Chapter 23: The Centuries-Old Demon Pearl

Snowbloom trees? Definitely not cheap. And this errand—well, anyone could do it. If Teacher Duan asked me to help with ten little chores, that’s only fair!

Still, Zhu Minglang couldn’t help but wonder: why not send someone stronger, like Bai Qi? Why pick Black Tooth instead?

By the time they reached the base of Fengdi Waterfall’s pool, Zhu Minglang finally understood.

The torrent roared like a living beast, churning the water into white fury. In the center of the deep pool stood jagged stone formations—massive, ancient, like broken teeth jutting from the earth. Zhu Minglang stared at them, frozen in thought. How exactly was he supposed to communicate with a crocodile spirit anyway?

“Black Tooth,” he said, gently cradling the little creature’s ugly, adorable head. “When it lunges at you, swim *out*—don’t let it grab you. The rest is up to Teacher Duan’s dragon. Got it?”

Black Tooth wore its usual grumpy face—because honestly, it always looked like that.

It had been napping peacefully behind the house when suddenly, it became bait. A *crocodile*. A real crocodile! Who ever heard of using a crocodile as fishing bait?!

“Don’t worry,” Duan said calmly. “That hundred-year water demon isn’t particularly strong. But its sense of smell is terrifying. Every time I summon Zhan Chuan Dragon, it dives straight into the rock maze beneath the pool. I could obliterate it with magic—but the backlash might hurt other creatures down there.”

Duan had been training her waterfall dragon here for years. Over time, she’d noticed a monstrous presence lurking in the depths—one that terrorized local fishermen. As a teacher at Li Chuan Academy, she felt obligated to act—even without official orders. But the thing was sneaky. It preyed on the weak, avoided the strong. Hard to catch. Hard to pin down.

And the dragon? Too big to maneuver through the rocky labyrinth below. That’s when she remembered Zhu Minglang—and his little croc spirit.

Perfect fit. Black Tooth was just weak enough to be a target, yet strong enough to be worth hunting. Ordinary fish? To this demon, they were nothing. Barely worth a glance.

Now Zhu Minglang understood.

This wasn’t just a chore. This was the *real* price.

All living beings that never made it past the Dragon Gate—after a century, they became *Yao Ling*, or Demon Spirits. After a thousand years, *Mo Ling*, or Devil Spirits. After ten thousand? *Sheng Ling*, or Saint Spirits.

These weren’t just beasts. Even without crossing the Gate, some of them outmatched true dragons. Especially the Devil and Saint Spirits—some dragon lords would retreat at their mere presence.

A hundred-year-old spirit? Not weak. Probably close to evolving into a Greenwood Dragon. Sending Bai Qi would’ve made sense. But Black Tooth? No chance.

So Zhu Minglang repeated the warning again and again: *If you see it in the rocks, run. Don’t hesitate. Run.*

…

Black Tooth leapt into the pool.

No spiritual bond meant Zhu Minglang couldn’t feel its emotions, couldn’t track its state. Honestly, he was worried. But then he reminded himself—this was part of the journey. One day, Black Tooth would have to cross the Gate. And if all it ever did was practice in safe, calm waters… when would it ever become a dragon?

The waterfall churned the pool endlessly. Visibility was near zero. The deeper the silence, the more anxious Zhu Minglang grew. Soul bonds were fragile—only severed by death. He knew every soul needed trials to evolve. He knew Duan was powerful, that danger was low. Still… his heart pounded.

Then—

*Gurgle… gurgle… GURGLE!!!*

The surface erupted violently. A dark, crocodile-shaped head slowly broke the surface—half-submerged, writhing beneath the waves.

Zhu Minglang saw it clearly from his perch on the rock: Black Tooth.

Before he could even exhale, a storm of violet-red lightning erupted beneath the water. Thin, crackling arcs spread through a thick cloud of black mist.

Then—*snap!*—a crimson monster shot forward, fast as a whip, chasing after Black Tooth.

With each movement, the electric haze clung to it like a grasping claw. Fish that hadn’t escaped in time flipped belly-up, floating lifeless on the churning surface. Dozens, dead in seconds.

It was horrifying.

But the creature didn’t care about the fat fish. It was fixated on Black Tooth. The red lightning fog coiled around its tail like a giant, hungry hand.

“Teacher Duan!” Zhu Minglang called.

“It’s not under the waterfall curtain yet,” Duan replied, calm as ever.

Black Tooth thrashed desperately—faster than ever before, twice as fast as its usual training runs. But still, it couldn’t escape. The monster gained ground.

It wouldn’t make it to the waterfall veil. It would be electrocuted before it got there.

Realizing its life was in danger, Black Tooth screamed—a high-pitched, terrified cry, like a child sobbing in the dark.

Zhu Minglang knew it was failing. He reached for Bai Qi, ready to summon him.

“Stop,” Duan said sharply. “If you pull back now, you’re abandoning its destiny. Many young spirits don’t know their own strength. At critical moments, they’ll reach for their master. But Black Tooth isn’t a dragon yet. You can’t shelter it forever. One day, it will leave your sight. It will fall back into the current. It will face predators stronger than itself…”

Her voice carried weight. She wasn’t angry—just firm.

She knew Black Tooth wasn’t dead yet. But fear clouded judgment. And that was dangerous.

As a teacher, she demanded cold clarity. Like an eagle—unless you push the fledgling off the cliff, it’ll never learn to fly. It’ll stay in the nest, waiting to be fed. Never hunt. Never soar. And eventually, it becomes food for snakes—or torn apart by rival birds.

Zhu Minglang took a deep breath.

He chose to watch.

Black Tooth’s cries grew louder. Zhu Minglang stayed silent.

*Gurk!*

The crimson monster suddenly lifted half its body above the water. Its eyes burned blood-red, glowing with unnatural light.

Ahead, the water twisted unnaturally—like a massive tail sweeping backward, creating a reverse wave.

Black Tooth hadn’t been far enough from danger. The wave hit without warning. It slammed into the croc, spinning it mid-swim—no chance to escape. It was thrown straight into the jaws of doom.

Zhu Minglang’s chest tightened.

It used *magic*. Black Tooth was done for.

Black Tooth seemed to realize—no one was coming. The wave turned it completely around. Escape was impossible.

“OHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!”

Instead of fleeing, Black Tooth swung its tail, reoriented itself—facing the monster head-on.

Using the reverse wave as momentum, it lowered its head, raised its horn, and charged—full force—straight into the crimson beast!

**Heavy Crocodile Horn Strike!**

At two meters long, Black Tooth was no lightweight. Its forehead horn was as thick and hard as a rhino’s. The impact was devastating.

*BOOM!!!*

The monster—caught off guard—was blasted clean out of the water.

Only then did Zhu Minglang get a clear look.

It was a *Furious Catfish*—a legendary predator. Two long whiskers on its upper jaw, two on its lower—each pulsing with dark red lightning.

Normally scaleless, this hundred-year spirit had grown a hide like iron plates. Black Tooth’s charge had power, but the armor absorbed the blow.

*Zzzzzzzzzzzzzz—*

The catfish was wreathed in electric black mist. As Black Tooth struck it, the same energy lashed back—wracking its entire body with violent spasms.

“OHHHHHHHHHHH!!!”

Black Tooth screamed in agony. It tried to swim toward the surface—toward safety—but its limbs were paralyzed. Only its tail worked. Dragging itself forward, inch by painful inch, it crawled toward the waterfall curtain.

*Grrrrrrrrrrr—*

The catfish roared. It took a moment to recover from the shock.

Red eyes locked onto Black Tooth. With a furious surge, it launched another wave—this time aiming to swallow it whole.

Black Tooth moved like an old man leaning on a cane, facing a sprinting adult. But it didn’t stop. It kept dragging itself forward, one agonizing stroke at a time.

*Gurgle-gurgle—GURGLE!!!*

The catfish leapt—its mouth wide open, like a black basket. Two meters long, Black Tooth looked small in comparison. It was going to be eaten alive.

*ROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAR!!!*

Suddenly—*whoosh!*—from within the roaring cascade, a blue dragon burst through the waterfall veil.

Long, majestic, and fierce—the waterfall dragon soared through the air like a bolt of thunder.

In a flash, it intercepted the catfish mid-leap—snapping its jaws shut like a trap, biting down hard.

Like a serpent seizing a frog, it twisted its neck and *flung* the catfish sideways—crashing it into the waterfall rock wall.

*THUD!*

Blood splattered across the stone. The force was brutal. The ferocious catfish shattered—splintered into pulp.

*Gush-gush-gush—*

The waterfall washed it away. The remains dissolved into the current, swept downstream into the pool.

The carcass floated. Instantly, a swarm of predatory fish descended—ripping, tearing, feasting. Years of torment had left them starving. Now, they ate like demons, tails slapping the water in ecstasy.

Within minutes, the catfish was gone—dismantled, devoured. Even the blood had faded into the flow.

Silence returned to the pool.

Only the roar of the waterfall remained.