"Hey, old man, what're you staring at?"
Clinging to Xiao Bai's sleeve, the golden little dragon poked out half its body to catch the breeze. But the old man beside them kept gawking, irritating it. Baring its tiny teeth, it shot Hai Bo Dong a glare and snapped impatiently.
Caught in the dragon's gaze, Hai Bo Dong shifted awkwardly. He wanted to ask something but couldn't find the words. Swallowing his curiosity, he turned away, avoiding the odd little creature.
"Huh? Another old geezer, and a see-through one at that! My lord, why're you surrounded by weird old coots?" The dragon, having just shooed off Hai Bo Dong, spotted another aged face. It blurted out loudly.
Xiao Bai rubbed his temples. This dragon was like a bratty kid—decent to him, but insufferable to everyone else.
"Yao Lao, Hai Lao, don't mind it. That's just how this thing is," Xiao Bai said, trying to smooth things over.
"Heh, Xiao Bai, where'd you pick up this little guy?" Yao Lao stroked his beard, eyeing the dragon with keen interest as it glared back.
That day, when the sky's anomaly faded halfway to Xiao Bai, Yao Lao had sensed him and Medusa's situation and returned to the side hall without interfering, missing the dragon's emergence. To him, its dragon form was surprising, but not unprecedented—pills could take human form in this world, so a dragon-shaped entity wasn't remarkable.
Hai Bo Dong pricked up his ears. Though a Dou Huang, he realized his experience paled compared to these two. This soul-form expert, while shocking, didn't seem fazed, as if such things were commonplace.
"Fell from the sky," Xiao Bai said. He had guesses about the dragon's origins but nothing concrete, so he kept it vague.
"Tch, your luck's unreal," Yao Lao said, stunned, then shook his head with a sigh. Noticing Xiao Bai's reluctance to elaborate, he didn't press.
This trip with Xiao Bai had been a jackpot. They'd secured a heavenly flame. The herbs needed for the Blood Lotus Pill to absorb it were all gathered. Even the elusive Ice Spirit Cold Spring was obtained from Medusa. The deal with Xiao Bai had saved him years of searching with Xiao Yan. Thinking of his nominal disciple, Yao Lao marveled at Xiao Yan's fortune—sitting at home while opportunities fell into his lap.
Gotta tell Xiao Yan to stick close to this Brother Bai. What a thigh to hug! His luck's insane—not just for him, but for anyone around him. Like a walking lucky charm!
Xiao Bai shivered under Yao Lao's suddenly fervent stare, frowning. "Yao Lao, if you've got something to say, spit it out. Why're you looking at me like that?"
"Haha, nothing, nothing!" Yao Lao's hand froze mid-beard-stroke, and he gave an awkward laugh.
"My lord, that old guy's shifty-eyed. He's up to no good!" The dragon zipped to Xiao Bai's ear, whispering conspiratorially.
Its voice was soft, but everyone present had sharp senses and heard it clearly.
"Little thing, what'd you say?" Yao Lao feigned outrage. In all his years roaming the continent, no one had called him shifty-eyed.
"Old fossil, call me 'little thing' again, and I'll bite you to death!" The dragon stood tall, hands on hips, grinding its teeth with a ferocious glare.
"Ho! Pretty feisty for a little thing. Come on, take a bite and show me!" Yao Lao teased. Unfamiliar with the dragon's nature, as a soul form, he doubted it could touch him.
Without a word, the dragon flashed gold, charging at Yao Lao. As it passed through his spectral body, a spark of golden lightning crackled from it.
"Hmph!" Yao Lao grunted, caught off guard, his face twitching before he regained composure.
Careless! He hadn't expected the dragon's potency. It didn't injure him, but the golden spark carried a trace of destructive force, stinging his soul painfully. Had his Bone Chilling Flame not blocked it, he'd have burned significant soul force to dispel it.
Xiao Bai, watching the bickering, hadn't intervened, but his keen soul perception caught Yao Lao's fleeting grimace. Strange. The dragon shouldn't be able to hurt Yao Lao, but that pain didn't look fake.
"Old geezer, still dare call me 'little thing'?" The dragon shook off some ice flecks, returning to Xiao Bai's side with a smug grin.
"Tch, just an ant's nibble," Yao Lao said, his face twitching as he shot the dragon a dismissive glance, feigning nonchalance.
The dragon's smugness faltered. Xiao Bai, seeing trouble brewing, swiftly grabbed it.
"My lord, let me go! This dragon's gonna duel him!" It thrashed, shouting.
Xiao Bai sighed at the antics. Yao Lao, too, was childish—taking a hit and still taunting as if unscathed.
Through a private transmission, Yao Lao's tone turned serious. "Xiao Bai, this thunder dragon's no ordinary thing. Its golden lightning is weak now, but its origin might be extraordinarily high."
He knew of only one golden lightning—the Nine Mysterious Golden Thunder, a force even Dou Shengs treaded lightly around. The dragon's lightning was far weaker, but the Dou Qi Continent was vast. Unknown thunder types weren't unheard of, like Xiao Bai's own unique lightning. Initially, Yao Lao thought the dragon was Xiao Bai's creation, but learning it was "found," he'd try testing it.
"Don't worry, Yao Lao. I'll be cautious," Xiao Bai replied softly, surprised by the old man's probing beneath his playful facade.
"Enough, stop it!" Xiao Bai smacked the dragon in his hand.
"Oh!" It quieted instantly. When he released it, it slunk into his sleeve to bask in the breeze, ignoring Yao Lao.
Seeing it obey Xiao Bai, Yao Lao relaxed.
"By the way, Hai Lao, you coming with me or heading back to the Miteer family in the capital?" Xiao Bai asked as the Jia Ma Empire came into view, turning to Hai Bo Dong.
"I'll stick with you to Wu Tan City. I promised to follow you for three years," Hai Bo Dong said, shaking his head. Why return to the Miteer family to deal with that good-for-nothing Miteer Teng Shan? Following Xiao Bai was far more interesting. He had a hunch Xiao Bai would show him things the Jia Ma Empire couldn't. Unburdened, with no crises at home, he was curious about Xiao Bai's clan. The Miteer family had branches in every city—anything he needed could be arranged anywhere.