“Not yet. But there’s a pretty good Ninth-Grade Magical Beast toward the southeast.”
“How far is it?”
“About 50 to 60 kilometers, I’d say.”
“Since there isn’t any Saint Domain Magical Beast around, then let’s go over and take a look!”
Meng Lei looked a little disappointed at that. Then, he flitted toward where the Ninth-Grade Magical Beast was. Unexpectedly, he’d barely taken off when Ol’ Amos stopped him.
“Wait a moment, brat!”
“Hmm?”
“I sense a Saint Domain Magical Beast aura in that direction!”
“In the northeast?”
“Yes!”
“Alright!”
Without any hesitation, Meng Lei flitted toward the northeast at the fastest speed he could muster. After he had assimilated the Gods-Slaying Rat bloodline, his speed had been boosted by multiple times, including his flying speed.
His current flying speed was even faster than a vast majority of flying mid-level Saint Domain Magical Beasts. It could be said to be as swift as the wind.
Whoosh!
A stream of light drew across the sky and crossed 100 meters in an instant.
A few minutes later, Meng Lei arrived at the Saint Domain Magical Beast’s location. What surprised him, however, was that it was currently in an extremely bad spot.
It... was actually being besieged! A team of six contestants had surrounded it and was currently pummeling it into the ground.
Those six people were evidently no kind souls. Their blades were sharp and keen, their strength fierce and brutal, their spells accurate and precise—every move of theirs was a lethal one. No matter how thick and sturdy that Magical Beast was, it wasn’t going to be able to withstand the six-man team’s joint attack.
Under their siege, that unlucky Saint Domain Magical Beast was struggling to cope. It was already injured and could die at any moment.
“A beautiful crimson red all over with rose petal-shaped scales and a single horn on its head—that’s the wood-elemental Saint Domain Magical Beast, the Uni-Horned Rose Python!”
A smiling Ol’ Amos said, “The Uni-Horned Rose Python is in charge of the beauty aspect among snake-type Magical Beasts. It’s very rare in Heaven’s Vault Continent.”
“In charge of the beauty aspect? When it looks as sad as that?”
Meng Lei rolled his eyes. As he looked at the six-man team besieging the Uni-Horned Rose Python, he remarked, “That’s the Dragon God Academy uniform. Are they from Dragon God Academy?”
“Judging from their academy uniforms, they probably are.”
Ol’ Amos concurred with Meng Lei’s evaluation.
“What a shame about the Saint Domain Magical Beast. They’re gonna kill it!” Meng Lei sighed as he shook his head.
“What’s all that pretense for? Don’t you know just what kind of person you are?” scoffed Ol’ Amos, his countenance full of contempt.
“Ol’ President, you’re not gonna have any friends if you’re that frank!”
Meng Lei curled his lip in response. Then, he descended from the sky and jumped right into the fray.
“What are all of you doing? Why are you attacking my mount?”
Chapter 163: Crushing A Hammer, Taking In A Spy
Much like a monkey riding a colorful cloud that had appeared out of nowhere, Meng Lei descended from above and frightened everyone.
“Be on guard, everyone! Someone’s trying to seize our prey from the jaws of death!”
Following the shout from a girl with blond wavy locks and wearing a golden magic robe with a golden spell in her hand, all six of them instantly stopped their attacks and directed their gazes at Meng Lei with extreme caution.
“I was wondering who it could be. So it’s just a little brat who hasn’t even grown up!”
The blond girl quietly heaved a sigh of relief. Then, she said, “Leave at once, and we can put this behind us, brat. Otherwise, don’t blame us if we go hard on you!”
“Where did that kid come from? Get lost!”
“How dare you snatch our prey? Do you have a death wish?”
The other five people also straightened their backs as they relaxed their guard. They stared coldly at Meng Lei with contempt in their eyes.
“Your prey?”
Meng Lei’s countenance changed to one of displeasure at once. He pointed at the Uni-Horned Rose Python behind him and said in a deep, low voice, “That’s obviously my mount, yet all of you are actually taking it as your prey?!”
“Your mount?”
The group of six was rather taken aback. They couldn’t help but look at the Uni-Horned Rose Python, only to discover that it was also staring at Meng Lei with abject stupefaction.
I’m his mount?
Why aren’t I aware of that?
Evidently, it didn’t know Meng Lei at all.
The group of six flew into a rage at once.
A muscular man among them shouted, “You little brat, how dare you play us for fools?”
Over two-meter-tall, the man had a horn on his head and a pair of wings on his back. As though a raging bull, he charged right toward Meng Lei.
“Don’t be too heavy-handed and end up killing him, Marcus! Otherwise, you’ll be eliminated!” One of his teammates kindly reminded him. “You can just leave him half-dead instead.”
“Don’t worry. I know what I should do.”
Marcus, the man with the single horn, gave a sinister laugh. Then, he raised the hammer in his right hand high into the air and smashed it down at Meng Lei.
“This place is not for you, kid. Go back to drinking your milk instead!”
One must admit that this strike of Marcus’ contained great might. Even a Ninth-Grade Magical Beast would be smashed into a pulp by it, let alone the skinny Meng Lei who didn’t even reach 1.7-meters-tall.
Judging from their outer appearances alone, there was more than just the average gap in strength between the two of them.
In spite of that, Meng Lei merely grabbed casually at the heavy hammer strike smashing down like a mountain pressing down on him and managed to catch it in his hand.
By applying just a bit of force, he easily punched holes into the hammer with his fingers, and crumbling powder scattered with the wind as they slipped through his fingers.
“What!?”
At the sight of that, Marcus’ eyes almost jumped out of their sockets. One must know that the hammer was crafted from an Ocean Whale’s bones, a Saint Domain Magical Beast. It was incredibly heavy and tough!
Yet he had actually caught it with his hand so casually? And he had even crushed it so casually!
Was he really a goddamn human?
However, before he had the time to be astounded, a severe, heartrending pain suddenly came over his abdomen. Marcus lowered his head—at some point, Meng Lei had already appeared right before him and punched him squarely in the gut.
“You—”
Marcus’ mouth had only just opened when he felt an incoming great force. Then, as though he had been hit by a high-speed rail racing toward him, his entire self was thrown backward.
(⊙o⊙)
The blond girl and the other four were all stunned by the sight. In a daze, they stared blankly at Meng Lei as though they had just seen a ghost.
Marcus wasn’t the strongest among them, but as a Black Dragon Person, his physical strength was the strongest for sure.
Yet someone as strong as Marcus had actually been knocked out instantly. Even the Ocean Whale hammer that he was so proud of had been crushed into pieces.
What kind of physical strength was that? And what kind of combat strength was that?
Saint Domain! The unassuming little brat currently standing in front of them was a Saint Domain for sure. On top of that, he was even an extremely strong one. Otherwise, there was no way he could’ve instantly knocked out Marcus!
The moment they realized that, the five of them were horrified at once.
&n
bsp; Meng Lei looked at the blond girl and the others and said, “This is my mount. Do you have any issues with that?”
“...”
A shiver went through the five of them at once.
All of them were half a step away from the Saint Domain realm. Together with the Saint Domain magic devices in their possession, the six of them could kill elementary-level Saint Domain Magical Beasts by working together with some difficulty.
However, when the one they were facing was a fearsome Saint Domain that could instantly knock out Marcus, how could they possibly be a match for him?
“Staying quiet? I’ll ask again.” Meng Lei raised an eyebrow and repeated, “This Uni-Horned Rose Python is my mount. Do you have any issues with that?”
“Sir, it’s all yours!”
The corner of the blond girl’s lips spasmed a couple of times as she spoke. Despite being absolutely reluctant to, she still very wisely gave up on the Uni-Horned Rose Python.
When one was facing an unfathomably strong Saint Domain, being stubborn, having backbone, and fighting head-on to the very end was definitely the stupidest thing one could do.
“Get lost!” Meng Lei waved them off.
“Yes!”
The five of them carried Marcus and left so quickly that it was as though they were fleeing—they were afraid that they might incur Meng Lei’s displeasure if they were too slow.
“It’s just you and me now,” Meng Lei said as he turned around.
As his gaze fell onto the bruised and battered Uni-Horned Rose Python, the corners of his lips couldn’t help but quirk upward.
One must say that the Uni-Horned Rose Python’s outer appearance was indeed rather exquisite. It looked as though it were made out of rose petals. As expected of the creature in charge of the beauty aspect among the snake-type Magical Beasts.
“Hiss, hiss!”
With a look of terror in its eyes, the Uni-Horned Rose Python growled in a low voice, “W-what do you want?”
Upon seeing that the Uni-Horned Rose Python didn’t immediately attack him, Meng Lei couldn’t help but give an approving nod. Even though it hadn’t been that long since he had come to the Lost Continent, he had discovered that all the Magical Beasts there possessed a certain characteristic—they weren’t particularly hostile toward humans.
Perhaps because they had never seen humans before, they ended up also seeing them as fellow Magical Beasts. Therefore, when facing humans stronger than themselves, they behaved just as they would when they faced other strong and powerful Magical Beasts and experienced feelings of fear, reverence, and submission.
Unlike the Magical Beasts on Heaven’s Vault Continent, which would instead view humans with animosity, hold feelings of fury, indignation, and would rather die than submit.
“I’m thinking whether I should braise you, roast you, or freeze you into a popsicle? Or perhaps I should turn you into a snake kebab?”
Meng Lei rubbed his chin as he pondered aloud. “But that’s a little too bloody. How about I try cutting you into snake meat slices instead? That’s right, snake meat slices! I’ve never seen snake meat slices before, after all.
“And those rose scales all over you, too. If I pluck them off and arrange them into a rose, I’m sure it’ll be highly effective in wooing girls, right?”
“Hiss, hiss!”
His words made the Uni-Horned Rose Python shake like a leaf, and fear filled its eyes. It said, “S-sir, p-please don’t kill me! I’m just an inexperienced, naive little python that’s innocent and ignorant. I taste awful, really!”
“Eh? You even know how to beg for mercy?” Meng Lei was greatly surprised. “It makes things easier if you know how to beg for mercy. Let me ask you something. If your answer satisfies me, I’ll consider letting you off.”
“Ask away, sir! I’ll definitely tell you everything I know!” The Uni-Horned Rose Python nodded incessantly as it trembled in its boots.
Meng Lei tossed out the first question. He asked, “Are you familiar with this continent?”
“Yes! Of course I am!” The Uni-Horned Rose Python nodded hastily as it replied, “I’ve lived on this continent since I was young, so I know every nook and cranny of it!”
Meng Lei’s eyes brightened. Delighted, he asked, “In that case, you know where all the Saint Domain Magical Beasts on this continent are?”
“Yes, sir!”
The Uni-Horned Rose Python didn’t quite understand why he was asking that, but it still replied respectfully, “All the Saint Domain Magical Beasts on this continent are my friends. I know all of their dens.”
“Great! Fantastic!” A gratified Meng Lei nodded. Then, he asked, “One last question—do you want to live or die?”
“Live! I’d like to live, sir!”
The Uni-Horned Rose Python was so scared that it was close to tears.
“Since you want to live, then follow me!” Meng Lei broke into a grin as he said, “Bring me to your Saint Domain Magical Beast friends. Remember, every single one of them!”
“What are you looking for them for, sir?” asked the Uni-Horned Rose Python as it blinked.
“Is that something you should be asking?” Meng Lei glared at it. “Can’t I look for them to talk about life?”
“Yes, yes!”
“What are we waiting for? Let’s go!”
Then, with a flash, Meng Lei landed on top of the Uni-Horned Rose Python’s head.
“Yes, sir!”
Chapter 164: Getting Others To Do The Dirty Work, I’m About To Get Mad
In a pile of well-hidden bushes somewhere, a few heads slowly popped out. As they watched the skinny teenager leaving with the huge snake underneath his feet, they heaved a long sigh of relief.
He’s gone! That frightening fellow was finally gone! In no time, however, the relief in their eyes was replaced by hatred and fury.
“That damned brat! How dare he steal our prey? When have we ever been taken advantage of this badly during our days of rampaging in the Imperial City? Damn it!”
“I swear in the Dragon God’s name that I won’t be known as Carcasnordslavkimablo anymore if I don’t get my revenge for this!”
Upon hearing her companions’ indignant curses, the blond girl let out a cold snort and said, “Revenge? That guy is unfathomably strong. Even if the six of us lay in ambush and launch a sneak attack, we won’t be a match for him for sure. Yet you’re thinking of seeking revenge?”
“This...”
“Are we supposed to let it go just like that, then?”
“There’s nothing I can say if I had been robbed by Sachhen, Adil, Mond Aston, or the others, but what does that little brat even count as?”
“Exactly! Who does he think he is? How dare he rob us? I simply can’t take this lying down!”
“A disgrace! This is a terrible disgrace!”
The blond girl shook her head lightly as she said, “He’s unfathomably strong. It’s too hard for us to get revenge.”
“What should we do, then?”
“Do we let it go just like that?”
“Let it go? How can I let it go just like that after he robbed the prey of I, Alice?” The blond girl sneered. “There are many different ways of taking revenge. Risking your life is but the most foolish one of them all.”
“Have you thought of something, Alice?”
The others’ eyes lit up. “I knew you’re the smartest!”
“We aren’t the only ones here at the Lost Continent. Many others can kill him.”
“You mean...”
“...We’ll get someone else to do the dirty work for us!”
...
With Meng Lei on its back, the Uni-Horned Rose Python traveled across mountains and hills all the way until they reached their first stop—a large mountain.
“Sir, my first friend Jimmy Frost lives right on that volcano.”
“A volcano?”
Meng Lei turned and looked over. The lower half of the mountain was filled with lush vegetation and
looked no different from other mountains, while the upper half was bare and pitch-black without even a single blade of grass—it was a volcano, alright.
“Let’s go! We’ll head up!”
Meng Lei could already sense the aura of a Saint Domain Magical Beast.
“Yes, sir!”
The Uni-Horned Rose Python didn’t dare to be remiss. It soared into the sky and flew toward the mountain summit. As an elementary-level Saint Domain Magical Beast, it had already become capable of flight, though not at a very fast speed.
In no time, it had flown all the way to the summit. The strong smell of sulfur rushed toward them at once. Smoke billowed at the mouth of the volcano, which spanned about six square kilometers, and lava bubbled as it gave off astonishingly high heat.
“Go. Get it out here,” Meng Lei ordered as he patted the python underneath his feet.
“Sir, this...”
The Uni-Horned Rose Python hesitated as a hint of fear and alarm flashed across its eyes.
“Isn’t it your friend?” Meng Lei’s brows furrowed slightly as he asked, “What’s there to fear when visiting an old friend?”
“But sir...”
“Do you believe me when I say that I’ll throw you into the lava lake for a hot bath if you spew any more superfluous rubbish?”
Meng Lei glared at it, somewhat impatient.
“Yes, sir!”
The Uni-Horned Rose Python trembled, and then it quickly went over obediently. It was a wood-elemental Magical Beast, so it feared fire the most. If Meng Lei threw it into the bubbling lava lake for a bath, what would be cleaned off definitely wouldn’t be dirt, but its skin instead...
“Hiss, hiss!”
“Jimmy Frost, your old friend is here to visit you!”
The Uni-Horned Rose Python let out a loud shout. A vigorous wave of energy burst forth from it and pressed down into the bubbling lava lake.
“Hmm?”
A low roar rang out.
The very next second, lava churned, and waves surged as a large head emerged from the lava lake.
The head was ferocious and terrifying to behold. It was covered in fiery red scales, had a sharp, spiral horn on it, while its eyes were bigger than even watermelons.
“A Fire Dragon?”
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