The sneaky dragon was not a true True Dragon, but the legendary Corpse Devouring Insect Emperor.
This creature, like the Dragon Sturgeon, belonged to the variant True Dragon category, with pure True Dragon precious blood flowing within its veins.
However, while the Dragon Sturgeon could not cultivate, the Corpse Devouring Insect Emperor could.
To speak of the Corpse Devouring Insect Emperor, one must first mention the Corpse Devouring Insect. As the name implied, they fed on corpses. Legend had it that during the Mythical Era, a True Dragon mated with an outsider race, producing countless generations of descendants whose dragon blood had long since become impossibly dilute.
Naturally, this was not always the case. Occasionally, a mutation would occur among the Corpse Devouring Insects. The thin dragon blood within would fully awaken and transform into pure True Dragon precious blood.
Such a mutant was the Corpse Devouring Insect Emperor. Though it appeared to be a Corpse Devouring Insect, it was essentially a pure-blooded True Dragon.
The sneaky dragon before him was precisely such a Corpse Devouring Insect Emperor—an old friend from his past life, or rather, a mischievous friend: a despicably sneaky dragon full of lechery and lust.
"You damned bastard, you really didn't die. You really have the luck of a dragon's mother. Awoo—" The sneaky dragon couldn't help but let out a howl that was neither dragon nor wolf. Immediately, a chorus of furious curses erupted from outside: "Has that damned dragon appeared again? Elders, hurry up and go slay it!"
Ye Chen immediately slapped it. The sneaky dragon was about to yelp in pain, but Ye Chen clamped a hand over its mouth, preventing any sound.
Only after the cursing outside the Divine Island faded into the distance did Ye Chen release it, saying with exasperation, "Speak, old lecher. What did you steal this time? Why do they want to kill you so badly?"
"What do you mean, steal? This Dragon Lord merely took a few Heaven and Earth Treasures from the medicine garden. For them to be so stingy, and they call themselves a supreme Sacred Land!" the sneaky dragon said innocently.
Ye Chen would never believe this damned dragon's words. He directly grabbed the bundle on its back and opened it. Radiant light and rich medicinal fragrance burst forth. When he saw the contents clearly, he couldn't help but suck in a sharp breath.
Three genuine Ten-Thousand-Year Medicine Treasures, over a dozen Heaven and Earth Treasures seven to eight thousand years old, and other spiritual herbs and essences of various ages totaling forty to fifty items. There was even a zhang-square patch of Spirit-Nurturing Soil.
These were all truly precious items. How dare this damned dragon have the nerve to call it 'a few'? It had practically moved the entire medicine garden of the Tai Chu Sacred Land.
No wonder the Elders wanted to kill this damned dragon; even he felt the urge. It was truly greedy.
Ye Chen grabbed the bundle and confiscated it all. "These aren't yours. You shouldn't have stolen so much. I'll help you return them tomorrow."
"No! Those are mine!" The sneaky dragon panicked and lunged forward.
"Get lost!"
Boom—
Ye Chen showed no mercy, slapping it away with a palm. With a loud crash, the sneaky dragon was sent flying, crashing through several palace pillars before stopping. It grimaced in pain, muttering, "This damned kid, why is his strength in this life so terrifying?"
He possessed the strongest Battle Sacred Body to begin with, his saintly blood contained Dragon Origin, and he also had the properties of Nine Tribulations Gold. How could it not be terrifying? It was a whole level more terrifying than other Battle Sacred Bodies.
Then the sneaky dragon sniffed at Ye Chen's body, exclaiming in surprise, "Why do I smell the aura of our dragon race on you?"
"Because I refined a Dragon Sturgeon and assimilated the Dragon Origin," Ye Chen said simply and clearly.
"Its dragon mother! Why is your luck so heaven-defying? You even found a Dragon Sturgeon!" The sneaky dragon's eyes widened. That was a variant True Dragon just like itself, incredibly rare in the world, difficult to find even across the ages.
Then its eyes gleamed. With a whoosh, it rushed forward and grabbed Ye Chen's arm, drooling as it tried to bite down. "Damned kid, this Dragon Lord has been a bit anemic lately. Perfect timing—you're a Saint Body and have our Dragon Origin transformed into dragon blood. Give me a hundred or so jin to drink, solve this Lord's anemia problem."
Ye Chen slapped it away again. Clang! Unsurprisingly, the Corpse Devouring Insect Emperor was sent flying once more.
A moment later, the Corpse Devouring Insect Emperor returned, but it was also a bit scared. How was this damned bastard still so powerful, making life difficult for a dragon like itself? It was completely outmatched.
Nevertheless, it finally sidled up, plopping down grandly on a chair, crossing its legs in a human-dragon posture, and said boldly, "So, Little Yue, how did you manage to survive again?"
Little Yue was the Corpse Devouring Insect Emperor's nickname for Ye Chen, because in his past life he was called Qian Yue, and he had a mysterious Moon Mark on his forehead.
Ye Chen didn't mind, replying indifferently, "Someone saved me. I was reborn."
"That's it?" The Corpse Devouring Insect Emperor was dumbfounded. Could the story be any simpler?
Ye Chen shrugged. "What else did you expect?"
"..." The sneaky dragon was left speechless.
"Speaking of which, how did you end up in the Tai Chu Sacred Land too?" Ye Chen asked curiously.
"After you died, I followed Ya Ya here," the Corpse Devouring Insect Emperor answered simply, its tone flat, devoid of any excitement about the journey. But one could imagine many things had happened. What mattered now was that everything was fine.
Meeting again, one man and one dragon, they finally shared a knowing smile, bumping fist against dragon claw.
Being able to meet again alive was better than anything else.
The Corpse Devouring Insect Emperor said to Ye Chen, "Wait for me a moment."
It returned shortly, now carrying over a dozen jars of wine. Upon opening them, a sweet, mellow, and intoxicating aroma assailed their faces. Even a Saint would feel dizzy from the fragrance. This was truly priceless Immortal Wine, incomparably precious.
Needless to say, this damned dragon had definitely stolen this Immortal Wine from the Sacred Land as well.
Sure enough, from deep within the Sacred Land, a voice wailed as if ghosts were crying and gods were howling: "Heaven-cursed scoundrel! The Tai Chu Bewitching Spirit Wine brewed for over a hundred thousand years has been stolen again—"
On the Divine Island, the man and the dragon sat in a small pavilion over a shimmering, emerald-green lake outside the palace, drinking to the moon.
No, those weren't cups, but bowls—bowls as big as clay pots. The two of them guzzled the priceless Immortal Wine in great gulps. The wine was fragrant and rich. Without using their power to dispel the effects, both grew thoroughly drunk.
The Corpse Devouring Insect Emperor suddenly let out a wolf-like howl, startling countless people in the Sacred Land and sending flocks of birds scattering. A wave of curses followed, only stopping after Ye Chen slapped it.
"After you left, Little Yue, this Lord felt so lonely. Peerless in the world, yet the world felt desolate. Searching across the myriad realms, which genius could be a match for this Lord? Those so-called Immortal True Kings, Supreme One descendants—this Lord looks at them like children in open-crotch pants, their feathers not even fully grown yet," the Corpse Devouring Insect Emperor said drunkenly.