Chapter 489: Returning with Fruitful Results
The spring had been completely sucked into Long Xiaoxuan’s abdomen. The Rat King was flabbergasted at the sight, sighing, “Amazing, wonderful! The king of beasts, truly the royalty amongst us all! This ability to swallow the skies and devour the earth is absolutely at the peak of all beasts. Young master Long, Ole Gold is most impressed!”
The Rat King’s personality was a bit similar to Mu Gaoqi’s. They were both cautious and wary. However, the Rat King had lived for hundreds, if not a thousand years, so it’d long since grown comfortable with itself. He had more of a scamp’s air around him, the slipperiness of someone familiar with social conventions. These words were obviously to kiss up to Long Xiaoxuan and make the dragon happy.
In terms of strength and lineage, the dragon was indeed far superior to the Rat King. But in terms of age, Long Xiaoxuan actually wasn’t much older than Jiang Chen. It was just that he’d been nurtured by the spring ever since he lay curled in his egg, and some of his inherited memories had awakened before he’d hatched. It had been several hundred years or so since Long Xiaoxuan’s memories had been awakened, but he had only broken out of his egg in the last thirty years or so. Only then had his body begun to develop. Dragons were naturally proud, and didn’t possess a high emotional intelligence, so he felt quite pleased and high on the Rat King’s compliments. He even felt that the lowly Goldbiter Rats didn’t seem that ugly to his eyes anymore.
Jiang Chen knew full well what was going on, but didn’t spoil things. “Brother Long, have you finished learning the foundations of the Transformation Method?”
Long Xiaoxuan didn’t respond. He just shook his body as a faint haze of light suddenly covered his enormous body. His body started to shrink continuously beneath that light, and quickly became as small as a mustard seed.
“Well done! Hiding your true form, you’re a dragon alright!” Jiang Chen applauded and laughed, stunned at the training potential of the dragons. Human cultivators would be unable to truly master this kind of art that hid one’s form, even if they trained to the point of becoming a Great Emperor.
The waters of the spring had been thoroughly sucked dry, and all sorts of precious and exotic treasures were revealed. The Goldbiter Rats didn’t dare keep the treasures to themselves. They collected them all and offered them to Jiang Chen.
The treasures were actually the dragon’s accompanying treasures. The entire body of a dragon was a treasure, even their defecation. They would all trans.m.u.te into treasures over time, particularly when nursed by the spirit spring. All sorts of spirit stones were present in heaps and piles, whereas all sorts of spirit herbs dotted the ground.
“Brother Long, do you still want these treasures?” Jiang Chen asked for Long Xiaoxuan’s opinion.
“I long since put away the useful items.” Long Xiaoxuan was quite dismissive of what remained. Jiang Chen knew that dragons had high standards, and happily claimed all the treasures for himself. These spirit stones and herbs were absolutely an astounding amount of wealth. Even though he’d temporarily bid farewell to a shortage of resources, no one wanted to return to poverty after one bout with it in the martial world.
The further one proceeded in their cultivation, the greater the need for resources. Therefore, no one would ever think they had too many resources, only that they had too few. The finite amount of overall resources meant that it was impossible for everyone to have sufficient resources, limiting the amount of people at high cultivation levels. Ultimately, it comes down to strength, luck, and intelligence to fight for all of them.
Jiang Chen swept around in an arc and confirmed that there was nothing of value left before finally leaving. Long Xiaoxuan concealed himself and left with Jiang Chen. He could feel the dragon’s nervousness. Although the dragon was strong, with even ordinary emperor realm cultivators unsure of winning out over him, he’d never set foot outside of this area since regaining his memories. It would be a lie to say that he wasn’t anxious by this sudden departure.
“Don’t worry Brother Long, although the outside world is devious, with our strength, there’s nothing to worry about unless we run into any reclusive experts.” Jiang Chen spoke silently to the dragon.
Although Long Xiaoxuan was nervous, he wouldn’t admit to it at all. “You think too much, I just can’t bear to leave this place. Who told you that I’m worried??”
Jiang Chen smiled and didn’t say anything else. All things needed time.
They ran into no obstructions as they left, but Jiang Chen discovered that Mu Gaoqi had yet to leave because he’d been trapped by the lava region. Unexpectedly, the Lord of Lava treasured grudges. It was actually still guarding the area after so many days, just waiting for them to return.
Mu Gaoqi scratched his head with some embarra.s.sment when he saw Jiang Chen arrive. “Brother Chen, this Lord of Lava seems to have lost its mind. My strength is low and I’m not certain I can make it over. I could only wait here for you.”
Jiang Chen nodded, although Mu Gaoqi’s strength had risen by quite a bit, the effects of this remaking was destined to be less impressive when compared to the Goldbiter Rats. Most humans had no heritages or bloodlines to awaken. As such their strength wouldn’t suddenly increase explosively.
With Mu Gaoqi’s cultivation level, it was already stunning that he was touching third level origin realm by now. Jiang Chen himself had broken through to the third level, and his cultivation continued to increase in minute amounts. This Lord of Lava was likely at the peak of earth origin realm. At Jiang Chen’s current strength, he felt no pressure in facing off against the Lord of Lava.
He stood with his arms crossed, shooting forth the G.o.d’s Eye at the Lord of Lava. “Formed from the coalescence of the earth’s fires, you’ve reached your current cultivation after much effort and time. Don’t block the way, and I won’t make trouble for you.”
The Lord of Lava was already incensed, and began to scream. The lava of the lake rose, covering his body. With the added protection, the Lord of Lava quickly turned into the size of a small mountain. “Human, you are but a puny ant in front of this lord! How dare you speak so boldly!”
Jiang Chen laughed heartily, “Ant? That means you’re not moving then?”
The Lord of Lava waved its large hand and sent a torrent of heat waves cras.h.i.+ng into Jiang Chen. “Die, ant!”
Nine fire columns as thick as fire dragons churned towards the humans.
Suddenly, a black light flashed across the Lord of Lava’s body as a bafflingly strong force suddenly manifested as a water vortex, catching the nine thick fire columns.
Szzt, szzt, szzt, szzt!
The nine fire columns all vanished into the air as if they’d sunk into the depths of the sea.
“You…” The Lord of Lava was dumbstruck at the sight. It was obvious that this scene was completely out of its expectations.
Long Xiaoxuan hadn’t shown himself, but Jiang Chen knew that the dragon had made a move.
The Lord of Lava seemed to sense something, as extreme fear suddenly suffused its eyes. It shrieked like it’d seen a ghost and shrank, the enormous body suddenly turning into nothing as it fled deep into the lake.
The lake was suddenly as calm as a mirror, without a single air bubble marring its surface. This reaction speed rendered Jiang Chen speechless. He knew that the Lord of Lava must’ve sensed the dragonic aura of Long Xiaoxuan.
“Heh heh, you sure fled fast. Chalk one up to you recognizing the situation.” Jiang Chen called out to Mu Gaoqi. “Let’s go, the Lord of Lava won’t make trouble anymore.” After speaking, he turned into a streak of light and flew over the lake.
If it wasn’t for the hara.s.sment from the lava monsters, it would be an easy thing for origin realm cultivators to leisurely fly over the lake. Mu Gaoqi followed quickly when he saw Jiang Chen fly over.
At some point in this journey, he’d started to unconditionally trust Jiang Chen. If Jiang Chen said that the Lord of Lava wouldn’t dare hara.s.s them, then it truly wouldn’t dare hara.s.s them. They met with no further obstacles as they traveled through the cavern. The light of day greeted them as they took their first steps outside.
It’d been almost a month. As Mu Gaoqi breathed in the fresh air and thought about everything that had happened, he truly felt that he’d aged decades. When he thought about how those who’d entered this area was now dead without even a corpse remaining to them, while he himself had received the baptism of the spring, causing his cultivation to increase greatly and his const.i.tution advancing to an innate level, this put him in a wonderful mood.
All this was thanks to Jiang Chen. Mu Gaoqi cast a wors.h.i.+pful glance at Jiang Chen, inwardly rejoicing at his initial decision. If he hadn’t invited Jiang Chen, but any other genius of the Regal Pill Palace, he would likely be a pile of withered bones by now. Even if he hadn’t died in the hands of the Walkabout Sect, he would’ve died to Xu Gang and Yue Pan of the Great Cathedral. Had he been able to make it to the spring by some fluke, he ultimately would’ve died in Wei Wudao’s hands.
“Gaoqi, this matter ends here. Don’t mention it when we return to the sect, let’s go.”
Mu Gaoqi nodded and then seemed to think of something. He took out the spirit pearl of fire and ice. “Brother Chen, this is yours.”
Jiang Chen waved his hand, “I have no use for it. Since I gave it to you, keep it as a memento.”
Mu Gaoqi trembled slightly, how could he accept such a valuable item? “I… Brother Chen, this won’t do!”
“Keep it, I’ve given it to you.” Even though it was the treasure of a sage realm expert, Jiang Chen had the Bewitching Lotus of Fire and Ice, so he really had no need for the pearl.
At this point, Mu Gaoqi could be viewed as someone who’d gone through life and death with Jiang Chen, so using this bit of benefit to thoroughly bind Mu Gaoqi to him wouldn’t be such a bad idea either. Besides, with Mu Gaoqi’s potential and gifts now, he was destined to be an uncommon figure in the future. Gifting him the spirit pearl could be viewed as a long term investment.
Mu Gaoqi was quite touched when he heard Jiang Chen’s words. He accepted happily, feeling even more grat.i.tude towards Jiang Chen. He also made up his mind to carefully follow in Jiang Chen’s footsteps in the future.