Chapter 134: Master

Chapter 134: Master, Won't You Take Me In?

Upon hearing Xiao Jiu’s words, the little flood dragon stood frozen in place and hurriedly asked, "Boss, could you get me some clothes to wear?"

Although the little flood dragon had existed for thousands of years, his maturity was equivalent to that of a sheltered teenager. Having remained in his true form for millennia, he had never considered such things as clothing. This sudden predicament left him deeply embarrassed, marking his first transformation into human form as an unforgettable memory.

Xiao Jiu was rendered speechless. Biting the bullet, he snapped at the dragon, "Get lost! Where would I get clothes for you? Can’t you focus your intent on your dragon scales and imagine the clothes and pants you want to manifest? How embarrassing!"

The little flood dragon was enlightened by Xiao Jiu’s guidance. He glanced at Li Hao, then quickly focused his intent on his hidden scales, instantly manifesting a set of golden robes similar in style to Li Hao’s.

Seeing that the dragon’s attire mirrored Li Hao’s, Xiao Jiu was displeased. He remarked, "Can’t you pick something else instead of copying the young master?"

Everyone was confused by Xiao Jiu’s remark, and the little flood dragon was equally bewildered. Li Hao, however, said indifferently, "Brother Xiao Jiu, it’s fine. Let him wear whatever he likes."

Still, Xiao Jiu felt a prickle of jealousy and dissatisfaction. He didn't want the dragon to look like Li Hao, as if that made him superior. He quietly approached the dragon and whispered, "You cannot dress like the master, you know? You should change it."

These words struck the flood dragon like a thunderbolt. His mind went blank. Only now did he realize who Xiao Jiu meant by "master." Despite his thousands of years of cultivation, his wisdom was on par with a fifteen or sixteen-year-old human.

The human-shaped dragon glanced at Xiao Jiu’s outfit. With a flash of the light of natural laws, he shifted his appearance to match the style of Xiao Jiu’s clothing, though he chose a different color: a simple, solid yellow long gown.

Once changed, the dragon’s appearance shifted dramatically. He was strikingly handsome, standing on equal footing with Xiao Jiu and Zhen Ba.

After finalizing his attire, he rushed to Li Hao, knelt on one knee, and declared, "Guided by the Boss, I pay my respects to the Master!"

The sudden gesture caught everyone off guard. They stared in disbelief at both the dragon and Li Hao, leaving the latter flustered. "This...?"

Xiao Jiu, seeing Li Hao’s hesitation, explained, "Young Master, he is a little brother I just met here. He says he wants to leave. He’s been trapped for thousands of years, so I felt pity for him and decided to introduce him to you."

Li Hao asked curiously, "My friend, you’ve been here all this time—is there some hidden reason you couldn’t leave?"

The dragon replied, "I was imprisoned here to serve as a test for young cultivators. To leave, I must find a master, but in all these years, I have never encountered one who satisfied me. After hearing the Boss’s recommendation, I saw hope for the future. Please, Master, take me in."

Li Hao asked, "I see. Then what must I do to take you out of here?"

The dragon answered, "As long as you find a weapon or object you favor, I can reside within it, just like the Boss, and leave with you."

Li Hao pondered for a moment. "How about this?" He summoned the white jade flute that Lu Xuemei had given him.

The dragon looked at the flute in Li Hao’s hand and exclaimed, "Wow! Master, this stick is so exquisite!"

"A stick?"

Laughter erupted. The dragon had never seen strange items like flutes or zithers in this pocket dimension. To him, the white jade flute looked like nothing more than a pretty stick.

Xiao Jiu gave him a sharp knock on the head. The dragon, confused by the laughter and the blow, looked bewildered. Xiao Jiu chided him, "You need to learn! This isn't a stick; it’s a flute, understand?"

The dragon replied with deadpan seriousness, "I don't understand. What is a flute? What is it used for?"

Seeing such an innocent youth, everyone found him strangely endearing. Li Hao smiled and said, "A flute has many uses; you will learn in time. If you are willing, you may reside within this."

The dragon looked at Xiao Jiu, puzzled. "Boss, how do I get inside?"

Xiao Jiu explained patiently, "There are two ways. Either you use your own power to refine this flute and merge with it, or the Master uses his power to force you into it. However, the Master isn't strong enough for that yet, so this depends on you."

Xiao Jiu then condensed a sphere of memory with his divine soul and sent it into the dragon’s brow. It contained the knowledge of how to refine a Dao artifact and merge with it.

After reviewing the information, the dragon told Li Hao, "Master, I need a little bit of time to learn this. I need you all to wait until I’ve mastered it so I can refine the flute."

"How long will that take?" Li Hao asked.

The dragon thought for a moment and replied, "Two or three months at most, or perhaps half a month at the least."

"Is that a 'little bit of time'?" Everyone was left speechless.

They were anxious; their trial in this pocket dimension was meant to last only one month. If the dragon hadn't finished by then, what would happen? This was Li Hao’s primary concern.

Li Hao said, "We only have one month here. If you haven't finished by then, I won't be able to bring you out."

The dragon looked confused. "Master, why is it only one month this time? It has always been a year before."

The group was shocked. After some quick analysis, they found it hard to believe, as previous trials had never exceeded a year. Lin Xueyou suddenly realized something.

"Do you think," she suggested, "that time in this pocket dimension flows differently than in the outside world? Perhaps one year here is only one month outside. The one-month trial limit might be based on outside time."

Xiao Jiu nodded. "Sister Xueyou is right. Any powerful expert can manipulate the laws of time within their own pocket world. It’s quite normal; no need to be so surprised."

"Yes, that must be it!"

With the time issue resolved, the next concern was safety. Li Hao set that aside for a moment and asked, "We’ve had no trouble during the day, but the environment becomes hostile every night. Do you know of a safe place?"

The dragon looked embarrassed. "Master, please don't worry. The hostile environment at night is something I created using the laws of this world. If I don't trigger it, there will be no anomalies."

"What! It was you?" The girls exclaimed in unison, while Li Hao and the others were stunned.

Realizing that this was the culprit behind their miserable nights, they felt a sudden urge to beat him up. Seeing their expressions, the dragon quickly explained, "I wasn't trying to make things difficult for you; it was my duty. If there were no harsh trials, there would be no training. However, I am only responsible for the first three months. For the remaining nine, three other 'big guys' will be in charge. I’ll definitely learn to refine the flute within these three months. Once I do, I won't be able to help you even if I wanted to. For now, let’s just find a place to hide. You can also look around; you might get lucky and find some treasures."

Hearing this, their resentment vanished, replaced by excitement at the prospect of hunting for treasure. The danger-free months ahead sounded like a relief. The girls—Lu Yao, Qing'er, and Lin Xueyou—were especially eager, driven by curiosity about this strange, hidden world.

Having clarified the situation, they had a new plan. Li Hao asked, "Do you know of a good place to hide?"

The dragon thought for a moment. "How about you come with me to where I used to live?"

"Good!" The group was eager to see where this "monster" had been residing all these years.