Chapter 36: Summoning the Divine Dragon and Mystical Beast!

Before Mo Liuli could even extend her hand, a powerful force slammed into her, sending a numbing, sharp pain radiating through her arm.

"Where do you think you're going!"

The attacker’s eyes glinted with murderous intent as he shouted, brandishing a sinister-looking dagger toward her. He was cloaked entirely in black, with only a pair of turbid eyes visible through the fabric. With his appearance, a swarm of black-clad minions and ghouls emerged from all directions, closing in on Mo Liuli in a dense, suffocating formation.

Xiao Junwang had been forced back by the initial shockwave. Seeing Mo Liuli besieged, he felt a surge of anxiety. The surrounding air was tainted with chilling toxins, and since Long'er had not yet undergone his awakening, the little creature was currently unable to resist external attacks. Xiao Junwang knew he had to ensure Long'er’s safety before he could spare the energy to intervene.

Sensing the crisis, the little creature, Long'er, opened his round, wide eyes and peered about, trying to assess the situation. "Ying-gu! Hurry and awaken me! I must go save Mommy!"

Seeing Mo Liuli in danger, he urgently demanded that Xiao Junwang perform the awakening rite. Hearing the little dragon's chirps, Xiao Junwang immediately retrieved a delicate porcelain vial from his ancient ring, dousing Long'er with the holy water contained within while chanting an ancient, forbidden incantation.

Mo Liuli caught a glimpse of the masked man’s eyes and found them eerily familiar. Hearing his shout, realization dawned upon her: it was none other than Mo Lao’er, the elder of the Mo clan whom she hadn't seen in ages.

A relentless barrage of ghouls attacked her, their needle-like projectiles falling like a torrential downpour. Caught off guard, Mo Lao’er’s dagger slashed across her bodice, staining her clothes with a spreading bloom of red.

Struck and reeling, her dark hair whipped wildly around her like a phantom. Amidst the chaos, various techniques for concentrating elemental energy flooded her mind. Mo Liuli cast aside all distractions; ignoring the immediate danger, she closed her eyes and focused entirely on gathering the scattered elemental energy around her.

Directly to her front-left, a massive surge of red fire elemental energy pulsed, growing brighter by the second. Beside the fire element, another, even more vibrant and potent white energy shimmered... Yet, in her memories, there was no classification for a white element! Further out, faint traces of yellow and purple flickered in the periphery.

Gritting her teeth, Mo Liuli knit her brows and shouted, "You shall be the one! Soul and spirit unite—bind!"

She formed an intricate seal with her hands before her chest, and suddenly, a star-shaped contract web materialized in the air, casting itself toward the fire element.

"Aooo!" Having completed his awakening, Long'er, freshly cleansed, was instantly ensnared by the contract Mo Liuli had forged, letting out a suppressed dragon’s roar. Upon catching the scent of Mo Liuli through the contract’s aura, he ceased his struggle and accepted the bond. His tiny, infant-like form instantly transformed into a slender young dragon, his entire body glowing with a dazzling, brilliant light.

"Aooo! Aooo! Aooo!"

Long'er let out three dragon roars filled with immense spiritual power, then dove toward the stunned Mo Lao’er on the ground. With a single, domineering sweep of his tail, he sent Mo Lao’er flying hundreds of miles away. The black-clad ghouls, terrified by the overwhelming pressure radiating from the dragon, spun in place and dissolved into wisps of black smoke, vanishing without a trace.

"Aooo! Mommy! Mommy! Look at how handsome your Long'er is!" Soaring high in the sky, Long'er acted as if he had conquered the world. Seeing that Mo Liuli’s crisis had been resolved so easily by his own hand, he cheered with excitement.

Xiao Junwang was genuinely startled; he hadn't expected Long'er to be able to manifest his true form immediately after awakening. Though he remained outwardly calm, his heart raced with agitation. Seeing that Long'er could so effortlessly reclaim his true form, he felt the strain of sacrificing his own cultivation to perform the forbidden ritual had been well worth it.

Hearing the youthful, childish voice from above, Mo Liuli felt a jolt of shock, finally realizing that the entity she had summoned was a young dragon.