Traveling through time to cultivate immortality: a life and death test

Liu Xing wandered the central area for several days, remaining restrained from attacking to avoid being exposed. If he did, he would have to be certain of a kill. One day, he arrived above an abyss, shrouded in mist and clouds, making it impossible to explore the bottom. He didn't think much of it; he had seen similar places several times before, and there was nothing special about them, so he prepared to leave.

"Huh?" He suddenly stopped. A supplementary herb for the Foundation Establishment Pill was growing on the middle cliff face across from him. Although he had more than a dozen supplementary herbs, no one has too many. So he lowered his flying boat and gathered the herb.

Perhaps because he was closer to the abyss, he could hear the rushing water, and he felt a sudden urge to descend. So, he quietly descended, and surprisingly, he sensed a dragon beneath. He quickly folded up his flying boat, concealed his form, and approached stealthily.

Could this be the dragon that had temporarily cut in line in Niu Xiong's memory? No wonder he hadn't encountered it before; it was hiding here. This bloody trial had left Liu Xing with a deep hatred for demonic beasts. But for some reason, he felt quite fond of this little dragon. It seemed the dragon had suffered some kind of injustice, but it sat on a rock, hugged itself, and sobbed softly. Liu Xing was stunned. While other demonic beasts were searching for treasure and fighting for their lives, it was hiding here and crying. It was unbelievable. Could it be that its relatives had been killed here, and it had come to pay its respects?

After this period of experimentation, he was very confident in his tortoise breathing technique, and he had never been discovered by approaching stealthily. So, this time, he was also unscrupulous and gradually approached.

Suddenly, Jiao Jiao seemed to sense something and stood up, staring at Liu Xing's position in confusion. Tears were still on her face, and her expression was very anthropomorphic and pitiful.

Liu Xing was shocked. Discovered? How could this be possible? He then quietly moved a few meters to the left, but the dragon's eyes followed him. Convinced he had been discovered, Liu Xing had no choice but to reveal himself, no longer hiding. He was deeply curious about how he had been discovered. Until he figured it out, he would never fully trust the Turtle Breathing Technique again.

The dragon, upon seeing Liu Xing emerge, stared at him curiously with its large, beautiful eyes. Liu Xing had sharp eyebrows, a high nose bridge, and a face as sharp as a knife, a youthful and handsome demeanor. His long years of martial arts training had given him a slender and well-built physique. Furthermore, he had read countless volumes of literature and exuded a natural Confucian aura that resonated with others.

Liu Xing was also sizing up the dragon, comparing it to the descriptions he'd read in books. His level wasn't high enough, so the books he'd read were mostly general knowledge. There were few descriptions of deep-sea monsters, but there were some descriptions of land dragons. But none of them were as beautiful and exquisite as this little dragon, especially its pair of transparent wings, which were particularly eye-catching. He silently estimated its strength. Judging from its aura, it seemed significantly stronger than Niu Xiong. He wondered what magical powers it possessed, and assessed whether he could defeat it.

"How did you find me?" Liu Xing saw that the dragon had no intention of attacking him, so he tried to communicate through voice transmission.

"Ah, oh." Jiao Jiao came back to life after hearing Liu Xing's question.

"There's a very familiar aura about you, like... like..." Jiao Jiao didn't know how to explain.

Liu Xing couldn't help but smile when he saw its cute look.

"A familiar smell?" Liu Xing was confused. He believed that this was definitely the first time he saw a dragon, so how could it be familiar?

"I don't know either, but I just feel very close to him." Jiao Jiao blinked her bright eyes, also a little confused.

"Close?" Liu Xing became even more confused and fell into deep thought.

The dragon bore him no ill will, but instead showed a friendly aura. This was quite incredible. Was the dragon trying to trick him, waiting for a surprise attack? Could it be that intelligent? He shook his head in denial. He'd also felt a fondness for the dragon the moment he saw it, a feeling that wouldn't deceive him. Being close was a good thing; at least it could avoid a fierce battle. Perhaps he could rely on the dragon to escape, and his chances of success would be far greater.

Furthermore, Jiaolong sensed a familiar aura about him. He surveyed his entire body, discovering three ominous qualities that distinguished him from ordinary humans: a soul from Earth, a bamboo flute that had traveled with him, and a spiritual energy purified by the flute, imbued with a faint yellowish aura. These three were his most crucial secrets, and he guarded them closely, even constantly reminding himself to forget them, lest they accidentally leaked out. If so, it would be disastrous. Had Jiaolong discovered this secret? He was instantly horrified. Unconsciously, a hint of murderous intent flashed through his eyes, and he glared at Jiaolong fiercely.

The dragon was startled and felt a little scared, like a child who had done something wrong.

"I mean no harm." Jiao Jiao explained timidly.

Liu Xing also felt that he was a little too nervous. The dragon seemed not very old and had a cultivation level similar to his own. Those transformed monsters could not discover his secret, so how could the little dragon discover it? So he quickly restrained his murderous aura.

"What are you doing here? Why are you crying?" Liu Xing then changed his tone and asked in a friendly manner.

"My name is Jiao Jiao. I come from the deep-sea Jiao clan. Following my ancestors' instructions, I've come here to search for the precious Dragon Scale Fruit. However, I can't break the restriction here." Perhaps because of their closeness, Jiao Jiao unreservedly revealed her purpose. At the same time, as if finding an outlet, she felt like she had found an outlet. Thinking about how she hadn't been able to break the restriction for so many days, and how all her journey across thousands of miles was about to be in vain, she couldn't help but sob again, like a child being bullied.

Why is he so crybaby? He doesn't have the demeanor of a monster at all. How shameful. But what is the Dragon Scale Fruit? I've never heard of it. But it doesn't matter. Breaking restrictions is his specialty. Maybe we can work together.

"Well, Jiao Jiao, don't cry first. Maybe I can help you break the ban." Liu Xing comforted.

"Really?" Jiao Jiao jumped up excitedly, about to throw herself into Liu Xing's arms. Frightened, Liu Xing quickly dodged. Fortunately, he didn't sense any ill intent, otherwise he would have used his flying sword to kill her. Jiao Jiao was embarrassed and at a loss for words. She quickly stopped, tears still streaming down her face.

"Let's make a deal first. I'll help you break the ban, and you'll help me hide my tracks and take me out of the secret realm." Liu Xing took the opportunity to state his terms of cooperation.

"Okay!" Jiao Jiao agreed without even thinking. She seemed to trust Liu Xing so much that if he said he could break the ban, then he would definitely be able to do so.

He seems to have a high IQ, but why does he seem a little stupid? Liu Xing muttered to himself.