C8 Primordial Thunder Dragon

The Primordial Thunder Dragon couldn't wait to be free of those seven pesky spears and promptly agreed to Liu Yangshuo's first request without hesitation.

"And for the second one, what I want... is you."

"You desire me? Hahahahaha, you're quite the presumptuous one, aren't you? Not even the mightiest of your human experts could catch my eye at the height of my power, let alone you. The one capable of taming me probably hasn't even been born yet," the Primordial Thunder Dragon roared with laughter, his voice dripping with disdain.

"That's not it at all. I'm well aware of my limitations. I'm not looking to conquer you; I simply want you to serve as my bodyguard for three years. Just step in if someone tries to take my life."

Liu Yangshuo shook his head, knowing full well he didn't have the means to truly 'eat' the Primordial Thunder Dragon at this time.

"...Fine, three years it is. If you can extract this silver spear, I'll ensure your safety for three years," the Primordial Thunder Dragon mused. To the Dragon Clan, three years was but a fleeting moment in their lengthy existence.

"Agreed. Now, make yourself comfortable while I examine this silver spear."

At Liu Yangshuo's behest, the Primordial Thunder Dragon snorted and gently lowered himself, allowing Liu Yangshuo to scale his back and start a meticulous inspection.

The seven spears appeared unremarkable at first glance, their only distinguishing feature being the ancient patterns carved into them, resembling some sort of totem. On closer examination, these totems were voraciously leeching the dragon's intrinsic lightning power.

Liu Yangshuo inhaled deeply and firmly grasped the spear before him.

"Boom!"

With a thunderous noise, Liu Yangshuo vanished from sight. More accurately, he was catapulted by a mysterious force from the spear, embedding him deeply into the rock face.

"Damn it, that hurt like hell! What in the world is this spear?"

Liu Yangshuo nearly coughed up blood, thinking that without his enhanced physique, he would have sustained serious injuries.

"Ding! Would you like to spend two thousand King Blood Points for a mission hint?"

"Damn, why didn't you say there was a notification earlier? Hurry, switch it out!"

Liu Yangshuo clung to this revelation like a lifeline, his voice tinged with excitement.

"System Notification: Human blood can temporarily suppress the clan tattoo."

The system fell silent after delivering the message.

Liu Yangshuo crawled out from the wall, glanced at his scratched right hand, and resumed his climb toward the back of the Primordial Thunder Dragon.

"Human, just give up. It seems I overestimated you. Without any cultivation base, how could you possibly...?"

The Primordial Thunder Dragon didn't get to finish its thought before Liu Yangshuo astonishingly seized the spear.

His blood smeared onto the spear from the wound, and the clan tattoo, which had been absorbing the power of thunder, now eagerly drew in Liu Yangshuo's blood, seemingly finding it more enticing than the thunder itself.

"Rise!"

Feeling his blood draining at an alarming rate, Liu Yangshuo knew he would be desiccated within five minutes. With a bellow, he summoned all his strength and heaved upward.

"Puchi!"

At last, with only a fifth of his blood remaining, Liu Yangshuo managed to extract the first spear.

But the loss of blood was too great; he fainted, his face ashen, before he could utter a word.

The Earth Scorpion approached cautiously to check if Liu Yangshuo was dead or alive.

"He's in my care now. Go guard the entrance. Once I've healed, you'll get the reward I promised," the Primordial Thunder Dragon instructed the Earth Scorpion, which nodded and hurried out of the cave without a backward glance.

With the Earth Scorpion gone, the Primordial Thunder Dragon looked at the unconscious Liu Yangshuo and touched a drop of its own blood from its wound to his lips.

"A single drop of my blood is teeming with life. It may not replenish yours, but it can awaken your life force. Whether you survive is up to your will."

Having done this, the Primordial Thunder Dragon coiled itself up and closed its eyes to rest, concentrating on healing its wounds.

Seven days later, Liu Yangshuo's fingers twitched, and the Primordial Thunder Dragon slowly opened its eyes. The bloody hole where the spear had been was now perfectly healed.

"Why did I pass out?"

Liu Yangshuo's voice was raspy as he inquired.

"You managed to extract a spear from my body, resulting in excessive blood loss. You've been asleep for seven days. Now, let's continue—you must be well-rested by now."

The Primordial Thunder Dragon unfolded its massive form, revealing six more spears.

With a wry smile, Liu Yangshuo had no choice but to resume his climb onto the dragon's back. Unbeknownst to him, aside from a slightly parched throat, he felt no discomfort at all. Considering he had lost four-fifths of his blood in one go, he should have been dead several times over. He owed his survival to that single drop of blood from the Primordial Thunder Dragon.

As Liu Yangshuo ascended the dragon's back once more, he let out a soft sigh, slicing open his right hand on the dragon's razor-sharp scales to grasp the sixth spear.

This time, it was surprisingly easier. With minimal effort, he dislodged another spear and tossed it onto the ground behind him.

"How odd, this feels nothing like before."

Liu Yangshuo examined the wound on his hand, perplexed. He had braced himself for the draining experience of spear extraction, yet nothing seemed amiss.

"Hmph, had I not bestowed upon you a drop of my dragon blood, your fate—alive or dead—would be uncertain. Consider it a gift. Now that you're unharmed, proceed with the next one," the Primordial Thunder Dragon remarked with a hint of arrogance.

Truth be told, the dragon was simply eager for Liu Yangshuo to continue removing the spears; it was not ready to let him die just yet.

Without further ado, Liu Yangshuo reached for another spear.

A day went by, with Liu Yangshuo taking brief rests to regain his strength before resuming his task. By the second day, he had extracted all the spears.

Suddenly, a wave of weakness overwhelmed him. His legs buckled, and he collapsed onto the ground, only then noticing his clothes soaked through with sweat.

"After a millennium, I am finally free! Old scoundrel Gong Shan, you better not die. Once I return to my prime, I will hunt you down to the ends of the earth!"

The spiritual force that had been dormant for a millennium within the Primordial Thunder Dragon began to seep out relentlessly. The entire cavern trembled as waves of this potent energy reverberated through it.

Liu Yangshuo, fighting against the wave of weakness that threatened to overwhelm him, settled into a cross-legged position. He retrieved the Mind Opening Pill from his storage ring and popped it into his mouth, commencing the intricate circulation of the Myriad Beasts Mantra.