Chapter 46: The Horned Dragon

"There are only two Heaven Mending Pills left," Old Wei said softly, flipping his hand to retrieve two white jade bottles from his storage bracelet.

Staring at the intricately carved bottles, Hao San's face was filled with a sense of tragic determination. Gently taking one, he examined it closely and said, "This is enough. With these two pills, we can make the final summoning."

Opening the small bottle, Hao San brought it to his lips. Slowly, a thick, milky-white liquid began to drip out. It was so viscous that as it flowed, it seemed to pull the entire contents of the bottle with it, forming a single droplet that dropped into Hao San's mouth.

He closed his mouth and swallowed, then casually tossed the empty bottle away. Suddenly, his face contorted in pain, his eyes bulging as if they might pop out. His entire body began to emit thick white mist, gradually enveloping him completely.

Standing nearby, Old Wei's face mirrored Hao San's tragic determination.

After the time it takes to burn an incense stick, the mist dissipated, revealing Hao San. He had endured immense pain, evident in the lingering grimace on his face. As he straightened up, his expression returned to normal. His energy and spirit seemed renewed, his eyes shining brighter. His once mostly white hair had turned jet-black again.

"Third Prince," Old Wei called out, looking at Hao San.

"Old Wei, stand back," Hao San instructed.

"Yes, sir." Old Wei immediately stepped behind Hao San.

Hao San took a deep breath and began to mutter something under his breath. As he chanted, his entire right hand turned pitch black, slowly emitting tendrils of black smoke.

After two breaths, Hao San's eyes widened, and his blackened hand slammed onto the ground as he shouted, "Da Hong, come out!"

With a roar, his blackened hand pressed into the earth. The smoke from his hand spread out like nine black dragon-like tendrils, covering a thirty-meter diameter around Hao San. The nine black dragons seemed like inky black holes, marking the ground as if connecting to a distant place.

Suddenly, the area covered by the nine black dragons was filled with numerous black runes, transforming the ground into a black altar.

"Boom!"

The black altar erupted with dense black smoke, enveloping the entire area in a hemispherical dome.

Old Wei watched anxiously from the periphery, his heart filled with concern.

"Whoosh!"

Abruptly, the black smoke vanished as if it had been magically disintegrated. The altar disappeared, revealing Hao San once more. His hair had turned white again, with only a few strands of black remaining, even fewer than before he had taken the Heaven Mending Pill.

Hao San's body wavered, barely able to stand. Old Wei rushed forward to support him, his face etched with worry.

Despite his extreme weakness, Hao San's face displayed a rare joy. Before him stood a colossal creature—a massive, crimson serpent, thirty meters long. Its mouth could easily swallow two people at once. The serpent raised its head, flicking its tail slightly, its tongue darting out as it looked at Hao San.

This was the crimson snake that Hao San had just summoned. As soon as it emerged, the snake slowly lowered its head and nuzzled against Hao San's arm.

Seeing the snake's friendly gesture, Hao San smiled slightly and, with Old Wei's support, stood up and gently petted the snake's head.

"Da Hong, hehe, this might be the last time we meet. I'm about to die," Hao San said sadly.

The snake looked at Hao San, seemingly understanding his words, and wriggled its body as if protesting his death.

"It's no use. This time is different from before. I'm definitely going to die. You've been with me for decades, always by my side. Among the Dragon Palace lineage, you're the only one I trust because you're my best friend," Hao San said, stroking the snake's head.

The crimson snake kept flicking its tongue, sensing the impending tragedy.

Looking at Da Hong, Hao San sighed and said, "Your strength is at most equivalent to a human at the Golden Core stage. There are many strong enemies outside who want to kill me. You can't save me. This time, I summoned you to help deliver something to the Dragon Palace and eventually to my last surviving bloodline."

The snake shook its head, continuously flicking its tongue.

Gently, Hao San took out a small wooden box made of peach wood. The box was intricately carved, resembling an invaluable work of art.

"I trust only you because you're my best friend. There's no contractual or interest-based relationship between us. Da Hong, this is my last request. Take this peach wood box to my descendant," Hao San said with tragic determination.

The snake looked at Hao San, and tears began to flow from its eyes. It opened its mouth and swallowed the peach wood box. Then it nuzzled against Hao San again.

Looking at the snake, Hao San forced a bitter smile and said, "Earlier, I summoned fifty of your companions. They're in the rear courtyard. Go greet them. Later, as I instructed, you all should escape."

The snake circled Hao San, coiling around him and lightly touching his face with its tongue before uncoiling and slithering towards the back of the temple. In the rear courtyard were fifty more large snakes, each varying in color.

In the front courtyard of the temple, only Hao San and Old Wei remained.

Old Wei quickly moved forward to support Hao San.

"Third Prince," Old Wei called out, full of worry.

"Old Wei, give me the last Heaven Mending Pill," Hao San said.

Old Wei, his face full of sorrow, took out the last bottle.

As before, Hao San swallowed the pill and quickly regained his peak condition. His hair turned black once more.

Standing firmly, Hao San looked at Old Wei and said, "Old Wei, stand back."

Old Wei, with tears streaming down his face, retreated to a distant spot.

Just as before, Hao San began the summoning ritual. After chanting a series of incantations, he shouted, "With my lifespan, I summon the Dragon General!"

Hao San shouted again, pressing his hand onto the ground. Just like before, a black altar emerged from his hand and pressed onto the earth. However, this altar was five times larger than the previous one, with a diameter of 150 meters. It seemed like this mysterious altar could transport creatures from distant places to this very spot.

A black hemispherical smoke zone reappeared, instantly shrouding the entire plaza. As the black smoke dissipated, Hao San was revealed inside.

At this moment, Hao San's hair had turned completely white, without a single strand of black remaining. He looked much older, with a hint of intense madness in his eyes.

"Third Prince," Old Wei quickly stepped forward to support the weakened Hao San. He swiftly put some pills into Hao San's mouth. Though these pills were not as potent as the Heaven Mending Pill, they helped Hao San recover quickly. He stood up, and although his hair did not turn black again, his spirit improved significantly.

Before them was a massive serpent, no, a dragon with only one horn, like a giant blade pointing skyward. Its entire body was covered with countless scales.

It was a horned dragon (Qiu Long)!

The horned dragon was about 150 meters long, occupying the entire plaza with its coiled body. It shook its head and looked at Hao San.

"Hao San?" The horned dragon spoke in human language.

"Unexpectedly, it's you. I thought it would be a flood dragon," Hao San said with a hint of a surprised smile.

"You used all your lifespan for a higher-level summoning. You're eighty years old, in the congenital stage, with 120 years of lifespan left. Although through the contract I can only gain one-tenth of it, which is twelve years, it's still better than nothing. Why wouldn't I come? But with your lifespan exhausted, you'll only live until Hai hour (9-11 PM) today," the horned dragon said.

"Hai hour? That's enough. Just get me out of here, and take me around before Hai hour," Hao San said.

"Alas, the mighty Hao family has fallen to such a state. It's hard to believe. By the way, your woman in the Dragon Palace finally gave birth. But she died after giving birth," the horned dragon said.

"She gave birth? Really? A boy or a girl?" Hao San immediately asked.

"Unfortunately, it's a girl. Not good for continuing your Hao family's grand enterprise," the horned dragon said.

"A girl? How can it be a girl? A girl? Yes, a girl is good, a girl is good," Hao San suddenly laughed maniacally.

"What's the background of your woman? After giving birth to the girl, a strong evil energy surged into the infant, leaving your woman lifeless while all the plants around the infant withered and died," the horned dragon asked in confusion.

"Yes, yes, hahahaha, a body of ten thousand evils, a body of ten thousand evils," Hao San laughed excitedly.

"What? Your woman was a Nine Lives Grudge Girl? And you made her pregnant?" The horned dragon looked at Hao San with a hint of astonishment.

"A Nine Lives Grudge Girl, who died from extreme resentment in nine lifetimes, extremely yin and extremely evil. If she gave birth to a boy, it wouldn't be much, just restoring my Hao family's empire. But if she gave birth to a girl, all the evil energy from nine lives would transfer into the girl, making her a body of ten thousand evils. Hahaha. She is also the tenth-generation bloodline summoner of my Hao family, the last generation, just in time for the last opportunity. From now on, let her wreak havoc, hahaha," Hao San laughed maniacally.

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On the outskirts of Baiwu Mountain, within a canyon, two figures were walking towards the valley where Baiwu Mountain was located.

"Don't worry, Senior Brother should be just ahead," Zhong Shan said to Tian Ling'er beside him.