Chapter 1974: Luring the Jiao Dragon

On the ground, some massive rocks fell together with a "Boom—, Boom—", forming a stone giant.

The stone giant let out a great roar, but after scanning around, it saw no one. Meanwhile, Xuanwu had already slipped past it.

The stone creature searched around a few times, still found no people, and finally shattered back into a pile of stones.

But the duplicate had already fixed its eyes on the giant stone monster's energy core, a gray Crystal Core.

When the stone giant fell apart, Ye Liuyun immediately threw out the Magic Vine. The Magic Vine used its vines to move the massive rock covering the Crystal Core, retrieving the core.

Since the Magic Vine is of plant nature, the Crystal Core showed no reaction and did not turn back into a stone creature. After Ye Liuyun had the Magic Vine carry the core away, he sent Shi Yuan to collect it.

When the Crystal Core reached Shi Yuan's hand, it immediately began absorbing the surrounding stones. However, the nearby stones were only small pebbles, unable to form a stone guardian.

At this moment, Shi Yuan's True Essence erupted, his body beginning to petrify, intending to directly refine the Crystal Core.

Because he sensed that the energy shared the same origin as him and could be absorbed.

Subsequently, the Crystal Core gradually merged into Shi Yuan's body.

"Uh…" Ye Liuyun was also stunned. He didn't know who had been refined by whom, but through the Divine Soul Contract sensed that Shi Yuan was still alive.

He also dared not place Shi Yuan into Xuan Kong Shi or the Space World, fearing the Crystal Core would refine Shi Yuan.

Thus they could only wait while letting Xuanwu wander among the rubble, checking for any other stone guardians.

After circling the rubble a few times, Xuanwu found nothing further.

The duplicate then also made a few rounds, confirming there were no stone guardians.

Afterward, everyone stayed put, while the duplicate and Xuanwu went to the dragon lair entrance marked on the map.

The entrance was on the side wall of the cliff, over ten zhang wide, its interior winding downwards into an unfathomable depth.

Below the cliff, clouds and mist swirled; ordinary people could not see the situation clearly.

But the duplicate could pierce the fog, seeing a yellow jiao dragon coiled below. That dragon lay within a Formation; much of the Formation was blocked by its body, so the duplicate could not see it fully, only sensing it resembled a Teleportation Array.

"Probably they plan to wait for us to enter the cave and then launch a two‑sided ambush,"

Since both of them were invisible, the yellow dragon did not notice them.

The duplicate had Xuanwu slowly retreat, awaiting Ye Liuyun's decision on how to deal with the jiao dragon.

Ye Liuyun and the duplicate analyzed the situation together: "If it's a Teleportation Array, it's no wonder the two jiao dragons' roars come and go. But for us it's even more troublesome; it could flee at any moment!"

Regardless of its purpose there, if it escapes, finding it later will be a hassle. The only way is to lure it out of the Teleportation Array, then we jointly launch a Spiritual Soul Attack and plant a Slave Seal on it."

After setting the strategy, Ye Liuyun sent a Transmission Voice to Lei Ming and Long Nv: "Yellow jiao dragon, Fifth‑stage Late Realm, manifest your true forms and draw it out. But make no big noise, lest Sword Young Master and the others hear us."

"What about Gong Wanting?" Long Nv asked.

"I'll have Wanru and Xuanwu watch over her, and before we leave erase her memory." Ye Liuyun was worried that senior members of their Sect could break the Divine Soul Contract or the Slave Seal, so he decided to erase her memory outright.

The two nodded, instantly rose into the air, manifesting their true forms.

Gong Wanting tried to scream, but her mouth was firmly covered by Feng Wanru beside her.

"Roar!" Long Nv released blood veins and dragon qi, letting out a low growl.

Lei Ming let out a loud howl; her cry, unlike a dragon's roar, would not arouse Sword Young Master's suspicion. The duplicate, watching from the cliff edge, saw the jiao dragon instantly lift its head, tilt its ears, and flare its nostrils, sniffing.

When Long Nv's and Lei Ming's aura reached it, it immediately rose, about to burst outward with its body technique, but then recoiled.

It likely feared deception or had some task to stay here.

Long Nv and Lei Ming called out a few more times. The duplicate also saw it fidgeting anxiously within the Formation, appearing very restless, as if it too dared not roar for fear of revealing its position.

Long Nv and Lei Ming rushed to the cave entrance on the cliff wall, perched on the edge and began chatting.

At that moment, the jiao dragon could no longer hold back, leapt out directly and flew onto the cliff.

Long Nv and Lei Ming retreated cautiously, scrutinizing the yellow jiao dragon.

The jiao dragon likewise examined them, sniffing their aura.

Suddenly, Ye Liuyun and the duplicate simultaneously launched a Spiritual Soul Attack, planting a Slave Seal on the jiao dragon. Then they began a Soul Search, seeking the other jiao dragon's location.

Only then did they learn that the other jiao dragon was indeed toward the direction of Sword Young Master and his party. However, it would wait until Sword Young Master arrived before using the Teleportation Array to return to the dragon lair.

Within their dragon lair, there was another Teleportation Array. That jiao dragon would teleport directly to the old nest, coordinating with the outside jiao dragon.

The more Ye Liuyun's group searched for information, the more they realized the secrets here were simply too many.

These two jiao dragons were both bred by a Martial Cultivator who specialized in hunting the Dragon Clan.

The purpose was to have them lure a true dragon, then assist him in hunting the true dragon.

When that dragon hunter brought them here to chase a true dragon, he was outwitted by the true dragon.

In the end, although they killed the true dragon, the hunter also died here. The two were originally yellow pythons; after the hunter fed them dragon pearls, they turned into jiao dragons. If they could share another dragon pearl, they would evolve into true dragons.

Thus they dared not go out again, waiting for a chance to transform.

But resources here are scarce, their cultivation progress is slow. They must hide their forms carefully each day, so their realm advancement is sluggish.

There truly is a Dragon Clan Treasure Vault here, but it requires the bloodline power of a true dragon to open. So the two can only watch the vault daily, unable to use its resources for cultivation.

After Ye Liuyun and the duplicate briefly grasped the information, Long Nv and Lei Ming had restored their true forms, and Feng Wanru released Gong Wanting.

Ye Liuyun also approached, having the duplicate place Feng Wanru into the Space World for easier monitoring of her actions.

Feng Wanru, helpless, complied with Ye Liuyun's orders; otherwise he would knock her unconscious and then seal her inside.

Afterward, Ye Liuyun led the group, mounted the jiao dragon, and went straight to the Teleportation Array beneath the cliff, preparing to use it to rush to their old nest.

"Why not take the cave entrance?" Lei Ming asked the jiao dragon, puzzled.

"This cave has many traps, mechanisms, and formations set by the previous true dragon; we never dare use the entrance, always entering and exiting via the Teleportation Array.

This Teleportation Array was specially arranged by the dragon hunter before his death, and only we can use it!"