Chapter 237 - 224: Cultivation (2)
Losing was one thing, but if he won... he’d have to be extra careful not to earn the other man’s enmity.
Especially with someone as proud as Yang Chengxu. If he were to lose, there was no guarantee he wouldn’t do something extreme.
Of course, in Shen Xingchen’s eyes, this outcome was a remote possibility. It wasn’t that he thought Yu Changsheng wouldn’t be resented—that was a very real risk. Rather, the chance of Yu Changsheng actually defeating Yang Chengxu was practically nil. For that reason, he wasn’t overly concerned.
Yu Changsheng took Shen Xingchen’s words to heart, but after noting them, he didn’t worry too much either.
After seeing Shen Xingchen off, Yu Changsheng was lost in thought. After a long moment, he shook his head and gave a small smile.
’Yang Chengxu... I wonder what the gap is between a heavenly prodigy like him and me right now.’
’I’ll just have to wait and see. This is a good opportunity to understand my own limits.’
Meanwhile, on the deserted top floor of the Ten Thousand Beasts Tower, Li Minghan’s figure materialized in the very center. The Red-scaled Pangolin nuzzled affectionately against him.
’Yang Chengxu, the Celestial Cyan Sub-Dragon...’
Li Minghan’s brow furrowed, his gaze profound. He rubbed the bridge of his nose and looked down at the Red-scaled Pangolin, his eyes flickering with indecision.
’It contains a trace of Cyan Dragon bloodline, does it...’
’To think a bloodline diluted over who knows how many generations could still possess such power.’
Li Minghan murmured to himself. He took a deep breath, and with a flip of his palm, a Jade Bottle appeared. A hint of fascination flashed in his eyes.
The Jade Bottle was translucent. Through the refracted light, one could see a little less than half a bottle of ochre-colored liquid settled at the bottom, shimmering with flecks of a yellow halo. It was truly extraordinary.
The moment the Jade Bottle appeared, the previously calm Red-scaled Pangolin grew restless. A flicker of confusion crossed its intelligent eyes, and as if driven by instinct, it moved closer to the bottle and sniffed at it.
"Oh? It can sense it? It seems my guess was correct."
Seeing this, a sharp glint flashed in Li Minghan’s eyes. He pondered for a moment, then rubbed the Red-scaled Pangolin’s head, the corner of his mouth curling into a slight smile.
’Years ago, by a stroke of luck, I obtained a vial containing a minuscule amount of bloodline from a Fifth-rank Spirit Beast, the Red Mountain Spirit Dragon... Although it was just a trace, the violent power within it is definitely not something a Low-level Spirit Beast could withstand.’
’Not until this Red-scaled Pangolin appeared. Although I don’t know the specifics of how it was raised, I sensed it that day. This Spirit Beast seems to be highly compatible with the Red Mountain Spirit Dragon Bloodline...’
Li Minghan fell into a contemplative silence, staring intently at the Red-scaled Pangolin. He pressed his lips together and clenched his jaw.
’Even though it’s just a Tier One Spirit Beast, it can actually react to the Red Mountain Spirit Dragon. In that case... my idea must be right. If I have it undergo fusion and it successfully advances, it would be a heaven-sent opportunity for you...’
Li Minghan murmured, stroking the Red-scaled Pangolin’s head. It was unclear if he was speaking to it or to himself.
But the Red-scaled Pangolin, in a surprisingly human-like gesture, nodded. As its body shifted, all the red scales on its body stood on end.
’But if it fails... I’m afraid you’ll explode and die. And I’ll lose this one precious opportunity. The bloodline of a Fifth-rank Spirit Beast is priceless...’
A look of conflict flashed across his face. Li Minghan took a deep breath and then slowly exhaled, sinking into deep thought.
’I hope you can seize this chance. Otherwise, as a mere Tier One Spirit Beast, your potential isn’t enough for you to become my tamed beast...’
With that, Li Minghan smiled faintly. He slowly took a Treasure Box from his Storage Pouch and, without hesitation, gently opened it.
Inside the Treasure Box, on a bed of silk wrapped in exquisite gold foil, lay an elixir the size of a dragon eye, emitting a delicate fragrance.
The elixir was a brilliant gold, engraved with three cyan Pill Patterns. The instant the box was opened, dense layers of Spiritual Qi swirled around it like mist. At the same time, a unique fragrance drifted out, almost seeming to solidify as it lingered in the air.
The Red-scaled Pangolin merely took one sniff, and its restless Status immediately calmed. Its beastly eyes cleared, and a faint red glow slowly began to emanate from its body.
’The Divine Fusion Pill! The absolute peak among Tier Three Elixirs. And this one has even reached the ultimate quality of three Pill Patterns. Its purpose is singular: to aid a Spirit Beast’s Bloodline Fusion and advancement...’
Looking at the Divine Fusion Pill in his hand, Li Minghan smiled faintly, though a pained expression also flickered across his face. He had spent a fortune and pulled many strings just to acquire this elixir.
’Using the Divine Fusion Pill as a medium, combined with the Red-scaled Pangolin’s natural compatibility with the Red Mountain Spirit Dragon Bloodline... even so, the success rate is still very low. But if everything goes smoothly, my idea isn’t impossible.’
Li Minghan swallowed hard, his eyes darting about. Then, no longer hesitating, he gritted his teeth and fed the Divine Fusion Pill to the Red-scaled Pangolin.
"If this succeeds, great. But if it fails, my losses will be immense! Whether you become a dragon or a worm, it all depends on your own fortune now!"
This was Li Minghan’s true intention from the beginning. As the Young Tower Master of the Ten Thousand Beasts Tower, he had, after all, inherited some of his father’s merchant genes.
As a businessman, if he hadn’t seen something special in the Red-scaled Pangolin, how could he have so easily used the Three-Winged Golden Flame Snake as a prelude, only to then casually trade the valuable Wind Spirit Crocodile for a mere First-rank Spirit Beast?
While it was undeniable that the Red-scaled Pangolin was rare and peculiar, and he did genuinely like it, its potential ultimately fell short of his requirements. Its true value wasn’t that high.
If Li Minghan hadn’t had his own agenda, and if it wasn’t also a chance to befriend Yu Changsheng—killing two birds with one stone—he really would have hesitated to make such a losing trade.
"Originally, I didn’t plan on having you undergo fusion right now. I was thinking of first finding a way to raise you to Tier Two, and then attempting the fusion and advancement."
Li Minghan sighed softly as he watched the Red-scaled Pangolin, which had already consumed the Divine Fusion Pill and was now covered in rings of red light.
"But with your current potential, the possibility of reaching Tier Two is minuscule, and the resources required would be astronomical.
Besides, if you did advance by then, your own bloodline would be further purified, which might actually make it even harder for you to fuse with the Red Mountain Spirit Dragon Bloodline..."
Li Minghan crouched down, slowly stroking the Red-scaled Pangolin lying at his feet as he spoke in a low voice.
"Since that Yang Chengxu has a Celestial Cyan Sub-Dragon, I’m sure you don’t want to be left behind... After all, the Red Mountain Spirit Dragon is ranked a whole step above the Celestial Cyan Sub-Dragon..."
The Red-scaled Pangolin at his feet didn’t seem to understand, but it lifted its head slightly, its beastly eyes gazing at Li Minghan. The effects of the Divine Fusion Pill were beginning to take hold, rapidly spreading throughout its body.
Seeing this, Li Minghan’s gaze hardened. He slowly opened the Jade Bottle, revealing a floating mass of blood that shone with an ochre light.
"ROAR!!"
The moment this mass of blood appeared, the previously quiet Red-scaled Pangolin erupted violently. Its eyes flashed crimson as a bestial roar tore through the air.
"AUNG!!!"
Faintly, a Dragon’s Roar emanated from the mass of blood, spreading through the void, stirring up infinite waves and sending out ripples.
THUD!
In an instant, the Red-scaled Pangolin collapsed to the ground, its body trembling as if something was crushing both its body and soul.
’Beastly Might!’
Li Minghan frowned, watching the struggling Red-scaled Pangolin and the floating Red Mountain Spirit Dragon Bloodline. A faint pressure emerged from the blood, bearing down on the pangolin.
As a top-tier Spirit Beast of the Fire and Earth Attributes, the Red Mountain Spirit Dragon’s attributes were compatible with the Red-scaled Pangolin. At the same time, there seemed to be a power swirling within the pangolin that Li Minghan didn’t understand, which was what allowed it to trigger a reaction from the Red Mountain Spirit Dragon’s blood.
But in the end, its own level of life was far too different from the Red Mountain Spirit Dragon’s; the gap between them was like that between the bright moon and a firefly. Even with Li Minghan’s preparations, the probability of success was still very low.
And Li Minghan was simply taking a gamble.