172: Chapter 172 The Golden Armor, Taming
In the pitch-black cave, a figure flickered through like a ghost.
As a Martial Artist, supplemented by the enhancement of [Micro-Perception], Li Qing's vision was not significantly affected even in this subterranean cavern.
He discovered that after entering the cave, the passages inside led in all directions; if not for a faint trace of Demonic Qi guiding him, there was no telling how long he would have wasted inside.
Suddenly, Li Qing caught the scent of Demonic Qi again. Unlike the previous faint trace, this scent was much thicker, yet it did not give Li Qing much of a sense of threat.
Swish!
Li Qing stepped out of the passage and arrived at another massive grotto.
“Stone scales again!” Li Qing frowned.
Before him, stones with scale imprints on their surfaces appeared once more, only this time, the stones allowed Li Qing to discern a silhouette.
“It looks like... a giant stone snake, or a Dragon?” Li Qing guessed.
“There isn't a single bit of Demonic Qi on these stones. Could they be sculptures from some faction? But why make such massive sculptures?”
This reminded Li Qing of the Great Yu Dynasty, which preceded the Great Qian Dynasty. It was different from today's Martial Artists who hunted Yao Beasts, consumed their flesh and blood, and viewed them as resources for cultivation.
In that era, sects were numerous, and every one of them worshipped Great Yao and Yao Kings, holding Yao Beasts in high esteem!
The two dynasties were complete opposites!
In Li Qing's view, if anyone had the motivation to sculpt such a massive Dragon-snake statue, it would be the sects of the previous Dynasty!
Li Qing couldn't help but marvel. Such a gargantuan sculpture, with a texture so hard even he found it difficult to damage—who knew how much manpower and resources were consumed?
Li Qing searched the area for a while, but finding nothing, he continued forward.
A cup of tea's time later, that Demonic Qi suddenly became intense.
It was another grotto, but inside this one, there was no longer the body of a stone snake, but a pangolin covered in golden scales.
Zzz... Zzz...
The pangolin was fast asleep. It was different from ordinary pangolins; its body was a full two zhang long, but its limbs were thick and short. Its belly was turned upward and bulging, looking as if it had just enjoyed a hearty meal.
“So it's a Golden Mountain Pangolin, though its size is much larger than an ordinary Golden Mountain Pangolin.”
The Golden Mountain Pangolin was a rare 'beneficial beast.' Similar to beneficial insects, it referred to Yao Beasts that were relatively friendly to humans and could be helpful.
For instance, the Dragon Snake Sect also domesticated some Yao Beasts.
Take the Verdant Bird, for example; its agile voice could soothe one's mood, but it would only sing for its own master. Thus, they were extremely rare and could only be found by luck.
The price was also extremely steep; a single Verdant Bird egg easily cost over a hundred merit points.
Then there was the Golden Ring Earthworm. The droppings of this Yao Beast could not only catalyze plant growth but also make the soil fertile. It was an excellent Yao Beast for improving soil quality, so much so that they weren't even for sale.
As for the Golden Mountain Pangolin, this kind of Yao Beast could move freely underground. Even rocks that Martial Artists found hard to crack were as fragile as silt before their sharp claws. This indicated that their combat power was by no means weak. Furthermore, the hard golden armor on their bodies could leave even an ordinary Huajin Martial Artist feeling helpless.
This kind of Yao Beast was an excellent pet!
Most of the many passages here were likely dug by this Golden Mountain Pangolin, which showed that its ability far exceeded that of ordinary Golden Mountain Pangolins.
Li Qing recalled the method for taming this kind of Yao Beast in his mind.
They were cowardly by nature, bullying the weak and fearing the strong. Only by defeating them head-on with absolute strength could they be tamed.
In that case...
Thump, thump, thump!
Li Qing knocked on its scales.
“Hey, hey, wake up!”
Chirp~
The Golden Mountain Pangolin slowly woke up, opening its eyes in a daze.
A creature it had never seen before appeared in front of it. It was somewhat dismissive; this creature wasn't even half its height.
It casually swung a claw, wanting to brush this creature aside.
Chirp~ (Don't disturb my sleep!)
Slap! A hand steadily caught its claw. The Golden Mountain Pangolin was a bit bewildered; it increased its strength, but the hand remained motionless.
In the darkness, Li Qing grinned and said, “Be my pet!”
Golden Mountain Pangolin: Chirp?
...
Gah! Gah!
The Golden Mountain Pangolin sprawled on the ground, panting heavily. Its nose twitched slightly, as if it were crying.
Several scales on its head were pitted and scarred, and some had even snapped in two, their color dim.
It looked with terror at the man before it, whose smile was scarier than a demon's.
This human was too strong!
Suddenly, Li Qing reached his hand out to the Golden Mountain Pangolin. The Golden Mountain Pangolin hesitated. Seeing this, Li Qing raised his other fist.
“What? You still aren't convinced?”
Chirp!
The Golden Mountain Pangolin hurriedly stuck out its tongue and licked Li Qing's palm. Li Qing nodded and said, “Since that's the case, you'll be my pet from now on. Hmm, why don't I call you Xiao Jin!”
Gah~
The Golden Mountain Pangolin—no, Xiao Jin—let out two cries as if accepting its fate.
Li Qing patted Xiao Jin's head. “Alright, once we get back, I'll give you something delicious to eat.”
Li Qing jumped onto Xiao Jin's back. It was unexpectedly suitable for riding, and there were even some patches of hair that could be used for stability.
“Do you know what other Yao Beasts are in this cave?” Li Qing asked.
The initial faint Demonic Qi didn't belong to Xiao Jin, so there should be another Yao Beast inside.
Xiao Jin: Chirp?
Li Qing had no choice but to use various gestures before Xiao Jin roughly understood his meaning.
Xiao Jin remembered something and immediately perked up, its claw pointing toward a certain tunnel.
“Then let's go.”
Chirp!!
Xiao Jin immediately carried Li Qing into the tunnel. Its movements were so swift they exceeded Li Qing's expectations, already rivaling many Martial Artists specialized in movement techniques.
Xiao Jin dashed forward excitedly. Since it had just been taught a lesson, it couldn't be the only beast suffering!
Besides, that other beast also had a grudge against it!
Now that it was backed by a powerful human, it was time for a reckoning.
The man and beast traveled through the complex and ever-changing grottoes for a while longer before reaching a specific passage.
“Is it here?”
This passage did not connect to another one; instead, it was blocked by a rock wall.
Chirp!
Xiao Jin immediately stepped forward and began digging. The hard rock wall was defenseless against its claws, and it soon excavated a passage.
Then, Xiao Jin immediately curled into a ball, revealing only a pair of cunning eyes to signal Li Qing.
“You don't dare to go in?”
Li Qing tried to pull Xiao Jin inside, but Xiao Jin refused no matter what, so Li Qing gave up.
“In that case, I'll go by myself.”
Li Qing activated the Tortoise Breathing Art, masking his presence to the limit and merging with the darkness.
Swish!
His figure vanished.
With the Perfection-level Wind-Chasing Leg Technique combined with [Lightness], Li Qing dashed forward at extreme speed.
With [Micro-Perception] boosting his eyes, his dynamic vision, body control, and ability to perceive danger were heightened to the absolute limit.
His cultivation Realm at the Fourth Stage of Body Refining gave him enough confidence to face any danger.
Soon, Li Qing arrived at a grotto. This grotto was different from the previous ones, as there was only the single passage he had come from.
Sizzle!
Suddenly, a flash of purple light flickered in the darkness, and a purple needle the size of a chopstick magnified infinitely in Li Qing's pupils.