The Ruyi Mirror still hung there, but it no longer emitted its blinding light, and the black dragon was no longer in agony.
Yet, from its expression, it was clear it feared the mirror greatly. Even though the mirror ceased its attack, the dragon didn’t dare flee, standing obediently in place.
“Hand it over,” Old Man Ruyi said.
“I can hand it over, but you must spare me. After all, I haven’t harmed you today. There’s no need to wipe me out,” the black dragon replied.
“Return the antidote and Chu Feng’s possession, and I’ll let you go,” Old Man Ruyi stated.
“Deal,” the black dragon agreed without hesitation.
It slowly raised its massive claw, eerie ripples flowing around its body, gathering at the claw. Then, a small energy orb emerged.
“This is the antidote. Merge it into his body,” the dragon said.
Swish—
As soon as it spoke, the antidote was drawn into Ruyi Castle.
Old Man Ruyi examined it closely to confirm its reliability.
After observing, his tense expression eased, and he said, “No wonder it’s so special. The poison in your body and this antidote both come from the dragon itself, inherent to its being.”
With that, he pointed, and the antidote entered Chu Feng’s body.
As it took effect, Chu Feng felt the poison within him begin to dissipate.
“How do you feel, little friend Chu Feng?” Old Man Ruyi asked.
“Thank you, Senior. It’s indeed the antidote. The poison is gone,” Chu Feng said gratefully.
Old Man Ruyi smiled, then turned his gaze to the black dragon outside. “You still haven’t returned Chu Feng’s possession.”
The dragon’s expression shifted, showing a struggle.
Old Man Ruyi saw cunning in its eyes, a hint of wanting to escape but hesitating.
Clearly, it hadn’t handed over the Qilin Egg and seemed to want to back out.
Buzz—
The Ruyi Mirror lit up again.
Though it didn’t attack, its aura was terrifying.
“If you try to escape, you’ll bear the consequences,” Old Man Ruyi warned.
“No, no, I’ll give it, I’ll give it,” the dragon said hastily, too afraid to hesitate. It handed over the Qilin Egg, though its eyes were filled with reluctance.
Swish—
Old Man Ruyi didn’t give it a chance to reconsider, pulling the Qilin Egg into Ruyi Castle.
“Little friend Chu Feng, check carefully. Is this yours?” he asked.
“Senior, yes, it’s definitely mine,” Chu Feng confirmed.
Aside from knowing it could devour evil spirits, Chu Feng knew little about the Qilin Egg’s other abilities.
The black dragon seemed to know more about it.
So, Chu Feng asked, “Senior, do you recognise this egg?”
“It’s no ordinary thing. The creature inside is remarkable. If it’s truly a Qilin, it would be a divine beast. But Qilin bloodlines are widespread, and only the purest can claim the title of divine beast. Even a living Qilin wouldn’t necessarily be a true divine beast in our eyes. Take that flood dragon—it’s evolving, aiming to become a true dragon, a divine beast, but it’s far from that now,” Old Man Ruyi explained.
“Senior, can I speak with the black dragon? I want to ask about this Qilin Egg,” Chu Feng said, curious and hoping to learn from the dragon since Old Man Ruyi didn’t know much.
“Of course,” Old Man Ruyi said, opening a barrier gate.
Chu Feng knew that by projecting his consciousness into the gate, his words would reach outside.
“Can you explain what this is? Why do you call it the Heaven-Swallowing Qilin?” Chu Feng asked the dragon.
“Heh heh…” The dragon chuckled before replying, “Little brat, so you don’t even know what it is. Let me tell you, the Heaven-Swallowing Qilin is an extremely ferocious creature. It’s solitary, ruthless, and will kill even its kin for power. Taming it is impossible. Keeping it by your side is dangerous. But I have a unique taming method. Why not give it to me? Once I’ve tamed it, you can take it back. How about that?”
The dragon’s words were clearly ill-intentioned. Chu Feng had no trust in a creature that had just tried to possess his body.
Ignoring its offer, he pressed, “Tell me about the Heaven-Swallowing Qilin’s origin and abilities.”
“Hmph, who do you think I am, your servant? Do I have to answer your questions? The poison is cured, the item returned. We’re even,” the dragon said, turning its body and diving deeper into the depths.
Old Man Ruyi didn’t stop it, only watching as it fled.
“Senior, can you sense what’s here? Rumours say the depths of the Nine Dragons Upper Realm hold the Nine Dragons Qi, something powerful. The dragon kept mentioning a Nine Dragons Saint. Could they be the true master of this place?” Chu Feng asked, curious but limited in ability, hoping Old Man Ruyi could discern more, given his superiority over the dragon.
Pfft—
Suddenly, Old Man Ruyi coughed up blood.
He swayed, barely able to stand.
“Senior, what’s wrong?” Chu Feng rushed to support him, alarmed.
With Chu Feng’s help, Old Man Ruyi sat on the ground, waving weakly. “I’m fine. I just need to rest. This flood dragon is extremely dangerous, not just ferocious but cunning. Normally, the best course would be to eliminate it to avoid future trouble. Do you know why I didn’t?”
“Why?” Chu Feng asked.
“Though it’s only a flood dragon, its power is immense, and its bloodline has evolved. Without the Ruyi Mirror’s power, I couldn’t suppress it. But the mirror’s power is taxing. If I’d continued, I’d have collapsed before killing it. Luckily, it feared me first, or we’d have lost today,” Old Man Ruyi said with a bitter smile.
Chu Feng realised the dragon was even more powerful than he’d thought.
