Leaving the room of the snake-dragon beast, Lu Heng entered the space belonging to the giant python.
The giant python was currently lying on the ground as if asleep, only its tail occasionally slapping the floor, making a *pa pa* sound in the room. Fortunately, Lu Heng had placed sound restrictions on the rooms of these newly contracted pets; no matter how much they thrashed about in their own rooms, the loud noises could not escape.
"Tired?"
"Huh? How did you get me here?"
Upon entering the space, the giant python first felt that it had been moved to a different location, and then it suddenly realized that its level had increased again. It had been stuck at level ten and unable to advance. It had intended to devour the snake-dragon beast, which was also level ten, to raise its own level. It hadn't expected that before it could even swallow the snake-dragon beast, its level would have already increased.
As soon as it entered this confined space, it began to struggle incessantly, crashing into things and striking the walls of the room with its tail. However, no matter how hard it struck those walls, other than inflicting new wounds on its body, it could not break through the walls that confined it. After thrashing for a while, due to its immense size, its energy consumption was considerable. By this time, it was too exhausted to move, so it could only impatiently slap the ground with its tail.
"You should call me Master." Lu Heng also conjured a chair and sat down in a spot within the room, looking at the giant python opposite him.
"Master? Why? How can a level eleven magical beast like me call you, a tiny human, Master?"
"How did you reach level eleven? I recall you were only level ten by the riverbank outside just now."
"I reached level eleven through my own efforts. I just broke through suddenly. What does it have to do with you, a human?"
"Heh!"
This was precisely why Lu Heng disliked contracting these high-level magical beasts. These beasts, which believed their intelligence and abilities surpassed humans, were not easily subdued. Even though Lu Heng had already formed a contract with it, looking at the giant python's tone of speech, it clearly did not recognize him yet.
"I am a tiny human?"
As soon as Lu Heng finished speaking, several metal spikes easily pierced the giant python's scales. No blood splattered from these wounds.
"Hiss hiss hiss..." The giant python was once again heavily wounded. Its already weakened body, with little strength left, now emitted a desperate surge of power. It tried to twist its body, attempting to break free from the ice spikes.
"You tiny human, release me, I... hiss hiss hiss..."
A fireball shot out, quickly entering the giant python's mouth, and the smell of roasted meat immediately filled the entire room. With a wave of his hand, Lu Heng created a wind wall in front of him, blocking the smell of roasted meat.
"Hiss hiss hiss... Hiss hiss hiss..."
The giant python struggled incessantly. Lu Heng could still see a wild killing intent in its vertical pupils.
"It actually wants to kill me?" Then there's no need to keep it. Just now, he thought he could tame this giant python to serve him. It seemed that contracts were not omnipotent. Perhaps these cold-blooded animals were inherently difficult to contract. Without hesitation, Lu Heng willed it, and the giant python's head was instantly pierced by metal. Blood, along with some red and white matter, flowed down the metal towards the ground.
Lu Heng looked at the level eleven, water-blue magic crystal he had retrieved. "What a shame, it didn't know its place." With a wave of his hand, the magic crystal disappeared from his grasp, stored in the apartment building where magic crystals were kept. Fortunately, there was still so much snake meat, which could be fed to other pets. Consuming more of this magical beast meat also had the effect of enhancing physical abilities, so it wasn't a complete waste.
Indeed, Lu Heng's body felt no discomfort after killing the contracted magical beast. There was no backlash as described in some novels. Only the small snake tattoo he had earlier disappeared with the demise of the giant python.
"Master, I've thought it through. I am willing to follow Master, but I have something to discuss with you." Just as Lu Heng was contemplating where to store this snake meat, the voice of the snake-dragon beast echoed in his mind.
"You figured it out so quickly?" Entering the room where the snake-dragon beast was confined, Lu Heng walked to the front of its pool and stopped. He washed his hands in the water, and then some blood water from the giant python's magic crystal dispersed in the pool.
"Master killed that giant python?"
"Yes, that thing was too arrogant. But it wanted to eat you to level up earlier."
"I know. Fighting it on the riverbank was because it wanted to ambush me."
"Speak, what do you want to tell me?"
"I, I have a mate. I hope Master can contract it too, so we won't be separated."
"You are willing to follow me, but it doesn't mean your mate will agree to be driven by humans."
"I will persuade it."
"So confident? You won't return, won't this be an excuse for you to escape from here?"
"No, Master. I can swear to the River God that I will be loyal to Master and forever be driven by Master." the snake-dragon beast said anxiously.
"Your clan still believes in the River God?" Lu Heng raised an eyebrow, not expecting that these snake-dragon beasts had evolved to this level, with a faith within their clan.
"The clan leader says there has always been a River God protecting us. That's why our clan is so powerful in this forest. The River God is blessing our clan."
"Now, you no longer need to have the River God in your heart. The River God is merely a spiritual sustenance from the early stages of civilization. The god in your heart should be me, your Master. I am standing right in front of you, not some so-called River God you've never seen before." For these ancient tribal groups with a semblance of faith, to make them follow him wholeheartedly, it was best to erase the gods in their hearts.
"Understood, Master will be the god in my heart from now on." The snake-dragon beast devoutly crossed its hands over its chest and bowed its upper body towards Lu Heng.
"Alright, as long as you truly obey me. You've probably noticed your own changes. Just now, you were on the verge of death after being strangled by that giant python, and it was I who healed your injuries and saved you. Since I could save you, I can also strangle you, just like I strangled that giant python you couldn't kill." The snake-dragon beast did not look up, keeping its upper body bowed, waiting for Lu Heng to continue his lecture.
"You are now a level eleven snake-dragon beast. Are there any in your clan with a higher level than you?"
"No, I am the highest-level warrior in the snake-dragon beast clan."
"Warrior, I like that. The most important quality for a warrior in my hands is obedience, true obedience. If you lie, you will know how terrifying I can be."
"Understood, my Master."