However, the corrosive venom on the poisoned sword was extremely viscous, and once it stuck to you, you couldn't get it off.
Hao Jiu grinned. "I didn't expect it to work so well. Wow, this head is really tough. It even shattered the rock."
"No wonder the God of Wine said this was a killer move; it truly is." Xiang Yu, holding the Overlord's Halberd, couldn't bring himself to go up and deliver a couple more blows.
Of course, the dragon's rolling and thrashing state is also very dangerous, so it's best to wait until it's exhausted before making a move.
Rumble, rumble...
A dragon suffering from abdominal pain was able to cause an earthquake, and the birds and beasts of Yunlong Mountain fled the area in panic.
Despair arises from making friends. When the other party doesn't make a move, all is well, but when they do, it's with such ruthless methods. Truly worthy of being the strongest system!
"System! Hou Yi! I surrender! I dare not offend you again! Stop immediately! Awooo..."
"You know how powerful it is now? Then stop talking nonsense and hand over the dimensional lock. Actually, we don't need to fight to the death. If you want, it's very simple with my help. King Xiang just happens to need a dragon pet. From now on, we're all family." Hao Jiu appeared, his large wings spread wide, looking incredibly cool.
"Let me be his pet? You're dreaming! Aww..." Jiaoyou said through gritted teeth.
"The God of Wine is too weak, has a bad temper, and is ugly. I don't like such a pet, so let's forget about it." Xiang Yu thought to himself, keeping a dragon that might bite at any time by my side would only cause me trouble.
"Hmm, that's right. We'll find Xiang Yu an even better one later. Then you won't have to be a pet anymore. Quickly hand over the dimensional lock to avoid further physical suffering." Hao Jiu was just joking; even if he agreed, he wouldn't believe it.
Tears seemed to well up in the dragon's eyes. "If I told you that the dimensional lock was lost, would you believe me?"
Chapter 306 Self-harm
I cried when I made friends, not knowing whether it was from the pain of a poison in my stomach or from being wronged.
"The dimensional lock is lost, can you believe that?"
"Of course I believe you! Why wouldn't I believe you? Where did you lose it? How did you lose it?"
Hao Jiu had a guess in his mind. If that was the case, he was really lucky. It was just a pity that he hadn't figured out how to open that storage ring these past few days. It must be either protected by some kind of password or he would have to kill Jiaoyou or have Jiaoyou open it voluntarily.
Normally, killing the original owner of the ring will give you a high chance of opening their storage ring, but this method isn't always reliable. If you can't open it after killing the owner, that would be quite awkward.
"The dimensional lock was originally kept in my storage ring and carried with me, but I accidentally lost it. Give me some more time and I'm sure I can find it, and only I can find it."
I think we should stop fighting. There's no point in continuing if we can't find the dimensional lock. Let's make peace. Aside from becoming a dragon pet, I'm open to any condition. Uh, could you please save me first?
He was too embarrassed to admit that he had lost his friend because of a fart, and he wasn't sure if the storage ring was really lost in the deep well, but he had no other choice at the moment. What if the other party was careless and let him go first?
"Not as a dragon pet, but as a mount?" Hao Jiu raised an eyebrow. Trying to play these tricks on me? You're too naive. Or do you think I'm easy to fool because I look kind?
"Not even a mount!" The dragon's face immediately darkened upon making friends. Being a mount was worse than being a pet!
"Then you're not keeping your word either. You just said that any conditions are negotiable. Oh, right, negotiable means you can agree if you want and disagree if you don't. What's the point then? What if you lie to me?" Hao Jiu said coldly.
"I'm almost poisoned to death, why would I need to lie to you?" Jiaoyou had already guessed what kind of poison he had been poisoned with, but it was no use guessing. He had no way to detoxify, so he could only use his internal magic to seal the poison and slow down its spread and erosion of his heart meridian.
People often say that a tiger fallen into the plains is bullied by dogs, and isn't this dragon the same? How frustrating it is to be unable to unleash his powerful cultivation.
The effects of the dimensional suppression and the loss of the storage ring on him were too great. Moreover, although his previous move to strip Liu Xiu of his ability to control the wind and clouds seemed casual, the consumption of his mana was not small.
When Ju Wuba came to find him, he couldn't replenish his magic power even with ordinary immortal spirit stones, and he was reluctant to use the top-grade immortal spirit stones. In addition, he underestimated his opponent at the time, which ultimately led to his current lack of magic power.
Otherwise, even if the poison is strong and cannot be forced out with magic, it could at least be completely isolated in the body, so there would be no need for such pain.
Of course, cutting open his own stomach to remove the poison is also a way, but that would undoubtedly seriously injure him. He doesn't have the ability to recover instantly, and with such a large wound, it would be difficult to win in a continued fight.
The key issue is that the other party can poison you again without you even noticing. Who knows if there will be a second time? If you always use this self-harming method to detoxify, you might end up killing yourself!
However, I believe that since they are so eager to obtain the dimensional lock, they will not let him die easily. As long as we keep them calm for now, they will have no choice but to do what they want once we find the storage ring.
Therefore, it's nothing to temporarily abandon the pride of the dragon race and be humble for now. As long as we can achieve final victory and kill our opponents, who will know that we once bowed down?
"Cooperation benefits both sides, while fighting harms both. You should understand this principle. Name your terms, right? As long as they're not too unreasonable, I'll agree even if it means taking a loss." He instantly transforms into a goofy dragon when making friends.
"Alright then, let's compromise. I'll tell you how to detoxify, and you tell me how to open the storage ring. After we open the dimension, we'll each go our own way."
Hao Jiu did not agree to let the weakened dragon go, but who said that they couldn't fight if they each took half?
Or you could first add a dragon pet collar to the friendship, and then each go their own way and live in peace.
But no matter what, we still need to open up the dimension first.
“My storage ring is sealed, and only I can open it. You need to help me detoxify first, and then I will go with you to Kunyang to find the ring. Otherwise, I won’t last long before I die from the poison, and you will be trapped in this world forever.”
He's almost numb from the pain now, and he's basically suppressed the venom, but the problem is he can't suppress it while fighting. The more intense the battle, the faster the toxin spreads; otherwise, he would have already attacked and killed his opponent with a single bite.
"Oh, so it was lost in Kunyang. Kunyang is quite big; finding a ring there is like finding a needle in a haystack. How did you manage to find it? If you could find it, why didn't you look for it sooner?" Hao Jiu questioned.
Jiaoyou's breath hitched slightly. "Of course I know where my storage ring is, but I've been waiting for you at Ziyun Mountain. What if I left and you couldn't find me there? People would misunderstand that I ran away because I was afraid of you. Wouldn't that be unfair? Besides, no one but me can find or open my storage ring, so of course I'm not in a hurry to find it."
Hao Jiu laughed. This dragon was quite stubborn. "Mr. Jiao is truly a prophet. If it weren't for the accidental loss of your storage ring, you probably would have had to hand it over now, right? Losing your ring has inadvertently given you a way out."
Upon hearing this, Jiaoyou flew into a rage. "You suspect that I deliberately hid it to leave myself an escape route? How could a dragon like me act in such a way? Hmph! I've said my piece. Believe me if you want, or don't if you don't. Even if I risk my life, you won't gain anything! Besides, what's the safest place to hide a ring compared to having it on my person? If you hadn't poisoned it, how could you have broken through my dragon scale defenses?"
Hao Jiu scoffed, "Have you forgotten about splitting your head into three halves and twisting it? It's not like there's no way to break through your defenses. To tell you the truth, my original intention was to take advantage of your illness and kill you. It was only because Xiang Yu took pity on you and was eager to show his appreciation for your talent that he let you go. Don't be ungrateful."
Besides, I already said from the beginning that I believed it; you're just overthinking it. Since we've known each other, I can tell you how to detoxify yourself.
But if you find the storage ring, you must open it immediately and give me the dimensional lock, otherwise don't blame me for being ruthless; I haven't even used my more vicious tricks yet!
Yan You was slightly taken aback. What did he mean by being eager to show his love for talent and letting him go? He was clearly just waiting for the right opportunity. But this system was being so generous. Could it be that it had found his storage ring?
Come to think of it, when they left the underground, they didn't even leave the locust corpses behind!
"My storage ring is in your hands?" Jiaoyou asked nervously.
"Stop talking nonsense. Do you agree to the conditions I just mentioned? If you do, swear by your inner demons." Hao Jiu smiled slightly.
My heart skipped a beat; the ring was indeed in their hands! So that's how it is…
"Alright! I promise you! I swear by my inner demons that I will lock the dimension to you as soon as I get the storage ring."
Hao Jiu nodded. "You're quite smart. Listen carefully, the antidote is to cut open the abdomen, remove the poison, and throw away everything that has been contaminated with the poison."
The corner of his mouth twitched violently; he knew this method!
"Is there any other way?" the friend asked tentatively.
"Yes, but the dimensional blockade prevents me from doing it." Hao Jiu's words were true; the God's Shop had antidotes of all kinds, no matter how expensive.
Jiaoyou fell silent, looked at his abdomen, cut it open, and took it out. It was that simple. Even if he was seriously injured, he had no choice but to do it because the transformation time was coming soon, and he wasn't sure if he could withstand the venom's corrosive effects.
"Don't just stand there. I've already told you the antidote. Now it's your turn to open the storage ring. Xiang Wang, if he tries anything funny, kill him immediately." Hao Jiu said, taking out the storage ring from his spatial storage.
"Alright." Xiang Yu was on high alert, while simultaneously asking himself, "What if they manage to snatch the ring away?"
"For now, only he can open the storage ring, so we can only trust him this once. But don't worry, King Xiang, I've already thought of a good way to deal with him. If he obediently listens to me, he'll be lucky; otherwise, he'll definitely suffer even more."
Hao Jiu said confidently, "As long as we can get the dimensional lock, everything will be fine." If a child is naughty and doesn't learn their lesson after one beating, then beat them a few more times.
As expected, Jiaoyou didn't immediately open the storage ring and hand over the dimensional lock. Instead, he gritted his teeth, ripped open the dragon's belly with a claw, and dug out the flesh and poison, "Awooo..."
"You're courting death!" Xiang Yu charged forward to the wound and swung his halberd to strike!
Chapter 307 Backup Plan
Hao Jiu naturally hopes that Jiaoyou will first take out the dimensional lock, and then Jiaoyou will go to self-harm for treatment.
In this way, the initiative was completely in the hands of Xiang Yu and Hao Jiu. This is the kind of awareness a prisoner should have when making friends.
But Xiang Yu clearly didn't want to sit idly by and wait for his death, so he picked up his halberd and started fighting directly, showing no fear of the behemoth in front of him.
Its large size also has its disadvantages. It is not flexible enough, and its large internal space allows Xiang Yu to open a spatial portal and enter its body to hack and slash to his heart's content with the Overlord's Halberd.
This is just one application of the Door-Door Fruit's power. If we develop several more, it will be invincible, right?
"You're courting death!" Xiang Yu roared and charged forward, displaying a truly dragon-slaying aura!
"Wait! Don't misunderstand me. I just want to treat my poison wounds first. The pain is unbearable. I'll open my storage ring now." As he spoke, Jiaoyou quickly shrank back to his naked human form, seemingly having given up the fight.
Xiang Yu stopped attacking, and Hao Jiu took the opportunity to put away the piece of dragon meat and the poisoned sword. "Don't try anything funny, or you'll have to taste the poisoned sword again."
"Don't worry, I've sworn an oath with my inner demons, I won't go back on my word. I'll give you the dimensional lock right away." With that, Jiaoyou opened his storage ring with a thought, and the dimensional lock and a seven-colored crystal instantly appeared in his hand. "Here!"
Xiang Yu caught the dimensional lock and shut it off. Then he felt a foul stench hit him as a huge dragon's mouth snapped down on him!
This transformation was different from the last one. Last time, he was a bit too arrogant in making friends, using a lot of fancy things to create an atmosphere. This time, however, he transformed instantly and launched a sneak attack at close range, giving Xiang Yu no chance to escape.
"Hahaha, with this top-grade immortal spirit stone, I'm invincible!" Jiaoyou roared, feeling extremely distressed.
This top-grade immortal spirit stone was hard-won. It was originally intended to be saved for when he broke through to a higher realm. Even in the cultivation world, it is a rare resource with a priceless market.
After swallowing this top-grade immortal spirit stone, Jiaoyou's wounds healed rapidly, and he no longer needed the Blood Burning Secret Technique to unleash the True Dragon Body. He could even summon wind and rain!
A sudden gust of wind arose, instantly sealing off the surrounding area, while Jiaoyou also locked his divine sense onto Xiang Yu.
He had made up his mind. This time, he would not give his opponent a chance to hide. He wanted to kill him instantly, to win a great victory, and to utterly crush his opponent!
"Stubborn to the end!" Xiang Yu was furious. Instead of retreating, he advanced and placed his Overlord Halberd between the dragon's upper and lower teeth.
With a slight smile, he knew that his dragon mouth was exceptionally tough and sharp, comparable to a celestial treasure. Its full bite force was enough to tear apart any prey, and even his own dragon scales could hardly withstand it.
The other party's attempt to sneak into his mouth was clever, but it was futile, because with the help of the equally tough dragon tongue, the other party would inevitably be bitten by the sharp teeth.
However, the next moment, a crisp cracking sound was heard!
The pain brought tears to his eyes. Several pieces of his incredibly hard and sharp dragon tooth had broken off, and the halberd had even pierced into his tooth. What kind of material was this magical treasure made of?!
Without any magical enhancement, the halberd's hardness and sharpness alone were enough to pierce the dragon's tooth. It was truly a legendary treasure of the immortal realm!
That wasn't all. Instinctively, he opened his mouth even wider, trying to push the halberd out with his tongue, only to find that the halberd was still firmly stuck between his upper and lower teeth. He couldn't push it out with his tongue, and neither could he curl it up and pull it.
No matter how hard you try to expand your circle of friends, they're still firmly stuck!
Even if it gets bigger, it still won't work!
It's as if the halberd is growing bigger along with his mouth!
The dragon was stunned. Even the biggest dragon's mouth has its limits, and this was its limit. Its mouth could no longer close unless it bit the halberd to pieces.
However, the fact that this halberd could shatter his teeth meant that its strength was much greater than he had expected. Moreover, not only could he not bite it, but even if he could, he couldn't exert any strength with his mouth open like this, and even his tongue was cramping from exhaustion!
"Why bother? It would have been better if we had just parted ways and gone our separate ways, but now you're finished." Hao Jiu continued to grow and thicken the Overlord Divine Halberd, making the other person's mouth open even wider.
Then, Xiang Yu stepped into the alternate dimension again, opened a door, and used the lump of poisonous flesh and the poisoned sword to exchange for the top-grade immortal spirit stone and storage ring in his friend's belly.