Chapter Forty-Two: Ha! A New Underling

Within the half-collapsed palace, rubble stood like a forest. They crouched low, slipping through narrow cracks between stones. The deeper they ventured, the narrower the path became; at last, they had to crawl and grope their way forward, fortunate that both possessed slender frames. After another stretch of crawling, crossing the grand hall, they finally reached the inner sanctum.

Surprisingly, the inner hall was well preserved. Shen Luo and Gu Hongshang breathed out in unison, stretching their limbs as they surveyed the chamber.

It was empty, with nothing to obscure their view. The only striking feature was the massive golden coffin adorned with bull horns at its center. The lid was half askew, revealing a portion of stark white bone within.

The Tiger Soul inhaled deeply, certain: "The Serpent Saint Whip was taken from here."

So this skeleton belonged to the previous master of the Serpent Saint Whip?

Su Li leapt onto the coffin, scanning its interior. She detected nothing unusual, her gaze sharpening in thought.

Since entering the inner hall, that faint voice had abruptly ceased. Two possibilities remained: either the owner had become wary of intruders, or they had sunk into some condition that precluded further sound.

She was lost in speculation when Tiger Soul scampered forward, declaring, "Boss, let me help you." A surge of domineering aura swept across, and the heavy lid slammed to the ground with a resounding crash, making the floor tremble.

The gust from the aura tossed Su Li into the coffin, pressing her against the bones with a crackling sound. Unsure what her paw had touched, she suddenly dropped further, breaking through the ice below.

A wave of overwhelming cold erupted from the coffin, frosting everything in its path.

Shen Luo was alarmed; he rushed forward and saw the white beast already climbing out from the ice pit beneath the coffin, its round feline eyes alertly surveying its surroundings. He sighed in relief.

Thinking of the troublesome Tiger Soul, Shen Luo narrowed his eyes and glared at the culprit, only to see it lying in a corner, head drooping, brows furrowed in utter despair. The sight made him chuckle despite himself.

Beneath the golden coffin, a layer of chilling, deep blue ice covered everything.

Su Li involuntarily shivered.

In mere moments, her fur was glazed with sparkling ice crystals, and she hurriedly summoned her aura to resist the cold.

Then she heard that faint, labored breathing once more.

Looking up, Su Li discovered, at the deepest part of the ice pit, a tiny four-legged blue serpent barely the size of a palm. It lay motionless atop the ice, its tail dimly glowing, clearly at death’s door.

Her mind stirred—many high-tier beasts, when threatened, would conceal their aura, masquerading as insignificant creatures. But seeing the fearsome layers of ice, she wasn’t so easily fooled.

She happened to know that within the Qishan Secret Realm dwelled an eighth-rank Frost Flood Dragon, having cultivated to the Soul Condensing stage. Dragons, resembling serpents with four legs, belonged to the dragon lineage. Comparing this to the creature before her...

Su Li’s eyes brightened.

Ah!

A new subordinate delivered to her door.

In a hazy moment, the Frost Flood Dragon sensed a low-tier beast approaching. As it tried to exert a hint of pressure, it was flipped helplessly onto its back.

Then, a pair of blazing eyes appraised it from head to tail, finally pausing somewhere...

The Frost Flood Dragon instantly clamped its limbs together.

After a brief pause, a paw pressed down, and a surge of domineering beastly aura invaded its body.

This aura inspired both awe and familiarity!

Then came the beast’s commanding declaration, ringing in its ears: “Call me Boss!”

Outside the golden coffin, the group waited anxiously. Suddenly, the sounds of intense battle erupted from within. Just as they prepared to investigate, something was thrown out.

They stared in bewilderment.

A four-legged blue serpent, covered in claw marks?

Moments later, the fierce little beast leapt out of the coffin as well, darting like white lightning into the youth’s embrace. It burrowed into his chest, rubbing its damp fur against his clothes, then settled comfortably, its tail flicking back and forth.

Two other beasts approached.

The Bluebird asked, “Boss, who is that?”

Su Li replied, “A new subordinate, Lan Yu Flood Dragon.”

Tiger Soul arched its brow. “No wonder you’re the boss—just like that, you took a Soul Condensing beast as your underling.”

“Boss is amazing!” Bluebird exclaimed.

Su Li lifted her chin with pride, glancing at the Frost Flood Dragon, her claws flexing subtly.

The two beasts instantly quieted.

Under her intimidating gaze, the Frost Flood Dragon’s heart skipped a beat. Limping over, it addressed Shen Luo, “Master, I wish to form a contract with you.”

Gu Hongshang: ...

Tiger Soul: ...

Bluebird: ...

Shen Luo remained calm. “Why do you want to contract with me?”

Lan Yu Flood Dragon: “I was beaten by the boss.”

Such honesty! Such candor!

Su Li’s eyes filled with mirth, her posture brimming with pride.

Tiger Soul and Bluebird, both former recipients of such beatings, gazed at the Frost Flood Dragon, all barriers between them vanishing in an instant. As the human proverb goes: kindred spirits, why need formal acquaintance?

Bluebird laughed, “Seems we all got beaten by Boss!”

Lan Yu Flood Dragon was speechless—was this something to be proud of? It regarded them with sympathy; even the offspring of divine beasts had been battered into fools.

Each beast harbored its own thoughts.

Just then, a soft paw patted Shen Luo’s arm; Su Li signaled him to hurry and contract with the little blue serpent. She hopped aside, sitting neatly with the other two beasts, looking utterly obedient.

Shen Luo’s heart stirred. He knelt, addressing the Lan Yu Flood Dragon, “Since that’s so, just like Feng Xi, let’s form an equal contract.”

Lan Yu Flood Dragon was stunned.

At first, it had resisted—as a high-tier beast and a regional overlord, it was proud and arrogant. Had it not been for the relentless coercion of that fierce beast, it would never have agreed to such absurdity. Yet, Shen Luo surprisingly chose the more advantageous contract for the beast.

But!

Damn it, still infuriating! To have a Soul Condensing beast voluntarily recognize a mere Human Heart stage human as its master?

Heh!

This must be a joke.

Despite reluctance, the contract was completed.

Shen Luo was astonished, then delighted—so the Frost Flood Dragon was this powerful. It seemed all his contracted beasts were of high rank. He pursed his lips, gaze fixed on the white little beast.

Sensing his eyes, Su Li’s fluffy tail lifted unconsciously.

With a faint smile, Shen Luo looked into Lan Yu Flood Dragon’s eyes. “Yu Flood Dragon, from now on, we’re family.”

Lan Yu Flood Dragon nodded.

With the new member joining, Su Li felt it necessary to establish new rules.

After thinking, she decided, “From now on, you’re number three.”

Bluebird asked, “Boss, what about me?”

Su Li scratched its head, calmly, “You’re number four.”

“He clearly joined last,” Bluebird protested, “and number four sounds so lame and weak!”

Su Li retorted, “Can you defeat Tiger Soul and Yu Flood Dragon?”

The two named beasts released a thread of pressure.

Especially Lan Yu Flood Dragon, who stared wide-eyed at Tiger Soul beside it—this aura… Could it be the legendary White Tiger Divine Beast?!

Bluebird immediately corrected, “Tiger Brother, Yu Flood Dragon Brother.”

Su Li nodded with satisfaction. “From now on, our ranks will be based on strength. If you don’t want to call the newcomer boss, you’ll just have to work hard to improve your cultivation.”