Meng Fan had no desire to acquire a spiritual pet.
His silent cultivation alone was enough to make him powerful, powerful enough on his own.
He didn't need a spiritual pet to aid him!
To be honest, his strength was growing so rapidly that any spiritual pet would struggle to keep up and would only become a burden.
Due to his absolute confidence, Meng Fan felt that a spiritual pet was meaningless to him.
However, at this moment, the green serpent's compliance made him waver.
What was most important was that Meng Fan noticed the green serpent had four claws.
Normal Flood Dragons had two claws with three toes each.
This green serpent had four claws with three toes!
Legend had it that true dragons had four claws with five toes, while lesser dragons had four claws with four toes, and Flood Dragons two claws with three toes.
A four-clawed, three-toed green serpent, though not a dragon, was clearly much stronger than a regular Flood Dragon!
Therefore, this green serpent was a rare gem among its kind.
There was a high probability it could transform into a dragon!
If the green serpent were to become an Orient Loong God, it would be an astonishing omen, and even Meng Fan was tempted.
After some thought, Meng Fan decided to accept the green serpent's submission and become its Master.
At worst, he could simply let it roam free after subduing it, without wasting any time on it.
If one day it truly evolved into an Orient Loong God, he would have gained a true dragon for nothing. A stroke of luck!
A sure win with no losses!
With that in mind, Meng Fan pricked his fingertip, squeezing out a drop of blood onto the green serpent's Demon Pill.
The blood quickly merged with the Demon Pill, and then the green serpent swallowed it back.
The serpent then coiled on the ground, closing its eyes as if performing some ritual.
***
Moments later, Meng Fan could sense the existence of the green serpent.
His intuition told him that with just a thought, he could cause the serpent's Demon Pill to explode.
If the Demon Pill exploded, the green serpent would perish!
The green serpent wasn't playing tricks; it truly recognized Meng Fan as its Master.
It wasn't long before the green serpent opened its eyes, looking at Meng Fan.
"Master!"
A childish voice echoed in Meng Fan's mind.
It was the voice of a young boy.
"You can speak?" Meng Fan addressed the green serpent.
"Master, I have yet to begin my transformation. Only after starting the transformation can I modulate my voice and speak human language. You can hear me now because I recognize you as my Master, and I can communicate with you directly!"
Hearing the green serpent's words, Meng Fan roughly understood the situation.
It was like Hong Qi, who could communicate directly through special means in the mind.
More importantly, this green serpent couldn't yet speak human language, yet it was already stronger than the giant white python that could.
This proved the green serpent's Talent and potential far exceeded that of ordinary demons.
"How old are you, and why does your voice sound like a child's?" Meng Fan communicated with the serpent in the same way.
He was familiar with this method, having communicated with Hong Qi more than once before.
"Master, I am forty-nine years old. However, our kind has a long lifespan, and at my age, I am akin to a human child."
Meng Fan nodded, not underestimating the green serpent because of this.
After all, it was a being that had lived for forty-nine years; he couldn't treat it like a child.
"Normal Flood Dragons have two claws with three toes. Why do you have four claws with three toes?" Meng Fan continued to communicate.
"Ah? I don't know? I was born and have lived here all my life, never having seen other Flood Dragons."
"What about your parents?" Meng Fan asked.
"I haven't seen my parents or relatives since I was born. I am an orphan," the green serpent said with a tinge of sadness in its voice.
Meng Fan didn't respond, suspecting the creature was feigning pity.
He wasn't going to sympathize with it over such a trivial matter.
"Now that you recognize me as your Master, you must leave this Demon Realm with me and head to the world of humans," Meng Fan stated.
"Okay, as Master wishes!"
Meng Fan couldn't help but ask, "Why did you acknowledge me as your Master? Just because you were afraid of dying?"
"Yes, it was the only way I could think of to survive. I clearly felt your intent to kill, Master. If I hadn't done this, I would certainly be a corpse by now."
"Do you hate me? Never mind, don't answer that. Your hatred is useless; I can easily crush you to death right now!"
After speaking, Meng Fan ignored the green serpent and turned to look at Liu Yanping and Li Xuerou.
Liu Yanping asked curiously, "Meng Fan, were you just communicating with this green serpent?"
Meng Fan nodded, "Indeed, after it recognized me as its Master, we can communicate. By the way, don't call it a green serpent anymore; it's too unpleasant. From now on, its name is Xiao Qing!"
The next second, Xiao Qing's voice appeared in Meng Fan's mind.
"Master, Xiao Qing isn't a very nice name, is it? Since it's my own name, can I choose one for myself?"
Meng Fan rejected without hesitation, "No, in our human world, people don't choose their own names!"
"But I'm not human…"
"There are no buts. If you object, I can make you shut up!"
Xiao Qing clearly understood that "shut up" meant being killed, silenced forever.
It quickly agreed, "I've thought it over, and actually, Xiao Qing is quite a nice name!"
"By the way, what's the use of this lotus flower you've been guarding?"
Meng Fan suddenly remembered the lotus flower.
Since Xiao Qing had been guarding it, it must know its effects, right?
Xiao Qing didn't hesitate or hide anything, immediately saying, "I don't know what this lotus flower is, but it never wilts and is always in bloom. Each year, it sheds a petal and then grows a new one.
And every year, I eat the fallen petal.
Each time I eat a petal, my Cultivation Level surges.
In a few more years, I would have been able to transform."
Xiao Qing paused there.
Because there were no more years left; Meng Fan had taken the lotus flower.
Meng Fan didn't care about the hint of grievance in Xiao Qing's words. All he heard was that eating the petals of this lotus could increase Cultivation Level.
Unfortunately, his Cultivation Level was sealed here, so he dared not eat it carelessly, as he wouldn't be able to Refine and absorb it.
It seemed he would have to wait until he left the Demon Realm to deal with the lotus flower.
"Xiao Qing, I am your Master's friend, and from today on, I am your sister," Liu Yanping suddenly approached Xiao Qing and patted its head.
Meng Fan rolled his eyes, finding Liu Yanping's behavior rather foolish.
Liu Yanping had long wanted to subdue a spiritual pet, but lacked the ability.
Now she could only indulge herself with Meng Fan's spiritual pet!
"Hiss~~~~" Xiao Qing opened its mouth wide and let out an angry roar at Liu Yanping, startling her and making her retreat several steps.
"Meng Fan, it's actually being aggressive towards me, not as well-behaved as before!" Liu Yanping complained to Meng Fan.
"You had it coming," Meng Fan replied unapologetically, thinking Liu Yanping's behavior was a bit stupid.
Seeing his Master's attitude, Xiao Qing grew even more smug, opening its mouth wide and letting out another roar at Liu Yanping.
The serpent was flaunting its connection to its powerful Master!
Proofreader & Editor: Peter Pan