Water Need Not Be Deep; Where There Is a Dragon, There Is Spirit—Jiao Are Dragons Too

The golden figure vanished into the bottom of the pool, and the frigid pond returned to stillness.

She Xian stood on the shore, staring blankly at the mist-shrouded, dark-blue surface for a while.

Then he turned and staggered over to the unconscious Frost Extreme Python.

The thousand-year Frost Extreme Python lay stiffly on the ground.

Its dark-blue scales gleamed with a cold light beneath the bleak daylight.

Its head was as large as a millstone, but its eyes were tightly shut. Qian Renxue had knocked it senseless with a single slap.

She Xian crouched down and curiously examined the giant python.

With its size and appearance, its hide and scales would definitely be hot commodities on the market.

Unfortunately, in Qian Renxue's eyes, it was merely a "backup option."

The world of the strong truly was plain and unpretentious.

As he looked it over, he asked, "Little White, can you sense what kind of soul beast is at the bottom of the pond?"

Little White sensed carefully for a moment, her voice carrying a hint of uncertainty.

"Husband, the sensation is very vague. The pond is too deep, and it conceals most of its aura."

She considered her words.

"But I can be certain that it is ice-attributed, and it is not a snake."

She Xian froze.

Not a snake?

Then what exactly was that thing at the bottom of the pond that had stirred such a strong reaction from Little White?

Ice-attributed, not a snake, with an unusual bloodline.

She Xian's curiosity was completely piqued.

Just then, the Medusa Queen, who had remained silent until now, suddenly spoke coldly. "Aren't you worried?"

She Xian found it strange. "Worried about what?"

"Your teacher."

There was a teasing chill in the Medusa Queen's voice.

"She went into the frigid pond alone. What if she dies down there?"

She Xian laughed after hearing that.

"Your Majesty, you're overthinking it."

The Medusa Queen snorted. "I was merely reminding you."

She Xian waved a hand, looking utterly relaxed.

"Don't worry. Teacher is a Soul Emperor, and she has a god-tier martial soul."

"A soul beast beneath a frigid pond in this tiny Soul Hunting Forest can't be more than a thousand years old. It wouldn't even be enough to fill the gaps between her teeth."

"Worried that Teacher will die at the bottom of the pond?"

She Xian scoffed.

"You'd be better off worrying about me."

"After all, I'm standing out here all alone. If another thousand-year soul beast jumps out of the forest, I might die without even knowing how I died."

The Medusa Queen: "..."

Little White gently added, "Rest assured, Husband. If any soul beast approaches, I will warn you."

She Xian smiled and nodded.

Now that was a proper threat assessment.

His teacher was perfectly safe. He was the one who needed to keep an eye on his surroundings.

However, She Xian's worries proved unnecessary.

He did not even wait half the time it took to burn an incense stick.

Splash!

The surface of the frigid pond suddenly exploded.

A golden figure shot into the sky amid a spray of water.

Qian Renxue traced a graceful arc through the air before landing steadily back on the shore.

She was back.

Her golden hair clung wetly to her cheeks and neck. Her white dress was drenched through, clinging tightly to her body and outlining heart-stirring curves.

Droplets slid from her hair, chin, and collarbone.

She Xian's gaze paused instinctively for half a second.

Qian Renxue, soaking wet...

The visual impact was honestly a little overwhelming.

But his attention was quickly drawn to what Qian Renxue held in her hand.

It was a... long, white creature.

It was about three meters long, snow-white from head to tail, and Qian Renxue held it one-handed by the vital point seven inches below its head.

It was unconscious, its head hanging limply.

She Xian's first thought was that it was a white snake.

But when Qian Renxue had fully settled, the white creature was completely revealed before him.

"!!!"

His breath caught.

Two tiny claws were clearly growing from the "snake's" belly.

And on top of its head stood a crystalline horn.

Serpentine body, two claws, single horn...

How was this a snake?

This was—a jiao!

She Xian's eyes widened, and he blurted out, "A jiao?!"

Qian Renxue casually tossed the unconscious white jiao onto the ground, surprise still impossible to conceal in her eyes.

"An Ice Jiao."

"And a newborn Ice Jiao at that."

"Its cultivation is between fifteen hundred and two thousand years."

She looked at the white jiao, realization clear in her expression.

"I never expected a jiao-type soul beast to exist in this artificially enclosed Soul Hunting Forest."

Jiao-type.

She Xian knew better than anyone the weight carried by those words.

A jiao was a dragon subspecies, an existence between a snake and a dragon.

Legend had it that a jiao could transform into a dragon after surviving heavenly tribulations.

Every jiao possessed one of the most elite bloodlines among soul beasts.

And this white jiao was a newborn Ice Jiao that had only just been born!

Newborn meant that its bloodline was at its purest.

A top-tier soul beast like this—let alone in a beginner hunting ground—

might not even be encountered in the depths of the Star Dou Great Forest.

The finest of the finest!

She Xian's heart began to pound wildly.

In his mind, Little White's voice carried a trace of excitement as well.

"Husband, it's this one!"

"The resonance I sensed came from this Ice Jiao."

She said joyfully, "Its bloodline and attribute are both highly compatible with mine."

She Xian took a deep breath.

He stared at the unconscious white jiao on the ground, the heat in his eyes nearly overflowing.

Qian Renxue took in his expression completely.

Seeing how he looked as though he wanted to pounce on it, she already had her answer.

Sure enough, they had not found the wrong one.

She Xian's martial soul senses had once again accurately pointed to a top-grade soul beast.

Just how many mysteries did this child's martial soul still conceal?

Qian Renxue suppressed her inward astonishment.

She looked at She Xian, her tone returning to its usual calmness. "This is a newborn Ice Jiao. Its bloodline is noble, and its potential is astonishing."

"But precisely because of that, the energy contained in its soul ring is far more violent than that of an ordinary thousand-year soul beast."

She paused, becoming even more cautious with She Xian.

"With your current body, absorbing such a soul ring would be extremely risky."

"Xian'er, I'll ask you one more time."

Qian Renxue stared directly into She Xian's eyes.

"Are you certain you want to absorb this soul ring?"

This was the final confirmation.

She Xian knew that if he nodded this time, Qian Renxue would no longer stop him.

He looked at the white jiao on the ground.

A newborn Ice Jiao's soul ring... if he absorbed it successfully, the starting point for his first soul ring would be absurdly high.

The blessing of a jiao dragon bloodline might even pave the way for Little White's future path of "transforming into a dragon."

Risk?

There was some.

But his body had already been cleansed and reforged by the spiritual medicines inside the Medusa Queen's storage ring. He had the ability to withstand the risk.

She Xian's gaze gradually became firm.

He took a deep breath and said, word by word, "This disciple is certain."

This was his unshakable resolve.

Qian Renxue gazed into his clear and steadfast eyes.

A six-year-old child showed not the slightest hesitation before such a momentous choice.

That boldness pleased her.

At last, she stopped trying to dissuade him.

"Good."

Qian Renxue nodded slightly, approval in her expression. "Since you have decided, then as your teacher, I will grant your wish."

She raised her hand and pointed at the unconscious newborn Ice Jiao on the ground.

"Remember, the first step in absorbing a soul ring is to personally kill the soul beast and cause its soul ring to appear."

"The instant a soul beast dies, its soul ring will manifest."

"You must guide the soul ring into your body within a certain amount of time."

At this point, her tone became especially solemn.

"If anything goes wrong during the absorption process, I will immediately intervene and interrupt it to preserve your life."

Qian Renxue stepped back, yielding the space to She Xian.

"Kill it with your own hands, and begin absorbing your first soul ring."

She Xian nodded and looked at the unconscious white jiao.

A newborn Ice Jiao.

His first soul ring.

She Xian slowly raised his hand. A wisp of soul power silently gathered in his palm.

Little White said softly, "Husband, I'm ready."

The Medusa Queen coldly added, "Don't mess this up."

She Xian took a deep breath, his gaze sharpening.

"Then let's begin."