Deep in the vast mountains, in the dense primeval forest, the entire forest trembled with the booming footsteps of an ancient giant. Cries and screams filled the air as hundreds of people fled for their lives...
At this moment, in the face of the ancient giant, the many experts who had once relentlessly pursued Chen Nan were utterly helpless. They had never imagined that things would turn around so suddenly, and that the pursuers would become the pursued.
Chen Nan coldly surveyed the scene, his heart stirred, but he did not stop the giants' actions. Several days ago, facing numerous pursuers, he recounted the truth of what had happened in the Deathly Abyss while fleeing, but the pursuers, listening and observing, remained unmoved. Their eyes shone with fanaticism, as if he were a glittering gold mine; greed had blinded their consciences, and they were single-mindedly focused on killing him, utterly deaf to the truth.
...
Screams echoed throughout the forest, a place stained with blood.
Chen Nan snatched a package from his pursuers and finally exchanged his straw clothes made of vines for the cloth clothes inside. He then began searching for the Ling family's assassins; even if he spared everyone else, he would not spare a single one of them.
A burst of light came from the northwest, where a bright burst of light erupted. An ancient giant wielding a stone club seven or eight zhang long slammed down from the sky, while a disheveled old man repeatedly struck upwards with both hands, his several-zhang-long bursts of energy managing to withstand the ancient giant's stone club.
Unparalleled light illuminated the entire forest, countless trees were reduced to dust, and the area around the old man became bald. Even the young men who were with him were not spared; they were all turned into minced meat and died instantly.
The disheveled old man was none other than the fourth-tier expert from the Ling family. He seized an opportunity and led several disciples to break through to a considerable distance, but ultimately, they were caught by the ancient giant. However, a fourth-tier expert is undoubtedly a terrifyingly powerful being, and he actually managed to withstand several of the giant's stone club strikes.
It should be noted that the ancient giant's stone club was seven or eight zhang long. Each strike would be like Mount Tai pressing down on an ordinary person. The fact that Ling family's super expert was able to withstand several strikes is truly remarkable!
However, he had not yet reached the fourth-order mastery realm, and was far from being able to fight against an adult giant who was more than ten feet tall. During his arduous struggle, the young men under his command were all affected by the powerful energy flow and eventually perished.
"Chen Nan, you brat... don't be so smug! Even if you escape these mountains, you'll still die!" The fourth-level expert, his hair disheveled, cursed fiercely as he saw Chen Nan approaching. It wasn't that he didn't want to escape, but no matter how fast he was, he couldn't outrun a giant, so he could only vent his hatred on Chen Nan.
"Awoo... This old guy is so fierce, awoo..." The purple-gold dragon let out a strange cry, and another ancient giant came over.
It wasn't until this moment that the fourth-level expert could clearly see what the purple-gold dragon looked like. He was so shocked that he almost sat down on the ground. He simply couldn't believe his eyes. Chen Nan was actually holding a "young" dragon in his hand.
Chen Nan merely glanced at him coldly before urging the Purple-Gold Divine Dragon to change locations. He knew that a fourth-tier expert was doomed. He now began searching for Meng Ke'er's whereabouts, believing that this successor of the Holy Land was very likely secretly watching everything here.
An hour later, the forest was trampled to the ground, leaving countless bloodstains. Whether anyone survived or not, Chen Nan had no way of knowing. But that was enough. Even if there were any lucky survivors, they would probably face a near-certain death in these mountains. Feilong had already perished, and his companions had all been killed. It would be difficult for the few remaining survivors to escape the treacherous mountains.
Chen Nan found no trace of Meng Ke'er; he didn't know if this successor of the sacred land had witnessed everything. Standing on the open plain, watching the giant's figure gradually disappear into the distance, he said to the Purple-Gold Divine Dragon, "Long Beibei, let's leave the mountain!"
The purple-gold dragon trembled in mid-air and almost fell down. It roared repeatedly, so angry that it almost vomited blood.
Half an hour later, Chen Nan crossed three mountains and sat on a blue stone, shouting into the air, "Long Beibei... uh, no, Mudskipper, are you really going to make me walk like this? Even if we're heading in the right direction, who knows how many days it will take to get back to the City of Sin. And if we deviate from the path even slightly, we might be stuck in these mountains forever."
"Don't even think about messing with your Dragon Grandpa, kid. Even that arrogant ancient god couldn't do anything to me back then. You think you can make me your mount? Keep dreaming!" The purple-gold dragon flew up and down in the sky, its anger filled with disdain.
"Mudfish, you've misunderstood. I never said I wanted you to be my mount. It's just that the situation is special right now, and I only want to trouble you for a day or two. Don't you yearn for the delicious food in human society? Don't you admire the most beautiful women among humans? As long as you're willing to take me out, you'll soon be able to have your wish." Chen Nan coaxed patiently.
The Purple-Gold Divine Dragon swallowed hard, then said seriously, "Don't try to fool me. Your Dragon Grandpa won't fall for it. What are human delicacies compared to this? I've eaten everything back in the day, and I've had free rein over the royal kitchen." At this point, it inadvertently swallowed again, the loud sound making it feel embarrassed. It quickly covered it up, saying, "I've seen fairies from the celestial realm, so what are mortal beauties compared to this…"
Just then, an enticing aroma wafted from the ground. Chen Nan patiently roasted a wild goat leg, saying nothing more. The Purple-Gold Divine Dragon, its mouth watering, hurriedly swooped down from its mouth, shouting, "It's cooked! It's cooked! Quickly tear off a piece for me!"
Chen Nan tore off a piece and offered it to it, but just before it was close, he suddenly withdrew his hand, slowly put the roasted meat into his mouth, closed his eyes with a look of ecstasy, and said, "It tastes wonderful!"
The Purple-Gold Divine Dragon gritted its teeth in hatred and pounced on the wild goat leg, which had been roasted to a golden brown, with a "whoosh." But Chen Nan was prepared and quickly reached out, grabbing it. Then, right in front of it, he raised the fragrant roasted goat leg and began to enjoy it.
"Mmm, golden in color, tender in texture, smooth but not greasy, so delicious!" Chen Nan ate with relish, making the purple-gold dragon, which was nearby, swallow its saliva.
"Awooo... Kid, let me go! Give me a piece! Awooo..."
"My roasted lamb leg didn't taste good."
"Aww... I think it tastes delicious, give me a piece..." The purple-gold dragon made a continuous "gurgling" sound in its throat, and saliva was flowing out in a cascade.
"Want some?" Chen Nan tore off a piece of meat and held it to its mouth, the aroma wafting into its nose, but it wouldn't let the meat touch it. He said, "Actually, what I grill is only so-so, far inferior to those professional chefs outside. Do you want to eat real gourmet food?"
The purple-gold dragon nodded subconsciously.
"Hehe, that's easy. Just carry me out of these mountains quickly, and I can enjoy delicious food every day."
The Purple-Gold Divine Dragon swallowed hard, saying, "Hmph, kid, don't try any tricks on me. Back in the day..."
Chen Nan interrupted it, saying, "Don't mention the Imperial Kitchen anymore. You've already revealed your true colors. You've clearly never been to human society, yet you insist on lying. Heh..." He took back the roasted meat he was offering to the Purple-Gold Divine Dragon and muttered to himself, "Since you don't want to go to human society, then forget it. Let's part ways today. From now on, you can go back to eating raw meat."
"Awooo... Damn brat, you always try to play tricks on me. I... I give in. I'll take you away from the mountains right away and we'll eat delicious food every day."
Upon hearing this, Chen Nan released it, and the purple-gold dragon pounced on the roasted lamb leg with a "whoosh," drool flying as it began to devour it.
For thousands of years, the Purple-Gold Divine Dragon had been sealed underground. The monotonous and tedious life of confinement nearly drove it to the brink of collapse. Faced with Chen Nan's description of the "goodness" of human society, it was utterly unable to uphold its fragile principles. Of course, it understood that all of this was a means for Chen Nan to force it into submission, but it still couldn't resist the temptation. Half an hour later, it carried Chen Nan into the air.
The purple-gold dragon gritted its teeth in hatred and said, "Awoo... Boy, don't you dare laugh! You need to understand that the reason I'm carrying you is not because I'm your mount, nor because I'm greedy, and certainly not because I want to see the most beautiful women in the mortal world..."
"I understand, I understand everything. You are a dragon with an iron will and a loving heart. It's all my fault, haha..." Chen Nan couldn't help but laugh at the end.
The purple-gold dragon was furious and roared strangely.
Overall, the "Young Dragon Raising Project" went very smoothly.
A day later, the Purple-Gold Divine Dragon carried Chen Nan across the mountains, and they were less than a hundred miles away from the City of Sin. Such speed made the Purple-Gold Divine Dragon dejected. After losing all its dragon essence, its dragon power was extremely weak. If it were flying on its own, its speed would still be as fast as lightning, but with a person on board, its speed was extremely slow.
When they were fifty or sixty miles from the City of Sin, Chen Nan stroked the long sword at his waist and said softly, "Ling Yun, just wait to die!" Then he teased the Purple-Gold Divine Dragon, saying, "Dragon Baby, you've had a tough time..."
"Awoo..." The purple-gold dragon plummeted straight down, almost crashing to the ground. It roared repeatedly, preferring that Chen Nan call it a mudfish rather than hear that name.
When they were thirty miles from the City of Freedom, Chen Nan had the Purple-Gold Divine Dragon descend. Fearing that it would attract the attention of the dragon knights who occasionally flew high into the sky from the City of Sin, he began to proceed on foot.
But just then, he sensed danger approaching, and the purple-gold dragon landed on his shoulder, muttering, "Strange, it seems someone is watching..."
Suddenly, a sword light appeared in the sky like a dazzling rainbow, its brilliant light eclipsing even the sun in the sky, and it swiftly pierced towards Chen Nan's chest.
"Flying sword! Meng Ke'er!" Chen Nan was shocked. Such a powerful attack would have been very difficult for him to deal with a few days ago, but after entering the fourth-tier realm, this sword was no longer a threat to him.
"Slash!" The longsword was like a rainbow, its light dazzling. A streak of light shot out from the blade and rushed towards the flying sword.
With a loud "boom," the trees in the forest were ravaged, their branches and leaves scattered, and rows of trees fell in all directions, instantly clearing out a large open space.
Meng Ke'er stood in the void, her white robes fluttering, her beautiful face expressionless. The jade lotus platform beneath her feet was crystal clear and radiant, emitting a five-colored light. The misty light surrounded her, like celestial energy, making her appear like a fairy.
Chen Nan looked at the beautiful figure floating in the air, as pure and holy as a fairy, and said, "Meng Ke'er, you are too impatient. Although Ling Yun's subordinates have been almost completely wiped out, he must still have something to rely on. If you and I were to switch places, I would definitely wait until you and Ling Yun are both severely injured before I come out to clean up the mess."
Meng Ke'er smiled faintly, and the entire mountain forest seemed to brighten up. She shook her head and said, "Your performance in the mountains made me very uneasy. You were actually able to command an ancient giant. If I let you into the city, it's hard to imagine if you would do anything more amazing. You're already almost out of my control. I absolutely cannot allow any unstable factors to exist. You've already dealt Ling Yun a severe blow, causing so many experts to perish. It's truly astonishing! You've demonstrated your greatest value. Now you can—die!"
As she finished speaking, Meng Ke'er's voice turned cold, revealing boundless killing intent, and a chilling aura permeated the entire mountain forest.
"Hahaha..." Chen Nan burst into wild laughter, shouting, "Let's see what you can do to me?!"
Meng Ke'er said coldly, "I know your cultivation has improved a lot, but—you are still far from being my match!"
Chen Nan sneered, "Heh heh, fairy of the Holy Land, don't be too confident. If you can't kill me today, you'll be behaving like a dutiful little woman!"
Meng Ke'er's aura grew even colder. She couldn't help but recall the scene in the illusory realm. Her peerless face was filled with rage, her eyes practically spitting fire as she gritted her teeth and said, "I'll make you regret ever saying those words!"
Just then, a strange voice rang out in the arena: "Having just stepped into the mortal realm, I've already seen an absolutely stunning beauty, woof... Kid, do you want to make her your little woman? How about we discuss it? How about you let me have her? woof..."
The purple-gold dragon peeked out from behind Chen Nan and climbed onto his shoulder, its purple dragon eyes narrowed as it carefully examined Meng Ke'er.
"Get out of here. Have you ever heard that humans and ghosts are different? You think you can compete with me for a woman with your ghostly appearance?" Chen Nan attacked the Purple-Gold Divine Dragon while trying to make Meng Ke'er lose her composure.
Meng Ke'er was both shocked and furious. These two guys actually wanted to "divide" her, the fairy of the holy land! However, she was more shocked than angry because she actually saw the legendary dragon!
Although she had discovered Chen Nan's ability to fly when they were deep in the mountains, she hadn't been able to see what he was holding because of the great distance. She assumed it was a Taoist treasure that Chen Nan had obtained from the Demon Palace, like her Jade Lotus Platform. She never imagined it would be a divine dragon.
At this moment, Meng Ke'er's face was filled with shock. For the first time, she lost her composure and murmured to herself, "Eastern... Divine Dragon..."
"Awoo... Indeed! I am the greatest dragon god in the history of heaven and earth! Awoo... Boy, hurry up and take her down, we'll split her!"
Without needing its reminder, Chen Nan had already soared into the sky the instant Meng Ke'er lost her focus, leaping a distance of four zhang into the air, and then wielding his sword with both hands, he slashed down at Meng Ke'er directly in front of him.
A dazzling blade of light, like a magnificent rainbow, ripped through the sky. The materialized blade energy stretched for three or four zhang (approximately 10-13 meters), and terrifying energy fluctuations permeated every inch of the forest. Leaves danced wildly in the air, and nearby trees collapsed in droves under the immense, invisible pressure...
The power of that single strike was so immense, it was truly terrifying!
As expected of the most outstanding successor of the ancient holy land of Tantai, Meng Ke'er hastily urged the Jade Lotus Platform to retreat quickly, while her flying sword shot out to meet the blade's edge.
Several streaks of lightning flashed across the sky, and the crisscrossing sword energy and blade light collided violently, forming a dense energy network in the air.
Accompanied by energy fluctuations like raging waves, intense blade light and unparalleled sword energy raged everywhere in the air. The trees outside the arena melted rapidly, like ice and snow meeting the summer sun, with wood chips flying everywhere like snowflakes.
In the end, Chen Nan landed without success. Meng Ke'er's face flushed, and she swayed slightly on the jade lotus platform before regaining her balance.
"How dare you ambush me!" Meng Ke'er's face was icy cold as she used her aura to propel her flying sword swiftly toward Chen Nan.
Although Chen Nan sensed the immense power contained within the flying sword, he remained calm. He strode forward, his long sword seemingly about to tear through the void! Unparalleled sword energy surged towards the flying sword directly in front of him.
A fierce battle unfolded between martial artists and cultivators.
In an instant, a fierce wind arose in the mountains and forests, sand and dust covered the sky, and energy rays shot everywhere, with a violent flow of energy surging in every inch of space!
When the immense power on the flying sword began to wane, Chen Nan roared and took a large step forward. The entire mountain forest seemed to tremble as he unleashed a powerful slash that struck the sword. The flying sword's light flickered briefly before gradually dimming.
After gaining the advantage, Chen Nan pressed forward relentlessly, each step as heavy as a thousand pounds. With each step forward, the entire mountain forest trembled, and his longsword shattered the air! Unparalleled blade light struck the flying sword layer after layer, suppressing it and making it impossible for it to retaliate.
With his hair flying wildly, Chen Nan raised his long sword to the sky, charging forward relentlessly. The sword's light seemed to pierce through heaven and earth, and his aura reached its peak! With another giant step, the earth seemed to tremble, and the entire mountain forest shook violently. The earth-shattering sword strike, with unparalleled power, shattered the void and emitted a dazzling light as it cleaved down forward.
The flying sword's light faded, and it quickly flew away.
Chen Nan raised his sword to the sky and said coldly, "Cultivators are nothing more than this!"