The next morning, Mu Wanwan climbed out of bed with her entire body aching.
Mr. Dragon was already gone.
She rubbed her uncomfortable shoulders, washed up, changed her clothes, and then returned to tidy the bed.
When she straightened, her gaze fell upon several luminous pearls embedded in the cave wall. Their light allowed her to see the inscription she had struggled to read the previous night.
A hazy layer of moisture covered the carvings and slowly trickled down, resembling tears shed at a farewell.
Mu Wanwan suddenly remembered the wicked dragon’s tears from last night.
After thinking for a moment, she took paper and a brush from her mustard-seed space and copied down the entire inscription.
In truth, her cultivation was high enough that she would not forget it after looking at it several times.
Nevertheless, she still decided to write it down.
Perhaps someday, they would encounter someone who recognised these characters.
Mr. Dragon’s behaviour yesterday had been extremely unusual. Mu Wanwan guessed that “Hundun” held considerable significance to him.
Would learning the meaning of these words make him a little happier?
“Chirp~”
Mu Wanwan was only halfway through writing when Mengmeng shot out of the inner cave like a tiny cannonball, scattering black feathers across the ground.
Its little scarf had already lost a great deal of fur.
Moreover, its father—perhaps?—Mr. Dragon had been feeding it extremely well recently, causing it to grow rounder and rounder.
“Chirp, chirp!”
It was like this every morning, bursting with energy and eager to play inside the mustard-seed space for a while.
More precisely, it wanted to go inside and play with the spiritual-chicken chicks.
“Come here.”
Mu Wanwan took out three first-rank Hundred-Treasure Fruits and allowed the little fluffball to hold them before placing it inside the mustard-seed space.
Mengmeng adored the spiritual-chicken chicks.
The chicks had not grown much yet, whereas Mengmeng was becoming larger by the day. Looking at them together, it truly did resemble their father somewhat. =_=
As its old mother, there was nothing Mu Wanwan could do about this.
Mr. Dragon had reprimanded Mengmeng several times.
Although Mu Wanwan did not think Mr. Dragon was particularly qualified to lecture it, Mengmeng would angrily turn its head away each time and point its bottom towards Mr. Dragon’s handsome yet slightly distorted face.
Its old father appeared equally helpless.
Thinking of him, Mu Wanwan’s lips curved upwards, and she quickened her movements.
Therefore, by the time Mr. Dragon finished patrolling and returned with fresh food, the fragrance of pills had already begun drifting through the cave.
Perhaps it was because she had awakened divine sense ahead of schedule.
Although she was temporarily unable to guide it outside her body to observe her surroundings, her control of the pill furnace’s heat and her ability to separate impurities had improved considerably.
There were also the unpleasant “supplements” Mr. Dragon brought back.
Yes.
Mu Wanwan had now acknowledged that those sticky substances were indeed supplements.
Although their taste was indescribable, they were extremely effective at removing certain impurities from her meridians.
The first one Mr. Dragon had brought back had been the most valuable and difficult to obtain.
He had not been away for long.
Even though Mu Wanwan refined pills quickly, she had only managed to produce one batch of third-rank Snow Condensation Pills and two batches of third-rank Spirit-Recovery Pills.
As for the improved Spirit-Fortifying Pill she had devised yesterday, she was temporarily incapable of refining it again.
“You’re back?”
Hearing the sound of water outside, Mu Wanwan stored the freshly refined third-rank Spirit-Recovery Pills and suspended two of them in the air with spiritual energy.
She hurried outside in small, quick steps and looked at Mr. Dragon’s still-wet hair.
“Take the pills first.”
Mr. Dragon obediently swallowed them before handing her the object in his hand.
“Food.”
Mu Wanwan accepted it and passed him a cloth.
“What is it today?”
She examined what he had brought back with some curiosity.
“An ordinary kind of shrimp.”
Mu Wanwan did not quite believe him.
She opened the tightly wrapped pouch and discovered that it contained only crystal-clear shrimp meat.
She raised her eyes and glanced at him.
The original creature probably had not been particularly attractive.
“We’ll eat it later. It’s still early.”
Seeing that Mu Wanwan appeared ready to continue refining pills, Mr. Dragon, who had only dried half his hair, could not resist extending a long arm and catching hold of hers.
“Madam.”
“Mm?”
Mu Wanwan watched him move closer and bend down.
His thin lips pressed against the corner of hers.
She blinked.
Holding the shrimp in one hand, she placed the other against his arm and kissed his slightly cold lips.
“Mm…”
Mr. Dragon became somewhat embarrassed.
With his large hand, he tucked the long hair beside her temple behind her ear, his gaze shifting evasively.
In truth, he wanted to discuss something with Madam.
The original core inside his body probably needed only a little more before it was completely reconnected.
They had enough spirit stones, and the curse had weakened considerably. Although much of it remained exceptionally stubborn, the previous siege had given him an idea—
If he forced the curse towards the scales surrounding it, he could also transform it into a weapon.
If that worked, he would have nothing to fear in a one-on-one battle.
However, he still lacked sufficient strength to take revenge.
He would wait a little longer.
At present, his chances of successfully entering the forbidden land alone were only fifty or sixty percent.
In several more days, they would rise to eighty or ninety percent.
When that time came, he would take her with him.
Once he broke through—
He would make up for everything by giving her the grandest wedding ceremony in the world.
Strictly speaking, they had not yet performed their wedding bows.
Mr. Dragon’s lips moved slightly.
Without completing the wedding ceremony or entering into a life-and-death contract, they could not have little dragons.
Moreover, he was still learning.
Madam was also somewhat fragile at present, and he might cause her considerable discomfort.
If he did not die in the forbidden land this time, he would definitely tie her to the bed.
Human cultivators had very short lifespans.
His, however, was extremely long.
Even if she were unwilling, he would intertwine his divine sense with hers, take the Great Dao as their vow, and ensure that they lived together for all eternity.
If he died…
Mr. Dragon refused to contemplate it.
Becoming slightly fierce, he pressed his pale lips domineeringly against hers.
Mu Wanwan thought he was unexpectedly forward today.
Her heartbeat quickened, but she did not resist. Instead, she reached out and wrapped her arms around his waist.
However, before the human and dragon could remain affectionate for long, the Azure Dragon communication token sounded again.
Mr. Dragon straightened, his long eyelashes lowering.
The two of them returned to the cave and heard Bai Huan’s voice emerging from the token beside the bed.
“Lord Ao Qin, the Special Lifeform Alliance has claimed the border area near its territory as part of its own domain. Our people cannot enter.”
…
Bai Huan stood within the slums he had once refused to set foot in and gazed towards the group of special lifeforms guarding the outside of the barrier their sovereign had erected.
Secretly, he sighed in relief.
He was not a member of the Azure Dragon Clan.
Although Ao Qin had promised to divide some of the flesh among the White Dragon Clan after the blood sacrifice, Bai Huan knew perfectly well that they would probably receive only a tiny portion.
Although his position within the White Dragon Clan was relatively high, he could never outrank the White Dragon elders.
At most, he would receive one-fifth of the White Dragon Clan’s share.
That amount would probably be useless.
Therefore, he had never been particularly willing to participate in this hunt.
Now that the Special Lifeform Alliance was involved, he was even less willing.
His strength had still not fully recovered after Jin Yan tricked him last time.
He had only come this time because the clan’s alchemist had threatened him.
“Heh.”
Jin Yan, who stood beside him and had similarly been sent to lead a group, wore an expression of complete disdain.
He mocked Bai Huan openly.
“So the White Dragon Clan is filled with dragons like you—cowards who fear trouble and refuse to carry out their orders.”
“What the fuck did you say?”
Bai Huan finally lost his temper.
The two dragons looked ready to begin arguing again.
The special lifeforms watched them coldly from the side-lines.
The Fifth Elder of the Azure Dragon Clan possessed the greatest seniority. He separated the two dragons, then respectfully approached the plant-type special lifeform leading the guards.
“This esteemed—”
“Moteng Grass,” said the special lifeform.
Its entire body was purple-green, and its arms consisted of four vines.
Moteng!
Bai Huan and Jin Yan exchanged a glance before quickly looking away from each other.
Moteng was one of the most powerful special lifeforms on the continent.
It possessed the greatest strength within the Special Lifeform Alliance and was rumoured to be even more powerful than their leader, Jinjiang.
What connection did that useless dragon have with the Special Lifeform Alliance?
Why were they suddenly protecting him?
Bai Huan stared at the guards, jealousy and confusion flashing through his eyes.
Why had the Special Lifeform Alliance, which had never interfered in the continent’s affairs, chosen to protect such a useless dragon?
And if they truly cared about that crippled dragon, why had they not helped him before?
Bai Huan could not understand.
Countless possibilities passed through his mind while the Fifth Elder of the Azure Dragon Clan stepped forward.
“Senior Moteng, I am the Fifth Elder of the Azure Dragon Clan. This place originally belonged to the Dragon Clan. Might you permit us to pass?”
After hearing Moteng’s name, even the Fifth Elder felt apprehensive.
His tone was far more respectful than usual.
Moteng Grass had lived for tens of thousands of years and could not even be bothered to take him seriously.
“No.”
The Fifth Elder was so furious that his nose almost twisted, but he forcibly suppressed his anger.
“But Senior, this was originally the Dragon Clan’s territory.”
“Oh.”
Moteng Grass raised its eyes and glanced at him.
“But it isn’t anymore.”
The Fifth Elder’s expression distorted, and scales appeared across his forehead.
“Senior, I am speaking to you politely. Are you refusing us because that crippled, useless dragon who betrayed the Dragon Clan is hiding behind this barrier?”
His voice was filled with restrained fury, on the verge of erupting.
“So what if he is?”
Moteng gave him a sidelong glance.
Its expression was as infuriating as possible, almost as though it were saying:
*Defeat me first, and then we can talk.*
“You!”
The Fifth Elder was also someone who had rarely been forced to swallow his anger.
His blood rushed to his head, and he instantly transformed into his dragon form and lunged forward to bite Moteng.
Bai Huan and Jin Yan, however, both took two steps backwards.
The Fifth Elder might be stupid, but they were not.
A cultivator at the peak of the fifth rank confronting one at the peak of the sixth rank—
Even someone actively seeking death could not die that quickly.
At the instant the dragon’s teeth were about to reach it, Moteng Grass sneered.
Its body rapidly expanded, and in only a moment, it returned to its true form—
An enormous plant with one hundred and eighteen vines, each between one and two kilometres long.
More than a dozen vines thrashed wildly.
Within three breaths, they sent the enormous azure dragon crashing into the ground.
Moteng’s interior was hollow.
It flew directly above the border barrier, its thorn-covered vines waving through the air like a silent warning.
The Fifth Elder transformed back into human form in a miserable state.
Blood spilled from his mouth and nose.
His vicious gaze stabbed towards Bai Huan and Jin Yan, who had stood by and watched him humiliate himself.
“What are you standing there for? Inform Lord Ao Qin immediately. There is an extremely high chance that the useless dragon is here.”
Bai Huan did not argue with him.
He merely activated the Azure Dragon communication token around his wrist.
At the same time, inside the Special Lifeform Alliance—
The alliance leader, whose entire body was crystal-clear, was speaking with his disciple.
Leng An voiced the same question that had troubled Bai Huan.
“Master, why are we helping the Dragon Lord?”
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