Chapter 1223: Recapture

He believed that as long as he maintained his spiritual power after seeing the unknown object and didn't lose control of his own soul, he would surely win this game.

The old dragon, thinking this, readily agreed to Xu Yang's request. "It's a deal then. Don't forget your promise: if I win, you will release me unconditionally!"

Xu Yang smiled and nodded. "Of course. So many people here can bear witness for us. I wouldn't break my word to them just for you, my mount, would I?"

The giant dragon scoffed and bared its teeth at Xu Yang. "Don't ever use those two words in front of me again. I'd consider it an insult to the dragon race."

Xu Yang burst out laughing. "Don't worry, you'll be saying those two words willingly very soon."

As soon as he finished speaking, Xu Yang transformed into a streak of light and appeared before the giant dragon. The old dragon showed no fear. Xu Yang then took out the item related to their wager.

It was a round, mirror-like object, which he slowly brought before the giant dragon. When the grey-white dragon saw the outline of the Ancestral Dragon's soul reflected in the mirror, it was so startled its spirit nearly shattered on the spot!

"What? How is this possible? Am I seeing things? Did I enter an illusion you created?" Below, the old raven and others couldn't help but ask, "Hahahaha, Old Dragon, tell us, what did you see in that mirror? What kind of thing was it that scared our boss so much?" The old dragon, however, paid no attention to those below.

Their reactions simply confirmed to the old dragon that this was no illusion, but a tangible reality: he had truly seen the Ancestor of Ancestors!

"Ancestor, why are you here? What is your relationship with this young man?"

The Ancestral Dragon sneered, "Are these questions you are qualified to ask? From now on, you are this young man's mount. If you dare to defy his orders, do you understand? You will never be able to escape again."

The Ancestral Dragon's voice swiftly permeated the grey-white dragon's soul world, completely terrifying it into submission. When its gaze landed on Xu Yang again, its expression and demeanor had utterly transformed.

"Master, from this moment on, I am your mount. Command me as you wish; I will obey without question until the end of my life!"

When the members of the Eight Gates below heard the old dragon's words, they were all dumbfounded, their jaws practically on the floor.

Only moments before, the old dragon had been absolutely confident of winning. Yet, for some unknown reason, after seeing the mirror Xu Yang produced, he completely lost his defiant spirit and meekly became Xu Yang's mount.

What's more, he didn't seem to mind at all; in fact, a glimmer of honor appeared on his face. No one could interpret this transformation as a conspiracy, especially since Xu Yang would never reveal the Ancestral Dragon's secret to anyone else.

Only Xiaohua knew the method Xu Yang used to conquer this giant dragon and that the mirror, once retrieved, was merely a wisp of soul-thought condensed by the Ancestral Dragon.

Xu Yang unceremoniously swung himself onto the white dragon's back and patted its neck. "From today, you shall be known as Xiaobai, my exclusive mount. Of course, when needed, you will also serve as a mount for my teammates. Despite this role, you will always be a valued member of our team, and no one will discriminate against you."

Xiaobai nodded respectfully, fully aware that he would never again be able to defy Xu Yang's commands. Even out of respect for the Ancestral Dragon's soul behind Xu Yang, Xiaobai would be one hundred percent obedient.

After riding Xiaobai, soaring and maneuvering through the strait's sky for over a dozen rounds and enjoying the exhilaration of having a dragon as a mount, Xu Yang summoned Xiaobai to return to the ship's deck and transform back into human form. It had to be said that his grey-white scales, when transformed into human form, made him look remarkably handsome.

Despite his true age, when Xiaobai reverted to his human form, he appeared as a middle-aged man. Yet, even with his advanced years, his personality was indistinguishable from that of a teenager.

Within the team, he only obeyed Xu Yang's commands. While he would still sternly reprimand and lecture anyone who teased him, he would never harm a single member of the team.

"Alright, Prince, we have now seen the Dragon Roam Wonder. Only the last of the Four Great Wonders, the Cloud Wonder, remains. I believe once we overcome this final challenge, we should be able to fully exit this strait region."

The Prince nodded with a serious expression. "Now that this white dragon has been tamed by you, you might as well ask him about the origin of this so-called fourth great wonder, the Cloud Wonder."

Xu Yang had just turned to look at Xiaobai when, unexpectedly, Xiaobai mischievously started to speak, then, unable to suppress his laughter, finally burst out.

"Alright, Master, no more jokes. Actually, this fourth wonder, the 'Heartless Cloudscape,' is just a formation I created out of sheer boredom. It allows me to stir up all the clouds and mist above the strait.

By channeling my dragon power, I can manipulate various weather conditions—frost, rain, snow, wind, thunder, and lightning—to descend upon the strait. Any cultivation force that has passed through here has been unable to withstand the 'Cloud Shock' transformation!"

Upon hearing the old dragon's revelation, the members of the Eight Gates collectively booed him.

"Damn it! If I had known, I wouldn't have made so many preparations! I thought the Cloud Wonder, among the Four Great Wonders, would be the most formidable challenge.

I can't believe it was just a prank created by you, old dragon! Now, quickly confess: how many treasures have you hoarded all these years while hiding in the depths of this strait?

Now that you've become our boss's mount and we're about to claim our rightful seats, you should bring out all the treasures you've accumulated over the years and share them with us!"

No one could have imagined these words would come from the little scout. It was his remark that directly struck the white dragon's weakness.

The white dragon had initially believed he could manage to keep his little private hoard; even serving as Xu Yang's mount wouldn't be a painful or distressing matter.