“General Black Wheel, when are we going to make our move? If that Golden Dragon kid inherits the Dragon Emperor’s throne, our plans will be completely ruined.”
One of them, with a prominent scar on his face, stood out under the campfire’s glow, looking rather ferocious.
He wiped his steel blade while asking in a hushed voice.
General Black Wheel glanced at the old man and the youth nearby, his eyes cold and sinister, and said icily, “That old man’s strength is at the seventh level of the Mortal Realm. Even if we join forces, we might not be his match. Even if we could defeat him, something unexpected could happen, and if that kid escapes, it’ll cause endless trouble.”
“Damn it, back in the Primordial Era, our Dragon Clan dominated the Mysterious Realm. We were so powerful then, but now the strongest among us are only half-step Heavenly Lords, unable to even leave the Moonlight Pagoda. Ugh, General, what should we do?”
Scarface grumbled indignantly.
He blamed the Moonlight Goddess for their current state.
But he didn’t realise that if they had stayed outside like the humans, their clan might have been wiped out by now.
After all, when the True Demon Empire rose, the dragons left outside were nearly slaughtered to extinction, turned into martial souls.
“No rush.”
General Black Wheel sneered, “I’ve already contacted the Black Dragon King. He’ll send people to back us up. As long as we act before reaching Heavenly Dragon Mountain, we can’t fail.”
“You’re brilliant, General. But who’d have thought, after all our assassinations and poisonings, we still couldn’t wipe out the Golden Dragon Clan completely? This dragon kid popping up even startled the Black Dragon King.”
“There are too many secret places in the Moonlight Pagoda. That kid probably hid in one of them, which is why we couldn’t find him. Just call it his good luck.”
General Black Wheel said calmly.
“Hmph, good luck? Maybe so, but if this kid had stayed hidden, he might’ve lived a peaceful life. As for now, the Golden Dragon Clan will soon be extinct!”
Scarface flashed a ruthless grin, showing no mercy for slaughtering his own kind.
…
Dragon Clan aura!
After passing through that beam of light, Ling Xiao appeared in a dense jungle.
In that instant, he sensed a strong Dragon Clan aura.
The Primordial Golden Dragon in his Mountains and Rivers Martial Soul even shed tears of excitement.
“The third stage is supposed to cover a hundred miles, but it doesn’t seem that way now. There appear to be several secret areas leading to unique dimensional spaces, and their size isn’t small either.”
Ling Xiao tried to open the map of this dimension, but unfortunately, even after extending it to a hundred miles, it wasn’t complete.
This meant the space he was in exceeded a hundred miles.
“Better be cautious!”
The unknown is always dangerous.
Regardless, Ling Xiao planned to explore this space thoroughly. He might find clues to the fourth stage.
Even if he found no clues, discovering some treasures would still be well worth it.
Of course, he had to be extremely careful; one misstep could cost him his life.
His current location was at the edge of the dense forest.
Beyond the forest lay an endless prairie, though the grass here was unusually tall, the shortest reaching two or three metres, hardly different from trees.
Without the map in his Mountains and Rivers Martial Soul to help him avoid most dangers, he wouldn’t dare wander recklessly.
“Let’s search the area nearby!”
After some thought, Ling Xiao’s figure flashed, golden dragon wings spreading behind him as he soared into the sky like a small flying dragon.
On the vast prairie, there were several wide paths, likely formed by frequent travellers.
Though they were dirt roads, they were well-trodden and firm.
On one such path, a beast-drawn cart moved steadily forward.
At the front and rear of the cart stood a dragonkin each, their black scales strikingly visible.
The dragonkin were tall, averaging around three metres in height, with the tallest exceeding ten metres and the shortest still over two metres.
In dragon form, they would be even larger, matching any primordial giant beast without question.
Suddenly, the beast cart stopped.
“What’s wrong, General Black Wheel?”
An old man leapt out of the cart.
A youth also lifted the window to check the situation.
“Elder Lin, you know the Black Spirits have been getting bolder lately. The jungle ahead is dense, and there might be danger. Better to be cautious.”
General Black Wheel hid the killing intent in his eyes, offering a fake smile.
“What does the General suggest?”
Elder Lin asked.
“Elder Lin and the young Golden Dragon Lord stay here. I’ll scout ahead. If there’s no danger, we can proceed.”
General Black Wheel replied.
“Very well.”
Elder Lin nodded.
Black Wheel shot Scarface a glance, then leapt forward, vanishing into the tall grass.
Elder Lin glanced worriedly in the direction Black Wheel had gone, then climbed back onto the cart and transmitted to the youth inside, “Young Lord, things aren’t looking good. I suspect the Black Dragons will make their move soon. I’ll try to hold them off. You must seize the chance to escape, as far as you can, and never return.”
“But Grandfather Lin, what about you?”
The dragon youth exclaimed.
“I swore long ago to protect you with my life. Now that life can serve its purpose. Young Lord, go now!”
Elder Lin’s tone turned stern.
He sensed two powerful auras approaching, warriors at the eighth level of the Mortal Realm, far beyond his ability to counter.
“You old fool, what are you up to?”
Hearing the shout, Scarface lunged forward.
“Get lost!”
In his fury, Elder Lin struck out with a palm, forcing Scarface back, then roared at the youth, “Run! The Moonlight Sect’s pagoda-climbing ceremony should have started. Find their successor outside; there might still be a chance!”
The youth hesitated no longer and leapt from the cart to flee.
But it was too late.
A terrifying force enveloped an area dozens of metres around the cart, black flames rising, the effect of Black Dragon Breath.
It was a Black Dragon warrior.
“Damn it!”
Elder Lin sighed inwardly; they were too late.
He should never have let the Young Lord come out. The Black Dragons’ cruelty should have been anticipated.
He quickly moved to the youth’s side, ready to sacrifice his life to protect the last of the Golden Dragon bloodline.
“Young Lord, if there’s even the slightest chance, don’t miss it. Just escape, and I’ll die content.”
