This Sword Cultivator is Somewhat Dependable

Seeing the usually obedient Rat King behaving so stubbornly, Lu Qingshan let it have its way and didn’t return it to the Spirit Beast Bag.

Being tempered under the pressure of the Dragon Breath was indeed a good thing for the Rat King; it was an excellent opportunity to strengthen its courage.

...

Before the trio laid a nearly vertical passageway leading downward.

"Beyond this passageway, we should truly be entering the interior of the Dragon Pool," Mo Yan said gravely, "There’s no time to waste, I’ll take the lead."

Mo Yan leaped decisively, transforming into an Escaping Light, and was the first to move downwards.

Lu Qingshan and Zang Xiaojian naturally did not lag behind, following close behind, the three of them plummeted downward like shooting stars, heading deeper into the Dragon Pool.

They could clearly feel that the further down they went, the more intense the pressure from the Dragon Breath became.

It also indicated that they were getting closer and closer to the source of the Dragon Breath that the Jiao Clan had been desperately seeking.

Stay tuned to empire

It’s worth mentioning that the Rat King, which initially trembled and could not stabilize its form due to the pressure of the Dragon Breath and clung to Lu Qingshan’s shoulder, contrary to expectations, gradually adapted and calmed down as the pressure of the Dragon Breath increased.

This coward really does have quite the potential.

Lu Qingshan thought to himself.

The trio descended around twenty breaths’ time, and the vertical passageway turned into a slope, a change that didn’t affect Lu Qingshan and the others; they continued without pause.

As they moved forward, the angle of the slope became smaller and smaller, until at last, the slope leveled out into a flat road, and the true appearance of the Dragon Pool unfolded before their eyes.

It resembled a vast continent hidden beneath the sea, with rolling hills and plains, and a variety of landscapes intermingling, stretching far beyond sight.

On both sides of the continent stood colossal and curiously shaped cliff walls peppered with countless holes.

The Jiao Clan favored darkness and moisture, and those holes were their dwellings.

Whew!

A very faint breeze brushed against Lu Qingshan’s face.

"This place is indeed somewhat extraordinary," Lu Qingshan whispered.

Where could the wind be coming from underwater?

And what colossal force could create such a land without water on the ocean floor?

These remained mysteries.

But right now, Lu Qingshan, Zang Xiaojian, and Mo Yan didn’t have the luxury to solve these riddles; under the protection of the hidden Spirit tokens, they carefully concealed their forms.

Mo Yan, like a treasure trove, took out three cloak Magic Artifacts from his Storage Ring and distributed one to each.

The trio clung to the rock wall, and the moment they draped the giant cloaks over them, they immediately took on the same color as the wall. From a distance, the three wrapped in cloaks merged seamlessly with the rock wall, like strange protruding stones.

Without close inspection, it would be impossible to detect their disguise.

Although they dared not fly, the trio moved very quickly.

Time was of the essence for them, for they needed to find the Dragon Transformation Pool established by the Jiaolong Demon King as quickly as possible!

The Dragon Pool was vast, and despite the hundreds of Jiao Beasts still circling around, it was only after traveling several miles that Lu Qingshan and the others saw their first Jiao Beast.

It was a Third Grade Jiao Beast, but its age seemed quite advanced, close to the end of its life, appearing very decrepit.

The old Jiao flew over their heads leisurely, entering a cave in the rock wall, and failed to notice the three concealed within it.

For the first time in a thousand years, Human Cultivators had entered the Dragon Pool. n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

A thousand years of peace had numbed the vigilance of these Jiao Beasts.

However, due to the unfamiliarity with the area, everything was a challenge for Lu Qingshan and the others, akin to feeling the stones to cross the river.

After a short while.

Lu Qingshan stopped, furrowed his brow, and said softly, "This won’t do, the Dragon Pool is far bigger than we imagined.

If we continue to scurry around like headless flies, the chances of finding the Dragon Transformation Pool are very slim."

Mo Yan too realized this problem, "You make a sound point."

"How about," Zang Xiaojian’s eyes twinkled as a plan formed in his mind, and he made a throat-slitting gesture to the others, "we catch a Jiao Beast and interrogate it thoroughly about the Dragon Pool?"

Lu Qingshan and Mo Yan exchanged a look and surprisingly nodded in perfect sync, "That’s feasible."

...

They retraced their steps following the way they came.

First and Second Grade Jiao Beasts were at the bottom of the Jiao Clan hierarchy and couldn’t provide valuable information; capturing them would be pointless.

To truly uncover the secrets of the Dragon Pool, they needed to target a Third Grade Jiao Beast; only then would they find success.

Third Grade Jiao Beasts corresponded to Human Cultivators at the Golden Core Stage.

Lu Qingshan, Zang Xiaojian, and Mo Yan, when joining forces, certainly had some confidence in capturing a Third Grade Jiao Beast just entering its rank.

However, they must keep in mind that they were in the territory of the Jiao Clan, and if they made too much noise or took too long, they could very likely attract other Jiao Beasts.

If they were surrounded by numerous Jiao Beasts, the three Foundation Establishment Cultivators, no matter how against the heavens they were, would also find themselves without recourse.

To avoid causing a disturbance and to swiftly capture a Third Grade Jiao Beast, the most rational and optimal choice was to pick the softest persimmon to squeeze.

And the aged Third Grade Jiao Beast they had just encountered seemed to be as soft as they could get.

They also happened to know the location of its cave.

With the time and place to their advantage, it was only a pity for the old Jiao, whose fate had turned sour, as it seemed unlikely to enjoy its twilight years in peace.

In front of the old Jiao’s cave, Mo Yan first carefully observed the surroundings, ensuring there were no other Jiao Beasts wandering nearby, then immediately spat out a Spiritual Pearl from his mouth.

The Spiritual Pearl was crystal clear, the same Magic Artifact Mo Yan had used when ambushing the cultivators of the Sea God Sect days ago.

Above the Spiritual Pearl, five-colored Radiance quickly rippled out, enveloping the cave.

"This Magic Artifact can shield all noise and presence for a moment, let’s move quickly!" Mo Yan urged, his voice urgent.

All three figures dashed into the cave successively, without regard for order.

An old Jiao coiled in the cave, looking at the three invaders with sheer bewilderment.

The old Jiao’s already somewhat sluggish mind didn’t react at first, just instinctively astonished.

Human Cultivators in the Dragon Pool, from whence did they come?

Mo Yan’s left hand suddenly condensed a deep blue flame, while his right hand ignited a blazing red flame.

Netherfire Red Lotus and... Cold Spirit Fire.

In just a few short days, Mo Yan had already refined the Cold Spirit Fire and could use it with ease!

The might of Incinerate Body was beginning to show.

The two bundles of Netherfire tumbled in Mo Yan’s hands, their intense heat making the space around them seem almost illusory.

With a fierce push of his hands, the two tumultuous and fierce Netherfires shot towards the old Jiao with the speed of thunder.

Whoosh!

Quicker than Mo Yan’s Netherfire was Zang Xiaojian’s Flying Sword, which was nearing the first layer of the Flying Sword realm: sound speed.

Zang Xiaojian’s Flying Sword assaulted powerfully and furiously, striking directly at the spine of the old Jiao.

Boom!

The intense collision generated a visible shockwave, radiating outwards in all directions.

With age, the body the old Jiao had once taken pride in had also weakened substantially, and under the attack of Zang Xiaojian’s Flying Sword, a wide gash now appeared on its back.

This injury and pain finally brought the old Jiao to its senses.

The old Jiao’s somewhat murky eyes stared directly at the two approaching bundles of Netherfire.

Bellow!

With a roar, the old Jiao spit out a thick water column from its mouth, hoping to extinguish the two bundles of Netherfire.

But it was useless!

Under the power of the Netherfire, the water column burned and evaporated into steam, filling the cave with rolling mist.

Having burnt the water column to nothing, the two bundles of Netherfire, still mighty, crashed onto the old Jiao’s body.

Sizzle!

There was a piercing sound of flesh roasting, and on the old Jiao’s ten-foot-long body, two hideously charred wounds appeared; with the burnt skin around them as contrast, the inner flesh appeared especially bright red.

At that moment, using the Formless Sword Escape, Lu Qingshan had already moved beside the old Jiao.

Spiritual Power transformed into rampant Sword Qi, enveloping the Peach Wood Sword and striking heavily on the large gash created by Zang Xiaojian’s previous attack.

Rip.

The gash expanded into a very long wound, through which the old Jiao’s vertebrae were faintly visible.

......

In a secluded and deep part of the Dragon Pool, a place unvisited by anyone,

The moment Lu Qingshan employed the Formless Sword Escape, a pair of lacquer-like eyes slowly opened, flickering with a bright and resplendent light, like the stars in the sky.

"This aura, it seems to be..." A whisper laden with surprise resonated through this hidden place for a moment.

Afterward, the secret location returned to calmness, and moreover, compared to before, it seemed to have lost something...