“You little girl, you’re really too wild. Don’t you know that what you’re doing is dangerous? How can you just ignore—”

“All right, all right, I get it. Why are you even more nagging than my grandma? Master, I heard someone say that you had a crush on my grandma when you were young, is that true?” Little Princess said mischievously.

“You… don’t try to change the subject.”

Little Princess giggled and said, “Yes, sir! Your disciple will return to the palace at once.”

The middle-aged man looked helpless and said, “You’re too mischievous. I really can’t trust that you’ll go back safely.”

Little Princess asked curiously, “Old man, aren’t you going back with me?”

The middle-aged man said, “I came to find you, and I was supposed to ‘escort’ you back. But on the way, I heard that a Qilin divine beast appeared in the Luofeng Mountains. That’s an extraordinary event—I have to go see it. I just worry about you!”

“Isn’t that a legendary beast? Is there really a Qilin in this world?” Little Princess’s eyes lit up, her face full of excitement. “I want to go too.”

“No. You’ve been away from the palace for more than half a month. Your mother has been so worried about you that she’s fallen ill. You must go back at once.”

“Ah, my mother is sick? All right, I’ll go back right away.” Little Princess looked utterly disappointed.

The middle-aged man returned the Houyi Bow to Little Princess and said, “Sarah, how did you manage to steal the Houyi Bow? You know it’s the national treasure of Chu. Its main purpose is to deter peerless experts from other countries.”

“So what? I just borrowed it for a bit. It’s not like I’m not returning it.” Little Princess said carelessly.

“You really don’t know the gravity of things. The divine bow was once sealed and can only be used once a year. How can you just use it so casually? Fortunately, Chu doesn’t have any major enemies right now, so it’s basically not needed.”

“Got it—” Little Princess dragged out the last syllable.

Chapter 5: Secret Struggle

The giant serpent’s attempt to transform into a dragon ended in failure. At the instant its inner core shattered, countless golden droplets shot out in all directions, but no one noticed a streak of golden light flying off into the distance.

The golden light pierced through countless trees and fell to the ground. A dazzling golden pearl rolled to Ethan Brooks’s feet. He saw everything clearly, crouched down excitedly, and picked up the golden pearl. The pearl shimmered with flowing light, and the peaceful glow it emitted made him feel calm and refreshed. When it came to legends about dragons, Ethan Brooks was extremely knowledgeable, so there was no mystery about the golden pearl before him.

Although the giant serpent failed to become a dragon, it had at least reached the half-dragon stage. The power within its body was half serpent, half dragon. The shattered inner core was the essence of its being, containing all its energy—half serpent essence, half dragon essence. When the core exploded, the serpent essence dissipated into the air, but the dragon essence did not. The pure dragon essence gathered together and formed a dragon pearl.

“A dragon pearl, this really is a dragon pearl!” Ethan Brooks exclaimed in awe.

Though small in size, the dragon pearl contained pure and powerful dragon force. It was a priceless treasure.

Ethan Brooks knew very well what this pearl could do. For one hour, the dragon pearl remained active. If it was swallowed during this time, and the person could withstand the powerful impact of the dragon force, they could absorb thirty to forty percent of the pearl’s essence, gaining unparalleled power. If no one or animal swallowed the dragon pearl within an hour, it would quickly lose its luster, the powerful dragon force would withdraw into the core, and the outer layer would become incredibly hard—only a divine weapon could break it. This meant the powerful dragon force inside could no longer be easily drawn out.

Ten thousand years ago, Ethan Brooks’s family background destined him to become a strong man, but his cultivation never improved, and his weak abilities were the source of his pain. He had always longed for great power, and now the opportunity was right before him. Yet he hesitated—not because he feared being torn apart by the dragon force, but because he remembered a conversation with his father.

Charles Brooks said, “Heavenly treasures may grant a person great power in an instant, making them a peerless expert, but with gain comes loss. When he gains the power he’s dreamed of, it also means he’s forever lost the chance to become the strongest. Power gained from outside shackles the development of one’s own strength—it’s a shackle that can never be broken.”

Ethan Brooks said, “Even if I can’t become the strongest, it’s not bad to have the chance to be a peerless expert.”

Charles Brooks said, “Anyone who can withstand the impact of a heavenly treasure’s power is no ordinary person. Besides having an extraordinary physique, they must also have an unyielding heart. How could such a person endure the torment of having no hope forever? In the end, they would destroy themselves.”

Ethan Brooks said, “Isn’t that a bit extreme?”

Charles Brooks said, “A true strong man does not fear loneliness, only stagnation on the path to power.”

Although Ethan Brooks didn’t fully agree with his father Charles Brooks’s views, he still felt there was some truth to them.

“If I swallow it, maybe I’ll become a strong man in an instant, or maybe I’ll die from the dragon force’s impact. But either way, I’ll lose the chance to become the strongest.”