The Mantis Stalks the Cicada, Unaware of the Oriole Behind

After leaving Whispering Cloud Village, Ji Feng and his disciples arrived at the Zuldazar Mountains. This already counted as the borderlands of Pandaria.

Towering fir trees reached into the clouds, while lush, dense primeval forests spread below. The Zuldazar Mountains were far older than Whispering Cloud Mountain, making the place feel like something out of a dream.

Birdsong occasionally drifted through the sky, while elk with enormous antlers roamed in small groups, sometimes crossing the mountain paths. To Ji Feng, this place felt like another Val'sharah—a sacred, primordial mountain range.

The mountains stretched endlessly onward as Ji Feng and his group traveled deeper and deeper into their heart...

"Roar!"

Deep within the mountains, before a vast marshland, Ji Feng and his group sat hidden amid the bushes along the water's edge. As they rested, they suddenly heard an earth-shaking roar.

As the saying went, where there was water, there was life. This marsh was exceptionally fertile and nurtured countless creatures. Now, the giant beast that ruled these waters had returned.

"Everyone, keep quiet. Don't make a sound. A dragon is coming this way," Ji Feng signaled from the bushes.

He could clearly see a red skull on the system map. A red skull represented tremendous strength, and before he had even seen the giant dragon, he did not dare act rashly. The instant his words fell, the ground suddenly shook, and the figure of a Thunder King Dragon appeared in the distance.

It was a terrifying creature similar to a tyrannosaurus.

In World of Warcraft, at the northernmost edge of Kun-Lai Summit, there was a gigantic beast island famed throughout Pandaria. Countless primitive dinosaurs lived there, and the most famous among them was Uldyssian. The monster that had appeared now was a super beast of the same kind.

Its entire body was pitch-black, and it was roughly twenty meters long. Its claws were larger than Ji Feng himself. As it arrived, countless birds were startled into flight from the marsh.

"Master Ji, this Thunder King Dragon seems to be injured. Look behind it..."

As the giant dragon arrived, Yao Shi spoke in a low voice.

There was a bloody wound on one of the powerful Thunder King Dragon's hind legs. Perhaps because of that wound, it had let out that mountain-shaking roar earlier.

"To bite through this giant beast's hide, could there be an even stronger monster here? This is..."

As Ji Feng exclaimed in surprise, another row of red skulls appeared on the system map. Clearly, more terrifying creatures were rushing toward this place.

"Roar!"

"Roar!"

Roars rang out from the sky as green, blue, and golden cloud serpents flew above the marsh. Cloud serpents—this time, the ones that had come were Dragonflights as well.

"Rumble!"

The instant the cloud serpents appeared, the enormous Thunder King Dragon seemed to have spotted mortal enemies. It moved its thick, powerful legs and lunged at one of the cloud serpents.

This cloud serpent was seven or eight meters long, while the Murloc was around twenty meters long. Placed together, the cloud serpent seemed insignificant. Yet this cloud serpent did not fear the Murloc's attack at all and charged forward as well.

"Bang!"

In an instant, the two enormous beasts became entangled in battle. The Murloc might have been slightly stronger than the cloud serpent, but it could not fly. Whenever it was about to bite the cloud serpent, the cloud serpent flew into the air. After several exchanges like this, the Murloc's momentum gradually waned.

Clearly, this was a battle over territory. The Murloc was not fighting a single cloud serpent, but the entire cloud serpent flock. As the battle continued, a second cloud serpent gradually joined the fight.

"Crack!"

More cloud serpents joined the battle one after another, and wounds began appearing across the Murloc's body. One of its eyes had gone blind, though it had also killed several cloud serpents. The Dragonflights' slaughter was unlike that of humans, involving numerous spells. Their battles tested strength more than anything else.

Their battle churned the entire area into mud, and the whole grassland seemed to have been scraped away.

"Yao Shi, Brother Kang, you've watched for so long. Have you gained any insights? What differences do you see between these cloud serpents and the Murloc?" As the battle grew fiercer, Ji Feng spoke with the two of them.

"Master Ji, the cloud serpents are far more agile than the Murloc, and they seem to understand tactics as well. Every cloud serpent is clearly attacking the Murloc's wounds..."

"Brother, the Murloc is like the Mogu, while we Pandaren are like the cloud serpents. To defeat the Mogu, we cannot rely on fighting alone. We must rely on the strength of unity."

Yao Shi and Kang both voiced their thoughts.

"Mm... well said."

"But haven't either of you noticed something? The Murloc has been staring into the depths of the marsh. I suspect there is something extremely important there..."

In truth, that was what Ji Feng had wanted to say. He had not expected Yao Shi and Kang to mention those things. What he meant was "Dragon Eggs."

Though he had not considered what the two of them had said, Ji Feng could see their personalities from their words. Clearly, Yao Shi had the makings of a commanding general, while Kang truly deserved to be the future sage who would overthrow the Mogu. What Kang thought of was the strength of the people.

"Something extremely important? I understand now. Dragon Eggs."

"That's right, Dragon Eggs. I'm planning to take a look in the depths of the marsh."

The moment Yao Shi opened his mouth, Ji Feng interrupted him. Waving his hand, he pointed toward the depths of the marsh.

Many low shrubs grew throughout this marsh, and the dense brush offered the best cover. Since he had come to the Zuldazar Mountains and encountered a Murloc, Ji Feng naturally wanted to take a look at its nest.

"Master Ji, you're going into the depths of the marsh? Alone?"

"Mm. The depths of the marsh are too dangerous. If we really encounter other Murlocs, I won't be able to protect you at all. You should stay here for now. Also, if I haven't returned by nightfall, keep heading toward the village. I have a way to find you..."

With Ji Feng's current combat strength, he might not be able to defeat a juvenile Murloc, but he could definitely escape. Thus, he had nothing to fear.

Besides, the greater the danger, the greater the reward. He wanted to create a "war machine" too!

After all, whether it was Uldyssian or Thok, monsters like those could wipe out an entire legion. If he could obtain a batch of Dragon Eggs and raise them to adulthood, perhaps the Shadowwind Clan could establish a corps of dinosaur riders in the future.

In this era, Zandalar had already begun training these terrestrial dragon breeds. What Ji Feng envisioned was not some wild fantasy.

"Yao Shi, Kang, remember this. If I don't return, take everyone straight back to the village. I will come find you..." With that, Ji Feng took out several rolls of bandages and handed them to Yao Shi.

After giving them a few simple instructions, he headed toward the depths of the marsh.