Chapter 164: Dragon Lion
Long Ao was greatly anticipating the Soul Attack.
Without continuing his discussion with Long Fu, Long Ao immediately left the Dragon Seal Space.
By his calculations, about forty days had passed. Never mind his arranged duel with Ouyang Zhong—of the three-month deadline, only a little over a month remained.
For this very reason, Long Ao began searching for an exit, hoping to get out as soon as possible.
As for the Qi Shield entrance he had come through, Long Ao discovered that, for some unknown reason, it had been sealed tight by some force, making it impossible for him to leave.
Without a second thought, Long Ao knew it was Chi Jun's doing.
This time, he had successfully slain the Celestial Red Three Ancestors by borrowing the power of the Thunder Tribulation and using the God-Locking Pearl. He was certain that even in death, they would not be able to rest in peace.
And so, Long Ao continued his search for an exit. Before he knew it, twenty days had passed in the blink of an eye.
Adding the time he had already spent, a full two months had now passed. This meant there was only one month left until Ao Xue and Zhang Zhihang's wedding day.
Long Ao was incredibly anxious, but he felt powerless. After searching for twenty days, he still had absolutely nothing to show for it.
The entire cave was sealed shut. Even Long Fu couldn't find an exit. 'Am I going to be stuck here for the rest of my life?'
Unwilling to accept this fate, Long Ao slammed his fist fiercely into the ground. Perhaps he used too much force, as the entire cave seemed to tremble. But at that very moment, Long Ao let out a surprised gasp, as if he had discovered something.
Overjoyed, Long Ao immediately took out his Blood-Drinking Mad Saber and began to slash wildly at the ground.
In no time at all, an invisible Qi Shield appeared on the ground.
He didn't need to guess; Long Ao already knew that the Qi Shield that had appeared on the ground was the entrance he was looking for.
Not wanting to linger a moment longer, Long Ao jumped straight down into the invisible Qi Shield. The shield flashed, and in the next instant, Long Ao appeared in the Flame Forest.
"Brother Long, how did you get here?"
Bing Hun was stunned to see Long Ao suddenly appear before her, wondering how he had shown up out of nowhere.
It wasn't just Bing Hun who was surprised; Long Ao was taken aback as well. Looking at the dozens of people before him, he asked curiously, "Bing Hun, what are you doing here?"
"I was just attacked by a Spirit Beast, so I came here."
Sensing that Long Ao didn't want to elaborate, Bing Hun didn't press the matter.
"Brother Linghu and I came to the Flame Forest mainly to hunt down a Dragon Lion."
'A Dragon Lion?'
Long Ao was surprised to hear her mention a Dragon Lion.
Long Ao was no stranger to the Dragon Lion that Bing Hun mentioned. On the Celestial Martial Continent, there were many offshoots of the Giant Dragons, and the Dragon Lion race was one such branch.
As was well known, the Giant Dragon Race was naturally promiscuous, especially when it came to mating with other species. Dragon Lions were the descendants of Giant Dragons and Frenzied Lions. However, in the eyes of the Giant Dragons, these so-called offshoots were an absolute disgrace. If there weren't so many of them, the Giant Dragon Race would have surely wiped them all out long ago.
"You're Long Ao?"
"And who are you?"
Long Ao instantly grew wary. He could clearly sense that the aura emanating from the young man before him was that of a Thunder Tribulation Martial Artist.
"Brother Long, this is Linghu Ning. He's ranked sixth on the Hundred Battles Ranking."
'Sixth on the Hundred Battles Ranking?'
Linghu Ning. Long Ao searched his memories and finally recalled the top ten figures on the Hundred Battles Ranking. The sixth-ranked person was indeed Linghu Ning.
"Long Ao. Not bad. The fact that you could kill Ye Yidao means you have some real skill."
A Unity Martial Artist. In the eyes of Linghu Ning and Bing Hun, Long Ao was still just a Unity Martial Artist. They would never have guessed that in just a few short months, he had already become a Thunder Tribulation Martial Artist.
As he spoke, Linghu Ning's expression instantly turned cold. "Long Ao, did you know that Ye Yidao was my best friend?"
'Here comes trouble.'
Long Ao was no fool; of course he knew what Linghu Ning was implying. Seeing the hostility flare between them, Bing Hun felt a jolt of alarm. She had forgotten about the connection between Ye Yidao and Linghu Ning.
Ultimately, Bing Hun had never expected Long Ao to suddenly appear in the Flame Forest. After all, the Flame Empire and the Thunder Empire were incredibly far apart, so it was a great coincidence that they would meet here.
"Brother Linghu."
Waving his hand dismissively before Bing Hun could speak, Linghu Ning said, "Sister Bing, even if I planned on making trouble, now isn't the time. The Dragon Lion is what's most important."
"Long Ao, why don't you join us?"
Among the ten of them, Linghu Ning was the strongest, followed by Bing Hun. As for the remaining eight, the most powerful among them was only at the Fusion Realm. However, it was clear that all eight were Linghu Ning's men, and they were all staring coldly at Long Ao.
"In that case, it would be rude to refuse. Please, lead the way."
"After you."
Linghu Ning chuckled and started walking. His eight men followed close behind. As for Long Ao and Bing Hun, they trailed after, seemingly keeping a deliberate distance from the other nine.
"Brother Long, you obviously know Linghu Ning has ulterior motives for inviting you to hunt the Dragon Lion. Why did you agree to come?"
Bing Hun's face was etched with worry. She was keenly aware of Linghu Ning's power. While she admitted Long Ao was formidable, a Unity Martial Artist was still within the Innate Realm; there was no way he could be a match for a Thunder Tribulation Martial Artist.
Long Ao just smiled and said, "I'm also quite curious to see this legendary Dragon Lion for myself. By the way, Bing Hun, what's the power level of this Dragon Lion you're all hunting?"
Seeing that Long Ao was changing the subject, Bing Hun sighed inwardly and said with resignation, "A short while ago, I stumbled upon a Dragon Lion undergoing its Thunder Tribulation here in the Flame Forest. Perhaps it was just my luck, but while the Dragon Lion survived its tribulation, it was injured in the process. Even so, with my current strength, I'm still no match for it."
"So you went and found Linghu Ning?"
Seeing Bing Hun nod, Long Ao felt a sense of resignation. 'Even though Bing Hun was the one who found this severely injured Dragon Lion, once it's captured or killed, it will undoubtedly belong to Linghu Ning.'
"Long Ao, I know what you're thinking. I didn't specifically seek Linghu Ning out; I ran into him by chance and asked for his help. He already promised that once we kill the Dragon Lion, we'll split it evenly."
'Would Linghu Ning really be willing to split the Dragon Lion evenly?'
Long Ao couldn't be sure, but he knew one thing for certain: no matter where or when, Bing Hun was his friend. If a friend was in trouble, he would step in without a second thought, regardless of how powerful the opponent might be.
And so, the party of eleven cautiously pursued the Dragon Lion. Following its scent, they headed east. After an unknown amount of time, Linghu Ning suddenly exclaimed in delight, "I've found the Dragon Lion! Everyone, halt! Remember, do not make a move without my command. Disobey, and you will be killed without mercy."