Chapter 34, Sky Cloud Python and Riding a Dragon

Translator: Raznick

 

Cultivating secret arts was not something that could be achieved overnight.

 

Even though Cicada Forest Blending Breath and Elemental Armor Art were not particularly difficult to train, a Qi Refining cultivator would need at least over a year to master them without neglecting their own practice.

 

After returning from Flying Stone Peak, Zhou Chun’s life remained largely unchanged. Instead of spending time reading and relaxing, Zhou Chun trained the two secret arts. Otherwise, his life didn’t change much.

 

While he had just returned from Red Cliff Market seven days ago, the Zhou Clan’s internal selection tournament had officially begun.

 

The final outcome of the selection tournament didn’t really come as a surprise to many Zhou Clan cultivators.

 

They were all cultivators from the same clan. They often sparred with each other and go on adventures outside. If you wanted to find out how powerful someone was, you just needed to ask around a bit.

 

Zhou Chun did not put in much effort during the selection competition and did not even use his superior first-grade artifact, the Shooting Moon Blade. As a result, he ended up in fifth place among the young group, just behind his elder brother Zhou Zhengyong.

 

In the elite group where participants were limited to those under sixty years old, his relatively close associate, Twenty-seventh Uncle Zhou Jiapeng, achieved second place.

 

After these internal qualifying matches ended, Zhou Chun and the other confirmed participants were given a list of profiles. The document contained detailed information about some of the competitors from other clans.

 

At the same time, each person received one superior first-grade talisman and four average first-grade talismans, granted by the clan.

 

It was evident how serious Clan Leader Zhou Daoyi and other Zhou Clan leaders were about this major martial competition involving the five cultivating clans.

 

Thus, after approximately another month had passed, on this particular morning, all twenty cultivators from the Zhou Clan participating in the competition gathered atop Pagoda Peak.

 

Today was the day they set out for the location where the martial competition would take place.

 

This year’s martial competition event fell to the Red Herb Valley’s Wang Clan to host, with the venue located within the Wang Clan estate.

 

On Pagoda Peak, after Zhou Chun and the other participating Zhou Clan cultivators had gathered, Clan Leader Zhou Daoyi first delivered an inspiring speech. He then removed the spirit beast pouch from his waist and swung it.

 

In an instant, a sudden gust of wind swept through the square before the Central Palace, and a gigantic, scaleless, cobalt-colored serpent suddenly appeared.

 

This massive blue python had a body as thick as a barrel. Its belly displayed hues of blue and white, with patterns resembling clusters of white clouds, much like actual clouds in the sky.

 

Second-grade demon beast Sky Cloud Python！

 

This blue giant python was Zhou Clan’s Clan Leader Zhou Daoyi’s spirit pet. The Sky Cloud Python was an extremely rare demon beast classified as average, and said to possess the legendary Flood Dragon lineage.

 

Once a demon beast reached second-grade, regardless of its type, it would acquire the ability to fly, just like cultivators in the Foundation Establishment Stage.

 

Sky Cloud Python, as a wind-attribute demon beast, after reaching second-grade adulthood, was even more swift in flight than cultivators and excelled at flying.

 

Therefore, with its body measuring twenty meters in length, it was entirely capable of serving as a flying mount to carry Zhou Chun and twenty other Qi Refining cultivators on their journey.

 

At this point, after releasing the Sky Cloud Python, Zhou Daoyi immediately took a step forward and went straight to the head of the Sky Cloud Python, which was lying stretched out on the square.

 

Then he waved to the Zhou Clan cultivators, who had been startled by the Sky Cloud Python’s overwhelming presence, and said, “All of you, come here. From now on, Azure will take you to the Red Herb Valley’s Wang Clan.”

 

Hearing what he said, it seemed that Zhou Jiapeng and others “Jia” generation had met Sky Cloud Python many times before. They quickly shifted their steps to walk onto the python’s back, then spread their legs and sat down.

 

With these individuals leading the way, Zhou Chun and the other young cultivators from the “Zheng” generation finally dared to venture forward.

 

Twenty people had boarded the python’s back, spacing themselves roughly an arm’s length apart, and stood in formation.

 

Zhou Daoyi said “Hold on tight”, and the Sky Cloud Python under his feet immediately flicked its tail and twisted its head, generating a sudden gust of wind as it lifted itself into the air from the ground.

 

“Oh！”

 

Screams filled the air, coming from Zhou Clan cultivators who were riding the dragon for the first time. The motion of the serpentine creature had made them nervous.

 

However, this was mostly due to their own excessive tension. While the mount did have slight movements, it was far more stable than a galloping horse and completely smooth.

 

After releasing that tense emotion through their shouts, the group gradually realized what had happened and returned to normal. Then, they grew excited, gripping the serpent’s body tightly with both hands and gazing wide-eyed at the mountains and rivers below, pointing and exclaiming as they took in the sights.

 

For the sake of these Qi Refining cultivators, Sky Cloud Python did not fly too high either, just six or seven hundred meters, a height beneath the clouds where one could take in the beautiful scenery of the land below.

 

Of course, this also meant that anyone on the ground who looked up could see the massive python’s figure in the air, carrying over two dozen people as it snaked through the sky.

 

When the giant serpent flew over areas where commoners were gathered, ordinary people who happened to glance upwards and saw this spectacle couldn’t help but mistake the serpent for the legendary true dragon. They regarded the Zhou Clan cultivators on its back as immortals taking a leisurely stroll atop the beast, causing them to prostrate themselves and worship away.

 

Even some cultivators, upon seeing this scene, were struck with awe. Many were left speechless.

 

The reactions of those beneath were instantly observed by the numerous Zhou Clan cultivators, instilling in all of them an overwhelming sense of pride.

 

[Look, this is our Spirit Beast Zhou Clan—a cultivating clan that has been passed down for over a thousand seven hundred years. It’s not something that those without resources, the rogue cultivators and small clans, can compare to.]

 

A “Jia” generation cultivator from the Zhou Clan couldn’t help but express his feeling thusly: “If only Clan Leader’s Sky Cloud Python could evolve into a Flood Dragon, then we would truly be able to ride it in our travels!”

 

Upon hearing his words, the Zhou Clan cultivators on the python’s back couldn’t help but imagine the scene he described, becoming deeply entranced and captivated.

 

Only Zhou Daoyi, turned his back to everyone, after hearing these words, had his face filled with bitter smiles.

 

He wanted a Flood Dragon the most!

 

The issue was, wanting to evolve the Sky Cloud Python into a Flood Dragon posed an enormous challenge.

 

Let alone as a Foundation Establishment cultivator, even if he became a Violet Palace Stage cultivator, there wouldn’t be much hope of achieving this.

 

The Flood Dragon was, at minimum, a greater demon beast and among the strongest of its kind within the greater demon beasts.

 

Although Sky Cloud Python possessed Flood Dragon lineage, relying on self-evolution to become a Flood Dragon was practically impossible.

 

However, there was no need at that moment to suppress the ambitions of these clan’s younger members.

 

Actually, Zhou Daoyi used such a high-profile and impressive method to lead the Zhou Clan cultivators to Red Herb Valley’s Wang Clan. Zhou Daoyi aimed to inspire these younger generations and demonstrate the Zhou Clan’s resources strength to the outside world.

 

Sky Cloud Python flew very fast, covering four or five hundred miles in just one hour. It took two hours for it to travel from Nine Peaks to Red Herb Valley, where the Wang Clan was located.

 

Red Herb Valley’s Wang Clan was known for growing and tradind herbs. Their clan’s location in Red Herb Valley made it an ideal place for the growth of these precious herbs.

 

In terms of clan strength, the Wang Clan was also no less formidable. Not only did it have a Violet Palace Stage Grand Elder, but it also boasted five Foundation Establishment cultivators. Additionally, within the Green Lotus Monastery, there were three Wang Clan出 Foundation Establishment cultivators.

 

It could be said that in terms of surface strength, the Wang Clan was even stronger than the Zhou Clan.

 

At that moment, a group of Zhou Clan cultivators appeared outside Red Herb Valley, riding their Sky Cloud Pythons. The Wang Clan cultivators guarding the array were likewise astonished and speechless upon seeing them.

 

Zhou Daoyi then commanded the Sky Cloud Python to land on the ground, lowering all those sitting atop it. He placed the Sky Cloud Python back into its spirit beast pouch afterward, at which point the shocked Wang Clan cultivators finally came to their senses and quickly informed the Wang Clan’s leadership about the situation.

 

After waiting another ten minutes outside the Wang Clan’s estate, Zhou Chun and his companions finally saw the mist of the array violently surge forward, revealing a pathway wide enough for several people to walk through side by side.

 

Then, Wang Zhixiong, the Clan Leader of the Red Herb Valley’s Wang Clan, led two Wang Clan cultivators out to meet them from within the tunnel.

 

“Ha ha ha, welcome Fellow Daoist Zhou and fellow members of the Zhou Clan to the Wang Clan. Allow me to personally welcome you.”

 

He had a stout face, small eyes, a round full belly, and was dressed in a loose yellow gown—this was the appearance of Wang Clan’s Clan Leader Wang Zhixiong.

 

He addressed Zhou Daoyi and the Zhou Clan cultivators with a smile, respectfully cupping his hands in greeting. Then, he warmly invited them into the estate.

 

It was different from Zhou Clan’s Nine Peaks, which boasted a varied and picturesque environment. The Wang Clan’s estate, situated within a vast valley, with its extensive fields of medicinal herbs cultivated, resembled a large farmstead.

 

Upon entering the Wang Clan estate, one could immediately detect a variety of herbal fragrances in the air. Looking around, numerous Wang Clan cultivators could be seen tending to the fields, engaging in tasks such as watering plants, weeding, and eliminating pests.

 

Zhou Chun looked and saw that, in terms of area alone, the Wang Clan’s herb fields were seven or eight times larger than those of the Zhou Clan. The herbs planted there were numerous and varied, each distinct from the others.

 

“Red Herb Valley Wang’s Clan lives up to its reputation!”

 

Zhou Chun was standing beside Zhou Jiapeng, both of them carefully examining the various spirit fields around them. Then, Zhou Jiapeng softly sighed.

 

“With so many herbs, the cultivators of Wang Clan must be very happy. At least they will not lack pills for cultivation!” Zhou Zhengyong muttered enviously.

 

However, was this truly the case?

 

Considering the information he knew about the Wang Clan, Zhou Chun felt that things were not as simple as Zhou Zhengyong said.

 

If they were truly not lacking in pills, then according to the records, those Wang Clan participants in the competition should all be at the Eleventh or Twelfth Layer of Qi Refining.

 

In his heart, he pondered secretly: “There’s also a possibility that these herbs do not entirely belong to the Wang Clan.”

 

Only, it’s not easy to say this. After all, Wang Clan’s Clan Leader Wang Zhixiong was right in front of them!