Chapter 177: Chapter 174: Jiao Demon King Swallows Grass and Transforms into a Dragon Chapter 177: Chapter 174: Jiao Demon King Swallows Grass and Transforms into a Dragon Meanwhile, the Jiao Demon King returned to the North Sea to retrieve the Dragon Transformation Grass he had planted. After consuming this herb, one could immediately transform into a Five-Clawed True Dragon, and with some luck, possibly even gain the favor of Ying Long’s fate and thereby be able to wield the Heaven and Earth Divine Power and transform into Ying Long, increasing his combat strength by several folds.

The Jiao Demon King, knowing the route like the back of his hand, found his way back to his old Water Palace, which had since fallen into ruin and was occupied by a group from the Sea Tribe.

Upon the Jiao Demon King’s arrival, the Sea Tribe immediately sensed his imposing aura and hastily retreated. However, the Jiao Demon King had no intention of seeking their trouble this time; his sole purpose was to retrieve the Dragon Transformation Grass, which was of utmost importance to him. Whether he could evolve into a True Dragon hinged on this very moment.

Entering the Water Palace, the Jiao Demon King arrived at the rear hall, where he deactivated the seal he had set up in the past, revealing a fissure in the artificial mountain behind the hall. He walked in and saw the Dragon Transformation Grass he had planted a long time ago.

Having obtained the Dragon Transformation Grass, the Jiao Demon King handled it with extreme care, planting it in the artificial mountain at the back of the hall and even constructing mechanisms and seals around it, making it difficult for outsiders to discover.

“Haha, haha! The Dragon Transformation Grass has indeed grown,” laughed the Jiao Demon King, delighting in the fragrance. He saw that the grass was three inches tall and had five golden leaves.

The sapling of the Dragon Transformation Grass was originally green, turning golden once fully grown. It was a highly treasured item even in ancient times. The Jiao Demon King had managed to obtain such a treasure in the Secret Realm beyond the seas by a twist of fate and had been cultivating it diligently for a hundred years. Now, he finally had the chance to claim it.

The Jiao Demon King carefully dug out the Dragon Transformation Grass, thinking to himself, “After returning to Flower-Fruit Mountain, I will swallow it and transform into a True Dragon! Then I will be able to break through to the Second Layer of the Rule Realm, and perhaps even further advance to refine my Primordial Spirit in the Sea of Thunder.”

Just as he took the Dragon Transformation Grass into his hands, an angry shout came, “Who dares to steal my Dragon Transformation Grass!”

A colossal dragon claw emerged, lunging towards the Jiao Demon King’s back in an attempt to grasp both him and the grass in one swipe.

Enraged, the Jiao Demon King lifted his spear in hand and spun around to strike. The light of his spear burst forth, splitting the approaching dragon claw, as he roared, “This was the Jiaowang Palace of old, and the Dragon Transformation Grass was planted by me a hundred years ago. How has it become your property?”

The person who arrived had a dragon’s head and a human body, draped in a dragon robe, though his skin was marked by ulceration that was chilling to the eye.

“So it’s you! Jiao Demon King Daoist Wang, please do me a kindness and hand over the Dragon Transformation Grass to me. Naturally, there will be a generous reward,” finally, after listening for a while, the Jiao Demon King recognized the voice. It was the North Sea Dragon King, Ao Shun.

Seeing the North Sea Guangze Dragon King’s ulcerated skin and his face covered with a large black veil, the Jiao Demon King said, “So it is the North Sea Dragon King!”

“Would you, Jiao Demon King Daoist Wang, be willing to part with the Dragon Transformation Grass for me?” Ao Shun eyed the Dragon Transformation Grass in the Jiao Demon King’s hand hungrily, pressing the issue.

Indeed, the North Sea Dragon King had long sensed the aura of the Dragon Transformation Grass. He had searched tirelessly but had not found it, so he stationed people to patrol the area, ready to report any suspicious traces immediately. The Jiao Demon King’s return to the Water Palace had already been detected.

The North Sea Dragon King suffered dreadfully from the deathly qi that erupted in the North Sea. The qi had taken root within him, causing his flesh to ulcerate and become hideously disfigured. To remedy this, consuming the Dragon Transformation Grass was the only solution. However, such a treasure was extremely rare, even in ancient times; where would one find it today? Despite mobilizing the power of the Four Seas, he could not locate a single Dragon Transformation Grass, and now that one was finally within his grasp, how could he let it slip through his fingers so easily?

In the past, the Jiao Demon King would not have dared to provoke the Four Seas Dragon Kings because the power of the Dragon Palace was immense and deeply hidden. But now the North Sea had been severely damaged by the deathly qi, the Jiao Demon King was not afraid of this North Sea Dragon King. With the latter’s cultivation only at the level of a First Heaven Daluo Golden Immortal, they would surely not be evenly matched in a fight!

The experts of the Sea Tribe were all under the command of the Dragon King. Ao Kuang of the Eastern Sea had the highest mana because his son was killed by Nezha, and he too was injured by Nezha; fueled by humiliation, he nearly reached the level of a Mixed Yuan Golden Immortal. Had it not been for the edict of Yuan Shi when Wukong entered the Dragon Palace seeking treasures, he might have been captured and killed long ago. The Dragon Palace was strong because of its long-accumulated heritage, but now, with the foundation of the North Sea destroyed in an instant, why would the Jiao Demon King hand over this treasure he just obtained?

The world is vast, and there are many heroes. It is not to be underestimated.

However, the Jiao Demon King said, “This Dragon Transformation Grass is a treasure that I have found with great difficulty. How can I simply give it to you just because you ask for it?”

Ao Shun then said, “I have been afflicted by deathly qi in the North Sea, causing my flesh to rot and become irreparable. Only the Dragon Transformation Grass can restore my physical body! I request, Jiao Demon King, do me this kindness. If you give me this grass, you may choose anything you wish from the treasures of the Four Seas Dragon Palace.”

But the Jiao Demon King snickered, “Although there are many powerful individuals in your Dragon Palace, your treasures are many yet insubstantial. You might deceive others, but you cannot fool me. Later you will hide the real treasures, leaving me to choose from a pile of damaged goods. To whom would I then turn to weep?”

Upon hearing this, Ao Shun’s heart filled with a hint of annoyance as he said, “Is the Jiao Demon King truly unwilling to do me the courtesy of handing over this Dragon Transformation Grass to me?”

The Jiao Demon King replied, “This treasure was found by me. Why should I give it to you? Is it just because you’ve been wounded by the deathly qi of the North Sea? What a joke!”

Ao Shun could not help but rage, saying, “Fine, very well! Since that’s the case, do not blame me for being merciless. Capture him for me!”

Although Ao Shun’s physical body was corroded by deathly energy, beginning to rot, and unable to be repaired, his mana had not decreased in the slightest. In a fit of anger, he produced a treasure sword forged from cold sword essence and divine iron, emanating a glimmer of cold light, and charged towards the Jiao Demon King.

The Jiao Demon King, having obtained the Dragon Transformation Grass, naturally did not wish to entangle himself further with Ao Shun. He feinted with his spear, turned around, and fled. Once he made it back to Flower-Fruit Mountain, even if Ao Shun gathered the other three Dragon Kings, it would be no use – after all, the Jiao Demon King had so many brothers at Flower-Fruit Mountain, he feared no one!

“Thieving Jiao, where do you think you’re going!” Ao Shun cursed, wielding his sword and reciting a spell, pinching a sword technique in his hand, and released the sword towards the Jiao Demon King’s back in an instant.

The Jiao Demon King turned his head and spat out a Water Thunder, Ao Shun pointed with his sword, and immediately released waves of Sword Qi, clashing with the Water Thunder and creating a violent explosion that kicked up waves all around. The weaker aquatic tribes were at once stunned unconscious, floating up to the surface, creating a mass of white.

The Jiao Demon King cursed, “You dead dragon, if you continue to chase after me, don’t blame me for showing no mercy!”

This was, after all, the North Sea, and in the heart of the Jiao Demon King, Ao Shun was an imposing figure of long standing. Now that he had seized the treasure, he naturally wanted to return to Flower-Fruit Mountain immediately, feeling extremely impatient. Currently entangled by Ao Shun, he became violently irate. If the other three Dragon Kings were to come with their subordinates, there would be no escape to the heavens or entrance into the sea – he would be played to death! The Four Seas Dragon Kings ruled over the seas, with almost all sea tribes obeying their commands. There were countless fishes and shrimps in the sea, and no matter where the Jiao Demon King fled, they would find him.

Suddenly, the Jiao Demon King spun around and jabbed his spear towards Ao Shun’s chest!

Seeing his use of the delaying tactic, Ao Shun was alarmed and hurriedly summoned his sword back, using sword techniques to block the spear.

The Jiao Demon King spat out another Water Thunder, and Ao Shun, being too close, was hit directly by the explosion, causing a mess of blood and flesh – but he still refused to let go, gritting his teeth and pressing on in pursuit.

The Jiao Demon King, finding Ao Shun as hard to shake off as a persistent maggot, felt a mixture of hurry, rage, and shock. If the tangle went on, he feared there would be many complications.

With a hardened resolve, the Jiao Demon King directly placed the Dragon Transformation Grass into his mouth, chewed it a couple times, and swallowed it into his stomach.

All of a sudden, golden light flickered on the Jiao Demon King’s body, his veins surfaced, and he couldn’t help howling loudly, reverting to his original form – a thousand-foot-long blue Jiao Dragon with four claws and a ferociously intimidating appearance.

Seeing that the Jiao Demon King had swallowed the Dragon Transformation Grass in an instant, Ao Shun flew into a rage and exclaimed, “Even if I kill you, I’ll refine you into elixir. You’ve eaten the Dragon Transformation Grass, but it’s no use!”

The Jiao Demon King roared mightily as his blue skin started to change, shining with layer upon layer of golden light.

Ao Shun’s eerie appearance that was neither dragon nor ghost was quite terrifying, leaving him without the face to meet people for the past century. Therefore, the Dragon Transformation Grass was a must-have for him – even if the Jiao Demon King had swallowed it, Ao Shun was determined to kill the Jiao Demon King and refine him into an elixir for his own consumption to restore his original appearance.

The Dragon Transformation Grass was extremely important for the dragon and snake clans. If taken by a snake, it could transform into a dragon; if taken by a Jiao, it could also transform into a dragon, greatly increasing mana after the transformation.

Of course, some members of the Snake Tribe, such as Giant Demon Fiends, were quite powerful, none inferior to the Dragon Clan. The Nine-Tailed Huashe, for instance, had mana that closely followed Ying Long’s existence, but unfortunately, it met its demise during the great war between Witches and Goblins in ancient times.

The Jiao Demon King had waited a hundred years for this treasure. How could he possibly give it away so easily to Ao Shun? Was that a joke? Even if Ao Shun still had his former power, the Jiao Demon King would fight to the death to keep the grass. The Jiao must turn into a Divine Dragon to make further progress in cultivation, and this Dragon Transformation Grass was an essential treasure. Unless the Jiao Demon King was willing to remain stuck as a Daluo Golden Immortal for life, he would certainly not hand it over.

“He’s going to transform into a dragon!” With a glint of cold light in his eyes, Ao Shun saw this as an opportunity and rushed forward with his sword raised.

The Jiao Demon King felt a pain that was like being savagely cut by a blunt knife. He was undergoing a metamorphosis to become a Five-Clawed True Dragon!

Once he achieved the True Dragon form, his cultivation would become more convenient, his mana would be enhanced, and he might have the chance to inherit the fortunes of the Ancestral Dragon and Ying Long, allowing him to use the Heaven and Earth Divine Power.

The body of the Jiao Demon King was now half dragon, half Jiao, half gold, and half blue.

Symbols of the Witch Clan appeared on the Jiao Demon King’s body, alleviating some of the pain. He stretched out a claw and grabbed towards Ao Shun who was approaching to attack.

As for the outcome of this dire confrontation, please wait for the next chapter to find out. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to cast your recommendation votes and Monthly Tickets at Starting Point (qidian.com). Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please visit m.qidian.com to continue reading.)