42: Chapter 42 I want to follow you, is that okay?

However, what Lin Changqing and Chu Ruoqing didn't expect was that...

Just as the two were preparing to leave and continue forward to search for treasures, the Red Flood Dragon actually put away the Three-headed Griffin's corpse and followed behind them.

"Hey, why aren't you staying in your swamp instead of following us?"

Looking back at the Red Flood Dragon, Lin Changqing asked, feeling quite puzzled.

Similarly, Chu Ruoqing also looked at the Red Flood Dragon in confusion.

"Um..."

"I want to follow you, can I?"

Staring at Lin Changqing's face, the Red Flood Dragon asked tentatively.

Instantly, Lin Changqing was stunned, and Chu Ruoqing was stunned as well.

A flood dragon at the First Heavenly Layer of the Martial Saint Realm following a Martial General Realm Cultivator?

Are you kidding me?

"Why?"

After a moment of silence, Lin Changqing asked with no small amount of doubt.

"Because you were able to take down the Three-headed Griffin, which proves you have incredible trump cards and a very powerful background."

"Besides, inside your xumi ring, I felt an extremely terrifying aura. Its Bloodline Power can easily suppress mine."

"So I think following you will definitely lead to a good life."

After hesitating briefly, the Red Flood Dragon answered honestly.

Hearing the Red Flood Dragon's words, Lin Changqing instantly realized what was going on.

So this guy was intimidated by his threat earlier because of the Little Tiger?

And not because of the Three-headed Griffin's corpse?

Beside him, Chu Ruoqing also belatedly realized something.

Wait!

Lin Changqing's spiritual pet, Little Tiger, was inside his xumi ring?

That shouldn't be possible!

Since when could a xumi ring store living creatures?

Could it be that this guy's xumi ring is extremely special?

Or is that Little Tiger extraordinarily Heaven-Defying?

"You're quite scheming, aren't you!"

Giving the Red Flood Dragon a meaningful look, Lin Changqing spoke with a half-smile.

"Hehe!"

Smiling awkwardly, the Red Flood Dragon said nothing.

Because it knew very well in its heart that saying too much would likely backfire.

"Alright! Then you can follow me!"

After thinking for a moment, Lin Changqing made the final decision.

Having a super enforcer at the Martial Saint Realm didn't seem bad at all.

What surprised both Chu Ruoqing and the Red Flood Dragon a bit was that...

Lin Changqing didn't seem to have any intention of signing a Master-Servant Contract with the Red Flood Dragon.

Driven by curiosity, Chu Ruoqing couldn't help but remind him.

"No big deal. If it dares to betray me, I'll just have Little Tiger finish it off."

"Besides, Little Tiger said it's too weak and not qualified to be my spiritual pet at all, so it told me not to sign a contract with it."

Shrugging his shoulders, Lin Changqing said with a chuckle.

In fact, Lin Changqing was merely telling the truth.

Because just now, Little Tiger's voice had indeed echoed in his mind.

"...":

Hearing Lin Changqing's words, Chu Ruoqing was left speechless.

As for the Red Flood Dragon, it felt a wave of internal pain.

It was too weak?

Are you kidding?

It was a Flood Dragon; if its Bloodline Power advanced one step further, it could turn into a true Dragon.

Little Tiger?

Was the Little Tiger mentioned by the master the existence inside his xumi ring?

"By the way, you are a Red Flood Dragon, so I'll call you Xiao Hong from now on!"

After thinking for a moment, Lin Changqing looked at the Red Flood Dragon and spoke.

"!"

Instantly, the corners of both Chu Ruoqing's and the Red Flood Dragon's mouths twitched violently.

Wasn't this name a bit too casual?

A bit too feminine?

"Master, I'm male... I have a name... My name is Long Wendao."

Looking at Lin Changqing, the Red Flood Dragon said weakly.

"Long Wendao?"

"Alright then!"

"If you have a name, why didn't you say so earlier?"

"But... didn't you not ask either?"

"..."

After chatting aimlessly for a while, Lin Changqing and the others resumed their journey.

At Lin Changqing's request, Long Wendao shrank his body size significantly, his length turning to just over three zhang.

Lin Changqing and Chu Ruoqing then flew up and landed on its back.

Standing on Long Wendao's back, Lin Changqing and Chu Ruoqing chatted casually.

While carrying the two on its back, Long Wendao speeded toward the location of the Treasure Trove.

"Lin Changqing, have you gathered the other Alchemy Materials for the mad blood pill?"

"If not, I can help prepare them for you."

Staring straight at Lin Changqing's face, Chu Ruoqing said gently.

"Originally, I had prepared them."

"But they were eaten by Little Tiger."

Smiling awkwardly, Lin Changqing said with some helplessness.

"We'll talk about it after we get back!"

Then, Lin Changqing added another sentence.

"Okay."

Startled for a moment, Chu Ruoqing nodded gently.

When Lin Changqing put it that way, she became even more curious about Little Tiger's origins.

However, searching through her entire memory, she couldn't find a single thing about this Little Tiger.

A fiery red tiger?

Covered all over in ancient patterns and runes?

Even its eyes were like that?

Just what kind of tiger was this?

However, there was one thing Chu Ruoqing could be sure of: Little Tiger's origins were definitely extraordinary.

Weren't its various previous actions enough to prove the point?

While Lin Changqing and the others were heading off to search for the treasure...

At Samsara Academy, atop Huo Wuji's mountain peak...

Having learned of Lin Changqing's latest whereabouts, Huo Wuji and Chen Fan, the two old men, couldn't help staring at each other.

Was their precious disciple causing a bit too much trouble?

First he ran off to the Abyss of Slaughter, then he went to the Beast God Cave and Buried God Lake.

And now, he ran off to the Jiuyou Forbidden Zone?

Why does this kid specifically run to forbidden zones?

"Old Ghost Chen."

"What do you think our disciple is trying to do?"

Scratching his head, Huo Wuji had a look of complete bewilderment.

No matter how hard he racked his brains, he simply couldn't guess what Lin Changqing was up to.

"How should I know?"

Shaking his head with a bitter smile, Chen Fan rolled his eyes in annoyance.

"Anyway, he's staying with that little girl from the Chu Family, so there's nothing to worry about."

"That little girl's Dao Protector is a Martial God."

Then, Chen Fan added calmly and leisurely.

"That's true."

Surprised for a moment, Huo Wuji subconsciously nodded.

"Though speaking of which, isn't our disciple a bit too incredible?"

"How did he break through to the Ninth Heavenly Layer of the Martial General Realm so quickly?"

"Speaking of which, from the time he became able to Cultivate until now—from having no cultivation to his current level—it's only been a little over a month, right?"

Changing the topic, Huo Wuji marveled again.

"Yeah!"

"His talent in the Martial Dao is truly undeniable."

"Of course! His talent in the Alchemy Dao is the same."

Nodding in deep agreement, Chen Fan said with deep emotion.

As they chatted, the two turned their conversation to the Sword Alliance and various other forces.

Regarding the pursuit of Lin Changqing by these forces, the two had long reached a consensus.

That was to adopt a hands-off attitude and let things take their course.

Only in this way could Lin Changqing grow faster.

They only needed to ensure that their disciple was in no danger of dying, and that would be enough.

In fact, for this reason, they had already prepared a Dao Protector at the Ninth Heavenly Layer of the Martial God Realm for Lin Changqing.

As long as old monsters in the Transcendence Realm didn't intervene, their disciple was completely safe.

"Transcendence Realm?"

"Who would have the leisure to act against a junior?"

"Besides, generally speaking, existences of this level were all in secluded cultivation, attempting to advance further."

At the same time, at the Sword Alliance.

Over these past few days, Vice Alliance Master Jian Bufan had been feeling rather irritable.

On one hand, it was because Lin Changqing couldn't be found; failing to kill the kid humiliated him and turned the Sword Alliance into a laughingstock.

On the other hand, it was because of the issue with the Medicinal Pills.

Ever since the Alchemy Branch terminated their cooperation with them, their cost of purchasing Medicinal Pills had skyrocketed.

Because of this, the Sword Alliance was struggling to make ends meet.

What was even worse was that some members of the Sword Alliance had already chosen to leave the alliance and join other student forces.

Thus, Vice Alliance Master Jian Bufan's mood could easily be imagined.

"Still haven't found Lin Changqing?"

Sweeping his gaze across the people before him, Vice Alliance Master Jian Bufan asked coldly.

"Vice Alliance Master, we still haven't found him."

"Yes!"

"Give us a little more time, and we will definitely drag him out..."

"..."

...