Jade-Scaled Python Dragon

Cloud Creek Garden bustled all through the next day.

Huo Yun'er personally stewed a huge pot of beef in sauce, sliced it, then wrapped and tied it into individual parcels of oiled paper.

Dai Yutong crouched in the kitchen steaming Osmanthus Cakes, her little face flushed bright red by the stove fire.

Ye Tianming tried to go in and help, but she shoved him right back out.

"Out, out! Don't come into the kitchen and get in the way."

Pushed out the door by Dai Yutong, Ye Tianming stood in the courtyard, caught between laughter and tears.

By evening, they had packed a small bundle so full it was nearly bursting.

All sorts of food went inside. Dai Yutong also tied a little sachet filled with mugwort to his waist with a red cord.

Dai Yutong tipped up her face, then turned her head slightly and spoke in a tiny voice.

"You have to keep it on, okay? You're not allowed to think it's ugly!"

Ye Tianming looked down at the little sachet with its crooked stitches and nodded earnestly.

"It's not ugly. It looks nice."

At his words, Dai Yutong's little face turned red in an instant.

Early on the third morning, before dawn had broken,

Ye Tianming dressed in practical clothes, slung the bundle over his shoulder, and walked to the gates of the White Tiger Duke's Mansion.

Dai Hao was already there, dressed in a fitted black outfit with a sword at his waist. Two personal guards stood behind him.

Seeing Ye Tianming approach, Dai Hao looked him up and down.

"Mm. You look the part, at least."

Ye Tianming was about to say something when he caught sight of a tiny figure standing in the shadows beside the mansion gate.

Dai Yutong had thrown on a coat, and her hair had not even been brushed straight. She had clearly scrambled out of bed and run straight over.

When she saw Ye Tianming looking her way, Dai Yutong trotted out of the shadows, clutching a paper parcel.

"Brother Tianming."

Dai Yutong pushed the parcel into Ye Tianming's hand.

"I boiled these tea eggs this morning. Remember to eat them if you get hungry on the road."

"Okay."

"And don't go hungry once you get to the forest."

"Mm-hmm. Okay."

"..."

Her last words were no louder than the buzz of a mosquito.

Ye Tianming did not catch what she said, but he still reached out with his wicked hand and ruffled her hair.

"Okay."

Dai Yutong nodded hard, then stepped aside. Dai Hao watched without a word before turning and swinging himself onto his horse.

"Let's go."

Ye Tianming mounted too, then glanced back.

Dai Yutong was still standing at the gate, her tiny figure looking smaller than ever in the morning mist. When she saw him turn, she waved with all her might.

Ye Tianming raised a hand and waved back, then followed Dai Hao's party toward the Star Dou Great Forest.

The Star Dou Great Forest lay three hundred li north of Star Luo City. It took the party two days to reach it on horseback.

Along the way, Dai Hao spent little time chatting with him about family matters. Most of the time, he taught him the theory behind Soul Beasts.

"Soul Beasts are classed by age: ten years, a hundred years, a thousand years, ten thousand years, and a hundred thousand years."

"We'll only be looking around the outer region this time. Most of the Soul Beasts there are around a hundred years old, though we may run into some that are several hundred years old."

"There are thousand-year Soul Beasts in the outer region too, but they're rare, and they generally live in groups."

"Dragon-type Soul Beasts aren't particularly common in the Star Dou Great Forest. True dragons live deep within it. Most of the ones you can find around the edge are mixed-blood creatures with dragon blood."

"Mixed-blood is fine too," Ye Tianming said slowly after a moment's thought.

"Mm." Dai Hao nodded and continued.

"For your First Soul Ring, what matters is a spark of dragon blood."

At noon on the third day, the party reached the outer edge of the Star Dou Great Forest.

Standing at the forest's edge and looking up, they saw trees that seemed to grow thicker one after another.

The air smelled of earth and rotting leaves—the scent of the forest itself—as well as Soul Beast droppings...

Dai Hao swung down from his horse and tossed the reins to a personal guard.

"You two set up camp out here and keep watch."

"Yes, sir!"

Dai Hao glanced at Ye Tianming, then spoke slowly.

"Come with me."

As soon as they entered the forest, the light dimmed.

A thick layer of fallen leaves covered the ground, soft underfoot and almost silent to walk on.

Dai Hao led the way. Ye Tianming followed behind him, holding his breath and extending his senses as far as he could.

They made their way through the forest for about two hours, encountering several groups of Soul Beasts along the way.

Dai Hao sent a pack of hundred-year Wind Wolves fleeing with a single glare, their tails tucked between their legs.

A two-hundred-year Ironclad Bear had barely poked its head out from behind a tree when Dai Hao casually slapped it against a nearby trunk. It stuck there so firmly it could not have been pried off.

Standing nearby, Ye Tianming clicked his tongue inwardly.

So this is the White Tiger Duke?

Against these Hundred-Year Soul Beasts, the pressure from a Soul Douluo above level eighty made the whole thing look like an old man toying with children.

"Don't just watch me," Dai Hao said, glancing at Ye Tianming.

"Pay attention to these Soul Beasts' habits and physical features."

Ye Tianming nodded.

After they had walked a while longer, Dai Hao suddenly stopped and raised a hand, signaling Ye Tianming to stay still.

Ye Tianming immediately held his breath. Dai Hao listened closely, then looked toward the front left.

"There's a swamp ahead. Swamps are where lower-level dragon-type Soul Beasts most like to stay."

They slowed their steps and circled around a patch of bushes. The view suddenly opened up before them.

A small swamp lay ahead, duckweed floating on its surface. Several crooked trees hung over the water.

And in the middle of the swamp, something lay coiled atop a large rock jutting out of the water.

The moment Ye Tianming saw it clearly, his breath caught.

It was a giant python, roughly two zhang long.

Jade-green scales covered its entire body. Each scale was the size of a palm and gave off a faint green sheen beneath the trees' shade.

Its body was thicker than an ordinary python's, but what caught the eye most were the two small dragon horns on its head, just beginning to branch.

Instead of a snake's belly scales, it had four short legs with claws extending from them.

Dai Hao spoke slowly beside him.

"A Jade-Scaled Python Dragon. A python's body, dragon horns, and four clawed legs. A typical mixed-blood dragon."

"Judging by its horns, this one is about six hundred and thirty-seven years old."

"For you, that's just about right."

Ye Tianming's heart beat faster. Six hundred and thirty-seven years—this was an even better fit than he had expected.

Ye Tianming turned to Dai Hao and spoke slowly.

"Godfather, may I try fighting it myself?"

"Yes. I'll be watching, but if you can't beat it, remember to call for me."

Ye Tianming drew a deep breath, slowly took the bundle off his back, and set it on the ground.

He loosened up his arms and legs. The mugwort sachet at his waist swayed with his movements.

Then he stepped straight out.