"Ji-ji, ji-ji…"
Hearing Locke's voice, the red-eyed rabbit—whom he had dubbed Little White—let out a series of rapid cries.
Unfortunately, Locke did not understand the language of beasts and had no idea what Little White was trying to say.
Of course, once a creature reached the Saint level, communication could be achieved through fluctuations of soul power.
But Locke had no intention of listening to Little White through soul communication.
His reason for seeking out Little White was simple—he just wanted a pet to relieve his boredom.
Since it was only a pet, it merely needed to understand what Locke said and provide him with a bit of amusement.
Once true communication was established, however, the relationship might gradually shift into one where Locke would end up doing things he never intended just to make Little White happy.
That was not a situation Locke wished to find himself in.
He wasn't a cat slave—but he also couldn't guarantee that he would never become one.
Rather than worrying about that possibility in the future, it was better to cut off the chance of mutual communication from the very beginning.
"Judging by your reaction, it seems you've already agreed to become my pet, yes?"
"If you agree, give one cry."
"If you refuse, you can cry twice."
Wrapped tightly by the water serpent, the rabbit knew this was no time to be stubborn.
If possible, it actually wanted to follow a god-level powerhouse.
If that happened, it might even obtain a godhead someday and break through to godhood itself.
But right now, if it refused this Saint-level human, it might not even survive the next moment.
Left with no choice, the Saint-level red-eyed rabbit reluctantly opened its mouth and let out a single weak cry.
"Ji…"
"Hiss—"
The water serpent had also heard Locke's words. It raised its head high, its forked tongue flickering as its vertical pupils locked onto Locke.
It was warning him—take another step closer, and it would immediately launch an attack.
Shaking his head, Locke paid no attention to the Saint-level water serpent's threat.
In fact, after seeing this serpent, even if he decided not to take the red-eyed rabbit as a pet, he would still capture the water serpent.
Over the years, Locke had encountered more than a few beings who cultivated the Water Body technique.
But most of them merely used Water-element laws to reinforce their divine bodies, strengthening themselves further.
In Locke's eyes, those versions of Water Body barely scratched the surface—they weren't even worth a second glance.
To him, Water Body wasn't just a Law Profound Mystery that enhanced the divine body of Water-element gods. Its true value lay in granting elementalization.
Coincidentally, the way this water serpent had turned itself into flowing water while restraining the rabbit—and then reformed its body—closely matched Locke's own understanding of what Water Body should be.
In the Coiling Dragon universe, the laws of heaven and earth were the same everywhere.
However, every being comprehended Law Profound Mysteries from a different angle, and the effects they produced could vary dramatically.
A thousand gods meant a thousand different interpretations and applications of the same laws.
After witnessing this water serpent's use of the Water Body Law Profound Mystery, Locke knew with certainty—
This was the Water Body he needed.
Without another word, Locke flashed forward. In an instant, he appeared above the river, seized both the water serpent and the red-eyed rabbit, and landed on the riverbank.
That single move caused both Saint-level magical beasts to pale.
Their expressions were completely reversed from before.
The water serpent was filled with terror.
The red-eyed rabbit, on the other hand, looked shocked—and oddly proud.
It had thought it was about to become the pet of a mere Saint-level being. Who would have imagined that its owner would turn out to be such a terrifying existence?
If it had known this human was a god-level powerhouse, how could it have ever thought of fleeing?
In the forests of Hell, countless Saint-level magical beasts dreamed of finding a god-level backer.
Otherwise, one might fall asleep one day and wake up—if at all—as another Saint's meal.
Or worse, through sheer bad luck, get caught in the aftershocks of a battle between gods and die an utterly unjust death, ending up in the Netherworld to wait for that one-in-ten-thousand chance.
Locke placed his right hand on the water serpent's head.
In an instant, the light vanished from the serpent's pupils.
Sensing that the serpent binding it had lost all vitality, the red-eyed rabbit shrank its body and wriggled free from the limp coils. It looked up at its "master," intending to act cute.
But what it saw made it freeze in terror.
With a squeak, Little White covered its eyes with its short front legs, trembling violently.
Glancing at the frightened rabbit, Locke had no interest in comforting it. In his hand, the gray soul of the water serpent churned violently—but within that seven-colored flame, it had no power to resist at all.
Its comprehension of the Water Body Law Profound Mystery was completely stripped away.
Looking at the soul fragment in his hand—almost solid in form—Locke did not hesitate. He immediately sent his own soul power into it, absorbing the serpent's insights into the Law Profound Mystery.
In that instant, Locke's soul seemed to plunge into a vast ocean of laws, swimming freely within the sea of Water Body.
Within just a few breaths, he had stepped into the threshold of the Water Body Law Profound Mystery.
A flood of inspiration surged through his soul, causing his cultivation of Water-element laws to advance at an astonishing pace.
The red-eyed rabbit, Little White, slowly lowered its forelegs and looked at Locke, who had entered a meditative state. After hesitating for a moment, it cautiously moved closer, ears swaying left and right as it stood guard over its master's cultivation.
Before long, a faint mist began to gather around Locke.
This change was quickly noticed by the Saint-level magical beasts living in the forest.
At the sight of the sudden fog, none of them dared to approach. Instead, they fled frantically in the opposite direction.
For Saint-level magical beasts in Hell, any abnormal change in the forest could spell catastrophic disaster.
Those that managed to survive in Hell might not be the strongest—but they were unquestionably the most adept at survival.
One week later, Locke had completely absorbed the Saint-level water serpent's thousands of years of comprehension of the Water Body Law Profound Mystery.
Moreover, building upon that foundation, Locke took another step forward, pushing Water Body to the very limit of the Saint level—only a hair's breadth away from complete mastery.
(End of Chapter)
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