Clearly, Keke might have come from a rare race unafraid of dragons. But Xiao Chen quickly pressed a hand down on the little creature, not allowing this troublemaking imp to act recklessly. No matter how extraordinary it was, it was still just a newborn beast. How could it possibly contend with a Lion-King Dragon?
Keke huffed in dissatisfaction a few times, then jumped onto the head of Yama.
“Don’t do that again. How long have you even been alive? That was a primeval savage dragon. You’re barely a mouthful for it! Wait until you’ve grown up before you show off your power. For now, no mischief.”
“Ya-ya-ya…” Keke waved its tiny paws fiercely, protesting in annoyance. But the gesture only made it look more adorable. Its bright, large eyes blinked, and its fuzzy body shimmered with a jade luster. It was truly a small beast that had gathered the very essence of heaven and earth.
There was no more exploration to be done. The ancient palaces on the sacred mountain were far more than one, and they were far too sinister. Xiao Chen had no intention of throwing his life away here. He turned to look at the majestic sacred mountain, shrouded in deep clouds and mist, and the mysterious palace complex that emanated an endless aura of ancient desolation and deathly stillness. Then he led the group away into the distance.
Suddenly, Xiao Chen heard a rustling sound from the forest ahead. A wave of foul, fishy odor washed over him. He quickly grabbed Keke and the three skeletons and dashed into the trees beside the path.
Under the brilliant moonlight, a hideous giant creature rushed toward them, gleaming with a golden radiance. It was a golden centipede, fully ten meters long and as thick as a water vat, with venomous miasma swirling around it.
Not long ago, Xiao Chen had seen this centipede in a marsh. He hadn’t expected it to be drawn here by the ancient relics of the sacred mountain as well. He had no desire to confront it—even a fierce dragon would likely give this creature a wide berth.
Crack, crack, crack…
The terrifying primeval venomous insect moved its hundred legs in unison. Wherever it passed, the ground and even the hard rock were torn apart by its razor-sharp feet.
Rustle, rustle…
From another part of the forest nearby, a similar sound reached his ears. Xiao Chen felt goosebumps rise on his skin. If there were more such terrifying venomous creatures around, this truly was a cursed land.
“Let’s go!” Xiao Chen was the first to rush away into the distance.
Venomous insects liked to come out at night. Who knew whether there might also be primeval giant scorpions or ancient centipedes lurking here? Though such poisonous creatures might not be as powerful as savage dragons, their venom was terrifyingly potent and extremely difficult to deal with.
Xiao Chen and his companions fled several li before finally stopping at the broken root of the sky-piercing ancient tree. Once there, that sinister feeling finally dissipated. Moreover, no ferocious beasts were howling tonight. The hazy moonlight made this area seem harmonious and peaceful.
At dawn, birds chirped melodiously, and the refreshing fragrance of flowers drifted on the breeze. Patches of morning glow edged the lush green mountains in gold, and the veil-like mist gradually dispersed.
It was a gentle, sunny morning, and the mountain ranges were filled with vibrant life.
Beside a sweet, clear spring, Xiao Chen washed his face and prepared breakfast while pondering his next move. The sacred mountain was surrounded by so many primeval savage beasts—how could he go into a mountain of treasures and come back empty-handed? He felt that, at the very least, he should obtain a dragon egg.
Watching Xiao Chen eat tender, smooth roasted meat, Keke, refusing to see what it couldn’t have, scampered away from the tempting aroma. The three skeletons were still cultivating; the lotus-mark on their foreheads blazed brightly, and their bones were increasingly taking on the quality of white jade.
That morning, Xiao Chen led the three skeletons through the surrounding mountains. To his pleasant surprise, he discovered the lairs of seven or eight fierce dragons, each valley containing dragon eggs! Was this the dragon spawning season? He suddenly recalled that the Companion Dragon King and the Ancestral Dragon were about to appear. And the dragons in this area were clearly all rare high-ranked dragons—it was very likely that some would produce a Companion Dragon King.
Throughout the morning, no savage dragons or primeval ancient beasts appeared before the sacred mountain. After surveying the area, Xiao Chen returned to the broken root of the sky-piercing tree to cultivate. It wasn’t until the afternoon that the roars of dragons resounded before that mysterious giant mountain. Xiao Chen began to prepare his plan.
“We will be leaving here soon,” he said.
According to the plan, Xiao Chen assigned tasks to each of the three skeletons: one would enter each of three dragon valleys to steal a dragon egg. He himself would personally enter the lair of the Lion-King Dragon to steal a golden dragon egg. They would then gather at the broken root of the ancient tree.
“High-ranked dragons are rare. Their eggs are peerless treasures. Though each nest has two or three eggs, you only need to take one each. We must leave some room for survival—we must not let the dragon king bloodline be completely cut off."
The soul fires in the three skeletons’ eye sockets flickered continuously. If they had had eyeballs, they would probably have been rolling them. Stealing dragon eggs and still talking about “leaving room for survival”—really…
Then they each began their tasks, disappearing into the forest.
The lair of the Lion-King Dragon was built in a lush valley. Aside from the area trampled hard as stone by its activity, the rest was untouched—the vegetation was clear and vibrant. Two golden dragon eggs lay hidden among the flowers and trees, well concealed.
Dragon eggs do not need to be incubated by the mother dragon. The lush vegetation remained undisturbed. The millstone-sized golden dragon eggs had translucent shells that sparkled with brilliant light. Amid the fragrant flora, they appeared exceptionally divine, and the surrounding plants seemed elevated by the presence of the two eggs, flowing with radiance.
These were the eggs of the most powerful Lion-King Dragon! Xiao Chen estimated that one of the two eggs—or even both—might produce a Companion Dragon King! He lifted one of the golden eggs, which shimmered with divine light, and pushed his speed to the limit as he charged out of the valley. If the Lion-King Dragon returned, not even ten lives would be enough to save him.
Soon, the three skeletons also returned successfully, each carrying a divine dragon egg that glowed with dazzling light.
How could the fierce dragons have imagined anyone so audacious? On ordinary days, not even beasts dared approach their lairs—even birds would not fly over. Their nests were forbidden grounds for all insects and beasts, so there was no need for vigilance.
Qin Guangwang brought back a Tyrant Dragon’s egg. The translucent cyan egg glowed with divine light, as striking as a blue moon. Yanluowang brought back a Sword Dragon’s egg. Its emerald shell shimmered with intoxicating radiance, like a piece of spirit jade. King of Hell brought back a Thunder Dragon’s egg, wreathed in purple brilliance—a magnificent giant egg, as though carved from purple diamonds.
Together with the golden dragon egg Xiao Chen had brought back, the four eggs lay side by side, radiating dazzling splendor. Their divine light illuminated the area, a riot of auspicious colors and myriad beams that dazzled the eyes.
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