Ye Ju, worried about Xiao Mo, discussed with the others. They decided to split into two groups. She would go with Xiao Mo to scout the left path, while Chaoyangzi and the others would deal with the rift in the barrier.
Chaoyangzi considered for a moment and agreed to a rendezvous in half an hour. Repairing the barrier was a significant undertaking, but not something they could accomplish immediately, so there was no need to rush.
Ye Ju followed Xiao Mo to the left path. On both sides were large stones, resembling fallen rocks from a geological fracture. The path became increasingly difficult. It slanted downwards, becoming steeper as they descended, and a large, steep rift valley appeared before them. The previously absent gale-force winds returned. Ye Ju struggled, even her attempt to ride her sword proving useless. Xiao Mo, however, fared better. As a flood dragon, he was a divine beast naturally capable of controlling wind and flying.
Xiao Mo reverted to his original form and invited Ye Ju to ride on his dragon body. He then scaled himself down. Due to the limited space, his full-sized true form wouldn't be as agile or convenient. The deeper they went, the stronger the gale-force winds became, and there was something below! Ye Ju could sense it too, a faint pressure emanating from the depths. The wind, when it touched her exposed skin, felt like being cut by knives. She erected a spiritual energy shield, which provided some relief. This was despite Ye Ju's already tempered body, which had withstood several lightning tribulations, making it impervious to ordinary physical damage. This only emphasized how fierce the winds were further down. Xiao Mo, on the other hand, seemed completely unfazed, his body as robust as a copper wall and iron bastion, completely ignoring the winds.
As they descended, the path became more vertical, as if probing the very core of the earth. It grew darker and darker, with no light penetrating. Ye Ju and Xiao Mo had descended countless meters. The cave narrowed, and eventually, Xiao Mo could only crawl. It was evident that this was a passage created by a serpentine creature larger than Xiao Mo's true form, as the stone walls on either side were smooth, seemingly from the friction of the creature's body.
Ye Ju began to suspect. Could there be a dragon here? This was the only explanation for the cave's peculiar nature. They had reached the bottom, and suddenly, the path turned, no longer descending vertically. Ye Ju felt much more comfortable. She had thought this creature had burrowed through the earth to the other side. The earlier descent with Xiao Mo had felt like a roller coaster. Fortunately, Xiao Mo had claws and could grip the rock walls, controlling their descent and preventing a sheer fall.
Now, the path was horizontal, leading them forward along the long tunnel. Ye Ju's divine sense could only reach a few feet ahead; something ahead seemed to be shielding her divine sense. However, she detected no immediate danger. Xiao Mo, as if entranced, continued to crawl, drawn by something in front.
"Xiao Mo, do you know what's ahead?" Ye Ju asked after a long time in the tunnel, unable to contain her curiosity.
"Master, I don't know what it is, but whatever is ahead is very important to me. It's calling me!" Xiao Mo's voice, usually clear and cool, now buzzed.
After what felt like an eternity, so long that Ye Ju felt she could fall asleep, they finally arrived. At the end of the dark tunnel, a golden light flickered. Reaching the cave entrance, Ye Ju closed her eyes for a while before daring to open them. Having been in darkness for so long, the sudden brightness made her eyes sting.
So, when Ye Ju saw that the entire cave was filled with gold, her only thought was, "I want to lie down and sleep on it. I'm rich!" She leaped off Xiao Mo's body and plunged into the pile of gold. After indulging in her joy for a while, she remembered Xiao Mo. Xiao Mo had reverted to human form. He was touching a white, curved pillar jutting from the mountain of gold, his eyes a mixture of joy and sorrow. This place blocked divine sense, so Ye Ju didn't know what this white pillar was. Wait, could this be the skeletal remains of that creature?
"Master, I've found a dragon, a true dragon. These are the bones of a dragon," Xiao Mo suddenly turned and smiled at Ye Ju.
"Xiao Mo, are you sure? Not some snake, or a flood dragon? A divine dragon?" Ye Ju was shocked. She recalled that even when she was a Divine Venerable, divine dragons were extinct. With the destruction of the Divine Wood Realm, almost all divine dragons had perished. It had been a war akin to dragon extermination. After the destruction of the Divine Wood Realm, divine dragons and nine-tailed fox divine beasts had vanished, leaving only Long Hu Hu. That's right, she was the only nine-tailed fox in the Immortal Realm. And a descendant of a dragon!
"Yes, it told me. It's about to dissipate and will pass its legacy to me," Xiao Mo's voice held a hint of sadness.
Ye Ju didn't sense any aura. She had heard that dragons were overbearing divine beasts; even after death, they could form domains that prevented others from approaching. Ye Ju remembered the intense gale-force winds. Without Xiao Mo, it would have been difficult for Ye Ju to reach this place alone. This dragon favored Xiao Mo and wanted to bestow its legacy upon him. Although Ye Ju felt a pang of regret, she still wanted to ask if she could have the gold.
Xiao Mo was amused by his master's inquiry. She had indeed asked on his behalf. Ye Ju couldn't use her divine sense, but she could activate her Healing Eye. It would be better to ask personally. After all, this was Xiao Mo's master, and respect was due. Ye Ju touched her glabella, and the scene in the cave changed. She saw the soul of a black giant dragon lying on the gold mountain. Thinking that she had been rolling and sleeping on it just moments ago, her face suddenly flushed crimson. All her foolishness had been witnessed by this black dragon. After so long, Ye Ju's intellect occasionally faltered. She even chided herself.
"Um, Divine Dragon Lord..." Ye Ju didn't know how to begin.
"Fairy Ju Yin, how have you changed? No, you are already a Divine Venerable, but how have you become mortal again?" The black dragon's opening words stunned Ye Ju. Could it be... an acquaintance?
"You know me?"
"A long time ago. When you were just a little fairy, crying to your father for your mother, I was sitting nearby, drinking tea!" The black dragon's tone was filled with nostalgia.
Ye Ju's expression turned grave. Was this before the Divine Wood Realm was destroyed? Could this black dragon be the patriarch of the dragon race? But why was he here, buried in this place? She dared not ask. She looked at the black dragon, wanting to inquire about what had happened to the Divine Wood Realm, who had possessed such immense power to destroy that world. What had happened to the dragon race? The words that rose to her lips were swallowed back. She also lacked the memories of enduring life-and-death tribulations, and she had a strong feeling that she should not ask. Otherwise, Long Hu Hu might be in danger! She trusted her intuition!
The black dragon gazed deeply into Ye Ju's eyes, as if wanting to speak but holding back due to some unspoken concern.
Ye Ju suddenly remembered something. She extracted the soul image of Long Hu Hu from her sea of consciousness and displayed it in the air. They were bound by a divine soul contract; a wisp of Xiao Bai's soul resided in Ye Ju's sea of consciousness.
The black dragon suddenly stood up, looking excitedly at the white fox in the air. Tears welled in its large eyes, and it murmured, "Hu Hu~ Hu Hu~"
Because of its rising, the black dragon's vulnerable spot, its seven-inch mark, was impaled by a soul-locking nail, which Ye Ju and Xiao Mo had seen. The black dragon hadn't been visible when it was lying down. So that's how it was. No wonder a divine dragon as powerful as this had fallen here. It had been locked at its vulnerable spot and couldn't use its powers. So the passage was dug out by the black dragon itself? Xiao Mo looked indignant. As a flood dragon, he felt as if he were experiencing it himself...
"Are you Hu Hu's father?" Ye Ju looked at the black dragon, her heart feeling as if something was lodged within it...