The Dragon Clan are the most intelligent beings in the world. What they excel at is communication through streams of consciousness, without even needing to open their mouths. However, human consciousness is too weak to interact with such highly evolved beings as dragons.” Hunyuanzi spoke with great difficulty.
“You’re kidding, right? Talk like you’ve already transcended humanity.”
“I’m a ghost, so it’s different,” Hunyuanzi actually managed a smile. “Now you understand, ghosts are of a higher class than humans, right?”
“Higher than what? My foot!” Yang Hao wasn’t in the mood for jokes, especially not when facing the fiercest and most ruthless of the universe’s dragon clans, the Kadith Dragon Clan. “What exactly did that damned dragon say to you? When does it plan to eat me?”
At the mention of being eaten, Yang Hao felt a pang in his heart. After all, he was usually the one indulging in delicacies. Never had he imagined that one day he would be the delicacy.
Hunyuanzi was acting strangely today and continued joking, “You really think you’re the Tang Monk’s immortal flesh, that eating you grants eternal life? That dragon lord doesn’t even have time for you.”
“Not eat me?” Yang Hao didn’t believe it for a second. “Then who killed all those people whose bones are lying around? The most notorious and brutal Kadith Dragon Clan—could they possibly be nice dragons?”
“You’re actually right this time. It really is a very kind dragon, and not only that, it even has something good for you,” Hunyuanzi smirked slyly. “Dear disciple, whenever you’re at a critical moment, when life and death are at stake, what’s your final move?”
“What does that matter to you?” Though Yang Hao was annoyed at Hunyuanzi’s tone, he still answered habitually. “My specialty, of course, is running away. I use the Feihua Mirage Steps to slip off unnoticed the moment someone isn’t looking.”
“No, no, no,” Hunyuanzi disagreed strongly. “Dear disciple, your strongest move is definitely not running for your life.”
“Then what is it?” Yang Hao really didn’t believe him. How could his master possibly know him better than he knew himself?
“When it comes to your earth-shaking, heaven-moving, demon-wailing, god-begging, invincible, unstoppable ultimate skill,” Hunyuanzi mimicked Yang Hao’s cheeky manner, “it’s obviously your specialty—clinging to someone’s leg and calling them ‘father’.”
“Damn it!” Yang Hao cursed furiously. This was truly digging up old wounds. In truth, Yang Hao did have quite a talent in this area. Especially when dealing with old geezers like Elder Haide, he would cry and cling to their legs, calling them “father” with such sincerity that even bystanders would be moved.
“Now’s the time to use your talent!” Hunyuanzi teased mischievously. “Look at that dragon over there—it’s so majestic, so ruthless. In terms of power, it surpasses anyone in this world. In terms of age, it’s tens of thousands of years older than old Haide. It’s the perfect candidate for an adoptive father.”
Yang Hao almost fainted from shock. Today, Hunyuanzi was being unusually exaggerated, practically trying to push Yang Hao into the arms of the Kadith Dragon.
Thinking of the Kadith Dragon Clan, Yang Hao involuntarily glanced ahead again. Those eyes, deep as the cosmos, had been watching him all along. Under that lecherous gaze, Yang Hao shivered involuntarily. “Old man, you can’t be serious! You want me to call this monster ‘father’? Have you lost your mind? Who knows if it even understands what a godfather is?”
“It does! It does!” Hunyuanzi assured him repeatedly. “It already told me. As long as you’re willing to be its godson, it promises to leave you with a complete body, and even give you red envelopes during festivals.”
“A complete body… Well… that’s not bad. At least better than being crushed into bits.”
Yang Hao was already nervous, and Hunyuanzi’s words made him break into a cold sweat. He snapped, “If you want to be its son, go ahead! I’m not interested!”
“Yeah, yeah, I thought the same and even volunteered, but unfortunately, it only has its eyes on you,” Hunyuanzi was unusually talkative today. “As for me, I have other important tasks.”
“Why does this dragon insist on adopting me?” Yang Hao, unable to hear the dragon’s voice, had to rely on Hunyuanzi. “Even though I’m handsome and charming, I don’t exactly look like someone born to be someone’s adopted son.”
At this point, Hunyuanzi suddenly shushed him, lowering his voice as if afraid of being overheard, “From my observation, this dragon is… perverted.”
“Perverted!!!” Yang Hao blurted out, but immediately noticed the dragon’s gaze turn icy cold. He quickly ducked his head, whispering as quietly as he could, “That’s obvious. I knew it was perverted the moment I saw it. Not just this dragon—this entire place, all these gods, they’re all perverted. They’re perverted in power and perverted in lifestyle!”
“Just listen to me!” Hunyuanzi’s voice thundered. “I don’t have much time left to talk to you!”
“What do you mean?” Even Yang Hao, usually slow to catch on, began to sense something was off. Today didn’t feel like the usual casual banter. Hunyuanzi’s every word seemed to carry a hidden meaning.
“This is a perverted place, filled with perverted gods,” Hunyuanzi practically fused words together in his urgency. “Coming here was a huge mistake. If I could choose again, I’d rather die ten times than come back. This place is far more terrifying than anything we could imagine. It’s ten thousand times worse than our worst nightmares.”
“What’s wrong with you?” Yang Hao grew anxious. He had never heard Hunyuanzi sound so defeated.
“This divine realm hides a great secret. Just now, during my mental communication with the Kadith Dragon, I discovered everything, but I don’t have time to explain it all. You must understand—every god here has gone mad. They’ve been driven insane by this place, by their environment, by their fate. So every god has their own bizarre quirk. This Kadith Dragon, for instance, likes to raise ordinary humans like its own dragon cubs.”
“What’s wrong with that?” Yang Hao’s mind wasn’t quick enough to grasp the horror. He actually thought having a dragon for a father might be a good thing.
“It’s a dragon!” Hunyuanzi roared. “Can you handle the way dragons raise their children? It will fly you across the skies and seas every day. It will feed you dragon breath as if it were milk. Do you even know what happens when ordinary people are exposed to dragon breath?”
Yang Hao shivered violently. Of course he knew. Even if he were as stupid as a pig, he should have figured it out by now. The pile of bones nearby—those ordinary people—had been victims of the Kadith Dragon’s breath.
“Dragon breath is one of the most powerful forces in the world. Different dragon races have different kinds of breath. Red for fire dragons, representing blazing flames. Black for black dragons, representing decay. And the dragon before us, its breath is green—half life, half death.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means this green dragon breath is sacred and precious to dragons. But when it hits an ordinary human, it will separate flesh, blood, and bone. A life can be torn apart in an instant.”
“So then… am I doomed? I can use my sword! I can run!”
“Your sword? Against the Kadith Dragon Clan?” Hunyuanzi sneered. “To it, your sword is weaker than a toothpick. Your Feihua Mirage Steps are as childish as a toddler’s waddle. Don’t forget—we’re facing the strongest life form in the universe. Not just you—even in my prime, I’d have no choice but to surrender.”
Yang Hao finally understood the meaning of despair. He wasn’t just isolated and helpless—he had angered an incredibly powerful monster.
“I don’t want to die. I’m not ready to die,” Yang Hao panicked. “I’m still young. I still have so many good days ahead of me.”
“Exactly. You can’t die,” Hunyuanzi said calmly. “You’re not just young—you have many responsibilities. You’re the new leader of the Dan-Ding Dual Cultivation Sect, its only heir. You must avenge your sect. You’re also the husband of Shiming. You must find her and bring her back. You’re also the great chieftain of Saint Bear Star—you have the duty to restore it to its pre-nuclear state.”
“Then what do we do? How do we fight this monster dragon?” Yang Hao’s confidence began to return with Hunyuanzi’s words.
Though they had bickered constantly over the long months, more like rivals than master and disciple, Yang Hao now truly felt that Hunyuanzi and he were inseparable parts of the same life.
“Not ‘we’—just you,” Hunyuanzi said, though he had no physical form. “You must face the most feared dragon clan in the universe. You’re about to undergo the trial of dragon breath.”
“And what about you?” A terrible premonition gripped Yang Hao. The moment the question left his lips, a surge of searing energy erupted through his body. In his dantian area, a pill-like object appeared, spinning like a miniature universe, constantly releasing energy.
Hunyuanzi had released Yang Hao’s inner elixir. This was something Yang Hao had obtained only after reaching the Hehe Realm. Hunyuanzi had claimed to be keeping it safe for him, but in truth, he had forbidden Yang Hao from using it before, to train him in relying on his most basic powers in battle.
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