Dragon Horse Emerges from the Luo River

"How many days has it been?"

"Three days. I never thought the Great King would be so devoted to our marquis's daughter."

"Don't call her the marquis's daughter anymore. You should call her Imperial Consort, hehe."

"Ugh!"

Di Xin sighed out a breath of stale air from his chest and sat on the stone steps, staring wistfully at the sliver of setting sun in the west. His mood was extremely low.

He waved for all the maids to leave, and Di Xin became even more dejected.

"His Majesty, the Human King, actually resorted to cheating. It's only a lousy sword. I lost the bet, but he still refused to give it to me. Does he really think I care?

"Wuwuwu! My poor Xuanyuan Sword!"

When Di Xin had tried to recruit Kong Xuan, Xuanyuan had bet Shen Nong that if Kong Xuan really joined Yin Shang, he would give Xuanyuan Sword to Di Xin. Shen Nong had also agreed to give up his mount, Dragon Horse.

Now that Kong Xuan had joined Yin Shang, Xuanyuan had shamelessly cheated. He had used Xuanyuan Sword as a template to forge a postnatal divine weapon named "Great Treasure Sword" and given it to Di Xin, claiming that what he had said that day was "my Great Treasure Sword." Shen Nong, meanwhile, had honestly handed over Dragon Horse.

At that moment, Dragon Horse was carrying "Great Treasure Sword" on its back as it hurried toward Yin Shang from Huoyun Cave.

"And I was so grateful back then that I nearly cried. In the end, I really did take that beating for nothing!"

Di Xin recalled himself in Huoyun Cave and once again lowered his head in shame.

Compared with these "old monsters," he really was too innocent. Each of them had their own schemes and ideas. From now on, he truly had to think things through more deeply and thoroughly.

As for the idea he had proposed in Huoyun Cave, he could not think about it, speak of it, or act on it now, because it was simply too crazy!

Beneath the afterglow of the setting sun, a streak of white light cut across the sky and shot straight toward Chaoge.

Di Xin sprang to his feet, delight showing on his face. He spread his right hand and summoned Kongtong Seal, activating the imprint of Shen Nong Cauldron upon it to guide Dragon Horse's way.

The white light suddenly turned in midair. Like an intercontinental missile that had locked onto its target, it plummeted straight toward Di Xin.

The white light landed lightly, revealing the figure within.

Dragon Horse was the essence of Heaven and Earth. In appearance, it had a horse's body covered in dragon scales, hence the name Dragon Horse. It stood eight feet five inches tall, resembled a camel, had wings, and could walk across water without sinking.

Under the setting sun, Dragon Horse held its head high and sized up Di Xin. A cloud of white mist spurted from its mouth and nostrils.

"My ma, I'm exhausted! Why're you rushin' me for? Don't you know I've gotten fat over the years? You even activated Shen Nong Cauldron. Tsk—look at that herbal smell all over you. Think I can't smell it? That's like putting a hat on a baby and riding a donkey—completely unnecessary!"

"Uh!"

Di Xin's outstretched hand froze in midair.

Putting everything else aside, this Dragon Horse really was native to the Luo River.

That fluent Henan accent sounded truly... wonderfully strange.

"Uh what? That old bastard Shen Nong! He made a bet and even bet me away! I've carried him around all these years for nothing! I should've gone with Fu Xi back then! What a load of crap!"

Dragon Horse snorted loudly and stamped its hooves as it cursed. Suddenly, divine light flashed on Kongtong Seal, and Shen Nong split off a clone that appeared before Di Xin.

"Senior!"

Di Xin immediately cupped his hands in greeting, but Shen Nong grabbed him by the arm.

"You're the Human King now. There's no need for such courtesy. I spoiled this Dragon Horse over the years. You'll have to be more tolerant of him in the future."

"Listen to yourself! He's supposed to tolerate me? Can he even withstand one kick from me? If you want me to protect him, just say so. Why tell him to tolerate me? This lord horse ain't servin' him! Humph!"

Dragon Horse immediately flew into a rage. It opened its mouth and spat, sending a streak of cold light straight toward Shen Nong.

Shen Nong laughed heartily and did not dodge. With a sweep of his sleeve, a five-clawed golden dragon flew out of Kongtong Seal. It opened its jaws and bit down on the cold light, revealing it to be a long sword gleaming with silver radiance.

Shen Nong waved again. The golden dragon turned around and released the sword from its mouth, allowing it to land lightly in his hand.

"This sword is not as sharp as Xuanyuan Sword, but Xuanyuan and Senior Sui Ren Shi still poured tremendous effort into it. It contains some of Xuanyuan Sword's special power and can specifically break through the physical bodies of the demon and witch races. However, do not let it stain itself with too much human blood in the future. It is inauspicious."

Di Xin accepted the long sword with both hands. As his right hand gently gripped the hilt, a bloodthirsty fiendish aura rose from the sword in an instant. It surged up his arm and attacked his soul directly.

"Disperse!"

With a furious roar, Di Xin mobilized the blood and qi throughout his body and forcibly suppressed the fiendish aura back down.

Was this the resentment and fiendish aura of humanity? It seemed to contain some other power as well. It appeared that Xuanyuan Sword might truly have been a murderous weapon forged from human flesh, blood, and souls.

"This kid ain't bad! He can suppress it in such a short time. He's a fine scallion!"

Dragon Horse dropped onto the ground and raised its two front hooves to "applaud."

Di Xin smiled awkwardly. "So, am I a fine scallion? That's truly too much praise."

"Dragon Horse is at the peak of the Taiyi Golden Immortal realm, only one step away from entering the Grand Unity realm. With him at your side, us old fellows can safely enter seclusion for a while."

Shen Nong stroked Dragon Horse's front leg, only for Dragon Horse to impatiently shove him away.

"Quit touchin' me! Quit touchin' me! I'm a stallion, a stallion, understand? Can you just touch me whenever you want?"

The corners of Shen Nong's mouth twitched several times at a speed invisible to the naked eye, and a trace of anger clearly surfaced in his eyes. This fellow is really getting carried away.

"You two can slowly get acquainted. Huoyun Cave still has matters to attend to, so I won't interfere here."

Forget it. If my clone stays here, he might get kicked twice. I'll remember this. I'll remember this.

"Kid, don't bother me when there's nothing going on, understand? I've gotten thinner lately and still need to fatten up for the winter!"

The moment Shen Nong left, Dragon Horse immediately perked up. It crossed its two front hooves and looked at Di Xin with its nostrils turned skyward.

"Finally escaped that cave! My goodness, they even controlled my mating! This is great—I'm finally free!

"Hey, kid, first prepare a top-grade palace for me, then get me eight or nine hundred maids. They don't have to be particularly beautiful—stunning beauties will do! Every day, they can loosen my muscles, brush my coat, and so on.

"As long as you serve your lord horse comfortably, you won't lack benefits!"

Without Kongtong Seal's power attached to him, Di Xin only gave off the aura of the Golden Immortal realm, so Dragon Horse completely let itself go.

"Oh? You want to loosen your muscles?"

Di Xin looked at Dragon Horse with a half-smile. With a single exertion, all the bones and tendons in his body cracked loudly in unison. His blood and qi burst from his body, transforming into the Black Bird Dharma Idol, which spread its wings and soared into the air.

With Shen Nong gone, he was free too.

"Little brat, you're still too green. Let me teach you a lesson."

Dragon Horse "stood" up, snorted loudly, and looked disdainful.

"Perfect. I have a bellyful of rage to vent too!"

With Kongtong Seal's blessing, Di Xin's aura surged all the way to the Grand Unity Golden Immortal realm.

The high-grade Innate Spiritual Treasure, Human Seed Bag, was activated by the blood-and-qi manifestation, releasing a silver light that imprisoned the space around Dragon Horse.

Di Xin spread open his right hand, and the Innate Spiritual Treasure Water-Fire Bell sprang forth. In an instant, countless rosy clouds and auspicious lights filled the air.

"Uh, Human King, let's talk this over. Don't hit my face, alright?"

Dragon Horse shrank its body, shielding its dragon face with its front hooves and its more private parts with its hind hooves, then lay stiffly on the ground.

I fell for it! How does this bastard have so many magic treasures?

"Neigh! Ashy and dusty..."