For a snake to subjugate a Flood Dragon was undoubtedly a tall tale, but Tu Xiao'an had done it.

And apparently, it hadn't even been that difficult.

"Ding... Congratulations, Host, for successfully subjugating a Level 30 Snake Flood Dragon. You are hereby awarded one unconditional capture, with no species restrictions."

The System's voice rang out.

Tu Xiao'an's eyes lit up. 'An unconditional capture?'

"System, does this mean I can instantly capture any creature, no matter how much more powerful it is than me?"

System: "The Host's understanding is correct."

Holy hell...

Upon hearing this, Tu Xiao'an sucked in a sharp breath, his heart beginning to race.

'What an insane reward!'

No conditions meant that even if Tu Xiao'an encountered a Divine Beast, he could capture it instantly. This was just too awesome to believe.

He never expected the System's full activation to give him such a massive surprise.

And with no species restrictions, no less.

In other words, Tu Xiao'an could even subjugate and enslave a human Martial Cultivator, forcing them to acknowledge him as their master.

His blood boiled with excitement just thinking about it. When he got back to Wencheng, if any arrogant bastard dared to run their mouth in front of him, he'd just capture and enslave them on the spot.

He absolutely loved this reward. It was a complete and wonderful surprise.

Of course, he had to be cautious about using this ability. It was a one-time opportunity and couldn't be wasted casually.

The unconditional capture reward was obviously incredibly precious, granted because Tu Xiao'an had managed to subjugate a Rank 3 creature despite being only Rank Two. That's why the System's reward was so generous.

When the time came, he had to use it on a rare Exotic Beast. Or perhaps capturing a Martial Cultivator who had reached the Rank Three Creature Level wouldn't be a bad idea either.

After his excitement subsided, Tu Xiao'an focused his thoughts, and the Snake Flood Dragon instantly appeared before him.

The Snake Flood Dragon appeared lost and bewildered. After a moment, it came to its senses and transformed directly into the likeness of Celestial Master Zhang.

"Just how many more incredible tricks do you have up your sleeve?"

Celestial Master Zhang couldn't help but be astonished. He had just been pulled into a separate dimension, and he could now feel a powerful connection to this Snake Spirit.

He felt an involuntary sense of reverence for the other, filling him with trepidation.

With a single thought, his new master could make him vanish from the world entirely.

"Celestial Master, come back to Wencheng with me. Stick with me from now on, and I'll make sure you're well taken care of."

Tu Xiao'an gave Celestial Master Zhang a knowing look. Since the man was a Rank Three Demon Spirit, he didn't insist on being called 'Master'.

He wasn't that vain.

(When humans attain this state, they become Rank Three Creatures; when animals do, they become Rank Three Demon Spirits.)

Celestial Master Zhang nodded. His fate was no longer his own to control, so he could only hope this new master would treat him kindly.

Preferably, with the tenderness one shows their first love.

Still, based on their interactions over the past two days, Celestial Master Zhang had a feeling this Snake Spirit wasn't a bad sort. He prided himself on his keen judgment and was confident he hadn't misread the situation—he had lived for five hundred years, after all.

"Celestial Master, transform back into a Snake Flood Dragon and fly me back to Wencheng."

Celestial Master Zhang: "..."

'Okay, I was wrong. I'm completely blind. To think he'd make me, a mighty Flood Dragon, his personal mount.'

Having subjugated a Flood Dragon, Tu Xiao'an naturally had to show off a little and experience what it was like to be a Dragon Knight. Otherwise, how could he project an air of prestige?

Having been subjugated, Celestial Master Zhang couldn't refuse any of Tu Xiao'an's requests. With a bitter sigh, his body shifted, and he transformed into a ten-meter-long Snake Flood Dragon. It hovered in the air, its form both Spiritual and Fierce, radiating an extraordinary majesty.

"Haha... My apologies for the trouble, Celestial Master,"

Tu Xiao'an said with false sincerity, then leaped nimbly onto the Snake Flood Dragon's back.

The thick Flood Dragon Scales felt solid and secure beneath him, filling him with a sense of heroic grandeur.

"Let's go!"

At Tu Xiao'an's command, the Snake Flood Dragon shot into the sky, soaring through the air like a roaming dragon.

It moved so fast it was invisible to the naked eye.

At this speed, the journey from the mountain forest to Wencheng would take less than half an hour.

"Celestial Master, don't be in such a rush. Slow down. I'm not in a hurry, let me enjoy this beautiful night scenery."

Having finally gotten the chance to be a Dragon Knight, Tu Xiao'an naturally wanted to savor the experience.

White smoke puffed from the Snake Flood Dragon's nostrils. It looked as if it might explode on the spot from sheer indignation.

A mighty Flood Dragon acknowledging a snake as its master was one thing, but to also serve as its mount? What kind of humiliation was this?

Celestial Master Zhang wanted to die. He wanted to die right now.

Tu Xiao'an, in contrast, was perfectly content and overjoyed. He never would have dreamed of such a scene, yet here he was, soaring between heaven and earth on the back of a Flood Dragon.

It was faster than an airplane and far more exhilarating.

He had told the Snake Flood Dragon to slow down, but its speed only increased, hurtling toward Wencheng at a rate of tens of kilometers per minute.

It just wanted to escape its fate as a mount as quickly as possible.

As he sat there, Tu Xiao'an couldn't help but wonder. 'I swallowed that team leader from the Demon Management Bureau, Leng Shuang. Will they find out it was me?'

'If they do find out, there'll probably be a lot of trouble, but I'm not afraid of that anymore.'

'If they push me too far, I'll just swallow them all.'

'Anyway, after eating one person, the psychological barrier is gone. I don't have any reservations left.'

The only thing that made Tu Xiao'an feel a bit awkward was his promise to the crow. He'd said he would break it out of the Demon Management Bureau in a couple of days.

But now, that was clearly unlikely.

For one, he had a guilty conscience, so it wasn't wise to go to the Demon Management Bureau—that would be like walking right into a trap. For another, he didn't even know the way there.

'Old Blackbird, you'll just have to stay put in the Demon Management Bureau for a while longer.'

...

The Demon Management Bureau was a special department established by the state to control the world's supernatural creatures and prevent animals that had gained sentience from running rampant. The department had existed since the nation's founding.

Every city had its own Demon Management Bureau, which had secretly captured countless rampaging Spirit Monsters.

It was precisely because of this special department that human society could remain so peaceful and safe.

Most famous of all was the prison deep within the Bureau, a cage forged from refined iron that held all manner of powerful Spirit Monsters, including even some Rank Three Demon Spirits.

Any Spirit Monster imprisoned in that cage would never leave in its lifetime—unless it submitted to humanity, or was killed to be used in Alchemy.

Inside the Demon Prison, daylight never penetrated, and even the air was foul. A normal person wouldn't be able to stand it for more than a few moments. The screams of terrifying creatures echoed from within, more frightening than the wails of a Fierce Ghost.

Now, in the dead of night, a strange old man arrived at the Demon Prison.

The old man looked exceptionally ancient. His eyes were cloudy and lifeless, his teeth were long gone, and his wrinkled skin resembled a crumpled ball of paper. Only a few dozen sparse hairs remained on his bald head.

ROAR—

HISS—

BELLOW—

As the old man walked, all sorts of bestial cries rose and fell in waves.

Every cell held Awakened Creatures, all of them vicious and cruel murderers who saw humans as Blood Food and had once terrorized the land.

Rank One Awakened Creatures were locked up in twos and threes in the same cells. A Rank Two Spirit Monster merited a private cell. Rank Three Demon Spirits were imprisoned in the deepest part of the prison, where they received "special attention."