Brandon's soul had gradually improved in essence after absorbing a trace of divine spirit. To make a comparison, Brandon's soul was now on par with a legendary-level soul in essence. However, in terms of soul quantity, he still had a long way to go. This was the reason why Brandon could occasionally enter the soul space.

For cultivators below the legendary level, the soul remained an enigmatic concept. Regardless of their strength, they were ignorant of the mysteries of the soul. They only knew how to utilize mental power without understanding the wonders of the soul.

Only when one's strength reached the legendary level could the energy or mental power within begin to influence the soul, leading to its evolution. Only then could cultivators start entering the soul space and uncover the secrets of the soul.

Thus, five days passed.

...

After a few heavy breaths, the room suddenly fell silent.

"Oh, dear! You've been so listless lately. Is something troubling you? You're not as vigorous as you used to be," the blonde woman complained with dissatisfaction, her slender fingers drawing circles on the man's strong chest.

"Oh, Jenny, work has been stressing me out lately. I haven't had the mood for anything else," Hanson replied, his brows furrowed, a hint of worry in his eyes. He quickly changed the subject.

"Well, you switched to a new lab. How is it over there? What are you working on?" the blonde woman asked curiously.

"Oh, Jenny! That's classified information. I can't talk about it, but the benefits are quite good," Hanson rubbed his forehead, as if remembering something. "Oh, right. Alice has been wanting to visit lately. Tomorrow's the weekend, why don't you take her out? I have to work tomorrow."

"Alright, dear. But don't overwork yourself. If it gets too exhausting, maybe we should consider switching companies."

"Let's give it some more time. Let's get some sleep."

"Okay, goodnight!"

"Goodnight!"

The lights went out, but Hanson's eyes remained wide open. He stared blankly at the ceiling, continually pondering recent events. His expression was one of deep confusion and conflict. He glanced at his wife beside him, who was peacefully asleep, softly snoring. He gently kissed her.

The experience in Serpent Valley felt like a dream. After encountering the dragon, his life began to change slowly. His body grew stronger, and his strength increased. He could effortlessly lift several hundred pounds.

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The great dragon was as powerful as a deity. Although he hadn't seen the dragon since Serpent Valley, it seemed to reside in his heart. Hanson felt like a devout follower, willing to do anything for the dragon. His hesitation seemed to vanish, and he made a decision in his heart.

He wasn't sure when this feeling began, but he knew it was likely related to the contract with the dragon. However, he didn't resist this feeling.

His sleeping wife let out a gentle snore. He looked at his beautiful wife and quietly got out of bed. He poured himself a cup of coffee. Perhaps after today, his peaceful life would be over. He might even be arrested, but for the sake of the great dragon, it was all worth it. His only concern was for his wife and daughter; he hoped they wouldn't be implicated.

In a large biological laboratory somewhere in the United States, researchers were busy at work.

A few researchers in white coats wheeled several carts to a massive alloy door. They skillfully entered several codes on a crystal screen, and the huge alloy door opened. Inside was a vast space, with a huge transparent glass dome in the center housing a small ecological garden.

Astonishingly, a gigantic creature nearly filled the entire garden. It was entirely green, with small red horns on its head and huge scales that shimmered like emeralds. Its body, over a meter thick, lay lazily on the ground, covered in scars. Its head hung low, but its cold eyes occasionally flickered with a fierce light.

This was a giant serpent, evolved from a python. After the attack in Serpent Valley, this giant serpent was severely wounded. Its massive injuries left it near death, and it had no time to retreat to the deep pool beneath the waterfall before being captured alive by human troops.

It was taken to a large laboratory and imprisoned. After many days of recuperation, most of its wounds had healed, except for a few severe injuries.

The space was very cramped, making the giant serpent uncomfortable. Additionally, the top of this space often released gases that made it feel lethargic and weak. Whenever this happened, humans would enter and draw its blood. Fortunately, they didn't take much.

Food was not lacking here. After many days, it felt a slight recovery in its strength. It had gradually adapted to the toxic gases from above, which were becoming less effective.

However, it couldn't show this. It needed to deceive the humans. The cunning and cruelty of humans made it wary. Humans entered again, signaling that it was time to eat.

The staff looked at the terrifying giant serpent with fear in their eyes. The serpent's fierce gaze put a lot of pressure on them. They threw chickens into the ecological garden through a small hole in the glass. After feeding, they hurriedly left. Whether it was psychological or not, they always felt a chilling sensation and goosebumps whenever they were here.

The huge alloy door closed again. The giant serpent ate the chickens one by one. These were insufficient for its massive size, but humans ensured it wouldn't starve.

There was a layer of transparent material outside the space, incredibly sturdy. When it first arrived, it had tried to break this material but couldn't. Although it was weak and powerless at that time, it showed that the material was not as fragile as it appeared. Additionally, it noticed that whenever it hit the transparent material, gases would be released from above.

After eating, the giant serpent closed its eyes and began to meditate. It needed to gather every bit of its strength to escape.

It wondered if Wang was doing well now and whether its companions had managed to escape.