C114 Wind Dragon Bead

Ning Qi effortlessly bisected an oncoming Plague Dragon Rat, then diverted half his attention to review the details of his advancement mission.

"Host, you are tasked with delivering the Wind Dragon Bead you've found to the Dragon Queen, wife of the Devil Dragon King in the Shanhai Realm, within one year. Failure to complete this mission within the timeframe will result in failure. Success, however, will grant you an additional reward of 500 Dragon Slaying Coins and clues to the whereabouts of the seven missing Dragon Balls of the Dragon Slaying Blade."

Frowning, Ning Qi eyed the seven empty sockets on the hilt of his Dragon Slaying Blade. The mission demanded an encounter with the Dragon Queen of the Shanhai Realm. He recalled the Black Fire Ghost Dragon, which had perished by his hand, mentioning its father was the Devil Dragon King—a Seventh Rank Boss-level dragon.

"Is the mutation of these Plague Rats tied to the Wind Dragon Bead?" Ning Qi pondered, gazing into the cave's depths. Surely, more formidable foes lay in wait.

The challenge of this advancement mission was easily over tenfold the difficulty of his previous leap from Battle Master to Grand Battle Master. Yet, the rewards were compelling: not only could he progress and claim 500 Dragon Slaying Coins, but he'd also gain vital clues to the long-lost Dragon Balls—his most coveted prize.

Reclaiming all seven Dragon Balls would restore the Dragon Slaying Blade to its legendary power, capable of vanquishing even a Divine Dragon in a single strike.

With this in mind, Ning Qi was determined to expedite his search for the Wind Dragon Bead and eradicate the remaining Plague Dragon Rats. Once completed, he would set out for the Shanhai Realm. A year was not a particularly long time, but not short either. Thankfully, with Purple by his side, the journey would not consume half his allotted time.

Suddenly, the massive Plague Dragon Rat King awoke, its piercing eyes scanning the area. Realizing that its elite forces had dwindled to mere dozens, it reared up with a swift roll, unfurling its colossal wings and emitting a fierce screech.

The sound pierced through the air, reaching Ning Qi's ears hundreds of miles away.

"It seems we have a Boss-level Plague Dragon Rat on our hands! The Wind Dragon Bead must be nearby."

Ning Qi hastened his steps. He had already dispatched numerous Plague Dragon Rats along his path with little effort.

Half a day passed.

Ning Qi finally reached the cavern's deepest chamber. The sight of the Plague Dragon Rat King took him aback. It bore little resemblance to its lesser kin, appearing instead as a grotesquely disfigured dragon. Ning Qi's gaze shifted to the massive dragon skeleton beside the king, marveling at the evolutionary leap a mere rodent had achieved.

"That must be the Wind Dragon. If my hunch is correct, its Wind Dragon Bead lies within the belly of this Plague Dragon Rat King."

With a steely gaze, Ning Qi brandished his saber before the formidable creature.

Despite its menacing appearance, the Plague Dragon Rat King was, at its core, merely a Third Rank Boss-level Demonic Beast. Ning Qi was unimpressed.

The cavernous space afforded him plenty of room to maneuver. After a brief pause, he summoned Purple.

At Purple's arrival, the elite Plague Dragon Rats poised to ambush were taken aback. As a Demonic Beast itself, Purple's presence overwhelmed them with its powerful aura. They scurried to take cover behind their king.

The Plague Dragon Rat King snarled at Ning Qi and Purple, feigning a ferocity it didn't feel. Purple, unwilling to suffer the indignity from a creature two ranks its junior, let out a piercing shriek and lunged at the king. Bolts of electricity danced from its form, striking out. The king countered with a burst of green poison mist, but Purple's wing-beats dispersed the toxic cloud effortlessly. Then, with a surge of Purple Lightning Battle Power, it struck the king like a thunderbolt from the gods.

The Plague Dragon Rat King wailed in agony, the Purple Lightning Battle Power sending it tumbling across the ground before it took refuge in a cave corner, eyeing the Purple Lightning Bird with wary eyes.

Purple streaked toward its target like lightning, its claws latching onto the Plague Dragon Rat King's neck before diving sharply and slamming it hard against the ground.

Meanwhile, Ning Qi was busy dispatching a group of Third Rank elite Plague Dragon Rats, worth over 200 Dragon Slaying Coins—a bounty he wasn't about to pass up. Seeing Purple handling the situation with ease, Ning Qi's worries dissipated. Soon, not a single Plague Dragon Rat remained alive in his vicinity.

The vast cave was now left with only the Plague Dragon Rat King pinned under Purple, immobilized. Purple had strategically stepped on a critical point, and the somewhat intelligent creature, realizing its predicament, refrained from struggling and instead emitted pitiful squeaks for mercy.

Ning Qi, wielding his Dragon Slaying Saber, approached the subdued king and with a swift motion, severed its head.

"Host, congratulations on successfully defeating the Third Rank Boss level Plague Dragon Rat. You have earned 3000 experience points."

"Host, congratulations on acquiring 100 Dragon Slaying Coins."

"Host, congratulations on obtaining a Gambling Gift Bag. Please open it within 24 hours."

Ning Qi had no immediate intention of opening the Gambling Gift Bag. Instead, he used his saber to slice open the belly of the Plague Dragon Rat King and, as expected, discovered a green dragon pearl within.

The moment his hand made contact with the Wind Dragon Bead, the system chimed in.

"Host, congratulations on securing the advancement mission item, the Wind Dragon Bead. The mission timer starts now!"

Ning Qi secured the Wind Dragon Bead. As for the Gambling Gift Bag, he decided against opening it. Since the bead was found inside the creature, the system would likely consider them linked. Opening the gift bag could mean the bead would vanish along with it, causing the mission to fail.

This seemed to be a subtle trap set by the system for Ning Qi. Had he not discerned its intricacies, he would have been left with regrets.

In the following days, Ning Qi methodically cleared out any stragglers within the cave. Once he was certain no trace of the Plague Dragon Rats remained, he finally stepped out of the cave. After more than half a year without sunlight, Ning Qi spent several minutes with his eyes closed, acclimating to the brightness before he could finally open them again.

Now, his Dragon Slaying Coins had soared from a mere 4,500 before entering the cave to a staggering 58,000!

"Mr. Ning, who would have thought we'd cross paths again," came a familiar voice.

It was only then that Ning Qi noticed two figures standing side by side just outside the cave. Blinded by the sudden sunlight, he hadn't spotted them earlier.

Lifting his gaze, he recognized a face that had lingered in his thoughts—a long-awaited reunion. There stood Zhantai Qingxuan alongside Liu Suifeng.

A flicker of astonishment crossed Zhantai Qingxuan's face, swiftly concealed as she composed herself. "Has he truly reached the status of a Peak Grand Battle Master?"

She herself had only recently ascended to the rank of Battle Spirit. Back when she was at the pinnacle of Grand Battle Masters, he was but a lowly Battle Master. The distance between their strengths had seemed insurmountable.