Seeking Death

"Heh heh heh. In such a short time, I have recovered to the Void Refining Stage. If I devour a little more vital blood, I should soon return to the Tribulation Crossing Stage."

Not far behind the Thousand-Mile Shuttle followed a four-legged beast with wings growing from its back. After sensing something, its breathing involuntarily became rapid.

"A true dragon! There is a true dragon nearby!"

Having said that, the four-legged beast spotted the Thousand-Mile Shuttle flashing past in the distance, and a hint of greed flickered through its eyes.

"As long as I can devour a true dragon, I will have enough confidence to swiftly recover to the Dao Integration Stage! Consider yourselves unlucky! Heh heh heh."

With that, the four-legged beast flapped its wings and raced toward the Thousand-Mile Shuttle at a terrifying speed. Yet just as it was about to destroy the shuttle, it saw a black figure appear before it at some unknown moment.

Four-legged beast: ??????

Before the four-legged beast could react, Thousand Ghost King seized it directly by the neck.

"What? This man is a Tribulation Crossing Stage cultivator—and a demonic cultivator at that!"

The four-legged beast's face was filled with disbelief. As a demon king of the Tribulation Crossing Stage, he could naturally sense the aura of that realm. In his perception, Thousand Ghost King's cultivation was far stronger than his own.

"Senior, spare my life. I was merely passing by."

The four-legged beast said sheepishly, only to receive a look from Thousand Ghost King as though he were an idiot.

"You think I would believe that? Be good and get on your way!"

As Thousand Ghost King spoke, a terrifying suction force erupted from his hand, drawing in every trace of vital blood from the four-legged beast's body.

Before a Mid-stage Tribulation Crossing cultivator, the four-legged beast, which had only recovered a little of its strength, naturally had no chance of escaping Thousand Ghost King's grasp.

"I hate this!"

The four-legged beast said angrily, but he was soon thoroughly slain by Thousand Ghost King. After killing the beast, Thousand Ghost King could not help but frown.

What he could absorb was not merely his opponent's vital blood, but also their memories. This was also why Thousand Ghost King had been able to break through to the Tribulation Crossing Stage in just ten thousand years.

Without any hesitation, Thousand Ghost King quickly returned to the Thousand-Mile Shuttle.

"Is everything taken care of?"

Lu Jiuyuan asked calmly, but the expression on Thousand Ghost King's face told him that matters were not so simple.

"Yes, everything has been dealt with. But the other party was a demon beast at the initial Tribulation Crossing Stage that had possessed another body and started cultivating anew."

Thousand Ghost King told Lu Jiuyuan every detail he had learned from the other party's memories.

"A demon king at the Tribulation Crossing Stage in a place this small? And he was backstabbed to death by his own brother?"

Lu Jiuyuan said in surprise. From Thousand Ghost King, he learned that—

At his peak, the other party had been a Sky Swallowing Python that had just broken through to the initial Tribulation Crossing Stage. However, he had been ambushed by his elder brother, who wanted the Sky Swallowing Bloodline within him to purify his own bloodline and strengthen himself.

He had merely never expected his younger brother to abandon his body without hesitation, fleeing the territory with the Sky Swallowing Bloodline in his Nascent Soul.

Only after many twists and turns had he arrived here.

"Still, the Sky Swallowing Bloodline is of no use to Aotian. Let's keep it for now."

Looking at the Sky Swallowing Bloodline Thousand Ghost King had taken from the four-legged beast, Lu Jiuyuan shook his head. Although the Sky Swallowing Bloodline was powerful, it was nothing before a true dragon bloodline.

The reason the Sky Swallowing Python had become a four-legged beast was simply that his Nascent Soul had been on the verge of dissipating at the time. To survive, he had chosen a four-legged beast with relatively great potential.

But at that moment, Li Qingping stared fixedly at the Sky Swallowing Bloodline in Lu Jiuyuan's hand, a trace of longing surfacing in her eyes.

"What is it?"

Lu Jiuyuan naturally noticed and asked in surprise.

"Jiuyuan, could you sell me the Sky Swallowing Bloodline? I am willing to pay a high price for it."

Li Qingping took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down.

"A high price? Fine. We are friends, after all. Just give me whatever you think is appropriate."

Lu Jiuyuan shook his head. In any case, he had no use for the Sky Swallowing Bloodline.

"In that case, let's go by the market price. A portion of Sky Swallowing Bloodline origin usually costs around one hundred million top-grade Spirit Stones. But the origin in your hand is somewhat incomplete, so how about I offer fifty million top-grade Spirit Stones?"

Li Qingping spoke with a serious expression. The price left even Lu Jiuyuan somewhat dazed, and he blankly looked down at the origin in his hand.

Even he had not expected that a mere portion of origin would be worth as much as one hundred million top-grade Spirit Stones.

Without hesitation, Lu Jiuyuan directly handed the Sky Swallowing Bloodline to Li Qingping.

"As for the money, you can give it to me later."

Lu Jiuyuan said generously. After all, he was not particularly short on Spirit Stones at the moment.

"Mm. Don't worry, I will definitely give it to you as soon as possible."

Li Qingping took a deep breath, then looked at Lu Jiuyuan.

"Thank you, Jiuyuan. You truly are a good person."

"Hey, don't go around calling me a good person. That carries a huge taboo."

Upon hearing Li Qingping's words, Lu Jiuyuan hurriedly said. Was this a joke? Was she already giving him a good-person card?

Although Li Qingping was somewhat surprised that Lu Jiuyuan would not let her call him a good person, the urgent matter was to tell her royal father that she had found the Sky Swallowing Bloodline.

Meanwhile, Li Xuan, who was handling state affairs in the capital, soon noticed the message Li Qingping had sent him and opened it curiously.

"Royal Father, I have found the Sky Swallowing Bloodline. The Guardian Beast of the Nation's problem can soon be resolved."

Hearing this, Li Xuan immediately lost his composure.

"Are you certain?"

Soon afterward, he received every detail Li Qingping had told him.

Without hesitation, Li Xuan rushed anxiously into the depths of the Imperial Family. This place was known as the forbidden ground of the Yuanwu Kingdom; even members of the Imperial Family were not permitted to enter lightly.

Before long, Li Xuan arrived in the depths of the forbidden ground. Yet no one would have expected that a deep pool lay within its depths.

As he arrived before the deep pool, he saw a faint pale mist still lingering above its surface.

"Sky Swallowing Python, come out and speak!"

As Li Xuan's words fell, the formerly tranquil surface of the lake quickly began to shake, and the pool water became violently turbulent.

Amid the surging waves, a massive figure emerged above the pool. At a glance, it was precisely a Sky Swallowing Python!