Horned Dragon

"Only two Heaven Mending Pills remain." Lao Wei gently flipped his hand and took two white jade bottles from the Storage Bracelet.

Looking at the two small jade bottles carved with exquisite designs, Hao San wore a sorrowful, resolute expression.

He gently took one and examined it carefully. "Enough. Since there are still two pills left, let's make the final summoning."

Opening the small bottle, Hao San held its mouth to his lips. A drop of milky-white liquid slowly dripped out. It was extremely viscous; as it fell, it seemed to drag all the liquid in the bottle out with it, pulling it away from the bottle's mouth. Then it seemed to contract, transforming into a sphere before falling into Hao San's mouth.

He closed his mouth, swallowed gently, and casually threw the empty bottle away.

A pained expression suddenly appeared on Hao San's face. His eyes bulged as if he wanted to stare them right out of their sockets. Then, all over his body, vast quantities of white mist suddenly burst forth, gradually enveloping him.

Lao Wei, standing nearby, also wore an expression filled with sorrow and resolve.

One incense stick's time—after one incense stick's time, the white mist dispersed, revealing Hao San.

After enduring that torment for an incense stick's time, Hao San's face was still twisted by spasms of pain. Then his expression straightened and returned to normal. At that moment, his vital energy, essence, and spirit seemed completely renewed. His eyes were much brighter, and the hair that had previously turned mostly white had once again become jet-black.

"Third Prince." Lao Wei looked toward Hao San.

"Lao Wei, step back," Hao San said.

"Yes." Lao Wei immediately moved behind Hao San.

At this moment, Hao San took a deep breath. His mouth suddenly began silently chanting something. As the chant continued, it seemed as if his entire right hand had turned pitch-black, while wisps of black smoke slowly seeped from it.

Two breaths later, Hao San's eyes suddenly bulged wide. His pitch-black right palm abruptly pressed toward the ground below, and he roared.

"Da Hong, come out!"

With that roar, the black palm slammed against the ground. At the same time, the smoke rising from it suddenly became like nine black dragons made of smoke, scattering in every direction across the earth where Hao San stood. In an instant, they covered a circular stretch of ground thirty meters in diameter, centered on Hao San.

The nine black dragons were shaped like smoke, yet in an instant they were imprinted onto the earth, as if they had been drawn with black ink. No—not black ink. They were like Black Holes, Black Holes in the shape of dragons, covering the thirty-meter radius around Hao San, as if they led to some distant other place.

Then, across the plane where the nine dragons lay, countless black runes suddenly appeared. In the blink of an eye, they seemed to carve the ground below into a black sacrificial altar.

BOOM~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The black sacrificial altar suddenly erupted with vast quantities of black smoke, completely enveloping the hemispherical space above it.

Lao Wei watched from outside the perimeter, his heart filled with anxiety.

WHOOSH~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The black smoke in the area suddenly vanished, as if it had been decomposed out of existence.

The altar on the ground disappeared, and Hao San reappeared. However, his hair had once again turned white, with only a few strands of black mixed in. There was even less black hair than after he had consumed the Heaven Mending Pill.

Hao San swayed unsteadily, as if he might collapse at any moment.

Lao Wei hurried forward and caught Hao San in his arms, his face filled with worry.

Hao San's body was extremely weak, but a rare trace of joy appeared on his face. Before him stood a colossal creature.

It was a huge scarlet snake, thirty meters long. When it opened its mouth, it could swallow two people standing together whole. It raised its head, gently swished its tail, and kept flicking its tongue as it looked at Hao San.

This was what Hao San had just summoned—a huge scarlet snake.

After remaining there for a while, the giant snake slowly lowered its head and rubbed it against Hao San's arm.

Seeing the snake display such friendliness, Hao San smiled faintly. He rose from where Lao Wei was supporting him and gently stroked the snake's head.

"Da Hong, heh heh... Old Third is about to die. This might be the last time we ever meet." Sorrow appeared on Hao San's face.

The giant snake looked at Hao San. It seemed to understand his words, twisting its body as if it did not want him to die.

"It's useless. This time is different from the last. I'm definitely going to die. You've accompanied me as I grew up. For several decades, you've always stayed by my side. Among the Dragon Palace lineage, you're the only one I trust, because you're my best friend." Hao San stroked the snake's head as he spoke.

"hiss hiss hiss hiss"

The scarlet snake kept flicking its tongue, as if it could already sense the devastation to come.

Looking at Da Hong, Hao San sighed. "Your strength is at most equivalent to a human's Golden Core Stage. There are many powerful enemies outside who want me dead. You can't save me. I summoned you this time because I want you to help me bring that thing to the Dragon Palace and, later, hand it to the last remaining trace of the Hao Family bloodline."

"hiss hiss hiss hiss"

The giant snake shook its head and continued flicking its tongue.

Hao San gently took out a small wooden box made of peach wood. The box was carved with countless exquisite designs, looking like a priceless work of art.

"I only trust you, because you and I are the only ones who share the relationship of true best friends. Between us, there are no contracts or interests involved. Da Hong, this is the last time I'll ask you for help. Take this Peach Wood Box to that bloodline of my Hao Family." Hao San spoke with sorrowful resolve.

The scarlet snake looked at Hao San. Two streams of tears slowly flowed from its eyes. It opened its mouth, swallowed the Peach Wood Box, and then rubbed itself against Hao San once more.

Looking at the scarlet snake, Hao San gave a bitter smile. "Before this, I already summoned fifty of your companions. They're in the rear plaza. Go greet them first, then later begin escaping according to my instructions."

"hiss hiss hiss hiss"

The scarlet snake circled Hao San once, coiling around him. Its tongue touched Hao San's face before it slowly released him. Then it slithered toward the rear of the temple. In the rear plaza were fifty more giant snakes like it, though their colors differed.

The temple's front plaza once again held only Hao San and Lao Wei.

Lao Wei quickly stepped forward and supported Hao San.

"Third Prince!" Lao Wei called out, filled with worry.

"Lao Wei, give me the final Heaven Mending Pill," Hao San said.

Looking at Hao San, Lao Wei's face twisted with pain. He took out the last bottle from before.

Just as before, after consuming one Heaven Mending Pill, Hao San once again recovered to his peak condition. Even his hair turned jet-black once more.

After standing firmly, Hao San looked at Lao Wei. "Lao Wei, move farther away."

Lao Wei looked at Hao San with two streams of old tears on his face, then retreated a great distance.

As before, Hao San once again began the summoning. After a string of incantations—

"With all my lifespan, I summon the Dragon General!"

Hao San roared and pressed one palm against the ground again. Just as before, another altar descended from his pitch-black hand and pressed into the earth. However, this altar was five times larger than the previous one, with a diameter of one hundred and fifty meters. This mysterious altar seemed capable of transporting living beings from a distant place to this location.

The black hemispherical region of smoke appeared once more, instantly enveloping the entire plaza. Then the black smoke dispersed, revealing Hao San within.

Hao San's hair was now completely white, without a single black strand. He looked much older, and a trace of intense madness flashed through his eyes.

"Third Prince!" Lao Wei hurried forward and caught the weakened Hao San. He quickly stuffed several pills into Hao San's mouth. Though they were inferior to the Heaven Mending Pill, they still allowed Hao San to recover quickly. He straightened up. His hair did not turn black again, but his spirit had improved greatly.

Before the two of them stood a giant snake. No—it should have been a dragon. However, this dragon had only one horn, a horn like a giant blade pointing toward the heavens, and its entire body was covered in countless scales.

Horned Dragon!

The Horned Dragon was roughly one hundred and fifty meters long. Once it coiled its body, it seemed to occupy the entire plaza. It shook its head and looked at Hao San before it.

"Hao San?" The Horned Dragon actually opened its mouth and spoke in human language.

"I never expected it to be you this time. I thought it would be a Flood Dragon." Hao San smiled in surprise.

"You summoned me by using your entire lifespan to forcefully cross realms. You're eighty years old and at the Innate Stage, with one hundred and twenty years of lifespan remaining. Although, through the contract, I can only obtain one-tenth of it—twelve years—twelve years are still better than none. How could I not come? However, with your lifespan exhausted, you can only live until Hai Hour today." The Horned Dragon spoke.

"Hai Hour? That's enough. As long as you take me outside, just take me around until before Hai Hour," Hao San said.

"Sigh, who would have thought that your dignified Hao Family would fall into such a state? Oh, right—your woman finally gave birth in the Dragon Palace. However, after giving birth to a child, she died." The Horned Dragon spoke.

"She gave birth? Really? She gave birth? A boy or a girl?" Hao San immediately pressed.

"Unfortunately, it was a girl. It won't be easy for her to continue completing your Hao Family's great undertaking." The Horned Dragon spoke.

"A girl? How could it be a girl? A girl? Yes, a girl is good. A girl is good." Hao San suddenly burst into wild laughter.

"What exactly is your woman's background? After giving birth to that girl, it seemed that a surge of powerful Evil Qi rushed into the infant's body. Your woman lost all signs of life, while every plant around the infant withered completely." The Horned Dragon asked in confusion.

"That's right, that's right! Hahaha, the Myriad Evil Body—the Myriad Evil Body!" Hao San laughed excitedly.

"What? Your woman was the Nine Lifetimes Grievance Woman? You let her become pregnant?" The Horned Dragon looked at Hao San, astonishment flashing through its eyes.

"The Nine Lifetimes Grievance Woman died in all nine lifetimes because of extreme resentment. She was extremely yin and extremely evil. If she gave birth to a boy, it would have been nothing special; it would have been perfect for restoring my Hao Family Heavenly Dynasty. But if she gave birth to a girl, all the evil energy of the nine lifetimes would transfer into the infant, making her the Myriad Evil Body. Hahaha! She was also the tenth-generation bloodline summoner of my Hao Family—the final generation. She arrived just in time for that last opportunity. From now on, she can wreak havoc as she pleases. Hahahaha!" Hao San laughed wildly in excitement.

In a canyon on the outskirts of White Mist Mountain, two figures were walking toward the valley where White Mist Mountain lay.

"Don't worry. Senior Brother should be just ahead." Zhong Shan spoke to Tian Ling'er beside him.