105: Chapter 105 Cleverly Obtaining the Immortal Fruit, The Dragon's Pursuit

On the way back to Chaos Valley, Lin Ye kept feeling that something was wrong.

The three Pan Peaches in his bosom lay quietly in the jade box, and even through the box, he could feel the majestic life energy. These were indeed genuine immortal medicines, treasures of legendary Rank. But the trace of unease in his heart did not dissipate with the acquisition of the treasures; instead, it grew stronger.

When the outline of Chaos Valley appeared in his field of vision again, Lin Ye finally understood where the problem lay.

It was too smooth.

It wasn't that the picking process wasn't thrilling—the awakening of the Three-Headed Demon Flood Dragon, the fatal strike of the triple dragon breath, the narrow escape through teleportation—every step was fraught with danger. But looking back carefully, during the whole process, the Three-Headed Demon Flood Dragon seemed... not to have fully exerted the strength expected of a Rank 65 boss?

That was it. After the Three-Headed Demon Flood Dragon woke up, although it was angry and its attacks were violent, its movements had a subtle sense of sluggishness. Especially in the instant when the three heads merged into a giant dragon head, the process was obviously slow, giving Lin Ye reaction time. Moreover, when it spat out the triple dragon breath, the charging time was also longer than normal boss skills.

This was not right.

A Rank 65 boss, and a dragon-blooded creature at that, should have terrifying combat instincts. If it had really exploded with full force, Lin Ye would never have had time to activate the abyss key to teleport away.

"Unless..." Lin Ye suddenly thought of a possibility, "Unless there is a problem with the state of the Three-Headed Demon Flood Dragon?"

He recalled the details in the peach garden: The Three-Headed Demon Flood Dragon was sleeping by the pond, and the pond water was dark green. There were energy filaments connecting the Pan Peach tree and the Three-Headed Demon Flood Dragon; it was a symbiotic relationship. When he cut the filaments to pick the Pan Peaches, the Three-Headed Demon Flood Dragon woke up immediately...

"Symbiotic relationship!" Lin Ye's eyes lit up, "The Three-Headed Demon Flood Dragon and the Pan Peach tree are a symbiont. The Pan Peach tree provides life energy to the Three-Headed Demon Flood Dragon, and the Three-Headed Demon Flood Dragon guards the Pan Peach tree. When I picked the Pan Peaches and cut off the energy supply, the strength of the Three-Headed Demon Flood Dragon temporarily decreased!"

This explanation made sense.

But if that was the case, a new problem arose: What state was the Three-Headed Demon Flood Dragon in now? With the Pan Peaches picked and the symbiotic relationship destroyed, how weak would the Three-Headed Demon Flood Dragon be? How would it respond?

More importantly—were the three Pan Peaches really completely in his hands?

Lin Ye stopped, found a hidden rock crevice, and sat down cross-legged. He took out a jade box and opened it carefully.

In the box, the golden Pan Peaches lay quietly, their surface patterns flowing, and they were fragrant. But when Lin Ye carefully probed with his Divine Sense, he discovered some subtle problems.

The life energy of the fruit was indeed majestic, but at the energy core, there was a trace of extremely faint black silk entwined. The silk was elusive, almost imperceptible, but it did exist. It was like some kind of... brand? Or mark?

Lin Ye tried to touch the black silk with Chaos Qi.

Hum—

The silk suddenly vibrated, transmitting a vague message: "Thief... mark... tracking... revenge..."

It was the spiritual brand of the Three-Headed Demon Flood Dragon!

Lin Ye's face changed. No wonder the Three-Headed Demon Flood Dragon didn't pursue with full force; it turned out it had left a tracking mark on the Pan Peaches! As long as the Pan Peaches were still on him, the Three-Headed Demon Flood Dragon could sense his location at any time!

Moreover, the information contained in this brand showed that the Three-Headed Demon Flood Dragon had not been weak for too long because the symbiotic relationship was destroyed. It was absorbing some kind of energy deep in the pond to recover, and it would be able to recover most of its strength in at most one day. By then, it would track him down based on the brand!

"Big trouble." Lin Ye frowned.

Being targeted by a Rank 65 boss was no joke. Although he had Chaos Valley as a base, if the Three-Headed Demon Flood Dragon came to kill, the entire Chaos Valley might suffer. And the Three-Headed Demon Flood Dragon did not act alone—it was the guardian beast of the third layer of the abyss in the Ancient Desolate Forbidden Land and had a connection with the power of the entire Forbidden Ground. If it summoned other existences in the Forbidden Ground...

This brand must be resolved.

Lin Ye tried to erase the brand with Chaos Power. The gray Chaos Qi wrapped around the black silk, starting to corrode and transform it. But the brand was abnormally stubborn; it seemed to be closely integrated with the energy structure of the Pan Peach itself, and forcibly erasing it might damage the Pan Peach.

What was more troublesome was that all three Pan Peaches had brands!

"It seems I have to go back to the abyss again." Lin Ye made a decision.

Not to fight, but to... solve the problem.

The Three-Headed Demon Flood Dragon leaving a brand on the Pan Peaches meant it needed these fruits, or it needed something in the fruits. If he could figure out what it was, perhaps he could find a way to crack it.

Moreover, Lin Ye thought of another problem: his way of picking the Pan Peaches was too rough. Cutting off the symbiotic filaments directly, although he got the fruits, also destroyed the ecological balance of the peach garden. According to the System information, this would cause the Pan Peach tree to wither. And once the immortal medicines withered, it would be as hard as ascending to the heavens to find them again.

If he could obtain the Pan Peaches in a gentler way while repairing the symbiotic relationship, he might be able to avoid forming a deadly feud with the Three-Headed Demon Flood Dragon.

But this required more precise operations, requiring... helpers.

Lin Ye put away the jade box and quickly returned to Chaos Valley.

Everything in the valley was as usual. The defenses were being reinforced, personnel were training, and the chamber of commerce was operating as usual. But Lin Ye could feel the tense atmosphere permeating the air—the Ten Thousand Races Covenant meeting was imminent, the Stone Race ceremony was approaching, and everyone was on edge.

He did not alert too many people, directly finding Su Qingyue and Shi Potian, and the three of them entered a secret room.

"The situation has changed." Lin Ye got straight to the point, telling them about the Pan Peach brand and the Three-Headed Demon Flood Dragon's tracking.

"A Rank 65 boss is coming to kill us?" Shi Potian's eyes widened, "Then what are we waiting for? Run!"

"Can't run." Lin Ye shook his head, "The brand has been planted, and the Three-Headed Demon Flood Dragon can track us. Besides, Chaos Valley is our base camp, we can't give it up."

"Then what should we do?" Su Qingyue asked.

"Go back to the abyss." Lin Ye stated the plan, "But not to fight, but to... negotiate."

"Negotiate? With a Flood Dragon?"

"To be precise, it's a trade." Lin Ye explained, "The Three-Headed Demon Flood Dragon needs the Pan Peaches, or needs something in the Pan Peaches. And we have the Pan Peaches, so we have bargaining chips. If we can figure out what it wants, maybe we can reach an agreement: we help it get what it needs, it gives up tracking, or even... becomes an ally."

"Ally with a Rank 65 boss?" Shi Potian thought this idea was too crazy, "Boss, that's a Yao Beast! A vicious Yao Beast!"

"Yao Beasts also have wisdom." Lin Ye said, "The Three-Headed Demon Flood Dragon can leave a spiritual brand, showing that its IQ is not low. And it guarded the Pan Peach tree for three hundred years without swallowing the fruits at will, showing that it understands the long term. Such an existence can be communicated with."

Su Qingyue pondered for a moment: "Theoretically feasible, but the risk is too high. If the negotiation fails, we might get trapped in the abyss."

"So we need to be fully prepared." Lin Ye looked at the two, "Qingyue, what level has your Vast Cold Spirit Body's third stage reached in controlling ice power?"

"I can instantly freeze the water area within a hundred zhang." Su Qingyue replied, "If combined with the Moon Palace Projection Domain, the range can be expanded to three hundred zhang, and the temperature can be lowered to the edge of absolute zero."

"Good. The Three-Headed Demon Flood Dragon inhabits the pond, and the water is its home field. If we can freeze the pond, we can greatly limit its strength." Lin Ye looked at Shi Potian again, "Brother Shi, how much damage can your Tyrant Body withstand now?"

"If activated at full power, I can withstand three full-force attacks from a Rank 60 boss." Shi Potian estimated, "But a Rank 65 one... I might be heavily injured after one time."

"One time is enough." Lin Ye nodded, "We don't need to fight hard, we just need to buy time. Qingyue freezes the pond, you are responsible for resisting a blow when the Three-Headed Demon Flood Dragon breaks free from the freezing, and I am responsible for communication and trading."

He paused: "Of course, this is the most ideal plan. The actual situation might be worse. So we need to make preparations for both: if the negotiation is successful, everyone is happy; if it fails, we will immediately withdraw, and then use the Pan Peaches as bait to lure the Three-Headed Demon Flood Dragon into the preset trap area, and unite the power of the entire Heavenly Court to surround and kill it."

"Surround and kill a Rank 65 boss?" Shi Potian gasped, "How many people will die?"

"So this is the last resort." Lin Ye said in a deep voice, "But we must have a contingency plan for the worst-case scenario."

The three of them discussed various possibilities and response plans in detail. Lin Ye took out the abyss key; the three-story tower pattern on the key, the green light on the third floor was still flashing, and it was a bit brighter than before.

"The key absorbed the life energy of the Pan Peaches and unlocked a new ability, 'Life Perception'." Lin Ye said, "This might help us understand the true needs of the Three-Headed Demon Flood Dragon."

Ready.

Lin Ye did not alert others, only telling Zhao Wuji and Qin Ruoxue that he was going out to investigate again and would be back soon. Then the three of them quietly left Chaos Valley and headed to the Ancient Desolate Forbidden Land again.

This time, with previous experience, the journey was smoother. Lin Ye's Rank 50 Dao Palace Peak cultivation, combined with the Chaos Domain, easily avoided all guards. Su Qingyue and Shi Potian also greatly increased their strength, and the three of them entered as if there was no one there, and soon arrived at the abyss cave.

The scene in the cave remained the same. Jade skeletons chanting, blue crystals glowing. But Lin Ye keenly sensed that there was a subtle change in the energy flow in the cave—it seemed that something was penetrating upward from the depths of the abyss.

"The Three-Headed Demon Flood Dragon is recovering." Lin Ye whispered, "It is extracting energy from deeper layers of the abyss. We don't have much time."

The three of them came to the space-time rift behind the altar. The abyss key flew out automatically, and the golden light beam opened the passage. But this time, the passage did not lead to the time Secret Realm, nor the space Secret Realm, but directly locked onto the third layer—the Life Secret Realm.

"Go!"

The three of them stepped into the passage.

The process of passing through the passage was shorter than last time, and they arrived at the peach garden almost instantly.

The scene before them stunned all three of them.

Compared with when Lin Ye left last time, the peach garden had undergone huge changes.

The three Pan Peach trees were obviously withered, with yellowing appearing on the edges of the emerald green leaves, and the branches also lost their luster. The fruits on the trees had been picked, leaving only shriveled fruit stems. And in the pond in the center of the peach garden, the dark green pond water was boiling, a large number of bubbles emerged on the water surface, and the color of the pond water turned from dark green to dark red, as if something was burning at the bottom of the pond.

What was even more strange was that at the edge of the pond, the Three-Headed Demon Flood Dragon was not coiled there.

It was gone.

"Be careful." Lin Ye expanded his Divine Sense while activating the Life Perception ability of the abyss key.

The perception fed back information: The life energy of the entire peach garden was gathering towards the pond. Deep in the pond, a terrifying vitality was recovering, and that vitality was mixed with anger, pain, and... some kind of desire?

"The Three-Headed Demon Flood Dragon is healing at the bottom of the pond." Lin Ye judged, "It is absorbing some kind of energy deep in the pond to repair the damage caused by the destruction of the symbiotic relationship. But this process takes time, and..."

He suddenly understood.

What the Three-Headed Demon Flood Dragon needed was not the Pan Peach fruit itself, but the "Life Origin" contained in the fruit. The Pan Peach tree, through the symbiotic relationship, refined the absorbed life energy into the Origin, part of which nourished itself and bore fruit, and part of which was supplied to the Three-Headed Demon Flood Dragon. Lin Ye picking the fruit was equivalent to cutting off the supply of the Origin, which was why the Three-Headed Demon Flood Dragon was so angry.

But deep in the pond, there seemed to be a substitute?

"Qingyue, can you perceive the situation at the bottom of the pond?" Lin Ye asked.

Su Qingyue closed her eyes and focused, her Vast Cold Spirit Body resonating with the moonlight. A moment later, she opened her eyes, and a flash of surprise flashed in her eyes: "At the bottom of the pond... there is a branch of an underground Spiritual Vein! That Spiritual Vein contains pure water-type life energy, but the energy nature is violent, and absorbing it directly will damage the Meridians. The Three-Headed Demon Flood Dragon absorbs it through the gentle energy refined by the Pan Peach tree."

So that's it.

The Pan Peach tree is a "purifier" and "converter", converting the violent Spiritual Vein energy into a gentle Life Origin for itself and the Three-Headed Demon Flood Dragon to use. Lin Ye picked the fruit, interrupting the conversion process, forcing the Three-Headed Demon Flood Dragon to absorb the violent energy directly, so it needed time to adapt, and there would be aftereffects.

"Our chance has come." A sharp light flashed in Lin Ye's eyes, "The Three-Headed Demon Flood Dragon is currently in a weak and uncomfortable state, which is the best time for negotiation."

He walked to the edge of the pond and spoke to the pond water: "Three-Headed Demon Flood Dragon, I know you can hear me. We can talk."

The boiling of the pond water intensified.

A dull voice came from the bottom of the pond, acting directly on the Divine Sense of the three: "Thief... dare to come back... die!"

"We can help you." Lin Ye ignored the other party's threat, "What you need is not the Pan Peach fruit, but the Life Origin in the fruit. I have a way to help you stabilize the absorption of the energy of the pond's Spiritual Vein, and even... help you cultivate new Pan Peach trees."

The pond water suddenly exploded!

The Three-Headed Demon Flood Dragon broke out of the water! But its condition was obviously not good: the three heads were listless, the scales were dull, and the eyes were full of bloodshot eyes. What was more obvious was that its aura was sometimes strong and sometimes weak, and it was clear that the energy absorption was unstable.

"Humans... cunning... not trustworthy!" The three heads of the Three-Headed Demon Flood Dragon spoke at the same time, their voices overlapping, full of resentment.

"Believe it or not." Lin Ye took out a jade box, opened it, and revealed the golden Pan Peach inside, "But you have two choices now: First, continue to hunt us down, but your state will get worse and worse during the hunt, and you may even be taken advantage of by other existences. Second, cooperate with us, we will help you stabilize energy absorption, you give up tracking, and allow us to use the peach garden resources to a limited extent."

He paused: "I know you don't trust us. So we can sign a contract—a Soul contract witnessed by the Heavenly Dao. If violated, Soul Flying Away and Spirit Scattering."

The Heavenly Dao contract was the strictest constraint in "covering the heavens era". Once signed, even the System would enforce it.

The Three-Headed Demon Flood Dragon was silent.

Its three heads looked at each other, as if communicating. After a long time, the middle gold-pupiled head spoke: "You... how to help me?"

"I have Chaos Power." Lin Ye released a trace of Chaos Qi, "Chaos encompasses everything and can reconcile violent energy. I can set up a 'Chaos Spirit Purifying Formation' to filter and purify the energy of the pond's Spiritual Vein so that you can absorb it directly. Although the efficiency is not as good as the refinement of the Pan Peach tree, it is stable and has no side effects."

"The price?" The Three-Headed Demon Flood Dragon asked.

"First, you give up the tracking brand on the three of us. Second, allow us to come to the peach garden to pick Pan Peaches once a year—at most two each time, and we will help you cultivate new peach trees to ensure sustainable development. Third, when necessary, you need to take action for us once."

"Greedy!" The left fire-pupiled head roared.

"This is a fair trade." Lin Ye said calmly, "You get a stable energy supply and the continuation of the peach garden, and we get immortal medicines and a powerful ally. And... if I'm not mistaken, you don't just guard the Pan Peach tree for yourself, right?"

He pointed to the depths of the pond: "Is there something you need to guard down there? For example... Flood Dragon eggs? Or the same race?"

The three heads of the Three-Headed Demon Flood Dragon shook at the same time!

"You... how do you know?" The right poison-pupiled vertical eye opened wide.

"My life perception told me so." Lin Ye raised the abyss key. "Deep in the pond, besides the Spiritual Vein energy, there are three faint life fluctuations. Those are your offspring, right?"

The Three-Headed Demon Flood Dragon remained silent for even longer.

Finally, its three heads lowered simultaneously: "Human... you win. Let us sign the contract."

Lin Ye felt a surge of joy in his heart, but remained outwardly calm. He bit his fingertip, using his blood as ink to carve contract runes in the air. Su Qingyue and Shi Potian also dripped their blood, joining the contract.

The Three-Headed Demon Flood Dragon forced out three drops of essence blood from its brow, merging them into the contract.

The runes shone brightly, transforming into two streams of light; one merged into the Three-Headed Demon Flood Dragon's body, and the other split into three parts, merging into the bodies of Lin Ye and the others.

[Heavenly Dao Contract signing complete!]

[Contract Contents: 1. The Three-Headed Demon Flood Dragon abandons the tracking of Lin Ye, Su Qingyue, and Shi Potian, and removes the mark on the Flat Peaches; 2. Lin Ye must set up a 'Chaos Spirit-Purifying Formation' within three days to help the Three-Headed Demon Flood Dragon stably absorb the Spiritual Vein energy; 3. The Three-Headed Demon Flood Dragon allows Lin Ye's party to pick two Flat Peaches annually and must cultivate new trees in the peach garden; 4. When necessary, the Three-Headed Demon Flood Dragon must act once for Lin Ye's party (limited to situations that do not endanger its core interests); 5. Contract validity: 100 years.]

[Breach penalty: Soul Flying Away and Spirit Scattering, true spirit annihilation.]

Contract established!

The Three-Headed Demon Flood Dragon's three heads simultaneously exhaled a puff of black Qi; that was the removal of the tracking mark. The three Flat Peaches in Lin Ye's embrace vibrated slightly, the black threads on their surfaces dissipated, and the fruits became even more crystal clear.

"Now, fulfill your promise," the Three-Headed Demon Flood Dragon said in a deep voice.

Lin Ye nodded and began to set up the Formation.

He took out various Materials from his Storage Pouch: earth vein stone heart, profound ice essence, diamond jade, star iron... these were leftovers from constructing the Black Wind Gorge defense line. He also took out the myriad things mother qi cauldron embryo as the Formation eye and the earth vein core as the energy source.

"Qingyue, help me freeze the pond's surface; I need a stable working environment."

Su Qingyue waved her staff, and moonlight poured down. A thick layer of ice quickly formed on the pond's surface, solid as iron.

"Brother Shi, keep watch on the surroundings."

"Understood!"

Lin Ye jumped onto the ice and began to carve the Formation runes.

The Chaos Spirit-Purifying Formation is a high-grade auxiliary Formation recorded in the "Chaos Scripture," specifically used for purifying and harmonizing violent energy. In his previous life, Lin Ye had only seen the diagrams and had never set it up himself. But in this life, he possesses the Chaos Heavenly Emperor Body, and his control over Chaos Power far exceeds his previous life. Coupled with his insights from the time Secret Realm, he has a seventy percent chance of success.

He first used the earth vein stone heart as a base to set up nine Formation bases around the pond. Then, using profound ice essence as a guide, he carved the purification runes. Diamond jade served as the energy channel, and star iron as the stable frame.

Finally, he placed the myriad things mother qi cauldron embryo in the center of the Formation and embedded the earth vein core into the cauldron.

"Chaos as the guide, all things as the base. Purify the spirit and generate life, heaven and earth breathe together!"

Lin Ye formed Seals with both hands, and his Chaos Divine Power poured in frantically.

The Formation activated!

The nine Formation bases lit up simultaneously, and golden runes spread from the bases, weaving into a complex network on the ice. In the center of the network, the myriad things mother qi cauldron embryo began to rotate, and gray Chaos Qi spewed from the cauldron's mouth.

The Chaos Qi merged into the pond, coming into contact with the violent energy of the Spiritual Vein.

A miracle occurred.

The originally violent water-type life energy, which nearly tore through space, gradually became docile and peaceful under the harmonization of the Chaos Qi. The Impurities in the energy were decomposed and transformed by the Chaos Qi, leaving only the purest life Origin.

These Origin energies flowed along the Formation network toward the location of the Three-Headed Demon Flood Dragon.

The Three-Headed Demon Flood Dragon's three heads simultaneously revealed expressions of comfort. It could feel that the violent energy that once caused it excruciating pain had now become as comfortable as a hot spring, and its absorption efficiency had increased by thirty percent!

"Human... you did it." There was less hostility in the Three-Headed Demon Flood Dragon's voice.

Lin Ye wiped the sweat from his forehead. Setting up this Formation consumed nearly half of his Divine Power, but the effect was significant.

"The Formation needs to be maintained every three months," Lin Ye said. "I will leave the maintenance method; you can operate it yourself, or wait for us to come."

"That is enough," the Three-Headed Demon Flood Dragon nodded. "Now... it is time to fulfill my part of the promise."

Its three heads turned toward the three Flat Peach trees, simultaneously spewing three beams of light: crimson flames, golden metal Qi, and dark green poisonous mist. But these three types of energy were not attacks, but nourishment.

The light enveloped the peach trees, and the originally withered trees recovered their vitality at a speed visible to the naked eye. The withered yellow leaves turned green, and the shriveled branches regained their fullness. Even more miraculously, at the roots of each peach tree, a small sapling had grown!

"These are... new Flat Peach saplings!" Su Qingyue said in surprise.

"Forced to grow with my Origin power, it will take a hundred years to bear fruit," the Three-Headed Demon Flood Dragon said. "But it is better than withering."

It looked at Lin Ye again: "You can pick this year's two Flat Peaches now. But remember, only pick two; leave the third one as the seed for the mother tree to continue."

Lin Ye nodded and walked under the peach tree. This time, he did not cut the symbiotic threads, but under the guidance of the Three-Headed Demon Flood Dragon, used Chaos Qi to temporarily "shield" the energy transmission of the threads, then gently picked two relatively mature Flat Peaches.

[Obtained: immortal medicines · Flat Peach Fruit (Legendary) × 2]

[Status: Perfect (Energy complete, no mark)]

Two new Flat Peaches!

Added to the previous three, there are now five Flat Peaches in total! Although three of them only have thirty percent efficacy, they are still priceless treasures!

"Contract complete," the Three-Headed Demon Flood Dragon said in a deep voice. "You may leave. Remember, come back in a year. If you come earlier... I will consider it a breach of contract."

"Understood," Lin Ye cupped his hands. "Farewell."

The three opened a portal through the abyss key and left the peach garden.

Returning to the Ancient Desolate Forbidden Land cave, the three of them breathed a sigh of relief.

"Success!" Shi Potian grinned and laughed. "Not only did we solve the tracking problem, we also got new Flat Peaches, and gained a Rank 65 ally! Boss, you are too awesome!"

"It's good luck," Lin Ye shook his head. "The Three-Headed Demon Flood Dragon has a weakness, and we happened to be able to leverage it. If it didn't have offspring at the bottom of the pond, I'm afraid it wouldn't have compromised so easily."

Su Qingyue looked at the two new Flat Peaches in her hand: "These fruits... how should we distribute them?"

"Do not distribute them for now," Lin Ye said. "Flat Peaches are strategic resources and must be used at the most critical moments. For example, when breaking through to the Four Extremities Realm or Dragon Transformation Realm, or to save core members who are severely injured. Store them in the treasury first and keep them under strict guard."

He put all five Flat Peaches into a special Storage Pouch and set up a triple Seal.

"Now, it's time to go back," Lin Ye looked outside the cave. "The Ten Thousand Races Covenant meeting starts in the afternoon, and we must rush back."

The three left the cave and walked out of the Ancient Desolate Forbidden Land.

However, the moment they stepped out of the mist, an unexpected change occurred!

The sky suddenly darkened!

It was not dark clouds blocking the light, but some kind of power distorting the light, causing the area within a radius of ten miles to fall into an eerie gloom. A fishy, sweet smell permeated the air, and the ground began to vibrate slightly.

"What's going on?" Shi Potian gripped his giant axe.

Lin Ye expanded his Divine Sense, and his expression changed drastically: "Not good! It's the Three-Headed Demon Flood Dragon's enemy! It came looking for trouble while the Three-Headed Demon Flood Dragon is weak!"

Before the words fell, the ground in front exploded!

A centipede-like creature ten zhang long broke out of the ground! The centipede was pitch black, each segment of its body was the size of a washbasin, its hundred legs were like blades, and its head had a pair of huge pincers, which made a harsh metallic grinding sound as they opened and closed.

[Warning: Encountered 'Earth Burrowing Thousand-Legged King' (Leader)!]

[Rank: 63]

[Type: Yao Beast / Insect]

[Characteristics: 1. Hundred-Leg Blade (Each leg is as sharp as a knife, attacks carry a tearing effect); 2. Earth Burrowing Raid (Can move quickly underground, surprise attack); 3. Poison Mist Spit (Spits out corrosive poisonous mist); 4. Insect Swarm Summoning (Can summon a large number of small centipedes).]

[Status: Hunting (Target: Offspring of the Three-Headed Demon Flood Dragon)]

Rank 63 Leader! And the target is the Three-Headed Demon Flood Dragon's offspring!

"It wants to take advantage of the Three-Headed Demon Flood Dragon's weakness to snatch the dragon eggs!" Lin Ye understood instantly.

The Earth Burrowing Thousand-Legged King discovered the three of them, but it was clearly not interested in these three "little bugs." It moved its hundred legs, preparing to burrow back underground and head toward the depths of the Ancient Desolate Forbidden Land.

But Lin Ye could not let it go.

If the Thousand-Legged King found the Three-Headed Demon Flood Dragon's offspring, the Three-Headed Demon Flood Dragon would inevitably fight to the death to protect them. If that happened, both sides would be injured, or even worse, the Three-Headed Demon Flood Dragon would fall, and the contract they had just signed would become void. Furthermore, if the Three-Headed Demon Flood Dragon died, the peach garden would lose its guardian, and the immortal medicines would be coveted by other existences.

"Stop it!" Lin Ye shouted, "Don't let it enter the Forbidden Ground!"

"How do we stop it?" Shi Potian smiled bitterly. "A Rank 63 Leader, the three of us combined aren't even enough to fill the gaps in its teeth!"

"We don't need to defeat it, just stall for time!" Lin Ye said quickly. "The Three-Headed Demon Flood Dragon will sense the threat and will definitely come out to fight. We just need to stall until the Three-Headed Demon Flood Dragon arrives!"

He looked at Su Qingyue: "Qingyue, freeze the ground with all your might, stop it from burrowing!"

Su Qingyue nodded, raising her ice jade staff high.

"Vast Cold Spirit Body · Moon Palace Projection!"

A phantom image of the Moon Palace appeared in the sky, and moonlight poured down like a waterfall. The ground within a radius of three hundred zhang froze instantly, with ice three feet thick!

The Earth Burrowing Thousand-Legged King was about to burrow, but its head hit the ice layer, making a muffled thud. The ice cracked but did not shatter. It hissed angrily, its hundred legs frantically digging at the ice, but its speed was greatly reduced.

"Brother Shi, harass it from a distance!"

Shi Potian took down the spare short spear from his back—this was his second weapon besides the giant axe. He infused his Dominant Body power into the short spear and threw it with all his might!

The short spear pierced the air, accurately hitting the head joint of the Thousand-Legged King! Although it only pierced three inches before getting stuck by the carapace, it successfully attracted its aggro.

The Thousand-Legged King gave up digging the ice, turned to the three of them, opened its pincers, and spat out dark green poisonous mist!

"Scatter!"

The three scattered in three directions. The poison mist engulfed the spot where they had just been standing, and the ground was corroded into hissing pits.

Lin Ye circled to the side of the Thousand-Legged King and smashed the myriad things mother qi cauldron embryo hard onto one of its legs.

Clang!

The blade-leg was cracked but did not break. The Thousand-Legged King felt the pain, and a dozen legs stabbed at Lin Ye simultaneously!

"Chaos Earth!"

A shield formed, and the blade-legs stabbed into the shield, making a sound like dense raindrops. The shield trembled violently, cracks spread, but it barely held on.

Lin Ye used the force to retreat, while shouting: "Qingyue, restrict its legs!"

Su Qingyue waved her staff, and moonlight condensed into hundreds of ice chains, wrapping around the Thousand-Legged King's hundred legs. Although the ice chains were quickly broken, it successfully restricted its movement speed.

Shi Potian kept throwing short spears, focusing on weak spots like joints and eyes.

The three cooperated tacitly and actually managed to temporarily stall this Rank 63 Leader!

But the Rank gap was too large. Although the Thousand-Legged King was restricted, every attack put them in danger. Lin Ye's shield shattered three times, Su Qingyue's moonlight was mostly consumed, and Shi Potian had only three short spears left.

And the Thousand-Legged King was only slightly injured.

"Why isn't the Three-Headed Demon Flood Dragon here yet!" Shi Potian said anxiously.

As soon as he finished speaking, a heaven-shaking roar came from the depths of the Ancient Desolate Forbidden Land!

The Three-Headed Demon Flood Dragon had arrived!

Its three heads were burning with angry flames, clearly sensing the crisis of its offspring. Although its condition had not fully recovered, it could no longer care about that in order to protect its offspring.

"Thousand-legged bug... you're courting death!" The Three-Headed Demon Flood Dragon roared with all three heads.

The battle escalated instantly.

Rank 63 Thousand-Legged King vs Rank 65 Three-Headed Demon Flood Dragon (Weakened State)

The battle between the two Leader-Rank Yao Beasts shook the earth within a ten-mile radius!

The Three-Headed Demon Flood Dragon spat out triple dragon breath, and the Thousand-Legged King countered with poisonous mist. The Three-Headed Demon Flood Dragon coiled its body, while the Thousand-Legged King used its hundred legs to cut. The two giant beasts rolled, bit, and collided; wherever they passed, the earth cracked and trees were shattered.

Lin Ye and the others had long since retreated to a safe distance, watching this great battle in stunned silence.

"This is the true strength of a Leader-Rank..." Shi Potian murmured.

Indeed. Previously, the Three-Headed Demon Flood Dragon was weak, and the Thousand-Legged King underestimated the enemy, so neither showed their full strength. Now, in a life-and-death struggle, the destructive power was simply terrifying.

The battle lasted for about a quarter of an hour.

In the end, the Three-Headed Demon Flood Dragon pierced the Thousand-Legged King's head vital point with a golden pupil light beam, ending the battle. But it was also heavily injured: two of its three heads were bleeding, and there were dozens of wounds deep enough to see bone on its body; its aura dropped again.

The Thousand-Legged King's massive body collapsed to the ground, bursting with a large amount of loot.

The Three-Headed Demon Flood Dragon did not immediately check the loot, but first looked at Lin Ye and the others: "Human... thank you."

Although it was only a moment of delay, that moment was enough for it to rush over from the peach garden. If not for the three of them stalling, the Thousand-Legged King might have already sneaked into the depths of the Forbidden Ground and found its offspring.

"Contract allies, it's only right," Lin Ye said.

The Three-Headed Demon Flood Dragon nodded and looked at the corpse of the Thousand-Legged King: "The loot... you can take thirty percent. This is a token of gratitude."

Lin Ye's eyes lit up. Thirty percent of a Rank 63 Leader's loot is also a huge fortune!

He stepped forward and began to collect.

[Obtained: Thousand-Legged King Carapace (Fine) × 12, Poison Sac (Rare) × 1, Earth Burrowing Core (Rare) × 1, Insect King Crystal Core (Fine) × 3, High-Grade Spirit Stone × 200...]

A bountiful harvest!

Especially the Poison Sac and Earth Burrowing Core, both are Rare-grade Materials and are of great value.

After collecting, the Three-Headed Demon Flood Dragon said in a deep voice: "I am going back to heal my wounds. In a year... remember to come."

"Definitely."

The Three-Headed Demon Flood Dragon dragged the Thousand-Legged King's corpse, dived underground, and disappeared.

Lin Ye and the others looked at each other and smiled.

This trip to the abyss, although thrilling, had a harvest far exceeding expectations.

Five Flat Peaches, a Rank 65 ally, and the loot from a Rank 63 Leader.

"Time to go back," Lin Ye looked to the west. "For the Ten Thousand Races Covenant meeting, we must take these spoils and fight for the position that the Heavenly Court deserves."

The three turned into streams of light and sped toward Chaos Valley.

Behind them, the mist of the Ancient Desolate Forbidden Land rolled slowly, as if nothing had ever happened.

But on the third level of the abyss, at the bottom of the peach garden pond, the three dragon eggs vibrated slightly, absorbing the purified life energy.

And the Three-Headed Demon Flood Dragon coiled beside the eggs, its three heads taking turns guarding, a complex light flashing in its eyes.

These humans... perhaps they really are different.

It remembered the hundred-year period in the contract.

A hundred years is not long for a Flood Dragon. But if, within these hundred years, these humans can grow to a sufficient height...

"Perhaps, this is an opportunity," the Three-Headed Demon Flood Dragon whispered to itself, then slowly closed its eyes and began to heal.

The pond water returned to calm.

Only the light of the Spirit-Purifying Formation flowed quietly in the darkness.