Chapter 132: Battle of the Twin Dragons

Li Hao observed their expressions and, knowing their inner confusion, explained, "Yes, it is just a friendly sparring match."

Lin Xueyou asked, "Is Brother Li Hao alright?"

Zhen Ba shared the same sentiment as Lin Xueyou, waiting for Li Hao's answer. Li Hao flashed his usual warm, sunny smile and replied, "I'm fine! I had just exchanged one move with it when you arrived. That’s all there is to it."

"Is that so?" Hearing this, Lin Xueyou and Zhen Ba felt relieved. However, many questions still lingered in their minds. For instance, why did this flood dragon seek out Li Hao? Why did it want to spar with him? Why did it appear here in the first place? Why did a single night of torrential rain submerge such a vast area, and why wouldn't the floodwaters recede? These questions plagued them, leaving them without answers. They could only hope to learn the truth from the dragon itself.

Xiao Jiu looked at the flood dragon, its hunger for battle already becoming unbearable. It asked the dragon, "How do you want to fight?"

Xiao Jiu meant to ask whether the dragon wished to transform into its human form or fight using its true beast form to decide the victor. The flood dragon understood the question and replied, "I can fight you, but if we fight with our full strength, we might shatter the mountains and rivers of this small realm and hurt the innocent. Why don't we duel using only the peak strength of the Foundation Establishment Realm?"

Xiao Jiu did not object and proposed, "How about we make a wager?"

The flood dragon, puzzled, asked, "What kind of wager?"

Xiao Jiu said, "It’s simple. If you win, I will submit to your will, but you must pledge eternal loyalty to my young master. If you lose, you must also follow my young master, but you must call me 'Boss.' Dare you take the bet?"

This wager was clearly rigged for Li Hao’s benefit; regardless of whether the dragon won or lost, Li Hao would be the one to gain. Unexpectedly, whether stunned by Xiao Jiu's words or overcome by the pressure of its innate bloodline, the dragon foolishly agreed to the disadvantageous terms, saying, "Fine!"

Lin Xueyou, Zhen Ba, and Li Hao were all taken aback by the exchange. Li Hao was the first to realize that Xiao Jiu had schemed against the dragon for his sake, and he felt a surge of gratitude. When Lin Xueyou and Zhen Ba caught on, they couldn't help but chuckle at Xiao Jiu’s cunning.

Seeing how quickly the dragon agreed, Xiao Jiu didn't give it a chance to reconsider and urged, "Then let us swear the Myriad Law Oath!"

The dragon, acting on impulse, replied, "Let's swear it!"

Above the heads of the two creatures, a blood bead the size of an infant's fist appeared, into which each infused a portion of their soul. They exchanged the beads and absorbed them, sealing the Myriad Law Oath. Once the oath was integrated, the dragon felt instant regret, realizing it had been played. But it was too late; the contract was binding, and it had to swallow its pride. Its only remaining hope was to defeat this crafty opponent and reclaim some dignity.

With the oath sealed, a flash of law-light erupted from Xiao Jiu, and it instantly transformed into its true form. Seeing the nine-bodied dragon, the flood dragon felt a sense of despair but had no choice but to brace itself for the fight.

Li Hao, having heard the dragon’s concerns about not harming the innocent or destroying the landscape, felt a fondness for it. After all, not every exotic creature possessed such a tempered nature, and this dragon’s future potential was likely immense. Not every flood dragon could grow five claws; even three was considered miraculous. Its claws were unique, each a different color—it was likely a rare, multi-elemental variant. If it could eventually evolve into a true dragon, it would be an existence of unimaginable power.

In terms of equal cultivation, Xiao Jiu, using its true form, was effectively nine combatants of equal strength fighting as one. For the flood dragon, this was a one-versus-nine battle. The dragon was stunned; it had assumed Xiao Jiu was merely a dragon of noble blood, but now it realized it had grossly underestimated its opponent.

As Xiao Jiu’s nine bodies, each about a hundred feet long, charged, the dragon’s single hundred-foot frame looked pitifully lonely. The dragon attempted to use the power of water to maneuver, hoping that by playing to its own strengths against the opponent's weaknesses, it might find a way to survive. Yet, as it channeled the water element, one of Xiao Jiu’s bodies began to radiate the same energy.

*Could it be multi-elemental?* the dragon wondered. When Xiao Jiu unleashed its full power, its suspicions were confirmed; each of its bodies shimmered with the light of a different law.

Seeing this, the dragon knew victory was impossible. Yet, it did not shrink from the fight. In the dragon's heart, even if the opponent was overwhelmingly strong, it would fight with all its might; the outcome mattered less than the struggle itself.

The dragon’s solitary figure charged directly into the midst of Xiao Jiu’s nine bodies. Xiao Jiu was shocked—not out of fear, but out of sheer surprise at the dragon's boldness. The poor creature was instantly pinned by the thirty-six claws of Xiao Jiu’s nine bodies. As the claws pressed down, ripples of law-energy emanated from the dragon’s body, churning the surrounding water into turbulent waves.

Despite being pinned, the dragon struggled violently. Seeing such tenacity, Xiao Jiu began to admire its opponent. It felt that winning by sheer numbers was dishonorable. With this, Xiao Jiu retracted eight of its bodies, choosing to fight fairly with only its water-attribute form. Seeing this, the dragon’s opinion of Xiao Jiu improved; this was the mutual respect of worthy rivals.

Xiao Jiu’s retracted bodies didn't disappear; they merely shrank and hid beneath its scales, tucked into the center where they connected to the main body. Once hidden, Xiao Jiu finally looked like a normal dragon, relieving the onlookers of the bizarre sight of its multiple heads and bodies.

Speaking in the dragon tongue, Xiao Jiu said, "I admire you. But admiration aside, I will not go easy on you. I haven't fought in a thousand years, and today, I intend to have my fill."

The flood dragon replied in the same language, "You are powerful, and I respect that. Your bizarre forms shocked me, but don't get too arrogant. I know I cannot defeat you, but this spar is a thrill for me as well. I have been trapped here for thousands of years without an opponent; to fight to my heart's content is a joy in itself."

The two hundred-foot dragons danced in the water, spitting currents, lashing tails, and trading claw strikes. Their battle resembled play, a back-and-forth chase that left Li Hao and his companions wide-eyed.

Curious, Xiao Jiu asked, "Why can't you leave this place?"

The dragon replied, "I am imprisoned here, serving merely as a test for the young."

Xiao Jiu asked, "If I knew a way to take you out, would you go?"

The dragon replied excitedly, "I would! What is the way? Tell me."

Xiao Jiu explained, "If you become the spirit of a weapon, the laws of this realm will be blocked by the artifact, losing their hold on you. Then you could leave with your master."

The dragon sighed sadly, "I know that, but finding a master is easy; finding a *good* one is not. I would rather stay here in freedom than suffer a lifetime under a master who makes my existence a misery."

Xiao Jiu chuckled, "I fear my master wouldn't even want you, though he would be a fine choice."

The dragon was startled by this, momentarily losing focus, and was sent flying dozens of feet by a flick of Xiao Jiu’s tail. It didn't mind the blow; it was too excited. In the dragon's eyes, Xiao Jiu was a high-blooded, powerful, mutated genius. If such a creature had a master, that master must be extraordinary. It quickly returned to the fray, asking, "Boss, who is your master? Tell me! If your master can get me out of here, I'll call you 'Boss' and follow you forever, even if you beat me! How about that?"

Xiao Jiu declined, "If you hadn't added that last part, I might have introduced you. But now, I've changed my mind. If I defeat you today, I won't introduce you. If you manage to beat me, then I will."

The dragon felt like weeping—Xiao Jiu was clearly bullying it.