But now, he was sent flying by this youth's punch, suffering heavy injuries.
It was utterly unbelievable.
"Hahaha, I'm so lucky, I managed to snag a bargain."
Zhou Yan's gaze swept over the black dragon, grabbing its inner core in his palm, and he burst into laughter.
A half-step Grandmaster level demon core, containing pure Yuan Qi, was extremely valuable.
And this was not just an inner core; it also possessed a rich demonic aura that could help one improve their cultivation speed.
If used to set up formations, the effect would be even better.
However, none of this was useful to Zhou Yan.
His target was the essence within the demon core.
"Kid, you dare to snatch my things, I will definitely get revenge."
The black dragon lay on the ground, dying, yet it still cursed angrily.
"Noisy!"
Zhou Yan frowned and flicked a wisp of flame with his finger.
Flames blazed on the black dragon's body.
"Ah… spare me."
Moments later, the black dragon screamed, its body charred, emitting wisps of white smoke.
This flame, called Li Huo, possessed an extremely high temperature, capable of melting even rocks.
It had not broken through to its full potential, so naturally, it could not withstand such heat.
"Hmph, I told you I would make you pay." Zhou Yan's expression was cold.
"No! Don't kill me, please, don't kill me."
The black dragon wailed, in extreme agony.
"Hmph, it's not impossible for me to spare you."
Zhou Yan's expression was arrogant, and his tone suddenly shifted. He cajoled, "As long as you are willing to submit to me and become my slave, I will spare your miserable life."
"Of course, you must swear never to resist me."
"What, you want me, a dignified Grandmaster level beast, to be your slave?" The black dragon was furious.
"Heh heh."
Zhou Yan sneered, "Don't talk to me about rules. You have only three choices: either die, or submit, or perhaps leave behind a complete corpse."
"This…" The black dragon hesitated, struggling internally.
How proud it was, how could it possibly become someone's pet?
"Since that's the case, then I can only send you to the west."
Zhou Yan's face turned cold, showing no mercy. With a flick of his wrist, Li Huo surged out.
"No, I'm willing to be your slave!"
The black dragon hurriedly spoke, admitting defeat.
"That's wise of you."
Zhou Yan grinned, raising his arm slightly and retracting the flames.
The next moment, the black dragon got up, prostrated itself before Zhou Yan, lowered its head, and showed utmost respect.
"Master!"
Its voice was filled with deep fear.
"Very good."
Zhou Yan nodded.
This black dragon, though a Grandmaster level beast, lacked much intelligence and could not deceive him at all.
This fellow was merely a bully that preyed on the weak.
"Master, I still have a few inner cores here."
Immediately, the black dragon produced several emerald inner cores, its eyes darting around as it offered them to Zhou Yan in a fawning manner.
"You are quite sensible."
Zhou Yan nodded slightly and then accepted the several inner cores.
These inner cores were all fifth and sixth-grade, greatly beneficial to martial artists.
Even martial artists at the peak of the Innate realm could increase their cultivation after consuming these inner cores.
Although Zhou Yan was at the ninth level of Body Tempering, he was still a distance away from the Innate realm.
Therefore, he accepted them without any hesitation.
"Let's go!"
Then, Zhou Yan waved his sleeve, hands behind his back, and headed into the depths of the forest.
The black dragon followed closely, step by step.
Suddenly, Zhou Yan stopped, a strange look flashing in his eyes as he glanced to the right.
He heard faint panting.
It was a girl, her clothes in disarray, her delicate face showing a mix of shame, anger, and despair.
Her body was covered in wounds, and the front of her chest was torn, revealing glimpses of her skin.
"Save me, I am a soldier of the King's City Guard, please, save me."
Upon seeing Zhou Yan, the maiden's beautiful eyes flickered, and she immediately cried out.
"So, it's someone from the King's City Guard."
Hearing this, Zhou Yan understood.
With a thought, he raised his hand and sent out several gusts of wind.
Puff, puff, puff!
Where the winds reached, figures appeared and fell to the ground, unconscious.
"Thank you, young sir."
The maiden's face was pale, and she bowed repeatedly in thanks.
"No need to be polite." Zhou Yan waved his hand and asked indifferently, "Miss, why are you here alone?"
"During this training expedition, we offended the Iron Sword Sect and have been pursued for two days."
The maiden's face showed worry. "Now, they should be nearby. If I'm any later, I'm afraid I'll meet a terrible end."
"Iron Sword Sect?"
Upon hearing this name, Zhou Yan's eyebrows twitched, and he fell silent.
The Iron Sword Sect was one of the top powers in the King's City, with many Grandmaster martial artists and formidable strength.
In Nanyang Commandery, unless one was an eighth-stage Grandmaster expert, it would be difficult to suppress the Iron Sword Sect.
"How about this, I'll give you some healing medicine, and you can find a quiet place to recover."
After a brief deliberation, Zhou Yan took out a bottle of healing pills and handed it to the maiden.
"Thank you, young sir."
The maiden's face lit up with joy, tears of gratitude flowing.
"Mm, farewell!"
Zhou Yan nodded and strode away.
Whoosh!
The next moment, the black dragon soared into the sky, carrying Zhou Yan, and instantly disappeared at the edge of the forest.
"My storage ring, I've lost it."
Zhou Yan shook his head, sighing inwardly.
He had entered the Azure Wood Forbidden Zone, and due to his special status, he naturally could not carry a storage ring.
And within the storage ring were too many treasures, even he needed to be cautious.
Therefore, he had placed the storage ring aside as soon as he entered the valley, waiting to retrieve it when the opportunity arose.
Who would have thought that he would fall into a ditch, with this black dragon taking advantage of his vulnerability?
If Zhou Yan's strength were not extraordinary, he might have perished here today.
"It seems I need to be more careful in the future."
Zhou Yan felt a sense of vigilance.
"These pills should be enough to heal your injuries. I hope you don't disappoint my expectations."
"Moreover, your strength is too weak. If you continue to stay here, you will eventually be preyed upon by other ferocious beasts. I advise you to leave quickly."
With his words, Zhou Yan leaped into the depths of the treetops.
"Young sir, I will never forget your life-saving grace."
Seeing this, the maiden was filled with gratitude and solemnly promised.
…
Night fell.
Deep in the forest, a campfire blazed.
Zhou Yan sat by the fire, roasting wild rabbit meat, its aroma wafting through the air.
"Haha, it smells great."
Zhou Yan reached out, tore off a large piece of rabbit leg, and devoured it greedily.
Unknowingly, Zhou Yan finished the entire roasted wild rabbit.
"Not bad, much better than that stupid dragon."
Zhou Yan patted his belly, feeling pleased.
"Hm?"
Just then, Zhou Yan's ears twitched.
The next moment, he stood up abruptly, dashed a hundred meters in a flash, and hid himself.
Shortly after, a group of figures rushed over from the distance.
"Captain, are you sure that beast escaped here?"
"This place is covered in weeds, where are there any spirit beasts?"
"Captain, you must have misremembered the way."
A group of people chattered noisily.
"There's no mistake."
The man at the head of the group was resolute.
His name was Zhao Hu, a martial artist of the first level of the Innate realm.