Chapter 11: Taming the Ancient Phantom Dragon!

Early Morning

Guided by the records on the sheepskin scroll, Qian Mo arrived at the so-called treasure site.

“So this is the place mentioned in the scroll. It truly is bizarre!” Qian Mo gazed upon a deserted valley in the wasteland as she spoke.

The atmosphere here was unnervingly strange. Trees and woods flanked the area, and in the center lay a lake, yet not a single living creature could be seen. The tranquility was profound, as though these features deliberately concealed something, and the scenery only heightened the sense of oppression.

“Ugh! Feels like the set of a horror film. Thankfully, I’m not an ordinary person—otherwise, I'd never have come here, not even if someone forced me,” Qian Mo muttered, frowning as she surveyed her surroundings.

Ding! Congratulations, host, a hidden quest has been triggered. Accept?

“Heh! A hidden quest? Of course I accept!” A voice echoed in Qian Mo’s ear. She snapped out of her reverie and replied humorously.

“Hidden Quest: Uncover the mysteries within. Reward: One chance at the lottery, one Giant King Gulu Ball. Penalty: None.”

Hu Meng had said a fierce beast guarded this place. If so, the Gulu Ball would prove useful—indeed, “the system knows me well!”

According to the original story of the Azure Cloud Sect, this place didn’t exist. After all, the TV drama followed its own plot, but I am not a character from the show. If I simply followed the script, how dull would that be!

Back to reality, Qian Mo stepped into the cave. It was gloomy inside, water droplets dripping from above. Ahead was something resembling a round platform, and nothing more.

“Here it is. In stories, situations like this often have a hidden entrance concealed by a mechanism. Time to search for it,” Qian Mo said.

Such places usually offered rich rewards.

On the platform was a square-shaped opening, as if something was meant to fit there.

“Looks like I need an item. The most oppressive spot here is that lake—there’s not a drop of water near the valley, yet here lies a vast lake, surely hiding something. Perhaps the key is within.” With that, she turned and ran to the lake.

Standing before its surface, she gazed at the clear yet unfathomable water.

“How odd! It’s so clear, yet the bottom is invisible, as if this upper layer hides what lies beneath. Time for my Free Movement Spray to shine.” She took out the spray from her inventory and applied it. “Let’s test it first.” She stepped forward—and missed the edge.

Splash—

She plunged into the lake.

Bubbles rose.

“This spray really works! I can move freely underwater and breathe normally.” Qian Mo floated in the lake, gradually descending. The deeper she went, the hotter it became, and the darkness increased.

“How can it be hot inside the lake? Shouldn’t it feel cold and gloomy? Just as I thought—the surface only masks the secrets below, the real mystery lies at the lake’s bottom.”

She pressed on, the heat intensifying with each downward stroke.

Half an hour passed.

“Why do I feel like I’m walking in circles?” The growing unease made Qian Mo realize, “Damn it, this isn’t good. I’ve been trapped in someone else’s barrier from the start. System, is there any way to break free?”

“Destroy!” The system replied.

“Hellfire Prison!”

“Nether Thunder Fist!”

Bang—Bang—Bang—

The powerful elemental force exploded throughout the spatial barrier. With Qian Mo’s full power at Upper Purity Level Two, she could blast open this place. Suddenly, a beam of light appeared before her, pulling her inside.

Within the Space

Ding—

Ding—Ding—

Ding—Ding—Ding—

The sound of bells rang out and then ceased.

Qian Mo opened her eyes to find herself in an immense plaza, devoid of any figures, empty all around except for a colossal beast at its center.

“What the—? Is this still ‘The Immortal Executioner’? System, am I still in that world?” Qian Mo asked in disbelief, scanning the vast surroundings.

“You remain in the ‘Immortal Executioner’ realm. You haven’t left.” The system’s cool voice reassured her. Qian Mo breathed a sigh of relief; if not, it would be terrifying.

She refocused on the beast before her, which lay curled on the ground. She initially thought it dead; its tail was long, resembling a dragon.

“Could this be an ancient fierce beast?” Qian Mo cautiously wondered, glancing around.

Sharp Sight, activate.

With Sharp Sight, she examined the beast.

Name: Ancient Void Dragon
Level: Upper Purity Level Three. Power partially sealed; original strength (Initial Supreme Purity)
Gender: Male
Description: In ancient times, it had the ability to shatter the void, but after being defeated by the Ancient Demon Dragon King, it was forcibly sealed within the void barrier. The surrounding pillars are the source of the seal. After the battle, it was severely wounded and sealed here, unable to regain its peak abilities.

“Whoa! My goodness! Initial Supreme Purity! That’s an Out-of-Body Stage powerhouse, a being of that realm.” Qian Mo exhaled sharply after reading the information.

This creature never appeared in the TV drama, not even mentioned. Clearly, the show only revealed a tiny portion compared to what I’ve discovered. I just happened to get the sheepskin scroll over a meal, and now I’ve encountered a Supreme Purity existence. At this point in the realm, there aren’t any Supreme Purity experts—Azure Cloud Sect’s Dao Xuan is only at Upper Purity High Level.

Suddenly, the dragon lying on the ground opened its pitch-black eyes and rose. Though sealed, the terrifying aura of a sovereign still lingered.

Its towering body, massive wings on either side, made it appear truly formidable.

Roar——————

“Oh my! It’s alive! Damn, it’s powerful—even in this state, it’s strong!” Qian Mo muttered in surprise.

“Human? How many years has it been? How many years! An entire epoch! At last, a living being enters!” The Void Dragon stared at Qian Mo, its voice cold.

“You… you can talk?” Qian Mo was startled.

“Hmph? Human, I am a supreme species from ancient times, an unrivaled existence. Mere language, of course I speak! But you—how did you get in here? This is a space outside the void, sealed by a great barrier. You, a mere Upper Purity Level Two child?” The Void Dragon sounded surprised.

“What child! I’m already an adult. Say, you—the dragon—Upper Purity Level Two isn’t much, but you’re only a Level Three, just one level above me! What’s so funny about that?” Qian Mo retorted, no longer intimidated.

“Hahaha! Child, do you know who I am?”

“Pfft! You’re the Ancient Void Dragon, aren’t you? What’s so special about that?” Qian Mo scowled, unimpressed.

“What? How do you know I’m the Ancient Void Dragon? It’s been an epoch; I am the last of my kind—could there be others outside?” The Void Dragon was shocked.

“Not only do I know you’re the Ancient Void Dragon, I know you were defeated by the Ancient Demon Dragon and sealed here. As for how I know, it’s best you don’t ask,” Qian Mo replied coolly.

“Demon Dragon? That damned dragon! It wiped out my clan! But he couldn’t survive either! Haha! That battle was enough to shatter the void and reset the realm’s epoch. He died, everyone died! I should thank him for sealing me here—at least I survived! I am the ultimate victor, Demon Dragon—you are the loser! Hahaha!” The Void Dragon roared in agitation.

The plaza echoed with the dragon’s cry.

“Enough, stop shouting—it’s deafening,” Qian Mo said, tossing a large essence orb toward the dragon’s mouth.

This was the concentrated essence of over a million Peach Boy fruits crafted by the system. As soon as she saw the dragon, Qian Mo plotted to tame it, though she wasn’t sure how to get it to open its mouth. Fortunately, this silly dragon provided the chance.

“Ha! Over a million Peach Boy essences, system-certified—I refuse to believe it won’t work!” Qian Mo grinned mischievously.

“Haha! Gulp! Hm? What just went into my mouth… but it tastes quite good,” the Void Dragon savored, licking its lips.

“Three,”

“Two,”

“One,”

“Human? What are you muttering? Eh! What is this? Why is there such strange energy in my body?” The Void Dragon wondered.

Splash—

The Peach Boy essence took effect. The Void Dragon suddenly became adorable, gazed at Qian Mo, and uttered, “Master.”

Name: Ancient Void Dragon
Level: Currently Upper Purity Level Three, peak Initial Supreme Purity
Relationship: Loyal

“Yay! It worked—excellent. You’ll be called Little Void from now on,” Qian Mo said, satisfied.

“Little Void, tell me, is there anything hidden inside the round platform in the valley above?” Qian Mo asked.

“Master, there’s nothing up there. All those things were created by the Demon Dragon to conceal me and this barrier, meant to mislead intruders,” Little Void replied, puzzled.

“So that’s how it is. I suspected as much when I discovered you. How do I get you out?”

“Master, if you can open a hole in this space or have something large enough to contain me, I can leave. This space was designed to imprison me; the Demon Dragon never imagined another creature would enter,” Little Void explained.

“Ding! Congratulations, host, exploration complete. Quest reward granted.”

Giant King Gulu Ball: From the system. Can absorb massive creatures into the ball and control their size.

“A handy item—just in time.”

“Little Void, don’t resist! Gulu Ball, go!” She tossed it.

“Eh? What’s this?” Little Void watched the ball fly toward him.

...

Two minutes later

Qian Mo picked up the Gulu Ball and tossed it forward. “Come out, Pika Void!”

Little Void popped out, exclaiming, “Amazing! I can actually control my size!”

The shrunken Pika Void looked incredibly cute, his former majesty as the Ancient Void Dragon completely gone.

“Alright, let’s leave now.”

“Yes, Master. At last, I can escape this cursed place.”

The system opened a gap in the barrier—a beam of light shot forth, and person and beast vanished from the plaza, leaving only emptiness behind.

Dong—Dong!

The bell tolled before, and afterward… the bell stopped!

(End of this chapter)

At last, I finished this chapter today—exhausted! Finally, I can rest...

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