by Dragon King
However, the branch palaces had no fixed positions. They could only rely on their luck to find them.
When Zhao Hongyu and Zhao Guang were here, they had worked hard and were lucky enough to find Fuxi Palace. With much weaker physical strength and cultivation strength, it would be hard for Hao Ren and Zhao Yanzi to get to any of the branch palaces by foot with the limited time.
“Zi, you tell me which direction we go.” Hao Ren turned to look at Zhao Yanzi.
Zhao Yanzi closed her eyes and turned around in circles before pointing in a random direction. She opened her eyes, saying, “Ok. This direction.”
“Ok!” Without further ado, Hao Ren pulled her toward the direction she pointed at.
Zhao Yanzi was a bit moved by Hao Ren’s trust and forgot to scold him for grabbing her hand without her permission.
Walking pass by the rare and precious herbs, Hao Ren felt a bit guilty.
His mission now was to find a branch palace. If they couldn’t find one, they would pick some of the celestial herbs as compensation. Anyway, his hidden space was as big as a room. A roomful of different kinds of celestial herbs would be valuable for making elixirs.
Little White rolled and tumbled in the meadow, without the dignity of a Snow Lion. It looked just like a large dog.
When they reached the end of the plain and came to the foot of the nearest mountain, Zhao Yanzi was fatigued. Under the power of the ancient array formations in this world, they couldn’t fly on a Dharma Treasure, and walking was their only way of getting around.
To find a branch palace, they must climb to the top of a nearby mountain so that they could have a clear view of their surroundings.
Thinking of climbing up the mountain which was at least 400 meters tall, red-faced Zhao Yanzi began to pant.
Roar! Roar!
Little White ran around Hao Ren and Zhao Yanzi, shaking its head and wiggling its tail happily.
“Damn you, Little White! You are so energetic, but I’m dying of exhaustion!” Zhao Yanzi gave Little White a small punch.
Her punch on the soft body of Little White was so light that it felt like she was petting it. The ‘demanding dog’ laid down on the ground and exposed its belly, inviting Zhao Yanzi to rub it.
Frustrated, Zhao Yanzi rubbed its belly frantically.
Suddenly, an idea dawned on Hao Ren. “Zi, you can ride Little White!”
“Huh?” Zhao Yanzi didn’t understand.
“With its size, it can carry you with ease!” Hao Ren squatted before Little White and patted its face, getting it to stand up.
“Can I ride it?” Looking at Little White who was like a huge dog, Zhao Yanzi hesitated and asked Hao Ren.
“The lazy Little White has been eating without working. Now, we have some work for it to do.” Hao Ren walked over and held down Little White’s neck before helping Zhao Yanzi to get on its back.
At first, Little White was a bit reluctant and bent its legs. But one pat on its rump from Hao Ren made it stand up immediately.
Obviously, Little White needed some urging to do its work.
Zhao Yanzi had ridden horses, but she had never ridden a lion. Sitting on its back, she felt a bit nervous. With the height of nearly one-meter, Little White was as big as a pony.
“Let’s get up to the mountaintop!” Hao Ren clutched the mane beside Little White’s ear and led it up the mountain as if he was walking a horse.
With the Dragon Core and Light Splitting Sword Shadow Scroll, his physical strength was enough to sustain him as long as the land here didn’t suck out his Nature Essence.
“Little White, go!” Sitting steadily on Little White, Zhao Yanzi treated it like a horse. She broke off a stick from a tree branch to lightly whip its rump.
Little White looked sullen, seeming to have regretted its decision of coming out of the hidden space…
There were no stairs on the 400-meter path, and this made climbing especially difficult. Time ticked away, and Hao Ren felt the pressure of time. However, he could do nothing about their slow speed.
In the prehistoric times, people had to rely on their natural strength, instincts, and possible innate powers since no one could cultivate at that time.
The people born in the prehistoric times had climbed the mountain step by step like what he was doing right now.
Sitting on Little White’s wide back, Zhao Yanzi picked some red, green, and blue fruits from the low bushes and stuffed them into Little White’s mouth.
When they finally reached the top, Hao Ren calculated silently and found that another hour had passed. In the past hour, he had quickened his steps almost to a jog, and even Little White had begun to trot under his urging.
The trees on the mountain top were not dense. Standing on the highest rock, Hao Ren looked into the distance.
Around him were vast stretches of plains and tall mountains!
Riding on the back of Little White, Zhao Yanzi came to his side. She widened her eyes and also looked carefully for the branch palaces.
“Over there! Over there!” Zhao Yanzi suddenly yelled in joy.
Hao Ren followed her gaze and saw a black spot in the center of a far-away plain.
“It’s too far. We can’t reach it in time with our current speed,” Hao Ren said.
Disappointed, Zhao Yanzi began to search other places.
In this big world, the nine branch palaces seemed very tiny. Even with an eagle eye view, they were just some small black dots if they weren’t hidden behind mountains.
Hao Ren circulated the Nature Essence and poured it into his eyes. He had a clear view of the area several hundred meters around him and could even make out things several kilometers away!
“Over there!” Hao Ren pointed to a direction on his left and said.
Zhao Yanzi widened her eyes and looked hard but couldn’t see it. However, Hao Ren had a clear view of the branch palace partially hidden at the foot of a mountain. Although he could only make out a pillar, he was certain that it belonged to a branch palace!
“Ok! Let’s go there!” Zhao Yanzi couldn’t see it, but she trusted Hao Ren’s acute sight.
Hao Ren calculated in his mind. This was the closest branch palace he could see. Although he had spotted another branch palace even farther than the one Zhao Yanzi found, time was not on their side. It would take them one hour to get down from this mountain and another two hours to reach the branch palace partially hidden behind the foot of that mountain. There would be almost no time left for them to search for treasures.
He now understood why Zhao Hongyu told them that it would be a big success if they got three treasures.
“Little White, let’s get down this mountain!” Hao Ren patted its chubby rump.
With a roar, Little White jumped down the mountain swiftly with Zhao Yanzi on its back, dodging the trees on the mountain agilely.
Hao Ren found it hard to keep up with it.
Suddenly, Little White roared and leaped up over a huge rock blocking its way!
Boom!
In the air, four flames appeared and enveloped Little White’s four paws!
Carrying Zhao Yanzi on its back, it didn’t drop onto the ground. Instead, it flew into the air.
Innate Power!
(TL NOTE: Hey guys, here are the two chapters for today. Zi is on this little trip with MC, but don’t worry Team Yujia, she will be back soon!)
214 Coiled Dragon Golden Spear? Seize!
Little White’s four paws weren’t moving as if it was standing on the ground. At first, Zhao Yanzi seemed startled. But soon, she began shouting in joy.
“Little White!” Hao Ren clapped his hands.
High up in the air, Little White was awe-inspiring. Pedaling its paws, it returned and landed and landed on top of a rock.
“Haha, Little White, I love you so much!” With her arms around Little White’s neck, Zhao Yanzi almost started rolling on the ground with it in her arms.
Similarly, Hao Ren was also surprised to find that Little Whi
te was able to fly. Overjoyed, he patted its back and got on as well.
“Little White, let’s see if you can do it!” Hao Ren patted its rump.
Roar!
Little White let out a lasting howl while exerting force through its limbs.
Woom… Again, flames enveloped all four of its paws, and it flew high up in the air unwaveringly!
It seemed effortless for Little White to carry both Hao Ren and Zhao Yanzi at the same time!
Moreover, its four paws looked like they were on hot wheels; flying was its innate power!
“Little White is so cool!” Zhao Yanzi couldn’t help but lean over and hug Little White’s neck tightly again.
“Alright, Little White, fly ahead!” Hao Ren gently patted its rump again while pointing forward.
Little White was very obedient. It immediately spread its limbs and flew rapidly forward.
They realized that the distance that they originally had to travel by foot was now achievable by Little White’s flight ability! Even though its speed could not be compared to Dharma Treasures, they no longer needed to get over high mountains on foot. More importantly, it would save them a lot of time and energy!
Riding on Little White’s back, Hao Ren and Zhao Yanzi enjoyed the beautiful sceneries as the Nature Essence-filled air gently blew at them. It was such a marvelous feeling.
Moreover, seated in the front, strands of Zhao Yanzi’s hair fluttered in the wind, and they continued to tickle Hao Ren’s cheeks. As her back kept on touching his chest, Hao Ren couldn’t help but sense a hint of romance.
Zhao Yanzi felt completely at ease and was silently appreciating the vast prairies and the continuously rising and falling mountains below her feet. Hao Ren quietly held onto her by the waist to prevent her from falling off Little White’s back.
“Hahahaha…” Extremely delighted, Zhao Yanzi even opened up her arms to feel the breeze head-on.
Nervously, Hao Ren held onto her waist tighter. For a second, he felt like their poses were extremely familiar.
“We’re here! Little White, descend!” Seeing that the branch palace was now right beneath them, Hao Ren quickly gave out the order while pressing down on Little White’s back with his palm.
Proudly, Little White let out a couple more roars and directly descended.
The black palace was similar to the Origin Dragon Grand Palace as they were both built with black-colored stones. Right before the door, there were two stone statues holding various weapons. They each had the body of a dragon and head of a jackal - Yazi!
This branch palace that was partially hidden away by the foot of the mountain was Yazi Palace!
Yazi was the second son of the Godly Dragon. It was feisty and had an unquenchable thirst for killing. Its embodiment often occupied hilts of blades to emphasize the intent to kill and to annihilate all evil!
Therefore, just from studying the two stone statues, Hao Ren could tell immediately that various offensive Dharma Treasures were awaiting them inside.
“Little White, go in!” Hao Ren opened the hidden space in his necklace and asked Little White to crawl in.
This branch palace was the closest to the Origin Dragon Grand Palace, so they were expecting Zeng Yitao and the others to be in here as well. Hao Ren did not want them to see that Little White brought them here.
“Come on, let’s go in!” Hao Ren dragged Zhao Yanzi and stepped inside Yazi Palace.
Different from the halls in the Vital Dragon Grand Palace, Yazi Palace did not give off an eerie vibe as it was spacious and bright. Hao Ren and Zhao Yanzi directly walked into the main hall.
This main hall was in a square shape; its width and height each were a few hundred meters. Instantly, Hao Ren and Zhao Yanzi saw countless Dharma Treasures flying above them over a white light-veil.
The treasures were not fancy-looking but seemed rather dark and dull. However, while floating in mid-air, they gave off an incredibly intimidating sensation!
What looked good was not necessarily powerful. Every one of these primitive-looking ancient Dharma Treasures could be more powerful than the combination of a dozen top-tier Dharma Treasures!
At this moment, underneath the sea of Dharma Treasures, Zeng Yitao and his servant, the couple from South Ocean, and the siblings from North Ocean were all striving to acquire the Dharma Treasures they desired!
There were at least a hundred of those Dharma Treasures dancing in the air; therefore, they did not have to fight over them. All they needed to do was to choose the ones they desired and focus on obtaining them using their Nature Essence!
The arrival of Hao Ren and Zhao Yanzi had surprised the other teams. It seemed like the others believed that Zhao Yanzi and Hao Ren were too weak and might not even be able to walk out of the Origin Dragon Grand Palace, let alone to get to Yazi Palace.
Right now, they were all releasing their Nature Essences and working on obtaining the primitive-looking Dharma Treasures.
Zeng Yitao cultivated Three-Star Destruction Scroll. His palm emitted a dash of blue light, and this light formed a rope. Currently, it tightly wrapped around a black ax that was high up in the air. Next to him, his servant had gotten a hold of a black jade flute.
“Haha, little Zi, what a lucky b*stard your Fuma must be for being able to bring you here!” While exerting his Nature Essence to acquire the big black ax, Zeng Yitao turned and said to Zhao Yanzi and Hao Ren. He couldn’t help himself from spewing vicious remarks when he saw Hao Ren holding Zhao Yanzi’s hand.
“Zeng Yitao, one more word from you, and I’ll knock your front teeth out!” Zhao Yanzi was furious as she shouted back at Zeng Yitao.
Zeng Yitao paid no attention to Zhao Yanzi’s anger. The most important thing right now was acquiring the Dharma Treasures. He believed that there would be plenty of chances for him to deal with Hao Ren in the future.
“Haha.” Hao Ren smiled faintly as he shot out a sword energy from his finger.
The grey sword energy rolled into a ball in the air and hit right into the blue light that was being emitted from Zeng Yitao’s palm.
With a fizz, the blue rope made of Nature Essence instantly fractured, and the black ax which was making its way to the edge of the white light-veil went back to its original position!
The hundun sword energy was capable of cutting through all five elements. Hence, the sword ball that was made of concentrated hundun sword energy was undoubtedly able to sever Zeng Yitao’s Nature Essence.
A whole hour of Zeng Yitao’s effort was destroyed!
Zeng Yitao who was elegant and gentle-looking had now become enraged. He glared at Hao Ren and yelled, “How dare you!?”
Hao Ren did not flinch. After all, he was not afraid of Zeng Yitao who was a few years younger than him. He remained calm and pulled Zhao Yanzi back to his side, stopping her from going forward to confront Zeng Yitao.
Clenching his teeth and shaking his hand, Zeng Yitao’s hatred towards Hao Ren was apparent as he took out a golden spear!
Although he was young, he already had his own Natal Dharma Treasure!
“Crown Prince, we must focus on acquiring Dharma Treasures; we can deal with them later!” Seeing this, Zeng Yitao’s servant urged promptly.
“If I don’t defeat him now, he’ll keep interrupting for sure! You can focus on obtaining the treasures; I will take him on!” Holding onto the spear with one hand, Zeng Yitao waggled his spear and prodded it right toward Hao Ren’s face.
The golden spearhead was agile like a wiggling viper, leaving Hao Ren’s vision blurred and dazzled!
Moreover, on the surface of the polearm, there were five coiled dragons carved onto it; its appearance alone indicated that it was a very powerful weapon. It was indeed the Coiled Dragon Golden Spear!
“Watch out!” Zhao Yanzi warned Hao Ren as she gasped.
Hao Ren took a stride and released five sword energies from his hand. They were like five small missiles, bombing onto Zeng Yitao’s spear! At the same time, he pushed Zhao Yanzi away so
that she could stay farther away from the battle!
“Is that all you’ve got!?” Zeng Yitao simply switched from holding the spear with one hand to with both hands, and his golden spear did not take the least bit of damage!
His movements were agile and varied greatly. He was coming at Hao Ren ferociously and violently, a good indicator of quite a few years of training! As the future of West Ocean Dragon Palace depended on him, even if no one were to discipline him in his daily life, he would never neglect his cultivation and practice of weaponry skills!
The cultivation technique he had was the best in West Ocean, and so were the spear techniques that he practiced! Every day, he spent three hours on cultivation techniques and another three hours on spear technique practices; those were the compulsory classes commanded by Oldman Zeng!
The spear prodded toward Hao Ren’s shoulder before abruptly changing its course and almost slashing Hao Ren’s throat!
Spears were regarded as the king of all cold weapon. They were long and sharp, easy and versatile to handle, and refined and unique. Ordinary weapons could not compete with them, not to mention that Hao Ren was unarmed!
“Crown Prince, let him go this time; we need to hurry and acquire the treasures!” Zeng Yitao’s servant advised again.
“I’m going to poke a hole in him!” Zeng Yitao quickly withdrew his spear and swung it around, aiming for Hao Ren’s chest!
On the other hand, the four young cultivators from South Ocean and North Ocean were trying hard to get the Dharma Treasures in the air and sweat had fully covered their foreheads. Even though they were paying close attention to the fight in the main hall, they had no intention of intervening. After all, a battle between East Ocean and West Ocean could do them no harm.
Woom! Hao Ren sent out two thick sword energies from his palm, barely managing to block off Zeng Yitao’s spearhead. Still, with the impact, he was knocked back five steps.
The power of a Natal Dharma Treasure could never be taken lightly!
However, as Zeng Yitao was burning with rage and impatience, his spear technique became chaotic and disorderly; he was unable to win the duel quickly. Noticing that, his servant shouted out loudly again, “Crown Prince, we need to focus on the big picture and let go of personal grudges for now!”