Ning Yu took a deep breath, then suddenly raised her hand and slapped the air.
Everyone immediately felt a powerful force surge from behind, pushing them forward uncontrollably, and like dumplings dropping into boiling water, they all tumbled off the cliff.
Everyone screamed, “Ahhh!”
Ning Yu leapt down after them, calmly explaining amidst the howling wind and screams.
“This flood dragon is named Mo Aotian. He has been our Sect’s Guardian Beast for many years and has been carefully trained by the Sect. He is not some wild beast that savagely devours humans, so you all can rest assured.”
Hearing this, everyone felt greatly relieved and cried out again, “Ahhh!”
“I’m going to die! Shijie, save me!”
“Shijie, have mercy!”
Just as they were about to hit the ground face-first, they suddenly felt their bodies lighten. A cold blizzard swept around them, twisting their descent and gently settling them on the shore beside the lake.
Their screams instantly stopped, and dazed, they touched their unharmed bodies. A few timid ones immediately collapsed onto the ground, their legs giving out.
Thank goodness, we’re saved. QAQ
***
At the same time, the lake surface exploded with splashes again as a huge flood dragon’s black-scaled head emerged from the water. A massive wave instantly surged toward those on the shore.
Huaxin furrowed her brows and quickly grasped her blade.
On the other side, Ning Yu’s gaze swept across the wave, which instantly froze solid. Then, with a sharp “bang,” it shattered into pieces of ice that floated down like snowflakes onto everyone’s shoulders.
The black flood dragon snorted and bared its sharp, chilling white teeth as it slowly approached Ning Yu. Its yellow vertical pupils shone with blatant provocation.
“Guardian Beast? Careful training? You’ve got some nerve saying that. I’ve said it before, don’t treat me like my mother.”
“She likes humans and willingly became that Taishang Elder woman’s mount. But I refuse. I’m a flood dragon destined to become a true dragon.”
“Even if you lock me away for thousands or tens of thousands of years, I will never bow to you. Humans are nothing more than food for us Jiaolong Tribe!”
Huaxin silently gripped her sword’s hilt, but didn’t make a move. With her current strength, she probably couldn’t even pierce the scales of this vicious flood dragon, let alone save anyone.
Ning Yu coldly stared at the snarling flood dragon just inches away, flicking her long whip.
“You’re mistaken again. Taishang Elder is just a sect title, not a person’s name. The Taishang Elder’s honorable name is Yu Chen, so you may also call her Elder Yuchen.”
“You humans have so many names for one person, how am I supposed to remember which is which?”
The black flood dragon retreated to dodge the whip strike.
“In any case, if you want me to spit that person out, you’d better release me immediately. Then give me several top-tier magical treasures, a hundred thousand Ling Stones, and a Baiwei Hall master chef.”
“No!”
The flood dragon sneered, “No? Fine, then wait and see me pull her out… Hm? Wait, that’s not your voice.”
Mo Aotian faintly sensed something was wrong, while everyone on the shore stared at his belly in shock.
Ning Yu, ready to continue attacking, paused and slowly lowered her gaze.
“I didn’t speak just now.”
The flood dragon was stunned. “You didn’t speak? Then who did?”
Tan Xiaobai shouted, “Boss?!”
The next moment, a muffled voice came again from the dragon’s belly.
“It was me speaking. What, you don’t like that?”
A flicker of emotion finally crossed Ning Yu’s eyes. Although she was certain Mo Aotian wouldn’t eat humans, she hadn’t expected this situation.
Mo Aotian was even more shocked.
“Impossible. I clearly stabbed your mind with my divine sense; you should have fainted. How are you still awake? Wait… what’s that spinning thing on your head?”
Yun Miao, taking advantage of the fact that she couldn’t die in the game, treated falling off a cliff like skydiving.
She spread her arms, feeling the wet mist and fierce wind slap her face. The strong sensation of weightlessness made her heart pound wildly.
But just as she saw the emerald lake surface getting closer, the water suddenly exploded with waves.
A huge creature surged out, and before she could see what it was, everything went black as if she slid down a strange tunnel.
Yun Miao: ???
Who turned off the lights?
Before she could react, she suddenly felt heat at her brow. She vaguely sensed something flying out from deep within her forehead.
Green beams of light descended onto her, barely illuminating the fleshy interior walls around her.
Looking up, she saw a jade-green orb quietly hovering above her head, casting streams of green light.
Curious, she reached out and grabbed the orb, bringing it closer to examine. Although small, the orb felt heavy in her hand. But what caught her eye most was its exquisite craftsmanship.
This jade orb, about the size of an egg, was hollowed and carved into nested layers like Russian dolls, with nine layers in total. It resembled the ivory Linglong Jade Orb she once saw in a museum.
Each layer was carved with openwork auspicious cloud patterns. Through the hollow seams, one could see straight to the innermost layer. The gaps were as fine as hair strands!
The space between each layer was as thin as cicada wings, but not too narrow. Each layer could rotate freely around the same center point.
As Yun Miao pondered how to open the innermost orb, all nine nested spheres suddenly began rotating together, radiating even more dazzling green light.
Looking through the shifting hollow seams, she faintly saw a ring of interlocking jade-green stairs quietly appear deep inside the Linglong Jade Orb.
【Dengtianti】: A magical treasure of the Xuantian Sect used for disciple selection. It contains a strange inner space and houses the Wenxin Formation. Bound to its master.
So this is the magical treasure called Dengtianti? So that’s what it really looks like.
Yun Miao was admiring the treasure when she suddenly heard voices from outside. She quickly returned the orb to hover above her head and pressed her ear against the soft “walls” to listen closely.
Just as she expected, the jade orb didn’t fall but floated steadily above her. No matter how she shook her head, it wouldn’t drop.
The green light seemed like a thin membrane shielding her from everything outside, including the sticky substances on the “walls” and “floor.”
From the conversation outside, Yun Miao quickly pieced together the situation. She had been swallowed by a flood dragon named Mo Aotian.
Mo Aotian didn’t want to be confined within the Xuantian Sect, so he took her hostage to threaten the Sect into freeing him.
Without hesitation, Yun Miao said, “No!”
An immediate outcry rang out outside. Since Yun Miao was inside Mo Aotian’s belly, his voice thundered in her ears like roaring thunder, while Ning Yu and the others’ voices sounded muffled and distant.
She had to listen carefully to make out their words.
Yan Dao.
After hearing Mo Aotian’s thunderous confusion, Yun Miao deliberately spoke again.
“It was me speaking. What, not satisfied?”
As soon as she said this, chaos erupted outside. But this time, she didn’t answer Mo Aotian’s questions and instead declared righteously,
“Shijie, don’t agree to his demands. I’m the Sect Master of Xuantian Sect’s beloved disciple, the one who walks proudly through the entire Sect. If I agree to his conditions just to save myself today, I’ll lose all face.”
“Besides, my master promised that if I perform well, I will be the next Sect Leader of Xuantian Sect. Then the whole Sect will be mine, including all the Sect’s rare treasures, a hundred thousand Ling Stones, and even the Baiwei Hall’s master chef!”
“This guy can just eat me, but he actually wants to steal my position. That’s unforgivable! I’m staying put; let’s see if he really has the ability to pull me out! If he can’t… haha, then he’s in for a world of hurt!”
The expressions of those on the shore twisted and twisted again, uncertain how to react.
If any outsider had spoken so arrogantly, coveting the Sect Leader’s position and Sect wealth, they would have been ridiculed mercilessly as deluded dreamers.
But Yun Miao… considering her previous odd behaviors, everyone silently chose to tolerate her.
They were utterly impressed by her audacity to shout inside a terrifying beast’s stomach. How could a person be this brave?!
Tan Xiaobai clenched his fist, deeply encouraged. “Boss truly is the boss—unyielding to the end!”
Those who immediately understood burst into laughter.
Mo Aotian, having used divine sense to scan his own body, now understood the situation and sneered in disdain.
“A mere Qi Refining stage ant, only barely spared by some unknown treasure’s power. And you dare speak so boldly? Fine, I want to see what you can really do!”
No sooner had he finished speaking than his muscles began to contract layer by layer, his skin rippling as dense black scales rubbed against each other, making a grinding noise.
Ning Yu’s face turned cold. She swung her long whip, quickly freezing the lake’s surface and encasing the black flood dragon’s body.
Several whip strikes wrapped around his upper body above the water like venomous snakes.
“Mo Aotian, if you dare harm her in the slightest, the Disciplinary Hall will sever your flood dragon sinews!”
Mo Aotian howled into the sky, his black claws reaching up from beneath his belly toward the whip.