Indeed, might makes right; the ancients were right.
After ten minutes of activity, Jiang Jie finally subdued the Onyx Cloud Serpent. Looking at the four little Elemental Spirits beside him, Jiang Jie chuckled.
It's time!
"Don't worry, I won't treat you badly. Be my mount, and I can make you stronger! Maybe one day, you can stand alongside the ancient dragons, or even the more powerful Queen of the Dragon Aspects!" Jiang Jie placed his hand on Zhaoren, and the power of nature turned into mist, enveloping him and slightly healing his wounds.
Of course, there's no way to completely cure it. After all, Zhaoren is such a big guy, and Jiang Jie's skill level as a Mistweaver Monk is not even as good as that of a fifteen or sixteen-year-old panda at the Shangxi Shang Xi's Training Grounds.
"Alright, get up, let's go to Temple of the Five Dawns!" Jiang Jie patted Zhaoren, then flipped himself onto the dragon.
Along the way, Ji shouted excitedly. No Pandaren in the entire Wandering Isle had ever ridden a dragon before; he was the first. This feeling was incredibly exhilarating!
Aysa appeared calm, but she was inwardly thrilled. Riding a dragon was an unprecedented experience and honor for her.
The Onyx Cloud Serpent was very fast; in less than half an hour, they returned to Temple of the Five Dawns.
"By the heavens above! Look what that is! The legendary Cloud Serpent!"
"Quickly report to Shang Xi and Elder Shaopai that the Zhaoren the Onyx Cloud Serpent has attacked Temple of the Five Dawns!"
"What nonsense are you talking about? Can't you see there are people on it? Let me see... It's Ji and Aysa, and Master Jiang! Wait, there are four Elemental Spirits too? Master Jiang brought the Elemental Spirits with him!"
"Master Jiang subdued the Zhaoren the Onyx Cloud Serpent? I, Shenzhenzi (Hou Tu), Shen-zin Su! Everyone says Master Jiang is Martial Arts Master on par with Master Shang Xi! When will he open his martial arts school? I want to become his disciple!"
The chatter below was deaf to Jiang Jie's ears. Zhaoren flew directly to Temple of the Five Dawns and landed in front of the gate.
"Quiet down! Zhaoren, no trouble allowed! Even a dragon has to coil up!" Jiang Jie ordered sternly, waving his fist. Zhaoren shrank back and hid his head inside his coiled body.
"Yes, that's it. Become a dragon with your head between your legs." Jiang Jie nodded, then turned around and bowed. "Master Shang Xi, Elder Shaopai."
Master Shang Xi goes without saying. Elder Shaopai is Master Shang Xi's successor, a generation earlier than Old Chen and Master Li Fei. He is said to be one of Master Shang Xi's earliest disciples and was originally intended to take over his position after Master Shang Xi Forest of Staves. However, after practicing the Xiantian Art, Master Shang Xi is estimated to live for at least several more decades, and Elder Shaopai certainly won't live to see that day.
"Jiang, you did it." Master Shang Xi looked at Zhaoren lying on the ground and the four little Elemental Spirits beside Jiang Jie, and said with emotion, "Since Master Liu Lang passed away, the Pandaren haven't spoken to Shen-zin Su for hundreds of years. Jiang, I thought I wouldn't live to see this day, but I never expected there would still be a chance."
"Master Shang Xi prepared a hot air balloon, intending to take you to see Shen-zin Su." Elder Shaopai also remarked with emotion, "I never expected you to have subdued the Zhaoren the Onyx Cloud Serpent; now you don't need it."
Without saying much, Zhaoren, carrying Jiang Jie, Master Shang Xi, Elder Shaopai, Aysa, Ji, and several Elemental Spirits, flew towards the outer edge of the island.
Half an hour later, they flew to the end of the Wandering Isle and saw a giant turtle head.
" Shen-zin Su, we are the descendants of Liu Lang! We haven't seen you for hundreds of years, and now we've come to pay our respects!" Master Shang Xi shouted Zhaoren the Onyx Cloud Serpent flew to Shen-zin Su's side.
The others bowed in respect. After all, they were all juniors in front of Shen-zin Su. Moreover, they had lived on Shen-zin Su's back for so many years. To be honest, it was Shen-zin Su who raised them. The Pandaren would forever remember this kindness.
" Liu Lang's descendants? Centuries have passed, I didn't expect you to still remember me." With the help of the Elemental Spirits, the group gained the ability to communicate with Shen-zin Su. Shen-zin Su's voice was filled with vicissitudes and weariness. "You've come to find me, what brings you here?"
" Shen-zin Su,
"We've come to thank you for your kindness and to ask what you need. The Pandaren are willing to fulfill all your wishes, to the best of their ability," said Master Shang Xi. " Liu Lang is dead. I've been swimming in this sea for hundreds of years, and I feel very lonely. I want friends, but I can't find any. I want to travel the whole world like Liu Lang, but I can only swim in the ocean and can't go ashore. My enormous size even prevents me from entering large rivers. Can you help me?" asked Shen-zin Su.
A moment of silence followed.
Everyone could sense the loneliness within, especially the ancient Shui the Water Spirit.
The Shu and Old Liang were good friends, but the trickle is immortal, while Old Liang, who was originally a young man, slowly grew up and grew old. Now he is very old and about to die. One day he will leave the trickle forever. This feeling of losing a friend is really bad.
Shen-zin Su was in an even worse situation than that.
Eight hundred years ago, when Liu Lang took it away from Pandaria, it was just a little sea turtle.
They crossed the ocean to a continent they had never seen before, swimming along the coastline, along the rivers, in the lakes, and even going ashore.
During that time, Shen-zin Su followed Liu Lang to many places, whether it was Kalimdor or the Eastern Kingdoms, whether it was Feralas or Mount Hyjal, their footprints can be found everywhere.
They had seen Night Elf, humans, Dwarves, and Troll.
They've seen the green hills of Stranglethorn Vale, the deserts of Tanaris, and even fought dinosaurs in Un'Goro Crater!
All of this was recorded in Liu Lang's travel log, passed down through generations. Jiang Jie had also recently read and studied it carefully.
But as Shen-zin Su grew larger, it gradually became unable to go ashore and could only stay in the sea or rivers. Often, it did not participate in Liu Lang's travels.
Although I feel lonely and sad, at least I can look forward to Liu Lang's return every day, and at least Liu Lang has its company during the time he spends in the water.
Then it could no longer enter rivers, and Liu Lang grew older, so it stopped on the shore, waiting for Liu Lang to return so it could tell it about its travels.
It watched Liu Lang grow from a young man into an adult, then gradually grow old, and finally die. It lost its best and only friend, and from then on never returned to Pandaria, not wanting to be reminded of him by seeing things.
Humans have feelings, and so does Shen-zin Su.
At that time, it could have lived its own life, such as diving into the sea to see the scenery of the deep ocean...
But by then, many creatures had already inhabited its body and built houses on it, including Liu Lang 'Liu Lang own kind and his descendants.
What will happen to these Pandaren if they go into the water themselves?
And so, Shen-zin Su continued to drift on the ocean, a journey that lasted for seven hundred years.
For seven hundred years, there was no one to talk to anymore. It was very lonely and could only continue to fulfill its responsibilities. These were the responsibilities given to it by the Shen-zin Su, and also the responsibilities given to it by its emotions.
Similarly, this is also a constraint on him!
It longs to break free from all this and return to freedom, but it cannot, and will not, do so.
what to do?
No one knew what to do, because everyone knew that Shen-zin Su could not be freed.
Even if the Pandaren or any other creature were willing to leave Wandering Isle, Shen-zin Su's current size wouldn't allow it to dive to the bottom of the sea or travel ashore. It... is already bound by its own body!
"Perhaps I have a way," Jiang Jie said.