Tell You a Little Secret: The Nine Netherbird Is on My Shoulder!

"Although I don't know how you learned about the Dragon Demon Palace, I advise you to give up on that idea."

An Ran, who had still been smiling moments ago, immediately turned solemn upon hearing Luo Li's question and gave her a serious warning.

The Dragon Demon Palace was simply too dangerous.

It harbored immense hostility toward the Northern Heavens Spiritual Academy!

For innocent students like Luo Li, it was utterly terrifying!

Once they fell into its hands, even a quick death would be a luxury.

Don't ask about it, and don't go courting death.

Wasn't staying alive good enough?

"The Dragon Demon Palace is extremely dangerous. Even Heavenly Ranking experts have a high chance of dying."

Seeing that Luo Li did not seem to take it seriously, An Ran stressed her words.

She even gave an example outright.

"Not long ago, a Transforming Heaven Realm expert ranked within the top thirty of the Heavenly Ranking unfortunately encountered a hunt by the Dragon Demon Palace."

"Even after fighting with everything he had, he could not escape that disaster. His corpse was refined into lamp oil, while his head was hung from a city gate tower, with shameless words written in blood to provoke our Northern Heavens Spiritual Academy!"

"And you... if you encountered such danger, I truly wouldn't know what to do..."

Male students of the Northern Heavens Spiritual Academy were tortured and slaughtered, while female students would only suffer an even worse fate!

An Ran did not want to see this beautiful young woman die prematurely in the blink of an eye.

"Don't worry, Senior Sister. I'm just taking a look."

Luo Li sensed the other woman's goodwill and immediately nodded.

She would take a look first.

If it really did not work out, she could join An Ran on her way to accept a mission and conveniently pick up those one hundred thousand Spiritual Value.

"That's good."

An Ran let out a sigh of relief. She had truly been worried that Luo Li would do something reckless.

Of course, her concern was unnecessary.

Within the Northern Heavens Spiritual Academy's Task Hall, missions of different tiers required the corresponding qualifications.

For example, Heaven Grade missions certainly required top experts of the Heavenly Ranking to form teams.

As for bounty missions to kill members of the Dragon Demon Palace, only the few strongest people at the very top of the Heavenly Ranking were qualified to complete them.

Those without the qualifications did not even get the chance to look at them.

Much less pass the review of the Task Hall elders.

"The Task Hall is divided into an outer hall and an inner hall. Students on the Divine Soul Ranking generally stay in the outer hall, accepting Human Grade missions, with only a few chances to pick up overlooked low-tier Earth Grade missions."

"The inner hall is where Heavenly Ranking students, as well as Three Heavens Realm students who have not yet entered the rankings, mainly accept missions."

"Most of them are Earth Grade missions. Only a few top Heavenly Ranking experts can touch Heaven Grade missions."

"Heaven Grade missions are rare and are often issued on an emergency basis."

"So luck is also part of one's strength."

When An Ran said this, she could not help but smile.

Mainly because she had been the first to snatch up this mission herself.

Those people had wanted to take it from her, but they had lost the initiative. Coupled with their insufficient strength, they could only watch as she obtained it.

"Deep within the Task Hall is the Bounty Ranking, the bounty missions you wanted to see."

Before entering deeper inside, An Ran stopped.

She looked at Luo Li and said seriously:

"I know one of the elders inside, so I can take you in for a look. But you need to prepare yourself mentally."

"After all, people who have never killed before can have a severe physical reaction."

Never killed before?

Luo Li's expression grew increasingly strange.

Really, anyone who knew anything about her would not dare say that.

Anyone who had emerged alive from the Spirit Road certainly had more than one life on their hands.

And someone who had won the title of Spirit Road Champion had fought their way out of mountains of corpses and seas of blood!

Even without the Spirit Road, Luo Li would not have had much of a reaction.

In the Little Western Heaven Realm where the Luo God Clan was located, she had seen far too many bloody scenes.

Over time, she had grown numb to them.

"Come, that's the Bounty Ranking!"

Even An Ran, who had been here several times, turned a little pale when she saw the bloodstained crystal pillar deep within the Task Hall, her breathing even pausing slightly.

Every name inscribed upon it belonged to an enemy who had killed far too many students of the Northern Heavens Spiritual Academy.

Aside from a small number of other evildoers, most were ruthless figures from the Dragon Demon Palace.

"First on the Bounty Ranking: Mo Xingtian. Reward: ten million Spiritual Value, one Peerless Spiritual Artifact, and one Divine-grade Spiritual Art!"

"Second on the Bounty Ranking: Demon Dragon Son. Reward: eight million Spiritual Value and one Divine-grade Spiritual Art!"

"Third on the Bounty Ranking: Blood Dragon Man Mu Gu. Reward: five million Spiritual Value."

Upon seeing the rewards for the top three on the Bounty Ranking, Luo Li's breathing quickened.

It was not fear, as An Ran beside her assumed, but excitement.

Because these people were all walking Spiritual Value!

If she could take down any one of them, obtaining the Northern Sea Dragon Kun Divine Beast Blood Essence would be absurdly easy!

However, from this alone, the top three of the Bounty Ranking were clearly no simple opponents.

Killing them successfully would be extremely difficult.

"Don't be afraid. Staying within the Northern Heavens Spiritual Academy is very safe."

An Ran gently patted Luo Li's arm, signaling for her to relax.

"This is the one!"

However, Luo Li's mutter made An Ran freeze when she heard it.

What was the one?

Following Luo Li's gaze, she looked toward the Bounty Ranking.

The pulsing scarlet bloodlight clearly belonged to second place on the Bounty Ranking!

Second on the Bounty Ranking was Demon Dragon Son!

Among the current students of the Northern Heavens Spiritual Academy, only Shen Cangsheng, first on the Heavenly Ranking, was qualified to pursue him.

Yet he had never succeeded.

One had to know that Shen Cangsheng was a ruthless man who had directly brought back the head of the previous third-ranked figure on the Bounty Ranking.

Even such a ruthless man had failed to defeat Demon Dragon Son, much less kill him and bring him back. It was easy to imagine how troublesome Demon Dragon Son was.

"I need to remind you, Junior Sister Luo Li."

An Ran spoke anxiously. "Those of us who cultivate must not aim too high. We need to keep our feet on the ground."

"I'm very worried about you in this state."

After all, she had seen many proud and arrogant people, but this was the first time she had seen someone like Luo Li.

She looked dependable, so why did she also seem so unreliable?

"Senior Sister, you don't need to worry."

Luo Li withdrew her gaze, looked at An Ran, and smiled.

"Your mission seems to be investigating a place called White Dragon City to confirm whether ruins exist there, right?"

She had looked over An Ran's mission, and it truly did not pose much danger.

White Dragon City had always been stable, and with the Northern Heavens Spiritual Academy's reputation, traveling there alone was relatively safe.

But if the ruins appeared, it would be different.

To find Demon Dragon Son, second on the Bounty Ranking, she naturally needed to lure the snake from its hole.

The Spirit Treasury ruins in White Dragon City would be the best bait.

She could also conveniently take An Ran's mission and the easily obtained one hundred thousand Spiritual Value.

"Y-yes, that's right."

At this moment, An Ran felt as though Luo Li had become a different person. She no longer had the nervousness from when she had first arrived at the Task Hall.

After hesitating for a moment, she asked, "You agree?"

"Mhm, I agree."

Luo Li glanced at the Nine-leaf Sword Grass glowing faintly upon the Luo God Sword, the corners of her lips lifting slightly.

Then, with utmost seriousness and a perfectly straight face, she said:

"But I hope Senior Sister can help me accept the bounty mission for Demon Dragon Son, second on the Bounty Ranking."

An Ran was so startled that she staggered back two steps.

Her eyes widened in utter shock.

Was this... an auditory hallucination?

Or was this Silver-haired Girl actually insane...

"Let me tell you a little secret."

Luo Li looked around, then leaned close to An Ran's ear and breathed softly.

"The one on my shoulder is the Nine Netherbird you guessed!"

The Nine Netherbird? It was the Nine Netherbird, truly the Super Heavenly Beast Nine Netherbird!?

At this moment, An Ran was completely petrified.

She had guessed correctly, but she wished she had never made that guess.

If Luo Li could tame the Nine Netherbird, it could only mean that her strength was terrifyingly great!

Could Demon Dragon Son, second on the Bounty Ranking, defeat the Nine Netherbird?

Even if Mo Xingtian, first on the Bounty Ranking, came himself, it would be impossible!

"I-I'll do my best!"