Li Changsheng glanced over at Song Yuxuang. "Song Yuxuang, take me to that beast's place."
Song Yuxuang nodded and immediately moved to the front, leading Li Changsheng and the group toward its direction.
Chang'e stuck closely behind Li Changsheng, tailing him like a shadow, seemingly with a negligible sense of presence that could be easily overlooked by a passing gaze.
And the two old guys followed quietly from behind.
As they traveled down the dark tunnel of the Eternal Dungeon, Li Changsheng inquired about the divine beast from Song Yuxuang.
"Song Yuxuang, in your opinion, what's the current condition of that monster?"
"While I hope that the beast has fallen, I think that it might still be alive but doesn't have that much time left before it dies," Song Yuxuang replied with a solemn look. "When I saw it the first time, I had a thought to kill it, but after all, it's a Divine Beast. So, I dare not act rashly; otherwise, I might be the one who was capsized instead."
Li Changsheng nodded and felt slightly relieved. It was best if it were on the verge of death; if not, he wouldn't be able to do anything about it.
Around a quarter of an hour passed, and the group kept moving forward. Eventually, the end of the path caught their sight. Song Yuxuang's footsteps gradually slowed down, and Li Changsheng and others also followed suit.
The surroundings were eerily quiet; only the sound of heavy breathing could be heard in the direction ahead of them.
Li Changsheng knew that they were already close to where the beast slumbered.
Step, step—
Treading in careful steps, the light around them gradually turned from dim to bright.
Whoosh, whoosh—
The sound of breathing was growing louder and louder.
A terrifying pressure gripped Li Changsheng's heart tightly; his body tensed up, and his expression turned even more solemn.
Even the two strongmen behind clenched their fists hard as if they were about to encounter a terrifying enemy, not to mention Song Yuxuang, who was in the front leading the way; he had already drenched in cold sweat as he trod forward vigilantly.
Only Chang'e was still striding lightly, as if strolling down the market; her eyes gleamed with curiosity without the slightest fear in them.
Only a few steps later, they ground to a halt, staring at the spectacle before them with gazes mingled in awe and fear.
A gigantic creature was lying on the ground, strewn across the floor. Its shape resembles that of a lizard, except that it had grown to the size of a small hill. Its body was covered with countless scales, looking as sturdy as rock, but unexpectedly, they were cracked and battered.
A long wound stretched along its back, white bone poking out from the gap. Bright red blood oozed from within and gathered into a small blood river.
The slumbering creature didn't seem to be resting but was out of consciousness—all four of its limbs were trapped by large chains that lay across it. In addition, there was a long chain that went directly around the creature's neck, pinning it tightly to the ground.
Had it been an ordinary monster, it might have already died a long time ago after suffering such a disaster. But the monster was still holding on. Even though it was unconscious, its body was still heaving up and down slightly, indicating that it was still alive, albeit at its last breath.
A trembling voice from behind woke Li Changsheng from his stupor. He turned slightly and saw Desolate Demon, who wore an expression beyond shocked on his face.
"Th-this… A Primordial Earth Dragon! Such a monster actually still exists in this world!" Desolate Demon sighed deeply. "What a sight, what a sight…"
Li Changsheng didn't expect his reaction to be this big upon seeing the monster, so he couldn't help but ask, "What kind of creature is this Primordial Earth Dragon? Why haven't I heard it before?"
Desolate Demon, who seemed not to be able to take his sight of the slumbering creature for a while, drew a sharp breath before opening his mouth.
"It's a legendary, no, a mythical creature that had existed from time immemorial but was supposed to be extinct tens of thousands of years ago. It's a different branch from a true dragon, but still a dragon nonetheless. Its bloodline should be infinitely pure."
"It was told in the legend that Primordial Earth Dragons have been able to use the power of nature since birth. They also possessed countless magical abilities and could even master the law of space. When they matured, it was said that their strength would be no weaker than a true dragon!"
"Moreover, the vitality of the Primordial Earth Dragon is extremely tenacious. Unless all their flesh and blood are destroyed and their souls wiped out, they might be able to resurrect if there is only a drop of blood left!"
After listening to Desolate Demon's explanation, Li Changsheng could understand his reaction. It was really a big deal. Unexpectedly, there were so many secrets hidden in this wicked place called the Eternal Dungeon. Even the legendary Primordial Earth Dragon existed here!
He turned around, glaring coldly at Song Yuxuang. "Is this the divine beast you're talking about? It has strength on par with a true dragon clan, and you want me to take its inner elixir? Do you want to kill me or what?"
Song Yuxuang turned his face to avoid Li Changsheng's gaze filled with accusation. A faint red hue was painted across his cheek from embarrassment.
How could he know that this monster would have such a terrifying background? He had never heard of it before as well.
However, he wasn't a veteran for no reason; although he wasn't as shameless as Mo Tiesha, his skin was thick enough to make an excuse without even blushing.
"Well, it's not a big deal for Milord, isn't it? As you can grant lifespans to others, it might also work this time. This monster is only a breath away from perishing. Why don't you communicate with it and make a deal with it like usual? You can exchange its inner core with some lifespan."
Li Changsheng's anger seemed to be slightly appeased by Song Yuxuang's suggestion. After thinking about it, there was a little bit of truth in his words.
After all, even though the beast's inner core was the essence of a beast, it didn't mean that it would die if it lost its core, as it would be able to condense another core with time.
"Well, let me try it then." After saying so, Li Changsheng cautiously approached the unconscious Primordial Earth Dragon.