Standing within the space, Lu Heng looked out at the two demonic beasts still entangled outside.
The snake-dragon beast seemed to have given up struggling. The homemade weapon in its hand fell beneath the giant python, and its arms hung limply.
If not for the occasional pained cries of the snake-dragon beast being crushed by the giant python, Lu Heng would have thought their battle was over.
Finding a chair, Lu Heng decided to wait until the battle outside completely concluded before emerging.
He looked at the pets gathered beside him. They were still discussing the battle outside. Lu Heng couldn't help but find their human-like behavior amusing. Although their intelligence had increased after mutation, it was far from the cunning of humans.
Looking at the pets in the room, Lu Heng suddenly realized he had no aquatic creatures contracted for combat. That turtle, of course, didn't count. Even in water, its combat ability was not significant.
He turned his gaze outward. Both of these were amphibious creatures. If he could capture them, it would be much more convenient to deal with mutated aquatic animals in the apocalypse later.
"Why didn't I think of contracting an aquatic creature?" Lu Heng slapped his head. His previous thinking seemed somewhat rigid.
It wasn't just land creatures that had mutated in the apocalypse; aquatic creatures had also mutated. Moreover, the variety and number of underwater creatures were many times greater than those on land.
Thinking of the crocodiles in the apocalypse, they were also amphibious. They were already fierce beasts, and after mutation, the harm they brought to humans was likely even greater.
He did have space to house these aquatic creatures. At worst, he could create an artificial lake for them. He could now re-plan the city within his space.
Lu Heng quickly left the space and returned to the other world. The snake-dragon beast had ceased making any sound. Its upper body swayed limply with the giant python, which was opening its massive mouth to devour it.
Lu Heng mobilized the energy within his body and quickly moved to the giant python's side. He condensed a drop of blood on his fingertip and shot it into the giant python's gaping maw.
The giant python instantly disappeared. Lu Heng used his consciousness to create a vacant house in the city to temporarily house the giant python.
The limp snake-dragon beast fell from mid-air the moment the giant python vanished, accompanied by the sound of a heavy object hitting the ground, and the pebbles on the riverbank clattered against each other.
"Is it dead?" Xiao Liu murmured from within the space.
A wooden stick appeared in Lu Heng's hand. He used the stick to poke the motionless body.
The snake-dragon beast showed no reaction, but it didn't appear to be dead. Otherwise, its body would be stiff.
First, he bound the snake-dragon beast's body with vines to prevent it from suddenly coming back to life. Only then did Lu Heng approach it to examine it closely.
The snake-dragon beast's body temperature was very low, and it felt like touching a cold-blooded animal, its touch icy.
Lu Heng placed a feather near the snake-dragon beast's nostrils and saw the feather being blown by the airflow from its nostrils.
He condensed another drop of blood on his fingertip, pried open the snake-dragon beast's mouth, and dripped the blood into it.
Next to the room where the giant python was confined, Lu Heng created another room and placed the still-unconscious snake-dragon beast inside.
The two demonic beasts that had been fighting were now both subdued and contracted by Lu Heng.
By then, the sky outside the space had turned dark. Lu Heng did not go out again. He first checked the snake-dragon beast's body, estimating that its internal organs might have ruptured, as it had been squeezed and compressed by the giant python for a long time.
However, Lu Heng not only had the ability to recover his own physical injuries but could also help others heal their wounds. Coupled with the healing effects of the ancient well water in the space, as long as there was still a breath left, Lu Heng could save injured creatures.
Placing one hand on the snake-dragon beast's abdomen on the ground, Lu Heng activated the energy within his body to help it heal. As he continuously released healing power into the snake-dragon beast's body, its external wounds healed first, the injuries recovering at a visible rate. The snake-dragon beast's right hand twitched unconsciously.
A moment later, Lu Heng withdrew his hand and sat down on one side of the room, watching the bound demonic beast on the ground, waiting for it to wake up.
The snake-dragon beast's intelligence was inherently higher than other demonic beasts, but they were like uncivilized ancient people. Lu Heng was unsure if contracting such a creature would be dangerous.
He had bound it immediately. If it had any ill intentions towards Lu Heng after waking up, Lu Heng could know through mind-reading and then eliminate it, breaking the contract, which would not be too late.
Soon, the snake-dragon beast, its injuries healed, rolled its eyeballs under its eyelids a few times. Then, it suddenly opened its eyes, its golden vertical pupils scanning its surroundings as its head turned.
"Am I dead?"
Lu Heng could now understand the language of his contracted pets. He watched the dazed snake-dragon beast observing its surroundings and did not intervene.
"Hmm? Am I seeing things? How did that human appear here too? Was he discovered and killed by the giant snake?"
"That shouldn't be the case. I remember that human was hidden quite well. If my senses weren't so keen, I probably wouldn't have seen him."
"Your senses are correct, but neither of us is dead. You are now within my territory, and you are my pet."
The pupils within the golden vertical eyes suddenly dilated. Lu Heng could clearly see the change in the vertical pupils.
"I'm not dead?"
The snake-dragon beast tried to lift its arm, but after a struggle, it suddenly realized it was bound to the ground, covered in vines.
"I can't stay on land all the time. If I leave water for too long, I will die. I need water..."
Before the snake-dragon beast could finish speaking, the ground beneath it suddenly collapsed, and its vine-bound body sank into the water.
"Like this, are you more comfortable?"
"This?" The snake-dragon beast looked at the water puddle beneath it in surprise. Although it wasn't very deep, when it lay flat, the water could cover its entire body.
"I said, this is my territory. Since it's my territory, of course, I can do whatever I want, including building an environment suitable for your survival."
"If you've thought it through, tell me. I know you are also a water-elemental demonic beast. As long as there are such puddles, you can create water yourself to survive."
"I..."
"Think calmly. Speak when you've thought it through. I have other things to do."
With that, Lu Heng vanished from the room, leaving the snake-dragon beast, immersed in water, in a daze.
Before leaving, Lu Heng removed the vines binding the snake-dragon beast to prevent them from damaging its fish tail. He also made the puddle deeper for it. However, he left a thin metal chain around its neck, controlling it so it couldn't leave the room.