As it so happened, these Yushou clansmen wanted to send the message back to their clan as soon as possible and had decided on a shortcut crossing through the nests of two fifth-tier peril beasts. Just as they arrived at this valley, however, they suddenly noticed their mount shivering in fear as though startled by some powerful peril beast, and all three of them had began looking around in fear….

　　The f*ck? A dragon was currently rolling in a puddle of mud in the valley below…..

　　“This… is this that red dragon?” one of the late-Foundation Stage Yushou disciples yelled with a quivering voice, unable to believe his own eyes.

　　“Who… who would have thought it would be found so… so easily, just like that?” The other late-Foundation Stage was also dumbstruck, as though he’d been smacked in the face with a cake falling from the sky.

　　“Qui— quick, send a message to the head elders….” It was the Golden Core who collected himself first, and he quickly took out the special messaging tool unique to the Guixu Ruins. Once this messaging tool was activated, a spirit light would shoot off into the heavens that cultivators within a ten-thousand-mile radius would be able to sense. This location was within ten thousand miles of the Rising Immortal’s Altar, just enough for their head elder Xiong Hu—who was currently still with the Xunlong clan’s Magu—to see and rush over to capture this dragon.

　　Fang Xing was a hundred feet away and became anxious as well; if this handful of bastards made a huge scene out of things, it would certainly alarm all the other cultivators. The Fengtian clan’s gathering location also wasn’t very far from here, and there’d be even less chance for him and his red dragon to flee if that clan was alerted as well and all their powerful masters arrived. Even if he and the dragon weren’t captured, getting involved in such a scene would still be a huge problem. His mind quickly started turning to think of a plan, and he subconsciously shouted out, “It’s a robbery!”

　　This loud shout caught the Yushou clasmen off guard and they all turned around to look.

　　“Uh… I’m too used to saying that… I meant… I meant to just say hi….” Fang Xing blushed. He’d intended to greet them with a “hello” or “it’s nice to meet you, Fellow Daoists”, but he’d been in too much of a rush and had blurted out “it’s a robbery” instead. He quickly showed a smile and pretended to be extremely surprised as he flew closer and yelled, “Three Fellow Daoists of the Yushou clan, I just heard you speaking about some dragon. Is that dragon just below here? Quick, attack it!”

　　Fortunately, the three Yushou clansmen had been so excited and surprised with their discovery they hadn’t heard what Fang Xing originally shouted. When they saw him come closer with such high spirits, they only thought he was a smaller clan’s message disciple and didn’t pay him much attention; instead, they only gave him a meaningful glance signalling not to alarm the red dragon rolling in the muddy pond below while they prepared their messaging tool.

　　Fang Xing quickly flew over and pulled out his giant black sword with the look of someone wanting to try it out on the dragon below, which drew the three clansmen’s disdain. This red dragon was so powerful even the three of them didn’t have the guts to provoke it, so what was this little Foundation Stage doing acting tough like he wanted to battle with it…?

　　Swoosh ….

　　When the Golden Core raised the messaging tool in his hand, Fang Xing couldn’t care about anything else anymore. His expression fell, and after he got within ten feet, a pair of golden wings appeared behind him and he activated the secret technique of the Peng Bird tribe—the Hundred and Eight Thousand Swords. His speed was increased countless times over and a blue smoke swept past, causing him to suddenly vanish.

　　Tch ….

　　The next moment Fang Xing reappeared, he was already behind the Golden Core with his black sword piercing through the Golden Core’s torso—ten feet of distance was no different from being right beside him. Fang Xing’s declaration that he wanted to capture the red dragon had minimized their concern and made them easy to close in on, and he didn’t hold back his attack whatsoever, preventing the Golden Core from self-destructing his core. The Golden Core’s pupils dilated and the hand holding the messaging tool slackened, causing the tool to fall from his grip before he even realized what had happened.

　　This chain of events caused the two Foundation Stage cultivators to look towards Fang Xing in shock, but it didn’t last long before they reflexively drew their weapons. This had also been calculated by Fang Xing, however, and their initial hesitation was just enough due to how close they were to him. He let out a low growl and dashed forward with a circular movement, and the two Foundation Stage cultivators soon began falling down towards the valley below like a pair of broken logs.

　　The peril bird they’d been riding on let out a mournful cry and tried to flee, but the red dragon had already started rising up. The dragon’s mouth opened and bit down on the bird before dragging it into the valley below, and after a fierce shake of its head, the peril bird no longer moved.

　　In such a quick flash of motion, the abrupt threat had been resolved and the skies became peaceful and empty once more.

　　“We’re finished. Big doggie, you f*cking got others on your back again….”

　　The red dragon continued tearing the peril bird apart while looking at Fang Xing with wide-open eyes that made it hard to tell what it was thinking. Fang Xing gave a bitter laugh and patted its head. “Let’s get ready to flee….”

　　The red dragon tilted its head and let out a sneeze, as though not caring about this at all, and such a response filled Fang Xing complex emotions. Although this dragon might be a little stupid and crazy, it was nevertheless still a true dragon. In the world outside the Guixu Ruins where there were Budding Soul Stage cultivators and Calamity Stage cultivators, and even in Videha where young elites were like dogs all over the place with Golden Cores in every corner, this red dragon—as the prince of the Azure Dragon Palace—would still be considered a very important guest. Which blind dumb*ss would try to provoke it for no reason? Now that they were in this trash of a Guixu Ruins, however, this proud dragon had actually become nothing more than a fat and juicy strip of bacon everyone wanted to take a bite out of….

　　Even a professional little robber like himself had become a fat sheep in the eyes of these people! At least in the past he’d have to do something bad before fleeing and he would escape with peace of mind, yet here he hadn’t even done anything yet was being forced to run away with only a few words…. How sad things had become!

　　The more he thought on it, the more unwilling he became, and he gradually began to have second thoughts. If what that Xunlong clan master said was true, it was the only chance to enter the depths of the Guixu Ruins in thousands of years. Hadn’t he originally entered the Guixu Ruins for the sake of all that Taishang treasure? And after he obtained that treasure, would he not also need to think of a method to get out? If he were to miss this chance, could he be forced to remain in these Guixu Ruins for the rest of his life?

　　Such thoughts began to grow, making him more and more hesitant.

　　‘My big uncle once said a very successful person doesn’t bother with trifles. Maybe… maybe I really should just… sacrifice my big doggie?’ Such a thought emerged in his mind, and he couldn’t help but to look towards the red dragon, who looked back with a blank expression.

　　Such thoughts lasted for only a moment before Fang Xing quickly shook his head. ‘F*ck it. When I was at the Guiyan Valley, every time I went to steal some chicken drumsticks from the kitchen, that one-eyed aunty chef always told me off for having no future prospects. Seems like I am doomed to achieve nothing of great merit, so I will still need to worry about trifling matters after all….’ Something like using this big doggie’s life in exchange for a chance to enter the Taishang palace ruins was not something he was willing to do.

　　“Now if only I could find that Vermillion Bird…” Fang Xing helplessly muttered to himself. Although others might not know, he himself knew of another Foremost Peril in the Guixu Ruins—the Vermillion Bird, the Venerated Youth! The Vermillion Bird was also one of the ancient Foremost Perils, so it should also be enough to resolve the forbidden curse.

　　That being said, there was a very tight constraint of less than a month’s time for preparation before entering the depths of the Guixu Ruins, so how could he persuade all the clans to give up on the red dragon and go after the Vermillion Bird instead, which most people had never even seen before? The Vermillion Bird also wasn’t the same as the red dragon who was stupid and blank without knowing how to hide the fact it was a dragon. The dragon was obvious at a glance, yet the Vermillion Bird was extremely deceitful and cunning with the ability to take on the appearance of men; how could it easily be found among other humans?

　　Faced with such a perplexing problem, Fang Xing even felt that if he were in everyone else’s shoes, he also wouldn’t give up the red dragon to chase after the Vermillion Bird instead. ‘Do I really have to choose between the dragon and leaving the ruins? Why?’ Fang Xing couldn’t make up his mind and started growing annoyed, but after thinking back and forth, he finally decided there did indeed seem one way that would work! ‘I better talk with that group of old farts, first….’

　　No matter how difficult the Vermillion bird was, that was the only path he was willing to take.

　　This big doggie, he was not willing to give up on!

　　The Taishang treasure, he was also not willing to give up on!

　　What else needed to be said? Neither could be given up, so he’d have both! He wanted the fish, but he also wanted the bear paw. Who said having both at the same time wasn’t possible? He’d just stew them both in the same pot!

　　With these angry thoughts, he hatched an idea and the anxiousness in his mind became clear once more. This time, he quickly came up with a plan he could execute, and his small white teeth appeared as his lips formed into a wide, clearly relaxed smile.

　　“Big doggie, go and fetch that spirit tool over there for me…” Fang Xing ordered while pointing towards the messaging tool the Yushou clan’s Golden Core had nearly used. The red dragon didn’t understand the reason, but it nonetheless hopped towards it and hopped back with the spirit tool in its mouth. It passed the tool into Fang Xing’s hand before licking him, leaving him covered in drool again….

　　“Big doggie, is your father dead yet?” Fang Xing lazily asked as he began studying the spirit tool in his hand.

　　The red dragon put its chin on the ground and held its head while its large eyes looked at Fang Xing.

　　“If your father is dead, then let him bless and protect us from above. Actually, your grandfather can do it too. All of you from the dragon clan seem to be very powerful, so they should still be strong even if they’re dead. As for me, I have it much worse; although I have nine uncles, they don’t have any cultivation and can’t bless a thing!”

　　After mumbling randomly for a while, he finally understood how to use this messaging tool. He instilled it with Qi, and with a swoosh , a spirit light shot out into the nine heavens above. The light broke through the clouds and started scattering outwards like a firework, lighting up the night sky with a powerful aura all cultivators within ten thousand miles could sense.