Myths Begin From Boys' Gong

Meng Zhao gripped the God-Slaying Spear tightly in his hand. After several moments of contemplation, he ultimately did not make a move, but simply watched the snow-white dragon quietly.

Only after the snow-white dragon had completely swallowed all the green smoke from the incense burner did it step forward.

Over the years, his desire to slay the dragon has changed several times.

Initially, he knew that there was such a strange creature in Xiaohan Mountain and wanted to kill it to obtain its dragon essence in order to enhance his own power.

Later, he discovered that he seemed to be under the influence of some unknown factor and had developed a certain obsession with slaying dragons.

Standing before this snow-white dragon today, feeling its peaceful aura and magnificent colors, I have a deeper understanding of what Zhou Zhihan once said: that the dragon in the mountain is a product of the destiny of heaven and earth.

It's not that Meng Zhao can't slay the dragon, but at this moment he's thinking about what slaying the dragon really means to him.

He no longer coveted the Dragon Essence, nor did he need to rely on external forces to enhance his own strength.

However, figuring out the truth of this world and seeing if he can break free from the constraints imposed on him by this trial ground is the most crucial thing.

He once thought that the desire to slay the dragon was a test, or perhaps the influence of the Heavenly Mirror on him. He believed that as long as he accomplished this, he could uncover the truth of this world and return to the land of China.

But at this moment, he wavered.

Did he suddenly think of his predecessors?

In the past, there were not many people who were guided by Hong Gu to the Tower of Ascension to inherit the emperor's secret techniques, but there were still some.

These people are all top-notch talents, outstanding geniuses across the land. Having been born into this world with the foundation of two lifetimes, they are all formidable figures whose abilities cannot even be described as peerless prodigies.

If such a person were to face the same test as him, would they all fail to slay the dragon?
He felt that this might not be the case; perhaps there were other challenges, but it was certainly not as simple as he had imagined.

Take this snow-white dragon for example. If he, Duan Hong, and Yan Congke were to join forces to kill it today, the immense karma and the aversion of Heaven would be shared by the three of them, and Meng Zhao might even become the main target of misfortune.

From then on, one's life will be plunged into a very difficult and tragic situation.

As the saying goes, when fortune smiles, heaven and earth lend their strength; when luck turns, even heroes are powerless.

Meng Zhao must have had extraordinary fortune in the land of China, and even in this world in the Tianyuan Dynasty, which is why he has achieved such remarkable accomplishments and great achievements.

Especially in the land of China, Meng Zhao not only possesses fortune, but can also suppress it.

Many crises can be turned into good fortune, not only because of one's own strength, but also because of luck.

However, Meng Zhao felt that if he made himself into a target of public resentment and misfortune, it would actually be a hidden danger.

He's not the kind of person who constantly talks about defying the heavens or insists on forging a unique path to show his distinctiveness.

To blend in with the world, to follow the will of Heaven and the will of the people, that is the path he wants to take.

Thinking of this, Meng Zhao had a sudden thought, and then stepped forward, looking at the snow-white dragon with a calm and composed gaze.

At this moment, he left everything to fate.

If the snow-white dragon attacks him, he will surely retaliate, and fight to the death.

However, if the snow-white dragon does not attack him, then he will have to temporarily put aside the matter of slaying the dragon, or even give up completely.

They planned to take the second path: overthrow the Tianyuan Dynasty, slaughter that true dragon emperor, and thus achieve the same great feat of slaying the dragon, while also fulfilling the great ambition of the true dragon emperor. At that time, they would then see the truth or falsehood of this world.

Perhaps this road is more tortuous and longer, but Meng Zhao doesn't care.

He is young, he can afford to wait, and he is willing to wait. At the same time, isn't this a kind of tempering?

Over the years, he hasn't been idle. His traces and spies are everywhere in Hebei Province. If things develop as he predicted, conquering the world is by no means an impossible thing.

Moreover, Meng Zhao has often pondered over the years whether the test of imperial arts is itself related to the way of the emperor.

Is the desire to slay the dragon the snow-white dragon in the mountains, or the true dragon emperor of the human realm?

After much thought, the latter seems more reliable.

Meng Zhao's actions startled Duan Hong and Yan Congke.

Although Meng Zhao also appeared to be tall, compared to the enormous, snow-white dragon, she was petite, delicate, and incredibly frail.

The difference is like that between an elephant and an ant, so great that it's almost unbearable to look at with the naked eye.

The two men were also fully prepared, ready to act immediately should the dragon make a move.

Even if he was unwilling to face this terrifying dragon, he couldn't let it harm Meng Zhao.

The snow-white dragon looked at Meng Zhao, who was slowly approaching, and suddenly raised its head and stood upright, letting out a mooing roar, as if warning Meng Zhao not to come forward.

However, as Meng Zhao drew closer, the snow-white dragon's clear eyes revealed a mixture of doubt and delight.

Doubt and joy are a combination that is quite perplexing, but all three of them clearly see this very simple and straightforward emotion.

Meng Zhao was most puzzled. He must have had such abilities in his previous life. He possessed the Purple Yuan Dragon Body and carried the body of the Emperor Dragon. All the snakes and dragons in the world were naturally close to him and submitted to him.

However, in this life, there is no such magical and domineering bloodline, and the martial arts are striving towards the Three-Part Returning to Origin Qi that he envisioned, rather than developing in the direction of the Dragon Path.

He didn't understand why the dragon was treating him so strangely.

Unless, he still possesses the aura of some kind of true dragon.

The dragon became even more curious. Its massive body swam slowly and coiled around Meng Zhao. Its dragon eyes gleamed, and it made puppy-like movements, sniffing left and right.

A moment later, the dragon lowered its head and began to rub against Meng Zhao affectionately.

Meng Zhao felt a sense of urgency rising within him, his Three-Part Returning Qi gathering momentum, but he remained outwardly calm. Instead, he reached out a hand and gently stroked the snow-white dragon's scales.

Upon touching it, one feels both the chilling coldness of ice and the texture and tactile sensation of metal.

With this level of defense, it's definitely not something that an ordinary person or weapon can break through.

Meng Zhao was filled with mixed thoughts. He was certain that he had never had any interaction or contact with the dragon in the mountain.

Over the years, he had collected a lot of information about the dragon in the mountains, but most of it was false and a few were true. He had never seen the dragon in the mountains so kind and approachable.

Of course, the dragon in the mountains is by no means a brutal creature. Most of the time, it coils alone within the Heavenly Profound Pool, rarely venturing out, let alone descending the mountain. Only occasionally, amidst lightning and thunder, can one hear the dragon's roar.

On the other side, Duan Hong and Yan Congke stared wide-eyed at Meng Zhao stroking the dragon, and even subconsciously rubbed their eyes, almost thinking they were hallucinating. Otherwise, why would such a bizarre and outrageous scene occur?
That terrifying, enormous creature was now acting like a domesticated puppy, letting Meng Zhao stroke its head without any resistance, and even seemed to enjoy it. Was this real?
It's one thing to say that Meng Zhao and this dragon in the mountains had any interaction.

The key point is that Meng Zhao and this guy really had no contact at all, otherwise he wouldn't have thought about slaying the dragon for so long and put in so much effort for it.

The God-Slaying Spear, the Eight Desolations Lock, and the Fate-Breaking Nail—which of these wasn't obtained with great difficulty?
If it weren't for slaying the dragon, why make such a fuss and acquire so many good things?

It was precisely because they understood Meng Zhao and knew that this was definitely the first time he had ever seen the dragon in the mountains that the two of them were puzzled.

How did you manage to tame this thing and even handle and pet it like a pet?
Neither of them had such luck, nor such courage.

For example, when that snow-white dragon swept across their location just now, the terrifying pressure was like facing a natural disaster; they almost couldn't withstand it and made a fool of themselves.

However, despite their shock, the two were mostly overjoyed.

Firstly, perhaps Meng Zhao will no longer slay dragons, which is good news for them, at least they won't have to face a life-or-death crisis.

Slaying a dragon is not child's play, nor is it like slaughtering cattle or pigs. No one knows how powerful the opponent is. What if you're just unlucky?

Whether it was Duan Hong or Yan Congke, they had already come with the intention of dying when they followed Meng Zhao to Xiaohan Mountain to slay the dragon. Otherwise, they would not have left after making arrangements for their families, which was equivalent to making their last wishes.

Secondly, even if he doesn't slay the dragon, judging from Meng Zhao's current performance, he might be able to form a special relationship with the dragon in the mountain, and perhaps utilize or even control it in the future.

As for Meng Zhao, given the dragon's closeness to him in the mountains, he had two vague guesses.

Firstly, it is still related to his previous life.

He possesses the Purple Yuan Dragon Body, the body of an Emperor Dragon, and cultivates the Purple Star Emperor Scripture of Dragon Control of the Heavens. He has long since integrated the martial arts of the dragon path into his blood, spirit, and will.

This profound understanding of the Dragon Dao, so deeply ingrained in his soul, was also projected into Li Zheng's body along with a portion of Meng Zhao's primordial spirit.

In terms of bloodline, he has no relation to dragons at all, but in terms of soul and spirit, his true dragon spirit may be the reason that he attracted the dragon and gained its favor and closeness.

This is one of the more likely possibilities that Meng Zhao guessed.

Secondly, it has nothing to do with the previous life; on the contrary, it is something that comes from this body itself.

Li Zheng was, of course, an orphan who grew up on the charity of many families, but it must be said that his body was indeed a top talent for cultivating martial arts.

What kind of person could give birth to a baby with such exceptional talent?
It's highly likely that one or both parents are prodigies.

Moreover, according to what Zhou Zhihan said at the time.

Within this Lesser Cold Mountain lies a dragon vein and dragon energy. The dragons within the mountain have grown to their current form and extent by consuming the dragon energy of Lesser Cold Mountain.

Meng Zhao boldly speculated that the reason Li Zheng's relatives sent him to Xiaohan Village back then was not because they were specifically looking for Xiaohan Village, but because it was a natural choice given the proximity.

For example, Li Zheng was specially taken to Xiaohan Mountain and manipulated in a special way to obtain some of the dragon energy of Xiaohan Mountain.

Afterwards, it was placed outside Xiaohan Village, where it was discovered and raised by someone.

This guess was actually quite nonsensical and absurd, but Meng Zhao felt that it was not far from the truth.

Otherwise, it would be hard to explain the dragon in the mountains' attitude towards him, which was as intimate as if it had seen one of its own kind.

Possessing the aura of a dragon, though it is invisible and intangible, perhaps the snow-white dragon can see it?

However, there is still one thing that doesn't make sense.

For beasts, there is a certain probability that when they encounter someone who truly possesses dragon energy, they will lose their reason and swallow the person whole to digest the dragon energy and strengthen themselves. This is a natural choice made by beasts, who dominate their bodies and minds, in order to strengthen themselves; it is instinct.

Of course, the reason why this dragon is so rational and clear-headed is probably because it is an auspicious beast, not a ferocious or evil one. That is why it is close to Meng Zhao, rather than coveting him and wanting to swallow him whole.

At this point, Meng Zhao no longer needs to make a choice.

What one gains from slaying a dragon is nothing more than the potential acquisition of dragon essence and the flesh and blood of a dragon, which has limited uses. For a martial artist of his level, the added benefit is negligible.

However, there are many things to be lost, especially the slaughter of auspicious beasts favored by heaven and earth, which will ultimately lead to being rejected by heaven and earth.

If we don't kill this dragon now, given the current relationship between the two, there might be hope in the future to bring it to a level similar to that of Xiao Jiu, the dragon from the Divine Continent.

At that time, everything he does will go smoothly and he will be successful in everything he does.

After a brief moment of intimacy, Meng Zhao patted the mane on the snow-white dragon's neck, and the dragon's superior intelligence understood his intention.

Shaking itself off, it turned and returned to the Daotian Xuan Pool, slowly sinking into it and disappearing without a trace.

After a long while, Duan Hong and Yan Congke arrived at Meng Zhao's side, looking dazed.

"Is this the end?"

Yan Congke felt like a hero with no place to use his talents; he had already taken his pants off, but you put them back on?
Duan Hong, on the other hand, was much calmer, and shook the Eight Desolations Lock in his hand.

"Then what more do you want? Do you really intend to kill such an auspicious beast?"

Duan Hong thought the dragon in the mountain was a vicious beast, so he killed it without a second thought. But now that he has seen the dragon in the mountain and judged it to be an auspicious beast, that is another matter.

They were living peacefully in the mountains, keeping to themselves, and you came and attacked them, just to covet their flesh and blood. How could you be so immoral?

Meng Zhao waved his hand and sighed.
"After years of preparation, an unexpected event has occurred. However, it's not like we've gained nothing at all. At least we can see that this dragon still has some goodwill towards us. If we can bring this creature into our grasp in the future, we can go anywhere in the world."

"Gentlemen, since my first ambition is impossible to achieve, I need your help to fulfill my second ambition."

Duan Hong and Yan Congke exchanged a glance and smiled in unison. Wasn't this obvious?
Even if Meng Zhao succeeds in slaying the dragon today, he will not rest on his laurels; his second ambition is only a matter of time.

Besides, who says that slaying a dragon means killing this auspicious beast, the Jiaolong? Does that mean that incompetent and tyrannical emperor who caused chaos in the world wasn't a dragon?

"Don't worry, no matter what kind of dragon it is, we'll help you. I wonder if the Eight Desolations Lock can hold back a true dragon emperor. I really want to give it a try!"

Yan Congke echoed this sentiment and made up his mind to participate in such a major event as raising an army in rebellion.

He's not young anymore; with the opportunity to achieve great things, who could refuse? (End of Chapter)