Chapter 217: the reputation of the mirage dragon was in great danger.
Inside the giant clam, Qiao Wan and the mirage dragon stared at each other.
Being a dog who had traveled through time and transformed into an ancient mythical mirage dragon, Laifu's intelligence had improved, but only to the level of a border collie compared to a husky.
This still doesn't change the fact that it's essentially still a dog. After transforming into a dragon, Lai Fu whimpered sadly a few times and, after a few days of panic, finally accepted this painful reality.
It became ugly and didn't have its favorite humans to play with anymore.
Lonely Lai Fu had to lay on the ground every day, just like it used to do at the village entrance, trying to hide its four short legs and burying its head under its arms.
Sensing the stiffness in front of it, the mirage dragon twisted its body and forcefully slapped its dragon tail, trying to squeeze into Qiao Wan's palm.
This behavior of the mirage dragon reminded Qiao Wan of the dog she used to have.
Now, no matter how bad the situation is, it doesn't seem to get any worse.
Qiao Wan hesitated for a moment and tentatively stroked the head of the mirage dragon.
The golden dangerous vertical pupils widened instantly, and it stuck out its tongue, trying hard to lick her back.
After a moment of thinking, Qiao Wan slowly released her consciousness. It was quite dangerous to extend her consciousness towards the mirage dragon, as it was an ancient creature skilled in illusion. If she angered the mirage dragon, her consciousness could backlash.
However, the mirage dragon's inner world seemed to surprise Qiao Wan. It was a vast expanse, the largest she had ever seen. In the center of this world sat a yellow, four-eyed, big black dog.
Qiao Wan was completely taken aback!
This was truly a dog!
The big black dog with four eyes excitedly sprinted towards her, ears flapping backward and tongue hanging out. Its short legs halted just in time before reaching her, and it eagerly tried to jump on her.
No girl could resist something furry, especially when it seemed like this human didn't have any intention of petting it. The big black dog let out a few disappointed whimpers.
Qiao Wan politely hesitated for a moment, then decisively picked up the big yellow four-eyed black dog in front of her. She rubbed the smooth and obedient dog's head. Though it was called a big black dog, it looked only a few months old, just a bit rough and sturdy. When those four eyes looked at people, they had a serious and bright expression.
It was quite strange for a dog to appear in the mirage dragon's mind. Qiao Wan walked around with the dog in her arms but didn't find anything. It seemed like...the dog was originally the owner of this mind.
There was no other way. Qiao Wan had to put the dog in her arms down. The big black dog wriggled its body unhappily and bit her sleeve.
Qiao Wan patted her head and said, "Sit."
The big black dog obediently sat down and wagged its tail.
Qiao Wan was surprised. Could they really communicate?
"You..." After hesitating for a moment, Qiao Wan asked, "Can you talk?"
Qiao Wan felt a bit uneasy. This ancient monster, known for its power, should have developed intelligence and the ability to communicate across different species.
The big black dog wagged its tail happily, saying "Woof!"
Qiao Wan had taken a class on animal control before, which helped her awaken the intelligence of the animals and gradually establish a connection with them.
Putting down her sword, Qiao Wan sat down and patiently tried to communicate with the big black dog in front of her.
As mentioned earlier, even though Laifu had traveled through time and transformed into a mirage dragon, he was essentially still a silly dog, just like transitioning from a Husky to a Border Collie.
With great effort, Qiao Wan finally understood.
A dog had crossed over and become a mirage dragon. Stumbling, he had encountered a young human who caught him and brought him here.
"What does this young human look like? Are there any memorable features?"
The big black dog stretched out its chubby paws and tried hard to draw an abstract version of a lotus pattern on the ground.
Qiao Wan felt a thump in her heart and slowly sank down.
They were people from the Xiao family.
So, everyone fell into a collective illusion this time. It wasn't by chance, but done intentionally?
But who could have done it? Xiao Huan? Or Xiao Sui?
Xiao Huan was unlikely because even though she had only met him twice, she could tell that he was cautious in his actions.
As thoughts raced through her mind, Qiao Wan already had a person in mind.
Just then, a shout came from outside the big clamshell.
"Lu Cixian?!!" Fang Lingqing gestured and knocked hard on the big clamshell, his face showing concern. "Are you okay?! Can you hear us?!"
Qiao Wan looked at the big black dog sitting in front of her, its face serious.
Although it was still fundamentally a dog, there was an unwritten rule in the cultivation world that once an animal gained intelligence, it should be referred to as a taoist friend.
"Come...come, taoist friend. My companion is looking for me. I'll go out first."
Stood up, opened the shell, and jumped out from the big clam.
"Little Fang, do you need something?"
Before she could finish her sentence, Qiao Wan popped out from the big clam, leaving Fang Lingqing looking shocked and taking two steps back. He said, "Are you... are you okay?"
With a clear and refreshed look, she didn't have a single scratch on her body.
Fang Lingqing cautiously poked his head out, and suddenly heard a long and resounding dragon chant in his ears.
That sound...
A dragon's chant!
And the big clam in front of them is... a mirage dragon!!
Qi Feidao quickly figured it out in the blink of an eye.
"This is a mirage dragon!" The young man's face instantly changed, losing his smile. He grabbed Fang Lingqing and shouted at the disciples of Kunshan and Chongde behind him, "Back away!"
Before he could finish speaking, scales and claws shimmered, and a dark red giant dragon appeared, spewing clouds and circling within the mist, slowly lowering its body.
"Grass." Fang Lingqing fell down on the muddy ground and got a mouthful of dirt. He spat out some grass and was about to take a deep breath when he caught a glimpse of a golden eye, the size of a fist. In an instant, he froze and his heart pounded. He tightened his grip on his sword, feeling nervous as he stared at the huge dragon in front of him.
The disciples of Chongde Ancient Garden were knowledgeable. They immediately recognized it as a mirage dragon, an ancient mythical creature. They all became cautious and prepared for a great danger.
The problem was, how could a mirage dragon appear in Tingyun Mountain, of all places?
They were in trouble. They were all in trouble.
One disciple of Chongde turned pale. He was terrified by the sharp and predatory gaze of the mirage dragon. He tightly shut his eyes and dared not look at the dragon in front of him.
It was said that the mirage dragon had scales that were invulnerable to attack. Just now, he had glanced briefly and indeed, the dragon's scales behind its waist were all invulnerable!
In a state of panic, one disciple of Chongde couldn't control himself and quietly released his flying sword.
Qiao Wan noticed this and with a firm voice halted the disciple's action: "Don't move!"
But perhaps her voice was too cold, causing the disciple Chongde to tremble. The flying sword slipped from his hand with a "whoosh" and narrowly missed the dragon head of the mirage dragon.
Seeing the sudden bright sword light, everyone's hearts were filled with fear.
Have they angered the mirage dragon? Will they survive?!
Sure enough, the mirage dragon became furious. It snorted, letting out a roar that shook the trees, causing the ground to tremble.
In front of Qi Feidao, he grasped onto a tree, and the coldness in his eyes turned serious. He began to calculate their chances of victory against the mirage dragon.
The mirage dragon bared its teeth, continuously letting out menacing growls like an evil dragon.
"Woof woof woof!"
This sound...
Qi Feidao suddenly froze, realizing that something was not right.
Why... does it sound like a dog?
In front of them, the mirage dragon showed its teeth and growled angrily, while strategically retreating. It seemed a bit scared, like a timid dog.
Just then, they heard a calm voice in their ears.
"Hey, taoist friend, come here."
Still snarling and roaring, the mirage dragon suddenly got excited and quickly slid in front of the young boy, waving its short and chubby claws.
"Woof woof woof!"
Qi Feidao, Fang Lingqing, and the other disciples from Kunshan and Chongde looked at the mirage dragon circling around Lu Cixian, their expressions instantly confused.
"So this is the ancient mirage dragon," one of the disciples from Kunshan exclaimed, "It looks like this?"
After all, they had only seen ancient monsters like this in textbooks, not in real life.
"I never knew that ancient mirage dragons had such similar behaviors to dogs."
The reputation of the mirage dragon was at stake.
But... why was this ancient mirage dragon so close to Lu Cixian?
Fang Lingqing, feeling brave, stood up and took a few steps forward, feeling slightly confused.
To his surprise, as soon as he got close to the mirage dragon, it immediately snarled and glared at him.
The world of dogs is very simple. I wanted to play with all of you, but you bullied me. I will never play with you again.
"Let me introduce you," Qiao Wan calmly said, ignoring the shocked expressions of others, "This is Laifu, my taoist friend."
It seems that Lu Cixian has clearly tamed this mirage dragon.
"Lu Cixian, how did you tame this... dragon..." Fang Lingqing stumbled over his words, unable to connect this creature to a dragon. After a pause, he managed to say, "Dog."
Qiao Wan said earnestly, "Laifu, come, shake hands."
Mirage dragon: Woof!!
The expressions of the others went from shocked to completely shattered.
Qiao Wan's mood sank as she surveyed the different expressions of the people around her.
The most important thing right now is not Lai Fu, but to figure out what Xiao Sui wants to do.
In the moment when she held the mirage dragon's claw, the connection between their consciousness that had not been severed suddenly rushed back into her mind.
The face of Xiao Sui flashed faintly before her eyes, as if he was instructing someone. These were fragments of information remaining in Lai Fu's sea of consciousness.
"Mu Xiaoxiao... consciousness... be careful... someone is trying to frame you..."
"Qiao Wan..."
Oh no!!
Qiao Wan's heart skipped a beat, and her mind instantly became clear.
She seemed to understand what Xiao Sui was planning?!!
She shouted!!
Since just now, she had been busy waking up other disciples, including Mu Xiaoxiao.
*
Mu Xiaoxiao seemed to have had a very long dream, dreaming of many people, including her master, Pei Shidi, and the little phoenix...
She dreamt that they suddenly left her, even the elder martial sisters from Kunshan gave her disgusted looks.
The young girl hurriedly took a few steps forward, wanting to explain herself, but suddenly, a sharp pain struck her forehead.
"Elder Martial Sister Mu!!" the disciple from Kunshan exclaimed in alarm as he watched Mu Xiaoxiao suddenly collapse like a limp rag. "Elder Martial Sister Mu, what happened to you?!"
