Chapter 76 The Small Red Dragon

Chapter 76 The Small Red Dragon

The Explosive Ape crossed its arms in front of itself, forming a barrier of Profound Qi. However, this barrier was no match for the Annihilation Demonic Sword, as the sword intent pierced straight through it.

"Boom!"

The Explosive Ape's arms were shredded by the sword intent, leaving only two skeletal remains. Blood gushed endlessly from the bones as the beast let out a pained, agonized scream.

"Annihilation Demonic Sword!"

Ning Xiaochuan unleashed another surge of sword intent, thrusting the demonic sword straight through the Explosive Ape's skull, shattering its cranium.

Only when the Explosive Ape collapsed heavily to the ground did Ning Xiaochuan finally relax. "The sword intent of the Annihilation Demonic Sword is unexpectedly powerful. It allows me, at the Second Level of the Divine Body Realm, to challenge warriors at the Third Level of the Divine Body Realm."

Ning Xiaochuan dug out a Low-Grade Profound Stone the size of a bowl from the Explosive Ape's body and stored it in his Heaven and Earth Bag. Then, he began absorbing the beast's Blood Qi.

The Blood Qi within the Explosive Ape was even more potent than that of the Vinewood Snake, causing Ning Xiaochuan's cultivation to surge dramatically. The Profound Qi within his Martial Arts Heart Palace grew incredibly dense, almost transforming into an ocean of energy.

Ning Xiaochuan activated the "Heavenly Thunder Bell" once more, roaring with a thunderous voice. The sound waves condensed into a massive bell, its surface inscribed with floating characters as it rotated in the air.

It was as if a real colossal bell hovered before him.

Ning Xiaochuan could even control the direction of the bell's attack.

"Break!"

The hovering bell shattered in midair, unleashing an earth-shaking explosion that tore the Explosive Ape's withered body into pieces.

"All I need is to absorb the Blood Qi of one more Third-grade Mystic Beast, and I can cultivate my second divine ability to Great Perfection," Ning Xiaochuan murmured.

He walked to the edge of the Golden Flame Pool and, sure enough, spotted an egg lying within. The egg was a full meter in diameter, its pristine white shell resembling flawless jade and exuding a fragrant aroma.

Ning Xiaochuan could sense the extraordinary nature of this Mystic Beast Egg, and his heart raced with excitement. However, he didn’t recklessly reach for it immediately.

Instead, he gripped his Mystic Artifact-level Battle Saber and cautiously extended it toward the golden flames.

"Whoosh…"

The blade instantly turned red before melting into molten metal.

Ning Xiaochuan hastily threw the saber aside, his heart aching at the loss of a precious weapon. At the same time, he felt a surge of relief—had he not been cautious, it wouldn’t have been the saber melting, but his own body.

The temperature of the golden flames was truly terrifying!

How could he retrieve the Mystic Beast Egg from the pool?

"Swish!"

A blur of red light flashed before Ning Xiaochuan's eyes, darting into the golden pool. But the speed was so fast that he couldn’t make out what it was.

When he looked again into the Golden Flame Pool, he was met with an astonishing sight.

A dragon!

Ning Xiaochuan had never seen such a small dragon before—only a meter long, as thick as a wine cup, its entire body a vivid crimson. It was covered in fine scales, with the majestic head of a dragon and two radiant horns atop its skull.

It had four tiny claws, a serpentine body, and a pair of wings sprouting from its back!

It was flying around the enormous Mystic Beast Egg in the Golden Flame Pool, its dragon horns emitting a sacred glow. The golden flames capable of melting Mystic Artifacts posed no threat to it whatsoever.

"What kind of dragon is this? Why does it look so strange? And why is its body so small?"

The small red dragon flying in the Golden Flame Pool would have looked exactly like the divine dragons of myth if not for its wings.

But the war dragons of the Yulan Empire resembled winged dinosaurs more than anything.

After finding the Mystic Beast Egg, the little dragon became extremely excited. It stretched out its tiny claws, mustered all its strength, and lifted the enormous egg, wobbling as it flew out of the golden flames.

Upon spotting Ning Xiaochuan standing by the pool, the little dragon was startled, freezing in place with a shiver. The massive Mystic Beast Egg slipped from its grasp and fell to the ground.

Ning Xiaochuan panicked, fearing the egg would shatter, and rushed forward.

The little dragon, now wary of Ning Xiaochuan, positioned itself protectively in front of the egg and let out a dragon roar, warning him not to steal its prize—or else it would get angry.

But its roar was far too feeble to intimidate Ning Xiaochuan.

Ning Xiaochuan chuckled, then let out a thunderous bellow, his body crackling with streaks of lightning.

The little dragon flinched, covering its ears with its claws.

Once Ning Xiaochuan's voice faded, the dragon hastily scooped up the enormous egg again and wobbled away at an astonishing speed, as if fleeing for its life.

The fact that even a dragon coveted this Mystic Beast Egg meant it must have been left behind by an incredibly powerful mystic beast—a priceless treasure far more valuable than anything else.

Ning Xiaochuan pursued the little dragon closely but refrained from using the Annihilation Demonic Sword to harm it. He sensed intelligence in the creature, and its resemblance to the divine dragons of his homeland's myths made him reluctant to hurt it.

The little dragon soared through the treetops, wings flapping furiously, moving as fast as light itself. If not for the egg—many times larger than its own body—Ning Xiaochuan would never have been able to keep up.

It glanced back repeatedly, only to see Ning Xiaochuan still in pursuit, gnashing its teeth in frustration.

Eventually, exhausted and panting, it came to a stop and set the egg down on the ground.

Ning Xiaochuan, equally winded, finally caught up. "You can't escape. Hand over the Mystic Beast Egg, and I'll let you go."

The little dragon understood his words but shook its head stubbornly, pressing its back against the egg. It waved its tiny claws in the air, pointing at the egg, then at itself, before suddenly widening its eyes, planting its claws on the ground, and baring two tiny white fangs with a fierce, menacing roar—an attempt to scare Ning Xiaochuan off.

Whack!

Ning Xiaochuan swatted it away with a single slap.

"Little brat, come back when you're stronger if you want to scare anyone. Right now, you're just being ridiculous."

He didn’t bother looking at the little dragon sprawled on the ground. It was far too weak—an outright disgrace to dragonkind.

Ning Xiaochuan walked up to the Mystic Beast Egg and gently placed his palm on its shell. A scorching heat radiated from it, instantly burning his hand and causing blood to seep from his palm, dripping onto the egg.

The pain was excruciating, as if his hand was about to split apart. He hadn’t expected the egg’s temperature to be so terrifying. Quickly withdrawing his hand, he circulated his Profound Qi to stop the bleeding.

Unbeknownst to him, the blood that had spilled onto the egg began to seep into the shell drop by drop, as if the egg itself was absorbing it.

Sensing the approach of other mystic beasts, Ning Xiaochuan swiftly wrapped the egg in his Profound Qi, stashed it into the Heaven and Earth Bag, and immediately fled the area.

The small red dragon, which had been lying on the ground, scrambled to its feet with an angry roar. Transforming into a streak of crimson light, it chased after Ning Xiaochuan, determined to reclaim the Mystic Beast Egg.

As he traveled, Ning Xiaochuan kept an eye out for Third-grade Mystic Beasts to hunt, but opportunities were scarce. Either other ferocious beasts were nearby, or the Third-grade Mystic Beasts were too fast for him to catch.

Meanwhile, the small dragon stealthily trailed behind him, sometimes hiding in the grass, other times lurking behind trees, grinding its teeth with a sinister glint in its eyes.

Ning Xiaochuan didn’t understand why the little dragon was so fixated on the egg, but he paid it no mind. For him, breaking through to the next cultivation realm was the most urgent matter.

In a secluded valley nestled between two towering mountains, Ning Xiaochuan spotted the figures of martial artists—quite a few of them. Nearly every half hour, he saw warriors entering or exiting the area.

Gathering such a large number of martial artists in the Fire Demon Mountain Range was no small feat—only a major faction could accomplish it, and only with the presence of a top-tier genius to oversee them.

Suddenly, Ning Xiaochuan recognized a familiar figure—Murong Wushuang.

Murong Wushuang strolled near the valley entrance, hands clasped behind his back, whistling casually. His cultivation had reached the First Level of the Divine Body Realm, placing him among the upper echelon of examinees.

Two warriors at the Profound Qi Realm followed behind him, patrolling the outskirts of the valley.

Seeing a familiar face, Ning Xiaochuan no longer concealed himself and walked toward the valley.

The two Profound Qi Realm warriors were the first to notice him. One of them condensed a Profound Qi Sword and pointed its blade at Ning Xiaochuan, coldly demanding, "Who goes there? This is the resting ground of the Four Great Martial Academies. Leave now if you value your life."

Smack!

Murong Wushuang slapped the warrior, sending him sprawling to the ground. "Your eyesight is terrible. Don’t you recognize my brother Xiaochuan? Seems like you’re the one who wants to die."

Despite being struck, the Ninth Level Profound Qi warrior dared not voice any complaint—Murong Wushuang’s cultivation far surpassed his own, making it effortless for him to kill the man if he wished.

Curious, Ning Xiaochuan asked, "What’s the deal with the Four Great Martial Academies? Why have you all gathered in this valley?"

Murong Wushuang invited Ning Xiaochuan into a temporarily excavated cave and said, "The Fire Demon Mountain Range is extremely dangerous. If warriors search for Black Firewood Pearls alone, the Mortality Rate is extremely high. That's why all warriors participating in the assessment have formed alliances. The Four Great Martial Academies is one such alliance, known as the 'Four Great Martial Academies Alliance,' which includes: Great Dragon Martial Academy, Qiankun Martial Academy, Purple Veil Martial Academy, and Tianwen Martial Academy."

"These four academies are all ranked among the top 100 in the Yulan Empire. They have gathered over 120 warriors and occupied this valley as their base. Everyone searches for Black Firewood Pearls together and resists mystic beasts, providing mutual support. Since my cultivation level is considered decent, they recruited me into the Four Great Martial Academies Alliance and promised to allocate me a Black Firewood Pearl in the future."