Chinese Dragon

The restless forest gradually quieted down. Withered Wood bent its thick trunk, waiting for Ning Yao's next command.

"Where do you want to go?"

Ning Yao smiled faintly. Seeing Withered Wood being so obedient, a trace of delight rose in his heart. After all, it was his creation.

This journey had been far easier than he had imagined.

This piece of wood he had casually enlightened was sensible.

Far more sensible than some people on Douluo Continent.

He gave Withered Wood a choice.

As long as it did not interfere with the workings of the entire continent, he could allow it to go anywhere and develop freely.

But to his surprise, after hearing the choice Ning Yao had offered, Withered Wood visibly hesitated before lowering its trunk a little further.

Ning Yao raised an eyebrow slightly at the sight.

What did that mean?

He seemed to understand, but the answer truly caught him off guard.

"You want to follow me?"

Ning Yao's brows rose slightly as he looked at Withered Wood with curiosity.

He knew that, because of the grace of enlightenment—and because the power within it had originally split off from him—Withered Wood was exceptionally loyal. Still, he had not expected it to be willing to give up its freedom and remain by his side.

That was taking the easy road a little too far, wasn't it?

Withered Wood trembled lightly. Ning Yao did not agree at once, instead looking at it as he sank into thought.

Actually, if it was willing, there would be no problem.

After all, the purpose of this trip had been to resolve the karmic tie he had left behind in Withered Wood.

Keeping it by his side could also be considered a solution.

It could even prevent Withered Wood from causing trouble again in the future.

Besides, there was nothing wrong with letting it follow him.

It had originally been nothing more than a dead tree without life, a piece of wood without vitality or intelligence.

Ning Yao had enlightened it and created it.

Ning Yao was its creator.

To Ning Yao, Withered Wood was essentially the product of a sliver of power that had fallen away from him.

It was different from everyone else on Douluo Continent.

"Are you sure you want to follow me? Following me won't give you as much freedom as being a tree on your own."

Ning Yao spoke in a half-joking tone.

But Withered Wood had clearly made up its mind, and it trembled heavily.

Seeing this, Ning Yao nodded lightly.

"If you're willing, then I have nothing more to say."

"But you definitely can't stay like this. I can't take you with me in that form."

Understanding Ning Yao's meaning, Withered Wood hurriedly began shrinking its body. Yet even at its smallest, it was still several hundred meters tall.

Ning Yao continued to shake his head, though he did not make things difficult for his creation.

He raised a hand and waved lightly at Withered Wood.

Under Ning Yao's manipulation, the branches that had spread throughout the forest began turning into specks of green light and drifting into the sky.

From the branches and leaves to the entire trunk, every tree affected by Withered Wood in the surrounding area began transforming into green motes of light.

Then, amid the green light filling the sky, as that overlord-class giant tree vanished, Ning Yao held a piece of dark brown wood in his hand at the center of the pockmarked clearing.

But looking at the piece of wood, only slightly larger than his palm, Ning Yao was still somewhat dissatisfied.

"How about I give you a form with a little more freedom?"

He smiled faintly and began personally reshaping Withered Wood.

Withered Wood lay quietly in Ning Yao's hand, allowing him to do as he pleased.

But for some reason, it felt that its master did not seem particularly skilled at this...

In the end, when Withered Wood was revealed once more, it had been completely transformed.

Resting in Ning Yao's palm was an entirely new wooden carving.

A small dark brown dragon.

However, it was somewhat different from the native dragons of Douluo Continent.

It had no wings.

To be precise, Ning Yao had carved it after the dragons from his homeland during his first life on Blue Star.

Although Withered Wood understood nothing, it still liked the new body its master had fashioned for it.

It even happily flew two circles through the air.

Its own power was enough to grant it that ability. Moreover, Ning Yao had not merely reshaped it just now, so it could be said that it was now somewhat stronger than before.

Soon, at Ning Yao's signal, Withered Wood landed back in his hand.

But whether by coincidence or not, it landed perfectly on Ning Yao's finger.

Apparently quite satisfied with that spot, it coiled around Ning Yao's finger like a ring.

Ning Yao smiled faintly and nodded.

It was quite good at finding a place for itself.

He said nothing more. After all, the little fellow could perch wherever it wanted.

Just as Ning Yao was about to leave with his little creation, a hurried set of footsteps sounded behind him.

Turning around, Ning Yao looked toward the source of the sound.

It was Ning Fengzhi and the others.

This was also the first time they had seen Ning Yao's appearance.

Ning Yao stood amid the slowly dissipating green motes of light, looking back at them.

The next second, Ning Yao vanished from where he stood, leaving the group behind in complete disarray.

They stared blankly at the vast, pockmarked clearing before them.

That strange giant tree had disappeared.

"Sect Master, and all you esteemed seniors, is that tree demon dead?"

A Soul Douluo spoke cautiously.

Though Ning Fengzhi was somewhat unwilling to admit it, he still nodded.

"It was destroyed by that senior."

Something their group of Titled Douluo, standing at the peak of the continent's hierarchy, had failed to accomplish had been effortlessly done by a young man.

Of course, he could not possibly truly believe Ning Yao was young.

He was not that foolish.

"Your Excellencies, does anyone recognize who that young man was?"

Ning Fengzhi turned to look at the five Titled Douluo beside him.

But they looked at one another and all shook their heads.

"Perhaps some reclusive old monster was alarmed by this incident."

Chen Xin frowned and spoke faintly.

He knew many things, such as the fact that Rank 99 Ultimate Douluo truly existed in this world.

And there was more than one. They simply did not wish to involve themselves in worldly affairs, not because they were incapable of doing so.

Judging solely from Ning Yao's feat of effortlessly wiping out that strange tree demon, he was very likely an old senior of at least Rank 97—perhaps even Rank 98.

"By the way, did any of you see a hundred-thousand-year spirit ring?"

"The spirit bone can be taken away, but a spirit ring shouldn't be, right?"

The Titled Douluo from one of the Lower Four Sects spoke with a frown.

His words also jolted Ning Fengzhi and the others awake.

That was right, where had the spirit ring gone?

For a spirit beast of that level, a hundred-thousand-year spirit ring should have been unavoidable.

Yet after the few of them scanned the area, there was not even the slightest trace of a spirit ring.

This was far too abnormal.