The Black Dragon’s eyes were bulging out of its head. Subconsciously, it closed its mouth and swallowed the bolts of lightning that it was going to spit out. But it was too late for it to turn around and too late for it to stop. With a loud roar, the dragon crashed into the soil, uprooting the trees in its wake, just like an underground train gone off track.

　　Shen Ying heard all the noise and saw the trees forming a single line in the air, then falling back to the ground. From far away, she could hear the cracking sounds coming from the black dragon’s body – the sound of something breaking.

　　“Hey, are you still alive?” Shen Ying reached out for a branch and poked at the dragon’s body. Its head was still buried underground. Why was it acting like a pangolin for no reason? Was its bones broken?

　　Shen Ying took a closer look at the dragon and asked, “Are you really the Director’s long worm?” It looked a lot rougher now, but it may still be yummy.

　　The dragon jumped, seeming to have regained its consciousness. Its head burst out of the soil and the entire dragon jumped back several feet. It looked at Shen Ying in fear. “Ex… Ex.. Exalted Immortal, y-y-you… what are you doing here? Is this… is this not the divine realm?”

　　“You’re really that long worm!” Shen Ying exclaimed, shocked. “Hey! It’s been a long time! You look different.” Even your horns are different.

　　“Exalted Immortal… I’m a dragon now. Of course I look different.” The dragon trembled instinctively and subtly took a few more steps back. “What’s more, I’m like Bai Ze now… I’m a divine being!”

　　“Oh.” Shen Ying nodded. She repeated a business-like phrase that she learned from Father Niu. “You’re hardworking.”

　　“Exalted… Exalted Immortal, you’re too kind!” The black dragon smiled. “Several hundred years have passed since Exalted Immortal ascended. I’m naturally… Wait! You’re an immortal?”

　　The dragon seemed to notice something important. It scanned Shen Ying from head to toe, taking in the immortal Qi that had not quite dissipated from her body. Its eyes twinkled and the fear seemed to drain out of its eyes.

　　“Huh?” Shen Ying hesitated before nodding. “I guess… so?”

　　“Then….” It took a long deep breath in and looked straight at Shen Ying. The red lightning re-appeared on its body as an evil grin appeared on its face. “That’s great!”

　　“Huh?” Shen Ying’s head tilted.

　　“Heh heh heh…” It suddenly laughed mirthlessly. The lightning bolts were becoming more and more intense. “I almost forgot, I’m a divine being now. Do you think I’m afraid of you? You’re just an immortal – what can you do to me!” It suddenly jumped up and charged toward Shen Ying.

　　“…” Was it… itching?

　　Two minutes later…

　　“Exalted Goddess, I was wrong! When I am reborn, I will be your worm and I will die as your worm. As long as you instruct me to, I will go through fire and cross seas for you. I will not quit no matter what.”

　　“It’s not that serious.” Shen Ying frowned. “I just need a small favour.”

　　“Please go ahead, Exalted Goddess!”

　　“I just got to this world and I can’t find Chef.” She looked around, confused. “Bring me out of this forest first.”

　　“Yes, Exalted Goddess. No problem, Exalted Goddess. Count on me, Exalted Goddess!” The black dragon nodded furiously. “Exalted Goddess, do you know which direction the man you are looking for is?”

　　“I don’t know, I just know I got separated from them the moment I landed in Divine World.”

　　“Well… How long has Exalted Goddess been in the forest?”

　　“Four… Five… Six months?” She forgot.

　　The black dragon: “…”

　　This forest was not that big. She could not find her way out even after several months. How did she accomplish something like that?

　　“Well, would the Exalted… Exalted Goddess mind waiting until we get out of here before we talk more?” The black dragon tried its luck. Afraid that she would not be satisfied, it added, “Please rest assured, Exalted Goddess. I will not leave your side before you find what you’re looking for.”

　　“Alright!” Shen Ying nodded obligingly. “Thanks for your hard work.”

　　“It’s my duty, my duty!” The black dragon laughed nervously. “Well… can the Exalted Goddess please help me out of this rock in the soil? This must be a Divine Mystic Rock. It’s so hard that I’m… I’m… I’m stuck!”

　　“…” So she has to do everything in the end!

　　“Alright! She retracted the leg that was on top of the dragon’s head. Looking around, she picked up the dragon’s tail and used a little more strength to pull the dragon out of the apparently hard rock…

　　There was a loud tearing sound. The black dragon remained in the stone, but in Shen Ying’s hand was half of the dragon’s tail.

　　Shen Ying: “…”

　　“Ah¬!” A blood-curling scream echoed throughout the forest, causing it to be amplified. It did not cease for a long time…

　　“Er… sorry about that! I did not think the rock was that hard!” Shen Ying scratched her head apologetically and immediately switched strategies. “How about I move the rock!”

　　She clenched her fist and punched the ground.

　　There was a series of cracks as long lines formed on the solid rock. The rock began to fall into pieces.

　　The black dragon which was finally able to move: “…”

　　(⊙_⊙)

　　Why did it feel like it was lucky not to have been beaten to death by her earlier on?

　　“Let’s go!” Shen Ying jumped down from the mess and took two steps before realising that the black dragon was not following her. “Long Worm, why are you still staring into blank space? Aren’t we leaving?”

　　The black dragon was trembling violently. It looked at the remnants of the rock all over the ground. “My… My legs… My legs are jelly!”

　　“All four of them?” Shen Ying scanned it from head to toe and sighed. She walked back toward it. “Why not I carry you?”

　　“N-N-No… No need!” The black dragon immediately jumped up. There was a faint black glow and a man in black robes appeared in the dragon’s place. “I can… can… can walk now.”

　　Shen Ying acted as if nothing happened. “Long Worm, which way?”

　　“Let’s go toward the east?” The black dragon pointed toward his right, positioning himself behind Shen Ying like a servant girl.

　　“Alright.” Shen Ying started walking.

　　“Exalted Goddess! East is to your right.”

　　“Oh.” She immediately switched directions.

　　“Exalted Goddess, that’s your left.”

　　“…”

　　————

　　Fifteen minutes later.

　　A gentle breeze blew through the forest. A man in green robes landed on the rubble that the two left behind. His eyes flashed red in anger as he looked around at the destruction.

　　“Horrible – who destroyed my Supreme Divinity’s Divine Mystic Rock?”

　　He raised his hand and waved it. A faint white fog rose up out of the Divine Mystic Rock and began to take shape. A moment later, a dragon formed. It turned several colours before it turned black.

　　“It’s that black dragon!” The man’s expression became one of utter fury. “Detestable!”

　　He flicked his sleeve and a huge aura burst forth from his body, causing half of the trees behind him to fall over.

　　The man looked again at the rubble in front of him. Then, with another gentle breeze, he disappeared.

　　***

　　At that time, Shen Ying, who was outside of the forest, looked around at the vast plains around her.

　　Whoa, she’s really out!