Jin Ge and Lei Guang

In the Magical Beast Forest, dappled light filtered through the interwoven branches and leaves of towering ancient trees.

But at this moment, the giant trees throughout this area were exploding!

Golden-Patterned Thunder Ants were only the size of fists, their entire bodies covered in hard bronze-colored shells like refined iron. Yet they were rare lightning-element magical beasts.

The two provoked Golden-Patterned Thunder Ants erupted at once. Lightning flowed across their bronze shells, and their tiny bodies became like balls of lightning that continuously shot bolts in every direction.

The lightning bolts vanished without a trace the instant they struck Moke's body.

However, they blasted apart the surrounding ancient trees, each over a hundred meters tall, and the damp air gradually filled with the smell of burning.

Moke's speed surged to its limit. Covered in golden scales, he flashed like a streak of golden light as dozens of sword shadows enveloped the two Golden-Patterned Thunder Ants.

Though some attacks missed, every strike that landed left wounds on the two ants. Their hard shells, capable of withstanding attacks from Ninth-Level Magical Beasts, were not nearly as effective against Moke.

A Ninth-Level Holy Dragon Warrior surpassed Ninth-Level Magical Beasts in strength, speed, and defense.

Not to mention that Moke wielded a high-grade divine artifact. Although he could not unleash the Iron Leaf Sword's true power, its absolute sharpness still gave him tremendous help.

The two highly intelligent Golden-Patterned Thunder Ants were extremely anxious. Every time their eight legs touched the ground, the earth exploded. Their dark compound eyes locked onto Moke from all directions, while their sharp mandibles and scorpion-like tail stingers struck at him simultaneously.

But Moke paid them no heed, allowing their attacks to land on him.

A pleasant series of metallic clangs rang out.

"Can't even break through his scales?"

The two Golden-Patterned Thunder Ants were completely stunned. Where had this monster come from?

Even against Saint Realm Magical Beasts, their mandibles and tail stingers could injure their opponents.

Yet this golden-scaled monster before them completely ignored their attacks!

"Magic attacks are useless, and his physical defense is this monstrous too?!"

The Golden-Patterned Thunder Ants, whose intelligence was nearly no different from that of ordinary people—and even surpassed most humans—were beginning to despair. This golden-scaled monster was simply too monstrous!

For a time, they could only rely on their small size to circle around Moke, doing their best to avoid his attacks, because his attacks were equally ferocious.

Their hard bronze shells were difficult for even ordinary Ninth-Level Magical Beasts to pierce, yet they repeatedly cracked beneath the slashes of his longsword.

Moke's muscles bulged all over his body. Empowered by Holy Dragon Battle Qi, the golden scales covering his body seemed to glow as he struck the two Golden-Patterned Thunder Ants again and again.

"The dragon-scale defense of Dragonblood Warriors can rival magical beasts of the same level, but I am the only Holy Dragon Warrior in the entire Coiling Dragon Universe!"

Moke felt incomparably exhilarated. My dragon-scale defense can rival, or even surpass, God-Eater Rats of the same level. Only Saint Realm experts can harm me!

This battle gave Moke a clearer understanding of his own strength.

He was utterly certain that Ninth-Level experts could barely inflict any meaningful injuries upon him.

Because his dragon-scale defense was simply too monstrous.

Not only could it nullify magic attacks, its physical defense far surpassed that of Ninth-Level Magical Beasts!

"Holy Dragon Warrior, this is what a Holy Dragon Warrior is!" His heart roared as Moke attacked as he pleased, finally understanding Beirut's mindset.

Once one's defense reached a certain level, one could even ignore an enemy's attacks!

"Still refusing to submit?!"

The Iron Leaf Sword tore through the air. After carving a crack into the back shell of the slightly larger Golden-Patterned Thunder Ant, Moke suddenly roared.

"I was holding back just now. If I had used more strength, you would have died long ago!"

He had acted this time in order to contract them. Moke did not want to contract two crippled Ninth-Level Magical Beasts, or he would have to find an Advanced Mage specializing in healing to treat them.

His roar made the two Golden-Patterned Thunder Ants, their shells covered in cracks, shudder. Then, with perfect tacit understanding, they stopped attacking.

Moke sheathed his sword and said coldly, "I'll give you two choices. First, serve me as slaves for twenty years. After twenty years, I will restore your freedom."

"...Die!"

"Squeak! Squeak!" The two Golden-Patterned Thunder Ants spoke one after another.

"What gibberish are you saying?"

Moke frowned. He could not understand the language of magical beasts.

Seeing this, one of the Golden-Patterned Thunder Ants directly wrote in Yulan Common Tongue upon the devastated ground: "We can agree to your request."

"However, we still have children to raise, so only one of us can sign a contract with you."

"Only one?"

Moke raised an eyebrow. "I want to contract you because I need you to protect several people in different places, so I must have two Ninth-Level Magical Beasts."

The Golden-Patterned Thunder Ants, whose intelligence was no different from that of ordinary people, looked at each other upon hearing this.

Then, the larger one once more wrote in Yulan Common Tongue on the ground: "That's simple. I know where other members of our kind are..."

"Oh?"

Moke smiled. "Then that makes things easy."

Half an hour later, Moke left this cliffside with the two Golden-Patterned Thunder Ants.

"Jin Ge, you actually revealed my location. You're too despicable!"

"Lei Guang, my good brother, I had no choice but to do it."

"But don't worry. Our master is already a Ninth-Level Warrior at such a young age, and he's even a legendary Dragonblood Warrior. He will definitely reach the peak of the Saint Realm in the future. Following him may not be a bad thing!"

"Perhaps we can become Saint Realm Magical Beasts and become the kings of our Golden-Patterned Thunder Ant clan!"

"Hmph, why do you need to speak of Master's greatness... If not for that, I would rather have died while dragging you, you little thief, down with me!"

The two Ninth-Level Magical Beasts, the Golden-Patterned Thunder Ants on his shoulders, seemed to be brothers after all. They muttered to each other and nearly came to blows.

Yet although they had become contracted magical beasts, they were not too sorrowful.

Because they had discovered that Moke was far too young.

He was not even ten years old!

And he was a member of the Dragonblood Warrior Family, which had long been renowned throughout the Yulan Continent!

Heavens, a Ninth-Level Peak Warrior who was under ten years old!

They did not even dare imagine how far their master would grow in the future!

If they were granted a Saint Realm Magic Crystal Core in the future and became rare Saint Realm experts among the Golden-Patterned Thunder Ant clan—

Then they would bring glory to their ancestors and live for hundreds of millions of years!

Golden-Patterned Thunder Ants became Ninth-Level Magical Beasts upon reaching adulthood!

But breaking through their racial limits to become Saint Realm Magical Beasts was far, far too difficult.

"Jin Ge," Moke called out in his heart.

"Master?"

Jin Ge hurriedly responded.

Moke smiled. "You and Lei Guang can rest assured. My father and younger brother will also become Dragonblood Warriors in the future. Once they reach the Saint Realm, I will let you return to the Magical Beast Forest and give you a Saint Realm Magical Beast's Magic Crystal Core."

Moke struck directly at the softest place in their hearts: becoming Saint Realm Magical Beasts!

"Thank you, Master. Being contracted by Master is the proudest thing Jin Ge and I have ever experienced."

Before Jin Ge could speak, Lei Guang on Moke's other shoulder rushed to answer.

"I feel the same way," Jin Ge said quickly, glaring at Lei Guang at the same time.

This brat was actually competing with him for favor. He had clearly been contracted first!