After the sky brightened again, within the charred crater…
Xiao Bai sensed a strange silence in the atmosphere around him.
At this moment, he and Medusa locked eyes, their breaths clearly audible. His gaze wandered over her flawlessly enchanting face, and he couldn't help but inwardly praise her beauty.
"Master, that's quite a unique posture you've got there!"
Suddenly, a childish voice broke the slightly awkward atmosphere. Both of them were startled and turned their heads in unison.
At the spot where the golden egg had been, a strange creature floated in midair, its tiny claws clasped together, a pair of bright, mischievous eyes darting between the two with a smirk.
"This is… a dragon!"
Medusa's beautiful eyes narrowed in astonishment as she looked at the foot-long creature, its entire body radiating golden light, with golden lightning arcs crackling across its form.
"Not bad!" The little golden dragon flickered and appeared before the two of them, circling them twice with an amused expression. "Tsk tsk... So, Mistress, how long are you two gonna keep hugging like this? Is it really appropriate to show off your affection in front of a freshly hatched baby like me?"
Only then did Medusa snap out of her shock. Realizing that Xiao Bai's arms were tightly wrapped around her neck while she held him in a bridal carry, a faint blush crept onto her cheeks—before her expression instantly turned icy.
"Let go!" she snapped.
Xiao Bai hurriedly released his grip and gave an awkward chuckle.
The moment he let go, Medusa forcefully flung him away, a hint of frustration flickering in her heart.
Just now, as the sky darkened and the oppressive force intensified, she had wanted to leave immediately.
However, when she saw Xiao Bai standing motionless, she assumed he had been immobilized by the pressure.
Without a second thought, she had grabbed the back of his collar, intending to take him away.
But somehow, the oppressive force gradually faded, and before she realized it, they had ended up in that peculiar posture.
After being thrown, Xiao Bai twisted midair, executing a graceful flip to avoid an embarrassing landing.
He felt a little speechless. When the pressure had descended earlier, he had sensed a disturbance in his spiritual sea and had instinctively submerged his consciousness into it. By the time he came back to his senses, he found himself in Medusa's embrace.
With a quick turn of thought, he immediately understood—Medusa must have intended to take him away from this place, after all, that pressure was clearly triggered by the golden egg.
Who would've thought she'd carry him like that? The moment he regained awareness, he instinctively wrapped his arms around her neck—who wouldn't in that situation?
"Mistress, you're so domineering!" The little golden dragon grinned mischievously, flitting over to Medusa and giving her a tiny thumbs-up with its claw.
"Shut up! This queen is NOT your mistress! There is NO relationship between me and him!"
Medusa, both embarrassed and furious, glared at the tiny golden dragon, her voice carrying a chilling edge.
"Huh? You're not my mistress? Then why were you hugging Master so tightly just now?" The little golden dragon blinked innocently, though its eyes sparkled with mischief.
"I said… shut. up!" Medusa gritted her teeth, staring murderously at the floating golden dragon before her.
"Ah, Mistress, no need to be shy! You are a queen, aren't you? A queen should be assertive! With how the Master acted earlier—if you wanted to dominate him, wouldn't it be as easy as flipping your hand?" The little golden dragon grinned cheekily.
"Heh…!" Medusa felt her temper reaching its limit. With a cold laugh, she flipped her hand, summoning a crimson energy sword, and slashed at the dragon without hesitation.
"Ahhh! She's trying to slay a dragon! Murder! Murder!"
The little golden dragon vanished in a flash of golden lightning, reappearing on Xiao Bai's hair, poking its tiny head out while shouting dramatically.
The little golden dragon even took the opportunity to whisper in Xiao Bai's ear: "Master, what do you think? Since I've helped you so much, how about letting Xiao Yi come out and play with me more often?"
"Get lost!"
Xiao Bai was furious. He had no idea why this little golden dragon called him "Master," but the moment he heard this little brat coveting his "daughter," he immediately sentenced it to death in his heart.
"Hey, hey, hey! I help you find a wife, and you help me find a playmate—isn't that a fair deal? A bright future for both of us!"
Hearing Xiao Bai's outright refusal, the little dragon spat out arguments in his ear, trying to reason with him.
Xiao Bai sneered. Taking advantage of its incessant chatter, he grabbed it and threw it straight at Medusa, who was storming over in anger.
Did he, Xiao Bai, need to trade Xiao Yi just to get a wife? What kind of man did it take him for?
Besides, Medusa was already practically in his grasp—why would he need this dragon's help? No way he'd make such a loss-making deal!
"Ah! Damn it all, why am I so unlucky to get such a stingy master?!" The little golden dragon wailed loudly while dodging Medusa's attacks.
Xiao Bai watched the commotion unfold without interfering. Medusa seemed to have some reservations about the little dragon, as she wasn't going all out—she hadn't even used her spatial powers.
The dragon itself seemed to be treating it all like a game. Despite its dramatic screams, it was completely unharmed. Its speed was incredible, and though it showed no signs of spatial fluctuations, it dodged every attack with impossible precision.
As for the dragon's origins, Xiao Bai was just as puzzled. Recalling the earlier movement of the Talisman in his mind, he shook his head—he was still completely in the dark.
Earlier, in his spiritual sea, the Talisman had reacted for the first time since gifting him in the Ninth Stage of Dou Zhi Qi and the Thunder Seed when he made his breakthrough.
When the sky darkened and the oppressive force descended, he had sensed something unusual in his spiritual sea. Upon focusing his mind inward, he saw the talisman tremble slightly, releasing an inexplicable aura before falling silent again.
By the time he returned to his senses, the pressure in the sky had faded, and shortly after, the little golden dragon had been born.
He wasn't sure if the dragon calling him "master" was related to the talisman. Xiao Bai remained cautious.
If it was, then the dragon could stay by his side.
But if it wasn't, he had no intention of keeping some unknown creature around, especially one that seemed fixated on Xiao Yi.
"Master, save me!" The little golden dragon darted onto Xiao Bai's shoulder, wailing, "I'm wounded! Quickly, bring out Xiao Yi—I need cuddles to recover!"
Even as it howled, its tiny eyes kept winking at Xiao Bai, clearly unwilling to give up on its "bright future" plan.
This guy really wasn't giving up on Xiao Yi.
Xiao Bai ignored its antics, his expression contemplative as he stared at the dragon in silence.
At that moment, Medusa sheathed her sword and walked over expressionlessly. She didn't trust this little golden dragon and was filled with questions—just what was it?
And was it related to the strange mutation in her previous tribulation lightning?
Seeing their serious expressions, the little dragon finally stopped its theatrics. It perched quietly on Xiao Bai's shoulder, its tiny claws fiddling with his robes.
"Speak. What's your origin? Why call me Master? And what are your intentions?"
Now that it had calmed down, Xiao Bai's voice was cool and measured.
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