Roar!
—A dragon's roar echoed long, an angry elephant's savage cry.
A nine-meter-tall Dragon-Elephant shook its head, baring its claws as it charged toward Gu Qingfeng. Opposite, Murong Xian and Wang He still held Gu Qingfeng's shoulders firmly from left and right. Seeing Ma Zhengtian's Dragon-Elephant attack, they tried to pin Gu Qingfeng's arms to prevent his escape.
However, no matter how powerful the strength of their bloodline true bodies was, they could not budge Gu Qingfeng in the slightest.
Gu Qingfeng simply sat in his chair, holding the Voidless Cup, squinting at the oncoming Chixiao Dragon-Elephant, his brow slightly furrowed. Then he tilted his head back and drained the wine in his cup. With a slight shrug of his shoulders—a seemingly casual movement—he instantly sent Murong Xian and Wang He on either side flying sideways like kites with severed strings, each letting out a muffled grunt.
At that moment, the powerful Chixiao Dragon-Elephant had already arrived. Gu Qingfeng did not move, nor did he raise a hand to block it. He merely leaned to one side, sitting in the chair with his legs crossed, one hand holding the wine pot, the other holding the Voidless Cup as he poured wine. Yet, to everyone's astonishment, when the fierce and savage Chixiao Dragon-Elephant charged up to Gu Qingfeng, it did not try to devour or tear at him. It only let out a series of dragon roars directed at Gu Qingfeng.
How could this be?
No one knew.
No one understood.
As the person involved, Ma Zhengtian was even more shocked and horrified. Ever since inheriting this Chixiao Dragon-Elephant from his grandfather, he had been fusing with it. To this day, although he had not achieved complete fusion, they were already spiritually connected. But just now, he suddenly sensed an indescribable feeling from the Dragon-Elephant—like a kind of reverence.
Yes!
Reverence.
How was that possible?
This was a pure Chixiao Dragon-Elephant, containing the soul of the Dragon-Elephant, capable of intimidating all demons and ghosts. Even facing a Nine Heavens Immortal, it would show no fear. Why would it show such reverence toward Gu Qingfeng?
No!
Absolutely impossible!
Ma Zhengtian tried to recall the Chixiao Dragon-Elephant, but to his surprise, at this moment, the Dragon-Elephant actually...
Actually would not heed his summons.
"Senior Brother, we'll help you!"
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Wei Jiaojiao and Xu Jintong rushed over, swinging their arms, circulating their Purple Mansion Nascent Souls, their Great Nature Nine-Layer Colored Spirits, and their Taixuan Seeds, then each summoned their own Dragon-Elephants!
Roar! Roar!
Two Dragon-Elephants materialized, both nine meters tall.
Although they were also Chixiao Dragon-Elephants, Wei Jiaojiao and Xu Jintong's Dragon-Elephants came from Dragon-Elephant seeds and lacked the true Dragon-Elephant soul. Whether in presence, imposing aura, or Dragon-Elephant power, they were far inferior to Ma Zhengtian's genuine Chixiao Dragon-Elephant—mere empty shells.
Of course, with Wei Jiaojiao and the other exerting their utmost to summon the Chixiao Dragon-Elephants, their power was not to be underestimated.
However, when they pounced before Gu Qingfeng, he did not even glance at them. With a sweep of his arm—thump! thump!—the two Dragon-Elephants instantly disintegrated and vanished, not even leaving a trace. Wei Jiaojiao and Xu Jintong each let out a muffled grunt, blood spurting from their mouths and noses, their spirits wounded as they staggered back several steps before steadying themselves.
Gu Qingfeng picked up the Voidless Cup and took a light sip, then glanced at the Chixiao Dragon-Elephant belonging to Ma Zhengtian. He reached out and gently touched the Dragon-Elephant's head.
Roar!
—The Dragon-Elephant immediately let out a gentle dragon's cry.
The corner of Gu Qingfeng's mouth curled into a long-absent smile. He then looked at Ma Zhengtian not far away and said lightly, "I've heard that this Chixiao Dragon-Elephant was passed to you by your grandfather at great cost before his lifespan ended."
"Yes! So what!"
Ma Zhengtian's face was ashen. He kept trying to summon the Chixiao Dragon-Elephant, but it was useless. His mind was in turmoil, at a loss.
"In that case, you should cherish it properly."
Gu Qingfeng knew better than anyone that every Chixiao person of the Chixiao Sect back then had chanted the blood of the Dragon-Elephant, using Dragon-Elephant blood to temper their true bodies and souls, thereby giving birth to the Dragon-Elephant totem. In other words, every Chixiao Dragon-Elephant on a Chixiao person was fused with their soul. To pass it on to someone else, the cost paid was absolutely unimaginable to others, and the pain and torment endured were beyond ordinary comprehension.
In a sense, Ma Zhengtian's Chixiao Dragon-Elephant was no longer just a simple Chixiao Dragon-Elephant; it also contained his grandfather's will, spirit, soul-heart, and everything else. Calling this Dragon-Elephant his grandfather would not be an exaggeration.
Without further thought, Gu Qingfeng patted the Chixiao Dragon-Elephant's head and said softly, "Go back."
Roar!
The Chixiao Dragon-Elephant let out a dragon's cry, then returned to Ma Zhengtian's side.
While relieved, Ma Zhengtian was also terrified upon deeper reflection. He stared at Gu Qingfeng, filled with immense fear.
To everyone watching, this scene was as bizarre as could be.
Everyone knew how powerful a Chixiao Dragon-Elephant was—capable of soaring through the Nine Heavens to devour immortals and demons, or diving into shallow seas to intimidate ghosts and monsters.
Why did Ma Zhengtian's Chixiao Dragon-Elephant become so docile upon seeing Gu Qingfeng?
And even more unbelievable was that no matter how long Ma Zhengtian summoned it, the Chixiao Dragon-Elephant showed no response, yet as soon as Gu Qingfeng said "go back," it immediately returned to Ma Zhengtian's side.
This couldn't help but make people wonder: Was this Ma Zhengtian's Chixiao Dragon-Elephant, or Gu Qingfeng's?
Why would the Chixiao Dragon-Elephant obey his words like this?
No one knew the answer.
Even Su Hua, who was hailed as knowing the celestial secrets above and the earthly divinations below, now deeply furrowed her willow-leaf eyebrows, watching in disbelief.
Since her past life memories awakened and she learned her karma was tied to Monarch Chixiao, Su Hua had spent these years investigating everything about Monarch Chixiao. Naturally, she had also studied the Chixiao Dragon-Elephant. She had met many Chixiao people and witnessed genuine Chixiao Dragon-Elephants multiple times.
As for what kind of existence the Dragon-Elephant's true form was, she did not know.
But regarding the Chixiao Dragon-Elephant totem, she understood a fair amount. She clearly knew that the Chixiao Dragon-Elephant was nurtured from the spiritual blood and true soul of the Dragon-Elephant's original form. It feared neither immortals nor demons, nor ghosts nor monsters. Its presence was extremely powerful, domineering and ruthless, savage and cruel. Apart from using overwhelming force, there was simply no way to suppress it, let alone control it.
She had tried before. Even using the most profound immortal arts and spiritual methods, she could not soothe or control a Dragon-Elephant.
Moreover, she had seen clearly just now: Gu Qingfeng did not even use spiritual power, nor did he employ any spiritual methods. When Ma Zhengtian's Chixiao Dragon-Elephant saw him, it completely lost its previous domineering and savagery, becoming only docile and reverent—a completely instinctive reaction, like seeing its master.
How did he do it?
Su Hua had heard from many Chixiao people that under the heavens, only one person could make a Chixiao Dragon-Elephant docile: that was Monarch Chixiao.
Monarch Chixiao?
Him?
Gu Qingfeng?
No!
Absolutely impossible!
Su Hua dismissed this speculation without even thinking. If Monarch Chixiao were still alive, he would either have reincarnated or seized a body for rebirth—there was no other path. Even if he possessed heaven-defying abilities, he could not violate the laws of order, and his body would inevitably carry traces of turbid breath.
If Gu Qingfeng was not Monarch Chixiao...
Yet the Chixiao Dragon-Elephant was so docile and reverent upon seeing him. Then there was only one possibility: his existence must be related to Monarch Chixiao.
Either he was a descendant of Monarch Chixiao, carrying Monarch Chixiao's blood in his veins.
Or he was a disciple or successor of Monarch Chixiao, possessing an artifact or token from Monarch Chixiao.