Transaction

"This Flood Dragon isn't as powerful as the ones in legends."

"But a Flood Dragon is still a Flood Dragon; its whole body is a treasure."

"Flood Dragon blood can be used for alchemy."

"Flood Dragon meat is extremely nourishing."

"Flood Dragon hide can be made into armor."

"The Flood Dragon's horns, its four claws, and its bones can all be used to temper weapons. I just don't know if the Lu Family of the Azure Flame Domain has the techniques to forge Flood Dragon horns and bones."

"Oh, and the Flood Dragon's sinews. With such a long sinew, what good things could be forged from it?"

The Mist Blades Grand Commander stood on the head of the dead Flood Dragon, facing Wu Tie and Old Tie with a smile, deliberately speaking loudly.

The Flood Dragon's entire body was a treasure.

This Flood Dragon was indeed not as formidable as those in legends, but it was still not something ordinary people could handle. Although the Mist Blades Grand Commander seemed to have slain it with ease, how much had it cost him?

Not to mention anything else, the demise of those ten Stone Giants alone made the Mist Blades Grand Commander's heart bleed.

However, as the leader of an organization, he had to remain calm and composed, as if nothing had happened.

He smiled, listing the various benefits of the Flood Dragon one by one, while his subordinates from the Mist Blades continuously let out unified cheers.

"Hoo-ha!"

"Hoo-ha!"

"Hoo-ha!"

The Mist Blades assassins raised their sabers, cheering joyfully.

How much profit could one Flood Dragon bring? How much would it increase the Mist Blades' strength?

Perhaps, with this Flood Dragon, the Mist Blades could truly dominate the Azure Flame Domain, or even expand their influence beyond it.

The Mist Blades Grand Commander smiled, his gaze like a knife, fixedly staring at the fern forest where Wu Tie and Old Tie were located. He could sense their presence, and even more so, the faint, threatening aura emanating from Old Tie.

Therefore, he deliberately spoke loudly about the Flood Dragon's benefits, intending to draw out Wu Tie and Old Tie.

More than a dozen high-ranking Mist Blades members, clad in cloaks, stood scattered at various distances. They appeared nonchalant, but in reality, no matter which direction Wu Tie and Old Tie attacked from, three to five of them could always join forces to respond.

This was a group of seasoned experts, skilled in assassination techniques and equally adept at defending against others' assassinations and ambushes.

"Old Tie?" Wu Tie tightened his grip on his spear.

'When the snipe and the clam fight, the fisherman benefits.' On their way here, Old Tie had explained the meaning of this idiom to Wu Tie.

However, contrary to Old Tie's estimation, although this Flood Dragon had caused significant losses for the Mist Blades, their overall strength had not been greatly weakened. Especially the Mist Blades Grand Commander and those dozen or so high-ranking members, they were completely unharmed.

A group of Wolf Tribe warriors excitedly surrounded the Flood Dragon, pulling out specially made large leather bags and busily stuffing the Flood Dragon's blood into them.

Lizardmen archers were also busy, cheerfully collecting the Flood Dragon scales that had fallen off due to the explosions, neatly stacking them into baskets nearby.

Hundreds of Mist Blades assassins formed a crescent-shaped skirmish line, aiming at the fern forest where Wu Tie and Old Tie were.

Many of the Mist Blades assassins had various hidden weapons ready, and if Wu Tie and Old Tie made any move, they would undoubtedly be met with a storm of attacks.

Old Tie grunted, a faint blood-red light flashing in his eyes. After a while, he nodded and slowly walked out of the fern forest.

Wu Tie was stunned and quickly followed beside Old Tie.

"The strength of this little grass snake is indeed much weaker than I estimated," Old Tie said as he walked out of the fern forest, approaching the Mist Blades Grand Commander at a leisurely pace. "However, I think I know why."

The Mist Blades Grand Commander lightly drew a curve with his saber, then tapped the Flood Dragon's horn with the tip, producing a crisp clinking sound.

He tilted his head to look at Wu Tie, then focused his attention on Old Tie.

"Oh? And why is that? I was actually prepared for significant losses, even the complete annihilation of the subordinates I brought with me... I didn't expect the losses to be so much smaller than I anticipated."

The Mist Blades Grand Commander chuckled lightly. "While this is a good thing... it feels a bit off."

Old Tie stood about thirty meters away from the Mist Blades Grand Commander, with Wu Tie positioned behind and to his side.

Old Tie calmly stated, "This little grass snake absorbed the life essence of a Sky Crystal Fiend... The Sky Crystal Fiend's life essence subtly altered its body... During this bloodline transformation, its strength did not increase; instead, it was weakened."

With a cold snort, Old Tie said sternly, "If the bloodline transformation had been completed, this little grass snake's strength would have increased by at least a hundredfold. Especially the defense of its scales... you probably wouldn't have been able to break through them."

The Mist Blades Grand Commander let out an "Oh," and lowered the hood of his cloak, revealing his face.

This Mist Blades Grand Commander, notorious throughout the Azure Flame Domain, was lean and refined. To Wu Tie, he seemed just like Master Hui, relaxed and unassuming, with no sense of danger.

"Sky Crystal Fiend? I've never heard of it... It seems you know something we don't," the Mist Blades Grand Commander said with a smile, looking at Old Tie. "I've also never seen a strange being like you... What are you?"

"I'm your grandpa..." Old Tie chuckled with a 'kaka' sound.

With a 'ch' sound, a high-ranking Mist Blades member in a cloak, standing over two hundred meters away, remained motionless, but a cold glint shot out from his sleeve, instantly reaching Old Tie and precisely hitting his forehead.

Clang!

The palm-sized short sword fiercely struck Old Tie's forehead. Sparks flew, but not a single trace was left on Old Tie's brow. Instead, the tip of the short sword chipped, spinning rapidly and rebounding dozens of meters into the air.

The Mist Blades member who attacked grunted, his body swayed, and with a wave of his hand, the short sword turned into a cold glint and flew back into his grasp.

The Mist Blades Grand Commander's face stiffened.

His eyes flickered as he intently examined Old Tie's forehead.

There wasn't even a trace left. Old Tie's brow remained as smooth as a mirror.

The pale, deathly white metal skull was incredibly smooth, yet it reflected no light. Old Tie gave off such a peculiar feeling.

"Grandpa here, is your grandpa..." Old Tie chuckled, "'Gah gah.' At least in terms of age... if I were your grandpa, I'd be at a disadvantage..."

"An ancient artifact?" The Mist Blades Grand Commander seemed to understand something. "The Lu Family, legend has it, possesses an artifact excavated from an ancient ruin. It's shaped like a human skeleton, but cast entirely in metal... It's exceptionally skilled at forging alloys."

The Mist Blades Grand Commander said gravely, "It's said that because of that ancient artifact, the Lu Family's annual output of finely crafted weapons increased by fifty percent... and their quality improved significantly."

The blood-red light in Old Tie's eyes flickered slightly, then dimmed.

The Mist Blades Grand Commander smiled and said, "If you are an artifact left from ancient times, then you are correct in terms of age... However, what you said is very unpleasant to hear. I really want to chop off your head with one strike."

Old Tie cackled.

The Mist Blades Grand Commander also laughed heartily.

Suddenly, the Mist Blades Grand Commander's figure blurred. While his form on the Flood Dragon's forehead remained, another figure appeared before Old Tie. A blade light, like a flowing silk ribbon, swept forward, striking Old Tie's neck heavily.

A crisp clang echoed, and sparks flew.

Not a single mark was left on Old Tie's neck. Countless arcs of electricity erupted from his large teeth, instantly covering an area of dozens of meters before him.

The Mist Blades Grand Commander's figure dissipated. The form on the Flood Dragon's forehead shifted from blurry to clear. Tiny electric sparks continuously shot out from him. The Mist Blades Grand Commander's long hair stood on end, making him look quite disheveled.

"Lightning power," the Mist Blades Grand Commander's body twitched slightly, an involuntary, instinctual reaction.

"However, the power isn't great..." he said with a dry laugh. "It's just that your neck is really quite sturdy."

"So, Grandpa is your grandpa," Old Tie cackled, the blood-red light in his eyes suddenly intensifying.

With a 'swish,' a blood-red light, as thin as a strand of hair, shot out from Old Tie's left eye, instantly piercing the left shoulder of the Mist Blades executive who had just attacked him with a short sword.

From over two hundred meters away, the blood-red light arrived in an instant. The Mist Blades executive had no time to react. His left shoulder was pierced by a thumb-sized transparent hole. The wound was clean, with not a drop of blood. The wound was smooth as glass, clearly revealing the flesh, tendons, and bones within.

"And what of it?" Old Tie looked at the Mist Blades Grand Commander calmly. "Grandpa here still has a few tricks up his sleeve."

The Mist Blades Grand Commander froze for a moment. His gaze immediately fell upon Wu Tie.

He smiled and pointed at Wu Tie, saying, "What if I kill him?"

Wu Tie remained silent. He immediately activated his armor, his entire body encased in the form-fitting suit. Streams of light flowed across the pale white armor, giving it a mystical appearance.

He then unleashed his Vast Righteousness Divine Ability, and a magnificent, immensely powerful aura spread outwards.

The Mist Blades Grand Commander's expression stiffened once more.

The aura of Vast Righteousness was so grand and immense that it subtly exerted a pressure on him, not at all weak.

Although Wu Tie's own strength was relatively weak compared to his, the Vast Righteousness was exceptionally wondrous. It was a pressure originating from his bloodline, from his soul.

This was an extraordinary power.

The Mist Blades Grand Commander exhaled and said gravely, "Let's not waste time on pointless arguments... What is the Sky Crystal Fiend? This Flood Dragon... what do you intend to get from it?"

Old Tie chuckled. He said calmly, "Yes, that's right. Let's all calmly discuss this."

The Mist Blades Grand Commander's face twitched.

Calmly discuss? Is this what you call a calm discussion, starting off by calling yourself 'grandpa' and taking advantage of others?

His gaze, like a knife, fixed on Old Tie. The Mist Blades Grand Commander lightly tapped one of the Flood Dragon's horns with his long saber.

Old Tie nodded and said solemnly, "A method to remove the residual toxicity of the Sky Crystal Fiend from the Flood Dragon's body, in exchange for two dragon horns, and those two arms from the crystal."

The Mist Blades Grand Commander's face immediately turned very displeased. "Dragon horns? That's excellent material for refining divine weapons..."

Old Tie immediately turned to leave. As he walked, he said, "Then, you try it. Have your subordinates drink a couple of mouthfuls of Flood Dragon blood..."

"Wait!" the Mist Blades Grand Commander shouted immediately, and waved his hand.

Old Tie chuckled. He turned around and looked at the Mist Blades Grand Commander without a word.

The weakest Lizardman archer was selected. The Mist Blades Grand Commander personally held a leather bag filled with Flood Dragon blood and poured about a large bowlful into the Lizardman archer.

After about fifteen minutes, the scales on the Lizardman archer's body began to emit a white, crystal-like glow. The structure of the scales started to change subtly.

At the same time, all the spirituality in his eyes rapidly dissipated. A cold, crystalline light surged from the depths of his pupils, and his aura turned icy.

The Mist Blades Grand Commander, holding the large leather bag, stared intently at the transforming Lizardman archer, saying nothing.

Old Tie said calmly, "This is the evil power of the Sky Crystal Fiend... Their aura infects all intelligent beings, turning them into puppets of the Sky Crystal Fiend. No thoughts, no desires, no fear, no pain... The only benefit is a very long lifespan."

Old Tie chuckled and raised a claw, pointing at the Flood Dragon's corpse lying on the ground. "This big fellow, because of its massive size, only licked up so much of the Sky Crystal Fiend's life essence, and it's only on the verge of transformation."

"As for this unlucky kid, his size is too small, and his vitality is too weak," Old Tie said calmly. "You can try it. How much Flood Dragon meat do you think you'd need to eat to become like this unlucky kid... a fiend puppet?"

The Mist Blades Grand Commander frowned and stared intently at Old Tie for a long time.

After a while, he looked again at the crystal, and at the two arms and the massive head sealed within the crystal.

"This is the head of the Sky Crystal Fiend? Then, these two arms..." he asked Old Tie.

"This is the head of the Sky Crystal Fiend. These two arms... they are my arms from back in the day," Old Tie sighed mournfully. "These are my arms. It's only reasonable for Grandpa to take them back, right?"

"Hand over the goods for the money," Old Tie said solemnly. "Grandpa will give you the method to eliminate the residual poison of the Sky Crystal Fiend in exchange for two dragon horns, and Grandpa's two arms."

Several cloaked Mist Blades executives stepped forward a few paces. One of them leaned in and whispered something into the Mist Blades Grand Commander's ear.

The Mist Blades Grand Commander was silent for a long, long time, before finally nodding slowly.

"So be it... but with one condition: from now on, this secret realm will be Mist Blades territory. You are not to disturb it."

The Mist Blades Grand Commander recalled the large pit he had surveyed on-site, which Old Tie had blasted out with a mighty blow.

He wasn't particularly afraid of the power of that strike, but if he still had so many assassins and slaves under his command, and if Old Tie had directed that attack at the heart of the Mist Blades stronghold, the losses would have been immense.

Wu Tie and Old Tie exchanged a glance.

After a period of silence, Old Tie spoke softly, "This place is isolated from the world and isn't a good location to begin with."

"We will not interfere with each other... and when the little one cultivates to a certain level and wishes to leave, you are not to stop him," Old Tie stated his own condition.

The Mist Blades Grand Commander was silent for a while, then he suddenly laughed, stepped back a few paces, and cleared the path leading to the crystal.

Old Tie let out a whistle.

Under the Mist Blades Grand Commander's shocked gaze, a swarm of Metal Spiders rapidly emerged from the fern forest and nimbly surged towards the crystal.

Barely fifteen minutes later, the crystal was broken open by the Metal Spiders, and two long, slender metal arms were retrieved.