Time flew by, and three days passed in the blink of an eye.
After three days of rest and recuperation, Xiao Chen's injuries had improved considerably. In another six or seven days, he would be more or less fully recovered.
And during these three days, through persistent training, Bai He's strength had also improved by leaps and bounds.
On this Wild Island, the spiritual energy was far denser than in the Nine Provinces. Thus, the primeval forest was home to many medicinal herbs such as ginseng, lingzhi, and He Shou Wu. They had grown for extremely long periods, nearly reaching the quality of spirit medicines, and their effects were astonishing!
Moreover, Xiao Chen would occasionally go out to hunt fierce beasts such as Saber-Toothed Tigers. The flesh and blood of those beasts contained incomparably abundant Life Essence, which was why Bai He's strength had advanced so rapidly over the past few days.
Although there was still no major change in his appearance, and he remained as delicate-looking and thin as before, Bai He's actual strength had now surpassed that of Tie Shan, the lead hunter on Black Mountain.
The reason he still looked frail was simply because the muscle mass he had developed was sleek and streamlined like a cheetah's, rather than bulging out in distinct lumps like those bodybuilders. Thus, it was not obvious at a glance.
Evening came, and firelight danced among the trees.
Beside the Small Lake, which was like a sapphire, a huge leaf had been spread over the ground. It held plenty of fresh fruit, while several coconut shells rested over the fire. Inside them, a translucent, milky-white, thick soup bubbled away.
Bai He held several bamboo skewers, threading chunks of beast meat with a balanced mix of fat and lean meat onto them. He roasted them over the flames until they were crisp and golden, while clear grease dripped into the fire with sizzling sounds.
At the horizon, the crimson sun sank westward, and the evening glow gradually faded away.
Night fell, but the commotion on the beach did not cease. Instead, it grew louder and louder.
Starting from dusk that day, the Eight-Armed Evil Dragon had inexplicably been growling on the beach. By now, it was letting out ear-splitting roars that shook the blue sea into churning waves and made the forest tremble. The display was terrifying.
Even when the stars glittered across the night sky, the Eight-Armed Evil Dragon had yet to fall silent. Its ceaseless howls were utterly unlike its usual behavior.
After the two finished dinner, Xiao Chen listened to the Eight-Armed Evil Dragon's unusual movements on the beach and could not help feeling greatly astonished. After some thought, he decided to head to the beach and investigate.
"Bai He, wait here for me. I'll go see what's happening!"
Xiao Chen thought it over, but he still could not suppress his curiosity. After pondering for a moment, he spoke to Bai He.
Bai He naturally knew what the Eight-Armed Evil Dragon on the beach was doing, but he could not say it. So he answered calmly.
"Then go ahead, Master. I'll wait here."
Xiao Chen nodded, rose to his feet, then turned and slipped into the dense forest. This was a new route to the beach that the two had discovered over the past few days. Since it did not pass through the territories of those ferocious beasts, the journey to the beach was greatly shortened.
Running at full speed, Xiao Chen reached the beach in just over half an hour.
The Eight-Armed Evil Dragon's roars grew even louder.
The fifty-meter-long Eight-Armed Evil Dragon gleamed silver from head to toe, like a silver mountain ridge. Together with its sharp horn, the rows of upturned bone spines on its back, and its eight enormous claws flashing with cold light, it looked incomparably savage and ferocious.
At this moment, the deafening roars finally began to lower. The ancient vicious beast seemed to have struggled violently across the beach, leaving it covered in pits and hollows. In one area, there were even massive, terrifying trenches.
Xiao Chen's gaze was deeply drawn in.
On the beach beside the evil dragon, holy colored light flashed continuously. Looking closely, he discovered that it came from two dragon eggs as large as millstones. Their shells were translucent as jade, as though carved from the finest white jade, radiating brilliant colored light.
The ancient vicious dragon had actually laid eggs.
The Eight-Armed Evil Dragon dug a large pit into the beach and carefully buried the two dragon eggs within it.
By the time it finished laying its eggs, it was already close to midnight. The evil dragon's howls finally vanished, and the seashore gradually quieted down.
The stars filled the sky, shining brightly.
Xiao Chen returned to their dwelling beside the Small Lake with indescribable thoughts in his heart. Bai He "curiously" questioned Xiao Chen about what had happened, only to "learn in surprise" that the Eight-Armed Evil Dragon had laid eggs!
Morning came, and the rising sun climbed into the sky.
Eager to inspect the situation on the beach, Xiao Chen woke up very early.
By the time Bai He had just gotten out of bed, Xiao Chen had already packed up and was ready to leave.
After telling Bai He, "I'm going to the beach to check on things," Xiao Chen immediately plunged into the forest and vanished from Bai He's sight.
On the beach.
The ancient vicious beast, the Eight-Armed Evil Dragon, had already been gone for quite some time. Xiao Chen carefully dug open the large pit in the sand, and two millstone-sized dragon eggs immediately appeared before him.
Their shells were crystal clear, as though carved from white jade, and they gleamed with mystical silver light.
Dragon eggs had always existed only in legends.
Yet now, they truly lay before Xiao Chen's eyes.
Xiao Chen struck out with his palm and shattered one jade-like dragon egg. Brilliant silver radiance shone from within, but because of the crack in the shell, the egg white quickly spilled all over the ground, revealing the core silver "yolk." Light flowed across it, and it was actually a tiny evil dragon baring its fangs and claws!
Without any hesitation, Xiao Chen instantly swallowed that mass of silver radiance. In the next instant, his expression twisted savagely. The dragon egg laid by an ancient vicious beast contained unimaginably powerful life energy, with incomparably abundant innate vital essence. An ordinary person simply could not endure it!
Under the impact of the dragon egg essence inside him, Xiao Chen felt as though his body were about to shatter. His soul and body both seemed on the verge of collapse.
Just then, the Heavenly Gifted Qi Refining Diagram technique within Xiao Chen's body began operating on its own. The dragon shadow within him was slowly refined. In the end, the silver evil dragon inside him disappeared, transforming into a tiny silver point of light the size of a grain of rice that settled into the Shangqiu Acupoint in his left foot.
Xiao Chen opened his eyes, deep in thought.
It was already close to noon. Looking at the other crystal-clear dragon egg in the pit, Xiao Chen pondered for a while and prepared to pick it up, but after thinking it over, he gave up.
He did not know what abilities the legendary Eight-Armed Evil Dragon possessed. If it could track this dragon egg, then he would be finished. It was better to leave it here.
But as he looked at the jade-like dragon egg, an idea suddenly arose in Xiao Chen's heart.
If one were to ask what could best nourish the body and accumulate vital essence, then at present, he felt nothing could compare to the evil dragon egg before him.
Although his newly accepted disciple possessed extraordinary talent, Entering the Rank was ultimately a gradual process. Wanting Bai He to gain enough strength to protect himself on the island in a short time was still wishful thinking, unless they could find some supreme spiritual treasure containing immense life essence to nourish him.
This made him set his sights on the dragon egg before him. The Heavenly Tablet Mystic Skill could refine the dragon egg's immense vital essence. If Bai He refined it, perhaps it could greatly shorten the time needed for him to cultivate true qi and reach Entering the Rank.
But he did not know when the Eight-Armed Evil Dragon would return, so he had to act quickly, Xiao Chen thought.
After covering the dragon egg with sand again, Xiao Chen hurried back to their dwelling.
At this time, Bai He had just finished eating and was practicing martial arts. Seeing Xiao Chen rush over, Bai He had not even had time to ask anything before Xiao Chen grabbed him and pulled him away.
Xiao Chen circulated the true qi within his body and took Bai He racing through the forest. Half an hour later, they arrived at the seashore.
On the golden beach, Xiao Chen once again dug open the pit concealing the dragon egg, revealing the crystal-clear, jade-like egg inside.
"Now I'll break open the dragon egg. Quickly step forward and catch its essence, then refine it using the Heavenly Tablet Mystic Skill I taught you. Whether you can rise in a single step depends on this attempt!"
Xiao Chen raised the millstone-sized dragon egg in his hand and spoke gravely to Bai He.
"Mm! I understand, Master!"
Bai He's expression was complicated, and his tone was heavy.
He naturally knew how dangerous it was to refine a dragon egg. Even Xiao Chen had nearly failed. But time waited for no one! The enemy would arrive soon, and he had to seize every opportunity to become stronger. Moreover, the dragon egg could be considered the most precious thing on Dragon Island, and he was unwilling to give it up.
Xiao Chen gathered his qi and swung his palm. With a crisp crack, a huge fissure appeared across the shell, which was like white jade.
Seeing Xiao Chen break open the dragon egg, Bai He hurriedly stepped forward to catch the overflowing essence. But because the crack in the egg was uneven, the egg white still spilled across the ground, revealing the core silver "yolk" within. Light flowed over it as it gleamed brightly, and a dragon shadow flickered in and out of sight.
"This is the essence of dragon vital energy. Catch it quickly!"
Seeing Bai He stare blankly at the mass of silver light inside the dragon egg, Xiao Chen hurriedly urged him.
Hearing his master Xiao Chen's urging, Bai He gritted his teeth and swallowed the silver dragon shadow in one gulp.
In that instant, Bai He felt as though his soul were about to burst into flames. A vast, surging Life Essence crashed violently through his body, and his body itself seemed as if it would be torn apart beneath the impact of that immense Life Essence.
Feeling the intense pain in his body, Bai He hurriedly began practicing the Heaven-Sent Qi Refining Diagram from the Heavenly Tablet Mystic Skill.
Under the effects of the Heavenly Tablet Mystic Skill, the immense vital essence began to be slowly refined. Silver colored light coiled around Bai He's body as he danced across the beach like a silver man of fire. Fueled by the endless vital essence, Bai He's body began to turn nearly transparent. Through it, one could faintly see a silver evil dragon twisting within him with bared fangs and claws.
Just then, a voice suddenly rang out in Bai He's mind. It was the system!
"Special soul detected entering host's body. System is beginning capture..."
As the system's voice rang through his mind, the silver flames on Bai He's body began to flicker. The silver dragon shadow inside him started dimming and twisting, as though it were struggling desperately.
Immediately afterward, layer after layer of silver scales began to grow wildly across Bai He's body for no apparent reason. The coldly gleaming silver scales appeared and vanished along with the flickering silver flames.
An abnormal change also began within Bai He's body. Crisp creak, creak... sounds rang continuously from between his bones, as though they were shifting and growing. His height shot upward wildly until he reached Xiao Chen's height. He had grown more than ten centimeters, reaching almost one meter ninety.
Seeing that his disciple Bai He was undergoing changes clearly different from his own, Xiao Chen hurriedly stepped forward and sent the true qi in his body into Bai He, intending to help Bai He refine the dragon egg's vital essence.
But when Xiao Chen's true qi entered Bai He's body, it vanished like a mud ox entering the sea. Xiao Chen persisted for a while, but when he found it utterly useless, he could only withdraw his hand.
You can only rely on yourself!
Looking at Bai He struggling in agony, Xiao Chen sighed. In this situation, there was nothing he could do to help.
As time passed, the silver flames on Bai He's body finally began to dim. The silver-white scales that had been growing endlessly over his body no longer appeared, but in their place emerged a tattoo of an Eight-Armed Evil Dragon baring its fangs and claws.
The Eight-Armed Evil Dragon's ferocious dragon head rested over Bai He's chest and abdomen, its icy silver eyes staring straight ahead. Its eight claws spread along his ribs, while its powerful body and long, strong tail extended over his shoulders and down his back. The entire Eight-Armed Evil Dragon seemed to have grown directly from his skin, radiating a baleful aura.
"Could this be the legendary divine beast possession?"
Looking at the lifelike, baleful Eight-Armed Evil Dragon on Bai He's body, Xiao Chen could not help thinking of the divine beast possessions described in ancient tales. He muttered to himself.
"Ding! The special soul within the host has been captured. System analysis identifies it as the Eight-Armed Evil Dragon Soul, with astonishing potential! Because part of the host's true spirit is missing, the system has independently restored the host's true spirit. Following the system's restoration, the Eight-Armed Evil Dragon Soul has been transformed into the host's Companion Dragon Soul."
The system's voice rang out in his mind.
With the system prompt in his mind, Bai He's body finally stopped changing. But his appearance had now changed drastically!
Under the effect of the immense dragon vital energy contained within the Eight-Armed Evil Dragon's egg, Bai He's originally jet-black long hair and eyebrows had turned silver-white, and his pupils had become silver-white as well. His originally delicate and handsome face, paired with his silver hair and silver eyes, now carried an indescribably bewitching beauty.
Bai He let out a long breath and sat down weakly on the ground. Thinking about the system's words just now, he scratched his head in confusion and bared his teeth. "Companion Dragon Soul? What's that?"
Although Bai He was still somewhat confused, he could sense that his body had become vastly different, far stronger than before!
As he thought, Bai He slowly closed his eyes and silently sensed the changes within his body. As though he had detected something, Bai He focused his mind and instantly activated the Eight-Armed Evil Dragon Soul accompanying him.
In an instant, a layer of silver scales grew across Bai He's body. Sharp bone spines slowly extended from between his bones, like spears and sharp swords, glinting with biting cold light. Other than lacking eight arms, a crocodile tail, and the sharp horn on its forehead, Bai He had seemingly transformed into a miniature humanoid Eight-Armed Evil Dragon.
"Oh, so that's how it is!"
Bai He nodded in sudden understanding, then withdrew his thoughts. The silver scales on his body immediately receded like a tide, while the bone spines between his bones slowly retracted with creak, creak... sounds. He had actually gained an ability similar to dragon transformation!
Suddenly, a tremendous roar of waves came from the sea, accompanied by waves of dragon roars.
Turning to look, they saw the crimson sun sinking westward. A channel had been split through the calm sea as towering white waves rolled to either side. Clearly, the ancient vicious beast, the Eight-Armed Evil Dragon, was breaking through the waves as it returned.
Seeing the shocking sight before him, Bai He had not yet recovered when his master Xiao Chen hurriedly grabbed him. The two instantly darted into the dense jungle, fleeing in the blink of an eye into the primeval forest.
Roar!...
Not long after, an ear-splitting, furious roar sounded from behind them. Its voice shattered stone and split metal, piercing straight into the clouds like thunder. The evil dragon had returned!
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