"Let's go."
Ning Beichen glanced at the black river beneath the black mist, then entered it with Liu Yilin, Luo Yingying, and Ye Lanxin.
Just then, they heard the black flood dragon shouting and roaring from the bottom of the black river.
"Wait, I promise you, I promise..."
Seeing Ning Beichen actually leaving, the black flood dragon became anxious. Having tasted freedom, it couldn't bear to be confined here any longer.
Although becoming a human's pet was humiliating, even a shame of ten thousand years, what did it matter for freedom?
The black flood dragon shouted frantically, but there was no response from the black mist, which made it completely panic.
"Human, come back, I promise you everything, I promise, I'm willing to be your pet..."
The black flood dragon's voice grew hoarse from shouting.
But as time ticked by, Ning Beichen still didn't return. Gradually, the black flood dragon became more and more desperate and violent, roaring wildly at the bottom of the black river and desperately pulling at the chains, making clanking sounds.
After an unknown amount of time, the black flood dragon slumped to the ground, looking dejected and weak.
"Ning Beichen, that flood dragon seems to have submitted. Aren't you going to subdue it?" Liu Yilin asked, puzzled.
"No rush. Have you ever seen how people train falcons? You have to temper its temper, otherwise, it will think we're easy to bully. I need a obedient dog, not a wolf that might bite its owner at any moment," Ning Beichen explained.
"However, time is almost up. Alright, let's go back."
Ning Beichen brought them back. In reality, they hadn't gone far and were hiding near the black mist.
"Black flood dragon, if you want to come out, then connect your soul with mine and be controlled by me." Ning Beichen spoke.
The black flood dragon, which had already despaired, heard Ning Beichen's voice as if it were heavenly music. Gone was its previous arrogance.
"I'm willing, I'm willing..." the black flood dragon said hastily.
"Alright, I'll go down to find you now."
Ning Beichen rode his sword through the black mist and descended into the black river, arriving before the black flood dragon.
"Black flood dragon, release your soul, and let me imprint my mark on it." Ning Beichen said to the black flood dragon.
"Okay, take my soul."
Without a word, the black flood dragon obediently released its soul, daring not to play any tricks.
Ning Beichen branded its soul with his mark and absorbed a small part of it into his own body. Only then did he allow the black flood dragon's soul to return to its body.
Now the black flood dragon had become Ning Beichen's pet.
No, it was more like a slave relationship, not even a pet.
This was because Ning Beichen now controlled the black flood dragon's life and death. The black flood dragon could no longer harbor murderous intent towards him. If it even thought of harming him, the mark Ning Beichen had placed on its soul would stop it.
However, this only prevented the black flood dragon from attacking Ning Beichen. If it went mad and did something to the people around Ning Beichen, Ning Beichen would still be unable to stop it.
But he believed the black flood dragon wouldn't be that foolish, because if it targeted the people around Ning Beichen, Ning Beichen wouldn't spare it either.
"Can you let me go now?" the black flood dragon asked pitifully.
Having a part of its soul taken by Ning Beichen had left it somewhat weakened.
"Yes, but I warn you, don't try anything funny, or I'll make your life a living hell!" Ning Beichen warned it.
The black flood dragon nodded. No matter how glorious or powerful it had been in the past, it could only accept its fate now. It truly didn't want to be imprisoned here for another ten thousand years.
The loneliness and isolation of being trapped in the abyssal black river for tens of thousands of years were something it never wanted to experience again.
Perhaps following this human wouldn't be so bad. At least it could leave this place.
With the black flood dragon under his control, Ning Beichen no longer had any reservations. He dispelled the formation and released the black flood dragon, even freeing it from its chains, granting it complete liberty.
"Black flood dragon, do you have a name?" Ning Beichen asked it.
"Master, I do have a name. My name is Abuza..." The black flood dragon chattered on, not finishing its name for a long time.
"Alright, your name is too long. From now on, you'll be called Abu," Ning Beichen said with a headache.
"Yes, master," the black flood dragon replied.
"Abu, you've lived for tens of thousands of years. Can you tell me what the world was like tens of thousands of years ago? And about your own story." Ning Beichen said to it.
This topic not only piqued Ning Beichen's curiosity but also that of Liu Yilin, Ye Lanxin, and Luo Yingying.
"Tens of thousands of years ago, I was born in a small pond. I was very weak then, just a small snake. One day, out of curiosity, I crawled out of the pond and was caught by a farmer."
"Later, the farmer took me to a human city. That human city was vast, and many humans flew in the sky. They could ride the clouds, fly on swords, and chase the stars and the moon."
"Many famous mountains and rivers housed numerous cultivation sects. They cultivated on the mountains, inhaled clouds and exhaled mist, absorbing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth. It made me extremely yearn for it back then..."
"However, I hadn't become a flood dragon yet, so I didn't have much power. After being caught by the farmer, I couldn't break free. Later, the farmer sold me to a butcher."
"The butcher placed me on his chopping board, intending to kill me and sell my meat. Just as I was about to be killed by the butcher, a very beautiful human child bought me. Later, I was taken back to a cultivation sect by this human child."
"This human child kept me as a pet and didn't kill me. I stayed by his side and secretly began to cultivate..."
"Later, the human child who saved me grew up and became a powerful human expert. He had his own life and didn't always bring me with him. I, however, stayed in the sect and cultivated diligently in secret."
"Time flew by. A few hundred years passed. One day, after I came out from my secluded cultivation, I heard news about him. The sect disciples said he had rebelled against the sect and become its enemy, and all the sect disciples were hunting him."
"Later, I learned from some disciples that he had fallen in love with a woman from a demonic sect. In that era, righteousness and evil were irreconcilable. His actions had undoubtedly disgraced the sect, so people from both sides were hunting them..."
"He was my master, and also my benefactor. When I found out, I naturally wanted to help him. So, I also left his sect and searched everywhere for his whereabouts."
"Later, I finally found him. He was being pursued by many people at the time, and we fought side by side."