In the early morning, the energy substances in the Secret Realm were dense, with mist swirling like colorful ribbons in the forest. Zhao Qinghan walked to the lake's edge, her slender figure beautifully highlighted by the vibrant hues of the mist behind her.

She stared at the pale golden creature on the ground. Before coming to the Secret Realm, she had studied many materials, some compiled by adventurers, others excerpts from various organizations' herb and monster catalogs.

"This is a crocodile dragon!" She glanced at Wang Xuan, surprised that he had downgraded such a monster to a mere crocodile. Wang Tongxue was quite the storyteller.

The most critical point was that he had actually smashed this dragon into multiple fractures with his fists. Although it wasn't dead yet, it likely wouldn't survive.

"This is a type of dragon? Impossible!" Wang Xuan looked astonished; this time his expression didn't deceive Zhao Qinghan—he genuinely found it hard to believe.

He reached out to stroke the head of the pale golden creature, revealing a hint of wonder. If this were truly a dragon, it would be invaluable.

Zhao Qinghan was at a loss for words, watching him treat such a large crocodile dragon with such gentleness, almost as if he were petting a dog or stroking a cat!

She couldn't help but ask, "What are you doing?"

"I've never even eaten crocodile meat before." Wang Xuan had led a very ordinary life in terms of food and material comforts.

Facing Zhao Qinghan, who lived in such material abundance, he felt no shame. Now he was focused on the creature at his feet.

"I'll treat you to all kinds of great meals when we get back." Zhao Qinghan offered, her expression softening as she recalled his leap into the air.

"If this is a dragon, it's especially nourishing for the body." Wang Xuan was quite looking forward to it, as various records praised dragon meat highly.

He turned to Zhao Qinghan and asked, "Can you cook?"

"Why?" Zhao Qinghan sensed something but ultimately nodded, "I only occasionally try my hand in the kitchen."

"Alright, we don't have to wait until we get back; let's roast the dragon!" Wang Xuan said, circling the creature on the ground.

Zhao Qinghan felt a bit uneasy, saying, "I've only boiled a few things. I've never cooked meat for anyone; I can only make do with what I have."

"Cooking it until it's done is enough." Wang Xuan felt that it would be better than the charred wild game he had eaten on the misty plateau.

He hadn't forgotten the main objective; the most precious were the five spirit-nourishing lotuses in the lake. To avoid any mishaps, he planned to go underwater and harvest them first.

"There's still another crocodile dragon; be careful," Zhao Qinghan reminded him.

A golden figure was swimming in the lake, eyeing Wang Xuan with a menacing gaze, occasionally revealing a cold stare at him. It didn't dare to come ashore after witnessing what happened to its companion.

Wang Xuan removed his protective suit and pulled out steel plates several inches thick from his chest and back.

Seeing this made Zhao Qinghan dizzy—how heavy could that be?

And that wasn't all; soon she noticed that Wang Xuan was also taking off some slightly thinner steel plates from his arms and thighs. His defense was truly formidable!

Meanwhile, she couldn't help but think that it was no wonder he said it was uncomfortable; he was practically covered in steel plates!

After disassembling his gear, Wang Xuan dove into the water with a short sword. Otherwise, all that metal would certainly drag him straight to the lake's bottom.

"You... this is too dangerous." Zhao Qinghan genuinely worried, knowing that fighting underwater was completely different from fighting on land.

"It's fine; these dragons are still juvenile; they're quite weak, just like that Gene Superbody—just a showpiece, a paper tiger," Wang Xuan replied.

He was indeed fearless. After mastering the Golden Body Technique, he wasn't afraid of the dragon's bites in the water, and with a short sword in hand, defeating it wouldn't be too difficult.

With a splash, Wang Xuan entered the water.

The crocodile dragon's eyes immediately turned cold as it lunged at him like a thick golden spear, skimming just above the water's surface, creating massive waves as it approached at incredible speed.

In the water, this was its territory. It opened its mouth wide, ready to grab this human and perform a death roll.

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Wang Xuan focused on it and glanced at the palm-sized blade in his hand, feeling that stabbing it in the mouth wouldn't cause much harm.

The Golden Body Technique endowed him with extraordinary physical abilities, allowing him to evade quickly.

The crocodile dragon's blood-scented mouth, lined with sharp teeth over a foot long, nearly grazed past him.

Wang Xuan smacked it with his palm, hitting its side and flipping the six- or seven-meter-long dragon over, sending waves splashing across the lake's surface.

On the shore, Zhao Qinghan's face went pale with worry. Fighting such a monster underwater was far too dangerous; she didn't approve of him going in at all.

Wang Xuan dove deeper, mercilessly stabbing the dragon's abdomen with the short sword and slicing it sharply. In an instant, blood flowed beneath the surface, turning the water crimson.

The crocodile dragon, feeling the pain, thrashed its tail and turned to escape, its belly torn open by a massive wound as it sensed death approaching.

This type of monster had some instinct; it didn't stubbornly fight back. Instead, burdened with injuries, it rushed towards the center of the lake, aiming for the five spirit-nourishing lotuses.

Originally, it had plenty of time to wait for the lotus pods to form and feed on the lotus seeds for nourishment.

It hadn't expected to be bested by that human in the water. Now it was desperate to devour the lotus early.

Wang Xuan kept a close watch on it, following its tail into the lake's heart. When he leaped up, he landed on its back and swung the short sword without hesitation.

The crocodile dragon's eyes turned red; this tenacious human clung to its back, making it bleed by opening multiple wounds along its spine.

Though it was close to the spirit-nourishing lotuses, it felt it might die here.

It had already sunk to the lake's bottom, but that person still clung to its back, refusing to let go, repeatedly stabbing the sword into its flesh.

The crocodile dragon went wild, thrashing in the water, blood and waves swirling as the surface erupted in splashes. In its tail swipe, it broke two of the spirit-nourishing lotuses.

Wang Xuan's expression changed; fearing for the precious herbs, he released the crocodile dragon and shot out of the water, quickly moving to harvest the lotuses.

The crocodile dragon was truly unwilling; it used to hunt adventurers with ease in the lake, but now it felt hopeless—it really couldn't fight that monster.

With red eyes, it glared at Wang Xuan before sinking to the bottom and quickly swimming away.

Wang Xuan acted swiftly, managing to pluck the two glowing lotuses before they fell back into the lake, successfully obtaining all five spirit-nourishing herbs.

He returned to the shore, setting them down, and then dove back into the lake to dig up some lotus roots, unsure if they had any medicinal properties.

Soaked, he climbed ashore. Zhao Qinghan hurried over, checking to see if he was injured. She had been incredibly tense and worried watching the commotion underwater.

"Dragon meat combined with spirit herbs should be considered a great tonic," Wang Xuan said, his face filled with joy. He believed his strength would surely improve.

Zhao Qinghan showed a hint of surprise. If one looked closely, there was a faint blush on her exquisite face, primarily because Wang Xuan kept mentioning "tonic."

She knew that her relatives often spared no expense on nourishment, indulging in rare and precious ingredients, all under the guise of taking care of their health in middle age. Who didn't know the real reason behind it?

Wang Xuan was oblivious to her thoughts. "Zhao, let's clean this up. These are all great tonics, guaranteed to enhance beauty and complexion."

Zhao Qinghan: "..."

In the distance, a strange roar echoed, filled with indescribable emotions—it was the crocodile dragon. It had left the lake and entered the nearby river.

Wang Xuan's expression froze, then turned serious as he listened intently.

Zhao Qinghan turned to the river, furrowing her brows. "That crocodile dragon's cries are fluctuating; it can't be calling for its kind, can it?"

"There's definitely something going on. I heard a deep, thunderous response from downstream," he replied, his face changing as he caught a second booming roar.

Zhao Qinghan hadn't reached the Master realm and couldn't hear the low rumble from upstream, but she was perceptive enough to draw the right conclusion. "Could there be a more powerful dragon?"

According to ancient records, crocodile dragons were extraordinary, not ordinary monsters.

"Let's go!" They both exclaimed simultaneously. They couldn't stay here; they had to leave quickly.

They gathered the five spirit herbs, and Wang Xuan couldn't resist cutting off a large piece of dragon meat, still fixated on the idea of a "great tonic."

Members of the exploration team had special "collecting bags" to store spirit herbs and rare items, ensuring that no medicinal scent would attract monsters.

Seeing his obsession, Zhao Qinghan couldn't help but roll her eyes. "Let's go!"

"Right!" Wang Xuan and she dashed into the forest, sprinting away.

Wang Xuan didn't even bother putting his steel plates back on—there was no time.

"Roar!"

A thunderous roar erupted from the nearby river, shaking the ground and sending waves soaring over a hundred meters high!

Indeed, there was a "big dragon," shaking the mountains with a thunderous echo.

A massive golden figure sped downriver, approaching the lake.

"Wow, there really is a big one!" Wang Xuan exclaimed, now believing Zhao Qinghan's words. This was a type of dragon that could become extraordinary as it grew!

That big dragon was definitely not something he could contend with at present; it had to surpass normal life forms, at least Mist level or higher.

As waves crashed, a thirty-meter-long dragon burst from the water, brimming with aggression, having likely slaughtered countless beings.

Its roar shook this region, instilling fear in all birds and beasts.

Wang Xuan pulled Zhao Qinghan, racing through the mountains. They had already sprinted three to four miles into the forest, but it was clear that Zhao Qinghan couldn't keep up; she was nearly colliding with trees as he dragged her along.

Roar!

Behind them, a massive creature appeared on a mountain peak, looking down menacingly and smashing its tail against the cliff, causing it to crack and the earth to shake.

Wang Xuan glanced back through the trees, catching a glimpse of the monster on the mountaintop. His scalp went numb—the extraordinary dragon was searching for him!

"Little Zhao, this won't do; you're too slow. I'll carry you!" he whispered.

Zhao Qinghan was gasping for breath, her chest heaving with exhaustion. She shot Wang Xuan a glance—was he demoting her again?

Wang Xuan scooped her legs up and threw her over his back, sprinting away. There was no time for anything else; escaping was the priority. That dragon was too terrifying—it could annihilate all exploration teams!

Zhao Qinghan hesitated as she lay on his back, but in the end, she corrected him softly, "Don't call me Little Zhao, especially in front of Wu Yin and the others, because in our circle, that's... disrespectful, even derogatory."

"Is that so? Is Little Zhong the typical case?" Wang Xuan immediately associated it, but quickly realized he had made a mistake!