Chapter 2009 Tricked
Elder Yuan and the others didn’t bother concealing their traces too much, so the Serpentine Dragon had also noticed their presence as well. Gazing upon them coldly, its voice resounded thunderously, “Human, did you think that you can lure me in with mere Dragon Blood?”
In face of the imposing Serpentine Dragon, Elder Yuan stepped forward calmly and said, “I know that you have already noticed us long ago. How could someone of your caliber be oblivious to the presence of intruders in your territory? I also know that the reason why you refused to appear is because you wanted to see the treasure we have to offer you!”
Incredible power gushed forth from Elder Yuan’s body as he spoke, as if signaling that he was no pushover either.
“Heavenly High Immortal?” Zhang Xuan muttered beneath his breath.
Elder Yuan had an appearance that seemed as if he was in his early forties, but who could have thought that he was actually a Heavenly High Immortal expert! The aura he emanated was even stronger than that of Elder Chou Huo.
It was no wonder why so many elders had gathered here to support him. He did possess extraordinary capabilities.
“Everything else is just empty talk. If you want to tame me, you need to prove that you are even stronger than me!” the Serpentine Dragon harrumphed.
Considering how long these fellows had been lingering around the area, it was obvious to it that they were here to tame it. Just as what Elder Yuan had said, the reason why it chose not to make a presence till now was to see what kind of treasure they had come with to lure it in.
If the treasure they had prepared wasn’t enough to win it over, it would just have its subordinates chase them away.
If they were sincere enough to bring something that could catch even its eye, it could at least consider facing them.
As one who possessed the Dragon Bloodline, it had never really feared a fight before.
“You wish to challenge my strength?” Hearing those words, Elder Yuan chuckled softly. “I admit that I am not a match for you in terms of strength. However, my capabilities don’t just stop at being able to refine Dragon Blood. I am also capable of refining the Dragon Bloodline within your body as well!”
“Refine my Dragon Bloodline?”
The Serpentine Dragon was stunned for a brief moment before its eyes narrowed in astonishment.
The reason why the Dragon Tribe was so powerful was mainly due to its Dragon Bloodline. If the other party was truly able to refine its Dragon Bloodline, there was a possibility that it might be able to overcome its bottleneck as a Serpentine Dragon and evolve into a true Pureblooded Dragon!
This was an irresistible offer to any single member of the Dragon Tribe!
“How can you prove that you possess such capabilities?” the Serpentine Dragon harrumphed.
“Shouldn’t this bottle of Dragon Blood more than sufficient as evidence? Given your eye of discernment, you should be able to tell that this Dragon Blood originated from a Serpentine Dragon like you. However, I was able to refine it to a level near to that of a Pureblooded Dragon, and that’s more than enough to prove my ability! This is a rare opportunity for you to evolve into a Pureblooded Dragon. It’s up to you whether you wish to grasp it or not!” Elder Yuan replied confidently.
An opportunity to become a Purebooded Dragon was simply too great for anyone in the Dragon Tribe to resist. He didn’t believe that the Serpentine Dragon would be able to resist the allure.
“I must admit that you have brought an extremely moving proposition to me…” the Serpentine Dragon replied slowly. “However, even if what you said is true, you’ll still have to prove your worth in order to tame me. Come, show me whatever capability you have in store. If you can’t even stand your ground before me, you need not dream of returning back alive!”
Boom!
In the next moment, the Serpentine Dragon tore its claws down, causing the surrounding s.p.a.ce to freeze. Rampaging might gushed into the surroundings, whipping up a furious storm.
“Formidable,” Elder Yuan remarked with a light chuckle. “However, I knew that you would resort to this move. I have also prepared my hand as well.”
With a wave of his hand, a round sphere appeared on his palm. It emanated a brilliant radiance.
“That’s the Northern Sea Dragon Orb?” Elder Liao remarked in astonishment.
The other elders were also surprised by the artifact that Elder Yuan had just brought out.
The Northern Sea Dragon Orb was a treasure unique to the Northern Sea. It was an artifact that could produce lifelike illusions, and it was particularly deadly toward those of the Dragon Tribe.
It was said that the master of the Ethereal Hall had used this artifact to bait a Pseudo Dragon from the Hall of G.o.ds out back then!
There was a strict hierarchy in the Dragon Tribe. Those who possessed only a sliver of the Dragon Bloodline couldn’t even be considered as a part of the Dragon Tribe. Even the Serpentine Dragons were only the weakest members of the Dragon Tribe.
Towering above the Serpentine Dragons were the Pseudo Dragons, and last but not least, the Pureblooded Dragons. Even the weakest of the Pseudo Dragons was at Semi-Divinity realm, but the Northern Sea Dragon Orb was still able to lure it out from hiding. Just from this, it was apparent how deadly its charm was toward the Dragon Tribe.
That being said, the Northern Sea Dragon Orb was a particularly rare naturally occurring artifact, and the Northern Sea stretched on for millions of li, making it nigh impossible to find the Dragon Orb.
There were beast tamers who roamed the Northern Sea for their entire life, only to never catch a glimpse of it. As a result, its existence was highly controversial, and there were many who viewed it as an artifact that only existed in the legends…
Who could have thought that Elder Yuan would have actually managed to find one?
It seemed like he had really gone all out in order to tame this Serpentine Dragon!
With how prepared he was, the position of the sect leader was most likely his to take.
As soon as the Dragon Orb appeared, the eyes of the Serpentine Dragon in the air glazed over with confusion. It seemed as if it was in an intoxicated state.
“Hehe!”
Having expected such an outcome, Elder Yuan chuckled softly. He leaped into the sky, and with a flick of his wrist, he tossed the Northern Sea Dragon Orb toward the side. Utterly infatuated with the artifact, the Serpentine Dragon immediately chased after the Dragon Orb.
Huhuhu!
As Elder Yuan controlled the Dragon Orb, the Serpentine Dragon would move in accordance as well. Mirroring the Dragon Orb, the Serpentine Dragon twisted and turned its body, causing sonic booms to echo in the air from the sheer weight of its motions.
“That is… Teasing the Dragon!” Elder Liao exclaimed with glowing eyes.
“Those of the Dragon Tribe are known to be extremely haughty, and every single one of them is a huge bundle of pride. They would not submit to another even if they were defeated. The reason why Elder Yuan is using the Dragon Orb to lure the Serpentine Dragon is to break its pride and crush its dignity. At the same time, this would deplete its stamina, thus leaving it powerless to retaliate later on…”
The crowd nodded in agreement.
There were different known ways to tame a Serpentine Dragon, but Teasing the Dragon was known to be the most efficient, especially since it tackled both the mental and physical state of the dragon.
The pride of a dragon would prevent it from submitting even when it was defeated and its life was at stake. Thus, it was to crush its pride and dignity first.
Huhuhu!
While they were chatting, the movements of the Serpentine Dragon grew more and more vigorous under the teasing of the Dragon Orb. It flew higher and higher, gradually pulling distance away from them.
It didn’t take long for Elder Yuan and the Serpentine Dragon to become dots in the sky.
Seeing this sight, Zhang Xuan couldn’t help but frown.
Something is wrong here…
He sensed that something was amiss, but he couldn’t really tell what was wrong here. If he really had to point it out, it would be that… the Serpentine Dragon simply fell for everything too easily!
The old man that had ferried him over told him that the Myriad Beasts Hall had dispatched many experts to tame the Serpentine Dragon, only to end in defeat each and every time. Since that was the case, the Serpentine Dragon should have been guarded against Elder Yuan…
But why did the Serpentine Dragon still fall for the Dragon Orb so easily?
Was the Dragon Orb really that potent, or…
It’s acting a little too recklessly. To be lured out by the Dragon Blood and challenge Elder Yuan so carelessly…
Zhang Xuan had tamed beasts possessing the Dragon Bloodline before, and he knew just how prideful they could be. As attractive as Elder Yuan’s Dragon Blood was, it was not enough for the Serpentine Dragon to lose its rationality.
Furthermore, even if the Serpentine Dragon were to lose its cool, it should have made a move right away. There was no way it would have wasted its words on so much nonsense and ended up giving Elder Yuan an opportunity to exploit its weakness…
No matter how he looked at it, the situation seemed inconceivable to him.
Perplexed, Zhang Xuan didn’t rush to make a move. Instead, he chose to continue a.s.sessing the situation for the time being.
Unknowingly, Elder Yuan, who should have been baiting the Serpentine Dragon with the Dragon Orb, ended up getting further and further away from the surface, such that it was getting hard to see him.
Hu!
And at this vital moment, there was suddenly a surge of wind echoing in the air. A gray-robed elder was rus.h.i.+ng in their direction.
Before even landing on the ground, the gray-robed elder had already spurted a mouthful of blood. There was a bloodied depression in his chest, and fresh blood was flowing down his body.
He was severely injured.
“Elder Liao, we need to leave right now!” the gray-robed elder exclaimed anxiously.
“Elder w.a.n.g, didn’t you set off with Elder Liu to tame the Nine-headed Fiery Phoenix? Why are you here? Where are the others?” Elder Liao asked anxiously as he quickly fed Elder w.a.n.g two pills in order to curb the latter’s injuries.
The two candidates to become the sect leader were two of the more popular beast tamers. One of them was Elder Yuan, and the other one was Elder Liu. As for the rest of them, they were just here to play a supporting role.
Elder w.a.n.g was one of the elders who had chosen to help Elder Liu tame the Nine-headed Fiery Phoenix. Given so, why would Elder w.a.n.g suddenly appear here with such severe injuries?
“We have fallen for their tricks… the Nine-headed Fiery Phoenix, Serpentine Dragon, and Seven-tailed Swordfang Tiger have banded together in order to deal with us. Elder Liu was killed on the spot, and the other elders had also sustained severe injuries. I’m the only one who has managed to escaped…” Elder w.a.n.g said as he recovered a little bit of his strength.
“The three immortal beasts have banded together? When did that happen?” Elder Liao asked anxiously with narrowed eyes.
“Just a moment ago! The other elders urged me to rush over to inform you while they hold them back. If not for that, they would have already been here by now!” Elder w.a.n.g exclaimed. “We must leave right now, or else it would really be too late…”
“Just a moment ago? That’s not right… Elder Yuan has just lured the Serpentine Dragon away, so how could it have collaborated with the Nine-headed Fiery Phoenix and the Seven-tailed Swordfang Tiger over at your end?” Elder Liao shook his head in disbelief.
The Serpentine Dragon had been here for a while now, and its attention had been firmly caught by the Northern Sea Dragon Orb. How could it have banded together with the others then?
“Ah? The Serpentine Dragon is here? But that’s impossible!” Elder w.a.n.g exclaimed incredulously. “No matter what, we have to leave right now…”
Halfway through Elder w.a.n.g’s words, he suddenly narrowed his eyes as his body stiffened entirely. Tracing his line of sight, the crowd saw a Serpentine Dragon, a Phoenix, and a Swordfang Tiger soaring over from afar.
Their movements were so swift that it only took them a few moments to arrive above them.
“How could it be?” Elder Liao was stunned.
He quickly turned his gaze toward Elder Yuan’s direction and saw the latter still manipulating the Dragon Orb around to control the Serpentine Dragon.
How could another one appear at this moment? Could it be that… there were actually two Serpentine Dragons on the Ascendant Cloud Mountain?