"You seem a lot different also, I can't seem to sense any cultivation aura from you. But there is something really mysterious surrounding you that I can seem to look into."

Shockingly, the Azure Queen Boa wasn't upset about Min Hong's form of addressing her, rather she was even more concerned that something had gone wrong within her only hope of evolution and brighter future. ​​

Min Hong was stunned when the tiny, young and feminine voice of the Azure Queen Boa echoed within his head. He took him a little while to recover but he responded. "It's a long story, but I am really pressed for time and I have come with a request."

"What is it that you are flustering about. After all, it's not like anyone aside from that old demon, can really defeat you." The Azure Queen Boa replied in an unapprehensive tone.

"I would explain everything in full details depending on your response to my request." Min Hong noticed the curiosity within the Azure Queen Boa and also sensed a tinge of urgency from her body language. Though he didn't know what was causing this he still decided to capitalize on it.

"Due to some tragic events, I have been forced to leave the East Wind Empire and I would really love to have you join me on this journey to my rising to the top of the cultivation world and making a legend for myself." Min Hong dropped the bombshell.

"But you're not going to explain what caused this until I agree to your request?" The Azure Queen Boa was very conflicted with this current situation.

To her young and naïve mind, this human in front of her was her quickest hope in achieving another bloodline or cultivation breakthrough. But, would she just follow him and leave the Mist Marshlands where she was currently revered and follow him?

Not to mention the fact that, the entire East Wind Empire was still so large to the extent that she had barely traversed one percent of the empire.

Furthermore, if she was to roam the rest of the East Wind Empire, she was sure that she would find other means of breakthrough either with her bloodline or cultivation base.

"I thought you would be tired of staying in a backwater region such as this Marshlands. Moreover, even if you were to explore the Empire, you would either be doing so with that old ghost squid, who will want most of the cultivation resources you find for himself."

"Your other options would be to explore the empire with the weaker beasts of this Marshlands. Either ways, you would be an easy target to any Nascent Soul expert you run across." Min Hong tried to devalue her other options.

"Hmph! So, are you trying to tell me that you could survive if you came across a malicious Nascent Soul expert?" the Azure Queen Boa scoffed at Min Hong's statement.

"The last time I was here, I alone battled and killed the Aqua Rhino Emperor and even challenged you to a battle despite my lower cultivation and I could still leave at will. Do you think I would say something that outrageous without something to rely on?"

The moment Min Hong finished his speech, a huge figure casted a huge shadow over the lake and the Azure Queen Boa. This figure was radiating an aura that was very stifling to the Azure Queen Boa. But strangely, Min Hong wasn't affected in the slightest.

The Azure Queen Boa looked to the sky and saw a very stunning sight. It was a huge bird that looked like the crossbreed between an eagle and an owl, it had silvery feathers that glittered like scales with wings that spanned about a hundred feet from end to end.

Then, it had a set of very sharp claws that glittered at the smallest contact with light. it had vertigo inducing eyes, that seemed capable of pulling in someone's soul. Lastly, was its stifling Nascent Soul aura that scared away all beasts within the Mist Marshlands.

"Wh…wha…what! A Nascent Soul beast?! Is this who you have offended?!" the Azure Queen Boa was frightened silly at the sight of the Void Soul Owl. From the aura the bird was radiating, it was very clear that it had a Nascent Soul Cultivation power.

Then, from the way her bloodline was being suppressed and silenced, it was clear that the beast had either a stronger bloodline or higher bloodline purity or both. So, the Azure Queen Boa was very much terrified at the presence of a beast of such scale.

She then looked over at Min Hong with an angry expression as she yelled within his mind. "What have you done to offend such power? Moreover, why did you have to drag me along to the grave with you?!" her voice was already quavering bothering on sobbing.

"What are you flustering about, I only asked you a question and you're behaving this way. This is very unbecoming of someone of your calibre." Min Hong pretended to be naïve towards the Azure Queen Boa's fears.

"Look up, you idiot!" She couldn't take it any longer and then angrily insulted Min Hong.

"Oh, you were talking about her?!" Min Hong smilingly looked up and pointed like he was just noticing the glaring, huge and stifling bird hovering just above their heads.

"Her?!" looking somehow stumped and confused. "What do you mean by her?" she asked quizzed about the form of address Min Hong used with the huge bird.

"That's Elder Yun. She is my guardian on this journey and that bewitching beauty atop her is my sister, Min Qing." Min Hong explained with a cunning smile before yelling. "Elder Yun it's okay now. You can descend!"

The Azure Queen Boa watched the situation unfolding spiral way out of her expectations, as the huge bird descended instantly like it couldn't dare to delay Min Hong's orders.

Furthermore, she truly saw a lithe figure radiating a bewitching beauty and strong aura which seemed to be a lot stronger than her.

The Azure Queen Boa was now so stumped that, she just kept staring at the situation somehow lost, unapprehensive and frustrated all at the same time. So many questions were running across her mind at this point.

"Why was this boy truly here? was he trying to mock me with such a request? When he had such a powerful line up, why would he ever need me?" The more these questions ran through her mind, the more confused and unapprehensive she became.

"Hong-ge, we can't afford to waste any more time. Elder Yun has spotted twelve royal guards on their way here when she went scouting a little while ago." Min Qing urged Min Hong.

"What will it be, little queen?" Min Hong's expression became gloomy as his tone took a serious and urgent shade.

"Royal Guards?!" the Azure Queen Boa had never heard or seen anyone who was addressed by that term, but she could clearly determine who such people might be just from their titles alone.

"I don't have much time to waste. Are you willing to join me or not?!" it was Min Hong's time to yell. He only predicted that the Soaring Cloud Alliance might give chase. He never knew that would actually be the case.

"If you want me to join you, you must first agree to three conditions of mine." The Azure Queen Boa jumped into a decision she was supposed to be calm and think very well about.

But, with Elder Yun present, and the immediate urgency they seem to be in. she knew if she wasted time any longer, she might just get killed and become food for the bird. Especially with the way the bird was looking at her with a gaze filled with sheer impunity.

In fact, she had to summon great courage within her to even make these three conditions. If Elder Yun had released a slight killing intent or made any sort of malicious movement, she had planned to completely burn her bloodline power to flee as far away as possible.

And if she could not flee, she would rather just become their servant, since it was better to be a living servant than a prideful corpse. She was barely 80 years old, and by beast life span, she was still considered a toddler. She had a lot of years to improve in front of her.

So, how could she jeopardize her future just because of a stupid pride, after all pride truly comes before a fall. Moreover, there was nothing stopping her from fleeing and regaining her freedom when she gets a lot stronger in the future.

So, her train of thought didn't go too long and her conclusion was very easy to arrive at. Moreover, the current conditions she was about to make would ensure that she had a very fulfilling future ahead of her.

"State your conditions and if they are not too overambitious or something detrimental to my wellbeing, I would try my possible best to fulfil them." Min Hong spoke.

"Firstly, my safety must be a priority and you must promise that none of you will attack me or have any sort of malicious intentions towards me, most especially…" she looked towards Elder Yun to complete her statement.

But shockingly to her, she was met with the disgusted expression of Elder Yun. Like as if she wasn't worth eating to Elder Yun or more like the mere thought of it was belittling to her.

"Go on!" Min Hong snapped the Azure Queen Boa back to their current discussion.

"Secondly, just like you said earlier. None of you must covet or try to snatch whatever treasures I find during our journey. All of it will belong solely to myself unless I decide to share." She looked towards Elder Yun once again but was met with the same expression.

"And the third?!" Min Hong's patience was already withering off as he barked at the Azure Queen Boa who didn't understand the level of tragedy that would rain on them should those royal guards catch up to them.

"You must not restrict my freedom or force me into any form of slavery or servanthood of any form. I must have the utmost say and decision over things concerning my wellbeing." She concluded.

"Concerning your first demand, no one here is interested in that in any form whatsoever. Though you and Elder Yun might have a bloodline relating to the void, hers is stronger and purer than yours. So, she couldn't possibly gain anything from killing you, only you could possibly benefit from such despicable actions."

��About your second demand, the condition works both ways with us, so we naturally have no problems with that."

"As for your third condition, as long as your thoughts, behaviors and acts doesn't encroach or become detrimental to the wellbeing of us three, you are free to do as you like." Min Hong accepted her conditions with a vague impression of his within.

"I have accepted your three conditions and since you no longer have such opportunities again, it is your time to answer. If you wish to, then let us sign a partial contract that will only allow us to know the location of one another, forge a mental connection and sense when any of us are in danger."

"But if you still refuse, it is also fine by me, but I am not sure if they will both allow you to leave unharmed for the amount of our time you have wasted." Min Hong left a trace of threat within his response.

"You don't need to threaten me with anything, I have already made my decision long ago. My conditions are just to ensure my wellbeing and safety." As her young voice echoed with their minds, a drop of azure blood was ejected and floated in front of Min Hong.

In response, Min Hong slit his finger as a drop of scarlet blood covered with a mysterious aura was ejected and approached the azure drop of blood. The two drops of blood fused and became a bigger azure-red drop of blood.

This drop of blood then split once more, as one half shot into Min Hong and the other half into the Azure Queen Boa. The moment this happened, Min Hong felt a mental connection appear between them.

All he had to do was to think it and the Azure Queen Boa would know what he was trying to do or communicate.

The Azure Queen Boa rapidly shrunk down to a tiny size of about seven inches long and one inch wide before dashing into Min Hong's sleeves and coiling around his arm.

"Is it done?" Elder Yun's voice echoed within Min Hong's mind.

"Yes, we are. Thanks for your assistance one again. We can leave the East Wind Empire now." Min Hong leapt atop Elder Yun as she soared into the sky and hovered atop the lake, allowing Min Hong and Min Qing to savor a last view and sense of a place that would require a long time and journey to once again visit.

After a few minutes of soaking in enough emotions and grief about this place to fuel their desires and motivation, Elder Yun protected the duo on her back with a silvery, glittering and transparent barrier of light before she turned into a streak of light and bolted into the sky.

At this point, Min Qing's face wore a downcast expression as she looked towards Min Hong and heaved a sigh of relief before mumbling to herself. "As long as you're with me, I don't care whatever happens to the world."

Min Hong who was clearly oblivious to this, was communicating with the Azure Queen Boa with his mind.

"So now that we are going to be together for a very long time, you should tell me your name so I can properly address you. I obviously can't keep addressing you as 'Azure Queen Boa' or 'Little Queen' every time." Min Hong thought.

"I don't have one…" she responded with a tone that carried a hint of grief, sadness and loss.

"….!" Min Hong was completely stunned and speechless at this. He could clearly sense that the Azure Queen Boa also had a tragic past and wasn't willing to talk about it for now, so he didn't dwell on the matter too long.

"How about I call you 'Little Ming' then…" he came up with a name on the spot and then proposed it to her.

"Sounds nice…" Little Ming accepted the name with a little weird feeling. She knew that only one's parent should give the first name to anyone and receiving one from a human while she was a beast added to the weird feeling.