An Infant Emperor Beast, the Nine-Headed Flame Dragon!

The little dragon on the stone pillar was called a dragon, but it actually looked more like a flood dragon.

But Li Daochen knew that this infant emperor beast could keep transforming!

For now, he was indeed a little fire flood dragon, but once he grew up, he would become a flame dragon!

After that, every time his strength rose by a stage, he would grow another head, until he had nine.

At that point, he would be the emperor beast, the Nine-Headed Flame Dragon!

In his previous life, Yang Chen had raised this little fire flood dragon into a Nine-Headed Flame Dragon!

And the emperor beast Nine-Headed Flame Dragon could command all the flames in the world, making him a true sovereign of fire!

Li Daochen also knew that this Nine-Headed Flame Dragon had exceptional talent. Otherwise, he would never have been sealed here for so many long years, with his growth halted.

Ordinary experts simply could not have put him in such a state!

The great formation around them was actually terrifying too; it had merely deteriorated and weakened over the long years.

And the way to awaken him was simple: he only needed to consume some blood essence related to the dragon bloodline.

Li Daochen had the Holy Dragon Bone, so he barely met that requirement. Moreover, he could use the process to form a contract with him.

This was an opportunity that came once in ten thousand years. If the Nine-Headed Flame Dragon had not been sealed and left sleeping for so long, he would never have acknowledged a master.

Without hesitation,

Li Daochen stepped forward, forced out a drop of blood essence, and drew an orthodox contract pattern on the Nine-Headed Flame Dragon's head.

In an instant, the pattern vanished into the Nine-Headed Flame Dragon's body, and a feeling as though their bloodlines were connected arose spontaneously.

This was not an exceedingly strict master-servant contract. It was closer to a bloodline contract, deepening their connection without having any adverse effect on the Nine-Headed Flame Dragon.

The next moment, a streak of dragonfire actually shot out of Li Daochen's body and began burning the Holy Dragon Bone that had become the Dragon-Imprisoning Cage!

For a time, the flood dragon's remnant soul screamed, while Li Daochen's Holy Dragon Bone rapidly healed!

"It can even heal the Holy Dragon Bone?" Li Daochen was overjoyed. In that short time, a tenth of the Holy Dragon Bone had healed!

This was the feedback from forming a contract with the Nine-Headed Flame Dragon!

That was indeed how it worked: the higher a spirit beast's bloodline, the greater the feedback from forming a contract with it!

From now on, every time the Nine-Headed Flame Dragon transformed, Li Daochen would receive a gift. Even in ordinary times, Li Daochen's physique would strengthen gradually, bringing him ever closer to the dragon race!

"No wonder Yang Chen's Battle Holy Dragon Physique surpassed all others throughout history in my previous life, far outstripping his predecessors!" Li Daochen understood, and was even more delighted.

Just then,

Aow... A childish dragon roar rang out, and the Nine-Headed Flame Dragon opened his eyes, which were as gorgeous as fiery red rubies.

He was a little bewildered, but instinctively moved closer to Li Daochen. The formation of the contract made him naturally assume that Li Daochen was his family.

Gradually, the Nine-Headed Flame Dragon grew lively. He jumped onto Li Daochen's shoulder, nuzzled him repeatedly, and kept letting out little roars.

Li Daochen's icy expression softened somewhat, and he showed a faint smile.

"I'll call you Little Fire for now. When you're old enough to understand, you can choose a new name for yourself." Li Daochen casually gave this future emperor beast an utterly commonplace name.

The Nine-Headed Flame Dragon, now named Little Fire, was delighted. He flapped his little wings, took flight, and circled Li Daochen without stopping.

Li Daochen smiled, glanced around, and headed out with Little Fire.

Apart from Little Fire, there were no treasures here.

Outside,

Although Li Daochen had only been inside for a short while, Yun Qingshui was watching with eyes strained from waiting, terrified that he would kick the bucket in there.

If he comes out right now, I swear I won't look for a man for a hundred years... Yun Qingshui's thoughts ran wild, and she even made a solemn oath.

Then,

Yun Qingshui saw Li Daochen walk out.

Yun Qingshui: "..."

As Li Daochen approached, Yun Qingshui could not help complaining, "Why did you come out so quickly?"

Li Daochen's eyelid twitched. Ignoring Yun Qingshui's crazy talk, he instead asked Little Fire whether he could undo the golden flame chains.

Seeing this, Yun Qingshui grew curious. "That's the opportunity in the altar? A mixed-blood flood dragon?"

Little Fire was gold and red, and he did look like a mixed-blood. But what Yun Qingshui did not know was that the Nine-Headed Flame Dragon was the same color.

Li Daochen chuckled twice but did not explain.

At that moment, Little Fire nodded to Li Daochen and flew toward Yun Qingshui. He sucked in with his dragon mouth, and the golden flame chains flew toward him all at once and were swallowed.

After eating them, Little Fire gave Yun Qingshui a provocative look and let out a burp.

So you're the one who called this dragon a mixed-blood?

Yun Qingshui was astonished. She looked Little Fire over from every angle, but he still seemed to be a mixed-blood fire flood dragon without a single strong point.

Flood dragons were fairly precious spirit beasts, and her master had a pureblood ice flood dragon. Mixed-bloods were precious too, but they were much weaker than purebloods and had great difficulty growing up.

Yun Qingshui was used to seeing purebloods, so naturally she did not find a mixed-blood anything special.

Still, this fire flood dragon seemed to have some ability. He had simply swallowed the golden flame chains that even she could do nothing about.

Of course, Yun Qingshui was merely surprised.

This fire flood dragon was ugly, and she did not think much of him.

Besides, Li Daochen had just saved her. She would never turn around and fall out with him.

"You saved me. How would you like me to repay you?" Yun Qingshui paid Little Fire little further attention, fixing her eyes intently on Li Daochen as she blinked. After such a dramatic reversal of fortune, she felt a great deal of goodwill toward him.

Li Daochen paused, then shook his head. "It was nothing."

With that, Li Daochen left with Little Fire.

Demanding repayment for a favor was undoubtedly a very foolish thing to do, and it would make Yun Qingshui look down on him.

What he wanted was for Yun Qingshui to offer her help of her own accord!

"Hey, hey, you really don't want anything?" Yun Qingshui's eyes widened. "Treasures, cultivation methods, pills... I can give you all of them!"

"I don't need anything!" Li Daochen waved a hand without looking back.

Yun Qingshui stood there in a daze.

For the first time in her life, she had met someone who refused treasures even when they were offered for free!

Extremely curious, Yun Qingshui hurried after him and asked, "Who are you? You're so young, yet your attainments in formations are so high. How come I don't remember anyone like you in the local formation master circles?"

Remembering how she had wanted to give Li Daochen pointers earlier, Yun Qingshui's face reddened slightly.

Good, she's coming after me...

Li Daochen thought, still saying nothing.

Yun Qingshui immediately grew dissatisfied and pestered him, chattering away with questions.

At last, Li Daochen seemed to grow impatient and said, "My name is Li Daochen, a cultivator of the Battle Sect."

"Ah, I know, I know! The one born with a Holy Dragon Bone. I heard someone impersonated you a while ago, didn't they...?" Yun Qingshui immediately cried out.

Yun Qingshui had entered the Myriad Dragons Ruins just over a month ago, and the Battle Sect was nearby, so she happened to have heard about it.

Li Daochen raised an eyebrow. He had not expected Yun Qingshui to know, but that saved him an explanation.

His eyes abruptly turned cold. "I'm the real one!"

With that,

Li Daochen quickened his pace.

Yun Qingshui froze, then her eyes filled with a blazing hunger for gossip, and no fewer than ten melodramatic stories sprang to mind.

"So the one at the Battle Sect now is the impostor?" Yun Qingshui caught up with Li Daochen with ease and asked cautiously.

Li Daochen gave a cold snort.

"How about I stand up for you?" Seeing that he did not deny it, Yun Qingshui immediately made the suggestion in righteous indignation.

"...Why would I need your help? I'll settle this with my own hands!" Li Daochen said coldly, then swept his sleeve and left.

Yun Qingshui pouted, feeling that her good intentions had been treated like a donkey's liver and lungs. But on second thought, Li Daochen must be a proud man who wanted to take revenge with his own hands.

Thinking this, Yun Qingshui looked at Li Daochen's upright back, admiration entering her eyes.

If it were anyone else, once they heard where she came from, they would probably come crying and shouting to cling to her thigh!

But Li Daochen had not!

What a fine young man. That scoundrel impersonating him really deserves to die...

Yun Qingshui chased after him again, secretly making up her mind that if everything was true, she would definitely stand up for Li Daochen.