Chapter 469: The Secret Dragon's Lair
Chapter 469: The Secret Dragon's Lair
The light before them warped and twisted before returning to normal.
Ji Xinghuo, along with the three-headed dragon and Qinghong, found themselves in the vast ocean. They had made several consecutive starry jumps, each within a distance of 500 kilometers, and with random directional changes to increase the difficulty of being tracked.
"We can't make any more jumps," Ji Xinghuo said.
Ever since the first jump when they began their pursuit of the Yunhai Dragon, he had been silently counting the number of jumps and the total distance to avoid reaching the limit.
They had made enough jumps.
However, the total distance of their jumps was approaching the upper limit, with less than 2,000 kilometers left. They needed to save some leeway in case of emergencies.
Cang Ya also knew about the jump restrictions and nodded gently.
"From here on out, we'll have to fly on our own," Ji Xinghuo said. "Now that you've obtained the Yunhai Dragon, do you want to return to the Donghuang Island or go somewhere else?"
"I haven't decided yet..."
Cang Ya looked at Ji Xinghuo's face, unsure of what to say. The competition for the Yunhai Dragon had been far more intense than she had expected. When the Xu Kun Tianlin appeared, she had already given up hope, but somehow, she had managed to obtain the Yunhai Dragon!
Even now, she still felt like she was dreaming, and there was a sense of unreality to it all.
"Why are you staring at me?" Ji Xinghuo laughed.
Cang Ya suddenly realized she had been acting oddly and, flustered, hurriedly took out seven bottles containing a sea-blue potion. "This is the Bihai Essence I promised you."
"Thank you."
Ji Xinghuo took them and put them away.
Cang Ya forced herself to calm down and said seriously, "Ten bottles of Bihai Essence are far from enough as compensation for this trip. I will find a way to make it up to you."
"No need," Ji Xinghuo said, not really concerned about it. "We'll stick to the price we agreed upon beforehand."
It was a matter of principle.
Seeing that he insisted on refusing further compensation, Cang Ya didn't bring it up again, but she made a mental note to think of a way to make it up to him.
"How are your injuries?" Ji Xinghuo asked with concern.
"They're terrible," Cang Ya replied, shaking her head and frowning. "Xu Kun Tianlin is indeed the pride of the Xu Kun family's younger generation. Although he didn't dare to kill me, these severe injuries will take at least a few months to fully heal."
Even now, the pressure she had felt when facing Xu Kun Tianlin still lingered, and the gap in their strengths had been enormous.
Ji Xinghuo smiled and said, "I've already avenged you."
"What?"
Cang Ya's eyes widened in surprise. She had actually wanted to ask earlier—why hadn't Xu Kun Tianlin returned after chasing after Ji Xinghuo?
"I heavily injured Xu Kun Tianlin," Ji Xinghuo said nonchalantly. "He'll probably need some time to recover as well."
"You... defeated him?" Cang Ya was incredulous.
Xu Kun Tianlin was one of the top Dragon Lords in the Empire, ranked on the Hidden Dragon Sequence, and a future Shepherd Star Saint. Among the extraordinary people below the seventh-stage in the Bipo Dragon Domain, those long-renowned strong individuals had all been defeated by Xu Kun Tianlin.
She knew that Yanmie Jin had infinite potential and was also a proud talent on the Hidden Dragon Sequence, with strength far surpassing most sixth-stage powerhouses.
However, Yanmie Jin was currently just a legend, and his potential had not yet been realized.
There shouldn't have been any suspense in a confrontation between the two.
Cang Ya had never imagined that he could defeat Xu Kun Tianlin; she would have been satisfied if he had just managed to escape safely. She assumed that he must have used some means to temporarily shake off his pursuer.
"If Xu Kun Tianlin hadn't fled quickly, he would be dead by now, and I didn't even use my full strength," Ji Xinghuo said, half-truthfully. He lifted his wrist, and a bluish-green pattern appeared on his skin. "This is the spoils of my victory."
"Bikong Circle!"
Cang Ya exclaimed in surprise. She recognized this equipment—it was the unique Bi Dragon Ring artifact of the Xu Kun family, a Heaven's Key three-star treasure.
In the Donghuang Sea, many people knew that Xu Kun Tianlin possessed a Bikong Circle.
And now, it was in Ji Xinghuo's hands, leaving no room for doubt.
"You really defeated him!"
Cang Ya stared at the Bikong Circle in disbelief, at a loss for words to express her shock.
"Don't spread the word about this," Ji Xinghuo reminded her. "Xu Kun Tianlin will definitely come looking for you to ask about me. When that happens, just tell him my name is 'Yinhuo Liaoyuan,' a temporary hired helper, and that you don't know anything else."
The reason he showed the Bikong Circle to Cang Ya was to prepare her for what was to come.
"I know how to handle it," Cang Ya said, taking a deep breath. She understood that Xu Kun Tianlin would never give up on a Heaven's Key three-star treasure, and the Xu Kun family would also exert pressure.
But in this matter, Xu Kun Tianlin had been at fault, so the Xu Kun family wouldn't dare to do anything too excessive.
"That's good," Ji Xinghuo nodded.
At this moment, the Yunhai Dragon drew closer, its slender body floating in the clouds. Its massive dragon head poked in front of the two of them, eyeing Ji Xinghuo cautiously before communicating with Cang Ya, letting out a low roar.
After listening to the dragon, Cang Ya said, "It wants to take us to its dragon's lair. It has collected some treasures there that it wants to offer to you."
"Offer them to me?" Ji Xinghuo was surprised.
The Yunhai Dragon nodded vigorously, its dragon eyes full of ingratiating expressions.
"Yes," Cang Ya said, also feeling strange. She was the master of the Yunhai Dragon, yet it seemed to be more affectionate towards Ji Xinghuo. She couldn't help but ask, "How did you tame it?" She then looked at Qinghong, thinking that she must have been the key to subduing the Yunhai Dragon.
"Fist!"
Ji Xinghuo laughed, "The smarter the creature, the easier it is to communicate with them. As long as you make it understand that not submitting will result in immediate death, it will naturally be willing to submit." As he spoke, his gaze swept over the Yunhai Dragon, conveying a subtle warning.
Ji Xinghuo asked, "Where is its dragon's lair?"
"Over there." Cang Ya pointed south. "About 1,800 dragon lengths away, not far from where I first found it."
"Let's fly over."
The two landed on the Ice Soul Dragon's back, with the Yunhai Dragon leading the way.
Qinghong reduced her size, but instead of flying into Ji Xinghuo's pocket this time, she returned to her true form, over 15 meters long, and landed on the dragon's back, curling up next to Ji Xinghuo and curiously observing the scenery on the sea's surface.
"Is it your battle pet?" Cang Ya eyed Qinghong, surprised to see her return with the Yunhai Dragon earlier.
Ji Xinghuo nodded. "Her name is Qinghong."
Qinghong turned her head towards Cang Ya, grinning and nodding.
"What species is this? I've never seen it before." Cang Ya couldn't contain her curiosity. Such a powerful battle pet, always by Ji Xinghuo's side, and yet she had never noticed it before, made the man before her even more enigmatic.
Ji Xinghuo replied, "Qinghong is a Vacuum Kirin; she's been with me for a long time. She's a mutated spiritual creature."
"No wonder she's so powerful!" Cang Ya exclaimed, understanding dawning on her face.
Although she had never heard of a Vacuum Kirin, she could tell that this majestic and exotic creature was stronger than most dragons, comparable to a Divine Dragon species! A Vacuum Kirin, and also an Annihilation Dragon.
Cang Ya had countless questions swirling in her mind, wanting to uncover the mysteries of the man before her, feeling deeply attracted yet unable to voice her thoughts.
In the end, she simply said, "I'll continue healing."
"Alright."
Ji Xinghuo didn't disturb her, seeing that she had settled into a meditative pose on the dragon's back with her eyes closed. A stream of water flowed back and forth on her skin, a technique called "Life Spring Fountain," one of the Water Master's abilities that could heal injuries and accelerate wound recovery.
However, Cang Ya's injuries this time were too severe. At their worst, she had almost been in a critical condition, and the Life Spring Fountain couldn't completely cure her; she needed time to slowly recuperate.
Ji Xinghuo had a vial of "Holy Blood Life Fluid" on hand.
It was a gift from Bi Fengyuji during their time on the Black Ring Star. It should be able to heal Cang Ya immediately.
But he hesitated and decided not to use it.
This healing elixir was meant for life-threatening emergencies, and now that Cang Ya was safe, she could return to Donghuang Island and recover slowly; there was no need to waste the precious medicine.
The Ice Soul Dragon flew at full speed.
As night fell, they finally reached the Yunhai Dragon's lair, and it dove into the sea, descending into the deep ocean.
Ji Xinghuo's electromagnetic senses swept through the seabed, a familiar feeling washing over him. He had been here before during the search for the Yunhai Dragon, but he hadn't noticed anything unusual at the time.
"Let's go down too," Cang Ya said.
The Ice Soul Dragon could swim in the water, but it wasn't very fast. The Cang Dragon transformed into a torrent, enveloping the Ice Soul Dragon and carrying the two of them, along with Qinghong, into the deep sea. As they ventured deeper, the area below the ocean's surface grew darker, approaching complete darkness.
Fortunately, neither of them relied solely on their eyes to perceive their surroundings, so the darkness didn't affect them much.
Soon, they entered a massive undersea canyon over 30,000 meters deep, the immense pressure threatening to suffocate them.
The Cang Dragon expanded its watery barrier to withstand the crushing pressure.
The Yunhai Dragon swam into the canyon, continuing deeper until it finally reached a fissure in the rock several thousand meters long. Such rock formations were common in the abyss, and as they drew closer, Ji Xinghuo finally noticed something amiss.
Among the crisscrossing rock fissures was a faint, dim void rift, barely noticeable.
The Yunhai Dragon dove into it and disappeared from view.
"Yun Tu said its dragon's lair is inside," Cang Ya said, pointing at the void rift. Yun Tu was the name she had just given the Yunhai Dragon.
Ji Xinghuo's gaze pierced the void, vaguely making out the contours within, "Let's go in, it seems safe."
A tamed dragon wouldn't harm its master.
This Yunhai Dragon was intelligent and understood its predicament. If it dared to harbor any ill intentions, it knew it wouldn't end well for it.
The torrent created by the Cang Dragon surged into the rift, and in an instant, they found themselves in a bright space. The light source came from countless jewels, pearls, and crystals strewn across the ground, and an invisible barrier kept the seawater at bay, as if a glass dome over 400 meters in diameter enclosed the irregularly shaped space.
"A Fragment of the Secret Realm!"
Cang Ya exclaimed in surprise as she looked around.
Ji Xinghuo also realized that this was a fragment of a secret realm, similar to the one Ye Zhen had in Peach Blossom Gorge, but much smaller in size.
In the center of the secret realm was a large pool filled with seawater, and its edges were piled high with countless shiny objects, mostly coral, along with various luminous items, jewels, pearls, and crystals, all products of the sea.
The Yunhai Dragon plunged into the pool, swimming happily before settling on a massive coral tree. Its cloud-like body coiled around the branches, spiraling upwards, then biting into a disc made from a solid piece of crystal. It flew over and landed in front of the two of them, offering the crystal disc.
Inside the crystal disc, over three meters in diameter, were what the Yunhai Dragon considered its most precious treasures, glittering and sparkling.
Among them were a multitude of etheric crystals.
The abyssal depths also gave birth to natural etheric crystals, and there were over ten thousand of them here. Just the value of these etheric crystals alone was astonishing. Ji Xinghuo didn't recognize most of the other items, making it difficult to assess their worth.
"Mirage Spirit Pearls!"
Suddenly, Cang Ya pointed at several bright and dazzling pearls, her eyes sparkling with delight. "Could these be Mirage Spirit Pearls?"
(End of Chapter)
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