Before the Great Nirvana Period, no animal or beast could possibly deserve the title of "dragon"! Dragons were nothing but creatures from myths and legends!
However, after the Great Nirvana Period, genetic mutations caused all kinds of animals and beasts to evolve into strange and terrifying monster species. Pig monsters, for instance, split into several kinds, as did dog monsters. There were also cat monsters, rat monsters, gecko monsters, wolf monsters, tiger monsters, and more!
On top of that, there were some extremely rare and unusual monsters whose evolutionary origins were unknown. Perhaps they had come into being because of some special factor!
In the end, these monsters had earned the title of dragon from humanity through their formidable strength. The Iron Armored Dragon was one of them. Pulling teeth from its mouth would be no easy task.
Liu Yun had already infiltrated the heart of this port city. In the middle of the city stood a Stadium. Once bustling, it was now covered in thick dust and mottled, dried bloodstains. It had completely lost its former liveliness and crowds, and had become a territory where monsters roamed at will.
"Whoosh, whoosh."
In that silent, gloomy space, a huge creature lay motionless. Its entire body was covered in dark green scales, making it look like a moving hill. With each heavy breath, two clouds of foul-smelling white vapor poured from its nostrils and quickly spread, making the abandoned Stadium seem even more terrifying and oppressive.
The Stadium now resembled a nest, providing the Iron Armored Dragon with a place to rest. At the same time, many Beast General-level monsters were resting nearby. Together, they were no less formidable than a War God-level fighter.
"I'd say there are at least a hundred Beast Generals around the Iron Armored Dragon. Even with computer assistance, I'm afraid I couldn't fight my way in!"
From a distant mountaintop, Liu Yun used binoculars to study the Iron Armored Dragon piece by piece. He quietly began planning his route. After all, he was a remarkable man known for his Twenty-Eight Methods of Escaping. How could he possibly act without first making thorough calculations?
At a collapsed corner of the Stadium, Liu Yun also spotted two somewhat smaller monsters. The two beasts looked like walking flames, their bodies covered in pure, flawless red scales, without a single mark of another color! Three sharp, curved horns rose from each of their enormous heads, like tridents pointed straight ahead, inspiring dread in anyone who saw them!
Those were Fire-Scaled Trident Pigs, early-stage Lord Monsters. Taking this place would be an extremely difficult task, especially with two early-stage Lord Monsters helping out nearby. But if Liu Yun wanted to upgrade his base again, he had no choice but to venture into the dragon's lair.
Behind the binoculars, Ruby and the others exchanged puzzled, bewildered glances. Though they were all mid-level War Generals and elite members of the HR Alliance, they couldn't help feeling a little afraid when faced with the legendary Iron Armored Dragon. Yet Liu Yun, standing before them, looked unremarkable—almost casual and lazy. That only made them doubt his abilities even more.
"War God Liu Yun, are you sure you intend to face that Iron Armored Dragon alone? And all the Beast Generals around it?" The red-haired Ruby, a Psychic on the team, spoke softly, but her words carried a sharp edge. "As far as I know, the Iron Armored Dragon's defenses are astonishing. It can just barely withstand attacks from an Invincible War God, let alone with so many Beast Generals guarding it."
The blonde woman, who had chosen the Chinese name Yang Xiaolong, voiced her dissatisfaction more bluntly. "What on earth is Lady Glinda thinking? Is this the 'special' War God she sent us to assist?" Her tone was laced with disapproval and sarcasm, and she clearly doubted Liu Yun's strength. But she greatly admired Chinese kung fu, and had chosen the name Yang Xiaolong in imitation of Bruce Lee. Her friends all called her "Brother Dragon."
Ruby was Yang Xiaolong's younger sister. She couldn't help tugging at Yang Xiaolong, who was being far too outspoken. Even if it was true, she couldn't say it out loud!
Blacka lowered her voice and warned them, "Brother Dragon, stop talking. Even if he isn't a War God, he's no weaker than us! I heard Blacka is his lover..."
That was nothing but another rumor. Liu Yun lowered his binoculars and turned to look at them, seeming completely unconcerned.
Liu Yun was a War God and the leader of the team. They were just a bunch of ignorant little girls who didn't know their place.
"My strength is beyond what you can imagine. As for the Iron Armored Dragon, heh heh, everything is under control."
Liu Yun's gaze grew extraordinarily resolute, as if he could already see victory within reach. But the others weren't about to believe any of that "everything is under control" bullshit.
The woman holding the Straight Blade was named Blacka. No one had said what her mixed heritage was, but she looked like a black-haired woman from Yingzhou. The other woman, who wielded a slender sword, was far more remarkable: she introduced herself as the legitimate daughter of a core family in the HR Alliance.
"I'm from the Onassis Family. My name is Xueni. My father and elder brother are both Councilors. As a War God, you should understand what that means, right? I hope to learn your martial arts from you!"
She was even more impressive: she was directly related to two Councilors. Even Liu Yun was momentarily stunned. People like Li Wei had a War God for a parent and acted like they owned the world, while this young woman, with a Councilor for a father, was here assisting him.
It seemed the HR Alliance hadn't completely screwed him over. Looking at Xueni, Liu Yun thought she resembled Snow White.
"Are Councilors' children really that impressive? I think if I leave you on your own, you'll soon be torn to pieces by the monster tide!"
Liu Yun replied with a cold laugh. He still couldn't be bothered to deal with them. His future was limitless, after all. He'd soon become an Invincible War God, or even a Councilor, if he wanted.
Xueni's expression changed when she heard that. Still, she could tell at a glance that Liu Yun had something wrong with him, so she didn't dare make too much of it.
Little Red flew around wildly in the sky. As a monster, she could fly overhead without arousing suspicion from the monster hordes. When the others saw Liu Yun's Beast General-level pet, they finally began to trust his identity a little. But when they saw Little Red and Liu Yun fighting over meat, they changed their minds again in an instant.
They left the hill first, then cleared an open area on the outskirts of the city to stay in for the time being. In this place, once unimaginably prosperous, Liu Yun temporarily put aside his desire to rush through the mission.
Of course, he still had to curse a little, complaining that this damn place was a trap. Who would've thought it would have such a powerful Iron Armored Dragon? It was practically cursed!
Ruby, who was also a Psychic, was more sympathetic toward Liu Yun. She thought this was perfectly normal. There were simply too many monsters here, and the only way to take the place was to advance slowly.
"What's wrong? Why do you hate this place so much? We were supposed to take it slowly anyway..."
The four of them had been sent to work with a War God. A War God was a resource in their own right. As long as they could make connections with one, even people with backgrounds like theirs stood to gain a great deal.
Inside the dilapidated house, Liu Yun was still impatient. He considered using the Machine Race Clone's assistance to fight his way in, but that would defeat the purpose of his training.
Until he truly reached a War God-level mastery of martial arts, he wouldn't release the restraints on his own body. All he could do was angrily grumble,
"Hmph, I just don't want to. If I went all out, what could the Iron Armored Dragon possibly do to me?"
He just felt like he'd suffered a huge loss. He had to suppress his urges and properly hone his martial skills, but he couldn't unlock his power—and these people still doubted his strength.
The four women all snickered when they heard that. If Glinda hadn't forbidden them from going back, they would've run off long ago!
In their eyes, Liu Yun was nothing more than a War General like themselves. The HR Alliance must have made a mistake. For now, they had no choice but to humor Liu Yun and join him in his madness.
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