Dragon Python Seeks to Become a Dragon! Direct Suppression!

After a while, the Dragon Tiger Beast woke up.

Seeing Taishu Jing standing before it, the Dragon Tiger Beast grew afraid. It wanted to leave this place at once and did not even care about pursuing the Dragon Bone Grass anymore. The person before it was simply too terrifying; in front of him, it was like a rabbit.

"Alright, return the Dragon Bone Grass to it," Taishu Jing said, gesturing to Zhong Yu.

Zhong Yu nodded and was about to place the Dragon Bone Grass in her hand before the Dragon Tiger Beast.

"Wait!"

Zhong Li suddenly spoke up. Taishu Jing looked at him. "What is it?"

"Young hero, since this Dragon Tiger Beast is no match for you, why return the Dragon Bone Grass to it? The Dragon Bone Grass is of great use to Miss. We should keep it, and we will thank you greatly afterward," Zhong Li said slowly.

Hearing this, Taishu Jing sneered inwardly and looked at Zhong Yu. "What do you think?"

"No."

Zhong Yu placed the Dragon Bone Grass before the Dragon Tiger Beast without much reluctance. Because of this Dragon Bone Grass, the four of them had been hunted all the way by the Dragon Tiger Beast today and had nearly lost their lives. Had Taishu Jing not appeared, they would already have died beneath its claws. To continue demanding it would be unreasonable.

"Miss," Zhong Li said unwillingly when he saw Zhong Yu return the Dragon Bone Grass.

"No need to say more." Zhong Yu shook her head at him.

Zhong Li said nothing more.

Taishu Jing released his grip and looked at the Dragon Tiger Beast. "The Dragon Bone Grass has been returned to you. Go back."

The Dragon Tiger Beast stared blankly at the Dragon Bone Grass before it. It had not expected these people to return it, though it knew clearly that this was all because of Taishu Jing.

Lowering its head, the Dragon Tiger Beast took the Dragon Bone Grass into its mouth. It did not immediately turn and leave. Instead, it walked to Taishu Jing's side, lowered its head to rub against his hand, then nudged him in a certain direction.

"You want me to go with you?"

Taishu Jing looked at the Dragon Tiger Beast in surprise. He had just beaten it up, yet it was not afraid of him at all.

The Dragon Tiger Beast nodded its dragon-like head, then walked over to Zhong Yu and gently nudged her several times as well, wanting her to come along.

"This..." Zhong Yu's face was full of surprise. Even Zhong Li and the other two were stunned. Earlier, this Dragon Tiger Beast had fought them to the death, yet in the blink of an eye, it had become like this. It was truly inconceivable.

"Alright, I'll go take a look with you. Lead the way." Taishu Jing patted the Dragon Tiger Beast, signaling it to lead on.

Roar!

With a delighted roar, the Dragon Tiger Beast leaped out first and headed in one direction.

After taking two steps, Taishu Jing noticed that Zhong Yu and the others were still standing there, debating whether to follow. He turned back. "If you don't come, you may regret it."

After saying that, Taishu Jing tapped off with the tip of his foot and followed the Dragon Tiger Beast ahead.

"Follow him," Zhong Yu said decisively.

"Yes, Miss," Zhong Li and the other two answered. They felt Taishu Jing was right. If they missed this, they might truly regret it.

The Dragon Tiger Beast bounded through the mountains, with Taishu Jing, Zhong Yu, and the others following behind.

"Young master, may I ask how you are addressed?" Zhong Yu looked at Taishu Jing ahead, unable to suppress her curiosity.

"Taishu Jing."

Zhong Yu and the others were somewhat surprised. Taishu was a rare surname, and Jing sounded rather feminine for a name.

Taishu Jing glanced back, knowing what they were thinking. Back when he first learned his own name, he had also felt incredibly awkward. What boy was named Jing?

Later, he learned that when Taishu Feng had named the two brothers, he had used their mother's name. His elder brother was called Taishu Yun, while he was called Taishu Jing. It was overflowing with the stench of lovey-dovey affection.

If he had been born first, perhaps he would have been called Taishu Yun while his elder brother would have been Taishu Jing. The ways of the world were truly unpredictable.

At first, when they called him Jing'er or Jing, Taishu Jing had found it grating. But he had gradually grown used to it and no longer cared.

"Names are given by one's parents," Taishu Jing suddenly said.

"Then I shall call you Young Master Jing," Zhong Yu said, her tone carrying a hint of inquiry.

"As you wish."

Looking at Taishu Jing's somewhat youthful figure, Zhong Yu found it hard to imagine that he could so easily suppress the Dragon Tiger Beast with one hand. His eyes were bright and clear, but his face still retained some baby fat.

She had never seen such a youth even in Cloud Dream Ancient City. He seemed more like one of those favored geniuses from a Great Power.

"Young Master Jing, this humble woman is Zhong Yu, from Cloud Dream Ancient City. May I ask where Young Master Jing is from?"

Taishu Jing glanced at her and smiled, looking somewhat adorable. "I'm from this little corner of the Cloud Dream Mountain Range. Where else could I be from?"

"Young Master Jing must be joking. With such formidable strength, how could you possibly come from the Cloud Dream Mountain Range?" Zhong Yu shook her head, clearly not believing him.

"Believe it or not."

Taishu Jing did not wish to say more. Looking ahead, he realized that if he was not mistaken, they had already entered the deeper regions of the Cloud Dream Mountain Range, though they had not yet approached its center.

Roar!

The Dragon Tiger Beast stopped and turned back, roaring at Taishu Jing and the others.

"Looks like we're here."

Taishu Jing, Zhong Yu, and the others came to the Dragon Tiger Beast's side and looked at the valley ahead. Clouds and mist wreathed the valley, obscuring everything within. Yet they could all sense the dense spiritual energy inside, and the spiritual energy and Heaven and Earth Essence around the valley were all gathering toward it.

"Miss, the spiritual energy in this valley is so dense. There must be treasure inside," Zhong Li and the other two said excitedly. Though they had failed to obtain the Dragon Bone Grass, they had come upon a treasure ground instead. Just when the willow trees had cast their deepest shade, bright flowers had appeared ahead.

Zhong Yu looked at the valley, joy appearing on her face. If there truly was treasure within, as Zhong Li and the others said, she might have a chance to break through her current bottleneck.

"Such dense spiritual energy is quite rare," Taishu Jing murmured. As he looked at the valley, he felt that things were not so simple.

Roar!

At that moment, the Dragon Tiger Beast suddenly grew tense. Its eyes fixed on the valley, filled with hostility.

Hiss!

A sharp, thin sound came from within the valley. A snake head emerged from the thick mist, staring at the group as it continuously flicked its tongue. Two sharp horns, each barely an inch long, protruded from its head, making it look exceedingly strange.

"It's a Dragon Python! It even has horns on its head—it's about to transform into a flood dragon!" Zhong Li cried out, his voice full of shock. If it were merely a Dragon Python, they might still have a chance to kill it. But this Dragon Python was already on the verge of becoming a flood dragon. It was clearly not something they could contend with.

"Miss, Young Master Jing, this Dragon Python is about to transform into a flood dragon. We should leave," Zhong Li suggested to Zhong Yu and Taishu Jing, while the other two nodded repeatedly.

Zhong Yu did not speak. She only looked at Taishu Jing to see what he would do.

"A Dragon Python transforming into a flood dragon—interesting."

Taishu Jing chuckled. He had grown tired of playing with those First-Order and Second-Order Fierce Beasts. Since this was a Dragon Python on the verge of transforming into a flood dragon, it was nearly a Third-Order Fierce Beast. He wondered how many punches it could take from him.

Fierce Beasts also had ranks corresponding to cultivation realms. The Blood Bone Realm corresponded to First-Order Fierce Beasts, the Spirit Vein Realm to Second-Order Fierce Beasts, and Third-Order Fierce Beasts were equivalent to the Soul Palace Realm.

This Dragon Python, which was on the verge of becoming a flood dragon, could only be considered half a step into the Third Order. Once it fully transformed into a flood dragon, it would become a true flood dragon, a Third-Order Fierce Beast.

Hiss!

It seemed to be warning Taishu Jing and the others to leave. The Dragon Python did not attack directly, likely because it did not want anything to go wrong at this critical moment of transformation—or perhaps there was something in the valley that it cared about especially.

"Miss, Young Master Jing, the Dragon Python is already warning us. We should leave," Zhong Li and the others urged.

Roar!

The Dragon Tiger Beast glared at Zhong Li and the others, frightening them into taking several steps back.

"Alright. It's only a Dragon Python that hasn't transformed into a flood dragon yet. The treasure is right before us; returning empty-handed is not my style."

Taishu Jing patted the Dragon Tiger Beast, telling it to calm down. Only then did it happily rub against him.

"Young Master Jing, do you have a way to deal with this Dragon Python?"

Zhong Yu was astonished. This Dragon Python on the verge of becoming a flood dragon was nearly equivalent to half a Soul Palace Realm cultivator, yet from what Taishu Jing said, he clearly intended to fight it.

"Direct suppression." Taishu Jing stretched lazily and walked into the valley before the Dragon Python.

"This..."

Watching Taishu Jing's actions, Zhong Li and the others no longer knew what to say. Direct suppression—he made it sound so simple. How many people could actually accomplish it? Only a true Soul Palace Realm cultivator could manage that.

Hiss!

The Dragon Python kept issuing warnings, as though it would attack if Taishu Jing refused to stop.

"Come on, let's spar."

As he spoke, Taishu Jing exerted force through his legs. The ground instantly shattered, cracks spreading like a spiderweb as it caved in. He shot into the air and charged straight into the valley.