Dou Emperor Experience Card

As his soul power dispersed and the soul body vanished, Zhu Jin touched the storage ring already fitted around his claw, which could change size. Only when he felt the powerful soul force emanating from it did he realize that what had just happened was real.

However, Zhu Jin revealed nothing. He merely stood there silently, respectfully "seeing off" the "Dragon Emperor" for several minutes. Only after confirming that the other party truly could not sustain that colossal ten-thousand-meter body for long and had completely disappeared did he finally relax.

Zhu Jin dusted himself off, then rode the clouds into the air. Gazing deeply at the "sword mark" below, a meaningful smile appeared on his lips. Dragon Emperor, huh. Do you really think I'm some eleven-year-old hatchling? If it were my little brother, Zhu Zong, he'd probably have been fooled by you.

"Still, that fellow's soul power was genuine. It's just a pity it's only at the Dou Emperor level. If it were Dou Zong, competing for the Heavenly Flames this time would be much safer. I might even be able to save Father's dragon scales." A calculating gleam flashed through Zhu Jin's golden eyes. "Looking at it now, this rift doesn't seem like a sword mark. It's possible that the Ancient Void Dragon expert who built this medicine garden slapped that fellow into the ground with one claw and sealed him there."

Zhu Jin looked toward the enormous rift stretching so far that its end could barely be seen. At first, he had thought a great battle had taken place here, but upon careful consideration, perhaps that was not the case. The withered herbs and spirit trees around him had not been destroyed—they had been drained dry of the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, then withered away.

In other words, these might have been two separate events.

"But this Dou Emperor Experience Card is still a good thing." Having gained a small opportunity, Zhu Jin's steps became lighter, and his dragon tail stuck high into the air. He looked exactly like a little dragon who had stumbled upon a bargain.

According to the map, this Ancient Dragon Medicine Garden was actually the core and deepest region. The former territory of the Wild Mountain Macaque Dragon Clan had been divided into several areas. If the entrance guarded by the Nine Nether Deep Earth Python Clan was considered the starting point, then Zhu Jin's current location was the farthest from it—one at the head, the other at the tail.

But it would be a grave mistake to consider this place an uninhabited zone.

Hiss!

Zhu Jin had traveled less than several dozen li from the rift when he was attacked by a magical beast. It was a giant python roughly twenty meters long, with a pair of horns growing from its head. Flames billowed from its nostrils as it stared at Zhu Jin with blood-red eyes, as though it wanted to swallow him whole.

Looking at the fire-breathing python before him, Zhu Jin began to analyze it. "A serpent magical beast with traces of dragon blood... It has no intelligence, no civilization, and is extremely close to a primitive, savage state. It should be native to this place, not a member of the Nine Nether Deep Earth Python Clan."

This Ancient Dragon Medicine Garden was not devoid of magical beasts. The cultivation of medicinal herbs emphasized favorable timing, advantageous terrain, and symbiotic relationships. When planting herbs, many different types of magical beasts would deliberately be introduced and allowed to live in the medicine garden. Only then could medicinal herbs be cultivated, fulfilling the cycle of the heavenly way.

Although this place had once suffered destruction, the magical beasts that had lived here had not all died out. Some had survived on the remnants of spiritual energy and a few leftover herbs.

However, this was ultimately a ruined Dragon Cave. The magical beasts born afterward had failed to develop intelligence, retaining only their most primitive instincts.

"Did sensing the dragon blood within me drive these creatures mad by instinct?" Devouring dragon blood was a fatal temptation to magical beasts that possessed even a faint trace of dragon blood.

Seeing the giant python that wanted to devour him, Zhu Jin remained calm and composed. "A magical beast barely above Tier Four dares dream of devouring the dragon blood of an Ancient Void Dragon? Considering it wasn't easy for you to cultivate this far, get lost while you still can. Otherwise, I'll kill you and see whether you drop a magic core."

Roar! Yet in response to Zhu Jin's words, the Tier Four python exhaled even hotter flames. Its eyes narrowed slightly as it bared its fangs. It seemed it did not understand dragon speech.

"Though I'm not hungry yet, I suppose I'll have to grant your wish." Seeing that the python would not retreat, Zhu Jin smiled. His pupils narrowed as Dragon Sense spread outward.

A roar rang out. The python bent its body like a spring and shot forward with tremendous speed and force. There was no doubt that if it lunged like this, its terrifying impact would be enough to snap trees dozens of meters thick.

If Tier Four magical beasts like the Flame Wolf Unicorn or Xie Dong faced this attack, they might have been left in a miserable state. Unfortunately, it had encountered an Ancient Void Dragon!

Zhu Jin instantly stepped forward. As he lunged, the ground immediately caved in beneath him, and his dragon claw shot out. Ancient Dragon Claw! With a thunderous boom, the giant python was taken down in a single exchange, pinned firmly to the ground by one claw. Blood sprayed from its wounds like a fountain. No matter how the python struggled, it could not break free from the dragon claw's suppression.

Soon, a pool of blood formed on the ground, dyeing the soil red. The python's body stopped struggling, and it breathed its last.

Against magical beasts of the same rank, the now stronger Zhu Jin could practically kill them in a single strike.

"Trying to trade blows with an Ancient Void Dragon? Have you been drinking too much?" Zhu Jin could not help but laugh as he withdrew his claw. That kind of brute-force charge was not worth mentioning to him. It was child's play.

Zhu Jin approached the giant python. His dragon claws moved like small knives, swiftly dismembering it. Unfortunately, the python had neither a magic core nor divine bones, only a dragon tendon. For other magical beasts, this dragon tendon would be a great tonic, perhaps even giving them a chance to obtain the power of a Dragon Vein. But for Zhu Jin, if he wanted to strengthen his bloodline with such dragon tendons, he would need to eat tens of thousands—or even hundreds of thousands—before his dragon blood could possibly advance by one stage.

"Better than nothing. Dragon tendon sashimi is delicious." Zhu Jin pulled out the dragon tendon and slurped it down like noodles, chewing noisily as he muttered, "It would be even better with soy sauce and wasabi."

Zhu Jin stored the remaining flesh and blood of the python in Void Space, then continued toward the exit. As he moved farther outward and away from the rift, the magical beasts he encountered became more numerous.

Along the way, Zhu Jin hunted quite a few magical beasts that did not know their place. He encountered packs of Tier Three magical beasts and even a powerful magical beast nearing Tier Five. Yet the more he fought, the braver he became, as though he were deliberately tempering himself.

Cruel and dangerous battles were the best opportunities for Zhu Jin to hone his combat skills. Living in such a perilous place, he had to remain vigilant at every moment.

[Mystic Tier Low-Grade Combat Skill—Ancient Dragon Claw (Peak)]

[Mystic Tier Low-Grade Combat Skill—Dragon Tail Sweep (Peak)]

After several days of slaughter and tempering, a sudden realization entered Zhu Jin's mind. The combat skills he used most often had finally been cultivated to the peak.