Chapter 156 - 154: Dragon Transformation Pearl
"Brother Song, but it’s all flooded below. Can the horses still walk..." Song Ping’an pointed to the surging floodwaters down the slope.
Let alone seizing the opportunity, the two of them were now trapped on this slope, even eating and sleeping had become problematic.
The excitement in Song Changming’s heart finally settled down, and he frowned as he looked at the floodwaters below.
If it were a martial artist skilled in water, wading through these blocking floodwaters wouldn’t be much of a problem.
The problem is that Song Changming has a fear of water constitution, innately inept in water, which posed a difficulty for him.
"Then let’s wait a little longer." Song Changming said helplessly, having to wait for the tide to recede some more.
The heavy rain above had already stopped, so the flood should recede quickly too.
Looking at his clothes, already soaked through, he felt thoroughly uncomfortable, wishing he had brought a raincoat and bamboo umbrella.
Who could have expected that coming to the harbor town this time, they’d encounter such a magical event.
"The story of the snake dragon transforming into a dragon is likely well-known, not just by me. I’m afraid this opportunity will still require competition with others!"
Song Changming glanced around. By now, more than half of the harbor town was flooded, severely damaged, appearing dilapidated.
Who knows how many people perished in this flood, probably quite a few.
But for those martial artists who are strong, as long as they aren’t like Song Changming with a fear of water constitution, these floodwaters would likely not harm them much.
He could vaguely see small boats carrying people drifting along the floodwaters, and on some small hilltops, there were many figures moving around, seeming to be trapped by the flood like them.
After waiting a while longer, until the black clouds above dispersed and the floodwaters below weren’t as turbulent as before, Song Changming quickly slurped the last piece of fish into his mouth, tossed aside the fish bones, and stood up, ready to set off.
These fish were caught fresh by Song Ping’an from the water, enough to give the two a hearty meal.
In terms of swimming, Song Ping’an was far superior to Song Changming.
Elsewhere, deep within Cloud Mountain, this place was rarely visited by people, quite primitive.
A vast canopy of vegetation covered the mountains and canyons, shrouded in clouds, mist, and rain.
It’s said that many precious heavenly and earthly treasures grow here, but few dare to venture into these parts.
Because the danger level here is too high, many powerful and terrifying exotic blood beast groups roam these lands, and the human race is also among their prey.
If targeted by some powerful exotic blood beast group, even high realm martial artists have the risk of misfortune, let alone ordinary exploration teams.
When Cloud Mountain was broken apart, numerous massive rocks plummeted from the clouds like meteorites, striking various parts of the mountain range.
It awakened the previously tranquil green primitive world, with the roars of beasts echoing one after another, and many wild animals scurrying about in fright.
At a certain spot halfway up the mountain, a stream cascaded down due to the recent heavy rainfall, swelling several times over, roaring like a waterfall, with the sound of rushing water.
Beside the stream, a towering giant tree held a luxurious bird’s nest built of branches, within which a thumb-sized glowing object resembling a glazed pearl lay quietly among several palm-sized bird eggs.
The bead emitted a golden shimmer, occasionally sparking with arcs of thunder light.
Suddenly, a massive wild boar about four to five meters long and more than two meters tall appeared at the scene.
Raising its head, it noticed that bird’s nest emitting golden light, and a glimmer of covetous greed flashed in its beastly eyes.
In the next moment, it pushed off with its hind legs, lowering its head, and charged directly at the giant tree.
The tree shook violently, its trunk sustaining severe damage, showing just how powerful the wild boar’s impact was.
Amidst swirling falling leaves, the bird’s nest plummeted downward.
The bird eggs rolled here and there but miraculously did not shatter.
The wild boar ignored the once-tantalizing bird eggs, its eyes fixed greedily on the bead radiating golden light.
At this moment, it appeared quite hesitant and somewhat restless, grunting irritably.
It feared the bloodline aura emanating from the bead, yet it was akin to seeing Tang Monk’s flesh, eager to swallow the bead whole and elevate its own bloodline.
And at that moment, a green python silently slithered down from a tree, with a bright red bulging forehead, a tail lined with sharp spikes, and a back decorated with a row of dorsal fins.
It flicked its tongue, also attracted by the glazed pearl lying on the ground.
The wild boar quickly sensed the python’s arrival, its bristling hair standing on end, and it roared in an attempt to drive the intruder away.
But the python was unmoved, raising its upper body as if ready to leap at the wild boar and contend for the glazed pearl.
However, the glazed pearl attracted more than just the two of them.
Soon, more fierce beasts arrived here, driven by the instinct in their bloodlines, ready to move.
Although they all had some fear of the aura from the Glazed Pearl, it didn’t stop them from fighting over the pearl, and they started battling each other first.
Among fierce beasts with exotic blood, the influence of natural enemies and restraint was actually minimal.
Seemingly docile rabbits might even kick a descending eagle to death.
Sheep could evolve into violent sheep, slaughtering wolf packs.
The term "exotic blood" bestowed infinite evolutionary possibilities among fierce beasts.
So shortly after, the first to arrive, the wild boar, relied on its massive size and furious, frenzied aggression to kill all the arriving fierce beasts.
Although its body was also covered with blood marks and wounds, and it was experiencing paralysis from snake venom, at least it was the ultimate victor as it wished.
It headed towards the pearl, ready to follow its instincts and swallow this pearl.
However, at this moment, a long saber flew through dozens of giant trees, plunging straight into the wild boar’s side, almost leaving only the hilt outside while the blade was deeply embedded in its belly.
This sudden attack was enough to severely wound the fierce beast.
The wild boar fell to the ground, roaring continuously, struggling madly.
Another long saber came flying, this time piercing accurately into the wild boar’s throat.
This part had tough skin and bones, so only a small part of the blade was stuck inside, but it was enough to make the boar bleed profusely, unable to make a sound.
"Such tenacity for life, and it still doesn’t die!"
Song Changming leaped continuously from branch to branch, approaching the wild boar, seeing it still struggling fiercely, feeling a bit speechless.
If it were an ordinary wild boar, it would have died long ago after being hit by these two Flying Sabers.
It could only be said that compared to ordinary wild boars, this boar king with exotic blood far outstripped them in both combat power and vitality.
Song Changming didn’t delay, directly leaping down with a heavy slash from his Dragon Pattern Saber.
The force poured in, and with this strike, even if the wild boar’s neck were made of refined iron, it would still be forcibly severed!
With a snapping sound, the boar’s neck was chopped into two pieces.
The frantic cries also came to an abrupt end.
"Such genuine exotic blood wild boar meat fetches a high price per pound in the city!" Song Ping’an came quickly from a distance, looking at the massive body of the wild boar, and his first reaction was the high meat prices in the city, instinctively calculating.
This boar might weigh a ton, and after removing the bones, it could sell for dozens, if not a hundred, silver at least!
And the corpses of exotic blood beasts all over the ground aren’t just one wild boar; if they could all be brought home, it would be enough to supply his family with meat for a long time.
Unfortunately, transport is the biggest problem.
Song Ping’an felt a headache as he recovered the long saber stuck in the wild boar.
On him, he wore two long sabers at his waist, with another two strapped to his back. In battle, he was essentially a walking arsenal for Song Changming.
After the kill, Song Changming’s attention was fixed on the Glazed Pearl on the ground emitting golden light.
"Is this the Dragon Transformation Pearl, formed from the essence blood of a dragon shedding during its tribulation?"
Song Changming couldn’t believe it was so smooth; as soon as he entered the Cloud Peak Mountain Range, he found one of them.
Without the bloodline suppression that those fierce beasts had, he observed it for a moment and went to pick it up.
The bead wasn’t truly forged from glazed substance; its texture was soft, feeling more like a gelatinous material.
It seemed to still carry traces of the tribulation’s energy, with arcs of electricity occasionally flowing through, making Song Changming’s palm tingle.
According to the legend, swallowing this Dragon Transformation Pearl grants limitless wondrous effects.
Song Changming initially planned to take the bead back and consider swallowing it later, but the golden light it emitted was too conspicuous to conceal.
The most critical issue was the dragon bloodline aura it exuded, which constantly attracted nearby fierce beast groups.
Carrying it around so ostentatiously was indeed unwise.
Song Changming decisively withdrew from the mountain, arriving at a relatively safe place.
Having made up his mind, he had Song Ping’an stand guard nearby, while he swallowed the Dragon Transformation Pearl in one gulp.
The legend described this Dragon Transformation Pearl as a miraculous object capable of defying fate itself, arousing his genuine curiosity as to what marvellous effects it would have in reality.