spirit Dragon would act leisurely, ensuring that no enemies got within ten meters of Zhu Minng, not affecting his orange eating. Chapter 255 - 256 Copper Knife Army Chapter 255: Chapter 256 Copper Knife Army Trantor: 549690339 The dpidated residence. Hao Ye was diligently practicing his delicate swordsmanship, inadvertently trimming all the wild grass and assorted trees in the broken house neatly. ¡°Little Master Uncle¡¯s method is really effective. I feel my sword is lighter and more under control,¡± Hao Ye said as he picked up arge broom and swept away the grass clippings from the ground. Just then, a figure approached the courtyard, graceful with flowing ck hair. Hao Ye quickly performed a greeting and said, ¡°Little Master Uncle asked me to tell you that he has gone into the city to investigate the situation. If thedy wakes up¡­¡± ¡°Who is Little Master Uncle, and who are you?¡± Li Yunzi asked. Who are you?? The broom in Hao Ye¡¯s hand fell heavily to the ground, and he didn¡¯t know why he couldn¡¯t hold it steady! A month!! He had been on the same team with them for a whole month! Why hadn¡¯t they remembered him yet!! Tears uncontrobly slid from the corners of his eyes. Hao Ye hurriedly wiped them away, not wanting to let anyone see him in this disheveled state. But inside, it was really hard to control this emotion, even more humble than that of an unnamed soldier. Li Yunzi looked confused, watching this man who was inexplicably crying, thinking she had encountered a strange person, so she ignored him and walked straight to the other side of the house. ¡°It¡¯s terrible, terrible, Zhu Minng has gotten into a fight with a bunch of tough guys in the city, right in the ruined marketce!¡± At this moment, Fang Niannian ran back from outside, looking like she hade back for reinforcements. Upon hearing this, Hao Ye immediately put aside the stormy emotions inside him, grabbed his sword, and prepared to rush over. After all, there were many on the other side, and Zhu Minng would probably struggle to cope alone. Just as Hao Ye was about to step out, a gust of wind suddenly rose behind him, and then he saw the delicatedy who had just passed leap into the air, her feet standing on a Silver Moon Flying Sword. She soared over Hao Ye¡¯s head and in the blink of an eye flew toward the ruined marketce Fang Niannian had mentioned. Hao Ye, with his sword in hand, stepped onto the eaves and also took to the roofs, but no matter what, he could not catch up with the speed of sword flight¡­ For a moment, Hao Ye thought about giving up his path of cultivation. At the ruined marketce, Zhu Minng finished peeling a few oranges, and the battle wasing to an end. Mainly because none of these scattered soldiers possessed Monarch Level Strength. Thinking they could defeat him by sheer numbers was even less likely; from start to finish, the Sword Spirit Dragon had barely lifted a w. There were Dragon Beasts lying all around, some with their tusks shattered, others with their bones broken. Zhu Minng had shown restraint, otherwise, many might no longer be able to work as Dragon Trainers. ¡°Good, let¡¯s take this opportunity to make it clear, starting today, I, Zhu Minng, am the City Lord of Runyu City. If you all wish to make a living here, you¡¯d better behave yourselves¡ªotherwise, don¡¯t me me for not being polite,¡± Zhu Minng announced. The streets below were filled with wails, among which were some Divine and Mortal beings, their faces smeared with blood, bodies riddled with injuries. How could they have imagined that so many people would fail to take down Zhu Minng alone? ¡°A master is here!¡± ¡°A skilled swordswoman hase upon hearing the news, everyone don¡¯t be discouraged, Zhu Minng¡¯s time is up. Let¡¯s take him down together, if we can¡¯t split three million, a few tens of thousands each is still good!¡± Someone in the crowd, pointing at a fairy riding a sword in the skies above the city, spoke with boundless joy. However, the smiles on these people¡¯s faces didn¡¯tst long before they saw streaks of strikingly gorgeous sword threads turn into a silver curtain of rain, viciously piercing down from above Runyu City¡¯s ruined marketce, aimed right at those who sought the bounty! Countless Dragon Beasts, Divine and Mortal beings, and Dragon Shepherds were injured by these silver sword threads, blood spraying and wails echoing in unison. ¡°Wife, show some mercy, these are just Hunters scrambling for the bounty,¡± Zhu Minng said in a rush. The people who nearly lost their lives upon hearing these words were immediately overflowing with gratitude, no longer daring to linger for the bounty, fleeing with their bloodied bodies. ¡°Starting today, no armed forces without my authorization will be allowed to station in Runyu City. Anyone who hasn¡¯t left by tonight will be treated as a rebel and killed without mercy!¡± Seeing the crowd dispersing, Zhu Minng hastily added this statement, hoping to spread the decree through these people. Li Yunzinded on the eaves of a ruined building, ncing at the people strewn across the streets, brought down by Zhu Minng alone, and asked, ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°Nothing much, just had a disagreement with these folks.¡± ¡°That Princess from Miao Kingdom, did she offer a bounty of three million gold for you?¡± Li Yunzi had already heard about the three million bounty mentioned by the people. ¡°That¡¯s about the size of it. These people are deluded into thinking they could capture me and take me back to be some kind of Prince Consort for Miao Kingdom. But wife, as you know, I, Zhu Minng, am a man of unwavering loyalty. Going forward, I¡¯ll use my strength and determination to struggle against this and convince Princess Luoshui of Miao Kingdom to give up,¡± Zhu Minng stated righteously. ¡°I doubt she¡¯ll give up so easily,¡± Li Yunzi said as she walked towards the wooden billboard and tore down the bounty offer. In fact, Li Yunzi was already informed by her younger sister Yu Suo about the annulment that morning shortly after she woke up. When the timees, Li Yunzi will surely meet this Princess of Miao Kingdom! ¡°Hey, you standing on the ruins, what did you just say? Their wailing was so loud that I didn¡¯t catch it clearly.¡± A man wearing a military helmet stood by the rickety street corner, pointing at Zhu Minng and asked. Zhu Minng turned his head and sized up the man in the military helmet. The man in the helmet continued, ¡°What was that? Armed forces must roll out of Runyu City, or something? Please repeat it, does the Copper Knife Army of the tea-colored ground count as the armed force you mentioned? And what¡¯s this about a City Lord of this city? This army lord, Zhu Weicai, is unaware of such a thing!¡± The man iming to be from the Copper Knife Army spoke as he approached the ruins. His eyes swept over Zhu Minng and then lingered on Li Yunzi for a few moments before a disdainful smirk appeared, ¡°I advise you to just whisk away your pretty wife as fast as possible. Don¡¯t y the gant hero trying to reform Runyu City. Besides those weak shrimp soldiers and crab generals, there are mighties like us, the Copper Knife Army, the Pantian Dragons you can¡¯t afford to provoke.¡± ¡°What¡¯s this Copper Knife Army?¡± Li Yunzi asked. Zhu Minng scratched his head; he was also clueless about this force. At that moment, Hao Ye arrived somewhatte. He nced at the man wearing the military helmet and bearing the copper knife, a look of surprise crossing his face. ¡°The Copper Knife Army is one of the strong dragons around here; their strength and influence far exceed those local snakes. I¡¯m afraid they¡¯re one of the armed forces that, even with our threats, wouldn¡¯t leave Runyu City,¡± Hao Ye, who had done some homework, said at this time. Chapter 256 - 257: This City is Ruled by Us Chapter 256: Chapter 257: This City is Ruled by Us Trantor: 549690339 The Copper Knife Army has always been one of the more infamous private military forces in the tea-colored grounds. They don¡¯t belong to any nation but are often seen in national wars. Whichever country is willing to pay a high price, they sell their services to them; given the chaos of the tea-colored grounds, a strong private army like theirs never has to worry about going hungry. In the Copper Knife Army, there are more than three thousand soldiers proficient in de techniques, not to mention a few Divine and Mortal beings among them. The core force leading this army is also a group of de Masters with high cultivation bases, experts in assaulting cities and killing enemies. Even the armies of some city-states need to retreat when they encounter the Copper Knife Army! With their formidable strength and strict discipline, and with many powerful interests entangled behind them, many countries tend to amodate them. ¡°So it¡¯s a private army led by a bunch of de Masters, huh? Since your Copper Knife Army is so remarkable, why usurp another¡¯s nest, wouldn¡¯t it be better to attack and take a city for yourselves?¡± Zhu Minng said to Zhu Weicai, the Copper Knife Army¡¯smander. ¡°Our army has taken over cities before but, while capturing a city is easy, managing it is not. There hasn¡¯t been a single city under our management that didn¡¯t end up steeped in debt. After numerous asions, we¡¯ve learned our lesson¡ªfighting and killing is our forte; we know nothing beyond that!¡± Zhu Weicai, themander of the Copper Knife Army, replied with surprising honesty. ¡°Then, Runyu City isn¡¯t exactly a lucrative ce either, why cling to it so stubbornly?¡± Zhu Minng asked. ¡°Haven¡¯t you heard that Mourning Dragons have appeared again? Our Copper Knife Army is waiting here to catch them off guard. Theplete corpse of a Mourning Dragon can fetch a few thousand gold pieces, and those of high level can sell for tens of thousands¡­¡± ¡°Commander, weren¡¯t you going to question him about why he wanted to drive us out of the city?¡± At that moment, a Junior beside Zhu Weicai quietly reminded hismander. ¡°Right, why am I discussing this with you? Are you the new City Lord of this city?¡± Zhu Weicai asked. ¡°This is the City Ownership Deed, at noon I¡¯ll issue the first order to expel all armed forces. Your Copper Knife Army might want to head outside the city early to pick a prime spot to camp, to save your brothers from freezing at night.¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°Hmph, acting all high and mighty with that featheredmand, just issue your order, and when the timees, we¡¯ll see if the Copper Knife Army moves an inch!¡± Zhu Weicai disyed his disdain once more. ¡°Where is your camp located?¡± Li Yunzi spoke up. ¡°Right beside this ruined marketce, why, fancy a tour of our camp¡¯s might?¡± Zhu Weicai of the Copper Knife Army said. ¡°Sure, lead the way.¡± Zhu Minng smiled in response. Following the soldiers d in copper helmets and armed with copper knives, they headed towards their camp. The Copper Knife Army had upied argepound of residences directly and had transformed the most important markets, streets, and business districts into their camp. The significant crossroads had be a ce for their soldiers to drill. At that time, several thousand soldiers split into multiple battalions were practicing right in the thoroughfares of the city, looking no different from the regr armies of some nations, and even with the presence of Divine and Mortal beings and de Masters, their might seemed even more impressive. ¡°Don¡¯t you have any Dragon Shepherds?¡± Zhu Minng asked. Most armies would recruit Dragon Shepherds, as they are the mightiest force in battle and many ferocious Dragon Beasts are killing machines on the battlefield! ¡°No, Dragon Shepherds are all too arrogant, spending money to hire them is not worth it when we could give that money to our brothers to enjoy themselves!¡± Zhu Weicai again showed a disdainful curl of the lip, clearly holding great prejudice and dissatisfaction toward Dragon Shepherds. ¡°Commander, this morning we saw the Dragon Shepherds of the Hu Family Army, it seems like they¡¯re nning something big,¡± a Junior soldier hurried over, paying no mind to Zhu Minng, Li Yunzi, and Hao Ye, and reported directly to themander. ¡°What are Hu Bailing and Hu Chongming, those siblings, up to now?¡± Zhu Weicai said, furrowing his thick brows. ¡°The details are still unclear. Should we send someone to keep a close watch first?¡± asked the Junior. ¡°Hey, City Lord, didn¡¯t you want to expel all armed forces? Why don¡¯t you start by driving out the Hu Family Army? They are the original owners of this city after all.¡± Zhu Weicai turned his head and said to Zhu Minng. ¡°We are with them,¡± Zhu Minng said indifferently, not minding revealing himself. ¡°Damn it, doesn¡¯t that mean you are here to scout our military information!¡± Zhu Weicai red back in anger. ¡°You invited us to visit,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°I invited you to visit only to let you clearly see our strength, to stay out of our way. Young people can be wild, but don¡¯t court death!¡± Zhu Weicai said angrily. ¡°At what price?¡± Li Yunzi asked. ¡°What price?¡± Zhu Weicai was utterly confused. ¡°To hire your army,¡± Li Yunzi continued. ¡°You little girl, the Copper Knife Army does big jobs: seizing cities, annihting ns, stomping on Dragon Caverns, and trampling demonirs. We¡¯re not here to act as guards for you Embroidered Ladies, or to y the role of de Masters.¡± Zhu Weicai said. ¡°So the price,¡± Li Yunzi asked coldly. ¡°One million and a half in gold as a down payment. It depends on what we do for you. If it involves attacking cities, participating in national wars, or eliminating some stubborn forces, we need to charge a more reasonable fee ording to the level of danger and our potential losses,¡± Zhu Weicai said. Zhu Minng certainly hadn¡¯t anticipated that Li Yunzi would recruit troops on the spot! But upon reflection, it made sense. Such a big city, teeming with dragons and fishes, bustling with numerous forces, it¡¯s indeed difficult to clean up without one¡¯s own army. The Hu Family Army, after all, was cooperating with them and notpletely under theirmand. ¡°One million in gold for Hu Family, and their Dragon Shepherds are easier to deploy,¡± Li Yunzi said. ¡°How could those greenhorns possiblypare to us, the battle-hardened Copper Knife Army!¡± Zhu Weicai retorted, his thick eyebrows raised again. ¡°One million in gold. If you ept, continue to be stationed here and follow my orders from now on. If not, pack up and leave as soon as possible. Once night falls, we control everything in this city, including your lives!¡± Li Yunzi said. ¡°This¡­ this¡­¡± Zhu Weicai was actually somewhat indecisive at the moment. He had originally intended to invite this new City Lord over to intimidate him, but now he found himself overwhelmed by her imposing manner. One million in gold¡­ To take it or not, the price was a bit low, but actually, earning a profit from hunting Mourning Dragons was not something that happened overnight. It really might be better to ept the employment, a stable job for a while. After all, with three thousand of the Copper Knife Army having no work for a day, they would lose arge sum of money! ¡°Agreed, agreed, agreed! One million in gold it is!¡± Zhu Weicai epted. Zhu Minng and Hao Ye still hadn¡¯t quite grasped what had happened, and Li Yunzi had already taken control of the Copper Knife Army! Chapter 257 - 258: The Light of the Righteous Path Chapter 257: Chapter 258: The Light of the Righteous Path Trantor:549690339 By noon, the decree was issued. The entire motley Runyu City boiled over because of it. In the morning, when some idlers mentioned the news of a new City Lord for the city, everyone seemed amused, as if it were a joke. Little did they think that Runyu City would actually be affiliated with anyone. Of course, the excitement was one thing, but hardly anyone took the decree seriously. The military forces stationed in Runyu City still upied their territories, entirely unmoved. As for those who relied on Runyu City for a living, they didn¡¯t care either, dismissing the so-called new City Lord as a naive neophyte, unaware of the situation in Runyu City, daring to issue such a self-destructive decree. By afternoon, not a single armed force had shifted their encampment, and there really weren¡¯t many original residents in the whole of Runyu City. Some groups who earned clean money did wish for Runyu City to be like other towns, normal. However, every time they saw the never-ending military camps and the varied gs with different insignias, they knew that such a vision was unrealistic. ¡°s, I reckon this new City Lord won¡¯t survive the night. Those domineering warlords won¡¯t take a minor City Lord seriously,¡± said a hunter, shaking his head. ¡°I heard that the Hu Family has already returned to the city. I wonder if it was their idea?¡± another hunter who hunted jackalsmented. ¡°This city was ruined by the Hu Family hands. Back in the day, merchants from outside were willing to pay a fortune just for a small house in Runyu City, desiring to settle here. Now, when people from other ces hear ¡®Runyu City,¡¯ it¡¯s like hearing about a bandit¡¯sir or Evil City.¡± A few hunters carrying freshly hunted game meat looked at the barbaric troops marching down the streets and couldn¡¯t help but talk amongst themselves. Now residing in Runyu City, there are very few ordinary citizens. Without some capability, one would be devoured to the bone. These hunters, providing meat and game to the military, were afforded some protection and remained unharmed. As for the ordinary merchants, it was difficult to say whether they could keep their wealth, let alone their lives. Runyu City had someone in control. This was indeed a good thing for those trying to make an honest living. Unfortunately, Runyu City was overrun by too many forces, like dark clouds obscuring the future. ¡°Gentlemen, how much for the meat?¡± Zhu Minng, strolling around, saw the hunters and asked. The hunters were pushing a cart with several wild pigs, bison, and wolves on it, skinned, gutted, and somewhat cleaned up. In Runyu City, where civilian life was virtually non-existent, without even vegetable or rice vendors¡ªwhere the firewood was chopped by Hao Ye who practiced swordcraft¡ªit was rare to find freshly hunted meat for sale, so Zhu Minng quickly stepped forward to inquire. ¡°This meat¡¯s not for sale; it¡¯s meant for the officers in Lucamp,¡± said the bow and arrow hunter. ¡°Then there¡¯s no need to send it over,¡± Zhu Minng remarked. ¡°Young man, you must be new to Runyu City?¡± the bow and arrow hunter asked with a smile. ¡°Old Huang, how did you know?¡± Zhu Minng asked, surprised. ¡°First of all, there¡¯s no one in Runyu City who buys meat with money. If you were from some powerful force, you¡¯d simply take it without a word, not even mention paying. Keeping the cart itself would be lucky. Secondly, Lucamp is not to be trifffled with. If we don¡¯t deliver the meat for those big shots¡¯ dinner, they might as well go cannibalistic!¡± the bow and arrow hunter exined. Zhu Minng didn¡¯t actually expect that trying to buy some meat would make him an outsider¡­ ¡°Old Huang, I¡¯m not joking with you. If it¡¯s meant for Lucamp, there really is no need to send it. They colluded with bandits to reap profits and have been ordered by me to be eliminated. Those leaders who might resort to cannibalism without their meat will be publicly executed in the ruins of the marketce at dusk,¡± Zhu Minng said with a smile. The hunters were all stupefied. Early in the morning, they had arrogantly stopped a few of their fellow hunters and tossed them some money to go hunting. How could it be that in less than a day, they had been wiped out? This was no joking matter! Setting down the wooden handcart, the young man carrying a hunting knife immediately ran forward. After this street corner was Lucamp¡¯s territory. Whether it had been wiped out or not, one look would tell. ¡°May I ask who you are, young master?¡± asked the bow and arrow hunter, Old Huang. ¡°Zhu Minng, the City Lord of this city. Thew I issued at noon was ordered by me,¡± Zhu Minng said. The several hunters all showed surprised looks, scrutinizing Zhu Minng carefully. They had never heard of any important person visiting the marketce and wandering alone like this! ¡°Old¡­ Old Huang!¡± The young hunter ran back from the street corner, tumbling and crawling, his face extremely ugly, as if he had seen the scenes within Ghost Gate. ¡°Dead, they¡¯re all dead, so many people are dead!!¡± The young hunter returned, his expression filled with horror, and when he looked at Zhu Minng again, his eyes were now tinged with respect and fear. Lucamp, after all, were the tyrannical military bandits of Runyu City. To think they were wiped out just like that! ¡°So, it turns out you¡¯re the new City Lord. We rural folks didn¡¯t recognize you. Please don¡¯t me us, don¡¯t me us,¡± Old Huang said, hastily bowing upon realizing the young man before him was truly the City Lord. Seeing that the other hunters hadn¡¯t reacted yet, Old Huang pulled at them. When civilians meet an official, they naturally kneel, and even though Runyu City hadn¡¯t seen an official for a long time, Old Huang knew that the proper respects must still be paid. ¡°Stand up, Old Huang. Can I buy this meat from you now?¡± Zhu Minng¡¯s face once again wore a smile. ¡°Is this your first time as an official, young master?¡± Old Huang asked quietly. Zhu Minng was puzzled. How could the other person tell these things, was it really so obvious that he didn¡¯t carry the air of an important person? Was it just that he was too approachable? ¡°An official doesn¡¯t buy the meat of themon people. This meat should naturally be given as a small tribute to our new City Lord, representing the sincere intentions of us, the hunting residents.¡± Old Huang said. Clever Old Huang, you win! ¡°Old Huang, the right price is the right price. If you arew-abiding citizens of this city, you should also hope for an early restoration of civil life, to be able to trade by the rules, to be protected byw for your lives and property, and if wrongfully treated, to be able to report to the officials, who will seek justice for you¡­ Therefore, this trade shall mark a new beginning for Runyu City!¡± Zhu Minng said spiritedly, his words highlighting the difference between himself and those thugs and evil soldiers. Heavy clouds parted as if pushed away, and a ray of rightful light shone upon Zhu Minng¡¯s head, making his figure appear tall and majestic. The several earnest hunters were truly intimidated by Zhu Minng¡¯s aura, then they quoted a price that left Zhu Minng¡¯s expression half sunny, half cloudy! Chapter 258 - 259: Not a Sword Cultivator Chapter 258: Chapter 259: Not a Sword Cultivator Trantor:549690339 Back at the small, rundown house, Fang Niannian¡¯s little cheeks were puffed up, her crescent-shaped eyes ring sideways at Zhu Minng, with a grievance that seemed almost ready to emanate from her. ¡°All this meat cost eighty gold, do you think money grows on trees? With eighty gold, I could buy you a ranch back in Ancestral Dragon City!¡± Fang Niannian chided without any hesitation. ¡°There¡¯s no helping it, everything here is extremely expensive, meat is even rarer than gold and silver, and this is already with a discount the old man gave me for being the new City Lord,¡± Zhu Minng said helplessly. ¡°Big ck Tooth¡¯s supply is gone, and this whole cart of meat won¡¯t even be enough for one of its meals.¡± Fang Niannian, responsible for managing the finances, found it most uneptable to spend too much money on things that weren¡¯t worth it! Zhu Minng¡¯s behavior was exactly what she, Fang Niannian, couldn¡¯t stand! It wasn¡¯t like they hadn¡¯t lived through lean times before, even if they were richer now, they absolutely couldn¡¯t waste money recklessly! ¡°This meat is for us,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°What about Big ck Tooth? It will get hungry. Ever since it reached the Lord Level, its appetite has tripled, and ordinary ck pork can hardly provide any energy. It¡¯s no different from drinking water,¡± Fang Niannian said. Zhu Minng stroked his chin, his gaze unintentionally wandering towards Hao Ye, who was deeply engrossed in practicing his swordsmanship nearby. Hao Ye, for some reason, was silent and absent-minded today, practicing as if he were a sword-wielding machine, tirelessly shing at the weeds, making the vegetation of the entire courtyard neatly trimmed. ¡°Hao Ye,¡± Zhu Minng called out. ¡°Junior Uncle, you actually remember my name!¡± Hao Ye turned around with a smile blooming on his face like the splendid flowers of summer, feeling as though his soul, which had been scattered to the heavens, had returned to his body. Zhu Minng was utterly puzzled. He shot Fang Niannian a look, who returned a ¡°I don¡¯t know either¡± expression. Strange, Wu Feng hadn¡¯t mentioned anything about Hao Ye being ill. ¡°Hao Ye, you¡¯ve practiced well today, but the vegetation is after all static; next, you should use some wild beasts to fine-tune your swordsmanship. Over the next few days, hunt down some monsters and Demon Spirits, preferably those with excellent meat quality and delicious taste. Remember to bring back the prime cuts, the more, the better,¡± Zhu Minng instructed Hao Ye. ¡°As youmand, Junior Uncle!¡± The once stagnant look in Hao Ye¡¯s eyes sparkled. Practicing, double the practice, practicing madly ording to Junior Uncle¡¯s guidance, he had to make a name for himself so that everyone would remember him, Sword Master Hao Ye, and surely one day be renowned far and wide! ¡°I¡¯ll go with him, I should choose, I know what Big ck Tooth likes. Along the way, I¡¯ll look around to see if there are any other resources,¡± Fang Niannian said. ¡°Hao Ye, I¡¯ll add a weight training task for you. Take Niannian with you and follow her instructions when you strike with your sword. You must precisely and urately cut off those parts of the meat!¡± Zhu Minng continued to instruct Hao Ye. ¡°No problem, Junior Uncle!¡± Hao Ye nodded. As night fell, the Hu Family Siblings had already found their target and began their sweeping raids. The Copper Knife Army had also been deployed by Li Yunzi near the city gate, putting on a show that this city now had a master. Zhu Minng felt that as the City Lord, he couldn¡¯t just sit in the yard and enjoy his barbecue. He had specifically instructed the Hu Family¡¯s Think Tank to keep an eye on a few warlords he was interested in during the day, while he went to meet them in person. ¡°Da da da da!!!!!¡± Suddenly, the sound of iron hooves came thundering down the main street, shaking the old buildings nearby. Zhu Minng leaped onto the roof to look out and was surprised to find that his small house was surrounded by arge group of soldiers, among them a troop riding on tall and formidable Dragon Horses, with bodies three times the size of ordinary steeds and horned dragon-like faces, full of fiery spirit! What¡¯s going on here! Weren¡¯t they supposed to clean up the armed forces of Runyu City tonight? Howe an army has surrounded this ce?? ¡°tten this ce for me, and ughter every living soul you see!¡± bellowed the burly man riding the dark dragon horse, his entire being exuding an evil Qi! ¡°Gentlemen, which faction of heroes do we have here?¡± Zhu Minng stood on the eaves and called out to question them. ¡°You don¡¯t even recognize the Dragon Horse Camp and you¡¯re stirring up trouble in Runyu City. Tell your master there¡¯s no need for a controller here; we, the Dragon Horse Camp, call the shots in this city. You dare to issue a kill order against us, it seems like it¡¯s you who are tired of living!¡± the leader of the Dragon Horse Camp said with a cold sneer. ¡°So, you¡¯vee to kill me, the city lord? On my hand I have the Contract Book, appointed by the Imperial Dynasty. If youy a finger on me, you¡¯ll bemitting the crime of rebelling against the dynasty.¡± Zhu Minng took out his Contract Book, tapping on the Imperial Dynasty¡¯s seal with his finger. ¡°Imperial Dynasty?? Can the dynasty control this ce? Let me tell you, no matter how many officialse to Runyu City, I¡¯ll chop them all down. Kill them all, leave none alive!¡± The leader of the Dragon Horse Camp gave a grand wave of his hand. Suddenly, arge group of soldiers surged over from the main street like a flood tide. They were d in leather armor and military boots, and although they were helmetless, each one had a piece of cloth tied around their foreheads bearing the Dragon Horse Camp¡¯s symbol. At a nce, there seemed to be at least two thousand people, nigh filling the streets and alleys near the little house to the brim,pletely encircling it without a gap. They held various weapons in their hands¡ªswords, spears, axes¡ªwhile those riding dragon horses were all equipped with bows and arrows. Upon the leader¡¯smand, the mounted archers already had their bows drawn, their arrows remarkably special: they caught fire spontaneously without touching anything! The entire arrow, enveloped in me, assumed a powerful presence as they drew their bows to the max, like a heat wave sweeping through! ¡°Yunzhi, Ling Sha, be careful of the fire arrows!!¡± Zhu Minng cried out in rm upon seeing this. No sooner had his voice fallen than the arrows whooshed through the air, fire arrows streaking across the sky, instantly illuminating the nearby streets!! ¡°Whoosh whoosh whoosh whoosh whoosh!!!!!!¡± The mounted archers released their arrows swiftly. No sooner had one fire arrow been shot than another barreled towards the courtyard, the fiery curtain formed by the arrows carrying an overwhelming momentum as it descended upon the dpidated mansion. In the courtyard, Li Yunzi stood quietly, raising her face. Her beautiful eyes, reflected by the dense barrage of fire arrows in the sky, shone like dazzling agate. She did not move an inch, merely gazing intently. Suddenly, the sky full of ming arrows seemed to hit an invisible wall of Qi, their plummeting speed slowing down¡­ More and more arrows, as if seized by some force, came to aplete stop above the courtyard! The shabby eaves, covered with ckish-blue tiles, could easily be punctured by ordinary arrows, let alone these arrows infused with the power of me. Yet the arrows hovered above the roof tiles, like a brilliant disy of lights, no longer able to fall. Zhu Minng stood on the eaves, watching the beauty in the yard with a hint of surprise. Everything had stopped! Staring at this curtain of arrows, she had brought them to aplete halt! Could it be that Li Yunzi wasn¡¯t a Sword Cultivator? Chapter 259 - 260: Bow and Arrow Masters Chapter 259: Chapter 260: Bow and Arrow Masters Trantor: 549690339 ¡°Huff¡± Her pinkish white lips puckered, blowing gently towards the soft night sky. Suddenly, all the fiery arrowheads were extinguished by the night breeze that hade rushing in, the zing mes disappearing in an instant. Immediately following that, the arrowspletely lost their force, falling like leaves and scattering across the courtyard, yet unable to cause any destruction. Zhu Minng watched Li Yunzi, slightly spellbound. Mostly because the way she pursed her lips and blew was rather cute. Although he had many doubts in his heart, with enemies at his doorstep, Zhu Minng couldn¡¯t just stand by idly. He immediately called out the Sword Spirit Dragon and leapt into the streets that were made impassable by surrounding soldiers! ¡°Flying Sword Sparkle!¡± Zhu Minng pointed his hand, and the Sword Spirit Dragon shot through, swift as a fierce bolt of lightning, streaking grandly from one end of the street to the other. Those soldiers of the Dragon Horse Camp had not even realized what was happening when holes appeared in their bodies, and blood blossomed in patches, all of them falling in their tracks, wailing in pools of blood, with some even dying on the spot! ¡°Retract!¡± Zhu Minng retracted his hand, and the Sword Spirit Dragon at the end of the street suddenly carved out an exaggerated arc of the sword. The arc, like a bright moon in the sky, tore through the soldiers filling the street, severing heads, sending limbs flying, and cutting manypletely in half! In dealing with these murderous soldiers, Zhu Minng acted even more ruthlessly, giving them no chance to rise again! This astonishing and terrifying swipe dyed the street bright red, and the Sword Spirit Dragon, untainted by a drop of blood, had already returned to Zhu Minng¡¯s side. Its sword body glowed crimson, its fringe elongated, floating slowly with an air of extreme danger, awaiting Zhu Minng¡¯s nextmand. ¡°It¡¯s a Sword Master, shoot it down!¡± The leader of the Dragon Horse Camp, his face stern, showed no mercy for his own men¡¯s horrific deaths. Soldiers were, after all, meant to be sacrificed. The leader raised his hand high and brought it down heavily. The Arrow Masters mounted on Dragon Beasts were clearly the core of the Dragon Horse Camp, and rows of them drew their iron bows at once. Suddenly, the airflow around became tumultuous, reversing and swirling chaotically as if falling into a bottomless abyss. ¡°Whoosh whoosh whoosh!!!!!!!!¡± Piercing Wind Arrows! A group of Arrow Masters used the Piercing Wind Arrows in unison; these arrows, made from special materials, could even absorb the wind element from the world, giving the shot arrows elerated speed and potent piercing power. Such arrows could prate the scales of Dragon Beasts, not to mention shields, armor, and trenches struggled to block them. The arrows made a sharp whizzing sound as they pierced through nearby houses and fences, even able to prate several houses in a row¡­ The Sword Spirit Dragon conjured a Sword Soul, like a giant ck sword stele standing in front of Zhu Minng. Zhu Minng himself was unharmed, but the houses behind him where the Dragon Shepherd Teams of the Hu Family were stationed were punctured and began copsing one by one. Although these Arrow Masters didn¡¯t have high cultivation bases, their training, like that of a military unit organized in formation, exerting a single ability together, their power was terrifying! ¡°Bai Qi¡­¡± Zhu Minng was about to call for Bai Qi, the name already on his lips, when he remembered that Little White was undergoing bloodline forging and was deep in sleep within the Spirit Realm. As an Ice Morning White Dragon, dealing with these soldiers and archers would actually be much simpler; even the Sword Spirit Dragon¡¯s de, sharp though it was, couldn¡¯t match the Ice Morning White Dragon¡¯s sweeping frost for directness in killing! ¡°Block his sword,¡±manded the leader of the Dragon Horse Camp, ordering his soldiers to use their bodies to block the Sword Spirit Dragon. The Arrow Masters were protected by a wall of soldiers; unless Zhu Minng personally charged in, it would be difficult to cut through them all from afar. ¡°Firefly Sword!¡± Annoying as it was, they couldn¡¯t be left alive. Zhu Minng certainly didn¡¯t want the little house that he had just started to fix up destroyed by these bullies from Runyu City¡¯s army. The sword danced in mid-air, its tip sparking with the light of fireflies. As the movement quickened, countless firefly sword lights ignited in the sky above the street, a dense spectacle that resembled the brilliant scenery of a forest at twilight! ¡°Swish, swish, swish, swish, swish!!!!!!¡± As the Firefly Sword fell, a trail of light meant a life lost. No matter how numerous the Dragon Horse Camp¡¯s soldiers were, they would lose nearly half to such a swarm of Flying Sword Technique. Among the thousands of soldiers crowding the street, countless fell at just a few of Zhu Minng¡¯s strikes. Not to mention the difficulty for these ragtag troops to resist, even well-equipped, well-trained formal regiments couldn¡¯t withstand the might of a Middle-level Monarch Level Sword Might. The soldiers were as short-lived and fragile as moths, powerful enough to make all the rank and file of the entire Dragon Horse Camp tremble! ¡°What¡¯s the panic, he¡¯s just one man with a sword. He can¡¯t possibly chop us all down, Arrow Masters, pin him to the stone wall!¡± roared the leader of the Dragon Horse Camp. Seeing his soldiers unable to withstand Zhu Minng, the leader unexpectedly took down a heavy Mysterious Iron bow from his Dragon-horse mount. The bow was surprisinglyrge, likely too heavy for a martial artist to even lift. The leader held the bow with one hand, and a ck, heavy iron arrow rested on the Dragon Tendon string, which shimmered oddly. As the leader pulled back heavily, the bow seemed like a slumbering ck Dragon; if it were to rise, even the mountains and forests would be crushed!! ¡°ck Dragon¡¯s Roar!¡± An arrow shot out, its force like a Dragon¡¯s Roar, thundering as it flew! The immense power of the arrow swept through the surrounding decrepit houses, grinding them all to dust. The ck Dragon Roar¡¯s arrow swept towards Zhu Minng, who was also taken aback. This Dragon Horse Camp leader¡¯s cultivation base was not low, no wonder he dared to charge so brazenly straight for the new City Lord¡¯s ce, firing ming arrows and killing people on arrival! Zhu Minng drew up the Bagua tform to withstand this turbulent arrow. Although he remained unmoved, but the courtyard which was just ready to be renovated, was destroyed. Zhu Minng was in a very bad mood. In Runyu City, there was already scarce care for people¡¯s livelihoods¡ªfinding carpenters, tile workers, and craftsmen was incredibly difficult, and many things had to be handled personally. Now, the little courtyard that he had worked so hard on over the past couple of days had been wrecked by these brutes. ¡°Sword Spirit Dragon, no need to protect the yard anymore, just kill them,¡± Zhu Minng said coldly from above. Initially, he had thought about fending off these people without allowing the courtyard to be destroyed. This indeed had restrained the Sword Spirit Dragon¡¯s performance; having to kill the enemy while quickly returning to block their barrage of arrows, and now that the yard was nearly destroyed, there was nothing left to worry about! It would just mean a bit more time spent; after all, the night was long, and this city of Runyu was bound to experience a thorough bloodbath! Chapter 260 - 261: The Lady is Startled Chapter 260: Chapter 261: The Lady is Startled Trantor: 549690339 ¡°Heiyi, Qing Zhuo, ughter those soldiers!¡± The twin dragons called out simultaneously, even more towering and ferocious than those dragon horses. The Lei Cang Violent Dragon stood like a tall tower, its roar bellowing, causing the eardrums of the more than a thousand soldiers in front of it to nearly burst. The Divine Green Holy Dragon swung its wings, their feathers as sharp as iron des, and as it skimmed the ground, it cleaved through hundreds of soldiers from the Dragon Horse Camp. Arrows and axes fell upon the scales of the Lei Cang Violent Dragon which felt as if it was merely being tickled; with its size and the ferocity of a Tyrant Dragon, it had the greatest advantage in battles like this one. The iing arrows and the deep axe cuts thatnded on its body were essentially energizing its scales. Not long into the battle, the Lei Cang Violent Dragon¡¯s entire body was surging with lightning, with exaggerated arcs of electricity leaping along its spine. As it charged wildly into the crowd, the Lei Cang Violent Dragon¡¯s storm raged, leaving hundreds of soldiers shattered and pulverized as if the street¡¯s gang of soldiers had beenpletely cleared out in an instant! ¡°Whoosh!¡± With those soldiers no longer serving as human shields, the Sword Spirit Dragon swiftly flew towards the arrow masters riding dragon horses. These arrow masters were the strongest force of the Dragon Horse Camp; theirbined volley could threaten even those with Monarch-level cultivation. The Sword Spirit Dragon glided like a swimming dragon, its sword light sharp and swift, decapitating ten arrow masters riding dragon horses in an instant! Seeing the Sword Spirit Dragon break through, the leader holding the Mysterious Iron Bow widened his eyes and, with an annoyed roar, raised his bow and let loose a barrage at the Sword Spirit Dragon. The arrows were fearsome, each one scraping offrge swathes of the rocky ground, and could likely have prated and shattered mountains if any were in their path. The Sword Spirit Dragon, dodging these guided arrows, suddenly made a vertical chop, splitting a Lord-level arrow master in half! The Lord-level arrow master, d in purple armor with a dragon horse helmet, was caught mid-pose drawing the bowstring, only to be killed alongside the dragon horse beneath him, sliced into two. ¡°Ring Ring Ring Ring!!!!¡± Suddenly, several tracking arrows nailed themselves into the de of the Sword Spirit Dragon, which was knocked back and spiraled down towards a pile of building rubble. Zhu Minng, from his vantage point, immediately directed the Sword Spirit Dragon with his thoughts, allowing it to seamlessly vanish into the night! ¡°Sword sh Shadow Fold!¡± Zhu Minng and the Sword Spirit Dragon were a kilometer apart, but it did not hinder the synergy between Zhu Minng and the Sword Spirit Dragon. Lie low to avoid the limelight, then counterattack viciously! As the Mysterious Iron Bow leader was sneering, he suddenly saw a crooked sh of light at the ruins of the building, like a bolt of lightning streaking across the sky, starting from one arrow master¡¯s chest and piercing through to the thirtieth arrow master¡¯s back!! Thirty arrow masters, all Divine and Mortals, and after extensive training and nurturing, costing untold wealth, were all in by a single sword strike! The Mysterious Iron Bow leader¡¯s face twitched; he never imagined that this time they would hit such a tough nail, with his soldiers being reaped like weeds, and these elite arrow masters struggling to survive! The Dragon Horse Camp, in this assault, had brought along a total of a hundred arrow masters, and now forty were killed, nearly half already gone. They attacked a small and weak city, and they didn¡¯t suffer such huge losses. ¡°Kill!! Kill for me!!!¡± the leader of the Mysterious Iron Bow turned red with rage, no longer caring about the cost! Zhu Minng stood on a high ce, coldly watching these armiese to die. Did they really think that he, the new City Lord, could be easily bullied? Or was it that these army bullies had run amok here for too long and no longer paid any heed to anyone? However, Zhu Minng now understood why the Contract Book of Runyu City had never been bought; without his own formidable strength, the moment one entered the city to assume office, they would be shot to death by the chaotic arrows of the Dragon Horse Camp! To deal with arge number of soldiers, the Lei Cang Violent Dragon was indeed more efficient. The Sword Dragon was suitable for ughtering these Divine and Mortals; with one sword strike, a Divine and Mortal would surely perish¡ªbe they Sub-level, or General-level, even those with a Lord-level cultivation base could not escape the sh of the Sword Spirit Dragon. The battle wasn¡¯t much different from the previous ones; even though this army camp was ferocious, Zhu Minng could still stand in a safe ce, patiently waiting for his dragon pets to annihte them all. When crucial, he would issue amand, asionally merging his thought with the Sword Spirit to execute a few Flying Sword Techniques, and then the enemy would crumble into disorder. ¡°Kill all the Arrow Masters.¡± Zhu Minng focused on those Arrow Masters with cultivation bases. There were many soldiers, all of them butmon folk with a bit of brute strength. The quantity of those he killed didn¡¯t matter. As long as they lost their will to fight and were allowed to flee, it did not matter. As for the Arrow Masters riding on dragon horses, Zhu Minng would not let them escape. Today was his first day on duty, and he was attacked right at his doorstep by a daredevil army camp. If Runyu City had anyw at all, and if he didn¡¯t eradicate them all, who knew how many more arrogant fools would cause trouble at his door in the future. To establish order, one could only use violence. Zhu Minng couldn¡¯t possibly lecture these rogue armies that upied Runyu City about benevolence and morality. It was just unfortunate and foolish for the Dragon Horse Camp to offend him! ¡°Don¡¯t chase them, let the Copper Knife Army go and level their camp,¡± said Li Yunzi. Zhu Minng had already dealt with the elite of the Dragon Horse Camp; letting the Copper Knife Army finish the job seemed appropriate. Otherwise, the one million gold hiring fee would have been wasted. ¡°Mydy, you¡¯ve been frightened. I didn¡¯t expect these bully camps would dare toe here to kill,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°Star Painting had nted some medicinal herbs; she is going to be upset when she wakes up,¡± Li Yunzi looked at the ruined potted nts in the yard and sighed softly. ¡°It seems we have been too lenient with the armed forces of this city,¡± Zhu Minng said coldly. As someone with the Contract Book, this city belonged to him. These forces in Runyu City had taken over like it was their own, and it was bad enough that he couldn¡¯t drive them out. Buting to his residence to kill? If he had not had his cultivation base, wouldn¡¯t his entire family have been ughtered? While talking, there was a loud rumble from the street, sounding like a stampede, making the ground tremble. Zhu Minng frowned, thinking more uninvited guests had arrived. When he looked towards the end of the street, he saw Hu Bailing riding back on a Giant Elephant Dragon, followed by a great herd of Dragon Beasts, their momentum overwhelming! However, Hu Bailing soon noticed the corpses strewn across the ground¡ªsoldiers and Divine and Mortals alike. After a while, she rode up on the Giant Elephant Dragon with a face full of astonishment. ¡°We came back as soon as we heard the news. Did you kill all these people from the Dragon Horse Camp?¡± Hu Bailing asked, somewhat in disbelief. Chapter 261 - 262 I am the State Preceptor Chapter 261: Chapter 262 I am the State Preceptor Trantor: 549690339 ¡°Could it be that they saw my extraordinary demeanor and feared that I was a Heavenly Being, so they drew their swords andmitted suicide to atone for their sins?¡± Zhu Minng responded irritably. ¡°The others are from Dragon Horse Camp, one of the biggest scourges of Runyu City. They have even greater forces behind them¡­¡± Yao Junshi with the tufted beard said. ¡°Hmph, since we n to take back this city, it doesn¡¯t matter what¡¯s behind them. If they dare toe to our turf tomit violence, not one of them will leave here alive!¡± Hu Bailing snorted coldly. Having said that, Hu Bailing led arge group of Dragon Shepherds, rolling over in the direction of Dragon Horse Camp. Zhu Minng was not idle either, and simply located some military bandits¡¯ strongholds, wiping them out in one fell swoop. All night, Runyu City was essentially in a state of battle, and those sizable orthodox armies were apparently still observing. They were also uncertain whether the new rulers had the capability to expel the entire armed force of Runyu City. However, as Dragon Horse Camp was annihted, those armies from the tea-colored ground began to feel a bit uneasy as well. By dawn, bodies and dragon beast bones could be seen everywhere in the streets and alleys of Runyu City, and some leaders who had dominated Runyu City were even dragged to the market and beheaded as a public warning. Clothed in heavy battle armor, Hu Chongming stood at the highest point of the city wall and proimed loudly, ¡°The City Lord¡¯s decree has been issued. I hope everyone will conduct themselves with dignity. We give you time to leave during the day, and at night, we will continue to execute the rebels ording to thew!¡± Bodies were everywhere, many of them still in official military uniform, especially those from Dragon Horse Camp. The vast majority of Runyu City knew about Dragon Horse Camp, and if even the people from Dragon Horse Camp were killed off without a trace, then this purge was not just all talk and no action! In the morning, small military groups began to leave Runyu City one after another. There were not many towns nearby Runyu City, so it wasn¡¯t realistic for them to camp in the wilderness; essentially, they were withdrawingpletely from thisnd. But still, some armed forces were unwilling to leave. Some tried to negotiate with the new City Lord¡¯s faction to continue their garrison here, but both Zhu Minng and Li Yunzi were firm in their stance. Any armed forces not under their control would absolutely not be allowed to remain in the city, not even if they offered to pay for a concession. These people were all unstable elements, likely to turn their coats for the money of some consortium. It was unnecessary to keep these dangerous elements in the city for the sake of some gold. Of course, there were also forces that werepletely unmoved. On the northernmost side of Runyu City, a detachment belonging to the ughter Country was stationed within a well-preserved cluster of buildings. They had upied this area not long ago and dered it as the territory of ughter Country. This army was fearless, for even if Zhu Minng was appointed the City Lord here, it was still the territory of ughter Country, and the Brown Gun Army had the right to be stationed here. ¡°The leader of Dragon Horse Camp, Xu Tong, has taken refuge in their military camp,¡± Hu Bailing said angrily, pointing at the Brown Gun Army upying Yang Beicheng District. ¡°The one with the Mysterious Iron Bow?¡± Zhu Minng asked. ¡°Yes, this fellow has some fame in the tea-colored ground, but mostly formitting murder and arson. Because he established some military achievements during the political upheaval in ughter Country, he relied on the ughter Country Army to cause trouble and oftenmitted acts of city plundering and looting under the guise of expanding territory,¡± Hu Bailing exined. ¡°ughter Country¡­¡± Zhu Minng recalled someone, the refined gentleman that he had met at Princess Manor of Miao Kingdom, who seemed to be the current Monarch of ughter Country. Tu Wenhe! The Hunter Dragon Shepherd. It was still unclear whether Dragon Horse Camp and Brown Gun Army were linked with this man. ¡°What do we do, just let them upy Yang Beicheng District like this?¡± Hu Chongming furrowed his brow tightly. After yesterday¡¯s purge, there were still three stubborn forces remaining in Runyu City. The first force is the Brown Gun Army, with a troop strength exceeding fifty thousand people. They have essentially treated the entire Yang Beicheng District as their military base and are clearly preparing for national warfare. The second armed force is the Dark Army, the Azure Wolf Cavalry. Nearly every bandit on the Tea-colored Ground must pay them half of their taxes. The Azure Wolf Cavalry doesn¡¯t involve themselves in looting or robbery; they have their own legitimate affiliations. However, they are crazily umting wealth and provide protection for robbers and bandit soldiers, ensuring that they aren¡¯t eradicated by the authorities. The third armed force belongs to arge gentry family who are in the jewelry business on the Tea-colored Ground. They have vast financial resources to support themselves and also maintain a private army with the intent ofpletely swallowing Runyu City to turn it into a jewelry trading hub. This private army consists of many powerful Ancient Dragon Shepherds. No matter which one, all are extremely difficult to deal with! The Brown Gun Army is affiliated with ughter Country, andmands issued against them do not work. They are equivalent to the most regr military force and are difficult to expel, not to mention the entanglement with national interests. The Azure Wolf Cavalry is a typical local power on the Tea-colored Ground, straddling regrity and darkness, entangled with the interests of residents, merchants, bandits, and soldiers, and they are also very strong. The Di n is a true financial consortium, controlling this Runyu City with enormous funds, and they also have their own armed forces, not to be taken lightly. It can be said that Li Yunzi¡¯s approach has indeed rified the situation in Runyu City, but the difficulty of eliminating these three armed forces is extremely high! ¡°We can basically confirm that the Dragon Horse Camp is directed by the Brown Gun Army,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°And by eliminating the vast majority of the bandits and robbers, we have effectively infringed upon the interests of the Azure Wolf Cavalry. They will likely not spare us either,¡± he added. ¡°As for the Di n, we can try to align with them. At least we can promise that if we take control of this city, the entire jewelry business will be in their hands. The jewelry produced from the Tea-colored Ground every year, when sold to other countries, brings nearly two million gold in profits. If the order here is stabilized, they won¡¯t have to spend so much money maintaining their family army,¡± Yao Junshi suggested. ¡°Think Tank, you¡¯re too optimistic. The Di n is ambitious; they actually have the same ns as us. They want the whole Runyu City, to collect tolls and make fortune from national wars. The jewelry business is just their facade,¡± Hu Chongming shook his head. Allying with the Di n is unrealistic. Doing so would be akin to inviting wolves into the house. These three cancers must not be allowed to remain in Runyu City. ¡°Change our national allegiance first,¡± Li Yunzi proposed. ¡°What??¡± Hu Bailing thought she had heard wrong. National allegiance can be changed? They would have to seize a kingdom first, right? ¡°Indeed, we can consider this approach. Runyu City could seek asylum with one of the other three countries, and then the Brown Gun Army from ughter Country that wants us gone the most will have to leave,¡± Yao Junshi said. ¡°But which country should we seek asylum with? We don¡¯t have any firm rtions with those countries,¡± Zhu Minng pondered. ¡°Li Chuan Kingdom. I am the State Preceptor,¡± Li Yunzi stated. They have a kingdom of their own. Why seek asylum on someone else¡¯snd? Runyu City belongs to the Imperial Dynasty, not to any of the four great kingdoms nearby. Since Zhu Minng is the City Lord and holds the Imperial Dynasty Charter, he naturally has the authority to steer the city towards any kingdom. Chapter 262 - 263: The Truce Law Chapter 262: Chapter 263: The Truce Law Trantor: 549690339 Hu Bailing and Hu Chongming, the siblings, looked at Li Yunzi with astonished faces. Beside them, Zhu Weicai, the recently joined leader of the Copper Knife Army, also widened his eyes at the sight of Li Yunzi. ¡°The Li Chuan Kingdom, isn¡¯t that the new territory that was incorporated into the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent not long ago?¡± said Yao Junshi. ¡°Are you the female State Preceptor who breached the Rui Nation Capital??¡± Among the rulers, the legendary battle for the Li Chuan Continent had already spread far and wide, even as far west as the Imperial Dynasty, and those in the rulers¡¯ realms had also heard about it. ¡°I never expected to meet you, it¡¯s an honor!¡± Zhu Weicai of the Copper Knife Army quickly cupped his hands in a salute. With its less advanced civilization and small military forces, to have ovee Rui Country, which was backed by the Imperial Dynasty, and to have made the Li Chuan Continent independent as a country under the protection of major powers and the Empire is not something just anyone could aplish! Upon learning Li Yunzi¡¯s identity, the Hu Family siblings¡¯ eyes sparkled even more. With such a legendary ruler here, this Runyu City can surely be revitalized! But upon further thought, something seemed off. Their group only had a few people. Even for a renowned ruler, isn¡¯t it difficult to win a battle without the support of Army Guards? ¡°But, your army is tens of thousands of miles away, and if we now rashly dere our allegiance, it would be as if we¡¯re giving the Brown Gun Army an excuse to dere war on us. After all, this is a war zone between nations, where any national power can fight against each other without being pursued ording to Imperialws,¡± said Hu Bailing. ¡°From Li Chuan to here, even if the troops are dispatched, it would take at least half a year. We could, however, rally some Dragon Shepherds with war titles like War Shadow, War Point, and War Hero around here, but I wonder if you have enough money. These War Hero-titled Dragon Shepherds charge very high fees,¡± said Zhu Weicai. ¡°What do these titles mean?¡± Zhu Minng asked. ¡°Are you not a Dragon Shepherd yourself? Don¡¯t you know?¡± asked Zhu Weicai, puzzled. In any war, there are always Dragon Shepherds involved. Dragon Shepherds can bring out their greatest value in wars, after all, every Dragon carefully trained can have an unparalleled effect on the battlefield. ¡°The titles are honors given by City-State Levels and Country Levels during wars to those Dragon Shepherds who wander the battlefield. They are War Shadow, War Point, War Hero, and the most prestigious, Hunter of the Nation. This Tea-colored Ground is a nation warring area, which is nevercking in battle-hardened Dragon Shepherds. The only thing is, these Dragon Shepherds only sell their services for gold,¡± Zhu Weicai exined. Zhu Weicai had also spent many years on this Tea-colored Ground and had encountered numerous strong individuals. Some Dragon Shepherd Teams, even if they numbered only ten to twenty people, could be as powerful as their three thousand elite Copper Knife Army, and could even wipe out his Copper Knife Army with little effort. Therefore, Zhu Weicai regarded those Dragon Shepherds, particrly those with war titles, with great respect¡ªthey were truly capable of standing against ten thousand enemies alone! ¡°In my team, there are a few with titles too, the highest being myself, but even I haven¡¯t earned the title of War Hero,¡± said Hu Chongming with a wry smile, gesturing to himself. ¡°How much does a War Hero-titled Dragon Shepherd charge for their services?¡± asked Zhu Minng offhandedly. ¡°It¡¯s about the same as for our three thousand men of the Copper Knife Army, but they only fight one battle, unlike us who are on duty around the clock,¡± said Zhu Weicai, also with a helpless expression. Although the earnings are simr, their Copper Knife Army is employed long-term. The Dragon Shepherd would just make a big score, but even the Dragon Shepherd Team has at most a hundred or two hundred people. With their Copper Knife Army having three thousand men, each person wouldn¡¯t end up with much. At the end of the day, it¡¯s still a life of toil! ¡°We can¡¯t dere allegiance. Once we dere allegiance, we be the fifth country-state in the Tea-colored Grounds. Tea-colored Grounds is a war zone. If we became the fifth country-state, we¡¯d be forced to join the war, and the other four country-states wouldn¡¯t need any reason to attack us. This would instead put us on a difficult level to handle,¡± Hu Bailing suddenly shook her head, feeling that this idea was more harmful than beneficial. ¡°Dering allegiance to ughter Country would still lead to invasion by other countries. If ughter Country loses in the next war, Runyu City would have to change hands again, and anotherrge army would end up stationed within the city,¡± Yao Junshi said. ¡°Actually, the biggest problem for Runyu City isn¡¯t the bully forces within the city¡ªit¡¯s the war itself. Once the war starts, any semnce of order that¡¯s just been established in Runyu City would be trampled by the new rulers, with nothing left to show for it,¡± Zhu Weicai of the Copper Knife Army sighed. War¡­ The prime culprit for trampling on Runyu City is still the war. Four countries, due to the back-and-forth of war, would continuously lead to changes in rulership of Runyu City. Even if Zhu Minng and others manage to establish themselves here, it is difficult to predict the temperament of future rulers. They could very well destroy the very Runyu City that they have painstakingly brought back to life. ¡°That¡¯s right, I remember that the Imperial Dynasty has a decree. Before the anniversary celebration, Li Chuan Kingdom is always under a ceasefire protection. Any country that wages war on the territory of Li Chuan Kingdom before the anniversary will be sanctioned by the Supreme Court Court Empire. Yunzhi, is this the point you want to utilize?¡± Zhu Minng suddenly remembered this and asked Li Yunzi. ¡°Yes, if Runyu City is to develop, it must be short-term, unaffected by the war,¡± Li Yunzi nodded. This decree of the empire carries authority. As long as it exists, then the presiding power of the Tea-colored Grounds, the Godly Mortal Academy, would act as the supervisor, not allowing any country-state or city to wage war against Runyu City. This way, as long as they expel the other malignant forces within the city, Runyu City would have a period of peaceful development for a season. Exemption from the war for three months! To say nothing of being able to call upon the Female Monarch¡¯s Army, at least they would have time to recruit soldiers, hire experts, and thoroughly prepare for the stabilization of Runyu City! Moreover, the fifty thousand strong Brown Gun Army is part of the ughter Country Army, and they must withdraw from Runyu City unconditionally, otherwise, it is also treated as an invasion. The Imperial Dynasty might be out of reach, but the Divine and Mortal Academy stands tall in this Tea-colored Grounds¡ªthey would not ignore the situation! ¡°Using the current ceasefire protectionw of Li Chuan Kingdom to make the Godly Mortal Academy our protective umbre is an excellent idea, excellent indeed!!¡± Yao Junshi pped his own thigh, eximing. The war stops. And it drives away the biggest malignancy stationed in Runyu City¡ªthe ughter Country Army of fifty thousand! The first expulsion decree, restructuring Runyu City. The second deration of allegiance, effortlessly sending the ughter Country Army away. Independent from the four countries, and yet obtaining ceasefire protection. The chaotic Runyu City, like dry, cracked dead soil, received nourishment from a little rain, showing signs of fresh vibrancy! Suddenly, the Hu Family siblings¡¯ emotions surged, and even Zhu Weicai, the leader of the Copper Knife Army who had just joined, felt something stirring in his chest. When their gaze once again fell on the State Preceptor, Li Yunzi, they could not help but show a bit of admiration! The massive hurdle that they exhausted all their efforts to solve. She resolved it with a simple sentence! Chapter 263 - 264: Expelling the Hundred Thousand Troops Chapter 263: Chapter 264: Expelling the Hundred Thousand Troops Trantor: 549690339 In the Yang Beicheng District, which is the most intact area of Runyu City, the ground is paved with gray and white t tiles. Each household has their own enclosed courtyard and the streets and alleys are filled with willow trees. Perhaps the destruction of the entire Runyu City does not allow one toprehend its once-rich and noble past, but one can experience the former glory of Runyu City by walking in the Yang Beicheng District. Now, the Yang Beicheng District has beenpletely upied by the Brown Gun Army. They are the troops of ughter Country, preparing for a national war that could break out at any moment. Fifty thousand Brown Gun Army soldiers reside in those beautifully constructed courtyards and tall buildings, yet they never maintain them, instead ruining their overall beauty without a trace left. Carrying a Mysterious Iron Bow on his back, Xu Tong sits on a bench, devouring meat withrge bites, his mouth and beard smeared with grease. With every bite, he exerts more force than usual, as if venting all the dissatisfaction in his heart onto these innocent pieces of boiled meat. ¡°¡±It¡¯s my fault for underestimating the enemy¡¯s strength, but since when did others have the right to point fingers andmand us in Runyu City? Fourth brother, calm down for now. I¡¯lle up with a suitable reason and then we¡¯ll just tten them!¡± said amander sitting nearby, dressed in light armor with disheveled hair. ¡°What about my Arrow Masters?¡± Xu Tong said, unable to contain his bitterness. The Dragon Horse Archers had all been in by Zhu Minng, even those he had left behind in the camp to guard werepletely wiped out by the subsequent attacks from the Copper Knife Army and Hu Family Army. His Dragon Horse Camp was annihted overnight, leaving only a few scattered survivors. If it weren¡¯t for the Brown Gun Army in Yang Beicheng, it¡¯s doubtful they would have been able to leave Runyu City alive. ¡°You will bepensated. In a few days, a hundred thousand troops from ughter Country will arrive to prepare for the war. By then, we¡¯ll see if they¡¯re still alive!¡± the disheveledmander said. ¡°I must avenge my brothers of the Dragon Horse Camp!¡± Xu Tong said through clenched teeth. ¡°Heh heh. Once we¡¯ve won the national war, we can easily take down three cities to the east. I hear the girls there are very lovely. This time, I¡¯ll definitely let you choose first, fourth brother. You can pick any beauty from the entire city,¡± themander with disheveled hairughed. Mention of this finally eased Xu Tong¡¯s mood considerably. He joined the military, fought on this tea-colored ground, and the feeling of taking over a city and then wantonly trampling on it always left him insatiable¡ªit was the unparalleled thrill that power brought! The sun was shining bright, and thend was a blend of green and yellow; it was about to enter winter, but the region around Runyu City showed few signs of the cold, thanks to moist clouds blowing over from the Neon Sea that always seemed to keep the temperature of thendfortable. A massive, continuous army dressed in brown was rolling impressively over the earth; even fierce demon spirits that roamed the wilderness scurried away in panic and confusion. It was like a brown mudrock flood charging forward, appearing slow but possessing tremendous destructive force and extreme danger! This was the hundred thousand-strong Brown Garment Army of ughter Country. They had already arrived outside Runyu City, led by a Dragon Shepherd standing on the shoulder of a Giant Spirit Killing Dragon, donning not a military uniform, but a brown robe. The Giant Spirit Killing Dragon was gargantuan, a small mountain in form, appearing from a distance like a colossal spirit standing upon the earth, and it possessed dragon horns and a dragon tail, its body covered in dragon scales. Stationed outside the gates of Runyu City, the head of the Giant Spirit Killing Dragon towered above the tall city ramparts, making the whole city look like a small human nation crafted out of mud. Atop the city wall, Zhu Minng had already taken his position there, his gaze fixed on the rampaging presence of the Giant Spirit Killing Dragon and the endless brown army behind it¡ªan image that was truly chilling. The Hu Family Siblings standing with Zhu Minng had turned rather pale. Inparison to this terrifying army, the Hu Family¡¯s hundred or so Dragon Shepherds really weren¡¯t worth mentioning. ¡°Zhu Minng, that¡¯s your name, right? I believe I¡¯ve heard it before,¡± the Dragon Shepherd General perched upon the shoulder of the Giant Spirit Killing Dragon said arrogantly. ¡°The Orderer from the Godly Mortal Academy has issued the decree, which you must have received as well. Runyu City now belongs to the Li Chuan Kingdom, and you can take your Brown Gun Army that¡¯s squatting in my city and leave,¡± Zhu Minng said to the Generalmanding the hundred-thousand soldiers. ¡°We received it, but we still wish to remain stationed here. Thew of the Imperial Dynasty is thew of the Imperial Dynasty, and if the City Lord agrees, we could continue our upancy. Hence, when I received the news thousands of miles away, I still came, wanting Master Zhu to reconsider my proposal. I am Su Tai, the cleaner-up of the Hunter of the Nation,¡± the General who imed to be Su Tai stated. Zhu Minng didn¡¯t understand these titles very well. At this moment, Hu Chongming whispered to Zhu Minng, ¡°He¡¯s a member of a Dragon Shepherd Team with the title ¡®Hunter of the Nation.¡¯ People like him are terrifyingly powerful; one of them is equivalent to an entire army!¡± ¡°No need to reconsider. From now on, what I say goes in Runyu City. If you don¡¯t take away the Brown Gun Army stationed in Yang Beicheng today, wait until nightfall and be prepared to collect their corpses,¡± Zhu Minng dered. After the promation of ownership, if these armies from ughter Country lingered, the Orderers of thisnd would exterminate them without Zhu Minng having to lift a finger. The Orderers ughtered at a pace that could be faster than a battle-hardened army; they were either the authoritative rulers in the governing ss or the most powerful Cultivators seated firmly within a faction! ¡°Zhu Minng, the trucew of Li Chuan Kingdom has only three months left. After three months, our armies will return here, not merely fifty or a hundred thousand soldiers. Everything you have, including your current presumptuousness, will be ground into dust,¡± Su Tai said viciously. ¡°So, take thisst chance to reconsider while I¡¯m still standing before you!¡± ¡°Otherwise, in three months, in the name of the Hunter of the Nation, I will ughter this entire city, and soon after, eradicate your broken Li Chuan Kingdom!¡± Su Tai threatened fiercely. Zhu Minng looked at this exceedingly arrogant army leader, his gaze turning several degrees colder. In thisnd, reasoning with these people was utterly meaningless. ¡°Su Tai, you should be thankful the trucew exists, otherwise, you wouldn¡¯t be leaving alive today after those words you¡¯ve spoken! You still have some time before night falls, so take your stinking army and get off thisnd,¡± Zhu Minng said with disgust. Upon hearing these words, Su Tai turned as cold as a block of ice, with no warmth at all, and the Giant Spirit Killing Dragon he was standing on tensed up as well, emitting an overwhelming aura of bloodlust, as if it was about to stomp Zhu Minng and the city wall into dust. But, in the end, Su Tai did not erupt. He was seething with rage, reining in the Giant Spirit Killing Dragon¡¯s ferocity! Chapter 264 - 265: Cleaning House Chapter 264: Chapter 265: Cleaning House Trantor: 549690339 ¡°Enjoy yourst three months,¡± ¡°because you can never imagine what you will be facing!¡± Leader Su Tai of the one hundred thousand army said coldly. After uttering these words, he raised a hand, signaling the Brown Gun Army that had upied Yang Beicheng to withdraw from Runyu City. Upon themand, the fifty thousand soldiers of the Brown Gun Army began to leave Yang Beicheng in session. The general leading them, with hair disheveled and eyes wild like a beast¡¯s, red fiercely at Zhu Minng as he passed through the gates of Runyu City. ¡°You may go, but he must stay,¡± Zhu Minng suddenly pointed at Xu Tong of the Dragon Horse Camp with the Mysterious Iron Bow and said. Xu Tongughed loudly, mounted on a stout dragon horse, confident and fearless within the ranks of fifty thousand soldiers, not intimidated by Zhu Minng in the slightest. But suddenly, a piercing sword light shot out from the intense sunlight, crossing the distance at an incredibly fast speed, and precisely aimed to chop off the head of Xu Tong from the Dragon Horse Camp. With a face full of flesh still bearing a smile, Xu Tong was instantly frozen in shock the next second, his eyes filled with disbelief as he looked towards the city gates, at Zhu Minng standing atop! Chao Ruijin, the wild-haired general, was so frightened that he raised his long spear, and only after confirming that the Flying Sword had disappeared did he furiously point at Zhu Minng and roar, ¡°You¡¯re courting death, daring tomit murder within my troops!¡± ¡°Think carefully about how you speak to me, as your feet are still on my territory,¡± Zhu Minng said to Chao Ruijin, the general of the Brown Gun Army. Chao Ruijin nced at the Copper Knife Army standing atop the city walls, then looked at The Dragon-Raising Team of Hu Family guarding the city gate. If the gate were to be shut at this moment, even the hundred thousand-strong army might not dare risk their lives toe to the rescue, for the Orderers from the Godly Mortal Academy were like gods. To them, armies were mere ants. The general of the Brown Gun Army, Chao Ruijin, dared not utter another word and could only lead the fifty thousand soldiers away from Runyu City. Atop the Giant Spirit Killing Dragon, Su Tai wished he could immediately issue an order to reduce the entire Runyu City to ashes. As a member of the Hunter of the Nation, there were few powers within the tea-colored ground that dared to expel them like this. The small Runyu City was truly acting recklessly! Three months! In three months, this ce will be turned to dust and smoke!! ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Su Tai finally issued the order to retreat. As the army turned around and left thend, all the inhabitants of Runyu City were left in turmoil and uncertainty. Defeating Runyu City with a hundred thousand army was not a difficult task. The Copper Knife Army and Hu Family Army¡¯s force might be too small to withstand them. If the enemy were to press on aggressively, plunging in directly to kill, it was feared that few people could survive the ensuing ughter. Of course, the new City Lord¡¯s domineering attitude was also witnessed by many. Runyu City had not had a true ruler for many years, but from today, it seemed to be different! Especially for those hunters who had made the first deal with Zhu Minng, they suddenly felt that the words the new City Lord had said that day when selling meat might indeede true. The Di n truly lived up to their reputation as a merchant family. They sensed the way the wind was blowing and quickly expressed their willingness to pay the expensive leasehold fees to continue staying in Runyu City. At the same time, they agreed to disarm their military force, retaining only a few strong individuals to ensure the protection of their gemstone business. The Di n were cunning as old foxes; driving them outpletely wouldn¡¯t be aplished in a day or two. Conveniently, the operations of Runyu City required a substantial amount of capital, so it was possible to acquire a portion of funds from the Di n to start with. Of course, as the owner of Runyu City, the control of their gemstone business would eventually be taken over again. After all, they were merchants. Where was it written that they got to take the lion¡¯s share and then offer a slice of the profit to thendlord? ¡°Master Zhu, the leader of the Azure Wolf Cavalry, Yu Gaojie, wishes to speak with you,¡± Hu Chongming said. ¡°Seeing us drive out the Brown Gun Army, they now want to talk. Before, they acted like they wanted to obliterate us. The ways of local snakes never change,¡± Zhu Minng couldn¡¯t help butugh. The Azure Wolf Cavalry was an extremely powerful force as well. If they hadn¡¯t been tainted with banditry and robbery, which Zhu Minng found intolerable, he might have considered keeping them. After all, this military force was brave and good at fighting, well-suited for sweeping up the unstable elements in the vicinity. Yu Gaojie approached. The fact that he came alone was somewhat surprising. He wasn¡¯t very old, probably around thirty, and as the leader of the Dark Army, he didn¡¯t look as fearsome as one might expect. Instead, he was tall and handsome, with an aura of exceptional talent. ¡°Previously, I was unaware that Runyu City had weed a new City Lord. I am ashamed. Today, I havee especially to apologize and, of course, to offer some modest gifts,¡± said Yu Gaojie politely. ¡°I thought you wereing to seek vengeance, seeing that we touched your interests,¡± Zhu Minng said with a smile. ¡°Master Zhu jests. The recent bandit purge has truly warmed people¡¯s hearts. I myself am impressed by Master Zhu¡¯s courage. There are rumors out there that we, the Azure Wolf Cavalry, have been providing protection for bandits and robbers. While I can¡¯t say they arepletely false, as the leader of the Azure Wolf Cavalry, I swear on all I have that since founding the Azure Wolf Cavalry, I have never sought these dirty gains!¡± Yu Gaojie stated. ¡°So, we have misunderstood your Azure Wolf Cavalry?¡± asked Zhu Minng. ¡°Not exactly a misunderstanding. I can be frank about it. There truly is a small faction within my Azure Wolf Cavalry that has been using our name to facilitate the bandits and extort ill-gotten wealth. I have seen that such things cannot exist in Master Zhu¡¯s eyes, so beforeing here, I have already ordered the elimination of all the factions involved in these dealings. Rotten flesh must be cut away. What do you think, Master Zhu?¡± Yu Gaojie said. ¡°Leader Yu cleaning his own house is mostmendable, but Runyu City cannot allow your forces to remain stationed here. Leader Yu should start making new ns sooner rather thanter,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°In my youth, I made some mistakes. Although I¡¯m willing to turn over a new leaf, there¡¯s no one left who will believe in me. Later, when I established the Azure Wolf Cavalry, many of its members were those with nowhere to turn, branded with various sins¡­ These brotherse from four different states, but I¡¯m afraid no state will have them,¡± said Yu Gaojie with a change in his tone. ¡°Apart from Runyu City, there are not many ces left where you can settle, right?¡± Zhu Minng asked. ¡°That¡¯s right. We, the Azure Wolf Cavalry, will not settle in any state. The only option left is Runyu City. I know Master Zhu is upright and cannot tolerate any speck of dirt. The Azure Wolf Cavalry can help eradicate the bandits and robbers that infest the entire Tea-colored Ground, even if it means we have to y evil dragons, we won¡¯t so much as frown. We only hope that the Azure Wolf Cavalry can coexist with Runyu City,¡± Yu Gaojie pleaded with sped fists, revealing the purpose of his visit. ¡°It will depend on Leader Yu¡¯s actions henceforth, whether you genuinely rid people of harm and reform or if this is merely a ruse to buy time¡­ My opinion of the Azure Wolf Cavalry is not important. What matters is how the residents of Runyu City view you,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°Very well, I, Yu Gaojie, will prove it!¡± Yu Gaojie dered. Chapter 265 - 266 Mourning Dragon Appears Chapter 265: Chapter 266 Mourning Dragon Appears Trantor: 549690339 The previous mansion had already been destroyed by those from the Dragon Horse Camp. Fortunately, Yang Beicheng had been vacated, and its environment was much better than the previous dpidated alley. With a bit of tidying and decorating, it would be veryfortable. A Runyu Tower was first established to discuss the development ns for the Raggedy City. Then, an elegant and peaceful mansion from the Yang Shu family was chosen to settle down their own family members. ¡°With this, we should be able to obtain the City Lord¡¯s Seal in a month,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°Having a ce to stay is nice too, and I quite like the climate here,¡± Nan Yuso said, as she was feeding sliced cucumbers to the little Immortal Rabbit Dragon, Chang¡¯e. Chang¡¯e chewed the cucumber crisply, her two chubby cheeks adorable enough to make one want to pinch them. ¡°Let¡¯s go check the wooden boards for any decent rewards?¡± Zhu Minng suggested idly, looking for something to do. Zhu Minng was not someone adept at managing a city, especially since he had so many subordinates now. Would they not busy themselves with the city so that he, as their lord, could avoid running errands? Simrly, Li Yunzi had no interest in managing the city either. She was only responsible for taking down cities and setting strategic directions; the rest was up to the officials belonging to the city. The Hu Family siblings naturally were more skilled in rebuilding Runyu City, and they were very enthusiastic, as if they had been given a new lease on life, not sleeping for several nights in a row. ¡°Sure, there¡¯s a strong smell of blood everywhere in the city; it wouldn¡¯t hurt to go out and get some fresh air. I¡¯ll call my sister,¡± Nan Yuso said, having grown restless. She had not taken part in any of the internal fighting. Originally, in Ancestral Dragon City, Nan Lingsha and Nan Yuso had been in charge of the Nan Family and mostly resided at the Dragon Taming Academy, taking more interest in its affairs than in the family business they wouldn¡¯t even bother looking at. The wooden boards in Runyu City were quite unique. They didn¡¯t just disy bounties from Runyu City but included missions and rewards from all over the Tea-colored Ground, some of which were worth hundreds of thousands or even over a million. On the one hand, Zhu Minng needed to take Fang Niannian to other countries and city-states to purchase Dragon Food, and on the other hand, money was quickly depleting. Considering he only had four dragon pets at the moment, he should save up more ¡®milk money¡¯! Runyu City was in an extremely chaotic phase, but there were still many people within the city making a living with different skills. Now that there was a clear sense of belonging and orders had been issued, the number of people moving around in the city visibly increased. The Copper Knife Army had scattered throughout the city, temporarily acting as the stabilizing force, ready to intervene and deal with any heinous acts like murder, robbery, or fights. After all, this was a city on the verge of falling into a City of Sin; without countering violence with force, it would be impossible to restore civilian life. ¡°City Lord, Female Monarch.¡± ¡°City Lord, Female Monarch.¡± Members of the Copper Knife Army recognized Zhu Minng and hispanions; upon seeing them patrol, they would respectfully salute. Upon arriving at the wooden notice board, the ce was still crowded with people. Among them were a few familiar faces, precisely the Dragon Shepherd Hunters who had been severely dealt with by Zhu Minng before. This time, they didn¡¯t dare to mor about taking down Zhu Minng to share the three million bounty anymore. When they saw Zhu Minng approach, everyone consciously made way for him. After the trials of the past few days, by now everyone knew who truly was in charge of this city. To make a living on someone else¡¯s turf, one had to remain respectful and well-behaved. ¡°What are you all discussing? Did a bounty appear that¡¯s higher than mine?¡± Zhu Minng asked. From the crowd, a person with a bruised and swollen face stepped forward and said with a pitiable look, ¡°Master Zhu, arge number of Mourning Dragons have appeared in Pear Blossom Gully. The entire tribe there is trapped and could be food for the Mourning Dragons at any moment. They have already issued a call for rescue to various countries, but the Mourning Dragons are fierce and social creatures. Not just anyone dares to go there.¡± ¡°s, thisnd used to be air for the Mourning Dragons. It was not easy to wipe them out, and now they have unexpectedly resurged.¡± ¡°The Mourning Dragons are too cruel, and they harbor great hostility towards humans. If they see a living person, they must tear and bite. Recently, the Mourning Dragons have started roaming the Tea-colored Ground, so we hunters also don¡¯t dare to just go out and about on our tasks.¡± Mourning Dragons. Since his arrival to Runyu City, Zhu Minng had heard about this type of dragon more than once. Whenever people heard about Mourning Dragons, they would sigh or show signs of panic, as if they had had extremely terrifying experiences. Just what kind of dragon was the Mourning Dragon? This piqued Zhu Minng¡¯s interest even more. Even the hunters who specialized in hunting demons and dragon beasts were terrified at the mention of them. Just how fearsome were the Mourning Dragons? ¡°Just now when I left the house, I heard the Hu Family siblings arguing about this matter,¡± Fang Niannian said. ¡°Arguing about what?¡± ¡°It seems that Hu Bailing said she wanted to take her men to kill the Mourning Dragons, while her brother Hu Chongming suggested they should first stabilize Runyu City before dealing with other issues. Something like that,¡± Fang Niannian exined. ¡°Hu Bailing must be very familiar with the Mourning Dragons. The rescue bounty didn¡¯t specify a price, but since no one dares take it on, it should be suitable for our status and level,¡± Zhu Minng said. Zhu Minng was now a man with a bounty of three million on his head. Without that sum, Zhu Minng would simply scoff! Runyu City indeed needed manpower, so it was reasonable for Hu Chongming not to let his sister lead a team out. As it happened, Zhu Minng was idle, and as a Dragon Shepherd, dealing with evil dragons was practically his duty. Zhu Minng also wanted to see for himself the Mourning Dragons on the Tea-colored Ground that made countless forces tremble at the mere mention of their name! ¡°Pear Blossom Gully isn¡¯t far from us. It¡¯s abundant in Water Breeding Gemstones and houses a rather ancient semi-hidden tribe. The geography of Pear Blossom Gully isplicated, with ravines intertwined and countless underground rivers and caves. It¡¯s popted with many weird and malicious demons and monsters. Apart from their own tribe¡¯s people, few are willing to venture there. Probably, when they were clearing the Tea-colored Ground before, a group of Mourning Dragons hid in their Pear Blossom Gully. After years of recuperating and breeding, they have grown stronger, so now the people of the Pear Blossom Gully tribe are suffering,¡± Hu Bailing said, seeming to be very knowledgeable about Pear Blossom Gully, looking as if she had been there before. ¡°How many people are in the Pear Blossom Gully tribe?¡± Zhu Minng asked. ¡°About twenty or thirty thousand people. They have sevenrge mountain fortresses, each with dozens of viges and ravines. Although their overall strength isn¡¯t weak, the ordinary vigersck self-defense capabilities. I fear that the Mourning Dragons have already eaten a few thousand of them,¡± Hu Bailing said. ¡°Then let¡¯s set off as soon as possible. After all, they¡¯re our neighbors,¡± Zhu Minng said. Chapter 266 - 267: Pear Blossom Gully Chapter 266: Chapter 267: Pear Blossom Gully Trantor: 549690339 No matter how many times it was trampled upon, no matter how much blood had seeped into it, the earth stilly covered with a lush green and yellow verdure, and asionally one could even see arge swath of flowers that usually only appeared in spring and summer. The Divine Green Holy Dragon pped its enormous wings, its bright feathers making it resemble a sacred azure phoenix soaring high in the clear autumn sky, exuding a sense of majesty and dominance. Zhu Minng looked down at the ground and saw many monsters roaming about. The tea-colored ground was perennially covered with lush grass, and though there were norge rivers, it was dotted with countless streams and ponds. Herds of wild cattle and sheep could be seen everywhere, and depending on these wild animals for food, an abundance of demon spirits flourished, especially in the area near Pear Blossom Gully where the terrain wasplex and variable, and the types of creatures dwelling there were diverse. From small animals like rabbits, squirrels, and mountain deer torge ones like evil dragons, demon kings, and demon lords, one could say that aplete food chain had been established. This also meant that whether it was an ordinary hunter, farmer, or woodcutter or someone possessing unique skills like a Dragon Shepherd or a God and Mortal, they could find what they wanted here. Originally, Zhu Minng had nned to look for clues to the Dragon Caverns, wanting to plunder some to maintain his wealth, but he had heard that Pear Blossom Gully itself was a treasure trove, which made him even more interested. As long as it was not a long-distance flight, the Divine Green Holy Dragon¡¯s stamina could still hold. But upon arriving at Pear Blossom Gully, flying carelessly was no longer an option. After all, without understanding these towering mountains, who knew whether a confrontation with some ancient creature or a Holy Spirits level being would happen, something Zhu Minng presently might find somewhat challenging. Following the twisting stream, they began their journey into the depths of Pear Blossom Gully. After half a day¡¯s journey, Zhu Minng finally understood why the rich Pear Blossom Gully was seldom visited and yet remained unscathed despite the iron hooves of the four countries¡­ The mountain paths were tooplex, and one could easily fall into a bottomless cave, a poison valley, or an undercurrent. An army simply could not enter Pear Blossom Gully, and even those familiar with the paths would likely get lost within these countless twisting gullies! Pear Blossom Gully indeed had a sense of istion from the world. Any cries for help they sent to the outside world were futile; how could anyonee if they couldn¡¯t even find the way to Pear Blossom Gully? Fortunately, Hu Bailing knew the way. She had ventured into Pear Blossom Gully more than once as a child, where she had a ymate. Though they had not seen each other for many years, their bond remained deep. She led Zhu Minng and the others over countless mountains, through numerous subterranean rivers within caves, and some tunnels were even between the mountains, hidden within dense vine valleys so tight that no gap was visible. Zhu Minng¡¯s concern now was not about Mourning Dragons, but rather how to make his way back¡­ ¡°Pear Blossom Gully is just ahead,¡± panted Hu Bailing, who also seemed out of breath. ¡°That¡¯s the fourth time I¡¯ve heard you say that,¡± Zhu Minng said with a wry smile. Night was approaching, and Zhu Minng, feeling tired, was considering stopping to rest when he vaguely saw lights at the far end of the valley ahead. Zhu Minng hurried to a spot with a clearer view and saw countless vige lights intertwining into a spectacr pool of stars, reflecting against the stars in the sky, creating stunning beauty amid the dusky mountain scenery. Atst, they had arrived! Zhu Minng and the others hastened their steps toward the First Mountain Vige of Pear Blossom Gully. Approaching the vige gates, trees as thick as ancient pines were bound tightly together with enormous vine ropes to form a rather sturdy gate, blocking the gently ascending path, and on both sides rose cliffs and precipices, adorned with snowy pear trees¡­ The scale of this gate, Zhu Minng would have believed it if he had been told it was a fortress! It was surprising that this semi-secluded tribe had erected such a formidable wall. It was clear that they weren¡¯t guarding against greedy armies from various countries but against terrifying creatures that, like them, dwelled in this treasure-filled mountain! ¡°Who goes there?¡± challenged a young man wearing a beast-fur hat from atop the towering wooden fortification. ¡°We¡¯re from Runyu City, we were given a rescue mission and havee to assist you in exterminating the Mourning Dragon,¡± Hu Bailing called out loudly. ¡°We¡¯ll open a crack in the door, hurry in. The Mourning Dragon is nearby, watching us,¡± said the young man with the beast-fur cap. The massive door didn¡¯t slowly pull open; instead, the nts wound around the top seemed to be controlled by something, as they slowly unraveled enough to create a gap wide enough for one person to pass through. Zhu Minng was actually somewhat puzzled. While walking through the area just now, he hadn¡¯t sensed any dragon presence¡ªin fact, he found these mountains rather quiet, devoid even of the self-proimed Demon Spirits and Demon Spirits that usually lurked around ¡­ Normally, a group of people moving through such deep mountains would attract the attention of some cannibalistic monsters. But this wasn¡¯t right! The absence of roaming monsters was in fact not a good sign! It meant that the weaker monsters realized that in this area there was a more dangerous creature, which was why they dared note out to hunt! A slit appeared in the huge wooden gate, letting some firelight spill out. Just then, under the dim cliffs, a pair of greedy, malicious eyes suddenly lit up, like a fierce beast that had always been lurking in a spot, just waiting for its prey to pass by it. Its eyes, fixedly staring at the crack of the door, seemed to see an endless supply of food inside; the rolling evil Qi and hostility hit like a violent storm sweeping over! ¡°Get in quickly!!¡± The young man in the beast-fur cap shouted loudly. Zhu Minng wasst in line, and the others had quickly passed through the gap in the vines of the wooden door, but when it was his turn to step through, Zhu Minng found that the vines were rapidly growing and entwining, closing the door tightly! ¡°There¡¯s one more person,¡± Fang Niannian called out angrily from inside. Nan Yuso was about to go back when she realized that the wooden door waspletely sealed shut. ¡°I¡¯ll go save him, but under no circumstances should the door be opened!¡± At this moment, the youth above spoke up. ¡°How can it not be opened, the guy is still so far away.¡± ¡°The Mourning Dragon¡¯s breath carries a toxin that is harmless to people but highly polluting to water sources,¡± said Hu Bailing at this time. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me; I¡¯ll take a moment to deal with this Mourning Dragon,¡± Zhu Minng¡¯s voice came through the thick wall. ¡°The one up high, no need toe down; the one outside is our City Lord, his strength is formidable,¡± Hu Bailing said. ¡°Strong? It seems you know nothing about these Mourning Dragons.¡± Outside the mountain vige wall, Zhu Minng stood under the gate, finding the Mourning Dragon wasn¡¯t as immense as he imagined; its size was onlyparable to an ordinary mountain tiger. But it¡¯s precisely such creatures that pose the greatest threat to humans. Moreover, Zhu Minng had one point of confusion. This creature was clearly hiding under the cliff, and they had even passed close to its hiding spot just now, so why had it managed to escape his perception? Nan Yuso didn¡¯t discover it either. And to think, both of their cultivation bases were at the Monarch Level! Chapter 267 - 268 Multiple Ambushes Chapter 267: Chapter 268 Multiple Ambushes Trantor:549690339 ¡°Coo coo¡± The Mourning Dragon made a sound like a furnace stoking, its chest visibly undting rapidly as something seemed to spread from its lungs to its limbs! Its limbs, as robust as a leopard¡¯s, exuded a terrifyingly cold aura when that bizarre power reached them, causing even its eyes to sh with demon light. The Divine Green Holy Dragon stood in front of Zhu Minng, surrounded by countless green vines slowly growing, with the thriving force of life spreading over thend it touched. ¡°Coo!¡± The Mourning Dragon sprang into action, shrouded in a ck bat-like monster shadow that lent an eerie quality to its attacks, reminiscent of an evil bat swooping down on its prey in the night! The Divine Green Holy Dragon erected a wall of vines which, regrettably, acted a bit too slowly, allowing the Mourning Dragon to leap right over it. The Divine Green Holy Dragon hastily pped its wings to take flight, but just then, Zhu Minng said, ¡°We can¡¯t dodge it.¡± If the Divine Green Holy Dragon were to take to the sky now, it would be directly caught by the neck by the Mourning Dragon. Such creatures, once they sink their shockingly powerful bite into their prey, will not let go unless the prey stops breathing. The Divine Green Holy Dragon no longer tried to ascend, but instead furiously pped its wings, lifting the rocks and dirt from the ground and hurling them at the ferocious Mourning Dragon. The Mourning Dragon moved in bizarre patterns, able to sprint along vertical cliffs. It dodged the sweeping debris and leapt directly from one side of the cliff to the other, changing angles drastically in an extreme burst of speed to dive and sh at the throat! The Divine Green Holy Dragon decided not to retreat and instead lunged forward. With the Bloodline of the Forest Giant Dragon, it did not fear closebat. Many parts of its body were wooden and exceptionally hard while its ws retained the sharpness and agility of a dragon predator. It first used its woody feathers to bear the brunt of the Mourning Dragon¡¯s ws and immediately tore at the Mourning Dragon¡¯s back with its own ws. The Mourning Dragon was quite agile, and slippery like an eel, twisting and turning over the body of the Divine Green Holy Dragon. It crawled in an inconceivable manner to the head of the Divine Green Holy Dragon and jabbed its ws directly at the eyes of the Divine Green Holy Dragon. The vines that grew all over the Divine Green Holy Dragon could not bind the Mourning Dragon, which seemed to understand contortion, using its size to continually entangle therger dragon and then viciously attacking the vulnerable parts like the eyes, throat, and beneath the wings. Cunning, deceitful, ferocious! This was Zhu Minng¡¯s assessment of the Mourning Dragon. Despite being inferior in cultivation base to the Divine Green Holy Dragon, the Mourning Dragon was still causing significant trouble. If not for the head of the Divine Green Holy Dragon also being woody and its eyelids tougher than those of ordinary dragon beasts, the Divine Green Holy Dragon would have been turned into a one-eyed dragon by now. ¡°This creature is very tricky,¡± Zhu Minng observed, trying to find some weakness in the Mourning Dragon. Otherwise, before the domain of the Divine Green Holy Dragon could fully expand, it would be at a great disadvantage. Just then, a chilling sensation crawled over the back of Zhu Minng¡¯s neck, and such an ominous premonition arose that goosebumps spread all over his body. Behind Zhu Minng, at the blind spot where the tall wooden gate wall met the cliff, a bat monster shadow was slowly emerging, and a pair of cold, malicious eyes were fixated on the utterly unguarded Zhu Minng. There was another Mourning Dragon! It was hiding right beside him! The Mourning Dragon fighting the Divine Green Holy Dragon was merely a distraction to ensure Zhu Minng had no other defenses! Zhu Minng felt a sudden panic as he realized he hadn¡¯t considered that if one Mourning Dragon could elude his senses, there might be a second or a third! Another pair of eyes, like venomous snakes hidden beneath the cliff¡¯s vines, appeared on Zhu Minng¡¯s other side. Zhu Minng was greatly startled! He only had time to summon one dragon from the Spirit Realm¡­ Even if it were the Sword Spirit Dragon, it could only block the attack of one Mourning Dragon in this instant. The positions of the two deceptively hidden Mourning Dragons were very sinister! A Dragon Shepherd couldn¡¯t summon two dragons at the same time. One Spirit Contract corresponded to one mark; at this moment, Zhu Minng could only summon the Sword Spirit Dragon, unable to call upon the Lei Cang Violent Dragon¡­ Yo Just then, the Ice Morning White Dragon, in the midst of bloodline reconstruction, suddenly opened its eyes as if it sensed Zhu Minng¡¯s crisis. Zhu Minng hurriedly changed the Spirit Contract, and mmed the Ice Morning Mark on the palm of his hand onto the ground. Instantly, a frost storm swept out from the mark under his feet. Bitter cold air instantly turned everything within a hundred meters into solid ice! The power of the mighty chill breath couldn¡¯t stop the attacks of the two Mourning Dragons. They attacked from two entirely different directions and angles, forcing Zhu Minng to turn his body sideways and watch their movements closely. The Ice Morning White Dragon descended from within the frost mark, its numerous feathers dropping like Holy Spirits. Cold eyes fixed on the second Mourning Dragon to Zhu Minng¡¯s left rear; this Mourning Dragon had a noticeably higher cultivation base, and the terrible Bat Monster Shadow on its body gave a chilling sense of dread! The gaze hardened, as if a sudden arctic cmity descended, instantly sealing mountains andnd within thick ice crystals. The Mourning Dragon flew in attack, but its body turned into an ice sculpture mid-air and then smashed heavily at the feet of the Ice Morning White Dragon. At the same time, another Mourning Dragon was getting very close. Its target was not the Ice Morning White Dragon, but Zhu Minng. In front of Zhu Minng, there was a patch of white feathers, the Storm Phantom Feathers, which grew stronger as Little White grew and evolved, and their power was considerable. Yet, these sharp feathers nearly sliced the Mourning Dragon in half; however, its fangs still bit towards Zhu Minng! Zhu Minng then noticed that the strange Demon Shadow seemed to have endowed the Mourning Dragons with zombie warrior-like power. Even if their bodies were yed to the bone, their skeletons would still bite at the living! ¡°Whoosh!¡± A slender tail transformed into a shadow of white, its sting sharp as a scorpion¡¯s, striking with unparalleled precision at the head of the half-body Mourning Dragon! The head of the Mourning Dragon was pierced straight through. Death, decay, and the poison of the icy void spread in an instant, causing the Demon Shadow clinging to the Mourning Dragon to instantly disappear, and even more rapidly turned these fangs and fierce skull into a skeleton! Several bones flew over, and Zhu Minng¡¯s neck was already covered with cold sweat. Only Little White could kill the two Mourning Dragons that were so close in such a short time; fortunately, he had not summoned the Sword Spirit Dragon. Because even if the Sword Spirit Dragon had in them, the two Mourning Dragons would still have bitten fiercely even if decapitated, fighting back with terrifying ferocity just before death, to say nothing of these bizarre Mourning Dragons! Chapter 268 - 269: The Killing Instinct Chapter 268: Chapter 269: The Killing Instinct Trantor:549690339 Zhu Minng¡¯s heart was filled with lingering fear. In fact, all of this happened in just a few seconds, and Zhu Minng, a Monarch Level Dragon Shepherd, never would have thought that he himself could have nearly fallen victim to a trap set by a few Mourning Dragons! Indeed, in nature, no matter the level of the creatures, everyone should maintain a sense of awe; they are weak yet proliferate, they are strong for a reason, and they cause all the demons and spirits around to dare not show themselves, and there¡¯s a reason for that! The towering wooden gates slowly reopened a crack, and Zhu Minng walked gently inside. He was still immersed in the terror of the three Mourning Dragons, while the Pear Blossom Gully Guards who were near the wooden fort¡¯s gates were all looking at Zhu Minng as if they were looking at a monster! In Pear Blossom Gully, they had many strong individuals, including both Divine and Mortal beings and Dragon Shepherds, but even if they formed a team and carefullyid out their ns, killing a single Mourning Dragon was extremely difficult. This visitor, however, had killed three ambushing Mourning Dragons before everyone had the chance to react! Such a powerful guest!! They should be weed warmly!! ¡°He killed three Mourning Dragons, he killed three Mourning Dragons!¡± Someone within the vige was the first to shout this out loud, and soon after, people surrounding the vige came flocking over, treating him like a hero! Zhu Minng was also dizzy. Seeing the incredible excitement of the people around, it wasn¡¯t that he had been careless and nearly capsized in the gutter, but that these Mourning Dragons were indeed extremely difficult to deal with, and it was very difficult to kill them! ¡°This is our new City Lord from Runyu City, who came to help you after seeing the distress letter from Pear Blossom Gully,¡± Hu Bailing hurriedly introduced to the people from First Vige. ¡°Zhu Warrior, we are truly grateful for your help. If you hadn¡¯te, we wouldn¡¯t have even known that three Shadow Funeral Dragons were lurking right outside our door. You saved the lives of the entire patrol team that would have passed by here tomorrow!¡± At this moment, a middle-aged man with a face full of wrinkles came up, sping Zhu Minng¡¯s hand and expressing his gratitude incessantly. Zhu Minng nced to the side and saw a patrol of twenty young men and women; the young man with the beast-fur cap who had questioned them at the gate was also among them. ¡°These Mourning Dragons are indeed terrifying,¡± Zhu Minng said. Clearly, the people from the First Vige of Pear Blossom Gully were also unaware of the Mourning Dragons right outside their gates. Every day at dawn, they would send out a patrol team to the wild cliffs and mountains near the vige, and it seemed the Mourning Dragons had grasped the patrol schedule of their fort, nning to ambush the team. Unfortunately for the Mourning Dragons, Zhu Minng and his group had arrived just as night fell¡­ What was particrly frightening upon further thought was that these Mourning Dragons hadn¡¯t attacked as this group passed by; they apparently realized that there were quite a few people with high cultivation bases among them, and a hasty attack might have resulted in all the dragons being counter-killed. They chose the moment when the wooden gate opened and only one or two people were left outside to appear; their target was very clear¡ªit was to kill thest person in the group! Such meticulous nning, such skillful hunting cooperation, was even more terrifying than some trained assassins! Even some humans with simple thoughts and little experience seemed somewhat foolish in front of their intelligence. ¡°Mourning Dragons are natural hunters, born for ughter. ording to the sayings from the Church, Mourning Dragons once served the God of Death, and ughter is in their very bones, other creatures are mostly born for survival, evolution, and reproduction, but Mourning Dragons are born only for killing, and any living thing in their eyes is prey, even if it means perishing together, they won¡¯t hesitate to pounce,¡± the middle-aged man with the wrinkled face said. Including humans, the first instinct is also survival. Mourning Dragons¡¯ primary instinct is to kill. How can such dragons not strike terror into the hearts of all living beings in this world? No wonder the people of Runyu City would sigh and express such deep fear whenever Mourning Dragons were mentioned. Zhu Minng had experienced it personally. To kill him, they would stop at nothing. Even when facing the Divine Green Holy Dragon and the Ice Morning White Dragon, who had higher cultivation bases than themselves, they would charge without a second thought. This instinct for ughter already flouted the naturalws of survival, and to make matters worse, Mourning Dragons were highly intelligent and lived in groups. In Zhu Minng¡¯s opinion, if Pear Blossom Gully had been weaker or less vignt, it wouldn¡¯t take long before the tens of thousands of people there turned into skeletons! ¡°Previous generations of Mourning Dragons didn¡¯t seem to be this terrifying,¡± Hu Bailing said, furrowing her brow. ¡°This generation of Mourning Dragons has be more powerful. It seems they have evolved even more bizarre hunting abilities. Did you see that shadow? That¡¯s something new,¡± said the uncle. ¡°In addition, there are other Mourning Dragons with different abilities, such as the Polluted Night Sacrifice Dragons. Their breath spreads through water sources, turning all drinkable water into a kind of poison. Once someone drinks this water, they not only cannot sustain life but also be delirious, performing actions that help the Mourning Dragons kill,¡± said the young man with the beast fur hat. ¡°Contaminating water sources, beguiling people¡¯s hearts?¡± Nan Yuso asked in surprise. These two abilities were rarely seen in Demon Spirits or Demon Spirits. What kind of lineage did these Mourning Dragons have to inherit such frightening powers? Water source contamination. This ability was particrly malicious. All creatures need water; even the strongest beings must drink sufficient water within three days, or else they cannot harness their divine power. That means if a single Polluted Night Sacrifice Dragon identally enters the vige, the entire ce would be in a dire situation. Realizing this, Zhu Minng now understood the young man with the beast fur hat¡¯s actions in closing the gates; indeed, he could not risk the lives of the entire vige. ¡°These are just the Mourning Dragon abilities we are aware of. There are other Mourning Dragons with terrifying killing talents, and it¡¯s said these are not only appearing in our Pear Blossom Gully; some towns and viges in the Tea-colored Ground have also suffered,¡± said an enormous patrolling youth. ¡°Do you know their approximate numbers?¡± Zhu Minng asked. The uncle with the folds, the young man with the beast fur hat, and the others all shook their heads. They could not be sure of the exact number of Mourning Dragons. Their Pear Gully Guards had the best defenses and had still lost over a thousand lives. The situation was even worse in the otherrger viges, and it was uncertain whether they were still alive. ¡°Our situation here is somewhat better; at least we¡¯ve secured the water source and have enough food. We are unable to help the other viges¡­¡± the uncle with the folds said. ¡°Chieftain, chieftain!¡± At that moment, a man dressed in a leather outfit came running hurriedly. The uncle with the folds turned around and upon seeing the man¡¯s pale face, he instinctively disyed a grave expression¡ªit seemed like there was more bad news. ¡°The brothers transporting water to the second vige may be in trouble, a bloodied carrier pigeon from Geng Fengnong has returned,¡± the man reported. Chapter 269 - 270: Cries for Help in the Night Fog Chapter 269: Chapter 270: Cries for Help in the Night Fog Trantor: 549690339 Pear Blossom Gully¡¯s Second Vige lost its water source to contamination a week ago, and the entire vige of four to five thousand people could only rely on some old wells for sustenance. They sent people out daily to find clean water, yet it was often these very people who were most likely to fall prey to the Mourning Dragons. Over at First Vige, a team had been selected to travel to the Second Vige just to bring a few buckets of clean water, but now they had been ambushed by Mourning Dragons, plunging the vigers deeper into panic. ¡°Our own vige is still in a rtively good situation, we have water and food, and as long as we don¡¯t go out recklessly, those Mourning Dragons wouldn¡¯t dare to show themselves readily, after all, their cultivation base isn¡¯t excessively high. However, the situation in the other viges is not optimistic at all, and I fear they won¡¯t survive much longer.¡± The vige leader expressed his deep concern, worried about their current predicament while also pondering a solution for the other viges. ¡°If you are willing to assist, it¡¯s best to head to the Second Vige to see for yourselves, and the most important thing is to get the drinking water there; otherwise, even if the Mourning Dragons are eliminated, many people might die of dehydration.¡± ¡°Then prepare some portable water bags for us, we¡¯ll rush over there overnight,¡± Hu Bailing said. ¡°Oh, and take these gemstones with you as a token of our gratitude for you risking your lives toe here,¡± the vige leader said. He gestured with a wave, summoning a few women who carried embroidered bags woven by themselves, then poured out green, light blue, crystal yellow, and pinkish-white transparent gemstones one by one, tied them in arger jewelry bag, and then handed it to Zhu Minng. Zhu Minng was momentarily stunned, his hand moving involuntarily to ept this hefty bag filled with jewels. ¡°We panned these from the stream these past months, and they are all yours now. In the current circumstances, these things are useless to us. We only hope that you can help us through this difficult time in Pear Blossom Gully, and in the future, should you need anything, feel free toe and talk to us,¡± the old man said with remarkable generosity. Therge bag of gemstones was quite valuable and of very high quality. Zhu Minng had not anticipated that the remuneration for this rescue mission would be so generous, especially having just arrived at the first vige and only in three Mourning Dragons. ¡°They are rich in gemstones here, and the Di n Financial Group has always wanted to conduct long-term business with them, but they were not very willing. Master Zhu, if we go all out this time and Runyu City canter epass the gemstone trade here, it will add a substantial annual ie to our city,¡± Hu Bailing whispered to Zhu Minng. ¡°Helping those in need is inherently my desire, gemstones or not, they are not that important,¡± Zhu Minng said, yet he neatly tucked away the entire bag of gemstones. Zhu Minng didn¡¯t feel right counting them in front of others. At any rate, if the bag of gemstones could be sold at a good price, it would be worth two to three hundred thousand gold. This was simply the firstmission payment from the vige chieftain¡­ Being able to save neighbors and receive gemstones, Zhu Minng found this to be quite an appealing and rewarding proposition. Towards the back of the vige, the people of First Vige had already prepared several plump sleeping bags, now hanging on the backs of several Beasts. These Beasts were robust and extremely docile, making them very well suited for transporting goods through the mountains; however, without the protection of some powerful individuals, these Beasts could easily be prey to Demon Spirits and even more to the cunning and malicious Mourning Dragons. ¡°I¡¯ll guide you,¡± said the young man wearing a beast fur hat. ¡°That¡¯ll work, and there¡¯s no need for anyone else toe, just take good care of the vige,¡± Zhu Minng nodded. It was already night, and the forest was pitch ck. With lives at stake, they couldn¡¯t afford to dy any longer and continued en route to the Second Vige of Pear Blossom Gully. Along the way, there were several viges that had also been inhabited by vigers, but the people from these viges had all moved to walled viges for safety. Of course, some didn¡¯t manage to evacuate in time, and one could see bloodstains all around the viges, with bones unburied by anyone. The Beasts did not walk very fast, after all, they were burdened with hefty water bags. Zhu Minng sat on the back of one of the Beasts, ncing back at the Prophet, his niece by marriage, who looked a little pale. Miss Xinghua clearly wasn¡¯t suited for such long-distance sprinting, worried that she might catch a cold, Zhu Minng fetched a nket and wrapped her delicate body in it. ¡°Tired? How about you and Yu Suo wait for me in the First Vige? I can go and deliver the water by myself,¡± Zhu Minng said. Li Xinghua shook her head, revealing a beautifully gentle smile and said, ¡°I feel safer being with you all.¡± ¡°Did you use your prophecy skills?¡± Zhu Minng looked into her eyes, which had a special light about them, as dazzling and enchanting as the starry sky. ¡°Many people will die,¡± Li Xinghua said softly. ¡°We do the best we can, don¡¯t think too much,¡± Zhu Minng reassured her. The night was unusually quiet, without even the sound of insects or birds, let alone the low roar of wild animals; the area had be a mountain of deathly silence, as if every creature held its breath, in a state of self-preservation. ¡°Help¡­ help!¡± ¡°Help¡­ help!¡± A low cry for help came from below the cliff, carrying numbness and despair, and yet it was continuous, as though hoping someone would hear it. Was someone in danger out in the wild? Could it be those people who had gone out to deliver water earlier? Zhu Minng looked in that direction and saw that the area was shrouded in a pitch-ck night mist, surrounded by an abundance of vegetation, with vines, dead wood, and old trees swaying like sinister ws in the cold night. ¡°I heard someone calling for help; I¡¯ll go take a look,¡± Zhu Minng said. At that moment, Li Xinghua grabbed Zhu Minng¡¯s hand, holding it a bit tighter. Zhu Minng could feel the coldness in her palm and sense her nervousness. ¡°Don¡¯t go,¡± Li Xinghua shook her head, her exquisitely beautiful face conveying seriousness and gravity. Zhu Minng was somewhat puzzled. Didn¡¯t the prophetess youngdy have apassionate heart? Why wouldn¡¯t she save someone when it was so easy to lend a hand? Zhu Minng nced at the reactions of the others. It was strange; it seemed that aside from himself, no one else had heard that low and weak cry for help. It was probably because his spiritual power perception was stronger. ¡°Danger?¡± Zhu Minng asked. Li Xinghua nodded. In fact, Li Xinghua didn¡¯t know what was happening there, nor could she hear the so-called cries for help. All she knew was that Zhu Minng shouldn¡¯t go alone into that ck night mist at the moment¡ªit was dangerous! Although her heart ached, she would rather not see Zhu Minnge to harm. Chapter 270 - 271: Beguiling Hearts Chapter 270: Chapter 271: Beguiling Hearts Trantor: 549690339 The beast¡¯s footsteps were clearly audible in the mountain forest, and Zhu Minng¡¯s gaze still involuntarily drifted toward the direction shrouded in nocturnal mist. The faint cries for help were bing increasingly blurred, gradually turning into a sobbing sound in Zhu Minng¡¯s ears. This sound, was it actually very distant, or perhaps noting from the direction he presumed? Zhu Minng harbored some doubts in his heart, yet he still suppressed his emotions, particrly when he saw the unease and tension on Li Xinghua¡¯s face. Not going was the right decision. Even if there truly had been a mishap, it was beyond their help, after all, their primary mission right now was to deliver these clean drinking water to the people of the Second Vige. If they were dyed here, even more people might die. After climbing over the deste and cold mountain forest, passing through the deep and silent valleys, the scant lights of the Second Vige began to twinkle in the night. The young man Song Luo, wearing a fur hat, looked rather somber; he hadn¡¯t spoken much along the way. ¡°We didn¡¯t encounter them,¡± the fur-hatted Song Luo said in a deep voice. ¡°Encounter who?¡± Hu Bailing asked. ¡°The team from before who delivered water. Logically speaking, even if they met with disaster, we should have seen bloodstains, corpses, but there¡¯s nothing. Did you see or hear anything on your way?¡± Song Luo asked. The others all shook their heads, indicating that the journey had been quite smooth. Zhu Minng and Li Xinghua exchanged nces, and Li Xinghua shook her head, signaling Zhu Minng not to mention the cry for help. ¡°Let¡¯s deliver water to the vige first,¡± Zhu Minng said. The journey, unexpectedly, was peaceful, with no disruptions from the Mourning Dragons. Mourning Dragons roamed outside the mountain viges, using their keen sense of smell to detect the scent of living beings, able to track down humans from several dozen miles away. Not being attacked made Song Luo all the more puzzled. ¡°They might possess strong perception, able to sense our cultivation base. Without being confident, they would not hunt targets that are too powerful,¡± Hu Bailing said. Zhu Minng shook his head and said, ¡°If they really could urately detect the cultivation base of all of us, then the Mourning Dragons that ambushed us at the Stone Vige Gate previously would not have exposed themselves so readily; they could have continued to wait for the patrol team on the next day.¡± ¡°Actually, we didn¡¯t conceal ourselves at all on the way, intending to lure the Mourning Dragons out,¡± Nan Yuso said. This water delivery, frankly speaking, was an opportunity for the Mourning Dragons to strike. Nan Yuso was not afraid of these cunning creatures, even hoping to use this method to eliminate some that wandered around the vige. ¡°Anyway, it seems they knew we were not easy to deal with, so they didn¡¯t make a move on us,¡± Hu Bailing said. Continuing forward, they reached the Second Vige. The Second Vige was slightly smaller, using the mountain terrain and cut stones to form tall vige walls. At the stone vige wall, all was still silent. Song Luo, wearing the fur hat, stood on the doorstone and shouted loudly, ¡°We are from the First Vige of Pear Blossom Gully, I¡¯m Song Luo, bringing you drinking water. How are things here with you?¡± Within the stone walls, there was some movement, yet no one responded for some time. Song Luo shouted again, and this time only then did a head emerge with a sigh from atop the high stone wall. ¡°Don¡¯t trust them!¡± ¡°Kill them!¡± Just at that moment, an angry voice rose from the stone wall, and at the same time, more shadows appeared on the wall, each holding iron spears and fiercely hurling them towards the people below the stone wall, with astonishing force! Song Luo was startled and yelled, ¡°Have you gone mad? We brought you drinking water overnight!¡± The iron spears came thrusting down, each one capable of piercing straight through the ground. The Chi Dragon behind Nan Yuso sprang out immediately, its sleek and delicate dragon body dancing through the air. The trajectory it traced formed a profound gate, which miraculously absorbed all the iing iron spears. ¡°Humph, ungrateful fools!¡± Nan Yuso said, somewhat angry. She leapt onto the back of the Chi Dragon and, controlling the dragon, actually flew towards the stone wall to meet the viger¡¯s attacks head-on. The Chi Dragon was skilled in Profound Art. With a sweep of its tail in midair, it rolled up a huge wave in the night sky, savagely mming it down upon the people inside Stone Vige. Seeing that these people were still intent on attacking, Nan Yuso ordered the Chi Dragon to cast an explosive curse, causing those guarding the Stone Vige Gate to wail in agony. Inside the Stone Vige Gate, although there were also some experts, they were far from a match for Nan Yuso and her Chi Dragon. They were beaten back in disarray, just like a tiger invading a flock of sheep, by the lone Nan Yuso and her dragon. The stone wall was tall and sturdy, not easily destroyed. Zhu Minng and the others outside could not immediately tell what was happening inside, they could only hear a chorus of wails. Before long, the Stone Vige Gate finally opened, and a few people with bruised noses and swollen faces reluctantly invited Zhu Minng and the others inside with a look of fear. ¡°Yu Suo, go easy,¡± Li Xinghua chided lightly, as an elder sister would. ¡°They started it, humph!¡± Nan Yuso stood in the open space in front of the vige gate, her Chi Dragon¡¯s scales smooth as a woman¡¯s skin, slender and enchanting, half floating and half twining in the air, guarding by her side. Around Nan Yuso and the Chi Dragony a great number of people, seeming to all be Divine and Mortal beings, they were the night patrol tribesmen guarding the gate. ¡°Uncle Huang Lu, it¡¯s me, Song Luo, we¡¯vee to bring you water, why did you attack us?¡± Song Luo quickened his pace and helped up a middle-aged man with a broken arm. Huang Lu recognized Song Luo, his face filled with a bitter and helpless expression, ¡°Before you arrived, a team iming to be from First Vige had already brought us water. We let them in, but they brought a horde of Mourning Dragons and attacked us! We lost many people, and, in the end, ourst few ancient wells werepletely destroyed!¡± ¡°Geng Fengnong and the others most likely have already met their demise, how could they still be bringing you water¡­¡± Song Luo eximed in shock. After saying that, Song Luo suddenly realized something, his face etching with shock and fear! Bewitching of the heart!! The first water-carrying team had their minds bewitched!! Song Luo¡¯s gaze followed the scatteredmplight, looking over Stone Vige, on the vige road with a bit of a slope where many families lived. But in front of these households were corpses that had not been cleaned away in time, they died in a gruesome state, having suffered great pain before death, their eyes still filled with fear and agony¡­ ¡°These Mourning Dragons, detestable! Detestable! Detestable!!¡± Song Luo was both angry and in pain, wishing he could immediately kill all the Mourning Dragons in Pear Blossom Gully. Zhu Minng was also shocked! The first water-carrying team wasn¡¯t met with disaster, but was controlled by the Mourning Dragons! The Mourning Dragons used the water-carrying team to tear open the gates of Stone Vige, no wonder there were so few guards in front of this gate, easily breached by Nan Yuso all by herself¡­ Such a terrifying creature!! Impossible to guard against!! Chapter 271 - 272 Escape Quickly! Chapter 271: Chapter 272 Escape Quickly! Trantor:549690339 Water pouches were distributed among the people of Stone Vige, and though they now had drinking water, they were still shrouded by the specter of death. Moreover, the water would soon be gone , and without the creek or the old well, they were still facing imminent death. ¡°Can we relocate the people of the vige? The water sources here are all polluted, and we can¡¯t continue to survive,¡± said Hu Bailing. ¡°That¡¯s impossible. The moment we leave the vige, swarms of Mourning Dragons will appear, and then we will be on the path to certain death,¡± Huang Lu shook his head. ¡°But we can¡¯t just hide in this Stone Vige waiting to die. Besides, look at your vige walls¡ªthey can¡¯t hold off the Mourning Dragons,¡± Song Luo said. As several people were debating their options, Zhu Minng heard some strange noises. He left the group and walked towards the back of a barn. Behind the barn was an old well, and Zhu Minng heard the noisesing from there. The water source from the old well was supposed to be contaminated. It had been sealed with wooden nks to prevent those driven mad by dehydration from drinking it. ¡°Save¡­ save me¡­¡± ¡°Save me¡­¡± The feeble cries for help, eerily emanating from the well, were unsettling in the extreme. Zhu Minng felt utterly horrified. Why would there be cries for helping from a well, and most importantly, it seemed like he was the only one who could hear them¡ªothers appeared to be oblivious to the noise. ¡°Run¡­ run away!¡± Almost ovepping with the strange cries for help, another voice suddenly drifted out. Zhu Minng listened carefully and realized that the cries were mixed with another kind of hoarse shouting, warning of something! Was it a plea for help or a warning? Zhu Minng couldn¡¯t distinguish the peculiar noises, and his heart was as if possessed by a desire to identify the source of the sounds. ¡°Run!!¡± Suddenly, this shout was exceptionally clear,ing from the depths of the well as if mustering all strength to warn the living of the severe danger present¡ªlike a pained soul conveying extreme peril!!! Zhu Minng¡¯s body shivered with cold, but he overcame his fear and lifted the wooden cover at the well¡¯s mouth. Immediately, he was greeted by the sight of one corpse after another crammed in. The well was not filled with contaminated water but with the brutally murdered people of Stone Vige! Why were the bodies thrown into the well water??? Even if the water source was contaminated, this method of disposing of bodies was not appropriate¡­ ¡°Save¡­ save me¡­¡± Just then, that low cry for help came from the barn. Zhu Minng turned his head and looked into the pitch-ck depths of the barn, only to see pair after pair of malicious eyes eerily lighting up, staring at him with a chilling glow! A Mourning Dragon, silent as a shadow, stepped out from the barn. Its chest and belly were undting, and the faintly opened mouth was not emitting the typical low growls of Dragon Beasts but the rhythmic, deep cries for help! ¡°Save¡­ save me!¡± ¡°Save¡­ save me!¡± These sounds wereing from the undting chest cavity of the Mourning Dragon. It mimicked the cry of a human! Zhu Minng stared nkly at the Mourning Dragon hidden in the barn. At that moment, Zhu Minng finally understood why Li Xinghua had forbidden him from going into the night fog filled with cries for help¡­ These Mourning Dragons, they were using the cries for help of humans to lure theirpanions into their traps!! ¡°Yu Suo, protect Star Painting and Niannian!¡± ¡°This Stone Vige is a trap!!!¡± Zhu Minng and the others suddenly realized something, and they rushed to shout to the people at the clearing in front of the door. Meanwhile, a group of Mourning Dragons burst out from the barn, with long and crooked jaws, their upper teeth like hooks, once they bit into the flesh of living beings, it was simply impossible to break free! Zhu Minng didn¡¯t dare to hesitate and summoned the Ice Morning White Dragon. The barn was notrge, but the pitch-ck barn seemed like a demon¡¯sir leading to an underground dungeon, with one after another pouncing towards Zhu Minng at astonishing speeds! These Mourning Dragons were enveloped in ayer of demonic shadows, like the bat Demonic Beasts from the dark demonic caves, which bestowed upon them a terrifying power to drain souls. Even those with low cultivation bases could unleash fearsome destructive power. It was not just the barn. Mourning Dragons appeared in the gloomy houses near Zhu Minng, surrounding him and the Ice Morning White Dragon, making it difficult for Zhu Minng to escape. Elsewhere, on the clearing, Nan Yuso heard Zhu Minng¡¯s shoutsing from a distance away. She was about to head in Zhu Minng¡¯s direction when she suddenly felt something, stopped in her tracks, and swiftly retreated. From high atop a stone outcrop, sharp iron spears flew down, nailing into the ground at the spot where Nan Yuso had just been, splitting the earth! ¡°Whiz, whiz, whiz!!!!!¡± Near the clearing, there were dozens of stone outcrops that had been empty, but suddenly figures appeared on them, all armed with bows and arrows and iron spears,unching a surprise attack on Nan Yuso! The Chi Dragon was thankfully right beside Nan Yuso; it quickly coiled into a tight dragon ring, using its body to protect Nan Yuso as arrows and spears with tremendous prating power pierced its soft skin, and blood oozed from the wounds. ¡°Have you all gone mad??¡± shouted Hu Bailing. Around the stone wall, on the cliffs with cold gleaming eyes were focused on Hu Bailing, Song Luo, Fang Niannian, and others. In the mist-shrouded night, terrifying silhouettes could be seen crawling atop the cliffs, poised like hunters waiting for their prey! The middle-aged man named Huang Lu, at this moment, revealed a sinister smile. He and the other gatekeepers of the vige swiftly retreated from the area, blending into the bloody houses behind them. From the dark houses, one Mourning Dragon after another crawled out, their cheeks still smeared with the fresh blood of theirtest meal, their ws drenched in blood, their whole bodies exuding a malevolent and evil aura, as if no amount of ughter could ever satisfy them! ¡°The people of Stone Vige who are still alive have been possessed by the Mourning Dragons!¡± came Zhu Minng¡¯s voice from the barn. However, his voice was soon drowned out by a session of growls, and from the windows of the vige houses illuminated by light, one silhouette after another was cast, not of humans, but of Mourning Dragons with long jaws and terrifying talons! These Mourning Dragons could traverse cliffs and crags like tigers and leopards, or climb upside down on beams like lizards and spiders. Some were even bizarrely flexible and boneless, hiding under the barn, emerging in swarms!! The ones bewitched were not the water-carrying team but the people of Stone Vige! This second vige of Pear Blossom Gully¡­ had be air of the Mourning Dragons!! Chapter 272 - 273 Kirin Dragon Chapter 272: Chapter 273 Kirin Dragon Trantor:549690339 Deep down the sloping path of the fortress, swarms of Mourning Dragons surged forth like a tide of ckness! These Mourning Dragons were all cloaked in Bat Monster Shadows, their evil Qi soaring to the heavens, sending shivers down one¡¯s spine! The Ice Morning White Dragon had destroyed all the Mourning Dragons that had burst out of the barn, dealing with them swiftly, yet the number of Mourning Dragons lurking within Stone Vige was far greater than imagined! ¡°Bai Qi, block them!¡± After Zhu Minng spoke, he ran towards the old well he had uncovered. The well was filled with corpses, reeking to high heaven, but Zhu Minng carefully scanned the scene, noticing a petite woman moving gently among several broken bodies. She looked up timidly through the gap between two corpses and saw Zhu Minng. ¡°Follow me quickly,¡± Zhu Minng said as he reached out to the small-statured woman. The woman was a survivor of Stone Vige; she had heard the conversations outside from within the well, as well as Zhu Minng¡¯s footsteps. When the Mourning Dragons emted human cries for help at the barn, she instinctively warned Zhu Minng to run, not wanting to see anyone else from the vige trapped by these dragons. The woman was somewhat scared; she didn¡¯t know if she should leave the well. ¡°Come on, I¡¯m a Dragon Shepherd I can protect you. Staying here only leads to a dead end,¡± Zhu Minng said. Finally, the woman reached out her hand. Zhu Minng pulled her from the pile of corpses, only then noticing her leg was broken and she couldn¡¯t walk on her own. Fortunately, the woman was young and light, so Zhu Minng could carry her on his back with rtive ease. ¡°Is¡­ is that your dragon?¡± the girl nced at the Ice Morning White Dragon, who was fighting arge group of Mourning Dragons. The Mourning Dragons surged like a ck frenzy, each one possessing fatal capabilities. They were extremely adept at cooperation, unafraid of creatures even higher in rank than themselves. The cunning Shadow Funeral Dragons used various methods to besiege the Ice Morning White Dragon, but it had few weaknesses. Every use of the Ice Morning Method resulted in a group of Mourning Dragons being reduced to icy sludge, and those that stealthily disguised themselves or approached under the cover of nightfall found it hard to survive against the Ice Morning White Dragon¡¯s slender, agile, and deadly tail! The Ice Morning White Dragon faced the hundredfold horror of the Mourning Dragon tide single-handedly, the formidable waves stilled as white frost froze over the vast Stone Vige, forming insurmountable walls of icy mountains one after another! Starstones plummeted from the night sky, striking Stone Vige, shattering homes and pulverizing the Mourning Dragons. For the girl, the Mourning Dragons were a nightmare, and to them, the Ice Morning White Dragon was a ughtering demon mercilessly eradicating their existence!! Still, even then, Zhu Minng wasn¡¯t overly optimistic. Shadow Funeral Dragons, numerous in number, continued to growl from within the fortress depths, and the one that had mimicked human cries before now stood atop the stone hillock using a strange call to summon the horde of Mourning Dragons. From caves that once stored food, Mourning Dragons with blood-red Demon Patterns emerged, gliding out from the mountain caves, their wings like those of ghastly bat monsters, their ws merged with their wing-skin, and their lower limbs like a hawk¡¯s, equipped with hooks. The night was pitch-ck, and these blood-red Demon Pattern Dragons were awakened. Though not highly cultivated, their numbers were shocking, circling over Stone Vige, forming a vast whirlpool of ck wing bones that made one¡¯s scalp tingle! Zhu Minng, upon seeing the situation, decisively carried the injured girl on his back and ran towards the clearing. Underneath the surrounding barns, Mourning Dragons with spider-like legs silently pounced. A Charming Shadow appeared on Zhu Minng¡¯s body, and right after, his speed became extremely fast, resembling a ghost as he drifted out of the encirclement of these spider-legged Mourning Dragons. The spider-legged Mourning Dragons pursued relentlessly. Just as they lined up in pursuit, Zhu Minng¡¯s fingers twitched, and he fiercely swung towards these spider-legged Mourning Dragons. A dazzling sword light shone, slicing straight through the air; the Sword Spirit Dragon, under Zhu Minng¡¯s guidance, attacked swiftly, cleaving several Mourning Dragons directly in half¡­ ¡°Is this also¡­ also your brother¡¯s dragon?¡± the girl asked with her pale purple eyes fixed on the Sword Spirit Dragon. At this time, the Sword Spirit Dragon was apanying Zhu Minng on his left and right. Whenever a Mourning Dragon approached, the Sword Spirit Dragon would strike like lightning, killing these encircling Mourning Dragons. Each sword stroke meant at least the death of one Mourning Dragon, and with precise angle, he could instantly chop down several Mourning Dragons! ¡°Its name is Mo Ye. With them here, you won¡¯t die,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°But no one else survived, I should join them¡­ I just don¡¯t know how to end it. Iy with them, whispering softly to them. My uncles and aunts told me not to make a sound, but I don¡¯t want to see anyone else end up like Brother Geng and the others,¡± the girl whispered faintly. Her tone was like she was talking to herself, which made Zhu Minng somewhat confused. Was she lying among a pile of corpses, and how were her so-called uncles and auntsmunicating with her? Her mind must be somewhat deranged. After all, hiding among a heap of her own kinsmen¡¯s dismembered corpses would scare even a normal adult out of their wits, let alone a girl in the flower of her youth. But no matter what, she was willing to expose herself to warn him. That was rare indeed. Not everyone, having suffered such hardships, still harbors kindness and possesses such courage. ¡°Zhu Minng, we are surrounded,¡± Nan Yuso nced at the sky, her deep revulsion evident towards those bat-like, ugly Mourning Dragons. ¡°Bai Qi is holding back the swarm of Mourning Dragons behind us. Let¡¯s fight our way out.¡± Zhu Minng, carrying the girl, ran towards where Li Xinghua and the Beast were. The Beast was already panicking, even kneeling on the ground with all four limbs, trembling at the terrifying presence of the Mourning Dragons. Zhu Minng hurriedly summoned the Divine Green Holy Dragon to help Li Xinghua and the vige girl up onto the back of the Divine Green Holy Dragon. ¡°I¡¯ll clear the path, can you handle those Blood Wing Funeral Dragons in the sky?¡± Nan Yuso said. Nan Yuso stretched out her palm, in the center of which a bright and intense me appeared. The me danced in mid-air, transforming into a massive fire totem. Within the totem, a majestic Kirin burst forth, its body zing with mes, its golden pupils shining with scorching brilliance. The Kirin Dragon was brilliantly luminous against the night sky. It ran along the vige path, leaving fiery hoof tracks on the ground that stretched into a long trail of fire. The encroaching Shadow Funeral Dragons, pushed back by the intense mes emitted by the Kirin Dragon, finally left the space in front of the gate clear for passage. Nan Yuso stood on the back of the Kirin Dragon, mes zing around her, highlighting her graceful figure, making her appear like a fairy from God Fire Mountain, noble and powerful. Chapter 273 - 274 Yin Spirit Necromancer Chapter 273: Chapter 274 Yin Spirit Necromancer Trantor:549690339 Fire Kilin Dragon¡­ Isn¡¯t this the powerful dragon beast that Nan Lingsha often paints? Zhu Minng had thought it was merely a creature depicted by Nan Lingsha, never expecting it to be one of Nan Yuso¡¯s dragons! With the Fire Kilin Dragon leading the way, Zhu Minng¡¯s journey became much easier. After all, the huge vortex of Mourning Dragons swirling in the sky had already enveloped them. If they were not able to repel them, all of them would be trapped in Stone Vige. No wonder there had been no attacks by Mourning Dragons on their group along the way. They were heading towards the nest of the Mourning Dragons¡ªwhy would they be obstructed? ¡°Hu Bailing, you protect them. Leave the rest to us,¡± Zhu Minng said urgently to the bewildered Hu Bailing. Hu Bailing¡¯s cultivation base was nowhere near as high as Zhu Minng¡¯s or Nan Yuso¡¯s. As a Dragon Shepherd who only had a quasi-positional monarch level dragon beast, he was obviously powerless in front of such swarms of Mourning Dragons. Even a group of Shadow Funeral Dragons proved very tough to tackle, as those Mourning Dragons always managed to find each dragon beast¡¯s weak spot and then relentlessly attack. Hu Bailing¡¯s Giant Elephant Dragon had been injured in the previous sweeping of Runyu City, with wounds on its right hind leg¡­ These Shadow Funeral Dragons seemed to sniff out the wound on the Giant Elephant Dragon, distinguishing it from the rest of the healthy skin. Several Shadow Funeral Dragons attacked the injured area of the Giant Elephant Dragon at all costs, rapidly worsening the wound and significantly reducing itsbat abilities! Unable to charge into battle, Hu Bailing could only watch the Fire Kilin Dragon, equally surprised by the veiled woman who appeared so delicate and beautiful yet possessed such formidable power! ¡°Bailing, Niannian is still behind,¡± Li Xinghua said to the flustered Hu Bailing. Hu Bailing turned around and realized that Fang Niannian was undoing the water bag on the back of the beast. ¡°Niannian, hurry up and get on!¡± Hu Bailing shouted. Fang Niannian was determined, insisting on having Song Luo help her. After much difficulty, they untied the water bags that were strung together with rope. Only then did Fang Niannian run towards the Giant Elephant Dragon, struggling to tie the water bags to its body. Hu Bailing hurried down to help, and after they got everything in order, shemanded the Giant Elephant Dragon to catch up with Nan Yuso, who was fighting at the forefront. ¡°We have a swarm of Mourning Dragons behind us!¡± Song Luo had never seen so many Mourning Dragons. He was trembling all over. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, with Little White here, they won¡¯t be able to rush over for a while. Let¡¯s get out of here first,¡± Fang Niannian said. ¡°Is it that White Dragon?¡± Only then did Hu Bailing notice, deep in the path of the fortress, on the long slope leading to the gate za, a White Dragon shining with divine light, fighting against hundreds of Mourning Dragons. The Giant Elephant Dragon struggled to cope with even seven or eight Mourning Dragons, but the White Dragon was ughtering its way through the swarm. Had it not been for the unceasing convergence of Mourning Dragons, that White Dragon might have been able to annihte all the Mourning Dragons at the granary and the fortress tower¡­ Such a formidable White Dragon! If not for its intervention, they would have been overwhelmed by the tide of Mourning Dragons in an instant!! ¡°It¡¯s covering our retreat, but it will be in danger itself. Should we cover for it?¡± Song Luo said. ¡°Let¡¯s make sure we¡¯re safe first,¡± Fang Niannian knew well the strength of Bai Qi. Hu Bailing worried no more. Those capable of holding back a tide of Mourning Dragons certainly didn¡¯t need their concern. In fact, their presence here was a burden to the Ice Morning White Dragon, which had to divert attention to take care of them¡­ Protection is several times harder than ughter, especially inside air of Mourning Dragons. There were not a few vigers controlled by the Mourning Dragons, and furthermore, they had set up many obstructions near the gate. Not only that, they upied the surrounding cliffs and stony outposts, holding bows and arrows and long spears, attempting to stop them. It was strange, indeed, that although the arrows were so densely packed and those iron spears even more capable of prating, able to punch holes into the stone walls, these arrows and spears always seemed tond near the Divine Green Holy Dragon. The Divine Green Holy Dragon followed closely behind the Fire Kilin Dragon. It hardly needed to dodge; even though it was not a small creature, those arrows and spears always seemed a bit off-target¡­ ¡°Kuku!!!¡± Suddenly, a Mourning Dragon that had slipped through the lunged from the precipice, attacking Li Xinghua and the vige girl from a blind spot in the Divine Green Holy Dragon¡¯s field of view. This Mourning Dragon, as if it could smell the scent of the weak, saw these two women as the least resistant in its eyes. Li Xinghua lifted her eyes, gazing at this sly Mourning Dragon. There wasn¡¯t a hint of fear on her delicate face. ¡°Swoosh!!!¡± Just then, a wayward iron spear flew in and happened to pierce the throat of the attacking Mourning Dragon, nailing it to therge stone gate¡­ The iron spear, tainted with poison, mixed with the blood of the Mourning Dragon, flowed down from the stone gate. Meanwhile, a Shadow Funeral Dragon that had been lying in ambush beneath the gate, drenched in the blood of itspatriot, revealed its form as the poison spread across its skin, causing it to scramble in agony. The Divine Green Holy Dragon had not noticed the presence of the Shadow Funeral Dragon at first, but seeing it reveal itself, it decisively swatted the exposed Mourning Dragon away with a paw, sending it crashing into the stone rampart. The rampart fractured with people standing on it¡ªit was the very same viger who had thrown the spear. He fell to the ground, his bodynding precisely on the ws of the Mourning Dragon whose bones had been crushed¡­ The girl with pale purple eyes had seen everything that happened. She looked in amazement at the sister, beautiful as a celestial being, and for some reason, the girl felt that all of these coincidental events seemed to be under the control of this beautiful sister before her. However, the girl also noticed a hint of reluctance in the sister¡¯s eyes. ¡°Sister, don¡¯t be sad. They were already dead when they were controlled, I can¡¯t see their souls,¡± the girl said. ¡°You can see souls?¡± Li Xinghua asked, somewhat surprised. ¡°Yes, even when people have just died, their souls will linger for a while. But their souls have long since vanished,¡± the girl said, her pale purple eyes as if reflecting another world. ¡°A Yin Spirit Necromancer?¡± Li Xinghua asked. ¡°What¡¯s a Yin Spirit Necromancer?¡± the girl asked, puzzled. She seemed to have never heard the term before. The people in the vige didn¡¯t like to talk to her. She knew there was a bigger world out there, but she had never left Pear Blossom Gully. ¡°I told the aunties and uncles that the souls of the people who went out patrolling and came back were gone, and they all scolded me.¡± ¡°I was scared they would scold me. Later, more and more people lost their souls, and I didn¡¯t dare to speak out.¡± ¡°Sister, I shouldn¡¯t have been so weak. I should have told everyone. Then the vige wouldn¡¯t have be like this, right?¡± The girl was muttering to herself, self-reproaching, and at timesmunicating with Li Xinghua. On her seemingly calm little face, there was a kind of numbness as if she were anaesthetizing herself. ¡°It¡¯s not your fault,¡± Li Xinghua said, drawing the girl closer, gently embracing her to provide a soft shoulder for her to lean on. Leaning against the gentle big sister, feeling her warmth, the girl seemed to remember the cold bodies at the bottom of the well. Suddenly, her tears burst forth like a dam breaking¡­ She clenched her small mouth tightly, not daring to cry out loud, but the tears wouldn¡¯t stop, covering her face. Chapter 274 - 275: Bat Wing Sorcery Dragons Chapter 274: Chapter 275: Bat Wing Sorcery Dragons Trantor:549690339 On the sheer cliff rock, Zhu Minng was surrounded by the pure white Storm Phantom Feathers with the breath of Ice Withering. His clothes also took on the aspect of a ghostly Charming Shadow. The cliff was long, and other people were at the bottom, fleeing along the sloping path away from the rocky stronghold, while Zhu Minng couldn¡¯t let the Bat Wing Sorcery Dragons in midair swoop down¡­ By his side was only the Sword Spirit Dragon, and there were a great many Bat Wing Sorcery Dragons! The cultivation base of these Bat Wing Sorcery Dragons wasn¡¯t high, only around that of a Dragon General, but they were quite cunning, and by relying on teamwork, they could actually dodge the attacks of the Sword Spirit Dragon. The Sword Spirit Dragon had a Monarch Level cultivation base. With one chop of its sword, regardless of speed or strength, it could easily kill hundreds of Bat Wing Sorcery Dragons, yet these dragons were like shadows. Whenever the Sword Spirit Dragon struck with its sword, they would very aptly scatter, leaving a space precisely where the Sword Qi passed through, despite flying densely together! This bizarre phenomenon reminded Zhu Minng of the time at Dragon Taming Academy¡¯ske when he was catching Blue-spotted Fish Fiends. The whiskers that Blue-spotted Fish Fiends possessed could transmit danger signals to theirpanions, allowing the other fish to dodge lethal attacks, dispersing like ripples. But these Bat Wing Sorcery Dragons, apparently, were notmunicating crisis through any long whiskers by their mouths. Zhu Minng had also tried to scatter some of the Bat Wing Sorcery Dragons hovering in the air, but even the individual dragons could dodge the Sword Spirit Dragon¡¯s onught! Could creatures of a lower rank move effortlessly under the pressure of a Monarch Level Sword Spirit?? Although in nature, rank and cultivation base don¡¯t strictly follow a step-by-step hierarchy, there is still a huge difference in strength between Monarch Level and Dragon General Level. In usual circumstances, the Sword Spirit Dragon could even kill Semi-Monarch Level creatures with one sword strike. There had to be something strange. These Mourning Dragons were definitely not as straightforward as they seemed. Zhu Minng calmed himself down. He knew the more anxious he became, the harder it would be to deal with these sinister killing creatures. He used his Spiritual Sense to closely observe these dizzying Bat Wing Sorcery Dragons. Faced with the threat of the Sword Spirit Dragon, these dragons didn¡¯t dare to fly too low. They were just like a swarm of flies that could never be chased away, lingering in the sky above. ¡°Is it their dodging ability that is extraordinary, or is it foresight, or do they possess some kind of collective air current?¡± Zhu Minng kept his cool as he pondered. Not even one Bat Wing Sorcery Dragon could be killed. Faced with arge group of Dragon General Level Mourning Dragons, Zhu Minng found himself helpless. If he couldn¡¯t uncover the secret of these Bat Wing Sorcery Dragons quickly, he feared he would not be able to leave this ce! Zhu Minng attempted to strike with his sword again, from the Firefly Sword Technique to the Sword Spirit Dragon releasing sword shadows to attack. In the night sky, one could see the figure of the Sword Spirit Dragon change from slender to huge, then transforming into countless sweeping Sword Lights¡­ The de was sharp, Jian Hong was overbearing, Sword Qi rampaging. In the end, not even a single scale of the Bat Wing Sorcery Dragons was harmed. The pping of their wings created an immensely irritating noise, and their ws, rubbing against each other during flight, sounded like humans sharpening knives and forks at the dining table. Zhu Minng felt a touch of irritation in his heart, but he still tried his best to stay calm. Leveraging the power generated by the Sword Spirit Dragon¡¯s recent strikes, he calmly watched the flight trajectories of this group of Mourning Dragons. When geese migrate, they move in flocks because as they p their wings, they create a warm, upward air current that ensures each goose can ride this migratory stream, conserving a great deal of energy while maintaining the correct direction. Any geese that fall out of formation are unlikely to reach their destination. Zhu Minng noticed that around these Bat Wing Sorcery Dragons, there was also a current simr to the migratory stream circling. This circting current was maintaining its position in the air and hadn¡¯t descended to the cliff area. This could exin why they didn¡¯t dare to fly low and why they didn¡¯t dare to recklessly attack the other people on the ground. The Bat Wing Sorcery Dragons flew at speeds that far exceeded their level, likely due to the swirling air currents. However, there was still one thing that left Zhu Minng quite confused. The swirling currents indeed made the movements of these Bat Wing Sorcery Dragons uniform, like a group of vultures in the desert maintaining their keen sense of death, but how did they avoid his Flying Sword? Logically speaking, the speed at which the Sword Spirit Dragon was unsheathed should have been faster than these Bat Wing Sorcery Dragons riding the swirling currents. ¡°Squeak, squeak, squeak, squeak, squeak, squeak, squeak!!!!!¡± The Bat Wing Sorcery Dragons began to swoop downward, forming a dense, spinning ck cloud that spread the swirling currents toward the ground, indicating that the territory of the Sorcery Dragons would soon broaden. They were nning to attack the others on the ground, and Zhu Minng, standing on the cliff, was directly overlooked by them. Those strange calls seemed to contain a hint of mockery towards Zhu Minng, a Monarch Level Dragon Shepherd. It seemed to know that he was a strong human and that even all the power of the Bat Wing Sorcery Dragonsbined might not be enough to kill him. But they could simply bypass this strong man and attack the weaker targets. ¡°Zhu Minng!¡± Nan Yuso, who was leading the way, called out. Once the Bat Wing Sorcery Dragons flew down, they couldn¡¯t advance, and everyone else would be injured. The Divine Green Holy Dragon, the Giant Elephant Dragon, and the ck Ocean Violent Dragon probably couldn¡¯t withstand an attack by so many Bat Wing Sorcery Dragons. ¡°Just give me a little more time,¡± Zhu Minng replied. The Bat Wing Sorcery Dragons had already covered the top of the cliff. Their sharp fangs and poisonous ws seemed to already be scratching at people¡¯s necks. Song Luo, Fang Niannian, Li Xinghua, the fortress girls, and Hu Bailing all showed signs of panic, as the Sorcery Dragons were so hideously ferocious. Zhu Minng breathed deeply, recalling how the old predecessors had always told him that in the face of any creature in this world, even the most insignificant mosquito in the swamp, one must not be careless, for their poison could leave even those with a high cultivation base in a state of high fever and weakness¡­ Zhu Minng was well aware that these Bat Wing Sorcery Dragons weren¡¯t strong in their cultivation base or power. As long as he found their secret, a single sword could annihte hundreds of them, and it wouldn¡¯t take much time to eradicate the entire swarm of Bat Wing Sorcery Dragons. There had to be something beyond the swirling currents. Zhu Minng¡¯s ck eyes fixed on the ugly group of Bat Wing Sorcery Dragons. The more urgent the situation, the more one needed to remain calm andposed! ¡°Group flight, current flow¡­¡± ¡°Their flight is uniform.¡± ¡°It seems too uniform.¡± ¡°No, not uniform it¡¯s identical!¡± The movements werepletely consistent, especially during the times when Zhu Minng unsheathed his sword. With this realization, Zhu Minng immediatelymanded the Sword Spirit Dragon to strike at the Bat Wing Sorcery Dragons again and arrived at a more urate answer. In the vast swarm of Bat Wing Sorcery Dragons, every single one of them dodged the Sword Spirit Dragon¡¯s attack with the exact same movements and posture! This meant that, no matter how many there were, there was a leader within the group of Bat Wing Sorcery Dragons! All the other Bat Wing Sorcery Dragons were being led by this leader!!! Chapter 275 - 276: Massacre of the Bat Wing Sorcery Dragons Chapter 275: Chapter 276: Massacre of the Bat Wing Sorcery Dragons Trantor: 549690339 ¡°I see!¡± ¡°I see!!¡± Zhu Minng cracked a smile. Finally, I¡¯ve caught your secret! It was the Mourning Dragon Leader with bat wings that was guiding the entire massive vortex of Bat Wing Sorcery Dragons, and all the other Mourning Dragons were imitating the Mourning Dragon Leader¡¯s movements like shadows. This meant that as long as the Mourning Dragon Leader saw the attack of the Sword Spirit Dragon and dodged it. All the shadow-following Bat Wing Sorcery Dragons would dodge as well!! They were using the spiraling air currents to stabilize their flight paths and activity space. Then, it was up to the Mourning Dragon Leader to guide all the Mourning Dragons¡¯ flying movements and dodging gestures. As for being well-coordinated and well-trained, they were nothing but a bunch of puppets on strings, and once the strings were cut, they were just a pile of broken wood! At this point, Zhu Minng didn¡¯t need to be troubled by the Bat Wing Sorcery Dragons flying all over the sky anymore; what he had to do was merely find that Mourning Dragon Leader. The cultivation base of this Mourning Dragon Leader must be at the Monarch Level, which was why it could dodge the Sword Spirit Dragon¡¯s attacks. But it was one thing to lead its puppets to dodge the Sword Spirit Dragon¡¯s sword power; if Zhu Minng targeted the Mourning Dragon Leader itself, the oue would bepletely different! ¡°Found you,¡± Zhu Minng¡¯s eyes sparkled with confident light. He deliberately pretended to be furiously embarrassed, guiding the Sword Spirit Dragon with his finger and randomly hacking at these Bat Wing Sorcery Dragons. The swordsmanship was somewhat chaotic, but it was within these seemingly non-threatening flying sword techniques that the most terrifying killing move was hidden! This sword move, suddenly ring up like a flood dragon emerging from the sea, was imposing and magnificent to the extreme. The sword Qi Hong even lit up the cliff corridor shrouded in darkness!! The target was directed at one of them within the Mourning Dragon Army. It looked no different from other Bat Wing Sorcery Dragons, but it had exposed itself when it led the Bat Wing Mourning Dragon ns to attack the others on the ground! This Bat Wing Leader wanted to use its cultivation base to kill the Giant Elephant Dragon first, so that the other Dragon Beasts wouldn¡¯t pose much of a threat to its Bat Wing Mourning Dragon group¡­ It was this thought that revealed the powerful aura that far surpassed that of the other Bat Wing Sorcery Dragons. Of course, the surge of its aura was not very noticeable. Under normal circumstances, with so many Mourning Dragons as cover, it would not be easy to detect its uniqueness amidst such a chaotic assortment of auras. But Zhu Minng had already discovered their secret, so he no longer needed to pay attention to things that could confuse his judgment, like sound, wings, air currents, eyes, and magic shadows. He only needed to focus on this one thing! With such high concentration, the Mourning Dragon Leader would be immediately locked onto by Zhu Minng as soon as it revealed the slightest w! It had to be said that a Dragon Shepherd¡¯s spiritual sense was far superior in insight to that of a God and Mortal, especially since Zhu Minng now possessed the Spiritual Spring Realm, and would not easily overlook the subtle details around him so long as he concentrated. ¡°Buzz!!!!¡± This sword carried a resonance of heaven and earth, trembling and stirring the space where the cliff stood. It started like the crash of waves against a cliff, thunderously vibrating, and as the sword flew, it became sharp and piercing, channeling all of its previously immense momentum into the tip of the sword, where the power erupted, tearing apart everything in a point, in a line!! ¡°Swoosh!!!!!¡± Two distinct sounds of a sword cutting through the air, from the overwhelming roar to a faint chirp like a bird¡¯s call. With the second sound, a hole appeared in the back of the Bat Wing Mourning Dragon Leader¡¯s skull, piercing through from the front of its face, and blood then sprayed out! The face of this Bat Wing Mourning Dragon Leader, resembling both human and bat, always carried a sinister smirk that sent shivers down one¡¯s spine. It probably felt it was toying with Zhu Minng, leaving him, a Monarch Level Dragon Shepherd,pletely helpless, and the ugly face of this Bat Wing Mourning Dragon Leader still wore a hint of mockery and ridicule, as if such hunting further highlighted the superiority of their n! Yet it could never have imagined that Zhu Minng¡¯s sword was swinging towards it. With thousands of Bat Wing Mourning Dragons near this cliffside, why did he target it, killing it with a single strike! He had been toying with this human just before¡­ Although the human had high cultivation, he should have been no match for them! With its head pierced through, the Bat Wing Mourning Dragon Leader fell to the ground, its body stiffening, its neck still twitching. In thest few seconds before death, it looked up at the cliff, watching that human. Just then, Zhu Minng once again led the Sword Spirit Dragon, performing an incredibly gorgeous disy of swordsmanship. The Sword Spirit Dragon conjured hundreds upon thousands of sparkling sword shadow glows in mid-air like dazzling fireflies, a dense, intertwining spectacle. They mirrored the Sword Spirit Dragon¡¯s body perfectly, in the angle of the sword de, the flight trajectory, even forming a huge circling stream, just like the previous swarm of Bat Wing Mourning Dragons! ¡°Firefly Sword ¨C Coiling Dragon¡± Coiling Dragon soaring high, a sky filled with the twinkling brightness of sword shadows, all following the ¡°Leader of Swords¡±¡ªthe Sword Spirit Dragon¡ªin a dance, while those Bat Wing Mourning Dragons perched in the air above the cliff had turned into headless flies. Facing this astounding Flying Sword Technique, they exhibited their survival instincts, scurrying aimlessly in disarray! Three thousand sword shadows formed an immense vortex, which seemed slow in its overall movement, yet it ughtered the thousands of Bat Wing Mourning Dragons. Blood turned into a rain of gore, streaming down the sides of the cliff, and bodies kept falling,nding on both sides of the long cliff path¡­ Song Luo and Hu Bailing, watching Zhu Minng dancing with the flying sword on the cliffside, were instantly struck with awe at the sight of a heavenly being. So many Bat Wing Mourning Dragons were ughtered in an instant¡ªwhat grand mastery and meticulous control over his sword techniques must he possess? And on the ground, that Mourning Dragon Leader, struggling meaninglessly at death¡¯s door, widened its eyes in shock, unable to close them in rest. It was probably the most astonished of all, because not only did this human discern the secret of their Bat Wing Mourning Dragon ns, but he also used that secret toprehend a powerful set of sword techniques! The swirling momentum. Three thousand sword shadows led by one sword, all moving in unison, and the range of attack expanded with the spreading Sword Qi! It wouldn¡¯t have mattered if the Mourning Dragons still had their leader or not. They would have been like headless flies and likely couldn¡¯t have dodged the Firefly Coiling Dragon Sword!! ¡°Boom!!!!!¡± The giant foot of the Giant Elephant Dragon stepped over the corpse of the Bat Wing Mourning Dragon Leader, crushing it into mincemeat. The remaining Bat Wing Mourning Dragons fell like rain, and when they touched the cliff and ground, there was no struggle, for they were already dead before they hit! Having exited the long cliff path and left Stone Vige behind, everyone still hadn¡¯t recovered from the shock of that supreme disy of swordsmanship. They thought they were surely doomed, never expecting to escape from the clutches of the Mourning Dragon ns, and least of all did Hu Bailing and Song Luo imagine that Zhu Minng could be so powerful!! Chapter 276 - 277 Water Shortage Chapter 276: Chapter 277 Water Shortage Trantor: 549690339 The most important thing is that Zhu Minng seems to still have an iparably powerful White Dragon, which is obstructing the advance of the Shadow Funeral Dragon Army. If it were just the Sword Spirit Dragon being formidable, that would be one thing, but that White Dragon appears to be a celestial being in its own right. Facing the Shadow Funeral Dragon Army alone, it ughtered over a hundred without so much as a scratch before making a full retreat! Along theplex mountain forests, everyone fought their way through to carve out a path. Scattered Mourning Dragons did not dare to approach Zhu Minng and the others easily. Having shaken off the pursuit of the Mourning Dragons, for a moment they did not know where they were, as the terrain here is extremely winding, and one misstep into a ravine could lead to an obscure valley that is very difficult to find an exit from. The night was deep, the forest still, surrounded by towering mountains that reached for the starry night sky, whileyers of strange ridges and rock barriers seemed to separate this ce from the outside world. In order not to lead the Mourning Dragons all the way back to the First Vige in Pear Blossom Gully, they did not return the way they came during their escape. Using these valley rock barriers, they had barely managed to shake off the relentless pursuit of the Mourning Dragons, finally giving them a chance to rest for a while. ¡°The streams in the valley have all been contaminated,¡± said Song Luo after walking around. He discovered there was nothing they could directly drink. Fortunately, Fang Niannian kept herposure in the face of imminent danger, tearing off a string of water dders from the trembling beasts, or else the panting group probably would not have had a drop to drink. The amount of water humans need to drink is notrge, but not every Dragon Beast is a water buffalo; without water to drink after a battle, it would be difficult to sustain the fighting that follows. ¡°No one expected things to turn out this way. s, the whole vige¡­,¡± sighed Hu Bailing, his gaze involuntarily falling on the young girl from the vige. The vige girl had already passed out from exhaustion; she likely witnessed how Stone Vige fell. But what use was it knowing these things? It was all toote. Nan Yuso¡¯s Immortal Rabbit Dragon was very busy, moving between several Dragon Beasts, casting spells to heal the wounds inflicted by the Mourning Dragons. The scars left by the Mourning Dragons all had a certain amount of corrosiveness, which posed some obstacles to the Healing Mystical Art of the Immortal Rabbit Dragon. It needed to use some purifying medicinal water for wiping first. Only after the corrosive effect on the surface had been neutralized could the wounds begin to heal. ¡°Yuu¡± Little White hadn¡¯t suffered much damage; the small Holy Armor Zhu Minng had crafted for it yed a key role. Otherwise, it would have been difficult for it to emerge unscathed. The attacks from the Mourning Dragons could basically not prate the Feiyu Holy Armor. Zhu Minng took some small Stardust Fragments in his hand, feeding them to Little White on his shoulder like pine cones. Little White chewed on them, looking especially adorable with its fawn-like cheeks puffing out. Good thing Little White was so tough! If the Shadow Funeral Dragon Army had surged forth, none of them would have had a chance to escape. After reconstructing its bloodline, Little White¡¯s strength had increased. The power of each one of these Shadow Funeral Dragons was equivalent to a Lord-level Creature, and they were extremely cunning and treacherous. Faced with hundreds of these Shadow Funeral Dragons, Little White felt that if it weren¡¯t concerned for the safety of others, given a bit more time, it could have even eliminated all of them. Of course, Zhu Minng did not dare to take risks. After all, the Mourning Dragon collective was not limited to just the Shadow Funeral Dragons and Bat Wing Sorcery Dragons. After killing a Bat Wing Sorcery Dragon, Zhu Minng sensed an even more terrifying Mourning Dragon aura from the depths of Stone Vige. Moreover, the Shadow Funeral Dragons were continuouslying from other stone walls, truly making it unwise to linger in battle. ¡°Around here, there are still no demons emerging,¡± Zhu Minng said. This indicated that the valley was still within the range of Mourning Dragon activity, causing the vast majority of Demon Spirits and Demon Spirits to keep a respectful distance. Now the best course of action was to wait here for daylight. Day broke, and the Mourning Dragons¡¯ ability to stealth greatly decreased; they could better react to any situation that arose. The night was long, and due to being in the mountains, it was noticeably colder here than in the area around Runyu City. At Dawn, Zhu Minng realized that water was indeed a huge problem; the water that Fang Niannian had rescued was already drunk up, and moving forward they had no water to drink¡­ The Sword Spirit Dragon didn¡¯t drink water, but the Ice Morning White Dragon, the Divine Green Holy Dragon, the Lei Cang Violent Dragon, as well as Nan Yuso¡¯s Chi Dragon and the Fire Kilin Dragon all needed to drink water. They had to find a clean water source; otherwise, their strength would diminish greatly. ¡°You all rest for a bit, I will go look for an uncontaminated stream,¡± Zhu Minng, who had taken a brief nap, immediately set into action. ¡°Young master, let me go with you,¡± Li Xinghua said. ¡°It¡¯s fine, you sleep a bit more,¡± Zhu Minng shook his head. ¡°With your terrible sense of direction, do you even know where to find water? Let your elder sister guide you instead,¡± Nan Yuso said from the side, without a trace of amiability in her voice. Zhu Minng thought about it, realizing he indeed had no clear target at all, naught but wandering aimlessly amidst theplicated mountain valleys; having the Prophet Auntie with him would make things much better. Apanied by Li Xinghua, Zhu Minng walked deeper into the empty valley. Whilst Zhu Minng was unclear what this mountain valley led to, Li Xinghua walked into it with certainty. There were several streams within the mountain valley, all of them contaminated by the toxic venom of the Mourning Dragons. The Mourning Dragons possessed extremely high intelligence, and they seemed to be using these waters of life to shrink the living space for all creatures. Even those Demon Spirits hiding in caves were forced to venture out in search of water, only to be caught by the Mourning Dragons. Within the forest of the empty valley, one could see the corpses of wild beasts, their murky and poisonous aura not only contaminating the flowing waters but also making the morning mist incredibly turbid. The dew on the leaves appeared extremely odd as well. Zhu Minng picked a mountain pear, peeled it, and handed half to Li Xinghua, saying, ¡°When wee back, we should gather all these mountain pears; they can somewhat replenish our water supply.¡± ¡°There are Ancient Relics within Pear Blossom Gully,¡± Li Xinghua remarked. Zhu Minng halted in his tracks and looked at Li Xinghua. Li Xinghua pointed towards the depths of the empty and vast mountain valley, then continued, ¡°A group of Mourning Dragons took refuge in Pear Blossom Gully, inadvertently entering the Ancient Ruins. Consequently, their entire tribe underwent metamorphosis within the ruins, evolving into the even more terrifying form we see now.¡± Zhu Minng hadn¡¯t considered thisyer. With Ancient Ruins, it meant that Ancient Lantern Jade from the Superior God might exist. Moreover, it was said that within these Ancient Ruins, many unimaginable spiritual resources existed, simr to those found in the Dragon Country in the clouds. If one searched deeply enough, they would surely reap immense benefits! ¡°If we were to find these Ancient Ruins, perhaps we could find a way inside to deal with these Mourning Dragons?¡± Zhu Minng asked. Those Mourning Dragons from Pear Blossom Gully became so powerful, there had to be a reason, especially those Shadow Funeral Dragons; their own cultivation base wasn¡¯t actually that strong, but due to the existence of the shadows, they were extremely dangerous. If they could find a cure for the toxin of the Polluted Night Mourning Dragons, or figure out the origin of those shadows, eradicating these Mourning Dragons would be much simpler! Chapter 277 - 278 I Believe in Your Metaphysics Chapter 277: Chapter 278 I Believe in Your Metaphysics Trantor:549690339 ¡°Last night, I observed the stars,¡± Li Xinghua said. ¡°The area that reflects down to earth is deep within this valley.¡± ¡°Okay, then let¡¯s go take a look,¡± Zhu Minng nodded. A clean water source alone isn¡¯t enough to save everyone in Pear Blossom Gully. The Mourning Dragon is currently using the Polluted Night Sacrifice Dragon to contaminate all of Pear Blossom Gully¡¯s water sources, forcing the vigers to leave in search of water. Once they lose the protection of the vige walls and can no longer stand united, the vige will soon fall to the Mourning Dragon. Walking along the deste valley, Zhu Minng gradually felt an unusual wind, one that carried a different temperature from the chill of the valley, striking the skin even more keenly! ¡°Ancient Ruins present a state of spatial disorder, containing some unusual energies that break through prohibitions, creating spatial cracks. These cracks serve as secret passages we can enter, and we should be at that location now,¡± Li Xinghua exined to Zhu Minng. ¡°Is the Ancient Ruins an independent space?¡± Zhu Minng asked. ¡°No, the Ancient Ruins are simply shielded by a forbidding regtion that istes everything, even stopping the passage of time. Thousands, even tens of thousands of years may pass in the outside world, but within the Ancient Ruins, everything seems to remain as it was at the moment of their creation,¡± Li Xinghua said. ¡°So, the world inside the Ancient Ruins could possibly be as it was thousands, tens of thousands, or even hundreds of thousands of years ago?¡± Zhu Minng asked, somewhat surprised. ¡°Yes, but the conditions for such areas to form are extremely harsh. They often ur when a huge floating continent collides and merges with an ancient celestial body, with the vast impact causing time itself to lose order,¡± Li Xinghua continued. Zhu Minng was dizzy with confusion. A continent colliding with a celestial body? The destructive force from such an event would be enough to wipe out all life! Zhu Minng couldn¡¯t really believe that such a terrifying sight could exist. His understanding of the world was limited to the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent. Yet, ording to Li Xinghua, the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent was definitely not the only continent in this world! ¡°Because the rules of time are jumbled within the ruins, there are Spiritual Objects that may experience reverse growth over time. For example, the Ice and Snow Lotus that ismonly found in our world, is a Ten Thousand Year Snow Lotus in the Ancient Ruins. Some creatures that would need tens of thousands of years of cultivation to be holy could, within the Ancient Ruins, possibly only need a few short years,¡± Li Xinghua said. Zhu Minng was now gradually realizing that time is the most powerful force in the world. A hundred years makes a demon, a thousand years a devil, ten thousand years a holy being. Simrly, Spiritual Objects that can enhance one¡¯s Cultivation Base in nature often require the nurturing of time: a hundred-year nt, a thousand-year fruit, a ten thousand-year flower¡­ But time is often the most difficult to control. Thirty years of arduous practice, a lifetime of seeking the Dao, and yet there are so many cultivators in the world. The truly powerful Spiritual Objects born of nature all require time to ferment. Holy Spirits are rare. And so are Ten Thousand Year Spiritual Objects. The ability of a Dragon Shepherd to elerate the cultivation speed of their dragon pets in the Spirit Realm is already a rare capability. This has made Dragon Shepherds the most distinguished and honored of all cultivators on this continent. But the existence of the Ancient Ruins simplifies the pursuit of ten-thousand-year treasures and millennia of cultivation. Every nt and tree there could be a treasure worth an entire city! Of course, because of these rules, the creatures within the Ancient Ruins are likely to be extremely terrifying beings Ten Thousand Year Holy Spirits and even creatures that have lived for a hundred thousand years!! Listening to Li Xinghua talk about the ¡°infinite possibilities¡± within the Ancient Ruins, Zhu Minng felt a mix of excitement and palpitations. ording to his sister-inw¡¯s words, the probability of encountering a Dragon King inside the Ancient Ruins was quite high. Would he be pped to death by a Dragon King? ¡°Cough cough, Minng, please divine for us before we proceed with our journey,¡± Zhu Minng said. Li Xinghua looked at Zhu Minng and couldn¡¯t help but smile. She said, ¡°Even you have fears, young master?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mind for myself, but I¡¯m mainly worried about who will take care of you all if something happens to me¡­¡± Zhu Minng replied. ¡°Since the Mourning Dragon has not been extinct in there, it shows that these Ancient Ruins are not a ce of great misfortune,¡± Li Xinghua answered, choosing to ignore the yful tone in Zhu Minng¡¯s words. ¡°You¡¯re a Prophet, how can you rely on logic to deduce? Better do a divination; I believe in your mysticism,¡± Zhu Minng insisted. Li Xinghua had never seen someone so steadfast! It wasn¡¯t that Li Xinghua was unwilling to prophecy, but previously, while in the vige and stargazing at night, she had expended a lot of energy. Moreover, the prohibitive restrictions of time disorder and chaos in the Ancient Ruins interfered with her divination capability, preventing her from reaching her usual level of uracy. After thinking for a moment, Li Xinghua took out a small silver coin and gently tossed it into the air, then pressed it against the back of her fair hand. ¡°What¡¯s this for?¡± Zhu Minng asked, puzzled. ¡°It¡¯s for testing our luck.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that a bit unprofessional? It feels like those girls who pluck flower petals to divine whether their crush reciprocates their feelings,¡± Zhu Minng said with a raised eyebrow. ¡°Which side do you want?¡± Li Xinghua asked, her lips pursing slightly in a stubborn manner. ¡°The side with the flower.¡± ¡°Here, the side with the flower,¡± Li Xinghua slowly moved her pale hand away, revealing the silver coin with the ginkgo flower pattern. ¡°So you mean to say our journey will be fortunate?¡± Zhu Minng said, smiling at the somewhat adorable sister-inw. ¡°Mhm, that¡¯s all I can tell for now,¡± Li Xinghua nodded. After hearing that, how could Zhu Minng not go? It was rare to see Li Xinghua show such interest in something. Probably, these Ancient Ruins were indeed very much in sync with her identity as a Prophet, and she could find the secrets of this world from the remnants thousands or even ten thousand years old. ¡°How about you throw it one more time?¡± As they walked, Zhu Minng suddenly turned his head and asked. ¡°The second attempt won¡¯t be effective,¡± Li Xinghua said. ¡°By the way, does plucking petals to see if someone likes you actually work?¡± Zhu Minng teased as they walked along. ¡°It works,¡± Li Xinghua replied. Zhu Minng immediately adopted a posture of eager attentiveness. Li Xinghua exined lightly, ¡°If the person you¡¯re interested in truly has affection for you, even the most obtuse person would get their answer from the other¡¯s words and actions. If you¡¯re unsure of their feelings, it means they haven¡¯t taken notice of you. The moment you pick up a petal, filled with doubt and anxiety, the oue is already negative.¡± Zhu Minng¡¯s mouth fell open, looking at Li Xinghua with some astonishment. So the Prophet sister-inw was also a cool-headed master of emotions. Chapter 278 - 279: Ancient Venom Fly Dragon Chapter 278: Chapter 279: Ancient Venom Fly Dragon Trantor:549690339 At the end of the valleyy a continuous stone wall. There were many cracks in this stone wall as if it had been crushed by some heavy object. The unusual chill that they had felt before seemed to surge from these very fissures. This was supposed to be a sheer cliff, and behind it should have been a thickyer of rock; logically, there shouldn¡¯t have been such an air current. ¡°It seems to be right here,¡± Zhu Minng said, pointing at the stone wall at the end of the valley. However, the cracks were actually notrge, and it was impossible for a person to pass through. Zhu Minng turned his gaze to Li Xinghua at his side. Li Xinghua approached the vast and extensive stone wall, and extended her palm to gently press it against the rocky barrier. At the same time, a faint light slowly emanated from the cracks, as if there was a hidden pool within the stone wall, and the light it emitted was like that of noctilucent algae. Soon, dense and intricate lines appeared on the continuous stone wall, following these dim trails of light, Zhu Minng saw a pitch-ck crack, resembling a secluded valley passage, hidden beneath that solidyer of rock! There were actually Ancient Ruins!! Gazing at that dark crevice, Zhu Minng could not help but walk curiously toward it. Li Xinghua¡¯s eyes also brightened, beautiful and confident, she followed at Zhu Minng¡¯s side, stepping into the spatial fissure hidden at the valley¡¯s end. Despite not knowing what the world abandoned by the years inside the crack was like, the desire to explore still dominated everything. ¡°The entrance to the Ancient Ruins generally has more than one opening. Those Mourning Dragons did not discover this fissure,¡± Li Xinghua told Zhu Minng. ¡°This crack, it shouldn¡¯t be one-way, right? Once we go in, we can¡¯te out?¡± Zhu Minng asked. ¡°No, it¡¯s just that some cracks may change, possibly disappearing or new ones may appear, but those are changes that ur only every few decades or centuries,¡± Li Xinghua exined. Entering the fissure, they were engulfed in darkness, and the surroundings felt somewhat cramped as though walking within a crevice of a giant rockyer. The previously biting wind attacked them, making the difort grow. Zhu Minng led the way, and after about ten minutes, the luminous glow akin to that of a hidden pool appeared in front of them again! Passing through the luminescent patterns of the pool, another valley materialized before their eyes. For an instant, Zhu Minng felt as if he and Li Xinghua had merely passed through the stone wall to another side of the valley. However, as they fully stepped into the valley and noticed everything was disproportionatelyrge, Zhu Minng then realized they had indeed entered the Ancient Ruins! The ¡®enormous¡¯ Zhu Minng referred to was everything he could see. The trees here were truly towering enough to overshadow the sun and cast the entire valley ruins into semi-darkness. Ahead was a dense thicket, yet walking within this growth, one would bepletely submerged. At times, what were once the most ordinary wild rabbits, were now asrge as adult oxen, their cute natures, in this ce, somehow frightening. ¡°There should be a stream up ahead,¡± Li Xinghua said. They made their way through the undergrowth, and a long valley stream appeared before them. To call it a stream was an understatement; it was no different from a river. In this ruin, everything seemed to have been magnified several times by the Creator¡ªeven the pebbles in the stream were the size of a human fist, not to mention the creatures within the stream! Zhu Minng saw a Long-necked Ancient Dragon, its shoulders alone measuring fifty meters in width, and that did not even ount for when it lifted its neck. Standing before such a creature, indeed, a person was no different from a mosquito. The Long-necked Ancient Dragon was drinking water. It was clearly a herbivorous creature and showed no interest in humans, such small beings. Even if one walked past it, the dragon would not attack. Zhu Minng took out the water bags he had prepared and gathered the clean water from this source. With Bai Qi¡¯s Universe Magic, he was able to carry enough water for all the people and dragons to drink for three days. Once he had enough water, Zhu Minng scooped up some stream water himself to taste, to see if there was anything different about the millennia-old water from the Ancient Ruins. Indeed, water was still water! ¡°Buzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz¡± A series of noisy sounds arose, and from the grassy woods that Zhu Minng and Li Xinghua had walked past, a swarm of ck-striped, red-headed poisonous flies emerged, attacking the gentle Long-necked Ancient Dragon! The poisonous flies wererge, the size of hawks in the outside world. When such flies swarmed together, the poison they carried was too much for even dragon beasts to withstand. Sure enough, it didn¡¯t take long for the Long-necked Ancient Dragon to be overwhelmed. The poison spread throughout its body, leaving it without the strength to flee. ¡°Look at the stream,¡± Li Xinghua said urgently, pointing at a spot. Some of the poisonous fly¡¯s venom had sprayed into the stream, and the water quickly showed signs of contamination¡­ However, it was unclear whether the streams of the Ancient Ruins possessed their own cleansing abilities or if nature¡¯s cycle here was remarkably fast. The contaminated stream recovered quickly without the pollution spreading to the entire stream. ¡°Buzz!!!!!!¡± A terribly noisy buzz rang out, and from the dense bush flew a ferocious and terrifying dragon¡ªit was a Poisonous Dragonfly! The Poisonous Dragonfly drove away the other poisonous flies and enjoyed the Long-necked Ancient Dragon by itself. It had a semi-transparent poison sac on its abdomen, very simr to the Polluted Night Mourning Dragon! Indeed, the fearsome and powerful Mourning Dragons of Pear Blossom Gully were originally from these Ancient Ruins. Some of the overly bizarre and dominant ancient creatures within the Ancient Ruins caused the Mourning Dragons, which should have gone extinct, to evolve, endowing them with terrifying abilities. Because these powers came from the ancients, it was difficult for humans to find countermeasures, and it was even harder to find antidotes in nature due to the absence of corresponding substances to counteract the poison. Since they had seen the Poisonous Dragonfly, finding an antidote wouldn¡¯t be hard, as most highly toxic creatures had antidotes in their habitat. This wasmon knowledge in nature, not because highly poisonous creatures feared poisoning themselves and thus ced antidotes nearby. Rather, it was because these creatures carried terrible toxins which would undoubtedly have adverse effects on their surrounding environment. If certain nts and creatures coexisted peacefully, it inherently proved they had immunity to the toxins. Tracking the Poisonous Dragonfly, which had eaten its fill, Zhu Minng and Li Xinghua found its nest on a strange tree that looked covered in tumors. The Magic Tree was surprisinglyrge, with dozens of main trunks and hundreds, if not thousands of branches. The size of each branch wasparable to the trunks of ancient pines! ¡°These resins can detoxify,¡± Li Xinghua said with certainty. Without hesitating, Zhu Minng immediately had Little White grind its ws on the thick tree bark, while he used an empty water bag to collect an adequate amount of tree resin. With this resin, the water source of Pear Blossom Gully could be purified! At least, a major crisis was alleviated! Chapter 279 - 280: Demon Awakening Fruit Chapter 279: Chapter 280: Demon Awakening Fruit Trantor:549690339 Leaving the territory of the Poisonous Dragonfly, Zhu Minng didn¡¯t want to provoke this terrifying creature. After all, having obtained the detoxifying resin, the Polluted Night Sacrifice Dragon was no longer a fatal threat. Not long after stepping out, the sky above the valley shaded by therge trees suddenly filled with a swarm of Mourning Dragons. Some of them had bat wings, enabling them to fly directly through the air, while others sped along those towering trees with incredible velocity! They were the Shadow Funeral Dragons and Bat Wing Sorcery Dragons! Within the Ancient Ruins, these Mourning Dragons seemed to have established their own territory, and it was uncertain whether they were out hunting or returning to their nests at this moment. Zhu Minng and Li Xinghua didn¡¯t think too much about it; to find a strategy against these powerful Mourning Dragons, they needed to locate the source of their strength. The toxicity of the Polluted Night Sacrifice Dragon was spreading, and nature was unable to cycle and filter it because its poison came from the Ancient Venom Fly Dragon¡ªa toxin far too ancient¡­ The Shadow Funeral Dragons were the main force attacking the entire Pear Blossom Gully. They excelled at camouge and cooperative hunting, but most importantly, despite having only the strength of a junior grade, they could unleash the power of a Lord Level with the Evil Spirit Shadow swirling around them! What exactly was that shadow? Could it be a talent evolved by the Shadow Funeral Dragons in these Ancient Ruins? If there truly were no countermeasures, they might have to consider relocating the people of Pear Blossom Gully. However, relocation for most ns wasn¡¯t much different from extinction. Leaving thend they relied on for survival, losing their living skills, they would find it hard to establish a foothold, easily falling into destitution. Following the dragon swarm, Zhu Minng quickly noticed that these dragons did not possess that Demonic Qi. The ferocious Shadow Funeral Dragons they had encountered earlier emitted Evil Qi that closely entwined their bodies, like a bat Demon God, endowing them with greater explosive power, even when merely sprinting or coordinating an ambush¡ªthe Demonic Qi was very potent. Yet this group of Mourning Dragons, hurrying toward a certain location, seemed tock this Demonic Qi. Zhu Minng and Li Xinghua pursued them, both feeling that this shadow power was strange¡ªit wasn¡¯t innate, and some Mourning Dragons had it while others did not. Following the Mourning Dragon Army, Zhu Minng and Li Xinghua arrived at a cliff in the valley of the ruins that hung in the air! This hanging cliff was very peculiar. It was about fifty meters above the ground; at first nce, it seemed as though the entire cliff was suspended in the air. However, upon approaching, one would discover that beneath the cliff, there grew a type of tough vine. These vines, like the beams under some cliffside vis,pletely supported the cliff¡­ ¡°Am I seeing things, or do you also feel the cliff is rising?¡± Zhu Minng asked. ¡°It is indeed floating higher. Those tough vines are still growing, and in the process, they¡¯re lifting the cliff even higher,¡± Li Xinghua said. Surely this was a feature of the Ancient Ruins¡ªwhere even the vine nts were wildly vigorous! In the outside world, vines grew inpliance with nature, especially in ces obstructed by robust stones and rocks. They would flexibly wind around, searching for cracks to prate. The ancient vines here grew any way they wanted, with the mountain cliff pressing on top, they were lifting the entire cliff away! ¡°Those Mourning Dragons are eating the fruits of the vines,¡± Li Xinghua pointed out the Sky Support Vines. ¡°They¡¯re in such a rush just to fill their bellies here? That¡¯s not right, Mourning Dragons are carnivorous, and they don¡¯t eat anything that¡¯s not alive. How could they possiblye here to eat vegetarian fruit??¡± Zhu Minng said. All dragons are very particr about their food. Just as people cannot possibly live on eating sand, dragons likewise cannot absorb nutrients from food that does not suit their physical conditions. ¡°Have you noticed any changes in them?¡± Li Xinghua seemed to have noticed something and pointed to several Mourning Dragons emitting Demonic Qi from their bodies. The Demonic Qi slowly emerged around these Mourning Dragons; previously many of them did not exude this aura, but after consuming the fruits of the Sky Support Vine, they gradually gained this power¡­ ¡°Demon Awakening Fruits. So, these haven¡¯tpletely disappeared after all!¡± At this moment, an old and tired voice came from behind Zhu Minng. Zhu Minng was already used to it; it was surely Mr. Jinli. Mr. Jinli slowly moved his body, hisrge fish eyes staring at the Sky Support Vine below the cliff and then he continued, ¡°Demon Awakening Fruits can awaken the Power of the Demon God and greatly enhance one¡¯s strength. Generally, only dragons with special attributes can benefit from consuming them, and Demon Awakening Fruits are also one-time use.¡± ¡°These Mourning Dragons have eaten Demon Awakening Fruits, so they have strong Shadow Funeral powers, turning them into Lord Level Shadow Funeral Dragons,¡± Zhu Minng frowned. The Shadow Funeral power came from these Demon Awakening Fruits. In other words, those Mourning Dragons that used the Shadow Funeral and lost their powerful Evil Qi would enter the Ancient Ruins from other cracks and thene here to eat Demon Awakening Fruits. The problem was, there were quite a number of Demon Awakening Fruits, enough to sustain the Mourning Dragon Army¡¯s repeated visits here. ¡°What are you still dawdling for, Zhu Minng, are you going to wait until these guys spoil all the good stuff?¡± Mr. Jinli said somewhat irritably. ¡°Should we not observe them a bit longer?¡± Zhu Minng asked. ¡°It¡¯s true that Demon Awakening Fruits grow in patches quite nicely, but after one batch grows, who knows how long it will take for another to appear. Are you really willing to watch the Mourning Dragons gorge themselves until they burp and not even attempt to take all these rare Demon Awakening Fruits in one go? It¡¯s hard to say whether it will work for other dragons, but the Divine Green Holy Dragon will definitely gain Demon Awakening powers if it eats them,¡± Mr. Jinli said. ¡°Mr. Jinli makes a good point. After all, if they obtain the Shadows, the ones who will suffer in the end are the people of Pear Blossom Gully,¡± Li Xinghua also nodded in agreement. ¡°Alright then, I¡¯ll leave the Sword Spirit Dragon here to protect you,¡± Zhu Minng said. Li Xinghua shook her head and responded, ¡°I¡¯ll be fine.¡± ¡°Hurry up and go, what are you dawdling for? She¡¯s a Prophet. If you, Zhu Minng, die a thousand times in the wheel of fate, not a single hair on her head would be harmed,¡± Mr. Jinli said impatiently. Despite his words, Zhu Minng still left behind two Great Protectors, cktooth and Qing Zhuo, to ensure Li Xinghua¡¯s safety. He then proceeded with the Sword Spirit Dragon and the Ice Morning White Dragon towards the suspended cliff below! In fact, taking action now seemed rather appropriate. Many Mourning Dragons were still climbing the Sky Support Vines, and they had no Evil Spirit Shadows on them, meaning that the strength of thisrge group of Mourning Dragons was only at the General Level at the moment! Stopping them now and killing them before they could obtain the power of the Demon Awakening Fruits would indeed be several times easier than dealing with them afterward. Moreover, even Mr. Jinli thought the fruits were valuable¡­ Not taking all of them would be inconsistent with one¡¯s established style in the world! Chapter 280 - 281 Cat and Mouse Game Chapter 280: Chapter 281 Cat and Mouse Game Trantor:549690339 The Ice Morning White Dragon led the way, carrying a swath of snow-white ice fog that spread across the cliffs of Floating Mountain. It was indeed strange. Ordinary vegetation would instantly freeze into vine frost upon contact with such an extreme breath of ice, but these Sky Support Vines seemed unaffected, merely coated with a little white frost on their verdant skins. Those Mourning Dragons were not nearly as resistant to the cold. They eyed the approaching Ice Morning White Dragon warily, and when they realized it wasing for them, they let out sharp cries! Quickly, the Mourning Dragons prepared for battle, climbing to different heights on the Sky Support Vines. Some swiftly crawled into the cliffs, while those with bat wings glided out to confront the unwee guest! These Demon Awakening Fruits were obviously treasured by them, not permitting any creature topete for them. ¡°Squeak squeak squeak!!!!!!¡± In flight, the Bat Wing Sorcery Dragons were extremely t, making them look like sharp ck des as they sliced through the canopies, severing branches and leaves. They maintained a long formation,unching attacks with rhythm. But to Zhu Minng, this rhythmic assault was an orderly death march. The Ice Morning White Dragon possessed a pair of feathered wings, which meant it could soar with the might of an eagle and make powerful swooping attacks, as well as dance through the air with the grace of dragonflies and butterflies, dodging enemy attacks while delivering lethal blows. In the sky, the Bat Wing Sorcery Dragons were no match for the Ice Morning White Dragon. Without even needing to cast a single spell or Profound Art, the Ice Morning White Dragon could kill all the Bat Wing Sorcery Dragons by simply expending a bit of its strength. ¡°These cunning creatures, Bai Qi, don¡¯t waste your time with those Bat Wing Sorcery Dragons, they are stealing the Demon Awakening Fruits!¡± Zhu Minng quickly noticed this. It turned out the Bat Wing Sorcery Dragons were purely on a suicide mission. They sensed the powerful aura of the Dragon King from the Ice Morning White Dragon and knew they were no match, but this tactic allowed the other Mourning Dragons time to enjoy the Demon Awakening Fruits. Just one fruit was enough for a Mourning Dragon to be a Shadow Funeral Dragon, wielding Lord Level strength. With their numerical advantage, they could even battle the Ice Morning White Dragon. ¡°Woosh¡± The Ice Morning White Dragon received themand, its majestic wings bursting with strength as it unfurled. The Ice Morning White Dragon descended like a white star, striking fiercely beneath the cliffs of Floating Mountain, plunging directly into the crowd of Mourning Dragons. Those Demon Awakening Fruits were not simply hanging from the Sky Support Vines. Each fruit was surrounded by a cage-like sphere of vines, protecting the fruit within. The Mourning Dragons had to patiently use their hooked ws and teeth to break open these cage-like spheres to enjoy the fruits. This gave Zhu Minng time. Without the shadowy transformation, these Mourning Dragons were nothing but Monarch Level creatures; facing Monarch Level strength, they had no chance to resist. The Mourning Dragons were clever, however. They came here for the Demon Awakening Fruits. Furthermore, they knew that only by consuming the fruits could they hope to contend with the Ice Morning White Dragon, so they rapidly dispersed among the Sky Support Vines, burrowing into them like moles into their burrows. ¡°They want to y a game of cat and mouse with us, but unfortunately, they¡¯ve chosen the wrong opponent,¡± Zhu Minng said with augh. If the Ice Morning White Dragon was the heavyset type like Big ck Tooth, it would have been quite difficult to deal with the Mourning Dragons using this method of approach. It might have chased them for half the day and only killed a few, and in the end, those crafty creatures might have stolen away all the Demon Awakening Fruits. However, the Ice Morning White Dragon was agile, keen, and swift. Its dragon pupils could move over a wide range, unlike humans who could only see directly in front of them and to their sides, leaving them with arge blind spot. And the sense of smell and hearing of the Ice Morning White Dragon were also at the level of a hunting animal. The Mourning Dragons might bury themselves under the vines without moving, but the scent they emitted while they were active, including saliva and dander, would linger on the vines. These traces all had a scent, not to mention some Mourning Dragons were actually afraid of higher beings, so whenever the Ice Morning White Dragon flew past them, they couldn¡¯t help but tremble, and the sound they made would be heard by the Ice Morning White Dragon. Stepping lightly like a cat, the Ice Morning White Dragon trod on the Sky Support Vine, hardly making a sound with its footsteps, and the vines did not bend under its weight. Walking elegantly forward, there was a ripe Demon Awakening Fruit right in front of the Ice Morning White Dragon, caged by the vine balls, and on the vine balls were the bite marks of a Mourning Dragon. The nose of the Ice Morning White Dragon, simr to that of a deer, twitched as it followed the scent. Behind Bai Qi, a row of hanging vines concealed a Mourning Dragon. When it saw the Ice Morning White Dragon following the trail of saliva it had left, this cunning Mourning Dragon even split its mouth in a sneer, as if mocking! ¡°Swipe!¡± Suddenly, the Ice Morning White Dragon, which had already passed by, flicked its tail with uncanny precision, stabbing towards the Mourning Dragon¡¯s head! For some reason, this originally delicate and soft tail had suddenly be hard and sharp, easily piercing through the skull of the Mourning Dragon. The Mourning Dragon hidden behind the hanging vines still had its mouth agape, showing its ugly teeth. Slowly, its shape became visible as the camouge from lying still dissipated due to the passing of its life! ¡°Hahh¡± The Ice Morning White Dragon opened its mouth and spewed out some ultra-cold particles from its throat. Upon touching the air, the particles instantly turned into a powerful crystalization, wrapping around the Demon Awakening Fruit and its enclosing vine ball. pping the vine ball hard with its ws, the Ice Morning White Dragon intended to break open the outer protection of the Demon Awakening Fruit and retrieve it. However, Bai Qi shattered only the ultra-cold crystals he had spat out; the extraordinarily tough vine ball did not break at all. ¡°Hmm???¡± Little Bai Qi himself was surprised. Could it be that the vine ball could only be gnawed open bit by bit with teeth? To pick all the Demon Awakening Fruits here, one¡¯s teeth would have to be worn as smooth as pebbles. ¡°Hmm¡± Little Bai Qi called out, summoning Zhu Minng to think of a solution. When it came to using brains, it was better to leave it to the master. ¡°Your ice can¡¯t freeze these vine balls till they crack?¡± Zhu Minng was also somewhat troubled. No wonder those Mourning Dragons had lingered here for so long, and only a few actually managed to eat the Demon Awakening Fruits. ¡°Hmm¡± Little Bai Qi indicated that it was better for him to stick to hunting Mourning Dragons, leaving the Demon Awakening Fruits for Zhu Minng to figure out. ¡°Fine, try to kill as many of these Mourning Dragons that haven¡¯t obtained the shadow as you can, and I¡¯ll call Qing Zhuo over,¡± Zhu Minng said. Chapter 281 - 282: Does the Sword Have Lungs? Chapter 281: Chapter 282: Does the Sword Have Lungs? The Demon Awakening Fruit was harder to obtain than I had imagined. While these Mourning Dragons were still unwilling to give up these fruits, we needed to quickly sweep away these treasures. ¡°Err!!!!!¡± ¡°Err!!!!!¡± A sharp, unpleasant cry came from above the cliffs. Zhu Minng looked up and saw a Mourning Dragon with an engorged neck, continuously making such strange noises. ¡°It¡¯s one of those Mourning Dragons that can imitate human cries,¡± Zhu Minng noticed something different about this particr dragon. At first, Zhu Minng thought this Trickster Dragon was directing the group of Mourning Dragons, but those dragons were just hiding in the vines, doing their best to avoid the dominant Ice Morning White Dragon. Could it be calling for otherpanions? Zhu Minng directed the Sword Spirit Dragon to go around from the back of the cliff and deal with this Trickster Dragon first. This kind of Mourning Dragon can not only imitate the cries for help from humans but also the calls of other creatures. The only purpose the Trickster Dragon with this ability has is to use this misery to lure in prey and theirpanions! Pear Blossom Gully had severalrge viges to speak of, not to mention countless small hamlets; it was feared that already hundreds of people had died to these deceptive cries for help. Weird, cruel, cunning, and vicious, this kind of Trickster Dragon was the most intolerable, and they were often the leaders of all Mourning Dragons! Sure enough, the Trickster Dragon was far stronger than the other Mourning Dragons, and its vignce was terrifying. The Sword Spirit Dragon flew quietly to the back of the cliff, but the Trickster Dragon had already sensed it and immediately vanished from Zhu Minng¡¯s sight. ¡°Can you find it?¡± Zhu Minngmunicated with the Sword Spirit Dragon using his thoughts. ¡°Swoosh¡± The Sword Spirit Dragon was in pursuit, but atop the cliff, with its odd-shaped rocks andyers uponyers of trees and vines, finding the Trickster Dragon was not an easy task. ¡°Bai Qi, you continue.¡± ¡°Leisurely¡± Little Bai seemed to really enjoy this cat-and-mouse game, not a pure sh of strength, but a contest of intelligence. Mourning Dragons were very good at camouge. When Zhu Minng first entered the First Vige of Pear Blossom Gully, he walked under the cliffs disguised by a few Mourning Dragons, and couldn¡¯t sense their presence at all. So for the Ice Morning White Dragon, finding these Mourning Dragons was indeed a challenge. It liked challenges; only then would it be more interesting. Zhu Minng had just left the Sky Support Vine area when he saw the Divine Green Holy Dragon carrying Li Xinghua over, followed by a perplexed Big ck Tooth. Big ck Tooth was looking around frantically, his gaze shifting from trees to flowers on the ground, then to the mountain vines, before he reached a conclusion. ¡°Oh!¡± Master, something is wrong. We¡¯ve shrunk! Big ck Tooth looked panicked, his front limbs slightly shorter than his hind limbs, not knowing where to ce them. ¡°Why did youe here? These Mourning Dragons are very cunning, it¡¯s best not to get close,¡± Zhu Minng asked. ¡°The Mourning Dragons are calling for that thing,¡± Li Xinghua pointed to the sky behind them. The trees were obstructing the view, and at first Zhu Minng didn¡¯t see what was behind, but after a while, he suddenly spotted through the gaps in the lush foliage a terrifying creature heading this way, its body covered in green and venom sacs swollen! It was the Ancient Venom Fly Dragon!!! The Poisonous Dragonfly didn¡¯t know how many years it had lived, but horns had actually grown on its skull! ¡°Sword Spirit Dragon, Sword Spirit Dragon, don¡¯t chase the Trickster Dragon, deal with the Ancient Venom Fly Dragon first, they are in cahoots!¡± Zhu Minng hurriedly shouted. Clearly having noticed Zhu Minng, the Poisonous Dragonfly wasn¡¯trge, but as a fly, it now had a physique akin to an elephant, which itself meant it had cultivated in these ruins for nearly ten thousand years! This guy was truly terrifying; neither the Divine Green Holy Dragon nor the Lei Cang Violent Dragon could possibly be its match. ¡°Pfft!!!!!¡± The poison sac of the Ancient Venom Fly Dragon writhed and it suddenly spewed scalding venom towards the ancient towering trees, instantly melting through thoserge trees that were hundreds of meters tall, let alone the leaves that vanished in a sh! Zhu Minng took Li Xinghua and the two dragons and hurried towards the floating cliff for escape. The Sky Support Vine truly lived up to its name; it was tough and rot-resistant, so even the potent venom sprayed by the Ancient Venom Fly Dragon couldn¡¯t make it decay. In the vine-covered cliffs, a streak of red light darted by as the Sword Spirit Dragon dived down from the cliff face, its sword body aiming straight at the Ancient Venom Fly Dragon. The fierce Sword Waves rippled outyer byyer with a retreating aura, forcing the Ancient Venom Fly Dragon to dare not approach any closer. ¡°Finish it, and we¡¯ll go for the Demon Awakening Fruit,¡± Zhu Minng said to the Sword Spirit Dragon. Positioned in front of the Ancient Venom Fly Dragon, the Sword Spirit Dragon emitted a chill all over its body, while the Ancient Venom Fly Dragon fixed its gaze on this special sword being, its green gem-like eyes focusing on the Sword Spirit Dragon. The Sword Spirit Dragon struck, as fast as lightning, piercing the sky. But to the Ancient Venom Fly Dragon, the actions of the Sword Spirit Dragon appeared incredibly slow; its multiple eyes could analyze any creature¡¯s movements perfectly, making anyplex, rapid, or sudden moves seem extremely slow in its mind. The Sword Spirit Dragon¡¯s attacks were easily dodged by the Ancient Venom Fly Dragon. Even with continuous strikes and a deluge of aggressive swordy, sword lights flooded the sky, yet the Ancient Venom Fly Dragon could find the gaps within the interwoven of sword lights. This perplexed and troubled the Sword Spirit Dragon greatly. Its speed should have been unmatched among creatures of the same level, yet the Poisonous Dragonfly dodged with ease as though, even if the Sword Spirit Dragon breached another realm and doubled its attack speed, it still couldn¡¯t scratch a single scale of the Ancient Venom Fly Dragon. Without Zhu Minng¡¯s guidance, the Sword Spirit Dragon could only fight on its own. But the Sword Spirit Dragon also possessed its own spiritual wisdom, and it could even have emotions! The Sword Spirit was very angry! Even as an Ancient Venom Fly Dragon, there was no reason it could evade its attacks so effortlessly! It had to be faster! And free from any predictability in its transformations! The Sword Spirit Dragon honed its sword speed, refusing to be made a fool of by an ancient creature! In fact, while the Sword Spirit Dragon was dissatisfied with its own speed, the Ancient Venom Fly Dragon was even more irate and confused. The opponents the Ancient Venom Fly Dragon had faced before were very strange, like the Rock Spirit Demon born out of a pile of rocks, or the giant flower that could swallow a Demon Dragon whole, but it had never encountered such an Artifact Spirit! During ancient times, although metal had already existed, a metal weapon transformed by human intelligence like this was absolutely impossible, not to mention an artifact that cultivated spiritual wisdom, let alone one that transformed into a dragon! Its poison was ineffective against the Sword Spirit Dragon. And the breath that could rot a living dragon¡¯s lungs was even more pointless to mention. Does a sword have lungs? Does it need to breathe? The Ancient Venom Fly Dragon was actually more frantic and agitated than the Sword Spirit Dragon. Why was the world so unfair, giving birth to such a wless spiritual being? And besides, its form was so sleek and beautiful! Chapter 282 - 283: The Sacred and the Demonic Chapter 282: Chapter 283: The Sacred and the Demonic ¡°These vine balls, protecting the Demon Awakening Fruit, are impervious to powerful Profound Arts, War Skills, and Magic. Those Mourning Dragons use their ws and teeth to slowly grind them open,¡± Zhu Minng said, pointing at the Demon Awakening Fruits, perplexed, while speaking to Li Xinghua. However, Li Xinghua¡¯s gaze told Zhu Minng that these cage-like vine balls might not be asplicated as he described. Only then did Zhu Minng turn his head and to his surprise, he found the vine balls were slowly opening by themselves. On the side, the pupil of the Divine Green Holy Dragon shone with brilliance, its ancient Green Scales glittering. The Divine Green Holy Dragon, murmuring softly, seemed to inherently possess the ability tomunicate with these ancient vines. Its low dragon whispers coaxed the stubborn vine balls to present the Demon Awakening Fruits of their own ord. Zhu Minng scratched his head. Was it that simple? Then these Demon Awakening Fruits, weren¡¯t they meant for the Divine Green Holy Dragon? The Mourning Dragons must have gained the powers of the Demon Awakening by sheer coincidence, and obviously, they were not weed by the Sky Support Vines. Reaching out, he picked a bright red Demon Awakening Fruit, Zhu Minng discovered it emitted a sweet fragrance. Looking at the full and tempting thin skin and pulp, he couldn¡¯t help wanting to take a bite and let the sweet juice saturate his taste buds. ¡°Don¡¯t eat it! Humans can¡¯t eat it, or Sky Support Vines will grow inside your stomach!¡± At that moment, Mr. Jinli shouted, waking Zhu Minng from his daze. Zhu Minng instantly regained his senses and felt a bit frightened when his gaze fell back on the fruit! He had been tempted by a fruit! It was inducing him to eat it, as though a tiny demon was whispering in his ear, eat this fruit and gain everything you desire, wealth, beauty, power, the ultimate cultivation base. ¡°Demon Awakening Fruits are not to be trifled with. They tempt beings who can¡¯t digest them to eat them. Once they get into another creature¡¯s stomach, they wildly extract the nutrients from the person¡¯s body. In other words, they turn into a mobile flowerpot for them, and when the time is ripe, they will sprout and burst out of the stomach!¡± Mr. Jinli exined. Although this exnation from Mr. Jinli sounded somewhat like a benign deception, akin to tricking children to not put things found on the ground into their mouths as bugs would grow, this was an Ancient Ruin where every nt and tree were quite peculiar and couldn¡¯t be exined bymon sense. Zhu Minng nced at the Divine Green Holy Dragon beside him and asked, ¡°Will it harm you if you eat it?¡± The Divine Green Holy Dragon shook its head, indicating that even if it ate a hundred of them, no vines would grow. ¡°Oh!!¡± Big ck Tooth volunteered eagerly, expressing its willingness to be the first dragon to eat the Demon Fruit! Zhu Minng felt it was just being greedy. Mr. Jinli said the Divine Green Holy Dragon could eat them, but Zhu Minng was still a bit worried. ¡°Let¡¯s collect all the nearby Demon Awakening Fruits first,¡± Zhu Minng suggested. With the Divine Green Holy Dragon present, collecting these fruits was no different from picking apples off a tree. Wherever they went, as long as they saw them, the Divine Green Holy Dragon would use the ancient forest dragonnguage to take the Demon Awakening Fruits down. Before long, Zhu Minng had filled arge bag with Demon Awakening Fruits, carried by Big ck Tooth. To prevent Big ck Tooth from sneaking a taste, Zhu Minng took a seat on its thick neck, belonging to the Lei Cang Violent Dragon. Every time it turned its head back with yearning, Zhu Minng would knock on its forehead. ¡°KukuKuKuKu!!!¡± A series of low growls echoed from the thick vines, and at the same time, Zhu Minng could smell a thick Evil Qi from his left and right swiftly drawing closer. It was the Demon Shadow Dragon Army! Those Shadow Funeral Dragons were hiding, weren¡¯t they? Aren¡¯t they afraid that Bai Qi wouldpletely annihte them? Bai Qi? Damn, Bai Qi seems to have been lured away by a group of Shadow Funeral Dragons! It was also my fault for getting carried away, only focusing on picking these Demon Awakening Fruits¡­ ¡°Ohhhhhhh!¡± The Lei Cang Violent Dragon also sniffed out the scent of these predators. It roared at three of the Shadow Funeral Dragons, its roar-wave with a tearing effect shredded the Sky Support Vines in front of it,pletely exposing those Shadow Funeral Dragons that were still stalking. Zhu Minng noticed that these Shadow Funeral Dragons were greedily eyeing the big bag of Demon Awakening Fruits carried on the back of the ck Ocean Violent Dragon. With these Demon Awakening Fruits, they could quickly build a Demon Shadow Dragon Army. The Lei Cang Violent Dragon charged at those Shadow Funeral Dragons, and the dragons immediately scattered, maintaining a triangr hunting position! A triangr hunt meant that no matter which direction the Lei Cang Violent Dragon faced, there would always be aplete blind spot. The Shadow Funeral Dragons had clear roles to y, two of them distracting the Lei Cang Violent Dragon¡¯s attention and feinting attacks, always allowing the Shadow Funeral Dragon in the blind spot tounch a surprise attack and seed every time. The Lei Cang Violent Dragon was far more powerful, even a single swipe of its w could prove fatal to a Shadow Funeral Dragon, but once again, these Shadow Funeral Dragons demonstrated their terrifying cooperative hunting ability. The Lei Cang Violent Dragon was unable to bring its strength into y, extremely passive. If it weren¡¯t for the protection of the Melting Fire Dragon Armor, the Lei Cang Violent Dragon would have been covered in wounds by now. ¡°Big ck Tooth is no match for these Shadow Funeral Dragons¡­¡± Zhu Minng nced up at the sky. At that moment, the Sword Spirit Dragon was pursuing the Ancient Venom Fly Dragon, and it seemed that it realized relying on speed alone was not enough to deal with the Ancient Venom Fly Dragon. The Sword Spirit Dragon resorted to its ultimate move, using an explosive burst of Sword Qi to bombard the Ancient Venom Fly Dragon! The Ancient Venom Fly Dragon could no longer defend itself, and calling back the Sword Spirit Dragon at this moment would mean giving the Ancient Venom Fly Dragon an escape route. To make matters worse, a group of Mourning Dragons was closing in, and the Lei Cang Violent Dragon was unable to cope, just as the Divine Green Holy Dragon had taken a heavy loss against them earlier. ¡°YING!!!!!!¡± As Zhu Minng was struggling with the dilemma, the Divine Green Holy Dragon chanted deeply, and the Holy Qi and green aura swirling around its body somehow became even denser. And amidst its green feathers and Green Scale patterns, a dark Demonic Qi emerged that Zhu Minng had never seen before! The mingling of the holy light¡¯s green brilliance and the dark and strange Demon Light made the Divine Green Holy Dragon look like an offspring of gods and demons, with one half of its sprawling wings shining bright green and the other half a sinister dark. The Divine Green Holy Dragon¡¯s pupils remained green, but within those green pupils spread ck, ripple-like glimmers. Suddenly, the tough Sky Support Vines came to life as if being controlled by the Divine Green Holy Dragon,shing fiercely at those cunning Shadow Funeral Dragons! Zhu Minng¡¯s face was full of astonishment. Had Little Qingzhuo undergone demonization? ¡°It devoured a Demon Awakening Fruit. I told you, this thing is of great use to the Divine Green Holy Dragon!¡± Mr. Jinli said with smug pride. With both Holy Qi and demonic nature present on a single dragon, Zhu Minng had never seen such a powerful and terrifying Divine Green Holy Dragon before. It felt like its strength had not just increased by a minor realm, but had leaped forward an entire major level! Chapter 283 - 284: Hunting the Trickster Mourning Dragon Chapter 283: Chapter 284: Hunting the Trickster Mourning Dragon Over a dozen Mourning Dragons, their bodies all cloaked in Evil Spirit Shadows. This meant that every Mourning Dragon was actually a Lord-level Creature, on the same level as the Divine Green Holy Dragon. The three Shadow Funeral Dragons previously lurking under the cliff had posed a great threat to the Divine Green Holy Dragon. Now, the number of Shadow Funeral Dragons had multiplied several times, yet they were as if facing a formidable enemy, their pairs of eyes watching the strongly demonic Divine Green Holy Dragon with vignce. ¡°Swoosh!! Swoosh!! Swoosh!!¡± Suddenly, the Sky Support Vines transformed into spears that pierced the heavens. They came flying from all directions without warning, each one seemingly having locked onto its target, stabbing towards the bodies of the Shadow Funeral Dragons. Blood sttered. Four Shadow Funeral Dragons, caughtpletely off guard, were nailed dead by the Sky Support Vines, controlled by the Divine Green Holy Dragon. The other Shadow Funeral Dragons dodged and then feigned escape. But using the dense vines, they entered a hidden state and then simultaneously killed back, targeting the Divine Green Holy Dragon. The Divine Green Holy Dragon suddenly soared into the air, spinning as it rose into the sky, and the swath of Sky Support Vines below it stirred in the same manner!! The Sky Support Vines beneath the cliff instantly transformed into a huge vine Killing Array, like a primeval Demonic Beast opening its gaping maw, strangling all creatures while fiercely swallowing them. Not even a piece of bone was left undevoured. No other Mourning Dragons managed to escape alive this time; over a dozen Shadow Funeral Dragons were pitifully strangled by the vines!! Zhu Minng couldn¡¯t help but gape in astonishment. Was this still his Little Qingzhuo?? How could it be so ferocious!! It was merely a Demon Awakening Fruit, just consumed, and yet it allowed the Divine Green Holy Dragon to transform in an instant, a true embodiment of a God Demon possessed! A clean and swift eradication of all. It felt like even the Ice Morning White Dragon would have difficulty achieving this. ¡°Eeeee!!!!¡± The killing aura of the Divine Green Holy Dragon had yet to dissipate. It continued to fly and settled on the overhanging cliff, standing at the ce where the Sky Support Vines trailed down. Its pair of green pupils gazed down upon this vine forest world, lush and verdant¡­ Both holy light and demonic Qi surged at the same time, the Divine Green Holy Dragon as if it were the monarch of the Sky Support Vines. Under the control of its gaze, all the vines wildly flourished! The Sky Support Vines spread at a visible rate, moving like living pythons, searching for every Mourning Dragon hidden beneath the cliffs. There were many Mourning Dragons, and even with the Ice Morning White Dragon¡¯s vigorous hunting, only a small portion were ughtered. The remaining Mourning Dragons were still waiting for the Trickster Dragon¡¯smand. But as the Divine Green Holy Dragon gained its Shadow Powers and took control of the vine forest, all the Mourning Dragons had nowhere to hide. They were trapped as if willingly plunging into a snare! ¡°Squeal!!!!¡± ¡°Squeal, squeal!!!!¡± The vine forest squirmed violently, and from every spot came the wretched screams of Mourning Dragons. They were strangled, impaled, imprisoned until they suffocated, bound by their limbs and then torn apart¡­ These Mourning Dragons never imagined these seemingly harmless vines would turn into deadly weapons. Almost none were able to escape. Zhu Minng was stunned by the spectacle before him. His eyes inevitably fell on therge bag of Demon Awakening Fruits on Big ck Tooth¡¯s back, a rush of tion filling his heart! The Divine Green Holy Dragon, due to its Disabled Dragon physique, was unable to enter its Complete Period. This meant that its cultivation base would grow very slowly, and the chances of breaking through to the Monarch Level were not great, even with extremely perfect spiritual qualifications. The Disabled Dragon determined its limit. But the Demon Awakening Fruit seemed topletely shatter thisyer of shackles, allowing the Divine Green Holy Dragon to obtain the power of the Ancient Demon God. With this power, it directly annihted all the Mourning Dragons hiding in the Sky Support Vine forest, its strength seemingly on par with the Ice Morning White Dragon and the Sword Spirit Dragon! ¡°How long can this Demon Awakening Fruitst?¡± Zhu Minng asked. ¡°Definitely until the end of the battle,¡± Mr. Jinli answered. ¡°Are there any side effects, and will it weaken with multiple uses?¡± Zhu Minng asked again. ¡°No, otherwise, how could these Mourning Dragons be so rampant?¡± Mr. Jinli said confidently. ¡°Little Qingzhuo seems to have also found a way to be stronger in these Ancient Ruins,¡± Li Xinghua said to Zhu Minng with a smile. Although the power of the shadow was temporary, Zhu Minng now had arge bag of Demon Awakening Fruits. Before each battle, eat one! This meant that from now on, the Divine Green Holy Dragon would also be an unstoppable Dragon Monarch!! ¡°Kuooooo!!!¡± The Trickster Dragon hid in the shadows of the forest on the cliffside. It originally wanted to lead all the Mourning Dragons away from here, but by the time it gave the order, the entire vine forest had already turned into a vine ghost hell, eradicating all the Mourning Dragons. The Trickster Dragon¡¯s malevolent eyes stared fixedly at the Divine Green Holy Dragon. Probably the leader of these Mourning Dragons never would have imagined that there were other dragon species more suited to consuming these Demon Awakening Fruits. ¡°Longgggggg¡­¡± An elegant dragon¡¯s chant came forth. The Trickster Dragon turned its head and saw the Ice Morning White Dragon with pristine white feathers standing behind it, appearing as silently as a cat, yet the aura it emitted was as terrifying as a massive iceberg copsing! The Ice Morning White Dragon had distanced itself from Zhu Minng not because it was lured away by a group of self-proimed clever Mourning Dragons, but because it had caught the scent of this ¡°big rat¡±! Finally caught you, Trickster Dragon, themander of thisrge group of Mourning Dragons, a highly intelligent and extremely cunning Monarch-level creature. They could imitate a variety of calls, including a fierce dragon¡¯s roar from their swollen throats! The Trickster Dragon opened its mouth and let out an overpowering roar that was greater than its size. The roar echoed through the cliffs, and the cliff where the Ice Morning White Dragon stood broke off and slipped down!! The Ice Morning White Dragon nimbly leapt up, Its wings stretched back softly and elegantly, forming a perfect streamline that made it run faster and faster without facing any resistance. It avoided the Trickster Dragon¡¯s roar and the sonic des it spat out. Its front limbs fiercely stomped towards the cliff where the Trickster Dragon was, all wings blooming like a heavenly lotus, instantly unleashing a vicious extreme cold ice disaster on thend. The snow-white annihtion power created countless cracks over a thousand meters across therge cliff, as if it was being sliced open! In such a torrent of power, the Trickster Dragon had nowhere to hide as it clumsily tumbled down the cliff, nearly falling into the vine hell created by the Divine Green Holy Dragon. It hooked one w into a crevice of the cliff, barely climbing back to the very bottom of the floating edge. Before the Trickster Dragon had a chance to catch its breath, the Divine Green Holy Dragon with both green and dark wings flew over. With a p of its wings, a protracted horizontal sh appeared from the green wing while a vertical crescent came from the dark wing, fiercely striking the Trickster Dragon. The Trickster Dragon frantically dodged, but still suffered two deep gashes on its body. Besieged by two Dragon Monarchs, the Trickster Dragon, despite its cunning, could not escape the crushing might of absolute strength! Moreover, its strength mainly relied on controlling the Mourning Dragon group; its ownbat abilities were among the weakest of the Monarch-level Creatures. Chapter 284 - 285 No Way Forward Chapter 284: Chapter 285 No Way Forward The Mourning Dragon was terrifying by nature, a born preyer and hunter, always exploiting the weaknesses of creatures, inflicting fear, sowing panic and confusion, always beguiling and luring, leaving them isted and helpless. But the Mourning Dragons had their own weaknesses as well. They were not perfect beings; the Monarch Level strength of the Trickster Dragon was manifested in its ability to lead, which meant that more often than not, it stayed hidden among the Mourning Dragon horde, not directly engaging in battle. Not to mention the Ice Morning White Dragon, which had reached High Rank King Level, but even the Divine Green Holy Dragon, which had just consumed the Demon Awakening Fruit, could suppress it! The Divine Green Holy Dragon flew towards the Trickster Dragon, which agilely leaped about the mountain cliffs like a gazelle. The Green Saint Dragon, with wings unfurled, glided past, its dragon ws striking out at the Trickster Dragon. The rock cliffs crumbled instantaneously, the power of the Divine Green Holy Dragon equally terrifying, capable of disintegrating the incredibly hard rock facepletely. The Trickster Dragon frantically evaded, while the Divine Green Holy Dragon circled overhead like a mighty eagle, gaining an even more powerful speed. The dragon¡¯s azure Holy Dragon wings and the ck Demon Dragon wings pped vigorously, and one could see the dragon ws, bolstered by the power of both forces, bing incrediblyrge¡ªsorge that they could envelop an entire cliff face! ¡°Boom!!!!!!!¡± This dive and w strike was even more exaggerated in its power, splitting the rock face in all directions, and the Trickster Dragon, unable to avoid it, suffered severe damage to its bones and muscles, tumbling towards the Sky Support Vines and the ancient trees. Seeing that the Trickster Dragon had already lost bnce in the air, the Ice Morning White Dragon let out a long chant. Suddenly, between the Sky Support Vine forest and the ancient trees, an ice mountain sprang up¡ªnot made of thick ice, but bristling with huge icicle spires! The Trickster Dragon fell, the ice spires piercing its body full of blood. In pain, it struggled free from the ice spires and tried to flee into the ancient forest. But the ancient trees in front of it suddenly came to life, transforming into Ancient Tree Demons one after another, which then mercilessly attacked the Trickster Dragon. Screams emanated from within the Forest Demon Guards as the Trickster Dragon¡¯s struggles were all in vain. Without the powerful Shadow Funeral Dragon Army, the Trickster Dragon was just another weak creature among the mighty spirits of nature. Having dealt with the Trickster Dragon, Zhu Minng casually harvested its Soul Bead. The value of a Monarch-Level Soul Bead was not low, and Zhu Minng was now someone who knew how to live within his means. As for the other Mourning Dragons, there was no need to harvest their Soul Collecting Pearl Brewing one by one. They were only powerful because of the Demon Awakening Fruit and particrly fearsome due to the leadership of the Trickster Dragon. Zhu Minng had tried refining Soul Beads from a few Mourning Dragons before, and the quality was quite poor, simply a waste of his Spiritual Power. Of course, aside from the Trickster Dragon, there was another dragon whose Dragon Ball was extremely valuable¡ªthe Ancient Venom Fly Dragon. The Ancient Venom Fly Dragon was on itsst breath when Zhu Minng waited for a moment and collected its Soul Bead, feeling quite satisfied! The Soul Beads of the Trickster Dragon and the Ancient Venom Fly Dragon were both of very high quality. If ced in the hands of some auction merchants, they could fetch at least a hundred thousand to two hundred thousand gold coins. Such was always the price for Monarch-Level Soul Beads! While it was still early, Zhu Minng and Li Xinghua nned to venture deeper into the Ancient Ruins, certain that there must be treasures beyond just the Demon Awakening Fruit. After crossing the Floating Mountain cliffs, Zhu Minng discovered an evenrger and higher suspended cliff ahead! It was more apt to describe it as a mountain range rather than a cliff, except this range wasn¡¯t lengthy, wrinkled, or ovepping like those on solid ground, but a solitary towering peak, its steep walls causing dizziness at a mere nce from every side! It was still the Sky Support Vines that hoisted the Giant Floating Cliff into the skies. However, this giant cliff mountain also appeared like a fortress adorned with various Ancient Vine Woods,pletely blocking the path ahead through the valley of the ruins. To proceed to the deeper parts of the ruins, they must pass over this Giant Cliff Mountain, but that was easier said than done, as the Sky Support Vines beneath harbored a massive poption of Stinging Demons! Beneath the Giant Cliff Mountainy the cold, insect-ridden nests. The Divine Green Holy Dragon couldn¡¯t manipte the Sky Support Vines here, and they were even less equipped to deal with these ancient insect nests. ¡°Seems like there¡¯s no other path,¡± Li Xinghua said, a touch of disappointment in her voice. This was indeed part of the Ancient Ruins, but merely a sealed valley within the ruins. Clearly, the rest of the ruinsy beyond the other side of the Giant Floating Cliff. The spatial rift they¡¯de through only led to this valley within the ruins. ¡°Let¡¯s head back the way we came. The ruins must be extensive, and there must be other entrances in different locations. We can ask the elders in Pear Blossom Gully or the explorers of the Tea-colored Ground; perhaps they know other clues about the ruins,¡± Zhu Minng suggested. The Ancient Ruins had more than one entrance. This rift was likely formed by chance and discovered by the Mourning Dragons nesting in Pear Blossom Gully, subsequently bing their secretir for propagation and expansion. Mourning Dragons are creatures from ancient times, as the Hu Family Siblings had mentioned¡ªthis Tea-colored Ground used to be the Mourning Dragons¡¯ territory. ¡°Hmm, that¡¯s the only option,¡± Li Xinghua nodded. ¡°The Hu Family should know something; after all, their parents and grandparents fought against the Mourning Dragons. I¡¯m thinking, the Tea-colored Ground was once the territory of the Mourning Dragons, but their origins have always been mysterious. It¡¯s possible that the Mourning Dragons actuallye from the Ancient Ruins. They might have found a crack in the ruins, crawled out from there, and then gued thisnd,¡± Zhu Minng mused. After pondering, Li Xinghua felt that Zhu Minng¡¯s retroductive theory was quite usible. The abilities carried by Mourning Dragons were inherently strange, tinged with the murderous and wicked nature of ancient times, as if they had evolved through the fiercepetition of the most primal, chaotic, and ancient nature. ¡°Without the Demon Awakening Fruit, the Mourning Dragon Army will be much easier to handle. The various strongholds in Pear Blossom Gully should be able to breathe a sigh of relief,¡± Li Xinghua asserted. Zhu Minng had already taken all the Demon Awakening Fruits, and they had meticulously inspected these ancient ruins beforehand; only in that area underneath the Sky Support Vines were the Demon Awakening Fruits found, nowhere else. ¡°Hmph, after resting for a while, I will strike at theirir and eradicate them all!¡± Zhu Minng dered. Having grasped the information on the Mourning Dragons, Zhu Minng realized these grotesque creatures weren¡¯t as fearsome as he had imagined! Firstly, Mourning Dragons obeyed the Trickster Dragons, meaning that identifying the Trickster Dragons before battle would disband the Mourning Dragon Army into disarray. The same held for the Bat Wing Predatory Dragons. Their strong, coordinated, and well-trained hunting behaviors were inseparable from their Mourning Dragon Leader! Chapter 285 - 286: Black Lake in the Cave Chapter 285: Chapter 286: ck Lake in the Cave Having left the mountain valley ruins, Zhu Minng and Li Xinghua rejoined their team. Calcting the time, their visit hadsted at least half a day, but what puzzled Zhu Minng was that this time Nan Yu Suo didn¡¯te running up to him furiously to question him¡­ Ever since Li Xinghua woke up, Nan Yu Suo had been deeply worried that Zhu Minng might harbor ill intentions towards her sister. After all, if one were to discuss from the perspective of physical contact, in Nan Yu Suo¡¯s eyes, Zhu Minng, that big lecher, had already seeded once, so it was very possible that he might use that as a pretext tomit the act again. Whenever Zhu Minng was alone with Li Xinghua, Nan Yu Suo would be anxious, as if in her mind, her sister, being gentle and inclined to amodate others, would definitely be taken advantage of by someone as cunning as Zhu Minng! Strangely enough, they had been gone for so long this time, yet Nan Yu Suo didn¡¯t show any suspicion. ¡°Young Master,¡± Li Xinghua gently tugged at Zhu Minng¡¯s sleeve, then called out softly in a tender and beautiful voice. Zhu Minng noticed that Li Xinghua pointed at the sky, where the sun was rising in the east and the morning glow was slowly infiltrating the long clouds¡­ ¡°We¡¯ve been gone for a whole day?¡± Zhu Minng eximed in surprise. Had time passed that quickly? No wonder Nan Yu Suo stopped worrying. It was pretty much an overnight stay just the two of them, so probably everything that could be done had been done. There was nothing left to warn against. ¡°We¡¯ve only been away for a little while,¡± Li Xinghua said, sounding annoyed. What kind of understanding was that? Why did Zhu Minng sometimes seem so simple-minded? ¡°Oh, oh, so you mean when we entered the ruins, time on the outside didn¡¯t flow,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°Yes, fascinating,¡± Li Xinghua replied with a hint of a smile, as if she had uncovered a great secret of the world, her eyes bright as the silver moon. The Ancient Ruins, merely stepping into a corner of it had brought Zhu Minng such rewards. If he were to enter the heart of the true ruins, who knew what kind of adventures might await! Zhu Minng too was looking forward to it. He nned to keep an eye on the Mourning Dragon¡¯s activity, perhaps he could find another entrance to the ruins. ¡°Song Luo, where exactly is the source of water for Pear Blossom Gully?¡± Zhu Minng asked. Starting from the source of the water, they could ensure the detoxifying abilities of the resin would purify all the mountain streams. He believed that other viges in Pear Blossom Gully were also facing ack of drinkable water. Resolving this problem first would help alleviate the crisis throughout the entire gully. ¡°The source is in the cave, most of Pear Blossom Gully¡¯s water flows from the cave river. In thoseplex caverns, many rock crystals are washed out by the turbulent river then mixed with mud and pebbles into our ravine, and our n survives by catching these gemstones in the river,¡± Song Luo exined. Streams glistening with gemstones. Pear Blossom Gully was indeed a ce rich with resources. But even a vast wealth could hardly buy the peace and quiet they longed for. ¡°I have some detoxifying resin that can neutralize the poison, but there is only so much avable. Now that most of the streams in Pear Blossom Gully are polluted, topletely purify the water source, this detoxifying resin must be ced at the very origin of the water. Does your vige have anyone who is very familiar with the cave, who can at least lead me to the main artery of the river?¡± Zhu Minng said to Song Luo. ¡°That might be difficult. The cave is dark andplex, and the tunnels have eroded due to the underground river, connecting everywhere and bing like a sunless cave maze. We don¡¯t even know where the true source is,¡± Song Luo said with a sense of bitter helplessness. Zhu Minng also rubbed his temples, a headache starting to form. If they couldn¡¯t find the source, they could only purify the streams of one or two viges for the time being¡­ Although Zhu Minng had nned to make his way to Stone Vige and eliminate the Mourning Dragons there, he couldn¡¯t guarantee that there weren¡¯t other Mourning Dragon groups in Pear Blossom Gully. To settle down Pear Blossom Gully, the problem had to be solved at its root. Zhu Minng and hispanions couldn¡¯t stay in Pear Blossom Gully indefinitely. Pear Blossom Gully still needed to rely on its own strength to contend with these Mourning Dragons, but once the water source was contaminated, it was as if all the guards in all the viges of Pear Blossom Gully were paralyzed. Purify the water source. Exterminate thergest group of Mourning Dragons. Or kill the supreme leader of the Mourning Dragons. That was what Zhu Minng could do for Pear Blossom Gully. The rest was still up to the people of Pear Blossom Gully themselves, their defense teams, patrol teams, hunting teams¡­ ¡°I¡­ I might know where the source of the river in the cave is,¡± the girl from Stone Vige said in a small voice. She had been keeping her eyes shut as if she were sleeping soundly, but in fact, she couldn¡¯t sleep at all. She had listened to everything that was being said, and after hesitating for a while, she spoke up. ¡°Girl, how could you possibly know about that kind of river deep within the cave?¡± Song Luo said. Their vige¡¯s finest mountaineer couldn¡¯t even find the source of the cave¡¯s river; how could a tender young girl who had probably never even done farm work know such a thing? Wasn¡¯t her im vexing? ¡°Let her speak,¡± Li Xinghua interrupted Song Luo¡¯s sarcasm. ¡°There was someone who fell into a ravine, and he spoke to me. He said that in the big mountains of Pear Blossom Gully, there lies a ck Lake in the Cave, with its bottom covered in all sorts of gemstones. He was trapped in the ck Lake for a very long time until andslide caused by heavy rain copsed part of the cave rock, and he finally managed to leave the ck Lake in the Cave,¡± the girl said very cautiously. ¡°Where is this person now?¡± Zhu Minng asked eagerly. ¡°In the graveyard behind our vige. He said he was afraid of water, hated water, water that had rotted everything he had. When Iid him to rest in the earth, he told me the secret of the ck Lake¡¯s treasure,¡± the vige girl confessed timidly, her light purple eyes reflecting her great unease. Every time she spoke of such things, people would curse her for being sick. So, she was scared right now. Scared that she, a girl who knew nothing and could do nothing, might be causing more trouble. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me, was it a corpse washed down from the river that told you all this?¡± Song Luo sneered. ¡°Yes¡­ it was!¡± the girl said, looking at the others. Her small oval face was pale, beads of sweat permeating her skin, but she still bit her lip and mustered the courage to continue, ¡°I can talk to the deceased, ever since I was old enough to understand.¡± ¡°I should have told the chieftain, patrol people who came back had lost their souls, should have insisted, shouldn¡¯t have hidden away because they mocked me, belittled me. Then our vige wouldn¡¯t have, wouldn¡¯t have¡­¡± Zhu Minng looked at the girl he had rescued from a pile of dead bodies, somewhat surprised. To be able to talk to the dead? What kind of ability was that? ¡°She is a Yin Spirit Necromancer; she¡¯s not lying. Some deceased beings¡¯ spirits linger in the human world for a long time, these spirits are known as yin spirits. Very few people can see these yin spirits, and even fewer canmunicate with them,¡± Li Xinghua exined. Chapter 286 - 287: Too Few Dragons Chapter 286: Chapter 287: Too Few Dragons No matter if it was humans, demons, or dragons, they all possessed souls, and Zhu Minng was clear on that. After all, the Dragon Shepherd¡¯s Soul Collecting Pearl Brewing was about drawing on the power of these souls. However, it was the first time Zhu Minng had heard of the term ¡®shade¡¯. ¡°These shades, can they be understood as ghosts?¡± Fang Niannian said with a hint of fear in her voice. Fang Niannian was not afraid of heaven or earth, and even if a ten-thousand-year-old demon dragon loomed in front of her, she wouldn¡¯t speak with the tremor she had now. But ghosts¡­ Even if it was just a tiny ghostly fire flickering at a grave, Fang Niannian would be so scared that she couldn¡¯t sleep the entire night. Wasn¡¯t it said that there were no ghosts in this world at all! ¡°Ghosts generally refer to those souls who are unable to let go of their obsessions, carry resentment, and are aggressive towards the living. Shades, in actuality, are harmless; they are merely a residual image after a person¡¯s death. Some shades don¡¯t even realize that they are dead, continuously talking and repeating the actions they used to do while they were alive,¡± Li Xinghua exined to everyone. However, after hearing all this, Fang Niannian¡¯splexion grew even worse. This is still a ghost!! Just with a slightly gentler name! ¡°Then can you find that ck Lake in the Cave?¡± Zhu Minng asked. The young girl with light eyes nodded. In fact, she had followed the route given by the drowned shade. It was arge mountain used for collecting herbs. Because the shade had given very detailed directions, the girl carefully memorized the route as she walked. However, she only reached the crack in the ground that the drowned shade spoke of and never actually jumped into the fissure. ¡°Let¡¯s do this, we¡¯ll split up. You go with her to the ck Lake, take all the treasures¡­ I mean, pour the antidote resin into it, and first purify the water sourcepletely. I, on the other hand, will exterminate the Mourning Dragons at Stone Vige,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°Just you alone??¡± Hu Bailing widened her eyes. ¡°Yes,¡± Zhu Minng nodded. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that be overreaching?¡± Song Luo said. ¡°It would have been overreaching before, but not now.¡± Now that the Divine Green Holy Dragon had developed a fiendish nature, Zhu Minng, in essence, had another Dragon King level. Not to mention that the Demon Awakening Fruits were now in Zhu Minng¡¯s hands. Unable to transform into demon shadows, the Mourning Dragon Army¡¯s strength was discounted. With the right approach, Zhu Minng could still capture them all in one fell swoop. Even if it came to the worst, he would kill a portion first, then retreat, and after adjusting his condition, he¡¯d strike back in. ¡°Yu Suo, let little Chang¡¯e apany the young master,¡± Li Xinghua said to her sister. Nan Yuso was a bit reluctant. It wasn¡¯t that she didn¡¯t want to entrust little Chang¡¯e to Zhu Minng temporarily, but rather, she also wanted to return to that wretched vige and eradicate those ugly, disgusting, and cunning Mourning Dragons! But considering that everyone else in the team had low cultivation levels and that the Polluted Night Sacrifice Dragon was a leader among the Mourning Dragon ns, and since they intended to pollute the water, they must be at the water source. Therefore, there was a high likelihood that a powerful Polluted Night Sacrifice Dragon would appear at the source of water, and she needed to be there to confront it. With fur that was utterly clean and soft, the body seemingly especially round but also adorned with graceful lines, the Immortal Rabbit Dragony listlessly on Big ck Tooth¡¯s head, her tiny facial expressions as unwilling as her master Nan Yuso. ¡°Why did I even go with this group of big dummies to exterminate dragons?¡± It preferred roaming the hills and ying with water rather than fighting and killing. ¡°Is there any spell that can restore strength? We just had a big battle at the ruins not long ago,¡± Zhu Minng asked the little Chang¡¯e. ¡°No, this Immortal Dragon isn¡¯t omnipotent!¡± the voice of the little Chang¡¯e, clear and childlike, rang out like that of a proud little girl! ¡°Then we shall observe first and see if we can find a method to catch them all in one go,¡± said Zhu Minng. The Ice Morning White Dragon was still in good shape; it hadn¡¯t used any major Profound Art to deal with those rat-like Mourning Dragons and had fully recovered its strength. The Sword Spirit Dragon and the Divine Green Holy Dragon both needed to rest, so Zhu Minng recalled them into the Spirit Realm, where they would recover faster in his Spiritual Spring of spiritual energy. ¡°These Mourning Dragons aren¡¯t strong individually; they¡¯re just somewhat sly and treacherous.¡± ¡°If we could find theirmander or leader, the Mourning Dragons would be like a bunch of headless flies.¡± ¡°After all, they are still a bunch of beasts. Finding their weaknesses and bringing them down is just a matter of time.¡± Zhu Minng returned to Stone Vige and noticed Mourning Dragons patrolling in the towering cliffs on both sides. Avoiding these Mourning Dragons wasn¡¯t too difficult, but Zhu Minng was extremely cautious this time. Mourning Dragons had a strong ability to disguise themselves, and even using his Spiritual Sense, sometimes he couldn¡¯t tell where they were hiding. ¡°It¡¯s a pity, I still have too few dragons. If I had one that was great at concealing itself, excelled in scouting, and had superior insight and alertness, it could find the Mourning Dragon Leader hiding among the dragon herds for me and gather more information,¡± Zhu Minng muttered to himself. ¡°You are one of the very few Dragon Shepherds I have seen who do not carry a Juvenile Spirit. Without nurturing Juvenile Spirits, where would your dragonpanion reservese from? Look at other Dragon Shepherds, once they reach Monarch Level, they might have more than a dozen dragonpanions. Then look at you, it¡¯s just these four dragons back and forth!¡± Mr. Jinli said with quite some disdain. ¡°It¡¯s not like I haven¡¯t seen a suitable one,¡± said Zhu Minng. ¡°At the very least, go dragon hunting. Go to those Sacred Mountain Demon Caves, search for traces of the Supreme Dragons. If you can tame one, you would even save on the initial taming costs!¡± Mr. Jinli spoke as if he was frustrated with Zhu Minng¡¯sck of progression. Zhu Minng was now following the elite dragon path. He aimed to make each dragon he owned powerful, to surpass the limits of their own lineage and species. Although it was proving very effective at the moment, with the Demon Awakening Fruit, the Divine Green Holy Dragon became immensely powerful, only Big ck Tooth was slightly behind. But a truly powerful Dragon Shepherd can¡¯t possibly make a name with just four dragons! The strength of a Dragon Shepherd lies in the multitude of dragons. Otherwise, how could the frail-bodied Dragon Shepherdpete with those of the Divine and Mortal? Four dragons. Just four dragons! In the eyes of Mr. Jinli, even doubling Zhu Minng¡¯s count wouldn¡¯t be considered many! It¡¯s not about every dragon needing to be extremely powerful, one must have a reserve! Juvenile Spirits, Young Dragons, Reserve Dragons, untamed Adult Dragons, and the coveted Supreme Dragons one wishes to capture¡ªall are viable options. Many dragons may not have a high cultivation base, but if they possess some special ability, they are still worth acquiring. Take the Immortal Rabbit Dragon, for example¡­ Who cares about the cultivation base of an Immortal Rabbit Dragon? Yet, it possesses a rare Healing Mystical Art! ¡°When a cowherd thinks all day of how to expand his herd, to herd more cattle, save more money to marry a wife¡ªlook at you, without any ambition, wasting all the schrly knowledge in this fish¡¯s belly!¡± Mr. Jinli criticized without a hint of politeness. Chapter 287 - 288: Bewitching the Mourning Dragon? Chapter 287: Chapter 288: Bewitching the Mourning Dragon? Zhu Minng, much like a pupil in private tutoring, nodded incessantly, heeding Mr. Jinli¡¯s teachings. However, Mr. Jinli looked at Zhu Minng with suspicion and suddenly asked, ¡°Have I not told you these words many times already?¡± ¡°No, this is actually the first time Mr. Jinli has mentioned this to me,¡± Zhu Minng replied. ¡°Juvenile Spirits, Young Dragons, Reserve Dragons¡ªyou make your own judgments. After all, transforming into a dragon involves a bit of luck. But there are some dragons that I think I can specify for you. If you encounter them, try your best to capture and tame them,¡± Mr. Jinli said. Taming! That generally refers to the contest between Dragon Shepherds and wild dragons. Not all dragons are reared from Juvenile Spirits. Some wild dragons eventually choose to sign a Spirit Contract with a Dragon Shepherd. But adult wild dragons, with their mature minds, are proud and deep down believe humans to be an inferior form of life¡ªa much harder consensus to reach for a Spirit Contract than with Juvenile Spirits and Young Dragons. In short, it¡¯s impossible for novice Dragon Shepherds to capture and tame adult wild dragons. Zhu Minng should be considered a novice, judging by the length of his employment. So, the highly difficult task of taming wild dragons for a Dragon Shepherd¡­ He simply wouldn¡¯t know how to do it! ¡°Mr. Jinli, then do you have any excellent rmendations?¡± Zhu Minng humbly asked for advice. Zhu Minng had not ventured deep yet; he was merely standing atop a peak with a wide vista, observing the movement within Stone Vige. On the surface, Stone Vige appeared peaceful, with patrols visible, yet the entire vigecked any sign of life. No children were ying, no women were washing clothes or cooking, and there were no woodcutters or farmers chatting on their way home. Everything looked so eerily out of ce. Zhu Minng needed to wait for the Sword Spirit Dragon and the Divine Green Holy Dragon to recover their vitality, so he sat on the mountaintop, watching the vige while seeking to learn some dragon shepherding knowledge. ¡°You half-baked student need to do a lot of catching up. You¡¯d be suited for some time studying at a Dragon Taming Academy,¡± Mr. Jinli said. ¡°I wonder how the Dragon Taming Academy of the Supreme Court and the Li Chuan Dragon Taming Academy differ. They should be simr, after all, Dean Duan is also from the maind,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°It¡¯s too rare; I expect it would take too long to find one suitable for you. Considering your condition, I think at least one Purple Dragon is necessary,¡± Mr. Jinli earnestly analyzed. Purple Dragon?? A Purple Dragon would be great. It fits perfectly with my initial concept of a rainbow squad! The Sect n known for its abundance of Purple Dragons is none other than the Purple Sect n. The Purple Sect n¡¯s power is vast, spread throughout the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent, one of the few that can stand toe-to-toe with the Imperial Dynasty! Of the Four Major Sect ns, the Purple Sect n is the leader. ¡°The Purple Sect n holds the Dragon Gate Secret, always able to identify the bloodline of Purple Dragons from seemingly ordinary creatures and helping them cross the Dragon Gate to be noble-blooded Purple Dragons!¡± ¡°When ites to selecting Juvenile Spirits and Reserve Dragons, the Purple Sect n is unquestionably the most outstanding in the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent!¡± Mr. Jinli actually hoped that Zhu Minng would go to the Purple Sect n to learn, at least to master their Dragon Identification Technique. Each creature that has just transformed into a dragon has a strong potential for change, especially during the four stages of metamorphosis. The Dragon Identification Technique is extremely cost-effective, since the majority of Juvenile Spirits and Reserve Dragons are very easy to obtain, but once sessfully transformed into a dragon, it represents a soaring ascent. For all beings, transforming into dragons is akin to a rebirth. Even the most lowly creatures, like insignificant fireflies, once transformed into dragons would suddenly ascend to a realm that only Ordinary Spirits could touch after thousands of years of cultivation. Most importantly, this realm is just the beginning of the dragon¡¯s transformation. Afterpleting the dragon¡¯s four stages of growth, there will be a qualitative leap! ¡°Once this matter is dealt with, I must carefully select a Purple Dragon,¡± Zhu Minng earnestly nodded. ¡°There are many types of Purple Dragons, and some don¡¯t have a lineage as noble as Big ck Tooth¡¯s. If you¡¯re going to choose, you should look among the Supreme Purple Dragons,¡± Mr. Jinli said. ¡°Oh??¡± Lei Cang Violent Dragon slowly turned its big head, wearing a look of aggrieved offense. ¡°Oh what? You, a prehistoric little ck crocodile transformed into your current state, is already a miracle. All you do is eat, wasting the Ancient Dragon¡¯s awakened abilities for bravery. Later, when we confront those Mourning Dragons in the vige, you¡¯ll lead the charge for me!¡± Mr. Jinli was even more fervent,unching into a torrent of criticism at Big ck Tooth! ¡°Oh oh!!¡± Lei Cang Violent Dragon¡¯s face was full of grievance, its mournful gaze fixed on Zhu Minng. Big ck Tooth didn¡¯t actually have anyints about Zhu Minng. It¡¯s just that the big brothers and big sisters had dealt with the recent enemies, so many times when Big ck Tooth stormed out with imposing fierceness, ready to brawl to his heart¡¯s content, the Ice Morning White Dragon and Sword Spirit Dragon had already finished the job. This sensation of winning without a fight felt pretty good in the beginning, but it indeed became ufortable over time. ¡°No worries, take it slowly. If your cultivation base isn¡¯t enough, equipment can make up for it. Once I release some of the seals on the Molten Fire Armor, you¡¯ll be invincible again!¡± Zhu Minng consoled Big ck Tooth. ¡°Oh!¡± Big ck Tooth indicated that the Heavy Armor indeed seemed to have undergone changes, especially after it had broken through the cultivation base on its own and be a Dragon Lord, the Heavy Armor seemed to have been refined even further. The Storm Phantom Feather held by Zhu Minng was an artifact feather that would strengthen as the Dragon Beast grew. And the Heavy Armor forged by Zhu Heavenly Officer seemed to have the same unique quality, undergoing a refinement process as the Dragon Beast¡¯s cultivation base improved. Truly worthy of being the head of Zhu Gate, the Dragon Armor he personally crafted was like a real Dragon Beast, constantly able to unearth its potential! By the afternoon, Zhu Minng discovered that the vige still had no significant upheaval, and outsiders walking in might not even notice the oddity of Stone Vige. Zhu Minng¡¯s gaze involuntarily rested on those vigers who were being manipted. He remembered when he first entered Stone Vige, there were a few vige gatekeepers, and they spoke and behaved no differently from normal people, even intentionally putting on the charade of resistance. The Yin Spirit Necromancer girl said that they had already lost their souls. A group of walking corpses mimicking human behavior so convincingly was itself astonishing. If the Mourning Dragon ns are seen as impregnable. The Shadow Funeral Dragon is the hunter. The Bat Wing Sorcery Dragon is the soldier. The Trickster Dragon is themander. The Polluted Night Sacrifice Dragon is the strategist. Then which Mourning Dragon is controlling these people¡¯s minds? The Ancient Venom Fly Dragon does not have the ability to bewitch hearts, and the Polluted Night Sacrifice Dragon is just one type of Poison Dragon¡­ ¡°Those who drank the water will be poisoned to death and then controlled.¡± ¡°If the Polluted Night Sacrifice Dragoncks the power to bewitch, does it mean there is another Mourning Dragon, one that is extremely intelligent and understands humans well? It makes the dead appear no different from the living.¡± Chapter 288 - 289 Mistress Ruoshuo Chapter 288: Chapter 289 Mistress Ruoshuo The mountains ovepped, and the fissures and deep valleys were like marks of the earth, splitting the many mountain ranges of Pear Blossom Gully and turning this ce into a breeding ground for poisonous insects and evil spirits. ¡°That¡¯s right, you¡¯ve never told us your name,¡± Nan Yuso said with a gentle smile, turning to look at the young girl from the vige who was guiding them. ¡°My family name is Shi, first name Ruoshuo,¡± the girl said in a quiet voice, as if afraid others might find something amiss with her name. After all, she hadn¡¯t had much contact with the outside world and didn¡¯t know if her name would be the subject of ridicule. ¡°Shi Ruoshuo, that¡¯s quite a cute name. Who gave it to you?¡± Nan Yuso asked. ¡°Your family name is Shi? So Shi Hua is your grandmother?¡± Song Luo spoke up. ¡°Yes,¡± Shi Ruoshuo nodded. ¡°Then have you been living alone in the vige?¡± Song Luo asked, sounding somewhat sympathetic. Shi Hua was a woman of some stature in Pear Blossom Gully, but unfortunately, she had been identally injured in the chaos of a territorial conflict between different ns of the gully and had died due to dyed treatment. Song Luo had heard it from his family¡¯s n elder. ¡°Has the olddy passed away?¡± Nan Yuso asked. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s actually quite sad. Granny Shi Hua made many contributions to Pear Blossom Gully. When our various ns were on the verge of splitting, it was she who tirelessly mediated. She even sacrificed herself for this cause. The n leaders of each vige felt very guilty about it, and since then, there hasn¡¯t been any further talk of separation,¡± Song Luo continued. At first, Song Luo wasn¡¯t very convinced by the young girl Shi Ruoshuo¡¯s words, but upon hearing she was Shi Hua¡¯s granddaughter, his attitude changed immediately. After all, Granny Shi Hua was a hero of Pear Blossom Gully. Without her, Pear Blossom Gully would have fractured long ago, and it would not have been possible to be united as it was now against the Mourning Dragon. ¡°Once we get past Long Valley, we¡¯ll be able to see that rift. Below the rift lies the ck Lake in the Cave,¡± Shi Ruoshuo said. She seemed not to want to mention her deceased grandmother, as if that were the reality she was most unwilling to ept. ¡°Sister Shi, we owe you a lot this time. All the ns were able to catch a breath from the Mourning Dragon¡¯s schemes because of you. Just like your grandmother, you are a hero of Pear Blossom Gully,¡± Song Luo said with a smile. ¡°I just¡­ I only did what I could,¡± Shi Ruoshuo said. Atop Stone Vige, Zhu Minng was circling around the vige wall, reaching the back of the vige. He saw there was a graveyard behind the vige, hesitated for a moment, but still walked into the graveyard. Zhu Minng still had some confusion in his heart, but there was much he couldn¡¯t confirm. The one thing he could, however, was the story about the drowned Yin spirit. At the time, the vige girl described it very precisely, even saying under which tree it was buried. Zhu Minng walked to the old pear tree covered in white ribbons and stood in front of the grave of the drowned Yin spirit that Shi Ruoshuo imed to have helped ¡°rest in peace¡±. There indeed was a grave here, but when Zhu Minng saw the name on the gravestone, his expression changed. Shi Hua! This grave was that of a woman, and it listed many of her deeds. It seemed she was also a leader in Pear Blossom Gully. Thispletely contradicted what the vige girl had described! She had not encountered any drowned Yin spirit! Practically everyone in Stone Vige was dead, with only her surviving. At first, Zhu Minng thought he had escaped because the dead people¡¯s presence masked his own living scent or perhaps because, as a Yin Spirit Necromancer, the Mourning Dragon could not detect her smell. But now, the more he thought about it, the more he felt something was off. ¡°Maybe there was no enchantment on the Mourning Dragon at all, from beginning to end. She was controlling the dead, and as a Yin Spirit Necromancer, she can do more than just see andmunicate with the deceased; she can manipte them!¡± Zhu Minng gasped. The controlled vigers behaved exactly as they did when they were alive, simply because they were being manipted. And at that time, the girl was hiding in the well because she was controlling the people in the vige and talking, yet she couldn¡¯t be discovered by Zhu Minng and the others. ¡°How vicious!¡± Zhu Minng¡¯s eyes turned cold. He had been deceived. This girl had been problematic from the very start. The terrifying intellect demonstrated by the Mourning Dragons was mostly because of this Yin Spirit Necromancer girl! She was the true leader of these Mourning Dragons!! ¡°They are in danger. The Yin Spirit Necromancer is luring them into their!¡± Zhu Minng dared not linger here any longer and immediately left Stone Vige. The problem was, Zhu Minng had no idea where Yu Suo, Star Painting, and the others had gone. With Pear Blossom Gully being soplex and without clear guidance, it was impossible to find them deep in the mountains. ¡°What happened??¡± Mr. Jinli, seeing Zhu Minng rush back in a hurry, asked puzzledly. ¡°I was deceived by that Yin Spirit Necromancer; she is the Mourning Dragon¡¯s leader, controlling those who died in the vige. Now, that Yin Spirit Necromancer is probably luring Yu Suo, Star Painting, and the others into a trap, but I don¡¯t know where they are,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°I know, I know. Even if my master went to the edge of the sky, the end of the earth, I could still find her. Hurry up and follow me, big dummy!¡± Chang¡¯e jumped out and said to Zhu Minng. Zhu Minng was stunned for a moment, watching the Immortal Rabbit Dragon that had leaped ahead of him. This suddenly made Zhu Minng recall a subtle detail from before ¡ª that it was not Yu Suo who had asked Chang¡¯e to follow him, but Li Xinghua. ¡°Did the Prophet auntie make the Immortal Rabbit Dragon follow me, not because she worried that I needed healing, but to prevent this situation from arising? Had Star Painting realized something early on??¡± Zhu Minng murmured to himself. Regardless, he needed to find them as quickly as possible. Yu Suo might be powerful, but she couldn¡¯t hold on for too long and certainly couldn¡¯t protect everyone in the team. Following the Immortal Rabbit Dragon, Zhu Minng crossed mountains and found the Yin Spirit Necromancer girl had led the others into a very deep ce. The more he thought about it, the more unsettled Zhu Minng felt. The only constion was that Li Xinghua was on guard, so they shouldn¡¯t have fallen into a desperate situation so quickly. This could buy him some time for a rescue. ck Lake in the Cave! That ce was not a source of water, but clearly the den of all the Mourning Dragons! And it was very likely another entrance to the ruins in the valley, which Zhu Minng had searched for a long time without discovering before. Why would they do this? Why would this fearsome Yin Spirit Necromancer want to massacre the entire vige and even seek to destroy Pear Blossom Gully? Chapter 289 - 290: Mourning Dragon Lair? Chapter 289: Chapter 290: Mourning Dragon Lair? At the ridge fissure, others had already slipped down along the vines, leaving only Li Xinghua and the Yin Spirit Necromancer girl, Mistress Ruoshuo, outside the crevice. The Yin Spirit Necromancer girl¡¯s light purple eyes were fixed on Li Xinghua, with a hint of curiosity. ¡°Sister, are all the women outside as beautiful as you?¡± the Yin Spirit Necromancer girl, Mistress Ruoshuo, asked. ¡°Have you never left Pear Blossom Gully?¡± Li Xinghua inquired. The ridge was deste, with not many trees around to provide concealment, so if any dangerous creatures approached, they could be spotted immediately. The Yin Spirit Necromancer shook her head, ¡°Grandmother never let me leave, even stepping out of the vige would earn her scolding.¡± ¡°Is she very strict with you?¡± Li Xinghua calmly conversed with the Yin Spirit Necromancer girl. ¡°Yes, especially strict. She wouldn¡¯t permit me to tell others that I can see spirits. She forbade me frommunicating with those wandering spirits and repeatedly ingrained in me the notion that all the spirits I saw were illusions,¡± the Yin Spirit Necromancer girl nodded. ¡°You don¡¯t really like your grandmother, do you?¡± Li Xinghua said. The Yin Spirit Necromancer girl did not reply. ¡°Since she has passed away, why don¡¯t you leave Pear Blossom Gully?¡± Li Xinghua probed further. ¡°I asked Grandmother if I could leave Pear Blossom Gully. She told me that unless all the tribespeople of Pear Blossom Gully died, I should not even think about stepping out of the gully,¡± the Yin Spirit Necromancer girl answered. ¡°Is that considered a curse?¡± Li Xinghua said. ¡°Yes, I never dared to defy her.¡± ¡°So you n to kill everyone in the vige?¡± Li Xinghua¡¯s tone remained unchanged as she spoke these words as if she had known it all from the moment they started talking. The light purple pupils dted, and the Yin Spirit Necromancer girl stared at Li Xinghua, panic appearing on her small oval-shaped face. Not far away, a faint Charming Shadow inexplicably clung to a t part of the ridge, even though there were no trees or rocks nearby to cast shadows. This Charming Shadow was Zhu Minng, who had already arrived. Upon seeing that everyone except Li Xinghua had been lured beneath the ridge fissure, Zhu Minng intended to make a move on this Yin Spirit Necromancer girl. But with one hand behind her back, Li Xinghua waved at Zhu Minng, signaling him not to appear just yet. Li Xinghua wanted to test the Yin Spirit Necromancer girl. Was the Yin Spirit Necromancer girl still hiding something? ¡°I¡­ I¡­ I haven¡¯t¡­¡± the Yin Spirit Necromancer girl nervously stammered in reply. ¡°Are you controlling the dead?¡± Li Xinghua still gestured to Zhu Minng, hidden not far off, to wait a little longer. The Yin Spirit Necromancer girl was silent, her eyes not daring to look at the sister who seemed capable of seeing through people¡¯s hearts. ¡°Yes¡­ it¡¯s true.¡± After a long while, the Yin Spirit Necromancer girl finally admitted. ¡°Aren¡¯t they your tribespeople? Why kill them?¡± Li Xinghua questioned. ¡°I didn¡¯t kill them. I was controlling them only to drive you away, but you were too strong,¡± the Yin Spirit Necromancer girl said. ¡°Did the Mourning Dragons kill them?¡± The Yin Spirit Necromancer girl shook her head again. Not far off, Zhu Minng¡¯s brow furrowed. Things seemed moreplicated than imagined. But this Yin Spirit Necromancer girl, manipting the dead, was a fact, and it was very likely that she was the leader of the Mourning Dragons. The true situation beneath the fissure was still unclear. Regardless, it was imperative to capture her first and then press for details. Zhu Minng walked over. The Ice Morning White Dragon on Zhu Minng¡¯s left moved with deliberate steps, its cold moon-like eyes filled with intense hostility as it stared at the necromancer girl. Meanwhile, the Sword Spirit Dragon had actually been hiding under the sunlight, and as Zhu Minng approached, the tip of the Sword Spirit Dragon Sword pointed directly at the girl. If she harbored any thoughts of harming Li Xinghua, she would be immediately in by the Sword Spirit Dragon. The necromancer girl shivered, her cheeks pale as she looked at Zhu Minng. ¡°No matter the depth of hatred, there¡¯s no reason to kill an entire vige. You¡¯re even more vicious than those Mourning Dragons,¡± Zhu Minng said icily to the girl. ¡°I¡­ I didn¡¯t kill them,¡± the necromancer girl¡¯s voice trembled. ¡°That grave you mentioned, I¡¯ve seen it. It¡¯s not just any drowned Yin Spirit. So deliberately luring mypanions to this so-called ck Lake in the Cave¡­ The ck Lake is probably the Mourning Dragon¡¯sir, isn¡¯t it? You¡¯d better keep those restless Mourning Dragons in check, otherwise your death will be quite unsightly!¡± said Zhu Minng. The necromancer girl looked at Zhu Minng in terror, her expression one that couldn¡¯t possibly reveal her innermost thoughts, as if Zhu Minng had wrongly used her. ¡°What do you mean by ¡®unsightly death¡¯?¡± Suddenly, a familiar voice came from the pitch-ck fissure. Nan Yuso climbed up using the hanging vines. Soon after, Hu Bailing, Fang Niannian, and Song Luo emerged from the crevice, obviously clueless about what had happened here. Zhu Minng was taken aback. How did theye up unscathed? Wasn¡¯t there a Mourning Dragonir below? Then why did the necromancer girl go to such lengths to lead people here? ¡°Didn¡¯t you encounter anything?¡± Zhu Minng asked, puzzled. ¡°Lots of gemstones; if we had enough time, we could have salvaged them all. Of course, we poured down all the Detoxifying Resin too. It shouldn¡¯t be long before every vige in Pear Blossom Gully has clean water,¡± Hu Bailing said with a smile. All went well. There really was a ck Lake in the Cave, and Hu Bailing¡¯s instincts told her that this was indeed the source of Pear Blossom Gully¡¯s mountain stream. As for the numerous gemstones at the bottom of theke, resembling river sand, Hu Bailing was very tempted, but she also knew to whom they truly belonged. ¡°No Mourning Dragons?¡± Zhu Minng looked at Nan Yuso. ¡°The Polluted Night Mourning Dragon didn¡¯t discover this ce, and there¡¯s no trace of any Mourning Dragons in the ck Lake,¡± said Nan Yuso. Zhu Minng exchanged a nce with Li Xinghua. Then they both turned their gaze to the necromancer girl¡¯s face. Had they been wrong? But she had just admitted to controlling those dead people. ¡°How about you, how did you get here so quickly?¡± Hu Bailing asked. ¡°The Mourning Dragon Army in Stone Vige has retreated. Only a small part remains lurking on the periphery,¡± said Zhu Minng. ¡°The Mourning Dragons are very wary and cautious. They must also be fearful that we would gather all our forces to exterminate them, so they immediately abandoned Stone Vige and hid elsewhere,¡± said Song Luo. ¡°What were you discussing so seriously just now?¡± Hu Bailing pressed. ¡°Nothing much, I was just asking her if she saw any unusual Mourning Dragons in Stone Vige. I suspect the Mourning Dragon Army must have a leader with intelligenceparable to humans. Knowing its characteristics and abilities, and dealing with it might make the rest easier to handle,¡± Zhu Minng said with a smile, casually glossing over the recent interrogation. The necromancer girl kept her head down, silent, one hand unconsciously clutching the corner of her garment, as if she had breathed a sigh of relief or as if she feared something. Chapter 290 - 291 Hurriedly Leaving Chapter 290: Chapter 291 Hurriedly Leaving Zhu Minng had Little White explore the ck Lake beneath the fissure. The ck Lake was vast, storing enough water to irrigate all the vegetation in Pear Blossom Gully, while at the same time, many gemstones settled at the bottom of theke. After making a round, Little White indeed did not see any Mourning Dragons, not even their saliva, fur, or footprints. The ce was as clean as a secret realm, with no signs of any creatures ever setting foot there. Casually sweeping up all the gemstones from theke bottom and storing them within the Ice Morning White Dragon¡¯s Universe Magic, Little White returned to the surface and ryed the details of the ck Lake in the Cave to Zhu Minng. ¡°Since we¡¯ve purified the water source, that¡¯s a significant aplishment. Let¡¯s head back to the First Mountain Vige,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°What about those Mourning Dragons from Stone Vige that have vanished without a trace?¡± Hu Bailing asked. ¡°If they intend to hide, destroying every cavern and grotto in Pear Blossom Gully might still not be enough to find their hiding ces. That¡¯s all we can do,¡± Zhu Minng replied. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s true,¡± Hu Bailing nodded. Mourning Dragons are an exceptionally resilient species, never truly extinct from the beginning to the end, much like weeds that, after spring rains the following year, immediately spread everywhere again! For now, helping Pear Blossom Gully resolve the water crisis was already quite an achievement, as for where exactly those Mourning Dragon ns from Stone Vige had fled to, there was likely no finding out. Leaving the ridge and taking advantage of the remaining daylight, the group headed back to the First Vige of Pear Blossom Gully. Having solved the water issue, Pear Blossom Gully should be able to regain its original vigor whereas those suddenly missing Mourning Dragons had probably found new caves to recuperate and breed in. The frightening thing about Mourning Dragons was their high intelligence. Once they knew they had lost the chance to hunt and their ns were under threat, they would immediately go into hiding, lying low for a while, waiting for the opportunity to make aeback. However, without the Demon Awakening Fruit, those Mourning Dragons would be much less of a threat to Pear Blossom Gully. On the way back, Zhu Minng remained mostly silent. Li Xinghua, too, was deep in thought. The Yin Spirit Girl also remained silent. It was nearing nightfall when they finally returned to the First Vige of Pear Blossom Gully. The elder n Leader, whose face was full of folds, greeted them with a beaming smile, weing the return of the brave knights with an array of fine food and drinks. Zhu Minng didn¡¯t have much of an appetite, especially considering the secrets hidden within Pear Blossom Gully, he felt that there was something eerie about the vige everywhere he looked. Right now, he just wanted to leave this ce as soon as possible. Hu Bailing, on the other hand, was oblivious to all of this, epting the passionate hospitality of the vigers and bringing up to the n Leader a friend from her childhood, wanting to know her current whereabouts. ¡°Ah, she fell critically ill the year beforest and was sent away to be treated. She never returned thereafter, and we do not know whether she recovered and chose not toe back to Pear Blossom Gully or if she died from the illness outside,¡± the Folds n Leader sighed deeply. Hu Bailing¡¯s face was a picture of shock; she had no idea such a thing had happened. Although it had been many years since she herself had set foot in Pear Blossom Gully, and she had barely kept in touch with that childhood friend, the unfortunate news still saddened her deeply. ¡°Natural disasters, aging, illness, death, it¡¯s all normal,¡± said the Folds n Leader, Song Xunshan. ¡°It is indeed normal, but your Pear Blossom Gully has a secret to longevity that spares your people from these things, doesn¡¯t it?¡± Zhu Minng said with a smile to the old n leader, whose face was wrinkled. The old leader was holding a bowl of wine, his hand suspended in the air, as his profound eyes fixed on Zhu Minng. ¡°You decree that your people cannot leave Pear Blossom Gully, which in fact means a life away from strife, a quiet life in a ce without conflict, war, and scheming. Isn¡¯t that your method to avoid man-made disasters?¡± Zhu Minng continued, voicing the thoughts he had not yet finished. After hearing this, n Leader Song Xunshan finally downed the wine in front of him and burst into heartyughter. ¡°We have other matters to attend to, so we won¡¯t stay in the vige tonight. We¡¯ll be leaving Pear Blossom Gully shortly. The ongoing fight with the Mourning Dragons will have to be handled by yourselves,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°While we do hope you could eliminate more Mourning Dragons for us, we understand that Mourning Dragons are cunning, and once they hide, it would be a waste of time to keep you here. We thank you again for everything you from Runyu City have done for our Pear Blossom Gully. We¡¯ve also prepared some gems for you, please take them with you,¡± Song Xunshan said. Zhu Minng didn¡¯t refuse; although he had already obtained a great deal of gems, who would ever think they had too many gems? The night was deep, and Zhu Minng and hispanions left Pear Blossom Gully. The mountain roads wereplex, and it would take some time to exit this unique valley. The forest was still devoid of insect chirps or bird calls, let alone wandering predators. The valley, shrouded in night, was too silent. About ten or twenty li out, Nan Yuso, feeling the odd atmosphere, finally spoke up, questioning Zhu Minng, ¡°Why did you leave withoutpletely resolving the issue? Aren¡¯t you worried the Mourning Dragons will regroup and strike again?¡± Simrly, Nan Yuso didn¡¯t understand why her sister would also allow those Mourning Dragons to continue lurking in Pear Blossom Gully, knowing full well that they had massacred an entire vige. Could Li Xinghua, as a Prophet, not be troubled by nightmares? ¡°This ursed ce, I don¡¯t want to stay for another moment,¡± Zhu Minng snorted coldly, recalling some details upon entering Pear Blossom Gully, which sent chills down his spine. ¡°What exactly happened?¡± Hu Bailing asked, puzzled. ¡°Actually, I¡¯ve been wanting to say it the whole time, but it didn¡¯t feel right to bring it up. Haven¡¯t you noticed that the people in the vige are strange? We¡¯ve only ever spoken to a few of them from start to finish. They never showed us around other parts of the vige, and when we said we wanted to leave, they couldn¡¯t wait for us to be gone¡­¡± Fang Niannian whispered. ¡°Niannian, what do you think?¡± Zhu Minng inquired. ¡°I can¡¯t put my finger on it, but the whole vige is peculiar¡­ although every house had its light on, it justcked a certain liveliness. How should I put it? I saw no children ying near their homes, no one calling out for trade, no women chatting as they did their chores, let alone the sounds of chickens clucking or dogs barking.¡± Fang Niannian¡¯s instincts were quite sharp. She herself had lived among themon folk. She was familiar with the pulse of the marketce. Even in an isted vige, as long as there were people living, there could be no absence of cooking smoke, cries, or noise. Thest time they arrived at First Vige, they barely stayed and left in a hurry. This time, upon returning to First Vige, they hastily had a meal, yet the old n leader led them only to a few specific houses throughout. Chapter 291 - 292 Yin Spirit Village Chapter 291: Chapter 292 Yin Spirit Vige ¡°Niannian, what you said is giving me the creeps.¡± Hu Bailing suddenly wrapped her arms around her own shoulders. ¡°Pear Blossom Gully is cut off from the world for a reason,¡± Li Xinghua finally spoke up at this point. ¡°Didn¡¯t Zhu Minng mention it before? They secluded themselves to avoid the chaos of war, not wanting to get entangled in any disputes,¡± Fang Niannian said. ¡°Although I can¡¯t be 100 percent sure, I think this Pear Blossom Gully could very well be a Yin Spirit Necromancer¡¯s vige,¡± Zhu Minng turned back to nce at the lit-up mountain hamlet. The night was clear, the lights were bright, everything seemed so peaceful, as if it truly were a paradise on earth. Ande spring and summer, when the pear blossoms bloomed, the hills here would be covered with them, making the ce look like a heavenly realm. But was everything really as wonderful as it appeared to be? ¡°A Yin Spirit Necromancer¡¯s vige???¡± Nan Yuso said, her mouth agape in surprise. ¡°Yes, most of the people here are probably already dead. Pear Blossom Gully has likely always been a valley of the deceased. The outside world thinks it houses twenty or thirty thousand people, but in reality, the number of those who are truly alive might just be the few we¡¯ve seen. They are Yin Spirit Necromancers,¡± Li Xinghua said. ¡°The controlled dead we encountered at Stone Vige weren¡¯t misled by the Mourning Dragon; in fact, it was the Yin Spirit Necromancer Mistress Ruoshuo who was manipting those corpses,¡± Zhu Minng said. Nan Yuso, Hu Bailing, and Fang Niannian all widened their eyes in shock. ¡°I knew there was something off about that little girl, huh!¡± Nan Yuso said. From the moment she joined the team, Nan Yuso felt the young girl was hiding something. ¡°So she¡¯s in league with the Mourning Dragon? Did she ughter the whole vige??¡± Hu Bailing said, finding it hard to believe. ¡°No, Stone Vige likely didn¡¯t have many living people to begin with,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°What??¡± Fang Niannian felt her brain wasn¡¯t quite keeping up. The vige was supposed to have been ughtered, right? The Mourning Dragons were even hiding in those houses! ¡°In First Vige, the people we saw were mostly dead bodies being controlled,¡± Zhu Minng continued. ¡°All¡­ all ghosts???¡± Fang Niannian recoiled into Nan Yuso¡¯s embrace, trembling all over upon hearing this. ¡°I underestimated the power of Yin Spirit Necromancers, or rather, there are strong and weak among them. The weaker ones can only see Yin spirits. The slightly stronger ones canmunicate with them, and the even more powerful ones can control the dead, making them seem no different from the living,¡± Li Xinghua exined. ¡°So that¡¯s why First Vige seemed devoid of life, because the whole Pear Blossom Gully is a tribalnd of Yin Spirit Necromancers? They maintain all the viges by manipting the dead, making the outside world think this ce is just an isted haven??¡± Fear filled Hu Bailing¡¯s eyes. Those friends from a seemingly naive past. Were they Yin Spirit Necromancers or were they the dead? ¡°Then¡­ what¡¯s the deal with the Mourning Dragon??¡± Nan Yuso asked. ¡°It¡¯s also under our control. The Mourning Dragon is our servant!¡± Just then, a man¡¯s voice came from the mountaintop ahead. He stood under the deste moonlight, wearing a beast fur hat and fur clothes, but his entire being exuded an eerie aura!! It was Song Luo! Compared with his previously honest and straightforward appearance, he now seemed to possess an unfathomable, sinister quality! ¡°Yin Spirit Necromancer? Actually, we don¡¯t really like calling ourselves that. We call ourselves the God of Death!¡± The wrinkled-faced vige elder, Song Xunshan, emerged from the forest behind him, twisting the arm of the young necromancer girl, Mistress Ruoshuo. ¡°The church over there says that Mourning Dragons are creatures that serve the God of Death¡­¡± Hu Bailing suddenly recalled this phrase, stricken as if by lightning. The more she thought about it, the angrier she got. Pointing at the vige elder, she said, ¡°No wonder the Mourning Dragons are never extinct, it¡¯s because you Yin Spirit Necromancers are skulking around in Pear Blossom Gully!¡± ¡°It¡¯s really unexpected that we sent you off to Mourning Dragon Vige and yet you managed toe out alive. However, now that you know the secrets of Pear Blossom Gully, we can¡¯t let you leave alive,¡± said the vige elder, Song Xunshan. In fact, Song Xunshan had never been certain whether these people had discovered the secret of Pear Blossom Gully. But as they started to leave nonchntly, Song Xunshan grew more and more uneasy. He felt it was safer to dispose of them, just in case, especially since they had been in contact with Mistress Ruoshuo, and she had told them that they could see Yin Spirits! ¡°I¡­ I didn¡¯t say anything,¡± Mistress Ruoshuo said. ¡°But they still guessed it, didn¡¯t they?¡± the vige elder, Song Xunshan, said. ¡°We thought the vige elder gave us so many gemstones as hush money. Actually, we don¡¯t care who you are, Yin Spirit Necromancers or Mourning Dragon Gods of Death, what we care about is whether many people have died here. In fact, I was relieved when I realized you were a vige of Yin Spirit Necromancers, which means that Pear Blossom Gully wasn¡¯t a ce where thousands died under the ws of Mourning Dragons. I¡¯m somewhat of a soft-hearted person,¡± Zhu Minng spoke up. There was no massacre. The people of Pear Blossom Gully didn¡¯t live in fear of the Mourning Dragons. That was why Zhu Minng wanted to leave. In Yin Spirit Vige, they liked to use the dead as vigers, pretending that the few living people in the entire Pear Blossom Gully amounted to a prospering and wealthy show of the Seven Viges¡­ They enjoyed this kind of Yin Spirit puppet y. So be it. As long as they didn¡¯t use actual living people as their puppets. As long as their so-called Mourning Dragon servants didn¡¯t run down the mountain killing the innocent. How they managed to survive, and in what ways they continued, that was their business, and Zhu Minng couldn¡¯t care less. This was the reason why Zhu Minng was desperate to leave after learning the truth. ¡°To me, the absence of a massacre is enough. If you Yin Spirit Necromancers enjoy ying among yourselves, then continue slowly. I still prefer cities with the breath of real living people,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°You won¡¯t keep this a secret!¡± Song Luo¡¯s eyes were firmly fixed on Zhu Minng. ¡°Actually, if we all maintain an unspoken understanding and let this incident pass, we can still be good neighbors in the future. As long as you don¡¯t plot to steal lives or wealth, I won¡¯t be prejudiced against you. But if you think about murdering to silence people, that¡¯s really foolish in my eyes. I was called here on a rescue mission, and now that you all are safe and sound, I can leave. But by doing this, you¡¯re forcing me to be the man who wipes out your Yin Spirit Vige in Pear Blossom Gully. Having epted the gemstones, I would feel guilty,¡± Zhu Minng said. Chapter 292 - 293: Corpse Demon of the Wilderness Chapter 292: Chapter 293: Corpse Demon of the Wilderness The elder chieftain, Elder Son Searching Mountain, had an icy murderous intent in his eyes as he slowly raised his hand, revealing a bright red ghostly pattern on his palm. He mmed his palm towards the earth, and the bright red palm print immediately spread across the forestedndscape. The ground started to boil and crack inexplicably, followed by the sight of mounds of earth rising one after another from the surrounding hills. The graves were wide open, and the corpses crawled out on their own, emitting an unpleasant sound akin to chewing food! Zhu Minng looked around and found that there were many hidden graves scattered throughout the woods. No wonder the enemy hadn¡¯t kept them in the vige but had chosen to make their move here. This deste mountain range was a graveyard where they could summon enough corpses! Compared to the living corpses they had seen in the vige, the ones emerging from the graves here were far more terrifying¡ªmostly rotten bodies, mostly just skeletal remains. However, their pupils still emitted a vile, green light, full of malice and venom, as if they were eager to bite all living things to death! Method of Controlling the Dead! This old chieftain was determined to bury them here; perhaps their bones would also be puppet spirits for the vigers after they died violently! Behind them were the corpses that crawled out of the graves. In the front, Song Luo was summoning something, his eyes turning a bat-like dark red. With a long howl, the mountains and forests seemed to surge with a ck tide, engulfing everything in its path,ing with terrifying force! Mourning Dragons!! The Mourning Dragon Army attacked from the forests ahead! Zhu Minng had spected before that the Mourning Dragons might bemanded by someone. He had suspected the target was the Yin Spirit Necromancer girl, Mistress Ruoshuo, but now he had a sudden realization. Indeed, someone was manipting them, and it was not the Yin Spirit Necromancer girl but Song Luo from their group! Between the horde of corpses and the Mourning Dragons, the deste mountain range was teeming with evil Qi. Zhu Minng didn¡¯t dare hesitate, and as the corpses and Mourning Dragons gathered, he called out his four dragons! ¡°Qing Zhuo, have a Demon Fruit.¡± Zhu Minng offered the Demon Awakening Fruit to the Divine Green Holy Dragon. As soon as the fruit was consumed, tremendous Demonic Qi surged from the Divine Green Holy Dragon, casting a shadow of a Demon Dragon on its green sacred wings, while thick Demonic Qi solidified over its skin, resembling a suit of demon armor. ¡°You go handle those Mourning Dragons,¡± Zhu Minng said. The Divine Green Holy Dragon, with holy light and demon shadow coexisting on its body, spread its wings of contrasting hues and flew across the forest canopy. The vegetation growing in the soil was expanding at a visible rate. Trees ripped from the ground and vines covered the sky; Demon Vines and Divine Trees intertwined to form a massive jungle fortress, blocking the path of the iing Mourning Dragons. Mourning Dragons were cunning and agile, trying to squeeze through gaps in the jungle fortress, but the Demon Vines within acted like living things, striking swiftly to entangle the intruding Mourning Dragons. Subsequently, these Mourning Dragons were devoured as if by some demon, leaving no trace of even bone splinters behind. Demon Forest! The jungle fortress created by the Divine Green Holy Dragon was clearly a demon forest, and even creatures as insidious as the Mourning Dragons had a hard time walking out alive from these woods. ¡°Ugh!!!!¡± The corpses unable to crawl out of their graves emitted an extremely unpleasant scream. Zhu Minng would rather have directly confronted these undead from the graves in the vige, so he wouldn¡¯t have to witness their ugly, rotting, disgusting appearance. The dead vigers in the vige were well-maintained; at first nce, they looked no different from the living, and even prompted praise for the vige girls¡¯ fair skin and beauty¡­ Of course, on closer thought, that was nothing but the pallor of death! ¡°Freeze them,¡± Zhu Minng wanted no part of these disgusting thingsing close. Fang Niannian had already fainted from fright. She had thought there were no ghosts in this world, but the sight of corpses and ghosts scattered all around made it likely hard for her to sleep in the future. Hu Bailing was holding her, while her Giant Elephant Dragon was roaring again and again. Zhu Minng hadn¡¯t nned on letting Hu Bailing join the fight; he needed someone to protect Fang Niannian and Li Xinghua, who had littlebat ability. To deal with these lowly corpses and ghosts, Zhu Minng was enough on his own. The Ice Morning White Dragon also possessed its own special domain, which was the Frost of the Ice Sky. The cold breath of frost was spreading quickly, and under the moonlight, one could see arge expanse of silver-white, enveloping the area around the grave mounds. As the corpses and ghosts drew near, they would be covered with the Frost of the Ice Sky, and this frost would take away the life force of any creature¡­ Did the undead possess life force? Clearly, they did; this force actually flowed through their bodies like blood, in the form of Dead River Water. With this unique Dead River Water, the bodies of the undead could not only be preserved for a long time but also gained immense brute strength, making them as powerful as wild beasts and posing a great threat to any living creature. The Ice Morning White Dragon¡¯s Frost of the Ice Sky was depleting this Dead River Water, and one could see the corpses and ghosts, which were as fast and strong as tiger leopards, slowly stiffening and gradually withering! Of course, there were some corpses and ghosts that were unaffected. They charged up, their bodies like steel and iron, their flesh and skin solid as rock. They roared and crashed into the Ice Morning White Dragon, which thrust its tail to pierce their hearts, yet these mighty undead remained unharmed! ¡°Whoosh¡± The Ice Morning White Dragon took to the skies, spiraling in the air. It spread its ice-white feathers all across the sky and spewed Dragon Breath down to the ground!! It was like a swath of gentle moonlight hitting the vast wilds, but this Dragon Breath possessed a terrifying freezing power. One could see flowers, grass, and trees instantly turning into ice, mountains and rocks forming thickyers of ice, and groups of ferocious undead turning into ice statues,pletely immobile! The moonlight was chilly and deste; the forest transformed into a cold, deathly silent ce. The Ice Morning White Dragon¡¯s breath was extremely domineering, sparing none of the rotting corpses or ferocious undead! ¡°Whoosh!!¡± With a gentle p of its wings, the Ice Morning White Dragon stirred up a cold breeze. This cold wind swept over the flowers, grass, trees, and the ice sculptures of the corpses and ghosts, quickly causing all objects to rise, turning into white sand crystals in the air, and all drifting toward distant ces. For a moment, the woond became unprecedentedly clean! Elder Song Xunshan¡¯s face turned ashen; although he had already learned of the opponent¡¯s approximate strength from Song Luo. But he hadn¡¯t expected his undead to be as ineffectual as straw soldiers before the Ice Morning White Dragon! Chapter 293 - 294 Traitor Chapter 293: Chapter 294 Traitor ¡°Did you call for assistance from the people of the Third Vige and Fourth Stockade as I told you?¡± Song Xunshan red at the young girl Ruoshuo beside him and demanded. ¡°I did¡­ I called,¡± Mistress Ruoshuo answered. ¡°Hmph, a bunch of self-righteous outsiders, actually scorning us Yin Spirit Necromancers. Once our other nsmen arrive, I want to see how they¡¯ll leave this ce!¡± Song Xunshan said viciously. Since people from the other stockades would being, all he needed to do was to keep these people trapped and stalled. Pear Blossom Gully was not home to just a few Yin Spirit Necromancers, and they weren¡¯t the strongest ones in Pear Blossom Gully, either. It didn¡¯t matter if he couldn¡¯t defeat these few, once reinforcements arrived, they would have nowhere to be buried! Song Xunshan began to set up the Corpse Ghost Array, and one could see that the blood runes previously on his palm now emerged upon the ground. The blood runes were enormous, like a terrifying altar. The Corpse Ghosts standing within the blood rune formation were shrouded in a dreadfulyer of blood light curses, and these curses rendered them immune to the Ice Morning White Dragon¡¯s frost spells. Frost effects were now useless against them, so the Ice Morning White Dragon began to summon Star Fall, delivering catastrophic blows to these Corpse Ghosts. The attackers with blood light curses had bodies as sturdy as iron. While the Azure Dragon Mystics of the Ice Morning White Dragon could cover a wide range, the number of Corpse Ghosts it could kill was very limited. After all, those Corpse Ghosts were crawling out from the graves endlessly. If they weren¡¯t killed quickly enough, they would still swarm around. ¡°Their resistance has strengthened,¡± Li Xinghua said. ¡°If ice won¡¯t work, use fire. Let me do it,¡± Nan Yuso said, stepping in front of Zhu Minng. With slender fingertips, Nan Yuso lightly touched the air and a sphere of mes suddenly swept across the area she touched, creating a terrifying explosive force! At the epicenter of the fiery explosion, the Fire Kilin Dragon stood tall and proud, emerging upon the scorching mes, its dancing Fire Scales making this ancient Dragon Beast look even more majestic and divine! The Dragons of Nan Yuso, they all seemed to be of Ancestral Dragon lineage. Zhu Minng had witnessed the power of this Fire Kilin; it virtually ignored the hordes of Shadow Funeral Dragons! The Fire Kilin Dragon was muscr with a robust body, and its special Kirin head was covered in me-like whiskers that fluttered without wind. Where it stepped, scorch marks would appear, and where it lingered, fierce mes would ignite. At this moment, the Fire Kilin Dragon stood ahead of the Ice Morning White Dragon, its nostrils exhaling scalding mes that expanded outwards like a vortex! Burning Power! The thick-skinned Corpse Ghosts had just endured the torture of freezing cold, and now they were suddenly hit by fiery sts; no amount of resistance would leave them undamaged! Piles upon piles of Corpse Ghosts were burned so thoroughly that not even their ashes remained, and even those Corpse Ghosts that had just begun to crawl out from their graves outside of Song Xunshan¡¯s formation were not spared! ¡°It seems you¡¯re not fond of earth burials, so enjoy a cremation instead!¡± Nan Yuso said with an alluring smile. The Fire Kilin Dragon lifted its forelimbs, then stomped down fiercely upon the mountainous terrain. ¡°Boom!!!!!¡± The ground split open thunderously, and scaldingly hot fiery magma spewed from the area where the Fire Kilin Dragon trampled, irrigating the densely-packed graveyard within the forest. It seemed the graves contained not just one Corpse Ghost, but many age-old Corpse Ghosts were also slowly being awakened. Nan Yuso had noticed this earlier. It was perfect to burn the graveyard in one go, preventing an endless supply of Corpse Ghosts! Song Xunshan saw this scene, and his heart was bleeding! Not only were so many of his controble Corpse Ghosts burned to death, but also those stored in the graves were all wiped out. What a venomous woman! ¡°What¡¯s going on, where are the people from the Third and Fourth Stockades??¡± Song Xunshan said, somewhat infuriated. They didn¡¯t act in the stockades for a reason; they wanted to wait for the Yin Spirit Necromancers from the other stockades to arrive, as they had indeed underestimated the strength of this group of people. ¡°Probably still on the way¡­ probably¡­¡± Mistress Ruoshuo said quietly. ¡°What do you mean probably, did you notify them or not!¡± Song Xunshan shouted angrily. ¡°I¡­ I¡­¡± The Yin Spirit Necromancer girl began to stammer nervously. ¡°Great, you¡¯d actually help these outsiders. I wondered why you didn¡¯t lead them to the demon¡¯sir and even lied about remembering the wrong location. I see, you wretched girl are thinking of betraying us!¡± Song Xunshan grabbed the Yin Spirit Necromancer girl¡¯s neck and hissed. When they returned to the First Vige, Song Xunshan had instructed Mistress Ruoshuo to notify the people from the other stockades. These people could not be left alive; they had to be dealt with promptly. Calcting the time, if the Yin Spirit Necromancers from the other stockades had received the message and immediately rushed over, this group of people would have already turned into a pile of rotten bones. How could they still stand before him, unting their might! ¡°You and your grandmother are the same, hopelessly useless beings! We shouldn¡¯t have been softhearted in the first ce, leaving you, this worthless cmity, behind!¡± Song Xunshan barked with a ferocious expression. The Yin Spirit Necromancer girl couldn¡¯t speak a word; her throat was gripped tightly, and her face had turned painfully red! Li Xinghua witnessed this scene and anxiously said to Zhu Minng, ¡°Young Master, save that girl.¡± Many of these Yin Spirit Necromancers must have harmed many people. With such arge Pear Blossom Gully, where would so many Corpse Ghostse from? It¡¯s likely that the Yin Spirit Necromancers of Pear Blossom Gully often selected suitable victims to expand their army of Corpse Ghosts and even used Mourning Dragons to cover up their crimes. But this girl didn¡¯t seem to be part of their group. ¡°She meant well, she kept persuading us to leave,¡± Li Xinghua continued. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, she will be fine,¡± Zhu Minng said, a smile appearing on his face. Li Xinghua saw Zhu Minng¡¯s expression, then realized that the Sword Spirit Dragon had never appeared, even though Zhu Minng had already summoned it¡­ ¡°Dad, be careful, there¡¯s a Flying Sword beside that guy!¡± At this moment, Song Luo suddenly remembered something and hurriedly warned from afar. Back then, Zhu Minng¡¯s swordmanship obliterated hundreds of his Bat Wing Sorcery Dragons. Song Luo had endured great pain and torment to barely prevent this group from seeing through the ruse! Those Bat Wing Sorcery Dragons, he had raised them with such hard work!! Hearing the warning, Song Xunshan turned his head and saw a fierce sword light streak past! The Sharp Sword stabbed directly towards his back, and even after hearing Song Luo¡¯s shout, Song Xunshan was toote to react. Blood seeped from his clothes, and Song Xunshan felt suddenly unable to exert any strength. He was about to suffocate the girl in front of him, but he found himself gasping for air even more. Controlling those Corpse Ghosts, Song Xunshan had already found it somewhat strenuous to deal with the Ice Morning White Dragon and the Fire Kilin Dragon. Thus he had never noticed that the Sword God had stealthily made his way behind him¡­ Chapter 294 - 295: Profound Art, Eradication Pupil Chapter 294: Chapter 295: Profound Art, Eradication Pupil He killed unperceived. The Sword Spirit Dragon struck, aiming straight for Song Xunshan¡¯s life! Song Xunshan slowly fell, his wrinkled face filled with disbelief!! Lying dormant in Pear Blossom Gully for so many years, deceiving countless people, and even strengthening Yin Spirit Vigers, he was about to gain ess to the higher divine Yin Spirit Techniques, about to be acknowledged by the higher viges, yet he died so easily at the hands of a few outsiders. Blood kept flowing, and the corpse ghosts controlled by Song Xunshan also began to twitch spasmodically. Soon, they were like puppets whose strings had been cut, turning into puddles of rotten corpses! ¡°Father!!¡± Song Luo roared, his entire being like a furious wild beast. Around him, several Polluted Night Sacrifice Dragons and Trickster Dragons appeared, attempting to kill in revenge for Song Xunshan. However, the Divine Green Holy Dragon, possessing a shadowy might, disyed even more formidable suppressive power. The Polluted Night Sacrifice Dragons and Trickster Dragons both struggled to get past its Demon Vine Domain. The twisting, eerie Demon Vines were like the bodies of devils from hell, ferocious and terrifying. The Polluted Night Sacrifice Dragons and Trickster Dragons couldn¡¯t escape death, let alone the lower-level Bat Wing Sorcery Dragons¡­ ¡°I will kill all of you, I will refine you into skeletons!¡± Song Luo bellowed in anger. ¡°You reap what you sow!¡± Zhu Minng said with disdain. Guiding the Sword Spirit Dragon with his finger, Zhu Minng once again performed the swordsmanship he had recently grasped! Firefly Sword ¨C Coiling Dragon! The sword was like fireflies, dazzlingly interwoven. They spread out slowly with the swirling Sword Qi, and although their overall movement was slow, the thousands of swordsposed of spiraling sword shadows left the Mourning Dragons in this wilderness with nowhere to hide! The sword light was dazzling, the sword fire fierce, the Mourning Dragons¡¯ lives were harvested like stalks of wheat! Meanwhile, the Ice Morning White Dragon also unleashed an even more domineering Azure Dragon Mystics. The bright moon in the night sky seemed to morph into the icy eyes of the Ice Morning White Dragon, its gaze like moonlight scattering over the wild ridges and hills! Thend in the wilderness, as if crushed by some force, instantly turned into cold dust. And the Mourning Dragon horde that tried to entrap Zhu Minng and hispanions, under this gaze, also turned to ash!! Hundreds, even thousands, of Mourning Dragons were annihted under the Ice Morning White Dragon¡¯s deathly gaze. Bai Qi, who had reborn his Azure Dragon bloodline, seemed to have gained even greater Azure Dragon power. This Eradication Pupil was a Profound Art that he had never mastered before! The Fire Kilin Dragon and the Divine Green Holy Dragon also disyed their supreme dragon majesty, and the tide-like surge of Mourning Dragons soon broke and fled in disarray! ¡°Without the Demon Awakening Fruit, your Mourning Dragons are nothing special!¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°I want your life!¡± Song Luo screamed hoarsely. ¡°Flying Sword, Sword sh!¡± Zhu Minng suddenly pointed forward, and amidst the beautiful fire of swords in the sky, a dark red sharp sword light flitted by like a thread! ¡°Whoosh!¡± In front of Song Luo, a few wild Mourning Dragons remained. They were strong in build, powerful, and ferocious. But the Sword Spirit Dragon¡¯s Sword sh pierced directly through the bodies of these wild Mourning Dragons, like arrows through thin leaves, precisely hitting Song Luo¡¯s heart! Blood seeped from his chest, soon drenching his entire body. Song Luo couldn¡¯t believe it either. As the future leader of the Yin Spirit Vige, how could he be killed by this group of people whom he thought he had been toying with! He advised his father, Song Xunshan, that these people were very powerful and they shouldn¡¯t make a move against them unless reinforcements from other viges arrived. But Song Luo also didn¡¯t want to let these people, who had discovered the vige¡¯s secrets, leave. Blood went from seeping to spurting, and as he lost control over his powers, a Mourning Dragon by his side fiercely pounced on him, greedily devouring the still-breathing Song Luo! Servant of the God of Death? Perhaps the Mourning Dragons were merely using those who called themselves the God of Death, reveling in the grand feast of ughter!! Evil Dragons often devour their masters, and these dragons without a true Spirit Contract were quite different from the Orthodox Dragon Shepherds. Mourning Dragons are a disaster. Zhu Minng and Nan Yuso had no intention of leaving any alive, letting the Ice Morning White Dragon freeze the wilderness, then the Fire Kilin Dragon and the Divine Green Holy Dragon would sweep through, and the Sword Spirit Dragon was responsible for chopping down the Trickster Dragons and the Polluted Night Sacrifice Dragons, or any other special type among the Mourning Dragons. If these Mourning Dragons really hid, it would be quite a challenge for Zhu Minng to find them. Now it was good, with Song Luo and Song Xunshan, these two old schemers, delivering themselves, achieving a perfect catch! ¡°Those Bat Wing Sorcery Dragons are fleeing.¡± Hu Bailing pointed to a group of Mourning Dragons that had taken refuge in the forest. ¡°I¡­ I can call them back,¡± the Yin Spirit Necromancer girl, Mistress Ruoshuo, said softly. As Zhu Minng wondered, those purple eyes of the Yin Spirit Necromancer girl shimmered with a trickster light, and suddenly the dead Song Xunshan staggeringly rose to his feet, his eyes hollow and spiritless, resembling a living puppet. Was the Yin Spirit Necromancer girl controlling the dead Song Xunshan? Song Xunshan extended his palm, and the blood spread into the forest. As if responding to a call, the Bat Wing Sorcery Dragons that were about to flee strangely flew back. Their eyes were greedy and sinister, and their flight was remarkably bizarre. They instinctively chose to run, yet their hearts were manipted by bewitchment! To fly back was to court death! The Fire Kilin Dragon was already standing there, preparing a noble me burial for these Bat Wing Sorcery Dragons. Many of them, having lost their bnce, fell to the ground, their ws grasping the soil and earth, desperately trying to flee the mes, yet their wings uncontrobly soared into the fierce fire, carrying a touch of fearless tragedy!! ¡°Has your tribe always been raising these Mourning Dragons?¡± Zhu Minng asked. ¡°No, in the past, we only studied Yin Spirit Techniques. I don¡¯t know when it started, but some Yin Spirit Necromancers who couldmunicate with the Mourning Dragons appeared in our vige, giving rise to the Mourning Dragon Yin Spirit Necromancers. Song Luo was one of them.¡± ¡°Was he the only one who could control the Mourning Dragons?¡± Zhu Minng continued to ask. ¡°The Song family father and son were just gatekeepers of our Yin Spirit Vige. Inside Pear Blossom Gully, there are stronger Yin Spirit Necromancers. You should leave quickly, they will not rest until they have revenge!¡± said Mistress Ruoshuo, the Yin Spirit Necromancer girl. ¡°What about you?¡± Li Xinghua said. ¡°I¡­ I¡­¡± The Yin Spirit Necromancer girl hesitated, not knowing how to respond. In Pear Blossom Gully, the First Vige and the Second Vige were essentially outposts. The true Yin Spirit Necromancers were all hidden within the Fifth and Sixth Viges. Periodically, they would send a few Yin Spirit Necromancers to manage the ¡®Yin citizens¡¯ of the First Vige and the Mourning Dragons raised in the Second Vige. Although the informed Song Luo and Song Xunshan were dead, she didn¡¯t know how to convincingly continue the lie. She didn¡¯t want to see outsiders enter Pear Blossom Gully anymore, being cruelly turned into ¡®Yin citizens.¡¯ She also feared punishment from the Yin Spirit Necromancer n! ¡°Young master, take her down the mountain with us. The Yin Spirit Vige in Pear Blossom Gully likely won¡¯t ept her anymore,¡± Li Xinghua said to Zhu Minng at that moment. ¡°Let¡¯s leave first,¡± Zhu Minng nodded in agreement. Chapter 295 - 296 Don’t Lie Chapter 295: Chapter 296 Don¡¯t Lie Before leaving, Zhu Minng didn¡¯t forget about the Soul Collecting Pearl Brewing. The value of these Mourning Dragons¡¯ Soul Beads would not be inferior to the gemstones flowing in the river. After all, he was hired toe here, and now that he had eliminated all the Mourning Dragons in the area, he should receive a substantial reward! Moreover, he had taken care of the maniptor behind the Mourning Dragons as well. Hurriedly leaving Pear Blossom Gully, Zhu Minng realized that this ce wasn¡¯t as simple as it seemed, especially considering the existence of the Yin Spirit Necromancer n, which was likely ancient, strange, mysterious, and extremely powerful. Who knows what kind of death demons or devils were raised in those unkempt viges deep within Pear Blossom Gully? Just the two gatekeeping Yin Spirit Necromancer father and son almost caused them to stumble! ¡°Why didn¡¯t I notice anything wrong when I came here before?¡± Hu Bailing said with a lingering fear in her heart. ¡°Pear Blossom Gully wasn¡¯t like this before. Although the vigers all served the Yin Spirit Necromancers and took pride in them, I don¡¯t know when exactly, but the vige stopped burying the dead in the ground and didn¡¯t dispose of their deceased kin. Instead, they handed them over to the Yin Spirit Necromancers, who made them seem as though they were still alive¡­¡± the young Yin Spirit Necromancer girl, Mistress Ruoshuo, said. When she was very young, Pear Blossom Gully was just Pear Blossom Gully. Even though everyone knew about the Yin Spirit Necromancers and took pride in them, Pear Blossom Gully was as peaceful, prosperous, and harmonious as the outside world said it was. But in these years, it hadpletely degenerated. The dead, controlled by the Yin Spirit Necromancers, were stuffed into the First Vige, Second Vige, and Third Vige like living dead, just like houses of the living dead. Later on, some Yin Spirit Necromancers couldmunicate with the Mourning Dragons, which led to the appearance of Mourning Dragon Yin Spirit Necromancers. These Necromancers were ambitious and often went out ¡°hunting.¡± Every time they hunted, they brought back countless fresh corpses, providing materials for other Yin Spirit Necromancers to refine. Grandmother Master Shi Hua stood up to oppose them. She believed that the Yin Spirit Necromancers should not be a cult of the dead, nor should they rely on Mourning Dragons tomit violent acts to grow stronger¡­ But it was all in vain. Pear Blossom Gully was indeed a Yin Spirit Necromancer vige, and it was once peaceful and harmonious. Even if outsiders came, the vigers would warmly wee them, but now it hadpletely turned into a demonic cult! ¡°Grandmother opposed them but died because of the struggle. I¡¯ve always wanted to leave, but the tribal elders feared I would reveal the secrets of our n, so they trapped me in Stone Vige,¡± the Yin Spirit Necromancer girl said. ¡°So the rescue missions posted to the outside world are actually a trap?¡± Zhu Minng asked. ¡°Yes, the Song Family father and son are in charge of the First Vige. They want to get more living people to feed the Mourning Dragons, so they issued a call for help to the outside world, iming that the water source was contaminated, and we needed to deliver water. Before you, several teams had already died using this pretext. I used the yin civilians to try to stop you from entering the vige, but you forced your way in anyway. After that, Song Luo kept an eye on me, and I didn¡¯t dare to talk to you about it,¡± the young Yin Spirit Necromancer girl, Mistress Ruoshuo, said. Song Luo and Song Xunshan, this father and son were wicked to the extreme! They issued a hugemission to the outside world and generously offered bags and bags of gemstones to those who came to Pear Blossom Gully to bring water to the so-called Second Vige that was short of water. In reality, delivering water meant delivering death. They raised the Mourning Dragons in Stone Vige, and the dragons didn¡¯t even need to look for living people; they just had to quietly wait for the deceived to fall into their mouths¡­ The Mourning Dragons were malicious and tricky, possessing various abilities to bewitch and hunt living people, but they weren¡¯t even a tenth as ruthless as this Song Family Yin Spirit Necromancer father and son!! In this world, The perils are enough to leave one terrified in retrospect. If their strength had been slightly weaker, or if they hadn¡¯t uncovered the patterns and secrets of the Mourning Dragons, it would have been very difficult for them to leave Yin Spirit Vige alive! Dawn broke. Pear Blossom Gully gradually vanished below the horizon as their party pressed on toward Runyu City without rest. Although Runyu City was and of chaos, filled with warfare and strife, it was far less terrifying than the Yin Spirit Vige of Pear Blossom Gully. These kinds of magic sects must ultimately be dealt with by thebined forces of the major powers. Unfortunately, the Godly Mortal Academy, which governed this area, seemedpletely unaware of the existence of the Yin Spirit Necromancer tribe in Pear Blossom Gully, let alone the Mourning Dragon tide that was currently being stirred up by those capable ofmunicating with the Mourning Dragons. Zhu Minng felt it was necessary to inform the Godly Mortal Academy about this matter. However, the Yin Spirit Necromancer girl, Mistress Ruoshuo, also indicated that the other viges in Pear Blossom Gully were very well-hidden, especially the sixth and the Seventh Camps, which even she, a member of the tribe, had never visited. The terrain of Pear Blossom Gully wasplex, and with all the major viges arranged in a Long Snake Defense, outsiders could at most see the First Vige and the Second Vige. Other viges were simply unfindable. Even if the Godly Mortal Academyunched a major campaign, they wouldn¡¯t achieve much upon entering Pear Blossom Gully. Back in Runyu City, Zhu Minng for a time didn¡¯t know how to handle the Yin Spirit Necromancer girl. Li Xinghua meant to keep her close by, so Zhu Minng could only settle her in his residence for now. The Godly Mortal Academy wouldn¡¯t mobilize based on one side¡¯s story; she would be the best witness. ¡°Your nsmen haven¡¯t seen your body; they will surely keep searching. For now, let¡¯s give you a new name,¡± Li Xinghua said to the girl with light purple eyes. ¡°Yes, Yes!¡± The Yin Spirit Necromancer girl nodded eagerly; she had long wished to break free from the Yin Spirit Vige. Once in Runyu City, the girl was like a curious little deer¡ªfor her, this was the first encounter with the outside world, especially since Yin Spirit Vige was filled with those shadowy figures. She had hardly ever been in the world of the living! Even just sitting at the doorway, watching the bustling crowds on the streets of Runyu City, was a delightful pleasure for her. Li Xinghua nced at the girl squatting at the doorway, silly and happy watching the human hustle, then looked at the lush green willow branches and said with a light smile, ¡°Zhi Rou, let¡¯s call you Zhi Rou.¡± ¡°Sister Li, I like this name,¡± the Yin Spirit Necromancer girl said, blooming into a smile, brilliant as pear blossoms. ¡°Don¡¯t tell lies from now on. One lie requires ten more to cover it up¡­¡± Li Xinghua looked at her, speaking softly but with a serious and earnest tone. The smile on the Yin Spirit Necromancer girl¡¯s face slowly lost its warmth. ¡°I¡¯ll forgive you because you¡¯re young, but whether you choose topletely break with the past or continue your misdeeds in a new ce is up to you,¡± Li Xinghua continued. The girl looked at this seemingly gentle sister, her face showing a hint of panic that wasn¡¯t feigned. ¡°I¡­ I¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t lie,¡± Li Xinghua repeated. ¡°I¡­ won¡¯t dare anymore!¡± The Yin Spirit Necromancer girl became visibly nervous. ¡°Every life deserves respect.¡± The Yin Spirit Necromancer girl bit her lip tightly. She could deceive everyone, but she couldn¡¯t deceive a Prophet. Chapter 296 - 297 Counting Stars Chapter 296: Chapter 297 Counting Stars The climate in Runyu City was indeed veryfortable. Even in winter, one only needed to wear a close-fitting undershirt and casually throw on a good-looking long robe to avoid feeling cold without looking bulky orpromising one¡¯s appearance. It was that time of year again when worrying about dragon food became inevitable. Little White¡¯s Star Fragment Crystals were almost consumed, and Zhu Minng had to drag people to nearby countries to collect more. The meat for Big ck Tooth was easy to solve. Hao Ye had hunted enough demon beast fine meat tost Big ck Tooth a month, and Fang Niannian even sold the surplus meat that couldn¡¯t be stored properly in exchange for some dragon meat biscuits, ensuring that the big eater wouldn¡¯t go hungry this winter. The sap for the Divine Green Holy Dragon also cost money to purchase, and Demon Awakening Fruit wasn¡¯t something one could live off of. The main issue was still the cost of Little White¡¯s food. Zhu Minng felt that no matter how many gemstones he gathered, it was never enough. ¡°The Di n people took everything away, totaling seven hundred thousand gold. We made a pretty good profit this time!¡± Fang Niannian said with a smile. Seeing arge sum of moneye in made her especially happy, and she would feel insecure whenever their treasury was empty. Having a house full of gold provided more peace of mind than a powerful dragon, at least that¡¯s what Fang Niannian had always believed. ¡°The Mourning Dragon Soul Orb should also be quite valuable. We should auction it offter.¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°Mhm, Little White¡¯s food will cost about one hundred and fifty thousand gold, enough for two months. This time I exchanged it for Moonlight Crystals, you know. After the bloodline reshaping, the Moonlight Crystal Fragments seem to be more suitable for Little White.¡± Fang Niannian said earnestly as she handed the ounts to Zhu Minng for his review. ¡°Seventy-five thousand per month??¡± Zhu Minng¡¯s eyes widened upon seeing the amount. Keeping a Dragon King meant a fixed monthly expenditure of seventy-five thousand! Fortunately, they had made a big profit this time; otherwise, his own little treasury would have deted again. ¡°It¡¯s actually because of the closure of the Runyu City Commercial Road. If trade in Runyu City were to develop, many resources could be transported directly here, reducing the price by thirty to forty percent. Right now, not only do we have to spend a lot of money on dragon food, but the Hu Family¡¯s Dragon Trainer Army, the Azure Wolf Cavalry¡¯s Dragon Trainers, and those raising dragons in Runyu City all have to pay high prices to buy from elsewhere¡­¡± Fang Niannian exined. ¡°Not just a few percent less, as the City Lord, I¡¯ll also have to collect taxes on these sales!¡± Zhu Minng added. ¡°Right! I heard the Azure Wolf Cavalry has actually reformed recently. They have not only swept through the nearby bandits, but they¡¯re also taking on convoy escortmissions for the Tea-colored Ground trade caravans. Maybe we should open upmerce in Runyu City soon,¡± Fang Niannian suggested. For such arge city, it was full of people everywhere. Yet, there were hardly any decent marketces, no workshops, no shops; there were no restaurants, street stalls, or even vegetable sellers. It appeared bustling, but it was actually incredibly deste. ¡°We¡¯ve already applied to the Godly Mortal Academy for the City Lord¡¯s Seal. With the seal, many things can be implemented smoothly and logically.¡± Zhu Minng said. A month flew by quickly. Zhu Minng had already applied for the City Lord¡¯s Seal to the Godly Mortal Academy. Considering the seal was crafted from the Ancient Lantern Jade, Zhu Minng was even more eager to get his hands on it. When the time came, Zhu Minng nned to head to the academy¡¯s station. But on the day before his departure, a few people outside Runyu City imed to be administrative staff from the Godly Mortal Academy. ¡°Who is the City Lord??¡± A thundering call rang out, and at the stone-paved square outside the city gate, a man stood there, head adorned with a Feather Crown, body cloaked in a colorful gown, followed by others simrly wearing red crowns and long robes, with a proud and imposing air, dressedvishly, exuding an aura of arrogance! Zhu Minng approached, observing these five from the Godly Mortal Academy. Whye all this way just to stand at the city gate in such a haughty manner, as though issuing a challenge to Runyu City? After all, should the local authority not be on equal footing with the ruler? But the way they were behaving suggested they descended from the Heaven realm to the mortal world! ¡°Are you here to return the City Lord¡¯s Seal? A month ago, I applied to the Godly Mortal Academy, and for over a month now, Runyu City has been under my jurisdiction,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°What City Lord¡¯s Seal? We are envoys of the Orderer here for inspection,¡± stated the leader of the group, the man in the colorful gown. Upon closer inspection, one could see that the man was dressed in avish Peacock Gown, and his Feather Crown also seemed to be peacock-rted. ¡°Orderer¡¯s inspection?¡± Zhu Minng replied, his face a mask of puzzled iprehension. ¡°Not long ago, you announced Runyu City¡¯s allegiance to Li Chuan Kingdom. We suspect you used loopholes in imperialw to seek protection under the name of our Godly Mortal Academy, to avoid a national war, as well as to maliciously take over an ownerless city. We are here to investigate these matters,¡± the man in the Peacock Gown announced. Upon hearing this, both Hu Chongming and Hu Bailing¡¯s expressions changed. Why would such issues arise? Even if they had exploited imperialws to avoid a national war, all their actions orded with thosews and did not vite the protocols of local authority, so why were they subject to inspection?? Could it be that they would be used of using false identities? ¡°Oh, so you¡¯re here to pick a fight,¡± Zhu Minng said with augh, responding nonchntly. ¡°What ¡®picking a fight¡¯? What are you implying with that statement? We are here under orders!¡± one of the Godly Mortal Academy women snapped, pointing her finger at Zhu Minng. ¡°Do you have the City Lord¡¯s Seal then, or is it in your hands?¡± Zhu Minng inquired. ¡°If we find any issues during our inspection, we will not hand the City Lord¡¯s Seal over to you,¡± the man in the Peacock Gown retorted. ¡°If you refuse to hand over the City Lord¡¯s Seal to me, its rightful, legitimate master, then to whom do you prefer to deliver it? To Su Tai of ughter Country?¡± Zhu Minng countered. That man whomanded ughter Country¡¯s one hundred thousand Brown Banner Army! Zhu Minng still remembered him standing atop the shoulders of the Giant Spirit Killing Dragon, looking so arrogantly self-assured! Driven back by the protection against national warfare, daring not to challenge imperialw, but now using the Godly Mortal Academy to cause Runyu City trouble. Truly, taking full control of Runyu City was not an easy task. This barrennd was contested by four countries, with all major armed forces and powers unwilling to relent, enticed by the promising prospects of Runyu City! ¡°We have some questions we wish to ask the State Preceptor of Li Chuan Kingdom directly,¡± said the man in the Peacock Gown with a haughty tone. ¡°She¡¯s still asleep.¡± ¡°It¡¯s daytime!¡± proimed the woman with knitted brows. ¡°Last night on the eaves, my spouse and I leisurely counted stars in the sky while savoring wine, up until dawn,¡± Zhu Minng blurted out without a second thought. ¡°Nonsense, who counts stars the entire night? Do you think we¡¯re three-year-olds?¡± the woman with knitted brows said angrily. ¡°Haha,ss, if you believe Master Zhu¡¯s tale of counting stars, then you really are as naive as a three-year-old. Two grown adults, up all night without sleep, what else could they be doing?¡± At this moment, an old man watching at the city gate eximed with augh. At thisment, the surrounding crowd burst intoughter, causing the woman¡¯s cheeks to flush with anger as she pointed her finger at Zhu Minng and shouted, ¡°You filthy man!¡± Chapter 297 - 298: Refusal for Protection Chapter 297: Chapter 298: Refusal for Protection Zhu Minng was irritated by the finger-pointing and cursing of others. Although he wasn¡¯t so childish as to count the stars, the fact was thatst night, Zhu Minng had indeed spent the entire night talking with Li Yunzi until dawn without any sess¡ªthis was a fact! That old uncle, what was he pretending to understand! He was inexplicablybeled as licentious. That¡¯s not right at all! If he and hisdy were to indulge in a night of passion, it would be with dignity. How could that be considered licentious? Obviously, it¡¯s the women of the Godly Mortal Academy who have extremely unhealthy minds!! ¡°Are you Zhu Minng?¡± the man in the peacock gown scrutinized closely. ¡°A month has passed; it¡¯s time to return the City Lord¡¯s Seal,¡± Zhu Minng repeated. You don¡¯t want to hand it over? You¡¯ll have to anyway! If someone was looking for trouble, Zhu Minng was more than willing to indulge them. The most satisfying thing in life wasn¡¯t just the significant improvement of one¡¯s strength but encountering someone who was asking for trouble at just the right time after the improvement, providing a perfect opportunity to show off. His dragons had their fangs well sharpened. ¡°The grandpetition of powers of Imperial City, I¡¯ve heard you, Zhu Minng, made quite the impression,¡± said the man in the peacock gown. What members of a power care about is naturally thepetition between powers. In the grandpetition of powers, Zhu Minng had indeed shone brightly, and different powers spread across the continent naturally came to hear of the individual known as Zhu Minng. ¡°I thought my little achievements werepletely unknown on the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent,¡± Zhu Minng remarked. ¡°I¡¯ve heard that you alone have defeated many chief and top-tier disciples from the Royal Family, Purple Sect n, Haoqi Martial School, Miao Mountain Sword Sect,¡± continued the man in the peacock gown. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s nothing¡­¡± Zhu Minng feigned modesty, but then his tone shifted, ¡°In addition to them, there were the Azure Dragon Pce, Pu Family, your Godly Mortal Academy, and hundreds of big disciples, the most outstanding disciples, and the most most excellent disciples, whose names and powers I can¡¯t even recall. I, for one, don¡¯t like bullying the weak¡ªI¡¯m used to taking on a hundred at a time.¡± After Zhu Minng finished speaking, the faces of the five from the Divine Method Academy turned green! The dignity of the powers was what they cared about most since they didn¡¯t involve themselves in mundane conflicts or power struggles. Who is the strongest cultivator? Which power stands above the rest? Indeed, the vast majority of cultivators see themselves as demigods, one day destined to enter the paths of immortals and gods, set apart from all the mortals of the world. And among cultivators, contests would decide who is victorious¡ªwho is everything. The Godly Mortal Academy hadn¡¯t performed very impressively in the grandpetition of powers, a thorn in their side! ¡°It¡¯s just sparring among disciples, what¡¯s there to be proud of!¡± said another member from the Godly Mortal Academy disdainfully from behind the man in the peacock gown. ¡°I¡¯m not proud, just stating some facts. If you think stating facts means I¡¯m showing off, then you care about the title more than I do. If you hadn¡¯t mentioned it, why would I? Throughout my life, Zhu Minng, I¡¯ve done many earth-shattering things. Dominating a grandpetition of powers is really nothing worth mentioning,¡± Zhu Minng spoke calmly. A gust of wind swept across the ground, lifting the dust into the air, blowing towards the numerous onlookers gathered at the city gate to watch themotion. There were ordinary citizens, and there were cultivators, speechless one by one, looking at this new City Lord Zhu, suddenly feeling an urge to stand with the Godly Mortal Academy and jointly give Zhu Minng a good beating! ¡°The City Lord¡¯s Seal will not be given out so easily. If you really want to take it, you must pass the test of our Godly Mortal Academy. Rulers, power holders, all need it!¡± said the man in the Peacock Gown then. ¡°I don¡¯t ept,¡± Zhu Minng tly refused. ¡°You don¡¯t have a say in this!¡± the woman with stern brows snapped angrily. ¡°The item was ours to begin with, merely in your custody for the time being. Now that the owner wants to take it back, you are intentionally making things difficult? Do you really think I, Zhu Minng am easy to bully? I will wait another week, after one week, if the City Lord¡¯s Seal is not produced, I will personally visit your Godly Mortal Academy¡¯s residence to pay my respects, and then do not me me, Zhu Minng, for showing no mercy!¡± Zhu Minng dered. ¡°We are here to inspect, and not only are you uncooperative, you question us with hostility. You¡¯ve got some nerve! Are you not afraid that the Orderer will strip you of everything?¡± the woman with the horizontal brows shouted loudly. Zhu Minng, upon hearing this, found it amusing instead. Firstly, they were not Orderers and had no right to inspect anything in the first ce. Secondly, inspect what? Zhu Minng had Runyu City¡¯s documents, guaranteed authentic, and as for the ownership of Runyu City, Li Yunzi had already had Commander Cheng submit it to the Imperial Court. Moreover, Li Yunzi held the national seal! The deeds to Runyu Citynd, the documents of ownership, and the submissions to the Imperial Court, these had made the current situation of Runyu City unequivocally clear. Now the Godly Mortal Academy wasing over to ¡°inspect,¡± obviously, they did not want to provide the promised wartime protection to Runyu City. And they did not want to surrender the City Lord¡¯s Seal, either. Having understood the attitude of the Godly Mortal Academy, Zhu Minng had no need to y nice with these few who came to question him. It wasn¡¯t as if Runyu City would instantly perish without the protection of the Godly Mortal Academy. If they wanted to start a war with Runyu City in advance, they should just bring it on. The troops of a few small countries, no matter howrge in number, Zhu Minng might not even consider them a threat. ¡°What are youughing at!¡± said the man in the Peacock Gown. ¡°Since you know I am Zhu Minng, don¡¯t try to intimidate me with the name of the Orderer. So there¡¯s no need to beat around the bush, just state the true purpose of your Godly Mortal Academy¡¯s visit today,¡± Zhu Minng responded. ¡°Heh, very well. First, our Godly Mortal Academy will not protect you. We do not allow Runyu City to belong to a country led by an inferior mortal. Second, the City Lord¡¯s Seal belongs to us, Godly Mortal Academy. If you pay us a tribute of two million gold every month, we can permit you to be the manager, the ruler, of this city,¡± the man in the Peacock Gown stated. Two million gold?? Hu Chongming and Hu Bailing were both stupefied. In this world, who charges the rulers taxes?? Power holders generally onlyy im to some resources they need, never have they taxed the rulers themselves! It feels like, the Godly Mortal Academy is the darkest and most evil force looming over Runyu City! ¡°If you do not wish to protect Runyu City, we will find another power to take up residency. Thus, from now on, we reim all the Spiritual Lands, Spiritual Mountains, and Spirit Veins on thend of Runyu City. If your Godly Mortal Academy sets foot here again, don¡¯t me me for treating you like robbers!¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°Howughable, the Spirit Veins of thisnd have always belonged to our Godly Mortal Academy, and you say you reim them?¡± ¡°Runyu City is mine; every de of grass and every tree, every bird and beast on thend of Runyu City, belong to me, let alone the Spirit Veins. I¡¯m actually very thankful that you havee all this way to bring me these gifts. If there is nothing else, you can leave now. I need to carefully consider which power will be the next resident over Runyu City¡­¡± Chapter 298 - 299: Deprivation of Everything Chapter 298: Chapter 299: Deprivation of Everything At the city gate, the cultivators watching themotion thought they had misheard. To tell the Godly Mortal Academy to get lost?? The Godly Mortal Academy was the only seated power in this tea-colorednd. It wasmonly known that nations on this tea-colorednd frequently changed rulers, but the one true sovereign of thisnd was the Godly Mortal Academy. Who would dare openly defy the Godly Mortal Academy? This new City Lord, wasn¡¯t he quite ignorant and arrogantly unaware of his own limits?? ¡°Hahaha, Zhu Minng, oh Zhu Minng, I¡¯ve long heard of your rampant ways in the Imperial City, that you don¡¯t even regard the Royal Family, thinking you¡¯re quite something. Now it turns out you¡¯re so ignorantly foolish. Only with our Godly Mortal Academy do the four nations of the tea-colorednd exist; with the four nationse the Holders of Runyu City like you. Now that we¡¯ve reached this point in our talk, I might as well tell you, as long as our Godly Mortal Academy exists, Runyu City will never belong to you. Either kneel and follow all our arrangements, or get lost. We will strip you of everything!¡± the man in the peacock gown said,ughing. At first, this administrator from the Godly Mortal Academy had some restraint, but it seemed Zhu Minng¡¯s reckless words had provoked him, and now he made no further attempt to conceal it. Zhu Gate? This tea-colorednd held not a trace of Zhu Gate¡¯s power. Besides, a power that grew strong through casting art was merely because the continent¡¯s situation appealed to people, gathering wealth on a grand scale, that they now had their status. How could thispare with the Godly Mortal Academy, which focused solely on cultivators, wholeheartedly ascending towards the paths of Heavenly Dao and the God Realm? This Runyu City¡­ Without the protection of the Godly Mortal Academy, it became a thorough City of Sin, even noble and decent factions could attack it at will! ¡°Everyone listen up!¡± At this moment, the woman with the constant eyebrows suddenly shouted to everyone in the city, ¡°As of today, Runyu City is no longer under the protection of the Godly Mortal Academy. This city has been designated as the City of Sin, and residents are to relocate immediately. Failing that, they will be considered criminals; if factions do not withdraw, they will be considered a Dark Gang. Your lives will no longer be protected or ountable.¡± Your lives will no longer be protected or ountable. It meant that if someone here were killed, it would be akin to killing a fugitive or a major offender, without any ountability! There were indeed many residents in Runyu City. Many Dragon Shepherds and Divine and Mortals made their living here, and they mainly settled down, bing inhabitants of Runyu City. Although the situation in Runyu City was likely to be demoted to a City of Sin eventually before this new City Lord arrived, who could have expected that after it was already under management, and after a thorough reset to regain order, it would be outright abandoned by the Godly Mortal Academy, forcibly designated as a City of Sin! How could there be such a dictatorial and tyrannical force that simply did not understand the current situation of Runyu City, and arbitrarily decided to designate it a City of Sin! ¡°So this is your true purpose ining here today?¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°This is the Orderer¡¯s edict; read it well.¡± The man in the peacock gown threw a roll of documents on the ground. Originally, these administrators from the Godly Mortal Academy wanted to find more reasons to make things worse and then bring out this edict from the Orderers, but that was no longer necessary. ¡°Who is this Orderer?¡± Zhu Minng asked. ¡°Our Dean Yan Guang!¡± ¡°What is your name?¡± Zhu Minng continued. ¡°Godly Mortal Academy Administrator Lian Feiling!¡± ¡°Lian Feiling, remember well what I just said. From today onward, I will reim all the Spirit Veins within the boundaries of Runyu City. If I see any of your Godly Mortal Academy people still lingering, they will be treated as robbers, all to be cleared out,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°You dare!¡± ¡°Do you know why I left the Imperial City?¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°Weren¡¯t you just expelled?¡± Lian Feiling said disdainfully. ¡°I publicly killed a member of the Royal Family,¡± Zhu Minng continued. ¡°You¡­ you¡¯re truly steeped in sin!¡± ¡°Think it over carefully whether I dare to kill your people from the Godly Mortal Academy. Just let me see you looting my personal property in my domain!¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°You will face the appropriate punishment!¡± ¡°Pass this message to your Orderer for me: I, Zhu Minng, am narrow-minded and vengeful. Let him wait for it!¡± Zhu Minng said. Orderers¡­ They are the people who hold authority beyond the city rulers and seated officials! Is Zhu Minng really going to confront people of such a level head-on?? Just a few days ago, the residents and powers within Runyu City had witnessed the new City Lord¡¯s thunderous methods, yet they never imagined that he would dare to openly challenge the Ling Family, the Godly Mortal Academy, and the Orderers who are above the city, the state, and the kingdom! The few members of the Godly Mortal Academy¡¯s administration also had faces ashen with rage. Normally, when the Godly Mortal Academy gets involved, even the rulers of some countries would bow their heads in submission, not daring to show the slightest defiance. Not to mention the Orderers, those supremely detached beings who can mete out the punishment of obliteration within any territory they govern. Yet this Zhu Minng, he didn¡¯t seem to regard any of this with importance, even speaking such wildly arrogant words! ¡°Let¡¯s go. There are always many who are ignorant of what is good for them, but few who live safely and soundly. Zhu Minng, you¡¯d better watch yourself!¡± Lian Feiling of the Peacock Gown said coldly. In the moment those words were spoken, Lian Feiling¡¯s eyes already conveyed a deep disgust, and even carried a hint of anticipation, looking forward to seeing what would be of Zhu Minng! What ¡°Chosen Son of Heaven¡± from the Imperial City. Just another arrogant fool without knowledge! To oppose the Godly Mortal Academy? To oppose the Orderers? Is there anything more foolish than this in the world? Once again, the wind picked up, gently sweeping up some flying dust. The roads outside Runyu City were wide and lengthy. As the people from the Godly Mortal Academy, including Lian Feiling, turned to leave, it was as if they had pronounced a death sentence on Runyu City, their arrogance so great it did not allow for the slightest negotiation. Zhu Minng watched these individuals, pondering over a question in his mind. Whether it was the Godly Mortal Academy or the Orderer, Zhu Minng should have had no prior contact with them, let alone any conflict. Why did they directly impose such a severe punishment on him from the get-go? Merely because they did not want to return the title of City Lord? ¡°The Godly Mortal Academy, huh?¡± ¡°There must be quite a few experts.¡± ¡°Your speech is still too mild.¡± ¡°And you shouldn¡¯t have let those few just leave like that.¡± At this time, a woman leaning against the city gate wall, Qu Ruan, said in a soft voice. She wore a veil, and in her eyes, which were like ake of ice and snow, there was a hint of fiery passion, as if this unremarkable life had finally encountered some ripples, sparking a bit of anticipation. Zhu Minng scratched his head. Was that too mild??? Miss Lingsha, it¡¯s been some days since west met. But your hostility seems to have only increased and not decreased! Oh, the Godly Mortal Academy¡­ All Divine and Mortals, huh. The Painter Lady, she loves to crush these so-called supreme Divine and Mortals under her exquisite heels! Chapter 299 - 300 The Orderer’s Dragon Chapter 299: Chapter 300 The Orderer¡¯s Dragon Runyu City was indeed not something just anyone could take over. Luckily, Zhu Minng never considered himself to be just anyone. Once the directive from the City of Sin was issued, it meant that all the efforts of the people of Runyu City over the past month had been in vain. Not to mention reviving the livelihoods of the people, keeping Runyu City from being razed to the ground by those with ulterior motives was already very difficult. ¡°Is there really no hope once the Orderer deems it a City of Sin?¡± Hu Bailing asked. ¡°Isn¡¯t that obvious? Runyu City is naturally wealthy, surrounded by many Gem Mountains, and is a vital passage on the Neon Sea Trade Route with plenty of Spirit Veins. Now that the Godly Mortal Academy has announced its abandonment and the Orderers have branded the city as the City of Sin, many factions that were concerned about their reputation and didn¡¯t want to plunder Runyu City will now act without restraint. Soon, Runyu City will be divided up until nothing is left!¡± Hu Chongming spoke with boundless indignation. Oftentimes, it is not the roaming ouws who are terrifying, but when all the people turn into robbers¡ªthat¡¯s an unstoppable force. The Godly Mortal Academy didn¡¯t even need to lift a finger; just by issuing this directive,beling Runyu City as the City of Sin, the wave of greed sweeping across the Tea-colored Ground would ensure Runyu City¡¯s utter doom! So this was effectively a death sentence! ¡°Isn¡¯t that Orderer abusing his power?¡± Hu Bailing said. ¡°He¡¯s using his power, not abusing it. Before we took over, Runyu City was indeed at risk of being judged as a City of Sin. It¡¯s just that the Orderer turns a blind eye to the month of cleanup against evil we did,¡± Yao Junshi said. ¡°There should be at least two Orderers for a piece ofnd, and I don¡¯t even know who the other Orderer is. If we could get his recognition, then there might be hope for Runyu City,¡± Hu Chongming said. ¡°That is if the two Orderers are not in good terms and do not agree with each other,¡± someone added. ¡°Or maybe we could just pay the two million gold per month as the Godly Mortal Academy administration suggested?¡± Yao Junshi whispered. ¡°That¡¯s impossible. How much do we earn each month, and on top of that, we need to invest in the city¡¯s infrastructure, management, and policy implementation, not to mention the money spent on recruiting and maintaining forces¡­¡± Both Hu Chongming and Hu Bailing, the siblings, opposed at the same time. A wealthy city-state might not be able to produce two million gold in tax revenue each month, let alone the rundown city of Runyu, which required tens of millions in investment. How could they afford to pay protection fees to the Godly Mortal Academy? The Godly Mortal Academy hadn¡¯t done anything! Hu Chongming even suspected that the Godly Mortal Academy was deliberately using the imminent designation of Runyu City as a City of Sin as an excuse to extort those who nned to rebuild Runyu City. Otherwise, why didn¡¯t they announce it a month ago, only to jump out once Runyu City started to improve. Moreover, although the resident power could be changed, It had to be a power with genuine deterrence in the Tea-colored Ground. If the Zhu Gate were to take over, they had no branches, not a single Deacon, on the Tea-colored Ground. If the Zhu Gate took over, it would be in name only, providing no protection or deterrence whatsoever. The reason Li Chuan Continent was protected and blessed at the time was partly because the Yaoshan Sword Sect had intervened, and partly because Orderer Zhu Xuehen would oversee the situation. Now, with the Orderers indulging in and causing trouble, and the resident power directly engaging in extortion and deprivation, the situation waspletely stagnant! ¡°I thought we would quietly make it to spring, but suddenly we¡¯re facing a desperate winter,¡± Yao Junshi sighed heavily. Regarding the power struggle, Yao Junshi didn¡¯t have any good solutions either. After all, those major powers each considered themselves Cultivators, future Immortals, the rulers of the world, and had no care for the myriad living beings! ¡°Let¡¯s try finding the other Orderer first,¡± Zhu Minng said. If Runyu City was indeed doomed, then there was nothing to be done about it. Zhu Minng only wanted the City Lord¡¯s Seal in the beginning. He could just steal it from the Godly Mortal Academy when the time came, and then give Lian Feiling and the Orderer a good thrashing. Of course, if there was still a chance, Zhu Minng wouldn¡¯t easily give up. After all, everyone had worked hard for over a month, and his wife had even invested a million gold. They couldn¡¯t just let those in power trample over them! ¡°But we don¡¯t even know who the other Orderer is. Come to think of it, the Tea-colored Ground is quite strange, too. Everyone knows there¡¯s an Orderer from the Godly Mortal Academy, but the identity of the other Orderer is almost unknown to most people,¡± Yao Junshi said with a troubled expression. ¡°Don¡¯t the people from the Hu Family know either??¡± Zhu Minng asked, puzzled. The Hu Family siblings shook their heads; they truly hadn¡¯t heard anything about the other Orderer. ¡°That mysterious?¡± ¡°I suspect that even the Orderer Yan Guang doesn¡¯t know,¡± Yao Junshi said. ¡°Working together, yet not knowing each other¡¯s identity, how is that possible?¡± As everyone discussed, they suddenly found themselves at an impasse again. Without clear information about the other Orderer¡¯s identity, they couldn¡¯t overturn the conclusions of the City of Sin. ¡°I might¡­ I might know¡­¡± At this moment, the Yin Spirit Necromancer girl Zhi Rou, who had been quietly listening to everyone talk, spoke up in a voice as faint as a mosquito¡¯s. Zhu Minng turned his head to look at the Yin Spirit Necromancer girl. Could it be? The other Orderer¡­ had died? Otherwise, why would this girl, who could see Yin Spirits, know about him?? ¡°My grandmother, she once told me about the Orderer,¡± the girl Zhi Rou said hesitantly, her eyes turning towards Li Xinghua as if seeking her approval before speaking. Li Xinghua also guessed that this might be rted to some matters of the Yin Spirit Necromancer vige. Having promised the girl not to mention anything about the vige, Li Xinghua understood that there were some things she couldn¡¯t reveal in public. So, Li Xinghua took her aside and slowly inquired about the other Orderer. ¡°One time, my grandmother came back from outside, very disturbed, and she strongly prevented people in our vige from keeping Mourning Dragons. She told the leaders that an Orderer had be aware of our Pear Blossom Gully¡¯s secrets and that if we continued like this, we risked annihtion by the Orderer,¡± Zhi Rou recounted some of her grandmother Master Shi Hua¡¯s words. ¡°Then do you know who that Orderer is?¡± ¡°Grandmother said it¡¯s in Green Bull Mountain. She admitted she hadn¡¯t seen the Orderer himself, but she did witness the Orderer¡¯s dragon, a Silver Tail Purple Dragon!¡± Yin Ling Shi Zhirou said earnestly. Li Xinghua nodded¡­ With such a distinct characteristic, finding this Orderer should be much easier. For now, the priority was to find this Orderer quickly. Green Bull Mountain was located within a Spiritual Mountain in ughter Country, and the journey wasn¡¯t particrly far. ¡°Silver Tail Purple Dragon, that¡¯s right, that¡¯s right, Zhu Minng, I¡¯ve listed a new dragon pet for you, and the Silver Tail Purple Dragon is the top choice. Go catch and tame it quickly!¡± Mr. Jinli suddenly appeared and called out to Zhu Minng. ¡°That¡¯s someone else¡¯s Orderer¡¯s dragon!¡± Zhu Minng¡¯s face darkened. There were only two Orderers on the Tea-colored Ground; he couldn¡¯t possibly offend them both! Purple Dragon, Mr. Jinli had mentioned it many times, insisting that Zhu Minng must tame a Purple Dragon. Now every time Mr. Jinli heard about a Purple Dragon, he wouldn¡¯t stop talking! Chapter 300 - 301 Demon Chapter 300: Chapter 301 Demon At Green Bull Mountain, the Hu Family Siblings decided to go there personally, requesting, as the founders of Runyu City, that the Orderer withdraw the judgment against Runyu City. However, time was extremely limited. Once a city was deemed a City of Sin, the Orderer would only give the inhabitants a week. That meant, after a week, all who still lingered in Runyu City would be considered sinners, and their lives and deaths would no longer be of concern to anyone. The news spread quickly, after all, the edict from the Orderer hung on the city gates. The document was a striking red, impossible to ignore, clear for all passersby to see. The little vitality Runyu City had managed to recover over the past month was drained by that single document. However, some of the long-time residents had nowhere else to go. In other countries and cities, they would be just as destitute, so they preferred to stay here, at least having a roof to shelter from the cold and rain, at least able to subsist on some farnd of their own. Across the vast and t ink-blue ground, herds of cattle and sheep ran, for many ces no longer had pastures in winter. Yet thend of Runyu City was still lush and green, thin streams flowing from nearby mountains like the most vibrant blood, constantly nourishing this piece of earth. Several hunters, carrying bows and arrows, were carefully approaching the wild herd. Old Huang, hunched over, was getting close to a robust bull. All it took was one arrow to the neck, coated with Hypnosis Flower Liquid, and it would spread through the robust bull¡¯s bloodstream, taking effect within a few hours. This Hypnosis Flower Liquid was far more effective than some anesthetic poisons. It didn¡¯t affect the quality of the wild bull¡¯s meat, and people who ate its meat wouldn¡¯t suffer from diarrhea. This special Hypnosis Flower Liquid was indeed Old Huang¡¯s family treasure. ¡°Hit it, just follow that robust bull, and when it falls asleep, we can capture it,¡± Old Huang said. Just as he finished speaking, the herd suddenly let out a frightful roar and began fleeing in all directions, throwing the scene into chaos. ¡°Get out of the way!¡± Old Huang shouted. The hunters scrambled to safety as the herd charged through, narrowly escaping danger. Old Huang looked up and saw a group of people riding Hawk w Fake Dragons descending from the sky, mercilessly chasing the herd. The fierce Hawk w Fake Dragons could even snatch a robust bull into the air, as effortlessly as a hawk capturing a chick. ¡°Who are you people?¡± asked a clean-faced young man on a Hawk w Fake Dragon. ¡°We are hunters from Runyu City, we live by hunting,¡± Old Huang responded. ¡°Oh, so you¡¯re a bunch of sinners, eh?¡± the corner of the young man¡¯s mouth curled up. ¡°No, no, no, we are just ordinary hunters, we used to live in Runyu City¡­¡± Old Huang quickly exined. ¡°Brothers, feel like having some fun?¡± The clean-faced young man smiled at hispanions. ¡°Of course, what¡¯s the game?¡± said a Trainer holding a sk. The clean-faced man¡¯s smile brightened, but his gaze was icy and ruthless. At hismand, a Hawk w Fake Dragon suddenly swooped down on hunter Old Huang, lifting the stout man up into the air before taking flight. Dozens of meters up in the air, the clean-faced young man nced at Old Huang dangling below him and turned to hispanions, ¡°I bet a thousand gold he dies if we drop him from this height. What about you guys?¡± ¡°Young Master Bei, you are bound to lose this one. I¡¯ve seen people thrown from dozens of meters high off city towers and live; they just end up with broken bones all over,¡± the sk-holding Trainer said. ¡°Then let¡¯s go higher,¡± the clean-faced young man replied. The Hawk w Fake Dragon beat its wings, climbing another ten meters or so. On the ground, the other hunters¡¯ faces turned ashen with shock. Was this a joke, or were they serious? Who could find fun in this way! ¡°I bet he dies!¡± ¡°I bet he¡¯ll break into serious injuries, paralyzed from the waist down!¡± ¡°Haha, if his head hits the ground first, it¡¯s the upper body¡­ oh, if the head hits the ground, he must be totally dead. Young Master Bei, I bet a thousand gold pieces!¡± The people on the Eagle w Fake Dragon quickly reached an agreement. Forty or almost fifty meters high, the equivalent of a tall pavilion. The man known as Young Master Bei kept his smile, but gave his Eagle w Fake Dragon an order. The Eagle w Fake Dragon loosened its ws, and hunter Old Huang fell to the ground under the watchful eyes of several other young hunters. The sunlight was blinding, but the sight of a living man crashing to the ink blue ground was even more startling!! The horrible sound of bones shattering spread, Old Huangy in a pool of blood, his body grotesquely syed out as if all his joints had broken. Old Huang had twisted his body in midair to avoidnding on his head, but his leg bones, like two long spears, had pierced into his body. That kind of pain was not something ordinary people could endure. He passed out, covered in blood. The fair-skinned man rode down on his Eagle w Fake Dragon to check whether Old Huang was dead or alive. Soon, Young Master Bei furrowed his brow. Old Huang was still alive; he¡¯d just been knocked unconscious by the immense pain. Of course, his body was no different from being paralyzed, but he was stubbornly still breathing. Just as Young Master Bei was about to discreetly snuff out Old Huang¡¯sst breath, the man with the wine jug ran over and intervened, ¡°Young Master Bei can¡¯t be dishonest now. Otherwise, the brothers won¡¯t gamble with you anymore.¡± ¡°Haha, why would I do such a thing? This old geezer is pretty tough, to survive that fall. You win, here¡¯s the money!¡± Young Master Bei took out gold and silver and distributed it among his brothers. ¡°Winning Young Master Bei¡¯s money is just our brothers¡¯ good fortune,¡± the wine jug trainer said. ¡°Who said you won?¡± Young Master Bei raised his eyebrows and countered. ¡°Isn¡¯t the old man dead¡­¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t there still four of them? These four fellows might not be as lucky as this old guy. After all, a slightly worse falling position¡­¡± Young Master Bei let out anotherugh. At this moment, the fair-skinned man¡¯s smile was indistinguishable from that of a demon in the eyes of the hunters, causing their bodies to convulse! The winter sun shone on what once was a ruined marketce. In front of the broad marketce, one after another, bloodied bodies wereid out. Some were already dead, wrapped in hemp cloth that was soaked with blood seeping through. Some were covered in wounds as if they had been tied behind horses and dragged. ¡°Master Zhu, you must stand up for us!¡± A group of people knelt in front of the market, their faces stained with tears, their eyes filled with pain and torment. Just then, another wooden cart slowly made its way over. A young hunter carrying a bow and arrow, unlike usual, was not pushing a cart full of cattle and sheep for sale at the market. Rather, on the wooden cart,y the people he went hunting with every day, indistinguishable from ughtered animals, bloodied, filthy, some dead, others alive but wishing for death. ¡°Old Huang¡­¡± Zhu Minng recognized the person on the cart, the hunter who had sold him deer meat. He was barely recognizable as a human now. He had gone out to hunt, so how had he ended up like this! And these people spread across the marketce, just as miserable, simply because they refused to leave Runyu City?? ¡°There are still a few days left before Runyu City bes the City of Sin!¡± Fang Niannian couldn¡¯t believe what she was seeing, these tortured people living a fate worse than death. Chapter 301 - 302: Refusing to be a Decent Person Chapter 301: Chapter 302: Refusing to be a Decent Person One week! That was the deadline the Orderer gave to Runyu City. There were still a few days left until Runyu City would officially be dered the City of Sin, which is to say, the people here were still subjects of the Empire of the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent. Yet, they were already being treated like livestock! Such events were happening on a grand scale. Yao Junshi was recording one by one, meticulously documenting their experiences, but the more he wrote, the more his hand trembled. Hundreds of such encounters had urred and, with the deadline approaching, they were happening even more frequently! The problem was that a portion of the inhabitants of Runyu City relied on it to live. If they left Runyu City, they could hardly survive in this chaotic world. Even if they chose to leave because of the final verdict on Runyu City, the oue wouldn¡¯t be much better. At the marketce, there was a team of armed escorts who had left Runyu City on the day the announcement was posted. By the third day, they were forcibly expelled by other cities. No other city would ept the migrants from Runyu City! Once the City of Sin was judged, the residents of this city were essentially on a path to death! They could either abandon everything to wander, living a life with no fixed abode, and without a legitimate identity, or they could rot within this City of Sin! Indeed, Runyu City had few residents from the beginning. But few does not mean none! When Zhu Minng saw that bloody cart bringing Old Huang before him, he felt like a block of ice. It wasn¡¯t that he was indifferent or numb to it, but rather this coldness was the ultimate expression of his rage!! ¡°Yao Junshi, record this down,¡± Zhu Minng inhaled deeply and said to Yao Junshi. ¡°My lord, the Fake Dragons with eagle ws should be the trained beasts of the Bei Family Manor. They specialize in raising some beastly Fake Dragons to supply to the elite armies of various countries. They are well known as beast tamers, referred to as Young Master Bei, who is likely the manor¡¯s young master Bei Yanshang,¡± Yao Junshi conscientiously recorded the information and detailed the identities of those who persecuted Old Huang and other hunters. At that moment, the leader of the Azure Wolf Cavalry, Yu Gaojie, came over. He nced at the terrible scene and couldn¡¯t help but sigh deeply. ¡°Master Zhu, it might seem like hindsight to say certain things at this moment. When I was cleaning house, my corrupt subordinates confessed before they died, telling me arge portion of the protection money went to the Godly Mortal Academy. The waters run deep in Runyu City; it¡¯s not only the ything of various countries but also the money tree of the Godly Mortal Academy. The most significant dark force enveloping Runyu City, as Master Zhu may have realized by now, is indeed not our Azure Wolf Cavalry. We are merely minor yers,¡± the Azure Wolf Cavalry leader Gao Yujie said. Zhu Minng nced at Yu Gaojie. He didn¡¯t hold any dissatisfaction with him for deliberately withholding this matter. Gao Yujie and his Azure Wolf Cavalry were also just trying to survive in the cracks between major powers and warlords. Just as he said, the supreme dark force controlling Runyu City was not these local snakes on the turf but the Godly Mortal Academy! They had driven away the ughter Country Army. They had purged the dark strength of Runyu City, stabilizing the ambitious gentry. Now the real dark ringleaders had surfaced. The Godly Mortal Academy! They were the true culprits behind Runyu City¡¯s perpetual state of half-ruin! Runyu City¡­ It was just a city, from the moment Zhu Minng got the deed to the city, he never cared much about it. But when the Godly Mortal Academy used such despicable means to snatch Runyu City from his hands and even incited people to brutally harm the old residents of the city, how could Zhu Minng not be furious! ¡°Big brother, big brother, all our brothers who were escorting the caravan have been captured!¡± At this moment, a little leader of the Azure Wolf Cavalry rushed over, his face filled with panic. Gao Yujie furrowed his brow. So even he, a local snake, had been affected? ¡°Are they still alive?¡± Gao Yujie asked. ¡°Alive, they want us to pay a ransom, four thousand gold per person,¡± said the little leader of the Azure Wolf Cavalry, his face dark. ¡°Give it to them.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s more important, life or money? Go raise the funds!¡± Gao Yujie said without hesitation. ¡°Yao Think Tank, take note of this,¡± Zhu Minng pointed at the little leader of the Azure Wolf Cavalry and ordered. ¡°Master Zhu, you already have enough matters to deal with. We, the Azure Wolf Cavalry, can handle our own issues¡­¡± Gao Yujie gave a bow. ¡°Since I am the City Lord, if you are persecuted, I should also seek justice for you. Give them the money first to save the lives of your men. I will get it back from themter,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°Master Zhu, we appreciate your kindness, but we never expected justice. Moreover, in the eyes of others, we, who are barely surviving in Runyu City, and about to be criminals, deserve to be wiped out¡ªthat would be justice,¡± Yu Gaojie said, sping his fists before turning to leave. ¡°Master Zhu, just forget it. You should leave this ce quickly, too. This city has always been like this. When the armyes, they trample it once. When new rulerse, they ravage it yet again. Now that it has be the City of Sin, we, who covet the houses here, the fields, the cattle and sheep, and refuse to leave, are just reaping what we sowed¡­¡± an old man said. ¡°Yes, although there are still three days before Runyu City officially bes the City of Sin, the people outside have already heard this news. Even if they do something outrageous now, no one will hold them ountable, and after three days, no one will have the right to hold them ountable either,¡± Chao Ruijin of the Copper Knife Army said. ¡°How could no one be held ountable?¡± Zhu Minng said with a cold smile. Even if there were only three days left, even if there were only one ¡®Time¡¯ left, Zhu Minng would definitely not let go of those people listed by Yao Think Tank! ¡°Little martial uncle, I¡¯ll handle this. Before nightfall, I¡¯ll surely bring the criminal to you!¡± Hao Ye pointed at the herb gatherer who had been subjected to dragging punishment. This herb gatherer had been tied to the back of a horse and dragged across the ground for several miles. Hao Ye hated such bullying the most. ¡°Alright,¡± Zhu Minng nodded and handed thewsuit record prepared by Yao Think Tank over to Hao Ye. ¡°Yao Think Tank, do you know how to get to Bei Family Manor? Let¡¯s start with the most heinous case¡­¡± Zhu Minng asked. Pulling people into the air and then throwing them down. Just for the thrill of a bet, taking the lives of several innocent hunters for amusement. He had seen many cruel people, but rarely had he encountered such vile, brutal, and inhumane beings. Zhu Minng was determined to personally bring back this Young Master Bei from Bei Family Manor! A good human choosing not to be, but instead behaving like a beast. Upon hearing that they wouldn¡¯t face any consequences, did they all stop being human? In that case, Zhu Minng would have to treat them as he would beasts! Chapter 302 - 303: How About a Bet with Your Life? Chapter 302: Chapter 303: How About a Bet with Your Life? At the foot of Bamboo Pen Mountain lies a vast pasture, evergreen throughout the four seasons, rich in grasnds, where herds of wild cattle, sheep, and deer roam. Simultaneously, many exotic creatures are also raised here, having these cattle, sheep, and deer as their diet. Bei Family Manor is situated right here, giving rise to Bei Family Town, where a considerable trade in beast herds takes ce, along with various animal training transactions. Trainers are a profession that evolved from Dragon Shepherds. They use the Dragon Taming methods of the Dragon Shepherds to domesticate some exotic beasts into the likes of horses and cattle, which can be used by cavalry in wars or as riding tools for the wealthy. Domesticated beasts are not true dragons; they are usually fake dragons or hybrid dragons. Even the Divine and Mortal are very fond of these trained creatures. In Bei Family Town, there is an endless stream of people. One can see many tame exotic beasts being kept in cages, waiting to be sold. And the owner of Bei Family Town, in front of Bei Family Manor, also has many visitors looking to buy arge number of domesticated beasts to form aplete team. Generally, they can only purchase from the people at Bei Family Manor. The brown horse dragon, camel cow beast, and eagle-w fake dragon¡ªthese three domesticated beasts are the signature of Bei Family Manor. With the domestication of these three exotic creatures, Bei Family Manor can indeed be as rich as a city, its strength quite significant in this tea-colorednd! Before the sky had darkened, Zhu Minng had already arrived at Bei Family Town. After asking for directions, someone pointed out the location of Bei Family Manor. Zhu Minng was alone as he walked up to the main gate. ¡°Guest, are you here to pick out domesticated beasts too? Our Young Master and Master Wu are currently introducing the eagle-w fake dragons to esteemed guests from Red Eyebrow Vi. If you are interested, Guest, you might wish to have a look as well?¡± the steward of the Bei family said. Seeing that Zhu Minng had arrived on a Flying Sword, the steward naturally took him for an honored guest and led the way for Zhu Minng. Passing through Bei Family Manor, Zhu Minng headed towards the vast training slopes behind the manor and saw that the domesticated beast industry of Bei Family Manor indeed had some scale. Many Dragon Shepherd families have their pastures, providing fresh meat to their carnivorous dragons, but there are few that can manage them as neatly as Bei Family Manor does. Arriving at the area where the eagle-w fake dragons were fed, Zhu Minng saw a group of young eagle-w fake dragons being corralled on a patch of grass; their wing feathers had not yet grown, and they were pecking at meat worms scattered on the ground by the servants like ordinary chicks. ¡°Our eagle-w fake dragons here are all of pure lineage. The feeding and domestication process is clear for all to see. Even some of the true dragons at Dragon Child Level can hardlypare to our eagle-w fake dragons,¡± said Trainer Wu, holding a wine jug as he introduced to a few women wearing masks. Those masks were fox-faced, bright in color, exquisite and beautiful, covering nothing more than the sides of the eyes, forehead, and nose bridge, with other parts being openwork, revealing the women¡¯s tender and fair cheeks and parts of their features, while maintaining a mysterious allure. Bei Yanshang was eagerly showcasing the wealth of Bei Family Manor in front of one of the tall and elegantdies adorned with a fox costume. Behind him stood a group of trainers in uniform attire, their expressions solemn and their eyes sharp, evidently the experts cultivated by Bei Yanshang within the manor. ¡°Young Master, this is Mr. Zhu from Imperial City, who wishes to make a significant deal with you,¡± the steward approached and said to Bei Yanshang. Bei Yanshang frowned, not even sparing Zhu Minng a nce, and said somewhat impatiently, ¡°Can¡¯t you see I¡¯m attending to more honorable guests?¡± ¡°Bei Yanshang, the business I want to discuss with you is much bigger than theirs,¡± Zhu Minng, unconcerned with manners, stepped forward towards the man with a pale face. ¡°Then let¡¯s hear it,¡± Bei Yanshangughed. ¡°This Bei Family Manor will someday be yours, so wouldn¡¯t that make your life worth a city¡¯s worth of gold? Does that count as a big business?¡± Zhu Minng stepped closer, his smile seemingly gentle but devoid of any warmth! Bei Yanshang¡¯s face immediately darkened, and his smile stopped. ¡°What are you trying to say?¡± Bei Yanshang snorted coldly, with a hint of disdain in his voice. ¡°Just looking for some fun. How about this, you take one strike from my sword, and if you survive, I¡¯ll give you these 1,000 pieces of gold. If you die, well, the gold is still yours, enough to buy you a decent coffin!¡± Zhu Minng said as he raised his hand, and a crimson sword was already floating by his side. The de faced downward while the tip was above the ground, and instantly a chill spread out; the untrained, fake dragons tied up by iron chains seemed to sense the terrifying murderous intent and strained against their chains, eager to break free and escape! Bei Yanshang¡¯s gaze turned colder, but then he burst intoughter, his smile filled with contempt and scorn for Zhu Minng: ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to find someone ying the hero on this tea-colored ground, over a few lowlymoners no less. Butler, prepare some gold and silver for this fellow as treatment fees. Today I, the young master, am in a good mood and won¡¯t quibble with him.¡± ¡°Young Master Bei, be ready, for I¡¯m about to strike,¡± Zhu Minng said while his fingertips guided the Sword Spirit Dragon, which was gently rotating, its killing intent still spreading wildly. Even the experts of Bei Yanshang¡¯s manor felt something was amiss. ¡°Who are you, and do you not know where you are!¡± Bei Yanshang shouted angrily. ¡°I am the City Lord of Runyu City, Zhu Minng. Either youe with me back to Runyu City to be punished ording to localw, or we make a bet to see whether your life is tougher, or my sword is sharper¡ª1,000 pieces of gold!¡± Zhu Minng stated ndly. ¡°A madman, deal with him,¡± Bei Yanshang ordered with a vicious look in his eyes. No sooner had the words left his mouth than a streak of crimson sword light, like a star of doom, swept across the sky, stunning and horrific! The tip of the sword aimed straight for the heart of Bei Family Manor¡¯s young master. Bei Yanshang was not without skill; he immediately ducked behind the expert protectors of his manor! The uniformly dressed experts stepped forward to block the sword, but this seemingly careless strike hid tremendous power, and one by one, the bodies of the manor¡¯s experts were pierced, they fell one after another, writhing in agony in pools of their own blood! ¡°ng!!!¡± A jarring sound rang out; Trainer Wu, who had been holding a wine jug, seemed to have anticipated Zhu Minng¡¯s extraordinary skills and had called forth a Golden Eagle Dragon in advance. This Golden Eagle Dragon, with feathers like forged gold, used its plumage and mighty body to shield Bei Yanshang¡­ ¡°Puchi¡± Blood still sttered in all directions, and even the Golden Eagle Dragon was stabbed open, crying out in agony as it fell to the ground, just like the manor¡¯s previous experts! The sword¡¯s power was finally neutralized. Bei Yanshang¡¯s pale and sinister face now showed a look of terror, his eyes widening to the extreme! He had nearly died! This strike from his opponent was so powerful it seemed to shock the heavens and the earth, and weep to the ghost gods! ¡°Esteemed sir, our young master will repent. The sword strike has been blocked, so please¡­¡± Trainer Wu, his head drenched in cold sweat, hastily dropped his previous arrogant demeanor and spoke with unsettlement. ¡°Oh, the 1,000 pieces of gold are yours,¡± Zhu Minng said nonchntly as he threw a bag of gold to the young master before recalling his sword, but then he assumed another stance, ready to strike, his smile beaming as he said, ¡°I lost this round, but the oue of the next may not be the same.¡± Chapter 303 - 304: Every debt has its debtor Chapter 303: Chapter 304: Every debt has its debtor Bei Yanshang and Trainer Wu were on the verge of copse upon hearing these words! The sword attack just now was truly terrifying; without so many people to block it, and in the absence of the Golden Eagle Dragon, Bei Yanshang would have been pierced through. By now, the people of Bei Family Manor realized that the person who came looking for trouble was not some wandering knight, but a powerful Demon Lord with extraordinary strength! ¡°Steward, steward, give all the manor¡¯s money to this sir,¡± Bei Yanshang hurriedly said. ¡°Young Master Bei, what are you doing? I am not a bandit. I am just the City Lord of Runyu City, enforcing thew fairly,¡± Zhu Minng maintained his smile and, with his other hand, pulled out a bag of money and threw it onto the blood-stained ground. It was another thousand gold. This thousand gold was like an advanced payment to the young master of the manor, demanding the life of Bei Yanshang! ¡°May I be so bold as to ask, what crime has the Young Master of the North Mountain Manormitted?¡± The tall woman with the fox mask asked, her voice soft and pleasant, albeit with a slightly aloof tone. ¡°Where is there any crime? It¡¯s just that several hunters from Runyu City are blind; worthless lives, they were thrown down by the Young Master Bei from the pseudo-dragon¡¯s talons and even dared to survive. Isn¡¯t that deliberately making our Young Master Bei lose money? Young Master Bei is benevolent and spared them a few breaths, even allowing one to live and send them back to Runyu City. They actually had the gall toin to the City Lord; they really don¡¯t know how to be grateful!¡± Zhu Minng said indignantly. The woman from Red Eyebrow Vi looked deeply at Bei Yanshang and questioned him: ¡°Young Master Bei, do you really treat the lives of hunters as ythings?¡± ¡°Runyu City has been deemed the City of Sin. Who knows if they are really hunters? To me, they seem more like a gang of bandits out to rob and kill!¡± Bei Yanshang stammered. ¡°I knew that Young Master Bei was not fully entertained when I heard the surviving hunter¡¯s ount. Look at me, the City Lord, personallying to apologize and to apany Young Master Bei in a more thrilling game. Those of you blocking swords for the Young Master, quickly get into position. Don¡¯t worry, I definitely won¡¯t bypass you to directly stab your Young Master; I am a person who strictly abides by the rules of the game!¡± Zhu Minng said. They said these things only to buy time, hoping that the other experts within the manor could assemble. Zhu Minng didn¡¯t mind; though he had been busy with official dutiestely, such interesting matters could be dealt with slowly. Otherwise, his reputation as the City Lord of Runyu City for thest three days would not spread far. ¡°Red Eyebrow Vi Master, save me, save me!¡± Bei Yanshang was so frightened by Zhu Minng that his soul was about to fly away, and the next sword stab wasing at any moment! The Red Eyebrow Vi Master looked at Zhu Minng and said, ¡°Mr. Zhu, could you spare him this once? The Bei Family Manor also has some reputation on thisnd. Perhaps it¡¯s the elders¡¯ck of discipline that allowed the impetuous young master tomit sins. Please consider our Red Eyebrow Vi¡­¡± ¡°Girl, either stand in front of him to block the sword for him or shut your mouth and go pick the beast you want. You aren¡¯t one of those hunters, and you didn¡¯t see them with bones crushed and bodies mangled, yet barely clinging to life. If you don¡¯t know the facts, don¡¯t overflow with misced mercy here!¡± Zhu Minng retorted without any courtesy. These few sentences made the master of Red Eyebrow Vi flush with shame, anger rising involuntarily in her eyes! ¡°Red Eyebrow Vi Master, you are mighty; you can surely block this man¡¯s sword. I beg of you, you must save me. Our manor can provide you with a batch of tamed Golden Eagle Pseudo-Dragons!¡± Bei Yanshang pleaded. The sword was raised once again, and the crimson de exuded an aura akin to the Evil Qi of the Asura Field, having imed countless lives, almost as if condensed from tens of thousands of wandering souls! The Red Eyebrow Vi Master hesitated for a moment. In the end, she still did not step forward to block the sword for Bei Yanshang. To put it inly, this affair had nothing to do with her, and she had no reason to offend such a terrifying person for the sake of Bei Yanshang! ¡°Why isn¡¯t anyone blocking the sword for you, Young Master Bei? It seems your conduct really has issues. Aren¡¯t you the master of this manor? Don¡¯t you have a few loyal servants?¡± Zhu Minng said. A sword had pierced through so many people, leaving their fate unknown; they now realized how strong he was. Even if they summoned all the experts in the manor, could they really stop him? ¡°You! You dogs, I provided you with luxurious clothes and food, yet you don¡¯t even dare to block a sword for your Young Master Bei. You dogs, a bunch of dogs!¡± Bei Yanshang roared somewhat crazily. ¡°I have drawn my sword, Young Master Bei. Do you now feel the pain those hunters felt back then?¡± Zhu Minng asked. ¡°I won¡¯t dare again, have mercy, great lord, have mercy!¡± Bei Yanshang was now in tears, truly frightened. The previous brush with death had chilled him to the bone, and now those servile dogs had all retreated far away, leaving only Trainer Wu standing in front of him. Was the opponent¡¯s sword really so terrifying, a bunch of cowardly, craven dogs. ¡°Take my sword!¡± Zhu Minng uttered these two words. Simultaneously, Trainer Wu, who was trembling in his legs, shuffled to the side. As Zhu Minng made his official move, Wu too lost the courage to block the sword. Trainer Wu was well aware that if he blocked it, Bei Yanshang might possibly live, but he himself would undoubtedly die! The sword flew swiftly, so quickly one could barely see it. One could even see the multipleyers of sword shadows stabbing at Bei Yanshang from various angles. Bei Yanshang delusionally thought to escape by riding a Golden Eagle Dragon, but the sword shadows followed, whistling sharply!! ¡°Shriek!!!!¡± With a scream, the Golden Eagle Dragon¡¯s golden wings were pierced, and it fell from the sky. Bei Yanshang also fell following suit. Whether by coincidence or not, the Golden Eagle Dragonnded on its back, and Bei Yanshang, entangled in the saddle strap, struggled futilely in midair. As a result, upon hitting the ground, he was brutally crushed by the massive body of the Golden Eagle Dragon!! ¡°Ah! Ah!!!! Ah!!!!!!!¡± The scream instantly echoed throughout the entire Trainer Manor, even reaching the ears of people in the town. The trainers and the thugs within the manor didn¡¯t even dare to save their Young Master, as a White Dragon King stood atop the roof, coldly overlooking everyone in the manor, including the City Lord of Bei Family Manor who had arrivedte. The City Lord was an elderlydy with hair of mixed ck and white, and was attended by several Monarch Level Dragon Trainers. Yet, the appearance of the White Dragon seemed like an intimidation to those individuals. The screaming had yet to stop; the olddy of the Bei family manor couldn¡¯t bear to watch any longer. ¡°Please, grant him a swift end, at least spare him from such agony,¡± the olddy finally spoke. ¡°That is what Old Huang also told me,¡± Zhu Minng replied indifferently. ¡°Our Bei family has failed in discipline, leading to such a mistake. We beg you to grant our Bei Family Manor some leniency,¡± the olddy said while casting another nce at the White Dragon on the roof. This White Dragon was not much gentler than that Flying Sword. ¡°Each grudge has its debtor, and your Young Master has now paid the price,¡± Zhu Minng said. Chapter 304 - 305: Reclaiming the Spirit Vein Chapter 304: Chapter 305: Reiming the Spirit Vein In the deep of the night, atop a hillside stood a lone city, where several individuals d in guard uniforms were bound and hung above the city gates. Their wrists had been cut open, and fresh blood ceaselessly flowed, yet no one dared to cut them down or apply medicine to their wounds. Time quietly slipped away until the moon climbed atop the trees. Zhu Minng leaped onto the back of the Ice Morning White Dragon and left astride the divine, pristine White Dragon. Eventually, the hanging guards were rescued, their eyes filled with terror as they were near death from blood loss¡­ ¡°You should be grateful that you showed some restraint earlier; otherwise, he would have surely waited until your blood had run dry before leaving. Why, in life, must onemit sins for mere personal desires?¡± An old man, also dressed in guard attire, approached and addressed the morally corrupt guards. ¡°That is the City of Sin, full of human scum¡­¡± ¡°Whether Runyu City is a City of Sin, you know in your hearts. Moreover, what you did to those merchants, that¡¯s what truly qualifies as scum,¡± said the elderly guard. The moon hung nted across the inky firmament as the sacred, luminous White Dragon flew low, touching upon aged osmanthus trees before gliding for kilometers¡­ A tranquilke was split into two delicate ripples by the ws of the Ice Morning White Dragon, bisecting the ebony reflection of the night sky and sprinkling bits of frost, pure as white salt. Theke transformed into a white, icy expanse as the Ice Morning White Dragon soared once more. Close to the hill was Herbal Hill, a ce blessed with the ability to umte nature¡¯s spiritual energy, making even themon flora here possess unique medicinal value. Guardians from the Godly Mortal Academy had long overseen this area. Simr to the Dragon Taming Academy, students could take on a task to guard Herbal Hill and earn credits in exchange. Zhu Minng and the Ice Morning White Dragon descended on the wooden huts of Herbal Hill, where he saw servitors serving the Godly Mortal Academy and many other domestic workers of the academy, removing frost from precious medicinal nts in the dead of night¡­ ¡°Who goes there?¡± At that moment, a woman d in a wide robe emerged from a hut and sharply questioned Zhu Minng, who had descended from the heavens. Zhu Minng sized her up and recognized her as the same arrogant woman with furrowed brows from before, who walked along Dean Lian Feiling with an air of self-importance; Zhu Minng had a deep impression of her. ¡°Are you parasites?¡± Zhu Minng advanced and asked bluntly. ¡°How dare you! We are members of the Godly Mortal Academy; this is our restricted area for medicinal herbs, and no outsiders are permitted entry!¡± the furrowed-brow woman, Fan Lu, asserted. ¡°This is within the borders of Runyu City, my personal territory, Zhu Minng. Since when did it be your Godly Mortal Academy¡¯s forbidden area? Just because youe from a powerful institution doesn¡¯t give you the right to seize others¡¯nd. If you haven¡¯t cleared out by dawn, don¡¯t me me for being inhospitable!¡± Zhu Minng said unapologetically. ¡°It¡¯s you!¡± Fan Lu finally recognized the visitor as the arrogant City Lord Zhu Minng. ¡°Now that you know it¡¯s me, scram! Didn¡¯t I warn your Godly Mortal Academy four days ago? I¡¯m going to reim all the spirit veins within Runyu City¡¯s borders!¡± Zhu Minng dered. As he spoke, other members of the Godly Mortal Academy gradually emerged from the hut. The servitors busy removing frost also craned their necks, eager to see who dared cause trouble on the Godly Mortal Academy¡¯s turf. ¡°What are you looking at? Get back to work! If you can¡¯t get this batch of medicinal herbs to mature within seven days, I¡¯ll chop you up and use you as fertilizer!¡± Fan Lu turned and scolded the servitors! ¡°Dean Fan Lu, what¡¯s going on?¡± A woman dressed in a finely made marten coat approached and asked tentatively. ¡°Merely a viin from Runyu City!¡± said Fan Lu. ¡°Listen well, everyone, I will reim this Herbal Hill before dawn and give you time to pack your things and leave. If I find you lingering on my territory, I will treat you as robbers!¡± Zhu Minng dered loudly to the Godly Mortal Academy students guarding the medicine garden. ¡°Hold your tongue; you¡¯re the robber! This Herbal Hill has belonged to the Godly Mortal Academy for decades!¡± Fan Lu retorted angrily. ¡°You¡¯ve been upying it for decades, true to the robbers¡¯ reputation of the Godly Mortal Academy. Well, I¡¯m reiming it now, so you may leave,¡± said Zhu Minng. ¡°Don¡¯t even think about it; this is the property of the Godly Mortal Academy. Runyu City has been dered the City of Sin and all Spirit Veins within the territory of such a city belong to the residing power. Stop causing trouble here!¡± Fan Lu said, furious with a crimson face. ¡°Teacher Fan, aren¡¯t there still three days?¡± said the delicate student in a mink coat. ¡°What difference does it make!¡± ¡°But these three days still belong to Runyu City¡­¡± murmured the girl in a soft voice. Fan Lu turned around and red fiercely at the naive female student. However, Zhu Minng started to smile. It seemed not everyone at the Godly Mortal Academy agreed with the actions of their dean, Lian Feiling. ¡°These medicinal herbs are very important; we¡¯ve been painstakingly guarding them for nearly a year¡­¡± said another student at that moment. Zhu Minng nced at the herbs nted on Herbal Hill. They were shaped likenterns, emitting a special nocturnal glow. The servants tended them with great care, ensuring not a single leaf developed a hint of frost. So, it was the precious herbs nearing maturity; no wonder the dean hade to supervise personally. Excellent! After finding a clean spot to sit, Zhu Minng quietly waited for the arrival of dawn. He wanted to see if these people from the Godly Mortal Academy would leave or not. Fan Lu, with her bushy eyebrows, was red-faced with anger, yet her gaze still asionally measured the Ice Morning White Dragon beside Zhu Minng. ¡°Teacher Fan, this White Dragon¡¯s Cultivation Base is extremely high; perhaps we should not make an enemy of this person,¡± whispered a student to her. ¡°So we just let him trample over our Herbal Hill??¡± Fan Lu said. ¡°How about this: we few will now go ask for support, and Teacher Fan can hold this person off??¡± ¡°Teacher Fan, perhaps we should do things by the book. After all, we gave up Runyu City first, so it¡¯s only right that these Spirit Veins be returned to Runyu City,¡± the girl in the luxurious mink coat said. ¡°What do you know!¡± Fan Lu scolded. The mink-coated girl was stunned and, although fear showed on her face, she mustered the courage to say, ¡°If even we at the Godly Mortal Academy can¡¯t set an example, how can we intimidate those demon cults? Teacher Fan, I think what the City Lord said makes sense. It¡¯s we who ought to leave.¡± ¡°Ignore her. You, quickly go and ask the Punishment Institute for assistance; they must arrive before dawn,¡± Fan Lu said,pletely ignoring the advice and speaking to a male student. Chapter 305 - 306: Seizure! Chapter 305: Chapter 306: Seizure! Zhu Minng sat in the wooden pavilion, leaning against the fluffy body of the Ice Morning White Dragon, and closed his eyes. Most of the time it was Little White who used him as a pillow, as a mattress, but after reconstructing its bloodline, Little White was no longer a sleepyhead, just in time to be his own soft, plush cushion. The fur of the Ice Morning White Dragon was very soft, like tassels, and Zhu Minng leaned against it, with half of his body sinking into the thick, pristine downy feathers. Having not closed his eyes all night, Zhu Minng fell asleep in this rarefort. There was still a little while before dawn, and he could catch a bit of sleep, even just a little was worth it. The students of the Godly Mortal Academy, and that administrator Fan Lu, saw Zhu Minng dozing off right here in the pavilion, and each one of them was gritting their teeth with anger! Really treating this ce as his own home?? Once it was light out, just wait and meet your fate, none who have opposed the Godly Mortal Academy have ended well. ¡°Liang Sifan, what are you doing?¡± Fan Lu saw that thedy in the mink coat was running alone towards the herbal garden, picking those Lantern Spirit Grasses, and asked, puzzled. ¡°Taking advantage of the daylight, we should take back as much as we can; they have given us time, after all. After dawn, all these herbs will belong to Runyu City,¡± said the girl called Liang Sifan. ¡°Sifan, little sister, these herb mounds were originally ours, it¡¯s he who came to steal them. We just need to wait for the people from the Punishment Institute toe, and see if he still dares to act so recklessly!¡± another female student of the herbal garden said. ¡°What we take now is ours, what is taken after sunrise is stolen. Our teacher has always taught us not to see things from just our own perspective. We are the dignified Godly Mortal Academy, if we call taking things from others ¡®taking¡¯, and others taking them back ¡®stealing,¡¯ then how are we any different from the Demon Sect?¡± thedy in the mink coat continued. ¡°Student Sifan, are you questioning the decision of the Orderer, Dean Yan Guang??¡± Fan Lu¡¯s eyebrows nted even more, nearly meeting in the middle. ¡°I have not questioned it. Since we no longer provide protection for Runyu City, it¡¯s only proper that we can¡¯t continue to possess the resources of the Spirit Vein on their territory. I think returning the herbal mound to Runyu City is in support of Dean Yan Guang¡¯s decision. On the contrary, it¡¯s you who continue to use the Spirit Vein of Runyu City, giving people the illusion that our Godly Mortal Academy is still protecting Runyu City, won¡¯t that make it even harder for Dean Yan Guang?¡± Liang Sifan continued her exnation. Hearing this argument, Zhu Minng opened his eyes and carefully observed the girl from Godly Mortal Academy. In this age, it was rare to find someone who insisted on their own values and who dared to speak candidly in the face of so-called teachers and authority figures. This female student from Godly Mortal Academy was rather cute. Unfortunately, she was only stating the right words but couldn¡¯t change the reality. Fan Lu would not listen to a mere student¡¯s words, and the other students who had been guarding this valuable mound of herbs for some time, for the sake of a student¡¯s reward, they also would not relinquish this precious plot. Unaware, the sky began to shimmer with silver and gold, with rays of morning light lining the rolling hills, tracing the contours of the hillsides and thend, hidden in the night, with greater rity. Zhu Minng had a brief nap and felt refreshed. With the Spiritual Spring Realm, Zhu Minng¡¯s own mental recovery rate was now faster than before. Just a short sleep each day was enough for him to be full of vim and vigour the next. ¡°You haven¡¯t left yet? Are you here to visit my herb mound?¡± Zhu Minng asked with a smile, after washing his face with fresh water. ¡°This is our territory!¡± Fan Lu said firmly. ¡°Indeed, if you¡¯re buried here, it does count as your gravesite,¡± Zhu Minng¡¯s smile became less gentle this time, his gaze sharp, his face smiling yet with a touch of coldness. On the market grounds of Runyu City, over a hundred peopley suffering, a sight Zhu Minng had witnessed with his own eyes, and the Godly Mortal Academy was the chief culprit behind it all! Greed made the Godly Mortal Academypletely disregard the true situation in Runyu City, allowing innocent residents, with nowhere else to go, to suffer persecution by numerous so-called ¡°agents of justice¡±! Did they really think that just because they were the only force in the Tea-colored Ground, they could act so recklessly? Zhu Minng wouldn¡¯t care about the other party¡¯s background or power, he would still step on them all the same! A bone-chilling breath surged in, instantly sweeping across the entire herb hill. The few students who were waiting for the Punishment Institute¡¯s action changed their expressions in an instant, almost paralyzed on the ground by the dragon might released by the Ice Morning White Dragon. Although these Divine and Mortal beings had known from the beginning that the other party¡¯s White Dragon was a Dragon King, they absolutely did not expect it to be a High Rank King Level existence. Killing intent shot from the Ice Morning White Dragon¡¯s eyes, and those students couldn¡¯t even move a finger. Instructor Fan Lu, her eyes widened as well, her pupils filled with fear. Fan Lu had always thought that Zhu Minng was all bark and no bite, that he wouldn¡¯t dare to be the enemy of the Godly Mortal Academy, but after feeling this strong killing intent, she finally realized that the other party was a Demon Lord who didn¡¯t put the Godly Mortal Academy in his eyes at all! ¡°Sky Ice Earth Knot!¡± Zhu Minng issued amand to the Ice Morning White Dragon. The Ice Morning White Dragon raised its head, its gorgeous feathers shockingly blooming, beautiful like a giant Tianshan snow lotus, as the cold breath instantly transformed into a terrifying freezing force! The undting hills turned into white ice hills, thentern spirit grass all over the hills crystallized into white frost flowers, and the servants who didn¡¯t leave were frozen into ice sculptures! Fan Lu and her students, frightened and trying to flee, suddenly stiffened in the process of running. Then, they sawyers uponyers of thick frost covering their bodies! Fan Lu naively thought she could spar with the other party. Not until she herself turned into an ice sculpture did she realize how foolish she was¡­ The gap in strength was immense! Even though she was a Divine and Mortal being who had touched the Monarch Level realm, the other party¡¯s High Rank King Level White Dragon was terrifying to the extreme! A moment ago, the vegetation was lush and green, thentern spirit grass swaying on the hills, and the warm morning light was also extremelyfortable. But at this moment, with the Sky Ice Earth Knot, the ice clouds in the sky seemed as if they could copse at any moment, and the ciers on the ground looked like they wouldn¡¯t melt for months! Beside, the only student who didn¡¯t turn into a block of ice, Liang Sifan, was watching all of this in utter horror, taking a long time to recover. Meanwhile, in another direction, a group of Divine and Mortal beings riding wed Fake Dragons flew in. They were dressed in the grey and white robes of the Godly Mortal Academy, led by a man with thick hair and a beard. Hended in front of Zhu Minng, then nced at the students and servants frozen into ice sculptures. ¡°Uncle!¡± The female student Liang Sifan hurriedly hid behind the man in the grey and white robes. ¡°Esteemed Dragon Herding Sanctifier, please release these innocent students,¡± said the man in the grey and white robes from the Punishment Institute. ¡°I warned them. They knew the consequences of encroaching on others¡¯ territories. It¡¯s only right that I punish them,¡± Zhu Minng said indifferently. The man in grey and white robes nced at Liang Sifan, quietly inquiring about the situation here. After understanding the cause and effect, the man in the grey and white robes nodded, but his eyes remained cold and proud, ¡°Even if our people from the Godly Mortal Academy were at fault first, you do not have the right to use force against them. Please apany us to the Godly Mortal Academy where our Dean of the Punishment Institute will preside over justice.¡± ¡°Liang Junior Sister, your uncle seems to be quite unreasonable as well. Inform the Godly Mortal Academy, either they find someone who can beat me or someone reasonable to talk to me. I will hold onto these people for now. Don¡¯t worry, they won¡¯t die,¡± Zhu Minng said with a smile to the student called Liang Sifan. ¡°How dare you detain our people from the Godly Mortal Academy! We are from the Punishment Institute; it¡¯s our duty to punish viins!¡± a young man from the Punishment Institute shouted indignantly. ¡°Uncle, Instructor Fan was indeed at fault first¡­¡± ¡°The dignity of any student or instructor from our Godly Mortal Academy is invible!¡± the man in the grey and white robes dered resolutely. Chapter 306 - 307: Lantern Poison Rage Chapter 306: Chapter 307: Lantern Poison Rage The man in the gray-white robe¡¯s eyes became even sharper, and he quietly signalled the members of the Punishment Institute behind him to attack. The Punishers immediately scattered, positioning themselves in a fan shape directly in front of the Ice Morning White Dragon. At themand of the man in the gray-white robe, all at once, everyone flipped their palms over to reveal green glowing magic talismans! Talisman Masters!! These people from the Punishment Institute, they were all Talisman Masters! ¡°Dragon Imprisonment Array!¡± the man in the gray-white robe shouted loudly. He too was holding a dark talisman covered in inscription, which he threw towards the Ice Morning White Dragon. This dark talisman was very strange; it did not fly directly towards the body of the Ice Morning White Dragon but clung tightly to its shadow. The morning light had already swept across the hills, shining into the wooden hut vige, casting a long shadow of the Ice Morning White Dragon that was especially clear. As the dark talismannded on the shadow, the Ice Morning White Dragon suddenly stiffened, and dark chains emerged one by one from its feathers, binding its entire body tightly. Simultaneously, the other Talisman Masters¡¯ green magic talismans also flew over. They didn¡¯t touch the body of the Ice Morning White Dragon but hung heavily like leaden chains around its head, wings, neck, shoulders, and hind limbs, further immobilizing it! With practiced movements and rapid actions, even a Dragon King like the Ice Morning White Dragon was instantly captured by this group of Talisman Masters. Zhu Minng revealed a slight surprise! So, the members of the Punishment Institute from Godly Mortal Academy had some skills after all! ¡°Roar!!!¡± The Ice Morning White Dragon was furious. It had never encountered such tactics and didn¡¯t know that the other party could also attack its shadow. It tried to break free with its own strength, but the dark talisman attached to the shadow seemed to be using the power of darkness to seal off its various abilities, ice frost, storm, star moon mystic method¡­ ¡°Don¡¯t panic, try using Ice Withering to weaken the magic power on these magic talismans,¡± Zhu Minng said to the Ice Morning White Dragon. The Ice Morning White Dragon calmed down and slowly diffused the breath of Ice Withering around it, focusing its attack on the magic talismans that were firmly stuck to itself! The magic talismans seemed to contain an energy simr to life force. As the particles of Frost of the Ice Skynded on them, the shining inscriptions on the magic talismans began to dim¡­ Seeing the light of the Dragon Imprisonment Array fading, the man in the gray-white robe frowned and said to his subordinates, ¡°You deal with that White Dragon. I¡¯ll take care of this Dragon Shepherd.¡± The man in the gray-white robe, Liang Quan, changed his position and reached into the air. Soon, several fluttering curse charms appeared between his fingers. A total of eight curse charms, each possessing a power of its own; the curse charm carrying the poison me was the first to be tossed by Liang Quan, turning into a terrifying breath of the Poison Dragon and sweeping towards Zhu Minng. The other seven curse charms were also thrown out one after another, including Blood de, Strong Wind, Sonic Disturbance, Explosion, Blindness, and Qi Surge! Zhu Minng had previously encountered a formidable Talisman Master on Nine Army Tomb Mountain, butpared to this Talisman Master, she was indeed much younger. Liang Quan¡¯s talisman techniques were varied andplex, making them difficult to defend against in ordinary ways. Luckily, Zhu Minng was prepared. The Divine Green Holy Dragon that had been standing by at his side stepped in front of Zhu Minng, hugging its green saintly feathers forward, forming a green-feathered wing shield. Even with some injury, the Divine Green Holy Dragon didn¡¯t mind at all. Its pair of green pupils were swirling with demonic luster, and as it let out a long cry with its head raised, the ground of this herb hillock crazily split open. One by one, the medicinal herbs grew wildly, densely entwining around the gray-robed Liang Quan and the other Talisman Masters. The herbs were sinister, with each of their tips bearing a flower bud that resembled antern; yet inside, something was swelling ominously. Before the Talisman Masters could react, thentern-like buds burst violently, sweeping a terrifying wave of poison into the air!! Eachntern bud exploded, their toxic waves shing against each other, and instantly created a shocking toxic outburst. The Talisman Masters were struggling to control the Magic Talismans, to prevent the powerful Ice Morning White Dragon from breaking free¡ªhow could they have any energy left to fend off thisntern poison assault! The poison outburst tossed them into the air, the toxins seeping into their pores, causing their bodies to immediately break out in poisonous spots. These poison spots were not fatal, but the skin and muscles felt like they were being viciously torn by evil insects, the agony intense to the extreme. Screams soon spread across the herb hillock, as the Talisman Masters from Punishment Institute fell to the ground, nails digging into their own flesh as if attempting to gouge out the poison spots, and soon they were covered in their own blood. Not far away, the female student Liang Sifan stared nkly at these Talisman Master brothers, her cheeks involuntarily showing signs of fear. She thought it would be better to be frozen into an ice sculpture; at least one¡¯s sensation would fade away, not having to endure such extreme misery. ¡°You don¡¯t think I only have one dragon, do you? Is that all the talent of Godly Mortal Academy¡¯s Talisman Masters?¡± Zhu Minng said with a hooked smile, his tone mocking. Gray-robed Liang Quan¡¯s eyes were filled with rage¡ªhe was the only one who had reacted and used a talisman shield to block the toxic outburst. But all of his subordinates were hit. And that was not the worst of it. The Imprisonment Array required the Talisman Masters to continuously cast spells to maintain the array¡¯s repressive force, a process that could not be interrupted. An interruption meant that the Imprisonment Array would also fail. The Fixing Dark Charm could also notst much longer¡ªthe Ice Morning White Dragon had already regained its freedom! ¡°City Lord, please freeze them. I¡­ I will go back right away to find a teacher who makes sense,¡± the female student Liang Sifan pleaded. ¡°Sifan, why are you begging this Demon Lord!¡± Gray-robed Liang Quan snapped furiously. ¡°Second uncle, you can¡¯t defeat him anyway. Besides, if Master Zhu were a Demon Lord, we would all be in the Yellow Springs by now,¡± Liang Sifan said. ¡°Nonsense, this fellow set up the poison outburst trap before we arrived. Otherwise, how could this youngster¡­¡± Gray-robed Liang Quan was mid-scold when he suddenly felt an extreme chill encroach upon him. Liang Quan looked down and discovered that his feet were covered in ice, which like venomous snakes, began to climb up his body. Liang Quan immediately ignited a Fire Talisman, hoping to melt the cold ice. Despite the bright me and high temperature, the ice still passed his chest and was climbing up his neck! Liang Quan looked at Zhu Minng in horror, somewhat unable to believe that the Punishment Institute would suffer such a disastrous defeat at the hands of such a young Dragon Shepherd¡­ ¡°Miss, I don¡¯t even expect a few from Godly Mortal Academy to make sense. Go call your Dean Lian Feiling. I want to smash all his teeth,¡± Zhu Minng said. Chapter 307 - 308: Outnumbered Chapter 307: Chapter 308: Outnumbered Liang Sifan left, and Zhu Minng became the Guardian of the Ice Sculptures. These ice sculptures looked so lifelike¡­ oh, they hadn¡¯t truly died. In the wooden house, Zhu Minng saw that the ice storage contained many high-quality fruits transported from the Neon Sea. Indeed, there were the Neon Sea Coral Grapes that Zhu Minng loved most, the unforgettable charm of the Neon Sea didn¡¯t just lie in its stunningly beautiful scenery but also in its pleasantly warm climate and juicy, fragrant fruits¡­ After daybreak, everything here would belong to him, so these fruits were his too. After peeling off the thin skin, Zhu Minng ate one himself, then noticed Little Qingzhuo beside him, itsrge green eyes shimmering with an irresistible luster. ¡°You can¡¯t peel it, so just eat it with the skin,¡± Zhu Minng said. Little Qingzhuo shook its head. I want to eat them peeled! Zhu Minng had no choice but to peel one for it and another one for himself. Little White wasn¡¯t very interested in grapes, it had long before procured a batch of Moonlight Crystal Fragments, which were now Little White¡¯s favorite. Unlike Big ck Tooth, who could devour several tons of meat in one go and then go days without eating, Little White¡¯s method of eating was to nibble on a Moonlight Crystal Fragment from time to time, much like little squirrels leisurely chewing on pine cones high up in the trees. Little Qingzhuo enjoyed drinking juice and dew; it liked fruits too, but grapes were basically non-nutritious for a being of its level. It was just a craving. Of course, Zhu Minng also noticed something; the cultivation bases of the dragons around him seemed to have reached a bottleneck. He asked Mr. Jinli for advice, and even Mr. Jinli admitted there was no other way. Dragons had their growth limits, and Zhu Minng had already nurtured them exceptionally well, surpassing the levels their bloodlines could have reached. ¡°It seems I¡¯ll have to find the Ancient Ruins and take a look inside,¡± Zhu Minng muttered to himself. Before midday arrived, the people from the Godly Mortal Academy came. With a Feather Crown on his head and donning Peacock Form attire, it was Dean Lian Feiling who came to redeem the people. Lian Feiling nced at those frozen academy members and Punishment Institute Talisman Masters, his brows furrowed and his expression icy cold with barely concealed anger! ¡°Master Zhu, I have exined the situation in Runyu City to the academy, and they will issue an announcement to severely punish anyone who dares tomit evil against the residents of Runyu City during these three days,¡± Liang Sifan hurriedly said to Zhu Minng. ¡°That¡¯s one matter; Zhu Minng, you challenge the authority of our Godly Mortal Academy. Even if you¡¯re the City Lord, you have no right to inflict private punishment on our academy¡¯s people!¡± Lian Feiling¡¯s face was extremely sour, as he pointed at Zhu Minng with that superior air he always had. ¡°Isn¡¯t it all dictated by fists? Your Godly Mortal Academy has always abided by this rule on this tea-colored ground; why bother with justice andws when they serve your academy¡¯s actions as the utmost truth? Anyone who opposes is eradicated by your myriad means. You must live veryfortably, don¡¯t you, with such days?¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°This is a joint decision of our Godly Mortal Academy and the Orderers. What qualifications does a mere city lord like you have to judge?¡± replied Lian Feiling. ¡°Qualifications, qualifications, you keep harping on about qualifications. Since when did the Orderers be emperors, and what are you, Lian Feiling? In terms of status, you¡¯re nothing but apdog to the Orderers; in terms of cultivation, you¡¯re just the rotting silt beneath these mountain streams; in terms of character and appearance, you¡¯re closer to a maggot,¡± Zhu Minng said with utter disdain. He was nothing but a chatan taking advantage of the Godly Mortal Academy¡¯s reputation to do nauseating deeds, and while Zhu Minng might not be an entirely upright hero, he would never tolerate people or things that disgusted him! ¡°You¡­ you¡­ are simply obstinate and indistinguishable from barbarians!¡± Lian Feiling shouted angrily. ¡°I have no interest in wasting words with you. Hand over the City Lord¡¯s Seal and I will allow you to leave with these trespassers who entered my Spiritual Vein Territory,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°Dream on!¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll break all your bones first, and then ask you again,¡± Zhu Minng no longer had the patience. ¡°Isn¡¯t it about smashing all the teeth?¡± Liang Sifan looked surprised. How can this guy not keep his word! The Silent Sword hovered slightly above the ground, nine inches off the soil, and the dust gently scattered around it. All of a sudden, Zhu Minng¡¯s gaze shed sharply, and the Crimson Sword by his side shone like an evil moon in the long night, bursting forth with a brilliance too blinding to look at directly through the dense clouds! After the sword strike, the earth split open, miles long and as wide as a river, and the Space Tearing Sword¡¯s effect continued, even as Lian Feiling glided backward like a bird for several miles, the terrifying sword¡¯s tearing force still pursued him! ¡°Sword Master??¡± Lian Feiling was shocked, his attention had been on Zhu Minng¡¯s White Dragon and Azure Dragon; how could he have known that Zhu Minng would suddenly attack with the Flying Sword. As he continued to retreat and found the Space Tearing Sword chasing after him, he had no choice but to wave his sleeves, creating the Peacock Form! His robe glittered with flowing light, and at the same time, light and air appeared in front of Lian Feiling, intertwining into the shape of a peacock¡¯s open tail, blocking the Space Tearing Sword. The Sword Spirit Dragon was deflected, spinning in midair, but it quickly readjusted its posture and furiously continued its barrage of shes at Lian Feiling!! Sword Qi Hong shed wildly, each strike leaving a shocking sword mark on the earth, while Lian Feiling nimbly and lightly dodged like a bird, continuously executing powerful palm techniques that shook and dissolved the Sword Spirit Dragon¡¯s assaulting Sword Qi Hong! It was only then that Lian Feiling got a clearer look. It wasn¡¯t a pure Flying Sword; it was a dragon transformed from a Sword Spirit! The opponent was a Dragon Shepherd, but his Sword Spirit possessed Divine Mortal Ability powerful enough to rival that of a Flying Sword Swordsmaster!! ¡°Bird Crossing!¡± Realizing that this kind of defense would undoubtedly lead to defeat, Lian Feiling flickered, his colorful robe fluttering as he transformed into ark, flying through the fierce Sword Qi Hong as if a bird over great waves, maintaining low altitude while perfectly avoiding the rising torrents. Lian Feiling aimed for close-quartersbat. This fellow was rmingly fast, and he managed to close in on Zhu Minng even amidst the sweeping Sword Qi of the Sword Spirit Dragon. If Zhu Minng were a Flying Sword Swordmaster, he indeed would be in grave danger at this moment, but Zhu Minng had never nned to rely on just one technique to defeat this Godly Mortal Academy official. A duel between Dragon Shepherd and Divine Mortal was always fought with multitude against the few! White Dragon to the left, Azure Dragon to the right, wasn¡¯t this Lian Feiling being set up clearly and distinctly?? ¡°Attack!¡± Zhu Minng pointed his hand, and the two dragons on his sides, one left, one right, directly pounced towards Lian Feiling. Lian Feiling was also fighting Zhu Minng for the first time; how could he have known the Cultivation Base of Minng¡¯s two dragons. When the Ice Morning White Dragon arrived in front of Lian Feiling in an instant, directly seeing through Lian Feiling¡¯s attack methods, Lian Feiling was horrified. What seemed like a graceful offensive turned into a retreat that was almost tumbling and crawling. Lian Feiling red at Liang Sifan, resenting her for not informing him about the opponent¡¯s strength in advance! Chapter 308 - 309: Glacial Glow Chapter 308: Chapter 309: cial Glow Returning without sess, Dean Lian Feiling immediately faced the situation of being encircled by three dragons. The Sword Spirit Dragon blocked his escape route, with the Ice Morning White Dragon and Divine Green Holy Dragon attacking from left and right. Despite this, Dean Lian Feiling was quite agile, at times light as a crane, at other times sprightly as a swallow, and managed not to be swiftly defeated among the relentless assault of the three dragons. Finally, he found an opportunity to create a significant distance between himself and the three dragons. Spreading his arms like an eagle soaring, as he reached mid-air, his extravagant Peacock Gown began to flicker with a strange light¡­ This strange light mingled with colorful auras, eventually forming a magnificent peacock pattern that pressed down heavily upon the earth, striking the ground with the force of a massive mountain. Zhu Minng couldn¡¯t immediately discern the exact nature of the divine and mortal powers possessed by Dean Lian Feiling. Although bizarre and unusual, the power of this attack might not be enough to shake his three dragons, especially considering their high cultivation base. The Ice Morning White Dragon avoided the peacock pattern, flying up into the sky and directly into the clouds. The territory of the Divine Green Holy Dragon expanded uninhibited upon the ground. One could see the Sky Support Vines, which only existed in Ancient Ruins, breaking through the soil. They grew around the Divine Green Holy Dragon and were controlled by it, steadily squeezing the space in which Dean Lian Feiling could maneuver. Dean Lian Feiling dared not touch the ground; those tough vines were indestructible and grew more luxuriant by the minute, like a devil¡¯s jungle slowly devouring everything around it. ¡°Whoosh!¡± Sword Qi swept through the air as the Sword Spirit Dragon began its chaotic swordy without any particr pattern¡ªwherever the enemy was, it just needed to unleash powerful Sword Qi in that direction, the faster, the better! Having had the Ancient Venom Fly Dragon as a perfect sparring target, the Sword Spirit Dragon was even more satisfied with its sword speed, its frenzied swordsmanship fast as gust after gust of cutting wind, leaving Dean Lian Feiling no room for negligence. At this point, the female student Liang Sifan could tell that even though Dean Lian Feiling had not yet fallen, he was having a hard time facing Zhu Minng¡¯s three dragons alone. Moreover, his opponent hadn¡¯t yet fully grasped the abilities at his disposal¡­ If his powers were to bepletely exposed, it was likely that Dean Lian Feiling wouldn¡¯t be able to hold on much longer. He should¡¯ve brought more experts with him; why didn¡¯t he listen? If this continues, the Godly Mortal Academy¡¯s reputation will be utterly tarnished! Above Dean Lian Feiling¡¯s head, the chill surged. His Peacock Coloured Robe was now damaged in several ces, but he was still desperately holding on. He continued to ascend, hoping to use the clouds to hide his whereabouts and catch a breather. The chill grew bone-piercing, leaving Dean Lian Feiling utterly perplexed. Even in winter, the cloudyers shouldn¡¯t feel like icy fog¡ªit felt as if he wasn¡¯t high in the clouds, but rather had fallen into an ice cave. ¡°Bang!!!¡± Suddenly, Dean Lian Feiling mmed into an incredibly hard object, seeing stars as a bruise immediately swelled on his forehead! ¡°What the hell is that!¡± Dean Lian Feiling cursed, looking up only to realize the clouds had solidified into ice. Flying into the clouds was the same as smashing his head against an iceberg. A gust of wind from the east swept by, clearing away the ice fog and revealing the full extent of the cloudyer. The moment Dean Lian Feiling saw all the clouds frozen into ice and all the icebining into a magnificent cier, his face turned pale, and he began to tremble uncontrobly. The sun¡¯s rays filled the astonishing floating ice cier with light, making it appear as a radiant ice mirage, a spectacle both breathtaking and terrifying! The huge ice radiance was pressing down, crashing, and at that very moment, Dean Lian Feiling saw that amidst the dazzling gleam, a White Dragon stood at the peak of this floating ice cier, casting the Azure Dragon Mystics that caused the copse of this aerial ice cier!! Even with Lian Feiling¡¯s agile skills, he had no way to dodge such Azure Dragon Mystics. As the cier copsed, Lian Feiling was also violently smashed toward the ground. The ground below was a jungle formed of Sky Support Vine, a devil¡¯s snares. Already immobilized by the copsing ice, and further bound by these devilish vines, Lian Feiling found all his abilities rendered useless. Trapped between two terrifying dragon arts, he struggled in agony! The power generated by the copse of the cier was terrifying, and Lian Feiling had no idea how many bones he had broken. His skin, muscles, and meridians had all frozen stiff, and the piercing cold was draining the vitality from his body. Lian Feiling knew he could not hold on any longer, and in the end, he could only clench his teeth, resembling one resigned to their punishment. Before long, Lian Feiling saw Zhu Minng approach haughtily. His ck eyes seemed to be surveying a mouse caught in a trap, with mockery and contempt! Lian Feiling instantly felt humiliated. Being the Dean of the Godly Mortal Academy, he should have been one of the top powerhouses of the tea-colored ground. Aside from beings transcendent like the Orderers, he paid no consideration to anyone else. Yet, he had been so easily defeated by Zhu Minng, a mere student, a junior in rank. Of course, Lian Feiling knew that Zhu Minng was a personage of note in the Imperial City, among the disciples of the great forces he was hailed as the strongest. But Lian Feiling had never taken Zhu Minng seriously. Until this moment, his heart was still filled with reluctance. Why had he been defeated by someone of a junior rank!! ¡°Miss Liang, it looks like you¡¯ll need to make another trip to the Godly Mortal Academy and find someone who can beat me. Your dean hasn¡¯t even allowed my dragon to enjoy itself to the fullest,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°But our Dean is already very strong, if we look further, we can only find the Headmasters themselves. But our Headmaster doesn¡¯t bother with mundane matters, the Second Headmaster is the Orderer and isn¡¯t in the academy right now, the Third Headmaster¡­¡± Liang Sifan went on to count those in the academy who were stronger than Dean Lian Feiling. ¡°Enough, aren¡¯t you ashamed!¡± Lian Feiling angrily rebuked. ¡°Dean, it¡¯s not me who lost¡­¡± Liang Sifan said earnestly. ¡°We are the Godly Mortal Academy, the dignity of the Godly Mortal Academy is invible!¡± Lian Feiling said. ¡°Judging from the actions of the dean, the teachers, and the students, our Godly Mortal Academy has long lost any dignity it had,¡± Liang Sifan said. This remark almost made Lian Feiling spit out another mouthful of blood in anger. This wretched girl, it¡¯s not just that her elbow is turned outwards, it feels like she¡¯s about to defect to another side! ¡°Master Zhu, it seems unlikely someone from our academy who can defeat you wille, so how about this, shall I call my father over?¡± Liang Sifan turned her head and said to Zhu Minng. ¡°Your father can defeat me?¡± Zhu Minng asked. ¡°He is a reasonable man.¡± ¡°Oh, alright, that could work,¡± Zhu Minng nodded in agreement. Chapter 309 - 310: Making a Fool of Oneself Chapter 309: Chapter 310: Making a Fool of Oneself ¡°It may take some time for me toe and go, could you release the ice that has frozen my instructor and ssmates first?¡± Liang Sifan asked. ¡°I can, but I will continue to hold onto them,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°Alright then¡­¡± Liang Sifan hurried off, while Zhu Minng continued to wait patiently. Bai Qi had Little White thaw the ice encasing the students, whose bodies were frozen purple, so cold that they couldn¡¯t even speak clearly. Zhu Minng let them move around, as long as they didn¡¯t leave this medicinal mound. Of course, the students had also witnessed the terror of Zhu Minng, and didn¡¯t dare to make any further trouble in front of this Demon Lord. They huddled obediently after warming up. ¡°You viin, once the people from the Punishment Institute arrive, they will surely have you yed a thousand times over!¡± Fan Lu, with his eyebrows knitted, pointed at Zhu Minng, his haughty demeanor undiminished. ¡°Ahem¡­ Instructor Fan, the people from the Punishment Institute are over there, they¡¯ve just been thawed out it seems,¡± a male student said in a lowered voice at that moment. Fan Lu and these students had been frozen without any awareness of what happened next, and they also had no concept of time. Fan Lu still thought that the Punishment Institute¡¯s people hadn¡¯te yet¡­ Turning his head to look, wasn¡¯t that Liang Zhong from the Punishment Institute! He and his Talisman Masters, they all fell victim too? Fan Lu was shocked, not expecting Zhu Minng to be so powerful that even the Talisman Masters from the Punishment Institute couldn¡¯t handle him. ¡°Do not be so arrogant, our Dean already knows about this, and he will show you no mercy!¡± Fan Lu took a deep breath before he continued speaking. ¡°Eh, isn¡¯t that battered and bruised man over there the Dean?¡± Another student, while helping to thaw others, discovered the man copsed in a heap of ruined earth. Dean Lian Feiling had actually heard Fan Lu¡¯s words, but he was too humiliated to make a sound, feeling as though several more wounds had mysteriously opened up on his body. Fan Lu hurried over and nced at the man in the pit. Quickly, she covered her mouth, her eyes filled with horror! It really was the Dean!! On any given day, Dean Lian Feiling would be dressed in noble robes, donning the Feather Crown, and despite being nearly forty, he still looked handsome, exuding an aloof and ethereal presence like a real immortal, and Fan Lu has always regarded Dean Lian Feiling as a role model¡­ But who would have thought that the Dean could also show such an embarrassingly disheveled side!! This simply overturned the perfect image of the Dean in Fan Lu¡¯s mind!! ¡°You¡­ You were also defeated by this Demon Lord??¡± Fan Lu said, disbelieving. Dean Lian Feiling kept his eyes closed, and although his injuries were not serious enough to prevent him from speaking, he didn¡¯t want to say a word. Soon, the other students who had returned to normal also gathered around. Before long, those Talisman Masters from the Punishment Institute, they too made their way over, with a trace of good fortune on their cheeks. So, even the Dean was no match for this person; then theirplete defeat at the hands of the Punishment Institute wasn¡¯t so shameful after all. A group of people sat around a me, to the unknowing observer it might seem like the folks from the Godly Mortal Academy were enjoying afortable winter barbecue¡­ But at this moment, everyone¡¯s faces still looked unpleasant, and there weren¡¯t many people speaking. On one hand, they had indeedpletely lost face this time; on the other hand, there were several dragons watching over them. The innocent servants were now searching everywhere for warm clothes and some food to keep warm. Despite their own bodies shivering with cold, they still had to attend to this group who had been defeated without a shred of dignity. Finally, someone arrived, breaking the agonizingly shameful atmosphere. The battered and bruised members of the Godly Mortal Academy nearly rushed to greet the middle-aged man whom Liang Sifan had invited. The middle-aged man was somewhat overweight, with a prominent belly, and had a kind expression, but his eyes carried a hint of authority. If one were to judge him solely by his appearance, it would be easy to overlook him, but he represented a level within the Godly Mortal Academy higher than that of the dean, which obviously wasn¡¯t as simple as he appeared. ¡°Younger brother, disgraceful, so disgraceful!¡± the middle-aged overweight man approached, immediately spotting Liang Quan from the Punishment Institute and shaking his head repeatedly. Liang Quan¡¯s face turned ck with anger. Everyone had been defeated, including Dean Lian Feiling, so why was Liang Zhong pointing at him alone? ¡°Master Zhu, this is my father, retired early from the Godly Mortal Academy¡­¡± said Liang Sifan. ¡°Rank and position aren¡¯t worth mentioning. Young man, impressive indeed! Our Godly Mortal Academy hasn¡¯t really been up to snuff these years, but we still have some substance. To think that you alone brought down our Punishment Institute and the dean!¡± Liang Zhong said smilingly, giving Zhu Minng a thumbs-up. The faces of everyone from the Godly Mortal Academy grew even darker. Indeed, like father, like daughter. Was the honored guest here to help them regain their honor? It felt more like he hade, in high spirits, to witness their humiliation upon hearing of it! ¡°Honored guest, this person is unreasonable and ruthless, disregarding the authority of our Godly Mortal Academy and attacking us viciously¡­¡± Fan Lu berated angrily. Liang Zhong was obviously not a fool. Moreover, on the way here, Liang Sifan had already recounted the whole incident. In Liang Zhong¡¯s eyes, Master Zhu¡¯s actions seemed quite measured and had extended sufficient face to the Godly Mortal Academy. Otherwise, given these ipetents, if they had encountered a real demon cult, they¡¯d probably already be fertilizer for the herb mounds here, rather than having the chance toin! ¡°From Zhu Gate?¡± Liang Zhong asked. ¡°Yes, Zhu Minng.¡± ¡°Then do you know Zhu Heavenly Officer?¡± Liang Zhong continued. ¡°Father.¡± Zhu Minng replied. ¡°Ah?¡± Liang Zhong was taken aback for a moment, sizing up Zhu Minng with a look of doubt, ¡°Zhu Heavenly Officer has a son? Howe he never mentioned you to me?¡± Fan Lu and those students obviously knew Zhu Minng¡¯s origins even better, considering a revered guest like Liang Zhong might not pay attention to power struggles, but they certainly did. Zhu Minng scratched his head. So he knew my father. As long as I¡¯m not in the Imperial City, in the eyes of Zhu Heavenly Officer, I don¡¯t exist; that indeed fits the behavior of a father who keeps his hands off. Since they were acquainted, Zhu Minng was naturally more polite, especially as it was clear that the other party wasn¡¯t here to trouble him. ¡°Uncle Liang should have understood the situation as well. As the City Lord of Runyu City, I canprehend Godly Mortal Academy¡¯s reluctance to shelter us, but by the same token, I will exercise my authority as the City Lord. Repeated warnings were ineffective, and relying on Godly Mortal Academy¡¯s name to seize the Spirit Vein, I naturally won¡¯t be polite,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°Self-important fools, you¡­ sigh. Zhu Gate is now the foremost of the Six Great ns, not any worse than our Godly Mortal Academy, yet you still unt the Academy¡¯s name to bring disgrace upon us!¡± ¡°Look at the truly powerful younger generation; when have they ever boasted about their own power? To win is one thing, but to lose so utterly, now I, who am already retired, have toe here and plead on your behalf. If this gets out to the Imperial City, how shall I, Liang Zhong, ever hold my head up in front of those Sect Leaders, Kings, Deans, and Pce Masters? If I meet the master of Zhu Gate, won¡¯t I have to take a detour?¡± Chapter 310 - 312 Nothing is Better Chapter 310: Chapter 312 Nothing is Better A reprimand once more caused the embarrassed faces of those from Shen Fan Academy to flush red, unable to hide anywhere to save their dignity. ¡°Nephew Zhu, you¡¯ve beaten them, and you¡¯ve vented your anger, how about letting them go back to heal their wounds?¡± Liang Zhong asked. ¡°All the students may leave, but the Punishment Institute and Dean Lian Feiling must stay. Until I get the City Lord¡¯s Seal, I won¡¯t let anyone go,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°What City Lord¡¯s Seal?¡± Liang Zhong asked in confusion. ¡°The one from Runyu City,¡± Zhu Minng said. Liang Zhong walked towards Dean Lian Feiling, looking at him with surprise and some dissatisfaction, saying, ¡°Although I have retired and shouldn¡¯t meddle in the affairs of Shen Fan Academy, as the Dean of Shen Fan Academy, why are you hoarding the City Lord¡¯s Seal of Runyu City?¡± ¡°Honored guest, there are things you are unaware of, this City Lord¡¯s Seal¡­¡± Lian Feiling¡¯s voice trailed off, dropping to a whisper audible only to Liang Zhong. After listening, Liang Zhong also furrowed his brow, nced at Lian Feiling, and then turned his gaze back to Zhu Minng. It took him a long while before he said, ¡°Nephew Zhu, why don¡¯t you propose another condition? The situation with that City Lord¡¯s Seal seems to be quite special, as it is currently in the hands of Orderer Yan Guang.¡± Had Yan Guang also discovered the Ancient Lantern Jade within the City Lord¡¯s Seal, otherwise, why would he be so reluctant to hand it over? Zhu Minng started to feel a headacheing on. He had thought this piece of Ancient Lantern Jade would be the easiest to obtain, but he hadn¡¯t expected it to be so entangled inplications. ¡°I only need the City Lord¡¯s Seal. Without it, it would be very difficult to revive Runyu City. Many decrees that could be enacted won¡¯t be recognized, and it could also give opportunists the chance to create chaos,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°I will deal with this matter personally and negotiate with Yan Guang. This man is cold-hearted, and I suggest it¡¯s best not to have any direct conflict with him,¡± Liang Zhong said. ¡°Hmph, this Orderer¡­ It¡¯s hard not to have issues with him. His way of doing things is nauseating,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°The tea-colored ground has been in constant turmoil. Managing it properly is not an easy task. Although Yan Guang often can¡¯t achieve absolute justice, he isn¡¯t aplete failure either. How about this, I give you my assurance; release everyone now, and as for the City Lord¡¯s Seal you want, I will try my utmost to persuade Yan Guang to hand it over, though it will take some time,¡± Liang Zhong said. ¡°Everyone else can leave, but Lian Feiling muste with me to Runyu City,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°Why?¡± Liang Zhong asked, puzzled. ¡°Perhaps if Elder Lianges along, you will understand,¡± Zhu Minng replied. ¡°All right.¡± Sending the other members of Shen Fan Academy on their way, Zhu Minng took Lian Feiling, apanied by Liang Zhong, towards Runyu City. Lian Feiling was extremely annoyed. He was the Dean, and it was humiliating to be dragged around like an old dog. What was more infuriating was Liang Zhong¡¯s excessive indulgence towards Zhu Minng! As they were about to reach Runyu City, Liang Zhong saw the bloodied Lian Feiling still looking at him with eyes full of suppressed rage and shook his head in resignation, whispering to the Dean, ¡°Lian Feiling, do you think I¡¯m outwardly biased?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it so!¡± Lian Feiling copsed there, his body aching all over. ¡°If the opponent were a nobody, of course, you could proudly speak of the invibility of Shen Fan Academy¡¯s dignity,¡± said Liang Zhong. ¡°But since you know the other party is Zhu Minng from Zhu Gate, do you think such words make any sense? Do you realize what kind of person the Zhu Heavenly Officer in the Imperial City is?¡± Liang Zhong said. ¡°We¡¯re only a casting n, so why should our Shen Fan Academy fear them?¡± Lian Feiling was even more dissatisfied. ¡°You¡¯ve been sitting on the tea-colored ground for too long; you should venture out more often to prevent your pride and ignorance from blinding you. Why should our West Route Divinity Academy be able to stand up against the leader of the Six Great ns? Even members of the Divine and Mortal Academy¡¯s Supreme Court need to reason with them, yet here you are, attempting to rely on your usual arrogance! Zhu Heavenly Officer is unpredictable; he¡¯s annihted plenty of ns and sects in recent years, often over trivial matters in the eyes of others. You, Lian Feiling,id hands on the Young Master of Zhu n and if you lost, all would still be well, but if you won and injured someone, within half a month, you would end up dead in the wilderness. Even if we knew it was the work of Zhu Gate, do you think we could secure for you what you call justice? You are well aware that there is no need to talk about morality with those of unequal status to your own, but you must also rify for me ¨C now, your status is below that of others, your power is not as great, and as a former dean who acted against a junior, do you think Zhu Heavenly Officer will discuss any sort of morals with me?¡± Liang Zhong really did not want to have this conversation with Lian Feiling. It¡¯s just that the West Route Divinity Academy had acted like the Earth Emperor of the tea-colored ground for far too long, doing whatever they wanted. Liang Zhong was different; he often traveled between realms and frequented the Imperial City. He knew better than anyone from the West Route Divinity Academy that they were being too arrogant. Even the majority of nations, powers, sect forests, and sects to the west were too full of themselves. The strength of the Imperial Dynasty was still beyond their imagination. Often, only when disaster struck did they deeply regret their actions. When in conflict with someone of equal status, either you were in the right, or you were stronger than your opponent. Lian Feiling had neither and his status and position were inferior to the other party. Wasn¡¯t this just asking for trouble? Upon arriving in Runyu City, they tossed Lian Feiling into the marketce. Liang Zhong watched those who had been persecuted without saying a word. Lian Feiling was still angry and disdainful; in his view, those people were not harmed by the Divine and Mortal Academy, but bywless powers. Why should they be held ountable? ¡°Apologize. If you want to spend the rest of your life as the dean in peace.¡± Liang Zhong sighed and said to Lian Feiling. More and more onlookers gathered in the marketce. They could hardly believe that Master Zhu would actually bring the dean of the Divine and Mortal Academy before them. Many remembered how, just a few days ago, Lian Feiling stood before the city gate, exuding a sense of superiority as he held out the judgment document like a Judge sentencing the city to death! With teeth nearly clenched to breaking, Lian Feiling had no choice but to bow and lower his head. ¡°Our Divine and Mortal Academy did not handle this matter properly; it was our dereliction of duty,¡± Lian Feiling finally managed to say. ¡°Our Divine and Mortal Academy has issued a notice: anyone who persecutes the residents of Runyu City will be severely punished. Please rest assured for the next few days. However, I still suggest that you all relocate out of this city as soon as possible,¡± Liang Zhong added. The perpetrators were steadily being dealt with, and the news spread quickly across the tea-colored ground. The people of Runyu City who had been persecuted received some form of closure. Of course, Zhu Minng also demanded a sum of money from the Divine and Mortal Academy, using the Spirit Vein as a pretext, before allowing them to leave. This sum was given by Zhu Minng to Yao Junshi, who distributed it to the residents of Runyu City who had suffered during this ordeal. If they were to relocate from this city, this money should be enough for them to settle in a newnd. Chapter 311 - 313 Fiend Star Dragon Chapter 311: Chapter 313 Fiend Star Dragon Chao Ruijin of the Copper Knife Army, Yao Junshi who protects the family, and Gao Yujie of the Azure Wolf Cavalry, at this moment, they were looking at Zhu Minng with eyes one might use to behold a monster. Lian Feiling was the Administrator of Godly Mortal Academy, a position of great prestige. And Liang Zhong, an authoritative figure of the Tea-colored Ground, was brought back by Zhu Minng to apologize, which was truly unbelievable. The public might not know what these two people represented, but they were very clear about it. It was as if Godly Mortal Academy had bowed to Master Zhu! Although the final decision had not changed, when had Godly Mortal Academy ever bowed to any power! ¡°What a pity, if not for the Orderer¡¯s obstinacy, our Runyu City really had a chance to revive under Master Zhu¡¯s leadership,¡± Chao Ruijin of the Copper Knife Army sighed deeply. In two days and nights, sweeping through dozens of powers in the Tea-colored Ground, not only punishing those violent offenders one by one, but also making Godly Mortal Academy pay a price, with such boldness, why worry about not being able to rejuvenate this city? ¡°Yes, such a pity, a real pity,¡± Yao Junshi also sighed with regret. It seemed like their Hu Family Army hadtched onto a strong leg, but s, the times¡­ Heavenly Capital did not allow Runyu City to revive. On the final day, inside Runyu City, there was destion everywhere. Even some cultivators began to retreat in session; they did not wish to be treated as viins and hunted down by so-called reputable and orthodox sects. Of course, there was also a significant number of people who did not leave, not because they had deep feelings for Runyu City, but because they had no other choice. To leave Runyu City was to suffer in discement, to die in humiliation amidst chaos and strife¡­ By noon, the Hu Family Siblings finally returned. They had rushed to Green Bull Mountain. Although their hopes were slim, they did everything they could to find that Orderer. It was evident that the siblings had probably not closed their eyes for these few days, looking tired and haggard. After drinking a mouthful of water, Hu Bailing spoke before her brother, ¡°City Lord, there¡¯s still a chance!!¡± The eyes of the people around them lit up; in fact, the moment they saw them, everyone saw a glimpse of hope in the eyes of the two siblings. It was a joy that couldn¡¯t be hidden despite their exhaustion and fatigue from days without sleep! ¡°City Lord, take a look at this,¡± Hu Chongming handed Zhu Minng a dark feather scale. When Zhu Minng took it, the moment he touched the feather scale, he felt a chill. The cold spread from his skin to every inch of his body, making him feel as if he were wrapped in something cold and dark, and his breathing became somewhatbored. ¡°What is this?¡± Zhu Minng was somewhat surprised. Just a feather scale could impose such pressure; one could imagine how formidable and terrifying the owner of this feather scale must be! ¡°A Fiend Star Dragon! An unusual breed of Mourning Dragon, solitary in nature, and wherever it appears, terrible disasters are sure to ur. It is the most malevolent and cmitous dragon in legends. It is said that the constant warfare and the cruel and greedy monarchs of the Tea-colored Grounds for hundreds of years have a great connection with this Fiend Star Dragon!¡± Hu Chongming said excitedly. A Fiend Star Dragon? Unheard of. Zhu Minng patted his own back, wanting the erudite Mr. Jinli toe out and give an exnation, but Mr. Jinli seemed to have wandered off to who knows where. ¡°The Orderer of Green Bull Mountain has been pursuing the Fiend Star Dragon for these years, and just half a month ago, he finally found the Fiend Star Dragon and fought with it, injuring it. Sadly, he was unable to kill it. The Orderer¡¯s Silver Tail Purple Dragon is also seriously injured and is currently recuperating in Green Bull Mountain. The Orderer does not want to miss this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity¡­¡± Hu Bailing quickly added. The siblings were both extremely excited, on one hand, they were shocked that the legendary Fiend Star Dragon actually existed, and on the other, they saw hope for Runyu City. ¡°The Orderer said that if we can help him hunt the Fiend Star Dragon, he will ensure Runyu City¡¯s safety,¡± Hu Chongming said. Upon hearing this, everyone felt reinvigorated! They hadn¡¯t expected that on thest day, the Hu Family siblings would bring such good news! With the support of another Orderer, Runyu City could not only be removed from the ranks of the City of Sin, but could also win over many surrounding forces. Even without the protection of the Godly Mortal Academy, thebined might of these forces could still be a deterrent! ¡°What kind of joke is this!!¡± Suddenly, a hoary voice barged in. Mr. Jinli swam down from arge por tree where he seemed to have been napping. ¡°Mr. Jinli, do you know about the Fiend Star Dragon?¡± Zhu Minng asked. ¡°Of course, I do. The Fiend Star Dragon is a Disaster Dragon. Epidemics often break out where it appears, and thends it inhabits are constantly gued by war. It¡¯s a dragon that brings disaster to the world. But no matter what the legends say, the Fiend Star Dragon is definitely more powerful and frightening than you can imagine. The idea that you mere mortals could hunt it is simply a fantasy!¡± Mr. Jinli said. ¡°But it¡¯s injured, the Orderer from Green Bull Mountain said so himself, and the injuries are severe. Its strength must have been greatly reduced!¡± Hu Chongming said. ¡°Let me ask you, if a Dragon King is injured, would you dare to hunt it?¡± Mr. Jinli asked. ¡°A¡­ Dragon King??¡± Hu Chongming began to stutter. Dragon King!! Even with a hundred thousand times the courage, he wouldn¡¯t dare to trouble a Dragon King! ¡°Mr. Jinli, is the Fiend Star Dragon at the Dragon King Level?¡± Zhu Minng asked. ¡°Any dragon that has lived for a thousand years is certainly a Dragon King. Just for one broken city, you¡¯d provoke a Fiend Star Dragon that is very likely to be a Dragon King. You might as well go and take out Orderer Yan Guang; I think that would be a hundred times easier than hunting the Fiend Star Dragon,¡± Mr. Jinli said. Mr. Jinli¡¯s words undoubtedly poured cold water on everyone¡¯s enthusiasm. Everyone¡¯s gaze involuntarily fell back on the Hu Family siblings who also looked at each other, at a loss for words. ¡°Did that Orderer from Green Bull Mountain say anything about the actual strength of the Fiend Star Dragon?¡± Zhu Minng asked. ¡°He didn¡¯t specify. He only told us that the Fiend Star Dragon was injured,¡± Hu Bailing said. ¡°Hmph, how could a minor Orderer of a piece ofnd seriously wound the Fiend Star Dragon all by himself? It¡¯s more likely that the Fiend Star Dragon was injured for some other reason. In my opinion, the Orderer from Green Bull Mountain can¡¯t be certain whether the Fiend Star Dragon is truly injured or not. He¡¯s sending you to your deaths, so he can determine the true condition of the Fiend Star Dragon!¡± Mr. Jinli said. ¡°That shouldn¡¯t be the case,¡± Hu Bailing said. ¡°What ¡®shouldn¡¯t be¡¯ ¨C he didn¡¯t tell you that the Fiend Star Dragon is of Dragon King Level, which means he¡¯s setting you up!¡± Mr. Jinli said indignantly. ¡°Indeed, if the Fiend Star Dragon is a Dragon King, or even close to that level, it¡¯s not something we can handle,¡± Zhu Minng nodded in agreement. Chapter 312 - 314 Disaster Omen Chapter 312: Chapter 314 Disaster Omen ¡°Mr. Jinli, let¡¯s not jump to conclusions just yet. The Orderer must indeed have concealed some information, but it¡¯s probably not their intention to send us off to die. This matter still requires a more thorough investigation,¡± said Li Xinghua at this time. She had seen some scenes that would take ce in the following days, likely in a collective of viges, where countless rats were scurrying out from granaries stocked with grain. In the sky, ice locusts swarmed densely, like a sandstorm¡­ These anomalies, when linked to what the Hu family siblings had said about the Fiend Star Dragon, made Li Xinghua feel there was a significant connection. As for the Fiend Star Dragon being injured, Li Xinghua also believed it to be true. She had seen some blood-stained flora, a series of footprints of varying depth, and she also noticed the Scale Feathers currently in Zhu Minng¡¯s hand, which had fallen in the forest. That patch of woods was then enveloped by a ck cold aura. ¡°Unless it¡¯s an underage Fiend Star Dragon,¡± Mr. Jinli snorted coldly. ¡°Let¡¯s figure out the situation first; in any case, the Orderer from Green Bull Mountain was quite sincere, having secured a month¡¯s time for us in Runyu City,¡± Hu Bailing nodded in agreement. What Mr. Jinli said was somewhat shocking, but if they didn¡¯t start with the Fiend Star Dragon, Runyu City would bepletely annihted. Hu Bailing and Hu Chongming had already promised the Orderer to pursue and assist in the hunt for the Fiend Star Dragon, and for this reason, the Green Bull Mountain Orderer granted Runyu City a month¡¯s reprieve. ¡°Then, as the Female Monarch suggested, we will conduct a more detailed investigation first. Whether or not to hunt will be a separate matter,¡± said Chao Ruijin of the Copper Knife Army. Chao Ruijin couldn¡¯t tell Li Yunzi apart from Li Xinghua. In fact, Li Yunzi had been asleep for some days now, waking up very, very infrequently, and Zhu Minng also knew that the number of Ancient Lantern Jades was still insufficient. Four pieces were needed; even with the City Lord¡¯s Seal, they only had three pieces, which was not enough to restore Li Yunzi to her former state. ¡°By the way, since your Hu family once swept through this area of the Mourning Dragons, you must know some older information about them. We found a relic in Pear Blossom Gully; those strange powers of the Mourning Dragons are mostly derived from exotic species within the relic. So, we surmise that the Mourning Dragons might have originated from ancient times¡­ Sadly, the relic is in a sealed valley, impossible to enter again. There should be another entrance to the relic in the Tea-colored Ground. Do you have any clues?¡± Zhu Minng said to the Hu family siblings. Hu Bailing nced at Hu Chongming, who after some careful thought, spoke, ¡°We¡¯ll have to ask our great-grandfather about this. Now that you mention it, City Lord, it does remind me of a story he told us a long time ago when we were still children, and we only listened to it as a story.¡± Zhu Minng nodded. Concerning the ancientir of the Mourning Dragons, probably only the people of the Hu family would have clear knowledge. Should they find another entrance to the relic, it would surely be a great aid in enhancing the cultivation of his own dragons! ¡°Commander Chao, take some elites and head north. If you encounter towns suffering from the ice cmity, conduct an investigation and then inform me of the details,¡± Li Xinghua said to Chao Ruijin of the Copper Knife Army. ¡°At yourmand!¡± Chao Ruijin did not ask further and saluted. ¡°Young Master, I would like to personally investigate the areas afflicted by the rat and locust gues. Neither should be urring in winter; their presence most likely indicates the influence of the Fiend Star Dragon,¡± Li Xinghua said to Zhu Minng. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go with you¡­¡± ¡°I can go with Ling Sha; Young Master, you and Zhirou should visit Yao Country. There are some even stranger urrences there, and I¡¯ve only seen quite blurry images,¡± Li Xinghua said. Zhu Minng nodded. The Fiend Star Dragon is a rare dragon that serves as an omen in this world. Destiny and the will of heaven, concepts that have always existed, were early on proposed by our ancestors. The arrival of certain special dragons is seen as a sign, a warning from the heavens of impending disasters and upheaval. As a Prophet, Li Xinghua could see these omens more clearly. However, the information received by Prophets is fragmented and requires observation. It needs to be deduced through minor details or through peculiar changes. Li Xinghua had long noticed strange urrences around the world but had been unable to understand the underlying reasons until the Hu Family Siblings obtained information about the Fiend Star Dragon from the Orderer at Green Bull Mountain. It was then she had a sudden realization and linked all the visions from the Dream World together. ¡°Our Azure Wolf Cavalry can also serve you. We don¡¯t want to be sentenced to death, merely surviving another day or month,¡± Yu Gaojie from the Azure Wolf Cavalry said as he sped his hands, indicating his willingness to join the search for the Fiend Star Dragon. ¡°Commander Yu, you could look for traces of the Greedy Dragon. This kind of dragon takes advantage of chaos during disasters. Their saliva contains a toxin that affects crops, making normally peaceful farmers restless and greedy,¡± Li Xinghua pondered and felt that the appearances of the Greedy Dragon were likely rted to the Fiend Star Dragon. ¡°Good, the Azure Wolf Cavalry will handle this matter properly,¡± Yu Gaojie stated. Yao Country is a surname nation where half of the poption shares the Yao surname, and Yao Junshi is also from this nation. Zhu Minng was somewhat puzzled. Why did his aunt, the Prophet, insist on having the Yin Spirit Necromancer girl, Zhi Rou, apany him? Could it be that his investigative journey required the abilities of this Yin Spirit Necromancer? They flew toward Yao Country, which was not particrly far away since Yao Country is one of the four great warring states on the Tea-colored Ground. Their army had once been stationed in Runyu City before being expelled by the Brown Banner Army from ughter Country. It took them approximately a day and a night to reach Yao Country. Following Li Xinghua¡¯s instructions, Zhu Minng went directly to the capital of Yao Country and located the Prime Minister¡¯s Mansion. Yao Country was far less prosperous and powerful than Miao Kingdom. The size of its capital was onlyparable to the Ancestral Dragon City-State. They ced excessive emphasis on their military to the point that civilian welfare was very poor, and the quality of life for the people was far inferior to that on the Li Chuan Continent. On the way, Zhu Minng took note of this, feeling that the nation was on the brink of copse, maintaining its military and the sore-ridden royal power through sheer exploitation. ¡°Big brother, this Prime Minister¡¯s Mansion has a very strong yin energy,¡± the Yin Spirit Necromancer Zhi Rou said in a low voice to Zhu Minng, her pale purple eyes fixed on the mansion gate. ¡°Let¡¯s pretend to be exorcists and go in to find out more. Tell me something convincing that we can use,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°In their back kitchen, three chefs have died within a month,¡± the Yin Spirit Necromancer Zhi Rou said. ¡°We¡¯re standing at the entrance, how would you know that?¡± Zhu Minng asked, puzzled. ¡°Their spirits are sitting right at the front door!¡± Zhi Rou pointed at the threshold, where fully armed guards were also present on either side! Chapter 313 - 315: The Decline of Morality Chapter 313: Chapter 315: The Decline of Morality Zhu Minng couldn¡¯t help but shiver himself. ¡°Girl, I asked you to say something frightening, not to chill people to the marrow!¡± In broad daylight, three Yin spirits were sitting on the threshold of the State Mansion¡¯s gate, and they were the cooks who had died within this month¡­ Alright, this could indeed intimidate the folks of the State Mansion. Zhu Minng cleared his throat and straightened out his robe, which just happened to be styled in an otherworldly fashion today. Combined with his ethereal temperament, cultivated from consuming only Immortal Fruits and Divine Pills instead ofmon grains, most likely these mortals would believe him. ¡°What poor schr and little maid are these, loitering in front of the State Mansion? Get lost quickly!¡± At this moment, the fully armed Gatekeeper bellowed loudly. Zhu Minng had just started his celestial stride when he nearly stumbled. Truly, mortals, with such poor vision, you are indeed only fit to be Gatekeepers! Zhu Minng cleared his throat again, with a look of utter indifference, and said, ¡°I am a Demon Exorcist, wandering here and noticing the dense Yin Qi within your mansion. The gate stands open yet seems as red and tightly sealed as the Ghost Door. You two Guards there, have you not felt a cold draft by the threshold, or even during the night, always felt like someone was entering and leaving the mansion gate, yet you¡¯ve seen nothing at all?¡± The two Guards exchanged a deep look after hearing these words. What the young man had said truly sent a chill down their spines! In fact, these past days, they would subconsciously nce towards the mansion gate¡¯s threshold. Initially, they thought it was a trick of the eye, but after numerous instances, they started to feel something was off. Honestly, for a few moments, they even thought the other had a longing for the same sex. Now that the poor schr had spoken like this, they felt even more horrified! ¡°Some people must have died in your mansion this month, especially in the kitchen,¡± Zhu Minng said, deliberately extending three fingers as he spoke. When speaking as an expert, one must be ambiguous, not overly explicit, letting them imagine for themselves. Sure enough, as soon as the two Gatekeepers heard this phrase and saw the unmistakably deliberate gesture of Zhu Minng, they were so shocked their expressions changed. ¡°You go and inform the steward?¡± said the Gatekeeper on the left. The one on the right nodded, ncing especially at the threshold before hurrying into the mansion. Not long after, a young steward strode out. He sized up Zhu Minng and Zhi Rou, his eyes darting about several times, but still came forth to greet them with respectful manners. ¡°Could the two of you please borate a bit more? After all, some of the bolder servants might still spread unwee news,¡± the young steward said cautiously. Zhu Minng nced at the Yin Spirit Necromancer girl. The Yin Spirit Necromancer girl stepped forward, looked around near the entrance hall, and then pointed to an old locust tree, ¡°Underneath this tree, a batch of kittens that died too young are buried.¡± The young steward and the Gatekeeper, upon hearing this, had their expressionspletely shift. Such matters were only known to the steward and the Gatekeeper. How would the other servants care about such things! ¡°Esteemed ones, pleasee inside. I will immediately go to call for the youngdy,¡± the young steward said, hurrying along. Having passed through several corridors and entering the back of the mansion, clearly neither the steward nor the youngdy wished to discuss matters in the main hall, as the State Mansion still entertained a number of guests. At the back of the mansion, Zhu Minng and Zhi Rou quietly awaited the arrival of the State Duke¡¯s Daughter. After the maid who served tea left, the Yin Spirit Necromancer girl leaned close to Zhu Minng and whispered in a very low voice, ¡°Big brother, there¡¯s also a person buried under that locust tree.¡± Zhu Minng looked at her in surprise. No wonder Li Xinghua insisted he bring this Yin Spirit Necromancer girl along; her ability to see Yin spirits with her eyes could easily intimidate everyone and reveal the darkest secrets of a prominent family, uncovering many unspeakable mysteries! ¡°Do you know the identity of that person?¡± Zhu Minng asked. ¡°It was the butler from earlier.¡± the Yin Spirit Necromancer girl said. Zhu Minng¡¯s eyes widened, and though he had wanted to take a sip of tea, he didn¡¯t dare to for quite some time. Could it possibly be this spooky! Zhu Minng felt that it wasn¡¯t the people inside the Prime Minister¡¯s Mansion who were frightened, it was he himself who was greatly rmed! ¡°Could there be another Yin Spirit Necromancer here, controlling the butler¡¯s corpse?¡± Zhu Minng asked. She shook her head. ¡°So someone killed the butler and then impersonated him?¡± Zhu Minng said. The Yin Spirit Necromancer girl nodded. Zhu Minng rubbed his temples. He wasn¡¯t here to act as a Demon Exorcist, he was here to be a God Catcher investigating a case, right? But what did all this have to do with the Fiend Star Dragon? ¡°Can the butler¡¯s Yin spirit tell you what happened?¡± Zhu Minng continued to ask. ¡°It seems like he hasn¡¯t realized that he¡¯s already dead, and is still repeating the tasks of a butler,¡± Zhi Rou said. Not all Yin spirits can bemunicated with directly. Of course, not all departed souls turn into Yin spirits either, some simply dissipate. They didn¡¯t have to wait too long when Zhu Minng saw a woman in a bright red brocade robe approaching. She was followed by two maids, but as she entered this hall they left her side, and the young butler who was impersonating someone did not follow her in. Now, only thisdy from the State Mansion and the three people, Zhu Minng and Zhi Rou, were present. It seemed that this State Duke¡¯s Daughter had some private matters that she did not want others to know about. ¡°The matter I am going to discuss with you two, please keep it confidential. If it gets out, I will stop at nothing to capture you both, cut off your tongues, and then chop off your heads,¡± thedy in the red robe said. ¡°We will forget what we¡¯ve heard once we¡¯re back in the mundane world. We¡¯re only lending a hand because we don¡¯t wish to see others suffer. Miss, please speak freely. Actually, we already have a general idea. We just need to understand more details in order to eliminate the root of the disaster,¡± Zhu Minng said, touching his chin and realizing that the gesture was somewhat superfluous with his overly smooth, beardless face. ¡°I had a secret affair with the butler¡¯s brother. The butler used this to ckmail me, and he also attempted to take liberties with me. So I thought of a n to have someone prepare a poison that would kill the gluttonous butler¡­¡± the State Duke¡¯s Daughter narrated calmly. Zhu Minng used drinking tea as a cover, appearing calm and routine on the surface, yet his heart was filled with waves of agitation. What a shockingly scandalous beginning! It couldn¡¯t help but make one sit up straight and listen attentively. Of course, to show his premonition of being a wise man, Zhu Minng couldn¡¯t let her finish telling everything. So he spoke up, ¡°So the poison was ced in the back kitchen, where a bunch of kittens mistakenly ate it, and it scattered to other ces, identally killing three cooks in session?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± the Lady Xiangguo nodded, a flicker of surprise shing in her eyes. ¡°Then how did the butler die? Was it the butler¡¯s brother who did it?¡± Zhu Minng asked. The Lady Xiangguo hesitated, furrowing her brows in confusion, ¡°Didn¡¯t you just see the butler? He¡¯s still alive. My n failed, it was disrupted by the kittens.¡± ¡°Miss, there¡¯s no need to y riddles with us; we know that the real butler is already dead. Now, the butler is likely your lover, the butler¡¯s brother. They¡¯re simr in height, appearance, and voice,¡± Zhu Minng said with a profound smile. Upon hearing this, thedy¡¯s face was filled with shock and confusion, and she remained silent for a long while. Seeing her expression, Zhu Minng also became confused. Could it be? Does thedy not know??? Chapter 314 - 316 Sinful Beast Chapter 314: Chapter 316 Sinful Beast So who exactly is the current butler? Zhu Minng himself was also puzzled. How could suchplex matters exist within the small confines of the Prime Minister¡¯s Mansion? ¡°So where is your lover now?¡± Zhu Minng immediately changed the subject and asked. ¡°He drowned,¡± said thedy of the Prime Minister¡¯s family, calmly. ¡°Drowned? Was it an ident, or¡­¡± Zhu Minng felt that things were bing more and more bizarre. Thedy hesitated for a moment before finally saying, ¡°I had people take care of it. I couldn¡¯t let my father and others find out about it, so I dealt with him¡­ Well, he knew this would be the oue.¡± Zhu Minng was left speechless! Such a ruthless noblewoman! To preserve her reputation, she didn¡¯t hesitate to poison those in the know, to murder her lover. But since she had already ¡°taken care of¡± the matter so ¡°cleanly,¡± why call upon the so-called expert? There must be something troubling her. Zhu Minng¡¯s gaze involuntarily turned towards the Yin Spirit Necromancer girl, eager to hear her opinion, for she was the one able tomunicate with spirits and could clearly know the deepest, darkest truths within the Prime Minister¡¯s Mansion. ¡°Miss, you¡¯ve been hearing a cat¡¯s meow in your dreamstely, haven¡¯t you? And asionally you feel light footsteps by your bed, right?¡± the Yin Spirit Necromancer Zhi Rou spoke. ¡°Yes, I wake up in the middle of the night and I even see a pair of eerie green cat¡¯s eyes. I always feel like something is licking my cheeks and palms,¡± said the Lady Xiangguo. ¡°Can you take us to your room to have a look?¡± the Yin Spirit Necromancer Zhi Rou asked. ¡°I¡¯ve been having trouble sleeping these past few days,¡± Lady Xiangguo said. Aftermitting so many heinous deeds, it would be a miracle if she could sleep peacefully, Zhu Minng couldn¡¯t help but sneer to himself. Arriving in the youngdy¡¯s room, the Yin Spirit Necromancer Zhi Rou looked around, her light purple eyes shining with an eerie glow, as if she could see into another world. Her pupils would asionally focus on seemingly empty spaces, under the bed, beside the window sill, behind the nter. Zhu Minng, standing to the side, simply stroked his chin, pretending to be seriously searching for the ghostly spirits. However, Zhu Minng noticed a detail: there was a very faint demonic aura in the room. Creatures that live long enough in this world tend to be cunning spirits or demons, and Dragon Shepherds are very sensitive to such scents. Zhu Minng took another look and saw that in a corner of the youngdy¡¯s room, there was a bowl of cat food. ¡°Miss, don¡¯t you keep a cat?¡± Zhu Minng pointed to the nter where a few strands of cat hair were scattered, then to the bowl of cat food. ¡°Yes, but the cat I keep has ck pupils, and it never makes a sound,¡± said the Lady Xiangguo. ¡°Your cat has be a spirit,¡± Zhu Minng said with certainty. ¡°How is that possible!¡± the Lady Xiangguo eximed. ¡°It knows its kittens were poisoned by your medicine, so it has been tormenting you,¡± the Yin Spirit Necromancer Zhi Rou also spoke up. Lady Xiangguo¡¯splexion also changed, and she looked around, hoping to find her pet calico cat, which had apanied her for many years. However, the cat was now nowhere to be seen, as if it had sensed some danger and hidden itself. ¡°We can take care of this calico cat for you, and your problem should be resolved,¡± said Zhu Minng. ¡°No way!¡± Lady Xiangguo said in a panic. ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°It has been with me for ten years, no means no, I don¡¯t need you anymore, please leave,¡± Lady Xiangguo¡¯s tone shifted. Zhu Minng was even more speechless. This Lady Xiangguo, her heart was also severely twisted. She dared to kill even her lover, yet she hadpassion for a cat that had turned into a demon? Since they had been given the order to leave, Zhu Minng and Zhi Rou couldn¡¯t stay any longer. But Zhu Minng had made up his mind to deal with a demon that had be a monster; such beings often ended up harming many people. Moreover, Zhu Minng always felt that Lady Xiangguo¡¯s behavior was especially peculiar, but he couldn¡¯t tell if that was her true nature or if she was influenced by something. While the demon aura was faint, Zhu Minng could still sense it. If nothing unexpected urred, the calico cat must have slipped into the locust tree forest behind the Prime Minister¡¯s Mansion, and following this lingering demon aura, he would quickly find its hiding ce. Behind the locust forest stood a ruined temple. As Zhu Minng and Zhi Rou stepped into this temple, a sharp screech suddenly rang out¡ªit was that demon calico cat. Its eyes were a ghostly green at the moment, the fur on its body bristled, and its ws were sharp; it clearly harbored deep hostility towards the intruders! ¡°Little Cat Demon, you would have gone unnoticed if you had behaved as a mere pet, but you chose to use Sorcery and hold resentment, thus exposing your true nature,¡± Zhu Minng said to the Cat Demon. A cat turning into a Demon Spirit, due to living with humans for a long time, would actually carry a very weak demon aura. However, it had cast a demon spell on Lady Xiangguo, and the aura of this spell lingered in the house, detectable by a sensitive Dragon Shepherd. Frankly speaking, this calico cat didn¡¯t mean to harm anyone. Even if it lived for a thousand years, or even ten thousand, nobody would notice anything amiss. ¡°Big brother, something is off about this calico cat,¡± the Yin Spirit Necromancer girl Zhi Rou said at this moment. Zhu Minng looked and noticed that the aura of the calico cat was changing. The temple was already dark and eerie, but the cat¡¯s body was starting to glow with a ghostly light, especially its greenish-blue pupils, which were giving off a terrifying vibe! ¡°Bai Qi!¡± Zhu Minng extended his palm, opening the Spirit Realm. From the sigil, the petite and exquisite Ice Morning White Dragon leaped out. Its body was covered in feathers that shone with a holy radiance, resembling thin crystal leaves, beautiful and majestic. ¡°Yu¡± Little White looked at the glowing Cat Demon, initially sharing Zhu Minng¡¯s contemptuous attitude. After all, a Cat Demon with less than ten thousand years of cultivation base couldn¡¯t possiblypete with a Sacred Beast like a White Dragon. But soon, Little White also sensed the eerie peculiarity of the Cat Demon! ¡°It¡¯s a Sinful Beast!¡± At that moment, Mr. Jinli eximed as he flew out from behind Zhu Minng, ¡°This fellow is the same type as Little Chang¡¯e!¡± Little White had already stepped forward, her icy coldness freezing the ruined temple. The demon aura of the cat became increasingly strange and powerful. Suddenly, the cat initiated an attack, its sharp ws tearing towards Little White. Little White met the assault, transforming into a sh of white light, while the cat was as swift as a beam of light with a ghostly green hue. For a moment, the White Dragon and the Sinful Beast were engaged in a fierce battle within the ruined temple. Although neither of them used any Profound Art or Sorcery, with destructive power that was quite astonishing, every strike was a deadly assault¡ªaiming for the eyes or shing at the throat¡­ Chapter 315 - 317: The Grand Omen Beast Chapter 315: Chapter 317: The Grand Omen Beast Zhu Minng had not expected that this tiny Cat Demon could actually entangle with the Ice Morning White Dragon in such a way, he had thought it was a Little Demon Spirit that could be easily crushed to death! ¡°Mr. Jinli, what exactly is a Sinful Beast?¡± Zhu Minng retreated to a distance, asking in confusion. ¡°There are several kinds of Omen Beasts that bring misfortune to people in this world, Aberrant Beasts, Sinful Beasts, Greedy Beasts, Disaster Beasts, Affliction Beasts, Disaster Beasts¡­¡± ¡°Aberrant Beasts, signify that people whoe in contact with them tend to be chronic liars, cunning and deceitful, it is the least harmful Ancient Beast. Its appearance is like a rabbit.¡± ¡°Sinful Beasts, those who associate with them for a long time will develop sinful thoughts in their hearts, and carry out actions that go against their conscience, causing a loss of humanity. They take the shape of a cat.¡± ¡°Greedy Beasts, those whoe into contact will be extremely greedy and selfish, as if possessed they strenuously use all means to obtain everything they desire, often twisted and insane. Its appearance is like a mouse.¡± ¡°Disaster Beasts, are a kind of Omen Beast that bring misfortune to people, ranging from stepping in cow dung when going out, to having a meteor fall and crush the entire family. Its appearance is like a crow.¡± ¡°Because their appearance closely resemblesmon animals such as rabbits, cats, mice, and birds, these Omen Beasts often hide among themon folk, living alongside humans.¡± Zhu Minng had never heard of such folklores before. But remembering the little Chang¡¯e, Zhu Minng realized that there might be many unknown creatures in this world, which seem to have a close connection to the behaviors of people! ¡°So you¡¯re saying, the reason Miss Xiangguo continues to harm others,mitting dehumanizing acts, is because she has been in contact with this Sinful Beast, the flower cat, for too long?¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°One can understand it as a kind of mental bewitchment and seduction,¡± Yin Ling Shi Zhirou seemed to have heard rumors of the Omen Beasts. Zhu Minng nodded, which means that Lady Xiangguo already had such thoughts, it was just the influence of this Sinful Beast, that gave her the courage to keep implementing them! ¡°The small omens have appeared, the great omens are not far away, it seems like the appearance of the Fiend Star Dragon is indeed true,¡± Mr. Jinli began to ponder in earnest. ¡°Mr. Jinli, what are small omens and what are great omens?¡± Zhu Minng asked. ¡°A small omen,¡± he said, ¡°is naturally this kind of minor bad omen in folklore, usually only one Omen Beast will appear in a certain area, and the impact on the popce is actually very limited, and it is also difficult to detect that these small Omen Beasts are to me.¡± ¡°But if two, or more than two appear at the same time, it signals that a great Omen Beast is about to emerge. A great Omen Beast, the impact isn¡¯t just about these small problems like murder and crime, it could likely cause a cataclysmic cmity, wars with rivers of blood, disasters of annihting force, rampant and spreading gues, when that timees, it will surely result in dead bodies strewn across fields, crows blotting out the sky, truly a world where all living things suffer and everything withers away!¡± Mr. Jinli seldom expressed such a serious and solemn demeanor. His words made Zhu Minng recall the incidents mentioned by Li Xinghua. Ice disasters, mouse gues, insect cmities¡­ If all these are just small omens affecting themon folk, then ording to Mr. Jinli¡¯s words, the great ominous sign of a world where all living things suffer and everything withers would certainly soon befall thisnd! ¡°One beast represents one omen, if you can find and kill this Omen Beast and offer it to the heavens before these disastrous omens ur, you can avoid them! The Fiend Star Dragon is very likely the great Omen Beast of this extremely fierce heavenly omen!¡± Mr. Jinli said. At this moment, Zhu Minng also felt incredibly shocked, for there was such a frightening portent behind the Fiend Star Dragon! ¡°Is it something that¡¯s definitely going to happen, or is it an unavoidable disaster that themon folk and royalty conveniently attribute to these strange beasts?¡± Zhu Minng inquired of Mr. Jinli. ¡°I¡¯m not sure, for that kind of thing, you would need to ask your second wife; she is a Prophet, she must have seen many fragmented signs,¡± Mr. Jinli said. ¡°Cough cough, it¡¯s my sister-inw,¡± Zhu Minng said with an embarrassed face. ¡°If you count the Aberrant Beast of your fourth wife Nan Yuso that is also on thisnd, then these small omens appearing this time are quite terrifying,¡± Mr. Jinli still maintained a seriously contemtive look. Madame Si¡­ Zhu Minng¡¯s face had turned somewhat ck. Does this mean Nan Lingsha is Madame San? Mr. Jinli did have a keen eye. Not only did he perfectly distinguish between them, but he also knew the order of their ages. Mr. Jinli insisted on taking Li Xinghua under his responsibility, which Zhu Minng was willing to ept, but Nan Lingsha and Nan Yuso were both immactely untouched by him, both in body and soul! ¡°What should we do with this Sinful Beast? Should we dispose of it directly or¡­¡± Zhu Minng asked. ¡°Let¡¯s capture it alive first. Since Lady Xiangguo is beyond help, killing it or not makes no difference,¡± Mr. Jinli said. Zhu Minng nodded and instructed Bai Qi to go easy on the Sinful Beast. Bai Qi didn¡¯t use the Azure Dragon Mystics, yet the flowery cat Sinful Beast still couldn¡¯t withstand the attack of the Ice Morning White Dragon. No matter how you look at it, Bai Qi¡¯s strength now approached that of a Holy Spirit with ten thousand years of cultivation base. This Sinful Beast¡¯s training was insufficient, or it wouldn¡¯t have been so easily captured by Zhu Minng. After capturing the Sinful Beast alive and having Bai Qi freeze and seal its powers, the beast quickly turned into an ordinary flowery cat, unable to escape or resist. Having handed the flowery cat over to Yin Ling Shi Zhirou, Zhu Minng had no intention of lingering in Yao Country any longer. ¡°Big brother, what about Lady Xiangguo? She has done so many bad things¡­¡± asked the young Yin Spirit Necromancer. ¡°Did you see the yin spirit of Lady Xiangguo¡¯s lover?¡± Zhu Minng retorted. ¡°No. She didn¡¯t say where she drowned.¡± ¡°That young butler was probably her lover. The poison didn¡¯t kill the previous butler, so they conspired to drown him. Using the excuse of burying a cat, they took the opportunity to bury the previous butler under the pagoda tree as well,¡± Zhu Minng said. Although there was a moment when Zhu Minng thought that Lady Xiangguo was truly unaware, upon closer consideration, it was more likely that she was pretending, simply not wanting these two outsiders to know too much. ¡°That¡¯s right, that butler¡¯s yin spirit did have wet hair!¡± Yin Spirit Necromancer girl Zhirou suddenly realized. After leaving Yao Country, they returned to Runyu City. Li Xinghua and Nan Lingsha had already returned to the city. They saw Zhirou holding a bound flowery cat¡­ ¡°This is a Sinful Beast. What did you find? Did you manage to locate an Omen Beast?¡± Zhu Minng inquired. ¡°Mm, we have driven it away,¡± Li Xinghua nodded. ¡°Driven away is good enough, wasn¡¯t it supposed to be killed?¡± Zhu Minng asked, puzzled. Li Xinghua was just about to answer when Yao Junshi came running in a panic, as if something major had happened. ¡°This is bad! Just now, ughter Country dered war on Yao Country!¡± Yao Junshi said to catch his breath, continuing, ¡°ughter Country¡¯s royal power has been insulted. The word is that Lady Yao Xiangguo, who was supposed to marry into the royal court of ughter Country,mitted adultery with a butler.¡± Chapter 316 - 318: Beast of War Chapter 316: Chapter 318: Beast of War Zhu Minng looked at Yao Junshi in surprise. How could their secret have been exposed right after he left? Although his return journey had also taken close to a day. The State Duke¡¯s Daughter was actually not a fool, the reason she had dared to tell Zhu Minng directly about her lover was that she had been lying from the start. Even if Zhu Minng and Zhi Rou were to spread the news, there would be no evidence, not even a person to match the description. Moreover, the State Duke¡¯s Daughter¡¯s reputation had always been rather poor. ¡°It is said that it was the butler who confessed in person, and the envoy caught them red-handed,¡± Yao Junshi said with a face full of shame. Even for a small and inconspicuous country, she was still the daughter of the State Duke, and yet she had done such a scandalous act while being engaged to another country¡¯s royal court. It seemed that this time, Yao Country was going to experience a heavy trampling by war. ¡°Young Master, the flower cat you caught may not be a Sinful Beast,¡± Li Xinghua spoke up, her bright eyes fixed on the flower cat. ¡°If it¡¯s not a Sinful Beast, then what is it?¡± Zhu Minng asked. ¡°A Beast of War, one of the Omen Beasts that represent an omen of war and rebellion,¡± Li Xinghua extended her hand and touched the flower cat¡¯s forehead. The flower cat looked calm, but its ghostly green eyes exhibited a degree of fear, and it did not dare to move a muscle. Zhu Minng looked at the flower cat¡­ Then he nced at Mr. Jinli, who had made the previous judgment. Mr. Jinli was drifting around, hisrge fish eyes staring at the clouds floating in the sky, as if he had forgotten the words he had spoken earlier. ¡°It has instigated the outbreak of this war,¡± Li Xinghua withdrew her fingers from the cat¡¯s forehead and let out a gentle sigh. Piecing together the fragmented Dream World she had seen before and searching for some omen traces on the flower cat, Li Xinghua was now able to make a very precise judgment. ¡°But when we went there, it was merely disrupting the State Duke¡¯s Daughter¡¯s sleep after nightfall without causing her any substantial harm,¡± Zhi Rou said,pletely puzzled and failing to see how this war could be rted to the flower cat. ¡°Many things in this world tend to be stable, like a very loving couple, who will grow old together, even if the wife actually had an indiscreet experience, but this matter would never be known to others. If in this matter, a ck bird symbolizing the breakdown of the family intrudes, it¡¯s possible that the woman¡¯s lover, drunk, might divulge that wonderful experience just as the woman¡¯s husband overhears, causing the rtionship to be destroyed instantly,¡± Li Xinghua exined. ¡°That strange?¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°Simrly, the matter with the State Duke¡¯s Daughter is such; the presence of the Beast of War meant that her actions were certain to be discovered and would implicate the dignity of both countries,¡± Li Xinghua said. Li Xinghua had sent Zhu Minng, not to stop anything. Rather, it was to find this Omen Beast so that it would not cause more wars. Some wars are simply soldiers fighting against soldiers. But some wars can bring disaster to the people, a destion of life; there¡¯s a huge difference! The existence of a Beast of War could make the tendency of war lean more towards thetter, with the people ughtered, cities burned, countries in chaos, and rivers running with blood! Clearly, although the flower cat had only used some minor Sorcery to cause nightmares for the State Duke¡¯s Daughter at night, it made the sleep-depriveddy meet with the butler again, caught red-handed, ultimately provoking this battle that greatly humiliated the royal power of ughter Country¡­ Of course, ughter Country might have been nning to invade the doomed Yao Country from the very beginning, and all that was missing was just a suitable excuse! Li Xinghua sealed the apocalyptic power of this tabby cat and then set it free. Without the power of the omen, the Beast of War was just an ordinary tabby cat, even lucky for some cat lovers. After listening to his prophet sister-inw¡¯s exnation of the Omen Beast, Zhu Minng¡¯s gaze involuntarily fell upon Mr. Jinli, who was still gazing dreamily at the sky. All along, Zhu Gate had regarded Mr. Jinli as a harbinger of good fortune. Could it be that Mr. Jinli also possessed the divine skills of an omen, after all, if ill omens existed in this world, so should auspicious ones, right? Swimming along, Mr. Jinli appeared perfectly content, as if in thefort of a pond, aloof from the world¡¯s troubles as if they had nothing to do with him¡­ ¡°Alright, I¡¯m thinking too much,¡± Zhu Minng shook his head, dismissing this preposterous thought. Instead of believing in the seven-second memory of Jinli, it¡¯s better to trust the guidance of the prophet sister-inw on the pinnacle of his life. As night fell, the leader of the Azure Wolf Cavalry, Gao Yujie, returned riding the Azure Wolf Dragon, and his subordinates also bore some injuries. Gao Yujie strode into the City Lord Mansion, made his way to the Parliament Tower, and as the others returned one by one, he shared the situations they had encountered with everyone. ¡°We kept looking for traces of the Greedy Dragon and indeed ughtered a few, but the situation in Shuizhuang has gotten out of control. The farmers there refuse to pay the grain taxes to the soldiers. They¡¯ve banded together and killed a squad of soldiers who weremitting atrocities. Now the soldiers from Shuizhuang are rallying to subdue these rebellious farmers,¡± Gao Yujie said with a sigh. The situation had be irreversible, and Gao Yujie couldn¡¯t understand why the normallypliant farmers of Shuizhuang suddenly rose up in rebellion and even killed the tax-collecting soldiers, which amounted to a peasant uprising. The ruler of Shuizhuang would surely send troops to suppress them, and no matter how the farmers united, how could they withstand the soldiers? In the end, it would be a bloody disaster. ¡°The Greedy Beast¡­¡± Li Xinghua murmured to himself. The omen beast that incites greed; if this greed is minor, it leads to neighborhood disputes, but if it¡¯s severe, it results in ss antagonism! The officials grow greedy, wanting to take more from the people¡¯sbor. And the people grow greedy, wishing to snatch morend from the officials. Thus ss antagonism leads to a bloodbath. The next day, the men from the Copper Knife Army came back as well, and Chao Ruijin shared his observations and experiences of these days in full. ¡°The ice disaster is quite serious, with mountains¡¯ rivers andkes frozen over, forcing wildlife to search for water and food in the ins. Consequently, demon beast spirits dwelling in the mountains followed suit, descending to affect many viges and towns. Livestock were eaten, and even a good number of humans¡­¡± Chao Ruijin from the Copper Knife Army said. They, the Copper Knife Army, had rid the people of some Cannibal Monsters. But the Cannibal Monsters were cunning, knowing that the army was protecting viges and towns, and so they chose to strike in more remote areas. ¡°An ice disaster leading to a monster cmity¡­ another great omen.¡± Chapter 317 - 319: The Final Bad Omen Chapter 317: Chapter 319: The Final Bad Omen Minor omens had evolved into major ones! And they wereing one after another! Some malevolent signs had not yet urred, but with such a trend, the moment the Fiend Star Dragon truly emerged, thisnd wouldpletely descend into purgatory! The omens arrived so suddenly that even the Prophet Li Xinghua didn¡¯t have time to prevent things from deteriorating further. ¡°We must find the Fiend Star Dragon, after seven major omens, it will be the celestial omen,¡± Li Xinghua said in a somber tone. Major omens were already a human tragedy, let alone celestial omens, the extinction they brought was unimaginable. From the omens obtained so far, it seemed that when the Fiend Star Dragon regained its vitality and returned to thisnd, it would mark the beginning of the celestial omen, affecting not just the survival of Runyu City but potentially leading to the disaster of the neighboring countries as well. ¡°Are there any other major evil omens?¡± Zhu Minng asked. ¡°Wars, civil unrest, gue, ice cmities, demon disasters, insect tides, meteoric fires¡­ The first six major evil omens appeared in a very close timespan, and thest one should be the meteoric fire foretold by the Fiend Star Dragon!¡± Li Xinghua said. Chao Ruijin of the Copper Knife Army, Yao Junshi, and Yu Gaojie of the Azure Wolf Cavalry found these words unbelievable when they heard them. However, based on the urate information they gathered, they already knew of six out of the major evil omens mentioned by Li Xinghua! ¡°In any case, we must find the Fiend Star Dragon,¡± Yao Junshi said. Li Xinghua nodded. The Orderer from Green Bull Mountain must have known some omens as well, which is why he was so eager to hunt down the Fiend Star Dragon. But right now, all they had were omens, not real clues. Where exactly was the Fiend Star Dragon hiding, whether it was among those creatures greatly resembling livestock and poultry, it was difficult to judge. As days passed, the evil omens only worsened, with war, disasters, and gues spilling like floodwaters from the mountains into the forest, unstoppable in their might and crazily spreading their destructive power. Before long, the major nations on Tea-colored Ground were all affected. During these days, Zhu Minng had also been chasing those Omen Beasts. Although he had caught the Greedy Beast that caused the civil unrest and found the Maggot Beast responsible for the vermin tide, disasters had already taken shape, leading to countless more unforeseen hidden dangers and evil omens¡­ Sincemunication was inconvenient, if one did not look at it from the perspective of rulers and concerned individuals, the evil omens urring in the winter on Tea-colored Ground were nothing but unavoidable natural and man-made disasters. However, listening to Li Xinghua¡¯s tale of the seven major evil omens, and adding the Greedy Beast and Maggot Beast he had captured himself, Zhu Minng felt the affair was even more terrifying! Everything was developing in the worst possible direction! Zhu Minng was trying hard to locate the seven major Omen Beasts. Li Xinghua could seal the divine skills of these Omen Beasts, turning their omen powers into her own, which would allow her to see more things that would happen in the future¡­ She was also using this method to search for the Fiend Star Dragon. The traces of the Fiend Star Dragon were very scarce, so far they had found just a single feathered scale, knew of its encounter with the Greedy Beast, followed by the revtion from the Green Bull Mountain Orderer that it was injured. Fortunately, Hu Chongming finally got some crucial information from one of his grand-elder rtives. ¡°Your spection was correct, the Mourning Dragon indeedes from the ancient ruins. For such a long time, we have been unable to find any trace or clue of the Fiend Star Dragon; I fear it truly is hiding in some unknown ruins!¡± Hu Chongming said. Li Xinghua nodded her head¡­ Her prophetic abilities had actually be more powerful after absorbing the divine skills of those few Omen Beasts, but she was never able to see any visions of the Fiend Star Dragon. Likely, the only thing that couldpletely nullify her prophetic power was the chaos of time within the ancient ruins! ¡°Is there a clue to another entrance to the ancient ruins?¡± Zhu Minng asked. In Pear Blossom Gully, the corner of the valley of that ruin was sealed off by floating mountains. To enter the real Tea-colored Ground ruins, it seemed only possible through some other fissure entrance. ¡°There is, actually¡­¡± Hu Chongming hesitated for a while, his gaze sweeping over everyone present. ¡°Speak up!¡± ¡°Actually, that entrance to the ruins might very well be in Runyu City,¡± Hu Chongming said. In fact, he found it hard to believe himself, but this was what the elders in the Hu Family had told him. Upon hearing this, everyone¡¯s expressions grew veryplex! In Runyu City??? What part of Runyu City looked like a deste mountain range or dense forest? Which aspect of it seemed like it was concealing another world of ruins! ¡°My ancestors eradicated the Mourning Dragon, and back then, the dragon¡¯s finalir was on this piece ofnd in Runyu City. Tomemorate the victory of that grand battle, they used the bones of the Mourning Dragon as the foundation of the city and established Runyu City,¡± Hu Chongming said earnestly. When he learned of this fact, even Hu Chongming himself could hardly believe it. So Runyu City was built upon the piled bones of the Mourning Dragon! ¡°The Mourning Dragon was bloodthirsty; it turned the living creatures it killed into white bones, then used its saliva to build those bones into mountains. Countless Mourning Dragons once nested in these Bone Mountains. After the dragons were wiped out, our forebears ttened the mountain of bones, and using the Mourning Dragon¡¯s sturdy bones, they built the impregnable Runyu City. Other ces may suffer from rodent gues or insect cmities, but you¡¯d never see such creatures in Runyu City. Other cities might shake and have buildings copse due to earthquakes; Runyu City is unaffected, even as if it were a basin gathering spirit. The well water, crops, and fruits here are more likely to produce spiritual varieties,¡± Hu Chongming continued to exin. The reason Runyu City had always been contested was for various reasons, not just because of its location. Its construction bore lofty significance, and moreover, it was nourished by countless Dragon Bones. The Mourning Dragons were supreme creatures of evil, yet their bones did not bring an overwhelming evil Qi. Instead, they brought prosperity to all things and were capable of incubating a Spiritual Land of Spiritual Rhyme. Regrettably, this city did not receive good treatment. It was trampled upon by armies from various countries, and even the Godly Mortal Academy invaded it like a cancer. Fertilend, if the tiller does nothing, cannot produce high-quality grains on its own. ¡°So the entrance to the ruins should also be somewhere in Runyu City?¡± ¡°The Fiend Star Dragon that we¡¯ve been searching so hard for¡ªit¡¯s very likely hiding right beneath our feet??¡± Zhu Minng had never considered it would turn out like this. The fissure to the ruins was right in the city. The Fiend Star Dragon was very, very close to them!! ¡°Trouble, big trouble! The ughter Country Brown g Army is marching towards Runyu City; they are going toy siege!!¡± Yao Junshi suddenly ran in from outside, hisplexion pale as he said to everyone in the room. ¡°Damn it, just when we finally found a clue to the Fiend Star Dragon!¡± Chapter 318 - 320: The Cracks in the Stele Chapter 318: Chapter 320: The Cracks in the Stele ¡°We¡¯ll only need one day¡¯s time for the Brown Banner Army of ughter Country to reach Runyu City. What shall we do when that timees?¡± Yao Junshi began to speak anxiously. With the great army pressing in, even if they had many Dragon Trainers and Divine and Mortals here, it would be hard to contend with the unending forces of ughter Country! ughter Country¡¯s ambition was immense, having just dered war on Yao Country and invaded its territory, and now they were swiftly dispatching arge force towards Runyu City. ¡°They must have wanted to move against Yao Country for some time now. The Brown Gun Army that was previously stationed here was also preparing in advance for the attack on Yao Country. Now that the national war has started, he must want to recapture this ce to use it as a springboard for their expansion,¡± Hu Chongming said gravely. In the end, it seemed impossible to spare Runyu City from the ravages of war. This time, the Brown Banner Army was probably an evenrger force, and it would be very difficult for them to hold out here. ¡°There¡¯s notpletely without hope. If we find the Fiend Star Dragon in the Ancient Relics and inform the Orderer of Green Bull Mountain in time, I believe the Orderer will not allow the ughter Country Army to step into Runyu City,¡± Hu Bailing spoke at this point. ¡°One day¡¯s time should be enough for us to find the Fiend Star Dragon. You stay in the city, and if we can¡¯t find it, abandon Runyu City. Better to keep the green mountains,¡± Zhu Minng said to the Hu Family Siblings. The most persistent about Runyu City were naturally the Hu Family Army; they hoped to rebuild their homnd. Zhu Minng, on his part, was rather indifferent; it wasn¡¯t anything he couldn¡¯t let go of. If the overall situation was set, giving it up to ughter Country wasn¡¯t a big deal. If it really couldn¡¯t be helped, they could temporarily avoid the sharp edge and when the right opportunity came, they could take the city back. ¡°Yeah, we understand. Rest assured, we won¡¯t make any meaningless sacrifices. It is you who must be careful if you really are going into the relic,¡± Hu Chongming said. Based on the clues brought back by Hu Chongming, Li Xinghua began to search for the Ancient Relics hidden in Runyu City. Prophets are not omnipotent. A matter they wish to know, in the Prophet¡¯s Divine Sense, is like a shattered puzzle; the more rted fragments and clues found, the more urate the information pieced together will be. The news provided by Hu Chongming was particrly crucial, narrowing the search range for the Prophet, and it also enabled them to deduce the location of the Ancient Fissures based on previous minor summons. ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s here?¡± Zhu Minng inquired. Standing in the por forest of Runyu City, the warm winter did not ruin the city¡¯s forest scenery, which remained verdant. The por forest was at the edge of the city, with many abandoned orchards as well, and at a nce, one could see many scattered little cabins in the woods, sadly all covered in green moss. In the past, this ce must have been inhabited by many tree and fruit farmers. On the way here, they passed a small fruit town, which was just as dpidated and uninhabited. ¡°Star Painting, there is arge stele over there,¡± Nan Lingsha pointed to the edge of the woods and said. ¡°Let¡¯s go take a look.¡± The three approached therge stele, which was almost obscured by lush vines, surrounded entirely by weeds taller than a person, and the stele itself was covered in vine nts, resembling a strangely wrapped tree, standing in the cluttered thicket. ¡°Whoooosh¡± Suddenly, a chill washed over them as if blown from the depths of the forest, mixed with an odor of darkness and decay. Zhu Minng walked forward, parting the wild vines in front of him, and quickly ascertained that this peculiar cold breath was indeed emanating from the abandoned stele! A spatial fissure! This stele was the location of the fissure!! It turned out that another entrance to the Ancient Relics was truly within Runyu City. Zhu Minng, ted, turned his head and said, ¡°It¡¯s here.¡± Li Xinghua gently ced her hand on the stele. In fact, her palm did not make contact with the stele, but between the stele and the palm of her hand there undted a strange ripple, like an ultra-calmke, reflecting a perfect scene, yet the ripples from the breeze distinguished reality from the reflection. Behind the stele, there was another world. Ordinary people couldn¡¯t see it, nor could they touch it, and even if they walked straight ahead, they would never be able to fully open the Door of Fissure. ¡°Let¡¯s go inside.¡± Li Xinghua¡¯s face shone with a touch of radiance and pleasure, as she harbored a special yearning for ancient and unknown things. ¡°Before I go¡­¡± Zhu Minng had not finished speaking, when Nan Lingsha already stepped into the ancient fissure. Zhu Minng gave a wry smile, wondering why Nan Lingsha could always maintain such a disdainful attitude, as if the gods and demons of the world meant nothing to her. With Nan Lingsha taking the lead, Zhu Minng and Li Xinghua followed her into the Ancient Ruins. What the Ancient Ruins looked like, they couldn¡¯t guess. It could be a terrifying Mourning Dragon¡¯s Lair, after all, the Mourning Dragons had emerged from there, rapidly proliferating across thend to form a Mourning Dragon ns. ¡°It¡¯s a bit dark,¡± Li Xinghua whispered. She seemed to be afraid of the dark, but in order to explore ancient things and to seek thews of antiquity and the future, she walked forward step by step. Zhu Minng supported her, walking deeper into the rift. But this fissure was deeper and longer and darker than the secret path in the valley they had encountered before; and as they walked, Nan Lingsha¡¯s figure vanished from sight and gradually her footsteps also disappeared. ¡°Ling Sha?¡± Li Xinghua called out. There was no reply. She had been just ahead a moment ago, and then suddenly, she was gone! Zhu Minng hurriedly quickened his pace, trying to call out to Nan Lingsha, who had walked too fast. ¡°Young master, don¡¯t chase!¡± Li Xinghua hurriedly grabbed Zhu Minng¡¯s hand. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°It may be alternate space pathways; Ling Sha might have taken another fissure,¡± Li Xinghua said. ¡°If I walk a few more steps, we¡¯ll also get lost?¡± Zhu Minng asked. Li Xinghua nodded. Walking in such dark fissures, it was easy to lose the concept of time, and Zhu Minng wasn¡¯t sure if they had been there for several hours, or for days and nights. When finally there was a glimmer of light ahead, Zhu Minng let out a long sigh of relief. ¡°Ling Sha might have already made it inside the ruins,¡± Li Xinghua said. ¡°Hmm, I didn¡¯t expect this small Door of Fissure to have such mysteries,¡± Zhu Minng nodded. The light grew brighter and brighter, like passing through a narrow mountain valley, and finally, they saw an incredibly vast in. What unfolded before Zhu Minng was a massive forest with trees that reached straight into the sky, their canopies obscuring the sun. Walking through this immense forest, Zhu Minng and Li Xinghua both felt as if their bodies had shrunk. It was a sight simr to what they had seen in the valley of the ruins before; everything here was extraordinarilyrge, including the flowers, grass, birds, and insects¡­ Chapter 319 - 321: Seeking with Divine Sense Chapter 319: Chapter 321: Seeking with Divine Sense ¡°Let¡¯s head this way; Ling Sha should be in this direction,¡± Li Xinghua¡¯s eyes sparkled with a strange luster, like beautiful gemstones. She pointed toward the darker side of the dense forests, and Zhu Minng summoned the Divine Green Holy Dragon to carry them forward. The trees were tall, their canopies thick. The Divine Green Holy Dragon flew between the huge trunks, its vertical azure pupils asionally sweeping the sky-reachingyers of foliage as if something within them was watching them. After flying about ten miles, Zhu Minng saw a river of nothingness that fiercely poured from the canopy above, mming down onto the hard earth below. On the groundy a Mourning Dragon. This Mourning Dragon was very unique, its skull semitransparent so one could see the glistening brain matter through its bony head. The entire dragon burned with ck mes, ws, tail, and neck adorned with me scales of blue! The river of nothingness irrigated down, sweeping the ck Fire Bereaved Dragon against a huge mid-mountain tree. The giant tree remained unshakable, but the ck Fire Bereaved Dragon nearly shattered to pieces! Soon, a graceful woman descended from the canopy above, her robes dancing lightly, her skin snowy white, lips red like mes, appearing like a fairy one wouldn¡¯t dare to desecrate in thought. ¡°Ling Sha,¡± Li Xinghua¡¯s face broke into a smile. ¡°Miss Lingsha, we were worried that you might be in danger¡­ It seems that our concern was somewhat unnecessary,¡± Zhu Minng said, ncing at the Mourning Dragon, which was barely clinging to life. The creatures from the Ancient Ruins should be wary of this female painter instead. ¡°I found this,¡± Nan Lingsha stretched out her delicate palm, on whichy a very small scale feather. Zhu Minng examined it closely and it seemed to closely resemble the scale feather of a Fiend Star Dragon! Zhu Minng deliberately touched it with his hand, finding Nan Lingsha¡¯s palm very soft¡­ uh, and discovered that the chill from the scale feather spread rapidly through his body, causing him to shiver uncontrobly! ¡°It¡¯s a Fiend Star Dragon¡¯s scale feather; the Fiend Star Dragon really is hiding in these ruins!¡± Zhu Minng eximed with delight. ¡°This dragon, it¡¯s very strong,¡± Nan Lingsha remarked. With a casual flick of her wrist, Nan Lingsha threw a calligraphy brush, which like a sharp, ck sword, pierced through the skull of the gasping ck Fire Bereaved Dragon. The radiant marrow inside the dragon¡¯s head spilled out as it died, its semi-liquid brain matter oozing out. ¡°This is Starlight Marrow, it absorbs the power of the stars and transforms into the magic power of certain special creatures¡­ Collect more of this,¡± Mr. Jinli appeared without warning and began studying the brain marrow of the ck Fire Bereaved Dragon earnestly. ¡°Why collect this?¡± Zhu Minng inquired. ¡°Of course, it¡¯s to strengthen Bai Qi; you can¡¯t find this good stuff outside,¡± Mr. Jinli said somewhat annoyed. ¡°On the mid-mountain tree, there is a little nest of the ck Fire Bereaved Dragon, and these dragons have been collecting these scale feathers¡­¡± Nan Lingsha pointed up towards the canopy. ¡°Then I¡¯ll take care of it now,¡± Zhu Minng said, rubbing his hands together eagerly. If it¡¯s a treasure, then there¡¯s no need to stand on ceremony. ¡°This was thest one,¡± Nan Lingsha said lightly, gesturing to the ck Fire Bereaved Dragon that had just breathed itsst. Zhu Minng leaped onto the canopy, wriggling through the thick branches, and saw a Dragon Nest entirely built from ck tree trunks¡­ However, surrounding the nest, the corpses of many ck Fire Bereaved Dragonsy haphazardly, their deaths apparently quite tragic. Why did these ck Fire Bereaved Dragons provoke Nan Lingsha? Zhu Minng collected the Starlight Marrow as Mr. Jinli had instructed. Even though it felt like reaping where he hadn¡¯t sown, Zhu Minng didn¡¯t mind ying the role of a newbie who followed the big shot and picked up treasures. While processing, Zhu Minng indeed found several Fiend Star Dragon Scale Feathers. It was curious why the ck Fire Bereaved Dragons would carry the scale feathers of a Fiend Star Dragon. Could it be that the Bereaved Dragons also followed a culture of worship, thinking that carrying the fallen scale feathers of the mightiest dragon could bring them good luck? He brought these scale feathers to Li Xinghua, who took each feather in her hand for a moment and closed her eyes, using the Prophet¡¯s Divine Sense. With the help of these scale feathers, Li Xinghua could see the fuzzy images of the moments they fell. Therefore, the more recently a feather had fallen, the more valuable it was for reference! ¡°Dark Star Grass, mountain peak, waterfall, waning moon¡­¡± Li Xinghua murmured to herself. She saw a footprint, heavily stamped on a patch of Dark Star Grass growing on the side of a mountain, and at the same time, a broken Scale Feather was caught on the Dark Star Grass. Then, she saw a mountain peak, followed by a waterfall, andstly, a waning moon in the dim sky, and this moon¡­ Suddenly, Li Xinghua¡¯s eyes flew open, the brilliant light like a sea of stars in the depths of her eyes slowly fading away as she lifted her head, gazing at the now exceedingly dim sky. A waning moon! It was the time of the waning moon right now! Li Xinghua released her grip, handing the scale feather back to Zhu Minng, and said, ¡°This is a scale feather it has just shed. I think I know where it¡¯s hiding.¡± Zhu Minng couldn¡¯t help but admire his Prophet sister-inw inwardly. Tracking ancient dragons like this seemed to render the so-called rich experience and outstanding tracking skills of dragon hunters unworthy of mention in front of Li Xinghua! After passing through the giant forest, a series of staggered colossal cliffs appeared before them. These enormous cliffs were essentially separate from thend. They were lifted into the air by the extremely tough Sky Support Vines, resembling castles perched on the edge of a cliff. Under the dim sky, they exuded a powerful oppressive force, as if each massive Floating Mountain Cliff housed ancient and formidable Demonic Beasts! ¡°It¡¯s Dark Star Grass,¡± Li Xinghua pointed to one side of the cliff, spotting the special grass patches emitting a dim light. ¡°We¡¯re getting closer and closer to the Fiend Star Dragon,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°Miss Lingsha, don¡¯t be too hasty to take actionter, as we still can¡¯t estimate the strength of the Fiend Star Dragon.¡± ¡°Mhm,¡± Nan Lingsha responded nonchntly. Dragons¡­ She really couldn¡¯t muster any interest. If it had been Nan Yuso, she probably wouldn¡¯t have this expression. After leaping across severalrge Floating Mountain Cliffs, Zhu Minng saw a Waterfall Floating Cliff! Still, the Sky Support Vines had lifted the huge mountain into the dim skies, but atop this great cliff, many streams flowed down, forming a very beautiful waterfall skirt at the bottom of the cliff. ¡°Fiend Star Dragon¡­¡± Zhu Minng saw a figure, not as massive and burly as he had imagined, but slender and graceful like an Azure Dragon! It was coiled at the top of the mountain,zy and noble, with a pair of Starry Sky Wings slowly stretching and pping gently, the brilliance on those wings surpassing the real night sky!!! Chapter 320 - 322: The Luster of the Lamp Gem Chapter 320: Chapter 322: The Luster of the Lamp Gem Unlike the Mourning Dragons I had seen before, the Fiend Star Dragon didn¡¯t look excessively fierce, nor did it exude the kind of ugliness that sends chills down one¡¯s spine. Ity atop the mountain peak, cold as a nocturnal monarch,zily and regally grooming its fur. An imperious and sinister aura emanated from its body, as if all beings associated with darkness in this world would submit to it. Its wings were too dazzling, unfurling like the ultimate glimmering starry night, the small scale feathers on its wings far surpassing the beauty of the most luxurious and exquisite diamonds in the world! Zhu Minng looked at this Fiend Star Dragon, not even daring to breathe. Even if this dragon wasn¡¯t a Dragon King, it was not far from the Dragon King realm! How could such a creature, standing at the apex of the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent, be contended with by mere mortals like them? ¡°Is it injured?¡± Zhu Minng asked in a lowered voice. Li Xinghua and Nan Lingsha both shook their heads. There was no sign that the Fiend Star Dragon was wounded, and the slightest hint of hostility from them might result in being instantly in by it! The Orderer from Green Bull Mountain was indeed setting them up. ¡°Xinghua, why is there a lighting from you?¡± Nan Lingsha noticed a faint glow slowly brightening and then fading at the space between Li Xinghua¡¯s neck and chest, repeating over and over. Li Xinghua hadn¡¯t noticed it herself and as she looked down, she indeed saw the glow shining through her clothes. Zhu Minng saw it and felt that the rhythm of this light¡¯s brightness and dimness seemed familiar¡­ The tail of the Fiend Star Dragon! The delicate and supple tip of the Fiend Star Dragon¡¯s tail was also emitting such a glow, slowly brightening and then dimming, maintaining this rhythm of light and shadow since they arrived and began observing the Fiend Star Dragon. Li Xinghua reached into her bosom, pulling out a piece of jade tied with a soft silver cord. This was an Ancient Lantern Jade, formed frombining the piece from the Miao Mountain Sword Sect Ancient Pagoda with two pieces from Princess Luoshui¡¯s facial ornaments; it was about the size of a pinky finger and extremely thin. Li Xinghua wore it daily, for it was a divine artifact that could slowly nourish the soul. Without the Ancient Lantern Jade, Li Yunzi might never have awakened at all. ¡°It¡¯s the light from the jade, reflecting off one another. Even if a piece of Ancient Lantern Jade is shattered into countless pieces, they would start to reflect light when near each other. There is an Ancient Lantern Jade on the tail of the Fiend Star Dragon!¡± Li Xinghua eximed in surprise, her eyes gleaming with delight. So there was a piece of Ancient Lantern Jade in these Ancient Ruins, and it was on the tail of the Fiend Star Dragon! Zhu Minng also broke into a smile. With the City Lord¡¯s Seal and now this piece from the Fiend Star Dragon, they effectively had aplete clue to the four pieces of Ancient Lantern Jade! Collecting all four, they could awaken Li Yunzi¡­ However, his joy was short-lived as Zhu Minng¡¯s thoughts returned to reality. The Fiend Star Dragon¡­ A creature very likely at the Dragon King level. Plucking that piece of Ancient Lantern Jade from its tail didn¡¯t seem like an easy task! What to do! The Ancient Lantern Jade was right in front of them, but they couldn¡¯t reach it. Zhu Minng rubbed his temples. If brute force was not an option, they would have to resort to a cunning n. But considering the Fiend Star Dragon was a variant among Mourning Dragons, its intelligence was likely not low. Without a perfect n, they were essentially courting death. ¡°Hmmm¡± The Fiend Star Dragon, grooming its fur that was like Dark Star Grass, lowered its head and by chance, saw its tail wrapped around the rocks, the tip currently glowing brightly. At that moment, the eyes of the Fiend Star Dragon, vast as the starry sky, suddenly became piercing. It surveyed the floating cliffs as if searching for something. Zhu Minng¡¯s heart thudded. The Fiend Star Dragon had sensed the reflection of themp jade!! It knew that the person carrying themp jade was nearby! ¡°Whoosh!!!!!¡± The starry wings of the Fiend Star Dragon suddenly unfurled, dazzlingly spreading wide as if they could reach into the depths of the heavens, and its elongated body detached from the summit of the floating cliffs¡­ It soared into the sky in an instant, its dragon form long like a serpent of the night, its chest solid and broad, bing slender and graceful towards the waist, and even more delicate and supple at the tail! It had no ws, neither on the forelimbs nor the hindlimbs, its form bearing a striking resemnce to the Chi Dragon owned by Nan Yuso, save for its scale feathers that shimmered with a dark crystal hue, and wings that were more lustrous and dreamy, with straight and majestic dragon horns resembling perfectly proportioned crystal towers. The Fiend Star Dragon soared through the air, clearly in search of the person reflected by themp jade. Zhu Minng, Li Xinghua, and Nan Lingsha didn¡¯t even dare to breathe heavily, waiting until the Fiend Star Dragon flew toward another tall cliff before they all let out a long sigh of relief. ¡°Let¡¯s leave this ce first,¡± Zhu Minng said. Not daring to linger any longer, the trio hastily moved away from the Fiend Star Dragon. If the Fiend Star Dragon also knew how to use the reflection to lock onto their location, they would be in great danger. Considering the issue with themp jade¡¯s reflection, they didn¡¯t stay in the ancient ruins any longer. When they left the ruins, Zhu Minng saw that the sky was just beginning to brighten¡­ Was it already the next day? He remembered that thest time they entered the ruins, almost no time had passed in the outside world. But this time, whether they had spent too much time in that fissure¡¯s long path or time truly passed faster, he couldn¡¯t be sure! ¡°Damn, the Brown g Army of ughter Country will be here soon,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°We¡¯ll have to give up,¡± Li Xinghua said decisively. ¡°Right, we¡¯ll n for the long term,¡± Zhu Minng nodded. Runyu City was much moreplex than he had imagined; for the moment, if the ughter Country Army wanted to force their upation, he would let them. Upon arriving at the Parliament Tower, Zhu Minng immediately felt something was amiss. ¡°It seems there¡¯s an outsider, I¡¯ll go and check it out,¡± Zhu Minng said to the sisters behind him. ¡°Okay,¡± Li Xinghua nodded, and then she pulled Nan Lingsha aside to hide for the time being. Zhu Minng walked into the tower and as he stepped inside, he saw the Hu Family Siblings, Hao Ye, Fang Niannian, Zhi Rou, Chao Ruijin, Yao Junshi, Yu Gaojie, and others sitting at the long table, each looking overly solemn and serious. The atmosphere was oppressively strange; Zhu Minng looked around and saw an additional person in the tower. This man was draped in a very ordinary cloth robe, sitting in the City Lord¡¯s seat with his feet propped on the table, a de of wild grass dangling from his mouth, exuding an irresponsibly nonchnt attitude yet also radiating an intense oppressive aura. The heavy atmosphere among the people in the tower was probably because of this man! ¡°May I ask who you are?¡± Zhu Minng inquired. ¡°Chang Hong of Green Bull Mountain, the Orderer of this tea-colored ground,¡± the man replied with a smile, showing off a row of somewhat uneven teeth. ¡°I¡¯ve heard much about you,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°Did you see the Fiend Star Dragon?¡± Orderer Chang Hong asked. Chapter 321 - 323: Orderer Chang Hong Chapter 321: Chapter 323: Orderer Chang Hong Zhu Minng did not immediately respond. His gaze swept over the others and he noticed something odd about each of them: their postures were overly rigid, and they were unable to speak a word. They werepletely the picture of being held hostage! Zhu Minng saw Fang Niannian¡¯s curved eyes, which fluttered and rolled as if trying to convey everything happening here to Zhu Minng through her gaze alone. ¡°Sir, why trouble mypanions?¡± Zhu Minng inquired. ¡°Do you see the Fiend Star Dragon? I don¡¯t like to repeat myself!¡± Orderer Changhong¡¯s tone shifted immediately. Zhu Minng stepped forward and ced the Scale Feathers of the Fiend Star Dragon, which he had obtained from the ck Fire Bereaved Dragon, on the table. Upon seeing the Scale Feathers from different parts of the body, Orderer Changhong¡¯s eyes immediately sparkled, and his uneven teeth were exposed again as a grin slowly spread across his face! ¡°When the Hu Family¡¯s people came to me, I knew you would definitely have clues about the Fiend Star Dragon. Very good, take me there immediately!¡± Orderer Changhong demanded. ¡°And what of these friends of mine¡­?¡± Zhu Minng asked. Changhong lifted his head to nce at the ceiling of the loft, and at that moment, a Shadow Trick Dragon crawled down from the shadows on the ceiling, moving along the wall like a giant dark gecko, silent as death. In that instant, Zhu Minng finally understood what the people in the loft were fearing and what they were afraid of. It turned out that a Shadow Trick Dragon was perched above their heads, watching them and ensuring they didn¡¯t dare make any rash moves. This Orderer from Green Bull Mountain¡­ Was indeed no goodmodity. He was using the Hu Family¡¯s people to track down the Fiend Star Dragon. His impatience when the Scale Feathers were given away made it hard for anyone to trust him in the slightest. Not to mention his current actions. He was clearly holding the people in the loft hostage, coercing Zhu Minng into revealing the Fiend Star Dragon¡¯s whereabouts. ¡°The Brown g Army of ughter Country will be here any moment now, don¡¯t you think you should deal with that?¡± Zhu Minng asked. ¡°Hahaha, Master Zhu, what do you think this army ising for, for this rundown old city??¡± Orderer Changhong retorted with a question. Zhu Minng nced outside the window. From here, he could see beyond the city walls to thend outside where brown gs fluttered in the sky, and columns of armed soldiers were steadily advancing towards Runyu City. ¡°Sigh, why didn¡¯t I think of this from the start? It¡¯s all my fault, I was too impulsive, too eager to revive Runyu City,¡± Hu Chongmingmented. Strategic locations, fertilends, value to be exploited¡ªwhether it was ughter Country or the Orderers, they had been fixated on Runyu City from the start because of the Fiend Star Dragon!! They were searching for the Fiend Star Dragon, aware that it must be intricately linked to Runyu City, and that by securing Runyu City, they would certainly find the necessary clues! They were after the supreme dragon, not this storm-tossed wreck of a city! ¡°So, could this promising young Master Zhu have found what we have long been dreaming of??¡± At this moment, a man wearing a mandarin jacket walked in from outside, smiling as he inquired. ¡°These are the Scale Feathers he obtained. He must have seen the Fiend Star Dragon,¡± Orderer Changhong stated. Zhu Minng turned his head and scrutinized the man in the mandarin jacket. In a hushed tone, Hu Chongming informed him, ¡°He is the headmaster of the West Route Divinity Academy, Yan Guang.¡± Changhong, Yan Guang! The two Orderers of the Tea-colored Ground! No wonder among the columns of the Brown g Army of ughter Country, Zhu Minng had also spotted the emblem of the Divinity Academy. Quite the grand scene! They all arrived at the same time. And all for the Fiend Star Dragon! ¡°Yao Kun, you¡¯ve done well this time. I will certainly take good care of your family members in Yao Country,¡± said Orderer Chang Hong, patting Yao Junshi on the back with a smile. Yao Junshi¡¯s face changed, and he wanted to exin himself, but when he found all eyes on him, he was flushed with embarrassment. ¡°Yao Junshi, how could you betray us!¡± Hu Bailing eximed in shock, angrily questioning him. Hu Chongming had only just learned this secret from his ancestors, and it was Zhu Minng and Li Xinghua who discovered relics in Pear Blossom Gully that led to the conjecture that there was a relic entrance in Runyu City. No sooner had they entered than all these people arrived. Initially, Hu Chongming didn¡¯t understand why the Orderer from Green Bull Mountain would suddenly attack. So it was their own who had leaked the information to outsiders! ¡°The iron hooves of ughter Country have rampaged through Yao Country; to preserve their lives, I had no choice,¡± said Yao Junshi. ¡°You could have told us, we could have helped you!¡± said Hu Chongming. ¡°Help how? You can¡¯t even protect Runyu City; can you protect my kinsmen in the royal court of Yao Country??¡± replied Yao Junshi. ¡°But you can¡¯t just¡­¡± ¡°Let it be, it¡¯s just some information about the Fiend Star Dragon, which isn¡¯t of much value to us anyway,¡± Zhu Minng said, quiteposed and calm. ¡°Since the City Lord knows what we want, then please lead the way for us,¡± said Orderer Chang Hong. ¡°Not so fast, it would be best to wait for Tu Wenhe,¡± said Yan Guang. ¡°Fine, let¡¯s wait then.¡± The army had already surged into the city. Zhu Minng and the others were nning to temporarily retreat. It didn¡¯t matter to them how the invaders upied the ce since Runyu City, abandoned by the Godly Mortal Academy, had already lost its vitality, with few people left inside. Around noon, a Giant Spirit Killing Dragon appeared outside the city, with several people standing on its shoulders. When the Giant Spirit Killing Dragon reached the city wall, it did not stop but brazenly smashed through part of the wall, trampling over the newly constructed roads and streets, marching through arrogantly! It was Su Tai, the leader of ughter Country¡¯s hundred-thousand-strong army, seemingly venting the humiliation of past days as he deliberately allowed the Giant Spirit Killing Dragon to destroy the construction of Runyu City. ¡°Remember me, Master Zhu?¡± Su Tai said with a wild smile. Su Tai expected Zhu Minng to be shocked and scared, but soon realized Zhu Minng wasn¡¯t even looking at him. Instead, Zhu was gazing at another person who was also on the back of the Giant Spirit Killing Dragon. ¡°Mr. Zhu, we meet again,¡± a man leaped down from the shoulder of the Giant Spirit Killing Dragon. He was dressed elegantly, resembling a private school tutor. ¡°Boss, it¡¯s this blind fool who relies on that broken document¡­¡± Su Tai was about to take his anger out on Zhu Minng. Tu Wenhe gave Su Tai a look, his eyes carrying a hint of chill. Su Tai immediately held his tongue, retreated several steps behind Tu Wenhe, and hung his head low, showing a look of fear. ¡°You¡¯ve seen something humorous, Mr. Zhu; it¡¯s my negligence in managing my subordinates. They have acted too arrogantly and offended you. I only learned of the small misunderstanding between Su Tai and Mr. Zhu on the way here. Knowing that this city belongs to Mr. Zhu, naturally, I wouldn¡¯t allow them toe here and wreak havoc,¡± said Tu Wenhe once again, disying friendliness and warmth. Chapter 322 - 324 City Lord’s Jade Seal Chapter 322: Chapter 324 City Lord¡¯s Jade Seal The Copper Knife Army¡¯s Chao Ruijin and the Azure Wolf Cavalry¡¯s Yu Gaojie both showed expressions of astonishment. This Tu Wenhe, isn¡¯t he the Hunter of the Nation? The reason why ughter Country is so powerful and invincible today is precisely because of Tu Wenhe¡¯s existence! He is the War God of ughter Country, as well as the King! This King of ughter Country, also renowned as the Hunter with the fame of a Dragon Shepherd, is also searching for the Fiend Star Dragon?? ¡°Tu Wenhe, you can start deploying now. The Fiend Star Dragon is not to be underestimated; we must not be careless,¡± Orderer Yan Guang said. ¡°Have you at the Divine Mortal Academy prepared the Trapped Dragon Tower?¡± Tu Wenhe asked. ¡°They have started setting it up.¡± ¡°Since that¡¯s the case, let¡¯s set out. We must lure the Fiend Star Dragon to the ce we have prepared; only then will we have a chance of victory,¡± Orderer Changhong said. ¡°Mr. Zhu, we will rely on you. If you can assist us in capturing the Fiend Star Dragon, ughter Country will be the most loyal ally of Runyu City,¡± Tu Wenhe said with a smile, sincerely addressing Zhu Minng. Heading towards the ancient stele, Zhu Minng pointed at the crack that hadn¡¯tpletely disappeared and said, ¡°There is a spatial secret passage here that leads into a Floating Mountain cliff ruins.¡± ¡°I did not expect this, the Fiend Star Dragon has been hiding in Runyu City all along¡­¡± Changhong¡¯s eyes shone with a mixture of joy and frenzy. ¡°I am a bit curious how you intend to draw out the Fiend Star Dragon, considering it does not seem like a dim-witted, irascible creature,¡± Zhu Minng asked. Only a few people entered the ruins, including Zhu Minng, two Orderers, and the Hunter, Tu Wenhe. Since it was only the four of them, they naturally did not n to battle with the Fiend Star Dragon within the ruins. Zhu Minng was only responsible for leading the way; how to lure out and capture the Fiend Star Dragon was not for him to consider. ¡°With this object, we can naturally draw out the Fiend Star Dragon!¡± Orderer Yan Guang said with a smile, as he produced a jade seal in his hand. Zhu Minng recognized the jade seal immediately! ¡°The City Lord¡¯s Seal of Runyu City?¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°Correct, this City Lord¡¯s Seal is crafted from ancient jade and matches the Scale Jade on the tail of the Fiend Star Dragon¡­¡± Yan Guang nodded, his words unabashed, ¡°During the era when the Mourning Dragons ravaged the Tea-colored Ground, there was a Female Star Dragon that was hunted down by the ancestors of the Hu Family, and they scraped a Scale Jade from its tail, creating the Seal. However, they did not realize that the Female Star Dragon had offspring, which is the Fiend Star Dragon we see now. It too has the same kind of Scale Jade on its tail. ording to my years of research, this Scale Jade is not something the Fiend Star Dragon grew on its own; it is very likely an object from the Ancient Ruins that was forcibly iid on its tail, giving it certain special Divine Skills.¡± ¡°I see,¡± Zhu Minng suddenly understood. No wonder this Orderer refused to hand over the City Lord¡¯s Seal at all costs. With the City Lord¡¯s Seal, they could use the reflection of the Ancient Lantern Jade to find the Fiend Star Dragon¡­ It was just unfortunate that Yan Guang had never found the entrance to the Ancient Ruins, let alone knew that the Fiend Star Dragon, whose tail was iid with the Ancient Lantern Jade, was actually in Runyu City. ¡°Master Zhu, don¡¯t pull any tricks. We have been pursuing the Fiend Star Dragon for many years, and for the sake of today¡¯s dragon capture, we have expended a great deal of energy and wealth. If we do not see the Fiend Star Dragon, your friends may have to be sacrificed to the heavens!¡± Yan Guang said. ¡°There is no need for Orderer Yan Guang to speak so harshly. We are currently allies,¡± Tu Wenhe said in a mild-mannered voice. Tu Wenhe did not wish to be enemies with Zhu Minng. Although the Zhu Gate¡¯s power was not within the Tea-colored Ground, if they were to provoke them, none of the four nations or the West Route Divinity Academy would have a good end. Yan Guang and Chang Hong, the two Earth Emperors, appeared utterly indifferent. On the surface, Zhu Minngplied with the two Orderers, but inside, he was calcting a different n. The City Lord¡¯s Seal and the Dragon Tail Jade¡ªboth of these items were urgently needed by Zhu Minng. The Fiend Star Dragon, he couldn¡¯t handle it alone. Simrly, his chances of winning in a direct battle with Orderer Yan Guang were not very high. It was the perfect opportunity to let them fight each other first, and then take action ordingly! Both pieces of Ancient Lantern Jade, Zhu Minng wanted them!! What tricks to y? Zhu Minng didn¡¯t want to y tricks. In fact, when he found out their target was precisely the Fiend Star Dragon, Zhu Minng felt a hint of joy. He had been worried about not finding help to deal with this overly powerful Fiend Star Dragon, but as soon as he left to find a solution, a group of rulers, Earth Emperors, and supreme Dragon Trainers from the Tea-colored Ground had already gathered. ¡°We should be close now, look,¡± Yan Guang suddenly pointed at the City Lord¡¯s Seal in his hand and eximed with joy. The City Lord¡¯s Seal slowly emitted a gentle glow, revealing the intricate patterns inside the seal, making it look extremely delicate and beautiful. The brilliance, just like before, would dim after lighting up, then after a while, it would brighten again¡­ The closer they got to the other piece of Ancient Lantern Jade, the quicker this alternating brightness and dimness would ur, until it almost became a continuous flicker. Zhu Minng maintained a warm and friendly smile, and then pointed with his finger towards the floating cliffs covered with Dark Star Grass. ¡°When I saw the Fiend Star Dragon, it was lying there grooming its feathers, and then it flew into therger floating mountain behind,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°The Fiend Star Dragon does not know that the Female Star Dragon has died, so once the scales on its tail light up, it will definitelye chasing without regard for anything. At that time, we can lure it into Runyu City,¡± Yan Guang said. ¡°Don¡¯t we need to test its strength first?¡± Orderer Chang Hong from Green Bull Mountain said. ¡°Rest assured, as long as it has not stepped into the Dragon King Realm, it cannot escape!¡± greed and frenzy were apparent in Yan Guang¡¯s eyes. ¡°We should go into the mountains. We¡¯vee so far, being timid now is pointless,¡± Tu Wenhe said. Elite troops from ughter Country were already waiting in the city. Although they knew the battle would be devastating, if they could capture the Fiend Star Dragon alive, any sacrifice would be worth it! The Fiend Star Dragon, a creature with the potential to be a Dragon King! Which Dragon Trainer wouldn¡¯t go mad for it? As they were about to enter the more vast floating mountains, Yan Guang suddenly stopped in his tracks. He looked down at the City Lord¡¯s Seal he was holding in his hand. The seal was alternately lighting and dimming, different from the previous slow transformation; the light change became as rapid as the breath of a person. In just a moment, the glow had alternated several times! Zhu Minng and Yan Guang both knew what this meant and simultaneously looked up towards the gigantic floating mountain cliff ahead. Vines draped from the mountain cliff, waterfalls cascaded like silver dragons, a spectacle unmatched in grandeur. And between the mountain cliff and the waterfall, a dark dragon with wings like the glittering stars of the night sky emerged. It flew from the dim sky towards the Earth, its body long like the Night God Demon Snake, soaring through the air. Its profound eyes brought limitless fear, like evil moon demon stars, and the light it shed made all beings in the world seem as insignificant and humble as mayflies! Chapter 323 - 325: Catch the Dragon Chapter 323: Chapter 325: Catch the Dragon It¡¯s the Fiend Star Dragon! It had sensed the radiance of thentern jade and was flying toward this ce! Zhu Minng looked at this insurmountable monarch of the dark night, his heart roiling with emotions. Why hadn¡¯t the Fiend Star Dragon flown directly here after sensing thentern jade before, yet this time it was charging over with such ferocity, as if harboring towering resentment! Could it be that the Fiend Star Dragon could distinguish that thentern jade on the City Lord¡¯s Seal was from the Dragon Scales at the rear of the Female Star Dragon, and that it was nowing in full fury, because it had somehow learned of the Female Star Dragon¡¯s death, and was seeking vengeance!! The holder of the City Lord¡¯s Seal must undoubtedly be the one who killed the Female Star Dragon years ago, and now that the Fiend Star Dragon had matured, it would naturally not spare the humans who killed its mother! ¡°Let¡¯s go, don¡¯t entangle with it here!¡± Tu Wenhe¡¯s face changed as he immediately said to the others. It was only then that Yan Guang and Chang Hong snapped back to reality. It was mainly because the current appearance of the Fiend Star Dragon greatly shocked them, being far more majestic and dignifiedpared to the fleeting glimpse they had caught before, as if it were a true Dragon King! But the more it was so, the more fanatical the two Orderers became!! The documents they had searched for had not deceived them, the Fiend Star Dragon indeed possessed the potential of a Dragon King!! ¡°It¡¯s fast, I¡¯ll cast a Ten-Thousand-Pound Spell on it!¡± Yan Guang, while running, pulled out a brown talisman. This talisman transformed into a beam of light, flying toward the Fiend Star Dragon that was beating its wings toe closer. The Fiend Star Dragon had vast wings and a slender body, and when it sped through the air, its dragon¡¯s body was like a drawn bow, exuding an unmatched sense of power under the pale moonlight, appearing even more sinister! The Ten-Thousand-Pound Talisman stuck onto the Fiend Star Dragon¡¯s scales, but the Fiend Star Dragon¡¯s speed seemed to be unabated, maintaining its previous velocity as it pursued them! ¡°Why is your talisman not working!¡± Chang Hong eximed in shock. ¡°Ten thousand pounds is like wearing an additional coat for it,¡± Tu Wenhe said. ¡°Throw a few more then!¡± Chang Hong said. Yan Guang felt some heartache. These Ten-Thousand-Pound Talismans were extremely expensive to produce; each one used was one less they had, and Yan Guang himself had only five in total. But the moment he thought of facing the Fiend Star Dragon, the monarch dragon of the night, no matter how reluctant he was, he had to throw them all out. After all, if they seeded in capturing the dragon this time, the rewards would be immense! Several unavoidable Ten-Thousand-Pound Talismans were thrown out, and at that moment, Zhu Minng also noticed that there was a noticeable sag in the Fiend Star Dragon¡¯s tail region, causing a loss of bnce while it soared at high speed. During its imbnce, it smashed several small Floating Mountains into pieces; the egregiously sturdy cliffs crumbled like mud powder. And as it flew low, the gigantic ancient trees on the ground just couldn¡¯t withstand such ravaging by the Dragon Beast, with countless being snapped off¡­ Taking advantage of the Fiend Star Dragon¡¯s inability to adapt to the weight of the talismans, the four of them escaped a good distance, leaving the Floating Mountain cliffs and entering the forest of giant trees. Seeing the forest of great trees, the exit was actually not very far away. Zhu Minng didn¡¯t know if the Fiend Star Dragon could actually pass through the spatial rifts, but all he had on his mind now was one thought, and that was to run! The strength of this Fiend Star Dragon was much more terrifying than he had imagined, feeling like he¡¯d lose his life in an instant if caught! When it came to running away, Zhu Minng was not about to lose to these titans of the Tea-colored Ground. Having reached the fissure, Zhu Minng was the first to scramble out and, without looking back, fled into Runyu City through the long, dark space of the tunnel. Runyu City had already undergone a major clearance operation; only the people from ughter Country and Godly Mortal Academy remained in the city. As for the Copper Knife Army, Azure Wolf Cavalry, and Hu Family Dragon Shepherds, Zhu Minng had also instructed them to evacuate outside the city. The Fiend Star Dragon was not a true Dragon King yet, but it still possessed an extremely terrifying annihtion power. Ordinary people were nothing before it, and even Cultivators were like chaff! After emerging from the fissure, Zhu Minng¡¯s forehead was already dotted with sweat beads. First, find a safe ce. The rest had nothing to do with him! The stele trembled, and a mysterious ck storm suddenly swept through Runyu City, assaulting the streets and houses as if attempting to lift everything within the city into the air. The heavy millstones, massive beams, countless tiles, and fragmented walls¡ªall were tossed into the air, swirling together and then violently smashed into dust! The once peaceful Runyu City seemed to have been plunged into a wild ck space in an instant, with overwhelming lightning tearing through the oppressive, dim sky, while the ferocious rain and the punishing wind continued to ravage the already dpidated city! It was as if the sky had changed in an instant. At the location of the stele, a crack suddenly appeared, as if a door to a terrifying purgatory abyss had opened in a world devoid of sunlight. A body like a night demon serpent flew out of the crack, heading straight into the chaotic sky filled with lightning and the savage plummeting rain. The moment its wings unfurled over Runyu City, the brilliantly patterned dragon suddenly red with intense heat, shooting out hundreds and thousands of annihting rays into the midst of Runyu City!! These annihting beams sliced through the streets, shattered buildings, and razed an entire district of Runyu City to the ground!! And those Brown Banner Army soldiers hiding within Runyu City, countless were instantaneously killed before they could even recover from the initial shock of seeing the Fiend Star Dragon; they were eradicated by it in the next moment! ¡°Scale-Adhesive Arrows!¡± ¡°Shoot it down!¡± General Sutai, who had been prepared early on, bellowed. The archers positioned at high locations within the city numbered over twenty thousand. The bows and arrows they held were special, capable of adhering to dragon scales. How could ordinary bows and arrows possibly prate the dragon scales of a Dragon King, let alone that of a Fiend Star Dragon on the cusp of reaching Dragon King Level? Twenty thousand ughter Country archers released their arrows towards the sky, the arrows falling like torrential rain, dense and unceasing¡­ There was no need for precise aiming; they simply had to shoot in the vicinity of where the Fiend Star Dragon was, and the Scale-Adhesive Arrows, with their ma-like attraction, would cling to the body of the Fiend Star Dragon! ¡°Dragon Trapping Formation!!!¡± At the same time, Dean Yan Guang of the Godly Mortal Academy also cried out loudly. The Godly Mortal Academy had not only Talisman Masters in the Punishment Institute; in fact, they had a considerable number of them. To capture the Fiend Star Dragon, Yan Guang did not hesitate to gather all these Talisman Masters together. This time, the Dragon Trapping Formation was extravagant, as one could see hundreds of Dark Symbols flying towards the Fiend Star Dragon. There was no escape, and once the power within the symbols was unleashed, they would firmly suppress the three types of bloodline powers of the dragon beast, preventing the dragon from casting any spells. It was evident that these heavyweights from the Tea-colored Ground had put a lot of thought and effort into dealing with the Fiend Star Dragon; the items used against it were clearly well-prepared in advance! Chapter 324 - 326: Cannon Fodder Chapter 324: Chapter 326: Cannon Fodder However, the Fiend Star Dragon remained a most supreme being among dragons. With a p of its wings, it conjured a Decaying Devil Wind beneath the clouds. As the wind swept over the archers, their hands began to suffer severe decay¡­ The decay spread across their bodies, affecting a wide area. Out of the twenty thousand archers, four to five thousand werepletely devastated by this decaying spell. Some archers caught in the center of the Decaying Devil Wind started to rot throughout their entire bodies¡ªflesh and bone seemed to evaporate under some scorching force, leaving nothing but their armor! The Dragon Trapping Formation was not fully effective, as the Fiend Star Dragon was still able to cast its extremely powerful spells. Moreover, the physical strength of the Fiend Star Dragon was terrifying. Its impact could shatter the hard ground for miles around. In the shattered area, the Talisman Masters from the Godly Mortal Academy were thrown out, many injured grievously and left half-crippled! ¡°Do not be arrogant!¡± Su Tai shouted in anger,manding the Giant Spirit Killing Dragon to attack the Fiend Star Dragon. The Fiend Star Dragon fought against the Talisman Masters of the Dragon Trapping Formation while confronting the Giant Spirit Killing Dragon head-on. Asrge as a small mountain, the Giant Spirit Killing Dragon was a true giant among dragons. Its arms were like steel, its body sheathed in armor-like tough muscles. It attempted to grab the Fiend Star Dragon¡¯s tail and smash it from the sky down to the ground. The Fiend Star Dragon, agile and swift, easily dodged the Giant Spirit Killing Dragon¡¯s grasp, then suddenly swirled around, leaving behind a ck void ring in the trail of its body! This ck void ring, like shackles, locked onto the sturdy body of the Giant Spirit Killing Dragon, rendering it immobile. Then the Fiend Star Dragon opened its maw, and from its chest, numerous dazzling lights streamed towards its throat!! ¡°Whoosh!!!!!!!¡± A breath of starlight was spewed onto the Giant Spirit Killing Dragon¡¯s body, seemingly colorful and splendid, but in truth it hid a terrifying energy¡ªscorching, piercing, shattering¡­ Like a downpour of starlight, this dreadful breathpletely broke down the Giant Spirit Killing Dragon¡¯s skin and muscle defenses, and its body began to bleed the vivid red of Giant Spirit Dragon Blood. The Giant Spirit Killing Dragon fell onto a stone bridge,pletely copsing it, and its whole body was soaked in river water, unable to rise and fight again. Standing atop a high hill, Su Tai¡¯s eyes were filled with disbelief. His pride, the Giant Spirit Killing Dragon, was like a young dragon without fully grown fangs or ws in front of the Fiend Star Dragon. It was defeated too easily! ¡°Don¡¯t summon dragons lightly; let the army first exhaust the Fiend Star Dragon¡¯s mana,¡± Tu Wenhe advised Su Tai. Su Tai was still too naive. Against an existence like the Fiend Star Dragon, no matter which dragon was summoned to fight it, it would be merely cannon fodder. Indeed, they were in need of arge amount of cannon fodder, but certainly not their powerful Dragon Shepherds¡ªdidn¡¯t they have tens of thousands of soldiers from ughter Country?? The losses were devastating. What seemed like a mighty military hunt was nothing in the eyes of the Fiend Star Dragon, which regarded the soldiers as no different from ephemeral mayflies. A single breath of the dragon could annihte thousands, and one strike upon the earth could kill nearly a hundred Cultivators. Nearly half of the Divine and Mortals from the Godly Mortal Academy were decimated, especially those ambitious Talisman Masters who hoped to suppress the Fiend Star Dragon¡¯s spells. Once the Talisman Masters began casting the dragon-trapping talismans, they had to stand their ground and cast spells without interruption. For the Fiend Star Dragon, killing these Talisman Masters was all too easy¡ªas if casually reaping weeds. Zhu Minng stood far away, witnessing the massive deaths of both the Godly Mortal Academy and the ughter Country Army. He also saw that the Orderers Yan Guang and Chang Hong remained unmoved. They never confronted the Fiend Star Dragon directly, but instead kept giving orders, using various methods to try to restrain the dragon¡¯s movements and abilities, even as people continued to die in the process¡­ Simrly, the Hunter Tu Wenhe and his Dragon Shepherd Team did not intervene. They merely watched as their own forces were horrifically ughtered by the great annihting power of the Fiend Star Dragon. All things are mortal, only dragons are supreme; seeing the Fiend Star Dragon evaporate tens of thousands in a brief moment, Zhu Minng came to a clearer understanding of this truth. ¡°My lord, something is strange,¡± Li Xinghua said softly at this point, her eyebrows knit tightly together. Despite her reluctance to witness such a tragic dragon hunting scene, she didn¡¯t take her eyes off it, as if she were searching for something. ¡°What¡¯s strange?¡± Zhu Minng asked. He had earlier asked Li Xinghua and Nan Lingsha to find a ce to hide, and now after reuniting with them, Li Xinghua showed no intention of leaving Runyu City. She had spotted some ominous omens again. ¡°The Fiend Star Dragon does not carry the force of an evil omen; it¡¯s not the seventh Major Evil Beast!¡± Li Xinghua dered. Of the seven major evil omens, six had already proven true. If the seventh major evil omen were to appear, it would signify the emergence of a terrifying heavenly omen. It was believed that the Fiend Star Dragon was the seventh Major Evil Beast, so hunting it down could, to some extent, prevent the advent of the heavenly omen¡­ However, the Fiend Star Dragon showed no breath of evil omen. It was not the Major Evil Beast! If not the Fiend Star Dragon, then where could the seventh Omen Beast be? ¡°If the Fiend Star Dragon isn¡¯t the Major Evil Beast, that should be considered good news, right? The Fiend Star Dragon is too powerful; it¡¯s hard to say whether these people will seed in hunting it,¡± Zhu Minng remarked. The previous Major Evil Beasts had not been too tough to handle, as long as one could find them; their power was only around the Middle-level Monarch Level. The Fiend Star Dragon was different; it felt as if this creature was only one step away from bing a Dragon King. If it were the seventh Major Evil Beast, they would not be able to prevent the inevitable catastrophe. But Li Xinghua shook her head. If the Fiend Star Dragon was not the Major Evil Beast, then everything could develop in an even more terrifying direction. What then was the seventh Major Evil Beast? And where was the heavenly Omen Beast? The endless cannon fodder had, indeed, depleted some of the Fiend Star Dragon¡¯s mana and physical strength. Yet, the Fiend Star Dragon remained unmatched, and after more than half the Godly Mortal Academy and the ughter Country Army had perished, Tu Wenhe, Yan Guang, and Chang Hong finally made their move. Orderer Chang Hong summoned a Silver Tail Purple Dragon, a creature of noble and handsome appearance, with silver whiskers and a silver-tufted tail, its entire body covered in prestigious purple scales. The Silver Tail Purple Dragon had extremely high cultivation base, likely at the top of the Upper Level, close to the Peak. As soon as it appeared, the skies above Runyu City filled with thick and long silver lightning, each bolt containing immense destructive power. Even a single bolt passing by a pavilion would reduce it to nothingness! Soon after, Tu Wenhe also summoned his Dragon Beast. As a Hunter and a top-level Dragon Shepherd, the dragon he called forth was no ordinary being. One could see a massive dark pattern stamped upon the vastnd, within which countless Death mes sprang forth, forming the Mountain of Undead me. From within the Mountain of Undead me, a fearsome Bone Dragon emerged, featuring unusuallyrge bony wings, a body of long bony segments like that of a serpent, with no ws, but a towering horn where its head should be, a testament to its pride and wild nature! Chapter 325 - 327 Rebellion Chapter 325: Chapter 327 Rebellion Zhu Minng had been watching the battlefield in Runyu City intently when he saw Tu Wenhe summon the Dead Bone Dragon, an ominous premonition surged through him. He turned to Li Xinghua and asked seriously, ¡°This Dead Bone Dragon summoned by Tu Wenhe, it somewhat resembles the Fiend Star Dragon, doesn¡¯t it?¡± Li Xinghua saw it too, Tu Wenhe¡¯s Dead Bone Dragon was very unique, with horns, wings, no ws, and a slender body like a serpent¡­ Wasn¡¯t this just a Fiend Star Dragon turned to bone??? ¡°It¡¯s the Female Star Dragon!¡± Li Xinghua suddenly realized. It was once the ruler of this tea-colored ground, the Female Star Dragon! Its skeleton wasn¡¯t buried underneath Runyu City, but had been subjected to a necromantic spell, transforming it into a Dead Bone Dragon!! So it was the skeleton of the Female Star Dragon that had been refined by Tu Wenhe! No wonder Tu Wenhe was so obsessed with the Fiend Star Dragon; it was because he owned the Undead Female Star Dragon that he could be a Hunter. If he could capture the Fiend Star Dragon as well, Tu Wenhe would have twin Fiend Star Dragons, and fearfully, no one in the tea-colored ground could contend with him anymore! Furthermore, the Undead Female Star Dragon was a deathly demonic beast that required a massive amount of Death Qi to nourish it and ensure it maintained enough strength from its living days. This also exined why ughter Country had started wars, expanding again and again! Tu Wenhe needed wars to feed his Undead Female Star Dragon! ¡°Young master, young master, it¡¯s the Undead Female Star Dragon, and it has the aura of an omen about it!¡± Li Xinghua suddenly grabbed Zhu Minng¡¯s arm, speaking with a mixture of nervousness and astonishment. ¡°The Undead Female Star Dragon is the Major Evil Beast??¡± Zhu Minng was also surprised. Omen Beasts, could theye to the Dragon Beasts of a Dragon Shepherd as well? Or was it that the way Tu Wenhe controlled the Undead Female Star Dragon wasn¡¯t orthodox? Tu Wenhe stood atop the roof, the corners of his mouth turning upward, his gaze somewhat frenzied as he watched the Fiend Star Dragon! The vitality full within the Fiend Star Dragon was something the Undead Female Star Dragoncked, and as a death creature, the biggest limit of his undead bone dragon was Peak Monarch Level, it would never be able to surpass that threshold. But the Fiend Star Dragon was different, it was a living Supreme Dragon, and given the right opportunity, it was highly likely to ascend to Dragon King! Therefore, he must capture the Fiend Star Dragon at the most suitable stage, for if it became a Dragon King, no matter how immense the forces used, they would never be able to tame this Primordial Star Dragon! ¡°Where did that indomitable spirit go from before? Are you still living in fear of the shadow of your mother dragon even after reaching adulthood??¡± Tu Wenheughed, speaking to the Fiend Star Dragon. The Undead Female Star Dragon, covered in Death me, in the dim sky, streaks of light shed through, revealing mes like meteorites from beyond the heavens parting the darkness of this world, striking the humannd with a terrifyingly cold breath¡­ Death Sky me! The Female Star Dragon¡¯s presence was immensely shocking; it stood in Runyu City, confronting the Fiend Star Dragon, its dragon might barely less splendid than the Fiend Star Dragon. And as its mother, even though it was dead and had lost all conscious memory, a force of instinctive majesty from its reproductive drive seemed to cast a suppressing fear over the Fiend Star Dragon. The Undead Female Star Dragon took a step forward, its feet stepping on a swath of Death mes. These mes carried a terrible curse; they did not burn or spread upon touching any structure, but any living being that came into contact with them would be ceaselessly burned to ashes! ¡°Huu¡± The Fiend Star Dragon¡¯s multiple pupils contracted, and it made a sound, the purpose of which was unclear. The Undead Female Star Dragon also let out a cry; it raised itspletely skeletal neck and roared toward the firmament!! The Echo of Death trembled Runyu City. Strangely enough, whereas the roar of a typical dragon would resonate briefly and then subside, the ground quakes in Runyu City grew more intense after the Undead Female Star Dragon finished its roar. The bricks on the streets inexplicably turned over, the dry soil cracked open, and even thend outside the city shook as if something beneath the vast ground was about to burst forth! ¡°What are you roaring at, attack it!!¡± Tu Wenhe dropped his smile and issued an order. The Undead Female Star Dragon remained undisturbed; it continued to roar at the sky. Its roar carried a demonic summoning, as if awakening the other undead that slumbered in this soil. However, what was buried beneath the Runyu City¡­ ¡°Runyu City is built upon the Mourning Dragon Lair, using the bones of Mourning Dragons as its foundation¡­¡± Li Xinghua muttered to himself, his eyes reflecting the distant undead mes. ¡°Beneath our feet, Death Qi is surging,¡± Zhu Minng sensed this extremely unusual energy. ¡°Dragon Souls¡­¡± The Yin Spirit Necromancer girl, Zhi Rou, stared nkly at the ground. What her eyes saw was a different scene. Others saw nothing but the tremors of Runyu City, feeling bursts of deathly energy rising to the surface, but the Yin Spirit Necromancer Zhi Rou saw countless Dragon Souls, like a river of fireflies in a forest, flying toward the Undead Female Star Dragon. The yin spirits, like gas, were being absorbed by the Undead Female Star Dragon into its skeletal body, and soon the Death me on the dragon¡¯s body became even more vigorous!! The Death me zed furiously, forming a massive mountain range of deathly mes, while the Undead Female Star Dragon continuously drew the soul energy of the Mourning Dragons buried beneath Runyu City¡¯s ground, transforming thoroughly into a hellish Demon Dragon! ¡°Tu Wenhe, why didn¡¯t you summon it earlier, your Undead Female Star Dragon even possesses such divine skills!¡± Orderer Yan Guang eximed with surprise and delight. The Undead Female Star Dragon grew powerful by absorbing the bones, its might now rivaling the Fiend Star Dragon¡¯s. Together, they could surely capture this Primordial Star Dragon! ¡°My dragon¡­ my dragon¡­¡± Fear filled Tu Wenhe¡¯s face, ¡°It¡¯s not heeding mymands!¡± ¡°What!!¡± ¡°Rebellion, it¡¯s rebelling!¡± Tu Wenhe spoke with a tone of disbelief he couldn¡¯t even trust himself. Rebellion! For a Dragon Shepherd, a dragon¡¯s rebellion is the ultimate disgrace. If one cannot tame and control their own dragon, what is the purpose of a Dragon Shepherd¡¯s existence?? Even with the shackles of a Spirit Contract, dragons aren¡¯t absolutely obedient to Dragon Shepherds, especially some Evil Dragons, Killing Dragons, Demon Dragons, and Death Dragons, which are inherently violent, rebellious, and wicked by nature. Being difficult to tame and living off ughter, such dragons are very likely to rebel and often disobey themands of Dragon Shepherds¡­ Tu Wenhe had always ridden the Undead Female Star Dragon, warring against four countries, and had never encountered a situation like this. To think that Tu Wenhe had been counting on the Undead Female Star Dragon as his trump card for capturing the Fiend Star Dragon; how could he have foreseen its rebellion at this moment!! Moreover, as the Undead Female Star Dragon crazily absorbed the Mourning Dragon bones, it became stronger than ever, and the restraint of the Spirit Contract was weakening. The Undead Female Star Dragon was even beginning to break free from the Soul Contract Shackle! Chapter 326 - 328 Crossing the Dragon’s Calamity Chapter 326: Chapter 328 Crossing the Dragon¡¯s Cmity ¡°Boom!!¡± A burst of dragon saliva, yet it was thick with cursed mes, and the fiend spread the fierce ze toward no other than Tu Wenhe. Betrayal of the master!! This undead female star dragon was actually betraying its master! If not for the fact that beside Tu Wenhe stood an ancient bronze dragon guarding him, the terrible cursed mes might have reduced Tu Wenhe to ashes! Tu Wenhe couldn¡¯t believe it, and even felt a tremendous tearing pain in his chest, as the bonds of the soul contract were being ripped apart¡ªan ordeal even more horrific than being yed and stripped of tendons. He endured, preventing himself from screaming out in anguish; his eyes filled with rage and humiliation. The undead female star dragon was not all he had; at this moment, Tu Wenhe was willing to bear the torment of a soul wound, forcibly summoning three other dragon kings, seemingly determined to exterminate this traitorous dragon! Tu Wenhe¡¯s strength was indeed terrifying; the three dragon kings he summoned were all of high rank king level, and the ancient bronze dragon guarding by his side was even of the peak bronze dragon category¡­ ¡°Crush it for me!!¡± Tu Wenhe¡¯s expression was somewhat ferocious. After absorbing the ancient soul of the mourning dragon within Runyu City, the power of the undead female star dragon reached its peak; however, it did not continue to entangle itself with Tu Wenhe¡¯s three dragon kings but instead spread its wings, engulfed in undead mes, and began flying towards the clouds. Rising continuously, the mes of the undead on its body formed a dazzling fireball, striking at the sky dome! Climbing higher and higher, upon reaching the highest realm above the tea-colored ground, suddenly the dragon¡¯s entire skeleton began to disintegrate in all directions, and the shocking mes from the undead soul turned into numerous terrifying fallting fires, plunging down onto the vast ground!! Firefall!!! The seventh great omen!! This firefall wasn¡¯t from beyond the earth, but instead transformed by an undead female star dragon striking at the sky dome; it seemed to burn its entire life force, eventually bringing down this terrifying heavenly fire with the mes of its soul, inflicting annihtion upon thend! The firefall was resplendent to the extreme, filling the darkened world with a deadly opulence. Every streak of heavenly fire that touched the ground swept up a colossal wave of fire, ravaging forests, mountains, fertile soil! As for Runyu City, the falling fire was even more dense, with no less than ten lethal heavenly fires descending. Forget about a city like Runyu¡ªeven a bustling capital might be wiped from existence under this onught of heavenly fire! Inside Runyu City, countless schrs from the Godly Mortal Academy and soldiers from ughter Country were deployed, yet faced with such a tribtion of heavenly fire, they were utterly insignificant, any spark that fell upon them could dissolve their flesh into a puddle of blood¡­ Orderer Yan Guang and Chang Hong were both evading, struggling to fend for themselves and unable to look after the talisman masters of the Godly Mortal Academy. And the army of ughter Country suffered even heavier losses. Nearly a hundred thousand elite troops¡ªinfantry, archers, siege weapon soldiers, grapnel soldiers¡ªthey were all trained to tackle powerful giant dragons but survived the undead mes under mere luck and in scant numbers. It was believed that the undead female star dragon¡¯s betrayal and self-destructive act were solely to clear the enemy for the Fiend Star Dragon, yet suddenly the Fiend Star Dragon also soared up, heading straight into the falling necromantic fire. It¡¯s scales shone with a dazzling dark gold hue, and as it leaped towards the heavenly fire, its entire being seemed enveloped in a mysterious golden radiance¡ªsacred, noble, even its innate malevolence seemed oveid with the auspicious light of a sovereign king, unparalleled and without equal in the world! Both orderers¡¯ cheeks were glowing red from the reflection of the death me, as they looked up, faces filled with disbelief, at the Fiend Star Dragon undergoing transformation amidst the firefall¡­ Tu Wenhe was even more dumbfounded, his facial muscles trembling slightly! This Fiend Star Dragon¡­ It was undergoing ascension tribtion through the firefall!! ¡°Dragon Disaster!!¡± ¡°This Fiend Star Dragon is undergoing its Dragon Disaster!!¡± Both Orderers were dumbfounded. How could they have anticipated that this hunting mission would be the catalyst for the Fiend Star Dragon¡¯s ascension and transformation! In other words, the actions of the Undead Female Star Dragon were akin to stitching a wedding dress for its offspring. Using its own soul to ignite the Death me, it summoned a Heavenly Fire Tribtion, subsequently allowing the Fiend Star Dragon, just one step away from bing the Dragon King, toplete this transformative cmity! To sacrifice itself and give rise to a new Dragon King! There was something fateful in the air¡­ Celestial signs descended! The city of Runyu was enveloped in Undead mes, the firelight making the dark night brighter than the midsummer sun. Li Xinghua, Zhu Minng, and Nan Lingsha stood on the city¡¯s edge, watching the Fiend Star Dragon soaring against the sky filled with falling fire. They watched as its wings transformed, as its scales shed their old form, as its Dragon Horns changed shape, and as every piece of its skin was remodeled through the Trial by Fire ¨C the phrase ¡®rebirth through fire and brimstone¡¯ did not even begin to cover it! All seven evil omens came true! But the celestial sign¡­ It was not a disaster, nor a war, nor an earth-shattering cmity¡ªit was a dragon that had ovee the tribtions of the mortal world to incarnate as the Dragon King, the Heavenly ughter Dragon! ¡°This is the celestial sign¡ªthe Tea-colored Ground will birth a Dragon King bearing a profound hatred for the people of thisnd and a deep enmity towards the rulers of this earth. Its birth signifies an extinction for the Tea-colored Ground,¡± Li Xinghua said in a daze, staring into the sky aze with falling fire. The Prophet was powerless before such a celestial sign. She had done everything possible to mitigate the dangers of the great omens, yet she could not predict that all those omens were but sacrifices in preparation for the dragon¡¯s ascension and coronation! There was even a moment when Li Xinghua felt a chilling terror. As if this hunt was not the masterful n of the Tea-Colored Ground¡¯s powerhouses, but instead, a meticulously crafted trap by the Fiend Star Dragon itself! Humanity¡¯s sins, greed, and ambitions all became the Fiend Star Dragon¡¯sdder to reach even higher realms! ¡°How could this be, how could this be!¡± ¡°It has be the Dragon King, and we all are going to die!!¡± The two Orderers were nearly going mad. With their painstaking efforts to hunt the Fiend Star Dragon, they had inadvertently pushed it toward the pinnacle of Dragon King supremacy. To be a Dragon King Level was a qualitative change. For all cultivators in the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent, stepping into the King Level was equivalent to ascending, a transcendence from the myriad spirits of this world, and, in the truest sense, attaining divinity. The Divine Skills they wielded were beyond the contestation of any being below the King Level! Tu Wenhe, a ruler of a nation, nowmanded an army of hundreds of thousands. But more than anyone else, he was aware that once the Fiend Star Dragon became a Dragon King, even a million soldiers could not offer him a shred of security. A King Level could single-handedly destroy a nation-state, no matter how elite its warriors or how many Divine and Mortals or Dragon Shepherds it possessed! ¡°We must stop it at all costs!¡± Yan Guang almost roared. ¡°Stop it, stop it, we cannot let it ascend, we must not!!¡± Chang Hong expressed his deepest fear. Even under the cover of the Undead Heavenly Fire, they could not just wait to die. There was still a glimmer of hope¡ªto inflict a heavy blow on the Fiend Star Dragon during its ascension! Chapter 327 - 329: How Tragic It Is to Be an Ant Chapter 327: Chapter 329: How Tragic It Is to Be an Ant ming Burning Sky, after the Undead Female Star Dragon ignited its soul, the Heavenly Fire Tribtion came wave after wave. From the initially falling fires, it turned into huge ming spheres. When they emerged in the sky, they shone like dazzling stars, but as they neared the earth, these ming spheres were as terrifying as mountains! Such ming meteoric mountains were already filled with tremendous explosive energy. As they fell from the sky dome ever faster, the destructive waves they stirred up when they impacted this piece ofnd were like a cataclysm that would extinguish all spirits. On the ins of Runyu City, herds of cattle and sheep were abundant, and the forests housed millions of birds and beasts. In the face of such a disaster, they were the most insignificant; wherever the ming meteoric mountains struck, tens of miles around were sure to see tens of thousands of lives tragically lost. Everything turned to ashes, with Runyu City being no exception! This Crossing Tribtion had a price tag that seemed to be the annihtion of all lives on thisnd! Two Orderers had already flown towards the sky tumultuous with the undead ming sea, using all their might to stop the Fiend Star Dragon from its Tribtion. The Fiend Star Dragon kept climbing against the falling fires, as if it wanted to reach the other shore of the sky realm by riding the waterfall of falling fire. Although Tu Wenhe was injured, he knew that these people had brought a catastrophe to thisnd. If they could not stop it, they would all be annihted by the Fiend Star Dragon that had transformed into the Dragon King¡ªnot to mention the people in and around Runyu City, even the neighboring countries would not escape. Standing on that Bronze Bone Dragon and bringing his three High Rank King Level dragons along, he flew into the meteoric rain of falling fires. Right now, they could only give it their all. They had to make the Fiend Star Dragon fail its Crossing Tribtion, for only if it failed did they have a glimmer of hope! The Necromantic Falling Fire brought forth a horrific tragedy. In the seventh great sign of the Female Star Dragon¡¯s sacrifices, some of the weaker individuals were directly burned to death, while those with greater strength stood amidst the endless surging mes, yet had no courage to confront the dragon ascending through the Tribtion in the sky. Knowing that once the Fiend Star Dragon became the Dragon King, no one could leave this ce alive, they still harbored a sliver of hope, wishing to escape this ming Purgatory as quickly as possible! Those with a modicum of courage, who had not reached High Rank King Level, could not even rush toward the exploding stream of falling fires. At this moment, the Fiend Star Dragon had reached the high sky, and it seemed that if it could just climb above the rain of fire, it would havepleted its Ascension, conforming to the signs of Heaven and transforming into the Dragon King. Those capable of ascending against this stream of falling fires were just a few. The first to rush to the apex of the sky to confront the Fiend Star Dragon was the Orderer Yan Guang. As a Talisman Master, he almost sacrificed his life to invoke the Saint Thunder Talisman, summoning tens of thousands of holy thunders in the sky dome, bombarding the body of the Fiend Star Dragon undergoing its Tribtion. These holy thunders shattered the Fiend Star Dragon¡¯s dark golden new scales, revealing its flesh, but that flesh was like ck jade, glossy and hard, impervious to just any force. A burst of Dragon Breath, like a sky rainbow pouring out, could turn a mountain range into powder in an instant. Such power struck a God and Mortal Talisman Master, and no matter how high Yan Guang¡¯s Cultivation Base was, no matter how thick his Saint Shield Talisman was, he couldn¡¯t withstand such a destructive Dragon Breath. Even though the Fiend Star Dragon¡¯s dark golden new scales were broken, Orderer Yan Guang was severely injured and fell to the ground like a pebble. He was wrapped in holy talismans like an armor, and when Yan Guang fell towards Runyu City, he almost shattered to pieces. The people in the city, huddled together for mutual protection, watched in horror. Was even an Orderer so vulnerable?? And the Fiend Star Dragon has not yetpleted its Tribtion! If it truly became the Dragon King, how powerful would it be! Zhu Minng strode over and nced at the Orderer Yan Guang, who had copsed in a crater of the earth. Yan Guang was not dead. Hey looking up at the sky that kept falling with heavenly fire, staring at the strikingly spectacr Tribtion vortex with pain in his eyes, but also envying. Why wasn¡¯t he, Yan Guang, the one Crossing Tribtion and Ascending! Countless people in the world, whether human, Demon Spirit, or Dragon, could feel their insignificance under the cruelws of nature, and were clearly aware of how fragile their lives really were. That¡¯s why they cultivated, that¡¯s why they searched for the Dragon Gate, that¡¯s why they longed to Cross Tribtion and Ascend¡­ In the end, how many could actually Ascend? ¡°Cough cough, do you find me ridiculous, to see a person like me end up¡­ end up in such a state?¡± Yan Guang, seeing Zhu Minng approaching, coughed up blood and spoke. ¡°Going against the current, in pursuit of the Heavenly Dao, there¡¯s nothing ridiculous about that. You, Chang Hong, Tu Wenhe, Fiend Star Dragon, all of you were the ones on thisnd with the most hope of Ascending. But tonight, there can only be one king, and all others will be funeral sacrifices. In contrast, we observers are somewhat innocent; if the Fiend Star Dragon bes the king, we will all pay the price for your failure,¡± Zhu Minng walked up to Yan Guang. ¡°Take it, I know you want this thing.¡± Yan Guang coughed up more blood, passing the City Lord¡¯s Seal to him. Zhu Minng didn¡¯t stand on ceremony and took the City Lord¡¯s Seal. ¡°You reap what you sow, there is no living through this. You¡¯ve also doomed all of us!¡± Hu Bailing ran over, angrily using him. ¡°I won¡¯t feel the slightest bit of guilt for involving innocent people in this catastrophe. In fact, I find you even more pitiable¡­ At least I can still soar into the sky and fight with the Fiend Star Dragon, I can wrestle away the privilege of Ascension from it, whereas you can only shiver on the ground, not even in control of your own life and death. To be ants, how pitiable indeed.¡± Yan Guangughed. To be ants, how pitiable indeed¡­ He was mocking all those on thisnd who couldn¡¯t struggle. He was the master here; if he failed, everyone else would have to apany him in death! ¡°You¡¯re beyond any hope!¡± Hu Bailing said angrily. ¡°You all know nothing. Unascended beings merely scrounge by on the charity of Protectors. If I ascend and protect the Tea-colored Ground, averting cmities not seen in a century, would it be considered a grave sin or a blessing for all beings? It¡¯s merely a matter of sess or failure.¡± The blood spilling from Yan Guang¡¯s mouth grew more profuse, and as he inched closer to death his resentment seemed to deepen, revealing his truest thoughts. Zhu Minng couldn¡¯t be bothered to argue these meaningless points with a man on the brink of death. What he needed to consider now was how to ensure everyone¡¯s survival through this Dragon Cataclysm. Yan Guang had already been disastrously defeated, with only Chang Hong and Tu Wenhe, the two Dragon Shepherds, holding on desperately. But judging by the situation, even they might not be able tond a critical blow to the Fiend Star Dragon undergoing its Tribtion¡­ ¡°Young Master, I¡¯m sorry, I should have foreseen this; I¡¯m still too weak¡­¡± Li Xinghua said, her eyes cast down, feeling particrly guilty. As a Prophet, failing to foresee such a portent was a total defeat. While Yan Guang, as thisnd¡¯s Orderer, felt no guilt or self-reproach, Li Xinghua felt her sins were heavy. With so many revtions, why couldn¡¯t she have deduced this oue? In fact, if only they had stopped Tu Wenhe from summoning the Undead Female Star Dragon, none of this would have happened. ¡°Are we all going to die?¡± Fang Niannian asked earnestly. Though Nan Lingsha was currently protecting everyone, with the world around them hellish as Purgatory, fleeing seemed futile. ¡°Divine Jade, give it to me,¡± Nan Lingsha then reached out her hand and said to Zhu Minng. Zhu Minng didn¡¯t give it to her. ¡°There¡¯s only one way. I will use the power of Soul Ignition¡­¡± Nan Lingsha said, very seriously. ¡°You will end up like Yunzhi,¡± said Zhu Minng. ¡°Give it to me!¡± Nan Lingsha¡¯s tone grew more insistent. Zhu Minng gazed up at the sky, observing Tu Wenhe¡¯s Dragon King being torn to shreds by the Fiend Star Dragon, which the Dragon King also bit, tearing off a piece of its flesh before dying¡­ How could he let Nan Lingsha use the power of Soul Ignition when it had been such an ordeal to awaken Li Yunzi with the Ancient Lantern Jade? If his sister-inw, the artist, were to fall into a sleep again, how would he get by? Of course, Zhu Minng would act. But first, he needed the Orderer and the Hunter to serve as cannon fodder. The Fiend Star Dragon was currently too strong. Without Yan Guang, Tu Wenhe, and Chang Hong first shing with it to weaken its strength, it would be suicide for him to rush in. Moreover, the Fire Trace Inscriptions were still voraciously consuming the mes of this world, requiring the markings to be tempered and elevated. Only then could the true potential of the Fire Trace Sword be unleashed! ¡°We¡¯ll join forces,¡± Nan Lingsha said upon seeing the brilliant light in Zhu Minng¡¯s pupils, knowing he was invoking the power of Sword Awakening. ¡°You protect Ling Sha and Yunzhi, protect Niannian, Hao Ye, Zhi Rou¡­ The Falling Fire is going to get even stronger,¡± said Zhu Minng, his eyes now otherworldly, his powerful sword intent sweeping through and even extinguishing much of the undead mes engulfing the city! ¡°You¡¯ll die on your own. If I use Soul Ignition to help, at least¡­¡± Nan Lingsha said. ¡°You have no experience fighting King Level adversaries,¡± he replied. ¡°Do you?!¡± Nan Lingsha retorted, slightly angry. ¡°Yes, despite the heavy price¡­ I¡¯ve been fortunate to have met all of you,¡± acknowledged Zhu Minng with a serious nod. Nan Lingsha was stunned, her eyes, reddened by the fierce mes, fixed on Zhu Minng. When had he ever faced an Ascending King Level adversary? Could it be the final battle before the downfall of the Sword Cultivator? Taking a deep breath, Zhu Minng fully understood the terrifying strength of the King Level. He had once severed the Veins of the Earth, yet only managed to sever one of that person¡¯s arms. That battle not only caused Wutu to fall prematurely onto the Li Chuan Continent, but he also plunged into the maelstrom of the Void Sea. It was the first time since leaving the Mountain Sword Sect that Zhu Minng had felt such suffocating oppression. So he could understand why people like Yan Guang were so obsessed with reaching King Level! Fortunately, the Fiend Star Dragon was still undergoing its Ascending Tribtion. A Peak Monarch Level could barely manage a fight against it. This time, the power of Sword Awakening was even more immense than before. With heavenly fire covering the sky, wave upon wave falling, while it helped mold the Fiend Star Dragon¡¯s soul during its Tribtion, it also provided the Fire Trace Inscriptions with endless energy! Perhaps, they truly could y this Dragon undergoing its Tribtion¡­ Relying on his own Sword Territory, with Yan Guang, Tu Wenhe, and Chang Hong, these three formidable beingsying the groundwork, there should be a sliver of hope. Chapter 328 - 330: Fire Trace Sword Awakening Chapter 328: Chapter 330: Fire Trace Sword Awakening ¡°Sword Spirit Dragon!¡± Soaring outside, the Sword Spirit Dragon, filled with Fire Trace Inscriptions, suddenly burst into intense mes. The brilliant orange-gold fire at the tip of the sword released a vast and magnificent energy, causing the Death me falling from the sky to pale inparison! The Fire Trace Sword plummeted straight down toward Runyu City,nding right at Zhu Minng¡¯s feet. In an instant, Sword Qi Hong swept through like a storm of the ages, impacting everything around! The Death me was reced by the golden, scorching me full of vigorous life force, which didn¡¯t seem like cursed mes but rather like being blessed by the Gods!! The golden fire, as Zhu Minng gripped the Fire Sword that fell before him, surged a majestic and vast me of life toward Zhu Minng¡¯s body, making his mortal flesh seem as if it had been purified by molten sacred fire! Fire patterns like armor covered his entire body, the liquid me of fire seemed to flow like divine blood throughout his body, even his hair shimmered with fiery-red light, and his thick eyebrows turned wild, spreading out like the feathers of a Fire Phoenix! Fire Mark Soul!! It was like a phoenix rising from the ashes!! With sword in hand, Zhu Minng rose into the air, his figure backed by the orange-gold mes exuded an unsurpassed majesty. From the pits in the earth, Orderer Yan Guang¡¯s eyes widened in shock as he witnessed Zhu Minng summoning the Sword Spirit Dragon, and further saw Zhu Minng unleash the power of Sword Awakening. He could hardly believe that a frail Dragon Shepherd could obtain such unparalleled power as if granted by a divine grace. Comparatively, they seemed like truemoners. Zhu Minng, standing on the falling me meteor mountain, swung his sword again and again, copsing the waves of mes assaulting the human world. All these were Death mes, carrying a terrible curse against life; a touch would reduce an ordinary person to ashes. The Undead Female Star Dragon held deep resentment against the creatures of thisnd, and this meteor fire disaster was its revenge on everyone in the Tea-colored Ground! The cursed heavenly fire was still circling high above, and with the sacrifice of the Female Star Dragon, the meteors from beyond the sky were also drawn by this force, causing a ceaseless rain of fire. Numerous me orbs, asrge as hills, streaked across the sky, flying towards thends far beyond Runyu City. Forests, viges, cities¡ªonce the Death me spread across the ground, it meant extinction for the vast majority of life unable to resist. Zhu Minng nced at his own body; the fire patterns this time not only wrapped around his arms but also extended across his entire body, as if his bones and blood had been remolded anew! Previously at Nine Army Cemetery Mountain, Zhu Minng had not undergone such a transformation. He had obtained a Sword Cultivator¡¯s Cultivation Base, but his body was still frail. This time, it waspletely different. Could it mean that his bond with the Sword Spirit Dragon was growing stronger, and the Sword Awakening power it could grant him was bing moreprehensive! ¡°Noble one, save me!¡± Suddenly, from amidst the rolling fire and smoke, Orderer Chang Hong from Green Bull Mountain cried out. Chang Hong was riding the Guiguang Dragon, which was not as powerful as his Purple Dragon. Facing the Crossing Robbers and Fiend Star Dragon, the Guiguang Dragon was like a child of seven or eight, hardly able to inflict damage. The Scale Feathers of the Crossing Robbers and Fiend Star Dragon had been shattered by Yan Guang¡¯s Thunder Talisman, and its dense ck blood flowed from the skin as tough as ck jade. Yan Guang, Chang Hong, and Tu Wenhe had yed a significant role, managing to injure the Crossing Robbers and Fiend Star Dragon. s, they paid a price as well. Chang Hong¡¯s pride, the Silver Tail Purple Dragon, was gravely wounded by the Fiend Star Dragon and barely clung to life when retracted into the Spirit Realm, while Chang Hong himself was also in critical condition, barely managing to hold his own with a Guiguang Dragon. The Guiguang Dragon was no match for the Fiend Star Dragon¡¯s tyrannical ughter, and soon it was bitten to death by the Crossing Robbers and Fiend Star Dragon, its blood spraying wildly, its corpse even thrown into the raging mes. It wasn¡¯t that Zhu Minng didn¡¯t want to lend a hand, but Chang Hong was already in a dire situation of certain death. Once the Guiguang Dragon died, in the face of the Fiend Star Dragon, he was nothing but a chick. Indeed, the Crossing Robbers and Fiend Star Dragon swung its tail and pounded Orderer Chang Hong into a pulp. Chang Hong didn¡¯t even have the chance to let out a scream before hepletely perished. Tu Wenhe was the strongest among the three. His Ancient Bronze Dragon was extremely powerful, having bitten off chunks of dragon flesh from the Crossing Robbers and Fiend Star Dragon several times. The Fiend Star Dragon itself was covered in wounds. Not to mention, it still had to drag its body up the steep ascent, to reach the other side of the pyre. For the Fiend Star Dragon, this was its tribtion, whether or not it could emerge from the human encirclement and ascend to the peak out of reach of Ordinary Spirits¡­ It noticed Zhu Minng, a human wielding the Fire Trace Sword and wrapped in a golden orange holy radiance. It had intended to go after the Ancient Bronze Dragon and eliminate this biggest threat once and for all, but seeing Zhu Minng rushing in like a tower of mes, it showed a trace of caution. ¡°Zhu Minng??¡± Tu Wenhe was somewhat shocked, almost failing to recognize Zhu Minng in his Sword Awakening stance. Zhu Minng did not respond. He saw that the Crossing Robbers and Fiend Star Dragon was still in a state of recuperation, unable to use some of its divine skills, and thus he struck with his sword, aiming a direct sh at the Fiend Star Dragon¡¯s head where it was most vulnerable! sh Dragon Sword! Zhu Minng¡¯s figure almost teleported, leaving an afterimage where he stood while he had already reached the front of the Crossing Robbers and Fiend Star Dragon. His sword sh was like a mighty waterfall, where flowing molten magma took the ce of water, and with a forceful and dominating power, the Crossing Robbers and Fiend Star Dragon was struck down hundreds of meters. The skin of the Crossing Robbers and Fiend Star Dragon blistered and ruptured from the burn, the Fire Trace Sword in Zhu Minng¡¯s hand carried an intense scorching force. Devoid of protecting scale feathers, the Fiend Star Dragon roared in pain. After a short descent, the Fiend Star Dragon soared again, its speed terrifyingly fast. Zhu Minng saw only a streak of sinister red light passing by, and then the Crossing Robbers and Fiend Star Dragon had already rushed towards him. Its Dark Crystal Horn unleashed a ck light of devouring force, and Zhu Minng felt engulfed by darkness, unable to see his own hands, even though just moments ago the fierce fire had brightly illuminated the sky andnd. ¡°Swoosh!¡± The speed of the Crossing Robbers and Fiend Star Dragon was exceedingly fast, and a p of its Star Space Wings could shatter a mountain. Zhu Minng raised his sword, forming a Taiji diagram in front of himself. This time, the Taiji diagram he drew was not a single surface, but more like a huge Taiji bell tower, enveloping his surroundings. Unable to judge the angle of the iing attack, he protected himself in all directions. Now, with the cultivation base that the Sword Spirit Dragon had bestowed upon him, he could perform even more powerful swordsmanship. Zhu Minng remained steady and calm. He needed to first strike the Crossing Robbers and Fiend Star Dragon, restrict its movement, and then use the Vermillion Bird Sword of the Sword Meteor Sword Technique topletely defeat it. Chapter 329 - 331: Battle of the Fierce Sky Chapter 329: Chapter 331: Battle of the Fierce Sky ¡°Boom!!!!¡± The Tai Chi Sword Map was directly shattered, and Zhu Minng himself was taken aback as the Crossing Robbers and Star Dragon was already before him, its sharp teeth clearly visible. Zhu Minng¡¯s body sank downwards, and the Crossing Robbers and Star Dragon also bit towards the direction Zhu Minng was dodging to. Its mouth, within its light-devouring horn, seemed unbearably huge, as if the entire night sky had be the digestive tract of the Crossing Robbers and Star Dragon. Zhu Minng flipped his wrist and chopped towards the mouth of the Crossing Robbers and Star Dragon, with mes pouring out recklessly and the de bursting with the might of a volcanic eruption; Zhu Minng had no intention to dodge, just to see whether his sword was sharper or its fangs fiercer! ¡°ng!!!¡± A numbness ran through his arm, and Zhu Minng¡¯s sword indeed struck solidly against the Crossing Robber¡¯s Star Dragon¡¯s fangs, a white tooth flying out, and the sword in Zhu Minng¡¯s hand was also repelled away. Fortunately, Zhu Minng was also proficient in the Flying Sword Technique, and with a thought, the Fire Trace Sword leapt into the air, the fiery de dividing into many crimson sword shadows. Soon, sword shadows filled the sky, forming a swirling storm of Sword Qi. With a downward flick of Zhu Minng¡¯s finger, the Firefly Sword fell densely packed! Firefly Sword, Coiling Dragon! The light of the sword fire was still swallowed by the Dragon Horn of the Star Dragon, leaving the region in utter darkness, Zhu Minng could only rely on his sense to attack. Luckily, the Firefly Sword Coiling Dragon covered a vast area and was slowly moving, and the Star Dragon must be nearby; he swept through the area broadly, not believing the Star Dragon wouldn¡¯t reveal itself! Indeed, the Star Dragon appeared, not wishing to staunchly endure Zhu Minng¡¯s terrifying Flying Sword Technique. It pped its wings, raising high-altitude air currents. The force it wielded was tremendous, the air currents it stirred even changed the trajectory of the surrounding Necromantic Falling Fires, all smashing towards Zhu Minng, while the Star Dragon itself drifted backward, creating a safe distance from Zhu Minng¡¯s overwhelming Firefly Swords. Zhu Minng had no choice but to control the Firefly Flying Swords to collide with the iing Falling Fire air currents, also using the impact of the collision to escape from the Star Dragon¡¯s sinister light-devouring domain. ¡°It must be its horn that devours all light, rendering the area around it as dark as a cave,¡± Zhu Minng noted, observing the Star Dragon¡¯s Dark Crystal Horn. ¡°Yooo¡± Seeming to know that Zhu Minng was facing a tough opponent, Little White in the Spirit Realm requested to join the battle. Zhu Minng hesitated for a moment. With Little White¡¯s current cultivation base, facing the Star Dragon was very dangerous; even a Peak Dragon like the Silver Tail Purple Dragon had narrowly escaped death. ¡°Yooo¡± Little White insisted, feeling that as a dragon, it would be a disgrace to hide in the Spirit Realm when its master faced such an enemy. ¡°You should not confront it head-on, try to use Azure Dragon Mystics and Ice Magic to suppress it, understand?¡± Zhu Minng summoned the Ice Morning White Dragon. Without the assistance of the Ice Morning White Dragon, he would have great difficulty in controlling the unstoppable Crossing Robbers and Star Dragon. Bai Qi nodded, flying out from the Spirit Realm towards a further spot right away; Zhu Minng was concerned about its safety, so naturally, it couldn¡¯t be a burden for Zhu Minng. With Falling Fire filling the sky and the high temperature from the intense mes, the conditions were not favorable for Bai Qi with his frost-covered holy feathers. But there was one advantage for the Ice Morning White Dragon; the Falling Fire was also a power of the stars, and Azure Dragon Mystics was precisely the art of harnessing the powers of stars and moon! Sky Trap! Under the holy moon¡¯s silver light, the Ice Morning White Dragon let out a long cry, and the upper air space where its dragon gaze settled suddenly experienced a terrifying copse. Space suddenly sank, as if a fault line had appeared within the earth. The Crossing Robbers and Star Dragon struggled furiously with its wings, but its body seemed to be caught by some spatial quicksand. ¡°Nghooooo!!!¡± The Crossing Robbers and Star Dragon let out a long howl. It didn¡¯t use any spells, but incredibly freed itself from the Ice Morning White Dragon¡¯s Azure Dragon Sky Trap Art purely with the strength of its wings. The Crossing Robbers and Star Dragon was filled with resentment, as though it wouldn¡¯t let go of any life that provoked it. It charged toward Ice Morning White Dragon, intent on annihting this White Dragon first. Ice Morning White Dragon naturally knew its opponent was ferocious. It summoned a high-altitude astral wind and flew away without hesitation, not giving the Crossing Robbers and Star Dragon a chance. Meanwhile, the Crossing Robbers and Star Dragon carried light in its mouth, spraying it out towards Ice Morning White Dragon. The ball of light flew near the Ice Morning White Dragon and then exploded violently; beams of light, like long spears, pierced through the surrounding fire clouds and smoke, terrifying to the extreme. Fortunately, Ice Morning White Dragon maintained enough distance to have time to react and dodge¡­ ¡°Sword Piercing the Sky!¡± Just then, Zhu Minng swung his sword with such power that it tilted the ming rain that filled the sky! The sword¡¯s edge broke through the air, tearing a long wound in the Fiend Star Dragon, and thick dark blood poured out once more. The Crossing Robbers and Star Dragon roared in anger, realizing that Ice Morning White Dragon had already flown far away and turned to attack Zhu Minng. Its tail curved like a dark moon magic bow, suddenly retracting its wings, and the Crossing Robbers and Star Dragon became like a divine arrow from beyond the heavens, flying towards Zhu Minng with terrifying speed. Zhu Minng met force with force, but the impact sent him flying. Amidst the falling fire, Zhu Minng felt dizzy, and his ribs throbbed with pain. A dazzling light shed, and Zhu Minng experienced temporary blindness. At that moment, the Crossing Robbers and Star Dragon was already above Zhu Minng, its head pointing downwards, wings half-spread, and tail hanging straight down like a ck anchor sinking towards the earth! Zhu Minng couldn¡¯t see this scene, but Sword Spirit Dragon sensed it. Sword Spirit Dragon left Zhu Minng¡¯s hand on its own, enveloped in zing mes, and turned into a huge me sword, shing with the diving Crossing Robbers and Star Dragon! Energy poured out like waves crashing in the skies, blowing open a vast void in the fiery rain, within which only a sword and a dragon could be seen. The dark golden divine light on the body of the Fiend Star Dragon was scattered, and the zing mes of the Sword Spirit Dragon momentarily extinguished. ¡°Come back!¡± Zhu Minng, who had just regained his sight, summoned the Sword Spirit Dragon back. ¡°Bai Qi, freeze it!¡± Zhu Minng knew it was a perfect opportunity andmunicated telepathically with Bai Qi. In the distance, Ice Morning White Dragon raised its many splendid wings, and despite the scorched sky, it managed to condense frost from the Silver Moon. Soon, a breathtaking cier Mountain Range emerged, blocking the location of the Fiend Star Dragon. The cier Mountain Range, vast and unending, formed by icy dust, would not melt so easily against burning mes and could temporarily restrain the Crossing Robbers and Star Dragon. ¡°Sword Meteor Sword Technique!¡± ¡°Vermilion Bird Sword!¡± Fire Trace Sword and the essence of Vermilion Bird Sword harmonized perfectly. Vermilion Bird represented the Divine Fire Holy me, and the Fire Trace Markings endowed Zhu Minng with an endless power of fierce mes. The Vermilion Bird Sword he brandished now was far mightier than the intimidating sword at the Miao Kingdom Pce! Chapter 330 - 332: Beyond the Fiery Sky Chapter 330: Chapter 332: Beyond the Fiery Sky The vast sky is boundless, the mes endless. A mysterious azure and crimson appeared at the zenith of the sky dome, where one could see Zhu Minng brandishing his sword to the heavens, carving out constetions as extravagant as the stars themselves, astonishingly forming the figure of the sacred beast, the Vermilion Bird! The Sword¡¯s Cry was like the long chirp of the Vermilion Bird, and countless falling mes seemed to be snuffed out in an instant, followed by even more powerful azure and crimson mes, emerging from the fiery waterfall that poured down incessantly!! The fifteenth strike of the Sword Meteor Sword Technique! Beholding the vast and deathly majestic sky, countless people on the ground were startled. They saw Zhu Minng wielding his sword, and the sword-fire that descended had a presence no less magnificent than a heavenly tribtion. It was difficult to imagine how a person could unleash such terrifying power, feeling as though even the immortal gods of ancient legends were no different! Lying on the ground, Orderer Yan Guang¡¯s eyes were wide open. In his view, Zhu Minng was but a pitiable ant, someone who could never step into the King-Level Realm. But witnessing this strike of his sword, Yan Guang realized just how ignorant he was. Such swordsmanship could likely shake even a king-level being. It turns out he was the most pathetic one, having made the wedding dress for another. This Zhu Minng, he had hidden his powers too deeply. ¡°Is little uncle still human? This is the same sword that was in the Miao Kingdom Pce¡­¡± Hao Ye stared nkly at that god-like figure, uttering a sigh of amazement. In the entire Yaoshan Sword Sect, so many peerless geniuses, so many sword masters who toiled in their cultivation, and those who couldprehend beyond the tenth sword of the Sword Meteor Sword Technique were few and far between. Yet, the realm Zhu Minng was in made all the sword masters of the Yaoshan Sword Sect feel out of reach! This fifteenth sword could at least allow a sword master¡¯s cultivation base to advance by two or three realms. If Zhu Minng¡¯s cultivation were even more profound, he might even cut down a king-level being with his sword! The Vermillion Bird Sword, it overshadowed the Heaven Tribtion Falling Fire. The Crossing Robbers and Star Dragon also showed a hint of panic. It resembled a water snake being swept off a cliff by a raging torrent, desperately struggling to stabilize its form by clinging on to some object, but it was constantly beaten down by the mes of the Vermillion Bird. Even its divine radiance, that was about to step into the Dragon King Realm, was suppressed by the massive sword-fire figure of the Vermillion Bird! If the Fiend Star Dragon was like a Serpent God, then the Vermilion Bird was like the Eagle King. The Crossing Robbers and Star Dragon kept falling, nearly being smashed down to the earth. ¡°Nghhhhhhhhhhhh!¡± All of a sudden, the Crossing Robbers and Star Dragon flipped its body amidst the relentless suppression. Its tail umted force, thenshed out violently. The Ancient Lantern Jade embedded at the end of its tail suddenly shone brilliantly, a blinding white light illuminating all directions! The blinding white light burst through the vehement Vermilion Bird me, giving the Crossing Robbers and Star Dragon a chance to breathe. Taking advantage of the Ancient Lantern Jade¡¯s blinding protection, it soared a few thousand meters into the sky in one go, shooting up from a height where it had almost touched the ground! Zhu Minng thought the Star Dragon was about to retaliate, but it swooped past him, and then plummeted straight into even higher sky dome! Ascending Tribtion?? Was this creature attempting to forcibly undertake an Ascending Tribtion??? Zhu Minng was taken aback. It was clearly injured, and the mes of the Vermilion Bird had scorched its body beyond recognition, yet it wanted to surge towards the sky beyond the mes without any scale feathers or jade-like skin left to protect itself?? Of course, Zhu Minng couldn¡¯t let it sessfully reach the sky beyond the mes. But, as a sword cultivator, his ability to fly was very limited. Zhu Minng simply couldn¡¯t ascend the cloud heaven like these ancient dragons with powerful wings. In the high sky, there were biting winds, overwhelming atmospheric pressure, and alien frost that could make most living beings indefensible. For a sword master like Zhu Minng, leaping hundreds of meters high was already the limit¡­ Treading on a sword? Sword flight leans more towards soaring in the air rather than climbing against the void like the Fiend Star Dragon! ¡°Yooooo¡± The Ice Morning White Dragon flew towards Zhu Minng, its pristine white feathers already scorched in several ces by the merciless heavenly mes. Bai Qi is now of a higher rank, and without the feathered sanctified armor Zhu Minng crafted for it, the Ice Morning White Dragon¡¯s frost attribute would make it difficult for it to linger too long in such fire vortexes. ¡°You want to carry me up there?¡± Zhu Minng asked. ¡°Yoooo¡± The Ice Morning White Dragon didn¡¯t hesitate, immediately positioning itself beneath Zhu Minng. Then, spreading its white wings fully, it pped them vigorously, creating a spiraling updraft and shot towards the fiery sky well! At the highest point, there seemed to be a massive sky well from which was pouring an endless rain of fierce mes, with enormous fire meteor-mountains falling, and around it appeared the dreadful purgatory tribtions, relentlessly dragging everything towards the mortal world below. Being called Ascending Tribtion, this served as a cruel test for beings about to be kings. The Fiend Star Dragon¡¯s body was dripping ck blood, relying on the Ancient Lantern Jade on its tail to barely gain a greater life force and soul realm. But its tribtion was not going smoothly either. Its once brilliant Starry Sky Wings were now riddled with holes, its body being seared by mes that were charring its bones. Despite being a strange and splendid dark star Dragon, it now resembled a dying Fire Dragon¡­ The Ice Morning White Dragon was a kilometer below. It carried Zhu Minng, climbing against the ascent. This sky well was a trial for the being about to be Dragon King. For the Ice Morning White Dragon to climb against it with its current cultivation base was undoubtedly self-destructive. But the Ice Morning White Dragon showed no signs of giving up. It seemed unwilling to be defeated by this modest heavenly tribtion. If the Fiend Star Dragon could reach that height, it could do the same! The Ice Fluff began to part, and its feathers started to burn. Both a star dragon and a white dragon seemed to be undergoing this destiny¡¯s tribtion, as if they were unwilling to be mere Ordinary Spirits in this vast world¡­ Zhu Minng and the Ice Morning White Dragon were united in thought. He knew that trying to persuade Bai Qi was meaningless at this moment. Cultivation itself is about breaking one¡¯s limits time and again, and the Ice Morning White Dragon would not give up without even trying. Dragon King! Even in its tribtion state, the Fiend Star Dragon was invincible and unstoppable. If it were to be the Dragon King, all life on thend would be sacrifices. For Bai Qi, its current perseverance was also about protecting Zhu Minng. It was because of it that Zhu Minng lost his exceptional cultivation base. If they were inseparable, they would also fight side by side! Exhaust all capabilities, no matter what, they must chop down this Crossing Robbers and Star Dragon! ¡°Yooooo¡± The Dragon¡¯s cry echoed as the Ice Morning White Dragon suddenly dispersed the frost protecting its body, concentrating all its mana and arcane energy in its wings. Without the frost¡¯s protection, its body immediately began to burn intensely, but the Ice Morning White Dragon felt no pain. If the Fiend Star Dragon, without feathers or flesh, dared to endure the cleansing fire of tribtion, it too was unafraid! With a powerful beat of its wings, the Ice Morning White Dragon transformed into a beam of white light, heading straight for the far side of the fiery void. It had withstood this purgatorial trial, and fiercely dispersed the curtain of fire! Chapter 331: 333: Technique of Taming Zhu Minng stepped on the back of the Ice Morning White Dragon, and his body shot towards the zenith of the sky like an arrow. The cool frost apanied him on both sides, and the moment he flew towards the Crossing Robbers Fiend Star Dragon, the Ice Morning White Dragon had also cast an Ice Feathers guard on itself, those feathers imbued with the power of extreme cold stemmed from the Ice Morning White Dragon¡¯s auxiliary wings¡­ Zhu Minng nced at the Ice Morning White Dragon falling beneath him, but his heart was devoid of distractions. Such heights could not be reached without a partner willing to put aside everything for him. In the end, everyone has their own limits. ¡°Sword Spirit Dragon, it¡¯s our turn.¡± Zhu Minng was now very close to the Crossing Robbers Fiend Star Dragon. One must admire the perseverance of the Fiend Star Dragon, for at this height, its entire body could be scorched until not a single bone remained. If it didn¡¯t seed, the Fiend Star Dragon would be obliterated. Even so, the Crossing Robbers Fiend Star Dragon did not retreat half a step; it was climbing against the current, and for it, this was a rebirth from the brink of death! Zhu Minng raised his sword.
At this moment, all he needed was to chop at the tail of the Crossing Robbers Fiend Star Dragon and sever the Ancient Lantern Jade attached to it, which would surely turn the Crossing Robbers Fiend Star Dragon to ash. It was evident that given such critical injuries, the likelihood of the Crossing Robbers Fiend Star Dragon failing its trial was very high. ¡°Boom!!!!!!!!¡± A massive terrifying meteor shower came falling down, a sight to behold. Zhu Minng was originally going to cut off the tail of the Crossing Robbers Fiend Star Dragon, but upon seeing this scene, he dared not proceed, for if he didn¡¯t defend with all his might, he too would be reduced to bone dust in an instant! ¡°Sword Removal Technique, Moon Crown Sword!¡± Zhu Minng executed his most powerful defensive swordsmanship, his sword resting by his left waist, with his left hand forming the posture of a sword sheath. Gathering strength, remaining calm, the reason for sheathing his sword was that he needed to concentrate all his power at one point. At the same time, he needed to strike with the most perfect angle and force so that the Sword Radiance formed on the de could sweep in one direction, creating a vast full moon of light that would build the Sky Moon Shield for him!! Most importantly, this Moon Crown Sword would onlyst for a very brief moment. Swinging the sword too early would fail to withstand the terrifying onught of heaven-sent fire, while a dyed strike would leave his body turned to ash¡­ The Heaven Fire of Annihtion was rushing towards him, and in the corner of his eye, Zhu Minng saw the Crossing Robbers Fiend Star Dragon bathing in the mes, looking like nothing more than a pitiful desated skeleton. ¡°Swish!!!!!!!!¡± Unsheathe the Sword! His left hand acting as the sheath, and his right hand drawing the sword, he focused all his strength into his arms, transferred it to his elbows, and finally to his wrists. It had to be done in one fluid motion, without any hesitation or pause, allowing the sword to be swung as fluidly as water, creating the most perfect moon crown!!! The red sword de, when swung, painted a crimson swath! The empty sky was brilliant, as if blood were about to drip. Against such a backdrop, a sudden Red Moon appeared, magnificent and stunning, standing against the sky. Most astonishing was that beneath the Red Moon, there stood a man, as if he had cleaved through the chaotic heavens with one sword, bringing the Red Moon into existence!!! The Red Moon Sword Radiance that had formed was both splendid and resilient, and even the most ferocious wave of Heavenly Fire could not prate it. It could be seen how the rolling Heavenly Fire, like a torrent meeting a boulder, could only flow from either side. Zhu Minng¡¯s body trembled slightly¡­ Even the hand holding the sword was shaking. Every move in the Sword Removal Technique was a gamble with life itself, as it involved sheathing the sword and striking in an instant. Sess or death, the power of the sword had to be pushed to its utmost extreme, and yet, it could also lead directly to one¡¯s demise!
Zhu Minng now understood the hardships and difficulties of being a Sword Master, and he felt even more so that being a Dragon Shepherd was a safer and more reliable choice. Zhu Minng had withstood this tumultuous wave of Heavenly Fire. It¡¯s a pity that his cultivation base isn¡¯t enough, and he¡¯s also unable to climb further upward. Otherwise, if he reached the other shore of the fierce void, perhaps he could be the one to ascend. There have been cases where someone uses another¡¯s tribtion to pass their own Soul ss.
¡°Ngh¡± The Crossing Robbers and Star Dragon let out a long cry as the powerful mes from the heavens pushed it down from a higher altitude, and its entire body was left without a single patch of intact skin; its wings were also on the verge of beingpletely burned away. Zhu Minng¡¯s sword strike blocked arge amount of the heavenly fire, unexpectedly allowing the Crossing Robbers and Star Dragon to narrowly escape with its life. However, under such circumstances, the Crossing Robbers and Star Dragon was still pping its wings, still attempting to climb upward. With its current condition, flying higher wouldn¡¯t lead to ascension but to the Ghost Gate! Zhu Minng sighed deeply. There was no longer any need for him to take action. The Fiend Star Dragon made no choice to fly downward, nor did it choose to cling to life¡­ All Zhu Minng had to do was wait for it to fly up and turn to ash, then casually catch the Ancient Lantern Jade that would fall from it. The Ancient Lantern Jade truly lives up to its divine nature; under such a heavenly tribtion, neither the piece he held in his hand nor the piece embedded in the tail of the Fiend Star Dragon was burned by the heavenly fire. Oh, the piece in his hand, which is the City Lord¡¯s Seal, seems to be a match for the one in the tail of the Fiend Star Dragon or to put it another way, it seems they were originally one piece split in two. If the Fiend Star Dragon possessed the piece he had in his hand and reactivated that incandescent jade light protection, it might actually have a chance at sessful ascension¡­ ¡°Fiend Star Dragon!¡± Suddenly, Zhu Minng thought of something and yelled out loud. The Fiend Star Dragon actually bore no grudge against Zhu Minng; it wanted to kill the two Orderers and Tu Wenhe all because of the Female Star Dragon.
¡°I will help you transcend the tribtion, and you will sign a Spirit Contract with me,¡± Zhu Minng said to the dragon that was almost burnt down to bones. ¡°Ngh ¡± The Crossing Robbers and Star Dragon roared angrily, as if Zhu Minng¡¯s words were a great insult to it. ¡°If you really aren¡¯t afraid of death, you wouldn¡¯t have needed to take shelter beneath my Sword Qi just now. Of course, you can choose to die bravely, be an Unyielding Dragon Soul, and thenpletely vanish from this cruel world. After all, this world nevercks delusional Mortal Dragons who covet entry into the Celestial Divine Realm like you do. In the future, when mypanions and I reach far higher realms and travel through famous mountains and rivers with a beautiful Female Divine Dragon, we¡¯ll probably mention you as a joke. A Heavenly Sign Level Fiend Star Dragon, yet flitting into the mes like an insignificant and pathetic moth, thinking it is a Phoenix that can be reborn from ashes, when in reality, it¡¯s just ignorance and folly,¡± Zhu Minng said to the Crossing Robbers and Star Dragon. Zhu Minng may not know the Technique of Taming, but is he not skilled in the art of words? ¡°Ngh!!!!!!¡± The roar of the Fiend Star Dragon grew louder, and though it had not yet be a Ghost, it no longer wanted to let this detestable human go. ¡°I can lend you this Ancient Lantern Jade. Whether you ascend to be a Dragon King or die a lowly death, the choice is yours,¡± Zhu Minng dered. The Fiend Star Dragon fixed its gaze on Zhu Minng. It harbored an extreme aversion toward humans. Especially since its own mother, the Female Star Dragon, had already died but was refined by humans into a Bone Dragon, with her soul unable to find peace. ¡°Are you afraid of being enved?¡± ¡°You are a Fiend Star Dragon, a Rebellious Dragon, you must have confidence in yourself. If in the future I hold you back, and you don¡¯t break the chains of the Spirit Contract yourself, I will be too embarrassed to keep you,¡± Zhu Minng continued to coax the dragon. With the precedent set by the Female Star Dragon before it, the Fiend Star Dragon¡¯s eyes seemed to hold a glimmer of thought. The Dragon Bloodline of the Fiend Star Dragon is inherently hard to enve and tame. With sufficient strength and the right opportunity, it can definitely tear apart the Spirit Contract and regain its freedom!
¡°Ngh ¡± The Fiend Star Dragon hesitated. ¡°Hurry up and sign. We can discuss any articles of agreement or preferences you have, and advantages you want afterward. If the next wave of heavenly fire strikes, both you and I will turn to ash!¡± Zhu Minng eximed. Chapter 332: 334: Dark Star Dragon of Heavenly Destruction The Fiend Star Dragon had already approached, and under such circumstances, Zhu Minng needn¡¯t worry about it ying any tricks. It was a matter of life and death, and suddenly biting himself to death out of spite held no meaning for it. In fact, Zhu Minng did not know that the Fiend Star Dragon indeed had an impulse to bite this hateful human to death. Were those even human words that he just said? However, the temptation of Crossing Tribtion and Ascending was indeed greater for the Fiend Star Dragon. No life wished to remain a Mortal Fish among the myriad of others in the river. If there was a chance to climb reversedly, they would spare no cost in pursuit of the Heavenly Dao and the Cloud Realms, to be a supreme sovereign that roams freely without fear of predators, without fear of natural disasters! The Spirit Contract Seal was branded on the forehead of the Fiend Star Dragon. Zhu Minng saw that the Fiend Star Dragon¡¯s body was already scorched beyond recognition by meteoric fire, and many bones were nearly exposed. He felt deep sympathy in his heart. The Dragon Gate, Heavenly Tribtion, the long and winding path of cultivation, how many unknown trials awaited each cultivator thirsting after the Heavenly Dao? How much grinding pain must they endure? Zhu Minng himself was indeed one of countless Ordinary Spirits climbing inversely. It¡¯s just that his methods were not quite the same as most of the lonely, haughty cultivators¡­ A path of cultivation without attachments was not suitable for him. The Spirit Contract was signed, forming a special bond between two souls. Zhu Minng quickly felt a special emotion, full of unwillingness, pain, anger, and resentment. This was the emotion of the Fiend Star Dragon, which Zhu Minng could now empathize with. Stretching out his hand, Zhu Minng touched the forehead of the Fiend Star Dragon, trying to use his own gentleness and friendliness to soothe the vtility in its heart.
In fact, Zhu Minng was well aware that its irascibility did not stem from cruelty, ferocity, or deep-seated hatred, but from ack of any sense of security. Ever since the Female Star Dragon died, it had been living alone in a cruel world, without a single day of peace, unable to find a true resting ce. Although it had been born for some time, the Fiend Star Dragon had a lifespan of a thousand years. By human standards, it was no more than a child of seven or eight years old. This came as a surprise to Zhu Minng. This Fiend Star Dragon was actually still quite young. ¡°From now on, we will face life and death together. I will be with you through this Heavenly Tribtion,¡± Zhu Minng said. Zhu Minng climbed onto the back of the Fiend Star Dragon and bestowed upon it another piece of Ancient Lantern Jade. The two pieces of Ancient Lantern Jade shone brilliantly together, protecting the Fiend Star Dragon while also healing its flesh and bones. Ordinaryntern jades were already imbued with formidable life energy, but the Ancient Lantern Jade could even heal injured souls. The Fiend Star Dragon¡¯s burnt skin and flesh began to regrow, and it, with its already vigorous vitality, just needed such a boost! The tattered wings unfolded anew, and the Fiend Star Dragon raised its head and let out a long roar, as if challenging the meteoric Heavenly Fire Tribtion! Beating its wings, it soared upward against the torrent of flowing fire. The red splendor was magnificent, but for most creatures, it was undoubtedly a terrifying inferno of Purgatory. In the Purgatory, epting the mes of the furnace, reshaping the Soul ss within the tribtion, fearlessly facing the heavens to reach the shore across the fiery abyss! Zhu Minng held his sword, and at that moment, he could feel the Fiend Star Dragon¡¯s unyielding and defiant will, which made a zing fighting spirit burn in his chest as well!! He refused to believe they couldn¡¯t tear through this Heavenly Fire Tribtion!! Zhu Minng raised his Sharp Sword high, dancing with it as though a dragon¡¯s shadow moved with it. Standing on the back of the Fiend Star Dragon, he suddenly shed toward the fiery abyss, cleaving a heavenly rift through the rolling mes. The Fiend Star Dragon caught sight of the sword mark crevice and suddenly burst forth with extreme speed, flying through the infinite heavenly fire and, with the protection of the Ancient Lantern Jade, soared towards the other shore in one vigorous effort!
Across the fierce sky of the other shore, therey a tranquil realm that rose above the meteoric fire tribtion. Below, the bursting heavenly fires represented the punishment of God Demons, yet just a thread away, the other shore was utterly serene, as peaceful as another divinend. Zhu Minng¡¯s body couldn¡¯t withstand the scorching of the final mes, and as he swung thest sword for the Fiend Star Dragon, he himself fell back to earth.
However, the Fiend Star Dragon surged upwards, its body almost reduced to bones, but as it passed through that ¡°thread of separation¡±, its flesh rapidly regrew, its ck corundum skin also restored, thicker, harder, and smoother than before! Dark golden scale feathers started to grow slowly from the ck corundum skin, the finely detailed dragon scale patterns on them seemed to carry age-old heritage, concealing mysterious powers, luxurious and beautiful, resembling a dazzlingly bright and zing starry night sky, now imprinted on the Fiend Star Dragon¡¯s newly sprouted scale feathers. The wings were the part of which the Fiend Star Dragon was most proud. They fluttered gently, the heavenly radiance burst forth, the depiction of the wings against the celestial dome of the other shore was vivid and lifelike, perfectly integrated with the scale feathers on its body! Such a dragon, as if countless exquisitely beautiful stars were aligned together, constituted by a clean and clear night sky, by the coborative tapestry of starlight, was the master of a nocturnal star river, wielding mysterious and powerful forces!! Heavenly Killing Dark Star Dragon! The omen, now fully realized.
Yet, whether it was an ill omen or an auspicious omen, was ultimately to be decided by Zhu Minng, for the omen dragon had be the Dragon Shepherd¡¯spanion. With the appearance of the Dragon King, the starry night seemed to herald the dawn of creation, boundless andvishly splendid. And the heavenly fire, too, as the Fiend Star Dragonpleted its tribtion, was rapidly receding. On the earth below, the people were staggeringly terrified. Within the forests, myriad beasts ran in fear. Even some forces stationed farther out on the tea-colored ground, some venerable cultivating monsters seemed to have sensed the birth of the Heavenly ughter Dragon, standing atop mountains with grave expressions, staring at this overly splendid starry night!
The popce of Runyu City, each and every one of them, looked ashen-faced. Whether they were soldiers from ughter Country or Cultivators from the Godly Mortal Academy. They all knew too well that if the Fiend Star Dragon sessfully transcended its tribtion and ascended, no one would live to leave. At this moment, the Fiend Star Dragon had transcended its tribtion, had transformed into the Dragon King, and people¡¯s time of death was imminent!! Zhu Minng fell from the high sky, without much cushioning, the fall from such a height left his whole body feeling numb, but thankfully, since the Sword Spirit Dragon was a Flying Sword, it could soften Zhu Minng¡¯snding somewhat. Hended in a city of scorched earth and ruins, limping, Zhu Minng hurried to check on Little White¡¯s condition. Fortunately, Little White was only burnt bald, reduced to a featherless White Dragon, its injuries not too severe, just a dent to its aesthetics.
Little White¡¯s ears drooped,cking its beautiful and bright feathers, which wounded its pride more than its body. Therefore, it took on a delicate and exquisite form, hiding among the debris, too ashamed to show itself. Zhu Minng lifted it from the ruins, looking at Little White now resembling a Grey Charcoal Dragon, he did not mock it, but instead gently stroked its little head. ¡°We have one morepanion now.¡± Chapter 333: 335: Have You Tamed It? ¡°Ha ha ha ha ha, I thought you¡­ I thought you, Zhu Minng, had some great abilities, that you could break this heavenly sign,¡± Yan Guang mocked, somewhat hysterically. Knowing that his end was near, Yan Guang had nothing left to lose. The one supporting him was none other than the woman with the bushy eyebrows, Fan Lu. Her expression was numb, as if she too feared the impending death. ¡°Cough cough¡­ Take care, everyone. I, Tu Wenhe, am powerless to help. If by some chance anyone survives¡­¡± The continually coughing and bleeding Tu Wenhe spoke from atop the Ancient Bronze Dragon, hisplexion pale as a sheet, terrifyingly so, as if he might die at any moment. Orderer Changhong was already dead. No one knew where his remains were, and it seemed nobody cared about the life or death of this greedy man. ¡°Little Shishu, Little Shishu!¡± Hao Ye ran over here with others. Li Xinghua, Nan Lingsha, Fang Niannian, Zhi Rou, the Hu Family siblings, and the members of the Copper Knife Army, as well as the numerous subordinates of the Azure Wolf Cavalry, were all converging here at this moment. Previously, the meteoric fire fell from the sky, and by supporting each other, they had managed to survive, not like the wild beasts in the forest that were eradicated by the heavenly fire. But the meteoric fire wasn¡¯t aimed at them in the first ce. They could avoid the fire from the sky, but not the heavenly sign from the Tea-colored Ground. That Dragon King, who had justpleted its Ascending Tribtion, would soon purge this ce in blood!
Some weeping could be heard from the crowd, probably from the people of the Copper Knife Army and the Azure Wolf Cavalry. They were actually native residents of Runyu City, like tenacious grass that grew persistently in this storm-tossed city. Who could have imagined that what would extinguish Runyu City was not the overwhelming power of some nation, but an irresistible heavenly sign. ¡°Young Master, we could hide in the ruins, perhaps¡­¡± Li Xinghua said. Zhu Minng shook his head and was about to speak when suddenly, a shrill scream of panic rose from the crowd. The people of Runyu City, who had intended to cluster for warmth, now scattered in every direction like mad! ¡°Indeed, it¡¯s meaningless,¡± Li Xinghua said with a bleak smile, showing her eptance of life and death. Above them, the sessful tribtion-crosser, the Heavenly ughter Dragon, plunged straight down. Regenerated bones and blood, reborn splendid Scale Feathers, and the extremely noble Dragon King¡¯s dark crystal deste horns. Compared with the Fiend Star Dragon that once ravaged Runyu City, the current Heavenly ughter Dark Star Dragon was more majestic and domineering, truly embodying the aura of a superior being. It could look down upon everything, be it a massive army or a deeply rooted power, all would bow before the Dragon King¡¯s might! The Heavenly ughter Dragonnded before everyone, its wings gathering on both sides like dark starry sword shields. It had no limbs; its body was serpentine and bewitching, but that did not diminish its strength and nobility. It gazed upon everyone, its cold breath like the God of Death standing behind each person. The meaning of life was to be reaped, whether one was timid or fearless, all would be toys for the God of Death! ¡°Hea¡­ Heavenly ughter Dragon, the Dragon King!¡± Orderer Yan Guang trembled violently all over. The woman supporting him, Fan Lu, felt as if she was propping up a pile of mud that could copse at any moment. Yan Guang was the headmaster of the Godly Mortal Academy. He was also the Orderer of this region. One could say one of the strongest people in the Tea-colored Ground. But in the presence of this Heavenly ughter Dragon, it was as if his soul had scattered, leaving behind only a body already paralyzed. And Tu Wenhe, the King of ughter Country, the Hunter, at this moment, looked ashen. He knew he couldn¡¯t escape. He couldn¡¯t even fight for his life now. He and his Ancient Bronze Dragon were out of strength. Is this what a King-level being is like?
Even the thought of resistance couldn¡¯t arise, as the instinctive desire to winpletely vanished. The mightiest of cultivators were reduced to livestock, awaiting the ughter, a pitiful sight to behold. ¡°Everyone, rx a little¡­¡± Zhu Minng saw the situation and realized that the crowd was unaware of the Spirit Contract, so he hurriedly spoke to tell everyone. ¡°You useless fool, weren¡¯t you capable, brandishing your sword to y dragons? Why didn¡¯t you stop it? Why did you let it ascend to be the Dragon King? You rushed in like some savior, unting those fancy sword techniques, but in the end, you were still defeated. How can you still have the face to tell us to rx? DIE!¡± At this moment, General Sutai of the hundred-thousand-strong Copper Knife Army roared in anger. He unleashed his emotions recklessly, as if the failure to stop the disaster was entirely Zhu Minng¡¯s fault.
¡°Yes, we all pinned our hopes on you. Why didn¡¯t you stop it? You let it be the Dragon King, the God of Death for all of us. It¡¯s going to kill us all; I don¡¯t want to die, I don¡¯t want to die!¡± Someone from the Godly Mortal Academy also jumped out to me Zhu Minng. Zhu Minng touched his head; this ssmate from the Godly Mortal Academy was pretty urate. Indeed, he was the one who allowed the Fiend Star Dragon to be the Dragon King. ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, today I, Zhu Minng, am pleased to acquire a Dragon King. I wonder if anyone has any good suggestions to help me give this Heavenly ughter Dragon a name that would strike terror into our enemies at its mere mention. I¡¯m really quite terrible at this,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°Little Martial Uncle, what are you thinking about naming the dragon at a time like this? Little Martial Uncle¡¯s indifference in the face of life and death is truly worthy of our¡­¡± The somewhat slow-witted Hao Ye began, but then suddenly realized something was amiss. He hurriedly nced at the imposing Heavenly ughter Dragon and then back at Zhu Minng. That Heavenly ughter Dragon stood right behind Zhu Minng. It truly resembled the God of Death, but why had it not struck down its lethal blow?? ¡°Little Martial Uncle, what did you just say? You acquired a Dragon King??¡± Hao Ye asked, dumbfounded. ¡°Yes, I helped it with its Ascending Tribtion, and it signed a Spirit Contract with me. Now, the Heavenly ughter Dragon is my fifth dragon pet!¡± Zhu Minng spoke with such calmness andposure, yet his heart was in turmoil, especially at seeing the shock on people¡¯s faces! ¡°You¡­ you¡¯ve tamed it??¡± Tu Wenhe asked in disbelief. ¡°Otherwise, by the Heavenly ughter Dragon¡¯s speed of ughter, everyone here would already be a pile of bones,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°Is it true?¡± Nan Lingsha looked at Zhu Minng and asked sincerely. ¡°Of course,¡± Zhu Minngughed. ¡°President, president, are you alright??¡± Fan Lu shouted in rm, but no matter how hard he tried to help Yan Guang up, Yan Guang eventually copsed like a puddle of mud!
Orderer Yan Guang appeared to havepletely stopped breathing! He, too, only felt fear and insignificance in the face of the Heavenly ughter Dragon¡¯s descent, but he didn¡¯t suddenly die like this until the news that Zhu Minng had tamed the Dragon King, something more unbearable than the Fiend Star Dragon¡¯s sessful Ascending Tribtion! Tu Wenhe¡¯s expression wasn¡¯t much better. Indeed, this was even more intolerable than being killed by the Heavenly ughter Dragon! The Heavenly ughter Dragon had be Zhu Minng¡¯s dragon. This essentially meant that the one who had sessfully ascended in the Tribtion was Zhu Minng! Zhu Minng had be a King-level Dragon Shepherd, far surpassing him, the so-called Hunter! As for those like General Sutai who had just been insulting Zhu Minng as a fool, they were now dumbstruck, wishing they could bite their tongues and die on the spot¡­ They had just been insulting a Dragon Shepherd who possessed a Dragon King! They might have had a sliver of hope before, but now they were thoroughly hopeless! Why did things turn out this way!! Why did the Heavenly ughter Dragon be Zhu Minng¡¯s dragon!! Chapter 334: 336: King-level Honorable ¡°So, we don¡¯t have to die??¡± Hao Ye said. For the residents of Runyu City, that was the key point! They could survive this catastrophe! Because someone had tamed the soon-to-ascend Dragon King, and although Runyu City was also left in ruins by the meteor fire, what war hadn¡¯t changed the face of Runyu City? Now this was already the best oue. At least there was shelter from the wind and rain, at least there was a piece ofnd to settle down. ¡°Although Heavenly ughter Dragon made this ce like this before it submitted to me, I still want to apologize to the residents of Runyu City on its behalf. From now on, Runyu City will definitely be peaceful, and it will certainly revive. Because I am your Protector, I swear by the name of Zhu Minng that I will never let any army trample this sacrednd again. Should any invaderse, they will face the wrath of the Dragon King!¡± Zhu Minng said to those huddled together for warmth, the surviving people. When hunting the Fiend Star Dragon, most residents were driven out of the city. Yet when the celestial fire descended, they hid back inside the city, for there was no sense of security outside. Looking around, Runyu City had really been reduced to ruins. But Runyu City had a perfect foundation, a perfect geographic location; its climate, and Spiritual Rhyme surpassed those of some countries¡¯ capitals. As long as the city¡¯s foundation, which stood upon the bones of the Sang Funeral Dragon, remained, soon there would be homeless people setting down roots here. It could always recover, no matter what it had been reduced tost time. Maybe that was the very vitality of Runyu City itself, which after the meteor fire, became even more fertile soil the following year.
Of course, most importantly, the city finally had a powerful Protector! The Orderer of the Tea-colored Ground, and a Dragon Shepherd with the title of Hunter, as well as the head of the Godly Mortal Academy, such figures were only at Peak Monarch Level, coveting King Level¡­ Yet their City Lord was a King-level Honorable. Let alone the four neighboring nations, it seemed even the Ten Nations leading to the Neon Sea would not dare to provoke Runyu City lightly! That was the prestige of King Level, even military-strong nations had to give it due respect! It was already deep winter, but it wasn¡¯t too cold here; thend that had been cleansed by meteor fire retained some residual warmth. The armies had dispersed, and the people from Godly Mortal Academy had left. To show respect, Godly Mortal Academy took the initiative to offer to rebuild the destroyed city walls and towers, promising to make the new Runyu City look extraordinarily grand and magnificent. Tu Wenhe also stated that from now on ughter Country would be Runyu City¡¯s most loyal ally, even willing to open a trade corridor to the Neon Sea for Runyu City, bringing back its former glory. Some other local powers from the Tea-colored Ground, upon hearing about the Dragon King¡¯s ascension, even came to offer congrattions. Red Eyebrow Vi, Bei Family Manor, Lonely Mountain City, Eagle Peak, Chen Family Fort¡­ These major and minor powers of the Tea-colored Ground also seemed to realize that in the future, they may have to rely on the King-level existence of the Tea-colored Ground, and they all sent various gifts, truly contributing to Runyu City¡¯s rebuilding. The Hu Family Siblings had not slept for excitement these past days. In the past, these powers either hindered or made things difficult, posing great obstacles to the development of Runyu City. Now they had gathered together, helping Runyu City rebuild. The taming beasts of Bei Family Manor carriedrge paving stones, one after another, to the streets, even helping the artisans cut them andy them on those severely damaged roads. High-quality sand and tiles were delivered by private mercenaries in cartloads;cking artisans in Runyu City, the best artisan teams were brought in to construct buildings. Among the God and Mortals, many were skilled in the art of construction; building and repairing cities was an easy task for them, far simpler than the massive constructions undertaken by some remote small nations. A city on the brink of extinction waspletely revitalized by the birth of a King Level presence. Land once chaotic and disordered also became well-organized and efficient because of the birth of a King Level being.
Perhaps this was why Tu Wenhe, Chang Hong, and Yan Guang were so obsessed with reaching King Level; at this stage, all the anger, pain, confusion, and struggles could be easily smoothed over, without even needing to lift a finger, as naturally, others would settle things for them. Is this what it means to be King Level?? So exhrating! Back when I was a Sword Cultivator, although I had also touched the threshold of King Level, my cultivation base was not stable at all, relying entirely on my Sword Territory to fight against true King-level strongmen. In the end, I was beaten and sent flying to another ce, nearly bing an orphan.
Now it¡¯s different, there is no longer any need to endure painfully by talent alone; with genuine King-level strength, don¡¯t let myself encounter that bastard near the Wutu Ground Vein again, I¡¯ll definitely chop it up and feed it to stray dogs! ¡°Venerable Zhu, are you satisfied with the construction of this city tower?¡± General Sutai asked Zhu Minng in a low and humble voice, maintaining the most respectful smile on his face. ¡°Repair some of the civilian houses in the back city as well, and make sure to properly settle those honest hunters and farmers,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°As youmand!¡± Sutai replied with a smile. This Brown Banner Army General of the ughter Country, whomanded an army of a hundred thousand, wasn¡¯t feigning his smile at the moment. It came from the heart. After all, he had snatched back his own life. Now, Sutai regarded Zhu Minng with more respect than the great patriarch, willingly serving as a foreman in Runyu City, dedicating his enthusiasm to the city¡¯s reconstruction! Sutai¡¯s Giant Spirit Killing Dragon was a divine beast for hauling bricks, and those overly heavy beams didn¡¯t need any civilian machinery; they were easily carried to their designated spots by the Giant Spirit Killing Dragon, leading to the frequent appearance of artful architecture in Runyu City, allowing the artisans to fully exercise their construction talents! With the likes of Sutai as a city constructionborer, the efficiency was sky-high! ¡°City Lord, the Godly Mortal Academy says they will take care of those Spirit Veins on our behalf, and they will only take 20% of the costs and maintenance fees from the items obtained from the veins; the remaining 80% will be personally delivered to our mansion,¡± Hu Bailing ran over joyfully to tell Zhu Minng. ¡°Use these spiritual resources to expand your Hu Family Dragon Shepherd Teams,¡± Zhu Minng said generously. After all, they were mostly low-level spiritual resources suitable for Sub-level and Military General levels, which were of little use to Zhu Minng himself. Of course, the Spirit Veins did produce Lord Level and Monarch Level treasures, which would naturally be presented to Zhu Minng for inspection. If Zhu Minng needed them, he would take them; if not, they would then be distributed to other managers in the city.
Runyu City had a total of six Spirit Veins, with Herbal Hill being the most valuable, yielding several tens of pounds of Spirit Grass each year. It was said that high-quality Spirit Grass was even more valuable than gemstones! ¡°Bei Family Manor sent us some Eagle w Fake Dragons, how should we deal with them?¡± Hu Bailing asked. ¡°Give them to the Azure Wolf Cavalry and the Copper Knife Army. We will still need them to protect the city well; they also need to be stronger,¡± Zhu Minng said. Chapter 335: 337: A Familiar Scene ¡°And then there are people from the Di n, they took the initiative to hand over a few gemstone mines for us to manage, probably producing¡­¡± Hu Bailing held a lengthy list in her hands, earnestly read out the details to Zhu Minng. ¡°For these matters, you and your siblings make the decisions, there¡¯s no need to report everything to me; I trust that you can keep the city well-organized and use the resources where they should be utilized,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°Yes, City Lord. Oh, by the way, there are three Thousand-Year Lingzhi mushrooms in Lingzhi Valley; they originally wanted to sell them to raise start-up capital, but I took them all instead. Thedy of the house is frail, and herplexion is always poor, she should take more to replenish her health,¡± Hu Bailing said. ¡°That¡¯s quite good,¡± Zhu Minng nodded, even though he found the term dy of the house¡¯ a bit odd. By now, Zhu Minng already had four pieces of Ancient Lantern Jade. However, two of these Ancient Lantern Jade pieces contained somewhatckluster energy and required absorption of nature¡¯s spiritual energy to replenish, in order to be effective for soul nourishment. But that was merely a matter of time, the reason the Ancient Lantern Jade was special is that it would absorb the spirit origin from the environment on its own, continuing the wearer¡¯s soul. With four pieces of Ancient Lantern Jade, he now essentially had oneplete Ancient Lantern Jade ornament. As long as Li Xinghua wore it every day, Li Yunzi would no longer be in danger for her life and the injury to her soul would gradually heal, she might even be stronger than before. In the future, the time Li Yunzi was awake would gradually increase. Counting stars on the rooftop all night long was not out of the question, time was indeed meant to be enjoyed¡­ All was flourishing and Zhu Minng was especially gratified. However, there was one issue that made Zhu Minng a bit worried.
And that was the Heavenly ughter Dragon. True to its history of rebellion, after sessfullypleting its Ascending Tribtion, it had been lying in the Spirit Realm, maintaining a state of deep post-metamorphosis slumber. But each time it awakened, Zhu Minng could sense a restlessness stirring within his own Spirit Realm! A King-Level Dragon, its consciousness was also immensely powerful and terrifying. Zhu Minng found that his Spirit Contract was somewhat unable to fully suppress it! Worried about this, Zhu Minng quickly woke Mr. Jinli to ask for advice. ¡°What did you say, you forged a Spirit Contract with the Heavenly ughter Dragon???¡± Mr. Jinli eximed in surprise. ¡°Yes,¡± Zhu Minng said with a wry smile; Mr. Jinli had lost his memory again. ¡°I said I wanted a Purple Dragon, a Purple Dragon, and what is this multicolored, dark creature you¡¯ve brought me? The Heavenly ughter Dragon wasn¡¯t even on the list of dragons Ipiled for you. Besides, the Heavenly ughter Dragon is a Dragon King, and you are at most a Dragon Shepherd whose cultivation has reached the High Rank King Level, how can you bind a Dragon King? While it hasn¡¯t awakened from its transformation, you should quickly release it!¡± Mr. Jinli said, staring with hisrge fish eyes. ¡°I¡¯ve already signed the contract, and besides, its bing a Dragon King is partly due to my efforts,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°Are you talking about gratitude with a dragon that has a lineage of rebellion? Its biggest act of gratitude towards you would be to remind you to eat less garlic recently,¡± Mr. Jinli said. ¡°Why should it remind me to eat less garlic?¡± Zhu Minng waspletely puzzled. ¡°The Mourning Dragon species dislikes the smell of garlic. If it tastes garlic while chewing on your flesh, it will spit you out and then, in its anger, stomp you to death!¡± Mr. Jinli said irritably. With Mr. Jinli¡¯s words, Zhu Minng truly felt a chill. ¡°While a Spirit Contract indeed has a suppressive effect on dragons, it doesn¡¯t mean it can span such arge gap. Especially King-Level beings, far beyond all Mortal Dragons. The Killing Dragon isn¡¯t stupid, without enough confidence in rebellion, why would it sign a Spirit Contract with you?¡± Mr. Jinli continued. ¡°I understand the reasoning, so Mr. Jinli, do you have any methods now to suppress this Dragon King, to make it obediently listen to me?¡± Zhu Minng asked. Zhu Minng did indeed now possess a Dragon King as a Dragon Shepherd. But this Dragon King, it seemed, didn¡¯t really listen to him¡­ This was truly awkward and not quite what he had expected. Especially if those powers from the Tea-colored Ground heard of this matter, his prestige as a King-level Honorable would be utterly gone!
¡°Is it just disobedient?¡± Mr. Jinli asked. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s younger than I imagined. While it harbors resentment and some malevolent aura, for now, it doesn¡¯t have any intention to kill its master,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°The bonds of a Spirit Contract are very strong in the early stages. The bond between you and the Heavenly ughter Dragon can be likened to a chain. This chain won¡¯t rust, wear out, or break at first. But over time, it will, as the Spirit Contract chain weakens with the Heavenly ughter Dragon¡¯s growing dissatisfaction, contempt, and resistance against your forcefulmands, until it finally breaks freepletely¡­¡± Mr. Jinli said seriously. ¡°Then what should I do?¡± Zhu Minng also became worried.
¡°Of course, it¡¯s to improve your strength. If you gain its recognition with your power, or if there are other dragons capable of deterring it, it naturally won¡¯t think of fleeing. A dragon pet¡¯s desertion is terrifying, not only does the broken Spirit Contract be void and one cannot form a new bond, but it also causes great trauma to the soul of the Dragon Shepherd, making it difficult to rely on cultivation to form new Spirit Contracts in the future,¡± Mr. Jinli said. When it was still a Fiend Star Dragon, Zhu Minng¡¯s Sword Awakening State indeed could intimidate it, but now that it had ascended and be a Dragon King, his own strength was far behind it. The main issue was that the Heavenly ughter Dragon fundamentally had the blood of rebellion in its bones. In this regard, Zhu Minng had actually considered it, but at the time, he still wanted to take a gamble. After all, it was a rare Dragon King. It would be too much of a pity if it were truly gone. ¡°During its Ascending Tribtion, its body was severely damaged; it is now equivalent to recuperating in my Spirit Realm,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°It should take a year or two. If it isn¡¯t afraid of its cultivation base bing unstable, it probably won¡¯t rebel within one or two years,¡± Mr. Jinli said. ¡°Then there¡¯s still time.¡± ¡°Strengthening bonds is also an effective method. With the Spirit Contract in ce, many of your emotions are interconnected. If nurtured well, even if you are a mortal, it won¡¯t betray you,¡± Mr. Jinli said. Zhu Minng nodded his head. Little White had followed him without a Spirit Contract before. The emotions between a Dragon Trainer and a dragon are indeed very important. Tu Wenhe probably didn¡¯t consider this aspect properly, which led to theplete rebellion of the Undead Female Star Dragon. ¡°However, reaching the King-level realm isn¡¯t necessarily a matter of effort alone. I¡¯m worried that within one or two years, you won¡¯t be able to advance to King Level. Even the talented Bai Qi could only reach Peak at best. Finding an opportunity for it to break through to King Level on this resource-scarce continent is incredibly difficult,¡± Mr. Jinli said, shaking his head and sighing.
¡°There will always be a way. Speaking of which, these past few days Little White has beenpsing into a deep sleep again, and no matter how much I call, I can¡¯t wake him up,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°It sleeping is a good thing.¡± ¡°Strange¡­¡± Zhu Minng intended to check on Bai Qi¡¯s condition within the Spirit Contract since it had also been injured. But soon, Zhu Minng saw a very special scene on Little White! And this scene, it felt familiar! Chapter 336: 338 Reincarnation Transformation Within the Spirit Realm, the Ice Morning White Dragony in slumber. On its body, silvery-white frost silk even began to materialize¡ªthese delicate and crystalline strands twisted together as if forming a very ancient and vibrant life pattern, which was slowly wrapping around the Ice Morning White Dragon. The frost silk fluttered, encircling the quietly sleeping Little White, at this moment, the Ice Morning White Dragon resembled a tranquil Ice Phoenix God Phoenix lying in the Eternal cier World, waiting for the passage of countless years, waiting for a millennium opportunity, to be reborn! The silver strands grew more numerous, milky white, silvery white, frosty white¡ªtheir own Spirit Realm was incredibly vast, yet these cold silks gradually enveloped the entire realm, much like the nket of snow that once covered the entire city, a strange and wondrous sight¡­ This scene, how familiar it was! Little White had entered into this state not long after signing the Spirit Contract with Bai Qi, and from a White Soaring Dragon, it degraded into a small Ice Silkworm. At that time, the frost nearly covered half the city until the second day when all the transformative frost finally melted away! That marked the beginning of Minng¡¯s wandering! And now, Zhu Minng had not forgotten it!! Now, Little White was once again experiencing this condition! Even though Mr. Jinli had told him that it would regress again, when the day truly came, it still caught Zhu Minng off guard!! ¡°Bai Qi?¡± Zhu Minng called out to it.
Little White opened its spirited eyes, but the lids unfortunately drooped back down. It looked very weary, and could not even muster a tender call, in fact, it itself didn¡¯t understand what was happening to its body. All it saw was the Fiend Star Dragon breaking through the heavenly tribtion, transforming into a Dragon King, and felt a tinge of envy and dissatisfaction in its heart. All it saw was the Sword Spirit Dragon bringing greater strength to Zhu Minng, and as the culprit that snatched Zhu Minng from the Celestial Divine Realm back to mortals, it felt guilty and sad for not bing Zhu Minng¡¯s strongest support. Crossing Tribtion and Ascending¡­ At the time Zhu Minng signed the Spirit Contract, he was actually about to step into this realm. Whaty before him was an Ascending Gate, for he had defeated a King Level strongman with a Monarch Level cultivation base. But he ultimately gave it up, signed the Spirit Contract with Little White, and abandoned the transformation that all creatures dream of, opting to start over as the most ordinary of Dragon Shepherds¡­ Bai Qi longed to grow stronger more than ever! It had thought this was just a normal sleep, to let its feathers grow back, that¡¯s all. But with this obsession, when Bai Qi went to sleep, it discovered that what grew on its body were not silver-white feathers, but strands of life pattern silkworm silk, slowly enveloping its body, and as it did, its form became weary and started to undergo degradation¡­ ¡°Yu wuuuu¡± Little White mustered its energy and let out a cry towards Zhu Minng. Reincarnation Transformation! The Ice Morning White Dragon entered its next life cycle!! Zhu Minng certainly could sense the emotions within Little White¡¯s heart, yet the emergence of this Reincarnation Transformation was beyond his expectation. Zhu Minng had thought that it would take at least a few more years, nowhere did he expect everything toe so suddenly! ¡°It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s fine, rest easy and sleep. When you wake up, I will make sure to prepare enough mulberry leaves for you, so you can eat your fill,¡± Zhu Minng knew that Little White felt guilty, and hurriedlyforted it.
Was it the Heavenly ughter Dragon of Dragon King Level that stimted Little White? ording to Mr. Jinli¡¯s estimation, Reincarnation Transformation should not havee so quickly. Zhu Minng¡¯s mood was still veryplicated, especially seeing Little White begin to regress again. It would be a long while before he could see it again. Having it by his side for so many years, without its affectionate antics, he really felt somewhat unustomed.
But overall, Little White was considering his feelings. It yearned for powerful strength, and it wished to be his mightiest support. He believed that when it awoke the next time, it would be even more splendid. ¡°Sleep, don¡¯t worry about me. Don¡¯t we still have Heiyao, Qing Zhuo, Mo Ye to keep mepany? The Heavenly ughter Dragon won¡¯t turn traitorous within a year or two, and by then if it truly revolts, it might need you to suppress it,¡± Zhu Minng continued tofort the Ice Morning White Dragon. Little White slowly closed its eyes, and despite feeling reluctant, it still couldn¡¯t resist the onught of drowsiness. The ice silk around it bloomed like frost flowers and snow silk, wildly spreading and nearly filling the entire Spirit Realm, turning the realm into a stunning and magnificent expanse of snow white. Zhu Minng watched Little White, marveling inwardly at what sort of being it was, and why it was different from ordinary dragons. Its regression this time shouldn¡¯t be as long as thest, especially since his current Spirit Realm was of Spiritual Spring Level, where sleeping for a day inside was equivalent to a hundred days outside. It might not take half a year for Little White to get through the regression period and then begin to continually transform! Fortunately, his own Dragon Shepherd Realm had also advanced, allowing his cultivation to speed up. By the time it roused from hibernation to be reborn, the juvenile period, growth period, mature period, andplete period ¡ª these four stages would also pass at a hundred times the normal pace! In one or two years, Little White¡¯s cultivation base might even surpass that of the Heavenly ughter Dragon! ¡°Mr. Jinli, Little White has entered into Reincarnation Regression,¡± Zhu Minng spoke to Mr. Jinli. ¡°Really??¡± Mr. Jinli¡¯s eyes sparkled with light. ¡°Yes, I can feel its life force weakening,¡± Zhu Minng nodded solemnly. ¡°This kind of regression is actually very dangerous; it¡¯s very easy to end up like some mayflies, with a lifespan of merely a few days. But because of your Spirit Contract, its life has a safeguard, so it won¡¯t directly regress to extinction. Very good, excellent. It entered the next cycle of Reincarnation Transformation with a High Rank King Level cultivation base, so when it wakes up next time, it might possess a Dragon King Level bloodline. Like the Fiend Star Dragon, it might even surpass the Fiend Star Dragon!!¡± Mr. Jinli appeared extremely excited and thrilled. Just a moment ago, he was worried for Zhu Minng, on how to train a Dragon King within one or two years to keep the rebellious Fiend Star Dragon in check. Now, he no longer had such concerns, as Bai Qi¡¯s next reincarnation would surpass the Heavenly ughter Dragon!!
¡°Now, the Spiritual Spring Realm will allow cultivation to elerate nearly a hundredfold; this regression won¡¯t take too long, right?¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it won¡¯t take too long. Ah, I¡¯ve just remembered a method to shorten the regression time ¡ª do you know about bird¡¯s nests?¡± Mr. Jinli said. ¡°Yes, I do.¡± ¡°Phoenix Nest, right, that¡¯s what we can call it. It¡¯s a young phoenix nest built from the saliva secreted by Holy Spirits of the phoenix, mixed with other materials that have existed for over ten thousand years. If you can obtain this item, it will definitely shorten the regression greatly, and perhaps even enhance the level of transformation,¡± Mr. Jinli exined. Bird¡¯s nest, Phoenix Nest¡­ Chapter 337: 339: Group Transformation Whether from the Ten Thousand Year Saint Spirit or a treasured artifact of the Phoenix n¡­ Zhu Minng felt that Mr. Jinli really liked to pose challenging questions! Yet, for Bai Qi¡¯s better development, Zhu Minng would still try to acquire this extraordinary object. After all, Bai Qi was his own kin, and he would truly rise in fortune only if it became a Dragon King. Moreover, Bai Qi¡¯s future lineage seemed to be far superior to that of the Heavenly ughter Dragon! He was feeling quite excited. From the White Soaring Dragon to the Ice Morning White Dragon. What kind of dragon would it transform into from the Ice Morning White Dragon this time? When Bai Qi had just transformed into a young Ice Morning White Dragon, Zhu Minng¡¯s resources had been quite limited. The feeding materials and spirit resources he provided weren¡¯t the most perfect, and he hadn¡¯t had much experience in raising dragons. Now that it was undergoing Reincarnation Transformation, it meant he could shape it more perfectly, making up for the deficiencies in its attributes before. For example, the Ice Morning White Dragon initially possessed strong star wind attributes, but as his own resources became scarce and materials were hard toplete, the Ice Morning White Dragon¡¯s star wind capabilities weakened a lot. By the High Rank King Level, it hardly used its wind attribute anymore¡­ All three attributes should be perfected for use; only then could it unleash its ultimate strength!
Next time, he must raise it moreprehensively! Actually, not only Bai Qi but Big ck Tooth and Qing Zhuo also had some defects, which were not handled well in the cultivation process. But at the moment¡­ Zhu Minng suddenly remembered something and subconsciously took a nce at his other dragons in the Spirit Realm. The Heavenly ughter Dragon was still as proud and unrivaled as ever, lying in the mostfortable spot, sleeping like a worldly Demon Lord. Big ck Tooth was also sleeping. The Spirit Realm was exceptionally quiet, as if everyone was in deep slumber. Zhu Minng found that, influenced by Bai Qi, Big ck Tooth¡¯s body was also covered with some silk threads, nearly cocooning the Lei Cang Violent Dragon as well¡­ Huh, something was off. Zhu Minng furrowed his brows, scrutinizing Big ck Tooth¡¯s condition, only to discover that Big ck Tooth seemed extremely drowsy, barely able to keep its eyelids open. Where ity, the ce was already covered with silver-white frost silk blossoming from Bai Qi, but on the Lei Cang Violent Dragon¡¯s body, those thunder scales and alligator skin were also billowing with some ck precious silk! At first, Zhu Minng thought Big ck Tooth had eaten too much ck pork and grown ck bristles, but upon closer inspection¡­ Wow! Big ck Tooth had grown silk threads too! ck silk threads!!! The ck silk threads increased in number, encircling the Lei Cang Violent Dragon and sketching a deeply mysterious pattern of fate. Layer uponyer, they ultimately formed a massive ck Demon Dragon cocoon,pletely enveloping Big ck Tooth! What was happening!!!! The Lei Cang Violent Dragon was undergoing Reincarnation Transformation too???? Could regression be contagious?!
The Lei Cang Violent Dragon¡¯s life essence was waning, its body shrinking slowly. Zhu Minng even saw that when it became fully enveloped, it had regressed into a little ck dragon, sporting a cute and short alligator tail! Clearly, this was not its final regressive form. Within the dark, huge cocoon, it would continue to regress. ¡°Mr. Jinli, Mr. Jinli, there¡¯s a huge problem!¡± Zhu Minng eximed in shock. ¡°The Heavenly ughter Dragon got used to the taste of garlic??¡±
¡°It¡¯s Big ck Tooth, it¡¯s entering Reincarnation Transformation too!¡± Zhu Minng said with a stern face. ¡°Let me see!¡± Mr. Jinli leaped onto Zhu Minng¡¯s forehead, then closed his eyes, sensing Zhu Minng¡¯s Spirit Realm world like an expert. ¡°What¡¯s going on, why is Big ck Tooth also undergoing Reincarnation Transformation??¡± Zhu Minng was also a bit stunned. Could it be that Big ck Tooth and Bai Qi had a blood rtionship? ¡°Cough, cough, Zhu Minng, take a look at the Divine Green Holy Dragon,¡± said Mr. Jinli. Upon hearing Mr. Jinli¡¯s words, Zhu Minng¡¯s expression changed again. He hastily checked on the Divine Green Holy Dragon, to find that strands of supremely noble green silk, carrying a touch of holy aura, were slowly enwrapping the body of the Divine Green Holy Dragon. The green silk was tracing a spectacr and mysterious destiny pattern, weaving like blood vessels and sinews on the body of the Divine Green Holy Dragon, as if performing a ceremony of metamorphosis for it!! Little Qingzhuo also¡­ actually got infected!! The Divine Green Holy Dragon is also undergoing Reincarnation Transformation!! Its body began to degenerate, and with its inherent wood and insect attributes, it seemed particrly suited to the Reincarnation Transformation, degenerating even faster than Big ck Tooth. Soon, the Divine Green Holy Dragon was also enveloped by a green cocoon, with green silken threads of wood dancing wildly, transforming the area where the Divine Green Holy Dragon usually slept into a forest of green silk and wood, radiating a sense of peace and holiness!
¡°We¡¯ve struck it rich, struck it rich!! Little White Bai Qi had signed a Spirit Contract with you, and you have Spirit Bonds with other dragons, so its racial reincarnation will affect all your dragons, making them enter Reincarnation Transformation too. Oh my, why didn¡¯t I think of this before! Zhu Minng, we are going to be invincible!!¡± Mr. Jinli suddenly started smacking Zhu Minng¡¯s head like a madman, excited to the point of frenzy. ¡°But they¡¯ve all degenerated, what will I fight with in the future, I am a Dragon Shepherd!¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°Don¡¯t you still have the Sword Spirit Dragon?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true, it¡¯s a bit tricky, but at least¡­¡± Zhu Minng dared not fully express what he was thinking. He first checked on the Sword Spirit Dragon¡¯s condition, fearing that ominous premonition woulde true. The Sword Spirit Dragon would usually fly around in the Spirit Realm, even when sleeping, it maintained the suspended state befitting an Immortal Sword. But when Zhu Minng found the Sword Spirit Dragon in a corner of the Spirit Realm, his heart sank!! Crimson metallic threads, blooming like a sacred lotus, encased the Sword Spirit Dragon, which was quietly suspended above this metallic lotus cocoon, mysterious patterns of destiny intricately disyed on the interwoven crimson threads. A sword!! You¡¯re a sword!! Why have you also grown threads!! Although the Sword Spirit Dragon didn¡¯t show obvious signs of degeneration, it was indeed being wrapped up by a massive metallic lotus cocoon, of silver, gold, copper, or some other rarer material, and the Sword Spirit Dragon quickly became a suspended metallic sword boll¡­ No matter how Zhu Minng tried tomunicate with the Sword Spirit Dragon, there was no response, as if it had fallen into a deep sleep.
Reincarnation Transformation¡­ The Sword Spirit Dragon was also undergoing Reincarnation Transformation!! All four dragons had entered into Reincarnation Transformation!! Looking at the metallic sword boll, then ncing at the silver frost star cocoon, ck blood giant cocoon, and the green silk holy cocoon, Zhu Minng¡¯s feelings became incrediblyplex. It¡¯s a bittersweet situation. The happy part was that all four dragons were going to transform like Little White Bai Qi, evolving to a higher bloodline of dragon. The worrying part was, he seemed to be left as a baremander! The Heavenly ughter Dragon¡­ Right, there was still the Heavenly ughter Dragon. Zhu Minng¡¯s gaze swiftly shifted, the Heavenly ughter Dragon had been soundly asleep; if it also entered into Reincarnation Transformation¡­ No threads had grown. It seemed it was the only one that hadn¡¯t entered into Reincarnation Transformation. Was it because its Spirit Contract with him was unstable?
Or because it had just Ascended Tribtion? Thank goodness, the Dragon King hadn¡¯t degenerated. There¡¯s still one dragon left¡­ This dragon, is just not that obedient. Better than having none at all. Definitely better than having all five dragons degenerate, leaving oneself as an orphan Dragon Trainer! Even if the Heavenly ughter Dragon was unruly, it could still safeguard and protect him when it mattered. And using the Spirit Contract to issue forcedmands, it would still do it. But this would just lead to its discontent and make the Spirit Contract less stable. Chapter 338: 340: Getting Something for Nothing ¡°Great news, truly great news!!¡± Mr. Jinli was obviously much more optimistic than Zhu Minng. Reincarnation Transformation is itself a peerless talent. Although the journey of growth and the process of regression will be difficult, it means they can surpass the limits of their destiny and advance to higher realms. Just like humans, from the moment they are born, they first learn to crawl on the ground, then to walk, and finally to run. But flying is impossible for ordinary people to achieve. Whether crawling, walking, or running, even if one has to learn them all over again, they are actually quite easy to master. But flying, if it is not branded in the lineage, if it is not a talent thates naturally, no matter how much effort and learning, it can¡¯t be achieved! For dragons like Big ck Tooth, with not very high lineage, relying on postnatal effort and nurturing takes a tremendous amount of energy, and the speed of their cultivation base breakthroughs is also very slow, requiring an extremely long time to umte. But with one Reincarnation Transformation, Big ck Tooth transforms into a superior dragon breed, and then with ¡°strong remedies¡± in each of its four growth stages and a precise nurturing direction, it can be unparalleled in certain attributes and characteristics! Many Dragon Shepherds face a severe problem in their strength growth. That is, how to deal with the rather ordinary dragon pets of the early stages, as well as the transitional dragons during strength enhancement, as these dragons will gradually be unable to keep up with thetterly acquired dragons of superior lineage. Discarding them is not really an option. While dissolving a Spirit Contract has a lesser price than forcibly tearing one apart, the contract itself will still be abolished. With a group Reincarnation Transformation like Little White¡¯s, even the most mediocre dragons can ascend to a dominion of all spirits through continuous Reincarnation Transformations. And dragons of higher lineage may even reach a state of being ageless and immortal!
Perfect! This talent is indeed perfect! Truly, Little White is the most extraordinary creature in this world. Once it gets through the dormant period, it¡¯s a high-spirited journey where even the Celestial Divine Realm, which other creatures dream of, can be easily crossed¡ª and all the dragons bound by Spirit Contracts with Zhu Minng can do it! ¡°Is the Heavenly ughter Dragon okay?¡± Mr. Jinli also noticed the dragon that was spared from the ordeal. ¡°Yes, it did not enter Reincarnation Transformation.¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°Most likely it¡¯s because it just crossed its tribtion. For the Heavenly ughter Dragon, this is tantamount to just havingpleted a transformation,¡± Mr. Jinli said. ¡°That¡¯s what I was thinking, but what should I do now? All four dragons are in hibernation, how am I going to train dragons?¡± Zhu Minng said with a mix ofughter and tears. At the very least, leave one or two to keep mepany. It feels like going back to the days of wandering overnight. Although they will soon awaken from their transformations, what am I supposed to do in the meantime??? Moreover, how am I going to get through these days without any dragons tomand??? ¡°Dragon Recognition, go find those beings that haven¡¯t yet transformed into dragons but have great potential to do so. I¡¯ve told you long ago, you must learn the Dragon Recognition Technique. And never underestimate those beings in this world that are still struggling without jumping through the Dragon Gate. Some of them, the day they transform into a dragon, might just be ascending as a Dragon King after their tribtion. It¡¯s the method with the lowest cost and the highest return. You need new dragons to expand your Dragon Shepherd Team anyway!¡± Mr. Jinli said. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Zhu Minng nodded. ¡°Also, practice the Art of Dragon Taming. There are also some grown Dragon Lords and Dragon Kings in the wild. Capture a wild dragon with good potential, tame it slowly, and it can enhance your strength just the same,¡± Mr. Jinli said. ¡°Makes sense.¡± Zhu Minng continued nodding. ¡°Just right, no one dares to provoke you in this tea-colored ground anymore. Some of the things you haven¡¯t learned before, pick them up slowly. Being a Dragon Shepherd is not as simple as you think. Also, the attribute positioning of each dragon of yours previously was utter shit. When they awaken from their transformations, I¡¯ll help you adjust them,¡± Mr. Jinli continued. Zhu Minng listened like a young student heeding instruction, sincere and serious. Runyu City gradually grew in scale, and word spread that the city was protected by a King-level Honorable. There would be fair weather and no disasters in the future. Some of the old residents of Runyu City, who had wandered nearby, also gradually returned to the city.
Of course, since the city itself still mainly housed cultivators, it was unlikely to be aspletely peaceful and harmonious as the cities in other nations. Many days had passed, and Zhu Minng still wouldn¡¯t give up on checking his Spirit Realm. Indeed, a Reincarnation Transformation had urred. Bai Qi, Big ck Tooth, Qing Zhuo, Mo Ye¡­
His four cutest Dragon Babies, he was not used to not having them wreaking havoc in his Spirit Realm! That day, the Heavenly ughter Dragon woke up. As a Dragon King, its pride simply couldn¡¯t be concealed. When it was crossing tribtion, it had indeed witnessed the powers of the Ice Morning White Dragon and the Sword Spirit Dragon and had some respect for them. Who would have thought that after waking up from sleep, they had all devolved? And his master, Zhu Minng, now had no dragons tomand! Talk about getting nothing for something! It had been promised higher peaks of achievement, a beautiful future female Dragon God, and endless spiritual resources, yet Zhu Minng had fallen back to being a mortal! Not quite a mortal, his Spirit Realm had strong Spiritual Energy, certainly offering more benefits than training in ruins, but he had signed a Spirit Contract, and it surely couldn¡¯t just be for a Mobile Spiritual Spring! ¡°It¡¯s an ident, this is an ident. The things I promised you before will definitely still be there. As a dragon, you mustn¡¯t focus on appearances, you need to have foresight!¡± Zhu Minng heard theints of the Heavenly ughter Dragon and hurried tofort it. ¡°Hmmph!!!!!¡± The Heavenly ughter Dragon rolled its eyes. Humans really can¡¯t be relied upon. ¡°By the way, what do you eat? Why don¡¯t you go to the ruins and find something to eat yourself?¡± Zhu Minng thought for a moment, realizing he needed to sort out the Heavenly ughter Dragon¡¯s dragon food.
¡°Hmm??¡± The Heavenly ughter Dragon looked at Zhu Minng. Is there no justice left in this world? Is the Dragon Shepherd not even taking care of meals anymore? This Dragon King will revolt, and the revolt starts today! ¡°Alright, alright, I¡¯m just joking with you. After all, it¡¯s our first official day of being together. First, tell me your taste preferences. I will then help you find the right food ording to your attributes and abilities, whether you want to eat meat, vegetarian, gold, or brass¡­¡± Zhu Minng patted the tail of the Heavenly ughter Dragon, telling it to rx a little. ¡°Hmm!!¡± The Heavenly ughter Dragon informed Zhu Minng that it was currently only interested in the blood of a Ten Thousand Year Saint Spirit. With the increase in cultivation base, the difficulty of hunting would greatly increase. In the past, killing demon spirits over three thousand years old was enough. Zhu Minng scratched his head. Ten-thousand-year-old demons, blood of a Saint Spirit, such things were probably not for sale in ces like the Tea-colored Ground. It seemed he would have to hunt personally. ¡°I¡¯ll have someone inquire for us, find out where there might be ten-thousand-year-old creatures wreaking havoc, then we¡¯ll go there and drink the freshest,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°Hmm!¡± The Heavenly ughter Dragon nodded. For it to find a Ten Thousand Year Saint Spirit on its own was very difficult.
It didn¡¯t have the Dragon Shepherd¡¯s ability to track scents, nor did it have the ability to pass on information like humans can. Chapter 339 - 341: Immortal Ghost Chapter 339: Chapter 341: Immortal Ghost To the east of the tea-colored ground, a vast expanse of forest spread toward the horizon, separated by a continuous range of mountains. Due to the approaching winter, the leaves were sparse, the branches reached for the sky, and the somewhat drynd had turned a dark brown color. Between the mountains and forests, therey a magnificent cluster of mountain pces, each built in a unique and intricate design. Some looked as though they were suspended on the cliffs, while others seemed to sit atop the enormous horizontal branches. At night, this collection of halls halfway up the mountain appeared even more luxurious, emanating a serene and mythical aura, like an ancient temple with a legacy of thousands of years, still prosperous and revered to this day. At the foot of the mountainy a small city, known as Guanglin City, and the mountain pceplex belonged to none other than the Purple Sect Forest, the foremost among the Four Great Sects! Clouds and mists twined, mystical creatures converged, and as tranquil as half an Immortal Hall, the Purple Sect Forest did not have many sect locations on the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent, but each one wielded absolute authority. At this moment, inside the Shanqing Pce of Purple Sect Forest, numerous strong figures from different powers and nations gathered, each possessing at least the cultivation base of Monarch Level. In Guanglin City, visitors streamed in without end. Many had heard the news and had spontaneously gathered under the town belonging to the Purple Sect Forest, supporting its call while also trying to make their own names known. ¡°Thank you all foring to Purple Sect Forest. This Sealing Demon Order is jointly initiated by the Four Great Sects. Every winter, when all is silent, food scarce, and spiritual energy rare, some demon spirits, demon spirits, and even ferocious Holy Spirits will wreak havoc. As an upright famous sect, as the leading Sect, we at Purple Sect Forest ought to take up this responsibility and return peace to the people.¡± ¡°However, our Purple Sect Forest has a limited number of personnel and still requires the assistance of heroes from all directions.¡± ¡°This time¡¯s demonic threates from an ancient race known as the Immortal Ghosts. Not long ago, disciples of the various sects encountered some Little Immortal Ghosts in the process of exterminating evil for the people. These Immortal Ghosts possess very peculiar abilities; they can attach themselves to the mountains, turning into rocks, hide within the forest as trees, and even dive into rivers to be water. ording to the information collected from various ces, there are River Immortal Ghosts, Forest Immortal Ghosts, Ground Immortal Ghosts, and the extremely fearsome Mountain Immortal Ghosts¡­¡± In the brightly lit mountain hall, an elder of Purple Sect Forest sat upright, dressed in a light golden robe, wearing the crown of an elder, seated at the center of this assembly of heroes, exuding dignity and authority! When he spoke, the others were exceptionally quiet, and one could see the respect and reverence they had for this elder of Purple Sect Forest. ¡°The River, Forest, and Ground Immortal Ghosts, even the weakest among them is at Monarch Level. They seem to possess Mountain River Divine Skills and can easily level a small-scale city with the forces they control. City walls of greater states are ineffective against such Immortal Ghosts. Although we currently do not know their purpose or why they would wreak such havoc on humannds, I still ask everyone to join forces and confront these Immortal Ghosts, which may have survived for over ten thousand years!¡± Elder Fengchang of Purple Sect Forest spoke loudly. ¡°Elder Fengchang, Immortal Ghosts are unique and terrifying, and ordinary methods are hardly effective against them. Moreover, the River and Forest Immortal Ghosts have already demonstrated tremendously frightening power. The Haoqi Martial School has suffered many losses among Monarch Level Cultivators, and even a Master-Level Powerhouse was tragically killed by the Ground Immortal Ghost, not to mention the existence of the Mountain Immortal Ghosts,¡± Wen Mengru from Miao Mountain Sword Sect said. Wen Mengru, who had been traveling with Master Bai Qin¡¯an, heard about the Immortal Ghosts. As a member of the Four Great Sects, responding to the Sealing Demon Order was an absolute obligation. Bai Qin¡¯an remained silent, her presence there solely in adherence to the Sect Leader¡¯s wishes. However, the Immortal Ghosts had rmed the Four Great Sects, so they were undoubtedly no ordinary demonic pests! ¡°We have no information on the Mountain Immortal Ghosts yet, but every single Immortal Ghost possesses incredible abilities. Heroes, do not act alone; the moment you encounter an Immortal Ghost¡­¡± Elder Fengchang of Purple Sect Forest was interrupted mid-sentence. ¡°Boom!!!!!¡± The great hall suddenly shook violently, and thenterns hanging from the tall pirs fell to the ground. Spilledmp oil spread mes across the floor as several disciples rushed over, quickly smothering the spreading fire with nkets. ¡°Apologies, as we are built upon the mountainside, our Guangshan Purple Sect Forest asionally experiences minor earthquakes; there¡¯s no need for concern,¡± Elder Fengchang of Purple Sect Forest said with a smile, ¡°Now, where was I¡­¡± ¡°Boom! Boom! Boom!!!!!!!!!¡± Suddenly, an even more violent shaking caused all the tables and chairs in the mountain temple to topple over, leaving hardly anyone able to stand steadily; everyone fell to the ground. ¡°Such a strong earthquake,¡± Elder Feng said, steadying himself with some surprise. He looked up, only to see a gigantic crack that had appeared at the top of the great hall. The crack extended from the entrance all the way to the back of the hall, as if it split the hall in two. Through this long fissure, Elder Feng could even see the clear night sky. But it was this casual nce that struck Elder Feng like a thunderbolt, nearly shattering his soul! Outside the crack of the great hall, in the night sky, stood a colossal figure!! It emerged from the mighty expanse of Guangshan, as if it had always resided within the mountain itself, as if the mountain was its very torso!! The great hall shook violently, and this time, the shaking caused everyone to be thrown to the ground. ¡°Bang! Bang! Bang!!!!!!!!¡± The mountain temple crumbled, the mountain itself quaked, and all the people inside the great hall fled in terror, flying out towards the peak. Just as they reached halfway up the mountain, they saw a mountain within Guangshan writhing; all the shaking and quaking originated from this moving mountain! The mountain had limbs, its upper limbs were extremely thick. It swung a palm, aiming it towards the cluster of temples of Purple Sect n, immediately causing mountains to copse and halls to crumble; those who did not manage to fly out in time were turned to dust along with the temples!! The mountain then leaped up, ferociously mming into the pces of Purple Sect n. The mountain range indented, forests copsed, and countless Monarch Level Divine and Mortal beings perished in this collision, not to mention the Dragon Trainers who did not even have a chance to call their Dragon Beasts and were buried in the depths of the fractured mountain!!! ¡°Mountain¡­ Mountain Immortal Ghost!!!!!¡± Someone, with a hoarse voice, cried out this phrase. The heroes who had gathered at Purple Sect n were so scared their scalps tingled; hearing someone identify the monstrous identity of the mountain creature, they nearly fainted! Sect Destruction!! This creature from the heavens was eradicating an entire sect!! But this was Purple Sect n!! One of the Four Great Sects, even if not the highest pce of Purple Sect n, this ce had been passed down for over a thousand years on thisnd, its strength and heritage such that no sect, power, or national army could possibly shake it. And yet, now it was being demolished by the Mountain Immortal Ghost that had appeared without warning, and many of the assembled experts had also perished!! Chapter 340 - 342: River Immortal Ghost Chapter 340: Chapter 342: River Immortal Ghost Bai Qin¡¯an and Wen Mengru were currently standing on two white flying swords, suspended in the air under this terrifying scene, insignificant as two moths that couldn¡¯t attract any attention. The Mountain Immortal Ghost, like a Heavenly God, paid no heed to those who fled like birds and beasts, the so-called group of heroes. It directly snapped off a peak from the mountains of Guangshan and, holding it high in its arms, ruthlessly smashed it down onto the remaining pces of the Guangshan Zizong Forest! The Guangshan Zizong Forest crumbled along with Guangshan, including the town of Guanglin at the foot of the mountain that also suffered a great disaster. Countless stones, rolling down with formidable force along the copsing mountain, could tten all the houses on a street with just onerge rock¡­ The mountain was not moist, and it was not an enormous amount of sand and soil that slid down, but heavy, hard boulders. Even with many cultivators who had gathered in the town, they were crushed to pieces!! The Mountain Immortal Ghost still stood in the area of Guangshan, its body almost level with the mountain range. With the ghost moon overhead and the stars dimmed, the vast heavens and boundless earth seemed too narrow for such a god demon, let alone the struggling creatures in this mortal world! ¡°Leave this ce,¡± Bai Qin¡¯an said, her face deathly pale, having never seen a more evil creature than this, powerful enough to be indistinguishable from real gods. Bai Qin¡¯an and Wen Mengru were fortunate; they set off on their flying swords as the Mountain Immortal Ghost began its ughter. To the Mountain Immortal Ghost, the so-called Monarch Levels were no different from ordinary birds and sparrows. Bai Qin¡¯an and Wen Mengru were like two moths slipping through the fingers of a colossal being, surviving not because they were particrly fast or had fled far, but simply because they were too inconspicuous, and the Mountain Immortal Ghost was preupied with other ces! The two of them were distraught, no longer remembering in which direction they had fled. Wen Mengru¡¯s eyes were lifeless, her beliefspletely overturned at the moment she saw the true face of the Mountain Immortal Ghost. Once upon a time, she believed that the Sect Forest was the strongest,manding all cultivators, the authority of this world, transcending all things. But she had witnessed the Mountain Immortal Ghost. She saw the Guangshan Zizong Forest trampled and brought down in a brief moment, countless Monarch Level Powerhouses in like flies, her heart copsing along with Guangshan! She herself was merely at Monarch Level, struggling through twenty years of cultivation, surviving merely because she was insignificant¡­ What then was the meaning of cultivation? What was the Heavenly Dao they pursued?? As a Hall Master and an elder, Bai Qin¡¯an¡¯s heart wasn¡¯t much different from Wen Mengru¡¯s. She too had never heard of such beings as Immortal Ghosts, nor did she know that a Mountain Immortal Ghost could be so powerful. One moment, the Purple Sect n was brightly lit, with many renowned and strong cultivators gathered together, acting righteously under the open heavens. The next, they were being brutally murdered, with the Mountain Immortal Ghost looking down upon them like a god demon watching a bunch of ridiculous crawling insects¡­ ¡°I¡­ I¡¯ll get some water,¡± Bai Qin¡¯an said, looking at the unsettled Wen Mengru and trying to muster some spirit. There was a river ahead, albeit a bit cold and with some turbidity floating on it, but she was beyond caring at this point. As she unscrewed the water bottle, gazing at the slightly muddy river water, just about to collect some water, the river suddenly became turbulent, nearly sweeping away the water bottle from Bai Qin¡¯an¡¯s hand. Bai Qin¡¯an stared nkly for a moment, then turned her gaze to the surface of the river. This river¡­ ¡­appeared abruptly on the tnds. Typically, rivers have their own channels, lying lower than the ground, with wend nts like reeds growing around; if it hasn¡¯t rained recently, the contours of the banks can usually be clearly seen. But this river had no so-called riverbed. The water flowed as if on level ground, more precisely, it seemed like water flooding over rather than regrly surging in a channel! Suddenly, Bai Qin¡¯an realized something and hurriedly drew out her white flying sword! At the same time, the abrupt river water rose like a dragon, its surging flow forming its elongated body, and limbs of crawling creatures extended from the sides! The increasingly muddy water, near where the chest would be, revealed a sinister face, emitting a cruel, eerieugh. It moved like a spider centipede, but rapidly crawled through the air. Its turbid, watery body danced above Bai Qin¡¯an and Wen Mengru, mocking the two humans. The foul smell of the river¡¯s silt filled the air, making Bai Qin¡¯an, who almost drank the water, feel nauseated. As for Wen Mengru, already deeply unsettled, seeing the river turn into a ghost was too much to bear, and she copsed on the ground. ¡°River Immortal Ghost!¡± ¡°The River Immortal Ghost has appeared!¡± ¡°River Immortal Ghost!!!¡± Piercing cries came from not far away, where a post station was located, which also responded to the Four Great Sects¡¯ Sealing Demon Order. ¡°There are two women trapped by the River Immortal Ghost; help them!¡± a man from the Haoqi Martial School eximed. ¡°The River Immortal Ghost likes to toy with people. It will allow them to resist for a while until it gets bored, then fill their lungs with river water, drowning them alive. If you want to save them, you go ahead¡ªI¡­ I dare not!¡± ¡°Are we just going to watch them be tormented to death?¡± ¡°The River Immortal Ghost is the weakest, isn¡¯t it? If we all join hands, there is still hope of driving it back.¡± Inside the post station, many cultivators were terrified, and some righteous individuals wanted to extend a helping hand. But they did nothing more than rally others and no one dared to approach the area the River Immortal Ghost had ensnared. The River Immortal Ghost descended from the sky, turning into a ring-shaped river, trapping Wen Mengru and Bai Qin¡¯an within its waters. Wen Mengru and Bai Qin¡¯an were like damsels in distress stranded on a sandbar during a flood, forced to watch helplessly as the water raged more fiercely and their foothold shrunk increasingly smaller. Their helplessness and fear were clear on their faces, and the temperament of the two female sword masters-cum-cultivators had beenpletely shattered, leaving them no different from any other vulnerable woman. ¡°What evil spirit is causing trouble here?¡± Just then, someone at the post station bellowed angrily and quickly charged toward the sinister river. A flowing face, twisted and malevolent, surfaced within the river, exuding mockery and disdain. ¡°Young man, don¡¯t go over there, that¡¯s the River Immortal Ghost! Do you know about the offerings to the River God? Those two girls are out of luck; they¡¯ve fallen into the water and offered themselves to the River God. Don¡¯t just look at them struggling; they¡¯re already dead. If you go over now and anger the River God, our viges will suffer,¡± an old man said frantically. ¡°Old man, do you think I¡¯m blind? They¡¯re still alive and well. Stop spreading these outdated superstitions. It¡¯s just something in the river that has be a spirit. I¡¯ll destroy itpletely,¡± Zhu Minng said. Rushing toward the river, Zhu Minng caught sight of the two helpless female sword masters. On a closer look, they were two acquaintances! ¡°Senior Bai, Wen Junior Sister!¡± Zhu Minng eximed in surprise. ¡°Zhu Minng??¡± Bai Qin¡¯an saw him and a glimmer of joy appeared on her face, but then dimmed again as she thought of her current predicament. ¡°What kind of monster is this, toying and humiliating you like this?¡± Zhu Minng asked. ¡°It¡¯s the River Immortal Ghost. Zhu Minng, please hurry to the Miao Mountain Sword Sect and ask Sect Leader Meng to intervene. We¡¯ve seen¡­ We¡¯ve seen the Mountain Immortal Ghost; it has destroyed the Guangshan Zizong Forest,¡± Bai Qin¡¯an said as if she had epted her fate. ¡°You¡¯re in a bad situation now!¡± As Zhu Minng approached the river, it thrashed like an irate Jiaolong, its body twisting wildly. ¡°We can¡¯t survive, and you¡¯re probably not a match for this River Immortal Ghost either. Don¡¯t waste your life for us in vain,¡± Bai Qin¡¯an said. ¡°Senior Bai, you¡¯re really funny. Just this little trickster spirit, I¡¯ll take care of it as easily as picking teeth,¡± Zhu Minng said. Having said that, Zhu Minng opened his Spirit Realm, intending to summon the Sword Spirit Dragon and the Ice Morning White Dragon to beat up this life-toying creature¡­ Soon Zhu Minng noticed his two Dragons were sleeping soundly, like babies, and they were so weak that not even a strong wind could wake them. ¡°Um, Heavenly ughter Dragon, you must be thirsty by now, see if this River Immortal Ghost¡¯s water is to your taste,¡± Zhu Minng said to the Heavenly ughter Dragon. The Heavenly ughter Dragon poked its head out from the totem, squinting as it took stock of the River Immortal Ghost. It had a heavenly journey of ten thousand years. But it had no blood. It wasn¡¯t its food. Yet, the essence of the river could indeed quench its thirst, replenishing its body¡¯s fluids substantially. The Heavenly ughter Dragon eventually flew out from the Spirit Realm. Having undergone the tribtion of crossing and ascension and the reshaping by the fire from the stars above, its body had indeed lost a lot of fluids, and the River Immortal Ghost, which had just emerged as a Holy Spirit for ten thousand years, would serve well to replenish its marrow and living blood. ¡°Ngh!!!!!¡± The Heavenly ughter Dragon couldn¡¯t be bothered to unfold its wings and simply glided along the ground. Its scale feathers were dark yet dazzlingly bright, and its jet jade skin showcased the Dragon King¡¯s majesty! With its body held high, exuding the intimidatory aura like a royal serpent, it opened its mouth, revealing a throat like a profound universe, from where the terrifying destructive starlight poured out!!! The destructive starlight pierced through the River Immortal Ghost, revealing its defiant and gruesome facade in agony, followed by a scream like that of a Ghost Monkey! The murky river body disintegrated, revealing a Demonic Bone, resembling a centipede but with a huge human face hidden within the water, invisible to the ordinary eye. A single Dragon Breath from the Heavenly ughter Dragon revealed its true form. ¡°Hu¡± A breath, like spark powder, dispersed from the Heavenly ughter Dragon¡¯s nose, as if it were a contemptuous snort at something beneath its notice. The Heavenly ughter Dragon opened its mouth and nonchntly bit down on the River Immortal Ghost¡¯s true form. The River Immortal Ghost let out another piercing scream, struggling furiously, but to no avail. The River Immortal Ghost gradually lost all signs of life, and the Heavenly ughter Dragon, undisturbed by the shocked onlookers at the post station, nonchntly spat out the Immortal Ghost¡¯s remains, akin to discarding trash, and then contentedly absorbed the essence of the water¡­ Chapter 341: 343: Annihilation of the Sect? Chapter 341: Chapter 343: Annihtion of the Sect? At the post station, those so-called righteous people were staring with their eyes wide and mouths agape! Why had the River Immortal Ghost exuded such a terrifying aura earlier, one so horrifying that everyone lost their sense of righteousness, standing afar like cowards, only daring to sigh and not approach? Yet now, the River Immortal Ghost resembled a tiny sprite, casually mauled by the arriving man¡¯s dragon as if it were a toy. Was the River Immortal Ghost too weak, or was this man in front of them too powerful? The answer is definitely thetter, as these people had just witnessed the strength of the River Immortal Ghost with their own eyes. There was only one reason it could be taken down so effortlessly! ¡°May I ask, Dragon Herding Sanctifier, is this a higher Dragon King? So¡­ so impressive,¡± a Dragon Shepherd in his thirties dared to approach and asked in a low voice. ¡°Ignorant, to kill the River Immortal Ghost so easily, the sanctifier¡¯s dragon must be a Peak Dragon King, could it be that the sanctifier is from the Purple Sect n??¡± a man riding a tiger beast dragon said. Zhu Minng heard these people¡¯s discussion and couldn¡¯t help but smile, yet he did not respond. He walked towards Wen Mengru and Bai Qin¡¯an, who were trapped in the center of the water flow.
The two Swordswomen had extremely poorplexions, as if they had endured a great shock, like little birds in a forest after a storm, still frightened and likely to remain so for a long time. Zhu Minng took off his water sk and handed it to them, telling them to calm their emotions first. Zhu Minng was also puzzled in his heart; the River Immortal Ghost was indeed a very strange creature, powerful and eerie, tormenting people¡¯s souls, but it shouldn¡¯t have frightened the two heart-and-sword cultivating Swordswomen to this extent. With Bai Qin¡¯an¡¯s strength, she should have been able to contend with the River Immortal Ghost. ¡°Come with me to the inn to rest first, and we can talk about what happened slowly,¡± said Zhu Minng as he helped the two Swordswomen up. ¡°We¡­ we saw¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t rush, don¡¯t worry, you need rest, forget what you saw for now,¡± Zhu Minngforted. The two Swordswomen were obviously unsettled, which Zhu Minng could tell from their expressions and condition. The matter was definitely not simple, and he even felt they were forcing themselves to prevent a mental copse¡­ In such a state, asking them to recall and speak of it would be like pushing them into the abyss of fear. Bai Qin¡¯an and Wen Mengru were truly frightened out of their wits. Even Bai Qin¡¯an, who always had a certain dignified andposed air of a mentor around Zhu Minng, disyed some regressive behavior. People only revert to childlike responses of crying and breaking down when they encounter terrifying sights and face things that are fundamentally unbearable to their hearts. At such times, they be extremely dependent on anything that can offer them a sense of security. Zhu Minng settled them down and took the opportunity to inquire about what had happened at the post station from other people there. ¡°Immortal Ghosts?¡± Zhu Minng¡¯s eyebrows raised¡ªthis was the first time he had heard of such a thing. ¡°Yes, Immortal Ghosts are nothing like the demon spirits and demon spirits wemonly encounter. These Immortal Ghosts generally have heaven-reaching powers; eithermanding a wide river, or causing a vast forest to tumble, and there is even talk of a Ground Immortal Ghost that can tten an entire city with a p¡­¡± said the same thirty-something-year-old man withrge ears earlier. ¡°Folk say they are beings like River Gods, Mountain Gods, Land Gods, and such. It¡¯s because people have not been worshiping them, not maintaining their temples, not making offerings to them in recent years, that we are now suffering these punishments!¡± ¡°Residents from over a dozen nearby towns and viges are already going door to door collecting money to build a temple for the River God, just to pacify the River God¡¯s anger. Moreover, since you killed the River Immortal Ghost, they¡¯re even more frightened. They believe that it was just an incarnation of the true River God, and by destroying the River God¡¯s incarnation, you¡¯ve provoked the River God¡¯s wrath!¡± In the eyes of many Cultivators, there are only powerful beings, no absolute gods. However, among themon folk, anyone who can control their fate is regarded as a deity, especially after seeing many Cultivators killed by Immortal Ghosts. They¡¯vee to believe even more firmly in the existence of River Gods, Mountain Gods, Land Gods.
¡°This is terrible! Everyone, run for your lives and forget about the Demon Sealing Gathering Order!¡± Suddenly, a person dressed in a Cultivator¡¯s robe rushed in and said to the various Cultivators resting in the inn. ¡°What kind of talk is that? Even though Immortal Ghosts are powerful and cruel, since the Purple Sect n has called upon us to unite and confront the Immortal Ghosts, how can we cower and hide? Don¡¯t you Cultivate for more than petty gains, with no sense of righteousness in your heart?¡± said a strikingly handsome Divine and Mortal with an earnest expression. ¡°The Purple Sect n that issued the call, the Guangshan Zizong Forest, has been destroyed. A great number of the Monarch Level Dragon Shepherds and Divine and Mortals have died within the Guangshan Zizong Forest. The people gathered in Guanglin Town fled overnight¡­¡± the person in the Cultivator¡¯s robe continued.
¡°Nonsense! How could the Zizong Forest be destroyed? With a thousand-year legacy and countless powerful Purple Dragons residing in the forest, unless a Heavenly God descends, there¡¯s no possibility of a Sect Forest being destroyed!¡± the young, strikingly handsome Divine and Mortal retorted. There were quite a few people in the inn, after all, they had all heard about the Sealing Demon Order and were heading to Guanglin City. Frankly speaking, being able to fight demons alongside the Four Major Sects was a rare opportunity. These Dragon Trainers and Divine and Mortals from different forces and Sects wanted to take this chance to showcase their strength and make a name for themselves in the world of Cultivators. For them, even if they couldn¡¯t join the action, it was worth it to go and pay respects to the high-level practitioners of the Four Great Sects. But before they even arrived, news came that the Guangshan Zizong Forest had been razed and many experts gathered in the main hall of the Four Major Sects had died tragically?? The Demon Sealing hasn¡¯t even officially begun, and the organizers are already dead! ¡°Those twodies, didn¡¯t they fly out from the direction of Guangshan Zizong Forest? Just ask them and we¡¯ll know the truth,¡± the man withrge ears said. ¡°Right¡­ looking at their attire, they seem to be from the Sword Sect.¡± ¡°They are from Miao Mountain Sword Sect; they are said to like wearing face-covering caps.¡± Zhu Minng¡¯s expression grew stern. Could it be true¡­ Has the Guangshan Zizong Forest really been destroyed? Given Wen Mengru and Bai Qin¡¯an¡¯s cultivation base and status, if there was a Demon Sealing Gathering Order, they should indeed have been in the main hall of Guangshan Zizong Forest, discussing strategies with other Sect Forest experts.
¡°I¡¯ll go ask; everyone please stay calm,¡± Zhu Minng knew the crowd was uneasy, so he stood up. The others couldn¡¯t be sure of the truth¡ªafter all, they were some distance from the Guangshan Zizong Forest, and they didn¡¯t possess any divine skills like irvoyance or super-hearing¡­ Honestly, unless they saw it with their own eyes, no one would want to believe such news. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, everyone. This gentleman here owns a Pinnacle Dragon Monarch; even if there are more formidable Immortal Ghosts, he can ensure our safety,¡± the man withrge ears spoke up. ¡°But inside the Guangshan Zizong Forest, there should have been several Peak Monarch Powerful Persons,¡± someone whispered. Upon hearing this, Zhu Minng turned solemnly and said, ¡°Everyone can think of it this way, if this is true, there¡¯s no difference between running and not running. Rather, let¡¯s sit down, order some more good food and drink, and at least enjoy ourselves greatly before the end.¡± Chapter 342: 344 The Emissary of the Imperial City Chapter 342: Chapter 344 The Emissary of the Imperial City In the inn, with a dozen tables and several dozen people, they were already served with plenty of good wine and dishes. Cultivators would never skimp on their living necessities such as food, clothing, shelter, or transportation. But for some unknown reason, after Zhu Minng finished his sentence, everyone lost their appetite and their will to drink; they just stared at each other across the tables¡­ When Zhu Minng arrived at the guest room, Bai Qin¡¯an¡¯s condition was somewhat better than Wen Mengru¡¯s. Wen Mengru hadin down and it was uncertain whether she had fainted or been scared unconscious, but either way, she seemed out of touch with reality. Indeed, she was just forcing herself not to fall down, relying on a sort of instinct to survive. Bai Qin¡¯an kept repeating one sentence, that was to return to Miao Mountain and ask for Head Meng. It seemed that in her consciousness, only Sect Leader Meng could give her a sense of security in this world. What exactly could have caused the two female sword cultivators to copse in spirit like this? ¡°Senior Bai, are you feeling better?¡± Zhu Minng came over and looked at Bai Qin¡¯an, who sat on the long bench with still-lifeless eyes. She wasn¡¯t wearing her veil now, and her face was haggard, devoid of any color. ¡°Zhu Minng, did you send the message back? Did Sect Leader Meng receive it?¡± Bai Qin¡¯an asked.
¡°I¡¯ve sent the message and described your condition. Just now, I heard from some people who escaped from Guanglin City that Guangshan Purple Sect Forest has been destroyed. Is that true?¡± asked Zhu Minng slowly. As he uttered these words, Bai Qin¡¯an¡¯s pupils dted, fear covering her cheeks, and her whole body trembled with anxiety, cold sweat seeping from her pale skin. ¡°Purple Sect Forest has been trampled, by an Immortal Ghost, a Mountain Immortal Ghost¡­ we¡­ we saw the Mountain Immortal Ghost, everyone in the hall died, Elder Feng died too¡­¡± Bai Qin¡¯an said somewhat incoherently. Many had died. Bai Qin¡¯an was continuously repeating the names of the deceased, those who had a certain reputation within the Four Major Sect ns, none of whom had survived under the Heavenly God arm of that Mountain Immortal Ghost. Those Purple Dragons with superior bloodlines, naturally possessing divine powers, were crushed like loaches and worms by that Mountain Immortal Ghost. Guangshan wasrge, but it couldn¡¯t withstand the Mountain Immortal Ghost¡¯s several collisions. Night fell, and amidst the earth and sky, the Mountain Immortal Ghost stood towering, making even the heavens and the earth seem somewhat cramped! That being was not a mortal creature, but a Heavenly God, a Heavenly Demon! ¡°The Mountain Immortal Ghost?¡± Zhu Minng pondered for a moment. Having only recently killed a so-called River Immortal Ghost, Zhu Minng thought the strength of other Immortal Ghosts would not be much different, indeed terrifying entities among demons and monsters. Yet, he had never expected that the River Immortal Ghost and the Forest Immortal Ghost were the weakest among the Immortal Ghosts. A Ground Immortal Ghost had once killed a Martial Master of the highest rank. And the Mountain Immortal Ghost had justst night crushed the Guangshan Purple Sect Forest to pieces!! The Guangshan Purple Sect Forest was a branch of the Purple Sect n in thesends and had a history spanning over a thousand years. It controlled the order of over twenty countries and was one of the most authoritative forces on this continent. Yet it was directly trampled by the Mountain Immortal Ghost. The experts inside were ughtered, and those who survived were only fortunate. Zhu Minng hadn¡¯t imagined that Immortal Ghosts would be of such a level. If not for having a Dragon King by his side, he probably would have turned to run already. Zhu Minng hade here to seek out several thousand-year-old monsters using the Sealing Demon Order, in hopes of filling his Heavenly ughter Dragon¡¯s belly. Little did he know such a major event would ur. With one of Purple Sect n¡¯s branch sects destroyed, it was likely that the Purple Sect n in the Imperial City would send people over. Many powerful figures in the Imperial City would probably also arrive here as soon as possible. Who knows where a creature like the Mountain Immortal Ghost would appear next?
Wherever it appears, it would be a human tragedy! Zhu Minng hadn¡¯t gone far; the Heavenly ughter Dragon had to fill its stomach after all. With the emergence of Immortal Ghosts, the movements of some Ten Thousand Year Saint Spirits had also be rampant. During his stay at the post station these days, Zhu Minng had indeed caught the trail of a Ten Thousand Year Saint Spirit. The Mountain Immortal Ghost had disappeared without a trace. Its deeds had spread across these twenty-some nations, and hundreds of millions of people lived under the shadow of the Mountain Immortal Ghost. Panic was spreading wildly, and even the Sects that cultivators prided themselves on were not at ease.
Finally, some Sect Leader-level figures from the Four Major Sects arrived, including some of the strongest individuals from the Imperial City. They also began searching for the trail of the Mountain Immortal Ghost. These days, Zhu Minng had mainly been hunting River Immortal Ghosts. The cultivation base of the River Immortal Ghosts was over ten thousand years, and the cultivation base of different River Immortal Ghosts varied. The Ten Thousand Year Saint Spirit Zhu Minng was currently pursuing might well be one that had cultivated for over thirteen thousand years. The TianSha Dragon King needed the blood of such Holy Spirits as food. Despite knowing that there were more terrifying Immortal Ghosts out there, Zhu Minng still needed to feed the TianSha Dragon King first. The traces of the Immortal Ghosts were intermittent, and Zhu Minng couldn¡¯t be too hasty. Moreover, what was called tracking was, to a greater extent, waiting for their next appearance. Once Immortal Ghosts concealed themselves in rivers, forests, or the earth, even the vastest divine skills couldn¡¯t locate them. As a hunter, Zhu Minng was also patient. He nned to return to the inn to rest and marshal his energy. ording to his tracking over these days, the thirteen-thousand-year-old Saint Spirit he was looking for would soon reveal itself! Upon arriving at the inn, Zhu Minng went to visit Wen Mengru and Bai Qin¡¯an. However, there were other people in the women¡¯s room, a man and a woman. The man was dressedvishly and nobly, his attireplete with essories, including a decorative sword on his waist, although he was not a Sword Master¡­ The woman was dressed simply, with an aloof air. Her hair was proudly coiled up, secured only by the simplest patterned hairpin. Her cheeks were fair and delicate, her phoenix eyes bright, and in her hand was an ancient-looking longsword. ¡°Thank you. You should rest well,¡± the man said as if he had finished his inquiries. He gave a bow and then turned to leave. As the two prepared to leave, they saw Zhu Minng at the door. Thevishly dressed man seemed somewhat surprised, looking at Zhu Minng.
The aloof woman also fixed her gaze on him, her eyes shimmering slightly. ¡°Zhu Minng?¡± the woman was the first to speak. Beside them, Pu Shiming opened his mouth as if to say something, but ultimately he only maintained a polite smile and stood aside. ¡°Aunt Xuehen,¡± Zhu Minng was equally surprised. The visitor turned out to be Zhu Xuehen. Had the Imperial City sent her to investigate the Mountain Immortal Ghost? But weren¡¯t they the Orderers of the Li Chuan Continent? Zhu Xuehen¡¯s presence had evidently changed since theirst encounter. Wait a minute¡­ Previously, his cultivation base had not been high enough, and he hadn¡¯t detected the breath she had concealed. It turned out she had already crossed that heavenly threshold. If it wasn¡¯t for the fact that he now had a King-Level Dragon which indirectly enhanced his own perception abilities, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to detect her hidden cultivation base. No wonder the Imperial City had sent her here. Her Sword Territory was already transcendent and sanctified, and now that her cultivation base had reached the King Level, her strength was even more terrifying!
Chapter 343: 345 Like-minded People Chapter 343: Chapter 345 Like-minded People ¡°Pu Shiming, I have some things to say to Zhu Minng. Go check the area by the water,¡± Zhu Xuehen instructed Pu Shiming. Pu Shiming nced at them, nodded, and headed outside the inn, towards the ce where the River Immortal Ghost that Zhu Minng had killed appeared. Zhu Xuehen moved to the other side of the inn and stood under arge camphor tree. She stood in front of the tree with her back to Zhu Minng, her coiled hair and the cor of her dress exposing her snowy white neck. Zhu Minng saw that she wasn¡¯t speaking and remained silent himself. It had always been like this over the years; Zhu Xuehen wasn¡¯t particrly talkative. Sometimes she would just leave behind a Sword Score without a word, and Zhu Minng would know he had to recite it in its entirety. Zhu Minng had always called Zhu Xuehen an elder, but more often, she seemed like an ice-cold and proud older sister. She wasn¡¯t much older than he was. After joining Miao Mountain Sword Sect, Zhu Minng was thrown by Elder Sword Sovereign into the Abandoned Sword Forest to live with Zhu Xuehen. Usually, Elder Sword Sovereign was rarely seen, and it was Zhu Xuehen who more often taught Zhu Minng swordsmanship. So to outsiders, Zhu Xuehen seemed more like Zhu Minng¡¯s master. The wind was strong, after all it was winter, and the branches of the camphor tree swayed, producing sounds like an old man¡¯s pained moans. Zhu Xuehen turned around, as usual, without any pleasantries, she got straight to the point, ¡°Where is the woman who was with you?¡± ¡°Whichdy are you referring to, Aunt?¡± asked Zhu Minng, puzzled.
¡°The one I saw in the Ancestral Dragon City-State,¡± Zhu Xuehen said. ¡°Nan Lingsha?¡± Zhu Minng replied. ¡°Do you know what their identities are?¡± Zhu Xuehen pressed on. ¡°They are from the Li Family of the Nan n of the Ancestral Dragon City-State; isn¡¯t that quite obvious?¡± Zhu Minng was in turn baffled. ¡°Li Chuan is not an istednd; its surroundings are filled with various strange forbiddennds. Some of these forbiddennds are more terrifying than many ancient temples in the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent. It is lost territory from some continent, and at least it is not part of the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent,¡± Zhu Xuehen said seriously. ¡°The world is both splitting and adjoining. I too have had such spections,¡± Zhu Minng nodded in agreement. ¡°The Imperial City has already grasped some crucial clues. If nothing goes wrong, their other identities will soon be noticed,¡± continued Zhu Xuehen. ¡°What identity?¡± Zhu Minng inquired, not understanding. ¡°Outsiders.¡± ¡°Every resident of Li Chuan Continent, for the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent, aren¡¯t they all outsiders? Or rather, to the people of the Li Chuan Continent, isn¡¯t everyone from the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent an outsider as well?¡± Zhu Minng stated. Two continents, originally not intending to connect, were now adjoined to each other; to one another, they were all people from beyond their own worlds. Zhu Minng didn¡¯t feel that this identity was particrly noteworthy; after all, the world was boundless and there were still many unexplored ces. The Supreme Court Courtyard Continent might as well be considered small and backward from the perspective of another world. ¡°What do you think my cultivation base is now?¡± Zhu Xuehen suddenly asked. This question truly stumped Zhu Minng. Zhu Xuehen¡¯s cultivation base was particrly strange. When Zhu Minng was at Miao Mountain Sword Sect, he could be called a sword cultivator prodigy, his rate of cultivation progression surprised all the masters and was considered heavenly. There was no one else around Zhu Minng at the time, so he always used Zhu Xuehen as a benchmark, aiming to surpass her one day. However, each time he ascended to a new realm, Zhu Minng felt as though Zhu Xuehen¡¯s cultivation base had also climbed to a new level. It was the same now.
Being almost a King-level Dragon Shepherd himself with far greater insights than ordinary cultivators, when he looked again at Zhu Xuehen¡¯s cultivation, she had indeed progressed¡­ Of course, this wasn¡¯t all that strange. After all, it¡¯s impossible for one to be the only person making progress in this world. For Zhu Xuehen to reach King-level was only a matter of time.
¡°King-level,¡± Zhu Minng said aloud. ¡°Then, how many people in this world do you think could defeat me?¡± Zhu Xuehen continued to ask. ¡°This¡­ Aunt, although being at the King Level is very impressive, to my knowledge, all the big Sects and Family Doors have some old monsters who are King-level strongmen. Looking over the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent, there should also be no shortage of people with King Level cultivation base. Moreover, Aunt should be at the King Level preliminary or lower tier, so facing those in the middle and peak levels, it would probably be very difficult,¡± Zhu Minng very sincerely said. ¡°Thousands of people can defeat me, but within a maximum of three years, there will be less than ten people who can,¡± Zhu Xuehen gave Zhu Minng an extremely confident answer. Zhu Minng looked at his young and aloof aunt, feeling waves churning in his heart. She truly was his master. This arrogance was exactly the same! ¡°I believe Aunt can do it,¡± Zhu Minng nodded. ¡°They can do it too,¡± at this moment, Zhu Xuehen¡¯s tone suddenly changed. ¡°They?¡± Zhu Minng was slightly stunned. ¡°Li Yunzi, Nan Lingsha.¡± Zhu Xuehen stated their names and continued indifferently, ¡°Some talents are innate; they are the same kind of people as me, but they are also very dangerous.¡± ¡°Why are you telling me all this, Aunt? What exactly do you want me to do?¡± Zhu Minng became even more confused. The identities of the Sisters Li Nan were something Zhu Minng roughly knew about; they were descendants of the Divine Consorts and likely belonged to one of the oldest families with significant potential for cultivation, blessed with exceptional talent and possessing an ancestral inheritance¡­
But Zhu Xuehen suddenly saying she was the same kind of person as them made Zhu Minng even more puzzled. Could it be that Zhu Xuehen was also a descendant of the Divine Consorts, one of the earliest founders of the Dragon Shepherd, or someone who had divine revtions to be a God and Mortal? Their exceptional talents and superior bloodline meant they could improve their cultivation base much faster than anyone else?? ¡°Stay away from them.¡± After saying those words, Zhu Xuehen didn¡¯t say much else and walked along the path towards the river. ¡°So Aunt, the way you always act like a stranger to me, is it also because of this reason?¡± Zhu Minng asked. ¡°Yes,¡± Zhu Xuehen responded. ¡°Well, that¡¯s a relief. I thought I hadpletely disappointed you.¡± ¡°Disappointed indeed. I hope one day you can see my true cultivation base, and then you will be qualified to hear some words,¡± she said. Zhu Minng watched Zhu Xuehen¡¯s retreating figure. So proud! If one didn¡¯t know any better, they might think there was a blood feud between them. At the very least, they used to be family members who lived and worked together closely.
But what exactly did Zhu Xuehen tell him? That they are the same kind of people?? What kind of people?? Do they possess a legacy that is beyond this world¡¯s understanding and shoulder a grand mission, not wanting to burden him? Or are they heavenly beings who descended to experience life but must not harbor any sentiment for mortals, bound to return to the Heavenly Court when the timees? If it¡¯s thetter, Zhu Minng could understand why Zhu Xuehen seemed to want topletely sever ties with him once and for all. But Zhu Minng felt that Zhu Xuehen was also not quite at ease with his decision to abandon sword cultivation. Indeed, he had let her down, for with her character, she would not whimsically teach a disciple. Chapter 344: 346 Mutual Praise in Business Chapter 344: Chapter 346 Mutual Praise in Business By the river, the murky water flowed slowly through the low-lying areas, while some withered reeds swayed listlessly in the cold wind. Pu Shiming stood by the water with some soil on his fingers, as if discerning the spiritual properties of the mud. Zhu Xuehen approached, her expression no different from before, except for the unusual luster swirling in her eyes, not as focused as usual. It was him again. Pu Shiming turned his head and looked towards the camphor trees near the inn. Pu Shiming had worked with Zhu Xuehen for some time now, and he remembered that thest time her emotions fluctuated was also because she saw Zhu Minng. Pu Shiming had done some investigation and found out that Zhu Xuehen was Zhu Minng¡¯s master, and that they had lived together in the Abandoned Sword Forest of the Miao Mountain Sword Sect for ten years. Was it merely because they were rtives? He had seen Zhu Xuehen faced with other rtives from Zhu Gate and those in the Imperial City, and her emotions had never fluctuated like this. ¡°That Zhu Minng is very special to you, isn¡¯t he?¡± Pu Shiming asked with a gentle smile as if inquiring between friends.
¡°What about the clues?¡± Zhu Xuehen didn¡¯t even bother to engage with the topic Pu Shiming brought up, asking coldly. ¡°It went towards the forest to the west. But it should be just a River Immortal Ghost or a Forest Immortal Ghost,¡± Pu Shiming said. ¡°Then I¡¯ll leave that to you,¡± Zhu Xuehen said. If it were only a River Immortal Ghost or a Forest Immortal Ghost, there was no need for Zhu Xuehen to take action. She was looking for Ground Immortal Ghosts and Mountain Immortal Ghosts. Especially the Mountain Immortal Ghost, a being capable of annihting the Guangshan Zizong Forest must be extraordinary, and such beings far beyond the human realm were the only ones worth honing swords against. Zhu Xuehen left, her destination unknown. Pu Shiming, however, furrowed his brows. He walked towards the inn, where he saw two swordswomen from the Miao Mountain Sword Sect being escorted away by people from Sect Forest, and Zhu Minng was standing at the entrance of the inn, watching them leave. ¡°Zhu Minng,¡± called out Pu Shiming, stopping Zhu Minng who intended to leave. ¡°Pu Shiming?¡± Zhu Minng seemed puzzled. ¡°I just learned a few things. There¡¯s a River Immortal Ghost that was killed by you. I didn¡¯t expect your cultivation base to improve so quickly,¡± Pu Shiming said with a smile, his expression friendly for a conversation. ¡°I learn everything quickly,¡± Zhu Minng replied. Pu Shiming¡¯s smile stiffened. He had never seen someone so shameless. ¡°I discovered some strange impurities by the river, probably kes of skin shed by an Immortal Ghost, estimated to be about twelve thousand or three thousand years old. However, I cannot determine if there are other Immortal Ghosts. If my judgment has some errors, losing my own life would be a minor issue, but allowing an Immortal Ghost to escape would have far-reaching consequences,¡± Pu Shiming said. ¡°Are you inviting me to apany you?¡± Zhu Minng asked bluntly. ¡°Exactly,¡± Pu Shiming nodded. Zhu Minng hesitated.
The thirteen-thousand-year-old Immortal Ghost was actually the one he was tracking. Pu Shiming must have also discovered its trail. But he couldn¡¯t be sure where it would appear, so he could only wait, wait for the Immortal Ghost to show up and cause trouble again. It was a passive situation; it might appear, and by the time one arrived, it could have already fled. With the stealth abilities of an Immortal Ghost, even those with a King Level cultivation base couldn¡¯tpletely track them down.
Pu Shiming seemed to have the ability to identify soil, and from just that bit of impurities, he analyzed that it was a ten-thousand-three-hundred-year-old Immortal Ghost¡­ Cooperation wasn¡¯t out of the question. To urately locate the Immortal Ghost, feed the Heavenly ughter Dragon, and not find the Holy Spirit Blood soon, the Heavenly ughter Dragon really might rebel. ¡°I have some information here that I can share with you, but let¡¯s get this straight from the start: the blood of this Immortal Ghost is mine; everything else we can split evenly,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°Agreed,¡± Pu Shiming promptly replied. Pu Shiming was still riding that Holy Lion Purple Dragon, which could stroll through the air. Zhu Minng didn¡¯t have a Dragon Beast to ride at the moment, so it was a good opportunity to borrow Pu Shiming¡¯s mount. Heading towards the vast leafless forest to the west, the straight trunks shot into the sky, and the branches were nearly devoid of leaves, lending a deste air. ¡°So it¡¯s hiding in this forest,¡± Zhu Minng silently noted. At that time, Zhu Minng had followed the trail to a small vige outside the forest, but afterwards, not a single clue had emerged. He had no choice but to set traps with dust that could cling to demons, waiting for the appearance of the Immortal Ghost. ¡°What exactly did Zhu Xuehen talk to you about just now? I saw she was in a somber mood; has she encountered some difficult issue?¡± Pu Shiming¡¯s thoughts didn¡¯t seem focused on the Immortal Ghost but rather on asking about this. ¡°It was nothing, just her checking in on my recent condition, telling me to wear more clothes, eat less meat, more vegetables and such. Every sister is the same¡­ Oh, although she is my aunt by seniority, to me, she often seems more like a stern sister who¡¯s cold on the outside but warm on the inside,¡± Zhu Minng casually said. ¡°Cold on the outside, but warm on the inside??¡± Pu Shiming felt that this description was extremely inappropriate for Zhu Xuehen.
She emanated a chill from skin to bone that made her unapproachable, coupled with an inherent pride, as if there was no one in the world worthy of her attention. Could it be selective? Zhu Xuehen was only like this with Zhu Minng, towards others, she was¡­ Indeed, there was an issue; there was indeed something between them. His intuition couldn¡¯t be wrong. ¡°Do you have a blood rtionship with her?¡± Pu Shiming asked. Zhu Minng nced sideways at Pu Shiming. Realizing that his question might have been too intrusive, Pu Shiming awkwardly smiled and began to exin, ¡°After all, we¡¯re working together, and I¡¯ve heard some rumors that Zhu Xuehen is the Emperor¡¯s illegitimate daughter and is raised in your Zhu Gate¡­¡± Zhu Minng had heard this rumor as well. There was even a time when he believed it. After all, the Emperor and the Imperial Concubine did indeed show favoritism towards Zhu Gate, even when he had cut off the limbs of a Royal Family Princely Heir, the Emperor had still meted out a light punishment on him. But recalling what Zhu Xuehen had just said to him, Zhu Minng now felt that this rumor might be false. Could the special regard the Emperor and the Imperial Concubine had for Zhu Xuehen be rted to that status??
¡°I¡¯m not much of a family historian; I really don¡¯t know our Family Door¡¯s secret history. But why does Young Master Pu take such an interest in these matters?¡± Zhu Minng asked in turn. ¡°Just curious, consider it idle chit-chat. Plus, Zhu Xuehen has always been the Imperial Dynasty¡¯s treasured pearl, and as someone who works with her, how could I not be curious?¡± Pu Shiming said with a smile. ¡°Young Master Pu is being modest. You are the heir to the Pu family and the sessor of the Purple Sect n, with an even more boundless future,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°Not at all, not at all. All the titles I carry are nothingpared to you, who so carefreely casts aside fame and fortune to roam freely between heaven and earth,¡± Pu Shiming said. Both menughed modestly, exchanging pleasantries andpliments. Chapter 345: 347: Stone Fairy and Ghost Chapter 345: Chapter 347: Stone Fairy and Ghost As they stepped into the old woods, a winding path appeared ahead, marked by the traces of people having passed through. Zhu Minng and Pan Shiming followed the path, only to discover a small temple nestled within the forest, built from local gray-and-white stones and coated with light red paint on the outside. The temple was notrge, with no steps leading up to it. One could walk straight in along the path and see many paper banners and wooden figures inside, as well as several cleanly butchered, simply cooked chickens and ducks ced in the center ofrge tters. It was a local deity¡¯s small temple offering worship to an unknown immortal god, as not even a single statue was seen. No sooner had the two stepped into the temple than the candles inside red wildly, as if the temple were alive, sensing the intrusion of outsiders; it was like pairs of candlelit eyes suddenly widened, filled with deep hostility. ¡°Stop hiding; we know you are lurking here, basking in the offerings from the local vigers while you masquerade as a ghost god and do evil. You¡¯re having quite thefortable life, eh!¡± Zhu Minng said with a sneer, addressing the temple¡¯s offerings. Pan Shiming¡¯s eyes were fixed on those candle mes, while the Golden Lion Purple Dragon outside kept a vignt eye on the surroundings, seeming to detect something threatening. ¡°Hurrllll¡± An odd cry sounded, like the growling intestines of a massive, hungry creature. Suddenly the temple began to shake and rapidly rose from the ground. Immediately afterward, the temple doors mmed shut, startling Zhu Minng and Pan Shiming into hurriedly jumping out.
By the time they leapt out, they were already midair, and the foundation of the temple seemed impossibly deep, still not revealing its bottom despite the continuous rise. When Zhu Minng and Pan Shiming took another look at the sacrificial temple, they realized it was not a temple at all, but rather a bizarre entity with the head of a temple hall! Its body, like a radish, was buried in the soil, and its head was the stone-built temple, with the so-called doors merely its gaping mouth! Made of mud for its body and stone for its skull, colorful mushrooms covered it from head to toe, and countless root-like tendrils grew all around. ¡°What on earth is this thing!¡± Pan Shiming eximed in surprise. ¡°It¡¯s one of the immortal ghosts, with a cultivation base of thirteen thousand years. That¡¯s it,¡± Zhu Minng said confidently. As for how many types of immortal ghosts there are, even the major powers can¡¯t clearly distinguish them now. This is a kind of powerful holy spirit never seen before, and its transformation into something so terrifying is said to be connected to the folk offerings made on thisnd. Offerings were supposed to be for the immortal gods, but why it turned into an immortal ghost that wantonly ughters cultivators is unknown. Immortal ghosts do not attack ordinary people much, especially civilians; in their eyes, they almost exclusively focus on cultivators. This has led the locals to believe even more that immortal ghosts are the incarnations of local deities, punishing those Dragon Shepherds and God and Mortals who defy the heavens with their cultivation. The Holy Lion Purple Dragon had already pounced, armed with the ws of a male lion and powerful fangs. Its entire body was covered in scales as tough as purple crystals, giving it a formidable ability in closebat. The stone temple immortal ghost was adept at sorcery. It stomped on the ground, causing the rocks from all over to be lifted into the air. Then, it spread its limbs like a ma, attracting all nearby rocks to its body. ¡°ng ng ng ng!!!!!!¡± Each rock became a part of its body, and no matter how the Holy Lion Purple Dragon destroyed its parts, more rocks would soon fly over from afar to repair the damage. Moreover, as more rocks and gravel from the forest adhered to it, the body of the stone temple immortal ghost grew increasingly grand and majestic. It didn¡¯t take long for the Stone Fairy and Ghost to morph into a massive, stone-built pavilion, majestic and sturdy, emanating a terrifying sense of power from every part of its body!! The Holy Lion Purple Dragon was quickly overpowered and sent flying by the increasingly mighty Stone Fairy and Ghost. Pu Shiming, seeing the dire situation, immediately called out a Red Dragon and, mounting its back, flew toward the edge of the woods. ¡°Zhu Minng, you hold it off for a while, I¡¯ll call our fellow Sect Brothers over,¡± said Pu Shiming before he swiftly made his escape.
With a cultivation base spanning thirteen thousand years and the ability to assimte stones from the earth, this Stone Fairy and Ghost had likely reached Peak Monarch Level, significantly stronger than the deceptively cunning River Immortal Ghost they had encountered before. As for Pu Shiming, his speed in abandoning his teammate left Zhu Minng somewhat dumbfounded. Even if it was Peak Monarch Level, how could Pu Shiming with his strength possibly not be able to handle it? This fellow, intentionally seeking cooperation with him, clearly had no good intentions.
Most likely, he wanted to have him killed. And Zhu Minng had no quarrel with him¡­ Zhu Minng didn¡¯t run either. If it had been before, Zhu Minng truly wouldn¡¯t have been confident in taking down this Stone Fairy and Ghost, but with the Heavenly ughter Dragon at his side, the daunting Stone Fairy and Ghost had be a minor character! ¡°Heavenly ughter Dragon, your fodder¡­¡± Just as Zhu Minng was about to summon the Dragon King, to strongly chastise the brazen Stone Fairy and Ghost, he suddenly heard a sharp whistling sounding from the sky above the woods. Zhu Minng looked up and saw a slim and lean figure diving down at high speed from the barren branches stretching into the sky; the figure held the Shadowless Sword, cleaving downwards from a high position, with hundreds of ovepping sword shadowsing together to form an incredibly stunning streak of sword light! ¡°Swish!!!!¡± The sword light fell upon the Stone Fairy and Ghost¡¯s head and then ripped through its body; the angle chosen was just perfect, splitting it neatly in two! The Stone Fairy and Ghost was cleaved open, copsing towards the ground like a building, but the moment it touched the earth, the soil suddenly became as soft as sand, quickly swallowing the broken body of the Stone Fairy and Ghost. The slender figure attacked again, with golden Sword Patterns branding the soil, resembling symbols capable of banishing and liberating malevolent spirits, and the ground beneath suddenly split apart. Blood could be seen seeping out, and before long, it formed a stream of blood, crisscrossing in all directions¡­ ¡°Gurgle, gurgle!!!!!¡± Screams emerged from beneath the ground, and the Shadowless Sword struck once more, piercing into the depths. Then the blood gushed forth like a wellspring, as if something enormous hidden beneath the mud had its artery sliced open. And that bleeds?
Zhu Minng watched, somewhat captivated. After a long spray of blood, the earth finally regained some semnce of calm. Zhu Xuehen gestured, and the Shadowless Sword flew out from the crevices in the ground, returning to her palm, and then was cleanly sheathed back into its scabbard. Chapter 346: 348 Pathological Obsession Chapter 346: Chapter 348 Pathological Obsession A Holy Spirit of thirteen thousand years, just like an old hen used by a peasant woman to entertain guests, was neatly ughtered by Zhu Xuehen. Zhu Minng, standing by the side, nned to praise her a few words, but seeing Zhu Xuehen¡¯s expressionless face, he knew that no matter how much he admired her, it would be meaningless; this was a basic operation for her. ¡°It turns out Aunt Xuehen did not go far, thank goodness you arrived in time. Otherwise, the two of us would have had a lot of trouble,¡± Pu Shiming immediately ran out when he saw Zhu Xuehen suddenly appear. ¡°Are you trying to endanger his life?¡± Zhu Xuehen turned around and questioned Pu Shiming. ¡°How could I harbor such malicious intentions, I merely wanted to test young master Zhu¡¯s strength. As you saw, I did not go far. If there were any risk to his life, I would have acted immediately,¡± Pu Shiming quickly exined and bowed to Zhu Minng to sincerely apologize. ¡°Swoosh!!!¡± Suddenly, Zhu Xuehen drew her sword like a shadow, and the moment the Shadowless Sword appeared from its sheath, its Sword Qi was already thrusting directly towards Pu Shiming¡¯s head. Pu Shiming stood there, only then showing a hint of realization on his face; by the time he thought to react, the sense of lethal suffocation had already surged over him like raging roaring waves! Strands of hair floated down from the temples of Pu Shiming, while at the same time, beads of cold sweat formed a line, sliding down the sides of his cheeks! The smile of apology from Pu Shiming had turned into extreme paleness, his entire person standing stiff as a sculpture, daring not to move an inch; his eyes were filled with fear, and a bit of disbelief!!!
Zhu Xuehen had drawn her sword against him¡­ And it was only by a hair¡¯s breadth that she did not chop off his head! After working together for so many years, she would draw her sword against him for such a trivial matter??? The sword was back in its sheath; the whole process was as quick as the blink of an eye. Sword Removal Technique, Shadowless Sword. Although Zhu Minng was also capable of this swordsmanship, Zhu Xuehen¡¯s speed in drawing and sheathing her sword was so astonishing that Zhu Minng couldn¡¯t see her movements clearly, nor was hepletely sure that he could intercept the blow. ¡°If there¡¯s a next time, it won¡¯t miss,¡± Zhu Xuehen said coldly. ¡°No¡­ There won¡¯t be a next time,¡± replied Pu Shiming, stiff as a board, as if speaking slower might really leave him beheaded! Zhu Minng naturally didn¡¯t think much of Pu Shiming and his sanctimonious attitude; this time, Pu Shiming took the initiative to travel with him, and Zhu Minng was somewhat prepared in his mind. Was it just a test, or was there an intent to harm him? It all depended on the power of the Stone Fairy and Ghost¡­ The Stone Fairy and Ghost was thirteen thousand years old, obviously at the Peak Monarch Level. In Pu Shiming¡¯s perception, Zhu Minng should be a low-level or middle-level Dragon Trainer. After the great contest of power, that was what most people in the Imperial City believed. The Tea-colored Ground, Runyu City, was after all remote, and news traveled sluggishly. Even if the incident with the Heavenly ughter Dragon spread, it wouldn¡¯t have reached everyone¡¯s ears so quickly. Moreso, not everyone would believe it, unless Zhu Minng disyed the power of the Heavenly ughter Dragon on arger stage. Apart from those forces in Runyu City who had already encountered it, not many knew that he possessed a Dragon King. Testing and persecuting are only a thin line apart, and Zhu Minng was now clear about Pu Shiming¡¯s true intentions. ¡°Auntie, sorry to have worried you. I think Pu Shiming also really just wanted to see my strength. After all, I am now a Dragon Trainer. As someone who once trampled everyone underfoot in the Imperial City as a genius, it¡¯s only natural for Pu Shiming to be curious about my current Dragon Trainer¡¯s Cultivation Base; there¡¯s no need for Auntie to hold a grudge against him,¡± Zhu Minng said with a smile to Zhu Xuehen. ¡°Don¡¯t linger around this area,¡± said Zhu Xuehen. ¡°Sure, Aunt Xuehen should be careful as well. Not everyone has a kind and straightforward heart like I, Zhu Minng, have. When dealing with others, we must keep our guard up,¡± Zhu Minng nodded and also left a word of caution.
Zhu Xuehen did not show any reaction. On the other hand, Pu Shiming¡¯s eyes were already filled with anger. He admitted he was indeed infatuated with Zhu Xuehen and understood very well Zhu Xuehen¡¯s indifferent attitude towards everyone, but only this Zhu Minng¡­ It wasn¡¯t that he was testing Zhu Minng¡¯s strength at all.
He was clearly testing Zhu Xuehen, testing her level of concern for Zhu Minng. If she truly did not care at all, why would she, having clearly left, stille back worried? There really was a problem! He found it uneptable and even less tolerable. Working together for years, Pu Shiming had never seen any special emotional fluctuation in Zhu Xuehen, yet, when he tested Zhu Minng, her anger had poured forth unrestrained in that sword strike just now! Pu Shiming even believed that if he hadn¡¯t had his distinguished identity, if it weren¡¯t for Zhu Xuehen considering the reaction from the Purple Sect n and the Imperial City, she would have chopped off his head with a single sword strike just now! How merciless!! All those years of effort, Zhu Xuehen remained unmoved, still viewing him as an insignificant person. This made the jealousy and humiliation in Pu Shiming¡¯s heart turn into an uncontroble me, almost scorching his cheeks! And under these circumstances, he still had to listen to Zhu Minng and Zhu Xuehen exchange those words of mutual concern, like two shameless lovers whispering sweet nothings. Zhu Minng, Zhu Minng, what are you, after all?! Nothing but a scoundrel who hides behind a woman, unting past affection, begging for protection! Pu Shiming, using all his might, suppressed the turmoil in his heart and turned to leave.
Zhu Minng watched his retreating figure, his gaze growing colder by the moment. The words he had just said to Zhu Xuehen were not actually intended to excuse Pu Shiming. They were merely to blindfold Pu Shiming, to make him think he was indeed very na?ve. Just losing a few strands of hair was enough? Zhu Minng was not a great sage who, after being yed and fooled, would offer no reprisal. ¡°He¡¯s possessed,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°The Guangshan Purple Sect n was destroyed, and some of those inside were his rtives; it¡¯s likely because of this extreme grief, Pu Shiming¡¯s mind is also not right,¡± Zhu Xuehen said. ¡°Aunt Xuehen, you really don¡¯t understand worldly affairs one bit. Despite his efforts to disy that kind of humble and polite demeanor, the magnanimity and ease, I could feel his disgust and rejection towards me both times we met. It¡¯s as if any man who can speak to Aunt Xuehen must be met with vignce. The twisted emotions of infatuation and jealousy he harbors are hypocritically stered on his face, not even the decorum of a noble family can mask it,¡± Zhu Minng said very bluntly. ¡°Oh, that reason,¡± Zhu Xuehen fell into contemtion, knitting her brows, and after a moment, added, ¡°I originally thought it was a covert struggle between the head of the Zhu Gate and the Pu Family.¡± For a moment, Zhu Minng didn¡¯t know what to say. Good heavens. When Pu Shiming looked at Zhu Xuehen, his eyes were almost glowing green. Zhu Xuehen had worked with him for so many years and hadn¡¯t noticed at all???
Truly worthy of being Zhu Xuehen. Is she really that ignorant of human rtionships and the affairs of the heart? Chapter 347: 349 Disposing of a Person Chapter 347: Chapter 349 Disposing of a Person There were no excess details to exchange; Zhu Xuehen turned and left. Zhu Minng actually wanted to tell Zhu Xuehen the truth, that he was already able to see her true cultivation base, and after all, he did possess the Dragon King. But before he could speak, her slender and proud figure had disappeared. Blood covered the ground, gushing from beneath the soil like oil from a well. Zhu Minng sighed, shook his head, and called out the Heavenly ughter Dragon. The blood of thirteen thousand years was perfectly suited to the Heavenly ughter Dragon¡¯s blood-drinking standards. After several days of travel, it was finally able to sate its hunger. The Heavenly ughter Dragon¡¯s method of drinking blood was quite unique; it did not drink like a cow by the riverbank but rather spread its star-patterned wings. Then the ground¡¯s bright crimson blood was evaporated into threads of vapor by some force. The blood-red vapor threads were absorbed into the dragon¡¯s wings, and then its body¡ªadorned with colorful scale feathers and agate-like muscles¡ªstarted to glisten brightly¡­ Before long, the Heavenly ughter Dragon had drunk its fill. Its wings could also store blood, so after aplete hunting sess, it couldst for half a month, or even, with some endurance, hold on for a month.
Ten Thousand Year Saint Spirits¡­ These things aren¡¯t exactly found everywhere. The energy provided by their thousand-year blood was extremely vast, and coupled with the Heavenly ughter Dragon¡¯s absorption of spiritual energy, as well as the absorption of starlight, it could maintain a good condition. ¡°Now that you¡¯re well-fed, you should do something for me,¡± Zhu Minng said to the Heavenly ughter Dragon. The Heavenly ughter Dragon propped up its body using its tail and waist, its captivating and haughty eyes fixed on Zhu Minng, seeming somewhat reluctant. Every fight that isn¡¯t about food, is this human Dragon Shepherd not just taking a free ride! ¡°Someone is trying to harm me, you can¡¯t just ignore that. If I die and the Spirit Contract breaks, your unstable foundations as a Dragon King might make you revert to your original form, not to mention that your cultivation could be damaged,¡± Zhu Minng said. The Heavenly ughter Dragon hesitated. ¡°That settles it, then. Deal with that person, and you can go back to having a beautiful sleep,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°Mmph?¡± The Heavenly ughter Dragon hadn¡¯t agreed yet¡ªdoes this human have a problem understanding thenguage of dragons? He who takes advantage of others relies on their kindness, and he who benefits from them is softened. The Heavenly ughter Dragon agreed anyway, and this was thanks to Zhu Xuehen, who had dealt with the Stone Fairy and Ghost of thirteen thousand years, allowing the Heavenly ughter Dragon to drink the Holy Spirit Blood without expending any effort. Of course, the person Zhu Minng was intending to deal with was Pu Shiming. This matter wasn¡¯t going to be easy to settle, as Zhu Minng understood that petty and evil people often don¡¯t know what it means to repent. If Pu Shiming continued to believe that Zhu Minng was easy to crush, then he would undoubtedly be vile again. Therefore, Zhu Minng felt it was necessary to track Pu Shiming and then find a suitable opportunity¡­ Pu Shiming hadn¡¯t deliberately concealed his aura, and Zhu Minng had been vignt when he left. The disgraced Pu Shiming didn¡¯t go somewhere secluded to reflect but instead headed to a bamboo township. After what seemed likemunication with others, Pu Shiming soon went to wait in a Purple Bamboo Forest outside the town.
His expression was extremely gloomy. He probably didn¡¯t expect Zhu Minng to follow him at all. He didn¡¯t even use his Spiritual Sense to inspect his surroundings and instead vented his inner fury to the empty bamboo forest, talking to himself. Zhu Xuehen¡¯s sword had likely shattered his pridepletely. For many years, two people have been the talk of the Imperial City, Pu Shiming and Zhu Xuehen. Outsiders viewed them as advancing and retreating together, inseparable, as if they were a match made in heaven. Even many of the Pu n¡¯s elders intentionally tried to bring them together. In Pu Shiming¡¯s eyes, it seemed that Zhu Xuehen had also tacitly agreed.
Even though she was not good at expressing her feelings, Pu Shiming felt that was just her nature. It wasn¡¯t until today that Pu Shiming realized how foolish and miserable he was! ¡°Shameless, utterly shameless!!¡± Pu Shiming kept repeating these words. They were uncle and niece by blood, yet their feelings were inappropriate!! These two, they were shameless!! Zhu Minng was not far from the Bamboo Forest, hearing Pu Shiming¡¯s bitter condemnation, he couldn¡¯t help but touch his nose. What had he done to bebeled shameless?? What had he and Zhu Xuehen done? Wasn¡¯t it perfectly normal for her to care about him? After all, they had grown up together, been in each other¡¯spany for so long. In fact, Zhu Minng felt that there was an emotional barrier between him and Zhu Xuehen¡ªthey should have been even closer. Suddenly, Zhu Minng understood why Pu Shiming had asked if there was any blood rtionship between him and Zhu Xuehen. But up until now, everything Zhu Xuehen had shown him was merely the concern thates from kinship. Why would Pu Shiming misconstrue it as being ¡°shameless¡±? Forget it, a sick person will misinterpret everything, always associating it with the most vile and indecent of thoughts.
Zhu Minng continued to watch for a while and, confirming there was no one else nearby, he also prepared to make his move. Simultaneously, footsteps sounded at the edge of the Bamboo Forest. Zhu Minng pushed the Heavenly ughter Dragon¡¯s head back into the sigil, telling it to wait a little longer. ¡°Shiming, you¡¯ve called for us, could it be you¡¯ve found something important?¡± a Hall Master from the Purple Sect n approached, dressed entirely in ck. ¡°Get rid of someone for me,¡± Pu Shiming said directly. ¡°Right now?¡± asked the Hall Master in ck. Behind the Hall Master, there were several other people also dressed in ck, likely to be Deacons of the Purple Sect n, with not inconsiderable Cultivation Bases. ¡°Yes, now,¡± Pu Shiming said. ¡°Is he very strong?¡± the Hall Master in ck inquired. ¡°Just a piece of trash, but I need you to do it without leaving any trace. Best¡­ best make it look like the work of Immortal Ghosts!¡± Pu Shiming¡¯s eyes suddenly lit up as he thought of this perfect way to cover up the crime. ¡°Good. We will do as instructed,¡± the Hall Master in ck nodded without asking anything further, as though killing was his very vocation. ¡°Leave him breathing, I want him to be aplete and utter invalid, do you understand what I mean?¡± Pu Shiming said coldly. ¡°Understood. It¡¯s not the first time handling such matters,¡± the Hall Master in ck responded. ¡°Fine. The person is Zhu Minng, son of the Zhu Heavenly Officer,¡± Pu Shiming finally revealed his target.
¡°Him again??¡± the Hall Master in ck eximed in surprise. ¡°Is there a problem?¡± Pu Shiming asked. ¡°King An had also been wanting to deal with this person, and he had approached us. Han Gong considered the possibility that Zhu Heavenly Officer might trace it back to us, so he shifted the task to the de Sect. The de Sect failed, and King An ended up exposing some matters¡­¡± the Hall Master in ck exined. ¡°The de Sect bunch of wine bags and rice buckets, how could theypare with you of the ck Palm Hall?¡± Pu Shiming said. Chapter 348: 350: Predator in the Dark Chapter 348: Chapter 350: Predator in the Dark de Sect? Zhu Minng remembered this sect, isn¡¯t it the one that served King An like a dog, wanting to take control of him in Monument City? ck Palm Hall, de Sect? Are they all engaged in shady dealings? Zhu Minng didn¡¯t know what ck Palm Hall was all about, but he noticed that each of these people had the mark of the Purple Sect n on their adornments. Were they from the Purple Sect n or ck Palm Hall? Or could it be that ck Palm Hall has always been a part of the Purple Sect n? The Purple Sect n, under the guise of an upright sect, was secretly cultivating a group of assassins to undertake the deeds they were inconvenient to handle themselves? ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that be perfect,¡± Pu Shiming smiled, ¡°After getting rid of Zhu Minng, we could even connect with King An.¡± He had not anticipated this unexpected gain. ¡°Indeed, King An has always wanted to suppress Zhu Gate, and I presume he has always wanted to join hands with you, the Pu Family. It¡¯s just a pity there was no opportunity. If you, Shiming, take care of Zhu Minng for him, King An will certainly let go of all his guard against the Pu n and treat you with sincerity,¡± said the Hall Master of ck Palm Hall. ¡°Isn¡¯t King An in Snow Peak City?¡± asked Pu Shiming.
¡°Yes, shall I introduce you?¡± The Hall Master of ck Palm Hall smiled. ¡°That would be perfect, of course we need to prepare the gifts first,¡± Pu Shiming said. ¡°Heh, for a little Dragon Shepherd like him, our ck Palm Hall has a hundred ways to make him wish he were dead. Offending our young master Pu is tantamount to opposing the entire authority of the Supreme Court Court Empire!¡± The smile of the Hall Master of ck Palm Hall turned sinister and terrifying. Pu Shiming finally revealed a smile as well. Ever since he walked out of that forest, he had felt like exploding with frustration, but thinking of Zhu Minng¡¯s impending doom, Pu Shiming suddenly felt the air amongst the bamboo trees became sweet again. ¡°It¡¯s getting dark earlier than usual today, which is good. The heavens are helping us, our ck Palm Hall excels in nighttime operations,¡± said a ttering deacon cozying up behind the Hall Master, his face full of obsequiousness. Pu Shiming, the future head of the Pu n and the most promising sessor to the Purple Sect n, if the leading n of the Six Great ns and the foremost of the Four Great Sects were to unite, even the Royal Family would have to hold them in awe! Naturally, ck Palm Hall couldn¡¯t wait to tie themselves to Pu Shiming, especially when engaging in such dirty work, which would solidify their rtionship even more. ¡°Has it gotten dark already?¡± Pu Shiming was somewhat surprised. He remembered that it had only been nearing evening when he arrived at this bamboo forest; it should have taken at least one more time unit for it to bepletely dark. Howe after only a short chat with the people from ck Palm Hall, it had already bepletely dark! The dimness shrouded the bamboo forest, with tall bamboos standing eerily in this deste scene, exuding an air of gloom and cold. In the not too distant town, which should have been brightly lit by now, for some reason, the view through the bamboo forest showed nothing, as though they were enveloped in darkness, locked in by a thick fog of night. At first, Pu Shiming didn¡¯t find this altogether frightening. After all, thisnd is now full of all sorts of immortals and ghosts, so it wasn¡¯t impossible for the weather to change abruptly. But soon, Pu Shiming realized that it seemed only their part of the bamboo forest was engulfed in the dark. Using the spiritual sense of a Dragon Shepherd to prate theseyers of darkness, one would find that the small town outside was still just entering evening, and there was no need even to light themps. Something was wrong! The day hadn¡¯t darkened, only their location had! The breath of darkness grew denser, even surging like a tide around them. With such intense fluctuations of atmosphere, the bamboo forest should have been shaking violently, but those bamboo trees and leaves remained eerily still. In the deep darkness, a brilliant light like a meteor shower appeared mysteriously among the bamboo forest, followed closely by a pair of enormous ck wings that eerily swept over their heads.
Pu Shiming and the members of the ck Palm Hall looked up in horror, but they saw nothing, as if it were just a gust of ck wind. But the next moment, the sound of the wings pping came again, so close it seemed to be right beside their ears, like bats, like poison moths, both enormous and terrifying! When they turned their heads again, they still saw nothing. They even heard the sound of teeth grinding, how could there be nothing at all!
Pu Shiming summoned his Holy Lion Purple Dragon and also called forth his other pride, the Silver Tail Purple Dragon. Both dragons were of high cultivation base and were Pu Shiming¡¯s greatest reliance. Yet neither the Holy Lion Purple Dragon nor the Silver Tail Purple Dragon brought Pu Shiming any sense of security. Instead, the two dragons were toyed with by the creature in the darkness like helpless deer or rabbits! ¡°Ah!!!!¡± Suddenly, a dreadful scream rose as the previously sycophantic deacon from the ck Palm Hall was dragged into the air! His feet left the ground as he was whisked away at high speed, and the others did not even catch a glimpse of the dark creature. Within their limited field of vision, the screams of the deacon being carried away still echoed in their ears. Then arge pool of blood flowed from the groves of the bamboo forest, its striking red sending shock and deeper fear across the faces of Pu Shiming and the hall master. ¡°Boom!!!!¡± Another noise erupted, and the hall master of the ck Palm Hall seemed to be pped away by something, violently flying towards the thick bamboo. The bamboo was crushed, and the ck Palm Hall Mastery on the ground like a puppet severed from its strings, limbs twisted, joints dislocated, head tilted at an unbelievable angle. Upon seeing this, Pu Shiming was nearly scared out of his wits! After all, he was a hall master, with high cultivation and exceptional strength, how could he be beaten out of human shape in an instant?? What on earth was the thing in the darkness??
Could it be an Immortal Ghost!! How could they be this unlucky!! Soon, the other deacons from the ck Palm Hall also perished violently. Their screams of agony reverberated in Pu Shiming¡¯s ears, and the two dragons at his side still could not perceive the monster in the darkness, let alone confront it. ¡°Hyah!!!!¡± Finally, it was Pu Shiming¡¯s turn. The Holy Lion Purple Dragon at his side was covered in armor that resembled purple crystals, indeed the toughest of dragon fighters. But then a tail appeared in the gloom, smacking the Holy Lion Purple Dragon directly into the ground, shattering its solid purple crystal armor. The Silver Tail Purple Dragon attempted to attack; it dove into the darkness and summoned the Azure Dragon Mystics, releasing countless purple thunderbolts into the void. However, it seemed as though the void absorbed all the thunderbolts. What followed was a vast array of star patterns lighting up, with dense, deadly rays piercing harshly through the Silver Tail Purple Dragon. Its body was riddled with holes, and dragon blood gushed out like fountains¡­ Seeing this, Pu Shiming was dumbstruck. His two proud Purple Dragons were being brutally ravaged by that creature in the dark, like mere chicks! Chapter 349: 351: I’m Narrow-minded too Chapter 349: Chapter 351: I¡¯m Narrow-minded too ¡°God of Immortals and Ghosts, spare my life, spare my life! I can give you anything you need, just leave me alive¡­¡± Pu Shiming was so scared that his legs went weak, and he knelt on the ground, as if he had offended the gods within the temple. In the folklore, it was said that the Immortal Ghost was the deity of the earth, the harbinger of good weather and harvests, the embodiment of an Immortal God who protected people from natural disasters. The Purple Sect n must havemitted some heinous crime that incurred the wrath of the gods. Being a member of the Purple Sect n, Pu Shiming had naturally heard of this legend. Initially, he scoffed at it, believing it was just the trickery of some ancient cunning beings posing as gods. But now, subdued by the powerful being in front of him, Pu Shiming was no different from the so-called ignorant masses, ceaselessly bowing down, hoping to grasp a sliver of hope for survival. ¡°So Young Master Pu, the pride of the whole Supreme Court Courtyard Continent, also believes in those ridiculous tales of Ghost Gods.¡± At that moment, a familiar voice came from the darkness. Pu Shiming was stupefied for a moment before slowly lifting his head, his hair somewhat disheveled, and his forehead and face covered with dirt. To show his sincerity, he had knocked his head on the ground with great vigor. However, when Pu Shiming saw a figure emerging from the darkness, it turned out to be the very person he had just ordered to be crippled, and his face was filled with shock and horror!! ¡°Zhu¡­ Zhu Minng!¡± Pu Shiming couldn¡¯t help but exim. ¡°Aren¡¯t you relieved that I¡¯m not an Immortal Ghost?¡± Zhu Minng asked with a smile.
¡°Why do you pretend to be a god?!¡± Pu Shiming burst out in rage, his face swelling up like a pig¡¯s liver. As soon as those words left his mouth, Pu Shiming suddenly saw behind Zhu Minng, a dragon resembling a dark serpent slowly appeared. Its slender body was not like most seductive evil snakes but rather exuded a sense of terrifying strength and power. Its extraordinary feather-like scales shone with a rare divine brilliance, sometimes colorful, sometimes dark and profound. Its body, like ck magical jade, was gleaming and smooth, with only some dragon whiskers on its tail and neck, yet it still exuded an aura of royalty! Its wings were folded, its fangs slightly exposed, still with the residual blood of his own two Purple Dragons on them. Pu Shiming couldn¡¯t help but nce at his two Purple Dragons again, only to be horrified to discover that both the Holy Lion Purple Dragon and the Silver Tail Purple Dragon had been sucked dry of all their blood, their bodies shriveled up like long-dead skins! With one flick of its tongue to the corner of its mouth, the Heavenly ughter Dragon wiped the remaining Dragon Blood from its lips clean. Although it usually turned blood into vapor which it then absorbed through its wings as threads of blood mist, when it came to delicacies like Purple Dragons, the Heavenly ughter Dragon didn¡¯t mind personally indulging in the blood¡­ Drinking the blood of lower beings like Stone Fairy and Ghost barely served as feeding its hunger, But feasting on the blood vessels of a Purple Dragon, that was truly a sumptuous meal! ¡°Dragon¡­ Dragon¡­ Dragon King!¡± Pu Shiming¡¯s face was full of astonishment, and he spoke with a tone that even he couldn¡¯t believe. ¡°Does it feel like you¡¯d rather encounter an Immortal Ghost instead?¡± Zhu Minng smiled again. Dragon King! That was the very Dragon King that Pu Shiming himself was desperate to obtain! If he had a Dragon King, he believed the entire Imperial Dynasty would regard him as the chosen one. Both the Pu Family and the Purple Sect n would spare no expense in pouring all their resources into him¡­ Even though he had not yet possessed a Dragon King, Pu Shiming had always believed that he would eventually reach that stage; he had confidence in himself for that. However, that confidence crumbled viciously the moment he saw Zhu Minng appear with a Dragon King in tow!! Anyone might possess a Dragon King, but Zhu Minng was an absolute impossibility. He was clearly a monk who had taken up his practice halfway, and had only been a Dragon Shepherd for a few years!! ¡°Impossible, impossible, impossible¡­¡± Pu Shiming kept repeating these words, his mindset even worse than when he had been repeating ¡°shameless¡± earlier.
¡°Nothing is impossible, I gave you a chance, but you did not cherish it,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t dare kill me. By killing me, you would be provoking a conflict between Zhu Gate and the Pu Family. Do you think your Zhu Gate could withstand the wrath of the Pu Family and the Purple Sect n? Do you think the Imperial Dynasty would let you go? Yes, I admit I wanted to kill you, but so what? You¡¯re still alive, but if I die¡­¡± Pu Shiming roared furiously and shamefully. ¡°It¡¯s okay, everyone will think it was the work of an Immortal Ghost. After all, enough people from the Purple Sect n have died on thisnd, one less Pu Shiming won¡¯t matter. Next time you live, be a person with a broader heart, or if you really can¡¯t manage that, at least don¡¯t provoke Zhu Minng. I have a narrow heart too.¡± Zhu Minng snapped his fingers, signaling the Heavenly ughter Dragon to execute. The Heavenly ughter Dragon moved its head closer, not giving Pu Shiming a chance to struggle, and bit directly toward his head.
Facing a Dragon King, Pu Shiming felt the overwhelming pressure as if a giant was holding him, squeezing him madly all over his body. He couldn¡¯t even resist; his eyes were filled with the fear of death. ¡°Wait a moment,¡± Zhu Minng suddenly called out to the Heavenly ughter Dragon. Pu Shiming¡¯s body slumped like rotten mud, on the verge of copse. ¡°I forgot to ask you a question. Why are you acting so angry as if I had cuckolded you? Are you really sick?¡± Zhu Minng asked. ¡°What did you say¡­ what are you talking about¡­¡± Pu Shiming¡¯s voice trembled. ¡°Zhu Xuehen, you¡¯re obsessed with her, so why target me?¡± Zhu Minng asked. ¡°Heh, heh heh heh, don¡¯t you know exactly what¡¯s in your heart?¡± Pu Shimingughed, but there was no smile on his face, making him look especially grotesque. Zhu Minng fell into brief contemtion. The Heavenly ughter Dragon kept its mouth open, saliva dripping onto Pu Shiming¡¯s face. Zhu Minng was still pondering, but casually waved his hand. ¡°Crack!!¡± With one bite, Pu Shiming was sttered with blood on the spot, and like a puddle of mud, he did not even struggle.
The Heavenly ughter Dragon does not eat humans, so it just killed him outright. As for human blood, it had no interest in it, even though the person had a cultivation baseparable to a Ten Thousand Year Saint Spirit. Human blood is ultimately not clean. Now, the matter was how to clean up the crime scene. Luckily, Zhu Minng had carefully preserved some blood from a thirteen thousand-year-old Immortal Ghost, dripping it into the deep soil. This special blood would seep down to the bottomyer by itself. Then, leaving behind some skin kes and footprints he had previously collected, Zhu Minng was rather adept at this and quickly arranged the site to look like the scene of an Immortal Ghost¡¯s crime. All of Pu Shiming¡¯s actions were taken on the spur of the moment. Simrly, Zhu Minng¡¯s revenge was also spontaneous. If this matter were to be investigated, it would never trace back to him. Even if they found out it might have been done by a person, not an Immortal Ghost, the suspects wouldn¡¯t include such a little Dragon Shepherd like himself. Chapter 350: 352: The Visitor from Beyond Chapter 350: Chapter 352: The Visitor from Beyond Unfortunately, this time it wasn¡¯t about killing someone and seizing their belongings, but about making things look traceless. In this case, Zhu Minng couldn¡¯t covet these people¡¯s possessions, otherwise even the Spirit Orb on Pu Shiming would fetch a good price. There also wasn¡¯t a need to destroy the bodies, for the Heavenly ughter Dragon was a variant of the Mourning Dragon; even if some scales were dropped during the fight, the vast majority wouldn¡¯t be able to recognize what they were. The scene had to be made to look real. Just like the Mountain Immortal Ghost from before, it appeared and disappeared mysteriously, ughtering before vanishing without a trace, leaving behind only remains and corpses. After checking several times to make sure nothing was overlooked, Zhu Minng finally left the bamboo forest with great swagger. Night had fallen, and Zhu Minng returned to the small inn at the post station, Wen Mengru and Bai Qin¡¯an having been taken away by the Miao Mountain Sword Sect. There was no need for him to continue staying to look after them. In order not to raise suspicion, Zhu Minng deliberately stayed an extra day at the inn. He only considered leaving after the bodies of Pu Shiming and the members of the ck Palm Hall were discovered. The cool of the early morning was upon him as Zhu Minng prepared to leave for the tea-colored ground, and indeed, Zhu Xuehen appeared.
¡°I was just about to bid farewell to Aunt Xuehen. I didn¡¯t expect you to be waiting for me,¡± Zhu Minng said as he walked toward Zhu Xuehen, dressed in a simple Daoist robe, past therge camphor tree. ¡°The blood on the ground is from the Immortal Ghost that I killed,¡± Zhu Xuehen said with a coldness in her voice. ¡°Are you angry?¡± Zhu Minng asked. ¡°I said to give him a chance,¡± Zhu Xuehen replied. ¡°Actually, seeing a man with Aunt Xuehen all the time also makes me ufortable,¡± Zhu Minng said, smiling. Zhu Xuehen snorted coldly, paying no mind to Zhu Minng¡¯s suggestive remark, her eyes devoid of any emotion as she said, ¡°You may leave now.¡± ¡°Then take care, Aunt Xuehen,¡± Zhu Minng responded. Zhu Xuehen fell silent, seemingly with a question on her mind that almost reached her lips but ultimately remained unasked. The question had nothing to do with romantic affairs; she simply didn¡¯t understand how Zhu Minng managed to kill Pu Shiming and the several experts around him. With his current strength, he shouldn¡¯t have been able to do it. What was Zhu Minng hiding? Zhu Minng left thend of contention behind. Mountain Immortal Ghosts, Ground Immortal Ghosts, Forest Immortal Ghosts, River Immortal Ghosts, these had little to do with him. Members of the Four Great Sects and the Imperial Dynasty had already gathered there. He was just out hunting to feed his dragon and not so invested as to fight to the end with these Immortal Ghosts. Besides, the strength of the Ground Immortal Ghosts was probably near King Level, and some that were age-old might already have King Level strength, not to mention the Mountain Immortal Ghost that had ttened the Guangshan Zizong Forest with a single step. It was likely an extraordinary Holy Spirit over fifty thousand years old. Even with a Dragon King, Zhu Minng might not be capable of facing that Mountain Immortal Ghost. Snow Peak City Passing through the mountain pass behind Snow Peak City would bring him closer to the tea-colored ground. Zhu Minng arrived at Snow Peak City and rested there for a moment. The Heavenly ughter Dragon was already snoring thunderously in the Spirit Realm, and Zhu Minng, having no choice, could only ride a horse by himself and headed towards the tea-colored ground crazily.
He nced at the Spirit Realm, the Silver Snow Cocoon, the Golden Green Cocoon, the Metal Sword Bolls, the giant ck cocoon¡­ Like four extravagant tombs, not a hint of movement from them, making Zhu Minng every time he missed them, wishing he could light a few sticks of incense beneath their cocoons. Howe they¡¯ve all undergone Reincarnation Transformation. Having eaten his fill, the Heavenly ughter Dragon would not lift a finger for him unless his own life was in danger, which left Zhu Minng, the Dragon Herding Sanctifier, as if cast back to the Stone Age overnight, without even a mount, only able to ride a horse.
Fortunately, Snow Peak City was quite prosperous, and he had money on hand, so he could rent a Flying Dragon when the time came, which would save him from a long and arduous journey. Days without a dragon were, indeed, a bit harder. And how was he supposed to exin this to his wives¡­ to his wives and sisters-inw! On the journey ahead, he would have to rely on them for some things. Of course, with big matters, he could handle them himself, but that depended on whether the issue was big enough, big enough to be at the Dragon King Level. When he arrived in Snow Peak City, Zhu Minng saw the signboard of Zhu Sect¡¯s foreign court, still in the busiest and most conspicuous part of the city. Seeing his family¡¯s store, Zhu Minng¡¯s eyes lit up. He could save the money for renting the Flying Dragon. Entering the foreign court¡¯s foundry, Zhu Minng revealed his identity, which made the Zhu Sect¡¯s foreign court disciples within the shop look at one another in dismay, unsure for a moment if he truly was the only son of the Zhu Family. This ce was far from the Imperial City; it was not just unlikely for the sole heir of the Zhu Family¡¯s Inner Hall to visit, even the core members of the Zhu Sect¡¯s foreign court seldom did ¨C they hardly ever encountered someone of genuine Zhu Family status. Zhu Minng then realized that his Inner Hall identity que might not be recognized here, as others had likely never seen it, so he took out the jade que Zhu Yushan had given him. Sure enough, the disciples from the outer gate were all stunned, hurrying to half-kneel and pay their respects. ¡°Young Master, please sit inside. The shopkeeper is currently forging ck Gold Hooves for a divine ox belonging to King An, meant as an offering for a distinguished otherworldly guest,¡± a disciple said respectfully. ¡°No worries, I just came to get a mount¡­ an otherworldly guest??¡± At first, Zhu Minng did not react, but after hearing this title, he suddenly remembered the identity mentioned by Zhu Xuehen.
¡°The shopkeeper said so. It should be ready soon. Would the Young Master wait a moment?¡± the disciple said. As soon as the words fell, a burly bald man walked out of the casting room. His muscles shone with an oily gloss, and despite his heft, he was wearing only a leather vest. ¡°Is it Brother Yushan¡¯s son? When I heard the talk outside, I left my work toe out. I apologize for not greeting you from farther away,¡± said the robust shopkeeper. ¡°Yes, helmsman, I was just passing through and wanted to acquire a mount,¡± Zhu Minng nodded, feeling there was no need to reveal he was Zhu Minng. He would assume his deceased brother Zhu Tong¡¯s identity for now. The people of the foreign court, upon hearing he was a member of the Inner Hall, would tend to be overly respectful and constrained, so saying he was from the foreign court made things seem more casual. ¡°It¡¯s a rare visit; we must host you well. Our Snow Peak City branch of the Zhu Sect¡¯s foreign court hardly ever gets the chance to wee such an honored guest,¡± said the muscr man heartily. ¡°Shopkeeper, that ck Gold Hoof that King An ordered¡­¡± the disciple who spoke earlier reminded in a quiet voice. ¡°King An is an outsider; he¡¯s not as important as our young master. It won¡¯t bete to deliver it to him tomorrow,¡± the burly man said. ¡°Shopkeeper, I heard that King An is gifting the ck Gold Hoof to some otherworldly guest. What does this ¡®otherworldly guest¡¯ mean?¡± Zhu Minng inquired. ¡°I don¡¯t know. That¡¯s what King An told me. He ordered me to work overnight, saying that if I caused a dy, I¡¯d be sorry for it. Quite the high and mighty attitude.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never seen an otherworldly guest. Maybe when the timees to deliver the ck Gold Hoof, you could take me along, shopkeeper¡ªI¡¯d like to broaden my horizons,¡± Zhu Minng suggested. ¡°No problem! How about I have my men take good care of our young master while I finish up the work?¡± the forthright shopkeeper said.
Chapter 351: 353 Old Enemy Chapter 351: Chapter 353 Old Enemy Snow Peak City has a rtively well-known Hot Spring Mountain. Behind the casting workshop of Zhu Gate, there was argeplex of residences where clean hot spring water slowly flowed down from the mountain. Zhu Minng wasfortably soaking in the hot spring pool, with a sixteen or seventeen-year-old girl by his side, serving tea and fruits. The girl was quite talkative, chattering nonstop by Zhu Minng¡¯s ear, inquiring about things that interested her, clearly eager to see the more bustling life of the Imperial City. ¡°Young Master, the ck Gold Hoof is ready. Are you finished here as well?¡± asked the disciple outside the door in a soft voice. ¡°Hmm, I¡¯ve had afortable soak,¡± Zhu Minng replied. ¡°Oh dear, I was so engrossed in chatting with you that I forgot I was instructed to wait on you. How is the tea, is it good? And the fruits, are they sweet?¡± the girl suddenly remembered something and hurriedly spoke. ¡°The tea is good, and the fruits are sweet. Thank you for hosting. And next time, when these shameless scoundrels tell you to wait on someone, make sure you do not agree. You¡¯ll suffer a great loss,¡± Zhu Minng stood up, wrapped himself in a towel, and admonished the girl. ¡°Oh, oh, Young Master,e to y again next time.¡± After leaving the hot spring pool, Zhu Minng changed into a set of clothes.
In order not to be recognized by King An, Zhu Minng naturally told the people from Zhu Gate not to reveal his identity. With a small mask on, Zhu Minng followed the shopkeeper, Zhou Yong, to where King An resided. It was yet another mansion leaning against the mountainside. One could see that the mansion gate was extraordinarily grand, with trees outside specially painted gold, making the entire mansion look exceedingly noble. Upon entering the mansion, music and dancing were already in full swing. A group of enchanting dancers swayed their waists around several golden fire basins in the winter day, moving gracefully to the melody with their long, straight legs¡­ Dances and such, Zhu Minng didn¡¯t watch much of; people from noble families sent to the deep mountains to practice swordsmanship from a young age weren¡¯tmon. Some elegantly dressed individuals were sitting around the dancers, some focused on appreciating the performance, while others spoke earnestly in hushed tones about various matters. After a musical piece ended, the dancers sat next to the dignitaries, either pouring wine or receiving praise. When Zhou Yong and Zhu Minng approached, the surrounding people didn¡¯t pay much attention. ¡°King An, the ck Gold Hoof you requested has beenpleted by working overnight. Please have a look,¡± Zhou Yong presented the ck Gold Hoof. Zhu Minng saw King An, who sat in front of a folding screen with his hair neatly groomed and his face looking quite handsome. However, crow¡¯s feet at the corners of his eyes indicated that he was not as young as he appeared. ¡°Bai Shangren, this is a small gift prepared by myself for you. Please ept it. Zhu Gate is the family with the highest casting art on the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent. Items forged by their hands are definitely of the finest quality,¡± King An personally came over and took the ck Gold Hoof. He walked toward a man sitting in front of the folding screen as well and offered it to this distinguished guest. Zhu Minng looked over and saw the noble guest sitting cross-legged with his hair falling neatly and looking slightly different than that of ordinary people; it shimmered under the firelight. He was wearing an unusual wide robe, making it impossible to discern his figure, but the person exuded an air of mystique and majesty, restrained yet filled with immense self-confidence. Bai Shangren merely nodded casually in response to King An, without even reaching out to ept the item. Frowning, the high officials by King An¡¯s side were surprised to see the foreign guest show such little regard for King An¡¯s gesture. King An maintained the gesture of tribute for a while until the man in the wide robe finally extended a hand to take the ck Gold Hoof. At that moment, Zhu Minng noticed that the hand extended was the left one. The robe had been so wide that it previously concealed his arms, but this gesture revealed the other side, where to Zhu Minng¡¯s surprise, there was no right arm! A one-armed man??
Zhu Minng was quite astonished. This guy¡­ How could it be him!! The mask Zhu Minng was wearing slightly trembled.
His inner world was tumultuous. Was this the otherworldly visitor spoken of by King An?? Zhu Minng had first thought he was seeing things, but it wasn¡¯t until he confirmed the absence of the man¡¯s right arm that he dared to be utterly sure! It was this bastard who had cast him into the Void Sea, tumbling into a vortex that led to another world¡­ Of course, he paid a heavy price for it, that being his right arm, which Zhu Minng had chopped off. The swordsmanship Zhu Minng had used then was his most powerful, leaving a wound that would retain a trace of the Sword Cold Aura forever. No matter how skilled the healing or medical arts, they wouldn¡¯t be able to reattach his arm. So he had chopped off the arm of an otherworldly visitor?? No, could it be that his own journey to anothernd was because of this man! An otherworldly visitor with the ability to cleave through the Void Vortex?? ¡°King An is too courteous. My visit this time is merely to seek a nemesis. In my younger days, I was impetuous and disregarded the advice of my elders, venturing alone into the lower realm, only to be ambushed by a vile scoundrel, leaving me injured with one arm. Now that I cultivate in the Mahayana, it is natural for me to annihte that individual, lest he be my Heart Demon and affect my subsequent cultivation,¡± Bai Shangren stated calmly, revealing his purpose foring here. ¡°Oh? As far as I know, even though it was your first venture out at that time, you already possessed King-level strength. The person you encountered must have been one of the leaders or powerhouses from the Four Great Sects or some hermit ancient families. I wonder what characteristics that person had. As the sovereign leader of the Supreme Court Imperial Dynasty, it would not be difficult for me to find such a rogue. Please, do not be so modest,¡± said King An with a smile, continuing with his extremely respectful posture. ¡°Very young, under twenty, wields a sword, and should be from one of your local battle sword factions¡­¡± said Bai Shangren. After hearing this, King An¡¯s gaze couldn¡¯t help but drift to the others present.
The attendees wielded power and influence, ruling over their ownnds, or were high-ranking in their forces, but they had never heard of anyone under the age of twenty who possessed King-level strength. ¡°Sword Cultivators, with Yaoshan Sword Sect and Miao Mountain Sword Sect at the forefront. The Miao Mountain Sword Sect only has females, no males. As for Yaoshan Sword Sect, it has been in decline in recent years, and there¡¯s been no word of any exceptional genius with King-level strength,¡± King An exined. ¡°It¡¯s not just the Sword Sects; the Big Sects and other forces also haven¡¯t heard of anyone reaching King-level strength at that age¡­ Could it be that the person Bai Shangren encountered is also an otherworldly visitor?¡± expressed the elderly City Lord of Snow Peak City. ¡°Not knowing is no hindrance. After Iplete the mission assigned to me from above, I will find him and personally twist off his head,¡± Bai Shangren said coldly. ¡°Indeed, with your current strength, Bai Shangren, ordinary King-level Cultivators would not be able to contend with you,¡± the others immediately ttered. ¡°The doors of King An¡¯s Mansion are always open for Bai Shangren. If there¡¯s anything you need us to take care of, please feel free to inform us; I, as the minor king, will certainly do everything in my power to assist you,¡± King An offered. Chapter 352: 354: Killing the Body and the Soul Chapter 352: Chapter 354: Killing the Body and the Soul Old foe, it seems. I remember at the time, when I traveled to the very end of the Supreme Court Continent, I saw a Spirit Ind. The Spirit Ind isted the entire continent, and right behind the ind was the backward and primitive Wutu. Zhu Minng, curious, stepped onto the Spirit Ind only to discover someone there. He was using a type of divine skill I had never seen before to devour all the spirit veins on the ind. The spirit vein consumption brought immense destructive power, a true case of the seas drying up and the mountains crumbling. If this person continued, all the tribes near the Spirit Ind would be doomed, with countless dead or injured, including Wutu, which might directly sink into the terrible void. Zhu Minng tried to stop this person, asking him to at least allow the people of the nearby tribes to evacuate before consuming the spirit veins, so as not to let innocent lives perish so miserably. ¡°These people of the lower realm are like sewer roaches and filthy rats. The Spirit Ind lies in their habitat, yet they don¡¯t even know how to make use of it. What difference does it make whether they live or die?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t dy my precious ¡®Book Of Qi Absorption And Spirits,¡¯ or I¡¯ll crush you along with them!¡± Zhu Minng still remembers these words the person spoke. Disregarding themon people, even treating them with utter contempt, he could have waited a few more days, allowing the people of the nearby tribes to move away, before engaging in this devouring. However, he had absolutely no patience, as if millions of lives didn¡¯t merit his waiting another two or three days.
Moreover, Zhu Minng soon realized that this fellow wasn¡¯t just devouring the spirit veins of the world, but also various demon spirits, and even the White Soaring Dragon at the time was affected by his devouring power, its spiritual rhyme and life withering like all else! In such a situation, Zhu Minng could no longer tolerate it and had no choice but to battle this mysterious and strange powerhouse. It was this very battle when Zhu Minng severed the earth¡¯s veins,pletely separating that Spirit Ind from Wutu. Afterward, a giant vortex appeared in the Void Sea, engulfing the Spirit Ind, Wutu, and myself, sucking us in. When Zhu Minng awoke, he found himself in another world¡­ As for Wutu, its inhabitants were already isted from the world. To them, it made no difference whether the outside was the Supreme Court Continent or the Li Chuan Continent. Wutu was actually very rich and abundant in spiritual energy. It became deste and barrenrgely because of the actions of that one-armed outsider. Outsider from beyond the heavens. The lower realm? Zhu Minng recalled the discussion about theposition of this world he had had with Li Yunzi¡­ This means that there is indeed a civilization superior to the Supreme Court Continent. They have not yet bordered other continents but there exist some special individuals who seem capable of using the Void Vortex to traverse, moving back and forth between these unconnected worlds. For Wutu and Li Chuan. Back then, I was an outsider from beyond the heavens. And this Bai Shangren was the Supreme Court Continent¡¯s outsider from beyond the heavens. If not for this bastard, I wouldn¡¯t have been wandering for years. Little dog thief, you have no idea your daddy is here, do you? Zhu Minng sneered in his heart. Last time, I only cut off one of his arms, a pity, but next time, I will surely chop off his neck cleanly! Of course, there is no need to confront him now. This guy¡¯s cultivation base is much higher than before. Zhu Minng needs to stay hidden a while longer, waiting for my four dragons toplete their Reincarnation Transformation.
By then, I won¡¯t need to do it myself, I¡¯llmand a group of Dragon Kings to stamp him to death in turns! Zhu Minng found that being a Dragon Shepherdes with a very unique passive ability. As long as you don¡¯t act mischievously, others simply won¡¯t notice you.
When I was a Sword Cultivator before, wherever I went, there seemed to always be a high and mighty teacher pointing at me and saying, ¡°This child is not simple.¡± But as a Dragon Shepherd, as long as I just stand to the side and keep quiet, I be invisible,pletely unnoticed by anyone. Of course, this doesn¡¯t mean I have really regressed. But it was theposition of the aura that was different. It was quite easy for a Dragon Shepherd to conceal their own aura, after all, the powerful energy wasn¡¯t on the Dragon Shepherd but on the dragons beasts they raised. A God and Mortal had to cultivate the soul and refine their framework, which meant they always emitted an aura unlike ordinary people, especially during one¡¯s youth when I didn¡¯t even know what it meant to conceal it. In fact, at the time, Zhu Minng was full of youthful vigor, wielding his sword to roam the world, and there were few in this world who could match up to him. That is, until he encountered this visitor from beyond the heavens, which left Zhu Minng utterly shocked¡­ There were others of his age in the world who were stronger than him?? Zhu Minng, who had always been invincible in his world, actually felt a blow to his ego. Furthermore, because of that battle, Little White had also been harmed, and nearly lost its life during the Reincarnation Transformation. Without much thought at the time, Zhu Minng decided to sign a Spirit Contract. It turned out the visitor was a being from beyond, superior to others.
Such beings usually possessed higher-level cultivation methods or more powerful spells, and yet, in the end, they could still be severely wounded by me. For some reason, the knot in my heart suddenly vanished. A visitor from beyond the heavens. Ha, is that all? I¡¯ll let you have a few years of cultivation, then start from scratch in another profession. By that time, I¡¯ll surpass you easily! No, that¡¯s not right, I could first wield my sword, chop off another of his arms with the Sword Awakening stance, then call forth a group of Dragon Kings, crush his body, and let him copsepletely, both physically and internally! To kill is to vanquish the heart, only then does cultivation make sense. He nced at King An, who wore a somewhat sycophantic expression. Then he looked at the so-called visitor from beyond the heavens who pretended to be profound, yet clearly enjoyed the ttery from those around him. Enjoy these pleasant times in your so-called Lower Realm, for when my dragons awaken, you won¡¯t need to seek revenge on me, as I¡¯ll being for you! There weren¡¯t many people Zhu Minng truly detested from the bottom of his heart, but this visitor from beyond was at the top of the list! Upon leaving King An¡¯s Mansion, Zhu Minng mounted the steed prepared for him by Zhou Yong, the shopkeeper, and set off towards the Tea-colored Ground.
As for the visitor from beyond, Zhu Minng would also gradually learn about him, which naturally concerned theposition of this world. If Li Yunzi¡¯s worries were correct, then it was only a matter of time before the people of the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent would sh with these so-called visitors from beyond the heavens. By then, one must possess absolute strength, otherwise the tragedies of Wutu, Lingxiao City State, and Wesnd would repeat themselves. Li Yunzi¡¯s philosophy was absolutely correct. Only the strong have peace. The peace of the weak is nothing but charity from the rulers, and when they grow impatient, it bes a life without dignity, left at their mercy. ¡°Speaking of which, did the top echelon of the Supreme Court Empire already know about these visitors from beyond the heavens¡­ How many of such visitors are there in the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent now?¡± Zhu Minng couldn¡¯t help pondering. Zhu Xuehen might as well have admitted her identity. She indicated that the Sisters Li Nan were as well. And then there¡¯s this Bai Shangren¡­ It can¡¯t be just them, right? Considering the cultivation base of Nan Lingsha, Nan Yuso, Li Yunzi¡­ And the current cultivation base of Zhu Xuehen, as well as the current strength of Bai Shangren. They all share one thing inmon, their cultivation base improves very quickly!
Chapter 353: 355: The Ancestral Grandmother is Critically Ill Chapter 353: Chapter 355: The Ancestral Grandmother is Critically Ill ¡­ It was a bit chilly in the winter, with specks of green grass. After returning to the tea-colored ground, a warm airflow arrived from the direction of Neon Sea, providing a sensation like stepping from winter straight into spring. It was veryfortable, the climate here. Just thinking about owning a city on this verynd, where soil, rainwater, and forests nurtured many blossoming young girls, even a fleeting glimpse of them picking tea, nting flowers, or strolling through the streets, effortlessly brightened one¡¯s mood! Humming a tune, Zhu Minng returned to Runyu City. After some days away, the city had blossomed like a young girl reaching maturity, suddenly seeming quite imposing, from the city towers to the streetsid with stones of just the right hue, and the shops that were gradually opening up on either side. With order established, the city quickly filled with vitality ¨C merchants, farmers, rangers, schrs, cultivators,borers, private armies¡­ In Runyu City, they could all find a suitable livelihood, and if they seized an opportunity, they could really strike it rich! Runyu City itself was positioned on a Dragon Nest Spirit Vein, and with the additional four Great Spiritual Veins nearby, it became an important factor in attracting powerful factions to establish a presence. Now, the Godly Mortal Academy had be incredibly approachable, and even the gasping Dean Yan Guang brought many conveniences to Runyu City in his invisible way, having found suitable buyers for the city¡¯s other spirit veins. The Spirit Veins were leased out on a yearly basis, renting for even more than gold mines. This money had be Runyu City¡¯srgest source of ie. Trade routes were also developing, prodded along by the Monarch of ughter Country himself. Although the route connected to Neon Sea, which greatly benefited him too, making money together was the best-case scenario.
As the saying goes, ¡°When one monk will drink, two monks will carry water, three monks will have no water to drink¡­¡± In the tea-colored ground vicinity, there were more than just one monk, but with a strong abbot among them, the temple prospered, and everything moved in a positive direction. ¡­ Zhu Minng didn¡¯tck money for the moment; Runyu City was his own. The more he invested now, the more he would gain in the future. Thus, at this initial stage, although various parties were already generating revenue, Zhu Minng did not n on squandering money recklessly¡­ It wouldn¡¯t be long before he might be the Dragon Shepherd to several Dragon Kings. Dragon Kings probably ate through treasuries, he hoped by then Runyu City¡¯s earnings would help him pay for these Dragon Kings¡¯ ¡°milk powder.¡± Just arriving at the city gate, he saw the imposing figure of the army leader Su Tai standing at the entrance, his sharp eyes scanning the private military forces entering and leaving the city. ¡°If you Blood Tide Army want to enter the city, you¡¯d better behave yourselves. If I find out a girl is missing a pair of shoes, or a Hu family has lost a sheep, I¡¯ll take your heads off for theds to y kickball with!¡± Su Tai sternly, with a hint of intimidation, pointed at a group of soldiers wearing uniform attire. The soldiers of the Blood Tide Army all gave sheepish grins, well aware of what sort of man Su Tai was, and didn¡¯t dare to object. Yet the members of the Blood Tide Army couldn¡¯t understand why a leader of one hundred thousand troops, the vanguard general of ughter Country, had ended up guarding gates in the modest Runyu City?? ¡°Ah, City Lord, Zhu Benefactor, you¡¯re back!¡± Su Tai saw Zhu Minng, and his previous fierce and menacing appearance softened instantly, as if he had just seen his own dear grandfather. The people of the Blood Tide Army were dumbfounded. They were all human, but why was Su Tai¡¯s attitude so different? With just a tail to wag, he was nothing short of a house dog eagerly greeting its owner! ¡°Has there been any trouble?¡± Zhu Minng casually asked. ¡°How could anyone dare to act so rashly? Even if they don¡¯t respect me, Su Tai, the Azure Wolf Cavalry and the Copper Knife Army are not vegetarian either. City Lord, please feel free to travel around. A celestial being like you should wander through the Swinging Heavenly Boundary Cloud End more often. We will certainly take good care of all these mundane matters for you!¡±, the smile on Su Tai¡¯s face seemed so wide that it almost dripped with oil. ¡°That¡¯s reassuring,¡± Zhu Minng said with satisfaction, nodding his head. ¡°My Lord, Governor Hu seems to have something important to discuss with you. Please return to the Autumn Nanyi Courtyard we¡¯ve meticulously prepared for you and thedies¡­ yourpanions,¡± Su Tai said. As Zhu Minng walked down the streets, he wanted to see the changes in Runyu City over the past days; he estimated it had been about half a month since he had left his home. Thanks to the efforts of craftsmen and builders rushing the work, the ruins of the walls had beenpletely cleared away, and many new and beautiful buildings had already been constructed. They stood amongst the winter pors and willows, their beauty magnificent, and they exuded an air of ssical elegance.
Upon arriving at the Autumn Nanyi Courtyard, this was where the Hu Family Siblings had specifically instructed the craftsmen to create an elegant residence for Zhu Minng and his wives¡­ hispanions. Zhu Minng did not like grand mansions withrge gates; he preferred small buildings and private courtyards. Combining the residence of Li Yunzi back in the Li Imperial Pce, blue-barked Autumn Nanyi Trees with their azure skin and textures were nted both inside and outside the courtyard. The Autumn Nanyi Tree was beloved by both Li Yunzi and Li Xinghua, so a lot of thought had gone into this courtyard. Just as he arrived at the gate, Hu Bailing had already heard the news and was waiting at the entrance.
¡°You¡¯re back atst. There are two things I need to discuss with you,¡± Hu Bailing now spoke with added respect. Although Hu Bailing was already an acquaintance, considering the dignity of the City Lord and the status of the King Level, subordinates still needed to maintain a respectful attitude in public. ¡°Where have they gone?¡± Zhu Minng inquired. ¡°Ah? You knew they weren¡¯t here?¡± ¡°If Xinghua were here, these potted nts at the front wouldn¡¯t be in such disarray,¡± Zhu Minng remarked. ¡°This is a letter. Please read it first. The incident happened quite suddenly. They had intended to wait for your return and then set out together, but the old grandmother may not have long to live,¡± Hu Bailing conveyed. Zhu Minng opened the letter, which appeared to be in Li Yunzi¡¯s handwriting. He had seen her writing before in the Li Family Deliberation Hall¡ªstrong and vigorous, determined, and sharp, just like her personality. ¡°Minng, Grandmother is gravely ill. In her letter, she said she has extremely important matters to entrust us with. We waited three days, nning to wait for your return so we could travel back to Li Chuan together¡­¡± Zhu Minng read quickly, grasping the situation. On their way back to Li Chuan, the Li Family¡¯s Old Grandmother seemed to be at the end of her life¡­ The Nan Family of the Li House, the only ones Li Yunzi and her sisters probably cared for, was this old grandmother. Important matters to entrust? Was it about the celestial visitors? Previously, when Zhu Minng and Nan Yuso spected, they felt that the old grandmother must be hiding many secrets, including the Ancient Ruins on the Li Chuan Continent, and the identities of the Sisters Li Nan.
¡°Grandmother doesn¡¯t have much time left, so we had to proceed first. We hope you can meet us in the Eastern Region as soon as possible.¡± As Zhu Minng read thest line, he could sense that Li Yunzi was worried the grandmother would notst until their return, and she hoped to set out on the journey back together with him. Sigh, it¡¯s all because of the Reincarnation Transformation. The Heavenly ughter Dragon wouldn¡¯t carry him, so he had to ride an ordinary mount. This dy took up way too many days on his return journey. When he set out, Zhu Minng had ridden the Heavenly ughter Dragon to Guanglin. The Dragon King could fly thousands of miles in a day, whereas an ordinary mount would take a dozen days¡¯ time. Chapter 354: 356: Phoenix Nest Chapter 354: Chapter 356: Phoenix Nest ¡°` On the paper, there was a faint scent of ink made from nanmu juice, a familiar smell that must belong to Nan Lingsha. After safely storing the letter, Zhu Minng fell into a contemtion. Li Yunzi meant for him to meet up with them as soon as possible and return to Li Chuan together. But Zhu Minng hesitated. All four dragons were in the midst of Reincarnation Transformation. The Heavenly ughter Dragon was not as reliable as he¡¯d hoped, providing protection but no use in a fight. If he would return to Li Chuan now, he wouldn¡¯t be able to search for the Phoenix Nests that could shorten the time of Reincarnation Transformation. Moreover, the food for the Heavenly ughter Dragon would be a huge problem. The Heavenly ughter Dragon required Holy Spirit Blood. Although there were Ten Thousand Year Saint Spirits in Li Chuan Continent, Zhu Minng estimated that they might be driven to extinction by the Heavenly ughter Dragon in a few months, which would be incredibly harmful to the ecological environment! The Supreme Court Courtyard Continent was vast with many demon spirits, and although Saint Spirits were rare there, with some effort he could still find some. If the Heavenly ughter Dragon were obedient, it wouldn¡¯t be an issue. Consuming blood from a Thousand Year Demon Spirit could barely sustain it. The fear was that such a method might lead to the dragon¡¯s rebellion. If the Heavenly ughter Dragon rebelled, it would be a disaster for the Li Chuan Continent, unstoppable by anyone.
¡°City Lord, are you setting off soon? Actually, there¡¯s no need for you to worry about Runyu City anymore. Everything is on the right track here. ughter Country and Godly Mortal Academy have be our strong support. You can be a hands-off manager, assured that each time you return, you¡¯ll see a different Runyu City!¡± said Hu Bailing, brimming with confidence. ¡°No worries, I¡¯m not nning to return to Li Chuan right now. There are some matters I need to take care of. ¡®A short parting is better than a newlywed,¡¯ and my grandmother is gravely ill; it was sudden, and they really had no choice but to go back,¡± Zhu Minng replied. ¡°Ah? They kept reminding me to tell you their exact route so that you wouldn¡¯t get lost trying to meet up with them. You can tell, they¡¯re not quite used to not having you around,¡± Hu Bailing earnestly said. ¡°They are not as fragile as they seem,¡± Zhu Minng said with a smile. There was no need to worry. If Li Yunzi had indeed awakened, with her wisdom and strength, she could resolve even the toughest situations. Coupled with the current strength of Nan Lingsha and Nan Yuso, and the absence of King Level figures in Li Chuan Continent, they would naturally be able to handle things easily. It was Zhu Minng himself who needed to resolve his current situation first, to help the four dragonsplete their transformation stage as soon as possible. Even if only one dragon awakened, he could rapidly ascend to realms he had never touched before. It might not be a bad thing, considering he had a hidden enemy that was a mighty King Level figure. Zhu Minng needed to travel by himself for a while. Unfortunately, this time he would be heading to the Neon Sea alone. The Neon Sea was also known as the Dragon Sea. The countries surrounding the Neon Sea all revered Dragon Trainers, including the Supreme Court of the Dragon Taming Academy, which was nearby. The resources there were quite abundant. Each dragon needed aplete reshaping, from attributes to bloodlines. Zhu Minng would require a vast amount of spiritual resources, something that only the incredibly rich Neon Sea could provide perfectly. ¡°I¡¯ll write a letter. You deliver it to them as quickly as possible, telling them to wait for me in Li Chuan Continent. I¡¯ll return to Li Chuan after some time,¡± Zhu Minng soon made a decision. It wouldn¡¯t be toote to meet up with them once his strength was stable. Li Yunzi¡¯s principle was right. The only thing that could protect himself and the ones he cherished was his own formidable strength. There shouldn¡¯t be anyone in this world who could increase their strength faster than himself, including the beings from beyond the sky. All hecked was the time to calm down and practice cultivation. ¡°Okay,¡± Hu Bailing nodded. ¡°What was the second matter you mentioned?¡± Zhu Minng inquired. ¡°This, do you think it¡¯s something you need?¡± asked Hu Bailing as she suddenly remembered something urgent, scurrying towards the hall and returning with a wooden box. The wooden box was exquisite, clearly a costly item.
Inside the box was an object resembling jade ss, partially shattered and exuding a faint, heart-prating scent. ¡°What is this?¡± Zhu Minng asked. ¡°A Phoenix Nest, stumbled upon by a mountain gatherer. Hearing that the City Lord needed such treasures, my subordinates immediately bought it at a high price from some unscrupulous merchants!¡± Hu Bailing¡¯s face revealed a smile, seemingly proud to have aplished something for Zhu Minng. Zhu Minng¡¯s face also showed surprise.
No wonder those Dragon Trainers wanted to conquer cities and hunt nations! The power of the people is infinite indeed. A cultivator would likely wear out their shoes yet not find a single phoenix feather, let alone a Phoenix Nest. ¡°It is said that it¡¯s a Three Thousand Year Jade Phoenix Saint Spirit that dwelled on a mysterious ind in the Neon Sea. It¡¯s just unfortunate that the other Phoenix Nests have fallen into the hands of some well-known families and nobles of the Neon Sea; otherwise, they could give the City Lord something even more significant than this,¡± said Hu Bailing. ¡°This is already quite good.¡± ¡°Oh, and about the Holy Spirit Blood, we¡¯ve also acquired some. If you want to proceed with your journey, take them with you. We have arranged to purchase Holy Spirit Blood from all the powers in the Tea-colored Ground regrly, so we should receive a small portion every month. You cane back periodically to collect it,¡± Hu Bailing mentioned. ¡°I couldn¡¯t ask for more,¡± Zhu Minng said satisfied. It wouldn¡¯t do if the Heavenly ughter Dragon got hungry each time and he had to trek distances to find Holy Spirits. Gathering these things through the people would be much easier; after all, there¡¯s strength in numbers. ¡°Do you want to take some of the other funds as well?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need for that; Runyu City needs to develop.¡± ¡°Alright then. If there¡¯s anything you need, City Lord, tell us at any time. We¡¯ll take care of the collection. Finding a rare item for the City Lord would be a matter of pride for each of us. After all, we serve the Dragon King Dragon Shepherd and enjoy your protection,¡± Hu Bailing had gone from a stubbornly strong woman to an intimately caring girl. ¡°` She felt that Zhu Minng had now be her own little faith.
¡°Okay, there should be quite a few needs in the future,¡± she said. ¡­ The Phoenix Nest was still a thirty-thousand-year-old Holy Spirit. Indeed a treasure, Zhu Minng woke Mr. Jinli and had it tell him how to use it. ¡°Where did you get this thing?¡± Mr. Jinli asked with wide fish eyes, not expecting Zhu Minng to have obtained the Phoenix Nest so quickly. ¡°It was collected by the Hu Family siblings from themon folk,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°Zhu Minng, why don¡¯t you discuss with your wife and conquer the Imperial Dynasty? With the subjects of the entire Supreme Court Courtyard Continent gathering spiritual treasures of the world for you, you could indulge every day with your four wives in a wine pool and meat forest, and be the supreme being of this eternal universe,¡± Mr. Jinli said earnestly. ¡°¡­¡± Many spiritual resources appeared in rather odd ces, and although Cultivators had special ways of finding them, they were far less efficient than the billions ofmon folk finding them by chance. Many powerful creatures actually considered harmless mountaineers without cultivation bases as harmless as deer or rabbits. Even if they passed through their territories or approached their habitats, they would not pay them any mind. This greatly facilitated these mountaineers in stealing Spirit Grass and Immortal Fruits. Moreover, many cultivated and bred items could also produce spiritual resources. If systematically collected, these would amount to a considerable stock of spiritual resources,parable to a Spirit Vein! The power of themon folk had always been immense, which is why some rulers and sitting powers could endure for a long time!
Now that Zhu Minng only had the newly revitalized Runyu City, he could already feel the benefits the city brought¡­ ¡°As for ruling the continent, let¡¯s take it slow. First tell me, how do I use this Phoenix Nest? Do I eat it, or does a dragon? Is it for external application or internal use?¡± Zhu Minng asked. ¡°Of course you eat it, how do you expect those colorful cocoons to open their mouths?¡± Mr. Jinli said irritably. ¡°After eating it, what should I do? Circte my own inner strength, open up the meridians of the Spirit Realm, something like that?¡± Zhu Minng asked. ¡°After eating it, there will be a ball of energy in your stomach simr to a me, which you have to slowly absorb. This will greatly help your Dragon Shepherd cultivation base. Afterwards, you should observe the attributes of this ball of energy. If it¡¯s ice, wind, stars, or the like, naturally channel it to Little Bai Qi. If it¡¯s attributes like wood or light, channel it to Little Qing Zhuo. If it¡¯s metal elements, rare ores, guide them to Mo Ye. If it¡¯s water, beasts, blood or simr properties, channel them to Big ck Tooth,¡± Mr. Jinli exined. Channel it ording to each dragon¡¯s attributes. Whichever dragon it matches, channel the energy to that one. This wasn¡¯t difficult to understand. The absorption of many spiritual resources required the guidance of Dragon Shepherds to avoid mixing in impurities and to maximize absorption. ¡­ Zhu Minng did as Mr. Jinli guided him. After consumption, his body did indeed be very hot, and he could feel the Phoenix Nest was filled with ancient and potent source energy, chaotically surging through his body. Zhu Minng concentrated them and began to absorb.
Soon Zhu Minng felt subtle changes taking ce in his Spirit Realm, especially in the Spiritual Spring. Before, the Spiritual Spring was like a slowly turning millstone, gradually absorbing Spirit Origin from heaven and earth into his body, forming the Spiritual Energy that could nourish Dragon Beasts, with Spirit Origin within hundreds of miles being drawn into it. Now, the rotation speed of the Spiritual Spring was increasing, as if the old donkey beside the millstone had been reced by a wild horse, grinding the Spirit Origin-grain into a more easily absorbed mush in minutes. If there were Dragon Babies in the Spirit Realm right now, they would have benefited immensely, quickly ascending in level! The Heavenly ughter Dragon also felt this slight change and half-opened its eyes. Turning over, the Heavenly ughter Dragon slept even more soundly in this Spiritual Energy-filled warmth as if it was bathing in a hot spring, seeming even more satisfied with its little nest. Zhu Minng concentrated and began to discern the attributes and elements. The color green signified wood. The thirty-thousand-year-old Jade Phoenix also seemed to be nature¡¯s favorite, the ruler of Spiritual Mountains and Fairy Isles. Clearly, this attribute was suitable for the Divine Green Holy Dragon. ¡°It¡¯s a wood attribute, the Essence of Nature,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°Very good, it¡¯s a match. Give it to Little Qing Zhuo, it should be the first to break out of the cocoon, and it won¡¯t take long,¡± Mr. Jinli said. ¡°Wait, it seems there¡¯s an unexpected gain¡­ I, I have an additional Spirit Contract, naturally grown!¡± Zhu Minng said with great joy. ¡°Purple Dragon!! Purple Dragon!!! This time it has to be a Purple Dragon!!!¡± Mr. Jinli roared, almost like an old father who heard his wife had conceived again, hoping for a son. The Heavenly ughter Dragon opened its eyes once more, its cool and slightly fierce dragon face showing a bit of arrogance and ferocity. What¡¯s the matter, isn¡¯t a colorful star dragon a progeny-bearing dragon anymore??, or is this Dragon King just an ident??? Chapter 355: 357 Xuancao Mountain Castle Chapter 355: Chapter 357 Xuancao Mountain Castle Zhu Minng acted as if he heard nothing. The Purple Dragon wasn¡¯t some stray dog by the roadside or a grass carp in a pond that could simply be said to be caught but never actually gotten. Having one more Spirit Contract was definitely a great thing. Zhu Minng was in need of dragons at the moment, and even if Little Qingzhuo could wake up ahead of time, he couldn¡¯t just rely on one Azure Dragon to conquer the world, could he? The energy brought by the Phoenix Nest was rapidly dissipating within Zhu Minng¡¯s body, and if he did not seize it quickly, it would probably flow away quickly. Zhu Minng concentrated his mind and began to guide the energy with natural attributes to the cocoon where Little Qingzhuo was. The azure cocoon was entwined with innumerable threads of azure light, those strands of light flitting about, nearly forming a green forest within Zhu Minng¡¯s Spirit Realm, marking out a little world of its own. As Zhu Minng directed it, a stream of azure mist slowly surrounded this azure dragon cocoon, making the cocoon threads thicker and stronger, like tubes sucking in the spirit of heaven and earth, continuously transporting the essence of life to the Divine Green Holy Dragon within the dragon cocoon. This process was rather slow, but Zhu Minng was patient and gentle, deeply afraid that this overly strong energy would impact the very weak Little Azure Dragon, just like nurturing a tiny sapling. Afterpleting all this, Zhu Minng immediately received a response that filled him with joy. ¡°Mew~~~~~¡± It was a very weak cry, tender like a baby eagle that had no feathers yet, only able to rely on the eagle to pass along some dew.
The murmur from the Divine Green Holy Dragon brought Zhu Minng a lot offort. Regression bore risks; it was possible to perish due to extreme frailty. Hearing Little Qingzhuo¡¯s cry, Zhu Minng knew there was no life-threatening danger at present, and it had epted the energy he directed into it, developing and growing bit by bit. Dragon Pupil, Dragon w, arms, wings, tail, and dragon beak seemed to be reshaping as well. ¡°Sleep well, grow up quickly,¡± Zhu Minng knew that Little Qingzhuo still remembered his voice, so he whispered a gentle reminder. Before long, the Divine Green Holy Dragon fell peacefully asleep, and the little world marked out by its azure silken threads, like a green forest realm with faint signs of spring, was giving it vigorous vitality and more potent natural sources. ¡­ ¡°How is it?¡± Mr. Jinli asked somewhat eagerly. ¡°The effect is very good; it seems like it wille out soon, and its life force is very strong,¡± Zhu Minng said. The Phoenix Nest was indeed a good thing. Initially, Zhu Minng didn¡¯t understand much. Seeing Little White weaken into regression and having a life so feeble it couldn¡¯t match a summer moth, he waspletely panicked, fearing it would fall as a result. So, in haste, he signed a Spirit Contract with it, using his strong cultivation base to protect it. Fortunately, this crude method, though unsophisticated, saved Little White from weakening further. ¡°It¡¯s all right, it wille out of the cocoon soon enough, and it won¡¯t take long before it undergoes metamorphosis,¡± Mr. Jinli said. ¡°Yes, my Spirit Realm is like a Spiritual Spring now; I estimate there will be changes within half a month,¡± Zhu Minng nodded in agreement. ¡­ With the Holy Spirit Blood taken on, this blood should be able to sustain one to two months. The Heavenly ughter Dragon had justpleted tribtion and was in the post-ascension recovery period, not eating much. Most of the time, it was in deep sleep, absorbing the Spiritual Energy within his own Spirit Realm. Considering he needed more Phoenix Nests to elerate the metamorphosis of other dragons, Zhu Minng didn¡¯t waste time. After packing up, he set off directly towards the Neon Sea. Surrounded by abundant resources, the Neon Sea was a sacred ce for dragon taming. There, all of my dragons could receive perfect nurturing! This time, the initial training had to be more thorough! Considering the many ces along the way where flying was impossible, Zhu Minng continued riding the red horse he had taken from Zhu Gate. The red horse, a type of magical beast, would eat spirit stones infused with fire attributes. It had a strong body, lightning speed, and most importantly, loyalty, making it highly suitable for long journeys.
Riding the red horse, Zhu Minng headed straight for the Neon Sea. Passing through various city-states, post stations, fortresses, mountain towns, river viges¡­ Zhu Minng didn¡¯t linger long, allowing the red horse to rest well before setting off again. After nearly ten days of travel, crossing a wend, Zhu Minng could already smell the warm spring-like climate of the Neon Sea. Even in winter, you could see many summer flowers blooming in the Neon Sea, with abundant rainfall and a stable climate. The harsh winter cold couldn¡¯t affect this ce at all, where vegetation was lush, and the animals were spirited¡­.
A jade-red steed, bounding spiritedly, trotted through a sea of flowers, startling countless des of grass and petals. Passing through the perfumeden air, Zhu Minng couldn¡¯t help wanting to stop, but looking back, it seemed the beauties were not by his side, and as a rough man, he felt rather out of ce amidst these blossoms. Shaking his head, Zhu Minng nheless flicked the reins, urging the red horse toward his first destination¡ªXuancao Mountain Castle. Xuancao Mountain Castle could be described as an ancient and elegant post station for anyone entering the Neon Sea World. Zhu Minng had stayed there for quite a while during his youthful travels. It was a small mountain that was neither high nor steep, standing alone on this vast moistnd, its undting slopes covered in ruby xuancao flowers. Flowers like rubies, scattered all over the hills¡ªNan Lingsha would surely be stunned by such a sight, unable to resist capturing this earthly paradise in her sketchbook. Upon entering Xuancao Mountain Castle, Zhu Minng stayed at a small roadside inn. Just tying up the red horse, he saw in the stables a wild Fierce Dragon being shackled to a metal post with iron chains. Mounted on the brown Fierce Dragon was a man dressed in ornate clothes, with flowing shoulder-length hair and a frivolous, arrogant face. When he saw Zhu Minng riding a horse, a smirk curled at his lips as he scoffed, ¡°Friend, riding a horse in the Neon Sea¡ªare you some kind of wandering bard? I detest wandering bards the most. They¡¯re only popr with culturedless rich dames. There are plenty of suchdies in the Neon Sea. Could it be that¡¯s your line of work?¡± Zhu Minng touched his cheek. How handsome must his face be that everyone thought it a waste for him not to live off women. ¡°I am a Dragon Shepherd,¡± Zhu Minng responded dismissively and didn¡¯t bother with him anymore.
¡°Hahaha, a Dragon Shepherd riding a horse¡ªperhaps what you raise are just worms. Many who rear insects or snakes think themselves Dragon Shepherds too!¡± the arrogant man continued tough. Zhu Minng had already walked away. The world nevercked such fools. Entering his room, the somewhat weary Zhu Minng was about to lie down when a murmuring voice came from within the Spirit Realm, childlike, like a little eaglet. Zhu Minng hurriedly checked and found that the green dragon cocoon had somehow disintegrated, and a small, crystal-clear jade green worm had wriggled out! Chapter 356: 358 Spiritual Insect Metamorphosis Chapter 356: Chapter 358 Spiritual Insect Metamorphosis Zhu Minng hurriedly lifted it out of the Spirit Realm. The Little Spirit Bug was plump and when it moved about in Zhu Minng¡¯s palm, one could feel its skin¡¯s smoothness and chill, veryfortable to the touch, almost like ady¡¯s¡­ though not quite so exaggerated. ¡°Going to buy mulberry leaves!¡± Mr. Jinli called out from behind Zhu Minng, startling him. Zhu Minng hadn¡¯t even put on his boots, hurrying to do so now. Coming to Xuancao Mountain Castle, there was another very important reason, and that was because this ce had the best mulberry leaves in the world. When it came to mulberry leaves, Zhu Minng was an expert; he used to cultivate them while wandering, knowing how to select the best. Though it was nighttime, the streets of Xuancao Mountain Castle were bustling. Here, the merchants, flower growers, and food stalls would stay open until dawn, and then the noisy market would begin anew at daybreak. ¡°I¡¯ll take all these mulberry leaves,¡± Zhu Minng quickly found a shop, which sold emerald mulberry leaves. The leaves were plump and lustrous, just like pieces of emerald leaves. Zhu Minng had also considered growing them, as they could earn a lot of money, but sadly, they had no seeds. Now that he had money, he just bought them outright. He¡¯d take as many as there were!
Back at his amodation, Zhu Minng wasn¡¯t sleepy anymore. He asked the innkeeper for some chilled, flower-brewed liquor and sat in the courtyard, drinking alone while Little Qingzhuo nibbled on mulberry leaves at the table. The familiar scent of salted fish. Zhu Minng remembered the days he lived in Wutu. Though it wasn¡¯t a peaceful ce, he lived quite leisurely, his mind upied with nothing more than chopping wood, feeding silkworms, lighting fires, and cooking¡­ If it weren¡¯t for that woman¡­ Sigh, he felt a pang of nostalgia. It had only been a short while since they¡¯d parted, yet he missed her beauty, which never bored the eyes, along with her perfect figure, unable to get enough of it, no matter what style of clothing she wore, she was as beautiful as a fairy. ¡°I need to raise the Dragon Capital quickly so I can join them,¡± Zhu Minng muttered to himself. ¡°Hahahaha, don¡¯t make meugh, my friend. You¡¯re seriously raising insects? What species of caterpir is this? It looks special, but it could never turn into a dragon. Friend, you really must be out to charm some richdies!¡± At that moment, the arrogant voice sounded again. Zhu Minng took a sip of his wine, then noticed the mboyantly dressed man feeding raw meat to his Fierce Dragon. The man walked straight over to him and handed Zhu Minng a jug of liquor with a smile, ¡°You look so pitiful, this drink¡¯s on me. It¡¯s got a better taste than that flower brew you¡¯re holding.¡± Zhu Minng epted it and took a taste. It indeed was good liquor. It seemed the man was just a loudmouth and didn¡¯t actually look down on him, so there was no reason to beat him up. ¡°This is an Azure Dragon, and it¡¯s going to transform into a dragon very soon,¡± Zhu Minng dered unhurriedly. ¡°My friend, the way you dream reminds me of all the fools in the world who have been swindled. Yes, all things in the world have the potential to turn into dragons, but the chance is as slim as a meteor falling from the sky right onto your head. Stop dreaming, this is just a caterpir that eats mulberry leaves. It¡¯s cute, sure, perfect for amusing noble youngdies or old widows,¡± said the man in the flowery clothes, sitting at the table, making himself at home. He ordered a portion of beef and invited Zhu Minng to join him, possibly thinking that Zhu Minng had spent all his money on those expensive mulberry leaves. ¡°What should I call you?¡± Zhu Minng asked. ¡°Luo Shaoyan, and you, wandering poet,¡± said the man in the flowery clothes.
¡°Zhu Minng,¡± Zhu Minng replied. ¡°You don¡¯t look genuinely poor based on your attire, most likely because you bought too many expensive materials for the so-called dragon transformation, only to end up without a single dragon. Recognizing dragons is a very particr skill, it doesn¡¯t mean that when you see a little creature full of spiritual energy, it¡¯s a future dragon. Creatures with spiritual energy might just be spirits that have lived for a while,¡± the man iming to be Luo Shaoyan went on and on. ¡°You know dragon recognizing techniques?¡± Zhu Minng raised his eyebrows. ¡°Of course, our Luo Mountain Sect was once a prominent Sect, and even some of the old-timers from the Purple Sect n havee to learn about dragon recognizing techniques from us. Without any exaggeration, the widely-known dragon recognizing methods of the Purple Sect n were copied from us. Our Luo Mountain Sect has been too low-key, too hermit-like, that¡¯s why no one knows about it,¡± Luo Shaoyan said with pride.
¡°Alright, then take a look at how soon this little cutie will transform into a dragon,¡± Zhu Minng pointed at the plump Little Qingzhuo on the table and asked. ¡°Are you kidding me? This thing? If it can turn into a dragon, I¡¯ll drink the water of the Neon Sea!¡± Luo Shaoyan said disdainfully. ¡°Oh, it seems that your family¡¯s dragon recognizing technique isn¡¯t that great then,¡± Zhu Minng sighed. ¡°Nonsense, I¡¯m heading out this time to join the Supreme Court of the Dragon Taming Academy. When I be famous in the Dragon Taming Headquarters, you, still ingratiating yourself with old women, better note running to me all excitedly, bragging about having a drink with me today!¡± Luo Shaoyan said arrogantly. ¡°So you¡¯re going to the Dragon Taming Academy¡¯s Headquarters, huh? I should probably also pay a visit in a few days,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°One must be down-to-earth. If you really have savings, you should bite the bullet and buy a fake dragon youngling, that would be much more reliable than counting on this kind of little bug. And don¡¯t listen to those crafty merchants, those spirit pill wonderful medicines they sell that supposedly enhance your cultivation base, they¡¯re mostly useless. The dragon recognizing techniques, if used properly, can indeed be like leaping through the Dragon Gate, skyrocketing to sess, but if used wrongly, they are just deceiving people and ghosts!¡± Luo Shaoyan advised Zhu Minng. After their chat, Luo Shaoyan went back to his room. Zhu Minng still had to wait for Little Qingzhuo to slowly munch through the mulberry leaves. At this moment, at the stable, the Fierce Dragon, having finished its raw meat, seemed untamably wild, and it approached Zhu Minng¡¯s red horse, looking like it wanted to feast on horse meat. Zhu Minng frowned, about to get up and deter it with his presence, but the little bug on the table suddenly let out a cry. The sound was indeed no different from summer insects, something ordinary people wouldn¡¯t notice, but the Fierce Dragon eating the raw meat seemed to be frightened by it. It immediately curled up into a ball, daring not to get any closer to the red horse! Zhu Minng looked at Little Qingzhuo in its bug form in surprise. Was it really that fierce? It hadn¡¯t even transformed yet!
Just then, the satiated Little Spirit Bug begun to roll on the spot, and Zhu Minng thought it wanted him to y with it, so he went to poke it with his finger. But then, a stream of bluish silk, resembling glistening translucent liquid, began to emerge from the skin of the bug, which shone like Spirit Jade. The silk wrapped around the azure-colored Little Spirit Bug, and soon, it morphed back into a glittering azure cocoon, bursting with vibrant life force!! Transformation??? It¡¯s already transforming??? Back then, he and Little White had roamed for years! ¡°The thirty-thousand-year Phoenix Nest is really nutritious. You should quickly put it in your Spirit Realm, where a hundredfold elerated spiritual energy can nourish it, and in a few days, it will break out of the cocoon!!¡± Mr. Jinli said, filled with joy. Chapter 357: 359: Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon Chapter 357: Chapter 359: Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon After staying at Xuancao Mountain Castle for a day, it was the perfect opportunity to slowly await Little Qingzhuo¡¯spletion of the Reincarnation Transformation. Indeed, as his own cultivation base increased, the speed of the transformation was much faster than before. Zhu Minng remembered when Little White underwent metamorphosis, he had stayed at the Dragon Taming Academy for half a month before there were any noticeable changes, but now, it had taken just one day. The azure cocoon showed signs of loosening just as Zhu Minng finished his dinner. Cracks appeared on the outer shell of the cocoon, the soft yet resilient azure cocoon seemingly melting away like snow under the sunshine, bit by bit. And the azure Little Spirit Bug, which had eaten until round just the night before, had nowpletely changed its appearance by the following day. What came into view was a pair of elegant wings, disying perfect hues, and up close, one could even see a glimmer of azure luminescence. Its body was delicate, resembling a bird and yet more majestic than any bird. The previous imposing Giant Dragon skull was gone, reced by a more graceful bird head. Its forelimbs had disappeared too, leaving only the ws of a mighty eagle. As for its tail, it had turned into four delicate and soft strands, resembling dancing willow branches, sparkling with a sacred azure-blue color, magnificently beautiful! Young Dragon. Little Qingzhuo had undoubtedly reverted to the form of a Young Dragon. However, Zhu Minng had seen Little Qingzhuo during its Young Dragon period before; it was like a little dog, its wings not as broad and its linescking the aesthetic beauty it now had, emitting more of a bestial nature. Now, Little Qingzhuo had entirely lost that bestiality and beast-like form, reced instead by the agility and nobility of an azure sparrow or eagle, which made Zhu Minng wonder in disbelief.
Was this Little Qingzhuo evolving toward the Divine Green Holy Dragon? Or had itpletely transformed into another kind of dragon, with a bloodline and species utterly different? ¡°Transformed into an Azure Eagle Dragon??¡± Zhu Minng mumbled to himself. Little Qingzhuo was still too young to discern any specific features from its external appearance. ¡°This is an Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon, it has acquired the Azure Phoenix bloodline!¡± Mr. Jinli cursed discontentedly. Zhu Minng¡¯s mouth fell open. For some reason, just hearing the name of the dragon already felt extraordinary! Most importantly, Zhu Minng had not expected that the energy from the Three Ten-thousand Year Phoenix Nest he introduced could reshape Little Qingzhuo¡¯s bloodline! The Azure Phoenix naturally ranked above the Green Wood Dragon, and it seemed like the bloodline of the Forest Giant Dragon from Little Qingzhuo¡¯s mother had entirely vanished. Today, Little Qingzhuo had be abination of the Azure Phoenix and Divine Tree Holy Dragon bloodlines, turning into an Azure Phoenix Azure Saint Dragon! This bloodline, its status was unknown how many levels higher than before, after all, addressing Little Qingzhuo as a Divine Green Holy Dragon, but deep down it still had half of the Forest Giant Dragon bloodline, which had its limitations! The fusion of the Azure Phoenix bloodline with that of the Divine Green Holy Dragon was the true dominion of nature! ¡°What did I tell you, you¡¯ve found a treasure. With each cycle of Reincarnation Transformation, they will be dragons of a more superior bloodline. An Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon, that¡¯s not inferior to the Fiend Star Dragon at all. Raise it properly and entering the Dragon King Level will be a breeze!¡± Mr. Jinli continued. In the Spirit Realm, the Heavenly ughter Dragon King groggily woke up; it tilted its wickedly cool head and looked towards the just hatched young dragon. It sniffed around and seemed to fall into contemtion. It remembereding here to find a Divine Green Holy Dragon of impure bloodline sleeping in the nest. How did it turn into an Azure Dragon Baby?? Was there a ghost in this Spirit Realm? Although the Azure Dragon Baby was young, the aura it emitted didn¡¯t seem weak at all. Moreover, the Heavenly ughter Dragon also felt a faint threat. Had it been in the harshpetition of nature, the sight of such a young dragon with such a lofty bloodline would have driven the Heavenly ughter Dragon to kill it immediately, as this kind of dragon could pose a threat to its own territory once it grew up!
¡­ Zhu Minng held the Little Azure Dragon in his hands as he brought it out of his Spirit Realm, and knowing by its whiny cries that it was hungry again. Little Qingzhuo¡¯s transformation was happening too fast, so that Zhu Minng had not yet figured out what it ate, yet he saw the young Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon already nibbling on those emerald mulberry leaves. It even eats leaves!
It seemed that the emerald mulberry leaves were indeed nutritious and suited the dragon¡¯s pte. ¡°Look at it, it¡¯s like a newly hatched being and, have you noticed, its disability from being a Disabled Dragon haspletely disappeared!¡± Mr. Jinli suddenly said, thrilled with surprise. Zhu Minng was observing seriously as well. Just as Mr. Jinli described, the scars from the huge trauma that Qingzhuo had suffered in its youth were nowhere to be found. Its bones, its internal organs, and many vital parts of its lineage were intact! The Divine Green Holy Dragon was an exceptionally superior breed to begin with. Had it not been for the impact of being a Disabled Dragon, it might have even surpassed the growth of the Ice Morning White Dragon. But now, Little Qingzhuo had gained the bloodline of the Azure Phoenix, bing an Azure Phoenix Green Holy Dragon, and not only had its lineage be nobler by countless degrees, but even the Disabled Dragon trait that would have followed it for life was healed! The biggest issue Little Qingzhuo had was being a Disabled Dragon. Now that has been perfectly resolved; its potential is immeasurable! Zhu Minng also showed a smile on his face. The little one had finally tasted the sweetness after the bitterness, breaking free from the heavy trauma of its youth, with nothing to stop it from soaring through the heavens! The growth rate of the Green Saint Dragon was extremely fast; it had just finished eating the emerald mulberry leaves when one could see its feathers growing out from its plump, smooth skin, especially those wings of the Azure Phoenix. Each feather seemed like a perfect work of art, and once it had fully plumed, the resplendent wings would likely make it majestic and extraordinary, like a favored child of the creator! ¡°Go get some more Wutong Spirit Dew, it should soon master some powerful racial abilities,¡± Mr. Jinli suggested. Since Wutong Spirit Dew was not avable at the castle, Zhu Minng did not linger and immediately set off for Neon Sea Fantasy City.
¡­ Fantasy City was a coastal city to the west, gracefully stretching across the white shallow sea. Part of it was situated in the sea itself, supported by colorful corals as the foundation for its uniquely styled pavilions, ancient towers, and colorful pces. I remember thest time I came, Zhu Minng said, it was under the setting sun, gazing upon this foreign city bathed in warm golden sunlight. The striking beauty and brilliance would melt the hearts of all who cherished romance. Zhu Minng brought with him a touch of regret since it was agreed that he would bring Li Yunzi here. With such a picturesque sea city, walking side by side with her, talking about interesting experiences and tranquil pasts would undoubtedly be an iparable pleasure. But, when Zhu Minng arrived at the coast, gazing at the long white beach, he discovered that Fantasy City, for some reason, had lost its former color. All the buildings, all the pavilions constructed from colorful corals, seemed to have faded. The entire Fantasy City appeared to be inexplicably enveloped in ayer of grey and ck, and even the seawater winding around the city was no longer so azure! ¡°What¡¯s going on? Did I go to the wrong ce? This looks like it¡¯s been polluted by something,¡± Zhu Minng was somewhat bewildered, and he dared not believe it. In just a few short years, what had happened to Neon Sea Fantasy City? Chapter 358: 360: Reencountering Duan Lan Chapter 358: Chapter 360: Reencountering Duan Lan ¡­ Upon entering the city, Zhu Minng saw many guards, all on high alert, asionally casting their gaze toward the sea¡¯s surface as if something terrifying lurked in the shallow waters. The city on the white sand beach seemed calmer inparison. Along the lengthy white boulevards, prosperity reigned supreme; it seemed anything one could think of¡ªand if one had enough gold and silver¡ªcould be purchased here. Markets, stalls, shops, famous streets, auctions, private venues¡ªevery form of transaction was avable. The trade route from Runyu City to the Neon Sea was designed to lead directly to this White Heavenly Street. ¡°The highest quality Juvenile Spirits, transformation into dragons is imminent, don¡¯t miss out!¡± ¡°Thousand-year Ice Foxglove, only two thousand gold!¡± ¡°Dragon Eggs, Dragon Eggs, a single egg for just fifteen hundred gold, fifteen hundred gold to be a true Dragon Shepherd, earn respect from all!¡± ¡°Neon Sea Coral Fruit, can strengthen all Lan Dragons, price negotiable, as long as you¡¯re sincere about buying.¡± In the free market, traders were hawking their wares with vigor. The greatest significance of the free markety in its broad mix of goods and people, fluctuating prices, the chance of overlooked treasures showing up, as well as outright junk sold at face value, all depending on personal discernment¡ªprofit or loss was a matter of personal choice. Zhu Minng was someone who couldn¡¯t recognize the true value of goods, but Mr. Jinli could, so while passing through, Zhu Minng also took the opportunity to browse.
Indeed, everything one could wish for was avable. Zhu Minng quickly found the Wutong Spirit Dew he had beencking, and at a price even cheaper than he expected¡­ A bottle for nine hundred gold. If this were his earlier days, Zhu Minng truly wouldn¡¯t have been able to afford such an expensive price, especially since even young dragons drinking such pricey spirit dew wouldter grow up to consume tens of thousands of gold¡¯s worth easily. But now, Zhu Minng was not short on such small change. Like feeding on milk, Little Qingzhuo ate and drank its fill and then immediately curled up on Zhu Minng¡¯s shoulder to sleep; it couldn¡¯t stay in the Spirit Realm all the time and asionally needed toe out for some air. At the end of White Heavenly Street was the Dragon Taming Academy¡¯s Supreme Court. The Dragon Taming Academy was rich and powerful, often choosing the most picturesque locations for their establishments. This Dragon Taming Academy was built over the sea, connected by a hardened coral bridge. From the shore, one could see countless magnificent buildings and ptial halls, gleaming with gold, standing proudly over the sea area, like another little fairy town within Man City. Dragon recognizing techniques. Technique of Taming. Both of these needed to be learned, and the only institution generous enough to teach these Dragon Shepherd skills was the Dragon Taming Academy. Zhu Minng naturally nned to go, but he wasn¡¯t sure whether his school records from his time in the Li Chuan Continent would be recognized here. ¡°Excuse me, is Teacher Duan Changqing inside?¡± Zhu Minng asked the guard at the Coral Bridge. ¡°Name.¡± ¡°Zhu Minng.¡± ¡°Please wait.¡± The guard summoned a messenger gull, and soon Zhu Minng¡¯s visit was ryed to the Dragon Taming High Court. When Zhu Minng was in Imperial City, he received a letter from Dean Duan Changqing stating that he had returned to the Dragon Taming High Court and nned to further his studies there for some time. The Li Chuan Dragon Taming Academy is essentially privatized by Dean Duan Changqing, and for the Academy to be sessfully epted into Li Chuan, there are many procedures that need to be followed, which Dean Duan Changqing also exined to Zhu Minng.
Therefore, Zhu Minng guessed that Duan Changqing should still be here, bustling about for the integration of the Li Chuan Dragon Taming Academy. ¡­ He didn¡¯t have to wait too long when a woman came walking across the Coral Bridge. Her figure was graceful, and she exuded a gentle quality. Dressed in a dignified and ssic long gown for women, she radiated a unique charm. The one thing the Neon Sea nevercks is beauties, both local and those whoe from afar. Yet, this woman was still a strikingly bright presence, making many other mboyantly dressed women pale inparison.
¡°Zhu Minng, is it really you?¡± Duan Lan revealed a restrained smile, but her beautiful eyes could not hide her joy. ¡°Teacher Duan Lan,¡± Zhu Minng also called out in response. He had not expected to encounter such a familiar person here. For a moment, Zhu Minng thought he had walked back to Li Chuan, standing on that white rock bridge at the Li Chuan Dragon Taming Academy. Meeting an old friend in a foreignnd is an exceptionally warm experience, let alone one with whom you¡¯ve shared hardships. ¡°Did you walk all the way here from the Imperial City? That is quite a long journey. Plus, this ce is somewhat out of touch with the news from the Imperial City. My father and I couldn¡¯t find out anything about you. Is everything going smoothly?¡± Duan Lan open up in rare candor as she spoke to Zhu Minng. ¡°It¡¯s been smooth enough, though mostly thanks to Li Yunzi¡¯s effort. Anyway, the Ancestral Dragon City-State is now at peace,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°Yes, the Female Monarch has done a lot for our Li Chuan. I wonder how her injuries are now¡­ Oh, your timing is just right,¡± Duan Lan said. ¡°How so?¡± Zhu Minng raised his eyebrows. ¡°The Li Chuan Dragon Taming Academy is ultimately being ostracized. Although the territory has been recognized by the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent, the Neon Sea Dragon Taming High Court is somewhat reluctant to ept us. My father and I have been running back and forth to barely win an opportunity, but the people here at the High Court want our students from Li Chuan Academy to be strong enough¡­¡± as Duan Lan led Zhu Minng inside, she exined further. ¡°They want to test us?¡± Zhu Minng asked. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s a rather strict test. We need topletely satisfy them. Three days ago, some of our students already made the long journey here, and you¡¯re technically still one of our students. You could use this opportunity to show those arrogant people your strength,¡± Duan Lan suggested. ¡°That¡­ I¡¯m afraid I might scare them¡­ But it¡¯s not impossible,¡± Zhu Minng hesitated for a moment before nodding in agreement.
His concern about scaring them was not unfounded. After all, where would you find a student apanied by the Dragon King? Some of the leaders of the Dragon Taming High Court would surely be astounded. But upon further thought, with the current effect of the Spirit Realm, Little Qing Zhuo¡¯s growth from its juvenile phase to maturity could likely take just a few days. If this test wasn¡¯t going to happen immediately, Zhu Minng could indeed step forward. The Li Chuan Dragon Taming Academy, after all, is a ce that has provided him with much help, and Zhu Minng still holds affection for it, especially for excellent teachers like Teacher Duan Lan. ¡°That¡¯s great, that¡¯s great. With you here, we don¡¯t need to worry about them giving us a hard time,¡± Duan Lan said with a gentle smile, her eyes shining with genuine joy. ¡­ Passing winding beautiful paths, going by many halls of study and libraries, and seeing some high towers and treasuries, the Dragon Taming Academy had a long history and had always honored a tradition of respected rituals and philosophies that people admired. Zhu Minng liked the atmosphere of the Dragon Taming Academy too¡­ Upon reaching Dean Duan Changqing¡¯s residence, they found a modest cottage without a yard but facing the bridge and the night city, allowing for a view of the soft glow of lights reflecting on the gentle waves. ¡°Right now, my father is serving here in the position of a teacher. But he has been away from this ce for too many years, and his influence isn¡¯t strong enough. Moreover, his former rivals have taken up the position of the academy¡¯s overseers. He hopes to return to Li Chuan, but if the Li Chuan Dragon Taming Academy can¡¯t be legitimized, it might be viewed as a subversive force. That would be terribly unfair to the students there and also prevent them from acquiring more resources,¡± Duan Lan spoke softly to Zhu Minng. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯ll get better with me here.¡± Chapter 359: 361: Trial of the Little Azure Dragon Chapter 359: Chapter 361: Trial of the Little Azure Dragon Upon entering the room, he saw Dean Duan Changqing, who was revising the Dragon Beast Guide, his brows knitted with worry as if many problems were swirling in his mind, unable to be resolved. Zhu Minng noticed that Dean Duan Changqing looked much more haggard than when he first met him. It seemed he had indeed been running around a lot for Li Chuan Dragon Taming Academy. He had almost forgotten, Duan Changqing, like himself, had identally ended up in Li Chuan Continent and, using some of the excellent traditions from Supreme Court Courtyard Continent, founded the Dragon Taming Academy here. Everything had been so rushed back then that there was no time to ask him how he ended up on Li Chuan Continent in the first ce. Regarding the visitors from beyond the skies, the Void Vortex that allowed one to travel to another world, Zhu Minng still wanted to understand it thoroughly. ¡°Zhu Minng!!¡± Seeing Zhu Minng approaching, Duan Changqing¡¯s eyes lit up as well. He walked over quickly, as if greeting an old friend. After all, Duan Changqing also believed that the troubles he found hard to discuss with others, Zhu Minng would be able to understand. Right now, the most troubling matter for Duan Changqing was how to exin to the people of Man City Academy that Li Chuan was not an uncivilizednd of barrenness; its people were not savages who drank blood and ate flesh. There existed a free civilization in Li Chuan with God and Mortal beings, though not many, with Dragon Shepherds, although their Cultivation Base was generally not high¡­
But this was only because thend of Li Chuan was rtively small. Compared to some even more backward regions of Supreme Court Courtyard Continent, Li Chuan¡¯s overall level of civilization and strength were not inferior to them. Man City¡¯s Dragon Taming College, in the end, still looked down upon it, not wishing for an academy solely established by Duan Changqing to be recognized among the true Dragon Taming academies. ¡°Sigh, in the end, it¡¯s still my hope that the students from Li Chuan can also get the respect they deserve, but most importantly, that they can learn more excellent Dragon Taming philosophies¡­¡± Duan Changqing said helplessly. ¡°Dean, I can understand your feelings, and you don¡¯t have to worry too much. I¡¯ll find a way to make Man City Academy ept Li Chuan,¡± Zhu Minng said. Zhu Minng himself had spent time at Li Chuan Dragon Taming Academy and knew many of the academy¡¯s philosophies were worth passing on, whether it be how they treated themon people or their proactive approach to ying demons and eliminating evil. Zhu Minng could also feel how much Dean Duan Changqing cared about the Li Chuan Dragon Taming Academy. ¡°It¡¯s good you¡¯re here, otherwise I can¡¯t guarantee that the studentsing from Li Chuan will be able to withstand their tests and deliberate difficulties,¡± Duan Changqing nodded. ¡­ Duan Changqing had Zhu Minng stay in this cottage, and Zhu Minng did not refuse. Byte night, Little Qingzhuo had already woken up, and Zhu Minng had long prepared the food materials for it. ¡°You can now perform spiritual resource enhancement, which on one hand can remove some attribute impurities lingering in its body, and on the other hand can guide it to acquire stronger abilities. During the youthful period, the growth period, it¡¯s the easiest time to awaken some marvelous techniques!¡± Mr. Jinli said. ¡°Begin enhancement during the youthful period??¡± Zhu Minng asked, somewhat surprised. Originally, Zhu Minng had only been preupied with preparing food materials for his young dragons and hardly considered enhancement and shaping; as a result, the skills awakened by each dragon were not very numerous¡­ ¡°` ¡°Like humans, dragons have an incredibly strong ability to learn during their youth and growth stages, which must be leveraged well. First find a training ground, and let¡¯s see what abilities the young Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon has mastered, and then we will decide on what to enhance based on the situation. Of course, be prepared to spend money; my cultivation methods tend to be quite costly,¡± Mr. Jinli said. It was already night, yet in the training fields of Man City¡¯s Dragon Taming College, many Dragon Shepherds could still be seen working hard at dragon taming. Some were using Sandmen forbat practice, and others had their dragons sparring with each other. Zhu Minng found a sandy beach training ground and summoned the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon. The Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon had already grown its feathers; it was the size of an adult eagle, but those four strands of luxuriously delicate phoenix tails made it instantly appear majestic and extraordinary. Many Dragon Shepherd Students at the sandy beach training ground turned their gaze toward Zhu Minng¡¯s young dragon, seemingly captivated by the unique Azure Dragon. ¡°This fellow student, what kind of dragon is this you have? It looks unfamiliar,¡± inquired a curvaceous Female Dragon Shepherd, clearly taken with the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon¡¯s unique beauty and imposing appearance.
¡°This is an Azure Phoenix Green Saint Dragon,¡± Zhu Minng responded with a smile. ¡°Green Saint Dragon? Little junior brother, do you realize what it means for a dragon to have ¡®Saint¡¯ prefixed to its name? Any dragon that possesses the Holy Dragon Bloodline, by the time they reach the Complete Period, is at least at the Dragon Monarch Level. Your dragon does seem to have some distinctive features, but calling it a Holy Dragon seems to be a bit too much,¡± the curvaceous woman¡¯s malepanion suddenly interjected. The sharp-faced man, clearly acting as the woman¡¯s sparring partner, curled his lip in disbelief when Zhu Minng mentioned Little Qingzhuo as a Holy Dragon, looking as if Zhu Minng was bragging. Zhu Minng couldn¡¯t very well force the heads of those who couldn¡¯t recognize its value to believe him.
¡°Junior brother, which branch are you from?¡± the curvaceous woman continued, appearing quite interested in Zhu Minng. ¡°Li Chuan.¡± ¡°Li Chuan?? I¡¯ve never heard of a Li Chuan Branch,¡± the woman said in surprise. ¡°Isn¡¯t Li Chuan that mixed academy from the Li Chuan Continent? I¡¯ve heard something about that; apparently, there¡¯s some sort of academy on the recently annexed Li Chuan Continent to the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent, desperate to obtain our main college¡¯s certification. So you¡¯re from that mixed soil private academy. Haha, it seems like your dragon must also be a Hybrid Dragon or a Fake Dragon,¡± the sharp-faced man continued his mockery. Zhu Minng didn¡¯t take kindly to this remark. He nced at the sharp-faced man¡¯s dragon, a Vulture Dragon, only at the Dragon Son Level. ¡°How about this: I¡¯ve been wanting to show off my dragon¡¯s abilities too. Why not let your Vulture Dragon be a sparring partner?¡± Zhu Minng suggested. ¡°This is hrious. That¡¯s a young dragon you¡¯ve got there. I¡¯m afraid my fierce Vulture Dragon might kill it with a single w. If something happens, won¡¯t they say we at the Dragon Taming High Court are overbearing bullies, ruining our college¡¯s reputation?¡± the sharp-faced man spoke with disdain and sarcasm. ¡°No worries. If as a Holy Dragon, it can¡¯t handle a Vulture Dragon that does nothing but eat mice and rotting flesh, being defeated would be just as well,¡± Zhu Minng replied calmly. ¡°You said it yourself; I didn¡¯t force you!¡± the sharp-faced man immediately became excited. He had behaved reluctantly at first, but now he seemed eager to engage in a fight. ¡°Of course.¡± Zhu Minng nodded. Little Qingzhuo stood on Zhu Minng¡¯s shoulder, its strikingly unchanging azure eyes fixed on the Vulture Dragon, which was several timesrger in size. In truth, from the start, the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon had not considered such a low-tier dragon a threat, but now that it had been challenged, it was certainly not averse to teaching it a lesson!
Chapter 360: 362: Enough to Educate Him Chapter 360: Chapter 362: Enough to Educate Him ¡°` Restore the Holy Dragon? In its bloodline, there¡¯s barely one-tenth of a true Holy Dragon¡¯s ancestry, and just because the feathers show some iridescent luster, it ims to be a Holy Dragon? Zeng Liang was not really dissatisfied with the Little Azure Dragon, but one thing was really bothering him: he had been waiting here for over a month, and he had only just managed to speak a few words with Lu Fang. Why should this guy instantly incite the attention of the goddess in his heart by showing off his young dragon and starting a conversation with her! Why!! What good is it being handsome if, just like his iridescent blue dragon, it¡¯s just an embellished pillow! ¡°I¡¯ll try my best to get my Vulture Dragon used to your young dragons, so it won¡¯t hurt them too much, but it¡¯s difficult to control everything perfectly. I hope you can understand that,¡± Zeng Liang said in a very diplomatic way, considering there were other students around in the sand training grounds. ¡°No worries. Mine is a Holy Dragon. Even if it¡¯s just in its juvenile period, it¡¯s more than a match for your bald vulture,¡± Zhu Minng retorted. ¡°Fine, I hope you don¡¯t regret it. And if something happens, don¡¯t me me!¡± Zeng Liang snorted coldly. ¡­ Gently pping its wings, the blue Phoenix Wings moved up and down gracefully and slowly. Even though it was less than three meters off the ground, the fine sand on the beach did not stir messily.
On the other hand, the Vulture Dragon seemed arrogant and domineering. Its wings, broad and thick like those of a mighty eagle beast, kicked up the surrounding sand when they pped, even making the regr waves hitting the beach chaotic. From the momentum alone, there was a huge disparity between them. The luminescence on the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon grew increasingly intense. There were many green nts near the beach, among which there were some spiny ball trees. As the eyes of the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon shed, those spiny ball trees began to grow inexplicably. Suddenly, with a soft cry, the spines on the ball trees detached, flying into the air and turning into sharp iron nails, shooting wildly at the Vulture Dragon. The attack was sudden and the spellcasting technique flowed smoothly and naturally, as if it were as simple as breathing. The potency of the iron spines should not be underestimated, as the grey Vulture Dragon, attempting to whip up whirlwinds with its wings to dispel the iing iron spines, was unable to stop them and ended up awkwardly ascending to dodge. The Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon cast another spell, and suddenly, a coral appeared mysteriously in the sand, practically terrifying spears piercing towards the Vulture Dragon in the sky. The Vulture Dragon panicked, wondering how corals could appear on the beach. It was flustered and ended up with a wound. ¡°Attack it directly with your ws!¡± Zeng Liang immediately ordered. The Vulture Dragon increased its speed, lunging directly towards the Azure Phoenix Holy Dragon, intending to suppress the still-juvenile Little Azure Dragon with its strong physique. The Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon was not as fragile as it looked. With its Azure Phoenix lineage, it disyed absolute agility in the air. One could see its petite form conjuring up azure phantoms with several flutters, easily escaping up closebat with the Vulture Dragon. The dexterous flights of the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon made the Vulture Dragon¡¯s attacks look particrly clumsy. The Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon even deliberately waited in ce for the attack, only to dodge with ease as the other closed in. It was simply toying with it¡­ In terms of speed and evasion, the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon could be deemed perfect; the Dragon Child Level Vulture Dragon couldn¡¯t even touch a single feather on it. ¡°Such a graceful dragon. Is it already this formidable in its juvenile period?¡± Lu Fang, a voluptuous woman,mented with some surprise. Juvenile period¡­ ¡°` Equivalent to a dragon that has just been born not long ago, most True Dragons in their infancy probably can¡¯t even deal with little demons, so how could they possibly be so calm and rxed under the ws of a growing Vulture Dragon?
Lu Fang had begun to believe that this was indeed a True Holy Dragon! Only a Holy Dragon could disy such immense strength during its infancy. The Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon basically did not need Zhu Minng¡¯s battle guidance; its fighting skills seemed to be branded in its bloodline. It knew when to retreat, when to attack, and even more so, how to use its advantages to suppress its opponent. Even, the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon was extremely agile.
It deliberately exposed a w in its flying, maintaining a low hover, giving the Vulture Dragon an opportunity to close in. The Vulture Dragon dived fiercely, extending its hook-sharp ws and using all its strength to swipe viciously. This dive and w strike would tear apart a sturdy bull, let alone the small body of the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon. But at that moment, the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon suddenly spun like a whirlwind, using such a motion to elerate its flight speed and perfectly dodged the Vulture Dragon¡¯s diving ws. The Vulture Dragon¡¯s ws plunged into the sand, and at the same time, arge mass of soft coral tentacles emerged from the moist sand, quickly entangling the Vulture Dragon¡¯s ws, firmly binding it to the ground. As the Phoenix Wings fluttered, one saw sharp azure arrows whizzing towards the immobile Vulture Dragon. ¡°Wu wu wu!!!¡± The Vulture Dragon let out a painful scream. Zeng Liang¡¯s face turned dark in an instant. Compared to the opponent¡¯s Little Azure Dragon, the Vulture Dragon seemed stupid and clumsy, to say nothing of its dull feathers and ugly appearance. ¡°This is just the weakest dragon I recently captured, it has not been nurtured, enhanced, nor has its bloodline been reshaped¡­ Your dragon only knows all sorts of crafty battle methods. Against my Dragon Lords and Dragon Generals, it wouldn¡¯t take a single breath to be trampled to death!¡± Zeng Liang said with extreme dissatisfaction. ¡°Zeng Liang, their dragon is still in the infancy period, how can youpare it with your fully grown Dragon Lord? This dragon is probably a true Holy Dragon; in its infancy, it already has the strength of a lower-level Dragon Son.¡± Lu Fang said. ¡°So what, when roaming outside, will those fierce demons and wicked cult viins show mercy because it is a Young Dragon?¡± Zeng Liang, hearing Lu Fang speak up for Zhu Minng, was even more displeased and relentless, ¡°Do you have any other dragons? Summon them and let¡¯spare again!¡± People without real ability are always like this, always looking for all sorts of excuses.
But then again, seeing a grown Vulture Dragon being schooled by a Young Azure Dragon in its infancy did indeed hurt one¡¯s pride. ¡°I don¡¯t have any others, I only have this one dragon right now,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°Then that¡¯s even moreughable. Do you think you can garner sympathy from the Dragon Taming High Court examiners with just this Young Dragon? They want strength, not just an Azure Sparrow that only knows how to take shortcuts. Let me tell you some unfortunate news: a few days ago, my mentor asked me to be an assistant to deal with you country bumpkin students from Li Chuan. At that time, I won¡¯t just summon Vulture Dragons, and I won¡¯t show any mercy!¡± Zeng Liang continued to taunt. Upon hearing this, Zhu Minng also had a realization; no wonder Zeng Liang seemed to be very aware when Li Chuan was mentioned. Isn¡¯t this just perfect? This kind of idiot, Zhu Minng really didn¡¯t want to let it go just like that. After a few days, Little Qing Zhuo would evolve into the growth period. A Growth Period Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon should be enough to teach him a lesson! Chapter 361: 363 Drink Seawater Chapter 361: Chapter 363 Drink Seawater Zeng Liang left the sandy beach training ground with a hint of resentment. Seeing there was such an outrageous person at the Neon Sea Dragon Taming High Court, Zhu Minng naturally began to prepare himself for action. He loved dealing with those who were full of themselves, lining up and sticking out their big heads everyone eager to get closer to his feet, he would definitely give them a good, solid trampling! After lingering on the beach for a while, Zhu Minng wanted to see what other abilities the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon possessed. Mainly, Zeng Liang¡¯s Vulture Dragon was simply too weak, and the Little Azure Dragon hardly had to use many of its talents. Moreover, the spell it used also seemed to belong to the original Divine Green Holy Dragon¡¯s Method of Driving¡­ ¡°Hey, friend, you¡¯ve made it to the Dragon Taming Academy too,¡± suddenly, a voice called out from behind Zhu Minng. Zhu Minng turned around and saw a familiar Fierce Dragon, and a mboyantly dressed guy riding it, wasn¡¯t it Luo Shaoyan, whom he had encountered at Xuancao Mountain Castle a few days ago? Compared with people like Zeng Liang, Zhu Minng found Luo Shaoyan to be much cuter. ¡°Eh, whose Little Sacred Dragon is this, how did ite to be with you?¡± Luo Shaoyan walked over, just in time to see Little Qingzhuo. The Fierce Dragon instinctively took a few steps back, and Luo Shaoyan jumped down from its back, his eyes only on the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon, as if it were the most special creature he had seen in recent years.
¡°It¡¯s my dragon,¡± Zhu Minng revealed an innocuous smile. ¡°Yours??¡± Luo Shaoyan said with incredulity. Soon, Little Qingzhuo lightlynded on Zhu Minng¡¯s shoulder, its green pupils intently watching Luo Shaoyan. Luo Shaoyan remembered those green eyes, weren¡¯t they therge round eyes of that Little Spirit Bug that was gnawing on mulberry leaves on the table? Could it be that this Green Saint Dragon had transformed from it?? ¡°It has be a dragon,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°What kind of huge joke is this?!¡± Luo Shaoyan waspletely dumbfounded. It really became a dragon??? Just what kind of luck had Zhu Minng walked into, to raise an insect that could transform into a dragon. And it had transformed into a dragon alright. But it was the genus of a Holy Dragon for heaven¡¯s sake!! A Holy Dragon, once fully grown, would certainly be a Monarch Level Dragon! ¡°Start by drinking the water from this beach first. You said it yourself, it was going to transform into a dragon, so you might as well drink up all the water of Neon Sea,¡± Zhu Minng suggested. Luo Shaoyan nced at the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon, then at the shallow waters of the beach. Many Dragon Shepherd Students were training their dragons on the beach, practicing, and some utterly ill-mannered Dragon Beasts were even defecating in the water, making some areas of the seawater stink and turn a disgusting yellow. Thinking back on the overly confident words he had said before, Luo Shaoyan really wanted to p himself. After so many years, why couldn¡¯t he rid himself of the bad habit of running his mouth! But he felt he couldn¡¯t really me himself, who would have known that an insect eating mulberry leaves could actually transform into a dragon??? ¡°How about this, let me treat you to another pot of wine, and we forget about the drinking seawater thing?¡± Luo Shaoyan said, feeling extremely awkward. ¡°Sure, your wine is good,¡± Zhu Minng agreed pleasantly, not really wanting to hold Luo Shaoyan to it.
¡°I have other matters to attend to, I just happened to see you and came over to say hello. Holy Dragons are quite a noble species, so be extra careful when you¡¯re cultivating and taming them. If there¡¯s anything you don¡¯t understand, feel free to ask me,¡± Luo Shaoyan said as he mbered back onto his mount, addressing Zhu Minng. ¡°Sure, since we¡¯re both at the Dragon Taming Academy, we¡¯ll see each other again,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°Let¡¯s not see each other again, you¡¯ve already hurt my pride¡­¡± Luo Shaoyan made a bitter face. It had been a while, yet he was still unable to recover from his astonishment. Little Sacred Dragon.
Just how many racial hierarchies had the Spiritual Insect crossed to reach the Little Sacred Dragon? If he had known, he would have also bought a Spirit Moth that caught his eye at Xuancao Mountain Castle; who knows, it might have turned into a Phoenix one day! ¡­ In addition to possessing theplete Method of Driving, Little Qingzhuo had also acquired the Light Control Technique. Its body could emit an incredibly intense azure light, dazzling and blinding, while also having significant powers of scorching and purification. Mr. Jinli called this the Qing Yao Sacred Light, a formidable ability given to the Azure Phoenix as it soared through the heavens, its feathers absorbing the intense sunlight. Still in development, the Qing Yao Sacred Light that Little Qingzhuo currently disyed was somewhat weak, but it was believed that in a few days, or once it reached its growth phase, this ability would be much more extreme. Besides, Little Qingzhuo¡¯s tail seemed to possess four different spells and abilities, which Zhu Minng had not yet had the chance to see before Little Qingzhuo got sleepy. After feeding on mulberry leaves and Wutong Spirit Dew, Little Qingzhuo returned to the Spirit Realm to enjoy the nourishment of the Spiritual Spring. Since consuming the Three Ten-thousand Year Phoenix Nest, Zhu Minng¡¯s Spirit Realm should have strengthened again, providing a cultivation speed that is one hundred and twenty times faster. This would allow Little Qingzhuo to quickly pass through its juvenile period! ¡­ Within a few days, students from Li Chuan Dragon Taming Academy had begun arriving one after another. This time, a total of seven people were summoned to face the trial, several of whom were familiar to Zhu Minng.
At Dean Duan Changqing¡¯s cabin, despite the faint fatigue of a long journey visible on their faces, having seen a broader world outside and witnessed the splendor of Neon Sea Fantasy City, the seven Dragon Shepherd Students could hardly contain their excitement and agitation. ¡°Zhu Minng?? What are you doing here??¡± Nan Ye was the first to spot him, his face full of surprise. Behind Nan Ye was the boxer¡¯s nephew, Li Shaoying, who also looked quite astonished. They had almost forgotten that Zhu Minng was also their ssmate. ¡°Just passing through. I heard from Dean Duan and Teacher Duan Lan that people here were intentionally making things difficult for us, so I decided to lend a hand,¡± Zhu Minng said. Nan Ye, Li Shaoying, and the others didn¡¯t quite understand the extent of Zhu Minng¡¯s current strength. After all, they had no clue that Zhu Minng was the Young Master of the Zhu n. ¡°Bai Yishu, did you encounter any troubles on the way?¡± Dean Duan asked. ¡°It went smoothly, after all, Li Chuan now has its own statehood, still under the Supreme Court Empire. As long as we have official travel documents in hand, the officers in the city-states did not trouble us,¡± Teacher Bai Yishu said. ¡°Good to hear. When Teacher Duan Lan and I were headed here, we had some annoying issues, but thankfully, my own strength is not weak. It¡¯s good that you all weren¡¯t troubled. Go ahead and let the students rest; the trial is set for seven days from now. I¡¯m also trying to learn as much as possible about the capabilities of the students sent by the academy,¡± Dean Duan said. ¡°I did encounter someone, a fellow named Zeng Liang,¡± Zhu Minng briefly described his encounter on the beach. ¡°That must be correct then, the first phase should have our students taking the field, facing off against some of the students filtered out from the High Court,¡± said Dean Duan.
Chapter 362: 364: Times Have Changed Chapter 362: Chapter 364: Times Have Changed ¡°What¡¯s there to fear about a battle? We¡¯ve never been scared. Traveling all this way, I¡¯ve realized that the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent is just so-so. It still falls quite short of our Ancestral Dragon City!¡± Hong Hao said with immense confidence. ¡°This time, they are insisting that we bring the students fromst year¡¯s cohort, which means you guys. Luckily, Zhu Minng¡¯s school records are also registered with this cohort, or else you guys alone would probably find it very difficult to handle the students from the Supreme Court,¡± Dean Duan Changqing said. Those who can enter the Supreme Court are the most excellent young Dragon Trainers from all over, and even using ¡®one in ten thousand¡¯ to describe them feels like an insult. In the interest of fairness, the students dispatched by the Supreme Court this time should also be from the same cohort, which is the group enrolledst autumn. However, the vast majority of Li Chuan Academy¡¯s students had just enrolled and didn¡¯t even have a True Dragon. On the other hand, if you don¡¯t bring a Dragon with very high potential, the Man City Academy might not even consider admitting you. The starting point is already worlds apart, not to mention the resources here are much more abundant. The materials distributed to the students every month are equivalent to what the Li Chuan Dragon Taming Academy awards its outstanding students for an entire year¡­ With different starting points and resources, and an entire Neon Sea¡¯s worth of a treasure-like Dragon Taming environment avable for these students to buy and use, even if everything seems fair, there¡¯s just no realparability. ¡°I¡¯ve already looked over some of your information in advance. Over the next few days, Duan Lan and I will take you to purchase some spiritual assets to ensure that all of your Dragons can be upgraded once more before this trial,¡± Dean Duan Changqing said. ¡°Thank you, Dean!¡± the seven students expressed their gratitude in unison. ¡°Go and rest. The future of Li Chuan Academy depends on you all,¡± Dean Duan Changqing nodded and said.
¡­ Duan Lan arranged for everyone to stay together. Dean Duan Changqing¡¯s own cottage was very simple, but the amodations he arranged for the students were the same as for those of the High Court, with rows of small wooden buildings. Everyone had their private little courtyard, but there were doors directly connecting one courtyard to another. At the back, there was a huge rock altar for the students to practice Dragon Taming, conducive to interaction and learning amongst the residents. ¡°The High Court really treats people well,¡± Chen Bai said with a sigh. ¡°Zhu Minng, I now have a Dragon General, and I¡¯m a great expert. When the timees, just watch me perform,¡± Hong Hao patted his chest, brimming with pride. ¡°Unexpectedly, I am now a Lord Level powerhouse, looking down upon the world with ease!¡± ¡°Amazing, amazing. From the first day I enrolled, I had seen that you, Hong Hao, are no ordinary person,¡± Zhu Minng said nonchntly. ¡°Hehe, once you travel on the continent, you¡¯ll have my protection. You won¡¯t have to rely on the Female Monarch¡¯s charity anymore. A man should stand tall and proud!¡± Hong Hao continued. ¡°¡­Actually, you¡¯re just jealous, right? Eating the Female Monarch¡¯s charity isn¡¯t something just anyone can do,¡± Chen Bai said sarcastically. ¡°Zhu Minng, where is my sister Nan? I haven¡¯t seen her since you left with her,¡± Nan Ye asked. ¡°She¡¯s on her way back to Li Chuan,st I heard, her grandmother was critically ill,¡± Zhu Minng replied. ¡°Your sister Nan¡­isn¡¯t that Nan Lingsha?¡± Hong Hao asked. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Zhu Minng, you backstabber. You already have the Female Monarch, so why do you still meddle with the most sacred and beautiful fairy of our academy? Nan Lingsha is the belief of all of us from the South Academy in Li Chuan. Although few have seen her true face, we firmly believe she has beauty to rival that of the Female Monarch!¡± Hong Hao said, righteously indignant. ¡°Even rival? Don¡¯t you know? The Female Monarch and Nan Lingsha are sisters from the same flower; they look identical,¡± Chen Bai said disdainfully. ¡°What? Has someone told me this before?¡± Hong Hao looked around in surprise. The others simply nodded, signaling that this fact had slowly spread during the cleansing incident involving the Li and Nan families, even though the vast majority couldn¡¯t personally verify it, it has gradually be a widely acknowledged fact. Hong Hao¡¯s eyes reflected jealousy just like that of a resentful woman as he stared at Zhu Minng. ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid of dying from kidney failure? Why doesn¡¯t such a wonderful thing ever happen to me, Hong Hao? Now, I, Hong Hao, am also a Lord Level Dragon Herding Sanctifier. My strength is not much different from yours, Zhu Minng. Why!¡± ¡°Zhu Minng, what level are you at now? When you left the academy, you were already Lord Level. Have you advanced since then? It must be difficult to advance, I heard. To reach King Level, not only does your dragon¡¯s bloodline have to be high enough, but it also requires a lot of rare spiritual assets. Even with high talent, it takes five to ten years to reach King Level,¡± Li Shaoying asked eagerly. ¡°I am now at King Level,¡± Zhu Minng said without hiding it. There was no need to be so careful with his ssmates and roommates. In fact, he felt a certain warmth in their presence.
¡°If you don¡¯t want to say it, that¡¯s fine. There¡¯s no need to make up a King Level status for us.¡± ¡°Yeah, just tell us if you made it to Lord Level.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you have a Divine Green Holy Dragon? Has it reached Lord Level?¡± Zhu Minng touched his forehead, feeling a bit embarrassed.
Little Qingzhuo hadn¡¯t actually reached Lord Level yet. ¡°Soon, it should be able to reach Lord Level in a few days,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°So it hasn¡¯t reached yet? Speaking is as easy as drinking water, and advancing to Lord Level is as hard as ascending to heaven. Even five to ten years might not suffice, and yet you say ¡®in a few days¡¯,¡± the always sour-toned Chen Bai eximed! ¡°My situation is a bitplex, and it¡¯s not something that can be exined in just a moment. But indeed, the Neon Sea does have many valuable resources that Li Chuancks. In these next couple of days, you should all grasp the opportunity to try and move your dragons up a tier. The people from the High Court are so arrogantly proud. To them, it feels like anynd outside of the Neon Sea barely catches their notice. When the timees, make sure to get some payback,¡± Zhu Minng said. Remembering Zeng Liang on the beach, and the harsh words he hurled as he left, Zhu Minng could also imagine the disgusting sense of superiority those High Court students must have. ¡°Leave it to me, I am not the Hong Hao I used to be!¡± Hong Hao¡¯s voice was as thunderous as ever. ¡°Didn¡¯t Teacher Bai Yishu tell you guys? The six of you are just here to make up the numbers. Without you bunch of losers who can¡¯t even reach Lord Level, the Li Chuan Dragon Taming Academy would have ceased to exist long ago!¡± At this point, a dark-haired young man who had been silent until now sneered. Zhu Minng recognized most of the seven students. But he had never seen this person before. ¡°Who is he?¡± Zhu Minng asked. ¡°Fei Song. He¡¯s a guy who¡¯s been out undertaking trials ever since he enrolled, and in his words, the academy is ¡®a ce for raising pigs.¡¯ But his strength is indeed stronger than any of us,¡± Nan Ye exined. Chapter 363: 365: Young Dragon Challenges Demon Spirit Chapter 363: Chapter 365: Young Dragon Challenges Demon Spirit Fei Song was obviously not an easy person to get along with. Once he opened his mouth to speak, the others basically did not idle, chatting and boasting anymore. After all, his words were quite discouraging and left the others with little room to refute. He was the strongest, and this time he came to the High Court mainly to undertake the test, relying on him, Fei Song. ¡°Rest early. In a week, we¡¯ll have to give it our all,¡± Bai Yishu came over and said to all the students. Everyone said their goodbyes and headed back to their rooms. Although everyone seemed optimistic, it was merely selffort; being in apletely unfamiliar ce and at such a grand and imposing academy for dragon taming, everyone felt a bit nervous and uneasy. Zhu Minng turned out to be the one who slept the most soundly, while the others found it hard to fall asleep. After all, if they performed poorly in a week, they would not only lose face but might also cause the Li Chuan Dragon Taming Academy to be torn down, and they wouldn¡¯t have a stable ce to stay even if they returned to Li Chuan. ¡­ Zhu Minng did not participate in the seven-day special training organized by Duan Changqing.
He only had one dragon now, and the direction of its nurturing was already very clear; it was unnecessary to distract the dean with his affairs. It was not clear yet what form this test would take. If each side sent one person out to battle and the scores were based on victories or defeats, then all Zhu Minng could do was to secure a victory for his academy. The rest would depend on the other students. So, their strength could not be too weak. During these three days, Zhu Minng strictly followed Mr. Jinli¡¯s guidelines, searching for the Essence of Nature and Source of Holy Light for Little Qingzhuo. Now, the two major bloodline abilities of the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon were precisely this Natural Drive and Light Control Technique, which had to be strengthened and cultivated to the utmost, so that Little Qingzhuo could make greater breakthroughs when entering the next stage of growth! The resources of the Neon Sea were exceedingly rich, and Zhu Minng quickly gathered all that was needed. Of course, breeding, strengthening, and nourishment had reached the highest level of nurturing, but what wascking was actualbat. Combat should not be overlooked. Little Qingzhuo even had a battle will flowing through its bloodline. During the initial confrontation with the Vulture Dragon, it had fully disyed its racial instincts. On the third and fourth days, Zhu Minng ventured into some deste wends, allowing the Little Azure Dragon to fill up its evolutionary energy faster by fighting the demon creatures in the wild. The growth stage was akin to a reservoir storing water, and these four factors were the streams pouring into the reservoir. Once it waspletely full, there was hope for evolution! After two days of battling in the deste wends, Zhu Minng could feel that Little Qingzhuo¡¯s growth was rapid! ¡°Qingzhuo, don¡¯t go there; that¡¯s the territory of a Thousand Year Lizard Water Monster,¡± Zhu Minng hurriedly called out to the Little Azure Dragon. The Little Green Saint Dragon was a bit mischievous, flying freely over the wends. In those days, it had killed over a hundred Lizard Water Demon Spirits that were more than five hundred years old, which was a terrifying record for a young dragon! Zhu Minng was now a King-level Dragon Shepherd with strong spiritual sense, so finding these gregarious demon creatures was a piece of cake. Of course, he could also easily determine the cultivation base of these Lizard Water Monsters. During these days, Zhu Minng mainly sought out demon spirits for Little Azure Dragon to trial, as Demon Spirit Levels above a thousand years were too dangerous for a young dragon. Even for a noble-blooded Holy Azure Phoenix Dragon, surviving the cruel ws of demon spirits was difficult at this juvenile stage. ¡°Hiss hiss hiss hiss~~~~~~~¡± A low growl emanated from the lush mangrove forest, the brazen actions of the Little Azure Dragon had already disturbed this Thousand Year Demon Spirit. The Lizard Water Monster demon was likely some sort of hybrid bloodline from a Giant Dragon, their sizeparable to that of adult crocodiles, especially those with cultivation bases over five hundred years were simply prehistoric behemoths, nothing like mere lizards.
And the Thousand Year Demon Spirit was even more exaggerated with its body covered in firm lumps of flesh, and ck-brown scales on its back, head, and tail! Atop its massive and fierce head, the lizard¡¯s crest was extremely pronounced, resembling the soaring dragon horn of a Giant Dragon! ¡°Good heavens, this fellow is probably just a step away from the Dragon Gate, with so many dragon-like features already on its body!¡± Zhu Minng eximed in surprise. Scales and horns, these were all signs of an impending dragon transformation.
Considering its own Thousand Year Demon Spirit cultivation base, if one day it truly transcended through the Dragon Gate, it would likely be at least of the Dragon Lord Level, bing a dominant Tide Manipting Giant Dragon reigning over this deste wend! ¡°Are you sure you want to challenge it? If you really dislike it, you could just wait until it advances to the growth stage,¡± Zhu Minng suggested. Demon Spirits could feed on Dragon Sons. At this moment, the Lizard Water Monster had its eyes on the Little Azure Dragon, and for a demon about to transform into a dragon, devouring a young Holy Dragon would probably directly catalyze its dragon transformation! The Lizard Water Monster certainly didn¡¯t want to miss this rare opportunity. At levels like the Holy Dragon, even after transforming into a dragon, the Lizard Water Monster wouldn¡¯t dare to provoke them, but young dragons were another matter! Its long tongue had already shot out, and rows of sharp teeth were exposed to the air; the Thousand Year Lizard Water Monster had made up its mind to embark on its path to bing a Giant Dragon by taking advantage of this young and naive Little Sacred Dragon! ¡°Whoosh!!!!!!!!!!!!¡± The Thousand Year Lizard Water Monster was able to manipte tides, and the gentle waters of the wend swelled dramatically with its lunge, forming a very wide and massive wave. With the water surging, the Lizard Water Monster¡¯s speed increased significantly, like a fearsome sea monster charging in from the deep ocean, quickly inundating this stretch of mangrove forest! The waves rolled with tremendous force, while the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon maintained a low flight, its azure dragon pupils fixated on the Thousand Year Lizard Water Monster. The azure patterns on its feathers began to glow slowly, the light reflecting off the mangroves growing in the shallow waters of the wend¡­ Soon the mangrove forest grew rapidly, its branches intertwining with one another, the trees and canopies neatly arranged into a splendid wall of forest!
The mangroves formed a sea wall to withstand the powerful tidal waves, and the Thousand Year Lizard Water Monster crashed into the tall and lush trees, appearing somewhat awkward. Nheless, it managed to mber over using its sturdy body. Suddenly, it plunged its huge head into the water, and its belly began to wriggle and inte to four or five times its original size! The shallow water was almost drained, leaving only mud and sand behind. The Thousand Year Lizard Water Monster felt as if its body was about to burst, but in that moment, it fiercely spat out a lethal water jet towards Little Qingzhuo! The power of the water jet was so fierce that even rocks were instantly shattered, and its continuous spray meant that even if Little Qingzhuo adeptly dodged it, once the Lizard Water Monster turned its neck, the terrifying water jet would sweep over again. Little Qingzhuo tried to summon the forest, building a fortification of nts, but this barricade of tree trunks and branches could not withstand the impact of the high-pressure water jet and was smashed to pieces! Chapter 364: 366 Capture Chapter 364: Chapter 366 Capture Fortunately, the Little Azure Dragon¡¯s flying skills were superb. With a pair of outstanding Phoenix Wings, it could constantly change its flight trajectory in mid-air, diving close to the ground and then soaring back up into the sky in just a second. Finally, the belly of the Thousand Year Water Lizard Monster deted. Its internal reservoir of seawater had run out. The Little Azure Dragon maintained a certain distance. It wouldn¡¯t fly too high, for if it did, the Water Lizard Monster might burrow into the wet sand and note out again. Then, the third feathered tail suddenly zed like blue mes. The Azure Phoenix Little Azure Dragon¡¯s whole body heated up and a burst of blue radiance poured down, carrying the might of the scorching sun, beginning to roast the shallow beach below. White smoke rose instantly from the beach as the moist mud and sand were quickly evaporated by the intense light. The powerful illumination even scorched the Water Lizard Monster¡¯s scales, causing severe pain that forced it to retreat into a sand hole. The fierce Qing Yao Sacred Light was like whips of judgment, ferociously whipping the earth and all creatures upon it. Before long, the skin of the Thousand Year Water Lizard Monster had started to fester, and even the sanctuary of its sand hole could not block the pration of this searing light! With its flesh ripped open, the Thousand Year Water Lizard Monster seemed to realize that hiding was futile, so it charged at the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon, braving the scorching Qing Yao Sacred Light. The closer it got to the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon, the stronger the power of the burning sacred light became. The body of the Thousand Year Water Lizard Monster had be a bloody blur, emitting a strange aroma of meat, yet it continued to charge forward, leaping with its powerful hind legs, attacking the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon with its thick ws. ¡°We need to dodge,¡± Zhu Minng said to Little Qingzhuo. When Qing Yao Sacred Light was released, the Little Azure Dragon couldn¡¯t move. Dodging would mean interrupting the spellcasting itself. If it were in its growth period, Little Qingzhuo¡¯s physique could havepletely withstood the Water Lizard Monster¡¯s w tear, and just by enduring a little longer, Little Qingzhuo could have turned the Thousand Year Water Lizard Monster into a puddle of mud!
Little Qingzhuo was still rational. Sustaining serious injuries in order to kill the Thousand Year Water Lizard Monster would be very unfavorable for its subsequent growth and transformation. Injuries sustained during the juvenile stage couldst a lifetime. As a former Disabled Dragon, Little Qingzhuo was aware of this. It gave up the ze of light; its wings suddenly folded in as it drilled underneath the Water Lizard Monster¡¯s deadly pounce with an extremely skilled flying maneuver, perfectly avoiding the Thousand Year Water Lizard Monster¡¯s fatal attack. The Water Lizard Monsternded back on the ground and quickly dug into the dry soil. The surface soil had been thoroughly steamed into hard mud, but deep beneath, there was still plenty of moist mud and sand. The Water Lizard Monster immediately burrowed into this deeperyer, wrapping its festering skin with the damp soil. The blood of the Water Lizard Monster was very sticky, flowing over its skin like a powerful adhesive. With a roll in the deep hole, all the mud and sand particles stuck to its body as if it had donned a thick Mud and Sand Armor! With this Mud and Sand Armor, it no longer had to fear even the strong Qing Yao Sacred Light of the Little Azure Dragon. After all, being a Thousand Year Demon Spirit, killing such a creature was no easy task. Zhu Minng was also closely watching the Water Lizard Monster¡¯s every move, trying to find the Demon Spirit¡¯s weakness. By activating his Spiritual Sense, his eyes could see much finer details. Although as a Dragon Shepherd,bat often allowed him to stand by leisurely munching on melon seeds, when facing a formidable foe, he still needed to be fully focused, guiding his Dragon Beast on how to fight, how to evade powerful offensive techniques from the opponent, and how to identify the enemy¡¯s weakness in the shortest time possible. A true Dragon Shepherd not only made his dragons superior to wild breeds during the nurturing and training stages but also needed to use his wisdom, experience, and observation in battle to give his dragons an edge. Little Qingzhuo¡¯s strength was clearly not enough; its abilities could not inflict fatal damage on the Thousand Year Demon Spirit, and as a Young Dragon, it could not afford to make even the slightest mistake. At this time, it was naturally up to Zhu Minng to provide guidance. Weak points, vitals; even the most advanced dragons have ws, not to mention a Thousand Year Demon Spirit, a creature that had not yet transformed into a dragon. ¡°It¡¯s using the Lizard Crown to control the tides,¡± Zhu Minng noted. ¡°The belly¡¯srge capacity suggests it has an enormous appetite, but this area doesn¡¯t seem to have an abundant supply of prey for it to feed on unless this creature is vegetarian.¡± ¡°If it¡¯s vegetarian¡­ Its blood is extremely viscous, and once the outer skin is damaged, it can use its blood to adhere to the surrounding hard mud and sand particles, creating a strong protective armor for itself.¡± Zhu Minng didn¡¯t just observe the Thousand Year Water Lizard Monster; he also paid attention to the surroundings.
A Dragon Beast¡¯s powers rely on substances contained in its food. Simrly, the Thousand Year Water Lizard Monster must eat something special to maintain its Sorcery abilities. ¡°Mangrove Resin??¡± Zhu Minng suddenly noticed in some broken trees, the bark and resin flowing out like glue, and evidently, they possessed extreme stickiness! ¡°So it drinks tree resin, that¡¯s why its blood is incredibly sticky,¡± Zhu Minng said with a hint of a smile.
This would make things easy! ¡°Little Qingzhuo, use the Method of Driving to make those mangroves secrete more resin, then lure it into the forest,¡± Zhu Minng directed. With its mud and sand armor, the Thousand-Year Lizard Water Demon Spirit didn¡¯t fear any attack from Little Qingzhuo. Fierce Sacred Light couldn¡¯t prate the mud and sand, and the trees and corals summoned likewise couldn¡¯t harm its thick muddy hide. Little Qingzhuo could only rely on its nimble Azure Phoenix maneuvers to dodge, but this way, depleting stamina like that, the one to lose would surely be the Little Azure Dragon. Upon hearing Zhu Minng¡¯s words, Little Qingzhuo immediately flew toward a new mangrove wend. As Zhu Minng instructed, using the Method of Driving, Little Qingzhuo transformed the mangrove into a lush waterborne jungle, followed by making the trees secrete arge amount of resin, which soon covered the surface of the water with a thickyer. The Thousand-Year Lizard Water Demon Spirit, fearless, charged through with its mud and sand armor, the fragile mangrove roots incapable of withstanding its sturdy, robust body. Soon, the waterborne jungle called forth by Little Qingzhuo was trampled into chaos, with many tree trunks broken and scattered, floating on the water¡¯s surface. ¡°Lead it onto the sand, fly low!¡± Zhu Minng continued. On themand, Little Qingzhuo immediately flew toward the beach, gliding close to the sand. The Thousand-Year Lizard Water Demon Spirit was excited, for it had gained the upper hand. Faced with the temptation of transforming into a dragon, its pupils had gone greedily red. Even a young Holy Dragon was a huge nourishment for a demon spirit like it. To transform into a dragon was imminent! Once it reached the beach, it went into a frenzy of snaps and bites, nearly pping Little Qingzhuo down several times. Little Qingzhuo kept dodging around the sand, its stamina waning. After all, as a young dragon, it had far less endurancepared to adult creatures.
Its flight speed started to slow, and even its dodging was not as fluid as before. However, strangely, the Thousand-Year Lizard Water Demon Spirit¡¯s speed also slowed down, and several times it could have harmed itself, its clumsy forews allowed Little Qingzhuo to evade. Gradually, the actions of the Thousand-Year Lizard Water Demon Spirit became slow, not resembling an energetically mature demon spirit but more like an old lizard in its twilight years. Little Qingzhuo flew a bit further away, even having to wait a while for the Thousand-Year Lizard Water Demon Spirit to catch up. On closer inspection, Little Qingzhuo realized that at some point the demon spirit had swollen up significantly. It wasn¡¯t that its body had expanded, but rather it was coated in an immensely thickyer of mud and sand armor! This armor had indeed be more substantial. But its weight had increased manifold, and the bloated, burdened Thousand-Year Lizard Water Demon Spirit found movement more and moreborious and sluggish. It was unaware that as it rampaged through the mangroves, it had been smeared with resin, which, like its blood, enabled even more mud and sand to adhere to it. The Thousand-Year Lizard Water Demon Spirit had obtained a set of exceedingly heavy mud and sand armor, truly invincible¡ªyet with that, it became clumsy and stiff,pletely like a beached turtle. Little Qingzhuo understood Zhu Minng¡¯s intention. It immediately used the Method of Driving, calling forth soft corals to get stuck in the demon spirit¡¯s joints, making it even harder to move. Now with slow spellcasting, the corals kept growing, continually binding. The immobilized Thousand-Year Lizard Water Demon Spirit, strong and thick as it was, found it nearly impossible to break free from the soft coral entanglements! It might not be killed, but this counted as a capture! Young dragon challenges demon spirit¡ªvictory! It must be said, the sight of the swollen lizard struggling on the beach with its short fat ws was somewhatedic.
All dignity lost! Chapter 365: 367: Never Died Before, Have You? Chapter 365: Chapter 367: Never Died Before, Have You? The water waves were gentle, as the mangrove forest on the wends swayed their leaves in response to the breeze, in rhythm with the sea. Zhu Minng sat down on the spot and fed some Wutong Spirit Dew to the battle-weary Little Azure Dragon. No sooner had it finished drinking, than Zhu Minng felt a warmth slowly spreading from Little Qingzhuo¡¯s feathers to the surroundings. It was a scorching holy light that seeped out slowly from the brilliant feather patterns, almost like a crystalline light fluid flowing over the body of the Little Azure Dragon. As it flowed, it seemed as if some ancient power was awakening within. ¡°Has it advanced?¡± Zhu Minng said with joy. He had thought it would take three or four days, and he was even concerned whether Little Qingzhuo would be able to make it in time for the challenge. It turned out that taking on an enemy much stronger than oneself could significantly shorten the growth period! ¡°This is the Spirit Jade Leaf, keep it in your mouth,¡± Zhu Minng immediately brought out the prepared spiritual object. The Jade Leaf was a kind of spiritual object that could enhance the dragons¡¯ naturalw abilities, which Zhu Minng had purchased for 40,000 gold. Now that he had the chance to rear the dragon again, Zhu Minng naturally did his best to provide Little Azure Dragon with the most perfect resources, including the fact that it could also digest some spiritual energy during the improvement process, such as this Spirit Jade Leaf. Kept in the mouth, the saliva secreted by the dragon would slowly dissolve the spiritual source within the Spirit Jade Leaf, cleansing the dragon¡¯s internal organs in a very gentle manner that enhanced the purity and efficacy of its powerful spells.
Little Qingzhuo held the Spirit Jade Leaf in its mouth and climbed into the Spirit Realm by itself, wrapped in warm spiritual energy that made it extremelyfortable, especially after the fatigues of battle¡ªand with thatfort came a strong desire to sleep. Lying in its little nest, the feathers on Little Azure Dragon continued to shine, like a Divine Stone capable of radiating its own power. Its body grew bit by bit, as its short, leaf-like feathers gradually lengthened, some majestically covering its back and neck, and others like soft and silky fluff, drifting between the wings and tail¡­ In its juvenile phase, Zhu Minng thought it resembled a green hawk, disying many hawk-like traits, but now the form it was taking on was clearly that of an unripe phoenix ¨C the name Azure Phoenix perfectly reflected in its brilliant and regal fluff and its streamlined shape! Azure Phoenix Green Saint Dragon!! Zhu Minng gazed at Little Qingzhuo¡¯s transformation, feeling even more delighted. Now in just its second growth stage, it was already showing a vigor that was not inferior to that of the Divine Green Holy Dragon in its adult phase! Furthermore, having shed the attribute of a Disabled Dragon, Little Qingzhuo exuded an overflowing vitality, like eternal sunshine above the azure sky¡ªstrong, majestic, iparable! Before long, Little Qingzhuo had fallen into a deep sleep, its body still undergoing subtle changes, whose extraordinary nature would only be gradually recognized. ¡°The challenge in three days is up to you,¡± Zhu Minng also took a long, relieved breath. If it hadn¡¯t reached its growth period, the situation would have been quite awkward ¨C Heavenly ughter Dragon would definitely not deign to appear at such an event, seeing such a challenge and duel as no different from a bunch of summer insects fighting over a clump of grass. ¡°Ngh~~~~~~~~~~~¡± Apparently awakened by Little Qingzhuo¡¯s shedding light, the TianSha Dragon King stretched its starry wings and let out a roar towards Zhu Minng, indicating that the Dragon King wanted to stretch its limbs. Zhu Minng opened the seal, allowing the Heavenly ughter Dragon toe out. ¡°This is the Neon Sea; let¡¯s take a stroll here,¡± Zhu Minng leapt onto the back of the Heavenly ughter Dragon. The Heavenly ughter Dragon seemed to see the ocean for the first time. Most of the time, it lurked within those levitating cliff ruins. After all, the ruins formed a fragmented zone with a narrow sky and limited earth, whereas an endless and magnificent sea like this was surely a novelty to the Heavenly ughter Dragon. It moved its wing bones once more, ready to take off and soar toward the azure sea and the high heavens, when from the lush and boundless mangrove forest of the wend, arge group of lizard water monsters crawled out! These lizard water monsters seemed toe to the aid of their leader, in great numbers; some crawled out of the sea, some scuttled out in groups from the forest, and others surrounded from thend!
Hundreds upon thousands of lizard water monsters, like a race war, with cultivation bases ranging from a hundred to nine hundred years and sizes varying tremendously, came charging majestically and with an unstoppable momentum! The leader was a nine-hundred-year-old colored lizard, emitting a low growl as if to challenge the young Little Azure Dragon¡­ The vision of the lizard n was not very good; they often needed to approach very close to clearly see an object. However, when theypletely approached and saw the Colorful Star Dragon on the sandbank, one after another, their fierce lizard faces turned to stupor!
Which blind little demon is this!! You tell this lizard, this is a newly born Little Sacred Dragon??? ¡°Gurgle gurgle gurgle~~~~¡± At the sea, some lizard demons were already scared out of their wits, and when one plunged into the water, it almost got choked to death by the sea. Onnd, those lizard water monsters with centuries of cultivation base, like seeing a ghost, were frantically digging into the ground, burrowing into the earth as if their lives depended on it! Keep in mind that the gravel onnd is not as soft as that on the beach¡­ But even if they hit solid rock, they must dig!! As for those lizard water monsters emerging from the mangrove forest, with nowhere to run, they were too close to the Heavenly ughter Dragon, so they tried their best to feign a mental handicap, like a herd of harmless little lizards, or simply pretended to be rocks on the edge of the beach¡­ ¡°Ngh~~~~~~~¡± The Heavenly ughter Dragon exhaled a breath from its nostrils. What are you trying to do? Never died, have you? This exhtion, scared the surrounding lizard water monsters into flipping over, bellies up and spines and heads down¡­ The lizard n had a fatal w; that was, in extreme fright, their brains would secrete a paralyzing substance, causing their bodies to lose all coordination, unable to tell up from down. Resulting in this scene where one after another, flipped belly up, terrified out of their wits, and could only struggle frantically in the air with their short, chubby ws, like upside-down turtles, wanting to flee but unable to move a step!
Zhu Minng alsoughed. The fierce and malevolent lizard water monster n also had such a silly and adorable side. Lifting its wings, the Heavenly ughter Dragon was toozy to even nce at the group of little lizards, freely gliding through the vast expanse of the ocean and sky. The beach and the ocean gradually receded, Zhu Minng sat on the back of the Heavenly ughter Dragon, looked back, and noticed the uniformly bright white bellies of the lizard water monsters, guessing they wouldn¡¯t be flipping over any time soon. ¡°Fly toward the distant sea. It¡¯s said that there¡¯s a Spirit Ind there, and I wonder if we might stumble upon a Phoenix,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°Ngh~~~~~~¡± The Heavenly ughter Dragon lifted its wicked and cool head, with an arrogant look as if this Dragon King would fly wherever it pleased. But its flying direction was roughly the one Zhu Minng had indicated. Chapter 366: 368: Helping Others Is a Joy Chapter 366: Chapter 368: Helping Others Is a Joy ¡­ The sky was a clear azure, stretching endlessly without a cloud in sight. The Heavenly ughter Dragon¡¯s form was sleek, its dark, crystal-like colors dappled in brilliance, appearing just as eerily majestic in the daytime. Zhu Minng was taking note of the Neon Sea. Upon arriving at the Neon Sea, Zhu Minng noticed a change. That was, the famously vibrant Coral Wood of the Neon Sea had somehow lost its usual hues. This caused many of Man City¡¯s beautiful buildings to seem faded, and even the seawater was not as clean and clear as before. Initially, he thought it was pollution from some nations near the sea. However, venturing into the open sea, the situation didn¡¯t appear to have improved. ¡­ The Heavenly ughter Dragon was very fast, covering the distance to the open sea in just the time it took to finish a meal. Within the Neon Sea, there were also some ind nations, most of which revered Dragon Shepherds highly.
Moreover, inds in the Neon Sea referred to as Dragon Ind, Spirit Ind, and Magic Ind were special ces most explorers sought as sanctuaries, often bringing back treasures, Spiritual Objects, and Holy Objects of immense value. Beyond dragons, there were many legendary Holy Spirits in the distant inds of Neon Sea, the most famous of which was naturally the Phoenix. Though not a dragon, the Phoenix was considered the king of Holy Spirits. Many phoenixes lived for incredibly long periods, with lifespans of twenty thousand, fifty thousand, or even a hundred thousand years conceivable for divine phoenixes. Zhu Minng was simply flying over the open sea on the Heavenly ughter Dragon aimlessly, taking a casual look around to get a rough idea of the Neon Sea¡¯s environment. Even as a Dragon King, there were some Dragon and Magic Inds in the Neon Sea that the Heavenly ughter Dragon couldn¡¯t just invade as it pleased, at most it could circle around them. Zhu Minng caught sight of a Dragon Ind. In the afternoon, the dragons were like birds, flying all over the sky, akin to countless beautiful feathers dancing over the sacred and ancient ind. Among them were not a few Dragon Lords and Dragon Kings, demonstrating amazing predatory abilities for their prey above the ind, feeding on Dragon Sons and Dragon Generals! As he flew farther away, Zhu Minng saw a Leap Sea Dragon at the ce where the sea met the sky. The dragon was as huge as a rainbow, and although it was several thousand miles away, its imposing aura was still palpable! The ocean was deep and vast, more abundant than thend. Who knows how many iparable members of the Dragon n might be dwelling in those tens of thousands of meters deep sea trenches and valleys, with dark depths seeming to lead to another otherworldly abyss? The Heavenly ughter Dragon continued to soar. It felt the vastness of the Neon Sea, and the presence of even more supreme creatures living within. The Heavenly ughter Dragon King also couldn¡¯t help but show an unustomed look of reluctance and humility, no longer swaggering over mysterious inds as before, but wisely avoiding anything that seemed amiss. ¡°There seems to be someone over there,¡± Zhu Minng remarked, his eyesight exceptionally sharp. He spotted several Dragon Shepherds on a Coral Ind. ¡°Are they fighting?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go take a look, we¡¯ve got nothing better to do anyway.¡± The Heavenly ughter Dragon flew towards the Coral Ind and when it was over a hundred meters above the ind, Zhu Minng realized that the Dragon Shepherds there were wearing hats with the emblem of the Dragon Taming High Court. They were from the Dragon Taming Academy¡­ And their positions were quite high since those appeared to be the prestigious caps of the academy. Zhu Minng hesitated for a moment but eventually decided to cover his face with a silk scarf. Having just killed Pu Shiming not long ago, and with the Pu Family¡¯s influence being so extensive, it was safer not to expose his strength prematurely. Doing so would likely make him a suspect.
¡°Friend, could you lend us a hand? We are from Man City¡¯s Dragon Taming High Court. I am the Great Instructor, Lin Zhao, and the others with me are also high-ranking inspectors,¡± said one of the older middle-aged men. He wore the official cap and was dressed neatly, his tone also very sincere. ¡°Why are you guys lingering here? When I was in the air, I saw arge number of Violent Blood Dragon Sharks in the nearby waters,¡± Zhu Minng said, having confirmed their identities before allowing TianSha Dragon tond on this patch of Coral Ind. ¡°We had no choice but to stay,¡± Great Instructor Lin Zhao said. ¡°We were trying to find the source of pollution in the Neon Sea. Unfortunately, we were attacked by the Absolute Sea Hawk Emperor, who is tens of thousands of years in cultivation. Some of mypanions are injured. Even after stopping the bleeding, the Hawk Emperor can still smell our scent.¡±
¡°You dare not fly?¡± Zhu Minng nced at the several inspectors. Two men and one woman. The men were well into their thirties, but the woman seemed younger¡ªlikely not yet thirty. Her eyebrows and eyes exuded a sense of pride that made her hard to approach. Only now, with her injury, she looked pale, showing a hint of frailty and helplessness. ¡°Yes, the Absolute Sea Hawk Emperor has an extremely strong tracking ability, and it has marked our dragons. As soon as we call them out, it can smell them from a thousand miles away and wille to kill us immediately,¡± exined Great Instructor Lin Zhao. ¡°Her bleeding won¡¯t stop, which attracted these Violent Blood Dragon Sharks¡­¡± added the slightly plump inspector. ¡°Could you please escort us back to Man City? A generous reward will be offered,¡± Great Instructor Lin Zhao said. ¡°I¡¯ll have to discuss it with my dragon,¡± Zhu Minng replied. It wasn¡¯t a matter of whether Zhu Minng was willing or not. TianSha Dragon does not easily allow others to ride it. Great Instructor Lin Zhao and the other inspectors exchanged looks¡­ They had seen many Dragon Shepherds who deeply respected their dragons, but they had never seen someone like this expert, who even negotiated such matters with his dragonpanion. ¡°My dragon and I are out hunting; it only drinks the Holy Spirit Blood of those over fifteen thousand years old. If we escort you, it might dy our hunt,¡± Zhu Minng exined. ¡°Holy Spirit Blood, that can be arranged,¡± the Great Instructor said hurriedly. ¡°Our High Court happens to have some in storage. If you agree to escort us, we will definitely offer you the Holy Spirit Blood.¡±
¡°In that case, pleasee aboard,¡± Zhu Minng nodded. ¡­ ¡­ Once they took to the skies, TianSha Dragon was somewhat displeased; but since Zhu Minng promised Holy Spirit Blood of over fifteen thousand years, it resigned itself to carry these few humans. The flight speed of TianSha Dragon was very fast, and it wasn¡¯t long before they had flown over a third of the distance. Seeing some familiar ind nations below, Lin Zhao and the other inspectors breathed a long sigh of relief. They were actually somewhat grateful in their hearts. In that deste sea location, encountering a living person was lucky enough, let alone a powerful individual like the one before them who owns a Dragon King. The Absolute Sea Hawk Emperor was over twenty-five thousand years in cultivation. They wouldn¡¯t dare ask for help from anyone not at the Dragon King level. After all, TianSha Dragon King had some deterrent power over the Absolute Sea Hawk Emperor! ¡°Your cultivation is so remarkable that it somewhat embarrasses us,¡± the Great Instructor said. The man had his face covered, and the Great Instructor could only judge by his voice that he was young. ¡°Isn¡¯t the Great Instructor also a King-level Honorable?¡± Zhu Minng remarked. ¡°While you, so young, are already a Dragon King Honorable, I have already stepped into the realm of old age. How can I, a mere mortal, ever reach the realms that you will touch in the future?¡±
Chapter 367: 369: The Reclusive Expert Zhu Minglang Chapter 367: Chapter 369: The Reclusive Expert Zhu Minng ¡°` ¡°That Absolute Sea Hawk Emperor is too cunning and malicious. Every time the Great Instructor makes a move, it escapes far away. In this way, it found an opening and seriously injured Han Wen,¡± said the slightly plump Academy Inspector. ¡°It keeps harassing us, preventing us from taking Han Wen back for treatment. If this drags on, Han Wen might¡­¡± Great Instructor Lin Zhao sighed deeply. In the end, it was my ownck of caution and underestimating the wits of that Absolute Sea Hawk Emperor. In terms of pure strength, Great Instructor Lin Zhao surely wouldn¡¯t fear that beast, as he himself possessed the reverence of a Dragon King. But with the Absolute Sea Hawk Emperor employing such tactics to continuously harass them, preventing them from resting and healing, they naturally grew increasingly anxious as they saw Han Wen¡¯s condition getting worse and worse. ¡°There¡¯s no need to worry too much. If it continues to harass us, the Great Instructor and I joining forces should be able to deal it a heavy blow,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡­ During the flight, Zhu Minng felt a sense of being watched. It was as if a pair of eyes, hidden in the vast high sky, was looking down at him and the Heavenly ughter Dragon. The Heavenly ughter Dragon sensed it too, asionally looking up into the high sky, but apart from the azure expanse, it saw nothing.
That Absolute Sea Hawk Emperor must be tailing them. Yet even as they approached the coast, it hadn¡¯t shown itself, nor had it taken action against their group. Indeed, it¡¯s cautious. A Holy Spirit eagle with a cultivation base of over twenty thousand years wouldn¡¯t recklessly attack without understanding the true strength of the TianSha Dragon King. This part of the escort went rather smoothly, and Neon Sea Fantasy City finally appeared on the horizon. Lin Zhao and the other Academy Inspectors all exhaled a long breath of relief. It was a close call, with no misfortune in the end. ¡°Your Excellency, pleasee with us to the Academy. After we send her for treatment, I will personally take you to select the Holy Spirit Blood,¡± Great Instructor Lin Zhao said enthusiastically. ¡°Sure,¡± Zhu Minng nodded in acknowledgment. Upon entering the Academy, the Heavenly ughter Dragon swept through the sky above, naturally drawing cries of awe from countless students within. Normally, above the Dragon Taming High Court, students were not allowed to have their Dragon Beasts fly at will, but with the Great Instructor present and given the urgency of the situation, the TianSha Dragon King naturally became the center of attention for the entire Academy. Heading toward the Rehabilitation Pavilion, two Academy Inspectors supported the woman named Han Wen into the building. Before entering, Han Wen took a special look at the masked Zhu Minng, her pale lips parted slightly to murmur softly, ¡°Thank you, your Excellency. May Han Wen know your name so I might have the chance to return the favor in the future.¡± ¡°It was a slight effort; don¡¯t mention it. You should focus on healing, Miss,¡± Zhu Minng responded indifferently. Han Wen gave Zhu Minng another deep look before fully entering the Rehabilitation Pavilion. ¡­ Lin Zhao personally led Zhu Minng towards the Treasure Tower. In terms of systems, structures, and divisions, Li Chuan Dragon Taming Academy and the Man City Supreme Dragon Taming Court here were consistent, showing that Duan Changqing strictly followed the guidelines of the Supreme Court when establishing the Li Chuan Academy. Reserve Dragons Storage Hall, Rehabilitation Pavilion, Treasure Tower, Great Hall of Learning, Practice Field, Appointment List¡­ It¡¯s just that the scale here was obviously muchrger than that of Li Chuan, and there was a more detailed division, forming a moreplete Academy system.
The Treasure Tower was also divided into several floors, with each floor harboring treasures of different levels. The Holy Spirit Blood was on the sixth floor, and every level here was as big as a za. If one day I could loot the Treasure Tower of the Dragon Taming High Court, that would be true wealth that could rival nations! ¡°` ¡°Collecting Holy Spirit Blood is not easy, but Man City Academy gathers all sorts of treasures and provides various rewards for outstanding students and teachers, and of course, we also gift some to guests like yourself who have extended a helping hand to our academy,¡± said the Great Instructor Lin Zhao.
¡°Can this Holy Spirit Blood also be exchanged with credits?¡± Zhu Minng realized that the Treasure Tower¡¯s stock of Holy Spirit Blood was quite substantial. ¡°Certainly, although it¡¯s rare for students to be able to afford it. It¡¯s usually the teachers who save up for several years before they can exchange for a portion¡­¡± Great Instructor Lin Zhao paused for a moment as he said this and then naturally exined to Zhu Minng. ¡°Then I¡¯ll take this portion of Night Dragon Blood and this portion of Ten-Thousand-Year Evil Beast Blood, if that¡¯s okay?¡± Zhu Minng asked. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s just a shame that there are strict rules regarding every treasure here, and I as Great Instructor can only provide two portions. Otherwise, I could give you all these millennium bloods,¡± said Great Instructor Lin Zhao. ¡°That will be enough, if there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll take my leave now,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°Good, good, if you need anything, feel free toe to me. You have been kind to people, and I, Lin Zhao, would very much like to make your acquaintance,¡± Great Instructor Lin Zhao earnestly said. ¡°I cannot reveal my identity at this moment, but perhaps in a few days, I might really need the help of the Great Instructor¡­¡± ¡°Just speak up, I, Lin Zhao, will do my utmost!¡± Great Instructor Lin Zhao said. Offering the Holy Spirit Blood was merely topensate for the losses caused to this gentleman while he was escorting them. But the favor of his escort still needed to be repaid. Of course, Lin Zhao hoped to have such an opportunity, but he feared that this mysterious strong man might not take such a small matter to heart. ¡­ After seeing off this mysterious King-level Dragon Shepherd, Great Instructor Lin Zhao walked over to the Rehabilitation Pavilion.
Inside the Rehabilitation Pavilion, Han Weny quietly on a long bed. Her bleeding injuries had stopped, and herplexion had notably improved. There was a renewed sparkle in her eyes. ¡°Great Instructor, do you know the identity of that man?¡± Han Wen immediately asked. ¡°He appears to be a young man with a Dragon King¡­ The Gentry and the Big Sects have not heard of such a shining figure either. I cannot guess where he is from,¡± Great Instructor Lin Zhao shook his head. The information revealed by the other party was not much. ¡°What a pity. Such a powerful figure, if only we could¡­¡± Han Wen softly said. ¡°Don¡¯t lose heart. During my conversation with him, I caught on to a detail,¡± Great Instructor Lin Zhao said. Then, Lin Zhao ryed the part about ¡°exchanging with credits¡± to Han Wen, as mentioned by Zhu Minng. With a somewhat surprised look, Han Wen watched the Great Instructor and after a while said, ¡°Does the Great Instructor think that this mysterious and powerful individual might be in our academy, and is perhaps living here incognito as a student?¡± ¡°Yes, the possibility is quite significant,¡± Great Instructor Lin Zhao nodded. Generally speaking, people in the academy would refer to their contributions to the academy as academy points. But only students would refer to these contributions as credits. Of course, it¡¯s also possible that the individual has heard of it since the internal systems of the Dragon Taming Academy are not a secret. But having this possibility is worth Great Instructor Lin Zhao making an attempt.
¡°I have already instructed my subordinates to find out more; perhaps we can locate this young powerful individual who possesses the TianSha Dragon King. Of course, even if we do discover him, we should not disturb him lightly,¡± Great Instructor Lin Zhao said. Han Wen nodded. Indeed, such exalted figures often have idiosyncratic temperaments. As long as he is truly hiding among their students, there will be an opportunity for more familiar rtions in the future. Chapter 368: 370 Duel Chapter 368: Chapter 370 Duel ¡­ On the grand coral bridge, Zhu Minng walked a loop around the White Heavenly Street before returning to the Dragon Taming High Court. It was mainly because the Heavenly ughter Dragon was too eye-catching. Moving in such a perilous world, it was always good to have an ace up one¡¯s sleeve that others didn¡¯t know about. Having returned to his residence, Zhu Minng had nothing else to do, so he strolled along the shallow beaches and took in the scenery of Man City Academy. The Dragon Taming High Court was vast, essentially an ind soaked in shallow water. Thendscape and climate were said to be perfect, with a plethora of small hills and exquisite buildings blending together, creating a scene of breathtaking beauty, filled with artistic charm. From dusk to night, stars had adorned the dark cyan sky and sunk beneath the calm sea surface. Meanwhile, the most enchanting lights of Man City refused to be outshone by those starry depths, showcasing their most splendid glow along the coastlines of thend. Zhu Minng stepped into a Water-wood Forest, pruned especially neat, not a twig out of ce. It seemed that Duan Changqing¡¯s house wasn¡¯t far away, facing a small bay and the resplendent and luxurious scenery of Man City. After a few more steps, Zhu Minng saw a figure with graceful curves sitting quietly under a tree, seemingly lost in thought as she gazed at Man City. Zhu Minng¡¯s footsteps were not particrly light, yet she remained unaware of his presence. As he drew closer, seeing her side profile illuminated attractively by the various night lights, Zhu Minng hesitated for a moment. He decided it best not to disturb the tranquil woman¡¯s reverie. Everyone has their own personal space for solitude, and intruding uninvited might seem abrupt. Just as Zhu Minng was about to take another path to leave, the woman called out.
¡°Zhu Minng?¡± ¡°Teacher Duan Lan,¡± Zhu Minng turned, ever polite as he was back in the days at Li Chuan Academy. Duan Lan seemed to want to speak but stopped, struggling to find where to begin. ¡°It¡¯s all too abrupt, all of this,¡± Zhu Minng understood the sorrow condensed in Duan Lan¡¯s heart and said gently. ¡°Yes,¡± Duan Lan nodded. Suddenly a vast new world had invaded, shattering the original tranquility of Li Chuan and even crushing the seemingly imperturbable Li Chuan Dragon Taming Academy. She was used to the quiet life, also ustomed to doing whatever she could in that serenity for those suffering, never expecting to be dragged into the hardships and tribtions herself. Being run ragged, faced with cold stares¡ªalthough it was often her father, Duan Changqing, who dealt with these things¡ªseeing her beloved father have to bow and scrape to the people of the High Court was difficult to ept at first. ¡°The Academy is my father¡¯s beloved cause; he has worked tirelessly for it, and yet, I don¡¯t know what I can do for him¡­¡± Duan Lan spoke softly. ¡°Teacher Duan Lan, you needn¡¯t worry so much,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°Zhu Minng, I¡¯ve heard you¡¯re quite close to the Female Monarch?¡± Duan Lan asked. ¡°That¡­¡± Zhu Minng found the question a bit odd. Why would she want to know about his rtionship with Li Yunzi? Could it be that she harbored that kind of feeling for him?? When one is fraught with worry, one often speaks what¡¯s in their heart. Thinking it through, he and Teacher Duan Lan had shared adversities and could trust each other¡ªtheir rtionship, although they¡¯d rarely seen each other since that injury, had established a subtle connection then?? What to do about this. Teacher Duan Lan was indeed very nice, with a good figure, a calm and dignified aura, gentle and patient speech, and she provided him a lot of help. The thought of having to sternly reject her confessionster caused him some heartache. ¡°Can you tell me about her?¡± Teacher Duan Lan asked softly.
¡°Ah?¡± Zhu Minng was a bit caught off guard. ¡°In such a small academy, I already feel helpless and powerless, unsure of how to hold fast, yet she is able to protect so many city-states and so muchnd all by herself. Byparison, I feel truly useless. I want to hear her story, how she can face down the army of an entire nation without batting an eye,¡± Teacher Duan Lan said earnestly. Teacher Duan Lan was innately delicate and gentle, refined and courteous, kind-hearted to all, but these traits seemed to offer no help in her current predicament. She wanted to be strong, to be powerful, to at least bravely face all these trials, instead of just worrying on the sidelines and always having her father bear everything.
¡°So that¡¯s how it is,¡± Zhu Minng breathed a sigh of relief gently. He thought¡­ s, he had been racking his brains, thinking of how to kindly decline, in a way that wouldn¡¯t hurt her sensitive soul while also not leading her to pin any hopes on him. Thankfully, it wasn¡¯t what he had imagined. But why did he feel a slight sense of loss? People really are despicable. Zhu Minng, having no other pressing matters, could see that Teacher Duan Lan held the Li Chuan Dragon Taming Academy close to her heart; it was something she was willing topletely change herself to protect. He slowly shared some of his minor experiences, and then Teacher Duan Lan also asked about Zhu Minng¡¯s trip to the Imperial City to acquire the right to preside. Zhu Minng kept his own descriptions rather simple, giving all the credit to Nan Lingsha. He had to keep a way out for himself, after all. If he bragged to Teacher Duan Lan about how he had made his mark in the Imperial City, only to struggle with the challenges of a small academy in a few days, that would be too embarrassing. ¡­ ¡­ Seven days had passed.
Duan Changqing, Bai Yishu, and Teacher Duan Lan had also already conducted some intensive training for the students who had arrived. Their Main Dragons had at least risen by one rank, which gave them a bit more confidence. Zhu Minng walked into the grand arena along with everyone else, a very spacious and bright venue forbat that the Dragon Taming High Court has but Li Chuan Academy does not: seasonal battles. The academy would grant extra rewards to students who won multiple times in this grand arena every season. They encouraged students to duel each other in formal and fair settings, and the higher the ranking, the more rewards one would receive, with the tally being settled at the end of each season. At this time, thepetition between the students of Li Chuan Academy and Man City Academy was arranged to take ce in this seasonal battle arena. The stone tforms around could amodate tens of thousands of spectators, while the centralbat arena itself was transformed into a mountainous environment, with rocks, sandy soil, trees, small peaks, and fissures¡­ The battle environment must be of the highest quality. This is also the case in the Imperial City. People admire the strong, and the strong are revered. It seemed that the majority of the Dragon Taming High Court felt a natural sense of superiority. Upon hearing that a ¡°backwater¡± academy sought recognition from the Supreme Court, many flocked to see, sitting on the stone tforms around, waiting to watch these students from the ¡°backwater¡± academy make fools of themselves. ¡°Isn¡¯t it just a test? Why¡­ why are there so many people?¡± Li Shaoying panicked as soon as she saw the crowd. Chapter 369: 371 Noble Place Chapter 369: Chapter 371 Noble ce Duan Changqing¡¯s face had turned dark at this moment as well. He approached the main tform and saw Principal Sun. ¡°What do you mean by this? It was supposed to be a trial between academies, so why have you turned it into this kind of public duel?¡± Duan Changqing demanded. Sun Chong smiled and said to Duan Changqing, ¡°Since you want to join the ranks of the High Court, you must not only gain the approval of us, the senior management of the academies, but naturally, you must also win the recognition of the students. Moreover, as the principal, I decide what form the trial takes!¡± ¡°You¡¯re seeking personal revenge!¡± Duan Changqing seethed. ¡°With such a fair method, you use me, and I have no choice; instead of prattling on here with me, you¡¯d better think about how to lose a bit more gracefullyter on!¡± Sun Chong said with a hint of scorn. ¡°What are the rules of thepetition?¡± Duan Changqing suppressed his anger and inquired. ¡°It¡¯s quite simple, each side has seven members. Each round, one student steps forward to duel, the winner stays on to continue fighting, the loser steps down to be reced by the next student. When one side has no one left to fight, they are deemed the loser,¡± Sun Chong exined. Duan Changqing frowned. These rules were extremely unfavorable to the Li Chuan Dragon Taming Academy! If it were based on the score of wins and losses, then Duan Changqing could still secure victory by manipting the order of appearances.
But this mode meant that what they were reallypeting over was raw strength¡­ There was also the possibility of the most dreadful scenario: that all seven of the Li Chuan Academy students could not ovee even one of their opponents, leading to a loss that would wipe away all their face and dignity, and subject them to the ridicule andughter of everyone! This was Sun Chong¡¯s scheming! To turn his painstakingly managed Li Chuan Dragon Taming Academy into nothingness, to make his most treasured things be the shame of the academies of the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent! Duan Changqing was incensed like never before, yet, he was helpless. He knew that arguing with Sun Chong at this point was meaningless; the situation had reached this stage, and Sun Chong held the power of the academy¡¯s qualification examination, so he could only be manipted by him. ¡°Back then, you snatched the only opportunity for tenure from my hands, and yet you utterly disregarded it. I, Sun Chong, swear to make you taste the same bitterness!¡± Sun Chong sneered, utterly disregarding the setting as he aired his past grievances. Duan Changqing and Sun Chong were from the same cohort. As outstanding graduates of the High Court, they both wanted to stay on at the High Court to be instructors, principals, or even the dean¡­ But there was only one spot avable. Duan Changqing had been favored by the academy then and became a probationary instructor. However, not long after, Duan Changqing left the academy, vanishing without a trace. The sole position of a probationary instructor was held by Duan Changqing, and Sun Chong¡¯s multiple applications were always rejected at the door. The very thing Sun Chong cared most about, Duan Changqing disdained. If so, why had Duan Changqingpeted with him in the first ce? Why hadn¡¯t he simply yielded the position? Now, Sun Chong had risen to the position of principal. After several decades, Sun Chong could never have imagined that Duan Changqing would be the head of a no-name academy, still foolishly aspiring to join the ranks of the Dragon Taming Academy. Without Duan Changqing, Sun Chong would not have gone through those dark and decadent four to five years. By now, he might have be the Great Instructor or the vice-principal! Therefore, no matter what, Sun Chong was determined to make Duan Changqing experience the pain he suffered back then and not only that, he intended to ruthlessly humiliate and trample what Duan Changqing had painstakingly built! ¡­ ¡°A bunch of trash, worthless scum, the Dragon Taming High Court is sacred and noble, not something that these lower-ss citizens, these wastnders, can just walk into. You guys, during the duelter, I want you to crush them. If anything happens, I, Sun Chong, will take responsibility!¡± Sun Chong told the seven students behind him.
¡°Yes!¡± Among the seven students were Zeng Liang and Lu Fang. All of them were carefully selected by Sun Chong, the most outstanding few among those who entered the academyst year. Of course, Sun Chong had also taken extra care of them over the past year, so whatever he asked of them, they would definitely not hesitate!
Their actions must be ruthless! It would be best if they could kill their dragons. Turn them into aplete bunch of cripples! Sun Chong¡¯s resentment and obsession didn¡¯t wear away with the passage of time, but ratherpletely erupted after seeing Duan Changqing! ¡°Rest assured, Principal, even if you didn¡¯t specifically order it, I would not show mercy,¡± Zeng Liang said with a smirk, his narrow eyes fixed on Zhu Minng. Young Dragons, Holy Dragon? Wait until I trample them into the mud and make them eat dragon dung! Zeng Liang would show this guy the huge difference between a true Dragon Taming High Court and such a wild chicken academy! ¡°Is everyone ready, cough cough,¡± a woman¡¯s voice came through, and she coughed a few times after speaking, seemingly quite weak. ¡°Principal Han, weren¡¯t you resting? Why have youe here, too? This kind of thing can be left to me, Sun Chong. You can just recuperate in the Rehabilitation Pavilion,¡± Sun Chong said, his tone changing with a hint of ttery, upon seeing the woman. ¡°I¡¯ve been in the room for too long. I¡¯ve improved a bit, so I came out for a walk. As one of the principals, as long as I am not seriously ill, I naturally have toe,¡± Han Wen said softly, coughing again after she finished speaking. ¡°We can start now. We will send out a student first to fight from our side; let Jiang Zhiyi take the lead,¡± Sun Chong said. ¡°Hmm, if the strength difference is too great, just touch and go, and don¡¯t harm the life of the dragon beast,¡± Han Wen reminded them.
After all, they are from a small local academy, and their strength is definitely limited. The student named Jiang Zhiyi nodded, then nced at Principal Sun Chong. Sun Chong gave him a look, signaling him to do as previously instructed, to be ruthless when it was time to be ruthless! ¡­ Duan Changqing returned to the Li Chuan representative students¡¯ side, at aplete loss, with a heavy heart. He had just probed the prowess of the seven students behind Sun Chong. Their cultivation base was noticeably higher than that of their students, and since they had been admitted to the Supreme Court, they likely had significant backgrounds, and the bloodline grades of their dragon beasts would also be superior. ¡°Principal, let me take the lead,¡± Hong Hao said. ¡°Good, show some spirit. Don¡¯t worry too much about winning or losing. Of course, the most important thing is to protect your dragon beast and not to overexert,¡± Duan Changqing nodded. Hong Hao nodded, a change from his usually overconfident demeanor, his face instead set in determination, refraining from any useless talk. ¡°Principal, if we lose, will Li Chuan Academy really be ordered to be removed?¡± Hong Hao suddenly asked. Duan Changqing looked at him and did not answer the question, but instead pped him on the shoulder and said, ¡°Don¡¯t think too much; do your best. Even if Li Chuan ceases to exist in the future, we must make all the academies remember our Li Chuan name!¡± ¡°Principal, let me do it,¡± Zhu Minng spoke up then.
But Duan Changqing shook his head. ¡°Zhu Minng, I know you are our greatest security, but I also want the people of the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent to know that the students I personally trained are second to none!¡± ¡°I believe the true nobility of the academy lies in the fact that, however insignificant or lowly a person may be, as long as he is willing to learn and to strive, he can transform himself and stand proudly in this world,¡± Duan Changqing said calmly and peacefully. Chapter 370: 372: Ancient Ape Dragon Chapter 370: Chapter 372: Ancient Ape Dragon Zhu Minng heard these words, and waves surged in his heart. Recalling the words Duan Lan had shared with him a few days earlier, Zhu Minng couldn¡¯t help but develop a deep admiration for Dean Duan Changqing. Indeed, the academy is such a sacred and noble ce¡­ But it¡¯s not about instilling a sense of meaningless superiority or making those with student status feel above others, but rather that sense of confidence and pride that one never loses, no matter where they set foot. In just a few sentences, he had greatly inspired those students who were fighting for Li Chuan Academy. The slight tension and inferiority initially brought on by this spectacle also dissipated a bit. Hong Hao walked toward the center of the Great Competition Field. Soon, many students around started to jeer and mock, and every sarcastic word that came out of their mouths was automatically ignored by Hong Hao. In the end, it was still strength that spoke. It was the same anywhere. ¡°Dragon Beasts are free to fight, but attacking the Dragon Trainer themselves is not allowed.¡±
Allpetitions at the academy prohibited causing harm to the Dragon Trainers themselves. After all, it¡¯s an academy, and most are students, not a real battlefield. Jiang Zhiyi stood on that gravelly ground, his somewhat frivolous cheeks showing a trace of mockery toward Hong Hao¡¯s outfit and appearance. ¡°Did you learn how to dress on your way from Li Chuan to Man City? I¡¯ve heard some ssmates say that in Li Chuan everyone walks around naked, women included,¡± Jiang Zhiyiughed. ¡°Only frogs at the bottom of a well would say what you just said,¡± Hong Hao retorted disdainfully. ¡°Summon all the Dragons you can fight with,¡± Jiang Zhiyi said arrogantly. Jiang Zhiyi summoned only one Dragon. It was an Ancient Ape Dragon covered in a meaty carapace, standing tall in the center of the battlefield, its ferocious and terrifying presence changing the expressions of the students in the stands! Hong Hao opened the Spirit Realm and called forth three Dragons. Wind Wolf Dragon. This was Hong Hao¡¯s main Dragon. When he enrolled, his Wolf Spirit had shown incrediblebat talent, and before long it had transformed into a Dragon of no small rank. After being nurtured, this Wind Wolf Dragon had reached the level of a High-Rank Dragon General, and it seemed to have been promoted to that rank quite recently. The other two Dragons were a Sickle Dragon and an Earth Dragon. The Earth Dragon¡¯s cultivation base was probably that of a Lower-Rank Dragon General, while the Sickle Dragon was a Dragon Son. ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate me!¡± Hong Hao shouted, directing the three Dragons to attack Jiang Zhiyi¡¯s Ancient Ape Dragon from three different directions. The Wind Wolf Dragon was incredibly fast. When it ran on the sandy ground, a muddy gale swirled around, enhancing its momentum as it charged. The Wind Wolf Dragon¡¯s most powerful weapon was still its ws. It didn¡¯t rashly approach the robust Ancient Ape Dragon, instead using the muddy gale raised while running to obscure the Ancient Ape Dragon¡¯s line of sight, thenunching an attack from thetter¡¯s blind spot! The Ancient Ape Dragon bore an extremely rugged face, it revealed its fierce fangs with wildness in its eyes, which held a hint of mockery, just like its master Jiang Zhiyi. It particrly disdained such trivial tricks of the Wind Wolf Dragon.
The hearing of the Ancient Ape Dragon was extremely sharp; even in the midst of a strong whirlwind, it could discern the Wind Wolf Dragon¡¯s position. ¡°Roar!!!!!!¡± The Ancient Ape Dragon suddenly let out a roar and, turning its body to the side, swung its arm¡ªcovered in a shield-like flesh armor¡ªfiercely toward the spot where the Wind Wolf Dragon was sprinting, smashing it down with great force. That m was incredibly powerful, and arge pit formed in the gravel-strewn ground.
If the Wind Wolf Dragon had been hit, it likely would have been ttened into a meat patty! The body of the Ancient Ape Dragon shuddered. It had hit its target, but its own arm had gone numb, nearly injuring it from the rebound. As the murky wind drifted to another direction, the students in the stands finally saw clearly that within the wind wasn¡¯t the swiftly rushing Wolf Dragon, but an Earth Dragon covered in rocky spines! Using the wind as a cover for their vision, at some point, the Wind Wolf Dragon and the Earth Dragon had switched ces. What the Ancient Ape Dragon attacked with its arm was the Earth Dragon, lured by its feint. The rocky armor of the Earth Dragon, even more durable than the flesh helmet of the Ancient Ape Dragon, meant that despite having a lower cultivation base, the Ape Dragon was still no match for the solid and resilient Earth Dragon. With that hit, the Ancient Ape Dragon injured its own arm; the flesh near the elbow of the shield-arm was smashed to pieces. Meanwhile, the Wind Wolf Dragon had already circled behind the Ancient Ape Dragon. It opened its mouth and lunged to bite the back of the Ape Dragon¡¯s neck! Sharp fangs sliced through, and blood sprayed out immediately. The Ancient Ape Dragon clutched at its neck and charged furiously at the Wind Wolf Dragon, but thetter nimbly dodged and immediately whipped up a murky gust of wind, moving to a safe position. The Ancient Ape Dragon was wounded, which made Jiang Zhiyi¡¯s face turn nasty. He had been outyed by his opponent. Jiang Zhiyi had not expected this rough-looking Li Chuan Dragon Shepherd to actually have a brain.
¡°Stop showing off your petty tricks and making a fool of yourself here. I¡¯ll show you just how na?ve andughable your battle tactics are in the face of absolute power!¡± Jiang Zhiyi still carried that arrogant demeanor. As he spat out these words, the Ancient Ape Dragon also let out a series of roars. ¡°Roar, roar, roar!!!!!!!¡± The roaring was like a giant drum, shaking the ground so that the gravel quivered. The flesh armor of the Ancient Ape Dragon suddenly heated up, its chest, shoulders, arms, and legs all emitting scalding steam. Soon, the entire body of the Ancient Ape Dragon became boiling hot, like a furnace in full ze! Its blood, especially from the wound on its back, dried up quickly, with the torn flesh no longer a concern. The Ancient Ape Dragon burst forth with terrifying speed. Its massive feet stomping on the gravel made the ground sink. It had no ws, but it did have fists as hard as rock, and, on its elbows, a shield-like flesh armor sharp enough to cleave. That elbow¡¯s shield armor became its strongest weapon¡ªone charge with an elbow strike could shatter a wall! The Ancient Ape Dragon aimed its attack at the Wind Wolf Dragon, but the Earth Dragon immediately rushed in, attempting to block the savage elbow strike. However, this time, the Earth Dragon was toppled, its rock spines shattering to bits! ¡°Roar, roar, roar!!!!!!!¡± The boiling Ancient Ape Dragon was unstoppable. Utilizing its powerful arms, it hoisted the Earth Dragon and then violently smashed it against a boulder! Such an impact greatly damaged the Earth Dragon¡¯s internal organs. The boulder crumbled, and the Earth Dragon spewed a lot of blood before managing to rise unsteadily to its feet. But the seething Ancient Ape Dragon charged again with its shoulder, knocking the Earth Dragon flying hundreds of meters away!!
The strength was so fearsome that even the tough body of the Earth Dragon couldn¡¯t withstand it. The valiance of the Ancient Ape Dragon left the watching students speechless. This Jiang Zhiyi, is he really a first-year? How is it he seems as strong as those seniors who¡¯ve been at the Dragon Taming Academy for years? Chapter 371: 373: Knowing When to Advance and Retreat Chapter 371: Chapter 373: Knowing When to Advance and Retreat The Ancient Ape Dragon stepped over the Earth Dragon and pursued the Wind Wolf Dragon. Its terrifying arms swung, smashing all the small mountains surrounding it to pieces. The Wind Wolf Dragon used its speed to dodge around the Ancient Ape Dragon, continually widening the distance from the ferocious beast in a boiling fury. ¡°Boom!!!!!¡± The Ancient Ape Dragon leaped into the air, its extremely thick arms violently smashing down onto the ground. The rock and gravel on the ground were impacted by the enormous force, forming a continuous barrier on the surface, blocking the escape route of the Wind Wolf Dragon. This barrier allowed the Ancient Ape Dragon to catch up to the Wind Wolf Dragon, as the Ancient Ape Dragon, like an ancient god of strength, swung out its Rock Fist. The dense fur-covered giant ape¡¯s fist was seething with boiling energy, rushing toward the Wind Wolf Dragon like a tide of rage. The Wind Wolf Dragon was hit by this fiery punch and smashed against the rock barrier, the sound of shattering bones rang out, and blood spurted from its mouth. The Ancient Ape Dragon did not relent; it picked up a thick rock next to it and furiously smashed it towards the Wind Wolf Dragon. The boulder was the size of a house, but in the face of the Ancient Ape Dragon¡¯s mighty arm strength, it seemed as light as paper. The Wind Wolf Dragon took a solid hit, its fangs shattered, and its wounds worsened, the bone in its shoulder clearly caved in. ¡°Kill it!¡±
Jiang Zhiyi conveyed this intention to his Ancient Ape Dragon. The Ancient Ape Dragon became even more ferocious, its body releasing a boiling aura that transformed it entirely into a miniature volcano, radiating danger and the scent of death! The Ancient Ape Dragon charged at the Wind Wolf Dragon, lifted it up, and started pulling it apart! This brutal action of tearing the Wind Wolf Dragon in half caused shock and horror among the watching students. ¡°Swish!!!!¡± Just as the Ancient Ape Dragon was about to use its waist to exert force, suddenly a dark sickle de heavily stabbed into the back of its massive foot! The ws like sharp sickles pierced through the back of the Ancient Ape Dragon¡¯s foot and nailed it to the hard ground. ¡°Roar~~~~~~~~~¡± The Ancient Ape Dragon roared in pain, looking down to find the unremarkable Sickle Dragon hadunched an attack on its foot while it was distracted. Meanwhile, the Wind Wolf Dragon, lifted above the Ancient Ape Dragon¡¯s head, opened its mouth and spat a mouthful of sand at the face of the Ancient Ape Dragon! The sand sted into the eyes of the Ancient Ape Dragon, causing it to instinctively cover and rub them, allowing the Wind Wolf Dragon to escape the iron-like grasp of the Ancient Ape Dragon¡­ The Ancient Ape Dragon, enraged to the extreme, lifted its elbow¡¯s Shield Sword Flesh Helmet and frantically chopped down at the small Sickle Dragon below. The Sickle Dragon was in grave danger; it had to either withdraw its w to dodge the deadly blow or continue to nail the Ancient Ape Dragon¡¯s foot to the ground and be directly crushed into a pulp. ¡°Chop!¡± Hong Hao yelled out. The Sickle Dragon raised its other sickle-shaped w and ferociously chopped down. ¡°Foolish!¡± scoffed Jiang Zhiyi. The Sickle Dragon was only at a Sub-level, and only the sharpest part of its w de could pierce through the unprotected foot of the Ancient Ape Dragon. Its chop could not inflict any damage to other parts of the Ancient Ape Dragon, and not fleeing at this moment was akin to seeking death!
¡°Swish!!!!¡± The Sickle Dragon chopped, its de cleanly slicing through, but its target was not the sturdy Ancient Ape Dragon, but its own limb! With one w severed, the half-sickle-shaped w de remained in the back of the Ancient Ape Dragon¡¯s foot, and the Sickle Dragon rolled backward to escape, narrowly avoiding the Ancient Ape Dragon¡¯s lethal strike! Thick, inky blood spilled from the severed sickle w, and upon encountering sunlight, it began to congeal with remarkable swiftness.
In just a few seconds, the blood had transformed into a ck, waxy substance, entirely enveloping the paw of the Ancient Ape Dragon, while the chopped sickle de w grew as hard as fresh stone due to the congealed ck blood. ¡°Roar! Roar! Roar!!!!!!!!¡± The Ancient Ape Dragon, consumed by rage, bent down to try and pull out the nail-like sickle w but soon found it to be impossible. The ck coagted blood had hardened to the extreme; the only way for the Ancient Ape Dragon to remove it would be to smash it with immense brute force. Yet, this would be no different than crushing its own paw to a pulp! For a moment, the furiously violent Ancient Ape Dragon was nailed to the ground, struggling in vain to break free no matter what methods it used. Seizing this perfect opportunity, Hong Hao immediatelymanded the three dragons tounch an offensive on the movement-limited Ancient Ape Dragon. The Earth Dragon charged fearlessly. The Wind Wolf Dragon¡¯s Shield Sword Flesh Helmet tore apart. The Sickle Dragon, having lost one of its ws, kept appearing behind the Ancient Ape Dragon, waiting for the right moment to strike. Soon, the Ancient Ape Dragon was covered with scars¡­ ¡°Do you think you can win against me by ying these little tricks? Your dragons won¡¯t escape unscathed either!¡± Jiang Zhiyi said, somewhat in a frustrated rage. The Ancient Ape Dragon was still formidable.
It had a very thick flesh helmet, and neither the Earth Dragon¡¯s Broken Rock Technique nor the Wind Wolf Dragon¡¯s Turbulent Wind Whip Drive could cause any substantive harm to it. Both the Earth Dragon and the Wind Wolf Dragon needed to get close, using their own rock spikes, charges, ws, and fangs in order to truly injure the Ancient Ape Dragon. But in doing so, they would also be heavily damaged by it. ¡°I never intended to win. As long as I can make you suffer, that¡¯s enough!¡± Hong Hao snorted coldly. Fighting to mutual destruction was Hong Hao¡¯s true aim. He wasn¡¯t a fool; how could he not see that the opponent¡¯s power was far above his own? In such a situation, being able to exhaust a fierce Ancient Ape Dragon to death, Hong Hao was already more than satisfied. Hong Hao¡¯s tactics were very sessful, and only when the three dragons were exhausted, bleeding incessantly, did he call them all back into his Spirit Realm. The Ancient Ape Dragon finally managed to pull its paw free, yet it was a mangled mess¡ªrejoining the battle would be very difficult. ¡°I concede, nextpetitor,¡± Hong Hao said decisively to the Dean Sun Chong. Sun Chong had an unsightly expression. He red fiercely at Jiang Zhiyi. Jiang Zhiyi was equally infuriated; he didn¡¯t want it to end this way.
But Hong Hao had no desire to cling to the fight, having just exhibited a do-or-die spirit, he saw that the Ancient Ape Dragon had also been worn down to the point of having no fighting power, so he decisively left the arena! ¡°Very well, to be able to gauge when to advance or retreat in the face of a formidable enemy,¡± Dean Duan Changqing was very satisfied with this match. To wear down a strong Ancient Ape Dragon with three dragons of inferior cultivation base, considering Hong Hao¡¯s current cultivation base and strength, was already remarkable! ¡°One must never take any opponent lightly.¡± Han Wen spoke, clearly not very satisfied with Jiang Zhiyi¡¯s performance. ¡°Inspector, I acknowledge my mistake. I will show my true capabilities,¡± Jiang Zhiyi said, bowing in respect, adopting an outward appearance of humility and sense, but inwardly seething with extreme frustration and anger! Chapter 372: 374 Trainees’ Confrontation Chapter 372: Chapter 374 Trainees¡¯ Confrontation Jiang Zhiyi was fuming. Even though he was much stronger than Hong Hao, his Ancient Ape Dragon ended up injured and unable to continue fighting. Just as he was about to take out his Corpse Swamp Dragon and teach that guy a harsh lesson, the opponent ran off! This left Jiang Zhiyi feeling like he had no outlet for his strength! The most infuriating part was that he had revealed his Corpse Swamp Dragon. After all, the Corpse Swamp Dragon is a dragon of the Peak High-Rank Dragon General level, only one step away from the Lord Level! ¡°The Dragon Shepherds from Li Chuan seem to be not so weak after all, having even defeated an Ancient Ape Dragon General of High Rank,¡± someone in the stands started to discuss. Using three dragons with lower cultivation bases to challenge a higher cultivation dragon, the tactics were well executed too. Utilizing the characteristics of the three dragons to restrain, maneuver, suppress, and drain, the Ancient Ape Dragon should have had a unteral advantage. However, it ended up having to be taken back for healing. Jiang Zhiyi was simply too contemptuous of his enemy.¡± ¡°I wonder if Li Chuan has anyone even stronger. I thought this would be boring, but now I¡¯m quite looking forward to it.¡± This first battle made many of the proud students from the high court take a second look at the Dragon Shepherds from Li Chuan, after all, not everyone was confident they could match the Ancient Ape Dragon. ¡°Li Chuan Academy, please send out the next student,¡± urged Sun Chong, suppressing the urge within him to curse.
He could have just summoned both the Ancient Ape Dragon and the Corpse Swamp Dragon, andpletely crushed this nobody. Instead, he arrogantly went for one against three! Sun Chong could understand the desire to prove oneself, but the resultant slightly sorry state left him very dissatisfied. This was, after all, a public challenge. And the evaluation of the students and teachers to some extent affected whether Li Chuan Academy was permitted to join the regr academy ranks. If others performed and gained the approval of the viewers, it was like giving Sun Chong a p in the face, especially since he was the one who had organized this spectacle and promoted it extensively! ¡°Don¡¯t cause any more trouble!¡± Sun Chong red fiercely at Jiang Zhiyi. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, teacher¡­¡± Jiang Zhiyi nodded his head. ¡­ Duan Changqing had Li Shaoying take the stage. Li Shaoying possessed a ck Serpent, whose cultivation was also at the Peak High-Rank Dragon General level. However, it engaged in a bitter struggle against the Corpse Swamp Dragon. In battle, Li Shaoying was obviously not as smooth and calm as Hong Hao. He was always trying to use the ck Serpent¡¯s power topletely crush the Corpse Swamp Dragon, caring too much about the immediate back and forth between the two dragons just for a slight edge, ignoring the search for the opponent¡¯s weakness, and not knowing how to pursue victory after gaining an advantage. ¡°Li Shaoying, let your ck Serpent judge for itself,¡± Duan Changqing suddenly said. Li Shaoying was startled for a moment, then finally nodded, no longermanding at whim. The ck Serpent was tenacious and also carried a proud and wild nature; it began to falter, but never forgot to look for a chance to counterattack. In the end, the battle concluded with both sides badly injured. ¡°I¡­ I was too nervous. I shouldn¡¯t have given randommands,¡± Li Shaoying seemed to realize his mistake, looking remorsefully at the badly wounded ck Serpent. The ck Serpent simply coiled its body and began to lick its wounds slowly.
Seeing its skilled and calm demeanor, it seemed as though it had long grown ustomed to such battles. Li Shaoying quickly took out some prepared ointment to help the ck Serpent¡­ Jiang Zhiyi was incredibly frustrated. This was how he was eliminated.
In his view, he alone could have defeated all the students from Li Chuan, without needing anyone else from his team to lift a finger. Little did he know that he only defeated two of their members, and the victories weren¡¯t even impressive. ¡­ Next to fight were Chen Bai and Lu Wenye. Both of their cultivation bases were not high, and were dealt with by a single opponent. Lu Wenye risked her life and seriously injured the opponent¡¯s Giant Dragon, barely forcing the opponent to also leave the field. On Li Chuan¡¯s side, already four students had been defeated. Whereas at Man City Academy, only two had entered the battle. The situation was already very unfavorable. ¡°Everyone, I¡¯m sorry,¡± Lu Wenye¡¯s face was somewhat pale. A dragon¡¯s demise could possibly mean she would never be able to advance in her lifetime, that moment just now was truly dangerous. Fortunately, Lu Wenye often went out to gain experience, and relying on her experience and instinct, she managed to save her dragon from disaster. But she had still lost. She didn¡¯t make it to the next round.
She had originally wanted to deal with this tough opponent and at least hold out until the next round to test the strength of the next opponent for herpanions, but her condition was no longer fit for further battle. ¡°It¡¯s okay, as long as you did your best,¡± Duan Changqing consoled. Lu Wenye nodded weakly, she went down to where the crowd was and saw Zhu Minng. Lu Wenye naturally recognized Zhu Minng; he had been a ¡°substitute teacher¡± in Red Lotus City and had also witnessed the terrifying scene of the Ghost Face Evil Spider preying on a Giant Dragon. ¡°I have some high-quality medicine here, take it and use it, you have improved a lot in a year,¡± Zhu Minng also remembered her, as a very independent and strong-willed female student who was hardworking and resilient. He didn¡¯t quite remember what she looked like and initially didn¡¯t recognize her, but her qualities had left a deep impression on him. ¡°Thank you, I¡¯ll be counting on you from here on,¡± Lu Wenye said. ¡°Counting on him?¡± Fei Song stood aside with his arms crossed and a hint of contempt. He had no idea who this Zhu Minng was. Instead, when he showed up, the others had high expectations for him. But in Fei Song¡¯s view, this guy¡¯s cultivation wasn¡¯t high either, he remembered probing a few days ago and it seemed to be at the Sub-level. ¡°Fei Song, it¡¯s your turn; the opponent is a bit strong, so be careful,¡± Duan Changqing said. ¡°Lu Wenye, just watch how I im victory, there is no need to rely on some unknown person,¡± Fei Song spoke arrogantly.
¡­ Indeed, Fei Song had some strength. He summoned two dragons, both at the Peak of High-Rank Dragon General level, and theirbat power seemed to be a few notches stronger than other dragon beasts of the same cultivation base. He defeated one of the Man City Academy students. Suddenly, the eye-catching female student Lu Fang took the stage. Her strength was not to be underestimated either, summoning only one dragon, but this dragon was at the Lord Level. Fei Song also withdrew his previous two dragons at the same time and summoned a Ying Mountain Dragon! ¡°It¡¯s Lord Level too!¡± ¡°It seems that Li Chuan Academy isn¡¯t just any ordinary school, they have students of such high cultivation level!¡± ¡°It might just be a bluff; there are probably only a few in the whole Li Chuan with Lord-level cultivation.¡± ¡°We should still not underestimate others too much.¡± As the discussions reached their peak, many students from high courts who had only been enrolled for a few years might not even possess Lord-level cultivation. Fei Song¡¯s gaze swept around him, clearly enjoying the attention, and he couldn¡¯t help but let his lips curl into a smile.
Lu Fang was just as surprised; the opponent was stronger than expected. A student from an academy in a remote area having such a level of strength was already quitemendable, and the other regional branches were probably around this standard as well. Chapter 373: 375: Yellow Sand Devil Dragon Chapter 373: Chapter 375: Yellow Sand Devil Dragon Lu Fang and Fei Song shed, and although their dragons were of simr cultivation base, Fei Song¡¯sbat capability was clearly a few notches stronger. The Ying Mountain Dragon was slightly suppressed on all fronts, and Lu Fang had quite a few ws in handling the situation. Having no other choice, Lu Fang summoned a still-growing Azure Dragon. This Azure Dragon also possessed Lord Level strength, and its main role was to disrupt the Ying Mountain Dragon, relieving some pressure off Lu Fang¡¯s Dragon Lord. Unfortunately, Fei Song responded very well, instructing the Ying Mountain Dragon to knock down the growing Azure Dragon at the cost of injury, so it could concentrate fully on facing Lu Fang¡¯s Dragon Lord. After a bout of entanglement, the Ying Mountain Dragon eventually gained the upper hand. ¡°There needs to be a limit; this is a test, not a fight to the death,¡± Han Wen spoke up at this moment. Hearing this, a somewhat reluctant Lu Fang eventually gave up the fight and summoned her dragon back into the Spirit Realm. ¡°I admit defeat,¡± Lu Fang sighed, walking down with a sense of loss. ¡°I will teach this ignorant fool a lesson for you!¡± Zeng Liang volunteered to fight. Sun Chong approved, and the next to battle was Zeng Liang.
¡­ Bai Yishu frowned; ncing at the dragon summoned by Zeng Liang, he couldn¡¯t help but address Duan Changqing, ¡°Dean, the people fightingter on seem to all be at Lord Level. Are these really students who¡¯ve only been at the academy for a year?¡± ¡°Actually, they are not the strongest tier,¡± replied Duan Changqing. ¡°Many of our teachers are not a match for these students,¡± Bai Yishu said. ¡°This test is inevitably unwinnable; we just need to demonstrate our abilities and resilience as much as possible, so as not to be looked down upon by them,¡± Duan Changqing stated. ¡°This seems a bit too disheartening. We have already assembled the seven strongest students of this ss, yet their most ordinary few can easily crush us. If it weren¡¯t for Fei Song, wouldn¡¯t we be¡­¡± Bai Yishu heaved a long sigh. Upon arrival, Bai Yishu knew they might face a setback but had not expected the defeat to be this severe! Victory was simply impossible. Because on their side, they had already yed their final card, Fei Song, who had a narrow victory over just one of them. And this student called Zeng Liang, who was about topete following Lu Fang, was clearly even stronger! ¡°Stirring muddy waters in a pond, thinking you can make waves in the ocean, Zeng Liang, show these pretentious folks from the so-called Dragon Taming Academy what they¡¯re made of, and make them recognize what they really are!¡± Sun Chong spoke with undisguised contempt. ¡°Teacher, you are still benevolent. If you had let me start from the beginning, they might not have won a single match. Is this all there is to Li Chuan Academy? If so, they should disband as soon as possible. Using the sacred name of the Dragon Taming High Court, yet training a bunch of second-rate Dragon Shepherds!¡± Zeng Liang, full of pride, said as he stepped onto the battlefield. ¡°I¡¯m second-rate???¡± Fei Song¡¯s expression changed upon hearing this. ¡°Oh, my words were too kind. You¡¯re just trash in my eyes,¡± Zeng Liang taunted. ¡°You¡¯re looking for death!¡± Fei Song was already enraged, and the Ying Mountain Dragon let out a roar. As it moved, it was like a copsing mountain, rolling up countless broken rocks, exuding a terrifying momentum! Zeng Liang casually opened his talisman. The dragon he summoned was no longer the Vulture Dragon from the beach earlier. One could see in the surging talisman, a Violent Blood Shark Dragon soaring out. Wherever it went, fierce waves surged, and facing the Ying Mountain Dragon as it rolled forward with its mountainous form, the Violent Blood Shark Dragon¡¯s momentum was even more overpowering!
The collision of the two dragons was monumental, a sh on an entirely different level than the previous Lord-level dragon fights. The small hills, rock formations, forests, and sand dunes set up in the arena were all destroyed by the forces released from the impact of the two dragons! After a fierce battle, Fei Song¡¯s Ying Mountain Dragon had not been defeated, but it was clear that it was running out of strength. ¡°That¡¯s all the Dragon Taming High Court amounts to,¡± Fei En sneered. ¡°Then I¡¯ll make you utterly despair,¡± Zeng Liang said with a smile, slowly raising a hand.
Suddenly, the ground violently rippled. At the dunes of the great arena, the sand flowed outward like the tides, creating a spectacr and astonishing scene. Upon closer inspection, they discovered a Yellow Sand Devil Dragon emerging from its sandyir within the dunes. It had a pair of sky-piercing horns and its scales were golden yellow, resembling chunks of rubble, much like bricks on a city wall. It had no wings, and its frame was incredibly bulky. With a gesture of Zeng Liang¡¯s hand, the rubble-scaled Yellow Sand Devil Dragon roared thunderously like a war machine capable of smashing through bronze and iron gates¡­ The Yellow Sand Devil Dragon charged forward, hurling the Ying Mountain Dragon hundreds of meters away with its sky-piercing horns! On the Ying Mountain Dragon¡¯s body, the armor tes shattered, and a terrible dent appeared on its chest, with blood seeping out through the cracks of the broken hide! ¡°Two Dragon Lords???¡± Fei Song¡¯s face turned ashen as he uttered in disbelief. It was only after much hardship that Fei Song came to possess a Dragon Lord, and he looked down upon the majority of the teachers at the Li Chuan Dragon Taming Academy, making them feel ashamed. Who would have thought that this unremarkable-looking Zeng Liang, also a student, would possess two Lord-level creatures!! The Ying Mountain Dragon was already struggling against the Violent Blood Shark Dragon, just managing not to be defeated, but the Yellow Sand Devil Dragon seemed even more powerful. How could Fei Song possibly win?? Which student was this from the opposition? Only the fourth! Behind Zeng Liang were three more High Court students. Could it be that they were all at the Lord level??
If so, wasn¡¯t he inferior even to their average strength?? In Li Chuan, he was among the elite! As the Ying Mountain Dragon was gravely damaged, Fei Song¡¯s spirit was also struck a blow. He even forgot to recall his Ying Mountain Dragon in time; after all, there was a Violent Blood Shark Dragon waiting for it where it had been thrown! The Violent Blood Dragon Shark was extremely bloodthirsty, its fangs sharp to the extreme, and its bite force surpassed all others. As one of the top predators and even against Dragon Beasts with armored hide, it could snap them in one bite!! ¡°Stop!¡± At that moment, Han Wen shouted, interrupting Zeng Liang¡¯s dragon-ying action. But it all happened so suddenly. Zeng Liang seemed to be deliberately setting a death trap for Fei Song, who, even if he reacted, might not be able to save his Ying Mountain Dragon from the jaws of the Violent Blood Shark Dragon! ¡°Crack!!!!!¡± The Shark Dragon gnawed ferociously, snapping the neck of Ying Mountain Dragon, and blood gushed forth like a fountain, drenching its massive rolling dragon head in its own blood. The thick and towering dragon¡¯s body stood rigid, its severed neck still spouting blood. This horrifying scene caused many students in the stands to scream! Sun Chong stood on the high tform, his face distorted with excitement from the dragon ying!
This is what he wanted! These wretches, taught by Duan Changqing, deserved to die!! Chapter 374: 376 Embroidered Pillow Chapter 374: Chapter 376 Embroidered Pillow Han Wen tightly furrowed her brows, her expression somewhat icy as she watched the student Zeng Liang. At the same time, Han Wen also noticed the scarcely concealed joy on Sun Chong¡¯s face. ¡°Principal Sun, it is only a public test, is it necessary to be so ruthless?¡± Han Wen said with dissatisfaction. ¡°You saw it yourself; it was unavoidable during the fight. After all, if the Violent Blood Shark Dragon didn¡¯t bite, the Ying Mountain Dragon might not have lost itsbat capabilities, and it might even have been able to counterattack, inflicting a fatal injury on the Violent Blood Shark Dragon,¡± Sun Chong had his excuses ready. ¡°I will inform the Great Instructor about this matter, and I hope that when you face the Great Instructor, you use the same tone and sophistry to convince him,¡± Han Wen snorted coldly, feeling a touch of disgust towards Sun Chong. Sun Chong turned a deaf ear. In fact, killing just one dragon was already a kindness. Sun Chong wanted to push Duan Changqing intoplete despair. ¡­ Duan Changqing helped Fei Song off the field. The death of his Main Dragon had caused Fei Song to faint from the pain, the trauma to the soul far more agonizing than physical harm.
Once off the field and after resting for quite some time, Fei Song slowly opened his eyes. Compared to the beginning, his arrogance had vanishedpletely. His eyes, now void of spirit, seemed dull and lifeless. Duan Changqing wanted tofort him but found himself at a loss for words for the moment. He, too, was seething with anger. If Sun Chong had directed all his hatred towards Duan Changqing himself, he would not have felt the slightest resentment. However, Sun Chong¡¯s target was these innocent students! This was intolerable!! ¡°I will not let Sun Chong that beast off the hook, but I¡¯ll leave this student Zeng Liang to you, Zhu Minng.¡± Taking a deep breath, the usually benevolent and gentle Duan Changqing also showed a sh of malice! Even Buddha shows wrath three times, let alone a man of flesh and blood. Not just once, Duan Changqing had exined to Sun Chong that he didn¡¯t intend topete for the quota deliberately, nor did he scorn it¡ªit was only because he fell into the Void Vortex and ended up in Li Chuan ce, yet found no way back. But in Sun Chong¡¯s heart, the seed of hatred had already been nted, and even after decades, it grew into a towering tree. Originally, Duan Changqing thought that, from the other person¡¯s perspective, having a grudge was understandable¡­ and he could empathize¡­ But now it seemed that whether or not he was caught in the vortex, Sun Chong¡¯s jealousy and resentment towards him would not have diminished! His heart had be twisted. Such a person was no longer worthy of his consideration or courtesy! ¡°Minor situations, akin to nose hairs, whirl up into storm-like killing sprees. Scum always shows its pathological state. When dealing with such people, I, Zhu Minng, have never been soft-hearted!¡± Zhu Minng dered. Stepping onto the grand arena, Zhu Minng¡¯s gaze fixed on Zeng Liang. Zhu Minng had already heard the details about the feud between Sun Chong and Duan Changqing from Duan Lan that day. It was nothing more than jealousy. If Yang is born, why also Ming?
What others disdain is precisely what you covet most. Once they achieve a high position in life, they engage in relentless revenge to wipe away past shames! Seeing Zeng Liang¡¯s frivolous and smug face, Zhu Minng suddenly realized that Sun Chong and Zeng Liang were truly like father and son in character. He remembered the time on the beach when, merely because Lu Fang had initiated a conversation with him, Zeng Liang flew into a rage out of embarrassment¡­
So narrow-minded it was almost sickening! ¡°I thought a minor character like you would be too scared to even set foot on the field,¡± Zeng Liang said, still with that arrogant expression, but his eyes betrayed a distinct disgust he couldn¡¯t quite mask. He despised Zhu Minng immensely. He couldn¡¯t even understand why Lu Fang would take the initiative to be kind to him. Was it because he was indeed handsome and extraordinary, or was it because of that impure-blooded Young Dragon? No matter the reason, he detested such people profusely. A decorative pillow. Once he trampled him into the dirty blood and mud, both his handsome appearance and the possession of a hybrid Holy Dragon would beughable and pitiable! ¡°Violent Blood Shark Dragon, Yellow Sand Dragon, is this what you call your true strength?¡± Zhu Minng asked. ¡°If you¡¯re scared, go ahead and kowtow to me now. I can show you mercy. After all, you saw what happened to yourpanion,¡± Zeng Liang suddenly chuckled, making a demand he considered quite reasonable. ¡°With your kind of character, you¡¯re actually more suited for reincarnation, to relearn how to be a person. Sadly, unlike you, someone who is extremely cruel to others over trivial matters, I¡¯ve learned manners and kindness. I¡¯m different from you, so an eye for an eye will do,¡± Zhu Minng responded. ¡°Hmph, are you preaching to me? I¡¯ll see if you can still preach after I¡¯ve ughtered your dragon!¡± Zeng Liang said coldly. ¡°By the way, which dragon do you prefer, the Violent Blood Shark Dragon or the Yellow Sand Dragon?¡± Zhu Minng asked. Zeng Liang frowned.
Talking to this guy felt like casting pearls before swine; did he not realize what he really was? Nevertheless, Zeng Liang couldn¡¯t help but nce at the Yellow Sand Dragon inadvertently. Naturally, it was the Yellow Sand Dragon that suited the status of a noble Dragon Shepherd like himself. ¡°Yellow Sand Dragon, I understand,¡± Zhu Minng said, having gleaned this information from Zeng Liang¡¯s micro-expression. Having said that, Zhu Minng slowly raised his right hand, and in the palm, a strong azure light blossomed, dazzling and overwhelming the specially colored sunshine. The brilliance intertwined, and an Azure Dragon emerged from the radiance. It had a pair of broad and graceful wings, and four colorful tails. Even more proudly, from its dragon crest down to its neck, it had phoenix-like whiskers, reminiscent of a Kasaya. These whiskers fluttered and danced, immensely sacred, and,bined with the Green Phoenix Feathers covering its body, lent an air of extraordinary transcendence!! As the dragon appeared, countless students in the grand stadium¡¯s stands gasped in amazement. The Phenomenon of Sacred Dragon, which flowed naturally over every inch of the Green Saint Dragon¡¯s feathered scales without any deliberate disy, made the dragon radiate an authority and presence so strong that it gave off an immense oppressive force even though it was still in its growth phase! ¡°It¡¯s that Green Saint Dragon¡­ it¡¯s in its growing period now!¡± Lu Fang eximed in utter surprise. Initially, Lu Fang too thought Zhu Minng¡¯s Young Dragon was of an impure lineage. After all, Holy Dragons are fairly rare, and typically only those renowned and noble Dragon Shepherds have the means to rear young Holy Dragons. However, the purity of the bloodline bes more apparent with each stage of growth.
The opponent¡¯s Young Dragon had reached its growth period, and not only did it retain the characteristics of a purebred Holy Dragon, but it seemed to have an even more noble lineage, making its aura stronger than that of an ordinary Holy Dragon!! ¡°A Hybrid Dragon is a Hybrid Dragon. How could a true Holy Dragon have neck whiskers? It turns out it¡¯s not just your appearance that¡¯s decorative, but your dragon too!¡± Zeng Liang said with utter contempt. Chapter 375: 377 Soul Contract Broken Chapter 375: Chapter 377 Soul Contract Broken ¡°Kill the Yellow Sand Devil Dragon,¡± Zhu Minng said calmly and coldly to the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon, without giving any response. The Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon raised a gust of orderly wind, and with that rising air current, it gradually upied a higher domain. Its feathers, reflecting a more intense blue gleam under the sunlight, captivated the people who looked up at this sacred creature. However, they suddenly found that the boundless skies inexplicably darkened. Whether in the distant clouds or the near sky, the rays that illuminated the world brightly seemed to have been absorbed by the feathers of the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon. An overcast shadow cast over everything, leaving only the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon radiating its unique blue light, from a gentle gleam to a fiercely burning brilliance! Suspended in the sky, it resembled a scorching sun in the azure firmament!! Rays of sword light pierced down, their scorching heat matched by their sharpness akin to that of a sharp sword. In the skies above the great arena, it seemed as if this zing sun tore and divided the space, and the Yellow Sand Devil Dragon below, looking at this spectacle, was in a panicked scramble to flee into the dunes. The brilliance grew ever more intense, its heat already baking the earth, causing the flora to seem as if it would melt!! Burrowing into the dunes, the Yellow Sand Devil Dragon vainly thought to use the sand to block the prative brilliance but ¡°Sun Scorches Soul¡±, nothing could escape. Soon, intense light like swords of sunlight pierced deeply into the sand, and the Yellow Sand Devil Dragon¡¯s blocky tough skin began to melt, emanating a strong scent of burning.
¡°Whoosh!!!!!!!!!¡± The Violent Blood Shark Dragon stirred up massive waves, hoping that the seawater could block the rays of light. But the omnipresent blue light, like a sword, focused on one point. It could prate even thousands of meters deep, let alone a thinyer of waves. Concentrated piercing light, unstoppable, the Azure Phoenix Holy Dragon now was like a sun shining in the sky, dominating the sunlight on which all beings depend for life and simultaneously wielding the power over life and death!! ¡°Moo!!!!!!!!¡± The Yellow Sand Devil Dragon let out a scream of agony. It dug out from the sand, its body melded into a bloody blur, and holes began to form in many parts of its body with scorch marks! It rolled on the ground, clueless about how to evade such an attack, only able to inch towards death amid such fiery pain! Fear and astonishment were written all over Zeng Liang¡¯s face! In front of this Azure Phoenix Holy Dragon, his own Yellow Sand Devil Dragon was but a mere summer insect, with no say over its life or death. Yet the Azure Phoenix Holy Dragon, which he considered a Hybrid Dragon, towered above, its scattering me radianceparable to the sun and moon of the sky. Absolute dominance!! His Yellow Sand Devil Dragon was being suppressed by a growing Holy Dragon to the point where it could barely breathe and had to pathetically curl up on the sand, waiting for death! ¡°Withdraw your dragon, what are you gaping at, idiot!!¡± Sun Chong suddenly shouted at that moment. That shout brought Zeng Liang back to his senses. He hurriedly opened the Spiritual Realm Symbol, and in his panic, he nearly made a grave mistake. ¡°Stop, quickly tell your student to stop,¡± Sun Chong, seeing Zeng Liang¡¯s slow action, immediately bellowed at Duan Changqing. Duan Changqing remained unmoved. Zhu Minng would not show mercy either. Had they not ordered to stop the fight themselves?
But how had they treated Fei Song?? ¡°Now open your Spirit Realm, or the ¡®Sun¡¯s Brilliance¡¯ will scorch your soul as well. You¡¯d better think carefully about whether you want to save your Yellow Sand Devil Dragon,¡± Zhu Minng said indifferently. The Spiritual Realm Symbol was a gate to the Soul Realm. If a Dragon Beast entered the Spirit Realm to hide from a forceful impact, it undoubtedly directed that energy straight into the Dragon Trainer¡¯s own soul, causing damage not unlike a Soul Contract Broken, with the Dragon Beast dead. Zeng Liang waspletely disoriented.
He himself didn¡¯t know what to do. He didn¡¯t want the Yellow Sand Devil Dragon to die, but even more so, he didn¡¯t want his own soul to be injured. If a dragon died, he still had another one. At the very least, he was still a Dragon Master at the Dragon Lord Level, and there was still hope for further advancement in the future. However, once his soul sustained a strong shock, it might be impossible for him to reach the Monarch Level in his lifetime. In his frantic fear, he still managed to retain a sliver of rationality. Finally, he withdrew his Spiritual Realm Symbol. He had no choice but to abandon the Yellow Sand Devil Dragon. Not wanting to be harmed any further, he activated another symbol, this time to retrieve the Violent Blood Shark Dragon back into his Spirit Realm. Beneath the scorching sun, the skinless Yellow Sand Devil Dragony curled up on the sand, its flesh and blood melting into a puddle, spreading out like thick glue¡­ In the midst of unbearable agony, the Yellow Sand Devil Dragon opened its eyes. Initially, there was a glimmer of hope in its eyes when it saw the symbol, but when it realized the symbol was retrieving the Violent Blood Shark Dragon instead, that faint glimmer of hope for survival vanished, and it could only lie there like a dying old ox, allowing its mutted body to be exposed to the deadly brilliance of death. ¡°Qing Zhuo, stop.¡± Suddenly, Zhu Minng calmly said to the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon. The re immediately disappeared as the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon fluttered its magnificent and noble wings and descended gracefully from the high sky, its lofty azure eyes gazing at the severely injured Yellow Sand Devil Dragon. ¡°Why stop? Let it die, we must avenge Fei Song!¡± Chen Bai said, somewhat puzzled.
Zhu Minng did not answer. He walked over to the Yellow Sand Devil Dragon and looked at the Dragon Lord who was no longer resisting. The Yellow Sand Devil Dragony motionless. Its eyes were not even open, but its body was slightly heaving, showing that it still had rtively steady breathing. Clearly, the Yellow Sand Devil Dragon was not dead. But its spirit was crushed. ¡°A person like this isn¡¯t worth dying for,¡± Zhu Minng said as he took out a vial of the Immortal Rabbit Dragon¡¯s saliva from his bosom. The Immortal Rabbit Dragon¡¯s saliva was an excellent medicine for healing external wounds. Zhu Minng poured it onto the Yellow Sand Devil Dragon¡¯s fully melted skin, alleviating its pain and helping to regenerate its body¡¯s envelope. Bathed in the medicinal liquid, the Yellow Sand Devil Dragon slowly picked itself up. Its skeleton and internal organs were still intact; it needed just a little more time, and the Sun¡¯s Brilliance would have punctured through its body. But Zhu Minng stopped. The Yellow Sand Devil Dragon, like an old ox, stood up and dragged its blood-covered body toward the edge of the arena. Zeng Liang was stunned and hastily ordered the Yellow Sand Devil Dragon toe back. But the Yellow Sand Devil Dragonpletely ignored him. As it moved farther away, the soul connection between it and Zeng Liang began to tear apart bit by bit. Zeng Liang¡¯s face immediately turned unsightly. He clutched his chest, his breathing bing difficult, as if enduring heart-wrenching pain, causing cold sweat to break out all over his body!
Soul Contract Broken! In the face of extreme disappointment, a dragon beast may break away from the Dragon Trainer. While not as dire as betrayal, which can lead to the master being killed, such soul contract disjunction can still cause irreversible damage! ¡°If you had insisted on keeping the Spirit Realm Map open for it, giving it a chance to live, I would have stopped too. Unfortunately, you only had eyes for yourself,¡± Zhu Minng said indifferently. Zeng Liang watched his dragon walk away¡­ This feeling was even more painful than having his dragon killed. Most importantly, among the many students, disciples, and teachers present, not a single one showed a shred of sympathy for Zeng Liang. He deserved it! With such poor character, he also possessed the lowest of all virtues as a Dragon Trainer! Chapter 376: 378: Cheap without Pretense Chapter 376: Chapter 378: Cheap without Pretense ¡°This student from Li Chuan Academy is so loving, I thought he was going to kill the Yellow Sand Devil Dragon. After all, Zeng Liang was so cruel to kill someone else¡¯s dragon without any reason, and he was so heavy-handed.¡± On the stands, a twin-tailed young female student said. ¡°It¡¯s really embarrassing, the Supreme Dragon Taming Court, to exhibit such savage and brutal behavior,pletelycking the etiquette and nobility of the Court. Instead, it¡¯s this student from Li Chuan Academy who genuinely treats his dragon with kindness, not venting his anger on the Yellow Sand Devil Dragon because of Zeng Liang¡¯s despicable and brutal act. Yes, why should an innocent dragon bear the burden of the Dragon Shepherd¡¯s foolish actions when it¡¯s not a life-or-death situation?¡± ¡°To make matters worse, he has made our Supreme Court lose face.¡± People were talking amongst themselves, criticizing Zeng Liang and at the same time praising Zhu Minng. The departing silhouette of the Yellow Sand Devil Dragon clearly moved many people. A Dragon Shepherd who¡¯s unwilling to make any sacrifices for his dragon doesn¡¯t deserve to have a dragon beasty down its life for him. In the Dragon Taming Academy, those who have signed a Spirit Contract with a dragon always consider it a part of their own life, maintaining the noble ideals a Dragon Shepherd should have. Zeng Liang, not only did he harm others because of apetition, his selfish and ugly actions made people unwilling to sympathize with him. ¡°Get down from here!¡± Sun Chong¡¯s anger was unstoppable in his heart, and he vented it on Zeng Liang. Zeng Liang nced at Sun Chong and, hearing the tone as if scolding an animal, his face looked even more sinister, as if resentment had been brewing inside. ¡°Next, Su Huan, defeat him for me!¡± Sun Chong ordered.
¡­ Su Huan stepped onto the Great Competition Field. He seemed somewhat nonchnt, but this nonchnce also conveyed his contempt for everything around him. He had seen the previous duel, but so what? What is Zeng Liang¡¯s worthpared to a real genius like him when there are plenty like Zeng Liang in the Dragon Taming High Court? ¡°If you only have this one Green Saint Dragon, then you might as well admit defeat now. Although I won¡¯t be as spiteful as Zeng Liang, I¡¯m not the gentle type either. Those who confront me never end well. Your dragon, it seems to be still growing, don¡¯t let me turn it into a disabled dragon,¡± Su Huan said, standing there with a slight lean to his body. Disabled Dragon? At the mention of this term, the eyes of the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon grew somewhat colder. Past experiences slowly came back to it as it grew and transformed. Once a Disabled Dragon unable to advance to Monarch Level, but this time it not only healed its youthful wounds, but it also had the highest bloodline. It would only grow stronger! Even in the process of growth, it would not allow itself to be defeated! ¡°Yoooo~~~~~~~~~~~¡± The Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon gathered its noble Phoenix Wings and stood proudly beside Zhu Minng. Zhu Minng gently stroked the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon¡¯s soft feathers, but his gaze was fixed on the boastful Su Huan. ¡°My dragon doesn¡¯t like the word ¡®disabled¡¯, you¡¯d better be careful,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°Disabled, disabled, disabled, disabled¡­ how about that, are you satisfied?¡± Su Huanughed, repeating provocatively several times in a taunting tone. Zhu Minng dug his ear. It had been a long time since he had seen someone so refreshingly blunt and unpretentious!
This is right up my alley! ¡­ Su Huan¡¯s strength was clearly stronger than Zeng Liang¡¯s. He held nothing back, summoning three dragons.
Each dragon was of Dragon Lord Level, and among them, a Snow Dragon that should be a Middle-level Sovereign. Before, whether it was Fei Song¡¯s Ying Mountain Dragon, Zeng Liang¡¯s Yellow Sand Devil Dragon, or the Violent Blood Shark Dragon, they were all just Lower-level Sovereigns. A Middle-level Sovereign, that already counts as a strong contender within the Dragon Taming High Court, not to mention among freshmen. ¡°Sun Chong, since it¡¯s an assessment of the subordinate branches, isn¡¯t it somewhat against fairness to let a student like Su Huan act as the evaluator?¡± Han Wen felt the assessment had degraded upon seeing Su Huan summon the Middle-level Dragon Lord. This was The Supreme Dragon Taming Court. In different regions, there were other Dragon Taming branches. There were students in the branches who had reached the Lord Level, but a Middle-level Sovereign was already a rare talent, and even among the various major forces, they were considered exceptionally outstanding disciples. To measure the strength of branches with the standards of the High Court was extremely unjust! ¡°It¡¯s just a test, isn¡¯t it also to see the limit of Li Chuan Academy?¡± Sun Chong still had his cunning excuses. Han Wen stopped talking, since the fight was public, many eyes were clear, and whether the Li Chuan Academy qualified to be a Dragon Taming branch was obvious at a nce. ¡­ ¡°Your dragon, with a cultivation base that¡¯s merely Lower-level Sovereign, may indeed have superiority over dragon beasts of the same level as a Holy Dragon, but how can it contend with my three dragons!¡± Su Huan had already broken into a grin. ¡°Ignorant,¡± was the only word Zhu Minng offered in response to Su Huan.
The Azure Phoenix Green Saint Dragon stood amidst the chaotic battlefield, the sandy ground it tread upon began to show slight movement, as if something was burrowing out from the soil. Its pupils reflected a special brilliance, a mysterious spell that silently spread throughout the entire Great Competition Field. ¡°Roar!!!!!!¡± The Middle-level Sovereign Snow Dragon roared, disying the arrogance of its high-level cultivation base. Its entire body was covered with a thickyer of snow armor, its size close to a building, and as it walked, ice spikes continuously pierced through the ground. Suddenly, the Snow Dragon forcefully stomped on the ground, tearing it open and creating a terrible fissure of ice that appeared out of nowhere; rocks, hills, and trees on the ground all fell in and were shattered to pieces. The Azure Phoenix Green Saint Dragon stood still, showing no intention to dodge. The ice fissure had reached in front of it, continuously spreading, but for some unknown reason, the fissure that ought to have kept expanding suddenly halted as if the ground where the Azure Phoenix Holy Dragon stood was firmer and less prone to breaking. ¡°Ying!!!!!!¡± With a heavenward cry of the phoenix. the earth trembled violently. Whether sandy terrain, rocky terrain, or forestednd, all began to crack open, revealing gigantic coral branches that burst through the surface and grew explosively, swiftly bing colossal coral trees that towered like ancient trees. A forest of corals, in a short span, took over the Great Competition Field. The tall and lush coral branches were as hard as copper and iron. The Snow Dragon was instantly surrounded by this coral forest, and on the seemingly thick coral branches, sharp thorns grew rapidly! The dense thorns turned the coral forest into a vast and terrifying Coral Thorn Mountain. Su Huan¡¯s three Dragon Lords had nowhere to hide, and all let out pained cries as they were impaled!
Chapter 377 - 379: Beating Up a High-Ranking Dragon Chapter 377: Chapter 379: Beating Up a High-Ranking Dragon Whether it was the thick snow armor of the Snow Dragon or the ck water shield of the Flood Dragon, both were prated by these sharp Coral Thorns. The Coral Thorns also carried a certain toxicity, which would numb and slow the muscles and bones of the Dragon Beasts, making their bodies uncoordinated like a drunken person, dull and clumsy. The Snow Dragon stood amidst the coral grove, its robust figure swaying. Only with great willpower did it manage to stand firm as a wave of corals crashed towards it like a deluge! Formed entirely of hard and sharp coral branches, this coral wave was startling to behold. The Snow Dragon immediately turned around, using its spine to endure the terrible onught of the coral tide. Being a Middle-level Dragon Lord, it could still withstand the assault with its strong physique. The other two dragons, however, were not so fortunate. Both the Dragon Lord of the Flood Dragon and the Dragon Lord of the Shell Dragon were washed to the edge of the Great Competition Field by the coral wave. Their bodies were pierced by the sturdy, spear-like coral branches, leaving them in a most pathetic state, struggling for a long time to break free from the chaotic coral debris! ¡°ROAR!!!!!!!¡± The Snow Dragon let out a tremor-inducing roar. Its roar was like a mighty blizzard, spreading out a white snowstorm from its towering figure in all directions! The hard coral was shattered by this force, and countless sharp ice fragments flew towards the Azure Phoenix Green Saint Dragon. With a casual flick of its wings, the Azure Phoenix Green Saint Dragon melted the ice shards soaring towards it in mid-air. Its eyes fixed on the location of the Snow Dragon when suddenly, vines as sturdy as a deep-sea monster¡¯s tentacles flew out from the coral and entwined around the Snow Dragon¡¯s limbs, dragging it bit by bit towards the Coral Mountain covered in coral spines. These vines looked somewhat familiar, resembling the Sky Support Vines that Zhu Minng had seen in the ruins! Zhu Minng himself was somewhat surprised. The more potent Method of Driving that Little Qingzhuo had gained from consuming the demonized fruit had apparently been inherited. Those Sky Support Vines, durable enough to hoist an entire mountain, could not be torn open even by the ws and fangs of Monarch-level creatures! This Snow Dragon, being but a Middle-level Lord, could not escape the grip of the limited number of Sky Support Vines. It could only watch, unable to break free as it was dragged towards the coral spines. It was as if undergoing torture. The Snow Dragon roared in agony, exhausting all its strength to finally knock down the corals ahead, but the toxic Coral Thorns had already begun to spread through its bloodstream. Its actions became even slower. The furious Snow Dragon lifted its ws and struck out at the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon. As the w came down, it was like an avnche on a mountainside, with tons of white snow pouring down, its power immense. Only then did the Azure Phoenix Green Saint Dragon spread its wings, gliding backward with grace. Its beautiful and supple tails drew out blue mes of light, agile and elegant. The Snow Dragon continued to m down its ws, the rolling snow bing more and more substantial, utterly like a copsing snow mountain. As the avnche approached, the Azure Phoenix Green Saint Dragon made a stunning turn. Its wings stretched in the most perfect form, disying the sacred majesty of its Phoenix lineage to its fullest! A halo of sanctity encircled the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon, forming an ancient and splendid totem, releasing tremendous energy within this halo of light! This azure halo suddenly flickered, and instantly, the raging avnche began to disintegrate at a speed visible to the naked eye! The snow melted, and the vast power of the w strike was being resolved, the azure ring of light like an eye of a deity, its disdainful re sufficient to calm all aggressive forces in the world! This was the ultimate in purification techniques, allowing all controlled elemental energies to return to peacefulness, naturally dissolving into the world. ¡°Purification Halo. This is a sacred technique of the Phoenix n,¡± Han Wen expressed with a surprised look on his face. The Phoenix n is one of the most noble creatures in the Neon Sea. Even though they are not dragons, they hold a status as revered as that of the dragons, the true sovereigns of the Holy Spirits. The mother of Han Wen had a Phoenix Dragon unmatched in the world, so powerful that with a mere flutter of its wings, it could calm a tsunami stirred up by a group of wicked sea serpents. Moreover, many powers of monsters driven by demons in nature were erased by the Purification Halo, as if these so-called spells were created and taught by the Phoenix Dragon itself. As long as it wished to reim them, no monster or demonic beast could presume to show off in its presence. As expected. The Snow Dragon once again unleashed some powerful snow affliction spells, yet these seemingly overwhelming snow techniques were still purified by the light halo of the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon! ¡°What kind of trickery are you using!¡± Su Huan eximed somewhat angrily. Zhu Minng did not respond. It wasn¡¯t that he was trying to be mysterious; it was mainly because he himself was still in the exploratory stage. Little Qingzhuo was growing and awakening all sorts of powerful abilities, some of which were innate to its bloodline, while others it learned and understood on its own during the nurturing process. As for this Purification Halo, it shoulde from the Green Phoenix bloodline, but if one were sparing in the nurturing process, it might not awaken. The Snow Dragon had wanted to engage in a magicalbat with the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon, only to find that its spells seemed like child¡¯s y before the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon, and eventually, it had no choice but to charge forward and wrestle with the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon using its bulky body. After all, the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon was still growing and not very robust. It deftly avoided the Snow Dragon, whose movements were bing slower and slower, as the poison from the Coral Thorn had taken full effect. Clumsy and slow, it was like a brown bear chasing an elegant, dancing green butterfly, with the bear even likely to trip over its own legs. On the spectator stands,ughter from some female students soon spread. Anyone could see that the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon was toying with the foolish Snow Dragon. Su Huan¡¯s face was ashen at this point. His own dragon was a middle-level Sovereign, and it was even expected to step into the upper Sovereign level next year. The other party¡¯s dragon, although lower than his own by one level, seemed to have a vast disparity in strength. This made Su Huan involuntarily nce at his other two dragons. The Dragon Lord of the Flood Dragon and the Dragon Lord of the Beilong. They were both lower-level Sovereigns, sharing the same cultivation level as the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon. Yet his two lower Sovereigns, like outsiders, were first hurt by running into a thicket of corals, then pierced by Coral Thorns, and finally sent flying by Coral Waves¡­ They were utterly irrelevant, to the point where Su Huan suspected whether the Lord-level cultivation of his dragons was fake. ¡°Principal, why is Zhu Minng¡¯s Green Saint Dragon so different? It seems to handle being besieged by three Sovereigns with ease,¡± Bai Yishu asked, feeling somewhat puzzled. Bai Yishu had indeed voiced the doubts of the other students. Isn¡¯t cultivation base supposed to be the standard for measuring a dragon beast¡¯s strength? Then howe the Snow Dragon, clearly a middle-level dragon, got beaten severely by a lower-level dragon? ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª (Been irrelevant for over a month~ Mhm, decided to update more today~) (Should be two more chapters, before midnight!) (Also, seeking monthly votes, seeking subscriptions!) Chapter 378 - 380: Flaming Light Feather Chapter 378: Chapter 380: ming Light Feather Duan Changqing had always been paying close attention to this Green Phoenix Divine Dragon. Seeing all the students looking towards him, he opened his mouth to exin, ¡°This dragon¡¯s bloodline is extremely noble, and it possesses many abilities that don¡¯t belong to its current level.¡± ¡°But aren¡¯t the abilities of a dragon meant to improve alongside their cultivation?¡± ¡°Not necessarily. There are many types of dragon abilities, including bloodline inheritance, racial talents,terprehension, practice and learning, cultivation through spiritual objects, enhancement of attributes, and so on. Dragons with excellent bloodlines inherently inherit some powerful Mysterious Dragon Techniques. They may alsoprehend battle skills through rigorous training that are extraordinarilypatible with themselves, allowing them to dominate even against opponents of the same level,¡± exined Duan Changqing. The knowledge of Li Chuan Dragon Taming Academy is still rtively limited, and most Dragon Shepherds have already exhausted their resources on food for their dragon beasts and spiritual objects to enhance their own cultivation, leaving them hardly able to chase after more detailed perfection. But in fact, every dragon¡¯s potential is endless. If they can be perfectly cultivated during their growth stages, they can then exhibit even more superior abilities in the next stage. Zhu Minng¡¯s dragon is already a highly noble Holy Dragon by nature, and it has been cultivated very appropriately, allowing it to express abilities that would typically require a higher level of cultivation at its current stage. Even though they are both Lower Dragon Masters, the spells disyed by this Green Phoenix Divine Dragon have reached the realm of a High-level Dragon Lord; if not for the restrictions in power due to its cultivation level, this Green Phoenix Divine Dragon would be totallyparable to a High-level Dragon! Lu Wenye was also intently observing this unique and powerful Azure Phoenix Holy Dragon at the moment. She had personally witnessed the ferocious battle between this Azure Saint Dragon and the Ghost Face Evil Spider on the edge of the pine forest. At that time, the Azure Saint Dragon gave Lu Wenye a profound sense of awe with its immense strength and limitless potential. Nowadays, although the dragon appearspletely different and seems to have regressed in its growth stage, its power is far greater than before. It¡¯s uncertain how Zhu Minng managed to cultivate it. ¡°This dragon seems to be still in its growth period,¡± Duan Changqing hesitated for a moment before finally uttering these words. However, to everyone else, this statement was like a thunderp to the brain. ¡°Grow¡­ growth period, Headmaster, you¡¯re not joking, are you?!¡± Teacher Bai Yishu was so shocked that he started to stutter. Hong Hao, Li Shaoying, Nan Ye, Chen Bai, and others also felt dizzy with astonishment!! In the growth period with the cultivation level reaching Lower-level Sovereign and then the strengthparable to a High-level Sovereign¡­ Each time they move up a growth stage, there will be a big leap in cultivation. ¡°Then doesn¡¯t this mean Zhu Minng¡¯s dragon could easily be a noble Dragon King??¡± Chen Bai¡¯s eyes were no longer just sour, they were practically glowing with envy, jealousy, and resentment! Dragon Kings, after all! Zhu Minng¡¯s dragon, if itpletes four growth stages, will be at least a Dragon King and may even aim for the High-level or Pinnacle Dragon Monarch! Duan Changqing nodded affirmatively. Seeing the students shocked as a group, there was actually one more thing Duan Changqing didn¡¯t say out loud. This dragon might even be able to touch the Dragon King Realm¡­ Duan Changqing kept it to himself because even he found it somewhat preposterous. A creature that reaches the Dragon King afterpleting four growth stages must be extremely rare in this world. Perhaps Zhu Minng¡¯s Azure Phoenix Holy Dragon will grow quickly in the early stages, but slow downter on. Such dragons are not unheard of. ¡­ ¡°This Azure Saint Dragon is truly formidable, among the top students of our High Court, there may not be any who possess dragons with such extraordinary potential,¡± Han Wen observed Zhu Minng with a meticulous gaze. Forget about the students, many teachers likely don¡¯t have this kind of fortune. Genuine Holy Dragons are still extremely rare. What¡¯s more, such a Holy Dragon with the Phoenix lineage, if cultivated for some more time, afterpleting all growth stages, wouldn¡¯t it surpass even the Chief of the Supreme Court? ¡°This person, why does he seem a bit familiar¡­¡± A figure suddenly shed through Han Wen¡¯s mind. It was that young expert who rode the TianSha Dragon King; his build was very simr to this man¡¯s, and Han Wen remembered his voice. After carefully recalling, it indeed seemed quite simr! ¡°Could it be him??¡± Han Wen¡¯s beautiful eyes suddenly began to sparkle. The Great Instructor Lin Zhao had mentioned that the Dragon King Powerhouse was likely in hiding at the Dragon Taming Academy. No matter how far a Dragon Trainer progresses, there would always be new dragons to raise, whether it¡¯s the initial Juvenile Spirit selection or the cultivation of young dragons¡­ When Lin Zhao suggested that the person might be a student, Han Wen thought it was preposterous, yet upon seeing this still young Green Phoenix Divine Dragon, she had an epiphany! The expert in the academy was likely breeding young dragons as a student! The Dragon King had already reached the summit, but he still needed other dragons with great potential to expand his dragon pet lineup! It must be so, if that expert really was a student, he must be in the stage of raising new dragon pets! ¡°These days, the Great Instructor has been searching among the students, but without any clues, it turns out he was hidden here in the outer court of Li Chuan¡­ But isn¡¯t he too young, could it really be him?¡± Shaking her head and pondering for a while, Han Wen still found it somewhat far-fetched. First of all, the student who possessed a Green Saint Dragon was too young. It was rare to hear of anyone reaching the King Level Realm at such an age. Secondly, if he truly was a Dragon King Level Strength, why would he involve himself in such mundane quarrels? ¡­ ¡°The outer court should have the realization of being an outer court; how can someone like youpare to a high court student like me!¡± Su Huan¡¯s attitude shifted from nonchnt to increasingly agitated. He simply could not ept this scene. Three against one, and still getting thrashed! They were all Dragon Lords, so why did your dragon have an absolute advantage? There must be a fatal weakness! This seemingly powerful dragon must have some very fatal weakness, and as long as it is found, this so-called Green Saint Dragon will reveal its true form, and might even be inferior to an ordinary Dragon Lord!! Su Huan simply couldn¡¯t let it go. He ordered his three already defeated Dragon Lords to continue fighting against their will. The three dragons, carrying their wounds, persisted in battle. They began to besiege the Green Saint Dragon, using various tactics to suppress the Green Phoenix Divine Dragon. The Green Phoenix Divine Dragon responded unhurriedly; its excellentbat instincts inherited from its bloodline and the previous cycle allowed it to face three opponents without fear. Every natural entity that grows by absorbing sunlight, including the sunlight itself, became a weapon for the Green Phoenix Divine Dragon! Its feathers were constantly absorbing the sunlight, gradually turning hot, and slowly the Green Phoenix Divine Dragon seemed to be wearing a suit of ming Sun Azure Armor, scorching everything in its path! Every spell cast by Su Huan¡¯s three dragons would be suppressed and unraveled by the Purification Halo. So, they could only engage in closebat, but as the feathers of the Green Phoenix Azure Dragon transformed into ming Light Feathers, they couldn¡¯t even think about biting, wing, or ramming, let alone getting close to the Green Phoenix Azure Dragon! Chapter 379: 381: Challenge the Peak! Chapter 379: Chapter 381: Challenge the Peak! Absorbing sunlight and transforming it into light feathers. As fiercely hot as the zing sun, it endowed the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon with the majesty of the scorching sun, both imposing and domineering! Against three opponents, the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon went from initially dodging and weaving to directly confronting them. It seemed as if it didn¡¯t need to employ that superior natural guidance, it could still crush these three Dragon Lords. Like a dragon basking in the strong sun, growing more valiant with each fight, the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon¡¯sbat prowess leaped tremendously after gaining the ming Light Feather. Whether it was the lower-level Flood Dragon, the Shell Dragon, or the middle-level Snow Dragon, all were suppressed by the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon. They were battered to the point of scattering broken teeth, ws, and exposed bones everywhere. Su Huan¡¯splexion had already turned the color of liver. Struggling to stand, he was not willing to admit defeat, believing that, as long as he could find the Green Saint Dragon¡¯s weakness, he could certainly turn defeat into victory. Little did he know that, instead of finding a weakness, each ability the dragon disyed grew stronger. Compared to the other¡¯s Azure Dragon Mystics, his own dragons seemed nothing more than a group of little lizards ying in the mud¡­ ¡°I give up¡­¡± Su Huan finally couldn¡¯t endure the humiliation of being thoroughly beaten and weakly uttered these words. His voice was so low that neither Sun Chong nor Zhu Minng heard him. ¡°Stop fighting, I give up!!¡± In the end, Su Huan still didn¡¯t wish to see his own dragons beaten to death or crippled, so he shouted out loud. ¡°Useless thing!¡± Sun Chong said somewhat irritably.
Their opponents¡¯ students even knew how to use the tactics of ganging up to defeat dragons of a higher rank than themselves. So why were his own students as na?ve as nk sheets of paper? The Green Saint Dragon was formidable, but it wasn¡¯t invincible. Even if they couldn¡¯t win in the end, they shouldn¡¯t lose in such a shambolic way. It¡¯s really shameful! ¡°We are already well aware of the strength of Li Chuan Academy. Let¡¯s end this test here,¡± Han Wen said to Sun Chong. ¡°There are still two students left. The rules have been set; how can we just change them willy-nilly?¡± Sun Chong didn¡¯t n to give up just yet! ¡°They have already earned my recognition,¡± Han Wen said. ¡°But they haven¡¯t earned mine,¡± Sun Chong insisted. After saying this, Sun Chong¡¯s gaze fell on thest two High Court students. One of them involuntarily took a step back, showing a look of helplessness, ¡°Teacher, I¡¯m probably no match for him. May I admit defeat?¡± ¡°Hmph, I had no expectations for you. Guan Wenqi, show these students from the outer court the true strength of our High Court. After all, they were also the seven picked out from thousands of students,¡± Sun Chong said. Just to be safe, Sun Chong still chose a student who stood out the most among the first-years. This Guan Wenqi,ing from a prominent family, was already blessed with exceptional talent, and he was also very outstanding in his own right. When he enrolled, his strength was far beyond his peers. Students like him, given another year or two of training, could even make a name for themselves in exchanges between the major powers. ¡°Guan Wenqi, I hope you understand that this is a test for the outer court, and you shouldn¡¯t be appearing in this situation,¡± Han Wen seemingly recognized this extremely talented student. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Teacher Han. I¡¯ve received great favor from Principal Sun, and while it¡¯s truly unfair of me to test these students from the outer court, their strength has already been made evident. My involvement is but to salvage a bit of face for our High Court, so it doesn¡¯t get out that our High Court students were beaten by an unworthy outer court,¡± Guan Wenqi said with an apologetic smile, behaving courteously. Han Wen felt some regret. Because he was injured, Sun Chong was fully in charge of this outer court assessment. Clearly, Sun Chong had manipted things, otherwise, students like Zeng Liang, Su Huan, and Guan Wenqi would never have appeared in this team. inly speaking, an assessment for the outer court would have been remarkable if their best seven could simply draw even with the mid-to-lower tier students of the High Court.
Zeng Liang and Su Huan belonged to the upper middle rank. And Guan Wenqi, even more so, was top-notch,parable to the Big Disciples of the Big Sects and might even be a Chief Disciple in a year or two. To make a student with the potential to be a Chief test the outer court?? How could Sun Chong bring himself to do such a thing!
He was determined to see the people of Li Chuan Academy utterly defeated, with no intention of epting them! ¡­ Guan Wenqi stepped onto the Great Competition Field, and soon the surrounding students let out exmations of surprise. Guan Wenqi, a celebrity of the High Court! Among all the first-years at the High Court, there are hardly a few who canpete with him! With him entering the battle, how could the outer court of Li Chuan Academy possibly win?? ¡°Your Green Saint Dragon is quite impressive. I feel that if you mingled in our High Court, you could also make a name for yourself,¡± Guan Wenqi stepped closer and said to Zhu Minng. ¡°Are you thest one?¡± Zhu Minng asked. ¡°Yes, the other one, who is less skilled than you, voluntarily gave up,¡± Guan Wenqi nodded. ¡°Then let¡¯s get started,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°There¡¯s no need for that. Just concede,¡± Guan Wenqi said. ¡°That confident??¡± Zhu Minng raised an eyebrow. ¡°My dragon is at the Peak, and stepping into Monarch Level is probably just a matter of time. You all have performed very well already. I believe teachers like Han Wen and other students who are watching will give reasonable feedback to the academy. After all, if the upper echelons of the academy knew that you eventually lost to me, Guan Wenqi, they would understand,¡± Guan Wenqi continued.
Zhu Minng listened to what the other party had said. Even though they spoke as if stating facts, he still sensed an air of arrogance and condescension. Peak¡­ Indeed, it might be a bit difficult to handle. If it had been before, Zhu Minng, without losing his smile, would have already given the other party a thrashing. At the moment, Little Qingzhuo is still in the growth phase and probably would have difficulty winning. ¡°Yea~~~~~~~~¡± Little Qingzhuo also seemed to pick up on the condescension in the opponent¡¯s casual words, which made it very dissatisfied! ¡°Do you want to challenge it?¡± Zhu Minng asked. Just like back then, at the shallow shores of the Mangrove Forest, Little Qingzhuo, who was still in its juvenile phase, challenged the Thousand Year Demon Spirit. That battle also allowed Little Qingzhuo to enter the growth phase ahead of time. Constantly challenging more powerful enemies is how one can continually break through one¡¯s self. Little Qingzhuo¡¯s temperament has be more resolute than before.
Or perhaps, in its very bones flows the proud blood of a Holy Dragon, never sumbing to setbacks, not even fearing a powerful foe. Even though it knew it was inferior in cultivation base to its opponent, it would never back down easily! Zhu Minng also hesitated. Lower-level against Peak, there was a substantial gap. But perhaps it was because Little Qingzhuo had escaped the fate of a Disabled Dragon and received an opportunity akin to rebirth, it had abandoned its past frailty and inferiorityplex. The noble bloodlinebined with its prideful spirit made it clear how much it yearned to be stronger!! Yes, Little Qingzhuo yearned to grow stronger! To challenge more powerful enemies was not a sign of unfounded pride but an extraordinary appreciation for this rebirth! It was not aboutfortably growing with higher bloodline and talent but surpassing one¡¯s own limits amidst adversity! It was precisely because it had once been a Disabled Dragon. That it understood the value of its perfect body! Most importantly, Little Qingzhuo did not want to let Zhu Minng down. Not all Dragon Shepherds would be willing to use a precious Spirit Contract, gambling their future, to save a Disabled Dragon with an uncertain fate. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª (Six chapters delivered, asking for monthly tickets~~~~~~~~It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve updated this much, it feels like my head is smoking, I write quite slowly, and today, apart from eating, I¡¯ve been writing all day long. Seeing as you are unusually diligent, give me some monthly tickets as encouragement~ Maybe there will be more updates tomorrow~~)
Chapter 380: 382 Cloud Rain Dragon Chapter 380: Chapter 382 Cloud Rain Dragon ¡°You won¡¯t concede, huh? That¡¯s somewhat boring. But it¡¯s fine, let my Cloud Rain Dragon flex its muscles a bit. Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t be as ruthless as those before me,¡± Guan Wenqi said. Having said that, Guan Wenqi raised his palm, facing the sky. In the center of his palm, there was a faint ripple, slowly spreading outwards, the luster from the ripple¡¯s pattern reflecting in the high sky. The clear dome of the sky suddenly grew dark, and soon, countless vapors gathered above Guan Wenqi. Before long, dark clouds tumbled, thunder boomed, andrge raindrops nted down, thoroughly drenching the Great Competition Field. As the heavy rain fell, within the clouds, a grey Azure Dragon appeared indistinctly among the thick dark clouds, sometimes rolling, other times gliding. A pair of eyes, likenterns, gazed down, watching the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon on the ground. The rain was under the control of this Azure Dragon, and the sky full of clouds was also pressing towards the ground, giving people a sense of oppressive suffocation. ¡°Even the radiance of the sun and moon can be obscured by dark clouds, I¡¯m sorry to say my dragon is the nemesis of your Green Saint Dragon,¡± Guan Wenqi said with a confident smile. An elemental advantage. Without sunlight, the feathers of the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon couldn¡¯t absorb the scorching energy, and the ming Light Feather would gradually fade over time. Moreover, under these circumstances, the brilliance it could emanate would also be greatly diminished.
One had to admit, this Cloud Rain Dragon indeed had certain suppressive effects on the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon thatmanded light. In the pouring rain, the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon still had a force within it evaporating the damp moisture that fell on its feathers. The Cloud Rain Dragon could almost be said to ride the clouds andmand the mist; it swam down from high above, its long dragon tail swinging vigorously in the air, thus the downpour became even more violent, and the clouds seemed to be hit by a surge of frenzied impact, rushing toward the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon recklessly. Cloud Rain ster! The force of the rain was terrifying to the extreme, probably enough to easily demolish some vige houses. And the most dreadful thing about this force was its persistence. Its relentless deluge tormented the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon, but it was also a test of its willpower. Standing amidst the torrential rain, the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon¡¯s body leaned slightly. It didn¡¯t readily spread its wings, as doing so would only hasten the cooling of its fiery feathers, and it would be difficult to maintain flight bnce in such a ferocious downpour. The Cloud Rain Dragon¡¯s tail movements became even more vigorous, and one could witness a storm, typically only seen at sea, charging fiercely; the heavens darkened and the rain fell like copsing mountains!! The Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon stood steadfast in the roaring deluge, not allowing itself to be blown away, nor allowing its feathers to lose their luster. Its vertically-slit azure eyes still beamed with a fiery determination. It was merely a trial. Having tasted the agony of being shattered to pieces, how could it fear such winds and rains! Disying the Method of Driving had little significance, and the Art of Sunlight had been restrained, but it still possessed an unyielding will. Standing amidst the fierce rain was but a tempering for it to grow even stronger! The rain was torrential, turning into a terrifying spectral downpour. Thend, rock spires, and woonds were ravaged, their appearances utterly transformed. The Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon stood unmoved, its eyes fixed on the Cloud Rain Dragon causing havoc in the sky, as if watching a clown performing leaps. The Cloud Rain Dragon felt this disdain and began to soar, and where its elongated Azure Dragon body moved, countless tumbling mists followed immediately. The mist resembled a gigantic umbre hat, as grand as a mountain, slowly pressing down on the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon on the ground! As the umbre hat of Cloud Mist Mountain moved in, the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon once again unleashed the Purification Halo. However, the Purification Halo was not omnipotent. Faced with a powerful energy, it could only dissolve a part of it.
Cloud Mist Mountain finally pressed down, and with a long chant, the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon used its own body to directly collide with the cloud mass, relying on thest bit of glow from the ming Light Armor to shield itself! The Cloud Mist Mountain was shattered by this heavy and powerful strike, and the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon soared into Cloud Heaven like a phoenix ascending to the sky, seizing the momentum to strike upwards towards the firmament. It broke through the mountain of clouds and transformed into a dazzling green sun, evaporating the torrential rain pouring from the sky. With its most brilliant ming Light Feathers shining like the high sun, it pierced through the dense rain clouds with forceful green brilliance, restoring clear skies above the Great Competition Field. Like the radiant sun, the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon exhibited a dominance far more terrifying than anyone had anticipated.
¡°You¡¯ve only broken the momentum of my Cloud Rain Dragon. The real skill has yet to be shown, while your dragon seems to have already exerted all its techniques,¡± Guan Wenqi said. The Cloud Rain Dragon still rode the clouds, with most of its body enveloped in the thick ck clouds, bringing torrents of dark rain clouds wherever it swam. The Cloud Rain Dragon raised its head and let out a long chant toward the sky. First, the wandering rain fell like a curtain from the sky. Shortly after, the raindrops connected into threads, which soon turned into columns of rain! Countless rain columns fiercely poured down, as if the sky above had burst open, and the rushing river of heaven was plummeting downward! Rainfall Waterfall! Once again, the Cloud Rain Dragon deployed its Azure Dragon Mystics. The terrifying waterfall of rain, falling to the ground, could shatter rock and earth, let alone flesh and bone! The Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon was dodging, but there were severalyers and streams of waterfalls, their expansion speed incredibly fast. Initially, they were mere threads of rain, but in the blink of an eye, they became rushing waterfalls, leaving hardly any time for reaction. ¡°Boom!!¡± A waterfall fiercely poured onto the back of the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon, causing its body to sink sharply. The increasingly heavy, water-soaked feathers also affected the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon¡¯s bnce. The Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon was knocked down from the sky by the waterfall and fell to the ground. Its bright and noble feathers were somewhat disheveled, and the dragon¡¯s whiskers on its neck also lost some of their color. There must have been some fractures in the wing bones, as the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon stood up again and tried to lift its wings, but the movement was somewhat stiff.
¡°I told you, you could directly admit defeat. Why allow your dragon to suffer?¡± Guan Wenqi said. Zhu Minng did not respond. He was observing earnestly. Facing a formidable enemy, it wasn¡¯t the dragon fighting alone; the Dragon Shepherd would merge into the battle as well. Seeking the pattern of the opponent¡¯s attacks, and retreating in time. Discerning the opponent¡¯s weak points, to strike a deadly blow. This was what Zhu Minng was presently doing. He nced at Little Qingzhuo. The intense heat in its eyes had not cooled down from the battering of the stormy rain. Simrly, Zhu Minng was clear that the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon could still fight. A minor wound was not enough to make it flinch! Moreover, Zhu Minng could feel a surgingbat spirit, like an unquenchable me burning in the bones and blood of the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon! The ming Light Feather was not its strongest state!
Chapter 381: 383: Azure Phoenix Sunset Chapter 381: Chapter 383: Azure Phoenix Sunset Its tail, unbridled by the wind. The Phoenix¡¯s tail was slender and soft; the light feathers, dragon whiskers, and colored down on the body of the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon were suppressed by the power of the Cloud Rain Dragon, but its eyes, along with these four spirited Phoenix tails, did not diminish in the slightest. Moreover, it seemed that with every setback in battle, like a sword being honed, it became even more brilliantly vivid! The tail feathers swayed, and gradually a cluster of azure flower mes enveloped the body of the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon. It was the light blossoming to its utmost limit, not real mes, but simply because the light was too intense! It resembled mes but did not flicker, its light delicate and intricate, weaving into the most dazzling and brilliant light crown. At the same time, at the tail end of the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon, a vivid and beautiful tail slowly unfurled. ¡°Nirvana Continuation Tail!¡± The shock on Han Wen¡¯s face was beyond words! The Phoenix n possessed the power of Nirvana, which upon setbacks or even near-death, would stimte a bone marrow reaction that healed all injuriespletely and unleashed a power far beyond one¡¯s limits. The most distinct feature of this process was that they would gain an additional Phoenix tail! It was said that some ancient members of the Phoenix n could perform Nirvana Continuation Tail three or four times in a battle, achieving the supreme battle form of the Seven-Tailed Phoenix, which even holy spirits over fifty thousand years old would avoid by a wide berth! This ability, this Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon actually had it!!
And one could clearly feel that, afterpleting this battle Nirvana, the momentum of the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon became several times stronger, its dragon might not inferior to that of a Peak Level Dragon like the Cloud Rain Dragon!!! Zhu Minng himself was also surprised. This was a capability he had never noticed in his previous trials and training. Was Little Qingzhuo awakening more potent skills in the face of adversity! With five tails fluttering, majestic as a true Holy Phoenix, those feathers previously ravaged by the rain were now revitalized, even more vivid and vibrant than before. The light bestowed by the Phoenix¡¯s tail was like true azure fire, covering the body of the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon. Far from being a creature of fierce mes, it appeared as though its entire body was burning intensely. This was light reaching an extreme, also conveying a sense of imposing grandeur!! The audience was drawn in by such a magnificent and noble battle Nirvana, as if the somewhat frail form of the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon they had seen before was just its disguised state, and now this molten ze of azure radiance was its true appearance! Was this the strongest form of the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon!! Nirvana Continuation Tail, as if in that instant, it ascended and transformed, reaching a higher realm. This kind of Nirvana Continuation Tail, obviously, could only be fully stimted from the bones and blood of the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon when its will to fight was continuously rising¡­ Zhu Minng himself was also astonished. Little Qingzhuo, you¡¯ve really be unbelievably strong!! ¡°My dragon, it¡¯s flexed its muscles. Now I wonder what your Cloud Rain Dragon has up its sleeve; don¡¯t dampen my spirits.¡± Zhu Minngughed, his smile bing as wild as the dance of Phoenix mes. Guan Wenqi¡¯s face showed a mixture of shock and confusion. What¡¯s happening! This dragon, it can transform??? It was just treated by his Cloud Rain Dragon like a drenched chicken a moment ago, its wing bones broken, flight difficult, and in the blink of an eye, not only are all its injuries healed, but it has also erupted with a momentum that is who knows how many times stronger than before!! The Cloud Rain Dragon soared among the clouds, half of its body intermittently visible within the dark clouds. This Azure Dragon was alsopletely baffled at the moment.
Being a dragon too, why didn¡¯t it have a second form? Growing an extra tail would make it stronger, yet it was born with just a fish-like tail that controlled the rain! Light dazzled in all directions, radiantly intense, as streaks of azure fire scattered capriciously into the obscured expanse of the sky when the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon spread its wings and soared. All could see the dense rain clouds being torn apart by these beams of Phoenix mes, as the fierce sunshine reimed the sky, exposing the true form of the Cloud Rain Dragon that had been hidden within the clouds!
The body of the Cloud Rain Dragon was elongated, exhibiting the standard form of an Azure Dragon. But its tail and lower half resembled that of a huge fish, and its body was covered in densely packed rain-symbol scales, which made it appear less majestic and powerful than one might expect. No wonder it always concealed itself within the clouds, revealing only a limited part of its Azure Dragon form. This Cloud Rain Dragon was clearly a transformation of some fish monster, indeed powerful, but its appearance was somewhat peculiar. Compared to a true Azure Dragon, only its upper half was presentable¡­ ¡°So it¡¯s a Fish Monster Dragon, yet it calls itself a Rain Dragon,¡± Zhu Minng said with a smile gradually forming on his face. Guan Wenqi bit his lip and said nothing. The biggest problem with his dragon was its less than imposing appearance. As such, Guan Wenqi often chose not to reveal its true shape, preferring to keep it hidden within the clouds. This not only gave it a mysterious and powerful aura, but also preserved the Dragon Lord¡¯s dignity¡­ With its five-tailed form, the Azure Phoenix Green Saint Dragon took on a divine elegance, especially with the radiant mes burning upon it like a ze. It was the epitome of nobility and grandeur. The battle-birthed Azure Phoenix Green Saint Dragon now soared above the Cloud Rain Dragon. It swooped down from the high altitude at an angle, its feathers scattering wildly. Layers of azure feathers, like ming petals, danced around, eventually forming the colossal outline of a Phoenix! Azure Phoenix Setting Sun! A true child of the sun, falling from the Summit of the Azure Sky towards the stretching coastline. Not only could the Dragon Taming High Court witness this unmatched descent, but countless people on the streets of Man City also looked up to this sight, some even mistaking it for the sun setting prematurely into the sea¡­ ¡°Boom!!!!!!¡±
A blinding light shone, so potent that it made it impossible for everyone to keep their eyes open. Yet, the overwhelming force of destruction rushed towards them, prompting many spectators to instinctively flee outside the arena, fearing the energy would reach them. In midair of the Great Competition Field, all the rain clouds around the Cloud Rain Dragon evaporated, leaving it unable to wield any spell. Its body was struck by the immense force of the dive and mmed into the earth. The rocky ground suddenly caved in, with cracks spreading from the Great Competition Field to the outside. And this was not even the most shocking force. The dispersed light feathers formed a giant phoenix fire pattern which swept up a ze of annihtion. Even the tiniest grains of sand in the dunes were not spared, all turned to utter ckness! The Great Competition Field was originally designed for Monarch Level and lower students. The maximum battle energy it could withstand was at the Peak King Level, yet now it seemed to evaporate as well, leaving nothing but scorched earth! The Cloud Rain Dragony on the ground, its rain-symbol scalespletely scorched off. Its elongated body turned a ckened color, charred in appearance. Wriggling its tail, it resembled a stranded sea fish, desperately flipping towards the sea, but often merely rolling on the spot. Chapter 382: 384: The High Court Loses to the External Court Chapter 382: Chapter 384: The High Court Loses to the External Court The Cloud Rain Dragon inherently contained various aquatic elements within its body. Yet now, it resembled a gigantic fish on the verge of death from dehydration. Guan Wenqi stood there, stunned, as if his soul had left his body¡­ A Peak realm dragon defeated by one of a lower realm! This was unheard of!! In terms of strength, his Cloud Rain Dragon should havepletely overpowered the other one. How had ite to this? ¡°Do you want your dragon to dehydrate to death?¡± Han Wen reminded him. Only then did Guan Wenqie to his senses, rushing over to his Cloud Rain Dragon and hurriedly pushing it toward the beach. Seeing this, Han Wen shook his head helplessly, summoned a Giant Dragon, hoisted the charred, fish-like Cloud Rain Dragon, and carried it to the nearby beach. The Cloud Rain Dragon¡¯s entire body soaked in the seawater, its rain glyph scales frantically absorbing the ocean¡¯s nutrients.
It was uncertain how long it took, but the Cloud Rain Dragon finally recovered from its extreme dehydration. However, it no longer dared to soar into the sky, instead hiding most of its body in the sandy seawater, casting fearful nces toward the sky at the unassable Azure Phoenix Green Saint Dragon! Guan Wenqi could naturally empathize with this fear. But he still couldn¡¯t ept this reality. ¡°So does that mean our Li Chuan Academy has passed this trial?¡± Zhu Minng asked with a confident smile, his mouth slightly upturned as he inquired of Supervisor Sun Chong. Sun Chong¡¯s face twitched with fury! Where on earth did Duan Changqing find such a stand-in! How could a minor ce like Li Chuan produce such a powerful Dragon Shepherd? It must be Duan Changqing¡¯s deceit! ¡°Duan Changqing, I can understand your desire to have Li Chuan Academy join the Dragon Taming High Court, but to stoop so low as to cheat for this trial, bringing in someone who does not belong to your academy to impersonate a student, is utterly disgraceful!¡± Sun Chong, no longer caring about his image, pointed at Duan Changqing and said. ¡°I knew you would say that, a petty person will always be petty. Supervisor Han Wen, I have here aplete set of documents, which include Zhu Minng¡¯s enrollmentst autumn and various contributions he made at the academy, all sealed with tamper-proof stamps. I hope Supervisor Han Wen will handle this fairly,¡± Duan Changqing said. When Zhu Minng arrived at the Dragon Taming High Court that day, Duan Changqing had already considered this issue. There had to be official documents proving that he was a student of Li Chuan Dragon Taming Academy, otherwise Sun Chong would surely not acknowledge it. Despite the rush over these days, using the fastest messenger dragon, they managed to bring over Zhu Minng¡¯s enrollment documents along with other proofs. Han Wen took the documents prepared by Duan Changqing and read through Zhu Minng¡¯s academy records in detail. The records were very detailed, including the dates of sses, the day tasks were epted, and thepletion of those tasks with the credits and rewards received¡­ There were also handprints, made with a type of ink that changes color over time and cannot be altered, allowing for immediate verification. ¡°Young man, please step forward, I need topare your handprint,¡± Han Wen said to Zhu Minng. Zhu Minng walked over and extended his palm, stamping his handprint onto a sheet of white paper. Using a Dragon Shepherd¡¯s insight, handprints could be discerned with the naked eye.
Of course, Zhu Minng also recognized this woman; she was the injured girl he had escorted back from the distant seas of Neon Sea. He hadn¡¯t expected her to be an academy supervisor, holding a high position. Han Wen examined him carefully. Interestingly, Han Wen¡¯s attention wasn¡¯t on the palm print, but rather on Zhu Minng¡¯s body and cheeks. It seemed as though she wasn¡¯tparing the palm print, but whether Zhu Minng was the same person as the reclusive Dragon King Powerhouse from before.
¡°He looks very simr, but his documentation is genuine, proving he is indeed from Li Chuan Academy with no doubt. It seems I¡¯ve thought too much; they must merely resemble each other to some degree,¡± Han Wen muttered to herself. In fact, upon seeing the documentation, Han Wen felt somewhat disappointed. After all, if the documents were genuine, then this student was a bona fide Li Chuan student, and it became impossible for him to be the hermit-like Dragon King Powerhouse. Han Wen couldn¡¯t believe that a Dragon King Powerhouse would, a year ago, have cleaned the Reserve Dragons Storage Hall, stayed up all night for a few baskets of Large Meat Silkworms, or caught some kind of dazzling fish demons, all for a bit of gold reward. Though the difficulty of the missions he eptedter increased and he became an outstanding student with ess to abundant resources, this only indicated a rapid growth in strength, which was still worlds apart from the Dragon King Realm. ¡°These documents, there is no problem; he is a Li Chuan freshman. This examination is now concluded. The strength of Li Chuan¡¯s external institute is for all to see, and at the same time, they abide by the Dragon Taming Academy¡¯s fine traditions. They do not easily harm living beings, showing proper restraint. On the other hand, as the host, as an example for the other branches, the students of the main institute have made me feel ashamed,¡± Han Wen said with an extremely stern tone. She couldn¡¯t interfere with the specifics of the examination. But she was clear about the final result. Li Chuan Branch was qualified for inclusion in the Dragon Taming High Court. ¡°Our High Court actually lost to a wild chicken academy¡­¡± ¡°Are you seeking death? Dare to call it a wild chicken academy? It¡¯s the Li Chuan External Institute, and who knows, it might be Li Chuan Branch next year!¡± ¡°This Zhu Minng is really amazing. I feel like he could sweep away the other geniuses in our High Court too!¡± ¡°Their other students aren¡¯t weak either.¡± ¡°To be honest, I also feel a bit humiliated; our High Court freshmen lost to an external institute¡¯s students. s, what a tremendous disgrace!¡±
¡°The shame isn¡¯t ours; it¡¯s Supervisor Sun Chong¡¯s. He picked the students, he organized the examination. Having Guan Wenqi take action was already a desperate move to save face for the academy, yet Guan Wenqi was defeated. Their honor has beenpletely lost!¡± ¡°I reckon this matter will spread quickly. I wonder how other powers will mock us.¡± They wanted to humiliate Duan Changqing, which is why they made this examination public. Yet precisely because it was public, even if they tried to suppress the news, it simply couldn¡¯t be contained. In no more than a day, the entire Man City Academy, and even the whole poption of Man City, would know about it. The matter might even spread to those kingdom courts. People from the Dragon Taming High Court were often treated as honored guests by courtiers, and this incident could spread among the nobles and the Dragon Trainer circles as well. And all this negative impact, would ultimately have to be shouldered by Sun Chong, who nned everything! Sun Chong¡¯s eyes were lifeless. He too hadn¡¯t expected such a result. In order to trample on Duan Changqing¡¯s dignity severely, he hadpletely offended Han Wen, and what awaited him was likely to be an inquiry from even higher levels of the academy! ¡­ Zhu Minng returned, and everyone crowded around him, speaking excitedly and incoherently. ¡°Zhu Minng, from the first day you joined our institution, I knew you were extraordinary and that you were destined to have the fortune of an Immortal God!¡± Hong Hao said. ¡°So you¡¯ve always relied on your own strength to enjoy the prosperity, I, Chen Bai, will definitely offer incense to you every day, to get a touch of your celestial luck!¡± Chen Bai said.
Someone, not knowing who, pped Chen Bai on the forehead, angrily saying, ¡°If you can¡¯t speak properly, then shut up. Let me do the fawning.¡± Chapter 383: 385: Thinking He Can Cover the Sky with One Hand Chapter 383: Chapter 385: Thinking He Can Cover the Sky with One Hand ¡°` ¡°Those from the High Court are all watching you as well,¡± Lu Wenye said with some envy. When could he stand out like Zhu Minng, attracting such attention? ¡°So much for the Supreme Court, haha!¡± Hong Hao began to get cocky. ¡°You, who won by lying down, how can you have the face to say such things!¡± At this moment, Jiang Zhiyi passed by and, upon hearing this remark, was instantly filled with anger as he eximed. How could a nobody, who could onlypete with one of his dragons by exhausting all his strength, have the gall to say such things¡ªshameless! ¡°What¡¯s wrong with winning by lying down? It shows I¡¯m a person with foresight, who knows how to choose teammates!¡± Hong Hao said proudly, without a hint of shame for his minuscule contribution. Winning meant a team victory, and as a member of the victorious side, he should indeed be a bit wild! The shamelessly thick-skinned Hong Hao managed to infuriate those proud students from the High Court. ¡°Hong Hao is right. Without you guys clearing those tough opponents in front for me, it would have been very difficult for me to hold out till the end,¡± Zhu Minng said with exceptional humility. ¡°We from Li Chuan, we¡¯re awesome. Why don¡¯t we just go independent, no need to take their crap here,¡± Hong Hao exaggerated more and more.
Duan Changqing shook his head helplessly. Leaving the Dragon Taming Academy was impossible; after all, the entire system of Li Chuan relied on Man City Academy. Indeed, there were narrow-minded individuals like Sun Chong in the High Court, but there was still much that was worthy of study for both Li Chuan and the students from Li Chuan. If they could officially be a branch, the Dragon Shepherd Students in Li Chuan would enjoy more resource distribution, and the doors of Dragon Taming Academies everywhere would open to them, providing the students with more opportunities for exchange and learning, rather than being frogs in a well on Li Chuan Continent. ¡°Zhu Minng, we owe you a great debt for this time. I don¡¯t know how to thank you,¡± Duan Changqing let out a long sigh of relief. These days, he had been worn out by this matter, but now that the trial for the students was finallyplete, it was a significant sess. ¡°No need for thanks, I¡¯m a student of Li Chuan Academy after all; fighting for this honor for my academy is only right,¡± Zhu Minng said with a smile. The academy was indeed a good ce, offering a stable refuge in his time of distress. Zhu Minng did have feelings for Li Chuan Dragon Taming Academy. ¡°Dean, does this mean we are now recognized by the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent, and no one will call us a wild chicken academy anymore?¡± Bai Yishu asked. ¡°This is only one step towards sess. There¡¯s another appraisal toe, but you don¡¯t need to worry about that,¡± Duan Changqing said. ¡°Another appraisal, what else is there to assess?¡± ¡°It¡¯s probably just waiting for a response from the High Court,¡± Duan Changqing said, not so certain himself. ¡°Speaking of which, why isn¡¯t Teacher Duan Lan here today? It feels somewhat odd to have such an important assessment without Teacher Duan Lan,¡± Zhu Minng asked with some confusion. ¡°Could she have forgotten the time?¡± Bai Yishu asked. Previously, their attention had been fully on thepetition, especially with the tension escting after Fei Song¡¯s dragon was killed, which made Duan Changqing realize that Duan Lan had never appeared at the scene. Indeed, Duan Lan had told Duan Changqing that she would bete. But everything was over now, and still there was no sign of her. ¡°Duan Changqing, don¡¯t celebrate too soon. Even if your students have won, your shabby academy will never receive the final recognition from the High Court!¡± Sun Chong passed by, speaking in a low and cold tone to Duan Changqing.
¡°Sun Chong, do you really think I, Duan Changqing, am so soft that you can just squeeze me?¡± Duan Changqing spoke firmly. ¡°` ¡°` ¡°Do you truly believe you can contend against the entire high echelon of the High Court? I may have fallen this time, but don¡¯t think you¡¯ll get off easily!¡± Having said that, Sun Chong had already turned and left.
From his stance, he seemed determined to fight to the bitter end with Teacher Duan Lan. Clearly, this was not a simple matter of assessing the students. Zhu Minng, unable to restrain himself any longer after seeing Sun Chong¡¯s arrogant departure, asked Teacher Duan Lan, ¡°Dean, there¡¯s no need to keep secrets any longer. Tell me what is hindering us.¡± ¡°Yes, Dean, let us think of a solution together,¡± Bai Yishu said. ¡°The preliminary review and core review have already passed, and now we¡¯re at the final review. The High Court has four deans responsible for our final review at Li Chuan Academy. Even if we pass this assessment of student strength, to be an official branch, we still need simultaneous approval from three deans. Dean Han Wen should be supportive of us. With our victory this time, the chief dean should also approve. However, Sun Chong and another have firmly decided to stand against us¡­¡± Teacher Duan Lan exined. ¡°We¡¯ve won all the battles, yet they still won¡¯t pass us; what right do they have!¡± Li Shaoying said indignantly. ¡°So it also depends on whether today¡¯s events can ferment. If thest dean He cannot withstand the public opinion, perhaps he will also pass us. Let¡¯s wait a few days, the results should being soon,¡± Teacher Duan Lan stated. ¡°But judging from Sun Chong¡¯s attitude, he¡¯s probably already colluded with another dean. This so-called final review ultimately depends on the whims of others,¡± Zhu Minng noted. Teacher Duan Lan nodded. Indeed, when power is in the hands of others, one¡¯s hard work does not necessarily lead to a good oue. ¡­ Everyone returned to rest, and indeed, the news spread quickly, as the details of the battle had already been disseminated. Zhu Minng fed Little Qingzhuo some Advanced Wutong Spirit Dew, then let it sleep and recuperate with a Jade Fei Leaf in its mouth.
¡°You performed perfectly today. Once you¡¯ve reached the mature phase, you¡¯ll have the cultivation base of a Monarch Level. Perhaps there¡¯s a chance to directly assault the Dragon King Realm when you reach the Complete Period.¡± ¡°However, your mature phase and Complete Period will be a bit longer. When the timees, I¡¯ll find more suitable nourishment for you, and we¡¯ll soar to the skies!¡± Zhu Minng was in high spirits. Just thinking about the Azure Phoenix Green Saint Dragon¡¯s fighting prowess today made him want to hum a lively tune. Still in the growth phase, yet capable of taking down a Peak dragon lord. When it reaches its Complete Period, might it be strong enough to spar with the Heavenly ughter Dragon? Not to say it could reach the transcendental strength of the TianSha Dragon King, but to make it wary enough to prevent any revolt! ¡°Yawning~~~~~~~~¡± Little Qingzhuo, with the Fei Leaf in its mouth, rubbed its head against Zhu Minng as if savoring theforting strokes, before returning to the Spirit Realm to absorb the spiritual energy that could elerate its growth rate by a hundred and twenty times. It needed to hurry and reach its mature phase. It also needed more time for quiet cultivation and absorbing the Spiritual Rhyme! ¡°I feel I should meet with the Great Instructor in person and ask for his help for Li Chuan Academy,¡± Zhu Minng decided, recalling Teacher Duan Lan¡¯s words during the day. That day, he had mentioned to Lin Zhao the possibility of needing assistance, fearing that the academy might not pass the review. Some matters seemedplex, yet in truth, they were nothing more than a simple thought at the higher levels.
If the higher-ups say it can pass, then it will pass. If the higher-ups do not give a clear response, then people like Sun Chong, acting as deans, would start causing trouble, fancying themselves omnipotent! ¡°` Chapter 384: 386: The Domineering Engagement Chapter 384: Chapter 386: The Domineering Engagement ¡­ As night slowly fell, the fading lights began to dot the gentle and beautiful coastline. Zhu Minng walked along the academy¡¯s beach toward the residence of Great Tutor Lin Zhao. He hadn¡¯t been out long before he saw some people on the beach discussing the day¡¯s events. They must be a group of new students, both male and female, chatting merrily around a bonfire. One of the girls said with excitement, ¡°That student from Li Chuan is really impressive. He defeated Guan Wenqi. I remember thinking on our first day of school that Guan Wenqi must be the strongest one and unbeatable. Who knew someone from the outer court would be even better than him!¡± ¡°I heard he made Zeng Liang lose a Spirit Contract. That Zeng Liang, not only does he bully us neers, but he¡¯s also always after the younger girls. When he first came to instruct us, I sensed something off about him. That guy named Zhu Minng really stood up for us and gave us all some satisfaction. He totally deserved it!¡± ¡°Are you talking about Zhu Minng? Today everyone¡¯s been mentioning him. Did you know Zhu Minng is my brother? We¡¯ve had drinks together at Xuancao Mountain Castle, heh heh heh!¡± At that moment, a man dressed in flowery clothes inserted himself among the group, boasting incessantly. Zhu Minng happened to walk by and saw this scene. At first, he didn¡¯t mind too much. After all, tales about him were already circting in the Imperial City, so it was only normal that people at the Dragon Taming High Court were discussing him. Some people shine like fireflies in the summer night, so dazzling and eye-catching that no matter how low-profile or hidden one tries to be, they are still spotted at a nce and eximed as heavenly beings.
Well, one gets used to it. But the man in the flowery clothes seemed strangely familiar. Wasn¡¯t that Luo Shaoyan? It seems that back at Xuancao Mountain Castle, he had said something very pretentious. What was it again? ¡°When my reputation spreads far and wide at the Dragon Taming Headquarters, you, who¡¯s still sucking up to olddies, better note running to me, bragging about having had drinks with me today!¡± That seemed to be his words. So what was he doing right now? On the beach, those young men and women believed Luo Shaoyan¡¯s words and invited him to join them. He shook his head and said, ¡°I have an arrangement with him to go out to Man City tonight. It¡¯s been a pleasure meeting you, youngdies. I am Luo Shaoyan, and in the future, we might have the chance to hang out at Neon Sea together.¡± Luo Shaoyan was indeed very forward. After saying this, he headed off in the direction of the other side of the beach, bidding warm farewells as he walked. Zhu Minng, seeing this guy approaching his direction, quickly lowered his head, pretending not to recognize him. Unexpectedly, Luo Shaoyan had the eyes of an eagle. He spotted Zhu Minng from behind the many palm trees, and with bright eyes, he shouted across the beach, ¡°Zhu Minng, Zhu Minng, brother Zhu Minng, it¡¯s me, Luo Shaoyan! I was just about to look for you!¡± Zhu Minng, unable to avoid him, resignedly responded. Yet, many on the beach began to look in their direction. Word spread quickly; now, many in the High Court knew of Zhu Minng from the Li Chuan Branch, who had defeated the quite renowned Guan Wenqi, bringing a touch of shame upon the High Court. ¡°So that¡¯s Zhu Minng!¡± ¡°He¡¯s the one from the outer court.¡± ¡°See, I told you, we are good brothers who have had drinks together,¡± Luo Shaoyan continued shamelessly. Zhu Minng quickly walked away. Though he had made a bit of a name for himself at the High Court, he had also made quite a few enemies, as he had caused the High Court to lose face. There would undoubtedly be those dissatisfied, looking to trouble him.
Luo Shaoyan hurriedly followed, and Zhu Minng found him impossible to shake off. ¡­ ¡°I was actually looking for you. I asked some people at the academy, and they said your Li Chuan Branch was staying nearby. It seems we really are fated. Not bad, little brother; I hadn¡¯t realized you were a Dragon Trainer who had hidden his true strength. I also like to y the fool to catch the wise, but to naturally disy it the way you do, you truly are a master. When ites to acting, I¡¯m no match for you!¡± Luo Shaoyan rambled on. Zhu Minng admired the guy¡¯s thick skin, second only to Hong Hao.
¡°` ¡°Do you have ns for dinner, or shall I take you to a banquet? They¡¯ve got free good booze there,¡± Luo Shaoyan continued. ¡°I¡¯m nning on visiting the Great Instructor to discuss some matters,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°The Great Instructor, Lin Zhao? What a coincidence, that¡¯s exactly whose banquet I¡¯m talking about! My father and Master Lin are old family friends, and I have a bit of an acquaintance with his son Lin Yan, ah, I won¡¯t lie to you, Lin Yan is arrogant and despotic, treats everyone with disdain, I don¡¯t really enjoy deep interactions with him, but I do covet their family¡¯s fine wine. Knowing you appreciate good wine and hearing that you¡¯ve made quite the impression, I nned to seek you out so we could taste their wine together¡­¡± Luo Shaoyan said. Zhu Minng looked at Luo Shaoyan with a skeptical eye. ¡°What, don¡¯t I seem like the type who¡¯s a scion with a lot of backing?¡± Luo Shaoyan raised an eyebrow and retorted. Like a little eunuch who tters and curries favor. That thought, Zhu Minng still did not voice. Zhu Minng indeed wasn¡¯t that familiar with the way, plus meeting with high-tier academy personnel like Great Tutor Lin Zhao without an introduction wasn¡¯t so easy. It would be easier to let Luo Shaoyan lead the way and save some unnecessary trouble. It would also be more appropriate to discuss Li Chuan¡¯s matters with Great Tutor Lin Zhao in private when they met. ¡­ ¡­
At Man City¡¯s night sea promenade, a magnificent mansion stood on a hillside, not only overlooking the sea view but also capturing the bustling splendor of Man City. Reaching the foot of the hillside, some guests were already in sight. Zhu Minng and Luo Shaoyan walked up the small hillside stairs and saw the big mansion gate. For a moment, Zhu Minng felt as though he and Luo Shaoyan might be turned away by the doormen, with Luo Shaoyan resembling someone who went around scamming meals and drinks¡­ But after reporting their names, they were greeted respectfully. A small surprise. Perhaps the Luo Mountain Sect really did have a reputation in the Neon Sea area, and it was just him who was uninformed. ¡°Brother, let me tell you how arrogant Lin Yan is. Today is actually a small engagement banquet, the kind where a couple, having mutual affection, decide to bring each other home before settling down for life, hosting a home banquet to introduce them to family and guests,¡± Luo Shaoyan said. ¡°If it¡¯s an engagement banquet, what¡¯s that got to do with arrogance?¡± Zhu Minng didn¡¯t understand. ¡°That¡¯s what you don¡¯t know. I was actually there that day, and I could tell that the woman had no interest in Lin Yan, even a bit of disgust. But Lin Yan told her that he would hold an engagement banquet tonight, inviting guests. If she didn¡¯te, it would bring shame upon him and the Lin family in Man City, and she would bear the consequences!¡± Luo Shaoyan said. ¡°There are such high-handed people, what¡¯s the difference from forcibly kidnapping amoner¡¯s daughter?¡± Zhu Minng¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Exactly, part of why I came today is to taste the wine, and the other part is actually to see if that woman is spirited enough¡­ although, she might have acquiesced, and soon she might appear all dressed up and radiant for the event. After all, being the son of Great Tutor Lin Zhao, many women wouldn¡¯t need to be coerced, they¡¯d throw themselves at him willingly,¡± Luo Shaoyan said, his eyes twinkling with the look of someone who¡¯de just to watch the drama unfold! ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª
(Bet you didn¡¯t expect another chapter!) (Today¡¯s five chapters are nowplete.) (The following is a conversation I had with a reader.) Me: Cast a monthly ticket my way! Reader: Definitely next time! Me: Really, let¡¯s not wait till next time, I¡¯ve already updated six chapters. Reader: Uncle Nuan, can you even say that with a straight face? I subscribed to all your updatesst month, didn¡¯t even qualify to generate a monthly ticket, where am I supposed to get one to vote for you?? Me: Uh¡­ my bad. ¡°` Chapter 385 - 387 The Great Instructor’s Distinguished Guest Chapter 385: Chapter 387 The Great Instructor¡¯s Distinguished Guest Zhu Minng and Luo Shaoyan took their seats. The number of guests wasn¡¯t particrlyrge, around one or two hundred people. The banquet was exquisite and luxurious, with fine wines warming on small candle holders, carved wine pots purposely ced atop them. The taste was pleasantly warm and sweet, with a very nice texture. In this regard, Luo Shaoyan hadn¡¯t deceived himself. The wine was really good. The groom was already dressed and ready, carrying himself with the air of a man on his wedding day, firmly believing that the woman he had chosen would dazzle everyone. This man was Lin Yan, whose appearance was quite agreeable and his behavior showed nothing unreliable, probably due to being in front of his family¡¯s guests. Zhu Minng and Luo Shaoyan had already drunk several cups, but the bride had not yet appeared. After making toasts back and forth, Lin Yan¡¯s face was no longer as pleasant as before. ¡°Women, well, they¡¯re never quite satisfied with their makeup, so it takes them longer. Please, Uncle, be patient and wait a little longer,¡± Lin Yan said with a smile, showing respect to the middle-aged man before him. ¡°That may be so, but there¡¯s no reason for us elders to wait this long. Which family¡¯s girl is this,cking in manners?¡± an olddymented. ¡°Good thingse to those who wait, good thingse to those who wait. It¡¯s rare for our Lin Yan to finally set his heart on marrying.¡± ¡°Yes, I also want to see which family¡¯s girl is so fortunate.¡± As the night deepened, guests had already gone through three rounds of drinks, yet the bride was nowhere to be seen. If they waited any longer, the banquet would be over. Lin Yan¡¯s face began to look ugly. He looked toward the open gates of the mansion, his eyes growing dark. ¡°Master Lin, should we go and fetch her ourselves?¡± one of the dandies at Lin Yan¡¯s side suggested quietly. ¡°Hmph, she knows the consequences. I don¡¯t believe she has the guts. However, go and warn her that if she doesn¡¯t show up before the gong sounds, I¡¯ll make sure she regrets it deeply!¡± Lin Yan said. ¡°No problem; there¡¯s no shortage of ungrateful women in this world,¡± the young dandy said with a cold snort. ¡­ The dandy strode quickly towards the outside of the mansion. Zhu Minng and Luo Shaoyan were drinking when the dandy saw Luo Shaoyan and approached him. ¡°Luo Shaoyan,e on, help me with something,¡± Li Bo said. ¡°You¡¯re not going to kidnap her, are you? I can¡¯t do something so despicable. At this point, if she¡¯s noting, it means she¡¯s sincerely not interested,¡± Luo Shaoyan said,ughing. ¡°What are you talking about? Do you want to see Lin Yan lose face as well? Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯re just going to talk some sense into her. Even if she doesn¡¯t want to, she should at least show up and make things clear,¡± Li Bo said. ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll apany you. But if you intend to use force, I won¡¯t agree to it,¡± Luo Shaoyan stated. ¡°Rest assured, we¡¯ll definitely invite her over. Lin Yan just wants to have a few words with her. If after that she still refuses, we¡¯ll just consider it a family gathering for drinks, no big deal,¡± Li Bo continued. Lou Shaoyan nodded. He set down his wine cup and said to Zhu Minng, ¡°You keep drinking. I¡¯ll be right back.¡± ¡°Going to help them abduct a young woman from the people?¡± Zhu Minng asked. ¡°I¡¯m not that kind of person. I¡¯m just worried Li Bo might do something like that, which is why I¡¯m following. Brother, rest assured, even old grannies can¡¯t stop praising my integrity!¡± Luo Shaoyan replied. Zhu Minng nodded. Zhu Minng was not too clear on the details and couldn¡¯t tell whether the woman was just acting coy or was really uninterested and had been forcibly brought to this asion. ¡­ He sat idly for quite a long time. Zhu Minng did not see the Great Instructor Lin Zhao. It was strange to say, but despite such a major event for his son, his father did not seem to care as much. The Great Instructor Lin Zhao was nowhere to be seen throughout the banquet. The sky had already darkened, and Zhu Minng no longer waited; after inquiring, he learned that Master Lin was in the study at the back courtyard. Zhu Minng went to pay a visit, and it was clear that he was not the only one who wished to see Master Lin. Zhu Minng then waited outside the other party¡¯s study for quite a while. Eventually, the butler made a gesture of invitation, indicating that Zhu Minng could speak to Great Tutor Lin Zhao through the door. As to whether Great Tutor Lin Zhao would respond or be willing to open the door¡ªthat would depend on what Zhu Minng had to say. Among the more than one hundred guests, many were rtives of the Lin Family. As the Great Instructor of the Dragon Taming High Court, second only to the Vice President, Lin Zhao was a tutor to the faculty, with extremely high power and influence. Many rtives and friends sought to use Great Tutor Lin Zhao¡¯s connections to obtain positions, slots, or resources. Of course, many were turned away. ¡°You¡¯re looking to enter the Dragon Taming High Court, right? Connections are useless; the Great Instructor only values genuine talent and learning,¡± the butler said with a curl of his lip to Zhu Minng. Zhu Minng stepped up the stairs, about to knock on the door, and couldn¡¯t help but shake his head at the butler¡¯s dismissive words. It seemed many people wished to use connections to enter the Dragon Taming High Court, yet the spots were incredibly scarce. ¡°Great Instructor, do you remember Coral Ind¡­¡± Zhu Minng approached the door and spoke to the inside. The butler almostughed out loud. Whoever came to see the Great Instructor in private would first respectfully offer words of praise, then announce their identity. Not understanding the basic etiquette and ttery, yet hoping to gain the Great Instructor¡¯s recognition? ¡°Da da da!!!¡± Urgent footsteps approached, and the tightly shut door of the study was suddenly thrown open. Great Tutor Lin Zhao appeared with a face full of surprise and delight, and even bowed as an equal, saying with extreme courtesy, ¡°Your Excellency has trulye, to my humble home, my apologies for not greeting you from afar, my apologies indeed!¡± ¡°I was just enjoying the banquet while visiting Master Lin¡¯s home,¡± Zhu Minng said with a smile. ¡°Why do you have dew frost on your shoulders? Have you been waiting outside for a long time?¡± Master Lin asked. ¡°I waited for a while. There are quite a few people who seek a private audience with the Great Instructor,¡± Zhu Minng replied. ¡°Butler!!¡± Master Lin¡¯s face immediately darkened; standing in front of the door, he looked down at the butler on the steps below and said in a cold voice, ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you that I was expecting an important guest soon? I gave you detailed instructions. How did you fail to recognize him?¡± The butler was instantly drenched in sweat. Upon looking carefully at Zhu Minng, indeed, he matched closely with how Master Lin had described. But the man had not been wearing a scarf! And, wasn¡¯t this fellow here to seek influence and push his way into the High Court? Your Excellency??? With the status and position that Master Lin held, who else would he address in such a respectful manner, especially such a young man? ¡°It¡¯s fine, it¡¯s fine,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°As a butler, you should perform your duties well. Failure to do so is negligence. Butler, go to the matron and ept your punishment,¡± Great Tutor Lin Zhao was not one to be lenient on such matters and dealt with it severely. ¡°Yes, yes, I will go receive my punishment right away,¡± replied the butler. ¡°Come in and take a seat. I was just brewing some tea. I had not expected Your Excellency to visit tonight. To speak the truth, I have also been seeking you these past few days, as there is an important matter I wish to discuss¡­ Ah, what poor hospitality I have shown. My apologies, Your Excellency, please speak first. We still owe you a debt of gratitude,¡± Great Instructor Lin Zhao said. Chapter 386 - 388: Beyond Redemption Chapter 386: Chapter 388: Beyond Redemption Master Lin, while speaking, was earnestly sizing up Zhu Minng. He was even younger than I had imagined. If ced in Man City Academy, he would truly pass for a student! Just which overarching power has fostered such a young prodigy? It probably would cause quite a stir if those from Sect Forest or Family Door knew about it! ¡°Xiao Xuan, is the Zhen Tea ready? Let this guest have a taste first,¡± Master Lin said. ¡°Young master, please.¡± The tea-serving girl named Xiao Xuan said gracefully. Zhu Minng took a few sips, offering apliment before setting down the cup, and addressed Master Lin, ¡°Then I¡¯ll get straight to the point: I need the Great Instructor¡¯s assistance with a matter. Ie from Li Chuan Academy, which is currently undergoing inspection by the Supreme Court. We have passed the contest, but it seems some on the academy¡¯s side still won¡¯t permit Li Chuan Academy to pass.¡± ¡°You¡¯re from Li Chuan Academy, that external branch?¡± Surprise spread across Master Lin¡¯s face. ¡°Yes, I became a student there during my travels,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°This matter is being dealt with by my disciple, but as for the contest, I heard that there¡¯s a student named Zhu Minng from Li Chuan who seemed to have defeated our High Court¡¯s Guan Wenqi¡­¡± Master Lin said uncertainly. After all, he had only heard about it from others and didn¡¯t know the specifics. ¡°Father, the young master reported his name as Zhu Minng,¡± the girl named Xiao Xuan softly reminded. Master Lin paused, looking at Zhu Minng. ¡°The one who defeated Guan Wenqi was indeed me. I am currently training a new dragon,¡± Zhu Minng said with a smile. ¡°Hahaha, I had guessed that you were lying low in the academy, it¡¯s as I expected! Yet such a distinguished person like you, ying amidst a throng of small fry¡­¡± Master Linughed along. But considering the other¡¯s age, it was all too normal for him to mingle in such circles. Those people would have never guessed that he was actually a Dragon King. ¡°I don¡¯t need the Great Instructor to be biased; I simply hope for a fair judgment for Li Chuan Academy,¡± Zhu Minng earnestly said. ¡°What, is someone deliberately hindering it?¡± Master Lin immediately furrowed his brows. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Who is it?¡± Master Lin stood up. ¡°Father, there¡¯s something I am not sure whether I should mention,¡± the tea-serving girl Xiao Xuan said at that moment. ¡°Speak!¡± Master Linmanded. ¡°Isn¡¯t Lin Yan hosting a banquet today, iming to be betrothed to ady, intending to introduce her to family and rtives? Thatdy seems to be from Li Chuan too, a female teacher from Li Chuan Branch,¡± Xiao Xuan revealed. ¡°That¡¯s his own business; I have no interest in meddling,¡± Master Lin snorted. ¡°But Dean He is your disciple, and as long as Dean He does not agree to Li Chuan Branch¡¯s admission, their efforts will be in vain. Lin Yan must surely be aware of this situation too. I stepped out for a walk earlier and did not see the so-called betrotheddy make an appearance,¡± Xiao Xuan said. Zhu Minng¡¯s brows also locked in a tight frown. A female teacher from Li Chuan Academy. It seems that Duan Lan is the only one who came this time. Recalling that day, seeing Duan Lan sitting alone outside in a world of her own sorrow¡­ It couldn¡¯t be Teacher Duan Lan, could it? Lin Yan¡¯s forceful im wasn¡¯t on any ordinary girl but on the beautiful Teacher Duan Lan from Li Chuan! ¡°Is her name Duan Lan?¡± Zhu Minng inquired of Xiao Xuan. ¡°Exactly.¡± ¡°She¡¯s my teacher.¡± Zhu Minng¡¯s face darkened even more. No wonder Teacher Duan Lan was in such terrible spirits that day; she had been dragged to this betrothal banquet. And ording to Luo Shaoyan, thedy had no rtionship with Lin Yan but was coerced by this rogue through various means! ¡°Father, if the two hearts are willing, it would indeed be a joyous asion. However, I fear that Lin Yan is using Dean He¡¯s position to pressure others,¡± Xiao Xuan continued. ¡°` ¡°Where is Lin Yan?¡± Great Tutor Lin Zhao¡¯s face grew even darker. ¡°He should still be at the banquet.¡± ¡­ Upon hearing this, Great Tutor Lin Zhao already had no mind to discuss another matter. When the name Duan Lan was mentioned, Great Tutor Lin Zhao saw Zhu Minng¡¯s expression changepletely, turning visibly angry. Both hailing from Li Chuan, this so-called Duan Lan must have a deep connection with the formidable Dragon King Powerhouse. As a father, how could Great Tutor Lin Zhao not know what kind of person his son was? He was certainly capable of doing such a thing. If it were an ordinary girl, the matter wouldn¡¯t have been beyond repair. A personal apology might have sufficed to smooth things over. But if this Duan Lan was the woman of the Dragon King Powerhouse, Lin Yan had truly stirred up a massive disaster!! Thus, Great Tutor Lin Zhao immediately set out to confront his son, Lin Yan. After searching around the banquet, Lin Yan was nowhere to be found. By pressing his so-called friends, they finally revealed that Lin Yan had already nned to kidnap the person himself!! ¡°Bastard, he really is a bastard! How could our Lin Family produce such a bastard!¡± Great Tutor Lin Zhao was furious beyond containment. After questioning the whereabouts from his chums, Great Tutor Lin Zhao personally rushed over. Great Tutor Lin Zhao was now burning with impatience. Especially upon seeing Zhu Minng¡¯s face, he felt that if he didn¡¯t find his son who had done this despicable act soon, the esteemed Dragon King might take matters into his own hands. ¡°I have failed in my discipline. If my unfilial son trulymitted such a disgraceful act, I will punish him without mercy,¡± said Lin Zhao. Zhu Minng remained silent. No wonder Teacher Duan Lan didn¡¯t show up at the test. A few days ago, she also looked troubled and tense; turned out she was targeted by the scoundrels of Neon Sea Fantasy City! And it was somebody who wielded power over the fate of Li Chuan Academy, no less. Duan Changqing probably didn¡¯t know about this yet. Duan Lan had also gone into hiding. Why didn¡¯t Teacher Duan Lan trust him? Being harassed by such scum, she didn¡¯t tell him; was she trying to spare him unnecessary trouble? ¡­ He pursued the trail. Under another wooden bridge between Fantasy City and the academy, Zhu Minng and Great Tutor Lin Zhao also found Lin Yan along with his cohort. ¡°The bell is about to ring, and the banquet my family has set up for you is nearly over. If you don¡¯t show your face, and I, Lin Yan, be theughingstock of my friends and rtives, then your Li Chuan Academy can forget about bing part of the registry. Whether you can even survive is questionable. Duan Lan, think it over carefully. Besides me, there¡¯s no one else who can help you!¡± Lin Yan stood on the sand, his eyes sharp and cold as an eagle¡¯s. ¡°Lin Yan, even if a decent woman is a suitable match for a gentleman, it doesn¡¯t mean you should go about it like this. A beauty should be treated gently, catered to her likes, approached gradually. The more outstanding the woman, the more she deserves sincerity. Just find an excuse to exin to the guests at home and stop making things difficult for her,¡± Luo Shaoyan couldn¡¯t bear to watch anymore, and spoke up to stop him. ¡°Luo Shaoyan, whose side are you on? If you hadn¡¯t dithered, we¡¯d have already tied her up and taken her to the banquet. What does it mean to treat her gently or with sincerity? Have I, Lin Yan, not held a banquet and invited so many friends and rtives as a gesture of sincerity? Instead, it¡¯s Duan Lan who does not appreciate kindness,¡± Li Bo said. Zhu Minng and Lin Zhao silently observed from a short distance away. The reason they hadn¡¯t shown up immediately was obviously to get a clear picture: was a rtionship already agreed upon, or was it coercion and enticement? But after listening to these people speak, Great Tutor Lin Zhao¡¯s entire demeanor became icy to the extreme. Incurable. His own son was beyond redemption!! If he hadn¡¯t been speaking with Zhu Minng at the time, and this scoundrel had actually kidnapped a decent girl to a so-called engagement party, Lin Yan would not have enough lives to answer in front of the Heavenly ughter Dragon King, and he, as a father, would not be able to protect him despite going against his conscience! Chapter 387: 389 Rebellious Son Chapter 387: Chapter 389 Rebellious Son The night was dark and the wind was high. The silhouette of Great Tutor Lin Zhao stretched long in the darkness. He walked towards the young beasts who, in his eyes, had made no progress whatsoever. As the head instructor of the Supreme Court, hemanded immense prestige and enjoyed the praise of countless fellow teachers. He had also nurtured numerous talents for the Dragon Taming Academy, continuing to contribute to the Dragon Taming High Court. His life¡¯s sole disappointment, however, was his son Lin Yan. Defiant. Mischievous. It was one thing to engage in themon frivolities, boastfulness, and arrogance of a spoiled young master, but today he had stooped to such vile behavior, taking advantage of his position for such dirty deeds! Under the wooden bridge, several people were still there,ughing with bad intentions. But someone soon saw the approaching figure of Great Tutor Lin Zhao, whose chilling aura seemed capable of freezing the entire bay! ¡°Lin Yan, Lin Yan,¡± the young man who saw the Great Tutor cried out with a loss ofposure.
¡°Today, nobody convinces me to stop!¡± Lin Yan said bluntly. ¡°What if it¡¯s me?¡± Great Tutor Lin Zhao approached, casting a shadow that loomed over Lin Yan. Upon hearing this voice, Lin Yan involuntarily shivered all over. He slowly turned around to face his father¡¯s extremely livid face. ¡°Father¡­ Father, howe¡­ How did you get here?¡± Lin Yan was somewhat stunned. ¡°p!!!!¡± Suddenly, a heavy pnded on Lin Yan¡¯s face without warning. Lin Yan staggered several steps backward from the force of the blow. ¡°Father, I¡­¡± Lin Yan hadn¡¯t even had a chance to react. ¡°Kneel and apologize to the youngdy!¡± Lin Yan roared, lifting another hand and fiercely smacked Lin Yan¡¯s pale, clean face, tilting his whole body backwards. ¡°I was just¡­ I was just negotiating with her,¡± Lin Yan got up and tried to argue. ¡°Do you think I know nothing? Dean He has already told me everything. You abused your position to manipte others, and even boldly held an engagement banquet, coercing a vulnerable woman to submit to you. How outrageously brazen you are, I, Lin Zhao, have lived a life of integrity, never doing anything against my conscience, yet how could I have borne such a rebellious son!¡± Great Tutor Lin Zhao¡¯s anger was like a raging wave crashing against the shore. Raising his palm again, Great Tutor Lin Zhao delivered another p, growing angrier with each word, the force of his blows almost sending Lin Yan flying. Teeth fell out and Lin Yan¡¯s mouth was filled with blood. Li Bo and Lin Yan¡¯s other fair-weather friends were stunned. Even if Great Tutor Lin Zhao had caught them, a scolding would have been expected, but who would have expected such a heavy hand? This looked like he was trying to beat Lin Yan to death! Great Tutor Lin Zhao kept pping, moving from the edge of the wooden bridge to the sandy beach. Lin Yan¡¯s face swelled from the beating, his eye sockets turned ck, and with any more blows, his features might have been disfigured. Zhu Minng did not pay attention to this scene and instead walked towards Duan Lan. Duan Lan was surprised to see Zhu Minng, but also felt a sense of relief.
¡°They didn¡¯t do anything to you, did they?¡± Zhu Minng asked somberly. Duan Lan shook her head; these people were unreasonable bullies but had not yet resorted to physical violence against her. Of course, Duan Lan was no frail woman; she had been ready to fight, knowing that the strength of these spoiled young masters was probably not even a match for hers, and that they only acted so tyrannically because of their powerful backgrounds and influence. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me about such an encounter?¡± Zhu Minng said.
¡°Facing such harassment by exaggerated and vile people ismon when you¡¯re out in the world; I was used to it. I thought Lin Yan was just making empty threats, and given his close rtionship with Dean He, I refrained from striking him as a warning. Little did I know he would actuallymit such reckless acts,¡± Duan Lan exined. I¡¯ve encountered some small-time hooligans, but never someone as brazen and self-righteous as Lin Yan. Teacher Duan Lan is from Li Chuan Academy, and her strength is not weak now. ¡°Hearing that Lin Yan was targeting you, I was startled, and I also haven¡¯t seen youe to watch our trials andpetition. I was worried you had really been abducted by such viins,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°With you around, I know Li Chuan would never be defeated, so I¡¯ve been rallying some new friends from the academy, hoping they could speak out for our Li Chuan Academy and use public opinion to prevent people with ulterior motives like Sun Chong and Dean He from acting too outrageously. We must do something, even if the impact is minimal; I don¡¯t want to give up,¡± Duan Lan said earnestly. ¡°Oh, oh, it seems I was over worried,¡± Zhu Minng let out a long sigh of relief. ¡°You know Great Tutor Lin Zhao?¡± Duan Lan asked, somewhat puzzled. She had just seen Zhu Minnge over with Great Tutor Lin Zhao. Zhu Minng was about to respond when Great Tutor Lin Zhao had already dragged his son, who he had beaten until his nose was blue and face swollen, over. Great Tutor Lin Zhao appeared gentle and schrly, but he was extremely rough with his son, forcing Lin Yan to kneel on the sandy ground with one hand. ¡°Kowtow and apologize!¡± ¡°Do it until Zhu Sir and this Miss Duan are satisfied!¡± Great Tutor Lin Zhao reprimanded. Great Tutor Lin Zhao was very heavy-handed.
In fact, he was well aware that this time, his son had really gotten into serious trouble. Had he not been there at that moment, his son might have even lost his life! No matter how heavy his hand was, it was tantamount to saving his son¡¯s life. How could Great Tutor Lin Zhao be soft-hearted in such a situation?? ¡°Great Tutor, you¡¯ve already disciplined him, and Lin Yan also hasn¡¯t done anything particrly outrageous to me,¡± Duan Lan spoke up. Teacher Duan Lan was still kind-hearted. Great Tutor Lin Zhao nced at Zhu Minng. Zhu Minng didn¡¯t speak, and Great Tutor Lin Zhao understood, insisting that Lin Yan must kowtow. Lin Yan, already beaten into submission, couldn¡¯t help but continue to kowtow and apologize. He kowtowed until his forehead bled. Considering the matter of Li Chuan Academy, they still needed Great Tutor Lin Zhao¡¯s approval, leaving some face for others, after all, the punishment had already been quite merciless. ¡°Great Tutor, it¡¯s enough. I think your son must also know his mistake,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°A misfortune in the family, s, it is also my fault for being too engrossed in the affairs of the academy and not properly disciplining this unfilial son. I¡¯ll take him back first and will thoroughly investigate Dean He¡¯s conduct. After handling matters properly, I will surely visit in person to apologize with a gift of contrition. I hope Zhu Sir can take the startled Miss Duan back to rest,¡± Great Tutor Lin Zhao said. At that moment, Master Lin wished he could dig a hole in the sand and hide in it. After finally getting a chance to meet such a young and talented person, such an incident had urred, leaving Master Lin wondering where to put his old face!
¡°Alright, thank you for your efforts,¡± Zhu Minng bowed his hands. Great Tutor Lin Zhao bowed deeply and watched Zhu Minng and Duan Lan leave. Once they had left, Lin Zhao was also full of bitterness. Look at the young man; he is already a Dragon King, low-key, restrained, and approachable. Then look at his own son, what has he done! Originally, there was finally a chance for a visit, which could have been a good opportunity to repay a favor and get to know someone. But before one favor could be repaid, another, greater debt of gratitude was owed, leaving such a terrible impression. s, what sins did Imit in my past life? Why did I end up with such a thing for a son! Chapter 388: 390: Keep the Expert Chapter 388: Chapter 390: Keep the Expert ¡°` ¡­ He returned to the small cabin by the bay. Zhu Minng escorted Duan Lan to the front door, and Duan Lan urged him not to mention this matter to Duan Changqing. Since the incident had already passed. Zhu Minng nodded, knowing that if Duan Changqing were aware of the situation, he likely wouldn¡¯t care what son of what Great Tutor from the Lin Family Lin Yan was, and would probably have fought desperately from the start. ¡°Why did that Great Tutor call you ¡®Your Excellency¡¯?¡± Duan Lan asked, somewhat puzzled. The title ¡®Excellency¡¯ wasn¡¯t particrlymon, at least not in the circles of Dragon Shepherds and those between God and Mortal, where it was most often used as a term of great respect. Given that Great Tutor Lin Zhao was in the wrong to begin with, there was no need for him to go out of his way to use the term ¡°Excellency¡±. It was apparent that Great Tutor Lin Zhao held some respect for Zhu Minng. ¡°It¡¯s nothing much, not long ago I was wandering around the Neon Sea and escorted one of his injured disciples. At that time, I didn¡¯t reveal my name, so he called me that,¡± Zhu Minng said.
¡°Oh, I¡¯m actually fine, nothing major. The final review ising up soon and there¡¯s still time. I hope to garner more support from our followers at Li Chuan, especially since I¡¯ve heard that you shone brilliantly in the grandpetition. Now that many in the academy are discussing it, this may let some understand more about Li Chuan Academy,¡± Duan Lan had no ns to rest back in the cabin. ¡°Actually¡­ well, that¡¯s good, that¡¯s good, then Teacher Duan Lan has worked hard,¡± Zhu Minng nodded. He originally intended to tell Duan Lan that there was no need to worry about the matter anymore. With Lin Yan¡¯s incident having urred, Great Tutor Lin Zhao would definitely do everything in his power to ensure Li Chuan¡¯s formal admission, smoothing out any issues during the review process using his influence if necessary. But seeing how hard Teacher Duan Lan was working to promote Li Chuan, Zhu Minng thought it might be better not to borate. Pouring effort into something one cherishes was valuable, regardless of the oue. ¡­ At Half Hill Mansion, Lin Yan, with a bruised face, was brought back. There were still many guests at home, and Lin Zhao, faced with this scenario, was so angry he wanted to beat Lin Yan up again. ¡°Everyone, my son Lin Yan has yed a joke on all of you. Today is actually his birthday, and he purposefully called it an engagement party to show off. I¡¯ve already punished him severely. Please continue to enjoy the fine wine and food, and pay no mind to his earlier words,¡± Lin Zhao, steam practicallying out from his head, still managed to suppress his anger and clean up the mess for Lin Yan. ¡°Ah? A birthday party, isn¡¯t Lin Yan¡¯s birthday not until next month?¡± said the old grandmother. ¡°If I say today is his birthday party, then it is his birthday party,¡± Lin Zhao said sternly. ¡°That¡¯s a good thing, that¡¯s a good thing. Let¡¯s all drink up and celebrate Lin Yan¡¯s birthday!¡± ¡°Cheers, cheers!¡± Those who believed, believed, and those who didn¡¯t, likely understood what had happened in the end. The matter was thus clumsily resolved, and as to how friends and rtives would spread the word afterward, Great Tutor Lin Zhao had no better solution. Back in his study, Great Tutor Lin Zhao remained silent. Lin Yan was kneeling on the cold floor, head bowed. Before long, a man and a woman arrived, none other than Supervisor Han Wen and another supervisor, He Shou.
¡°Sister Han, save me, Sister Han Wen, I don¡¯t know why my father is acting like he wants to kill me today. I admit I did wrong, but I am still his flesh and blood,¡± cried Lin Yan as soon as he saw Han Wen, as if seeing a savior. Han Wen and He Shou were both disciples of Great Tutor Lin and held the positions of supervisors. ¡°How did you get beaten up like this?¡± Han Wen asked, confused. ¡°He Shou, I already know about the great job you did with my son. You make me feel ashamed. From now on, don¡¯t call me your teacher, and as for your position as supervisor, I will have the higher-ups reassess it,¡± Great Tutor Lin Zhao said.
¡°Teacher, I didn¡¯t take advantage of my position for improper dealings. Li Chuan Academy simply doesn¡¯t qualify for admission,¡± He Shou retorted. ¡°` ¡°Stop making excuses and get out, get out!¡± Great Tutor Lin Zhao shouted in anger. He Shou, terrified, tumbled and scrambled away, not daring to linger any longer. Seeing the terrifying rage of Great Tutor Lin Zhao, Han Wen quietly asked the nearby Lin Xiao Xuan what exactly had happened. Lin Xiao Xuan detailed the events to Han Wen. Han Wen was somewhat surprised. She asked Master Lin, ¡°Great Tutor, that Mr. Zhu, could he be¡­¡± ¡°You know that is enough; he does not wish too many people to know of this matter,¡± said Great Tutor Lin Zhao. Turbulence churned within Han Wen¡¯s heart. So Zhu Minng was indeed the reclusive expert who had escorted them back to the Neon Sea. A Dragon King Level strongman! To think he was mingling among the students of an outer courtyard!
¡°Sister Han Wen, please beg for mercy on my behalf, I beg you, or my father will truly kill me today!¡± Lin Yan pleaded. ¡°You truly do not appreciate your father¡¯s difficulties. The person you offended today is beyond what a spoiled brat like you could ever imagine. If your father didn¡¯t punish you harshly, not only could your life be at risk, but even the rtives and friends invited by the Lin Family today might suffer the consequences,¡± Han Wen regarded Lin Yan. Actually, Han Wen felt that Great Tutor Lin Zhao was still too lenient towards his son. A proper punishment would be to severely handicap, bedridden for a few months; only then the other party might cool off. ¡°Sister Han Wen, what joke are you making? My dad is the Grand Instructor of the Dragon Taming High Court, who would dare to provoke him!¡± eximed Lin Yan. ¡°Ignorant fool!!¡± Lin Zhao really felt like spitting blood out of frustration with his son. Han Wen also sighed deeply. Indeed, no matter how detailed the exnation, a person as ignorant as him would never understand the difference. Lin Zhao was a Great Tutor, over fifty years old, with a status built up over many years and a King-level Honorable. But that expert, in his twenties, possessed a cultivation base equivalent to Great Tutor Lin Zhao, and his future potential was immeasurable. If the other party intended revenge, Great Tutor Lin Zhao could indeed barely manage to contend with the Heavenly ughter Dragon King. But in a few more years, the other party¡¯s cultivation base would reach a realm unreachable by others. How could they be the same?? Personages such as him you would see Sect Leaders and Sect Masters from major powers strive by all possible means to win over. For those at the senior level of the Dragon Taming Academy to have the fortune to get to know him was already exceedingly lucky.
At this moment, Han Wen too could understand why Great Tutor Lin Zhao was so angry. Both Han Wen and Lin Zhao were eager to make acquaintance with this powerhouse. It would be ideal to persuade him to join the Dragon Taming High Court. Instead, Lin Yan and Supervisor He Shou had rejected someone who had proactively applied for admission right out the gate! ¡°There¡¯s something I need to discuss with you, Great Tutor. Supervisor Sun Chong¡ªhe has had a long-standing grudge with that Outer Court Dean Duan Changqing and seems to be going to great lengths to obstruct their enrollment,¡± Han Wen said. ¡°Stupider than the next, tomorrow I will see what this Sun Chong is made of,¡± the Great Tutor Lin Zhao said. The expert must be retained. And he was only interested in the Li Chuan Academy. Then they would spare no expense to make Li Chuan a branch of the Dragon Taming Academy. Chapter 389: 391 Dragon King Limbers Up Chapter 389: Chapter 391 Dragon King Limbers Up ¡­ Dragon Taming High Court, Branch Conference Hall. All the affairs of the branches were basically handled in this Branch Conference Hall. Dragon Taming Academy had hundreds of branches across the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent, scattered among different countries and city-states. Neon Sea Fantasy City was the Supreme Court, and naturally, it had always been the role model for all the branches. Sun Chong, as the branch overseer, was sitting in a high chair, reporting the detailed situation to the Chief Supervisor and other officials. Today, Sun Chong was scolded until he was drenched in a downpour of verbal abuse. The disgrace of losing to an external academy in the grandpetition had already spread far and wide, and several senior officials were showing Sun Chong no kindness due to the dishonor he had brought upon the Supreme Court. However, luckily, Sun Chong had found some loopholes with which to firmly block Li Chuan Branch¡¯s inspection. Not to say that he couldpletely reject their application for admission, but causing Duan Changqing to make several fruitless trips, and having the application temporarily disapproved until next year, was still an achievable oue. Just drag it out!
Approval was impossible. To outright reject it also became awkward due to the grandpetition debacle. So, dy it. Find other reasons, ask them to rectify issues,plete their documents, or send more people for on-site inspections¡­ If the time was dragged out, there would always be more excuses topletely reject the application! After all, Sun Chong had already prepared his excuses. ¡­ Conference Hall. Duan Changqing had taken his seat. The meeting was chaired by the Chief Supervisor, who was holding the documents Sun Chong hadpiled. ¡°Duan Changqing, many teachers at your academyck sufficient qualifications. The screening by the teachers is not strict enough. We hope you will return and carry out a reorganization¡­¡± the Chief Supervisor said. Upon hearing these words, even Duan Changqing¡¯s expression changed. Just then, outside the Conference Hall, Great Instructor Lin Zhao approached, with Supervisor Han Wen following by his side. The Chief Supervisor and other academic officials all stood up immediately. ¡°Great Instructor!¡± ¡°Master Lin!¡± In Dragon Taming Academy, an instructor was a teacher¡¯s teacher. Moreover, Lin Zhao held the highest position as a Great Instructor. Many of those holding positions in the academy were disciples of the Great Instructor. ¡°Please, sit, Great Instructor,¡± the Chief Supervisor personally went forward to invite Great Instructor Lin Zhao to take a seat.
¡°No need, I just have to inform you of something, and then I will leave,¡± said the Great Instructor. He did not sit down for the meeting. Instead, he walked over to the Chief Supervisor and warned him in a whisper that was not meant for everyone to hear. The Chief Supervisor nodded, seemingly receiving instructions. ¡°Then I shall announce the inspection results for Li Chuan Academy,¡± the Chief Supervisor¡¯s voice grew stronger as he addressed everyone. ¡°Li Chuan Academy has strictly adhered to the Dragon Taming Academy¡¯s teachings for decades, without ever viting them. With an impable system, excellent students, and teachers who value virtue, from today on, it formally bes the one hundred and forty-second branch of our Dragon Taming Academy!¡± This promation dumbfounded Sun Chongpletely.
Weren¡¯t they just talking about the problem ofx teacher screenings? Their average teaching strength indeed did not meet the standards! ¡°Chief Supervisor¡­ the issues I¡¯ve just raised,¡± Sun Chong hastily reminded the Chief Supervisor. ¡°That¡¯s a minor issue. As long as Li Chuan Academy designates some teachers to take advanced training at our Supreme Court each year, that will suffice,¡± said the Chief Supervisor. ¡°Advanced training?? They have the qualifications for that??¡± Sun Chong¡¯s jaw dropped. Not all branches had the qualifications to receive-advanced training. For the teachers of the branches, being able to take advanced training at the Supreme Court was an extremely high honor. Generally, only those branches that performed exceptionally well could send their students and teachers for advanced training at the Supreme Court. Duan Changqing also revealed an incredulous look. When the other party mentioned the issue with the teacher, Duan Changqing realized that this application would be rejected, yet who knew that the High Court Supervisor would suddenly change their tone and directly read the result of passing the review!! Formally bing a branch. And possessing the qualifications for advanced studies! In this way, Li Chuan Dragon Taming Academy could send some teachers and some students to the Supreme Court for advanced studies every year! This was a huge promotion for both teachers and students, as they would boost the entire academy¡¯s level when they returned afterpleting their advanced studies.
¡°But, but¡­¡± Sun Chong still wanted to find a reason. ¡°Are you Court Supervisor Sun Chong?¡± Great Tutor Lin Zhao asked. ¡°Yes¡­ yes, I am Sun Chong, Great Tutor. What are your instructions!¡± Overwhelmed by the honor, Sun Chong quickly stood up straighter. ¡°The openpetition you arranged with our Supreme Court was truly an eye-opener, allowing students like Guan Wenqi to go against external courts, winning would be one thing, but losing in such a wretched state, since when did the Supreme Court¡¯s review of external courts be your personal game, to announce publicly whenever you feel like it, to insert whomever you want, to exact public revenge for private grievances!¡± Great Tutor Lin Zhao¡¯s tone became stern. ¡°I, I wouldn¡¯t dare¡­¡± Sun Chong was so frightened that his forehead was covered in sweat beads. ¡°Someone like you shouldn¡¯t stay in the branch council chamber anymore. Go see what positions are avable in the nearby affiliated pastures.¡± Lin Zhao scoffed coldly and left. Upon hearing this, Sun Chong turned even paler! How did things suddenly turn out like this! The Great Tutor held absolute authority, and he was in charge of arranging many important positions in the branches, regr courts, and even the Supreme Court. Sun Chong racked his brains, but couldn¡¯t remember when he had offended the Great Tutor Lin Zhao! Duan Changqing hadn¡¯t quite reacted either. Things had changed a bit too quickly. Naturally, he couldn¡¯t suppress his joy, and what was even more surprising was that Sun Chong, who had been plotting with all his might to obstruct him, was actually demoted, and even to an affiliated pasture.
He wasn¡¯t even considered part of the internal staff! Afterpleting all the procedures. Duan Changqing walked out of the council chamber, finally certain that his academy had officially be a branch, recognized by the Supreme Dragon Taming Court! All the students and teachers of Li Chuan Academy could finally hold their heads high! ¡­ ¡­ At Merlin Tea House, Great Tutor Lin Zhao offered a sincere apology and gave Duan Lan a substantial gift. Duan Lan wanted to refuse, but Zhu Minng said, ¡°The Great Tutor is truly sincere. Otherwise, Lin Yan¡¯s issue will always weigh on his conscience. Teacher Duan Lan wouldn¡¯t want to make it difficult for the Great Tutor, right?¡± After hesitating for a while, Duan Lan finally epted it. ¡°Duan Lan, you¡¯ve been running around for Li Chuan Academy¡¯s affairs these past few days and probably haven¡¯t had the chance to properly visit the famous sights of our Supreme Court. Shall I apany you on a tour?¡± Han Wen showed his amiable side, actively proposing to take Duan Lan around. ¡°Sure.¡± For once, Duan Lan revealed a smile. Han Wen and Duan Lan left the Merlin Tea House, leaving Zhu Minng and the Great Tutor in the room. Zhu Minng knew that the Great Tutor had matters to discuss; he had made that clear on the day Lin Yan had behaved absurdly.
¡°The day our Absolute Sea Hawk Emperor followed, it was actually because we needed to retrieve an Ancient Artifact from its territory, an artifact known as the Sea-calming Bell. Originally, we had a master willing to help us, but he was injured and needs rest, and it would be toote to wait for his recovery. Missing this chance would make it much harder to seed, so we would like to ask you to help us retrieve this Ancient Artifact. Of course, we won¡¯t have you take risks for nothing. Whatever you need, just say the word, and we will do our best to fulfill it,¡± Great Tutor Lin Zhao said earnestly. ¡°Since the Great Tutor has put it that way, I won¡¯t hold back. I need the Phoenix Nest, and if the Great Tutor can provide it for me, I will assist you,¡± Zhu Minng said straightforwardly. Master Lin¡¯s character should be fine; he just has a son with a problematic mind. As for what Master Lin has suggested, it¡¯s not that he can¡¯t agree. The Heavenly ughter Dragon has been well-fed recently. It¡¯s time to stretch its muscles! ¡ª¡ª (Bet you didn¡¯t see this fifth chaptering~~~~~~~) Chapter 390: 392: Betting on the Dragon Chapter 390: Chapter 392: Betting on the Dragon ¡°` Great Tutor Lin Zhao pondered for a moment. He took a sip of tea before slowly making his decision. ¡°Very well, we do have an extremely old Phoenix Nest in our treasure pavilion, and over these years I¡¯ve saved up quite a bit. When the timees, I¡¯ll exchange it for you!¡± Great Tutor Lin Zhao nodded and took out paper and pen, prepared to write an IOU. ¡°Great Tutor, there¡¯s no need for an IOU. I still trust your character,¡± Zhu Minng said with a smile. Great Tutor Lin Zhao also smiled and said, ¡°There won¡¯t be too many people traveling with us this time, so Mr. Zhu need not worry about his identity being revealed.¡± Zhu Minng nodded. ¡­ After the agreement, Zhu Minng leisurely made his way back to his residence. The students were all out, seemingly celebrating their sessful enrollment into a branch of the academy. Zhu Minng felt he was a somewhatplex person.
That is, when it was time to be idle, he could bask in all the afternoon sun every day, then slowly enjoy a dinner that suited his taste, and at night, light amp to read for a while. The day would pass by sofortably. When it was time to be diligent, he could also dive headfirst into cultivation, with his mind full of ideas on how to break through and how to make his dragon beasts stronger. However, with Little White, Big ck Tooth, and the Sword Spirit Dragon still inside their dragon cocoons, and Little Qingzhuo in the growth stage digesting spiritual objects and maintaining sleep, Zhu Minng didn¡¯t know where to start even if he wanted to be diligent. So idle! In the past, he was overwhelmed by the task of procuring food and spiritual sustenance for several dragons. Now, however, he had an abundance of time, seemingly with nothing else to do but to read books and supplement his knowledge as a Dragon Shepherd. ¡°Go see if there are any nice Juvenile Spirits, raise one,¡± Zhu Minng finally decided. There were still a few days before the departure to the distant seas, and the preparation work was naturally for Lin Zhao to do, with Zhu Minng just needing to follow when the time came. ¡­ Neon Sea possessed an extremely rich resource of Juvenile Spirits. Especially at the middle section of White Heavenly Street, where there were countless halls, all used for the trade of rather outstanding dragon beasts. Zhu Minng walked into the exhibition hall and saw many special little creatures disyed before him; some were kept in beautiful cages, some were tethered with leather straps, and many were quite friendly with people, moving around the hall as freely as cats and dogs. ¡°Brother, dare to try something exciting?¡± Luo Shaoyan nced around with boredom, still feeling that such ces were not very interesting. Zhu Minng had casually asked Luo Shaoyan when he was drinking tea with Lin Zhao. What Zhu Minng had not expected was that the Luo Mountain Sect that Luo Shaoyan mentioned was indeed a very ancient and famous family from Sect Forest. Their sect never recruited disciples externally, and their exceedingly famous dragon recognizing techniques were notmonly taught outside, only central family members would learn them. Mr. Jinli repeatedly reminded Zhu Minng that he must learn the dragon recognizing techniques. ¡°` Many extraordinary and infinitely potential creatures inhabit this world; through natural selection, some turn into demons or saints, while others may brush against the threshold of the Dragon Gate and transform into dragons.
If a Dragon Shepherd has a discerning eye and subjugates those unattended Spirit Beasts before their metamorphosis, the rewards can be astounding. After all, even a Holy Spirit like the Ten-thousand-year Phoenix actually starts as a Juvenile Spirit. While one may not be an expert in Dragon recognizing techniques, it is essential to have at least a basic understanding. To this end, Zhu Minng specifically sought out Luo Shaoyan, asking him to demonstrate what Dragon recognizing techniques were, hoping to learn something himself.
¡°I¡¯m here to seriously learn, not to seek pleasure,¡± Zhu Minng said with an earnest expression. Of course, if the ce Luo Shaoyan mentioned was truly remarkable, Zhu Minng wasn¡¯t opposed to checking it out, but only as a spectator. ¡°Brother, where is your mind wandering? The excitement I¡¯m talking about is dragon gambling,¡± Luo Shaoyan said. ¡°Dragon gambling??¡± Zhu Minng had indeed heard of this activity while in the Imperial City. It was not something themon folk could afford to y. It was particrly favored by wealthy nobles with deep pockets. It was said that some rich merchants often went bankrupt trying to please important figures in the dragon gambling circles. ¡°How much money do you have on hand? If you have enough, I¡¯ll take you to y once. It¡¯s absolutely thrilling. In that setting, the wealth of an entire nation might be put at stake, and it¡¯smon to see nobles from Ind Nations leaving with nothing but their bare bottoms, hahaha,¡± Luo Shaoyan said. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go and see,¡± Zhu Minng said, intrigued. Although he came from a prestigious Family Door and had been told more than once that Zhu Gate was the wealthiest, having practiced swordsmanship in the mountains since a young age, Zhu Minng had rarely experienced luxury and had no chance to indulge after returning to the Imperial City. Luo Shaoyan seemed like the sort who was a regr in such ces. ¡°With dragon gambling, strength is one factor, and luck is also important, but you must be psychologically prepared because everyone ys big,¡± Luo Shaoyan stressed again. ¡°No worries, ying small would be no fun,¡± Zhu Minng replied.
Zhu Minng had reallye to disdain ordinary dragons at this point. If he were to gamble, he wanted a dragon that was a once-in-a-lifetime marvel! ¡­ Following Luo Shaoyan, Zhu Minng walked towards a pce in the midst of Man City, with opulence surpassing that of royal pces ofrge nations. Even the most ordinary women working there were breathtakingly beautiful. Passing a spring adorned with golden Lotus Lanterns, Zhu Minng saw many well-dressed, affluent individuals. At first nce, it looked like an extremely high-end party, but it was clear that flirting and mingling were not on the minds of the attendees. ¡°See that? That¡¯s the queen of the Country of Xiayu, one of the owners here. At one point, people thought she was nothing but a crafty ruler using her skills to amass wealth on a remote ind. But after she tamed the Dragon King and obliterated a Hunter of the Nation that tried to annex her country, all such rumors were squashed,¡± Luo Shaoyan, who seemed well-acquainted with the celebrities, pointed out to Zhu Minng. Zhu Minng looked over and saw a woman in an alluring, figure-hugging brocade gown, dressed no differently than any other woman of great beauty in a royal pce. However, her head adorned with a colorful crown and cradling a Holy Dragon, shemanded a presence that deterred any casual teasing. ¡°I thank all the distinguished guests foring. Tonight we will present Dragon Eggs for your perusal. I can reveal a little secret: one of the eggs is a Thunder Dragon Egg recently obtained from the well of Lie Demon Mountain. None of the Dragon Eggs have been tampered with; they are perfectly preserved as soon as they are collected. The Thunder Dragon is a king among dragons, and its offspring would be a Thunder Flood Dragon, or a true heir of the Thunder. We can¡¯t make an urate judgment, so it¡¯s up to the guests to use their vision,¡± the queen of the Country of Xiayu announced. Chapter 391: 393: The Art of Distinguishing Eggs Chapter 391: Chapter 393: The Art of Distinguishing Eggs Young dragons were, after all, a minority. And the vast majority of dragon eggs didn¡¯t necessarilypletely inherit their parents¡¯ bloodlines to be True Dragons. During a certain era of the Supreme Court, there was a force that specifically mated high-bloodline female and male dragons to obtain high-bloodline young dragons. This force has nowpletely disappeared. The method of dragon mating proved unfeasible. On the one hand, the higher the bloodline of a dragon, the lower the likelihood of reproduction. On the other hand, the inheritance of bloodline is not about grabbing two powerful dragons, letting them mate, and expecting the offspring to inherit their abilities. Take this Thunder Dragon Egg at hand, for example. The little life about to be born could just be an exceedinglymon wild Jiao, not even considered a true dragon. Of course¡­ If this little life inherited the powerful bloodline of the Lei Dragon, being a Thunder Young Dragon right after birth,
then this dragon egg would be invaluable! ¡°Alright, everyone get ready, pleasee forward in an orderly fashion to identify, and then decide whether to increase your bids,¡± said the Queen of Xiayu Country. ¡­ Zhu Minng naturally followed Luo Shaoyan¡¯s lead. Each dragon egg was disyed one by one, simr to an auction. However, unlike an auction, there would be five rounds of identification. The first round allowed only visual inspection, and the time given was very short, just a one-minute close-up observation with the naked eye. In the second round, you were given three minutes to probe with your Spiritual Sense, to feel the strength of the life within the dragon egg, or to perceive other subtle patterns, shell hardness, and differences in the membrane. In the following rounds, Dragon Trainers were allowed to identify, probe, and deliberate more meticulously¡­ The catch was that each round, including the first, required a substantial amount of money if you wished to proceed. ¡°We now present the first dragon egg. This is a dragon egg from Xuancao Mountain Castle, selected by a Dragon Recognizing Master who was passing by chance. As you know, some dragons like to eat highly nutritious beast eggs, and this dragon egg was purchased at the price of ordinary beast eggs, ten silver. After the appraisal of several masters, there is a great possibility that it is a Young Dragon Egg and it enjoys a considerable reputation among the halls of White Heavenly Street. Its breed is indeterminable, bloodline level indeterminable¡­¡± continued the Queen of Xiayu Country. ¡°The price for the first round of identification is five thousand gold, everyone please.¡± After saying this, the people in the pce were already eager to try. ¡°This five thousand gold, I¡¯ll cover it for you,¡± Luo Shaoyan said with a smile, promptly paying the money and joining the queue for identification. Zhu Minng was still watching. He saw people stepping forward one after another; some examined with a gentlemanly demeanor, others seemed to want to glue their eyes to that somewhat legendary civilian dragon egg¡ªthere were all kinds of people. It was Zhu Minng and Luo Shaoyan¡¯s turn. They stepped forward, with Luo Shaoyan standing at the prescribed distance, gazing at the civilian dragon egg cradled in the silver silk cradle. He didn¡¯t even wait for the allotted time to expire before he shifted his gaze to the mature and charming Queen of Xiayu Country, striking up a conversation about matters unrted to the dragon egg. Since he had to learn Dragon Recognizing Techniques, Zhu Minng naturally couldn¡¯t behave like Luo Shaoyan, staring at the queen¡¯s impressive figure.
Five thousand gold. ¡°` To tell the truth, it just looked like a beast egg. The shell was thin, the outer membrane was not smooth, and the size was about that of a dipper. Someone with a bigger appetite might have just set up a fire by the creek, boiled up some water, and dunked it right in.
¡°Time¡¯s up,¡± a woman dressed as a maid whispered to remind everyone. Zhu Minng scratched his head. Ah, that¡¯s five thousand gold pieces¡­ In the Imperial City, even visiting the famous courtesans in the brothels wouldn¡¯t cost as much as watching this egg, right? Hey, why do I know such a strange piece of knowledge? ¡°Young master, would you like to follow? The bid to follow is twenty thousand gold,¡± the maid reminded Zhu Minng, seemingly aware that it was his first time there. ¡°Follow!¡± said Luo Shaoyan with certainty. Zhu Minng was utterly confused. ¡­ ¡°So that¡¯s twenty-five thousand gone, and nothing to show for it,¡± Zhu Minng said with a bitter smile, suddenly realizing that Luo Shaoyan was truly extravagant, befitting someone from an ancient family. ¡°Normal, some people y here all night, throw in a million gold and end up taking home only a colorful chicken, but then they feel it¡¯s too precious to stew¡­¡± Luo Shaoyan said. ¡°Talk about that egg, why follow it? I think it looks quite ordinary, especially since we¡¯re not allowed to use Spiritual Sense to examine it, so judging by appearance alone, you really can¡¯t see anything,¡± Zhu Minng asked. ¡°That¡¯s why you need to learn the art of egg observation from the skills of dragon recognition!¡±
¡°Egg observation¡­¡± Zhu Minng felt the term was incredibly odd. ¡°There¡¯s also egg touching, which is for the third or fourth step,¡± Luo Shaoyan continued. ¡°Okay, okay, just share your thoughts,¡± Zhu Minng said, feeling the conversation couldn¡¯t go on. Before Luo Shaoyan could borate, he began to get smug. He said to Zhu Minng, ¡°We categorize eggs into three types:mon eggs, Spirit eggs, and Dragon Eggs.¡± ¡°Spirit eggs are the most frustrating because they are usuallyid by creatures with Spirit, and they tend to have special characteristics that easily lure people in. Many have wasted a lot of money on Spirit eggs.¡± ¡°Dragon Eggs areid by True Dragons. Even though the chance of hatching Young Dragons is much higher than with Spirit eggs, there¡¯s still a possibility it¡¯s just a demon beast. Unless it cultivates for ten thousand years to be a holy being, it¡¯s just that¡­¡± Luo Shaoyan exined. ¡°When we see an egg of unknown origin, we first determine which of these three types it is. If it¡¯s amon egg, then it¡¯s worth nothing,¡± Luo Shaoyan continued. Zhu Minng listened intently. The academy taught little of the Dragon Recognition Technique because most students were already Dragon Shepherds or about to be one. In contrast, manymoners couldn¡¯t even touch the threshold of bing a Dragon Shepherd. They tried every means to get Juvenile Spirits from various ces, searching for creatures with the potential to transform into dragons. The techniques of Dragon recognition were widespread among the folk, but most were scams. Mr. Jinli had said that even the most remarkable Dragon recognizing techniques involved gambling, only that it increased one¡¯s odds. Thus, it was foolish to spend all one¡¯s savings on a Juvenile Spirit or a Spirit egg. ¡°This egg, which has a little fame among the people, is actually a very special Spirit egg. Its shell seems thin, yet it has absorbed a certain amount of nature¡¯s Spiritual Energy. The patterns on the egg are chaotic, likely due to the instability of Spiritual Energy in the area where it was located. Amon egg wouldn¡¯t absorb Spiritual Energy,¡± Luo Shaoyan added. ¡°So you¡¯re concluding it¡¯s an extraordinary egg?¡± Zhu Minng asked. Luo Shaoyan shook his head and replied, ¡°Thest thing you want to do in dragon recognition is jump to conclusions. I only feel it has spirit, and there¡¯s a possibility it¡¯s an extraordinary being.¡±
¡°So we move to the next round, using Spiritual Sense to see if there¡¯s any concentration of Spiritual Energy inside?¡± Zhu Minng asked. ¡°Yes, if it¡¯s a Spirit egg, we have to follow. Anything is possible,¡± Luo Shaoyan said. ¡°` Chapter 392: 394: Going Big Chapter 392: Chapter 394: Going Big The first round saw more than half of the participants choose to forfeit. Many people were apanied by professional Dragon Identifiers, whose judgment was that the civilian spirit egg was not worth pursuing, as entering the next round of exploration would require spending twenty thousand jin. Even after spending the money, the item might not even be yours! ¡°Their forfeiture doesn¡¯t necessarily mean that they think the egg is trash,¡± Luo Shaoyan said. ¡°It¡¯s more that they believe, even if it¡¯s a spirit egg and hatches a highly excellent Juvenile Spirit that can transform into a dragon in a short time, it¡¯s still a very ordinary dragon, not worth the hefty price they would need topete for it.¡± ¡°Yes, this egg seems to have been quite controversial over at the White Heavenly Street,¡± Zhu Minng nodded. ¡°That¡¯s the allure of dragon gambling. Some people believe that this egg will definitely be extraordinary once hatched, while others think it¡¯s just trash. In the end, it depends on who makes it to thest round, whether they will be ridiculed or the center of attention¡­ the oue will naturally reveal itself after hatching!¡± Luo Shaoyan said. ¡­ They moved into the second round. Zhu Minng and Luo Shaoyan both used their Spiritual Sense to perceive the egg in turn. Zhu Minng¡¯s Spiritual Sense was stronger and allowed him to see more details, such as a residue of Spirit Frost on the outer membrane of the spirit egg. Spirit Frost is something that sometimes forms when Spiritual Energy frequents an area and encounters a change in the atmosphere. It generally disappears after a time.
But the Spirit Frost was still present on this egg, indicating that it was indeed born in a ce rich in Spiritual Energy and that it was absorbing the Spiritual Rhyme of the world. Luo Shaoyan¡¯s judgment was correct. This widely controversial civilian egg was indeed a spirit egg, and the lifeform born from it would definitely be a creature with spirit. ¡°Will you continue to pursue it, young master?¡± the maid asked with a warm smile. ¡°Continue,¡± Zhu Minng replied. ¡°Brother, the price to continue this time is one hundred thousand jin. Are you sure?¡± Luo Shaoyan said hurriedly. ¡°How did it get to one hundred thousand?¡± Zhu Minng asked, puzzled. ¡°Young Master Han has raised the stakes. He wants this egg and has increased the bid to make others hesitate and back off,¡± the maid exined patiently at that moment. ¡°In every round, you can initiate a stake increase, and if others want to continue, they must spend the same amount of money,¡± Luo Shaoyan added. The original continuation price was thirty thousand jin. Havinge this far, Zhu Minng didn¡¯t want to give up. After all, he wasn¡¯tcking money at the moment, and he could just y for fun. But one hundred thousand jin seemed a bit too high. No wonder this form of dragon gambling can quickly deplete millions of jin. Just a few more rounds, and hundreds of thousands of jin would evaporate, not to mention the finalpetition. ¡°So, do I continue or not?¡± Zhu Minng asked. He did have the money, but he wasn¡¯t a professional. Surely he couldn¡¯t just judge the enormous value of the spirit egg based solely on the presence of Spirit Frost. One hundred thousand jin could buy some young dragons with decent bloodlines. ¡°It¡¯s up to you to decide on this one. I think it¡¯s worth continuing, but the price to do so is a bit high, and I don¡¯t have that much money,¡± Luo Shaoyan had already decided to back off. ¡°Since it¡¯s your first time here, young master, this maid will cover the continuation cost for you this time,¡± the maid generously offered. ¡°????¡± Luo Shaoyan stared at the maid.
Are even maids so rich nowadays? One hundred thousand jin! Selling themselves many times over wouldn¡¯t be enough to save up that amount, although this maid indeed possessed extraordinary beauty. Securing a wealthy husband isn¡¯t supposed to be like this!
Zhu Minng was also taken aback. Although when he practiced as a Sword Cultivator, people would take the initiative to ingratiate themselves wherever he went, never had a maid been so bold as to throw thousands of jin for him! ¡°` A hundred thousand jin is not a trifling matter. That could support arge group of highly skilled guards. ¡°Young Master is now being offered a bounty of four million jin, and for a mere hundred thousand jin for a familiar nce, I think it¡¯s quite worth it,¡± the charming maid said, smiling brightly. ¡°You recognize me?¡± Zhu Minng inquired. ¡°During the autumn, I traveled to Miao Kingdom and witnessed many of its nobles bidding for Young Master,¡± the maid continued. At this moment, the queen of Xia Yu Country noticed the maid chatting with Zhu Minng and took a few steps closer. The maid also paid her respects to her queen, a detail that Zhu Minng noted. The queen rolled her eyes at the maid, signaling her not to engage guests in irrelevant conversations at such an asion. The maid stuck out her tongue and registered Zhu Minng for the next round, but did not take any money. ¡­
¡°I don¡¯t want to y anymore,¡± Luo Shaoyan said, looking utterly dejected. He intentionally picked up an impably clean te to use as a mirror, then said with overwhelming bitterness, ¡°Why didn¡¯t my parents give me a face that could bewitch all creation? Being handsome means being loved, being handsome means having a house of gold bestowed upon you.¡± ¡°You can touch it in the next round, and then we¡¯ll see,¡± Zhu Minng patted Luo Shaoyan and said. ¡°The next round could cost hundreds of thousands of jin. I don¡¯t have that kind of money, are you sure you want to continue?¡± Luo Shaoyan asked. ¡°No problem, consider it a learning experience,¡± Zhu Minng had now be quite interested. He was now eager to find out whether this spirit egg with Spirit Frost was truly extraordinary. ¡°Awesome!¡± Luo Shaoyan gave Zhu Minng a thumbs-up. Luo Shaoyan brought Zhu Minng here, in fact, to take part in the cheaper fun, something that could be wrapped up within a hundred thousand jin. If someone raised the stakes, he would definitely give up, not because he had lesser insight than others, but because he didn¡¯t have that much cash on hand. As for this egg, which had sparked considerable controversy among the public, he would have joined the bidding if he had the money. Indeed, it had its extraordinary aspects, though they weren¡¯t easily noticed by the average person. ¡°If you want to y, then I won¡¯t keep you guessing. This spirit egg is either worthless or of immense value. Not all creatures can absorb spiritual energy before hatching, and some millennia-old demons never absorb the spirit of heaven and earth even at death,¡± Luo Shaoyan said earnestly. ¡°Hmm, I¡¯ve seen the Spirit Frost condensed between the outer membrane and the shell,¡± Zhu Minng remarked. ¡°What? How did you see that? I didn¡¯t notice it at all. Is your cultivation base very high??¡± Luo Shaoyan inquired. Luo Shaoyan determined it through other means, but the presence of Spirit Frost between the outer membrane and the shell was like counting the fuzz under a fly¡¯s belly!
¡°It¡¯s definitely higher than yours,¡± Zhu Minng stated. ¡°You have other dragons besides the Green Saint Dragon, right, at Monarch Level??¡± Luo Shaoyan asked tentatively. Zhu Minng smiled enigmatically. ¡°So you¡¯re a Monarch Level bigshot. I, Luo Shaoyan, am top-notch at identifying dragons, but I sure can miss the mark with people,¡± Luo Shaoyan said with exaggerated reverence. ¡°The next round is starting, go and exhibit your egg-touching¡­ ah, forget it, just do your best,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°If you have the money, trust my judgment. Today, I will surely make you a fortune!¡± Luo Shaoyan dered confidently. ¡°I¡¯m not short on cash.¡± Zhu Minng set out on this jaunt intending to pick a juvenile spirit with decent potential to raise. ¡°¡­¡± Luo Shaoyan picked up the reflective te again, examining his own face. No one¡¯s cultivation base was higher than his. No one was handsomer. And nobody had more money! Just what kind of courage had he possessed back at Xuancao Mountain Castle to pretend to be in the same league with them? ¡°`
Chapter 393: 395: Securing the Spirit Egg Chapter 393: Chapter 395: Securing the Spirit Egg ¡­ He had made it to the next round. Zhu Minng had been on alert the whole time, looking to see if a group of men would suddenly burst in and tie him up with his hands behind his back. The bounty offered by Wen Lingfei must have reached Neon Sea as well, and it had even been raised to Four Million Jin. If only he had known, he would have used an alias¡­ It was also bad luck that he had been recognized on the spot by a woman who had been to Miao Kingdom. So much for blending in ¨C that maid might already be gathering troops to capture him and deliver him to Miao Kingdom for the Four Million Jin bounty! After a long while, Zhu Minng saw no sign of movement. The maid stood silently by the side of Queen of Xiayu Country, asionally exining things in a low, gentle voice to the guests. By the third segment, Zhu Minng waspletely out of his depth. However, not many people had made it into the third segment, only five or six.
One Hundred Thousand Jin, even though the people here were either rich or noble, was not a sum everyone was willing to part with. Zhu Minng did, however, see Young Master Han, who had upped the bid. He looked somewhat simr to Han Wen, and was likely her brother. ¡°Didn¡¯t manage to scare everyone off,¡± Han Su remarked. ¡°To be frank with Young Master Han, even up to the touching phase, one can¡¯t be certain about the egg. It might give off Spiritual Energy because of its location over the Eye of the Spiritual Spring, not because it has the ability to absorb energy on its own,¡± an elderly man with ck and white hair beside Han Su said. ¡°So we give up?¡± Han Su asked. ¡°Let¡¯s wait and see what others decide first. If this creature can absorb Spiritual Energy before even hatching, getting it for under Three Hundred Thousand Jin would be worth it,¡± the ck and white-haired Dragon Tamer said. ¡­ It was Zhu Minng and Luo Shaoyan¡¯s turn. The maid smiled, her bright cheeks revealing a hint of anticipation. Zhu Minng had no idea what the seemingly tender-looking young girl was plotting. Luo Shaoyan reached out to touch it, not with his fingertips or palm, but with the back of his hand. His hand gently glided over, as if searching for something. Zhu Minng didn¡¯t speak, he just watched quietly. If even Great Instructor Lin Zhao had praised Luo Mountain Sect¡¯s Dragon recognizing techniques, Zhu Minng saw no reason to question them. ¡°To tell you the truth, whether this Spirit egg will hatch a once-in-a-lifetime Dragon or a worthless Juvenile Spirit is still a fifty-fifty chance. I also know now why there is so much controversy surrounding it among themon folk. It is surrounded by Spiritual Energy, and one can feel that it¡¯s absorbing it. Yet, the life energy it exudes isn¡¯t as strong as imagined. Apparently, it hasn¡¯t been able to turn that Spiritual Energy into its own life force. It¡¯s like a sickly person who is taking supplements but can¡¯t absorb any nutrients,¡± Luo Shaoyan said. ¡°It can draw Spiritual Energy into its body, but can¡¯t use it to strengthen itself. Quite an awkward little creature,¡± Zhu Minng said with a bitter smile. It was like a shop. Every day, it attracted many customers. For the vast majority of businesspeople, having a good source of customers is extremely important, with plenty of foot traffic being half the battle won.
But what if none of the customers actually bought anything in your shop? They just look around but never spend a dime! Probably this unhatched little guy was in that kind of predicament. ¡°Yeah, but who knows, after it hatches, maybe it will be able to absorb, and these things are unpredictable. If this were the second round, I might have gone for it because the cost is roughly around One Hundred Thousand Jin. Even if it ends up useless, the loss would just be One Hundred Thousand. But in the third or fourth round, the risk of going further would be too great,¡± Luo Shaoyan said.
¡°You mean to give up following it?¡± Zhu Minng asked. ¡°Might as well give up and save some funds for that Thunder Dragon Egg; after all, it hasn¡¯t cost you a dime,¡± Luo Shaoyan said irritably. The funds for the first two rounds had alle from Luo Shaoyan. The third round, it was the little maid¡¯s turn to host. If he backed out now, Zhu Minng wouldn¡¯t lose a single penny. ¡°Ick a Juvenile Spirit, so I might as well follow once. If someone raises the bid again, I¡¯ll give up,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°That also works.¡± Most Dragon Shepherds would stockpile many Juvenile Spirits. Even if some Juvenile Spirits could never transform into dragons, they would still keep them as pets. The Thunder Dragon Egg was indeed the star of today, while this contentious Spirit Egg was merely a side dish. If he could secure the Thunder Young Dragon, Zhu Minng would naturally be overjoyed. The Thunder Dragon was also a type of Purple Dragon. But even if he managed to get the Thunder Dragon, it wouldn¡¯t prevent him from raising an extra Juvenile Spirit as a reserve. Zhu Minng chose to follow.
This time the follow-up bid was also one hundred thousand jin. Each time one followed, the bid had to be no less than thest. ¡°Sir, will you forfeit or follow?¡± the maid asked with a smile. ¡°Follow. Is anyone raising the bid?¡± ¡°Not for the moment. But it¡¯s hard to say about Young Master Han. Sir, do you wish to raise the bid? There aren¡¯t manypetitors left, and if you¡¯re keen on winning, you might drive away the rest without having to go to the fifth round. This could very well be the final bid,¡± the maid exined, knowing that Zhu Minng wasn¡¯t very familiar with the rules. ¡°Fine, raise it to one hundred fifty thousand jin,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°Alright then.¡± The maid made a record for Zhu Minng. ¡­ The dispute over this controversial Spirit Egg reached its climax. Zhu Minng was waiting to enter the fourth round when suddenly the Queen of Xia Yu Country spoke up. ¡°In the fourth round, only Mr. Zhu chose to follow, totaling two hundred seventy-five thousand jin. He has won this Dragon Egg. We will invite a master to break its hatching seal for it. Let¡¯s all wait and see,¡± said the Queen of Xia Yu Country. ¡°We¡¯ve taken it down?¡± Luo Shaoyan said, astonished. Zhu Minng hadn¡¯t expected that by raising his bid, everyone else would give up. ¡°Some fools really fell for it, huh? This egg is just hype created by unscrupulous Dragon Egg merchants. They intentionally hired some so-called experts to concoct a simple story that makes people believe a Divine Dragon egg has fallen into the hands of ordinary folk. I never believed it from the start!¡± a rich merchant with arge belly said.
¡°You never believed it from the start, yet you followed to the second round?¡± someone said,ughing. ¡°Because my shop also heavily promoted it back then. I tried selling it for ten thousand jin, but no one was interested; now it ends up here, and a bunch of people are following with bids of one hundred thousand. It¡¯s hrious,¡± the fat merchant said. ¡°Is that so? Then you might have missed out on a real Divine Dragon,¡± a Dragon Shepherd who had followed to the third round said with a sneer. ¡°Gentlemen, let¡¯s not engage in this pointless argument. Let¡¯s just wait for the result.¡± Zhu Minng also ignored the rich merchant¡¯s sarcasm. Luo Shaoyan, however, looked rather uneasy. If what hatches is truly worthless, he would have caused Zhu Minng to lose one hundred fifty thousand jin. ¡°You were thest one to raise the bid, heh. I must admit, this Dragon Egg did give off a mysterious air at first, which is why I ced the initial bid. But if you look closer, you¡¯ll realize that its innate talents are actually very mediocre,¡± said Han Su, approaching Zhu Minng. ¡°I¡¯ve spent money and at least I¡¯ve got it. You¡¯ve spent money, and except for making cool remarks afterwards, it seems you haven¡¯t gained anything,¡± Zhu Minng replied. ¡°Ohe on, I¡¯m cutting my losses. Can¡¯t you see that? For me, this was all just a game. Seeing someone get over their head and fooled makes me particrly happy. I can hardly wait to see the look on your face when a piece of junk hatches,¡± Han Su said. Zhu Minng smiled and refused to continue speaking with this Yin-Yang man. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª (Four chapters for today~~ That¡¯s the update finished~~)
Chapter 394: 396: The Azure Firefly Sprite Chapter 394: Chapter 396: The Azure Firefly Sprite The dragon egg bore a seal that was hard to detect. Usually, it¡¯s these people who would bet on dragons; they imposed a spell on the dragon egg to dy the hatching process. This would not only not affect the normal development of the creature within the dragon egg but could also make the life inside even healthier. The moment of revtion was upon them. Everyone¡¯s gaze had fixed upon this somewhat legendary dragon egg. Zhu Minng nced around. It was quite amusing, how everyone else seemed even more nervous than him, the person directly involved. But this method of betting on dragon eggs was indeed a bit thrilling. If you really thought the dragon egg was of high value, you had to keep upping the ante. The more you followed through, the more money you had to put up, and if someone stubbornly contended with you, it could end up costing a fortune, and you might still end up with nothing. But these were the rules here.
After all, anything was possible. What if you identally won a high-lineage young dragon? No matter how much money you¡¯d spent, you could get a huge return. Zhu Minng wasn¡¯t nervous. Tens of thousands of gold, heh, that was peanuts to him now. Back in Pear Blossom Gully, Zhu Minng had acquired arge number of gemstones, all of which he sold to the Di n of Runyu City,ting a profit of one million gold. The resources he had scavenged from the major powers in the Imperial City had also not yet been fully spent. ¡°Mr. Zhu, please, you may drop a drop of blood from your thumb,¡± said the queen of Xia Yu Country. ¡°Obtaining a spirit bond before its birth will make the little one more loyal.¡± Zhu Minng nodded, letting a drop of blood fall onto the spirit egg from his thumb. This act of bloodletting was merely for gaining a spirit bond, not yet the formal signing of a spirit contract. The advantage of choosing a juvenile spirit was that their minds were still developing, making it very easy to establish a spirit bond with them. As for those adult spirit beasts that had been cultivating in the deep mountains and forests for many years, even if you cut your wrist and dripped your blood dry, you wouldn¡¯t be able to leave even a half-mark on their foreheads¡ªthey would look at you as if you were a fool. After leaving a spirit bond imprint, Zhu Minng could already feel the breath of the little life within the eggshell. When the seal was broken, the breath of the little life instantly strengthened, as if it had long been ready to break out of the shell, and the thin outer shell immediately cracked open like an overripe fruit. A pair of sharp ears were the first to stand up from the broken eggshell. Little specks of unique glow spirit light, like summer fireflies in the grass, began to fly out from the spirit egg. Immediately after, a small body that also radiated a glowing light emerged, appearing somewhat curious and also a bit nervous. It raised its head, and its sharp ears slid to the sides. A pair of surprisinglyrge eyes shimmered like the clear bay, flickering as they looked attentively at Zhu Minng. The fur was somewhat soft and also radiated the same glow spirit light as when the eggshell cracked open. Zhu Minng initially thought it was due to spiritual energy stored within, but soon realized that the body fur of this little creature naturally glowed. It emitted a pale blue firefly-like luminescence; its spirit fur enveloped its body, making it look like a glowing little furball¡­ ¡°So cute,¡± the maid couldn¡¯t help but reach out and pick up the fluffy little spirit.
Although the little spirit was in the soft palm of the maid¡¯s hand, it still watched Zhu Minng, as if it knew who was truly trustworthy. ¡°What is this?¡± someone already expressed confusion. ¡°It¡¯s not a young dragon.¡± ¡°Without the dragon mark, indeed it¡¯s not a dragon.¡±
¡°Just a spiritual Juvenile Spirit??¡± ¡°Hahaha, more than two hundred thousand gold for a furball beast like this, it¡¯sughable, trulyughable!¡± At this time, Han Su had already begun to mock without restraint. The light blue Glow Spirit seemed to have been frightened by the nastyments and immediately leaped onto Zhu Minng¡¯s body, as if it only felt safe while perched there. Zhu Minng was stroking its fluorescence-emitting fur, also unable to figure out what kind of creature it was. It was quite extraordinary, clearly not just anymon wildlife. But it was a pity it wasn¡¯t a young dragon. In this case, he couldn¡¯t take it into the Spirit Realm to nurture. Of course, Zhu Minng wasn¡¯t too disappointed, as he hade to purchase a Juvenile Spirit for reserves in the first ce. With his current strength, even if somemon wild Juvenile Spirits could sessfully transform into dragons, they might not meet his needs, whereas those with higher innate talents and stronger characteristics during their Juvenile Spirit phase were worth acquiring, so they wouldn¡¯t be outstripped by his other dragons after transformation. ¡°Congrattions, young master, for acquiring a Glow Spirit. In our Xia Yu Country, such little sprites are said to bring good luck,¡± the queen of Xia Yu Country said with a smile. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s quite cute. I like it a lot,¡± Zhu Minng responded. The adorable little sprite, with its whole body covered in azure, shimmering fur, resembled a budding firework. However, itcked the dramatic allure and intensity of firework, its gentle glow exuded a special charm that could affect a person¡¯s emotions. ¡°These kinds of things, I buy several of them each month from the marketce to give to those nobledies as pets who can¡¯t recognize their worth. They look even better than this one, and it¡¯s a good thing this young master cut his losses in time, or I would have ended up with such a worthless Juvenile Spirit today,¡± Han Su said with a hint of smugness.
¡°It has not transformed into a dragon yet, who knows, it might turn out to be quite extraordinary after its transformation?¡± Luo Shaoyan said dissatisfaction. ¡°Don¡¯t deceive yourselves. Don¡¯t you understand that this little guy actually can¡¯t digest Spiritual Energy? Before it hatched, you might have said so, but now that it¡¯s hatched, did it assimte the Spiritual Energy for its own use? No, right? Without it, it¡¯s just trash, worthless,¡± Han Su snorted. As a person also somewhat famous for discerning dragons in the Neon Sea, Han Su was not foolish. The point of spending a lot of money on a Spirit Egg is all about the inherent talents it possesses. In this world, there exist some creatures that are born with certain abilities, some can sense danger and avoid it in time, some can absorb the elements and assimte them, some evolve rapidly due to peculiar talents, some can gather Spiritual Energy just like a Dragon Trainer¡­ Such Juvenile Spirits, even if they never transform into dragons, are worth nurturing, not to mention if they leap through the Dragon Gate and continue to possess these talents, they could vastly surpass ordinary Dragon Beasts! Tens of thousands in price. At an auction, you could even buy a young dragon of Dragon Lord lineage. Instead, to fight tooth and nail over a Juvenile Spirit here?? Naturally, it¡¯s because of the inherent gifts of the Juvenile Spirit! The reason Han Su didn¡¯t make a bid is that he already knew the issue with this little one. It could gather Spiritual Energy, but not absorb it. Now that it had hatched, it further confirmed the professional judgment of these discerning masters of dragons.
Without this unique talent. What use is this Juvenile Spirit? Chapter 395: 397: Little Spirit Well Sprite Chapter 395: Chapter 397: Little Spirit Well Sprite Zhu Minng didn¡¯t really care about this Yin-Yang man. Anyway, he quite liked what he was seeing. He ced the little creature in the palm of his hand. The Glow Spirit was still very small, fitting perfectly in the palm. Zhu Minng gently closed his eyes and used a faint Spirit Bond to sense its physical condition. Very healthy. Although it was a bit scared, being surrounded by so many people, it was clear that it was curious about everything. Its curiosity was limited to staring with big eyes, standing on the palm of Zhu Minng¡¯s hand and looking around. It knew that leaving this warm palm meant danger elsewhere. Very cautious. Zhu Minng drew some Spiritual Energy from the Spirit Realm, enveloping the little sprite to prevent it from being contaminated by impure air. Some Yin-Yang people likely even exhaled air with a hint of toxicity, so it was better to care for it tenderly, especially since it had just hatched and was extremely fragile. Spiritual Energy was drawn out and condensed in the palm of Zhu Minng¡¯s hand. Since it couldn¡¯t be taken into the Spirit Realm, it also couldn¡¯t benefit from the nourishment of the Spiritual Spring within. This protectiveyer of Spiritual Energy could only make it morefortable, more at ease.
The Glow Spirit¡¯s sharp ears suddenly perked up, and its azure blue luminous fur suddenly brightened, sucking away all the Spiritual Energy that Zhu Minng had led out from the Spirit Realm. Zhu Minng was stunned. He hurriedly used his Spiritual Sense to check the little one¡¯s physical condition. Logically, that amount of Spiritual Energy should have resulted in noticeable growth. But soon Zhu Minng found that the Glow Spirit¡¯s body hadn¡¯t changed at all. The Spiritual Energy was absorbed by it, but it didn¡¯t grow in size! What a strange little creature! If the Spiritual Energy couldn¡¯t be absorbed, it meant that any resources that could strengthen a Juvenile Spirit would also have no effect on it. No matter how poor its absorption capability might be, it shouldn¡¯t result in no effects at all. The Spiritual Energy he had led out wasn¡¯t a small amount either, and now it was just gone¡­ ¡°If it were up to me, I¡¯d throw it on the ground and then step on the furball beast, listen to the sound of its blood and flesh exploding, and relieve some of my frustration. That¡¯s still better than remembering I spent several hundred thousand catty to buy such trash!¡± Han Su said, continuing. Zhu Minng still didn¡¯t pay him any attention, his focus was now on the fur of the little sprite. The fur¡¯s fluorescence, like flowing coral tendrils, began to waft up, with faint spots of glow slowly dissipating in the air. This time, Zhu Minng didn¡¯t send his Spiritual Sense into the body of the little sprite, instead trying to sense the rich and lovely azure blue glowing fur on its body. Spiritual Energy¡­ All absorbed by the fur! What is this situation?? All the Spiritual Energy was within the fur. Maic fur that can adsorb and store Spiritual Energy?? It seemed that the little sprite wasn¡¯t incapable of absorbing the Spiritual Energy for its own growth; instead, it had stored all of the gathered Spiritual Energy within its own fur!
Thisyer uponyer of rich fur almost wrapped the little one up like a small furball, and the Spiritual Energy contained within was quite significant, several times higher than what he had casually guided out just now! ¡°Boop!¡± The little sprite issued a very cute sound, and suddenly shook the fur on its body. Then, the luminous and glowing fur tightly clung to Zhu Minng¡¯s palm, followed by a stream of extremely clear Spiritual Power, which flowed through his palm like a spring of snow and slowly into Zhu Minng¡¯s body, returning to his Spirit Realm. This spiritual energy was extremely pure, even cleaner than the spiritual energy produced by Zhu Minng¡¯s own Spirit Realm¡¯s Spiritual Spring!
Reciprocating spiritual energy back to oneself??? This little creature seemed to be capable of not only gathering spiritual energy but also purifying and refining it before sending a purer form of spiritual energy back to itself. This¡­ Was clearly a mobile Spirit Well! Yes, those so-called Dragon Masters, they were all focused on whether this little sprite could absorb energy, whether it would be powerful, whether it could transform into a dragon¡ªyet they had never considered that it could bestow spiritual energy upon others! Especially after its fur stored the spiritual energy, it seemed filtered; all impurities of heaven and earth had vanished, including the spiritual energy Zhu Minng used to nurture the little fellow¡ªit had all been distilled! Spirit Well Sprite. So that was it, that was it! There was such controversy over its existence because it could naturally gather spirit. They dared not hope too much for it, for it could not absorb spiritual energy, could not grow, could not be powerful, and even had difficulty transforming into a dragon¡­ But it was actually gathering spirit, refining it, and then offering it to other life forms. Since it hadn¡¯t hatched and was still in its shell, to whom could it offer the excess spiritual energy? Therefore, the surplus spiritual energy had condensed into Spirit Frost on the shell¡­ As Luo Shaoyan said, as long as it didn¡¯t hatch, it would be impossible to make a final judgment on it.
However, everyone was concerned about whether it could digest, whether it could absorb¡ªbut they hadn¡¯t realized it was meant to bestow spiritual energy onto others. The first to receive this bounty of spiritual energy was none other than itself, bound by a Spirit Bond! Only Zhu Minng, the person involved, could clearly feel the transfer and reciprocation of spiritual energy. Others were oblivious to this. ¡°Brother, this was my mistake. I¡¯ll gather some money to help you cover half of the loss,¡± Luo Shaoyan said gently, patting Zhu Minng¡¯s shoulder, his voiceced with guilt. Luo Shaoyan saw Zhu Minng¡¯s mouth twitching and thought he was really disgusted and upset by that guy Han Su, yet he couldn¡¯t show it. In fact, Zhu Minng was ecstatic inside, but he didn¡¯t want others to know the little sprite was a Spirit Well Sprite. It was too special. So, he forcibly contained his excitement from showing. But it was somewhat difficult to suppress such excitement and joy. To outsiders, he appeared to be in pain and somewhat odd! ¡°Cough cough, it¡¯s alright, it¡¯s alright, I just feel it¡¯s extraordinary and that¡¯s enough,¡± Zhu Minng coughed heavily, managing to suppress the urge to burst outughing. ¡°Brother, if you¡¯re feeling bad, just cry it out. If not, I¡¯ll gather more money to cover it all for you. So much money spent, and the result is just a ribs-like little cute pet; anyone would feel like crying,¡± Luo Shaoyan said, seeing Zhu Minng looking red and flustered, biting his teeth, he decided to take the responsibility himself! ¡°It¡¯s really okay, don¡¯t worry about it.¡± ¡°Shall I apany you outside for some fresh air, and then we cane back?¡± Luo Shaoyan suggested. ¡°That works.¡±
¡­ After walking around outside, Zhu Minng finally managed to suppress the joy that was bursting inside him. He tried it again, guiding spiritual energy to the Little Glow Spirit. Its fluffy fur would store and distill it and then reciprocate even purer and more concentrated spiritual energy! Little Spirit Well Sprite! The more Zhu Minng looked at the little fellow, the more he found it adorably radiant with golden light! Chapter 396: 398: A Narrow Escape Chapter 396: Chapter 398: A Narrow Escape ¡°` ¡­ Holding a jug of wine, Luo Shaoyan sat on a chair outside, watching Zhu Minng, who sat alone on the spaciouswn,ughing inexplicably to himself. As the cold wind blew, Luo Shaoyan took a sip of wine and sighed softly, ¡°It¡¯s my fault, I shouldn¡¯t have taken him to y something so thrilling.¡± On thewn, Zhu Minng once again channeled spiritual energy and earnestly admonished the azure Glow Spirit in his palm, ¡°You don¡¯t need to give anything more to me; this is for nurturing you. Be good, you need to grow now.¡± The Glow Spirit¡¯s big eyes gazed at Zhu Minng. In the end, it shook its fluffy body as though it wanted to give Zhu Minng all the good things it was hiding. Zhu Minng scratched his head. The Little Glow Spirit was still too young; there were some difficulties inmunication. After many persistent efforts, Zhu Minng finally made the Little Glow Spirit understand that it didn¡¯t need to give to others and should absorb for itself. Only then did the Little Glow Spirit start to absorb the spiritual energy from its fluff into its body. There were immediate noticeable changes in the Little Glow Spirit, its whole body illuminated more brightly, as if it were a beautifully craftedntern that had lured all the fireflies in the forest to its core, their special luminescence swirling around thentern.
¡°It can absorb??¡± Zhu Minng eximed in surprise. As spiritual energy poured into the Smile Bright Spirit¡¯s body, the Little Glow Spirit seemed sturdier, and its fluff had grown longer. Its life aura became more vigorous, and one could even feel its weight had changed. So it could also absorb spiritual energy! This little sprite was indeed too friendly. It could absorb the energy itself but chose to store it in its fluff and then gift these precious energies to the first person it opened its eyes to see. ¡°Bubu~¡± The sound of the Little Glow Spirit was adorable, as if it were asking for a kiss from its master. Zhu Minng gave it a big kiss and then noticed the Little Glow Spirit was getting sleepy, itsrge eyes drooping from time to time. It must have been tired from the previous few instances of giving. Zhu Minng held it in his arms, feeling like he was hugging a fluffy pillow. The kind and selfless Little Glow Spirit fell into a deep sleep, and Zhu Minng showed a satisfied smile. This trip had not been in vain. He had obtained such an extremely special Juvenile Spirit. With proper nurturing, if it could fully utilize its innate talents, whether or not it transformed into a dragon was secondary. After all, a mobile Spirit Well like this could already bring immense help to himself and his other dragonpanions! ¡­ After standing outside for a long time, the dragon gambling inside was incredibly intense. Zhu Minng had intended to take a look at the Thunder Dragon Egg. After all, the Thunder Dragon Egg was the main event of this dragon gambling.
However, Zhu Minng had missed the follow-up on the Thunder Dragon Egg as he was immersed in the spiritual energy gifts from the Little Glow Spirit. It seemed it was not meant to be. Zhu Minng was not concerned, feeling that if the Little Glow Spirit was properly nurtured, it might not be inferior to the Thunder Young Dragon. Strong-blooded young dragons were not absent, just rtively rare.
¡°` But such Little Spirit Well Sprites were really extremely rare, Zhu Minng had never heard anyone mention them before! Mr. Jinli was right, one must not overlook the potential of any small creature. Powerful beings are fewer in number, while there are billions of small creatures in the world. Some are born with truly special talents. Nurturing those abilities gradually, they could even surpass those creatures born as dragons! ¡°I¡¯m done for!!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to live, don¡¯t try to stop me, any of you!!!¡± ¡°What a load of crap, Master. Your eyesight is only fit for checking horses and cows in the pasture!!¡± Within the pce, a cry of sorrow rose. Young Master Han, dressed in silk, burst out, screaming hoarsely while kicking the ck-and-white-haired Dragon Master at his side. Zhu Minng and Luo Shaoyan returned from outside and saw this scene. What¡¯s going on? Has Young Han Gong sumbed to encephalitis? ¡°The highest tower, where is Man City¡¯s highest tower? I¡¯m going there now to drink wine and admire the moon. This petty cash, I don¡¯t care about it. It¡¯s just 1.7 million gold. 1.7 million gold, I¡­ I¡¯m done for!!!¡± Han Su continued to wail outside the pce.
¡°Young Master Han, please restrain your grief,¡± said the Queen of Xia Yu Country. ¡°You¡­ you must be cheating, what Thunder Dragon Egg, it¡¯s just a Wild Jiao egg. You Xia Yu Dragon Pce are just swindling us. Return my money, as for this worthless Wild Jiao, take it back yourselves to soak in liquor!¡± Han Su said furiously. By his side was a Wild Jiao, as small as a bamboo snake, yet kicked away by an angry and ashamed Han Su. The Queen of Xia Yu Country¡¯s quick reflexes caught the Little Wild Jiao, otherwise such a small creature would surely have been seriously injured. ¡°In dragon betting, there is always a risk. Young Master Han knew it well, so why make a scene here now? Bring someone to see the guest out!¡± the Queen of Xia Yu said with a chilling face. A few ck-d guards appeared immediately and dragged Young Master Han out. Han Su was utterly devastated. Dragged away, he looked no different from a decrepit old hound, a stark transformation from the elegant and spirited Han Su of not long ago. The dramatic change of scene caused Zhu Minng to momentarily forget to cheer. ¡°Mr. Zhu, you see I wasn¡¯t wrong, this Little Glow Spirit really can bring good fortune to people,¡± said the Queen of Xia Yu, immediately switching to a spring-breeze-like smile and addressing Zhu Minng. Zhu Minng, holding the Little Glow Spirit, nodded in agreement without denial. It seemed that the main attraction of the night, the Thunder Dragon Egg, turned out to be a Wild Jiao. Young Master Han fought tooth and nail, spending 1.7 million gold, only to end up with a Wild Jiao that couldn¡¯t evenpare to a True Dragon¡­ The Queen had a sense of humor. Her so-called good fortune meant that because of the Little Glow Spirit, Zhu Minng had avoided the disaster of the Thunder Dragon Egg and didn¡¯t even spend a coin on the bids.
Compared to Han Su, Zhu Minng¡¯s loss was truly minimal. Of course, to others it seemed Zhu Minng had lost out, but he knew well that he wouldn¡¯t trade the Little Glow Spirit even for a true Thunder Young Dragon. With someone¡¯s copse, there¡¯s another¡¯s joy. As the Thunder Dragon Egg, the star of the event, disappointed everyone and left them apprehensive, there were still some sessful dragon bets, where people won high-lineage Young Dragons valued at over two million gold, with only tens of thousands of gold spent in following the bids because not many had faith in that Dragon Egg¡­ With that, Zhu Minng felt more convinced that Dragon recognizing techniques were more an art of mysticism. In future dragon bets, he definitely had to bring Miss Star Painting along; he might make a fortune! ¡°Queen of Xiayu, I, Zhu Minng, do not take unearned rewards. Please pass these one hundred thousand gold to the little maid beside you as a token of my sincere gratitude. I really like this Little Glow Spirit,¡± said Zhu Minng. Chapter 397: 399: Harmonious Spiritual Chain Chapter 397: Chapter 399: Harmonious Spiritual Chain The Queen of Xiayu epted the gold, smiling warmly at Zhu Minng. Zhu Minng merely maintained a polite smile. ¡°Are you leaving, young master?¡± the Queen of Xiayu asked. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m quite satisfied today,¡± Zhu Minng replied. ¡°After you leave the pce, could you release this wild Jiao into the sea bay? Consider it a small act of merit,¡± the Queen of Xiayu said, handing over the tiny wild Jiao to Zhu Minng. Zhu Minng nced at the pitiful Little Wild Jiao and nodded. ¡­ After leaving the Xiayu Gambling Dragon Pce, Zhu Minng and Luo Shaoyan headed toward the Dragon Taming High Court. Luo Shaoyan looked at the Little Wild Jiao and sighed, ¡°This is fate. Why couldn¡¯t you be a Lei Dragon? If you were, the entire Man City would be in an uproar over you. But instead, you¡¯re just a Wild Jiao, and you almost ended up in someone¡¯s wine jar.¡± Zhu Minng went to the edge of the sea bay and gently ced the Little Wild Jiao into the water. He washed the mud off its body with clean water, then Zhu Minng picked it up again.
¡°What are you doing?¡± Luo Shaoyan asked, puzzled. ¡°How long do you think a newborn Wild Jiao like this could survive in the bay?¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°Who knows? Depends on its own destiny,¡± Luo Shaoyan replied. ¡°Raising one Juvenile Spirit is raising; raising two is the same. Even if I am to release it, I should wait until it grows a bit. Otherwise, it will just end up as food for the sea fish,¡± Zhu Minng stated. ¡°You¡¯re raising it too? A Wild Jiao is not a true dragon, and it¡¯s not even as intelligent as the little furball you have in your arms¡­ But I guess it doesn¡¯t matter¡ªraising a few Juvenile Spirits is fine. If you think positively, maybe one day it will have a stroke of luck and turn into a dragon. At worst, if it gets used to us, it can guard the house, acting as a pet with some intelligence,¡± Luo Shaoyan nodded and said. ¡­ There were no marks on the Little Wild Jiao¡¯s forehead; probably as soon as the egg cracked open, everyone knew it wasn¡¯t a Lei Dragon, and Han Su did not even attempt to form a Spirit Bond. Several dragons were still sleeping in their cocoons. Zhu Minng was currently in a period without dragons to train. Idle as he was, raising another Juvenile Spirit wouldn¡¯t make much of a difference. If it trulycked intelligence and potential to transform into a dragon, he could wait until it developed scales and teeth, gaining enough capacity to protect itself, before releasing it. To release it into the seawater just after birth was not true liberation; that was no different from letting it die, which can hardly be considered an act of kindness. Of course, the Queen of Xiayu understood this as well, so she used Zhu Minng as a tool to let it die. ¡­ Zhu Minng branded the Little Wild Jiao¡¯s forehead with a Spirit Bond so that he couldmunicate with it more easily. The Little Wild Jiao was very distressed. Its hatching had been dyed by a sealing charm, but inside the egg, it had already developed hearing and touch. It could feel the world outside treating it with utmost care, watching over it. What was meant to be a grand and anticipated birth resulted in utter degradation, from heaven to hell. Even without understandingnguage or reading facial expressions, it couldprehend the disdain, mockery, and the terrifying rage of someone directed at it!
Zhu Minng fed it some tender beef. The Little Wild Jiao didn¡¯t refuse, and chewed slowly. ¡°Don¡¯t be sad; not all creatures are born extraordinary and noble. I have manypanions, and when they were born, they were even weaker than you,¡± Zhu Minng said as he fed the Little Wild Jiao some milk. Little Wild Jiao buried his head, drinking milk, with his entire smooth little head covered in cream, but he still listened attentively as Zhu Minng spoke.
¡°A few days ago, a dean said that the nobility of the academy lies in the fact that, no matter how poor and humble a person is, as long as they¡¯re willing to learn and work hard, they can transform themselves and stand proudly in this world.¡± ¡°Many people think that Dragon Shepherds should have an extraordinary vision, to find those Juvenile Spirits with endless potential, and nurture them into peerless dragons.¡± ¡°But in my view, a true Dragon Shepherd, even when faced with a very ordinary andmon little spirit, can still rely on their own ability to cultivate the most ordinary little spirit into a supreme ruler.¡± ¡°Little Wild Jiao, you¡¯re very lucky, for I am that kind of Dragon Shepherd!¡± ¡°So don¡¯t be discouraged, nor should you feel pain because you¡¯re not a Lei Dragon. Just cultivate diligently, and there will be a ce for you in this Neon Sea in the future!¡± Little Wild Jiao tilted his small body up, his eyes that had not yet fully opened gazing at the kind human man. Suddenly, Little Wild Jiao opened his mouth and began to eat the tender beef head voraciously, drinking the milk in big gulps. ¡°So, what about the Purple Dragon?¡± Suddenly, an aged and haggard voice sounded from behind. Shameless! A half-baked Dragon Shepherd daring to make such ims. Mr. Jinli felt embarrassed for Zhu Minng! Zhu Minng gave an awkward smile. He nced at the Little Wild Jiao, whose body barely glowed with traces of purple particles on his scales. A bit of purple, but not quite a Purple Dragon?
Mr. Jinli swished his tail, circling around Zhu Minng, Little Wild Jiao, and Little Glow Spirit several times, seemingly either angry or pondering. He muttered strange things, but it was iprehensible what he was saying. ¡°If there were indeedmendable Purple Dragons, of course I would want them. For now, I¡¯ll just raise a few Juvenile Spirits as a reserve,¡± Zhu Minng said. Spirit Contracts are still growing. After all, I only have five dragons now. ¡°That¡¯s true, you should raise more Juvenile Spirits. These two aren¡¯t bad. Raise them slowly, and perhaps they will shed their wild nature and start showing intelligence,¡± Mr. Jinli said. Since the Spirit Contract is still empty, there¡¯s no problem. Mr. Jinli had already advised Zhu Minng to raise more Juvenile Spirits. This way, when there are more Spirit Contracts in the future, there will also be more choices in dragon breeds. Between dragons, there actually exists a Harmonious Spiritual Chain; some of their abilities canplement each other, and even exert greater power in battle. The Five-Element Dragons are the most ssic Harmonious Spiritual Chain. Dragons of the metal element, water element, fire element, wood element, and earth element. If a Dragon Shepherd can collect these Five-Element Dragons, and with their Soul Connection, fuse their elements together, they can form the Five-Element Mark. This Five-Element Mark is no less significant than draping the five dragons with Dragon Armor forged from heavy gold.
Besides the Five-Element Harmonious Spiritual Chain, there is also resonance and reflection among other attributes, bloodlines, and races. This principle of Harmonious Spiritual Chain can be considered the most high-end Dragon Shepherd skill. Ordinary Dragon Shepherds truly can¡¯t afford to y with it. Being able to obtain one or two dragons is already good, how could one possibly make all the dragons match perfectly? Mr. Jinli stresses the Purple Dragon because one of the abilities of the Purple Dragon harmonizes very well with the other dragons Zhu Minng currently owns. With just a little adjustment to each dragon¡¯s attributes and bloodlines, it might be possible to form the first Harmonious Spiritual Chain. Of course, as a Dragon Shepherd, Zhu Minng can be said to have a false Harmonious Spiritual Chain, which is the ability to craft perfect high-level Dragon Armor for each dragon. Full dragon armament, with the highest craftsmanship, hm, hm, this is Zhu Minng¡¯s advantage! Chapter 398: 400 Sea White Moth Chapter 398: Chapter 400 Sea White Moth ¡°` ¡­ With a thunderous boom, a rainstorm descended without warning, and a huge thundercloud that seemed to drift in from the distant sea of Neon Sea enveloped the entirety of Man City, followed quickly by a torrential downpour. The waves churned, with the gray tides merging into the misty firmament, and the drifting rain mist made the sunny and bright coastal city, akin to a water-damaged painting, fade away into blurriness, obscuring the view. In the rain, Little Wild Jiao was delighted, sucking up the raindrops filled with the scent of thunder as if it were a little crop. Zhu Minng was utterly bored. At this seaside, the weather changes were indeed unpredictable. He had originally nned to take Little Qingzhuo, who had just woken up, a bit farther to challenge some stronger Demon Spirits, but the sudden ocean thunderstorm had drowned everything, and most creatures had hidden in their nests, leaving no trace to be found. ¡°Zhu Minng, Zhu Minng, don¡¯t sleep anymore!!¡± Came an urgent knock at the door. Zhu Minng yawned. With such heavy rain, listening to the raindrops falling like piano keys, what else could he do if not sleep? ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Zhu Minng asked.
¡°A big swarm of White Moths, seems like they were startled by this sudden marine thunderstorm. Their wings got wet and they cannot fly, blown about by the strong wind and scattered over the sea, they fell like silver notes around the bay near our High Court. Everyone is already catching them, hurry up, or you¡¯ll miss out on a big opportunity!¡± Hong Hao said excitedly. ¡°What are White Moths?¡± Zhu Minng asked with confusion on his face. ¡°I just heard about them too, these White Moths are very special nocturnal creatures from Neon Sea. Their wings absorb the glow of the moonlight when it¡¯s full and grow something like pistils at the end of their tails. So one White Moth is equivalent to one Moonlight Pistil; you surely know what price moonlight materials fetch on the market, right?¡± Hong Hao exined. ¡°I know that, but with so many people from the Dragon Taming High Court and Man City, all trying to catch these White Moths, how many can we actually get?¡± Zhu Minng didn¡¯t like blindly following others. ¡°Big brother, I think you should juste and take a look. When you see it, you¡¯ll definitely not say that. The thunderstorm must have decimated the forest haven of these White Moths. There¡¯s so many, you can¡¯t even begin to describe!¡± Hong Hao urged. Zhu Minng took up an umbre and followed Hong Hao to see the so-called spectacle of White Moths. ¡°You¡¯re going, fine, but why bring along a blue pillow? You nning on sleeping at the rain pavilion or what?¡± Hong Hao said irritably. ¡°Eh, this is my newly adopted Little Glow Spirit,¡± Zhu Minng exined. ¡°¡­¡± Hong Hao took a closer look and finally noticed a pair ofrge, sprite-like eyes appearing on the beautifully made blue plush pillow! It really was a sprite! When its eyes were closed, it indeed looked just like a fine, round pillow. ¡°It gets clingy. I had to bring it along,¡± Zhu Minng said helplessly. While Little Wild Jiao, too, was recently born, it was mentally more mature, more self-reliant. After Zhu Minng fed it some beef, it busied itself rinsing its scales in the thunderstorm. Rainwater infused with thunder and lightning could nourish Jiao dragons and also toughen their young scales. In any case, Little Wild Jiao seemed very diligent and independent. Little Glow Spirit waspletely different. It needed to be hugged. Upon hearing the thunder, it would burrow into Zhu Minng¡¯s arms, too scared to even open its eyes, let alone its pointed ears, which droopedpletely, turning into a small fluff ball. ¡°` Zhu Minng could only carry it around.
Fortunately, after a few days of careful nurturing, both Little Glow Spirit and Little Wild Jiao were growing up healthily. Once they grew a bit more, Zhu Minng would be able to strengthen their spiritual resources, allowing them to enter the next stage of growth sooner and take a step towards transforming into a dragon. ¡°White Moth, you and this Glow Spirit should be the same type of sprite,¡± Mr. Jinli floated out, not swimming around in the air as usual. ¡°Mr. Jinli knows about the White Moth?¡± Zhu Minng asked. ¡°Little creatures that absorb the essence of heaven and earth are all quite special and rare. White Moths usually live in the breath of wend forests and inds. If there are only one or two of them, it¡¯s actually not necessary for you to waste time capturing them, given your current cultivation level. But if there are swarms of them, it¡¯s a different story. Little Bai Qi needs the energy from moonlight¡­¡± Mr. Jinli said.
¡°Right, although I don¡¯t know when they will emerge from their cocoons, it¡¯s good to prepare some of this hard-to-collect spiritual resource for them in advance,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°Zhu Minng, could you move the umbre over here a bit? Is it proper for you to let me get drenched in the cold rain like this?¡± Mr. Jinli said irritably. Zhu Minng looked at the gleaming golden Jinli fish hiding under his umbre¡­ Well, are fish afraid of getting rained on? He ultimately didn¡¯t voice this thought and simply shifted his position slightly to shelter Mr. Jinli from the rain as well. Hong Hao, walking ahead, looked back at Zhu Minng with a puzzled expression on his face. The Juvenile Spirits raised by Zhu Minng were weirder than the next. A pillow, a flying fish¡­ ¡°Aside from extracting spiritual energy, does the round and plump one have any other abilities?¡± Mr. Jinli asked. ¡°I¡¯ve been trying these past few days but haven¡¯t discovered anything,¡± Zhu Minng said. *Pop*¡ªLittle Glow Spirit suddenly snuggled up in Zhu Minng¡¯s arms, and with an ear perked up like an arrow, it pointed towards a small penins of the High Court. ¡°It seems to have found something it¡¯s interested in,¡± Mr. Jinli said. Even the erudite Mr. Jinli didn¡¯t know much about this Glow Spirit, but his thoughts aligned with Zhu Minng¡¯s; the value of the Little Glow Spirit undoubtedly exceeded that of the Thunder Young Dragon Egg. Its abilities were so special¡ªwell nurtured, it truly was a portable Spiritual Energy Well!
¡°Let¡¯s check it out,¡± Zhu Minng said. Zhu Minng stopped following Hong Hao and walked towards the High Court penins, as suggested by Little Glow Spirit. Getting there, Zhu Minng could see the grey sea surface was unexpectedly covered with ayer of wet, cotton-like white, creating a spectacr sight. Under the fierce downpour, one could asionally see these cotton-like White Moths attempt to fly up, but they would be ruthlessly knocked down, their bodies light as paper, not sinking into the ocean, so they all floated on the rain-pounded sea. *Pop pop pop!* Little Glow Spirit became even more excited; it actually jumped out of Zhu Minng¡¯s arms and hopped toward an ind pool in the middle of the penins. At the same time, Zhu Minng saw its blue fluff light up, glowing with a brilliance that flowed like water. Zhu Minng quickly followed, secretly wondering. How was the little fellow jumping so merrily without any visible legs? Could it be relying on the round and plump flesh on its belly?? Chapter 399: 401 Can’t afford to pay and still not running? Chapter 399: Chapter 401 Can¡¯t afford to pay and still not running? Zhu Minng had wandered here before. He remembered that the entrance to this small penins was guarded by students, and it seemed one needed some kind of credential to enter. It must be a small cultivation altar, designed to maintain the abundant spiritual energy here by limiting the entry of students, who could exchange credits to gain ess. Zhu Minng¡¯s cultivation speed with spiritual energy was now at a hundred and twenty-fold. But not all Dragon Shepherds had such generous Spirit Realms to nourish them. Those with less powerful Spirit Realms could enhance the cultivation speed of the dragon beasts in their domains by entering such small cultivation altars. Unfortunately, this penins¡¯s Holy Pool didn¡¯t offer much benefit to Dragon Shepherds like himself who already had a Spiritual Spring Realm; it was estimated that it could only increase his cultivation speed to a hundred and twenty-five-fold at most. The efficiency improvement was minimal, and it would cost a lot of credits for the privilege of entry, which just didn¡¯t seem worth it for Zhu Minng. ¡°It seems I could bring Little Wild Jiao here to cultivate, but unfortunately, I don¡¯t have enough credits right now,¡± Zhu Minng thought carefully, realizing that these external Spiritual Spring Realms were evidently more beneficial to Juvenile Spirits. There was no one guarding the ce. Could it be that the guards had run off to catch the White Moths at sea? After all, a White Moth was as valuable as a piece of Gold Sand; the safety floating above the sea was like nature¡¯s bounty of gold scattered everywhere, and it was difficult for ordinary people to resist such temptation.
The penins was small, a full circle around it took less than ten minutes, and in the center was a small pool. It was said to be crafted by some powerful builders; the reefs surrounding the penins could draw the spiritual energy from the tides into the penins, and like brewing wine, eventually produce a pool of Holy Altar Seawater. Soaking in it, one¡¯s cultivation speed could greatly increase. Regardless, this specially crafted small penins was like a small Spirit Vein owned by the Dragon Taming High Court, providing decent benefits for Dragon Shepherds with lower cultivation bases. When Zhu Minng caught up with the rolly-polly guy, Little Glow Spirit had already plunged its head into the Holy Pool. It didn¡¯t eat food. But it needed to absorb Spiritual Energy. Zhu Minng had been leading out the Spiritual Spring from his own domain these past few days to feed Little Glow Spirit. But the Little Glow Spirit was never fully satiated, and the Heavenly ughter Dragon also had someints these past few days; why was the spiritual energy in Zhu Minng¡¯s realm a bit thinner? ¡°Blob blob blob~~~~~~~¡± As Little Glow Spirit soaked in the Holy Pool, it let out afortable cry. Suddenly, its fluffy fur began to absorb the surrounding dense spiritual energy like a bunch of soft, fine tubes! Though the water in the Holy Pool remained still, Zhu Minng could see with his Spiritual Sense how the spiritual energy, like threads, surged out of the brewed Spirit Qi Seawater and was all funneled into Little Glow Spirit¡¯s fur. Little Glow Spirit¡¯s fur was like an endless sponge¡­ The sheer quantity of spiritual energy was so immense that even Zhu Minng had to sit down and digest it slowly, guiding it in gradually, yet Little Glow Spirit stored it all at once in its blue fluff! In an instant, arge pool of Holy Pool water turned into just an ordinary puddle of seawater,cking any special radiance. Zhu Minng was stunned. ¡°Blob blob blob!!!¡± Little Glow Spirit was not satiated at all, and its fluorescent fur spread out around it like static, drawing continuous trails of spiritual energy from the filtering rocks¡­ This Holy Pool naturally stored some seawater to ensure that students could use the pool even when there were no tides, so the Spirit Qi Seawater that was brewed would always be saved underground on the ind. Once the spiritual energy of the surface pool was absorbed or dispersed, more would flow up. Now, Little Glow Spirit was sucking up the Spirit Qi Seawater stored by the Academy, and the amount was astonishing, much more than ten times the capacity of the surface pool!
Zhu Minng couldn¡¯t stop it even if he wanted to. Little Glow Spirit was gathering spirit so quickly that it scared itself. When Zhu Minng was in the Dragon Country of Clouds, he witnessed a Spirit Qi Cloud Eye and learned to use the motion of spiritual energy itself to drive the surrounding breath, allowing him to umte Spirit Origin from the world faster and keep his own Spirit Realm supplied with a Spiritual Spring. But Little Glow Spirit was gathering spirit even faster than he was!
No, this little creature wasn¡¯t just gathering spiritual energy, it was more like it was siphoning off spiritual energy! Normally, gathering spiritual energy is orderly and slow; through the operation of one¡¯s spiritual sense, one slowly guides the Spirit Origin of the world into one¡¯s body, like a waterwheel by a pond, gently drawing and irrigating water while the world¡¯s spiritual energy replenishes itself in this orderly rhythm. When it came to extracting spiritual energy, Little Glow Spirit was simply like a giant behemoth holding up the sky, guzzling the pond¡¯s water with a few glugs, and it drank the entire pond dry! After all, it was a small Spirit Vein! In an instant, the spiritual energy dried up! Zhu Minng looked at the small Holy Pool, then nced at the tidal rocks standing in the seawater around him¡­ ¡°Pop pop pop!!¡± Little Glow Spirit happily jumped out, looking very satisfied, with its pointy ears swaying too. Zhu Minng¡¯s face turned dark! The small Spirit Vein of the High Court, which had nourished so many Dragon Shepherd Students for so long, was just drained by Little Glow Spirit in one go! ¡°Zhu Minng, do you think you can afford this loss?¡± Mr. Jinli asked with a grave expression. ¡°I can¡¯t afford it,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°Then what are you spacing out for, run!¡± Mr. Jinli, with his old cunning, shouted, ¡°Before anyone notices!¡±
No way. Should I really do something so treacherous? I¡¯ve always been a man of integrity. It would be unseemly and at odds with my upright image to clean out someone¡¯s small Spirit Vein and then run away. ¡°Slow down, you rascal, slow down and let me get on your back first!¡± Mr. Jinli, who did not want to end up pickled with chopped chili by the elders of the High Court, quickly turned into a beam of colored light and transformed into a Jinli embroidery, attaching himself to Zhu Minng¡¯s clothes. Zhu Minng didn¡¯t look back. Luckily he was wearing rain boots, which didn¡¯t stick in the mud as he ran. Actually, it didn¡¯t matter what shoes he wore, Zhu Minng was running so fast he could practically take off! ¡­ Thanks to those floating White Moths, truly the most beautiful little spirits in the world, which attracted the entire academy¡¯s attention, Zhu Minng had a perfect environment for his crime. After running out of the penins, Zhu Minng blended into the crowd catching moths in the rain. Committing a guilty act can make one especially nervous when alone, but by doing the same as the crowd, he felt much more rxed. He sneaked a peek at the Little Glow Spirit in his arms. It was sleeping very sweetly. Holding its somewhat damp fur, the vast spiritual energy it contained was almost hot to the touch.
Fortunately, Little Glow Spirit was naturally a maic plush that stores spirit, seemingly able to store any amount of spiritual energy. ¡°With this capacity for storing spiritual energy, I guess it could be enough for a Thousand Year Demon Spirit to break through to the Cultivation Base of a Ten Thousand Year Saint Spirit, right?¡± Chapter 400: 402 White Phoenix Chapter 400: Chapter 402 White Phoenix ¡°` No wonder this little guy didn¡¯t absorb the spiritual energy into its body while still in the eggshell. Its tiny body couldn¡¯t possibly withstand such immense spiritual energy! A gift! That¡¯s right, the Little Glow Spirit can give gifts. If it could gift its spiritual energy to one of its fellow dragon pets? This batch of spiritual energy. If it were all to be infused into Little Qingzhuo, it might help it advance to the growth stage more quickly! Little Qingzhuo seems to have inherited the Azure Phoenix¡¯s long lifespan. It does move quickly from the juvenile to the growth stage, but reaching maturity takes a long time, even with the nourishment of the Spiritual Spring Realm at one hundred and twenty times the normal rate, it seems to take several years. However, with this vast amount of spiritual energy, Little Qingzhuo¡¯s cultivation base could surge massively.
It wouldn¡¯t need months; Little Qingzhuo would reach maturity, perhaps even sooner! ¡°I¡¯ll give it a try when I get back.¡± Zhu Minng contained his joy as he watched the sea surface. At this moment, thousands of dragons of different colors were flying over the sea, and countless Dragon Shepherds were catching the White Moths. But the White Moths are no ordinary little moths; their strongest abilities are self-preservation and evasion. Even some of the swift Pterosaurs might be outwitted by these White Moths. Many Dragon Beasts appear clumsy before the White Moths¡ªas though therge numbers of White Moths right before their eyes could be easily caught, but as they approach, the White Moths dance away their bodies, elegantly avoiding contact. If it weren¡¯t for the rain wetting them, they would probably never be touched by the Dragon Beasts. A group of Dragon Shepherds, ecstatic to receive nature¡¯s golden offering, ended up with not much to show for it; meanwhile, the fishermen, farmers, and experienced elderly women of Man City skillfully caught the White Moths¡­ Most of them take only the pistils at the tails of the White Moths before setting them free. There must have been tales of White Moths in Man City a long time ago, where people only took what they needed and didn¡¯t harm them. Then, after a few years, during an unanticipated torrential rain, they would bring infinite wealth to the people of this city like friendly little sprites. No wonder Neon Sea is enviably rich. A sudden thundercloud turned what should have been a disruption into a festival-like frenzy, with countless people joining the hunt for White Moths. The pistils of the moths are quite heavy, and once clipped, the moths can fly better in the rain¡­ Although the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon dislikes the rain, it braved the weather and pped its wings, entering the gathering of White Moths to practice its aerial capture skills. Dark clouds hung low, creating pressure over Neon Sea Fantasy City. The White Moths, scattered like silver paper across the sea, were engaged in a battle of wits with thousands of dragons¡ªan absolutely spectacr scene. The thunderstorm baptism was likeshes of rain, relentlessly whipping down those White Moths that tried to fly high. It¡¯s unclear how long the rain will continue, so it¡¯s possible the White Moths might be trapped and die in this area of the sea. The Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon, quite agile among the Dragon n, didn¡¯t catch many either. While flying low and skimming over the heaving sea, the downpour that had suddenly fallen from the sky disappeared¡­ Has the rain stopped?
But rain curtains still surrounded the area, it seemed only the region above its head had be rain-free. Looking up, the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon noticed a gigantic figure within the dense clouds, hidden in the vapor, revealing only its silhouette with t and broad wings¡­ The shadow of the wings leisurely spread through the clouds, like a huge sky umbre, shielding against the torrential thunderstorm that was relentlessly drenching the ocean! At the same time, many White Moths on the sea surface seemed to see this rain-free area and flocked towards it, exerting all their strength!
The winged silhouette slowly flew closer, and the sea¡¯s surface was whipped into a white hurricane, resembling a long white dress of the Nuwa Heavenly God, with all the White Moths bing part of this celestial garment, first rising from the sea, then gradually reaching the sky! This scene shocked everyone. ¡°` And soon, people noticed a heavenly shadow above the clouds, its enormous body shielding the deluge and keeping all the White Moths protected under its celestial wings! That shadow was still only visible as a vague outline¡­ Some Dragon Beasts with higher cultivation bases tried to break into the cloudyer, eager to unveil the true identity of this celestial creature, but an extremely tremendous atmospheric pressure seemed to create an insurmountable boundary between the ocean and the sky! All the dragons could only hover below this boundary of pressure, unable to ascend even an inch further! This, after all, was the Dragon Taming High Court, where thousands of dragons dwelled above this sea¡­ Yet that celestial shadow acted like the supreme ruler of this world, suppressing these nearly ten thousand remarkable dragons and slowly leading the White Moths away from this sea area with its cloud-draping body!! Zhu Minng, gazing at the shadow in the sky and the spectacr white hurricane of White Moths beneath it, was equally astonished beyond belief!! What level was this celestial creature exactly!! It flew over a splendid city upied by humans and yet could suppress nearly ten thousand dragons! People couldn¡¯t discern its true form through the mist.
But its power was so immense that it left them struggling to catch their breath! The Heavenly ughter Dragon probably paled inparison to this celestial creature¡­ Finally, the shadow reached the horizon, where the clouds were slightly thinner, and Zhu Minng caught sight of something white, reminiscent of the White Moths¡¯ wings spread out together, but even more holy and dazzling! ¡°White Phoenix!!!¡± ¡°It¡¯s the White Phoenix!!!!¡± ¡°It must be the White Phoenix!!!¡± A cry suddenly arose from the crowd. White Phoenix??? Zhu Minng stared transfixed at the distant horizon, but the clouds hid any further glimpse of its form. Just by that small part of the white wing, they concluded it was the Neon Sea White Phoenix??? It is said that the White Phoenix is the most noble among phoenixes, with a lifespan exceeding one hundred thousand years! A Holy Spirit with a cultivation base of fifty thousand years is already an iparable being in the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent, and a one hundred thousand years White Phoenix is more like a myth, almost impossible to verify if it¡¯s true or not! ¡°Could it not be a Sea Moth Immortal with a cultivation base that exceeds several tens of thousands of years?¡± someone immediately raised a doubt.
Protecting the White Moths, and given their sheer number, it was inevitable for some leader creatures to be born, practicing cultivation for tens of thousands of years! Sea Moth Immortal! That was not beyond the realm of possibility! ¡°Do you think a Sea Moth Immortal of how many tens of thousands of years can suppress all the dragons in Fantasy City?¡± ¡°That¡­¡± That insurmountable atmospheric pressure, like a forbidden line from the Heavenly Court, not even dragons of any level could cross it! White Phoenix. Zhu Minng was more inclined to believe it was this. After all, he was the master of a Dragon King and he knew very well that not even some Dragon Kings could exude such an aura! ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª (Three chapters today~) Chapter 401: 403 Sea-calming Bell Chapter 401: Chapter 403 Sea-calming Bell The White Moth vanished without a trace, the thunderstorm stillshing over Man City and the sea. Legend has it that the White Phoenix swept across the world so swiftly that people couldn¡¯t even make out its true form, there was no panic, only astonishment. People strove for cultivation, thirsting for power endlessly, whether it was the God and Mortals or the Dragon Shepherds, they all wanted to climb to the rooftop of this world and then look down upon the countless struggling beings beneath their feet. But it seemed there would always be existences to gaze up at, mysterious, ancient, and powerful, endlessly searched for, yet boundless. Whether the White Phoenix was more powerful, or the Mountain Immortal Ghost that had obliterated Guangshan¡¯s Purple Sect Forest was mightier, Zhu Minng didn¡¯t have an answer in his heart, in any case, these were realms he had yet to touch. The continents he had seen were merely the tip of the iceberg of this world. Simrly, the known species of life were probably just a small part of the vast Spiritual Realm. There was yet a broader universe, and even more unparalleled sovereigns! ¡­ ¡­ The thunderstormsted all day, tides surged, covering some of the dry shallows around Man City.
Zhu Minng stepped out of his courtyard, Little Glow Spirit shing itsrge eyes with a pitiful light, looking somewhat reluctant to part. ¡°I¡¯ll be back in a few days, Teacher Duan Lan will take good care of you. Don¡¯t bezy while I¡¯m away, and practice diligently,¡± Zhu Minng instructed. Without transforming into dragons, they couldn¡¯t form a Spirit Contract, nor could they be taken into the Spirit Realm. That was the slight inconvenience of nurturing a Juvenile Spirit; going on a long trip meant having to find someone to take care of them. By Duan Lan¡¯s side was an Azure Flood Dragon, Little Wild Jiao looking up at the Azure Flood Dragon just as Big ck Tooth had done in the past. It was perfect since the Azure Flood Dragon could also teach Little Wild Jiao some Jiao techniques. ¡°I¡¯ll take good care of them, you can rest assured,¡± Duan Lan said with a reserved smile. ¡­ Zhu Minng headed to the Flying Dragon Stone Tower, where he saw aunch tform designed to help Dragon Beasts more quickly sense the wind blowing from the sea and to utilize this air current to reach high altitudes more effortlessly. Great Tutor Lin Zhao was already waiting atop the Flying Dragon Stone Tower, along with Han Wen and the slightly plump academy patrol from before. The plump academy patrol summoned a Wind Wing Dragon, and several of them rode it towards the far reaches of the Neon Sea. It was the same route Zhu Minng had taken while meandering with the Heavenly ughter Dragon, heading towards the deepest part of the ocean, passing numerous inds and nations. Only when he reached the border where the emerald sea met the dangling azure sky did Zhu Minng recognize the cluster of Coral Inds where he had once rescued these people. There were many Coral Inds, like clusters of flowers dotted across the vast ins in spring. Seen from above, no matter howrge their surface area, they appeared as vividly blossoming flowers. The Wind Wing Dragon was enduring, stopping only once at a small ind with woods to replenish some food and water before continuing to carry everyone to this emerald Absolute Sea. In the midst of the emerald Absolute Sea were not only countless colorful Coral Inds but also the semnce of terrestrial grasnds in the form of seaweed shadow inds. These seaweed shadow inds were actually below the sea level, notpletely submerged; one could see many coral giants growing on them, and at night, when the stars scattered the sky, these corals would cast enchanting and dreamlike reflections, rendering the sea area like a mythological fairnd. After a night¡¯s rest, everyone was refreshed and set out again early the next morning. This time they didn¡¯t fly, but instead traveled at a gentle pace aboard a Sea Dragon Turtle Beast, heading deeper into the verdant Absolute Sea.
¡°Are you worried about the Absolute Sea Hawk Emperor?¡± Zhu Minng asked. Lin Zhao nodded. Last time, they had been too careless and entered the Demon Ind Rainforest from the air, which led to them being targeted by the Absolute Sea Hawk Emperor with its powerful tracking ability. Althoughst time they only had Lin Zhao, a Dragon King Level powerhouse, this time they had the Heavenly ughter Dragon with them. Still, they would avoid confrontation if possible before finding the Sea-calming Bell, since they weren¡¯t there for revenge against the Absolute Sea Hawk Emperor.
Zhu Minng started to smell a weird scent as soon as theynded on the ind from a very strange mountain range on the Magic Ind. The scent wasn¡¯t unpleasant, in fact, it had an exotic fragrance, but a deep breath of it suddenly made one feel dizzy and disoriented! ¡°Put this on.¡± Lin Zhao was well prepared, as he handed everyone a ne made of strung grass beads. ¡°The entire Magic Ind is covered with an exotic tree that absorbs sunlight. The gas produced by the leaves fills the whole ind. Only creatures that have lived here for a long time can breathe normally. Outsiders can hardlyst a time without getting affected. These grass beads around your neck can dispel that suppressive exotic gas,¡± Han Wen exined earnestly to Zhu Minng. ¡°Indeed, and people with high cultivation bases are affected just the same,¡± the slightly chubby patroller added. Zhu Minng already felt a certain danger. If people with high cultivation bases were also affected, would they not suffocate to death if trapped on this ind? ¡­ They followed a secluded path onto the ind, which meant they had a long trek ahead of them on foot. As the grass beads were limited, to ensure the dragon beasts didn¡¯t inhale the exotic scent during battle, they couldn¡¯t overtly summon too many dragons to escort them. Moreover, the suppression by the exotic fragrance was not rted to the level of one¡¯s cultivation base. While walking on the Demon Ind, it was more convenient to summon some dragons with weaker auras to follow them. Every time, they had to recall the dragons back into the Spirit Realm.
The journey was smooth, as Lin Zhao had obviously prepared well for this expedition. Before long, they were deeply ensnared in the middle of the Demon Ind rainforest. Not daring to fly rashly, Zhu Minng now had no idea where he was. Indeed, the Demon Ind had many peculiar nts, and those emitting the exotic scent were extremely enchanting in appearance, with tree trunks, branches, and leaves all disying different colors. In nature, brightly colored creatures often carry potent poisons. It was the same with nts. Every time Zhu Minng approached one of these strange trees, he would feel dizzy and breathless, as if he were in a high-altitude area or feeling weak after strenuous exercise. ¡°The Sea-calming Bell is within that forest of exotic trees, where an Azure Bronze Demon Tree stands tall. In fact, the Sea-calming Bell is hung on this Azure Bronze Demon Tree,¡± Great Instructor Lin Zhao said. ¡°Hung there?¡± Zhu Minng was rather puzzled. If it was an ancient artifact, it should be rted to the ancients. How could it be inexplicably hanging in such a primeval forest on a Magic Ind? ¡°We¡¯re not clear on the specifics either, but it seems that the exotic fragrance emanating from the entire ind is also rted to this Sea-calming Bell,¡± Lin Zhao exined. Chapter 402: 404: Azure Bronze Demon Tree Chapter 402: Chapter 404: Azure Bronze Demon Tree ¡°` Stepping on the colorful fallen leaves scattered all over the ground. From beneath my feet came a sensation like stepping on soft snow, followed by thepressed leaves not being crushed nor pressed into the earth, but instead transforming into a foul air that slowly dispersed in the atmosphere. That dizzying sensation of suffocation grew even deeper. Zhu Minng subconsciously grabbed the Grass Beads around his neck, cursing in his heart. You¡¯re just a tree; can¡¯t you just absorb the sunlight and purify the lovely air of this world? Why do you have to do these peculiar things which only bring curses upon you, and what else can you possibly gain from it?? Beneath my feet were not only the instantly rotting leaves but also invisible muddy marshes. When I entered here, it was a dazzling forest, but stepping inside, I could feel the forest¡¯s extreme hostility. They release strange gases, not quite like poison yet far worse than poison, catching onepletely off guard. The soil was extremely muddy, popted with various algae in the marsnd, demanding extreme caution with every step. If you miss your footing, you could sink into the devil¡¯s mud, and it would take every ounce of energy to climb out, or you might even exhaust yourself further, sinking deeper and deeper. Such marsnds were absolutely impassable forrger Dragon Beasts. You couldn¡¯t fly in the sky, the ground was treacherous to navigate, the air was appalling, and the environment could be said to be quite inhospitable.
The only constion was that this marsh forest didn¡¯t seem to harbor any fierce monsters, which meant they could focus solely on oveing nature itself. ¡°The strange scent ahead is too strong; we do not have enough Grass Beads to allow all of us to continue forward,¡± Great Tutor Lin Zhao said with a furrowed brow. Grass Beads were quite rare; it had taken him many days to collect these few. However, these Strange Scent Tri-colored Trees only release their weaker scented air during these few days at the end of winter, allowing them to stay here longer. Any other season, they probably couldn¡¯t endure even as long as the burning of incense. ¡°How about one person goes to retrieve the Sea-calming Bell while the others wait here as backup?¡± Han Wen asked. ¡°Yes, you all wait here for me; be on alert for the Absolute Sea Hawk Emperor at all times¡­¡± Great Tutor Lin Zhao began. But before he could finish, a sharp cry came from above the ind¡¯s trees, like sudden thunder shing across the sky, and then a sonic boom exploded, causing a splitting headache! The mere screeching was terrifying enough, Zhu Minng looked up just in time to see a majestic golden eagle, with a Feather Crown elongated like an array of backward-curving knives, proud and wild, circling haughtily above the forest. Great Tutor Lin Zhao¡¯s expression soured. Why did it show up just as he mentioned it! Luckily, the Absolute Sea Hawk Emperor seemed to be only intimidating other creatures on the ind and hadn¡¯t noticed these outsiders. The problem was that the forest ahead wasn¡¯t dense; if the Absolute Sea Hawk Emperor continued to patrol like this, reaching the Azure Bronze Demon Tree would be impossible. The Hawk Emperor was clearly guarding this Azure Bronze Demon Tree. With the Hawk Emperor overhead, no one dared to make any rash moves. After waiting for a while, it became clear that the Absolute Sea Hawk Emperor had no intention of leaving¡­ ¡°Great Tutor, we can¡¯t keep waiting; the Grass Beads will run out soon, and might not even sustain any of us getting close to the Azure Bronze Demon Tree,¡± Han Wen said. ¡°` ¡°We need to draw away the Absolute Sea Hawk Emperor,¡± said Great Tutor Lin Zhao, turning his attention to Zhu Minng. ¡°If I summon the Heavenly ughter Dragon now and lead the Absolute Sea Hawk Emperor away, it will definitely suspect we¡¯re trying to lure it away from its post. Since you¡¯ve had some contact with it before, the emperor remembers you. You could try leading it away while I go into the Magic Forest to retrieve the Sea-calming Bell,¡± Zhu Minng proposed.
Zhu Minng was not afraid of the Absolute Sea Hawk Emperor; the main issue was that an ancient spirit several tens of thousands of years old like the emperor wasn¡¯t as foolish as it appeared. Moreover, the fact that it had been circling this area of the forest for so long suggested it might have sensed something that put it on alert. If the Absolute Sea Hawk Emperor wasn¡¯t fooled, their position would be revealed, and it would be much harder to obtain the Sea-calming Bell. Great Tutor Lin Zhao nodded in agreement. Indeed, it would be more suitable for them to draw away the Absolute Sea Hawk Emperor.
¡°Then you must be careful. Last time, we didn¡¯t even make it to the foot of the Azure Bronze Demon Tree, so we can¡¯t be sure what dangers lurk nearby¡­ Of course, you¡¯re probably the only one up to the task, seeing as the Heavenly ughter Dragon possesses the strength of a Dragon King and can handle crises we can¡¯t foresee,¡± Great Tutor Lin Zhao nodded again. ¡­ The mission was then allocated. Great Tutor Lin Zhao would lead away the Absolute Sea Hawk Emperor, Han Wen and L¨¹ Yuanyu would look for wild Beads nearby, staying on the ind in case of an emergency. Zhu Minng, carrying a sufficient quantity of Beads, headed deep into the swamp forest. The leaves decayed, and even without stepping on them, touching the water in the swamp would cause the evaporation of a dense fantastical gas. About a kilometer further, poisonous dragonflies appeared overhead; upon seeing Zhu Minng, they were like flies spotting¡­ ¡°What the hell am I even thinking about? Qing Zhuo, take them down,¡± Zhu Minng ordered, his expression a bit more serious. The Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon emerged from the interweaving azure light, its purifying radiance quickly dispelling the miasma that filled the swamp. The group of poisonous dragonfly demon spirits mostly had a cultivation base of two or three thousand years. The creatures in Magic Ind were terrifyingly powerful; in fact, these poisonous dragonflies had only been born four or five years ago. The unique gases and harsh environment here had allowed them to transform into these huge, tumorous-headed creatures, their bodies a greasy green, probably with blood that was highly corrosive and poisonous. The Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon weaved agilely among these poisonous dragonfly demon spirits, its emitted light like red-hot, molten spears that pierced urately into the creatures. The group of demon spirits, each with two or three thousand years of cultivation base, was quickly dealt with by the Azure Green Holy Dragon.
Even the Heavenly ughter Dragon could only spend a limited amount of time on this ind filled with bizarre gasses, so it was better to let the Azure Green Dragon handle these demon spirits on the way. Who knew what sort of great devil could be lurking near the Azure Bronze Tree? Zhu Minng¡¯s experience told him that great dangers always lurked around Ancient Artifacts, Holy Fruits, and Forbidden Lands! Along the way, they encountered mostly group-living creatures that could adapt to the strange scent. The Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon ughtered countless bizarre swamp creatures, but it wasn¡¯t long before Little Qingzhuo also began to feel dizzy. Its strength was severely diminished, and its breathing became verybored. The holy radiance of the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon could purify the swamp¡¯s miasma, but not the oppressive tree fragrance. Fortunately, the Azure Bronze Tree was now in sight. Zhu Minng told the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon to rest while he approached the Azure Bronze Tree alone. If the Heavenly ughter Dragon could take the Sea-calming Bell stealthily, without anyone noticing, there was no need for a grand battle! Chapter 403: 405: The Fury of the Eagle Emperor Chapter 403: Chapter 405: The Fury of the Eagle Emperor Zhu Minng carefully observed the surroundings. The area near the Azure Bronze Demon Tree was particrly quiet; not even the sound of mosquitoes could be heard. This made Zhu Minng grow somber, the more abnormal, the more dangerous. He took a deep breath and felt something thick stuck in his throat. Zhu Minng hadn¡¯t swallowed anything but was experiencing an extremely ufortable sensation. It seemed the exotic fragrance was having an effect. Zhu Minng nced at the herbal bead he was carrying. The once plump bead had wilted and could no longer provide him withfortable air. Time was running out. He had to act! The Azure Bronze Demon Tree was rooted in a muddy swamp that felt like an abyss capable of swallowing living beings. Zhu Minng called out the Heavenly ughter Dragon for courage. The Heavenly ughter Dragon had grown up in ancient relics and had experienced many bizarre and eerie incidents. It was brave but also cautious. It didn¡¯t carelessly spread its wings; instead, it used its lithe body to slowly swim through the muddy water. Nothing happened, and Zhu Minng let out a sigh of relief.
It seemed that the only ferocious beast guarding the Azure Bronze Demon Tree was the Absolute Sea Hawk Emperor. Zhu Minng looked up, and soon his expression darkened. Why did this green-bronze-colored demon tree bear so many fruits? It was one thing for the tree to be covered with dazzling fruits, but why did they all look like bells made of copper and iron?! A green-bronze tree adorned with green bells¡ªif they hadn¡¯t been perfectly connected to the branches and leaves, Zhu Minng would have thought someone had tied them there themselves! Bell Copper Tree?? Is the so-called Sea-Calming Bell Ancient Artifact actually the millennium fruit of this Azure Bronze Demon Tree?? Which one should he pick for himself? Or should he take them all? As Zhu Minng was indecisive, the Heavenly ughter Dragon slowly raised its agile body and bit off a bell fruit. ¡°Are you sure you can eat it?¡± Zhu Minng asked. The Heavenly ughter Dragon didn¡¯t swallow, but instead suddenly shook its head. The flesh of the bell fruit was undistinguishable from copper and iron, and most importantly, it really rang like a copper bell when shaken! This was indeed a strange and mystical fruit. Any creature that could survive to the present couldn¡¯t possibly be so unintelligent as to eat these copper and iron bell fruits, especially since they were the culprits spreading the fragrance that suppressed breathing. Zhu Minng scrutinized carefully. He noticed that two of the bell fruits stood out; they seemed to have been painted, as their colors were overly vibrant. Furthermore, when he used his Spiritual Sense to feel them, he could sense an ancient aura akin to that of a Demon Spirit! They couldn¡¯t possibly be living things. They were bell-shaped fruits. This special aura could only mean they had been formed for thousands of years, or perhaps they had absorbed the strange fragrance of Magic Ind, bing millennial mystical fruits.
Zhu Minng picked these two bell fruits but left the others, mature and immature alike, untouched. These must be the Sea-Calming Bells that Lin Zhao and Han Wen were looking for, except he didn¡¯t know how to use them. ¡°Let¡¯s go, you don¡¯t eat fruits anyway, so what are you staring at?¡± Zhu Minng said to the Heavenly ughter Dragon. The Heavenly ughter Dragon took another look and, finding it uninteresting, returned the way it came.
As he left, Zhu Minng took a special look back at the azure bronze tree. For a few moments, Zhu Minng thought the eerie copper tree might suddenlye to life and let out a sinister roar at him, the thief, churning up the entire marsh. But it seemed the tree was just a tree, even though it must have existed for a very long time¡­ ¡°Is it really this simple?¡± Zhu Minng scratched his head. There was a little bit of unease. Things had gone so smoothly that he felt the two Sea-calming Bells he pocketed were not that reliable. ¡­ He made it out of the marsh without any trouble; he had almost used up the grass Beads, and he met up with Han Wen and Lv Yard Patrol. They had also found some grass Beads nearby, enough to extend their time a bit. ¡°Where¡¯s the Great Instructor?¡± Zhu Minng asked. ¡°The Absolute Sea Hawk Emperor wouldn¡¯t be that easy to shake off; we can leave the ind first,¡± Han Wen said. ¡°Is this it?¡± Zhu Minng took out one of the Sea-calming Bells and inquired. Han Wen took it and a look of joy gradually spread across her face. ¡°It¡¯s the one, already three colors, the most perfect Sea-calming Bell!¡± Han Wen immediately wrapped it carefully in the prepared hide and then ced it in the brocade box.
¡°Going there must not have been easy, especially since there might still be fierce beasts guarding the area near the Azure Bronze Demon Tree,¡± Lv Yard Patrol looked at him with admiration. ¡°This¡­ it was somewhat tricky, but I dealt with it,¡± Zhu Minng responded. It wasn¡¯t good to say that either of these two could have easily taken the Sea-calming Bell themselves. Maybe many things in this world aren¡¯t as scary as they seem. It¡¯s precisely because some people have greater strength and more confidence that those feats appear achievable only by the mighty. ¡°Thank you, thank you. Without you, we wouldn¡¯t know when we could get this Sea-calming Bell,¡± Han Wen said. ¡°Just this one will do?¡± Zhu Minng asked. ¡°I¡¯ve read about it in books, it¡¯s this kind with the three interwoven colors. Are there many on the azure bronze tree?¡± Han Wen asked, puzzled. She had never seen a real azure bronze tree herself and did not know that it actually was covered with bell-shaped fruits. ¡°No, there are simr copper bell fruits, but none as mature as this one,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°One is enough, these three-color Sea-control Bells are also very rare and precious. We exhausted all our efforts just to find one aged enough Azure Bronze Demon Tree, and we determined that it had produced a three-color Sea-calming Bell,¡± Han Wen exined. Zhu Minng pondered for a short while. In the end, Zhu Minng still did not mention the second Sea-calming Bell. Havingpleted the task they assigned to him, the extra one he had was an additional gain for himself.
¡°Kaboom!!!!!!!!!!!!!¡± A sudden thunderp exploded right by their ears, nearly knocking Zhu Minng, Han Wen, and Lv Yard Patrol unconscious. The surrounding trees shattered instantly, and the air still echoed with the terrifying thunderous screech. Zhu Minng covered his ears and looked up, only to see the golden eagle diving down at them, its fearsome talons carrying a golden force of destruction, thundering down like a bolt from the blue! The ground trembled, the forest turned to dust, and Zhu Minng hurriedly opened the Spirit Realm to summon the Heavenly ughter Dragon! ¡°Ngh!!!!!!!!!!!!!¡± The Heavenly ughter Dragon catapulted outward, its body¡¯s multicolored starlight converting into beams of annihtion, sting towards the Absolute Sea Hawk Emperor. The sky seemed to have been perforated by these beams, and the Absolute Sea Hawk Emperor, which had intended to pulverize the three human thieves on the ground with one swoop of its w, faced the unexpected appearance of a Dragon King in mid-air! Chapter 404: 406: Battle Against the Sky-Destroying Eagle Emperor Chapter 404: Chapter 406: Battle Against the Sky-Destroying Eagle Emperor The Absolute Sea Hawk Emperor was unstoppable, initially looking as if it intended to grind all the people on the ground into crumbs. Upon spotting the TianSha Dragon King, it immediately retracted its thunderous ws and swiftly banked to glide through the gap between two jutting peaks. After circling around, it perched arrogantly atop a mountain peak and issued a challenging screech toward the TianSha Dragon King. Its call was terribly horrifying, making it seem as if even the sturdiest of rocks would burst open, and any ordinary creature nearby would likely have their internal organs shattered by the sound. The TianSha Dragon King was full of wildness, caring not for the other¡¯s show of intimidation. Its wings, dark as the starry night sky, pped open suddenly, and the clear sky above instantly appeared to be enshrouded by a canopy of darkness. It was broad daylight, but in an instant, it plunged into deep night. The thick sense of darkness gave one a suffocating, fearful feeling as if choking, and the TianSha Dragon King soaring in this dim false night seemed like the Night Sovereign himself, controlling the life and death of all races beneath the veil of night. The Absolute Sea Hawk Emperor pped its wings, causing the sea behind it to stir in a peculiar manner. ¡°Whoosh!!!¡± Suddenly, the sea water soared into the sky, and under the maniption of the Hawk Emperor¡¯s Demon Art, the surging seawater formed a pair of wings, massive enough to rival mountains! The tsunami wings spread out, darkening the sky and dreadfully striking towards the TianSha Dragon King! The TianSha Dragon King raised its head, a silver energy swirling in its throat. With a single breath, Dragon me filled the sky, the silver Dragon me light charging toward the tsunami-shaped eagle wings, turning the immense wave into a torrential downpour.
The TianSha Dragon King disliked using magic and instead charged directly towards the Absolute Sea Hawk Emperor. Although itcked limbs and ws, it was adept at brutebat like that of Ancient Dragons¡­ Within the Ancient Relics, the most numerous were the Ancient Dragons, those that had survived for thousands, even tens of thousands of years, possessing incredibly strongbat War Skills. The TianSha Dragon King had learned much in its territorial struggles with them. For instance, strangtion! This was a killing skill known to most serpentine-bodied dragons, but the TianSha Dragon King¡¯s Dragon Tail strangtion was different. Its writhing long tail could turn to steel. Once its wings obscured the enemy¡¯s vision, the tail would instantly wrap around the enemy¡¯s neck like a noose, capable of twisting the neck apart with a single tug! Wasn¡¯t this a simpler and more brutal massacrepared to magic battles? The blood of a 20,000-year-old Hawk Emperor, when tasted, must be incredibly delicious, and it would be steaming hot, too. The blood of the Holy Spirits wasn¡¯t like the thick, stenchy blood of ordinary wild creatures, but sweet and tinged with a hint of sanctity¡­ With a span of its wings, a swirling ck hole appeared in an instant all around. From within the ck void, even the keen eyes of the Absolute Sea Hawk Emperor could only discern the blurry figure of the TianSha Dragon King. Just by the shadow, it was impossible to predict the TianSha Dragon King¡¯s movements. So, it instinctively thought that the TianSha Dragon King would bite it, but instead, the Dragon King deliberately missed its mark, and its tail, like a noose, instantly transformed into a terrifying Gctic Chain, mercilessly wrapping around the neck of the Absolute Sea Hawk Emperor. The Absolute Sea Hawk Emperor emitted a piercing cry, its body erupting with a tidal aura that surged in all directions. One could see the ground and forests being peeled back, exposing an entireyer of earth¡¯s skin. And the raging tidal fury that could overturn giant ships and shatter reefs, all of it mmed into the body of the TianSha Dragon King. The TianSha Dragon King, aware of the terrifying power of this raging sea aura, somersaulted forward, its tail, wrapped around the Absolute Sea Hawk Emperor, viciously flinging the Emperor towards a mountain ahead! ¡°Boom!!!¡± The tide of fury unleashed from the body of the Absolute Sea Hawk Emperor swept towards the mountain peaks, and the Hawk Emperor barely managed to break free from the Gctic Chain, the Heavenly ughter Dragon King¡¯s killing move. However, the fall was not light; its body suffered numerous broken bones. The Heavenly ughter Dragon King writhed on the ground, its feathered scales lighting up with countless swiftly brightening scale patterns. These eerie patterns stretched into the air, forming irregr cracks spreading out to the space around them! ¡°Grrrr!!!!¡±
A roar thundered as the Heavenly ughter Dragon King stood tall, its gaze looking down upon the Absolute Sea Hawk Emperor, while the previously glowing eerie scale patterns horrifically transformed into Void Rift ws, reaching out toward the Absolute Sea Hawk Emperor!!! The dense maze of void cracks, wherever they passed, caused ancient trees and the hard surface of the earth to terrifyingly fracture, as if a devil of the night was rampaging across thend, wantonly destroying everything within sight. The Void Rift ws were besieging the Absolute Sea Hawk Emperor, which, pping its wings, soared towards the sky. However, the Void Rift ws mored upwards too, their spread elerating. The Hawk Emperor had no choice but to stop and began to furiously p its wings! The wings pped at an extremely high frequency, and the storms pouring out collided, forming a Twisted Wind Pir mingling with the ever-growing Void Rift ws. Soon, both forces annihted each other.
¡°Where is Great Tutor Lin Zhao??¡± Zhu Minng looked around but could not find the Great Instructor. The Absolute Sea Hawk Emperor had suddenly appeared here, and he almost didn¡¯t react in time. Wasn¡¯t it agreed that Great Tutor Lin Zhao would lure the Hawk Emperor away? ¡°It¡¯s possible that the Absolute Sea Hawk Emperor realized what was happening and suddenly turned back. The Great Instructor didn¡¯t manage to keep up. Either way, we need to leave now; our grass beads are withering,¡± Lu Yuanxun said hastily. Zhu Minng, of course, wouldn¡¯t leave; his Dragon King was still locked in battle with the Hawk Emperor. He nced at Han Wen, who was having difficulty breathing. ¡°Then you guys go first, I¡¯ll follow shortly,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°Alright, don¡¯t tangle with the Absolute Sea Hawk Emperor for too long. It won¡¯t be easy to kill it,¡± Han Wen nodded. The two quickly left, knowing that their cultivation bases would be of little help against the Absolute Sea Hawk Emperor. ¡­ As expected, the Heavenly ughter Dragon King was fierce; the Hawk Emperor, with more than twenty thousand years of cultivation, was covered in wounds. And the Heavenly ughter Dragon King was mostly dominating, always taking the initiative to attack. The Hawk Emperor, seething with anger, wanted to get closer to the mountain and sea, where it could control the energy, but the Heavenly ughter Dragon King possessed the Void Darkness Shroud, turning its territory into a pitch-ck night where one can¡¯t see their own hand in front of them.
Even during the day, it could create nightfall, and the dense dark ripples in tandem with the void star magic could be maximized in such dim conditions. However, what Zhu Minng couldn¡¯t understand was why the Hawk Emperor, knowing it was hard to win, did not choose to evade the battle. Could the Rattling Sea Bell be more important than its life? Or did the Absolute Sea Hawk Emperor have some other ace up its sleeve it hadn¡¯t yet used? Zhu Minng stayed vignt, knowing a Holy Spirit of over twenty thousand years couldn¡¯t be that simple. Chapter 405: 407 Blood-Sucking Feather Scales Chapter 405: Chapter 407 Blood-Sucking Feather Scales ¡°` ¡°Chirp!!!!!¡± Another cry rang out, the sound from the Absolute Sea Hawk Emperor carrying terrifying sonic booms, thundering like multiple sts of lightning exploding right beside one¡¯s ears, assaulting the internal organs. The TianSha Dragon King flew far away, escaping the thunderous cries. Darkness enveloped the area, and the TianSha Dragon King¡¯s colorful scale feathers slowly dimmed, its long and sinister serpentine body gradually blending into the void of darkness. The deep starry eyes suddenly closed. At the same time, the TianSha Dragon Kingpletely disappeared into the dimness, its presence unfelt and its figure uncaptured. The Absolute Sea Hawk Emperor released its crying sonic booms, attempting to attack the TianSha Dragon King¡¯s internal organs, but it could not locate the TianSha Dragon King. ¡°Screech!!!!!¡± Suddenly, from the gloomy void above, a void thunderbolt fiercely tore through the air and struck the ancient and strange ind with force. Upon closer inspection, it was not real lightning but the plunging TianSha Dragon King, a destructive void light swirling around it. Apanied by the slender plunging dragon, the scene resembled a thunderbolt splitting the primordial chaos, utterly terrifying!
¡°Boom!!!!!!¡± The ind trembled and shattered, the void thunderbolt seemingly piercing through thend, and the Absolute Sea Hawk Emperor was unable to evade this force. Its feathers scattered in disorder and blood spattered into the air. From a high vantage point, one would see the ind¡¯s forests leveled, a spiral-shaped crater prominently appearing there, with scorched soil and shattered rocks. The seawater from deep within the ind seeped out through the cracks, slowly irrigating and transforming into ake. The Absolute Sea Hawk Emperor struggled to maintain bnce, swaying before forcefully flying to the peak of a mountain¡­ Blood flowed from beneath its wings, neck, and chest. It was indeed strange. Instead of flowing downward with gravity, the blood of the Absolute Sea Hawk Emperor strangely dispersed into the air. One by one, like pomegranate seeds, the blood orderly flew towards the TianSha Dragon King and settled on its scale feathers. ¡°Blood-sucking??¡± ¡°It¡¯s absorbing the Hawk Emperor¡¯s blood even while fighting??¡± The TianSha Dragon King is a variant of the Mourning Dragon, elusive and bloodthirsty. Under the shroud of this dense dark night, it seemed that any enemy gravely wounded by it would see their bleeding wounds turn their blood into pomegranate seed-like droplets, or into wisps of blood vapor, which would then be absorbed by the TianSha Dragon King¡¯s scale feathers, nourishing the dragon! The bloodthirsty nature was something Zhu Minng had not expected toe into y duringbat. In such a case, any enemy that engages inbat with the TianSha Dragon King, as soon as they are injured and blood flows out, it will continuously replenish the TianSha Dragon King¡¯s drained energy. In a prolonged battle, the TianSha Dragon King would always have the advantage. Zhu Minng noticed that once the TianSha Dragon King¡¯s Blood-Sucking Feather Scales received those blood particles, the patterns became even more sinister and robust, as if, once sufficient blood was absorbed, all of its scale feathers would transform and don new, more powerful and noble King¡¯s Scales! The Absolute Sea Hawk Emperor stood on the mountain peak, its sharp eyes fixated on the TianSha Dragon King. In the Absolute Sea, it was the ruler, with no creature able to contend with it. ¡°` The TianSha Dragon King was wicked to the extreme, and carried with it a provocative air. The proud Absolute Sea Hawk Emperor, despite being injured, showed no signs of backing down.
This was its territory. It intended to kill all invaders, including this TianSha Dragon King!! pping its Star Space Wings, the TianSha Dragon Kingunched another attack. Its speed was incredibly fast, essentially a dark night demon star crashing into the mountainous earth. Its tail brought up a trail of eerie mes, causing explosions wherever it passed. Mountains shattered, eerie mes filled the surroundings, thick dust and smoke spread everywhere. The tail of the TianSha Dragon moved continuously, and each time it was lifted high and mmed down fiercely, the explosions of the eerie mes became more intense. The Absolute Sea Hawk Emperor dodged amongst the star mes breaking out, its wounds seemingly not greatly impeding its movements.
The life force of the Absolute Sea Hawk Emperor was extremely strong, and its wounds were gradually healing amidst the battle. Before long, the bleeding areas had clotted. Despite the darkness, it still maintained a body covered in a brilliant golden demon light, sometimes fighting head-on with the TianSha Dragon King, and sometimes maintaining a sufficient distance to summon the power of the tsunami! The mountain inds were badly damaged, and the sea water had even flooded the forest soil of the inds. The Absolute Sea Hawk Emperor was frequently injured in the struggle, yet its fighting spirit soared high, its feathers so hot they seemed about tobust. The TianSha Dragon King could not deal a fatal blow to the Absolute Sea Hawk Emperor. After all, it had been cultivating for more than 20,000 years and was still the master of the Absolute Sea. Killing it was not an easy task. ¡°Hoo hoo hoo~~~~~~~~~¡± The TianSha Dragon Kingnded beside Zhu Minng, its chest heaving and its tail gently swaying side to side, like a person who had been running fiercely taking a break to rest. Zhu Minng watched the TianSha Dragon King¡¯s nose and found that its breathing was much faster than usual, and it still couldn¡¯t catch its breath evenly. And the Absolute Sea Hawk Emperor, despite suffering so many injuries, still had vigorous strength, as if it had just entered the battle¡­ What was going on?? Clearly the Absolute Sea Hawk Emperor was at a disadvantage in every sh, and the Blood-Sucking Feather Scales of the TianSha Dragon King had changed to a different color, obviously with enhanced defensive power and agility. Why then did it seem to be running out of energy? ¡°How could I have forgotten this, it¡¯s the strange aura!¡± Zhu Minng pped his forehead. This ind was filled with a strange fragrance released by exotic trees, which suppressed the breathing of all foreign creatures, affecting even those with high cultivation. The TianSha Dragon King has been ascended for some days and shouldn¡¯t be in an unstable state.
It was now a Dragon King, its strength, stamina, and vitality exceeded that of the vast majority of Holy Spirits; there was no reason for it to be inferior to this 25,000-year-old Absolute Sea Hawk Emperor. Dragons possess an absolute physical advantage. Even though the foe was continuously injured, the TianSha Dragon King was inferior in terms of stamina¡ªit must be the influence of the ind¡¯s strange fragrance. The Absolute Sea Hawk Emperor constantly breathed in this strange fragrance. It was full of fighting spirit, feeling no pain even when injured, and moreover, its wounds were healing during the fight. The air inhaled by the TianSha Dragon King was more like a slow poison, suppressing its muscles, tendons, and blood vessels, causing it to expend more physical strength and energy with every use of its Dragon Skills¡­ Fortunately, the Blood-Sucking Feather Scales could replenish its strength. Otherwise, the TianSha Dragon King¡¯s condition would be even worse. ¡°The Hawk Emperor is purposely wearing you down on Magic Ind, letting you be suppressed by the strange fragrance. We can¡¯t stay here and fight with it,¡± Zhu Minng said. No wonder the Hawk Emperor, clearly no match for the TianSha Dragon King, dared to keep entangling. This ind gave it an absolute advantage. The TianSha Dragon King¡¯s Dark Night Cage could not block the fragrance of the strange trees diffused in the air. Chapter 406: 408: Killing to Silence Chapter 406: Chapter 408: Killing to Silence The Heavenly ughter Dragon was not foolish, and realizing that continuing to fight against the Absolute Sea Hawk Emperor here would only endanger its life, it spread its wings and carried Zhu Minng away from the ind. Zhu Minng took out all of his grass beads to alleviate the difort caused by the odd fragrance for the Heavenly ughter Dragon. Yet, the Absolute Sea Hawk Emperor was somewhat arrogant and actually gave chase, stubbornly biting at the Heavenly ughter Dragon King without letting go. The Heavenly ughter Dragon King suddenly spread its wings to their fullest extent, and instantly, a vast expanse of stars twinkled densely, releasing extremely destructive rays!! These dazzling rays pierced brutally through the body of the Absolute Sea Hawk Emperor, and immediately, arge quantity of blood turned into pomegranate beads in the air, and were sucked into the blood-sucking feather scales of the Heavenly ughter Dragon King. ¡°Spare its life, and it dares to chase after us,¡± Zhu Minng snorted coldly. When Han Wen left, he had given all the grass beads to Zhu Minng. Although the quantity was not much, it was enough to relieve the Heavenly ughter Dragon King of its difort. This destructive wing ray left the Absolute Sea Hawk Emperor bleeding profusely, and only then did it cautiously maintain some distance. Flying away from Magic Ind, Zhu Minng also felt a heavy sensation in his chest. It was extremely ufortable, and the feeling of dizziness was getting stronger. Having escaped the ind, but this area was still shrouded in an eerie atmosphere, the Heavenly ughter Dragon continued to breathe heavily, exhaling murky waste gases from its nostrils.
¡°Nu~~~~~~~¡± The Heavenly ughter Dragon seemed to have noticed something and signaled Zhu Minng to pay attention to the surface of the sea. On the sea surface was arge patch of ring bloodstains, spreading out slowly in all directions. At the very center of the bloodstain, an old dragony sprawled on top of the seawater, its limbs and tail seeming as if they had been torn and bitten. The thick blood appeared to be gushing out from its abdomen, continuously staining the surrounding seawater red. Zhu Minng looked over and saw that on the back of the old dragon was a person, with disheveled hair, a pale face, and their body soaked with fresh blood. ¡°Let¡¯s go down and take a look,¡± Zhu Minng said. The Heavenly ughter Dragon King glided down,nding next to the blood-drenched old dragon. ¡°Great Instructor??¡± Zhu Minng recognized the person on the back of the old sea dragon and said in surprise. Why was Great Tutor Lin Zhao here, and his Old Sea Dragon, on itsst breath, seemed unlikely to survive! How did ite to be in such a state? The Absolute Sea Hawk Emperor might have a cultivation base of over 20,000 years, capable ofpeting against Dragon King Level beings, but it shouldn¡¯t be able to kill a true Dragon King in such a short time! Great Tutor Lin Zhao went to lure the Absolute Sea Hawk Emperor away, not to fight it to the death, yet his Sea Dragon King was gut-wrenched, with an unstoppable flow of blood! ¡°It¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s Zhu¡­¡± Great Tutor Lin Zhao looked at Zhu Minng, speaking with no strength left in his voice. Only as he drew closer did Zhu Minng realize that there was a horrifying w mark on Great Tutor Lin Zhao¡¯s chest, a mark that nearly pulled out all his organs! ¡°I have some ointment here!¡± Zhu Minng hastily went forward, wanting to plug the terrible wound for Great Tutor Lin Zhao. ¡°No¡­ no use, I can¡¯t survive, I can¡¯t survive. Be careful, there are others¡­ There are others here, very strong, very strong¡­¡± Great Tutor Lin Zhao said haltingly. ¡°We¡¯ve been followed??¡± Zhu Minng said in astonishment.
¡°This is¡­ this is what I promised you¡­ go, leave this ce, don¡¯t¡­ don¡¯t provoke¡­ I don¡¯t want you to be involved¡­¡± Great Tutor Lin Zhao handed Zhu Minng a small box, seemingly prepared in advance, to be offered once the deed waspleted. Zhu Minng hadn¡¯tpletely understood what had happened. But anyone capable of killing Great Tutor Lin Zhao was definitely an extremely dangerous character. ¡°Nu!!!!!!¡±
The Heavenly ughter Dragon suddenly let out a cry. Zhu Minng looked around, then nced up at the clouds¡­ What¡¯s that above the clouds! With a sweep of its tail, the Heavenly ughter Dragon rolled Zhu Minng into it and threw him onto its back. A dense darkness, like a fog, spread around,pletely obscuring everything here. Zhu Minng nced at Great Tutor Lin Zhao, whose blood was flowing unstoppably and whose consciousness was already murky; the words he spat out were utterly indiscernible. Zhu Minng felt a bitter taste. Such a respected Great Instructor, to just die here in this sea¡­ Was he here for the Sea-calming Bell? There shouldn¡¯t be many people who knew about this, so why would he be the victim of an assassination? Great Tutor Lin Zhao certainly wouldn¡¯t havecked such a sense of vignce. There must be something here that Zhu Minng wasn¡¯t aware of. The Heavenly ughter Dragon had sensed the danger, which is why it used the night mist to hide itself. It must have been the thing that killed Lin Zhao, watching them from above the clouds just now. Great Tutor Lin Zhao had told Zhu Minng to run away, indicating that he was well aware that Zhu Minng might not be a match for that thing right now¡­
The question is, would the enemy really let him leave? To flee directly would be to give that guy the chance to strike at him! The enemy was above in the clouds, afraid toe near this ind, probably also wary of the inhibiting exotic fragrance. ¡°Return to Magic Ind. It¡¯s most likely some despicable human powerhouse waiting here for us to get the Sea-calming Bell and then attacking us. Going out might also spell disaster for us,¡± said Zhu Minng to the Heavenly ughter Dragon. The true strength of the opponent is still unclear¡­ It¡¯s reckless to engage them in battle hastily. Especially since the Heavenly ughter Dragon King just had a prolonged tussle with the Absolute Sea Hawk Emperor; its stamina had been consumed too. The opponent must also be of King-level. There might even be more than one. Only by using the scent of Magic Ind could they deal with the opponent effectively. ¡°I¡¯ve already given the Sea-calming Bell to Han Wen and L¨¹ Yuanxun, but I¡¯m worried about their current situation; it¡¯s likely more bad than good,¡± Zhu Minng said, increasingly anxious. They had left Magic Ind earlier than he had, and the killer of Great Tutor Lin Zhao must have been waiting outside the ind¡­ The Absolute Sea Hawk Emperor was heavily injured by the Heavenly ughter Dragon when it caught up just now and wouldn¡¯t dare follow them for the time being. However, if Zhu Minng and the Heavenly ughter Dragon stayed on Magic Ind much longer, the situation would be unpredictable.
With a fierce and vicious person waiting outside the ind and the Absolute Sea Hawk Emperor inside the ind, Zhu Minng knew that this task was not as simple as he imagined, yet he never expected that Great Tutor Lin Zhao would be targeted. ¡­ To avoid draining the Heavenly ughter Dragon¡¯s energy too much, Zhu Minng temporarily returned it to the Spirit Realm. Unfortunately, to negate the side effects brought about by the exotic fragrance, it was necessary for the Heavenly ughter Dragon King to take inrge amounts of fresh air and clean spiritual energy. The spiritual energy in the Dragon Shepherd Spiritual Domain was nothing more than the Spirit Origin drawn from the surrounding world; amid such a strange ind, Zhu Minng dared not introduce Spirit Origin into his own domain, as that would be equivalent to bringing the poisonous mist into the Spiritual Domain, not only preventing the Heavenly ughter Dragon from recovering properly but also harming the other dragons¡­ ¡°Han Wen had previously found wild Beads on the ind. I remember there were some growing by the swamp side when we left¡­ that could sustain us for a while.¡± ¡°That guy definitely wants to kill the witness; such a damn bastard, inhuman.¡± Zhu Minng had already felt the intense killing intenting from the clouds above. The enemy was certainly waiting for him to leave the ind. But Zhu Minng decided to do the opposite. If you¡¯ve got the guts,e in and kill me, then we¡¯ll all be poisoned together! Chapter 407: 409 Betrayer Chapter 407: Chapter 409 Betrayer Zhu Minng was fortunate not to have a poor sense of direction. Walking through the strange forest, he soon saw the swamp he had entered before. Looking around the edge of the swamp, Zhu Minng found those wild grass beads. But there weren¡¯t enough of them, only enough for his own use, which couldn¡¯t alleviate the problems faced by the Heavenly ughter Dragon. Stringing the grass beads together one by one and hanging them around his neck, Zhu Minng was contemting his next step when he heard footsteps approaching him. A pair of slightly chubby feet stepped on the ground, immediately causing the leaves to decay into a fragrant gas, and as Zhu Minng looked over, he saw Dean Lv running towards him with a face full of horror! ¡°Dead, dead, the Great Instructor is dead!¡± Dean Lv seemed distraught, and upon seeing Zhu Minng, he looked as if he had seen a savior. ¡°What about Han Wen?¡± Zhu Minng asked instead. He had left the ind with Han Wen, but now she was nowhere to be seen. ¡°She betrayed the Great Instructor, it must have been her. No fourth person knew the way to Absolute Sea Demon Ind; it must have been Han Wen who betrayed the Great Instructor. The people of the Han Family are insatiable, insatiable!¡± Dean Lv shouted angrily. ¡°What about the Sea-calming Bell?¡± Zhu Minng continued to ask.
¡°She took it away. I felt something was wrong and ran in here, then a masked assassin followed me like a shadow, but I managed to shake him off¡­¡± Dean Lv said with a quavering voice. Zhu Minng took a deep breath. He hadn¡¯t expected Han Wen to betray everyone; indeed, you can¡¯t judge a book by its cover. ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about this for now; we need to find more grass beads. My Heavenly ughter Dragon can no longer breathe normally,¡± Zhu Minng told Dean Lv. ¡°No way??¡± Dean Lv¡¯s face was filled with astonishment. ¡°Fighting the Absolute Sea Hawk Emperor, my TianSha Dragon King was also injured, and with that exotic fragrance suppressing us, it has already lost itsbat power. s, we better hide as soon as possible. Without the TianSha Dragon King, I¡¯m just an ordinary person who can¡¯t do anything,¡± Zhu Minng said with a look of despair. ¡°What should we do now!¡± While Dean Lv had been on the brink of tears, when he heard Zhu Minng¡¯s words, the expression on his face didn¡¯t match his words at all. Far from seeming desperate, a hint of glee appeared on his face. Indeed, at that moment, Dean Lv stretched out his hand, summoning a Venom Crowned Red Dragon. This Red Dragon hadntern-like eyes, and within its pupils appeared to be a fluid moving about, truly spooky! ¡°Then I can only rely on myself.¡± Dean Lv continued. Zhu Minng nodded and did not take particr notice as he suddenly summoned the Venom Crowned Red Dragon. ¡°Don¡¯t me me for being ruthless; me yourself for meddling in what isn¡¯t your business!¡± Suddenly, Dean Lv spoke harshly, pointing his finger andmanding the Venom Crowned Red Dragon to pounce on Zhu Minng. ¡°Have you lost your mind??¡± Zhu Minng feigned shock and dismay. ¡°Once you¡¯re dealt with, people will only think the Great Instructor met with an ident in the Absolute Sea,¡± Dean Lv said venomously. ¡°Could it be you who betrayed the Great Instructor??¡± Zhu Minng looked incredulous. ¡°You really are foolish. How did you cultivate to King Level?¡± Dean Lv said coldly. As his voice faded, the Venom Crowned Red Dragon had already pounced in front of Zhu Minng. Just as the Venom Crowned Red Dragon was about to kill Zhu Minng, the tail of the Gctic Chain dropped down suddenly and wrapped precisely around the dragon¡¯s neck!
¡°Crack!!!!¡± With one fierce pull, the neck of the Venom Crowned Red Dragon was twisted off, its long tongue hanging out, and its terrible eyes almost bulging out of their sockets! It was an instant kill! Even the Absolute Sea Hawk Emperor was almost strangled to death by the tail of the TianSha Dragon King, let alone the Venom Crowned Red Dragon having any chance to struggle.
With the Dragon Beast¡¯s death, the bacsh of the severed soul immediately transferred to Dean Lu¡¯s body, turning his face the color of a pig¡¯s liver as he looked at Zhu Minng and the TianSha Dragon hidden in the trees¡­ ¡°So you can¡¯t reach my realm, Dean Lu,¡± Zhu Minng said with a smile. ¡°You¡­ your dragon is already¡­¡± Dean Lu began shaking all over. ¡°I don¡¯t believe a single word you said, yet you believed every word I spoke. The Great Instructor died, I saw it. His Old Sea Dragon exerted itsst bit of strength to drag him to the ind shrouded in strange air, to escape the murderer, but the Great Instructor still met his death.¡± There was a pause, and Zhu Minng felt a moment of sorrow for Great Tutor Lin Zhao, after all, people like Han Wen, Dean He, and Dean Lu were considered his disciples. And these disciples, as it turned out, each harbored their own deceitful schemes. ¡°At first, I was very confused. Given that Great Tutor Lin Zhao was a King-level strongman, how could he be killed so easily? Even if he was ambushed, there shouldn¡¯t be many in the Neon Sea capable of killing a Dragon King Level Great Instructor right away, until I saw youing over. Then, I thought, the food for the Great Tutor Lin Zhao¡¯s Dragon King was prepared by you, you provided the mounts for us to reach this ind, and you left markers along the way for outsiders, which made it much more likely that they were awaiting us outside the ind,¡± continued Zhu Minng. The Great Instructor died tragically. Most likely, there was a traitor. A Dragon King Level Strength could only let down their guard with someone they were most familiar with. Tampering with the food to prevent the Great Instructor¡¯s Dragon King from exerting its full strength. Then taking advantage of when the Great Instructor was dealing with the Absolute Sea Hawk Emperor, to execute a sneak attack and inflict serious injury on Great Tutor Lin Zhao. Of course, the person responsible for the death of the Great Instructor had to possess formidable power, but using such a method ensured a foolproof oue!
Han Wen¡¯s chances of survival were slim, yet this Dean Lu still harbored delusions of deceiving me with his ridiculous excuses¡­ Frankly speaking, Zhu Minng had only been specting initially, unable to determine the facts. He deliberately imed his Dragon King was also in bad shape to see what Dean Lu¡¯s next move would be, which would give him a clear understanding. Setting a simple trap was all it took for Dean Lu to fall right in. Ultimately, it was because Great Tutor Lin Zhao trusted his disciples too much that he met such an end, unlike myself, who from the start never trusted anyone. Suggesting that I should retrieve the Sea-calming Bell instead of leading away the Absolute Sea Hawk Emperor was also out of caution. After all, one or two interactions were insufficient to truly understand a person¡¯s nature; Zhu Minng would not carelessly leave his back in another¡¯s hands. ¡°Your Honor, spare my life, please spare my life!¡± Dean Lu suddenly knelt down, frightened to tears and snot. ¡°Who¡¯s that person outside?¡± Zhu Minng demanded. ¡°Yan Zhen, one of the heads of the nine major ns of the Neon Sea, the Yan n,¡± Dean Lu replied. ¡°What¡¯s the deal with the Sea-calming Bell?¡± Zhu Minng asked. Chapter 408: 410 Voodoo Tide Chapter 408: Chapter 410 Voodoo Tide ¡°Yes¡­ it was Yan Zhen who, for a slight gain, ughtered the Witch People on an ind. Those Witch People carried some sort of curse that could summon the extremely rare Voodoo Tide of the sea. The Voodoo Tide damaged all the coral wood buildings in Neon Sea and also caused many diseases. The Great Instructor hase to know of Yan Zhen¡¯s ughter of the Witch People and ns to take control of the Voodoo Tide after obtaining the Sea-calming Bell, thereby exposing Yan Zhen¡¯s crimes,¡± L¨¹ Yuanxun said. ¡°The Sea-calming Bell can control the Voodoo Tide?¡± Zhu Minng asked. ¡°The Voodoo Tide is actually caused by the cursed blood of those Witch People. Yan Zhen killed them all, the entire ind was covered in blood, which flowed into the streams and into the ocean, creating the Voodoo Tide¡­ This is what I heard the Great Instructor tell me. I was out seeking pleasure while drinking, but I didn¡¯t know that the brothel belonged to the Yan n; the words I said to those wine-serving girls all fell into Yan Zhen¡¯s ears,¡± L¨¹ Yuanxun said, truly looking grief-stricken, and one could also see a hint of regret on his face. Speaking carelessly after drinking, he divulged such crucial information, which brought the catastrophe upon the Great Instructor. The Great Instructor was ready; once he got the Sea-calming Bell, he would be able to extract the cursed blood from the Voodoo Tide and bring to light the chief culprit behind Man City¡¯s suffering from the toxic tide, and punish one of the Nine Tribes¡¯ n leaders. To protect their Yan n¡¯s reputation in Neon Sea, Yan Zhen naturally resorted to murder! ¡°I had no intention of harming the Great Instructor; I merely provided Yan Zhen with a route, and that poisoned food, it wasn¡¯t prepared by me. It was Yan Zhen who poisoned it; I really didn¡¯t mean to kill the Great Instructor, and I didn¡¯t expect Yan Zhen to be so malicious. At first, when he spoke to me, he only mentioned stealing the Sea-calming Bell and nothing more!¡± L¨¹ Yuanxun continued, trying to absolve himself of his wicked actions. ¡°What about Han Wen, is she still alive?¡± Zhu Minng asked. ¡°She escaped, hiding on the ind just like you. She carries a Life-preserving Charm; once it shines, Han Wen can teleport far away. I couldn¡¯t catch up with her, but she entered the territory of the Absolute Sea Hawk Emperor with injuries on her body. The Absolute Sea Hawk Emperor is very familiar with her blood. I guess she won¡¯t live long,¡± L¨¹ Yuanxun said. ¡°Indeed, but she should outlive you,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°No!!!!¡±
The tail of the Heavenly ughter Dragon had already wrapped around L¨¹ Yuanxun¡¯s neck. With a casual tug, L¨¹ Yuanxun¡¯s short neck was twisted and broken! Zhu Minng didn¡¯t need to determine the truth of L¨¹ Yuanxun¡¯s words; this person, whether by ident or malice, had sought to endanger him¡ªthat was a fact. Such a person didn¡¯t deserve to live, wasting the fresh air of Man City. He was more suited to this Magic Ind, where the leaves and air both reeked of decay¡ªafter all, it matched the corruption in his heart. He searched the body. Zhu Minng discovered that L¨¹ Yuanxun actually carried quite a few Beads! This guy clearly had enough Beads but had always kept them hidden on himself. This put Zhu Minng in a somewhat better mood; these Beads would be enough to rid the Heavenly ughter Dragon of the negative effects brought by the strange aroma! ¡­ ¡­ White clouds floated above the Blue Sea Demon Ind, and from a high vantage point, the ind didn¡¯t look much different from a normal primal ind; even initially smelling the strange fragrance wouldn¡¯t necessarily alert one to being in a poisoned state. In the dense clouds, a man dressed in ck robes and wearing a ck mask stood suspended in the air. A Tyrant Blood Evil Dragon was by his side, its fearsome ws capable of ripping bodies apart. Even when not attacking, the sh of metal upon its contact echoed an eerie sound that would surely send chills down one¡¯s spine in the dead of night. He looked down at the ind from a distance, one hand holding the Three-color Sea Control Bell. ¡°Father, who is that person that appeared beside Great Tutor Lin Zhao? Is he also a student of the Great Tutor?¡± A young man also stood atop the cloud mass, inquiring. ¡°How could a person who can contend with the Absolute Sea Hawk Emperor be just a student? This damn L¨¹ fatso, he failed to inform us that such a person existed,¡± Yan Zhen said. ¡°It seems Lin Zhao didn¡¯t tell him, and L¨¹ the Fatty only found out just before we set out; otherwise, with his current predicament, how would he dare deceive us?¡± Yan Xu said. ¡°He¡¯s hiding on the ind now, and it¡¯s not easy for us to deal with him,¡± Yan Zhen said coldly. Yan Zhen didn¡¯t want to take any chances. Once on Magic Ind, without the prepared grass beads, he would notst long. If he were entangled by the Absolute Sea Hawk Emperor or that mysterious man, unable to get away, then as time slipped away, he would be the one in greater danger.
Great Tutor Lin Zhao was already dead. The Sea-calming Bell was in his own hands. Even if one or two survivors remained, it was irrelevant; they had no evidence whatsoever that he was behind all this. Of course, to be safe, it would be better not to leave any survivors.
¡°Let¡¯s just keep watch outside for a few days. We won¡¯t need to lift a finger; the Absolute Sea Hawk Emperor will kill them all,¡± Yan Zhen said with a cruel smile. ¡°Father, do you really think the Sea-calming Bell can control the Voodoo Tide? The Voodoo Tide is so powerful¡ªif we could control it at will, wouldn¡¯t all the nations of the Neon Sea have to obey us?¡± Yan Xu asked. ¡°Wasn¡¯t our original trip to that ind to find this tidal secret art? No wonder no matter how we killed them, they wouldn¡¯t say anything. As it turns out, the Voodoo Tide is formed by the sea sacrifice of their blood. With this thing, our Yan n can soon dominate all the tribes of the Neon Sea. Those kings, monarchs, and queens will all have to kneel at our feet!¡± A gleam shone in Yan Zhen¡¯s eyes. ¡°Heh heh, that little queen of Xia Yu¡­ She actually dared to p me. All I did was ask her toe drink with me, and she had the nerve to p me several times. I¡¯ll make sure to p her back¡ªhard¡ªelsewhere on her body!¡± Yan Xu revealed a lecherous smile. ¡°Ever since their Xia Yu royal family dared to show us disdain, they were destined to be our ves,¡± said Yan Zhen. ¡­ ¡­ In the swampy area, the stench of decay was growing thicker. Just as Great Tutor Lin Zhao had feared, the longer time went on, the stronger the strange fragrance and stench from the ind would be, making it impossible for normal creatures to survive here! Zhu Minng made his way through the swamp, collecting as many wild grass beads as possible, not knowing how long the enemy would be waiting outside. As he walked, suddenly there was a muffled boom in the sky. Before Zhu Minng could react, a piercingly shrill cry exploded over the treetops, like thunder striking, almost causing Zhu Minng to faint. Absolute Sea Hawk Emperor! This sinister and cunning ancient monster had waited till his luck had run out to make its move.
Zhu Minng looked up to see the Absolute Sea Hawk Emperor¡¯s glittering golden body, its majestic and dominant feathers, and those ferocious and terrifying ws, which seemed to be grasping a person¡­ Han Wen! The person in the ws of the Absolute Sea Hawk Emperor was none other than Han Wen. Han Wen was alive or dead, Zhu Minng didn¡¯t know. The Absolute Sea Hawk Emperor must have recovered and specifically waited until the fragrance thickened to start its revenge hunt! Chapter 409 - 411: Convincing Performance Chapter 409: Chapter 411: Convincing Performance Treacherous and sneaky. Moreover, while Zhu Minng was wandering through Magic Ind, he felt more than once that he was under the surveince of the Absolute Sea Hawk Emperor. It did not act like a dominator of this maritime area, but rather like a mouse hiding in the gutter, only daring to swagger when powerful creatures like the Dragon Lion were weakened and fell. Zhu Minng hid within the rocks of Shishan, and the Absolute Sea Hawk Emperor dived from a high ce. Its golden beak struck the rocks, and the mountainside immediately shattered. Zhu Minng slid into the valley along the tilted mountainside, narrowly avoiding being buried by the rolling rocks. Seeing Zhu Minng in such a sorry state, the Absolute Sea Hawk Emperor pursued him relentlessly. Of course, it also knew what it feared most was the TianSha Dragon King by Zhu Minng¡¯s side¡­ ¡­ It was not until he reached the bottom of the valley that Zhu Minng called out the Heavenly ughter Dragon. The Heavenly ughter Dragon¡¯s appearance this time was not as majestic and powerful as before; even the pping of its wings seemed somewhat feeble. It did not choose to sh head-on with the Absolute Sea Hawk Emperor, but instead used the dark and theplex terrain of the valley to contend with it. The Absolute Sea Hawk Emperor, after several probing attempts and seeing that the Heavenly ughter Dragon truly appeared sick and weak, casually threw Han Wen onto a pine tree, and then dived towards the constantly copsing valley! The valley had severalyers: the uppermost consisted of cliffs extending from high mountain rocks, steep and towering, some even bridged across the valley like an overpass. The middleyer wasposed of interwoven vines and ancient vine trees, almost forming a hugework of trees stretching across the space between the valley and the peaks. The lowestyer held the dark valleys, rivers, and crevices. Some were bottomless, others winding and intricate, with some forming dark caves. Right now, the Heavenly ughter Dragon was in theseplex subterranean regions. The Absolute Sea Hawk Emperor, as the dominant force in the sky, did not possess the agility of the Heavenly ughter Dragon below theplex earth¡¯s surface. The Absolute Sea Hawk Emperor, unable to dive directly into those cracks and caverns, simply kept ascending, and then plummeted down, whipping upyers of golden energy in an attempt to destroy the entire ind valley! It was aware that the Heavenly ughter Dragon¡¯s abilities had beenrgely suppressed by the exotic fragrance and that it had to take advantage of this moment to kill it! As the valley was being destroyed, it became utterly chaotic. The peaks and rock formations of the higheryers also kept copsing, bringing with them the canopies of trees and vines into the deep valley¡­ With nowhere to hide, the Heavenly ughter Dragon had to face the onught head-on. It spread its wings, releasing thousands of destructive beams! Normally, the star patterns on the wings of the Heavenly ughter Dragon could emit nearly ten thousand beams simultaneously, capable of reducing a city to ashes under its might. But it appeared weak and exhausted. This attack could not truly harm the Absolute Sea Hawk Emperor, which dodged and suddenly began to circle around the space within a dozen miles of the Heavenly ughter Dragon. In the process of its flight, the airstream stirred by the Absolute Sea Hawk Emperor caused the river water below to be drawn upwards by this force! The Absolute Sea Hawk Emperor¡¯s speed increased, and the river water from the valley unexpectedly began to flow upstream along its flight path, gradually fashioning a colossal river cage, trapping the Heavenly ughter Dragonpletely inside! The river lifted into the air continued topress, baptizing the Heavenly ughter Dragon which opened its mouth trying to spit out Dragon me to shatter the massive river cage. However, what it emitted was a corrupt gas, as if its chest was filled with this waste gas! The eyes of the Absolute Sea Hawk Emperor gleamed with brighter light. The Heavenly ughter Dragon had little strength left! This was an excellent opportunity to kill it!! The caged river assaulted the Heavenly ughter Dragon, leaving it covered in wounds. Its scales hadpletely lost their luster, including the Dark Crystal Horns on its head, which resembled ordinary grey rocks without any distinction! The Heavenly ughter Dragon staggered and swayed, its aura even weaker after being battered and suppressed by the river current, finding it challenging to even maintain an upright stance. It swung its tail, attempting to flee¡­ This scene was all too familiar to the Absolute Sea Hawk Emperor! Back when it was merely an ordinary male hawk, it would hunt poisonous snakes on the vast ins. Once a snake lowered its body and writhed, half its length skittering across the ground in panic, it was a sign of utter desperation! A Dragon King?? On this Magic Ind, it was no more than a brightly patterned little winged serpent! The Absolute Sea Hawk Emperor pursued its victory, its wings beating low as it flew. The harsh grating of its diamond ws against the rocks on the ground created an ear-piercing noise that made its prey even more panicked and erratic! Chasing to the end of the valley, where a crevasse waterfally, the Absolute Sea Hawk Emperor suddenly elerated. Its wings tilted to the sides, maintaining high speed and keeping parallel to the riverbed, as its sharp ws precisely aimed for the head of the Heavenly ughter Dragon!! This strike was fatal enough to gouge out the brains of the Dragon King! At the same time, however, the TianSha Dragon King violently twisted its body. The previously lusterless Dark Crystal Horn suddenly emitted an ominous, dense light, stabbing fiercely at the underside of the Absolute Sea Hawk Emperor like a long spear! The Absolute Sea Hawk Emperor was shocked. How had the Heavenly ughter Dragon suddenly be lively as a dragon?! The Absolute Sea Hawk Emperor hastily dodged sideways, avoiding the sudden and sinister shine of the horn strike. But the TianSha Dragon King suddenly spread its colorful Starry Sky Evil Wings, with each star pattern emitting a restless energy never seen before, as a dense aura of destruction came surging forth!! ck transformation beam!! Over ten thousand beams, even more fierce than during their initial sh, shone like a sky full of dark stars of destruction, their terrifying force focused on a tiny area and piercing through the entirety of the Absolute Sea Hawk Emperor!! The golden feathers turned into nothingness. The tough eagle hide turned into nothingness! The Absolute Sea Hawk Emperor let out a scream as it was riddled with countless holes by the ck transformation beam in an instant, its feathers and skin all disintegrated, leaving it a bloodied, featherless vulture¡­ The Absolute Sea Hawk Emperor, having lived more than twenty thousand years as a Holy Spirit, still harbored a sliver of survival instinct amidst such agony. As it screamed, it let out a cry from its throat, a sound more terrifying than thunder. The close-range st was so headache-inducingly intense that Zhu Minng felt like his eardrums would burst. The Heavenly ughter Dragon was dazed by the Sound Explosion Shock Thunder. By the time it somewhat recovered, the Absolute Sea Hawk Emperor had already dived into the Crevasse waterfall, nning to use the river¡¯s flow to escape into the ocean. The Absolute Sea Hawk Emperor could harness water, and once in the sea, it might survive this ordeal. ¡°Still trying to run? Do you know how hard I had to act?¡± Zhu Minng sneered coldly. The Heavenly ughter Dragon immediately approached the Crevasse waterfall. It raised its head, a tremendous energy pulsating in its throat! ¡°Whoosh!!!!!!!!¡± A st of Extinguishing Star Dragon me was spewed down the tilting waterfall, instantly recing the majestic cascade¡­ The waterfall poured into the pond, which then flowed into the estuary. With that powerful st of Dragon me from the Heavenly ughter Dragon, the waterfall turned a molten, flowing ck, as if volcanicva. The mes transformed the waterfall into a curtain of fire. It set the deep pool aze, turning it into a furnace and instantly converting the small estuary into a sea of ck fire!! The Absolute Sea Hawk Emperor had nowhere to hide¡­ It endured the most excruciating burning in the stream of Dragon me. Without its feathers and skin, its bloodied, bald body was rapidly eroded by the Dragon me, its form consumed by the intense heat! The Holy Spirit, which had lived for over twenty thousand years, ultimately couldn¡¯t escape the merciless Dragon me of the Heavenly ughter Dragon. It gradually lost its life force in the river of ck mes! Chapter 410 - 412: This is Called Wisdom Chapter 410: Chapter 412: This is Called Wisdom ¡­ Standing at the mouth of the waterfall, Zhu Minng extended his left palm, umting his spiritual power at the center of his palm, and began to extract the lost soul of the Holy Spirit with over twenty thousand years of cultivation base, bit by bit. Soul Collecting Pearl Brewing! These 25,000-year-old soul beads were simply too tempting, Zhu Minng¡¯s excited little hands were even trembling slightly. Meanwhile, the Heavenly ughter Dragon spread its wings, erecting those blood-sucking feather scales. While Zhu Minng was engaged in Soul Collecting Pearl Brewing, the Heavenly ughter Dragon sucked away all the Holy Spirit Blood of the Absolute Sea Hawk Emperor! For the Heavenly ughter Dragon, blood over ten thousand years old was satisfying enough for its pte, let alone over twenty thousand years¡ªit was a gluttonous feast. It so delighted in drinking blood, its long tail moved joyfully, indulging in it as if intoxicated. The dragon¡¯s blood-sucking feather scales were changing, bing obviously different, turning from dappled and dazzling to a resplendent, dazzling color. From a distance, it looked like countless dark jade crystals hanging from a cave ceiling, a feast for the eyes that was also a pleasure to behold! After Zhu Minng finished the Soul Collecting Pearl Brewing, the Heavenly ughter Dragon also indulged in a satisfying feast. ¡°What did I say, as long as you show your strength, it definitely won¡¯t use its full force against you, and it might even turn and flee,¡± Zhu Minng said to the Heavenly ughter Dragon. The Heavenly ughter Dragon nodded vigorously. Humans, indeed cunning and insidious. Of course, most of the credit goes to my own Dragon King¡¯s exquisite acting skills! ¡°I can know what you think in your heart; this is called wisdom,¡± Zhu Minng said, a bit irritably. ¡°Hmph~~~~¡± the Heavenly ughter Dragon expressed that it hadn¡¯t intended to hide its true inner thoughts anyway. ¡°Although you are not stupid, humans possess much wisdom that has been passed down, like military strategy, tactics, psychological warfare, and so on¡ªthere is still a lot for you to learn. You are not invincible with just the Dragon King¡¯s Cultivation Base At your disposal. Look at the Absolute Sea Hawk Emperor, it clearly can¡¯t beat you, but it managed to fight you evenly,¡± Zhu Minng started to preach. The Heavenly ughter Dragon let out a satisfied belch and simply pretended not to hear, ignoring Zhu Minng indifferently. ¡°I always feel like there¡¯s something very important, but I can¡¯t remember what it is at the moment,¡± Zhu Minng muttered to himself. ¡°Hmph~¡± the Heavenly ughter Dragon lifted its head, facing a giant pine tree in the far-off valley. ¡°Han Wen, oh, why didn¡¯t you remind me earlier!¡± Zhu Minng pped his forehead and quickly hopped onto the Heavenly ughter Dragon¡¯s back, directing it towards the giant pine tree. The Heavenly ughter Dragon looked annoyed. Everyone was immersed in the joy of harvesting spoils of war¡ªwhat right did you have tomand me! ¡­ Upon reaching the giant pine tree, Zhu Minng saw a slender woman hanging from a branch. She was in an unconscious state, with some wounds on her body and her clothes a bit tattered, looking like she had been escaping for some time on this Magic Ind before being caught by the Absolute Sea Hawk Emperor in the end. Fortunately, she was still breathing. Zhu Minng first gave her some water, then treated some of her wounds to prevent them from worsening. He took out a string of Strung Grass Beads and hung them around Han Wen¡¯s neck. With the fresh scent in her nose, Han Wen¡¯s breathing gradually stabilized. ¡°Good thing the collegial envoy sent the Strung Grass Beads quickly, bringing me so many. Otherwise, I would have been left for dead here,¡± Zhu Minng picked up Han Wen and ced her on the Heavenly ughter Dragon¡¯s back. It was good that she was not dead. The Great Tutor Lin Zhao must have blessed Han Wen from heaven, allowing her to escape death under these circumstances. Bringing Han Wen into the tree hollow, Zhu Minng checked the number of Strung Grass Beads. There should be enough for two more days for two people. As for the Heavenly ughter Dragon, if it were to maintain itsbat strength, it would have to collect a sufficient number of wild grass beads. Strangely enough, Zhu Minng found that his need for Strung Grass Beads had decreased significantly these past days. He didn¡¯t even need Strung Grass Beads anymore, as long as he didn¡¯t step into areas with dense decay and kept his breathing regr, he wouldn¡¯t feel dizzy or disoriented. Could it be that this exotic fragrance is not truly poisonous? Is it just a matter of needing to adapt? Otherwise, how do the other creatures on Magic Ind survive? ¡°Regardless, it¡¯s best to figure out a way to leave this ce. I have no idea whether Yan Zhen has gone or not, but if he¡¯s determined to silence me, I need to adapt to the fragrance here as much as possible.¡± After starting a fire, Zhu Minng processed the hawk meat and found that the taste of this more than twenty thousand years old Hawk Emperor Meat was quite good! Very few people eat hawk meat; not only is it tough to chew, but it also tastes sour. But what¡¯s cultivated is cultivated. Despite being baptized by the ck Dragon me and ostensibly should have tasted burnt and unpleasant, it was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, feeling as though it had been meticulously prepared by a top chef! Hawk Emperor¡¯s Meat, delicious indeed, it¡¯s a pity Big ck Tooth hasn¡¯t broken out of its cocoon, or it would have enjoyed it immensely and grown stronger! Zhu Minng obtained quite a few treasures from the Absolute Sea Hawk Emperor. The most valuable of them was the Hawk Emperor¡¯s Soul Bead, at twenty-five thousand years old, it could easily sell for over a million gold. Then there were the Hawk Emperor¡¯s Golden Beak and ws, both tougher than the most refined metals and could be used to forge Holy Goods weapons. As a Casting Master, Zhu Minng naturally knew their special properties. It was a shame that the golden, splendid hawk feathers had turned ck; these Hawk Emperor¡¯s Feathers must be rare and expensive, too. The rest were some hawk meat, hawk bones, and a Hawk Crown. The bones and crown could probably sell for several hundred thousand gold, after all, they were parts of a twenty-thousand-year-old Holy Spirit, and intact parts of a Holy Spirit have a great market. ¡­ Living inside a tree hollow, Zhu Minng started trying to go without wearing the Strung Grass Beads. If he could adapt, then there was no need to waste the beads; it was best to save them for the Heavenly ughter Dragon as the ultimate safety guarantee. After a day or two, Zhu Minng began to adjust his breathing. When practicing the sword, breath control is very important. Whether you exhale or inhale when you strike makes a big difference in power. So, breath control was not a particrly difficult task for him. After some deep meditation, Zhu Minng realized that the exotic fragrance was indeed not a true poison; it simply numbed a person¡¯s senses and organs through its scent, causing one to breathe in hard, but in reality, nothing was happening. As long as he was aware of this, the impact of the exotic fragrance wasn¡¯t as terrifying as he had imagined. ¡­ Han Wen had been in aa for two days and still hadn¡¯t woken up. Although Zhu Minng had figured out how to ovee the exotic fragrance, he couldn¡¯t teach her if Han Wen didn¡¯t wake up. Moreover, the internal organs also needed time to adapt; if this continued, Han Wen might truly die on the ind. ¡°I need to find another way out. That¡¯s right, it seemed that some of the water at the Fissure Waterfall was seeping underground.¡± Zhu Minng recalled the valley where the Heavenly ughter Dragon fought the Absolute Sea Hawk Emperor. There were cracks in the valley, and water gushed from below, forming a subterranean valley river. Ultimately, all river water has to flow into the sea, so following the underground current beneath those cracks may lead directly into the ocean! ¡°Cough cough~!¡± As he was pondering, a cough sounded. Zhu Minng turned his head and saw that Han Wen had woken up, but she was coughing quite severely. Chapter 411: 413: Mermaid Demon Dragon Chapter 411: Chapter 413: Mermaid Demon Dragon He gave her some water, and Han Wen obviously still wasn¡¯t used to the smell here, nearly fainting several times over. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m not dead??¡± Han Wen looked at Zhu Minng, saying incredulously. She only remembered being knocked unconscious by the wing wind of the Absolute Sea Hawk Emperor, and at the moment she lost all consciousness, she had realized she was unlikely to survive. ¡°The Absolute Sea Hawk Emperor had you in its grasp, showing off triumphantly, probably nning to skewer me and you together for a roast,¡± Zhu Minng said with a smile. ¡°Then how did you¡­¡± Han Wen looked down at the tender meat skewered in her hand, only then realizing something, her mouth agape in surprise, and it took her a moment to say, ¡°You killed it, the Absolute Sea Hawk Emperor, you killed it and saved me??¡± ¡°Yes, its meat tastes pretty good. You haven¡¯t eaten in a few days, eat more to replenish your strength, we might have to swim a long distanceter,¡± Zhu Minng said. Han Wen looked at the roast eagle meat, hardly believing that she was gnawing on a barbecue made from a 25,000-year-old eagle, greasy but not oily, with a fragrance that was pleasant to the nose. Indeed starving, Han Wen quickly filled her stomach and drank a lot of water, which made herplexion look somewhat normal again. ¡°I¡¯ll go look for a way out, you rest here, wait for me toe back,¡± Zhu Minng told Han Wen. ¡°Can I¡­ can I go with you? I¡¯m a bit scared,¡± Han Wen said as it was getting dark, feeling no sense of security while alone in this tree hole. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I had the Heavenly ughter Dragon urinate around in the vicinity, any creature with a brain that has evolved to this era wouldn¡¯te close after smelling the Dragon King¡¯s scent,¡± Zhu Minng said.
Of course, Zhu Minng needed to move at night. If he could find a way out, there was no need to linger any longer on this ind. ¡­ Han Wen sat in the tree hole, her gaze fixed on the slightly flickering mes. She remembered the words the Great Tutor Lin Zhao had said¡­ She had been afraid to ask, to inquire about the condition of Great Tutor Lin Zhao. But seeing Zhu Minng was also avoiding the matter, she could guess what had happened. The father and son of the Yan Zhen and Yan Xu were truly despicable, following them all this way and still intent on killing to silence them! Fortunately, on this trip, the only ones who knew Zhu Minng would be joining them were her and Great Tutor Lin Zhao. Even if the Great Instructor had colluded with them, he probably didn¡¯t expect Zhu Minng to be in the team. After a spell of chaotic thoughts, Han Wen felt tired again. She closed her eyes and fell into a drowsy sleep. She didn¡¯t know how much time had passed when she heard some noise outside and instantly woke up, her body covered in cold sweat. ¡°It¡¯s me, I¡¯ve found the way, let¡¯s leave now while the night is still deep,¡± Zhu Minng stood at the entrance of the tree hole, looking at the startled Han Wen. ¡°Okay¡­¡± ¡°Do you have a Lan Dragon?¡± Zhu Minng asked. ¡°Yes!¡± Han Wen nodded. ¡°That¡¯s good. We can leave through the deep water area,¡± Zhu Minng nodded. He had found a crack in the ind, and just as he had guessed, the crack led to the ocean. As long as they had a dragon that could swim, they could leave with ease. ¡­ At the crack, the ice-cold seawater filled the fissure, and the gloomy underwater gave one a feeling of fear.
Zhu Minng had only roughly checked it out and, seeing the undercurrents alternating in the water, knew it led to the ocean. Han Wen summoned a Mermaid Demon Dragon. This Mermaid Demon Dragon had a body size not very different from a human¡¯s, with hair made of coral seaweed and a face simr to a woman¡¯s, except that the features were t and seemed wrapped in ayer of membrane. Its figure was graceful, but its skin was covered in purple Dragon Scales, so much so that, if not observed closely, one might even mistake it for a seductive woman dressed in purple Scale Armor.
Its seaweed-like long hair was spread out, and its eyes were somewhat terrifying. Its lower limbs were that of a Dragon, the tail of an Azure Dragon. With a light leap into the dark and silent fissure pool, the Mermaid Demon Dragon let out a singing-like call, signaling for the two to follow it. Zhu Minng and Han Wen both jumped into the water. The originally bone-chillingly cold sea water became somewhat warm after being filtered by the Mermaid Demon Dragon. Meanwhile, the Sea Demon Dragon was parting the water in front of it, creating a gond-like space with air, allowing Zhu Minng and Han Wen to avoid direct contact with the powerfully resistant sea water. ¡°A Dragon transformed from a sea demoness, this Mermaid Demon Dragon of yours is quite rare,¡± Zhu Minng said. This gond space allowed Zhu Minng to easilymunicate with Han Wen. ¡°The Mermaid Demons are actually very kind-hearted, but they have always been seen as disasters in the Neon Sea by the major ns, causing massive ships to sink, summoning tsunamis, and even leading men to their deaths in underwater currents¡­¡± Han Wen said. ¡°You can tell, it¡¯s a very adorable Little Demon Dragon,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°They too have been through massacres, just like those poor people on Witch Ind. Before, Mermaid Demons were asionally seen in deep-sea areas, but now they¡¯re basically gone,¡± Han Wen sighed softly. ¡°I found out some things from the patrol at the academy, was it Yan Zhen who killed Great Tutor Lin Zhao?¡± Zhu Minng asked. Han Wen nodded her head. This venture to the sea in search of the Sea-calming Bell was to bring down Yan Zhen.
Yan Zhen was an extremely cruel person who, for the interests of the Yan n, stopped at nothing. In the unknown regions of the Neon Sea, he had mercilessly conducted ughters more than once. Great Tutor Lin Zhao had repeatedly made public usations against Yan Zhen, but there was never any solid evidence. Finally having the chance to expose all of Yan Zhen¡¯s vile deeds through the Voodoo Tide, he was tragically murdered! Of course, what angered Han Wen the most was the traitor from the academy patrol. Great Tutor Lin Zhao had always been cautious and never gave Yan Zhen a chance to scheme against him, little did he know that one of his most trusted students would betray him! ¡°The Sea-calming Bell was stolen by the academy patrol and given to Yan Zhen. Now we can only return like a stray dog, and it would be meaningless to report this matter to the academy¡¯s senior management,¡± Han Wen said reluctantly. Great Tutor Lin Zhao died like this on Magic Ind, and his remains couldn¡¯t even be retrieved. If Yan Zhen did not pay the price, Han Wen would never be able to let go for the rest of her life! ¡°Actually, there are two Sea-calming Bells,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°What?¡± ¡°I said, there are two Sea-calming Bells. I took off both of them. At the time you said you needed only one, so I gave you only one, nning to keep the other for my own use,¡± Zhu Minng said. Han Wen looked at Zhu Minng, her surprised face slowly filling with joy. Zhu Minng took out another Three-color Sea Control Bell.
Han Wen, seeing the Sea-calming Bell, excitedly threw herself onto Zhu Minng, embracing him. This is a thousand meters under water, what are you thinking, girl! ¡°This is great! With this, Yan Zhen won¡¯t be able to escape punishment this time, and Great Tutor Lin Zhao will not die in vain!¡± Han Wen said. ¡°Yeah, yeah, but let me go first; you¡¯re crushing me and I can¡¯t breathe,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°Mr. Zhu, please let me borrow this Sea-calming Bell to deal with Yan Zhen. After everything is over, I will return it to you!¡± Han Wen said earnestly. Chapter 412: 414 The Great Black Cocoon Chapter 412: Chapter 414 The Great ck Cocoon Han Wen was more sensible and also understood that Zhu Minng, as an outsider, had already shownpassion and righteousness. The Three-color Sea Control Bell was indeed a treasure, and even if she needed it to confront Yan Zhen, she could not im it as her own. ¡°Go ahead and use it. Such a brutal person should not be allowed to roam free with impunity,¡± Zhu Minng nodded and said. They swam far out, and even if Yan Zhen possessed remarkable abilities, he would not be able to detect them deep in the sea at night. Zhu Minng and Han Wen followed the Mermaid Demon Dragon, continuously diving. Even after leaving Magic Ind, they stayed underwater as much as possible. It was only when the Mermaid Demon Dragon¡¯s energy was exhausted that they surfaced. The night was pitch-ck, with no glimmer of stars or moonlight visible. The sky and the ocean merged into one dark expanse. As Zhu Minng emerged from the water, he immediately felt a breath of incredibly fresh air rush into his nose, making him instantly invigorated, as if all the fatigue and soreness in his body were swept away. Usually unnoticed, but after being tainted by the odor of the ind for a while and almost getting used to its strange smell, one could truly appreciate what sweet maritime air smelled like! Once they left the Absolute Sea, the two did not stop until they returned to Man City, where they finally took a deep breath of relief. ¡°Mr. Zhu, I¡¯m very sorry to have involved you in this trouble. The Yan n is powerful and especially domineering and fierce among the Nine Tribes of Neon Sea. Both Great Tutor Lin Zhao and I did not wish to involve you. Lu Yuanxun is already dead, and he probably didn¡¯t fully understand your identity, so you can continue to stay in the Dragon Taming High Court at ease. I will handle Yan Zhen¡¯s matter properly,¡± Han Wen said. Behind Han Wen was the Han n, also one of the Nine Tribes of Neon Sea.
Having survived this time, she was sure tounch a counterattack against Yan n! Zhu Minng nodded. It wasn¡¯t that Zhu Minng was afraid ofplications, but the Heavenly ughter Dragon was not always willing to cooperate. Before the other dragons had fully awakened and been nurtured, it was better to stay concealed. Remaining a student at the Dragon Taming High Court was certainly the safest option. As long as Han Wen didn¡¯t speak up, there would be no so-called ¡°experienced master.¡± ¡°If there is anything I can help with, you cane to me,¡± Zhu Minng said politely. ¡°You¡¯ve already helped us a lot; I dare not trouble you further. Great Tutor Lin Zhao will not have died in vain. Our Han n and the Dragon Taming High Court will surely seek justice from the Yan n!¡± Han Wen said with firm determination. Zhu Minng said no more, seeing that Han Wen¡¯s respect and admiration for the Great Tutor came from the heart. His death had dealt her a heavy blow. ¡­ Upon returning to his own residence, Zhu Minng also fell into a deep sleep. He had been truly exhausted these past few days. It wasn¡¯t that the situations were particrly absurd or difficult to deal with, but rather the environment of Magic Ind. He didn¡¯t know how long he had slept for, but when he opened his eyes, there was dawn light on the horizon, shining over from a range of coastal mountains in Man City. Zhu Minng woke up, his mind very clear. He suddenly remembered the box that Great Tutor Lin Zhao had given him at the end. He took the box out and ced it on his knees. Zhu Minng found that the box was indeed special¡ªsmall, sturdy, and the space inside was muchrger than he had imagined. It must be that cunning craftsmen had applied some techniques, allowing the box to hold more content. Zhu Minng took out the item inside. It was a piece of Phoenix Nest! Moreover, the age of this Phoenix Nest was even greater than the one collected by Runyu City, and just by gently cing it in the palm of your hand, you could feel an energy like an active spirit eager to leap out from within. Great Tutor Lin Zhao had already prepared in advance the item he¡¯d promised himself.
It was unclear whether it was his sincerity in dealings or a premonition that he would encounter misfortune. With this Phoenix Nest, another dragon could break free from its cocoon! Zhu Minng immediately used his Spiritual Sense to perceive, wanting to know what kind of energy was contained within. ¡°Strange, this Phoenix Nest doesn¡¯t seem to have any special attribute; it¡¯s just a pure quality Phoenix Nest. If anything, it exudes an aura of ancient life.¡±
Zhu Minng originally wanted to ask Mr. Jinli for specifics, as even he couldn¡¯t judge who would benefit more from this Phoenix Nest. But as Zhu Minng was sensing the Phoenix Nest, a certain dark dragon cocoon in the Spirit Realm suddenly twitched. Zhu Minng thought he had imagined it, but in a little while, the ck dragon cocoon moved again, as if the big fellow inside wanted to break out! It was Big ck Tooth. This guy seemed to havepleted its regression period. After its regression, it seemed different from the other dragons; it exuded a vibrant life force, and it seemed impatient to emerge! ¡°Alright, alright, I will get it ready for you,¡± Zhu Minng said with a wry smile. True to your nature, Big ck Tooth, neither Little White nor Sword Spirit Dragon showed any activity, seemingly still needing more time for regression and transformation, especially Little White, who likely was as weak as a tiny sea louse right now, while Big ck Tooth was already lively inside the dragon cocoon! Although the Phoenix Nest was aged, given the bloodline level that Little White was about to transform into, it was doubtful that consuming the Phoenix Nest would allow it to break free from the cocoon, moreover, it didn¡¯t seem quite suitable for Little White, who possessed three kinds of attributes. As for the Metal Sword Bolls that the Sword Spirit Dragon turned into, Zhu Minng was very skeptical that the Phoenix Nest would have any effect on it¡­ Big ck Tooth¡¯s previous bloodline wasn¡¯t high, which made its regression period shorter, and with this pure Phoenix Nest, it was believed that it would be able to break out of its cocoon immediately! One more dragon meant one more assurance, Zhu Minng stopped overthinking and consumed the Phoenix Nest, then began to guide the energy of the Phoenix Nest into Big ck Tooth¡¯s ck dragon cocoon. During this process, Zhu Minng focused intently and also proceeded gradually. As strong as Big ck Tooth was, it was ultimately no different from a young dragon inside an eggshell, and so had to be treated with patience and gentleness.
¡°Okay, I¡¯ve fed it all to you, just be patient for a few more days, and you will be able toe out,¡± he said. Afterpleting the guidance, Zhu Minng breathed a sigh of relief, also curious about what Big ck Tooth would look like once it emerged from the cocoon¡­ At first, it was just a Little Crocodile Spirit, in the Reserve Dragons Storage Hall of the Dragon Taming High Court and those big markets of White Heavenly Street, it was considered very ordinary among Juvenile Spirits, not a high start. But after experiencing this Reincarnation Transformation, it was believed that it would start on an extraordinary path and wouldn¡¯t have to struggle under the Dragon Gate anymore; it would be born as a Young Dragon. Big ck Tooth inside the dragon cocoon was very active. It felt like it was about to burst through the dragon cocoon. Moreover, it was even more eager to show Zhu Minng its appearance after its Reincarnation Transformation, as if certain it could give Zhu Minng a big surprise. Zhu Minng could already sense some of Big ck Tooth¡¯s emotions, and couldn¡¯t help feeling expectant! Perhaps Big ck Tooth would be something different from the rest! Chapter 413: 415 Little Black Dragon Chapter 413: Chapter 415 Little ck Dragon ¡­ Above the Absolute Sea, an extremely cold air current swept in from the Ice Destion Sea Area, beyond the Neon Sea, transforming into a high-altitude ice hailstorm. The merciless hail cascaded down, severely affecting some shark groups within the ocean of the Absolute Sea. As the ice hail rained down ferociously, a Tyrant Blood Evil Dragon was frantically seeking shelter. Although it was a Dragon King creature, the icy chill was its most detested sensation¡­ And on the back of the Tyrant Blood Evil Dragon stood a man. His beard was thick and filthy, and his hair appeared curly and foul-smelling due to ack of washing for a long time. His entire body emitted an odor mixed with sweat and dirt, resembling an animal dragged to the market for sale, and even his shiny clothing had be ragged and wrinkled due to the continuous changes in the weather. This man was none other than Yan Zhen. In order not to let those two people escape the ind, Yan Zhen had been guarding here for over half a month. He was a stubborn and cautious man. He didn¡¯t want to leave any hidden dangers. So even if he had to live like a wild man here, he would wait for the people on the ind toe out. ¡°Dad, let¡¯s go back. I can¡¯t hold on any longer. I¡¯ve almost forgotten what meat tastes like. I don¡¯t want to eat those wild fruits anymore that give me diarrhea as soon as I swallow them,¡± Yan Xu pleaded.
¡°I¡¯ve already sent people to search the ind. We can only go back once we¡¯ve confirmed that they¡¯re dead,¡± Yan Zhen said. ¡°Dad, they¡¯re definitely dead. The stench on Magic Ind alone is enough to suffocate them, and their bodies will never be found. They must have been devoured by the powerful demons on Magic Ind, leaving not even bones or scraps,¡± Yan Xu said with a mournful face. ¡°Xu¡¯er, in addition to being ruthless and decisive, you must also be meticulous and careful in your work. Everything I¡¯ve done in the Neon Sea has been earth-shattering, but over the years, how many people have truly brought us trouble? To eliminate the weeds, you must pull them out by the roots; this is the secret to my never failing as I walk through the conflicts of Neon Sea over the years. You must never disregard someone just because they are a minor character¡­¡± Yan Zhen said sternly, his words carrying an inherent authority that came with his King-level strength. However, from the outside, Yan Zhen now looked no different than a street beggar¡ªutterly disheveled. ¡°Report, n leader, Han Wen has already returned to the Man City Han n, and it seems he has brought usations against your actions. If you don¡¯t return to confront him soon, the outside world may start believing you have fled out of guilt,¡± a man in ck clothing flew in to report. ¡°What??¡± Yan Zhen¡¯s eyes widened in shock. In fact, if Yan Zhen had just guarded for a few more days, he would have believed that the people on the ind could not possibly be alive. But this oue was something Yan Zhen had never imagined! Han Wen had already returned to Man City? And not just for a day or two. Then what had he been guarding here for?? All the days he had spent exposed to the elements, living a life infested with lice, had they all been for naught! ¡°Dad, can we go back now?¡± Yan Xu said. ¡°Damn it, damn it, how did she escape!¡± Yan Zhen was so furious he was virtually smoking from the ears. ¡­ ¡­ At the end of winter, a piercing chill struck. This was Zhu Minng¡¯s first time experiencing winter since arriving at the Neon Sea. Frosty mist filled the air, and a thinyer of ice crystals formed on the sea surface, but they quickly melted away.
It is said that the farthest reaches of the Neon Sea is an ice destion sea area, where the extreme ice meets the chilling waters, a ce where humans rarely tread. Zhu Minng sat on the somewhat cold sandy beach early in the morning. As a qualified cultivator, rising early was fundamental. On such a cold day, with the added damp sea breeze, there were few people on the training beach today. The Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon pped its wings and soared, exercising the toughness of its wings against the bone-piercing ice winds high in the sky. Zhu Minng required it to hold its position like a kite, no matter how biting the high-altitude cold winds were, it could not veer off course or retreat¡­
Little Wild Jiao dared not enter the water, it was really too cold. ustomed to swimming in warm waters, it initially resisted as well. But seeing how majestic its big brother, the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon, was, Little Wild Jiao eventually plunged into the seawater and constantly fought against the rolling tides. For Little Glow Spirit, training was very simple. It stood on a reef, singing into the sea like a song, and thus the spiritual energy of the ice wind and the breath of the tides slowly adhered to its blue fur. After arranging the training tasks for each of the dragon babies, Zhu Minng sat down beside Little Glow Spirit himself, beginning to absorb the nature¡¯s spiritual energy. With the help of Little Glow Spirit, the spiritual energy produced in Zhu Minng¡¯s spiritual spring would be purer, roughly at a speed of a hundred and forty times. Mobile Spirit Well¡­ This title was indeed very apt for Little Glow Spirit. ¡°Oh~~~~~~~~~¡± Suddenly, a howl came from the Spirit Realm. Zhu Minng hurriedly went to investigate the Spirit Realm and found that the huge ck dragon cocoon had finally begun to loosen, with clear, visible cracks appearing on the outside of the cocoon and spreading across the entire cocoon. Big ck Tooth was finally going to break out of the cocoon! Zhu Minng felt greatly excited, his eyes intently watching the ck dragon cocoon. The ck dragon cocoon began to break apart, and the first thing to emerge from the crack was a plump w!
This w was sharp and pointed, seemingly already possessing a strong offensive capability upon birth. Zhu Minng watched as the plump sharp w tore arger opening in the cocoon, and then a little ck mass tumbled out from within. It was a little ck dragon. It had no scales or feathers yet, but its skin gave one the impression of toughness, like multipleyers of thick, polished leather. Many ancient dragons had no scales, yet their skin and flesh were extremely tough! The little ck dragon had strong limbs, its neck, spine, and tail bore some resemnce to the Azure Dragon of its early days, but its head and dragon horns werepletely different. Although it still had a crocodile¡¯s long snout, its facial bones resembled a polished ck stone dragon helm, and its entire visage was covered with such material, exuding an air of little majesty! ¡°Oh oh oh~~~~~¡± The little ck dragon kept calling out, eager to break free. Zhu Minng lifted it out from the Spirit Realm and was surprised to find that the newly hatched little ck dragon was already roughly the size of an adult domestic dog. When it was just the Little Crocodile Spirit, Zhu Minng could hold it in the palm of his hand. Now, he had to use both hands to pick it up, and it was not light. Generally, those born withrger bodies would be even more enormous when they matured! Majestic, wild, and courageous, it seemed that Big ck Tooth was set to be an extremely qualified Violent Mad Dragon in this cycle of Reincarnation Transformation! Its facial ck helm was the most peculiar feature, eliminating themon origins of the Crocodile Spirit. It was nowpletely a ck young dragon, with its dragon horns, dragon ws, dragon tail, and dragon pupils all very pronounced. Having just crawled out of the cocoon, it already had the aura of dominance!
Chapter 414: 416: The Hunting Festival Chapter 414: Chapter 416: The Hunting Festival ¡°You¡¯re in luck, I¡¯ve specifically saved some meat for you, twenty-five thousand-year-old Hawk Emperor Meat,¡± Zhu Minng said, looking at Big ck Tooth after its transformation, feeling very satisfied. ck Ancient Dragon. Exactly what species it was, Zhu Minng couldn¡¯t quite identify just yet. After all, this was the Dragon Taming Academy, where one could always find out what this dragon with the domineering helmet-like structure on its head was. Zhu Minng had saved quite a bit of Hawk Emperor Meat. Although Little Wild Jiao also ate meat, it seemed to prefer the meat of creatures from the sea, not showing as much enthusiasm for the meat fromnd. Big ck Tooth, on the other hand, liked the meat fromnd, despite it possessing the bloodline of the Azure Dragon. Hawk Emperor Meat¡­ One piece at a time, Big ck Tooth, freshly broken out of its cocoon, ate with a look of contentment on its face. Recalling its past, when it first crawled out of the Juvenile Spirit Hall, it had topete with a group of barbaric Wolf Spirits for food, which left it covered in wounds, and the only meat it got was from flesh worms. The flesh worms had a lifespan of at most half a month.
The Hawk Emperor, however, lived for twenty-five thousand years, and its meat was extremely nourishing. With every gulp swallowed, Little ck Dragon felt a warmth filling its belly, flowing towards every part of its body¡ªorgans, blood, bones, tendons, muscles, skin! Little ck Dragon indeed inherited its original physique, a true glutton. That meal alone consumed about one-tenth of the Hawk Emperor Meat. Seeing Little ck Dragon finally satisfied, Zhu Minng suddenly fell into deep thought. If in the future Big ck Tooth would only eat Holy Spirits meat, my hunting days would be tough. But that¡¯s not quite right¡­ I just need to find a Holy Spirit. The Heavenly ughter Dragon drinks only blood, Big ck Tooth eats only meat, which actually doesn¡¯t make my hunting more difficult. It¡¯s like hitting several targets with one arrow! ¡°Starting today, I should pay more attention to information on Ten Thousand Year Saint Spirits, and go hunting a few when I have the chance. After all, they are all in need of training,¡± he thought. Hunting could be integrated withbat. For example, sending the Heavenly ughter Dragon after a Ten Thousand Year Saint Spirit wouldn¡¯t be suitable. That kind of high-level suppression in a kill wouldn¡¯t help the Heavenly ughter Dragon at all and could even damage its soul, preventing soul collecting and pearl brewing. Handing over such a Ten Thousand Year Saint Spirit to the now grown Little Qingzhuo and Big ck Tooth would provide not only food but also realbat training, killing two birds with one stone! Just after eating its fill, Little ck Dragon¡¯s body grew! Its bones stretched out, and its body lengthened. The speed at which it digested the meat was astonishing, making Zhu Minng feel a bit incredulous. Just one meal, and it had grown to two and a half meters! This was no longer a house dog, it was a fierce tiger! Eating a lot and growing fast, and given that Big ck Tooth had a very short growth cycle, it probably wouldn¡¯t be long before it reached its growth period. ¡°Now that you¡¯re full, show off your abilities,¡± Zhu Minng said to the Little ck Dragon. Little ck Dragon couldn¡¯t wait.
It looked around, and in the thick fog, Little ck Dragon saw a Fierce Dragon approaching like a predator in search of food. Little ck Dragon immediately pounced, its speed not matching its size at all. Even while running, one could see a force of Ancient Dark Aura cloaking it entirely, making its two-and-a-half-meter-long Young Dragon form as formidable as a ck giant elephant, fierce and menacing! The slowly approaching Fierce Dragon was terrified out of its wits. This Fierce Dragon was merely a mount, its fighting power was only as good as a regr Dragon Son¡¯s. Seeing such a ck Dragon, bearing the shadow of an Ancient Beast, charging at it, it panicked and, like an ostrich, buried its head into the sand!
¡°Big ck Tooth, stop!¡± Zhu Minng hastily called out to the Little ck Dragon. Just hatched from the egg and already trying to hunt a dragon to eat? Unbelievable! If Zhu Minng had been even a bit slower in shouting, Little ck Dragon¡¯s teeth would have sunk into the Fierce Dragon¡¯s neck. It had inherited its battle skills from before; with its current biting force, it could have snapped the Fierce Dragon¡¯s neck in one go, then flung it into the air, shattering all its bones upon impact. Unfortunately, its master called it off. It still wanted to show its master its current hunting abilities¡­ Little ck Dragon stopped its attack, and the Ancient Dark Aura around it disappeared as well. Only then did Little ck Dragon notice that on the back of the Fierce Dragon mount, there was a person. That person had been dismounted by the Fierce Dragon¡¯sical behavior, tumbling down into the sand, looking utterly disheveled. Zhu Minng walked over and helped Luo Shaoyan, who had gotten a mouthful of sand. ¡°Is this your dragon?¡± Luo Shaoyan spit out the sand and asked with a look of astonishment on his face. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s a Little Young Dragon,¡± Zhu Minng nodded in confirmation. ¡°Another¡­ another Young Dragon?¡± Luo Shaoyan scrutinized Little ck Dragon carefully.
So you call a ck Violent Dragon that¡¯s over two meters long, capable of rushing in and biting to death the fierce dragon mount you sit on¡ªa ¡®Little Young Dragon¡¯? What¡¯s little, what¡¯s young about it! ¡°Are you also up early for dragon taming?¡± Zhu Minng chuckled and patted Big ck Tooth¡¯s head. Big ck Tooth loved this kind of petting; it seemed as if just by rubbing its head, its whole body became uncontroblyfortable, and though its head stayed still, the Little ck Dragon¡¯s body had already flipped over, rolling around in the sand. ¡°To make up for the loss I brought youst time, I¡¯ll take you to a more exciting ce,¡± said Luo Shaoyan. ¡°Let¡¯s hear it,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°You know about the Neon Sea Yan n, right?¡± Luo Shaoyan continued. ¡°I¡¯ve heard of them,¡± Zhu Minng nodded. ¡°The Yan n is a rather brutalrge family. They frequently engage in deeds that somewhat contravene humanity. Many countries in their own right are tyrannical and especially endorse the Yan n. Thus, they are a force in Neon Sea that not manymoners dare to provoke,¡± Luo Shaoyan exined. ¡°Get to the point; I¡¯ll see if I¡¯m interested,¡± Zhu Minng wasn¡¯t interested in listening to these background introductions. ¡°They hold a hunting festival every year,¡± said Luo Shaoyan. ¡°A group hunt, to see who can hunt the most demonic beasts? Many ces have that,¡± Zhu Minng remarked. In the Imperial City, those with power and nothing better to do enjoy watching killings; group hunts are the most popr.
You seal off a mountain, then a bunch of people go hunting in the hills, and in the end, whoever brings back the most prey wins. It¡¯s one of the Royal Family¡¯s favorite outdoor sports, more about the ns and sects showing off to one another, really. ¡°No, no, no, what they hunt are not demonic beasts,¡± Luo Shaoyan said with an air of mystery. ¡°Then what are they hunting, wild dragons? I¡¯m not interested,¡± Zhu Minng shook his head. If the stakes are raised, it simply means that the organizers capture wild dragons and then use them as hunting targets. Since dragons are sentient beings, Zhu Minng is quite the humanitarian, and he doesn¡¯t like it. ¡°They hunt people,¡± Luo Shaoyan said in a low voice. ¡°What??¡± Zhu Minng thought he must have misheard. The Neon Sea should count as a civilized kingdom, right? How could they allow the Yan n to openly hunt living humans?? ¡°These people, of course, are not ordinary citizens; they are extremely vicious death-row inmates, or traitors to the nation, or those with serious crimes on the wanted list¡­¡± Chapter 415: 417: Reach Monarch Level Within Three Days Chapter 415: Chapter 417: Reach Monarch Level Within Three Days ¡°` ¡°He really will do just about anything,¡± Zhu Minng said. In a world so vast, truly nothing is impossible. ¡°Let me tell you, these convicts are not your average criminals; they¡¯re all incredibly vicious cultivators with formidable strength. They¡¯re cold-blooded killers, each one a seasoned demon lord. Some of the faint-hearted don¡¯t even dare to watch, let alone participate in this hunting festival,¡± Luo Shaoyan said. ¡°So you¡¯re taking part?¡± Zhu Minng asked with a smile. ¡°Heh, I¡¯ve signed up. I won¡¯t lie to you¡ªI¡¯ve recently taken a liking to a junior at school who¡¯s rather fond of these bloody games. I¡¯ve asked her out for drinks, to admire the plum blossoms, and to hot springs, but she¡¯s not interested. She even challenged me, saying that if I¡¯m really a man, I should join the hunt and rub shoulders with those cold-blooded demon lords¡­¡± Luo Shaoyan said with some embarrassment. ¡°I tend to prefer peace,¡± Zhu Minng said, shaking his head to refuse. ¡°You¡¯re a ck Ancient Dragon, aren¡¯t you? I remember this time the reward includes a portion of premium ck Dragon Blood Essence. Are you sure you¡¯re not interested?¡± Luo Shaoyan asked. Zhu Minng stopped in his tracks. ¡°You can capture them and hand them over to the organizers, too. I¡¯m not too fond of this inhumane form of entertainment either, but it¡¯s incredibly popr in the Neon Sea. After all, many of those convicts are notorious murderers,¡± Luo Shaoyan continued. ¡°I¡¯ll go take a look when the timees,¡± Zhu Minng reluctantly agreed.
¡°This ck Dragon Soul Bead has quite a story, too. It belonged to a brutal Evil Dragon that once terrorized the Coastal City, devouring approximately three thousand four hundred people in a single day, targeting the young and crushing the old and weak with a swipe of its w. To subdue this Evil Dragon, the Nine Tribes dispatched many dragon hunting experts. Several attempts failed, and many died before someone from the Yan n managed to kill it and obtain this rare ck Dragon Blood Essence,¡± Luo Shaoyan added. ck Dragon Soul Beads, these are indeed very precious. Zhu Minng nced at Big ck Tooth, which still had some crocodile traits, belonging to a rather primitive and mediocre bloodline. If it could acquire a ck Dragon Soul Bead, that would certainly help it evolve towards a higher bloodline in its growth process. In the previous cycle, Big ck Tooth suffered from its inferior bloodline, unable to keep up with the other dragons in cultivation base; its progress was also slow. Now, Big ck Tooth had a great start. With the feeding of Holy Spirit-level meat and some bloodline shaping, it would essentially be on its way to bing a Noble ck Dragon! ck Dragon Blood Essence. Such things are indeed hard to find, and Zhu Minng quite wanted it. ¡°Call me when it¡¯s time,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°No problem, haha, with you there, I¡¯ll probably be a lot safer,¡± Luo Shaoyan said. ¡°You¡¯re afraid yourself and don¡¯t dare to face those cold-blooded Great Devils alone, so you called me for moral support, right?¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°Heh, having a powerful partner is always better than fighting alone.¡± ¡­ After Luo Shaoyan left, Zhu Minng estimated the growth progress of his two dragons. The so-called hunting banquet was scheduled for next week. Judging by the training pace, Big ck Tooth would enter its growth phase by then. As for the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon, Zhu Minng also nned to try and have Little Glow Spirit, which had umted arge amount of pure spiritual energy, bestow a gift to directly propel the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon into adulthood. Upon reaching adulthood, the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon would at least possess Monarch-level cultivation base. With such capabilities, attending that fearsome hunting banquet would be much safer. ¡­ Afterpleting the morning¡¯s dragon taming, Zhu Minng returned to his residence, only to find his ssmates had already packed their belongings.
¡°` ¡°Are you heading back to Li Chuan?¡± Zhu Minng asked when he saw them carrying big and small bags. ¡°We¡¯ve earned the qualification to advance our studies, so of course, we¡¯d want to learn major skills before we return,¡± said Li Shaoying. ¡°We¡¯re taking on a mission in hopes of earning more credits to exchange for more resources at the Treasure Tower. The resources at the High Court are really abundant!¡± Hong Hao said.
¡°What mission?¡± Zhu Minng asked. ¡°It¡¯s to head ind along the coastline. There¡¯s a vast wend there overrun with Lizard Water Monsters, and there are reportedly quite a number that have turned into demons. We¡¯re nning to strike at their nest,¡± Hong Hao exined. ¡°That sounds quite challenging,¡± Zhu Minng remarked. He had been there before, where all of Little Qingzhuo¡¯s realbat training during its youth was conducted against those Lizard Water Monsters. The stretch of wends by the coast he frequently visited was only a small part of the entire area, with more colonies of Lizard Water Monsters dwelling further ind, where there are more varieties of Lizard species, and possibly even giant lizards that have undergone the dragon transformation. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s why we¡¯re nning to coborate. We¡¯ll distribute the credits evenly afterward,¡± Hong Hao said. ¡°Count me in, I happen to need some realbat training recently,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°Huh??? Your Azure Phoenix Green Saint Dragon can take on higher-level missions, you don¡¯t have to lower yourself to these with us¡­¡± Lu Wenye said, puzzled. In their view, Zhu Minng was already far ahead of them; there was no need for him to take on these lower-level missions. ¡°I have a young dragon that greatlycks this kind of exercise, and Lizard Water Monsters make a suitable target for its training,¡± Zhu Minng responded. ¡°That couldn¡¯t be better, having you with us is at least some assurance!¡± ¡°Zhu Minng, if you¡¯reing with us, I might as well see if there¡¯s a suitable mission for the level of your Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon. If anythinges along the way, not only could you earn a nice sum of credits effortlessly, but we could also benefit by taking part in the number and levels of missions,¡± Hong Hao proposed. ¡°Sure, just try not to pick anything tooplicated. I have important matters next week,¡± Zhu Minng replied.
The Dragon Taming High Court categorized all missions by their level of danger. This allowed students of different strengths to tackle missions appropriate for them, preventing mishaps during the execution of the missions. ¡°No problem, I¡¯m always studying the mission board for those that are clearly time-saving, low-effort, yet high-credit. Once this is done, I¡¯ll be able to exchange for a Lord-level Soul Bead. No matter what, I must make my Wind Wolf Dragon a Dragon Lord. That way, once I return to Li Chuan, I will be able to call the shots!¡± Hong Hao dered. ¡°Can¡¯t you set a more long-term goal? Anything less than Monarch Level still makes you a minor character in the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent,¡± Nan Ye said. ¡°Something like Monarch Level, you can¡¯t just seek it out¡ªit¡¯s a matter of fate. Even Zhu Minng hasn¡¯t reached it yet, right?¡± Hong Hao countered. ¡°Within three years, he definitely will step into Monarch Level,¡± Nan Ye stated. Zhu Minng gave Nan Ye a deep look. My dear nephew, you got it wrong. It¡¯s within three days. No, if this training goes well, it is the Azure Phoenix Green Dragon that will reach Monarch Level cultivation within three days. Hong Hao didn¡¯t say anymore and hurried to the mission institute to find a Lord-level, high-difficulty mission for Zhu Minng. There were indeed many resources within the Dragon Taming High Court, no inferior to those outside. As for credits, Zhu Minng would certainly notin about having too many. He might even be able to exchange some for Little Wild Jiao, helping it undergo its dragon transformation!
Chapter 416: 418 Tiger Among the Flock Chapter 416: Chapter 418 Tiger Among the Flock ¡­ Lizard Water Monsters were rampant, threatening many viges and towns. This mission was quite dangerous because they were heading to the Lizard Water Monsters¡¯ nest. The wends and swamps were basically one and the same, restricting the movements of some fierce giant beasts, while dragons with the ability to fly would hover in the air. However, as soon as the Lizard Water Monsters sensed them, they immediately burrowed into the water and mud, leaving them no way to be dealt with. Zhu Minng followed the team and arrived at the Yellow Leaves Wend, where many Yellow Grass Roots grew. This medicinal herb was in demand by various countries for its blood-clotting properties¡­ As a result, many viges, towns, and small markets nearby depended on these Yellow Grass Roots for their livelihood, with half of their poption relying on them for survival. Just after passing through a forest of fallen leaves, a vige road stretched out beside arge expanse of muddy wends, leading to Old Pond Town. The rampaging Lizard Water Monsters had made this road bare of travelers. About halfway along the road, a smell of blood wafted over. Zhu Minng¡¯s perception was sharper than the others; he quickened his pace. In the front, hidden by the thick Winter Reed Grass, Zhu Minng spotted an arm that had been gnawed on. The arm still had a string of Buddha Beads on the wrist, presumably for safekeeping, but unfortunately, they had not worked. Zhu Minng parted the Winter Reed Grass and saw a scene of chaos: blood-stained clothing, remnants of bodies spat out after being half-eaten, and countless faces twisted in terror right before death¡­
¡°There¡­ there are dead people!!¡± Li Shaoying eximed in rm. Lu Wenye quickly approached Zhu Minng. Instead of inspecting the corpses, she grabbed the mud from the ground and then touched the footprints left on the road¡­ ¡°They are nearby,¡± Lu Wenye urgently informed everyone. ¡°These Winter Reed Grasses were brought here by them; they intend to prey on the next group of merchants,¡± Zhu Minng said. These Winter Reed Grasses had not grown naturally on the road; the monsters had deliberately tidied up the crime scene so as not to scare away anyone else passing by. ¡°Gurgle, gurgle~~~~~~~~~¡± From the wends resembling ponds on both sides, ugly lizard heads began to emerge. It was unclear whether the ¡°gurgle¡± sounds came from their throats or if it was the rumbling of their hungry stomachs. These Lizard Water Monsters had grown so bold as tomit violence on the roads near the towns! ¡°So many Lizard Water Monsters, we are surrounded!¡± Li Shaoying said in a panicked tone. The ck Serpent beside Li Shaoying had already taken abat stance, its body slightly coiled, ready to pounce on the Lizard Water Monsters. ¡°Destroy these monstrosities,¡± Hong Hao roared angrily. It was arge group of Lizard Water Monsters. They had probably crawled into the fishponds on either side of the town road during the night, eating all the fish farmed by the locals and now starting to prey on people passing by. The people who had died were likely a group of small merchants traveling together. They had been apprehensive for fear of monsters causing mischief, not expecting to encounter such arge swarm of Lizard Water Monsters, probably without even the chance to fight back. ¡°Rustle, rustle, rustle~~~~¡± For this trip, Zhu Minng had brought the Little Wild Jiao along. The Little Wild Jiao clearly felt the threat from these vicious Lizard Water Monsters, and it showed the same wary stance as the ck Serpent, its body slightly coiled. But the Little Wild Jiao was on the defensive, its current strength not yet enough to charge directly into the midst of the Lizard Water Monster Group. Zhu Minng summoned the Little ck Dragon.
Lu Wenye, Li Shaoying, and Nan Ye¡¯s dragons maintained a defensive stance, as after all, these dragons still had to protect the Dragon Shepherds. But the Little ck Dragon thought differently. The master still needs my protection?? When the Little ck Dragon saw the Lizard Water Monsters, it became excessively excited and disyed the belligerence inherent to most Ancient Dragons. It charged even faster and further to the front than Hong Hao¡¯s Wind Wolf Dragon.
In terms of size, the Little ck Dragon was simr to these Lizard Water Monsters. Many Lizard Water Monsters were even three to four meters long, and some that were close to bing demons were nearly ten meters long, virtually giant jungle crocodiles. The Little ck Dragon¡¯s body was once again enshrouded in the Ancient Dark Aura. As it plunged into the murky fish ponds, it bit into a three-meter-long Lizard Water Monster clean and snapped off its neck, tossing the head far away like a thrown ball. The Lizard Water Monsters hiding in the fish pond potholes also widened their lizard-like pupils! At first nce, one might think they were ck lizards from other caves, with poor brains, attacking them. But upon closer inspection, they realized it was a pitch-ck Young Dragon ramming and biting anyone it encountered! No matter whether they were Lizard Water Demons with five to six hundred years of Cultivation Base or even eight to nine hundred years, the Little ck Dragon bit and covered them without missing a beat. The Wind Wolf Dragon was not very agile in these mud ponds, but the Little ck Dragon, having the bloodline of an Azure Dragon, was unaffected by the murkiness of the ponds and was even faster than these old lizards! These Lizard Water Monsters had initially nned to ambush the people on the road; they were already starving in this winter season. But then a ck Dragon charged in first, like a tiger entering a flock of sheep! Zhu Minng was also astonished upon witnessing the Little ck Dragon acting as if it had been injected with chicken blood. When Zhu Minng first brought the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon to deal with these Lizard Water Monsters, he generally tackled them one by one, careful not to provoke a group at once for fear that the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon would be seriously wounded during its youth, affecting itster development. The Little ck Dragon was different; it was not afraid of getting hurt at all. Relying on the Ancient Dark Aura surrounding it, it was hard for the Lizard Water Monsters to really inflict damage, let alone minor flesh wounds, which were inconsequential. The Ancient Beast Aura would be more intense, making every swipe of its ws, every rip and bite, and every body m even more wild and fierce! Possibly due to attribute suppression and familiarity with water, the Little ck Dragon waspletely brutalizing these Lizard Water Monsters, unafraid even when surrounded by more than a dozen of them. One swipe of its paw on the left smashed down on a lizard head.
A smack on the right sent a 300-year-old Little Lizard Monster flying. Its fangs chewed on a plump lizard, while its brave body pressed against another! ¡°Zhu Minng, didn¡¯t you say you were going to train Young Dragons? How could you summon such a brave dragon?¡± Chen Bai asked. ¡°This is actually just a Young Dragon,¡± said Lu Wenye in a low voice. ¡°Impossible, no matter how brave a Young Dragon is, at most it can tackle a Lizard Water Monster with three to four hundred years of Cultivation Base,¡± Chen Bai said. ¡°Yes, it is the Young Dragon I¡¯m training this time,¡± Zhu Minng replied. ¡°If that¡¯s a Young Dragon, I¡¯ll drink your foot-washing water tonight,¡± Chen Bai still didn¡¯t believe it. ¡°That gross?¡± Zhu Minng was surprised by such a strange request. ¡°We¡¯re all ssmates, let¡¯s be honest with each other. This ck Dragon of yours, if it were a bit bigger, I would believe it¡¯s a Dragon General,¡± Chen Bai continued. Chapter 417 - 419: Little Wild Jiao’s First Battle Chapter 417: Chapter 419: Little Wild Jiao¡¯s First Battle ¡°` Little ck Dragon was simply the nemesis of these Lizard Water Monsters. In terms of physical toughness, those ws of the Lizard Water Monsters couldn¡¯t tear through Little ck Dragon¡¯s sturdy hide; when their sharp teeth bit down on Little ck Dragon, the monsters¡¯ own teeth would break first. Regarding swimming skills, although Little ck Dragon couldn¡¯t manipte water and didn¡¯t understand water-based Demon Arts, it was a champion swimmer. Even if the Lizard Water Monsters hid in the deep sludge of the pond, Little ck Dragon would twist them out and thrash them mercilessly. Thebat capability of an Ancient Dragon was imprinted in Little ck Dragon¡¯s blood and bones; these foolish lizards without anybat skills were no match for Little ck Dragon. The ck Dragon knew martial arts; there was simply no stopping it! Ancient Dragon Warfare Qi, Ancient Dragon Warfare Skills, Ancient Dragon Blood Combat, Ancient Dragon Combat¡ªthis little Juvenile Dragon had already showcased a terrifying talent for battle. It wasn¡¯t that Little ck Dragon¡¯s lineage was higher than that of the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon, but rather that against these big lizards, Little ck Dragon had an absolute advantage. The Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon could only handle them one at a time, while Little ck Dragon could ughter them in groups. And the more it fought, the braver it became, with extraordinary stamina and endurance! ¡°ROAR!!!!!!!!¡± With a mighty bellow, a huge fan-shaped crack suddenly appeared across several acres of connected ponds, and the intense sonic boom sted the brains of that group of Lizard Water Monsters to pieces!! Ancient Dragon Warfare Skills, Explosive Roar?? Zhu Minng nced at the ring of headless lizards, which seemedpletely different from before. This Explosive Roar did not merely tear through the air and the earth¡ªit created a horrific sonic boom that sted the heads of the attacking lizards to pieces! Wasn¡¯t the Sonic Boom Roar a skill of the Absolute Sea Hawk Emperor?? Little ck Dragon had eaten Hawk Emperor Meat, and even the power of its roar had special effects!! ¡°Zhu Minng, is this really a Juvenile Dragon??¡± Hong Hao said incredulously as he looked at the pond where the Lizard Water Monsters¡¯ heads had been sted to bits. Zhu Minng nodded. ¡°Did you have some sort of fortuitous encounter? Why are your dragons so fierce that, even without passing through three growth periods, they seem more powerful than ours?¡± Hong Hao asked. ¡°Holy Dragons, ck Dragons¡ªthey are all high-lineage dragons. Some people might just be the bastards of Lady Luck; otherwise, how could they just stumble upon a Female Monarch for a wife?¡± Chen Bai¡¯s words were dripping with sour jealousy. ¡°What¡¯s the point of saying that? Look at the little Juvenile Spirit by Zhu Minng¡¯s side; it looks ordinary too. A great Dragon Shepherd is one who can manage their dragon pets well,¡± Nan Ye said. ¡°Indeed, I¡¯ve also exchanged ideas with some people from the Dragon Taming High Court recently. They seem to have a lot of nning. For example, given the number of Spirit Contracts they have, for the first one or two contracts they¡¯ll choose dragons that consume fewer resources but have growth advantages. That way, they can get ahead of others and secure more resources. Once they have saved enough and have a solid foundation, they¡¯ll then consider dragons with higher lineage and greater resource consumption, ensuring that they have greater breakthroughs in their future development¡­¡± Lu Wenye spoke very seriously. She was constantly learning and seeking advice from those outstanding students. Eventually, she found that these Dragon Shepherd Seniors with humble origins but strong capabilities had very clear strategies and strict ns for themselves; they were also very clear about each step they should take. Unlike their Dragon Shepherd Students, who just went with the flow, addressed problems only as they arose, and when faced with bottlenecks, were clueless and resigned to fate, wasting time waiting for so-called opportunities, and envied others for their ¡°good luck¡± when they made a breakthrough. In Lu Wenye¡¯s eyes, Zhu Minng was someone who nned their Dragon Shepherd career with extreme precision. ¡°By the way, Zhu Minng, where¡¯s your Bai Qi?¡± Nan Ye suddenly thought of this. From the beginning of their encounter with Zhu Minng to now, they hadn¡¯t seen Zhu Minng¡¯s Main Dragon, Bai Qi. That extraordinarily stunning and noble White Dragon. With a lineage like Bai Qi¡¯s, and if cultivated well, there was definitely hope to reach Monarch Level. Even though each of them wished for a high-lineage dragon, which could help them break through to higher realms, they¡¯d frankly struggle to raise one even if it were given to them now. ¡°` ¡°` Food, spirit resources, including nourishment from the Spirit Realm, in all these aspects it was inferior to others; even a dragon with a high bloodline potential might be halted at the Dragon Lord Level, not to mention dreaming of reaching the Monarch Level¡­ Dragons withrger growth spaces meant that they required an even greater consumption of resources in the early stages. For instance, the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon that shone so brightly at the academy under Zhu Minng. Heaven knows what sort of Immortal Dew that Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon has been drinking; otherwise how could it be that, with lower-level sovereign cultivation, it defeated a Peak dragon! ¡°Bai Qi is in the hibernation phase,¡± Zhu Minng said. He had almost forgotten that these guys were all his old ssmates, and they all knew about Bai Qi and Big ck Tooth. Now that Big ck Tooth had turned into the Little ck Dragon, they didn¡¯t recognize it and thought Zhu Minng had obtained a young dragon with higher bloodline potential. ¡°Isn¡¯t hibernating a sign of a breakthrough? Don¡¯t tell me your Bai Qi is going to reach the Monarch Level?¡± Nan Ye asked with extreme curiosity. Ever since Nan Ye learned about Zhu Minng having a rtionship with his sister Nan Lingsha, he didn¡¯t dare to show any disrespect or offense towards this mysterious brother-inw; he was always extremely respectful whenever he saw him. Zhu Minng just smiled and did not answer. This was the time to pretend to be unfathomably profound. Monarch Level? That seemed highly unlikely. If Qing Zhuo and Big ck Tooth, these two dragons, had already undergone Reincarnation Transformations to such a high level of bloodline, then Bai Qi would likely be even more exaggerated. After all, in the Reincarnation Transformation, it was the leading force. ¡°Zhu Minng, Zhu Minng, your Little Wild Jiao is fighting with the Lizard Water Monster,¡± Lu Wenye said a bit nervously at this moment. The others had already dispatched their own dragons to deal with the Lizard Water Demons hiding in the mud ponds around them. This ce was close to the town, also used for fish farming by the local farmers; who knows, in a few days, after finishing off these fat fish, they might break into the vige¡­ so they had to be exterminatedpletely and not allowed to upy the area¡­ The other dragons were all mightily fierce, basically one dragon against more than a dozen Lizard Water Monsters. But for the Little Wild Jiao, which had not yet transformed into a dragon, Lizard Water Monsters were still spry Demon Spirits that had lived for several hundred years; it was clearly struggling against them. It was a Lizard Water Monster with four hundred years of cultivation, about three to four meters in size, as formidable as a grown crocodile. The Little Wild Jiao was prepared for battle, staying close to the edge of the fish pond, partly submerged in the water, and kept sliding about. The Four Hundred Years Old Lizard Water Demon seemed to notice that the Little Wild Jiao was full of spirit and that eating it would increase its cultivation by a hundred or two hundred years, so it sneakily approached the roadside to target the Little Wild Jiao as its food. Zhu Minng had seen this scene a while ago. However, the Little Wild Jiao didn¡¯t ask for help, making it clear that it wanted to fight this Demon Spirit on its own. But after all, the Little Wild Jiao was just a Little Jiao Baby; unlike Qing Zhuo and Big ck Tooth, it didn¡¯t inherit the former¡¯s battle instincts andbat experience. This was its first battle since it was born. You could tell that while it was unyielding, it was also somewhat nervous. ¡°` Chapter 418 - 420 Leading by Example Chapter 418: Chapter 420 Leading by Example The battle had already been going on for a while. Little Wild Jiao had some scratches on its body, which could not bepared to Little ck Dragon¡¯s scales, as hard as iron; a light scratch might cause its blood to surge immediately. Zhu Minng just watched in silence. Little Wild Jiao was stronger than expected, already marked with scars, yet it did not cry for help, determined to ovee the Lizard Water Monster with its own strength. The Lizard Water Monster was casting demon arts, spitting out a kind of saliva mucus from its mouth, which slowed down Little Wild Jiao¡¯s movements. However, Little Wild Jiao also knew the art of water control, swishing its tail to sweep up the water from the mud pond, creating a fierce mud wave and viciously smashing it towards the four-hundred-year cultivation base Lizard Water Monster. Despite the tension, after all, it was too young, with not so high intellect. But it was very smart. Little Wild Jiao was constantly imitating and learning thebat techniques of other dragons. Especially those of Li Shaoying¡¯s adult ck Serpent. Little Wild Jiao was learning from ck Serpent¡¯s tactics, whether defensive postures or offensive methods, Little Wild Jiao was learning. It seemed to know that among these dragons, ck Serpent was from the same n, and the fighting techniques it could use, could be used by itself as well¡­ Zhu Minng had wanted to tell Little ck Serpent the weakness of the Lizard Water Monster and guide it on how to deal with such Demon Spirits, but he found that from its initial nervous response, Little Wild Jiao gradually became proficient, and then was able to y with the Lizard Water Monster as if it had grown a lot all at once. ¡­ After a fierce fight, the Lizard Water Monsters were basically wiped out. This was not the Lizard Water Monster¡¯sir, and no Demon Spirit Level creatures were seen, so with the strength of their group, it was not difficult to deal with them. Moreover, they had several dragons, and dealing with these Lizard Water Monsters didn¡¯t require deploying Dragon Generals, which was also a good opportunity to train the other Dragon Sons¡­ Little ck Dragon¡¯sbat achievements were remarkable. It had killed Lizard Water Monsters,rge and small, probably about fifty or sixty in total, and the bodies could fill a small fish pond. Zhu Minng did not waste his spiritual power collecting these Soul Beads; after all, there would definitely be Demon Spirit Level creatures in the Lizard Water Monsterir, and he could use it then, gaining more valuable Soul Beads. Little ck Dragon was particrly disciplined, killing all the Lizard Water Monsters and even helping to clean up the battlefield afterwards. It dragged all the Lizard Water Monster corpses together, piling them up as if showing off itsbat power to the other dragons! Indeed, the other dragons hadn¡¯t killed as many as it had¡­ ¡°Are you injured?¡± Zhu Minng asked. Little ck Dragon rotated its head and looked at the shallow wounds on its body. ¡°Oh?¡± A bit of broken skin, was that considered an injury? Zhu Minng checked, and found that Little ck Dragon indeed had some skin broken, but during the examination, the broken skin slowly started to grow back¡­ The self-healing speed was also fast, which was one of the Ancient Dragon¡¯s characteristics. ¡°And not much stamina was consumed.¡± Its stamina was also very formidable, indeed more outstanding than Little Qingzhuo. It seemed that Little ck Dragon had only just warmed up. But when Zhu Minng brought Little Qingzhuo to deal with these Lizard Water Monsters, Little Qingzhuo, who often used spells, needed to rest and replenish with Wutong Spirit Dew. After being fed a piece of Absolute Sea Hawk Emperor meat, Little ck Dragon stood next to Zhu Minng, satisfied and ready for the next battle. Zhu Minng was quite satisfied with ck Fang¡¯s current form. It and Little Qingzhuo each had their own strengths. Little Qingzhuo was now adept at casting spells. ck Fang was better at closebat and fighting. Once they both reached maturity, they should be able to cope with a variety of situations through mutual cooperation. ¡°Ssshhh.¡± Little Wild Jiao slowly swam out from the muddy pond,boriously dragging the corpse of a Lizard Water Monster. ncing at the pile of lizard corpses heaped up high next to it, Little Wild Jiao hesitated. Zhu Minng extended his hand to perform Soul Collecting Pearl Brewing on the Lizard Water Monster corpse brought back by Little Wild Jiao, and soon a 500-year-old Demon Pearl was suspended above the palm of Zhu Minng¡¯s hand. He hadn¡¯t performed Soul Collecting Pearl Brewing on those Lizard Water Monsters before; on one hand, their Demon Spirits were no longer worth Zhu Minng wasting his Spiritual Power, and on the other, Little ck Dragon had been a bit too forceful, leaving most of the souls broken, making their collection meaningless. ¡°This was a 500-year-old Lizard Water Monster. We even misjudged earlier, thinking it was only four hundred years¡­¡± Zhu Minng said. Little Wild Jiao stood up, its narrow eyes fixed on Zhu Minng. ¡°This is your first trophy, imbued with water properties, it should be helpful to you,¡± Zhu Minng said, cing the 500-year-old Lizard Water Monster Soul Bead next to Little Wild Jiao¡¯s mouth. Little Wild Jiao swallowed it but still seemed somewhat inferior. Both newly born, Little ck Dragon effortlessly annihted a group, while it struggled with every trick to kill just one. ¡°Are you hurt?¡± Zhu Minng asked. Little Wild Jiao hid its tail under the water, not daring to show it. Zhu Minng stepped closer and saw arge wound on its tail, nearly bitten to the bone ¨C almost severed. After bandaging the wound on its tail, Little ck Dragon approached, then howled a few times, as ifmunicating with Little Wild Jiao¡­ Little Wild Jiao didn¡¯t understand what it was saying. Yet Zhu Minngughed, tranting for Little Wild Jiao, ¡°ck Fang is telling you that during its first battle, it was chased by a 200-year-old Violent Catfish and only managed to kill that Demon Spirit with the help of an Azure Flood Dragon. It¡¯s remarkable that you could defeat a 500-year-old Demon Spirit with your own strength.¡± Little Wild Jiao¡¯s narrow eyes gazed at Little ck Dragon. Little ck Dragon, with its mouth wide open showing off a set of fine Dragon Teeth, clearly weed the new member into the group. While Zhu Minng was carefully treating Little Wild Jiao¡¯s wound, Little ck Dragon started to gesture and mimic, introducing the otherpanions to Little Wild Jiao, and even scared Little Wild Jiao by saying there¡¯s a Variant Corpse Dragon in the Spirit Realm ¨C the Dragon King, who loves eating Young Dragons and is very difficult to get along with¡­ Tales of the Heavenly ughter Dragon terrified Little Wild Jiao. Zhu Minng raised his hand and gave Little ck Dragon a knuckle-rap on the head. ¡°Stop scaring it. Go look around for some Detoxification Grass, chew it up, and help apply it to its poisoned wound,¡± Zhu Minng said impatiently to Little ck Dragon. This guy was truly mischievous. Just moments ago, he was the warm-hearted big brotherforting Little Wild Jiao, but now he was scaring the youngster senseless. The Heavenly ughter Dragon was indeed difficult to deal with, as it did not interact at all with the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon or Little ck Dragon, acting as though it were only lodging here temporarily and that they would soon part ways with proud aloofness. But even so, it still wouldn¡¯t go as far as to eat Young Dragons. It probably didn¡¯t like to. If it did, Zhu Minng might have some trouble and would have to iste the Heavenly ughter Dragon in the Spirit Realm. The Dragons of a Dragon Shepherd do not have a Spirit Bond with each other. So, whether Dragons get along with each other or not is all down to the Dragon Shepherd¡¯s teaching and example in daily life. Chapter 419: 421: Arbitrary Law Enforcement Chapter 419: Chapter 421: Arbitrary Law Enforcement ¡­ Upon arriving at Yellow Leaf City, which consists of multiple small towns, Minng and the others noticed vast marshes, wet reed fields, and rice paddies between each town. At the city entrance, everyone observed that each entrance and every wall were guarded, and the people inside were not allowed to leave casually. It seemed that they were already aware of the Lizard Water Monster¡¯s presence in the vicinity, preying on humans. ¡°Let me in, why won¡¯t you believe me? I¡¯ve never done anything to harm everyone,¡± a man in tattered clothes pleaded at the city gate. The City Gate Guardians seemed to recognize the man, but their faces showed wariness and even a hint of disgust. ¡°But the City Master is still dead, they all say you plotted against him. To prevent others from exposing you, you killed all yourpanions,¡± the Captain of the Guard said with hesitation. ¡°Ge Zhong, others might not understand me, but do you really think I did it? The City Master was like a mountain of kindness to me. He¡¯s dead; how could I just stand by? I¡¯ve always wanted to find the person who killed him,¡± the man in tattered clothing said. ¡°For now,e in. We¡¯re also investigating this matter,¡± Ge Zhong said. The man nodded, dragging his injured body toward the city. Minng was still some distance from the city gate but he took note of this scene.
He just didn¡¯t know what had happened between them. Just as they were about to enter the city, suddenly there was a thunderous noise from the straight road behind, as if tens of thousands of wild horses were galloping. Everyone turned around to see a group of people in ck, riding on Iron Armor Mane Beasts, charging toward them menacingly. They almost ran over Minng¡¯s group in the middle of the road without a second nce. This kind of arrogant behavior was as if they were telling you, if you couldn¡¯t dodge, you deserved it! The others quickly stepped to the sides of the road. The group in ck, riding Iron Armor Mane Beasts, charged straight to the city gate. The leader was a man in his thirties wielding a long animal whip. His Iron Armor Mane Beast almost charged up to the faces of the guards. The leader swung his whip forcefully through the air and questioned the Captain of the Guard, Ge Zhong: ¡°Have you seen the fugitive?¡± ¡°Fugitive?¡± Ge Zhong feigned ignorance. ¡°He could only have fled here. Yellow Leaf City is a vassal of our Yan n, so you should be well aware that harboring a death row fugitive of our Yan n can lead to the execution of your entire family!¡± the whip-wielding man said. ¡°Could you describe the death row inmate? After all, there are quite a few people entering the city now,¡± Captain of the Guard Ge Zhong said. ¡°Crack!!!!!¡± Suddenly, a whipshed out, striking Ge Zhong directly in the face. Ge Zhong¡¯s face was immediately torn open, blood flowing from a clear trace from his cheek to his eye socket, horrifically severe! ¡°I¡¯m the one asking you!¡± the whip-wielding man shouted angrily. ¡°My lord, please calm your anger, calm your anger!¡± the other guards hurriedly knelt down. Ge Zhong, having beenshed by the whip for no reason, dared not show his anger and had to kneel like the others, saying, ¡°It¡¯s my fault, I have not seen any prisoners entering the city.¡± ¡°Crack!!!!!¡± Suddenly, another vicious whip struck down, this time hitting Ge Zhong directly on the forehead. The back of Ge Zhong¡¯s head was a bright red, and his entire head had been forcefully knocked against the ground due to the immense power. ¡°We¡¯ve chased the fugitive all the way here, yet you failed to stop and capture them. What kind of guard are you!¡± the whip-bearing man from the Yan n said.
¡°This lowly one¡­ deserves death,¡± Ge Zhong uttered with difficulty. ¡°Take him away,¡± the man with the whipmanded. At themand, several members of the Yan n dressed in ck immediately leaped down from their Iron Armor Mane Beasts and, with shackles already prepared, locked up Ge Zhong, who was lying on the ground. They then dragged him away without mercy. The other guards of Yellow Leaf City showed expressions of astonishment, not understanding why these people from the Yan n were taking away their Captain of the Guard.
¡°Sir, Ge Zhong is our Captain of the Guard. What crime has hemitted?¡± an older guard asked. ¡°Shackle him as well,¡± the man with the whip pointed to the speaking elder guard and ordered. The older guard tried to resist, but the ck-clothed members of the Yan n were extremely powerful, with several being Divine and Mortal beings. They knocked the older guard to the ground, beating him until he spat blood, before finally shackling him. They didn¡¯t bother to lift him up but instead dragged him away. For a moment, the other guards dared not speak a word! ¡°Those who know it¡¯s the Yan n think one thing; those who don¡¯t might mistake it for bandits storming the city. Such barbaric actions,¡± Lu Wenye muttered under her breath. It was clear that Lu Wenye didn¡¯t know much about Divine and Mortal beings. She hadn¡¯t realized that some Divine and Mortal beings had exceedingly sharp hearing. The man with the whip turned his head, his piercing gaze fixed on Lu Wenye. ¡°Since when do the likes of you lowlifes have the right to criticize our Yan n? p yourself until I¡¯m satisfied, or I¡¯ll shackle you as well,¡± the whip-bearing man snorted coldly andmanded. ¡°Big brother, esteemed sir, we are from the Dragon Taming High Court. We weremissioned toe here and eliminate the overrun Lizard Water Monsters. She didn¡¯t mean to criticize you gentlemen; I apologize to you on her behalf,¡± Hong Hao bowed in a hurry and said. ¡°Dragon Taming High Court, be more careful in the future!¡± Seeing that these people weren¡¯tmoners, the man with the whip just snorted coldly and didn¡¯t pursue the matter further. Captain of the Guard Ge Zhong, along with another older guard, were both shackled and held in an iron cage atop an Iron Armor Mane Beast. The other city gate guards werepletely panicked, not knowing how to respond.
Many people were watching from a distance, but they all stood far away. The guards represented the authoritative power ofw enforcement in a city, but before the people of the Yan n, they were no different from the lower sses of plebeians. They could be beaten and captured on a whim, not to mention ordinary citizens without any official positions. ¡°Do you think I, Yan He, look like a fool? I¡¯ll give you onest chance; where is the death row escapee who fled here? If you cannot answer, I won¡¯t hesitate to interrogate every single person at this city gate!¡± the man with the whip said with utter coldness. The city gate keepers were all terrified by this cruel demeanor. After a while, finally, one of the guards spoke up. He pointed towards a house not far behind the city gate, the ce where guards normally rested when switching shifts. Narrowing his eyes, Yan He motioned to several people to search inside that house. Li Shaoying and Chen Bai were both rather timid, so they urged everyone to hurry into the city and not to linger here. The group continued on their way into the city, no longer concerning themselves with the incident. Lu Wenye had barely muttered a word under her breath and trouble had found her; who knew if standing there any longer would result in them all being shackled as well. Chapter 420: 422: Unmanned Empty City Chapter 420: Chapter 422: Unmanned Empty City Upon entering the city, the group noticed many small apothecaries, sellingrge quantities of bleeding stop ointment made from Yellow Grass Roots. The supply of Spiritual Medicine left by the Immortal Rabbit Dragon was running low, and seeing that the quality of these ointments was quite good, Zhu Minng decided to purchase some as well ¨C after all, they still had to exterminate the Lizard Water Monster. No sooner had they bought the ointments and stepped out of the shop when they suddenly heard a scream from the direction of the city gate. The crowd of onlookers that had gathered before seemed to have been frightened by something and scattered in all directions! Zhu Minng turned to look back. Although there was some distance, he could still clearly make out what had happened. There was arge pool of blood at the city gate, and the team of guards stationed therey dead in the blood. ¡°Harboring a condemned prisoner, a capital crime!¡± Yan He said with a cold and merciless tone, holding his whip. All the guards at the city gate had been killed by the Yan n, save for the two who had previously been cuffed and caged. It seemed that as soon as they had rooted out the hidden criminal, they had moved to violent action. These were the guards of the city gate, who had been wiped out just like that; the way these people conducted themselves was no different from bandits. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ that¡¯s good we left quickly. The Yan n¡¯s people are too terrifying,¡± Hong Hao said, still shaken. ¡°Some are truly heartless,¡± Nan Ye added.
¡°s, the Captain of the Guard was foolish to hide a condemned prisoner. Now, they can¡¯t even im injustice anywhere.¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s fortunate that this matter has nothing to do with us in Yellow Leaf City. It was the guards¡¯ own doing. If it had been otherwise, with the methods of the Yan n, our entire Yellow Leaf City would have been in trouble. This executioner of the Yan n has already shown us some leniency,¡± someone remarked. On the streets, ordinary citizens discussed the matter with trembling hearts. ¡°That condemned prisoner must be Zhou Liang, the former Captain of the Guard. He followed the City Master on an expedition outside and was exposed for privately trafficking Spirit Grass, which led him to brutally murder the City Master and the others. He is unforgivable. Why would Ge Zhong help him? In the end, it led to the deaths of the others¡­¡± Yellow Leaf City was already in fear due to the roaming Lizard Water Monster, and now with such a gruesome crime scene at the city gate, chaos ensued. The tyrannical Yan n members, having captured the condemned Zhou Liang, promptly left, leaving behind only a trail of blood and a pile of corpses. ¡­ Hong Hao, Chen Bai, and the others clearly feared the Yan n and could see that they were formidable, beyond the capacity of mere students to contend with. After finding an inn, the group decided to stay there. During the rest, Lu Wenye approached Zhu Minng, whose face bore a heavy look, and apologetically said, ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have spoken recklessly, I¡¯m sorry, I almost brought trouble upon us.¡± Zhu Minng shook his head and smiled, ¡°Some people just bully others by relying on power. If they dared to provoke us without cause, they would not end up any better than those guards.¡± Zhu Minng was naturally not afraid of a bunch of Yan nckeys. It was indeed true that the guards had hidden a criminal, and as Yellow Leaf City had clear legal statutes, Zhu Minng didn¡¯t feel it was his ce to meddle. What he had not anticipated, of course, was that the Yan n members would end up killing all the other guards. ¡°In the past, when I saw such barbaric acts, I would stand up to stop them, but now I have to swallow my anger and remain silent,¡± Lu Wenye whispered. ¡°It¡¯s good that you have the will to intervene, but you must also assess your capabilities. Protect yourself first so you can help others,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°Those guards¡­¡± Lu Wenye still felt extremely ufortable. Even if it was the execution of a death-row prisoner, they should directly punish the executioner. Why kill the other guards? The guards were innocent. ¡°They are indeed pitiable, but I¡¯m more worried about another matter,¡± Zhu Minng said.
¡°What is it?¡± Lu Wenye asked. ¡°The guards of Yellow Leaf City were quite responsible. They had taken precautions, preventing townspeople from going out, lest they be killed by the Lizard Water Monsters. Now that those guards have been in by the scum of the Yan n, the Lizard Water Monsters will no longer need to hide in the ponds. They can even break into the city,¡± Zhu Minng said. Lu Wenye was stunned for a moment. Yes, once the guards were killed, it meant that the Lizard Water Monsters could act without fear. The small Yellow Leaf City had no means of resistance, and its gates and walls had essentially be useless decorations!
With the guards dead, themon people of Yellow Leaf City would suffer, as they had no power to resist the Lizard Water Monsters! Even though Yellow Leaf City was a vassal territory of the Yan n, judging by the actions of those in ck, where would they care about the lives of the civilians of Yellow Leaf City? ¡°What can we do? Those Lizard Water Monsters are hungry and ferocious, and once those intelligent Demon Spirits realize that the city has no guards, they mighte in droves¡­¡± Lu Wenye said. The guards, weak as they were, were at least fully armed, and they seemed to understand the habits of the Lizard Water Monsters well, deliberately filling some muddy areas with sand to prevent the monsters from burrowing near the city. With or without them guarding the city, the difference was huge! ¡°We should report this to the High Court first, but we cannot rest tonight,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°But some towns are quite scattered; it¡¯s already toote to gather people together now,¡± Lu Wenye said. ¡°Let¡¯s split up and each guard an entrance to a town. I will guard the city gate of Yellow Leaf City. Tell Chen Bai to ask the duty officers here if there are any spare entrances and exits in the walls, we can¡¯t let the Lizard Water Monsters slip through,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go and talk to them right away.¡± ¡­ As the sky gradually darkened, the inhabitants of Yellow Leaf City fell intoplete panic. Initially, some people didn¡¯t realize the dire consequences of the city guards¡¯ ughter. Some even felt that the lockdown order was affecting their lives. But as farmers who bred livestock and cultivated Spiritual Medicine near the city were attacked and eaten one after another, and people could see the bloody scenes even from atop the walls, everyone in the city panicked! Chen Bai went to find the duty officers of the city, only to discover that there were hardly any officials left.
There used to be a City Master who was responsible for the city¡¯s safety and security, but the City Master had died not long ago. Most of the guards were locals and knew how to prevent invasions by the Lizard Water Monsters¡­ With the guards massacred by the Yan n, all order within the city had vanished, not to mention the most basic defense against Demon Spirits. ¡°When Captain of the Guard Ge Zhong was here, he would organize some of the citizens to patrol together, using a Dragon Lantern Dance to scare away the Lizard Water Monsters. But since Ge Zhong was captured by the Yan n, those militia became disorganized, and the Dragon Lantern dancers didn¡¯t dare toe out. They all wanted to hide their families in cers,¡± Chen Bai said. Chapter 421: 423 Evil Swamp Ghost Chapter 421: Chapter 423 Evil Swamp Ghost ¡°` ¡°Dragon Lantern Dance?¡± Lizard Water Monsters had weak vision, something Zhu Minng was well aware of. If the Lizard Water Monsters wandered near the viges, seeing the Dragon Lanterns danced by the vigers, they would mostly likely assume that there was a True Dragon guarding the vige or town and would not dare to approach. Of course, such a Dragon Lantern Dance would probably only be effective against Lizard Water Demons with a cultivation base of less than five hundred years. Those more spiritually advanced lizards would most likely realize in their battle of wits against humans that the Dragon Lantern was just a decoy. However, very often, it was the lesser demons with less than five hundred years of cultivation that posed a great threat to themon people. They would burrow into ponds, hide among the reeds, or even sneak into the pens, and sometimes, when residents got up at night to check why the livestock were acting strangely, would swallow a person whole. So, this Dragon Lantern Dance was quite useful after all, at least it could reduce the pressure on the guards. Wiping out arge group of Lizard Water Monsters and guarding a city against arge group of Lizard Water Monsters are two different concepts. The Lizard Water Monsters naturally knew there were powerful Dragon Shepherds at the city gates. They might circumvent those and attack other areas, spreading out to assault the city, which was alreadyposed of several towns. Zhu Minng couldn¡¯t be in multiple ces at once; he could only defend a specific area. As for the lesser demons that creeped into the city from strange ces, Zhu Minng simply had no way to deal with them. Therefore, ensuring the safety of every household, guarding was truly crucial. Even if the guards were weak, they could at least inform the Dragon Shepherds of the exact location of the little demons. Otherwise, in this pitch darkness, if the Lizard Water Monsters slipped into ponds, thick grass, or underneath barns, being several ranks stronger would also be meaningless.
¡°Go find some reliable people, organize and light the Dragon Lanterns, tell them our people from the Dragon Taming High Court are here, they shouldn¡¯t panic, and most importantly, don¡¯t leave the city!¡± Zhu Minng said to Chen Bai. Zhu Minng had never imagined that the Yan n would kill all the guards. And when they were killing the guards, Zhu Minng had just entered a shop to buy some hemostatic ointment. When he came out, the Yan n¡¯s people had killed everyone and left. Otherwise, Zhu Minng would have definitely gone to intervene. How could he let a city be without guards? Those guyspletely failed to realize that the Lizard Water Monsters were eyeing Yellow Leaf City voraciously. A group of insane rulers, once the matters of Yellow Leaf City were dealt with, Zhu Minng would definitely have to square things with that Yan He with the whip! ¡­ ¡°Little Qingzhuo, go to the sky and root out those Demon Spirit Level Lizard Water Demons, just kill them outright,¡± Zhu Minng summoned the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon. The Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon took to the air, its blue feathered brilliance shining conspicuously and splendidly in the night. Unfortunately, the cultivation base of the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon hadn¡¯t reached the Monarch Level, otherwise, the dragon¡¯s Monarch Level might would have been able to directly deter the eager Lizard Water Demons. For now, the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon faced a daunting task; it had to quickly kill all the Lizard Water Demons with over a thousand years of cultivation. Demon Spirits possessed intelligence, and they must have already been aware of the situation Yellow Leaf City was in. They wouldmand those groups of Lizard Water Monsters to disperse and begin invading each town, and once such Demon Spirits were involved, those lesser demons would keep flooding into every part of Yellow Leaf City non-stop¡ªeven if they knew a Dragon Lord Level creature was protecting it, they would use all kinds of methods to continue their attacks. ¡°` The Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon floated in the sky, its brilliant Azure Phoenix sacred feathers providing a glimmer of safety to the anxious and troubled inhabitants of the city. If Yellow Leaf City had been fully enclosed within its walls, the guardianship of the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon would have made things easier. Unfortunately, the city was spread out with its districts quite dispersed, and within it were breeding ponds and ditches, with Yellow Leaf Grass growing as densely as reeds. The ponds and medicinal fields split the town into several parts, making it impossible for the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon to tend to everything. Zhu Minng was now standing at the city gate. The bodies of the guardsy unattended to this moment, the whole city likely without a single person of authority, truly scattered and disorganized in every sense. ¡°Heiya, it¡¯s up to you now. No matter how many Lizard Water Demonse, don¡¯t let them breach this gate!¡± Zhu Minng called out for Little ck Dragon.
Little ck Dragon stood at the city gate, which was nothing more than a half-arc leading to a high slope, forming no full enclosure for protection. This significantly increased the difficulty of defending the gate. Fortunately, there were several Dragon Shepherds within Yellow Leaf City. They were dispersed across the high slope to prevent the Lizard Water Demons from climbing up, allowing Zhu Minng and Little ck Dragon to focus solely on guarding the gate. On both sides of the road outside the city gate were wends, overgrown with wild Yellow Leaf Grass and Winter Reed Grass. People had been cutting them down during the daylight hours, but the nts grew back incredibly fast¡­ The weather was cold, the night dark and intense. The Yellow Leaf Grass and Winter Reed Grass stood taller than ripe wheat sheaves. It was uncertain whether it was the wind rustling them or something swiftly passing through, as they began to sway inrge patches, casting an uneasy air.
A bloody scent drifted over, not just from the ughtered guards near the city gate, but also from some of the farmers who hadn¡¯t returned from their work at dusk. They had all met their end. ¡°Gua!!¡± It was unclear what kind of strange bird it was, but a cry rang out, followed by a flock of dark birds erupting from the mournful Yellow Leaf Grass, scattering in fright towards other ces. From the grass outside the city gate, several Lizard Water Monsters with eyes glowing coldly rushed out. As they nibbled on the remains of the farmers, they looked discontentedly towards the well-lit city, as if they had already sensed the scent of living human flesh and blood. Zhu Minng had already captured their demonic aura. But he also noticed another peculiar presence near the Winter Reed Grass. Invisible to the naked eye, Zhu Minng could clearly sense them crawling and writhing¡­ ¡°Apart from Lizard Water Demons, what other spirits or monsters do you have here?¡± Zhu Minng frowned and asked an official beside him. ¡°What do you mean by that? Did you see something else?¡± the elderly official inquired. ¡°The stench of rotting corpses and thick mud, this aura isn¡¯t from the Lizard Water Monsters,¡± Zhu Minng said gravely. The elderly official¡¯s face immediately changed as he looked in the direction Zhu Minng pointed. Suddenly, a ghostly shadow burst out from the Winter Reed Grass. It climbed up the city wall as nimbly as a boneless monkey and, in the blink of an eye, burrowed into the courtyard of a farmhouse that had extinguished its lights. The speed was astonishing; without closely watching that area, one would have no idea that something had infiltrated the edge of the city! ¡°It¡¯s an Evil Swamp Ghost!¡± the elderly official screamed in terror. Evil Swamp Ghosts, a type of swamp evil spirit, were said to be transformed from those who identally fell into swamps and died. Carrying extremely terrible grudges, when someone carelessly stepped into the swamps, they could grab at their ankles, frantically dragging them into the mire to drown them alive¡­
This creature was more than ten times more terrifying than the Lizard Water Monsters! Chapter 422: 424 Lizard Demon Enters the City Chapter 422: Chapter 424 Lizard Demon Enters the City A cacophony of rooster crows and dog barks filled the air, while the householders in the unlit courtyards were still unaware of what had transpired. Suddenly, dazzling beams of light rained down from above¡ªthe shadows of their radiance, like silvery snow, fluttering down¡ªand the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon was now hovering above the farmer¡¯s home. The family, wrapped in their coats and somewhat bewildered, opened the door only to be shocked by the sight of a ferocious, ugly monster reminiscent of a malevolent spirit right in their courtyard. It was gnawing on a hen, ripping the flesh raw, its pair of green eyes oozing venomous hunger as it stared at the farmer who had opened the door. Clearly, a live hen was merely an appetizer, and this living human was the real feast for the evil spirit! Azure light, like spears, plummeted from the sky, piercing directly through the Hungry Marsh Ghost¡¯s body with deadly precision. Just as the Hungry Marsh Ghost was about to pounce, its eagerly wing hands desperate to tear open the man¡¯s chest and feast on his entrails, Zhu Minng swiftly foreseen and averted the cmity. Pinned by the azure Light Spear, the Hungry Marsh Ghost did not die immediately; it could wilt like sludge, and quickly, the ghost turned into a pool of mud, squirming towards the distant drainage ditch outside the house. The Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon dove down, mes zing upon it like wildfire. Skimming just above the ground, the azure light me immediately spread over thend outside the house, and even the muddy ditches were ignited with this azure searing fire! The Hungry Marsh Ghost, transformed into a mire, had nowhere to hide and let out shrill, monkey-like screams from within the ditch.
The Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon unleashed another Spell, spewing a ball of light from its mouth. The moment it touched the ground and the ditch, the ball erupted in a burst of brilliance. The terrifying radiance, as lethal as any weapon, chopped the Hungry Marsh Ghost to pieces! Atop the city wall, an elderly official gaped in astonishment. After witnessing the total extermination of the Hungry Marsh Ghost, the elderly official turned back, looking at Zhu Minng with a hint of disbelief, and remarked, ¡°Dragon Master, your strength is remarkable. The Hungry Marsh Ghost is the foremost of the five great cmities of Yellow Leaf City! The effort it usually takes us to eradicate just one is immense!¡± ¡°A few thousand years of Cultivation Base indeed make it extremely dangerous for you,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°s, why has our Yellow Leaf Citye to such a state¡­ Without your High Court¡¯s arrival, our town would have be mere feed for those Lizard Water Monsters,¡± the elderly official sighed deeply. ¡°We¡¯ll do our best. However, I do hope that you can organize the citizens as soon as possible and use your previous methods to scare off those little lizard demons,¡± Zhu Minng seriously instructed. Zhu Minng was not worried about demon monsters of high Cultivation Base. Monsters like the Hungry Marsh Ghost, who believed their two thousand years of cultivation allowed them to brazenly glide by right in front of him, seeking a gluttonous banquet within the city, were unaware that Zhu Minng had the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon at his disposal, a natural foil to such high-level Demon Spirits. However, the Hungry Marsh Ghost effectively scouted ahead for other Lizard Water Demon Spirits. Witnessing this scene, they would undoubtedly be much more cautious and try their best to steer clear of the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon. Their goal was to devour humans, not to engage in a fight to the death with Dragon Shepherds. That was precisely what made defending the city so challenging; ensuring theplete safety of everyone within the city was nearly impossible. ¡­ ¡°Gurgle, gurgle~~~~~~~~~~~~~~¡± The number of Lizard Water Monsters was immense, swarming out as if their entire nest had been disturbed. The lights of the watchtowers throughout Yellow Leaf City were swiftly lit, revealing the fire pits burning fiercely. That was the signal of the Lizard Water Monsters¡¯ assault. At the city gate entrance, fire pits had also begun to ze, casting a glow on the faces of the robust townspeople gathered by the elderly official. These individuals had been summoned from within the city¡ªstrong and healthy, they were equipped with gear that turned them into makeshift militiamen, though it was evident that each was tense and gripped with panic. Over twenty people were facing off against a Lizard Water Monster that climbed walls at an rmingly fast pace. They used rope snares to bind the legs of the Lizard Water Monster, and even with a dozen men pulling simultaneously, they could only just barely drag it and slow its rampant progress. Others, armed with long spears, stabbed fiercely at the back of the Lizard Water Monster, but it was as if they were poking into hard soil, only wounding its flesh and unable to inflict a fatal injury.
Its limbs bound, the bulging eyes of the Lizard Water Monster suddenly began to move. It was using Demon Art! Suddenly, on both sides of the house, the water-filled buckets burst, and a dozen buckets tipped over at once, creating a wave that knocked those who were pulling on the limbs of the Lizard Water Monster off their feet. The strong men who had been gripping the ropes fell to the ground, only to be dragged back by the powerful Lizard Water Monster. The others hurriedly let go, but one robust young man got his legs tangled in the rope and was being dragged under the Monster¡¯s ws!
Everyone reacted with shock, nearly scattering in panic. Inparison to this Demon Spirit, their strength was far too insignificant. ¡°Ssssssss~~~~~~¡± A deep growl emanated from the city gate as a Little Flood Dragon slid down the wall and quickly pounced on the Lizard Water Monster that had slipped from its snare, biting tightly onto its neck! Blood flowed, and the Lizard Water Monster struggled fiercely, its ws iling wildly against the body of the Little Flood Dragon, but the dragon wouldn¡¯t let go¡­ ¡°What are you waiting for, grab the ropes!¡± someone shouted. The strong men scrambled to pick up the ropes and pulled hard in opposite directions. The Lizard Water Monster couldn¡¯t move its limbs, and the Little Flood Dragon¡¯s teeth had pierced deep into its blood vessels. Finally, the Little Flood Dragon tore open the Lizard Water Monster¡¯s throat, blood gushed, and after a few agonized thrashing, itpletely lost its life. ¡°Well done, little guy, you join them in dealing with the ones that slip through,¡± Zhu Minng¡¯s voice came from atop the city wall. The Little Wild Jiao straightened up, looking earnestly at Zhu Minng illuminated by the light of a brazier, and nodded seriously. ¡­ At the city gate, the originally dry hard earth was covered with wave after wave of muddy deluge.
It was the work of hundreds of Lizard Water Monsters casting Sorcery together, turning the area by the city gate into a muddy marsh, through which they could directly swim over. Many hunters were on the city wall, holding their bows and arrows and shooting at the Lizard Water Monsters on the ground. Initially, a few Lizard Water Monsters that hade to scout were shot dead, and the hunters were thrilled, but as the marsh spread, their bows and arrows became almost ineffective. Theyer of mud protected the Lizard Water Monsters, and the arrows couldn¡¯t hurt them. ¡°Leave it to me,¡± Zhu Minng said to the hunters. The hunters had done their best. He held out his palm and called forth Heiya. The Little ck Dragon descended from the heights, having grown to over four meters in length, andnded heavily in the marsh, sting the mud apart and flinging four or five Lizard Water Monsters into the air! Chapter 423: 425: The Predator’s Respite Chapter 423: Chapter 425: The Predator¡¯s Respite At four meters in size, it was already quite stocky for the majority of Lizard Water Monsters. Given that the Lizard Water Monsters¡¯ physical strength was far inferior to that of the Little ck Dragon, and now that the Little ck Dragon had significantly grown in muscle and bone, its Dragon Skin wasparable to hard leather armor made of severalyers of animal hide stitched together, the short and fat, bloated ws of the Lizard Water Monsters couldn¡¯t hurt the Little ck Dragon at all. The Little ck Dragon opened its mouth and roared furiously! The intense Sonic Boom created a huge fan-shaped area that not only fiercely tore the ground at the city gate but also caused the heads of those crowded Lizard Water Monsters to explode on the spot! After dealing with the Lizard Water Monsters gathered at the city gate, the Little ck Dragon charged forward a distance, grabbing the rock sculpturesid around and smashing them toward the Lizard Water Monsters. The Lizard Water Monsters swarmed in groups but werepletely no match for the ferocity of the Little ck Dragon, which quickly killed more than twenty of them¡­ However, there were a great many Lizard Water Monsters in this wend area, and beneath the Winter Reed Grass, some evenrger Lizard Water Monsters were lurking, including some that had cultivated for a thousand years, known as Demon Spirits. High above, the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon spotted a Demon Spirit with a Cultivation Base of one thousand seven hundred years, it pped its wings and flew straight towards the Demon Spirit that was about to break through the hedge wall. There were several dozen fishermen¡¯s households behind the hedge wall, and the Demon Spirit was clearly targeting the families of these farmers. As the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon flew far away, a Lizard Water Monster with a thousand years of Cultivation Base crawled out from under the reeds. It led a group of forty to fifty Lizard Water Monsters and began attacking the area behind the city gate, where the poption was most dense! The Thousand-Year Brook Devil was seven meters long; it was a Giant Lizard Demon with a body emitting red and green light and even scales growing on the back of its head.
Scales are one of the characteristics of Dragons. It charged at the Little ck Dragon. This Giant Lizard Demon was like a siege engine designed to smash through city gates, and the Little ck Dragon was pushed backward by the impact, stopping only when it collided with the city wall. The city wall shook unsteadily, feeling like it would copse directly from a few more charges by the Giant Lizard Demon. The Little ck Dragon let out an angry roar, once again enshrouded in the Ancient Dark Aura. This rich ancient aura made the Little ck Dragon appear to instantly grow several timesrger and more imposing, its swinging ws packed even more terrifying destructive power! Amid the swirling Ancient Dark Aura, the Little ck Dragon used its two ws to press the Giant Lizard Demon¡¯s head into the ground before yanking it up and mming it heavily into the group of smaller Lizard Monsters that were charging at it. Lifting one Dragon foot, it stomped heavily on the ground, causing shockwaves to ripple out. The ripples that carried pulverizing and concussive force passed through those small Lizard Monsters, instantly ripping their bodies apart. Taking a deep breath, the Little ck Dragon¡¯s chest swelled. It released a breath of Dragon¡¯s Breath violently, and it was visible how the Ancient Dark Aura turned into a sweeping ck torrent of wild energy, its lightning-fast passage lifting the Giant Lizard Demon and the Lizard Water Monsters and turning them into a mist of blood midair! The enemy¡¯s blood sttered on the Little ck Dragon, and the pungent smell of blood was gradually stimting the bloodlines deep within the Little ck Dragon. Its ws became sharper, the Ancient Dark Aura on its body thickened, and even its bones crackled, growing stronger as if in the midst of battle! This was Ancient Dragon Bravery! With each enemy killed, the predator¡¯s power grew, its expended energy was replenished in a brief span, and its explosive strength increased dramatically! In just this brief moment, the Little ck Dragon had already in over thirty Lizard Water Little Demons. If it could ughter the Giant Lizard Demon as well, the power of the Ancient Dragon Bravery would receive another explosive increase! The Little ck Dragon hadpletely entered the state of a predator, fierce and fearless. Facing those Lizard Water Monsters with a Cultivation Base of less than five hundred years, it was essentially a massacre. Only the more advanced Lizard Water Monsters, which had cultivated for seven to eight hundred years, could withstand a few rounds, but they ultimately couldn¡¯t escape their fate of being killed. The muddy marsh, which should have aided the Lizard Water Monsters in their surge towards the city, gradually became an obstacle to their escape. In the marsh mud, the Little ck Dragon was even faster. Its Azure Dragon bloodline allowed it to evenunch an assault using the mud to amplify its pounce and bite. The force of this water-breaking pounce and bite was three to four times the usual, and it also enhanced the bite force. It allowed for the maximum deployment of its fangs, not to mention it could perfectly mp the enemy¡¯s throat from a bottom-up angle! Facing the Giant Lizard Demon, the Little ck Dragon burst out of the marsh water, biting the throat of the Giant Lizard Demon and using the force of its descent to flip it onto the ground!
Azure Dragon¡¯s water-breaking bite, a vice of death that no predator could escape. Blood gushed from the neck of the Giant Lizard Demon, quickly staining the swamp water red. The Giant Lizard Demon flipped onto the ground, its body writhing insanely. Its strength was astonishing, but the bite of the Azure Dragon remained unmoved, and it was in a spot where the Giant Lizard Demon couldn¡¯t thrash itself free¡­ The Giant Lizard Demon struggled for a long time, its body beginning to spasm. The Little ck Dragon still didn¡¯t move, and it wouldn¡¯t let go until it waspletely devoid of breath.
Finally, the Giant Lizard Demon also stopped moving, its entire seven-meter long body soaked in the bloody water. Only then did the Little ck Dragon slowly loosen its grip, its ck fangs smeared with shocking traces of blood, which dribbled down its lower jaw. Rising to its full height, another sessful hunt enveloped its entire body, not only in the terrifying Ancient Dark Aura but also in a crimson frenzy of predatory breath!! The surrounding Lizard Water Monsters, all under five hundred years old and who had already circled around, were so terrified by the Little ck Dragon¡¯s once again surging momentum that they plunged their heads into the mud, their short limbs iling desperately to flee the scene!! ¡°Kua~~~~~~~~~~¡± A strange roar came from the dark depths of the Reed Marsh. Originally fleeing Lizard Water Monsters, for some unknown reason, gained bravery once again. The Yellow Leaf Grass was as thick as autumn¡¯s wheat, they began to sway violently, and then, one after another, groups of Red-Necked Lizard Water Demons emerged; their eyes were red as well¡­ Unlike the other Lizard Water Monsters, these Red-Necked Lizard Water Demons knew no fear. They didn¡¯t attack one by one; instead, they formed a hunting tactic, well-trained! Soon, they had the Little ck Dragon surrounded and attacked from all angles. Fighting with them, the Little ck Dragon found killing them wasn¡¯t as easy as the previous Lizard Water Monsters. Fortunately, under the influence of the Ancient Dark Aura and the frenzied predatory breath, the Little ck Dragon was not afraid to face a hundred alone. It was as if it fell into a dense pond of lizards, but it still maintained its ferocious fighting spirit!! Chapter 424: 426: Black Dragon Advances Chapter 424: Chapter 426: ck Dragon Advances Zhu Minng stood on top of the city wall, his gaze fixed on the ce from where the strange calls wereing. The aura of the monsters was incredibly dense, like a pile of thick cow dung in the midst of fragrant flowers, instantly covering all other scents and making it impossible to ignore. Zhu Minng turned back to look at the half sky above Yellow Leaf City and saw that the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon had killed the seventeen-hundred-year-old Lizard Water Monster and was flying patrols in the sky once more. ¡°Qing Zhuo,e to me,¡± Zhu Minng said to the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon. The Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon glided down, and Zhu Minng took hold of its ws, letting it carry him towards the depths of the Reed Marsh. The Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon had not fully grown in size yet and couldn¡¯t be ridden for flying, but gliding with Zhu Minng like this posed no problems. They flew over a big group of Red-Necked Lizards, each and every one retracting its head, not daring to meet eyes with the powerful Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon. Fortunately, the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon was not targeting them, otherwise they would have to immediately dive into the mud to have any chance of survival. ¡°It¡¯s just ahead, and I estimate it¡¯s quite old,¡± said Zhu Minng seriously. The demonic Qi was extremely heavy, and almost all of the Red-Necked Lizard Monsters followed itsmands. Its strange calls were like a demonic horn to the Lizard Water Demon Group. Zhu Minng had to kill the creature that was intelligent andmanding all the Lizard Water Monsters, otherwise, no matter how bravely the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon and Little ck Dragon fought, there would always be some that slipped through the.
For ordinary people, any Lizard Water Monster was a terrifying beast that would leave not even bone scraps behind when it gnawed on its prey. The aura was already very strong, Zhu Minng had Little Qingzhuo fly lower, and just as he was about to search for the owner of the strange calls, suddenly the reeds moved without wind, opening up row by row in a neat circle pattern. Within the pitch darkness, Zhu Minng saw a monstrous umbre lying in the marsh, which suddenly opened, bloodied and dripping like a huge mouth, while bizarrely, at its very center, was a head with abnormal coloring, with a pair of bulging eyes rolling around like stone spheres! Little Qingzhuo reacted quickly, immediately pping its wings with force, lifting Zhu Minng to a higher altitude. It was only then, looking down, Zhu Minng realized the giant, horrifying umbre was actually the ruffled neck of a Lizard Monster, its neck skin exaggerated to the point it could fan open like a peacock and transform into a mouth capable of swallowing a fully grown Giant Dragon! Just moments ago, this Lizard Monster had intended to swallow both Little Qingzhuo and Zhu Minng in one gulp! Many lizards have ruffled necks, but none was as horrifying as this, having evolved an external mouth that enabled the Lizard Monster with a small head to swallowrger creatures! This Exotic Lizard Demon had a Cultivation Base of at least four thousand years!! ¡°This guy is the Different Demon Lizard that the academy has been tracking. I didn¡¯t expect it to be here, no wonder there are Lizard Monsters all around Yellow Leaf City,¡± Zhu Minng took a deep breath. ¡°Good, we¡¯ll use this four-thousand-year-old Different Demon Lizard as a whetstone for your evolution to adulthood!¡± Zhu Minng said to the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon. The Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon let out a phoenix cry. Although it was night and there was no harsh sunlight to provide it with stronger energy, this only added to the challenge! To break through its own limits, it had to sharpen its skills in adversity. Day and night would alternate, and the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon couldn¡¯t always battle under the sunshine! The Different Demon Lizard¡¯s umbre-like neck ruffle pulsated, and suddenly, a stter of blood-red poison fluid shot out! These dense droplets of blood-red poison were like a squadron of archers firing arrows into the sky in session, forming a terrifying curtain of blood-red arrows! The Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon flew towards a deciduous tree, letting Zhu Minngnd on it first, and then immediately took to the sky again, radiating a bluish glow from its body. The glow transformed into a Phoenix-shaped Light Shield, blocking the blood-red poison arrows. Zhu Minng changed into the Charm Shadow Clothes, easily hiding himself in the darkness and observing the Exotic Lizard Demon in detail. The Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon coiled in the sky above, stirring up an azure airstream. This spiraling current, like the tail of a dragon of wind, viciously struck the ground. The Different Demon Lizard stilly there, without moving an inch. Faced with such spiraling air currents, it didn¡¯t even bother to retract its neck frill and simply used its swollen body to endure the blow. The whipping tail of the wind dragon was like ash on a boulder¡ªdespite the thickness of the Different Demon Lizard¡¯s hide, its body underneath the muddy swamp was presumed to be extremely massive, immovable by such force!
The Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon¡¯s feathers ignited throughout its body, then it dived down in a steep descent, with azure mes and wings burning with holy fire! ¡°Boom!!!!!¡± A gorgeous ring of fire was created as the azure mes impacted the earth, instantly burning the winter reeds in the swamp to nothingness. The Different Demon Lizard was scorched and eroded by this intense ze, yet it still didn¡¯t move; instead, as it was burned by the azure mes, it suddenly raised its head and spewed out a vast expanse of Abnormal Colored Demon Gas!!
The demonic gas spread through the air, leaving the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon unable to avoid it, and upon the slightest contact, poisonous sores immediately sprouted all over its body! Zhu Minng hastily retreated to a farther location using the Charm Shadow Clothes, hating these poisonous things more than anything. If Sword Spirit Dragon had been there, the instant that Different Demon Lizard raised its head, Zhu Minng would have chopped off its damn head! Fortunately, the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon possessed purifying light feathers; as its feathers lit up with holy patterns, the holy light rippled like waves stirred in ake, and the poison sores were quickly suppressed, while the surrounding Abnormal Colored Demon gas was dispersed. Light Wing Scissors! The Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon¡¯s wings, sharp as scissors, crossed and two fierce beams of light shot out. They interweaved back and forth in midair and viciously snipped at the Different Demon Lizard¡¯s body upon reaching it! ¡°Whoosh!!¡± ¡°Whoosh!!¡± Two shocking gashes appeared on the swamp, and the skin of the Exotic Lizard Demon was finally sliced open. Blood, equally potent with poison, flowed from the wounds of the Different Demon Lizard and quickly began to corrode the surrounding vegetation. ¡°Oh~~~~~~~~~~~¡± A roar came from behind, Zhu Minng turned to look and found that Little ck Dragon had been overwhelmed by over a hundred Red-Necked Lizards, which were climbing on top of it, gnawing at its vulnerable spots. ¡°Qing Zhuo, help ck Fang first!¡± Zhu Minng urgently said. Although they could have taken advantage of the injured Different Demon Lizard¡¯s vulnerability tounch a fierce attack, the adolescent Little ck Dragon had run into a small predicament. Without retreating to support it, Little ck Dragon would have a hard time getting back up.
The Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon closed its light feathers, about to fly back, when a furious roar came from near the city gate, shaking the ground with its tremors! Zhu Minng looked over only to see Little ck Dragon, covered in Red-Necked Lizards, somehow manage to stand up. It erupted with a burst of ck energy, resembling an erupting ck volcano, vaporizing all the Red-Necked Lizards! At the same time, Little ck Dragon¡¯s body size surged, its bones and muscles seemingly rebuilding in that instant¡ªfrom its original four meters, it suddenly grew to over a dozen meters, now level with the city walls!! ¡°ROAR!!!!!!!!!!¡± The ancient rage scattered, the city walls shook!! The adolescent Little ck Dragon grew stronger with each kill in this relentless ughter, and even managed to break through amidst this frenzied bloodlust¡ªthe ck Dragon evolved! Chapter 425: 427 Refining Ash Black Dragon Chapter 425: Chapter 427 Refining Ash ck Dragon ¡°` ¡°Refining Ash ck Dragon!!¡± ¡°` ¡°` Atop the city wall, the old official who was also a Dragon Shepherd gazed at the Little ck Dragon with utter astonishment, involuntarily exhaling this dragon name. ¡°` ¡°` This was one of the most formidable dragon breeds among Demon Dragons and Evil Dragons, often bringing purgatory-like despair to a vast expanse ofnd, standing tall amidst endless ashes, a symbol of the Neon Sea¡¯s ughter and trampling. ¡°` ¡°` At this moment, the Little ck Dragon transformed into the Refining Ash Dragon, enshrouded inyers uponyers of murderous fury. It raised its ws and heavily smacked down upon the group of Red-Necked Lizards!
¡°` ¡°` The Red-Necked Lizards seemed to be swept into a ck purgatory melting pool, their skin rapidly evaporating, their bodies and skeletons swiftly turning to ash. The terrifying power of the ws that struck down spared not even the corpses. ¡°` ¡°` The Refining Ash ck Dragon then opened its mouth again, and within the seam of its abdomen scales appeared streaks of ck, molten magma. The scorching, fiery magma crawled from its belly to its chest, then surged up to the throat of the Refining Ash ck Dragon¡­ ¡°` ¡°` That was the fiery red of powerful dragon me seeping out from the skin and scales of the chest and throat, turning every ck pattern on the Little ck Dragon¡¯s body into a brilliant fiery red! ¡°` ¡°` ¡°Roar!!!!!!!!!!!!!¡± ¡°` ¡°` ck dragon me erupted from its mouth like a fiery waterfall pouring forth. ¡°` ¡°` The muddy swamp was instantly dried up, the Winter Reed Grass and Yellow Leaf Grass turned to nothingness. As the Refining Ash ck Dragon slowly moved its head, the terrifying dragon me swept from one end of the city wall to the other. ¡°`
¡°` Every ce it passed turned to ashes!! ¡°` ¡°`
Great clusters of Red-Necked Lizard Demons looked to flee, but as the dragon me swept over, nothing remained of them, not even their skeletons. ¡°` ¡°` Hundreds of Red-Necked Lizards, along with countless Lizard Water Monsters hidden in the mud, originally intended to break into the densely popted town to begin their gluttonous feast. ¡°` ¡°` But they could never have imagined that they were burrowing into a ck me purgatory. Where the Refining Ash ck Dragon reigned, was a terrifying purgatory¡ªa demonic ground, its fearsome power could easily trample living beings into ashes!! ¡°` ¡°` Further away, Zhu Minng himself stared in amazement. ¡°` ¡°` The Little ck Dragon was perhaps too fierce and valiant. He had worried for it, afraid that it couldn¡¯t withstand so many lizard demon spirits at its youthful stage, yet in an instant, the lizards were trampled into ash!
¡°` ¡°` Was this Big ck Tooth after the Reincarnation Transformation? ¡°` ¡°` The annihtion ability was quite terrifying, but Zhu Minng liked it very much! ¡°` ¡°` ¡­ ¡°` ¡°` The Refining Ash Little ck Dragon stepped out from the city gate, its dragon mepletely erased the swamp, leaving the Lizard Water Monsters nowhere to hide. ¡°`
¡°` It made its way out of the city, exterminating those Lizard Water Monsters lurking in the darkness as well, and now it was approaching Zhu Minng and the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon. ¡°` ¡°` The Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon was entangled in a fight with the Exotic Lizard Demon. ¡°` ¡°` The Exotic Lizard Demon was like a massive swamp poison tree, rooted in the mire, its limbs able to churn the mud and form a giant mud shield. When the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon cast powerful sr spells, it would hide behind the mud. ¡°` ¡°` The ground trembled, and the Refining Ash Little ck Dragon had reached this battlefield, its fierce dragon pupils fixed on the four-thousand-year-old Different Demon Lizard. ¡°` ¡°Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!¡±
The Refining Ash Little ck Dragon charged forward, with both speed and strength that were astonishing. Along the way, it left a trail of ck scorch marks, resembling a colossal moving smelting furnace! Its ws, imbued with melting mes, seized the body of the Different Demon Lizard. The purgatory ws immediately erupted with high-temperature force, severely charring the skin and flesh of the lizard! The impact of the Refining Ash Little ck Dragon¡¯s collision was not to be underestimated. The Different Demon Lizard, which appeared suctioned to the earth like a belly sucker, swayed violently back and forth, dangerously close to being overturned by the Refining Ash ck Dragon! Opening its jaws wide, even the ck fangs were covered in ck mes. At the same time, the Ancient Dark Aura enveloped the Refining Ash ck Dragon, magnifying its maw by several times. When it ferociously bit down, the Dragon Teeth me collided with the stone fire teeth, instantly creating a ck sun spot explosion! ¡°Boom!!¡± This bite was not only sessful in tearing off the limb of the Different Demon Lizard, it also sted the creature¡¯s body to pieces! The Different Demon Lizard was flung away, pieces of its flesh falling off its corpulent body. It was furiously enraged. Its umbre-shaped neck frill terrifyingly unfurled once again, bing an external mouth from which countless poison fangs grew out of the neck folds, densely packed like a bed of needles, each sharp and filled with deadly venom! Just as it was about to bite the Refining Ash ck Dragon, beams of intense light nted down from the sky, piercing the earth like a myriad of Light Spears. The Different Demon Lizard, already defenseless without its protective skin, was practically skewered by the Light Feather Spears. The Different Demon Lizard let out a sharp cry of pain. Its other three limbs iled wildly, churning the mud beneath it into two raging torrents that rolled toward the Refining Ash ck Dragon. The Refining Ash ck Dragon looked up and roared, its Predator¡¯s Wild Breath transforming into a ck storm that dissipated the muddy torrents. A phoenix cry rang out as the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon, whose feathers were nearly ame, dazzled brilliantly in the night sky like a rising azure sun at dawn, carrying with it an immense destructive light energy as it dove down! The night was lit up as if it were daylight. Those on the city walls could see this breathtaking scene from afar. At first, the veteran official thought that only a few Lizard Water Monsters would attack the town this time, with a few Demon Spirits asionally appearing. But when the azure light tore through the dense darkness, he caught sight of the four-thousand-year-old Different Demon Lizard, crawling outside the city like a swamp God of Death¡­ All the living within the city seemed insufficient to fill the insatiable stomach of the gargantuan Different Demon Lizard, not to mention the numerous Red-Necked Lizards it led! Yet at this moment, the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon and the Refining Ash ck Dragon were jointly disying their dragon power, crushing and nullifying this terrible swamp demon. In the blinding light, he saw the Different Demon Lizard¡¯s body split apart, obliterated into fragments by the overwhelmingly powerful light! Afterward, the newly evolved Refining Ash ck Dragon opened its mouth wide. What it spewed forth was not Dragon Breath, but rather an unannounced eruption of a ck volcanic fury, withva and ashes pouring down together, swiftly turning those fragmentary remains into ashes!! The brilliancested for a long time, and the ck mes also lingered on the wastnd outside the city. The barren area outside was turned into scorched earth, and even the farther marshes and wends were dried into hard soil. All of the Lizard Water Monsters were eradicated. Not even the Demon Spirits were spared. And the most terrifying Different Demon Lizard waspletely annihted. A Green Dragon, a ck Dragon, stood beside the man, while that man, who had defended Yellow Leaf City, calmly extended his palm, collecting the Different Demon Lizard¡¯s wandering souls to craft Soul Collecting Pearl Brewing! Chapter 426: 428 White Phoenix Tail Blossom Chapter 426: Chapter 428 White Phoenix Tail Blossom Everywhere was a mess. The city walls had been damaged, and some of the able-bodied citizens within had been seriously injured. The stench of dead lizards pervaded both inside and outside Yellow Leaf City, and from some distance away, the dance of Dragon Lamps could asionally be seen, providing scantfort in the terrifying darkness of the night. It had finally quieted down. In just one day¡¯s time, the guards of Yellow Leaf City had been brutally ughtered. Come nightfall, the city was seen by demons as a huge tter, with all the living as meat upon it. But atst, peace had returned, and people could no longer hear the roar or the trembling from outside the city. ¡­ Havingpleted the Soul Collecting Pearl Brewing, Zhu Minng returned to the city gate. The able-bodied citizens gathered by the old officials, holding torches, immediately surrounded him. The old official of Yellow Leaf City ordered some people to continue scouting on the city walls, and rushed down himself to approach Zhu Minng.
Everyone looked at Zhu Minng with faces full of admiration and respect, but above all else, gratitude. Living in such a world, everyone knew that even within a great city walls one was not absolutely safe. In times of danger, not every time would one meet such a valiant person to step up, after all, even their rulers, the Yan n, turned a blind eye to their life and death. Grateful, they wanted to bring out their household treasures. ncing at the silks, gold bracelets, silver jewelry, bronze swords, jade pieces, and herbs piled up before him, Zhu Minng gave a wry smile and shook his head. This bit of money probably wouldn¡¯t even be enough to feed his Little ck Dragon and Little Azure Dragon one meal. ¡°I appreciate your kindness, folks, but there¡¯s really no need for these things. We at the Dragon Taming Academy have always been of chivalrous heart. It¡¯s not easy for you all this winter; keep it for buying next year¡¯s crops and seedlings for herbs,¡± Zhu Minng refused. With so many small items, Zhu Minng didn¡¯t even know how to carry them all. A four-thousand-year-old Soul Bead from a Different Demon Lizard was worth far more than what these people were offering him. They were allmon folk; life was not easy for them, especially now that the city no longer had guards. After all, it was up to everyone to pool their money and organize protection. Otherwise, if bandits and marauders arrived, they would suffer once again. ¡°The Lizard Water Monsters in the other towns have been eradicated as well. We really cannot thank your Dragon Taming Academy enough,¡± the old official said with tears streaking down his face. Yellow Leaf City had managed to escape a catastrophe. ¡°It¡¯s nothing, it¡¯s nothing, we¡¯re also out practicing,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°Benefactor, it really doesn¡¯t sit right with me that you¡¯re leaving without taking anything as an official of Yellow Leaf City. However, there is one thing I would like to show you, if you would be willing to apany me?¡± the old official whispered. The old official¡¯s tone was cloaked in mystery, and judging by his expression, it seemed the item was far from ordinary. ¡°There¡¯s no need for such politeness, elder,¡± Zhu Minng still declined. In Yellow Leaf City, it was only their medicinal ointments that were really good ¨C high quality and low price ¨C but other than that, nothing was of interest to someone of Zhu Minng¡¯s status. ¡°This¡­ to tell you the truth, our City Master might have died because of this artifact. A high-ranking person from the Yan n called our City Master over, hoping he would present this item to them. The City Master knew the danger of possessing a valuable artifact, so he entrusted the item to me for safekeeping. After that, a series of horrific events unfolded; the City Master didn¡¯t make it back alive, and Zhou Liang ended up as the scapegoat. In the end, even we guards suffered,¡± the old official spoke in a hushed voice. ¡°Oh?¡± Upon hearing this, Zhu Minng felt that the item was anything but ordinary, ¡°Then take me to see it.¡± ¡°Great, that¡¯s wonderful. Please follow me, benefactor,¡± the old official said with a look of joy. As the old official had said, to possess a valuable artifact without the might is to invite cmity.
When a person does not have the strength to protect it, but owns an item of great value, they easily attract fatal trouble. The old official was actually very nervous inside. He didn¡¯t know what use that thing had, but because of it, quite a few people had died. He feared that one day he might also suffer a violent death. It wasn¡¯t that he wanted to pass this hot potato on to Zhu Minng, rather he felt that given Zhu Minng¡¯s strength, he probably didn¡¯t need to worry too much about the Yan n¡¯s greed. Right now, the old official just wanted to live in peace.
¡­ Reaching an underground wine cer, Zhu Minng followed the old official to a spot where Yellow Leaf Wine was stored. Opening a wine jar, Old Official Zhou Qiu took out the object wrapped in leather. Zhu Minng looked at the item inside with puzzlement and examined it carefully, but he still wasn¡¯t quite sure what it was. After a while, Zhu Minng noticed the very fine fments on it, which indeed resembled the tail of a White Moth. Zhu Minng immediately touched it with his hand, and instantly felt an immensely powerful holy aura that made his fingers heat up! ¡°What is this??¡± ¡°A Giant White Witch Moth¡¯s tail fment?¡± ¡°But it also looks a bit like the fifth tail feather grown by Little Qingzhuo during its Nirvana Continuation Tail phase.¡± ¡°Could this be¡­¡± Suddenly, an image shed through Zhu Minng¡¯s mind, that of Heavenly Shadow soaring high in the thunderstorm, shielding the rain with its body, allowing millions of White Moths at sea to escape ¨C the White Phoenix! Could this be the White Phoenix¡¯s tail? A look of shock appeared on Zhu Minng¡¯s face!! How could the tail of a White Phoenix end up in such a ce???
Zhu Minng¡¯s heart was in turmoil! He recalled the scene of the White Phoenix flying far away, which seemed to be heading in the direction of Yellow Leaf City. ¡°Old Zhou, when this thing appeared, was there any unusual phenomenon?¡± Zhu Minng asked. ¡°Yes, more than just a phenomenon, that day I woke up early in the morning to check the Yellow Leaf Herbal Field, and to my shock, I saw a vast expanse of white. It scared the daylights out of me, as we rarely have snow here, and Yellow Leaf Grass can¡¯t withstand the ravages of frost and snow. But when the sun came out, all the snow floated into the air, and it terrified everyone in our city because it wasn¡¯t snow ¨C it was White Moths from the sea, they had settled on the Yellow Leaf Grass we were growing¡­¡± Old Official Zhou Qiu said. Upon hearing this, Zhu Minng¡¯s eyes sparkled differently! My God, it really is the tail of a White Phoenix! The White Phoenix had escorted the White Moths all the way to Yellow Leaf City, although he didn¡¯t know why one of its tail feathers had dropped, it was almost certain that this was the fment of the White Phoenix¡¯s tail!! No wonder the City Master who got hold of it died. And afterwards, those who knew about it were also sessively killed, framed! The people of the Yan n were looking for this White Phoenix Tail Blossom. Originally, everyone in Man City was capturing White Moths, just to collect the essence of heaven and earth from their tail fments! And now he was in possession of a White Phoenix Tail Blossom, that of a Holy Spirit with the highest bloodline of many ten thousand years¡­ This thing, was more than just hot to the touch!
Average people who tried to handle it would be burned to ashes. If thrown away carelessly, the resulting conflict it could provoke might even sweep across the entire country!! Chapter 427 - 429: Adult Azure Dragon Chapter 427: Chapter 429: Adult Azure Dragon ¡°Do you recognize this object?¡± asked Old Official Zhou Qiu. ¡°I don¡¯t know what it is either,¡± Zhu Minng replied. There are some things that Zhou Qiu is better off not knowing too clearly. Zhu Minng felt that telling him the truth would actually harm him. Zhou Qiu nodded, he didn¡¯t want to know what it was either, as long as Zhu Minng was willing to take it away, that was the greatest help to him. Yellow Leaf City could no longer withstand such devastation. ¡°Then could you ept it? With your realm, it might be of help to you in the future,¡± Zhou Qiu said. ¡°An item sought by the Yan n¡­¡± Zhu Minng showed a hint of hesitation. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, my benefactor, I have no intention of harming you. Now, only I know that it¡¯s hidden here, and only I know that I am giving it to you. Even if the Yan n asks about it in the future, I will never speak of it. You have saved us; how could I let you fall into trouble again?¡± Zhou Qiu said. Zhu Minng nodded and took the White Phoenix Tail Blossom. Seeing that Zhu Minng had finally agreed, Zhou Qiu let out a long sigh of relief. Because of this object, he could not sleep well at night, worrying that one day the Yan n woulde to Yellow Leaf City and turn it upside down. With their cruel methods, who knows how many people would be harmed before they stop. Now that the object was finally sent away, Zhou Qiu felt much more at ease in his heart. ¡­ After resting for a day, on the third day, the group headed to their of the Lizard Water Monster. In their of the Lizard Water Monster, the number of remaining lizards was actually not that high, mainly the stronger Red-Necked Lizards. For the Little ck Dragon who had reached the growth period, it no longer made sense to use these little lizards for training, so Zhu Minng simply acted as an elder and teacher, apanying his fellow students for a visit. They sessfully eradicated the remaining Lizard Water Monsters and believed that Yellow Leaf City would not suffer such monster attacks for the next four or five years. On the way back, Zhu Minng also kept studying the White Phoenix Tail Blossom. The more he explored, the more astonishing it became. The White Phoenix, for all anyone knew, was a holy spirit of countless millennia, and its tail blossom had absorbed the essence of heaven, earth, and the cycles of the sun and moon. The energy contained within surpassed the Moonlight Stone once given to Zhu Minng by Meng Bingci. That was a Moonlight Stone worth three million gold, but whenpared to the White Phoenix Tail Blossom, it paled significantly. He truly had stumbled upon a treasure! A small ce like Yellow Leaf City actually held such a marvelous treasure; perhaps it was because of the moral deeds he had been ruing over the years that finally moved the heavens, intentionally granting him this gift from the celestial messenger of the White Phoenix! He should continue to perform acts of chivalry in the future. Had he not stepped in during the crisis at Yellow Leaf City, the White Phoenix Tail Blossom would have remained hidden forever in that cer, or worse, fallen into the hands of some viin¡­ Back at the Dragon Taming High Court, Zhu Minng stored the White Phoenix Tail Blossom in a box that isted energy. The essence and energy inside were immense and werepatible with Bai Qi¡¯s attributes, so keeping it for Bai Qi definitely wouldn¡¯t pose any problems. Such a high-level spiritual object could surely be reserved for Bai Qi¡¯s transition from the adult phase to theplete period, assisting it to break through to the Dragon King Realm. ¡°` So, as long as Little White Bai Qi sessfullypletes the Reincarnation Transformation, the White Dragon Dragon King is practically reserved! ¡­ Back at the academy, Zhu Minng turned in his assignment and received one thousand academic credits. Zhu Minng exchanged for some dragon species Soul Beads, using them to help Little Wild Jiao shed its mortal coil and mundane bones. Little Wild Jiao performed very well this time, killing a total of four Lizard Water Monsters. Although thest three were with the assistance of those sturdy folk, it still counted as defending the residents of Yellow Leaf City. Unfortunately, Little Wild Jiao is still too young and can¡¯t nourish itself within the Spirit Realm¡ªotherwise, it would¡¯ve quickly undergone a transformation. With more cultivation, Zhu Minng could allow Little Glow Spirit to bestow Spiritual Energy, turning Little Wild Jiao into a small spiritual dragon and bringing it another step closer to bing a real dragon. Right now, Little Glow Spirit has an even more important task, which is to help Little Qingzhuo advance to its mature stage! The mature stage of the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon is very important, and Zhu Minng didn¡¯t want to see any failure, so he specifically spent a great deal to purchase Spirit Egg Stones. Spirit Egg Stones possess Spiritual Energy. The academy has a cultivation tform built from Spirit Egg Stones, where cultivating yields twice the result with half the effort. However, after Little Glow Spiritpletely drained a small Holy Pool by the seast time, Zhu Minng dared not create any more trouble randomly. It¡¯s better to honestly spend money and buy the stones, allowing Little Glow Spirit to absorb these high-quality Spirit Egg Stones and then refine them. Little Glow Spirit doesn¡¯t eat anything; its only designated food is the Spirit Vein Aura. The energy contained within Spirit Egg Stones is actually quite limitedpared to a real Spirit Vein, and by far less powerful. Fortunately, Zhu Minng had some savings, and by purchasing inrge amounts, it could roughly match a small Spirit Vein¡­ After absorbing all the Spirit Egg Stones, Little Glow Spirit was like a little spirit drunk on ale, asionally letting out a cute, satiated belch while Zhu Minng stroked its fluffy fur! Blue fur contained massive Spiritual Energy, feeling like touching electric down, with tingling in the fingers. ¡°Good, it¡¯s up to you to breakthrough to maturity!¡± Zhu Minng said. Little Glow Spirit was excited. Its two favorite things to do were first, to absorb the surrounding heaven and earth¡¯s Spiritual Rhyme, and second, to bestow it upon a person or dragon it liked. It really liked Little Qingzhuo. Whenever Little Qingzhuo practiced hovering still against the wind high in the sky, it would lie on Little Qingzhuo¡¯s head to absorb the high-altitude wind spirits. Unfortunately, high-altitude wind spirits couldn¡¯t be stored well, or it would have had one more elemental energy to bestow upon others. ¡°Bo-Bo~~¡± Little Glow Spirit¡¯s fur spread out in a static state, with its azure fluff like strands of electric stamens emitting a dazzlingly sacred glow! For a moment, the air seemed filled with fine and dense threads of electricity, making one¡¯s entire skin tingle, yet also as if submerged in a hot spring that rxes muscles and bones¡­ ¡°Little Qingzhuo, quick!¡± Zhu Minng said to the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon. The feathers on the body of the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon stood up slightly, with its intricate phoenix patterns absorbing the luminous Spiritual Silk. The Spiritual Silk flowed into its plumage, rendering each feather a radiant azure blue. Each feather gleamed as if absorbing the fierce sun, creating a dense halo of holy light that enveloped Little Qingzhuo¡¯s body. Subsequently, Little Qingzhuo underwent a metamorphosis within this holy light, slowly shedding its old self, with new, sacred feathers growing from its skin, and its neck fringe flying about regally, just like a true Azure Phoenix! Zhu Minng was also just trying it out, seeing if the Spiritual Energy gifted by Little Glow Spirit could really help a dragon pet break through. Seeing Little Qingzhuo transforming and growing towards maturity filled his face with joy! It worked!! The Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon advanced from its growth stage to its mature stage! Its Cultivation Base was soaring, and it easily crossed over the Monarch Level, now approaching the Middle-level Monarch Level!! ¡°` Chapter 428 - 430: Raising Dragons, Endless Fun Chapter 428: Chapter 430: Raising Dragons, Endless Fun ¡°` Middle-level Monarch Level! The Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon had reached the Middle-level Monarch Level, and there was a clear trend for further advancement. Of course, its cultivation base was still somewhat unstable after justpleting its advancement and needed more spiritual resources to assist it. Fortunately, Zhu Minng had already prepared ample resources. He had not only purchased Spirit Egg Stones but also acquired several Premium Jade Feather Leaves, which cost him as much as five hundred thousand gold for just a few leaves that looked like jade. After all, they were Monarch Level spiritual objects, and their prices were indeed outrageous. But as long as it could stabilize the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon¡¯s cultivation base and help it to rise, any amount of money spent would be worth it. The Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon was now in its adult stage, and after getting rid of the status of a Disabled Dragon, it would still have one more chance to advance. The higher the cultivation base it reached during its adult stage, the greater the magnitude of improvement the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon would have as it entered the next stage. Middle-level Monarch Level was clearly not the limit for the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon, and it could aim for the High Rank King Level! Of course, even if it was only at the Middle-level Monarch Level, the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon should already possess extremely terrifyingbat power. Its bloodline was already quite high, and it wielded more powerful spells. Previously, at the Lower-level Sovereign, it could contend with those at the Peak. Thus, the Middle-level Monarch Level did not represent the full strength of the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon! Apart from Premium Jade Feather Leaves, Zhu Minng had also been spending a lot of money to purchase phoenix-dragon Soul Beads. Soul Beads are the most important spiritual objects used to enhance the cultivation base of dragon pets. Zhu Minng was actually considering, if he couldn¡¯t get the Soul Bead of a Dragon-Phoenix, then he would give the twenty-five thousand-year-old Absolute Sea Hawk Emperor Soul Bead to Little Qingzhuo. The Hawk Emperor belongs to the Sacred Birds; while there may be some mismatch in attributes, it should still be of great help to the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon. ¡°No, no, no, I don¡¯t rmend you do that. The Hawk Emperor¡¯s Soul Bead is equivalent to a Dragon King Level Soul Bead. Although it is from a Sacred Bird and is the same species as Little Qingzhuo, the amount of soul power Little Qingzhuo can absorb is very limited.¡± Mr. Jinli shook his head. ¡°Then, Mr. Jinli, do you have any good suggestions?¡± Zhu Minng asked. ¡°If you¡¯re buying with money, unless you offer a huge amount in one go, it¡¯s quite difficult to purchase a specific Soul Bead, especially for a rare species like the Azure Phoenix. I think you should take the Absolute Sea Hawk Emperor¡¯s Soul Bead and use it as bait, requesting a whole set of Spiritual Objects in exchange. The essence of the Azure Phoenix bloodline, Soul Beads of wood and light attribute Sacred Birds, High-quality Light Crystals, Premium Inclusion Leaves, Phoenix Tree Fairy Dew¡­¡± Mr. Jinli said. ¡°That seems like a good idea. There are many who want the Hawk Emperor Soul Bead, and they will surely prepare this whole set of spiritual resources for us at all costs,¡± Zhu Minng¡¯s eyes lit up. It wasn¡¯t that Zhu Minng couldn¡¯t afford the whole set of spiritual resources; after all, he had prepared over two million gold just to push the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon to higher cultivation bases and to make it invincible within the same cultivation base level. However, many items are not guaranteed to be avable for purchase on the market, and resources are limited. Many wealthy familiespete for them. If Zhu Minng was determined to obtain them, he might end up spending an extra one or two million gold in the bidding process and still not be sure to obtain theplete set of spiritual resources. If he traded the Absolute Sea Hawk Emperor Soul Bead, those major families would certainly spare no effort to gather the items Zhu Minng needed. The Hawk Emperor¡¯s Soul Bead was at the King Level, and Zhu Minng needed aplete set of the highest quality Monarch Level spiritual resources. Large wealthy families and powerful forces would definitely vie for them, and they might even squeeze out some hidden treasures. ¡°Change your identity for the sale, the more mysterious, the better,¡± Mr. Jinli said. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I don¡¯t want to cause unnecessary trouble for myself,¡± Zhu Minng nodded. A student from the Dragon Taming High Court selling a twenty-five-thousand-year-old Soul Bead would probably be known to everyone in Man City in half a day. ¡°Take the opportunity to take the Heavenly ughter Dragon hunting more often; get a few more twenty-thousand-year-old Soul Beads, and the cultivation funds for the other Dragon Babies will be set,¡± Mr. Jinli said. ¡°` Zhu Minng nodded. He suddenly realized that the Heavenly ughter Dragon was actually quite excellent. It ate grass, yet produced milk. If he obtained good spiritual resources in the future, he should also consider enhancing its cultivation base. After this period of recuperation, the Heavenly ughter Dragon¡¯s cultivation base was now between the preparatory and lower levels. If he could find a King Level Soul Bead suitable for the Heavenly ughter Dragon, he could help it break through to the Lower Level King. Unfortunately, such items were not easy to find, and even money couldn¡¯t buy them. The key was to first improve the strength of the other dragons. Once he traded for aplete set of spiritual resources for the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon, and it became unbeatable in the Monarch Level, he could start thinking about the final sprint to the Complete Period! Without any idents, the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon would likely be the second dragon pet to step into the King Level, so at this stage, he couldn¡¯t consider hoarding spiritual resources. If there were good items avable, he would invest them in the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon to prepare it fully for the breakthrough to the King Level! ¡°By the way, what do we need the high-quality light crystals for?¡± Zhu Minng asked as he was making a list and noticed the unclear use for this item. ¡°Sigh, if your father were here, he would be heartbroken and scold you for forgetting your ancestors,¡± Mr. Jinli said, shaking his head. ¡°Uh, I¡¯m also a casting master¡­¡± Zhu Minng said, touching his nose awkwardly. He could also forge a set of Sacred Dragon Armor for the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon. Since he wanted the Little Azure Dragon to be invincible at the Monarch Level, then it had to be thoroughly invincible, so invincible that it would make the enemies utterly despair! ¡°There¡¯s a small inner court of Zhu Gate in Qin City, managed by one of your uncles. It has the most stable Earthfire furnace with consistent me temperature. Whenever you have the chance, pay a visit and see if there¡¯s anything good to plunder,¡± Mr. Jinli suggested. ¡°Okay,¡± Zhu Minng nodded. Suddenly, he found there were many tasks at hand, giving him a feeling of being overwhelmed. But the thought that every task could significantly enhance his own strength made him spirited! Dragon cultivation was indeed endlessly delightful. Much more interesting than the tedious practice of sword. ¡­ After changing his identity, he ced the Absolute Sea Hawk Emperor¡¯s Soul Bead in thergest auction. Soon, the auction started contacting buyers from all directions for Zhu Minng. He listed the conditions he needed, and five of the Nine Tribes of the Neon Sea expressed their ability to prepare everything for Zhu Minng, all of premium quality. In addition, the Dragon Taming High Court, the Man City Lord, Shan Sect Mountain, and the White Ind Lord were also keen on the Absolute Sea Hawk Emperor¡¯s Soul Bead, and they all responded to the auction. Bartering formed apetition, as Zhu Minng held a King Level Spiritual Object, basically having the initiative and the right to choose. With so many forces and so many strong contenders, he believed that the items they offered would definitely be satisfying, so Zhu Minng didn¡¯t need to worry much about it. To others, a 25,000-year-old Soul Bead was rare and incredibly valuable, but for Zhu Minng, as long as his Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon could advance to the Complete Period, under the circumstances of having Twin Dragon Kings, such Soul Beads could be obtained again! Chapter 429: 431: Are You the One Called Yan Xu? Chapter 429: Chapter 431: Are You the One Called Yan Xu? Zhu Minng gave various major forces and ns plenty of time, a whole month for them to search slowly. He, on the other hand, attended the Yan n¡¯s hunting festival as scheduled. Now that Little Qingzhuo had reached Monarch Level, Zhu Minng was bound to obtain the Blood of the Evil Dragon Essence! All the spiritual resources needed for Little Qingzhuo during its adulthood had been prepared, and next up was Big ck Tooth¡¯s turn. Refining Ash ck Dragon. Recalling the dominance of the Refining Ash ck Dragon back in Yellow Leaf City, Zhu Minng had a premonition that as long as it was cultivated properly, Big ck Tooth¡¯s power after this Reincarnation Transformation would definitely not be inferior to the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon. Zhu Minng also noticed something, the Little ck Dragon didn¡¯t require many spiritual resources, and its growth rate was clearly faster than that of the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon. High pedigree, low resource consumption, explosive fighting capability¡ªit felt like the Little ck Dragon was the perfect choice for a poverty-stricken Dragon Shepherd¡­ Ancient Dragons prioritize food, focusing onbat, continuous battles can bring out their strength and potential. Therefore, Zhu Minng had no intention of missing out on the hunting festival. Keeping Little ck Dragon passionate about fighting was the best way to nurture it. Of course, Zhu Minng now had the means, even if Little ck Dragon didn¡¯t consume many resources, he would still spare no expense on enhancing its spiritual resources! It was already very formidable, but it could be even stronger.
Defying the odds and taking on challenges above one¡¯s level was truly a man¡¯s romance! ¡­ The Refining Ash ck Dragon had a huge appetite, and the meat of the Absolute Sea Hawk Emperor was not unlimited. The meat of a thousand-year-old beast actually already satisfied all the nutrition needed by the Refining Ash ck Dragon. Suddenly, Zhu Minng found himself missing his Dragon Food steward¡ªprocurement was indeed not an easy task. In order to save time, Zhu Minng could notpare prices, and ended up spending some unnecessary money. After purchasing the thousand-year-old beast meat and having it delivered to his residence at the Dragon Taming High Court, Zhu Minng then headed to the hunting grounds of the Yan n. The hunting festival seemed to have been held for many years, and had already developed a ratherplete system. The hunters would gather in a magnificent hall where they enjoyed fine wine and food. Aside from the participants, there were also no shortage of rich and noble audiences. This hunting festival was essentially a game for the nobility. ¡°I thought you weren¡¯ting. You had me breaking out in a cold sweat,¡± Luo Shaoyan said to Zhu Minng with a sigh of relief. ¡°Went out to buy some Dragon Food, so I got herete,¡± Zhu Minng replied. ¡°Come, let me introduce you to some peers for you to get acquainted with,¡± Luo Shaoyan said with a smile. Zhu Minng was led to an elegant seating area where he saw several young women dressed beautifully. They were chatting andughing, maintaining the poised and generous demeanor of nobledies while exhibiting the right amount of reserve and elegance. ¡°This is Zhu Minng, the one who defeated Guan Wenqi, the little genius of the outer court,¡± Luo Shaoyan said solemnly as he approached thedies to introduce Zhu Minng. ¡°Who¡¯s Guan Wenqi?¡± one of the soft-haired, charming girls asked with a smile. ¡°I don¡¯t know either,¡± Zhu Minng responded, blinking. At the neighboring seating area, Guan Wenqi, who had alsoe to participate in the hunt, frowned and cast a cold nce at Zhu Minng and the gigglingdies. ¡°Haha, Guan Wenqi might have a bit of fame in our High Court, but among all forces and great ns, he might just be ordinary. Anyway, this is my friend, Zhu Minng. He will join me in this hunt, and if youdies encounter any ruthless Demon Lords in the hunting grounds, don¡¯t be afraid. We will protect you!¡± Luo Shaoyanughed as he spoke. ¡°Don¡¯t push it too far. I¡¯m sitting right here. Even if you want to talk behind someone¡¯s back, can¡¯t you keep your voice down?¡± Guan Wenqi suddenly stood up, his face red with anger! Zhu Minng feigned surprise¡ªas it turned out, his defeated opponent was sitting right beside them.
What a coincidence. ¡°So it¡¯s you, Guan Wenqi, have you alsoe to participate in this extremely dangerous hunt?¡± Luo Shaoyan had actually noticed him earlier, otherwise he wouldn¡¯t have mentioned his name directly when introducing Zhu Minng. ¡°Luo, what business is it of yours what happens between Zhu Minng and me? That contest was nothing more than my own underestimation. Didn¡¯t you see I didn¡¯t even call out my other dragons?¡± Guan Wenqi always thought highly of himself, little did he know that his reputation had suffered greatly after that defeat. He deliberately attended this hunting event specifically to restore his honor!
Many students within the academy are only good at theoretical discussion andck realbat ability, but Guan Wenqi is different! ¡°Oh, oh, then make sure to perform well this time and don¡¯t disgrace our first-year students at the Dragon Taming High Court again,¡± Luo Shaoyan said with a smile. ¡°You¡­ you second-generation scion of the Luo Mountain Sect, what right do you have to criticise me? Do you dare topete with me?¡± Guan Wenqi said angrily. ¡°You¡¯re not worthy,¡± Luo Shaoyan replied with a smugugh. ¡°Am I worthy then, young master of the Luo Mountain?¡± At that moment, a tall man approached, shing a confident smile at Luo Shaoyan. Luo Shaoyan¡¯s smile immediately vanished. Zhu Minng didn¡¯t recognize the man, but for some reason, he felt that the man¡¯s face bore an untamed quality. ¡°Why, if it isn¡¯t Young Master Yan Xu, long time no see. ¡± At that moment, the short-haired, charming woman greeted him with a blooming smile, taking the initiative to say hello. ¡°Miss Ke, why bother dealing with a loafing scion of the Luo family? Come, join us at our table instead,¡± Yan Xu said to the short-haired charming woman. ¡°Sure, Young Master Luo of Luo Mountain, pardon us for being rude. After all, the Yan n is hosting this hunting event, and it wouldn¡¯t be right to refuse the host¡¯s invitation,¡± Ke Ning said. Having said that, Ke Ning then spoke a few words to her two sisters. Although the other two women also felt it was quite impolite, they still followed Ke Ning¡¯s decision and moved to the seats arranged by Yan Xu. Luo Shaoyan¡¯s face started to look a bit ugly.
He had invited them first, only to have them snatched away by Yan Xu in the end! ¡°Luo Shaoyan, does the Yan n need to arrange a few guards for you? I¡¯m genuinely concerned that those Demon Lords might tear you apart. Among the murderer Demon Lords I know, there are some who enjoy cracking open skulls to feast on brains,¡± Yan Xu said. ¡°No need, just take care of yourself. Don¡¯t end up killed by a convict of your own Yan n, or else this hunting event won¡¯t be able to continue,¡± Luo Shaoyan replied. ¡°Hahaha, that¡¯s none of your concern. Oh, and this here is Zhu Minng, I heard he¡¯s from the Li Chuan Wild Chicken Academy? Not bad, lucky to have defeated my little cousin,¡± Yan Xu said, his gazending on Zhu Minng. ¡°Are you Yan Xu, son of Yan Zhen?¡± Zhu Minng asked. ¡°That¡¯s me, what about it?¡± replied Yan Xu with that confident smile. ¡°Nothing, just asking. I¡¯ve heard a lot about you,¡± Zhu Minng also smiled, with a purity as if he were a reclusive young man untainted by the material world. Yan Xu. Zhu Minng was not hearing this name for the first time. In recent days, Han Wen hade to see him and talked to him about Yan Zhen. She told him that besides Yan Zhen, his son Yan Xu was also among those who had ambushed them on the Absolute Sea Demon Ind. It was Yan Xu who had contacted Inspector Lyu and forced him to betray the movements of the Great Instructor. So you are Yan Xu?
It was you and your father Yan Zhen who cornered us on that Demon Ind, wasn¡¯t it? Chapter 430: 432: Hope You Know the Consequences Chapter 430: Chapter 432: Hope You Know the Consequences ¡°Well, you better watch yourself, because this hunting festival is not like the little fights among children at your academy. If you fall into the hands of those Demon Lords by ident, you might regret ever living in this world,¡± Yan Xu said with a smile. After saying this, Yan Xu¡¯sughter became sharper, as if in his eyes, Zhu Minng and Luo Shaoyan were nothing more than two little brats. Luo Shaoyan, dissatisfied, didn¡¯t dare to be as presumptuous in front of Yan Xu as before. Sitting in an empty seat, Luo Shaoyan sulkily drank his wine and said to Zhu Minng, ¡°I wanted to introduce you to a few beauties. They are all from noble families. If you could hook up with one, you might be able to struggle less over the years. Too bad they don¡¯t seem to fancy us.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, I prefer a bit of tranquility,¡± Zhu Minng replied. There were many crystal grapes on the table, Zhu Minng¡¯s favorite. Leisurely eating grapes while waiting for the hunting festival to begin was quite pleasant. He didn¡¯t need to engage in insincere ttery with those youngdies from powerful families. As he was enjoying the juicy grapes, a delicate and graceful figure slowly approached. She looked at Zhu Minng and asked with a smile, ¡°May I sit here?¡± Zhu Minng looked up, his face showing a bit of confusion. The woman before him had bright eyes and rosy lips, skin white with a blush of red, and whether it was her long, attractive neck or her slender, tender arms, there was not a single w to be seen. Her hair was neatly arranged, with a Spirit Butterfly Hairpin that made her look even more radiant and charming. Zhu Minng didn¡¯t recognize thedy, but he noticed that her clear, spring-like eyes were fixed on him, as if he had something distinct about him.
Was it because of his incredible beauty that he so easily attracted the attention of such a special and pretty woman to strike up a conversation? Zhu Minng smiled, ready to decline, when Luo Shaoyan suddenly pointed at the young beauty and said in surprise, ¡°Aren¡¯t you, aren¡¯t you the little Maid of the Queen of Xiayu?¡± Thedy was gentle and lovely, with an extremely bright and beaming smile. ¡°Isn¡¯t that the Little Queen of Xia Yu, Jing Yu?¡± someone approached and said excitedly. Several women quickly gathered around, looking up to her with admiration, and upon hearing the name, many others also turned their gaze in that direction. The Little Queen of Xia Yu? Zhu Minng took a closer look and realized that thisdy closely resembled the Maid beside the Celestial Maiden Queen. Indeed, a woman could seem like a different person with a change of clothes and makeup; Zhu Minng had failed to recognize her. This Little Queen seemed to have quite a reputation in Neon Sea, as many people came forward to greet her respectfully. Suddenly, the empty seats were crowded with people. ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, I am discussing some matters here with an old friend; please excuse us,¡± the Little Queen Jing Yu of Xia Yu said with intelligent grace. Others then gradually dispersed, some reluctantly, especially the younger women who showed signs of admiration and were not so willing to leave. Zhu Minng was puzzled, wondering when he had be her old friend. They had only met once before. ¡°Miss, you¡¯re not after the reward of Four Million Jin, are you?¡± Zhu Minng asked. ¡°I¡¯m just very curious. There¡¯s a man in this world who would run away from a wedding, and not just any wedding, but the royal wedding of Princess Luoshui of Miao Kingdom. Either this man is exceptionally outstanding and extraordinary, or he has lost his mind,¡± the Little Queen Jing Yu of Xia Yu said with a smile. ¡°So what¡¯s your conclusion?¡± Zhu Minng asked. ¡°Your mind must be broken, or perhaps I just don¡¯t know you well enough,¡± said the Little Queen of Xia Yu as she leaned in, her faceing very close to Zhu Minng¡¯s. Zhu Minng could already smell the fragrance emanating from the Little Queen of Xia Yu, as delicate as the scent of orchids. As these words were spoken, another person approached them.
Yan Xu stood in front of Zhu Minng and the Little Queen of Xia Yu. His courtesy was merely superficial; the way his eyes fixed on the Little Queen Jing Yu, however, betrayed a certain scorching intensity. ¡°Why don¡¯t youe and sit at my ce, Little Sister Jing Yu?¡± Yan Xu suggested. ¡°Don¡¯t you already have a beauty over there?¡± retorted the Little Queen Jing Yu. ¡°How can they be considered beautiespared to you?¡± Yan Xu said directly.
His words, utterly unguarded, caused the color to drain from the face of a woman named Ke Ning. Ke Ning immediately stood up with her twopanions, looking as if she was going to leave in a huff. One would have expected Yan Xu to offer some soothing words, but there he stood, beside the Little Queen Jing Yu, fawning over her like a smitten puppy, paying no heed to the several well-bred youngdies. Flushed with anger, Ke Ning eventually had no choice but to storm off. Yan Xu turned his head to see his seat had been vacated, and immediately gestured invitingly, respectfully asking the Little Queen Jing Yu to take a seat. However, the Little Queen Jing Yu showed no sign of getting up. She picked a cluster of grapes from Zhu Minng¡¯s te, mimicking his actions as she peeled them one by one, then slowly ced them into her mouth and savored them with grace. Ignoring Yan Xu entirely, the Little Queen Jing Yu couldn¡¯t be bothered to engage in conversation with him, acting as if he didn¡¯t exist. Yan Xu initially maintained hisposure, but gradually, his expression grew darker. He coldly swept a nce at Zhu Minng and pointed at him, saying, ¡°You, scoot aside, and give up your spot to me.¡± Zhu Minng, savoring the sweet grapes, remainedpletely undisturbed. ¡°Did you hear me or are you deaf? Do you have any idea whose territory this is?¡± Yan Xu said fiercely. Zhu Minng slowly turned his head, the grape flesh was gone, leaving just arge grape seed behind. ¡°Pfft!¡±
Zhu Minng spat out the grape seed with force, propelling it straight towards Yan Xu¡¯s forehead, where it stuck to his face! Yan Xu, taken aback, had no time to react; a grape seed spat out from someone else¡¯s mouth was stuck to his face. His expression turned from green to red at a visible rate, contorting into something hideous! ¡°I, Yan Xu, have never been slighted like this, let alone have seeds spat at me. I hope you¡¯re aware of the consequences!¡± Yan Xu¡¯s face had be terrifyingly menacing. ¡°Consequences, did you consider the consequences before you casually ordered someone to move without figuring out what you are?¡± Zhu Minng said calmly and unhurriedly. ¡°Guards!¡± shouted Yan Xu. Several men dressed in ck swiftly appeared on either side of Yan Xu, one of them holding an iron whip¡ªit was none other than Yan He, who had ughtered all the guards in Yellow Leaf City! ¡°First, break all his teeth for me, then cut out his tongue. If he¡¯s still not dead, throw him in the prisoners¡¯ cell. I want to be able to hear his screams of agony from this building!¡± Yan Xu bellowed in rage. Chapter 431: 433 Kidnapping the Little Queen Chapter 431: Chapter 433 Kidnapping the Little Queen Yan He stared at Zhu Minng, seeming to feel a sense of familiarity, but he didn¡¯t pay much attention to it. Instead, he gave a sharp look to a few men in ck behind him, instructing them to carry out the orders of the eldest young master, Yan Xu. Clearly, they intended to harm Zhu Minng, starting by smashing his teeth, then cutting off his tongue. However, the Little Queen of Xia Yu, Jing Yu, rose to her feet, her demeanor bing stern and icy as she fixed her gaze on the brazen Yan Xu and said, ¡°Yan Xu, this man is an old friend of mine. You were the one who disrespected him first, so do not me him for not being polite towards you!¡± ¡°So what? When has Yan Xu ever endured such an insult?¡± Yan Xu said in anger. ¡°If you continue to cause trouble, the humiliation you suffer will only increase,¡± said Zhu Minng. ¡°Are you seeking death? Now, even a nobody dares to act wildly in front of me, Yan Xu?¡± Yan Xu said. ¡°Is this how the Yan n treats its guests? All who are here are the honored guests of this hunting festival, not prisoners caged by you. So, Yan Xu, you¡¯d best think clearly. The Neon Sea isn¡¯t ruled by the Yan n alone!¡± Little Queen Jing Yu indeed had a presence about her. She stood in front of Zhu Minng, not letting Yan Xu¡¯sckeys get anywhere near him. ¡°Fine, fine, since he¡¯s participating in the hunt, then everything will be easy to handle,¡± Yan Xu¡¯s eyes took on a venomous glint. Indeed, meting out severe punishment to a guest during the festival would tarnish the Yan n¡¯s reputation. And he believed that before he could cut off Zhu Minng¡¯s tongue, the n elders would step in to stop him. This meant letting the opponent escape a disaster.
But in the hunting grounds, the situation would be entirely different. Those they faced were a bunch of demon lords who would kill without batting an eye. And for a better hunting rank,petition among the hunters wasmonce. In the heat ofpetition, idents happened. Or perhaps allowing the opponent to fall into the hands of viins by ident was something uncontroble. Even if Zhu Minng truly had any backing, trouble wouldn¡¯t trace back to him. This insult of spitting beads would be swallowed for now! Yan Xu nced around and saw that indeed, many guests were looking in their direction. ¡°Zhu Minng, eat more grapes. You might not have the chanceter,¡± Yan Xu dropped these words before leaving with his minions who looked like evil spirits. Zhu Minng peeled another grape, then elegantly tossed it into the air, catching it skillfully with his mouth. Hisposed and provocative manner infuriated Yan Xu to the point of almost exploding! Just you wait!! Just you wait, I¡¯ll make sure you wish you were dead!! It had been a long time since Yan Xu encountered someone who could make him so furious. If he didn¡¯t y this man and throw him into a boiling pot, his seething rage wouldn¡¯t be quelled! ¡°Awesome!¡± Luo Shaoyan, who was by no means afraid of stirring the pot, gave Zhu Minng a thumbs-up. Those mingling in the Neon Sea and across all the major powers knew well what sort of character Yan Xu was¡ªa man of cruel, venomous, and arrogant nature with an extremely narrow mind. It was rumored that among the prisoners sentenced to death at the hunting festival, many were there for trivial reasons such as offending the eldest young master Yan Xu. Some might have just identally blocked Yan Xu¡¯s path, only to end up as miserable enved prisoners, brutally hunted down. Zhu Minng daring to confront Yan Xu and even spit grape seeds on his face was the epitome of arrogance! ¡°Still, be careful. Yan Xu isn¡¯t normal, and it might be best if you don¡¯t participate in this hunting festival,¡± said the Little Queen Jing Yu of Xia Yu. This incident had started because of her, and she had no desire to cause such trouble for Zhu Minng. ¡°It¡¯s fine, I already had a grudge against him,¡± Zhu Minng said nonchntly. ¡°Yan Xu has a vile character, but he¡¯s not as simple as he appears, stopping at nothing to achieve his goals,¡± warned the Little Queen Jing Yu of Xia Yu to Zhu Minng.
¡°Do I look simple?¡± asked Zhu Minng, raising his eyebrows, his face earnest. After pondering for a long while, Little Queen Jing Yun looked at Zhu Minng and finally said, ¡°After all, this is the Yan n¡¯s territory.¡± Actually, Jing Yun thought there was something wrong with Zhu Minng¡¯s head¡ªotherwise, why would he refuse the marriage to Princess Luoshui of the Miao Kingdom, especially since Wen Lingfei was the youngest Sect Leader of the Miao Mountain Sword Sect? Wouldn¡¯t marrying her be the same as owning the royal power of the Miao Kingdom and half the Sword Sect? ¡°Little Queen Jing Yun, will you join us?¡± Luo Shaoyan was shamelessly enthusiastic as he spoke.
¡°I don¡¯t have much skill in fighting,¡± said Jing Yun. ¡°No problem, the two of us brothers will protect you. Sitting here and watching is not as thrilling as being on scene,¡± Luo Shaoyan said. Luo Shaoyan¡¯s words made Jing Yun¡¯s beautiful Beads spin slightly, as she lifted her head and surveyed the gathering. It seemed that the people she came with hadn¡¯t noticed anything happening over here. Sitting in a white silk tent at such a hunting festival, chatting with short-sighted nobles anddies about rouge and face powder, then feigning surprise and fake admiration for someone¡¯s demon lord hunting achievements, was indeed very boring! ¡°Alright, but I need to change my outfit,¡± said Little Queen Jing Yun with a sly smile. Being the Little Queen actually came with many restrictions; wherever she went, she had to carry herself with the dignity of royalty. That¡¯s why she often disguised herself. She had also dressed as a little maid at the Dragon Betting Feast for the same reason. This time, she could experience what it was like to be a hunter¡ªsomething she had never done before! It was going to be exciting! Of course, she could also take this chance to observe Zhu Minng, this odd person, a bit more. Although Jing Yun was the Little Queen of Xia Yu and would be its supreme ruler in the future,pared to someone like Wen Lingfei, she was still just a minor character from a small and remote country. Her greatest admiration was naturally for Wen Lingfei, who seemed capable of anything, and she believed there wasn¡¯t a man in the world who was worthy of her. Who would have thought that someone would actually flee from a wedding!
Was he even a man? Did he not know how many people coveted Wen Lingfei? He must have been out of his mind. Using this hunt as an opportunity, she wanted to see just how abnormal Zhu Minng¡¯s mind was! ¡°Wait for me, I¡¯ll be back soon,¡± said Little Queen Jing Yun as she quickly walked away, her face lit with excitement. Finally, she could escape this tedious festival. ¡­ ¡°Why bring the Little Queen along? We¡¯re not going on a pic,¡± Zhu Minng said with a wry smile. ¡°A beauty is pleasing to the eye. Moreover, am I not providing you with an additionalyer of insurance?¡± said Luo Shaoyan. ¡°What insurance?¡± Zhu Minng was perplexed. ¡°Yan Xu will definitely cause you trouble during the hunt. The Little Queen has a favorable impression of you and will surely protect you. With her noble status, even if she joins us in the hunt, she¡¯ll definitely bring along a formidable bodyguard,¡± exined Luo Shaoyan. Chapter 432: 434: Hunting the Demon Lord Chapter 432: Chapter 434: Hunting the Demon Lord Luo Shaoyan was not particrly afraid of Yan Xu. Yan Xu dared not fatally harm him. But Zhu Minng¡¯s situation was different, without any significant backing, he could be severely punished by Yan Xu. ¡°I think you¡¯re just coveting her beauty,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°Her interest in you has nothing to do with me,¡± Luo Shaoyan replied. At the Dragon Taming Banquets, the little queen gave Zhu Minng an advance fee of one hundred thousand gold unprovoked¡ªa tant show of favor that Luo Shaoyan couldn¡¯t even envy. ¡­ The event officially began, and each participant would take a Yan n¡¯s Pterosaur and scatter throughout Greyrock Mountain. Greyrock Mountain was a territory of the Yan n with many quarries and some ve Camps. The Yan n had arge number of ves mining various veins in the Neon Sea, which was their biggest source of wealth. The mountain was vast, with hundreds of small ridges, unds, and slopes. While the guests indulged in fine food and wine during the event, the death-row prisoners had already been herded into Greyrock Mountain in session, to run away freely. However, few of them could really escape. Once chosen as prey, the Yan n would feed them a kind of insect egg daily, which could be controlled by a demon flute. As soon as the flute sounded, the evil insects would hatch and consume the inner organs of the person infested by the eggs.
These evil insects were extremely difficult to kill externally and impossible to expel. No matter what Cultivation Base the death row inmates had, once their stomachs were fed with such eggs, they could hardly escape their fated death. The eggs also made the prisoners desperately crave water, causing them to constantly seek water to drink and frequently urinate. Each hunter participating in the hunt was equipped with a beast dog, which was very sensitive to the special urine of these insects. This way, the hunters could track those death-row Demon Lords who fled into the mountains. At a hignd of withered grass on the mountain, several people in ck were dragging a long chain toward the mountaintop. Leading them was Yan Xu, followed by his hound, Yan He. Yan Xu participated in every hunting event, thoroughly enjoying the hunt. Yan He also followed like a shadow, protecting Yan Xu, the young master, while acting like a sharp hawk, capturing the poisonous snakes that scurried about on the ground! A tall and thin man with disheveled hair was shackled in chains, his face pale as paper but his lips a stark, vivid red, as if he had just consumed something raw, blood included. ¡°Xing Kun, do I need to repeat myself?¡± Yan Xu approached the murderous Demon Lord, asking coldly. ¡°Smash all his teeth, cut out his tongue, break all his bones, make sure he is still alive when you bring him to me, and then scrape all the flesh off his body¡­¡± The killer Xing Kun started tough, his teeth caked with fresh blood, a horrifying scarlet! ¡°I¡¯ve given you the portrait. That person is called Zhu Minng; as for the one with the surname Luo beside him, just break his legs, don¡¯t kill him or it would cause me some trouble,¡± Yan Xu said. ¡°Young Master Yan Xu, may I say something in front of you?¡± the killer Xing Kun asked. ¡°Speak.¡± ¡°Actually, Young Master Yan Xu, you¡¯re no different from someone like me. I guess the number of people who¡¯ve died at your hands is no less than those I¡¯ve killed. The only difference is, you, Yan Xu, were born into a good family,¡± Xing Kun said sarcastically. ¡°Heh, you¡¯re right, but I never need to dirty my hands when I kill,¡± Yan Xu replied indifferently to Xing Kun¡¯s words. ¡°You¡¯d better find him before us and bring him to us. Otherwise, you hold no value to us,¡± Yan He said. ¡°Keeping a live captive is not really my style, but since it¡¯s an order from Young Master Yan Xu, I will try my best toply,¡± Xing Kun said. ¡°We will have someone report his location to you, just stay alert on your own.¡± ¡°I heard that many students from the Dragon Taming High Court are participating in this hunt, young and charming¡­¡± Xing Kun licked his lips, his tongue sharp as a snake¡¯s. ¡°Just make sure you do what I¡¯ve asked of you, and you might stand a chance to stay alive,¡± Yan Xu said.
¡­ ¡­ The mountains were towering and remote, with grey rock fragments scattered haphazardly across the ground. There weren¡¯t many trees. The terrain of Greyrock Mountain was not very steep, but it was exceptionally wide. Most of it consisted ofnd that gradually rose to higher elevations, giving the impression of being quite t at a nce.
Arge Pterosaurnded on this t terrain, and a Yan n guard dressed in ck took a few deliberate looks at Zhu Minng before mounting the Pterosaur and flying into the sky. Zhu Minng nced at Luo Shaoyan and then at Little Queen Jingyun, who was dressed like a female student, with a look of helplessness. ¡°So, little sister Jingyun, you have a master from the royal court secretly protecting you, truly fitting for the Little Queen of Xia Yu. Even in disguise, you have experts apanying you without appearing before themon folk,¡± Luo Shaoyanmented. ¡°I didn¡¯t bring any masters. Wasn¡¯t it you who said you could protect me? So I shook off my guards and slipped away secretly,¡± Queen Jingyun said with a smile. Only like this it felt real. If guards were always following, all experiences would be dull and tasteless. ¡°Impossible, knowing Yan Xu¡¯s character, he will definitely seize this opportunity to hunt us. Without guards, aren¡¯t we going to be doomed by Yan Xu?¡± Luo Shaoyan eximed, his eyes wide. ¡°But we have him, and he¡¯s very powerful¡­ um, probably,¡± Little Queen Jingyun pointed at Zhu Minng and said. ¡°If we had to deal with Yan Xu directly, we wouldn¡¯t be scared, but the problem is Yan Xu has his dogs. And those dogs of his are especially vicious. Oh no, it¡¯s all over for us; we¡¯re going to be the ones hunted,¡± Luo Shaoyan said with a face full of dread. ¡°We¡¯re already here, let¡¯s not worry about that now. Let¡¯s quickly find some prey. When I was flying over here on the Pterosaur, I saw some rudimentary tribes and some cooking smoke. It seems Greyrock Mountain isn¡¯t only home to us hunters and death row Demon Lords,¡± Zhu Minng dered. ¡°Greyrock Mountain is a stone mine, with mine tunnels and quarries. It seems the ve tribes who work the mines also reside here,¡± Luo Shaoyan exined. ¡°There are ve tribes living here?? So those defenseless people are nothing but ythings for those Demon Lords?¡± Jingyun said in surprise. ¡°That¡¯s the Yan n for you. In their eyes, ves are no different from livestock. They don¡¯t chase the ves away because they want to provide some fun for those murderous fiends and death row inmates, to stir up their violent and brutal nature. This makes it more entertaining for those nobles who relish such primitive excitement,¡± Luo Shaoyan exined. The Yan n¡¯s cruel rule had long been notorious in the Neon Sea.
It was no wonder Great Tutor Lin Zhao was scheming to expose and overthrow them. ¡°Woof!!!!!¡± Just then, the Yellow Beast Dog next to them suddenly started barking furiously as if it had smelled something, and ran towards the hills ahead. ¡°Let¡¯s follow it,¡± Zhu Minng said, taking the lead. ¡°Could it be a Demon Lord?¡± Jingyun¡¯s eyes also lit up immediately. It seemed being on scene really was different! Chapter 433: 435 Demon Xing Kun Chapter 433: Chapter 435 Demon Xing Kun The Yellow Beast Dog sprinted all the way, its speed not slow at all. Luo Shaoyan had to summon his rideable Fierce Dragon in order to keep up with the pace of the Yellow Beast Dog. Up ahead was a field where some thatched cottages stood among the muddy farnd, probably the dwellings of farm ves who nted crops. The Yellow Beast Dog charged to the front of a thatched cottage and barked furiously into it. Zhu Minng, Luo Shaoyan, and Jing Yun approached and heard some noisesing from inside the cottage. ¡°Could the person inside pleasee out,¡± said Little Queen Jingyun with a serious face. ¡°Don¡¯t hurt us, please don¡¯t hurt us; we are just ves here,¡± a woman¡¯s voice came from inside the thatched cottage. The woman, wearing a tattered hemp garment, had incredibly dirty hair, and her entire face was extremely dark. She held a basket in her hands and walked out, bending her body in fear. She was a ve woman; clearly terrified of the ferocious Yellow Beast Dog and the Fierce Dragon, she knelt before Zhu Minng and the others, trembling all over. ¡°Has any convict passed by here?¡± Jing Yun asked.
¡°I just fainted from hunger; I don¡¯t know what happened; I ¡­ I am so hungry, could you give me something to eat, please, I am really starving,¡± the ve woman slowly crawled over, begging Jing Yun. Seeing her miserably pitiful state, Jing Yun hesitated for a while but still decided to give her some food. But just as Jing Yun turned around, the farm woman suddenly pounced on Jing Yun like a jackal, her somewhat hunched body exploding with terrifying strength. Her dry hand, like wolf ws, reached for Jing Yun¡¯s delicate and fair neck! Jing Yun got a huge fright, never expecting a ve to attack her, especially when she was about to give her food. Although Luo Shaoyan was somewhat on guard, he couldn¡¯t summon his Dragon Beast in time. Zhu Minng had been observing coldly, and the moment the ve woman made her move, Zhu Minng raised his hand. Several white de Feathers flew at incredible speed, cutting towards the arms of the ve woman! Unable to withdraw in time, both of her hands were directly chopped off by these white feather des. Blood gushed out, and the ve woman¡¯s face showed great shock as she scurried frantically towards the back of the thatched cottage. She had only run a few steps when more white de Feathers flew out, nailing into the ve woman¡¯s back like rivets, leaving her as mangled as a rotten persimmon! The ve womany on the ground, convulsing, her head twisted to the side, her eyes filled with malice as she red at Zhu Minng as if she would not let go even in death. ¡°What a vicious ve; we try to help her, and she tries to harm us,¡± Luo Shaoyan said. ¡°She¡¯s not a ve; the ves who live here are inside,¡± Zhu Minng pointed at the thatched cottage. Confused, Luo Shaoyan stepped forward, pulled aside the cottage¡¯s rudimentary door curtain of straw, and immediately retreated several steps, startled by the messy and disgusting scene inside. There were several corpses in the thatched cottage. From their clothing, they appeared to be the farm ves here. One of the female farm ves had been stripped of her clothes, covered with a torn mat, her face of terror and pain still frozen on her ghastly face. ¡°This damned female viin, she killed the farm ves here and then disguised herself as one of them!¡± Luo Shaoyan said angrily. ¡°Although death row prisoners are essentially trapped beasts in cages, they still possess very strong aggressiveness. It would be wise for you to be careful when dealing with these people,¡± Zhu Minng said to Luo Shaoyan and Jing Yu. Luo Shaoyan and Jing Yu were likely novices too,pletely unaware of the dangers of this world.
The monsters are fierce and dangerous, the viins are cruel and cunning, and some people are even more terrifying than these demons. ¡°That was close, I almost got deceived by that death row prisoner,¡± Jing Yu said, frightened into a cold sweat. ¡°Regardless, we have managed to secure a prey,¡± Luo Shaoyan remarked. ¡­
Continuing on into the depths of the mountain, one could see many ves along the way. These ves were dressed in tattered clothes with weathered skin, each carrying heavy stones on their backs, hauling the rock down the mountain. They seemed emotionless, showing no reaction to outsiders passing by, just walking step by step. The Yellow Beast Dog kept sniffing for the scent of the death row prisoners and eventually, this loyal and diligent Yellow Beast Dog discovered something else; it ran towards one of the quarries, barking frantically. In the quarry, there were many ves who, even without an overseer, did not dare to ck off. If they failed to deliver enough stones down the mountain, they would not get a single bite to eat; if they failed for two consecutive days, they would be dragged to feed the carnivorous Pterosaurs! Upon seeing well-dressed individuals, the ves dared not offend and consciously stepped back, their faces nk as if theycked the ability to speak when conversed with. ¡°Why are they all mute?¡± Jing Yu said, puzzled. ¡°They must have been poisoned into silence; the Yan n doesn¡¯t need them to be able to talk,¡± Luo Shaoyan exined. ¡°Woof woof!!!!¡± The Yellow Beast Dog ran towards a stone harvesting cave, seemingly having caught the scent of a fugitive. The three of them followed and were about to search the stone harvesting cave for that fugitive when a shadow, quick as a leopard, rushed at them and punched Luo Shaoyan¡¯s Fierce Dragon, knocking it to the ground. The Fierce Dragon couldn¡¯t even get up, and Luo Shaoyan himself was sent flying. Zhu Minng halted, his eyes fixed on the dark figure, feeling a measure of puzzlement.
The tall and thin man with unkempt hair took out a portrait, nced at Zhu Minng, then at the picture, and slowly stretched into a spine-chilling smile. ¡°Killed two handsome young masters, only to find out after they werepletely dead that their faces weren¡¯t quite the same as the ones in the portrait. Kid, take a look, is the person in this picture you?¡± the tall, thin, disheveled man asked. Luo Shaoyan retrieved his Fierce Dragon, and when he saw the tall, weird man, his face was immediately filled with horror. Simrly, Jing Yu seemed to recognize this ragged and strange tall, thin man too, pointing at him and saying, ¡°You are Xing Kun!¡± ¡°Yes, little girl, did I kill some of your rtives, or why would you still recognize me even though I look like this?¡± Xing Kunughed, his smile bizarre and insincere! Jing Yu did not answer, but instinctively retreated to stand behind Zhu Minng. ¡°This guy is a thoroughbred killer, a demon lord, and it seems he also has some very disgusting habits. For a while, the major city-states of Neon Sea put up his wanted posters, and the rtives of those he murdered pooled together nearly three million gold just to see his head chopped off,¡± Luo Shaoyan said gravely to Zhu Minng. This was no ordinary serial killer; this was a true Demon Lord! Chapter 434: 436: Like a Weak Chicken Chapter 434: Chapter 436: Like a Weak Chicken ¡°He¡¯s a million gold less than you, so he probably isn¡¯t as formidable as you are,¡± Little Queen Jingyun whispered. Zhu Minng gave a wry smile. What on earth was going through this little queen¡¯s head? Who makes suchparisons? He was wanted for dodging a marriage. This guy was wanted for killing too many people, with thousands, tens of thousands collectively putting up a hefty bounty for his head. ¡°Is this man in the painting you?¡± Xing Kun questioned once more. ¡°It should be. How would you, a death-row prisoner, get your hands on my portrait?¡± Zhu Minng said, puzzled. ¡°Someone wants you dead, and it has to be a gruesome death,¡± Xing Kun stated tly. ¡°It must be Yan Xu, that bastard¡¯s just too malicious, actually sending this Demon Lord to deal with you!¡± Luo Shaoyan said, seething with anger. ¡°Do you know, inside the stomach of every death-row inmate there¡¯s a parasitic egg. As soon as the whistle sounds, they will burrow out of the stomach and devour the inmate¡¯s organs. If you¡¯re lucky, they¡¯ll start with the heart, and you¡¯ll die right there and then. Unluckily, if they start with the liver, spleen, or lungs, you¡¯ll still be alive while they feast¡­ Tsk tsk! Actually, I rather like those bugs in my stomach because they are a lot like me,¡± Xing Kun said, smiling, revealing his filthy teeth. Xing Kun greatly enjoyed this sensation of terrorizing his prey. In the past, with every person he killed, he would tell them in great detail about the process of their demise, detailing it so meticulously that he could see the most genuine, weakest side of them right before death.
¡°Are you saying you look like a maggot?¡± Zhu Minng said, with a surprised expression. After hearing so much from this bloodthirsty monster, one would expect something terrifying, yet this was what he talked about. Xing Kun, who was proudly recounting his killing fetish, couldn¡¯t help but twitch at Zhu Minng¡¯s response. What kind ofprehension do you have! What this Demon Lord meant was, I¡¯m like those vile bugs; I enjoy eating human innards! He killed people to harvest their organs! Who would say they look like a lump of bugs?? Luo Shaoyan and Jingyun already struggled to contain theirughter, but in the end, they couldn¡¯t, wondering how Zhu Minng could just not y by the rules even in such a tense and terrifying atmosphere? ¡°You may not realize what messing with me entails!¡± Xing Kun¡¯s expression darkened dangerously, resembling a ferocious, bloodthirsty beast. ¡°So what exactly are you trying to say?¡± Zhu Minng asked seriously. ¡°I finally understand why that person wanted to cut out your tongue,¡± Xing Kun said. This guy¡¯s tongue had to go. Having said that, Xing Kun charged forward. He appeared frail, but a terrifying strength burst forth from him, transforming him into a wolf-like ferocious creature. Countless white feather des fluttered around Zhu Minng; these Storm Phantom Feathers, sharp as des, scraped toward the Demon Lord Xing Kun under the control of Zhu Minng¡¯s will. Demon Lord Xing Kun was not afraid at all. He seemed to have a body made of steel and iron; the Storm Phantom Feathers scraped across him without even cutting through his skin. Zhu Minng realized that this Xing Kun was no minor figure, so he summoned the Refining Ash ck Dragon. The Little ck Dragon burst forth from the Spirit Realm, its entire body enshrouded in Ancient Dark Aura. It raised its ws and swiped at Xing Kun, the ws growing immense mid-air, crashing down like a small ck mountain onto the earth. The Demon Lord Xing Kun was wildly ferocious, as he dared to use his immensely sturdy body to block the heavy w of a dragon.
The ground cracked open, but Demon Lord Xing Kun remained unharmed, he opened his mouth and let out a demonic roar, and all at once, his disheveled hair flew up, a blood-red savage aura swirling around him, transforming into his beastly breath! ¡°A Beast Shape Master?¡± Zhu Minng watched Xing Kun, quickly discerning his abilities. Clearly, Xing Kun was a Divine and Mortal, a type of cultivator who harnessed the power of wild beasts. Now the beastly aura appearing behind him took the form of a jackal, with visible fangs and sharp ws, and in terms of speed, Xing Kun also immensely increased all at once.
He dodged the attack of the Refining Ash ck Dragon, trying to circle around to Zhu Minng¡¯s front. Zhu Minng had promptly put distance between them; as a Dragon Shepherd, there was no need topete with a Divine and Mortal in a fistfight. The Refining Ash ck Dragon raised its dragon foot and stomped fiercely toward the ground. The earth trembled, asrge bs of rock rose steeply upward, forming a rugged barrier that blocked Xing Kun¡¯s path. Suddenly, Xing Kun spread his arms, and the beastly aura around him immediately morphed into a Devil Eagle, using this shape-shifting ability, he soared into the sky. The Refining Ash ck Dragon craned its neck and spewed a terrifying stream of Dragon me toward Xing Kun. The ck Dragon me burst in midair, like a surging fire wolf from a pool of moltenva. Xing Kun had no choice but to abandon the idea of attacking the Dragon Shepherd¡¯s body, gliding with his arms as wings, to the higher elevations of the quarry. Impractical for climbing up inside the pit, the Refining Ash ck Dragon simply stood in the midst of the quarry, continuing to spew scalding ck Dragon me at Xing Kun! ¡°A Lord Level ck Dragon, daring to be rampant in front of me?¡± Xing Kun sneered. He agilely changed positions in the air, finding gaps in the Dragon me, and dove down fiercely. As he was about to charge at the Refining Ash ck Dragon, the beastly aura on Xing Kun changed again; this time, the beast breath morphed into an Ancient Giant Elephant, with a massive physique and a terrifying presence. The Giant Elephant-shaped Xing Kun knocked the Refining Ash ck Dragon to the ground and repeatedly used the beast breath¡¯s hooves to stomp on the Refining Ash ck Dragon.
Before Xing Kun could inflict serious damage on the Refining Ash ck Dragon, a dazzling brilliance appeared in the sky, an Azure Phoenix dragon¡¯s shadow emerged, followed by a dense rain of Green Light Swords plunging toward the earth. Xing Kun was greatly startled and instantly morphed into a wild rat-form, fleeing amidst the sharp and intense Green Light Swords. Xing Kun failed to dodge them all; his body was seared in several ces, only with great difficulty did he escape the area of the green swords¡¯ shadow, the Azure Phoenix dragon, shrouded in a bright ball of green light, was hovering right above his head and plummeted straight down! The Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon, like a brilliant sun falling, the intense mes of green light washing out inyers, Xing Kun intended to morph into a mountain turtle shape, but he quickly discovered that his beast breath was dispersed by the green mes, and his tough skin also began to crumble apart! ¡°Ahhh!!!!!¡± Xing Kun screamed in agony, the powerful beastly aura around him had vanished, his body scorched and burnt, continually rolling across the ground strewn with shattered stones. Luo Shaoyan looked up at the sky in astonishment, wanting to see just what Zhu Minng¡¯s dragon was, to be so powerful¡­ But when the blinding brilliance faded, the dragon had already been retracted by Zhu Minng back into the Spirit Realm, leaving only the Refining Ash ck Dragon stepping towards the pitiful Murder Demon Xing Kun! Wasn¡¯t this the same Demon Lord Xing Kun who was violent and wicked, causing several Neon Sea Countries to tremble in fear? Howe he looked like a weak chicken in front of Zhu Minng? Chapter 435: 437 Waiting for a Long Time Chapter 435: Chapter 437 Waiting for a Long Time The Refining Ash ck Dragon arrived in front of Xing Kun and stomped on his back with a w, breaking his spine! All these fancy tricks and transformations, why didn¡¯t you just turn into a cockroach and crawl out from under my feet, ck Dragon scoffed. Big ck Tooth, looking fierce and evil, brought its head close to Xing Kun¡¯s face. Xing Kun¡¯s face twisted in pain as he tried to struggle, only to realize he barely had any strength left in his body. The dragon that had appeared in the sky earlier, he hadn¡¯t even gotten a clear look at its shadow before being beaten into this state. ¡°People like you probably don¡¯t even need to be reborn,¡± Zhu Minng said as he walked up to Xing Kun, looking down at him with the cold indifference one would have for livestock. No sooner had he finished speaking than Big ck Tooth opened its mouth wide, and a stream of ck, scalding Dragon me sprayed out directly onto Xing Kun¡¯s face. The ck Dragon me rapidly turned Xing Kun¡¯s face into a skeleton, and yet, he did not die instantly. The ck me quickly consumed his body too. Pinned down by the Refining Ash ck Dragon, Xing Kun could not escape, forced to endure the terrible torment of the fierce mes. Xing Kun turned into ash, and when the Refining Ash ck Dragon lifted its w, that ck skeletonpletely fell apart. ¡°A damn Blood Demon with only this much skill dares to posture in front of us, pah!¡± Luo Shaoyan kicked at Xing Kun¡¯s skeletal remains, saying disdainfully. ¡°Then why did you hide behind Zhu Minng just like I did earlier?¡± Little Queen Jingyun retorted.
¡°Such a minor character; Zhu Minng can handle it alone. There¡¯s no need for Luo Shaoyan to step in,¡± Luo Shaoyan boasted with pride. ¡°Go take a look in the mine, there should be a convict hiding in there,¡± Zhu Minng suggested. ¡°Together, we¡¯re a team,¡± Luo Shaoyan said. ¡°My dragon is hungry.¡± Luo Shaoyan wore a bitter expression, while Little Queen Jingyun cast a skeptical look his way. Not wanting to be looked down upon, Luo Shaoyan eventually stepped into the mine. Indeed, there was a convict hiding inside, but by the time Luo Shaoyan found him, he was already dead. For some reason, the insect eggs had hatched prematurely, and the convict had been eaten alive by those terrifying evil insects, his innards devoured. Luo Shaoyan removed the convict¡¯s Iron Ring of the Convicts, thus counting it as having hunted a target. ¡­ Leaving the mining site, Zhu Minng, Luo Shaoyan, and Jingyun continued deeper into the mountains. Initially, the Yellow Beast Dog was very diligent, catching the scent of many convicts for the three of them. These convicts were not particrly strong, so even someone like Luo Shaoyan could easily deal with them. But gradually, the Yellow Beast Dog started to ck off. It went a long time without sniffing any sign of convict or Demon Lords, barking madly, then running wildly, only to find nothing. Zhu Minng started to get a headache. With the current number of Hunting Iron Rings they had, it was nearly impossible to stand out in this hunting festival, and he wouldn¡¯t be able to get the Essence Blood of the Evil Dragon. ¡°Woof woof woof!!!!!!¡± The Yellow Beast Dog barked again, this time with a loud, determined bark that seemed to carry the firmness of a faithful and good dog. ¡°If you lead us to another deste ce again, I¡¯ll roast you and feed you to my Fierce Dragon!¡± Luo Shaoyan threatened the Yellow Beast Dog. The Yellow Beast Dog ran ahead, with the three following behind, half-doubtful, half-trusting. Zhu Minng didn¡¯t really have much hope for the guide dog provided for free by the event organizers, but since it seemed to have discovered something, he decided to trust it one more time, based on its fairly decent past performance. This time, they traveled a long distance. The Yellow Beast Dog seemed to know the exact location of the convict, hardly stopping at all, and headed straight for the top of a mountain.
¡°` Having ascended to the mountain peak, the spacious summit was littered with many oddly shaped gray limestone rocks, scattered messily across the top like clusters of vegetation. ¡°Woof woof woof!!!!¡± The Yellow Beast Dog barked even more fiercely, as if arge group of prey were hiding within the mountaintop.
Luo Shaoyan walked in front, feeling that this time the Yellow Beast Dog must have made a significant discovery. ¡°Be careful,¡± Zhu Minng called from behind, following at an unhurried pace. ¡°No worries, if we aren¡¯t afraid of the Monarch Level Strength Blood Demon Xing Kun, why would we fear some petty thieves?¡± Luo Shaoyan said. Passing through a patch of rocky forest, the Yellow Beast Dog suddenly disappeared, leaving Luo Shaoyan standing amidst the rugged rock forest, unsure of which way to go. As he stood bewildered, a vicious Iron Whip suddenlyshed out from behind a rock, striking Luo Shaoyan¡¯s chest heavily. The power of the Iron Whip sent Luo Shaoyan flying off the back of the Fierce Dragon, crashing into a spike-shaped rock and coughing up blood violently. ¡°There¡¯s¡­ there¡¯s an ambush, don¡¯te in!!¡± Luo Shaoyan shouted while vomiting blood, trying hard to warn the others. No sooner had he spoken than a whip fiercely flew in, striking Luo Shaoyan harshly across the face, rendering him speechless. Luo Shaoyan slumped on the ground, his mouth full of blood, his eyes filled with immense anger as he stared at the person holding the whip. The person with the whip was none other than Yan He, who approached Luo Shaoyan with a sinisterugh that resembled the cawing of a crow, ¡°How do you like the taste of my whip?¡± Luo Shaoyan didn¡¯t answer. His gaze fell on the Yellow Beast Dog standing beside Yan He. The Yellow Beast Dog had deliberately led them here!
This disgusting, treacherous dog, Luo Shaoyan would have stewed it if he had known it was up to no good! Luo Shaoyan had been quite cautious in anticipating Yan Xu¡¯s retaliation; he was well aware of Yan Xu¡¯s character, but he never expected that the Yellow Beast Dog provided by the event¡¯s organizers from the start was Yan He¡¯s old dog. This old dog had first actively searched for the convicts, and then kept leading the three of them towards Yan Xu and Yan He¡¯s trap! ¡°If you knew whose territory this is, you should have behaved, understand!¡± Yan Xu also slowly walked up, kicking Luo Shaoyan in the stomach. ¡°If you have the guts, kill me. If you, Yan Xu, don¡¯t dare to kill me, then I am your grandson!¡± Luo Shaoyan shouted in anger. ¡°Why should I kill you? Just making you suffer a bit and lose face in front of all the ns is enough,¡± Yan Xu said. ¡°Grandson, just you wait!¡± Luo Shaoyan was frustrated, knowing that the other party would plot against him, yet he hadn¡¯t been cautious enough. He clenched his teeth, epting his fate for today! But Luo Shaoyan wasn¡¯t someone easy to mess with, and he vowed to repay the favor in spades. ¡°Give him a few moreshes, but don¡¯t cripple him,¡± Yan Xu said to his loyal henchman, Yan He, standing beside him. Yan He was ruthless and would have preferred to whip Luo Shaoyan to death, but he knew that Luo Shaoyan was no ordinary person, and provoking his backing would still bring trouble to the Yan n. Yan He raised his whip, ready to strike, when a flurry of snow-white de Feathers shot out from behind the rugged rocks, sweeping through like a blizzard, yet sharp as knives! Yan He quickly retracted his hand, whipping furiously through the air. The whip danced, creating a wall of air that blocked the iing white feather des.
¡°` Chapter 436: 438: Perfect Wilderness Chapter 436: Chapter 438: Perfect Wilderness ¡°` Luo Shaoyan turned his head and saw Zhu Minng, dressed in white, approaching. The Storm Phantom Feathers were under his control. The look in Luo Shaoyan¡¯s eyes changed, and he hastily shouted, ¡°I told you not toe over! This guy doesn¡¯t have the guts to kill me!¡± It was just a bit of flesh wound pain, something he could handle. It was clear that Yan Xu wanted Zhu Minng dead. Now that Zhu Minng had run in, wasn¡¯t it just ying into Yan Xu¡¯s hand? ¡°Actually, my background isn¡¯t small either, but you people from the Neon Sea don¡¯t take us seriously,¡± Zhu Minng said. In the Neon Sea, they thought themselves to be superior to the Supreme Court Imperial Dynasty. They saw themselves as the rulers of the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent, showing little respect for the power of the Supreme Court Imperial Dynasty, especially the Nine Tribes of Neon Sea¡­ ¡°Big brother, why are you talking about this now? You still have time to run!¡± Luo Shaoyan said. Zhu Minng shrugged his shoulders. Since Yan Xu hade for him, why should he let Luo Shaoyan suffer in his ce? Besides, Zhu Minng had a big score to settle with Yan Xu! ¡°How sentimental and righteous! I just love your pretentious sense of loyalty,¡± Yan Xu said with a smile. ¡°Yan Xu, there¡¯s a limit to everything. The Neon Sea isn¡¯t somewhere your Yan n can cover the sky with one hand!¡± Jing Yu also ran in. Yan Xu saw the Little Queen Jing Yu and was momentarily stunned before a look of ecstasy spread across his face.
He had long coveted the beauty of Jing Yu. Of course, he hadn¡¯t forgotten the heavy p she had dealt him on his face. He had not expected the Little Queen of Xia Yu to secretly follow Zhu Minng and Luo Shaoyan and participate in this hunt! Now this was interesting! If he could gain an additional beauty and ughter both Zhu Minng and Luo Shaoyan, it wasn¡¯t out of the question. Then, he could just find a condemned prisoner to take the me. ¡°There¡¯s no one else around, right?¡± Yan Xu turned his head to ask his henchman, Yan He. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, young master, there are no even our own n¡¯s Pterosaur patrollers nearby. Whatever you do, the elders in the n won¡¯t know, as long as we take care of it cleanly,¡± Yan He replied with a smile. He despised timidity and found tormenting these influential people fascinating. ¡°How clean can you make it?¡± Yan Xu continued to ask. ¡°You dared to kill the Great Instructor and your own father, so why bother with these juniors?¡± Yan He said. Hearing this, the smile on Yan Xu¡¯s face became even more brilliant. Right, they had already taken care of someone as powerful as the Great Instructor; what were a Little Queen of Xia Yu and a Young Master of Luo Mountain Sect to them? The Neon Sea Yan n feared no power, as long as they handled it cleanly enough! ¡°Yan Xu, don¡¯t think the elders behind us are fools. If you dare to touch us, just wait for the entire Yan n to suffer!¡± Luo Shaoyan already felt that something was wrong. The Yan n was insane, cruel, ambitious, and just like his father Yan Zhen¡ªLuo Shaoyan initially wasn¡¯t worried about his own life, because it wasn¡¯t necessary for the other party to have murderous intent over a minor dispute as it would risk the Yan n being crusaded against. But Jing Yu¡¯s appearance altered the situation. He was obviously infatuated with the Little Queen, and if the reward was significant enough, the madman Yan Xu wouldn¡¯t mind silencing by killing. ¡°Yan Xu, what the hell do you intend to do?¡± Jing Yu also realized that showing her face was a huge mistake, and it was toote for her to back out. ¡°After I torture the person who spat seeds on my face to death, we can have a nice long chat about what I want to do. Little sister Jing Yu, there¡¯s so much I, Yan Xu, want to do to you, I wonder which you¡¯d like,¡± Yan Xu leered, his eyes shining with maniacal, wolf-like fervor. ¡°You are shameless!!¡± Jing Yu shouted angrily. ¡°`
Yan Xu approached Zhu Minng, with Yan He closely following behind, the whip in his hand swinging, wearing a cruel smile. ¡°Boy, are you regretting deeply now?¡± Yan Xu looked down on Zhu Minng with immense arrogance. ¡°Actually, we have dealt with each other before,¡± Zhu Minng said, while using his Spiritual Sense to survey the surroundings. Just as Yan He said, there weren¡¯t many people nearby, including the Pterosaur patrols that were not lingering in the area.
¡°Oh? I don¡¯t have any impression of that, I don¡¯t mind you begging for mercy, but you need to give me an interesting reason to do so,¡± Yan Xu raised an eyebrow. ¡°We didn¡¯t meet face to face, you and your father were above the clouds, while I was on Magic Ind,¡± Zhu Minng continued. At first, Yan Xu didn¡¯t realize what Zhu Minng was referring to, but after thinking carefully, his expression immediately changed. Yan He, standing to the side, had already swung his whip, believing that even if they were to have a casual chat, he should first beat Zhu Minng, who didn¡¯t know the immensity of heaven and earth, to a pulp. Yan He couldn¡¯t quite understand what Zhu Minng was saying; he only knew that Great Instructor Lin Zhao had been killed by Yan Zhen, and it had taken him more than half a month to report to Yan Zhen and his son, Yan Xu, about Han Wen having returned to the High Court. ¡°Remembered yet?¡± Zhu Minng continued to ask. ¡°Who are you?¡± Yan Xu suddenly asked loudly. ¡°Absolute Sea Demon Ind, you and your dad blocked me for so many days; you couldn¡¯t have forgotten so quickly, right?¡± Zhu Minngughed. ¡°Young Master, don¡¯t mind what this guy says, let me give him a taste of suffering first.¡± Yan He swung his whip fiercely, aiming for Zhu Minng¡¯s face. Yan He used a lot of strength; if it had been an Iron Whip, it could smash a person¡¯s head, but killing the opponent outright would let him off too easily and wouldck a lot of fun, which is why Yan He always carried an extra leather whip! However, when Yan He exerted his strength, the whip dancing through the air encountered a tremendous resistance! No matter how hard Yan He tried, he just couldn¡¯t bring it down. Yan He looked up and saw that, unbeknownst to him, the space above his head was shrouded in a mysterious darkness, and it was this strange dark force that prevented him from using his whip!
Yan He¡¯s face was one ofplete astonishment; his gaze fixated on Zhu Minng, whose eyes had turned profound and sinister. Zhu Minng¡¯s entire demeanor had changed, as if transformed into a vast ck mountain, weighing down so heavily that Yan He himself felt unable to breathe! This Dragon Shepherd! His Cultivation Base is not right!! ¡°You¡­ you¡¯re the one Lin Zhao asked to deal with the Absolute Sea Hawk Emperor!¡± Yan Xu finally realized, suddenly feeling as if his entire body was soaked in an icy pond. Neither Yan Xu nor Yan Zhen had seen Zhu Minng¡¯s face; they only knew that Lin Zhao had enlisted someone to deal with the Absolute Sea Hawk Emperor, who was a King-level strongman. It was precisely because of this King-level strongman that they, father and son, had been bitterly guarding outside the ind, all for the sake of cutting the grass to remove the roots! His father, Yan Zhen, had the power to deal with King-level strongmen, but he, Yan Xu, did not have such capability! How could it be him!! This fellow is so young, at best simr to Luo Shaoyan, a young master from a background, how could he possibly be that King-Level Mysterious Person who escaped from the ind! ¡°I couldn¡¯t find the right opportunity to take revenge, but you delivered yourself right to me, and to such a perfect deste wilderness. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll handle it cleaner than your subordinates, ensuring that your father, on the day he mourns for you, will still be clueless, unable to understand who his son died at the hands of.¡± Chapter 437: 439 More Terrifying Than the Demon Lord Chapter 437: Chapter 439 More Terrifying Than the Demon Lord ¡°What are you babbling about there? I¡¯ll smash all your teeth first!¡± Yan He angrily said. He exerted all his strength, trying to make the whipsh out, but he was already sweating profusely, and the whip in his hand seemed to be stuck by something. ¡°Shut your mouth!¡± Yan Xu suddenly shouted,manding his ownckey. Yan He, however, froze, for he did not see Yan Xu¡¯splexion had already turned pale with fear and astonishment. Zhu Minng watched Yan Xu, saw the trembling back of his hand, saw his pupils tense and uneasy. Overhead, a thick darkness loomed, which could be mistaken for the shadow of heavy clouds at a careless nce, but Yan Xu had clearly sensed something. A terrifying creature hid within this shadow. They couldn¡¯t see it, but they could feel a pair of eyes watching them, exerting a pressure that made Yan Xu¡¯s body hair stand on end! ¡°Do you still feel that me spitting seeds at you is an insult now?¡± Zhu Minng asked with a warm smile. ¡°It is an honor, it is an honor. Please spare my life, your excellency. It was my fault for not recognizing a great person and offending you¡­¡± Yan Xu hurriedly shook his head. If spitting a grape seed on his face would end the matter, not just one small seed, Yan Xu would be willing even if he were covered in them! ¡°Too bad, I¡¯ve always been ruthless and brutal with my enemies. You no longer have a chance to beg for mercy,¡± Zhu Minng continued. ¡°Your excellency, please spare me this time, I¡­ I, Yan Xu, am just a mad dog who carelessly ran in front of you and made trouble. I won¡¯t dare to do it again, truly won¡¯t dare next time!¡± Yan Xu crawled on the ground.
In this crawling pose, he indeed resembled a dog, to the point that the Yellow Beast Dog looked confused, wondering why someone waspeting to act like a dog. Yan Xu trembled all over with fright, not just begging Zhu Minng for mercy, but also overwhelmed by the fear of the creature in the darkness, losing all ability to think. A slender tail slowly descended to Yan Xu¡¯s neck, gently winding around Yan Xu¡¯s throat. Yan Xuy prostrate on the ground, lifting his head in extreme horror, but before he could make out the creature in the darkness, the tail suddenly tightened! His throat was locked, suffocation set in, and then came the sound of his neck breaking. Yan Xu could hear it himself, and the pain was slightly dyed, but when it came, it was immensely intense, distorting all his features together. He made no sound as his body was lifted into the air. His neck was not instantly twisted but was slowly squeezed and gradually crushed. Yan Xu slowly died amidst the torture of suffocation and a broken neck!! Yan He stood motionless nearby, witnessing Yan Xu being killed. His arms trembled wildly, and he finally realized that a terrifying creature was overhead. He raised his Iron Whip, wildly iling at the air, but after only a few swings, a w shadow suddenly appeared on his chest! ¡°Pffft!!!!!!¡± The next second, Yan He¡¯s chest shattered, blood sprayed, and that w shadow directly ripped his heart out, then brought it in front of him before he died. Yan He waspletely immobilized, watching his own blood-drenched heart, his eyes filled with horror!! ¡°Ahhh!!!!!!¡± A scream of absolute terror finally burst from Yan He¡¯s mouth, but this cry of pain and despair seemed to exhaust hisst breath of life. He copsed to the ground, no longer struggling. Blood was still flowing from his shattered chest, and the heart that seemed to still be beating was tossed in front of the Yellow Beast Dog, which, oblivious to what had happened, swallowed it in one gulp as if it had chanced upon a delicious treat. Both men died instantly! Whether it was Yan Xu or Yan He, they both possessed Monarch Level strength, especially Yan He, who should have been among the best of the Monarch Level¡­ Yet they died even more easily than the murderous Demon Lord Xing Kun!
Luo Shaoyan and Jing Yu looked at Zhu Minng, whose demeanor had undergone a tremendous change, and saw his eyes dark and mysteriously evil like a neb, for a moment uncertain whether this ferocious deity was the Zhu Minng they knew. The darkness above his head was gradually dissipating, and Zhu Minng¡¯s eyes were also slowly returning to their usual ck. Zhu Minng helped Luo Shaoyan up, but Luo Shaoyan was still in shock. When they killed Xing Kun earlier, they had only seen a silhouette amidst a dazzling brilliance, at least aware that it was a light attribute Dragon King.
This time, they didn¡¯t even see a shadow, and had no idea what means Zhu Minng had used to kill Yan Xu and Yan He! Moreover, Luo Shaoyan and Jing Yu had heard the conversation between Zhu Minng and Yan Xu, and when Yan Xu learned of Zhu Minng¡¯s other identity, he had prostrated on the ground begging for mercy! Was this the man for whom Princess Luoshui had offered a bounty of Four Million Jin? Jing Yu looked at Zhu Minng, unable to discern his true nature for a moment! It must have been her own folly that made her think this man, who fled from a marriage arranged by Wen Lingfei, was so ordinary! ¡°Boss, who exactly are you?¡± Luo Shaoyan couldn¡¯t help but ask. Killing them was as easy as ughtering chickens, Yan Xu and Yan He were after all experts from the Yan n, and Luo Shaoyan no longer recognized the person who had pretended to be a novice back in Xuancao Mountain Castle! ¡°Help me with the cleanup, as this ce is still the Yan n¡¯s territory,¡± Zhu Minng said, seeing that Luo Shaoyan was still lively. ¡°Boss, do you realize this is the Yan n¡¯s territory? Are we going to be able to leave the Yan n¡¯s mountain alive?¡± asked Luo Shaoyan. ¡°As long as the cleanup is thorough,¡± said Zhu Minng, beginning to deal with the two bodies. Luo Shaoyan helped alongside, mainly cleaning up the bloodstains and the corpses, trying to make sure no one discovered them. Before seeing the bodies, most people would think the person had just gone missing. Jing Yu watched from the side, unable to be of any help. But watching Zhu Minng¡¯s proficient clean-up, skillfully erasing all traces, the naive young queen couldn¡¯t help but shudder.
How could the Demon Lord Xing Kun, with his unsound mind and handicapped intellect,pare to the calm andposed Zhu Minng? ¡°Alright, if anyone asks you about Yan Xu and Yan He, just refer to the incidents that happened during the festivities. Don¡¯t mention anything else,¡± Zhu Minng instructed his twopanions. Luo Shaoyan from Xia Yu and the young queen nodded like innocent babies, agreeing vigorously. Having left the rocky peak, Zhu Minng continued hunting as if nothing had happened, only his hunting method was somewhat different¡ªhe was not only searching for those criminals¡­ The Yellow Beast Dog, for some reason, had be very eager, tirelessly seeking prey and working hard to please Zhu Minng, trying to make up for its earlier betrayal. Chapter 438: 440: Adept at Committing the Crime Chapter 438: Chapter 440: Adept at Committing the Crime Jing Yu, the young queen, originally came for the thrill as well; she had a bit of a rebellious streak at her age and liked to do some outrageous things. But since watching Zhu Minng handle Xing Kun and Yan Xu, Jing Yu, the young queen, found that hunting those terrible murderers had be somewhat boring. The man beside her was a true Great Demon Head. He just wore a simple white outfit with a warm smile on his face, giving off the feeling of utmost ordinariness¡ªwithout the imposing aura that strong ones usually possess. Yet it was this appearance that deceived many, and even Yan Xu, a notorious tyrant of the Neon Sea, had been dealt with. ¡°Time is almost up, what should we do with this dog?¡± Luo Shaoyan asked coldly, his gaze fixed on the Yellow Beast Dog. ¡°If the dog isn¡¯t loyal, there¡¯s no use in letting it hunt again,¡± Zhu Minng said nonchntly. The Yellow Beast Dog, terrified, ran about frantically; it had thought that wagging its tail and trying hard from now on would protect its life, but it hadn¡¯t realized that these humans were merely squeezing thest bit of value out of it. ¡°My dragon is hungry too,¡± Luo Shaoyan said with a coldugh. ¡­ The hunt had ended, and for Zhu Minng, this hunt was never a challenge.
With his hunting count, he could basically get the things he wanted. He lit a smoke signal, and soon a Pterosaur patroller from the Yan n flew toward their location and carried them back to the Yan n¡¯s mountain pce. ¡°Gentlemen, have you perhaps seen our young master?¡± asked the ck-clothed man riding the Pterosaur. Luo Shaoyan and Jing Yu both showed a slight change inplexion¡ªhad the Yan n realized so quickly? ¡°Which young master of yours?¡± Zhu Minng asked. ¡°Yan Xu, Young Master Yan Xu. He was also in this hunting team,¡± the Pterosaur¡¯s ck-clothed man said. ¡°No, we were all hunting convicts,¡± Zhu Minng replied perfunctorily. The Pterosaur¡¯s ck-clothed man looked at Zhu Minng and, in the end, didn¡¯t question further. ¡­ Back in the mountain pce, Zhu Minng saw that some hunting teams had already returned. Zhu Minng went to the Yan n¡¯s steward and handed over the Iron Rings of the Convicts he had earned. Originally, Zhu Minng was not fond of this hunting game, despite the targets being unforgivable viins, because some were dragged into it by the Yan n¡¯s tyranny just to make up the numbers. Zhu Minng had encountered Ge Zhong, the Guard from Yellow Leaf City, who had been thrown here by Yan He and had be a convict. Zhu Minng didn¡¯t hunt him but told him not to worry about the families back in Yellow Leaf City; they were safe and sound, and the Lizard Water Monster had been eradicated by them. After hearing this, Ge Zhong seemed relieved and finally rushed towards a sharp wooden pole, impaling his own abdomen. Rather than endure the exceptionally cruel torture of the Evil Insects feasting on his innards, he had chosen to end his life first. ¡°Thirty-three, ranked second!¡± the Yan n¡¯s steward announced loudly. Soon, surprise-filled nces were cast from the guests sitting in front of the fine food and wine¡ªthey had not expected such an unremarkable group to hunt so many! ¡°Shameless, you are simply despicable! I¡¯m going to expose you; these few people hardly hunted any convicts at all. They specifically robbed our other hunting teams, and this guy¡ªI¡¯d recognize him even if he turned to ash!¡± Guan Wenqi, furious beyond measure, charged over, pointing at Zhu Minng¡¯s nose as he spoke.
¡°Isn¡¯t it quite normal for hunting teams to fight each other?¡± Zhu Minng said, his expression unchanged. Standing aside, Luo Shaoyan and Jing Yu, however, remained silent. While others hunted game, making use of Yellow Beast Dogs to madly chase after convicts, Demon Lords, and viins. Zhu Minng, on the other hand, was looking for other hunting teams. After beating them up, he would confiscate all their Iron Rings of the Convicts with considerable skill, as if this wasn¡¯t his first time doing so!
In any case, aside from those true murder demons who cruelly killed ves in the Greyrock Mountains, Zhu Minng would not hesitate to eliminate them, with robbing the fruits of other hunting teams¡¯bor being what he did most often. As expected, after Guan Wenqi stood out to use Zhu Minng, several other teams also came forward, cursing Zhu Minng for his actions. Zhu Minng acted as if he hadn¡¯t heard them,pleted the submission of the confiscated Iron Rings of the Convicts, and then collected his own rewards. Seeing Zhu Minngpletely ignore those who were outraged, Luo Shaoyan and Jing Yu became even more convinced that Zhu Minng often did these unscrupulous things. But unscrupulous as it might be, the harvest was genuinely plentiful. Finding a convict would at most one Iron Ring of the Convicts. Finding a hunting team would typically yield seven or eight rings; otherwise, how could they have collected thirty-three in such a short time? The angryinants had their say, but they didn¡¯t dare to do anything to Zhu Minng, as his Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon had beaten each of them to a pulp, which they still dreaded. ¡­ Having secured the Blood of the Evil Dragon Essence, Zhu Minng was very satisfied with the quality of this Spiritual Object, which would be perfect for enhancing Big ck Tooth¡¯s bloodline. Considering that Yan Xu¡¯s disappearance would soon be discovered by the members of the Yan n, Zhu Minng didn¡¯t linger and left immediately after taking his reward. Just as he was about to step onto the staircase and return to Man City, a man in a purple-ck robe with a stand-up cor, followed by arge group of ck-d Yan n members, surged over. The man¡¯s face was dark. He scanned the well-dressed guests at the feast, trying to speak in a calm tone to the crowd, ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, my name is Yan Zhen. My son has gone missing during this hunt, and I suspect that someone among the guests has murdered him and destroyed his body. Therefore, I ask everyone to stay temporarily in the Yan n¡¯s mountain pce, as I need to conduct a thorough investigation!¡±
Having said this, Yan Zhen waved his hand, and the hundreds of ck-d Yan n experts behind him immediately spread out and surrounded the entire Yan n¡¯s feast hall, forbidding anyone to leave. ¡°Gentlemen, please return to the hall,¡± a burly Yan n expert stepped forward, addressing Zhu Minng, Luo Shaoyan, and Jing Yu. Luo Shaoyan and Jing Yu kept theirposure on the surface, but inside they were somewhat panicky, their gaze involuntarily turning to Zhu Minng. Although Zhu Minng was the killer, they both were heavily involved in the matter. ¡°No worries, let¡¯s go back and drink,¡± Zhu Minng said. They returned to the mountain hall and took their seats as before. Luo Shaoyan and Jing Yu,ing from powerful families and ns, didn¡¯tpletely lose theirposure. Among the attendees of the feast were elders from other influential forces. Even if the matter were exposed, it had been Yan Xu who acted with malicious intent first. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, they are just bluffing right now. They haven¡¯t even found a body,¡± Zhu Minng assured his twopanions. ¡°But Yan Zhen just mentioned destroying the body¡­¡± Jing Yu said. ¡°Trust me, I¡¯m a professional,¡± Zhu Minng said confidently. ¡°Yes, yes,¡± Jing Yu nodded in agreement. Chapter 439: 441 Extreme Humiliation Chapter 439: Chapter 441 Extreme Humiliation The banquet was attended by many individuals of status within Man City. Seeing Yan Zhen surround the entire banquet hall, they all expressed great dissatisfaction. ¡°Yan Zhen, what do you mean by this? Do you intend to ruin your own n¡¯s hunting banquet?¡± A portly National Marquis stood up and questioned Yan Zhen. ¡°I¡¯m simply asking everyone to stay a little longer. Once I find out the truth, naturally, I will let everyone go,¡± Yan Zhen said. ¡°The hunting banquet is all about fighting with murderous demons and death row prisoners. It¡¯s quite normal for your son, Yan Xu, to encounter some idents during the hunt,¡± the portly National Marquis said. ¡°Why are you so eager to leave?¡± Yan Zhen asked the National Marquis in return. ¡°What do you mean by that? Are you suggesting that I, a guest invited by the Yan n, would go out of my way to harm your son? You, Yan Zhen, may not have a good reputation in Neon Sea, but I would not stoop to such things. Others will take care of you,¡± the Marquis said. ¡°Take him away and interrogate him thoroughly!¡± Yan Zhen suddenly shouted. Several Yan n experts dressed in ck swiftly surrounded the National Marquis, twisting his arms behind his back and skillfully capturing him. ¡°Yan Zhen, have you lost your mind!¡± eximed an elder of the Yan n, standing up in a furious rage. ¡°This concerns my son¡¯s life. I advise you all not to provoke me needlessly. Once I have uncovered the truth, naturally, you will be unharmed, but if you obstruct me, Yan Zhen, do not me me for being impolite!¡± Yan Zhen said coldly.
Overbearing and dominant, Yan Zhen had always been this way in Neon Sea; few dared to provoke him. Even amidst this assembly of guests, Yan Zhen remained unconcerned, as if he didn¡¯t consider anyone in Neon Sea worth his attention. The portly National Marquis was forcibly dragged down the stairs, and his screams, like those of a ughtered pig, could still be heard from a distance, indicating Yan Zhen was determined to find the murderer. ¡°My son is quite powerful and was guarded by Yan He. Unless someone deliberately set a trap, he could not have been easily killed by some demon lords. I suspect someone within the hunting teams has murdered him.¡± Yan Zhen walked into the center of the banquet, his sharp gaze sweeping over everyone like an eagle¡¯s. Luo Shaoyan and Little Queen Jingyun dared not meet Yan Zhen¡¯s gaze, keeping their heads down as they peeled fruit. On the contrary, Zhu Minng did not shift his gaze away when Yan Zhen¡¯s eyes swept over him. Yan Zhen¡¯s gaze barely lingered on Zhu Minng before he turned his attention to other teams that were even more powerful. With Yan Xu and Yan He¡¯s strength at Middle-level Monarch Level and High Rank King Level respectively, Yan Zhen was naturally scrutinizing those who disyed strength beyond these levels. The atmosphere was tense. To Yan Zhen, it seemed as if everyone present could be the culprit, as he questioned each person whose strength was above the High Rank King Level one by one but found no ws. After more than one ¡°Time,¡± someone ran up to Yan Zhen and whispered something in his ear; then, Yan Zhen¡¯s gaze immediately turned to where Zhu Minng was situated. Yan Zhen approached, followed by a dozen ck-d Yan n experts exuding a forbidding aura. As they approached slowly, Luo Shaoyan and Jingyun unavoidably began to feel nervous, but being from powerful families themselves, they possessed the mental fortitude not to give themselves away immediately. ¡°I killed him,¡± Zhu Minng suddenly said calmly. The eyes of both Luo Shaoyan and Jingyun widened to their limits. What situation is this! Zhu Minng, who had always beenposed and calm, how could he so easily confess? Was his psychological endurance even weaker than theirs? ¡°What did you say??¡± Yan Zhen himself was also astonished. Just now, someone reported to Yan Zhen that, during the hunting festival, Yan Xu had some conflicts with the people at this table, and the man in the white clothes had even spat grape seeds at Yan Xu. Yan Zhen knew his son the best, being humiliated like that, he would seek revenge no matter what. Since he would seek vengeance on this person, and this person returned unscathed while his own son went missing, the suspicion was extremely high! The problem was, Yan Zhen was still somewhat uncertain, after all, this person didn¡¯t seem like he had the strength to kill Yan Xu and Yan He, but before he knew it, the other party had admitted it outright!
¡°Your son Yan Xu was killed by me,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°How did you kill him?¡± Yan Zhen¡¯s entire face became unspeakably grim and terrifying. ¡°Just like this, for example, if this were his neck¡­¡± Zhu Minng casually picked up a banana, then demonstrated to Yan Zhen how he slowly twisted Yan Xu¡¯s neck until it broke. Zhu Minng twisted slowly during the process, and one could see that Yan Zhen¡¯s entire being was emitting an extremely terrifying aura, as if he were a bloodthirsty Evil Dragon, ready to swallow Zhu Minng whole at any moment!
Luo Shaoyan had gonepletely stupid. Boss, it¡¯s bad enough you admitted it, but do you have to describe the process of killing in such detail? This is Yan Xu¡¯s biological father!! Compared to spitting grape seeds in Yan Xu¡¯s face, the act of Zhu Minng describing to Yan Zhen how he killed his son was probably the ultimate insult!! Yan Zhen had already flown into a rage, but in order to understand the facts, he forcefully suppressed the urge to tear Zhu Minng apart and listened to him finish speaking. Finally, when Zhu Minng spoke of throwing Yan He¡¯s heart to the dogs, Yan Zhen couldn¡¯t control himself anymore. ¡°Go to hell!!!¡± Yan Zhen roared in fury, and a massive blood hole appeared behind him. The blood hole was the size of a wall, and out of it peeked the Tyrant Blood Evil Dragon, its blood scales flowing like blood, looking horrific as if it was constantly bathing in fresh blood; otherwise, how could it emerge from the Spirit Realm drenched in blood like this! Around Zhu Minng was a thick dark aura, making his figure somewhat ethereal, leaving only a proud outline. Within the dark void, a pair of sinister eyes suddenly opened, as if they were two destructive Magic Stars that had persisted since ancient times at the end of the world¡¯s darkness, casting a terrifying light that made one¡¯s soul tremble!! In terms of aura, Zhu Minng was in no way inferior to the n leader of the Yan n! ¡°Yan Zhen! You are beyond redemption, facing death and still so rampant!¡± Just then, a loud shout came, and from the direction of the mountain peak¡¯s gate, a man wearing a silver cap charged over at an astonishing speed. The man¡¯s strength was incredibly terrifying; before anyone could blink, he had already reached behind Yan Zhen. With one hand, he grabbed the Tyrant Blood Evil Dragon that was about to lunge out. Relying on the explosive force from his arm, he astonishingly hurled the King Level Tyrant Blood Evil Dragon away, smashing it into the mountain terrace outside the mountain hall!!
Chapter 440: 442: The Culprit Has Been Brought to Justice Chapter 440: Chapter 442: The Culprit Has Been Brought to Justice The man¡¯s arm zed with silver mes, and his eyes were like torches, exuding an overwhelming dominance. In front of this man with the silver me arm, even a Tyrant Blood Evil Dragon seemed no more than an ordinary beast! ¡°King of Silvery me, Wu Xiao!¡± At the event, someone recognized the man who had flung the Dragon King out of the mountain pce with his bare hands and eximed in shock. Yan Zhen turned around and upon seeing Wu Xiao, whose pupils danced with mes, cold sweat slid down his forehead. It seemed he had encountered this powerful figure from the Neon Sea before and still harbored fear in his heart. But, how could Yan Zhen not be afraid of someone capable of tossing his Dragon King away single-handedly! Most importantly, the moment Wu Xiao appeared before him, it meant that certain things had been utterly exposed. ¡°Uncle Wu!¡± Little Queen Jingyun¡¯s face immediately brightened with joy, and if it weren¡¯t for the extremely powerful aura of silver mes around him, she would have rushed forward without hesitation. Wu Xiao merely nodded slightly to Little Queen Jingyun. His sharp gaze was fixed on Yan Zhen with an icy demeanor. This man¡¯s presence was so formidable that everyone at the event showed a look of awe. As for those ck-d masters from the Yan n, they were so oppressed by the mighty aura of silver mes that they could hardly catch their breath. ¡°Are you alright?¡± At that moment, a woman came from behind and stopped in front of Zhu Minng, asking with concern. Zhu Minng shook his head. Yan Zhen¡¯s strength wasn¡¯t as formidable as he had imagined, and Great Tutor Lin Zhao had been ambushed.
Nevertheless, he didn¡¯t need to take action himself; Yan Zhen¡¯s end was already near. ¡°He is Elder Wu Xiao, the Orderer from our Neon Sea. Thanks to your Sea-calming Bell, I¡¯ve gathered the irond evidence of Yan Zhen mercilessly ughtering the inhabitants of an entire ind,¡± Han Wen said to Zhu Minng. Having secured all the evidence, Han Wen immediately presented it to Orderer Wu Xiao. Han Wen also told Zhu Minng that Yan Zhen had been hiding recently, making it difficult to execute a capture mission. If they were to act officially, they might spook the quarry, allowing Yan Zhen to abandon everything and flee¡­ Zhu Minng also felt some guilt for not doing something for Lin Zhao, the Great Instructor. So, when he learned that Yan Xu would attend this hunting event, he set his sights on Yan Xu! As long as Yan Xu was dealt with, Yan Zhen, his father, would no longer stay hidden! It was like luring a snake out of its hole. From the beginning, Zhu Minng had little interest in such inhumane hunt events. His quarry was Yan Xu; even if Yan Xu didn¡¯t trouble him over the Little Queen¡¯s affair, Zhu Minng himself would have provoked him, ensuring this mad dog would definitely bite during the hunt. In fact, Zhu Minng had been rather sloppy while disposing of the body, even worrying that the Yan n¡¯s minds weren¡¯t sharp enough. He intentionally left some obvious clues. Otherwise, Yan Zhen wouldn¡¯t have discovered his son¡¯s death so quickly. ¡°A father will show up no matter what when his son dies,¡± Zhu Minng said with a smile, his eyes locked on Yan Zhen. Yan Zhen¡¯s face was full of astonishment. This guy did it on purpose, all to lure him out to face justice?? ¡°Who the hell are you?¡± Yan Zhen roared. ¡°You¡¯ve been blockading the ind for so long, and you don¡¯t know who you¡¯re dealing with?¡± Zhu Minng said. Yan Zhen suddenly realized! This guy was the assistant requested by Great Tutor Lin Zhao. Because of him, he had endured and stood guard outside Devil Ind for nearly half a month, almost turning into a wild man! Thinking of how his son had been tormented and killed by this person, and of his current predicament, Yan Zhen was consumed by regret and vexation for not risking an entrance to the ind to ughter him and Han Wen! With their deaths, none of these issues would have followed!
¡°Bang!!!!¡± With one hand, the King of Silvery me pressed Yan Zhen¡¯s head to the ground. Yan Zhen knelt on the ground, his head striking the earth. ¡°For plotting against the Grand Instructor of the Dragon Taming High Court, massacring over eight thousand innocent Witch People, Yan Zhen, did you really think you could cover the sky with one hand in this Neon Sea?¡± King of Silvery me Wu Xiao said.
Yan Zhen struggled desperately, but without his dragon, he was as weak as a child in front of King of Silvery me Wu Xiao. Inside the grand gathering, everyone saw Yan Zhen being captured by the Orderer Wu Xiao, and had it not been for the fact that this was still the territory of the Yan n, it¡¯s likely that they would all be pping and cheering. In the mountain hall, there were other elders of the Yan n, each of them looking panic-stricken, unsure whether they should stand up for Yan Zhen. The Yan n was vast, and Yan Zhen was one of its chiefs. His loss would indeed greatly weaken the n, but intervening now would mean openly defying the Orderer, the Imperial Dynasty, and the entire legal system of the Neon Sea. If they wanted to protect themselves and ensure the safety of other nsmen, they had to abandon Yan Zhen. A few elders of the Yan n exchanged nces, and in the end, all chose to remain silent. This time, it was King of Silvery me Wu Xiao himself who had taken action, and even if the top members of the entire Yan n joined forces, they probably wouldn¡¯t be a match for King of Silvery me Wu Xiao. ¡°So it was he who killed Great Tutor Lin Zhao, he truly deserves more than death!¡± ¡°His crimes have been well known throughout the Neon Sea for a long time, it¡¯s just that there hasn¡¯t been conclusive evidence, and he has been protected by other powers. Such scum should have been executed long ago!¡± Beneath the stairs, a fat man who had been beaten to a pulp crawled up. Seeing Yan Zhen pinned to the ground, his head covered in blood, looking no different from the condemned thrown into the hunting ground, he suddenly burst outughing. This fat man was the noble who had been tortured by Yan Zhen. Seeing Yan Zhen¡¯s downfall, he felt as if his own wounds no longer hurt. ¡°Scum, go die sooner, your son Yan Xu and you, both are scum. I should really thank the brave man who killed your son, he truly removed a scourge for the people!¡± The portly noble kicked Yan Zhen¡¯s body. ¡°The man has been subdued by thew. Everyone, disperse now. I still need to take him to the head of the Dragon Taming High Court. It¡¯s also time for the matter of Great Tutor Lin Zhao to be settled,¡± King of Silvery me Wu Xiao said. Lifting Yan Zhen, Wu Xiao personally escorted this unforgivable criminal.
But just as he was about to leave, King of Silvery me Wu Xiao remembered something, turned around, and handed the Sea-calming Bell back to Zhu Minng, saying, ¡°This is yours.¡± Zhu Minng took the Sea-calming Bell. ¡°There were no survivors from Witch Ind, so this Sea-calming Bell is the only thing they left in this world. Make good use of it, it will be of great help to you, and you can be considered to have avenged them,¡± King of Silvery me Wu Xiao said. As Yan Zhen was dragged away, he had already turned as pale as death, and his earlier arrogance and conceit had evaporated in front of King of Silvery me Wu Xiao, not much different from a condemned prisoner about to be thrown into the hunting grounds. People taken down by King of Silvery me often had no chance of redemption. King of Silvery me himself was also ruthless; not all the wealth of the Yan n could buy back one¡¯s life, let alone when Yan Zhen had seen the true faces of those n elders. As he was being dragged away, he lifted his lifeless eyes and nced at Zhu Minng. Recalling how Zhu Minng had described the killing of his son, Yan Zhen suddenly went mad, thrashing about like a wild boar whose throat had been cut. To die was trivial, but Yan Zhen now realized he no longer had an heir! Just because of this youngster, just because he had not ventured dangerous waters earlier to eliminate future troubles! King of Silvery me Wu Xiao¡¯s arm did not even twitch. He continued dragging Yan Zhen toward the outside of the mountains, allowing him to rave in madness¡­ ¡­ ¡°So from the beginning, you nned to take down Yan Xu?¡± Little Queen Jingyun whispered.
Listening to Han Wen and Wu Xiao¡¯s conversation, Zhu Minng¡¯s arrival here was not merely to hunt down the condemned, but to have father and son, Yan Xu and Yan Zhen, brought to justice! Zhu Minng nodded and said no more. Two damned bastards, Zhu Minng had never intended to let them off when he was suffering through those hard times on the ind! Chapter 441: 443 Voodoo Tide Chapter 441: Chapter 443 Voodoo Tide ¡°` Humming a tune and packing arge te of fresh grapes, Zhu Minng left the grand feast of the Yan n. As he exited the mountain temple, Zhu Minng took notice of the giant crater left in the wake of the Tyrant Blood Evil Dragon¡¯s rampage. King of Silvery me Wu Xiao. This was a God and Mortal of utmost strength; Minng wasn¡¯t even sure of his cultivation base. Even in the Imperial City, this guy must be a big shot. After leaving the Yan n¡¯s territory, Zhu Minng returned to Man City. He checked out the Phoenix n spiritual objects being offered at the auction, some of which were quite tantalizing to Zhu Minng, but they were not yet enough to trade for the Soul Bead of the Absolute Sea Hawk Emperor from his hand. Since there was still plenty of time, Zhu Minng wasn¡¯t in a hurry, so he went back to the Dragon Taming High Court and continued his training as a Dragon Shepherd. ¡­ In ordance with Mr. Jinli¡¯s request, Zhu Minng decided to visit Qin City to pay a visit to the Zhu Gate Small Inner Court there and prepare dragon armors for Qing Zhuo and Hei Ya ahead of time. Qin City was a great distance from Man City. After some coercion and temptation, the Heavenly ughter Dragon still refused to serve as his steed, so Zhu Minng had no choice but to ride Gale Flying Dragons from various coastal city-states and travel along the coastline to Qin City.
Qin City was also one of Neon Sea¡¯s most famous independent cities, belonging to no nation but rivaling any country in strength, and was always presided over by powerful forces. It took Zhu Minng four days and four nights to reach Qin City. Bearing in mind the distance, Zhu Minng decided he might as well just settle in the Dragon Taming High Court. On the journey, Zhu Minng wasn¡¯t idle. Whenever he saw groups of Demon Race creatures on wend shallows, he had Hei Ya and Qing Zhuo eliminate them, earning the gratitude of many merchants and travelers. Acts of kindness were still somewhat useful in this mystical world, especially for a Casting Master, who needs to build up trust. Nearing Qin City, a torrential downpour began, and the Gale Flying Dragon couldn¡¯t maintain bnce in the raging storm. With only a few hundred miles left to Qin City, Zhu Minng was forced to seek shelter for the Gale Flying Dragon from the violent storm sweeping in from the sea. From Man City to Qin City, there were Flying Dragon rental areas along the way. By paying a deposit, one could ride these well-tamed dragons that could safely and efficiently transport people to their destination. As a King-Level Dragon Shepherd, having to rely on rental flying dragons for travel was somewhat sad. Little Qingzhuo wouldn¡¯t have the strength and stamina to carry him in flight until it reached adulthood. ¡­ The Gale Flying Dragonnded in a carved-out cave in a sea cliff, which appeared to be the den of Sea Hawk Monster Beasts, but they were nowhere to be seen, probably having moved to a morefortable locale. Gazing out to sea, the tide rolled like mighty surging beasts, continuously mming into the coastal cliffs. The waves could instantly surge to twenty or thirty meters high, a spectacle both magnificent and terrifying! Zhu Minng lit a fire, waiting for the raging winds to pass. In his boredeom, he took out the Sea-calming Bell. ¡°This thing, is it really that impressive?¡± Zhu Minng muttered to himself with some doubt. Why not give it a try? The ocean storm was raging anyway, and even if its power was exaggerated, it should be obscured by the grandeur of the storm. Zhu Minng walked to the edge of the cliff cave. Just one more step forward and the sharp sea wind would whisk anyone away. ¡°` He tried shaking the Sea-calming Bell, and there indeed seemed to be a hard bell pper inside, colliding with the surrounding iron-like fruit skin to produce sound. However, the bell pper inside remained immobile, and the sound produced from the shaking was extremely dull, not at all like it contained any magic power.
¡°Is there something wrong with the way I¡¯m using it?¡± Zhu Minng pondered for a moment. He then attempted to infuse his spiritual power into the Sea-calming Bell. Soon, the cracks on the bell¡¯s peel began to glow, and faint luminance seeped out from the Sea-calming Bell. ¡°As expected, it requires spiritual power to be used. Let me see your might.¡±
With joy in his heart, Zhu Minng began to infuse more spiritual power and started to shake this special bell fruit! With this motion, the core inside struck the surroundings, emitting a deep and heavy bell sound, ancient and powerful, nothing like a small bell, but more like arge, ancient bronze bell! The sound of the Sea-calming Bell spread around the sea cliffs; the cliffs themselves were arc-shaped, and as the Sea-calming Bell vibrated, the ancient bell tones spread through the storm! ¡°DONG~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~¡± A bell the size of a fist, yet at this moment, it resonated throughout the sea and sky, as if bringing a strange tremor from another world. The appalling sound of the bell was invisible, but at that moment, Zhu Minng saw an immense wave clearing everything in its path. The ferocious winds ceased due to the spread of the powerful bell sound, and the surging waves stilled at the ancient bell tones, even the thick storm clouds that spanned ten thousand meters in the sky dispersed! Dark skies and tempest-ravaged vastnds, the chaotic rain endless in sight, but just because of the ringing of the bell, all returned to tranquility! Zhu Minng could hardly believe the scene before his eyes. But before he could react, suddenly, a terrifyingly huge wave surged up from the still sea surface!! The colossal wave seemed like a deep-sea demon lurking beneath, breaking through the bounds of this world without warning, then rolling in a direction that stretched across Zhu Minng¡¯s field of vision! The vast sea seemed unable to bear the burden, emitting loud noises, as wavesparable to tsunamis collided irregrly, surging in all directions. The ck giant wave continued to wreak havoc as Zhu Minng saw it rush toward another more spectacr range of sea cliffs. That continuous cliff was at least thirty miles long, majestic and sturdy, having withstood the pounding of the waves for over a hundred years without copsing.
But when the ck giant wave struck, the cliffs gave way as if breaching a dike, the high slopes copsed abruptly, and the cliffs were engulfed by the huge wave, even a forest further ind broke apart!!! The vast cliff coastline, which would require hundreds or even thousands of years to erode a gap from the waves, now due to this summoned ck giant wave, was directly struck into a recessed area! Countless copsed boulders, ruins of cliffs protruding, those formidable cliffs on either side of the breach, although not copsing further, were covered in rming cracks, giving the feeling that a little more force might continue to drag down other areas! Within a sea cliff cave, a person stood at the entrance, staring dumbfounded at the cliffs across tens of miles away!! Is this the Voodoo Tide? It¡¯s truly a tsunami disaster; if it rolls over a city, how many could survive? Zhu Minng himself had not expected that the small Sea-calming Bell could possess such a terrifying power to summon tides, a magic artifact indeed!! Chapter 442: 444: Little Cousin Sister Chapter 442: Chapter 444: Little Cousin Sister That must beparable to a full-force strike from a Dragon King! And it feels even more powerful! Zhu Minng nced at the treasure in his hand and hurriedly stowed it away. As a Dragon Shepherd, he needed to be equipped with some powerful magic artifacts since his dragonpanions couldn¡¯t always be by his side. The Storm Phantom Feather, although very useful, was no longer effective against Monarch Level and above opponents. This Sea-calming Bell perfectly filled the gap for Zhu Minng, catching opponents off-guard in critical moments. Even a King-level strongman, unaware of the bell being rung, would probably be obliterated by the Voodoo Tide! The Sea-calming Bell did not only summon destructive tides but could also calm the storm. Zhu Minng noticed that the weather was gradually clearing up. However, the huge, startling gap in the continuous sea cliffs became even more conspicuous. Zhu Minng didn¡¯t dare to stay long. Fortunately, he wasn¡¯t far from Qin City, which seemed to be very famous for its scenic spring travel spots. His trial of the Sea-calming Bell had destroyed one of them, and he estimated that it would provoke public outrage. ¡­ Mounted on his Gale Flying Dragon, Zhu Minng headed to Qin City. Gradually, some strong individuals from Qin City showed up at the scene of Zhu Minng¡¯s ¡°crime¡±. Looking on, Zhu Minng noticed two of them were even riding Dragon Kings.
He had stirred up big trouble, but luckily he escaped swiftly. Did Han Wen ever use the Sea-calming Bell? With such overwhelming power, why didn¡¯t he warn him? Pretending to be a passerby, Zhu Minng drifted past the strong figures who had rushed over from Qin City. ¡°It¡¯s likely that a Sacred Beast in the storm is venting its dissatisfaction with our Qin City. We should investigate if any of the prominent families have incited the wrath of a storm beast,¡± said a woman d in Light Crystal Armor. ¡°Why are there no footprints left behind, and I can¡¯t sense even a trace of a Sacred Beast¡¯s presence,¡± a man in a fiery red robe remarked. ¡°Let¡¯s stay on guard here for now. It¡¯s best to ask nearby people if they¡¯ve seen the figure of that storm Sacred Beast. With the strength to shatter several miles of sea cliffs in a single blow, it¡¯s extremely terrifying. We mustn¡¯t take it lightly!¡± Zhu Minng vaguely overheard the conversation of these Qin City strongmen and felt even more ashamed. Sorry, sorry, I¡¯ve caused needless trouble for you Qin City bigwigs! How to put it though, since it¡¯s destroyed, it¡¯s not really a bad thing¡­ The view has certainly be much more expansive, hasn¡¯t it¡­ ¡­ Before arousing any suspicion, Zhu Minng hurriedly left. Upon arriving in Qin City, after returning the Gale Flying Dragon and getting his deposit back, Zhu Minng found that Qin City had entered a state of alert. Squads of white-armored guards patrolled for dozens of miles outside the city, and a King-level strongman was stationed at the highest point of Qin City, keeping a grave watch over the ocean, fearful that the terrifying storm Sacred Beast would strike Qin City simrly. Zhu Minng felt even more remorseful and quickly found the branch of his family¡¯s establishment in Qin City. The Zhu n Inner Court consisted of three sections. The Main Inner Court was naturally located by Dripping Lake in the Imperial City. The others were the Little Inner Court here in Qin City and anotherrge Inner Court whose location Zhu Minng was unaware of. Zhu Minng seldom concerned himself with Family Door matters, and it seemed like Zhu Heavenly Officer also didn¡¯t want him involved in internal n strife. Perhaps the position of Sect Leader within the n was unstable, prone to creating enemies all around, and was restrained by various other forces. Rather than dealing with the old foxes, it really was better to travel around and strengthen himself as much as possible. ¡°You are Zhu Minng, Mr. Zhu?¡± a family servant of the Zhu n, round-faced and fat-eared, looked Zhu Minng up and down very carefully. Everyone in the Zhu n knew of Zhu Minng, but very few had actually seen him. Even some of the n¡¯s children from the Imperial City¡¯s Main Inner Court might not recognize the Junior Sect Leader of the Zhu n who had been cultivating at the Yaoshan Sword Sect from a young age, let alone in this far-flung Little Inner Court. ¡°Yes, Is my uncle Zhu Wangxing here?¡± Zhu Minng asked. ¡°The Junior Gatekeeper has gone to the Imperial City.¡± The household manager didn¡¯t know how to receive him for a moment, but he was very respectful and invited Zhu Minng to sit in the inner court.
Hardly had he walked further inside when a vivacious youngdy approached, her delicate braids hanging before her chest. She appeared young but had a fine figure, her steps light as if she were about to go out and seemed to be in a particrly good mood, her lips curving into a slight smile. ¡°Miss,¡± the servant immediately greeted her but stopped the braided girl in her tracks. ¡°Hmm, I am going out to meet a few friends,¡± the spirited girl said in a crisp and pleasant voice. ¡°That¡­ ¡± the housekeeper hesitated for a while before eventually speaking up, ¡°This is our Junior Gatekeeper from the Imperial City.¡±
¡°Oh, please see to his needs¡­¡± the lively girl absent-mindedly nodded her head, revealing a smile that was polite enough, but then she quickly realized something was off and said, ¡°Junior Gatekeeper?¡± ¡°I am Zhu Minng,¡± Zhu Minng said with a smile. ¡°Zhu Minng, Zhu Minng, ah, are you that peerless prodigy Sword Cultivator who then identally sumbed to demonic possession and became just an ordinary Zhu Minng cousin?¡± The girl with the braids eximed, her bright eyes staring at Zhu Minng for quite some time. Heard of him, but never seen him. Zhu Rongrong had heard the elders in the n talk about this legendary character since she was small. At the age of thirteen, she had even visited the Imperial City once, catching a glimpse of the youthful and handsome Zhu Minng, who had swept through all the masters in the Imperial City at that time. But back then, Zhu Minng was usually surrounded by a group of older sisters from the n, and she, a younger cousin, did not have the chance to speak a few words with him. ¡°Yes, I am that peerless prodigy Sword Cultivator who then identally sumbed to demonic possession and became just an ordinary Zhu Minng¡­ but not entirely ordinary, I am now a proud Dragon Shepherd,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°Dragon Shepherd? Really? I am one too!¡± Zhu Rongrong said. ¡°That is, Miss¡­ I haven¡¯t had the honor of seeing the Junior Gatekeeper before,¡± the old manager hinted. ¡°He¡¯s my cousin, I remember. I used to think he was so handsome from afar¡­ Yes, yes, this is his face,¡± Zhu Rongrong said, although she actually couldn¡¯t recall what Zhu Minng looked like, but who in the world woulde to their Family Door pretending to be the Junior Gatekeeper? Zhu Minng did not have any impression of his cousin sisters around him. But since she was so sweet, even if she wasn¡¯t his cousin, he was ready to recognize her as a sister. ¡°I happened to be traveling to the Neon Sea, so I took the opportunity to visit,¡± Zhu Minng said.
¡°I was just about to meet the little princess of a nearby state. Brother, why don¡¯t youe with me? There are so many beauties there!¡± Zhu Rongrong didn¡¯t seem to think of Zhu Minng as a stranger at all. ¡°Miss, the Junior Gatekeeper has traveled a long distance and probably hasn¡¯t rested yet,¡± the old butler reminded. ¡°It¡¯s alright, it just so happens that my cousin sister can show me around. I have never been to Qin City before. Qin City is more beautiful and elegant than I imagined,¡± Zhu Minng said. So many beauties?? Zhu Minng didn¡¯t believe it, unless he saw it with his own eyes. Chapter 443: 445: The Little Prince of the Supreme Court Chapter 443: Chapter 445: The Little Prince of the Supreme Court ¡°` ¡­ Riding in a delicate little carriage, the carriage interior adorned with many cute dolls and hanging with a host of fragrant little sachets, Zhu Minng drew back the curtain, gazing at the streets of Qin City. Qin City was not as bustling and congested as Man City; everything here appeared orderly, the to and fro of people seeming leisurely andfortable. From time to time, melodious flute and zither music wafted from street corners, and asionally, a few flower-selling girls drifted by, their fragrance spreading in their wake. No wonder it was known as the City of Flowers and Songs. ¡°Just a short while ago we had stormy weather, and everyone was nning to call it off. We never expected the wind to cease, the rain to stop, and for the sun to shine down sofortably!¡± Zhu Rongrong said, her smile blooming. This little cousin loved tough, seemingly very contented by the smallest of things, including the sight of her cousin from afar. All along the way, she was excitedly introducing Qin City to Zhu Minng. Spring warmth hade, sunlight showering everywhere, and a gentle sea breeze blowing; it indeed felt quite exhrating. But for such sunny weather, he had himself to thank. The Rattling Sea Bell had dispelled the storm that swept over Qin City, ushering in clear skies ahead of time. ¡­ Upon arriving at the Stacked Flower Garden, one could seeyer uponyer of flower clusters like walls of different colored blossoms, adorning the buildings above with exquisite and noble embellishments. Some carefully crafted waterfalls would asionally leap with brightly colored Jinli, brimming with the vitality of nature.
There were plenty of pale blue ptial buildings on top of Stacked Flower Garden. Zhu Minng, curious, asked Zhu Rongrong who lived here, and how they managed to maintain their residence as splendid as a sky-high garden. ¡°This is the garden manor of Qin City¡¯s master. My dear sister Li Caimo is the young miss of this city. She invited me to enjoy the first blooms of spring warmth and mentioned there would be a very important guest today; she insisted I meet them,¡± exined Zhu Rongrong. The first blooms of spring warmth were the holy buds that bloomed after the winter, which youngdies of noble families adored. They liked to sip tea, admire flowers, and read poetry¡­ It must be what was called the Camellia Tea Gathering. Walking into the garden manor of Qin City, Zhu Minng couldn¡¯t help but admire the gardeners and builders¡¯ extravagance and the stunning elegance they created, wondering how much annual maintenance a manor like this must consume. Each ce had its own local customs; in Neon Sea, the focus was on atmosphere and romance, unlike the people in the Imperial City, who always thought about how to expand their power, forge alliances, or overthrow adversaries. Passing through the outer courtyard, crossing a small wooden bridge, with maids fluttering about like swallows, dressed in very special attire, their cloud-soft skirts billowing, Zhu Minng began to believe what Zhu Rongrong had said earlier. He hadn¡¯t met the princesses of the Camellia Tea Gathering yet, but the scenery along the way was already very moving. Upon reaching the floral gallery, the beautiful bonsai arrangements were dazzling, not feeling like being in someone else¡¯s home, but rather as if stepping into the back garden of some Immortal¡¯s House. Zhu Minng had already seen some exquisitely dresseddies; they sat elegantly and gracefully at the lengthy osmanthus wood tea table, whispering softly, with restrainedughter asionally ringing out, indeed intoxicating. ¡°Sisters, Rongrong is here! Let me introduce everyone, this handsome man is my cousin. He¡¯s traveled from the Imperial City to Neon Sea, specially brought to meet all of you princesses,¡± Zhu Rongrong was clearly well-acquainted with all the seateddies. Near Qin City were quite a few countries of Neon Sea, notrge innd but very prosperous and quite powerful. ¡­ ¡°` The princesses from various countries often gather together in the independent city of Qin City, where they need not worry about the backstabbing and intrigue as the power of Qin City is enough to deter all other nations. ¡°What a coincidence, the distinguished guests I¡¯ve invited are also from the Imperial City, and they are from the Imperial Dynasty¡­¡± The woman with the orchid hairpin stood up, speaking with a smile brimming with delight. As she spoke, she deliberately nced at a few young men of noble bearing who were enjoying pastries at a nearby table. Zhu Minng looked over and at the same time, the young men at that table also lifted their heads. Among them, a man who was eating an osmanthus cake seemed to have choked on it and almost coughed it up, looking somewhat disheveled. His face flushed red, yet he pointed at Zhu Minng and his eyes immediately conveyed his anger as he said, ¡°It¡¯s you!¡±
Zhu Minng was also astounded to the extreme! Talk about a narrow path for enemies. I¡¯vee all the way to a ce hundreds of thousands of miles from the Imperial City, and yet I¡¯ve run into this bastard Zhao Yin Ge! ¡°So it¡¯s Princely Heir Zhao Yin Ge, what bad luck,¡± Zhu Minng responded without a hint of courtesy, speaking directly to the point.
Zhao Yin Ge started to cough violently once again, probably out of anger. Next to Zhao Yin Ge was a young man exuding an imposing presence, dressed in a yellow qi robe. He was handsome and tall; even as Zhao Yin Ge, as a little princely heir, sat beside him, he seemed somewhat inferior. Zhu Minng was even more surprised to see this person. Zhao Yin Ge was merely a small bully among the royal family in the Imperial City, someone Zhu Minng never took seriously, but there was one person whom Zhu Minng did feel wary of, which was this young man in the yellow qi robe. He was the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent¡¯s young prince, a leading figure among the Imperial City¡¯s younger generation. Compared with Pu Shiming, who was narrow-minded and fancied himself a genius, this man was practically an imbecile. Zhu Minng¡¯s wariness stemmed not only from the fact that this man already possessed strength to match his own at that time, but also because he was cunning. Sometimes, it was impossible to discern whether he was a benevolent person or a malicious and selfish one. The young prince Zhao Yu looked no less surprised than Zhu Minng, for he had not expected to encounter him here either. After a moment, the young prince of the Supreme Court Court Empire smiled warmly and said, ¡°Eldest son of the Zhu, have you alsoe here to enjoy the fragrance and to recognize beauty?¡± ¡°Just passing by,¡± Zhu Minng replied. ¡°So the young prince also knows this talented youth,¡± Li Caimo remarked. ¡°How could I not recognize him? I remember someone once tried to breach into our Royal Family¡¯s sacrednd, the Dragon Country. I caught him red-handed and released a few dragons to chase him. But this man¡¯s cultivation base was indeed impressive; he managed to escape the pursuit of the dragons I raised. It waster that I learned this thief was none other than Zhu n¡¯s Young Master Zhu, a sword master genius rarely seen in a thousand years. I still don¡¯t know why he would do such sneaky things,¡± the young prince Zhao Yu also spared no courtesy, bringing up the past incident of pursuing Zhu Minng. ¡°Young prince, I, too, drank with your sister untilte at night. I lost my way in the Imperial Pce, so I flew up into the air to find my direction. You insisted that I was trespassing into the Dragon Country. What could I do? However, considering the deep friendship between your sister and me, let¡¯s not dwell on it. Otherwise, those dragons of yours would have been chopped by me for making dried dragon meat,¡± Zhu Minng said smoothly, without a change in expression.
Chapter 444: 446: There Must Be a Demon When Things Go Awry Chapter 444: Chapter 446: There Must Be a Demon When Things Go Awry ¡°Haha, it was just a trifling grudge from our youthful days¡ªlooking back, it still holds some amusement. It¡¯s just that so many years have passed, and everything has changed. Even a genius that appears once in a thousand years has their day of downfall. This actually fills me with a sense of mncholy. It¡¯s not easy to find a worthy adversary,¡± Prince Zhao Yu feigned pity for Zhu Minng. ¡°Your Highness, he¡¯s now a Dragon Shepherd,¡± Zhao Yin Ge, who was like ackey by the prince¡¯s side, whispered. ¡°Ah?¡± Zhao Yu pretended to be very surprised, but soonughed heartily. ¡°You¡¯ve be a Dragon Shepherd? You, Zhu Minng, have be a Dragon Shepherd?¡± Zhao Yu continuedughing, hisughter drawing the gaze of all the young masters and misses at the tea flower gathering. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m looking forward to learning from you,¡± Zhu Minng said, not taking the bait. ¡°How could I dare? A talent thates once in a millennium is surely exceptional, whether in the practice of swordsmanship or the Way of the Dragon Shepherd. I, Zhao Yu, merely rely on my royal lineage to possess strength surpassing most of my peers, how can Ipare with a genius like you who has achieved a lofty realm through their own cultivation?¡± The sarcasm in Zhao Yu¡¯s voice couldn¡¯t be clearer. ¡°Seeing Zhao Yin Ge already made me feel rather ominous, and here you are, adding to it, Zhao Yu. The fierce storm earlier must have been a divine reminder for me not toe to Qin City¡ªwhat a cmity,¡± Zhu Minng also knew what kind of person Zhao Yu was; their animosity was established long ago. ¡°Zhu Minng, how can you speak to His Highness the Prince like this!¡± Zhao Yin Ge said angrily. ¡°No matter, no matter, I¡¯ve never liked false respect. In fact, someone like Zhu Minng, who shows no reverence for gods or spirits, is more to my liking. Moreover, as the Junior Gatekeeper and head of the Zhu n, he is on an equal footing with this humble prince. In the end, it¡¯s strength that speaks; those with it are the ones who deserve respect,¡± Zhao Yuughed, also unconcerned by Zhu Minng¡¯s tone. ¡°Alright, alright, it seems to me you two have the kind of rtionship that goes ¡®No fight, no acquaintance.¡¯ Since you¡¯re both honored guests of the Imperial City, please take your seats. Let me extend the hospitality of the host,¡± Li Caimo interrupted their sarcastic exchange. Li Caimo pped her hands, and soon several gracefully-moving qin masters approached, while a princess from a neighboring nation also yed her qin at the center of the pavilion, joining the qin masters in a beautiful performance.
Li Caimo also personally performed a colorful bird dance, captivating the attention of numerous young masters with her voluptuous figure¡­ After several songs and dances, the poetry recitation segment began. Prince Zhao Yu turned out to be exceptionally talented,posing a poem on the spot that left the princesses beaming, wishing they could marry the prince of the Supreme Court Empire that very moment. Afterposing the poem, Zhao Yu left his seat. He walked outside the pavilion, ncing back at Zhu Minng with a hint of change in his eyes. Waiting outside the flower wall for a moment, a man in a silk robe approached, also casting a nce at Zhu Minng, who was in the pavilion, with a rather solemn expression. ¡°Could it be that the Zhu n has noticed and specially sent him here?¡± An Qingfeng said. An Qingfeng, the son of King An, hadn¡¯t shown himself precisely because of Zhu Minng¡¯s presence. If he joined the gathering, Zhu Minng might deduce even more, given that King An had long made his ambition for Zhu Gate known. ¡°It¡¯s still unclear. Even though Zhu Heavenly Officer has never involved Zhu Minng in any n conflicts, if he had realized anything, he shouldn¡¯t have sent Zhu Minng, a cripple, here,¡± Prince Zhao Yu said. An Qingfeng nodded. Indeed, Zhu Minng¡¯s presence was unfortunate, but it might also be coincidental. ¡°So shall we proceed as nned?¡± An Qingfeng asked. ¡°Hmm, we can¡¯t let Zhu Minng alone dy our progress,¡± Zhao Yu nodded and said. ¡°Controlling the Earth Vein Fire is equivalent to controlling the Zhu n Inner Court of Qin City. If only Zhu Minnges, even if he notices something, how could he stop us? This time, victory is a must!¡± An Qingfeng dered. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I know exactly what Zhu Minng is capable of. I¡¯ve been causing him some trouble these days, keeping him too busy to attend to other matters. I believe that by the time the entire Zhu Gate Little Inner Court falls, he still won¡¯t have noticed,¡± Zhao Yu said with a smile. ¡°Should we take the opportunity to get rid of him as well? This might be a rare chance. Previously, in the Imperial City¡­¡± An Qingfeng spoke in a hushed voice. ¡°One step at a time. However, a living Zhu Minng is more useful to us. Zhu Heavenly Officer may appear to be solely focused on family affairs due to his wife and child being gone, but isn¡¯t he also protecting them? If we can capture Zhu Minng alive, your father, King An, will have a powerful weapon against Zhu Heavenly Officer,¡± Prince Zhao Yu spoke. ¡°Hmm, but are you sure his cultivation base is truly destroyed?¡± An Qingfeng asked hesitantly. An Qingfeng had heard about the matters of the great powerpetition. Although Zhu Minng was not as formidable as before, he did not seem to be an ordinary person either.
¡°Hmph, he trained as a Sword Cultivator for ten years just to have the strength to contend with me. Do you think that after only a few years as a Dragon Shepherd, he could have developed significant abilities?¡± Prince Zhao Yu said with disdain. ¡°Since Prince Your Highness has said so, what¡¯s there for me, An Qingfeng, to be afraid of doing? Then, Prince Your Highness, shall we proceed with the previous n? You control the Earth Vein Fire Pistil, and I deal with Zhu Minng?¡± An Qingfeng said. ¡°He¡¯s not even worth me making a move against him now,¡± said Zhao Yu arrogantly. ¡°If this matter is sessfully handled, my father will certainly be extremely grateful to you,¡± An Qingfeng stated.
¡­ ¡­ In the pavilion, Zhu Minng sipped his tea, nced at Zhao Yu¡¯s location, and fell into brief contemtion. If something seems abnormal, there must be demons at work. Why has Zhao Yue to Qin City? ¡°Big brother, what do you think? These little princesses are all charming, aren¡¯t they? If you like any of them, I can introduce you; I¡¯m on good terms with them,¡± Zhu Rongrong said. ¡°Yes, they¡¯re all beautiful. By the way, Rongrong, when did Prince Zhao Yu arrive in Qin City? Have you heard anything from Li Caimo?¡± Zhu Minng asked earnestly. ¡°That¡­ Should I go and ask for you?¡± Zhu Rongrong asked. ¡°Who will you ask?¡± ¡°I have my ways,¡± Zhu Rongrong said and promptly, carrying a te of small pastries, started chatting with the other princesses and daughters of the City Lords. After a while, Zhu Rongrong returned to her seat with a smile, leaned in close to Zhu Minng¡¯s ear, and whispered secretively. ¡°It seems that Prince Zhao Yu is going to be ennobled as a king. On the day he bes king, he must choose a queen consort. The Royal Family gave Prince Zhao Yu several candidates, one of whom is Sister Li Caimo. Some of the little princesses didn¡¯t evene for the Camellia Meeting; they¡¯re here for Prince Zhao Yu, hoping to try their luck and see if the Prince takes a liking to them,¡± Zhu Rongrong shared. Chapter 445: 447: Enthronement as King Chapter 445: Chapter 447: Enthronement as King Confer a kingship? In the Supreme Court Imperial Dynasty, the conditions for conferring a kingship are very harsh. It¡¯s not that when princes reach the age to start a family, the Emperor would simply grant them arge fief, and then they be the king of that territory. Even for princes, they must at least have reached the King-Level Realm, or rule over the territory of more than four nations, before they are truly conferred the title of king. Prince Zhao Yu is not a leader of great talent; he is a Dragon Shepherd, in charge of high-ranking positions due to his strength. If he could be conferred a kingship now, it would mean he already possesses King-level strength! Come to think of it, many years ago he already had several High Rank Dragon Monarchs, and speaking of the genuine prodigies among the Imperial City¡¯s younger generation, Prince Zhao Yu would certainly be one of them, especially since he sits on the Supreme Court Royal Family¡¯s most vast resources, with countless Spirit Veins and the cloud-shrouded Dragon Country, the dragons he can obtain are probably also of extremely high bloodline. ¡°However, it¡¯ster than I imagined,¡± Zhu Minng mused. ¡°If he hadn¡¯t met any setbacks in his cultivation path, he should have been conferred kingship even earlier.¡± It¡¯s not that Zhu Minng is overly arrogant; in the past, in the Imperial City, most so-called geniuses were trampled by him, almost none of their names were remembered by him. As for this Prince Zhao Yu, he had never crossed swords with Zhu Minng. Zhu Minng knew of his extraordinary strength only because of his curiosity that led him to trespass into the cloud-shrouded Dragon Country. At that time, although his Sword Cultivation Level was only Quasi-positional Monarch Level, his Sword Realm was enough to challenge those of Middle-level and High-level Monarchs.
Zhao Yu started his career a few years earlier than Zhu Minng, but at that time, Zhao Yu could unleash dragons to bite him, while all he could do was run, clearly indicating that this guy was also a monster among the Imperial City¡¯s Dragon Trainers. Zhu Minng wasn¡¯t surprised at all that he could step into the King-level. He even suspects that Zhao Yu, just like before, has always been hiding his true strength. Being conferred kingship now? If he already had High Rank and Pinnacle Dragon Monarchs five or six years ago, how could he possibly have stepped into the King-level only now? ¡°If it were me, I would hide one dragon, and wait until the second dragon became a Dragon King before publicly dering my King-level status,¡± Zhu Minng said. Truly powerful people do not need to announce to the world the moment they level up, just to gain the support and apuse of those around them. Zhu Minng realized over the years that the truly formidable ones tend to do so; you never know what level their realm is, and every time people think they¡¯ve caught up to them, it seems like they¡¯ve moved to another level before long. Things are not so coincidental; just like when Zhu Minng was still at the Monarch Level, he believed Zhu Xuehen had always been at the Peak Monarch Level, but only after stepping into the King Level himself did he realize that she had long since broken through to the King Level, and what he saw was not even all of her capabilities. Wen Lingfei¡¯s Cultivation Base, too, must be more than what he had seen, or else how could she be the Sect Leader? Prince Zhao Yu, like Wen Lingfei, is a cultivation monster. Barely a few people have seen them exhibit their full strength. ¡°Regardless, it¡¯s wise to be cautious.¡± Zhu Minng had a strong sense of wariness toward Zhao Yu. ¡°Brother, do you think Prince Zhao Yu has taken a liking to Sister Li Caimo? If they could be matched, it would make for a wonderful story!¡± Zhu Rongrong said. ¡°Wasn¡¯t it said that there are several candidates for queen consort? If it were me, I¡¯d consider multiple options,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°This is not like going to the market to buy cabbage!¡± Zhu Rongrong said. ¡°As for the Royal Family, forming alliances through marriage to bestow a kingship definitely involves considering many factors, such as what Qin City could bring to this future new king¡­¡± Zhu Minng said these words, a thought shed through his mind. Little Prince Zhao Yu¡¯s stance had always been unclear, but Zhu Heavenly Officer had mentioned once that this person was full of ambition, no less than King An. If Little Prince Zhao Yu chose Li Caimo as his queen, it would mean an alliance with the secondrgest n in the Neon Sea, the Li n, effectively making Qin City an important territory of Little Prince Zhao Yu¡­ And the Zhu Gate¡¯s Little Inner Court was also precisely located in Qin City.
¡°Having a perfect residence in the Neon Sea is advantageous for future territorial expansion. And by taking down Qin City, could he severely suppress Zhu Gate?¡± Zhu Minng tried his best to link the intentions of the Little Prince to the Little Inner Court. In the Imperial City, Zhu Gate had risen unexpectedly, bing a Family Door on par with the Pu n, and had even subtly be the leading Family Gate. Therefore, all the major powers either sought to befriend Zhu Gate or sought to suppress it by all means. ¡°This guy is certainly not a friend anyway, I need to covertly observe Zhao Yu¡¯s actions, Qin City, it seems I need to stay a few more days,¡± Zhu Minng made this n. ¡­
After leaving the Camellia Gathering, he returned to Zhu Gate¡¯s Little Inner Court. The Little Inner Court¡¯s style was extremely minimalist, highlighted by the exceptionally polished Tengqing granite. The floors, stairs, and walls, and now and then, one could see some stone sword carvings and metallic armored figures standing tall in the hall, exuding an air of seriousness, tranquility, and solemnity. No wonder Zhu Rongrong¡¯s smile diminished a few degrees upon returning to Zhu Gate¡­ It was too minimalistic and cold, not warm at all. Of course, Zhu Minng liked it very much. A man should live in such a grand and solemn residence, which is still luxurious! ¡°Oh, I forgot about an important thing!¡± Zhu Rongrong suddenly said. Zhu Minng stopped and looked at her. ¡°It¡¯s a task my father gave me a month ago, he wanted me to collect Wind Crystal Dandelion seeds, and I haven¡¯t caught even one until now¡­¡± Zhu Rongrong pouted. ¡°What are those for?¡± Zhu Minng asked. ¡°They can enhance Furnace Fire. When the forging fire isn¡¯t fierce enough, we toss a Wind Crystal Dandelion seed in it. Once the wind crystal seed is crushed, it generates a strong burst of wind, allowing the furnace fire to reach the desired effect. Oh no¡­ this is our Zhu Gate¡¯s top-secret, I shouldn¡¯t have said¡­ oh, my brother is family, I almost forgot!¡± Zhu Rongrong said in a flurry. Zhu Minng was amused by her ditsy charm. But this top-secret, Zhu Minng really didn¡¯t know. It seemed apart from sharing the surname Zhu, he had basically nothing to do with Zhu Gate¡¯s world-renowned Casting Art. ¡°Such strong furnace fire can forge higher quality tools?¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°Mm-hmm, weapons forged with gentle and fierce mes arepletely different. Moreover, with good skills and a bit of luck, it is possible to add Wind Marks to swords and armor, which may have unique additional effects.¡±
¡°I want to forge a piece of light and holy armor suitable for my Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°Then you¡¯ll definitely need the Wind Marks, which can make a dragon in the sky better at Riding the Wind, and also save a lot of energy during long flights. Our most famous forged item here is the Wind Shiny Wing, which wins first ce every year at the Neon Sea¡¯s grand event where ten thousands of dragonspete in the sky!¡± Zhu Rongrong said proudly. The Dragon Competition in the Sky is a very grand festival in the Neon Sea. Tens of thousands of dragons set off from a designated point, flying across the Neon Sea amid stormy weather, apetition of pride in the sky among dragons! Chapter 446: 448: Even the Dragon King Cannot Prevail Chapter 446: Chapter 448: Even the Dragon King Cannot Prevail Since he was about to make a Holy Armor of the Green Dragon, naturally, the materials had to be well-prepared. He came to the Little Inner Court, actually, to learn the use of mes, which Mr. Jinli praised highly for their utilization here in the Furnace Fire. ¡°I¡¯ll help you, but you have to teach me how to add Wind Marks to the Dragon Armor,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°That would be great, those things are very difficult to capture, you need to be extremely fast,¡± Zhu Rongrong said. Without even having a hot tea in the Little Inner Court, Zhu Minng followed Zhu Rongrong outside again. Zhu Rongrong took Zhu Minng toward the Sea High Slope, and the patrolling guards specifically reminded them to be extra cautious, as a huge wind storm beast had recently attacked the nearby sea cliffs. Zhu Rongrong was so frightened that she turned pale, especially upon seeing that terrifying gap in the cliff¡­ Zhu Minng tried tofort her, but felt awkward to reveal that he was the cause of it. Upon reaching a Sea High Slope, he could see the spring grass already growing out early in the warm climate, covering the vast high slope with lush greenery. The high slope was very broad, extending toward the ocean, with a vertical height of over a hundred meters, and looking along the slope felt like heading straight into the blue sky. Near the high slope, there were incredibly strong air currents, sometimes spinning, sometimes scattering chaotically, sometimes rushing forward, and on the rocky, grassy soil of the high slope grew a type of Dandelion that looked like crystal granules. From afar, they appeared like numerous pearls and crystals hanging on those tough herbs, glistening, and when swayed by the wind, they were strikingly beautiful.
¡°Actually, there¡¯s another secret, but father has instructed not to tell anyone, you can ask father directly about that, brother,¡± Zhu Rongrong said mysteriously. ¡°Well, first tell me, how difficult is it to catch these Crystal Wind Dandelions? It feels like I could just reach out and grab one,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°Then go ahead and try,¡± Zhu Rongrong said. Zhu Minng approached the Dandelions that seemed to have crystal granules hanging on them. It¡¯s just a herb, could they possibly fly? Just as he got close to the Wind Crystal Dandelion, it suddenly trembled as if startled, and immediately after, the crystal granules on the flower dandelion transformed into wings, and at an astonishing speed soared into the air right in front of Zhu Minng! They fluttered like butterflies and dragonflies, and like fireflies in the forest, moving through the air gracefully with trajectories that Zhu Minng, despite his high Spiritual Sense, could barely make out! So fast, so graceful, and they really fucking fly!! Zhu Minng scratched his head. How the hell was he supposed to capture them? Surely not with a, that would be so stupid. ¡°Brother, you mustn¡¯t harm them. Even if they¡¯re attacked very slightly, they¡¯ll shatter instantly and release a windy breath¡­ then we wouldn¡¯t be able to take them back,¡± Zhu Rongrong reminded Zhu Minng. Zhu Minng tilted his head back to watch the group of Dandelion Spirits blinking madly in the sky. For a moment, Zhu Minng felt as if their trajectories connected to form the cursive script of ¡°stupid humans¡±. Big ck Tooth, that rough Dragond, likely couldn¡¯t handle such delicate work. ¡°Little Qingzhuo, your turn, this will be a form of training for you,¡± Zhu Minng opened the Spirit Realm and summoned the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon. Little Azure Dragon flew out, sizing up the Crystal Wind Spirits fluttering chaotically in the sky, glowing as they flew, and felt equally bewildered. It tried to capture one with its ws, but because its body radiated strong Azure me, the Crystal Wind Butterfly immediately shattered upon approach, releasing a powerful gust of wind! This wind breath was more fearsome than imagined, exploding in all directions, creating wind circles that could sweep away ordinary people! Zhu Minng shielded himself with his hands and watched the shattered Dandelion Spirit in astonishment. So tiny, yet so powerful. If he collected a bunch and crushed them together, wouldn¡¯t that create a rather terrifying hurricane?? Indeed, no Holy Spirit in this world should be underestimated! Little Qingzhuo, unwilling to give in, tried once again.
This time, it concealed its holy light, chasing after one of the Dandelion Spirits in the air. Like an eagle chasing flies and mosquitoes. Despite the eagle¡¯s powerful hunting ability, catching flies and mosquitoes alive is not easy. ¡°Brother, is this a Holy Dragon with the bloodline of the Azure Phoenix? So cool, is it a Dragon Monarch?¡± Zhu Rongrong said.
¡°Yes,¡± Zhu Minng nodded. ¡°But these little guys are very special, even a Dragon King would be useless here,¡± Zhu Rongrong said with a smile. ¡°I can see that, but this also shows that if we could imprint these wind marks on the dragon armor, it would greatly enhance the dragon¡¯s speed, evasion, and flying capability!¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°Yes, at least within the Dragon Monarch level, no dragon¡¯s speed could possibly surpass that of one with wind marked dragon armor. Some, with innate talent for speed and the addition of wind marks, could even outpace creatures of the Dragon King level,¡± Zhu Rongrong said with certainty and confidence. Zhu Minng¡¯s expectation for Little Qingzhuo was for all its abilities to reach their peak, as only then could it hope to advance to the next stage. Speed must first be maximized; these little beings were indeed very suitable flying practice targets, much more effective than maintaining a stationary flight against the sea breeze. Cultivation is inherently tedious, just like the initial sword practice, where one needed to swing all rusty swords at the sky, using the wind as grit to remove all the rust¡­ It is the same with dragon training. Zhu Minng would not take these small creatures lightly because of their insignificance. The more subtle the life, the more it harbors easily overlooked skills which often are the key to victory. Study, practice, think,prehend, improve, then practice again¡­ There are no shortcuts in cultivation. ¡°Little Qingzhuo, don¡¯t be impatient. For now, put aside our Dragon Monarch pride and imagine yourself as an ordinary azure bird, these little things are your dinner tonight, if you cannot catch them, you¡¯ll have to eat dirt,¡± Zhu Minng said to Little Qingzhuo. The more proud and arrogant, the less likely to catch any one of them, and even shattering several Dandelion Spirits in a row invites a gust of wind to p the face.
¡°Brother, you¡¯re very patient. A Dragon King Dragon Trainer from Qin City once came here to try, and he didn¡¯t catch a single one all day, but I believe brother can do it!¡± Zhu Rongrong cheered from the side. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I promise to help youplete the winter break homework your father assigned you,¡± Zhu Minng said with a smile. Zhu Rongrong started to feel a bit embarrassed. ¡°There¡¯s a Wind Gorge not far from here, which is our Spirit Vein. There are more of these Wind Crystal Dandelions there. After we finish here, let¡¯s head over,¡± Zhu Rongrong said. Spirit Vein! For some reason, nowadays, whenever he heard the word Spirit Vein, Zhu Minng would feel both excited and guilty. Behind Zhu Minng, in the simple knapsack, a pair of sharp ears perked up, followed by a pair of sly big eyes. ¡°Pop pop~~~~~~~¡± Little Glow Spirit jumped out of its sleeping bag, happily bouncing around on the grass. There¡¯s a feast to be had. Chapter 447 - 449 Shadowless Fast-Shadow Chapter 447: Chapter 449 Shadowless Fast-Shadow ¡­ Leaving Little Qingzhuo on the high slope to practice, Zhu Minng couldn¡¯t resist Little Glow Spirit¡¯s pleas for food and had to ask Zhu Rongrong to lead him to the Spirit Vein of the Zhu Gate first. ¡°Don¡¯t suck it dry, you got that? After all, we still need to stay here for a few more days,¡± Zhu Minng specifically instructed Little Glow Spirit. ¡°Bo bo!¡± Little Glow Spirit made a pitiable expression. When they arrived at Wind Gorge, Zhu Rongrong began to introduce the conditions of Wind Gorge to Zhu Minng. This ce was constantly assailed by strong winds that carried a sea element, which would grind against the surrounding rocks and easily create Spirit Egg Stones with wind attributes. Each year, at least a thousand wind-attribute Spirit Egg Stones could be produced here. Seeing the Spirit Egg Stones growing like mushrooms in the canyon, Zhu Minng almost cried without tears. He had his own vein of Spirit Egg Stones; why on earth had he spent such arge sum of money buying them? Zhu Minng had bled money recently to buy Spirit Egg Stones for Little Qingzhuo¡¯s advancement! ¡°Brother, do you see this crack here? Actually, there are many more inside it, but it¡¯s a pity we can¡¯t harvest them. We dare not destroy the structure here, fearing that the spiritual wind won¡¯t be able to surge in anymore,¡± Zhu Rongrong said in detail, seeing that Zhu Minng was very interested in the Spirit Vein. Seven or eight disciples from the Zhu Sect¡¯s foreign court were guarding this Spirit Vein, along with a direct-line disciple stationed there. Zhu Minng¡¯s eyes lit up, and so did Little Glow Spirit¡¯s. They were on the same wavelength, and it immediately jumped down covertly and slipped into that crack without making a sound. Although Little Glow Spirit was fluffy all over and about the size of a cushion, it didn¡¯t have much actual flesh. It was rather slim and easily squeezed into that unreachable crack. ¡°Bo bo!!!¡± Little Glow Spirit, seeing the little world inside the crack, already had stars in its eyes. It was mealtime, mealtime indeed. The blue fluff was like a bunch of mas; as Little Glow Spirit used all its strength to spread them out, those energy-rich Spirit Egg Stones were furiously being sucked of their spiritual energy¡­ ¡°Brother, did you hear any noises from inside the crack?¡± Zhu Rongrong¡¯s inquiry came from outside. ¡°It might be a rat.¡± ¡°Oh dear, I hate rats the most. Let¡¯s quickly go somewhere else.¡± ¡°Rats in the Spirit Vein should be fat and big, probably stuck and unable to crawl out,¡± Zhu Minng added. ¡­ After a while of touring, Zhu Minng gradually realized that his family did indeed have a mine. In the past, Zhu Heavenly Officer would always tell him that the family was in decline and couldn¡¯t afford to keep him, so he was sent to the Yaoshan Sword Sect to be a Sword Disciple. Now, Zhu Minng wanted to smash thousands of pounds of Spirit Egg Stones, which were even more valuable than a gold mine, onto Zhu Heavenly Officer¡¯s head. This was what you meant by ¡®the family is in decline and can¡¯t afford to keep me¡¯?! Even the Little Inner Court in Qin City had such a rich Spirit Vein. Zhu Minng couldn¡¯t help but think about what kind of extravagant Spirit Veins Zhu Heavenly Officer and the various elders of the Zhu Gate wielded in the Main Inner Court in Imperial City. He definitely had to take Little Glow Spirit there to inspect them! Apparently, when the Sword Spirit Dragon swallowed some things from the Sword Casting Hall, it really didn¡¯t hurt the family wealth at all. ¡°Bo bo~~~~~¡± Little Glow Spirit was full. It sent a cry for help to Zhu Minng. It had eaten too much and couldn¡¯t squeeze out of the crack anymore. When Zhu Minng looked into the crack and saw a round fluffy belly, he couldn¡¯t help but p his forehead with his palm. What kind of dragon pets was he raising? Couldn¡¯t they eat sensibly? ¡°You transfer the spiritual energy to Little ck Dragon,¡± Zhu Minng said to Little Glow Spirit, which was unable to get out of the crack. Little Glow Spirit transferred spiritual energy to Zhu Minng, who then channeled the energy into the Spirit Realm and fed it to Big ck Tooth. Big ck Tooth was sound asleep when he was suddenly crammed with pure and rich spiritual energy, akin to delectable cuisine. The dragon hadn¡¯t even woken up, but he was already full to the brim, and then, out of nowhere, his cultivation base rose by a tier! After reaching the growth phase, Little ck Dragon was a lower Dragon Lord. Yet, with this infusion of spiritual energy, he shot up directly to a middle-level Dragon Lord, feeling that after aplete digestion, a little movement of his dragon tendons and bones would soon make him a high-level Dragon Lord! The speed of the cultivation base increase was as simple as drinking water! ¡­ After giving away a portion, the Little Glow Spirit finally slipped out. Zhu Minng noticed some subtle changes in the Little Glow Spirit itself, as if it had grown some more exquisite dragon fluff¡­ This little fellow hadn¡¯t transformed into a dragon yet, but for some reason, Zhu Minng felt whether it would transform or not was entirely up to the Little Glow Spirit¡¯s own will. It liked to bestow, not to absorb on its own. Zhu Minng didn¡¯t insist, perhaps the Little Glow Spirit itself felt that it wasn¡¯t the right time to transform into a dragon. Some Holy Spirits, after having cultivated for ten thousand years before transforming, the dragons they be far surpass ordinary Holy Dragons and are incredibly powerful beings. ¡­ After visiting his family¡¯s spirit vein, Zhu Minng and Zhu Rongrong returned to Sea High Slope. The Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon was very diligent, having never stopped practicing. On the grass, there was a woven grass bag; when they left, there was only one Wind Crystal Dandelion Spirit inside, but upon their return, it was already half full! ¡°Wow, brother¡¯s Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon is so intelligent, it has mastered the capture technique so quickly,¡± Zhu Rongrong said happily. Zhu Minng watched the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon as it silently neared a Wind Crystal Dandelion, startling the nimble twinkling little spirits, then the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon also flickered rapidly, and in an instant, it caught one. Shadowless Fast-Shadow! In an extremely short amount of time, it burst out with a terrifying speed, making it nearly impossible for the enemy to see its figure and trajectory, while also not disturbing the surrounding airflow, perfect for high-altitude stealth attacks or catching enemies by surprise! Another dragon skill mastered! This Shadowless Fast-Shadow could also bebined with other mysterious methods of the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon, and it would probably have unexpectedly great effects. Looking at the full bag of woven grass, Zhu Minng felt quite satisfied. Thanks to these little teachers, they taught the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon a powerful skill. ¡°Is this enough?¡± Zhu Minng asked. ¡°It¡¯s enough, thank you, brother,¡± Zhu Rongrong replied. ¡°Let¡¯s go back then.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± ¡­ Back in the Little Inner Court, Zhu Minng sought instruction from Zhu Rongrong about the technique for Wind Marks. Wind Marks were indeed a type of inscription to be infused. Zhu Minng took some Wind Dandelion Crystal Grain, nning to personally craft a set of Dragon Armor for the Little Azure Dragon once he returned to Man City. Of course, there was another, more important casting art technique, and that was the Furnace Fire. Furnace Fire was not your ordinary me, and Zhu Minng was aware of this; the question was, what kind of fire should he use with these wind crystals? In fact, Zhu Rongrong didn¡¯t know much about the quenching process, and even though she knew there was no need to hide such things from Zhu Minng, she couldn¡¯t just spout nonsense. Zhu Minng wasn¡¯t in a rush. He¡¯d wait for his uncle to return and ask him directly. This quenching process must be quite special. And it was also the key for Zhu Gate to surpass all its peers in the level of their casting arts. Chapter 448 - 450: The Top Courtesan of Qin City Chapter 448: Chapter 450: The Top Courtesan of Qin City ¡°` He had a hearty dinner. Zhu Minng stayed in an elegant courtyard, not feeling particrly drowsy. It was a good opportunity to use the Dragon Blood Essence acquired earlier that day to conduct bloodline shaping on the Little ck Dragon, which had just advanced in rank thanks to improved cultivation base. The Blood of the Evil Dragon Essence from the hunting festival had not been used yet, but bloodline shaping did not require any borate ceremony, direct action would suffice. The Evil Dragon Blood Essence was prepared. Truth be told, the Evil Blood in the small bottle did carry a sense of Evil Qi. This Evil Dragon, before it was ughtered, seemed to have devoured thousands of people, and its blood, tainted by this brutality, had taken on an evil presence as if the souls of those thousands were locked within its dragon stomach, worsening its blood and giving it an inky ck appearance. Zhu Minng opened the lid and began to draw out the blood essence from the Blood of the Evil Dragon Essence. Big ck Tooth had inexplicably been filled with Spiritual Energy during the day and now, without any warning, was undergoing bloodline shaping in the evening¡­ ¡°Oh!¡± ck Treasure inwardlyined, feeling that it should have been given some mental preparation. Its mouth still drooling and not even wiped clean, it had to endure such a grave ceremony of bloodline baptism! As the blood essence was introduced into the body of the Refining Ash ck Dragon, Zhu Minng activated his Spiritual Sense. In an instant, the brightly red veins of the spiritually blended Refining Ash ck Dragon manifested before his eyes, as if he could see right through its flesh and bones to the Living Blood flowing inside. As the Evil Dragon Blood Essence entered its Living Blood, it mixed like ink drops in clear water, and the previously bright red blood of the Refining Ash ck Dragon quickly turned ck. As the Living Blood circted within the Refining Ash ck Dragon, all of Big ck Tooth¡¯s blood changed, and the flow of the Living Blood noticeably sped up! Scorching hot and zing. The Refining Ash ck Dragon itself belonged to the category of me and ck dragons, radiating dragon might as if it were a small ck volcano erupting withva. With the merging of the Evil Dragon Blood Essence, the entire body of the Refining Ash ck Dragon became even more vigorous, its mighty mes churning like a raging furnace. Its Dragon Pupils were now ignited with ck mes, and upon close inspection, one could feel as if falling into the mysterious and terrifying Purgatory of those pupils! ¡°Oh~~~~~~~~~¡± The Refining Ash ck Dragon let out a roar, its eyes as if refined, the rolling mes even reflecting in the surroundings of the courtyard. Zhu Minng quickly noticed the flowers, the pond, the rockery, and the statues in the courtyard were enveloped in ayer of eerie Demon Fire¡ªwhich did not burn any substance, yet emitted an incredibly dangerous aura. ¡°Squeak squeak squeak~~~~~~~~¡± A bat inexplicably slid down from the beam; it seemed oblivious to the temperature of the Demon Fire in the courtyard. As it flew across the courtyard, it suddenly burst into intense mes, consuming the small creature instantly and reducing it to ashes in the blink of an eye! Zhu Minng was stunned. Just then, the sound of two or three people¡¯s footsteps approached from outside. They did not knock but pushed the courtyard door open directly. ¡°Don¡¯te in!¡± Zhu Minng shouted loudly. The door was already open, and two men immediately saw the Refining Ash ck Dragon standing in the courtyard, its body shrouded inher mes, its pupils like soul demons from the depths of Purgatory. Without even looking directly at them, the men felt as if they had fallen into an abyss of Demon Fire, a dead hell of fire!! The two men retreated in fear, stumbling as they did so. Zhu Minng hurriedly opened the Spirit Realm and put away the Refining Ash ck Dragon. The Demon Fire in the courtyardsted for a while before it slowly extinguished. Every flower and de of grass, each tile and pebble, remained undamaged. However, the chirping insects, the night flies, and the unfortunate bat that had fallen into the courtyard were all turned to ashes by the power of the Purgatory Pupil Domain! Pupil Domain! ¡°` In the eyes of the Little ck Dragon, there appeared a Purgatory of extinguished mes, and this Purgatory, reflected through the Dragon¡¯s Pupil, manifested into the real world, casting itself upon this courtyard. Flowers and trees may not be affected in the least, but living creatures would suffer fatal incineration! Fortunately, Zhu Minng had timely halted the two men who had visited during the night; otherwise, the moment they stepped half a pace through the gate, they would have ended up like the insects and bats, reduced to ash!! Zhu Huo and Wang Xiao were already soaked in cold sweat, nearly believing they had opened the gates of hell and stepped into the furnace of Purgatory. The semi-translucent ghastly mes that scorched the domain were terrifyingly real. ¡°Sorry, I was training the dragon just now and didn¡¯t expect you two toete at night,¡± Zhu Minng said with a bow. ¡°It is¡­ it is our fault for not sending word ahead, Mr. Zhu. I am Zhu Huo, the major deacon of the Little Inner Court, and this man here is Wang Xiao, who oversees the external court¡¯s trade. Hearing that the Junior Gatekeeper was traveling here, we specifically came to pay a visit,¡± Zhu Huo said with utmost respect. Zhu Minng had a faint impression of this major deacon; he was a trusted aide of his uncle, Zhu Wangxing, and a person heavily groomed by the Little Inner Court. Having visited the Zhu Gate within Droplet Lake in the Imperial City, Zhu Minng had seen him once or twice. ¡°Junior Gatekeeper, Wang Xiao has always looked up to you and has specifically prepared some humble gifts for you. I would trouble Zhu Huo to introduce us,¡± said Wang Xiao, squeezing out a smile. ¡°If Mr. Zhu is cultivating, we wille back tomorrow,¡± Zhu Huo said. ¡°Is there something you need?¡± Zhu Minng did not ept Wang Xiao¡¯s humble gifts. ¡°We¡¯re just worried that the elders would say we are not hospitable and afraid that Mr. Zhu would find it dull to live here alone. We have specially booked a table for a night banquet at Duoyue Tower and invited the top courtesan of Qin City to provide some entertainment and to wee you,¡± Zhu Huo slowly revealed a smile that any man would understand. Flower wine! Zhu Minng shook his head; he, who always maintained his purity, how would he go seeking pleasure with these old cabmen. Nevertheless, Zhu Huo and Wang Xiao were too enthusiastic, and Zhu Minng didn¡¯t want to snub them, so he changed into a new outfit and went out. A courtesan from Qin City? These courtesans mostly sold their art, not their bodies. Zhu Minng was purely going to drink and listen to music, to ease the weariness from his recent arduous cultivation. He had no other thoughts. ¡­ Upon arrival at Duoyue Tower, the building stood tall, capturing the nightkescape in its entirety and admiring the bright moon above while drinking wine and reciting verses under its light. Zhu Minng saw the courtesan, indeed possessing a stirring beauty. With a table of delicacies and fine drinks, Zhu Huo and Wang Xiao were nowhere to be found, leaving Zhu Minng alone in the luxurious and soundproofed private room. The courtesan swayed her waist and approached Zhu Minng while singing clearly. Like a gentle and colorful butterfly, she fluttered gracefully, her figure enchanting and her scent intoxicating. ¡°Mr. Zhu, do you find me beautiful?¡± the courtesan Lu Mu asked. ¡°Not bad.¡± ¡°Not bad?¡± Courtesan Lu Muughed, her cheeks full of alluring charm. ¡°If your guqin wasn¡¯t aimed at me, I would give you a more polite assessment,¡± Zhu Minng also smiled, his eyes bright and clear, not even slightly mesmerized by the courtesan Lu Mu. ¡°Buzz!!!!!!¡± Suddenly, the courtesan Lu Mu¡¯s smile froze, devoid of warmth. She plucked the strings of the guqin forcefully, and the sound became unbearably piercing! Chapter 449 - 451 Advanced Thanatophile Chapter 449: Chapter 451 Advanced Thanatophile The qin strings were plucked, and like a wire for slitting throats, they swept fiercely across. The golden cup before Zhu Minng was cleaved in two, no different from cutting through tofu. Zhu Minng, as if he had been prepared for the grating sound of the qin, used his Spiritual Sense to protect his five senses and, taking advantage of the situation, he pushed the table, leaning back in his chair. Just as he was about to lose bnce, he hooked the edge of the table with the tips of his feet. Dodging the murderous qin strings, Zhu Minng quickly returned to his original seated position, his pupils suddenly aze with intense mes, with ck fire surging and swelling within the depths of his eyes¡­ He stared at the courtyard musician Lu Mu, and in an instant, the luxurious room of the Moon Building was covered with a ghostly fire. Woolen nkets were aze with mes, yet the nket did not burn up, and so were the sandalwood and pearwood tables and chairs consumed by this spectral fire, equally uncharred. Only the courtyard musician Lu Mu began to scream in agony. On her skin crawled the mes of death, her attire showed no signs of burning, yet her body was charred and ruptured! ¡°I don¡¯t intend to force you to tell me who sent you to kill me, so before I incinerate you into ashes, say something that might change my mind,¡± Zhu Minng¡¯s eyes were the same as the Little ck Dragon¡¯s Dragon Pupil before. Pupil Domain! As the Little ck Dragon acquired this ability, Zhu Minng unexpectedly discovered some changes in his own eyes and seemed to be able to use this powerful Dragon Pupil Domain! Zhu Minng was worrying about what to experiment with, not expecting that an opportunity would present itself while he was just having a drink. This courtyard musician was one of the God and Mortal qin technicians; however, her Cultivation Base was not refined, and her technique wascking. Zhu Minng had once seen a Qin Master so powerful that he could stop thousands of soldiers with just an ancient qin! This courtyard musician Lu Mu was far inferior. ¡°How¡­ how did you know I came to kill you!¡± Despite the agony from the burning, Lu Mu spoke with defiance and struggled to utter these words. ¡°Believe it or not, you can be considered pretty, but to call yourself the most beautiful is a bit of an insult to the overall beauty of Qin City. When I was sitting in my carriage viewing the streets, I saw no fewer than ten women, ordinary citizens of Qin City, whose looks surpassed yours,¡± said Zhu Minng. Hearing these words, Lu Mu felt the burning on her skin intensify! So, because she wasn¡¯t pretty enough, her real identity was doubted??? Is there such an absurd thing in the world, and isn¡¯t this also an insult to Lu Mu as the most beautiful woman? Indeed, Lu Mu was not the real most beautiful woman. She was a female assassin with a modest reputation in the Neon Sea, but acting as the most beautiful woman to kill was something she had done countless times without ever failing! Was her target today out of his mind? If she had revealed any ws elsewhere and been exposed, that would be understandable, but simply because she wasn¡¯t breathtakingly beautiful??? ¡°Taking someone¡¯s money to eliminate their disasters. Since I¡¯ve fallen into your hands, you may deal with me as you wish!¡± Enduring the pain of the ghostly mes, Lu Mu put on a fearless demeanor. ¡°You were never a beauty, yet you chose to be a viin. Of course, even if you were more beautiful, it wouldn¡¯t earn you a shred of my sympathy. I never show mercy to my enemies,¡± said Zhu Minng. Lu Mu felt a wave of immense humiliation! But before she could respond, she immediately felt a surging inferno burning all around her. Translucent mes filled the room; she could no longer see anything, only relentless, rolling mes, bringing pain ten times stronger than before, making it impossible for her to utter even a single word other than screams. She was merely under Zhu Minng¡¯s gaze, yet it felt like she had fallen into the fiery pits of Purgatory, suffering a pain so intense that it seared her soul, blurring the line between life and death. ¡­ Having retracted his Pupil Domain, Zhu Minng poured himself a ss of wine and sshed it into the ashes, his gaze turning sharp and icy cold. If Lu Mu had truly been taking money to fend off disaster for others, Zhu Minng might have let her live. But even being scorched by the fire, she refused to reveal the mastermind. Zhu Minng didn¡¯t believe that a cunning assassin would rather die than betray their professional morals. Without a confession, there was only one possibility, the woman was an Advanced Thanatophile raised by a major power. Such Advanced Thanatophiles would never betray their masters under any circumstances. ¡°Zhao Yu¡¯s dog?¡± Zhu Minng stroked his chin, pondering for a moment. It didn¡¯t matter that the female thanatophile hadn¡¯t confessed, the key to carrying out this n wasn¡¯t the courtesan, it was who had invited him to drink the wine. Zhu Huo, Wang Xiao. He hadn¡¯t expected Zhu Gate to have been eroded from within. ¡­ After leaving the flower room and walking down to the hall, Zhu Minng saw Zhu Huo and Wang Xiao waiting for him. Their faces were flush with drink, and they didn¡¯t notice Zhu Minng¡¯s descent. Zhu Huo was even wearing a lecherous smile, telling Wang Xiao, ¡°Our Eldest son of the Zhu is really bold. Did you hear that soul-shattering scream just now? If it weren¡¯t for the instructions to not disturb them, a lone man and a widow, I would have thought someone¡¯s life was in danger!¡± ¡°Yes, yes, that courtesan sure had seductive eyes. If it were me, I probably would have¡­ Oh, Junior Gatekeeper, are you finished??¡± Wang Xiao saw Zhu Minng and immediately stood up. Zhu Huo also turned his head, and upon seeing Zhu Minng, a look of surprise appeared on his face, as if the other hade down earlier than he had expected. ¡°Let¡¯s go back,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°Alright, after you,¡± Zhu Huo led the way. ¡°What about Madam Lu?¡± Wang Xiao asked. ¡°She left, took another way out,¡± Zhu Minng replied. Zhu Huo didn¡¯t ask further, and Wang Xiao didn¡¯t dare to inquire anymore. ¡­ Having returned to the Little Inner Court, Zhu Minng made his way into his own courtyard. Zhu Huo and Wang Xiao escorted him all the way to the door, when Zhu Minng suddenly turned around and asked, ¡°What did you see on your way here earlier?¡± ¡°me, like ghost mes, yet like zing fire, as if stepping identally into Ghost Gate,¡± Zhu Huo replied. ¡°Yes, yes, very frightening!¡± Wang Xiao added. ¡°Do you want to taste that sensation? The mes will first scorch your skin, followed by burning your bones, drying your blood, and finally reducing you to ashes!¡± Zhu Minng¡¯s tone was icy, his expression stern, with no hint of jest. The two were so frightened that their faces turned pale. ¡°My¡­ my lord, your subordinate doesn¡¯t understand, where have I offended you,¡± Zhu Huo said nervously. Zhu Huo hadn¡¯t finished speaking when Wang Xiao began to retreat backward, staggering away, then suddenly he started running desperately outside, looking utterly panicked! Zhu Huo frowned, ncing at Zhu Minng and then at the fleeing Wang Xiao. Soon, Zhu Huo realized something, his eyes gradually filling with astonishment. ¡°My lord, that courtesan¡­¡± ¡°Dead, I killed her, she was an Advanced Thanatophile,¡± Zhu Minng stated indifferently. Zhu Huo¡¯s face showed even greater horror; he turned to look at the escaping Wang Xiao, his face contorted with rage!! Chapter 450 - 452: Zhu Gate Secret Area Chapter 450: Chapter 452: Zhu Gate Secret Area ¡°Young Master, I absolutely have no thoughts of harming you!¡± Zhu Huo realized he was already seen as a traitor by Zhu Minng and hurriedly exined. ¡°Go and investigate. I will only believe you this one time. Either give me a reasonable exnation, or after three days, I will report this matter to the elders in the Inner Court, and you are well aware of the consequences,¡± Zhu Minng said to Zhu Huo. Whether Zhu Huo was the insider or not, Zhu Minng was unable to judge. But there was definitely something wrong with Wang Xiao, as he was already panicking. ¡°Thank you, Young Master, thank you. Zhu Huo will definitely investigate this matter thoroughly and will not overlook anyone who intends to harm the Young Master. If I cannot give the Young Master an exnation, after three days, there¡¯s no need for the Young Master to take action, I will present my head to you!¡± Zhu Huo, sweating profusely, no longer dared to meet Zhu Minng¡¯s eyes. Zhu Minng waved his hand, indicating Zhu Huo to leave. Zhu Huo repeatedly kowtowed, knocking his head on the ground ten times before he dared to rise and leave. As the main Deacon of the Zhu n Inner Court, his position was already not low. No matter whether this matter was Zhu Huo¡¯s doing or not, he had to take the responsibility. The Zhu Gate¡¯s Small Inner Court was vast, and it would take Wang Xiao quite some time to try to escape¡­ Zhu Huo gave an order, and soon after, Wang Xiao was brought back by the guards of the Little Inner Court. As for the interrogation, Zhu Minng did not even care to ask. ¡­ A small ripple did not affect Zhu Minng¡¯s quality sleep. In the Imperial City, such assassination attempts were asmon as household meals. Zhu Minng could sometimes understand why Zhu Heavenly Officer did not want him to get involved in the Family Door struggles, and let him travel outside instead. The higher the position one held in the Family Door, the more treacherous it was like walking on thin ice. Before going to bed, he checked the bloodline shaping of the Refining Ash ck Dragon and had to admit that the Essence of Evil Dragon Blood was indeed an exceptional substance. It had granted the Refining Ash ck Dragon abilities that almost surpassed its own level. This Purgatory Pupil Domain could possibly overwhelm even those with Monarch Level cultivation bases, and it would clearly be even more powerful as Little ck Dragon¡¯s cultivation base increased, giving Little ck Dragon what amounted to an ultimate Dragon Skill. Bloodline shaping would not increase a dragon pet¡¯s cultivation base, but it would grant the dragon some extraordinary abilities that often surpassed their own level of cultivation, while also increasing their ceiling for growth! It seemed, once Little ck Dragon reached adulthood, it would be a force to be reckoned with in the Monarch Level realm! Should he also prepare sufficient resources in advance for Little ck Dragon, so that it could truly sweep through everything? Dragon Armor! Little ck Dragon had a piece of Dragon Armor inscribed with inscriptions, the Melting Fire Armor! It was also time to reinforce this Melting Fire Armor, an armor personally forged by Zhu Heavenly Officer with a high potential for customization. ¡°Little ck Dragon should grow to adulthood quite rapidly, these days I should promptly organize the forging methods for the two pieces of Dragon Armor,¡± Zhu Minng made up his mind. Two pieces of Dragon Armor naturally have to be Holy Goods, prepared for Little Qingzhuo and Big ck Tooth the Dragon King¡¯s cultivation levels. ¡­ Since he gave Zhu Huo a chance to investigate, the assassination matter would not be publicized. The next day, Zhu Minng continued as if nothing had happened, learning the Wind Marks inscription carving from Zhu Rongrong. Zhu Rongrong took the teaching very seriously and specifically drew armor blueprints for the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon, ensuring the whole Dragon Armor would fit perfectly with the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon¡¯s characteristics and attributes. On the third day, Uncle Wangxing finally returned. As the Holder of the Little Inner Court, Uncle Wangxing was a rather low-profile person. The strength of the Zhu Gate¡¯s Small Inner Court in Neon Sea was equivalent to the Nine Tribes of Neon Sea, but the vast majority of Neon Sea¡¯s people believed that it was the Nine Tribes that ruled Neon Sea, rather than any other power. ¡°It¡¯s been so many years since west met, huh? I remember when you were a handsome and dashing young man. Howe you now have a touch of the vicissitudes that men in their forties or fifties like us are supposed to have?¡± Zhu Wangxing looked at Zhu Minng and joked with a smile. Well, it turns out that Mr. Jinli¡¯s frequent remark about being ¡°prematurely old¡± is actually true. ¡°Not at all, I think Brother still looks very handsome. He has that kind of demeanor that¡¯s gentle as jade and expansive as a clear sky. Hmm¡­ just like Brother¡¯s name. That day at the Camellia Gathering, a little princess and several youngdies were secretly asking me about Brother. Brother is really popr with the girls,¡± Zhu Rongrong said earnestly. Zhu Minng nced at his cousin Zhu Rongrong, then at Zhu Wangxing. Indeed, a cousin is a cousin; this uncle, though, seems like some distant rtive who¡¯s just blended in. ¡°Uncle Wangxing, have you heard any newstely about the Family Door?¡± Zhu Minng asked. The appearance of Zhao Yu had always left Zhu Minng feeling uneasy. This fellow was far from as simple as he appeared on the surface, young but sly and cunning. ¡°It¡¯s been alright. Therger the n, the more troubles there will be. We are far away in Qin City, and have always acted quite discreetly. It hasn¡¯t been as bad as in the Imperial City¡­ During the days I was in the Imperial City, I felt like there was poison in my tea whenever I drank outside. I don¡¯t know how your father enjoys living in such a ce. If it were me, I would either be killed by those old foxes within a year, or I¡¯d go mad myself!¡± Zhu Wangxing said. ¡°Why talk about such things? We¡¯d better discuss how to forge Dragon Armor instead,¡± Zhu Rongrong said, not too keen on such topics. ¡°Speaking of Dragon Armor, I was just about to seek Uncle¡¯s advice on controlling the temperature and quenching process,¡± Zhu Minng said. The second greatest secret of the Little Inner Court was naturally in the hands of Zhu Wangxing, who knew more about it than anyone else. ¡°It¡¯s not something that can be exined clearly in words. In a few days, I¡¯ll be visiting our Secret Area, and you cane with me then,¡± Zhu Wangxing said. ¡°Dad, can I go too?¡± Zhu Rongrong asked with sparkling eyes. ¡°Have you done the task I assigned to you?¡± ¡°Of course, a whole bag of Wind Crystal Dandelions!¡± ¡°Alright, some of the n¡¯s inheritances should indeed be passed down to you too,¡± Zhu Wangxing nodded. The Secret Area of the Little Inner Court? It seemed that the Main Inner Court of the Dripping Lake also had a so-called Family Door Secret Area, but Zhu Minng had never been there. ¡­ ¡­ Three days had passed, and the time Zhu Minng gave Zhu Huo was almost up. In the courtyard, Zhu Minng gathered arge bag of Wind Dandelion Crystal Grains, feeling that they had more uses and it was worth stocking up on them. The Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon also needed practice; its speed and flying skills had improved significantly over the past few days. He guessed that the Heavenly ughter Dragon would have to spend some time catching the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon. Before he could sit down, Zhu Huo¡¯s voice came from outside the door. ¡°Young Master, I have found a person,¡± Zhu Huo said with a somewhat low voice, indicating that the person he discovered must be significant. ¡°Is it Zhao Yin Ge?¡± Zhu Minng asked. ¡°You already know?¡± Zhu Huo said, surprised. ¡°Such tactics could only be expected from that good-for-nothing,¡± Zhu Minng remarked coolly. ¡°The assassination attempt was indeed the work of Zhao Yin Ge, but I also found out about an even more important person. This man is the son of King An, An Qingfeng. This matter might also have a significant connection to him,¡± Zhu Huo said. King An!! Why is it that damned man again! And his cursed son appeared in Qin City¡­ Chapter 451: 453: Undersea Vein Chapter 451: Chapter 453: Undersea Vein ¡°An Qingfeng has some masters by his side, I didn¡¯t dare to investigate too deeply,¡± Zhu Huo said. ¡°Then tell me, how did Zhao Yin Ge convince Wang Xiao?¡± Zhu Minng said. An Qingfeng is not a minor character, although Zhu Minng hasn¡¯t had much dealings with him, but like father, like son, King An is sinister and cunning, constantly scheming to crush Zhu Gate, creating lots of trouble for Zhu Heavenly Officer in the Imperial City. Likewise, this An Qingfeng is also very troublesome. It is said that he manages the numerous small teaching factions, small influences, and small sect vassals under King An¡¯s Mansion. Zhu Minng didn¡¯t expect Zhu Huo to be able to handle An Qingfeng, so merely exposing him was already a disy of some ability. ¡°It¡¯s the hall steward, the same one who received you during the day. I¡¯m afraid he¡¯s a spy who has been nted in our Zhu Gate for a long time. It was the steward himself who suggested that since you came all this way, we couldn¡¯t allow you to be bored and hence had Wang Xiaoe over to guide the way,¡± Zhu Huo said. Zhu Minng seriously analyzed the words Zhu Huo had said. In fact, Zhu Huo¡¯s suspicions had not beenpletely cleared, Zhu Minng only wanted to hear the results of his investigation. If there was anything unrealistic, Zhu Huo basically couldn¡¯t expect to leave alive. Speaking of that day¡¯s hall steward¡­ After Zhu Minng and Zhu Rongrong returned and had dinner, they instructed the steward not to let anyone disturb them. Zhu Huo and Wang Xiao suddenly barging into the courtyard was in itself a dereliction of duty on the part of the hall steward. So it was this fellow pulling the strings.
¡°I¡¯ve already taken control of the person. Do you want to question him yourself?¡± Zhu Huo asked. One is Wang Xiao who manages trade in the outer court, and the other is the hall steward¡­ Although neither of them is a core member of Zhu Gate, they already have ess to a lot of things. Moreover, spies and traitors are not the kind of things that can be nted overnight. King An¡¯s hands had long reached into the Little Inner Court of Qin City. ¡°I¡¯m not interested. Whoever did this, just bring the person before me,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°It¡¯s easy to deal with Wang Xiao and the hall steward Miao Sheng, but Zhao Yin Ge is the Princely Heir¡­¡± Zhu Huo hesitated, but upon seeing the look in Zhu Minng¡¯s eyes, he immediately realized that if he wanted to thoroughly clear his suspicions, it was impossible without capturing the mastermind Zhao Yin Ge. ¡°If you can¡¯t do it, you go and exin the situation to the third Sect Leader yourself,¡± Zhu Minng said indifferently. As a core member of Zhu Gate, Zhu Huo¡¯s blunder was actually unforgivable. If it weren¡¯t for Zhu Minng¡¯s previous favorable impression of him from their early meetings and the fact that he managed to take care of Lu Mu, the courtesan, Zhu Minng might as well have gotten rid of Wang Xiao and Zhu Huo at the same time. ¡°Young Master, I will capture Zhao Yin Ge and give you an exnation,¡± Zhu Huo seemed to have made a decision and earnestly said, half-kneeling on the ground. Zhu Huo didn¡¯t want this matter to reach Zhu Wangxing¡¯s ears, as that would mean all his years of effort would bepletely in vain. He was a person whom the Little Inner Court had carefully cultivated, a future number two or number three in the Little Inner Court. Even if this incident wasn¡¯t his doing, it happened due to his warm invitation, and once he had the stain of plotting against Zhu Gate¡¯s only son, he would basically no longer be reused, and might even be dispatched to a remote branch of the outer court¡­ For the mistake he made, he had to pay the price to atone for it. ¡°Go ahead, you don¡¯t need to investigate An Qingfeng any further, just focus on dealing with Zhao Yin Ge,¡± Zhu Minng said indifferently. ¡­ ¡­ In the following days, Zhu Minng didn¡¯t go out much. If Zhao Yin Ge was in Qin City, they would definitely be like flies, looking for every opportunity to make trouble for him. Zhu Minng had no particr interest in Zhao Yin Ge at the moment, but An Qingfeng and Zhao Yu were the ones he was more concerned about. The stormy weather gradually calmed down, and the distant sea appeared tranquil like a vast blue painting. The sea breeze was gentle, carrying the fragrant flowers and grasses blossoming on the sea cliffs and slopes. With spring approaching, many early spring flowers were also starting to embellish the street corners of Qin City¡­
That day, Zhu Wangxing summoned some people to his side. There were eight of them in total, four of whom were elders, and the others included Zhu Wangxing, Zhu Rongrong, Zhu Minng, and a female Hall Master. ¡°Howe Zhu Huo big brother hasn¡¯te? Isn¡¯t he always present on every asion?¡± Zhu Rongrong asked somewhat puzzled. ¡°He¡¯s got other important matters to deal with,¡± Zhu Minng replied.
¡°My lord, Zhu Huo is indeed a rare talent and one of the key sessors we are cultivating in the Main Inner Court of Qin City. It¡¯s one thing for you to ask him to do some things usually, but this journey to the secret realm is particrly important¡­¡± At this point, one of the elders in a brown robe spoke up. Zhu Minng nced at the elder in the brown robe. However, Zhu Wangxing just smiled and said, ¡°Yuan Lao, it¡¯s certainly Zhu Huo¡¯s honor to be able to work for Zhu Minng. This time it¡¯s just a routine inspection; whether he is present or not is not important.¡± The elder known as Yuan Lao had no more to say and summoned a giant Ancient Dragon with massive flesh wings on its back. Everyone rode on this flesh-winged Ancient Dragon and flew towards the ocean. ¡­ ¡°Only I, the Sect Leader of the Little Inner Court, and these four elders know the location of the secret realm¡­ When we¡¯re almost there, I¡¯ll exin the details to you,¡± Zhu Wangxing said to Zhu Minng. ¡°Is it a special Refining Fire?¡± Zhu Minng asked. ¡°Indeed, this me is not an ordinary thing, and its location is also very peculiar. We need to go and collect the me periodically,¡± Zhu Wangxing nodded in confirmation. ¡°But we are flying over the Neon Sea,¡± Zhu Minng expressed his confusion. ¡°My nephew, as I¡¯ve said, this me is no ordinary thing¡­ By the way, has Zhu Huo gotten himself into some trouble? If it¡¯s not a major issue of principle, try to give him a chance to redeem himself for the sake of this old face of mine,¡± Zhu Wangxing tentatively asked. Zhu Wangxing only had one daughter, and that was Zhu Rongrong. Zhu Huo was adopted, and Zhu Wangxing regarded him as his own, nning to cultivate him into the second or third inmand of the Little Inner Court. This time, going to the secret realm, Zhu Minng directly kicked him out, which naturally caused Zhu Wangxing some worry.
¡°Uncle Wangxing must have some backup candidates for cultivation,¡± Zhu Minng remarked. ¡°There are indeed¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ve given him a chance, it¡¯s up to him to seize it. If he can¡¯t be vigorous enough, Uncle Wangxing should still consider cultivating someone else sooner rather thanter,¡± Zhu Minng said very directly. Zhu Wangxing understood a bit from Zhu Minng¡¯s tone. It seems that Zhu Huo has indeed gotten into a major issue of principle. By not stating it clearly, Zhu Minng was already giving him a chance. Otherwise, if the matter spread to the Main Inner Court, to the ears of Zhu Heavenly Officer, Zhu Huo might not even be able to stay within Zhu Gate any longer. ¡°Actually, the me we¡¯re going to retrieve is beneath the ocean,¡± Zhu Wangxing changed the subject, beginning to talk about the me. ¡°Under the sea??¡± Zhu Minng asked. ¡°Deeper, within the Undersea Vein!¡± Zhu Wangxing replied. Chapter 452: 454: Serene Fire Liquid Chapter 452: Chapter 454: Serene Fire Liquid Undersea vein! That is the world¡¯s foundation, even deeper and more solid than thend veins! The continent is soaked in the vast and boundless Void Sea, and although the Neon Sea is called an ocean, it essentially is an ind sea and not the seawater at the edges of the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent. Zhu Minng had once severed a vein of the earth, but that vein itself was not stable, being in a state of drift. However, the veins of the ocean are probably the most solid and also the deepest ces. Even if Zhu Minng became a king-level sword cultivator, he would not be able to cut open the foundational vein of the ocean. The secret location of Zhu Gate lies within the undersea veins¡­ But how was this secret ce cultivated? Having flown to an area of the wide sea that spans thousands of miles without seeing a single ind, Zhu Minng began to wonder. In such a monotonous sea, how could one discern a specific location when there were no reference points around at all? Zhu Wangxing revealed a somewhat mysterious smile. He pointed downward and said, ¡°Our secret location is right below us, please proceed, Yuan Lao.¡± Yuan Lao activated his Spirit Realm once again, and this time he summoned an Abyss Dragon King! The Abyss Dragon King¡¯s body was long and winding, covered entirely with dark blue Holy Scales. It soared in the air, with its two silver-white whiskers majestically fluttering.
Suddenly, the Abyss Dragon King dived straight down, plunging headfirst into the sea. The surface of the water suddenly sank, creating a void out of thin air which reached the dark depths of the ocean floor, inessible by sunlight. Zhu Rongrong looked down, her face revealing a trace of fear. Who knows to what ce this abyss, having parted all the waters, might lead¡­ ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± said Yuan Lao. Everyone followed and flew into this empty abyss. They kept falling, their speed getting faster and faster. Zhu Minng looked down to see the Abyss Dragon King moving deeper, clearing away the loweryers of sea, enabling them all to reach directly to the ocean¡¯s bottom. Looking up, Zhu Minng found that the sea had gradually begun to fill the upper part of the abyss,pletely cutting off the light, creating a silence that was unbearably eerie. The time it took to fall was longer than expected, reminding Zhu Minng of when he had first entered a spatial rift in the Ancient Ruins. At this moment, it felt as if he was in a space well leading to another world, gradually moving away from familiar things and reaching a totally unknown area. After what seemed like an eternity, there was no more seawater. The surroundings had turned into cold subterranean rock¡­ Curiously, the seawater could not prate into the clearly hollow crevices of the subterranean rock. ¡°Have we already reached the oceanic trench?¡± Zhu Minng asked. ¡°We¡¯re almost there,¡± Zhu Wangxing said. Zhu Minng looked again, now needing to use his spiritual sense to barely ¡°see¡± an outline. At this moment, a vast and dark expanse of sea already loomed above his head like a dimyer of sky enveloping an unreachable ce. They were below ground, underneath the imposing ocean floor. Further down would be the true veins of the earth! Suddenly, a surge of scalding hot air rushed up from below.
Zhu Minng¡¯s eyes stung, and after a long absence, light gathered in this patch of earth vein scar, which was neither too narrow nor too broad. It took quite a while for Zhu Minng to gradually gain a blurry vision¡­ It looked like molten metal, statically brilliant gold, but when it flowed, it turned a dazzling red. Zhu Minng did not see any Earth Vein Fire, only a meanderingva flow that moved sluggishly as if it was an eternal dragon that had sprawled calmly at the bottom of the Sea of Nothingness since the dawn of heaven and earth!! This was the Little Inner Court¡¯s secret realm, the forbiddennd for fire collection, where Earth Vein Fire Pistils capable of forging unparalleled swords and armor were found! Zhu Minng dared not get close, the Earth Vein Fire was entirely liquid in form. It was as quiet as a gently meandering brook, with no sign of the wildness, expansion, or restlessness of mes, yet it still gave Zhu Minng a feeling that was even more terrifying than the wild dance of Demon Fire.
¡°This is the Fire-picking Bottle, do you want to give it a try, nephew?¡± Zhu Wangxing turned his head and asked Zhu Minng. ¡°Are you sure we use this bottle?¡± Zhu Minng asked. A in-looking bottle seemed so ordinary. Could this thing really hold Earth Vein Lava? ¡°Earth Vein Lava is actually more stable than anymon fire in the world. As long as you don¡¯t shake it violently, it¡¯s as serene as the water we drink,¡± Zhu Wangxing said with a smile. Zhu Minng¡¯s face darkened, and he made a gesture suggesting that Zhu Wangxing demonstrate personally. Zhu Wangxing held the Fire-picking Bottle, and before collecting the fire, he paid great attention to rituals¡­ First, he straightened his clothes, then bowed reverently. People of Zhu Gate had always been believers in the mystic arts, maintaining the same respect for the divine objects that brought prosperity to the Family Door as some tribes did for the ancient gods they worshipped. Zhu Minng could understand paying respects, but right after, Zhu Wangxing took out a white candle from his bosom, which made Zhu Minng¡¯s expression turn strange. What, was he supposed to light a candle in the southeast corner now? Zhu Wangxing walked forward, slowly bringing the white candle close to the Earth Vein Lava. An unbelievable scene took ce, theva that seemed to hold intense heat and could even disperse the deep sea¡¯s icy chill did not ignite the small candle¡­ The most ordinary me could easily light a candlewick with a mere touch, but Zhu Wangxing immersed the candlewick in the Earth Vein Lava, and when he took it out again, the candle was ¡°unscathed¡±! ¡°This year¡¯s Earth Vein Fire Pistil is very stable. We should be able to collect a bit more, truly the blessings of the heavens!¡± Zhu Wangxing put away the white candle, then filled half the bottle with the fire liquid.
Zhu Minng watched in amazement. The Earth Vein Lava clearly contained immense me energy, likely a single drop could start a prairie fire, yet this Earth Vein Lava was remarkably calm and gentle, like a droplet of essence! Suddenly, Zhu Minng remembered the Wind Dandelion Crystal Grains that Zhu Rongrong asked him to collect a while ago. Those Dandelion Spirits seemed as fragile as flies, but when crushed, they would release a strong gust of wind. It seemed the Earth Vein Lava was the same, remaining tranquil and harmless before being subjected to any shocks or turbulence. But once the Wind Dandelion Crystal Grains were crushed, the wind would instantly trigger the Earth Vein Lava, generating an extremely high-temperature fire, bursting with considerable energy¡­ Properly utilized, indeed, top-notch items could be forged! That was the second top-secret of Zhu Gate Small Inner Court. Zhu Minng¡¯s smile emerged; with these two things, he was confident about crafting Top-notch Dragon Armor! ¡°We will only take this one bottle today and bring it back for some testing and analysis. If the energy is too strong, it could easily incinerate the materials, and there might even be a risk of the furnace exploding,¡± Zhu Wangxing said. The stability of the Earth Vein Fire varies with the seasons, and the me power it conceals differs too. Whether too low or too high, it affects forging. (Two chapters for today~)
Chapter 453 - 455: Assassination of the Young Princely Heir Chapter 453: Chapter 455: Assassination of the Young Princely Heir ¡°Rumble, rumble, rumble~~~~~~~~¡± Suddenly, a restless disturbance transmitted from the marks of the Veins of the Earth above them, which also mixed with some heart-palpitating roars! At this moment, three elders from Zhu Gate sprang into action. One of them was a Sword Master, who carried an immensely heavy Big Sword on his back. Giving a nce to the other two, the Big Sword elder spoke, ¡°It should be that Thirty Thousand Year Old Malevolent Water Dragon. I¡¯ll go and drive it away.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll also clear out some of the sea demons nearby,¡± the other two Dragon Shepherd elders said. No sooner had they spoken than the three elders soared into action, charging into the depths of the sea. All three elders possessed King Level strength! Zhu Gate elders, all top-tier powerhouses serving Zhu Gate, were primarily known for their Casting Art. The family members who truly practiced were not many, and it was due to the existence of these elders that other major forces were very wary of Zhu Gate these days. Overly powerful casting art could attract countless experts. Although these elders might not all be utterly loyal, swearing to die for Zhu Gate, as long as they were seated and sweeping obstacles for the n, they already brought great benefits to the Family Door. ¡°The marks of the Veins of the Earth also harbor some excessively powerful Ancient Beasts. Each year, there are no small number of thousand-year ocean Holy Spirits that inadvertently enter here and then are burned to death by the Earth Vein Lava. Although there¡¯s no worry they can take it away, it seriously affects the stability of the Earth Vein Lava, so we muste to clean up periodically, especially we cannot allow too powerful Holy Spirits to get close¡­¡± Zhu Wangxing began to exin to Zhu Minng. Zhu Minng nodded. This job of sweeping the marks of the Veins of the Earth was definitely not for ordinary people; no wonder it required four elder-level figures to work together! Seeing that all four elders were at King Level, Zhu Minng also felt somewhat relieved. Even if King An and An Qingfeng had any moves to make, they would have to get past these four powerful elders first. ¡­ After the cleanup was finished, everyone left the marks of the Veins of the Earth. Before leaving, Zhu Minng took a small half bottle of this special Earth Vein Lava with a purifying bottle, iming it as a kind of collection. But in fact, Zhu Minng had other ns. Just a single drop of this Earth Vein Lava could create a momentum akin to a fierce fire. If this bottle werebined with those Wind Crystal Particles, it felt like they could directly st through any vein of ore with the potency of high explosives. If used against people¡­ That scene would certainly be incredibly beautiful! Once they surfaced, Zhu Minng once again looked around, curious about how Zhu Wangxing could discern this specific location, seeing as there were neither any inds nor marks to serve as a reference. It was obviously not feasible to post guards at the marks of the Veins of the Earth, but under such circumstances, simply remembering its location meant other powers, even if covetous, would find it difficult to locate this special mark of the Veins of the Earth. It was rtively safe, so no wonder only Zhu Wangxing and the four elders knew the path to this secret realm. ¡­ Back in Qin City, Zhu Minng began to work on two pieces of Dragon Armor. The Melting Fire Armor already had aplete shape; Zhu Minng¡¯s task was to obtain sufficiently stable Earth Vein Lava to strengthen and refine it, and ideally, to activate one of the inscriptions embedded within the Melting Fire Armor, elevating the entire piece of Dragon Armor to a higher level. After burying himself in research for a day or two, just as night fell, Zhu Huo came to report some news. ¡°` Following Zhu Huo¡¯s intentions, he had already mastered the exact whereabouts of Zhao Yin Ge and had chosen to make his move tonight. Zhu Minng did not ask further, leaving it to him to proceed. Zhu Huo also understood that to regain trust, he had to capture Zhao Yin Ge without hesitation¡­ After Zhu Huo left, Zhu Minng, who appeared indifferent, quietly followed him. Although Zhao Yin Ge was a useless person, he was still a dispatched Princely Heir. Considering the previous troubles Zhao Yin Ge had caused and his recent attempt to have someone disguise as a florist to kill him, Zhu Minng could have buried him alive long ago. Of course, he had to take into ount An Qingfeng and Zhao Yu. If An Qingfeng and Zhao Yu caught a hold of any incriminating evidence against him, it wouldn¡¯t be good to exin to the Emperor. Having Zhu Huo take action was the most appropriate course. But whether Zhu Huo was a bought spy or a loyal core member of Zhu Gate, his actions tonight would make it clear. Therefore, on the surface, Zhu Minng would not concern himself with any of Zhu Huo¡¯s actions. Whether he seeded in dealing with Zhao Yin Ge or failed, it had nothing to do with him. He would have to atone for his own mistakes. In secret, Zhu Minng still followed Zhu Huo, waiting to see the situation clearly before deciding whether to appear and take action. ¡­ For this operation, Zhu Huo had made use of some of Zhu Gate¡¯s informants. But it seemed that Zhu Huo was the only one taking action, and he was a Sword Master. Zhu Gate and Sword Sect had always had a deep connection, with several of the most core elders being at the Sword Venerate level, and a portion of the Hall Masters, Deacons, and other officials were disciples trained in the Sword Sect, tasked with guarding the Family Door. After all, the Family Door¡¯s core was in casting art, and without anybat capabilities, it was susceptible to being wiped out in one fell swoop, especially now, standing in such a precarious position at the helm of the Family Door. Dressed in ck night clothes, Zhu Huo checked in with a few informants and then headed to a tea garden. The tea garden was particrly elegant, with tea bushes neatly pruned behind the mountain, and the fragrance of fresh tea leaves already permeating the interior and exterior of the garden. Zhao Yin Ge had no apparent ns, but in a teahouse in the garden, there was a delicately dressed little princess, waiting for the arrival of a Princely Heir from the Imperial City. ¡°A secret rendezvous, huh? Zhao Yin Ge does have good taste. That little princess, I seem to recall Zhu Rongrong mentioning that she¡¯s especially fond of throwing herself at men,¡± Zhu Minng said from his hiding spot, quietly observing. Zhu Minng also remembered that little princess. She had taken the initiative toe over with flower tea, pour wine, and chat at the chrysanthemum party. Besides, she had also acted this forwardly toward a few other notables. With Zhu Rongrong by Zhu Minng¡¯s side, she was very wary of this little princess and behaved extremely unfriendly toward her. Zhu Minng was curious, and after this little princess left, Zhu Rongrong finally told him: this little princess was known in Qin City as a social butterfly, also notorious for being opportunistic and quite flirtatious! She would seduce any man who could bring her benefits. Zhu Rongrong was very guarded against her, probably worried that her cousin, who had traveled from afar, would be ensnared by such a woman. ¡°Her taste is still as terrible as ever. This little princess¡¯s beauty doesn¡¯t evenpare to that ugly courtesan. Is Zhao Yin Ge not picky due to starvation, or have the quality princesses already been picked over by An Qingfeng and Zhao Yu, who have higher status?¡± Zhu Minng mockingly thought to himself. ¡°` Chapter 454 - 456 Puppet Master Chapter 454: Chapter 456 Puppet Master Zhao Yin Ge didn¡¯t wait too long before he appeared on the narrow path in the tea garden. When this fellow approached, Zhu Minng found that Zhao Yin Ge seemed to have drunk quite a bit of alcohol and was inebriated. He arrived at the teahouse and started chatting with the little princess who wore a silk cap that partially concealed her face; the curtains of the teahouse were drawn down, with no servants in sight for hundreds of meters around. In the deep of night, a solitary man and woman in the teahouse of Mount Chayuan¡ªif not for the curtains, Zhu Minng might even have witnessed a shameless exchange between nobles¡­ Zhu Huo was indeed clever, using the same trick against the perpetrator. They had encountered an assassination attempt while going to a flower-drinking party, so how could Zhao Yin Ge, a man in his prime, be without such desires? Zhu Huo had obviously started with the little princess, who wasn¡¯t exactly known for her chastity. Tracking the whereabouts of a Princely Heir was no easy task, but for a small-country princess motivated solely by profit, it was simple. Speaking of princesses, some are from small, remote countries where their status might not even match the courtesans of the Imperial City. Apart from the Miao Kingdom, where women are encouraged to be strong and princesses are sessors to the royal power, most princesses from small and distant countries cannot escape the fate of political marriages. Of course, rather than being passively married off, it¡¯s better to choose the best prospects early. This is what these low-status princesses from neighboring countries around Qin City often think, thus they also frequently gather in Qin City, seeking change or establishing connections in advance¡­ ¡­ Zhu Minng didn¡¯t know what was happening inside the teahouse curtains, and really, he had no interest in watching. ¡°Zhu Huo, oh Zhu Huo, I know you want to strike when they are deep in their romp, but you can¡¯t measure Zhao Yin Ge by the same fiery zeal most men would have; he doesn¡¯t even have his own hands and feet¡­¡± Seeing Zhu Huo still patiently waiting, Zhu Minng couldn¡¯t help but feel a sense of urgency. But soon, Zhu Minng remembered something important. Zhao Yin Ge had his limbs severed by him. Though heter became a Puppet Master and fitted himself with lifelike prosthetic limbs and learned to control Undead Puppets, could such a malformed person really stagger around drunk? ¡°Something doesn¡¯t seem quite right,¡± Zhu Minng thought back to Zhao Yin Ge¡¯s behavior. If it were himself, Zhu Minng would have definitely abandoned the n, for he would not easily risk danger at the slightest doubt. But at that moment, Zhu Huo made his move. Light as a swallow, he descended from the high tea nts andnded on the roof of the secret meeting teahouse. He made no sound as he moved, and quickly he hooked the curved eaves with his foot, hanging upside down at the teahouse curtains¡­ His one-handed Longsword suddenly thrust into the teahouse with astonishing force, leaving Zhu Minng somewhat amazed at how Zhu Huo could unleash such power in that inverted position! If Zhu Huo had seeded with this strike, it would have confirmed that he had no involvement in the attempt on his life; he had simply been careless for a moment, neglecting the safety concerns and failing to investigate the courtesan¡¯s identity in advance. No scream was heard at the thrust of the sword, nor was any blood seen. Zhu Huo was confident in his own strength, or else he would not have taken action personally, but when he lifted the teahouse curtains, he saw a face with an alluring, sinister smile looking disappointedly at him. ¡°Disturbing my pleasures in the deep of night won¡¯t end well, you know!¡± the little princess from the neighboring country said sweetly, but her tone was far from charming, instead sending chills down the spine! Seeing his assassination attempt failed, Zhu Huo didn¡¯t hesitate to flee into the tea mountain. Meanwhile, ¡°Zhao Yin Ge¡± unexpectedly erupted with astonishing speed, dashing toward Mount Chayuan and with one hand, he grabbed the lightweight Zhu Huo, brutally mming him down to the ground. Zhu Huo crashed into the fields of Mount Chayuan. He did not panic over the authenticity, but instead, raised his sword and thrust it heavily towards ¡°Zhao Yin Ge.¡± The cold light of the sword swept across Zhao Yin Ge¡¯s chest, yet it seemed that Zhao Yin Ge possessed a body made of copper and iron; the de left no mark on his bare skin! The valiant Zhao Yin Ge lifted his foot and stomped down hard on Zhu Huo¡¯s chest. Zhu Huo raised his sword to block, but Zhao Yin Ge¡¯s foot was so powerful that it stomped the tea fields apart. Zhu Huo couldn¡¯t get up in time and he was thrust into the muddy soil of the fields, coughing up blood¡­ Not far away, Zhu Minng, who was secretly observing, was also secretly astonished. When had Zhao Yin Ge be so ferocious? Wasn¡¯t he a useless individual who only knew about trivial trickery? Or could it be that this time he had switched to a stronger body? Zhu Huo was also skilled. Despite his injuries, he didn¡¯t just passively take the beating but used the loose soil of the tea mountain to escape and fled deeper into Mount Chayuan. The fierce Zhao Yin Ge pursued relentlessly, obviously not intending to let Zhu Huo leave this ce alive. ¡­ ¡°Puppet Master??¡± Just when Zhu Minng was about to leave, he suddenly noticed an unusual gleam in the eyes of the woman in the pavilion. This promiscuous little princess stood in the pavilion with her clothes unadjusted, her eyes rapidly shifting, yet strangely devoid of any expression¡­ She did not seem to be watching, but more like she was controlling something! Zhu Minng had seen this unusual pupil movement a few times before; it was indeed characteristic of a Puppet Master! The person meeting her was not Zhao Yin Ge?? It was an iron-hard puppet that looked very much like Zhao Yin Ge?? This notorious little princess was actually a Puppet Master, seemingly having set this trap on purpose for someone to walk into. ¡°Charge, all of you, we must capture him by any means necessary. I¡¯d prefer him alive!¡± Just then, a group of men appeared on a small path through the sheepfold, one of them shouting orders loudly. Soon, Zhao Yin Ge himself arrived with a group of experts. They first headed for the high ground of Mount Chayuan, surrounding Zhu Huo, who was entangled by the iron-hard puppet. At the same time, another group of men appeared in the direction Zhu Huo was running toward; they forced Zhu Huo back to the vicinity of the tea pavilion. Realizing that escape was difficult, Zhu Huo unleashed an even more powerful Sword Territory, fighting alone against these undead minions. These surrounding minions could not subdue him in a short time. ¡°Bang!!!¡± The iron-hard puppet threw a punch towards Zhu Huo¡¯s face, which Zhu Huo narrowly dodged, but the fist¡¯s wind tore apart his mask. After his true face was revealed, another person emerged in the tea pavilion area, An Qingfeng, the son of King An. He smiled and said to the little princess and the real Zhao Yin Ge, ¡°You see, this man is not Zhu Minng. Although that guy Zhu Minng is quite useless, he still has a bit of brains. Without absolute certainty, he wouldn¡¯t venture here alone.¡± ¡°Dammit, we¡¯ve only caught such a small fry!¡± Zhao Yin Ge said, seething with anger. ¡°He is Zhu Huo, not exactly a small fry,¡± An Qingfeng walked over and said with a hint of a smile on his lips. Chapter 455 - 457: Wind Crystal Mixed with Fire Liquid Chapter 455: Chapter 457: Wind Crystal Mixed with Fire Liquid An Qingfeng, Zhao Yin Ge, and a Puppeteer Princess¡­ And the voice of that Puppeteer Princess sounded somewhat familiar. Lu Mu, the courtesan?? The Advanced Thanatophile whom he himself had reduced to ashes?? Could it be that she was not a real person, but just a puppet of this princess? No wonder she didn¡¯t resist or plead for mercy, nor did she divulge any valuable information. At that time, Zhu Minng had also used the Purgatory Pupil Domain for the first time; his control was not yet proficient, and he had not specifically checked the body of said Advanced Thanatophile. It never crossed his mind that she was just a puppet sent to assassinate him! Not bad, Zhao Yin Ge¡­ You¡¯ve made some progress, to actually hire such a formidable Puppeteer Princess to deal with me. Zhu Minng¡¯s attention then focused on An Qingfeng and the Puppeteer Princess. Perhaps Zhao Yin Ge was still the worthless Zhao Yin Ge, and the truly formidable ones were An Qingfeng and this Puppeteer Princess. If he got angry about the assassination and went to Zhao Yin Ge for ountability, he would fall right into their trap. ¡°Does this guy need to be alive or dead? If alive, it will take more time; he¡¯s not weak. If dead, that¡¯s simple,¡± the Puppeteer Princess asked. ¡°Keep him alive for now. Zhu Huo still holds some value.¡± ¡°What value can he have? This time he didn¡¯t even have the chance to go to the Zhu Gate Secret Area. Hmph, Zhu Minng really underestimates me, Zhao Yin Ge, to actually send such trash against me?¡± Zhao Yin Ge said disdainfully. These words reached Zhu Minng¡¯s ears, and his expression immediately changed. Zhu Gate Secret Area¡­ Whether it was the departure to the secret area or the personnel involved, it was all highly confidential within Zhu Gate. How did Zhao Yin Ge know that they had gone to the Zhu Gate Secret Area a few days ago, and how did he know that Zhu Huo was excluded?? There were only eight people who went together that day. Zhu Wangxing, the four Elders, Zhu Minng, Zhu Rongrong, and that quiet female Hall Master. Among these eight people, was there an inside traitor??? Waves surged in Zhu Minng¡¯s heart! That was the Zhu Gate Secret Area, the most hidden and sacred of grounds, and in the entire Little Inner Court, no more than these eight people were qualified to step into it! Zhu Huo could basically be ruled out as a suspect. ¡°First of all, the fact that we went to the secret area could not possibly be known to anyone besides us eight¡­¡± Zhu Minng pondered carefully and finally determined that there must indeed be a traitor among them! ¡­ In the tea field, Zhu Huo was still desperately holding on, his injuries gradually mounting. Facing so many thanatophiles, Zhu Huo did manage to kill a few, but escaping was unlikely. As the injuries increased, the swordsmanship Zhu Huo could perform was limited; his speed slowed down, and his agility was not as sharp as before. Just as he was nearing exhaustion, Zhu Huo saw a tiny crystal gleaming with a crystal luster, oddly floating near him¡­ As a core member of Zhu Gate, he was quite familiar with what these tiny crystal particles were: the Wind Crystal Dandelions. But this was a tea field, so why were these spirits here? Suddenly, a bottle of crimson liquid was thrown from somewhere, striking the ground heavily. Following that, a terrifying heat erupted from this tiny bottle of me liquid, instantaneously setting the tea field he was in aze! Zhu Huo was stunned for a moment, but quickly came to his senses. ¡°` He immediately raised the sword in his hand and ferociously chopped toward those wind crystal particles at high speed. As the wind crystal particles shattered, they immediately swept out strong gusts of wind! There were over a hundred of these particles, and once they were all smashed, a terrifying wave of energy suddenly arose in the tea fields! The wave was incredibly torrential and fierce, as it engulfed the terrifying molten me heat, intensifying the energy within the mes! A me explosion carrying hurricanes rampaged and spread, instantly devouring the elegant hills and fields. The thanatophiles ambushing Zhu Huo had never seen such power and were all burned to death by the fiery breath produced by thebined force of the molten mes and shattered wind crystals!!! Zhu Huo knew better than anyone what these two things were and immediately hid in the opposite direction of the wind breath, escaping toward another direction in the tea hills amidst this astounding fiery outburst¡­ The tea pavilion wasn¡¯t far from the tea fields, and Zhu Huo had deliberately swept the wind crystals in this direction, so this extremely agitated and powerful breath of ze headed straight for Zhao Yin Ge, the Puppeteer Princess, and An Qingfeng! The three of them were alsopletely unprepared and were engulfed by the fire wave. The tea pavilion vanished into nothing, and despite using everything they had to save themselves, they were still sted away and scorched all over by the strong fiery breath! They were further away and had higher cultivation bases, so they barely avoided being burnt to death on the spot. But none of the experts ambushing Zhu Huo survived; they didn¡¯t even understand what had happened, only witnessing an explosion of breath as terrifying as Dragon me before being burned to nothing but ash! ¡­ Zhu Huo reached the top of the hill and looked back at the tea fields now turned into a sea of mes, eyeing Zhao Yin Ge and the others who had also been severely injured by the fire¡­ He clenched his teeth, yet showed no intention of leaving. Holding his sword, he prepared to go back and fight. For the sake of regaining trust, he must kill Zhao Yin Ge, not to mention that someone who dared to assassinate the sole heir of Zhu Gate, if not eliminated, would be an insult to Zhu Gate! Zhu Huo steeled his heart, even if he would be buried in the sea of mes, he was determined to ughter Zhao Yin Ge. ¡°Don¡¯t go,¡± suddenly, someone stood in Zhu Huo¡¯s way. ¡°My lord!¡± Zhu Huo looked at the person before him with astonishment in his heart. It was only at this moment that he realized the one who had helped him escape and had created this feast of fire, was none other than Zhu Minng. ¡°My lord, this is a great opportunity to kill Zhao Yin Ge, and there¡¯s even a chance to eliminate An Qingfeng¡­¡± Zhu Huo said. ¡°Zhao Yu is nearby, let¡¯s go, you¡¯ve already done well,¡± Zhu Minng shook his head. Zhu Huo naturally knew who Zhao Yu was, a prince on the verge of being crowned. If he was present, it would be impossible for him to sessfully assassinate anyone. Indeed, while lingering on the mountaintop, Zhu Huo saw a Holy Candle Dragon appear at the edge of the spreading mes. The dragon¡¯s cultivation was terrifying; it was stopping the rampaging mes with its body¡­ Zhao Yin Ge, An Qingfeng, and the Puppeteer Princess were protected by this Holy Candle Dragon, barely escaping the continuous burning threat, but Zhu Huo did not see any other person emerging. ¡°That¡¯s the Holy Candle Dragon King!!¡± Zhu Huo eximed in utter shock. Thankfully, Zhu Minng stopped him in time; otherwise, if he had just leaped in, he probably would have crashed directly under the ws of the Holy Candle Dragon King and been killed instantly! Zhu Minng was already satisfied for having forced Zhao Yu to show himself. Whether Zhu Huo could kill Zhao Yin Ge was not important to Zhu Minng; what mattered was his willingness to do it¡­ ¡°The traitors are not only Wang Xiao and Miao Sheng, they are just the small fry. The real traitor within Zhu Gate is among the eight of us who are headed to the secret area,¡± Zhu Minng said to Zhu Huo. Zhu Huo was somewhat incredulous at Zhu Minng¡¯s words. The eight who journeyed to the Zhu Gate Secret Area were revered authorities of the Qin City Small Courtyard! If there were traitors among them, wouldn¡¯t the Little Inner Court be in grave danger!!! ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª (Although the update iste, I still need to muster the courage to ask for your monthly votes. The beginning of the month is here, remember to cast one, the number of words I wrotest month should have earned your subscription votes, right~~~~~~~~~) ¡°` Chapter 456 - 458: Capturing Zhao Yin Ge Alive Chapter 456: Chapter 458: Capturing Zhao Yin Ge Alive ¡­ Having returned to the Little Inner Court, back to Zhu Minng¡¯s courtyard, Zhu Huo still hadn¡¯t fully recovered his senses. Although the assassination attempt was thrilling, it didn¡¯tpare to the conversation he had with Zhu Minng, which was truly hair-raising. Had a traitor really emerged at the highest levels of Zhu Gate? Zhu Huo pondered over the slip of the tongue made by Zhao Yin Ge, and then thought about some of the iprehensible incidents he had encountered in the past. ¡°It¡¯s a pity there¡¯s no evidence, I don¡¯t even know how to start discussing this matter with Uncle Wangxing,¡± Zhu Minng said. Last time he visited the mysterious realm, Zhu Minng could tell that Zhu Wangxing held great respect for the four elders, including the female Hall Master who hardly spoke; Zhu Wangxing addressed her as an equal. If he went to Zhu Wangxing without evidence to im there was a traitor among the eight, Zhu Wangxing might be wary of him, especially since he had just removed Zhu Huo from the core membership. ¡°Master, you¡¯ve juste to the Little Inner Court and aren¡¯t very familiar with the situation here. If you trust me, Zhu Huo, I will take it upon myself to thoroughly investigate. If you do not speak out, I wouldn¡¯t have dared to think about worse possibilities. When I was investigating Wang Xiao and Miao Sheng, I actually discovered some suspicious matters. Considering the task of dealing with Zhao Yin Ge for you, I didn¡¯t investigate further,¡± Zhu Huo suddenly knelt on one knee and spoke earnestly. ¡°You are still injured¡­¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°Such minor injuries won¡¯t affect me. The fact that someone nned a banquet to harm you proves that we have a problem within the Little Inner Court. Should the secret of the Veins of the Earth be stolen by others, what else could the Little Inner Court rely on to maintain its position in the Neon Sea? I¡¯m afraid we would soon be crushed and devoured by the surrounding powers!¡± Zhu Huo was clearly aware of the gravity of the situation. ¡°Very well, I¡¯ll be in the light, you¡¯ll be in the dark; we must find that traitor as soon as possible. In a few days, we should once again head to the Veins of the Earth to collect fire. If those people are really coveting the Earth Vein Lava, they will definitely choose that time to act,¡± Zhu Minng said. Zhu Huo nodded. Just as he was about to give more details on his investigation of Wang Xiao and Miao Sheng, a night pigeon suddenly flew from afar and perched on the eaves of the house. The night pigeon had a pair of eyes like Night Amber, gazing at Zhu Huo, then after a while, it flew onto Zhu Huo¡¯s shoulder, like a spiritual pet he reared. Seeing the night pigeon with amber-colored eyes, Zhu Huo¡¯s eyes suddenly shone with excitement, and he said to Zhu Minng, ¡°Master, I have alreadypleted the task you assigned to me!¡± Zhu Minng, on the other hand, looked somewhat puzzled. With a scorched and smiling face, Zhu Huo said, ¡°When I attempted to assassinate Zhao Yin Ge, I made two preparations. If I were to fail, one of my brothers, who had been through life and death with me, would strike when Zhao Yin Ge let down his guard.¡± ¡°It worked?¡± Zhu Minng asked, surprised. ¡°Yes, the original n was just to probe. In fact, I couldn¡¯t be sure that the person meeting with the little princess was Zhao Yin Ge himself, nor if the meeting was a trap, but if I didn¡¯t act, I would never know Zhao Yin Ge¡¯s true location or predict his movements¡­¡± Zhu Huo said. ¡°So you were just a stone tossed out, and your brother was the real assassin?¡± A hint of admiration showed in Zhu Minng¡¯s eyes. ¡°Exactly, I was prepared to die, for sacrificing Zhu Huo in exchange for the Princely Heir¡¯s life is worth it. However, I didn¡¯t expect the master to have been observing from the shadows and even saved Zhu Huo¡¯s life,¡± Zhu Huo said. To think that a person held in high regard by Zhu Wangxing had a contingency n, and had indeed captured Zhao Yin Ge! ¡°Is he still alive?¡± Zhu Minng asked. ¡°Alive. There¡¯s certainly valuable information in this Princely Heir¡¯s mouth,¡± Zhu Huo said. ¡­ Zhu Huo led the way, and the two left Qin City, traveling along the towering sea cliffs until they finally saw Zhu Huo¡¯s brother, who had been through life and death with him, in a lighthouse stone house facing the sea. The man was silent and abstinent, with scars on his forehead and a somewhat ugly appearance. Upon seeing Zhu Huo, he immediately showed an excited expression, apparently having been worried about Zhu Huo¡¯s safety all this time. ¡°I¡¯m fine, Wu Peng, how did you capture him?¡± Zhu Huo nced inside the dimly lit room, lit by a brazier. He could clearly see a man who had been burned, chained to a pir¡­ Wu Peng was a mute. He used signnguage to tell Zhu Huo how he had sneaked into the medical clinic and, while the other guards were not paying attention, knocked Zhao Yin Ge unconscious and kidnapped him. Zhao Yin Ge had been burned by the Earth Vein Lava and, like Wu Peng who had been observing in the dark, initially hid in the famous medical clinic of Qin City. ¡°The temperature of theva is extraordinary, and only the divine healers of the medical clinic could alleviate such burning. You were clever to hide there first. They would never imagine that there was an assassin in the clinic they had decided to visit on the spur of the moment. Well done, Wu Peng!¡± Zhu Huo said with delight. Zhu Minng¡¯s opinion of Zhu Huo also greatly improved. Not only was he bold and responsible, but he was also brave and strategic. An Qingfeng and Zhao Yu must be going mad. Not only did they fail to capture the ¡®minor character¡¯ they spoke of, but they also lost the Princely Heir Zhao Yin Ge! ¡°My lord, Wu Peng said that if it weren¡¯t for the other person having a higher cultivation base, he wouldn¡¯t have risked it. He could even have captured the other person as well,¡± Zhu Huo said. Zhu Minng nodded. One Zhao Yin Ge was enough. After all, An Qingfeng was the son of King An. Even wounded, he was not an easy target. It was wise of Wu Peng not to be greedy. ¡°Do you have water? Stter it on him. His hands and feet are prosthetics. Pour it over him,¡± Zhu Minng instructed. Wu Peng immediately fetched a basin of water and aimed at the spots on Zhao Yin Ge¡¯s body that had been burnt red. The water was poured right onto the wound! Putting water on the wound was not to cool Zhao Yin Ge down. In fact, the Earth Vein Lava could not be extinguished with ordinary cold water, and could even cause the wound to worsen! ¡°Sizzling!!!¡± The cold water reacted with the remnants of theva, instantly boiling upon contact and cooking the wounds of Zhao Yin Ge. The unconscious Zhao Yin Ge was jolted awake by the pain. He screamed out, only to have adle of cold water poured into his mouth, causing him to choke and cough violently! ¡°Where is this??¡± ¡°Who are you!!¡± ¡°Do you know who I am? I am Zhao Yin Ge, the Imperial Son!¡± After waking up, Zhao Yin Ge found himself in a strange ce, facing a man with a scarred and ugly forehead, and his expression became panicked. But soon, Zhao Yin Ge spotted Zhu Minng and Zhu Huo. His eyes widened as much as they could. Wasn¡¯t he in the medical clinic??? How had he fallen into the hands of these two men? ¡°Zhao Yin Ge, this is no longer the Imperial City; you don¡¯t have your Death Exemption Token here!¡± Zhu Minng said with a cold smirk. ¡°You¡­ what do you want to do, murder a member of the Royal Family? That¡¯s a crime that could wipe out one¡¯s entire family!¡± Zhao Yin Ge said in extreme fear. Chapter 457: 459: Feeding the Shark Chapter 457: Chapter 459: Feeding the Shark ¡°` ¡°When your bones are crushed and your ashes scattered, do you think your Princely Heir status will be of any use?¡± Zhu Minng justughed. Had it not been for the Zhu Gate¡¯s obligation to give the Royal Family some face, Zhu Minng would have chopped Zhao Yin Ge into pieces and fed him to the dogs years ago. But his royal status only allowed him to cling to life for a few more years¡ªit didn¡¯t mean he could continue to live carefree! ¡°Zhu Minng¡­ we¡­ our grievances have long been settled, and you know I¡¯m just ackey to An Qingfeng. You know who wants you dead, and there¡¯s no need for you to go to such lengths to kill me!¡± Zhao Yin Ge also knew what kind of person Zhu Minng was. To mention those meaningless things would only hasten his own death. ¡°So tell me, what kind of information do you have that could be worth your life?¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°An Qingfeng, An Qingfeng wants you dead. King An¡¯s Mansion has always wanted to swallow your Family Door. Zhu Heavenly Officer is too much for him to chew on, so he set his sights on this Little Inner Court. They n to infiltrate the Little Inner Court first¡­¡± Zhao Yin Ge was truly afraid of dying and immediately spilled their ns. ¡°Oh Zhao Yin Ge, Zhao Yin Ge, it looks like you really don¡¯t value your own life. With such cheap information that anyone with eyes could see, do you think it could exchange for the precious life of a Princely Heir?¡± Zhu Minng wasn¡¯t in a hurry, slowly interrogating Zhao Yin Ge. Before Zhao Yin Ge could speak again, Zhu Minng gave Zhu Huo a look. Zhu Huo understood, lifted adle of cold water, and slowly poured it onto Zhao Yin Ge¡¯s wound. The wound boiled and seethed again, the cold water was instantly heated to boiling, spreading over the intact skin, scalding Zhao Yin Ge to the point where he let out screams like a pig being ughtered.
Giving Zhao Yin Ge a moment to catch his breath, Zhu Minng asked him again. ¡°Here¡¯s the deal, Zhao Yin Ge, I¡¯ll give you a hint. Just say a name, and if it¡¯s not the one I¡¯m thinking of, I¡¯ll pour the remaining Earth Vein Lava on your face. You¡¯ve already tasted the vor of this me, so I believe our conversation can be more candid going forward,¡± Zhu Minng said. He took out a bottle of redva. Zhu Minng pretended to pour it over Zhao Yin Ge¡¯s face. Zhao Yin Ge was so terrified that his body convulsed, and suddenly a foul smell emanated from his crotch¡­ ¡°What name, what name do you want to know? I¡¯ll tell you, I¡¯ll tell you everything!¡± Zhao Yin Ge begged, having already lost control of his bowels. Zhu Minng shook his head, feeling embarrassed for this Princely Heir of the royal lineage. It was just a bottle of Holy Spirit Blood, and yet it terrified him to this extent. The only bottle of Earth Vein Lava had already been thrown away by Zhu Minng to save Zhu Huo¡ªthere was none left now. But Zhao Yin Ge was already terrified of the substance, the unbearable pain to be felt once more on his face, the direct contact¡ªit would be more merciful to kill him outright. ¡°Among the eight people heading to the Zhu Gate Secret Area, just say one name. Seeing as you want to take down the Little Inner Court, without an inside man, how could you achieve this? Name your inside man, and I¡¯ll spare your life,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°I don¡¯t know, I really don¡¯t know. That person has always been very cautious; he won¡¯t show himself until everything is settled. He only contacts Zhao Yu; even An Qingfeng doesn¡¯t know who he is. I¡¯m telling the truth, everything I say is true,¡± Zhao Yin Ge said. Even An Qingfeng doesn¡¯t know who it is? Is it Prince Zhao Yu pulling the strings? ¡°Master, I think he doesn¡¯t want to live. Pour theva on him and use this esteemed little Princely Heir as charcoal to warm up Wu Peng¡¯s room tonight,¡± Zhu Huo said. ¡°I¡¯m telling the truth! The Zhu Gate inside man is extremely cautious, he won¡¯t surface until therger scheme is set in motion!¡± Zhao Yin Ge shouted. Zhu Minng knew what Zhao Yin Ge was made of. And this fool might not havepletely earned the trust of An Qingfeng and Zhao Yu; by the look of him, he had already told everything he knew. ¡°` It was not that they obtained no information at all.
At least from Zhao Yin Ge¡¯s mouth, they could now confirm that among the eight who went to the secret realm of the Zhu Gate, indeed one had already betrayed them. He had defected to King An¡¯s side¡ªand now to the side of little Prince Zhao Yu, assisting An Qingfeng in slowly devouring the Little Inner Court and in one fell swoop taking down the Zhu Gate¡¯s most important asset: the Earth Vein Lava. The value of Earth Vein Lava was not only for casting, but if the Little Inner Court lost this special forging fire, there would be no point in its existence in Qin City! Of course, this was not Zhu Minng¡¯s greatest worry.
The Little Inner Court was far from the Imperial City, and even the Zhu Heavenly Officer himself rarely visited here. King An likely just wanted to breach the Zhu Gate here, then slowly influence the entire Zhu Gate¡­ ¡­ On the cliff, a long rope dangled with a half-dead person at its end. Dumb Wu Peng slowly lowered the rope into the surging waves. ¡°You promised to spare my life, Zhu Minng, Zhu Minng!!¡± Zhao Yin Ge struggled, writhing like a worm on the rope and yelling. ¡°Of course, I¡¯m sparing you, but whether the ravenous Shark Crocodiles below will spare you, that¡¯s not something I can control. You should eat vegetarian more often, do more good deeds, who knows, you might just escape this disaster,¡± Zhu Minng said to Zhao Yin Ge. ¡°You will not die a good death, Zhu Minng, you will not die a good death!!!¡± Zhao Yin Ge shouted in rage, cursing vehemently, but his voice was drowned out by the roar of the waves, Zhu Minng could not hear it at all. Below, the Shark Crocodiles that were waiting among the rocks for sunrise, still half-asleep, suddenly had a living human slowly delivered to their mouths. The family of Shark Crocodiles quickly opened their eyes one by one, moved nearly to tears by the food the human on the cliff was feeding them! There were good people among humans after all; their family of Shark Crocodiles, affected by stormy weather, had not eaten live flesh in days!! ¡°Roar!!¡± Shark Crocodile dad bellowed, waking his wife and children. Breakfast is served, breakfast is served! Biting into Zhao Yin Ge¡¯s arm, Shark Crocodile dad chewed a few times, felt something was amiss, and then spit it out.
A prosthetic limb, no telling what it was made of, incredibly unptable! The Shark Crocodile bit into another part of Zhao Yin Ge¡¯s body¡­ Living flesh! Delicious, delicious! The other Shark Crocodiles rushed in, fighting over this rare takeout. ¡­ Above the cliff, Zhu Minng watched as Zhao Yin Ge was devoured by the Shark Crocodiles, no trace of sympathy in his eyes. A viinous Princely Heir from the Imperial City, if those who were oppressed could see this scene, they would probably beat drums and gongs, p their hands in celebration. What a pity that he didn¡¯t die sooner¡ªthen Zhu Tong would probably still be alive and well now. Chapter 458: 460: Stealing One’s Own Secret Realm Chapter 458: Chapter 460: Stealing One¡¯s Own Secret Realm ¡°If it weren¡¯t for Zhao Yin Ge revealing those things, I wouldn¡¯t dare to fully believe it,¡± Zhu Huo said somewhat absently. They continued to interrogate him after that, and perhaps Zhao Yin Ge really didn¡¯t know who the inside traitor was, but he found out a lot of things only the top brass of Zhu Gate would know. About the Veins of the Earth, about theva, basically only those who had been there could describe it in such detail. Zhao Yin Ge could also speak of matters concerning the Zhu Gate Secret Area, which confirmed that someone had sold information about the Secret Area to outsiders. Eight people. Who on earth could it be? But no matter who it was, Zhu Huo felt a deep and terrifying concern! ¡°Is the exact location of the Secret Area only known by Uncle Wangxing and the four elders?¡± Zhu Minng asked Zhu Huo. ¡°Yes, but actually, the four elders only know parts of it,¡± Zhu Huo replied. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know the more detailed aspects, but it can be understood as, if there were a map, then each of the four elders holds a quarter of it. In other words, unless all four elders were to betray simultaneously, it would be impossible to find the Secret Area,¡± Zhu Huo exined.
¡°So, theplete coordinates are only held by Uncle Wangxing?¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°Yes, after all, it rtes to the lifeblood of Zhu Gate. The Third Sect Leader has always been very careful in guarding it,¡± Zhu Huo nodded in agreement. ¡°Then, it¡¯s not too likely that outsiders learned the location of the Secret Area from that inside informant and sneaked in,¡± Zhu Minng said. Zhu Minng had been there himself. If some secret organizations wanted to take someone to a forbidden ce, they mostly had to blindfold the person, deliberately take a few detours, and only then could they feel reassured about bringing someone into the Secret Area¡­ The Zhu Gate¡¯s Secret Area was in an endless sea, and the Veins of the Earth were hidden even deeper beneath the sea where not a sliver of sunlight reached; from the sky or the sea surface, it was absolutely impossible to perceive. There was no need to blindfold or create distractions; even if Zhu Minng were to be taken back a hundred or a thousand times, it would be impossible to find the exact location of the Veins of the Earth in that sea with no reference points. So Uncle Wangxing and the others must be in possession of some sort of extraordinary and special method of positioning. Given this, if Zhao Yu and An Qingfeng wanted to target the Earth Vein Fire, they would have to follow closely behind them; otherwise, it would be impossible to enter the site of the Veins of the Earth. However, Uncle Wangxing and the four elders weren¡¯t decorations; in such a vast sea area, it was too easy to detect whether someone was following them, unless the inside informant had some way to leave special marks in the boundless and vast sea. ¡°Can the fire retrieving ceremony be postponed?¡± Zhu Minng asked Zhu Huo. Zhu Huo shook his head and said, ¡°You¡¯ve been there and know that Earth Vein Lava can only be extracted when it¡¯s tranquil. If we miss this time, going into the site of the Veins of the Earthter might reveal an abyss of endless mes. It wouldn¡¯t just be difficult to extract the fire; it would be hard even to get close. Moreover, the Third Sect Leader said that this year is supposed to be the most stable and suitably warm year for casting, perfect for refining fire. If we miss it, it would probably take another two or three decades to get such perfect Earth Vein Fire¡­¡± ¡°That means, unless wee up with conclusive evidence, Uncle Wangxing is unlikely to cancel the fire retrieving ceremony, and informing him wouldn¡¯t make much difference,¡± Zhu Minng said, feeling a headacheing on. ¡°Yes, and because Earth Vein Lava is too unique, we cannot send additional people there. If someone not fully loyal went in and disturbed the Earth Vein Lava, the tranquil fire would turn into a devouring inferno of God Demon mes¡­ Regardless, we should inform the Third Sect Leader as soon as possible and let him make the final decision. If we have no other choice, we¡¯ll have to painfully give up on this year¡¯s perfect Earth Vein Fire,¡± Zhu Huo said earnestly. ¡°We still have some days; there¡¯s no rush. You continue to investigate the leads from Wang Xiao and Miao Sheng, and I¡¯ll pay extra attention to An Qingfeng and Zhao Yu¡¯s movements, trying to find out how they n to carry out their n,¡± Zhu Minng instructed Zhu Huo. ¡°Huh? We¡¯re not informing the Third Sect Leader? This is a big issue!¡± Zhu Huo said, a little surprised. ¡°We need to gather more information. If An Qingfeng and Zhao Yu only know some surface details about the Earth Vein Fire and are intentionally bluffing to make us miss this fire retrieving ceremony, we¡¯d suffer a loss for nothing,¡± Zhu Minng reasoned. ¡°You¡¯re more thorough in your thinking. I will find out who¡¯s behind Wang Xiao and Miao Sheng as soon as possible, and you be careful dealing with them in theing days,¡± Zhu Huo nodded and said. This time, the me Acquisition Ceremony not only concerns the Little Inner Court, but the entire Zhu Gate will undergo changes because of this ceremony. If the Casting Art gets another qualitative improvement, the ruling power of Zhu Gate will be strengthened, and its position as the head of the Family Door will be even more solid.
Although nobody had mentioned these things to Zhu Minng, as a member of Zhu Gate, he naturally had a clear understanding. If the me Acquisition Ceremony were canceled, it would mean that King An and Zhao Yu had achieved their goal of suppressing the development of Zhu Gate. They still needed to identify the insider, and at the same time, anticipate the moves of An Qingfeng and Zhao Yu in advance., that would allow them to respond effectively during the me Acquisition Ceremony. ¡­
¡­ Early in the morning, just like usual, Zhu Minng fed his dragons and began Dragon Taming. Now that Zhu Rongrong knew Zhu Minng was also a Dragon Shepherd, she liked to stick with her cousin even more, listening to interesting stories from his travels while learning his Dragon Taming techniques. ¡°Rongrong, is this your first time going to the Veins of the Earth as well?¡± Zhu Minng asked. ¡°Yes, Dad never allowed me to go before. He said he was afraid I wouldn¡¯t understand the rules and would anger our Fire God,¡± Zhu Rongrong replied. Zhu Minng looked at Zhu Rongrong, hesitating for a moment, before saying, ¡°I need to tell you something very serious, but you have to promise me that you won¡¯t tell anyone, including your dad.¡± ¡°Ah??,¡± Zhu Rongrong looked at Zhu Minng with a nervous expression creeping onto her small face. ¡°It¡¯s okay if you don¡¯t want to know. After all, it¡¯s a bit hard on you,¡± Zhu Minng said earnestly. ¡°What does it rte to?¡± she asked. ¡°The rise and fall of Zhu Gate.¡± ¡°Then I mustn¡¯t shirk from my duty. Brother, you mustn¡¯t underestimate me. I am the future sessor of the Little Inner Court, and my Casting Art will soon surpass my dad¡¯s!¡± Zhu Rongrong eximed. ¡°Then I have to start from when I was attacked,¡± Zhu Minng told Zhu Rongrong. From the assassination attempt that night, to Zhu Huo¡¯s investigation, and finally to the information about the Earth Vein Fire revealed by Zhao Yin Ge, Zhu Minng made it clear to Zhu Rongrong that among the eight people in their group, there must be an insider for Zhao Yu and An Qingfeng.
Initially, just like Zhu Huo, Zhu Rongrong could hardly believe it¡­ After a long time, Zhu Rongrong¡¯s emotions finally calmed down a bit. ¡°So¡­ what do you want me to do?¡± Zhu Rongrong asked. ¡°I need you to steal the location of the Secret Area from your dad,¡± Zhu Minng said to Zhu Rongrong. ¡°But brother, with your status, if you directly ask dad, he would tell you too,¡± Zhu Rongrong said, utterly baffled. Zhu Minng is the only son of Zhu Gate. Even if not involved in any matters of Zhu Gate, his status is higher than that of Zhu Wangxing. Zhu Gate has the Main Inner Court and the Great Inner Court; Qin City is just the Little Inner Court. Although Zhu Wangxing is referred to as the Third Sect Leader or the Little Sect Leader, his position is only equivalent to those elders in the Main Inner Court¡­ Zhu Minng shook his head. He had to use his methods to protect the Earth Vein Lava. And Zhu Wangxing was most likely not to approve of this method. At the moment, Zhu Minng felt that the person with the least suspicion was like himself, Zhu Rongrong, who was going to the Veins of the Earth for the first time. Chapter 459: 461: Boarding the Thief Ship Chapter 459: Chapter 461: Boarding the Thief Ship Zhu Rongrong looked at Zhu Minng for quite a while but still couldn¡¯t make up her mind. If she were caught doing this kind of thing by her father, she probably wouldn¡¯t get to have tea and look at flowers with her youngdy friends for the rest of her life¡­. Instead, she¡¯d be locked up at home, waiting to be married off¡­ However, what Zhu Minng said did make sense. The Little Inner Court of Zhu Gate wasn¡¯t as stringent as the Main Inner Court, but an assassination attempt was simply preposterous. If it hadn¡¯t been for Zhu Minng¡¯s precaution from the start, those people might have seeded. If Zhu Minng were to die here, their Little Inner Court would also face annihtion. Furthermore, the leak of the Veins of the Earth¡¯s trace made Zhu Rongrong feel that the current Little Inner Court was like a y house. It was fine when the weather was clear, not feeling any difort, but once the storm hit, this y house wouldn¡¯t provide any shelter at all. ¡°Then I¡¯ll try my best,¡± Zhu Rongrong finally nodded, agreeing to Zhu Minng¡¯s request. Zhu Minng let out a long sigh of relief, as he had genuinely worried about how to convince Zhu Rongrong to do such sneaky business, but it turned out that Zhu Rongrong¡¯s trust in him was quite high. ¡­ In the afternoon, Zhu Minng, Zhu Rongrong, Zhu Huo, and Wu Peng gathered in that cliffside cottage, since ying a game against two cunning old foxes like Wu Qingfeng and Zhao Yu would be very restricting without helpers. Zhu Rongrong appeared to have alreadymunicated with Zhu Huo, as one could tell from her eyes in the afternoon that she was calmer and more clear-headed than she had been in her dazed state that morning, and had also made up her mind to secretly protect the Little Inner Court.
¡°Young Master, Wang Xiao has always been in charge of the outer court¡¯s trade, and not long ago, a significant sum of money vanished into thin air. It seems that Head Master Xia Hai¡¯an subsequently downyed the issue. ording to my subordinates, Wang Xiao has a penchant for gambling on dragons, and the amount he spends on it each month is staggeringly excessive,¡± Zhu Huo reported. ¡°Do you mean that Head Master Xia Hai¡¯an might be Wang Xiao¡¯s superior?¡± Zhu Minng asked. ¡°Yes, furthermore, the steward Miao Sheng, he has a son whomitted a capital offense and was almost executed on the spot by thew enforcers of Qin City. It was also Head Master Xia Hai¡¯an who stepped in, allowing Miao Sheng¡¯s son to survive. However, that incident happened about three or four years ago,¡± Zhu Huo continued. Wang Xiao and Miao Sheng, both had been favored by Head Master Xia Hai¡¯an. Xia Hai¡¯an was that reticent female Hall Master, one of the eight. She managed all mattersrge and small concerning the Little Inner Court and supervised all members, serving as Zhu Wangxing¡¯s most capable assistant. ¡°Aunt Xia doesn¡¯t seem like someone who could be bribed. She has always been childless and alone, focusing mostly on our Zhu Gate. Most of what she discussed with me was about the future development of our Zhu Gate¡­,¡± Zhu Rongrong remarked. ¡°Elder, whom among the seniors do you suspect the most?¡± Zhu Minng inquired. ¡°Yuan Lao is my mentor. If you trust me, Young Master, then you can also trust Yuan Lao,¡± Zhu Huo stated. Yuan Lao. He was the Elder who had spoken for Zhu Huo earlier and seemed to be the most powerful amongst the four Elders as well. Both the Ancient Dragon King and the Abyss Dragon King had left a deep impression on Zhu Minng. ¡°Continue investigating, and trace back to even earlier events if possible. There might be some clues, especially ones involving contact with external forces¡­ In addition, I n to steal the Earth Vein Lava before the fire-taking ceremony and keep it in a ce known only to the four of us. So please assist me with all your might,¡± Zhu Minng earnestly requested the four. Zhu Huo and Zhu Rongrong¡¯s faces were full of astonishment. Steal the Earth Vein Lava?? What kind of principle is it to steal one¡¯s own possessions! Zhu Huo and Zhu Rongrong felt somewhat unable to keep up with the Junior Gatekeeper¡¯s train of thought!! ¡°I know this sounds absurd, but it¡¯s the only method we have to cope with the situation at the moment, especially since we have no idea what means the enemy will use to deal with us¡­¡± Zhu Minng said. Since a traitor had already appeared among the eight, the only person he could trust was himself.
Zhu Minng decided to steal the Earth Vein Lava to prevent unforeseeable problems at the fire-taking ceremony. If An Qingfeng and Zhao Yu were merely bluffing, Zhu Minng could simply hand over the Earth Vein Lava to Zhu Wangxing when the time came. If something indeed went wrong at the ceremony, at least the Earth Vein Lava would be safe. ¡°Why do I feel like I¡¯ve inadvertently boarded a ship of thieves?¡± Zhu Rongrong said with a mixture ofughter and tears.
It was only this morning that he said it would suffice to steal the precise location of the secret realm from his father, yet by the afternoon it had evolved into a n to steal the divine fire from his family¡¯s secret realm! No wonder he couldn¡¯t tell Zhu Wangxing about this; how could Zhu Wangxing possibly agree to such an absurd n. ¡°I believe in the young master, after all, even if it¡¯s my foster father, he might be so deeply connected to the other few that he can¡¯t bring himself to make a tough decision,¡± Zhu Huo said with conviction. From being assassinated, to being framed, and now standing on the same side as Zhu Minng, Zhu Huo increasingly felt that there must be traitors in the Little Inner Court, and not just one. If they couldn¡¯t bepletely eliminated, it would cause incalcble damage to the Little Inner Court¡¯s fire-taking ceremony. The greatest duty of the Little Inner Court is to safeguard the Zhu Gate¡¯s Divine Fire¡­ ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll do my best too. I actually have some leads on the location of the secret realm, but I still need to confirm with my father,¡± Zhu Rongrong also spoke her mind. Probably worried about her encountering some mishap, Zhu Wangxing would often hint to Zhu Rongrong about the secret realm when discussing matters of the Zhu Gate with her. Zhu Rongrong was quite astute and understood that these suggests hid information about the Zhu Gate¡¯s Earth Vein Lava. She had heard with interest but hadn¡¯t remembered consciously. But if she analyzed it seriously, she could deduce the approximate location. ¡­ After the group dispersed, Zhu Minng headed to Sea High Slope, intending to collect more dandelion crystal grains.
A bottle of Earth Vein Lavabined with a bag of dandelion crystal grains would create an exaggerated spectacle; even Monarch Level fighters who didn¡¯t react in time could be directly engulfed in a sea of mes! Lacking a potent magic artifact akin to the Voodoo Tide, if he could carry more objects with the effect of mestorm Flow, it would indeed be remarkably effective. Naturally, if Zhu Heavenly Officer knew Zhu Minng was using the Zhu Gate¡¯s Divine Fire as an explosive, he would probably be furious to the point of smoking from seven orifices. This was a squandering of heavenly materials, was he born without hands or what, must he rely on brute force over genuine skill in a fight!! This was probably why Zhu Minng wasn¡¯t suitable to be a Casting Master; seeing such divine fire, his first thought was how to craft it into a lethal weapon, rather than forging an unparalleled masterpiece! ¡°You seem to be enjoying yourself, leisurely taming dragons here, to the point where I almost believed you had nothing to do with the disappearance from Zhao Yin Ge,¡± a contrived voice rose from the slope below. Zhu Minng had been aware of this person for a while, as he watched the slowly approaching woman, he feigned a curious and unacquainted demeanor. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, do you not recognize me? I don¡¯t know who it was that wanted to serve the young master, yet with a single me burned me to the point where not even ashes remained. So heartless, so cruel, and so delightfully vicious!¡± the courtesan Lu Mu said with a smile. Chapter 460: 462: Heavy Slave Puppet Chapter 460: Chapter 462: Heavy ve Puppet Zhu Minng scrutinized her carefully, and after a while, he asked, ¡°Are you a ghost?¡± ¡°How could this one die so easily? As for Mr. Zhu, you really don¡¯t understand how to cherish beauty. Without even giving me a chance to exin, you burned my favorite puppet recement. You should know how difficult it is to collect a Piano Technician¡¯s puppet,¡± Lu Mu continued walking forward. Lu Mu had three puppets in total. Although the Piano Technician puppet wasn¡¯t her most powerful one, it was her favorite. Yet, Zhu Minng effortlessly saw through it and burned it to ashes. ¡°Is this your real body?¡± Zhu Minng asked, looking at Lu Mu, who had changed her appearance. ¡°You guess,¡± the alluring and enchanting courtesan Lu Muughed again. ¡°Howe you¡¯re even uglier than before? I cherish beauty, but you have to be a beauty in the first ce. A rock from atrine? Consider yourself lucky if you don¡¯t stink up the ce, let alone be cherished,¡± Zhu Minng seriouslymented. That remark struck a nerve, and the smile on Lu Mu¡¯s face began to turn ominously dark and dreadful. ¡°You seem to misunderstand your situation. I came here first to demand Zhao Yin Ge from you, and secondly, to let you taste the bitterness of suffering. I don¡¯t fancy using fire, but I can certainly strip off your skin and make a fresh, living puppet out of you!¡± Lu Mu¡¯s gaze turned malicious! ¡°You¡¯re nothing but a vile ghoul of a woman, so why bother unting yourself like that? The food and drinks from that day at the Silver Moon Pavilion are about toe up. In the future, when you¡¯re about to kill someone ormit any atrocities, please spare us your delusions of national beauty and fragrance. Just show your true, fierce, and cold-blooded face; it suits your temperament and appearance much better,¡± Zhu Minng continued. Lu Mu was about to go insane!!!!
This bastard!!!! Can¡¯t he just shut up!! Back at the Silver Moon Pavilion, when he said she wasn¡¯t even on par with the women on the streets of Qin City, and yet she called herself a courtesan, it infuriated her to no end. Today, his words were even more infuriating and made her blood boil!! No wonder Zhao Yin Ge hated this guy so much; no wonder An Qingfeng and Zhao Yu were even more eager to get rid of him. Why must such a venomous-tongued person live in this world!!! ¡°You are courting death. We¡¯re dozens of miles away from Qin City, and your servants can¡¯t save you!¡± Lu Mu¡¯s face was gloomy as she resembled a harpy! ¡°Is it just you then? Isn¡¯t An Qingfeng going to show up?¡± Zhu Minng asked with a smile. ¡°That¡¯s enough. In my eyes, you¡¯re just a wild dog that can bite,¡± Lu Mu said, and her eyes already had the chilling re of a killer. She suddenlyunched an attack, her petite body unleashing astonishing power. The ground she stepped on broke apart, and in the blink of an eye, she was upon Zhu Minng. Her palms turned to frost, and a cold mist swirled around them as she struck towards Zhu Minng¡¯s chest. Instantly, the chilling power spread from the center of her palm, and a vast swathe of deadly ice burst forth with her palm strike¡­ The grasnd froze in an instant, rocks turned to solid ice, and in the air, one could see a massive silhouette of mist in the shape of a hand! Zhu Minng had already drifted backward early on. Hended at the edge of the lofty sea cliff, with the wind howling and the waves thundering below him. ¡°You have no way to retreat,¡± Lu Mu said coldly, her eyes fierce. ¡°The feng shui here is good where I stand, fitting to bury you,¡± Zhu Minng said calmly. As soon as the words were spoken, the cloud-covered sky suddenly was ripped open by a fierce dome light of the sun. The nting dome light struck down upon this tall seaside slope,nding upon Lu Mu¡¯s body. An intense heat immediately radiated, melting away the swirling mist around Lu Mu in an instant. She had nned to approach Zhu Minng, but the intense dome light forced her to retreat backward. It was at this moment that a Dome Light Holy Dragon dove down from the sky. It was majestic andmanding, its four phoenix-like tails gleaming with an array of colors. Its feathers seemed to burn with the blue mes of the sky, quickly setting even the surrounding air aze with brilliant azure fire! Lu Mu looked up, but her eyes stung with pain. She dared not close them, lest she fail to track the movements of the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon. ¡°Chi!!!!!!!¡±
A phoenix cry pierced the air as the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon descended, wrapped in the fierce sunlight it had absorbed, its momentum like divine punishment from an enraged heaven! Lu Mu pped her hand forward, summoning a mountain of ice in a futile attempt to block the onught of the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon. The mountain of ice was shattered into fragments by the dragon¡¯s sr dive, the fragments melting away rapidly. In the final moment, Lu Mu smacked her own body, freezing herself in ice to shield her flesh from the searing me!
Yet, Lu Mu was still sent flying, rolling a great distance away. She was covered in charred mud, her beautiful clothes now filthy and tattered, not to mention her face, which was burned like charcoal. Her eyes were full of rage. She remembered Zhao Yin Ge mentioning Zhu Minng¡¯s strength as at most middle-level Monarch Level, considering his performance in the power contest, middle-level was already the limit. However, the power disyed by Zhu Minng¡¯s dragon indeed seemed to be around middle-level Monarch Level, yet the strength it exercised far surpassed that level. ¡°Heavy ve, attack him together with me!¡± Lu Mumanded. From the foot of the hill, a person holding a massive bronze hammer approached. He was originally ordered to stand guard below to prevent Zhu Minng from escaping, but the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon was no ordinary Dragon Beast! The Heavy ve was actually the puppet that had posed as Zhao Yin Ge that day. He wasn¡¯t very tall, and though his face bore some resemnce to Zhao Yin Ge, there were subtle differences upon close inspection. This fellow was a clearly refined puppet, with a body as strong as copper and iron, capable of immense strength. At the moment, one hand even dragged an astonishing bronze hammer¡ªit would be a merciless killing machine on the battlefield!! Unfazed, the Heavy ve Puppet hoisted the bronze hammer and swung it ferociously at the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon. The hammer seemed to strike the air, yet one could see a force spreading from the point of impact like cracks through ice, right where the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon was positioned! The force of the hammer opened up shockwaves and surges of air, turning the colossal boulders on the slope to dust in an instant.
The Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon glided backward, its sr feathers suddenly dispersing into the air. Then, they transformed into a countless number of radiant feather-daggers that flew densely towards the Heavy ve Puppet! The Heavy ve Puppet was terrifying in its own right; it neither dodged nor retreated, instead charging into the radiant feather-daggers with its irond body. Meanwhile, Lu Mu hid behind it, forming a long whip chain of ice mist. She crept closer to the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon under the puppet¡¯s cover andshed out the ice whip chain towards the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon¡¯s neck! Chapter 461 - 463 Fiery Sunlight Print Chapter 461: Chapter 463 Fiery Sunlight Print The Ice Lock Chains harbored an intensely cold spread, and although they did not bind the neck of the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon further, the frost quickly propagated across its body, coating its dragon feathers and skin in ayer of frost. The frost gathered especially at the neck and head of the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon, preventing it from breathing out dragon breath. Seizing this opportunity, the Heavy ve Puppet charged directly at the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon, swinging the Bronze Hammer down onto its head. The Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon threw its right wing forward, blocking the dreadful hammer. Nheless, the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon was still knocked back dozens of meters, its body¡¯s center of gravity somewhat unstable, and its right wing bone was also injured, incapable of flying for a short time. Engaging in closebat with the flesh and bones of a Dragon King, this Heavy ve Puppet must be Lu Mu¡¯s strongest weapon, likely to be able to smash to death any Dragon King below the middle level with that Bronze Hammer. ¡°Thump, thump, thump.¡± A knocking sound came from the cliff beneath Zhu Minng¡¯s feet. On the inward-sloping cliff face, a man was pressing his back against the rock wall, clinging there like a gecko, and happened to be not far from Zhu Minng. Zhu Huo had already made a huge mistakest time, giving the enemy a perfect opportunity for assassination. This time, he naturally wouldn¡¯t repeat it. He specifically instructed Dumb Wu Peng to hide in the dark, protecting Zhu Minng, as he believed An Qingfeng and Zhao Yu would certainly not let matters rest, especially with the inexplicable disappearance of Zhao Yin Ge¡­ Wu Peng had a high cultivation base; he was an Earth Artisan, skilled in earth escape and defense. Zhu Minng did not have a particrly deep understanding of such Divine and Mortal beings, only knowing that Wu Peng was a formidable expert with a vicious reputation and few words! By knocking on the cliff, he was actually seeking Zhu Minng¡¯s opinion. He worried that Zhu Minng alone would have difficulty facing thebined attack of the two puppets. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, my dragon is not as frail as it appears. Although the Puppet Master can empathize through the puppet¡¯s senses, it has a certain range limit, so the Puppet Master herself must be nearby. Find her and kill her,¡± Zhu Minng said to Wu Peng, who was hiding on the cliff. Wu Peng knocked on the rock wall in response, indicating his understanding. He began to move through the cliff, and the rocks seemed to shift like wriggling sand. In fact, Zhu Minng had intentionally allowed the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon to disy weakness to provoke the enemy. Zhu Minng believed that the woman who came forward to speak to him with her ice fog palm techniques must also be a puppet. Eliminating these two puppets would be meaningless without finding the Puppet Master¡¯s hiding ce. Within a five-mile radius, that should be the Puppet Master¡¯s limit. Hopefully, Wu Peng could quickly locate the true whereabouts of Puppet Master Lu Mu. ¡­ Extreme Shadow Traceless! With its feathers fully recovered, the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon started flying low, moving so swiftly that Zhu Minng could only see a blurry shadow. The feathers of the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon were naturally tough and sharp. It executed its recently mastered skill, resembling a curved azure divine weapon, fiercely chopping down at the Heavy ve Puppet! Finally, wounds appeared on the Heavy ve Puppet, whose skin and muscles were not like those of ordinary humans. Clearly, it had undergone various human cauldron poison refining processes, making its muscles appear as solid as chunks of iron! The Heavy ve Puppet barely withstood the Azure de Dragon Wing sh, but the frosty Lu Mu puppet might not be so resistant. She was already marked with several long gashes, only able to barely stop the bleeding with frost. The Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon grew increasingly formidable as the battle continued. Its feathers began to absorb sunlight incessantly, making it appear as if it was wearing a Phoenix battle coat, and its azure radiance burned like azure mes. It flew low across thend, turning everything it passed over to scorched earth. With a single breath, it unleashed a ravaging ze of light. Both the Heavy ve Puppet and the Ice Mist Female Puppet were forced to retreat, their injuries increasing all the while. ¡°Are you just relying on this one dragon to guard your miserable life? Then your time to die hase!¡± Lu Mu said grimly. At that moment, her eyes suddenly emitted a terrifying Demon Light, while the area around her eye sockets became etched with twisting Demon Patterns, resembling glowing centipedes crawling out from her eyes, then spreading across her entire face, and over her whole body. The centipede Demon Patterns didn¡¯t just appear on the body of the Ice Mist Female Puppet; simr patterns emerged on the chest of the Heavy ve Puppet as well, twisted, ferocious, bizarre, their bodies seemingly engorged with blood as their bones appeared to undergo a grotesque transformation, making eerie sounds as the Demon Patterns emerged! In the instant of the Demon Pattern mutation, Zhu Minng caught a breath of air originating from a nearby forest. Zhu Minng¡¯s eyes lit up. Hmph, hiding in there, are you! ¡°Wu Peng, go. She¡¯s hiding in the forest to the south. If she¡¯s alone, take her down!¡± Zhu Minng instructed Wu Peng. Wu Peng obeyed and immediately skirted around a rock cliff, mbering up from another low precipice, and noiselessly approached the forest. ¡­ The transformation of the Demon Patterns, it must be said, showcased that Lu Mu, the Puppet Master, was far superior to Zhao Yin Ge who had merely scratched the surface of puppeteering. The Ice Mist Female Puppet and the Heavy ve Puppet became incredibly fierce; not only had their wounds healed, but both gained tremendous strength. In particr, the Heavy ve, swinging his Bronze Hammer, almost cleaved the extending high slope cliff in half, with cracks sprawling and deep, some of which had already spread across the rockyers of the precipice. At this time, Zhu Minng could naturally escape if he wished, by flying into the ocean on the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon, making it difficult for the two puppets to pursue. But he had to dy them a bit longer; he couldn¡¯t allow this female Puppet Master to escape again. Zhu Minng¡¯s temper would not tolerate anyone using the same trick twice before him and getting away unscathed! ¡°ROAR!!!!!!¡± The Heavy ve Puppet mmed his hammer towards the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon, shaking it from midair and causing it to fall. The Azure Phoenix Azure Dragonnded near Zhu Minng, but did not fall over. ¡°NEIGH!!!!!!¡± The Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon spread its wings and raised its head; suddenly, a ze of intense light converged together, forming walls as thin as curtains across the high sea slope! These walls,posed entirely of azure curtain light, stood tall. If one were to look down from above, they would notice they made the impression of the Fiery Sunlight Print. The Fiery Sunlight Print not only protected the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon within, but also enveloped Zhu Minng behindyers uponyers of curtain of light prints¡­ This seemed to be a power that could only be wielded after reaching the Monarch Level. But in truth, the powers of the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon were not limited to this alone; it had been employing an invisible force since the beginning of the battle, with special seeds slowly germinating in the soil of the high sea slope, bathed in Dome Light, and now about to break through the soil! The Heavy ve Puppet swung his hammer wildly, shattering one light wall after another, while tiny vines and Wind Crystal Dandelion Flowers began to bloom¡­ Chapter 462 - 464: Be Reborn Sooner Chapter 462: Chapter 464: Be Reborn Sooner The high slope was suddenly enveloped in azure light, as sturdy and tenacious light tendrils burst forth, intertwining to form what seemed like azure, glowing scale pythons!! These azure light tendrils, sprouting from the soil, quickly grew as dense as a lush jungle,pletely trapping the Bronze Hammer Heavy ve Puppet inside. The Light Tendril Python Grass, it turned out, formed a colossal cage. The Heavy ve Puppet indeed possessed boundless strength, but no matter how it hammered, it couldn¡¯t break through these tough nts. Trapped, the ice and frost female puppet found herself increasingly isted and unsupported. The Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon stared at her, spitting a cascade of light towards her. Upon closer inspection, the cascade was actually made of fine, dense light threads that could pierce through solid rock! The stream of light threads left the ice and frost female puppet covered in glowing holes, her blood seeping out. Yet, the puppet clearly felt no pain, for even after such severe injuries, she charged forward relentlessly, this time mming her palm into the ground and freezing it solid! As the ice spread, it quickly covered the Light Tendril Python Grass¡¯s cage as well, the condensing frost making the resilient vine nts brittle. Then, the Heavy ve Puppet unleashed his terrifying brute force. He repeatedly swung his hammer against the Light Tendril Python Grass cage, his powerful blows shattering the frozen vegetation! Having broken free from the vegetative prison, the Heavy ve Puppet¡¯s fierce eyes fixed on Zhu Minng at the edge of the cliff. ¡°The feng shui here is more suitable for your burial, rest assured, I will obliterate your remains,¡± Lu Mu said aloud. Recalling the insulting words previously said by Zhu Minng, Lu Mu suddenly felt a surge of excitement. She must smash Zhu Minng¡¯s head, skin him and make a Human Skin Puppet, otherwise, her hatred would not be appeased! Zhu Minng stood there, with no ce to retreat. The Heavy ve Puppet was tying down the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon, allowing the ice and frost female puppet to bypass the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon and advance on Zhu Minng. Lu Mu¡¯s smile curled, sinister and venomous. She had thought Zhu Minng had some special skill, but it turned out he only had an Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon to show for himself. Unfortunately, a single dragon couldn¡¯t stand against her two puppets! She raised her palm, swinging it directly towards Zhu Minng¡¯s face. Sharp icicles burst forth from her palm, thrusting fearfully at Zhu Minng! But just as she was about to strike, the eyes of the ice and frost female puppet suddenly lost their luster. Her movements froze, as if her soul had abruptly been extracted, leaving behind only an empty shell. The gathered sharp icicles vanished into dust in an instant. Not just the ice and frost female puppet, but the Heavy ve Puppet too, remained frozen in a hammer-swinging pose! They lost control! In that moment, the two puppets underwent a change in demeanor. They stood motionless, lifeless as two walking corpses, with vacant, soulless eyes. Themanding Demon Patterns on their bodies also disappeared! Zhu Minng looked at the female puppet right in front of him and couldn¡¯t help but snort coldly. Just as he had suspected, this Puppet Master would never let her true body appear before him. Although her demeanor, tone, and actions were identical to a living person¡¯s, she was still just a puppet. They were but marites. The slight difference was that, even in the absence of controlling strings, they wouldn¡¯t disintegrate instantly¡­ ¡°` ¡­ After waiting for a moment, Wu Peng walked up from the slope below, his hand still dragging a woman wrapped tightly in cloth. This woman was dressed strangely, her gaze terrifying, her face still wrapped in light-colored bandages, revealing only her eyes, nostrils, and mouth. Zhu Minng watched as this bandage-wrapped mystery woman, like a hunted deer, was brought forth by Wu Peng. ¡°With such petty tricks, did you think you could escape the discerning eyes of your Grandpa Zhu?¡± Zhu Minng said, looking at Lu Mu wrapped in bandages. So this was her true appearance. A freak who dared not show her real face. No wonder she became ferocious and frightening the moment someone mentioned her ugliness; she truly was a monstrous, venomous woman! ¡°I am but an assassin. Even if you kill me, they will still have you killed.¡± The Puppet Master Lu Mu no longer bore the fierce demeanor she had before. When controlling puppets, she was wildly arrogant, proiming that she would turn Zhu Minng into a new Human Skin Puppet, but at this moment, she dared not show the slightest hint of defiance. It seemed that Wu Peng had broken her legs, the agony so severe that it made her speech weak and strained. ¡°Weren¡¯t you tough as nails? But now it seems you have a lot you wish to say to me. If you want to beg for mercy, now¡¯s the time¡­ Along with answering that initial question of yours, Zhao Yin Ge was thrown by me down this cliff to feed the Shark Crocodiles.¡± Zhu Minng stated. Upon hearing this, the Puppet Master Lu Mu visibly twitched. She nced down at the reef waves below the cliff, also spotting the fierce Shark Crocodiles lying on the rocks, where it seemed there were even traces of blood! ¡°Please, Mr. Zhu, have mercy. I was coerced by An Qingfeng and had no choice but to follow his orders to harm you. I¡¯ll tell you anything you want to know, I won¡¯t hide a thing!¡± The Puppet Master Lu Mu shuddered in terror. ¡°If Zhao Yin Ge had no valuable information, I suppose you won¡¯t have any either. Here¡¯s what we¡¯ll do, you were caught by Wu Peng. I¡¯ll ask Wu Peng whether he wants to spare your life. If he agrees, I¡¯ll give you a chance to start over.¡± Zhu Minng had no intention of interrogating Puppet Master Lu Mu. An assassin puppet master is essentially a loyal hound for An Qingfeng, an expensive tool nurtured for murder. It¡¯s for the best to liberate her early; with her adept and deft killing methods, there was no telling how many lives were on her hands. Puppet Master Lu Mu immediately set her gaze on Wu Peng, pleading, ¡°Esteemed sir, I have many stunning female puppets at my disposal. Don¡¯t be fooled by my ghastly appearance now, but those puppets are just like real women, I assure you they can serve you mostfortably. Esteemed sir, please spare my life!!¡± Wu Peng looked at her, his eyes devoid of any flicker of emotion. ¡°Whatever type you like, I¡¯ll capture for you, skin them¡­¡± ¡°If you have any enemies, I can also turn them into Undead Puppets, making them your ves.¡± ¡°I can be your ve too; you canmand me to do anything!¡± The more Puppet Master Lu Mu spoke, the more disgusting her words became, further revealing her true nature. Wu Peng was a mute after all. How could he possibly speak. So, Lu Mu¡¯s fate was sealed from the start, especially after she mentioned using beautiful women for Undead Puppets, which only intensified Zhu Minng and Wu Peng¡¯s intent to kill. Zhu Minng signaled Wu Peng with his eyes, and Wu Peng nodded. Wu Peng walked behind Lu Mu, cradled her head in his hands, and with a gentle twist, granted the cruel and venomous woman a swift end. People like her, better reincarnate as animals sooner. ¡°` Chapter 463 - 465: Not on the Same Level Chapter 463: Chapter 465: Not on the Same Level Such a pity. The trace of An Qingfeng was not seen. If only An Qingfeng could be lured out and dealt with, the fire-obtaining ritual of Zhu Gate would be much safer. An Qingfeng remains cautious, after all, he is the dog son of King An, just as cunning and scheming as his father, and does not act personally without absolute certainty, lest he falls into peril. ¡­ At Mount Chayuan, Mingyuan Zhai. The young prince Zhao Yu sat upright on a swan-down velvet cushion, his demeanor graceful, his presencemanding and his nobility overwhelming. By his side, a small Red Dragon was coiling around, its scales were golden. Although still very young, it already exhibited a touch of distinction. However, this Gold Scale little Red Dragon is nothing more than Prince Zhao Yu¡¯s pet. Some special dragons, much like exquisite jade, can enhance a person¡¯s aura; their breath nourishes one¡¯s appearance and can even slow aging¡­ With one hand, he toyed with the Gold Scale little Red Dragon, disying a flippant attitude. ¡°Zhao Yin Ge and Lu Mu have both been dealt with by Zhu Minng? That is within expectations,¡± Prince Zhao Yu said indifferently. Lu Mu, a fairly capable assassin, was quite a useful tool. But after all, just a servant; dead is dead, at least his death could probe the extent of Zhu Minng¡¯s strength. Zhao Yin Ge, now that¡¯s a shame. After all, he was a Princely Heir and a rtive to Zhao Yu. To this moment, An Qingfeng has yet to figure out how exactly Zhao Yin Ge was kidnapped. It only goes to show that the few people around Zhu Minng are not just inept fools. ¡°Yes, at least now we¡¯re certain that Zhu Minng truly came alone, with no Zhu n Inner Court experts behind him,¡± An Qingfeng said. Indeed, the appearance of Zhu Minng has brought some wariness and apprehension to An Qingfeng and Zhao Yu. If their n had been anticipated by the Zhu n Inner Court, and Zhu Minng had top Zhu Gate elders behind him, they could only continue to bide their time and let them take the Earthfire. Zhao Yin Ge and Lu Mu are dead. But their deaths were worth something. ¡°Actually, I wish he would stir up some trouble. To tell the truth, ever since his disgrace, the Imperial City has be rather dull. Every time I see those so-called once-in-a-generation geniuses from big powers, with their sanctimonious and arrogant airs, it amuses me, as they don¡¯t even have the qualifications to contend with me,¡± Zhao Yu said, showing no concern for the deaths of his subordinates. ¡°It¡¯s both pathetic andmentable, isn¡¯t it? Those whom we used to see as threats are now no more than frogs in a pond¡ªother than their irritating croaking, they can¡¯t stir anything up anymore,¡± An Qingfeng said,ughing. Zhao Yu, soon to be crowned a king, not only will be the youngest king on the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent but will also strive for a higher ne, beyond even the mortal gaze¡ªtruly a celestial being. As for An Qingfeng, he is now influencing the fates of over a hundred forces and more than a dozen nations on the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent. Those who once defied King An¡¯s Mansion, are they not each submitting and groveling before him¡­ Zhu Gate is indeed tough, but it¡¯s not airtight. After all, there are weaknesses, there are ws. This Zhu Gate Little Inner Court, under his nning and control, is practically An Qingfeng¡¯s tomand. Take another look at this Zhu Minng. What¡¯s the difference between him and a stray dog that dares not return home? He fancies himself to have insight into some matters, yet in the end, he¡¯s still just a frog in a pond under a torrential downpour, leaping about haphazardly! ¡°We are no longer on the same level,¡± the little prince Zhao Yu murmured, the corners of his mouth curling up. His attitude towards Zhu Minng wasn¡¯t one of disdain. Instead, it was one of pity and frustration. ¡°Indeed, there are but a few who can still y the game with us. However, there is one thing that puzzles me. Did Wen Lingfei of Miao Kingdom do it on purpose? Why would she choose this good-for-nothing?¡± An Qingfeng spoke up. At the mention of Wen Lingfei, the little prince Zhao Yu¡¯s pupils constricted. The little red dragon that had been leisurely moving down his arm seemed to sense its master¡¯s mood, and it promptly scurried under the table in fright. It took a while before the little red dragon came out. Seeing its master¡¯s gentle demeanor, it slowly made its way back onto his palm. ¡°Miao Kingdom has always been reluctant to get involved with the Imperial City, especially the Royal Family. Wen Lingfei¡¯s attitude is to be expected,¡± the little prince Zhao Yu stated indifferently. ¡°Ultimately, she¡¯s ignorant of her blessings, conceited, and she will regret it!¡± An Qingfeng huffed coldly. The little prince Zhao Yu was made a king. There were several candidates for the role of his queen, each of whom Zhao Yu would visit personally. In principle, every potential queen should wee him with great ceremony, and being chosen would be the highest honor, received with astonishment and delight. However, one of the candidates rejected the esteemed prince outright. This person was none other than Wen Lingfei of Miao Kingdom. As one of the potential queens, she not only firmly refused but also made it clear to the Supreme Court Emperor that she was already betrothed. That person was Zhu Minng. There was no need for Zhao Yu toe here to Qin City, as the woman he favored the most, the one whose status, strength, and position matched his, was none other than Wen Lingfei. However, during his visit to Miao Kingdom, Wen Lingfei revealed her identity as Princess Luoshui. The entire poption knew that Princess Luoshui had already chosen a husband, spent an enchanting night in the Princess Pce, and the people of the Capital of Miao Kingdom had witnessed the royal pce bursting into exceptionally dazzling and romantic fireworks¡­ Having lost the candidate he deemed most suitable, Zhao Yu then traveled all the way to Qin City to meet the next potential queen, Li Caimo, daughter of the City Lord of Qin City, and one of the Nine Tribes of Neon Sea. ¡°Zhu Gate and the Sword Sect have always depended on one another. I anticipated this oue,¡± Zhao Yu said with a cold tone. ¡°Perhaps I should be more ruthless, to thoroughly deal with Zhu Minng? This Li Caimo is indeed a worthy candidate, but she still falls shortpared to Wen Lingfei, especially in terms of cultivation base,¡± An Qingfeng whispered. ¡°Heh, do you think I am the sort of person to pick up someone¡¯s cast-offs?¡± Zhao Yu¡¯s words carried a chill. Seeing Zhao Yu¡¯s face change, An Qingfeng immediately realized his mistake, hurriedly pped his own face, and then tried to salvage the situation with a forced smile: ¡°My brother, that¡¯s not what I meant. Wen Lingfei is not eligible to be the official queen. Even as a ything, someone of your stature, Your Highness, would require a ything of the level of the Female Leader of Miao Mountain Sword Sect!¡± This statement seemed to soothe Zhao Yu. A smile slowly spread across his face as he said to An Qingfeng, ¡°Isn¡¯t that still up to your King An¡¯s Mansion? If you at King An¡¯s Mansion take down Zhu Gate, how would the chilling Sword Sect dare defy our Royal Family?¡± ¡°Our King An¡¯s Mansion will not disappoint you, little prince,¡± An Qingfeng continued with a smile. ¡°Deal with it,¡± Zhao Yu said. ¡°Deal with what¡­ Oh, oh, I¡¯ll make sure it¡¯s taken care of, brother. I promise that before you leave Qin City, Zhu Minng will have disappeared from this world!¡± An Qingfeng quickly understood and hurriedly responded. Chapter 464 - 466: Catching them all in one swoop Chapter 464: Chapter 466: Catching them all in one swoop ¡°` After leaving Mingyuan Zhai, An Qingfeng closed the door slowly, maintaining a respectful expression. As soon as the door had closed, the obsequious look on An Qingfeng¡¯s face dissipated, reced by traces of dissatisfaction and disdain. ¡°Zhu Minng is clearly on his mind, yet he still pretends to be indifferent. In both the Miao Kingdom Pce and Qin City Garden, your attitude, Zhao Yu, was different. Wen Lingfei ignores youpletely, and you are aloof with Li Caimo, disying utter indifference.¡± An Qingfeng muttered disdainfully. An Qingfeng was all too aware of what type of person Zhao Yu was. Indeed, there were few things he cared about in this world. He could even appear magnanimous towards his enemies, but that was only because those enemies were, in fact, beneath his notice. In the end, won¡¯t it still be up to my Prince¡¯s Mansion to deal with Zhu Minng? Zhu Minng is fairly unique. After all, he is the son of the Zhu Heavenly Officer. If we move against him, we must try to capture him alive. If we must kill him, then everything must be handled impably, so as not to leave any evidence that could be used against us by Zhu Gate. Otherwise, King An¡¯s Mansion would face the insane wrath of the Zhu Heavenly Officer. The previous attempts to probe Zhu Minng were partly to determine if Zhu Minng had the backing of any formidable masters from Zhu n Inner Court, and partially just to harass him. How could Zhao Yin Ge and Lu Mu, those two¡­ ¡°It was you who harbored the intent to kill, yet in the end, my King An¡¯s Mansion must carry the me!¡± An Qingfeng sneered. Capturing and killing are two different matters. Given Zhu Gate¡¯s current strength, the most our King An¡¯s Mansion could dare to do is to capture Zhu Minng alive and then use him as a bargaining chip to force the Zhu Heavenly Officer to submit. If we actually killed him, even if King An¡¯s Mansion could withstand Zhu Gate¡¯s vengeance, it would likely be greatly weakened, which wouldn¡¯t benefit us at all. Of course, unless it can be done wlessly¡­ ¡­ After An Qingfeng had left, Prince Zhao Yu remained seated on the cushion. All was silent around him, the darkness of the night deepened, and as a breeze rustled through, it stirred the leaves, causing a wave of rustling that was unfathomablyforting. It was then that Prince Zhao Yu¡¯s gaze fixed on the door curtain, as a figure glided in soundlessly and stood beside the tranquilmp. ¡°An Qingfeng is making moves against Zhu Minng, are you aware?¡± the person under themplight questioned. ¡°Of course, some of the actions were even instigated by me,¡± Prince Zhao Yu replied with a smile. ¡°Why?¡± the tone of the person under themplight grew a touch more intense. ¡°It befits my status. If I showed no animosity towards Zhu Minng, how would An Qingfeng ever trust me? Zhu Wangxing, are you still doubting me? Since Empress Zhu entrusted me with the task of helping you eliminate King An¡¯s influence both inside and outside Zhu Gate, I, Zhao Yu, will naturally put forth all my effort¡­¡± Prince Zhao Yu said earnestly. Zhu Wangxing stepped from beneath themp and gave a slow, respectful bow, saying, ¡°Far be it from me to presume; it¡¯s only that Zhu Minng¡¯s sudden appearance took us by surprise, a matter we did not raise with the Zhu Heavenly Officer.¡± ¡°It¡¯s only natural for the Zhu Heavenly Officer not to trust me. But Empress Zhu is akin to my own mother; if I were siding with King An¡¯s Mansion, do you think my recent ennoblement would have gone smoothly? Would I still have a ce in the Supreme Court Empire?¡± Prince Zhao Yu said. ¡°Then why would you incite An Qingfeng to act against Zhu Minng?¡± ¡°Do you think, if I truly intended to act against Zhu Minng, he would still be safe and sound at this moment?¡± Prince Zhao Yu retorted. ¡°` Zhu Wangxing pondered over these words carefully and felt that there was indeed some truth to what Prince Zhao Yu had said; with the current strength of Prince Zhao Yu, Zhu Minng would not be able to withstand him. ¡°Four days from now, it¡¯s the Fire Fetching Ritual. At that time, we might need to rely on the Prince¡¯s power, after all, bringing any additional person would arouse suspicion from King An¡¯s Mansion,¡± Zhu Wangxing said. ¡°Rest assured, everything will go ording to the n. The spies, insiders, and the experts they sent to sabotage the Fire Fetching Ritual¡ªall will be caught in one fell swoop! After this, King An¡¯s Mansion will be damaged and will no longer pose a threat to your Zhu Gate,¡± Prince Zhao Yu responded. ¡°Then I must thank the Prince for your strong support!¡± Zhu Wangxing bowed to the Prince. ¡°No need to mention it. After I am granted a title of nobility, I will still need the support of your Zhu Gate. Otherwise, the Crown Prince will banish me to the most remote areas or even send me to Li Chuan. I am simply trying to survive,¡± Prince Zhao Yu replied with a bow, expressing his humility. At this moment, Zhao Yu waspletely different from how he had been whenmunicating with An Qingfeng¡ªsteady, calm, humble, with none of a prince¡¯s arrogance or presumption. It seemed this was his true face. ¡­ ¡­ Zhu Wangxing returned to the Little Inner Court. He sat in the room, carefully contemting the words that Prince Zhao Yu had spoken. Not long ago, Zhu Wangxing had made a trip to the Imperial City. Empress Zhu had introduced Prince Zhao Yu to him, stating that the Prince now needed the support of the Zhu n, and he could help them dispose of the spies, insiders, and traitors that King An¡¯s Mansion had nted inside Zhu Gate. Thus, earlier on, Zhu Wangxing had teamed up with Prince Zhao Yu, deliberately leaking the secret information about the Zhu n¡¯s realm to people from King An¡¯s Mansion, using this opportunity to inflict a heavy blow on them. Everything was going smoothly. An Qingfeng, the third son of King An, had personally shown up. The unannounced arrival of Zhu Minng, without so much as a greeting, had raised some concerns for Zhu Wangxing¡­ Fortunately, Zhu Minng would not have too great an impact on the entire n. There were quite a few insiders in the Little Inner Court, and some had already betrayed them long ago. Zhu Wangxing had noticed this early on. If he didn¡¯t take drastic measures, the Little Inner Court would be restricted everywhere and couldn¡¯t really hope to thrive. He hoped that this time, they could be thoroughly eradicated. It would also be considered a great service to Zhu Gate, dealing a serious blow to King An¡¯s Mansion. Prince Zhao Yu was personally rmended by Empress Zhu. With Empress Zhu present, if Prince Zhao Yu were to side with King An¡¯s Mansion, he would not fare well. This gave Zhu Wangxing considerable peace of mind. ¡°Father, where did you go just now?¡± A pleasant and melodious voice rang out, and Zhu Rongrong came in carrying a te of pastries. ¡°I just went for a walk to clear my head. After all, the Fire Fetching Ritual is approaching, and it¡¯s inevitable that I have a lot on my mind,¡± Zhu Wangxing said, his face lightening up with a smile as he saw his daughter, and his eyes unconsciously revealed his deep affection for her. ¡°After so many years, can you really get nervous, Father?¡± Zhu Rongrong asked. ¡°After all, this is the ideal year. You know how long your father has been waiting for this year. The people of our Zhu Gate, if speaking nobly, call themselves Casting Masters, but in fact, we are just craftsmen. What prouder moment for a craftsman than to hear someone exim in awe, ¡®Such a marvelous item, could it be the work of so-and-so!¡¯ Ha ha, not many people knew about me, Zhu Wangxing, before, but after this year, it will be different. Our Qin City Inner Court will be different, and my castings will be different too¡­¡± Facing Zhu Rongrong, Zhu Wangxing suddenly opened up his heart. Chapter 465: 467: Surging Tides, Wind Direction, Atmospheric Pressure Chapter 465: Chapter 467: Surging Tides, Wind Direction, Atmospheric Pressure Zhu Rongrong nodded seriously. She knew how much effort Zhu Wangxing had poured into the Qin City Small Courtyard and hoped that one day, she could lead it to be even more prosperous and powerful. Therefore, the fire retrieval ceremony must not be canceled. She felt that she could also use the method Zhu Minng mentioned to protect the key Earth Vein Fire Pistil! Even if they were being overly cautious, it would still provide an additional safeguard. ¡­ ¡­ Early in the morning, Zhu Rongrong ran to Zhu Minng¡¯s courtyard. Zhu Minng was up early too, patiently feeding a preciously expensive fei leaf to the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon. The leaf shimmered with flowing light, clearly no ordinary object, and Zhu Rongrong could tell that her cousin took the task of dragon-tending very seriously. ¡°Brother, I have good news and bad news,¡± said Zhu Rongrong as she approached, her smile as bright as the first blossoms of spring. Influenced by her smile, Zhu Minng smiled too and asked, ¡°Did you find the location of the mysterious realm?¡± ¡°Brother, do you know why we choose a specific day to go to the mysterious realm?¡± Zhu Rongrong sat down on a chair under the eaves, looking somewhat self-satisfied.
¡°The Zhu Gate is very superstitious. Before any good item is finished, we burn incense and wash our hands, and we also pick auspicious days to start casting. Not to mention the major events of the Family Door, when do we ever not consult the almanac?¡± Zhu Minng replied. In the Zhu Gate, you must believe in the supernatural. No matter how skilled a Casting Master is, whether the item is ordinary, exceptional, holy, or perfect, there is always aponent of luck involved, especially with the mysterious andplex birth and branding of Inscriptions. Otherwise, why would Mr. Jinli¡¯s portraits be hanging all over the ce in the Zhu Gate¡¯s Imperial City Inner Court? ¡°Not quite. If we don¡¯t choose the correct time, even my father can¡¯t find the mysterious realm,¡± said Zhu Rongrong. ¡°Ah?¡± Zhu Minng didn¡¯t quite understand. ¡°Tides, wind direction, air pressure¡­ Controlling them, we can find our mysterious realm,¡± Zhu Rongrong exined. Zhu Rongrong then told Zhu Minng the key methods to identify these three elements so that even in the boundless ocean, one could determine their location through these three ever-changing signatures. The surges of any body of water have patterns; they generate waves no matter how calm, even when there is no wind at all on the surface. Wind direction changes with the seasons, and the climate changes are often hard to predict, but the wind direction over the sea where the Earth Vein Fire Pistil is located is rtively constant, especially in the days following a storm, when you can follow the path of the sea breeze to find the sea where the Earth Vein Fire Pistil resides. Because the Earth Vein Fire Pistil has periods of instability, during unstable times it generates arge amount of heat, cooking the Earth Vein rocks, and also making the seabed warm. This not only changes the tides but also the air pressure on the surface of the sea. Therefore, air pressure is also a key to identification. Zhu Rongrong spoke in detail, and Zhu Minng was very serious inmitting it to memory. ¡°Is that all?¡± Zhu Minng asked. ¡°That¡¯s all. I¡¯ve only managed to get these three elements from my dad,¡± said Zhu Rongrong. ¡°But I remember there are four eldersing with us. If each elder controls one element, then there should be a fourth key element in addition to tides, wind direction, and air pressure,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°My dad said that the remaining one could be figured out on our own. If we can¡¯t, he won¡¯t tell me everything until the day I be the Sect Leader of the Little Inner Court,¡± Zhu Rongrong replied. Four keys, and one was missing. That was a bit troublesome!
¡°We don¡¯t have much time left,¡± Zhu Minng said with a furrowed brow. At this point, asking Zhu Wangxing would be the same as telling him that he was after the Earth Vein Fire Pistil. Although Zhu Minng felt that Zhu Wangxing¡¯s betrayal of Zhu Gate was very unlikely, he was absolutely convinced that things would not be as simple as they seemed, given his understanding of Zhao Yu. ¡°Big brother, why not start by looking for these three elements? You might be able to find a rough location,¡± Zhu Rongrong suggested. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s all we can do now,¡± Zhu Minng nodded.
¡°Big brother.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Big brother, you won¡¯t let us talk to my dad about this, does that mean you also suspect him of being among the betrayers?¡± Zhu Rongrong¡¯s tone suddenly shifted. Zhu Minng was taken aback and looked at Zhu Rongrong. Before Zhu Minng could reply, Zhu Rongrong continued, ¡°Big brother has reasons to suspect, after all, my dad is one of the eight people. If he were the insider, it would cause great harm to our entire Zhu Gate. I can understand why big brother is maintaining a scrutinizing attitude, but if you trust me, big brother, please also trust my dad. He would never betray us; at most, he might have been eager for quick sess and overlooked some things.¡± Zhu Minng had not expected Zhu Rongrong to speak such words. It seemed that his cousin was not as simple as she appeared. ¡°I understand,¡± Zhu Minng nodded earnestly. ¡°Big brother, you must protect the Earth Vein Fire Pistil,¡± Zhu Rongrong said. The Earth Vein Fire Pistil was everything to the Little Inner Court, and Zhu Wangxing had guarded it for most of his life, finally seeing it bloom perfectly this year. Zhu Rongrong did not understand who the external enemy was, nor did she know who the internal enemies might be, but she understood that protecting the Earth Vein Fire Pistil was the utmost importance! ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t let you and Zhu Huo down,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡­ ¡­
Zhu Minng naturally could not wait any longer. The ritual of retrieving the fire was just three days away, but theycked critical information, and he did not know if they could find the Earth Vein Fire Pistil urately within these three days. ¡°Let¡¯s go hunting; this time, let¡¯s try to find a Holy Spirit of more than twenty thousand years, so you can have a good drink!¡± Zhu Minng patted the Dark Crystal Horn on the Heavenly ughter Dragon¡¯s head and began his enticement strategy. The Heavenly ughter Dragon nted its eyes, its sinister dragon face showing a hint of skepticism. Is this really about hunting a ten-thousand-year-old creature, or does this crafty Dragon Shepherd have another purpose? ¡°What¡¯s most important between a Dragon Shepherd and a dragon is trust!¡± ¡°Without trust, how can we support each other, how can we survive in this dangerous and cruel world?¡± ¡°I have obtained critical information about that Holy Spirit. There are three main factors: tidal surge, wind direction, air pressure¡­¡± Zhu Minng seriously exined to the Heavenly ughter Dragon how he had worked hard to gather this information. ¡°I¡¯ve gone through all this trouble just so you can have a good meal; do you think it¡¯s easy for me? And you still doubt me?¡± ¡°Ngh~~~~~!!¡± the Heavenly ughter Dragon roared. Alright, alright. Seeing how professional you sound, this Dragon King will trust your wicked words! Leaping onto the Heavenly ughter Dragon¡¯s spacious back, its scale feathers soft as jade, it would be the utmostfort to spread a velvet nket over them ¨C like the most luxurious airborne bed!
With the Heavenly ughter Dragon as his steed, time could be greatly saved! Chapter 466: 468 Malevolent Water Dragon Chapter 466: Chapter 468 Malevolent Water Dragon Crossing the boundless ocean, Zhu Minng stared at the sea¡¯s surface, knowing that if it weren¡¯t for Zhu Rongrong teaching him to use the fixed direction of the tidal surge for navigation, he would have long been lost in this sea with nary an ind in sight. Following the tide, he could at least discern a direction to move forward. Under the blue sky and over the azure sea, Zhu Minng had the Heavenly ughter Dragone to a halt on the water¡¯s surface and then quietly felt the breeze blowing past. If the initial direction hadn¡¯t been wrong, the wind direction would also be constant. When the wind direction and the tidal surge just so happened to converge, that was the sea he was searching for. Fortunately, as a Dragon Shepherd, his perception of nature was exceedingly keen. Otherwise, even with this knowledge, he would still be lost. There was no sea fog, nor were there any storms, just an exceptional calm all around. After Zhu Minng had located the deep sea area where the Earth Vein Fire Pistil was, he began to sense the atmospheric pressure. Pressure is a difficult thing to discern, as sometimes the feeling of breathlessness may be psychological, and the change in pressure could also lead to shifts in wind direction¡­ Tidal surge, wind direction, atmospheric pressure! After an entire day spent drifting on the sea, Zhu Minng finally found the area that best met these three conditions.
However, this area was roughly fifty li in size; if one carelessly plunged into its depths, it might result in a collision with the dark and rigidly hard rock of the seabed. Lacking one element, it was impossible to achieve the utmost precision, and what remained was for him to slowly find his way through. ¡°Whoosh¨Cwhoosh¨Cwhoosh¨Cwhoosh!!!¡± Suddenly, the tranquil sea surface violently churned, and arge swath of spray soared into the sky, with a huge tail appearing amidst the waves scattering in all directions. This tail was covered in conical scales, each one incredibly sharp and fearsome. Its body underneath the water was about fifty meters long, sturdy and robust. It was a Violent Blood Dragon Shark, and its tail had undergone some mutations; likely a variant among its kind, with an exaggerated physique and sharp fangs that could probably smash even the warships of some nation-states¡¯ armies with a single blow! Zhu Minng initially thought the Violent Blood Dragon Shark had surfaced targeting him and the Heavenly ughter Dragon. But upon further thought, the Heavenly ughter Dragon was a Dragon King. Although the Violent Blood Dragon Shark looked fierce and dreadful, unless it had lost its senses, there was no reason it would provoke a Dragon King! ¡°Whoosh¨Cwhoosh¨Cwhoosh¨Cwhoosh!!!¡± The seawater continued to ssh, with waves striking dozens of meters into the air. While Zhu Minng was puzzled by the Violent Blood Dragon Shark¡¯s behavior, a long and terrifying silhouette emerged from the dark depths below. The elongated creature swam near the Violent Blood Dragon Shark and, in a sudden pounce, used its sharp head to impale the wildly furious shark! Like a flying cable, the lengthy creature pierced straight through the fifty-meter-long body of the Violent Blood Dragon Shark and emerged from the other side! Blood sprayed in all directions, much like the surrounding waves picked up by the wind. The Violent Blood Dragon Shark was killed on the spot, and at that moment Zhu Minng understood why it had rushed to the sea surface¡ªit wasn¡¯t unting its might but fleeing from the pursuit of a more powerful and terrifying creature! Lacerated alive, the lengthy marine creature half leaped out of the water, its body smeared with the blood and viscera of the Violent Blood Dragon Shark. But as it fell back into the sea, the filth was quickly washed away, gradually revealing its light blue glowing scales. ¡°Malevolent Water Dragon!¡± Zhu Minng recognized the supremely powerful creature at a nce. Malevolent Water Dragons made their home in the deep sea. Some, even without transforming into dragons, had lived incredibly long lives, uninterrupted during their underwater cultivation by other creatures, leading to fearsome levels of cultivated power. They reigned supreme in whatever region they dwelled, cing themselves at the very top of the food chain as apex predators!
¡°Goodness, this Malevolent Water Dragon probably has a cultivation base that¡¯s even higher than the Absolute Sea Hawk Emperor¡¯s,¡± Zhu Minng used his Spiritual Sense to scout, and he immediately felt a cold, terrifying murderous intent! The Malevolent Water Dragon¡¯s cultivation base was more exaggerated than he had imagined. If not thirty thousand years, then it was twenty-eight or twenty-nine thousand years¡­ This was the first time Zhu Minng had encountered a Serpent Saint Spirit of such a level!
The ocean was indeed fearful, and the creatures dwelling within it were even more daunting! ¡°Could it be that this Malevolent Water Dragon is the same one that the elders once drove away?¡± Zhu Minng suddenly recalled this event. Back then, inside the Veins of the Earth, a noise suddenly came from above, and when Zhu Minng looked up, he barely caught sight of a long shadow. Zhu Wangxing told him that it was a Malevolent Water Dragon that had been lingering near the Earth Vein¡¯s Trace, with a cultivation base of thirty thousand years. The very creature that Zhu Wangxing spoke of was right in front of his eyes! Zhu Minng might not be able toprehend what the fourth key element in searching for the secret realm was, but encountering this Malevolent Water Dragon meant he was very close to the Earth Vein¡¯s Trace!! ¡°I suppose it resides at the Earth Vein¡¯s Trace, which means by following it, we will definitely find the Earth Vein Fire Pistil,¡± Zhu Minng couldn¡¯t help but smile. However, as he smiled, Zhu Minng realized something wasn¡¯t right. A Malevolent Water Dragon nearing thirty thousand years in age, its strength must have mostly reached the Lower Dragon King level, which was not on the same level as the Absolute Sea Hawk Emperor anymore! Why was he so calm about this!! ¡°Look, didn¡¯t I promise you that I¡¯d find one over twenty thousand years? How about this Malevolent Water Dragon, does it suit your taste?¡± Zhu Minng said to the Heavenly ughter Dragon. The Heavenly ughter Dragon exhaled through his nostrils. Twenty-nine thousand years, the taste was just right.
Human Dragon Shepherds could indeed be reliable sometimes! After consuming the Holy Spirit Blood of the Absolute Sea Hawk Emperor a while ago, its cultivation base gradually stabilized at the Lower Dragon King level. Not long ago, it consumed Holy Spirit Blood that was over ten thousand years old, and that wasn¡¯t even fresh. That somewhat displeased the Heavenly ughter Dragon. This time, it was surely a feast! The blood of a serpent, it was definitely tastier than that of any Absolute Sea Hawk Emperor, after all, serpents were close rtives of dragons! Thirty thousand years and still unable to transform into a dragon. This serpent was rather special indeed. But whether it transformed into a dragon or not was no longer important to a serpent overlord of such a level, it already stood at the pinnacle of billions of creatures, and its power was certainly not inferior to a legitimate Dragon King! The Saint Spirit of the Malevolent Water Dragon naturally noticed the Heavenly ughter Dragon lingering above the surface of the sea, its eyes showing deep hostility. ¡°Grrrrr!!!!¡± It let out a roar, as if questioning the intentions of the Heavenly ughter Dragon in these parts. The face of the Heavenly ughter Dragon already showed some ill-intent, it slowly opened its mouth, revealing two rows of fine Dragon Teeth. The Heavenly ughter Dragon was a blood-drinking creature, possessing two particrly sharp fangs among its teeth. Even though it had already transformed to the point where it could absorb blood qi through its Blood-Sucking Feather Scales, but when faced with a beautiful serpent like this one, it still didn¡¯t mind driving its sharp dragon teeth into its neck¡¯s vessels, slowly savoring the suck!
Chapter 467: 469 Dark Vision Chapter 467: Chapter 469 Dark Vision The Wings of the Heavenly ughter Dragon suddenly spread wide, and the clear sky plunged into darkness in an instant. Odd dark stars studded the sky, each one slipping from the dark expanse and diving into the still calm sea domain. The exaggerated power of the TianSha Dragon King made the nearly thirty thousand year old Malevolent Water Dragon apprehensive; it saw the Dark Long Stars falling into the sea and noted each peculiar Dark Long Star transforming into a ck-Spotted Hole as soon as it touched the ocean, creating voids that sucked in everything around them! Eventually, many Dark Long Stars connected, forming a terrifying ck Star Cave that drew in all the surrounding sea water into its depths! The ck Star Cave was iprehensibly fearsome. The Malevolent Water Dragon swam through the surging waters, continuously writhing its body¡ªif it slowed down its swimming pace slightly, it too would be sucked into the ck Star Cave. The Malevolent Water Dragon was indeed formidable; seeing that its speed was slowed by the water, it no longer tried to escape. Instead, its tail whipped up the waters, its radiant scales shimmering. A dark current from deep within the ocean, akin to a ck beast of the abyss, rushed toward the ck Star Cave under the Malevolent Water Dragon¡¯s control! Clearly, the ck Star Cave had its limits; it couldn¡¯t possibly consume the entire sea. As the dark currents shed and reverberated, the ck spots in the ck Star Cave gradually filled up. Only then was the dreadful ability of the Fiend Star Dragonpletely neutralized. However, the Fiend Star Dragon had never counted on the ck Star Cave to trap the thirty thousand year old Malevolent Water Dragon; it created an enormous Sky Abyss in the center of the sea domain. The distant sea took minutes to refill the void. The Heavenly ughter Dragon flew into the Sky Abyss, its Eyes of the Mourning Dragon fixedly gazing upon the thirty thousand year old Malevolent Water Dragon beneath the water¡­
¡°Whoosh!!!!!!!!!¡± Suddenly, the seawater around the Sky Abyss surged violently, as if some terrible force boiled it to frenzied levels. Nine giant serpents, transformed from deep ocean currents, burst forth; they formed a Nine Pces Lock, enveloping the Heavenly ughter Dragon above with shocking presence. The Heavenly ughter Dragon pped its wings, vanishing into the darkness, its splendid Scale Feathers neatly flickering, transforming into a pitch-ck dragon perfectly merging with its dark realm. The giant serpent¡¯s Nine Pces Lock could not confine the Heavenly ughter Dragon, and inevitably disintegrated into seawater, spilling back into the ocean. And the Malevolent Water Dragon, which had been swimming nearby just moments before, suddenly disappeared without a trace. Zhu Minng on the back of the Heavenly ughter Dragon couldn¡¯t sense its presence anymore. ¡°It seems it doesn¡¯t want to fight with you,¡± Zhu Minng said. The Heavenly ughter Dragon had no intention of letting go of this feast; it nced at the profound darkness of the water below. Without hesitation, the Heavenly ughter Dragon folded its wings and, like a serpent, slithered into the depths, using its long and agile tail to dive toward the seafloor! The Blood-Sucking Feather Scales of the Heavenly ughter Dragon were quite special, particrly after it had consumed the blood of the Absolute Sea Hawk Emperor, its Scale Feathers seemed capable of morphing into various forms. When its feathersy t and neatly arrayed, its body was as smooth as crystal, each scale seamlessly connecting with no gaps, like a single perfect sheet of skin. When its Scale Feathers stood slightly erect and hardened like steel feathers, not only could it absorb blood essence inbat to replenish its energy, but its defense and resistance also greatly increased. These were abilities it had possessed before. Now, its Scale Feathers could also flip backward uniformly, taking on a dark hue, with the hard scales retracting and soft feathers prevailing. In this form, it became exceedingly flexible, and its Feather Dragon muscles adapted to the surrounding environment¡­ Upon entering the seabed, the Heavenly ughter Dragon changed its scale feathers into this dark form, making it resemble a sable dragon swimming through the murky waters, its slender and sinister shape swaying just as fearlessly as it did soaring through the skies. Its wings were now fully retracted and clung tightly to its back, also providing Zhu Minng with perfect protection behind it. Zhu Minng was somewhat surprised to find that the Heavenly ughter Dragon could move so freely in the water¡­ ¡°Follow it, we are on our way to a very important ce,¡± Zhu Minngmunicated with the Heavenly ughter Dragon through their minds. As it continued to dive, the Heavenly ughter Dragon encountered little resistance and the deep-sea pressure hardly affected it.
It wasn¡¯t that the Heavenly ughter Dragon was omnipotent, capable ofbat in the air and leisurely swimming in the ocean, but rather because the seabed was dark, almost devoid of sunlight, and this cold, dark environment was the secret to its ease of movement in the deep-sea. Its current dark form allowed it to swim at will through the darkness, not because it was particrly familiar with water. ¡­ Following the Malevolent Water Dragon, Zhu Minng started to perceive his surroundings using his Spiritual Sense.
He remembered that previously, his Spiritual Sense could only ¡°see¡± an outline of the seabed, which was also very blurry, simr to viewing a mountain in a dense night. But this time, because of the Heavenly ughter Dragon¡¯s call, Zhu Minng seemed to gain the Dark Vision of the Heavenly ughter Dragon, so that he could see everything on the seabed clearly. The seabed silt, the magnificent rocky understructures, and the various creatures roaming the seabed¡­ Zhu Minng could even see a long, shadowy figure in the far distance, at the very edge of his vision, speeding towards the deeper depths of the seabed. The sea ridges were sloped, inclining towards an even deeper area, and Zhu Minng vaguely remembered that near the Undersea Vein previously, there was also a huge seabed slope, though back then he could only sense its outline. ¡°It¡¯s there, chase after it!¡± Zhu Minng pointed towards the seabed slope and said. The Heavenly ughter Dragon swam in that direction. In the deep sea, it was not as fast as that Malevolent Water Dragon and after a while, lost sight of it. However, the Malevolent Water Dragon did them a favor by leading Zhu Minng to sessfully find the traces of the Undersea Vein! That sea ridge slope inclined precisely towards the Veins of the Earth they were looking for, a deep-sea fissure that seawater could not prate, which could be mistaken merely for a seabed silt trench if one did not venture to explore. ¡°We¡¯ve found it!¡± Zhu Minng directed the Heavenly ughter Dragon towards the Veins of the Earth. As they approached the area, Zhu Minng felt a heat, and although the Veins of the Earth were very deep, the power of the earth¡¯s core still prated through the thickyers of the seabed rocks, spreading to the surroundings.
Upon entering the Veins of the Earth, the endless ocean was now above their heads, and there was no difficulty in breathing as one might imagine below, nor was there even the need to hold one¡¯s breath as in the deep waters of the sea. Chapter 468: 470: Trembling Metal Sword Bolls Chapter 468: Chapter 470: Trembling Metal Sword Bolls The traces of the Earth Vein fire were not as horrifying as one might imagine, especially when reaching the Earth Vein Fire Pistil. Looking at the red radiance blossoming from the flowing active liquid, there was even a sense of peaceful sanctity. ¡°Go on, you go y with that Malevolent Water Dragon. I¡¯ll look around here,¡± Zhu Minng said to the Heavenly ughter Dragon. The Heavenly ughter Dragon naturally had no interest in the fiery red liquid. Elemental fire had nothing to do with it. No matter how extraordinary or mystical, the Heavenly ughter Dragon couldn¡¯t be less interested. When it came to the color red, all it cared about was blood! The Heavenly ughter Dragon wasn¡¯t too resentful this time; after all, Zhu Minng had indeed found it a delectable treat. Having dropped Zhu Minng below the traces of the Earth Vein, the Heavenly ughter Dragon, cloaked in its Dark Feathers, dived into the profound darkness. Its nature as a Mourning Dragon was perfectly disyed at this moment, as a natural-born yer, it had an acute sensitivity to the scent of living creatures! Zhu Minng himself entered the area of the Earth Vein Fire Pistil and saw that the fire liquid today was even more serene thanst time, resembling bright red ink, looking exceedingly peaceful. The container for collecting Earth Vein Fire was custom-made. For this reason, Zhu Minng had specifically asked Zhu Huo to prepare an adequate amount for him. Although collecting the fire liquid bottle by bottle was somewhat tedious, it was still better than having thieves covet one¡¯s secret treasure. Only by keeping it to himself could Zhu Minng feelpletely secure. ¡­
Following the example of Uncle Wangxing and several elders, Zhu Minng also made a respectful bow. He began to collect the fire liquid. The bottles were very small, and Zhu Minng was patient. After all, this was very different from drawing well water; well water was nothing but well water, but this fire liquid was worth a fortune, especially when Zhu Minng used it as explosive grenade in the tea garden¡ªthe effects were simply too marvelous! After collecting about ten bottles, Zhu Minng noticed that the Serene Fire Liquid had started to be somewhat restless. The red liquid seeped out from the extremely solid Earth Veins like a mountain spring. The surface part of the fire liquid was indeed quite cid and gentle. For Zhu Minng, taking it was no different from drawing water. However, as thisyer of Serene Fire Liquid was collected, the deeperyers ofva were not as friendly. Just a slightly heavier breath from Zhu Minng was enough to see a terrifyingyer of zing fire appear on the liquid¡¯s surface, with extremely high temperatures that could instantly burn skin upon contact! ¡°It seems that there¡¯s a limit to the fire that can be collected. The more serene fire liquid will float on the surface, covering the entire underground fire vein, effectively suppressing the deeper, more vtile fire liquid,¡± Zhu Minng observed the special Earth Vein Fire Pistil carefully. Zhu Minng estimated that he could collect about thirty bottles of Earth Vein Lava at most. To collect the deeperyers of the Earth Vein Lava, more exquisite techniques would likely be needed. The slightest mistake could turn the entire Earth Vein Fire Pistil into a terrifying sea of fire! His movements became even more cautious, and Zhu Minng collected about ten more bottles¡­ Sealed tightly and perfectly insted, these twenty precious bottles of Earth Vein Lava were neatly packed by Zhu Minng. After waiting for a while, Zhu Minng began to collect the remaining Serene Fire Liquid. But just then, a floating piece of ck crystal floated into the Earth Vein Fire Pistil amidst the flowing fire liquid. It was merely a piece of crystal stone that had lost its gravity, but it was like a spark falling into a barrel of oil. The entire Earth Vein Fire Pistil erupted with terrifying energy. Zhu Minng watched as the peaceful fire pistil transformed into an agitated essence, like a horde of ancient fire beasts, fiercely pouncing around with a tremendous shocking force that seemed capable of instantly reducing thousands of lives to ashes. Zhu Minng was fortunately prepared, and Zhu Huo had also warned him to be vignt for foreign objects falling into the fire pistil while collecting¡­ Zhu Minng immediately retreated and hid in the crevices of the Earth Vein traces. The visceral sensation of the Fire Phoenix¡¯s presence is overwhelming; the wild, extreme mes nearly filled every trace of the Earth Vein Fire, and if one were above the sea, they might even glimpse a colossal Fire Lotus reflected at the bottom of the vast, dark ocean. The scene was immensely magnificent, yet it brimmed with danger!! At such times, all one can do is wait quietly for the wave of restlessness to pass. The restless Fire Liquid is the most likely to detonate, and after incinerating all of it, more Serene Fire Liquid will seep from the cracks in the Earth Veins. Fire refines fire. The Serene Fire Liquid is not serene because itcks energy; in fact, it is the essence of the entire Earth Vein Fire Pistil, formed amidst the sweeping unrest of the Restless Fire Liquid, like grains of gold and silver amidst silt.
Fortunately, this wave of Fire Pistil restlessness was not too strong and quieted down after a short time. Zhu Minng stepped out once again to find himself in a terrifying domain of red mes. The Earth Vein rockyer was burnt crimson, and its surface was tempered into Stone Crystals by the fiery heat. Approaching the Earth Vein Fire Pistil, Zhu Minng saw even more Serene Fire Liquid appearing on the surface. It seems that the Serene Fire Liquid is also slowly extracted.
Zhu Minng saw the flowing red magma churning and also perceived the many tranquil and peaceful Fire Liquids hidden beneath the dangerous, restlessyer of fire. They were like springs in a muddy pond, easy to distinguish, but as the furious flow of fire pressed down upon them, they could only identally seep to the surface and float at the top whenever the Fire Pistil became agitated. Zhu Minng felt a surge of joy in his heart. It turned out there was even more Serene Fire Liquid in the deepyer, like a pond full of pearls covered by silt! However, Zhu Minng soon felt disheartened again. How could he deal with the restless flow of fire? He couldn¡¯t move objects through the air; even if a tiny Crystal Stone were to touch them, it would provoke a great congration. It was like a formidable barrier had been ced upon the Serene Fire Liquid, utterly unbridgeable. ¡°Uncle Wangxing probably couldn¡¯t solve this problem either, hence we only harvest the Serene Fire Liquid that seeps to the surface. Though the yield is low, it¡¯s still a longsting source,¡± Zhu Minng said, shaking his head helplessly. There was simply no way to collect the Fire Liquid from the loweryer; even the Dragon King with fire attributes wouldn¡¯t dare to provoke those restless flows of fire. ¡°Buzz~~~~~~~¡± Just then, a familiar sound resonated within the Spirit Realm. Zhu Minng was puzzled; the humming should only ur when the Sword Spirit Dragon was present, with its sword body containing countless discarded Ancient Swords, which asionally expressed their indomitable spirits with the quivering hum of Sword Tremors. Wasn¡¯t the Sword Spirit Dragon still inside that massive Metal Sword Boll? Zhu Minng checked the Spirit Realm and saw that simrly tranquil and serene Metal Sword Boll¡­ ¡°Buzz!!!!!!!¡±
Another vibration ensued, and the Metal Sword Boll seemed like a gigantic metal egg, within which life was gestating and expressing something. Chapter 469: 471: Immortal Spiritual Sword Chapter 469: Chapter 471: Immortal Spiritual Sword At that moment, Zhu Minng was unable tomunicate with the Sword Spirit Dragon, after all, it hadn¡¯t broken out of its cocoon¡­ After pondering for a long time, Zhu Minng tentatively asked, ¡°Do you want toe out?¡± ¡°Buzz!!¡± The Metal Sword Bolls continued to respond. Zhu Minng was puzzled. If you really want toe out, then break the outer shell of the Metal Sword Bolls. Clearly, you haven¡¯tpleted your degeneration and hibernation metamorphosis, so why are you in such a hurry to be born? ¡°The Sword Spirit Dragon belongs to the Artifact Spirits. If it wants toplete its metamorphosis faster, the Phoenix Nest probably isn¡¯t effective for it, could it be that the Sword Spirit Dragon needs this Earth Vein Fire Pistil??¡± Zhu Minng made a bold spection. ¡°Buzz~~~~~~~~¡± The response from the Metal Sword Bolls grew more intense! That¡¯s really it! But that¡¯s the Earth Vein Fire Pistil!
Zhu Minng worried that once the Metal Sword Bolls were ced into it, before it even had a chance to absorb the energy of this Divine Fire, it would be melted directly! ¡°No, the Serene Fire Liquid is meant for forging, meaning living creatures can hardly withstand such high temperatures, but some of the most refined metal ores won¡¯t melt, instead bing even more perfected through quenching!¡± Living beings couldn¡¯t possibly touch this Earth Vein Fire Pistil, but as an Artifact Spirit, the Sword Spirit Dragon could! Beneath the turbulent flow of mes lies a treasure trove, a divine fire liquid that the techniques of Zhu Gate can¡¯t currently retrieve. If one could ovee this barrier¡­ Zhu Minng immediately felt a surge of joy. He held up the Metal Sword Bolls that the Sword Spirit Dragon had transformed into, which surprisingly started to move on its own. The Metal Sword Bolls floated above the Earth Vein Fire Pistil and then slowly sank down. The Fire Pistil,rge as a tree, withyers of fire liquid flowing like bright red curtains, some winding around the Earth Vein Fire Pistil, otherspletely enveloping it. The Metal Sword Bolls transformed by the Sword Spirit Dragon went straight throughyer uponyer of turbulent mes. In an instant, an even more powerful surge of the Earth¡¯s pulsation rose, and upon seeing the turbulent mes sweeping lethal tides in all directions, Zhu Minng didn¡¯t dare to hesitate and turned to flee into the deep cracks of the Earth Vein¡¯s scars. Behind him, a destructive tide of fire flooded this dark underwater world, and Zhu Minng, as the sole living person here, almost evaporated from existence! ¡°Sword Spirit Dragon, at least give me a heads up!!¡± Zhu Minng cursed as he fled. The Sword Spirit Dragon, after its regression, was like a mischievous child, not considering its master¡¯s predicament at all. If he ran any slower, the Sword Spirit Dragon would be an orphan! The world was a piercing red, and Zhu Minng couldn¡¯t even keep his eyes open, feeling as if he was inside a volcano in the midst of releasingva. The tide of fire spread further, filling even the tiniest cracks of the Earth¡¯s veins with molten rock. Zhu Minng did not know where he had fled to, as the Earth Vein¡¯s scars had many branches, some leading to thicker Earth Veins, others to the seabed¡¯s rockyers, and some even to the deeper depths of the Earth Vein Abyss. Despite all hisints, Zhu Minng was still very worried about the Sword Spirit Dragon. If it couldn¡¯t withstand the terrifying surge of fire, he would be sending off his younger in an elder¡¯s grief. ¡°Sword Spirit Dragon, Sword Spirit Dragon, if you can hear me, give me a response!¡±
Zhu Minng was using the Soul Contract to sense the life breath of the Sword Spirit Dragon. The Spirit Contract hadn¡¯t broken, which was good news, at least indicating the Sword Spirit Dragon hadn¡¯t been melted away. But the Sword Spirit Dragon was undergoing degradation; even as an Artifact Spirit, it was still just a baby, too fragile. Serious injuries would pose a significant obstacle to its future growth. There was no response¡­
It made sense, after all, the Sword Spirit Dragon was still inside the Metal Sword Bolls, unaware of how to respond. ¡­ Anxiety was useless; he could only wait. As long as the Spirit Contract remained intact, the Sword Spirit Dragon was still alive. This time the kic me tide was even more terrifying, powerful enough to sever many Veins of the Earth¡¯s rockyers, and the return path had beenpletely blocked by the rubble of the earth veins. Zhu Minng had no choice but to seek another path, but without the Heavenly ughter Dragon by his side, Zhu Minng gradually lost the Dark Vision of the Heavenly ughter Dragon and found himself lost in the intricate traces of the earth veins. Although he found crevices that led back to the Earth Vein Fire Pistil, they were either copsed or filled with pools of high-temperature me that lingered for a long time. Zhu Minng was quite helpless and could only wander aimlessly through the traces of the earth veins. Elsewhere, at the heart of the Earth Vein Fire Pistil, the Metal Sword Bolls that the Sword Spirit Dragon had transformed into hadpletely immersed themselves in the center of the fire pistil. The reason they were called fire pistils was that those serene and sacred mes looked like clusters of enormous flower pistils, gathered together in a majestic and beautiful disy that carried an air of mystery. And the Sword Spirit Dragon knew how to pick the mostfortable spot, burrowing the entire Metal Sword Boll into these colossal pistils, like a cunning bee stepping into the heart of a fragrant bloom. Slowly, its entire body submerged within, and from the outside, the pistils seemed dazzling and pure, invoking pity. Yet, in fact, a little Flower Thief was frantically sucking inside, drawing away the most perfect nectar¡­ This little Flower Thief was naturally the Sword Spirit Dragon! It even took the Earth Vein Fire Pistil as its perfect forge nest, deciding not to return to the Spirit Realm but to dwell here instead. The Sword Spirit Dragon¡¯s body held countless ancient Sword Souls, covered in rust and dullness, yet the essence of many Ancient Swords was still high-grade metal, forged by Casting Masters to perfection but aged over time.
Now, the most vigorous Serene Fire Liquid in the Earth Vein Fire Pistil was like divine honey, revitalizing their youth. The rust simply couldn¡¯t withstand such high temperatures, quickly melting away, allowing the true essence of the sword bodies to not only rebloom with sharpness but in this perfect and powerful quenching, they became even more splendid and sacred!! Many famous swords were awakening, their ancient Inscriptions blooming in this perfect forging, while the vast energy of the mes contained in the fire pistil was being absorbed into the Metal Sword Bolls of the Sword Spirit Dragon. The Fire Trace Sword, this was a sword of intense mes. The Fire Trace Markings had been refined to perfection in just a short time and were even undergoing sublimation! In the beginning, after Zhu Minng invoked the Fire Scar Sword Inscription in the great battle with the Fiend Star Dragon, the Fire Scar Sword Inscription dimmed. But this time, it was fully charged and brimming with energy! The Metal Sword Bolls had manyyers, each of which seemed like a constraint that needed to be shed over long years. As an Artifact Spirit, its transformation was even more unique¡­ It had degraded from a transcendent sword to an ordinary iron sword, but with eachyer of bolls constraint broken, its sword body and quality elevated. Originally, this would have been a slow process, but due to the special Divine Fire of the earth veins,yers uponyers of bolls were being broken through at an unimaginable rate. With each release from the sword cocoon, the Sword Spirit Dragon received the most perfect tempering, and the radiance of the Inscriptions on its sword body became increasingly saintly! Transformation, tempering, Inscriptions awakening, theyers of sword bolls slowly shedding; the Sword Spirit Dragon was being endowed with a more powerful Soul ss, transitioning from a mundane sword towards a transcendent sword, then from a transcendent sword to a sacred sword, and finally growing towards an Immortal Sword!! The Spirit Sword was merely extraordinary, merely exceptional. But the Immortal Sword was supremely arrogant; even without a wielder, it could stand proudly between heaven and earth.
Chapter 470: 472: The Fight of the Deities Chapter 470: Chapter 472: The Fight of the Deities Zhu Minng, isted at the other end of the Earth Vein scars, did not know exactly what changes the Sword Spirit Dragon was undergoing, but he could barely sense some differences in the Sword Spirit Dragon through the Spirit Contract. The thing Zhu Minng was most worried about was thefort of the Sword Spirit Dragon. Since it was well and even conveying a veryfortable feeling, Zhu Minng felt much more at ease. For a while, he could not find a way back to the Earth Vein Fire Pistil, and even if he went back now, it probably wouldn¡¯t mean much. The anxious fire stream was still incessantly venting its anger towards the scars of the Earth Vein, as if to burn all intruders to ashes. However, this restlessness was meaningless. The Sword Spirit Dragony in the mostfortable, most serene, and most energetic ce. This nourishment and moulding surpassed all the spiritual resources that a Dragon Shepherd could collect! After all, the Earth Vein Fire Pistil is an exceptionally special existence. It seems that the Earth Vein Fire Pistil itself possesses a certain level of Spiritual Wisdom. The agitated fire stream is simply unwilling to allow any covetous beings to approach it, which is why it doesn¡¯t need any powerful guardian creatures at all. But the Earth Vein Fire Pistil could not have anticipated the existence of something as special as the Sword Spirit Dragon in this world. After tens of thousands, or even hundreds of thousands of years of umtion, it ended up bing the wet nurse for baby Sword Spirit Dragons. To add insult to injury, this creature, having feasted to its heart¡¯s content, still refuses to leave¡­ The fire could only release its fury through the surrounding Earth Veins, and it was the sea creatures on the ocean floor that suffered the consequences. The Earth Vein Fire does not extinguish even when it meets water, creating a vast expanse of mes on the seabed rocks. As a result, this area of the ocean presented a stunning marvel. The sky was a brilliant blue, the ocean an emerald green, but deeper beneath the ocean, there appeared a vast in of fire. Although its energy did not spread across the whole ocean, it forced those giant seafloor beasts, aquatic demons, and ancient sea creatures to flee to the surface, all looking as if they had no ce to call home! Most of the seafloor demons were well-hidden, and even for a dominant water creature like the Malevolent Water Dragon, it was not easy to find them under normal circumstances. As a result of the invasion of the Earth Vein Fire Pistil by a little thief, all those millennial and perennial ancient sea monsters were forced out, much to the Malevolent Water Dragon¡¯s delight!!
Normally, catching a ten-thousand-year-old sea monster for a meal would require a lot of effort, but today they were all near the shallowyers of the sea¡ªit was like a new year celebration, a new year celebration!! The Malevolent Water Dragon, like a tiger among sheep, began enjoying a gluttonous feast. With its cultivation base and power, those ancient sea creatures were nothing more than sizable chunks of meat! However, the Malevolent Water Dragon couldn¡¯t do as it pleased because a mad dog of a dragon was always at its tail! This mad dog was truly crazy. With so many Ten Thousand Year Saint Spirits being sted out of the sea, if it wanted to drink blood, it could have been dead drunk by now. Yet, the crazed dragon showed no interest in the other ancient sea creatures with Saint Spirits. It just kept biting at the Malevolent Water Dragon. Not only was it picky, but its taste was also extremely particr! ¡°Ao!!!!!!!¡± the Malevolent Water Dragon roared furiously at the insane dragon. With a sea full of Saint Spirit delicacies within easy reach, they are mine for the taking. It¡¯s all the same on my territory. You drink your blood, I eat my meat. I won¡¯t concern myself with you, so why do you insist on relentlessly pursuing me?! ¡°Nuh~~~~~~~~¡± the TianSha Dragon King responded as well. Their ages are too young, making their blood not rich enough. It¡¯s your nearly thirty thousand years of dragon blood that tastes more delicious! ¡°Ao!!!!!!!¡± the Malevolent Water Dragon raged, charging at the Heavenly ughter Dragon in a seemly desperate fight to the death! In this vast ocean, countless members of the Demon Race gathered on the surface, and many sea demons were visible everywhere, including several with the power of Ten Thousand Year Saint Spirits, some being sixteen thousand, some eighteen thousand years old¡­ At first, this group of seafloor demon saints were trembling in fear, thinking they would struggle under the terror of the two great Dragon Kings. But then, they discovered the two kings were fighting each other desperately, turning the sky dark and sea muddy. A few demon saints gradually realized that their lives were not in danger and even casually caught some seafood. They gnawed on their catches while their eyes widened in astonishment, watching the divine battle unfold! ¡­ Beneath the scars of the Earth Vein, Zhu Minng had unknowingly ventured into even deeper depths. Zhu Minng even saw a ridge made of Red Wu Rock Crystals, magnificently piercing through several Veins of the Earth and windingly lying in this underground world. The ridge is like the spine of the earth, and if the Veins of the Earth can be understood as the bones of the earth, then the ridge is the fulcrum that connects all the veins. Once the ridge shatters, countless veins would copse along with it, and as a result, a terrifying scene ofndslides and sinkholes would ensue. Zhu Minng saw many rare ores, and Red Xuanwu Stones were very valuable. He casually took some, specifically choosing those of good quality, not for selling, but asionally to be used for grinding the teeth of his dragon pets. Walking along the spectacr ridge, Zhu Minng discovered a new crack in front that seemed to have been created by the recent disturbances, and beneath the crack, there was a huge cavern with emerald-colored seawater, akin to an Emerald Lake! Zhu Minng inwardly acimed it.
He must have reached the depths of the Veins of the Earth since he even saw the ridge, and in such a mysterious and unknown ce, there appeared a cavernke rippling with green light! Yet Zhu Minng couldn¡¯t resist his curiosity and climbed down along that newly formed crack. The water in the pool was clear and sparkling, like a fairnd spring, which made the pitch-ck, cold stone-veined underworld seem like an oasis had appeared¡­ Zhu Minng suspected he had been in the darkness for too long and began to experience illusions.
But as he got closer, he could distinctly feel afortable aura, like a mist, gradually dispelling his tension and fear. Zhu Minng continued to climb down, but suddenly he saw a person sitting by that Emerald Lake, and moreover, the figure was graceful with exaggerated curves, with water-blue long hair obscuring the body down to the waist¡­ Zhu Minng was taken aback! How could there be a woman sitting here! This is in the Veins of the Earth, what kind of person could dwell in such a ce?? The woman was softly humming, and only after Zhu Minng got a bit closer did he hear that melodious tune. To hear such a somewhat intoxicating voice in this mysterious and unknown world below, he wasn¡¯t sure whether to describe it as eerie or beautiful. Eventually, the woman sitting in the Emerald Lake detected something. She suddenly turned her face, which was a pale greenish-whiteplexion, with particrlyrge eyes, sorge they were somewhat beyond those of most humans. Her nose was extremely small, so small it was almost imperceptible, and on her forehead were two horns, like those of a young deer, while her chin was exceptionally pointed¡­ One could say all of her facial features were somewhat shockingpared to those of humans, but allbined on this petite face, they gave a feeling of delicate beauty with a touch of strangeness! She covered her chest with her hands, clearly possessing feminine traits, and they were particrly ample. But upon detecting Zhu Minng, she seemed somewhat panicked. Before getting a clear look at him, this somewhat demonic woman dexterously dove into the water, plunging straight into the Emerald Lake. Following her supernaturally slender waist diving into the water, Zhu Minng saw her tail¡ªa Dragon Tail!
To be precise, below her waist was a Dragon! Chapter 471 - 473 Nuwa Dragon Chapter 471: Chapter 473 Nuwa Dragon Demonic Female Dragon?? Zhu Minng remembered that Han Wen had a rare Demonic Female Dragon, very simr to the one he was looking at right now in the Earth Vein Cyan Pond. However, the one he was seeing had human features that were more obvious, and the lower half of her dragon body was more slender and graceful, like a celestial serpent or a jade snake! Describing her as a Demonic Female Dragon didn¡¯t seem quite right. To Zhu Minng, she resembled something out of legend¡­ ¡°It¡¯s a Nuwa Dragon!¡± ¡°Zhu Minng, that¡¯s a Nuwa Dragon!!¡± Suddenly, Mr. Jinli called out excitedly. Zhu Minng was startled by Mr. Jinli popping up behind him. In the depths of the earth, by this secluded pond, Mr. Jinli¡¯s excited shout was indeed eerie. ¡°Nuwa Dragon??¡± Zhu Minng found this description more fitting. Demonic Female Dragons are simr to sirens and merfolk, exuding an otherworldly allure with their features leaning toward those of a demoness. The Spirit Girl that he had scared away earlier radiated purity and sanctity, as though untouched by the slightest speck of worldly grime, a fairy from a secret grotto. Her human formbined perfectly with her graceful dragon body, not the least bit incongruous or bizarre, but instead, it made one feel this was the true original beauty of mankind. ¡°Destiny, Zhu Minng, you¡¯re talking about destiny! A Nuwa Dragon symbolizes grand endeavors and ambitions. Emperors exhaust every effort to catch a glimpse of a Nuwa Dragon, in hopes of fortuitous fate and peace, and for cultivators, a Nuwa Dragon signifies immortality, bing a saint or even an ancestor. It seems that even at your worst, you¡¯ll rule over vastnds, and with some diligence, perhaps you could even dominate the grand cosmos,¡± Mr. Jinli said, both shocked and ted. As a symbol of good fortune, Mr. Jinli knew better than anyone what the progenitor of grand destiny was. The Nuwa Dragon was far superior to a Jinli. Legends say Nuwa was the mother of the earth and the sea, the creator of humanity, and the protector of the earliest spirits; there have always been temples dedicated to Nuwa, worshiped by the people. Even if the Nuwa Dragon wasn¡¯t directly rted to the mythological Nuwa, she was, nheless,parable to the Ancestral Dragon, and even an Omen Beast! Among Omen Beasts, there are the Omen Beast Kings. Likewise, there are Auspicious Omen Spirits. The Nuwa Dragon is absolutely an Auspicious Omen Dragon, with any mortal who sees one guaranteed to have smooth official fortune and be replete with luck! It was incredible that a Nuwa Dragon appeared here, in a ce beneath the earth where not even living creatures are found. ¡°It must be a gift following the Seven Major Disaster Omen Beasts, that must be it,¡± Mr. Jinli said. ¡°What do you mean??¡± Zhu Minn asked, puzzled. ¡°Think about it, you went to a Blood-colored Land and collected all the Omen Beasts there. The Heavenly ughter Dragon is an incarnation of a Major Disaster Omen Beast, and now it¡¯s be your Dragon. If it weren¡¯t for this Jinli suppressing its evil Qi, you¡¯d be drinking water with tadpoles, eating sand in your meals, hatching bugs from your Dragon Egg, and every armor you crafted would be ruined!¡± ¡°I still don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re trying to say,¡± Zhu Minng always felt like Mr. Jinli was cursing him. ¡°The Old Heavenly Father wouldn¡¯t let someone be unlucky forever. You¡¯ve seen all Seven Major Disaster Omen Beasts, so it¡¯s only fair for you to meet an Auspicious Omen Spirit. You wandered around aimlessly and just happened toe to the Earth Scar Dragon Pond and see a Nuwa Dragon. Isn¡¯t this some sort ofpensation from Old Heavenly Father?¡± Mr. Jinli exined. This time, Zhu Minng finally understood. Mr. Jinli simply meant that he used to be exceptionally unlucky, never encountering anything fortunate! Even seeing a Nuwa Dragon, a creature of destiny, was just a way to bnce out his previous misfortune. Tired of Mr. Jinli¡¯s confusing theories, Zhu Minng felt that the Nuwa Dragon had no malicious intent, so he approached the emerald divine pool. Upon reaching the edge of the pool, Zhu Minng found some petal-like soft scales in the Crystal Rock, disying a ze-like luster, and even faintly exuding a fragrant aroma. Truly an Auspicious Omen Dragon, entirely different from the Omen Beasts Zhu Minng had encountered before, he felt no caution around this dragon and only wanted to get even closer. Zhu Minng gazed at the Emerald Lake, and after a while, the water gently parted like bead curtains, clearly under some spell. A delicate and petite face emerged, slightly wet, and though at first nce one could tell she was not human, she still gave off the feeling of a beautiful young girl, evoking a sense of affection. Apparently, the Nuwa Dragon had never seen other creatures, let alone humans. She only revealed a small horned head, maintaining a certain distance from Zhu Minng, then looked at him with a mix of caution and curiosity¡­ ¡°Can you speak?¡± Zhu Minng asked. ¡°Can you speak?¡± the Nuwa Dragon slowly spoke, imitating Zhu Minng word for word. ¡°Mr. Jinli, she can speak!¡± Zhu Minng said joyfully. Mr. Jinli¡¯s fish eyes conveyed a disdainful emotion to Zhu Minng. ¡°Mr. Jinli, she can speak!¡± At this moment, the Nuwa Dragon repeated the sentence following Zhu Minng, her voice ethereal and lovely, much like the gentle song she had hummed before. ¡°Why are you imitating me?¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°Why are you imitating me?¡± the Nuwa Dragon continued in the same tone. ¡°She can¡¯t speak; she¡¯s just imitating you,¡± Mr. Jinli said irritably. Zhu Minng scratched his head. She was merely mimicking his speech, but she clearly didn¡¯t understand the meaning of the words. This would be easy to deal with! ¡°Want a mint candy?¡± Zhu Minng asked. ¡°???¡± Meanwhile, Mr. Jinli was blowing bubbles, and they were all shaped like this. With his fish eyes wide open, Mr. Jinli seriously doubted Zhu Minng¡¯s pure motives!! ¡°This is our folk mint candy, made with peppermint and syrup; the taste is really good. You should try some,¡± Zhu Minng said. Because he was prepared to enter an oven-hot Earth Vein Fire Pistil, Zhu Minng had specially prepared this type of special mint candy with a cooling effect when held in the mouth. Now he encountered a rare Nuwa Dragon and decided to let her try some. This time, the Nuwa Dragon didn¡¯t imitate Zhu Minng; she began to look at him with caution. However, Mr. Jinli by Zhu Minng¡¯s side was quite special, giving her a sense of kinship, and coupled with the human¡¯s smile that indeed seemed very warm and kind¡­ The Nuwa Dragon¡¯s thoughts were not asplex as imagined; she swam to the edge of the divine pool. Zhu Minng unwrapped a candy, popped one into his own mouth, and then, to demonstrate, fed one to Mr. Jinli. Mr. Jinli wouldn¡¯t normally eat such kids¡¯ stuff, but the melt-in-the-mouth sensation made him reveal a pleased expression unintentionally, as his fish tail happily swayed back and forth. Chapter 472 - 474: The Art of Luring the Dragon Chapter 472: Chapter 474: The Art of Luring the Dragon The Nuwa Dragon extended her hand, which bore little difference from that of a young girl, with skin as fine and smooth as jade. Although you could see it wasposed of patterned scales, her scales resembled amber, like crystal¡­ She took one, then imitated Zhu Minng by holding it in her mouth. The moment the candy entered her mouth, a look of joy appeared on the Nuwa Dragon¡¯s face; she, who lived deep beneath the Veins of the Earth, had clearly never tasted anything like it before. ¡°Would you like more?¡± Zhu Minng asked. Seeing Zhu Minng handing over the wrapper full of mints, the Nuwa Dragon did not hesitate and slowly took another. She didn¡¯t put it in her mouth immediately but waited until the vor from the previous mint had faded, then she continued with a second one. She glided away and circled the emerald divine pool, revealing her exquisite and graceful tail. Her supple, enchanting figure radiated a purity and innocence that made it impossible for anyone to harbor any sphemous thoughts in their hearts. Zhu Minng smiled too, like a kind uncle, but slowly, very slowly, his eyes narrowed and the innocence in his gaze gradually vanished, reced by¡­ It seemed the Nuwa Dragon grew tired from swimming; those two candies had made herpletely let down her guard around Zhu Minng. Sheid her long body on a crystal rock not too far away, looking utterly sleepy. Before long, the Nuwa Dragon really fell asleep¡ªa picture of tranquil beauty. Even with a dragon¡¯s lower body, she still seemed wlessly perfect. Seeing the Nuwa Dragon in deep slumber, Zhu Minng¡¯s smile became even more radiant. Yet, this smile seemed utterly cunning in Mr. Jinli¡¯s eyes!! ¡°Zhu Minng, what have you done!¡± Mr. Jinli demanded, bulging his fish eyes. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say she¡¯s the Omen Beast of this world, a vision of which could bring one a heavenly fate? If I keep her by my side, won¡¯t I be God¡¯s Chosen Child?¡± Zhu Minng asked with raised eyebrows. ¡°Good heavens, you¡¯ll incur divine retribution for this. The Nuwa Dragon is to be admired from afar, not captured!!!¡± Mr. Jinli eximed in shock. As the most emblematic Omen Beast of fortune and disaster in the world, if ordinary people chance upon its figure, they¡¯d thank Old Heavenly Father and prostrate in gratitude. Zhu Minng, you¡¯re already lucky enough to see the true form of the Nuwa Dragon, and now you n to abduct her!! ¡°You said it yourself¡ªI¡¯ve gathered all Seven Disaster Omen Beasts; it¡¯s no different from courting disaster from heaven. And besides, you can¡¯t say it like that; I feel like Old Heavenly Father just wants to trouble me. That¡¯s why he arranged such a worldly-unaffected Nuwa Dragon before me, entrusting her into my care. Sigh, considering her graceful physique, remarkable appearance, and her dual rock and water attributes, I begrudgingly ept this gift. What¡¯s the harm in adding another pair of chopsticks¡­¡± Zhu Minng said earnestly. ¡°I always feel something¡¯s not right,¡± Mr. Jinli said. ¡°First of all, I am a Dragon Shepherd. If I don¡¯t harbor the desire to im such a Rare World Dragon for myself, then I¡¯m not a qualified Dragon Shepherd,¡± Zhu Minng stated. ¡°There¡¯s no issue with that sentiment, but isn¡¯t the Nuwa Dragon too naive to be deceived?¡± Mr. Jinli remarked. ¡°It¡¯s normal. Switch to a resourceful and intelligent Empress, who¡¯s been solitary under the scar of the Veins for years, maybe decades; she would also be as innocent as a three-year-old child. I guess she too wants to see the world outside. Remember, even divine maidensing to the mortal realm became attached to the wonders of humanity¡­¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°Zhu Minng, I¡¯ve realized something¡ªwhatever dragon recognizing techniques, whatever dragon taming skills, you might never master them in this lifetime. But this craft of dragon abduction, you have reached the pinnacle without any need for further practice!¡± Mr. Jinli announced. This was indeed the rationale. As a Dragon Shepherd, upon seeing such a mythical and extraordinary dragon, to not im it would simply vite the ethical code of a Dragon Shepherd! But even if one were to tame it, one should employ more conventional methods, such as persuasion through reason and touching emotions, eventually oveing the dragon with strength. One has to follow the process. Zhu Minng, however, snuck a drunken candy among the mints, getting the Nuwa Dragon intoxicated, then proceeded with the abduction¡ªacting just like those most vile among humanity. The question is, Zhu Minng, a Dragon Shepherd, a regr man, what¡¯s with carrying the same colored menthol and drunken candy with you? Why are your methods so skilled??? ¡°Anyway, be careful. After all, she¡¯s a Nuwa Dragon. Who knows what her cultivation base or realm is? In case she¡¯s a super-realm female Dragon God, your intentions could get you crushed into dust!¡± Mr. Jinli still harbored a sense of awe. Zhu Minng was puzzled. What kind of intentions did he have? Isn¡¯t it a perfectly normal thought? Even when seeing a gracefuldy, every gentleman finds her a suitable match, let alone a Dragon Shepherd seeing such a divine Nuwa Dragon; of course, he would be moved. As for his dragon-taming methods, Zhu Minng felt there was nothing wrong. He couldn¡¯t just see her looking so cute and lovely and start by summoning a Heavenly ughter Dragon, that big demon, to bite her all over before asking if she surrenders, right? That¡¯s not ssy! Zhu Minng approached and looked at the drunken Nuwa Dragon. That drunken candy was just mixed with a bit of glutinous rice wine, which is particrly rich in vor and something those who enjoy good drink but can¡¯t get any use to satisfy their cravings. This Nuwa Dragon, probably having never touched grains, got drunk the moment she touched the liquor, which did give Zhu Minng a good opportunity. Her forehead was very smooth, and her two deer-like dragon horns were bright, enhancing her immortal spirit temperament. Zhu Minng gently ced his hand on her forehead as if it were the most ordinary show of concern. Zhu Minng wasn¡¯t in a rush; he first tried to establish a Spirit Bond with the Nuwa Dragon. Just like branding a Juvenile Spirit with a Spirit Bond, this kind of bond wasn¡¯t about signing any Soul Contract but rather creating somemunication on a higher level, a kind of resonance in the heart, like being able to vaguely sense each other¡¯s emotions. No rejection! She must be feeling dizzy from the drink, because this gentle human was giving her more candy to eat. Zhu Minng could clearly feel the mark of the Spirit Bond being established and sense a pure and simple soul slowly walking into his heart, which was full of evil spider webs. It seemed that the joy from the menthol candy still lingered in her heart, Zhu Minng could feel her drunken happiness, and it seemed that she saw the Spirit Bond as a form ofmunication. On the basis of previous friendly interactions, she was still very willing to share her feelings. Since she was still joyous, Zhu Minng continued to deepen the bond. Hey, why does the atmosphere feel so sleazy? He¡¯s a sacred and noble Dragon Shepherd, and it¡¯s only right for him to subdue the rare dragons of the world. Zhu Minng began to try a Soul Contract. Soon, Zhu Minng felt a gentle touch like water. The Soul Contract effortlessly merged into the Nuwa Dragon¡¯s soul, but at the same time, Zhu Minng also felt a great wave of loneliness and sadness hit him, catching him off guard! If the sweet joy from earlier was like a pool of clear green water, then the loneliness and sadness that now surged from the depths of her soul were like the boundless and vast Neon Sea!!! What¡¯s going on??? Chapter 473 - 475 Destiny and the Spine of the Earth Coexist Chapter 473: Chapter 475 Destiny and the Spine of the Earth Coexist The bond of the Spirit Contract was established very sessfully, and it seemed to her that a Spirit Contract was just a way to make friends. In fact, Zhu Minng always treated Dragons with an attitude of equality and kindness; he was not the kind of Dragon Shepherd who used Dragons as tools and enved Dragon Beasts. So, when he initially sensed the soul of the Nuwa Dragon, Zhu Minng was delighted. It was like stumbling upon a Rare World Dragon for free. But what followed was a torrent of emotions, like the overwhelming sea tipping over, shaking Zhu Minng profoundly as he formed the Soul Connection with it. Zhu Minng¡¯s own soul was also greatly impacted; he felt the world spinning around him. After cultivating as a Sword Cultivator and bing a Dragon Shepherd, his soul should have been very strong. Yet,pared to the deep sorrow and loneliness that surged from the other soul, his own seemed somewhat insignificant and fragile. Zhu Minng felt as if he were falling, plummeting into an underworld of cruel rocks and darkness, a ce with nothing around, supremely silent. The never-dissipating cloud of fear hovered over his heart, tormenting him with endless years, as if he would be imprisoned forever in such a pit of despair! Soon, Zhu Minng saw the ridge of red martial rocks again. The magnificent and expansive ridge stretched and sprawled among the countless Veins of the Earth of the Neon Sea, supporting this entire continent. Somehow, it seemed that there was a type of Divine Stone Root within the ridge, like chains firmly locking his soul in ce. As Zhu Minng tried to leave this ce of despair and break away from this world, the Spine Soul Lock proved indestructibly oppressive, firmly pinning him under the Veins of the Earth¡­ Several times, Zhu Minng thought he was about to break free, to leave this cursednd, but as he struggled, the entire ridge began to wobble and copse!! As the ridge cracked and fell apart, the Veins of the Earth that ran through the entire Neon Sea and the surrounding soil also fractured and sunk!! Zhu Minng witnessed the ocean turn into a bottomless cavern, he saw thend being submerged by the sea, he saw billions of creatures perishing in this catastrophe caused by the rupture of the ridge. In that instant, Zhu Minng lost all his determination and courage, looking at the ridge that firmly locked his Life Soul in ce, he suddenly understood that he was the ridge itself. The prosperity of the vast world relied on his Life Soul; if he left, thend, the oceans, the mountains would cease to exist! He could only choose silence, only choose loneliness, only choose to continue living in this dark and deste soil¡­ Living a meager and insignificant existence, like a nkton, yet also watching over billions of creatures silently and nobly, like a god! ¡­ It was as if he were deep in a drunken stupor; Zhu Minng¡¯s head felt heavy and groggy. He didn¡¯t know how much time had passed before he gradually came to his senses. What came into view was a pure and beautiful face, otherworldly and holy. Her astonishinglyrge eyes were filled with worry as they looked at Zhu Minng, as if afraid something might happen to him¡­ Zhu Minng shook his head, casting away the emotions and memories that were not his own from his mind. Those memories did not belong to him. They were the memories of the Nuwa Dragon. By signing the Spirit Contract with her, he had agreed to ept her soul. Her past flowed into his mind like a dream, immersing him in the experience and letting him feel it all firsthand! Yet, the Spirit Contract ultimately failed to be established. It wasn¡¯t that the Nuwa Dragon was unwilling to ept it, but her soul was locked within this ridge. Once Zhu Minng signed the Spirit Contract, his own soul would also be bound here! ¡°You saw the Neon Sea World copsing, billions of creatures dying in this catastrophe, so you flew down into the Veins of the Earth and became part of the ridge with your Life Soul??¡± Zhu Minng asked. ¡°The Spine¡­¡± the Nuwa Dragon murmured. ¡°How can I help you?¡± Zhu Minng asked. ¡°How¡­¡± The ancient mind of the Nuwa Dragon seemed to have been worn away by the years, and she simply existed here, not knowing how to express herself. Even her own past memories had vanished, appearing only because Zhu Minng reached deep into her soul. ¡°You have been here for too long, your destiny has grown together with this Divine Ridge Root,¡± Zhu Minng said. The clearest memory Zhu Minng felt was that the Divine Ridge had solidified and the Veins of the Earth had fully rxed; the Neon Sea World finally didn¡¯t need her support anymore. But just when she was about to leave, she suddenly discovered she had grown together with the Ridge. She had be a part of the Ridge, she was the Ridge, and if she forcibly separated herself, the Ridge would shatter again, and the disaster would return! So the years passed, and passed, and passed¡­ She had almost forgotten everything. Her spiritual wisdom had deteriorated to less than that of a three-year-old child. She once was a deity, shining as brightly as the moon, worshiped by countless spirits in ancient times. Now she might as well be nkton, aimlessly wandering in this verdant divine pool, living a pointless life, yet she must live. Zhu Minng, of course, felt that sorrow, vast enough to rival the grandeur of the Neon Sea. ¡°Mr. Jinli, she wants to leave this ce and is willing to sign a Spirit Contract with me, but once the contract is established, my soul will also be locked in this Spine, like hers,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°I knew it wouldn¡¯t be that simple, sigh, I told you, the Nuwa Dragon is to be admired from afar,¡± Mr. Jinli said with a long sigh. Seeing Zhu Minng unharmed, the Nuwa Dragon let out a pleasant chime. She swam backward into the verdant divine pool, diving deep¡­ After a while, she returned with many sparkling Divine Stones in her hands, like before when Zhu Minng gave her sugar to eat. It seemed she wanted to offer her treasures to Zhu Minng to express her joy. If it were before, Zhu Minng would have been overjoyed at the sight of these Divine Stones, treasures that would be considered invaluable in the world above,parable to the White Phoenix Tail he had obtained. But at that moment, Zhu Minng couldn¡¯t muster excitement or happiness, especially after experiencing the pain deep within the soul during the signing of the Spirit Contract. This made Zhu Minng even more eager to take her away from this ce. She was an incredibly powerful being,parable to the gods, yet humbled and struggling alone in this under-world, and what¡¯s most important, apart from himself, there probably wouldn¡¯t be anyone else in the world who knew that the thriving Neon Sea World was sustained by the life and soul of such a Nuwa Dragon. ¡°Is there a way, Mr. Jinli?¡± Zhu Minng still didn¡¯t want to give up just like that. Zhu Minng had once severed the Veins of the Earth, but the Ridge was many times more solid than the Veins, and Zhu Minng didn¡¯t know at what realm he would need to be to chop the Spine. ¡°With your current cultivation base, it¡¯s impossible to shake the Spine, but since you said her Life Soul has grown together with the Divine Ridge Root, you might consider chopping off a thread of her Life Soul to see if that can free her,¡± Mr. Jinli suggested. ¡°If her Life Soul is chopped, won¡¯t she be gone?¡± Zhu Minng asked with wide eyes, thinking Mr. Jinli had some rather rotten ideas. Why not just say, give her a quick end! ¡°Not dead, perhaps just the loss of the God Spirit Life Grid,¡± Mr. Jinli said. Chapter 474 - 476: Life Soul Fire Pistil Chapter 474: Chapter 476: Life Soul Fire Pistil What is destiny? Zhu Minng had not really heard much about this term before. ¡°You can think of it as an immortal being demoted to a mortal, losing supreme mana, losing the aura of immortality, losing the qualification to ascend to the Heaven realm,¡± Mr. Jinli exined upon seeing Zhu Minng¡¯s confusion. ¡°Could it be that her realm is very high?¡± Zhu Minng inquired. ¡°It must be high, and what you see of her may not even be her true form, but just an incarnation created by her desire for freedom. Her real self could be as magnificent as the earth¡¯s ridge, and haspletely grown together with it. Anyway, trymunicating with her and ask if she is willing to lose her own destiny,¡± Mr. Jinli said. Zhu Minng already had a spirit bond with the Nuwa Dragon, and she had basically be his spirit pet by now. Communicating with her was not difficult for Zhu Minng, but he needed her to understand that if she wanted to leave this ce, she would have to give up her original cultivation base. The Nuwa Dragon didn¡¯t even know what a cultivation base or destiny was; she simply epted Zhu Minng¡¯s proposal happily. As for what price she would have to pay, it seemed she did not care much as long as it didn¡¯t cause the copse of the earth¡¯s ridge. A cultivation base like that of gods, or possessing a high destiny, mean nothing if one is imprisoned in the dark depths below the earth, with hardly a trace of longing left. ¡°Can you take me to find the Divine Ridge Root that binds your life soul?¡± Zhu Minng asked. The Nuwa Dragon blinked her eyes, and after a while, she seemed to understand that Zhu Minng wanted to help her. She swam out of the emerald pool and followed the crack that Zhu Minng had climbed through earlier. As she moved, she did so by swaying her waist and tail; if one only paid attention to her upper body, it appeared as though she was walking like a catwalk model. Zhu Minng followed her, leaving the crack. Zhu Minng was already lost in the Earth Vein Labyrinth, but the Nuwa Dragon was very familiar with this ce. She swam into an extremely narrow vein of the earth, one that Zhu Minng had not noticed before. Following this vein of the earth, Zhu Minng noticed that the rock became gradually hotter, and from time to time, he could see mes that had seeped in, blooming like stone flowers, delicate and dripping with beauty. ¡°This is the path to the Earth Vein Fire Pistil. I am here to help you chop away the locks on your life soul and set you free, not to have you help me find the exit,¡± Zhu Minng told the Nuwa Dragon. The Nuwa Dragon was too kind, her heart so pure it seemed to contain not the slightest malice. ¡°Na~¡± The Nuwa Dragon stretched out her slender arms and then pointed ahead, as if to tell Zhu Minng they were close. Zhu Minng, slightly puzzled, continued to follow the Nuwa Dragon. The light from the mes had already made the gloomy veins of the earth somewhat transparent, and Zhu Minng knew they were very close to the Earth Vein Fire Pistil. Suddenly, Zhu Minng realized a problem. Could it be that the Earth Vein Fire Pistil is actually the Divine Ridge Root??? Zhu Minng carefully recalled the sympathetic dream he had before¡­ The crack at the bottom of the sea, the corridor leading to the veins of the Earth, and the core fire of the earth¡¯s veins that for no apparent reason burned ceaselessly in the underworld, releasing a tremendous energy of mes! That Earth Vein Fire Pistil, is it the Nuwa Dragon¡¯s life soul?? Having supported the fragile earth¡¯s ridge for far too long, her life soul had grown together with the ridge, transforming into an incessantly burning core fire of the earth¡¯s veins, like a heart that continuously pumps ancient primal forces! So that so-called surge of mes was actually just a beat of her heart¡­ ¡°Mr. Jinli, the Earth Vein Fire Pistil has turned into her life soul!¡± Zhu Minng suddenly realized. ¡°Her real form is truly a god of the Nuwa¡¯s salvation level. This Nuwa Dragon is her incarnation,¡± Mr. Jinli said in amazement. ¡°No wonder, no wonder¡­¡± Zhu Minng thought back to that heavy, dreamlike state. ¡°That makes things easier, much easier,¡± Mr. Jinli said. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Zhu Minng asked. ¡°Her real form haspletely merged with the veins of the Earth and the earth¡¯s ridge. Presumably, in some era, a great catastrophe urred here, leading to the extinction of all living things. She transformed her flesh and blood into the veins of the Earth that supported thend¡¯s copse and her heart and soul into the fire pistil that invigorated and solidified the earth¡¯s ridge. The Nuwa Dragon we see is an immortal soul that has formed over the long years in these veins of the Earth, equivalent to a freshly nurtured new life. All we have to do is help her sever that thread of the fire pistil connected to the Earth Vein Fire Pistil, sort of like cutting short the umbilical cord, and she¡¯ll be an independent life,¡± Mr. Jinli exined. Zhu Minng rejoiced. That is to say, she can attain freedom without the need to utterly shatter the Neon Sea. Zhu Minng took a deep breath of relief; if just by severing one connecting thread within the Earth Vein Fire Pistil, she could be reborn, that could truly be considered perfect fulfillment! Could it really be because he had gathered the Seven Disaster Omen Beasts that Old Heavenly Father had arranged, in the unseen world, for him toe beneath these veins of the Earth and take away the Nuwa Dragon lingering in the underground world? ¡°Anyone elseing here really wouldn¡¯t be able to take her away. After all, they don¡¯t have a special existence like the Sword Spirit Dragon. Just touching that restless fire liquid would burn them to a crisp! Zhu Minng, Zhu Minng, you should thank your lucky star. It¡¯s because of this fortune that you have this heavenly destiny. Otherwise, even if you were one of the few who could save her, you could never have blindly wandered here to encounter the Nuwa Dragon by chance. From now on, you should offer more fine wine and meat to me, Mr. Jinli, get it?¡± Mr. Jinli began to boast about himself grandly. ¡°Mr. Jinli, there¡¯s something wrong with what you¡¯re saying. When I encountered the Seven Disaster Omen Beasts, you were there the whole time too. Howe your heavenly powers didn¡¯t manifest then?¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°I ask you, did the Heavenly ughter Dragon not end up bing your dragon?¡± Mr. Jinli challenged. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Did you suffer any loss?¡± ¡°` ¡°No.¡± ¡°There you go, that¡¯s what you call turning misfortune into fortune, and now this, called being under the shining protection of a lucky star!¡± Mr. Jinli was so spirited. If his whiskers were a bit longer, he would indeed have something of the aura of an immortal carps! However, no matter how much an immortal carp he seemed to be, he couldn¡¯t withstand the scorching heat of the Earth Vein Fire Pistil. Mr. Jinli slightly raised his fish nose and sniffed, somehow detecting a particrly fragrant scent! ¡°Wow, I¡¯m about to be roasted and you didn¡¯t say a word!!!¡± Mr. Jinli suddenly screamed like a child. He circled around Zhu Minng a few times, that smell bing even more overwhelming, if only they sprinkled some green onion, cumin, spices, chili powder¡­ ¡°Remember, thank me, your lucky star!¡± Mr. Jinli howled onest time before hurrying to be an embroidery, hiding behind Zhu Minng¡¯s clothes. ¡°Giggle giggle giggle~~~~~~¡± The Nuwa Dragon watched Mr. Jinli¡¯s fiery escape and couldn¡¯t stopughing. Herughter was as clear and tinkling as bells, giving off an innocent and pure vibe. ¡­ Continuing forward, the Nuwa Dragon suddenly stopped. A fiery red mark appeared on her chest, as if her heart was fiercely burning. The glow of the mes shone through her crystal-clear skin, casting light over her entire body. The Nuwa Dragon retreated in fear. This was the limit of where she could move. She couldn¡¯t even get close to the Earth Vein Fire Pistil. Otherwise, the fragile wisp of her spirit would bepletely burned away. ¡°Wait here, I¡¯ll go sever that Life Soul chain,¡± Zhu Minng said to the Nuwa Dragon. ¡°Na na na~¡± The Nuwa Dragon hadn¡¯t learned to speak fully yet and could only let out a low hum. ¡­ Anyway, Zhu Minng had finally found the way back to this Earth Vein Fire Pistil. It was a narrow fissure made of unbreakable Stone Crystals, Zhu Minng even had to crawl to get through it. As he was about to reach therge cave where the Earth Vein Fire Pistil was located and climb out along the rugged Stone Crystals, he heard voices arguing from outside! Someone??? This was supposed to be the Zhu Gate Secret Area, how could outsiders arrive here?? But listening to the voices, Zhu Minng felt they sounded familiar. Zhu Minng stuck his head out, looked into therge cave of the Earth Vein Fire Pistil, and saw a group of people lying on the ground, dead or injured! Zhu Minng was surprised. Had the fire-fetching ritual already started?? Had he been lost in the Earth Veins for that long?? Underground, with no concept of time, Zhu Minng had already taken a long time to fetch the fire. Then he wandered off in the Earth Veins, encountered the Nuwa Dragon, and as for that empathetic Dream World, it seemed like a long time had passed. Mr. Jinli had even specifically reminded him! The fire-fetching ritual had already taken ce? But why were these people lying on the ground? Aside from a few important figures from Zhu Gate, there were also some dressed in red and ck clothes. Some of these people also had very high Cultivation Bases! ¡°Zhao Yu, you¡¯re really treacherous, and to think I, An Qingfeng, trusted you so much!¡± An Qingfeng¡¯s voice came from a ce Zhu Minng couldn¡¯t see. He seemed to be lying in a corner, immobilized, even speaking with difficulty. An Qingfeng was severely injured. As for the experts in the red and ck clothes, they were clearly strong members from King An¡¯s Mansion. They had broken into this Secret Area, seeking to plot something malicious, only to find themselves outmaneuvered by Prince Zhao Yu, all of King An¡¯s Mansion¡¯s experts dying near the Earth Vein Fire Pistil! It was a very strong force, with King An¡¯s Mansion fully prepared and gathering many experts, some of whom were even at the King Level¡­ But in the end, they still met a tragic fate! ¡°Is Zhao Yu a double agent?¡± Zhu Minng was somewhat surprised. Within the Zhu Gate Small Inner Court were many of King An¡¯s informants and inside agents, even those who had long turned traitor. They¡¯d been plotting how to take over the Little Inner Court. Unable to chew through Zhu Gate¡¯s main Inner Court in the Imperial City, King An shifted his focus to this remote Little Inner Court¡­ Only for Prince Zhao Yu to lure them all out and catch them in a single?? That is to say, the Zhu Gate¡¯s secret of the Earth Vein Fire Pistil being known to outsiders was actually leaked by Zhu Gate¡¯s own insiders, intending to use Prince Zhao Yu to draw out all of King An¡¯s Mansion people, while also cleansing their ranks? However, this cleansing and eradication of King An¡¯s influence hade at a heavy cost to the Little Inner Court. Chapter 475: 477 Princes Real Purpose Chapter 475: Chapter 477 Prince¡¯s Real Purpose In the area visible to Zhu Minng, Elder Yuan, the most powerful of all, was sitting against a crystal rock, apparently having suffered serious injuries. The elder, who held a big sword,y motionless in a pool of blood, his fate unknown. Zhu Minng did not see the other two elders, but it was more likely than not that they had met with misfortune. It was a ghastly scene! ¡°Zhao Yu, do you think Empress Zhu will let you go after doing this!!¡± Zhu Wangxing¡¯s voice came through, filled with extreme anger. ¡°Zhu Wangxing, I promised Empress Zhu I would help your Little Inner Court eliminate all the people from King An¡¯s Mansion. Take a look around you now¡ªisn¡¯t the number of people from King An¡¯s Mansion who have died enough? Have I not served loyally and dutifully? It¡¯s just that I didn¡¯t say I wouldn¡¯t move against your Zhu Gate, did I??¡± Prince Zhao Yu said with augh. ¡°You make me sick!!¡± Zhu Wangxing roared in rage. ¡°Most of your organs are probably shattered; it¡¯s better if you shut up and enjoy thesest moments,¡± Prince Zhao Yu remarked. ¡°What will you gain by doing this, you¡¯re simply a madman!!¡± Zhu Wangxing rebuked in pain. ¡°What will I gain?? Just you watch!¡± Prince Zhao Yu continued,ughing.
He was the one who had thestugh in the struggle between Zhu Gate and King An¡¯s Mansion. From the very beginning, he had no intention of aiding either side; the only thing he cared about was one thing! Prince Zhao Yu walked toward the Earth Vein Fire Pistil. His eyes, lit by the red glow emitted from the Fire Liquid, had a fanatic gleam, and his face trembled slightly with excitement and agitation. ¡°You¡¯re taking these Fire Liquids, but what good wille of it? For such a trivial gain, tomit such shameless acts, do you think you¡¯ve covered all your bases well? We¡¯re dead, but do you think that as a prince, you can firmly establish yourself in the Supreme Court?¡± An Qingfeng raged with resentment. He had never considered that Prince Zhao Yu might be assisting Zhu Gate. Of course, members of Zhu Gate would never have guessed that Zhao Yu would turn against them as well. In this cave, the only person unharmed was Prince Zhao Yu himself, who let the people from Zhu Gate and King An¡¯s Mansion fight until both sides were wounded, then he personally took care of the barely victorious elder with the big sword¡­ The elder with the big sword was killed on the spot. Zhao Yu¡¯s Holy Candle Dragon King coiled atop the hanging crystal rock formations, looking down haughtily and indifferently at the defeated group! ¡°How will I establish myself?¡± Zhao Yu suddenly burst intoughter. Standing before the Earth Vein Fire Pistil, his smile grew more wild and reckless, ¡°I¡¯ll show you how Zhao Yu will establish himself next!¡± Zhao Yu slowly lifted his right hand, and a surge of intense me burst forth from the hand that was half-clenched! The mes spread wildly in the palm of his hand, forming a colossal me Totem! Within the me Totem, a creature with whiskers made of fire slowly emerged!! Zhu Wangxing leaned in the corner of the cavern, his eyes fixed in shock on the ancient totem, watching Zhao Yu summon a Fire Chi Dragon, understanding finally dawned on Zhu Wangxing what Prince Zhao Yu¡¯s true intentions were!! ¡°Everyone knows only of my Holy Candle Dragon, but they are unaware of my Fire Chi Dragon. It has the highest bloodline among the dragons I possess and is a direct descendant of the Ancestral Dragon,¡± he said. ¡°This worldcks spiritual resources, and Divine Veins are scarce. My Fire Chi Dragon has been unable to ascend for a long time! ¡°The Earth Vein Fire Pistil is of Divine Vein quality, a perfect match for my Fire Chi Dragon. Let it burn all its energy to help my Fire Chi Dragon cross the Tribtion and Ascend!!¡± he dered. Crossing Tribtion and Ascending!!! This opportunity for Crossing Tribtion and Ascending was precisely what Prince Zhao Yu had plotted!!
Zhao Yu never truly helped anyone, all he did was for himself!! The bloodline of the Fire Chi Dragon was extremely high, a direct descendant of the Ancestral Dragon, and should it sessfully cross the Tribtion and Ascend, its strength would even far surpass the Holy Candle Dragon King he currently possessed! Forget Zhu Gate, forget King An¡¯s Mansion, in the end, they would all have to bow down before him!! ¡­
¡°Awooo!¡± The coiled Holy Candle Dragon suddenly raised its head, facing upward towards the Earth Vein, as if it heard some noise. ¡°Is there something there?¡± Zhao Yu asked the Holy Candle Dragon King. ¡°Awooo~~~~¡± The eyes of the Holy Candle Dragon King carried a wariness, signaling that it sensed a dangerous and powerful creature approaching. ¡°It must be the Holy Spirits inhabiting this cleft of the Earth Vein. With such a vein of Divine Fire, there will inevitably be some creatures with tens of thousands of years of cultivation guarding it. Go and see, no need to fight to the death, just scare it away,¡± Zhao Yu said indifferently. The Holy Candle Dragon King¡¯s body unfolded slowly, its Holy Scales shining, its presence powerful and fearsome. It flew along the fissures of the Earth Vein, pursuing the dark presence that posed a certain threat. With the Holy Candle Dragon King lured away, the oppressive aura hanging over the members of Zhu Gate and King An¡¯s Mansion eased somewhat. However, those who were still alive were nearly all severely injured, incapable of defending against the Holy Candle Dragon King, who could easily y them, let alone Zhao Yu¡¯s yet-to-ascend Fire Chi Dragon, which could toy with their lives at will. Besides, the Fire Chi Dragon¡¯s bloodline was extremely high,parable to some Divine Dragons, and once it utilized this Earth Vein Fire Pistil to sessfully ascend, its strength would far exceed that of the Holy Candle Dragon King! For the Ascending Ceremony, of course, there could not be any disturbance from other creatures. Prince Zhao Yu also disliked a dead scene; for such an important ceremony, it would be rather dull without a few half-dead spectators. Whether these people ultimately died or barely survived, Zhao Yu really didn¡¯t care. As long as the Fire Chi Dragon could ultimately ascend, even the Four Major Sects would not dare to provoke him easily. What was there to fear from these two forces? ¡­
¡°It might be that Malevolent Water Dragon, Dad, I¡¯ll find a chance to take you to that creviceter¡­¡± Zhu Rongrong said softly, safeguarding her father¡¯s side. Since the Holy Candle Dragon King had been drawn away, this would be her chance to take her father and flee from this ce. Zhu Rongrong was also searching for an appropriate opportunity, but her strength was too weak. Under the oppressive aura of the Dragon King, she estimated it would be difficult to even summon her own Dragon Beast, let alone resist and struggle. Zhu Wangxing shook his head. His current state was no different from being dead. ¡°My internal organs are shattered, and my soul is severely injured; I won¡¯t live much longer. Sigh, it¡¯s all my fault for being too eager for sess, thinking that this time we could make the Little Inner Court rise. In the end, we couldn¡¯t even protect the most important Divine Fire of Zhu Gate¡­¡± Zhu Wangxing¡¯s eyes were devoid of vitality. ¡°Dad, didn¡¯t you notice that there isn¡¯t much Serene Fire Liquid? My cousin came here the day before yesterday and took away arge portion of it. Although it will be difficult for us to extract the fire in the future, it¡¯s still better than having nothing at all. Dad, you must pull yourself together; we still have a way to get out,¡± Zhu Rongrong said. A faint glimmer of hope appeared in Zhu Wangxing¡¯s eyes. ¡°It¡¯s good that Zhu Minng isn¡¯t here; otherwise, I would have be the greatest sinner of Zhu Gate. His life alone is worth more than everyone in our Little Inner Court¡­¡± Zhu Wangxing said weakly. ¡°Dad, listen to me. When his dragon undergoes the Ascending Tribtion, he will surely be too preupied to attend to us. We can escape and hide in the fissures,¡± Zhu Rongrong said anxiously. ¡°Rongrong, is your father a failure?¡± ¡°How could that be? Dad is the most formidable Casting Master and the most remarkable Sect Leader!!¡± ¡°Help me up,¡± Zhu Wangxing said.
¡°Dad, what are you doing??¡± Zhu Rongrong eximed in rm. Zhu Wangxing forced himself to rise but was somewhat unsteady. His tendons were broken, and his internal organs shattered. Even a divine healer could not save him now; it was merely some Spiritual Energy that was barely keeping him alive. ¡°Zhao Yu, your understanding of the Earth Vein Fire Pistil is limited. If you can¡¯t control the fire properly, your Chi Dragon will turn to ashes too!¡± Zhu Wangxing said to Zhao Yu. ¡°As a cultivator, if I feared these things, then I might as well live as a prince who just eats and waits for death,¡± Zhao Yu said with an indifferent and arrogant tone. ¡°I will inform you of the rhythm for the fire surge. Let Rongrong leave, and with my help, your Fire Chi Dragon will have a greater chance of sessfully ascending,¡± Zhu Wangxing said. Zhao Yu nced at Zhu Rongrong and then at the dying Zhu Wangxing, the corners of his mouth slowly curling into a smile. ¡°Even if you don¡¯t help me, I will not harm your daughter. I, Zhao Yu, said I don¡¯t care about the retaliation from Zhu Gate, and I mean it. An Qingfeng, you can leave too. Don¡¯t be so afraid of me; I do have my principles when I act,¡± the young prince Zhao Yu said confidently and arrogantly. ¡°Hehe, since you¡¯ve be a great viin, young prince, why bother pretending to be virtuous?¡± An Qingfeng scoffed coldly. ¡°Why doesn¡¯t anyone believe me?¡± the young prince Zhao Yu said. That look in An Qingfeng¡¯s eyes wasparable to that of a vengeful ghost. Trust Zhao Yu?? It was precisely because of trusting him that they ended up in this predicament!!
Now An Qingfeng wished he could eat Zhao Yu¡¯s flesh and drink his blood! The fact that he was a prince of the Royal Family, so cruel, hypocritical, selfish, and acting without any principle! Recalling the things Zhao Yu had made him do before made An Qingfeng feel a shudder of fear! ¡°Those are Restless Fire Liquids, forming a ring with extremely high temperatures, guarding the central fire pistils. Once you touch one of those Restless Fire Liquids, it will provoke a fire surge that even the Dragon King can¡¯t withstand,¡± Zhu Wangxing spoke slowly. The Little Inner Court had consumed all of Zhu Wangxing¡¯s dedication in his life. But even so, it wasn¡¯t one-tenth as important as Zhu Rongrong. Zhu Wangxing now only hoped that his daughter could be safe and sound. He knew he had made a grave mistake. Even though he harbored deep hatred for Zhao Yu, Zhu Wangxing had to beg¡­ ¡°That is the ce where tremendous energy converges, surrounded by many fire stems¡­¡± Zhu Wangxing continued describing, but suddenly, his words stopped. ¡°Surrounded by what? Why did you stop speaking!¡± the young prince Zhao Yu said somewhat anxiously. ¡°I have blood in my throat. Those surrounded by fire stems, those Root Pistils, are substances stronger than the Serene Fire Liquid. You need to let your dragon peel away thatyer of Restless Fire Stems first,¡± Zhu Wangxing recovered his senses and continued to the young prince Zhao Yu. On the surface, Zhu Wangxing appeared the same as before, haggard and weakened, but his heart was stirring with waves. While speaking just now, he saw a person hidden behind the rugged Crystal Rock, difficult to detect, and that person was Zhu Minng! He gestured with his hand for him, telling the young prince Zhao Yu to go and peel away the Restless Fire Stems! ¡°Could it be Zhu Minng who lured away the Holy Candle Dragon King??¡± Zhu Wangxing inwardly eximed in surprise. ¡­ And that was indeed the case. Zhu Minng had the Heavenly ughter Dragon lead the Holy Candle Dragon away. If the Dragon King didn¡¯t leave, Zhu Minng couldn¡¯t act freely. The reason he didn¡¯t immediately take action was partly because of the unfathomable strength of the young prince Zhao Yu. With Zhu Minng¡¯s current condition, unless he used the Sea-calming Bell, it would be hard to defeat him. But the Sea-calming Bell could harm Zhu Rongrong, Zhu Wangxing, and other people whose fates were uncertain, so it was better not to use it unless absolutely necessary. Now Zhao Yu coveted the Earth Vein Fire Pistil, nning to use it for his Fire Chi Dragon¡¯s Ascending Tribtion¡­ That would conveniently peel open the fire stems for him, avoiding the risk of provoking a fire surge when cutting the Nuwa Dragon Life Vein Pistil Silk!! Chapter 476: 478: Why is it a Sword? Chapter 476: Chapter 478: Why is it a Sword? Although Zhu Wangxing had many doubts in his heart and was secretly worried about Zhu Minng¡¯s safety, he still did as Zhu Minng instructed. ¡°Is this the fire stem?¡± Prince Zhao Yu, from a distance, pointed to the fiery liquid substance wrapped around the Divine Pistil. He did not harbor much suspicion towards Zhu Wangxing. At this stage, Zhao Yu didn¡¯t think that Zhu Wangxing had any tricks left to y. Besides, even without Zhu Wangxing¡¯s guidance, he could have facilitated this Ascending Tribtion; the Fire Chi Dragon, being an Ancestral Dragon, had a certain Divine Soul Life Pattern and could be said to be born for its own Ascending Tribtion from the Veins of the Earth Fire Pistil! The Fire Chi Dragon, covered in scales of zing mes, began to approach the Earth Vein Fire Pistil. It extended its ws, attempting to peel off the fire stem. Upon this touch, the Restless Fire Liquid immediately surged, and the fire stem transformed into fire tentacles, resembling a fiery octopus king! The fire tentacles thrashed and bound the Fire Chi Dragon, pulling it bit by bit into the restless liquid fire. The Fire Chi Dragon was no ordinary creature; it raised its head, and its golden mes suddenly intensified; the vigorous golden fire twined around itsrge scales, making this inherently dominant and fierce Fire Chi Dragon even more majestic and noble, with its size increased due to the golden ze! The illusory fire tentacles failed to pull the Fire Chi Dragon, but with a heavy fall of its ws, it tore the section of the fire stem to shreds!!
The Fire Chi Dragon advanced further, relying on its golden explosive scales, fearlessly like an immortal Fire Phoenix, undaunted by any Spirit Fire me. ¡°Continue, once you¡¯ve torn open the fire stem, the Divine Pistil will help you ascend to Dragon King!¡± Zhao Yuughed. Each fire stem had strong aggressiveness, transforming into the forms of ancient creatures. When the Fire Chi Dragon peeled off the second fire stem, a wave of fire surged up from the flowing Restless Fire Liquid, and an ancient, fiery Fire Smander burst out, charging towards the Fire Chi Dragon. The fiery Fire Smander was ancient and sacred, its body d in a red me armor, and along its back were bundles of me spines, exuding amanding presence! The Fire Chi Dragon bit down instantly, clearly undeterred by these phantasmal beings as the Ancestral Dragon dominating the mes! Afterward, other fire stems transformed into Fire Leeches, me Whales, Fire Smanders, Red Mallotus¡­ Although the Fire Chi Dragon was merely at the peak of Monarch Level cultivation base, it was apparent that its demonstrated strength far exceeded this level, proving to be an invincible existence among its peers, potentially unmatched even by a group of the same rank. After dealing with all the phantasmal forms of the fire stems, some wounds could be seen on the Fire Chi Dragon¡¯s body, but it clearly remained full of fighting spirit. ¡°The Divine Pistil, something only creatures of Divine Life Pattern are worthy of possessing¡­¡± Zhao Yu¡¯s eyes were already shining with madness and excitement. At Monarch Level, the spiritual resources of the world were far from sufficient, especially for those challenging the King Level. Even in a holynd like Dragon Country, there were very few sacred items harvested each year that could promote a Monarch Level to King Level. This Divine Pistil was too perfect; with the Spirit Fire power contained at its center, it could not only allow the Fire Chi Dragon to ascend but also sculpt its Divine Soul Life Pattern! It is said that creatures with a Divine Soul Life Pattern face no obstacles on the path of cultivation, no bottlenecks, and no need for the so-called Tribtions; they are divine beings in nature, and cultivation for them is merely a gradual shedding of mortal soul and body! The Fire Chi Dragon had a bloodline qualified enough, and now with the Divine Pistil to cleanse its body and mortal bones, ascending to Dragon King was but the start of its path to divinity! ¡°Life Pattern?¡± Zhu Minng heard this term for the second time today. However, now was not the time to contemte this; Zhu Minng remained concealed, patiently waiting. ¡°Go on, devour the Divine Pistil to your heart¡¯s content, from today onwards, no one will dare to say a word against us!!¡± Zhao Yu¡¯s eyes narrowed, he stood a certain distance from the Fire Pistil, but he could already feel the powerful energy of the divine Fire Pistil rushing towards him. Bathing in the radiance emitted by the Divine Pistil, it felt as though my body was also absorbing the Divine Air, experiencing a sensation of purification from impurities. ¡°Ao!!!!¡± The Fire Chi Dragon roared, manifesting the Ancestrial Dragon¡¯s majestic presence.
It flew towards that central Divine Pistil, the Restless Fire Liquid unable to harm the Ancestrial Dragon born from ancient mes. It opened its dragon¡¯s maw, greedily biting at the Divine Pistil! ¡°ng!!¡± The Dragon Teeth nged as if they had struck some hard metal, and the Fire Chi Dragon let out a painful scream, several of its sharp, hard Ancestrial Dragon teeth actually shattered!
Why was this Earth Vein Fire Pistil so hard? Should it not be like those Serene Fire Liquids, harboring immense power yet soft and gentle like spring water? ¡°What¡¯s the matter, why is this Divine Pistil like metal?¡± Prince Zhao Yu turned his head and demanded an exnation from Zhu Wangxing. Zhu Wangxing himself was unable to provide one. In fact, the Fire Divine Pistil looked a bit strange, resembling a huge Metal Sword Boll; this seemed slightly different from the Divine Pistils he had seen before. As if angered by the intrusion, the Divine Pistil suddenly began to shake, and at its very top, something that resembled a Metal Sword Boll began to open. In the center of those metallic fire petals, instead of any Divine Pistil, there was clearly an unparalleled Spirit Sword! This Sword was thoroughly red, refined until it was crystal clear, and through its de, one could even see blood vessel-like Inscriptions pulsing with a divine luster; dazzling and mesmerizing, mysterious, and ancient! ¡°Another illusion??¡± Prince Zhao Yu said, puzzled. The Fire Stems would form into life forms, obstructing those who covet the Divine Pistil, so could the Divine Pistil itself also create illusions?? So was this Spirit Fire Sword, born from the Metal Sword Bolls, the final Divine Fire trial?? ¡°Who¡¯s there! Skulking around, show yourself to this Prince!¡± Just then, Zhao Yu, with his keen perception, sensed another person¡¯s presence. This person was not among these half-dead members of Zhu Gate or King An¡¯s Mansion; Zhao Yu was convinced there was no one beneath this trace of the Veins of the Earth who could pose a threat to him. He turned his head, looking in the direction of Zhu Rongrong. Zhu Rongrong had disappeared at some point, as if someone had taken her away¡ªafter all, her legs were severely injured, and even if she wanted to crawl, it would be difficult for her to make it out on her own.
The person who had taken Zhu Rongrong away was naturally Zhu Minng. But soon he returned, this time not hiding or skulking. ¡°Zhu Minng??¡± Soon, Zhao Yu made out the appearance of the person. At first, Zhao Yu was somewhat nervous, thinking he had overlooked some powerful individual, but upon recognizing Zhu Minng, a slow smile spread across his face. ¡°Just who I thought it was, turns out it¡¯s you, the little thief. You took the Serene Fire Liquid, didn¡¯t you?¡± Zhao Yu said. Heughed, his body swaying, and in his words, his smile, and his actions, he disyed disdain and mockery for Zhu Minng, who had revealed himself at this moment. Chapter 477: 479: Where is Your Dragon? Chapter 477: Chapter 479: Where is Your Dragon? Zhao Yu, of course, found it amusing. It was like a lion hunting a pack of wolves, having already bitten the leader of the pack to death, getting ready to enjoy the delicious wolf meat when suddenly, a prairie mouse darted out from behind and stole some scraps¡­ ¡°Zhu Minng, how about we y a game?¡± Zhao Yu said. By then, the Fire Chi Dragon with its teeth broken had already turned around and coiled itself around Zhao Yu, its fierce and powerful mes of hair swaying as if tongues of fire were dancing! The Fire Chi Dragon stared down Zhu Minng with arrogance, just like its master, full of disdain! Zhu Minng did not respond, facing the Fire Chi Dragon with calm andposure; on the palm of his right hand, traces of fire were slowly extending along his palm lines! ¡°You can start running now, I won¡¯t stop you.¡± ¡°But you¡¯d better run fast enough, faster than my Fire Chi Dragon¡¯s ascent. Otherwise, before you find a safe haven, you, Zhu Minng, will be the first fresh meat for my Fire Chi Dragon¡¯s ascension to kingship!¡± ¡°Your ability to escape has always beenmendable. Many years ago, you escaped from the ws of my Dragon King. I wonder if you can remain unscathed this time.¡± Prince Zhao Yu spoke unhurriedly, hisposure brimming with confidence. He was so confident that not only would Zhu Minng fail to cause the slightest ripple, even if he tried to flee, he couldn¡¯t escape from the palm of his hand!
¡°This dragon is not bad,¡± Zhu Minng said, pointing at the Fire Chi Dragon. ¡°Of course, it is. Among all the Azure Dragons known for their fire, mine is the best,¡± Zhao Yu replied with a hint of pride in his tone. Indeed, the Holy Candle Dragon King¡¯s cultivation base was higher than the Fire Chi Dragon¡¯s, but that was only temporary. Once the Fire Chi Dragon ascended to Dragon King, it would possess a certain Divine Soul Life Pattern, and its cultivation would increase at a faster rate than the Holy Candle Dragon King¡¯s. The Holy Candle Dragon King was already considered a precious dragon of this world, butpared to the Fire Chi Dragon, there was still a long way to go. It was precisely because of the Fire Chi Dragon that Zhao Yu now had the confidence to disregard Zhu Gate and King An¡¯s Mansion! Besides, as a prince, what would happen if he trampled a Little Inner Court of Zhu Gate or killed a bunch of people from King An¡¯s Mansion? Would anyone dare to question him or seek retribution?? How many people could boast an identity as noble as his? After the Fire Chi Dragon¡¯s ascension, lying dormant for a few years, how many would dare topete with him for power? ¡°Is it an Ancestral Dragon?¡± Zhu Minng then asked. ¡°Correct!¡± ¡°How about we change the game. Since your Fire Chi Dragon is so formidable, let¡¯s see if it can withstand one move from me!¡± Zhu Minng also smiled at this point, a smile that wasn¡¯t wild but gentle andposed. ¡°Hahaha, are you trying to scare me? Do you think I can¡¯t discern that you have no divine mortal cultivation left in you??¡± Prince Zhao Yu said. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you? I am now a Dragon Shepherd,¡± Zhu Minng stated. As he spoke, Zhu Minng¡¯s right hand slowly lifted, and his palm, wrist, and arm were now covered with dense, fiery red patterns that made his skin gleam as if it had been tempered by fire, radiating a golden glow and a zing light! ¡°Dragon Shepherd???¡± Prince Zhao Yu wasughing so hard he could barely stand straight, one hand bracing against the majestic God¡¯s Might Fire Chi Dragon coiling around him. Hisughter began to warp as he said, ¡°So you¡¯re a Dragon Shepherd, right, right, right, you are now a Dragon Shepherd, then where is your dragon? Summon it and let me have a look¡­¡± ¡°As you wish.¡± Zhu Minng suddenly stretched out his hand, his gaze shining with divine splendor, and the casual, gentle air about him changed in an instant! There was a force, like a sudden storm in the heat of summer, that gathered all the heated air of heaven and earth together and then rampaged across the mountains andnd¡ªZhu Minng was exuding such an aura now. And it wasn¡¯t just searing heat¡ªit was an intensity that could scorch the skies and devour the earth!! His hair flew about, its jet ck locks unleashing a golden fiery radiance. Red me muscles spread across Zhu Minng¡¯s right arm, and they were rapidly crawling over his entire body. From his arm to his chest, from his chest to his whole body, in that moment, the mortal flesh of Zhu Minng seemed to shed its skin and transform into a sanctified body of me, each piece of skin, each bone and marrow, radiating the light of molten me!
¡°Sword Spirit Dragon!¡± With a call, his demeanor underwent a massive change once more, his eyes burning fiercely like raging mes! In the center of the Earth Vein Fire Pistil, the Metal Sword Bolls had already shed all their outer husks. To be precise, these were the chrysalises of metal dragons, cradling an ancient sword refined to divinity. This Ancient Sword zed with intense resplendence, and the moment Zhu Minng called its name, it stirred up billowing clouds of fire, shooting through the air andnding in Zhu Minng¡¯s hand, now glowing with fiery patterns!
¡°Sword Meteor Sword Technique¡ªVermillion Bird Sword!¡± As the sword fire blossomed, Zhu Minng was already in motion the moment he gripped the sword. His posture seemed incredibly slow, but multiple afterimages began to appear around him. With the Sword Spirit Dragon now in hand, the previous intense aura exploded outward like an ancient dragon sweeping across thend, its entire body a glowing crimson, with only shadows visible, not its form, enveloping Zhu Minng who was dancing with the Spirit Sword!! This grandeur surpassed even the restless tide of fire raised by the Earth Vein Fire Pistil. It was as if Zhu Minng, wielding the sword, was the true incarnation of the Divine Fire Pistil. As the sword was swung out, a cry could be heard, followed by an Ancient Divine Vermillion Bird flying out from Zhu Minng¡¯s sword!!! The Ancient Divine Vermilion Bird¡¯s skin was constructed from extremely pure liquid me, each feather even more so being formed from turbulent liquid fire. The overwhelming Sword Qi Hong served as the Great Vermilion Bird¡¯s skeleton. It did not appear to be an illusion, but rather, the actual arrival of the Vermilion Bird, summoned by Zhu Minng with a world-shaking sword stroke. It soared above all life, sacred and beyond provocation or intrusion!! Prince Zhao Yu¡¯s smile had frozen on his face; only now did he realize what his Fire Chi Dragon had previously been gnawing on. It was a sword, a dragon transformed from a sword spirit!! Zhu Minng had already been refining this Earth Vein Divine Pistil!! ¡°Boom boom boom boom boom boom!!!!!!!!!!!!!¡± The traces of the veins of the earth shook violently; a rock strata vein that snaked above the cavern copsed under the Vermillion Bird Sword, and rocks heavy as mountains from the earth¡¯s depths crashed down, burying the vein marks of the earth. The Fire Chi Dragon, like a plump worm, was seized by a bird of prey so effortlessly that any attempt to resist or struggle was utterly pointless! One could see the God¡¯s Might Fire Chi Dragon¡¯s body crumble and burn under the might of the sword. Despite also possessing Fiery Scales and me Muscle, the sword Zhu Minng wielded bore an inherent Sword Might that could slice the Fire Chi Dragon to pieces, not to mention the apanying zing Divine Fire, which was far superior to the Fire Chi Dragon¡¯s fire attribute. So-called the ultimate among the me Azure Dragons, it screamed in agony as it burned within the mes, reduced to nothing but a skeletal frame!!
The Vermillion Bird Sword swooped over Prince Zhao Yu¡¯s head, and as his proudly touted Fire Chi Dragon was vanquished by a single stroke, the pain of his Soul Contract Broken struck amidst his shock and horror, causing Prince Zhao Yu¡¯s body to convulse violently!! Chapter 478: 480: Dragon Trainer and Divine and Mortal Chapter 478: Chapter 480: Dragon Trainer and Divine and Mortal ¡°You¡­ you¡­¡± Prince Zhao Yu couldn¡¯t even spit out the words. ¡°To be honest, your world¡¯s best Fire Chi Dragon still owes me this sword several lives,¡± Zhu Minng finally broke into aplete smile, domineering and overbearing! It still owed several lives! With the power of this sword, it¡¯s feared that even if the Fire Chi Dragon had some sort of resurrection or self-healing ability, it would still have to die a few more times! Prince Zhao Yu¡¯s body swayed unsteadily, this time not because he wasughing too hard, but because the pain of his soul shattering was nothingpared to the heart-wrenching pain of the death of the Fire Chi Dragon!! The Fire Chi Dragon, this was the dragon with the highest bloodline that he owned, about to ascend to King status, and even already had a certain Divine Soul Life Pattern. Within a few years, the Fire Chi Dragon would have be a standout in the Dragon King realm, and he, Zhao Yu, would also have be a Dragon King revered by countless people in the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent! Never did he expect that a cripple who he didn¡¯t even find interesting to kill on the spot, would chop his Fire Chi Dragon with a single sword!! At this moment, Prince Zhao Yu wished he could y and de-bone Zhu Minng, swallowing his bones whole in his belly! Yet, while filled with bone-deep hatred, Prince Zhao Yu was also shocked. He clearly hadn¡¯t had a speck of Divine Mortal Cultivation on him just now, so how could he suddenly erupt with such terrifying power! And that sword¡­
That sword that flew out from the Earth Vein Divine Pistil!! It was Zhu Minng!! He got ahead of himself and absorbed the me energy of the Earth Vein Divine Pistil. This Divine Pistil, which should have belonged to his Fire Chi Dragon for its Ascending Tribtion, was stolen by Zhu Minng¡¯s Sword Spirit Dragon!! ¡°Zhu Minng!!!¡± Prince Zhao Yu¡¯s face was about to burst open with anger, and he roared, enduring the towering resentment and grief within his heart, and once again opened a sigil! This sigil was golden, and a golden Demon Dragon crawled out from the sigil embossed on the ground. The Gold Demon Dragon was muscr and huge, also existing at the Dragon King Level, its golden demonic Qi surging out and shaking the Earth Vein Cave that Zhu Minng had cleaved open, making the cave shake! ¡°I will never coexist with you!¡± Prince Zhao Yu stood atop the head of the golden Demon Dragon and yelled furiously. Zhu Minng took a deep breath and calmly adjusted his breathing. It¡¯s a pity that this sword didn¡¯t directly incinerate Prince Zhao Yu as well; when the Vermilion Bird¡¯s fiery mes swept over him, holy candle scales armor appeared on his body. Moreover, to ensure a one-hit kill, Zhu Minng did not direct the Sword Power towards Prince Zhao Yu. A Dragon Shepherd with a Dragon King, and also royalty of the Supreme Court Empire¡ªhe didn¡¯t believe Prince Zhao Yu wouldn¡¯t have life-preserving armor. Indeed, Prince Zhao Yu¡¯s life probably wasn¡¯t worth less than a Dragon King¡¯s; he also had life-preserving charms and life-preserving beads, none of which he needed to activate deliberately. If his life was threatened, the life-preserving charms and beads would light up automatically, briefly protecting him, at least enough to summon a new Dragon Beast! Gold Demon Dragon King! That Prince Zhao Yu¡¯s strength was indeed terrifying. Before he forcibly took the Earthfire Divine Pistil, he already had Twin Dragon Kings. If he had seeded this time, the Fire Chi Dragon would have also been promoted to Dragon King, and clearly, the Fire Chi Dragon¡¯s bloodline and fate were far superior. It might soar to the Middle-level Dragon King rank after ascending! No wonder he had no fear of Zhu Gate and King An¡¯s Mansion seeking revenge. With such capabilities and royal status, as long as he didn¡¯t cause his own downfall, he could essentially run amok on the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent! However, he still caused his own downfall. In Zhu Minng¡¯s view, Prince Zhao Yu¡¯s biggest mistake was not taking him seriously!
If it had been before, Zhu Minng really wouldn¡¯t have had the confidence topete with him; after all, only his Heavenly ughter Dragon King could contend with Prince Zhao Yu¡¯s Holy Candle Dragon King, and this Gold Demon Dragon King would have been difficult to deal with. But it was different after the Sword Spirit Dragonpleted its Reincarnation Transformation, and it had also absorbed the massive energy of the Earth Vein Divine Pistil. The Sword Spirit Dragon, which originally had no cultivation to speak of, could now be said to havepletely metamorphosed into the Immortal Spiritual Sword through this double refinement. Zhu Minng could clearly feel that power, not inferior to the Dragon King Level, pouring into his body, transforming into fiery energy! As a Sword Cultivator, Zhu Minng¡¯s Cultivation Base had not broken through to the King Level. Yet unexpectedly, bing a Dragon Shepherd and with the power of the Sword Awakening from the Sword Spirit Dragon, he had be a King-level Swordsman in one fell swoop!!
Life is indeed a series of ups and downs, but this phoenix-like feeling exhrated Zhu Minng like never before! For Zhu Minng, his path of cultivation was indeed like a fish leaping through the Dragon Gate, a long struggle against the current, a mundane and boring climb upwards, indifferent to ridicule and disdain. When the time was ripe, he would soar into the sky, unstoppable by anyone!! What Son of Heaven, what Princes, the greatest in the world, What Ancestral Dragons, Dragon Kings, when I leap over that heavenly barrier, they will all be nothing but mud beneath my feet!! ¡­ The Gold Demon Dragon King had three eyes, and it looked down on Zhu Minng with blood flowing from those enormous eye sockets, its appearance weird and terrifying. Seemingly sensing its master¡¯s pain and fury, the Holy Candle Dragon King that had originally been on the Earth Vein traces had now returned here. Its huge and cumbersome body slid down along the Earth Vein, with most of its body hanging down, also gazing at the diminutive Zhu Minng. Gold Demon Dragon King, Holy Candle Dragon King! With the Twin Dragon Kings by his side, the young Prince Zhao Yu felt as though he had a strong backing. No matter whether Zhu Minng was a Sword Cultivator or a Dragon Shepherd, in front of these two great Dragon Kings of his, Zhao Yu, he was nothing but trash! ¡°Today I could have spared a few of your lives, but now I, the Prince, can onlymence a massacre!!¡± The young Prince Zhao Yu¡¯s face was dark and terrifying, his eyes, akin to his Demon Dragon¡¯s, were oozing horrific Demonic Blood!! ¡°Why pretend, from the beginning you never intended to let anyone here leave alive.¡± Zhu Minng said disdainfully.
¡°You, Zhu Minng, killed my Fire Chi Dragon, cutting off my path to Ascension. Do you know how foolish you are? Without the Fire Chi Dragon, I am still a Dragon King Powerhouse. In a few years¡¯ time, I will once again reach the pinnacle! And you, Zhu Minng, what are you anyway? Deluding yourself that you canpete with me solely with that Sword Spirit Dragon?? I am a Prince, the ruler of the world!!¡± The young Prince Zhao Yu raged, the Demonic Blood from his pupils spilling onto his cheeks, making him look like an emperor of blood demons!! ¡°Solely? Do you think it¡¯s just something ordinary entangling your Holy Candle Dragon King?¡± Zhu Minng said with a faint smile. Uncertainty and confusion shed in the young Prince Zhao Yu¡¯s eyes, but soon after, there was a rumbling on the Earth Vein traces, and a Dark Dragon covered with dark scales suddenly charged down! This creature transformed into a giant red sinister star and smashed fiercely at the Holy Candle Dragon King that hung suspended, trampling it onto the me-covered ground of the cave!! ¡°Grrrr!!!!!!!¡± Wings suddenly stretched out, dense constetions like the Eyes of the Demon God, releasing terrifying beams of death. These shot into the Earth Vein Cave, shattering the indestructible Stone Crystals. Its dark feathers neatly flipped, and in an instant, the dazzling blood-sucking Scale Feathers stood half-raised. From its tail to its spine, and up to its head, the Heavenly ughter Dragon disyed the full stature of a Dragon King, startling the Holy Candle Dragon King so much that its pupils erged several times! It turned out that the previous Dark Dragon King had been toying with it all along. Now, this Starry Sky Overlord¡¯s Heavenly ughter Dragon King revealed its true face!!! ¡°D-Dragon King¡­¡± The young Prince Zhao Yu¡¯s crazed demeanor visibly receded, his eyes filled with disbelief!! Dragon King! Zhu Minng actually possessed a Dragon King!! Who would have thought, from the moment Zhu Minng became a Dragon Shepherd, the young Prince Zhao Yu hadughed so hard he couldn¡¯t even stand straight!!
Now where could the young Prince Zhao Yu find theughter! He truly was a Dragon Shepherd. A Dragon Shepherd who owned a Dragon King!! Moreover, Due to the unique existence of the Sword Spirit Dragon, he could be granted Sword Intent cultivation. This meant that his Divine Mortal Cultivation had also broken through the ultimate shackles, bing a King-level Sword Master!! The young Prince Zhao Yu, who thought himself unafraid of Zhu Minng¡¯s Sword Awakening Power because of the Twin Dragon Kings, was now unable to utter those arrogantly presumptuous words. For some reason, he felt Zhu Minng was more like a favored son of heaven!! Chapter 479: 481: Scaling Off Chapter 479: Chapter 481: Scaling Off ¡°Zhao Yu, you are only fit to be my sword sharpening stone!¡± Zhu Minng¡¯s eyes zed with intense light. He took a big step forward, his body bursting with terrifying fiery energy, shattering the Crystal Rd beneath his foot. In the process of this forceful stride, the Sword Spirit Dragon Sword suddenly sliced through, leaving a shocking fissure that split the Earth Vein Cave in two. Zhu Minng¡¯s blow was aimed at the Gold Demon Dragon King, who roared furiously, using its hefty body to try to withstand Zhu Minng¡¯s powerful sword strike! ¡°Ao!!!!¡± The Gold Demon Dragon King was also wildly domineering; its entire body was covered in golden demon scales that were extremely hard, hardly any different from a Giant Dragon wearing heavy golden armor. When Zhu Minng¡¯s sword fell upon it, a string of sparks flew, leaving behind a sword mark that was neither deep nor shallow. The Gold Demon Dragon King raised its massive w, which, for some reason, turned into a mountainous demon w and mmed down on Zhu Minng, just as a mountain would crush everything in its path. Zhu Minng was also utmost confident. Without dodging or flinching, he countered with a flying sword stab. The Sword Qi that erupted was like a dragon ascending from the abyss, its momentum no less imposing than that of the demon¡¯s heavy mountain w. Zhu Minng¡¯s sword wounded the w of the Gold Demon Dragon King, causing demon blood to spurt out.
In a fit of rage and humiliation, the Gold Demon Dragon King spat out corrosive dragon saliva toward Zhu Minng, the blood-red saliva rolling forth like a torrent of evil blood. Zhu Minng skillfully drew the Bagua Sword. Before the Gold Demon Dragon King could expel all its Blood Dragon Saliva, Zhu Minng flipped his wrist, and with the sword held horizontally, a mere thought made the Fire Trace Markings on the Sword Spirit Dragon Sword glow brilliantly. The ancient Sword Patterns released rolling mes, much like the Restless Fire Liquid spreading in all directions when contaminated! As the Restless Fire Pattern waspletely unleashed, Zhu Minng made a sweeping cut, sending a terrifying wave of Fire-tide Sword Wave along the trajectory of his sword sh. The Fire-tide Sword Wave overtook the Gold Demon Dragon King¡¯s Blood Dragon Saliva, lifting its massive body into midair. Striking the Crystal Rock Wall, the Gold Demon Dragon King¡¯s enormous form was immediately buried under falling boulders, and Prince Zhao Yu on its back was also in a dire spot. Had the Holy Candle Dragon King not promptly snatched him away, Zhao Yu would have been struck by the rocks just like the Gold Demon Dragon King. ¡°Ao!!!!!!!!¡± The Gold Demon Dragon King¡¯s physique was indeed extraordinary, and in a roaring fury, it shattered all the boulders weighing it down to dust. Demon Light burst forth from its golden demon scales, and at the same time, the demon blood flowing from the Gold Demon Dragon King¡¯s three eyes suddenly turned scaldingly hot and terrifying. Zhu Minng naturally pressed his advantage. As he soared through the air, he also caught sight of the Gold Demon Dragon King¡¯s eyes, which, despite the three, were simultaneously casting a deeply disconcerting, fear-inducing Demon Domain. Zhu Minng was slightly stunned, then felt as though he had slipped into a bizarre world. Demon Blood poured down from above, and his feet were immersed in a churning blood pond. Huge blood-red, evil eyes floated around him, observing him with an icy indifference. Pupil Domain! It was precisely the Pupil Domain that the Gold Demon Dragon King had cast, but its domain was more a mental torment, blurring the view of the actual world and subjecting the trapped to the brutalities of this fearful, demon-blood-fillednd. Those eyes, the longer one looked at them, the more one¡¯s heart would race with dread, as the blood pond at his feet rose swiftly, threatening topletely engulf him. Furthermore, for some unknown reason, his sword became exceedingly heavy, and his eyes, ears, nose, and mouth began to inexplicably bleed demon blood! ¡°` Zhu Minng took a deep breath and calmed his heart. He simply closed his eyes, because he knew that what he saw was nothing more than an illusion of the demon¡¯s pupil, an intimidation tactic used by the Gold Demon Dragon King with its evil eye. Suddenly, Zhu Minng feltpletely surrounded, which made him immediately aware that the Gold Demon Dragon King was opening its Mouth of Blood Mountain, ready to devour him in one bite!
At the same time, all the demon blood around Zhu Minng surged like tidal waves, enveloping him and quickly solidifying into blood stones, sealing him within. Having no other choice, Zhu Minng retreated, as the Gold Demon Dragon King¡¯s three-pupil Demon Domain was indeed formidable, amplifying the terror of all its attacks by hundreds of times. Zhu Minng couldn¡¯t determine its real movements, severely hindering his ability to fight it up close. ¡°Mmm~~~~~~~~~~~~~¡± Just then, Zhu Minng heard a familiar roar.
A thick darkness enveloped the sky above him, obscuring the blood flowing down and even recing the sticky pool of demon blood under his feet with a ck swamp. Wrapped in this dimness, Zhu Minng gradually regained his normal vision and began to discern the actions of the Gold Demon Dragon King. It was the Dark Void Dragon Realm of TianSha Dragon King. As the Master of Night, its power of instilling fear in creatures was absolutely on par with that of the Gold Demon Dragon King; it helped Zhu Minng dispel the blood demon pupil domain! Free from the bizarre demon realm, Zhu Minng, when sprinting forward, stepped on a protruding fungus, which shattered beneath him, unleashing astounding power. His body and sword nearly became one in mid-air, transforming into a sharp and beautiful crimson sword shadow! ¡°Whoosh!!!!!!¡± With a single stab, he pierced directly through the forehead of the Gold Demon Dragon King, right into its third eye! The engorged and bloodshot eye, once Zhu Minng pierced it, burst open violently. Demon blood smeared the face of the Demon Dragon! ¡°Roar!!!!!!¡± The Demon Dragon roared in agony, and the once-dominant demon light dimmed as its eye shattered. Zhu Minng looked at the demon light shimmering on those scales and noticed patterns on them that resembled eyes! Zhu Minng had an epiphany! No wonder he couldn¡¯t escape the pupil domain¡ªthe key to the dragon¡¯s fear-inducing blood realm wasn¡¯t its eyes, but these massive scales! These scales released demon light, a dazzling light and illusion-inducing patterns that made it impossible to distinguish between reality and fantasy, leaving one struggling helplessly in that eerie zone.
¡°I¡¯ll start by scraping off your dragon scales!¡± Zhu Minng, knowing the opponent¡¯s strength, couldn¡¯t help but smirk confidently. He stepped on the head of the Gold Demon Dragon King and spun his body, swinging his sword from the neck of the Dragon King, not to chop its neck but to create a windmill-like de ring! ¡°Whoosh whoosh whoosh whoosh whoosh!!!!!¡± The sword spun rapidly. Zhu Minng and the sword in his hand turned into a zing red wheel of fire, rolling across the body of the Gold Demon Dragon King, peeling off its scales with incredible skill as if it were a fish on a cutting board! ¡°` Chapter 480: 482: Chop Candle Dragon Chapter 480: Chapter 482: Chop Candle Dragon Dragon Blood surged violently; scales, along with skin and flesh, had been shaved off by Zhu Minng¡¯s inconsistent Sword Fighting Sect Sword Technique¡ªwhich he hadn¡¯t used for some time¡ªleaving different depths of cuts on the Gold Demon Dragon King! And before this blood had the chance to flow and stter onto the ground, it turned into wisps of bloody vapor, drifting towards the TianSha Dragon King, who was locked inbat with the Holy Candle Dragon King. The Blood-sucking Feather Scales of the TianSha Dragon frantically absorbed the Gold Demon Dragon King¡¯s bloody vapor, making its scale feathers even more vibrant and sturdy. The TianSha Dragon¡¯s scale feathers were extremely flexible, able to change shape at will, especially after absorbing fresh blood vapor; they could even turn into terrifying de Array Feathers! Each feather was hard and t, its edges as sharp as honed des. When the TianSha Dragon erected all such de Array Scale Feathers, it became a veritable meat-grinding dragon! It had a slender body and a supple, thin tail, which avoided the Holy Candle Dragon King¡¯s pounce. With a whip of its tail, it was like rows of sharp knives slicing under the Holy Candle Dragon King¡¯s belly!! The Holy Candle Dragon King¡¯s abdomen was scored with bloody marks, and the blood of the Holy Dragon flowed out, while the Blood-Sucking Feather Scales of the TianSha Dragon King once again turned this fresh blood into wisps of vapor, absorbing it into the TianSha Dragon¡¯s body! The TianSha Dragon had been injured in the previous struggle with the Holy Candle Dragon King, with several dents on its back and a few broken bones, but the replenishment of the two dragons¡¯ blood healed the TianSha Dragon King¡¯s injuries rapidly, and even restored much of its vitality that had been drained in the battle with the Malevolent Water Dragon!! Little Prince Zhao Yu¡¯s face had already turned livid with a shade of ck! Was the TianSha Dragon King some kind of vampire!?!
As long as it wasn¡¯t seriously wounded, ordinary cuts could be healed by its Blood-Sucking Feather Scales; where exactly did such an Evil Dragone from! Little Prince Zhao Yu, of course, didn¡¯t know that the TianSha Dragon was a variant of the Mourning Dragon, natural hunters whose many abilities had already disappeared in the Spiritual Realm, originating from the most ancient species, virtually without natural predators! With strange abilities that were hard to counter, the Mourning Dragons¡¯ bloodthirsty and belligerent nature was perfectly embodied in the TianSha Dragon. First biting the Thirty Thousand Year Old Malevolent Water Dragon, then drinking the blood of the Holy Candle Dragon King, the TianSha Dragon King didn¡¯t even spare the Demon Blood from the Gold Demon Dragon King; such was a dragon born for ughtering, caring nothing for noble bloodlines or esteemed races¡ªall were but delicious mobile blood banks in the TianSha Dragon¡¯s eyes!! ¡°Zhu Minng, you and I will be imcable enemies!!¡± Little Prince Zhao Yu held back his anger for a long while before eventually spitting out this statement. ¡°Are you nning to run away?¡± Zhu Minng sneered coldly. Generally, those who shout such words are ready to flee. Sure enough, Little Prince Zhao Yu no longer wished to continue fighting. The Holy Candle Dragon King¡¯s neck was controlled by a golden Dragon Control Rope, and he grabbed it, pulling the increasingly furious Holy Candle Dragon King upwards! The Holy Candle Dragon King¡¯s eyes were red with rage. It seemed unwilling to leave so readily; it wanted to swallow the TianSha Dragon whole and dissolve it with stomach acid. ¡°Go!!¡± Little Prince Zhao Yu roared almost desperately. Only then did the Holy Candle Dragon King lift its head high and fly towards the fracturing, copsing veins of the earth. No sooner had they flown a kilometer than Little Prince Zhao Yu¡¯s expression turned even more ferocious. This should have been a day of undying achievement for him, but because of Zhu Minng, he even lost the high-bloodline Fire Chi Dragon! To have to flee in such a disgraceful manner was an insult Little Prince Zhao Yu, who was always so proud and arrogant, had never before experienced! The more he thought about it, the angrier the young Prince Zhao Yu became. He wished he could pull on the Dragon Control Rope again, march back there, and ughter Zhu Minng and the others clean! But with his teeth shattered, this Prince had to swallow his pride. His soul had already been injured, if one more of these two dragons were to be killed, it might be difficult for him to rise again! With the green hills still there, as a Prince, he would ultimately be able to gather Spiritual Medicine from around the world to make up for this loss, but finding a second Ancestral Fire Chi Dragon might prove exceedingly difficult! ¡°Did I say you could leave?¡± Suddenly, Zhu Minng¡¯s voice came from nearby, startling Prince Zhao Yu into turning pale! Less than a hundred meters away, Zhu Minng stood with his sword, positioned between the starry wings of the Heavenly ugher Dragon.
At that moment, the Heavenly ughter Dragon changed its Scale Feathers again, turning a dusky hue which allowed it to move effortlessly through the dark Veins of the Earth, its speed astonishigly fast, as if it could instantly traverse from one shadowy area to another. The TianSha Dragon King easily caught up with the Holy Candle Dragon King, and a pair of sharp, curved, bloodthirsty fangs were revealed from the gaping dragon maw!! The Heavenly ughter Dragon struck from the darkness, its wings opening more magnificently, and without ws, it relied on its terrifying fangs to instantly suffocate and kill its enemy! Like its master, the Holy Candle Dragon King became panic-stricken, thrashing its tail wildly in an attempt to block the dark bite of the Heavenly ughter Dragon.
However, the attack of the Heavenly ughter Dragon was just a feint. Standing on its back, Zhu Minng used the Heavenly ughter Dragon¡¯s diving speed to turn himself into a beam of light, passing through the sweeping tail of the Holy Candle Dragon! ¡°Roaming Dragon Sword!!!¡± The sword danced like a dragon on either side, its already scorching de causing friction with the surrounding air, intensifying the mes to burn more fiercely, making the Dragon Sword wielded by Zhu Minng appear magnificently huge and aze with roaring mes!! With the Fire Roaming Dragon apanying Zhu Minng¡¯s final burst of strength, one could see a surging, fiery Fire Dragon roaring forth, making the supremely noble Holy Candle Dragon King look like nothing more than a tiny yellow snake! Below the dusky sea bottom, mes surged, and a stunning sword of fire caused the ocean to instantly boil over. The ck, solid earth of the sea bottom was pierced by this roaming dragon sword, and both the young Prince Zhao Yu and the Holy Candle Dragon King were sted down to the oceanic rockyer, down to the slope beneath the sea!! Because of this sword strike, hundreds of miles of the sea area boiled and churned, and the seabed was deepened because of this sword! The seabed seemed to be experiencing an earthquake disaster, with the rock base shattering and several Veins of the Earth breaking. The previously tranquil underwater world inexplicably gained several unfathomably deep ocean trenches, creating a terrifying scene that seemed to herald a new minor catastrophe! The Holy Candle Dragon King was sted into several pieces by this sword. One part of its body was at the traces of the Earth Veins, another on the ocean floor rocks, and yet another on the slope of the seabed¡­ Unless it possessed the ability toe back to life, it was going to be difficult for the Holy Candle Dragon King to survive; the part of its body including its head was gushing blood, and while the blood could not spread in the bottom of the sea, it settled near the ocean mud, spreading out on the seabed in a thick, bright redyer, striking to the eye! The young Prince Zhao Yu was also naive. Back when Zhu Minng had not yet reached the King Level in his cultivation, he could contend with King-level strongmen just with his Sword Territory. Now that he had truly reached the King Level, how could he possibly fear a Dragon King with the same level of cultivation??
Chapter 481: 483: Tail of the Underworld Lamp Chapter 481: Chapter 483: Tail of the Underworld Lamp Zhu Minng followed the vast indentation he had torn open with his sword on the seafloor, moving forward. He nced at the head of the Holy Candle Dragon King and found that this Holy Candle Dragon King was already on itsst breath. The once invincible Dragon King also had a moment of demise. If Zhao Yu had been determined to fight to the death with him, his Holy Candle Dragon King could have contended with him for a while; this attempt to flee was no different from sending the dragon to its death. However, after walking several circles on the seafloor, Zhu Minng had not seen the young Prince Zhao Yu. ¡°Can you smell his blood? He should have been seriously injured by me too,¡± Zhu Minng inquired of the Heavenly ughter Dragon. The Heavenly ughter Dragon nodded, swimming from behind Zhu Minng, its feathers once again turning into a dark hue. Zhu Minng jumped onto its back, searching along the sloping seafloor. Before long, Zhu Minng also smelled a trace of blood, wafting from a rocky undersea forest ahead. Zhu Minng entered and soon saw the young Prince Zhao Yu holding his breath under the sea, enduring pain while treating his wounds. The young Prince Zhao Yu was covered in injuries, and his distinguished royal robes had long been burnt and tattered. He had summoned the Gold Demon Dragon King anew, intending to escape riding the dragon that had lost its scales¡­
However, Zhu Minng, sword in hand, rode the Dark Fiend Dragon, looking down with a cold and haughty gaze at the sorry figure of the young Prince Zhao Yu. ¡°Zhu Minng, I have already paid the price. If you stop making things difficult for me now, I promise to expend all I have to elevate the status of your Zhu Gate as the foremost among the family doors after returning to the Imperial Dynasty!¡± the young Prince Zhao Yu pleaded somewhat. ¡°Since the phrase ¡®irreconcble differences¡¯ has been spoken, it should be acted upon. If you can¡¯t do it, I¡¯ll help you!¡± Zhu Minng didn¡¯t waste words. He swung his sword once again, and the sword in his hand immediately shone as bright as the sun, so much so that the surrounding water started to evaporate into gas!! With a clean and sharp sword strike, the ocean bottom seemed like it had a volcano erupting violently. A massive ming Giant Sword apparition, as if a weapon of a Heavenly God, struck the scaleless Gold Demon Dragon King from nine different directions. The Gold Demon Dragon King roared. Without the protection of scale armor, its body was impaled with those huge ming Giant Swords, each prating to its dragon bones! ¡°BOOM!!!!!!!!¡± Suddenly, all the ming Giant Swords exploded, releasing devastating energy. The Gold Demon Dragon King¡¯s body was blown open, with white bones exposed in several ces, looking as if they had also shattered into pieces. Dragon demon blood gushed forth. The Gold Demon Dragon King, with its bulky frame, had more abundant blood, but its vitality was also extremely powerful. Even under such an attack, it did not fall. It transformed into a Blood Fiend Dragon, its body shedding chunks of rotten flesh, yet still charging forward. The thick blood did not flow or spread but became the dragon¡¯s skin under the control of the Gold Demon Dragon King! It attacked with a barrage of demonic Qi, as if the severe injuries had no effect on itsbat ability. Zhu Minng dodged, avoiding a direct collision with the rampaging bleeding Demon Dragon. Behind him, the Heavenly ughter Dragon took the initiative to attack the bloodied, festering Demon Dragon King, whose body could even disintegrate into a huge pile of tainted blood, then envelop the Heavenly ughter Dragon within it. Making use of its dark hide, the Heavenly ughter Dragon skillfully wove through the bloody energy. Its eyes piercingly sharp, it seemed to discern the exact location of the festering Demon Dragon King¡¯s body within the mound of blood and flesh, and the Heavenly ughter Dragon opened its mouth and spat out an annihting light at one of the bloody chunks! The light struck the lump of dirty blood and flesh, which was clearly part of the Blood Demon Dragon King¡¯s spine, revealing a massive white vertebra. However, this giant spine bone suddenly mmed into the Heavenly ughter Dragon, sending it flying away. Enraged to the extreme, the Heavenly ughter Dragon swam back, spreading its wings while its tail hung down to the sea floor. The dposed Dragon King demon bodies attacked once again. This time, the Dark Crystal Horn on the head of the Heavenly ughter Dragon suddenly unleashed energy like ck lightning, which traveled from the Dragon Horn along its elongated body to its tail. At the position of its tail, there was supposed to be a tailntern embedded, but as the ck lightning energy umted at the tip, it lit up like amp, subsequently casting a terrifying pallid light, turning the already pitch-ck seabed into a ghostly shade of deathly pale! It was as if a terrifying Underworld Lamp of ck Night had sunk to the bottom of the ocean. The light from the Underworld Lamp shone on the sea creatures, whose bodies immediately emitted ck smoke, their sturdy forms seeming to melt away!
Simrly, under the illumination of the Tail of the Underworld Lamp, the mutted flesh lumps of the Demon Dragon King, which could fight on in several sections, were also melting, quickly turning into a pool of ck sludge, as horrifying as if living flesh had been drained dry! Zhu Minng was witnessing the Heavenly ughter Dragon unleash this ability for the first time, using its Dark Crystal Horn and tail to create a deathly underworld luminescence¡­ If the Heavenly ughter Dragon had managed to sessfully transcend its tribtion at that time, it probably would have only needed to fly high into the sky and then employ the Tail of the Underworld Lamp, and there might not be many creatures left alive on the tea-colored ground to survive this deathly light!! The Gold Demon Dragon King was already injured, and seeing its few remaining pieces of flesh being dissolved by the Dragon Tail Nether Lamp, it hurriedly began to reassemble its body.
Zhu Minng had been waiting for this moment. As the Gold Demon Dragon King¡¯s body came together, he located the position of its Dragon Heart and suddenly drew his sword! ¡°Shadowless Sword!¡± The sword was swift and shadowless, capable of piercing through mountain ranges. Without its Dragon Scales armor, and stripped of flesh and bone, how could the Gold Demon Dragon King resist this one strike! The sword struck directly at the Demon Dragon¡¯s heart, revealing that the flesh hadn¡¯t had time to cover it yet, and the Demon Dragon¡¯s heart was instantly shattered, with the most precious heart essence blood of the Gold Demon Dragon King scattering everywhere! The Heavenly ughter Dragon retracted the Tail of the Underworld Lamp, and its eyes brightened likenterns at the sight of the Dragon¡¯s Heart Essence Blood. It flipped its Scale Feathers, activating its blood-sucking ability, as thick strands of essence floated towards the Heavenly ughter Dragon, which appeared to be reveling in pleasure. It was visible that its Dark Crystal Horn underwent a noticeable change while absorbing the Dragon King¡¯s blood, growing more sinister and resembling a ck Demon Crown. ¡­ Having in another Dragon King, the young prince Zhao Yu was now in agony, crawling on the ground like a lowly sea worm. Three dragons¡­ Prince Zhao Yu had now lost three dragons. With the Spirit Contract broken thrice, he was left without the strength to flee any longer; he couldn¡¯t even maintain his breath-holding technique, and the bloody seawater began pouring into his nose and throat, nearly suffocating him to death. Zhu Minng walked over and pped him on the head with the back of his sword. He had intended to simply knock out the wretched prince, as keeping him alive still had some use, at least topensate for the losses of Zhu Gate. Yet, with that p, he nearly shattered Prince Zhao Yu¡¯s forehead!!
Prince Zhao Yu bled from all seven orifices on the spot, looking no different from dead. Chapter 482: 484: This Sword Master Chapter 482: Chapter 484: This Sword Master ¡°Might as well be dead.¡± Zhu Minng simply couldn¡¯t be bothered to drag this Zhao Yu away and left him there for the sea beasts to gnaw on at will. However, as if hearing Zhu Minng¡¯s words in his semi-conscious state, the little prince Zhao Yu actually woke up, but he had forgotten he was at the bottom of the sea. He swallowed countless dirty gulps of seawater and, amidst his frantic inhaling, he managed to choke himself unconscious again! What a talent, the little prince. This was far cuter than his usual pretentious and arrogant demeanor, looking like an overinted, water-filled toad! Zhu Minng was holding the unfortunate prince with one hand. It was evident that he was about to drown alive, but Zhu Minng also knew that as a Dragon King Level Dragon Shepherd, his physique wasn¡¯t as frail as one might imagine, so he leisurely dragged this half-dead toad-like figure toward the traces of the Earth Veins. ¡°Mmm~~~~~~~~¡± It was then that the Heavenly ughter Dragon let out a low roar. It stared at the pitch-ck sea, and its Dark Crystal Horn lit up at that moment. The pale light it cast on the sea floor vaguely illuminated a figure breaking through the water¡¯s surface! At first, Zhu Minng thought it was that nearly thirty thousand-year-old Malevolent Water Dragon, but he soon realized that the creatureing toward him was even more terrifying than the dragon.
With incredible speed, breaking through the heavy seas, Zhu Minng saw that the figure was heading straight for him, and he did not dare to let his guard down. Throwing the toad-like prince aside, Zhu Minng suddenly drew his sword, and under the sea, it sparked a fire so splendid. Then, the fire from the sword went from one spark to two, from two to four, and from four, it multiplied into countless raging fires! The whole sea floor was lit up bright as day, the fiery sword sparks flying towards the figure who had broken through the water suddenly. At the moment of the strike, Zhu Minng also had a clear view of who it was! It was a person! A God and Mortal wearing Gold Copper Armor, his body enveloped in a thin sheath of golden Haoqi! Haoqi Martial School! A powerhouse from one of the Four Major Sects! This warrior, a Divine and Mortal, crossed through Zhu Minng¡¯s fiery sword mes unperturbed, his surrounding golden Haoqi bing powerful and sacred, shrouding him like an ancient bell. Zhu Minng¡¯s sword mes struck it, pounding against something as hard as solid metal. He lunged at Zhu Minng with a punch, which felt like a towering mountain falling from the sky. The rockyer of the sea floor where Zhu Minng was located suddenly sank, creating an exaggeratedlyrge impression of a fist! Zhu Minng, too, was fierce. As a member of the Sword Fighting Sect, he had never shied away from any Divine and Mortal! With himself as the center, he unleashed a perfect circle of sword chops, instantly creating a fiery Bagua. With the intense Sword Qi, Zhu Minng dared to meet the adversary head-on, even though he knew the other¡¯s Cultivation Base was higher than his own. This warrior possessed terrifying strength. Probably even a Dragon King would be brought to the ground by his punch. Zhu Minng was inwardly shocked, wondering how such a powerful Divine and Mortal could suddenly appear in this Wild Sea Wilderness Ind. Could it be he was also coveting the Earth Vein Divine Pistil for a long time? Zhu Minng¡¯s fiery Bagua Sword Qi was scattered. This time, he gave up defending and both his body and sword flew like an arrow! Sword sh! The figure flickered and the sword pierced through. Leaping up, Zhu Minng wlessly brushed past the warrior, avoiding the overwhelming punch and, in his swift passage, shed at the warrior¡¯s back! Zhu Minng thought the warrior would pull back his fist to defend, but to his surprise, the man took his sword strike squarely. Following that, the warrior rushed to the bottom of the sea, grabbed the waterlogged toad-like prince, and¡­ ¡°Boom!!!!¡± Turned the rockyer into dust. After feigning an attack on Zhu Minng, the warrior immediately stomped on the rocky bottom and broke through the water, leaving without further fighting with Zhu Minng. Zhu Minng was stunned for a moment.
He had rescued the little prince Zhao Yu¡­ Turns out it¡¯s the old servant dog of Little Prince Zhao Yu! After all, he is a prince, and there are always some imperial experts hidden around him to keep his dog life safe. It¡¯s probably thest life-preserving charm the Emperor gave to his son, who has eyes higher than his skills. Just like that, Little Prince Zhao Yu almost choked to death on seawater.
¡°One should be lenient where it is possible. Sword Honorable Master, please stop fussing with a junior,¡± the martial arts teacher transmitted his voice from a great distance. ¡°If you had asked me politely for the person, I could have handed him over to you. After all, he is a little prince of the Supreme Court Imperial Dynasty. How could I just chop him down casually? Even if you faced me in an upright battle, I could still give him to you. But your sneaky attack is truly disgraceful. Has the Martial Venerate of Wu Zong descended to serving the Royal Family as a dog too?¡± Zhu Minng likewise transmitted back, taunting. This martial arts teacher apparently did not recognize him, mistaking Zhu Minng for one of the Sword Masters lying in wait within Zhu Gate¡¯s Little Inner Court. But Zhu Minng had a good idea of the identity of this martial arts teacher. If nothing unexpected, it should be that martial monk master who was beaten up by him in the bigpetition of that power, someone equally despicable and pretentious ¡ª not a good thing at all. ¡°Honorable Master, we will meet again,¡± the martial arts teacher transmitted, with a strange tone in his voice. ¡°Next time I¡¯ll chop you along with it, old servant dog!¡± Zhu Minng cursed. ¡­ The Martial Venerate He Xuzi, who was flying through the burst of water, suddenly swayed, and almost broke his Haoqi Golden Armor! Old servant dog¡­ These words were like a piercing thorn to the heart, and how could He Xuzi not be infuriated at this moment. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that Little Prince Zhao Yu was close to death, he really wanted to turn back around and beat them up. Sword Sect!! As a Martial Venerate of the Wu Zong, how many in the Supreme Court Imperial Dynasty dared to say half a disrespectful word to him??
In terms of cultivation base, He Xuzi was above the other party, yet not only did he have to endure a sword strike from behind, he also had to swallow this insult¡­ He nced at Little Prince Zhao Yu, whose face was covered in blood¡­ This damn brat just had to stir up trouble; if not for someone entrusting him, he wouldn¡¯t havee to such a ce like an old eunuch, all for the sake of preserving his little life! ¡°But who exactly is that Sword Master? His voice seemed quite young,¡± He Xuzi frowning, pondered this question carefully. The person was from the Sword Fighting Sect. The sword in his hand was extraordinary, imbued with the me God Rune. And his disyed swordsmanship was also domineering and strong; Martial Venerate He Xuzi had never heard of any Sword Honorable Master from the Sword Fighting Sect near Qin City! Nowadays the Sword Honorable Masters that trod the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent were all well-known; He Xuzi recognized quite a few of them, and even those he hadn¡¯t seen, he had heard of. But this Fire Sword Honorable Master seemed to be someone he had never met nor heard of. ¡­ Meanwhile, Zhu Minng actually didn¡¯t bother to chase. The main reason was that there were still people who needed rescue inside the Earth Vein Cave. Besides, cutting off the Divine Pistil of the Nuwa Dragon was critical since those me stems would grow back again. Zhu Minng immediately returned to the Earth Vein Cave. He first helped Zhu Rongrong, Zhu Wangxing, and others to a safer ce and then approached the Earth Vein Divine Pistil, using the faint sense in his soul to search for that key life-preserving pistil.
The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 483: 485: Feigning Retreat to Lure the Enemy Chapter 483: Chapter 485: Feigning Retreat to Lure the Enemy Fortunately, Prince Zhao Yu¡¯s Fire Chi Dragon provided a significant help. Zhu Minng found that it was quite difficult to remove the me stems by himself. After all, his body was not as indestructible as that of the Sword Spirit Dragon, and the Sword Spirit Dragoncked ws and teeth to tear the stems off. If he tried to chop them down forcefully, it was easy to touch the Restless Fire Liquid instead. Taking a deep breath¡ªhe was dealing with a Divine Pistil, after all¡ªZhu Minng had never tried to see if he could chop it down. ¡°Swoosh!!¡± Zhu Minng¡¯s hand moved so fast that it was almost impossible to see the movement of his arm. The sword light shone brightly, and the de, like the crescent moon, sliced precisely at the Destiny attached to the Divine Ridge Root. It was as if he had struck an incredibly tough chain, and Zhu Minng even felt a rebounding force that made the palm of his hand ache. But the Destiny was severed, and Zhu Minng suddenly saw a face appear in the flowing fire liquid before dissipating like the wind. Perhaps because he had experienced that Dream World¡ªor maybe because he shared a Spirit Bond with the Nuwa Dragon¡ªZhu Minng suddenly felt a sense of relief as if a heavy burden had been lifted. The shackles entwined around his soul, and the tree of sorrow and pain that had taken root deep within, all were cut clean with that decisive stroke of the sword¡­
¡°Why did you cut it down? Keeping this Divine Pistil, there¡¯s a chance that the Earth Vein Fire Pistil might revive in the future,¡± Elder Yuan asked, somewhat puzzled and perplexed. ¡°Elder Yuan, this item was originally a gift from the Gods. We have taken it for ourselves, and now is the time to return it,¡± Zhu Wangxing said weakly. Zhu Minng turned his head to look at Zhu Wangxing¡­ It seemed he knew something, and from his tone, Zhu Minng could feel Zhu Wangxing¡¯s inner guilt. This Divine Pistil was beyond recognition now. Fortunately, Zhu Minng had deliberately collected arge portion of Serene Fire Liquid, which would suffice for Zhu Gate¡¯s use for the next decade. As for whether the Divine Pistil would grow back after ten years, that was no longer his concern. In Zhu Minng¡¯s view, the Nuwa Dragon was definitely more meaningful than any Earth Vein Divine Pistil. ¡­ When Zhu Minng returned to the depths of the Veins of the Earth, before stepping into the pitch-ck Emerald Lake, he heard a very faint sound, like the long hem of a woman¡¯s dress elegantly dragging on the ground. ¡°Na ya~¡± A pleasant voice rang out, and Zhu Minng saw a slender and graceful figure approaching him from within the cavern-like crevice; her eyes, like Night Amber, twinkled innocently and joyfully. She had reached the boundary of the Earth vein that she could not cross. After a moment of hesitation, the Nuwa Dragon moved forward, no longer feeling her soul chained by anything. A smile bloomed on her somewhat strange but beautiful face, touching like a quiet orchid. ¡°You can leave now. Go wherever you want,¡± Zhu Minng said to the Nuwa Dragon. This was the time to be gracious. Even though Zhu Minng deeply hoped that the Nuwa Dragon would dedicate her body and mind to be his sixth Dragon of the Spirit Pact, it was exactly at this point that he needed to show the broad-minded demeanor of a Dragon Shepherd. I saved you, not to possess you. I was simply moved by your kindness and heart, and sincerely hoped that you would be reborn anew. Yes, that¡¯s roughly it. ¡°Na~¡± The Nuwa Dragon was simply too innocent and pure; she never suspected that Zhu Minng was employing a strategy of feigned retreat. Since Zhu Minng had saved her, she naturally wanted to follow him for the rest of her life. Upon perfectly forming a Spirit Contract and being certain that the wondrous Nuwa Dragon before him was now securely within his grasp, unable to escape, Zhu Minng felt an even greater joy in his heart. He had long heard that there were special beings like the Nuwa Dragon among dragons, capable of heartfelt connection and forever loyal. Even if a Nuwa Dragon was not strong in battle, she was a delight to behold.
Of course, Zhu Minng firmly believed that the Nuwa Dragon couldn¡¯t possibly be weak inbat. Even if her true self had merged with part of the Divine Ridge, this newly born Nuwa Dragon likely possessed incredible abilities. She could harness the oceans. She was also the Spirit mother of thisnd.
With innate talents in both water and earth, she could rival certain water and earth gods. The cultivation base of the Nuwa Dragon was not as high as he had imagined, but Zhu Minng could feel that her soul was extremely fragile,pletely different from when he first encountered her at the Emerald Lake. It must have been because he had severed her Destiny, causing her soul topletely separate from its divine form, making her an independent life with wounds that required time to heal. ¡°Zhu Minng, I think you¡¯re about to embark on the journey to find Ancient Lantern Jade again,¡± Mr. Jinli earnestly scrutinized the Nuwa Dragon. From then on, Mr. Jinli did not mention the Purple Dragon at all, as if in front of the Nuwa Dragon, the Purple Dragon was merely a vibrantly colored, elongated bug! ¡°Why?¡± Zhu Minng asked, puzzled. ¡°Initially, I thought that when you chopped her Destiny, her divine form would dissipate, but it seems that a part of it is still intact. It¡¯s just that her soul is too weak,¡± said Mr. Jinli, his lengthy whiskers fluttering as his fish face appeared serious and earnest. ¡°To nourish the soul with Ancient Lantern Jade?¡± Zhu Minng eximed in surprise. ¡°Yes, nurture her soul, and her cultivation base will naturally increase. She is a dragon that requires no spiritual materials for her growth. She is already wless. It¡¯s just that her soul is too fragile, like thin paper. This could limit her cultivation and her spells,¡± exined Mr. Jinli. The Nuwa Dragon listened quietly by the side. With the Spirit Contract in ce, she could roughly understand the exchange between Zhu Minng and Mr. Jinli. She knew this man and fish were worried about her soul and felt a tinge of guilt, thinking to herself whether she was a very useless dragon, burdening the kind human who had saved her. ¡°Why are you crying? Don¡¯t cry, don¡¯t cry,¡± Zhu Minng saw the glistening tears sliding from the Nuwa Dragon¡¯srge eyes, startling him greatly as he hastened tofort her with soothing words. Those tears, sliding down from her small cheeks, quickly solidified as they fell to the ground, turning into little beads of Night Amber that tinkled crisply upon hitting the ground.
¡°You are not weak; a Peak Monarch Level cultivation base is already considered very high outside. Don¡¯t worry, Ancient Lantern Jade is all over the world, and it¡¯s not difficult to find,¡± Zhu Minng consoled her like a child. The Nuwa Dragon¡¯s heart was perhaps too fragile. ¡°Don¡¯t believe me, ask the Heavenly ughter Dragon. The Heavenly ughter Dragon used to have a piece embedded in its tail,¡± Zhu Minng patted the Heavenly ughter Dragon¡¯s head. With a ferocious and daunting appearance, the Heavenly ughter Dragon did not at all seem like it wouldfort a dragon sister, but the Nuwa Dragon was not the least bit afraid of the Heavenly ughter Dragon and even attempted to gently stroke its head as Zhu Minng did. Chapter 484: 486: It Can Speak! Chapter 484: Chapter 486: It Can Speak! The Heavenly ughter Dragon grew agitated at once; it didn¡¯t like this intimacy at all, and since it was bound to rebel sooner orter, such behavior from humans and other dragons made it feel somewhat disgusted! However, for some reason, the Heavenly ughter Dragon didn¡¯t move itsrge head away. When the Nuwa Dragon¡¯s small palm touched it, the wounds it had gotten from battling with the Malevolent Water Dragon, Holy Candle Dragon King, and Gold Demon Dragon King suddenly stopped hurting and its heart inexplicably calmed down, as if it had returned to its mostfortable dragon nest, lying on a pile of gold and jewels. Zhu Minng noticed that the wounds on the Heavenly ughter Dragon were healing. The ability demonstrated by the Nuwa Dragon wasn¡¯t a healing immortal technique like that of the Immortal Rabbit Dragon; it was more like a spiritual constion, more like it was stimting some potential within the Heavenly ughter Dragon, significantly enhancing its self-healing capabilities. Zhu Minng was observing the Nuwa Dragon¡¯s ability very carefully. Of course, he also did not forget to take this opportunity to extravagantly praise the Nuwa Dragon to prevent her young heart from feeling hurt again and thinking of herself as a burden. ¡­ Having left the restless sea, he returned to Qin City. Fortunately, Zhu Wangxing¡¯s life was saved¡ªif not, the Zhu Gate Small Inner Court would have had a hard time recovering for a while. Of the four elders, only Elder Yuan was still alive, but his Meat Wing Ancient Dragon King had died in battle, and the Abyss Dragon King was also severely injured.
The Big Sword Elder had died, and Zhu Minng didn¡¯t even know his name. Among the other two elders, one was a spy within King An¡¯s Mansion, and he was executed by Elder Yuan¡¯s own hand. Originally, Zhu Wangxing had nned to use Prince Zhao Yu to draw out the spy from King An¡¯s Mansion lurking within the Zhu Gate and capture them all at once. In any case, King An¡¯s Mansion suffered much heavier losses than the Zhu Gate; after all, Zhu Minng had brought back quite a few people who were barely hanging on to life, while most of King An¡¯s Mansion¡¯s people were likely to be buried at sea, including An Qingfeng who didn¡¯t survive. ¡°The Serene Fire Liquid was saved, Elder Fan died; I will arrange for his family to be taken care of in the Inner Court, a small mercy amidst this misfortune,¡± Zhu Wangxing sighed deeply. ¡°It¡¯s a pity that the Prince still had a loyal dog by his side; otherwise, sending him back to the Imperial City, the Royal Family would have had to pay a hefty price to buy his freedom,¡± Zhu Minng remarked. ¡°It¡¯s my fault for underestimating the Prince¡¯s ambition and strength,¡± Zhu Wangxing admitted. ¡°Uncle Wangxing, managing a Family Door like this was never going to be smooth sailing. Just be more cautious in the future. However, I¡¯m a bit puzzled¡ªif there was nobody to vouch for you, how did youe to coborate with the Prince?¡± Zhu Minng finally asked the question. Prince Zhao Yu was one of the heirs to the royal session, and although he had several elder brothers with greater capabilities, Zhao Yu had never clearly stated that he was willing to assist the Zhu Gate. ¡°It was Empress Zhu who introduced us,¡± Zhu Wangxing hesitated for a moment before saying softly. ¡°My aunt?¡± Zhu Minng was somewhat surprised. The person who had rmended Zhao Yu to Zhu Wangxing turned out to be Zhu Yuzhi. ¡°s, I can¡¯t make out whether it was the Empress¡¯s own initiative or Prince Zhao Yu¡¯s own doing,¡± Zhu Wangxing said. ¡°You should discuss this with my father. By the way, I¡¯ve never really inquired about home affairs nor has anyone told me the real situation¡ªis my aunt truly my blood aunt?¡± Zhu Minng inquired. Even though Zhu Wangxing wasn¡¯t his real uncle, he should know more about his own family¡¯s affairs. ¡°Years ago, your younger aunt and older aunt fell on hard times and couldn¡¯t even reveal their surnames. Your father, the Heavenly Officer, took care of them, calling them his sisters and adopting our Zhu Gate¡¯s name as their surname. Later, Zhu Yuzhi became the Empress and gradually took charge of overseeing the rights to various major forces¡­ Our Zhu Gate¡¯s current status owes much to Empress Zhu¡¯s covert support, so when she rmended Zhao Yu to me, I didn¡¯t think too much about it, especially since King An¡¯s Mansion has always been our greatest enemy,¡± Zhu Wangxing exined. ¡°Perhaps my aunt was also deceived by Prince Zhao Yu; the guy is inherently duplicitous,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°Yes, hmm, Empress Zhu certainly didn¡¯t expect Prince Zhao Yu, who is about to be ennobled, to dare to do such an ambitious thing¡­ It¡¯s thanks to your extra caution and securing us enough Serene Fire Liquid; otherwise, our Qin City Little Courtyard would have truly copsed,¡± Zhu Wangxing said. ¡°We¡¯re all family; Uncle Wangxing, don¡¯t say such things. Protecting Zhu Gate is also one of my duties,¡± Zhu Minng said.
In Zhu Minng¡¯s view, the oue wasn¡¯t too bad. It was already a blessing that the Little Inner Court didn¡¯t defect to King An¡¯s Mansion. Zhu Minng had actually prepared himself for this. Of course, this incident had left Zhu Minng with some doubts about the Little Inner Court. Even though King An¡¯s Mansion had also suffered heavy losses, being more cautious could have prevented the situation from turning out this way. This Earth Vein Lava was now in his possession.
It had led to the transformation of the Sword Spirit Dragon and the freedom of the Nuwa Dragon. Feeling guilty was out of the question, for what belonged to his family would eventually be his. In the future, if the Family Door were to encounter any mishaps, with the strength he now possessed and the Realm he could eventually reach, he would also be able to protect them well. As for the oddities within the Zhu Gate Small Inner Court, there was no need for him to worry anymore. The Little Inner Court¡¯s purpose was to obtain fire for Zhu Gate, and by preserving Zhu Gate¡¯s refined fire of ten years, Zhu Minng had already made a significant contribution to his family¡­ ¡­ ¡­ ¡°Brother, is this an Immortal Dragon? It¡¯s so beautiful,¡± Zhu Rongrong said. She had healed from her injuries and had made her way into Zhu Minng¡¯s courtyard, immediately noticing the ethereal Nuwa Dragon and excitedly approached to ask. ¡°Beautiful¡­¡± The Nuwa Dragon mimicked Zhu Rongrong¡¯s words, seemingly trying very hard to understand the meaning of ¡®beautiful¡¯. ¡°It can speak too!¡± Zhu Rongrong¡¯s eyes lit up with excitement. ¡°I¡¯m leaving at noon to head back to Man City,¡± Zhu Minng told Zhu Rongrong. Zhu Huo and Wu Peng were also in the courtyard, having already farewelled Zhu Minng. ¡°Brother, do you really have to go? Won¡¯t you stay a few more days?¡± Zhu Rongrong said, evidently unwilling to part. Zhu Rongrong had always greatly admired Zhu Minng, and now she was like his little fan girl, always rushing over whenever she got the chance. Zhu Minng, with his zing Sword Awakening, had singlehandedly in a Dragon King, appearing like a fiery Sword God, an image in Zhu Rongrong¡¯s eyes that was too handsome for words to describe.
Her cousin was still the strongest person, and yet so humble about it! ¡°No, I¡¯ll only be in Man City for a short while before likely returning to Li Chuan,¡± Zhu Minng knew his cousin was concerned about where he was going. Without Zhu Rongrong, this situation wouldn¡¯t have turned out so smoothly. Perhaps Zhu Rongrong understood the whole affair better. Beneath her innocent and adorable exterior, there was some wisdom after all. Zhu Minng had a good impression of Zhu Rongrong, Considering Zhu Wangxing¡¯s weakened state after this ordeal, it would likely be difficult for him to steer the Little Inner Court anymore. Of course, Zhu Minng would also write a letter to Zhu Heavenly Officer about this matter, suggesting that more cultivation and support be given to Zhu Rongrong and Zhu Huo. With the old powers of the Little Inner Court having suffered greatly, it would be an excellent opportunity for neers to take over, and who knows, they might develop it even better. Chapter 485 - 487 I Want to Fight Ten Chapter 485: Chapter 487 I Want to Fight Ten ¡­ ¡­ With the warmth of spring in the air, Zhu Minng flew along the coastline toward Neon Sea Fantasy City, taking great pleasure in the leisurely view of the swamnds, the forests, and the sea of flowers below¡­ This time, with a Heavenly ughter Dragon to ride, his return journey was much faster than before. Of course, the key to his good mood was not the brilliant spring flowers blooming along the coast, but rather the transformation of the Sword Spirit Dragon. At that moment, the Sword Spirit Dragon hovered beside him, apanying him as he rode the dragon, reminiscent of the time he emerged from the Yaoshan Sword Sect after ten years of arduous cultivation, full of pride and grace! Upon his return to Fantasy City, Zhu Minng went straight to the auction. Having been away for half a month, theplete Cangphoenix spirit assets he exchanged for the Absolute Sea Hawk Emperor¡¯s Soul Bead should also have been prepared. ¡°My lord, take a look at these phoenix spiritual objects. If they don¡¯t meet your satisfaction, we can continue to seek even higher quality ones,¡± said Guan Zhou. The Guan n, as the lowest in the hierarchy of the Nine Tribes of Neon Sea, seemed determined to acquire the Soul Orb of the Absolute Sea Hawk Emperor and offered some of their long-cherished treasures with utmost sincerity. Zhu Minng checked the items¡ªeach of the highest quality, the youngest being at least thirteen thousand years old, and the supplies of Fei leaves that he needed inrger quantities were even better than what he could find on the market. As for the items, Zhu Minng was very satisfied. He decisively took away the spiritual objects of the Cangphoenix and handed over the Soul Bead to the auction, to Guan Zhou of the Guan n. ¡°Thank you, my lord. If you have more King Level treasures, please do let us know. We will surely satisfy you,¡± said Guan Zhou respectfully. Zhu Minng¡¯s face was masked, so others could not discern his age or appearance, but anyone capable of offering a Soul Bead of such caliber must certainly be a King-level Honorable. ¡°I¡¯ll be leaving in a few days,¡± Zhu Minng said indifferently. Guan Zhou bowed upon hearing this, but his face betrayed a look of surprise. Did his statement imply that he still had King-level items at hand, but they simply did not have the time to collect equivalent exchangeable objects for him? ¡­ After leaving the auction, Zhu Minng returned to the Dragon Taming High Court. Indeed, he still had more remarkable items in his possession, namely two Dragon King¡¯s Soul Beads and one Ancestral Dragon¡¯s Soul Bead. Having learned the value of the Absolute Sea Hawk Emperor¡¯s Soul Orb, how could Zhu Minng let the chance slip by to get his hands on the Dragon King Level Soul Beads of the Gold Demon Dragon King and the Holy Candle Dragon King? The value of a Dragon Ball far exceeds that of a Holy Spirit Soul Bead; after all, some aspects of dragon aura are universal. In terms of value, the Dragon Balls of Gold Demon Dragon King and Holy Candle Dragon King should be about three times higher than that of the Absolute Sea Hawk Emperor¡­ These couldn¡¯t be obtained just by trading some top-tier spiritual assets of Middle-level Monarch Level. Zhu Minng certainly had to prepare for his dragons¡¯ breakthroughs to King Level! ¡°The direct value of a Soul Bead is to enhance cultivation base, but you must know that from Monarch Level to King Level, there¡¯s a hurdle, and if you don¡¯t have a high enough Destiny, no matter how many Soul Beads you consume to increase your cultivation, you will be firmly suppressed at Peak Monarch Level,¡± said Mr. Jinli, who swam around Zhu Minng, earnestly exining. ¡°Isn¡¯t this hurdle present for all beings? Otherwise, why would the transition from Monarch Level to King Level be called ¡®Crossing Tribtion and Ascending¡¯?,¡± Zhu Minng asked. ¡°All beings? No, no, there are far more beings in this world than what you¡¯ve seen. You¡¯ve only seen the creatures of the Supreme Court Continent and haven¡¯t encountered the beings from other worlds. Not all lives need to go through this process of ¡®Crossing Tribtion and Ascending.¡¯ For example, the Nuwa Dragon doesn¡¯t need to,¡± exined Mr. Jinli. ¡°Let¡¯s set aside the matter of Destiny for now. To transition from Monarch Level to King Level, there are three requirements. Please, tell me,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°First, one requires a King Level Soul Bead, and second, they need a heavenly anomaly or earthly wonder¡ªsomething akin to the Earth Vein Divine Pistil, an enormous external power to aid in ascension. You¡¯ve seen the Heavenly ughter Dragon¡¯s ascension, it essentially tapped into the power of the seven great cmities.¡± Mr. Jinli said. Zhu Minng nodded, the first two points were clear, ¡°And the third?¡± ¡°What third?¡± ¡°You said before that there are three conditions for ascending from Monarch Level to King Level.¡± Zhu Minng arched an eyebrow. ¡°Oh, did I say that? Then I must have remembered wrong, just two conditions.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Zhu Minng didn¡¯t know what to say. He had just been thinking that Mr. Jinli¡¯s old age dementia had improved quite a bit recently, with almost no instances of seven-second memory or memory confusion, but it turns out the fish was still the same old salted fish! The third must be rted to destiny. Zhu Minng recalled Mr. Jinli muttering about it. But the matter of destiny was rather mysterious, Zhu Minng hadn¡¯t encountered many beings with different destinies, and it wouldn¡¯t be toote to learn more about it when the time came. ¡­ The nurturing began, and now after the Reincarnation Transformation, each dragon was a future Dragon King heavyweight, and Zhu Minng immersed himself deeper in the Way of the Shepherd Dragon. Previously, when cultivating the sword, he would practice every day until his back ached, and his Cultivation Base grew extremely slow. Though Dragon Training was costly, one could munch on melon seeds while supervising, which was simply toofortable. Most importantly, the Sword Spirit Dragon¡¯s Cultivation Level was his own Cultivation Level, and he felt that even if he hadn¡¯t abandoned being a Sword Cultivator due to the insurmountable sky moat, his current Sword Cultivation Level would at best be Lower Level King. Which was about the same as the Sword Spirit Dragon. But now, in addition to the Sword Spirit Dragon, there was the Heavenly ughter Dragon, the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon, the Nuwa Dragon, the Refining Ash ck Dragon, and Little White who still hadn¡¯t awakened¡­ The Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon, Refining Ash ck Dragon, and Nuwa Dragon all had the potential to ascend to King Level; their bloodlines were exceptionally noble. ¡­ The nurturing of the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon was going smoothly, its Cultivation Base had already risen from Middle-level Monarch Level to Upper Level. Next, just by taking the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon into more battles, its Cultivation Base would naturally reach Peak Monarch Level, and many of its abilities have an overwhelming effect against other Dragon Beasts of the same level¡­ Finally, after a few more days, Zhu Minng would be ready to pack up and set off. The journey back to Li Chuan was quite long, and naturally, he would encounter some dangerous territories and sinisternds along the way, which would provide ample opportunity for the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon to sharpen its ws, as with the Refining Ash ck Dragon; it was a painful affair for them to eat their fill every day and yetck worthy opponents. ¡°While you¡¯re not yet at Monarch Level, let¡¯s go to the academy for a round first, earn some credits to buy some Spiritual Objects to enhance the cultivation of the Little Flood Dragon,¡± Zhu Minng said to the Refining Ash ck Dragon. The Little ck Dragon was getting chubby, and practicing against thin air was ineffective¡ªhe needed realbat! ¡°Oh!!!!¡± Big ck Tooth was more than willing and howled excitedly several times. ¡°The academy has rankings, and since the spring battle season has just started, let¡¯s see what rank you can achieve.¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°Oh, oh, oh!¡± I want to fight ten of them, Big ck Tooth roared! Chapter 486 - 488: Ranking First Chapter 486: Chapter 488: Ranking First ¡­ Upon arriving at the academy¡¯s grand arena, Zhu Minng scanned the crowd and noticed that there were many more people today than usual. It was probably because of the spring season¡¯s opening battles; every student wanted to showcase themselves on this day of leaders, to stand out, gain a high reputation, something every Dragon Shepherd aspired to! ¡°Zhu Minng, Zhu Minng, we¡¯re over here!¡± someone shouted from the crowd. Looking over, Zhu Minng saw his old ssmates, and Teacher Duan Lan was also there. She still looked so vibrant and beautiful in the crowd, pleasing to the eye. Zhu Minng walked over and sat down with them. For the opening battle, the majority of the students were present, and more and more were arriving, including some big names from the Nine Tribes of Neon Sea who took seats at the very front, apparently scouting for outstanding students to recruit into their ns. ¡°Zhu Minng, are you going to go up there? Look at that circle of podiums in front, they are all prominent figures of Neon Sea. Being noticed by them means exclusive sries and resources after leaving the academy¡­¡± Hong Hao nudged Zhu Minng¡¯s arm, goading him. ¡°The Nine Tribes of Neon Sea are here recruiting?¡± Zhu Minng felt this was the only exnation, looking at the spectacle before him. Unless students stayed at the school as teaching assistants or teachers, they would all have to leave after a certain period, and then they¡¯d have to find their own way. ¡°Yeah, otherwise why would there be so many people today?¡± said Hong Hao. ¡°I¡¯ll go down for a bit of fun. Do I need to register in advance?¡± asked Zhu Minng. ¡°It¡¯s all done in an arena format. If you think you¡¯re up for it, just step on up and fight until you can¡¯t stand anymore. Naturally, people wille up to challenge you; of course, if you see someone very strong with consecutive wins, you can challenge them too. But if you win, you¡¯ll have to hold your ground up there,¡± Hong Hao exined. ¡°Zhu Minng, the arena doesn¡¯t limit the number of challengers,¡± Teacher Duan Lan reminded Zhu Minng at this moment, as if she knew that he was a man who enjoyed taking on tough challenges. Zhu Minng broke into a smile. That sounded even more interesting. ¡°I¡¯ll go upter. Right now, it¡¯s Tong Huisheng up there; he¡¯s already racked up thirteen consecutive wins, and it seems he hasn¡¯t even summoned all his dragons yet,¡± said Lu Wenye. ¡°No worries, I don¡¯t need to see who it is to deal with these youngsters. My Little ck Dragon needs a punching bag,¡± Zhu Minng said with a confidently soaring smile. ¡°But this Tong Huisheng has a Dragon Monarch on the field, isn¡¯t your Refining Ash ck Dragon just at Lord Level?¡± ¡°When I go up there, we y by my rules,¡± Zhu Minng stated. ¡°Zhu Minng, I don¡¯t think my water bottle pouch can hold as much as you can!¡± Chen Bai couldn¡¯t help but mutter. ¡°This opening battle is supposed to be open to everyone, but it will probably end up as a show for the Monarch Level big shots, sigh,¡± Nan Ye sighed, feeling somewhat discontent. ¡­ Zhu Minng headed towards the center of the grand arena. Just then, the student named Tong Huisheng dominantly secured his fourteenth consecutive victory, which sparked discussion among some of the surrounding students. ¡°You going up?¡± asked a supervising teacher standing at the base of the stage, as Zhu Minng walked up directly towards her. ¡°Yes,¡± Zhu Minng nodded. ¡°What¡¯s your rank in studentbat? Considering we don¡¯t want the fights to be too uneven, we¡¯re currently only allowing the top two hundred ranked students to go up,¡± the supervising teacher said. ¡°First,¡± Zhu Minng stated. ¡°Huh?¡± The supervising teacher thought she had misheard. ¡°Wasn¡¯t Li Xu the first? When did it change to you? What¡¯s your name? I¡¯ll have someone check.¡± ¡°Zhu Minng.¡± The supervising teacher called over a young teaching assistant and asked her to flip through a thick register. Every formal duel was recorded, and rankings would be updated ordingly; the young teaching assistant burrowed her head, searching diligently for the name Zhu Minng. She flipped quickly through the pages, yet after browsing several, at least the first few hundred entries had no mention of Zhu Minng. But by then, Zhu Minng had already walked onto the dueling tform. ¡°Young student, don¡¯t make things difficult for the teacher,e down at once!¡± the supervising teacher hurriedly called out, but Zhu Minng still stepped up, turning the supervising teacher¡¯s face dark with frustration, muttering under her breath, ¡°If you¡¯re so ignorant of the heights of the heavens and the depths of the earth and want to seek out your own suffering, I won¡¯t stop you!¡± ¡­ ¡°I haven¡¯t seen you before, at least not among the top fifty,¡± Tong Huisheng said to Zhu Minng with a touch of disdain in his tone. ¡°Do you have any Lord-level dragons, preferably ones with strong abilities?¡± Zhu Minng stepped forward to ask. ¡°Of course, I have,¡± Tong Huisheng replied. ¡°Then call them all out. I have a growing ck Dragon that needs some realbat experience, but it¡¯d struggle a bit against your Dragon Monarchs,¡± Zhu Minng stated. Tong Huisheng paused for a moment upon hearing Zhu Minng¡¯s words. In normal circumstances, if someone wanted to spar and set the rule to only summon Lord-level Dragons forbat, it wouldn¡¯t be impossible. But what was the asion now? The dignitaries of the Nine Tribes of Neon Sea were on the viewing tform, and many high-level officials of the academy were watching; anyone stepping onto this dueling tform surely intended to showcase their strongest abilities. Who would want to y such a game with an unknown nobody? ¡°If you don¡¯t have the strength, then roll down on your own,¡± Tong Huisheng said with extreme impatience. ¡°Perhaps you haven¡¯t understood; I don¡¯t want to be used of bullying the lesser,¡± Zhu Minng retorted with a cold snort. No sooner had he finished speaking than a fierce radiance began to pour down above Zhu Minng; the light carried an intense burning power, and as it spread across the wide dueling tform, the ground zed like golden mes. Simultaneously, one after another, birds of light that resembled mes dove down; they struck at Tong Huisheng, at his Red Earth Dragon King! That Red Earth Dragon King, at least, had a thick suit of earth armor, and its robust limbs along with a sturdy earthy body gave it the impression of a solid little hillock. However, as the light poured down and the birds of light with powerful luminous energy plummeted, the Red Earth Dragon King¡¯s entire suit of dragon armor shattered to pieces!! The powerful birds of light inflicted serious damage on the Red Earth Dragon King, a nearly qualified Dragon Monarch with the thickest earth armor among Dragon Monarch, but under the baptism of those birds of light from the sky, it directly fell unconscious! Tong Huisheng was shocked and looked up high, only to see an Azure Phoenix Dragon, arrogantly soaring above Zhu Minng, with sacred, radiant azure feathers cascading down! ¡°Your¡­ your dragon¡­¡± Tong Huisheng was bbergasted. How could his Red Earth Dragon King have been instantly knocked to the ground?! The Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon pped its wings, stirring up a gale that swept the unconscious Red Earth Dragon King and Tong Huisheng off the fighting stage! Tong Huisheng hadn¡¯t withstood even a single round!! ¡°Found it, teacher. This Zhu Minng is ranked more than 13,000, a first-year student. I guessed this person was just causing a stir, so I started from the very first volume, and sure enough, I saw his rank¡­¡± the assistant said at this moment. The teaching assistant who had been searching for Zhu Minng¡¯s ranking wore a smile, feeling exceptionally clever. She looked up just in time to witness the scene of Tong Huisheng and his dragon being thrown out of the arena, and her mouth dropped open in astonishment!! Chapter 487: 489: The Crushing of Higher Positions Chapter 487: Chapter 489: The Crushing of Higher Positions ¡°` Not only was the assistant unable to close his mouth in disbelief, Zhu Minng¡¯s old ssmates all had their jaws hanging open, their eyes wide with shock. ¡°Zhu Minng really did break through to the Monarch Level, my God!¡± Chen Bai, the lemon essence, was the first to exim. ¡°It seems that it¡¯s not just a simple breakthrough to the Monarch Level. Did you all see clearly how Tong Huisheng¡¯s Earth Dragon King was defeated?¡± Nan Ye, Li Shaoying, and Lu Wenye shook their heads one after another. They hadn¡¯t seen it clearly at all; it felt like just a sh of holy light. It was the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon, no doubt, but this Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon was also too fierce, wasn¡¯t it? It blew up the Semi-Monarch Level Red Earth Dragon King just like that! ¡°Fellow students, due to my training of Dragon Babies, I¡¯m setting a rule here today. Everyone is only allowed to call upon Dragon Beasts below the Dragon King¡¯s cultivation base. If anyone can defeat my ck Dragon, I will give up this tform¡­¡± Zhu Minng then spoke to everyone present. As soon as these words were spoken, everyone was dumbfounded!! Training Dragon Babies??
Is he using all the students in the academy as punching bags? The audacity is simply too great. Dragon Taming High Court is full of hidden dragons and crouching tigers. Even if you can easily defeat a Semi-Monarch Level student, it doesn¡¯t mean you can trample over everyone. And the rules for this spring¡¯s opening bout were set by the academy, not something a student who just entered the stage can change willy-nilly! ¡°Who are you to set rules? Who do you think you are, the Son of Heaven?¡± A smartly dressed student stepped forward, staring at Zhu Minng with a hint of disdain. Zhu Minng was surprised that someone had stepped up to challenge him so quickly. When Tong Huisheng had been on his winning streak earlier, why hadn¡¯t he seen him step up? Did he think Tong Huisheng was not that strong? ¡°Isn¡¯t that Song Lu, who¡¯s ranked tenth??¡± ¡°This guy is way too arrogant,pletely disregarding all of us. Song Lu, teach him a severe lesson!¡± ¡°Exactly, he just wants to show off to attract the attention of those powers. This kind of person is the most annoying!¡± Song Lu entered the Great Competition Field and first made a very polite bow to the people of the Nine Tribes of Neon Sea, followed by a bow to the academy¡¯s teachers and deans, performing the appearance of an extremely humble and courteous outstanding student to the fullest. ¡°Enough with the show, just call out your Dragon Lord.¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°Why should I follow the rules you set?¡± Song Lu said disdainfully. With that, Song Lu unfolded his imprint and summoned three Quasi-Monarch Level Dragon Beasts at once. The spectacle was indeed intimidating. For a student to have such strength, even in the grand contest of powers in the Imperial City, he could stand out. No wonder it¡¯s Dragon Taming High Court, indeed a den of hidden dragons, and the grand contest of powers did not truly send out capable Dragon Trainers. ¡°Little Qingzhuo, take care of them.¡± Zhu Minng said indifferently. Little Qingzhuo struck like thunder. It flew high into the sky, transforming into a Godfire Phoenix, its majestic azure mes assaulting the Great Competition Field, instantly turning it into a sea of azure fire! This sea of fire was breathtaking. The nobles of the Nine Tribes and the high-ranking officials of the academy hadn¡¯t even had time to clearly see what species the three quasi Dragon Kings were before they saw them being burned and fleeing in disgrace, howling in pain!
The Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon moved swiftly through the sea of azure mes, its speed as fast as a meteor shing, with no shadow to be seen. ¡°` ¡°` It suddenly seized the body of the Furious Canglong, hoisting it high into the sky before mming it violently back to the earth.
While suffering the agony of being scorched, the Furious Canglong also endured shattered tendons and broken bones, yet despite being a Quasi-Dragon Monarch, it was utterly powerless against the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon! The other two Semi-monarch level dragons were even more sluggish and foolish, showing no reaction as theirpanion was severely wounded. The Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon¡¯s azure glow wings swept across, and these two dull dragons fell side by side, bleeding profusely! The battle ended so quickly that many people had yet to close their dropping jaws, and now they were stunned once again! ¡°That¡¯s a High Rank King Level!¡± Finally, someone realized that Zhu Minng¡¯s Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon possessed the cultivation base of a High Rank King Level¡­ ¡°When did our academy produce such a genius???¡± ¡°How pitiful, I feel like he didn¡¯t even stay on stage as long as the time he took bowing.¡± ¡°Is that Song Lu, hiding his face I thought he was some country student, even such a renowned figure of the whole academy can have times when he is brutally beaten!¡± Three dragons were dealt with very quickly, Zhu Minng¡¯s Azure Phoenix Azure Dragonpletely overpowered them, his strength was too much, effortlessly taking on three adversaries at once! ¡°Get down!¡± Zhu Minng, who had somehow appeared behind Song Lu, kicked the show-off out of the spotlight. Song Lu¡¯s three dragons were thrown out of the arena, piling upon one another, and Zhu Minng¡¯s kick was heavy, sending the man flying into the midst of the three dragons. When Song Lu got up, his face was beet red, and his eyes were full of shock. He couldn¡¯t understand how he could be so easily defeated. ¡°Does anyone else want to question my authority to set rules now?¡± Zhu Minng asked aloud.
By what right to set rules?? If not for rules, the entire academy put together would not be enough to stand against Zhu Minng alone! Zhu Minng genuinely didn¡¯t understand, he was clearly protecting the students of the Dragon Taming High Court, yet why couldn¡¯t they appreciate his good intentions, insisting oning forth to be beaten! ¡°Is¡­ is it really just Lord Levelbat?¡± At this point, a more gentle-looking male student stepped forward and asked in a low voice. ¡°Yes, Monarch Levelbat would be too unfair for you all,¡± Zhu Minng nodded. This statement made the top-ranked students and renowned figures of the academy blush with fury. How can someone be so arrogant!! This was the academy¡¯s spring opening battle, a very serious and sacred event, how could it be a one-man show, especially in such an extremely humiliating way for others!! ¡°Indeed it¡¯s not fair, this student Zhu Minng¡¯s Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon is a Superior Monarch Level. If the students have not reached this realm, they should not challenge his Dragon King lightly,¡± the white-bearded vice-principal spoke at this moment. In order to prevent the talented students from suffering further heavy blows to their pride, the vice-principal felt it was time to offer a reminder, to avoid any more overconfident individuals from stepping forward and getting beaten into a stupor. ¡°Is it really Superior Monarch Level???¡± ¡°Oh my god, did Zhu Minng ascend to heaven or what? Howe in just a few days, his Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon has reached the High Rank King Level!¡± Chen Bai, already screaming, was the voice of envious critique. That¡¯s terrifying, the speed of this cultivation progress.
They thought it was already freakish for Zhu Minng to break through to the Monarch Level, but who would have known he could be so outrageously advanced. The strongest person of the entire academy is probably just a Lower Rank Dragon Monarch, and Zhu Minng is already one or two realms ahead of the academy¡¯s strongest! ¡°` Chapter 488: 490: Changing the Rules Chapter 488: Chapter 490: Changing the Rules The supervising instructor who had previously prevented Zhu Minng from taking the stage suddenly had a realization upon hearing the vice principal¡¯s words. No wonder when asked about his ranking, Zhu Minng directly told him he was first. If he possessed a High Rank King Level Cultivation Base, indeed no one in the whole academy could contend with him¡ªhe was without question the rightful first! ¡°Vice Principal, aren¡¯t you going to do something? What precedent does it set if a student can so arbitrarily alter the rules of our academy? How can other students demonstrate their own strength? He¡¯s clearly here to cause trouble on purpose!¡± a member of the academy administration said, dissatisfied. ¡°What do you want me to do? Zhu Minng is upying the challenge stage on the basis of his strength. And the rule he set actually gives others the chance to show themselves, doesn¡¯t it? Otherwise, people like Tong Huisheng and Song Lu would just go up there, notst half a minute, and get tossed down, dragons and all, right?¡± the white-bearded vice principal said gruffly. Seated nearby, Han Wen was also among the audience. She had been quite surprised to see Zhu Minng, but after giving it some thought, she reasoned that Mr. Zhu was only staying at the Dragon Taming Academy to train his Dragon Babies¡­ But this Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon Baby was just too formidable, suppressing all the so-called geniuses of the academy without giving them a chance to show any temper! ¡°I¡¯ll give it a try. We can¡¯t let him run wild on such an asion,¡± a young man seated beside Han Wen spoke up at this moment. ¡°Han Ke, I advise you not to do this,¡± Han Wen replied. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll join forces with a few others. Look, they seem very unsatisfied too,¡± Han Ke gestured with his hand towards a group of seats not far away.
Those seated there were among the highest-ranked in the entire Dragon Taming High Court, each one a top-tier personality, strong enough to hold their own anywhere on the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent. A High Rank Dragon King appearing so suddenly within the academy, with such an extraordinarily high Cultivation Base, was indeed unheard of, but it was unforgivable for him to humiliate all the students of the academy like this. Even if joining forces with the other prodigies, they could not let him continue to be so rampant! After all, the number of challengers was not limited. One-on-one, indeed no one in the academy was at his Realm, but with thebined strength of the academy¡¯s many heroes, could they not ovee this great viin? Han Wen nced around and noticed that several of the students ranked in the top ten of the academy had stood up as if by some unspoken agreement. They were not going to allow Zhu Minng to steal all the limelight. If they worked together and managed to defeat Zhu Minng, it would also serve to showcase their own strength to the Neon Sea Forces. Most importantly, they couldn¡¯t just let their pride go undefended! Seeing her brother Han Ke so determined, Han Wen sighed helplessly, realizing that dissuasion was probably futile. ¡°Han Wen, do you not have confidence for our academy¡¯s top ten talents to join hands in this battle?¡± the white-bearded vice principal asked. ¡°Vice Principal, this Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon is also a Dragon Baby. It assisted us in capturing that expert Yan Zhen¡ªit¡¯s the one. He came to our Dragon Taming High Court to experience life here¡­¡± Han Wen said in a low voice to the vice principal. The vice principal¡¯s mouth fell open in shock, his white beard parting to each side. ¡°Then we really should set some rules¡ªit¡¯s too unfair. For the proud geniuses we¡¯ve worked so hard to cultivate, it¡¯s nothing short of a devastation. Today might be the darkest day in our academy¡¯s history!¡± the white-bearded vice principal eximed. ¡°I suggest we follow the rule he proposed,¡± Han Wen said with a bitter smile. ¡°Yes, yes, we must protect our flowers.¡± ¡­ The academy¡¯s talented individuals had already gathered. Full of vigor, they were nning to join hands and take down the viin Zhu Minng. High Cultivation Base or not, they could not allow such insolence!!
No matter what, they had to defeat this person! ¡°Fellow students, since this is an opening battle for the whole academy, every student should have the opportunity to showcase themselves. We can¡¯t let this grand stage be a personal performance for the Monarch Level students. Therefore, I think Zhu Minng¡¯s suggestion is very reasonable. From now on, summoning Dragon Beasts with a Monarch Level or higher Cultivation Base to battle is not allowed!¡± the white-bearded principal stood up and announced loudly to everyone present. ¡°Principal, what are you doing? Do you also think that even if we unite, we are not his match??¡± Han Ke eximed in panic upon hearing this deration! On what grounds!!!
This is the opening battle for the entire academy, on what grounds should the rules be changed just because this big viin says something??? ¡°Dean, if we join forces, we still have the power to fight!¡± ¡°Yes, Dean, don¡¯t bolster this big viin¡¯s imposing presence!¡± The top ten talented students stomped their feet in anger, one after another. They had all been discussing tactics, so why did the Dean suddenly change the rules! This great arena isn¡¯t owned by Zhu Minng, he can¡¯t just dictate how things will be done!! ¡°I¡¯ve already decided, thepetition will continue,¡± the white-bearded Dean stated with a tough attitude and a firm tone. Kids, the Dean is trying to protect you. Without setting this rule, if you all annoy Zhu Minng, you might face not just a High Rank King Level dragon, but possibly¡ªa Dragon King!! He¡¯s been keeping a low profile. If the Dragon King is summoned, who knows how many students will start questioning their life choices. Not to mention the students, even the Vice Dean himself started questioning his own life. Look at that guy, tall and handsome, in the prime of his youth! Here I am with a whole bunch of white whiskers, and yet my cultivation base is hardly much higher than others¡­ With the Vice Dean presiding and making his statement, the staff and instructors didn¡¯t dare to have any further objections, so the rule was forcibly changed.
¡°All participating students, no summoning of Monarch Level dragons!¡± a staff member loudly announced the new rule. ¡°It¡¯s no summoning of dragons above Monarch Level.¡± At that moment, the Vice Dean cleared his throat loudly, indicating that the staff member had made a mistake. The staff and instructors were full of confused and puzzled expressions. Is there any difference? The Vice Dean¡¯s eyes were exceptionally firm. The difference is huge! The staff and instructors didn¡¯t think too deeply, assuming that the Vice Dean was just being very particr aboutnguage and rules. The rule was read out loud again, and the whole assembly was already simmering with excitement. They actually changed the rules just for one person! That Zhu Minng is so domineering!! ¡°Did they really freaking change it???¡± ¡°From now on, in front of my incense table, I will hang only one person¡¯s portrait, and pay my respects three times morning and evening. Zhu Minng, our eternal deity!¡± Hong Hao couldn¡¯t help but start worshipping earnestly. How could they not worship!
In a grand event like the Dragon Taming High Court, they were like nobodies, all probablycking even the courage to step up, whereas Zhu Minng simply monopolized the stage, making all the geniuses mere background characters! A man as brilliant and eye-catching as the zing sun in the sky, if he isn¡¯t a god, then what is! ¡°Have we underestimated Zhu Minng¡¯s abilities?¡± Duan Lan fell into deep thought. When they first got to know Zhu Minng, he was clearly just a student who had set foot on the path of a Dragon Shepherd, with many areas of Dragon Training knowledge nk. How could it be that in just over a year¡¯s time, he reached such an incredible height! Chapter 489: 491: Do You Feel Ticklish? Chapter 489: Chapter 491: Do You Feel Ticklish? Han Ke and the other geniuses from various academies didn¡¯t dare to defy the senior management of the institution, but their eyes were already filled with strong disdain and loathing. They believed that Zhu Minng must have a very deep background; otherwise, why would the vice chancellor change the rules for him! ¡°This is outrageous, won¡¯t we be unable to prove ourselves now?¡± ¡°Yes, the upper Monarch Level isn¡¯t as formidable as imagined. As long as we find a method to suppress it, how could we not defeat him? He must be scared and has seen that we are uniting against him.¡± ¡°Lord Level is just Lord Level, we can still crush him all the same.¡± Han Ke was also very annoyed at the moment. He came to the stage and looked down with disdain and disgust at Zhu Minng¡¯s arrogant behavior. He nced at the Lord-level Dragon that Zhu Minng had summoned. ¡°This is your Lord-level Dragon, nothing more than a ck Dragon with a slightly higher bloodline. In our eyes, such a dragon is a waste of a Spirit Contract to nurture!¡± Han Ke said with a hint of arrogance. ¡°Then what extraordinary dragon do you have? Let me see for myself,¡± Zhu Minng asked, looking at this haughty challenger. ¡°Do you know about bamboo?¡± Han Ke suddenly asked.
¡°What?¡± Zhu Minng didn¡¯t understand. ¡°Bamboo grows very fast, possibly shooting up a meter overnight, and can surpass some trees in a very short time. But everyone knows the center of bamboo is hollow, and it will never be a towering tree! Your Cultivation Base is like a tall, hollow bamboo, whereas we are the future¡¯s towering pines!¡± Han Ke pointed at Zhu Ming and criticized. Zhu Minng scratched his head. Not liking someone and having to say it so poetically. It would be better to just point a finger at one¡¯s nose and say, ¡°You¡¯re just trash,¡± and be done with it. After speaking these words, Han Ke made his move. Where his feet had stepped earlier had left behind orange imprints, which connected together to form a long, narrow pattern! A Nightshade Dragon flew out from the pattern, its body wriggling on the ground like a giant earthworm, with two three-meter-long dragon whiskers sparking with yellow electricity. Anything they touched would instantly cause a small-scale thunderous explosion! The face of the Nightshade Dragon resembled the demons of folklore, with indigo skin and ming red hair, boasting a gaping mouth and fangs like those of a wild boar! With its huge head and a body like a giant loach, the Nightshade Dragon had an eerie and ghostly appearance! ¡°Ohhhhh!!!!¡± The Refining Ash ck Dragon roared at the sight of its opponent, demonstrating its dragon might. The Nightshade Dragon¡¯s body was wriggling forward, a movement that was not only speedy but also created waves of soil that blocked the Dragon Breath emitted by the Refining Ash ck Dragon. When it got close to the Refining Ash ck Dragon, the ming red whiskers of the Nightshade Dragon crazily struck everything around, with yellow lightning crackling fiercely. Surrounded by this web of lightning, the Refining Ash ck Dragon stood with its Purgatory Dragon Pupils wide open, allowing the electricshes to strike its body¡­ ¡°Lightning is ineffective?¡± Han Ke frowned. The Nightshade sh had umted to the extreme, and more ferocious thunderstorms swept through, shattering the rocky earth. However, the Refining Ash ck Dragon stood at the very center of the Nightshade sh, and when a razor-sharp bolt struck its belly, the Refining Ash ck Dragon reached out with its big chubby ws and gently patted its own dragon belly¡­ Recently, Big ck Tooth had been eating quite well, and its belly had grown nearly indistinguishable from that of some Giant Dragons. The burly ck Dragon sustained a whole set of dazzling attacks from the Nightshade Dragon, but that only made it scratch its belly. A dragon face covered in a radiant helmet looked at the Nightshade Dragon with a hint of confusion. Is that all? The face of the Nightshade Dragon, with its greenplexion and sharp teeth, also showed a look of horror!
How could it be unscathed? What level are the scales of this Refining Ash ck Dragon!! ¡°Oh!!!!!!!¡± Suddenly, the Refining Ash ck Dragon raised its head. A crimson energy was umting in its abdomen, causing its skin and scales to be cast in red! Through the glowing red scales and skin, one could see the energy moving from the abdomen to the chest, and from the chest surging into the depths of the throat.
It¡¯s Dragon me!!! You could see the Dragon me in its throat bing fiercer, turning the entire mouth of the Refining Ash ck Dragon into a mini volcano! ¡°Roar!!!!!!!!¡± Finally, the Refining Ash ck Dragon spewed out a terrifying pir of me, and the mes spreading around the pir ignited the air, expanding into an extremely exaggerated wave of fire. The central pir of me was even more dreadful¡ªit directly sted the Nightshade Dragon away, mming it against the rocky barrier at the edge of the Great Competition Field! The rocky barrier was thick, specifically designed to block overly powerful energies from spilling outside the arena. The pir of me almost pierced through this rocky barrier. As the wave of fire continued to sweep and impact, the Nightshade Dragon¡¯s body was deeply embedded in the rocky barrier yet still had to endure the relentless onught of mes! The spectators inside and outside the arena were all wide-eyed. How could the Dragon me of the Refining Ash ck Dragon be so terrifying? The Nightshade Dragon, after all, is a high-bloodline dragon. Not only did its attack seem to merely tickle its opponent, but it couldn¡¯t withstand the Refining Ash ck Dragon¡¯s effortless breath!! Han Ke was stunned. He had been the one chosen by the people to fight this great viin, and he firmly believed that if he won this battle, his reputation would soar. While he had no confidence in winning a contest of Monarch Level strength, how could he possibly lose to the person before him in a fight between Lord-level Dragons¡­ Yet his Nightshade Dragon appeared as insignificant as an earthworm before the Refining Ash ck Dragon. He let his own Nightshade Dragon attack at will, but his dragon couldn¡¯t resist even a casual breath from the opponent!! Both being Lord-level Dragons, why was the disparity so exaggerated? Han Ke couldn¡¯t see anything special about this Refining Ash ck Dragon!
¡°Next time, don¡¯t be the first to stand out. If you join with yourpanions and blend into the crowd, perhaps you can seem not so weak,¡± Zhu Minng said indifferently. Han Ke nced back, and the other experts from their academy also smiled secretly. Cultivation Base may be at the Lord Level for all of them, but there could still be a great disparity. A dragon has many key parts, such as Dragon Scales, Dragon ws, Dragon Horn, Dragon me, Dragon Teeth, Dragon Wings¡­ Each part can be enhanced. Zhu Minng¡¯s ck Dragon had clearly strengthened its Dragon Scales, its defensive power far exceeding that of an average Dragon Lord. Without more powerful Dragon ws or spells, it would be nearly impossible to harm this ck Dragon at all. As for Han Ke¡¯s Nightshade Dragon, although its bloodline was not bad, it was clearly very rough in terms of enhancement and refinement. In the pursuit of higher Cultivation Base, the Nightshade Membrane that the Nightshade Dragon should have had at the Lord Level hadn¡¯t even developed. Chapter 490: 492: Doubting Life Chapter 490: Chapter 492: Doubting Life ¡°` ¡°Let me do it,¡± he said. ¡°I have a dragon that strives for perfection. I have always cultivated it with care, ensuring every part of it is strengthened to the extreme, every innate potential is fully harnessed, each spell is honed to the peak. Although it remains at the Lord Level, it can easily kill demon spirits that have lived for four or five thousand years!¡± Fan Zhi stepped forward and said. Ranked fifth, Fan Zhi¡¯s path as a Dragon Shepherd deviates slightly from others. Though he currently has only one Quasi-Dragon King dragon, even those like Song Lu with three Semi-monarch Dragons can¡¯t match him in the end. For some, breaking through their cultivation base is just a matter of will; it¡¯s not forck of resources to break through or because their pet dragonsck the talent or bloodline to advance further. Instead, by perfecting a dragon at every stage, when it enters the next level, it will be far more powerful than others of the same cultivation base! Take, for example, a dragon¡¯s ws and scales. Some Monarch Level Dragons may have scales that are only on par with those of Lord-level Dragons, hardly withstanding some powerful attacks. Some Lord-level Dragons possess ferocious, savage ws that can even tear open the vitals of a Monarch Level Dragon, potentially killing it¡­ Seeing Han Ke¡¯s disheartened expression, Fan Zhi couldn¡¯t help but smile. Too many people do not understand this; they blindly chase after higher cultivation bases. The higher the realm of a Dragon Shepherd, the more they will focus on fine-tuning and strengthening when training new Dragons of the Spirit Pact!
¡­ Fan Zhi entered the Great Competition Field and called out his Eternal Frost Dragon, an ice-attribute giant dragon. Instead of attacking right away, he turned to Zhu Minng and said, ¡°Someone recently bought a Phoenix Dragon¡¯s Gall from our house for a high price. Those who need a dragon¡¯s gall are looking to strengthen. Your Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon must be more than just High Rank King Level, right?¡± Fan Zhi¡¯s approach wasn¡¯t as frivolous and arrogant as Han Ke¡¯s. He took this battle very seriously, and he also mentioned the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon that had just dominated the others. Even High Rank King level dragons would need some time to deal with three nearly Monarch-Dragons, but Zhu Minng¡¯s Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon swept them away like trash¡­ Therefore, it was evident that the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon was not just at a high cultivation base but also had been enhanced in many ways; it might already be close to Peak strength! ¡°Good eye,¡± Zhu Minng said with a smile. Finally, someone who appreciates its true value. The Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon was not just enhanced slightly¡­ Little did Fan Zhi know, the Phoenix Dragon¡¯s Gall sold from his house was but a small part of what was exchanged to obtain the Hawk Emperor¡¯s Soul Bead. Zhu Minng enhanced seven dragon traits on his Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon! Any enhancement for a Monarch Level dragon is incredibly expensive and most people exhaust all their energy and wealth just trying to raise their cultivation base, rarely focusing on fine-tuning dragon traits. Now financially buoyant, Zhu Minng is aiming for nothing but perfection to ensure his Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon¡¯s ascendancy to the Dragon King Level is smoother and more formidable! His dragon needed to undergo Crossing Tribtion and Ascending. If he could not ensure its perfection, it was possible to fall during the process! Of course, what Fan Zhi didn¡¯t know was that the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon¡¯s cultivation base was still unstable; it had just undergone a major transformation. With a few more battles against dragons of the same level, it could easily reach the Peak and even stand out among those at the Peak! ¡°But your Refining Ash ck Dragon has not been refined to perfection. A Lord Level dragon has six dragonic features, and only your dragon¡¯s scales, teeth, and breath have reached their potential¡ª the other three are stillcking,¡± Fan Zhi continued. ¡°Refinement?¡± Upon hearing this, Zhu Minng showed a hint of surprise. Mr. Jinli had mentioned this term before. Because Mr. Jinli is always sleeping and forgetting things, Zhu Minng¡¯s knowledge of dragon rearing was iplete. For example, concerning the strengthening of various parts of a dragon, Zhu Minng only knew to spend money as requested by Mr. Jinli, without clear instructions on other aspects of dragon training. So that¡¯s what ¡®refinement¡¯ means. Strengthening is just a general term. The process of increasing a dragon¡¯s power is called strengthening, while focusing on a specific dragonic feature is called ¡®refinement.¡¯
¡°` But Zhu Minng still had one question. ¡°Why are there six features at Lord Level?¡± Zhu Minng asked, puzzled. ¡°One feature for a Dragon Son, three for a Dragon General, six for a Dragon Lord, and nine for a Dragon King. A dragon is called a dragon precisely because it possesses dragon traits. The more features it has, the higher its bloodline is considered to be. While cultivation can enhance and strengthen these features, not every feature necessarily transforms. At this time, a Dragon Shepherd needs to refine them to perfection,¡± exined Fan Zhi, who didn¡¯t mind sharing this information, given that people who cared about refining a dragon¡¯s traits were bing scarce these days.
Since Zhu Minng was already summoning a Dragon Lord Level ck Dragon to fight in such circumstances, wasn¡¯t his purpose also to refine it? In Fan Zhi¡¯s view, Zhu Minng was a kindred spirit. ¡°I see, so the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon must still have two features left to refine to the extreme,¡± Zhu Minng murmured as he stroked his chin. ¡°What, your Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon has already refined seven features??¡± Fan Zhi was entirely astonished upon hearing this! Every time a feature is refined at the Monarch Level, it would cost a fortune equivalent to a gold mine. Zhu Minng has already refined seven features?? For his Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon to face other Dragon Kings that hadn¡¯t undergone refinement was like stepping on cockroaches! ¡°No, that¡¯s not right. My Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon has more than nine features,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°The dragons with higher bloodlines have one or two additional features. The standards I mentioned are the minimum number of traits a dragon of each level should have. Of course, dragons that are special cases or Disabled Dragons might have less than that standard,¡± Fan Zhi exined. Zhu Minng immediately understood. Dragons with higher bloodlines would have one or two additional dragon traits on top of the basic ones, and these features would increase as their cultivation improved. Each additional dragon trait was akin to gaining an extra ability. So how many features did a Dragon King have?
Zhu Minng recalled his Heavenly ughter Dragon. This guy seemed to perform a new ability he hadn¡¯t seen before every time he fought¡­ like thest time¡¯s Dark Form and Tail of the Underworld Lamp. ¡°I get it now. I thought the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon was already at full strength, but it turns out there are four features left to refine. Hmm, yes, it can get even stronger!¡± Zhu Minng mused aloud to himself. Of course, only Zhu Minng and Fan Zhi could hear this conversation. After all, the Great Competition Field was vast, and the surroundings were too noisy. ¡°Eh, the match hasn¡¯t even started yet. Why do you look so pale?¡± Zhu Minng snapped back to reality and nced at Fan Zhi. ¡°Let¡¯s start. At the Lord Level, I couldn¡¯t possibly lose to you,¡± Fan Zhi no longer wished to continue the conversation with Zhu Minng. Show off to this degree, and who could maintain a good mood!! That Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon, High Rank King Level, seven features refined! With such capabilities, it could probably bully even those at the Peak! In terms of true strength, he was leagues apart from Zhu Minng. If he didn¡¯t establish the rules, he wouldn¡¯t even qualify to be his punching bag!! And still have the nerve to ask why someone looks pale, someone with a slightly weaker mental state might just start crying and question their life. (The neighbors are renovating; it¡¯s been affecting my sleep recently. Small adjustment, I¡¯ll update a little less today and yesterday, but will return to three chapters tomorrow~~~)
Chapter 491: 493 Lord Level Game Chapter 491: Chapter 493 Lord Level Game The Eternal Frost Dragon had indeed undergone refinement and strengthening; one could feel that it was considerably more formidable than the shy yet ineffective Nightshade Dragon merely by its aura. Indeed, it was much easier to find suitable opponents for the Little ck Dragon to fight in the academy. It was clear that the Little ck Dragon was also brimming with vigor, already beginning to sharpen its ws and fangs! As the two dragons shed, the Eternal Frost Dragon¡¯s powerful breath of frost continued to grow stronger. As the battle wore on, a thinyer of frost had already formed on the Refining Ash ck Dragon¡¯s body. This frost was extremely cold, like a restrictive garment that increasingly slowed its movements. The Eternal Frost Dragon gradually gained the upper hand, and the Refining Ash ck Dragon sustained many wounds¡­ ¡°In terms of cultivation base and resources, I¡¯m far behind you, but I am confident that with a Lord-level Dragon, I can still beat you.¡± Fan Zhi said with a smiling face. Fan Zhi maximized the condensation of the Eternal Frost Dragon¡¯s breath, which even approached that of some Monarch Level creatures, leaving few opponents in a Lord-level battle! The Eternal Frost Dragon could not possibly lose! ¡°My dragon may not have many fancy tricks, but it has extraordinary endurance. You¡¯d better be cautious with your Eternal Frost Dragon,¡± Zhu Minng said unhurriedly. It was like a calm andposed game of chess; no matter how fierce and tragic the ughter on the chessboard, the yers maintained their own grace and elegance. This kind of atmosphere was precisely whatbat in the Dragon Taming Academy emphasized. It¡¯s just that in the eyes of some who were overly greedy for profit, it became an asion to trample on others and inte their own ego!
Zhu Minng had encountered quite a few fools in the Dragon Taming Academy; it was rare to meet someone who was honest and very willing to exchange their Art of Dragon Shepherd. Battling with such an opponent meant stopping at the right point, devoid of excessive malice, just learning from each other and progressing together. Zhu Minng had a good impression of Fan Zhi and could tell that he was a person with a very correct attitude. He believed that such a person would not be limited to his current realm in the future. Although his cultivation base was far inferior to his own, Zhu Minng also respected such an opponent. ¡­ The Eternal Frost began to possess a terrifying Dead Freeze might; this bitter cold could prate into a dragon beast¡¯s body, affecting its internal organs. Fan Zhi did not want to inflict overly severe injuries on Zhu Minng¡¯s Refining Ash ck Dragon, so he offered a warning and exined the formidable nature of this Dead Freeze Permafrost to Zhu Minng. ¡°Thank you for the warning, but does it look like it¡¯s about to admit defeat?¡± Zhu Minng asked, pointing to the Refining Ash ck Dragon. The Refining Ash ck Dragon would not admit defeat. It harbored ck Dragon me within its body, which could reduce all enemies to ashes. The heat of this dragon me could resist some of the erosive power of the Eternal Frost¡¯s dead freeze. Of course, there was not much time left for the Refining Ash ck Dragon to continue fighting. Even with the ck Dragon me inside, it could only hold on for five more minutes at most. If the battle dragged on, its insides would be frozen, putting its life in danger. One had to admit that the opponent¡¯s Dead Freeze Breath was extremely powerful. Zhu Minng remembered that Bai Qi also possessed Frost Power. The Sky Frost he had acquired in the Dragon Country of Clouds was already an extremely terrifying breath. The opponent¡¯s Dead Freeze Permafrost was somewhat close to Bai Qi¡¯s level at the time¡­ With such a breath, the Eternal Frost Dragon could indeed remain unconquerable, and if it faced other Monarch Level creatures head-on, its breath could pose a great threat to Monarch Level beings! The Dragon Taming High Court indeed housed crouching tigers and hidden dragons. Zhu Minng had thought that after the Little ck Dragon¡¯s Reincarnation Transformation, it could essentially crush all Dragon Lords, yet the first opponent turned out to be so challenging! Five minutes was actually very brief, especially since the Refining Ash ck Dragon had been fighting a battle of endurance from the start¡­ The oue was about to be decided and everyone present could see that the Refining Ash ck Dragon, covered in a thickyer of Eternal Frost, had be stiff and its momentum was far from as fierce as at the beginning. The Refining Ash ck Dragon took unsteady steps, each movement weak as it trudged on, persisting through sheer stubbornness. The Eternal Frost Dragon possessed a pair of agile wings, bringing vast amounts of frost as it flew, resembling a snowstorm. It approached the Refining Ash ck Dragon, poised to deliver the final blow to utterly defeat it. However, as the Eternal Frost Dragon closed in, the frail Refining Ash ck Dragon suddenly lifted its head, its dragon pupils burning with fierce mes!!!
The fire in its pupils seemed to diffuse, instantly enveloping the surrounding area. The solid frost and fallen snowkes showed no signs of melting from the mes, only the Eternal Frost Dragon, which appeared to be dragged into a smelting furnace purgatory with ghostly fire burning it, caught off guard, trying to p with its frost breath to extinguish these infernal fires, only to find the mes growing stronger! ¡°Pupil Domain!!¡± Fan Zhi cried out in shock, unable to help himself. Many in the academy were also surprised; not all dragons possess the ability of Pupil Domain, and even Monarch Level dragons with high bloodlines have only a small chance ofprehending it!
As a Lord-level Dragon, this Pupil Domain was excessively domineering and powerful. The Eternal Frost Dragon, which had been consistently gaining the upper hand, was now as though plunged into a fiery hell, its body and soul tortured by scorching fires, and without a strong enough will, it could not escape this Dragon Pupil Purgatory!! Tong Huisheng, Song Lu, Han Ke, and the others were all dumbstruck, fearing even their nearly Monarch-level dragons might not resist and endure this Pupil Domain. That meant that if they weren¡¯t careful, they wouldn¡¯t even be able to defeat Zhu Minng¡¯s ck dragon! Fan Zhi showed a trace of distress, watching his Eternal Frost Dragon suffer from the fire. He eventually shook his head, unable to bear it any longer. ¡°I concede,¡± Fan Zhi sighed and said to Zhu Minng. ¡°Thanks for the match,¡± Zhu Minng replied. ¡°From the beginning, you knew that my Eternal Frost Dragon was superior to your Refining Ash ck Dragon, so you kept letting your dragon show weakness. When my dragon and I thought victory was assured, you revealed this Pupil Domain to counterattack¡­ I was careless,¡± Fan Zhi said with a wry smile. In fact, even if the opponent had Pupil Domain, as long as the Eternal Frost Dragon maintained a certain distance and stayed on guard, flying away before the Dragon Pupil Purgatory could fully project, it wouldn¡¯t be instantly countered like now¡­ It was still careless of him. The endurance of the Refining Ash ck Dragon was extremely strong. As an Ancient Dragon, its body was extremely robust and brave; there was no room for mistakes in the struggle against the Eternal Frost Dragon. Regrettably, he still gave the opponent an opportunity. And the opponent was just too good at keeping theirposure. This Pupil Domain ability was in no way inferior to the Eternal Frost¡¯s Death Freeze Breath; the opponent had not used this Pupil Domain at the start of the fight, as if they had thought of this strategy from the very beginning!
The Refining Ash ck Dragon, despite being a ferocious Ancient Dragon, shared its master¡¯s patience and knew how to endure in silence. Fan Zhi felt some regret, but he also knew he was to me for his recklessness. Both sides possessed skills that surpassed their levels, at most it would be a tie, but in the end, he was the one who lost¡­ Chapter 492: 494: Armor of Despair Chapter 492: Chapter 494: Armor of Despair ¡°It¡¯s up to you guys now, I¡¯ve done my best,¡± said Fan Zhi to his fellow students. The others exchanged nces. They had watched the entire match¨Dhow could they not be aware of whether their own Dragon Lord had the strength topete? ¡°His dragon has taken quite a few hits, and it¡¯s low on energy. We should be able to take it down, right?¡± The previously arrogant top ten talents stood together, already losing their confidence. ¡°Then let me do it. It might be a cheap victory, but someone has to go up there. We need to salvage some face,¡± Chu Hua said. Chu Hua was a member of the Chu family of the Nine Tribes of Neon Sea. Although he had the backing of his family, he still wanted to bring honor to his Family Door in such an asion! Since it was a Lord Level battle, the victor would certainly be glorious. Chu Hua entered the field, knowing very well that the opponent¡¯s Dragon Lord was extremely powerful and without Monarch Level cultivation, it would not be easy to defeat it. Chu Hua was not careless; he immediately summoned three Dragon Lords, intending to use a numbers tactic to win thebat. The Refining Ash ck Dragon did sustain some injuries earlier, and its energy had been significantly depleted, but Chu Hua failed to notice the crimson aura that still swirled around the Refining Ash ck Dragon!
That was the Predator¡¯s Wild Breath! After defeating a strong adversary, an Ancient Dragon¡¯s blood would boil, and the Predator¡¯s Wild Breath would emanate from this boiling battle blood, lingering around the Refining Ash ck Dragon, making it even more ferocious and brave!! Chu Hua obviously did not realize this; he thought that Zhu Minng¡¯s ck Dragon had already expended its energy and was in a weak state¡­ Zhu Minng and Big ck Tooth were both seasoned actors. Even though the Predator¡¯s Wild Breath had already greatly increased the Refining Ash ck Dragon¡¯s strength, Zhu Minng pretended to be in a dire situation, and Big ck Tooth deliberately staggered, swaying as if about to be toppled by a strong wind. As expected, Chu Hua was fooled! He had a High-level Dragon Lord lead the charge, trying to take down the Refining Ash ck Dragon head-on, only to be grabbed by it, and with a Violent Dragon power m, he almost broke the High-level Dragon Lord¡¯s neck¡­ After dealing with one cleanly, the Refining Ash ck Dragon then took the initiative to attack, with a technique called Thunderous Dragon Heavy Horn,unching the Giant Dragon that was a sizerger than the ck Dragon a hundred meters away!! Chu Hua, witnessing this scene, waspletely taken aback! How could this seemingly ailing Refining Ash ck Dragon suddenly be so vicious? As a bravely forward Ancient Dragon, how could it be so cunning and deceitful!! Valor could make the Refining Ash ck Dragon increasingly brave in battle, with endless stamina. And the Predator¡¯s Wild Breath could further cause a surge in its power after defeating and plundering an opponent. The recent m had added anotheryer to the Predator¡¯s Wild Breath, making it even more intense. As the fight continued, it allowed Big ck Tooth to beat up the other two of Chu Hua¡¯s Dragon Lords just like they were children, leaving them utterly battered! The battle was resolved so swiftly and cleanly that all the students present couldn¡¯t recover from their shock¡­ What¡¯s the deal with this ck Dragon. It had just narrowly defeated the Eternal Frost Dragon, seemingly on itsst legs, and now it seemed like apletely different dragon. Moreover, it hit too hard, leaving Chu Hua, who was once among the top, standing alone in the arena, utterly embarrassed! The defeated Chu Hua wished he could find a hole to crawl into. When he had stepped onto the field, he had already felt somewhat ufortable, as even winning the fight would have tasted of an underserved victory. Who would have thought that not only would he fail to win, but he also got ruthlessly beaten up.
¡°It seems to be the Predator¡¯s Wild Breath¡­¡± ¡°This is no good, Chu Hua going up there is just charging up the opponent!¡± ¡°So what do we do now? The ck Dragon¡¯s Predator¡¯s Wild Breath is almost bing a solid whirlwind, and dragons of lower ranks don¡¯t even have the courage to fight.¡± ¡°How about we wait a little longer? Since this is a Lord Level battle, there should be some fairly strong contestants ranked lower in the academy; let them go up first and see how it goes?¡±
Several influential figures from the academy had already started to beat a tactical retreat; if they went up now, wouldn¡¯t they be just like Chu Hua, losing all face for their families! ¡°s, it¡¯s my fault. If I had taken it down earlier, none of this would be happening now,¡± Fan Zhi said with a rueful smile. I really should not have been careless. If he had managed to defeat the Refining Ash ck Dragon in one vigorous effort, it wouldn¡¯t have gained the Predator¡¯s Wild Breath. Besides, many ancient dragons be more valiant as they fight, even replenishing their stamina duringbat, significantly increasing their self-healing abilities, and rapidly restoring powers that normally require feeding¡­ If it isn¡¯t defeated, then the Refining Ash ck Dragon will only grow stronger and stronger. At this rate, soon, there won¡¯t be many in the academy who can defeat Zhu Minng! He¡¯s already made room for the unbeatable Dragon King, yet he remains the demon lord who dominates the Great Competition Field. We are all Dragon Shepherds, save some face! ¡°I suggest that we stop worrying about losing face and quickly form a group to attack together. If a few more go up and get thrashed, with a surge of valiant strength and an overflow of Predator¡¯s Wild Breath, this ck Dragon will even dare to trample the Dragon King!¡± Fan Zhi sincerely said to the other students still able to enter the field. The situation is very, very wrong! If the fight continues, this ck Dragon will reach a powerparable to that of Monarch Level creatures. Better to lose face than dignity, we must unite and resist this great viin and the evil dragon! Fan Zhi¡¯s words awakened many students, and finally, the challengers no longer entered one by one¡­ Challengers began to appear in groups, facing the Refining Ash ck Dragon, which now contended against groups of Dragon Lords. This spectacle made all the nobles from the Nine Tribes of Neon Sea shake their heads and sigh. There was no choice; without the tactics of sheer numbers, the shame would be branded in their hearts for a very, very long time! As the Refining Ash ck Dragon fought among a crowd of dragons, its strength was much inferior to that of the Eternal Frost Dragon. It was difficult for one pair of ws to contend against dozens, and the once invincible Refining Ash ck Dragon finally showed signs of being overwhelmed by the multitude of dragons.
¡°Cough cough, Big ck Tooth, I didn¡¯t let you use your Dragon Armor during your regrbat training because I wanted to temper you, but under these circumstances, it¡¯s permissible,¡± Zhu Minng said to the Refining Ash ck Dragon. ¡°Oh!!!!!¡± The Refining Ash ck Dragon immediately understood. It roared, and its body suddenly radiated Meltfire Brilliance. Its ck dragon scales gradually began to shimmer with a crimson light, which solidified and eventually transformed into a set of Meltfire Heavy Armor that outfitted the Refining Ash ck Dragon! With the summoned Dragon Armor, the Refining Ash ck Dragon seemed to grow bigger. When the Dragon Lords¡¯ fangs and ws scratched at the Melt Fire Heavy Armor, they almost shattered their own teeth and ws¡­ Unless it was some special Profound Art, Spell, or condensed Heavy w and Dragon Teeth, the attacks of those Dragon Lords were as futile as tickling! ¡°Zhu Minng, give us all a way out¡­¡± Fan Zhi said with a mournful expression. The students who had entered the battlefield felt like crying, too. Howe there¡¯s still Dragon Armor! And of such high quality, at that! Is your family in the business of selling armor? Dragon Kings can¡¯t even afford this kind of Dragon Armor, and you¡¯re putting it on a Dragon Lord. Are you even ying fair! Chapter 493: 495: The Earth is Empty, The Demon within Man Chapter 493: Chapter 495: The Earth is Empty, The Demon within Man ¡°` Mr. Jinli has also said that Zhu Minng, as a Dragon Shepherd,es with one attribute, that is, every dragon must be equipped with the most gorgeous Dragon Armor! This Dragon Armor is equivalent to adding an extra feature to each dragon, and a very powerful one at that! In fact, Zhu Minng had just learned a new forging and refinement technique and hadn¡¯t even had time to strengthen this piece of Meltfire Heavy Armor; given some time to fortify it, the Dragon Armor would be even more resilient. The sharpest ws of a Lord-level Dragon that dare reach for it would break off, and even the ws of a Monarch Level are estimated to be unable to tear it apart. ¡°Zhu Minng is simply a god swimming in a fishpond¡­¡± Inside the arena, Luo Shaoyan secretly held Zhu Minng in high respect. By now, Luo Shaoyan was utterly convinced that Zhu Minng was a super big shot; the dragons he¡¯d seen were basically all Zhu Minng¡¯s new dragons, in the nurturing stage of young dragons. But Zhu Minng was a bit too harsh when crushing the weak. How could he treat all the high-achieving students from the Man City Dragon Taming High Court as punching bags? Everyone shamelessly ganged up on him, and it wouldn¡¯t have hurt to let everyone win just a bit, is it too much to ask for a bit of humility andpassion? ¡°Shaoyan, do you recognize this Zhu Minng?¡± asked an elder from the Luo Mountain Sect. ¡°How could I not recognize him, he¡¯s my brother. We first met when we gotpletely drunk together at Xuancao Mountain Castle. I saw something extraordinary in him right away, so I¡¯ve always treated him with sincerity!¡± Luo Shaoyan said with a proud smile, and he started to rave about Zhu Minng among the Nine Tribe elders. The young man, grinning with pride, hadpletely forgotten that he had once cautioned Zhu Minng not to boast about drinking with him to others!
¡°That¡¯s very good. You¡¯ve made progress since leaving the sect. Such friends should indeed be made!¡± said the Luo Mountain Sect elder. ¡°There¡¯s something I¡¯d like to discuss with Uncle. My brother is somewhatcking in Dragon recognizing techniques, could we possibly¡­¡± Luo Shaoyan whispered. ¡°For a friend like that, sincerity is paramount. If you trust his character, you can share it with him, but, of course, you must warn him not to spread it further.¡± The Luo Mountain Sect elder hesitated, but eventually nodded in agreement. ¡°Thank you, Uncle!!¡± eximed Luo Shaoyan, overwhelmed with joy. Previously iming that the Dragon recognizing techniques he shared with Zhu Minng were mere trivialities, it wasn¡¯t that Luo Shaoyan was unwilling to be open, but the family rules were extremely strict. Without the permission of the elders, anyone caught privately teaching others would have their limbs broken, even if those others were their own flesh and blood. With his uncle¡¯s permission, he could finally give Zhu Minng something substantial! ¡­ ¡°Vice Chancellor, looking at the current situation¡­¡± the academic affairs and supervisory instructors had already turned pale. A fine opening battle for the spring season had turned into this debacle. It¡¯s hard to say whether to me the students for being too weak or the opponent for being too fierce! ¡°It¡¯s alright, Zhu Minng is also a student of our academy, isn¡¯t he? It¡¯s not like he¡¯s being trounced by an outsider; there¡¯s no shame in that. In fact, I hope that the academy will produce more such remarkable personalities to truly test the students¡¯ mettle!¡± the Vice Chancellor said, stroking his white beard. ¡°This is not so much testing mettle as it is¡­¡± Testing mettle should provide motivation to grow stronger, with the belief that one can eventually ovee obstacles. The current scene was clearly about crushing sprouts and roots, making these young saplings from the academy, even with abundant rain and intense sunlight in their future, resolutely afraid to emerge from the soil, for the world is too perilous! ¡°Rx, rx, I observe that dragon should only be in its growth period, although it grows fiercer with each battle, it ultimately has its limits. Sending one or two more groups should be enough to take it down.¡± The Vice Chancellor seriously told the students and teachers. ¡°Grow¡­ grow¡­ growth period¡­¡± A few students who had been defeated were already at the peak of humiliation, and that word almost brought them to their graves on the spot!! ¡°Chancellor, Chancellor, someone has fainted from heatstroke!¡± ¡°How can there be heatstroke in spring? It¡¯s probably just a seasonal cold. Drinking some ginger juice should do the trick. Now, where was I? Oh right, I believe his Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon has not reached the Complete Period¡­¡± ¡°Chancellor! Please stop!!¡±
The instructors were going mad. Students in the background had copsed inrge numbers, some even foaming at the mouth! If this continued, not only would their mettle be eroded, but it was the courage to reincarnate in the next life they would be losing!!! ¡°`
¡°` ¡­ On this day, neither the teachers nor the students at the Dragon Taming High Court would forget the fear of being dominated or the humiliation of being treated like ground moles battered into stakes¡­ In the Great Competition Field, a dense ck light prevailed, and in the utter despair of defeat after defeat, the Refining Ash ck Dragon let out an earth-shattering roar! Its wild breath swept across, blowing away twenty or thirty Lord-level Dragons in the arena! The ground was littered with broken teeth, cracked ws, bloodstained scales, shattered horns, and rotten skin, forming the most terrifying halo around the ck Dragon! As the ck Dragon finally copsed, exhausted, countless people thought the humiliating, desperate day would finally end, but the Refining Ash ck Dragon¡ªadvanced!!! From the growth period to theplete period!!! The Refining Ash ck Dragon¡¯s advancement did not require spiritual resources, but this kind of indomitable fighting spirit! With a surge in cultivation base, the aura of the Refining Ash ck Dragon instantly reached Middle-level Monarch Level; its Predator¡¯s Wild Breath and ancient ferocity swept through like wind through leaves, flipping all the Lord-level Dragons in the arena. In full view of everyone, this Dragon ascended from Lord Level to Dragon Monarch, and moreover, reached a realm unattainable by the entire academy. ¡­ ¡°It advanced, ah, today¡¯s training of the baby was aplete sess!¡±
¡°The vice principal explicitly stated that no Dragons above Monarch Level are allowed in the arena. I, Zhu Minng, have no Dragon Lords to summon. I¡¯ll take my leave now, ah!¡± The whole field fell silent. Stunned, holding their heads crying, falling backwards unconscious, foaming at the mouth¡­ perhaps this was the darkest day in the history of the Dragon Taming High Court. Even the vice principal and the instructors hadn¡¯t anticipated this oue; after everyone reluctantly sacrificed theirst shred of dignity to collectively attempt to defeat the great viin and the great Evil Dragon with sheer numbers, this was the result! The sun was bright, the spring breeze gentle, yet the hearts and minds of all the teachers and students were riddled with scars, shrouded in darkness. No one remembered how they left the Great Competition Field in the end. For many days after, the scenic spots of the academy no longer saw couples frolicking intimately; the beach training fieldscked diligent students and Dragons sweating together; the sacred halls were devoid of passionate students envisioning their futures¡­ The Dragon Taming High Court in Man City, as though shrouded by a massive devil, stripped the youthful students of all their vitality and verve. Even though the actual devil had left on a new journey, his shadow still lingered all year round, leaving everyone anxious and restless. Hell is empty, and all the devils are here! ¡­ ¡°Senior sister, I am about to embark on a long journey. I have so many things I want to tell you.¡± ¡°Then I wish you a safe trip¡­ Hey, why did you leave already, what about the things you wanted to tell me!¡± ¡­
¡°Junior sister, it¡¯s a bright sunny day today, let¡¯s go together¡­ Junior sister, why did you p me.¡± ¡­ ¡°Would this student please read aloud from the Dragon Trainer¡¯s doctrine¡­¡± ¡°Teacher, someone¡¯s got heat stroke again.¡± ¡­ ¡°` Chapter 494: 496: A Heart of Reverence Chapter 494: Chapter 496: A Heart of Reverence ¡­ Traveling southeast, Zhu Minng had been rushing on the road these days. The haughty Heavenly ughter Dragon was still reluctant to serve as a mount, so Zhu Minng could only travel in a moremon manner. Before leaving Man City, Zhu Minng had already crafted two pieces of Dragon Armor. Utilizing the Serene Fire Liquid and Wind Dandelion Crystal Grains, Zhu Minng perfectly controlled the forging me, and the process of strengthening Big ck Tooth¡¯s Meltfire Heavy Armor went quite smoothly. After all, it was a work of Zhu Heavenly Officer; he left many hidden grooves when casting this Heavy Armor to facilitate Zhu Minng¡¯ster enhancement and refinement. The Meltfire Heavy Armor was upgraded to a Monarch Level Holy Product. How should one describe the strength of a Monarch Level Holy Product Heavy Armor? It¡¯s roughly like standing amid a group of Dragon Kings and letting them scratch and bite for the duration of burning an incense stick, and this piece of Meltfire Heavy Armor wouldn¡¯t even bear a mark. Dragon Armor has always been a luxury item, but it¡¯s a luxury that holds value. ording to Fan Zhi, it¡¯s like adding a dragon feature to the dragon, and moreover, one whose strength far surpasses all other features. The Cultivation Base stabilized at Middle-level Monarch Level.
After the advanced enhancement, the scales of the Refining Ash ck Dragon had been significantly strengthened. Its resistance and defense abilities surpassed its own level of cultivation base. With such a piece of Meltfire Heavy Armor, even attacks from Peak King Level creatures would seem like scratching through boots ¨C barely noticeable. Of course, the malleability of the Refining Ash ck Dragon was also extremely strong, and Zhu Minng¡¯s ambition for it was not just to withstand an attack from a Peak Monarch Level creature¡­ He wanted to be like the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon, in a fierce thrashing against many, to fight ten by itself! The growth of the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon was quite good, and Zhu Minng could clearly feel its cultivation base was still rising, without getting stuck at the High Rank King Level. A few evenly matched battles would allow it to easily reach Peak Monarch Level. A high bloodline and rich resources gave rise to a dragon that was truly unique. It was a bit regrettable that Zhu Minng failed twice when crafting the Wind British Light Dragon Armor for the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon. Recalling the time he crafted the Small Holy Clothes for Little White in Miao Kingdom, Zhu Minng was gradually realizing how important ¡°luck¡± really was. Whether Mr. Jinli could bring him good fortune was aplex metaphysical question, but there was one person who definitely had a king¡¯s luck ¨C the Prophet Li Xinghua. With the casting art back then in Miao Kingdom, the chance of failure was actually very high; yet, that particr forging was sessful in one go. This time when making the light armor for the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon, Zhu Minng suffered a great loss. Two consecutive forging failures made him grieve not so much for his own skills, which stank, but for those damaged expensive materials. Especially the Serene Fire Liquid, the number of uses was limited. Zhu Minng had his own store, but it was bound to run out eventually. On the third attempt, Zhu Minng kept muttering his sister-inw¡¯s name in his mind. Choosing a clear night when the stars shone bright, he finally seeded in crafting the Wind British Light Dragon Armor. It was a perfect Small Holy Product, and by ident, he embedded a following wind and static fire inscription¡­ Indeed, no matter the profession, one should always have a heart of reverence. Zhu Minng deeply understood this truth after this forging experience! There were losses in the two failures, but fortunately, Zhu Minng could now bear it. Moreover, with each piece of Dragon Armor, Zhu Minng learned what Zhu Heavenly Officer taught him: always leave room for reshaping. Considering his own swift increase in Dragon Cultivation Base, the Dragon Armor also needed to be refined and upgraded. Zhu Minng did not sew up some of the key parts so that each piece of Dragon Armor sacrificed some of its attributes and strength. However, this could lead to a perfect refinement with better materials in the future. ¡­ Having left the Neon Sea heading southeast, it was just as well that the Heavenly ughter Dragon was unwilling to serve as a long-distance mount; this allowed Zhu Minng, while riding on those rented Flying Dragons, to venture into the more perilous locations. By now, no one should bother telling Zhu Minng which territory belongs to which demon or what airspace is controlled by ferocious dragons; let alone advise him to take a detour. On the map, from one city to the next, Zhu Minng flies in a straight line! Encounter the Demon Race, eradicate the Demon Race; face a Demon Spirit, destroy the Demon Spirit; even if beings that im mountains as kings or rule over the seas, or holy spirits that have existed for tens of thousands of years appear, Zhu Minng will likewise annihte them!
Of course, rampaging through the various deep forests and fiercends of the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent wasn¡¯t due to Zhu Minng¡¯s desire to be wild, but rather each dragon needed to battle for progression. Without zig-zagging around, it would be difficult to find worthy opponents! Indeed, cutting a swathe through uncharted territories proved to be much faster than following the beaten track. Hidden within vast mountains, giant forests, and demon valleys, the number of demons is beyond imagination, and even someone with a cultivation base like Zhu Minng could still be entangled by some bizarre demons. Once or twice, Zhu Minng even had to summon the Sword Spirit Dragon to clear the way, lest both he and the dragon under training fall into crisis. When passing through the ck God Wood Mountain Range, Zhu Minng saw the watchful eyes of the Heavenly ughter Dragon and ultimately chose to take a detour¡­
It wasn¡¯t necessary! If there were beings on the level of Mountain Immortal Ghosts residing within¡­ fleeing would waste a great deal of time. Though he was forceful and domineering, asional time management was also essential. ¡­ The Flying Dragon was stable; Zhu Minng sat on its broad back, seriously reading the ¡°Luo Shan Zong¡¯s Thirteen Word Dragon Identifying Secret Technique¡± that Luo Shaoyan had given him. At his side, the Nuwa Dragon sat earnestly, leaning close to Zhu Minng to read together. As Zhu Minng read aloud, she mimicked him; when Zhu Minng furrowed his brows in thought, so did she. ¡°Can you understand what you¡¯re reading?¡± Zhu Minng turned and asked the Nuwa Dragon. The eyes of the Nuwa Dragon were truly beautiful, lively like night amber, just a touch of bright sunlight could make her eyes shimmer with a dreamy luster. She shook her little head, indicating she hadn¡¯t understood a single word. Zhu Minng chuckled wryly. Fine, it doesn¡¯t matter if you don¡¯t understand; your earnest attitude is definitely not an issue. The Nuwa Dragon was always happy. Having left the dark Veins of the Earth, she was curious about everything in the world and filled with a sense of novelty. Even if it meant just sitting beside Zhu Minng all day, feeling the warm spring breeze, she would be content. The Nuwa Dragon didn¡¯t cultivate.
Her main body¡¯s cultivation base was probably as extensive as the years of the Neon Sea; thus, the effects of Zhu Minng¡¯s Spiritual Spring Realm were virtually null on her. She didn¡¯t need to battle to hone her abilities. All she needed was to nourish her fragile soul. As her soul grew stronger, her cultivation level would naturally rise. Nheless, while Zhu Minng was traversing mountains and valleys, he also tried allowing the Nuwa Dragon to deal with some evil holy spirits, eventually concluding that whether the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon was truly unbeatable at the Monarch Level was debatable, but the Nuwa Dragon was genuinely unbeatable. Her spells¡­ oh, her Immortal Techniques were outrageously incredible! Anyway, whenever she took action, the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon hardly had a chance to sharpen its ws. Moreover, Zhu Minng seriously suspected that what he witnessed was just the tip of the iceberg of her Nuwa Spells. ¡­ Chapter 495: 497: Creation of the Spirit Realm Chapter 495: Chapter 497: Creation of the Spirit Realm ¡°Do you have any other special abilities that you can demonstrate for me?¡± Zhu Minng asked the Nuwa Dragon, having grown tired from reading. The Nuwa Dragon was very eager to show off to Zhu Minng. She had cried several times when she first left the Veins of the Earth because her Cultivation Base was too low¡­ ¡°Na ya~¡± The Nuwa Dragon always liked to let out such cute notes. She extended a little finger and slowly pointed it towards Zhu Minng¡¯s chest, aiming for where his heart was. Zhu Minng felt puzzled, but suddenly, as the slightly cool finger touched him, his consciousness involuntarily left what was before his eyes and was flung into his own Spirit Realm! In the Dragon Country high above the clouds, Zhu Minng had learned how to gather Qi at the Spiritual Well. His Spirit Realm was like a small world enveloped in Spiritual Rhyme, where the gentle Spiritual Spring rain and dew nourished each and every snuggly sleeping Dragon Baby. Compared to the demons in the wild that endured sleeping in the open and living off blood and raw meat, they were simply too fortunate¡ªjust lying here asleep, their Cultivation Base improved a hundred times faster than those demons! But Zhu Minng didn¡¯t understand how his consciousness had suddenly entered the Spirit Realm. Was it the Nuwa Dragon that had led him in? Suddenly, beneath the rain and dew of the Spiritual Spring, soil appeared in the otherwise empty little world. Zhu Minng could see each and every clean particle of mud crystal clear, and beneath the clean mud, seedlings began to grow out of the soil. They were like the ink in a painter¡¯s brush¡ªinitially just a dot, but with a few casual strokes, they looked full of life¡­ The seedlings of the clean mud grew into grass and trees, and soon enough, one Divine Tree after another grew at a visible rate. Inadvertently, branches spread and leaves flourished, turning Zhu Minng¡¯s originally barren Spirit Realm into a ce full of vitality, almost like a Spiritually Clean Sacred Ground! Zhu Minng was greatly astonished.
The Spirit Realm itself was very ephemeral. Aside from providing afortable space for his dragon pets, it usually didn¡¯t have much more. There was no soil, no nts, no sunlight. It was more like a gentle Dream World, everything was void, akin to a nk piece of rice paper with nothing painted on it; only the nourishment of Spiritual Energy was real¡­ But it seemed like the Nuwa Dragon was bestowing life upon Zhu Minng¡¯s Spirit Realm!! With clean muddy soil, there came flowers, grass, and trees! With the emergence of flowers, grass, and trees, fragrance and moisture followed, and Zhu Minng even saw a clear stream winding its way past the luxuriant Divine Trees, flowing through the newly sprouted grass and soil! If Zhu Minng didn¡¯t know this was his own Spirit Realm, he might have thought the Nuwa Dragon was creating a small world. Her hand was like the brush of a creator, painting the beautiful scenes she had encountered these days within Zhu Minng¡¯s heart, creating a small Immortal Spiritual World within his Spirit Realm¡­ Although everything in the little world of the Spirit Realm looked like a simplified world, such an ability had already amazed Zhu Minng! Wasn¡¯t this like creating a small garden in the depths of one¡¯s own soul?? Compared to this Garden Spirit Domain, the Spiritual Spring Realm seemed crude inparison! ¡°Nu~~~~~¡± The Heavenly ughter Dragon woke up, nced around, and its night-like pupils suddenly dted, revealing a slight panic! For a moment, it thought it had slept its way back into the Ancient Ruins; only after carefully sensing did it realize it was still in Zhu Minng¡¯s Spirit Realm. ¡°Nu!!!!¡± The Heavenly ughter Dragon raised its head, its handsome draconic face carrying an interrogative look! Dragon keeper, what are you tampering with that startled the Dragon King! ¡°Improving your amodations, improving your amodations,¡± Zhu Minng awkwardly exined. ¡°Nu!!!!¡± The Heavenly ughter Dragon expressed that the Dragon King must have a separate residence¡ªhe disliked dragon socialization, he preferred peace and quiet, and if he had to stay in thismunal dormitory again, he would rebel. ¡°Can you give the Heavenly ughter Dragon a private space?¡± Zhu Minng asked.
¡°Nya~~¡± The Nuwa Dragon was indeed very understanding. She once again demonstrated the divine power of creation in the Spirit Realm¡­ The Heavenly ughter Dragon immediately felt the nts and trees around it changing and, realizing this was the powerful divine skill of the Nuwa Dragon, cried out a few times. ¡°Nu~~¡±
¡°It says it wants a Dragon Cliff, floating.¡± ¡°Nu~~¡± ¡°It says the Dragon Cliff should be covered with Star Grass.¡± ¡°Nu!¡± ¡°Is it possible to have a piece of starry sky above its head?¡± ¡°Nu!!¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you also ask for a female Heavenly ughter Dragon to keep your cliff warm¡­ oh, I¡¯m not talking to you, little E,¡± Zhu Minng responded. ¡­ Afterward, ording to each dragon¡¯s preferences, the Nuwa Dragon created an enormous Divine Tree that reached the sky for the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon. It made a nest in the tree¡¯s vast canopy and asionally spread its wings to circle around its new home¡­ Big ck Tooth liked Dragon Caverns¡ªsuddenly, from the ground, a distinct-colored Treasure Mountain would rise, and inside the entire mountain was a spacious Dragon Cavern filled with quartz, crystals, and colored diamonds¡­ The Sword Spirit Dragon had no demands for its living environment. If possible, it would like the Spirit Realm to return to the original empty and minimalist state, but it did not mind the vibrant little Dragon Garden; it just roamed freely through the heavens and earth of the Spirit Realm, and when it was tired, it would quietly float in ce, even in sleep emanating an aura that warned others to stay away! ¡°Nya~~¡± The Nuwa Dragon told Zhu Minng that everything she was creating in the Spirit Realm was just illusionary and would not bring about any benefits to Zhu Minng¡¯s Spirit Realm. However, if he could find the corresponding Earth God Roots, the dragon dwellings could enhance their training speed within Zhu Minng¡¯s own Spirit Realm.
¡°My Spiritual Spring¡­ eh, how did it get to two hundred times!¡± Zhu Minng eximed in astonishment. The cultivation speed in the Spiritual Spring Realm was over a hundred times faster, but after the Nuwa Dragon remade the Spirit Realm, it suddenly increased to so much, reaching a speed of two hundred times!! One day of cultivation in the Spirit Realm was equivalent to half a year of cultivation for those demons! And this is called illusionary creation?? The Spiritual Spring Realm had turned into the Garden Spirit Domain, and this improvement was indeed too significant! Indeed, the Nuwa Dragon was an Immortal¡­ This Immortal Technique was outrageous! Zhu Minng no longer knew how to describe his surprise in words! Not to mention anything else, with such superior conditions, the idea of Heavenly ughter Dragon¡¯s rebellion greatly diminished; after staying a while longer, if I try to drive it away, it might cling to its Dragon Cliff Starry Sky and refuse to leave!! ¡°That¡¯s amazing, little E!¡± Zhu Minng praised. The Nuwa Dragon gently swayed her slender dragon body, looking particrly happy. She told Zhu Minng that she could also create the outside world, but her mana was too weak now¡­ Zhu Minng felt his heart might not take it and swore in secrecy that he had to collect all the Ancient Lantern Jades in the world!
Chapter 496: 498: Spirit Key Shepherding Technique Chapter 496: Chapter 498: Spirit Key Shepherding Technique The cultivation speed had suddenly increased so much that it wouldn¡¯t be long before Zhu Minng could solidify the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon and Refining Ash ck Dragon¡¯s cultivation base to the peak. Once the cultivation base reached the peak, and after perfect condensation, he could really achieve the small goal of being Monarch Level Unmatched. Of course, this was just a short-term goal during the growth period, and all of this was ultimately in preparation for the final Complete Period, at which point he would be reserving two Dragon King titles! ¡°Strange, why does my chest feel warm, as if there¡¯s a little me?¡± While Zhu Minng was nning his Dragon Shepherd career, he suddenly felt a peculiar sensation. ¡°What little me, that¡¯s the Spirit Key of a Dragon Shepherd, have you even properly read the books I gave you?¡± Mr. Jinli said irritably. ¡°Spirit Key!¡± Zhu Minng rejoiced internally. This thing was truly excellent. When Big ck Tooth was transforming into a dragon, Zhu Minng had felt a very special kind of spiritual energy, as if it had opened a grand door to his Dragon Shepherd abilities, behind whichy many special Dragon Shepherd skills to choose from¡­ Back then, Zhu Minng had chosen Soul Collecting Pearl Brewing, and the next time he felt the same sensation, he had consolidated that particr skill, making this ability even more powerful.
If he hadn¡¯t done so, in the Mark of the Earth, Zhu Minng truly wouldn¡¯t have been able to take away both the Gold Demon Dragon King¡¯s and the Holy Candle Dragon King¡¯s Dragon Balls, let alone obtain the Fire Chi Dragon¡¯s¡­ A Dragon Shepherd¡¯s road to wealth depends on this ability, which the God and Mortal do not possess. And the abilities of a Dragon Shepherd are far more than this, it¡¯s just that opportunities to obtain the Spirit Key are not frequent. ¡°Mr. Jinli, do you have any good suggestions? This Spirit Key seems to be able to unlock a certain cultivation technique.¡± Zhu Minng asked. Zhu Minng could feel that this little me in his chest could be guided at will. Wherever it was led to also rted to the type of Dragon Shepherd technique he was about to obtain. For example, leading this little me to the palm of his hand would allow him to gain the cultivation technique of Soul Collecting Pearl Brewing. Zhu Minng didn¡¯t know much about the cultivation techniques and was even unaware before that the little me in his chest could be used like a key to open a gate to the abilities of a Dragon Shepherd. ¡°Do you even need to ask? Of course you should increase Spirit Contracts. You have too few of them, which is why you¡¯re not fundamentally solid enough!¡± Mr. Jinli dered. Zhu Minng had be a Dragon Shepherd in too short a time. Others who had been on the path of a Dragon Shepherd from a young age had at least ten Spirit Contracts at his stage, whereas Zhu Minng relied on just this one Spirit Contract Ring to have a total of six Spirit Contracts¡ª he would have nowhere to put them if Little Glow Spirit and Little Wild Jiao transformed into dragons! ¡°Just one Spirit Key, just to get another Spirit Contract? I might as well continue to cultivate; maybe it will naturally increase,¡± Zhu Minng said somewhat reluctantly. Actually, he wanted to unlock the Spirit Seeking Eye, which was also a way to get rich. In the depths of the mountains and forests, he could quickly locate where there were Spirit Fruits, Spirit Grass, and Spirit Veins with the use of this Spirit Seeking Eye. ¡°Two more Spirit Contracts, no more wasting words. Quickly lead the fire of the Spirit Key to your forehead. How can a sessful Dragon Shepherd not reserve Spirit Contracts? If another opportunity like the Nuwa Dragones along and youck a Spirit Contract, you¡¯ll regret it immensely!¡± Mr. Jinli scolded with annoyance. ¡°Two, huh? That¡¯s quite a bargain, then let¡¯s initiate the Spirit Contract.¡± Zhu Minng said. Zhu Minng drew the me of the Spirit Key to his forehead and immediately felt two soul connections emerge within his soul. However, the other ends were empty. This was akin to reserving spots for Little Glow Spirit and Little Wild Jiao. Even if their transformation into dragons was slow, it didn¡¯t matter. The Spirit Contract would naturally grow over time and cultivation, or there could be other ways to increase the number of Spirit Contracts. ¡°Mr. Jinli, what Dragon Trainer skills can this Spirit Key open? Why have you never talked to me about this knowledge before?¡± Zhu Minng asked. ¡°I didn¡¯t tell you because I was afraid you¡¯d take detours, attracted by some skills that could bring only temporary benefits but were impractical, wasting the most precious Spirit Key of a Dragon Shepherd. The Spirit Keys a Dragon Shepherd gains during cultivation are limited; you have to choose the most suitable skill ording to your own and your dragons¡¯ conditions. One wrong step could bring great impact to your future, even to the point of irredeemable regret,¡± Mr. Jinli said earnestly. ¡°Mr. Jinli, your concern is heartening!¡± Zhu Minng eximed, then continued, ¡°So, are there other Dragon Trainer skills?¡± ¡°Plenty. There¡¯s the Insight of Dragon Recognition, which allows you to perceive the potential of Juvenile Spirits and their hidden dragon traits.¡±
¡°There¡¯s also the Art of Sharing, which means you can use a certain ability from a Dragon of the Spirit Pact. Take Pupil Domain, for example; didn¡¯t you unexpectedly acquire Big ck Tooth¡¯s Pupil Domain ability?¡± ¡°On the path of growth in cultivation, Dragon Shepherds will unexpectedly acquire the basics of simr abilities¡ªenhanced perception and insight, natural increase of Spirit Contracts, idental mastery of a Dragon Skill, keen sense of Spiritual Energy¡­ But with a Spirit Key, you can be more specialized in these directions.¡± ¡°Then there¡¯s the Condensing Qi Cultivation Technique, which enriches the Spiritual Energy in your Spirit Realm. You don¡¯t really need this, since you have Little Glow Spirit and the Nuwa Dragon, whose talents in this area are more than a hundred times stronger than yours, a human Dragon Shepherd.¡± ¡°There¡¯s also the Taming Momentum, which greatly increases your sess rate when you want to tame any wild dragon. Of course, there¡¯s also Dragon Language Affinity, which allows you tomunicate more deeply with unfamiliar dragons, invisibly increasing their fondness for you as a Human Dragon Shepherd, and it¡¯s also a method to acquire wild dragons.¡±
¡°The Harmonious Spiritual Chain I mentioned before is also one of the advanced Dragon Trainer skills. Eventually, when you have more dragons, teamwork will be needed. Remember those Bat Wing Sorcery Dragons? Although their cultivation base wasn¡¯t high, they were able to pose a significant threat. The Harmonious Spiritual Chain can have a simr effect.¡± Mr. Jinli said a lot in one breath, describing them in a dazzling fashion. Indeed, a few of them did tempt Zhu Minng. But there was no choice; he hadn¡¯t been on the path of a Dragon Shepherd for long and didn¡¯t have many Spirit Key mes. He indeed had to use them very cautiously. ¡°Many Dragon Trainer skills can bepensated forter in life. For instance, if you¡¯re particrly wealthy, you don¡¯t need to learn Soul Collecting Pearl Brewing¡­¡± ¡°Money, I can never have too much of that,¡± remarked Zhu Minng casually. ¡°Soul Beads are good, no issue with that,¡± Mr. Jinli said. ¡°The Art of Sharing seems good; otherwise, a Dragon Shepherd often looks like a record keeper on the battlefield,¡± Zhu Minng remarked offhandedly. ¡°You have a Sword Spirit Dragon; you absolutely don¡¯t need to initiate this Art of Sharing.¡± ¡°Oh, right.¡± ¡°Purple Dragon, hurry and find a Purple Dragon! The Harmonious Spiritual Chain is a very powerful skill. Don¡¯t you like to challenge beyond your level? This is an essential skill for winning against stronger opponents and for ying possum!¡± Chapter 497 - 499: Daughter of the Demon Sect Chapter 497: Chapter 499: Daughter of the Demon Sect ¡­ Choosing umon paths often leads to one particr problem. There¡¯s no vige ahead, nor shops behind. Fortunately, Zhu Minng was no stranger to roughing it in the wild. He built a campfire, set up a simple shelter, andid out afortable fleece mat. His situation wasn¡¯t especially dire. However, being alone in the wilderness did feel a bit lonely and solitary. Little Glow Spirit and Little Wild Jiao couldn¡¯t enter the Spirit Realm, so Zhu Minng practically always took them along. At first, he would often rent robust flying dragons, given that he had quite a bit of luggage and needed to prepare food for his dragon pets. But within a few days, Zhu Minng discovered a divine skill of the Nuwa Dragon. She could create a Universe Magic simr to the one hidden in Bai Qi¡¯s tail, storing some of Zhu Minng¡¯s important items¡­ Moreover, The Nuwa Dragon¡¯s Universe Magic seemed even more powerful, capable of holding more items. ess was instant, making it possible for Zhu Minng to finally travel light. Universe Magic was rare, and containers that could hold objects were even scarcer. So it wasmon to see Dragon Shepherds apanied by gigantic dragon beasts carrying supplies, not unlike the logistics behind a military campaign. Zhu Minng didn¡¯t have such a dragon, so he wouldn¡¯t carry overly heavy items. With the spell from the Nuwa Dragon, Zhu Minng could even do without renting flying dragons. Holding Little Glow Spirit in his left arm and Little Wild Jiao wrapped around his neck, he could simply use Sword Flight. Even if his Sword Control was abysmal, it was the perfect opportunity to practice. ¡°Sizzle~~~~~~¡± The beef ribs on the campfire were ready. Zhu Minng used a finely-crafted small dagger to carve the delicious meat, just as he was about to savor it slowly, some noises came from nearby. Initially, Zhu Minng thought it was a small animal drawn by the scent of the meat, but after a careful sensing, he realized that someone was approaching him. In this deste wilderness, why would a person suddenly appear?? Not just anyone¡­ but a woman? Zhu Minng looked in that direction. The limited light from the campfire only illuminated a small area around him. Out from the bushes, a tall and slender figure walked out¡ªwith a Moon Cassock draped over her, luxurious and stunningly gorgeous, an odd fit for the wilderness. She walked towards the light of the fire, her silhouette bing clearer as she neared the flickering campfire. For a moment, Zhu Minng was under the illusion that the mysteriously appearing woman was a figment, possibly a fairy mimicking a human¡¯s appearance using an Illusion Technique. But after closer inspection, Zhu Minng found she was a flesh and blood woman, elegantly dressed, with stunning features, and a figure that was well-defined in all the right ces, so enchanting it could fuel wild thoughts¡­ ¡°May I ask who you are, Miss¡­¡± Zhu Minng was the first to speak. The woman in the Moon Cassock nced at Zhu Minng¡¯s makeshift sleeping canopy, then calmly unfastened her Cloud kerchief from her hair, and started to slowly slip off her Moon Cassock right before his eyes, conscientiously folding it and hiding it under the fleece mat. Zhu Minng was dumbstruck, even the freshly roasted beef no longer seemed as appetizing. In this wild and deste ce, under the flickering campfire, a stunning beauty had appeared out of nowhere and was casually disrobing¡ªa scenario that seemed like the opening of those sensational legends about Demon Girls that were passed down among the people, often incredibly erotic and eye-catching! ¡°Some people are chasing me. They haven¡¯t seen my face. I¡¯ll take shelter here for a while,¡± said the woman, not continuing to undress. She sat down by the campfire, dabbed her finger in some ash, and lightly smeared it across her pale, moon-like cheeks. Her current attire was rather ordinary. She tied up her long hair, her cheeks smeared with a bit of ash, even taking Zhu Minng¡¯s coat that was hanging to one side, and draped it over herself. ¡°This¡­¡± Zhu Minng was at a loss for words for a moment and listened to the area a bit further away, soon hearing some footsteps. Someone indeed was chasing her. What kind of people were they? ¡°I am a daughter of the Demon Sect, and they are the enforcers seeking to punish me. Cover my identity, and I¡¯ll make it worth your while,¡± the woman, who had concealed her stunning appearance, said sternly. ¡°Demon Sect??¡± Zhu Minng was greatly surprised. Before Zhu Minng could ask any more questions, several footsteps approached rapidly. From the light and frequent steps, it was clear that they were all God and Mortals with a rtively high cultivation base. The campfire continued to burn, and several men and women dressed in white appeared. They came straight over, and without a word, they first took a good look at Zhu Minng and the Demon Sect woman. ¡°Master, this campfire has been burning for some time,¡± a young man with long eyebrows said. ¡°Hmm.¡± The master, who looked quite imposing and had a dignified air, nodded and said to Zhu Minng, ¡°Why are you here?¡± ¡°We¡¯re just trudging through mountains and rivers, resting here for a while. As for you, your sudden appearance in this wilderness gave us quite a scare,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°We are pursuing a disciple of the Demon Sect,¡± the young man with long eyebrows said. ¡°Oh? May I ask who you all are?¡± Zhu Minng asked, noticing something familiar about their attire. ¡°We are from the White Robe Sword Sect,¡± the young man said with a hint of pride as he spoke. ¡°The White Robe Sword Sect, I¡¯ve heard much about it,¡± Zhu Minng replied with some surprise. The White Robe Sword Sect was a major sect forest. Although not as authoritative as the Yaoshan Sword Sect or the Miao Mountain Sword Sect, it was only slightly less so. Zhu Minng, as a former member of a Sword Sect, naturally knew about the White Robe Sword Sect. It turned out he had wandered into the territory of the White Robe Sword Sect. ¡°And you are?¡± The master¡¯s gaze fell on the Demon Sect woman, and he inquired. ¡°Companion,¡± the Demon Sect woman answered calmly andposedly. She had disguised herself to look like someone weather-beaten by living outdoors, after all her initial makeup was too exquisite, and it was obvious to anyone that she was unlikely to be a travelpanion of Zhu Minng¡¯s on first sight. ¡°Oh, may I ask what your identities are if you dare to travel alone through these mountains infested with demons and monsters? Surely you are not ordinary people, are you?¡± the master continued to question. ¡°I am Zhu Minng, a minor swordsman from the Yaoshan Sword Sect,¡± Zhu Minng revealed his identity at this point. ¡°The Yaoshan Sword Sect!!!¡± The group eximed in unison, their gazes suddenly all falling back on Zhu Minng. The beautiful eyes of the Demon Sect woman also looked at Zhu Minng in surprise. ¡°Indeed, I never expected to meet fellow sword enthusiasts in these mountains. It is truly an honor!¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°But where is your sword?¡± The master was indeed more meticulous, as he looked around and did not see Zhu Minng¡¯s sword. ¡°I am a swordsman of the Flying Sword Faction,¡± Zhu Minng said, and with a casual summoning gesture, a bright crimson sword slowly flew out from the darkness beyond the reach of the campfire light. It arrived beside the campfire, settling next to Zhu Minng. (One of the four great tortures in life: the neighbor is renovating.) (Sleep exploded, updates these days will be somewhat chaotic, really sorry, I will adjust it as soon as possible! Two more chapters before 7 a.m., too lethargic now. Taking advantage of the quiet and sleepiness to get some sleep. Can¡¯t help it, I had always been used to sleeping during the day~) (And it¡¯s my fault, why am I not striving hard enough to buy a detached vi in the city center where there wouldn¡¯t be neighbors to disturb me~~~~) Chapter 498 - 500: White Robe Sword Sect Chapter 498: Chapter 500: White Robe Sword Sect An ancient sword, with a straight de and a peculiar hilt, exuded a particrly spiritual energy, cold yet seemingly alive. It hovered in front of Zhu Minng, and, realizing that battle was not imminent, it then flew behind him. It was as if he was carrying a sword on his back, but without a scabbard; the Sword Spirit Dragon hovered at Zhu Minng¡¯s back, maintaining a position within easy reach of his hand¡­ ¡°So it is, we were overcautious. It is a rare opportunity to meet a fellow of the esteemed Yaoshan Sword Sect here. Please, do not decline, and honor us with a visit to our Sect Forest for a few days. For hundreds of miles around this Horseback Mountain Forest, there are no towns or viges, and our Sword Manor naturally wouldn¡¯t let the two of you sleep rough in the wilderness,¡± said the leader, with a friendly smile, speaking quite politely. Zhu Minng nced at the Demon Sect¡¯s Disciple. The Demon Sect¡¯s Disciple did not speak. From the words of the people from the White Robe Sword Sect, they apparently had not seen this Demon Sect¡¯s Disciple¡¯s face before, nor did they know that she was a woman¡­ ¡°Then I shall respectfullyply,¡± Zhu Minng agreed. Out in the wilderness, nothing was asfortable as a Sword Manor with its exquisite environment and many junior swordswomen. Zhu Minng didn¡¯t reveal the Demon Sect¡¯s Disciple¡¯s identity and didn¡¯t refuse the goodwill of the leader from the White Robe Sword Sect. ¡°Lin Zhong, Ming Xiu, take these two to our Sect Forest and take good care of them. The rest of you, continue in this direction to see if there are any traces of the Demon Sect¡¯s Disciples,¡± the leader instructed. After speaking, the leader gave Zhu Minng an apologetic bow and said again, ¡°The Demon Sect¡¯s Disciples are treacherous. Since we have detected their presence, we naturally cannot ignore it. Please understand.¡± ¡°Of course, the righteous sects all have the duty to drive out demons and eradicate evil,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡­ Zhu Minng packed up his belongings and, when rolling up his expensively bought fleece mat, he also picked up the Demon Sect¡¯s Disciple¡¯s extremely luxurious Moon Cassock to prevent the two swordsmen from seeing it. The Demon Sect¡¯s Disciple bit her lip, wanting to say something but not daring to say too much, merely ring at Zhu Minng with herrge eyes. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Xiao Tan Hua, pack up the roasted beef nicely. We can¡¯t waste food,¡± Zhu Minng said to the Demon Sect¡¯s Disciple. The Demon Sect¡¯s Disciple was stunned for a moment, at first not realizing ¡°Xiao Tan Hua¡± referred to her. When she noticed the puzzled looks of the two swordsmen, she quickly responded and wrapped the beef she had roasted earlier with oiled paper. ¡°Slice it up, we can eat it on the go,¡± Zhu Minng handed her the finely crafted small dagger he had used earlier, saying with a smile. ¡­ Following Lin Zhong and Ming Xiu to the White Robe Sect Forest, aside from their superior swordsmanship and self-proimed status as a righteous sect, the White Robe Sword Sect famously regarded their white garments as a symbol of noble status. Thus, only those swordsmen recognized by the Sword Sect were entitled to wear white, and they weremonly known as the White-d Swordsmen, regrly featured in stories of chivalry and righteousness¡­ Both Lin Zhong and Ming Xiu were dressed in white clothes, clearly both being outstanding individuals within the Sword Sect. However, Zhu Minng was a bit puzzled; why would such a group of strong swordsmen, including a senior figure like a leader, chase after a Demon Sect¡¯s Disciple in the wilds, especially when they had not even seen what the Demon Sect¡¯s Disciple looked like? Thus, Zhu Minng voiced his confusion, as he himself was not a Demon Sect¡¯s Disciple. ¡°We are conducting an experiment; Leader Lei recently befriended a powerful Talisman Master, who made several Tracking Talismans for us. These talismans can sense fluctuations in magic spells within a hundred-mile radius and guide us to their location. Today was the first time we used them, and unexpectedly we found a person from the Demon Sect within a hundred miles of our Sword Sect, which greatly angered the masters and led us to insist on capturing them, so we chased them all the way here. But the Tracking Talisman¡¯s time is limited; it lost its mana on the previous mountain ridge, and we have been searching blindly ever since,¡± the White-d Swordsman named Lin Zhong exined. ¡°There are such extraordinary talismans!¡± Zhu Minng eximed in surprise. ¡°Indeed, we did not expect the talisman to be so powerful,¡± L¨ªn Zhong said. ¡°It¡¯s a pity that the Demon Sect¡¯s Disciple did not run in my direction; otherwise, I could have lent you a helping hand,¡± Zhu Minng sighed. ¡°It¡¯s alright, it was just a trial, and I estimate it was only a minor scout from the Demon Sect, observing the movements of our Sword Sect. If they got away, they got away,¡± L¨ªn Zhong said. L¨ªn Zhong did not harbor much suspicion towards Zhu Minng. He saw the campfire that Zhu Minng had lit, which had obviously been burning for some time, surrounded by a circle of charred wood. Moreover, the beef was clearly slow-roasted to perfection, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. The fugitive from the Demon Sect, panicking in flight, could not possibly have prepared such detailed work, not to mention Zhu Minng had revealed his Flying Sword and dered his identity from the Yaoshan Sword Sect; there was no reason for him to be a disciplet of the Demon Sect. ¡°Are you two really a couple?¡± Ming Xiu, the white-d swordswoman, asked. As a woman, she observed with slightly more detail. She noticed that the steps of the Demon Sect¡¯s woman and Zhu Minng were not in sync, and the distance she maintained did not seem typical of a couple. Instead, she was consistently half a step behind Zhu Minng. ¡°Sort of but not really. She¡¯s the head maid of my household,pletely devoted to me. The elders in my family despise her lowly status and want me to marry some Big Sword Nun from Miao Mountain Sword Sect. I don¡¯t quite like my family¡¯s arrangement, thinking that the noble Swordswoman is not as good as my little peony, so I took her and left home for a distant journey,¡± Zhu Minng exined with a smile, quiteposedly. This exnation made the Demon Sect¡¯s woman¡¯s eyes widen, shimmering with a mix of shame. How did she be a maid? And fully devoted at that! There were so many other exnations he could have used; how could this man be so shameless! ¡°My brother, you really are full of character. If it were me, I wouldn¡¯t dare to go against my family¡¯s arrangements so casually,¡± L¨ªn Zhong said to Zhu Minng, giving him a thumbs up. ¡°That¡¯s quite tough for you both, sister. You¡¯re lucky to meet a man who¡¯s willing to elope with you,¡± Ming Xiu was quite sentimental, and she was quickly persuaded by Zhu Minng. ¡°Yes, yes,¡± the Demon Sect¡¯s woman could only grudgingly agree. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Once she¡¯s pregnant, our n will ept her for the sake of our Zhu family¡¯s bloodline,¡± Zhu Minng continued to babble on. The Demon Sect¡¯s woman was so infuriated by these words that she almost threw her dagger at Zhu Minng. To be given the vulgar maid¡¯s name ¡°little peony¡± was bad enough, but to talk about pregnancy¡­ Disgusting! How could such a reputable faction nurture such a lewd person! ¡°We¡¯re almost there. Once we pass the mountain up ahead, we¡¯ll be at the sect,¡± L¨ªn Zhong said. ¡°If I had known your sect¡¯s gate was here, I would have thickened my skin and asked to stay,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°Our sect is quite hidden, and it¡¯s normal for people to be unaware of it. It¡¯s alreadyte; I will have someone arrange amodation for you now. You should rest early, and tomorrow morning, I wille to take you on a tour of our White Robe Sword Sect,¡± Ming Xiu, the swordswoman, said. Chapter 499: 501 Summoning Demon Sect Chapter 499: Chapter 501 Summoning Demon Sect ¡­ A wooden house facing the valley, with empty Sword Sect chambers all around, Ming Xiu and Zhong Lin naturally arranged this pair of star-crossed lovers to stay together¡­ On someone else¡¯s turf, the female from the Summoning Demon Sect dared not raise any objections, and instead, she was quietly observing the changes. After Zhong Lin and Ming Xiu left, she immediately went to Zhu Minng¡¯s neatly packed luggage, snatching back her very extravagant Moon Cassock, which she seemed to care about greatly. ¡°Hmph, thanks for hiding it for me, I¡¯m leaving!¡± The woman from the Summoning Demon Sect didn¡¯t want to stay a moment longer, grabbing her belongings and nning to leave overnight. ¡°As a member of the Summoning Demon Sect, you¡¯re a bit too naive. If they really trusted us, why bother escorting us all the way here? I bet you, the moment you show any intention to flee, the Sky ughter Sword Array will turn you into mincemeat!¡± Zhu Minng said indifferently. The woman from the Summoning Demon Sect frowned, her expression bing more solemn. Thinking carefully, indeed these people were overly enthusiastic; there was no need to wee a man and a woman camping in the wild. It was nothing more than not beingpletely certain about the two¡¯s identities, so they simply escorted them to the sect¡¯s gates to observe for a while. ¡°If you¡¯re a member of the Yaoshan Sword Sect, why would you help me?¡± The woman from the Summoning Demon Sect started to doubt Zhu Minng¡¯s motives. ¡°I have my own standards of judgment. If they told me you drained the blood of a whole vige and were seen by them during your escape, of course, I wouldn¡¯t shelter you,¡± Zhu Minng exined.
¡°In your eyes, is our Summoning Demon Sect really akin to evil spirits? We¡¯re all cultivators, at most our actions are a bit more extreme,¡± the woman¡¯s tone turned cold. ¡°I¡¯m not nning to argue with you about such grand principles. It¡¯s just that instinctively, I think you¡¯re quite good-looking and I hope you¡¯re not as evil as I am,¡± Zhu Minng yawned, took off his boots, and sprawled on the bed before continuing, ¡°Oh, and don¡¯t take it seriously when I previously said you were my grand maidservant, devoted to me heart and soul. I¡¯m a principled man. Don¡¯t try to use gratitude to share my bed. Take a couple of chairs, arrange them end to end, and sleep over in that corner¡­¡± Rolling up the quilt, Zhu Minng monopolized therge bed and also casually untied the curtains, no longer worrying about how the woman from the Summoning Demon Sect was going to make it through the long night, and started sleeping soundly. The woman from the Summoning Demon Sect stamped her foot in anger! He was a man of principles, did that mean she was a flirtatious and promiscuous woman? ¡°Living under someone else¡¯s roof, stay calm and peaceful, stay calm and peaceful¡­¡± The woman from the Summoning Demon Sect recited the mantra to herself. ¡°Right, that Moon Cassock you stole, I¡¯ll keep it safe for you. I¡¯ve staked the reputation of the Yaoshan Sword Sect to protect you. To avoid you causing any trouble for me, I need to take something,¡± Zhu Minng¡¯s voice came from inside the bed-curtains. The woman from the Summoning Demon Sect didn¡¯t understand at first, but when she turned to check her Moon Cassock, she found the pouch empty ¨C Zhu Minng had somehow taken the important garment without her noticing! The woman from the Summoning Demon Sect rose, tore open the bed-curtains, and red at Zhu Minng, who was showing only his head from under the nkets. Zhu Minng opened his eyes, still sleepy, and said, ¡°Tomorrow morning, they¡¯ll ask us to visit the Sword Manor, and surely someone will sneak in to search our luggage. If your identity is exposed again, it will not just be your problem but mine as well.¡± Hearing these words, the woman from the Summoning Demon Sect¡¯s rage finally subsided a bit. She stared at Zhu Minng for a while before turning away with a cold snort, going back to the table. ¡°That was a keepsake from my mother¡­¡± After a long pause, the woman from the Summoning Demon Sect finally spoke softly. ¡°Hah hoo~~~~ Hah hoo~~~~~¡± Even, deep snores were alreadying from within the bed-curtains. The Demon Sect woman clutched her cup of hot tea, almost crushing it in her grip. After some contemtion, the Demon Sect woman decided to reveal why she had stolen the Moon Cassock, feeling that since the other party had protected her, she should be somewhat honest. Who would have known that the guy would simply fall asleep,pletely disregarding her, a woman of the Demon Sect!! How big must this guy¡¯s heart be! After Zhu Minng had fallen asleep, the Demon Sect woman still searched the room, wanting to know where Zhu Minng had hidden her Moon Cassock, but after searching the entire room, she found none of her belongings. In the end, she was certain that Zhu Minng must have hidden her Moon Cassock under his pillow. The thought of this man keeping her worn clothing by the bed made Ye Youying feel incredibly uneasy and she secretly cursed in her heart: Shameless, sleazy! ¡­
Waking up at dawn, sleeping in afortable big bed was indeed much better than camping in the wild. Zhu Minng stretchedfortably and nced around the room to see the Demon Sect woman sitting on a chair, resting her head on one hand ¨C she must have been too sleepy and had fallen asleep sitting up. When Zhu Minng woke up, she woke up not long after, probably hearing some noise. She still had a very strong sense of wariness towards Zhu Minng. ¡°Go wash your face. They haven¡¯t seen what you look like, and don¡¯t even know if you¡¯re male or female,¡± Zhu Minng said to her with her cheeks grimy and dark.
Seeing Zhu Minng leave the bed, she quickly moved to the bedside and lifted the pillow and bedding, only to find it empty inside; he hadn¡¯t hidden her precious Moon Cassock there, which surprised and disappointed the Demon Sect woman, Ye Youying. ¡°Where did you hide it!¡± demanded Ye Youying, the Demon Sect woman. ¡°You won¡¯t find it. Once we safely get through these next few days and you haven¡¯t caused me any more trouble, I will return it to you¡­ Oh right, you said if I helped you, you wouldn¡¯t let me down, so I hope you have a proper thank-you gift ready by then,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°Now we¡¯re in an even worse situation!¡± Ye Youying said, not in the best of moods. ¡°That¡¯s not my fault. The people of the White Robe Sword Sect aren¡¯t a bunch of idiots. Coming across two people by a campfire in the wilderness, they might suspect a Demon Sect aplice signaling¡­ Their treatment of us has already been quite courteous. If I hadn¡¯t revealed my Yaoshan Sword Sect identity, do you think you¡¯d still be alive now?¡± Zhu Minng argued. Ye Youying of the Demon Sect also understood that Zhu Minng had a point, but the thought of being an inexplicable servant girl, detained in the Sect Forest by the White Robe Sword Sect, made her extremely ufortable, especially since the Moon Cassock that gave her the only sense of safety was in Zhu Minng¡¯s hands. ¡°Hmph, then I really should thank you properly,¡± the Demon Sect woman said, dependent on others but not concealing her pride. ¡°Which power do you belong to?¡± Zhu Minng asked. ¡°Summoning Demon Sect,¡± Ye Youying answered. ¡°Isn¡¯t the Demon Summoning Technique an orthodox Art of Mortals and Gods? How did it be a Demon Sect?¡± Zhu Minng asked, puzzled. The Demon Summoning Technique is a kind of cultivation practiced by Cultivators that bears some resemnce to Dragon Shepherds. Dragon Shepherdsmand and raise dragons, while these Summoning Demon Masters could summon the wild Demon Spirits and Demon Spirits. He remembered that at the major powerpetition, Pu Hanrong from the Pu n was a Summoning Demon Master!
Chapter 500: 502: Flying Sword over Long Valley Lake Chapter 500: Chapter 502: Flying Sword over Long Valley Lake The witch Ye Youying did not respond but continued wiping her face. As she washed away the charcoal that she had smeared on herself, her bright and lustrous skin revealed a hint of rosy healthiness. It must be said that the witch indeed had an attractive appearance, and if one must say so, she had the qualifications to be a chief maid. Zhu Minng also freshened up, straightening his clothes and hat. Sure enough, early in the morning Ming Xiu and L¨ªn Zhong came knocking at the door, bringing breakfast and ready to take the two on a tour. ¡°Did you two sleep wellst night¡­¡± L¨ªn Zhong nced at the witch Ye Youying and couldn¡¯t help but stare, seemingly at a loss as to where this stunningly beautiful woman hade from. Was it because it was too darkst night, or because the dust on her face had been washed away, that she had be so charming and alluring? No wonder this young master wanted to elope with his maid! ¡°Sorry, I almost didn¡¯t recognize you,¡± L¨ªn Zhong exined awkwardly. ¡°It¡¯s rare to be able to enter the White Robe Sword Sect. I¡¯ve heard that the swordsmanship here is graceful, the sword strikes as gentle as ripples, yet the power is no less than that of crashing waves. It would be good to learn from you,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°Oh no, the Yaoshan Sword Sect¡¯s swordsmanship is truly exceptional. However, if Brother Zhu wishes to observe, we can certainly arrange that,¡± said L¨ªn Zhong. Zhu Minng was indeed eager to learn.
Whether it was the Fighting Sword Faction, the Flying Sword Sect, or any other swordsmanship factions, there were points where everything could be integrated. Each Sword Awakening required the consumption of a huge amount of energy, and this energy could only be replenished by some special metal vessels. Zhu Minng had to grasp some unique Art of the Flying Sword techniques so that the Sword Spirit Dragon could disy even more powerful abilities. This White Robe Sword Sect had a profound heritage, and the Elder Sword Sovereign had mentioned this Sect Forest many times. When they arrived at their Sword Mastery clearing, Zhu Minng saw people facing a long gorge, practicing their swordsmanship, precisely the Art of the Flying Sword. Everyone was controlling their swords with their fingertips, and the more adept were doing so purely with their will. Zhu Minng watched them control their Flying Swords, heading toward the valley that sloped toward akeside mountain. The swords followed a specific path, flying further and further, and were all in unison. From the clearing, looking in the distance, they resembled a silver ribbon gliding across Long Valley Lake. ¡°Brother Zhu is also from the Flying Sword Sect, right? Do you want to give it a try?¡± asked the Swordswoman Ming Xiu. ¡°What sort of trial are we talking about?¡± Zhu Minng inquired. ¡°Look closely at this Long Valley. On both sides of the valley, there are wooden stakes ced all the way from our position to that mountainke. In total, there are eighty-six wooden stakes in the valley. Our White Robe Sword Sect¡¯s Flying Sword Swordsmen take this as a test, which is to control one¡¯s Flying Sword through this Long Valley to reach theke, and to hit as many wooden stakes as possible,¡± Ming Xiu said, smiling. Zhu Minng stood on the clearing, gazing into the distance. The Long Valley was stretched out, and he could clearly see the red wooden stakes among the trees in the nearby valley. However, as the stakes were further away, they became as small as leeks, and near the mountainke, it was almost impossible to see those human-shaped wooden stakes¡­ ¡°If we can¡¯t even see them, how can we hit them?¡± asked the witch Ye Youying, sounding somewhat puzzled. ¡°Of course, it¡¯s not expected to hit all eighty-six stakes; it¡¯s just our way of pursuing perfection to continually break through our limits. Moreover, the Flying Sword Technique emphasizes speed; every time you reach theke, the time should not exceed half a moment of this water-drop pot,¡± Ming Xiu exined, pointing to a stone tform nearby. On the stone tform sat an ancient water-clock, a timekeeping device with precise scales. ¡°This is a rtively difficult Flying Sword test. We usually only require disciples to control the Flying Sword and reach the mountainke within one significant increment of the water-clock¡¯s time.¡± ¡°After that, we ask the disciples to hit as many of those wooden stakes as they can within the same increment of time.¡± ¡°Next to the stone tform, there¡¯s a Name Recording Pir, where we record the best results and rank them¡­¡± ¡°Brother Zhu, would you like to give it a try?¡± L¨ªn Zhong and Ming Xiu seemed eager to witness the strength of a Yaoshan Sword Sect swordsman, extending a hearty invitation. The other disciples practicing swordsmanship, hearing that Zhu Minng was from the Yaoshan Sword Sect, also stopped their practices and formed a circle to watch. Zhu Minng looked up at the record pir and asked, ¡°Is the highest record up there Brother L¨ªn Zhong¡¯s?¡± L¨ªn Zhong smiled without answering.
¡°It¡¯s a good practice method, but it should be no great challenge for me, right, Xi¨£o T¨¢n Hu¨¡?¡± Zhu Minng raised an eyebrow teasingly at the witch from the devil sect, Ye Youying. Ye Youying revealed a very perfunctory smile, one that was disyed only on her face, without a hint of ttery in her heart. ¡°Brother Zhu, don¡¯t underestimate the Long Valley practice. After all, the farther the Flying Sword is from its controller, the more difficult it is to be precise,¡± L¨ªn Zhong reminded him. ¡°The stakes under our feet, and the ones not far away, are indeed not hard to hit, but once you reach the middle or even thetter half of Long Valley, it¡¯s quitemon for the Flying Sword to fall out of control,¡± Ming Xiu said with a slight air of pride and a look of anticipation for the oue.
¡°Then please time me,¡± Zhu Minng responded as he approached the extending sword practice stage. The Sword Spirit Dragon followed right behind Zhu Minng. Although there was no sword bag to be seen, it looked as if it was carrying one, and it maintained a constant distance from Zhu Minng as he moved. With a gesture to the sky, the Sword Spirit Dragon unsheathed itself, leaping to a high point in an instant, emitting a faint crimson glow that wasn¡¯t blinding but gave off a sharp, cold sensation. At that moment, Ye Youying¡¯s gaze was also fixed on Zhu Minng. Ye Youying was naturally curious about the true strength of this man from the Yaoshan Sword Sect. The posture he took in unsheathing the sword was stylish and elegant, his movements very adept¡­ When the disciples from the White Robe Sword Sect saw Zhu Minng¡¯s move, they couldn¡¯t help but let out several exmations of admiration. Not all swordsmen could master such a cool sword-drawing technique! ¡°This Brother Zhu must be very strong, I could feel itst night,¡± L¨ªn Zhong said in a very expectant tone, whispering to Ming Xiu by his side. ¡°Fancy moves are easy with enough practice, but whether he canplete the Long Valley Lake challenge is a different story,¡± Ming Xiu said. ¡­ Zhu Minng stood on the edge of the mountain stage, striking many elegant Sword Control poses, his eyebrows sharp as stars, his will merging with the sword, his fingertips acting as a rudder, perfectlymanding the Sword Spirit Dragon to leap across Long Valley! Of course, that was just the fa?ade of a Flying Sword Swordsmaster.
The real him was not focused at all, still thinking about how tasty the noodle soup was that morning, and then he casuallymanded the Sword Spirit Dragon, ¡°Mo Ye, give a jab to each of the stakes along the way as you fly over.¡± As for those seemingly suave and handsome Sword Control moves, they were all improvised! Chapter 501: 503: A Little Bit Stronger? Chapter 501: Chapter 503: A Little Bit Stronger? ¡°What a fast sword!¡± ¡°What a precise sword!¡± In a very brief period of time, the Sword Spirit Dragon had hit all the nearby wooden targets, flying along Long Valley towards the mountainke. Its flight path was winding and convoluted; the sword had already passed through the wooden targets over a mile ahead, but the disciples of the White Robe Sword Sect only saw the lingering shadows of its de. By the time their eyes caught up with the position the Sword Spirit Dragon had reached, they found another afterimage. Thus, an extremely gorgeous red sword trail rapidly threaded through the Long Valley, scoring each of the wooden targets with a streak, pleasing to the eye! L¨ªn Zhong and Ming Xiu¡¯s expressions had obviously changed; the speed at which the Sword Spirit Dragon traversed Long Valley was just too fast, so fast that the shock in their hearts surged like waves, growing stronger and stronger! Having passed halfway through Long Valley without missing a single target, even those deliberately designed human-shaped targets behindrge trees and rocks were all found and hit¡­ Soon, in thetter half of the valley, L¨ªn Zhong and Ming Xiu couldn¡¯t see the wooden targets clearly anymore, but that magnificent Flying Sword still shot through the gaps of Long Valley, piercing the targets over and over, then gracefully flying to the next. Sometimes like a dragon moving through reeds, sometimes like lightning folding in the sky, and sometimes like a long river setting sun¡­ Even Ye Youying of the demon sect, who had a great grudge against Zhu Minng, couldn¡¯t help but exim in admiration!
However, further away, everyone was left without room for amazement, for they could no longer see any wooden target, nor could they see the Sword Spirit Dragon clearly, barely able to follow the red dot of sword light flickering near the distant mountainke¡­ After an unknown amount of time, the crowd still hadn¡¯t recovered from their disbelief, yet Zhu Minng, standing on the mountain tform, was already walking back towards them. From the mountain tform to the t area, it was actually just about thirty or so steps. But as Zhu Minng returned to everyone, the sword shot through the air, returning to hover behind Zhu Minng, as if carried by its master. How could one simply describe it as free and graceful? It was the proud son of the sword, so aloof and transcendent!! Zhu Minng nced at the water clock, the time had not yet passed halfway. Of course, Zhu Minng had also instructed the Sword Spirit Dragon to slow down a bit; there was no need to reveal all their strength, since it was just a small disy of skill. It wouldn¡¯t be too good to scare the disciples of the White Robe Sword Sect. But in fact, the disciples of the White Robe Sword Sect were already scared! L¨ªn Zhong and Ming Xiu, in particr, didn¡¯t know what to say for a long time, especially Ming Xiu, who now realized how foolish it was for her to let Zhu Minng try the Flying Sword practice. ¡°So how about that, the targets I hit and the time I took should be a bit better than yours, right?¡± Zhu Minng asked with a smile. L¨ªn Zhong¡¯s face was stiff. You call this a bit better??? ¡°The record at the top just now, that was Leader Lei¡¯s¡­ and it seems, Brother Zhu, you were much faster than our Leader Lei,¡± L¨ªn Zhong said with a trembling voice. If it was just a direct flight from the mountain tform to the mountainke, most Flying Sword Swordsmasters could aplish it within the time Zhu Minng took; Flying Swords are very fast. But to precisely hit the targets in different ces and positions along Long Valley, the actual distance is more than five times longer than the straight-line distance, not to mention the extreme difficulty of this controlling process! Compared to that, isn¡¯t Leader Leipletely iparable to Brother Zhu¡¯s realm with the Flying Sword?? ¡°Ah??? That was Leader Lei¡¯s record, sorry, sorry,¡± Zhu Minng scratched his head. This is awkward! He thought that was L¨ªn Zhong¡¯s record. L¨ªn Zhong wasn¡¯t much older than him; Zhu Minng¡¯s disy of skill was just intended to be a bit better than others, but he identally broke Leader Lei¡¯s record. ¡°Um, Deacon L¨ªn, the eighty-six wooden stakes, it seems he hit them all,¡± said a female disciple in charge of tallying the stakes, speaking in an even lower voice.
L¨ªn Zhong and Ming Xiu staggered at this news, hardly able to stand steady! ¡°He hit all of them?? Eighty-six?¡± L¨ªn Zhong turned his head and asked. ¡°Yes, he hit all of them,¡± the female disciple responded. They had a special way of counting that didn¡¯t require them to run through the entire Long Valley¡ªthey could still tell which stakes were missed.
But Zhu Minng hadn¡¯t missed a single one; he hit them all! The problem was, even Leader Lei, during the record time, had only hit seventy-nine! And here¡¯s the scariest part! Leader Lei had been practicing here for ten years, and he had more or less memorized the positions of those stakes. This Zhu Minng was here at the White Robe Sword Sect for the first time and was also trying this Flying Sword practice for the first time¡­ L¨ªn Zhong slowly turned his head back around, and when his eyesnded on Zhu Minng again, he regarded him no differently than a deity who had descended from Divine Mountain! ¡°Brother Zhu, could it be that you are a revered Swordsman from the Yaoshan Sword Sect?¡± L¨ªn Zhong changed his form of address, the tone bing even more respectful. Feeling the gaze of everyone around him as if looking at a monster, Zhu Minng realized he had shown off his skills a bit too much. ¡°Not at all, I am far from being revered. It¡¯s just that my Sword is somewhat special. It¡¯s a Spirit Sword, so even without my deliberate control, it can recognize targets to attack,¡± Zhu Minng hastily exined. ¡°Spirit Swords are somewhat special?¡± Ming Xiu repeated. ¡°Yes, the Sword is rather special. Sometimes it can achieve victory over the enemy even without my control,¡± Zhu Minng said with a smile. ¡°That¡¯s great, that¡¯s great¡­ Oh, no offense meant. The main thing is, there are hardly a few at our White Robe Sword Sect who have reached your Realm, you are younger than us by several years, but it¡¯s no surpriseing from the Yaoshan Sword Sect, truly enlightening for us frogs at the bottom of the well,¡± L¨ªn Zhong said. ¡°You tter me, really. This Flying Sword practice of yours is quite ingenious as well, certainly a very effective training method,¡± Zhu Minng replied.
No matter how Zhu Minng tried to exin, he couldn¡¯t shed thebel of being a monster. For those disciples, just being able to sessfully control a Flying Sword to reach the mountainke was already brag-worthy. On top of that, hitting the stakes within a short amount of time was akin to an impossible feat¡­ Lunch suddenly lost its appeal. After all, even if the Flying Sword was somewhat special, it still represented genuine skill. With such mastery, killing from a thousand miles away would be nothing remarkable! In the afternoon, L¨ªn Zhong and Ming Xiu only dared to take Zhu Minng and Ye Youying on a tour of the Sword Manor. As for testing each other¡¯s martial arts skills, they dared not even think of it anymore¡­ Regardless of his Cultivation Base, the Realm of Flying Sword mastery he had reached was far beyond everyone in the Sword Manor! In giant Sword Sects like the Yaoshan Sword Sect, the Miao Mountain Sword Sect, and the White Robe Sword Sect, it is acknowledged that Realm stands above Cultivation Base. Cultivation Base can be slowly improved, but the Sword Territory is profound and hard to grasp! Chapter 502: 504: Chop the Demons, Remove the Evil Chapter 502: Chapter 504: Chop the Demons, Remove the Evil ¡­ ¡°Leader Lei and the others have returned,¡± a disciple said. L¨ªn Zhong and Ming Xiu both looked towards the direction of the mountain gate and soon saw Leader Lei and several members of the White Robe Sword Sect making their way back. Zhu Minng also looked in their direction and saw that Leader Lei was somewhat disheveled, and the members of the White Robe Sword Sect apanying him had all been injured. Moreover, he remembered the number of people who had pursued the quarry the night before had been greater than just these few. They had chased after nothing, so how had ite to this? ¡°We were ambushed, damn the Demon Sect!¡± Leader Lei said, his face smeared with dirt, his eyes filled with anger. ¡°What about the other disciples, Leader Lei?¡± L¨ªn Zhong asked. ¡°Dead,¡± Leader Lei replied. L¨ªn Zhong and Ming Xiu both showed expressions of shock. With Leader Lei present, and most of those who apanied him being deacons and Sword Masters, such a team should have been able to eradicate a small demon sect¡¯s nest¡ªhow could it have turned out like this?
¡°We were careless and shouldn¡¯t have pursued so deep. But we cannot let this grudge go unavenged. Once I report this to Master Zheng Mei, we must seek justice for our fallen brothers!¡± Leader Lei dered. There were bloodshot streaks in his eyes, and hisplexion was very poor. Moreover, the other surviving deacons of the Sword Sect looked dejected and scared, as if they had been traumatized. It didn¡¯t seem like an act. Zhu Minng, puzzled, turned his gaze towards the Demon Sect¡¯s disciple Ye Youying. The person they had been chasing from the Demon Sect was right in front of them, wasn¡¯t she? Besides, she had been with him in the same room the night before. Although Zhu Minng had fallen asleep, the Sword Spirit Dragon had been keeping an eye on her the whole time; she hadn¡¯t left his room all night. Ye Youying was just as perplexed and imed she had no knowledge of what happened. ¡°Did you encounter your aplices?¡± Zhu Minng asked softly. ¡°If I had aplices, would I have needed your rescue?¡± Ye Youying responded, somewhat dissatisfied. ¡°So what did they chase after that they even lost many lives?¡± Zhu Minng scratched his head. ¡°How would I know!¡± Ye Youying said. ¡­ Following Leader Lei to the Sword Manor¡¯s White Hall, many hall masters made their appearances, and some deacons and disciples gathered outside of the White Hall. Inside the White Hall, a middle-aged swordswoman sat upon the Taishi Chair, her gaze fixed on several disciples who had suffered serious injuries, her face somewhat grim. ¡°After we lost the trail of the Demon Sect¡¯s disciple, I used a Tracking Talisman and discovered a Demon Sect site at a roadside inn. Junior Brother Xiao was too reckless and led the deacons into an ambush when they entered. By the time I intervened, a huge arm emerged from the earth and blocked me. By the time I broke free from the arm that rose from the ground, Junior Brother Xiao and all the deacons had already perished¡­¡± Leader Lei recounted the situation painfully and with regret. ¡°Are those Demon Sect¡¯s disciples still in that inn?¡± the Master asked. ¡°Yes, they are obviously conducting some sort of Summoning Demon ritual, gathering a considerable number of experts. Brother Xiao fears that these Demon Sect¡¯s disciples will summon some kind of Ghost King or Evil Monarch, bringing disaster to the innocent people of Dawn, which is why he wants to go and investigate clearly,¡± Leader Lei said. ¡°Are you sure it is the Summoning Demon Sect?¡± the Master appeared more cautious.
¡°Yes, as we were escaping, many monsters appeared in the mountains and forests, persistently pursuing us. I was injured while battling an arm that emerged from the ground, unable to ensure all the deacons returned safely. In the end, only a few of us remained. Master, these Demon Sect¡¯s disciples have be so audacious, if we do not exterminate them now, I fear they even intend to trample over our White Robe Sword Sect!¡± Leader Lei said. Leader Lei described the situation in detail, especially the arm that had emerged from the ground, which was terrifying in strength. Leader Lei himself is the chief instructor of all the disciples in the White Mountain Sword Sect, holding a status equivalent to the Master, and his strength naturally could rival that of some older masters. Even he was no match for that Earth Demon arm, indicating that this time the Demon Sect truly had a major operation underway! ¡°There is no time to lose, gather our forces quickly, this time we mustpletely eradicate the Summoning Demon Sect!¡± the middle-aged female Master said.
Upon receiving the orders, the White Robe Sword Sect mobilized swiftly, and soon elders, hall masters, and deacons from within the Great Sect Woods had all appeared, with even more disciples forming one swordsman disciple squad after another. In the morning, the White Robe Sword Sect was still enveloped in a tranquil atmosphere, with disciples practicing swordsmanship, deacons patrolling, and hall masters managing¡­ But by the afternoon, the entire White Robe Sword Sect had entered a state of preparation for battle. From their organized and rapid assembly and division into squads, it was evident that the White Robe Sword Sect was often engaged in fierce battles with the Demon Sect forces! Struggles between forces were even more frequent than wars, ranging from minor disputes over territory by disciples to major conflicts over Spirit Veins, and vendettas leading to extermination. In areas rich with Spirit Veins, small forces sprouted up like bamboo shoots after rain, growing wildly with astonishing speed, and of course, the speed of their destruction was equally staggering¡­ For major powers like the White Robe Sword Sect, it was no easy task to stand the test of time; a single significant move could lead to their downfall, struggling topare with the truly great woods. The White Robe Sword Sect and the Demon Sect were irreconcble enemies; the Sword Sect¡¯s creed was to exterminate demons and rid evil, and thus the White Robe Sword Sect had made a multitude of adversaries, essentially being a thorn in the side of all Demon Sects! Before long, over a thousand members of the White Robe Sword Sect had assembled in front of the Sword Manor, all with a Cultivation Base of at least General level, holding swords and waiting for the Master to issuemands. ¡°Leader Lei, please lead the way for the disciples,¡± Master Zheng Mei said. ¡°We absolutely cannot let these Demon Sect fiends get away scot-free!¡± Leader Lei rekindled his fighting spirit. ¡°Chop down the demons and rid the evil!!¡± ¡°Chop down the demons and rid the evil!!!¡± ¡°Chop down the demons and rid the evil!!!¡± d in white, their swords gleaming brightly, the Sword Manor bore a starkly different atmosphere from the tranquil vis Zhu Minng had seen before. The entire Sword Manor, due to the assembly of these white-d swordsmen, emanated an air of solemnity and killing intent, presenting a face and a temperamentpletely different from the gentle, hospitable, and courteous image Zhu Minng had observed in the morning!
¡°Brother Zhu, since we belong to the same Sword Sect and you are a disciple of the Yaoshan Sword Sect, isn¡¯t it your undeniable duty to partake in this demon-chopping and evil-ridding mission? Why not join us?¡± L¨ªn Zhong approached and said to Zhu Minng. ¡°If they are the vile and evil sort, I will not hesitate, but I judge my actions based on the person, not the sect or the power they wield,¡± Zhu Minng said. A thousand people were looking at him, then asked him such a question. In his heart, Zhu Minng wanted to curse; your demon-chopping and evil-ridding, full of fanfare, is none of my damn business¡­ But he had no choice; after all, he had revealed that he was from the Yaoshan Sword Sect, and to refuse would likely tarnish his sect¡¯s reputation, especially here among those of the White Robe Sword Sect, who could be considered peers¡­ Of course, Zhu Minng had his own principles for acting; if it were purely power against power, he would absolutely not get involved. However, if they were truly conducting an evil ritual like the Eyeless Sect, it was something that had to be stopped no matter what! Chapter 503: 505 Summoning Demon Sect Chapter 503: Chapter 505 Summoning Demon Sect ¡°` ¡°Rest assured, how could the White Robe Sword Sect possibly fail to distinguish right from wrong, good from evil? Some false demon cults are indeed acting absurdly due to the delusion of evil teachings, but the true demon cults are like pests, eroding everything and continually making poisonous moves against us, the righteous people. These scum must not be tolerated one bit, for indulgence will only lead them to be rampant and bring disaster to others,¡± Lin Zhong said earnestly. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll apany you. Setting aside exorcising demons for a moment, at the very least I can ensure the safety of your younger disciples,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°That would be most appreciated!¡± Lin Zhong responded. ¡°Both of you should also take these Tracking Talismans. They will help better identify demon cult members, for many of them like to disguise themselves asmoners. However, as long as they use their wicked magic, these talismans will ensure they have nowhere to hide,¡± Ming Xiu came over and handed Zhu Minng several pieces of talisman paper. It wasn¡¯t just Zhu Minng who received this special talisman paper; the hall masters distributed some to each member of the White Robe Sword Sect. It seemed that after yesterday¡¯s test with talisman paper, they were confident that these papers would help them find the disciples of the demon sect. Zhu Minng, holding these talismans, deliberately slowed his pace and followed behind the white-d swordsmen. The demon sect woman Ye Youying probably did not expect the situation to suddenly turn out like this. She wore a somber expression and said nothing. ¡­
Everyone followed Leader Lei to the demon sect stronghold, rushing through the forest. The ones with high cultivation could tread on the canopy, moving swiftly atop the trees, while the middle-aged swordsman Zheng Mei, a master from the Flying Sword Sect with high cultivation and sword realm, flew with sword control, clearly a high-ranking figure within her faction. Zhu Minng trailed leisurely behind the Sword Sect disciples, but with so many eyes on him, he had no chance to run away¡­ Mainly because the morale of these white-robed swordsmen was simply too strong, and they had no concerns whatsoever. In such an atmosphere, Zhu Minng was essentially put on the battlefield against his will. If he had known it would turn out this way, he wouldn¡¯t have brought up the Yaoshan Sword Sect. However, since there was demon sect activity, it might be worth checking out. For every Sword Master, exorcising demons and defending the path is part of their training, including refining their hearts amidst the red dust of the world. It¡¯s one of the paths leading to the pinnacle of Sword Dao. Controlling emotions, discerning good from evil, whether a hypocrite or a true swordsman, all these forge the will and spirit of a Sword Master! ¡°What is your Summoning Demon Sect nning to do?¡± Zhu Minng inquired of Ye Youying. Having an authentic demon sect woman by his side, and a member of the Summoning Demon Sect at that, there must be some knowledge she possessed given the greatmotion. In fact, Zhu Minng began to suspect that Ye Youying herself was trying to lure him into a trap, and when an unexpected issue arose, she had to seek his help. No matter what the situation was, Zhu Minng wouldn¡¯t let Ye Youying out of his sight. There were simply too many people with appealing appearances but venomous hearts. From the very beginning, Zhu Minng had never truly helped the demon sect woman Ye Youying in any meaningful way. Just like the White Robe Sword Sect¡¯s approach, he detained her without clear knowledge of her true situation! ¡°I know nothing!¡± Ye Youying answered. ¡°If you say nothing, then I can¡¯t help you either. I see that Master Zheng Mei seems to loathe your demon sect to the core. I might as well tell her the real situation ofst night,¡± Zhu Minng feigned impatience. Being dependent on others, where is the prideing from? ¡°` Zhu Minng wasn¡¯t one to covet her beauty. Like a very gorgeous flower, if he were to step on it whennding his foot, out of an instinctive pity for beautiful things, Zhu Minng would shift his stride, but if that stunning flower were not only poisonous but also attracted many venomous bees towards him, then it would be better to just trample it to death. ¡°Why haven¡¯t you got a single principle? You said you would help me hide!¡± the Demon Sect¡¯s woman Ye Youying said indignantly. ¡°A helping hand, of course, can be offered, but if it¡¯s so troublesome, then that¡¯s another story. Besides, we¡¯re merely passing strangers, I used my Yaoshan Sword Sect¡¯s reputation to vouch for you, yet you still have things you¡¯re hiding from me at a time when two great forces are on the verge of a decisive battle. Do you really think I, Zhu Minng, am some naive, warm-hearted swordsman fresh from the countryside? And please, don¡¯t say things like your clothing being a memento from your motherst night; I¡¯d rather hear you say you¡¯re a witch who kills without batting an eye¡­¡± Zhu Minng said. Biting her lip, the Demon Sect¡¯s woman Ye Youying thought of simply walking away. But realizing that each of the thousands of white-d swordsmen held a Tracking Talisman, and that she would be targeted the moment she used any spell, discarded that idea. Moreover, the Moon Cassock was still in Zhu Minng¡¯s possession.
¡°The Demon Summoning Technique is not an evil art, and our Summoning Demon Sect had never done anything outrageous. But because of an incident that happened during the winter, our Summoning Demon Sect has been regarded as heretics by all the forces of the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent¡­¡± Ye Youying finally spoke up. ¡°What¡¯s the incident? Tell me about it, and I¡¯ll be the judge,¡± Zhu Minng said. Ye Youying gave Zhu Minng a look and snorted coldly. Judging indeed, do you see yourself as the leader of the martial alliance? Whether a sect is righteous or evil is for the leaders of the Four Major Sect ns to decide. You, a young Sword Master from the Yaoshan Sword Sect, may have a high Sword Territory, but you have absolutely no say in this matter!
¡°A woman, she defined our Summoning Demon Sect as an evil sect, andmanded all the orthodox forces to capture members of our Summoning Demon Sect. How could our Summoning Demon Sect sit still and wait for death!¡± Ye Youying eximed angrily. ¡°Which woman had such an incredible reach?¡± Zhu Minng inquired. The Demon Summoning Technique of the Summoning Demon Sect is indeed a sensitive matter, as their demon summoning ability is far less stable than that of the Dragon Shepherds¡¯ dragon training. Sometimes, the summoned demons may lose control, posing threats to innocent people. But even Pu Hanrong of the Pu n practiced this Divine and Mortal art, which shows that it was acknowledged by the major powers before, and was not considered an evil art¡­ ¡°Humph, it¡¯s one of your Sword Sects too. The Miao Mountain Sword Sect Leader, Meng Bingci.¡± Ye Youying mentioned this person with evident hatred on her face. Upon hearing this, Zhu Minng maintained a calm exterior but was deeply shocked inside! What¡¯s going on??? Meng Bingci single-handedly branded the entire Summoning Demon Sect as an evil sect??? ¡°Cough cough, a great Sect Leader taking action against your Summoning Demon Sect must have had her reasons, right? What exactly did your Summoning Demon Sect do to bring upon yourselves the joint condemnation of the noble sects?¡± Zhu Minng continued to ask smoothly. ¡°They just fear us, they worry that once we fully control this ability, we¡¯llpletely crush the Four Great Sect ns. That¡¯s why they¡¯re relentlessly pursuing us!¡± Ye Youying said. Chapter 504: 506: Summoning the Immortal Ghost Chapter 504: Chapter 506: Summoning the Immortal Ghost ¡°Then, what power forced the Four Major Sect ns to brutally strike down your kind?¡± Zhu Minng asked. Ye Youying looked at Zhu Minng, and it seemed she was still hesitating. But after thinking it through, it hardly seemed a secret anymore. Wasn¡¯t this the very reason why all those so-called righteous sects wanted to crusade against their Summoning Demon Sect? ¡°Have you heard of Immortal Ghosts?¡± Ye Youying said. ¡°Ah???¡± Zhu Minng let out a cry of astonishment. Immortal Ghosts!! How could he possibly not know about them? Although he had never seen those terrifying Mountain Immortal Ghosts firsthand, he had not forgotten the look of terror that had enveloped both Bai Qin¡¯an and Wen Mengru, as if their souls had been stripped away. ¡°You mean to say that those Immortal Ghosts were created by your Summoning Demon Sect? You¡¯re controlling those Immortal Ghosts!¡± Zhu Minng said, surprised. ¡°How could that be possible? How could we possibly control Immortal Ghosts!¡± Ye Youying replied. ¡°So, you opened some kind of forbidden realm and released the Immortal Ghosts. If it¡¯s rted to the Immortal Ghosts, doesn¡¯t that mean your Summoning Demon Sect deserves this fate? Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re unaware that the Immortal Ghosts have ughtered countless Cultivators!¡± Zhu Minng said.
If it were due to the Immortal Ghosts, the Summoning Demon Sect was essentially a scourge. The Immortal Ghosts were too powerful. Not just ordinary Cultivators, but even Hall Masters and Elders from the Four Great Sects were like tiny sparrows before them, easily crushed to death. This kind of overwhelmingly powerful demon had never been encountered before. No one knew their habits, their abilities, nor their weaknesses. Where they came from or why they killed only Cultivators was a mystery¡­ Once such a baffling creature became rampant, it would be incredibly difficult to suppress them, and countless Cultivators might be sacrificed before they fully understood these Immortal Ghosts! ¡°But not all members of the Summoning Demon Sect were involved in worshipping the Immortal Ghosts, and certainly not all Immortal Ghosts are so vicious that they kill on sight,¡± Ye Youying said. ¡°With all Cultivators now terrified by the mention of Immortal Ghosts, do you really expect them to differentiate between benevolent and vicious Immortal Ghosts?¡± Zhu Minng replied. Ye Youying didn¡¯t answer. ¡°However, I do have some leisure, and if you can show me a kind Immortal Ghost, perhaps I can help your sect escape this one-size-fits-all condemnation,¡± Zhu Minng said to Ye Youying. It was actually about the Immortal Ghosts!! And from what Ye Youying said, it seemed possible to control the Immortal Ghosts. So, if the appearance of the Immortal Ghosts was connected with the Summoning Demon Sect, they must have summoned these powerful creatures from some forbidden ce, initially intending to use them as their summoned demons. But they found that the Immortal Ghosts were too powerful and had be uncontroble. ¡°Help us? How can you help? Are you perhaps a Sect Leader of the Four Great Sects?¡± Ye Youying said. ¡°I am not, but my mother is,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°????¡± Ye Youying looked at Zhu Minng, her gazepletely transformed. ¡°Meng Bingci, yes, by blood, she is my mother,¡± Zhu Minng said. Ye Youying¡¯s face darkened, and one could even see the irritation of being toyed with in her eyes. ¡°Do you know that she killed many of my rtives?¡± Ye Youying said coldly, her tone filled with hatred. ¡°If you still want to have family, you should let go of the resentment in your heart and speak clearly about the matter of the Immortal Ghosts. The people ughtered by Immortal Ghosts are hundreds, thousands of times more than the deceased of your Summoning Demon Sect. Even if it was an unintentional mistake, this error of yours is too great to be atoned for by the eradication of your sect,¡± Zhu Minng said. Zhu Minng looked at the expression of this woman from the Demon Sect, Ye Youying.
If she lunged at him like a vengeful wild leopard, Zhu Minng wouldn¡¯t rmend binding her up and handing her over to the people of the White Robe Sword Sect for them to deal with. As for the Immortal Ghosts, Zhu Minng had also killed two. If even the lowest Cultivation Base of a demon race was at Monarch Level, then this race was powerful enough to dominate everything, especially since they enjoyed ughtering cultivators¡­ If Ye Youying couldn¡¯t understand that their Summoning Demon Sect unleashing the Immortal Ghosts was the greatest sin, then Zhu Minng had nothing to discuss with Ye Youying. She had also fallen into demonhood.
She thought their Summoning Demon Sect was without fault, that the ughter caused by the Immortal Ghosts was merely an ident, and that people should not despise them but instead understand them. That was utterly falling into demonhood and evil. ¡°The giant arm under the ground is one of the Ground Immortal Ghosts we worship. Topletely release it from its seal, a summoning ritual is needed. Those at Hut Pavilion Inn are nning to summon this Ground Immortal Ghost,¡± Ye Youying eventually calmed her anger and opened her mouth to say to Zhu Minng. ¡°Summoning? Has your Summoning Demon Sect really gone mad? You¡¯ve given up on the proper Demon Summoning Technique to practice this kind of summoning ritual!¡± Upon hearing this title, Zhu Minng felt that the Summoning Demon Sect had serious issues. Things like serving gods and summoning deities are more or less rted to evil worship, after all, in this world, true gods would never descend to satisfy the selfish desires of some cultivators because of some offerings. ¡°If you think so too, then there¡¯s nothing left for us to discuss,¡± Ye Youying said somewhat defiantly. ¡°Alright, then let us both set aside our prejudices,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°Our Summoning Demon Sect is now divided into two factions. One faction is performing the summoning ritual at the inn. They havepletely fallen into demonhood, revering the supreme divine power of Immortal Ghosts, following in the footsteps of the Immortal Ghosts, constantly trampling the dignity of those authoritative sects. They believe that the Summoning Demon Sect also deserves a ce among the Four Major Sect ns,¡± ¡°The other faction is us. We are simr to Dragon Shepherds, forming a contract with the Immortal Ghosts, controlling the Immortal Ghosts as an ability under the guidance of us summoners, so naturally, massacres would not ur,¡± Ye Youying said. ¡°Seeing is believing. Call forth an Immortal Ghost for me to see,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°It cannot be done here,¡± Ye Youying replied. ¡°Then where should we go?¡± ¡°The origin of the Immortal Ghosts lies in the folk¡¯s worship. Temples, Immortal Halls, Divine Pces, and of course, it also includes Evil Temples, Demon Temples, Resentment Altars. They are False Gods; their poweres from people¡¯s faith,¡± Ye Youying exined. ¡°Can you borate?¡± Zhu Minng asked.
¡°It means that folk offerings like incense, animal sacrifices, the worship of crowds, or some specific rituals can all be the strength of the Immortal Ghosts,¡± Ye Youying said. ¡°How were they born then? Why haven¡¯t we seen Immortal Ghosts before, when the worship of gods by the folk isn¡¯t something new?¡± Zhu Minng asked. ¡°You help me save someone, and I¡¯ll tell you,¡± Ye Youying said. ¡°Now you¡¯re making conditions.¡± ¡°It is rted to him,¡± Ye Youying said. ¡°Where is this person, and what is their name?¡± ¡°He¡¯s in the inn, they¡¯re using him to summon. If that Ground Immortal Ghost is fully unearthed, over a thousand swordsmen of the White Robe Sword Sect will be buried!¡± Ye Youying asserted confidently. Chapter 505: 507 Black Moon Child Chapter 505: Chapter 507 ck Moon Child Over a thousand members of the White Robe Sword Sect would perish? That was indeed a terrifying Demon Summoning ritual, meaning that those disciples from the Demon Sect¡¯s Inn intended to lure over the individuals from the White Robe Sword Sect and then annihte these upright sword masterspletely. The Summoning Demon Sect¡¯s malice was also quite intense. It seemed that after obtaining such power, they indeed wanted to conquer a piece of heaven and earth for themselves, even if it meant making enemies of the Four Major Sect ns! ¡°Who is it that I¡¯m supposed to save, and why is he the only one who can summon Immortal Ghosts?¡± Zhu Minng asked. ¡°In some more isted rural areas, the people fear the gods and often offer boy and girl sacrifices to the River God and Mountain God, in exchange for what they believe to be favorable weather conditions,¡± Ye Youying exined. ¡°Hmm, such things are not umon,¡± Zhu Minng nodded in agreement. Not only in isted areas, but even in ces where cultures mingled, such ignorant acts urred. Of course, there were indeed some powerful acts of Sorcery in this world that could be gained through such cruel means. For reputable sects, such Evil Arts were absolutely forbidden, and once discovered, they would spare no effort to eradicate them. ¡°Immortal Ghosts originate from this. Faith, reverence, fear¡ªonce a child is sacrificed, their pure soul turns into a vast grievance under that specific ritual, eventually transforming into a ghost. Since their power originates from faith and worship, they are half gods, half ghosts,¡± Ye Youying provided Zhu Minng with a detailed exnation. ¡°So in the end, it¡¯s the hatred of those sacrificed children that transforms?¡± Zhu Minng said, somewhat surprised.
¡°Yes,¡± Ye Youying nodded. ¡°So the person I¡¯m supposed to save is a child, who is currently in the Demon Sect¡¯s Inn, intended to be sacrificed to that Ground Immortal Ghost?¡± Zhu Minng inquired. ¡°Children born during the ck Moon are actually quite special; they can see the souls of those sacrificed children, the Immortal Ghosts, and evenmunicate with them. Simrly, if these children are taken as sacrifices, it results in the addition of another Immortal Ghost to this world,¡± Ye Youying continued. Zhu Minng inwardly marveled upon hearing this. So it turned out that the Immortal Ghosts were the result of the ignorant actions of themon folk. The people from the Summoning Demon Sect had discovered this, and thus employed some methods to summon these Immortal Ghosts, using them to fight against major powers. ¡°ck Moon Child, alright, I¡¯ll rescue the person,¡± Zhu Minng dered. ¡­ Whether it was to further understand the secrets of these Immortal Ghosts or to prevent the massacre of the White Robe Sword Sect, Zhu Minng had to first find the so-called ck Moon Child. The people from the White Robe Sword Sect were indeed moving in force,pletely unaware of the Ground Immortal Ghost lurking beneath thend. Since Immortal Ghosts were born from the resentment of sacrificed children, they were undoubtedly cruel and bloodthirsty, harboring intense hatred towards humans. After bing false deities, their behavior became even more brutal and terrifying. Zhu Minng chose for the time being to believe everything Ye Youying had told him. He made his way to the Demon Sect¡¯s Inn and discovered that the inn was next to a muchrger mountainke. The mountain¡¯s reflection in theke, the solitary inn standing taller than the surrounding trees, and a row of blood-rednterns hanging along the mountain path¡ªeven in daylight¡ªgave off a sinister and odd sensation. At first nce, the inn beside the mountainke seemed unremarkable. After all, there were no towns nearby, and travelers journeying along the long terrains would inevitably need a ce to rest; the inn was clearly in business for those making long journeys. However, today there were hardly any travelers on the mountain, and the entire inn was deste with few visitors. Yet oddly enough, the inn¡¯s staff were bustling about as if arranging some festive asion. They ughtered chickens and sheep, hungnterns high, and the kitchen¡¯s fires were zing. The chimney never stopped emitting cooking smoke, and from time to time, one could hear shouts and singing imbued with a strong local vor ¡ªpletely unintelligible as to what they were singing about! ¡°Is your Summoning Demon Sect celebrating the New Year?¡± Zhu Minng asked. ¡°They¡¯re imitating folk rituals,¡± Ye Youying replied. ¡°Oh, so they¡¯re setting the mood for inviting the gods, right?¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°Like I said, they worship Immortal Ghosts. Whatever the Immortal Ghosts like, they do. River Immortal Ghosts, for instance, have a particr fondness for children. They wouldn¡¯t hesitate to steal children from farmers to feed to the River Immortal Ghosts,¡± Ye Youying said.
It was clear that Ye Youying also despised the possessed members of the Summoning Demon Sect to an extreme extent. As he was observing, suddenly from the other side of the inn came several screams, followed by shouts and the sound of fighting. Had the people of the White Robe Sword Secte to blows with those from the Summoning Demon Sect? Howe they¡¯re all so hot-tempered! Before Zhu Minng could observe for too long, the two powers had already begun shing. One could see figures in white moving through the forests surrounding the inn, and there was a group of white-d Sword Masters by theke. Their cultivation base was indeed formidable as they walked on the water¡¯s surface, swords in hand, approaching the inn!!
In theke, the water suddenly churned as one after another Red-Scaled Lake Monster broke the surface. They weren¡¯t of a tremendous size but stood upright like humans, each with three heads and six arms, wielding ferocious weapons made of rusty fish bones!! Clearly, these were the Demon Guards summoned by the Summoning Demon Sect. They were numerous, like a school of carp in ake, forming walls of Demon Guards to protect the Demon Sect¡¯s Inn. Their roars were like those of raging boars, and their bodies were covered with sharp scales and spiny bones. The red scales were like military helmets and iron armor; even the heavy swords of the white-d swordsmen might not harm them. There were many disciples from the White Robe Sword Sect, but at most, one disciple could only fight one of these water Demon Guards alone. One more, and a disciple would be overwhelmed, even facing the risk of losing their life! Members of the White Robe Sword Sect attacked the Demon Sect¡¯s Inn from three directions. This small inn seemed like an endless tower, from which various Demonic Beasts emerged. Some in groups seemed to live in the mountain caverns, while others were fierce and powerful, their strength and Sorcery no less than that of True Dragons! The battle erupted directly, creating a scene of utter chaos. Zhu Minng couldn¡¯t even find the two Deacons he knew, Zhong Lin and Ming Xiu¡­ However, it was easy to distinguish the two sides. Everyone from the White Robe Sword Sect was dressed in white. Members of the Summoning Demon Sect were clothed in red and yellow to mimic folk rituals. Although their numbers were not as great as those of the White Robe Sword Sect, they leveraged the Demon Summoning Technique to assemble a vast army of demonic creatures, fighting bitterly against the Sword Masters of the White Robe Sword Sect outside the mountainke inn. ¡°Zheng Mei is here, all members of the Summoning Demon Secte out and meet your death!¡± At that moment, the Master flew on her sword into the sky, shouting loudly at the peculiar inn! Zhu Minng had some admiration for this Master, who dared to venture alone into the heart of the Demon Sect¡¯s Inn. Perfect, with her drawing the attention of the Demon Sect¡¯s experts, it should be easier for him to infiltrate.
Chapter 506: 508: Demon Lord Lujiang Chapter 506: Chapter 508: Demon Lord Lujiang ¡°` Indeed, as soon as word spread that it was a Sword Master of Zheng Mei¡¯s caliber, famous throughout this realm, a Summoning Demon Master with red hair, eyebrows, and beard promptly emerged from within the Demon Sect¡¯s Inn. He stood beneath the inn¡¯s banner, his eyes like those of a wild beast, fixated on the Sword Master Zheng Mei in the sky. With his eerily gleaming eyes, the Red-bearded Summoning Demon Master began to recite a strange incantation, and suddenly a rift appeared in the mountains and the earth. A massive green arm burst forth from the soil and swung directly towards Master Zheng Mei in midair. This green arm was thick and densely covered in ancient runes that resembled ancient sealing characters that had be demonized, emitting a terrifying and prating dark glow. It made the green demon arm seem even more fearsome, as if one punch could shatter the heavens!! Zhu Minng too witnessed this scene and was deeply shocked. The owner of this arm must truly be a Ground Immortal Ghost. The strength of a Ground Immortal Ghost wasparable to that of a Dragon King, and the mere emergence of this one arm suggested it had the power to annihte everything; it felt as if even the sturdiest of walls would crumble under its blow. Indeed, Master Zheng Mei also had a King Level cultivation base. While standing on her Flying Sword, she chanted a sword technique, conjuring four Green Swords. The Green Swords, under her control, flew towards the Ground Immortal Ghost¡¯s demon arm, but the des couldn¡¯t even make a scratch on its rune-covered skin. In fact, all four Green Swords showed signs of cracking! Zhu Minng turned back to look at Ye Youying. It seemed the woman from the Summoning Demon Sect hadn¡¯t deceived him.
There was indeed a Ground Immortal Ghost here, and if it were to fully emerge, it would spell disaster for all the disciples of the White Robe Sword Sect present. While the Master of the White Robe Sword Sect was in a standoff with the high-ranking Red-bearded Summoning Demon Master, Zhu Minng deliberately waited for a moment to confirm there were no other high-ranking members of the Demon Sect in this peculiar inn, before stealthily sneaking in. With the Charm Shadow Clothes, Zhu Minng would be hard to detect by the followers of the Summoning Demon Sect, especially with his high cultivation base. Unless the Demon Sect had someone with special abilities, Zhu Minng could easily walk several rounds inside the inn and tally the number of people and their genders without being noticed. Unlike Dragon Shepherds, these Summoning Demon Masters had to concentrate fully during the summoning process, as they were controlling the minds of Demonic Beasts lurking around them with their own mental waves, turning them into their soldiers. The more focused these people were, the better it was for Zhu Minng. After searching for a while, Zhu Minng saw no trace of the so-called ck Moon Child. Moreover, the inn housed far fewer members of the Demon Sect than he had imagined, at most only about forty to fifty people. The reason they could withstand the group attacks of so many swordsmen from the White Robe Sword Sect was mainly due to the surprisinglyrge number of Demonic Beasts they had summoned. Having confirmed again, Zhu Minng still couldn¡¯t find the ck Moon Child meant for sacrifice¡­ ¡°What¡¯s this strange presence? You all, look around, see if any of those white-d hypocrites have sneaked in,¡± a chilling voice came from the guest room floor at that moment. Zhu Minng looked up and saw a person with two red dots on his forehead, bright red lips, and unusually long eyebrows that made him look like a female demon from the ys. Yet, his facial features were sharp and broad, clearly belonging to a man! With such bizarre makeup, it was hard to tell what rank this person held within the Summoning Demon Sect. Zhu Minng realized this individual¡¯s cultivation was very high and naturally didn¡¯t dare to linger. If he got trapped in the Demon Sect¡¯s Inn, he would have no choice but to kill all of them¡­ ¡­ After leaving the inn, he found the woman from the Summoning Demon Sect, Ye Youying. ¡°No ck Moon Child?¡± Ye Youying said, surprised. ¡°` ¡°No, I¡¯ve looked around twice, but there was one person who seemed a bit strange, he had two red dots on his forehead, and his eyebrows were drawn like a woman¡¯s long brows¡­¡± Zhu Minng described the man he had seen. ¡°That is Demon Lord Lujiang. It is he who takes some boys and girls to perform sacrifices to the River God, the Mountain God. Compared to worship with incense and candles, or offerings of ughtered chickens and livestock, young boys and girls can enhance the power of Immortal Ghosts the most¡­ ck Moon Children are hard to find, so they use arge number of children as substitutes,¡± said Ye Youying. ck Moon refers to a lunar eclipse.
Children born on the day of a ck Moon are named ck Moon Children by the Demon Sect. Being born at the most yin moment, if they encounter the cruel fate of being sacrificed to the River God, the Mountain God, it fosters the birth of Immortal Ghosts! Simrly, some more powerful Immortal Ghosts also require such children to truly break their bindings. ¡°There isn¡¯t a single child in the inn,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°Then perhaps they are not holding the sacrifices here. Don¡¯t look at me like that, I¡¯ve already told you, our faction has broken with theirs. Whatever they are nning to do, we have no clear idea,¡± Ye Youying said.
¡°Alright, since you did not run away while I was gone, I¡¯ll take your word for it,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡­ There weren¡¯t many Summoning Demon Masters in the Demon Sect¡¯s Inn, and Zhu Minng had already confirmed this. As expected, after those Demon Guards were killed, the Demon Sect¡¯s Inn was quickly overrun. The White-d Swordsmen swarmed in and swiftly subdued several key Summoning Demon Masters. Master Zheng Mei¡¯s fight with that Red-bearded Demon Lord had also concluded. Master Zheng Mei overpowered the Demon Arm and wounded the Red-bearded Demon Lord with a sword stab. The Red-bearded Demon Lord tried to escape but was stopped by Leader Lei. Two powerful figures of the White Robe Sword Sect joined forces and captured the Red-bearded Demon Lord. In the inn, half of the Summoning Demon Masters were also captured, with only a few managing to flee. Zhu Minng also made a few moves, saving some reckless Sword Sect Disciples. After infiltrating the Demon Sect¡¯s Inn, Zhu Minng realized that the fight wasrgely one-sided. However, it was also fortunate to have someone of Master Zheng Mei¡¯s caliber present; otherwise, the Red-bearded Summoning Demon Master and the Demon Arm would have been enough to sweep away all Sword Masters, and no matter how many came, they probably wouldn¡¯t have been able to capture them. Perhaps it was relying on this Red-bearded Summoning Demon Master that they had been so rampant. The White Robe Sword Sect emerged utterly victorious and took these people back to Sword Manor. On his way back, Zhu Minng did have some doubts. That Demon Lord named Lu Jiang, he seemed to have not been captured.
Did he escape amidst the chaos? In the Demon Sect¡¯s Inn, that fellow gave Zhu Minng a sense of danger, and he might very well be the outright demon lord of the Demon Sect as Ye Youying had said! Not seeing Demon Lord Lujiang, Ye Youying was also very disappointed. She truly wished that Demon Lord Lujiang had been killed, as it was because of his inhumane actions that they, all Summoning Demon Masters, were facing persecution, with nowhere to live in peace! Chapter 507 - 509: Cultivate with Peace of Mind Chapter 507: Chapter 509: Cultivate with Peace of Mind ¡­ Upon returning to the Sect Forest, night had already fallen. Throughout their journey back, these white-d swordsmen were left with a sense of wanting more, and the younger disciples especially regretted not having the chance to demonstrate the results of their many years of hard training, especially since they had indeed gathered in far greater numbers than the members of the Summoning Demon Sect. But overall, this resounding victory brought great joy to the members of the White Robe Sword Sect; they had even captured the Red-bearded Demon Lord alive and by interrogating him, they might even force out the trueir of the Summoning Demon Sect. Zhu Minng didn¡¯t pay too much attention to this; after all, it was the business of the White Robe Sword Sect. After resting for the night, early the next morning, L¨ªn Zhong and Ming Xiu came knocking at his door again, expressing their intention to take Zhu Minng to their Spirit Stone Cave. ¡°This Spirit Stone Cave is very special; the damp Spirit Stones inside exude spiritual dew that is extremely helpful to any cultivator. Normally, only some of our disciples who have made significant contributions have the opportunity to cultivate inside the Spirit Stone Cave. This time, Brother Zhu, you saved so many of our disciples¡¯ lives. As thanks, I have also applied to the Sect Leader,¡± L¨ªn Zhong exined. A cultivation treasure trove! Zhu Minng would never turn down such an offer. He now possessed a Gathering Spirit cultivation speed that was two hundred times faster, and with the addition of such a treasure trove, his cultivation base¡¯s growth rate would be extremely rapid! ¡°Then please extend my thanks to your Sect Leader,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°The Sect Leaders are already interrogating those from the Demon Sect. It is said that the location of theirir has been revealed by some Demon Sect followers who fear death more than disgrace. So now the Sect Leader and Leader Lei are discussing with the Sect Leader, nning to make one decisive push topletely eradicate the Summoning Demon Sect from our territory, and raise the prestige of the White Robe Sword Sect in front of the Four Major Sect ns!¡± L¨ªn Zhong said. ¡°That is good news, but you must take extra caution before you set out. The Summoning Demon Sect has many cunning and deceitful members. It would be more prudent for you to share the information with other forces and join them in a collective crusade,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s also what the Sect Leaders and Sect Leader think. We need to act quickly; if the members of the Summoning Demon Sect be aware, it would be more difficult to exterminate them again,¡± L¨ªn Zhong nodded. ¡°That¡¯s good. I have other matters to attend to, and after observing the Spirit Stone Cave, I must leave. If Brother L¨ªn does not return in triumph by that time, then I shall take my leave of you now,¡± Zhu Minng said. Clearing out the Summoning Demon Sect¡¯sir? Zhu Minng didn¡¯t n to get involved in that. He had been dyed here long enough and needed to continue on his way. As for the existence of Immortal Ghosts, Zhu Minng couldn¡¯t fully verify whether Ye Youying was telling the truth. He ultimately felt that Ye Youying was concealing many things. Especially regarding the Immortal Ghosts. Are the Immortal Ghosts really controlled by the Summoning Demon Sect? Zhu Minng didn¡¯t think so; he felt that the Summoning Demon Sect now seemed more like a group of followers of the Immortal Ghosts, with no ability or strength to harness the Immortal Ghosts. It was still best to focus peacefully on his own cultivation; otherwise, if he truly encountered an entity at the level of a Mountain Immortal Ghost, he likely wouldn¡¯t even have the ability to fend it off. ¡­ Heading towards the Spirit Stone Cave, Zhu Minng felt a rich spiritual energy before even entering the cave; it was like a moist and warm gas enveloping him. ¡°Miss Ye Tanhua, you are also invited. Whether you are a cultivator or not, this can nourish yourplexion,¡± Ming Xiu said. Ye Youying had no interest in visiting the Spirit Stone Cave at all, but in order to safely leave this ce, she had to continue ying the role of ¡°Little Tanhua¡±! Entering the Spirit Stone Cave, severalmps were lit, illuminating the humid and warm cave with unmatched rity. Sitting cross-legged, Zhu Minng began his Condensing Qi and Nourishing Dragon practice. Lin Zhong had told Zhu Minng that the Spirit Stone Cave was different from other spirit vein treasures. Absorbing spiritual energy here was a gradual process. If one could stay a day or two longer, slowly gathering spirit, the effects could be multiplied. ¡°Something is very wrong. If the Lujiang Demon Lord is there, even with thousands of White Robe Sword Sect members, they might not be able to take him down. Could it be that the Lujiang Demon Lord is injured?¡± Ye Youying was still pondering over the issues of the Demon Sect¡¯s Inn. ¡°I think I understand now, your Summoning Demon Sect ims to be divided into two factions, one that retains its sanity, nning to make use of the Immortal Ghosts, and another that, at all costs, lets the Immortal Ghosts run rampant and worships them fervently. In fact, inside your Summoning Demon Sect, there are barely any who retain their sanity, and you can¡¯t control the Immortal Ghosts at all,¡± Zhu Minng said indifferently. ¡°It¡¯s very hard to control, but¡­¡± ¡°Alright, let¡¯s not linger on this. The Immortal Ghosts are inherently too dangerous. They are born out of immense resentment, and from the news of Immortal Ghostsing from various ces now, it¡¯s clear that the Immortal Ghosts are controlling your Summoning Demon Sect, not the other way around¡­ I snuck into the inn, took a look around, and saw that few of your Summoning Demon Masters are sane. They are like the people of the Shan Yuan Tribe, who blindly worship. I advise you not to waste your effort trying to use the ck Moon Child to control the Immortal Ghosts. You¡¯d better change your name and live a peaceful life,¡± Zhu Minng said. Ye Youying fell silent all of a sudden. How could she be unaware of these facts? The Summoning Demon Masters should have been the leaders, controlling the demonic beasts to fight for them. But because of the Immortal Ghosts, the summoning demon masters of the entire sect, regardless of their cultivation base, were like madmen worshipping the Immortal Ghosts. They fanatically worshipped these powerful false gods, causing harm and acting like ignorant folk who sacrifice boys and girls to the River God and the Mountain God in exchange for so-called favorable weather! Foolish, insane, and irretrievably out of control! ¡­ Zhu Minng devoted himself to cultivation, knowing that some things were simply beyond his ability to intervene. Having seen that giant Earth Devil arm, Zhu Minng knew that the Immortal Ghosts were still not something he could confront at the moment. Ye Youying was merely a summoning demon master who happened to be rtively sane. She alone could not change the fate of a sect. The effects of gathering qi were quite remarkable, especially for the Little Glow Spirit, which particrly enjoyed the Spirit Stone Cave. After reminding the Little Glow Spirit that it could indulge only in moderation and not drink to excess, Zhu Minng also began to put aside his inner distractions and focus on his cultivation. Ye Youying did not leave; she found a ce to sit down herself. She probably knew that whatever she did now was meaningless, so she too devoted herself to cultivation. ¡­ After some time passed, the cultivation base of the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon hadpletely stabilized at the Peak Monarch Level. Lin Zhong was right; the Spirit Stone Cave indeed elerated the improvement of cultivation. In such a cultivation treasurend, Zhu Minng could go without eating, drinking, sleeping, or resting. Big ck Tooth¡¯s cultivation also began to rise, advancing from Middle-level Monarch Level toward the High Rank King Level. But as an Ancient Dragon, its main focus was still onbat; this quiet nourishment was merely icing on the cake. Chapter 508 - 510: Assault on the Mountain Chapter 508: Chapter 510: Assault on the Mountain Little Glow Spirit has been eating until it became round and chubby, as if there were too much Spiritual Energy. It gifted some of its Spiritual Energy to Ye Youying. Without realizing what was happening, Ye Youying¡¯s Cultivation Base significantly increased. Little Wild Jiao was also very diligent. It coiled itself on a damp Big Spirit Stone and opened its mouth to absorb the surrounding Spiritual Rhyme. Although it hadn¡¯t transformed into a dragon, Little Wild Jiao¡¯s Cultivation Base had already reached around nine hundred years, as Zhu Minng had been feeding it a good number of Soul Beads exchanged from the academy. Taking advantage of the Spirit Stone Cave, Little Wild Jiao gradually shed the wild aura on its body and began transforming into a Spirit Jiao. Its Cultivation Base finally broke through the significant thousand-year milestone! Even though it wasn¡¯t born for long, it¡¯s now equivalent to a thousand years of demonic spirits¡¯ cultivation! This rate of growth could also be considered rapid. ¡°You two little ones, your Cultivation Bases might surpass some Dragon Sons. Howe there¡¯s not even a sign of transformation into dragons?¡± Zhu Minng opened his eyes and looked at Little Glow Spirit and Little Jiao Spirit. ¡°Doodoodoo~~~~~~~¡± Little Glow Spirit rubbed Zhu Minng¡¯s hand with its long, pointed ears, acting like it was still young and didn¡¯t want to grow up just yet. Little Jiao Spirit was also puzzled. Jiaos are supposed to be closely rted to dragons, and by logic, Jiao Spirits should be among the easiest to transform into dragons. The Cultivation Base had already broken through a thousand years. Its scales seemed to emit a spiritual light, yet there wasn¡¯t a single characteristic of a dragon on its body: no horns, no ws, and especially no Dragon Breath. ¡°Sigh, it¡¯s not your fault. Perhaps, I¡¯m not nurturing you two in the right way. Let¡¯s take it slowly. We will eventually find the right Spiritual Objects for your transformation into dragons.¡± ¡°Oh!!¡± Big ck Tooth, in the Spirit Realm, immediately began imparting his dragon transformation experience to the two spiritual treasures! One must eat more meat!! To transform into a dragon, one must consume lots of meat, grow strong and sturdy, full of vigor, and the transformation will happen quickly. You have to believe in yourself, that¡¯s how I did it! Little Jiao Spirit nodded, seemingly understanding a bit. Little Glow Spirit, however, shook its head frantically, showing that it didn¡¯t like to eat meat at all. Perhaps due to Little Wild Jiao¡¯s young age, its Cultivation Base was growing rapidly, but its physical size increased more slowly. Usually, when going out, wrapping Little Wild Jiao around his neck was no different than wearing a scarf. ¡°Seems like it¡¯s saturated now,¡± Zhu Minng slowly stood up. The pace of their cultivation boosts had slowed downpared to the dramatic enhancements when they first entered. Unless he stayed here for several months, his Cultivation Base would indeed increase considerably. However, Zhu Minng was not a Dragon Shepherd desperately short of Spiritual Energy and resources. His dragons needed more experience rather than just energy. ¡°If you are a Sword Master, why are you raising these Juvenile Spirits?¡± Ye Youying asked, puzzled. When she first met Zhu Minng, she noticed Little Glow Spirit and Little Wild Jiao and thought Zhu Minng was a lone Dragon Shepherd. ¡°Having various skills doesn¡¯t burden one. Being a Sword Master is just my side job. They are not ordinary Juvenile Spirits. Once transformed into dragons, they will be even more formidable than Immortal Ghosts,¡± Zhu Minng said with a smile. Ye Youying was amused by Zhu Minng¡¯s words, especially when looking at the fluffy-pet-like Little Glow Spirit and the Little Jiao Spirit that had yet to show any dragon characteristics¡­ Immortal Ghosts are even more terrifying than dragons. Otherwise, why wouldn¡¯t the people from the Summoning Demon Sect change their professions to Dragon Shepherds instead of bing ves to the Immortal Ghosts, turning themselves into neither human nor ghost? The people of the entire Summoning Demon Sect weren¡¯t out of their minds. If they hadn¡¯t witnessed the powers of the Immortal Ghosts firsthand, how could they be so fanatically devoted! ¡°Regardless, thank you for your special Little Glow Spirit. It helped me break through a realm,¡± Ye Youying said. ¡°It likes helping others,¡± Zhu Minng didn¡¯t pay much attention. With every gift, the fluffy fur of the Little Glow Spirit could store more Spiritual Energy. The dragons around Zhu Minng, including the Little Jiao Spirit, were saturated with Spiritual Energy at this stage. It didn¡¯t matter if he gave some to Ye Youying. ¡°In the past, Immortal Ghosts were also¡­¡± At this point, Ye Youying began to speak but then hesitated with her words. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to talk about it, don¡¯t force yourself. Anyway, I¡¯m nning to hit the road. The ce I¡¯m going to probably doesn¡¯t have any Immortal Ghosts,¡± Zhu Minng said indifferently. ¡°People lost in the forest will have bluebirds to guide them. When a floodes, fish will leap out of the water to warn the boatman. Mountain collectors poisoned by nts can often find Detoxification Grass nearby¡­ The forests, rivers, and mountains have their own spirits, and they are protecting people in their own ways. Immortal Ghosts aren¡¯t as scary as people think; I¡¯ve been saved by an Immortal Ghost before,¡± Ye Youying suddenly said to Zhu Minng. Her tone wasn¡¯t one of argument, but more like she was murmuring to herself, telling her own story. After a while, Ye Youying continued, ¡°Only an Immortal Ghost can defeat an Immortal Ghost. Only they can purify themselves.¡± ¡°It seems you have a long, long road ahead of you since facing the things people fear is inherently to stand opposed to them,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°But it¡¯s better than living a humble life of survival. That¡¯s not what could be considered a peaceful life. We Summoning Demon Masters cannot always be the rats everyone spurns!¡± Ye Youying¡¯s eyes grew firmer. ¡°Yeah, yeah, keep it up. Although you can¡¯t even persuade me, I believe that after all your struggles, you will eventually bring some glimmer of hope to the Summoning Demon Masters,¡± Zhu Minng said, acting as if the whole matter was tooplex, keeping it at arm¡¯s length. Ye Youying looked at Zhu Minng and felt he emitted an aura of azybones with no ambition. This guy¡¯s enthusiasm seemed limited to avoiding trouble. So much for a Yaoshan Sword Sect Swordsman, huh, just an empty reputation! ¡°I didn¡¯t lie to you. That Moon Cassock was an heirloom of my mother¡¯s. She was killed by the Sect Leader of the White Robe Sword Sect with a single sword stab. The Immortal Ghost she protected was a Forest Immortal Ghost, one that did not indiscriminately kill the innocent and even protected several n members,¡± Ye Youying said, having seeminglye to realize something after her calm and focused cultivation. Immortal Ghosts are divided into good and evil. People only saw the evil ones but were unaware of the good spirits. Her mother died because she protected a good spirit that had been implicated. ¡°No wonder, when you wore that Moon Cassock, you had an aura of dignity and sanctity. It¡¯s probably because there¡¯s a soul in this garment that dares to confront authority, and that made me instinctively feel you couldn¡¯t be a female demon lord who murders and drinks blood,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°Give it back!¡± ¡°Oh, oh, oh, I thought it was some kind of magical treasure.¡± ¡­ ¡­ After leaving the Spirit Stone Cave, he didn¡¯t know how many days they had spent inside. The sky was overcast outside. From here, looking out over Long Valley Lake, it was inexplicably shrouded in a gloom, not nearly as bright and clear as before. ¡°A scent of blood ising from the direction of the mountain gate,¡± Zhu Minng said with a frown to Ye Youying. ¡°There¡¯s an Immortal Ghost!¡± Ye Youying¡¯s little face turned pale, her eyes filled with fear as she looked towards the direction of the mountain gate. ¡°Why are there so few people??¡± Zhu Minng walked toward the direction of the Sword Manor, but he hardly saw any disciples of the White Robe Sword Sect. Having arrived at the mountain clearing, Zhu Minng finally saw a familiar figure¡ªit was Ming Xiu. Ming Xiu was injured, her lips pale. A Female Disciple was helping her bandage her wound. Her injury was severe, but she was enduring it stubbornly, ready to continue fighting at the mountain gate after staunching the blood! ¡°Ming Xiu, what happened?¡± Zhu Minng asked anxiously. ¡°It¡¯s the Summoning Demon Sect, they are attacking the mountain!¡± Ming Xiu said. ¡°Where are the others??¡± Zhu Minng looked around, puzzled. The White Robe Sword Sect had far fewer people than usual! ¡°The Sect Leader, our masters, senior disciples, and most of the other disciples went to besiege their of the Summoning Demon Sect. They won¡¯t be back for a while, and our whole sect from top to bottom only left a hundred people to hold the fort¡­¡± Ming Xiu said, her voice trembling slightly. Chapter 509 - 511: Guarding the Mountain Chapter 509: Chapter 511: Guarding the Mountain Zhu Minng nced at the direction of the mountain gate, where it seemed as if nearly half the Summoning Demon Sect had mobilized. Not only could one see their figures moving around the base of the mountain, but also the formidable demonic beasts, taller than the trees, were charging toward Sword Manor. ¡°Since there are only a hundred members, why not abandon the mountain and leave quickly?¡± Ye Youying said. ¡°Impossible, how could we possibly flee when facing the battle? This is our mountain gate, we would rather die in battle here than let these disciples of the Demon Sect seed so easily!¡± Ming Xiu said with great determination. The other members of the White Robe Sword Sect felt the same, preferring death over escape! Zhu Minng was at his wit¡¯s end, his face as bitter as an unripe melon. What now? If they were going to attack the mountain, would it kill them to be a dayte? After all, he had been nning to pack up and leave. Moreover, as a Demon Sect, after having been jointly pursued by the righteous sects, shouldn¡¯t they quietly hide in a secluded ce, bide their time, and wait for an opportunity to strike again¡­ But without further ado, they¡¯re attacking someone¡¯s mountain gate, especially when the entire White Robe Sword Sect happens to be away! ¡°The two of you are not from our sect, there is no need for you to join us in death. Please leave quickly through the cave dwelling behind the mountain, and also swiftly pass the message to the Sect Leader and our masters. The Summoning Demon Sect is treacherous and despicable, utterly detestable. No matter what, members of our White Robe Sword Sect will never submit to them!¡± Ming Xiu said urgently. Dressed in white, with a bright and clear universe, true to the character of the White Robe Sword Sect. If it were those guys from the Yaoshan Sword Sect, especially with a crooked Elder Sword Sovereign in existence, they might have already fled the mountain, muttering something about ¡®As long as the green mountainsst, there will be wood to burn.¡¯ ¡°Sigh, I¡¯ve eaten your food for several days, and also enjoyed your Spirit Stone Cave. To leave just like this would indeed make me feel a bit guilty. Ming Xiu, have the disciples of the Sword Sect retreat to this Long Valley Mountain Terrace. I¡¯ll hold off the Sword Manor for you!¡± Zhu Minng sighed and said. ¡°Mr. Zhu, don¡¯t make such jokes. The Summoning Demon Sect has meticulously nned this, deliberately luring away all the experts of Sword Manor, and then attacking our mountain gate in retaliation. They want to tten our Sword Manor in one fell swoop. We are prepared for death, but there¡¯s absolutely no need for Mr. Zhu and Miss Ye to do the same,¡± Ming Xiu hastily dissuaded him. ¡°Enough talk, you can¡¯t decide for me. Just do as I say, and maybe fewer disciples will die,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡­ In fact, even if Zhu Minng hadn¡¯t called for a retreat, these people wouldn¡¯t have been able to hold out anyway. Soon, some of the few remaining Sword Masters of the White Robe Sword Sect were beaten back to Long Valley, reaching Long Valley Lake, which was very close to Sword Manor. Zhu Minng stood on the stone tform where he practiced Flying Sword, looking down at the Summoning Demon Sect and their followers. This time, the Summoning Demon Sect had mobilized what seemed to be a thousand people. Although their overall strength wasn¡¯t as formidable as that Summoning Demon Master that used the inn as bait, one could tell that they were determined to raze the White Robe Sword Sect! They were full of murderous intent, with a touch of vengeful hatred. Clearly, in this sh between good and evil, the Summoning Demon Sect had long harbored the intention to exterminate the overbearing White Robe Sword Sect! ¡°Are you insane?? With so many experts from the Summoning Demon Sect, how could you possibly stop them!¡± Ye Youying grabbed Zhu Minng¡¯s sleeve and eximed. ¡°If you could convince them to abandon the mountain, I certainly wouldn¡¯t need to be standing here,¡± Zhu Minng said to Ye Youying. ¡°They¡¯re too stubborn, no amount of persuading works,¡± Ye Youying was also very anxious at this moment. Those from the Summoning Demon Sect are truly insane, directly assaulting the White Robe Sword Manor. They¡¯ve veered so far off the path to demonhood that there¡¯s no intention of returning to the righteous path anymore! ¡°Why don¡¯t you try persuading the people from the demon sect below? If they¡¯re willing to withdraw, perhaps all the forces will have a change of heart regarding your Summoning Demon Sect,¡± Zhu Minng suggested. Ye Youying bit her lip, knowing she had no choice but to try. Thest thing she wanted was a scene like this, which would utterly condemn the summoning demon masters to the status of heretics! ¡­ Ye Youying summoned a big ck Peng, and mounting its back, flew towards the vast army of Demonic Beasts belonging to the Summoning Demon Sect. More and more Demonic Beasts upied Long Valley and made their way along the valley, ughtering their way towards the Sword Manor. From Zhu Minng¡¯s perspective, he could see that the most numerous were theke monsters known as Demon Guards with three heads and six arms. They were d in Fish Scale Bone Armor, wielding rusty Ancient Weapons, their eyes emitting a fierce light! ¡°Miss Ye is a summoning demon master???¡± Ming Xiu, who had witnessed Ye Youying¡¯s summoning, was immediately covered in a look of horror. ¡°Yes, a just and kind summoning demon master,¡± Zhu Minng responded. Ming Xiu obviously didn¡¯t share Zhu Minng¡¯s open-mindedness. In her eyes, summoning demon masters were now akin to demonic followers, and a trace of a different hue had appeared on her face. Zhu Minng didn¡¯t take much notice. At this point, it was easy to tell whether someone intended harm or sought to quell the ughter. ¡­ Ye Youying, riding the big ck Peng,nded amidst the crowd of the Summoning Demon Sect. At a nce, many skilled individuals of the Summoning Demon Sect were present, and among them were three figures of Demon Lord caliber, led by none other than Demon Lord Lujiang! ¡°Why are you here?¡± Demon Lord Lujiang was surprised and questioned Ye Youying. ¡°Uncle, by doing this, aren¡¯t we ensuring that our Summoning Demon Sect will have no ce to stand? If what happened with the Guangshan Purple Sect n could be seen as an ident, then wouldn¡¯t today¡¯s assault on the White Robe Sword Sect be a deration to the whole world that we intend to be enemies with all forces?¡± Ye Youying argued. ¡°When you speak such words, have you thought about how your mother, who lies beneath the Yellow Springs, would view you? As her only daughter, if you don¡¯t seek vengeance for her and ughter these guardians of the way until none remain, how can you possiblyfort the souls of our deceased brothers and sisters?¡± Demon Lord Lujiang sneered. ¡°She is bringing honor to our Summoning Demon Sect.¡± ¡°Na?ve! Without power, we are nothing but scapegoats for the downfall of the Guangshan Purple Sect n. We, the summoning demon masters, are undergoing a transformation, a metamorphosis. The entire world trembles in fear because no authority wants to see their position usurped, no Imperial Dynasty wants to be overthrown by a new power. We summoning demon masters don¡¯t need to ¡®rectify¡¯ anything. Once we annihte these self-righteous Sect ns, make them fear us, make them beg us for peace in hushed tones, and make them acknowledge the Summoning Demon Sect as the foremost among the Four Great Sect ns, that will be the best form of rectification!¡± Demon Lord Lujiang¡¯s words exuded immense ambition. No one could stop them! The oue ofpromising with these established righteous sects would be the same as that of Ye Youying¡¯s mother ¨C a Sword Stab through the heart, blood staining the green grass! With the Immortal Ghost, there was no need to bow to any power! Chapter 510 - 512: Barbarian Demon Lord Chapter 510: Chapter 512: Barbarian Demon Lord ¡°Kill them fiercely for me. I want the Sword Sect¡¯s dogs to return and see the blood-red ground, to see bodies littering the mountains, and regret ever making an enemy of our Summoning Demon Sect!¡± Demon Lord Lujiang dered. There were only about a hundred Sword Masters in the Sword Manor, but there were far more people inside the manor than that. The families of some Sword Masters, some outer sect disciples who did odd jobs, and many sword apprentices who had just joined within thest few years, aged between ten and sixteen. All counted, there were at least a thousand or two. No wonder Ming Xiu and the other Sword Masters who stayed behind were resolutely unwilling to flee. If they didn¡¯t buy time, these people wouldn¡¯t even have a chance to escape; they would be ughtered clean in an instant! ¡°There¡¯s no need to kill the innocent indiscriminately, at least leave a way out for the families, apprentices, and servants!¡± Ye Youying, seeing that she could not dissuade him, thus tried to plea for mercy for these people. ¡°Not even one who can see shall be spared!¡± Demon Lord Lujiang huffed coldly. To instill fear, one must cause pain. Demon Lord Lujiang hade with only one purpose: a massacre! Ye Youying looked at Lujiang and felt that this familiar person hadpletely changed. His mind seemed to be controlled by some wicked evil,pletely unwilling to listen to anything anyone else said. While powers would indeed fight and even utterly destroy each other, the fundamental difference from the Demon Sect¡¯s methods was never to vent anger on the weak and frail, nor to engage in a massacre! It was hopeless!! Moreover, after this massacre, it was impossible for the Summoning Demon Sect to ever return to righteousness. No matter what efforts she made in the future, she could not erase the sin of the Summoning Demon Sect¡¯s actions today! The demonic beasts were pouring in mightily, the forests trembling under their trampling. A group of Sword Masters d in white were desperately resisting, but it didn¡¯t take long before their pitiful cries could be heard. Even those with Monarch Level cultivation were torn to shreds by the demonic beasts and discarded without a care¡­ Among the Sword Masters who stayed behind, there were indeed some strong ones who could take on ten at a time. However, the numbers of the Summoning Demon Sect were simply too great. Their demonic beasts kept streaming in endlessly, and soon formed an overwhelming army that was steamrolling over Long Valley! With such a huge number of demonic beasts storming the sect, it was doubtful that the families, apprentices, and servants would manage to escape by dispersing, given the beasts¡¯ acute sense of smell over the mountains and ins! ¡­ ¡°There¡¯s a group of Summoning Demon Masters guarding the back mountain. They¡¯re killing on sight; from the very beginning, they wanted topletely eradicate us,¡± Zhong Lin said, his face covered in blood, as he ran back, gasping for air. ¡°What about Leader Lei?¡± Ming Xiu asked. ¡°The disciple¡­ the disciple saw Leader Lei flying away alone from the west,¡± a Sword Manor disciple said. Ming Xiu and Zhong Lin¡¯s faces were filled with shock. Leader Lei had actually fled in the midst of battle. He had abandoned the vast Sword Manor!! This meant they couldn¡¯t even buy time for those families and apprentices to escape through the secret passage in the back mountain. Without Leader Lei, they had only a few people here capable of withstanding a Demon Lord! ¡°Brother Zhu, with your strength, you should be able to cut your way out. We have inadvertently dragged you into this mess, and we deeply apologize,¡± Zhong Lin said listlessly as he nced at Zhu Minng standing on the mountain tform. ¡°` ¡°Let our families and apprentices take shelter in the Spirit Stone Cave first. Don¡¯t scatter and run; that will only lead to pointless deaths,¡± Zhu Minng told Zhong Lin. ¡°But hiding there, won¡¯t we just be buried alive by thousands?¡± Zhong Lin¡¯s eyes were bloodshot. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I can protect you,¡± Zhu Minng assured. ¡°How can you protect us, alone and by yourself? Even if you possess a high realm, you cannot possibly stop the entire Summoning Demon Sect!¡± Zhong Lin eximed. ¡°Rest assured, I have help,¡± Zhu Minng said. Having said that, Zhu Minng¡¯s gaze fell upon the demonic army that surged like a reversal of a mountain torrent, slowly extending a hand. ¡°Whoosh!!!¡± A Crimson Ancient Sword burst forth from the void, its de streaming with divine, fierce radiance. The glow it cast was akin to the Sun Crown, showcasing both Spiritual Rhyme and the aura of immortals! The sword hung in front of Zhu Minng, who did not grasp it in his hand. His own Sword Intent had reached a certain maturity with the Flying Sword. If he resorted to Sword Awakening under every circumstance, even if he absorbed the Divine Veins and spiritual essences from all over the world, it would not be enough for his use. Moreover, the Sword Spirit Dragon¡¯s current Cultivation Base was not low! ¡°Who dares stand upon that teau? State your name, for I do not enjoy ying the nameless!¡± At that moment, a wild and burly Demon Lord with twisted beard and hair roared. In the freezing cold, this man was merely wrapped in an animal hide garment, with most of his chest exposed. His skin was dark blue, marked with crooked, fresh-red Curse Charms, giving him the appearance of a tribal chief who lived on raw flesh and blood. ¡°I am indeed a nameless person, but I advise you not to advance any further, for the sword is blind!¡± Zhu Minng couldn¡¯t be bothered to give his name. ¡°Hahaha, a young member of the Sword Sect, who has learned but a fraction and glimpsed some Sword Territory, dares to show off in front of me? Considering your fair and handsome appearance, you should make a delicious side dish for my drink!¡± the Barbarian Demon Savage roared. He was enveloped in an incredibly powerful Demonic Qi, and behind the savage Demon Lord, an Ancient Bull emerged like the demon god of the night, towering and majestic! Demon Possession! Some Summoning Demon Masters crazily tempered their bodies and even soaked themselves in pools of demonic insects and maggots, turning their bodies into those of demons. Then they summoned Ancient Demons to possess their bodies, giving these mortal vessels the might of the ancient evil, immense strength, and the ability to wield ancient demonic arts!! ¡°Invoking Demon Possession? Have you invoked the Bull Demon King??¡± Zhu Minng was genuinely startled. The Barbarian Demon Savage had transformed from a rough and rugged man to a bull demon in an instant. If only he had a nose ring, he would be fit for plowing fields! ¡°Do not be impudent. This is none other than the Immortal Monarch Bull. You mere worms and ants can either look up and submit or obediently await your death!!¡± the Barbarian Demon Savage bellowed, and the earth shook. Demon Beasts swarmed the forest and Long Valley, but the Bull Demon Lord stood out like a crane amongst chickens. His Demonic Qi-wrapped horns could rival an ancient bell in size, and a Summoning Demon Master like him could ughter all the Sword Masters of the Sword Manor single-handedly. ¡°The sword emerges from the East!¡± Utilizing his hand to control the sword and merging his thoughts with it, Zhu Minng suddenly pointed towards the Bull Demon Lord. The Sword Spirit Dragon, which had been suspended in midair, shot out instantly like the pale light of dawn where night meets the morning¡ªa sword without shadow or blinding brightness. Yet, its momentum pierced through heaven and earth, profoundly stirring the heart! As the sword swept past, the Barbarian Demon Savage was protected by a surge of Demonic Qi. The Demon Lord reacted swiftly, shielding his chest with burly arms as strong as bronze and iron. But when the Sword Stab struck him, it suddenly erupted with endless red radiance of Sword Qi, dazzling and splendid like the dawn sky set aze!! Chapter 511: 513: Sword God Warms Up Chapter 511: Chapter 513: Sword God Warms Up Sword Qi rippled and aurora surged, as the arrogant Barbarian Demon Savage was fiercely knocked back. He tumbled awkwardly through the forest and Long Valley, crushing countless Demonic Beasts summoned by other Summoning Demon Masters in his wake. He rolled for five miles, creating a lengthy trench in Long Valley before finallying to a halt. Then, for a long time, he was unable to get back up. The Barbarian Demon Savage was terrified. Swaying, he had to look up to see Zhu Minng¡¯s figure. At this moment, Zhu Minng¡¯s sword had returned to his side, quiet as a red lotus, floating in front of Zhu Minng, transcendent and otherworldly, like a celestial Ancient Sword! Back on the nd, the members of the Sword Sect who had retreated were all dumbfounded. As sword practitioners themselves, how could they not understand the terrifying power of that sword strike! That was a Demon Lord! Even if his strength wasn¡¯t truly at the King Level, it wasn¡¯t far off, and Zhu Minng just sted him away for four to five miles with a single sword strike! ¡°He¡¯s not dead yet. It seems the Demon Lord of the Summoning Demon Sect does have some standards after all,¡± Zhu Minng said with a look of surprise. ¡°That Demon Lord, his destructive power may be a bit short of the King Level, but his vitality and defensive abilities are indeed of King Level!¡± At that moment, an elder from the Sword Sect with white hair said to Zhu Minng. ¡°I see. Then let¡¯s deliver a few more strikes!¡± Zhu Minng said. No sooner had he finished speaking than the sword attacked again. Its crimson figure crossed Long Valley, magnificently glorious yet ethereal and detached! The Barbarian Demon Savage still had his wits about him. Realizing Zhu Minng¡¯s formidable strength and once again seeing the Flying Swording to kill, he decisively hid behind the vast Army of Evil Creatures, using their bodies as flesh shields to mitigate the Sword Might!
Seeing this, Zhu Minng was in no rush. If these Demonic Beasts were to surge towards the manor, it would be somewhat difficult to y them one by one since there were so many people in the Sword Manor that needed protection¡­ Zhu Minng and the Sword Spirit Dragon achieved a Dragon Heart Thought Union. The valley was deep and filled with thousands of Demonic Beasts. They were climbing up through the trees, cliffs, and ridges, slowly making their way upwards. This path was the only entrance to the Sword Sect¡¯s territory, stretching out like a multitude of sinister centipedes crawling up the manor. ¡°Let the sword dance like dragons and serpents!¡± Zhu Minng guided with his fingertips, paired with the Spiritual Sense of the Sword Spirit Dragon, clearly distinguishing the locations of the Demonic Beasts and foreseeing their attempts to dodge! The sword left Long Valley, serpentine like a dragon or a snake, as sword shadows trailed, pulling along a trail that was utterly captivating. Most people couldn¡¯t see the de of the Sword Spirit Dragon or even realize it had pierced through the bodies of the Demonic Beasts. Some of the creatures that were struck right through the heart didn¡¯t even notice. They could only see the sword marks and the trail left behind, as it passed through the bodies of one Demonic Beast after another, threading them like needles. Soon, bursts of blood blossomed like a splendid red flower mist throughout Long Valley, creating a twisting path of blood that was shocking to witness. One after another, the Demonic Beasts fell. The sword strike Zhu Minng disyed was like practicing with puppets in Long Valley, but puppets are puppets, and Demonic Beasts are Demonic Beasts. Despite the beasts¡¯ fast speed and some having thick scales, they turned out to be even more fragile than the wooden stakes! To cut down the Demonic Beasts summoned by Summoning Demon Masters as if they were just wooden stakes?? Those Demon Guards, monstrous beings with multiple heads and arms, would require a Herculean effort for a Disciple to defeat, yet before Zhu Minng, they were no match at all! In Long Valley, a swath of Demonic Beasts had fallen, and blood flowed, forming several red streams, creating a fearsome scene that filled the Summoning Demon Masters with dread. ¡°This¡­this¡­¡± L¨ªn Zhong looked at the scene, somewhat at a loss for words. The strength of Brother Zhu was so formidable¡ªand to think he had downyed it before! ¡°Hiding behind the Army of Evil Creatures will do you no good, Firefly Swordsmanship ¨C Coiling Dragon!¡± Zhu Minngmanded the Sword with his thoughts. After the Sword Spirit Dragon threaded its way through the enemy ranks to kill, it instantly soared into the sky above Long Valley. Then, he saw the Sword Spirit Dragon ripple out golden Sword mes, like countless twinkling stars, densely scattered across the sky! All of the Sword mes began to rotate with the Sword Spirit Dragon itself, forming an extremely shocking fiery Sword Array. The Sword Array started coiling like an ascending Azure Dragon, and those golden Firefly Sword glints transformed into the scales of the Coiling Dragon! The Sword Light was vast, and as the golden Firefly spun during the process, it executed a decimating sweep of the myriad of Demonic Beasts that surged up within Long Valley! The Army of Evil Creatures standing in front of the Barbarian Demon Savage met with disaster; gradually, the entire Firefly Coiling Dragon Sword Array became stained with blood red. It moved slowly, not dissipating until it reached the mountainke nearby. The massive Horde of Demonic Beasts seemed to have been purged in an instant. Atop the mountain tform, stood a man, proud and alone, with the Spirit Sword floating, having in thousands without a stter of blood, while Zhu Minng¡¯s attire remained untouched by even a speck of dust!
All members of the Summoning Demon Sect hid in the mountain forests. One by one, they watched the Long Valley, covered in extreme disarray, with horror, and when their gaze returned to the ¡°no-name¡± on the mountain tform, they were already trembling to the core! Which Sword Immortal from the White Robe Sword Sect was this, able to withstand thousands of their Summoning Demon Sect¡¯s Demonic Beasts all alone!! Weren¡¯t all the experts supposed to have left the mountain? From whence did this Spirit Sword Immortal appear!! Meanwhile, at the White Robe Sword Manor, those retreating Sword Masters were equally dumbstruck. They looked at their own swords; some were also Sword Masters from the Flying Sword Sect¡­
But what he wielded was a true Flying Sword, their own swords being no different from mud pellet slingshots in the face of Demonic Beasts! In the air, Ye Youying rode on the Big ck Peng, her beautiful cheeks overwhelmed with shock as she looked at Zhu Minng. Just a moment ago, Ye Youying had felt how insignificant and helpless she was. She couldn¡¯t do anything, unable to stop the Summoning Demon Sect from ughtering the White Robe Sword Sect. Caught between the sh of two powers, her resistance felt as futile as that of a mosquito. The more powerless she felt, the more she realized how important it was to be able to control the overall situation. Only Ye Youying had never imagined that this person could, with a single Sword, annihte all the Demonic Beasts of the Summoning Demon Sect! She could hardly believe just how powerful this person was! There he stood on the mountain tform, dazzlingly brilliant, like the moon in the sky, while the hordes of Demonic Beasts and Summoning Demon Masters were no different from bugs and ants!! ¡°Still not giving up? Then, I suppose I must showcase a bit of my true skill,¡± Zhu Minng nced over at everyone from the Summoning Demon Sect. They were still summoning Demonic Beasts, and this time the creatures they called forth were even stronger and more numerous than before. All the Swordsmen from the Sword Sect wearing white robes were left speechless. Could it be that the earth-shattering, soul-stirring Swords disyed by this Sword God were merely a warm-up!!!
Chapter 512: 514: Learning Swordsmanship on the Spot Chapter 512: Chapter 514: Learning Swordsmanship on the Spot Wearing a bright red hat, even their faces were concealed behind red masks, the Summoning Demon Masters lined up in a row. They stood at a stone pavilion on the Long Valley Mountain Road, jointly casting the same Demon Summoning Technique! The bright red was striking to the eyes; the stone steps they trod upon and the tree canopy overhead were mysteriously imbued with ayer of eerie blood-red aura, sinister and terrifying. At the same time, one could see blood-red linkages appearing between the Summoning Demon Masters, connecting their arrays into one vast summoning diagram! ¡°They arebining their powers to summon demons. Even those with lower cultivation can, with the strength of many, call forth more formidable Demonic Beasts!¡± Ye Youying said to Zhu Minng after witnessing this scene. Groups of ten or twenty from the Summoning Demon Sect realized that low-level Demonic Beasts couldn¡¯t possibly take down the White Robe Sword Sect, so they summoned together, calling to the battlefield even more powerful and higher-level Demonic Beasts. A surge of bloody energy emerged, and slowly, a bizarre red blood rain descended upon the Long Valley Forest. One after another, giant summoning arrays appeared along the mountain paths; in those forests drenched crimson, enormous Blood-Colored Demon Centipedes burrowed out from the arrays!! The Blood-Colored Demon Centipedes¡¯ bodies were covered with blood-colored carapaces, segment by segment, each growing outward in different directions with barb-like spines. This armor of carapace and thorns protected them from head to tail. They were wild and ferocious as they rampaged through the forest, toppling and shattering century-old trees with ease! Beyond their crawling in the forest, these Blood-Colored Demon Centipedes also possessed a terrifying capability to burrow through earth and mountains. One could see some of them diving into the stone, followed by a spray of rocks and soil, and not long after, they burst forth from another mountain ridge! Zhu Minng slightly furrowed his brow. Being able to burrow through earth and mountains made things difficult, and these Demon Centipedes clearly possessed intelligence. Unlike the watery demonic guards from before that swarmed in a sense of security, the Blood Helm Demon Centipedes crawled towards Sword Manor from different ridges. Some burrowed directly below Long Valley, while others traveled from one mountain to another, turning the faces of the White Robe Sword Sect Disciples pale. This type of Blood Helm Demon Centipedes were likely as formidable as the Dragon Lord and Dragon Monarch. The Summoning Demon Masters pray and summon together, managing to bring so many high-level Demonic Beasts all at once, indeed proving extremely difficult to deal with!
¡°Youngster, do you have a sword technique to deal with these earth-burrowing monsters?¡± At this moment, an elderly man with white hair spoke up. The old man was well on in years. Had their sect not been facing the danger of ughter, he probably wouldn¡¯t have appeared. He was frail, and although he carried a sword on his back, at his advanced age, he likely couldn¡¯t unleash any real Sword Might. Moreover, Zhu Minng could sense the old man¡¯s weak aura; he was probably an injured elderly Sword Master who had chosen to retire! ¡°It¡¯s a bit troublesome, but it should be manageable,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°Your study of the Art of the Flying Sword is in its infancy, and the sword techniques you¡¯ve mastered are few,¡± the elderly man with the snow-white hair said. Zhu Minng looked somewhat surprised at the old man. To think he had seen through him. The Flying Sword Sect, Zhu Minng had indeed not studied it for long, and his power came precisely from the existence of something special like the Sword Spirit Dragon. ¡°I¡¯ll teach you a move. I believe with your Sword Territory andprehension, you¡¯ll be able to quickly grasp it. Once you¡¯ve mastered it, dealing with these burrowing centipede Demonic Beasts will be simple, just like killing earthworms!¡± the old man with snowy white hair said. ¡°Honorable teacher, how can we learn right now? Just execute the sword technique and quickly destroy those mountain-burrowing Demon Centipedes!¡± a disciple said with a crestfallen face. ¡°At my age, even if I risk this old life of mine, the Sword Qi I unleash would not be one-tenth as powerful as that of this young man,¡± the old teacher with white hair said. Time waits for no one. If only I were ten years younger, I could single-handedly ughter these rabble of the Summoning Demon Sect. But he was well aware of the condition of his body. His cultivation base was declining, just like his withered form. ¡°Old sir, please teach me,¡± Zhu Minng said. L¨ªn Zhong, Ming Xiu, Ye Youying, and all the disciples of the White Robe Sword Sect were going crazy with urgency. What time was it for teaching swordsmanship! Moreover, such a powerful sword technique that could cleave mountains and shatter rocks must be extremely sophisticated andplex, surely requiring years of practice! ¡°Look at that wooden stake,¡± the old teacher with white hair pointed downwards, towards the wooden stake closest to the practice stone tform, which was only about two hundred meters away. Typically, only apprentices practiced with that wooden stake. Zhu Minng steadied his heart and concentrated, keenly observing everything the old teacher was doing.
The old teacher could tell at a nce that he hadn¡¯t been practicing the Art of the Flying Sword for long, and must be an ultimate Old Sword Master. He was willing to personally pass on the Flying Sword Technique, and that was more than Zhu Minng could ask for. ¡°This sword is known as the Suppressing Sword, suppressing all demons and monsters. This sword is also called the Hundred Tomb Sword. The sword is like a great tomb, reaching deep into the bedrock. Watch closely, watch closely¡ªTomb Sinking Sword!!!¡± The sword behind the old man sheathed with swiftness and ferocity. Despite his age, the sword was extremely sharp, as if it was meticulously polished and washed every day. That sword,manding the skies and entering the clouds, became a beam of cold sharpness upon unsheathing. Even though the wooden stake was beneath them, in the sinking valley, the sword had already reached the high heavens, entered the Cloud Heaven, and vanished without a trace! The disciples of the White Robe Sword Sect also had their eyes fixed on the old teacher at this moment.
This revered teacher did not appear before everyone often, but every newly advanced master treated him with the utmost respect. He hadn¡¯t taken any personal disciples, nor had anyone seen him impart even a trace of swordsmanship¡­ However, watching the momentum of his swordy, it was different from all other Flying Sword Swordmasters. Despite his aged appearance, he seemed as if he could stab through the blue sky with a single sword thrust, his ambitious spirit in no way inferior to the dragons and phoenixes soaring in the heavens. Yet his cultivation base, his energy, his strength were all not in proportion to his realm. ¡°The Qi gathers in the body of the sword, the thoughts sink into the earth, Divine Tomb of the Sky Stele¡ªTomb Sinking Sword!!¡± The white hair seemed to fly without wind, and his aged face revealed a determination. His eyes shone with a zing light that could break through everything, including the twilight of the years! Without a visible sword, a massive tombstone suddenly appeared atop that wooden stake. The tombstone, rusted and solemn, created an immensely powerful gravitational field as it suddenly submerged into the earth, forcing the surrounding branches, rocks, and birds violently to the ground. A staggering force of heaviness surrounded this tombstone sword, instantly crushing the rockyers within a hundred meters radius of the wooden stake!! Even though it was just a demonstration, the power of the Tomb Sinking Sword left every member of the White Robe Sword Sect dumbfounded. The old teacher had hardly used his breath, and yet, if a Child-level Swordmaster could master this Tomb Sinking Sword, it was feared that suppressing Divine and Mortal beings of the General level would not be a problem! The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 513: 515: Tomb Sinking Sword, Sky Tomb Chapter 513: Chapter 515: Tomb Sinking Sword, Sky Tomb ¡°Do you understand?¡± the white-haired teacher turned around, taking a deep breath. Understand, my ass!! The disciples of the White Robe Sword Sect originally wanted to learn a move on the spot, so they could at least put up a fight if the people of the Summoning Demon Sect all rushed them. But this Flying Sword Technique, from drawing the sword to its descent, is all about the conception with no fixed forms, no movements, and certainly no instruction how to turn such a fine de into such a thick monument of a sword!! Even Lin Zhong and Ming Xiu, the two with the highestprehension in the Sword Sect, and the future sessors, could only understand half of it. They grasped that sending the sword into the sky was to umte enough downward force, but they hadn¡¯t fathomed how to form the impressive monument to suppress the earth; they were far from reaching the true heat. ¡°We don¡¯t have much time, I¡¯ll do it once more,¡± the white-haired teacher knew that expecting them to learn after just one demonstration was difficult, so he took another deep breath. Compared to his previous stable form, his arms and legs were already trembling slightly, indicating his physical condition was far worse than it seemed, making demonstrating the technique a very reluctant act. ¡°No need, I was just grasping something,¡± Zhu Minng spoke up at this moment. ¡°Good, use this sword to seal the mountains!¡± said the white-haired teacher. The members of the White Robe Sword Sect formed a semi-circle, staring nkly at Zhu Minng.
For real? He learned it after just one look? They hadn¡¯t even grasped the basics of the sword technique! Time was of the essence. Zhu Minng¡¯s previous strikes had driven back the people from the Summoning Demon Sect, but the Blood Helm Demon Centipedes were clearly several levels stronger. Some Flying Sword Swordmasters also tried to kill from a distance, but their flying swords couldn¡¯t even scratch the creatures¡¯ helms, with some poorly tempered ordinary flying swords snapping from being wielded too forcefully. It would take thebined strength of several people to even have a chance at wounding a Blood Helm Demon Centipede. Unfortunately, these creatures knew how to use their burrowing ability to avoid the powerful flying swords circling above, making even the Sword Lords and Sword Monarchs of the Sect helpless! Zhu Minng nced over, roughly pinpointing the locations of the Blood Helm Demon Centipedes. ¡°Rise!¡± With a flick of his fingertip, Zhu Minng¡¯s thoughts perfectly fused with the Sword Spirit Dragon. The sword soared into the sky, reaching the heavens, its momentum slightlyckingpared to the white-haired teacher¡¯s, but in form and conception, it was close! Zhu Minng¡¯s gaze once again swept across the Long Valley, the mountain ridges, and the forest trail¡­ His finger constantly pointed to the long sky, as if a thread of thought connected him with the Sword Spirit Dragon. As his hand rose higher, it meant the Sword Spirit Dragon soared even higher in the sky! Heart descending to the earth! In a mere instant, gathering all the qi onto the de, enveloping the sword with tremendous energy, then utilizing the force of the plunge to intimidate the demons of this vastnd!! The white-haired Sword Master saw Zhu Minng¡¯s descending sword move and immediately nodded in approval. He had grasped the essence, understanding that no matter how high the initial rise, what mattered most was the concentration of qi in the de, using one¡¯s own qi to form a tremendous downward force, making the earth tremble before the sword even fell!! ¡°Tomb Sinking Sword¡ªSky Tomb!¡± Suddenly, the descent of Zhu Minng¡¯s sword underwent a drastic change. His guidance wasn¡¯t to gather energy at a single point but to distribute it across several areas above Long Valley! The white-haired old Sword Monarch¡¯s eyes suddenly burst with light, his face full of horror. He lifted his head to gaze at the sky, where shadows of swords that made one¡¯s heart palpitate appeared, casting shadows over the mountain range like clouds!! The massive Sky Tomb crashed down with overwhelming force, thrusting into the middle of Long Valley, instantly creating a suppression field as vast as a mountain ridge. The field ground two Blood Helm Demon Centipedes, that were burrowing out of Long Valley, into countless chunks of flesh and blood!! As the Sword Tomb sank halfway into the earth, Long Valley trembled, mountains swayed, yet the Sword Tomb didn¡¯t budge an inch. It stood there like a small mountain peak, its heavy field of force even ttening the forest for several miles around, pressing rocks and mountains together into deformed and strange shapes!
All members of the White Robe Sword Sect were terrified. The Tomb Sinking Sword, now wielded, already bore the divine essence of the white-haired elder. Most importantly, when Zhu Minng unleashed it, its power was even more exaggerated; the ground shook and the mountains quivered, feeling as if Sword Manor itself would copse!! ¡°It¡¯s not over yet,¡± said the white-haired elder with a tone of disbelief. Zhu Minng¡¯s fingers were still pointing to the sky. What was he still pulling at??? Hadn¡¯t the sword already fallen and formed a Sword Tombparable to a small mountain peak¡­
¡°Buzz!!!!!!!!!!!!¡± The earth trembled once more, and in the sky, another vast sword shadow loomed. Enormous like a cloudyer covering the wilderness, only it wasn¡¯t a cloud shadow ¨C it was a tomb, a Flying Sword formed from a gigantic gathering of Sword Qi! ¡°Boom!!!!!!!!¡± The Sword Tomb appeared once again, plunging into the mountain range for another time. One of the Blood Helm Demon Centipedes was attempting to burrow through the mountain, but as the Sword Tomb descended, the centipede seemed pinned to the ground, utterly immobilized! That was the power of suppression, preventing the enemy from escaping! In a panic, the Blood Helm Demon Centipede used all its legs to dig through the soil, trying to burrow into the mountain to escape this single sword thrust. However, the Sword Tomb plunged straight into the mountain, skewering the Blood Helm Demon Centipede inside the mountain itself. Fresh blood seeped from the soil and gushed out of the cracks opened by the Tomb Sinking force. The mountain was bleeding, and the massive Sword Tomb stood erect within it, its imposing presence so heavy that it seemed the mountain would shatter!! ¡°Buzz!!!!!!!!¡± The earth shook again. In the middle of Long Valley, another Sword Tomb descended, severing Long Valley and the burrowing Demon Centipedes along with it. Blood flowed like streams! Sword Tombsnded one by one, suppressing the Demonic Beasts that roamed the Long Valley Forest. Some plunged vertically into the mountains, others nted into the rock faces. They were swords of Demon ying and monuments of soul burial, as if they were carrying the ancient demons to eternal sleep in this region of Long Valley Lake, providing an incredibly shocking visual impact!!! Looking around, from Long Valley to the Mountain Lake Sword Tomb, they stood rampant, not just ughtering these Blood Demon Centipede Helms, but also making it impossible for the Summoning Demon Masters to call forth any more Demonic Beasts to so much as climb a step onto the manor!!! The Barbarian Demon Lord had originally nned to exploit the chaos to attack the mountain, but as he stepped into Long Valley Forest, Sword Tombs fell around him, their heavy fields stacking upon each other and crushing the Barbarian Demon Lord to the ground, preventing him from standing even with all his strength!
Not a single Blood Helm Demon Centipede survived; every one of them was obliterated by the Sword Tombs. The Summoning Demon Masters, having used their own blood to call forth these powerful creatures, grew pale, weak-kneed, drenched in cold sweat, and utterly spent after the massacring force of Zhu Minng¡¯s Tomb Sinking Sword. Chapter 514: 516: Ground Immortal Ghost Chapter 514: Chapter 516: Ground Immortal Ghost ¡°` ¡°Excellent swordsmanship!¡± Zhu Minng, gazing at the sword tomb nketing the mountains, praised loudly. He finally didn¡¯t have to worry about an army of demonic beasts surging up; this Sword Tomb suppressed everything, even for a Barbarian Demon Lord of such rank to step over the mountain formation was difficult, let alone other demons. Having caught his breath, Zhu Minng turned around, only to see a group of White Robe Sword Sect members around him all staring at him with shining eyes, which actually made him feel a bit uneasy. What¡¯s happening?? Aren¡¯t those people down there from the Summoning Demon Sect? Why are all you white-d swordsmen looking like you¡¯re possessed, your eyes devoid of normal human emotions and luster?? ¡°Old master, I think not even a heaven-sent grave could contain these frenzied followers of the Summoning Demon Sect, so a spectacr group of tombs was given to them. Your sword technique is not only powerful but also has great significance; I really like it, and thank you for teaching me!¡± Zhu Minng bowed respectfully to the white-haired master and spoke sincerely. Primarily because the white-haired master looked like a normal person. But Zhu Minng misunderstood; it was only because the white-haired master was too old, his facial expressions, and the sparkle in his eyes not as rich as those of younger people¡ªhe was feeling waves inside as tumultuous as the sea of clouds in the sky. Those who knew their stuff realized even more how difficult it was to establish this grouping of Sword Tombs.
I only taught you once, and you just had to mimic it; I didn¡¯t ask you to get fancy with it!! ¡°The biggest helplessness of aging is to watch familiar people turn into cold stone tombs one by one. Beneath this sorrow and solitude, I have realized the Tomb Sinking Sword and spent ten years simplifying it¡­ Yet, you managed to improve upon it on your first try and exhibit an even higher realm of spirit,¡± the white-haired master let out a long sigh and finally smiled in eptance. The saying ¡®youth will surpass the old¡¯ doesn¡¯t fit this young man in the least¡ªit¡¯s more like ¡®youth so terrifying that the elderly can¡¯t enjoy their twilight years in peace¡¯!! There¡¯s no end to cultivation; seeing Zhu Minng like this, a wave of passion and a fighting spirit surged within the white-haired master. Seeing someone use the Tomb Sinking Sword even better, he couldn¡¯t help but want to discuss and spar with him, and he was even more eager to travel the world once more with this sword technique, leaving no regrets. But this aged body¡­ ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to the master¡¯s detailed teaching. Without the master¡¯s realm as a grand master, it would be impossible for someone to learn it at a nce,¡± Zhu Minng replied modestly. ¡°?????¡± A group of disciples, deacons, hall masters, and elders from the White Robe Sword Sect all turned red in the face. Only you learned it, alright!!! The Sword Manor sealed the mountain, and the Summoning Demon Sect assembled thousands, nning to take advantage of any weakness, yet up till now, they hadn¡¯t even entered the manor grounds. The Barbarian Demon Lord had already been pressed to the ground, sweating profusely as if carrying a massive mountain on his back. However, not everyone was unable to cross Zhu Minng¡¯s Sword Tomb formation; one could see a strange man with a pale face and two red dots between his eyebrows stepping over the Barbarian Demon Lord¡¯s body. A dark brown aura hovered around him, making himpletely immune to the heavy force field of Zhu Minng¡¯s Sword Tomb. ¡°Truly worthy of being the leader of these demon cultists, he¡¯s got some skills,¡± Zhu Minng noted from afar. Back at the inn, Zhu Minng had felt that this person¡¯s aura was different, his spiritual sense much stronger than the others¡¯, almost pulling him out from beneath his Charm Shadow Clothes. ¡°` ¡°It¡¯s Demon Lord Lujiang, be very careful.¡± Ye Youying obviously had a natural fear of this man. ¡°What is his demonic beast?¡± Zhu Minng asked. ¡°He should have an Immortal Ghost.¡± Ye Youying said. An Immortal Ghost?
Zhu Minng looked at Demon Lord Lujiang who was approaching. Although he was just walking slowly, it seemed as if he was quickly closing in on the Sword Manor. Zhu Minng was wondering why this summoning demon master didn¡¯t summon his demonic beast first when suddenly, an inexplicable sense of panic surged in his heart. Zhu Minng immediately looked down at his feet. The mountain t was wide, originally covered withrge bs of stone, but at some unknown moment, these bs began to disy strange brown patterns. The solid stone tform seemed to turn into a brown muddy surface. Worse yet, something was trying to kill its way up from under the ground! This killing intent was so strong, like a devil¡¯s mouth devouring living people, not that it was opening its jaws to bite everyone, but rather everyone had been swept into its alimentary canal. In this mountain t, including Zhu Minng, everyone was facing this deadly fear!
¡°The Immortal Ghost is beneath our feet!!¡± Ye Youying eximed in shock. Zhu Minng¡¯s face darkened. He didn¡¯t dare to hold back his strength any longer and immediately had the Heavenly ughter Dragon, which was lurking nearby, take action! The Heavenly ughter Dragon emerged from the void, its Dark Crystal Horn emitting deep-colored electrical light that spread from its spine to its tail! Tail of the Underworld Lamp! The Heavenly ughter Dragon smashed its Underworld Lamp tail heavily onto the mountain t¡¯s ground. The light of the Underworld Lamp spread out, colliding with the terrifying aura of the Immortal Ghost. In an instant, the ground cracked, and Demonic Qi gushed out from under the ground like hot steam! The Immortal Ghost, realizing the terror of the Dragon Tail Nether Lamp, finally gave up devouring. It fled toward the mountain steps, and its verdigris body slowly emerged! Zhu Minng looked and saw that the Immortal Ghost was missing an arm, but even so, the ghostly aura oozing from its entire body was still chilling to the bone. Its body appeared to be made from a coge of pirs, broken walls, roots, and rock tforms, like an ancient ruin given life, standing, moving, and trampling like a god of the relics! Zhu Minng couldn¡¯t help but take a sharp intake of breath. This thing was not like the River Immortal Ghosts or the Temple Immortal Ghosts he had encountered before¡ªthis creature was a true Earth-level Immortal Ghost!! ¡°That Demon Arm¡­¡± Several members of the Sword Sect suddenly realized something and stared at the iplete arm of the Ground Immortal Ghost. Could it be that the Red-bearded Demon Lord only controlled a single arm of the Ground Immortal Ghost? With just this Demon Arm, he could contend with their Master Zheng Mei. How powerful then must the true Ground Immortal Ghost be??? ¡°In front of the true Earth God, you are nothing but domesticated poultry, livestock kept within a specific area. The only value you have is to be ughtered on the day of the heaven sacrifice!¡± Demon Lord Lujiang was already walking up the mountain path, standing on the other Demon Arm of the Ground Immortal Ghost. The Demon Arm slowly opened a mouth and swallowed Demon Lord Lujiang. Most of Demon Lord Lujiang¡¯s body merged into the Demon Arm of the Ground Immortal Ghost, leaving only his head exposed, his face strangely covered with Earth Charms! Whether he is a true Earth God or not, this scene was truly bizarre and nauseating!!
¡°You¡¯re like a maggot that¡¯s burrowed into a pot.¡± Zhu Minng said to Demon Lord Lujiang. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 515: 517: North Dipper Sword Chapter 515: Chapter 517: North Dipper Sword ¡°Heh heh, mortals!¡± Demon Lord Lu Jiang hadpletely sumbed to his demonic nature, even presuming himself a Demon God. But which Demon God in the world would burrow into the body of a powerful Demonic Beast like a parasitic maggot? His ghastly appearance was truly nauseating. Zhu Minng also knew that this Ground Immortal Ghost was extremely powerful. He summoned the Sword Spirit Dragon to his side. After being cleansed by the Earth Vein Divine Pistil, the Fire Trace Sword had been hugely energized, ready to be used three times. It was evident that the Ground Immortal Ghost¡¯s cultivation base was not just at quasi-King Level; it even seemed to subtly outmatch the Lower Level King TianSha Dragon. At this point, Zhu Minng saw no need to hold back any longer. ¡°Mortals? Have you ever seen such a demon-ying, god-killing mortal!¡± Zhu Minng dered proudly. The sword hovered before him, and the Sword Spirit Dragon erupted in a ze of divine mes, radiant and magnificent, like a noble, powerful sun! The Fire Trace Markings awakened once again. Zhu Minng reached out his hand, and as he grasped the Sword Spirit Dragon, his entire body became covered in a fiery brilliance. From his arms, the dragon and fire patterns transformed bit by bit along the texture of his skin, remolding his mortal flesh into a body radiant like the sun itself! Zhu Minng¡¯s figure seemed to be cloaked in a sr divine garment, his hair like tendrils of divine fire, and his eyes zed with such intensity that a red glow spilled from their sockets, sharper by far than any Demon God¡¯s gaze!! ¡°Boom!!!!¡±
With a stomp on the ground, Zhu Minng burst forth like an ignited Fire Lotus. His figure shot forward with explosive speed, reaching the Ground Immortal Ghost in the blink of an eye. Before it could lift its massive Demon Arm to defend, Zhu Minng had already struck thrice! One sword stab, one sweeping sh, followed by a leaping chop. The stabbing sword was like a lotus pod of mes, bursting in rapid session, bombarding the ancient altar body of the Ground Immortal Ghost. The de swept around in a ring, forming a zing disk as sharp as any, forcefully pushing the Ground Immortal Ghost back.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om And with the leaping chop, a vertical formation was visible, a trajectory like lightning made of fire from the Ground Immortal Ghost¡¯s head down to the ground, neatly bisecting it in two. The Ground Immortal Ghost was left standing in two halves. Through its bizarrely assembled body, the mountain ridge behind it could also be seen split apart by Zhu Minng¡¯s strike, with a new rift valley suddenly appearing on the mountain path. ¡°Battle Sword Faction!!¡± The venerable teacher with white hair widened his small eyes in shock. Good grief, this youth, a reincarnation of the Sword God, was actually practicing the Battle Sword Faction. No wonder he, with such advanced swordmanship, scarcely used the Flying Sword Techniques¡ªit turns out the Flying Sword Faction was just a hobby! But something didn¡¯t add up! What was the deal with the TianSha Dragon King that roamed the void darkness??? What exactly was this youth cultivating??? ¡°It¡¯s useless, you foolish thing. The Ground Immortal Ghost is an undying being!¡± Then, Demon Lord Lu Jiang let out a tauntingugh. What difference did it make if the body was cut in two? The demonic divine body of the Ground Immortal Ghost was made to be pieced together! One could see the two halves of the body rapidly sticking back together, with verdant lights emanating from the wound, sealing swiftly as if healing. Soon the Ground Immortal Ghost was restored to its original state. It opened its mouth, and all of a sudden, the entire Sword Manor seemed to plunge into a massive sinkhole of flowing sand; every building, every tree, and all the people standing on the ground began sinking rapidly! ¡°Heavenly ughter Dragon!¡± Zhu Minng looked up and called out. The opponent¡¯s strange technique was difficult for Zhu Minng to break through, and summoning the TianSha Dragon King was mainly to protect the people of Sword Manor; after all, in the presence of demonic beasts like Ground Immortal Ghosts, they were truly too vulnerable!
¡°Nghhhhhhhhhhh!¡± The Heavenly ughter Dragon forwent its usual unruliness, probably because it was facing a formidable enemy, and naturally brought out its full strength. It breathed a ck dragon light towards the earth, and as this beam of dragon light struck the ground, one could see rings of ck ripples spreading out like a stone thrown into a pond! As the ck ripples spread, the earth quickly turned into a ck morass, covering the terrifying quicksand.
The members of the Sword Manor found it difficult to resist both forces, but most importantly, whether it was the earth¡¯s quicksand or the dark swamp, they were still sinking! Their bodies immobilized, feet sinking into the morass, the Heavenly ughter Dragon King and the Ground Immortal Ghost were locked in magicalbat, leaving them like chaff in the wind, tossed westward by an easterly breeze and eastward by a westerly gust¡­ Thankfully, the Heavenly ughter Dragon King was not after their lives. Even whenpletely submerged in the dark swamp, unable to breathe through their mouths or noses, they were still able to breathe. Although the Heavenly ughter Dragon was saving people, its method was just not that gentle. ¡°Deste Earth Sword!¡± Zhu Minng, too, was bound by quicksand, half a foot already sinking; suddenly, he gripped the Sword Spirit Dragon with both hands and, using the strength of his palms, thrust the de into the earth before him. As the sword stabbed into the quicksand, a tremendous surge of Sword Qi burst forth wildly like an earth dragon, and eventually, this force coiled beneath the feet of the Ground Immortal Ghost. Then the earth exploded, and a colossal ancient sword erupted from the soil, soon rising like a mountain! ¡°Boom!!!!!¡± The Ground Immortal Ghost was blown into midair by the Deste Earth Sword Peak, its body, asrge as an Earth Altar, continually shedding chunks of ancient rocks, columns, and mossy wall fragments during the collision, indicating that the strike had inflicted significant damage. ¡°Sword Spirit Dragon, go!¡± Zhu Minng released the sword, allowing the Sword Spirit Dragon to exert its power. The Sword Spirit Dragon darted through the air, suddenly creating multiple afterimages, tracing fiery red sword paths that flickered around the Ground Immortal Ghost before finally forming the North Dipper Star Map!
As if seven swords struck in unison, but it was only because the Sword Spirit Dragon moved through the air so swiftly that the Seven Stars sword tracks could be connected in sequence, resulting in a total of six sharp Sword Chops! Afterpleting this series of dazzling Sword Chops, the Sword Spirit Dragon suddenly vanished, and the next moment, the fiery red sword was already back in Zhu Minng¡¯s palm! ¡°Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!¡± The six Sword Chops erupted on the body of the Ground Immortal Ghost, chunks of its shell being sliced apart; the red trace of the Seven Stars sword tracks stunningly reflected in the sky, as the Sword Might was fully released again, causing the body of the Ground Immortal Ghost to break apart repeatedly, falling to the ground like rain. L¨ªn Zhong and Ming Xiu stood not too far from Zhu Minng ¨C they, too, wished to contribute with their own swordsmanship. However, after witnessing the breathtaking North Dipper Sword Technique, they nced at their own swords, then back at the dazzling Seven Stars Sword Marks high in the sky¡­ The swordmanship of others was truly swordsmanship, while their own sword techniques were no different from a girl¡¯s embroidery!! Chapter 516: 518: Crushed into Mud Chapter 516: Chapter 518: Crushed into Mud ¡°Hehehe, hehehe, have you ever seen a force in this world capable ofpletely eradicating the Earth? No matter how exquisite your swordsmanship is, it¡¯s no different from waving at the vastnd¡ªout of your league!¡± The mockingughter came once more, and it was uncertain from which part of the Ground Immortal Ghost¡¯s remains Demon Lord Lu Jiang was speaking. But soon, chunks of debris began to float up from the Earth. They seemed to possess life of their own, seeking out each other and then reassembling. This time, the reassembly was even moreplete than before, revealing the figure of a giant from an ancient ruin city. Transformed from an ancient city? Such Demonic Beasts were indeed very rare. However, with the presence of the Sword Spirit Dragon, Zhu Minng felt it wasn¡¯t his ce to criticize. All things have a spirit. Ancient ruin cities can transform into living beings. Fortunately, this entity clearly had nothing to do with dragons. If it were to undergo some bizarre changes and show signs of transforming into a dragon, this Earth Immortal Ghost Dragon might really stand shoulder to shoulder with the Gods! ¡°The Earth¡­¡± ¡°Na ya wu na¡­¡± At that moment, the Nuwa Dragon within the Spirit Realm suddenly uttered a very ancient and unfamiliarnguage. It sounded like a hymn, yet it clearly carried a special Spiritual Rhyme. The song drifted out, prating the shackles of the Spirit Realm and reaching the outside world.
The melodious music spread, echoing through the mountains and valleys of thend. For some reason, nature seemed to have been cleansed by a refreshing rain; the forests were exceptionally verdant and the soil was no longer corrupted by Demonic Qi and darkness. There was no dramatic change, but somehow, everything felt different. At that moment, the Nuwa Dragon conveyed its thoughts to Zhu Minng. She told Zhu Minng that unless the Power of Earth Spirit within thend was eliminated, the Ground Immortal Ghost could not be killed. Even if it was ground to dust, as long as it touched the Earth, it would revert to its original form. Thus, the Nuwa Dragon activated the Power of Earth Spirit in thend and bestowed its spiritual essence upon the trees, soil, rocks, and rivers, preventing the Ground Immortal Ghost from drawing any Spiritual Power from thend. ¡°That¡¯s right, my Nuwa baby is indeed the Spirit of the Earth!¡± Zhu Minng pped his forehead heavily. How stupid of me. Ground Immortal Ghosts were worshipped by people but born of resentment. They did not possess Divine form but only a fraction of a God¡¯s power. The Nuwa Dragon, however, was a true God. Its body became the spine of the Earth, protecting the soil of this mortal world. In many ces across the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent, people even worshipped Nuwa. Though her physical form may be frail and her soul shallow, she would surely not lose to a False God in terms of Divine Skills! ¡°It can¡¯t reassemble its body anymore, can it?¡± Zhu Minng smiled. Immortal Ghosts are powerful and unstoppable because they are born under very special circumstances and have gained worshipped Divine Power, which spells doom for Cultivators. But wasn¡¯t the Nuwa Dragon the absolute nemesis of these Immortal Ghosts? The Earth that the Nuwa Dragon controls is not just soil, but also includes mountains, deserts, ice fields, rockynd, rivers, oceans¡­ The strongest power of the Ground Immortal Ghosts, their ability to heal by touching the Earth, was directly stripped away by the Nuwa Dragon! Demon Lord Lu Jiang seemed to still be unaware of this. He was just a parasite, considering himself a Divine Envoy simply because he had somemunication with the Ground Immortal Ghosts. To think he was preposterouslyughable. The Earth Immortal Ghost seemed to realize that its power of earth spirit had been snatched away. It looked around in a panic, wondering what kind of being could possibly steal the elements of earth spirit from a deity of thend like itself. ¡°From now on, when you Immortal Ghosts arrogantly im to be gods, ask for my opinion, Zhu Minng, first!¡± ¡°If I say you¡¯re a maggot, then you¡¯re not a dragon!¡±
¡°If I say you¡¯re mud, then you¡¯re just a pile of muck!¡± Zhu Minng pointed his sword at the Earth Immortal Ghost. His eyes, fiery and zing, once again shone with divine brilliance. The Sword Spirit Dragon, tempered by the Earth Vein Divine Pistil, had acquired a divine aura. This cultivation was perfectly bestowed upon Zhu Minng, who was undergoing the Sword Awakening! Zhu Minng stood on the earth, and the ground seemed to burn wildly like a sea of fierce mes, highlighting Zhu Minng¡¯s skin, which was now aglow with fiery patterns. Zhu Minng looked like a true fire sword-wielding Immortal Monarch!! ¡°Sword Meteor Sword Technique, Heavenly Shadow Combined Sword!¡±
Zhu Minng suddenly vanished from the spot, leaving only an afterimage where he had stood. Before his arrival, a fierce and fiery breath already swirled above the head of the Earth Immortal Ghost. In the blink of an eye, Zhu Minng had appeared above the ghost. He maintained an inverted sword stance, and under the echo of the fiery breath, he and the Sword Spirit Dragon merged into one! The sky inexplicably turned a deep red. A massive shadow loomed through the thick clouds, creating the silhouette of a swordrge enough to pierce through heaven and earth!! ¡°Boom!!!!!!!!¡± As Zhu Minng descended with his sword, a vast heavenly shadow violently surged downwards. The surrounding mountains shook, Long Valley split apart, and the entire Sword Manor trembled!! Beneath the sword, the heavenly shadow also arrived. The body of the Earth Immortal Ghost,posed of an ancient city¡¯s ruins, would likely be ground into dust under this heavenly shadow of the sword!! The power was so immense that space itself seemed to twist. When Demon Lord Lujiang looked up, he saw Zhu Minng falling with his sword; what was truly terrifying was the Sword Meteor Heavenly Shadow that left both himself and the Earth Immortal Ghost with no ce to hide!!! The head of the Earth Immortal Ghost, formed from the Earth Altar, instantly shattered into a pile of muck! Demon Lord Lujiang, hiding within the Demon Arm, was quick to face retribution. The Earth Immortal Ghost¡¯s Demon Arm was being crushed, and Lujiang¡¯s body was also pressed, his mere mortal flesh being squeezed until broken bones pierced his organs. Such excruciating pain was not something anyone could endure. However, Demon Lord Lujiang had no escape. He chose to burrow into the altar to be a maggot; if the altar was shattered, how could he possibly be spared? ¡°My blood, my bones, they merge with the Earth Immortal and I shall be an immortal, I shall be an immortal!!¡± Demon Lord Lujiang started tough maniacally in his extreme pain. It was just what he wanted, just what he wanted. This mortal body might as well be discarded. Being ground into a pulp meant he was merging with the body of the Immortal Ghost, making him one with the Immortal Ghost!!
Before bing a Demon God, one must suffer such tribtions. He, Lu Jiang, was utterly unwilling to remain a mere mortal, stepped on by those who self-proimed to be the Son of Heaven and Goddesses!! The shattered husk of the Immortal Ghosty scattered on the ground. Normally, these husks would quickly absorb the spirit of the earth and rapidly brim with life once more. But at that moment, they were dull and lifeless, and moreover, they were being gradually consumed by the encroaching Sword Qi, ground into mud!N?v(el)B\\jnn The might of the sword was vast, the Earth Immortal Ghost was gradually disintegrating, and life was quickly fading away! Chapter 517: 519: Destroy the Immortal Ghost Chapter 517: Chapter 519: Destroy the Immortal Ghost ¡°Why¡­ why isn¡¯t it healing?¡± Soon, the Demon Lord Lujiang, who only had his head left, realized something and asked in confusion and disbelief. ¡°You are the Spiritual God of thend; how could such a minor sword power possibly injure you!¡± ¡°Come back to life!!¡± The Demon Lord Lujiang became somewhat anxious. He was now reduced to nothing but a head, enduring such immense pain and even prepared to sacrifice his own flesh and blood!n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om ¡°Roar!!!!!!¡± The Ground Immortal Ghost suddenly let out a roar like a wild beast, its body had been absorbing the power of the Earth Spirit before it was crushed, but it failed to assimte even the slightest bit. Its body was dissipating; it was truly dying. What¡¯s more critical is that there was a parasite inside its body screaming and causing chaos! The frenzied Ground Immortal Ghost suddenly morphed a stone w and violently grabbed the Demon Lord Lujiang¡¯s head.
A squeeze! Lujiang¡¯s head burst open!! The Demon Lord¡¯s face was filled with horror and confusion, but that face, along with the shattered head, was also destroyed! The Demon Lord Lujiang could no longer question anything. He believed his flesh would fuse into the Ground Immortal Ghost¡¯s body, but the Ground Immortal Ghost simply didn¡¯t ept such dirty chunks of flesh. What it needed was the spirit of the earth, only that could allow its entire body to heal again and crush all living beings before it, turning them into sacrificial livestock!! But it had been deprived of the power of Earth Spirit and lost that divine skill, it became a mere ground ghost, not a Ground Immortal! The Ground Immortal Ghost copsed. It turned into a pile of lifeless ruin that, under the overwhelming pressure of Heavenly Shadow, did not even stay intact, turning into a mound of mud! Sheathing his sword, Zhu Minng stood amidst the dust of the Immortal Ghost. As someone who had offered his first Spirit Key to the Soul Collecting Pearl Brewing, he naturally did not forget to collect his spoils of war at such times. The Ground Immortal Ghost, a Lower Level King, but because it possessed powerful divine skills, even some Middle-level King powerhouses often couldn¡¯t eradicate them. Yet now, it had been thoroughly killed by Zhu Minng¡¯s sword. Soul Beads, Soul Beads¡­ Zhu Minng soon found that the Soul Beads he collected were exceptionally pure, of even higher quality than from the two Dragon Kings he had killed! Was it because of the offerings it received, or did the Ground Immortal Ghost inherently contain some power of the Earth God? The soul bead radiated a very special divine aura, and there was a faint semnce of the effect of an Ancient Lantern Jade. The life force was incredibly strong. Although it wasn¡¯t on par with an Ancient Lantern Jade that could nourish the soul, it was enough to prolong life and, in a moment of critical injuries and near death, cling onto life. He remembered the only permit to enter the Dragon Country in Imperial City was such antern jade imbued with arge amount of life force. Unexpectedly, the Soul Bead of the Ground Immortal Ghost also had this effect! Using it for dragon nurturing and improving cultivation wasn¡¯t practical, but the Immortal Ghost Lantern Soul Bead was extremely useful! Zhu Minng was very pleased. He safely collected the Immortal Ghost Soul Bead. When his gaze once again turned to the foot of the mountain, he just happened to see the Barbarian Demon Lord and the Summoning Demon Masters having just climbed up the mountain path¡­ They had finally waited until the Tomb Sinking Sword dissipated and even nned to follow in the footsteps of the Immortal Ghost to wipe out the Sword Manor entirely. However, just as they climbed up, they witnessed the moment Zhu Minng obliterated the Ground Immortal Ghost. His eyes, like the fiery eyes of a demon and with a captivating divine radiance, made the entire Summoning Demon Sect disciples tremble with fright at just a nce from Zhu Minng! Especially the Barbarian Demon Lord, who tumbled and scrambled down the hillside, no longer daring to attack. He only hoped that Zhu Minng, the Demon God, would not chase after them.
Too terrifying!! At first, he had spoken of a nobody, and he had almost believed it! Clearly, it was a Fire Sword Immortal Monarch. It was his own ignorance as amon being from the wilds, never having heard the name of the Sword Immortal Monarch!! No wonder the White Robe Sword Sect woulde out in full force, leaving less than a hundred people to guard the mountain. It turned out they had such a Sword Immortal with them!
The Barbarian Demon Lord fled like a mangy dog, having lost the might to shatter the mountain gate as before, and the other members of the Summoning Demon Sect fared even worse than dogs, nothing but roaches and vermin. If only they could burrow through mountains like the Blood Helm Demon Centipedes, they too would want to flee this ce in such a way!! The Ground Immortal Ghost they relied on is dead! The god they worshipped is dead! There is a true Sword God on the mountain!!! ¡­ With their ranks scattered like loose sand, Zhu Minng couldn¡¯t be bothered to waste his time chasing them down. Allowing the Sword Spirit Dragon to return to the Spirit Realm for rest, Zhu Minng himself also took a moment to recuperate before returning to the front gate of Sword Manor. ¡°The followers of the Summoning Demon Sect have left on their own ord,¡± Zhu Minng announced to the members of the White Robe Sword Sect. ¡°Left on their own ord¡­¡± The Sword Masters of the White Robe Sword Sect were churning inside, still not quite havinge to their senses. If they left on their own ord, why did those believers who were frightened by that look choose to leap to their deaths in the valley? Wasn¡¯t it because they thought you, Zhu Minng, were going to pursue them? To exterminate an entire branch of the Summoning Demon Sect single-handedly, such strength is surely something the several Sword Sovereigns of the White Robe Sword Sect admire but cannot match. Why hadn¡¯t they realized in all these days past that Brother Zhu was a Little Sword Immortal who roamed the four seas??
Ye Youying was simrly astonished. The invincible Immortal Ghost had actually been killed by Zhu Minng! It wasn¡¯t just any Immortal Ghost, not a River Immortal Ghost or a Forest Immortal Ghost, but a Ground Immortal Ghost, second only to the Mountain Immortal Ghost!! A Ground Immortal Ghost already counts as an existence with a divine method; even the sovereigns of the major powers were powerless against a Ground Immortal Ghost, otherwise, why would the Demon Lord Lujiang behave so wildly,ing to annihte the White Robe Sword Sect! How could such a supreme Sword Sovereign be camping and barbecuing in the wild, practising something as mundane as the Flying Sword like any ordinary wandering disciple, and act like a salted fish, avoiding getting involved in big trouble? Isn¡¯t he the one with the ability to turn the world upside down?? The elderly teacher at this time looked at Zhu Minng, equally at a loss for words. For an old senior like him, even uttering a phrase like ¡°This child is extraordinary, he is bound to achieve greatness¡± would clearly be an insult! Do we even need to wait for the future? He is already swiftly surpassing the vast majority of Sword Sovereigns, rapidly approaching the realms of those veteran Sword Gods! ¡°Honored teacher, I think there might still be some followers of the demon sect lurking in the mountains, nning a counterattack. It would be best if you could teach me a few moves of the Flying Sword Technique, so I can deter them and make them wary,¡± Zhu Minng said seriously, ncing at the white-haired teacher. ¡°¡­¡± The white-haired teacher was speechless. This was clearly him trying to wheedle out sword techniques! Those followers of the demon sect had already left the mountain, renouncing evil for a monastic life; they had no intention of a counterattack!
L¨ªn Zhong and Ming Xiu also hadn¡¯t expected that such a powerful person could be so shamelessly thick-skinned! ¡°I will only perform it once,¡± the white-haired teacher knew the other party was interested in the Flying Sword Technique, and since he had resolved such a great crisis for the White Robe Sword Sect, it seemed only right to impart some secretive techniques. The Sword Masters of the White Robe Sword Sect frowned heavily. The teacher was clearly only nning to teach Zhu Minng alone. Were they too foolish to be worthy of learning his advanced Flying Sword Art? ¡°Perhaps you should demonstrate it a few more times. Given that my eyes are poor and my mind is slow, I might overlook some of the essence,¡± Zhu Minng said joyfully, also adding a touch of modesty. L¨ªn Zhong, Ming Xiu, and the other Sword Masters had their eyes light up; they hadn¡¯t expected this Little Sword God to be so understanding! It was that phrase ¡°eyes poor and mind slow¡± that made it hard for everyone to ept; it left them, a group of Sword Masters, without worse terms to describe their ownprehension. Chapter 518: 520: A Gate Chapter 518: Chapter 520: A Gate ¡­ To the east, a group of white-d swordsmen, in a grand procession, were fiercely returning to Sword Manor. Master Zheng Mei stood on her Flying Sword, and when she saw the devastation of Long Valley and the mountainke along with countless traces of blood, her face paled instantly. All was lost, the White Robe Sword Sect had been caught off guard by the Demon Sect. Those inside were likely ughtered to thest by the beasts of the Demon Sect. The thought of this filled her heart with sorrow and ignited a raging fury within her. ¡°Sect Leader, Master, Elders¡­¡± At that moment, L¨ªn Zhong, Ming Xiu, and the others stood in front of the manor, calling out to the returning members of the Sword Manor. A group of white-d Sword Mastersnded in the shattered remains of the manor, their gaze sweeping over the members who had stayed behind. ¡°Where are the followers of the Demon Sect?¡± the Sect Leader of the White Robe Sword Sect asked. ¡°They have been repelled,¡± L¨ªn Zhong replied. ¡°Just by you people??¡± Master Zheng Mei asked in astonishment.
¡°It was that Sword Master from Yaoshan Sword Sect¡­¡± Ming Xiu immediately excitedly recounted how Zhu Minng alone had repelled the Demon Sect invaders. ¡°He alone??¡± The Sect Leader, Master, and the Elders exchanged incredulous looks, not even the Sect Leader was entirely confident she could have repelled the Demon Sect army led by Demon Lord Lu Jiang! Sword Manor was saved, apart from those disciples who were killed at the mountain gate during the initial sneak attack by the Demon Sect, the vast majority were still alive, and many of the manor¡¯s crucial foundations were preserved. The Sect Leader and Master both wanted to thank him in person, but Zhu Minng had already descended the mountain and left, concealing his achievements and fame! ¡°In future troubles of Yaoshan Sword Sect, our White Robe Sword Sect will definitely lend our full support!¡± the Sect Leader firmly told the members of the White Robe Sword Sect. ¡°Lend our full support!¡± ¡°Lend our full support!¡± Many family members of the swordsmen resided in Sword Manor, if they had been ughtered by the Demon Sect taking advantage by surprise, what would the purpose of their mighty cultivation have been? This gratitude was naturally buried deep in the hearts of these white-d swordsmen! ¡­ The elderly Master Zheng Mei was also very generous, teaching Zhu Minng several of the most simplified yet powerful Flying Sword techniques. After learning them, Zhu Minng paid his respects and then left the territory of the White Robe Sword Sect. One really ought to get out and about. In these wild and remote ces, not only did he pick up a girl from the Demon Sect to be his main maid, but he also learned several practical Flying Sword Techniques. From now on, even without using Sword Awakening, he could y enemies unseen! ¡°With these skills, I should be able to traverse Li Chuan,¡± Zhu Minng reflected. Leaving Li Chuan required surmounting peaks and crossing ranges; despite flying on the Divine Green Holy Dragon, it had still taken a long time. Upon returning to Li Chuan, Zhu Minng flew on his sword, standing with hands behind his back, his hair fluttering in the high-altitude breeze. Amidst the clouds, sometimes overlooking mountains and ins, sometimes myriad household lights ¨C how could one describe the ease and divine charm! ¡­ After traveling a thousand miles, and then another thousand, Zhu Minng found himself missing his wife and sisters-inw, considering the many secrets they harbored, he knew he needed to bring his absolute strength to bear. There were two matters of particr concern to Zhu Minng.
The first was about the ancient ruins on the Li Chuan Continent. What exactly were these ancient ruins? Although simr ancient ruins existed in the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent, even the Zhu Heavenly Officer had said that the ruins in Li Chuan were quite special. Where could these particr ancient ruins of Li Chuan be hidden? The second concerned the notion of the Sky Guests, a term that hade from the lips of Zhu Xuehen. What did these people represent? Li Yunzi had always been making early preparations. What exactly was she guarding against that kept her from ever finding peace?
During his journey, Zhu Minng continuously heard snippets of news about Li Chuan. Zhu Minng had an inkling that Li Chuan might not be as simple as it seemed and noticed that a great number of powerful beings from the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent were converging on Li Chuan. Whether resting at city-states or ry stations, Zhu Minng more than once overheard discussions about Deity-mortals teams and Dragon Shepherd teams heading in the direction of Li Chuan. Had the ancient ruins appeared? To the people of the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent, a new ancient ruin was like a mountain of treasures, within whichy countless age-old divine and natural treasures, possibly hiding mythical dragons and sacred beasts thought to be extinct on the continent, or even spirit vein secret realms that could sustain a Sect Forest for ages! Justst year, Li Chuan was still a deste ce, a barbard on the far east side, yet overnight it became a new continent, and teeming with gold, with various powers dispatching expeditions and solitary cultivators flocking to it eagerly¡­ ¡°Old chap, has some golden immortal mountain sprouted in Li Chuan? Why is everyone heading there? Has its ruler developed some famous historical site and deliberately been promoting some ancient ruins to attract tourism, selling soil Lingzhi souvenirs thatck spiritual energy but are ridiculously priced?¡± At a moving fortress, Zhu Minng saw a group of young travelers and approached them for information. The young traveler looked down on Zhu Minng with disdain, sizing him up and upon noticing the two Juvenile Spirits he had with him, replied impatiently, ¡°You¡¯re really out of the loop. What emerged in Li Chuan isn¡¯t some dpidated relic, it¡¯s a ¡®gate¡¯!¡± ¡°A gate??¡± Zhu Minng waspletely bewildered.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om ¡°Yes, an Immortal Gate, a Sky Gate, a gateway to a heavenly realm of gods and immortals!¡± ¡°Has anyone entered it? What¡¯s inside?¡± Zhu Minng asked. ¡°Everything you can imagine! Holy Dragons are amon sight, Ancestrial Dragons prostrate in the chasms, Immortal Fruits cover the mountains, and Spirit Veins are inexhaustible!¡± the young traveler replied. ¡°Do people actually believe that?¡± Zhu Minng raised an eyebrow. ¡°You don¡¯t get it. Li Chuan Continent originally arrived from beyond the skies, bordering our Supreme Court Courtyard Continent. Since it¡¯s and that flew in from beyond, why wouldn¡¯t it have Immortal Spirit Cave Mansions or divine signs of heavenly nations?¡± the young traveler retorted.
¡°Er¡­¡± Zhu Minng didn¡¯t quite know how to respond. From Zhu Minng¡¯s perspective, standing within Li Chuan Continent, it was clearly the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent that had moved across the sky and bordered Li Chuan on the far west. From the perspective of the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent, however, the notion of Li Chuan as a star that flew in posed no problem at all! A gate? Zhu Minng wasn¡¯t sure how much truth there was in what these people were saying, but overnight, Li Chuan had be a hot topic in the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent. It seemed no matter where he went, people were discussing the divine signs that had emerged in Li Chuan. On the Imperial Dynasty¡¯s side, they were clearly well-prepared. From the beginning, their intent to have Rui Country attack Li Chuan was to pave the way for this very purpose. After discovering that Li Chuan was a tough nut to crack, they simply chose to make peace, incorporating Li Chuan into the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent¡¯s te, granting it the status of a kingdom and bestowing a ruler. Chapter 519: 521 Unusual Changes in Li Chuan Chapter 519: Chapter 521 Unusual Changes in Li Chuan n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om But these did not stop the Imperial Dynasty¡¯s people from continuing to explore the Ancient Ruins of Li Chuan. These Ancient Ruins were not deserted valleys like the tea-colored grounds; they were likely simr to the ancient temples of the Cloud Dragon Country, allowing an imperial dynasty to stand gloriously through the ages, maintaining its ruling position. ¡­ Upon arriving in Rui Country, this nation of grasnds andkes, it seemed to have undergone a significant change. After suffering a defeat, they appeared even more prosperous. The city walls stood tall and mighty, the army was orderly, the cultivators adhered to their own precepts, and themon people, riding the wave of influence from Li Chuan, began to disy and sell their treasured Lingzhi, Spirit Fruit, Spirit Flowers, and Spirit Beasts, selling as much as they could. The power of the people was immense, especially in the area of Spirit Gathering. The richnds of the city states could even collect more spirit resources from the people each year than those forces that monopolized the Spirit Veins and secret realms. ¡°Old man, what are you selling?¡± Zhu Minng was about to enter the city when he saw a stall set up by the city gate and, out of curiosity, asked. ¡°Spirit Sweet Potatoes!¡± the old melon seller said proudly. ¡°Such arge sweet potato, how did you grow it?¡± Zhu Minng asked, puzzled. ¡°Young man, are you going to buy? If you are, I¡¯ll tell you,¡± the melon seller said. ¡°Give me one, I¡¯ll feed it to a dragon,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°All right, let me tell you, our Li Chuan Kingdom is blessednd. One night, the moon was especially full, the moonlight was incredibly bright, and all the crops that were bathed in the moonlight, they all grew out the next day, all of them containing Spiritual Energy. No exaggeration, my sweet potatoes areparable to a three-hundred-year-old Lingzhi!¡± the old man boasted while weighing a sweet potato for Zhu Minng.
¡°Old man, that¡¯s quite the tall tale you tell, starting with the very first sentence,¡± Zhu Minng couldn¡¯t help butugh. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with it?¡± the old man said, a little displeased. ¡°This is Rui Country, how did it turn into your Li Chuan Kingdom?¡± Zhu Minng said. The people of Rui Country really had some nerve; for the sake of riding the wave of poprity, they didn¡¯t even care about their own country¡¯s name. Now the old man was even more displeased. He stood up and pulled Zhu Minng to the very center of the road, then pointed towards the city gate, directing Zhu Minng to look inside along the main road that led into the city. Following his gesture, Zhu Minng suddenly saw a statue made of rtively new stone material erected along the entrance road. That statue¡­ although he could only see the lower half, that skirt and jade foot looked so familiar! ¡°Do you know who that is?¡± the old man asked. ¡°Could it be the Female Monarch?¡± Zhu Minng ventured. ¡°Exactly. Rui Country is no more. A bunch of ipetent rulers; when they were around, we, the people of Rui, were so poor we had to eat grass. Now that the Female Monarch has unified this grasnd territory, it has been officially renamed Li Chuan Kingdom. Look at the divine grace we feel now; even the soil is infused with Spiritual Energy not found anywhere else. Whatever you nt grows, toss any seed and it¡¯ll sprout the next day. Where before we saw one Spirit Seedling in several years, now we get at least two or three from a single harvest. Rui was just bad luck, so now we are also citizens of Li Chuan Kingdom!¡± the old man said, beaming with pride. ¡°¡­¡± Zhu Minng held the extrarge sweet potato and was at a loss for words for a good while. The little Li Chuan truly couldn¡¯t contain Li Yunzi¡¯s ambitions. Rui Country reallycks spirit, to think that after facing defeat, not only did they change their national title, but they even erected the symbol of the Female Monarch¡¯s rule directly on the city walls¡ªa statue of the Female Monarch! It turns out that Rui Country was just another Wutu, ultimately unable to escape the fate of being conquered. No wonder the uniforms of the troops patrolling the city walls looked somewhat familiar, they¡¯ve all be the Female Monarch¡¯s Army Guards. ¡°What did you mean earlier when you said the moon was particrly round, and the moonlight exceptionally bright?¡± Zhu Minng continued to ask. Zhu Minng cracked open the sweet potato, and sure enough, it contained a trace of spiritual energy. It indeed had a significant effect when used as food for Juvenile Spirits that preferred such fare, although it certainly fell short of the legendary three-hundred-year Lingzhi. But sweet potatoes are very easy to cultivate, unlike Lingzhi, which requires very harsh growing conditions. If the soil could contain such spiritual energy after being bathed in moonlight, wouldn¡¯t this ce be capable of nurturing countless cultivators with high Cultivation Base, and breeding many Dragon Lords and Dragon Kings? Zhu Minng then visited a few more stalls and discovered that the crops these old farmers were selling all contained a trace of spiritual energy. Even ordinary fruits and vegetables, leave aside their spiritual energy, were two to three timesrger than normal. Dragons are gluttons, and some regional rulers would even seize half of the peasant¡¯s crops to feed the dragons in the army, and to serve the powerful battlefield Dragon Shepherds.
Dragon Food came from themon people, as did some spiritual resources. Once and exhibited this phenomenon of spiritual energy, its prosperity could grow at an impressive rate! No wonder Rui Country, even though newly ruled, seemed to have undergone tremendous changes. ¡°Could it be that streets of gold and hills full of spirit treasures are real, that Li Chuan has truly witnessed a miracle?¡± Zhu Minng murmured to himself. ¡­
As he continued walking across the Li Chuan Continent, the biggest difference Zhu Minng could feel was that the route to Li Chuan¡¯s West Cliff seemed as bustling as a marketce¡­ As theva receded and the mist vanished, West Cliff had transformed into a border city beside West Cliff, with towering stone buildings and established roads, and some powers had even set up their base there! Had it not been for the visible traces of the collision between the continent¡¯s Veins of the Earth and the ground, Zhu Minng would have thought he was on the wrong path! After passing West Cliff, Zhu Minng saw Wesnd, which was originally a territory of Lingxiao City State but now had be a part of Li Chuan Kingdom, ruled jointly by the Imperial Dynasty and Li Chuan Kingdom. More than half of Wesnd¡¯s people died in that battlefield, and those who survived had fallen into very. Once order was established, the ves were freed, turning intoborers and toiling farmers. While life was still hard, it was certainly better than the inhumane conditions they endured as livestock-like ves before. Wesnd also saw the appearance of spiritual energy in thend, primarily in the sand¡¯s green nts. The flowers that grew from these green nts contained dense spiritual energy, and if some Cultivators absorbed their essence, they could increase their Cultivation Base by several years. Thus, the cultivators who had just entered Li Chuan madly searched everywhere for these desert green nts¡¯ flowers. But they weren¡¯t the only ones vying for these Spirit Flowers; some previously unknown and now powerful demons also joined in thepetition! Wesnd was still in a state of semi-chaos, with no power to exterminate the demons. The demons could even appear near the dwellings where people lived, simrly attracted by the green nts¡¯ flowers emitting spiritual energy. Cultivators could advance their Cultivation Base, but these demons, cultivated into essence through long years, were even more demanding¡­ Chapter 520: 522: Issue a Challenge Chapter 520: Chapter 522: Issue a Challenge ¡­ Zhu Minng did not linger too long in the chaotic Wesnd; he directly passed through Zhi Gorge and stepped onto thend belonging to Ancestral Dragon City-State. Once past Zhi Gorge, everything was markedly different. The cities were prosperous, the armies organized, with sitting powers bncing each other. Even whenpetition for resources emerged, it was civilized dueling. After the fight, thebatants would clean up the battlefield themselves, maintaining their reputation and esteem in this vastnd. The dominant forces in Li Chuan Kingdom were Yaoshan Sword Sect and Zhu Gate, but more than half a year earlier, both had divided the sitting rights among other powers, allowing a joint stewardship over the region. The Imperial Dynasty also exerted considerable pressure. Knowing that Li Chuan contained Ancient Ruins, they would not allow Yaoshan Sword Sect and Zhu Gate to monopolize them. Li Yunzi only sought order. As for who ultimately sat on thisnd, it mattered little to her. She did not even mind Imperial officials appointing some City Lords to oversee her territories. After all, thend was hers; she only cared about conquest, protection, and order. Governance and development were not her concerns. Ancestral Dragon City-State was never a backward city-state. Now, with great changes, its massive white State Walls truly resembled a Divine Dragon sprawled across the expansive Li Chuan Continent, with three rivers flowing through, possessing quite the spirit and grandeur of a Dragon Vein¡¯s Spirit City! The first time Zhu Minng saw Ancestral Dragon City, he felt there was something unique about it. Returning after wandering various territories, that impression still hadn¡¯t faded. It seemed Ancestral Dragon City indeed had its extraordinary elements; it had just been slumbering, and now it appeared ready to awaken. Entering the city, Zhu Minng found that Ancestral Dragon City-State was one of the few under Li Yunzi¡¯s rule without statues.
Did this city have a presence more venerable to be revered? Zhu Minng passed through the city and saw that River Street, which had been shattered by a heavenly fire, had been restored. It was more neat and elegant than before. The street¡¯s wine houses, pastry shops, rouge stores, and silk shops had all reopened and were doing quite well. Some time had passed since the year¡¯s celebrations, but thenterns still adorned the ce. New willow shoots brought their fragrance, making a stroll along River Street a delightful experience. Walking all the way to the Inner River, the bridge opposite led to Li family¡¯s other courtyard. The thought of soon seeing Li Yunzi¡¯s stunning visage filled him with joy. Indeed, he was like most men, coveting Li Yunzi¡¯s beauty. At first, it was manageable, but gradually he became enved. Recalling that fellow who had Li Yunzi¡¯s portraits hung all over his room, Zhu Minng began to understand why those people¡¯s hearts slowly twisted! He headed directly to Li Yunzi¡¯s Autumn Nanyi Courtyard. Not many people had changed at the Li family, and some still recognized Zhu Minng. Passing by the pavilionke, he saw trees adorned with distinctive blue patterns. Arriving at the courtyard where autumn nan trees were evergreen, lush, and uniquely tinted, Zhu Minng knew that those were Li Xinghua¡¯s favorites¡­ Ah¡­ when he saw his belovedter, he would have to scrutinize carefully. After so many days apart, if he mistook someone else for her right from the start, it would blemish the reputation of a top admirer. Entering the courtyard, Zhu Minng¡¯s cheerful mood was inexplicably tinged with a hint of unease. Definitely don¡¯t get it wrong, definitely don¡¯t get it wrong! One must observe meticulously. Li Yunzi spoke with a cool detachment, exuding an innate frosty arrogance. Yet when she was in her own room, facing him, he often couldn¡¯t sense that distanced haughtiness. She was rather gentle and tranquil, even a bit aloof. It was this aloofness that, in temperament, bore some resemnce to Li Xinghua¡¯s quiet and refined elegance. Without encountering any special circumstances, one might not be able to distinguish between the two at a nce. ¡°Ahem, Frost, is Yunzhi inside?¡± Zhu Minng thought it over and decided it was best to directly ask the young girl who served Li Yunzi. ¡°I don¡¯t know. The youngdy hasn¡¯t left her room much, deep in thought. And I just came back from outside the street,¡± Frost replied. Zhu Minng sighed. He had wanted to take advantage but failed. Frost helped take care of the Little Glow Spirit and the Little Jiao Spirit, while Zhu Minng dusted off his coat and entered the room. Through the hazy curtain, Zhu Minng could only make out the graceful and gentle figure of a woman, sitting quietly on a reed mat. The perfect curve of her waist stirred a strong desire within him to possess her. Parting the curtain, Zhu Minng quickly reined in his fervent emotions, striving to maintain the decorum expected of a respectable man. Even though many things had already happened, he knew he should still treat her with the utmost courtesy.
After looking at each other in silence for a while, Zhu Minng¡¯s emotions calmed down. However, there was still one problem¡ªhe couldn¡¯t tell who the person before him was, whether she was his wife or the Prophet¡¯s younger sister. He couldn¡¯t find any distinguishing features. He couldn¡¯t lose this challenge! He had to recognize her before she spoke; otherwise, how could he express his own sincerity? ¡°I made a trip to the Neon Sea myself, it¡¯s not as picturesque as it used to be. However, Li Chuan has undergone tremendous changes, as if it received some kind of divine blessing,¡± Zhu Minng said.
¡°Howe someone told me that you were captured and taken back to Miao Kingdom, that we would likely not meet for five or ten years?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Zhu Minng¡¯s face darkened instantly. What kind of idiot would say that? That¡¯s obviously stirring up trouble! With just that bounty, not to mention the strongest hunter teams on the main roads, even armies from several countriesbined couldn¡¯t drag him back to Miao Kingdom! ¡°Relying on Rui Country, next year we can expand Li Chuan to the territories of Yaoshan Territory. Even if you were truly captured, it would take the Army Guard just a year and a half to roll into Miao Kingdom, so there¡¯s not too much to worry about. What I fear is someone bing too content over there,¡± she spoke deliberately and slowly. Zhu Minng let out a sigh.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om The issues with Miao Kingdom were an obstacle he inevitably had to face. It seemed that Li Yunzi had already started to see Wen Lingfei as an enemy, even preparing for conflict. ¡°Mydy, let me handle this matter. It¡¯s just a few words that need to be rified face to face. If mydy is still concerned, I will make a trip to Miao Kingdom in a few days,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°She¡¯s in Li Chuan,¡± Li Yunzi stated. ¡°She? Wen Lingfei??¡± Zhu Minng was taken aback. Li Yunzi nodded.
Wen Lingfei was overbearing and domineering; on her first day in Li Chuan, she hade knocking on the door directly. Li Yunzi would naturally not allow her to act rashly. Although there had been no direct confrontation, the tension was palpable. ¡°Young Master, that woman called Wen Lingfei is over the top!¡± The moment Wen Lingfei was mentioned, the little maid Frost¡¯s face turned red with anger, like a little tiger, saying, ¡°She tantly stated that if our miss continues to entangle with you, she will have the Miao Kingdom Sword Army tten Li Chuan and leave the miss with nothing!¡± She hade over to provoke openly and even issued such threats? Has Wen Lingfei¡¯s brain been damaged by all that sword training? Chapter 521: 523 World Dragon Gate Chapter 521: Chapter 523 World Dragon Gate ¡°` ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I will handle it. There¡¯s no need for you to be concerned,¡± Li Yunzi shook her head, not feeling angry about Wen Lingfei¡¯s actions. If it were her, she wouldn¡¯t mind her army rolling in if someone took what belonged to her. In fact, Wen Lingfei¡¯s approach coincided with Li Yunzi¡¯s thinking! Moreover, she had just said that she wouldn¡¯t wait for Wen Lingfei¡¯s Miao Kingdom Sword Army to attack. If there really was going to be a war, it would be her Army Guard stepping into Wen Lingfei¡¯s territory! ¡°I shouldn¡¯t be worried??¡± Zhu Minng scratched his head. Shouldn¡¯t he be the one to deal with this and make Wen Lingfeipletely give up on the idea?N?v(el)B\\jnn From Li Yunzi¡¯s tone, it sounded more like she wasforting him. And there was something else¡­ The talk about attacking the Miao Kingdom wasn¡¯t empty words after all! She¡¯ll handle it, by going to war with the Miao Kingdom directly??
That¡¯s totally unnecessary! Something that could be resolved with a few words, why escte it to such extremes! Li Yunzi¡¯s thoughts, however, werepletely different from Zhu Minng¡¯s. Wen Lingfei wasn¡¯t someone who could be dismissed with just a few words. Being both the Miao Mountain Sword Sect Leader and the future Monarch of the Miao Kingdom, once she set her mind on something, she wouldn¡¯t easily change it. From the very moment she stepped into Ancestral Dragon City and spoke those words to Li Yunzi, thetter could clearly feel Wen Lingfei¡¯s firm stance, with no room for negotiation. And her troops would surely step into this ce, should Zhu Minng fail to honor his marriage promise to her, she would not rest! Besides, after some investigation, Li Yunzi had learned that the so-called suitor selection was nothing but a ceremonial formality. Zhu Minng¡¯s mother, Meng Bingci, had already approved of that marriage. In the Miao Kingdom, a matrilineal nation, mothers and women represented authority, and children had to be obedient. Zhu Minng might not be aware of their unyielding attitude, but Li Yunzi understood it well; otherwise, Wen Lingfei wouldn¡¯t have issued a deration of war as soon as she arrived in Lichuan. It wasn¡¯t a provocation, nor a threat, but because she had the absolute power to do so, allowing no dissent! Li Yunzi was certain of this. Because she and they were of the same kind. In a world where status is unequal, notions of mutual affection and matchmakers¡¯ words are unlikely to lead to any oue. There¡¯s no civilization advanced enough to restrain a great kingdom¡¯s ruler by morality, if she wanted not a person but the sweet luscious lychees of Lichuan, she could have her troops roll over thisnd just so that the lychees could be plucked and delivered to her mouth at the first possible moment. In the eyes of the Miao Kingdom, Lichuan was always just a backward ce, much like Wutu, which oncey at the mercy of others. But Lichuan is not as simple as these proud children of Supreme Court sky think. ¡°Her Sword Army is already on their way, but I will handle it. You don¡¯t need to worry, just stay here. There are, however, some more important matters that need your attention, along with Ling Sha and Yu Suo,¡± Li Yunzi deftly changed the subject. The Miao Kingdom Sword Army has already mobilized?? Wen Lingfei, this woman is outrageous! ¡°Alright, let¡¯s put this matter aside for the moment. It¡¯s the changes in Lichuan that are astonishing. Has the Ancient Ruin been found?¡± Zhu Minng asked. ¡°It¡¯s a World Dragon Gate,¡± Li Yunzi replied. ¡°World Dragon Gate??¡± Zhu Minng was somewhat puzzled. ¡°Before she left, our great-grandmother told us a few things. Everything in the world has a spirit. We always say that once a living being crosses the Dragon Gate, it transforms into a dragon. But if the world itself has a spirit, has cultivation, then couldn¡¯t it also evolve to a certain extent at a specific time?¡± Li Yunzi said to Zhu Minng.
Zhu Minng had never heard such a theory before. So, thend they lived on, this continent, is like cultivators and demon spirits, undergoing a metamorphosis toward a higher realm?? ¡°` ¡°And this World Dragon Gate?¡± Zhu Minng found it even harder to believe.
Despite the world itself being unknowable, and itsposition a mystery, this all seemed too incredulous! ¡°Living beings have a gate which, once crossed, transforms them into dragons.¡± ¡°The continent also has a gate. If it can be crossed, the sun, the moon, the stars, flowers, nts, trees, a myriad living beings, and all of creation will likewise undergo a transformation. This transformation can be understood as the resuscitation of spiritual energy in this barren and impoverishednd, or as an advancement in this world¡¯s level of radiance. The so-called heavens are continents of a higher level of brilliance in the world.¡± Li Yunzi maintained a calm demeanor as she ryed this information to Zhu Minng. What exactly was this world like? Why were the edges of the continent submerged by the Void Sea, making it impossible for anyone, regardless of their cultivation, to cross? Why did differentndmasses of civilization collide and fuse, forming continents that sailed across the heavens and perfectly adjoined each other? Within those mists, from time to time ancient inds and mountain ranges would drift by, creatures never before seen would descend upon thend, and asionally unexpected travelers would inadvertently get swept into the whirlpools of the Void Sea and reach another world. Might even some species from ancient ruins step beyond the bounds of time to appear at the far end of the ages? Faced with the advent of Wutu in East Dawn City of Lichuan, Li Yunzi was filled with confusion about this world. The wisdom of the ancients also seemed to only glimpse the tip of the iceberg. It was precisely this unknown that kept Li Yunzi from being able to disregard her worry. Would theree a day when a vast star would crush everything she understood, or a passing demon god would casually annihte all living beings, including those she cared about¡­? ¡°So, by crossing this World Dragon Gate, the world itself will ascend?¡± Zhu Minng inquired. ¡°Yes,¡± Li Yunzi nodded. ¡°But how would one cross it? And who would go to cross it?¡± Zhu Minng asked. Li Yunzi shook her head.
She did not know. The World Dragon Gate had already appeared. Every ruler and person in power throughout the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent was probing this world¡¯s Dragon Gate, clueless just as she was. ¡°Has the outbreak of spiritual energy in Lichuan and its surroundings also something to do with the World Dragon Gate?¡± Zhu Minng asked. ¡°Yes, many things are changing. Saplings be towering trees overnight, beasts that would normally require a thousand years of cultivation to transform have mutated into demon spirits, and some spirit fruits have turned into holy fruits after a night of frosts and dews¡­ All of these originate from the World Dragon Gate. It contains an energy beyond our imagination, which is influencing the ce where we reside,¡± Li Yunzi exined. Even though she described these events calmly, it was evident that Li Yunzi simrly feared the unpredictable changes. Not even having a million strong army or reaching the pinnacle of one¡¯s cultivation could provide a sense of security. Just like a swarm of fireflies in a summer forest, they might think themselves like the stars because their glimmers are simr, deluding themselves that they are the stars, not realizing that stars are millions of miles away from them, and their light could melt them if it were just above the forest. They only know that the moonlight is more resplendent, yet they have never seen the sky dome radiate in daylight. The celestial brilliance that falls is not to dapple the forest with a patchy glow, but to illuminate the vast sky andnd with radiance! So, is their world merely a small, dim forest? Are they, the creatures and people, merely fireflies that have never seen the brilliance of the day? The emergence of the World Dragon Gate signifies that people will soon understand the realm in which they dwell! ¡°Yunzi¡­¡±
Zhu Minng saw in her the concern and a hint of panic, feelings she only ever revealed while slowly sharing her thoughts with him, allowing the serene pools of her eyes to betray a few genuine emotions. Gently taking Li Yunzi¡¯s somewhat chilly hand, Zhu Minng smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s alright, no matter what happens, I will stand by your side.¡± Chapter 522: 524: A New Force Suddenly Arises Chapter 522: Chapter 524: A New Force Suddenly Arises Mentally, Zhu Minng has always been exceptional. Of course, the main reason is that he now has enough confidence that even if some overly powerful beings appear, he himself has the strength to deal with them. There is hope that both the Refining Ash ck Dragon and the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon that could ascend to be Dragon Kings, along with the Sword Spirit Dragon and the Heavenly ughter Dragon, and also Little White, who has yet to awaken from its slumber and transform. The longer Little White lies dormant, the more unpredictable its metamorphosis bes. He was curious to see whether the influence brought about by the World Dragon Gate would elerate faster, or his own improvements. He almost forgot, there¡¯s also the Nuwa Dragon, a being that possesses a divine destiny, and he believed that the Nuwa Dragons of the past could stand shoulder to shoulder with the gods themselves. ¡°Perhaps the World Dragon Gate is also an opportunity for all the beings on the continent; if even the most ordinary crops gain a certain spiritual energy, then those naturally precious and beneficial spiritual items will be even more extraordinary. Now everyone is converging towards Li Chuan, presumably taking advantage of this world-changing event to achieve their own leaps,¡± said Zhu Minng. In Zhu Minng¡¯s view, the emergence of the World Dragon Gate isn¡¯t entirely a bad thing. If there really was a Demon God in the World Dragon Gate capable of wiping out this continent with a single palm, then there¡¯d be no need to bless thisnd with special divine grace, letting everything grow rapidly and allowing all spirits to enjoy the benefits¡­ The strong can be even stronger in this environment! What Zhu Minng needed was exactly that; each dragon possesses infinite potential, which would be difficult to realize in a world extremelycking in resources.
Since it is unknown, then explore and grasp it while walking on. Perhaps in the near future, even more terrifying beings will appear, but seizing this opportunity brought by the World Dragon Gate to continuously be stronger would never be a problem. Zhu Minng changed the subject and began talking to Li Yunzi about some interesting experiences he had in the Neon Sea. Li Yunzi listened seriously, as if these matters far from disputes could soothe her emotions. ¡°Would you like a cup of tea?¡± Li Yunzi asked. ¡°Not thirsty,¡± he said. ¡°I want to drink,¡± said Li Yunzi. ¡°Then drink,¡± Zhu Minng replied. Li Yunzi gave him an annoyed look, gesturing to Zhu Minng¡¯srge wolf-like paw. ¡°Oh, oh¡­¡± Zhu Minng then let go of Li Yunzi¡¯s soft, jade-like hand, which was initially icy cold but had now warmed up. ¡°I¡¯ve collected some things for you, which should help Little White¡¯s growth,¡± said Li Yunzi. As Li Chuan is a nation, naturally arge number of spiritual items are born amongst the people every month. Li Yunzi remembered that Little White needed Heavenly Cicada Crystal Essence, so during her campaigns, she also instructed her subordinates to pay attention to such rare celestial essences as much as possible. ¡°Um¡­¡± Zhu Minng scratched his head. Although there were no people around, he suddenly felt as if abel of being a kept man had unexpectedly been pped on him! Zhu Minng didn¡¯t refuse, after all, they were all family now. Little White should be about to wake up, the Heavenly Essence can replenish its nutrients very well. ¡°A tribe of demon people has appeared in Ancient Mountain, and the Imperial Dynasty hopes that I will dispatch troops to subdue them, to clear the way for all Cultivators. This time it is abined effort of the rulers and the ones in power¡­ Ancient Mountain is the ce most influenced by the World Dragon Gate. It has be a dangerous area, but it is said that The Millennial Spiritual Flower was also born there,¡± Li Yunzi continued. ¡°Only your Army Guard?¡± Zhu Minng asked somewhat puzzled.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om If it was requested by the Imperial Dynasty, then they should send the Imperial Dynasty¡¯s Supreme Court army. The foreign tribes have always been a primary target for the Imperial Dynasty to eradicate. ¡°Yes, not just Ancient Mountain. A civilization was discovered on an ind within Hidden Fog Ind; they call themselves the Divine Bird people and possess a kind of sorcery that can control flocks of birds. In Wutu City State, the popce of several mining cities has been preyed upon by these flocks of birds.¡±
¡°To our very north, at the source of the Li Chuan River¡ªNorth Utmost Ridge. There has always been a city state known as Absolute Ridge City. In the past, they were almostpletely cut off from all the other city states of Li Chuan. But this emergence of the World Dragon Gate seems to have brought about tremendous change for them. They have an army, the Giant Ridge Soldiers, who are incredibly strong and indestructible. The Flying Dragon Battalion has lost amander in shes with them,¡± Li Yunzi said. Ancient Mountain, Hidden Fog Ind, North Utmost Ridge¡ªthese all existed in Li Chuan independently, without adjoining the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent. The Ancient Mountain is located in the Void Sea, and only in certain specific seasons, when the Void Sea¡¯s waters recede, is it possible to set foot in those mysterious mountains. Hidden Fog Ind is even more mysterious. It is said to be an ind floating in fog. The Nothingness Fog is clearly more terrible than the most violent poisons in the world, so how can they survive in this fog?
As for North Utmost Ridge, they should be more backward than Li Chuan. It is a very distant city state that Li Yunzi, even after uniting all the city states of Li Chuan, couldn¡¯t be bothered to meddle with. The armies of Absolute Ridge are unable to cross it, and simrly, their armies would find it difficult to reach Li Chuan. Due to the appearance of the World Dragon Gate, not only Li Chuan Continent but also the surrounding territories have been affected. Unexpectedly, thergest beneficiary turned out to be an iste Absolute Ridge Chengbang¡­ And this very Chengbang, after gaining strength, actually came to invade the territories of Li Chuan! ¡°What is the stance of the forces in power?¡± Zhu Minng inquired. ¡°This time it¡¯s a joint extermination operation. Your Zhu Gate and Yaoshan Sword Sect will participate, and of course, there are also those major forces that have gradually partitioned the city state territories; they will join my Army Guard in the campaign,¡± Li Yunzi said. After taking a sip of tea and moistening her lips, Li Yunzi continued to Zhu Minng, ¡°The World Dragon Gate is a huge unknown, and the changes it brings next are likely to be far more than what we¡¯re currently seeing. It¡¯s a good opportunity to clearly understand what the World Dragon Gate will bring, so we can be prepared in advance.¡± ¡°Indeed, this is a good way to understand it,¡± Zhu Minng agreed. ¡­ The union of rulers and forces in power signifies a very serious matter, for such a union is only seen in the face of immensely strong external enemies and suddenly emerging powerful species. In fact, the appearance of Immortal Ghosts should also be included in this situation, but Immortal Ghosts have no interest in Mortals, and they only despise and ughter Cultivators, which is why the rulers of that particr realm are not willing to deploy troops to quell them. The strength of the army is always stronger than that of Cultivators. Cultivators are limited in number, and no matter how high one¡¯s Cultivation Base, facing hundreds of thousands of Demonic Beasts, and millions of monstrous creatures, one would still be powerless. Moreover, in the army, there are not a few Dragon Shepherds and God and Mortals with extremely high Cultivation Base, and some elite units are evenposed entirely of extraordinary individuals.
Those who have poured into Li Chuan are ultimately lone individuals, and one cannot expect them to contribute to the overall situation of Li Chuan. The hidden dangers around Li Chuan and the newly emerged threats will ultimately need to be eradicated by the rulers. Of course, if the reason for the surge in strength of the foreign forces is discovered and seized, it would be a huge gain for the rulers! Chapter 523: 525: Really Want to Be a Beast Chapter 523: Chapter 525: Really Want to Be a Beast ¡°It¡¯s rare to go on a campaign with my wife. I can finally ovee the people of Ancestral Dragon City¡¯s misunderstanding of me,¡± Zhu Minng sighed with relief. Affluent idler? Hmph! Watch closely, all of you in Ancestral Dragon City, and behold the prodigious talent that is Zhu Minng. Together with your Female Monarch, we are a match made by heaven itself. Those admirers and coveters shouldpletely abandon any hope from now on! ¡°Young master, go for it. Everyone in Ancestral Dragon City wille to respect you!¡± Frost, who came over to refill the tea, heard Zhu Minng¡¯s words and immediately clenched a small fist, cheering him on energetically. In Ancestral Dragon City, that once explosive topic has yet to cool down, especially after Li Yunzi gradually solidified her rulership and gained a certain say within the Imperial Dynasty. Those followers and admirers still regarded Zhu Minng as a warty toad who happened to catch a fairy. Even if someone told them Zhu Minng was the sole heir of the Zhu family, it was of no use; in their eyes, he was just an ipetent scion of a good family and utterly unworthy! No matter how resounding one¡¯s reputation outside, without showing one¡¯s divine skills in Ancestral Dragon City, it ultimatelycks persuasive power. Taking advantage of this military expedition, Zhu Minng felt it was time Ancestral Dragon City saw his valiant and heroic side! ¡°Stop worrying about the outside talk,¡± Li Yunzi said with indifference towards public opinion. ¡°I care about my reputation, my wife,¡± Zhu Minng stated.
¡°Miss, you have no idea how nasty those people¡¯s words can be outside. The young master is clearly excellent, yet they turn a deaf ear to the affairs of the Supreme Court Continent and keep spouting their ignorant views loudly. It¡¯s about time someone taught them a lesson and shut them up. Plus, many of your Army Guards are from the civilian poption; if they carry such thoughts into the army, even if youmand respect within the ranks, they will still gossip behind your back,¡± Frost earnestly said. Li Yunzi appeared thoughtful. Zhu Minng, however, nodded in wholehearted agreement. The people of Li Chuan didn¡¯t know much about outside affairs, and moreover, no power would go out of its way to advertise for themselves. Reputation had to be earned, and Zhu Minng felt it was indeed time to establish his own prestige in Ancestral Dragon City! Furthermore, Li Yunzi¡¯s Army Guards now included many strong warriors. These people, who often followed Li Yunzi into battle, might include fantasists who should be discouraged once and for all! ¡°In that case, we shall campaign together in North Utmost Ridge,¡± Li Yunzi nodded in agreement. This campaign itself was expected to involve other forces, including members of the Yaoshan Sword Sect. ¡­ Unfortunately, despite Frost¡¯s thoughtful preparation of an aromatic pillow for Zhu Minng, implying he was supposed to stay over, Li Yunzi was still too shy¡­ After dinner, when Zhu Minng returned from feeding the dragons in the courtyard¡¯s back mountain, he found Li Yunzi resting with her eyes closed, her tranquil and elegant demeanor in no way resembling the resolute female ruler. Her slender and delicate eyshes, her well-formed and smart nose, rosy lips, and long raven hair cascading down to her slender waist. Her impable beauty demanded additional nces that could easily lead to intoxication and obsession. Her figure was so graceful, her saintly auraced with an irresistible charm. It made one not want to defile her yet long to possess her wantonly! Putting aside her imposing majesty as a Female Monarch for a moment, her unparalleled beauty alone was something hard to find in the world. The more ces he visited, the more people he saw, the more Zhu Minng was convinced that his wife, who embodied intelligence, valor, serenity, and beauty, was the one who most stirred his heart, utterly unrted to that one night of passion! ¡°Young master?¡± Her eyshes trembled lightly, and a hint of joy flickered in her eyes. The peerless beauty opened her eyes, and a smile slowly blossomed on her calm and soft cheeks, an indescribable beauty. Zhu Minng was initially enraptured, then suddenly realized the implications of that title¡­ The Prophet¡¯s young aunt??? When did they switch ces!! Could it be that just now, when I was staring with such obsession, fervor, and a strong desire to possess, I was already Li Xinghua! ¡°Ahem, is it Xinghua?¡± Zhu Minng hurriedly covered up his just now unreserved behavior. What a sin!!
Why are there two souls in one body? And howe there was no sign at all, Yunzi simply fell asleep, and Li Xinghua woke up. ¡°Young Master, have you been here for a while?¡± Li Xinghua nced at the teacup and then at the sky outside. ¡°I arrived at noon, and haven¡¯t been back long,¡± Zhu Minng took a deep breath and spoke as calmly as he could.
He chatted with Li Xinghua for a while. She didn¡¯t mention anything about the World Dragon Gate, but Zhu Minng felt she must know more things than Li Yunzi. The night grew darker, and because of Li Xinghua¡¯s awakening, Zhu Minng lingered in the room for some time. Just when it was almost time to wash up and go to bed, Frost crept over mysteriously speaking in a hushed tone to Zhu Minng, ¡°Young Master, do you want to ask Miss Xinghua if she would like to stay with you tonight?¡± Good idea! Zhu Minng¡¯s eyes lit up.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om But then, ncing at the pure and wless Li Xinghua, he felt taking such advantage might be too despicable, after all, Li Xinghua¡¯s body and mind belonged to herself¡­ While Zhu Minng was pondering, Frost scurried into the boudoir as if preparing something. ¡°Frost, what are you tidying up?¡± Li Xinghua sensed something unusual and asked in confusion. ¡°Pillows, ah, the Young Master has returned, we can¡¯t let the Young Master sleep in the streets, this mandarin duck pillow is so soft andfortable,¡± Frost said. Upon hearing this, a blush immediately spread across Li Xinghua¡¯s pale cheeks, and her beautiful eyes darted anxiously elsewhere. After a moment, she spoke in a voice as faint as a mosquito¡¯s, ¡°Yunzi might not wake up tonight, Frost¡­ prepare another quilt, I am very¡­ very sorry, Young Master, for waking up so abruptly¡­¡± Li Xinghua¡¯s ears turned red, her tone carrying a mix of shame and apology, evidently thinking she had interrupted the intimate moment between Zhu Minng and Li Yunzi. ¡°It¡¯s a misunderstanding, a misunderstanding, I was nning to leave after dinner, it¡¯s just that Miss Xinghua happened to wake up, and talking with you was so pleasant I forgot the time. I have disturbed you for too long, Frost mistook it as if I were to stay overnight, it¡¯s my fault¡­¡± Zhu Minng put on an act of a gentleman, tearfully responding to Li Xinghua, who was now bashful and stuttering.
¡°It¡¯s my fault, I am but a deceased soul inhabiting Yunzi¡¯s body¡­ If it were before, it would have been fine, my awakenings were not frequent and should not have inconvenienced you, only now for some reason I am waking up more and more, and both Yunzi and I can¡¯t control it,¡± said Li Xinghua, speaking with even more shame. ¡°Miss Xinghua, don¡¯t say such things, in my eyes, you have always been alive. Every time I talk with you, it¡¯s like discussing life with a close friend. Yunzi and I are still getting to know each other; we haven¡¯t reached the point of sharing a bed. It¡¯s my fault for lingering toote at night, I was presumptuous,¡± said Zhu Minng. After finishing, Zhu Minng, worried that Li Xinghua still felt ufortable and guilty, hurriedly got up, his bearing noble as he walked out of the fragrant courtyard with his head held high¡­ And yet, for some unknown reason, tears slipped from the corner of his eye. It felt like being a beast, yet how could one bear to defile! Chapter 524: 526 Stove Dragon Chapter 524: Chapter 526 Stove Dragon ¡­ Ancestral Dragon City had be much more prosperous than before, with thend revealing its divine bounty, so much so that the resources here had suddenly flourished. Cultivators who roamed and hunted across the vastness of Li Chuan Continent also often brought the spiritual objects they obtained to sell in the Dragon City-State. This provided Zhu Minng with great convenience, as both the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon and the Refining Ash ck Dragon still had a few aspects that were not yet condensed. Early the next morning, Zhu Minng found his capable little assistant, Fang Niannian. When he saw Fang Niannian, the girl was no longer selling peaches. She now had some insight into dragon rearing and was using her understanding of the market, the shops, and auctions to trade in various ingredients and spiritual resources, making a tidy profit. She had bought herself a small house not far from the Li Family Courtyard, just a few steps away from her beloved River Lantern Street. ¡°You¡¯re finally back, I was so bored I could die!¡± Fang Niannian said, her eyes turning into cute crescents as she saw Zhu Minng. ¡°I thought you were going to say you missed me to death,¡± Zhu Minng smiled in response. ¡°Of course, I did, I missed Big ck Tooth too!¡± Fang Niannian said, her cheeks brighter with her radiant smile as she tugged at Zhu Minng¡¯s sleeve, as if she had a treasure to show him. Following her with puzzled curiosity, Fang Niannian finally took out an Ancient Dragon Galldder and said to Zhu Minng, ¡°I bought this from a silly vendor. I don¡¯t know where he got this treasure, but I could tell it was a high-grade spiritual resource, and moreover, it¡¯s an Ancient Dragon Galldder.¡±
¡°This dragon galldder can enhance a dragon¡¯s breath power, not bad at all, Niannian, you¡¯re about to be a little dragon-raising expert!¡± Zhu Minng praised her. This Ancient Dragon Galldder was high-quality and high-level. If given to the Refining Ash ck Dragon, it could sharpen its dragon breath to a cutting edge. A single old dragon sputum might instantly incinerate a small army!!! Yet, after summoning Big ck Tooth, Fang Niannian¡¯s little face was full of confusion as she looked at the Refining Ash ck Dragon, then flung herself at Zhu Minng like a little wildcat on a rampage! ¡°You big viin, you unfeeling and cold-hearted fiend, even if Big ck Tooth¡¯s bloodline isn¡¯t that noble, you can¡¯t just abandon it. To deceive me with a Big ck Dragon, you bastard, I¡¯m not going to be your little housekeeper any longer. Our kindness and justice end here, Zhu Minng, you¡¯re nothing but a big jerk!!¡± Fang Niannian ranted and scratched all the while. To one side, the imposing and muscr Big ck Tooth scratched his vast dragon belly, appearing to take pleasure in the misfortune before him. ¡°That is Big ck Tooth, he simply transformed after restructuring his bloodline!!¡± Zhu Minng exined with a bitter smile. Indeed, the Refining Ash ck Dragon and Lei Cang Violent Dragon were quite different, even changing attributes, and Fang Niannian, who had dealt with various dragon trainers, knew that even if a dragon evolved or ascended, it couldn¡¯t possibly have such a reversal in attributes. Therefore, Fang Niannian was convinced that Zhu Minng must have abandoned Big ck Tooth because his bloodline was too lowly and tamed another pitch-ck dragon. Even if its teeth were still as ck as ever, it was no longer the silly, endearing Big ck Tooth that she loved!n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om ¡°Oh!!!!¡± Only then did Big ck Tooth step in to mediate. ¡°You talk to it yourself. The Refining Ash ck Dragon is Big ck Tooth. How could I possibly abandon a dragon partner with whom I¡¯ve shared weal and woe? I am the most morally noble Dragon Shepherd,¡± Zhu Minng asserted. ¡°Is it really Big ck Tooth?¡± Fang Niannian¡¯s eyes reddened, thinking the real Big ck Tooth was hiding in some cave, licking its wounds in pitiful humbleness. ¡°Oh!!!!!!!!¡± Big ck Tooth slowly brought hisrge head down, lifting Fang Niannian with his dragon horn, cing delicate Linglong Fang Niannian perfectly atop his head. This familiar, affectionate gesture atst calmed Fang Niannian¡¯s sadness, heartache, and anger. Zhu Minng truly broke out in a cold sweat. ¡°Little Qingzhuo has also changed; just giving you a heads up,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°What fortunes have they encountered to evolve to such high bloodlines??¡± Fang Niannian asked, confused. ¡°I¡¯m not sure myself, maybe they just tried harder,¡± Zhu Minng replied nonchntly. Exining this kind of thing isn¡¯t easy in just a sentence or two.
¡°Oh my, won¡¯t their food now have to be especially exquisite?¡± Fang Niannian realized this issue. The higher the bloodline, the more expensive the food required. Fang Niannian had actually stockpiled some quality dragon food, waiting for Zhu Minng to return so she could fatten up each of these dragon pets. But now that their bloodlines had changed, many of the dragon foods seemed somewhat crude! However, fortunately, Ancestral Dragon City was now abundant with quality dragon food, so purchasing it shouldn¡¯t be too difficult. Fang Niannian took her notes very seriously, meticulously recording each dragon¡¯s current preferences, tastes, attributes, bloodlines, secondary attributes, condensation levels, spiritual asset needs, soul bead needs, and innate abilities¡­
She also remembered the preferences and needs of Little Glow Spirit and Little Jiao Spirit with great detail. ¡°By the way, there¡¯s a dragon that¡¯s very special that I want to buy,¡± Fang Niannian suddenly said. ¡°You want to raise a dragon too?¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°It¡¯s a Stove Dragon.¡± ¡°What kind of dragon??¡± Zhu Minng almost thought he heard wrong. ¡°Stove as in cooking stove. Yes, I saw it at the auction yesterday. It has a big copper shell on its back, like a copper pot, and this type of dragon usually eats coal. It generates tremendous heat in its body. You know, we often go out on journeys, and when it rains, we can¡¯t even cook and have to eat those awful dry rations. Most dragon shepherds definitely wouldn¡¯t raise this type of dragon, which is perfect for me. I really like it, it¡¯s just that the price is too high; I can¡¯t afford it,¡± Fang Niannian continued. Request a grant! This Stove Dragon is exceedingly unique but somewhat superfluous for many dragon shepherds since it doesn¡¯t seem to have muchbat power, merely tough skin and flesh for self-protection. The Stove Dragon was very suited for their team, but it¡¯d be wasteful for Zhu Minng to sign the Spirit Contract, so it was more appropriate for Fang Niannian to raise it herself. ¡°Stove Dragons are indeed good, and I¡¯ve also heard that dragon ingredients specially cooked can be very helpful for cultivation. It¡¯s okay to buy one, but do you have a Spirit Contract?¡± Zhu Minng asked earnestly. ¡°I do,¡± Fang Niannian¡¯s smile grew even brighter as she continued, ¡°The other day when I went home, I ate a peach we grew. After eating it, the next day, it seems I had formed a Spirit Contract.¡± ¡°?????¡± Zhu Minng looked at Fang Niannian with changed eyes. He seriously suspected that Fang Niannian had spent a lot of money to buy a Spiritual Contract Fruit, granting her a Spirit Contract.
¡°Agreed on the grant, no matter the price, buy that Stove Dragon. From now on, you¡¯re not just our dragon food steward, but also our Chief Chef!¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°That¡¯s great, I have my own dragon now!¡± Fang Niannian, ted, spread her delicate arms and pounced like a swallow returning to its nest, even brazenly nting a kiss on Zhu Minng¡¯s cheek. In contrast, Zhu Minng blushed, although he knew that Fang Niannian was just too excited and got a bit carried away. Chapter 525: 527: Forest in the Painting Chapter 525: Chapter 527: Forest in the Painting Stove Dragon¡­ Isn¡¯t it just a big, portable copper pot! If Fang Niannian likes it, I don¡¯t mind giving it to her, since the Stove Dragon will ultimately improve everyone¡¯s quality of life in the future! Besides, if Fang Niannian goes shopping, you can¡¯t have the Refining Ash ck Dragon, which could crush the streets, carry supplies. That¡¯s no different from riding an Azure Dragon to buy vegetables! ¡°Little Glow Spirit and Little Jiao Spirit, take care of them for me, I¡¯m going to be off to war in a few days,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°Sure thing, I guarantee that when youe back, Little Jiao Spirit¡¯s cultivation base will have greatly increased,¡± Fang Niannian¡¯s smile never faded from her cheeks, it seemed that she really liked that little Stove Dragon. ¡°The Little Glow Spirit can store spiritual energy, make sure you keep an eye on it, it could identally drain a spirit vein,¡± Zhu Minng cautioned again. ¡°Okay, oh, have you told Sister Lingsha or Sister Yu Suo that you¡¯re back?¡± Fang Niannian asked. ¡°Not yet, where is she?¡± Zhu Minng asked. ¡°At the academy. They don¡¯t like living with the Nan Family; you can¡¯t just think about the Female Monarch, you have to take care of Sister Lingsha and Sister Yu Suo¡¯s feelings as well.¡±
¡°My rtionship with them is pure and clear!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not saying your rtionship is ambiguous, Sister Lingsha is a Divine and Mortal of our team, and Sister Yu Suo is also one of us. Are you nning on abandoning them?¡± ¡°The matter of the Stove Dragon, let¡¯s put it aside for now¡­¡± ¡°I was wrong, Eldest son of the Zhu,¡± Fang Niannian cutely stuck out her tongue. ¡­ Whether out of courtesy or for some other reason, since I had returned to Li Chuan, it was natural to inform them. Upon arrival at the academy, Duan Lan and the others were still studying at the High Court, and it would be some days before they returned to Li Chuan Dragon Taming Academy. Although there were some acquaintances in the academy, Zhu Minng did not go to greet each one. Stepping into the bamboo forest, Zhu Minng roughly guessed that Nan Lingsha must be practicing her painting. The bamboo forest exuded a sense of coolness, and a breeze flowed through, gently swaying the ck silk and veil, asionally revealing a delicate and fair chin, as well as those alluring and sensual red lips. Her graceful figure was slightly enchantingly alluring; a dark crystal hair essory elegantly bundled her hair into a dignified and noble lily bun, with strands elegantly parted at her smooth forehead, falling next to her exquisite earlobes. A pair of bright eyes was focused on the rice paper¡­ Zhu Minng walked up the steps, and before reaching her, caught a faint scent of orchid. Initially, he thought it came from the special colored ink beside her painting case, but as he approached, he realized that it was probably the body fragrance of the painting artist. ¡°Miss Lingsha, I¡¯m back,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°Mm,¡± Nan Lingsha answered faintly. Zhu Minng was used to Nan Lingsha¡¯s undistracted demeanor. He approached her painting case, curious to see what she was drawing, only to be surprised to find a painting of a man on the rice paper! Before he could ponder, Zhu Minng noticed that the man Nan Lingsha was painting bore a resemnce to himself. Most importantly, he was holding a sword with me billowing around it, standing proudly in the city. How handsome and extraordinary, brave and domineering! ¡°Are you painting me?¡± Zhu Minng asked. ¡°I can draw Li Yunzi wielding a sword, and bestow a sliver of a painting spirit, allowing her to walk out of the painting. However, for some reason, the you I paint alwayscks spirit,cks life, and can¡¯t be the painting shadow to fight for me,¡± Nan Lingsha seriously scrutinized Zhu Minng for a moment, then nced back at the swordsman in the painting, as if trying to see what was wrong. ¡°Miss Lingsha, you¡¯re really interesting. If you want me to fight for you, just give the order, and I will personally take care of whoever annoys you, ensuring they never ascend to divinity,¡± Zhu Minngughed.
¡°You¡¯re not as obedient as it,¡± Nan Lingsha said. ¡°¡­¡± Nan Lingsha set down her brush and casually tossed the lifeless painting into a basket. Zhu Minng saw this scene, and couldn¡¯t help but feel some heartache.
After all, it was a painting of himself, but to just discard it like waste paper? The painting depicted him as handsome and dashing, exuding an air of confidence. How could Miss Lingsha bear to throw it away as trash? You could have treasured it, taking it out to look at when you feel lost and annoyed, and it would surely have calmed your mind! ¡°What does Miss Lingsha know about the World Dragon Gate incident?¡± Zhu Minng asked. ¡°Let¡¯s talk about thatter,¡± Nan Lingsha replied. Just as Zhu Minng was about to ask further, he suddenly detected a strange aura wafting from the depths of the Bamboo Forest. It felt like several pairs of eyes watching him, simr to an uncontroble surge of murderous intent! There were people in the Bamboo Forest! And they had been watching this ce all along! With ill intentions! Zhu Minng frowned, sensing that the auraing from the forest was very powerful, certainly not from any of the teachers at the Li Chuan Academy. It seemed that they were also targeting Nan Lingsha. Zhu Minng employed his keen perception and suddenly noticed a detail he had previously overlooked. In springtime, this Bamboo Forest should have been a vibrant green, yet for some reason, it appeared somewhat dull and dark. Most importantly, the shadows of the bamboo leaves should flutter with the wind, yet while the leaves flew about, their shadows did not stir at all. Looking back towards the Painting Pavilion, Zhu Minng noticed amp inside it, with the me perfectly still within. The me wasn¡¯t flickering at all!
ncing around once more, Zhu Minng gradually realized that this Bamboo Forest, the Painting Pavilion, all of the scenery¡ªit all bore tiny differences from the real thing. If one didn¡¯t carefully discern, they would entirely believe they were in a normal space. ¡°Am I in your painting?¡± Zhu Minng whispered to Nan Lingsha. Nan Lingsha nodded slightly. This was a forest within a painting!n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om From the moment he stepped into this Bamboo Forest, Zhu Minng unknowingly entered Nan Lingsha¡¯s painted forest, where the surrounding bamboo, the pavilion behind him, and everything he could see, were all scenes painted by Nan Lingsha. Just like the Painted City of Red Lotus City before, this was Nan Lingsha¡¯s strongest realm of painting, blending reality and illusion as if with a stroke of her ink brush, creating a dream world thatpletely deceived those within it! Of course, this painted forest was not specifically aimed at Zhu Minng. Zhu Minng had simply happened to arrive. The people Nan Lingsha was dealing with were in the bamboo forest ahead, thinking they were well concealed, unaware that they had already stepped into Nan Lingsha¡¯s trap set within the painted world! ¡°Who are they, to dare act so brazenly in broad daylight??¡± Zhu Minng asked. No wonder Nan Lingsha had just spoken of killing the enemy; the enemy was already before her eyes. ¡°I took their Sect¡¯s Cultivation Fruit at the base of North Utmost Ridge,¡± Nan Lingsha said. ¡°¡­¡±
So the niece was the real big bad wolf. ¡°The entire Li Chuan Continent belongs to your Li Family and the Nan Family. How can it be called stealing! They are the ones who havee here to plunder; you are merely defending what is rightfully yours,¡± Zhu Minng said righteously. Nan Lingsha nced at Zhu Minng and beneath her thin veil, an enchanting face blossomed into a gentle dimple. That dimpled smile, a bit hazy, was enough to topple cities and nations! Zhu Minng liked the way he put it very much. Chapter 526: 528: The Consequence of Failure Chapter 526: Chapter 528: The Consequence of Failure The few in the Bamboo Forest clearly hadn¡¯t realized they had stepped into someone else¡¯s painting realm. They seemed hesitant, unsure whether to make a move given that there was an extra person next to Nan Lingsha. Zhu Minng¡¯s approach was quite different. How could he wait for them to make a move? They really had the audacity to provoke his people. He wanted to see who were these blind folks! ¡°In this painted forest, even if it¡¯s utterly destroyed, it won¡¯t affect the academy, right?¡± Zhu Minng specifically asked. Nan Lingsha nodded. Zhu Minng rubbed his hands together eagerly and leaped down from the high tform. He approached those sneaky figures. Zhu Minng¡¯s eyes slowly started to emit a crimson glow. ¡°Who are you?¡± a man wrapped in a headscarf asked from within the forest. The man¡¯s headscarf bore a rat pattern, giving off a somewhat sinister aura, and his whole being was enveloped in a dark atmosphere. It had to be admitted, their ability to hide was quite impressive. Zhu Minng and Nan Lingsha hadn¡¯t noticed them at all at the beginning of their conversation.
¡°Mouse Despise Taoist Temple?¡± Zhu Minng recognized the force upon seeing the opposition¡¯s rat-patterned headscarf very quickly. ¡°Since you know it¡¯s us, then hand over the Cultivation Fruit. You know the way our temple does things, you shouldn¡¯t have angered us. Believe it or not, I can have my men ughter all the students of this academy right now and sell all the female students into a brothel!¡± the man with the rat-patterned headscarf said in a dark tone. ¡°You¡¯ve done this sort of thing often enough, so how do the presiding figures of Li Chuan allow you to roam around thisnd with such infamy?¡± Zhu Minng asked. ¡°Cut the crap. While I still have some patience, let that veiled bitch hand over the Cultivation Fruit¡­¡± the man with the rat-patterned headscarf angrily pointed at Nan Lingsha on the high tform. Zhu Minng¡¯s brow furrowed slightly, and with a thought, a fierce cold edge swept through the bamboo forest. It felt like a brush of unremarkable, icy wind, but soon the tall bamboos were neatly severed at the break. ¡°Humph, who are you trying to scare with such meager skills¡ª¡± ¡°Boss, your hand!¡± The man with the rat-patterned headscarf looked down and found that his hand was gone without him knowing when! Aplete handy on the ground while his arm ended at the wrist in a neat cut, just like the sliced bamboo. It took a few seconds before blood gushed out violently from the wrist. ¡°My hand! My hand!!¡± Only then did the man with the rat-patterned headscarf scream in horror, and his face, engulfed in darkness, twisted in pain. ¡°Be a better person in your next life,¡± Zhu Minng said coldly. No sooner had his words fallen than a Crimson Sword shed stunningly through the bamboo forest. With no visible sword or edge, a vast expanse of the lush bamboo forest was pushed backward, its tenacious bodies utterly crushed to breaks!!n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om The force came like mountains copsing and seas pouring. Before the people from Mouse Despise Taoist Temple could react, they were swept into the air like chaff, their bodies continually ripped apart and blood sttered as they hung midair! Zhu Minng showed no mercy. The Mouse Despise Daoist Temple, a group even inferior to demon cults, and to think they dared to use the academy as leverage ¡ª they had truly crossed Zhu Minng¡¯s bottom line! The Bamboo Forest was left in shambles. The four from Mouse Despise Daoist Temple were now nothing more than remnants scattered on the ground. The man with the rat-patterned headscarf, now half a body,y sprawled on the ground like a puddle of mud, his pain-twisted gaze filled with sinister rage fixed on Zhu Minng, his entire being as dark as a treacherous demon rat! ¡°If you mess with us¡­ you¡¯ll all be buried with us. Our temple, our temple¡­¡± The man with the rat-patterned headscarf couldn¡¯t finish hisst malicious words before he breathed hisst. These people had Monarch Level strength, but facing Zhu Minng now, they were indeed like a bunch of mere rats, easily crushed to death. As for their Daoist Temple, it was indeed a force many upstanding sects dared not provoke lightly.
It wasn¡¯t that their strength was terrifying, but their means of revenge were sinister and malicious. They would go to great lengths to disgust someone, and there was once a Master Level individual who was tormented to death by the people of Mouse Despise Daoist Temple. Zhu Minng naturally knew of their ¡°heroic deeds,¡± but was he, Zhu Minng, so easy to provoke? ¡­ Having dealt with that garbage, Zhu Minng returned to the tform.
At this time, the haphazardly fallen bamboo slowly dissolved, turning into drop after drop of thick ink. The steps beneath his feet and the high building in front of him eerily became fine lines at that moment, and the background rendered by the ck, dense ink, with its gradations of color like clouds of smoke, quietly dispersed into a hazy mist of ink¡­ As the ink mist dissipated, Zhu Minng heard birds chirping, saw the crisp bamboo leaves, and the swaying shadows of bamboo. Not far away, several male and female students were walking past,ughing, a Giant Dragon spread its wings and flew, and even further, the sound of water falling from Phoenix Embankment Waterfall could also be heard. Zhu Minng felt as if he had woken from a dream. No matter how real the forest in the painting was, it ultimatelycked true vitality. However, being in it, one could easily overlook these details, to the point ofpletely losing oneself in the painting. The Bamboo Forest remained lush and green, and a gentle breeze carried the fragrance of flowers; the bloodstains of Mouse Despise Daoist Temple had not tainted the tranquil bamboo forest in the slightest. Nan Lingsha crumpled the paper in front of her into a ball and threw it carelessly into the basket. One could see the blood red seeping through the thin paper, vivid as paint. ¡°Mouse Despise Daoist Temple has been lurking near the academy for some time, instigated by someone,¡± Nan Lingsha said. ¡°What about the Cultivation Fruit, is it important?¡± Zhu Minng asked. ¡°It solidifies King Level cultivation,¡± she replied. ¡°You¡¯ve broken through to King Level?¡± Zhu Minng asked in surprise, looking at Nan Lingsha. ¡°We don¡¯t have a breakthrough per se. When the cultivation umtes, it naturally reaches the next realm,¡± Nan Lingsha said indifferently. ¡­ Zhu Minng recalled the words Zhu Xuehen had told him.
It seems thedies indeed possess extraordinary talents! ¡°Regarding the World Dragon Gate, what has Li Yunzi told you?¡± Nan Lingsha asked. ¡°She¡¯s also in the investigative stage,¡± Zhu Minng summarized a bit. ¡°Oh, so she hasn¡¯t told you¡­¡± Nan Lingsha said coldly with a hint of mockery. ¡°Told me what?¡± Zhu Minng asked, puzzled. ¡°If the World Dragon Gate is a trial for the world, have you thought about what the consequences of failure might be?¡± Nan Lingsha asked. If a creature fails to ascend, it might bepletely annihted. What about when the world fails to ascend? ¡°Could it be that the world we live in will also be obliterated?¡± Zhu Minng eximed in horror. Nan Lingsha shook her head. She took out a brush and began to sketch stars, a bright moon, and the sun haphazardly on a new sheet of paper¡­ After a while, she said indifferently, ¡°Worse than obliteration is the torment and ravages of long years.¡±
Chapter 527: 529: Time Wave Chapter 527: Chapter 529: Time Wave She pointed at the Tianchen on the rice paper with her brush and said to Zhu Minng, ¡°Once it fails, the world¡¯s spirit veins will wither at an extremely fast pace, and the mountains,nds, and rivers will no longer nurture the slightest bit of spiritual energy. The sky wind, like a de, will fiercely sh across the territory, and the sunlight, like zing fire, will scorch the seas and forests. The barren nature will no longer bestow food that can nourish life, and people will not be able to grow a single grain of food on the damagednd¡­¡± ¡°Yet, on thisnd, there are so many countries, so many forces, countless monsters, and the need for arge number of dragons.¡± ¡°All beings are squeezed together before they have had a chance to adapt, like hungry beasts locked in a cage, the ultimate oue being cannibalism, monsters eating monsters, the birth of a minor cultivator, the growth of a little young dragon, all atop heaps of gleaming white bones.¡± As Zhu Minng listened, he couldn¡¯t understand why, when Nan Lingsha described all this, he didn¡¯t feel it was unrealistic, even envisioning these terrifying scenes in his mind! At this moment, countless subjects, countless cultivators are immersed in the joy and frenzy of the burst of spiritual energy, little do they know that if the world fails to progress, this ce will turn into a living hell! If thend had been deste from the start, the power of all creatures limited, and their numbers limited, then it would be nothing more than primal. But, just as Nan Lingsha said, the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent has so many countries, monster poptions are overflowing, and all beings can only rely on devouring each other to survive! ¡°Interestingly, if the sess urs, the same scene will happen, the excessive overflow of spiritual energy making some people even more powerful, their ambitions continuously expanding. Aren¡¯t there many lunatics rushing into Li Chuan right now, ughtering each other over a Spirit Flower, exterminating each other for a Spirit Fruit? In the near future, more Sacred Grasses and Divine Trees will be born, and when cultivators gather at ces of strange powers, won¡¯t they also be like beasts in a cage, where the victor takes all?¡± Nan Lingsha continued. For some reason, Zhu Minng felt that when Nan Lingsha spoke thetter part, there was a hint of excitement in her tone, as though she longed to see such constant strife. The eruption of spiritual energy means that cultivators will encounter more odd chances, and indeed, some powerful beings will be stronger in such an environment, and if they are the first to touch upon the secrets of the World Dragon Gate, they might leave other cultivators of the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent far behind!
¡°Listening to Miss Lingsha¡¯s words, it seems thedy knows quite a few secrets. Is there any advice you can give?¡± Zhu Minng also didn¡¯t want toment or feel pity for the world; what he needed was more substantial spiritual resources. No matter what the eventual fate of this world might be, bing strong is the only clear path! ¡°People call this anomaly the Divine Favor, but in fact, it is a Time Wave that sweeps out from the World Dragon Gate. The Time Wave initially only affected nts, making ordinary weeds produce effects like Lingzhi, and naturally also turning spiritual fruits and spirit flowers that already had spirits into Holy Fruits and Divine Flowers,¡± Nan Lingsha indeed knew a lot. ¡°Time Wave?¡± Zhu Minng had once heard Li Xinghua mention this term, but such a Time Wave only causes temporal turbulence around cracks in ancient relics, disturbing the flow of time only in limited areas. But ording to Nan Lingsha, the Time Wave surged out from the World Dragon Gate and swept across Li Chuan and thends beyond, causing vegetation to grow wildly and spiritual objects to emerge continuously! ¡°Yes, this Time Wave is key. Each time ites, it brings transformation to all things. The initial wave just ripened many nts and fruits, causing trees and grass to grow wildly. When the second Time Wave arrives, nature¡¯s spiritual energy bes abundant; even the rain and dew carry a trace of the sacred. The third Time Wave will arrive at midnight tomorrow, and some special spiritual nts will instantly gain the umtion of thousands of years. So, many forces have already been guarding near those spiritual objects, just waiting for this Time Wave toe,¡± Nan Lingsha said. Zhu Minng¡¯s mouth was wide open in astonishment. No wonder everything is growing so crazily, spiritual energy erupting! The World Dragon Gate actually contains the power of time!! All things have spirits, mainly through the passage of time, and the cultivation of monsters is also often umted over a long life, so time is actually a key to spiritual cultivation! A massive wave has surged out from the World Dragon Gate, endowed with the power of time, making the world¡¯s soil, vegetation, and water sources gain spirit. Thus, the entire Li Chuan now presents a shocking phenomenon of a spiritual energy eruption! It¡¯s truly unbelievable! ¡°What does Miss Lingsha n to do?¡± Zhu Minng asked. ¡°I have my eyes on a Ten Thousand Year Parasol Tree, which bears the Cultivation Fruit. Unfortunately, it has been monopolized by a Sect,¡± Nan Lingsha said. ¡°Uh¡­ shall we rob it?¡± Zhu Minng tentatively asked. Nan Lingsha gave Zhu Minng a meaningful look, and he quickly realized his mistake, correcting himself, ¡°I mean, let¡¯s defend what belongs to us!¡± ¡°After we seed, we¡¯ll split it equally. How about that?¡± Nan Lingsha proposed. ¡°Absolutely!¡± Zhu Minng nodded vigorously. Not rted by blood, but united in purpose¡ªhis little artist sister-inw¡¯s philosophy was perfectly in sync with his own! Robbery!
The so-called Time Wave was nothing but a grand opportunity!n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om In such a moment, one must be ruthless and decisive! ¡°There¡¯s also a small issue. The Silver Fir Holy Dew in the Nan Family Sacred Forest is also showing remarkable growth. If nothing goes wrong, the Silver Fir Holy Dew is likely to give birth to the Ten Thousand Years Silver Fir Holy Dew during the next Time Wave. I¡¯m worried that people will covet the Ten Thousand Years Silver Fir Holy Dew, so we need to leave some experts to guard the Sacred Forest,¡± Nan Lingsha said. ¡°Ten¡­ Ten Thousand Years Silver Fir Holy Dew! Miss Lingsha, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll have the Heavenly ughter Dragon guard our forest. It¡¯ll annihte as many ase!!¡± Zhu Minng dered earnestly.
Ten Thousand Years Silver Fir Holy Dew, ah!! So the Nan Family reaped a huge benefit this time, too!! I remember that back then, the Hundred Years Holy Dew was the most luxurious thing the Nan Family could offer. Unexpectedly, because of the appearance of the World Dragon Gate this time, their Nan Family¡¯s Sacred Forest has truly be a divine forest! With the Ten Thousand Years Silver Fir Holy Dew, which doesn¡¯t ovep with the effects of other Spiritual Objects, Little Qingzhuo will soon be able to sprint towards the King-Level Realm! ¡°Miss Lingsha, you¡¯ve reminded me. Apart from that Cultivation Fruit Tree, what else caught your eye? I have many strong dragons now, and I can operate on multiple fronts to defend as many of the super Spiritual Objects affected by the World Dragon Gate as possible!¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°There¡¯s a Rain Pool that contains Pond Spirit Jade with an immense amount of Spiritual Energy. There¡¯s a small Sect guarding it right now. They are not weak, but they don¡¯t have any King-Level Realm powerhouses,¡± Nan Lingsha said. ¡°Is that so?¡± Zhu Minng said with a smile, ¡°Then let¡¯s leave it to the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon. With its current strength, it is more than capable of guarding the Rain Pool!¡± Chapter 528: 530: Seizing the Spirit Chapter 528: Chapter 530: Seizing the Spirit ¡­ Deep into the night, the chilling moonlight cast a veil of white mist that softly shrouded the twinkling stars. Under the ancient crescent moon that stretched across the vast sky, a magnificent and majestic waterfall of silver light poured down, its waters cascading endlessly into a void. The silver cascade faintly outlined a shape reminiscent of the Sky Gate, ancient and mysterious, as golden purple divine halos rippled outwards, one after another. Even the moon above paled inparison, suggesting that this floating Dragon Gate above the Li Chuan Continent might indeed be the eternal Tianchen! This was the World Dragon Gate! In the beginning, only by looking up from the Li Chuan in could one glimpse the outline of this wondrous gate. Yet, at this depth of night, the World Dragon Gate stood as unique as the sun and the moon, and from any ce on the Li Chuan Continent with a clear view, one could catch sight of this mystical World Dragon Gate! It was closer to thisnd than the sun, moon, and stars, yet it also felt untouchably distant, a sight that all beings could only look up to. With the arrival of midnight, the divine halos that lingered around the World Dragon Gate gradually dissipated, and an uncolored, yet clearly visible spatial ripple suddenly swept across thend!! Time Wave!! It swept forth, surged, and moved visibly to the naked eye, like a transparent tsunami whose tidal lines rose high above the peaks. The immense and terrifying wave was unstoppable!!
Mountains, forests, cities, fields¡ªall were swept clean, without raising a speck of dust, nor carrying away any floating matter. People could clearly feel it like a cool wave swiftly passing through their bodies, so shocking and unbelievable. Yet, it shattered no objects, nor did it topple any thatched huts. The change it brought was solely the sudden and extraordinary growth in age and maturity of the spiritual vegetation!! This was the secret of the eruption of spiritual energy. The Time Wave bestowed the power of years upon all things!! While it only altered nts, the evolutionary path of all beings depended upon treasures of heaven and earth, upon years and time!!N?v(el)B\\jnn ¡°Unbelievable, truly unbelievable¡­¡± Zhu Minng gazed towards the World Dragon Gate, his heart filled with a myriad of emotions. Without witnessing this with his own eyes, how could he ever conceive of such a scene? Zhu Minng¡¯s understanding of this world had gained anotheryer, and with it, an increased reverence. ¡°Each Time Wave brings greater impact and sweeps across a wider area. Before long, it¡¯s likely that not just Li Chuan, but the entire Supreme Court Courtyard Continent will be affected by the World Dragon Gate,¡± Nan Lingsha said to Zhu Minng. ¡°It¡¯s truly like the world is ascending and advancing!¡± Zhu Minng eximed. Just now, Zhu Minng had personally experienced the power of the Time Wave. Like a devastatingly vast tsunami, it brought forth visible ripples of space, hitting him in the face yet almost imperceptible, and then rapidly surging towards the world behind him¡­ Before him, an osmanthus forest stood, the trees not growing robust like some pines but instead, their bark glistening as if polished jade. Their leaves grew incredibly dense, with asional spirit leaves shimmering with a unique glow, absorbing the essence of the moonlight cascading from the night sky! Hundreds and thousands of osmanthus trees, bathed unknowingly in the immacte moonlight veil, exuded a holy and mysterious aura, as if it was the mythical Moon Pce Osmanthus Forest straight out of legend! Zhu Minng saw the changes in the osmanthus forest clearly, and his heart churned with excitement!! If even such a small grove could receive such blessings, then a ce like the Nan Family Sacred Forest, which already possessed Silver Fir Holy Trees, would likely be a true Immortal Forest God Mansion overnight!! Fortunately, he had left the Heavenly ughter Dragon to guard the Silver Fir Sacred Forest; otherwise, Zhu Minng really feared that someone with ulterior motives might steal his Ten Thousand Years Silver Fir Holy Dew! ¡°` ¡°The Cultivation Fruit Tree should be ripe now,¡± said Nan Lingsha, ncing at the absolute ridge, her gaze fixed on theyer of tinum light emanating from the ridge! ¡°Mo Ye, Qing Zhuo, ck Fang, it¡¯s time to get to work!¡± Zhu Minng was instantly invigorated, his eyes inexplicably shining with vitality, even though it was the time of night one should be sound asleep! Perhaps influenced by Zhu Minng¡¯s bandit-like behavior during the power struggle, the painter¡¯s little auntie had long been preparing for this wave of time, yet alone she had trouble gathering the Spirit Objects that ripened in the Time Wave immediately.
The perfect time for Zhu Minng to return! No longer did they need to choose between the Cultivation Fruit Tree and Moon Dragon Valley. They wanted them all! ¡­
Rain Pond There was a pond in the ridge, with no tributaries flowing into it, only filling with water during the rainy seasons. It would slowly reveal itself and give birth to Rain Jade Spirit Stones when the surrounding stone walls werepletely soaked. Originally, this was a ce frequented by elderly men who enjoyed fishing, as the pond¡¯s rare fish, when sold to Dragon Trainers who consumed fish meat, could make them a fortune. A couple of old men, wearing cloaks resistant to the cold frost and dew, lingered near the Rain Pond, but a group of people dressed in yellow robes appeared and ruthlessly drove them away from the surroundings of the pond. ¡°This mountain belongs to our vige, and this Rain Pond was discovered by us first. Didn¡¯t your Young n Leader promise us that we could fish here at night?¡± an old man said indignantly. ¡°If you don¡¯t scram, I¡¯ll cut off all your tongues!¡± threatened a Yellow Robe martial master fiercely. The old men were frightened and fled in haste, not daring to utter another word ofint. ¡°There are Spirit Stones in the rain! There are Spirit Stones in the rain!!¡± Suddenly, someone in the Rain Pond shouted excitedly, and all the Yellow Robe warriors crowded near the pond, so eager they seemed to want to dive into the cold rainwater immediately to collect the rain jade blocks that could be used to build their cultivation tforms! ¡°Young n Leader, Young n Leader, there¡¯s a demonic auraing from the mountain, heading this way!¡± another person yelled loudly. ¡°Master Yang, you take some men and wipe them out. They dare to vie with us for treasures; let them regret bing demons!¡± ¡°Young n Leader, there¡¯s a dragon!!¡± ¡°What¡¯s there to be afraid of about dragons? I¡¯ll pull out all its teeth!¡±
In the night sky, an Azure Dragon pped its wings, circling above the Rain Pond. Its Dragon Breath spread, and those demons who had foolishly thought toe andpete were suddenly sensing the terrifying Dragon Breath and swiftly scattered like birds and beasts! These Yellow Robe warriors, realizing the dragon in the sky was neither a Dragon General nor a Dragon Lord but a fearsome Dragon King, became immediately alert. ¡°Young n Leader, it¡¯s an Azure Dragon King!¡± Several young martial masters were already trembling with fear. What¡¯s happening in Li Chuan? Are Dragon Kings just wandering around everywhere? Why would such a high-caliber Green Saint Dragon appear near this secluded Rain Pond! Chapter 529: 531: The Peak Cultivation Fruit Tree Chapter 529: Chapter 531: The Peak Cultivation Fruit Tree ¡°Don¡¯t panic, with so many martial masters here, could we possibly be afraid of just one Dragon King? It dreams of monopolizing this Rain Pool¡ªwishful thinking!¡± the Young n Leader shouted angrily. At a singlemand, all the martial masters spread their legs into a horse stance, their energy sinking into their dantian, their bodies now exhibiting a yellow Gang Qi, like a specialyer of protective barrier. Initially, the Gang Qi barrier merely enveloped them, but gradually, the Gang Qi from each person merged together, eventually forming a massive yellow shield that enveloped the entire Rain Pool, like a copper wall and iron bastion, cutting everything on the outside off. That Azure Dragon coldly overlooked these human martial masters, when suddenly the feathers on its dragon wings burst forth with an azure brilliance. As this brilliance dispersed, it became like multiple sharp azure swords, piercing mercilessly through the mountains and even puncturing the Gang Qi protective barrier formed by the hundreds of martial masters!! ¡°Yi!!!!!¡± With a dragon roar, the Azure Dragon dove down, its whole body shimmering with azure light as if mes were burning. When it struck the rocks near the Rain Pool, azure mes wildly swept through, scorching those closely huddled martial masters, causing them to howl in pain. ¡°Take this punch, Gang Qi Bone-Bursting Fist!¡± Elder Martial Artist Yang bellowed, charging towards the Azure Dragon like a crazed bull, gathering all his strength into his right fist. Instantly, his punching power erupted, mming heavily into the Azure Dragon. Unfortunately, the Azure Dragon didn¡¯t bother to dodge or evade; it let the old martial artist¡¯s fist hit it squarely. The Azure Dragon stood there, utterly motionless, its pair of azure vertical pupils coldly and arrogantly looking down upon the old martial artist. ¡°Smack!!!!!!¡± With a sweep of its wings, the old martial artist was sent flying and embedded into a stone wall.
Just like swatting a fly, in the face of this Azure Dragon, even the highly experienced and distinguished palm technique expert, the old martial artist, was just a minor character, unable to withstand a single blow! ¡°Young n Leader, this Azure Dragon is terrifying!¡± the young martial artists were all stunned. If even the elder martial artist could be treated so brutally, wouldn¡¯t they, with their lower cultivation, be annihted in just a single breath?? ¡°Afraid of what? There are so many of us. If we just give in now, how will we ever improve our strength in the future? Do you want to be trampled underfoot by others for the rest of your lives? It¡¯s just a dragon beast, everyone follow me and attack together!¡± the Young n Leader shouted loudly. Inspired by his words, all martial masters lined up once again, their bodies erupting with yellow Gang Qi as they jointly disyed martial arts techniques reinforced by the Gang Qi! ¡°Subjugating Dragon Palm!¡± ¡°Subjugating Dragon Palm!¡± ¡°Subjugating Dragon Palm!¡± All the martial masters used the same palm technique, their Gang Qi bing even more intense. As the Young n Leader struck out with his palm, the hundreds of martial masters behind him simultaneously ced their palms on the backs of the colleagues in front of them at the exact same moment! From palm to palm, the martial masters formed precisely the grounded Arhat Formation, and all their palm forces were eventually transferred to the Young n Leader. Naturally, the Young n Leader¡¯s palm strike was terrifyingly powerful! The palm was asrge as mountains, the Gang Qi surged like tidal waves; this palm embodied the strongest force of all the martial masters! ¡°Boom!!!!!!¡± The mountain crumbled, rugged rocks turned to dust, and the Azure Dragon near the Rain Pool suddenly raised its head, conjuring one light barrier after another from thin air. These light barriers stood upright, and from a high vantage point, they formed a massive pattern of light, protecting the Azure Dragon within like a fortified barrier of radiance! The Subjugating Dragon Palm struck, shattering just a few light barriers, but there were dozens ofyers inside and out, which also rotated and rearranged, forming different patterns of light barriers! ¡°Pupupupupupu!!!!!!¡± Blood spurted from his mouth in great gushes; the method of transferring power itself would inflict a certain level of internal injury on every martial master subjected to the force, and upon seeing that the Azure Dragon waspletely unharmed, the martial masters were spitting blood incessantly. Perhaps the internal injury wasn¡¯t severe, but it was the overwhelming sense of powerlessness and humiliation that truly damaged their spirits! ¡°Young¡­ Young n Leader, what should we do??¡± ¡°Go for reinforcements, quickly go for reinforcements, call everyone from Sect Forest over!!¡±
¡°We only have so many people who made it to Li Chuan, and some are still guarding other spirit nts nearby.¡± ¡°Tell the people from Brown Martial n toe, we can split the Spirit Jade from the rain pool with them, no matter what, we can¡¯t let this great evil Azure Dragon monopolize it!¡± The Young n Leader spat out blood as he spoke furiously, hisplexion was terrible to the extreme. Where on earth did this Azure Dragone from!! Over a hundred martial masters, and not a single one was its match!
Fortunately, the dragon was only interested in the rain pool and even carried a proud attitude as if the rain pool was its private property. Had the Azure Dragon gone on a killing spree, it¡¯s likely that very few of them would have lived to leave! ¡­ North Utmost Ridge North Utmost Ridge is divided into Lower Isted Ridge and Upper Isted Ridge. The Lower Isted Ridge had already taken on the verdant hues of spring ¨C grass burgeoning, birds singing, and mountain flowers blooming brilliantly, with some special ridge trees adding to Lower Isted Ridge¡¯s most splendid sights, often resembling giant pines climbing the cliffs like dragons! The Upper Isted Ridge, however, was still covered with ayer of azure ice and snow, with a climate greatly different from that of Li Chuan in. The Absolute Ridge Chengbang that Li Yunzi mentioned is located within Upper Isted Ridge, but signs of their activities had gradually appeared on the Lower Isted Ridge and the Li Chuan in. The Lower Isted Ridge was equally precipitous; its bottomless valleys were dark and deep, more like the crevices of dark despair in the flourishing world, inhabited by unknown evil creatures and toxic insects. A fall would mean being trapped by miasma down below; unless one found the exit to Absolute Valley, escape was virtually impossible. The changes brought by the Time Wave weren¡¯t all beneficial. The Absolute Valley was clearly affected by the Time Wave, umting millennia of miasma, bing more than ten times more dangerous than before. It was said that some creatures hibernating within and the poisonous flowers and trees that grew alongside them experienced such an increase in their cultivation base that they transformed from demons into saints! The Cultivation Fruit Tree¡¯s location was particrly unsettling. It grew sprawling on a cliff, above which towered two lofty ck Ridges, while belowy the terrifying valley of dormant creatures. Though many ancient pines intermingled between the ck Ridge cliffs, standing on these pine branches, with the valley of despair directly beneath, one¡¯s heart thrashed in fear!n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om ¡°What an opportunity, this Cultivation Fruit Tree, even troops have been deployed, holding Repeating Crossbows guarding both mountain ridges!¡± Zhu Minng eximed in amazement. Above the ck Ridge, throngs of people moved about; an army of twenty thousand stood atop, wielding cold iron Repeating Crossbows. Not even flocks of demon birds daring to approach would be spared, they would shoot down even a few unwitting flies that happened to pass by.
Upon Zhu Minng¡¯s arrival, he immediately witnessed the terrifying prowess of the Repeating Crossbow army ¨C they shot down a Mountain Cloud Dragon that was circling the ridge, a former sovereign of Lower Isted Ridge, killed outright by the Repeating Crossbow army! Apart from the army¡¯s protection, around this Cultivation Fruit Tree were several small forces, simr to Mouse Despise Daoist Temple, patrolling the area. If they saw anyone approaching, they would kill them on sight without even asking questions! Their methods were extraordinarily cruel, demonstrating their resolve to im this Cultivation Fruit Tree for themselves! Chapter 530: 532: Descendants of the Heavens Chapter 530: Chapter 532: Descendants of the Heavens ¡°The army is on alert, the sects are patrolling, and there are many strong warriors guarding the steep cliffs, with a dozen Dragon Kings coiling around the giant pines¡­ Which power is this, to have such an extensive arrangement!¡± Zhu Minng watched with a frightened thrill. No wonder the painter¡¯s little aunt wanted to team up for the heist; with such an array of forces against them, how could she possibly seed alone, just the twenty thousand Elite Iron Crossbow Army could stop a King Level master! That Iron Crossbow Army is no ragtag militia filled with civilians; their bolts are imbued with cold frost, and the arrows are all forged from fine steel, extremely well-equipped, probably surpassing some of the Divine Mortal Ability users with lower cultivation in capabilities. ¡°They belong to the Great Zhou Sect, it¡¯s best if we don¡¯t expose our identities,¡± Nan Lingsha said as she handed Zhu Minng a masked scarf. The painter¡¯s little aunt already has such a practiced trade, Zhu Minng took the fragrant scarf and said, ¡°I will make a move as a Sword Master; this way, I should avoid bringing trouble upon myself.¡± ¡°Hmm, my Divine Mortal Ability is too special; I got targetedst time when I snatched Cultivation Fruits. This time I¡¯ll cover for you, just grab those few tinum Cultivation Fruits, and we can leave the rest as charity for them,¡± the painter said. The Great Zhou Sect, one of the Six Great ns, they also have a Zhou n in the Neon Sea, ranked among the Nine Tribes, and it¡¯s merely a branch of the Great Zhou Sect in the Neon Sea. The Great Zhou n has deep ties with the Royal Family; the Pu n has long been prosperous, and Zhu Gate has risen unexpectedly. Although in recent years the Great Zhou Sect might fall shortpared to Zhu Gate and the Pu n, they have a profound foundation, very extensive power; the Zhu Heavenly Officer has indeed mentioned them to Zhu Minng, as the one out of the Six Great ns whose true strength was the most elusive to the Zhu Heavenly Officer. The Zhu Heavenly Officer is especially wary of the Great Zhou Sect, so of course, we need to be extra careful in our actions. Nan Lingsha¡¯s courage is as big as the sky, other major powers would turn tail and run upon hearing it¡¯s the Great Zhou Sect, but she¡¯s quite the opposite, wanting to snatch resources from such a super n!
However, on the flip side, if it¡¯s not something of the Cultivation Fruit Tree¡¯s level, Zhu Minng really isn¡¯t that interested! Since the Time Wave brings countless exotic herbs and divine flowers to the world, naturally, what they strive for must also be the top tier! ¡°Your Zhu Gate and the Yaoshan Sword Sect are in the Wutu, guarding a Scorpion Dragon Mountain, and that Scorpion Dragon Mountain¡¯s Scorpion Crystal Mine is not inferior to this Cultivation Fruit Tree. Li Yunzi¡¯s Army Guard is assisting them in sweeping the iron mine¡¯s devil scorpion nests,¡± Nan Lingsha said. ¡°Everyone is vying for Spiritual Objects¡­ Sigh, why didn¡¯t I raise a few more dragons, so I could guard more spiritual resources!¡± Zhu Minng said, somewhat annoyed. If he had a dozen dragons now, with each dragon guarding a piece of Holy Spirit resource, he would make a fortune from this wave! ¡°There will be another Time Wave, don¡¯t worry,¡± Nan Lingsha said. ¡°Right!¡± Zhu Minng eagerly nodded. The changes brought by the next Time Wave will be even more significant, so now it¡¯s important to quickly enhance one¡¯s own strength, ensuring every dragon is capable of holding its own. When the next Time Wave arrives, we can ¡°defend¡± even more treasures! ¡°The Cultivation Fruits have already absorbed the force of time, once they bathe in the first Dawn Light they will bepletely mature, but picking them before then will ruin their essence,¡± Nan Lingsha exined in detail. ¡°It smells so good, why do I feel like I can smell the fragrance of the Cultivation Fruits from over there,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°The essence of the Cultivation Fruits can no longer be concealed, the mature fragrance will drift far away and attract those powerful demons, otherwise the Great Zhou n wouldn¡¯t deploy such an extensive defense,¡± Nan Lingsha said. ¡­ The power of the Great Zhou n¡¯s people is indeed terrifying, the scent of the fruits pervades, and one can hear the cries of those strong Demon Saints from the mountains; they haveunched three waves of assault, and all were quashed by the people of the Great Zhou n. Bodies could be seen everywhere, and the steep cliffs were smeared with blood. Enormous chunks of monster meat were hanging from the gigantic pines, being devoured by dragons that crawled among the towering ancient trees. ¡°A bunch of lowly beasts, they even dare topete with our Great Zhou n for the Cultivation Fruit Tree. Even if Heavenly Demons or Divine Beasts came, it would be pointless!¡± said a man from the Great Zhou n, wearing a Five-Colored Bird Robe. This man was also wearing the Sparrow Feather Crown, tall and straight, handsome as a jade tree facing the wind. He looked down with disdain on the mountain ridge monsters that kepting to meet their deaths. He nced at the sky, the night was pitch ck like ink. In a short while, dawn would arrive, and as soon as the first light of the sun shone upon the Cultivation Fruit Tree, the Cultivation Fruits would be wless. ¡°Hmph, our Great Zhou n is the Chosen n. With this divine grace, I want to see if the Pu n and Zhu Gate still dare to challenge us!¡± the man in the Five-Colored Bird Robe said coldly. ¡°With me here, your Great Zhou Sect will be far ahead of these lower citizens. Take good advantage of it. Perhaps even the Royal Family will have to look up to your Great Zhou Sect,¡± said a pale-skinned youth standing on the top of the pine tree, smiling confidently with a hint of contempt in his eyes as they swept across the mountain ranges, the sky, and Absolute Valley.
This is the Lower Realm, and these are the creatures of the Lower Realm? Too weak, and the Spiritual Energy they contain is way too feeble. Standing on such barrennd, it feels like even setting foot here would soil one¡¯s precious shoes. ¡°The light ising,¡± the proud and haughty youth said. The noble youth walked towards the Cultivation Fruit Tree, waiting for the first light of the sun to fall from the highest part of the ridge.N?v(el)B\\jnn
Although as the Time Wave passes, the Cultivation Fruit Tree has already matured, and could be harvested as Spiritual Objects for those who have not ascended. But he sought perfection in everything. Although the tinum Cultivation Fruits had been condensed on the soil of the Lower World, they were considered to be quite decent spiritual resources even in the heavens above. ¡°Zhou Xian, I¡¯ll take two, and leave one for you, no objections, right?¡± the noble youth said, turning around with a smile. ¡°All three for Your Excellency. Zhou Xian would have no objections. After all, even the slightest guidance you provide us is a tremendous grace!¡± Zhou Xian said respectfully, his wordsced with ttery. ¡°Then I¡¯ll go pick them,¡± the noble youth said, looking up at ck Ridge, waiting for that ray of sunlight to bathe down. A ray of light streaked across, clearly not as gentle as the first sunlight. The light was extremely sharp. It suddenly fell from between the steep pines, and the nearby Dragon Kings didn¡¯t even have time to react. Zhou Xian¡¯s face changed, for he saw a sword. There was a person on the sword, who was actually riding it through the air, moving as fast as a meteor streaking through the night sky. The brilliance was not blinding, but it had a stunning, shocking beauty! Sword Flight! A Flying Sword Swordmaster, and a considerably high-level swordsman at that!! In this Li Chuan Continent, could there really be such a cultivator? And by the looks of it, they were heading straight for his Cultivation Fruit Tree. ¡°Your Excellency, be careful!!¡± Zhou Xian roared in anger and spoke out to warn the noble youth.
Chapter 531: 533: Lower Realm Earth Dog Chapter 531: Chapter 533: Lower Realm Earth Dog Although the youth was d in expensive, exquisite attire, adorned with jade artifacts all over his body, his own cultivation base was obviously not particrly high. He didn¡¯t notice someone approaching, and when he reached out to pluck the fruit, the tinum Cultivation Fruit in front of him vanished as if blown away by a gust of wind! ¡°Scoundrels, daring to steal spiritual treasures right in front of our Great Zhou n, Iron Crossbow Army, shoot him to death!¡± a Great Zhou n elder roared from above. ¡°Swoosh swoosh swoosh swoosh swoosh!!!!!!¡± Iron crossbow arrows tore through the air, emitting piercing whistles, numerous and densely packed, like a sudden downpour, even the rugged, solid rocks were directly prated by these crossbow arrows! ¡°Caw caw caw caw caw!!!!!!¡± Simultaneously, a series of cries echoed from ck Ridge, as flocks of Chinese Ink Ravens appeared from nowhere. Their numbers were immense, forming a huge ck cloud that dove towards the Iron Crossbow Army atop the ridges. The Chinese Ink Ravens grew in number, obscuring the sky andpletely blocking the Iron Crossbow Army¡¯s line of sight, not to mention that many of the archers were snatched into the air by these ravens, forcing the Iron Crossbow Army to resort to shooting down these birds! The Chinese Ink Ravens were bizarre; after being pierced through, they promptly turned into drops of ck ink, then dripped onto the ridges without leaving a single drop of blood, let alone any bodies or feathers! With the Iron Crossbow Army¡¯s barrage halted, Zhu Minng naturally no longer needed to tiptoe around. After picking one tinum Cultivation Fruit, Zhu Minng headed straight for the second, and though a few Dragon Beasts¡¯ angry roars came from behind, Zhu Minng flicked his hand, casting four or five sword shadows.
These sword shadows seemed to possess their own consciousness, autonomously fighting and blocking the attacks of the Dragon Beasts. ¡°Three in total, not bad at all!¡± Zhu Minng was about to pick the third when suddenly, a young man decked in jade artifacts charged at him furiously, looking ready to fight to the death. ¡°You lowborn peasant from the Lower Realm, daring to stir trouble over Tai Sui¡¯s head, you¡­ you think you¡¯re worthy!!!¡± The young man was supremely arrogant, speaking in a tone that ced him well above others, as if, in his eyes, a cultivator like Zhu Minng was no more than a cockroach or an insect. Zhu Minng grabbed thest Cultivation Fruit, turned his head to look at the youth charging at him like a mad dog. This youth, he actually had ws, which extended from his fingers, gleaming with the color of rose gold, a seemingly fine specimen at first nce. The problem was, his speed and strength both seemed somewhatcking. ¡°Smack!!!¡± Zhu Minng struck back with his hand, using the t of his sword to send the exceedingly arrogant young man flying. ¡°Whatever riffraff, and here I thought he was some peerless expert,¡± Zhu Minng said disdainfully. The young man sent flying by the sword¡¯s t was so furious he almost crushed his teeth. Hended on the green pines covering the stone cliff and turned his head furiously towards the Great Zhou n¡¯s Zhou Xian, ¡°Are these guards of yours all good-for-nothing deadweights? How could they let a wretch charge down like this!¡± ¡°Priest Ming Ji, please calm your anger. This person has been lying in wait nearby for a long time, just waiting for this moment to strike. Nevertheless, he shall not leave here alive!¡± Zhou Xian was also immensely frustrated. They had already instructed seven sects to conduct a thorough search of the two ridges; anyone found alive, regardless of who, was to be killed on the spot, all to ensure the safety of the Cultivation Fruit. Little did they know, someone was still hidden here, and that someone was a highly skilled Flying Sword Swordsman. The man had his face covered, and Zhou Xian didn¡¯t know who he was. On the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent, the number of Sword Masters was exceedingly high. Sect Forest, Sword Faction, Sword Manor, Sword Gate, and countless others existed. Even some powerful Sword Masters upied a hill by themselves, taking in only a few disciples. It was difficult even for Sword Masters to identify which style or power the other party belonged to. Of course, as one of the Six Great ns, the Great Zhou n did not need to bother with who the other party was. If they dared toe here to snatch spirit, there was only one oue¡ªdeath! ¡°Three Elders, strike him down; there¡¯s no need to question his identity!¡± Zhou Xian did not charge forward himself. The intruder¡¯s cultivation base was not low, able to easily pass through those pine guard Dragon Kings, Zhou Xian risked being chopped down with a single sword strike if he recklessly went forward. Three elders wearing Flying Bird Robes appeared beside the Cultivation Fruit Tree. They formed a three-sided encirclement, clearly not intending to let Zhu Minng leave this ce alive. Zhu Minng had sensed these three people early on, all of them strong beings of the King-Level Realm. Although they were only quasi-King level, they were not to be underestimated. If they possessed any special ability to restrain him, hisst bout of Sword Awakening energy would be wasted here.
Zhu Minng did not intend to employ the power of Sword Awakening, as that was his final trump card. There was still too much unknown to explore at the World Dragon Gate, and he could not afford to squander this hard-earned energy under any circumstances. Fortunately, he had learned a few moves from that respected white-haired elder, all of which were quite practical and powerful Art of the Flying Sword techniques. ¡°Sword Sweep All Directions!¡± The Sword Spirit Dragon was of a Lower Level King cultivation base, and with its powerful Flying Sword Technique, the resulting Sword Might was even more terrifying. If it weren¡¯t for the Time Wave that had also reinforced the mountain rock over the years, the two peaks would have likely turned into dust the moment the Sword Spirit Dragon unleashed its Sword Qi!
The three Great Zhou n elders were all repelled by Zhu Minng, who stepped on a sword shadow and flew at extreme speed towards the noble young man he had sent flying earlier. ¡°So it was you who just called me a ¡®lowborn¡¯, wasn¡¯t it? Didn¡¯t your elders teach you how to speak properly? Take this p!¡± Zhu Minng didn¡¯t pamper the noble young man, raising his hand and delivering several sweeping ps, all the while stepping on the shadow of the flying sword and furiously backhanding the young man. Zhou Xian would never have imagined that the three elders couldn¡¯t stop a Flying Sword Swordsmaster, let alone that this Swordsmaster would directly seize Priest Ming Ji. This priest was really something¡ªwithout any strongbat ability of his own, why provoke a fearsome Flying Sword Swordsmaster? ¡°Oh? There¡¯s a Life-preserving Jade Tool on you, quite the background, eh?¡± When Zhu Minng increased his strength, a repelling force burst from the jade tool on the noble young man¡¯s body, trying to eject him away. This repelling force was more extravagant than the strong breath from a King-Level Dragon, but luckily, Zhu Minng withdrew his hand in time, and the strange bouncing force immediately disappeared.N?v(el)B\\jnn Zhu Minng¡¯s family sold equipment after all. He certainly knew that this type of life-preserving tool would only activate automatically and generate strong energy to protect its master and repel the enemy when the wearer¡¯s life was threatened. But if the force was ¡°appropriate,¡± it wouldn¡¯t trigger the tool¡¯s effect. The device on the noble young man had quite the origin, and even a full-strength sword strike would hardly break through it. ¡°You lower realm cur, even if you cultivate for ten thousand more years, you cannot hope to break through my Immortal Jade Shield. Better to be convicted now, and I¡¯ll leave your body intact!¡± the noble young man said fiercely. ¡°p!!!!!¡± Another pnded heavily on the young man¡¯s face, knocking out two teeth and leaving his mouth bloody, his cheek swollen like a pig¡¯s. ¡°You¡­¡±
¡°p!!!!!¡± Another p, causing the young man to spit out blood, his nose now crooked. Chapter 532: 534: Dividing Sword Technique Chapter 532: Chapter 534: Dividing Sword Technique ¡°You call me a ¡®lowly breed¡¯ and a ¡®lower realm mongrel¡¯; what are you, unting your sense of superiority in front of Sword Master Zhu? Does it hurt? I¡¯m just asking you!¡± Zhu Minng once again furiously pped the noble youth across the face. His pping, that was art. Knowing that the other party had a life-preserving jade, impossible to shatter, Zhu Minng managed the critical force with each p. This force was enough not to trigger the noble youth¡¯s life-preserving jade shield, yet still cause him excruciating pain. Sure enough, after a series of ps, the youth¡¯s face was swollen like a pig demon¡¯s. His teeth shattered, his nasal bone broken, his fair face now indistinguishable from a burst pig¡¯s liver. The youth was not dead, but the humiliation from Zhu Minng was equivalent to death for this proud and haughty young man. ¡°A bunch of garbage, how can you not ovee a single flying sword? Do you want Priest Ming Ji to be humiliated to death by this man?!¡± Zhou Xian roared furiously. ¡°But shouldn¡¯t we worry about Priest Ming Ji¡¯s life? Isn¡¯t he being used as a hostage by the opponent?¡± an elder riding a Quasi-Dragon King asked. Everyone hesitated to rush in at once because the priest had been captured. Besides, using their powerful abilities might identally injure this esteemed person from the heavens.
The youth, Mingji, dizzy from the beatings, nearly passed out from anger upon hearing this. He wasn¡¯t sure if the Immortal Jade Shield could preserve his life if he died from rage, questioning the judgment of an Immortal Jade artifact. All the beatings he had just taken were in vain! ¡°Charge! Don¡¯t worry about Priest Mingji¡ªhaven¡¯t you seen his indestructible jade shield? Even a King-Level Realm wouldn¡¯t be able to take his life. Attack with all your might!¡± Zhou Xian bellowed. ¡°Yes, yes, don¡¯t mind Mingji¡¯s killing. Quickly chop down this intruder!¡± A group of elite warriors surged forward, including God and Mortal of the King Level and also a Dragon King. A painter who had tipped Zhu Minng off before had informed him that none among them were of the Lower Level King; they were all Quasi-King Level, the more troublesome of them being the twenty thousand Iron Crossbow Army. Zhu Minng waspletely surrounded. Without a second thought, he grabbed the noble youth from the heavens, stepped on his flying sword, and shot straight toward the Absolute Valley shrouded in toxic fog. ¡°I wonder if you can survive down there.¡± After saying this, Zhu Minng threw the highly detestable noble youth into the depths of Absolute Valley. The miasma of Absolute Valley spread thickly, a ce where even Holy Spirits and Dragon Kings had great difficulty adapting. What¡¯s more, the valley was home to a myriad of sinister creatures that never saw sunlight, possessing certain abilities that could be fatal and terrifying regardless of one¡¯s cultivation base. The youth, his face beaten to a pulp, screamed as he fell into the Absolute Valley. The Great Zhou n¡¯s elite warriors pursuing Zhu Minng were stunned for a moment, unsure whether to charge into the toxic mist to rescue him. If they went down, they were likely to die, not having the miraculous life-preserving jade shield. But if they didn¡¯t, the young man from the heavens might be poisoned to death alive, or some venomous creature might burrow into his body, leaving his internal organs eaten clean. If he died, any me from the heavens would still befall them. ¡°Elder Chen, you take a team down. The rest will follow me; we must shred this thief into a thousand pieces!¡± Zhou Xianmanded. Having summoned a Ruin Dragon, Zhou Xian¡¯s strength was also not to be underestimated, but this fellow was clearly much more cautious than the overly prideful youth Mingji. Only after roughly assessing the opponent¡¯s strength did he fullymit to the battle. Riding the Ruin Dragon, Zhou Xian was d in dark purple-gold armor that also covered the dragon¡¯s body, making him look like a Dragon God General from a dark kingdom. He raised his hands high, and strands of light twined around them, quickly these strands of light formed a magnificent light crossbow! ¡°Die!¡± Zhou Xianmanded the dragon to take flight, firing terrifyingly sharp arrows from the light crossbow in his hands at Zhu Minng. The arrows were dark gold in color and were not made of wooden shafts and metal heads, but wereposed of dark gold energy that erupted with bizarre ck vortex streams, appearing far more fearsome than those crossbow bolts crafted by expert teachers! ¡°Boom!!!!!!!¡± The dark golden arrows grazed Zhu Minng, and the next moment the huge precipice behind him was blown apart. The rock, hardened by the Time Wave, was somewhat unable to withstand a single strike, to say nothing of the pine trees on the cliffs that had grown into towering ancient woods, all were sted into sawdust.
Zhu Minng moved swiftly on his sword. It was easy to snatch the Cultivation Fruit since he had been lying in wait here early on, but escaping was proving to be somewhat difficult, and that was under the circumstances where Nan Lingsha was using her magic to interfere with the Iron Crossbow Army¡­ ¡°Hand over the Cultivation Fruit, and I¡¯ll leave your body intact!¡± Zhou Xian pointed at Zhu Minng and demanded. The Ruin Dragon he was riding was also no ordinary Dragon King. Its pair of dragon pupils stared at Zhu Minng, making the air around him feel hot and exerting apressive force, squeezing his range of activity into a very limited area. Zhu Minng looked around and realized he was trapped in a red void box. His movements and flight were like a fly caught in a box¡ªno matter how fast or agile, he couldn¡¯t escape the confines of this void box!
Another Pupil Domain! Pupil Domains were indeed troublesome. They enveloped a person like a fog, and once lost inside, one mightpletely sink into it, unable to escape. However, if one could find the precise direction, or a reference point in the fog to break it, then the Pupil Domain wouldn¡¯t be as terrifying as it seemed.N?v(el)B\\jnn Of course, there was another more direct and effective method¡ªattack the one employing the Pupil Domain, preferably stabbing right in their eyes! ¡°Sword Split Technique, Sword Scorpion!¡± Before he was confined in the void box, Zhu Minng had already split the Sword Spirit Dragon into four sword shadows. Sword Split Technique. This was a key skill in the Flying Sword Technique. As a Flying Sword Swordsman, one either needed to refine many flying swords in one¡¯s sword bag to ensure that multiple swords could bemanded in battle simultaneously or refine a stackable sword that could split from one to two, two to four, four to hundreds. The Sword Spirit Dragon was a stackable sword. Although it had only one crimson sword body, this sword body merged numerous famous swords from the Abandoned Sword Forest, each with some Sword Soul. The esteemed teacher from White Robe Sword Sect had taught Zhu Minng how to split the famous swords within the Sword Spirit Dragon, ensuring he could control multiple flying swords simultaneously! Hovering in the air with his sword, the Flying Sword under Zhu Minng¡¯s feet was the Azure Blood Sword, merely an Ancient Sword without any inscribed energy, while the true Sword Spirit Dragon was left by Zhu Minng near the previously shattered cliff, like a Desert Poison Scorpion, quietly waiting for its prey toe closer! Chapter 533: 535: Enemies on a Narrow Road Chapter 533: Chapter 535: Enemies on a Narrow Road ¡°Swoosh!!!!¡± A sword swept past, like the tail of a serpent, with a cold glint of light, and it was deadly enough! The Sword Spirit Dragon thrust straight at the Ruin Dragon¡¯s eyes, which maintained its Dragon Pupil and never expected a flying sword reserved by Zhu Minng to be at its side. By the time it reacted, it was toote to dodge! ¡°Roar!!!!!!!!!!¡± The Ruin Dragon let out a painful roar as its body toppled backward. The power of this sword was not only simple enough to blind its eyes but the generated Sword Power almost prated its skull too. And Zhou Xian, who was riding on the Ruin Dragon¡¯s back, preparing to shoot that dark golden arrow at Zhu Minng, who was trapped, ended up shooting astray due to the Ruin Dragon¡¯s rearing back, sending the arrow flying toward the elders who were surrounding from the nk. Around Elder Chen, there was a group of Dragon Shepherds. They, along with the Divine and Mortals, were all attacking Zhu Minng, but then that immensely lethal Light Crossbow Arrow exploded among them, and the strange, powerful, spinning airflow sent them flying. Those who fell into Absolute Valley ended up in Absolute Valley, those who crashed into the mountains hit the mountains, and several clumsy Dragon Kings got entangled, with their tails sweeping wildly and throwing even more people flying. ¡°Young Master Zhou is the real man of valor indeed, I owe you so much that words cannot express, I shall take my leave now!¡± Zhu Minng said sarcastically to Zhou Xian as he bowed his hands mockingly before escaping quickly atop the Azure Blood Sword. Zhou Xian¡¯s face turned ck with anger!!
That one arrow could have sted his opponent into serious injury, but to his fury, it hit his own people instead, and to add insult to injury, he was mocked like that!! Who in the world was this person? He was determined to tear him to pieces!! ¡°Catch him, at all costs!!¡± Zhou Xian bellowed furiously. There were many Dragon Beasts on the ancient pines of the cliff; some had massive wings, some could hover in mid-air, and some were adept at racing up cliffs. They all pursued relentlessly, biting at Zhu Minng¡¯s sword-riding escape. But then, something bizarre happened. They thought they had chased him into the darkness of ck Cliff Ridge. They had seen Zhu Minng¡¯s figure a moment before, but the next moment, the mountain shadows shifted, the cliffs seemed to melt away, and the lush, sky-obscuring pines inexplicably turned into pools of ck water¡­ The mountain disappeared, the stone walls disappeared, the green pines disappeared, and the person had vanished into this eerie scene. Only some ck dust that remained between the cliffs and the valley dissipated slowly in the wisps of early morning sunlight. ¡°Where is he?!¡± ¡°Where is he?!!!¡± Zhou Xian followed suit, roaring thunderously. ¡°We don¡¯t know. We chased him here and saw a mirage made of ck smoke. After he flew into it, he disappeared along with the mirage,¡± said a Divine and Mortal who was just one step away from the King-level realm. ¡°Good-for-nothings, all of you!!!¡± Zhou Xian was fuming to the point of steaming. Those three perfect tinum Cultivation Fruits; they had guarded this cliff for many days, braving the elements, and spent a vast amount of money. Just the consumption of gold by the twenty thousand Iron Crossbow Army was a cartload a day! Letting off steam did not help, and luckily Mingji, the youngd from the heavens, had not fallen too deep into Absolute Valley and was rescued. ¡°We must dig three feet into the ground to find him!!¡± Mingji growled, pulling at his wounds as he did. But the scars and the pain on his body were nothingpared to the humiliation in his heart! ¡°What do we do now without the Cultivation Fruit¡­¡± Elder Chen said. ¡°My lord, I¡¯ve found some information that mightpensate for our losses this time,¡± said a man with mouse tattoos approaching. ¡°Speak!¡± The man with the mouse tattoos ryed his information, and Zhou Xian, Mingji, and Elder Chen¡¯s eyes began to turn as though they were thinking.
¡°Humph, we cannot return empty-handed this time; let¡¯s do as he said!¡± Zhou Xian said. ¡­ ¡­n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om Dawn had broken, and Zhu Minng had already fled far away, following the Li Chuan River and flying towards Ancestral Dragon City-State.
Nan Lingsha had a painting boat and followed Zhu Minng. ¡°This Cultivation Fruit, can it help both God and Mortal break through to the King-level realm?¡± Zhu Minng asked. ¡°Yes, give it to Little Qingzhuo, its attributes will be morepatible with the Cultivation Fruit,¡± Nan Lingsha replied. ¡°You go back to the city first, I¡¯m going to collect the Spiritual Objects in a few other ces,¡± Zhu Minng said to Nan Lingsha. ¡°Alright.¡± ¡­ Nan Lingsha returned to Ancestral Dragon City-State, considering the Time Wave would greatly affect the Nan Family Sacred Forest, she did not go back to the Dragon Taming Academy, but headed directly to the Nan Family Sacred Forest. As soon as she arrived at the Nan Family Residence, a steward came running out in a fluster and said with some stuttering to Nan Lingsha, ¡°Regent, someone is trying to seize our Sacred Forest, they have many masters, and their actions are extremely rampant, not taking our people seriously at all. Many of our guardians in the residence have been injured, and they have all gone into the Sacred Forest.¡± Nan Lingsha wasn¡¯t that surprised. The Nan Family Sacred Forest was now no less worthy than the Cultivation Fruit Trees; the Ten Thousand Year Silver Fir was even more precious than the tinum Cultivation Fruits. Some forces from the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent were sure not to let go of this Sacred Forest! ¡°Tell everyone in the residence to retreat first; I¡¯ll handle it,¡± Nan Lingsha instructed. As she made her way there, the Nan Family Residence had been severely damaged; several of the pavilions Nan Lingsha liked were destroyed. The half-dead guards of the residence were everywhere; thankfully, they had not yet recklessly started a massacre. After all, they were within the territory of the Ancestral Dragon City-State, where there were rulers and protectors; they were clearly here for the Sacred Forest. ¡­
¡°Everyone, stand down,¡± Nan Lingsha said as she stepped into the Sacred Forest and saw the people who hade to forcefully take over the Sacred Forest. However, when she saw a few familiar figures, Nan Lingsha couldn¡¯t help but show a look of astonishment. It turned out to be those people from the Great Zhou n! Their Iron Crossbow Army could not possibly enter Ancestral Dragon City-State; instead, it was those small Sects that had pledged allegiance to them, including several elders from the Great Zhou n, who had appeared in the Sacred Forest. Could they have noticed? At first, that¡¯s what Nan Lingsha believed¡ªthey were here for revenge. But looking at the current situation, it seemed not quite right. Nan Lingsha scanned the area and quickly noticed several individuals wearing headdresses with mouse patterns, and she saw that Zhou Xian was not among this aggressive bunch¡­ Nan Lingsha realized what was going on. Well, that really is interesting. They had their Cultivation Fruits snatched away and, driven by desperation, decided to rob someone else¡¯s treasures. And by coincidence, they chose the Nan Family Sacred Forest! It must be the people from Mouse Despise Taoist Temple. They had held a grudge against the Nan Family because of an incident with a Millennium Cultivation Fruit and intended to present the Great Zhou n with a major gift, while perfectly avenging themselves.
These people¡­ Had just been severely dealt with before dawn, yet they were alreadying back for more! Chapter 534: 536: The Soul of the Ink Brush Flies Chapter 534: Chapter 536: The Soul of the Ink Brush Flies ¡°Are you the head of this Nan Family?¡± The Temple Master of Mouse Despise Taoist Temple looked Nan Lingsha up and down, his eyes brimming with a hint of malevolence. ¡°The powers within Ancestral Dragon City-State have strict rules. Since you know this is Nan Family territory and still trespassed, you must be prepared to be executed on the spot,¡± Nan Lingsha said, her tone cold. ¡°Hmph, you kill people from our Daoist Temple, yet we came here only to inquire about the matter. Furthermore, even if we were to upy this ce, do you, a mere local n, dare to oppose us? Be sensible, and take your people and get lost now. If not, this Sacred Forest will be your Nan Family¡¯s graveyard!¡± threatened the Temple Master of Mouse Despise Daoist Temple. ¡°Less nonsense, get us what we want. This ce is within the bounds of the city-state where different forces check each other. Don¡¯t waste too much time!¡± At that moment, Elder Chen from the Great Zhou n interjected. ¡°Yes!¡± The Temple Master of Mouse Despise no longer said anything and immediately dispersed his subordinates into the woods to search for the Thousand Years Yinsan Holy Dew and the even rarer Ten Thousand Years Yinsan Holy Dew. The Time Wave had a significant impact on this Sacred Forest. Previously, the Yinsan Holy Dew aged ten and a hundred years that Zhu Minng had harvested from the Nan Family seemed like abundant fruit in a garden, seemingly inexhaustible. And there was no shortage of the Thousand Year Yinsan Holy Dew, which could greatly enhance the Cultivation Base even of Monarch Level cultivators. With such an abundance of Holy Dew that was more precious than gold, the forest was overflowing with it, impossible to collect in its entirety. Elder Chen also felt his mood fluctuate at this moment. The little Sacred Forest of Li Chuan could probably sustain a medium-sized power. The bounty here seemed even richer than that of the Cultivation Fruits from Absolute Ridge, probably due to the ancientness of this Sacred Forest!
It meant that Li Chuan itself had already held power over some secret realms, and during this Time Wave, they benefited the most! No wonder Zhu Gate and Yaoshan Sword Sect, who were the earliest to station here, cooperated with the rulers of Li Chuan. They must have gone off to mine even rarer Spirit Veins! ¡°Elder, shall I deal with this woman?¡± asked the Temple Master of Mouse Despise Daoist Temple. ¡°Don¡¯t create unnecessary trouble. Do you think our Great Zhou n and other sects can act as wantonly as your Mouse Despise Daoist Temple? Even if we are to do something, we cannot afford to give those stationed here any handle against us. Otherwise, our loss will outweigh our gain!¡± Elder Chen red fiercely at the Temple Master. So short-sighted, always thinking aboutmitting those old crimes of murder and plunder. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that the people from Mouse Despise Daoist Temple had their uses in gathering intelligence and engaging in unsavory deeds, Elder Chen wouldn¡¯t have wanted to mix with such riff-raff at all! ¡°Strange, why is there no response from the people who went in?¡± a confused Arrow Master asked at that moment. Elder Chen frowned, his gaze falling on Nan Lingsha as he asked coldly, ¡°Are there Guardian Beasts in the woods?¡± Nan Lingsha did not answer. ¡°I¡¯ll go take a look. Keep an eye on this woman here. If she dares to make a move, there¡¯s no need to be polite anymore,¡± said Elder Chen coldly. With that, Elder Chen led a group from other Sects toward the Sacred Forest. After the baptism of the Time Wave, the Yinsan Forest had grown exceptionally lush. Each Silver Fir tree was more enormous than ever, towering into the clouds, and the forest, imbued with a faintly sacred aura, looked peaceful and serene, as if it truly were a ce where Holy Dragons were born. After Elder Chen and the others entered, they quickly disappeared into the Yinsan Forest, with any sounds seemingly unable to escape from within. As for the Temple Master of Mouse Despise, his lecherous eyes were now brazenly scanning Nan Lingsha, as if the national beauty before him¡ªfrom her fair jade neck, slender legs, to her delicate waist¡ªwas an assortment of fine goods that dazzled the eye. ¡°Miss Ling Sha, all these peoplee from the forces of the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent. Any single one of them could easily tten the most powerful Sect Pce we had before. Perhaps we should cede the Sacred Forest,¡± Ling Tu whispered to Nan Lingsha. Ling Tu was a ve bought by Nan Yuso in Monument City from the Ling Family of Lingxiao City at that time. Now, many remnants of the Ling Family had been taken in by the Nan Family and be house ves, leading much better lives than those ves in the Wesnd. In order to secure more living space for his own people, Ling Tu was also loyal and devoted in the service of the Nan Family. Unfortunately, he and Ling Xun were powerless to stop these people and failed to protect the Nan Family. Instead, they were trampled upon ruthlessly, and at this moment, Ling Tu was also full of annoyance and shame. ¡°Tsk, tsk, the littless from the Nan Family, since you killed our people, our Mouse Despise Daoist Temple will settle this score with you, no matter what. While I, the temple master, am in a good mood,e over and give me a shoulder rub, a leg massage, and perhaps today you can pass unharmed!¡± the temple master of the Mouse Despise Daoist Temple said. Seeing that the others had already entered the Sacred Forest, only their people from the Mouse Despise Daoist Temple remained, watching over the Nan Family members.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om
At this moment, wasn¡¯t it up to them, the people from the Mouse Despise Daoist Temple, to do whatever they wanted? By the temple master¡¯s side, those few also wearing mouse-pattern headbands began to smirk lecherously. From the looks in their eyes and their sleazy expressions, one could tell what they intended to do was far from simple massages. Even if they couldn¡¯t kill arbitrarily, they could still have some fun, right? Otherwise, it¡¯d be such a waste for a beautiful and gracefuldy to stand there, all alone in her sorrow. ¡°Don¡¯t go too far. You¡¯ve already picked the Holy Dew of the Sacred Forest. If you¡¯re overly greedy, we¡¯ll fight you to the death right now!¡± Ling Tu said furiously.
The members of the Nan Family gathered together, their cultivation bases quite low, but their bottom line was the plundering of the Sacred Forest. ¡°Ling Tu, kill the rest of them,¡± Nan Lingsha said at that moment, her eyes like frozen moons seemingly devoid of any emotion! ¡°The rest of them?¡± Ling Tu was puzzled. There were at least forty to fifty people from the Mouse Despise Daoist Temple. This small temple was more than the Nan Family could handle, even if they all joined forces¡­ ¡°Swoosh!¡± Suddenly, a Peacock Velvet Ink Pen flew past with unbelievable speed, passing through the cheek of a mouse-patterned man who was smirking and flying out from the back of his skull. Before the others could react, the Peacock Velvet Ink Pen had already sliced through another person¡¯s neck. The man clutched his throat as blood gushed out nonstop, his body convulsing as he fell. ¡°Swoosh!¡± Another surge of speed, and only the afterimage of the Peacock Velvet Ink Pen could be seen. This time, the murderous ink pen targeted the temple master of the Mouse Despise Daoist Temple. This temple master indeed had some strength, reacting very quickly. With one iron hand, he fiercely caught the Peacock Velvet Ink Pen that was about to prate his forehead. The smile on his face gradually became ferocious and audacious. ¡°With just this little trick, you think you can¡­¡± Before he could finish his sentence, an ink pen, like a cold star, flew viciously through the temple on his head, then emerged from the other side, dragging a thick thread of blood from its tail!
Chapter 535: 537: Claiming the Hung Corpse Chapter 535: Chapter 537: iming the Hung Corpse ¡°` The Temple Master of Mouse Despise Daoist Temple hadn¡¯t died instantly. He looked at Nan Lingsha with disbelief, as just a moment before, the licentious Temple Master had been full of delusions about her. But now, he felt as though he were staring at Yama, the Judge himself, as his life rapidly ebbed away. There was regret at the prospect of death along with immense pain, contorting his face grotesquely! ¡°Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!¡± The flying brushes pierced the heads of the people from Mouse Despise Daoist Temple one after another, some through the forehead, some through the face, and some through the throat¡­ Each strike was fatal! Nan Lingsha stood there quietly, her jade arms naturally hanging at her sides, her feet elegantly poised, maintaining a ssical and dignified posture as if she were merely admiring the clouds, trees, and sniffing the fragrance of spring flowers. Yet, the scene before her was one of utter horror, as several murderous ink brushes prated the skulls of individual members of Mouse Despise Daoist Temple, one after another. As they fell, their faces were filled with terror, probably because, from the start, like the Temple Master, they had thought this excessively beautiful woman was nothing but a delicate vase, whose touch even felt weak and soft, that with augh, they could pull into their embrace and wantonly ravage¡­ However, what they saw before dying was an indifferent face, mercilessly killing without even blinking an eye! The Nan Family members were also stunned. After all, these were the top experts of an entire force, and they had been killed by Nan Lingsha in such a short amount of time??
At this moment, Ling Tu finally understood what Nan Lingsha meant by her previous words. Indeed, a few had not died, simply because they stood a little far off, guarding near the Silver Fir. Ling Tu did not dare to be negligent, fearing that if those few fish that slipped the ran into the Sacred Forest to leak information, it would be hard for their Nan Family to escape. Ling Tu and the others gave chase, neatly dealing with thest few people from Mouse Despise Daoist Temple, making the forest suddenly much quieter. The only discordant note was the bodies scattered on the ground, at odds with the sanctity of the forest. ¡°Miss, shall we flee now?¡± Ling Tu asked. ¡°Why should we flee?¡± Nan Lingsha said. ¡°Those from Mouse Despise Daoist Temple were just minor characters. The ones who stepped into the Sacred Forest earlier are the real powerhouse fighters, especially that Elder Chen, who is feared to be at the King Level Cultivation Base, as the legends say. Even if you canpete with him to some extent, it would be very difficult for the rest of us to deal with his subordinates,¡± Ling Tu said. After all, they were rtively weak. The emergence of the Supreme Court Continent hadpletely disrupted the original bnce of Li Chuan. In the past, as long as one¡¯s cultivation base reached Monarch Level, one would be an eternal overlord in Li Chuan, but on the Supreme Court Continent, Monarch Level was nothing more than a high-level figure within some forces, not even considered among the continent¡¯s powerhouses. Although they had improved in recent years, they were far behind those legacies with stronger inheritances. Of course, if they could manage the Nan Family Sacred Forest well, they might have had a chance topete with these people. ¡°Great Protector, gather some people to drag the bodies out of the forest and hang them outside our Nan Family Residence,¡± Nan Lingsha said to the Great Protector in charge of guarding the Sacred Forest. ¡°What?¡± The Great Protector thought he had heard wrong. ¡°The Sacred Forest has a Guardian Beast that should have taken care of those people. Go on, do as I said, hang the bodies outside the residence, and spread the word. If anyone dares covet the Nan Family Sacred Forest, the Great Zhou n¡¯s Elder Chen will meet their fate!¡± Nan Lingsha said. Although the Great Protector couldn¡¯t believe what Nan Lingsha was saying, he still led a group of people into the Sacred Forest. As soon as they entered the Silver Fir Sacred Forest, the Great Protector and the other protectors showed looks of horror. One body after another, all of them were the top experts of the Great Zhou n. ¡°` And those followers from the minor sects, they all met horrific deaths as well, their conditions extremely bizarre.
What was most unbelievable was that Elder Chen, who possessed a king-level cultivation base, was also gasping for hisst breaths! Before arriving, Elder Chen was full of pride and arrogance, utterly dismissive of the Li Chuan family, looking down on them as if they were nothing more than abandoned peasants. But now, Elder Chen was leaning against a silver fir tree, with a ghastly wound torn across his chest. His eyes were filled with panic as he gazed at the canopy, as if he were being chased by a demon, his body and soul tortured and shattered! Everyone else was dead, and only Elder Chen, relying on his near-king-level cultivation, was still struggling desperately. But it was evident that his death was just a matter of time.
There was a creature in the Sacred Forest that filled Elder Chen with extreme terror, toying with him, ying a cruel game of chase! Several protectors felt a chill run down their spines and feared they would be implicated, so they hurriedly fled. After waiting outside the Sacred Forest for a while, they finally heard an extremely piercing screaming from somewhere within it.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om It was Elder Chen¡¯s voice. He had finally been killed by that devil. The scream, eerily, carried a hint of relief, as if even Elder Chen could no longer bear the torment! Following Nan Lingsha¡¯s instructions, they cleared out the corpses from the Sacred Forest and cleaned up the ce¡­ The bodies were also put on disy, waiting for the various sects toe and im them. It didn¡¯t take long for word of this to spread; the powers that had trickled into Li Chuan were deeply shocked. This insignificant Li Chuan was actually a hidden dragon crouching tiger; a leading family of Ancestral Dragon City was able to annihte so many experts from various sects, and even a person of king-level realm did not escape their deadly fate. ¡°It¡¯s a disgrace to the ancestors, brazenly invading others¡¯ territory, and then getting killed, with their bodies strung up for disy,¡± ¡°That Elder Chen, who was from the Great Zhou n, I heard that they immediately disavowed him, iming he was no longer a member of their n, the Great Zhou n didn¡¯t even have the face to im the body. But it was the Divine Bow Sect and the Thief¡¯s Daoist Temple that took their members back, with apologies and tributes¡­¡± ¡°I heard that the one in charge of the Nan family is Nan Lingsha, a painter who is both divine and mortal, with an extremely high cultivation base, and she is known as one of the two female heroes of Li Chuan alongside the ruling Female Monarch.¡±
¡°It is said that they are twin sisters and look exactly alike.¡± ¡°Really? Does that mean they are both breathtakingly beautiful?¡± ¡°Of course, if you go to the teahouses in Ancestral Dragon City, it¡¯s all explosive topics!¡± ¡­ Nan Lingsha¡¯s decision to have these sectse to im the bodies indeed had a significant deterrent effect. The existence of the Nan Family Sacred Forest was not top secret; the old residents of the Ancestral Dragon City-State all knew about it and were aware that it was a breeding ground for holy dragons. Anyone who knew the secret of the Time Wave would target the Nan Family Sacred Forest first. Having people delivery themselves to death like this actually saved a lot of trouble, preventing Nan Lingsha from being tied down in the Sacred Forest, which would keep her from iming¡­ from defending other precious spiritual resources. In recent days, her sister Yu Suo had been in deep slumber, and Nan Lingsha¡¯s cultivation base had indeed improved quickly. The arrival of the World Dragon Gate had brought her great benefits, but her sister Yu Suo had not enjoyed such favor. She needed to gather enough rich spiritual resources for her sister¡¯s dragons. Chapter 536: 538: The Ming God Clan Traitor Chapter 536: Chapter 538: The Ming God n Traitor ¡­ Zhu Minng had collected arge sack of spiritual materials and happily returned to the Ancestral Dragon City-State. Upon arrival at the Nan Family Residence and seeing the disyed corpses, he first thought his identity had beenpromised. After inquiring, he nearly burst outughing. It turned out that the Great Zhou n had lost the Cultivation Fruit and immediately shifted their focus to the Nan Family Sacred Forest, hoping to make up for their loss. But the Nan Family Sacred Forest was within the boundaries of the Ancestral Dragon City-State, and they naturally dreaded dealing with the Zhu Gate and Yaoshan Sword Sect that were stationed there. First off, their crossbow army could never get close to the Ancestral Dragon City-State, and second, the experts clearly associated with the Great Zhou n could not tantly rob the ce, so they could only send Elder Chen, who had connections with other misceneous sects, to forcibly upy it. In their view, even if it was just the sects responsible for patrolling Absolute Ridge, plus an Elder Chen, they should easily crush the so-called Nan Family. The result was a disastrous loss of both wife and soldiers, and Nan Lingsha exposed the matter, subjecting them to a severe humiliation! No one dared to im Elder Chen¡¯s body to this day. Zhu Minng thought it was a bit of an eyesore hanging there, so he had it wrapped up and personally visited Zhou Xian. ¡­ ¡°Eldest son of the Zhu, what wind has blown you this way?¡± Zhou Xian¡¯s face was filled with a courteous smile. He did not show the usual disdain he had for others when dealing with Zhu Minng. ¡°The Nan Family and I share some history. I had just returned from my travels when this unpleasant incident happened. I believe the Great Zhou n has always been known as a distinguished and powerful family in the eyes of the people and would never engage in such tant robbery. I was worried that people might misunderstand the character of the men under Young Master Zhou Xian, so I promptly took down the bones of Elder Chen and brought them here to you,¡± Zhu Minng said.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om
¡°Such an incident, how preposterous, how utterly preposterous! That Chen Hui was colluding with misceneous sects and was unrighteous even back in our Great Zhou n. I never expected him to so brazenly disregard the power constraints and cause trouble at the Nan Family. Good riddance, good riddance. I, Zhou Xian, would have killed him without hesitation!¡± Zhou Xian put on an air of righteous indignation. Such a matter, Zhou Xian would never admit to death. ¡°They ravaged the Nan Family Residence,¡± Zhu Minng stated. ¡°I understand what the Eldest son of the Zhu means. Regardless, it is our fault the Great Zhou n didn¡¯t discipline strictly and let such a scoundrel run amok. I, Zhou Xian, willpensate for the damages to the Nan Family Residence this time. As for that Mouse Despise Daoist Temple and other misceneous people, they truly have nothing to do with our Great Zhou n. Please don¡¯t take it to heart, Eldest son of Zhu,¡± Zhou Xian said politely. ¡°How could I, everyone in the Great Zhou n is trustworthy, especially you, Zhou Xian. Your reputation is enviable, unlike my notorious self, who everyone despises,¡± Zhu Minng offered a hypocritical smile. After receiving a heftypensation, Zhu Minng left Zhou Xian¡¯s ce contentedly. Of course, if Zhou Xian knew that the person who had stolen his Cultivation Fruit was none other than Zhu Minng, who had the gall toe asking forpensation, he would probably die of rage! No sooner had Zhu Minng left than Zhou Xian¡¯s expression turned gloomy. He nced at another Elder Xiao standing beside him, who then said, ¡°We hadn¡¯t expected the Nan Family Sacred Forest to be protected by such powerful individuals. We underestimated them. Eldest son, we have suffered great losses this time. May I ask what your ns are going forward?¡± ¡°Hmph, that little good-for-nothing Zhu Minng, daring toe to me, Zhou Xian, and shake me down!¡± Zhou Xian was very angry. ¡­ Althoughpensation and Cultivation Fruit aren¡¯t muchpared to each other, Zhou Xian was currently tight on funds, and should he fail to find more resources soon, his twenty thousand crossbowmen would have to eat dirt and disband right there! ¡°Who was that person who just came?¡± A person wrapped in bandages walked out, his voice indistinct, likely due to severe swelling in his cheeks. ¡°Zhu Minng, the only son of the Zhu n,¡± Zhou Xian said. ¡°Why does his silhouette resemble that of the Flying Sword Thief?¡± asked the bandaged youth. ¡°Er¡­ Priest Ming Ji,tely you find everyone somewhat resembles that Flying Sword Thief. You¡¯ve already mistakenly killed seven people. It¡¯s probably best not to provoke this Young Master of the Zhu n carelessly. Not only does he have the Zhu n backing him, but the Yaoshan Sword Sect is his biggest supporting force,¡± Elder Xiao hurriedly advised. ¡°He resembles him the most!¡± the bandaged youth said urgently. ¡°Priest, he¡¯s actually the least likely to be the one. He¡¯s just a little Dragon Shepherd now, only somewhat famous among the disciples. Moreover, although he used to be a Sword Master, he practiced the battle sword school. If his Flying Sword Technique had reached the level of the Flying Sword Thief, wouldn¡¯t he be unbeatable? Zhu Minng is just a minor character; Priest Ming Ji, there¡¯s no need to take him to heart,¡± Zhou Xian interjected. Zhou Xian did have some understanding of Zhu Minng.
¡°Humph, you bunch of good-for-nothings, hurry up and find that Flying Sword Thief for me. I must y his skin, draw his tendons, and crush his eyeballs!¡± Ming Ji held a grudge. ¡°We can take our time finding the Flying Sword Thief. After all, with his Cultivation Base and strength, he¡¯s not likely to stay quiet. On the other hand, we haven¡¯t obtained any spiritual resources, and we still need Priest Ming Ji to show us a clear path,¡± Zhou Xian said. Zhou Xian actually hated the Flying Sword Thief even more than Ming Ji did. The thought of the phrase ¡°your great kindness goes unthanked¡± made Zhou Xian feel a tremendous sense of humiliation, his entire face numbing and burning with shame! But Zhou Xian had so many people under him, and even though a portion of them had been lost in the Nan Family Sacred Forest, it hadn¡¯t had much of an impact on his overall strength. Other major factions were frantically seizing spiritual resources; they couldn¡¯t just do nothing¡ªthey had to take action!
¡°On the Upper Isted Ridge, there¡¯s an ancient city encased in ice, and inside, there are definitely many treasures,¡± Ming Ji said. ¡°But the Upper Isted Ridge is now inhabited by a group of powerful Absolute Ridge natives. With our current strength and military force, I¡¯m afraid it might be difficult to conquer them,¡± Zhou Xian said. ¡°Moreover, the Royal Family has already ordered the rulers to join forces to wipe out the Absolute Ridge City-State. The treasures there are basically going to fall into the hands of the ruler and those allied forces; it will be hard for us to get a share,¡± Elder Xiao remarked. ¡°Humph, they have no idea what the Absolute Ridge City-State possesses. Going like that is equivalent to courting death. Apply to the Royal Family for permission to join their exterminating army. Just follow mymands, and I assure you that you will achieve extraordinary feats. After the sess, demand fifty percent of the treasures, leaving the rest for those fools to divide up!¡± Ming Ji said. ¡°But they won¡¯t possibly agree to that, will they?¡± Zhou Xian wondered. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, they will agree as long as they dare to besiege the High Cut-off Ridge City-State¡­¡± ¡°Could Priest first give us some guidance?¡± Zhou Xian asked softly. ¡°Absolute Ridge City was founded by a defector of our Ming God n. He mastered the techniques of the Giant Generals. Those so-called Giant Ridge Generals cannot bepared to the strongmen from your Lower Realm. Even Giant Dragons are like normal wild beasts in front of them, let alone, with the mountains they rely on, their strength is doubled. No matter how capable the Li Chuan Ruler is, there¡¯s no way they can defeat our Ming God n¡¯s renegade,¡± Ming Ji exined. Chapter 537: 539 Void Crystal Chapter 537: Chapter 539 Void Crystal ¡­ The loot was divided. Zhu Minng, Nan Lingsha, and Nan Yu Suo each received a tinum Cultivation Fruit. As for the Ten-Thousand-Year Silver Fir Holy Dew, Nan Lingsha also generously gave it to Zhu Minng to give his Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon a chance toplete its final growth stage. With the Cultivation Fruit and the Holy Dew, these two spiritual objects were enough to push the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon to its ultimate level, but there was still one condition missing, that being a Heavenly Earthly Species with attributes simr to the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon. To assault the King Level, external energy was needed to ascend in one go. Despite the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon¡¯s current high bloodline, ascending to King Level wasn¡¯t a barrier insurmountable for it, but thorough preparation was still necessary topletely ovee it. ¡°Regarding the Heavenly Earthly Species, one will certainly appear under the influence of the World Dragon Gate. You can go and ask Star Painting,¡± said Nan Lingsha. Zhu Minng then further refined the ws of the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon, which,cking dragon scales and having only feathers, was at a disadvantagepared to the Refining Ash ck Dragon. Fortunately, Zhu Minng had crafted a set of wind armor for the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon, which, forged with Serene Fire Liquid, could make up for the absence of dragon scales on its body. Ascending was the same as crossing a cmity. By now, Zhu Minng had a general understanding that the so-called Crossing the Dragon¡¯s Cmity was actually the process of transforming from the Monarch Level to the King Level. The difference between Monarch and King Levels was huge, like a chasm to be crossed, and this crossing process was bound to incur divine punishment. After all, the order of creature ranks is regted, and the process of breaking through one¡¯s own bloodline and racial shackles was an act against thews of the Heavenly Dao!
Zhu Minng didn¡¯t rush to inquire about the Heavenly Earthly Species. He wanted to ensure that the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon¡¯s ascension was safe and sound. For this reason, he specially consulted an elder in residence at Zhu Gate to help improve the Sacred Dragon Armor he had made for the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon. Later, he even collected some expensive refining materials to strengthen its feathers and bones, making the dragon¡¯s body sturdier¡­ Zhu Minng had already let the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon drink the Ten-Thousand-Year Silver Fir Holy Dew. The Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon¡¯s bloodline was highlypatible with the Holy Dew; the nourishment it provided wasparable to a Phoenix n¡¯s Soul Orb. Over these days, Zhu Minng could clearly feel the changes in the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om Its feathers became even more splendid, with extremely fine iridescent patterns appearing on each feather. ording to Mr. Jinli¡¯s judgment, the feathers of the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon were now close to the standard of the Dragon King, just based on the feathers alone. The changes brought about by the Ten-Thousand-Year Silver Fir Holy Dew continued to manifest. Zhu Minng was also waiting for the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon to fully absorb the Holy Dew so that he could then use the Cultivation Fruit and the Heavenly Earthly Species to help the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragonplete its final growth! There was a considerable difference between dragons with low bloodlines and those with high bloodlines. Dragons with low bloodlines, even at the Complete Period, could only reach Lord Level or lower Monarch Level in their cultivation. For such dragons with low bloodlines to assault the King Level, a massive amount of spiritual substances was needed to fill the gap between Monarch and King Levels. Moreover, since their bodies had already fully stabilized, there was a high chance they would be obliterated by the Dragon¡¯s Cmity when attempting to break through their limits with spiritual substances and strange species. The Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon was still in its growth period. If thest stage coincided with the Ascending Tribtion, the chances of sess were very high. Other dragons relied on spiritual substances and strange species for their ascension, while the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon had the added advantage of growth transformation¡­ Therefore, this growth of the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon was not just a simple ascension to Dragon King Level. It was very likely to break through one or two ranks in session, with a chance to step directly over the threshold rank and reach the Lower Dragon King Level. ¡­ ¡°Zhu Minng, Zhu Minng, there¡¯s a great item for sale that I think is perfect for the Heavenly ughter Dragon!¡± Fang Niannian hurriedly approached and said. ¡°What is it?¡± Zhu Minng asked. The cultivation base of the Heavenly ughter Dragon also had room for growth, having stabilized at the Lower Level King after its ascension. However, if it could acquire the corresponding King Level spiritual resources, the Heavenly ughter Dragon could continue to grow and improve! ¡°Void Crystals, it is said that they are formed during the collision of continents, from the most intense heat steaming the particles in the void fog into transparent crystals. The Heavenly ughter Dragonmands the power of void darkness, doesn¡¯t it? It seems that dragons of this attribute are notmon. The seller seems pretty desperate, looking to exchange for King Level Dragon Balls,¡± Fang Niannian exined. Zhu Minng hesitated.
Having a too powerful Heavenly ughter Dragon wasn¡¯t necessarily a good thing; the creature was always thinking about rebelling. Although, these days, it had lost the heart to flee, there was no guarantee that upon breaking through to the next level, it wouldn¡¯t start causing trouble again. But after careful thought, Zhu Minng realized that the Heavenly ughter Dragon had an excellent foundation, and now its cultivation base was the most stable, and its strength was sufficiently solid. If it could advance further, it would be a great help to himself. As long as he made sure he had an Inscription energy on hand and in a Sword Awakening State, Zhu Minng was confident he could subdue a further-improved Heavenly ughter Dragon! Opportunities like this were fleeting. It was evident that the person selling the Void Crystal, like Zhu Minng, hoped to improve their strength quickly before the next Time Wave of the World Dragon Gate.
The stronger one¡¯s power, the more resources they could obtain. It would be foolish to hoard spiritual objects intending to sell them at a higher priceter. Investing in oneself and improving one¡¯s strength to reap higher benefits under the grace of the World Dragon Gate could potentially leave other cultivators of the continent far behind in terms of power! ¡°You get in touch with that person, and tell them we don¡¯t n to trade anonymously,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°Ah? But in such a short time, it won¡¯t be easy for us to buy a King Level Dragon Ball to trade with the other party. Let alone King Level Dragon Balls, even Monarch Level ones, as long as the price is not too outrageous, are snapped up as soon as they are put on sale,¡± Fang Niannian said. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I have two Dragon King Soul Orbs on hand. If the other party is sincere, we can trade two for one Void Crystal,¡± Zhu Minng said. Void Crystals, undoubtedly, are more valuable than Dragon King Soul Orbs. ¡°Great, great, I will contact them right away. It seems that the other party also only epts anonymous trades.¡± ¡­ Anonymous trading had a major downside. While it could save on themission taken by the auction, it was easy to be cheated or ambushed. Everyone was unaware of each other¡¯s identity, and if the trading location was secretive, coupled with greed, murder for loot became a rather normal affair. Cultivators usually abide by a code of martial ethics when revealing their identities, but once they put on a mask, they are capable of the most heinous acts! The other party must also be afraid of being double-crossed, and had deliberately chosen to trade in the Spirit Source Market of Ancestral Dragon City, both wearing the white masksmon among its people. The Spirit Source Market was often bustling with crowds. In just a few days, who knows how many people from the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent had flooded into Li Chuan, and most of the spiritual resources captured were traded in Ancestral Dragon City. The vast majority of people wanted to improve their strength as soon as possible so they couldpete for higher-level spiritual resources. Therefore, in recent days, many major powers had brought out their treasures from their coffers. Arge number of high-level spiritual resources were circting in the market, and at the same time, many cultivators¡¯ strength had improved significantly! Chapter 538: 540: Getting it Without Any Effort Chapter 538: Chapter 540: Getting it Without Any Effort After triple checking, Zhu Minng decided to purchase the Void Crystal. This Void Crystal was an extraordinary item¡ªit might not be too useful for others, but it held the promise of raising the cultivation base of the Heavenly ughter Dragon by one level! If the Heavenly ughter Dragon could reach the Middle-level King Level, facing the ugly behavior of various major powers, Zhu Minng also had absolute confidence in responding! ¡°Void Crystal.¡± A man with a gaunt figure and a white mask on his face whispered to Zhu Minng. ¡°Two Dragon King Soul Orbs,¡± Zhu Minng, also wearing a white mask, replied. All present had high cultivation bases; as soon as the brocade box was opened, even without touching the other¡¯s treasure, they could smell the strong spiritual energy emanating from it. It was very difficult to falsify such an object unless the other party had been preparing a fraud from the start and found a subpar item of the same level for the trade. ¡°Is there a problem?¡± Zhu Minng asked. ¡°There is a problem. The quality of your two beads is not high enough,¡± the man with the white mask said. ¡°But it¡¯s not low either. I only have these two,¡± Zhu Minng replied. ¡°If you are willing to pay an additional seven million gold, the Void Crystal is yours,¡± the man with the white mask said, with a hint of probing in his tone.
Zhu Minng was considering. He had a total of two million gold in hand, but he also possessed some absolutely value-retaining Soul Orbs,nd deeds, spirit stones, and jewelry. By rough calction, he could make up the seven million gold¡­ The quality of this Void Crystal was very high. It was normal for the other party to raise the price suddenly. At the time, Zhu Minng had been under the sea and in a Sword Awakening State when he killed Prince Zhao Yu and those two Dragon Kings. He had exerted too much force, indeed damaging the quality of the Dragon King Soul Orbs. ¡°Six million gold, how about that?¡± Zhu Minng negotiated a price. The other party also hesitated. If he wasn¡¯t in a hurry to sell, trading the Void Crystal for three of these quality Dragon King Soul Orbs wouldn¡¯t be excessive. But now, finding another buyer willing to purchase a Void Crystal was really difficult. Not many dragons wielded void or darkness powers, and almost none could be seen among those who were both Divine and Mortal. ¡°I¡¯ll sell you a piece of information. You pay me nine million gold for the whereabouts of another Void Crystal. Brother Zhu, I suspect that you own a Lower Dragon King, but one Void Crystal is not enough to promote a Lower Dragon King to Middle-level. You give me these two Dragon King Soul Orbs and pay another nine million gold, and this Void Crystal is yours. I¡¯ll also honestly inform you of the whereabouts of another one. Of course, the quality of that one is far inferior to this one I offer, but it should just be enough for your purposes,¡± the man in the white mask finally said. Money was very important to every cultivator, especially now during a period of spiritual energy explosion and frequent transactions of spiritual resources. The more gold one had at hand, the more capital they had to acquire good items! Zhu Minng frowned. It seemed the other party didn¡¯t n toe out at a loss either. Nine million gold, and he was afraid that it would bankrupt him. Although he still held a White Phoenix Tail and the Soul Orb of a Ground Immortal Ghost that were worth a fortune, he would have great use for these in the future. ¡°Fine, if the information is incorrect, I will investigate you. Be mentally prepared for that time; I am known to have quite a temper,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°If it¡¯s incorrect, I¡¯ll return ten million gold to you,¡± the man with the white mask firmly stated. They exchanged spiritual resources, and Zhu Minng had Fang Niannian go to Zhu Gate to withdraw a sufficient amount of gold toplete the transaction. ¡­ Having obtained the rare Void Crystal, Zhu Minng gave it to the Heavenly ughter Dragon. The Heavenly ughter Dragon¡¯s eyes began to sparkle, as if the stars in the sky were zing brilliantly within its pupils.
So, humans could not only help it more easily find its prey but also obtain such treasures! A hint of joy finally appeared on the Heavenly ughter Dragon¡¯s wickedly handsome face, although it still carried a haughty demeanor as if to say, ¡°I can be stronger on my own; who asked you to buy me this Void Crystal?¡± Yet its constantly swishing tail betrayed its true feelings! ¡°Indeed, a single crystal isn¡¯t enough to promote you to Middle-level King Level, but with enough time, you could advance,¡± Zhu Minng said, stroking his chin.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om One Void Crystal, plus a slow nourishment of spiritual energy for about a year or two, reaching Middle-level King Level wouldn¡¯t be a problem.
But Zhu Minng had already spent so much, and since the Heavenly ughter Dragon truly had the potential to break through, it was entirely reasonable to consider obtaining another Void Crystal. One or two years was still too long. It would be best if it could reach Middle-level King Level soon. As the foremost among the seven omens of disaster and a chosen Dragon, with an inherently high Killing Star Dragon bloodline, its condition was exceedingly robust. For such a long time, Zhu Minng had not enhanced its spiritual assets, and the Heavenly ughter Dragon had stabilized its cultivation at the Lower Dragon King level rather than just being on the cusp, which was quite impressive! ¡°Another Void Crystal, we¡¯ll get our hands on it as soon as possible.¡± Zhu Minng opened the information written by the other party and read through the contents with earnest. Before parting, Zhu Minng had left a precaution such that if the other party had tried to deceive him, they might not have even made it out of the Ancestral Dragon City-State. ¡°When the Ancestral Dragon City borders Li Chuan,va spreads, and the Nothingness Fog envelops the area. The scorching winds from the collision ofnd pierce through the fog, catalyzing particles within the fog into crystals.¡± ¡°This crystal I have was collected and condensed by a group of top craftsmen, one by one, and is of very high quality. There is another naturally formed one which contains some impurities from the me winds, clustered like a beehive along a secret path of the earth¡¯s veins. That secret path was the route through which the Li Chuan Kingdom led a surprise assault on the Rui Nation Capital during their war. So, it¡¯s a hundred percent certain that the other Void Crystal is in the hands of the person who first discovered this secret path. Brother Zhu can inquire with the Female Monarch of Li Chuan, or the Li Chuan National Aid; given that the impurities render it difficult to sell, they might still have it.¡± The paper described in great detail, including how the Void Crystal was formed. What surprised Zhu Minng was the fact that the other Void Crystal was actually in the hands of their own people! The Female Monarch of Li Chuan, isn¡¯t that Li Yunzi? The National Aid of Li Chuan, that¡¯s the old buddy Zheng Yu! It was Zheng Yu who found the secret path of the earth¡¯s veins, leading to a major turnaround in that battle!
This information that cost me two million¡­ Seems like I might¡¯ve taken a big loss! But on second thought, without the other party providing these details, the other Void Crystal might still benguishing in the mines of Li Chuan. The result is still quite good. In this way, obtaining the other Void Crystal would be effortless! ¡­ Zhu Minng went to ask Zheng Yu. Zheng Yu had just returned from the Imperial City, not even having a chance to drink a sip of water. As a National Aid, he was attending court in the Imperial Dynasty as an envoy from Li Chuan, fighting for more national rights for Li Chuan, but in truth, he was also running back and forth because there were many on-the-ground issues in Li Chuan that needed his attention. ¡°Brother Zhu, I visited Runyu City; that ce is really nice. If managed properly, it could be a city as rich as a nation!¡± Zheng Yu¡¯s lips were somewhat chapped, suggesting he had been flying on dragonback the entire journey. Chapter 539: 541: Oblivious to Kindness Chapter 539: Chapter 541: Oblivious to Kindness ¡°Then I¡¯ll have to trouble Brother Zheng Yu to make a few more trips, for those people in Runyu City are all trustworthy,¡± Zhu Minng said. Runyu City is truly wealthy. Just on the way here, someone from Runyu City had sent a message stating that they had converted some of this year¡¯s earnings into gold and silver, and that it would be transferred to the money house under the name of City Lord Zhu Minng in a few days. With four million jin, he could just cover therge amount of money he had recently spent. As for the funds borrowed from Zhu Gate, Zhu Minng had no ns to repay them. After all, he had preserved the Serene Fire Liquid for Zhu Gate. What¡¯s wrong with using a bit of his own money? Although the face of the junior elder who handed over the money was exceedingly unpleasant¡­ ¡°By next year, I guarantee the profits will be fivefold, and we can even raise a Dragon General army to subdue several nearby restless countries, so as not to interfere with trade routes. The countries of the Tea-colored Ground are incredibly ignorant and conservative, their people suffering untold hardships, while their rulers still indulge invish construction and impose heavy taxes and conscription,¡± Zheng Yu said. ¡°Mm-hmm, I¡¯ll leave it to you. When ites to governance, I trust only you, Zheng Yu,¡± Zhu Minng nodded vigorously. Looking at Zhu Minng askance, Zheng Yu finally said, ¡°Brother Zhu, from the sound of it, do you intend to be an absenteendlord? The Female Monarch expands her territory as if she¡¯s pruning her own backyard. I¡¯ve just returned from Runyu City, and the grasnd city-states to the west of Rui Country are now all under our domain on the map. As National Aid, if I don¡¯t look at the map for three days, I can hardly make out the boundaries of our own kingdom!¡±
¡°One mustbor more who can. With your kind of wisdom, Brother Zheng, not governing a vast expanse of stars and the myriad worlds would be a waste of talent!¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°Ah, maybe it is indeed my fault for being too narrow-minded to keep up with you and the Female Monarch. By the way, Brother Zhu, did you urgently seek me out for something important?¡± Zheng Yu heaved a sigh, a resigned expression on his face. Zhu Minng handed a piece of paper with information about the Void Crystal to Zheng Yu. Zheng Yu read it once and then recalled. ¡°It seems there really is such an item, like a small beehive. We encountered some attacks from Veins of the Earth Demonic Beasts while clearing this earth vein passage; turns out they were guarding this so-called Void Crystal,¡± Zheng Yu remarked. ¡°This item is very important to me,¡± Zhu Minng revealed with a smile. ¡°It should be in Wutu. If you¡¯re in a hurry, Brother Zhu, let¡¯s head there together,¡± Zheng Yu offered. ¡°You go ahead and rest for a bit first; there¡¯s no rush,¡± Zhu Minng replied. ¡­ Though he said rest, Zheng Yu still organized the documents from the Imperial Dynasty¡¯s court sessions and the inspection report from Runyu City, presenting them to Li Yunzi. The next morning, Zhu Minng set out with Zheng Yu towards Wutu. In the past, traveling from Ancestral Dragon City to Wutu would take at least one or two days, but now with the Heavenly ughter Dragon, it was just a matter of a mealtime, and that¡¯s with the Heavenly ughter Dragon flying leisurely. Having passed through Rising Sun City, Wutu had drastically changed from its initial state. In the process of continuous mining, Wutu not only became increasingly prosperous but also, influenced by the World Dragon Gate¡¯s Time Wave, itsnd turned lush and verdant¡ªa stark contrast to its previously barren appearance. Nowadays, many no longer deliberately distinguished between Li Chuan and Wutu. The former Eastern Rising Sun City Fortress had be nothing more than a city for people to stop over in. With the citizens living and working in peace and contentment, having experienced poverty and disaster, the people of Wutu were more diligent than those from other regions. After bing rich in resources, every city, town, and vige was constructed more exquisitely than some small countries on the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent. All nine cities of Wutu were now of city-state caliber. Along the way, one could see many caravans transporting ores. Of course, with the influence of the Time Wave, it was alsomon to see the figures of cultivators from the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent. ¡°It should be in that Scorpio Mine area. If I remember correctly, it¡¯s used as an object to repel demonic beasts,¡± said Zheng Yu. Upon reaching a Purple Ore Mountain range about two hundred miles from Eternal City¡ªand incidentally, even closer to Sang Town where Zhu Minng used to live¡ª Zhu Minng had some recollections of these mountains. During winters when it was difficult to raise silkworms, Zhu Minng had explored the mountains with the townspeople. However, they were not discerning enough to recognize the value of the purple ore, which was on par with gold.
The value of purple ore was very high. When smelted into Purple Rock, it was one of the favorite indoor paving tiles among rich officials and nobles. As for purple iron and purple silver, they were perfect materials for forging weapons and armor, while purple crystals were even more valuable and rare spiritual resources, beloved collectibles of some Dragon Kings and Dragon Kings! ¡°Haha, indeed it¡¯s here. It seems wemon mortals trulyck foresight, to have treasured such a gem simply as a decorative item,¡±ughed Zheng Yu, walking towards a piece of Void Crystal. ¡°Don¡¯t touch! We¡¯ve purchased this item, and we¡¯ve already offered a high price to the mine owner. The carriage carrying the gold will be here shortly,¡± said a man dressed in a ck long shirt, speaking in a very unfriendly tone. ¡°What mine owner? Since when is there a mine owner here?¡± asked Zheng Yu with a puzzled face.
¡°Wang Bo, there¡¯s no need to be so harsh with others. Just send them off with a bag of gold,¡± said a man holding a ck fan, walking over at that moment. Although this young man with the ck fan spoke in a much softer tone, his words weren¡¯t particrly pleasant.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om Following that, the servant called Wang Bo reluctantly approached and threw a small bag of gold onto the ground, implying that if they wanted it, they would have to stoop to pick it up. Zheng Yu, of course, wouldn¡¯t stoop to pick it up. However, the actions of these two men really didn¡¯t seem to regard him as an outsider. After all, this purple ore vein belonged to Wutu. Every stone on this mountain was private property of the Li Chuan Kingdom. When did it be their ce tomand and dictate? ¡°May I ask who you gentlemen are?¡± Zheng Yu was stillparatively mild-mannered as he asked. ¡°We are from the Rock Concealing Sect,¡± replied the servant known as Wang Bo. As he said this, he noticed Zhu Minng, who had somehow approached the Void Crystal and was nonchntly removing it to ce inside his own box. This behavior infuriated the servant of the Wang family, who roared ominously, ¡°Boy, don¡¯t be ignorant of what¡¯s good for you. We¡¯ve already told you that this item now belongs to us. Must I really break your limbs to make you understand!¡± With that said, the Wang Bo servant beckoned, and several figures d in ck long shirts appeared around him. Their cultivation bases were not low, no wonder they acted so arrogantly and ruthlessly in these Wutu Purple Mines. ¡°Gentlemen, this territory belongs to the Female Monarch, and this ore vein is also under the Female Monarch¡¯s domain. If you insist on causing trouble here, don¡¯t me us for not being courteous!¡± Zheng Yu said gravely. With a wave of his hand, the Wutu Land Military Guards stationed at the mine quickly gathered around. Chapter 540: 542: The Wife-Protecting Demon Chapter 540: Chapter 542: The Wife-Protecting Demon The Army Guard numbered four thousand, and they naturally obeyed themands of Zheng Yu. It seemed as though the people from Rock Concealing Sect were prepared to resort to force from the beginning. After they were obstructed by Zhu Minng and Zheng Yu, they showed their true colors. ¡°Hmph, is this the extent of your dirt-troop? What Female Monarch, she¡¯s nothing but an Earth Emperor, not even worthy to warm my bed, yet dares to postte before our Rock Concealing Sect. Hand over that crystal immediately, or else we will ughter everyone here!¡± sneered the young man with the ck fan. ¡°Zheng Yu, let the Army Guard withdraw for now; there¡¯s no need to harm the soldiers,¡± Zhu Minng¡¯s face turned cold. Zheng Yu nced at Zhu Minng and quickly understood what he meant. Thus, Zheng Yu waved his hand, signaling the Army Guard to temporarily withdraw, but he did not order them to leave the area. These people from the various Great Sect Woods of Supreme Court Courtyard Continent were far too brazen. Li Chuan was now a legitimate realm, and all its territories were protected by thews of the Royal Family. These people came to Li Chuan to treasure hunt, but to think they would raid mines belonging to Li Chuan Kingdom¡­ Of course, these actions weren¡¯t the worst of it. They should never have insulted the Female Monarch. Such an act was already taboo in Li Chuan, let alone saying it in front of a certain person. Zheng Yu knew a thing or two about physiognomy. Zhu Minng, just by looking at his face, one could tell he was a mad protector of his wife!
¡°Finally showing some sense. We from Rock Concealing Sect aren¡¯t a group of unreasonable barbarians. We can even give you an extra cart of gold!¡± Seeing the situation, the Wang family¡¯s servant could not help but disy a smug smile. ¡°You might be misunderstanding. I asked the soldiers to clear out because I fear my rage would engulf them!¡± Zhu Minng started tough, his eyes suddenly turned a blood-red color. Like a vast expanse of blood-red mes spreading out, amidst the undting ghastly fire, a ck Refining Ash Dragon slowly revealed itself. Its arrival made the surrounding fires grow even more intense, as if the mining area was devoured by a sea of mes. The people from Rock Concealing Sect were mostly dressed in ck robes and long ck coats. They numbered seven in total, with the young man holding the ck fan leading them. They couldn¡¯t feel the heat of the mes, but a burning pain was spreading throughout their bodies. ¡°It¡¯s the ck Dragon Monarch!¡± The Wang family servant turned anxious. All seven had unsightly expressions and immediately dispersed to different positions, invoking their Divine Skills. These people were proficient in Yanzang Art, able to summon huge boulders to smash down, make the gravelly ground shake like an earthquake, and even turn rock dust into weapons and armor, resembling stone warriors. Unfortunately, these people were only of lower Monarch Level cultivations. Although the Refining Ash ck Dragon was only one rank higher than them, its Ancient Dragon bloodline was noble; its abilities were powerful, and it had a body d in Meltfire Heavy Armor. It wasn¡¯t afraid of any Monarch Level opponent! With heavy dragon ws more powerful than these Rock Concealing Sect¡¯s falling rock spells, it could smash down like a solid mountain, causing the highly durable miningnd to crack and split! A breath of Dragon me from within the realm of Dragon Pupil turned two Rock Concealing Sect members into smoked ducks! Another stomp came from the ancient dragon; the stomp¡¯s wave caused that arrogant servant, Wang Bo, to crumble into pieces! Ferocious, valiant, unbeaten! The Refining Ash ck Dragon lingered with intent, its pupils, aze with Purgatory me, loomed over the youth holding the ck fan, as if wanting to swallow him whole into its stomach. ¡°My ck Dragon doesn¡¯t fancy human flesh, so when it bites and eats people, it generally chews them until they¡¯re mangled, alive, and then swallows them down to the stomach. Afterwards, it spits them back out after a while,¡± Zhu Minng said to the youth with the ck fan, his tone indifferent. ¡°Hmph, I didn¡¯t bring many ves with me today, so what if you¡¯re arrogant for a moment? Our young master is Chang Hao of Rock Concealing Sect, and my father is the Second Sect Master. You¡¯ve injured us today, made an enemy of our Rock Concealing Sect¡ª you won¡¯t enjoy the consequences,¡± Wang Bo of Rock Concealing Sect still carried an air of unyielding arrogance. ¡°Big ck Tooth, crush his legs!¡± Zhu Minng ordered.
With one swipe of its paw, Big ck Tooth knocked down the self-important Wang Bo to the ground. That paw was enough to knock Wang Bo out cold; the yanzang dust armor couldn¡¯t defend against the Refining Ash ck Dragon¡¯s sharp ws and was directly shattered. As Wang Boy on the ground, still dizzy, a sudden intense pain shot through his kneecaps, causing him almost to faint from the agony! Sweating profusely, Wang Bo opened his eyes to find his legs ttened by the ck Dragon, his bones all crushed to pieces!!
¡°What riffraff, presuming yourselves as the upper crust. Call over your Rock Concealing Sect figureheads; I, Zhu Minng, will be waiting right here!¡± Zhu Minng dered. ¡°My legs, my legs, my legs¡­¡± Wang Bo no longer had his previous arrogant demeanor, writhing in pain, rolling from side to side. His ttened legs were pasted to the ground and he couldn¡¯t even drag his upper body away. ¡°Leave one with legs intact to send the message, give the others the same courtesy. Oh, and for that so-called second young sect master, Chang Hao, remember to step a bit higher,¡± Zhu Minng directed Big ck Tooth. What was the weight of the Refining Ash ck Dragon? With the dragon¡¯s hoofing down, whether it was the chest or the legs, bones were definitely crushed to smithereens. A dragon¡¯s hoof for each ve, their screams echoing throughout the mining area. When it was Chang Hao¡¯s turn with the ck fan, following Zhu Minng¡¯s instruction, the Refining Ash ck Dragon specifically stepped higher, crushing the man¡¯s pelvic bones as well! The previously haughty Chang Hao was in such excruciating pain, his entire body hovering in a state of near death! Despite having extraordinary resilience, if not for being a cultivator, having the lower half of his body crushed would have been fatal. But because he was a cultivator and didn¡¯t die instantly, he had to endure unbearable, inhuman pain. Chang Hao of Rock Concealing Sect could never have imagined encountering such a domineering and ferocious Dragon Shepherd here; he was in so much pain that he couldn¡¯t even beg for mercy! Zhu Minng had a sense of martial honor; he said he would release one, and so he released one. The Yanzang Master in the dark robe nced at hispanions, then at his own legs that were still rtively intact.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om ¡°We need your Rock Concealing Sect to give us a reasonable exnation to Li Chuan. Call someone with authority to speak, and if they don¡¯te, I, Zheng Yu, will personally lead the army to your doorstep!¡± Zheng Yu said, staring at the Yanzang Master who still had his legs.
The man hurriedly left, not daring to linger a moment longer, after witnessing Zhu Minng¡¯s Evil Dragon trampling, nearly scared out of his wits! ¡°Li Chuan is still far from strong. Everyone seems to want to trample us; the weaker we are, the more we¡¯re bullied!¡± Zheng Yu muttered to himself as if in a trance. They had someone boil a pot of wine right there on the spot, and Zhu Minng and Zheng Yu drank in the open-air mining area, awaiting the arrival of Rock Concealing Sect¡¯s dignitaries. Chapter 541: 543: Yanzang Master, Mountain King Dragon Chapter 541: Chapter 543: Yanzang Master, Mountain King Dragon Some things, Zheng Yu saw very clearly. The situation in Li Chuan had always been grim, a backward region with few God and Mortal ones and Dragon Shepherds, making it difficult topare with the national power of the great countries on the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent. Then the World Dragon Gate appeared in Li Chuan, turning it into a hotmodity on the entire Supreme Court Courtyard Continent, with countless strong individuals, powers, and armies emerging here¡­ Even a Rock Concealing Sect dared to trespass on the Wutu Vein, let alone those extraordinary forces that never regarded the rulers of Li Chuan from the beginning to end, the result is only one, Li Chuan once again being divided up so much that it was left without any dignity! ¡°This battle in Absolute Ridge Chengbang is ordered by the Imperial Dynasty, where the ruling ss and the resident powers will join forces inbat. We must show the ferocity of Li Chuan to instill a sense of awe in these forces from the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°Brother Zhu speaks the truth, and when the timees, Zheng too will give it his all!¡± Zheng Yu said seriously. The fate of Li Chuan was in the hands of these people, hopefully, the change brought about this time would also change the fate of Li Chuan! ¡°They¡¯re here,¡± Zhu Minng nced at the horizon. At the skyline where the rolling hills met the sky, a dark brown creature was pping its wings and approaching. It must have been gigantic in size, for despite being several dozens of mountains away, one could still see its imposing figure!n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om
Zhu Minng squinted slightly, a faint smile appearing at the corner of his mouth. A Mountain King Dragon! It seems the Rock Concealing Sect does have some foundations. ¡­ ¡°Hooooooooooooooooo~~~~~~~~~~~~~¡± Dust was flying; this mining area was already sparse with trees, and stones the size of fists were blown up into the sky. Amid the murky heaven and earth, one could see a moving mountain dragon slowly descending, its menacing presence stunned all the guards of the mine, who were staring wide-eyed, full of fear!! Four thousand Army Guards, though they were arranged into formation, seemed like a group of small beetles in the sand in front of the Mountain King Dragon, a stronger Dragon Breath would be enough to sweep them all away. Zhu Minng had to raise his head high to see the full picture of the Mountain King Dragon, and the huge shadow of the Dragon King cast down, bringing an invisible but heavy sense of oppression to everyone! On the filthy ground, Chang Hao and Wang Bo, half-dead as they were, lit up with a hint of joy upon seeing the Mountain King Dragon, as if they had seen their savior; they also swept a vicious nce at Zhu Minng and Zheng Yu, as if to say: you¡¯re dead for sure!! On the back of the Mountain King Dragon, stood two people in dark, long robes, a man and a woman, both around the age of forty. The woman in the ck Robe nced down at the ground and saw Chang Hao, appearing like a dog that had been run over by a heavy cart, herplexion instantly turned as pale as death, her eyes no different from a resentful ghost! ¡°What audacity, what audacity!! The suffering my son has endured today, I want you to repay it a hundredfold to the entirety of Li Chuan!!!¡± the woman roared furiously as she stepped off the back of the Mountain King Dragon onto a floating rock. This woman, clearly a Yanzang Master, was evidently superior in her Yanzang Art. And the man, likely the Second Sect Master of the Rock Concealing Sect; he was a Dragon Shepherd. The Mountain King Dragon had not restrained its aura from the very start, obviously not here to negotiate but to seek revenge! ¡°Is it just the two of you?¡± Zhu Minng asked. ¡°To deal with you Li Chuan cockroaches, the two of us are more than enough. We¡¯ll shatter your skulls one by one, then extinguish all the cities here; otherwise, my heart¡¯s hatred can¡¯t be quelled, nor can the might of our Rock Concealing Sect be established!!¡± The Sect Master Chang spoke mercilessly, his words dripping with intense disdain for this Li Chuan Wutu! ¡°Dad, Mom, you must seek justice for your child!!¡± Chang Hao cried out, the taste of a fate worse than death, mixed with the immense humiliations of his life, instilled in him an extremely malicious desire¡ªto kill everyone here!! ¡°Rest assured, Hao¡¯er, these people will all be your funeralpanions!!¡± The wife of the Yanzang Master said. ¡°The person isn¡¯t dead yet, so why talk about a funeralpanion?¡± Zhu Minng countered with augh.
¡°Shut up!!¡± The Yanzang Master¡¯s wife trembled with anger. Having her son trampled to just his waist and up, unable to carry on his lineage, was no different from death. She couldn¡¯t understand how this man could still have the face tough! ¡°It seems you¡¯ve no intention of apologizing.¡± Zhu Minng said. As if they would apologize!!
At this moment, the couple from the Rock Concealing Sect wished they could twist Zhu Minng¡¯s head right off. ¡°You little bastard, I¡¯ll see if you can stillugh when you¡¯re begging for mercy!¡± The woman from the Rock Concealing Sect bellowed furiously. With a stomp of her foot, the ground immediately erupted with countless sharp rocks, each more finely honed than crafted weapons, and astonishingly, each one was as big as a house. These sharp rocks flew towards Zhu Minng and the Refining Ash ck Dragon. Zhu Minng could tell that the couple from the Rock Concealing Sect were not weak and promptly pulled the Refining Ash ck Dragon back into the Spirit Realm. As the sharp rocks rushed towards him at high speed, Zhu Minng neither dodged nor flinched. Behind him, a void darkness area appeared, like a deep abyss; the mountains and sky behind mysteriously disappeared¡­ A serpent dragon shadow rose up; suddenly, a pair of wings as glittering as the starry sky unfolded. The wings pierced through the void darkness, and instantly, a tidal wave of a dark aura surged, shrouding Zhu Minngpletely with a mysterious void aura, as if the Master of Night himself had descended upon thisnd. ¡°Enjoy today¡¯s hunt to the fullest!¡± Zhu Minng¡¯s mouth curled into a smile, his demeanor as sinister and terrifying as the Sky Shattering Dragon itself! Having already swallowed two Void Crystals, the Sky Shattering Dragon hadn¡¯t yet fully digested them, but those unique Void Crystals would give it an even more horrifying void power. It was a rare moment for the Sky Shattering Dragon to be of one mind with Zhu Minng, and this time, it was more than willing to kill under Zhu Minng¡¯s control! With their minds aligned, Zhu Minng could learn many of the Sky Shattering Dragon¡¯s abilities, as if these skills automatically surfaced in his memory. ¡°Plunge into the Void!¡± Zhu Minng chanted the Dragon Skill, and the Sky Shattering Dragon immediatelyplied.
With eyes reflecting the void, shrouded in darkness, an extremely powerful gravitational space emerged around them. The ground seemed to possess a maic force pulling the huge flying rocks inexorably down with great force. The woman from the Rock Concealing Sect was originally controlling the floating rocks with her mind, turning them into her divine weapons. However, under the influence of the ¡°Plunge into the Void¡± power, she found it difficult to continue sending rocks flying, and the earth¡¯s rocks became unbearably heavy. She had to expend much more mental energy to control them. The Mountain King Dragon was also affected by this force; its gigantic mountainous body became heavy and sluggish, making even moving a single step surprisingly difficult! Chapter 542: 544 The Rear Guardian Chess Strategy Chapter 542: Chapter 544 The Rear Guardian Chess Strategy ¡°Trivial Trick!¡± Master Chang Er disdainfully spat out those four words. The Mountain King Dragon¡¯s dragon horn was exceedingly unique, resembling a colossal ancient bell atop its head. As the Mountain King Dragon shook its Ancient Bell Dragon Horn, the chimes carried a tremendous destructive force that dispersed, shattering the surrounding mineral mountains into dust. The falling void space was also affected by the sound of the dragon horn bell, and gradually it lost its originally powerful binding force. The Mountain King Dragon shook its head more rapidly, and the destructive power of the ancient bell dragon horn became even more terrifying. It felt as though numerous age-old sound beasts were rampaging recklessly in this area. Unfortunately, no matter how the reckless trampling of the ancient bell sound waves collided, they could not break free from the dark domain arranged by the Heavenly ughter Dragon. Although it was still broad daylight, this range of mines was invisibly enshrouded in ayer of immense darkness, looking from the outside like a frightening ck curtain or a terrifying void abyss ready to swallow everything here. Even the Dragon Horn of the Ancient Bell could not escape the binding force of this power. The majestic sound of the Dragon Horn of the Ancient Bell only bounced back and forth within a limited area, and before long, its power slowly dissipated. Master Chang Er¡¯s gaze was fixed firmly on Zhu Minng, noticing that Zhu Minng, too, was enveloped in ayer of mysterious mist, making it somewhat difficult to see his true face.
Until now, this Sect Master had still not seen clearly what the dragon behind Zhu Minng really was, and naturally could not discern the true strength of his opponent. In Chang Huan¡¯s view, someone of this age could, at most, have a Cultivation Base of the Peak Monarch Level. ¡°Hehehe~~~~~~~~~¡± Likeughter, the strange sound came from beside Chang Huan, who looked around but saw nothing in his vicinity. ¡°Dadada~~~¡± At that moment, ck substances like mud dripped down from above. Chang Huan suddenly realized something, and as he looked up, he saw a Killing Dragon hanging upside down like a bat from the dim air, its mouth agape, showing its bloodsucking Dragon Teeth. The ck sticky substance was indeed its dragon saliva intentionally poured over the top of his head! The Second Sect Master of the Rock Concealing Sect, Chang Huan, was startled. But he remainedposed, diving immediately into the Ancient Bell Dragon Horn. The Mountain King Dragon also sensed this eerie visitor. It arched its body violently and rammed mercilessly towards the Heavenly ughter Dragon hanging upside down! This collision shook the earth and mountains. Though it struck only towards the air above, it seemed as though it could punch a hole straight through the sky. Yet, the Heavenly ughter Dragon hanging upside down let out a mockingugh, its body vanishing into thin air like a wisp of smoke. ¡°Crush it!!¡± Second Sect Master Chang Huan roared in rage. The Mountain King Dragon could sense that the Heavenly ughter Dragon was hiding within the gloom. Since it couldn¡¯t be found, it simply decided to crush everything here to bits!! The Mountain King Dragon possessed immense strength; a casual swipe of its paw could bury an entire mineral vein, and a full-force stomp could grind mountains within a few miles into dust! After a round of wild destruction, nearly every dark area had been struck by the Mountain King Dragon, but it still could not see the Heavenly ughter Dragon. The Mountain King Dragon became furious, starting to roll on the ground. This rolling was like an avnche of boulders, fiercely pouring into this narrow space, filling up all the dark areas, leaving the Heavenly ughter Dragon with nowhere to hide¡­ ¡°Chang Huan, what are you and your dragon doing??¡± The Yanzang Master¡¯s wife red with wide eyes, her face filled with confusion and iprehension. It was like bullfighting, where the wild bull only sees a piece of red cloth and is provoked to smash it into pieces, not knowing that there¡¯s nothing behind that red cloth. The Mountain King Dragon was doing the same, chasing after someone else¡¯s shadow, nothing but a ck shadow, and even then, within a dark cage set up by someone else, sshing around at will without actually affecting the surroundings.
The Yanzang Master¡¯s wife naturally did not know that the Mountain King Dragon and Chang Huan had fallen into the domain of the Heavenly ughter Dragon. From the perspective of an outsider, the Mountain King Dragon was indistinguishable from a gigantic monkey king rolling around in ce, looking veryical, especially since it was such a mighty and domineering mountain monarch! ¡°Hmph, I¡¯ll kill these obstructive pieces of trash first.¡± The Yanzang Master¡¯s wife¡¯s gaze swept towards the Army Guards within this vein. If all were to be in, not one should be spared. The Yanzang Master¡¯s wife despised dueling with someone ying with paltry tricks; her eyes turned to a brown color. In this mineral-richnd, the rock quality was abundant, allowing the Yanzang Master to exert even stronger power.
Her gaze turned towards the higher mountain rocks, which suddenly began to shake, and rming cracks appeared at the midsection of that mountain peak! ¡°Ga!!!!¡± The mountain peak suddenly burst open at the waist, and countless rocks started tumbling down along the steep mountain slope. Many Army Guards were smashed by these rocks into a bloody mess; of course, the most terrifying was the half of the mountain peak¡ªif it were toe crashing down, it wouldn¡¯t just be a heavy loss for the Army Guards, but those innocent miners would also be killed. ¡°How utterly vicious!¡± Zheng Yu said coldly. This woman must know that her husband has fallen into a dark prison and cannot struggle free for the time being, so she intends to divert Zhu Minng¡¯s attention by ughtering others! These two individuals from the Rock Hiding Sect truly did not regard the civilians and army here as human beings! ¡°Brother Zhu, don¡¯t worry, I have a method to cope with this,¡± Zheng Yu said to Zhu Minng. Zhu Minng nced at Zheng Yu and saw his resolute gaze. He had intended to have the Sword Spirit Dragon shatter the slowly tilting mountain peak, but if this poisonous woman was not dealt with, she would continue her massacre. ¡°Kill her the next time she casts a spell,¡± Zhu Minng said to the Sword Spirit Dragon hidden in the shadows. The Sword Spirit Dragon silently concealed itself on the other side of the Yanzang Master¡¯s wife. Since the opponent also had a formidable cultivation base, a one-hit kill would require catching her off guard; the Sword Spirit Dragon quietly awaited the next opportunity. ¡°Chess Tactic¡ªThe Rear Guardian!¡± Zheng Yu¡¯s eyes suddenly deepened, as if there was a wonderfully intricate chessboard in his eyes, arranged in the fashion of the stars!
Around the four thousand Army Guards, a gigantic phantom star chessboard immediately appeared! Bright trails of stars connected all four thousand people together, like living pieces on the chessboard, being drawn to a position at the rear of the board, forming an impregnable chess formation defense at the rear nk!! The phantom chessboard was vast; when shields were raised, they were asrge as a dam. As the mountain peak came crashing down, it could be seen that the four thousand Army Guards stood firmly in ce, not moving a hair, while the half of the mountain peak shattered upon this impact!!n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om Standing on the phantom chessboard, the soldiers were still panicked as the mountain fell, but the chess formation seemed to bestow courage upon them and drew them to their specified positions on the board, unleashing the astounding strength of the entire formation! It was just an ordinary act of raising shields, yet it formed a dam-like stance, as if an army of thousands charging at them wouldn¡¯t dream of crossing over! Chapter 543: 545: Do You Have Any Objections? Chapter 543: Chapter 545: Do You Have Any Objections? The Army Guards looked at the mountain peak they had sessfully defended and then at their Think Tank advisor, too stunned to believe what had happened. These guards, protecting the vein of ore, were but mortals with nothing more than flesh and bones, at best well-trained and slightly proficient in martial arts. Under normal circumstances, they would have had no chance of surviving the crushing force of divine and mortal power¡­ Zhu Minng was equally astonished as he looked at the once feeble schr Zheng Yu, who previously couldn¡¯t even truss a chicken. Sensing Zhu Minng¡¯s gaze, Zheng Yu humbly said, ¡°In the Imperial City, I stayed at your Zhu Gate, and it so happened that I met someone from the Chess Sect, now loyal to Zhu Gate. Before I was just amoner, I had studied the Arithmetic Military Method, the Bagua Five Elements, and Qimen Dunjia. In casual conversation with the Chess Sect, I found their formation techniques rather simple, so I learned a bit and used it tomand troops.¡± ¡°You call this a bit?¡± Zhu Minng said with exasperation. That woman¡¯s cultivation base must be at least at the King Level; otherwise, how could she have the audacity to dere she¡¯d kill everyone in Wutu City State? The Rock Hiding Method she used was no mere falling rocks technique; there¡¯s no way ordinary chess formations could have fended it off. Probably, his so-called little knowledge had already plundered all the essence of the Chess Sect! ¡°You focus on killing the enemy, and I will protect the miners,¡± Zheng Yu said. While it¡¯s essential for a Chess Master to be of high realm, it is also about the pieces in y within the formation; without these four thousand Army Guards aligning with the chess lines and setting the formation, his art of chess would be worthless.
Zhu Minng nodded. The face of the Yanzang Master¡¯s wife turned ashen. She stared intently at Zheng Yu. How could a chess master with not much cultivation base use those Army Guards to arrange a formation that countered her Rock Hiding Method¡­ But this effort, too, was futile. She wielded a more potent version of the Rock Hiding Art. All this trouble taken by the opponent was just to resist one of her spells. Besides, such a method of deploying troops by the chess master was clumsy. She called forth Rock Demons from beneath the earth to scatter and kill on sight. These guards, only effective when standing within the formation, could only watch helplessly as the miners were ughtered! Coming here was to unleash a massacre. First, make the enemy fear, then torture them slowly, and finally kill them all. How else could she avenge the anger burning in her heart!! ¡°Rock Demons rise!!¡± The Yanzang Master¡¯s wife¡¯s pupils turned brown once more, and she cried out vehemently, ¡°All of you, go to hell!!¡± ¡°Swoosh!!!¡± Suddenly, a fierce cold gleam streaked across. A red line appeared on her neck, and gradually the line thickened, the blood flowing out like water from a fountain. The head of the Yanzang Master¡¯s wife rolled to the ground, her hair spread out, soiled by the dirt. Her face still bore the expression of extreme fury, yet her eyes had lost their luster, seemingly confused about her own death! What had streaked past? Was the opponent stronger than she had imagined? Was she dead?? Several thoughts shed through her mind before her head hit the ground, but soon she could no longer question anything. She hade here intending to kill everyone. Once, someone had pped her beloved son, and she buried alive the people of an entire town. For today¡¯s matter, even a Wutu City State littered with corpses would not suffice. ¡°` But she never would have imagined that she would be the first to die!!
On the ground, Chang Hao, who was sprawled there, was also stunned. In his eyes, his mother should have been invincible,manding respect from monarchs of great nations and elders of powerful forces alike. It was precisely because of this that he had never taken Li Chuan seriously from the beginning. No one would dare topete with him for what he wanted, and he spoke with unbridled arrogance¡­ But Chang Hao hadn¡¯t expected that he would encounter someone here who was even more arrogant and devilish than himself!
¡°Father¡­ Father¡­ Mother is dead!¡± Chang Hao wept bitterly, now feeling a hint of regret. ¡°I will turn your entire Li Chuan into a sea of blood!!!!¡± The Second Sect Master, Chang Huan, was so angry that he was beside himself, roaring like a madman. The Mountain King Dragon, empathizing deeply, was filled with towering rage. Its body suddenly stood erect, and in an instant, the surrounding mountains crumbled, the fractured rocks sweeping down from above like a terrifying tsunami!! The Mountain Copse Roar!!n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om The Mountain King Dragon could be said to turn rivers and oceans upside down in rocky terrain, its presence horrifying and dreadful. It wasn¡¯t just the purple vein that was endangered ¨C mountains within a hundred miles might copse!! ¡°It seems you haven¡¯t realized something. In front of me, your Mountain King Dragon is just a Mountain turtle!¡± Zhu Minng said with a sneer. Behind Zhu Minng, a pair of dark dragon wings slowly unfurled, continuing to expand until they could touch the horizon, from south to north. Between the thick darkness of the sky and earth, a pair of dark dragon wings proudly spread, vast and endless, making the colossal Mountain King Dragon look like just a mountain turtle! ¡°Nng!!!!!!¡± With a dragon¡¯s roar, the Heavenly ughter Dragon became as the primordial Demon Dragon under the canopy of the sky, casting a shadow as vast as the heavens. It slowly pped its wings, and the dark gales it stirred reduced the Mountain Copse Roar to dust! It flew towards the Mountain King Dragon, like a Divine Eagle snatching a wild turtle from the mountains, and caught the Mountain King Dragon in its clutches mid-air! Soaring skyward, the dark heavens appeared as a mirrored Demon Abyss. The dark Heavenly Dragon was like bringing its prey to its ownir, and the majestic and domineering Mountain King Dragon could not escape its grip. At the pinnacle of the sky pinnacle, the Heavenly ughter Dragon let go of the Mountain King Dragon. As the Mountain King Dragon passed throughyer uponyer of darkness, its outer shell, hard as a mountain, was continually eroded. When it neared the earth shrouded in darkness, its sturdy Dragon Mountain Helmet was already tattered, and then it smashed into the ground with a force of thousands of times its own weight!
Invincibility is non-existent. Even if its Dragon Mountain Helmet was intact, such an impact with the ground would shatter its internal organs¡­ When a Divine Eagle wants to feast on mountain turtle meat, it captures the turtle and takes it high up to drop it onto sharp rocks, shattering its imprable shell, then slowly savors the turtle meat. Simrly, the Heavenly ughter Dragon employed the same primitive yet effective hunting technique against the Mountain King Dragon! Chang Huan, who was hiding in the Antique Bell Corner, was also shaken out and fell to the ground, his face smeared with blood. ¡°Second Sect Master of the Rock Hiding Sect, I crushed the lower half of your arrogant son¡¯s body, do you have any objections?¡± Zhu Minng stepped forward to Chang Huan and asked with a smile. Chang Huan was immediately terrified. Was this young man the incarnation of a devil!! ¡°Second Sect Master of the Rock Hiding Sect, I killed your venomous wife, do you have any objections?¡± Zhu Minng asked again. ¡°They¡­ They brought this upon themselves. I beg you¡­ Please spare Chang Huan. We did not know that your honor was in hiding here, and we meant no disrespect!¡± Chang Huan scrambled to his feet, pleading frantically. ¡°` Chapter 544: 546 The beautiful and kind-hearted are easy to deceive Chapter 544: Chapter 546 The beautiful and kind-hearted are easy to deceive Riding on the Mountain King Dragon when he arrived, this Second Sect Master Chang Huan had such an imposing manner, proiming he would kill everyone here, but now he¡¯s like a dog wagging its tail and begging for mercy, making the suffering minersugh at the ridiculous sight! ¡°Dad¡­¡± Chang Hao also couldn¡¯t believe his eyes, was this the father he respected the most, kneeling before others, not avenging his own mother?! ¡°I asked you toe here to have a proper talk, if you agree to discipline this little beast properly, all these people can live and take back, getting some doctors isn¡¯t going to be a problem to heal them, hmph, won¡¯t shed a tear until they see the coffin!¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°Yes, yes, yes, it¡¯s my fault for not knowing what¡¯s good for me, if you can spare my son and my lives, I will definitely work like an ox and horse for you!¡± Second Sect Master Chang Huan kept kowtowing vigorously, afraid that Zhu Minng would kill him too. ¡°Brother Zheng, those half-dead people, get a doctor to treat them and let them do hardbor here at the vein, I¡¯m after all a person with the heart of a Buddha, not fond of killing without good reason, let them do hardbor for a lifetime as penance,¡± Zhu Minng told Zheng Yu.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om ¡°Good idea. Breaking into someone¡¯s territory andmitting violent acts, the crime deserves death, but death is just a moment of pain. That extremely vicious woman obviously hasn¡¯t realized the malevolence in her conduct, her failure to properly raise her son, and even less the sin of harming the innocent. Dying is somewhat regrettable, she should serve a sentence here,¡± Zheng Yu said earnestly. Upon hearing this, Second Sect Master Chang Huan and his eldest son Chang Hao felt the taste might not be much better than being killed outright. Dealing with criminals sent to the army wasn¡¯t umon for Zheng Yu. Even if he was the Second Sect Master of the Rock Concealing Sect, once in the hands of the Army Guard, they could still discipline him well, of course, the first thing to do was to cripple his cultivation base. ¡°Redeem yourselves well, do good for the People of Wutu, behave yourselves, and you might get released early,¡± Zhu Minng said to these people from Rock Concealing Sect.
¡­ After leaving Purple Ore Mountain, Zhu Minng still didn¡¯t quite trust the people from Rock Concealing Sect, so he said to Zheng Yu, ¡°It¡¯s better to be cautious with this group.¡± ¡°Brother Zhu, now that we have our grievances with the Rock Concealing Sect, I have no ns to continue living in peace with them. Once the battle for Absolute Ridge Chengbang in the North Utmost Ridge is over, I willpletely subjugate the Rock Concealing Sect. Li Chuan indeed needs some capable and extraordinary forces as a subsidiary power, and the Rock Concealing Sect is quite appropriate to serve us in Wutu,¡± Zheng Yu already had his own ns. Zhu Minng smiled and said, ¡°Then I¡¯ll join you when the timees. The Rock Concealing Sect should still have some foundations left. The King-Level Realm individuals are not easy for your Army Guard to deal with.¡± ¡°Why bother Brother Zhu with such a trivial matter? The King-Level Realm is indeed powerful, but facing the true elite army closing in, at most they can only protect themselves. Besides, how could we in Li Chuan not have King-level strongmen who are nourished by our offerings?¡± Zheng Yu said confidently. Coming from someone else, Zhu Minng wouldn¡¯t have believed such words ¨C individuals of King-Level Realm were more terrifying than one might imagine, and thebined forces of an entire small or medium-sized country might not be able to stop a King-level strongman. But these words,ing from Zheng Yu, Zhu Minng found them convincing. Zheng Yu, from his appearance alone, could be summed up in two words ¨C reliable! ¡°I¡¯ve heard that the Wutu Vein is extensive, and monsters continuously emerge because of it, hard to fully eradicate. Just as well, my dragons need some experience. This Void Crystal is of great benefit to me. As a token of gratitude, I¡¯ll help you exterminate the Scorpion Demon,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°Brother Zhu, aren¡¯t you being a bit disingenuous with that offer? No matter how extensive the Wutu Vein is, it all belongs to the Female Monarch, and what belongs to the Female Monarch, ultimately, is yours. Clearly, you¡¯re cleaning your own mining yard of monsters, how has that be helping me?¡± Zheng Yu said with raised eyebrows. ¡°¡­¡± Hearing this, it did make some sense. Li Yunzi had helped him collect many Heavenly Essences, she had little interest in most little creatures on ordinary days, only favoring Little White, of course, that was also paving the way for Zhu Minng¡¯s Path of the Dragon Shepherd. In the Wutu Vein, the Heavenly Essence contained within is one of the most precious treasures. Moreover, after being baptized by the Time Wave, all the ores, Spirit Crystals, and essences have been sublimated. Attracted by this immense Spiritual Energy, even more monsters have gathered, and they usually move in groups. ¡­ Zhu Minng and Zheng Yu had stayed in Eternal City for a few days. Zheng Yu was preparing to reorganize the military. Some leaders selfishly traded the ores and even allowed a faction to enter the mining area. This was an act of embezzlement. Zheng Yu had been away for only half a year and was quite disappointed with thexity in Wutu. Zhu Minng took a stroll in Eternal City, which had been rebuilt and was even more grand than before, especially the jade-white stone statue standing in the city, which was so beautifully crafted it seemed like a goddess worshipped by themon folk! After inquiring with the hunters and those living in the mountains, Zhu Minng began to track the traces of monsters.
The monstrous aura was dense. In the peripheral forests of a few nearby towns, one could smell it and even see shallow footprints. When there were no others around, the Nuwa Dragon revealed herself, staying by Zhu Minng¡¯s side. Even in this slightly chilly spring season, the Nuwa Dragon habitually exposed her porcin-white slender waist. Her long, alluring dragon form moved lightly, like the graceful skirt of an empress trailing on the ground. Thus she advanced, yet her waist remained upright, which made her upper body stand tall and graceful, exuding a noble and dignified air. The only innocence was on her pure and beautiful cheeks, reflecting a certain naivete towards the outside world.
If one were to describe the Nuwa Dragon¡¯s appearance, it would probably be: beautiful, kind-hearted, and easy to deceive! Fortunately, Zhu Minng had already formed a Soul Contract with her, so others couldn¡¯t abduct her even if they wanted to. Otherwise, Zhu Minng really wouldn¡¯t want to let here into contact with the dangerous outside world, for fear that some little girl would trick her away and some wicked man would have to spend money on candy hawthorns. The Nuwa Dragon might even help pay for the candy hawthorns. ¡°Little A, do you like eating candy hawthorns?¡± Zhu Minng asked. ¡°Hmm, yes, they¡¯re tasty,¡± the Nuwa Dragon replied happily, with her beautiful and unique Night Amber eyes gleaming, and her sweet smile mixed with the alluring charm unique to demon girls. During their time in Eternal City, Zhu Minng had bought her a skewer. ¡°Speaking of which, do you know those Rock Concealing Sect¡¯s spells?¡± Zhu Minng remembered this matter and so he asked. ¡°They, are crude rock hiders. They worship the Earth Nuwa¡­¡± the Nuwa Dragon had learnednguage quickly and could alreadymunicate like a four or five-year-old girl. ¡°Ah?¡± Zhu Minng felt somewhat surprised. So the god revered by the Rock Concealing Sect was happily eating candy hawthorns right beside him. It¡¯s likely that many of their secret texts are iplete. The Rock Concealing Sect wasn¡¯t as powerful as imagined, but in the mix of various forces, they were no weaklings either. ¡°Falling Rock Technique.¡± The Nuwa Dragon held her beloved candy hawthorn in one hand, and with the other dainty hand¡ªfair, with delicate dragon-scale patterns¡ªshe reached out. Chapter 545: 547: Does the Dragon Shepherd Still Need to Team Up? Chapter 545: Chapter 547: Does the Dragon Shepherd Still Need to Team Up? Zhu Minng watched the open space ahead. Nothing happened. Was his Nuwa Dragoncking skill or did it not receive the proper inheritance¡­ Just as Zhu Minng was doubting the purity of his Nuwa Dragon¡¯s bloodline, a huge shadow appeared in the distance, darkening arge stretch of forest. Zhu Minng looked up slightly, only to be startled. A mountain shaped like a five-fingered hand had appeared out of nowhere in mid-air. If it were to fall on that forest, it would surely crush all the nt life to a pulp! This was not a Falling Rock Technique, it was Mount Tai¡¯s Crushing Weight! The Nuwa Dragon¡¯s cute little palm withdrew, and the floating five-finger mountain vanished abruptly. Her kind heart would never harm innocent little creatures; she was just showing Zhu Minng her Rock Hiding Method. After all, she was a blend of the Earth Nuwa and the Oceanic Nuwa, with earth spirit arts and Rock Hiding Techniques branded in her blood. Without any need for practice, she could naturally perform them at the highest realm.
¡°It feels like, in certain environments, even facing King-Level Realm experts, you could handle it with ease,¡± Zhu Minng sighed. He had underestimated the strength of the Nuwa Dragon. Her spell realm was too high; other people¡¯s Falling Rock Technique in her hands turned into Mount Tai¡¯s Crushing Weight, not to mention other, more powerful Rock Hiding Methods. ¡°Nyah~¡± The Nuwa Dragon suddenly made her customary call and pointed cautiously with her hand toward arge mountain at the far end of her line of sight! The mountain seemed eroded by some element, its surface turning green and yellow. Furthermore, the trees on the mountain were affected to varying degrees, their bark no longer resembling bark but resembling a coating of solidified grease. The trunks and leaves were like semi-solidified, frozen by colorful ice blocks! ¡°Looks like there¡¯s a big monster!¡± Zhu Minng took in a deep breath, sensing the overwhelming monster aura emanating from the mountain. The entire mountain was essentially a nest of terror.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om Under the influence of the Time Wave, monsters were likewise absorbing the essence of heaven and earth, and their strength was growing explosively just like human cultivators. Moreover, the most terrifying aspect was their rapid reproduction; given enough food and spiritual resources, they couldy a cavern full of eggs! ¡°It must be them, these half-dragon scorpions,¡± Zhu Minng said. Before him was the nest of the half-dragon scorpions, creatures that enjoyed eating the hardest substances in the world. Ores were their favorite, and after consumption, their exoskeletons would grow an insect armor crystal helmet. If they had superior rations, the exoskeleton of these half-dragon scorpions was even more impregnable than dragon scales! Of course, these half-dragon scorpions were verybative and had a terrifying sense of territory. They would upy a vein of ore and then kill all surrounding creatures. The Wutu Land Military Guards had been decimated by these half-dragon scorpions. Zhang Tuo, the chief of Wutu, had repeatedly called for Dragon Shepherds to deal with these half-dragon scorpions without much sess. Zhu Minng needed to do some dragon taming, so he went into the mountains¡­ ¡°Brother, are you nning to enter Scorpion Mountain?¡± At that moment, a Deity-mortals Team appeared at the foot of the mountain, clearly in a quandary. Seeing a team of divine and mortals at this wild wilderness was not surprising to Zhu Minng, given that teams from the Supreme Court were scattered everywhere in Li Chuan. ¡°Yes, are you waiting for others?¡± Zhu Minng saw that they had set up camp there, but seemed to have no immediate intention of climbing the mountain. ¡°One of our martial masters stood us up. Without a martial master to stand before us and fend off the approaching scorpion dragons, it¡¯s difficult for us to use our spells. Are you a martial master, brother, or do you possess some ability to confront those powerful monsters head-on?¡± asked the man leading the group. ¡°I am a Dragon Shepherd,¡± Zhu Minng replied. The eyes of the Deity-mortals Team immediately shone with brightness.
A Dragon Shepherd is ten thousand times more reliable than a martial master, for what could be more reassuring than having a few stout and valiant Mad Dragons standing at the forefront? ¡°Then, brother, might you consider joining us¡­¡± the only female member of the Deity-mortals Team softly invited. ¡°Sorry, I prefer to walk my path alone,¡± Zhu Minng declined their invitation. Having said that, Zhu Minng walked alone toward the mountain nest. His steps were steady and firm, and his departing figure exuded absolute confidence, sharply contrasting with the group of Deity-mortals who hesitated and dared not enter the mountain.
Hmph! Does a Dragon Shepherd need to form a team? He¡¯s always soloing demonic nests! ¡­ ¡­ This Scorpion Dragon Strange Mountain finally allowed the Refining Ash ck Dragon to fight to its heart¡¯s content. The unceasing waves of half-scorpion insect dragons, none particrly high in spiritual wisdom, allowed the Refining Ash ck Dragon¡¯s Predator¡¯s Wild Breath to stack like a massive ck tornado, which constantly swirled around the Refining Ash ck Dragon¡­ Thus, the Refining Ash ck Dragon made its way to the mountain¡¯s peak, directly shing with the Dragon Scorpion Mother. With only a middle-level Monarch Level cultivation base, it was brutally pummeling the scorpion dragon mother that kept calling for her dragon scorpion army. The Nuwa Dragon also cast a few spells, but as a result, Zhu Minng didn¡¯t harvest even the tiniest bit of Soul Beads, so he had no choice but to offer the Nuwa Dragon a skewer of candied hawthorns and sat with her to watch the clouds roll by. ¡°That crystal flower looks pretty; I¡¯ll pick it for you.¡± ¡°Come feed me some raisins.¡± ¡°It¡¯s been so long since I¡¯ve heard you sing. Sing a song for me. Not the kind that would drastically increase Big ck Tooth and Little Qingzhuo¡¯s strength, just a simple and soothing melody.¡± Here, Zhu Minng was like a dandy out on a spring outing, sitting on the ground covered with silk cloth, sometimes teasing the pure yet alluring Nuwa Dragon, sometimes gazing at the sky as clouds and winds yed, and at times picking up an illustrated book ced beside him, savoring its content.
There, the Refining Ash ck Dragon and the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon were surrounded by a horde of scorpion dragons, locked in fiercebat, with severed limbs flying about, and dragon shells, dragon scales, and dragon bones scattered all around. Although what seeped out of the scorpion dragons wasn¡¯t blood but a greenish-yellow fluid, the battle was extremely brutal. Fights between wild and ferocious beasts could at least cause destruction in the forest, or at worst, lead to mountains copsing and the earth splitting¡­ The leisure of humans, the bravery of dragons¡ªit was all a beautiful scene, regardless. ¡­ Purchasing Void Crystals had plunged this already not-so-wealthy Dragon Shepherd Team into a minor crisis. However, this time cleaning up the Monster Mountain nest paid off handsomely. These greedy half-dragon scorpion insects were even morevish than the giant dragons. Not only did each scorpion nest emphasize its own individualir, but at the beginning of their, it had to be covered with crushed crystals. Furthermore, the caves where theyid eggs and slept had to have pure Spirit Crystals hanging from the ceiling. Luckily, Zhu Minng had the Wutu Land Military Guards and countless Wutu mountain people at his back. After clearing the mountain, the military could guard it, and finally, the mountain people could remove all the Crystal Rock from the caves, amounting to an astoundingly huge profit. After tallying up the gains, it could sell for a million or two in gold. Zhu Minng took a million in gold for himself, and the rest was rewarded to the soldiers and mountain people of Wutu. He had his meat, and the others got to enjoy the delicious broth. Chapter 546: 548 Do You Want to Eat Candied Hawthorn? Chapter 546: Chapter 548 Do You Want to Eat Candied Hawthorn? The soldiers and mountain folks of Eternal City were rewarded well and no longer had to panic over the half-dragon vipers and scorpions, naturally shedding tears of gratitude for Zhu Minng. They all praised Zhu Minng and the Female Monarch as a match made in heaven, and even the officials of Eternal City started a cleanup, strictly forbidding any further spread of those hefty little notebooks about the night the little refugee and the Valkyrie had no choice but to speak of! Zhu Minng was also puzzled. How long is this story going to be told, exactly? And why do I still asionally see people on the streets who are clearly well-dressed and affluent but insist on wearing a beggar¡¯s coat? Is the Valkyrie a cabbage, something you pick up squatting on the roadside, is that it!! Have you been drinking poison porridge!! ¡­ After leaving the city where dreams begin, Zhu Minng returned to the Ancestral Dragon City-State. The customs in Ancestral Dragon City-State were still down-to-earth, and everyone lived in the ¡°love at first sight, mutual affection¡± version of the story.
Zhu Minng was secretly d that this era didn¡¯t have overly powerful papermunication; otherwise, who knows in what direction the people of Eternal City would have twisted Ancestral Dragon City-State¡¯s narrative with their filthy rumors! Li Yunzi was away from her other residence these days, so Zhu Minng naturally lost interest in going back and forth, his mind firmly on how to improve the strength of his dragon pets. One day, as Zhu Minng and Fang Niannian were tallying the expenditures for dragon food, a familiar girl floated by, herplexion fair, her figure delicate, her youthful appearance tinged with a touch of soft allure, yet her eyes were too deep. It was Zhi Rou, the Yin Spirit Necromancer girl, who, like Frost, was now usually following close to Li Yunzi and Li Xinghua. ¡°You¡¯re here, Young Master, that¡¯s wonderful,¡± the Yin Spirit Necromancer girl smiled. The Yin Spirit Necromancer girl then ran outside, helping ady dressed in a light green silk robe who covered her long hair and half her face with a cloud yarn soft hat as she walked in. Thedy took off her hat, her hair gently spilling down, revealing her face, instantly brightening the room. She gave Zhu Minng a demure, restrained smile, saying, ¡°I wanted to take a walk outside, and happened to pass by, so I had Zhi Roue ask.¡± Zhu Minng tried to discern with his naked eye whichdy she was, but ultimately, he failed. But no matter who they were, they were all so exquisitely elegant, just looking at them brought pleasure to the heart. ¡°Then Zhi Rou, you y here with Niannian,¡± suggested Zhu Minng. ¡°Alright.¡± Once out the door, the face had to be mostly covered, and Li Xinghua must have chosen to wear a simpler dress on purpose. Zhu Minng took her hand and walked down the increasingly prosperous main street of Ancestral Dragon City-State, and when he saw the candied haw sticks, he instinctively wanted to buy one. But considering the Prophet had taught his sister-inw hard, he dismissed the idea. ¡°Are you seeking a Heavenly Earthly Species, Young Master?¡± Li Xinghua spoke up. ¡°Exactly,¡± Zhu Minng nodded. ¡°Unfortunately, the Heavenly Earthly Species happens to be born in Absolute Ridge Chengbang, at the highest peaks, where the Winged Thunder God Seed exists,¡± Li Xinghua asserted. Thunder and lightning Heavenly Earthly Species, huh? It didn¡¯t quite align with the attributes of the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon. But a Heavenly Earthly Species itself is an external aid, equivalent to the thunderous divine punishment of a heavenly tribtion. If the attributes match, it would only provide some advantage in resistance. If the dragon itself has grown strong enough, having different attributes wouldn¡¯t matter.
With tinum Cultivation Fruits and Ten Thousand Years Silver Fir Holy Dew,bined with the strengthening and condensing of Dragon Feathers, Zhu Minng believed the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon could already challenge the Dragon Disaster; moreover, it was reaching its final growth stage, the Complete Period of the Azure Dragon, which Little Qingzhuo had to surpass! ¡°Have you calcted the risks of this journey?¡± Zhu Minng inquired. ¡°Extremely perilous. Absolute Ridge Chengbang is not a secluded mountain city; it¡¯s likely they are a higher-legacy power,¡± Li Xinghua saw many signs, each painful and upsetting. Her outing to clear her mind was also for this reason.
North Utmost Ridge, best not to go. But the Imperial Dynasty had already issued the order, and Li Yunzi could not possibly defy it. ¡°North Utmost Ridge can rely on the influence of the World Dragon Gate to surpass the strong contenders of the continent by a wide margin, which shows they must have mastered some information about the World Dragon Gate that we don¡¯t know,¡± Zhu Minng said. Before the Dragon Gate opens, everything about it is a mystery to all creatures on the continent. They couldn¡¯t remain so ignorant and blindly face the World Dragon Gate that would one day open. Zhu Minng believed that the perils within the World Dragon Gate must be a hundred, even a thousand times greater than those of North Utmost Ridge! ¡°Perhaps my mind is not yet strong enough to deduce a positive oue¡­¡± Li Xinghua sighed softly. ¡°Are they all unfavorable oues?¡± Zhu Minng asked somewhat surprised. ¡°Like a deadlock in a game of chess,¡± Li Xinghua¡¯s eyelids drooped. Just being in the prophetic dream world and seeing those scenes, Li Xinghua couldn¡¯t stop the sadness; it was like thorns slowly growing inside her body. Thinking that all these things would happen in the not too distant future, she was even more reluctant to confront them. Yet the World Dragon Gate loomed overhead, affecting the fate of the entire Li Chuan and the whole Supreme Court Courtyard Continent. All beings had no choice but to confront it. ¡°The game of chess is, after all, less varied than fate. Although I cannot guarantee that everyone who goes on this expedition will return unharmed, at least the people you care about, the people I care about, will all be safe and sound,¡± Zhu Minng said, his hand resting on Li Xinghua¡¯s soft shoulder, whispering words offort. ¡°My destiny deductions can show deviations when dealing with King-Level Cultivators. As time draws nearer and more omens emerge, there might be a chance for survival,¡± Li Xinghua nodded.
Those at the King Level Realm are ascending beings, their fates already diverging bit by bit from the Heavenly Dao. Unless Li Xinghua reaches a higher level of cultivation, she could deduce the fates of the majority of the King Level Realm experts setting out on the expedition and find opportunities to change the oue from their fates. Time was of the essence, and she was not one to sit idly by. In theing days, she would continue to observe the stars and make deductions, trying to achieve a breakthrough. The scenes that made it hard to breathe would only emerge in dreams, they would never truly appear before her eyes! Walking leisurely on the streets filled with the smell of fireworks, Li Xinghua took the initiative to hold Zhu Minng¡¯srge hand. She slightly raised her gaze, looking at the side profile of Zhu Minng. The man before her was truly sunny and handsome. Yet this scene still felt eerily familiar. Even the next street corner, where he would buy her a bouquet of ck Jade Orchid flowers, was already foreseen by Li Xinghua. ¡­ The streets and alleys of Ancestral Dragon City-State were bustling with the hubbub of the crowded city, exuding a sense of antiquity, yet filled with vitality and vigor. ¡°Want to eat candied hawthorn sticks?¡± Zhu Minng suddenly turned his head to ask his gentle and graceful little prophet sister-inw behind him. ¡°Ah?¡± Li Xinghua nced at the flower-selling elder. At that moment, the flower-selling elder was passing in front of Zhu Minng, and Li Xinghua even spotted the most delicate ck Jade Orchid flower.
But Zhu Minng¡¯s eyes were fixed only on the candied hawthorn sticks. After much hesitation, Zhu Minng still decided to buy candied hawthorn sticks for Li Xinghua; half of their future happiness depended on her after all. ¡°Okay¡­ okay,¡± Li Xinghua nkly dawdled for a moment, then nodded her head like a pecking chicken.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om Holding the bunch of candied hawthorn sticks, Li Xinghua took a small bite, immediately feeling the sweetness of the brown sugar dominating her taste buds, and just before the sweetness became cloying, the sour softness of the hawthorn came rushing in¡­ Quite unexpected. She had thought the candied hawthorn sticks would bepletely sweet. And besides, why was it candied hawthorn sticks? Was this a deviation of fate for someone in the King Level Realm, or was it just that this young master preferred to do things in an unconventional way? Chapter 547: 549: Expedition Chapter 547: Chapter 549: Expedition ¡°` The military expedition was a mighty procession stretching from the army camps outside Li Chuan Ancestral Dragon City all the way to the Li Chuan in. The Li Chuan River area was like a silver serpentine dragon sprawling across thend, while this departing army seemed like a dragon, tinged with shades of blue and red, slowly inching towards the North Utmost Ridge. This army was not solelyposed of the Female Monarch¡¯s Army; it also included a coalition of various major powers, and parts of elite troops from the Royal Family, Purple Sect n, Zhu Gate, Miao Mountain Sword Sect, Great Zhou n¡­ all followed. There were two suprememanders of the army. One was Li Yunzi,manding the main force of two hundred thousand elite soldiers. Though not every soldier possessed the strength of a cultivator, they were equipped with fine weaponry and had undergone rigorous training, making each capable of posing a threat to certain Divine and Mortal beings. The other was Emperor Wuhou, responsible for oversight, with only about a thousand soldiers from the Supreme Court Army by his side. Each of these soldiers was a cultivator, vastly surpassing the capabilities of ordinary soldiers; their main purpose, however, was not to kill enemies on the battlefield but to monitor Li Yunzi. ¡°Teacher Li, you needn¡¯t pay much attention to me; I¡¯m simply carrying out my duties impartially. For you, this is a test from the Imperial Dynasty. If you manage to eradicate Absolute Ridge Chengbang, the Imperial Dynasty will surely rely on you even more. We all know that with the arrival of the World Dragon Gate, great changes will befall the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent, and the Imperial Dynasty has always cherished talents like you,¡± Emperor Wuhou Mu Chong said. Of course, Emperor Wuhou had an unspoken caveat: if Li Yunzi failed, the Imperial Dynasty would revoke her rule over Li Chuan. Li Chuan was no longer the secluded backwater it once was. With the emergence of the World Dragon Gate and the presence of the Time Wave, it had be a highly covetednd, desired by all. ¡°Asmanded by the Imperial Dynasty, I shall give my utmost effort,¡± Li Yunzi replied calmly. Her gaze swept across the vast array of soldiers, involuntarily turning towards the luxuriously-equipped contingent unting the Zhu Gate banners.
Since it was a jointed expedition, there naturally existed somepetition among the various forces. In the apparel of the expedition, whether it was the army of the Royal Family or the Dragon Shepherd Teams of the Purple Sect n, both disyed an unmatched grandeur that highlighted the power of the ruling ss and the seated forces. No matter how hard other powers tried to show off, it was difficult to match them, with both standing out in the tens of thousands of soldiers. Zhu Gate was the only one, being a force that specialized in ¡°equipment¡±; its members were decked in golden helmets and silver armor with finely crafted swords, and even the war horses and Dragon Beasts they rode were d in shining gear, catching the envious res of less affluent forces. Damn, even their mounts¡¯ gear is better than ours! This disy, amidst the mighty tens of thousands of soldiers, could be summed up in two words¡ªopulent tycoons. The members of Zhu Gate held their heads high and with chests puffed out, as if to say that when ites to expedition attire, excuse my frankness, but everyone else¡¯s looks like trash! Don¡¯t have as a high cultivation base as yours? No problem, our gear is better. Don¡¯t have as many people as you do? No problem, our gear is more impressive. As the only son of Zhu Gate, Zhu Minng, who had been sent to an ascetic vegetarian Sword Sect in the mountains at the age of five or six, isted from the world, and who, upon leaving the mountain at fifteen or sixteen, had not fully savored the luxurious life of Zhu Gate before being exiled outside the Imperial City, found it quite rare to witness his family¡¯s style in public; today was indeed the first time¡­ Zhu Minng began to question his life. Even the mere guards of Zhu Gate, when stepping out, resembled grand swordsmen with an indifference towards wealth as mere dirt. Why then had he, the only son, been living an austere, impoverished life since childhood?n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om He once thought his mother, Meng Bingci, was cold and unfeeling towards him, but Zhu Minng finally had a revtion that it was the same with both parents¡ªthey indulged in luxury and power while their flesh and blood were left to fend for themselves and survive, unconcerned with traditional lineage and legacy. ¡°Young master, the six million gold you withdrew from us the other day¡­¡± ¡°Go ask Zhu Heavenly Officer for it,¡± Zhu Minng gave the old man a fierce re. With the extravagant gear of the Zhu Gate guards for this campaign, it certainly didn¡¯t seem like they were missing six million gold. Zhu Minng even thought that he had asked for too little at that time. ¡°` Elder Jing Lin chuckled and said, ¡°No rush, no rush, as long as the young master feels generous, you can make up for this shortfallter on.¡± Zhu Minng had made up his mind not to repay the debt, so he too gave Elder Jing Lin a grin without showing his teeth. ¡°Young master, recently in Li Chuan, I¡¯ve heard some little rumors about you getting stranded here. I wonder if they are true or not. Is that Teacher of Li Chuan Kingdom perhaps the futuredy of our Zhu Gate?¡± Elder Jing Lin shifted the topic, asking with a smile.
¡°Which version have you heard?¡± Zhu Minng red at the elder, not bothering to talk to him. This Elder Jing Lin had a good temper and was friendly, holding considerable power, but he had one annoying trait: he liked to babble endlessly and was curious about the gossip concerning young people. ¡°Young master, I¡¯ve heard that Wen Lingfei of the Yaoshan Sword Sect insists on marrying no one but you. Wen Lingfei and Empress Li Yunzi of Li Chuan seem to be at odds with each other, both formidable, with no clear victor. How do you n to handle this situation?¡± Elder Jing Lin asked leisurely.
Zhu Minng rolled his eyes. Forget it, I¡¯ll leave on my own. When Zhu Minng saw that it was Elder Jing Lin representing Zhu Gate in this expedition, he was initially pleased, as the old fellow wasn¡¯t too difficult to get along with. However, after a few soul-searching questions, Zhu Minng remembered the elder¡¯s annoying habit of tormenting people. Ignoring Elder Jing Lin¡¯s nattering, Zhu Minng rode his horse through the lengthy procession of the departing army, nning to take a look at the Yaoshan Sword Sect¡¯s team¡­ ¡°Brother!¡± Just as he reached the Yaoshan Sword Sect¡¯s team, a crisp and pleasant voice sounded from the crowd dressed in Sword Dao attire. Before Zhu Minng could react, he saw a grace and gentledy using lightness skill, soaring toward him like a swallow returning to its nest. Zhu Minng was taken aback and, fearing that the beauty might fall, quickly embraced her. Immediately, his chest was met with a surge of soft, billowing impact¡­ The fragrance filled his nostrils, and strands of hair brushed against his cheeks. As Zhu Minng rode his horse with such a beautiful woman thrown into his arms, the soldiers walking by all stared with widened eyes. What great fortune! Isn¡¯t that beautiful woman the Chief Sister of the Yaoshan Sword Sect? The Sword Masters of the Yaoshan Sword Sect were also stunned. How did their proud and reserved Chief Sister turn into a little fan girl in just a second? In the midst of the public, they embraced tightly atop the horse, inseparable. What might have happened at night¡­ ¡°Cough cough, Miaozhu, a lot of people are watching,¡± Zhu Minng said, his face turning red.
¡°I don¡¯t care!¡± Zi Miaozhu didn¡¯t mind at all, having finally caught Zhu Minng. ¡°Alright, alright, if you keep hugging me, I¡¯m going to suffocate,¡± Zhu Minng said. Zi Miaozhu was beautifully alluring, and because she practiced the Sword Dao of Yaoshan, her whole being radiated a pure and refreshing aura. It wasn¡¯t that it was ufortable to hold her, but it was the pairs of envious eyes around Zhu Minng that made him feel he couldn¡¯t act without restraint. ¡°Brother, I¡¯ve heard some rumors about you in Li Chuan¡­ Aiya, brother, why aren¡¯t you holding me up?¡± Chapter 548: 550: The Eunuch Sword Master Chapter 548: Chapter 550: The Eunuch Sword Master Fortunately, Zi Miaozhu¡¯s reflexes were good; she did a side flip just beforending, otherwise her little bottom surely would have been sore. Zi Miaozhu stood beside Zhu Minng¡¯s tall and magnificent horse, pouting her lips, not knowing which of her words had offended her senior brother. Zhu Minng also dismounted and handed the reins over to a young disciple of Yaoshan Sword Sect. ¡°Who¡¯s in charge of this expedition on Yaoshan¡¯s side?¡± Zhu Minng asked. ¡°It¡¯s me.¡± A man in a Taoist robe replied gloomily; his eyes sizing up Zhu Minng from top to bottom, revealing an undisguised distaste. He coldly nced at Zi Miaozhu and rudely chided, ¡°As the Chief Disciple of Yaoshan Sword Sect, hugging and cuddling with a man in public, what kind of decorum is that!¡± ¡°Oh, oh, it¡¯s you, Ye Yang Eunuch.¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°What did you call me!¡± Ye Yang snapped angrily. ¡°Senior brother, senior brother, let it go¡­¡± Zi Miaozhu, seeing the tension, quickly stood between them. All eyes of the Yaoshan Sword Sect disciples were on them, with some of the younger disciples immediately inquiring about the grudge between their Ye Yangjian Chief and Zhu Minng, wondering why there was such a tense air the moment they met.
¡°Do you know of Snow Trace Master?¡± ¡°Of course, an exemr for our generation!¡± ¡°Ye Yangjian Chief was also among the elite of our Yaoshan Sword Sect back in the day, the only one mentioned in the same breath as Snow Trace Master. It is said that Ye Yangjian Chief harbored affection for Snow Trace Master, but after being rejected several times, out of frustration, he chose castration and focused solely on the Sword Dao.¡± Some of the gossip-minded Sword Masters immediately spoke in hushed tones, sharing this story. Castration??? The Chief has no male capabilities??? No wonder hisplexion is always gloomy and ashen, and his martial bearing carries a hint of queer softness! ¡°But what does this have to do with Zhu Minng, our senior brother?¡± a Sword Master asked, puzzled. ¡°Cough cough, consider it for yourselves, think it through,¡± someone said suggestively. ¡°Senior brother Zhu Minng has always lived with Snow Trace Master in the Abandoned Sword Forest, they are master and pupil, as well as aunt and nephew. Ye Yangjian Chief shouldn¡¯t harbor any resentment against senior brother Zhu Minng just because his courting was unsessful¡­¡± ¡°Aha, I get it now!¡± ¡°What do you get??¡± ¡°Their rtionship might go beyond master and pupil, beyond aunt and nephew!¡± ¡°Is it that explosive?!¡± ¡°Are Snow Trace Master and Minng senior blood rtives?¡± a female Sword Master hurriedly asked. ¡°It seems not.¡± ¡°Ah? What a pity,¡± the female Sword Master sighed. ¡°?????¡± All the Sword Masters turned their gazes to her in confusion. The female Sword Master covered her face and fled. ¡­
The matter of Ye Yang¡¯s castration wasn¡¯t a secret in Yaoshan Sword Sect anymore. In fact, Ye Yang did do something foolish when he was young, but it was at most an unsessful attempt at castration. His paleplexion now was simply due to having injured his kidneys back then! For so many years, no one had brought up the matter again, but Zhu Minng¡¯s calling him ¡°Ye Yang Eunuch¡± suddenly exposed his old scandal to the light of day.
He did not castrate himself!! He is still a man! ¡°I won¡¯t stoop to argue with a useless thing like you who can¡¯t even lift a sword. When I stand at the pinnacle of the Sword Dao, you will be no better than a gadfly!¡± As Ye Yang spoke these words, he pped his palm on a draft beast next to him. Hidden among the fur of the beast was a blood-sucking gadfly. After Ye Yang killed it with his palm, there was blood residue on his hand, and he took out a white handkerchief, elegantly wiping away the remains of the gadfly from his palm. ¡°My kidneys are better than yours,¡± Zhu Minng said with a smile. This remark made Ye Yang, who was wiping the bloodstain, visibly upset, and he crushed the already dead gadfly again, thinking of it as Zhu Minng! ¡°At the summit of the Sword Dao, one has everything. In thisbined military expedition, some are destined to be mere underlings, while others are bound to shine brilliantly.¡± No longer engaging in a verbal battle with Zhu Minng, Ye Yang, after saying this, still looked at Zhu Minng with disdain. No one likes to be looked at with scorn, and Zhu Minng was no exception. This Ye Yang is essentially a second generation Pu Shiming, but fundamentally different from Pu Shiming himself. Ye Yang is arrogant and proud, not even considering Zhu Minng, who once dominated the Sword Dao alongside his peers, worth his attention. He is a prodigy with exceptional insight and was early on appointed as Chief of the Yaoshan Sword Sect, a status scarcely second to that of the Sect Leader. He wished for Zhu Xuehen to be hispanion on the path of cultivation, a matter he considered a natural and expected development. After being coldly rejected by Zhu Xuehen, Ye Yang was infuriated and resolved to sever emotional entanglements and devote himself entirely to the Sword Dao.
Pu Shiming is a sly and petty man, ready to remove any obstacles at any cost. Ye Yang can barely be considered a gentleman of the Sword Dao, despising despicable tactics, but when ites to squarely trampling Zhu Minng, he does so with more ferocity than anyone! In the past, Zhu Minng didn¡¯t quite believe there was any issue between himself and Zhu Xuehen. As Zhu Xuehen¡¯s admirers revealed their attitudes toward him, Zhu Minng gradually realized that Zhu Xuehen¡¯s manner towards others was worlds apart from how she treated him. Simply put, to her, others were no different from the flowers, nts, and trees beside her, but when it came to him, well, he was a person. Such is human nature. When everyone is nothing but flora in the presence of a fairy, the heart remains pure and undisturbed. But once the fairy waters one nt a bit more or takes extra care of it, the other flowers, nts, and trees start to mind! In the end, it¡¯s because Zhu Xuehen hardly treated others as people that she brought so much undue jealousy and suspicion upon herself. The pure rtionship of siblings, cousins, teacher and student has been muddled by these people into something foul and murky!n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om ¡­ The ascent begins. Even the Lower Isted Ridge has already added considerable difficulty to the march, with supply carts and draft beasts barely able to follow sluggishly behind. After crossing the Lower Isted Ridge and entering the Upper Isted Ridge, the chill sets in, and many peaks are still covered in snow as far as the eye can see.
The vegetation on the high mountains and ridges is sparse, and the air is thin. It¡¯s not that the Supreme Court and Li Chuan are unwilling to summon more troops to simply crush Absolute Ridge Chengbang with a million soldiers, but ordinary soldiers would likely be half-dead before they even reached it! A group of Flying Dragon Generals lead the army, responsible for clearing obstacles, especially the demonic beasts and creatures that inhabit the ridge. That evening, Zhu Minng sat with other leaders from major forces in a makeshift tent, where Li Yunzi was briefly outlining the threats for the next three days, as Emperor Wuhou walked in with a troubled look on his face. Emperor Wuhou scanned the gathering and said in a grave tone, ¡°A hundred Flying Dragon Generals, not a single dragon or person returned alive!¡± All in the tent showed a look of shock! The Flying Dragon Generals, who ride atop giant dragons ¨C a hundred giant dragons and the soldiers who rode them, just gone?! Chapter 549: 551 Silent Death Chapter 549: Chapter 551 Silent Death ¡°` The Flying Dragon Generals were only responsible for clearing obstacles for the marching army, not for prating deep into the enemy camp. They were a bit faster than the entire army, but notpletely out of sight. Unless they encountered something extremely bizarre and far stronger than the Flying Dragon Generals, there was no reason for such a horrifying death! This was like two people walking through the wilds, with the one in front simply clearing the thorns, and after turning a mountain bend, the person in front just disappeared, without any noise or cries for help. ¡°During the night, our current high mountain range will experience a frost storm, and we must reach t Ridge quickly to set up camp,¡± a diviner responsible for surveying the changes of heaven and earth said. ¡°Let the Eagle Army take charge of clearing the way, and the rest of the army will advance as usual,¡± Emperor Wuhou ordered. ¡°Won¡¯t there be an investigation?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s leave this ce first, staying here poses a greater danger.¡± The Eagle Army was far less powerful than the Flying Dragon Generals, even though they were more numerous.
One thousand of the Eagle Army kept to low flight, taking a lesson from the Flying Dragon Generals¡¯ precedent, not straying too far from the main force to avoid meeting the same fate. The army moved forward once more, with t Ridge Mountain being their first encampment. There, a thawing pool provided a rtively instructed water source. After resting, the Eagle Army cleared the obstacles, but after advancing less than five miles of mountain road, the vanguard ryed shocking news that rmed everyone! One thousand members of the Eagle Army, along with their eagles, had vanished! They weren¡¯t that far out of sight, and at this moment, they were just advancing halfway up the mountain range. There were no high mountains or forests blocking the view, nor were there any ice or fog mists. It was as if they simply turned their heads, exchanged a few words with the people behind, and once they looked forward again, the people in front were gone! One thousand men along with one thousand eagles were not something that could simply sneak off into a roadside flower bed like kittens or puppies! The advancing forces fell into a state of confusion and panic for a moment. The army had to stop again, but the sun was already nting. If they could not reach t Ridge Mountain before dark, they would all suffer from the frost storm. The storm could cool their living blood and make it very difficult for them to generate heat to maintain their body temperature, as if being frozen stiff, and this condition wouldst a very long time. ¡°Is it an enemy attack, or some mysterious creature from Absolute Ridge Chengbang?¡± Zhu Minng also felt something peculiar. Li Yunzi shook her head; she couldn¡¯t make a judgment either. Marching and making war, it¡¯s rare to encounter ¡®blind¡¯ demons, as most are scared off by the imposing army and its vibrant energy. Of course, this was Upper Isted Ridge, and beneath the ridge was Absolute Valley, where unknown creatures that prey on humans resided. But this was not Li Yunzi¡¯s area of expertise. ¡°Based on the traces, it¡¯s more likely the work of a spirit demon, but we can¡¯t rule out the possibility that the people of Absolute Ridge Chengbang are using the local monsters to hinder us,¡± Li Yunzi spected. As the two conversed, other representatives with formidable strength began to arrive, and the first to enter was Ye Yangjian First from the Yaoshan Sword Sect. ¡°This act is most likely the doing of a Great Saint Spirit Level creature. Exorcising demons and vanquishing monsters is something we at Yaoshan Sword Sect excel at. Before the sun sets, our Sword Sect will have an answer for everyone,¡± Ye Yangjian First dered. Although other powerhouse factions wanted to seize this opportunity to showcase themselves, since the Yaoshan Sword Sect had already stepped forward, they chose not to voice any objections. Li Yunzi gave a slight nod. She would leave it to the powerhouse factions and wait for the results.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om ¡­
The Yaoshan Sword Sect¡¯s investigation team set out immediately, and Zhu Minng, with nothing else to do, followed along. It was mainly because Zi Miaozhu was among them, and his little junior sister insisted on dragging him along. Exorcising demons was indeed something Zhu Minng was quite adept at. Besides, the matter might not be as simple as it seemed. With some early warnings from his ¡°prophet¡± aunt, Zhu Minng took every matter seriously. ¡°`
The army halted, and Zhu Minng followed the members of the Yaoshan force led by Ye Yangjian First, Li Yunzi, to begin the hunt for monsters. Upon reaching a mountainous stone forest, Zhu Minng started to search for traces of the residual aura of demons. There was no aura, but of course, the involvement of demons could not be ruled out. Some creatures possess very faint Demonic Qi or Demonic Qi and excel at camouge and concealment. 100 years makes a demon, 1,000 years a monster. Zhu Minng was well aware that the creatures of this world all possessed Spiritual Wisdom and should not be underestimated. The level of Cultivation Base only represented the odds of victory when facing them head-on, but ording to Zhu Minng¡¯s understanding, many fairies, fiends, and holy devils had their own methods of ¡°hunting¡± that did not expose themselves. ¡°If there are no bodies, then why did those generals confirm that both the Flying Dragon Generals and the Eagle Army were struck by a tragic fate?¡± Zi Miaozhu asked, puzzled. She naturally directed her question at Zhu Minng. In her eyes, not only was Zhu Minng¡¯s Cultivation Base unmatched in the world, but his wisdom was also beyond anyone else¡¯s reach. Zhu Minng stroked his chin, appearing deep in thought. Of course, Zhu Minng was indeed deep in thought about this issue. No bodies could be seen. Neither the Flying Dragon Generals nor the Eagle Army had left any corpses behind. What remained at the few sites where incidents had urred were nothing but fragments of armor and the sturdy scales of dragons. Even if they had been eaten, it seemed too clean a job, for not even the bones or scraps were left behind by the monsters, were they?
Not a single hair, ke of skin, feather, or w from any of the people or dragons was left behind. ¡°Little shishu, what kind of monster could it be? Let alone the people, someone ate a hundred Giant Dragons and a thousand of the Eagle beasts?¡± Hao Ye, also an ultimate fan of Zhu Minng, asked earnestly. ¡°Not sure yet, let¡¯s move on and see,¡± Zhu Minng said. Chief Female Disciple Zi Miaozhu closely followed Zhu Minng¡¯s steps, and Cloud Wanderer Sword Master Hao Ye also followed behind Zhu Minng, leaving the Sword Masters and disciples of the Yaoshan Sword Sect somewhat at a loss for a moment. Were they to follow Ye Yangjian First, or like Zi Miaozhu and Hao Ye, follow Zhu Minng? Indeed, the deterrence of the Sword First proved somewhat greater, and the Sword Masters of the Yaoshan Sword Sect followed Ye Yangjian First, leaving Zhu Minng, Zi Miaozhu, and Hao Ye to take their own path. Along the rugged and strange mountains of the stone ridge, Zhu Minng found the remains of the Eagle Army. After a more careful examination of the surroundings, Zhu Minng found that the remains were essentially the same as those of the Flying Dragon Generals¡­ ¡°To leave a hundred-man scale Flying Dragon Generals and a thousand-man scale Eagle Army sopletely wiped out that not even the remains or space for resistance were left, and most importantly, without any majormotion¡ªthat¡¯d have to be the level of a Demon Saint Devil King, right?¡± Hao Ye said. Zhu Minng didn¡¯t answer. Because at that moment, he wasmunicating with the Heavenly ughter Dragon. ¡°If it were you, could you do it? Kill them all in an extremely short period without leaving any trace of your deed?¡± Zhu Minng asked. ¡°Nng~~~~~~¡±
The Heavenly ughter Dragon indicated that it could do it with its Tail of the Underworld Lamp. But the Tail of the Underworld Lamp was an extremely powerful Dragon Spell, whose Underworld light could even cause the trees and nts of these mountain ridges to vanish¡­ ¡°In summary, you could do it with your Cultivation Base, but the disturbance it would cause would definitely be immense,¡± Zhu Minng summed up. The Heavenly ughter Dragon nodded. Powerful Spells inevitably lead to difficult-to-conceal fluctuations. Chapter 550: 552 Mosquito Dragon Chapter 550: Chapter 552 Mosquito Dragon ¡°Nu~~~¡± ¡°Don¡¯t, don¡¯t, don¡¯t, I¡¯m not asking you to try it out here, we¡¯re all on the same side. Just give me a general idea,¡± Zhu Minng urgently stopped the Heavenly ughter Dragon. The Heavenly ughter Dragon looked as if it were ready to try it out for itself, and although hundreds of thousands of the soldiers setting out on the campaign belonged to certain powers that be, it would not be okay to ughter them indiscriminately! ncing back, Zhu Minng coincidentally saw the g of the Great Zhou n. After hesitating for a moment, Zhu Minng still suppressed the small idea that had surfaced in his heart.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om ¡°Millennia Spirit Blood has been prepared for you, don¡¯t worry,¡± Zhu Minng murmured to himself as he walked. ¡°If even a Middle-level King Level has to strain to kill them silently, then we must have overlooked something.¡± ¡°Middle-level King Level??¡± Hao Ye, standing beside him, overheard Zhu Minng¡¯s murmur and widened his eyes in shock, staring at this young junior uncle. This junior uncle truly was not human. ¡°Senior brother, there¡¯s a ridge here, seems quite deep,¡± said Zi Miaozhu, riding atop a Date-red Dragon Horse, leaning forward slightly. Zhu Minng looked over, initially attracted by Zi Miaozhu¡¯s graceful riding posture, slender waist and round hips beckoning onlookers to take a few extra nces. But soon Zhu Minng noticed something on the Date-red Horse Beast she rode. There was a dark brown insect clinging to the horse, seeming to be sucking on something¡­
Mosquito? Zhu Minng observed carefully and recognized this creature. Commonly known as the horsefly, these insects often burrow into the dense fur of cattle, brazenly sucking the blood of livestock, with cows, horses, and sheep all serving as their blood pantry. How could these horseflies survive in such high mountains and such cold climate? Could it be that they simply clung onto these horse beasts and cattle all the way from Li Chuan in to these high mountain ridges? As Zhu Minng was pondering this, suddenly the horse Zi Miaozhu was riding began to thrash about restlessly, its hooves stomping heavily on the ground. ¡°Senior brother, there looks to be something under here, a bit like insect eggs¡­,¡± Zi Miaozhu continued to observe the ridge, but the Date-red Horse Beast under her began to grow agitated and started pacing restlessly. ¡°Ye~~~~~~¡± The Date-red Horse Beast, perhaps bitten painfully by the horsefly, let out a cry. Suddenly, the horse beast began violently shaking its body, its difort so intense that it nearly threw Zi Miaozhu off, who instinctively grasped the reins tighter! ¡°Miaozhu, get away from there quickly!¡± Zhu Minng sensed something was amiss and shouted at Zi Miaozhu. Zi Miaozhu didn¡¯t hesitate. Skilled at light body techniques, she stood up on the horse¡¯s back, leaping lightly like a swallow flying toward Zhu Minng¡¯s direction. At the same time, the Date-red Horse Beast began to go mad, furiously twisting its body and charging toward Zhu Minng. However, while running towards Zhu Minng, the Date-red Horse Beast¡¯s body frighteningly began to diminish, bit by bit! This scene was quite bizarre, and the word ¡°diminish¡± truly was the best to describe it, as if a piece of cake was being slowly broken off, bit by bit, yet this was a live, robust horse beast with nothing visibly tearing at it! This horse wanted to neigh in anguish, but for some reason, it couldn¡¯t let out any cries of distress, and its body was dissolving as if y had been thrown into a river! Its head crumbled into pieces of brittle bone, the bones turning into fine white sand. Its body turned into pieces of flesh, the flesh then disintegrating into nearly invisible fragments! The horse was running, and while doing so, it was dissolving right under the broad daylight! The image was so horrifying that Hao Ye, standing beside Zhu Minng, couldn¡¯t even believe the sight before his eyes! ¡°`
¡°There¡¯s something gnawing at it from inside its body!¡± Zhu Minng said. These creatures were numerous and gnawing simultaneously. They ate the Date-red Horse Beast from the inside out, leaving nothing behind in just a few seconds!! Just as Zi Miaozhu hadnded, she turned around to find her Date-red Horse Beast had simply ¡°melted away.¡± At the same time, she was horrified to discover countless grey Mosquito Dragons scattering from the remains of the Date-red Horse Beast, and rapidly burrowing into the ridge ditch she had examined earlier.
¡°It¡¯s the Mosquito Dragons!¡± Zhu Minng was equally shocked! Mosquito Dragons looked like flies but were even smaller than flies; describing them as mosquitoes wouldn¡¯t be too much of an exaggeration. Even in astounding numbers, when they flew out from the body of the Date-red Horse Beast, they looked no more than a small cloud of dust picked up by the wind! ¡°No, no, no, they are dragons, Mosquito Dragons!!¡± Mr. Jinli¡¯s voice came from behind Zhu Minng, equally filled with shock. Dragons?? Those creatures, no bigger than mosquitoes, were dragons??? ¡°They are among the smallest dragons in the world. When they sleep, they turn into tiny, invisible eggs and attach themselves to nts and fruits. Ifrge animals or magical beasts inadvertently consume them, they will awaken inside and consume the host entirely to leave the body¡­¡± Mr. Jinli exined. Zhu Minng listened, dumbfounded. Dragons smaller than flies??? If they all were dragons¡­ The small cluster he had just seen contained at least thousands! ¡°Don¡¯t provoke them, don¡¯t provoke them at all, whatever your Cultivation Base is. Don¡¯t be fooled by their size, resembling little flies; each of them is a True Dragon!¡± Mr. Jinli warned once again. Zi Miaozhu had already turned pale with fright. So, thousands of dragons had been gnawing at her Date-red Horse, and she had been moments away from death!
Hundreds of Flying Dragon Generals vanished along with their dragons. Thousands of eagles disappeared as well¡­ They had encountered these thousands of Mosquito Dragons, and what was even more hair-raising was that these thousands of Mosquito Dragons were indistinguishable from a cloud of dust stirred up by the wind. How could anyone guard against that?? ¡°We need to leave this ce,¡± Zhu Minng said, feeling a chill run down his spine. Zi Miaozhu and Hao Ye didn¡¯t dare to linger. Fortunately, the Mosquito Dragons had burrowed into the ridge ditch after devouring the Date-red Horse Beast. Had theye directly at the three of them, it would have been a terrifying ordeal. Each one was a True Dragon! Which meant that those Mosquito Dragons, smaller than flies, had at least the strength of a Dragon Son, with destructive power rivaling a Thousand Dragon Army!! ¡°They don¡¯t emit any aura, and they have an extreme appetite. I bet that even with many high-level cultivators amongst your several hundred thousand soldiers, these living beings wouldn¡¯t be enough to sate them!¡± Mr. Jinli¡¯s voice came once more. And with every piece of new knowledge came increased oppression and fear. Why would such a terrifying group of dragons exist on Upper Isted Ridge!! ¡°Just now, when I looked down into the ridge ditch, there were so many eggs¡­¡± Zi Miaozhu said, somewhat out of breath. ¡°The number of Mosquito Dragons is far more than those that ate the Date-red Horse!¡± Chapter 551: 553 Unable to Leave the Main Force Chapter 551: Chapter 553 Unable to Leave the Main Force ¡°Do they only wake up when identally ingested?¡± Zhu Minng asked. ¡°No, no, no, they only choose to sleep when there¡¯s not enough food in order to preserve their strength and prevent infighting. Once there is sufficient food around and their numbers arerge enough, they don¡¯t need to camouge themselves. They will start foraging like a swarm of locusts, turning all living things into food for their gnawing!!¡± Mr. Jinli emphasized. ¡°But why don¡¯t they directly attack the army?¡± Hao Ye said. ¡°This means the number of Mosquito Dragons is not yet enough to confront our army. But those who are patrolling alone, separated from the group, or falling behind will all be devoured by them!¡± Zhu Minng realized, feeling an intense fear on further thought. Having said this, Zhu Minng suddenly heard a ¡°buzz, buzz, buzz¡± sound, faint as if a group of bees was in a nearby flower bed. Zhu Minng focused his vision, and used the Dragon Shepherd¡¯s insight to barely make out a wisp of gray dust drifting eerily out of the ridge and flying towards himself, Zi Miaozhu, and Hao Ye! It was Mosquito Dragons, even more than those that had emerged from the bodies of the Red Date Beasts!! ¡°Not good, they¡¯re nning to eat you. They didn¡¯t act against you just now because they weren¡¯t sure they could take you, Zhu Minng. Now they¡¯ve called for more of their kin!!¡± Mr. Jinli screamed, diving back behind Zhu Minng at once, transforming into an embroidery! Doubled in number from before! Two to three thousand Mosquito Dragons, which at a nce seemed no different from a gray gauze curtain. Even as it drifted head-on, ordinary people traveling on the road wouldn¡¯t take a second nce, but right now Zhu Minng felt as if he had been doused with a bucket of cold water.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
Earlier, they were wary of Zhu Minng, who, after all, was in the King-Level Realm, so after eating the Date-red Horse Beasts, they immediately burrowed into the ridges. They woke other slumbering Mosquito Dragons, and now the Mosquito Dragon Army was confident they could eat him¡ªthey wereing!! ¡°We can¡¯t separate from the main force; hurry back!¡± Zhu Minng, along with Zi Miaozhu and Hao Ye, turned and ran! ¡°The Sword First and other disciples are up ahead.¡± ¡­ On the ridge, the three of them ran like mad. The main force was actually within sight, just two to three miles away, but those few miles felt terrifying¡­ ¡°Sword First, what are they doing, having a race?¡± a puzzled Sword Sect Swordsman from the Yaoshan Sword Sect asked. The Yaoshan Sword Sect¡¯s team of forty to fifty people saw the three of them sprinting, but could see nothing chasing after them, so they were all stunned. ¡°Run, disciples, run!!¡± Hao Ye shouted at the top of his lungs while running. ¡°Quick, into the main force, get back!¡± Zi Miaozhu shouted, casting aside any sense of grace. Hao Ye and Zi Miaozhu had a certain influence in the Yaoshan Sword Sect, so soon some of the disciples started running as well. If even Hao Ye and Zi Miaozhu feared something, they definitely wouldn¡¯t stand a chance against it. But some were followers of the Sword First, Ye Yang. If Sword First Ye Yang did not run, they felt it improper to move. ¡°Hmm, getting panicked over a little matter like this, what a disgrace,¡± Sword First Ye Yang said contemptuously as he flung his sleeve back, his gaze arrogantly fixed on whaty behind the three runners. He wanted to see for himself what had frightened the three of them out of their wits. Ye Yang focused his eyes on the area behind Zhu Minng, but only saw some dust flying about. He was about to mock Zhu Minng when suddenly his sheathed sword began to tremble violently, almost as if it were trying to break free from the scabbard on its own! Sword First Ye Yang¡¯s sword was no ordinary de; it had a special warning inscription infused into it. When danger approached, the sword would lightly tremble, and the intensity of the vibration indicated the level of danger!
¡°Thud thud thud thud thud!!!!!!¡± Ever since Ye Yangjian First got this sword, he hadn¡¯t seen it tremble so fiercely, the sheath was about to be shattered by it. When Ye Yangjian First looked at the so-called ¡°sandstorm¡± again, he finally realized what it was, suddenly drew his sword, but the trembling was so severe that it made his own arm shake violently! ¡°Run, all of you run!¡± Ye Yangjian First suddenly yelled at the Sword Masters beside him.
The Sword Masters hadn¡¯t fully reacted yet. While they were still dazed, suddenly a terrifying breath of death struck, and the bodies of the four Sword Masters standing in front of Ye Yangjian First began ¡°dissolving¡±! ¡°Damn it, you monstrous creatures, die!!¡± Ye Yangjian First roared in fury. He drew his sword angrily and chopped at those Horsefly Dragons. Ye Yangjian First was of King Level, and he believed his Sword Territory was second to none, not even lesser than Zhu Xuehen; the Sword Power he unleashed in his rage was so domineering it seemed as though it could swallow mountains and rivers! However, his King-level sword was utterly unable to stop those creatures which swarmed like mosquitos. The four disciples were now left with nothing but their boots¡­ Ye Yangjian First couldn¡¯t believe it as his pupils dted with shock, and at the same time, a sharp pain emanated from his left hand, the hand that wasn¡¯t holding the sword was also dissolving!! Something was gnawing at him, and the speed of the gnawing was incredibly fast; in the blink of an eye, Ye Yangjian First¡¯s left hand was reduced to nothing but an arm skeleton, and what was more terrifying was that these creatures didn¡¯t even spare the bones!! It was only then that Ye Yangjian First realized those grey horseflies were not mere flies or mosquitos. Enduring the pain, he suddenly unleashed a huge Bagua Sword Qi, using it to keep the Horsefly Dragons outside of the Bagua Sword Qi, buying time for other Sword Masters to escape. ¡°Ye Yangjian First!¡± shouted several Great Swordsmasters who had run hundreds of meters away but couldn¡¯t resist looking back. ¡°Run!!!!¡± Ye Yangjian First had realized that he could no longer get away. The Bagua Sword Qi might have seemed grand and massive, like a mountain barrier, but for those Horsefly Dragons, it was no different than a sheet of thin paper. Ye Yangjian First, driven by anger, raised his sword and began shing in a flurry, killing some of the Horsefly Dragons, but the Horsefly Dragons had already started to gnaw away at his legs. ¡°Ye Yangjian First!¡±
A few disciples saw Ye Yangjian First¡¯s legs bloodied and blurry, intending to turn back and assist, but were grabbed by Zhu Minng, who then dragged them away from the ce. ¡°We can¡¯t leave him to die!¡± ¡°Idiots, what is Ye Yang¡¯s Cultivation Base? If he can¡¯t survive, can you?!¡± Zhu Minng scolded. Ye Yangjian First continued to swing his sword. His body dissolved slower than others because the Horsefly Dragons feared the Sword Power he unleashed. It could be seen that many Horsefly Dragons died under his sword qi, yet his feet were gnawed to the bone! The sword light burst continuously, and only after hundreds of Horsefly Dragons miserably perished under Ye Yang¡¯s sword did they realize that Ye Yang¡¯s body was gone¡­ As he was killing those Horsefly Dragons, the others were gnawing at him! The departing army wasn¡¯t far away, and gradually some became aware of what was happening. They knew nothing of what had transpired, only seeing all members of the Yaoshan Sword Sect running desperately towards the temporary camp as if they had encountered abyssal demons, while not far away, the sword qi churned like surging waves¡­ ¡°Such a powerful Sword Master!¡± ¡°This Sword Qi is so fierce, even the Dragon King might not withstand it, is it Ye Yangjian First??¡± ¡°What is he chopping at?¡± What everyone noticed was merely a King-level Sword Master unleashing those majestic strikes in his dying moments. But momentster, people were horrified to discover. Such a formidable Sword Master, only one arm was left!!
Chapter 552: 554 The Cloud Wall on Silver Ridge Chapter 552: Chapter 554 The Cloud Wall on Silver Ridge The horrifying scene left all the forces and soldiers unable toprehend or believe what had happened. That was the lead sword master from Yaoshan Sword Sect, with his strength, he could even fend off an army of cultivators by himself. Yet he died before everyone¡¯s eyes, and the vast majority of them had no idea how he actually met his end! ¡°it¡¯s the Mosquito Dragons, it¡¯s the Mosquito Dragons, tell everyone, never stray from the group!¡± Zhu Minng shouted to all. The other sword masters from Yaoshan Sword sect quickly regrouped with the army, looking like they had just crawled out of Ghost Gate, their faces pale, terrified out of their wits! At first, they had underestimated the Mosquito Dragons just like Ye yangjian First, but after feeling the onught of death bear down on them, they were trembling in the knees. Any slower, and they would all have been gnawed to nothing by the Mosquito Dragons! ¡°What are Mosquito Dragons??¡± ¡°Why can¡¯t we see anything??¡± ¡°Anyway, don¡¯t stray from the group, everyone try to stand as close as possible, and look out for each other between groups!¡± The Mosquito Dragons did not continue their attacks, they ultimately still dared not contend with the vast expediency army and, in devouring Sword Master Yeyang, they also lost a small portion of their number to his de.
They began to disperse, small as gnats, indistinguishable from the dust thrown up on the vast mountain ridges. Burrowing into the gullies, they transformed into tiny egg-like objects and entered into a state of hibernation¡­ Zhu Minng stared at the ridge, making sure the Mosquito Dragons weren¡¯t pursuing anymore, and finally took a long deep breath. He nced at the sword masters from Yaoshan Sword Sect beside him, most of whom were still immersed in the terror of witnessing Ye Yang¡¯s tragic death, and for a long time, no one could utter a word. ¡°They are tiny like gnats, but each individual is a True Dragon. The swarm of Mosquito Dragons that attacked Ye Yang just now must have been close to three thousand!¡± Zhu Minng said to the members of the seated forces who were gradually gathering around. ¡°We¡¯ve never heard of such dragons??¡± ¡°Yes, it doesn¡¯t make sense, how can something as tiny as a mosquito possess a destructive power even more fearsome than the Giant Dragons¡­¡± ¡°In any case, do not separate. Call back whoever can be called back. That lead sword master from Yaoshan Sword Sect is gone, and those of us with lesser cultivation bases would likely be gone in the blink of an eye!¡± ¡­ The appearance of the Mosquito Dragons had everyone on edge. The arrival of World Dragon Gate made this once-familiar Spiritual Realm seem unpredictable. In the past, even if creatures like the Mosquito Dragons did exist, they would not have been seen on the mountain ridges, let alone in such numbers. However, the army had no choice but to keep moving. If they didn¡¯t reach t Ridge and camped here instead, not only would they suffer from frost storms, but there was no telling what other terrifying creatures they might encounter. Whether it was Li Yunzi¡¯s Army Guard or the teams from various major forces, at this moment they were all huddled closely together. As they passed those strange gullies, each person looked very tense, as if facing an enemy armyrger than their own, especially since most knew very little about the Mosquito Dragons. All they knew was that a King-Level Realm sword master had simply vanished! Without scouts, without aerial squads to clear obstacles, and even the logistics army carrying military supplies waspletely cut off from the main forces. The major powers had no choice but to send out arge number of experts to escort the logistics army to prevent them from bing food for those Mosquito Dragons. And then, the logistical army itself had many cattle and horse beasts, which were plump and strong, simply the favorite of the Mosquito Dragons. They might bypass the expedition army that crossed their territory, but these thousands of cattle and horse beasts were doomed! After setting up camp on t Ridge, news came early the next morning that nearly half of the logistical army¡¯s cattle and horse beasts had been lost, and many military supplies had to be abandoned at that ridge, unable to be transported. The high-level experts who were escorting the convoy were rtively okay; there weren¡¯t many casualties. The Mosquito Dragons would not choose to fight a battle to the death with these powerful cultivators unless absolutely necessary; they were only focused on devouring therge creaturespletely! Before even reaching Absolute Ridge Chengbang, the expeditionary army encountered such strange and terrifying events that all the major forces stationed were at a loss. ¡°It seems this trip is indeed fraught with great peril¡­¡± Zhu Minng recalled what his aunt, the Prophet, had said to him. ¡°The influence of Time Wave affects not just nts.¡± Nan Lingsha said.
¡°If even these Mosquito Dragons have undergone such horrifying mutations, one wonders what the people of Absolute Ridge Chengbang have gained,¡± Zhu Minng couldn¡¯t help but start worrying. ¡­ The mountains grew taller, and as Zhu Minng crossed a snow ridge, he suddenly saw a heart-stopping streak of lightning in the ce where the rolling mountains met the long sky! That lightning bolt struck down from the heavens as if a pair of magnificent wings stretched down to the earth, intersecting right at the peak. The scene was as if a pair of thunder wings were bestowed unto a colossal divine mountain, the dazzling lightning making it seem as though the entire mountain was about to take flight!
¡°It¡¯s the Wing Thunder Heavenly Species!¡± Zhu Minng stared at this magnificent sight, feeling his spirit lifted. With this Wing Thunder Heavenly Species, his Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon had the opportunity to soar high into the skies and transform into the Azure Dragon Dragon King! However, lying before that thunderous peak was a vast expanse of Silver Ridge, within which stood an impressive city-state¡­n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om This city was built along the expansive and stretching Silver Ridge, resembling not so much a city as it did a fortress of Silver Ridge. Silver Ridge itself loomed tall and imposing, difficult to surpass, and atop the ridge of Silver Ridge stood an incredibly solid State Wall¡­ The Silver Ridge was surrounded by swirling clouds and mists, making those State Walls appear as if they were built upon the clouds, emitting an immensely solemn aura as if the Cloud-top Divine People lived behind those Cloud Ridge City Walls! ¡°Is this Absolute Ridge Chengbang???¡± Gazing upon it, everyone¡¯s eyes revealed shades of disbelief! Such a city-state, enveloped in fog and erected atop Silver Ridge, exuded an air of sanctity and quietude. Compared to the cities they inhabited, which seemed no better than mud walls and worn tiles, it was a stark contrast. In a remote ce like Li Chuan, who would have thought such a holy city amidst the clouds existed? It made them feel as if they were the indigenous people! ¡°Hmph, even the art of city building has been stolen by these traitors!¡± grumbled a youth dressed in luxurious robes from the Great Zhou n disdainfully. ¡°Such State Walls, even if ced on innds, would be incredibly difficult to conquer, let alone standing on Silver Ridge¡­¡± Easy to defend but difficult to assail, the people of North Utmost Ridge were ambitiously concealed here, with substantial strength. With the emergence of World Dragon Gate, they seemed to have foreseen this opportunity and had swiftly grown in power. Even the Royal Family was wary of them, and Li Yunzi distinctly understood that if they could not eliminate them, Li Chuan could be the next possession of Absolute Ridge Chengbang at any time!
Chapter 553: 555: Elope? Chapter 553: Chapter 555: Elope? The environment imposed significant restrictions, rendering so-called tactical deployments essentially meaningless. This time, the war with Absolute Ridge Chengbang was essentially a head-on ughter, and Li Yunzi was well aware of this fact. All she had to do was one thing, break through the cloud-topping State Wall of Absolute Ridge Chengbang! ¡°We can station our army near the mountains by the Silver Bells, surround thempletely yet not attack the city, to erode their will to fight¡­¡± Emperor Wuhou suggested his strategy. ¡°If our logistics had not been affected by Mosquito Dragons, this would indeed be a good method, but what we should least do now is to dy, we must fight quickly,¡± Zheng Yu objected. ¡°But if we rashly attack the city from the front, that fortress-level State Wall, how many men will you have to sacrifice to climb it?¡± Emperor Wuhou said. ¡°We need a surprise force that can reach their rear. When weunch our fiercest siege attack, they should be given a stab in the back.¡± ¡°Their rear is the Absolute Valley beneath the clouds!¡± ¡°Unless we attack the city, the only way to get behind them is to go through the Absolute Valley underneath the clouds.¡± ¡°The Mosquito Dragon probablyes from Absolute Valley. Previously we might have considered having the various seated powersplete the task, but now no one dares to act alone and leave the army,¡± Emperor Wuhou said.
To go through Absolute Valley¡­ It felt as dangerous as directly facing the Giant Ridge General of Absolute Ridge Chengbang in head-onbat. Especially now, everyone understood that the Time Wave of World Dragon Gate seemed to affect the creatures in Absolute Valley, making them even more fearful of the maze in the valley! ¡°I can lead the team there,¡± Zhu Minng spoke up at this time. ¡°Your Zhu Gate is willing to go down into Absolute Valley??¡± Emperor Wuhou said in surprise. At the same time, the leaders of other powers also turned their gazes toward Zhu Minng. ¡°I will only bring my own Dragon Shepherd Team, not representing Zhu Gate,¡± Zhu Minng stated bluntly. ¡°Brother Zhu is truly a brave warrior!¡± ¡°If a surprise force passes through the Absolute Valley beneath the clouds and reaches the rear of Absolute Ridge Chengbang, taking the city will be as easy as turning one¡¯s hand!¡± Emperor Wuhou said. Admiring gazes fell on Zhu Minng, who maintained a confident andposed expression. A true brave warrior? In fact, Zhu Minng had no choice; the rear of Absolute Ridge Chengbang was precisely the Absolute Valley below the clouds. That is to say, Zhu Minng had to not only traverse the impregnable Absolute Ridge Chengbang but also descend into Absolute Valley once to reach the Thunderwing Mountain Summit. Since he had to descend into the Absolute Valley anyway, Zhu Minng thought it might as well be from here; at least he could cooperate with the main army tounch a pincer attack from front and rear, to take down Absolute Ridge Chengbang with as few losses as possible. ¡°If you, Zhu Minng, are leading the team, I¡¯m afraid no one will dare to follow you down,¡± Zhou Xian of the Great Zhou n said with a smile, his words tinged with sarcasm. ¡°Then will you go?¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°Our Great Zhou n will still face the enemy from the front.¡± The crowd cast scornful nces at Zhou Xian. If you can do it, then go ahead. Stop talking nonsense!
¡°Entering Absolute Valley should not involve many people, but their Cultivation Base must be high. Each major power should either send a King-Level Realm Expert or a teamposed of Monarch Level individuals to apany Zhu Minng through the Absolute Valley beneath the clouds,¡± Li Yunzi told the representatives of the seated powers. In a frontal siege against the Cloud Ridge City Wall, every soldier faced a life-and-death test. The side with towering city walls had a natural advantage, and to leap over this deadly ridge wall was essentially to pile up corpses. With the army paying such a heavy price, how could the powers sit back and reap the benefits? ¡°Did the Female Monarch n from the beginning for us to go through this Absolute Valley below the clouds?¡± the leader of the Red Dragon Valley said.
¡°Yes.¡± Li Yunzi nodded. ¡°I don¡¯t understand why a tiny Absolute Ridge Chengbang should be so wary of them; by tomorrow at noon, my Red Dragon Valley will take the lead, and with your dragons, we¡¯ll break the city siege,¡± said Li Huoyun, the leader of Red Dragon Valley. ¡°That¡¯s fine by me. Those forces unwilling to enter Absolute Valley can choose to lead the charge,¡± Li Yunzi had no objections to Red Dragon Valley¡¯s boldness. As themander appointed by the Imperial Dynasty, in terms of warfare, Li Yunzi naturally surpassed the sect leaders, elders, and hall chiefs of the various forces. Even if they held discontent in their hearts, they had toply. The various forces quickly made their decisions, with about half choosing to enter Absolute Valley and the other half opting to lead the charge. Some forces had done their homework; they were well aware that the Giant Ridge General of Absolute Ridge Chengbang was more formidable than they had imagined, especially as they held the geographical advantage of the Cloud Ridge State Wall. Leading the charge was just as perilous! ¡­ Zhu Minng¡¯s main goal remained the Thunderwing God Seed. The ascent of Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon to Dragon King Level would be a significant upgrade, potentially influencing the oue of such arge-scale war. Just as Li Yunzi said, the number of people entering Absolute Valley shouldn¡¯t be too high, and the army definitely shouldn¡¯t go there. Their average cultivation base was low, and they mainly relied on numbers; if they encountered groups like the Mosquito Dragon in Absolute Valley, they¡¯d purely be delivering a feast. Time was of the essence, as their logistics team had been attacked by Mosquito Dragons, making it imperative to swiftly conclude this siege. The various forces also selected a portion of their higher-cultivation base individuals to follow Zhu Minng down into Absolute Valley. Absolute Valley was deep, shrouded year-round in a poisonous haze that could only be avoided by sliding down certain mountain ridges and ravines.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
The interior of Absolute Valley was dim; even at noon, when the sunlight shone straight down, it became especially hazy. The winding andplicated paths of Absolute Valley resembled abyrinth, home to demonic creatures and evil beings that most people outside had neither seen nor heard of. ¡°With the strength of our team, the Mosquito Dragons wouldn¡¯t dare attack us easily, right?¡± ¡°The fear is that within this Absolute Valley, there are existences even more terrible than the Mosquito Dragons.¡± ¡°Spat spat spat, don¡¯t speak such unlucky words!¡± Zhu Minng, as the leader, was naturally at the front. By his side followed his little aunt, who, as always, wore a veil. Zhu Minng wanted to ask Nan Lingsha about the Time Wave, but he noticed she was holding a fairy-like bunny in her arms¡­ Oh, a switch of person! Nan Yuso lifted her cheeks; those eyes, bright and clear even in the dim Absolute Valley, gazed at Zhu Minng, brimming with puzzled twinkles. Where is this? What am I doing? Isn¡¯t this stinky man next to me Zhu Minng! ¡°Miss Yu Suo¡­ It¡¯s been days, I¡¯ve missed you,¡± Zhu Minng smiled, attempting to appear as suave and nonchnt as ever.
It¡¯s easier to recognize artist little aunt and Big Fairy little aunt, but Yunzi and Star Painting, if they don¡¯t speak¡­ it¡¯s really too hard!! ¡°Zhu Lang, are you eloping with me?¡± Nan Yuso also startedughing, her tone ever-teasing. ¡°Cough cough, you should look behind.¡± Zhu Minng coughed a few times. Turning her head for a nce, Nan Yuso¡¯s stunningly beautiful cheeks instantly flushed crimson. Behind her were several hundred people! Chapter 554: 556: A Narrow Encounter Chapter 554: Chapter 556: A Narrow Encounter Nan Yuso had just woken up, and it wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration to say she was blurry-eyed and her consciousness a bit fuzzy. She hadn¡¯t even made out her surroundings clearly but mistook it for Zhu Minng taking her to a secluded valley¡­ Little did she know, Zhu Minng was currently leading a team, followed by members from the Royal Family, Purple Sect n, Azure Dragon Pce, Wu Zong, and Yaoshan Sword Sect, no less than three to four hundred people! The representatives of these forces had been in Li Chuan for some time and had heard some stories about the young master of Zhu Gate here, and among them were many disciples who had participated in thepetition among forces; they were also aware of Zhu Minng and Nan Lingsha. So Nan Yuso¡¯s teasing remark suddenly pushed the atmosphere into an awkward realm, making these cultivators, with solemn expressions in the Absolute Valley, look at each other with strange nces. This remark dissipated the ambiguous air in the Absolute Valley that overshadowed the rotten smell, making everyone¡¯s spirits involuntarily rx a bit. ¡°This ce is the Absolute Ridges and Valleys¡­¡± Zhu Minng quietly exined to the oblivious Nan Yuso. But Nan Yuso med this embarrassing incident entirely on her Little Bonny Bunny Dragon, as she was tugging on its ears. Having walked a good distance, her cheeks were still somewhat hot. Nan Yuso annoyed at herself for not having practiced her cultivation seriously enough in the past wished her cultivation level was higher so she could silence these hundreds of people behind her!
¡­ Entering a junction of multiple valleys, a Divine and Mortal with exceptional hearing quickly approached. He had a pair of huge, conspicuous ears but a very small face, which made his ears appear even more prominent. ¡°I¡¯ve heard some unusual sounds, like footsteps,¡± said the cultivator with therge ears. ¡°Footsteps?¡± ¡°Yes, and there are quite a few of them,¡± the cultivator withrge ears said confidently. ¡°Could it be the echo of our own footsteps?¡± Zhu Minng asked. ¡°Oh¡­ That¡¯s possible,¡± the man¡¯s confidence vanished from his face. Zhu Minng offered a polite smile. Brother, why don¡¯t you read more on usual days? Such enclosed valleys are very prone to echoes. The team continued on. The path became singr, and those skilled in discerning the correct course were sure they were not on the wrong track. Fortunately, the section of the Absolute Valley beneath the clouds did not have many branches; had it been like aplex maze, they might have been trapped in the valley for a while. ¡°Mr. Zhu, it¡¯s not an echo,¡± the man with therge ears came running back to say, ¡°They¡¯re very close now,ing right towards us!¡± Zhu Minng furrowed his brows. He looked ahead, where the valley was shrouded in the putrid mist spit out by the man-eating flowers, murky and low in visibility, like foggy weather. And the sounds that the man withrge ears mentioned, Zhu Minng had also faintly heard them; as he said, these things were closing in on them! ¡°Are they the hibernating dragons of the Absolute Valley??¡± Hao Ye asked. ¡°Can you make out what it is?¡± Zhu Minng inquired. The man with therge ears hadn¡¯t answered yet; his gaze fixed on the mist of the valley ahead, and his expression slowly began to change.
Zhu Minng also looked ahead and saw a series of tall figures emerging from the thick fog, striding directly towards Zhu Minng¡¯s Sudden Attack Team¡­ The visibility in Absolute Valley was extremely low, and the sound of footsteps was hard to hear due to the ground being covered in decayed and soft material. On the path through Absolute Valley, filled with the scent of rotting flowers, groups of soldiers d in Silver Rock Armor emerged from the fog. When they approached Zhu Minng¡¯s team, these soldiers in their thick Silver Rock Armor were also momentarily stunned. It was like two carriages driving on a bridge, nearly colliding before realizing the presence of the other!
Zhu Minng stared at these soldiers, his face filled with shock! How could there be an army in the depths of Absolute Valley? Who were they¡­? ¡°Giant Ridge Generals, they are the Giant Ridge Generals!¡± Suddenly, a Dragon Shepherd who had fought against the Giant Ridge Generals cried out. ¡°They¡¯re from the Li Chuan factions!¡± The Giant Ridge Generals also realized what was happening, emitting roars like those of monkeys! ¡°Deceitful viins, attempting tounch a surprise attack from Absolute Valley!¡± A hall master from the Purple Sect n shouted in rage. He summoned a purple Mad Dragon and was the first to attack the ferocious Giant Ridge Generals. The Giant Ridge Generals had long been notorious in Li Chuan, having crossed the Absolute Ridges to pige manynds, and they hardly ever left survivors. The Royal Family sent two envoys to negotiate with the peoples of Absolute Ridge Chengbang, but both were killed. The majesty of the Royal Family cannot be challenged, those who do not surrender can only be crushed! Zhu Minng heard the angry shouts ofbat behind him and, without a second thought, summoned his dragon to meet the enemy! These were the Giant Ridge Generals? Absolute Ridge Chengbang also nned to nk from behind and had dispatched a Sudden Attack Team tounch a fierce attack from the rear as the Li Chuan Army initiated its most ferocious offensive! Both side¡¯smanders had the same idea. When narrow paths meet, the brave wins. It seems that only one team will be left to reach the rear of the enemy¡¯s forces on this path!
¡°Li Chuan rats, who is the leader? Show yourself and prepare to die!¡± A burly man d in Silver Rock Demon Armor roared, his bellowing like thunder, his manner arrogant, seemingly unafraid of being targeted by enemy fire. ¡°How arrogant!¡± Zhu Minng saw the maning for him and decided to meet him head-on. The Silver Rock Giant Ridge General tookrge strides, his body swelling during the run. His armor did not shatter from the expansion but instead became part of the skin on his massive physique, integrating into the muscle of his gigantic form! What had been a rather ordinary Martial Schr was now a small giant in front of Zhu Minng, three to four meters tall with skin tough as copper and bone hard as iron, possessing boundless strength! The Giant Ridge Generals were barehanded, possibly because they mastered the Giant Illusion Technique, and ordinary weapons simply did not suit them. They used whatever they could grab as their weapon, and this Thunder-roar Huge Ridge General tore off the mutated thorny vines growing on a rocky wall with a single swipe, then swung them viciously at Zhu Minng! The mutated thorny vines, terrifying as an Iron Whip, struck the nearby rockyer, creating a startling scar on its surface.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om Zhu Minng had summoned the Refining Ash ck Dragon¡­ But he had slightly underestimated the terrifying strength of this Thunder-roar Huge Ridge General. The massive thorny vine hit the Refining Ash ck Dragon, and therge-bodied dragon was actually sent flying by the Giant Ridge General! ¡°Dragon King, huh, not even as good as a mud dog!¡± The Thunder-roar Huge Ridge General had terrifying strength. He reached out to the rock wall, flicked his wrist sharply, and actually lifted a huge chunk of the rock wall, hurling it at Zhu Minng! The rock wall, asrge as a building, seemed like an ordinary stone in the hands of the Thunder-roar Huge Ridge General. Zhu Minng suddenly understood why the Imperial Dynasty was so wary of Absolute Ridge Chengbang; the strength of these Giant Ridge Generals could indeed be considered on par with dragons! Chapter 555: 557: Golden Giant Ridge General Chapter 555: Chapter 557: Golden Giant Ridge General ¡°Oh!!!¡± The Refining Ash ck Dragon climbed up; it timely rammed open the iing stone wall, and its eyes ignited with the mes of Purgatory, brimming with rage! ¡°We must give it our all, we can¡¯t be careless,¡± Zhu Minng said to the Refining Ash ck Dragon. The cultivation base of the Refining Ash ck Dragon was only middle-level; for it to stand undefeated at the Monarch Level, it needed to not only summon the Meltfire Heavy Armor but also obtain the Fierce Courageous Power and Predator¡¯s Wild Breath. The Thunder-roar Giant Ridge General, who dared to challenge the main general directly, clearly had a very high cultivation base. He was wild in spirit and astonishing in strength. When the Refining Ash ck Dragon attacked once again, the Thunder-roar General actually rushed towards the ck Dragon, intent on fighting the ck Ancient Dragon with his bronze flesh and iron bones! Outfitted with the Meltfire Heavy Armor, the Refining Ash ck Dragon could withstand the powerful blows of the Giant Ridge General. Using its potent Pupil Domain, the Refining Ash ck Dragon pped the General toward the decaying ground with a w, then viciously trampled him with its heavy dragon foot. Opening its mouth, a pair of ck sharp teeth was exposed, but within the depths of its throat roiled mes hot enough to scald. ¡°Oohou!!!!!!!!!!¡± A breath of Dragon me burst violently onto the body of the Thunder-roar Giant Ridge General pinned beneath its feet, instantly scorching the area into charred earth! The Thunder-roar Giant Ridge General¡¯s previously worn Silver Rock Armor melted away. What surprised Zhu Minng was that the Giant Ridge General, who just took a st of Dragon me from Big ck Tooth at close range, hadn¡¯t died. He was even using his hands to pry open the dragon w that was upon him!
His entire body was charred ck, and the skin and muscles that had caused the Giant Ridge General¡¯s body to swell and erge were dropping off like broken tiles. Yet, this did not affect hisbat effectiveness; he actually lifted one of the Refining Ash ck Dragon¡¯s feet¡­ ¡°Get lost, wild dragon!¡± the Giant Ridge General bellowed like thunder, and as he roared, his whole body erupted with a terrifying ck-brown aura, making him look like a Heavenly Soldier endowed with god-like strength and divine skills! The Refining Ash ck Dragon was lifted by the Giant Ridge General and was thrown forcefully to the side. He was wildly primal, with an aura as towering as a mountain, and he moved toward Zhu Minng with extreme ferocity. Zhu Minng gazed at this small giant born with freakish strength and felt a flicker of puzzlement in his heart. Were the abilities of the opponent worrisome for a God and Mortal? Quite peculiar. They were not a small number either; there had to be around a thousand. Did every Giant Ridge General possess such formidable might? ¡°I will cut you up and grind you down, letting your corpse rot in Absolute Valley!¡± The Thunder-roar Giant Ridge General was extremely angry, especially since that direct st of Dragon me to his face from the dragon had thoroughly infuriated this mad general. ¡°Are you the main general of this surprise attack?¡± Zhu Minng asked calmly, facing the Giant Ridge General who was more terrifying than a frenzied behemoth. ¡°Killing a dwarf like you, doesn¡¯t require our main general to take action personally!¡± The Thunder-roar Giant Ridge General looked down disdainfully, radiating deep contempt for Zhu Minng. Zhu Minng nced over to other areas, noting that one by one, those Giant Ridge Generals d in Silver Rock Demon armor were growing taller, turning into small giants with formidable auras and robust figures. They melded their armor into part of their exoskeleton, possessing astonishingly powerfulbat capabilities. Even against the Divine and Mortal beings with Monarch Level cultivation bases, they were not falling behind, and in fact, they had a significant advantage. One should know that Zhu Minng¡¯s team entering Absolute Valleyprised individuals with Monarch Level cultivation bases from various major forces. Even though not all of the few hundred people were at the Monarch Level, the average strength surely reached this level¡­ These Giant Ridge Generals, merely two thousand in number, had integrated their armor into their bodies to transform into small giants withbat power so high they posed difficulty even for the Monarch Level Divine and Mortal beings and mighty Dragon Monarchs! Of course, not all the Giant Ridge Generals were as powerful as this Thunder Roarer, and this Thunder-roar Huge Ridge General was obviously a leader; otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have dared to rush forward and provoke the main general such as himself! ¡°Kid, you like looking around so much, I¡¯ll pluck your head off and roll it on the ground!¡± the Thunder-roar Huge Ridge General looked down on Zhu Minng and stretched out his iron-boned arm! ¡°Which one is your main general?¡± Zhu Minng asked instead. ¡°You¡¯re not worthy to fight him; die!¡± the Thunder-roar Huge Ridge General said. Zhu Minng stood his ground, just watching the arrogant Thunder-roar Huge Ridge General, and when thetter¡¯s palm was about to grab his head, Zhu Minng¡¯s eyes became piercingly cold, his previously casual demeanor instantly changed, and his whole being was like a Demi Immortal Sword Godmanding awe without anger!
¡°You¡¯ve picked the wrong opponent,¡± Zhu Minng coldly spat out this sentence. ¡°Like an egg striking a rock¡­¡± The Giant Ridge General was about to grab Zhu Minng¡¯s head, but at that moment, his body suddenly trembled! A Crimson Sword stabbed from behind him, and then, like piercing through a pile of sand, it easily broke through his bronze skin and iron bones, even directly prating out from his chest! A hole, neither big nor small, went from his back to his chest, the Thunder-roar Huge Ridge General¡¯s body stiffened there, wanting to grasp the man¡¯s head but finding himself unable to exert any strength¡­
The power of the Mountain Ridge Divine Soldier within his body was pouring out from the wound, the Thunder-roar Huge Ridge General looked at his chest incredulously and then at the man controlling the Flying Sword in front of him. The Crimson Ancient Sword hovered in front of Zhu Minng, he waved his hand casually, and the Ancient Sword disappeared into thin air, its whereabouts unknown. The body of the Giant Ridge General began to copse, and his bronze skin and iron bones fell off like burnt porcin chips, one by one. Soon, the Giant Ridge General reverted to his original human soldier appearance, but the sword-pierced wound on his chest remained. Hey on the ground, ck-brown blood flowing out of him; he twitched a few times, still unable to believe that he had died just like that. Picked the wrong opponent, picked the wrong opponent¡­n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om Indeed, it was only before his death that the Thunder-roar Huge Ridge General understood. ¡°Give me your life!!¡± Suddenly, another thunderous roar shook the heavens, and even the high walls of the Absolute Valley on both sides trembled, as if the narrow path would be buried under the falling rocks. Zhu Minng was performing Soul Collecting Pearl Brewing when he saw an even more towering figure, like a Golden Ancient Ape, charging towards him. Zhu Minng was still some distance away from this golden Giant Ridge General, and on the way there were about a dozen middle-level Divine and Mortal warriors, and even a superior River Dragon Dragon Monarch, but the golden Giant Ridge General smashed his way through, injuring the dozen or so Divine and Mortal warriors and even smashing the River Dragon Dragon Monarch to smithereens!! Even the River Dragon Dragon Monarch couldn¡¯t withstand the onught of this golden Giant Ridge General! The enemy¡¯s main general?? Zhu Minng could feel the aura of this individual, at least at the almost King Level.
He must be rted by blood to the Thunder-roar Huge Ridge General in by Zhu Minng; he could feel the resentment and rage of this golden Violent God General, his golden furious giant aura even more terrifying than a tsunami! Chapter 556: 558: Get Behind Me Chapter 556: Chapter 558: Get Behind Me ¡°King Level Realm, Young Master be careful!¡± At that moment, Elder Jing Lin cried out in rm. This elder hadn¡¯t taken action yet, his main task was not to kill the enemy, but to ensure the safety of Zhu Minng, after all, he was the only young master of the Zhu n. Elder Jing Lin stood before Zhu Minng, then suddenly knelt halfway, his somewhat aged hands touching the somewhat rotten ground, and out of nowhere, he pulled out a thick Giant Dust Sword! ¡°Young Master, retreat, retreat, you¡¯ll be killed by his punch!¡± Elder Jing Lin held the sword with both hands and swung it mightily forward. With that swing, the vigorous Sword Qi gathered in front of him, forming a thick wall of swords,parable to the walls of some great city-states. He chose not to attack, but to focus on protection and defense. The golden Giant Ridge General was also ferociously overbearing as he kept punching, smashing the great wall of Giant Dust Swords into pieces before charging furiously toward Zhu Minng and Elder Jing Lin. ¡°For killing my brother, your death is well deserved!!¡± The golden Giant Ridge General was furious, towering over the previous Thunder-roar Giant Ridge General by a notch, equivalent to a grown Dragon Beast, with people only the size of his palm inparison. ¡°Are you the main general?¡± Zhu Minng asked. ¡°I am Vice General Mo Hu!¡± The golden Giant Ridge General¡¯s voice was deafening. ¡°A vice general, eh? Then you¡¯re not worthy of my personal effort. Elder Jing Lin, he¡¯s all yours,¡± Zhu Minng said tranquilly as he stepped back a few paces.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om
Elder Jing Lin took a deep look at Zhu Minng. The young master really doesn¡¯t distinguish between asions when he puts on an act. This is a King Level Realm expert, only the elders and senior servants of the Zhu n are capable of dealing with them. But the young master must be strong too, although I didn¡¯t see clearly how he killed that Thunder-roar Giant Ridge General¡­ ¡°Die together!!¡± The golden Giant Ridge General bellowed. The fog of the Absolute Valley was thick, and the chaotic meleebat was split into several battlefields. They couldn¡¯t tell which side had the advantage and could only focus on the fight. The golden Giant Ridge General was not alone in his charge; after he plowed through, a hundred more Giant Ridge Generals quickly followed. Seeing the corpse of the Thunder-roar Giant Ridge General, they all howled in rage, their roars forming terrifying sound waves that shattered everything around them. Amid the hazy mist, Zhu Minng saw many figures being hit by the sonic waves, exploding to death on the spot! The power of these Giant Ridge Generals was terrifying. If the entire Absolute Ridge Chengbang wasposed of such Giant Ridge Generals, then their thousand men could be equivalent to an ordinary army of a hundred thousand! ¡°Take care of that old man, I want to tear that kid to pieces with my own hands!¡± The golden Giant Ridge General, after smashing Elder Jing Lin¡¯s sword wall, waved his hand, ordering his subordinates to surround and attack Elder Jing Lin. Elder Jing Lin was also not alone. He looked back briefly, raised his big sword, and soon many Zhu n Inner Court Guards dressed in magnificent armor appeared on either side of him. ¡°Protect the young master well,¡± Elder Jing Lin instructed these Inner Court Guards. There were seven guards, who immediately retreated to Zhu Minng¡¯s sides¡ªall of them Dragon Shepherds, summoning Azure Dragons enveloped in white frost that formed a Dragon Array, keeping the Giant Ridge Generals at bay. However, the golden Giant Ridge General was focused on Zhu Minng. His strength was outrageous, as he grabbed an Azure Dragon with each hand and flung them away as if they were ropes! These seven guards were already considered powerful and held important positions in the Inner Court, yet they were like children before the golden Giant Ridge General,pletely unable to stop his onught! ¡°You are not his match,¡± Zhu Minng said upon seeing this, immediately speaking to the Inner Court Guards. ¡°Young Master, this guy is at King Level Realm. You should escape quickly. Even if we fight to ourst breath, we might only buy you a little time,¡± one of the thick-browed Inner Court Guards said. Their loyalty was unquestionable. Even when facing the terrible Golden Giant Ridge General, they showed no sign of retreat. ¡°All of you, get behind me,¡± Zhu Minngmanded. ¡°Young Master¡­¡±
¡°Less talk. Get behind me. We at Zhu Gate have spent so many Silver Taels to train you, not for you to be sacrificed in vain!¡± Zhu Minng became stern. Not a single one of the Dragon Shepherds with their seven frost-covered Azure Dragons retreated, even though their Dragons had already been torn apart by that Golden Giant Ridge General, Mo Hu¡­ ¡°Sigh!¡± Zhu Minng let out a sigh. Seeing the Inner Court Guards were so loyal, he decided not to hide his strength excessively.
This Golden Giant Ridge General Mo Hu indeed was a ruthless character. If he wasn¡¯t dealt with quickly, there would be even more casualties! ¡°Tomb Sinking Sword!¡± Zhu Minng pointed a finger towards the sky, and thick miasma from Absolute Valley gathered likeyers of clouds. A massive sword shadow suddenly fell from the miasmic clouds, fiercely plunging into the ground of Absolute Valley! While the Inner Court Guards gritted their teeth in bitterbat, ready to sacrifice all their Dragons to buy time, they suddenly saw a vast Heaven Tomb suppressing the imposing Golden Giant Ridge General, crushing him to his knees on the ground¡­ The sound of knees hitting the ground and bones being bent and smashed echoed, leaving the Inner Court Guards with a look of shock on their faces. They turned their heads to look at the Young Master of Zhu n, whom they were supposed to protect, somewhat in disbelief that he could force a King Level Realm Expert to kneel with a single sword strike! ¡°Get behind me, and don¡¯t make me say it again,¡± Zhu Minng said to the Inner Court Guards. Only then did the Inner Court Guards realize that their Young Master of Zhu n was the true unassuming powerhouse!! ¡°We¡­ We will deal with those Silver Rock Giant Ridge Generals,¡± one of the top Inner Court Guard said. ¡°You just watch over Elder Jing Lin. He¡¯s old; we can¡¯t afford any idents,¡± Zhu Minng said. The gazes of the seven Inner Court Guards towards Zhu Minng had changed. At that moment, they were filled with genuine admiration and respect, and they immediately followed Zhu Minng¡¯s orders, bypassing the Golden Giant Ridge General to aid Elder Jing Lin. ¡°Hmph, so you too are at King Level Realm. My brother¡¯s death is not unjust, but today, don¡¯t even think of walking out of this Absolute Valley alive!¡± the Golden Giant Ridge General Mo Hu put aside his disdain, his gaze bing sharp and serious. Though his kneecaps had been crushed, he acted as if he were unharmed, standing up under the weight of the Heaven Tomb Sword, with the sound of bones cracking all over his body!
With the strength to uproot mountains and his body like that of golden iron, this Golden Giant Ridge General Mo Hu was indeed much more powerful. He stood up within the suppressive force field of the Tomb Sinking Sword and stepped out one stride at a time. ¡°I¡¯ll scatter your soul to the winds!¡± The Golden Giant Ridge General started to run, a wild gold aura appearing around him. As he burst forth with astonishing speed, the behemoth¡¯s furious momentum was like lightning shing across the sky. He charged forward, with lightning surrounding his body and a storm in his wake. Zhu Minng rode his sword backward in flight, but the pursuer was relentless, plowing through countless people¡¯s bodies and souls along the way, not distinguishing between friend and foe! Chapter 557: 559: Cunning Murder Chapter 557: Chapter 559: Cunning Murder Zhu Minng retreated to the previous fork in the road, and as the enemy was about to collide with him, he executed a backward leap with his Flying Sword, skillfully dodging the terrifying soul collision of the golden Giant Ridge General. ¡°Boom!!!!¡± Thunder and storm struck together at a fork in Absolute Valley, causing the path to copse from the terrifying force, burying the valley roadpletely. In a pile of broken rocks, the golden Giant Ridge General, Mo Hu, walked out, the heavy rocks that had been pressing on him mysteriously floating up, and as they caught in his golden giant¡¯s raging breath, they were continuously smashed to pieces and ground into dust. He was extremely proud, looking down on Zhu Minng, who was flying low on his Flying Sword, like a Heavenly God. He put on a smile and nced briefly around him, saying cruelly, ¡°There¡¯s no one else here now, and I want to see who can save your dog¡¯s life. You people of the Lower Realm, no matter how hard you train, can neverpete with us, God¡¯s people. No matter how many of you there are, we will kill them all!!¡± Zhu Minng also looked around. Indeed, there was no one else; the main battlefield was in the narrow pathway just before, and with such thick fog obscuring the view, even if people from both sides were fighting, they couldn¡¯t really see what each other were doing. I¡¯m isted¡­ He hadn¡¯t nned on revealing all of his strength so early. But if he could quickly defeat his opponent without revealing his strength, then there was no need to constrain himself excessively.
This is the battlefield, after all. It¡¯s either you die, or I perish. ¡°Let me tear you to pieces!!¡± the golden Giant Ridge General roared again. He whipped up his golden raging breath, and his loft-like giant mountainous body charged again, bursting with astonishing speed and strength, his demeanor resembling a series of huge rolling sand dunes moving toward him. Zhu Minng didn¡¯t dodge this time. He stretched out his right hand, and a dark pattern emerged in his palm. The pattern formed ck ripples that propagated through the air, turning the area they passed into ck holes. Gradually, the holes became abysses, resembling a ck hole that could devour everything in heaven and earth, and the ck ripples were no longer gentle and calm, turning into a raging vortex! As the golden Giant Ridge General charged at Zhu Minng, he found himself in an area where even the air had turned into a ck quagmire. His power was difficult to exert in this ck quagmire, and his speed became inexplicably slower. He exerted all the strength in his body, pounding at his surroundings, but it was as futile as hitting the sea! The golden Giant Ridge General vented his anger in frustration, punching around him and kicking the ground. His golden giant¡¯s raging breath swept through the ck mire around him, and the lightning clinging to his body dispersed wildly¡­ But he still couldn¡¯t break free, unable to deploy the enormous strength that could level mountains and fill the seas. He looked up and roared, but suddenly saw from the dark and profound heights, an inverted, sinister creature hanging down. It had a pair of cold eyes, its body covered in colorful, dark scales, winged with what looked like ck silk, elegantly wrapping around most of its body, leaving only a long, slender tail¡­ Here in the quagmire abyss, resembling a sky without sun or moon, the elegantly dangling dragon from the dark canopy appeared like the sovereign of darkness, scrutinizing its prey with disdain and mockery!n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om ¡°It¡¯s you who are isted!¡± Zhu Minng¡¯s voice sounded. Initially, the golden Giant Ridge General, Mo Hu, was somewhat disdainful. After transforming into a giant, they were fearless. But as he gradually felt the presence of that dominator and sensed the horrifying dragon domain of the dark Dragon King, he began to grow uneasy. Setting aside the ability to easily drag one into a ck abyss, just the Dragon Breath exuded by the inverted dragon was enough to send shivers down its spine. ¡°Middle-level¡­ Middle-level King Level!!¡± Mo Hu, the golden Giant Ridge General, suddenly realized this fact. A middle-level Dragon King!! ¡°Nine Nether Execution Grounds!¡± Zhu Minng said coldly.
The Heavenly ughter Dragon was already very willing tomunicate with Zhu Minng¡¯s intentions, and some of its abilities emerged in Zhu Minng¡¯s mind like memories. This was one of the abilities that a middle-level Dragon King couldprehend, simr to a spiderweb trap that could be slowly set up to wait for the enemy to fall into it rashly. Of course, the Nine Nether Execution Grounds were not as soft as a web, and it was definitely not easy for a King-level being to escape from it. While trapped within it, no matter how sturdy the scales, how extraordinary the flesh armor, or how impregnable the physique, everything would slowly corrode in the Nine Nether mire. The thick murk of darkness would wrap around the soul, bringing pain and torment! The execution ground was, after all, meant for execution!
By now, the golden Giant Ridge General could see not a glimmer of light; he could only see the dark overlord approaching like an executioner. First, let his body and soul rot, then gradually crush his spirit and will, and finally, when he was utterly exhausted, put a noose around the golden Giant Ridge General! When Mo Hu gained the power of this illusory mountain giant god, he felt so powerful that he could tear apart anything, and there seemed to be nothing in the world that could stop him. Yet it was this Dragon Shepherd who ended his life so easily. Suffocation, the pain intensified. It was like being bound in Absolute Valley and then watching those disgusting bugs crawl over one¡¯s body. As suffocation intensified and death approached, the golden Giant Ridge General, with all his monstrous power, still couldn¡¯t escape the dark execution. ¡°Seems like they¡¯re not very bright,¡± Zhu Minng concluded. Mighty and gifted with the power of a Heavenly God, but when facing the deceitful killing of the Heavenly ughter Dragon, even if this Giant Ridge General showed the strength of the King-Level Realm, there was no chance for struggle. Truly worthy of being the ultimate evolutionary species of the Mourning Dragon, the Heavenly ughter Dragon was an artist in ughter, silently killing the enemy without rming a de of grass or shaking a mountain, and without any earth-shattering presence. Yet the King-Level golden Giant Ridge General died just like that. The only pity was that the soul, having been corroded by the darkness, would affect the quality of the Soul Collecting Pearl Brewing, and since the Heavenly ughter Dragon¡¯s cultivation base was much higher than its opponent¡¯s, no matter how carefully the life of the golden Giant Ridge General was erased, its soul was still somewhat iplete. Low quality is just low quality, at least it¡¯s a King Level Soul Bead¡­ Huh, what¡¯s going on? Looking at the earth-colored soul bead in his palm, Zhu Minng himself was surprised, because the soul bead of the golden Giant Ridge General was not King Level at all! Monarch Level Soul Bead??
How is this possible! No matter how damaged the dead soul, no matter how significant the disparity in strength during a battle, the level of a Soul Bead is impossible to change. Chapter 558: 560: Stone Statue Chapter 558: Chapter 560: Stone Statue Monarch Level is certainly Monarch Level Soul Bead, and King Level is definitely King Level; the only possible variation could be in quality! The problem is, I clearly killed a Giant Ridge General of King Level, so how did I collect a Monarch Level Soul Bead? Could it be that these Giant Ridge Generals are just Monarch Level, possessing immense power to contend with King Level Realm Experts due to some strange divine force? Are there such Heavenly God powers in this world? ¡°Demon Awakening Fruit.¡± Suddenly, Zhu Minng remembered such a thing, a fruit that, once consumed, could greatly enhance the power of a Mourning Dragon. Could it be that these Giant Ridge Generals also consumed something simr, which made them powerful and invincible? If the Absolute Ridge Chengbang had possessed such formidable power from the beginning, they could have ttened Li Chuan long ago, and when they bordered the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent, they could have plundered at will, with no need to take those major forces and state nations into consideration. However, it was after the emergence of the World Dragon Gate that the Absolute Ridge Chengbang became extraordinarily active, even directly challenging the dignity of the Supreme Court Empire. This could mean that the Time Wave of the World Dragon Gate caused a rapid growth of their demonic fruit, and by consuming this fruit, they could transform into these Giant Ridge God wills! It turns out it¡¯s not the Power of God and Mortality!
¡°If there is a way to destroy the source of this demonic fruit, these Giant Ridge Generals would no longer be a cause for concern,¡± Zhu Minng thought seriously. Of course, Zhu Minng doesn¡¯t yet know what exactly the other party is using; it¡¯s possible that it¡¯s not something consumable simr to the Demon Awakening Fruit, maybe it¡¯s the Summoning Demon Sect¡¯s possession? If only I knew how they obtained this strange power of the Ridge Generals, there wouldn¡¯t be much suspense in this battle. ¡­ Zhu Minng walked over to the body of Mo Hu, the Giant Ridge General, and inspected it carefully. By now, this Giant Ridge General had reverted to a normal human state, and Zhu Minng noticed that his skin was extremely dry, cracking like porcin y that had been fired in a kiln, devoid of any vitality or sticity. As his corpse began to stiffen after death, Mo Hu turned into a stone statue. It¡¯s unclear whether this petrification of the Giant Ridge Generals after death is concealing something, but Zhu Minng didn¡¯t find anything particrly noteworthy on the corpse. Dead, petrified, starting to be like a stone statue. Zhu Minng returned to the narrow path, looked at the bones of other Giant Ridge Generals, and found that all of these illusory Giant Ridge Generals seemed to end up the same way. ¡°Ohhh!!!!¡± The roar of a Dragon Beast echoed through the mist, and the mes of Purgatory turned into a long river. Within this river of fire, the Refining Ash ck Dragon, with its lustrous ck scales, charged through the mes, battling among a group of Giant Ridge Generals. Now d in Meltfire Heavy Armor and possessing Predator¡¯s Wild Breath and fierce bravery, its power wasparable to those at Peak Monarch Level, and the weaker Giant Ridge Generals were no match for it. Big ck Tooth indeed excels in battlefieldbat; from being initially defeated by the Silver Rock Giant Ridge General until now, being able to challenge a group, the improvement has been quite considerable. If Big ck Tooth¡¯s Cultivation Base could be elevated a bit more, reaching the true Peak, then on this battlefield, it could be utterly unstoppable, invincible, unless faced by King Level Realm Experts. The more Big ck Tooth fought, the braver it got; the previous setback didn¡¯t affect it at all. Many Divine and Mortal cultivators skilled in long-range attacks also gathered around the Refining Ash ck Dragon, relying on this ck Dragon¡¯s strong and brave physique to confront the Giant Ridge Generals. Zhu Minng saw Big ck Tooth mingling seamlessly with other forces¡¯ God and Mortal beings and simply let it y its role freely. After walking a certain distance, Zhu Minng caught sight of a familiar figure. She was facing arge group of Silver Rock Giant Ridge Generals who were about to surround her. Suddenly, a Fire Kirin Dragon erupted into the fray! The Fire Kirin Dragon was domineering and boundless. It stomped on the decaying ground, and mes rolled like towering waves.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om As it slightly raised its head, one could see a rain of fire descending from the sky, giving those Giant Ridge Generals a scorching baptism.
¡°Hmph, nothing but pawns andckeys!¡± Nan Yuso stood her ground, with a smooth and alluring Chi Dragon by her side. Its slick skin even resembled that of a woman¡¯s. The Chi Dragon was beautiful and enchanting. It exhaled pink Dragon Breath, and one could see the approaching Giant Ridge Generals bing utterly infatuated and suddenly turning on each other. Their minds werepletely bewildered. ¡°Miss Yu So, join me. Let¡¯s not separate,¡± Zhu Minng approached Nan Yuso.
These Giant Ridge Generals were much stronger than imagined, especially considering this was just a surprise attack force, not the main army. Zhu Minng had promised Li Xinghua to take good care of everyone. If Nan Yuso encountered the likes of Mo Hu, a Golden Giant Ridge General, she might have trouble dealing with him. ¡°Where is your dragon?¡± Nan Yuso looked at Zhu Minng and noticed that there were no dragons by his side. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, they¡¯re all nearby.¡± Zhu Minng could sense them. The Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon, Refining Ash ck Dragon, and Sword Spirit Dragon had all been dispatched by Zhu Minng to eliminate enemies in the vicinity, leaving only the Heavenly ughter Dragon by his side. The Heavenly ughter Dragon was Zhu Minng¡¯s trump card, and he would not easily reveal its presence. Of course, if they encountered another isted and headstrong Golden Giant Ridge General like Mo Hu, Zhu Minng would not hesitate to execute him. For King-level strongmen, taking them down by surprise was paramount. Killing them after they realized his true strength would make the task much more difficult. ¡­ The close-quarter killing did notst long, as there weren¡¯t many on either side, and in this kind of narrow valley space with only front and back, the oue was quickly determined. Dead bodies were everywhere, clearly in two distinct states. They were either a bloody mess or a pile of scattered stone statues. In terms of strength, the team of cultivators led by Zhu Minng was stronger, all of them above the Monarch Level cultivation base. Among the Giant Ridge Generals, not all of them could turn into Silver Rock Giant Ridge Generals or Gold Tower Giant Ridge Generals. Most were Stone Ridge Giant Generals, standing three to four meters tall, enclosedpletely in bronze stone armor.
¡°We also lost quite a few. I didn¡¯t expect that just two thousand Giant Ridge Generals could be so powerful in battle. If they were in our Supreme Court Courtyard Continent, I fear two thousand men could tten a chengbang,¡± said the head of the Purple Sect n, briefly reporting to Zhu Minng. About half had died, leaving them with less than three hundred people now. This was after Zhu Minng had killed one of the Golden Giant Ridge Generals first; still, so many had fallen on their side. ¡°We can¡¯t dy any longer, let¡¯s move forward,¡± said Zhao ChiShun from the Royal Family. Chapter 559: 561: The Alarming Mosquito Dragon Chapter 559: Chapter 561: The rming Mosquito Dragon ¡°` Having roughly counted the number of people, everyone continued on their way. This skirmish hade somewhat suddenly, leaving many of the cultivators from the various forces unable to fully recover their wits. But they also understood that there was no point in lingering here any longer; the bodies of their deceasedpanions had been cremated so that they wouldn¡¯t be defiled again by the poisonous creatures and snakes of Absolute Valley. ¡°There must be some secret technique in Absolute Ridge Chengbang,¡± said Wang Beiyu, Hall Master of the Purple Sect n. ¡°That¡¯s why we must eliminate them as soon as possible,¡± said Zhao ChiShun of the Royal Family. An isted city-state that could suddenly be so powerful and even surpass many major forces¡ªif their abilities could be harnessed for oneself, then it was possible to change thendscape of the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent. The Imperial Dynasty and the Power Alliance might im to be eradicating a vicious foreign tribe, but in reality, they all knew that the key was to master the secrets of the Giant Ridge General of Absolute Ridge Chengbang! If the Royal Family, or any of the Six Great ns, possessed these Giant Ridge Generals, the boost to their strength would be more than just a little; they could potentially dominate all the ns! This was a major reason why the major forces were willing to charge into battle, like stepping into a treasure trove; despite knowing the extreme danger, they still couldn¡¯t resist the temptation to be the first ones to walk down this path. The secret arts of the Giant Ridge Generals of Absolute Ridge Chengbang were crucial!
¡­ ¡°Buzzzzzzzz~~~~~~~~~~¡± The sound, like that of bees, suddenly emerged in the quiet Absolute Valley. Zhu Minng couldn¡¯t help but get goosebumps upon hearing it. He immediately surveyed his surroundings, but the area was filled with an even denser fog that carried a decaying floral scent, which, over time, could deplete one¡¯s spirit and cause weakness in the limbs. ¡°Buzzzz~~~~~~~¡± Not long after they had walked, Zhu Minng heard it again. This time it was definitely not an illusion. Zhu Minng quickly called several Dragon Shepherds who had activated their special spiritual vision with Spirit Keys, telling them to carefully observe their surroundings, paying close attention to creatures as tiny as flies or gadflies! ¡°Young Master, we¡¯ve been hearing this sound ever since we entered Absolute Valley, so maybe it¡¯s nothing to worry about,¡± said the Cultivator with the keen ears. ¡°It followed us all the way??¡± asked Zhu Minng. ¡°Just some ubiquitous poison flies of Absolute Valley,¡± said Zhao ChiShun of the Royal Family. Zhu Minng ignored the impatient member of the Royal Family and continued to question the man with keen ears, ¡°Have they drawn closer to us, and why didn¡¯t we hear them before?¡± ¡°Yes, they have indeed gotten closer. They seemed to start hovering around us not long after we finished shing with those Giant Ridge Generals¡­¡± the keen-eared man recalled and nodded seriously. Zhu Minng¡¯s face instantly changed. He looked around and realized that the group was somewhat scattered. At a nce, he saw that half of the people were shrouded in the mist of Absolute Valley! ¡°Everyone gather together, quickly!¡± Zhu Minng urgently shouted. Although puzzled, the people quickly moved toward Zhu Minng, Zhao ChiShun, Elder Jing Lin, Wang Beiyu, and others. ¡°Count the number of people again.¡± ¡°We just did that a moment ago,¡± said a man from the Great Zhou n. ¡°Do as he says,¡± Zhao ChiShun red at him.
¡°` Everyone stayed very close, and the leaders of each faction began to count their members. Soon, they discovered a terrifying fact: their team of around three hundred people was now inexplicably down by fifty! Especially the Great Zhou n, which had dispatched a total of forty nspeople. Although not all of them were at the Monarch Level, their strength was certainly considerable.
During the fight with the Giant Ridge General, they lost five people, but now, upon counting again, they found twenty missing! Apart from the Great Zhou n, other factions also had missing members, more or less. Just a short while ago during the sh, they had ounted for everyone, and after merely covering such a distance, such a bizarre and eerie event had urred! ¡°Could it be that the fog has obscured their vision, and they have gotten lost or fallen behind?¡± Wang Beiyou said. Seven people from his Purple Sect n were missing, and these seven were not inexperienced disciples. Each one of them had at least one Quasi-Dragon King, and even if faced with danger, they wouldn¡¯t be powerless to fight back, yet there had been no sounds of agonized screaming at all! ¡°It¡¯s the Mosquito Dragons,¡± Zhu Minng said gravely. Only the Mosquito Dragons could silently ¡°devour¡± those with Monarch-Level cultivation, and the dense rotting fog of Absolute Valley created for them an even more perfect killing ground. ¡°Those are the same creatures that killed the Chief of Yaoshan Sword Sect??¡± Zhao ChiShun spoke up. At that time on the mountain ridge, the army was long and stretched out for several miles; the majority of people did not see the Mosquito Dragons nor how Chief Yeyang met his end. In the beginning, although the army was panicking, after everyone started sticking closely together, there were no further incidents of Mosquito Dragon ughters, and little by little, people stopped paying attention. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m afraid that when our group was more intact at the start, these Mosquito Dragons didn¡¯t dare to strike against us, they just followed us, but now¡­¡± Zhu Minng¡¯s expression became more somber. Mr. Jinli had said that Mosquito Dragons are an extremely cunning and exceedingly cautious species. Their caution is such that if they sense that their prey is stronger than them, they will absolutely not attack, nor will they linger.
They would only choose prey weaker than themselves to ensure that they can swiftly ¡°devour¡± the prey and escape safely. If these Mosquito Dragons had been following them since they first entered Absolute Valley, this indicates that, in the eyes of the Mosquito Dragons, the strength of this group of humans was on par with their own, prompting them to observe and hover. If everything had gone smoothly, perhaps these Mosquito Dragons would have chosen to leave cautiously; unfortunately, they had just engaged in a battle with the Giant Ridge General, losing a hundred or two hundred people. Once the bnce of power shifted, the Mosquito Dragons would make their move!! The disappearance of those fifty people was the best proof.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om No bones, no blood, not even a cry for help could be heard. It¡¯s feared that in the fog, they had already been eaten by the Mosquito Dragons!! ¡°Everyone must stay within each other¡¯s line of sight, we can¡¯t afford to lose any more people,¡± Zhu Minng already felt the crisis looming. This time, there might be even more Mosquito Dragons than those that killed Chief Yeyang; a King-Level mighty person could be killed in an instant if left alone! ¡°Dragon Shepherds, summon some of the smaller dragons,¡± Wang Beiyou from the Purple Sect n suggested. Dragging outrge dragons was simply an invitation to these Mosquito Dragons, as their main targets for feeding wererge Dragon Beasts. Summoning smaller dragons was precisely to swell their ranks! They needed to make the Mosquito Dragons realize that they were not a match for their group, otherwise, if the Mosquito Dragons swarmed them, even if they managed to kill them all, there would be very few left alive! Chapter 560: 562: Airspace Thunder Barrier Chapter 560: Chapter 562: Airspace Thunder Barrier ¡°` A team with an average strengthposed of Monarch Level warriors should have swept through most perilous and forbidden areas, but in this Absolute Valley, survival would likely be quite difficult. Zhu Minng had the Sword Spirit Dragon levitate behind him and recalled both the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon and the Refining Ash ck Dragon back into the Spirit Realm. Afterward, he summoned the Nuwa Dragon and instructed it to closely follow himself, Nan Yuso, Hao Ye, and Zi Miaozhu among others. By Nan Yuso¡¯s side was the Chi Dragon. Although she had never encountered Mosquito Dragons before, the look on Zhu Minng¡¯s face told her that these creatures were extremely terrifying and not to be taken lightly. ¡°Buzzzzzzz~~~~~~~¡± The noise from the Mosquito Dragons grew somewhat more distant; it seemed that they also held some reservations against the fully united group, particrly as amongst the team were some King Level Realm experts. Engaging in actions like the one that devoured Ye Yangjian First was unwise for the swarm of Mosquito Dragons; even though they gained a King-level cultivation base as food, they also lost nearly a thousand of their own. ¡°It seems like they¡¯ve gone,¡± the keen-eared person said.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om ¡°They¡¯re probably just a bit farther away. Along the way, they will still be closely watching us, just waiting for our numbers to decrease further,¡± Zhu Minng replied.
¡°Hopefully, we don¡¯t lose anyone else going forward.¡± ¡°Stay vignt.¡± ¡°Right, vignt.¡± ¡­ This journey through the Absolute Valley left everyone on edge. No matter how cautious they were, there were creatures within the Absolute Valley that defiedmon sense¡ªstealthily killing, poisoning, snatching away, and devouring people¡­ Their numbers were reduced by approximately twenty or thirty people. However, as the mist gradually cleared and the route remained correct, through a gap above the Absolute Valley, they could all see the signature Thunderwing Mountain Summit. ¡°I¡¯m nevering down to this damned ce again!¡± someone eximed. ¡°We haven¡¯t even made it out yet.¡± ¡°Ugh, so many people died inexplicably¡­¡± The world is filled with strange dangers, weird and terrifying. Regardless of one¡¯s cultivation realm, one can never be too careful. Whether the World Dragon Gate has influenced the Absolute Ridges and Valleys, or this ce is inherently and filled with malevolent forces, all these masters from various powers feel helplessly out of control; in smaller nations, their Monarch Level cultivation would allow them to run rampant, yet here they might as well be no different from the foot soldiers on a battlefield. However,bating other races has always been the most dangerous of tasks; after all, those who pose a threat to the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent often possess terrifying abilities. ¡°Over there are traces left by the Giant Ridge Generals from before. If we follow the road they took, couldn¡¯t we directly reach Absolute Ridge Chengbang?¡± a Talisman Master said. ¡°` ¡°` ¡°Several of the Giant Ridge Generals managed to escape. People from Absolute Ridge Chengbang must now be aware we nned to circle around through Absolute Valley to their rear. If we rashly follow the path they took, we might walk into an ambush. It¡¯s better to find a new route, and when we reach the enemy¡¯s rear, we should adopt a wait-and-see approach and try to restrain them,¡± Zhu Minng shook his head as he spoke. Although the paths through the cloud-covered Absolute Valley areplex and following the footprints of the Giant Ridge Generals could indeed perfectly lead to the rear of the Chengbang, the people of Absolute Ridge Chengbang are not fools¡ªsurely, they would guard against unknown intruders, right? ¡°Doesn¡¯t that mean our n to circumvent them has essentially failed?¡± the ck-bearded Talisman Master asked.
¡°Not necessarily. Our role is to distract, keeping Absolute Ridge Chengbang constantly on alert and expending energy to watch for us. Otherwise, in the frontal battlefield, they could rely on the Silver Ridge City Wall to press down hard on our Supreme Court Continent Army, and we would suffer tremendous losses,¡± Zhao ChiShun of the Royal Family said. This Zhao ChiShun, a bordermander of the Royal Family, also understood the absolute mountainous advantage Absolute Ridge Chengbang held. Moreover, having just shed with the Giant Ridge Generals, he now dared not underestimate Absolute Ridge Chengbang. ¡°Let¡¯s head to that mountain summit. We can circle around to the rear of Absolute Ridge Chengbang from the waist of Thunderwing Mountain, and the view there is rtively open, allowing us to observe well and choose the right moment to attack,¡± Wang Beiyu of the Purple Sect n, suggested.
After some discussion, the group gave up the path taken by the Giant Ridge Generals and chose a route leading to the top of Thunderwing Mountain. The mist gradually dissipated, and with someone skilled in finding the way, they discovered a river cave formed by the melting ice and snow. Walking through this cave, they could enter the foot of Thunderwing Mountain. Free from Absolute Valley, the gloom in their hearts also dissipated by much. Inside Absolute Valley was indeed too astonishing, especially considering the terrifying Mosquito Dragons following close behind them¡­ Climbing along the mountain ridge towards higher ground, every once in a while, the sound of muffled thunder would resonate overhead. Just as everyone had reached midway up the mountain, the heavens and earth suddenly became dazzlingly bright. The blinding light, like an immense energy spill, painted the contiguous mountain ridges and the boundless sea of clouds an extraordinarily stunning silvery purple! ¡°This area is probably a thunderstorm zone. Let¡¯s find a safe ce to set up camp,¡± Wang Beiyu of the Purple Sect n said. ¡°Over there seems good. The lightning shouldn¡¯t strike, and from there, we can see the battle situation of Absolute Ridge Chengbang,¡± said Zhao ChiShun, the martial general of the Royal Family. They arrived at the mountainside, facing south, where there was an outcropping and tall, dense fir trees grew, offering good cover. Standing on the edge of the mountain, Zhu Minng looked towards Absolute Ridge Chengbang. The battle had already started; he could see figures asrge as towers standing within the silvery Chengbang, casting giant boulders down towards the base of the State Wall¡­ In mid-air, many Giant Dragons and Azure Dragons hovered near the Silver Ridge City Wall, but the rolling thunderclouds above stopped these Dragon Beast legions from flying too high. The rolling thunder in the sea of clouds seemed like a barrier in the sky, blocking all the aerial forces of the Li Chuan Army. They couldn¡¯t pass over the Silver Ridge State Wall and could only provide cover for the ground troops assaulting the wall! The sounds of roars, battle cries, and collisions rose and fell intermittently, thunder rumbling so loud that it felt like people might lose their hearing. The army was already storming the city, and the situation was extremely brutal. From afar, they could see the silvery mountain ridges smeared with fresh red. The number of Giant Ridge Generals inside Absolute Ridge Chengbang was even greater than expected, and in the Chengbang, not only were there Giant Ridge Generals, but also Demon Dragons, whose sizes rivaled that of a castle.
These Giant Ridge Demon Dragons had even more terrifying destructive power. They battled the Dragon Shepherds of Li Chuan mid-air, fighting ten at a time. Zhu Minng saw the Red Dragon Valley team, which was surrounding a Giant Ridge Demon Dragon. Yet, one by one, their Red Dragons fell. Zhu Minng also spotted Li Yunzi¡¯s Flying Dragon Battalion. They were fighting on the city walls of the Chengbang. This elite unit of Li Chuan, with a strength of ten thousand, could be considered the main force of the two hundred thousand-strong army of Li Chuan. The Flying Dragon Battalion was the first to breach the city walls, fighting bitterly on the silver, snow-covered ramparts against the Giant Ridge Generals. Chapter 561: 563 Divine Bird people Chapter 561: Chapter 563 Divine Bird people ¡°` ¡°Look, behind their city-state there¡¯s another army, obviously stationed in defense against us,¡± Zhao ChiShun of the Royal Family said seriously, pointing at a spot behind Absolute Ridge Chengbang. ¡°Thankfully, we didn¡¯t recklessly charge over, or we would¡¯ve fallen right into their trap,¡± he added. ¡°Dragon beasts can only fly low, which makes the Silver Ridge City Wall of Absolute Ridge Chengbang even more challenging to ovee. The people of Absolute Ridge Chengbang seem to have utilized the Thunderwing Mountain Summit¡¯s natural lightning to create an airspace Thunder Realm,¡± Zhu Minng said. That Thunderwing Sky Seed provided Absolute Ridge Chengbang with a perfect defensive environment, deterring even the lord-level dragons from flying high, as the relentless lightning could split the unwary in two. ¡°This Absolute Ridge Chengbang is no simple matter; they seem to control capabilities that we in the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent have never seen,¡± Elder Jing Lin remarked. They turned ordinary soldiers into Gaint Ridge Generals,parable to dragon beasts. And they used that Thunderwing Sky Seed to set up an airspace barrier. No sitting power or ruling ss on the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent possesses this kind of ability. ¡°It¡¯s a pity that we¡¯re short-handed; otherwise, we could send a team up that mountain to have a look. Perhaps we could find a way to disrupt that airspace Thunder Realm,¡± said Hall Master Wang Beiyu of the Purple Sect n.
¡°You all stay here and wait for the right moment tounch an attack. I¡¯ll go up the mountain and have a look,¡± Zhu Minng said. The people of Absolute Ridge Chengbang were using a variant of Thunderwing to establish a Thunder Realm, an unforeseen move that significantly limited the advance of the Dragon Beast Army. Li Yunzi¡¯s Flying Dragon Battalion could only fight atop the city and state walls; their advantage of agile flight in the air waspletely nullified. ¡°We don¡¯t know if anyone else is guarding up there, and going alone¡­ Just be extra careful,¡± Wang Beiyu cautioned. Zhu Minng had thought these fellows might dispatch an elite team to apany him, but it turns out they were just wishing him luck. Shaking his head helplessly, Zhu Minng reconciled himself to the solo journey, as the Ascending Tribtion of the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon was imminent. Even if it meant leveling Absolute Ridge Chengbang, Zhu Minng was determined to scale that mountain! ¡°Big brother, let us go with you,¡± Zi Miaozhu offered. ¡°No need, I¡¯ll go alone. You all stay here and observe the changes quietly. If there¡¯s any danger, I will retreat,¡± Zhu Minng assured them. ¡­ After instructing Elder Jing Lin to protect Nan Lingsha, Zi Miaozhu, Hao Ye, and the others, Zhu Minng set out to climb the summit alone. The higher he climbed, the more terrifying the lightning strikes became. Every ten steps or so, a sight to behold¡ªbolts of extraordinary lightning split the dark mountainside sky, illuminating it. Zhu Minng, even while flying parallel to the ground on his sword, saw the Thunderwing Mountain clothed in towering snow-cedar trees, lush and dense. Every time lightning split the sky, its glow would illuminate the bright cedar foliage, passing the lightning¡¯s brilliance to the leaves, making the whole mountainside sparkle like flint! Zhu Minng found the path up the mountain. When he circled to the south, he observed that the battlefield around the Silver Ridge City Wall was even more fiercely contested. The Li Chuan Army, numbering over a hundred thousand, had fullymitted to the assault. Evidently, Li Yunzi was not interested in dragging out the fight¡­ A decisive push; if they were unable to breach the walls of Absolute Ridge Chengbang,unching a second offensive would be incredibly difficult. Insufficient supplies, a harsh environment, and opting to besiege and recover was utterly out of the question. ¡°Boom! Boom! Boom!¡± Just then, the sky above suddenly exploded as two immensely thick bolts of lightning descended from the heavens and shockingly intersected at the mountain¡¯s peak. The lightning that burst forth radiated toward the sea of clouds, resembling furious dragons dancing in violent waves, their lengthy, fearsome bodies dwarfing any ordinary storm¡¯s lightning! As the sea of clouds spread electrified, the whole sky soon bristled with lightning. Immediately following, countless lightning whips, like the tentacles of a Heavenly Demon, viciouslyshed the continuous mountain range! Around the Silver Ridge City Wall, some dragon beasts attempted to fly high, seeking aerialbat superiority. But with the sudden onught of lightning strikes, hundreds of Dragon Sons and Dragon Generals were annihted in an instant!! They were already flying low, just not grazing the mountain grounds, but the span of the floating Thunder Realm was so vast that it utterly obliterated the entire vanguard of the Dragon Trainer Army aiming to breach a side of the mountain wall! The floating Thunder Realm!!n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om
No wonder Absolute Ridge Chengbang was so fearless; they had made thorough preparations. If the Li Chuan Army dared to step foot here, they would all be buried on the upper Isted Ridge, filling the valley beneath the clouds with hundreds of thousands of corpses! Zhu Minng drew a sharp intake of breath upon seeing this unfolding. Was this secluded city-state truly of another race? How could their control of forces be so divine??? ¡°The Flying Dragon Battalion, the Giant Dragon Army, and the Azure Dragon Group must all fight on the ground. And with the Silver Ridge City Wall as impregnable as a fortress of gold, if we cannot break through the wall, the vast majority of people would die in the ditches beneath it,¡± Zhu Minng¡¯s expression grew grim.
Taking the city was proving harder than expected. Especially since the assault point was situated in a basin while the Silver Ridge Chengbang towered high. Upon receiving the Imperial Dynasty¡¯s orders, Li Yunzi fretted, for such a strained assault on a city-state upying a naturally advantageous position could potentially lead to a mass burial, even if the army¡¯s numbers were tenfold higher. But Li Yunzi had no other choice. The Imperial Dynasty aimed to weaken her authority and take Li Chuan into its fold, influenced by the World Dragon Gate. Li Yunzi had to either breach the city to secure an absolute stance in Li Chuan or face the loss of her ruling power to the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent¡­ ¡°` ¡°This Thunder Realm is too terrifying, the Dragon Beast Army is as good as crippled, we need to make it disappear as soon as possible.¡± Zhu Minng was also clear about what he needed to do. Once the thunder and lightning had calmed down a bit, Zhu Minng continued climbing the mountain. The summit wasn¡¯t too steep, and Zhu Minng saw arge expanse of barren fir trees. They stood dry and withered atop the somewhat rugged peak, which was shaped like a horn and rose abruptly from this area at the top. Theirposition differed from the rest of the mountain; they were made of dark purple rocks and interspersed with many dark purple iron ores. At a nce, one could see these dark purple iron ores exposed outside the summit, as if the interior of the horn-like peak waspletely made of this iron ore! Zhu Minng passed through the barren snow-cedar forest and was about to approach that horn-shaped summit when the Heavenly ughter Dragon let out a warning cry. Zhu Minng quickly concealed his presence and used the Charm Shadow Clothes to move stealthily. At the junction of the horn summit and the mountaintop, a colorfully striped tent appeared in Zhu Minng¡¯s field of vision, inside which sat several robust men who , despite the chill of early spring, were naked. There was also a group of people donning feather gowns. They even wore bird face masks, revealing only their eyes and noses, their hair unkempt and wild. The naked robust men were easier to identify¡ªthey were soldiers from the Absolute Ridge Chengbang, and by the brown ridge patterns on their skin, it was evident they possessed the ability to transform into Giant Ridge Generals, and their ranks weren¡¯t low either.
As for those masked witchdoctors in feather gowns, Zhu Minng had a vague impression of them, feeling like he had seen them somewhere before. ¡°Hidden Fog Ind Tribe?¡± Zhu Minng suddenly remembered something! Li Yunzi had mentioned that tribe from Hidden Fog Ind, capable of controlling powerful and terrifying flocks of birds like the fog wild eagle, the Poisonous Demon Bird, and the Hail Bee Dragon¡­ They consider themselves the Divine Bird people! Back then, in front of Li Yunzi, there were some sketchbooks with simple outlines of the appearance of the Giant Ridge Generals and the general attire of the Hidden Fog Ind Tribe. Zhu Minng had nced at them briefly. ¡°Has Absolute Ridge Chengbang already colluded with Hidden Fog Ind??¡± Zhu Minng was shocked. If Li Yunzi saw them as a threat, then they must possess terrifying power; the Divine Bird people of Hidden Fog Ind were definitely on the same level as the threats posed by the Absolute Ridge Chengbang. To suppress Absolute Ridge Chengbang alone, Li Chuan had to give their all, not to mention the additional Divine Bird people from Hidden Fog Ind. Their alliance meant that the entire Li Chuan Continent might fall into a huge crisis! This matter was probably even unknown to Li Yunzi. Absolute Ridge Chengbang was in the north at Upper Isted Ridge, whereas Hidden Fog Ind was in the Void Sea Area to the southeast of Li Chuan, separated by the vast Li Chuan Continent. If not for the emergence of the World Dragon Gate, they might not even be aware of each other¡¯s existence. How could they have ended up colluding? ¡°Mosquito Dragons¡­¡± ¡°Could it be that those Mosquito Dragons aren¡¯t wild.¡± ¡°Mosquito Dragons have been hovering near the army, forcing the Li Chuan Army to not send out scouts or advance teams, causing the entire army to cross the river by feeling for stones, even cutting off the logistics supply, forcing Li Chuan to mount an attack on the city in one fell swoop.¡±
¡°Damn it!¡± ¡°If the Mosquito Dragons are indeed being controlled by those Divine Bird people from Hidden Fog Ind, then our Sudden Attack Team¡¯s position might as well have been exposed!¡± Zhu Minng thought with extreme horror! Suddenly, he remembered the four words Li Xinghua had said to him¡ª¡±a lost game¡±! This battle was doomed to this oue from the moment it began! At this moment, Zhu Minng also realized why Li Yunzi was feeling so anxious. The moment she received themand from the Royal Family, she knew this expedition was more likely to fail than seed. ¡­ ¡°Those foolish Li Chuanmoners, they think we don¡¯t know their whereabouts and intentions just because they hide in the mountainside?¡± ¡°Heh, they want to stab Absolute Ridge Chengbang in the back during the heat of the battle, unaware that the moment theye down the mountain, the Mosquito Dragons sleeping on the mountain path will devour thempletely!¡± ¡°I really want to see that beautiful sight for myself. I love the image of flesh and blood parting, but unfortunately, the Hall Master wants us to stay here. Those people from Li Chuan must be panicked, they must think we have the aid of gods, hahaha!¡± ¡°How is this Thunder Realm set up? Can you teach us?¡± asked the naked and buff military general. ¡°Of course, you trade us your Giant Illusion Technique,¡±ughed the person in the feather gown. Both men chuckled together, but neither revealed their tribe¡¯s secret arts. After all, it rted to the rise and fall of their tribes; an alliance didn¡¯t mean revealing everything.
Zhu Minng, while wearing the Charming Shadow Clothes, listened to these people¡¯s conversation. ¡°s, when we established the Sect Pce, it was simply to better control Li Chuan and wee the arrival of the World Dragon Gate. Little did we know the Supreme Court woulde out of nowhere, and the Orderer that came with them ttened the Sect Pce¡­ Our ns were disrupted,¡± said the shirtless leader of Absolute Ridge Chengbang. Chapter 562: 564: Go for Broke Chapter 562: Chapter 564: Go for Broke ¡°` ¡°The small Supreme Court, nothing more than the people of the Lower Realm, how dare youpare yourself to us, look at those cultivators in the seated powers, not all of them are like ordinary mortals, to kill at a whim!¡± said the man in the Feather Gown. Sect Pce?? The power that once towered above the ruling ss of Li Chuan? The biggest obstacle on Li Yunzi¡¯s rise to power, at that time even the Holder of Ancestral Dragon City was manipted by them. Only Li Yunzi was out of ce with them! No wonder everyone was opposing Li Yunzi at the time, so it turns out that the Sect Pce was just a puppet set up by Absolute Ridge Chengbang in Li Chuan?? They were the real masterminds behind the scenes, not isted from the world! ¡°So, even if the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent hadn¡¯t appeared, overturning the Sect Pce, Li Chuan would still have to face the Absolute Ridge Chengbang lurking behind the scenes¡­ However, at that time, they probably weren¡¯t as powerful as they are now; the appearance of the World Dragon Gate is what emboldened them to step out and challenge the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent.¡± Absolute Ridge Chengbang and Hidden Fog Ind saw Supreme Court as ¡°people of the Lower Realm,¡± which means their origins are rted to the so-called ¡°Higher Beings.¡±
Now, Zhu Minng can be fairly certain that above the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent there is another great world, and they seem to be establishing some connection with the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent¡­ Is it the influence of the World Dragon Gate? The World Dragon Gate has brought together worlds big and small that were previously unrted. Wutu borders Li Chuan. Supreme Court descended from the heavens and bordered Li Chuan¡­ And that great world where the ¡°Higher Beings¡± reside is also gradually connecting with the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent. Is it all because of the World Dragon Gate?? ¡°That means those from Absolute Ridge Chengbang and Hidden Fog Ind, they are inheritors of the Upper Realm, and therefore possess the secret methods and heritage of the Upper Realm. They either, like me, identally got swept into another world by the Void Vortex, or they know some method to descend early onto a continent that is about to connect.¡± Zhu Minng has finally got a clear idea of the origins of these arrogant other-specied. Upper Realm, Higher Beings, these are the titles they take for themselves. Looking at it now, they juste from another continent and control some more powerful secret methods. Of course, their cultivation system might also be superior. Moreover, they clearly understand the World Dragon Gate better than people from the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent. ¡­ ¡°Eleven in total, two with stronger presences, they must be at least King Level.¡± ¡°Does the World Dragon Gate have such a big influence? In the past, King Level was a ruler of one side, and now they¡¯re just here guarding the barrier?¡± ¡°However, four elders guard the secret realms of Zhu Gate; this Thunderwing other-species must not be too ordinary. Let¡¯s take care of them first, and then I can ascend the Tribtion in peace.¡± Zhu Minng estimated the strength of the opponents. Fortunately, the Heavenly ughter Dragon has already advanced to Middle-level King Level, otherwise, Zhu Minng would have had to rely on Sword Awakening to quickly dispatch these people.
It would be best to kill one stealthily. There¡¯s another big battle ahead, and Zhu Minng didn¡¯t want to waste too much energy on these people. ¡°Time is about right, I¡¯m going to gather all the Mosquito Dragons together, you shouldn¡¯t have a problem guarding here?¡± said the man in the Feather Gown. ¡°How could these lowly beings know that we can utilize Heavenly Earthly Species? Go ahead, just try to leave a few pretty female cultivators, bring them up to relieve our brothers¡¯ boredom, hahaha,¡± chuckled the Red Bare Mountain Generalsciviously.
As he said this, the other soldiers and men in feather gowns also gleamed with anticipation. ¡°A battle between two armies cannot be taken lightly; once we¡¯ve finished them, all the women of Li Chuan are at your disposal,¡± said the Feather Gown technique master. ¡°We¡¯re just saying; don¡¯t worry, if anyone dares toe close, we¡¯ll chop them into mincemeat!¡± dered the Red Bare Giant Ridge General. ¡­ Excellent, someone is alone! Zhu Minng¡¯s eyes shone as if lit by little shes of lightning. Confronting two King Level Realm Experts at the same time, it¡¯s hard to eliminate them soundlessly. Now that they have separated themselves it¡¯s the perfect opportunity for Zhu Minng to make a move! After the Feather Gown man left the cedar forest, Zhu Minng carefully observed the surroundings to ensure no one else was nearby. Then, he silently waited for the wings of thunder to tear through the sky. Suddenly, the Sky Dome sparkled with a torrent of giant sparks, like a rush of Heavenly God¡¯s wrath, ready to burn the heaven and earth to ashes! ¡°Boom boom boom!!!!¡± Echoing through the mountains, thunder shook the rugged rocks, the cedar woods, and the cold high sky. At that instant, Zhu Minng made his move against the Feather Gown man, plunging his surroundings into shadowy concealment, and with the dark arrival of the Heavenly ughter Dragon, he used the Killing Sword Flying Sword technique! ¡°`
Thunder roared, Sword sh! Zhu Minng struck with extreme speed, leaving no time for his opponent to react. He had to kill quickly, sparing no effort. Both the Sword Spirit Dragon and the Heavenly ughter Dragon attacked in unison,ying an ambush where the enemy would pass, so even a King Level Realm Expert would find it difficult to escape! ¡°Swish!!!¡± As his sword passed, blood sttered on the spot. In a critical moment, the Feather-robed Man twisted his body, barely avoiding the throat-piercing blow. However, his face still suffered a gory sh, exposing his cheekbone. ¡°If one sword strike doesn¡¯t kill me, you¡¯re the one who will die!¡± the Feather-robed Man sinisterly smirked. Ignoring the wound on his face, feathers from his gown began to flutter in an odd manner, and swarms of Mosquito Dragons flew from his body like lice, dense enough to rival the fly swarms emanating from a long-decaying corpse¡ªdisgustingly overwhelming! Zhu Minng sheathed his sword, his gaze coldly focused on this man who manipted Mosquito Dragons. ¡°Die,¡± Zhu Minng indifferently uttered the word. Suddenly, above the head of the Feather-robed Man, a pair of wings vast as a ck cloth sky unfurled, unleashing millions of star-annihtion rays toward the man in the Feather Gown. The Feather-robed Man was quick to react; raising his hand, he gathered all the Mosquito Dragons above his head, forming a ck disc¡­ The star-annihtion beams fell, piercing through the disc formed by the Mosquito Dragons, and prated the Feather-robed Man¡¯s head from above!! Several beams in an instant turned the man into a sieve, flesh and blood flew in all directions¡ªa sight too horrific to behold!
Only a husk remained of the Feather-robed Man, his bloodshot pupils filled with shock! He copsed onto the ground like a deted balloon, his eyes still staring wide open in death. He had assumed that his opponent¡¯s killing move was the lower-level Sword Spirit Dragon, never foreseeing that the middle-level Heavenly ughter Dragon was the real executioner! ¡°This guy¡¯s Mosquito Dragons are formidable, but he himself was nothing special,¡± Zhu Minng moved quickly, swiftly soul-harvesting and pearl brewing from the corpse. Even if not high quality, it was still of King-Level Realm, not to be wasted. ¡°Buzz buzz buzz buzz~~~~~~~~~~~¡± The surviving Mosquito Dragons lingered nearby, keeping a certain distance from Zhu Minng. Clearly, the Feather-robed Man had positioned most of the Mosquito Dragons at the foot of the mountain to ughter those in this surprise attack team, and those he carried on him amounted to just over a thousand¡ªhardly enough to save his life. ¡°Buzz buzz buzz buzz!!!¡± The incessant noise still rang in his ears. When Zhu Minngmanded the Heavenly ughter Dragon to strike at them, these Mosquito Dragons scattered instantly, as hard to catch and kill as mosquitoes and flies. Zhu Minng furrowed his brow, thinking that killing the controller would naturally disperse the Mosquito Dragons, only to find them clinging to him like flies. ¡°Run, they¡¯re calling to their kin at the foot of the mountain!¡± Mr. Jinli¡¯s voice came from behind at that moment. ¡°What disgusting creatures!¡± Zhu Minng cursed. ¡°Mosquito Dragons have a strong vengeful nature. By killing their master, they will not stop until you are dead. Forget the Thunderwing Sky Seed for now¡ªsaving your own life is more important. You won¡¯t be able to handle thousands of Mosquito Dragons by yourself!¡± Mr. Jinli said.
¡°Are there really that many???¡± Zhu Minng eximed in shock. ¡°Have you forgotten what I told you before? Mosquito Dragons are very cautious, and each one judges the strength of their enemy. You summoned the Heavenly ughter Dragon and Sword Spirit Dragon, and yet they still seek vengeance on you, meaning they are confident they can take you down!¡± Mr. Jinli exined. Killing the man in the Feather Gown was easy, but escaping the revenge of the Mosquito Dragons was extremely difficult. The Mosquito Dragons that were originally ambushed at the foot of the mountain had received news of their master¡¯s death and were now swarming in. They would relentlessly pursue Zhu Minng alone! This was something Zhu Minng had not anticipated. However, fleeing now seemed unlikely. The mountain peak was in sight, and any further dy could have an unpredictable effect on the fate of the Li Chuan Army¡­ ¡°Mr. Jinli, if I¡¯m stronger than them, will they go away?¡± Zhu Minng asked. ¡°That¡¯s right. Theymunicate using the vibrations of their wings, which can be sent very far. If they¡¯re still clinging to you, it means when their Mosquito Dragon army gathers in full, they are sure they can kill the Sword Spirit Dragon and the Heavenly ughter Dragon¡ªunless you find stronger support in this time frame,¡± Mr. Jinli replied. ¡°Then it¡¯s time to ce a bet!¡± Zhu Minng turned his head toward the horn-shaped peak entwined with lightning. ¡°Bet on what?¡± Mr. Jinli asked, puzzled. ¡°Bet on the sess of the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon¡¯s Ascending Tribtion. If the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon Dragon King seeds, it will be the strongest help I can get in a short time!¡± Zhu Minng dered.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om If he now ran halfway down the mountain to leverage the Sudden Attack Team against the Mosquito Dragons, chances were he would be trapped by them before even reuniting with the team. If he chose to run further away, he wouldn¡¯t be able to destroy the Thunder Realm in time, which would surely greatly affect the battle oue. No matter the choice, there were drawbacks; it was better to go all in! ¡°But tribtion isn¡¯t a hundred percent sessful. If it fails, those Mosquito Dragons will leave nothing of you, not even scraps!¡± Mr. Jinli warned. ¡°A Dragon Trainer must have faith in their dragons,¡± Zhu Minng stated seriously. Thunder and lightning ripped through the looming darkness again, fiercely striking the horn-shaped peak covered in dark purple iron ore. If not for the thunder-dispersing properties of the Horned Mountain, the entire ridge might have been shattered by now! For other creatures, that was a thunder domain of annihtion, but for the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon, it was a divine glow of rebirth! Chapter 563: 565: The Iron Tomb Chapter 563: Chapter 565: The Iron Tomb ¡­ Mid-mountain Sudden Rock The grey-ck horsefly dragons flew in flocks over the forest, their wing pping and teeth grinding sounding devilishly like a demon¡¯s grin, sending chills down the spines of Li Chuan¡¯s ambush cultivator team. ¡°They are noting for us¡­¡± ¡°My lord, are there tens of thousands of them? If they were to desperately fight us, I fear few of us would survive, right?¡± ¡°Luckily we didn¡¯t rashly descend the mountain; Absolute Ridge Chengbang is far more dangerous than we imagined.¡± Hiding under the trees, Nan Yuso watched the horsefly dragons as they gradually flew away, her brows slightly furrowed. These horsefly dragons¡­ Seemed to be controlled by someone, now heading towards the direction of the mountain summit. Is it Zhu Minng?n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om
Are they heading for Zhu Minng? So many horsefly dragons,parable to a hundred thousand elite troops, Zhu Minng alone is likely to be gnawed down to not even his bones remaining. ¡­ At the Peak of the Horned Mountain, thunder rumbled, and the electric light asionally shed the sky, bringing up a cluster of sparks that were utterly shocking, causing mountains, trees, and earth to tremble from time to time. Zhu Minng nced around. The horsefly dragons that had flown out from the people in Feather Gowns still lingered nearby, spreading out very thinly. Zhu Minng was not that he couldn¡¯t kill them. But to ughter all these eight or nine hundred horsefly dragons, the sky would have darkened, and the Horsefly Dragon Army would already have picked his bones clean. ¡°Who goes there?!¡± At the summit, the shirtless military general bellowed. Lightning shed, and Zhu Minng stood outside their tents, his back to the dense cedar trees, yet inexplicably enveloped by a dense darkness that even the dazzling lightning could not prate. Without uttering a word, Zhu Minng was shrouded in shadows, and six Crimson Swords materialized beside him. The Crimson Swords zed with fierce mes, and as Zhu Minng waved his hand, the Sword Spirit Dragon, turned into six sword fires, streaked straight away! Gliding close to the ground, their me tails were magnificent, like six dawn firelines sweeping across the horizon. They were sharp and swift, piercing through the chests of the six Giant Ridge Generals! A hole appeared in each chest, and then the holes suddenly burned violently. The six men didn¡¯t even have time to scream before they were reduced to ashes!! All six died on the spot! The shirtless Giant Ridge General was horrified; he roared, his body suddenly shrouded in a blood-golden aura. ¡°You¡¯re courting death, you¡¯re courting death!¡± The shirtless Giant Ridge General¡¯s body swelled, his muscles bing as hard as stone, and his skin turned into refined iron, taking on a dark purplish gold sheen! ¡°Aaaah!!¡± A piercing scream echoed, and behind the shirtless Giant Ridge General, the person in the Feather Gown suddenly floated mid-air, grabbing his own neck desperately with both hands, his legs kicking frantically in the air, like a man hanging himself. A semi-transparent tail, slender and elongated, was tightening around the neck of the Hidden Fog Ind person, who didn¡¯t even have time to cast a spell before he stopped breathing.
Behind him were three other people in Feather Gowns, but their cultivation bases were not as high as the one who controlled the horsefly dragons. Witnessing the mysterious death of theirpanion, they hastily recited an ancient summoning incantation. Sounds of bird calls came from mid-air, and amidst the lightning and firelight, the dense lightning strangely transformed into numerous Thunder Sparrows. These Thunder Sparrows dived down like protective divine birds, guarding around the three Feather Gown people. ¡°Ngh~~~~~~~~!!¡±
A dragon¡¯s roar suddenly resonated, trembling the entire mountain summit. Under the dragon¡¯s roar, the fragile Thunder Sparrows burst open, turning into weak strands of electricity. Three sharp Dragon Teeth suddenly appeared above the three men¡¯s heads, plunging down fiercely; the three bodies were instantly pierced by the Dragon Teeth and slowly hoisted in the air. Blood spilled, and the Dragon Teeth avidly absorbed the men¡¯s blood. In no time, they had drained every drop of living blood from the three! All nine perished, leaving only the shirtless Giant Ridge General. This blood-golden Giant Ridge General was also stunned by what he had just seen, his gaze sweeping over the nine corpses, using raging anger to mask the panic inside. Zhu Minng didn¡¯t want to waste time; after all, the real threat to his life was the gathering horsefly dragons heading towards the summit. However, Zhu Minng had noticed something, that the four Hidden Fog Ind people he had killed each nurtured arge group of creatures¡ªThunder Sparrows, rock birds, red wasps, dragonflies. After their deaths, these four beings lingered nearby, like a swarm of furious hos whose nest had been destroyed, determined to take Zhu Minng, the perpetrator, down with them. Unfortunately,pared to the Horsefly Dragons, the strength of these Thunder Sparrows, Rock Birds, Red Wasps, and Dragon Flies was far too weak. As individuals, they had not reached True Dragon level; they were merely monsters with about a thousand years of cultivation. Once he summoned the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon, it could kill all of them. Zhu Minng focused on battling the Red Bare Giant Ridge General, whose strength had reached the Lower Level King realm¡ªone stage higher than the golden Giant Ridge General he had killed before. The Red Bare Giant Ridge General had a bit of intelligence; upon learning that Zhu Minng was a Dragon Shepherd with Twin Dragon Kings, he chose to defend and dy.
He alone could not defeat Zhu Minng, who possessed both a Middle-level Dragon King and a Lower Dragon King, but the oue would be different once the Horsefly Dragon Army arrived. His thoughts were clear: he would just hold Zhu Minng off and wait for the vengeful Horsefly Dragons to kill him! ¡°What does it matter if you¡¯re stronger than me? In just a while, it¡¯s you who will be torn to pieces!¡± the Red Bare Giant Ridge General kept pounding his fists on the ground and on the Peak of the Horned Mountain. Each of his punches could pulverize rocks and iron ore, and those ore fragments would fly onto his body, forming an even thicker iron ridge armor. The rocks at the mountain top were nothing special, but the purple-ck iron ore at the Peak of the Horned Mountain was extremely sturdy, impervious even to the Heavenly ughter Dragon¡¯s dark corruption. In the King-Level Realm, if one dedicated themselves to defense, killing him would not be an easy task. Simrly, if that Horsefly Dragon Feather Gown wearer were to summon all the Horsefly Dragons to his side, his strength would be even more terrifying than Zhu Minng¡¯s, who possessed a Middle-level Dragon King. Of course, whether he killed him or not, the situation remained the same. It wasn¡¯t the Horsefly Dragon controller who was frightening, but the Horsefly Dragon Army. By now, they should have reached the mountaintop, passing through the bare Cedar Forest, and Zhu Minng¡¯s life was in jeopardy. Apparently detecting Zhu Minng¡¯s urgency, the Red Bare Giant Ridge General continued to lean back against the Peak of the Horned Mountain, adamantly protecting his vitals like a small steel mountain. It didn¡¯t matter that he was wounded all over; he already heard the wingbeat of the distant Horsefly Dragon Army! ¡°You can¡¯t kill me, hahaha, as a Middle-level King, you¡¯re quite remarkable, but I, Cao Xuan, am no ordinary man!¡± the Red Bare Giant Ridge General, self-identified as Cao Xuan,ughed heartily. He was deliberately provoking Zhu Minng, knowing that the more impatient Zhu became, the more likely he was to expose a fatal w. What did being a Middle-level King mean? As soon as a deadly opening appeared, he, Cao Xuan, could kill him just the same.
But Cao Xuan wasn¡¯t stupid; there was no need for him to act. He just needed to ensure he didn¡¯t die under the attack of these two Dragon Kings, and the Horsefly Dragons would take care of the rest. ¡°Buzz buzz buzz buzz buzz~~~~~~~~~~~~~¡± Like the grinding teeth of a demon, the Horsefly Dragon Army had already drawn close. Zhu Minng looked back and saw the grey-ck bodies, like a sandstorm, approaching towards him. The Horsefly Dragons that had been lingering around Zhu Minng were energized, flying towards theirrades. They let out a strange cry, as if to tell the Horsefly Dragon Queen: It¡¯s him, this human killed our keeper! ¡°Nya~¡± A pleasant call rang out, and Zhu Minng heard the desire of the Nuwa Dragon in the Spirit Realm, requesting to join the battle. Zhu Minng didn¡¯t think twice; he immediately opened the sigil to let the Nuwa Dragon walk out from the Spirit Realm. The Nuwa Dragon stepped out of the sigil, nced at the terrifying Horsefly Dragon Army behind her, and her Night Amber eyes began to flicker with a strange gleam. ¡°Seal¡­ seal!¡± Thenguage of the Nuwa Dragon was very broken; she hadn¡¯t yet mastered humannguages. She extended her hand, her pale palm with its fine, scale-like patterns, and pped it down towards the Red Bare Giant Ridge General, who was stillughing brazenly. ¡°It¡¯s useless, how could a Monarch Level Demon Girl Dragon harm me? Wait to die!!¡± Cao Xuan continued to mock. The palm strike rippled through the air like a gentle wave, soft andcking any destructive force.
At first, Zhu Minng thought the Nuwa Dragon intended to kill this disgusting Red Bare Giant Ridge General with one p, but soon he realized her palm wasn¡¯t aimed at the Giant Ridge General but rather at the Peak of the Horned Mountain behind him! Composed of purple-ck iron ore, the Peak of the Horned Mountain could withstand even the power of the Thunderwing Sky Seed. It was precisely because the Red Bare Giant Ridge General kept absorbing these iron ore fragments for his armor that both the Sword Spirit Dragon and Heavenly ughter Dragon had trouble taking down this guy¡­ Could the Nuwa Dragon shatter this mountain?? But if shattered, the Thunderwing would scatter across the entire mountain range, unable to form the tribtion power she needed. The palm wave reached the Peak of the Horned Mountain, which began to shake. More iron ore fell from the mountain, all flying towards the Red Bare Giant Ridge General. When the Red Bare Giant Ridge General saw more iron ore adhering to him, confusion crossed his face. Just as he thought his opponent had been pressured into casting the spell in reverse, suddenly evenrger chunks of iron ore crashed down from the Peak of the Horned Mountain, trapping his towering figure inside! More and more iron ore piled up, forming a small ore mountain, and under the Rock Hiding Method of the Nuwa Dragon, these rock fragments were melting together without a single gap. From the outside, this little ore mountain that sealed the Red Bare Giant Ridge General looked more like a giant, airtight tomb. Cao Xuan stoppedughing; trapped tightly inside, he might not lose his life immediately, but he couldn¡¯t do anything either. Breaking out of the iron ore tomb would also take a very long time!! Chapter 564: 566: Thunder Ascension Against the Current Chapter 564: Chapter 566: Thunder Ascension Against the Current ¡°Right, if we can¡¯t kill him, sealing him will do!¡± Zhu Minng was overjoyed, thinking that, if time permitted, he would give the beautiful cheeks of the Nuwa Dragon several big kisses. Stepping over the ¡°grave¡± of the Red Bare Mountain Giant, Zhu Minng spit out a mouthful of phlegm before rushing toward the purple-ck peak. ¡°Buzzzzzzzzzzzzz!!!!!¡± A dense swarm of Mosquito Dragons, several timesrger than the batch that had killed Ye Yangjian First! These Mosquito Dragons were clearly meant to ambush the Sudden Attack Team, but now they were all charging toward Zhu Minng, perhaps eight or nine thousand of them! If Zhu Minng was not careful, even the Heavenly ughter Dragon would be gnawed to the point where not even bones remained. Unless absolutely necessary, Zhu Minng did not want to face these Mosquito Dragons. He sped up, but the Mosquito Dragons were also very cunning; they split into three groups and surrounded Zhu Minng, intending to kill him at the top of the Peak of the Horned Mountain. Zhu Minng climbed to the highest point, with one group of Mosquito Dragons already in front of him. They formed a demonic, entrapping Zhu Minng. He could already hear the terrifying sound of their sharp teeth grinding. ¡°Nerrrrr!!!¡± The Heavenly ughter Dragon spread its wings, ready to fight to the death against these Mosquito Dragons.
The Azure Phoenix Azure Dragonnded beside Zhu Minng, its body¡¯s feathers burning like azure mes. The Sword Spirit Dragon clung tightly behind Zhu Minng. It did not move on its own but stayed at a distance where Zhu Minng could reach out and grab it at any moment. Zhu Minng looked up at the dark red sky dome. ¡°Let theme,¡± Zhu Minng did not order his dragon pets to attack the Mosquito Dragons. The Mosquito Dragons were very close now, eager to feast on the flesh of the Dragon King, to devour Zhu Minng¡¯s body¡­ Finally, the Mosquito Dragons charged in. They attacked from all directions, each with flight speeds astonishingly fast, far surpassing arrows off the bowstring, and possessing terrifying strength, such that they could punch straight through city walls built of ordinary stones! ¡°BOOM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!¡± Suddenly, the sky dome burst into massive brightness, like a fire burning the heavens, wildly sweeping overhead. Two earth-shattering bolts of lightning streaked down, falling toward the Peak of the Horned Mountain along different trajectories, and finally meeting right where Zhu Minng stood! ¡°Qing Zhuo!¡± Zhu Minng called out. The Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon had also been waiting for this moment. Its wings opened abruptly, and its body burst into a brilliant green sacred radiance. The earth-shattering lightning merged into a magnificent wing of thunder and lightning, as if a divine beast had arrived, its feathers transformed for ascension! The wings of the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon spread, the tips catching the sky-borne thunder. The enormous power and fire-like lightning struck the body of the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon; its feathers turned to ash at a pace visible to the naked eye!! ¡°Yerrrr!!!¡± The Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon copsed to the ground, not a single feather of its radiant azure plumage remained, its dragon muscles were charred and rotten, and both its phoenix wings hung down as if broken. ¡°Nerrrr~~~~~~~~~~~¡± The Heavenly ughter Dragon roared, as if to tell Zhu Minng that the power of this thunderwing god seed was even stronger than the tribtion fire of the seven cmities before. Even at its Peak, the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon could hardly bear it. This interweaving of heavenly thunder was tremendously terrifying; even if it hit the Sword Spirit Dragon or the Heavenly ughter Dragon, they might not emerge unscathed. As for those approaching Mosquito Dragons, when the lightning struck, they were not spared either; hundreds and thousands of Mosquito Dragons were turned to ash, frightening the rest so much that they scattered around, no longer daring toe half a step closer to Zhu Minng and the various Dragon Beasts.
However, the Mosquito Dragons did not leave; they were afraid to approach the deadly thunder, yet they swarmed and hovered around the summit in groups. Either struck dead by lightning. Or gnawed to death by them. The swarm of Mosquito Dragons was not a group of mindless moths; they had only approached slightly just now and had already been decimated by the thousands by the thunder wings¡­
¡°Yerr~~~¡± The Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon slowly rose to its feet, its pair of azure vertical pupils staring at the sky dome. Although its feathers had been burnt by the lightning, its shining eyes did not extinguish. It pped its wings again, now devoid of any plumes, but this time, despite the injured wing bones, the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon chose to take flight, enduring the pain. It soared into the sky, and once again, the top of the dark red sky dome burst into a huge ze, with lightning streaking down vehemently, striking the back of the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon! The Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon plummeted straight down, but in the moment before it hit the ground, it violently righted its body, forcefully spreading its half-broken wings, and swung them fiercely toward the ground! Not plummeting, but the wing bones of the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon were somewhat twisted, and the area along its back was even more severely mutted, the flesh blurred and indistinct. Staggering and swaying, the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon once again flew toward the top of the sky dome. The heavens seemed aware that a creature was undergoing Crossing Tribtion and Ascending there; the frequency of the appearance of the thunderwing increased, as if punishing the audacious Azure Phoenix Dragon with relentless tribtion thunder! ¡°RUMBLE RUMBLE RUMBLE RUMBLE~~~~~~~~~¡± The long sky thundered, like waves of purple tide; it was as if they had heard a call from the heavens, gathering above the Peak of the Horned Mountain! Ring after ring of purple heavenly ripples spread out, like intense ripples in the sky. Suddenly, in the center of the ripples, a chain whip of thunder and lightning appeared, and in the shadows of the clouds, there seemed to be an irate Thunder God, furiously swinging this whip, scolding the mortals below, and mercilesslyshing it upon the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon in midair! Ignorant of the heights of heaven and earth!! In the ranks of gods and immortals of Heaven realm, there is no ce for the likes of you, Ordinary Spirits!
The raging thunder tore through the heavens and earth, startling the birds and beasts in the mountains into flight. It wasn¡¯t just punishing the dragon undergoing tribtion, but also warning all creatures in the world: All spirits have their order, and the hierarchy is strict! If you¡¯re a minnow, don¡¯t even dream of leaping through the gate to transform into a dragon; if you¡¯re a Mortal Dragon, don¡¯t even think about ascending to godhood!! Teetering on the brink of copse, the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon still soared upwards amid the wantonshes of thunder and lightning¡­ Its green vertical pupils remained fixed on the heights above, as if, in its eyes, this scarlet, irate sky was but a green cliff. In the deepest fury of the sky dome, a pair of simr green vertical pupils looked down coldly, its owner tossing itself off the edge and looking down with scorn, with envy, and with barely concealed rage!! Thorns had pierced its body, and its bones shattered to pieces; even after undergoing Reincarnation Transformation once, Little Azure Dragon still vividly remembered the pain, and it was precisely that ordeal that left it a Disabled Dragon, forever unable to advance to the final stage! This was a heavenly punishment, a tribtion, and also a mental barrier in the heart of the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon. And how was this wing, gnashing fury of the sky dome¡¯s thunder any different from that sibling brother who had thrown it down from the cliff?? No matter how cruel, it had never submitted! Since birth, throughout its growth, it had always been so! ¡­ ¡°Whoosh~¡±
The Sword Spirit Dragon trembled slightly; it was clear that it was very worried about the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om The Heavenly ughter Dragon also stared intently at the high sky, watching that frail green shadow swaying in the midst of the thunder. This Heavenly Thunder Tribtion was far more severe than its own meteor fire tribtion, and it did not know how long the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon could hold on. Moreover, when Zhu Minng had drawn his sword to block the strongest wave of meteors for it during its Ascending Tribtion, the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon would have to face this alone. Zhu Minng¡¯s right hand hung down; he wanted to unsheathe his sword several times, but the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon kept sending him a psychic message. This was its Dragon Disaster, and also its heart knot¡­ It had to rely on itself! This was its obsession topletely break free from the fate of being a Disabled Dragon! Zhu Minng watched its silhouette, and in a sh, he recalled the scene of it being pierced by thorns at the bottom of the cliff. At that time, Little Qingzhuo was like a little dog crushed under a carriage, its whimpers barely audible, its eyes filled with pain yet longing to continue living in this world. Obsession, ah¡­ Everyone has their obsessions that are hard to let go of. Watching the silhouette of the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon facing the thunder, Zhu Minng understood all too well that Little Qingzhuo only hoped not to hurt everyone during its tribtion, especially since the Horsefly Dragon Army was still lurking nearby with covetous eyes.
¡°BOOM, BOOM, BOOM, BOOM!!!!!!!!!!!!!¡± The world was filled with lightning, illuminating the distant chengbang¡¯s battlefield as clear as day. The thunder and lightning that suppressed all Dragon Beasts from flying high above Absolute Ridge Chengbang had fallen silent, because all the lightning in the sky was converging towards the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon¡¯s location. Isn¡¯t the fury of the heavens also a form of envy? They grant the world and countless spirits space to exist, yet they do not allow them to transcend their level¡¯s boundaries. Since birth, insects are insects, dragons are dragons, and gods are gods¡­ Transforming into dragons, facing tribtions, are shackles, one by one branded into the bloodline of each living being, with a bitter cost if one tries to break them, or else be reduced to ashes and smoke! ¡°The hovering Thunder Realm has disappeared!¡± Zheng Yu looked up in the direction of the peak. He remembered that Zhu Minng had mentioned borrowing the thunder wings from the peak for his dragon¡¯s tribtion. Now, all theshing lightning was drawn to that location. Through the hazy world, one could see an Azure Dragon defying the thunderous skies, the image striking awe into hearts! ¡°All Dragon Army, assemble and leap over Silver Ridge!!!!¡± Spotting the opportunity, Emperor Wuhou immediately shouted hismand. ¡°Break through Silver Ridge!!¡± ¡°Break through Absolute Ridge Chengbang!!!¡± The rion call to assemble rang out from within the army, and the Dragon Shepherd Army, which had been suppressed on the ground in utter disarray, soared as if freed from a cage. One figure after another took wing and swiftly took over the skies above Absolute Ridge¡­ Lightning streaked high above, not a single bolt striking down. The Red me Dragon, Violet Azure Dragon, and Eternal Frost Dragon¡ªeach representing one of the three forces¡ªsoared over the mountain ridges, finally able to unleash their Dragon me against those Giant Ridge Generals hiding behind the State Wall! ¡°tten them!¡± Li Yunzi stood sword in hand amidst the sky; behind her, the sky was obscured by dense Flying Dragons, each bearing an armed Flying General. At hermand, thousands of Flying Dragons swept down like a stunning storm towards Absolute Ridge Chengbang. The roar of dragons shook the mountains! Beneath Li Yunzi¡¯s feet, a hundred thousand elite troops rolled up the steep mountain pass. A human tide formeddders, the martially stronger ones running up walls, while those of average ability climbed over the Silver Ridge City Wall following the humandder¡­ The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 565: 567 Life Seed Green Thunder Chapter 565: Chapter 567 Life Seed Green Thunder ¡°` ¡­ At the peak of Horned Mountain, that wounded azure shadow was still swaying in the sky, much like an eaglet that had just learned to fly. The thunder grew thicker with each bolt, and sparks densely covered the sky like a massive, enveloping the heavens as if they were the ws and teeth of imperious celestial serpents! The azure vertical pupils of the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon still fixed their gaze upwards. It didn¡¯t know at what point it would be considered to have ascended through the tribtion, it was simply pping its wings, driven by instinct and an indomitable will. Its whole body was in pain, far worse than if thorns had pierced through it, far worse than being shattered to pieces, even its very soul seemed as if it would be scattered by the thunder. Inside its body, a warm current meandered, a gift from the power of the tinum Cultivation Fruits. Its blood also carried a clear energy in cirction, the nourishment from the Ten Thousand Years Silver Fir Holy Dew. Its feathers, its flesh, its bones, all were destroyed by the lightning, but its blood was boiling, and its soul was osciting between dispersing and coalescing!
Suddenly, during a terrifying bolt of lightning, the soul underwent a metamorphosis as if shedding its shell. The dragon soul deepened, solidified, and seemed to transform into a giant soul shadow, tracing a sacred outline over the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon¡¯s battered body!! ¡°Boom!!!!!¡± The lightning streaked through the clouds, and the sacred dragon shadow appeared more magnificent, like a true Phoenix spreading its wings. At that moment, the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon¡¯s blood boiled faster as drops of refined dragon essence spread to its destroyed bones, muscles, skin, and tail feathers, each drop brimming with tremendous regenerative power!! The soul ss metamorphosed, bloodline reshaped, body reconstructed!! This was a rebirth from the brink of death. Any trace of wavering in the heart would lead to annihtion. An unwavering will is the soul¡¯s ultimate protector, for as long as the will remains ignited, the soul will not die, will not be extinguished. As long as the soul persists, how could its body possibly fade away so easily!!n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om ¡°Rumble, rumble, rumble, rumble!!!!!!¡± Two bolts of sky-prating thunder, but this time, instead of intertwining at the peak, they oveid on the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon as it regenerated and transformed. Its stretching thunder wings appeared as the Phoenix feathers of its rebirth, shadowing the sky, and crowning its ascension!!! Immense power from an extraordinary species infused into the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon¡¯s body, and at this moment, it was no longer possible for the heavenly lightning to kill it. Therefore, the power of the heavenly lightning became the greatest life force for reconstructing its body. Lightning sculpted bone, crafted blood, transformed feathers, and the light of dawn even more so reflected its dragon soul upon the shadows of the sky! Battling against the heavenly lightning, striking through the vast sky, all spirits orderly and ranked, but how could there not be a ce for the Azure Dragon?! Everybody knows of the Phoenix Nirvana, its glory, and dazzling brilliance that shocks the world, yet no one sees what the azure sparrow, the red bird, or the Azure Phoenix endured before their nirvana, their bones crushed over and over again! Complete Period, Azure Phoenix Green Phoenix Dragon! Life Seed¡ªGreen Thunder! The clouds remained loftily suspended, the expanse of the sky vast and deep, but no more blinding lightning shed within the clouds, nor could the roar of the heavens¡¯ rage be heard above. The Azure Phoenix soared like a radiant azure sun in the sky, its blue bright brilliance spreading over the continuous mountain range! ¡°Shrill~~~~~~~~~~¡± A long cry, feathers falling like a shower of green leaves around the peak of Horned Mountain, bringing a sense of tranquility and romance. However, as a streak of azure light struck down, a green feather sparked with electric ripples, and then all the fluttering green feathers generated such ripples, colliding with each other and igniting shocking bolts of azure lightning, instantly filling the area with electrical fury, even affecting the barren cedar forest!! The entire mountaintop was suddenly filled with the scent of destruction, that green thunder carrying chains of lightningparably as overshadowing as rolling thunder, like countless celestial serpents raging at the peak!! The vengeful Mosquito Dragons lurking around realized the crisis when they saw the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon absorb the Thunderwing Sky Seed. So they scattered, little imagining that the Azure Phoenix Green Phoenix Dragon had sealed their fate! The power of the Life Seed Green Thunder was extreme, covering the mountaintop, and as the electric ripples collided and propagated, the Mosquito Dragons had no ce to hide!!
The air was immediately filled with the scent of charred flesh. Even the Heavenly ughter Dragon and the Sword Spirit Dragon may have struggled to ughter the Mosquito Dragons en masse, but the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon¡¯s Life Seed Green Thunder was the perfect nemesis for these ¡°pest dragon¡± species, one azure spark avoided didn¡¯t matter, for there were thousands more rippling chains, densely packed to the extreme, that would obliterate even the smallest of creatures!! The scattered Mosquito Dragons were like a swarm of headless flies, unable to escape the lethal green thunder that decimated them, silencing the annoying ¡°buzzing¡± atst. At the mountaintop, the Heavenly ughter Dragon watched the scene, its eyes widening in disbelief. It was struggling to deal with the Mosquito Dragons, yet they were so easily obliterated in front of the Azure Phoenix Green Phoenix Dragon!
This was not only an ascension through the tribtion for the Azure Phoenix Green Phoenix Dragon but also a surge in strength. The level of its cultivation disyed was clearly Middle-level King Level!! ¡°` From Peak Monarch Level, he had sky-rocketed to Middle-level King Level in the blink of an eye, and that was even when his cultivation hadn¡¯t fully stabilized. If there were to be appropriate heavenly treasures and spiritualnds toe, wouldn¡¯t there be hope to assault the Superior Dragon King level??? ¡°Complete Period, Complete Period¡­¡± Is this Little Qingzhuo¡¯s Complete Period?? Zhu Minng himself could hardly believe it; it seemed that because it had relied on its own strength to ovee this Dragon Disaster, its power had broken through to a realm even higher than he had anticipated!! When the Fiend Star Dragon ascended back then, its strength was merely wavering between the preparatory stage and Lower-level King. After being continuously nourished by the blood of Ten Thousand Year Saint Sprits, the Heavenly ughter Dragon finally stabilized its cultivation at the Lower-level King stage, and it was only by possessing two rare Void Crystals that it ascended to the Middle-level King Realm. Little Qingzhuo was simultaneously ascending and advancing, skipping several ranks straight to the Middle-level King cultivation base, and the Life Seed Green Thunder it possessed seemed to be an extremely formidable divine skill within the King-Level Realm. How else could it have killed all but a few Mosquito Dragons? ¡°Mmmm~~~~~¡± The Heavenly ughter Dragon let out an aggrieved cry. Why didn¡¯t it have a Life Seed ability?? Back when it faced the Heaven Tribtion Falling Fire, it seems Zhu Minng had borne the brunt of the final onught for it. Although the Heavenly ughter Dragon had also sessfully ascended, it didn¡¯t possess a Life Seed like the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon! Mr. Jinli had mentioned this to Zhu Minng. In this world, there are divine Gods and Divine Dragons, and beings that cross the Ascending Tribtion are effectively shedding their status as Ordinary Spirits, bing ¡°reservist Holy Spirits¡± with qualifications for Divine Enthronement.
As reservist Holy Spirits, it¡¯s possible that they can wield the power of Holy Spirits. Among them, the Life Pattern Seed is one such power. While not every King-level being possesses a Life Seed divine skill, beings do have a certain chance during their ascension and crossing tribtion to absorb their natural enemies or other species, transforming them into their own Life Seed, which is also the most reasonable way for a Life Seed to emerge. Any other way to obtain it would be even less likely. The Heavenly ughter Dragon had no Life Seed. If it had faced the Dragon Disaster on its own, maybe it would have obtained a Life Seed, but at the cost of perishing during the Crossing Tribtion and Ascending. ¡°It¡¯s okay, one day you too will produce your own Life Seed,¡± Zhu Minng consoled it. The azure feathers tinged with strands of purple patterns, when all plumagey tranquilly upon one another, a graceful wave from the Feather Crown to the tail feathers appeared, sporting an elegant lightningb-like feather, which not only added radiant beauty to the form of the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon but exuded a majestic demeanor ofmanding thunder and lightning! Its tail, now boasting seven strands, had be a-pure Phoenix Bloodline. Each tail, upon unfurling, disyed a stunning variety of hues: red-azure, indigo-azure, dark-green-azure, turquoise-azure, white-azure, gold-azure, and azure-azure. All the feathers across its body also reflected these seven shades of azure. The outer and inner wing feathers consisted of dark-green firm feathers and white-azure soft feathers, while the neck area was adorned exclusively with the even more vibrant and regal red-azure feathers¡­ The Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon could be said to have inherited its past lineage; itcked Dragon Scales, with the most striking feature being its Dragon Feathers, which presented in azure, but still provided a sense of opulent mottled beauty! Of course, the asional bursts of green thunder between feathers, which upon contact with any object could unleash terrifying bolts of lightning me, ensured that the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon wasn¡¯t just like a forest butterfly relying on its ostentatious disy to intimidate foes¡ªit could easily grind all enemies to dust! Mounting the back of the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon, Zhu Minng was caressing its newly-grown feathers¡­ Back when he held the faint Little Qingzhuo, as lifeless as a pup, Zhu Minng never imagined such a day woulde. All he saw was this little guy¡¯s gaze, a craving within the azure vertical pupils, not full of resentment toward this cruel world, but full of a tenacious desire to survive and hope for the future!
Zhu Minng would never say to Little Qingzhuo, ¡°You have not let me down.¡± From the start, Zhu Minng knew, if the little guy could ovee the ordeal of a young dragon¡¯s death, it would certainly stand out in the future! A Dragon Shepherd should believe in his own dragon, and not just when it ascends through tribtion, but from the moment the Spirit Contract is signed! ¡°It¡¯s time topletely deprive those Giant Ridge Generals of their airspace!¡± Zhu Minng looked out from the mountain peak to see one Giant Ridge Demon Dragon after another appear in the skies above Absolute Ridge Chengbang. Spreading its wings, Zhu Minng, riding on the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon, flew toward Absolute Ridge Chengbang. The once-silenced thunder in the sky again began to densely popte the cloudyer. As the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon flew skimming the cloud-sky, countless thunder mes, spectacr in their splendor, were seen escorting the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon. The terrifying thunder mes once again dominated the sky,shing and burning those Dragon Beasts that had flown high, but no longer targeting the Dragon Beasts of the Li Chuan Army but rather the Giant Ridge Demon Dragons of Absolute Ridge Chengbang, and the Mysterious Bird Flock summoned from Hidden Fog Ind! It could be said that once again, tight air control was implemented over the continuous Upper Isted Ridge. Only this time, the rulers of the Airspace Thunder Realm were Zhu Minng and his Azure Dragon! ¡­ Chapter 566: 568: The Strength of the Family Door Leader Chapter 566: Chapter 568: The Strength of the Family Door Leader In the inner city of Absolute Ridge Chengbang, a man wearing a cloak of iridescent bird feathers stood atop a high tower. He was tall and slender with a darkplexion and divine eyes, but his pupils were as sharp and terrifying as those of a predatory eagle. He raised his head, staring at the rebooted Airspace Thunder Realm, his face gradually contorting with ferocity and anger! Someone actually dared to ascend through tribtion using Thunderwing! And to make matters worse, the Thunderwing Sky Seed had actually be the Life Seed of that ascending dragon, allowing it to manipte and control it at will! ¡°I will y it open, scatter its soul, and then extract its dragon heart!¡± the man roared, wielding a bird bone magic staff, and swung it toward the sky. With that swing, the Snow Shirt Forest in the Upper Isted Ridge suddenly erupted into chaos. Looking around, one could see Poisonous Demon Birds taking flight from the treetops! These birds had majestic feathers, vibrant red beaks, and most terrifying were their formidable ws, which could easily uproot massive trees from the ground! There were countless Poisonous Demon Birds, and they created whirlwinds through the mountains as they took to the sky, quickly ascending to confront the Azure Phoenix Dragon high above. Beyond that, rock-bodied, mountain-sized Demon Dragons were also gathering. They clearly weren¡¯t willing to give up their dominance of the high skies, ready to fight to the death with the Azure Phoenix Dragon! Lightning crackled like eternal mes across the sky, thunder fell like torrential purple rain, and the firmament zed with light. As Zhu Minng and the Azure Phoenix Dragon reached the back ridges of Absolute Ridge Chengbang, they were met by countless Poisonous Demon Birds and Giant Ridge Demon Dragons. Yet no matter how numerous the birds or how strong the dragons, none could withstand theshing of the lightning whips and the pounding of the thunderous pirs! The Poisonous Demon Birds were split into blood in midair, their feathers falling like snow. The Azure Phoenix Dragon flew straight towards Absolute Ridge Chengbang, unstoppable by the birds. Any Poisonous Demon Bird that came close either turned to blood or vanished into nothingness, none survived!
The Giant Ridge Demon Dragons roared, thergest creatures of the sky, akin to floating fortresses, imposing and powerful. Their rock-like skin afforded them some resistance to the lightning, after all. ¡°Hiss!!!!!¡± The Azure Phoenix Dragon raised its head, its green vertical pupils fixed on the vast cloudscape. Suddenly, whirls appeared in the clouds, dispersing the mist, followed by earth-shattering lightning columns bombing down like apocalyptic pirs. Such pirs of annihtion could reduce mountains to dust with their might, and as they struck the Giant Ridge Demon Dragons, they shattered them into countless pieces!!!! The Giant Ridge Demon Dragons were no match at all! The man controlling the Poisonous Demon Birds at the city tower looked utterly astonished. With his flock assembled, even a Dragon King could be torn to shreds, yet against the Azure Phoenix Dragon, his birds were as fragile as paper cranes, hundreds killed in one blow! ¡°My Giant Ridge Demon Dragons¡­ My Giant Ridge Demon Dragons¡­¡± At the side of the tower stood a man in silver armor who was clearly a Dragon Shepherd. Those Giant Ridge Demon Dragons contesting for aerial supremacy were his Dragon Beasts. But now, his face was purple, his body in convulsions. With every Giant Ridge Demon Dragon that perished, a thread of his Spirit Contract snapped. The agony of such rapid loss rendered him little more than a walking corpse. ¡°Who is that person??¡± asked a man in the tower, his body exuding a ghostly aura, wearing a robe slung over one shoulder and bare-chested on the other side. ¡°Likely a Shepherd Venerable from the Purple Sect n.¡± ¡°To use Wing Thunder Heavenly Species for ascending tribtion, turning the Wing Thunder into their Thunder Realm, are all those you dispatched to guard the Airspace Thunder Realm at the peak useless?!¡± the man in the shoulder robe roared, filled with a ghostly fury. ¡°We must abandon the high-altitude battle; the heavenly thunder is too strong! Monarch Level dragons and below, if struck, will absolutely be reduced to ash.¡± ¡°Commander, we¡¯ve intercepted the Cultivator troops ambushing us from the rear city; shall we annihte them first?¡± an old man in a Master¡¯s Robe asked. ¡°Four Greats, who else is on standby?¡± asked the ghostly Commander.N?v(el)B\\jnn ¡°The South Monarch, Peng Hu, is awaiting orders,¡± the old man in the Master¡¯s Robe replied. ¡°The South Monarch, hmm, that¡¯s a bit of an overqualification.¡± ¡°But if they nk us from the rear, we¡¯ll be in a very passive position.¡± ¡°Then finish them off as fast as possible, and ideally, sever their heads and hang them from the high towers in the front city,¡± the ghostly Commander said.
¡°What about the Azure Phoenix Dragon King in the sky? If we don¡¯t get rid of this Dragon King, I¡¯m afraid we might end up at the bottom.¡± ¡°No rush, this Dragon King is currently in its prime. Recklessly provoking it might result in heavy losses. Let the people from Hidden Fog Ind contain it first, preventing it from getting close to the chengbang,¡± said themander, who emanated an eerie aura. ¡°Containment, I fear, is not such an easy task,¡± the elder in the Master¡¯s Robe remarked. Themander, the aura of a specter about him, did not reply, but his eyes swept over the colorfully robed sorcerer standing outside the building, and the corners of his mouth slowly curled up.
It¡¯s not easy, but that¡¯s Hidden Fog Ind¡¯s concern. They lost control of their airspace. That Azure Dragon King should naturally be their problem to deal with! ¡­ Again, the sky darkened ominously, but this time not with mountains. Instead, from the depths of the Absolute Valley, a swarm of Red Spotted Poisonous Dragons emerged. They maneuvered through the poison barriers with ease, and as they flew in formation, they brought the toxic mists with them, enveloping the peaks. Some lower rank Dragon Beasts that inhaled the poison began to wobble and crashed to the ground. The Red Spotted Poisonous Dragons were creatures even more terrifying than the Mosquito Dragon, despite their size of around three meters. Each of them had the power to y a whole unit of soldiers. The soldiers from Silver Ridge were engaged in a fierce battle with the Giant Ridge Generals when they suddenly saw hundreds of Red Spotted Poisonous Dragons appear from the Absolute Valley, and their faces turned pale with fear! These poisonous dragons were originally intended to attack them, pushing the attacking army to a dead-end with no escape. If it were not for an Azure Phoenix Dragon dominating the skies above, who knows how many would have perished under the ws of the Poison Dragons. ¡°Who is that Azure Dragon Shepherd Venerable up there?¡± Emperor Wuhou, the elder of the Purple Sect n, and Zhou Xian of the Great Zhou n were standing on the spine of a War Scorpion Dragon. To their left and right were the formidable two thousand crossbow armies. Any enemy that got close to them was shot down by the crossbowmen! ¡°Someone reported that it¡¯s Zhu Minng,¡± said a Divine and Mortal with eagle wings. ¡°Zhu¡­ Zhu Minng of Zhu Gate?¡± Zhou Xian thought he had misheard. The Azure Phoenix Dragon that had turned the tide, dominating the airspace of Silver Ridge, was Zhu Minng¡¯s dragon? At that moment, the youth, Mingji, still with some swelling on his face, turned his head to look at Zhou Xian and asked, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that Zhu Minng was nothing more than an insignificant Dragon Trainer?¡± ¡°Since when does Zhu Gate have such a powerful Shepherd Venerable?¡± said Emperor Wuhou, equally astonished.
If they were to win this battle, the one who reversed the situation in the sky would surely be the hero. Achieving this was not just a matter of high cultivation base; it also required the ability to control thunder¡­ At the beginning of the attack, thunder had struck down countless Dragon Beasts. Although no one in the ranks dared to speak of it, everyone suspected that Absolute Ridge Chengbang had the assistance of a Heavenly God. Otherwise, why would the thunder target only them? Now, the situation had flipped entirely. The thunder decimated the people of Absolute Ridge Chengbang. As soon as they dared to fly to a certain height, they were utterly obliterated, while the Dragon Beasts from Li Chuan had no restrictions, freely soaring and maneuvering in the air! The morale waspletely different from before, and the deadlock on assaulting Silver Ridge was thoroughly broken! In a war, breaking the deadlock is crucial. Who was Zhu Minng, who could single-handedly turn the tide of battle? ¡°Cough cough, that person is the sole heir of Zhu Gate,¡± someone spoke up. ¡°The sole heir of Zhu Gate? The son of Zhu Heavenly Officer?¡± Emperor Wuhou was even more taken aback. Was it not a revered elder serving Zhu Gate? Was this the strength of the leading n among the Six Great ns? At that moment, Emperor Wuhou¡¯s gaze involuntarily fell on Zhou Xian of the Great Zhou n. Zhou Xian suddenly began to feel ufortable. Emperor Wuhou¡¯s look seemed to say: As the sole heir among the Six Great ns, howe you, Zhou Xian, are so inconspicuous in this war?
Chapter 567: 569: Grace Chapter 567: Chapter 569: Grace Zhou Xian¡¯s face was ashen. In such a battle, although those at the King-Level Realm had a certainmanding ability, a slight misstep could still lead to their doom. Zhou Xian wasn¡¯t after military exploits, nor was he the main general of this war. From the beginning, he had no intention of charging into the fray. However, seeing someone dazzling within the alliance of all the major forces in a campaign given high importance by the Imperial Dynasty, Zhou Xian felt extremely ufortable. Especially since it was Zhu Minng from Zhu Gate! After this battle, regardless of the oue, Zhu Gate would have secured a certain influence in the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent again. Many people woulde to pay homage and join them. Prestige and fame were what the Family Doors cared about the most, as this would attract more talented individuals and followers. Many smaller forces would willingly be vassals, and the Family Door would thus be increasingly powerful. ¡°A person from the Lower Realm, no matter how high their cultivation base, is still a far cry from the true gods. Once I receive the grace, every Sect Leader from the Six Great ns, the heads of the Four Major Sect ns, the leaders of pces, and the Female Monarchs of thend, will all bow down to me!¡± The youth Mingji sneered derisively. For some reason, the more he looked at Zhu Minng, the more he seemed like the viin who had battered his face to a pulp¡­ However, the opponent was a Dragon Shepherd,manding the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon, so it was absolutely impossible for him to continue practicing swordsmanship.
Who could be the reckless individual? Mingji¡¯s intuition told him that the Flying Sword Thief must also be among the many united forces! ¡°Where exactly is this grace you speak of?¡± Zhou Xian asked in a low voice. Zhou Xian¡¯s face was dull, especially after losing the tinum fruit, he too faced immense pressure. Some old geezers in his n were eyeing him. If he didn¡¯t make any more achievements, the crossbowmen around him, as well as the serving elders, would be taken back, and he would have to fend for himself. How could he thenpete with the princes of the Royal Family, or with the heirs supported by the Four Major Sect ns and the Six Great ns?n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om ¡°This Zhu Minng has indeed paved the way for us. Now that the State Wall of the city-state has been breached, we can take advantage of the chaos to go to their Ancient Relics. The grace must be there. Once you get the grace, you, Zhou Xian, can alsomand a valiant army like the Giant Ridge General,¡± said Mingji. ¡°Really??¡± Zhou Xian eximed in surprise. Could it be that these Giant Ridge Generals weren¡¯t cultivated over long years? Perhaps there truly was some method! If his own crossbowmen could also transform into something at the level of the Giant Ridge Generals, wouldn¡¯t that mean no one on the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent would dare to challenge him? For someone like Zhu Minng, who came knocking at his door demandingpensation, he would simply crush him with a wave of his hand, without having to care whether he was the Young Master of Zhu n or not! ¡°I told you before, the people of Absolute Ridge Chengbang are the apostates of our Ming God n. Originally, my nsmen nned to annihte them, but they fled to the Lower Realm with some special secret techniques. Their ability to transform into Giant Ridge Generals is one of the Phantom Shape Divine Powers of our Ming God n. I¡¯ve heard that here you have Beast Shape Masters and Possession Techniques; essentially, they all stem from our Ming God n¡¯s Phantom Shape Divine Power, it¡¯s just that what they practice here are fragmented systems,¡± Mingji said arrogantly. Zhou Xian¡¯s eyes suddenly lit up. He had incidentally heard about a group of people in the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent who came from the Upper Realm and were known as the people from above or guests from beyond the heavens. They held more potent methods, were privy to more mystical rules, and for them, increasing their cultivation base was as ordinary and simple as a youth growing taller after being well-fed. So, after meeting Mingji, Zhou Xian was practically groveling, hoping to obtain from him the method of advancement that was not avable to others! ¡°We will act on our ownter. With my crossbowmen and a few elders, we should be able to reach the ancient relics you spoke of and find that Divine Grace!¡± Zhou Xian became excited. A mere Absolute Ridge Chengbang, once granted Divine Grace, could contend with so many powerful forces. If that thing fell into his own hands, wouldn¡¯t the Royal Family have to treat him with great respect? ¡°As long as you obey me, everything you want, I can make happen,¡± Mingji said with utmost confidence. ¡­ In the high skies, the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon had established dominance, and the Hidden Fog Ind Bird Witches who controlled the Divine Bird Group wanted to save their face, but in the end, they were sted by lightning without leaving any remains. Against the Poison Dragon, Mosquito Dragon, Evil Bird, and Thunder Sparrows, it was all too easy for the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon to ughter these monstrous flocks, especially with the aid of heavenly thunder, allowing it to fully unleash the power of its Azure Thunder Life Seed! With one man and one Azure Dragon, they reigned supreme in the skies above the chengbang, and though there were tens of thousands of Cultivators and brave soldiers below, not a single one dared to challenge Zhu Minng beneath this cloud-filled sky.
Having taken control of the high skies, the Li Chuan Army¡¯s Dragon Beasts now had the initiative. Zhu Minng, from the highest point, with the wings of the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon above,manded thousands of Flying Dragons. They sometimes dived down to swiftly chop down enemies in the lower skies and on the ground, and at other times, they simultaneously emitted Dragon mes and Dragon Breath, delivering a destructive baptism to Absolute Ridge Chengbang! Zhu Minng oversaw the entire battlefield from the highest point. He saw Li Yunzi at the Silver Ridge City Wall, surrounded by arge number of Army Guards, so she was not in any immediate danger. The Giant Ridge Generals were most numerous there, their bodies like attic floors forming a Giant Ridge human Wall. And between the shoulders of those leads from Giant Ridge were Bow Hand Spear Armies, making them very difficult to kill off in a short period.
Zhu Minng then looked towards the rear of the city and discovered that the Sudden Attack Team he led seemed to be blocked by a group of Giant Ridge Generals! ¡°The front city wall has already been breached, and yet they still have the strength to deal with those attacking from behind?¡± Absolute Ridge Chengbang still hadn¡¯t been thrown into disarray. It seemed they still had some cards up their sleeve. ¡°Qing Zhuo, continue to patrol the high skies, and eliminate anyone who dares to cross them. I¡¯ll go down and help them break free,¡± Zhu Minng said to the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon. This control of the air must not fall into the hands of those from Hidden Fog Ind, as they can summon the Divine Bird Group. Without the suppression of the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon, the entire sky would be covered by those Divine Birds, and it was clear that Absolute Ridge Chengbang had invited people from Hidden Fog Ind to deal with the Dragon Beast Army of Li Chuan. This battle was more formidable than imagined. Even though Zhu Minng held the high skies, the lower skies of the chengbang were still thick with Divine Birds. They were like a vast ck covering Absolute Ridge Chengbang, impossible topletely eradicate no matter how many were in. The Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon nodded its head. The battlefield was chaotic, but having control of the highest airspace was a huge advantage. At this moment, the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon was like the leader of the Ten Thousand Dragon Army. The struggle between the Dragon Beast Army and the Divine Bird Group unfolded under its deterrence. Suspended below the clouds, it greatly boosted the morale of the Ten Thousand Dragons and suppressed the arrogance of the Divine Bird Group! Of course, the people from Hidden Fog Ind were not willing to see their Airspace Thunder Realm be someone else¡¯s Divine Weapon. Some King-Level Bird Masters among them kept challenging the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon¡­ Chapter 568: 570: My Destiny Chapter 568: Chapter 570: My Destiny Thus, the sky battlefield was divided into threeyers. The firstyer was at the highest point, where the Azure Phoenix Green Phoenix Dragons, like the Dragon Emperor, hung solitary above the throne, proudly meeting the challenges of this supreme airspace and annihting them one by one. The secondyer was mid-air, upied by the Li Chuan Flying Dragons that were allowed to cross the height by the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon. Under the protection of the Azure Phoenix Green Phoenix Dragon, they held the high ground and could recklessly strike down at the divine birds and the City-State Giants from above. The thirdyer was in the lower sky, where Dragon Beasts, flying cultivators, and divine bird armies engaged in fiercebat, positioned above the buildings of Absolute Ridge Chengbang, neither touching the clouds above nor the ground below. As for the ughter on the ground, it was even more brutal, with no clear victor in sight within a short period. Zhu Minng had passed through the low-altitude ughterzone, and indeed, there were a few Absolute Ridge Chengbang cultivators who were short-sighted. Seeing Zhu Minng flying toward the back of the city, they naturally were unwilling to let him pass. Blood sprayed on the spot, and several city-state cultivators fell in a pool of blood. They hadn¡¯t quite breathed theirst, but the blood kept flowing unabated.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om One of the soldiers hadn¡¯t even had the chance to transform into a Giant Ridge General before being in. He tilted his head to look at hispanion, who was equally astonished. ¡°Told you¡­ he is the master of that Azure Dragon.¡± Soon enough, they all breathed theirst.
Despite the difficulty in controlling life and death on the battlefield, such acts of seeking death could still be avoided if possible. ¡­ Zhu Minng flew towards the back of the city, where many high tower-like statues stood. On those statues, there were a few figures. Zhu Minng used his Spiritual Sense to scan them and found that these people had high cultivation bases; clearly, Absolute Ridge Chengbang still had many powerful ones who had not yete to the surface. They moved about but did not attack Zhu Minng, probably having other orders. Zhu Minng didn¡¯t mind them. In such arge-scale battle, even with Three Dragon Kings by his side, he could only try to protect a limited number of people as much as possible. Atop a very high statue stood a man wearing a ck Cloak,ughing with a caw-like sound. His arms were like hooked ws. His eye sockets had no pupils, surrounded by twisted scars, as if someone had gouged out his eyes. Yet he seemed to see everything, staring at the Sudden Attack Team with a strange and terrifying expression. At that moment, the Sudden Attack Team was surrounded by the Demon Crow Soldiers. There were more than four thousand of them, as if they had long been waiting there for their arrival. Despite the team having taken a substantial detour, they were still caught squarely by these people. ¡°So-called great powers are formed by you ordinary mortals, with low cultivation bases, petty divine skills, and no reverence for Dragon Beasts. It¡¯s such a boring task to deal with you. I should be at the city wall, personally digging out the beautiful eyes of Li Chuan¡¯smander!¡± One of the Four Warlords, Peng Hu, sneered with a wicked smile. Despite being blind, he seemed to be sizing up everyone. He took a deep breath, and his ¡°gaze¡± finally locked onto a few female cultivators, including Nan Lingsha and Zi Miaozhu. ¡°Perfect body scent, must be peerless beauties, right?¡± As Peng Hu uttered these disgusting words, his hooked w hand was tearing open the person in front of him. That was a Dragon Shepherd from the Purple Sect n, his Purple Dragony under the feet of the statue, gutted open, and he himself was captured by Peng Hu, who opened up his abdomen before the eyes of all. Slow death meant enduring tremendous pain. Peng Hu seemed to be someone who reveled in torture and ughter, more like a vicious tiger or leopard ying withmbs and young rabbits. The Demon Crow Soldiers were besieging the Sudden Attack Team, and Peng Hu was inflicting mental torture on the members and asionally striking surreptitiously, killing some of the more powerful individuals in the team. ¡°`
The Purple Sect n¡¯s Wang Beiyou tried repeatedly to capture their leader first in order to defeat the rest more easily, but it was to no avail since those Demon Crow Soldiers were no ordinary foes, making it hard for him and his Purple Dragon to break free from these sorcerers. ¡°Nan Xiong, that woman is from the Nan Family.¡± Du Yang¡¯s eyes suddenly sharpened. ¡°The Li Chuan Nan n, you mean the one who schemed to kill our envoy and then had your fourth son from the Du family die tragically, Nan Lingsha?¡± Nan Xiong Peng Hu¡¯s mouth curled up at the corner, he said with some surprise. ¡°Hmph, it¡¯s that despicable woman, she yed us with Li Yunzi, killing all the undercover spies we had stationed within the Ancestral Dragon City, otherwise Li Chuan would be in the palm of our hands by now. With the help of West Cliff and the Nothingness Fog, the dogs of the Supreme Court wouldn¡¯t even dream of stepping here topete with us!¡± Du Yang said in a fury.
Du Yang was the master of the Sect Pce. After Sect Pce was eradicated by Pu Shiming and Zhu Xuehen, he fled back to the Absolute Ridge City. The establishment of the four heroes of the Sect Pce was actually modeled after the Absolute Ridge City. Absolute Ridge City had the Dual Chakravarti, four heroes, eight elders, and sixteen warlords; the Sect Pce also imitated them, but their eight elders, four heroes, and Dual Chakravarti were iparable to those of the Absolute Ridge City, especially after they had received a favor. ¡°In that case, her beautiful eyes are mine, and the rest is all yours,¡± Nan Xiong Peng Huughed. Hearing this, Du Yang alsoughed. Althoughcking eyes did spoil her beauty somewhat, the rest of her was sufficiently enticing. Wasn¡¯t it rumored that Nan Lingsha and Li Yunzi were twin sisters? If he captured her, wouldn¡¯t that mean¡­ The smile on Du Yang¡¯s face grew more mboyant as his mind wandered with wild thoughts. After receiving Grace, Du Yang had also be far more than he once was! ¡°Before that happens, your lives are mine,¡± suddenly, a man¡¯s voice came from behind them without warning. The owner of the voice was very, very close to them, and what was terrifying was that neither of them had any awareness of his approach.
Du Yang turned his head and saw a man standing on a sword, sporting a carefree expression. However, his eyes shone with an alert sharpness that suggested killing the two of them would be a breeze! ¡°Although there are quite a few on this continent who could take my life, you definitely don¡¯t make the list,¡± said Nan Xiong Peng Hu, his expression showing a trace of interest. From the aura, the neer was a powerhouse not inferior to himself. ¡°Who are you???¡± Du Yang¡¯s eyes stared fixedly at Zhu Minng. ¡°Was your son called Du Cheng?¡± Zhu Minng asked. Du Yang offered no answer. ¡°You have wrongly med Nan Lingsha. Your son Du Cheng was ughtered by me. Do you recognize these clothes?¡± Zhu Minng said, deliberately shing his Charm Shadow Clothes. Du Yang¡¯s entire face instantly changed, and fury red up like a me, burning his skin to a fiery red! Charm Shadow Clothes. This robe was precisely the one that Zhu Minng had stripped off the Fourth Young Master Du Cheng of Zong Pce. So that was why the Sect Pce had such a treasure. It seemed that even the Zhu Gate could not forge a garment with such unique abilities; it turns out there was a deeper story behind it! Chapter 569: 571: The Evil Dragon Villain Chapter 569: Chapter 571: The Evil Dragon Viin ¡°You¡­ who exactly are you!¡± Du Yang pointed at Zhu Minng, demanding an answer. Zhu Minng looked up at the sky, and at that moment, a dazzling bolt of lightning struck down viciously, like chains of brilliant light fashioned into iron whips, smashing against those towering statues and shattering them into dust. The lightning struck the group of Demon Crow Soldiers as well, causing their bodies to burst apart with blood and flesh flying in all directions, some even being reduced to a puddle of mush by the sheer force of the lightning. With a look of horror, Du Yang lifted his gaze and saw that the terrifying chains of lightning originated from the high heavens, from the very same Azure Phoenix Green Phoenix Dragon that had dominated the airspace above Absolute Ridge Chengbang¡­ The power of the azure lightning was astonishing, and its striking range was incredibly wide. As the lightning danced and the chains swept across the sky, countless Demon Crow Soldiers were killed! ¡°Seems like we have a character here, that makes it interesting,¡± Nan Xiong Peng Hu also looked up to ¡°gaze¡± at the sky, then turned his face towards Zhu Minng, ¡°It¡¯s just a pity that your Azure Dragon is so far away, it can¡¯t protect your life!¡± As he spoke, a ck Demonic Qi suddenly surged around Nan Xiong Peng Hu¡¯s body. On his forehead, a pair of horns that pierced the heavens sprouted out. Thick, robust scales grew over his body. His arms, already resembling hooked ws, transformed into even more grotesque and fierce talons.
Demonization?? What had he transformed into?? Zhu Minng realized that these people from Absolute Ridge Chengbang all possessed the ability to transform their bodies. Unlike the Giant Ridge Generals who transformed into strong giants, Nan Xiong Peng Hu had turned into an Evil Dragon Demon! He now had Dragon Horns, Dragon Scales, and Dragon ws, and even a tail grew behind him. While his stature remained upright, his back was hunched. His face still appeared human, but it looked no different from a monster or demon, with vicious fangs like those of a devilish hound exposed and ws as long and sharp as the des of an executioner¡¯s axe! ¡°Eh eh!!¡± Nan Xiong Peng Hu let out a strangeugh. His height now matched that of the statues, looking down at Zhu Minng as if he were a mere insect crawling beneath his feet. ¡°At first I thought you were just scum, but it turns out you¡¯re a tough beast.¡± Zhu Minngughed as well, but his smile hid a sharp killing intent! ¡°Eh roar!!!!¡± The Evil Dragon Demon made that unpleasant noise. Although it was massive in size, its speed was shockingly fast. Zhu Minng only saw a shadow flicker in front of him before the Evil Dragon Demon appeared behind him.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om It stretched out its terrifying hooked w and viciously swiped at Zhu Minng. With ws like axe des, Zhu Minng would have been sliced open if he had not dodged in time. The Sword Spirit Dragon naturally detected the enemy¡¯s movement; it took the initiative to ¡°unsheathe¡± itself, with a powerful sweep of the sword it collided head-on with the monstrous demon. w versus Sharp Sword, Nan Xiong was surprised to find his fierce w blocked by a Flying Sword. Just when he was feeling astonished, the Flying Sword erupted with a majestic tide-like Sword Qi during its sweeping motion, forcing Nan Xiong to retreat and dodge this overwhelming energy that wasing straight at him. ¡°Is this a dragon or a sword?¡± Nan Xiong withdrew several hundred meters; he was blind, but his other senses were incredibly sharp. Zhu Minng did not deign to answer his question, instead, he blended his will with the Sword Spirit Dragon, performing the Flying Sword Technique he had learned from that venerable teacher of the White Robe Sword Sect! Sword Territory united as one! He turned his realm of swordsmanship into streams of Qi, and even as he stood motionless atop the statue, Zhu Minng was like one wielding an Ancient Sword, freely chopping at will! Wisp after wisp of spirit qi appeared amid the Sword Spirit Dragon¡¯s movements, transforming into a shadowy figure, which was the embodiment of Zhu Minng¡¯s will! The figure-shaped shadow became distinct, making the Sword Spirit Dragon¡¯s attack less chaotic. It began to follow this shadow of Zhu Minng, gaining structure, and could even execute some of the Sword Fighting Sect¡¯s swordsmanship! ¡°Liao Wind Sword!!¡±
Zhu Minng concentrated fully, even though he did not hold the sword in hand. Under the fusion of the sword and the realm, the Sword Spirit Dragon could perfectly match the sword moves that Zhu Minng was about to make from a thousand steps away! Swipe the sword! Another sweeping sh! After the sweeping, a swirling qi suddenly appeared around the Sword Spirit Dragon¡¯s de, lingering for a long time. This allowed every subsequent strike of the Sword Spirit Dragon to carry the power of the Liao Wind Sword Qi!
Stroke after stroke was cleared, with each creating sword marks hundreds of meters long in the air that would not dissipate quickly. As Zhu Minng¡¯s shadow figure sped up its sword strikes, those winds began to intertwine, forming a massive wind sieve that engulfed the Evil Dragon Demon! ¡°Disperse!¡± That single word crossed Zhu Minng¡¯s mind. Suddenly, the Sword Spirit Dragon made a cut with extreme speed ¨C a Sword of the Wind sh. Following that, like sparks touching sulphur, all the sword power-generated Liao Wind suddenly burst forth with a force that could tear the sky and split the earth, sweeping in all directions. The scaly body of Nan Xiong Peng Hu was scraped, revealing countless wounds; some fine, some deep and long. His whole body kept retreating. Zhu Minng had already sheathed his sword, but the Liao Wind Sword Qi transformed into a Primordial Fierce Beast, ruthlessly biting and ripping apart Nan Xiong Peng Hu¡¯s demonized body! Peng Hu was stained with blood all over, appearing somewhat dumbfounded, his face turned towards Zhu Minng. From the pride at the beginning to the wretchedness now, this Giant Ridge General of Absolute Ridge Chengbang obviously became thoroughly enraged! ¡°Grrr!!!!¡± Nan Xiong roared, the Demonic Qi around his body bing even more intense. His blood dripped onto the ground, and the soil seemed to be cursed, undergoing a bizarre transformation as if into a pool of blood curses. Soon, within thend of the Blood Curse, thick Evil Qi surged, taking the form of dragon-serpent shapes, dancing around the Evil Dragon Demon. Upon closer inspection, one could see that within these Evil Qi, there indeed were creatures! They were half-bodied evil insects, emerging from the churning Evil Qi, wriggling out of the ground like guardians, coiling around Nan Xiong, greatly enhancing his power! Zhu Minng looked at those evil insects and then nced at the Evil Dragon Demon¡¯s eye sockets¡­
This scene seemed somewhat familiar. Was it the Eyeless Sect? What swirled around him now, wasn¡¯t it the Eyeless Evil Dragon?? Could it be that the Eyeless Sect member who worshiped the Eyeless Evil Dragon did so ultimately to create a vessel like Nan Xiong Peng Hu, which could directly descend upon themself,pleting this demonized body?? Within such a brief moment, Zhu Minng couldn¡¯t make a definitive judgment, but it was most likely that Nan Xiong Peng Hu¡¯s abilities were rted to the Eyeless Sect! The Eyeless Evil Dragon required the sacrifice and ughter of countless living people to be nurtured into that ultimate body of evil. Initially, just a half-formed Eyeless Evil Dragon caused the deaths of many ves in Monument City, and before their deaths, they suffered the inhumane punishment of eye gouging¡­ Chapter 570: 572: Sword Fence Chapter 570: Chapter 572: Sword Fence N?v(el)B\\jnn Nan Xiong was clearly a finished product, who knew how many lives that Evil Dragon had ughtered on its body! ¡°Among them, there must be someone very important to you, right?¡± Nan Xiong was now brimming with malicious energy, with Evil Dragons resembling blood leeches and centipedes flying and coiling around him, greedy and thirsty, especially when they set their sights on the living. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll soak you all in a cursed pool, letting your skin, flesh, and bones slowly dissolve in the blood pool, and then you will be eternally fused together, hahaha!!!¡± Nan Xiong revealed an extremely pathological smile. This was something Nan Xiong had done frequently, and although he couldn¡¯t see anything, merely hearing the heart-wrenching screams of men and women dissolving in the pool of blood and flesh was far more satisfying than any music of strings or lutes! ¡°Only when that Azure Dragones down will you be qualified to contend with me, with just this sword, it¡¯s far from enough!¡± Nan Xiong suddenly raised his ws and swiped towards Zhu Minng. As he brought down his w, a blood surge ensued, evil energy rampaged, and countless Blood Flukes emerged from the ground. They not only lunged at Zhu Minng but also flew towards the cultivators of the Sudden Attack Team! Zhu Minng furrowed his brows. In his perception, the more people the Eyeless Evil Dragon killed, the stronger it became, and upon consuming living blood, the Eyeless Evil Dragon would heal rapidly. Nan Xiong was injured, so he nned to use the cultivators to replenish his state! Zhu Minng naturally couldn¡¯t let him seed; in reality, the Blood Leech Dragons derived from the Eyeless Evil Dragon weren¡¯t very powerful. They were just capable of supplying more blood to the main body, and with Zhu Minng¡¯s current strength, ying them was a piece of cake.
¡°Sword Barrier!¡± Zhu Minng controlled the Sword Spirit Dragon. The Sword Spirit Dragon immediately positioned itself between the Blood Leech Dragon and the cultivators, floating above the ground, remaining vertical andpletely still. Suddenly, the Sword Spirit Dragon¡¯s crimson de began to tremble, and two afterimages appeared on it. These two afterimages split off to either side, like the Sword Spirit Dragon, and stood suspended above the ground. The trembling of the Sword Spirit Dragon became more intense, and soon two more afterimages split off, turning into clear sword shadows and arranged in the manner as before. Three swords, five swords, seven swords¡­ twenty-seven swords! Ultimately, the Sword Spirit Dragon divided into twenty-seven sword shadows, lined up in a row. Each sword shadow was spaced a hundred meters apart, but between the swords, there was a curtain of Sword Qi energy, which from afar looked like a curtain of air! The Blood Leech Dragons were blocked; they couldn¡¯t just leap over the sword barrier, but as they approached, they were struck by a bacsh of Sword Qi that was sufficient to shred them into pieces. ¡°He¡­ He¡¯s cut off your Blood Leech Dragons,¡± Du Yang said with a slight change in his expression. Nan Xiong Peng Hu seemed arrogant just a moment ago, but now he was somewhat restrained. The opponent knew the function of his Blood Leech Dragons?? Those Blood Leech Dragons might look fierce and terrifying, but in a King Level battle, they were nothing but centipedes. Who would pay attention to these crawling centipedes while focused on battling?? ¡°Don¡¯t panic, let me first heal my injuries,¡± Nan Xiong Peng Hu said. ¡°But those cultivators are now protected by him.¡± ¡°Living people will do, it need not be¡­¡± Nan Xiong Peng Hu hadn¡¯t finished speaking when the Sword Spirit Dragon, which had initially just formed a barrier of energy, suddenly split into even more sword shadows. The sword shadows lined up like a fence once more and sealed off the other three directions of Nan Xiong Peng Hu as well! The sword shadows became one hundred and eight in number, resembling a four-sided fence enclosing livestock, trapping Peng Hu and his Blood Leech Dragonspletely inside. ¡°From what I can tell, someone like you probably won¡¯t even spare your own people,¡± Zhu Minng¡¯s voice came through at this moment.
Having witnessed a myriad of demons and evil spirits, Zhu Minng became acutely aware that beings devoted to worshiping the Evil Dragon must be top-tier beasts, willing to heal their own wounds by mercilessly striking down both enemy and ally without hesitation. So he decided to create a perfect livestock pen, preventing his Leech Dragon from devouring or attacking any living beings! Nan Xiong Peng Hu¡¯s face was monstrous, but now it had twisted into something even more fierce! Indeed, he nned to use those Demon Crow Soldiers as offerings to replenish his power, deeming it worthwhile to sacrifice a few soldiers from Absolute Ridge Chengbang.
But to his surprise, this man actually anticipated his move!!! How could a normal person possibly predict such a thing!! Enraged to the point of nearly bursting, Nan Xiong Peng Hu abruptly turned towards the only living person beside him, Du Yang. Clearly not twisted enough, Du Yang was unable to keep up with the two men¡¯s thoughts and, as Nan Xiong Peng Hu¡¯s face turned towards him, he didn¡¯t even realize his life hung by a thread! ¡°Please, go ahead,¡± said Zhu Minng calmly andposedly. ¡°Aaaahhhhhhhh!!!!!¡± Soon, Du Yang¡¯s screams echoed as dozens of Blood Flukes pounced on him, tearing his body into countless pieces, each drained of all its blood¡­ The Sect Master of Sect Pce could never have imagined dying in such a tragic manner, his eyes even pecked out before he was devoured. Yet, a Du Yang with ordinary cultivation base offered limited blood and flesh, hardly enough to substantially replenish Nan Xiong Peng Hu¡¯s energy; it could at best heal some minor injuries, with deeper sword wounds still bleeding uncontrobly. Nan Xiong Peng Hu was extremely frustrated, baffled by how his demonic methods had been seen through at a nce. What infuriated him the most was that his actions had also been predicted by others. ¡°You trap my Evil Leech like this, and without a sword, I¡¯m eager to see what you¡¯ll use to battle me!¡± Nan Xiong sneered darkly as he rose. Nan Xiong Peng Hu asionally tilted his ears towards the sky. He was paying attention to the Azure Phoenix soaring high above, checking whether it was headed in their direction.
Of course, he was wary of the Azure Phoenix, but as long as it remained in the high sky, it posed no fatal threat to him. The Azure Dragon was still aloft. Nan Xiong Peng Hu let out a sigh of relief in his heart. In that case, he was still capable of dealing with the person before him! It was improbable that the opponent had three Dragon Kings. Already possessing the Azure Phoenix Dragon was outrageous enough, and this entity, resembling sword and dragon yet neither, was also extremely powerful. Nan Xiong truly didn¡¯t believe the opponent could summon another Dragon King! He tookrge strides, his expression cold as he walked towards Zhu Minng. Unperturbed, Zhu Minng stood his ground, watching the demonized man endowed with great powers through the Evil Dragon and chuckled coldly, ¡°You don¡¯t really believe that my sword is only for trapping you, do you?¡± After saying this, Zhu Minng¡¯s eyes became incredibly sharp. With a single thought, the one hundred and eight swords arranged in four directions trembled and swiftly flew towards the Evil Dragon Demon, slicing through his shadow!!! ¡°Swish swish swish swish swish swish!!!!!!!!¡± A hundred swords whirled chaotically, densely interwoven. Every time they passed through the Evil Dragon Demon¡¯s body, they fell into the vacated sword shadows, hanging still and bloodied, while a Sword Qi wall re-emerged and another de ferociously ¡°unsheathed¡± itself The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 571: 573: You Are Suited to Be a Beast Chapter 571: Chapter 573: You Are Suited to Be a Beast The newly grown thinyer of scales was no match for the sharp des as they sliced through. Nan Xiong Peng Hu immediately sustained even more wounds, over a hundred of varying depths. Peng Hu looked just like a viin being publicly executed, the skin and flesh of his body being scraped off piece by piece, leaving his bloodied bones exposed. No matter how turbulent the Demonic Qi roiled within him, it couldn¡¯t fend off the Sharp Swords flying from different directions and angles. Nan Xiong Peng Hu kept roaring furiously, like a monster that had crawled out from the Evil Pool, madly charging at the wall of Sword Qi, but these Flying Swords were under Zhu Minng¡¯s telekic control. The moment Nan Xiong Peng Hu charged towards the back of the statue, Zhu Minng immediately directed the Flying Swords to concentrate in that area. It didn¡¯t matter if one wall of Sword Qi was torn apart by his ws, Zhu Minng could rapidly rearrange the other Flying Swords to form several thicker walls of Sword Qi. Nan Xiong Peng Hu was like a giant shark caught in a, thrashing wildly, but the of Qi wrapping around him grew denser and heavier, slowing his once swift movements. Realizing he had to free himself from this predicament, Peng Hu knew he had to destroy those Flying Swords. So, when two of them stabbed towards him, he suddenly grabbed them with his hands! Blood oozed from his palms, but Peng Hu, with his terrifying grip, managed to shatter those two Flying Swords! He opened his mouth and spat a froth of poisonous blood sma at the nine oing Flying Swords. The sma swept the swords away while its corrosive nature melted them. He bent his body, positioning the Rushing Heaven Devil Horn towards the wall of Sword Qi in front of him, kicking back with both legs like a wild ox gathering strength. In an instant, the Rushing Heaven Devil Horn grew asrge as ancient trees millennia old, smashing the stone buildings, storehouses, and rock houses before him to bits.
What he intended to smash was the wall of Sword Qi. The force of his furious horn strike was like that of a hundred beasts stampeding, and the Sword Qi wall couldn¡¯t withstand the monster¡¯s assault. The Flying Swords were knocked away, scattered on the ground like discarded des. ¡°Unify!¡± Zhu Minng¡¯s finger, as precise as a sword stab, instantly gave all the Flying Swords a new trajectory. They wobbled into the air then swiftly snapped together like mas!n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om With eachyer added, the Sword Spirit Dragon Sword glowed with a vivid red jade lustre, its de growing ever sharper, bing searing hot and capable of slicing through everything. ¡°Li Fire Sword!¡± Like a bolt of bright lightning carrying sparks, the Sword Spirit Dragon, upon unification, unleashed a fierce sword radiance, shing heavily into the chest of the Evil Dragon Demon. His chest was already smeared with blood, just some superficial flesh wounds. But with the swift and deadly strike of the Li Fire Sword, Nan Xiong Peng Hu¡¯s chest was utterly ripped open, revealing his crimson ribs. And within his chest cavity, there were wriggling Evil insects, spread throughout his body like blood vessels, gruesome and terrifying! The squirming Evil insects hung out like intestines, some of which had already been chopped in two by the Sword Spirit Dragon. Zhu Minng, upon seeing this, simply manipted the Sword Spirit Dragon to fly directly into the body of the Evil Dragon Demon! In a flurry of activity, the Evil insects, like blood vessels, were ughtered in great numbers. Clearly, Nan Xiong Peng Hu¡¯s transformation into this body of an Evil Dragon Demon was due to these Evil insects that fed on human blood and bone marrow. With every insect killed inside his body, a bit of the Demonic Qi in Nan Xiong Peng Hu faded away. Nan Xiong Peng Hu was also enraged, stretching one hand deep into his own chest, grabbing the Sword Spirit Dragon, and violently throwing it out. His body was dripping with blood as though he had been ripped open, yet there was no sign of death. At this moment, he was like a Corpse King, furiously howling, tearing at the space around him with his ws. w des danced through the air, shredding the earth, leaving it scarred. The Demon Crow Soldiers and the Cultivators from the Supreme Court Power who were some distance away were also affected, many of them even torn apart! The Sword Spirit Dragon returned to Zhu Minng¡¯s side, drawing a Bagua Map to fend off the blood ws of the frenzied demon with its Bagua Sword Qi! When the opponent¡¯s onught was less fierce, Zhu Minng locked his gaze onto the forehead of the Evil Dragon Demon. ¡°The Sword emerges from the East!¡± Like a glow of dawn in the belly of the sky, breaking through the dim world at daybreak. The Sword swept across the horizon, powerfully flying toward Nan Xiong Peng Hu¡¯s forehead! Nan Xiong Peng Hu immediately crossed his arms to block the Sword Power that converged into a beam of light, but the Sword pierced right through his arms, plunging fiercely into his brow.
Nan Xiong Peng Hu¡¯s body suddenly stiffened, as the de entered his brow, it was as if it had directly stabbed into his heart, causing his Demonic Qi to suddenly dissipate. Zhu Minng knew well that this monster wouldn¡¯t die so easily. He noticed that after this Sword strike, centipede-like Evil insects started crawling out of the gaping wound in his chest, scattering in all directions as if searching for a new nest to settle! Having witnessed the abilities of the Eyeless Evil Dragon, Zhu Minng was well aware that each of these centipede Evil insects was an incarnation of Nan Xiong Peng Hu. Even if a single one got away, they could regroup ande back even stronger, especially since the Eyeless Demon Dragons that Nan Xiong Peng Hu had raised were clearly of a higher level and might be able to fully recover in a very short time. Zhu Minng naturally wouldn¡¯t let any of the centipede Evil insects that crawled out of the body escape.
¡°Firefly Sword!¡± The Sword fire was like dense sparks in a twilight forest, and with Zhu Minng¡¯s gesture, the Sword fire spread far and wide, falling down intensively, each ze powerful enough to kill those centipede Evil insects. Nan Xiong Peng Hu intended to temporally retreat, but now that his opponent hadpletely seen through his abilities, and as he watched one centipede Evil insect after another being killed, he had to hastily recall them. After the recall, Nan Xiong Peng Hu¡¯s aura had already weakened considerably, and the injuries on his body were bing more severe. ¡°You are fit only to be an animal, and I will send you to be reborn as one,¡± said Zhu Minng in a cold voice. With the Sword beside him and a resolute look in his eyes, Zhu Minng¡¯s will merged with the Sword Spirit Dragon; they saw the Sword Spirit Dragon dragging a long tail of fire, and many petals simr to the Serene Fire Liquid appeared around it. As the Sword moved, a colossal Fire Lotus bloomed at Nan Xiong Peng Hu¡¯s location! The zing Sword Fire Lotus was as beautiful as it was filled with the scent of death, seen as the Sword Spirit Dragon¡¯s whirling Sword dance created fiery explosions, and the fierce turmoil triggered the apanying Serene Fire Liquid petals, which suddenly red outwards like a volcanic eruption of Veins of the Earth energy! Chapter 572: 574: The Strong are Respected Chapter 572: Chapter 574: The Strong are Respected The horrific Lotus Fire blossomed more perfectly, while Nan Xiong Peng Hu was sted into pieces, his body¡¯s evil insects incinerated by the Sword Lotus Fire, and his bones were burned to ash! As his demonic body disintegrated in the raging Lotus Fire, Nan Xiong Peng Hu reverted to his original form, panic-stricken, trying to escape from the spreading sword fire. He rushed towards the Demon Crow Soldiers, ordering the beleaguered soldiers to protect him. However, the Demon Crow Soldiers had seen him devour Sect Master Du Yang of the Sect Pce, and those evil insects were clearly attempting to devour them as well, to replenish his Demonic Dragon Evil Body. If he still had formidable strength at this time, the soldiers might not dare to disobey, but now struggling to ensure their own survival, they dared not protect this lord who might offer them as sacrifices at any moment! Nan Xiong Peng Hu was indeed reaping what he had sown. He fled towards the city, and just then, a green thunderbolt struck like a pir from the sky, hitting Nan Xiong Peng Hu¡¯s fleeing figure and pulverizing his body. Zhu Minng caught up with him, apanied, of course, by the ancient sword with a divinely strange aura. The ancient sword swept out morously, its sword light like a crescent moon, slicing across Peng Hu¡¯s body, now reverted to human form! Peng Hu could no longer resist this time, he was cleaved in half at the waist, his upper body slowly falling to the ground, his face twisted with grotesque flesh riddled with pain and unwillingness! The other side knew everything.
As the incarnation of the Evil Dragon, he was actually the hardest to kill because as long as a Blood Leech Dragon escaped, he could devour living beings to recover. Unfortunately for him, Zhu Minng had thoroughly uncovered his abilities. When dealing with those insignificant evil insects as far as the battle was concerned, Zhu Minng was fullymitted to ensuring not a single centipede-like evil insect was overlooked. ¡°I am taking your Evil Dragon Demon Bead as well,¡± Zhu Minng extended his hand, beginning the process of Soul Collecting Pearl Brewing. The Eyeless Evil Dragon¡¯s Soul Bead was of extremely high quality, and the inhabiting evil dragon fostered by Nan Xiong Peng Hu was simrly condensed with essence¡­ After perfectly collecting the Soul Bead, Zhu Minng then turned around, nning to exterminate those Demon Crow Cultivators. Among the Sudden Attack Team were several King-Level Realm powerhouses, such as Wang Beiyou from the Purple Sect n, Elder Jing Lin from Zhu Gate, and Zhao ChiShun from the Royal Family, who were gradually gaining the upper hand. And his sister-inw, Nan Lingsha¡¯s strength also brought no small surprise to Zhu Minng; her Chi Dragon and Fire Kilin Dragon were both of Dragon King strength. The Fire Kilin Dragon must have consumed tinum Cultivation Fruits, and its cultivation base was raised recently, but what puzzled Zhu Minng was why Nan Lingsha¡¯s Fire Kilin Dragon did not require the assistance of a Heavenly Earth Divine Root Variant to ascend directly to the King Level. Could it be that the descendants of these Ancestral Dragons under Nan Lingsha possessed a high destiny? Zhu Minng now knew that beings with high destinies do not need to cross the Ascending Tribtion; as long as they umte enough cultivation base, they will enter the next realm! Thus, it seems that the Ancestral Dragon descendants have a certain divine form, and breaking through the King-Level Realm is not difficult. Compared to that, Prince Zhao Yu¡¯s Fire Chi Dragon, likely a hybrid Ancestral Dragon, had a not-so-high destiny. Zhu Minng was now increasingly in sync with the Sword Spirit Dragon. As he approached those Demon Crow Soldiers, he didn¡¯t need to control it with his mind; the Sword Spirit Dragon killed all the enemies along his path. All were throat-sealing strikes from the Sword Spirit Dragon, which killed its victims with artistic ir; the smallest of sword wounds would result in the most exaggerated gush of blood. The Demon Crow Soldiers fell one after another into pools of their own blood, while Zhu Minng strolled leisurely through the chaotic ughter, seemingly out of ce amidst the struggle of thesemon mortals. The strength disyed by Zhu Minng was like writing three words on his face, ¡°Don¡¯t provoke me.¡± Without Nan Xiong to lead them, the Demon Crow Soldiers, high cultivation base notwithstanding, gradually fell into disarray and defeat. Nearly five thousand Demon Crow Soldiers, without anyone realizing it, were whittled down to just over a thousand; these survivors chose to scatter and flee, hiding within the intricate structures of Absolute Ridge Chengbang, behind those strange and massive statues. The others did not pursue them, since they had a more important mission at hand: to pass through the city¡¯s back to the front lines, joining forces with the troops of Li Chuan to execute a pincer move and eventually rendezvous. With the intercepting city troops annihted, a mere step forward would now pose a great threat to Absolute Ridge Chengbang, forcing them to divide their attention and contain this Sudden Attack Team that stormed into their city with no restraint!
The back city defenses of Absolute Ridge Chengbang were quite weak; once broken through, the Sudden Attack Team, with their Monarch Level cultivation bases, would be like flood dragons entering the sea, capable of causing massive upheaval! ¡°You killed Nan Xiong??¡± Zhao ChiShun of the Royal Family looked down at the corpse, his face etched with surprise. At that moment, Wang Beiyou, the Hall Master from the Purple Sect n, couldn¡¯t help but lift his head to gaze upon the sky above, where tens of thousands of Dragon Beasts and birds had formed into a magnificent, terrifying cyclone of aerialbat. Dominating this battleground from above was Zhu Minng¡¯s Azure Dragon, having just ascended through tribtion! Under the lofty deterrence of the Azure Dragon and with the aid of a Flying Sword Spirit Dragon, Zhu Minng had in a great general of Absolute Ridge Chengbang. This disy of strength caused the group leaders of these powerful forces to feel embarrassed by their own inferiority!
¡°Which way do we go now?¡± Hall Master Wang Beiyou asked.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om The eyes of Zhao ChiShun from the Royal Family and several other faction leaders all fell upon Zhu Minng. By now, everyone had realized who the true powerhouse in their midst was. In the realm of cultivators, the strong are revered, and they were all more than willing to take orders from Zhu Minng! ¡°Drive straight through; cut down any who block our path!¡± Zhu Minng dered. ¡°Good, let¡¯s show these Absolute Ridge savages the iron fist of the Supreme Court. Charge!¡± Hall Master Wang Beiyou shouted loudly. The members of the Purple Sect n and others also began to shout, for it was crucial to keep morale high in such a battle situation. They cut their way through enemy ranks, and by the time they joined forces with the front lines, they would be one of the great heroes in the campaign against Absolute Ridge Chengbang and the purge of the Supreme Court¡¯s foreign races, earning a reputation in the Asura Field that far surpassed those of the falsely famed wandering cultivators! Li Chuan was now a vast pool of wealth, with each major power grabbing the most advantageous areas, and there waspetition among their own ranks. Whether they could secure more resources depended on their performance in this campaign. Those who gained the upper hand under the influence of the World Dragon Gate could suddenly surpass the Sect¡¯s elite of the same generation!! ¡°Zhu Minng, did your sister ever mention something to you?¡± Nan Yuso asked, reminding him. Zhu Minng nodded. Li Xinghua was a Prophet, and she had divined the secret of Absolute Ridge Chengbang within the ancient relics of the city. When the group breached the back city and entered the city proper, Zhu Minng noticed an area enclosed by giant statues, heavily guarded and imposing!
Chapter 573: 575: Ancient Relics Piano Palace Chapter 573: Chapter 575: Ancient Relics Piano Pce Zhu Minng certainly remembered Li Xinghua¡¯s admonition; he nced at the area ahead. ¡°Mr. Zhu, do you have other concerns?¡± asked Wang Beiyou at this moment. ¡°Even if the walls of Absolute Ridge Chengbang were breached, there was no sign of panic among them. They must be hiding something. From high above as I flew here, I noticed something strange about that area of the Ancient Relics,¡± Zhu Minng told Wang Beiyou and the other few team leaders. He could hardly say, ¡°my younger aunt figured it out by divination, pointing me there,¡± so Zhu Minng simply made up a reason. ¡°Indeed, Absolute Ridge Chengbang is too formidable. I¡¯m afraid even a great power on the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent doesn¡¯t possess such profound strength,¡± said Zhao ChiShun from the Royal Family. ¡°Then we¡¯ll rely on Mr. Zhu to carve out this hidden danger for us,¡± Wang Beiyou said with a bow, speaking with exceptional humility. ¡°Much appreciated, much appreciated!¡± the other team leaders also chimed in one after another. Zhu Minng nodded and then set off towards that mysteriously shrouded Ancient Relic site with his younger aunt, Nan Yuso. No sooner had they left than the Purple Sect n¡¯s hall master Wang Beiyou and Zhao ChiShun, among others, began to express their admiration. ¡°Elder Jing Lin, no wonder your Zhu Gate has risen so prominently these years. Your n¡¯s young master is a hero of his time, yet he is so unassuming. Unlike some of our young people from Purple Sect n who becent over the slightest bit of strength. Compared to the young master of Zhu n, theyck far more than just their cultivation base. He should visit our Purple Sect n more often,¡± said Wang Beiyou of Purple Sect n with admiration.
In such arge-scale campaign, even these elders struggled to hold back the chaos, which highlighted how brilliant Zhu Minng¡¯s presence was in this joint crusade by the major forces. ¡°You tter me too much, Elder Jing Lin,¡± said Jing Lin with a smile covering his face. ¡°Our Zhu n has always been this way, not much for showing off. Each one of our members is like this, and of course, our young master is the epitome!¡± The guards of the Zhu n were right there, including some highly devoted guards who had vowed to protect Zhu Minng with their lives. At this moment, they all felt deep shame. They felt somewhat unworthy of the substantial annual sry the Zhu Gate provided,cking the ability to protect their young master; yet it was he who had saved their lives.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om ¡°If someone else dares say the young master is idle andcent again, I¡¯ll crush his head,¡± muttered the head guard under his breath. The other guards nodded in agreement. It wasn¡¯t just about crushing heads; they¡¯d gouge out the eyes to feed to dogs. The young master clearly radiated the auspicious aura of a chosen one, yet these people failed to see it; what use were their eyes! Although Zhu Minng had left the formation, the brilliance of the Azure Phoenix Green Phoenix Dragon still illuminated the entire battlefield from the sky. The words recently spoken by the elders and hall masters were not empty praise; they were truly astonished that under the protection of a royal dragon like the Azure Phoenix Green Phoenix Dragon, Zhu Minng still managed to kill one of the four mighty individuals from the Chengbang. Could it be that he hadn¡¯t yet shown all his strength?? What a terrifying young man! ¡­ Zhu Minng and Nan Yuso rode the Fire Kilin Dragon to the ancient ruins of the Chengbang. The ancient ruins of the Chengbang were piled up into a ¡°Æ·¡± shape with some ancient gray stones. The walls were not tall and majestic; instead, they carried the traces of mottled years. As Zhu Minng and Nan Lingsha entered these Chengbang ancient ruins, a question arose in both their minds. Why were there no guards? If this ce was the core method of Absolute Ridge Chengbang, why was no one guarding it? Were they not afraid it would be destroyed, or stolen? The two continued deeper inside, with Nan Lingsha asionally ncing back. Her beautiful eyes shimmered with the rity of a spiritual stream, betraying some concerns lurking in her mind. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Zhu Minng asked. ¡°Don¡¯t you feel like the ancient wall where we entered is getting further and further away?¡± Nan Yuso pointed at the aged wall with her finger. Zhu Minng also sensed that something was off. From the outside, the Ancient Relics didn¡¯t seem thatrge, and with the Fire Kilin Dragon¡¯s speed, they should have been able to tour the inside by now.
But after entering, they had walked a long time without seeing the other side of the wall, and the distance to the wall behind them wasparable to the length of a chengbang¡¯s main north-south street¡­ ¡°It seems that these Ancient Relics have spatial rules, simr to the small worlds of Ancient Ruins,¡± Zhu Minng remarked. Nan Yuso nodded; she shared the same opinion. ¡­
Having traveled a bit further, Zhu Minng and Nan Yuso came upon an ancient stone pce. The pce was intricate and disorderly inyout, featuring standing ruins of stone halls, covered by numerous vines, as well as some ancient cloisters, lush and dense, shrouded by unknown exotic trees. Despite disying various signs of decay and abandonment, one could still discern that those who once inhabited this stone pce were a civilization that surpassed both Li Chuan and the Supreme Court, for both the dpidated halls and thendscape¡¯s flower beds exuded an air of sanctity. Approaching them felt like being within a spirit vein. The two stepped into a qin (Chinese instrument) hall, which was one of the better-preserved halls. Though it was overgrown with vines, the stone materials, stic rocks, columns, hall bricks, and murals all still radiated an extraordinary texture, like jade, crystal, and tinum¡­ ¡°Deng deng~~ deng deng deng~~~~~~¡± While admiring everything in the hall, their inner amazement somehow morphed into waves of fluctuations in their minds, as if qin strings were being plucked at their ears. It wasn¡¯t abrupt, as if they had already settled down properly, sipped tea, and calmly watched the qin master in front of them, ready for her first song. Qin music. How many years of being bathed in the melodies did every stone, rock, column, and beam in this hall take to still evoke the sound of a qin after ruin and abandonment, causing one to empty their mind and body and listen unguardedly, to feel the splendor that once existed here? Suddenly, Zhu Minng seemed to see a qin master, d in colorful garments, graceful and alluring, ying one song after another with her slender, fair, and nimble fingers in front of him. Zhu Minng didn¡¯t know how much time had passed before he snapped back to reality. If it weren¡¯t for the reminder that he was still in the midst of a brutal war, he felt he could have stayed there from dawn, awakening only to find dusk descending. Listening to the qin music, one would forget about time. ¡°This feels like a temple, where the rhythms of the qin carry some kind of inheritance. It¡¯s just a pity that I¡¯m not talented in this aspect and can¡¯t perceive whatever is there¡­¡± Zhu Minng turned and spoke to Nan Yuso. But Nan Yuso stood there, her beautiful eyes unknowingly veiled by a thinyer of mist, her long eyshes slightly damp. Zhu Minng was somewhat astonished.
Could it be that Nan Yuso understood the sound that transcended years, the remnant melodies of the hall? Chapter 574: 576: The Revenge Campaign Chapter 574: Chapter 576: The Revenge Campaign Nan Yuso had waited for a while before she slowly awoke from the resonance of the qin music. She turned her head, wiping away the mist of tears from her eyes, and quickly returned to her normally bright and cheerful demeanor. ¡°Did you discern the story hidden within the qin music?¡± Zhu Minng asked. Nan Yuso shook her head. ¡°Then why are you crying?¡± Zhu Minng asked. ¡°The qin master is¡­¡± Nan Yuso bit her lip and hesitated for a while before saying, ¡°The qin master is our mother.¡± Zhu Minng was taken aback upon hearing this. So this ancient and wondrous Piano Pce was actually the pce of the four sisters¡¯ mother? Then weren¡¯t they also from Absolute Ridge Chengbang? ¡°Are the people of Absolute Ridge Chengbang also your kin?¡± Zhu Minng asked.
¡°You don¡¯t know anything? Star Painting didn¡¯t tell you, Li Yunzi didn¡¯t tell you??¡± Nan Yuso turned around and red at Zhu Minng, clearly annoyed. Zhu Minng was at a loss whether tough or cry. So that¡¯s how it was. The sisters, each thinking the other would have informed him, ended up with none of them telling him, and all of them presumably believing he knew everything. Don¡¯t they say that siblings have some sort of telepathy? Even if there¡¯s no telepathy, could you please leave a message for your sisters, otherwise it will indeed be very difficult for someone who¡¯s supposed to be the head of the family? ¡°You tell me,¡± Zhu Minng said to Nan Yuso. ¡°They are not our kin,¡± Nan Yuso said, bitternesscing her voice. ¡°Then why is there a Piano Pce here belonging to my mother-inw?¡± Zhu Minng asked. ¡°This Ancient Relic predates the existence of Absolute Ridge Chengbang. It¡¯s difficult to trace back our mother¡¯s history, but the people in Absolute Ridge Chengbang sought refuge here. Mother provided them sanctuary, giving them a ce to live in peace,¡± Nan Yuso exined. ¡°As you¡¯ve seen, this Ancient Relic is filled with Divine Ze Soul Breath that isn¡¯t found in the outside world. Cultivating and nurturing one¡¯s spirit here easily leads to growth. However, the people of Absolute Ridge Chengbang are likely a group of deserters. Their first generation still fears being pursued and killed. Even though they¡¯ve grown stronger, they dare not step out of Absolute Ridge City, which is protected by the Ancient Relics,¡± Nan Yuso said. ¡°So they established the Sect Pce and took charge of Li Chuan?¡± Zhu Minng concluded. Nan Yuso nodded. ¡°Pitiable people often have hateful aspects. If they could betray their original kin, they could also betray those who kindly took them in. Although we were very young at that time, we all knew that our mother was killed by the scum of Absolute Ridge Chengbang,¡± Nan Yuso said, her body starting to tremble lightly. She was very clear about why she was still alive in this world. The scum of Absolute Ridge Chengbang didn¡¯t have the ability to defeat and kill the qin master mother, so they turned their poisoned des towards herself and Li Xinghua, who were still young at the time. In Nan Yuso¡¯s heart, the image of her mother had long since be blurry, not even a shadow remained, but the respect for her mother and the undying love deep within her heart never faded away. Now, upon seeing this Piano Pce and hearing that qin melody that wouldn¡¯t fade even after decades, the rage surging within Nan Yuso¡¯s heart red even more intensely!!n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om A pack of ingrates!! And to achieve their goals, they stopped at nothing, not even when it came to poisoning two young girls; they did not hesitate for even a moment.
At that instant, Zhu Minng suddenly recalled the sacrificial temple behind the Nan Family, remembered Li Ying¡¯s agonizing regrets there, remembered the stories he had shared with him. It wasn¡¯t a natural death; it was a revolting act of murder. The victim was the very benefactor who had epted them and offered them sanctuary! How could they bear to do it? Had Absolute Ridge Chengbang truly be so tainted with the blood of beasts?
To save Star Painting and Yu Suo, the Qin Master sacrificed himself, allowing the two innocent girls¡¯ spirits to reside within Li Yunzi and Nan Lingsha, a dual-soul existence. Behind it, however,y such a sorrowful tale, and Zhu Minng held the mother-inw in even higher esteem in his heart. Without the protection of a mother. And Li Ying was purely obtuse; he clearly adored and shielded only the obedient Nan Sisters, while he detested Li Yunzi¡¯s rebelliousness and even harbored tant jealousy. Perhaps it was theck of a mother that allowed for a shred of respect and trust for her remaining father; Li Yunzi was the one person she did not fully guard against in her struggle against the Sect Pce. Li Ying was one of the very few who knew of the dual souls within Li Yunzi and Li Xinghua. He took advantage of this, imprisoning Li Yunzi. And Li Yunzi¡¯s stepmother, Kong Tong, took it upon herself to devise a humiliating plot, intending to make Li Yunzi suffer irreparable damage¡­ s, it had been hard on them. If Zhu Minng hadn¡¯t arrived in time, the consequences would have been unimaginable. Of course, the Sisters Li Nan didn¡¯t just suffer in silence; from a young age, they had produced a facade of discord to the Sect Pce, whose spokesperson arrogantly thought by elevating Nan Lingsha, they could bnce the power held by Li Yunzi. In the end, all their underlings were wiped out by Nan Lingsha¡¯s ledger of life and death! In that case, this battle wasn¡¯t merely the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent¡¯s eradication of foreign tribes; it was also the war of revenge for Li Yunzi, Li Xinghua, Nan Lingsha, and Nan Yuso! Thus, it was not so much the Royal Family forcing Li Yunzi to lead the campaign against Absolute Ridge Chengbang as it was Li Yunzi using the Imperial Dynasty¡¯s might to fulfill the revenge that had smoldered within her for twenty long years!! The vengeance for her mother¡¯s death, the hatred for the humiliation, Zhu Minng suddenly thought of the small silkworm house and saw a silently weeping Li Yunzi, more helpless than one could imagine. The rage she harbored then could have turned the heavens and boiled the seas. At that time, Zhu Minng was also in a low point in his life; had he still been a Sword Cultivator, Zhu Minng could have shattered the power-pretending Sect Pce with one sword, and Li Yunzi¡¯s forbearing wouldn¡¯t have been so arduous to break the situation.
Fortunately, it was not toote at this very moment. Zhu Minng, now far from what he once was, was determined to help Li Yunzi tten Absolute Ridge Chengbang!! ¡°Help! Help!!!¡± Suddenly, a heart-wrenching scream came from outside the Piano Pce. Zhu Minng and Nan Yuso immediately stepped out of the Piano Pce, only to see a blood-soaked figure sprinting toward them; he was not very tall, like a teenager, but his disheveled appearance made it hard to discern his face. ¡°Zhu Minng¡­ Zhu Minng!¡± At that moment, the blood-stained youth seemed to have spotted a savior, throwing himself forward. Zhu Minng looked carefully and realized that this youth was actually Mingji, the honored guest of the Great Zhou n designated by Zhou Xian. This was the one Zhu Minng had pped into a pig¡¯s head and thrown into Absolute Valley. What was he doing here?? ¡°Zhu Minng, quickly call your Azure Dragon, there are Earth Devils, Earth Devils! They¡¯re dead, our troops are dead, those elders are dead, the elders of the Great Zhou n¡­¡± Mingji said frantically, incoherently. Chapter 575: 577: Whos the Real Dad? Chapter 575: Chapter 577: Who¡¯s the Real Dad? Zhu Minng looked at Mingji and discovered that the jade armor protecting his body was already broken. That jade armor was quite special; even the Sword Spirit Dragon couldn¡¯t shatter it, and the Heavenly ughter Dragon would likely have had to expend a great deal of time. When Zhu Minng ferociously beat up Mingji before, Mingji was fearless because of it. But now, Mingji was in mortal danger, his invincible life-preserving charm had shattered. Probably because he was born too precious, it was only in the face of death that his most vulnerable side showed. The young Mingji at this moment didn¡¯t resemble someone from the Upper Realm; he looked more like a dog wagging its tail for mercy. ¡°Look after yourself; I don¡¯t have time to protect your life,¡± Zhu Minng responded indifferently. This Mingji, instead of staying obediently behind those armies, actually ran into these ancient ruins; he must have some purpose. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you a secret, trade this secret for my life, just keep me alive!¡± the young Mingji hurriedly said. Now that his life was at stake, the young Mingji finally began to speak logically. Zhu Minng nodded somewhat satisfied. ¡°Let¡¯s hear it,¡± said Zhu Minng.
¡°Divine blessing, do you know of divine blessings? Oh, you couldn¡¯t possibly know, you live in the Lower Realm¡­¡± ¡°Smack!¡± Zhu Minng¡¯s pnded expertly on Mingji¡¯s face. Mingji then realized his life was in someone else¡¯s hands and he shouldn¡¯t speak with that tone, but the p left him greatly puzzled. Why did his whole body convulse when this man struck him for the first time? The blow wasn¡¯t even that hard, right? ¡°Speak clearly,¡± Zhu Minng gave him a piercing look. ¡°Once a god ascends in the Nether Gate, the Nether Gate will bestow a divine blessing upon thend where that god was born. This divine blessing is like a treasure box; until you find and open it, you¡¯ll never know what secrets it contains. It could be a Divine Destiny Dragon, perhaps an Epic Sky Armor, or maybe a God Bud even more noble than Heavenly Earthly Species. I swear on my soul, this divine blessing is in these ancient relics!¡± the young Mingji said. Zhu Minng listened to Mingji while continuing to walk forward. Ahead was an open space, only some ancient pirs haphazardly scattered across the moss and vine-covered expanse, but at this moment, the surfaces of the moss and grass were covered with corpses! The bodies were neatly arranged, all fallen in simr positions, which indicated they didn¡¯t have a chance to flee before being killed, nor did it seem like they put up any fight or struggle, a clear sign of an overwhelming disparity in power!N?v(el)B\\jnn So many Crossbow Archers, lives as vulnerable as des of grass, all reaped; Zhu Minng couldn¡¯t help but wonder how powerful the entity that killed them was. Is this why there are no city guards near the ancient ruins, because what¡¯s inside is even more terrifying? ¡°Where¡¯s your Azure Dragon? Why don¡¯t you call for your Azure Dragon? Without the Azure Dragon, proceeding here is seeking death!¡± Mingji showed an anxious look. ¡°Say something useful, or shut up,¡± Nan Yuso was obviously very annoyed by the youth, and spoke bluntly. ¡°Earth Devils, they were killed by Earth Devils!¡± Mingji pointed at the empty ground, his whole body trembling. Zhu Minng¡¯s gaze swept over, using his Spiritual Sense to discern the seemingly empty ground. Suddenly, an eye appeared on the surface of the ground. The eyes blinked a few times, and the eyeballs turned towards Zhu Minng to their maximum extent, staring at him in a very peculiar and bizarre manner that made Zhu Minng¡¯s skin crawl! The ground shifted slightly, and then a monster slowly rose to its feet. It seemed to possess no body of its own; ruined columns had be its skeleton, and the skin of the earth its flesh. What was even more grotesque and deformed was that there were already several corpses on the ground, and these bodies had also been stirred into its form, bing part of its monstrous body!
A pair of eyes, without sockets, and even more so without a face, just propped up on that ¡°patched together¡± torso by randomly twisted vines, as if a careless child had haphazardly doodled them on, yet it was a living being, even a cold, brutal, bloodthirsty evil spirit! ¡°Ground Immortal Ghost!¡± Zhu Minng recognized this creature, and his originally solemn expression soon rxed. ¡°Yes, yes, that¡¯s what you call it. Hurry up and call your Azure Dragon to destroy it. The grace will be yours. Have you seen its beads? The key to unlocking grace is within those beads!¡± Mingji said.
¡°Zhu Minng, this thing is terrifying¡­¡± Nan Yuso had already sensed the ferocious aura of the Ground Immortal Ghost, which seemed to harbor a natural hatred for humans. When it stared at humans, its eyeballs almost bulged out. ¡°If it¡¯s a Ground Immortal Ghost, then that¡¯s easy to deal with,¡± Zhu Minng said, smiling. Although the Ground Immortal Ghost was much more powerful than the creatures summoned by the Summoning Demon Sect, Ground Immortal Ghosts drew their strength from the earth spirits. Right by his side was an incarnation of an even more powerful spirit of thend¡ªthe Nuwa Dragon! ¡°Seize its divine skills,¡± Zhu Minng called out the Nuwa Dragon. When the Nuwa Dragon saw the Ground Immortal Ghost, its Night Amber eyes sharp, its long arms moved in a dance, soft palms interweaving, and a wave of earth spirit ripples, like those from clear water, spread across the ground, reaching even further afield. ¡°It¡¯s stronger, but can be¡­ suppressed,¡± the Nuwa Dragon, whosenguage ability was improving, managed to express its intent. ¡°Just don¡¯t let it keep regenerating and reconstituting,¡± Zhu Minng nodded in agreement. Unsheathe! The space behind Zhu Minng twisted slightly, and with a single hand pointing to the sky, the hidden Sword Spirit Dragon immediately leapt up, unraveling a spectacr crescent moon above Zhu Minng¡¯s head. The young Mingji watching this scene saw his expression change gradually. Looking at Zhu Minng¡¯s posture, he¡¯s an old Sword Immortal¡­ But why did his figure and sword control suddenly coincide with that Flying Sword Thief from before?! Damn, you said you didn¡¯t know martial arts!
¡°It¡¯s you!! You¡­,¡± young Mingji just about to curse, but then quickly covered his mouth. ¡°I¡¯m taking a few tinum Cultivation Fruits from you, do you have a problem with that?¡± Zhu Minng turned his head and snorted coldly. ¡°No¡­ No objections,¡± young Mingji hurriedly shook his head like a rattle-drum. He knew who the boss was now. Zhu Minng pointed downward, and the Sword Spirit Dragon Sword immediately burst forth with intense mes, its brilliance rippling like sunlight! As it descended at an angle, the Sword Spirit Dragon plunged into the corpse-littered wastnd. The moment the sword touched the soil, intense mes swept ferociously, creating a huge pool of fire, its dazzling crimson, rolling tongues of me, and an onught of sword-fire energy constantly striking towards the Ground Immortal Ghost!! Chapter 576: 578 Yin Spirit Master Old Slave Chapter 576: Chapter 578 Yin Spirit Master Old ve Ayer of sword fire like a red river. Anotheryer of sword fire roared like a rampant wild dragon. The finalyer of sword fire was even more like meteors striking moltenva, the tumultuous mes and fiery liquid that rose were extremely destructive! The contemptuous Ground Immortal Ghost didn¡¯t realize its Earth Spirit God powers had been stripped away, thinking to call upon the surrounding ancient rocks to withstand the Sword Spirit Dragon¡¯s powerful twilight mes. When it discovered that it couldn¡¯t move those boulders with its mind, it immediately wrapped all the nearby corpses around itself. Layer byyer, the bodies clung like clumps of mud, and under the impact of the fierce mes, they quickly turned to ash. There were tens of thousands of corpses here, the Ground Immortal Ghost¡¯s eyeball-like gaze unnervingly turned, the bodies piling into a thick mound of flesh. This mound of corpses soon became a sea of fire, and the Sword Spirit Dragon incinerated their bones to nothing. In such cremation, the Sword Spirit Dragon indeed did a good deed, not allowing the corpses of the Great Zhou n¡¯s crossbow archers to lie here and be desecrated by Demonic Beasts. ¡°So we have a new guest, if I am not mistaken, Nan Xiong died by your hand?¡± A chilling voice came through. Atop those ancient pirs, a hunchbacked old man, unknowingly stood there, dressed in simple clothing, thin and tall, with eyes sharp as an eagle, his smile stered across his face with an extremely insincere feeling. A despicable old man, wicked to the core.
Zhu Minng watched the old man, then nced at the Ground Immortal Ghost, noticing a simr malicious aura emanating from them both. It seems they have killed many here, not just now, but in the past as well. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± Zhu Minng asked indifferently. ¡°I am merely an old servant of this garden, having served some terrestrial reverends before, my name is not important. I am not the type who insists on making someone die on the Netherworld Road with rity. After all, for a young person who has never seen how high the sky is, I¡¯ve killed no less than a thousand in my lifetime,¡± the Eagle Eye Old Servant said with some haughtiness and disdain. ¡°I ask for your name so that the next person who encounters me, the first thing they will probably say to me is: ¡®This garden¡¯s old servant then is the one who died by your hand?''¡± Zhu Minng¡¯s tone was equally proud and contemptuous. Verbal sparring, who can¡¯t do that? With this old man¡¯s temperament, Zhu Minng could verbally spar him to death even without using powers. Of course, Zhu Minng¡¯s words already had a certain lethality; the Eagle Eye Old Servant¡¯s gaze became more sinister. ¡°Do you know what my Power of God and Mortality is?¡± the Eagle Eye Old Servant asked. ¡°I never care what others¡¯ Power of God and Mortality is, whether it¡¯s strong or not, because none are stronger than me,¡± Zhu Minng said, as he beckoned with his hand, and the Sword Spirit Dragon tracing a stunning arc amidst the mes returned to his side. The malevolent old servant¡¯s gaze turned fiercer, initially like an eagle toying with its prey, looking down on the scurrying ground mice, but now it had transformed into a frenzied, starving vulture! This was probably the charm of Zhu Minng¡¯s words, altering someone¡¯s heart in an earth-shattering way with just a few phrases. ¡°Take a good look at these corpses,¡± the Eagle Eye Old Servant¡¯s eyes turned sinister red, the malevolent light even spilling over the open ground. In the open ground, the corpses were numerous, most of them Great Zhou n¡¯s crossbow archers. As the sinister gaze passed over them, these already dead archers slowly rose, each picking up crossbows and arrows from the ground, each bending their bodies like the old servant, and even their empty eyes emitted an evil red light! ¡°A Yin Spirit Necromancer??¡± Zhu Minng was quite surprised. It was actually a Yin Spirit Master! I have no clue what kind of rtionship this old thing has with the Yin Spirit Masters from Pear Blossom Gully. This Yin Spirit Master¡¯s cultivation base was clearly much higher; he could even control over ten thousand crossbow archers at once, as if any dead person in this area was at his disposal! ¡°Boy, you¡¯ve seen some of the world, huh, since you know that I am a Yin Spirit Master, you should realize that death is merely the beginning of your suffering if you die by my hands!¡± the Eagle Eye Old Servant let out a strangeugh.
Seeing those who had died rise again, Zhu Minng realized the importance of cremation. It was fortunate that the Sword Spirit Dragon had already burned a batch before, or else there would have been an entire twenty thousand crossbow archer army¡­ The people of the Great Zhou n are utterly brain-dead, sending Yin soldiers for miles. ¡°I¡¯ll deal with these corpse soldiers; you take down this old beast,¡± Nan Yusuo told Zhu Minng. Such legions were truly difficult for the Sword Spirit Dragon to ughter, whereas a powerful dragon like the Fire Kilin Dragon would be a reaper for the Yin corpses.
Zhu Minng nodded his head. Of course, it wasn¡¯t just the crossbow undead army standing in their path, but also a Demonic Eye Ground Immortal Ghost. Although the Nuwa Dragon had suppressed its Earth Spirit Divine Skills, it seemed to possess other bizarre spells. The Fire Kilin Dragon was majestic, brave, and fierce. It forged a path of zing fire,plementing the Sword Fire released by the Sword Spirit Dragon, and in a mere moment, the Ancient Relics that were infested with Yin Spirit ghost corpses turned into a forest of fire! Breathing out a breath, the Dragon Breath transformed into a vast fire cloud. Those covered and engulfed by the fire cloud didn¡¯t even get the chance to shoot their crossbows before they were burnt to a pile of ash! Hundreds of crossbow corpse soldiers were annihted by the Fire Kilin Dragon. Zhu Minng followed the path cleared by the Fire Kilin Dragon to reach the location of the Eagle Eye Old Servant. Straight away, a white sail Sword Wave! The sword force unleashed by Zhu Minng was like a white mast, sailing swiftly, splitting everything it passed like waves in the wake of a ship!n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om The pir where the old servant stood split in two, the Eagle Eye Old Servant was shrouded with ayer of ghostly aura, making him float like a ghost, eerily. Before the sword force reached, he had already left the top of the column, standing beside the Ground Immortal Ghost. The Ground Immortal Ghost started to run on all fours, moving so fast it seemed like its pieced-together body was flying towards Zhu Minng, who promptly stepped on his sword to rise up and avoid the Immortal Ghost¡¯s attack. ¡°Sword Piercing the Soul!¡± Sharing the same thought, the Sword Spirit Dragon produced many Ancient Swords, and as Zhu Minng gently stepped on the sword shadow¡¯s hilt beneath his feet, all the swords separated out fiercely nailed the ground. The distribution of the sword nails formed an ancient script, like a huge talisman arranged by a sword formation, firmly pinning the Ground Immortal Ghost under Zhu Minng¡¯s feet.
¡°Heavenly ughter Dragon, attend with the Underworld Lamp!¡± A tail, sinister and unexpected, stretched out from the Void. It quickly sparked pale energy resembling lightning and channeled it into the tip of the tail. In a sh, the tail, like antern being lit, emitted a pale underworld glow that even more fiercely melted the Ground Immortal Ghost¡¯s shell, including those surrounding corpses! Chapter 577: 579: Earth Demon Worm Chapter 577: Chapter 579: Earth Demon Worm When the Underworld Lamp came out, the pieced-together bodies of the Ground Immortal Ghosts began to disintegrate. One could see that each part of its body was linked with a Magic Eye Worm, much like veins, and if it hadn¡¯t been reduced to this state, one might even think it had merged the Earth Demon Worms into its own body. ¡°Squeak squeak squeak!!!!¡± The worms let out a piercing scream, and once exposed to the light of the Underworld Lamp, their bodies were destined to rapidly decay and rot. Once a Magic Eye Worm died, the part of the body it was attached to would lose all vitality and detachpletely from the Ground Immortal Ghost. ¡°So it¡¯s these worms, huh.¡± Zhu Minng couldn¡¯t help but sneer. A worm that had obtained grace and now imed to be an Earth Demon Immortal Ghost? Having taken away its Earth Spirit God powers and discovered the secret of its constructed body, it was no longer so difficult to kill it. The Earth Demon Worms wriggled, madly burrowing into the ¡°flesh blocks,¡± terrified of the glow of the Underworld Lamp; just a short exposure and they would rot and die from their entire body disintegrating. ¡°Sword Spirit Dragon, pick them out!¡± Zhu Minng said.
Like a hen pecking for insects, the Sword Spirit Dragon darted around the Ground Immortal Ghost, searching for the hiding spots of the Magic Eye Worms, thrusting its sword precisely to spear one of them¡­ Ayer of me aura rippled from the body of the sword to the tip, and instantly a burst of intense me erupted, pouring into the Earth Demon Worm¡¯s body, quickly setting aze its whole body, burning it to death within that massive piece of ground-rock-flesh. Indeed, with the death of this Magic Eye Worm, thatrge part of the Ground Immortal Ghost¡¯s body totally disintegrated, turning into a pile of rubbish stones, devoid of the power of the divine turtle. ¡°Heavenly ughter Dragon, kill that old beast.¡± Zhu Minng leapt onto the back of the Heavenly ughter Dragon, entrusting the task of dealing with the Ground Immortal Ghost, whose trick had been exposed, to the Sword Spirit Dragon. The Sword Spirit Dragon seemed to enjoy this insect-catching game very much. It moved as if teleporting continuously, circling the one-eyed Ground Immortal Ghost to find them. The previous illumination from the Heavenly ughter Dragon¡¯s Underworld Lamp had already riddled the Ground Immortal Ghost with holes. The Sword Spirit Dragon was also rather slender and slim; if it really couldn¡¯t find those Magic Eye Worms, the Sword Spirit Dragon would even burrow directly into the shell of the Ground Immortal Ghost. Another swift and fatal strike, one of the extremely fat Magic Eye Worms was directly speared by the Sword Spirit Dragon, exposing it under the Underworld Lamp. Without the need for the Sword Spirit Dragon to ignite the fierce ze, the Magic Eye Worm gradually melted into bloody water under the light of the Underworld Lamp. After killing about five Magic Eye Worms in a row, the body of this Demon Eye Ground Immortal Ghost disintegrated by half. Just when the Sword Spirit Dragon was weaving around its Demon Eye, the Sword Spirit Dragon suddenly noticed the eye wriggling slightly. With its own Spiritual Wisdom, even though Zhu Minng was now riding the Heavenly ughter Dragon and battling against that Yin Spirit Necromancer, the Sword Spirit Dragon would also analyze the enemy. It circled again, dodging the ghostly paw that the Ground Immortal Ghost had thrown at it. Pretending to attack one of the body cavities of the Ground Immortal Ghost, the Sword Spirit Dragon suddenly passed through the chest cavity, not entering to search for the Magic Eye Worm there but bursting straight out from the back of the Ground Immortal Ghost, then with a reverse sh, chopped directly at that Demon Eye!n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om Indeed, the Magic Eye Worm squirmed! When its life was suddenly threatened, the Magic Eye Worm, like a curled-up worm, violently stretched out and then quickly burrowed into an old, decrepit statue nearby. The statue depicted a Giant Ridge Soldier, burly in stature and strong in physique. With his bare torso, one could see that every muscle was sculpted with extreme realism, exuding a powerful sense of strength! The Magic Eye Worm was actually an Earth Demon Worm, only because it curled up into a ball shape, and its color was so simr to the flesh in the demon¡¯s eye, that people mistook it for an eye filled with evil power, like that of a Ghost God. The Sword Spirit Dragon knew that this eyeball-shaped Earth Demon Worm was the true core of the Ground Immortal Ghost. It repeatedly chopped at the eyeball Earth Demon Worm, but the crafty creature deftly dodged away. ¡°Boom~~~~~~~~~~¡± Behind, the previous makeshift body of the Ground Immortal Ghostpletely copsed, and the other Earth Demon Worms, part of the body, bumped around like headless flies. Eventually, they frantically burrowed into the ground, no longer able to cause trouble.
¡°Ga ga!!!!!!¡± At the same time, the Giant Ridge Sculpture into which the Magic Eye Worm had burrowed suddenly came to life. It moved its arms, twisted its neck, took steps forward, and its eye sockets, once empty, now revealed a Magic Eye Worm lying across them! The eye of the wriggling worm became the pivot of this revitalized sculpture.
And the Ground Immortal Ghost hadpletely switched to a new body! The exceptionally strong Giant Ridge Sculpture tookrge strides; beneath its feet were many holes, through which dozens of smaller worms were burrowing into the sculpture¡¯s soles. It was as if they were moving to a new home, quickly scattering to different parts of the new body, infusing the once dpidated sculpture with the power of Ghost Gods. Mysterious and malevolent Demon Patterns lit up on the stone muscles, densely packed and glittering with Demon Light! The Sword Spirit Dragon hadn¡¯t expected its previous efforts at bug catching to be in vain. Obviously, the Magic Eye Worm was the true entity of the Ground Immortal Ghost. As long as it survived, it didn¡¯t matter how many other Earth Demon Worms responsible for the torso, limbs, internal organs, bones, and meridians died because, on this corpse-strewn wastnd, there was an endless number of these worms! The Sword Spirit Dragon had fully understood the ability mechanism of the Ground Immortal Ghost by now and naturally ryed this information to Zhu Minng. Zhu Minng was not far away, hearing the call of the Sword Spirit Dragon. He looked back just in time to witness the Giant Ridge Sculpturee to life and saw beneath the sculpture, countless Earth Demon Worms burrowing into this new body, activating each part of it. ¡°Giant Ridge Soldiers are just ordinary cultivators, at most engaged in Body Cultivation. Even if they have the ability to transform, their strength shouldn¡¯t increase so terrifyingly.¡± Zhu Minng also started to analyze calmly at this moment. Zhu Minng had previously spected whether the Giant Ridge Soldiers had eaten something like the Demon Awakening Fruit, allowing them to greatly increase their strength in a short period. But witnessing this scene, Zhu Minng couldn¡¯t help but think, the transformation of the soldiers of the Absolute Ridge Chengbang into Giant Ridge Soldiers, with their immense strength and invincibility, could it also be because of these Earth Demon Worms? If they could inhabit a ruined statue and make it the new body of the Ground Immortal Ghost, then what if simr Earth Demon Worms entered into the bodies of the soldiers? Would they too gain extraordinary abilities? That is to say, their transformation into Giant Ridge Soldiers wasn¡¯t due to any secret technique; it was very likely these Earth Demon Worms! Chapter 578: 580: Blood Surges Across the Land Chapter 578: Chapter 580: Blood Surges Across the Land This time, the Underworld Lamp could not y a significant role, since its body was primarilyposed of stone. Sword Spirit Dragon was not in a hurry, and slowly engaged in a standoff with the Stone Statue Earth Immortal Ghost. The Earth Demon Worms that burrowed into this Stone Statue Earth Immortal Ghost seemed much smaller than the initial robust ones, and the power they could bestow upon the various parts of the statue¡¯s body was not as substantial as before. Sword Spirit Dragon encircled the foe, toying with it, feeling the fury of the Magic Eye Worms, wishing they could immediately chop Sword Spirit Dragon into several segments. Yet, Sword Spirit Dragon¡¯s flying speed was extremely fast, often leaving the angry Demonic Qi fists pounding only the afterimage of Sword Spirit Dragon. The Stone Statue Earth Immortal Ghost grew increasingly furious. When its massive arms swung down, rock walls would surge towards the surroundings, and the Crossbow Zombie troops were smashed to smithereens. Upon realizing that this Earth Immortal Ghost could not distinguish friend from foe, Sword Spirit Dragon started employing cunning tactics. It flew ahead, deftly dodging like a swift swallow, while luring the giant ridge statue towards the crossbow army. Enraged and consumed by fury, the Magic Eye Worm did not care about the lives of these corpse creatures. Itmanded the ridge statue to step into the army of corpses, and with that stomp, hundreds and thousands of the undead perished! Sword Spirit Dragon chopping down these zombie troops would indeed take a long time, even the Firefly Sword Technique with its vast range could only kill a limited number of enemies. It was more effective against targets with higher cultivation bases. But the Earth Immortal Ghost was different!n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om This sturdy statue filled with Demonic Qi, a mere iling of an arm, could crush to death a swath of clueless Crossbow Zombies. As it breathed out petrifying sand at Sword Spirit Dragon, Sword Spirit Dragon perfectly evaded. However, the Crossbow Zombies did not dodge, and in droves, they turned into piles of broken stones. After some skillful inducement, the Earth Immortal Ghost¡¯s kill count was rapidly approaching that of the Fire Kilin Dragon.
Not far away, Fire Kilin Dragon turned its head, and its eyebrows, which fluttered like fire, furrowed slightly. Was this Earth Immortal Ghost trying topete with this Kirin in a ughter race? It was time to show some real skill! The Fire Kilin Dragon felt provoked, and suddenly the color of its ming Mad Scales changed, revealing a blue me! This mark of the dragon born after stepping into the Dragon King Level, was its most powerful ability. This blue me¡¯s temperature was several times hotter than the most scorching moltenva, capable of melting even ancient famed weapons into iron slurry in an extremely short time! Transformed into Blue me, Fire Kilin Dragon held its head high with pride. Its forelimbs rose like a spirited steed, and as it stomped down, the Fire Crown on its head, the me Mane around its neck, and the me Velvet on its tail, all turned into a noble and icy blue color. The blue mes seemed calm and magnificent but were dangerous and lethal. When Blue Fire Kirin Dragon opened its mouth and breathed out Dragon me, stunning blue rivers of fire spread across the wastnd. The crossbow undead were soon burned, leaving not even ashes behind. ¡­ Taking advantage of its speed and agility, Sword Spirit Dragon made the giant ridge statue extremely irritable. The more irritable it became, the more likely it was to expose weaknesses. Seizing the moment when the creature¡¯s arms struck the earth and couldn¡¯t be pulled out, Sword Spirit Dragon immediately struck out with its sword, using the technique of Flying Sword Sparkle to stab at the Earth Immortal Ghost¡¯s right eye. This eye was part of the body of the Magic Eye Worm, it was unfortunate that Sword Spirit Dragon could not directly thrust the Magic Eye Worm out from the eye socket of the statue, or else the Earth Immortal Ghost would havepletely copsed. The Magic Eye Worm was injured, and the Earth Immortal Ghost, enraged, opened its mouth wide to bite Sword Spirit Dragon to pieces. Sword Spirit Dragon¡¯s figure shed and vanished on the spot, leaving only a lingering image behind. Blood flowed from the right eye of the giant ridge stone statue, while the Magic Eye Worm immediately curled up into the left eye, abandoning the section of its body pierced by the Sword Spirit Dragon. Its left eyeball bulged, but the other side was hollow, with only some traces of blood remaining. The statue itself already looked strange and terrifying, and now it seemed even more deformed. The Sword Spirit Dragon was not just adept at evading; its previous antics were merely a buildup of power. After avoiding a bite, the Sword Spirit Dragon suddenly pierced down from the top of the giant ridge stone statue¡¯s heavenly spirit lid, at a slight angle, aiming the tip of its sword to strike the left eye of the stone statue. Sure enough, the attack was effective. Blood gushed out from the hole in the stone statue Earth Immortal Ghost¡¯s heavenly spirit lid like a spring, the blood of the Eye Demon Worm! The Sword Spirit Dragon was aware of the Earth Immortal Ghost¡¯s astonishing power and knew that if it were to take a solid hit, it would be damaged as well.
After a sessful strike, it immediately withdrew and split into nine sword shadows, escaping in nine different directions away from the head of the stone statue Earth Immortal Ghost. Two terrifying palms came crashing down, filled with crushing magic power, and all of the Sword Spirit Dragon¡¯s divided sword shadows were smashed to pieces. Meanwhile, the Sword Spirit Dragon, seizing the right moment, flew out through the gaps between the closing fingers and escaped the oing palms. ¡°Swoosh!!¡± Taking advantage of the moment before its opponent could retract its strength, the Sword Spirit Dragon once again appeared before the face of the Earth Immortal Ghost!
The Magic Eye Worm, hiding in the stone statue¡¯s eye socket, sensed the threat to its life once more and immediately unraveled its coiled-up body, intending to escape towards a stone hall overtaken by ancient vines. This time, the Sword Spirit Dragon would not miss again! It suddenly leaped up, soaring high into the clouds, and then a vast shadow engulfed the fleeing Magic Eye Worm, which found itself unable to escape from the shadow no matter how fast it wriggled. ¡°Buzzzzzzz!!!¡± The heavens and earth trembled as a colossal sword, like a god¡¯s tomb, crashed down,nding squarely on the Magic Eye Worm. At this moment, the Magic Eye Worm truly resembled an earthworm wriggling on the ground, being directly squeezed, shattered, and impaled by the Ancient Sinking Sword, creating a heavy gravitational field thatpressed the depths of the earth, causing the surface to sink immediately! In this way, even if the Magic Eye Worm split into pieces yet did not die, its severed body parts had no chance of escaping alive from there! Blood spilled out, and the Magic Eye Worm¡¯s lifeblood was shockingly abundant, covering the sword pit and turning the area into a pool of blood. ¡°Boom~~~~~~~~¡± The giant ridge stone statue copsed thunderously, shattering into several pieces, and the Earth Demon Worms crawled out from the rubble, attempting to burrow underground once more, unaware that beneath the earthy the heavy force field created by the Tomb Sinking Sword, turning them into bloody mush if they tried to dig in!! Even more blood erupted, and these so-called ¡°Earth Devils¡± and ¡°Earth Immortal Ghosts,¡± raised on an unknown amount of living blood, behaved as if they were invincible Evil Demon Heavenly Venerables given a host body! Fortunately, this time they truly perished, their blood flooding thend!
The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 579: 581: Sky Killer Breath Chapter 579: Chapter 581: Sky Killer Breath ¡­ On the other side, Zhu Minng and the Heavenly ughter Dragon were dealing with the Yin Spirit Necromancer, the Old Servant Gardener. This creature was ghostly and emaciated, a malignant spirit whose form fluttered erratically. Even in its Dark Form, the Heavenly ughter Dragon couldn¡¯t catch the elusive old beast. The Old Servant Gardenernded in an abandoned Ghost Pce, where the location cast a blood-red evil light that shone on his body, making his flesh appear translucent, with veins and bones seemingly visible. At that moment, a bizarre creature crawled out from within the Ghost Pce; it had countless legs and a pair of wings like those of a bat. As Zhu Minng approached, the Evil Centipede Bat Dragon had already fully taken over the body of the Old Servant Gardener¡­ Like an eagle-like female monster, the Old Servant Gardener had fused with the Evil Centipede Bat Dragon. The centipede¡¯s feet, resembling ribs, tightly sped onto the hunched back of the Old Servant Gardener, and gradually, flesh and centipede legs merged into one! As they continued to meld together, Zhu Minng could no longer distinguish whether the Evil Centipede Bat Dragon was attached to the old servant¡¯s body or if the old servant had grown into the head position of the Evil Millipede Bat Dragon! The Heavenly ughter Dragon flew towards this monstrous creature, ready to use its wing as a de of dusk to cleave open the old monster¡¯s body, only to find that the old monster also possessed the centipede¡¯s carapace, extremely tough and durable. Furthermore, those hanging centipede legs were sharp ws capable of easily dismembering and chopping bone. Despite managing to dodge some, there were simply too many centipede ws for the Heavenly ughter Dragon. Each w strike caused astonishing earth fissures, and even when slicing through the air, the terrifying speed of the ws caused a fearsome surge in the airflow. Even in its Dark Form, which was already quite agile like a dragon fish under water, the Heavenly ughter Dragon still suffered a gash, and blood spilled from the wound. Zhu Minng was lying between the Heavenly ughter Dragon¡¯s wings. He nced back at the wound and saw a red poison trying to corrode the flesh inside the Heavenly ughter Dragon.
But this red toxin didn¡¯t linger long on the surface; it gradually dissolved in the blood oozing from the Heavenly ughter Dragon. The poison didn¡¯t invade. As an offshoot of the Mourning Dragons, the Heavenly ughter Dragon itself was a dragon of malevolent nature, and besides, it was a dragon from ancient times. Perhaps all the evil species born on this continent traced their lineage back to it. The Evil Centipede¡¯s poison had no effect on the Heavenly ughter Dragon, and the small wound didn¡¯t impact its fighting ability. However, suffering a wound and shedding blood for the first time since bing the Dragon King, the Heavenly ughter Dragon felt a tinge of displeasure. It felt as if its image of invincibility had been tarnished. Only by brutalizing this old monster could it soothe its immense pride! Its feathers shifted forward, and in an instant, the Heavenly ughter Dragon¡¯s bloody feathers transformed into a splendid array of colors, from the crown of its head to its back, to its tail¡ªits feathers bright and majestic, resembling the varied luminescence of stars in the night sky! With the transformation of its feathers, the Heavenly ughter Dragon¡¯s power also surged dramatically. It curled up its tail, executed a somersaulting heavy p, and instantly the starry tail brilliance scattered, enveloping the faintly dark space in disarray. One could clearly see a vast void rift, stretching from the point where the Heavenly ughter Dragon¡¯s tail struck, extending towards the location of the Evil Centipede Old Servant! The Old Servant Gardener attempted to defend using the thick evil centipede armor, only to realize that the disintegrating power of the void ignored any hard carapace. Its waist cracked open, its centipede ws split apart, not as if they had been sliced or severed, but more like the joints connecting these parts simply vanished, eradicated within the areas traversed by the void rift. ¡°Middle-level King Level, Tian Sha Evil Dragon.¡± The Old Servant Gardener no longer had theposed look on his face. He had thought the Sword Spirit Dragon was Zhu Minng¡¯s strongest dragon, little did he know that the Heavenly ughter Dragon was the most terrifying. He had underestimated the boy¡¯s strength. The centipede body slowly propped itself up, its tail prating the earth, holding its entire body upright. The Evil Millipede Bat Dragon clinging tightly to the Old Servant Gardener spread its pitch-ck wings and raised its head to spit a stream of ck energy into the sky! The ck energy exploded in midair, followed by a vast expanse of ck rain, as thick as blood and as ck as ink. The dense ck rain showered down on the Earth Garden, dousing the crossbow zombies, who grew visibly stronger at a rate observable to the naked eye, like seedlings soaking up water! Their eyes grew increasingly red, and even the iron crossbows they held seemed to be blessed with a sinister force, with wisps of ck mist swirling around the bows and crossbows in their hands. All of the crossbow zombies suddenly turned towards the Heavenly ughter Dragon and shot a shower of ck rain arrows at it, dense and thick, each one capable of piercing through a stone pir. Stone tforms, statues, pirs, and rocks between the Heavenly ughter Dragon and the crossbow zombies were all thoroughly prated, yet the power of the ck rain arrows was undiminished. As the Heavenly ughter Dragon took to the sky, the crossbow zombies immediately raised their aim, unleashing countless arrows towards the dragon, apanied by rolling ck poisonous smoke, creating a terrifying scene.
Upon reaching a higher altitude, the Heavenly ughter Dragon spat out a st of Dragon Breath towards the pursuing arrows below, the breath cascading like a torrential waterfall from the sky, with equally formidable power, scattering the oing arrows and forcing them back to the ground where they ttered uponnding. Looking down at the Old Servant Gardener, the Heavenly ughter Dragon took a deep breath, its belly swelling up, and as it lowered its head to breathe out, a more ferocious Dragon Breath surged towards the ground, targeting the Old Servant Gardener!n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om It was an intensely swirling Dragon Breath that could turn a mountain into a cloud of dust, and as it descended from above, taking on the shape of an inverted spinning top, the moment it touched the ground and began to move horizontally, not only was the Old Servant Gardener swept up and violently torn apart, but swathes of crossbow zombies were also sucked in¡­ No matter how much the zombies were enhanced, they couldn¡¯t withstand the Dragon King Breath of the Tian Sha Evil Dragon. At least four thousand zombies were turned into mincemeat by this st of Dragon Breath.
The Old Servant Gardener had delusions of burrowing into the ground to escape, but the surface was peeled away by this Angry Dragon Breath. The armor shell of the Evil Millipede Bat Dragon clinging to him shattered, its wings were torn to shreds, and countless centipede ws were broken. After much struggle, he survived thanks to his Firm Dragon Bone, not directly smashed by the Dragon Breath, but there was hardly any unbroken flesh left on the Evil Centipede Bat Dragon, merely a skeletal frame. Chapter 580: 582 Little White Qis Awakening Chapter 580: Chapter 582 Little White Qi¡¯s Awakening This Evil Millipede Bat Dragon was strong, but still nowhere near the level of a Heavenly ughter Dragon among the middle-level Dragon Kings. When it went all out, it simply couldn¡¯t withstand the dragon¡¯s might of the Heavenly ughter Dragon. The Old Servant Gardener realized that his possessed object had turned into a pile of useless bones and thus abandoned it, transforming once more into a sinister ghost, nning to continue the struggle in another way. But the Heavenly ughter Dragon alreadycked the patience to keep ying this game with the decrepit old man. With a fierce tuck of its wings, the Heavenly ughter Dragon dove down precipitously. As its slender body and lengthy tail fell, it resembled a dark star plummeting vertically, assaulting the mountain range and leaving behind a long, dark yet bright, eerie streak between heaven and earth. The Dark Star¡¯s impact, with ck ripples carrying immense destructive force, swept directly across the entire Earth Garden. Although the Old Servant Gardener was in a ghostly state, this dark energy was an attack on the soul itself! ¡°Ahhh!!!!!¡± The Old Servant Gardener screamed miserably as he fell from his ghostly state, crashing down into the dirt, utterly disheveled. Zhu Minng, riding on the Heavenly ughter Dragon, gave chase, while at the same time, the Sword Spirit Dragon was also hurrying towards this ce. The Heavenly ughter Dragon suddenly spread its wings, and instantly, beams of death, like lightning dancing wildly in the sky, traced from the top of the sky onto the Starry Sky Wings of the Heavenly ughter Dragon, then burst from the pupils on its wings towards the Old Servant Gardener! The Old Servant Gardener tried to flee, but the deadly beams hit his hunched-over body, piercing his body and soul to shreds.
The Sword Spirit Dragon followed closely behind. Its flying speed kept elerating: initially, it was just surrounded by ayer of airwaves due to breaking through the air, then the airwaves turned into surging waves trailing behind the Sword Spirit Dragon. Eventually, as the Sword Spirit Dragon flew, the ground parallel to it also split open, leaving behind a startling gorge! ¡°Swish!!!!!¡± The sword pierced sharply through the heart, impaling the Old Servant Gardener Yin Spirit Necromancer. The next moment, an overwhelming burst of Sword Qi erupted like andslide, utterly annihting the body of the Old Servant Gardener. The Earth Garden had long since been unrecognizable. With the death of the Yin Spirit Master Old Servant, the remaining Crossbow Zombies also copsed to the ground, reverting to silent corpses. Zhu Minng walked towards the shattered remains of the Old Servant Gardener, and before his ghost hadpletely dissipated, he extended his hand, beginning the process of Soul Collecting Pearl Brewing. Perhaps it was because the old servant himself was a Yin Spirit Necromancer, but during the Soul Collecting Pearl Brewing, Zhu Minng saw the soul of the old servant as a ghost with only a horrifying face resisting Zhu Minng¡¯s process of refinement. ¡°Who on earth are you!!¡± Transformed into a ghost, the old servant was able to let out a roar of indignant resistance, ¡°How could I possibly die by your hand!!¡±n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om ¡°Quite a few from the Absolute Ridge Chengbang died by my hand, and right now they are probably still on Netherworld Road filled with regret. You can catch up and ask them yourself,¡± said Zhu Minng, and he continued to concentrate, turning the soul of this fellow into a bead. Indeed, the quality of a Yin Spirit Necromancer is truly high, so much higher than that of the head Nan Xiong. It seems like therge fortune spent on buying Void Crystals will be quickly recovered. Moreover, this was obviously not the most heart-stirring spoils of war. Since the old servant guarded this ce, it was natural that he was protecting something very important. A powerful Ground Immortal Ghost and a powerful Yin Spirit Necromancer both stayed away from the main battlefield, opting instead to remain here¡­ Zhu Minng walked forward and came upon a newly built Stone Hall. The contents inside must be what Mingji referred to as a blessing. And what exactly was this blessing? Was it like those Heavenly Earth Divine Root Variants, a carrier that amassed massive Spiritual Energy, elements, and secrets? Zhu Minng entered the Stone Hall, only to discover it was empty. After searching the ce thoroughly, he still found nothing. Just as he was feeling puzzled, he suddenly looked up and realized that the Stone Hall had no roof! The ceiling was like a colorful abyss; staring into it seemed to give a glimpse into a very distant ce, another world, another ne. However, as Zhu Minng examined it closely again, the colorful abyss disappeared like a reflection in water, reced by droplets of multicolored condensation slowly falling from above andnding right in front of Zhu Minng.
Zhu Minng didn¡¯t know what this substance was and naturally didn¡¯t dare to catch it, but the multicolored condensation didn¡¯t hit the floor. It hovered motionless in front of him, like a magnificent water pearl, within arm¡¯s reach. For some reason, Zhu Minng still reached out to catch it. It did not give off dangerous or frightening vibes like those evil insects outside; on the contrary, it exuded a sense of tranquility and peace, even the previously stared-at colorful abyss felt the same. Just a moment ago, when he looked up, it was like making a prayer, and after the prayer, he received such a gift.
¡°Mr. Jinli, can you stop dozing off at critical moments? Can you tell me what this is first?¡± Zhu Minng said. As for Mingji, Zhu Minng couldn¡¯t trust him. Mr. Jinli awoke and floated out from behind Zhu Minng. It swam a few circles before inspecting the colorful liquid with its white fish eyes. After a while, Mr. Jinli¡¯s eyes bulged, and its tail thrashed in excitement, almost hitting Zhu Minng in the face. ¡°It¡¯s a Sundial Pearl, a Sundial Pearl, how could this thing be outside the World Dragon Gate!¡± Mr. Jinli eximed loudly. ¡°Something from inside the World Dragon Gate??¡± Zhu Minng was quite surprised. He was surprised for two reasons, first, that the Sundial Pearl seemed to be rted to the Time Wave, and second, how did Mr. Jinli know about the things inside the World Dragon Gate?? Could it be that this freeloading salted fish at his Zhu Gate was actually a knowing old grandee of all Heaven and Earth Laws? ¡°The World Dragon Gate produces Time Waves that can ripen many Spiritual Objects, right? Then this Sundial Pearl has a simr function; it can make time fly past,¡± Mr. Jinli said with barely suppressed joy. But noticing that Zhu Minng was not celebrating with him, it continued asking, ¡°Didn¡¯t you understand?¡± ¡°Time flying past isn¡¯t necessarily a good thing. I certainly don¡¯t want to suddenly be white-haired and elderly alongside beautifuldies,¡± Zhu Minng said. ¡°Its effect is the same as your Dragon Shepherd¡¯s Spirit Realm, it only increases cultivation base without depleting life span. How do you still not get it? Hasn¡¯t your Little White still notpleted its rejuvenation and transformation? Do you really want to wait for a few more years??¡± Mr. Jinli said, clearly annoyed. ¡°You mean, this thing can shorten the time Little White spends de-evolving and sleeping?¡± A smile gradually appeared on Zhu Minng¡¯s face! Little White was the main culprit behind the Reincarnation Transformation, after all. With creatures like Little Azure Dragon, Little ck Dragon, and Little Sword Dragon havingpleted their Reincarnation Transformation and their strength greatly increased, how could Little White¡¯s transformation not be strong??
Probably because it was a powerful metamorphosis, its de-evolution and awakening were much slower than other dragons. As time went by, Little White¡¯s huge white cocoon of Ice and Snow showed no movement, and Zhu Minng even wondered if it would sleep for a very, very long time likest time. ¡°Shorten? Just crush that Sundial Pearl and drip this Years Condensation onto Little White¡¯s white cocoon, it might wake up right away!¡± Mr. Jinli said. ¡°Then this is truly a divine grace!¡± Zhu Minng eximed in ecstasy! Little White was finally about to awaken. Without this little one over the years, his heart truly wasn¡¯t at peace! ¡°Grace? So this is grace. No wonder it appeared outside the World Dragon Gate,¡± Mr. Jinli mused. ¡°Mr. Jinli also knows about the inside of the World Dragon Gate?¡± Zhu Minng asked, raising an eyebrow. ¡°Eh, Zhu Minng, what kind of feed do those people at Yaoshan Sword Sect give you? How did they raise a youngster to be so precocious?¡± Having said that, Mr. Jinli swam around aimlessly like an ordinary fish in a lotus pond. Zhu Minng looked at Mr. Jinli, who always failed at crucial moments, and his face darkened. Better precocious than senile! Mr. Jinli kept wandering on its own, and Zhu Minng no longer wanted to bother with it. Since it could help Little White get through such a long de-evolving phase, he decided to give it a try. Zhu Minng lured the Sundial Pearl into the Spirit Realm and, as Mr. Jinli had said, crushed it.
Indeed, the previously colorful liquid flowed out, dripping onto the white cocoon of the sleeping Little White like dew. The white cocoon absorbed the Years Condensation quickly, and the effect was so remarkable it took Zhu Minng by surprise. He saw the entire icicle white cocoon be crystal clear, allowing him to see theplex and dazzling little Ice and Snow world inside through the thick cocoon threads, where Bai Qi was deeply asleep in a curled up pupal form! In the cocoon, earth-shattering changes were taking ce. You could see the White Frost Sprouts growing lush, the Ice and Snow Veins expanding, and Little White¡¯s body slowly emerging from the chrysalis. Zhu Minng even saw its little head and its eyes opening as it instinctively gazed at himself¡­ Little buddy, there were finally signs of life, finally about to be born. Zhu Minng shed tears like a proud father. ¡°Y¨­¨­~~~¡± It let out a soft sound as faint as a young fox, eliciting a feeling of tenderness. Zhu Minng watched as Little White¡¯s ws also emerged from the cocoon, white and tender as dumplings. Soon, Little White was gnawing at the cocoon shell, munching away with the effort of a nursing kitten, both cheeks puffed out as it chewed, all to hasten its development and to be held by Zhu Minng sooner. It had truly awakened! Although it was still unclear what dragon form Little White had transformed into, it was definitely much stronger than the former Ice Bug and was still undergoing changes, rapidly evolving before his eyes as if all four seasons were passing in its little world inside the cocoon! The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!