In the frigid lands, after my exile, I began to slay demons and monsters.

Chapter 281 Dragon's Birth Jade Marrow

The churning mud and sand, carrying fragments of space, began to spread toward them, causing space to crack and separate wherever it passed, with mud and sand surging about.

Ning Xiaoxi tentatively extended a wisp of spiritual energy, but before it could even travel a foot, Xiao Jiu slapped it away, saying, "That's a spatial turmoil. Do you want to be swept up in it and reduced to ashes?"

Ning Xiaoxi's hand froze. "Huh? What do you mean?"

Xiao Jiu gave her a disapproving look. "What a reckless fool. Every dragon born carries with it extraordinary phenomena and unique abilities. The stronger the dragon, the greater its abilities."

Ning Xiaoxi waited and waited, but didn't receive any warning from Tuanzi. What did that mean? Was this dragon not a demon?

"It's just a dragon egg, not a real dragon yet." As if knowing what Ning Xiaoxi was waiting for, Xiao Jiu explained again.

"No, how did you know what I was thinking?" Could it be that Tuanzi has already given herself away?

Xiao Jiu couldn't help but lower her head. "If I still can't understand what's written all over your face, I've really lived in vain." Good heavens, where did I find this silly girl?!

Before Ning Xiaoxi could speak, the shattered space suddenly expanded and rushed towards Xiao Jiu.

Xiao Jiu didn't even have time to turn around before she retreated as fast as the wind. "Don't be so protective of your cub! I didn't say anything to her!"

Ning Xiaoxi looked at the spatial fragments that were quickly chasing after her, and listened to Xiao Jiu's slightly hoarse cry. She couldn't help but smile.

The spatial fragments shimmered with light and began to merge within the space, the broken parts were repaired, and the churning mud and sand slowly settled down.

Ning Xiaoxi slowly walked back to the edge of the groove, and saw that the original bulge had disappeared. An oval dragon egg, gleaming with golden light, lay peacefully in the groove. A strong fragrance of ambergris wafted from the groove beneath the dragon egg. Half of the golden dragon egg was submerged in a silvery liquid.

Xiao Jiu had somehow appeared beside Ning Xiaoxi, and together they looked at the dragon egg in the groove, exclaiming, "A seed nurtured by the ancestral dragon for millions of years!"

Ning Xiaoxi's face darkened slightly as she pointed at the floating golden dragon egg, "You're saying this thing is the Ancestral Dragon?"

Xiao Jiu was speechless. "Bloodline, do you even know what bloodline is? The Ancestral Dragon has been extinct for tens of millions of years, where would a seed come from!"

"Then it can hatch?" Ning Xiaoxi didn't care about being looked down upon by an old guy who had lived for thousands of years. "Just like those dozen or so little magic pythons."

Xiao Jiu hesitated. It knew that bones, flesh, essence, blood, and soul could condense a trace of bloodline, but if it couldn't truly hatch, there would be no inheritance. It was going for a sliver of hope before its demise; who knew if it would even work!

If it were an unnatural death, there wouldn't even be this last glimmer of hope. If it were a natural death, it would hide itself so well that no one could find it, not even the heavens or the earth. Who knows if those little creatures born in later generations are its descendants? Even if they are, it would absolutely never reveal itself—that would be truly deadly!

Ning Xiaoxi suppressed a disdainful laugh and glanced at Xiao Jiu. So you didn't know either! Hahaha, the silent laughter made Xiao Jiu's eyes almost turn red.

Knowing she couldn't be too stimulating, Ning Xiaoxi stopped laughing and squatted down. "Does it need to stay in there the whole time? Is that thing dragon's blood jade marrow?"

Xiao Jiu took a deep breath, reminding herself not to argue with a teenager. "Yes!"

Ning Xiaoxi sensed that there was no sign of any living creature inside or outside the entire dragon skull. With a wave of her hand, she moved the entire dragon skull into the cave.

With a "boom," the cave dwelling automatically cleared a flat area on the outermost edge.

"Boom!" The moment the dragon skull hit the ground, mountains burst forth from the earth, stretching rapidly for hundreds of miles. They not only extended outwards but also inwards, filling every available space. Wherever there was open space, a mountain peak, high or low, rose from the ground.

As the mountain range moved through, the entire cave began to shake.

The little beast slapped down, and all the spreading hills suddenly stopped, obediently staying in place and ceasing to expand.

The towering peaks surrounding the dragon's head cleverly conceal it in the valley. Dense shrubs cover all the peaks, but there are no tall trees. A few specks of golden light fall within the peaks, and the ground is covered with green grass, still without any tall trees.

Xiao Jiu darted into the cave. With each breath, wind and clouds surged, and the originally tranquil space within the cave began to flow.

Ning Xiaoxi narrowed her eyes. "Tuanzi, shouldn't we add a lock to this cave? It seems like we're getting in and out too easily."

Adding them wouldn't help; once they enter the cave, they form a secret contract with you, defaulting to the same soul attribute.

【What's the meaning?】

If you die, they all die.

Ning Xiaoxi froze. "Do they know?"

They know the moment they enter. Before entering, they are uncertain.

【Tuanzi, is my goal really to slay demons and monsters?】 Now it seems like I'm leaving a way out for the demons and monsters of this world!

Of course, slaying demons and monsters, and helping humanity establish itself in the world, is the sole objective.

Ning Xiaoxi smiled silently. Yes, the only goal!

The cave is starting to become full of life, except for living creatures, isn't it?

Xiao Jiu was still breathing inside the cave, the air surging and slowly forming a natural breeze. Her small eyes watched Ning Xiaoxi with a hint of wariness; if Ning Xiaoxi didn't interfere in her cave, no one could stop her!

Ning Xiaoxi did not disturb its efforts. Now that it had obtained the Dragon's Birth Jade Marrow, the next target was the Thousand-Year-Old Lightning-Struck Wood.

[Tuanzi, you said before that the Source of the South would self-destruct?]

Yes, it is no longer of any use; there is no need for us to seize it, it will simply dissipate into the world.

Ning Xiaoxi looked at the Northern Source hanging above the cave and the Western Source that Lu Wu had landed on the Three Mulberry Tree. She had already collected these two intact spiritual sources, so only the Central Source remained.

Ning Xiaoxi opened the map and began to expand, the source of the center being the royal city.

That was the only source of spiritual energy, a priceless treasure controlled by the royal family. The protective array guarding the royal city was supported by this source.

They've really built themselves a very good turtle shell!

Originally, all the prefectural cities of the nine provinces had protective formations. Gradually, however, there wasn't enough spiritual energy to support them, and then the number of Celestial Masters capable of maintaining these formations gradually decreased. When the number of Celestial Masters dwindled to a certain point, the formations became virtually useless.

Ning Xiaoxi recalled the golden array guarding the royal city. At the time, she was proud of the dynasty's strength in fighting against demons. Little did she know that it wasn't used to fight demons, but merely a tool to protect the royal family.