Chapter 230: Earth Spirit Dragon Qi, the Furious Dai Clan

Chapter 230: Earth Spirit Dragon Qi, the Furious Dai Clan

After collecting the Green Sky Flood Dragon's corpse, Xu Yan turned his attention to the poisonous miasma-filled Black Cloud Swamp and the now-collapsed Black Rock Mountain. After a moment's thought, he ventured into the ruins of Black Rock Mountain.

There should still be some remaining first-rate spiritual herbs there.

However, after searching through Black Rock Mountain, Xu Yan discovered that any remaining treasures had already been looted.

He suspected the Crystal Snake.

Since there was nothing left, Xu Yan didn't linger and immediately left Black Cloud Swamp.

News of the incident at the Green Sky Flood Dragon's tomb would spread quickly, and it might even attract the attention of God-forging Celestials. His current strength was no match for them.

Shen Haizhou also turned to leave at this point.

Xu Yan began to ponder his next move. Now that he had obtained the Green Sky Flood Dragon's corpse, the Green Flood Dragon Tree, and the Dragon Eye Fruit, he was almost ready to attempt the breakthrough to the Divine Intent Realm.

He needed to gain a deeper understanding of the Spirit Domain and Yu Province.

"I should head to the city and see if there are any shops selling spiritual items. I still have some spirit crystals on hand, so I can quickly gather the resources I need to nurture my cultivation."

Although it seemed wasteful, he directly consumed the spiritual herbs without refining them into pills. But in order to quickly accumulate sufficient foundation for his breakthrough in the Spirit Domain, Xu Yan didn't mind this small loss.

As long as he had enough spirit crystals, he could always buy more spiritual herbs.

"There are no pills in the Spirit Domain either. If my junior sister came to the Spirit Domain, and if Evergreen Pavilion established a presence here, we could quickly accumulate resources."

The Spirit Domain truly was a cultivation paradise. Herbs of the fifth grade, which were hard to come by in the Inner Domain, were only considered mid to low-grade in the Spirit Domain.

The gap between the Inner Domain and the Spirit Domain was indeed significant, and it was no wonder that the powerful experts of the Spirit Domain looked down on the Inner Domain as an inferior place.

After entering the Spirit Domain, Xu Yan had immediately rushed to the Green Sky Flood Dragon's tomb as directed by Dai Yingying. As a result, he hadn't had a chance to visit any of Zhenguo's towns. Now that the matter with the tomb had concluded, and given that the transformation of the Green Sky Flood Dragon into a corpse demon would likely cause a stir, he needed to get updated on the latest developments.

Only by going to a city would he be able to gather information on the potential actions of the various major forces that the Heavenly Pride members belonged to.

"Since I've taken the Green Sky Flood Dragon, I might attract some unwanted attention. I should keep a low profile to avoid being discovered."

Xu Yan frowned in thought.

"My Harmonious Unity Art can help me avoid the attention of powerful experts. As long as I hide well enough, even God-forging Celestials might not notice me."

He looked around, taking in the desolate landscape.

The Green Sky Flood Dragon's tomb was located in a remote area, and Xu Yan had followed Dai Yingying's directions from the Spirit Domain Gate. Now, standing before the Black Cloud Swamp, he realized he hadn't passed through any cities along the way.

"I should have asked Shen Haizhou for directions. Now I don't even know which way to go to find a city."

Xu Yan felt a bit annoyed with himself.

After a moment's thought, he chose a direction and set off.

Suddenly!

A beam of light shot towards him!

It moved at an incredible speed, like a sword beam, reaching him in an instant.

Xu Yan's eyes turned cold, and a majestic aura burst forth from his body. Dragon might rippled in the air, and a golden dragon head emerged from his body.

Its eyes gleamed as it fixed its gaze on the approaching beam of light!

"If I can subdue a dragon and easily overpower the Green Sky Flood Dragon, how dare a mere snake act so boldly!"

Xu Yan sneered inwardly.

The Crystal Snake, which had been flying towards him, suddenly went limp, its entire body trembling. The overwhelming might made it feel a bone-deep, soul-deep fear.

Its entire body turned soft, unable to muster any strength.

Xu Yan reached out and grabbed the snake by the neck, his grip so tight that its mouth fell open, its tongue lolling out.

Another moment and he would have crushed its neck!

The Crystal Snake was so scared it almost peed itself. "I-I'm here to deliver treasures!" it stammered.

Xu Yan had been about to crush the snake's neck, but at the mention of treasures, he loosened his grip slightly, using two fingers to rub the small bump on its head.

"You're here to deliver treasures? Why didn't you say so earlier?"

The Crystal Snake was on the verge of tears. It had narrowly escaped death!

"If I had been slower, I would have been killed just now! Thank goodness I was quick-witted."

"Where are these treasures, then?" Xu Yan asked, releasing the snake's neck but maintaining his dragon might to suppress it.

The Crystal Snake opened its mouth and spat out a storage bag.

Xu Yan opened the bag and found that it contained spiritual herbs from the Green Sky Flood Dragon's tomb.

After putting the bag away, just as the Crystal Snake was about to breathe a sigh of relief, Xu Yan grabbed its neck again.

"The Green Sky Flood Dragon was captured by me, and the victor is me. These items rightfully belong to me. By returning them, you've avoided punishment for your theft.

"However, you attacked me in the tomb, and that crime cannot be forgiven."

Xu Yan was separating the issues. The Crystal Snake's attack in the tomb could not be overlooked.

"The treasures I mentioned aren't these!" the Crystal Snake said, its mouth gaping as it spoke, its tongue hanging out in fear.

"Oh? There are more treasures?"

Xu Yan loosened his grip, looking at the snake with amusement. "If you're lying to me, I'll turn you into soup!"

"I-I wouldn't dare! I really wouldn't dare!" the Crystal Snake said, its tongue flicking out as it tried to appease Xu Yan.

"Where are these treasures, then?" Xu Yan asked, narrowing his eyes.

"The treasures aren't on me..." the Crystal Snake started to say, but its neck was grabbed again, nearly cutting off its words.

"They're special treasures... special treasures that can't be carried..."

The Crystal Snake was truly distressed now.

"What kind of special treasures?" Xu Yan asked, releasing his grip again.

"Cough, cough!" the Crystal Snake coughed, its tongue hanging out as it gasped for breath. "It's the Earth Spirit Dragon Qi!"

Seemingly afraid that Xu Yan wouldn't understand, it quickly added, "Earth Spirit Dragon Qi is said to be born from the Great River Spiritual Vein. It has surpassed the level of first-rate spiritual items and is rumored to be a divine-grade spiritual item, or even a divine object!"

Xu Yan's eyes lit up at this information. If the Earth Spirit Dragon Qi was real, he could use it to accumulate sufficient foundation for his breakthrough to the Divine Intent Realm, ensuring a smooth transformation and sublimation of his body.

"If this treasure is so valuable, why are you telling me about it?" Xu Yan asked, grabbing the Crystal Snake's neck once more and narrowing his eyes. "Is this a trap?"

The Crystal Snake's entire body went numb. "C-can you please stop grabbing my neck?" it pleaded. "Just listen to what I have to say!"

Xu Yan released his grip again and said, "Go on."

The Crystal Snake, its tongue flicking out as it panted, said, "C-can you please stop grabbing my neck? I'm telling the truth!"

"Fine," Xu Yan nodded, agreeing to the request.

The Crystal Snake paused, surprised by how easily he had agreed. "Well, it's like this," it continued. "Earth Spirit Dragon Qi moves about unpredictably and is difficult to capture. I admit that with my strength, obtaining the Earth Spirit Dragon Qi would be extremely challenging."

Xu Yan suddenly reached out and grabbed the Crystal Snake's tail instead of its neck, giving it a few casual shakes. The force of the shakes made the snake feel dizzy, as if its bones were about to come loose.

This snake had attacked him, and he would have to repay this grudge.

"No, wait! Let me explain!"

The Crystal Snake felt dizzy and its whole body went limp, feeling as if its bones were about to fall apart.

Xu Yan released his grip and said, "Fine, speak."

The Crystal Snake shook its head, suspecting that Xu Yan was deliberately retaliating for its previous attack in the tomb.

"You can choke my neck instead."

The Crystal Snake figured that being choked by the neck was preferable to having its tail shaken.

"Alright!"

Xu Yan nodded, readily agreeing.

Crystal Snake: ...

"It's like this, I have the bloodline of the Green Sky Flood Dragon, or maybe not, but that's not important. What matters is that you know I have the bloodline of a flood dragon.

"I'm currently in the late Fourth Stage, but I'm almost at my limit and can't make any further progress. I need to purify my bloodline to break through to the Fifth Stage.

"The Green Sky Flood Dragon is key to purifying my bloodline, and I want to obtain some of its essence blood from you. In exchange, I'll help you obtain the Earth Spirit Dragon Qi."

The Crystal Snake revealed its purpose.

Xu Yan fell into deep thought, then grabbed the Crystal Snake's neck again, "Is it just for the essence blood of the Green Sky Flood Dragon?"

The Crystal Snake stopped struggling. If he wanted to choke, then choke. It had gotten used to it by now.

"In addition to the Green Sky Flood Dragon's essence blood, there's also your Golden Dragon. This dragon might of yours makes me feel like I might have a chance to transform into a dragon!"

The Crystal Snake said flatteringly.

Xu Yan released his grip. He didn't know if his Dragon Might True Intent could help the Crystal Snake transform, but since the Crystal Snake was trying to please him, he could take advantage of that.

"Are you a native snake of Jade State?"

Xu Yan asked.

"Sort of."

The Crystal Snake nodded and added, "My name is Yu Xiaolong."

"My dream is to one day transform into a true dragon of legend."

Yu Xiaolong raised its head proudly.

It was a snake with big dreams!

"If you're a local snake, then it's convenient. Guide me to where the Earth Spirit Dragon Qi is located, and let's get out of this place of trouble as soon as possible."

Xu Yan nodded.

"No problem, it's that way."

Yu Xiaolong pointed in a direction with its head.

Xu Yan immediately set off in that direction and asked curiously along the way, "Can't you break through any further? Don't you know how to cultivate?"

"Spiritual beasts rely solely on bloodlines, and cultivation is also about refining the bloodline. Once the bloodline reaches its limit, that's it. How can we continue cultivating? We don't have cultivation methods like you martial artists."

Yu Xiaolong said enviously.

Xu Yan patted its head and said, "Follow me and work hard. If you perform well, I'll have Chi Cat teach you the Great Demon Beast Technique. This is much stronger than relying on your bloodline to improve, and you can cultivate and improve like a martial artist."

"Great Demon Beast Technique? We spiritual beasts can also cultivate like martial artists instead of relying solely on our bloodlines?"

Yu Xiaolong was shocked.

"Of course, why would I lie to you? So, work hard."

Xu Yan encouraged.

"How did you learn to speak? Spiritual beasts can't speak, can they?"

Xu Yan asked, voicing his biggest doubt.

Spiritual beasts could only speak after condensing their spirit souls, which was when they reached the Sixth Stage. Before that, they wouldn't be able to speak.

"I learned it."

The Crystal Snake explained, "When I was little, I was almost eaten by a stinky bird, but a very beautiful lady saved me. I lived with her for a long time, and she taught me how to speak.

"After a while, I broke through to the Fourth Stage and could speak."

The Crystal Snake opened its mouth, revealing the vocal cords in its throat, and said, "This is what the lady did to help me produce sound when I was learning to speak."

Xu Yan was surprised, "So you're a pet snake!"

"I'm not a pet snake!"

Yu Xiaolong refuted, raising its head.

Then it sighed, "I don't know where that lady went. I can't find her, and I can't even repay her kindness!"

Along the way, Xu Yan learned about the Spirit Domain, Jade State, Zhenguo, and the martial arts world from Yu Xiaolong, gaining a deeper understanding of spiritual beasts.

Some spiritual beasts could indeed learn to speak.

Of course, this type of spiritual beast was quite rare, and most spiritual beasts were proud and disdained to learn human language.

The Earth Spirit Dragon Qi was located far away from Black Cloud Swamp, deep within the rugged mountains on the border of Jade State.

...

The Green Sky Flood Dragon's tomb ended with the fall of many Heavenly Pride members, and the once-famous Green Sky Flood Dragon had turned into a corpse demon. The news spread and shocked the martial arts world of Jade State.

The surviving Heavenly Pride members returned with varying degrees of injuries, except for Shen Haizhou, who was unscathed.

Dai Jun was dead!

The Dai family was in an uproar, and even the family's elder, Dai Sheng, personally came out to inquire about the matter.

What they cared about was not Dai Jun, but Dai Yingying! After learning that Dai Yingying had not gone to the Green Sky Flood Dragon's tomb, they finally breathed a sigh of relief.

However, just a few days later.

The Dai family was furious, and all their strong experts were dispatched to chase and kill that Heavenly Pride member!

Dai Yingying was dead!

After losing contact with Dai Yingying, the Dai family searched for a period before finally confirming that she was dead!

And the person they suspected of being the murderer was, of course, the Heavenly Pride member who had threatened her.

The royal family of Zhenguo also sent strong cultivators to pursue the murderer.

After all, Dai Yingying was the fiancee of the second prince and the future empress.

In the sky above Black Cloud Swamp, two figures stepped forward, their auras merging with the heavens and earth as their spirit souls probed the surroundings, searching carefully.

Refine God Realm experts!

"The Green Sky Flood Dragon is gone, and the young man who fought with it has also left. Their auras went in that direction."

One of the Refine God Realm experts said in a deep voice.

"How did the Green Sky Flood Dragon turn into a corpse demon? What method was used? This is very important."

The other Refine God Realm expert spoke.

Following the residual auras, the two Refine God Realm experts pursued their targets.

However, after just half a day, they stopped.

The auras had disappeared.

In Zhenguo, in a small village of Qiu Shan County, a burly man pushed open the door to a courtyard. The people inside, upon hearing the noise, warily came out. When they saw that it was the burly man, they relaxed.

"Brother Meng, why are you here?"

Wen Yong stepped forward curiously.

Huang Meng sized up Wen Yong, his face showing disbelief as he asked in a low voice, "Little Yong, did you really go and kill Dai Yingying? How did you do it?"

"What?"

Wen Yong swallowed, a cold sweat breaking out on his forehead, "I didn't kill Dai Yingying!"

Huang Meng's face was filled with suspicion, "You really didn't kill her? The Dai family is going crazy trying to find you, and the royal family of Zhenguo is also involved.

"Little Yong, you were a bit impulsive. It's not time for our Eternal Alliance to confront the Spirit Sect and the aristocratic families. Nonetheless, your courage is commendable."

Wen Yong's face turned pale, and he said with a trembling voice, "Dai Yingying is dead? They suspect that I killed her?"

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end