The Blood Demon Flood Dragon had been coerced into serving Zhang Fan, its soul bound by a divine soul restriction. Initially, it harbored resentment, believing Zhang Fan's strength to be comparable to its own. Furthermore, it possessed a trace of Blood Dragon bloodline, granting it certain characteristics of those mythical creatures.
For instance, its vitality was exceptionally robust, allowing it to recover from severe injuries in a remarkably short time. Its defenses were also incredibly formidable; even if it stood still and endured attacks from peak Divine Realm cultivators, it would remain unscathed. Zhang Fan had merely possessed the means to counter it, leading to its defeat.
However, as time passed with Zhang Fan, the Blood Demon Flood Dragon discovered that following such a master made its life far more comfortable than before. Not only did it have an inexhaustible supply of spirit pills, but it also enjoyed a superior cultivation environment. This was a stark contrast to its previous existence, where it might endure years of hardship for a single spiritual herb.
With its fist-sized dragon head, the Blood Demon Flood Dragon affectionately nudged Zhang Fan's arm, appearing remarkably docile. This display astonished Ellebela, Lin Haotian, and the others. They had witnessed the Blood Demon Flood Dragon's usual arrogance when facing them, and how it would sometimes toy with them out of boredom. While it never harmed them, these encounters could be quite embarrassing. Despite being formidable cultivators at the Saint Realm, they were no match for the Blood Demon Flood Dragon, which had reached the peak of the Heavenly Human Realm, and could only be toyed with like children.
Zhang Fan gently stroked the Blood Demon Flood Dragon's glossy, smooth scales, which exuded a sense of robust strength.
"Master, I feel I'm on the verge of a breakthrough. If you continue to provide me with Vitality Pills, I'm highly confident that within a year, I can form a demon core and advance to the Golden Core stage," the Blood Demon Flood Dragon communicated with Zhang Fan through divine sense. Even with its awakened sentience, the creature could not yet speak human language, relying solely on its divine sense for communication.
Upon hearing this, Zhang Fan couldn't help but chuckle. It seemed the docile behavior was all a ploy to elicit more Vitality Pills.
"Rest assured, as long as you can refine them, you'll have as many Vitality Pills as you need. Don't worry about lacking spirit pills," Zhang Fan replied. As Zhang Fan's strength grew, so did his alchemy skills, naturally leading to a significant increase in his pill-refining efficiency. For him, crafting spirit pills of the Vitality Pill's grade was as easy as roasting beans; he could produce large batches effortlessly.
Currently, the Blood Demon Flood Dragon was Zhang Fan's foremost subordinate, capable of assisting him in many matters. If it could successfully form a demon core and reach the Golden Core stage, Zhang Fan would find his burden considerably lighter. While Zhang Fan was currently unrivaled in the martial world of Huaxia, his parents and loved ones were his vulnerabilities. Moreover, he had already made enemies of several influential figures, including the Pope of the Holy See and a Divine Realm expert from the Bai family, both of whom had vowed revenge.
Then there was the mysterious Daoist Changsheng. Though he bore no animosity towards Zhang Fan, he was the one who kept Zhang Fan most vigilant. Daoist Changsheng's previous strength was no less than that of the deceased Kunlun, and he was a man of deep cunning who would stop at nothing to acquire treasures, even betraying his long-time friends. Zhang Fan had a premonition that after inheriting the legacy of the Half-Moon Immortal, Daoist Changsheng would likely target him first upon reaching the Golden Core stage. After all, the treasures left behind by a first-rate Golden Core cultivator were enough to drive ordinary Golden Core cultivators to madness, especially in a world like Earth, with its sparse spiritual energy and limited cultivation resources. Daoist Changsheng was ambitious and powerful, forcing Zhang Fan to prepare himself to avoid being caught off guard.
With his current peak Divine Sea Realm cultivation, Zhang Fan was confident in his ability to protect himself, even if he couldn't defeat a Golden Core cultivator. However, he worried about his parents and girlfriend, fearing they might be taken hostage to coerce him. Therefore, if the Blood Demon Flood Dragon could form a demon core, its strength might even surpass Zhang Fan's by a considerable margin. Combined with its inherent physical prowess, ordinary Golden Core cultivators might find it difficult to subdue.
Reassured by Zhang Fan's promise, the Blood Demon Flood Dragon's spirits soared, and it let out a joyful roar, sensing a bright future ahead.
While demonic beasts generally enjoyed much longer lifespans than human cultivators—for example, Heavenly Human Realm cultivators typically lived for only a few centuries, whereas the Blood Demon Flood Dragon could easily live for a millennium—they possessed a critical drawback: their cultivation speed was significantly slower than humans. Many Heavenly Human Realm demonic beasts, after living for thousands of years, still failed to form a demon core and advance to the Golden Core stage.
Of course, the Blood Demon Flood Dragon was not an ordinary demonic beast. With spirit pills readily available and a blessed cultivation environment built within a grand spirit-gathering array, advancing to the Golden Core stage was not an insurmountable challenge for a creature already at the peak of the Heavenly Human Realm.
"Cultivate diligently. If you can form a demon core within a year, I will teach you a body-refining technique passed down from the Blood Dragons," Zhang Fan decided after some thought, intending to nurture the Blood Demon Flood Dragon.
"What?"
Upon hearing Zhang Fan's words, the Blood Demon Flood Dragon's neck, covered in crimson scales, stiffened. Its cat-sized eyes locked onto Zhang Fan, filled with disbelief.
"Master, you... you're not deceiving me, are you?" the Blood Demon Flood Dragon communicated with Zhang Fan, its tone exceedingly cautious. It was common knowledge that Blood Dragons were true dragons, possessing noble bloodlines and innate talent. Their body-refining techniques were never publicly disclosed, making them impossible to learn. True dragons, born with Dragon Yuan, possessed at least the strength of a Golden Core cultivator. While not peak powerhouses in the vast expanse of the Myriad Realms, they were still beyond the reach of creatures like itself. Furthermore, like other dragon clans, Blood Dragons reproduced slowly, and their young were heavily protected, only venturing out for training at the Nascent Soul stage or higher, guided by elder kin. This meant any Blood Dragon encountered in the Myriad Realms would likely possess at least Nascent Soul cultivation, capable of crushing them with a single finger. Therefore, the Blood Demon Flood Dragon harbored considerable doubt about Zhang Fan's claim of possessing Blood Dragon body-refining techniques.
"Heh, what's so difficult about that? Once you break through to the Golden Core stage, you can come to me for your reward," Zhang Fan replied nonchalantly, holding the Blood Demon Flood Dragon.
"Very well. I can see you're feeling a bit restless. Since you doubt your master's abilities, I shall first impart the foundational chapter of this body-refining technique. It will be sufficient for you to cultivate for a considerable period," Zhang Fan said, gently stroking the Blood Demon Flood Dragon. Subtle starlight began to emanate from his hand.