Chapter 2032: Yuan Elder Falls into the Trap

Elder Yuan and his group made no attempt to hide. The flood dragon, suspended in mid-air, seemed aware of their presence, fixing them with a cold stare. Its voice, like thunder, boomed, "Humans, do you truly believe dragon blood can tempt me?"

"Precisely," Elder Yuan responded. "I know that with your abilities, you must have sensed us long ago. Your delayed appearance was undoubtedly to see what treasures we would offer!"

Taking a step forward, Elder Yuan's power surged, as if tearing through the vast sky.

"A peak Immortal Monarch?" Zhang Xuan raised an eyebrow.

Elder Yuan, who appeared to be only about forty, was unexpectedly a peak Immortal Monarch Realm expert. Judging by his aura, he was no weaker than, and perhaps even stronger than, Elder Qiu Huo.

It was no wonder that the many elders nearby supported him; he was indeed exceptional.

"Indeed," the flood dragon snorted. "At this level of cultivation, everything else is secondary. To make me submit, you must possess greater combat prowess than I."

The flood dragon, aware that such a large group intended to tame it, had naturally held back. Its delay was to assess whether their offerings were worth its engagement. If there was nothing compelling, its subordinate sacred and immortal beasts could simply drive them away. But if there was something truly enticing, a fight would be worthwhile. With the blood of dragons flowing through its veins, it had never feared a battle against a peer.

"Combat prowess?"

Elder Yuan smiled. "In terms of combat prowess, I am certainly not your equal. However, I can not only purify the dragon blood that has already flowed out, but also purify the dragon blood within you!"

"Purify the dragon blood within my body?"

The flood dragon in the air froze for a moment, its pupils constricting.

The power of dragons stemmed primarily from their bloodline. If the elder could indeed purify its blood, it would gain the opportunity to break through the flood dragon's limitations and ascend to a true dragon! This was an immense temptation for any creature of the dragon lineage.

"How can you prove this...?" the flood dragon snorted.

"It's very simple," Elder Yuan replied with a faint smile. "This purified dragon blood is the proof. With your discerning eye, you must recognize that this was once flood dragon blood, just like yours. My success in purifying it speaks volumes about my capabilities! This is your sole opportunity to transform into a true dragon. Whether you seize it or not is entirely up to your choice!"

Elder Yuan smiled faintly, exuding profound confidence. The purification of blood, offering the chance for a flood dragon to evolve into a true dragon—no creature of the dragon lineage could refuse such an offer. He was confident the flood dragon could not resist the temptation.

"I hope what you say is true..."

The flood dragon in the air snorted coldly. "But even if what you say is true, taming me still requires sufficient strength. Show me what you've got! Otherwise, you'll be staying on this mountain forever."

*Boom!*

As its words concluded, a claw ripped down with terrifying force. In an instant, the surrounding space seemed to solidify, and violent power, like a hurricane, surged through the air.

"So powerful..."

Elder Yuan's pupils constricted, then he smiled faintly. "Since I dared to come here to tame you, I naturally anticipated this move..."

He stomped his foot firmly, then with a flick of his wrist, a spherical object appeared in his palm, emitting a dazzling light.

"A North Sea Dragon Pearl?"

Elder Liao was taken aback, and a look of profound shock spread across the faces of the other elders as well.

The North Sea Dragon Pearl was a unique treasure from the North Sea, possessing hallucinogenic properties and a potent allure and lethality toward dragons. It was rumored that long ago, the Hall Master of the Hall of Enlightenment had used this very item to lure a pseudo-dragon out of the divine temple.

The dragon lineage maintained a strict hierarchy. Creatures like Azure Dragon Beasts, though possessing dragon blood, were not considered true dragons. Above them were flood dragons, followed by pseudo-dragons, and then true dragons. Reaching the pseudo-dragon level was akin to achieving the Pseudo-God Realm! The North Sea Dragon Pearl could even lure pseudo-dragons, indicating its irresistible allure to all of dragonkind.

However, the North Sea stretched for tens of millions of kilometers, an immense territory, and this item was exceedingly rare. Many spent their entire lives without ever seeing one, and historically, very few had ever obtained it. Consequently, it was believed to exist only in legends. No one had anticipated that Elder Yuan, standing before them, had actually managed to find one!

It appeared he had expended an immense, untold amount of effort preparing to tame this flood dragon. Given the current circumstances, it seemed the position of Sect Master was practically reserved for him.

The moment the Dragon Pearl appeared, a look of confusion immediately clouded the flood dragon's eyes, as if it had fallen into a deep trance.

"Heh heh!"

As if he had anticipated this reaction, Elder Yuan smiled faintly, leaped into the air, and flicked his wrist. The North Sea Dragon Pearl immediately flew to one side, with the flood dragon following closely, as if utterly enchanted.

*Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!*

He continuously waved the Dragon Pearl, and the flood dragon, as if tethered to it, dared not pause for a single moment. Maintaining a distance of over ten meters, it incessantly twisted its body in the air, the agitated air producing a whistling sound.

"This is... the Dragon Pearl teasing the Dragon!"

Elder Liao smiled slightly, his eyes gleaming. "Dragons are proud and powerful creatures, each possessing their own dignity. Under normal circumstances, even if defeated, they would never submit. Elder Yuan is using the Dragon Pearl to lure the flood dragon, then tease it. The goal is to break its resolve, humiliate it, and simultaneously exhaust its physical strength, leaving it unable to resist."

The others nodded in agreement.

There were many ways to tame a flood dragon, but "Dragon Pearl teasing the Dragon," which depleted the creature's essence, spirit, and dignity, was considered the most effective. It was akin to 'breaking a hawk'—exhausting the opponent until it had no strength left, at which point it would naturally submit. Though dragons were proud, if their strength was utterly depleted, they would submit without hesitation, offering no resistance.

*Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!*

As the conversation continued below, the flood dragon in the air, still teased by the Dragon Pearl, performed increasingly wider maneuvers, flying higher and further away from their location.

As the person and the dragon gradually dwindled into a distant black speck, Zhang Xuan's brows furrowed involuntarily.

"Something isn't right..."

He had a persistent feeling that something was amiss, though he couldn't quite pinpoint what it was. To put it plainly, this flood dragon was simply too easily deceived! The attendant had previously informed him that countless experts from the Myriad Beasts Sect had attempted to tame this flood dragon, all without success. Given this history, the flood dragon should have been aware that Elder Yuan would undoubtedly possess numerous stratagems. So why would it fall for such an obvious ploy? Was it truly so easily captivated by the Dragon Pearl? Could this item genuinely possess such immense magical power?

"Being lured by the refined blood and then challenging them seems a bit reckless..."

Having tamed many sacred and spirit beasts with dragon blood, he understood their inherent stubbornness. While Elder Yuan's purified essence blood was potent, it shouldn't have been enough to provoke such an immediate charge. Furthermore, even if it did charge, it would surely attack directly, not engage in lengthy discussions that would allow the opponent to gain an advantage. From every perspective, it seemed implausible. Yet, he had just used his Eye of Discernment and confirmed that the creature in the air was undeniably a genuine flood dragon.

Curious, Zhang Xuan did not rush out but continued to observe. He watched Elder Yuan, still teasing the flood dragon with the Dragon Pearl, move further and further away, until both were almost out of sight. It was unclear if this was due to the flood dragon's movements or Elder Yuan's own.

Just then, a frantic cry suddenly echoed from the air, followed by the appearance of a ragged old man. Before he even landed, blood gushed from his mouth, and a massive, gaping wound on his chest pulsed with crimson. He was gravely wounded.

"Elder Liao, this is bad! Quick, get out of here..."

The old man collapsed to the ground, his voice laced with urgency.

"Elder Wang," Elder Liao asked, rushing forward. "Weren't you with Elder Liu, taming the Nine-Headed Fire Phoenix Beast? How did you end up here, and where are the others?" Rushing to his side, Elder Liao quickly administered two pills to suppress the injuries, then anxiously pressed for answers. For this Sect Master candidate assessment, the two most popular young elders were taking the lead, while the older ones like them were merely there to assist. Elder Wang was supposed to be assisting Elder Liu in taming the Nine-Headed Fire Phoenix Beast. How could he suddenly be here, and so grievously wounded?

"We fell into a trap," Elder Wang replied, recovering somewhat. "The Nine-Headed Fire Phoenix Beast, the flood dragon, and the Seven-Tailed Sabre-toothed Tiger—those three immortal beasts—joined forces to attack us. Elder Liu was killed on the spot, and the other elders were also gravely wounded. Only I managed to escape to this point."

Having regained some strength, Elder Wang spoke urgently.

"Three immortal beasts allied? When did this happen?"

Elder Liao's pupils constricted, and he asked with urgency.

"Just now," Elder Wang replied, his voice filled with anxiety. "I fled quickly; the other elders desperately held them back. Otherwise, they would have already arrived here... Hurry and leave, or it might be too late!"

"Just now? That doesn't make sense... Elder Yuan just lured the flood dragon away. How could it have allied with the Nine-Headed Fire Phoenix Beast to encircle and attack you?" Elder Liao found it hard to believe. The flood dragon had been here for quite some time, constantly mesmerized by Elder Yuan's North Sea Dragon Pearl. When did it possibly have time to go and slaughter them?

"I don't know about that..."

Shaking his head, Elder Wang was about to urge them to leave when his pupils suddenly constricted and his body stiffened. Following his gaze, the others looked up and immediately saw a flood dragon, an immortal beast resembling a phoenix, and a sabre-toothed tiger striding through the air, already positioned directly above them.

"A flood dragon?"

A chill ran through him. Elder Liao quickly looked toward Elder Yuan in the distance and saw him still waving the Dragon Pearl, with another flood dragon continuously flying directly in front of him. Elder Yuan had led one away, so how was there another one here? Could it be... Lingyun Mountain harbored two flood dragons? That was impossible! Just as one mountain cannot hold two tigers, it certainly couldn't accommodate two dragons...

"Could you be...?"

Elder Liao's pupils constricted as realization dawned, his body rigid. "The one Elder Yuan lured away with the Dragon Pearl just now... was the White-Eared Fox?"

The White-Eared Fox was not powerful in combat, but it excelled at creating illusions and phantoms. Could it be... that the flood dragon they saw earlier was merely an illusion conjured by it? Otherwise, with three of the four immortal beasts already present, why had the most resourceful one not shown itself until now?

"You're not entirely dull, but it's too late for realizations now..."

The flood dragon in the air snorted coldly. With a claw snatched from mid-air, the jade bottle filled with essence blood, previously left on the ground, instantly fell into its grasp. Immediately afterward, its tail whipped out fiercely.

*Thwack!*

Elder Liao was instantly struck hard, sent flying backward, and crashed to the ground.