Chapter 70: Walking the Jiao Path?

Silently, Baichuan once again opened the panel with practiced ease.

The faint white glow on the panel once again fell upon his eager serpentine pupils.

【Name: Baichuan.】

【Species: Yanjingwangshe/?】

【Length: 7 meters.】

【Lifespan: 17 years, 9 months.】

【Points: 4 (0%).】

【Abilities: LV3 Ability (Expand), LV2 Ability (Expand), LV1 Ability (Expand).】

【Ability Structure Library (Expand).】

【Kedianji…】

"Come on!"

Baichuan took a deep breath inwardly, suppressing the rare nervousness he felt after evolving for so long.

Only then did he click on the Ability Structure Library, pulling out the saved caiman ability model and a fish ability model.

He then selected Ken Yao LV2 and Shui Xia Hu Xi LV2 respectively.

His own model was dismantled once again, then placed in and fused.

Inside the panel space, his great serpent model immediately began to change at a visible pace.

On the small, flat, spatula-shaped head, bumps began to swell and grow at a visible pace; the mouth began to elongate, shaped like a wolf's snout.

The hard, sharp but somewhat sparse teeth also began sprouting continuously, and finally a mane as fine and dense as a lion's began to emerge from the back of his head, its color a vivid blood red.

In a brief instant, Baichuan's small serpent head transformed into a head resembling that of a flood dragon.

Looking from afar at this moment, this seven-meter-long great serpent finally possessed a hint of dragon's charm, finally deserving to be called serpentine yet draconic!

Above the majestic, domineering dragon head, a pair of sharp, blade-like eyes radiated authority without anger, making one dare not meet its gaze.

Beneath its slender neck, a pair of thick, ferocious claws kept grasping.

Behind it stretched a slender body covered in fine, dense scales as hard as metal.

"Mm, just missing a bit of flowing dragon whiskers and beautiful, majestic dragon horns; of course, it would be even better if the teeth could be a bit denser."

Baichuan gazed at this beautiful creature with a smile in his eyes, complaining in dissatisfaction.

Of course, anyone could hear the joy in his tone.

After evolving for so long, who wouldn't be happy to finally take another step closer to the true dragon he had long yearned for?

After examining it and finding no problems, Baichuan silently clicked confirm on the panel.

As the points were once again deducted to zero, the familiar, irresistible deep sleep surged over him again.

Baichuan did not resist, and fell asleep with a smile on his face.

Evolution began once again.

The familiar viscous liquid was secreted in due time, completely enveloping him, slowly transforming into a massive egg-shaped object.

……

This evolution lasted another six whole days.

"Crack~"

Six days later, a cracking sound rang out.

The massive shell-like object was suddenly broken open, and a huge dragon-head-like head emerged; as the dragon head swayed, the fine, soft, blood-red mane behind it fluttered ceaselessly.

Before long, a pair of thick, fierce claws poked out beside the opening of the shell; he gently gripped the hard shell, then gave a sudden, powerful pull.

Instantly, the hard shell shattered into fragments that scattered and flew about, constantly splattering and striking the earthen walls.

A serpentine yet draconic monster crawled out from within.

This was none other than Baichuan, who had successfully evolved.

At this moment, Baichuan felt better than ever before; he couldn't wait to crawl out of this cramped cave.

Before long, he once again arrived beside a relatively flat stretch of river.

As for why he came?

Need one even ask! Of course it was to examine his current appearance!

He first used the mirror-like water surface to examine himself carefully and thoroughly, even turning his head left and right, baring his fangs and making every expression he could.

Only then did he stop, satisfied.

"Not bad, not bad! Indeed much more handsome; now this can be considered connected to a dragon."

Humans are beings that pursue beautiful things; even though he was no longer human, and might never intend to be human again, the aesthetics from his human days still influenced him to some degree.

Or rather, who doesn't like creatures that are handsome and majestic, or beautiful and cute?

Perhaps from this moment on, he could no longer call himself a Yanjingwangshe, but a Jiao Serpent!

A species between serpent and flood dragon—the appearance of a serpent walking the evolutionary path toward a flood dragon.

After finishing his examination, he no longer hesitated; having successfully evolved, he had long been unable to wait to enter the sea.

He dove headfirst into the water; instantly, the serpentine yet draconic monster's form slid smoothly beneath the surface, splashing up a large spray of crystalline water droplets, then vanished without a trace.

After diving down, Baichuan first determined the direction of the ocean, then adjusted his slender serpentine body and swam along the surging river.

Borrowing the river's momentum all the way, his swimming speed multiplied; in just a few strokes he shot forward like an arrow loosed at full draw.

Along the way, he even had the leisure to suddenly burst out of the water, tracing a perfect arc through the air before gradually submerging again.

Soon, a great "splash-splash" of water sounds reached his ears.

At this moment, Baichuan immediately knew he had once again approached the river mouth.

He raised his head again, looking back through the crystalline spray at the lush, verdant dense forest gradually left behind, "Yingu, the Feitian Sect, and Earth Dragon Gang?"

He muttered to himself: "Just wait. The next time I return, your sect-guarding Strange Beast will be mine."

He had never considered himself a good person. Perhaps there were moments when his kindness overflowed, but all of that required not touching his present dream.

Whoever trampled on his dream of spreading his wings and transforming into a dragon to roam the nine heavens would be regarded by him as an enemy.

His dream, his path of evolution into a dragon, required countless strange living beings. This destined him to not be on the same side as humanity.

He needed the various Strange Beasts humanity had spent countless years searching for, and if humanity discovered a Strange Beast like him, akin to a Dragon Species, it was obvious they probably wouldn't let him go either.

They were destined never to live in harmony with each other, unless one side had already grown powerful enough to be unrivaled under heaven.

At this very moment, it was obvious that Baichuan had already set his sights on the Strange Beasts of those two sects from before.

Then he plunged into the water once more, feeling the increasingly closer estuary and the ever more urgent current, when Baichuan was suddenly struck by a whimsical thought.

Since he had now borrowed the water's momentum to reach such a swift speed, his present scene seemed a little like the Flood Dragon's Passage from the ancient legends of his previous life.

In that case, why not imitate it more thoroughly? Just consider it an auspicious omen!

The next moment, Baichuan's gaze grew serious.

At this moment, submerged in the water, the various sensory organs on his body once again began operating at full capacity.

He subtly sensed the various surging undercurrents beneath the water, constantly making fine adjustments to his serpentine body to reduce the water's resistance against himself, while also using the speed of the more turbulent undercurrents to boost his own velocity.

He drew ever closer to the estuary…

The estuary was already right before his eyes, and the sound of the waves crashing grew ever louder.

At such a distance, the crashing of the waves sounded to Baichuan in the water like the continuous rumble of thunder from the heavens.

That thunder was as if a judgment upon him, or perhaps a trial.

Asking him: Have you truly prepared for your transformation into a dragon?

He was like a flood dragon undergoing tribulation beneath the thunder.

"This is the moment!"

(End of this chapter)