The Cocoon of the Little Defiant Dragon

Heavenly Emperor City was ancient beyond reckoning. No one knew in what age it had been founded, nor how it had come to appear in the Southern Wastes. Countless mythic legends surrounded it, and because of its vast scale and renown, it had become a famous city across the entire Eternal Continent.

As he flew over Heavenly Emperor City, Xiao Chen keenly sensed a vast, enduring, weathered aura. The first time he had seen the city, he had felt something, but it was nothing compared to now. Ahead, it was as if a colossal giant lay sleeping, as if an ancient space existed as its own world. It was like a surging ocean of monstrous waves, like a boundless ancient continent shifting, sending out dizzying pulses through the primeval void toward the present and the future. It was an indescribable feeling—only by sensing with the heart could one realize this inconceivable pulse. Heavenly Emperor City seemed to be a single vast, ancient life form.

Over a dozen days of cultivation had elevated Xiao Chen's state of mind to a new level. His divine consciousness had grown much more condensed, his spiritual perception had sharpened further, and this was the main reason he could sense the city's unusual quality better than before. Though he could not break through to the Ninth Heaven of Mortal-Shedding, his cultivation had deepened considerably. The spiritual-level training in particular had granted him insights vastly different from before. Of course, the seven days of fleshly refinement were also beyond ordinary imagination—the condensed blades of spiritual energy had ceaselessly scoured his flesh and bones: breaking, rebuilding, breaking again, and repeating, as if a divine ingot had been forged and tempered countless times, discarding the dross and retaining the essence, becoming ever more condensed. His physical body seemed to have been reborn, advancing toward the state of a treasure body. This was no exaggeration: it was the truth.

If he could cultivate continuously like this, his body would become a treasure body, a true physical divine artifact. If he reached the ultimate stage, he could not only directly resist magical weapons, but even clash with legendary sacred artifacts without perishing. Xiao Chen believed that if he encountered a Ninth Heaven expert again, he would have a very good chance of victory. These past days had sublimated his spirit and body; ordinary experts at the same level would likely be no match for him. Of course, this world did not lack geniuses. People like Wu Xingfeng could not be measured by common sense—the Five-Element Divine Power seemed able to match his Four Killing Hands. If that opponent returned to his peak and also underwent a transformation and sublimation, he would still be a terrifying rival. The road ahead for Xiao Chen was still very long.

Having just entered the Ninth Heaven of Mortal-Shedding, he still had the four great realms of Spirit-Treasury, Sky-Mastery, Nirvana, and Deathless Longevity ahead. If he wished to break through the heavenly barrier of life and death, he would need to cross a series of natural chasms. Bustling Heavenly Emperor City teemed with activity. Looking down from above, the streets were thronged with people—merchants from the northern lands, herb gatherers and beast hunters from the Southern Wastes, wandering cultivators from the Western lands, all walking through this famous continental city for their own purposes. With the beast-fighting tournament just over two months away, cultivators from all directions were converging here.

At the imposing gate of the Big Dipper Academy, beautiful female students came and went, and no shortage of people like Zhuge Liang and Hai Yuntian loitered nearby, eyeing the beauties. Xiao Chen landed in the courtyard. The three-compound residence was silent. His powerful divine consciousness swept through and detected the three skeletons and the Little Defiant Dragon. He spread his Undying Heavenly Wings and reached the second compound. The three skeletons sensed his aura and pushed open the door, looking utterly disheveled. The leather and cloth disguises on their bodies were tattered, as if they had been through a fierce battle. The soul-light in their eye sockets was also dim. The Little Defiant Dragon did not come out. At the skeletons' gesture, Xiao Chen crossed the small bridge over the stream and found the Little Defiant Dragon lying on the ground, licking its wounds in the verdant pavilion.

Its injuries were severe. Horrifying wounds crisscrossed its body, as if torn open by sword energy. Though Xiao Chen knew that even gravely wounded, the Little Defiant Dragon would rarely be in mortal danger, and that undergoing hardships could stimulate its potential and bring benefits, he was still angry. Who had done this? To come to his dwelling and strike so mercilessly. The fake mountain and pavilion buildings had clearly been shattered; new ones had been rebuilt in the shortest time, and even the vines and flowers had been replanted. Blood had flowed everywhere, staining the marble floor of the pavilion a dark red. The coppery smell of blood was still strong. Xiao Chen walked around the pavilion and saw the severity of the matter. The Little Defiant Dragon's large eyes were dim and listless. It weakly licked its front limb, which had nearly been severed, and the dreadful wounds on its chest and abdomen were still bleeding, giving a clear idea of how terrible the initial injuries had been. Any other spirit beast would have long since died. Keke cried out in anger, hopping in front of the Little Defiant Dragon, its bright eyes wide as if questioning something. Xiao Chen ground up the spirit herbs Keke had gathered—lingzhi and aged ginseng—and applied them to the Little Defiant Dragon's wounds, carefully tending to them.

The front gate creaked, and Hai Yuntian poked his head in, his movements unsuited to his exquisite face. He crept cautiously to the middle courtyard. “I need an explanation. What the hell is going on?!” The sudden voice made Hai Yuntian jump, but then a smile spread across his beautiful features. “Brother Xiao… you’re really alive?” This guy always said such inauspicious things. “How do you talk? Is that any way to speak?” “It’s not my fault. After your showdown with the northern elite Wu Xingfeng, you disappeared for over a dozen days. Rumors said you won, but at a terrible cost—that you might have died.” Disappeared for over a dozen days? Such rumors had spread. Xiao Chen was a little surprised. “Who broke in here and wounded the Little Defiant Dragon? Was it the Mande family or someone sent by Sun Miao?” Since arriving in Heavenly Emperor City, Xiao Chen had clashed with the Mande family’s spoiled girl and severely wounded her cousin Lumuda, but he didn’t think the girl’s mischievous nature would drive her to such cruelty. He felt the most likely culprit was Sun Miao. “It seems…” Hai Yuntian hesitated.

“Who is it?” Xiao Chen saw his reluctance. “It was a reckless brat from the Zhuge family and a scoundrel from the Rigen family.” “The Zhuge family?” Xiao Chen’s face darkened. He only knew the fat man Zhuge Liang from that family, and that dissipated Zhuge Ming. “It has nothing to do with Fatty. He has a sharp eye for beasts and certain standing in the Zhuge family, but he’s not a true direct-line heir. He wouldn’t be so arrogant, and besides, he knows you, so he wouldn’t do something so odious.” Hai Yuntian explained slowly. The matter was simple. The news that Fatty valued the Little Defiant Dragon had leaked through his subordinates. Since his judgment was always trusted, members of the Zhuge family and outsiders alike paid attention. A direct-line heir named Zhuge Kun got wind of it and wanted to seize the Little Defiant Dragon ahead of him. But Zhuge Kun had also heard that this was the war beast of a killer known as the “Human Tyrant,” and rumors of Xiao Chen’s great victory over the northern elite Wu Xingfeng were circulating locally. A newly emerged young powerhouse had to be treated with caution. Yet after just a few days, word spread that Xiao Chen, despite winning, had died of his injuries. This made Zhuge Kun restless, especially after he secretly had the family’s most experienced beast-tamer observe the Little Defiant Dragon. The conclusion was shocking: the Little Defiant Dragon had limitless potential—it might be a young holy beast no weaker than a Dragon King!

This news was incredibly impactful. Its implications were obvious. Zhuge Kun was deeply wary of the Ninth Heaven Xiao Chen and dared not act rashly. Only after more than ten days with no sign of him did he scheme to steal the Little Defiant Dragon. With the same goal, a certain Hoffman of the Rigen family acted the same night. The two groups met in this courtyard, fought over the young holy beast, then drew two more groups. Zhuge Kun and Hoffman temporarily allied and engaged in a fierce battle on the street with the other two groups. Finally, experts of the Undying Sect arrived in force, and the city lord’s office also took notice, quickly quelling the disturbance. Everything had happened two nights ago—came and went quickly. “The Rigen family…” The name sounded familiar. Xiao Chen suddenly remembered the people he had met on the ancient road eight hundred li from Heavenly Emperor City. That fellow named Cadillo was from the Rigen family; he had tried to forcibly take the Little Defiant Dragon, and Xiao Chen had killed him and his battle guards.

“Who were the two other groups that tried to take advantage of the chaos?” “They weren’t identified. Probably not from Heavenly Emperor City, likely northern experts here for the beast-fighting tournament. Otherwise, the Undying Sect and the city lord’s office would have recognized them.” Hai Yuntian chuckled. “Now that you’re back, it’ll make some people’s hearts pound with fear, heh heh…” Since senior experts could not act freely, if Xiao Chen struck without regard for consequences, it would indeed frighten some. “This little holy beast is truly extraordinary. That night, several sides wanted to capture it. Later, when they decided that if they couldn’t have it, no one else would, they tried to kill it. They gravely wounded it, and no one thought it could survive with its chest and abdomen pierced, but it created a miracle.” Hai Yuntian shook his head. “This Little Defiant Dragon is too proud. It wouldn’t let anyone bandage its wounds.” Now that Xiao Chen had returned safely, the rumors would collapse on their own. Hai Yuntian had already withdrawn the experts he had stationed nearby. “Where’s Fatty?” “He’s too embarrassed to see you, since Zhuge Kun is of his family.” “Tell me the whereabouts of Zhuge Kun and Hoffman.”

This time the Little Defiant Dragon was severely wounded. Upon close examination, Xiao Chen found that its internal organs had been shattered—a virtually incurable, fatal condition. Yet it clung stubbornly to life, a pitiful, tragic state. Though Xiao Chen’s elevated state of mind was rarely strongly stirred, he was still very angry. Those people had been too vicious, and he felt a fierce killing intent. Hai Yuntian had already left. Xiao Chen carefully tended the Little Defiant Dragon, hoping it would pull through this crisis. Two more days and nights passed. The Little Defiant Dragon’s gaze remained vacant and listless, its head low as it licked its wounds—a heartbreaking sight. Xiao Chen thought of a way to save it: perhaps only the Sacred Tree of the dragon clan could ensure its survival!

He placed the Seven-Colored Sacred Tree over the Little Defiant Dragon’s chest and abdomen. After a full day and night of repeated attempts, he finally achieved “synchronized pulsation” with the little sacred tree once again, just as he had on Dragon Island. But this time, he did not draw the tree into his own body; instead, he implanted it into the Little Defiant Dragon’s organs. Dazzling light flared; dense luminous mist flowed. Under the shimmering seven-colored rays, the little sacred tree seemed to melt, slowly “flowing” through the wounds into the dragon’s body. As if a heavenly eye had opened, Xiao Chen could clearly see the little sacred tree merging with the Little Defiant Dragon’s internal organs. On the palm-high, vigorous trunk, one ink-jade leaf, one white-jade leaf, one emerald-jade leaf, and one golden-jade leaf shone with soft divine light, illuminating the shattered organs. Keke stared wide-eyed, astonished, as if unable to understand why the sacred tree could grow inside a living body. A hazy glow gradually pushed Xiao Chen’s hand away. The Seven-Colored Sacred Tree had completely lost contact with him; it was now building a close connection with the Little Defiant Dragon on its own.

The pavilion overflowed with sparkling light. Bright, resplendent mists swirled around the Little Defiant Dragon, and ripples like water spread outward. The Little Defiant Dragon’s body was covered in horrible wounds. At this moment, crystalline liquid began to flow from them—it was not blood; upon close inspection, it was a sticky, seven-colored fluid. Soon, the glistening liquid covered the Little Defiant Dragon’s entire surface. Then something astonishing happened: the overflowing seven-colored liquid wrapped the dragon inside, forming a seven-colored orb of light. In the end, it looked exactly like a giant cocoon—a seven-colored dragon cocoon!