Chapter 110: The Flood Dragon

Shen Taixing’s final words were nothing short of a warning.

Shen Duo cast a cold glance at the Shen family’s training squad but made no move.

"Uncle Taixing, let me go up there and teach this arrogant brat a lesson!"

Shen Taixing quickly grabbed the youth, who was about to rush forward to clash with Shen Duo, and whispered with a grim face, "Xiao Liu, do you realize she is a Sword King? What is it? Do you want to go up there and throw your life away?"

The young man’s steps faltered. He looked at Shen Taixing as if he couldn't believe his ears, then let out a dry laugh. "Uncle Taixing, stop joking. How could a teenage girl be a Sword King?" Since when did Sword Kings become as common as Sky Illusionists?

Though he questioned it, the young man stopped. He knew that in a situation like this, their team leader wouldn't be joking. A Sword King was equivalent to a Sky Illusionist, while he was merely a six-star Spirit Illusionist—his strength was far inferior to this girl who was hiding her true power.

The man’s eyes now held a wary expression.

"Are we just going to let them scavenge here? What if she stabs us in the back when we're not looking?" the young man frowned.

Shen Taixing looked at the grotesque lantern grass not far away, pondered for a moment, and gave his orders. "Jianming, Pinglu, I will take the team to deal with those lantern grass monsters. You two stay behind and keep watch. If Shen Duo makes any suspicious moves, you are to intercept her immediately."

"Yes!" the two strongest young members of the team stepped forward to answer.

Shen Duo watched from afar as Shen Taixing issued his orders and led the training squad toward the towering ancient tree.

Shen Taixing set up a simple defensive formation on the perimeter of the lantern grass before taking a portion of the team inside to engage them.

Soon, the area within the defensive formation turned into a scene of bloody slaughter. Spheres of cyan spiritual illusionary energy lit up the entire formation, and the lantern grass let out hideous, screeching cries.

Shen Duo and Feng Jun only looked on coldly, having no intention of interfering.

"This Shen Taixing thinks far too highly of himself! Does he really think a mere Sky Illusionist can easily obtain Dragon Scale Grass?" Lou Jingbai scoffed to Shen Duo internally.

"What is the guardian beast of the Dragon Scale Grass?" Shen Duo asked.

"A Jiao Dragon," Lou Jingbai replied, his tone heavy.

A Jiao Dragon—a divine beast possessing the bloodline of an ancient illusionary beast, only one tier below the Five-Clawed Golden Dragon. From the moment it hatches, it is a Divine Illusionary Beast. Even a Five-Tailed Fire Fox would give way to such a ferocious creature.

The Shen family’s training squad had only Shen Taixing at the Heaven Tier; they were no match for a Jiao Dragon!

Furthermore, the creature was still lurking in the shadows, unseen. Lou Jingbai couldn't sense its presence, which could only mean this Jiao Dragon was even more powerful than he was.

Seeing this, Shen Duo knew she would have to handle the situation with extreme caution.

The Shen family’s training squad was quite capable; within half an hour, the surrounding lantern grass had been wiped out. Only one or two illusionists had sustained minor injuries, which were easily treated with spiritual potions.

The ground was littered with the corpses of the lantern grass and splashed with viscous, corrosive liquid. Shen Taixing commanded a female illusionist in the squad to have her Red Vermilion Bird set fire to the remains, clearing a path.

Shen Taixing told the rest of the squad to wait below while he flew toward the center of the ancient tree where the Dragon Scale Grass grew.

All the members of the training squad watched his movements with eyes full of anticipation, and some even cheered excitedly from below.

Shen Taixing, however, did not share their joy. Years of experience in the field kept him calm and composed, making his movements even more cautious.

Could such a precious treasure as the Dragon Scale Grass be obtained so easily? That might fool the greenhorns below, but not him. Shen Taixing kept his eyes and ears sharp, alert to everything around him.

He drew closer and closer to the Dragon Scale Grass, so close he felt he could reach out and pluck it.

The herb, which looked like a common blade of grass, trembled as if sensing danger. Its leaves immediately curled shut, pressing tightly against the bark of the ancient tree.

Nothing happened. Just as Shen Taixing, feeling uneasy, reached out his hand to pluck the grass, a massive roar erupted—a dragon’s roar! It carried such overwhelming pressure that nearly every illusionist was forced to their knees.

Then, everyone witnessed a cyan Jiao Dragon with fins along its spine sliding down from the top of the tree. With a flick of its tail, it easily swatted Shen Taixing away. The dragon coiled its lithe body around the ancient tree, shielding the Dragon Scale Grass. Seemingly satisfied that the grass was unharmed, it let out a furious roar at the Shen family’s training squad below.

The moment the Jiao Dragon’s tail swept toward him, Shen Taixing had pulled a defensive artifact from his storage ring to block it, which negated half the force of the blow. Even so, he was sent flying.

Shen Taixing immediately activated his armor manifestation, using the hard beast-armor to withstand the impact, and only then did he manage to escape without serious injury.

He tumbled through the air, his five-pointed star array glowing brightly, and stabilized his stance before flying back toward his team.

Before he could reach them, he was met by several individuals standing atop a giant wild goose. The leader was a lean, tall middle-aged man, followed by one woman and three men.

Upon seeing Shen Taixing, the middle-aged man burst into laughter. "Oh, Brother Taixing! What kind of treasure have you encountered to warrant an armor manifestation? That’s not something we see every day!"

Shen Taixing frowned. Having manifested his armor with his contracted beast, the Golden Roc, he had a mane of flowing gray hair that now drifted in the air, his body encased in gray battle armor with a metallic luster. "Linghu Yu, why are you here!"

The tall, thin man let out a short laugh. "Brother Taixing, that’s a funny question. Does the opening of the Primeval Valley only permit your Shen family’s training squad to enter?"

"Linghu Yu, don't play dumb. You’re not even leading your academy students anymore!"

"Brother Taixing, you are truly good at sophistry. Who ever decreed that I could only bring students into the Primeval Valley?"

"You..." Shen Taixing was incensed.

"I have no time to argue with you now. Excuse me!" With that, Shen Taixing turned and flew back toward his squad.

"Brother Taixing, wait for me! Since we’ve run into each other, how could I miss out on the fun, old friend?" Linghu Yu called out mockingly as he pursued him.

Shen Taixing wished he could kill this bastard right then and there. This guy was clearly here to cause trouble. As a Sky Illusionist and a mentor at Jocelyn Academy, why would he be wandering around the Primeval Valley at a time like this? It was obvious he had come prepared. It seemed he wouldn't be able to keep the Dragon Scale Grass to himself today.

Shen Taixing soon rejoined the Shen family’s training squad.