The creature wasn’t very large.

It was bigger than a wolf but smaller than a tiger.

Yet, it felt far more imposing than any animal they had ever encountered.

The profound internal energy within it was undeniable.

Even these third-rate martial artists could sense the overwhelming power it held.

Internal energy should be refined down to the smallest grain, but this beast radiated an unrefined, raw force.

It was proof of the boundless energy stored within its body.

The Blood Slayer and Zhang Bong were paralyzed, unable to move.

The drooling venom dripping from the creature’s mouth was a clear sign.

It saw them as nothing more than prey.

Its tongue flicked out, just like the cold, calculating gaze of the Heavenly Demon Cult's leader they had seen before.

It was sizing them up, preparing for its judgment.

Once its assessment was complete, the beast would surely strike.

The Blood Slayer’s heart raced.

He had come to the Ten Thousand Great Mountains chasing wealth and glory.

He couldn’t die here, not like this.

He had to survive, no matter what.

But no matter how hard he thought, there was no way to escape this predicament through normal means.

His body moved on instinct.

His foot stretched forward slowly.

It wasn’t by his own will—it was his survival instinct guiding him to the only solution left.

Thud!

"Kyaaa!"

The Blood Slayer kicked Tang Soyeong hard, sending her tumbling to the ground.

The teal-colored beast lowered its head, locking eyes with the fallen Tang Soyeong.

"H-h-how could you, Blood Slayer, as a fellow warrior—?"

Zhang Bong began to scold him when—

"Shut up and run for your life!"

The Blood Slayer’s shout snapped everyone back to their senses.

Even Zhang Bong, who had been pretending to be the virtuous one, and the other motionless martial artists.

The most important thing now was survival.

This was their one and only chance to escape.

Tang Soyeong had already fallen.

Saving her was impossible.

Even if the Blood Slayer hadn’t pushed her, she was the closest to the creature and would have been the first to die anyway.

Her death was already certain.

Given that, the best option for them was to run.

Anyone with a shred of conscience would simply mourn her passing.

"Immortal Primordial Lord, Immortal Primordial Lord."

"Quit pretending to be a Taoist priest!"

Zhang Bong and the others turned and ran with all their might.

Whoosh!

They fled with every ounce of strength they had.

The beast would be busy eating Tang Soyeong for a while, giving them some time to widen the gap.

At least, that’s what they thought.

After running for who knows how long, they finally felt they had gained enough distance and looked back to catch their breath.

"This is insane..."

It was coming.

A massive figure.

The teal dragon was charging at full speed.

Yes, charging.

And it was running on two legs.

It was fast, too.

The Blood Slayer screamed at the sight of something he had never imagined.

"What in the world is this nightmare?!"

There was no time to rest.

If they didn’t keep running, that monstrous creature would catch them in no time.

They may have been third-rate martial artists, but running away was something they excelled at.

After all, they had spent their entire lives running.

"Seeing it run on two legs like that, it's definitely no ordinary dragon!"

"I know that! How could that thing be normal?!"

"Huff... huff... what I’m saying is, if we run into the water, we might have a chance!"

If they kept running on land, the creature would catch up to them in no time.

But if they ran into the swamp, they might be able to escape.

Based on its sharp claws and body shape, Zhang Bong deduced that the creature was a tree-dweller.

In other words, it probably wasn’t a good swimmer.

Even if it could swim, it would struggle in shallow water.

"I’m counting on you!"

The martial artists all headed toward the swamp.

For a human, it was easy to cross, but with its short legs, the creature would have trouble.

They assumed the beast would get stuck or tangled in the trees and wouldn’t be able to follow.

That’s what they thought.

"Huff..."

"Look! It’s hesitating at the water’s edge!"

"Hah... hah... did we lose it?"

"Blood Slayer, shut your mouth!"

Just as Zhang Bong shouted at the Blood Slayer, the beast, which had been standing still as if pondering, suddenly stepped onto the water.

It was literally walking on water.

"G-ge-ge-gek!"

The teal dragon calmly walked across the surface of the water as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

"Z-Zhang Bong! Look at that!"

"I can see it too! This is... Stepping on Level Ground—no, this is... Treading on Water!"

"This is insane! What kind of monster is this?!"

They had encountered a creature that not only used battle formations but had also mastered a technique that could only be called a divine movement skill. Zhang Bong’s words fit the situation perfectly—it was indeed a nightmare beyond comprehension.

Zhang Bong and the others quickly changed direction.

There was no way to escape the beast while near the water.

"I must have been mistaken. That wasn’t claws, it was webbed feet for swimming."

"What are you talking about?! Didn’t you see those sharp blades?!"

"Listen to me! It’s definitely a creature that lives in water, based on the way it moves. How could something like that climb trees?"

The Blood Slayer doubted Zhang Bong’s reasoning.

Maybe the fear had driven him mad.

But there was no better plan.

They were slower than the beast on land and in the water.

They had to find another way.

So they climbed into the trees.

Even third-rate martial artists were skilled enough to climb trees with ease.

They didn’t stop there, though, moving quickly from branch to branch to get as far away as possible.

"This should be good enough. Even if it tries to track us by scent, it’ll lose us soon."

"Zhang Bong, you were right. Now that we’re up in the trees, that dumb beast can’t find us."

"We got lucky. All we have to do now is wait quietly until it gives up and goes away."

"Whew... Three years since I entered the martial world, and this is the first time I’ve faced such a crisis. Once this is over, I’m going back to Anhui to propose to her—"

The Blood Slayer stopped mid-sentence.

Zhang Bong was staring at him as if he had seen a ghost.

"This... this...!"

Thud-thud-thud!

The teal beast was calmly climbing up the tree.

No, climbing wasn’t the right word.

It was walking up the tree as easily as if it were walking on solid ground.

It was using the Wall-Crossing Dragon Technique.

"Hraaagh! Blood Slayer! This is insane!"

"What did I do wrong?! Lower your voice or it’ll hear us!"

"It already knows we’re here!"

Zhang Bong and the other martial artists simultaneously leapt from the tree.

What in the world was this creature?

First it walked on water, and now it was walking up trees with ease.

No creature like this had ever been heard of before.

Could it really be a dragon?

No, dragons didn’t run on two legs.

If anything, they flew.

So what in the world was this monster?

Zhang Bong thought as he ran for his life.

Even so, this would be the end.

There were more of them than the creature. If one of them was caught, the others could still escape.

"Z-Zhang Bong!"

"What now?! Don’t waste your breath talking!"

"Look at it!"

"If you’re thinking of pushing me like you did that girl, forget it. If you try, we’ll both die."

"That’s not it! Look at its mouth!"

Its mouth?

What was he talking about?

Zhang Bong turned his head slightly to glance at the creature chasing them.

In its huge jaws was Zhang Bong’s sword, the one he had dropped earlier.

"Now this is just too much!"

Not only was it chasing them, but now it was holding a sword?

Did it plan to cut them down with that sword?

Zhang Bong scrapped his plan to use someone as bait.

The sight of a monster wielding a sword while chasing them like a vengeful spirit made it clear—it wouldn’t stop, even if it caught one of them.

"Raaaaargh!"

They ran and ran for what felt like an eternity.

They only stopped when the teal beast was no longer chasing them.

Hey, you.

Take your sword with you!

It looks expensive...

Ah well.

They’re already far away now.

It’s dangerous out there.

I was worried, but there wasn’t much I could do.

They were excellent at running away, so they’d probably get out on their own.

If I kept chasing them, I’d end up deeper into the mountains.

But still, why were they running away?

No matter how much I thought about it, I couldn’t figure it out.

All I did was greet them with a friendly smile, but they ran off as if terrified.

I had no idea why.

Did they see something scary?

...Could it be that I look that frightening?

No, that couldn’t be it.

After all, Baek Yeon-Yeong herself had recognized me as a handsome lizard.

Baek Yeon-Yeong’s face was so beautiful, she could be called the most beautiful woman under the heavens.

A lizard acknowledged by the most beautiful woman in the world couldn’t possibly be ugly... right?

I glanced at my reflection in the water.

Sure, my body had grown bigger due to evolution, and I had developed armor-like scales, sharper teeth, longer claws, a longer tail, and the ability to spit venom, but other than that, I looked almost the same.

I was confident that if Baek Yeon-Yeong saw me now, she’d still poke me and tease me like before.

Or maybe she wouldn’t even blink if I turned into a dragon.

My size had increased a lot compared to before, but humans were originally bigger than me.

Sure, when I stood on two legs, I looked taller, but that was all.

So why were they acting like that?

They had been making such a fuss—wasn’t this supposed to be a place where humans lived?

Was it their first time seeing a lizard like me?

I don’t know.

They must have taken a wrong turn somewhere.

In any case, it’s not like I’ll run into them again, so why worry?

As long as they don’t venture into the upper swamp, they won’t be in any real danger.

It’s late anyway; I should head back to my nest.

...Speaking of which.

That girl who fell earlier.

I wonder if she’s still there?

She looked like she hurt her leg.

Maybe I should check on her.

...

Just in case, I should practice my smile first.

I’ll greet her with a smile.

The water’s reflection showed a lizard flashing a handsome smile.

That should do it.

Sigh. Martial artists these days—what are they running away from?

They have no grit, no toughness.

Back in my day, I would train in the Silver Dragon’s Cave, eating nothing but bugs.

These youngsters are soft.