Demonic Beast Friend

After Su Changqing followed the flood dragon for several hundred meters, the flood dragon stopped beside a waterfall and spat out a spiritual energy ball towards it, diverting the water in another direction.

The next second, Su Changqing's eyes lit up.

Beneath the waterfall, a white orchid was growing. It looked so beautiful and captivating in this swamp. This was the Desolate Orchid Water Lily that Su Changqing had been searching for.

Su Changqing controlled his flying sword and flew to the orchid. He plucked it with one hand and carefully stored it in his treasure pouch.

It was too easy!

He thought it would take a long time to find, but with the flood dragon's guidance, he found it in just two or three minutes.

"Now we're even. But I, Su Changqing, consider you a friend. If I have the chance, I'll come back here to catch up!"

With his task here completed, Su Changqing wanted to leave as soon as possible and return to the sect. He smiled and waved goodbye to the flood dragon, saying, "Big flood dragon, I'm leaving!"

"Hiss hiss hiss!"

Just as Su Changqing stepped onto his flying sword, ready to leave, he heard the flood dragon behind him calling out to him.

"You mean you want to leave with me?"

Su Changqing turned back, his face full of surprise, and asked the flood dragon.

The flood dragon didn't speak but nodded eagerly.

"But with your massive body, if you leave with me, not only will you scare others, but I also won't have anywhere to keep you."

Su Changqing said to the flood dragon after much thought.

Their meeting today meant that he and this flood dragon were destined to meet. He had helped the flood dragon shed its skin and overcome its tribulation with his formations, and the flood dragon had led him to the Desolate Orchid Water Lily needed for his breakthrough. It was a mutual achievement on another level.

Furthermore, from their earlier fight, this flood dragon was clearly no ordinary creature. Its strength was comparable to his own Unrivaled Insight, making it a fierce opponent. Even among human cultivators, such a creature was rare.

Of course, there were many cultivators in this world who kept demonic beasts as companions. Just like the protagonist in the story, Zhang Xiaofan, had a demonic beast friend named Little Gray, a Three-Eyed Spirit Monkey, which eventually grew to unimaginable strength and became a crucial combat force by Zhang Xiaofan's side.

With this thought, Su Changqing also considered taking the flood dragon with him. The problem at hand was how to conceal its nearly ten-meter-long massive body.

"Have you cultivated any transformation or shrinking techniques? If you can change your form and shrink, I can take you back to the sect, and we can cultivate together in the Qingyun Sect."

Su Changqing asked the flood dragon curiously.

The flood dragon nodded excitedly, and then a white light flashed around it. When the white light dissipated, the flood dragon's massive body was gone. It had transformed into a small, slender snake less than half an arm long.

"This is great!"

Seeing this, Su Changqing was finally relieved. He walked closer and picked up the flood dragon. The flood dragon coiled up his arm and obediently wrapped itself around his left arm.

Upon closer inspection, Su Changqing liked this little flood dragon even more. Its dark scales shimmered with iridescent colors under the light, and its pair of white wings were very peculiar. Lightning flickered faintly around the horns on its head, giving it a divine yet cute appearance.

Su Changqing stroked its snake head. The cool touch was very comfortable. The little flood dragon closed its dark, peculiar eyes, seemingly enjoying Su Changqing's touch very much.

"Alright, we are good friends now. From now on, we will cultivate the Great Dao together!"

"Hiss hiss! (Good friends! Cultivate the Great Dao together!)"

The flying sword rose, and one person and one snake embarked on the journey back.

After flying for a long time in Nine Yin Mountain, Su Changqing, who was eager to return to the sect, heard a commotion from the mountain. It sounded like two groups of people were confronting each other.

"Could it be that people from the Demonic Cult are causing trouble again?"

Su Changqing recalled that besides the people from the Demonic Cult, he hadn't seen any other forces in the mountain. He was very curious about what had happened, so he decided to investigate. He asked the little flood dragon, "Should we go and see the excitement?"

"Hiss hiss!"

The little flood dragon nodded, agreeing with Su Changqing's idea.

"Then let's go!"

Su Changqing turned his flying sword and flew towards the direction of the commotion.

The first thing that caught his eye were a group of Demonic Cult disciples. They were not setting up formations in the cave but were gathered around something, as if they had trapped another group in the center.

Besides Qiu Buping, there was another unfamiliar elder among the Demonic Cult members. He had white hair and a white beard, wore a dark green outfit, and a layer of poisonous gas faintly surrounded him.

Su Changqing found it difficult to sense his cultivation. Clearly, compared to Qiu Buping, he had reached another level. He was most likely at the Spirit Transformation realm, like his master Shui Yue.

"Such a powerful being has appeared? Could it be that this Demonic Cult has encountered a formidable enemy?"

Su Changqing frowned and hid his figure from afar to observe.

If it were just Qiu Buping alone, he could hide more carefully and be less likely to be detected. But with such a powerful being in the Spirit Transformation realm, Su Changqing dared not gamble. Even with his powerful Heaven Concealment Method, he would be instantly detected by a Spirit Transformation realm cultivator.

Not to mention, he didn't know the identity of this elder, nor did he know who the people confronting the Demonic Cult were. Acting rashly could lead to unforeseen consequences.

As Su Changqing curiously hid in the distance and observed, he heard the elder in the dark green attire speak in a deep voice to the people surrounded by the Demonic Cult disciples below, "Tian Buyi, Shui Yue, our Holy Sect has not provoked your Qingyun Sect recently. Why have you brought people here to provoke our Holy Sect?"

"Old Poison Ghost, what do you mean by 'we came here to provoke you'? Nine Yin Mountain is only tens of kilometers away from our Qingyun Sect. By all rights, this is Qingyun Sect territory. You brought so many disciples here to cause trouble on our land, and now you're trying to shift the blame?"

At this moment, Tian Buyi, standing on the ground below the mountain, surrounded by Demonic Cult disciples, replied indignantly.

Tian Buyi? Shui Yue? Qingyun Sect?

Hearing these two names, Su Changqing's heart instantly jolted.

Why were Uncle-Master Tian and Master here?

How did they end up in Nine Yin Mountain?

Moreover, they had even clashed with this group from the Demonic Cult, reaching a point where powerful figures in the Spirit Transformation realm were confronting each other. Judging by the anger in their words, it seemed they were on the verge of a fight.

A myriad of questions instantly arose in Su Changqing's mind. Even with his sharp intellect, he couldn't make sense of it all. However, knowing they were from the Qingyun Sect, Su Changqing couldn't stand by idly, no matter what.

Unfortunately, his cultivation was too low, and he could only hide far away and observe the situation.

"Oh? I haven't heard that Nine Yin Mountain is the territory of your Qingyun Sect. Could it be that you gentlemen who pride yourselves on righteousness also enjoy plundering everywhere?"

"Enough nonsense! Old Poison Ghost, you stole our spiritual treasures on our territory. Return them to us quickly, or the Qingyun Sect will not let this matter rest today!"