Chapter 116: The Dragon’s Mysterious Realm [Please Subscribe]

“Moo... Awooo...”

Amid the fierce battle between the three, seizing the moment when Zhang the Celestial Master was held back by the other two, the dragon let out a long, mournful cry. Instantly breaking free from the suppression of the Three-Five Heavenly Seal, it vanished into the depths of the sea.

“Damn it... Wretched beast, where do you think you’re going!”

Watching the dragon escape, Zhang the Celestial Master’s face instantly paled. He no longer had time to deal with the two old demons hovering above. With a wave of his hand, the Celestial Master’s Tome dissolved into a beam of pure light, plunging into the ocean.

“We’re going too!”

The Demon Ancestor and the Ancient Spring Recluse exchanged a glance, then ignited their own light of escape, giving chase.

“Damn it...”

Li Yang, watching from the void ten miles away, cursed under his breath.

He dared not provoke any of these three ancient monsters—they were all celestial beings with refined senses. He could only hide at the edge and observe, too afraid to approach too closely.

If discovered, not only would all his efforts be in vain, but his life might be in grave danger.

Originally, he had planned to wait until the three old monsters finished their conflict before making his move, but judging by the current situation, complications were inevitable.

Yet giving up was out of the question. This dragon was a rare celestial beast of heaven and earth, unmatched even by the transformed Angry Clear Phoenix in potential. It was truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Most importantly, it was near adulthood, far superior to the recently transformed Angry Clear Phoenix. If he could capture it through a blood sacrifice and refine it into a fourth destined beast, he would be unstoppable in the world.

With this thought, Li Yang gritted his teeth and slipped into the spatial void, tailing the three old ghosts as they disappeared into the deep sea.

“Whew... Damn it, these old ghosts really know how to run,” Li Yang panted heavily in the void. His face was pale. Without the aid of spatial magic, he wouldn’t have been able to keep up with their speed.

“Huh... Where did the dragon go?”

Deep beneath the Northern Sea Trench, tens of thousands of meters down, all was pitch black. Fortunately, Zhang the Celestial Master and the others had celestial bodies forged, or else at this depth, the ocean pressure alone would instantly crush them to pulp.

As for Li Yang, he stayed far away, hidden within space, unwilling to expose himself at such a crushing depth.

Though physically strong, he dared not test himself against this deep-sea pressure. Even if he could barely endure it, he wouldn’t last long.

“Hmm... spatial fluctuations!”

Gifted with the Six-Winged Golden Centipede’s innate spatial senses, Li Yang was incredibly sensitive to the slightest anomaly.

Staring toward the trench, his expression shifted. That place was within the search radius of the three old monsters. Approaching recklessly might get him discovered.

“Fortune favors the bold, and the timid starve!”

After much hesitation, Li Yang decided to take the risk. After all, wealth comes from peril. While the three old ghosts searched for the dragon’s whereabouts, perhaps they wouldn’t find him.

With that in mind, Li Yang’s figure shrank to the size of a grain of rice—his current spatial magic’s limit. Any smaller was beyond his ability.

Following the spatial currents, he cautiously neared the trench, his senses sharpened to the utmost. Sensing something amiss, he prepared to flee.

Tracking the spatial ripple, Li Yang descended to the bottom of the abyss.

Amid the oppressive darkness and silence, with visibility barely five fingers’ breadth, Li Yang traced the spatial fluctuation to a spring nestled in the trench’s center.

“Creak... crackling...”

Clenching his teeth, Li Yang emerged from space. Instantly, the surrounding water pressure felt like a mountain crushing down, squeezing him mercilessly. His bones groaned in agony, and his internal organs tore painfully.

He knew he couldn’t stay long or risk being detected by the three old ghosts.

“Desperate times call for desperate measures!”

His face flushed red, Li Yang plunged headfirst into the abyssal spring, disappearing into the inky depths.

...

When Li Yang opened his eyes again, he was hovering above a small island.

“A hidden realm!”

Recognizing the sun’s faint silhouette in the sky, Li Yang quickly identified this place as a blessed sanctuary. Looking at the still, ancient sea all around, he guessed this was where the dragon had taken refuge.

Gazing down at the idyllic island below, Li Yang moved swiftly and dived.

“Nine-Leaf Ganoderma!”

The island was lush with vegetation and clear air, its spiritual energy stronger than the outside world. Upon descending, he spotted an ancient spirit herb growing on a nearby cliff.

“Hissss...”

With one hand, he crushed a venomous snake guarding the herb. Observing his surroundings, he couldn’t help but marvel, “What a treasure trove!”

From the steep cliff, he soon found several other mature medicinal herbs.

Taking advantage of the three old ghosts’ ignorance, Li Yang scoured the island. Though small, he searched every corner.

“Dragon Saliva Fruit!”

At the island’s center, beneath a waterfall, grew a crystalline little tree. Its bark was raised in scales like dragon armor, and its roots resembled claws deeply embedded in the rock.

Atop the tree hung a thumb-sized, fiery-gold fruit, shimmering with a golden-red glow.

This Dragon Saliva Fruit was a mutated spiritual fruit, only found where dragons dwelled.

Only nurtured by dragon saliva could such a pure yang fruit be born. The dragon, a creature of absolute pure yang, was all treasure; this fruit was the extraordinary result of years of absorbing dragon essence.

It was most potent in boosting one’s vital energy, especially for cultivators on the path of immortality. Even ordinary people who consumed it would gain the strength of a dragon capable of lifting ten thousand pounds.

But its greatest power was bestowing dragon bloodline to armored insects; other effects were merely secondary.

“Human brat, so greedy!”

“Rumble... splash...”

Just as Li Yang reached for the Dragon Saliva Fruit, a majestic, thunderous voice boomed beside him.

From the water rose a dragon’s head without horns, its ox-like eyes fixed fiercely on Li Yang.

“I... I just wanted to see if the fruit was tasty. It looks so tempting,” Li Yang stammered nervously, his mind blank.

This was his first time so close to a celestial beast. Watching the dragon’s whiskers sway and feeling the innate majestic aura, his entire being trembled.

“Hmph! Seeking death!”

The dragon snorted coldly, opening its jaws as a fiery red dragon breath began to well up.

“Hissss, woooo...”

Sensing such mortal danger, the Six-Winged Golden Centipede phantoms within Li Yang’s cells awoke autonomously, all howling to the heavens. An ancient, wild aura radiated from his body, dispersing the dragon’s sacred and domineering presence.

“Six-Winged Golden Centipede?”

Suppressing the dragon breath, the dragon eyed Li Yang curiously and uncertainly.

“Since you share the armored kindred bloodline, I’ll spare your life this time!”

“You are pure Six-Winged Golden Centipede, and your bloodline isn’t much weaker than mine. Why do you want this Dragon Saliva Fruit? Though you’re also armored, the dragon bloodline is of little use to you.”

Seeing Li Yang silent, the dragon continued, “But you’re truly greedy. You’ve harvested all the herbs on this island and still want my Dragon Saliva Fruit.”

“I think you’ve misunderstood. I’m not a Six-Winged Golden Centipede!” Li Yang finally recovered and explained sheepishly.

“No matter what you are, I suggest you leave quickly. Those three old monsters are closing in.”

The dragon’s eyes flickered with exhaustion as it glanced listlessly at Li Yang, then sank, preparing to dive back into the pool.

“Wait! Maybe I can save you after all.”

Li Yang’s heart stirred as he called out to the dragon just as it submerged.

“Rumble...”

“What did you say?”

At his words, the pool erupted violently. The dragon raised its head, a dazzling golden light flashing in its eyes.

“I said, I might have a way to save you!”

Li Yang felt as if the dragon saw right through him, its oppressive aura locking onto him. Cold sweat broke out on his forehead as he fought the shivers coursing through him, continuing:

“If you agree to sign a blood pact with me, I’m confident I can help you escape this place unseen.”

“Awooo... Moo...”

“Get lost! We dragons would rather die than submit!”

No sooner had Li Yang spoken than the skies churned with storm clouds. Mist swirled, and a massive mushroom-shaped energy wave surged from the island.

“What a stubborn wretch. What am I to do now?”

Blown over ten miles away by the shockwave, Li Yang stood in the void, gazing at the dragon’s island with a troubled expression.

He knew taming this dragon would be no easy feat, but he hadn’t expected such a fiery temper. At the slightest provocation, it attacked. If not for the Six-Winged Golden Centipede’s aura within him, the dragon might have swallowed him in one breath.

“Hisss... sizzle...”

At that moment, spatial ripples suddenly stirred as three immense auras descended upon the space.

“Not good—the three old monsters have arrived.”

Sensing the anomaly, Li Yang quickly suppressed his aura and retreated to the edge of the sanctuary, curling up in hiding.

“Hmm...”

With a ripple in the void, Zhang the Celestial Master appeared alongside the Demon Ancestor and the Ancient Spring Recluse. They glanced toward Li Yang with suspicion but soon fixed their gaze on the dragon atop the island and surged toward it.

“Phew... that was close. What a mess this is!”

Only after the three old monsters departed did Li Yang breathe a sigh of relief, giving a bitter smile.

That glance nearly scared him senseless. Had he been discovered within this sanctuary, there’d be nowhere to run.

Thankfully, the three old monsters were too focused on competing for the dragon’s essence to investigate carefully. Otherwise, even hidden in space at such close range, Li Yang would have been spotted for certain.