The giant serpent's attempt to transform into a dragon failed. The moment its inner core exploded, countless golden raindrops shot out in all directions, but no one noticed one of the golden lights flying into the distance.
Golden light pierced through countless trees and fell to the ground. A dazzling golden bead rolled to Chen Nan's feet. He had seen it all clearly, and excitedly knelt down to pick it up. The bead shimmered with light, and its peaceful glow soothed his mind. Chen Nan knew the legends of dragons very well; the golden bead held no secrets for him.
Although the giant serpent failed to transform into a dragon, it had still reached the realm of a half-dragon. The power within its body was half serpentine and half dragon-like. The shattered inner core was formed from its essence, concentrating the best of its entire being—half serpentine essence and half dragon essence. When the inner core exploded, all the serpentine essence dissipated into the air, but the dragon essence did not. The pure dragon essence gathered together, forming a dragon pearl.
"Dragon Ball, this really is Dragon Ball!" Chen Nan exclaimed.
Although the Dragon Ball is small in size, it contains pure and powerful dragon energy, making it a priceless treasure.
Chen Nan was very clear about the function of this pearl. Within an hour, the dragon pearl was activated. If it was swallowed during this time and the powerful impact of the dragon's energy was withstood, the person who swallowed the dragon pearl could absorb three or four tenths of its essence, achieving unparalleled power. If the dragon pearl was not swallowed by any person or animal within an hour, it would quickly lose its luster, and the powerful dragon energy would be completely contained within the core of the pearl. The outer layer of the dragon pearl would become extremely hard, indestructible except by weapons of the celestial treasure level, meaning that the powerful dragon energy within the dragon pearl could not be absorbed at will.
Ten thousand years ago, Chen Nan's family background dictated that he must become a powerful figure, but his cultivation level remained stagnant, and his low power was the root of his suffering. He had always longed to gain great power, and now the opportunity was right in front of him, but he hesitated. It wasn't that he was afraid of being unable to withstand the powerful dragon force and exploding to death; at this moment, he remembered a conversation he had with his father.
Chen Zhan said, "Rare and precious materials may grant a person immense power in an instant, making them an unparalleled master. However, there are always trade-offs. When someone obtains the power they've always dreamed of, it also means they've forever lost the qualification to become the strongest. Power gained from the outside world shackles the development of their own strength, a chain they can never break free from."
Chen Nan said, "Even if I can't become the strongest, it would be good to have the opportunity to become a peerless master."
Chen Zhan said, "A person who can withstand the powerful spiritual energy impact of rare and precious materials must be no ordinary person. In addition to having an extraordinary physique, they must also have an indomitable heart. How can such a person endure the torment of having no hope forever? In the end, they will surely destroy themselves."
Chen Nan said, "It can't be that extreme, can it?"
Chen Zhan said, "The strong are not afraid of loneliness, but they are afraid of being stuck on the path of pursuing power forever."
Although Chen Nan did not completely agree with his father Chen Zhan's views, he felt that there was some truth to them.
"If I swallow it, I might instantly become a powerful being, or I might explode and die immediately, but in either case, I will lose the qualification to become the strongest."
Chen Nan said self-deprecatingly, "For someone like me whose martial arts have stagnated, swallowing the Dragon Pearl might be the best choice. After all, it's a chance for a carp to leap over the dragon gate."
Chen Nan looked down at the shimmering dragon ball in his hand, hesitated for a long time, and finally sighed, "But I'm really not willing to accept this! I, Chen Nan, don't need 'gifts'!"
Looking back, Chen Nan felt somewhat lost.
Before the age of sixteen, he was praised as a martial arts prodigy, his skills improving rapidly, making him arguably the "number one" among his peers. However, this marked the beginning of his nightmare. No matter how hard he worked, his cultivation level stagnated, and his family's secret martial art even plummeted from the second level of the Great Ascension Realm to the middle level of the first level. Watching his peers surpass him one by one filled him with immense disappointment and bitterness. Although he vaguely suspected that the sharp decline in his martial arts cultivation was related to some "external factors," he was unable to uncover the truth.
After the halo of genius faded, countless jeers came crashing down from behind, but he couldn't say a word. Public opinion, family responsibilities... the immense pressure weighed on his heart like a heavy mountain. His incompetence made him feel like a mediocre person, unworthy of being born into such a family.
Between the ages of sixteen and twenty, he felt life was exhausting and even contemplated suicide, filled with confusion. But deep within him remained a belief that one day he would break free from his shackles and overcome his current cultivation barriers. This was the driving force behind his unwavering dedication to cultivating his family's secret arts.
Reborn after ten thousand years, Chen Nan's martial arts skills remained unchanged, but the heavy pressure from his family had completely disappeared. After a year of adjustment, he had integrated into modern society. He had freed himself from the pain of the past and returned to his original nature.
"Perhaps I missed a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity today, but I have no regrets!"
The once radiant dragon pearl gradually dimmed, and finally its light completely subsided, its color changing from golden yellow to emerald green, becoming an ordinary pearl.
Chen Nan carefully put away the Dragon Ball and retraced his steps. He didn't want to linger for even a moment, fearing he'd be entangled by the little devil princess behind him. He climbed a high mountain and looked out to see the little princess and the others still at the crater. He let out a long sigh and said, "Phew... I've finally gotten rid of this nightmare, the little devil."
Chen Nan had been wandering in the mountains for three days when he realized with embarrassment that he was lost. The endless mountain range stretched on and on, and if he couldn't find his way back, he would be stuck in the mountains like a wild man.
A wisp of smoke rose from the distant mountains and forests. Chen Nan was overjoyed and went to investigate. He stopped a hundred feet away from the smoke. He dared not rush forward recklessly. If it was the little princess and her group, he would die without a burial place.
After careful observation, he finally determined that they were a group of strangers, and that they seemed to be looking for a way out of the mountains. For the next two days, he secretly followed them.
But good fortune seemed to always be shunning Chen Nan. On the afternoon of the third day, as he was leisurely following behind the group, seven or eight figures suddenly darted out from all around him, surrounding him completely. From their sharp eyes, it was clear that each of them was a master, and from the chilling killing intent emanating from them, one could imagine that each of them had experienced life-or-death battles.
The group of people in front all turned back, numbering about twenty. Their leader was a handsome young man who exuded a subtle air of dominance. He sized Chen Nan up and down, frowning as he asked, "Who are you? Why are you sneaking around following us?"
Chen Nan explained, "I am a lost hunter who wants to follow you out of these mountains."
"Would a hunter dare to venture deep into these mountains?"
"I wandered into this place without realizing it while hunting a white deer, and now I can't find my way back."
The young master pointed at a burly man beside him and said, "You, go."
Judging from the tone of his commands, he was a man accustomed to giving orders, and Chen Nan guessed that this young master must be a person of great importance.
The burly man wielded a large, wide sword. He strode over and slashed down at Chen Nan. Chen Nan quickly dodged to the side. The man's first strike missed, but a second strike followed, the blade emitting a pale blue light as it slashed diagonally at Chen Nan's waist.
Chen Nan exclaimed inwardly: "No way, materialized sword energy! Isn't this the work of a grandmaster?! How could someone like that be willing to be someone else's subordinate?"
Shocked as he was, he dodged immediately.
The pale blue blade cleaved a shallow trench in the ground.
Chen Nan felt very strange. The power of materialized sword energy could not be so small. Even ordinary sword energy would be much stronger than this sword.
"Could it be Western fighting spirit?" After carefully observing the burly man's sword-drawing posture, he confirmed his suspicion.
The burly man's fierce slash came again, forcing Chen Nan into battle. Layer upon layer of fighting spirit surged forth, and the pale blue blades plunged Chen Nan into danger.
The young master standing beside him sneered, "Do ordinary hunters have such good martial arts skills? If you don't tell the truth, you will die without a burial place after ten moves."
Chen Nan hurriedly shouted, "Stop, I'll talk."
The young master clapped his hands and said, "Stop."
The burly man sheathed his sword and stood up, saying to Chen Nan, "Not bad, kid, you actually withstood more than twenty of my moves."
Chen Nan sighed softly in the language of the continent from ten thousand years ago: "In any era, the strong are respected. After my martial arts cultivation regressed, I am destined to experience all sorts of unpleasant things. A tiger fallen into the plains is bullied by dogs!"
He thought for a moment and said, "Young master, you probably wouldn't believe me if I said I was just an ordinary hunter who had learned martial arts, but I can prove it to you."
The young man asked, "How can you prove it?"
"I am a hunter, so I will prove it with the abilities a hunter possesses." Chen Nan bent down, picked up a handful of sand from the ground, smelled it, and said, "I am certain that within a three-mile radius, apart from a tigress, there are no other large wild animals."
"Oh, are you really sure?" the young man asked.
"Alright, Yang Chong, take a few men and go take a look around the area."
A young man responded, "Yes." He led a few people and searched deeper into the woods.
In the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, a tiger's roar came from afar, and a few moments later, several people dragged back a dead tiger.
The young man glanced at the dead tiger, smiled faintly, and said, "Judging from this, you really are a hunter. However, I still have some questions. It would take at least three days to get out of the mountains from here. Did you chase that white deer for three days and three nights?" After saying that, the young man's tone turned cold, and he shouted, "Tie him up."
Several experts rushed forward, pressing their blades against Chen Nan's vital points. For him to fight against so many experts alone was like an ant trying to shake a tree, so he did not resist. He smiled bitterly to himself; he had just escaped the clutches of the little princess, only to become someone else's prisoner again.
One of the young master's subordinates said, "Third...Third Young Master, why tie him up? Just kill him."
Chen Nan had already sensed something from the disjointed use of "Third Young Master" in the sentence, which further confirmed that this person was definitely not an ordinary person.
The young master said, "Let's detain him first. I feel that this person is unusual. Before anyone made a move, I didn't even realize that he was a martial artist."
Chen Nan began his second period as a prisoner, but this time his "treatment" was significantly better than the first. At least no one treated him like private property or frequently expressed their "excitement" towards him. This group was very disciplined and didn't say much, except for the young master who occasionally whispered a few words to the person next to him.
Two days later, Chen Nan couldn't help but marvel at the wonder of fate; he had actually seen the little princess again. Now, only ten people remained of the little princess's entourage. In the battle against the giant serpent, a total of four guards and two apprentice mages had died, and the survivors were all seriously injured and had not yet recovered.
When the little princess saw the young master and his party, she was taken aback and frowned slightly, but then she immediately broke into a bright smile: "Tianyuan Continent is really too small. I didn't expect to meet His Highness the Third Prince here."
The young master smiled broadly and said, "Yes, I never expected to see Princess Yu here."
The little princess laughed and said, "Why is the Third Prince not enjoying himself in the capital of Baiyue Kingdom, but has come to the border of our Chu Kingdom? Is he going to be an envoy to our country? It seems that he doesn't need to come to the deep mountains to be an envoy to our country."
Chen Nan, who was not far away, heard everything clearly and couldn't help but feel a little emotional. In just a few days, he had actually met a princess and a prince in the vast mountains.
The Third Prince said, "Princess Yu's words are as sharp as ever. I can't bear the heavy accusation of 'arbitrarily trespassing on the borders of other countries.' If I remember correctly, this mountain range in the central part of Tianyuan Continent shouldn't belong to any country, right?"
The little princess said, "His Highness the Third Prince is so busy with state affairs, why would he come here for no reason? After all, this place is close to the border of our Chu Kingdom, which makes people suspicious."
The Third Prince laughed, "Hehe, Princess Yu, you're overthinking it. Actually, the reason I came here this time is mainly because I heard that a Qilin divine beast has appeared in the Luofeng Mountains. I wanted to try my luck and see that legendary divine beast."
The little princess said, "Oh, I see. I didn't expect the news to spread so quickly, even the Third Prince in the Moon Worship Kingdom knows about it."
The Third Prince said, "The legend that a sage appears when a Qilin appears has shocked the world. This matter has been widely discussed throughout the continent."
The little princess sighed, "Alas! I really wanted to see what that Qilin looked like, but unfortunately I no longer have the chance."
The Third Prince asked in surprise, "Why does Your Highness say such a thing?"
"We ran into my master on our way to the Falling Wind Mountains. He said it was too dangerous there and forced me to come back. What a disappointment!" The little princess said indignantly.
A glint of light flashed in the Third Prince's eyes, and he said, "Could it be Senior Zhuge Chengfeng?"
"It's that old man."
"Senior Zhuge is renowned throughout the world, and his martial arts skills are extraordinary. He is one of the senior masters I admire most."
"Really? If that old man heard this, he'd be overjoyed, and might even take you on as his apprentice."
"If that's the case, I'd be more than happy to accept it."
The little princess laughed and said, "Perhaps this old man has already heard this and is now hesitating whether or not to really take you as his apprentice."
A look of surprise and doubt flashed across the Third Prince's face. He chuckled, "Hehe, how could that be? Senior Zhuge has already headed to the Falling Wind Mountains. Even if he possesses divine martial arts skills, it's impossible for him to hear words spoken hundreds of kilometers away, is it?"
The little princess said angrily, "This old man is worried that I'll sneak back again, so he's been following me on the road."
"Oh, it seems the old man really cares about you and is afraid something might happen to you," the Third Prince said with a smile.
"They clearly don't trust me."
The Third Prince glanced at the princess's guards and asked, "Princess Yu, are your men injured? Why are they all so pale?"
"Yes, we encountered an ancient giant on our way to the Falling Wind Mountains. Luckily, the old man arrived in time, otherwise it would have been really dangerous." The little princess looked frightened.
"What a stroke of luck! Well, monsters often roam this mountain range, and you can't do without some experts to protect you. How about this, I'll escort you out of the mountain." The Third Prince said with a sincere expression.
A cold glint flashed in the little princess's eyes, and she smiled, "Thank you, Your Highness the Third Prince, but there's no need to trouble you. My old ghost master will take good care of us."
"Princess Yu, you don't need to be so polite with me. Given the circumstances, it's only right and proper for me to escort you out. Besides, Senior Zhuge might not actually follow us."
"I appreciate the Third Prince's kindness, but we really don't need your escort anymore. This is already the edge of the mountain range, and there are almost no monsters around here."
"No, I must escort you out, otherwise I won't feel at ease."
Seeing that she could no longer refuse, the little princess showed gratitude and said, "Then I'll have to trouble the Third Prince."
"Princess Yu, you're too kind."
Chen Nan saw all of this clearly and sighed inwardly that the two were indeed born into a scheming imperial family, having already completed a "psychological battle" in a short period of time.
The young princess, leading a group of severely wounded guards, felt uneasy upon encountering the Third Prince of Baiyue Kingdom. She didn't believe it was a coincidence; the most likely scenario was that he had been waiting there all along. To protect herself, she first launched an aggressive attack, leaving the Third Prince unsure of her strengths and weaknesses. Then, she inadvertently mentioned Zhuge Chengfeng, making the Third Prince quite wary. However, the Third Prince was no ordinary man. Although he was suspicious, he didn't back down but wanted to follow them further to investigate. These two could be described as "full of lies" and "talking nonsense."
The Third Prince and the Little Princess set off together towards the edge of the mountains. Chen Nan, walking at the back of the group, secretly rejoiced that the Third Prince had kept the Little Princess occupied, preventing her from noticing him hiding at the back of the group. But his good fortune didn't last long. The Little Devil's guards soon discovered him, the bound prisoner, and one of them ran up and whispered a few words to the Little Devil.
At that moment, Chen Nan felt as if darkness had enveloped the earth and the sky had lost its color.
The little princess walked towards Chen Nan with a face full of excitement and a big smile. Undoubtedly, this was the most genuine expression she had shown since meeting the Third Prince. However, Chen Nan would rather see her fake smile than see her genuine smile at this moment.
He cried out in his heart: Demons of hell, take your children away!
At first, the Third Prince couldn't understand why the little princess of Chu was suddenly excited. He couldn't help but wonder if Zhuge Chengfeng had arrived nearby. Later, he followed the little princess's gaze and finally discovered the "source" of her excitement: the prisoner they had captured the day before.
The Third Prince was taken aback and began to wildly speculate about Chen Nan's identity. He coughed and said, "This person was following us suspiciously on the road, but he was later caught by my men. Does Your Highness know this person?"
"I know him, of course I know him," the little princess said through gritted teeth. "He's a little eunuch I brought from my palace. He was originally here to serve me, but when we encountered the ancient giant, he was the first to run away. Little Li, you didn't expect to see me so soon, did you?"
Chen Nan was practically dizzy; he was being called a eunuch.
The little princess glared at him fiercely, her meaning all too clear: to threaten and intimidate him into cooperating.
When you're under someone's roof, you have to bow your head. Chen Nan hesitated for a moment, then said helplessly, "Please punish me, Your Highness."
The Third Prince laughed and said, "Since he is Princess Yu's servant, Your Highness may decide what to do with him." With that, he turned and left.
"Hehehe..." The little princess looked at Chen Nan, her face full of smiles.
Chen Nan felt a chill run down his spine. He lowered his voice and said, "Your Highness, let's make a deal."
The little princess, recalling Chen Nan's previous foul language, trembled with anger and shrieked, "Make a deal with me? What makes you think you can? You're dreaming!"
"Zhuge Chengfeng isn't actually here. The Third Prince wants to deal with you." Chen Nan blurted out these words before the little devil's hand could fall.
The little princess lowered her raised hand, carefully examined him, and said, "It seems I really underestimated you. I didn't expect you, you scoundrel, to have some brains. However—I'm extremely annoyed right now. The transaction was delayed, and I need to vent!"
"Ah..." Chen Nan's miserable cry echoed through the forest, interspersed with the little devil princess's triumphant laughter. The Third Prince and the others in the distance exchanged glances, gaining a deeper understanding of this legendary little witch.
A bright moon hangs high in the sky, its pure light spilling across the forest like white feathers. A gentle night breeze carries the fragrance of flowers and grasses, and the entire forest is bathed in the soft moonlight, appearing serene, hazy, harmonious, and tranquil from afar.
With a bruised and swollen face, Chen Nan was exchanging ideas in a tent with the Little Devil Princess. The two had confirmed that their chance encounter with the Third Prince and his group in the forest was no accident; it was all premeditated, and these people had been waiting on the road leading out of the mountains.
The little princess said, "I had a feeling from the beginning that they wanted to harm me, but I don't understand why they would have such a motive."
Chen Nan asked, "What is the relationship between the Baiyue Kingdom and the Chu Kingdom?"
The little princess said, "The relationship between the two countries has been quite good in recent years, and nothing unpleasant has happened."
"That's strange. If that's the case, why would they want to harm the princess?" Chen Nan pondered for a moment, then laughed and said, "I understand. They want to rape her here."
"Go to hell." The little princess punched Chen Nan hard on the head.
Chen Nan winced in pain and whispered, "I was just helping Your Highness analyze the situation. Why is Your Highness so agitated? Besides, it's not like there's no possibility of it."
"You don't need to worry about that. Everyone knows that this Third Prince is not a dissolute person."
Chen Nan said, "Perhaps...perhaps he wants to give the princess to someone else as a gift."
Hearing Chen Nan compare her to a gift, the little devil princess glared angrily and said coldly, "You scoundrel, your words are so awful! Don't you know who you're talking to?" But then she quickly calmed down, pondered for a moment, and said, "The possibility is almost zero."
"That's strange. What else besides Her Highness the Princess could make the Third Prince take such a risk? Wait a minute..."
Chen Nan and the little princess exclaimed together, realizing what was happening at the same time.
"When Her Highness used Hou Yi's bow to kill the giant serpent that day, the golden arrow must have been seen by the Third Prince as it pierced the sky."
"No wonder this guy kept glancing at the box behind me; he's actually eyeing our national treasure, the Houyi Bow! He deserves to die!" The little princess clenched her fists and said, "You scoundrel, haven't you come up with a single solution yet?"
"You can't blame me for this. Even a skilled cook can't cook without rice. Her Highness's guards are all seriously injured, and we have no soldiers to use. What can I do? I think we should just give the Houyi Bow to the Third Prince. As the saying goes, those who know when to yield... Hehe." Seeing the little devil princess's cold smile, Chen Nan quickly stopped talking and chuckled dryly.
"You scoundrel, you had the nerve to say you wanted to make a deal with me during the day, but in the end you couldn't help me at all. Heh heh, that's fine, now I can deal with you without any worries. You have no idea how hard I've been looking for you these past two days, I wish I could skin you alive right now."
Seeing the little princess's wicked smile, Chen Nan couldn't help but shudder. "Your Highness, I didn't mean to peek at you... after your bath..."
Upon hearing this, the little princess's eyes practically blazed with fury. "You damned scoundrel, how dare you mention it... I'll kill you!"