Seeing the visitor, Jiang Lin's eyes widened in surprise.
Although he had anticipated that the other party would approach him after he brought back the hatched seven-colored egg, he hadn't expected her to come in person.
"Quite lively, aren't we?"
Yan Luo, who was carved like a jade doll, with two horns on her head and dressed in the King of Hell's robes, walked in leisurely.
At the doorway, before Bao and Niu Xiaoguo could even pay their respects, they found that the King of Hell had vanished from their sight.
The two ghosts gasped in shock, drawing in a sharp breath.
They had only seen the King of Hell from afar before, which had filled them with reverence. Now, being so close, they realized how powerful that oppressive aura was, leaving no room for any dissenting thoughts.
"Greetings, King of Hell."
Jiang Lin turned and cupped his hands towards Yan Luo.
Yan Luo nodded slightly, then beckoned with her finger.
The seven-colored egg, which had been lying limply on the ground, suddenly felt itself floating. Not only was it floating, but it was drifting towards the King of Hell.
"!!!"
As the King of Hell drew near, the seven-colored egg's eyes widened, and all its bones stiffened.
Master, save me!
It didn't want to float anymore.
It really didn't want to float!
Yan Luo raised her eyes and examined the bone dragon, which was about a foot long. It had a serpentine body,麒麟 (qilin) hands, and a crucian carp tail. Its face had long whiskers, its horns resembled those of a deer, and it had five claws. Its entire body was white bone, with only two ball-like lights burning in its eye sockets, signifying it was alive. As it moved, dragon energy coiled around it.
"You really brought a little dragon cub back... it's that egg from before, isn't it?"
Yan Luo moved her finger, and the little bone dragon floated back to Jiang Lin's side. It then quickly burrowed into Jiang Lin's sleeve, its head and tail hidden.
Inside the hall, the mechanical sphere and Xu Nan, who had been secretly watching, also quickly retracted their heads, not daring to peek any further.
Jiang Lin replied, "Yes."
"Planning to raise it?"
"Is that allowed?" he countered.
He asked this based on the limited records of dragons in the 'Archive' and the inheritance information the seven-colored egg had received. The fact that dragons could transcend the three realms and possess their own lineage and reincarnation paths was proof enough of their might. And would such a powerful race, once the ancestors of all demons, truly allow their true dragon bloodline to remain in the underworld? To stay by the side of a ghost messenger?
Therefore, when he brought the hatched seven-colored egg back, Jiang Lin had not provided it with any protective measures. He had let it remain as it was, wandering around the underworld. He wanted to see what the King of Hell's reaction would be upon learning about it. From the non-human girl he met in the mirage, he knew that even if dragons had escaped the three realms, if they committed offenses within them, the three realms would still have some authority to manage them. If it could be registered with the King of Hell, the seven-colored egg would have an additional layer of protection.
"Why wouldn't it be allowed?"
Yan Luo crossed her arms, nonchalantly saying, "This egg hatched and grew in our underworld, and it's willing to recognize you as its master. What right do the dragons have to take it back?"
The thought of those arrogant old fellows discovering that their young cub had already recognized a master made her feel immensely pleased.
*Snap!*
Yan Luo snapped her fingers, and the seven-colored egg, hiding in Jiang Lin's sleeve, shivered involuntarily. It felt as if something had been added to it.
"From now on, it's under our protection."
Seeing this, Jiang Lin cupped his hands. "Thank you, King of Hell."
"By the way, the dragons might come looking for it later," Yan Luo said. "When that happens, just do what you normally do. Don't panic."
"Alright."
"One more thing," Yan Luo said, walking to the entrance of the eighteenth hall, suddenly remembering something. She turned back and said, "There's a business trip coming up in a while. You'll accompany us to broaden your horizons then."
Broaden his horizons? Did the King of Hell acknowledge his strength and believe he was ready to know more information?
"Alright."
Jiang Lin, though he had his suspicions, didn't ask further. Yan Luo didn't offer any further explanation; they would find out when the time came. She turned and flew away, disappearing in an instant.
...
After a long while, the powerful aura emanating from the eighteenth hall began to slowly dissipate.
The seven-colored egg cautiously flew out from its master's sleeve. "Master, does the King of Hell mean that dragons of my kind will come looking for me?"
Jiang Lin: "There's a possibility. If you want to go then, you can return to the sea to have a look."
"I've heard that dragons all live in Dragon Palaces, filled with countless treasures, as well as all sorts of delicacies."
After all, it was registered with the King of Hell, so even if those dragons wanted to do anything, they would likely have some reservations. Moreover, judging by what the seven-colored egg and the King of Hell said, the dragons would sense something once the seven-colored egg hatched. Since that was the case, instead of being secretive, it was better to be open about it.
"Really?!"
The seven-colored egg's eyes lit up. "In the inheritance footage I saw, the places where dragons lived looked quite simple."
Of course, there were many treasures, all voluntarily offered by various races. It was just that dragons back then focused on strength, and their aesthetics were different from people's now. They were all things like bull horns, giant rocks, and ice coffins that never melted...
"Master, will you go with me then? I haven't seen the Dragon Palace yet!"
Jiang Lin thought for a moment. "We'll see then." He hadn't seen the Dragon Palace either. However, the situation might not be certain by then.
"Okay, Master. I'll go study now~"
The seven-colored egg turned, dragging its bones, and went into the hall to find the mechanical sphere. It would also share the news about the Dragon Palace.
Meanwhile, Jiang Lin, standing in the courtyard, was thinking...
Well, now he could confidently let the seven-colored egg appear. Wasn't it eager to undertake missions and improve itself? Consider it arranged.
...