Chapter 113: The Unexpected Mishap

Zhang Pu had not yet reached the level where his divine awareness could extend fully. Even if he tried to force it, his spiritual perception barely extended beyond a few dozen meters. Nevertheless, he attempted to push his awareness down into the depths of the pool.

His divine sight failed to reach the lakebed.

Could this pool be deeper than just a few dozen meters? He was genuinely taken aback. Pools this deep were rare—especially one of such modest surface area.

At this moment, besides quietly probing the pool with his divine awareness, Zhang Pu noticed that Elder Yang, Liu Yingde, and others seemed to be making subtle movements of their own.

It appeared that the fairy herbs on the side of the pool closest to them had already been harvested. People were now splitting up, moving towards the other edges of the pool to gather the remaining herbs.

Though his spiritual sight could not penetrate the lake’s bottom, Zhang Pu immediately recalled another method common in the cultivation world: meditation.

He began to meditate silently on the lakebed.

Due to his still limited cultivation, he could not fully visualize the pool’s depths. Yet, he sensed a faint spiritual glow.

He closed his eyes in meditation. Instead of a massive black dragon’s outline, he saw a staff—a stick. Suddenly, the image of someone shouldering this staff as a weapon appeared vividly, poised to strike an enemy at any moment.

Heavens! Was this—the Steel Spirit Staff?

It resembled the treasured item he had won at the auction in Wulong Town, capable of forging a powerful weapon.

Zhang Pu was astonished. Why would a meditation on the Black Dragon suddenly conjure such an unrelated object?

Just as he was puzzled, he saw a luminous jade belt swiftly coil around the staff, eventually merging entirely into it, vanishing without a trace.

Though this vision seemed so abrupt and dreamlike, Zhang Pu’s extensive life experience—over a millennium in the cultivation world—helped him quickly reason it out.

Hadn’t he already considered transforming the Steel Spirit Staff from the auction into a weapon he desired?

With such long cultivation experience, Zhang Pu knew that forging a weapon to one’s satisfaction required special materials—for example, cinnabar for low-grade talismans, or cloud essence stones for second-level puppets.

Even if he now possessed the Steel Spirit Staff capable of producing a high-level weapon, without matching rare materials, transforming it into a true divine instrument or treasure of the cultivation world would not be easy.

He was a cultivator now, no longer an ordinary mortal. Though still on Earth, he longed for a personal magical weapon.

At the Wulong Town auction, Zhang Pu had immediately recognized the staff’s potential to become a divine weapon, which was why he had fought so hard to acquire it—something most others had failed to appreciate.

The jade belt merging into the staff in his meditation was also a supreme treasure, likely originating from this Poison Dragon Pool, perhaps even from the black dragon dwelling within.

So that was it! The true treasure to be gained from this Poison Dragon Pool was this very item!

His meditation concluded with an image of himself, grand and imposing, shouldering the advanced Steel Spirit Staff.

Suddenly, he heard a commotion among the people by the pool.

The water rippled, and Zhang Pu felt the disturbance immediately.

From the center of the pool, a massive jet of water erupted skyward. Then, a colossal black dragon burst forth, thrashing in midair. Though the onlookers were mentally prepared, many were nonetheless startled.

To those who had never seen a dragon, its terrifying form was truly fearsome. Its enormous, lantern-like eyes cast a chilling gaze that sent shivers down the spine of anyone caught beneath them.

For a tense moment, time seemed to freeze as the people stared at the black dragon, and the dragon stared back at these intruders who dared pluck the fairy herbs from its domain.

“Retreat—”

Someone shouted, and many who had been prepared suddenly took to their heels.

Though they had entered with high hopes, the sight of this legendary dragon had shaken even the bravest, stirring their cowardice.

Yet, in that instant, Zhang Pu, with his keen awareness, noticed that Zheng Lan, Elder Yang, and the leader of the mysterious team remained calm, even showing a glimmer of anticipation on their faces.

These people had truly come here for the dragon itself, Zhang Pu thought.

Suddenly, the immense body of the dragon moved.

A great wave of water crashed toward the crowd, knocking some to the ground instantly. The force of the water was like a tsunami’s wall.

Zhang Pu saw Elder Yang murmuring incantations, while a net-like formation, reminiscent of the “Heavenly Web” used against the ghostly Old Ge that night, began to form under his control, aiming for the dragon in the air.

This time, it seemed Elder Yang was well prepared. Zhang Pu felt that this “Heavenly Web” was far stronger than the one cast that night.

Yet the dragon’s power was immense. With a single swipe of its claw, the net was torn apart in an instant.

Simultaneously, the dragon flicked its tail, sweeping several people who had just barely resisted the giant wave into the pool.

“We should retreat! This dragon seems extraordinarily powerful!” Liu Yingde hurried over to Zhang Pu.

Zhang Pu understood that Liu Yingde felt unable to handle the dragon and that urging him to take risks would be difficult.

Meanwhile, some people began to confront the dragon from a distance. Zhang Pu wasn’t sure exactly who they were but guessed they included Zheng Lan and members of the mysterious team.

The dragon’s claw shattered Elder Yang’s “Heavenly Web,” then swung with overwhelming force toward the group, the strike imbued with a bone-chilling coldness.

“Why has it suddenly turned so cold…” Zheng Lan shivered involuntarily.

At that moment, she and her team were intently focused on facing the dragon.

Seeing two of her companions falter under the cold energy, Elder Yang formed another hand seal, and several flames floated toward the dragon.

Zhang Pu noticed a gleam in the leader of the mysterious team’s eyes—was it admiration for Elder Yang, or something else?

Since Zhang Pu showed no sign of fleeing, Liu Yingde steeled himself and stayed close by his side. Soon, Liu Yingde also began casting minor spells to assist against the dragon.