The giant snake's transformation into a dragon had failed. When its inner core shattered, a myriad of golden droplets scattered in all directions. No one noticed that one of these golden lights flew into the distance.

The golden light pierced through countless trees and landed on the ground. A dazzling golden pearl rolled to Chennan's feet. He had witnessed everything clearly. He excitedly crouched down and picked up the golden pearl. The pearl shone with a gentle light that made him feel peaceful. Chennan knew a lot about the legends of dragons, and to him, the golden pearl held no secrets.

Although the giant snake's transformation had failed, it had reached a half-dragon state. The power within its body was half snake and half dragon. The shattered inner core was a manifestation of its life essence, concentrating the essence of its entire body—half snake essence and half dragon essence. When the inner core shattered, the snake essence dissipated into the air, but the dragon essence did not. The pure dragon essence came together to form the dragon pearl.

"A dragon pearl! This is really a dragon pearl!" Chennan exclaimed in awe.

The dragon pearl was small in size but contained a pure and powerful dragon's power. It was a priceless treasure.

Chennan knew the pearl's function very well. For one hour, the dragon pearl would be "activated." If someone were to swallow it within this time and withstand the powerful impact of the dragon's power, they could absorb thirty to forty percent of its essence, gaining immense power. If the dragon pearl was not swallowed by a person or animal within an hour, it would quickly lose its luster. The powerful dragon energy would completely retract into the pearl's core, and its outer layer would become incredibly hard, a barrier that only magical weapons could break. This meant that the powerful dragon energy within the pearl could not be easily extracted.

Ten thousand years ago, Chennan's family background dictated that he had to become a powerful warrior. However, his cultivation never progressed, and his low power was a source of great pain. He had always longed for great power, and now the opportunity was right in front of him. But he hesitated. He wasn't afraid of his body exploding from the powerful impact of the dragon's power. At this moment, he remembered a conversation he had with his father.

Chen Zhan had said, "Heavenly treasures can give a person great power in an instant, making them a master. But for every gain, there is a loss. When they achieve their desired power, it also means they have forever lost the chance to become a supreme master. The power gained from an external source becomes a shackle, a cage that they can never break through."

Chennan had replied, "Even if I can't become the strongest, it's still a good deal to be a master."

Chen Zhan said, "Someone who can withstand the powerful spiritual impact of a heavenly treasure is no ordinary person. In addition to having an extraordinary physique, they must also have a heart that never gives up. How can such a person endure the torment of being forever stuck with no hope of progress? They will eventually self-destruct."

Chennan had said, "It can't be that extreme, right?"

Chen Zhan said, "A master is not afraid of loneliness, but is afraid of being stagnant on the path to power."

Although Chennan didn't completely agree with his father, he felt there was some truth to what he said.

"If I swallow it, I might instantly become a master, or I might die from my body exploding. But no matter which happens, I will have lost the chance to become the strongest."

Chennan mocked himself, "For someone like me, whose martial arts cultivation has been stagnant, swallowing the dragon pearl might be the best option. After all, this is a chance for a carp to leap over the dragon's gate."

"Is this a gift from heaven?"

Chennan looked down at the glowing dragon pearl in his hand. He hesitated for a long time. Finally, he sighed, "But I'm truly not resigned to this fate. I, Chennan, don't need gifts!"

Looking back at his past, Chennan felt a bit lost.

Before he was sixteen, he was praised as a martial arts genius. His martial arts cultivation progressed by leaps and bounds, and he was considered the "number one" among his peers. However, this was the beginning of his nightmare. No matter how hard he worked, his cultivation would not improve. His family's inherited secret technique even regressed from the peak of the Second Heaven to the mid-level of the First Heaven. Seeing his peers surpass him one by one, he felt a deep sense of loss and bitterness. He vaguely guessed that the drop in his martial arts cultivation was related to some "external factors," but he couldn't find the truth.

After the halo of a genius faded, countless insults and sarcastic remarks came from all directions, but he couldn't say anything. The pressure from public opinion and his family's expectations was like a heavy mountain weighing on his heart. His uselessness made him feel like a mediocre person, unworthy of being born into such a family.

From the age of sixteen to twenty, he felt that life was exhausting and even had suicidal thoughts. During this time, his heart was filled with confusion. But deep down, he always had a belief that he would one day break through the shackles and barriers of his cultivation. This was the motivation for him to continue practicing his family's secret technique without stopping.

After being reborn ten thousand years later, Chennan's martial arts cultivation had not progressed at all, but the heavy pressure from his family had completely disappeared. After a year of adjusting, he had integrated into the current society. He had freed himself from the pain of the past and returned to his original nature.

"I may have missed a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity today, but I will never regret it!"

The originally glowing dragon pearl gradually dimmed. Finally, the light completely retracted, and its color changed from golden yellow to a light green, becoming an ordinary-looking pearl.

Chennan put away the dragon pearl and returned the way he came. He didn't want to stay for another moment, afraid of being caught by the little demon princess again. He climbed a tall mountain and looked into the distance. The little princess and her group were still at the crater. He let out a long sigh and said, "Phew! I finally got rid of that little demon nightmare."

Chennan had been wandering in the mountains for three days and was embarrassed to find that he was lost. The endless mountain range seemed boundless. If he couldn't find his way back, he would have to become a wild man in the mountains.

A wisp of smoke rose from a distant forest. Chennan was overjoyed and went to investigate. He stopped about a hundred yards away. He didn't dare to approach rashly. If it was the little princess and her group, he would die a horrible death.

After a careful inspection, he finally determined that they were a group of strangers, and they seemed to be looking for a way out of the mountains. For the next two days, he quietly followed them.

But good luck seemed to always evade Chennan. On the afternoon of the third day, as he was following the group at a leisurely pace, seven or eight figures suddenly appeared from all sides, surrounding him. From their sharp eyes, one could tell that each of them was a master. The cold, chilling murderous aura they emitted suggested that each of them had been through life-and-death battles.

The people at the front all turned back. There were about twenty of them in total. The leader was a young man who looked quite handsome and exuded a subtle sense of dominance. He sized up Chennan, frowned, and said, "Who are you, and why are you following us secretly?"

Chennan explained, "I am a hunter who got lost. I wanted to follow you to get out of these mountains."

"A hunter who dares to venture into the depths of these mountains?"

"I was hunting a white deer and unintentionally wandered into this area. I couldn't find my way back."

The young man pointed to a burly man beside him and said, "You, go."

From his tone of voice when giving orders, it was clear that he was used to being in command. Chennan guessed that this young man must be a person of great importance.

The big man held a wide and long greatsword. He walked over and swung it at Chennan. Chennan quickly dodged to the side. The big man's sword missed, and his second strike came. The sword emitted a faint green light and slashed at Chennan's waist.

Chennan thought, No way. A solidified sword qi? Isn't this a Grandmaster-level expert? Why would such a person be willing to be someone else's subordinate?

Despite his shock, he dodged in time.

Swish!

The faint green blade left a shallow沟 on the ground.

Chennan felt very strange. The power of a solidified sword qi shouldn't be this weak. Even an ordinary sword qi should be much stronger than this strike.

"Could it be Western Battle Qi?" He carefully observed the big man's stance and confirmed his guess.

The big man's ferocious strikes came again, and Chennan was forced to fight him. The Battle Qi came one after another, and the faint green blade put Chennan in a precarious position.

The young man standing nearby sneered, "Does an ordinary hunter have such good martial arts? If you don't tell the truth, you will die within ten moves."

Chennan quickly shouted, "Stop! I'll talk."

The young man clapped his hands and said, "Stop."

The big man put away his sword and said to Chennan, "Not bad, kid. You actually managed to hold on for over twenty moves."

Chennan quietly sighed in the language of the continent from ten thousand years ago, "No matter what era, the strong are respected. After my martial arts cultivation regressed, I'm destined to experience all kinds of unpleasant things. A tiger that has fallen to the plains is bullied by a dog."

He quickly thought it over and said, "My lord, you definitely won't believe me if I say I'm just a hunter who knows some martial arts, but I can prove it to you."

The young man said, "How will you prove it?"

"I'm a hunter, so of course, I'll prove it with a hunter's skills." Chennan bent down, grabbed a handful of dirt from the ground, and sniffed it. "I can guarantee that within three miles, there is only one tigress and no other large wild beasts."

"Oh? Are you certain?" the young man asked.

"I am certain."

"Alright. Yang Chong, take a few men and go check."

A young man responded, "Yes." He led a few men and went to search the depths of the forest.

In just a few minutes, a tiger's roar came from the distance. Soon after, a few people dragged a dead tiger back.

The young man glanced at the dead tiger and smiled faintly. "It seems you really are a hunter. But I still have some questions. It takes at least three days to get out of these 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. He shouted, "Tie him up for me."

A few masters rushed forward and placed their blades at Chennan's vital points. If he were to fight against so many masters alone, it would be like a mayfly trying to shake a tree. So, he didn't resist. He laughed bitterly in his heart. He had just escaped from the little princess's clutches and was now a captive again.

One of the young man's subordinates said, "T-third young master, why tie him up? We can just kill him."

Chennan had heard the "third young master" from the subordinate's stuttering and guessed that this person was definitely not an ordinary person.

The young man said, "Just hold him for now. I feel that this person is not simple. Before he made a move, I didn't even notice he was a martial artist."

Chennan's second period of captivity began, but this time, the "treatment" was much better. At the very least, no one treated him like private property and "expressed their excitement" to him from time to time. This group had strong discipline and didn't talk much. Only the young man would occasionally whisper to the person next to him.

Two days later, Chennan couldn't help but sigh at the magical nature of fate. He actually saw the little princess again. Now, the little princess's group was down to ten people. In the battle against the giant snake, four guards and two apprentice mages had died. The survivors were all seriously injured and had not yet recovered.

When the little princess saw the young man and his group, she was surprised. She frowned slightly, but a moment later, a brilliant smile appeared on her face. "The Tianyuan Continent is so small! I didn't expect to meet His Highness the Third Prince here."

The young man also had a smile on his face. "Indeed. I also didn't expect to see Princess Yu here."

The little princess laughed. "Why is the Third Prince, who should be enjoying himself in the capital of the Byyue Kingdom, here in the border of our Chu Kingdom? Are you here on a diplomatic mission? I don't think you need to go into the deep mountains for a diplomatic mission."

Chennan, who was not far away, heard everything clearly and couldn't help but feel a bit emotional. In just a few days, in the middle of these vast mountains, he had encountered a princess and a prince.

The Third Prince said, "Princess Yu's words are as sharp as ever. I can't bear the huge accusation of casually entering another country's border. If I'm not mistaken, this mountain range in the central region of the Tianyuan Continent doesn't belong to any country, does it?"

The little princess said, "The Third Prince is a busy man. Why would you come here for no reason? This area is close to our Chu Kingdom's border, so it's only natural for people to be suspicious."

The Third Prince laughed. "Hehe, Princess Yu, you are overthinking. Actually, the reason I came here is that I heard a Qilin magical beast appeared in the Fallen Wind Mountains. I wanted to try my luck and see the legendary beast."

The little princess said, "Oh, so that's it. I didn't expect the news to spread so quickly that even the Third Prince, who is far away in the Byyue Kingdom, knows about it."

The Third Prince said, "Legend has it that where a Qilin appears, a sage will be born. The appearance of the magical beast has already shocked the world. This matter has been a hot topic all over the continent."

The little princess sighed. "Sigh, I really wanted to see what that Qilin looks like, but I don't have the chance now."

The Third Prince was curious. "Why do you say that, Your Royal Highness?"

"We ran into my master on the way to the Fallen Wind Mountains. He said it was too dangerous and forced me to turn back. It's so disappointing!" The little princess said, looking upset.

A flash of light went through the Third Prince's eyes. He said, "Could it be senior Zhuge Chengfeng?"

"That old man, yes," the little princess said.

"Senior Zhuge's name is known throughout the world. His martial arts cultivation is extraordinary and sacred. He is one of the masters I admire the most."

"Is that so? If that old man heard you, he would be overjoyed. Maybe he would even take you as his student."

"If that were true, I would be overjoyed."

The little princess laughed. "Maybe that old man has already heard you and is now considering whether to take you as his student."

A look of surprise flashed across the Third Prince's face. He laughed and said, "Hehe, how could that be? Isn't Senior Zhuge already on his way to the Fallen Wind Mountains? Even if he is a god among men, he can't possibly hear what we say from hundreds of miles away, can he?"

The little princess said angrily, "That old man doesn't trust me and is afraid that I'll secretly run back. He's been following me all along."

"Oh, it seems the senior really cares about you and is afraid something might happen to you," the Third Prince said with a smile.

"He just doesn't trust me."

The Third Prince looked at the little princess's guards and said, "Princess Yu, are your subordinates injured? Why are their faces so pale?"

"Yes. We ran into an ancient giant on the way to the Fallen Wind Mountains. Luckily, the old man arrived in time, or we would have been in real danger," the little princess said, looking frightened.

"That was very fortunate. Hmm, this mountain range is often frequented by strange beasts. It's not safe without some masters to protect you. How about this? I'll escort you out of the mountains," the Third Prince said with a sincere expression.

A cold glint flashed in the little princess's eyes. She laughed and said, "Thank you, Your Highness the Third Prince, but you don't have to trouble yourselves. My old ghost of a master will take good care of us."

"Princess Yu, there is no need to be so formal with me. I feel obligated to escort you out. Besides, Senior Zhuge might not really be following you."

"I appreciate the Third Prince's kindness, but we really don't need your escort. This is already the edge of the mountain range, and there are almost no strange beasts around."

"No. I must escort you out. Otherwise, I will feel uneasy."

Seeing that she couldn't refuse, the little princess's face showed gratitude. "Then I'll have to trouble the Third Prince."

"You are too kind, Princess Yu."

Chennan saw everything and sighed. The two of them were truly from royal families where scheming and plotting were the norm. In a short amount of time, they had completed a "war of minds."

The little princess, leading her badly injured guards, was very uneasy after running into the Third Prince of the Byyue Kingdom. She didn't believe it was a coincidence. The most likely possibility was that the other party had been waiting here all along. To protect herself, she first launched an aggressive preemptive strike to make the Third Prince uncertain about her true situation. She then "unintentionally" brought up Zhuge Chengfeng, making the Third Prince wary. However, the Third Prince was no ordinary person either. Although he was suspicious and uncertain, he didn't back down. Instead, he wanted to follow them and find out the truth. These two could be described as "talking nonsense" and "spouting lies."

The two groups, the Third Prince's and the little princess's, walked together toward the outside of the mountain range. Chennan walked at the back of the group, secretly relieved. Fortunately, the Third Prince had captured the little princess's attention, and she hadn't noticed him hiding at the back of the group. But his good luck didn't last. A guard of the little demon's group soon spotted him, a bound captive. A guard ran to the little demon and whispered a few words to her.

At that moment, Chennan felt darkness covering the earth and the sky losing its color.

The little princess's face was filled with excitement, and she giggled as she walked toward Chennan. There was no doubt that this was her most genuine expression since she had met the Third Prince. However, Chennan would rather see her fake smile than her genuine one right now.

He cried out in his heart, Demons of hell, come and take your descendant away!

At first, the Third Prince couldn't understand why the little princess of the Chu Kingdom had suddenly become so excited. He secretly guessed whether Zhuge Chengfeng had arrived nearby. Later, he followed the little princess's gaze and finally found the "source" of her excitement: the captive he had caught the day before.

The Third Prince was shocked and began to guess wildly about Chennan's identity. He coughed and said, "This person was secretly following us on the road and was caught by my subordinates. Does Your Royal Highness know this person?"

"I know him. Of course, I know him!" the little princess said through gritted teeth. "He is a eunuch I brought from the palace. He was supposed to serve me, but when we met the ancient giant, he was the first to run. Little Li Zi, you didn't expect to see me so soon, did you?"

Chennan was about to faint. He had just been called a eunuch.

The little princess stared at him fiercely. The meaning was obvious: a threat and a warning for him to cooperate.

When a person is under someone else's roof, they must bow their head. Chennan hesitated for a moment and finally said helplessly, "Please punish me, Your Royal Highness."

The Third Prince laughed. "Since he is Princess Yu's servant, please feel free to deal with him as you see fit." With that, he turned and left.

"Hehehe," the little princess looked at Chennan, and her face was filled with a sinister smile.

Chennan's body shivered. He lowered his voice and said, "Your Royal Highness, let's make a deal."

The little princess remembered Chennan's foul language from before. Her body trembled with anger, and she shrieked, "Make a deal with me?! Based on what?! You must be dreaming!"

"Zhuge Chengfeng is not really here. The Third Prince wants to deal with you," Chennan quickly said before the little demon's hand could fall.

The little princess put down her raised hand and looked at him carefully. "It seems I underestimated you. I didn't expect you, you scoundrel, to have some intelligence. But I am very unhappy right now. The deal is on hold. Now, I want to vent!"

"Ah!" Chennan's miserable scream echoed through the forest, mixed with the little demon princess's triumphant laughter. The Third Prince and his group in the distance looked at each other and gained a better understanding of the legendary little demoness.

A bright moon hung high in the sky. Its silvery light, like white feathers, was scattered over the forest. The night wind rustled, carrying the faint scent of flowers and grass. The entire forest was bathed in the moonlight, looking ethereal, hazy, harmonious, and peaceful.

A bruised and battered Chennan was quietly discussing with the little demon princess in a tent. They had concluded that the "coincidental" encounter with the Third Prince and his group was not accidental but premeditated. These people had been waiting for them on this road out of the mountains.

The little princess said, "I had a feeling from the beginning that they were up to no good, but I don't understand their motive."

Chennan said, "What is the relationship between the Byyue Kingdom and the Chu Kingdom?"

The little princess said, "The relationship between the two countries has been decent in recent years, and nothing unpleasant has happened."

"That's strange. If that's the case, why would they want to harm you?" Chennan pondered for a while and then laughed. "I get it! They want to abduct you to defile you!"

"Go to hell!" The little princess punched Chennan's head viciously.

Chennan cried out in pain. "Am I not helping you analyze the situation, Your Royal Highness? How can you just punch me like that? It's not like that possibility doesn't exist!"

"You don't have to consider that. Everyone knows that the Third Prince is not a lecherous person."

Chennan said, "Perhaps... perhaps he wants to present you as a gift to someone else."

Hearing Chennan compare her to a gift, the little demon princess's eyes widened in anger. She said coldly, "You good-for-nothing, your words are so unpleasant! Don't you know who you are talking to?" But then she quickly calmed down and pondered. "The possibility is almost zero."

"That's strange. Besides you, what else could make the Third Prince take such a risk? Wait a minute..."

"The Hou Yi's Bow!"

"The Hou Yi's Bow!"

Chennan and the little princess exclaimed at the same time. They had both figured it out.

"When Your Royal Highness used the Hou Yi's Bow to shoot the giant snake, the golden arrow must have been seen by the Third Prince."

"No wonder that guy kept glancing at the box on my back! He's after our national treasure, the Hou Yi's Bow! How dare he?" The little princess clenched her small fists. "You good-for-nothing! Haven't you come up with a solution yet?"

"You can't blame me! A clever housewife can't make a meal without rice. Your Royal Highness's guards are all seriously injured. We don't have any soldiers to use. What can I do? I think we should just give the Hou Yi's Bow to the Third Prince. As the saying goes, a wise man submits to circumstances... Hehe." Seeing the little demon princess's mouth curl into a cold smile, Chennan quickly stopped talking and gave a dry laugh.

"You good-for-nothing! You bragged so much during the day about making a deal with me, but in the end, you can't help at all. Hehe, this is good. Now I can deal with you without any worries. You have no idea how hard I looked for you these past two days. I wanted to skin you alive!"

Seeing the little princess's wicked smile, Chennan couldn't help but shiver. "Your Royal Highness, I didn't mean to spy on you when you were bathing..."

Hearing that, the little princess's eyes almost shot fire. "Ah! You cursed good-for-nothing! How dare you bring that up?! I'll kill you!"