Chapter 135: Green Dragon, You Are Being Mischievous Again

After some playful teasing from Xiao Cheng, the green dragon finally grew bolder. It crawled onto his arm, coiled around his wrist, and stared at him unblinkingly, as if seeing him for the first time.

Under the bright moonlight, Xiao Cheng examined the miniature green dragon. Its body was a deep, vibrant emerald, appearing much like polished jade. Even its scales were translucent, shimmering with a faint, flowing light. Two tiny, golden horns, no larger than grains of rice, stood prominently atop its shuttle-shaped head. Unlike the green python it had been before, this dragon now possessed nostrils and a pair of dark, glistening eyes.

Having just completed its molting, the green dragon’s intelligence had increased significantly, and it now displayed an almost human-like expression of vulnerability. As Xiao Cheng reached out to stroke its small head, the creature looked comforted, nuzzling gently against his hand. Suddenly, it opened its mouth and nipped at his finger.

Xiao Cheng stiffened for a moment before breaking into a smile. Following the molt, the dragon’s mouth had undergone changes; its sharp fangs had fallen out, and the new ones had yet to emerge, making the bite completely painless. Its former snake-like forked tongue had also evolved into a solid, emerald-colored tongue. It was clearly a retaliatory nip for the blow Xiao Cheng had dealt it earlier. After biting him, the dragon licked his finger, as if to say, "Now we are even!"

Most spirit beasts possess simple minds, deeply ingrained with the concept that might makes right. Once defeated by a stronger opponent, they become docile and rarely hold grudges. In their world, devoid of complex sentiment, life is a brutal cycle of predator and prey, where losing means death. Since Xiao Cheng had spared its life and bestowed great benefits upon it, the beast viewed his actions as a favor. The nip was merely a symbolic gesture to clear the slate.

Xiao Cheng gently stroked the dragon’s sleek body with his left hand. Perhaps influenced by the creature's emotions, he felt a twinge of melancholy. Who could know the hardships this dragon had endured over the centuries to finally reach this stage of transformation? It had faced constant cycles of death and rebirth, each time losing its memory and identity, forced to hide and cultivate in the shadows, waiting to grow. Every death had been a trial, enduring the strikes of heavenly lightning, falling, and rising again, pressing forward until it could finally shed its old form. It possessed an incredible spirit; perhaps in a few centuries, it would rank among the divine beasts. What was the driving force that compelled it to pursue the Heavenly Dao so fearlessly?

Xiao Cheng was pulled from his thoughts when he felt the dragon crawl to his waist, coiling halfway around him. It cast a sly glance toward his pocket, then looked at him with hopeful eyes, opening its mouth wide and flicking its tail to point inside. It was clearly asking for food.

Xiao Cheng smiled faintly, flicked the dragon’s head, and fished an Essence-Gathering Pill from his pocket. The green dragon zipped onto his hand, snatched the pill, and darted to the top of Xiao Cheng’s head, where it curled up and began to chew with great relish.

"A little glutton, aren't you?" Xiao Cheng chuckled.

Before long, the dragon finished the pill, stretched lazily, and bent its body so its small head hung down in front of Xiao Cheng. It opened its mouth, let out a series of hisses, and looked at him with its glistening eyes as if pleading for more. Xiao Cheng, watching its pathetic act, surprisingly understood the meaning: "I want another."

"Green Dragon, can you change your size at will now?" Xiao Cheng asked curiously.

"Hiss!" The dragon replied. With a playful flourish, it let out a soft *poof* and instantly expanded into a massive creature. It was even larger than before, stretching fifty meters in length and growing much thicker. Its appearance was far more majestic, its emerald scales shimmering like tiny mirrors, and its large head had lost its former savage, monstrous air.

"Cough, cough! Give me a warning next time you decide to grow!" Xiao Cheng sputtered. Caught off guard while the dragon had been perched on his head, he had been pinned beneath its massive bulk, leaving him covered in dust.

With a *whoosh*, the dragon shrank back to its small size and settled onto Xiao Cheng’s back, wearing a mischievous grin and covering its mouth with its tail.

"Do that again, and I’ll tan your hide!" Xiao Cheng scolded with a laugh, though he didn't actually mean it. He couldn't help but feel a fondness for the creature. Now that it was his spirit pet, they would likely fight side-by-side in the future. He had always been a loner, carrying every burden himself, but with the green dragon by his side, he subconsciously began to view it as a companion. It was a good thing the dragon had its own personality; a mere puppet would have been boring.

The dragon nuzzled its head against Xiao Cheng’s neck, offering a series of affectionate hisses.

"Alright, now that your breakthrough is finished, let's head to the mountaintop. Grow big and carry me up!" Xiao Cheng said. With a spirit pet like this, he could leave the heavy lifting to the dragon.

At his words, the dragon froze, tilted its head, and then suddenly flopped onto the ground, going completely limp with its tongue lolling out, playing dead. Xiao Cheng couldn't help but massage his temples; the creature was actually playing dead to avoid a simple task.

"I'll give you another pill if you take me up!" Xiao Cheng said, his face darkening.

The dragon remained motionless, continuing its act.

"Fine, here!" Exasperated, Xiao Cheng pulled another pill from his pocket. The dragon instantly sprang to life, snatched the pill, hopped onto his head, and crunched it down with an expression of pure bliss.

"Grow big, now!" Xiao Cheng urged.

*Plop.* The dragon simply keeled over on his head and went back to playing dead.

"..."

Xiao Cheng was at a loss for words. He hadn't realized that in taking in a spirit pet, he had adopted a master. He snatched the dragon off his head and gave its lower body a few firm smacks. A little mischief was fine, but there were limits.

"That's for playing games with me!"

He had to nip this behavior in the bud before it got out of hand. Besides, despite its small, cute appearance, its true form was a massive beast; these smacks were merely a warning and couldn't actually harm it. While he valued the dragon highly, he wouldn't let it rule him.

Sensing Xiao Cheng’s genuine irritation, the dragon begrudgingly used its power to grow to its full size. Xiao Cheng climbed onto its head, receiving a resentful glare in return. He knew the dragon was loath to act as a mount—it was a proud spirit beast, after all—but he was certain that with time, it would get used to it.

It was ten at night when they reached Mount Shenfeng. For the Zhongling Sect, which lacked electricity, this was very late, and everyone would normally be asleep. However, the mountain was ablaze with light, and three women were busy bustling about, preparing food and wine in anticipation of Xiao Cheng’s arrival.