Flying westward, they covered several thousand miles before dawn broke and the three of them landed in a dense forest.
If the Nine-Headed Wyrm were traveling alone, he could reach any corner of the world in a single night. But with the ailing Azurewave Dragon King and Princess Marina Azurewave—whose cultivation was only at the Spirit-Refinement Stage—this was the best they could manage.
In truth, a distance of several thousand miles was already enough. Unable to return to Azurewave Pool, anywhere in this world was much the same—as long as they stayed far away from those six.
After setting the Azurewave Dragon King down, the Nine-Headed Wyrm conjured a small wooden hut, fully furnished with all the necessities of daily life.
“Let Father rest here for now. I’ll go survey the surroundings. If it’s safe, we can settle down here for good.”
Princess Marina Azurewave nodded silently, supporting her exhausted father step by step into the hut.
The Azurewave Dragon King’s cultivation was at the Spirit-Transformation Stage—a loose immortal by dragon standards. Among dragons, this was neither high nor low, but he was still an immortal. Since leaving Azurewave Pool, he’d suffered no injuries, yet for some reason, especially in the past two months, his strength had waned alarmingly.
The old dragon king’s explanation was that it was an old ailment returning, and that it would pass in time.
This left the Nine-Headed Wyrm deeply puzzled.
Normally, even those at the Spirit-Refinement Stage shouldn’t fall ill. With higher cultivation, one’s constitution improves—ordinary mortal ailments should never come near.
As a Traveler’s Path cultivator, the Nine-Headed Wyrm couldn’t diagnose the Dragon King’s condition, nor could he say what was truly wrong. But he could clearly sense the old dragon king’s spiritual power waning day by day.
It made him quietly anxious.
He’d even privately asked Princess Marina Azurewave about it. Only after confirming that the Dragon King had suffered a similar illness more than three centuries ago, which healed on its own, did the Nine-Headed Wyrm reluctantly abandon the idea of kidnapping a Sage’s Path cultivator for treatment.
Once the two had entered the hut, the Nine-Headed Wyrm carefully laid protective spells around it so he’d be alerted if anything happened, then swiftly rode the clouds to scout a hundred-mile radius.
The forest was vast. Not far from their new home, a clear stream ran by a small human village. To be safe, he disguised himself as a human and checked the place. Only a local shaman lived there—no temple—so he could finally relax.
In this world, temples are vital channels for mortals to communicate with the divine. If there were a temple nearby, trouble would be endless. Mortals’ prayers might go unanswered, but mention a demon and the case would likely be reported to the Heavenly Marshal Corps for the Celestial Army to handle. The Nine-Headed Wyrm wanted no part of such trouble, especially with the Azurewave Dragon King and Princess Marina Azurewave in tow—it would be hard to escape if things went wrong.
He also found a minor demon faction on a mountain to the northeast, led by a Spirit-Refinement hedgehog demon who barely knew any spells and couldn’t even fly. Not only was he no match for the Nine-Headed Wyrm, he wasn’t even a threat to Princess Marina Azurewave.
He thoroughly scouted the entire area. Once sure it was safe, the Nine-Headed Wyrm returned to the hut and saw Princess Marina Azurewave waiting outside—the Azurewave Dragon King had evidently fallen asleep.
“Is Father all right?” the Nine-Headed Wyrm asked.
“He’s fine,” Princess Marina Azurewave replied softly, but the worry in her eyes made the Nine-Headed Wyrm’s heart ache.