Chapter 1904 You Shouldn't Say That!

"Sect Leader Lin, may I ask... may I ask if this in your palm is the Holy Dragon???"

Situ Haokong's voice trembled uncontrollably, and his usually composed body began to sway slightly.

He stared intently at the small dragon, about the size of a palm and covered in silvery-white scales, in Lin Jichen's palm. His pupils contracted to the size of pinpoints, his breathing suddenly became rapid, and even the veins on his temples throbbed.

It was a look that mixed fervor, longing, and disbelief, as if they had seen the opportunity to ascend to immortality that they had been dreaming of for a thousand years.

Ao Chi, stared at like that, immediately bristled its scales.

The little creature tilted its head, its silver-gold vertical pupils filled with hostility, and let out a low growl from its throat. The next second, it suddenly opened its mouth and spewed out a pale blue dragon breath.

The dragon's breath, carrying a bone-chilling cold, rushed straight at Situ Haokong's face.

Unfortunately, it is not yet fully grown. The power of its dragon breath is nothing more than a cool breeze to Situ Haokong, who is in the late stage of the Feather Transformation Realm.

Situ Haokong was hit on the cheek by the dragon's breath, but instead of being annoyed, he seemed to be an old man whose interest had been ignited. His face wrinkled up, and he shamelessly took two more steps forward.

He even reached out to touch Ao Chi's gleaming scales, muttering, "A holy dragon...it really is a holy dragon...the spiritual light on its scales is even purer than described in ancient texts..."

"Roar!" Ao Chi was enraged by this lewd behavior. It kicked its legs and tried to fly up, intending to teach this old man a lesson with its little claws.

But just as it flapped its wings, its tail was gently pinched by a warm hand, and the next second it was steadily pulled back into the palm of the hand.

"Okay, stop fooling around, we have important business to attend to."

Lin Jichen's voice was full of affection as he gently rubbed Ao Chi's head with his fingertips.

The little guy froze at the sudden "head pat," and a faint pink tinge seemed to appear under its silvery-white scales. Its previously bristled fur instantly calmed down, and it obediently curled back into Lin Jichen's palm.

But she still glared at Situ Haokong out of the corner of her eye, like a little beast that had been wronged but could only admit defeat.

This scene seemed unbelievable to onlookers.

You should know that this little guy Ao Chi has always been fearless.

Women like Nangong Yue and Yun Lanyi, who were close to Lin Jichen, would find it difficult to even touch it normally. The little guy would either turn away or "warn" them with his dragon breath.

Occasionally, it would disdainfully sweep away the spirit fruits they offered with its tail.

Yun Lanyi jokingly said that once Ao Chi transforms into human form, she will probably compete with them for Lin Jichen's favor, and might even get jealous and stand between the two of them.

Lin Jichen would only chuckle whenever he heard this; he never took the joke seriously.

To him, Ao Chi was more like a family member he had raised from childhood.

From being a little tagalong in his childhood, to a tiny creature the size of a fingernail when it hatched, always curled up on his wrist to sleep, to now being a little guy who can breathe dragon's breath and is beginning to show the majesty of a holy dragon.

The time they spent together day and night had forged an irreplaceable bond between them.

Lin Jichen did have other pets. The bear was adorable, the chubby white cat was cute, and Wangcai was loyal and protective of its owner. He always treated all his companions equally.

But if we're talking about the one who cared the most, it was ultimately Ao Chi.

After all, this little guy is with him almost all the time, basking in the sun on his arm during the day and sleeping next to him at night.

Even when he was cultivating, she would obediently lie down in his dantian to absorb spiritual energy. Such constant companionship naturally made him show her more favoritism.

Situ Haokong didn't care about any of that; the fervor in his eyes was almost palpable as flames.

This was the first time he had shown such a fawning smile to Lin Jichen. His originally arrogant chin was slightly lowered, and his tone was full of flattery.

"Sect Leader Lin, I have a favor to ask, but I'm not sure if I should say it..."

"If you shouldn't say it, please shut up."

Without a second thought, Lin Jichen decisively interrupted him.

His tone was flat and even, yet it carried an undeniable refusal.

Situ Haokong's smile froze, as if he had been doused with cold water. But he was, after all, an old fox who had lived for nearly a thousand years, and he quickly put on a smile again, rubbing his hands together and forcing a smile.

"Sect Leader Lin, please don't misunderstand! I have absolutely no intention of taking advantage of young friend Ao Chi. I just... I just want a tiny bit of dragon blood, even just the size of a fingernail! I can exchange it for a treasure from my sect, how about it?"

"Roar--!"

Before he could finish speaking, Ao Chi suddenly raised his head, his eyes blazing with fury, and unleashed an even stronger burst of dragon breath.

This dragon's breath carried a hint of real fire, directly burning Situ Haokong's hair and beard until they were charred and curled, and a burnt smell immediately filled the air.

Situ Haokong's face instantly turned as black as the bottom of a pot, his lips twitched, but he stubbornly held back his outburst.

He knew he was in the wrong, and the dignity of the Holy Dragon could not be desecrated. He was already extremely fortunate that he was only burned a lock of hair.

"You saw it too, it's impossible."

Lin Jichen's tone turned cold, and his eyes carried a hint of warning.

"Sect Leader Situ, let's not bring this up again. I told you long ago that your Dragon Blood Body Refining Technique is nothing but a charlatan's imitation. Your obsession with this method will only stagnate your cultivation."

"You are human, not a dragon. If you forcibly temper your body with dragon blood, you can only ever imitate the superficial aspects of the dragon race. You will never be able to surpass the dragon race itself, let alone break through to the Immortal Ascension Realm. Do you understand?"

These words were like a sharp blade, piercing Situ Haokong's heart.

The Dragon Blood Body Refining Technique of Nine Dragon Valley is a treasure passed down for thousands of years and is the foundation of the sect's existence. However, Lin Jichen has now belittled it to the point of being worthless.

Situ Haokong's face turned pale and then red, his lips moved but he did not refute.

He knew in his heart that there was some truth to what Lin Jichen said, but he had already gone mad with greed.

In his view, the reason he was stuck at the peak of the semi-immortal realm for a hundred years was not a problem with his cultivation technique, but rather that he lacked the most crucial "catalyst"—the blood of the holy dragon!

He had read in ancient texts that the Holy Dragon was the supreme being of the dragon race, a direct descendant of divine beasts, and could transform into a divine dragon upon further advancement. Their dragon blood contained the purest life energy and martial arts laws; even a small amount could transform a body cultivator and break through the barriers of cultivation realms.

Compared to the Holy Dragon Clan, the four orthodox dragon clans are merely subjects and emperors.

Just like when the Holy Dragon King was alive, clan leaders such as the Azure Dragon King, the Ying Dragon King, and Zhu Jiuyin would all bow and pay their respects upon seeing him.

Unfortunately, the Holy Dragon Clan has been wiped out and has become a legend.

Situ Haokong had regretted countless times for not being able to catch up with the Holy Dragon Era, and even felt that he would never be able to ascend to the Immortal Realm in his lifetime.

But now, Ao Chi's appearance has given him renewed hope!

The pure, holy dragon aura emanating from this little fellow is something that ordinary dragons could never possess.

To obtain the Holy Dragon Blood, he would gladly exchange it for cultivation techniques and treasures, or even relinquish control of the Nine Dragon Valley.

For cultivators, breaking through to higher realms is the eternal pursuit; what does a sect matter?