When the terrifying dragon roar echoed around, a luxurious imperial carriage adorned with pearls and silk was just passing beneath the dragon’s lair. The passengers inside the carriage were none other than the old emperor and Prince Geller.
Hearing that dragon roar, the two old men’s faces changed abruptly. The old emperor, who had previously worn a kindly and serene expression, even erupted in an angry shout: “Damn it! They have actually activated the Dragon Soul Array!” He naturally knew what that dragon roar signified!
“Those old fellows in the Privy Council insisted on setting the venue for the martial trial in the dragon’s lair. It turns out they had this scheme in mind…” Prince Geller said, his face full of shock and disbelief. He hurriedly scrambled out of the imperial carriage. “Das, quick, go up the mountain and see what is happening. Stop the Dragon Soul Array for me!”
“Yes!” A black-armoured guard waiting nearby responded hurriedly and dashed towards the top of the dragon’s lair.
“The third prince has always been dutiful and loyal, never making a mistake. Who would have thought that this time, to deal with Ye Chui, he would risk activating the Dragon Soul Array without permission…” When Prince Geller returned to the imperial carriage, the old emperor sighed. The Dragon Soul Array was under the third prince’s management, and activating it without permission was a grave crime. For the third prince to take such a risk of being punished by the old emperor, this must certainly be the result of a conspiracy by those fellows in the Privy Council.
No one knew what kind of price they had paid to make the third prince take such a great risk.
“[Strike of the Dragon Soul] may not cause physical harm to a person, but it can greatly intimidate one’s will. For someone about to engage in battle, this is simply fatal!” Prince Geller said, his face becoming somewhat ferocious due to anger. Although he, Geller, did not like gold coins, lending fifty thousand gold coins to Ye Chui had emptied all his savings. If Ye Chui lost, he would lose everything, and he would not even be able to support the maids and servants in his household… Of course, what he cared about was not this point, but rather how these people resorted to any means for victory.
The Dragon Soul Array and the dragon’s lair were important places in the Stellar Empire, yet they had used them to deal with Ye Chui!
Just as Prince Geller and the old emperor were both deeply worried, another dragon roar suddenly rang out.
The previous dragon roar had been loud, yet carried a somewhat ethereal and traceless quality, while this roar, although coming from afar, seemed to explode right beside their ears. Prince Geller and the old emperor exchanged a glance and hurriedly scrambled out of the imperial carriage, looking towards the top of the dragon’s lair.
On the mountain path leading to the flat ground midway up the mountain, quite a few people were now climbing. At the foot of the mountain, an unknown number of citizens who had come to watch the contest had already gathered. They all vaguely saw the figure of a giant dragon coiling and rising!
“This, this is the summoned giant dragon of Ye Chui!” Prince Geller quickly recognised it. “But the last time I saw it, it was not this huge…”
“Its roar is the true [Dragon’s Might]!” The old emperor exclaimed in astonishment from within the imperial carriage.
…
Dragon Treasure needed to absorb magic cores to evolve. Low-rank magic cores were of little use to him, but the higher the rank of the magic beast, the more obvious the enhancement to him. Four days ago, he had devoured the magic core of the Blood Serpent Beast, which was a great tonic for Dragon Treasure. Now, being summoned by Ye Chui once again, his body size had fully increased by one level, and his appearance was even more majestic and imposing.
The might of his dragon roar had also risen to a new level.
Dragon Treasure’s dragon roar had a tremendous deterrent effect on magic beasts, a deterrence known as [Dragon’s Might]. Previously, because his power was relatively weak, [Dragon’s Might] could only affect magic beasts below the fourth rank. Now, after absorbing the Blood Serpent Beast’s magic core, Dragon Treasure’s power had increased, and the strength of [Dragon’s Might] had enhanced. However, even without these improvements, the original him would have been sufficient to shock the dragon souls in the dragon’s lair!
This was not a difference in rank, but a shock from a deeper level of the soul.
A newly born giant dragon might have great potential and bloodline, but when facing a low-rank adult magic beast, it still lacked the power to protect itself. And if facing an adult giant dragon, if that adult giant dragon was of a lower race than itself, such as a Black Gold Flame Dragon compared to a Golden Giant Dragon, or an Ice Frost Dragon compared to a Black Gold Flame Dragon, then even if its power could crush the other, it still could not quell the submission arising from the soul.
The dragon souls in the dragon’s lair were, countless years ago, merely the lowest-rank black dragon souls in the dragon race. How could they compare to the Black Gold Flame Dragon, which stood at the second rank in the giant dragon class?
Not to mention that Dragon Treasure had once been the God of Ten Thousand Beasts!
He was the Beast God. The higher the rank of the magic beast, the more it could sense the rank deterrence coming from the depths of his soul!
…
“Roar—” In the flat ground midway up the mountain, after being summoned, Dragon Treasure had originally planned to act cute with Ye Chui first, but then he sensed the [Dragon’s Might] deterrence coming from the sky. He immediately became furious and let out a terrifying roar from his mouth, raising his head to look at the illusory giant dragon figure in the sky. Being of the same race, Dragon Treasure quickly realised what that mass was. He angrily said to Ye Chui, “This little flying insect actually dares to use Dragon’s Might against this dragon!”
“Go on, no need to hold back. Take it down!” Ye Chui patted Dragon Treasure’s wings, which were flapping down, and said with a smile. You struck first, so it is not my fault if you take down the dragon soul.
“Roar—”
Dragon Treasure’s figure shot straight into the sky. He swiftly flew to the front of that mass of virtual dragon shadow. In terms of size, Dragon Treasure was now much larger, but compared to that dragon soul shadow, he was still just a tiny lump, like the difference between an eagle and a sparrow. However, upon sensing Dragon Treasure’s arrival, the dragon soul shadow showed a terrified appearance. The roar from its mouth no longer carried majesty; it had turned more into a cry of fear!
It did not even dare to tangle with Dragon Treasure and twisted its body to fly back into the dragon’s lair.
Dragon Treasure pursued relentlessly. His two huge claws grabbed onto one of the dragon soul shadow’s wings. He stretched his neck and roared at the dragon shadow’s head: “Roar roar, roar roar—” Although the size difference was vast, Dragon Treasure now particularly resembled a bully tormenting the weak…
Inside the central tower.
“Third Prince Your Highness, the Dragon Soul Array, the Dragon Soul Array is starting to go out of control!”
“What is happening?”
“The dragon soul is trembling… It is actually defying the control of the Dragon Soul Array out of fear!”
“…”
“This has never happened before! We have already increased the stimulation to the maximum, but the dragon soul still refuses to fight…”
On the magic platforms surrounding the central tower, blue electric lights flickered continuously, constantly activating the power of the Dragon Soul Array, but to no avail. The huge dragon soul shadow had now flown into the largest cave at the top of the dragon’s lair, curling its body inside and refusing to come out.
Meanwhile, Dragon Treasure landed at the very top of that cave. His two claws clung to the cave entrance, thrusting his entire dragon head almost fully inside, continuously roaring. Occasionally, there were a few curses: “Come out, you come out to this dragon! You little flying insect…”
It was truly bullying the dragon right to its doorstep…
At that moment, “Boom!” “Boom!” Several explosions rang out. It was those magic platforms of the Dragon Soul Array that had all detonated. Due to overdrive activation, the Dragon Soul Array had clashed with the dragon soul’s fearful consciousness, directly causing this powerful array, which had not had any errors for over a thousand years, to be utterly destroyed!
Inside the central tower, there was a deathly silence.
“The Dragon Soul Array has actually been destroyed!” A magus guide slumped to the ground, his face ashen.
“The Dragon Soul Array is destroyed? What exactly is going on?” The third prince roared hoarsely.
“The Dragon Soul Array is ruined… The dragon soul actually broke free from the Dragon Soul Array’s control out of fear! This, this is impossible… How can that summoned giant dragon be so powerful? That… what exactly is that giant dragon?”
That Ye Chui could summon a giant dragon was not a secret, but for some summoners, being able to summon giant dragon heroic spirits was not uncommon, so no one had ever truly taken Ye Chui’s ability seriously. Although some suspected that the giant dragon Ye Chui summoned seemed unusual, resembling the God of Ten Thousand Beasts from legends, who could believe that it was truly that legendary dragon?
The third prince walked to the window, gripping the window frame tightly with both hands, his face as cold as if it could condense frost.
…
“It seems the dragon soul is quite attractive to Dragon Treasure…” Ye Chui watched Dragon Treasure cursing atop the dragon’s lair and said with a smile. “Let him make a fuss. If he can devour the dragon soul, that would be even better.”
“The Dragon Soul Array seems to have been destroyed as well.” Debbie turned her head to glance at the ruined magic platforms, her brows furrowing slightly. “To actually use the Dragon Soul Array against us… This is not our fault!”
“Yes, we are acting in legitimate self-defence.”
Ye Chui remained calm and composed. Originally, he had intended to let Dragon Treasure try if he could devour the dragon souls here, but this place was a secret site of the Stellar Empire, and the empire certainly would not allow him to harvest the dragon souls casually. But now, he could not be blamed; it was all their own doing. This could serve as an appetiser for the upcoming battle.
This farce of dragon might oppression thus came to an end, leaving countless people in shock.
The mountain of the dragon’s lair still echoed with Dragon Treasure’s roars. Amid those roars, Ye Chui led his little companions to the centre of the flat ground midway up the mountain, where the stage for the martial trial would be.
Quite a few nobles and wealthy individuals had already appeared around them. They were whispering about everything that had just happened, and their faces unanimously seemed to carry a hint of worry: This Ye Chui… does not seem as easy to bully as they had thought.
The snake-haired Yuren had not yet arrived, and among the people present, there were none from the Beastmaster Jores family.
On Ye Chui’s side, they simply brought out tables and chairs, sitting down calmly to wait.
They had not waited long when a few people appeared on the mountain path. It was none other than Jacob, Debbie, Hoyn, and several guards from the Anduin family. Upon seeing Ye Chui and the others, they hurried over. Hoyn was drenched in sweat, constantly wiping it with a silk handkerchief. Seeing Ye Chui and the rest, he eagerly asked if they had enough confidence for the martial trial. The Anduin family had staked everything on this…
Regarding Hoyn’s worries, Debbie smiled and reassured him that he would wake up laughing even in his sleep from now on. The rise of the Anduin family was today!
“Huh?” While they were talking, Green suddenly noticed something and exclaimed in surprise. “It is them!”
“Who?” Ye Chui asked.
Green pointed towards two people appearing on a side mountain path: an old man in black and a pretty girl in a short skirt. Green explained: “They are the two I encountered that night. That old man’s magic guide book is enormous!”
“So it is them?” Ye Chui looked over, then realised that the old and young pair were also walking straight towards them. The black-clothed old man had a cold expression and vigilant eyes, while the girl wore an innocent and lively expression, skipping and hopping along. On her chest hung a strange pendant that bounced along with her movements.
It was an orange one, shaped like a magic guide book.
Seeing the style of the pendant on the girl, Jacob suddenly froze.
“Wow, are you that Ye Chui?” The girl walked right up to Ye Chui’s side and greeted him cheerfully with a grin. Her pretty fingers pointed at the giant dragon roaring atop the dragon’s lair. “Is that dragon yours? Can you give it to me?”
“Uh?” The girl was too direct. Ye Chui shook his head. “No.”
“Aww, what a shame. I was going to say that if you gave me that dragon, I would spare your life.” The girl continued smiling.
Ye Chui’s face suddenly turned cold, and a gust of wind instantly swirled around him. This was an instinctive defensive action.
However…
“Ouch!” The girl was directly blown off balance by that strong wind and fell flat on her bottom. She was stunned for a moment, then her big eyes looking at Ye Chui instantly filled with a layer of mist. She glared at Ye Chui angrily, like a wronged little girl… Well, she was a wronged little girl.
Ye Chui: “???”
“You bastard, how dare you offend the lady!” The black-clothed old man immediately flew into a rage. A huge magic guide book appeared beside him instantly, the very one Green had mentioned: half a metre long and a foot wide, with an orange cover. The pages flipped rustlingly, as if ready to unleash some terrifying magic at any moment. This made Green, Debbie, Theresa, and the others all become alert.
“Black Grandpa!” The girl hurriedly climbed up from the ground and blocked the old man. “You must not lay a hand on him!”
“But lady…” The black-clothed old man hesitated.
“No buts.” The girl placed her hands on her hips and said to the black-clothed old man. The old man seemed extremely indulgent towards her. He snorted and closed the magic guide book. The girl then turned her head to look at Ye Chui again. “Hey, you had better survive under Yuren’s hands later, because I really dislike you now. So, after one month when my naming day arrives, I will come to kill you personally!”
“Naming day?” Ye Chui suddenly understood. This girl was not yet sixteen and had not awakened her magic guide book, which was why she had just been casually blown to the ground by Ye Chui. However, awakening a magic guide book had great uncertainties. How could she be so certain that she would awaken a powerful magic guide book?
Moreover, she planned to kill Ye Chui after her naming day one month from now, meaning that right after awakening her magic guide book, she intended to come after Ye Chui?
Was she addled in the head, or simply too arrogant?
Seeing Ye Chui’s surprised expression, the girl thought she had intimidated him, so she proudly led the black-clothed old man towards the stone platform under the cliff.
“Miss, your handkerchief…” At that moment, Green suddenly stood up and took out the handkerchief from his pocket to return it to the girl.
He had originally felt some fondness for the girl, but now, seeing her say she wanted to kill Ye Chui, Green felt a bit angry inside, so he wanted to return the handkerchief to her.
However, the girl glanced at the handkerchief and suddenly snatched it, throwing it to the ground and stomping on it twice with force. Then she turned and walked away: “Hmph! Useless rag, it made us take the wrong path. I will remember you forever!”
Green: “…”
“What kind of person is this woman? How is she so unreliable?” Debbie said, somewhat annoyed. For her to describe someone as unreliable meant they were particularly so.
However, Anduin family head Hoyn seemed to recognise something. He said tremblingly: “Debbie, that little girl is no ordinary person… If I am not mistaken, she, she should be one of the Twelve Phase Heirs!”
“Twelve Phase Heir?” The others all looked at Hoyn. Hoyn was, after all, the head of a family, and his knowledge was not something these youngsters could compare to.
Hoyn nodded and continued: “The pinnacle of magus guides is the Phase King Magus Guide, of which there are twelve, known as the Twelve Phases. The Twelve Phases are confirmed through inheriting magic guide books. The black-clothed old man beside that girl should be a Phase Servant. Phase Servants are responsible for protecting and caring for the heirs of the Twelve Phases before they mature. Their magic guide books are also passed down through generations as supreme magic guide books.”
“…” Ye Chui and the others were somewhat surprised. After Green encountered them that day, Ye Chui had specifically asked Prince Geller about the pair, but Prince Geller knew nothing of the old and young duo and was unaware of such figures in the imperial capital. Prince Geller had also had people investigate, but found nothing. For these two to appear in the imperial capital and at the martial trial site without informing the Stellar Empire’s royal family was highly unusual.
“Lord Hoyn, is it just from that black-clothed old man’s magic guide book that you can determine their identity?” Theresa asked at this point.
“No, not just that.” Hoyn shook his head. “There is also the pendant that girl is wearing.”
“Pendant?” Ye Chui and the others were all stunned.
Jacob’s body even trembled slightly.
Hoyn continued: “It is said that powerful inherited magic guide books do not disappear when they lose their host. Instead, they transform into a form like that pendant. Magic guide books of this level all evolve their own will. They choose their own hosts themselves. The Magic Guild cultivates a portion of talented young children from a young age. These children all have the potential to inherit powerful magic guide books and are called magic children. At a certain age, those powerful inherited magic guide books are allowed to make their choices. The Twelve Phases are also selected through this process, so the Twelve Phase Magus Guides are determined from childhood. After that, the magic child wears the pendant of the magic guide book until their sixteenth birthday naming day, when the pendant acknowledges its master, instantly turning the magic child into a powerful magus guide book. That girl’s pendant is clearly such a magic guide book pendant…”
“So magic guide books can be like that!” Ye Chui, Debbie, Theresa, Green, and the others were all somewhat surprised.
“Only a few inherited magic guide books, such as those used by Phase Servants and the Twelve Phases, transform into pendants after losing their host. Most such magic guide books are controlled by the Magic Guild, with only a very few in the hands of great families or the royal family.” Hoyn replied. “She says she will kill you on her naming day because when that day arrives, she will instantly awaken one of the most terrifying magic guide books in the world and become a Twelve Phase King Magus Guide!”
As he said these words, Hoyn’s body could not help but tremble: How had Ye Chui provoked such a terrifying figure!
Meanwhile, Jacob’s expression became extremely strange.
“Jacob, what is wrong with you?” Dani asked Jacob in a low voice.
“No, nothing…” Jacob hurriedly shook his head, but his heart was filled with questions.
I seem to have had such a pendant before…
