Atop the mountain, Long Jiuyyao lay on his back, gazing at the rising sun. Its light illuminated the darkness in the distance, while countless demon beasts stirred beyond the Dragon Domain.
Beside him, the Mighty Lion, now half a meter tall, was also gazing toward the distant sunrise.
Long Jiuyyao looked at Jin Ming, whose body had changed dramatically, and chuckled. "Jin Ming, you've gotten so big I can't carry you anymore!"
"Roar!" Jin Ming growled softly.
Just yesterday, Jin Ming had been no bigger than a cat. Now its body was several times larger, and it had clearly reached the Early Earth Origin Realm.
The Flood Dragon Meat and Spiritual Medicine it had eaten must have caused this transformation overnight.
Long Jiuyyao stood up, stretched, and called Jin Ming to leave the mountaintop.
Long Jiuyyao was taking his daily medicinal bath, while Jin Ming gnawed on the Demon Crystal he had given it—the crystal of the Origin Core Realm Thunder Pattern Fierce Lion they had slain.
It wasn't that Long Jiuyyao couldn't provide a higher-grade Demon Crystal. Jin Ming was only at the Early Earth Origin Realm, and consuming a crystal from an Origin Core Realm demon beast was already its limit. It would also need some time to refine it, so an Origin Core Realm Demon Crystal was best for now.
Half an hour later, Long Jiuyyao dressed and stepped outside, taking Jin Ming with him as they left the Courtyard.
He took out the Secret Treasure Map and confirmed their direction. Then Long Jiuyyao climbed onto the lion's back, and Jin Ming set off at a swift run. Man and lion journeyed alone toward the Secret Treasure Land.
The night before, Long Jiuyyao had asked Yuan Gan for the map. He wanted to travel to the Secret Treasure Land alone with Jin Ming instead of accompanying the elders. He also planned to enjoy the Dragon Domain's scenery along the way, during the month-long journey.
Yuan Gan had naturally agreed. After all, what place in the Tian Xuan Continent could be safer than their home, the Dragon Domain? If anything unexpected happened, he could reach them in an instant.
The Golden Sun Nether Lion was incredibly fast, and its keen senses helped it avoid many dangerous places. By noon, it had already covered over a hundred miles.
Even the Dragon Domain wasn't entirely safe. It had dangerous places, but those could also hold opportunities. Danger and opportunity went hand in hand.
The Dragon Domain spanned a hundred thousand miles, with countless mountain ranges stretching beyond sight. The Secret Treasure Land lay tens of thousands of miles from its heart.
Riding Jin Ming, Long Jiuyyao arrived at the area marked on the map as the Yin Dragon Mountain Range. It was the only route to the Secret Treasure Land.
The blazing sun shone over the vast Yin Dragon Mountain Range, its scorching rays pouring down. But a haze within the mountains blocked the sunlight.
The mountains were shrouded in haze, filling the entire range with an intense chill.
As soon as Long Jiuyyao touched the haze, it instantly froze into layers of frost on his exposed skin. He looked at Jin Ming and saw that its golden fur was also coated in frost.
"There's something wrong with this haze!" Long Jiuyyao exclaimed.
Golden Sun Yuan Power blazed in his hand, and the frost immediately melted away. But as soon as Long Jiuyyao withdrew his power, the blue haze once again froze over both man and lion.
"Jin Ming, hurry!" Long Jiuyyao leapt onto the lion's back and gripped its golden mane with both hands, channeling Golden Sun Yuan Power to shield it from the blue haze.
Long Jiuyyao was unaffected by the blue haze. He had absorbed Blood Yin Sha Qi, whose chill was far more intense, and the Golden Sun Power he had absorbed at the Flame Dragon Platform was the haze's natural bane.
But although the haze couldn't harm Long Jiuyyao, prolonged exposure would hurt Jin Ming.
Jin Ming was only at the Early Earth Origin Realm. It couldn't withstand the cold for long. The only reason it hadn't collapsed was that Long Jiuyyao was continuously releasing Golden Sun Yuan Power to protect it from the haze.
But with Long Jiuyyao only at the Mid Heaven Origin Realm, how long could he keep it up?
A blurry rune appeared between Long Jiuyyao's brows, and a wave of spiritual power spread outward from him.
"Jin Ming, there's a scorching aura a few thousand meters ahead. We'll be safe once we get there," Long Jiuyyao said, leaning down.
"Roar!" Jin Ming growled and sped up, the ancient trees around them flashing past.
A few minutes later, a lake stretching beyond sight appeared before Long Jiuyyao. Warm currents rose from its vast waters, driving away the cold emanating from the blue haze around them.
"Jin Ming, get in and soak for a while. It'll drive the chill from your body." Long Jiuyyao took off his robe and jumped into the water, calling to Jin Ming.
Seeing Long Jiuyyao dive into the lake, Jin Ming followed him in. The warm water washed the chill from its body.
Long Jiuyyao swam around the lake without stopping. The pale mist rising from the water obstructed his vision, and he became lost in the boundless lake.
He kept swimming tirelessly. Suddenly, the mysterious rune between his brows glowed with a faint white light, and his dazed eyes cleared.
"Jin Ming..."
Long Jiuyyao called out to Jin Ming again and again, but his cries vanished into the vastness, with no answer.
He steadied himself and surveyed his surroundings, but everywhere he looked, there was only pale mist. Spiritual power poured from the rune between his brows and spread outward.
But it did little. He could sense only the area within three meters.
"Three meters is my limit. This mist can actually block spiritual perception," Long Jiuyyao said in astonishment.
Black Dragon Wings, as dark as Obsidian, unfurled behind him. He flapped them and rose from the lake, but he had barely lifted himself a meter above the surface when something unexpected happened.
A powerful pressure struck him. Long Jiuyyao groaned, and blood spilled from the corner of his mouth.
He plunged back down. After folding his wings away and wiping the blood from his lips, he fixed his gaze ahead and swam forward, all the while probing his surroundings with his spiritual power.
Time passed. Long Jiuyyao swam on without tiring, but he had no idea how far he'd gone. It might have been a thousand meters, or perhaps ten thousand.
After swimming for so long, his limbs ached terribly. But Long Jiuyyao kept moving his arms like a machine. He knew that if he stopped, he might be trapped here forever. His exhausted face and listless expression showed just how dire his situation was.
His body was utterly exhausted, but his instinct to survive jolted him partly awake. He bit down hard on his tongue, using the sharp pain to clear his fading mind.
Thick white mist rose from the warm lake and blocked Long Jiuyyao's vision. Everywhere he looked was a vast expanse of white, stretching beyond sight. He could only rely on his iron will to push his body to its limits, keep himself afloat, and swim slowly onward.
Long Jiuyyao's stamina was limited. He was beginning to swim slower and slower, his limbs as heavy as lead, yet he forced his arms to keep moving, propelling himself forward little by little.
Everything grew increasingly blurry, and his movements slowed further. He didn't know how much longer he could hold on.
At last, Long Jiuyyao's body gave out. His limbs could barely move, and the overwhelming dizziness blurred his consciousness. He could no longer control his body, and began sinking slowly.
"No!" Long Jiuyyao roared inwardly. His fading consciousness suddenly cleared for a moment, and he felt as though a new force had burst forth within him.
The Ancient Dragon Bone inside him glimmered with dark golden light. The unbearable pain in his limbs eased slightly. Long Jiuyyao steadied his sinking body and struggled with all his might, swinging his arms and kicking his legs.
Whether it was a final rally or something else, he knew this was the last of his strength. If he couldn't find somewhere to rest, he was done for.
A long while passed, and the force he had summoned finally began to fade. Long Jiuyyao's vision blurred again; his arms and legs grew heavy and weak. I can't go on. Is this really it?
"No!"
He roared inside and forced out another burst of strength, keeping himself from sinking.
At last... an island appeared before him. Long Jiuyyao swam to shore with all his might and collapsed onto his back, gasping for breath.
Lying on the shore, Long Jiuyyao's limbs trembled slightly, his chest heaving violently. A powerful wave of drowsiness washed over him, and everything before his eyes grew increasingly blurry.
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