Chapter 65: The Jade Dragon Serpents
Dugu Feng hovered high above the blood pool, not rushing forward.
According to what had happened with Tang San and Hu Liena, one would have to move farther ahead to encounter the Dark Gold Three-Headed Bat King's attack.
For now, he was perfectly safe.
Beneath him, his two Nine-Segment Jade Snakes rotated in turns, absorbing the energy from the Dan Pearl.
In their mature form, the snakes truly lived up to their name—shimmering with a faint emerald glow, exquisitely beautiful.
Their bodies had become nearly transparent, almost ethereal, while their eyes gleamed like crimson rubies.
As they absorbed more energy from the blood pool, their aura continued to soar.
Days passed.
The bodies of the two snakes began to flicker strangely.
Then, without warning, they transformed completely into translucent, illusory forms.
With another flash, they reverted to solid jade bodies once more.
At one point, when Dugu Feng looked closely, he could see nothing at all.
It was as if the snakes had vanished.
But he could still feel them under his feet.
An illusory body?
Dugu Feng recalled the Sea Fantasy Douluo, one of the Seven Sacred Pillars on Sea God Island—whose martial soul was the Phantom Serpent.
The Phantom Serpent existed between beast and tool martial souls, a rare top-tier hybrid.
The serpent-type soul beast of the same name was also immensely strong—its body diamond-hard, capable of creating illusions, fading into nothingness, and concealing itself from view.
The Nine-Segment Jade Snakes before him now shared many of these same traits.
Could they be evolving in that direction?
Curious, he focused his mind into one of their Dan Pearls.
A faint voice resonated directly within his consciousness.
"We are not Phantom Serpents. We are Jade Dragon Serpents. How could mere illusions compare to us?"
The words left Dugu Feng completely stunned.
For the first time, he was directly communicating with them.
In the past, their bond had been one of silent mutual understanding—a master and his loyal beasts.
Now, with the aid of the Dan Pearl, they could speak through spirit.
"Jade Dragon Serpents?" Dugu Feng asked in surprise.
"Yes, Master," came the answer. "Our bloodline is evolving—we have awakened the memories of the Jade Dragon Serpent.
We are a branch of the dragon lineage. Everything an illusory serpent can do, we can also do—and more.
Our evolution demands immense energy. Ordinarily, success would be impossible.
But the endless power of this blood pool gives us a chance to return to our ancestral form."
The serpents' tone carried clear pride.
"Their intelligence… it's astonishing," Dugu Feng muttered, shocked.
Most soul beasts, even when developing intelligence, were nowhere near this articulate—or this wise.
He had truly struck gold.
They said they needed immense energy, but he hadn't realized just how much—until time began to pass.
Half a month… a month… two months.
Only after two months did the evolution finally complete, which showed how much energy they had devoured.
The snakes' bodies lengthened and expanded, radiating an overwhelming aura.
The same aura he had once felt from the Ice Emperor Scorpion—a monarch's presence.
And mixed within it—a higher essence.
A dragon's aura.
The sight reminded him of that imposing meeting with Yu Yuanzhen from the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan.
Before long, two massive serpents—each dozens of meters long—floated before him.
They had no claws or horns yet, maintaining their serpentine build.
Could they truly be called dragons?
Just as doubt crossed his mind, changes appeared—their scales.
Emerald green dragon scales glistened beneath the red glow of the blood pool, so flawless they seemed chiseled by divine hands.
The texture was intricate, shimmering with concentric rings of jade light.
Without question, they had ascended into dragon kin.
By Dugu Feng's senses, their cultivation age had leapt to six thousand years.
From four to six thousand in mere two months—like a rocket's rise.
The twin Jade Dragon Serpents, fresh from transformation, twined playfully through the air, testing their new power.
Their massive bodies flickered between existence and nothingness—expanding, shrinking, spiraling through the void.
When they disappeared, only Dugu Feng remained visible in midair, standing on unseen backs like a phantom himself.
Standing upon them, he felt his spirit surge.
With two Jade Dragon Serpents beneath him, the so-called Road of Hell was no longer an obstacle at all.
Raising his hand grandly, he gathered his Dan Pearl from the blood below.
By now, he fully understood—the blood pool truly was the energy core of the City of Slaughter.
It brimmed with blood and hatred, impossible for ordinary life to endure.
Guiding his serpents forward, he descended rapidly.
Minutes later, their speed subsided.
Purple soul power flared from his hands, releasing bursts of toxic energy that spread around him, forming a shield several meters wide.
Knowing what he was about to face, he dared not approach recklessly.
He instructed his Jade Dragon Serpents to shrink again until their bodies were only a meter long.
Post-evolution, they could expand or compress freely—a useful gift.
Dugu Feng coated himself and the serpents in a thin layer of toxin, protection against the heat.
Gradually, they descended until they hovered fifty meters above the blood surface.
The serpents' new bodies, tempered by the pool's energy, easily resisted the burning waves below.
Their bluish halos shimmered outward, forming a barrier around Dugu Feng.
Encouraged, he descended further. At ten meters above the surface, he halted—realizing the blood's danger might actually be useful.
Hours passed as he searched, yet no sign of bats appeared, puzzling him.
Then, glancing toward the right, he understood.
Far across the pool's edge, caves dotted the cliff wall—dark and clustered.
So that was their nest.
The Dark Gold Three-Headed Bats, and their swarms, dwelled there.
The narrow Road of Hell passed right above those caverns.
He, however, floated directly above the blood pool's center—far from their territory. The oppressive heat itself must have kept even the bat king away.
With a helpless grin, Dugu Feng realized his caution might have been unnecessary.
"Screech!"
A piercing cry broke through the silence. Bats emerged.
From the cliff's face descended a monstrous beast—its body dark gold, triple-headed, wings spanning over ten meters.
Sure enough, the Dark Gold Three-Headed Bat King.
Glancing to either side, Dugu Feng saw the surrounding walls crawling with thousands of smaller bats. The sight made even his scalp tighten.
"Come on, then!" he bellowed.
"Chii! Chii! Chii!"
The shrieking chorus rose, echoing endlessly.
Yet, despite the noise, none dared cross the blood pool to attack him.
(END CHAPTER)
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