Chapter 622: Good friendship
The Dark Blue Water Jade was one of the best auxiliary materials to refine treasures of Water class. It could increase the treasure’s solubility and provide abundant power, which was precious.
The Phoenix Bone Stone was extremely hard. Except for some special earth flames, human flames in blacksmith’s body couldn’t even melt it. However, after the Phoenix Bone Stone was melted into a hot fluid, it could increase the sharpness of weapons.
Nurturing Tricolored Grass wasn’t a material to refine treasures, but it was a primary ingredient of the Original Soul Pellet. Also, it was a rare, precious herb.
...
Cultivating materials in different colors and distinctive shapes piled up everywhere unsorted. Without attentive searching, people couldn’t see how valuable these dust-covered piles were.
Especially... The Thunder Witch Wood. The Thunder Witch Wood was a dried branch of a ten-thousand-year ancient tree. Under constant striking of lightning and thunder from the nine skies over thousands of years, it was generated gradually.
Under the refining of lightning and thunder, the nature of the wood would be changed. That log of wood would have the thunder and lightning power with an exquisite, natural wood grain.
The wood grain gradually formed vegetation essence and the thunder and lightning aura. This was the essential wooden material for some unique items.
Thunder Witch Wood was one of the three primary materials to conduct Heaven Flame Refining Divine Technique.
Shi Yan had thought that it would be strenuous to find the Thunder Witch Wood due to its distinctive nature. He had never expected that he could find them in the beast territory. He almost jumped up in joy.
The Fiery Dragon was a creature that could live several thousand years. The Perpetual Night Forest had various precious natural resources and excellent materials scattered everywhere. They attracted many warriors of the Martial Spirit Palace. However, of course, warriors couldn’t be familiar with the forest as much as the beasts were. Where the rarest and the most precious treasures of this Perpetual Night Forest were, the high-rank demonic beasts would know clearly.
Fiery Dragon had collected his treasures over a thousand years; he’d also robbed many warriors. It was natural that he could gather such big amount of cultivating materials.
Shi Yan’s eyes brightened. He kept walking around the cave, and he couldn’t hide his compliments. Sometimes, he hissed as if he had gone crazy already.
Fiery Dragon stood by the entrance of the cave, releasing an immense red halo. His grand body started to shrink. Magical earth and heaven energy distorted, moving rapidly in his body.
Not long after that, the dragon’s body had shrunk to human size. He had transformed into a mature, majestic human with a red face and a pair of fiery eyes.
The man had one horn, jutting out of his forehead for around half a meter. Flames were twirling around that long horn, covering the miraculous flame patterns on it.
Fine beast skin-carvings meandered and expanded in his entire body, as though they were his natural costume, which could make people drop their jaws in awe.
However, the stinky smell of Fiery Dragon stayed the same. It always nauseated people, giving fluttering butterflies in their stomach.
That was how the Monster Clan was. Whether it could transform or not, this feature would never change. Anyway, they didn’t care about their odor that much, as they always felt comfortable with it.
The human form of Fiery Dragon was a little bit odd. He had a fluttering hair that looked like flames, and his face was really red. He walked to Shi Yan and thundered. "So? Are the materials I’ve accumulated enough to refine my body?"
When the dragon turned into human, his characteristics seemed to have a little, miraculous change. He pointed at the sole horn on his head and asked anxiously. "This horn of mine is my crest. After you refine me, would it become ugly? Would it affect my whole aesthetic and markings?
Shi Yan was surprised. He contemplated for a while and then shook his head. "No. After my refining, you will become more handsome and extraordinary than you are now. Even when you show your true form, you can show people your imposing, majestic markings."
Fiery Dragon turned his head satisfyingly. "You don’t make me hate you. As long as you cooperate well with me, I, Fiery Dragon, won’t let you suffer a loss."
While he was talking, he took out a bronze mirror from nowhere, dedicatedly observing his image in the mirror. He frowned and then said, "Human body isn’t so comfortable. It isn’t as strong as my true form either. Anyway, this shape looks really handsome. I can’t deny that for sure."
Shi Yan felt funny. He didn’t expect that after Fiery Dragon had turned into human shape, his nature seemed to change a little bit. He became more pleased with himself.
"Although you have many kinds of materials here, it still lacks some. I have to go back to prepare. I’ll be back soon." Shi Yan frowned. He thought that he needed to comfort his side first to prevent the Yangs from taking any unusual action.
"You should be hurried. I don’t have much time. You must prepare everything properly and quickly." Fiery Dragon swung his arm, indicating that Shi Yan should go and return here as fast as possible.
Shi Yan smiled and nodded. Suddenly, he let out a dry cough, talking gingerly. "Hey... I need you to make a deposit." The Yang family still had many treasures needed to refine. It wasn’t that he didn’t have enough energy, but it was the lack of materials.
"Deposit?" Fiery Dragon thundered angrily. "You want a deposit? You haven’t done anything yet!"
"Cough Cough!" Shi Yan also recognized he was a bit hurried. "Ah, you misunderstood it. I want the deposit to test the quality of the materials beforehand. I will never break our deal midway. My people are all in your territory. Don’t worry."
Fiery Dragon rolled his eyes and grunted, as if he was considering whether Shi Yan was trustworthy or not.
After a long while, Fiery Dragon thought that with his power of a level 9 beast, Shi Yan couldn’t trick him. Thus, he nodded to allow Shi Yan to take a part of the deposit and leaving.
Shi Yan wasn’t greedy. He took different materials with Fiery Dragon’s witness. Then, he stooped to press his excited heart, leaving with satisfaction.
Seemed like Fiery Dragon didn’t know the value of the Thunder Witch Wood. When Shi Yan put the logs into his Storage Ring, Fiery Dragon didn’t even raise his eyebrow. The dragon was a little bit surprised, as he thought that his vision was a little bit narrow.
...
The shelter of the Yang family...
Yang Tian Emperor, Cao Qiu Dao, and Shi Jian were waiting with many worries. Their faces gradually darkened.
Especially Shi Jian, he kept walking back and forth. He was worried, as if he had a flame burning his heart. He couldn’t help but scream all the time. "Something unexpected has happened! That kid likes to show off! Not good, we can’t stay idle!"
Among them, Shi Jian was the one who loved Shi Yan the most. He was always worried about the young man. Seeing him leave for quite a long time, he couldn’t sit still anymore. Shi Jian was constantly shouting, as he regretted he couldn’t attack the Fiery Dragon’s territory.
Yang Tian Emperor wasn’t moved. He sat there calmly like a mountain.
Cao Qiu Dao squinted. His gossamer aura fluttered here and there, but he didn’t say anything.
All of a sudden, screaming and screeching rose from outside together, with the noise of busting and hustling people.
Yang Tian Emperor disappeared.
The Fiery Flame Gold Lion and ten other level 6 or level 7 beasts were escorting Shi Yan, crushing the ancient trees around to get to the Yangs’ amidst a bloody scent.
Shi Yan was riding the Fiery Flame Gold Lion. His face was calm, and he was smiling. He seemed to discuss something with the Fiery Flame Gold Lion.
The arrogant, tyrannical lion behaved well. Its big eyes even showed that it was servile to someone.
"Don’t worry. I will refine you well. I’ll do my best." Seeing the Yang family appear in his vision, under their eyes gawking with fear, Shi Yan patted the Fiery Flame Gold Lion at his forehead. He promised the gold lion and then jumped off.
People of the Yang family, the Shi family, the Cao Family, the Devil Dark Clan, and the Winged Clan flooded out from the corners near the lake. They were all stunned, looking at him, not knowing what was going on.
"You guys should go back first. In three days max, I’ll visit you guys there." Shi Yan laughed cheerily, advising the beasts in front of him. Everybody else was dumbstruck.
All beasts had intelligence, as they nodded in unison. Then, as he had advised, they retreated orderly.
They seemed to escort Shi Yan back home, instead of forcing and monitoring him as they had imagined.
Many beautiful young maidens were stunned, before they started to cheer up.
They had thought that under the beast’s threat and force, they had to move one more time to another shelter. Unexpectedly, after Shi Yan visited the beasts, they now had a new hope. The whole picture had overturned to a good result they had never imagined.
However, what surprised them was still behind.
The Fiery Flame Gold Lion left. Shi Yan rose one arm and announced. "We will start to refine treasures again. Weapons that haven’t been improved, you guys should give me all."
Cheers reverberated like thunder by the lake. Everybody was stirred up, complimenting him excitedly.
Cao Qiu Dao’s squinting eyes slightly opened. He looked at the young man with surprise, nodding in approval in his heart.
All of a sudden, he thought that their decision was perhaps correct. ‘Maybe... this kid can lead us to claim a new world, eh?’, He thought as his face was struck discreetly.
...
At the entrance of the Perpetual Night Forest...
A silhouette hovered like a night owl in a deep place of the thick forest. More than ten warriors of the Ghost Mark Clan at Spirit Realm and Sky Realm were standing underneath the man. They were waiting for something.
Soon, a Ghost Mark Clan’s young man flew out of the thick forest. He kneeled down and greeted with a low voice. "Grand Sage."
Comoros was hovering in the forest. He nodded and then frowned. "You’ve been in the Perpetual Night Forest for half a year. Do you have any useful information?"
"I can’t detect the precise direction of the Secret Domain. Members of the seven ancient factions don’t always stay inside. They often go out and operate in the Perpetual Night Forest..." That man was still on his knee as he was reporting the situation with a face that had been through wind and frost.
"A small, unknown force? Survivors in the Perpetual Night Forest? Why? Why didn’t they go to the Secret Domain?" Comoros knitted his brows, as he couldn’t understand.
"Grand Sage, I found something strange... Among them, there’s a clan called the Dark Devil Clan... They look very similar to us! Except for the innate tattoo, their aura is astonishingly consistent with us!" The man kept silent for a while, contemplated then reported.
Grand Sage Comoros of the Ghost Mark Clan trembled on listening to his report. He opened his eyes and then shouted, "What?!?"
"My words are true. If any of them aren’t proven, Grand Sage can sentence me to death!" The man lifted his head, his face fearful. "Until now, I didn’t believe it. But it’s true. And, Shi Yan, that brat, is with them. The clan that looks similar to us considers him their master."
"Get me there! Quick!" Comoros shouted sharply, his face dark and ugly.