Chapter 56: General Yu's Surrender

Little Grey, the Indominus Rex, could understand human speech. Once the attribute buffs were applied, he pressed his front claw onto the spinal column.

The spinal column Wang Liang had produced was none other than the bone whip, the Screaming Sickle. Crafted from the spine of a brachiosaurus, it belonged to a behemoth far larger than even an Indominus Rex.

As Little Grey pressed his claw down, the Screaming Sickle rapidly disassembled and refitted itself onto his right front claw.

In the next instant, Little Grey's right claw appeared to be encased in a gauntlet twice its original size.

Tilting his head as if in thought, he raised his arm and lashed out with a white bone whip.

The whip whistled through the air with a screeching wail, striking a target over twenty meters away.

The force of the strike was immense, instantly reducing a massive boulder on the ground to fine powder.

Witnessing this strike, City God Lu nodded in approval. "No wonder Fellow Daoist Versatile summoned this beast. The Wild Boar Mountain Whale must have truly alarmed him earlier. Had this creature been present from the start, that mountain whale wouldn't have posed the slightest threat."

General Fish and General Hua, both seasoned military veterans, naturally recognized the staggering strength required to pulverize a boulder in such a manner.

Indeed, they had never encountered anyone possessing such raw, overwhelming power.

Had this beast not been so colossal and terrifying in appearance, Wang Liang could have walked uncontested through Yanggu County from the very beginning.

Even if they ventured onto the demon-infested Jingyang Ridge, the demon tiger would have thought twice before provoking them.

*Fortune seems to favor Yanggu County,* everyone present thought.

Consequently, their looks toward Wang Liang grew increasingly respectful.

Wang Liang paid no heed to their looks. Witnessing Little Grey's prowess brought him immense peace of mind. He was confident that with Little Grey's protection, they would not face such perilous situations in the upcoming boss battles.

Just as Wang Liang was taking it all in, Little Grey's form began to fade, eventually vanishing into thin air.

This transpired right before everyone's eyes, yet not even City God Lu and the other deities could discern where the beast had gone.

Astonishment rippled through the crowd. They had assumed the Indominus Rex was a creature of brute strength, only to discover he possessed the stealth of an assassin.

An assassin of colossal power, no less.

Relief and delight washed over the faces of City God Lu and his peers; they now felt certain of victory in the coming battle.

The players shared the same sentiment.

The previous encounter with the Wild Boar Mountain Whale had left them anxious, fearing they would not survive long enough to face the demon tiger.

The appearance of Little Grey restored their confidence, and several players began to eagerly discuss the lore and abilities of the Indominus Rex.

"An 'Indominus Rex'?" General Fish muttered, nodding in understanding as he overheard the players' chatter. "It must indeed be a demon dragon subdued by the Dragon Clan. Though the name is rather peculiar, it still bears the title of 'dragon.' Its standing is likely akin to that of a mud dragon or a Chinese alligator."

General Fish nodded to himself. As a member of the aquatic clan, he was well-versed in the hierarchy of the dragon lineage. Snakes were dubbed "lesser dragons," and alligators were called "mud dragons." Within the aquatic clan, regardless of one's original species, to have "dragon" in one's name meant belonging to the outer ranks of the clan.

To dispatch an outer member of such terrifying strength to protect a mere mortal? That was absurd. The only logical explanation was that this man named "Versatile" was a high-ranking member of the Dragon Palace itself.

After a brief contemplation, General Fish walked over to Wang Liang.

Carefully choosing his words, he spoke, "Honored Deity."

*Honored Deity?* Wang Liang was taken aback. *Is he addressing me?* Since arriving in this world, his titles had been in constant flux—first "Fellow Daoist," and now "Honored Deity"?

"Honored Deity, I just witnessed your dragon. It is truly a creature of supreme majesty and might. This is a humble token of my respect, offered to you. You have fought two hard battles today and deserve a good rest."

Having broken the ice, General Fish grew bolder. Lacking the high status of City God Lu, he was eager to curry favor, and his flattery hit the mark perfectly.

Wang Liang was surprised by the sudden offering. He wondered what prompted this gesture.

Before he could even accept the gift, the players' chat channel erupted.

"Oh my god, what's going on? Aren't we supposed to be buttering up the NPCs? Why is an NPC sucking up to one of us?"

"Keep dreaming. The NPC is buttering up Versatile. You're not even in the same league as him."

"Exactly. Man, I never expected to run into such a massive whale of a player in a temporary campaign. How insanely lucky do you have to be to reach this level?"

"Luck? That's pedigree. You clearly don't know how the world works. He's definitely a trust-fund player. His clan must have given him some high-tier items to boost his reputation."

"..."

Wang Liang had no idea how to explain himself. He could hardly admit that he was just as baffled as they were.

By then, General Fish had thrust the gift right before Wang Liang's eyes.

Not wanting to offend the general, Wang Liang had no choice but to accept it.

Upon examining the object, Wang Liang paused. It was a white sphere roughly the size of a human head, half-filled with water.

[You have obtained 300 liters of Primal Heavy Water. When released, it transforms into a raging torrent that sweeps enemies up to a hundred meters away.]

[Description 1: This is Primal Heavy Water extracted from the essence of floods. Each drop is thirty times heavier than ordinary water. Only members of the aquatic clan or players practicing water-based cultivation methods can further refine it. If used as a consumable item, it has three charges (3/3). Alternatively, it can be used as a refining material to cleanse all attributes and effects of water- and fire-aligned magic treasures.]

[Description 2: When not in use, store the water within the fish demon bladder; otherwise, its spiritual energy will gradually dissipate.]

"Primal Heavy Water?"

Wang Liang looked up at General Fish in curiosity, and the general's face lit up with excitement upon hearing the name.

"Indeed! I refined it myself using the leftover essence from clearing a flood crest on the Yellow River. I know it is far below your standards, Honored Deity, but perhaps you could gift it to a subordinate, or use it to cleanse unwanted attributes from your treasures."

Finding it impossible to refuse, Wang Liang accepted the Primal Heavy Water. After a moment's thought, he produced an item from his inventory and handed it to General Fish.

"For you."